

       Encarta World English Dictionary

                    1999

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                  (91346条)




851.22

.22
.22
[twènti t] (plural .22s) noun

small gun:
a gun or rifle that uses a bullet with a diameter of .22 in., typically used
for killing small game.[1]



a

a1

a1 [ay]
(plural as or a’s) or A [ay] (plural As or A’s)
noun

1.  first
letter in English alphabet: the first letter and first
vowel of the alphabet in modern English, and in other languages that also use
the Latin alphabet

2.  sound
of “ a ”:
any speech sound represented by the letter “ a ”

3.  “
A ”-shaped object: something shaped like the
capital letter “ A ”

4.  letter
“ a ” written: a written representation of the letter “
a ”

5.  CHESS first
vertical row of chessboard: used to refer to the first
vertical row of squares from the left on a chessboard
from A to B

from
one place to another

from A to Z

1.  extremely
thoroughly

2.  all
the way from the beginning to the end

[1]



A

A2
A2 (plural As or
A’s)

1.  COMPUTING (used in
hexadecimal notation) Symbol for 10

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for mass number

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY Symbol for adenine

4.  MEASUREMENTS Symbol for ampere

5.  Symbol
for
activity

[1]



A

A3
A3 [ay]
(plural As or A’s)

1.  Abbreviation
of
academy

2.  Abbreviation
of
adult

3.  Abbreviation
of
answer

[1]



a

a2
a2 [(stressed) ay, (unstressed) ə]
CORE
MEANING:
the indefinite article, used before a singular countable noun to refer to one
person or thing not previously known or specified, in contrast with “the,”
referring to somebody or something known to the listener • I
need a new car. indefinite article

1.  indicates
a type:
used before a noun to indicate that somebody or something has some of the same
qualities as the person or thing mentioned • a
Hercules

2.  one:
used instead of “one” with words of measurement • a
teaspoonful of salt

3.  per:
in each or in every • twice
a day

4.  indicates
somebody not known personally: used to indicate
somebody not personally known, but known of • There’s
a Mr. O’Flynn here to see you.

5.  any:
used in negative structures to emphasize a complete absence of something • He
doesn’t have a hope!
[Old
English, shortening of ān (see one )]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  a
  or an ?
  A is the form of the indefinite article
  used before words that are pronounced with an initial consonant sound (even
  if the spelling does not begin with a consonant): • a
  banana
  ; • a
  hunk
  ; • a
  ewe
  . An is used before words that begin with
  a vowel sound (even if an unpronounced consonant comes first): • an
  elephant
  ; • an
  heir
  . The same rule regarding sound rather than spelling applies to
  abbreviations: • a CD
  but • an
  LP
  . The practice of using an before words
  beginning with h and an unstressed syllable (for example • an
  hotel,
  • an
  historic occasion ) is falling out of use,
  and it is much more usual now to hear • a
  hotel
  and • a
  historic occasion, with the h sounded
  in each word.

[1]



a

a3
a3

PHYSICS
Symbol for acceleration[1]



A

A1
A1 [ay]
(plural As or A’s) noun

1.  MUSIC 6th
note in C major: the sixth note of a scale in C major.
The A above middle C is often used to tune instruments and is standardized at a
frequency of 440 hertz.

2.  MUSIC something
that produces an A: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note A

3.  MUSIC scale
beginning on A: a scale or key that starts on the note A

4.  MUSIC written
symbol of A: a graphic representation of the tone of
A

5.  top
grade:
the highest standing or grade • straight
As for the semester.
See
also
alpha

6.        MEDICINE human
blood type: a human blood type of the
ABO system, containing the A antigen. A person with this type of blood can
donate to people of the same group or of the AB group, and can receive blood
from people with this type or with type O.[1]



a

a4
a4

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
acre

2.  Abbreviation
of
about

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
are

[1]



A.

A.
A.
or Å

Symbol for
angstrom[1]



a-

a-
a-
prefix

in
a particular place, condition, or manner • abed
• adrift
• aloud
[Old English, from an,
an alternative for on (see on )][1]



AA

AA
AA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Alcoholics Anonymous

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of air-to-air

3.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
achievement age

[1]



A.A.

A.A.
A.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
antiaircraft

2.  Abbreviation
of
Associate of Arts

[1]



AAA

AAA
AAA

Abbreviation of
American Automobile Association[1]



A.A.A.

A.A.A.
A.A.A.

Abbreviation of
American Arbitration Association[1]



AAAL

AAAL
AAAL

Abbreviation of
American Academy of Arts and Letters[1]



AAAS

AAAS
AAAS

Abbreviation of
American Association for the Advancement of Science[1]



a.a.e.

a.a.e.
a.a.e.

Abbreviation of
according to age and experience[1]



AAF

AAF
AAF

Abbreviation of
Army Air Forces[1]



aah

aah
aah 
[aa] interjection

expressing
emotion:
used to express surprise, pleasure, satisfaction, or sympathy (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past aahed, past participle aahed, present
participle aah·ing, 3rd person present singular aahs)

say
“ aah ”:
to say “ aah ” (informal) See ooh
noun
(plural aahs)

utterance
of “ aah ”:
an exclamation of “ aah ” expressing surprise, pleasure, satisfaction, or
sympathy (informal)
[Lengthened form of ah][1]



AAM

AAM
AAM
(plural AAMs)

Abbreviation of
air-to-air missile[1]



A& M

A& M
A
& M

Abbreviation of
Agricultural and Mechanical[1]



A& R

A& R
A
& R

Abbreviation of
artists and repertoire[1]



aardvark

aardvark
aard·vark 
[rd vaark] (plural aard·varks)
noun

burrowing
African mammal: a burrowing mammal with a long snout,
powerful claws, long tongue, and heavy tail. It eats termites and is native to
southern Africa. Latin name: Orycteropus afer
Also
called
ant bear
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “earth pig.”][1]



aardwolf

aardwolf
aard·wolf 
[rd wlf] (plural aard·wolves
[rd wlvz]) noun

African
mammal that eats termites: a striped nocturnal mammal
related to the hyena that lives in southern Africa and feeds mainly on
termites. Latin name: Proteles cristatus
[Mid-19th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “earth wolf.”][1]



Aaron

Aaron
Aar·on
[áirən] noun

high priest in Bible:
in the Bible, the first Jewish high priest and elder brother of Moses. With
Moses, he led the Israelites out of Egypt but died before reaching the Promised
Land.[1]



Aaron,Hank

Aaron,Hank

Aar·on
[áirən], Hank (1934– )
U.S.
baseball player. He broke many batting records during a 23-year career,
including Babe Ruth’s career total of home runs, with the Milwaukee Braves,
Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Full name
Aaron, Henry Louis[1]



Aaron’sbeard

Aaron’sbeard
Aar·on’s
beard 
(plural Aar·on’s beards) noun

See
rose of Sharon
[Named for Aaron, who had a long beard (see Psalms 133:2),
because of the flower’s prominent hairy stamens][1]



Aaron’srod

Aaron’srod
Aar·on’s
rod
(plural Aar·on’s rods) noun

tall
plant with yellow flowers: a plant found in Asia,
Europe, and North America that has tall smooth stems and yellow flowers
[Named for the rod bearing
the name of Aaron, which was said to have flowered
(see Numbers 17:8)][1]



AARP

AARP
AARP

Abbreviation of
American Association of Retired Persons[1]



A.A.S.

A.A.S.
A.A.S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
American Academy of Sciences

2.  Abbreviation
of
Associate in Applied Sciences

[1]



AAU

AAU
AAU

Abbreviation of
Amateur Athletic Union[1]



AAUP

AAUP
AAUP

Abbreviation of
American Association of University Professors[1]



AAVE

AAVE
AAVE

Abbreviation of
African American Vernacular English[1]



Ab

Ab
Ab 
[aab] (plural Abs) noun

See
Av
[Late 18th century. From
Hebrew ‘ā .][1]



ab-

ab-
ab-
prefix

away
from, off • aboral
[From Latin . Ultimately from
an Indo-European base meaning “off, away,” which is also the ancestor of
English off, ebb, and post-
.][1]



AB

AB1
AB1

Abbreviation of
Alberta[1]



AB

AB2
AB2 noun

human blood type:
a human blood type of the ABO group, containing the A and B antigens. A person
with this type of blood can donate to somebody of the same group and receive
blood from somebody with this type or with type O, A, or B.[1]



a.b.

a.b.
a.b.

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of at bat[1]



A.B.

A.B.
A.B.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Arts[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aba

aba
a·ba
[ə b, a b]
(plural a·bas) noun

1.  Syrian
cloth:
a cloth made in Syria using hair from goats or camels

2.  Middle
Eastern garment: a loose sleeveless outer garment worn by
boys and men in the Middle East
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic ‘abā .][1]



ABA

ABA
ABA

1.  Abbreviation
of
American Basketball Association

2.  ABA
or A.B.A. Abbreviation of American Bar Association

3.  Abbreviation
of
American Booksellers Association

[1]



abaca

abaca
ab·a·ca 
[àbbə káa, àbəkə]
(plural ab·a·cas) noun

1.  plant
yielding fiber: a large plant from whose leaves Manila
hemp is produced. It is related to the banana. Latin name: Musa textilis

2.  See
Manila hemp
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish from Tagalog abaká .][1]



abaci

abaci
ab·a·ci


Plural of
abacus[1]



aback

aback
a·back 
[ə bák] adverb

1.  with
wind pressing against sails: with the wind blowing
against the forward part of a sail or sails, so that a vessel cannot move ahead

2.  backward:
backward or toward the back (archaic)
[Old
English on bæc “toward the back, backward”]
taken
aback

surprised and unsure how to
react[1]



abacus

abacus

ab·a·cus 
[ábbəkəs] (plural ab·a·cus·es or
ab·a·ci [ábbə sī, ábbə kī]) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS counting
device:
a mechanical device for making calculations consisting of a frame mounted with
rods along which beads or balls are moved

2.  ARCHITECTURE flat
top of column: a flat slab at the top of a column
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek abakos “board strewn with dust on which to draw or write” (later
“slab, table”), of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Hebrew ‘ābāq
“dust.”][1]



Abadan

Abadan
A·ba·dan 
[bə dn, àbbə
dán] or Ā·bā·dān [bə dn,
àbbə dán]

city in Iran. It is a major
petroleum-refining and shipping center. Population: 40,000 (1996)[1]



abaft

abaft
a·baft 
[ə báft] adverb

at
the rear:
toward the rear of a ship or boat
preposition

behind:
to the rear of an area on a ship or boat
[14th century. From Old
English an + be (see by ) + æften
“behind.”][1]



Abakan

Abakan
A·ba·kan 
[bə kaan]

city and administrative
center of the autonomous republic of Khakassa in northeastern Russia.
Population: 158,200 (1992 est.)[1]



abalone

abalone
ab·a·lo·ne 
[àbbə lṓnee] (plural ab·a·lo·nes)
noun

edible
shellfish:
an edible sea mollusk that breathes through holes in its ear-shaped shell. The
pearly interior of the shell is used for making jewelry. Genus: Haliotis

Also
called
sea ear
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish abulón from Shoshonean aulun .][1]



abampere

abampere
ab·am·pere 
[ab ám peer] (plural ab·am·peres)
noun

unit of electromagnetic
current: the centimeter-gram-second
unit of electromagnetic current equal to ten amperes[1]



abandon

abandon
a·ban·don 
[ə bándən] verb (past a·ban·doned,
past participle a·ban·doned, present participle a·ban·don·ing,
3rd person present singular a·ban·dons)

1.  transitive
verb
leave
somebody behind: to leave somebody or something behind
for others to look after, especially somebody or something meant to be a
personal responsibility • pets
abandoned by their owners

2.  transitive
verb
leave
a place because of danger: to leave a place or vehicle,
especially for reasons of safety and without intending to return soon • Drivers
caught in the snowstorm had to abandon their vehicles.

3.  transitive
verb
renounce
something:
to renounce or reject something previously done or used • The
practice was abandoned long ago.

4.  transitive
verb
give
up control of something: to surrender control of
something completely to somebody else • As
troops closed in the town was abandoned to its fate.

5.  transitive
verb
halt
something in progress: to stop doing something
before it is completed, usually because of difficulty or danger

6.  transitive
verb
INSURANCE give
up to insurer: to surrender part of an insured property
to the insurer in order to make a claim for total loss

7.  reflexive
verb
give
in to emotion: to give yourself over to a powerful
emotion • He
abandoned himself to his grief.
noun

lack of restraint:
complete lack of inhibition or self-restraint
[14th
century. From Old French abandoner, from a bandon, literally
“under control,” from, ultimately, Latin bannum “proclamation.” The
underlying idea is of giving up control.]
—a·ban·don·ment, noun[1]



abandoned

abandoned
a·ban·doned 
[ə bándənd] adjective

1.  empty:
left empty because of not being used or lived in anymore

2.  alone:
left alone without being cared for or supported

3.  unrestrained:
without restraint or self-control

[1]



abase

abase
a·base 
[ə báyss] (past a·based, past
participle a·based, present participle a·bas·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bas·es) transitive verb

belittle
somebody:
to make somebody feel belittled or degraded (literary)
[14th
century. From Old French abaissier, from baissier “to lower,”
ultimately from Latin bassus “short of stature.”]
—a·base·ment,
noun
abase
yourself

to behave in a way that
lowers your sense of dignity or self-esteem (literary)[1]



abash

abash
a·bash 
[ə básh] (past a·bashed, past
participle a·bashed, present participle a·bash·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bash·es) transitive verb

make
somebody ashamed: to make somebody feel ashamed,
embarrassed, or uncomfortable
[14th
century. From the Anglo-Norman stem abaïss-, from, ultimately, Old
French baïr “to astound.”]
—a·bash·ed·ly
[ə báshədlee], adverb

—a·bash·ment, noun[1]



abate

abate
a·bate 
[ə báyt] (past a·bat·ed, past
participle a·bat·ed, present participle a·bat·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
less:
to lessen or make something lessen gradually (formal or literary)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb end:
to suppress or end a nuisance, act, or writ

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE reduce
something:
to lower the amount or rate of something such as a tax (formal)
[13th century. From Old
French abatre “to beat down,” from, ultimately, Latin batt(u)ere
“to fight or beat” (source of English battle,
combat, and debate ).][1]



abatement

abatement
a·bate·ment 
[ə báytmənt] (plural a·bate·ments)
noun

1.  reducing:
the action of reducing, ending, or suppressing something, for example, noise

2.  FINANCE deduction:
an amount deducted from a full price or tax

3.  LAW decrease
in legacy:
a decrease in outlay from a legacy to legatees when assets are insufficient to
cover full payment

[1]



abatis

abatis
ab·a·tis 
[ábbə t, ábbətiss,
ə báttiss] (plural ab·a·tis [ábbə tz] or ab·a·tis·es [ábbətissəz, ə báttissəz])
noun

barricade:
a rampart made of felled trees placed so that their bent or sharpened branches
face out toward the enemy
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from Old French abatre “to beat down, fell” (see abate ).][1]



abattoir

abattoir
ab·at·toir 
[ábbə twaar, àbbə
twr] (plural ab·at·toirs) noun

place
for killing animals: a place where animals are
slaughtered for their meat and by-products.
Also
called
slaughterhouse
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from abattre “to fell,” from Old French abatre
(see abate ). The underlying sense is “place
where things are knocked down.”][1]



abaxial

abaxial
ab·ax·i·al 
[a báksee əl] adjective

facing away from axis:
used to describe the underside of a leaf or other surface that faces away from
the stem.
See also
adaxial[1]



Abba

Abba
Abba 
[ábbə] noun

1.  God:
a name used to address God in the New Testament

2.  bishop
or patriarch: a title given to bishops and patriarchs
in the Syrian Orthodox and Coptic Churches
[14th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin and New Testament Greek from Aramaic ‘abbā
“father.”][1]



abbacy

abbacy
ab·ba·cy 
[ábbəssee] (plural ab·ba·cies)
noun

office
of abbot or abbess: the rank, jurisdiction, or
term of office of an abbot or abbess
[15th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin abbacia, from the stem abbat- (see abbot ).][1]



Abbado,Claudio

Abbado,Claudio
Ab·ba·do
[ə bdō], Claudio (1933– )

Italian conductor. He began
his career with the La Scala Opera, Milan, Italy, but since 1989 has been
artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Germany.[1]



Abbas

Abbas
Ab·bas
[ábbəss] (566?–653)

Arabian merchant. He was
instrumental in spreading the tenets of Islam. The prophet Muhammad was his
nephew.[1]



AbbasI

AbbasI
Ab·bas
I
[ábbəss], Shah of Persia (1571–1629)

A
member of the Safavid dynasty, he ruled from 1588 until his death.
Known as
Abbas the Great[1]



Abbasid

Abbasid
Ab·ba·sid
[ə básid, ábbə
sid] (plural Ab·ba·sids) noun

a
member of a dynasty that ruled an Islamic empire from Baghdad from 750 to 1258.
Descended from Muhammad’s uncle, Abbas, they wielded little political power,
but were great patrons of Muslim art and culture.
—Ab·ba·sid, adjective[1]



abbatial

abbatial
ab·ba·tial 
[abáysh’l] adjective

of
an abbey, abbot, or abbess: relating to an abbey, abbot,
or abbess
[Late 17th century. From
French, or from medieval Latin abatialis, both from the ecclesiastical
Latin stem abbat- (see abbot ).][1]



abbess

abbess
ab·bess 
[ábbəss] (plural ab·bess·es) noun

head
of convent:
the nun in charge of a convent
[13th century. From Old
French abbesse, ultimately from the ecclesiastical Latin stem abbat-
(see abbot ).][1]



Abbeville

Abbeville
Ab·be·ville
[ábbə vìl, àbbə
vl]

city in southwestern
Louisiana, southwest of Baton Rouge. Population: 11,460 (1996)[1]



Abbevillean

Abbevillean
Ab·be·vil·le·an
[ab víllee ən, àbbə
víllee ən] adjective

of
the early Stone Age: relating to or typical of
early Lower Paleolithic culture in Europe
[Mid-20th century. From
French Abbevillien, named for the town of Abbeville in northern
France, where artifacts from this period were discovered.][1]



abbey

abbey
ab·bey 
[ábbee] (plural ab·beys) noun

1.  monastery
or convent:
a building or buildings occupied by monks under an abbot or nuns under an
abbess, especially the church building

2.  church:
a church that is or was used by a community of monks or nuns
[13th century. From Old
French ab(b)eïe, from, ultimately, the ecclesiastical Latin stem abbat-
(see abbot ).][1]



Abbey,Edwin Austin

Abbey,Edwin Austin
Ab·bey 
[ábbee], Edwin Austin (1852–1911)

U.S. painter and illustrator
who produced panels for the Boston Public Library ( 1890–1902 ) and murals at
Pennsylvania State Capitol ( 1911 ).[1]



abbot

abbot
ab·bot 
[ábbət] (plural ab·bots) noun

head
of monastery: the monk in charge of a monastery
[Pre-12th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin abbat-, stem of abbas, from,
ultimately, Aramaic ‘abbā “father.”]
—ab·bot·ship, noun[1]



Abbott,Berenice

Abbott,Berenice
Ab·bott
[ábbət], Berenice (1898–1991)

U.S. photographer who was
known especially for her portrait photography.[1]



Abbott,George Francis

Abbott,George Francis
Ab·bott
[ábbət], George Francis (1887–1995)

U.S. playwright, producer,
and director. He was a major figure in the Broadway theater, whose productions
included Call Me Madam ( 1950 ), The Pajama Game ( 1954 ), and Damn
Yankees ( 1955 ).[1]



Abbott,John

Abbott,John
Ab·bott
[ábbət], Sir John (1821–1893)

Canadian
politician. He was prime minister of Canada (1891–1892) and the mayor of
Montreal (1887–1889).
Full name
Abbott, Sir John Joseph Caldwell[1]



abbr.

abbr.
abbr.
or abbrev.

Abbreviation of
abbreviation[1]



abbreviate

abbreviate
ab·bre·vi·ate 
[ə brvee ayt] (past ab·bre·vi·at·ed,
past participle ab·bre·vi·at·ed, present participle ab·bre·vi·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·bre·vi·ates) transitive verb

1.  shorten
word:
to shorten a word by leaving out some of its letters or sounds

2.  shorten
text:
to shorten a piece of text by cutting sections or paraphrasing it
[15th
century. From Latin abbreviat-, the past participle stem of abbreviare
“to shorten” (source of English abridge
), from, ultimately, brevis “short” (source of English brief ).]
—ab·bre·vi·a·tor, noun[1]



abbreviation

abbreviation
ab·bre·vi·a·tion 
[ə brvee áysh’n] (plural ab·bre·vi·a·tions)
noun

1.  reduced
form:
a shortened form of a word or phrase

2.  reduction:
the shortening of a word or phrase to be used to represent the full form

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Types
  of abbreviation
  There
  are four main kinds of abbreviation: shortenings, contractions, initialisms,
  and acronyms. 1 Shortenings of words usually consist of the first few
  letters of the full form and are sometimes spelled with a final period when
  they are still regarded as abbreviations, for example, cent. =
  century, foll. = following (in page references). In many cases they
  form words in their own right, and in these cases the period is omitted, for
  example, gym = gymnasium, hippo = hippopotamus, limo =
  limousine. Such shortenings are often but not always informal in nature. Some
  become the standard forms, and the full forms are then regarded as formal or
  technical, for example, bus = omnibus, taxi = taxicab, deli
  = delicatessen, zoo = zoological garden. Sometimes shortenings are
  altered to facilitate their pronunciation or spelling: • bike
  = bicycle
  2 Contractions are abbreviated forms in which letters from the middle
  of the full form have been omitted, for example, Dr. = doctor, St.
  = saint. Such forms are invariably followed by a period. Another kind of
  contraction is the type can’t = cannot, didn’t = did not, you’ve
  = you have, with an apostrophe marking the omission of letters. 3
  Initialisms are made up of the initial letters of words and are pronounced as
  separate letters: CIA (or C.I.A. ), NYC, pm (or p.m.
  ), US (or U.S. ). Practice varies with regard to periods, with
  current usage increasingly in favor of omitting them, especially when the
  initialism consists entirely of capital letters. 4 Acronyms are
  initialisms that have become words in their own right, and are pronounced as
  words rather than as a series of letters, for example, AIDS, laser,
  scuba, UNESCO . In many cases the acronym becomes the standard
  term and the full form is only used in explanatory contexts.

[1]



abbé

abbé
ab·bé 
[á bay] (plural ab·bés) noun

French
ecclesiastic: an abbot or member of a religious order
in a French-speaking area
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from the ecclesiastical Latin stem abbat- (see abbot
).][1]



ABC

ABC1
ABC1  noun

U.K.
See ABCs
as
easy as ABC

extremely easy[1]



ABC

ABC2
ABC2 

1.  Abbreviation
of
American Broadcasting Company

2.  Abbreviation
of
atomic, biological, and chemical

3.  Abbreviation
of
Advanced Booking Charter

[1]



ABC

ABC3
ABC3 (plural ABCs) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a person of Chinese ancestry born in the United States (offensive)
[Acronym for American-born
Chinese][1]



abcoulomb

abcoulomb
ab·cou·lomb 
[ab k lom, ab
klōm] (plural ab·cou·lombs) noun

unit of electrical charge:
the centimeter-gram-second unit of electrical charge equal to ten coulombs[1]



ABCs

ABCs
ABCs
plural noun
U.K.
term
ABC

1.  alphabet:
the alphabet, especially when this also refers to the most basic aspects of
reading and writing

2.  essentials:
the most basic facts or essential elements of a particular subject

[1]



ABD

ABD
ABD 
(plural ABDs) noun

doctoral candidate:
a doctoral candidate who has completed all requirements for a degree except the
submission of a completed thesis. Full form all but dissertation[1]



Abdal-Hamid

Abdal-Hamid
Abd
al-Ha·mid
[àd daal hámmid]

See
Abdul Hamid II[1]



AbdAllah

AbdAllah
Abd
Al·lah
[aab dlə] (1846–1899)

Sudanese nationalist
resistance leader who led the uprising against the Egyptian administration of
the Sudan and was defeated by Lord Horatio Kitchener.[1]



Abd-ar-RahmanKhan

Abd-ar-RahmanKhan
Abd-ar-Rah·man
Khan
[bdər rə mn kn], emir of Afghanistan
(1844?–1901)

During his rule (1880–1901)
he helped to establish the Durand Line (1893), which fixed the Afghan-Indian
border.[1]



abdicate

abdicate
ab·di·cate 
[ábdi kayt] (past ab·di·cat·ed,
past participle ab·di·cat·ed, present participle ab·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·di·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb resign
position:
to give up a high office formally or officially, especially the throne

2.  transitive
verb
neglect
a duty:
to fail to fulfill a duty or responsibility • The
company seems to have abdicated all responsibility in this matter.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin abdicat-, the past participle stem of abdicare
“to renounce,” from dicare “to proclaim” (source of English dedicate, indicate,
and predicate ).]
—ab·di·ca·tion
[àbdi káysh’n], noun

—ab·di·ca·tor [ábdi kaytər], noun[1]



abdomen

abdomen
ab·do·men 
[ábbdəmən] (plural ab·do·mens)
noun

1.  body
section containing stomach: the part of the body of a
vertebrate that contains the stomach, intestines, and other organs. In mammals
it is situated between the pelvis and the thorax.

2.  belly:
the surface of the body of a vertebrate around the stomach

3.  rear
part of insect: the elongated portion of the body of an
arthropod, located behind the thorax. It is usually segmented.
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



abdominal

abdominal
ab·dom·i·nal 
[ab dómmin’l] adjective

of
abdomen:
relating to, located in, or occurring in the abdomen
plural
noun
ab·dom·i·nals

abdominal
muscles:
the muscles that form the wall of the abdomen (informal)
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin abdominalis, from Latin abdomen .]
—ab·dom·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



abducensnerve

abducensnerve
ab·du·cens
nerve 
[àbb dss’nz nurv, àbb
dyss’nz nurv] (plural ab·du·cens nerves) noun

nerve
in the eye:
a nerve conveying impulses from the brain to the muscle that moves the eye
laterally in its socket, one of a pair of cranial nerves
[Abducens from modern Latin,
literally “leading out,” from the present participle of abducere (see abduct )][1]



abduct

abduct
ab·duct 
[ab dúkt] (past ab·duct·ed, past
participle ab·duct·ed, present participle ab·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·ducts) transitive verb

1.  snatch
somebody away: to take somebody away by force or
deception

2.  pull
something away: to pull something, for example, a
muscle, away from the midpoint or midline of the body or of a limb.
See
also
adduct
[Early
17th century. From Latin abduct-, the past participle stem of abducere
“to lead out,” from ducere “to lead” (source of English duct, conduct,
and educate ).]
—ab·duc·tion, noun[1]



abductor

abductor
ab·duc·tor
[ab dúktər] (plural ab·duc·tors)
noun

1.  kidnapper:
somebody who takes another person away by force or deception

2.  ANATOMY pulling
muscle:
a muscle that pulls the body or a limb away from a midpoint or midline
[Early 17th century][1]



AbdulHamid II

AbdulHamid II
Ab·dul
Ha·mid II 
[àb dl hámmid] (1842–1918)

Ottoman sultan. He suspended
the constitution (1877) and fought Western influences. He was deposed by the
Young Turks’ revolt (1909).[1]



Abdul-Jabbar,Kareem

Abdul-Jabbar,Kareem

Ab·dul-Jab·bar
[əb dl jə br], Kareem (1947– )
U.S.
basketball player. He retired in 1989 as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Born
Alcindor, Ferdinand Lewis, Jr.[1]



Abdullahibn Husein

Abdullahibn Husein
Ab·dul·lah
ibn Hus·ein
[əb dúllə], King of Jordan (1882–1951)

He was emir of Transjordan
(1921–1946) and the first king of the modern state of Jordan (1946–1951).[1]



AbdullahII

AbdullahII
Ab·dul·lah
II
[əb dúllə], King of Jordan (1962– )

He
was commander of the Jordanian army’s Special Forces and succeeded his father
Hussein in 1999.
Full name
Abdullah bin Hussein[1]



AbdulRahman, Tunku

AbdulRahman, Tunku
Ab·dul
Rah·man
[ab dl rmən], Tunku (1903–1990)

Malayan politician. He was
the first prime minister of the Federation of Malaya (1957–1963) and of
Malaysia (1963–1970).[1]



abeam

abeam
a·beam 
[ə bm] adverb

to the side:
to or at the side of a ship, boat, or aircraft, especially at right angles to
its length[1]



abecedarian

abecedarian
a·be·ce·dar·i·an 
[ày bee see dáiree ən] (plural a·be·ce·dar·i·ans)
noun

beginner:
somebody who is learning the basics of literacy or a subject
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin abecedarium “book containing the alphabet,” from,
ultimately, the names of the first four letters of the alphabet.][1]



abed

abed
a·bed 
[ə béd] adverb

in bed:
in or confined to bed (archaic)[1]



Abednego

Abednego
A·bed·ne·go 
[ə bédnə gō] noun

companion of Daniel:
in the Bible, one of Daniel’s companions thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace
(Daniel 3:12–20) .
Also called
Azariah[1]



Abel

Abel
A·bel 
[áyb’l] noun

son of Adam and Eve:
in the Bible, a shepherd and the second son of Adam and Eve, who was killed by
his brother Cain (Genesis 4)[1]



Abelard

Abelard
Ab·e·lard
[ábbə lrd, bə
lr] (1079–1142)

French philosopher and
theologian. He was an influential teacher and writer on theology, ethics, and
dialectics. His love affair with his pupil Héloïse scandalized her family, who
ordered his castration. Both lovers took religious orders. Their later
correspondence became a literary classic.[1]



abele

abele
a·bele 
[ə bl] (plural a·beles) noun

See
white poplar
[13th century. Directly or
via Dutch abeel from Old French a(u)bel, from, ultimately, Latin albus
“white” (source of English albino, albumen, and album
).][1]



abelia

abelia
a·be·li·a 
[ə blee ə] (plural a·be·li·as)
noun

flowering
shrub:
a shrub originally from eastern Asia but now widespread that has white, pink,
or purple tubular flowers. Genus: Abelia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, named for the English botanist Clarke Abel (1780–1826).][1]



Abeliangroup

Abeliangroup
A·be·lian
group 
[a blyəngrp] (plural A·be·lian
groups) noun

interchangeable
algebraic group: an algebraic group in which the result
of the operation is independent of the sequence of the operands, for example,
ab = ba or a+b = b+a
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Norwegian mathematician Niels Abel (1802–1829), whose research
contributed to the concept.][1]



abelmosk

abelmosk
a·bel·mosk 
[áyb’l mosk] (plural a·bel·mosks)
noun

plant
with yellow-and-red flowers: a tropical Asian plant of
the mallow family with yellow-and-red flowers. Latin name: Abelmoschus
moschatus
Also
called
musk mallow
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin abelmoschus, from Arabic abu’l misk, literally
“father of musk.”][1]



Abenaki

Abenaki
Ab·e·na·ki 
[bə nkee, àbbə
nákee] (plural Ab·e·na·ki or Ab·e·na·kis) or
Ab·na·ki [b nkee, àb nákee] (plural Ab·na·ki or
Ab·na·kis) noun

member
of N American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally lived throughout New England and southeastern
Canada, but who now live only in parts of Maine and southern Quebec
[Early
18th century. Via French Abénaqui from Montagnais ouabanǎkionek
“people of the eastern country.”]
—Ab·e·na·ki, adjective[1]



Abeokuta

Abeokuta
A·be·o·ku·ta 
[àybi ō ktə]

city and port in southwestern
Nigeria. It is the capital of Ogun state. Population: 367,900 (1990 est.)[1]



Aberdeen

Aberdeen
Ab·er·deen 
[ábbər dn, àbbər
dn]

1.  city
and port in western Washington, situated where the Chehalis River flows into
Grays Harbor. Population: 16,598 (1996)

2.  city
in northeastern South Dakota in the James River valley. Population: 25,088 (1996)

3.  city
northeast of Baltimore, Maryland, near Aberdeen Proving Ground, a military
testing base. Population: 13,090 (1996)

4.  city,
port, and industrial center in northeastern Scotland, located at the mouth of
the Dee and Don rivers. It is known as the Granite City as many of its
buildings are constructed of granite. Population: 217,260 (1996)

[1]



AberdeenAngus

AberdeenAngus
Ab·er·deen
An·gus 
(plural Ab·er·deen An·gus) noun

See
Angus
[Mid-19th century. Named for Aberdeenshire
and Angus, counties in Scotland where the breed originated.][1]



Abernathy,Ralph David

Abernathy,Ralph David

Ab·er·nath·y
[ábbər nàthee], Ralph David (1926–1990)
U.S. civil rights leader who succeeded
Martin Luther King, Jr. as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) (1968–1977).[1]



aberrant

aberrant
ab·er·rant 
[ə bérənt] adjective

not
typical:
deviating from what is normal or desirable
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin aberrant-, the present participle stem of aberrare
(see aberration ).]
—ab·er·rance,
noun

—ab·er·rant·ly, adverb[1]



aberration

aberration
ab·er·ra·tion 
[àbbə ráysh’n] (plural ab·er·ra·tions)
noun

1.  deviation:
a departure from what is normal or desirable • in
a moment of aberration

2.  lapse:
a temporary departure from somebody’s normal mental state

3.  OPTICS optical
defect:
a defect in a lens or mirror, causing a distorted image or one with colored
edges

4.  ASTRONOMY apparent
displacement in star’s position: a small periodic
change in the apparent position of a star or other astronomical object, caused
by the motion of the Earth around the Sun
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem aberration-, from aberrare “to
go astray,” from errare “to wander, err” (source of English error and erratic
).]
—ab·er·ra·tion·al, adjective[1]



abet

abet
a·bet 
[ə bét] (past a·bet·ted, past
participle a·bet·ted, present participle a·bet·ting, 3rd
person present singular a·bets) transitive verb

help
somebody:
to assist somebody to do something, especially something illegal
[14th
century. From Old French abeter “to urge, stimulate,” from beter
“to hound or drive on.” Originally “to urge”; “to assist” came from the legal
phrase “to aid and abet.”]
—a·bet·tor, noun[1]



abeyance

abeyance
a·bey·ance 
[ə báy əns] noun

1.  suspension:
temporary inactivity or nonoperation • a law
that has fallen into abeyance

2.  ownerlessness:
a condition in which legal ownership of an estate has not been established
[Late
16th century. From Old French abeance “expectation, desire,” from abaer
“to desire,” from baer “to gape” (source of English bay ), from medieval Latin batare .]
—a·bey·ant, adjective[1]



abfarad

abfarad
ab·far·ad 
[ab férr ad, ab
férrəd] (plural ab·far·ads) noun

unit of electrical
capacitance: the
centimeter-gram-second unit of electrical capacitance equal to 10 9 farads[1]



abhenry

abhenry
ab·hen·ry 
[ab hénree] (plural ab·hen·ries)
noun

unit of electrical
conductance: the
centimeter-gram-second unit of electrical conductance equal to 10 –9 of a henry[1]



abhor

abhor
ab·hor 
[ab háwr] (past ab·horred, past
participle ab·horred, present participle ab·hor·ring, 3rd
person present singular ab·hors) transitive verb

detest
something:
to dislike or reject something very strongly (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin abhorrere “to shrink back in horror,” from horrere
“to shudder,” literally “to bristle” (source of English horrid and horror
).]
—ab·hor·rer, noun[1]



abhorrence

abhorrence
ab·hor·rence 
[ab háwrəns] (plural ab·hor·rences)
noun

1.  aversion:
a feeling of loathing for or intense disapproval of something

2.  object
of repugnance: somebody or something that is loathed or
detested • The
idea became an abhorrence to her.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



abhorrent

abhorrent
ab·hor·rent 
[ab háwrənt] adjective

1.  repugnant:
arousing strong feelings of repugnance or disapproval (formal) • a
practice abhorrent to nearly everyone

2.  incompatible:
incompatible or conflicting with something (literary)

[1]



Abib

Abib
A·bib 
[aavv] noun

first
month of Hebrew calendar: the first month of the
ancient Hebrew calendar, corresponding to Nisan in the modern Jewish calendar
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew ‘āī “ear of corn.”][1]



abide

abide
a·bide 
[ə bd] (past a·bode [ə bṓd] or a·bid·ed, past
participle a·bode or a·bid·ed, present participle
a·bid·ing, 3rd person present singular a·bides) verb

1.  transitive
verb
tolerate
something:
to find somebody or something acceptable or bearable • couldn’t
abide his superior attitude

2.  transitive
verb
await
something:
to wait for somebody or something (archaic)

3.  intransitive
verb
dwell:
to live or reside in a place (archaic)

4.  transitive
verb
withstand
something:
to endure or withstand something (archaic)
[Old
English ābīdan “to wait for or expect,” from bīdan “to wait” (see
bide )]
—a·bid·ance,
noun

—a·bid·er, noun[1]



abiding

abiding
a·bid·ing 
[ə bding] adjective

enduring:
permanent or long-lasting • my
abiding memory of her
—a·bid·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Abidjan

Abidjan
Ab·i·djan 
[àbbi jn]

city and cultural and
commercial capital of the Côte d’Ivoire. Population: 2,700,000 (1990 est.)[1]



abieticacid

abieticacid
ab·i·et·ic
ac·id 
[abbee èttik ássid] noun

powder
used to make varnish: a yellowish powder extracted
from rosin and used in making varnishes, lacquers, and soaps. C20H30O2
[Abietic from the
Latin stem abiet- “fir,” from which rosin is obtained][1]



Abigail

Abigail
Ab·i·gail 
[ábbi gayl] noun

resourceful woman:
in the Bible, a woman who averted an attack by David and his followers by
taking provisions to them. She later married David. (1 Samuel 25)[1]



Abilene

Abilene
Ab·i·lene 
[ábbə ln]

1.  city
in central Texas that is a center for agricultural products and the oil
industry. Population: 108,476 (1996)

2.  city
in east-central Kansas on the bank of the Great Smoky Hill River. Population:
6,520 (1996)

[1]



ability

ability
a·bil·i·ty 
[ə bíllətee] (plural a·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
able:
the capacity to do something or perform successfully • It
has the ability to perform well on really rough terrain.

2.  talent:
a particular talent or acquired skill • a
student with great musical abilities

3.  exceptional
skill or intelligence: a high degree of general
skill or competence • We
need people of your ability.
[14th
century. Via Old French ablete from Latin habilitas “suitability,
aptness,” from habilis (see able ). The
underlying sense is of suitable or sufficient power to do something.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  ability, skill, competence,
  aptitude, talent, capacity,
  capability
  CORE
  MEANING: the
  necessary skill, knowledge, or experience to do something ability; the most general term, covering
  both natural and acquired skills or knowledge; skill;
  proficiency gained through training or experience; competence; the ability to do something reasonably but
  not outstandingly well; aptitude; a
  natural inclination toward a subject or area of activity; talent; an unusual natural ability to do
  something extremely easily or well; capacity;
  ability that may not actually have been tested; capability;
  the potential ability of a person or machine to do something complex or demanding

[1]



abinitio

abinitio
ab
in·i·ti·o 
[àbi níshi ō] adverb

1.  from
the beginning: from the beginning (formal)

2.  EDUCATION from
scratch:
without any previous knowledge of a subject • study
Spanish ab initio
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



abiogenesis

abiogenesis
a·bi·o·gen·e·sis 
[ày bī ō jénnəssiss] noun

life
from inanimate matter: the hypothesis that life can
come into being from nonliving materials.
Also
called
spontaneous generation
Also
called
autogenesis
[Late
19th century. From Greek abios “without life,” from bios “life” +
genesis .]
—a·bi·o·ge·net·ic
[ày bī ō jə néttik], adjective

—a·bi·o·ge·net·i·cal,
adjective

—a·bi·o·ge·nist [ày bī ō jénnist], noun[1]



abiosis

abiosis
a·bi·o·sis 
[ày bī ṓssəss] noun

absence of life:
the state of not containing or supporting life[1]



abiotic

abiotic
a·bi·ot·ic 
[ày bī óttik] adjective

1.  ECOLOGY physical
not biological: used to describe the physical and
chemical aspects of an organism’s environment

2.  BIOLOGY free
of living things: not containing or supporting life
—a·bi·ot·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



abject

abject
ab·ject 
[áb jekt, ab
jékt] adjective

1.  miserable:
allowing no hope of improvement or relief

2.  humble:
extremely or excessively humble, for example, in making an apology or request

3.  despicable:
utterly despicable or contemptible
[15th
century. From Latin abjectus, past participle of abjicere “to
throw away, reject,” from jacere “to throw” (source of English eject, ejaculate,
and trajectory ). The underlying
sense is “rejected.”]
—ab·jec·tion
[ab jéksh’n], noun

—ab·ject·ly
[áb jektlee], adverb

—ab·ject·ness [áb jektnəss, ab jéktnəss],
noun[1]



abjure

abjure
ab·jure 
[àb jr] (past ab·jured, past
participle ab·jured, present participle ab·jur·ing, 3rd
person present singular ab·jures) transitive verb

1.  formally
renounce something: to give up a previously held
belief, especially when this is done formally or solemnly

2.  deny
yourself something: to abstain from, reject, or
avoid something (literary)
[15th
century. From Latin abjurare, “to deny on oath,” from jurare “to
swear.”]
—ab·ju·ra·tion
[àbjə ráysh’n], noun

—ab·jur·er [ab jrər], noun[1]



Abkhaz

Abkhaz
Ab·khaz
[ab kz] noun

LANGUAGE Caucasian
language:
a language spoken in the country Georgia, belonging to the Abkhaz-Adyghean
group of languages. Abkhaz is spoken by between 80,000 and 100,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Abkhaz, a territory in the Caucasus.]
—Ab·khaz, adjective[1]



Abkhazia

Abkhazia
Ab·kha·zi·a
[ab káyzhə, ab
káyzhee ə]

autonomous republic in the
country Georgia, bordered to the north by Russia and to the southwest by the
Black Sea. Area: 8,600 sq km/3,320 sq mi. Population: 537,500 (1990 est.)[1]



abl.

abl.
abl.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of ablative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ablate

ablate
ab·late 
[ə bláyt] (past ab·lat·ed, past
participle ab·lat·ed, present participle ab·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular ab·lates) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE remove
tissue:
to remove diseased or unwanted tissue from the body by surgical or other means

2.  GEOLOGY melt
snow and ice: to remove or reduce snow and ice from a
glacier by melting and evaporation
[15th century. From Latin ablat-,
the past participle stem of auferre (see ablative
).][1]



ablation

ablation
ab·la·tion 
[ə bláysh’n] noun

1.  MEDICINE removal
of tissue:
the removal of diseased or unwanted tissue from the body by surgical or other
means

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY melting
of spacecraft’s outer surface: the melting or erosion
of the protective outer surface of a spacecraft during reentry through the
earth’s atmosphere

3.  GEOLOGY melting
of snow and ice: the removal of snow and ice by melting
and sublimation from a glacier or iceberg

[1]



ablative

ablative
ab·la·tive
[ábblətiv] adjective

grammatical
case:
used to describe a case, used for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in some
inflected languages, that indicates the source, agent, or instrument of action
of the verb
noun
(plural ab·la·tives)

ablative
case or word: the ablative case, or a word or form in
this case
[15th century. Directly or
via French ablatif from Latin ablativus, from ablatus, past
participle of auferre “to carry away.” The case originally expressed “direction
from.”][1]



ablator

ablator
ab·la·tor
[ə bláytər] (plural ab·la·tors)
noun

heat shield:
a heat shield on a spacecraft[1]



ablaut

ablaut
ab·laut 
[áb lowt] noun

vowel
change:
in Indo-European languages, a regular change of vowels in a related series of
words or forms, for example, “sing,” “sang,” “sung.”
Also
called
vowel gradation
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from ab “off” + Laut “sound.”][1]



ablaze

ablaze
a·blaze 
[ə bláyz] adjective

1.  on
fire:
burning strongly

2.  brightly
lit:
very brightly lit

3.  showing
strong emotion: displaying great emotion or excitement,
especially in the face

[1]



able

able
a·ble 
[áyb’l] (comparative a·bler, superlative
a·blest) adjective

1.  in
a position to do something: physically or mentally
equipped to do something, especially because of circumstances and timing • Were
you able to reach her before she left?

2.  capable
or talented: having the necessary resources or talent
to do something • a very able
administrator
[14th
century. Via Old French (h)able from Latin habilis “easy to hold
or handle,” from habere “to have, to hold.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



-able

-able
-able
suffix

1.  capable
of or fit for • readable

2.  tending
to • changeable
[From
Latin -abilis]
—-ability, suffix[1]



able-bodied

able-bodied
a·ble-bod·ied 
[àyb’lbóddid] adjective

healthy:
healthy and physically strong[1]



able-bodiedseaman

able-bodiedseaman
a·ble-bod·ied
sea·man
(plural a·ble-bod·ied sea·men) noun

sailor with basic training:
a member of a ship’s crew, especially the crew of a merchant ship, who
possesses basic skills and qualifications[1]



abled

abled
a·bled
[áyb’ld] adjective

1.  having
particular abilities: having abilities as
specified or indicated by context

2.  not
physically or mentally challenged: having unrestricted
physical or mental functions.
See
also
differently abled

[1]



ableism

ableism
a·ble·ism
[áyb’liz’m] noun

favoring
able-bodied people: discrimination in favor of
those who are not considered to be physically or mentally challenged
—a·ble·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



ableseaman

ableseaman
a·ble
sea·man
(plural a·ble sea·men) noun

sailor with basic training:
a member of a ship’s crew who possesses basic skills and qualifications[1]



abloom

abloom
a·bloom 
[ə blm] adjective

in bloom:
blooming or flowering[1]



ablution

ablution
ab·lu·tion 
[ə blsh’n] noun

ritual
washing:
the ritual cleansing of a priest’s hands or body, or of sacred vessels, during
a religious ceremony
plural
noun
ab·lu·tions

washing
yourself:
the act of washing the hands or the whole of the body (formal or humorous)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem ablution-, from abluere
“to wash away, wash clean,” from luere “to wash” (source of English dilute ).]
—ab·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



ably

ably
a·bly
[áyblee] adverb

capably:
in a skillful or competent way[1]



ABM

ABM
ABM 
(plural ABMs) noun

Abbreviation of
antiballistic missile[1]



Abnaki

Abnaki
Ab·na·ki 
noun adjective

See
Abenaki[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








abnegate

abnegate
ab·ne·gate 
[ábnə gàyt] (past ab·ne·gat·ed,
past participle ab·ne·gat·ed, present participle ab·ne·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·ne·gates) transitive verb

give
up something: to give up or renounce something (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin abnegat-, the past participle stem of abnegare
“to refuse, reject,” from negare “to deny” (source of English deny, negative,
and renegade ).]
—ab·ne·ga·tion
[àbnə gáysh’n], noun

—ab·ne·ga·tor [ábnə gàytər], noun[1]



abnormal

abnormal
ab·nor·mal 
[ab náwrm’l, əb
náwrm’l] adjective

unusual:
unusual or unexpected, especially in a way that causes alarm or anxiety • X-rays
of the lung showed nothing abnormal.
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of anormal, modeled on Latin abnormis “deviating
from a rule.”]
—ab·nor·mal·ly [ab náwrm’lee], adverb[1]



abnormality

abnormality
ab·nor·mal·i·ty 
[àb nawr mállətee] (plural ab·nor·mal·i·ties)
noun

1.  unusual
structure or function:: a variation from a normal
structure or function of the mind or body • The
blood test detected no abnormalities.

2.  abnormal
condition:
condition that is not the usual or expected one

[1]



aboard

aboard
a·board 
[ə báwrd] adverb preposition

1.  onto
a ship or vehicle: on, onto, in, or into a
ship, airplane, train, or other vehicle

2.  into
a group:
in or into an organization or group (informal)
adverb

on base: on
base when playing baseball

[1]



abode

abode2
a·bode2 

Past participle of
abide Past tense of abide[1]



abode

abode1
a·bode1  [ə
bṓd] (plural a·bodes) noun (literary)

1.  somebody’s
home:
the house or other place where a particular person lives

2.  stay:
a period of living somewhere
[13th
century. Formed from abide ; the underlying
meaning is of staying, hence “a place where somebody stays.”]
of
no fixed abode

U.K.
having no permanent place in which to live (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at residence

[1]



abohm

abohm
ab·ohm 
[a bṓm] (plural ab·ohms) noun

unit of electrical
resistance: the centimeter-gram-second
unit of electrical resistance equal to 10 –9 of an ohm[1]



aboiteau

aboiteau
a·boi·teau
[àbwo tṓ] (plural aboiteaux [àbwo tṓ]) noun

Canada
sluice gate:
a sluice gate in a dike that prevents sea water from flowing in but allows
flood water to flow out[1]



abolish

abolish
a·bol·ish 
[ə bóllish] (past a·bol·ished,
past participle a·bol·ished, present participle a·bol·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular a·bol·ish·es) transitive verb

outlaw
something:
to put an end to something, for example, a law “Critics of advertising usually
forget that if it were eliminated or abolished, other methods would necessarily
be substituted for it.” Daniel Starch Principles of Advertising 1923
[15th
century. Via French aboliss-, the stem of abolir, from Latin abolere
“to destroy.”]
—a·bol·ish·a·ble,
adjective

—a·bol·ish·er,
noun

—a·bol·ish·ment, noun[1]



abolition

abolition
ab·o·li·tion 
[àbbə lísh’n] noun

1.  act
of outlawing something: the act of officially ending
a law, regulation, or practice

2.  ab·o·li·tion
or Abo·li·tion ending of slavery:
the official ending of the practice of slavery
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem abolition-,
from abolere “to destroy” (see abolish ).]
—ab·o·li·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



abolitionist

abolitionist
ab·o·li·tion·ist 
(plural ab·o·li·tion·ists) noun

1.  ab·o·li·tion·ist
or Abo·li·tion·ist (plural Abo·li·tion·ists) opponent
of slavery:
somebody who campaigned against slavery during the 18th and 19th centuries

2.  somebody
who seeks to ban something: somebody who supports the
abolition of a practice
—ab·o·li·tion·ism, noun[1]



abomasum

abomasum
ab·o·ma·sum 
[àbbə máyss’m] (plural ab·o·ma·sa
[àbbə máysə]) noun

fourth
stomach of cow: the fourth and final chamber of the
multi-stomach digestive system of cattle and other ruminants, where enzymatic
or true digestion takes place
[Late 17th century. From the
idea of being separate from the omasum.][1]



A-bomb

A-bomb
A-bomb 
(plural A-bombs) noun

an
atomic bomb
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction.][1]



abominable

abominable
a·bom·i·na·ble 
[ə bómminəb’l, ə
bómnəb’l] adjective

1.  loathsome:
extremely repugnant or offensive

2.  completely
unpleasant:
of very bad quality, or very unpleasant to experience
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin abominabilis, from abominari
“to shun something as being a bad omen,” from omen “omen.”]
—a·bom·i·na·bly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  From
  the 14th to the 17th centuries abominable
  was often spelled abhominable because of a widely held belief that it
  was derived from Latin ab hominem, literally “away from humankind,”
  hence “unnatural, beastly.” Shakespeare puns on this sense when Hamlet speaks
  of incompetent actors who “imitate humanity abominably.”

[1]



AbominableSnowman

AbominableSnowman
A·bom·i·na·ble
Snow·man
noun

See
yeti[1]



abominate

abominate
a·bom·i·nate 
[ə bómmi nayt] (past a·bom·i·nat·ed,
past participle a·bom·i·nat·ed, present participle a·bom·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular a·bom·i·nates) transitive verb

loathe
something:
to dislike and disapprove of somebody or something intensely (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin abominat-, the past participle stem of abominari
(see abominable ).]
—a·bom·i·na·tor, noun[1]



abomination

abomination
a·bom·i·na·tion 
[ə bòmmi náysh’n] (plural a·bom·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  something
horrible:
an object of intense disapproval or dislike

2.  something
shameful:
something that is immoral, disgusting, or shameful

3.  intense
dislike:
a feeling of intense dislike or disapproval towards somebody or something (literary)

[1]



Aboriginal

Aboriginal
Ab·o·rig·i·nal
noun (plural A·bo·rig·i·nals)

1.  early
Canadian:
a member of any of the peoples that inhabited Canada before the arrival of
European settlers

2.  early
Australian:
a member of any of the indigenous peoples that inhabited Australia before the
arrival of European settlers
adjective

of Aboriginals:
relating to the earliest inhabitants of Canada or Australia

[1]



aboriginal

aboriginal
ab·o·rig·i·nal 
[àbbə ríjj’nəl] adjective

indigenous:
existing from the earliest known times • the
aboriginal rainforest
noun
(plural ab·o·rig·i·nals)

original
inhabitant:
a member of a people that has lived in an area from the earliest known times
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from aborigines (see aborigine
).]
—ab·o·rig·i·nal·i·ty
[àbbə rijjə nállə tee], noun

—ab·o·rig·i·nal·ly
[àbbə ríjj’nlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at native

[1]



aborigine

aborigine
ab·o·rig·i·ne 
[àbbə ríjjənee] (plural ab·o·rig·i·nes)
noun

original
inhabitant:
a person, animal, or plant that has lived in an area from the earliest known
times
[16th century. Back-formation
from Latin aborigines, the pre-Roman inhabitants of Latium, from ab
origine “from the beginning.”][1]



Aborigine

Aborigine

Ab·o·rig·i·ne
(plural Ab·o·rig·i·nes) noun
early Australian:
a member of any of the indigenous peoples that inhabited Australia before the
arrival of European settlers[1]



aborning

aborning
a·born·ing 
[əbáwrning] adverb

while being born:
while being born, created, or realized[1]



abort

abort
a·bort 
[ə báwrt] (past a·bort·ed, past
participle a·bort·ed, present participle a·bort·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·borts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
fetus:
to remove an embryo or fetus from the womb in order to end a pregnancy

2.  intransitive
verb
have
miscarriage: to give birth to an embryo or fetus
before its independent survival is possible. Survival is usually possible at
about 24 weeks for human fetuses. (technical)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
prematurely: to bring something to an end or come to
an end at an early stage

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb abandon
mission:
to end a space flight or similar mission before it is completed

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING quit computer program:
to abandon a computer program, command, or operation before it has finished
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
abort-, the past participle stem of aboriri “to miscarry,” from oriri
“to come into being” (source of English origin
).][1]



abortifacient

abortifacient
a·bor·ti·fa·cient 
[ə bàwrtə fáysh’nt] (plural a·bor·ti·fa·cients)
adjective

causing
abortion:
used to describe a drug or device that causes abortion
—a·bor·ti·fa·cient, noun[1]



abortion

abortion
a·bor·tion 
[ə báwrsh’n] (plural a·bor·tions)
noun

1.  operation
to end pregnancy: an operation or other intervention to
end a pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus from the womb

2.  miscarriage:
a miscarriage (technical)

3.  cancellation:
the ending of a flight or mission before it is completed

4.  offensive
term:
something so badly done or made that it is a complete failure (offensive)

[1]



abortionist

abortionist
a·bor·tion·ist 
[ə báwrsh’nist] (plural a·bor·tion·ists)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive and disapproving term for somebody who performs abortions,
especially suggesting illegality of the procedure[1]



abortive

abortive
a·bor·tive 
[ə báwrtiv] adjective

1.  unsuccessful:
failing to reach completion

2.  BIOLOGY disrupted
in development: used to describe an organ that has had
its development terminated
—a·bor·tive·ly, adverb[1]



ABOsystem

ABOsystem
ABO
sys·tem
noun

classification for blood
types: a system that classifies
human blood by dividing it into the four groups A, B, AB, and O. Classification
is based on the presence or absence of two chemical groups ( antigens ), A and B, on the red blood cells.[1]



abound

abound
a·bound 
[ə bównd] (past a·bound·ed, past
participle a·bound·ed, present participle a·bound·ing,
3rd person present singular a·bounds) intransitive verb

1.  be
plentiful:
to be present in large numbers or quantities

2.  be
well supplied: to contain something in large numbers or
amounts
[14th
century. Via Old French abunder from Latin abundare “to
overflow,” from undare “to surge,” from unda “wave” (source of
English inundate, redundant, and surround
).]
—a·bound·ing,
adjective

—a·bound·ing·ly, adverb[1]



about

about
a·bout
[ə bówt] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word that refers to different sides or aspects of something from
some point of orientation • (preposition)
a book about a dog • (adverb)
There’s a lot of laziness about.

1.
preposition in connection with:
in connection with or relating to • think
about problems

2.
preposition approximately:
close to in number, time, or degree • inviting
about 15 people

3.
preposition doing or attending to:
with or in an activity • go
about your business

4.
preposition close by:
placed, located, or happening close by or around • frantic
activity going on all about us

5.
preposition around:
around or on a place or person • a red
scarf about her neck

6.
adverb preposition in various places:
positioned here and there • scattered
about the house

7.
adverb preposition in different
directions:
from place to place in different directions or in no particular direction • children
running about everywhere

8.
adverb in circulation:
available or in circulation • there
was never much money about

9.
adverb into a reversed position:
in or to the opposite direction • the
wrong way about

10.
adverb all around: on
every side of or all the way around “He proceeded to the banks of the Hudson,
and looked about among the vessels.” Jules Verne Around the World in 80 Days
1873

11.
adverb used as intensifier:
used to emphasize a statement, usually when expressing impatience or anger (informal)
• Well,
it’s about time you showed up!

12.
adverb NAUTICAL to
opposite tack: on or to the opposite tack
[Old
English onbūtan “on or around the outside of,” from on (see on ) + būtan (see but
)]
be
what something or somebody is (all) about

to
be what something or somebody involves or has as a purpose (informal)

be
about to

be
on the point of doing something • The
game was about to start.

not
about to

used to emphasize that
somebody is certainly not going to do something (informal) • I’m
not about to apologize![1]



about-face

about-face
a·bout-face 
intransitive verb (past a·bout-faced, past participle
a·bout-faced, present participle a·bout-fac·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bout-fac·es)

turn around: to
turn to face in the opposite direction (usually used as a command)
noun
(plural a·bout-fac·es)

1.  reversal:
a sudden and complete reversal of a previous opinion or policy

2.  turn:
a turn to face in the opposite direction

[1]



about-ship

about-ship
a·bout-ship
(past a·bout-shipped, past participle a·bout-shipped,
present participle a·bout-ship·ping, 3rd person present
singular a·bout-ships) intransitive verb

change tack:
to turn to a new tack in sailing[1]



about-turn

about-turn
a·bout-turn
intransitive verb (past a·bout-turned, past participle
a·bout-turned, present participle a·bout-turn·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bout-turns) noun (plural a·bout-turns)

U.K. =
about-face[1]



above

above
a·bove 
[ə búv] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating a position directly overhead, on top of, or
higher than something • (preposition)
The bird flew up above the trees. • (adverb)
gazing at the sky above

1.
preposition adverb more than:
greater than an amount or level • 100
pounds above the ideal body weight

2.
preposition adverb superior to:
higher in status or power • A
general is above a colonel.

3.
preposition too good for:
too good or important to be affected by or involved in something • They
felt they were above small town gossip.

4.
preposition beyond:
not subject to something negative such as criticism or reproach “He wanted her
to know that here too his conduct should be above suspicion.” George Eliot
Middlemarch 1872

5.
preposition in position of higher
respect:
in a position that is valued more or considered more important than other
people or things • We put your needs above
everything else.

6.
preposition too difficult:
outside or beyond somebody’s understanding • The
lecture was completely above me.

7.
preposition louder than other noise:
louder than or over another sound • She
couldn’t hear him above the roar of the band.

8.
preposition north of:
lying north of a place • a
small town just above Seattle

9.
preposition upstream from:
lying upstream from a place

10.
adverb adjective in a previous place in
writing:
in a previous place, or further toward the top of the page in a piece of
writing (often used in hyphenated compounds) • using
the information from the table above

11.
adverb RELIGION in
heaven:
to or in heaven (literary) • pray
to God above
[Old
English, from an (see on ) + bufan
“above,” ultimately from an Indo-European root that is also the ancestor of
English up, open, eaves,
and opal]
above
all

used to indicate the most
important thing or the main point of a statement[1]



aboveboard

aboveboard
a·bove·board 
[ə búv bawrd] adjective

open
to scrutiny: honest, legal, and without deception
adverb
a·bove·board a·bove board

openly:
honestly, legally, and without deception
[Late 16th century.
Originally a gambling term indicating that the player’s hands were above the board
or gaming table and that nothing was being concealed.][1]



above-the-title

above-the-title
a·bove-the-ti·tle 
adjective

listed above a movie title:
shown in movie credits before the title is seen, and therefore in a starring
role • an
above-the-title mention[1]



abovo

abovo
ab
o·vo 
[àb ṓ vō] adverb

from
the beginning: from the very beginning (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “from the egg.”][1]



abp.

abp.
abp.
or Abp.

Abbreviation of
archbishop[1]



abracadabra

abracadabra
ab·ra·ca·dab·ra 
[àbbrəkə dábbrə] interjection

magic word: a
word spoken by magicians and conjurors supposedly to ensure the success of a
trick
noun
(plural ab·ra·ca·dab·ras)

1.  magic
spell:
a supposedly magical charm or spell

2.  gibberish:
deliberately nonsensical language
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek, possibly from abraxas, a series of letters with the
value 365 (the days of the year) in numerological theory. Originally a
cabbalistic word and formerly used as a talisman or charm against fever.][1]



abrade

abrade
a·brade 
[ə bráyd] (past a·brad·ed, past
participle a·brad·ed, present participle a·brad·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·brades) intransitive and transitive
verb

wear
away:
to wear something away or be worn away by friction
[Late 17th century. From
Latin abradere, from radere “to scrape” (source of English erase, raze,
and razor ).][1]



Abraham

Abraham
A·bra·ham 
[áybrə hàm] or A·bram [áybrəm] noun

first patriarch in Bible:
the first patriarch in the Bible, who was asked by God to sacrifice his son,
Isaac, and was rewarded for being prepared to do so. He is seen by Jewish
people as the father of the Israelites through his son Isaac, and by Muslims as
the father of Arab peoples through his son Ishmael.[1]



Abraham,Plains of

Abraham,Plains of
A·bra·ham,
Plains of
[áybrə hàm]

plateau in the city of Quebec
over the St. Lawrence River. It was the scene of a battle between British and
French forces in 1759.[1]



Abrahams,Harold

Abrahams,Harold
A·bra·hams
[áy brə hàms], Harold (1899–1978)

British athlete. His victory
in the 100 meters at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games was featured in the motion
picture Chariots of Fire (1981).[1]



abranchiate

abranchiate
a·bran·chi·ate 
[ay brángkee ət] or a·bran·chi·al
[ay brángkee əl] adjective

without gills:
without gills[1]



abrasion

abrasion
ab·ra·sion 
[ə bráyzh’n] (plural ab·ra·sions)
noun

1.  wearing
away:
the process of wearing away by friction

2.  MEDICINE scraped
area of skin: an area on the skin, or some other
surface of the body, that has been damaged by scraping or rubbing • dental
abrasion

3.  GEOGRAPHY wearing
away of rock: the erosion of bedrock by continuous
friction caused by rock fragments in water, wind, or ice
[Mid-17th century. From the
Latin stem abrasion-, from abradere (see abrade
).][1]



abrasive

abrasive
ab·ra·sive 
[ə bráyssiv, ə
bráyziv] adjective

1.  using
friction:
using friction and roughness of texture to smooth or clean a surface • an
abrasive cleaner

2.  harsh
in manner:
aggressively direct and insensitive
noun
(plural ab·ra·sives)

smoothing substance:
a substance used to smooth or polish a surface by grinding or scraping. Typical
abrasives include sandpaper, pumice, and emery.
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
abras-, the past participle stem of abradere (see abrade ).][1]



abreact

abreact
ab·re·act 
[àbbree ákt] (past ab·re·act·ed,
past participle ab·re·act·ed, present participle ab·re·act·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·re·acts) transitive verb

release
tension by recalling trauma: to release unconscious
tension by talking about or reliving the events that caused it
—ab·re·ac·tion, noun[1]



abreast

abreast
a·breast 
[ə brést] adverb

in
line:
side by side and facing the front
adjective

well informed:
up to date with something[1]



abri

abri
ab·ri
[ábbree] (plural ab·ris) noun

shelter:
a place of refuge or shelter, for example, a dugout
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin apricum “open place.”][1]



abridge

abridge
a·bridge 
[ə bríj] (past a·bridged, past
participle a·bridged, present participle a·bridg·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bridg·es) transitive verb

1.  shorten
something:
to shorten a text, for example, by cutting or summarizing it • abridged
for television

2.  cut
something short: to reduce something in scope or extent • They
abridged the meeting as best they could.

3.  restrict
something:
to deprive somebody of rights or privileges (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French abreg(i)er from Latin abbreviare “to
shorten” (source of English abbreviate
), from, ultimately, brevis “short” (source of English brief ).]
—a·bridg·a·ble,
adjective

—a·bridged,
adjective

—a·bridg·er, noun[1]



abridgment

abridgment
a·bridg·ment 
[ə bríjmənt] (plural a·bridg·ments)
or a·bridge·ment [ə bríjmənt]
(plural a·bridge·ments) noun

1.  shortened
version:
a shortened version of a novel, play, or other work

2.  abridging:
the process of abridging a work

3.  curtailment:
a curtailment or reduction of something

[1]



abroach

abroach
a·broach 
[ə brṓch] adjective

opened for use:
opened or tapped so that liquid can be drawn off[1]



abroad

abroad
a·broad 
[ə bráwd] adverb

1.  away
from your own country: in or to another country or
other countries

2.  in
circulation: in public or into general circulation

3.  everywhere:
over a wide area

4.  off
target:
wide of the mark (literary)
noun

other countries:
countries other than a specified one (informal)
[Coined from a- + broad .
The original sense was “widely, over a wide area,” hence “away from home, in a
foreign country.”][1]



abrogate

abrogate
ab·ro·gate 
[ábbrə gàyt] (past ab·ro·gat·ed,
past participle ab·ro·gat·ed, present participle ab·ro·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·ro·gates) transitive verb

do
away with something: to repeal or abolish
something formally and publicly (formal)
[Early
16th century. From Latin abrogat-, the past participle stem of abrogare,
“to repeal a law,” from rogare “to ask, to propose a law” (source of
English arrogant, interrogate, and prerogative
).]
—ab·ro·ga·tion
[àbbrə gáysh’n], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at nullify

[1]



abrupt

abrupt
a·brupt 
[ə brúpt] adjective

1.  sudden:
sudden and unexpected

2.  brusque:
brief and making no effort to be friendly

3.  disconnected:
not passing smoothly from topic to topic

4.  steep:
with a sudden steep slope

5.  GEOLOGY projecting:
used to describe a rock layer that is steeply inclined and stands out from
surrounding rocks
[Late
16th century. From Latin abruptus “broken off, steep,” past participle
of abrumpere “to break off,” from rumpere “to break” (source of
English disrupt, interrupt, and rupture
).]
—a·brupt·ly,
adverb

—a·brupt·ness, noun[1]



abruption

abruption
a·brup·tion 
[ə brúpsh’n] (plural a·brup·tions)
noun

breaking
away:
the sudden breaking off of a part from a larger mass (formal)
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem abruption-, from abrumpere (see abrupt ).][1]



Abruzzi

Abruzzi
A·bruz·zi 
[aa brtsee, ə
brtsee]

agricultural region of
central southern Italy consisting of the provinces of L’Aguila, Chieti,
Pescara, and Teramo. Area: 10,794 sq km/4,168 sq mi. Population: 1,249,388
(1991)[1]



abs

abs
abs 
[abz] plural noun

abdominal
muscles:
the abdominal muscles, or exercises done to firm them (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



ABS

ABS2
ABS2

Abbreviation of
anti-lock braking system[1]



ABS

ABS1
ABS1 noun

type of plastic:
a type of strong plastic ( copolymer ) used
for making molded casings and car parts. Full form
acrylonitrile-butachene-styrene[1]



Absalom

Absalom
Ab·sa·lom
[ábsə lom] noun

son of David in Bible:
in the Bible, the third son of David, King of Israel. He rebelled against his
father and was killed by Joab (2 Samuel 13 18) .[1]



abscess

abscess
ab·scess 
[áb sess] noun (plural ab·scess·es)

pus-filled
cavity:
a pus-filled cavity resulting from inflammation and usually caused by bacterial
infection
intransitive
verb
(past ab·scessed, past participle ab·scessed, present
participle ab·scess·ing, 3rd person present singular ab·scess·es)

form
an abscess:
to form an abscess or be the site where one develops
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin abscessus, from abscedere “to go away
(referring to bodily humors going away in the pus),” from cedere “to go”
(source of English cede and ancestor ).]
—ab·scessed, adjective[1]



abscisicacid

abscisicacid
ab·scis·ic
ac·id 
[ab sìssik ássid] noun

plant hormone:
a plant hormone that promotes dormancy in buds and seeds, retardation of
growth, and shedding of leaves, flowers, and fruits. C15H20O4[1]



abscissa

abscissa
ab·scis·sa 
[ab síssə] (plural ab·scis·sas
or ab·scis·sae [ab síssee]) noun

horizontal
coordinate:
the horizontal coordinate or x-coordinate of a point in a two-dimensional
system of Cartesian coordinates. It is the distance from the vertical axis or
y-axis measured along a line parallel to the horizontal axis or x-axis.
See
also
ordinate
Also
called
x-coordinate
Also
called
horizontal coordinate
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin abscissa linea, literally “line cut off.”][1]



abscission

abscission
ab·scis·sion 
[ab sízh’n] noun

1.  detachment
of parts from plants: the natural process by which
leaves or other parts are shed from a plant

2.  cutting
off:
the act of suddenly cutting something off
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem abscission-, from abscindere “to cut off,” from scindere
“to cut up or divide” (source of English rescind
).][1]



abscond

abscond
ab·scond 
[ab skónd, əb
skónd] (past ab·scond·ed, past participle ab·scond·ed,
present participle ab·scond·ing, 3rd person present singular
ab·sconds) intransitive verb

1.  run
away:
to run away secretly, especially in order to avoid arrest or prosecution

2.  escape:
to escape from a place of detention
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin abscondere “to hide or put away,” from condere
“to stow.” Originally “to hide”; the underlying meaning is of making oneself
scarce.]
—ab·scond·er, noun[1]



abseil

abseil
ab·seil 
[áb sayl] intransitive verb (past
ab·seiled, past participle ab·seiled, present
participle ab·seil·ing, 3rd person present singular ab·seils)

U.K.
See rappel
noun
(plural ab·seils)

U.K.
See rappel
[Mid-20th
century. From German abseilen, from ab “down” + Seil
“rope.”]
—ab·seil·er (plural
ab·seil·ers), noun[1]



absence

absence
ab·sence 
[ábs’ns] (plural ab·sences) noun

1.  not
being present: the fact of somebody’s not being in a
particular place

2.  time
away:
a period during which somebody is away

3.  nonexistence:
the lack or nonexistence of a particular quality or feature • in
the absence of any fresh information
[14th century. Via French
from Latin absentia, from abesse (see absent 1 ).][1]



absent

absent2
ab·sent2  [ab
sént] (past ab·sent·ed, past participle ab·sent·ed,
present participle ab·sent·ing, 3rd person present singular
ab·sents) reflexive verb

leave
something:
to stay away from or leave something such as an event or occasion • She
absented herself from the gathering and went outside.
[14th century. Directly or
via French absenter from Latin absentare “to keep or be away,”
from absent- (see absent 1 ).][1]



absent

absent1
ab·sent1  [ábs’nt]
adjective

1.  not
present:
not attending a place or event, especially when expected to • absent
from school

2.  inattentive:
not paying attention
preposition

without: in
the absence of • Absent a definite
refusal, I decided to proceed.
[14th century. From Latin absent-,
the present participle stem of abesse, literally “to be away,” from esse
“to be.”][1]



absentee

absentee
ab·sen·tee 
[àbs’n t] (plural ab·sen·tees)
noun

somebody not present:
somebody who is not present or not attending an event[1]



absenteeballot

absenteeballot
ab·sen·tee
bal·lot
(plural ab·sen·tee bal·lots) noun

vote cast away from voting
place: a ballot sent by somebody
who is unable to attend to vote in person at the voting place.
U.K. term
postal vote[1]



absenteeism

absenteeism
ab·sen·tee·ism 
[àbs’n t iz’m] noun

frequent absence:
persistent absence from work or some other place without good reason[1]



absenteelandlord

absenteelandlord
ab·sen·tee
land·lord
(plural ab·sen·tee land·lords) noun

landlord living elsewhere:
a landlord who lives away from the accommodations rented out, especially one
who neglects the needs of tenants[1]



absenteevoter

absenteevoter
ab·sen·tee
vot·er
(plural ab·sen·tee vot·ers) noun

somebody voting by mail:
somebody who votes by mail because of being unable to cast a ballot at the
voting place[1]



absently

absently
ab·sent·ly
[ábs’ntlee] adverb

inattentively:
in an inattentive or absent-minded way[1]



absent-minded

absent-minded
ab·sent-mind·ed 
adjective

habitually
inattentive: tending to be preoccupied or forgetful
—ab·sent-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—ab·sent-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



absentwithout leave

absentwithout leave
ab·sent
with·out leave adjective

absent without permission:
absent from military duties without permission, but not assumed to have
deserted[1]



absinthe

absinthe
ab·sinthe 
[ábssinth] (plural ab·sinthes)
or ab·sinth [ábssinth] (plural
ab·sinths) noun

1.  type
of drink:
a highly alcoholic liqueur tasting of aniseed and made from wormwood and herbs.
Absinthe is now banned in many countries because of its toxicity.

2.  See
wormwood
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek apsinthion “wormwood”; not of Indo-European
origin.][1]



absolute

absolute
ab·so·lute 
[ábssə lt, àbssə
lt] adjective

1.  out-and-out:
used to emphasize the strength of the speaker’s feeling on the subject • an
absolute fool

2.  unbounded:
to the very greatest degree possible • absolute
confidence in her ability to win

3.  despotic:
having total power and authority • to
rule as an absolute monarch

4.  independent
and unmodifiable: not depending on or qualified by
anything else • absolute truth

5.  total
and unequivocal: completely unequivocal and not capable
of being viewed as partial or relative • No
absolute correlation has been established.

6.  GRAMMAR grammatically
independent: not syntactically dependent on the main
clause of a sentence, for example, “It being sunny” in the sentence “It being
sunny, they went to the pool”

7.  GRAMMAR without
direct object: used without an explicit direct object.
The usage of “satisfy” is absolute in the sentence “We aim to satisfy.”

8.  GRAMMAR used
as noun:
used without an explicit noun. “The rich and the poor” are absolute adjectival
usages.

9.  PHYSICS measured
relative to vacuum: involving or relating to
measurements made relative to the vacuum state

10. PHYSICS according
to standardized measures: relating to or using basic
units of length, time, mass, and charge

11. PHYSICS measured
relative to absolute zero: measured on or relating to a
scale that has as its lowest temperature absolute zero, the point at which all
molecular motion ceases

12. LAW full
and unconditional: complete and in no way
conditional on any future evidence or behavior

13. LAW owning
outright:
having unconditional ownership of a title or property, unrestricted by trusts
or entails (often used after a noun)

14. MATHEMATICS always
true algebraically: true for all values of a
variable in an algebraic expression

15. MATHEMATICS constant
in value:
not changing in value in varying mathematical expressions

16. MATHEMATICS without
variables:
not containing an algebraic variable
noun
(plural ab·so·lutes)

1.  unquestionable
rule:
a principle or value that is held to be always true or valid

2.  ab·so·lute
or Ab·so·lute PHILOSOPHY
ultimate
reality:
in some schools of philosophy, the one ultimate reality that does not depend on
anything, and is not relative to anything else
[14th century. From Latin absolutus
“freed,” the past participle of absolvere “to set free” (see absolve ). The underlying idea is of setting
something free from defect and making it complete.][1]



absoluteceiling

absoluteceiling
ab·so·lute
ceil·ing
noun

maximum operating height:
the maximum height above sea level at which an aircraft can maintain horizontal
flight[1]



absolutely

absolutely
ab·so·lute·ly 
[ábssə ltlee, àbssə
ltlee] adverb

1.  totally:
used to give strong emphasis to what is being said

2.  that’s
right:
used in speech or dialogue as an emphatic way of agreeing with the other
speaker

3.  not
in relative way: in a way that is independent of
circumstances and never variable or modified

4.  LAW unconditionally:
with no conditions or restrictions, especially constitutional or legal ones

5.  GRAMMAR with
no grammatical object: used syntactically with an
implied direct object or noun head

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Some
  people dislike the use of absolutely to
  mean “very” or “completely” ( • That
  is absolutely disgraceful. ) and regard it as an
  affectation. Even more controversial is its use to mean simply “yes” or “I
  agree with you.” It has some relevance of meaning in uses such as “Do you
  like it?”“Yes, absolutely,” but has less to justify it when used with answers
  that are factual rather than judgmental: • “Have
  you been to Paris?”“Yes, absolutely.”

[1]



absolutemajority

absolutemajority
ab·so·lute
ma·jor·i·ty
(plural ab·so·lute ma·jor·i·ties) noun

more than half:
the winning total of votes that amounts to more than half of the votes
available[1]



absolutemusic

absolutemusic
ab·so·lute
mu·sic
noun

nonrepresentational music:
music whose meaning is derived solely from the music itself and which does not
evoke another source, for example, a visual scene.
Also called
abstract music
See also
program music[1]



absolutepitch

absolutepitch
ab·so·lute
pitch
noun

1.  good
musical ear: the ability to identify the pitch of a
single note without reference to any other sound.
Also
called
perfect pitch

2.  pitch
measured by vibration: the exact pitch a tone is
expected to have, measured by its rate of vibrations per second

[1]



absolutetemperature

absolutetemperature
ab·so·lute
tem·per·a·ture (plural ab·so·lute
tem·per·a·tures) noun

temperature derived from laws
of thermodynamics: temperature
derived from the laws of thermodynamics rather than being primarily derived
from properties of substances[1]



absolutevalue

absolutevalue
ab·so·lute
val·ue 
(plural ab·so·lute val·ues) noun

1.  number
ignoring plus or minus sign: the magnitude of a number,
irrespective of whether it is positive or negative. It is symbolized by placing
the number within vertical bars, thus |7| = |-7| = 7 .

2.  See
modulus

[1]



absolutezero

absolutezero
ab·so·lute
ze·ro
noun

lowest possible temperature:
the temperature at which hypothetically all molecular motion ceases, equal to 0
degrees K and equivalent to -273.16°C or -459.69°F[1]



absolution

absolution
ab·so·lu·tion 
[àbssə lsh’n] (plural ab·so·lu·tions)
noun

1.  forgiveness:
forgiveness for somebody’s sins, especially when formally given in a Christian
church

2.  prayer
of forgiveness: a spoken blessing used in a Christian
church to grant absolution to somebody
[13th century. Via French
from the Latin stem absolution- “acquittal, perfection,” from absolvere
(see absolve ).][1]



absolutism

absolutism
ab·so·lut·ism 
[ábssə ltizzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS political
system:
a political system in which the power of a ruler is unchecked and absolute

2.  something
absolute:
a standard, principle, or theory that is absolute

3.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of objective values: a philosophical theory in
which values such as truth or morality are absolute and not conditional upon
human perception

4.  CHRISTIANITY predestination:
a strict form of the doctrine of predestination
—ab·so·lut·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



absolve

absolve
ab·solve 
[əb zólv, əb
sólv] (past ab·solved, past participle ab·solved,
present participle ab·solv·ing, 3rd person present singular
ab·solves) transitive verb

1.  pronounce
somebody blameless: to state publicly or
officially that somebody is not guilty and not to be held responsible

2.  relieve
somebody of obligation: to release somebody from an
obligation or requirement

3.  forgive
somebody:
to forgive somebody’s sins, especially formally in a Christian church service
or sacrament
[15th
century. From Latin absolvere “to set free,” literally “to loosen away,”
from solvere “to loosen” (source of English dissolve
and soluble ).]
—ab·solv·a·ble,
adjective

—ab·solv·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at excuse

[1]



absorb

absorb
ab·sorb 
[əb sáwrb, əb
záwrb] (past ab·sorbed, past participle ab·sorbed,
present participle ab·sorb·ing, 3rd person present singular
ab·sorbs) transitive verb

1.  take
something up: to soak up a liquid or take in nutrients
or chemicals gradually

2.  not
transmit something: to take up light, noise, or
energy and not transmit it at all

3.  engross
somebody:
to hold somebody’s attention or occupy somebody’s time completely

4.  incorporate
something into whole: to incorporate something
into a larger entity in such a way that it loses much of its own identity

5.  take
something in mentally: to see, read, or hear
something and realize its implications mentally

6.  adapt:
to adapt to changing situations without being adversely affected

7.  require
something in quantity: to require something in
considerable quantities, usually without significant results • absorbing
a huge amount of money

8.  not
pass something on: to accept increased costs
without passing them on to customers
[15th
century. Via French absorber from Latin absorbere “to swallow,”
from sorbere “to suck in.”]
—ab·sorb·a·ble,
adjective

—ab·sorb·er, noun[1]



absorbance

absorbance
ab·sorb·ance
[əb sáwrbəns, əb
záwrbəns] noun

radiation capacity:
the capacity of a substance to absorb radiation. Symbol α[1]



absorbed

absorbed
ab·sorbed 
[əb sáwrbd, əb
záwrbd] adjective

engrossed:
so interested in something that all of the attention is focused on it
—ab·sorb·ed·ly, adverb[1]



absorbent

absorbent
ab·sorb·ent 
[əb sáwrbənt, əb
záwrbənt] (plural ab·sorb·ents) adjective

1.  able
to absorb liquid: capable of soaking up liquid

2.  nonreflective:
capable of absorbing light, noise, or energy instead of reflecting it (often
used in combination)
[Early
18th century. From Latin absorbent-, the present participle stem of
absorbere “to swallow” (see absorb ).]
—ab·sorb·en·cy,
noun

—ab·sorb·ent, noun[1]



absorbentcotton

absorbentcotton
ab·sorb·ent
cot·ton
noun

fluffy absorbent material:
cotton that has had the natural wax removed, making it absorbent and suitable
for medical and cosmetic use, for example, as dressings or swabs.
U.K. term
cotton wool[1]



absorbing

absorbing
ab·sorb·ing
[əb sáwrbing, əb
záwrbing] adjective

engrossing:
occupying the attention completely
—ab·sorb·ing·ly, adverb[1]



absorptance

absorptance
ab·sorp·tance 
[əb sáwrptənss, əb
záwrptənss] noun

measure
of a body’s ability to absorb radiation: a
measure of the ability of an object or substance to absorb radiant energy,
equal to the ratio of the absorbed energy to the total energy reaching the
object or substance. Symbol α
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin absorptus, the past participle of absorbere “to
swallow” (see absorb ).][1]



absorption

absorption
ab·sorp·tion 
[əb sáwrpsh’n, əb
záwrpsh’n] noun

1.  preoccupation:
a state in which the whole attention is occupied

2.  soaking
up:
the uptake of liquid into the fibers of a substance

3.  nonreflection:
the ability of a substance to absorb light, noise, or energy, or the fact that
it does so

4.  incorporation:
the incorporation of something into a larger group or entity

5.  PHYSIOLOGY assimilation
by the body: the passage of material through the
lining of the intestine into the blood or through a cell membrane into a cell

6.  PHYSICS reduction
in radiated energy: the reduction in the
intensity of radiated energy within a medium caused by converting some or all
of the energy into another form

7.  IMMUNOLOGY removal
of antibodies: the elimination of antibodies or
antigens by the use of a chemical reagent
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem absorption-, from absorptus,
the past participle of absorbere “to swallow” (see absorb ).]
—ab·sorp·tive, adjective[1]



absorptionspectrum

absorptionspectrum
ab·sorp·tion
spec·trum
(plural ab·sorp·tion spec·trums) noun

lines of radiation in
absorbing medium: the pattern of dark
bands that is seen when electromagnetic radiation passes through an absorbing
medium and is observed with a spectroscope. It is the result of unequal
absorption of the radiation as it passes through the medium.[1]



absquatulate

absquatulate
ab·squat·u·late 
[ab skwóchə làyt] (past ab·squat·u·lat·ed,
past participle ab·squat·u·lat·ed, present participle ab·squat·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·squat·u·lates) intransitive
verb (archaic humorous) (regional)

1.  abscond:
to leave, especially in a hurry or under suspicious circumstances

2.  die:
to die

3.  argue:
to argue
[Mid-19th century. A humorous
formation modeled on English words of Latin origin, as if from Latin ab
“away” + English squat + -ulate (as
in congratulate ), literally meaning the
reverse of squat, that is, “to depart in a
hurry.”][1]



abstain

abstain
ab·stain 
[əb stáyn] (past ab·stained, past
participle ab·stained, present participle ab·stain·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·stains) intransitive verb

1.  refrain
from something: to choose deliberately not to do
something

2.  not
vote:
not vote for or against a proposal when a vote is held
[14th
century. Via Old French abstenir from Latin abstinere, literally
“to hold yourself away,” from tenere “to hold” (source of English tenant and continue
).]
—ab·stain·er, noun[1]



abstemious

abstemious
ab·ste·mi·ous 
[əb stmee əss] adjective

moderate:
not indulging in or involving excessive eating or drinking
[Early
17th century. From Latin abstemius, from abs- “away from” + temetum
“intoxicating liquor,” of unknown origin.]
—ab·ste·mi·ous·ly,
adverb

—ab·ste·mi·ous·ness, noun[1]



abstention

abstention
ab·sten·tion 
[əb sténsh’n] (plural ab·sten·tions)
noun

1.  not
doing something: the deliberate choice not to do
something

2.  not
voting:
a vote or voting neither for nor against a proposal
[Early 16th century. From the
late Latin stem abstention-, from Latin abstentus, the past
participle of abstinere (see abstain
).][1]



abstinence

abstinence
ab·sti·nence 
[ábstənənss] noun

self-denial:
restraint from indulging a desire for something, for example, alcohol or sexual
relations
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin abstinentia, from abstinent-,
the present participle stem of abstinere (see abstain
).]
—ab·sti·nent,
adjective

—ab·sti·nent·ly, adverb[1]



abstract

abstract
ab·stract 
adjective [áb strakt, ab strákt]

1.  not
concrete:
not relating to concrete objects but expressing something that can only be
appreciated intellectually

2.  theoretical:
based on general principles or theories rather than on specific instances • abstract
arguments

3.  ARTS nonrepresentational:
not aiming to depict an object but composed with the focus on internal
structure and form

4.  MUSIC conceptual:
used to describe music that is intended to have no programmatic or emotional
content

5.  with
irregular pattern: decorated with irregular
areas of color that do not represent anything concrete

6.  impersonal:
emotionally detached or distanced from something
noun
[áb strakt, ab
strákt] (plural ab·stracts)

1.  printed
summary:
a summary of a longer text, especially of an academic article

2.  intellectual
concept:
a concept or term that does not refer to a concrete object but that denotes a
quality, an emotion, or an idea

3.  ARTS abstract
artwork:
a work of art, especially a painting, in an abstract style
transitive
verb
[əb strákt] (past ab·stract·ed,
past participle ab·stract·ed, present participle ab·stract·ing,
3rd person present singular ab·stracts)

1.  conceptualize
something:
to develop a line of thought from a concrete reality to a general principle or
an intellectual idea

2.  summarize
something:
to make a summary of the main points of an argument or some information

3.  extract
something:
to remove something from a place, usually with some difficulty

4.  steal
something:
to steal something by taking it unobtrusively (used euphemistically)

5.  ENVIRONMENT pump
water:
to remove water from a river or other source for industrial use
[14th
century. From Latin abstractus, the past participle of abstrahere
“to drag away,” from trahere “to drag” (source of English tractor, trail,
and treat ).]
—ab·stract·er
[ab stráktər], noun

—ab·stract·ly
[áb straktlee, ab
stráktlee], adverb

—ab·stract·ness [áb straktnəss, ab
stráktnəss], noun[1]



abstracted

abstracted
ab·stract·ed 
[ab stráktəd] adjective

1.  preoccupied:
in deep thought and not concentrating on surroundings

2.  taken
out of something: extracted or separated from something
—ab·stract·ed·ly,
adverb

—ab·stract·ed·ness, noun[1]



abstractexpressionism

abstractexpressionism
ab·stract
ex·pres·sion·ism noun

school of painting:
a school of painting, originating in New York in the 1940s, that combined
abstract forms with spontaneity of artistic expression[1]



abstraction

abstraction
ab·strac·tion 
[ab stráksh’n] (plural ab·strac·tions)
noun

1.  generalized
concept:
a generalized idea or theory developed from specific concrete examples of
events

2.  generalizing
process:
the forming of general ideas or concepts from specific concrete examples

3.  preoccupation:
a state in which somebody is deep in thought and not concentrating on his or
her surroundings

4.  PHILOSOPHY conceptualization:
the philosophical process by which people develop concepts either from
experience or from other concepts

5.  ARTS abstract
art:
an abstract painting or sculpture

6.  extraction:
the removal or theft of something, usually with some difficulty

7.  ENVIRONMENT pumping
water from river: the pumping of water from a river or
other source for industrial use

[1]



abstractionism

abstractionism
ab·strac·tion·ism 
[ab stráksh’n ìzzəm] noun

abstract
art:
the principles and practice of abstract art
—ab·strac·tion·ist, noun[1]



abstractmusic

abstractmusic
ab·stract
mu·sic
noun

See
absolute music[1]



abstractnoun

abstractnoun
ab·stract
noun
(plural ab·stract nouns) noun

nonconcrete noun:
a noun signifying a concept, quality, or other abstract idea[1]



abstractof title

abstractof title
ab·stract
of ti·tle
(plural ab·stracts of ti·tle) noun

summary of land ownership:
a summary of the details about the ownership of a piece of land, including all
conveyances and any burdens or charges on it[1]



abstruse

abstruse
ab·struse 
[ab strss] adjective

difficult
to understand: obscure and not easily understood
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin abstrusus, the past
participle of abstrudere, literally “to thrust away,” from trudere
“to thrust” (source of English intrude
).]
—ab·struse·ly,
adverb

—ab·struse·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at obscure

[1]



absurd

absurd
ab·surd 
[əb súrd, əb
zúrd] adjective

1.  ludicrous:
ridiculous because of being irrational, incongruous, or illogical • an
absurd notion

2.  meaningless:
lacking any meaning that would give purpose to life
noun
ab·surd Ab·surd

meaninglessness:
the condition of living in a meaningless universe where life has no purpose,
especially as a concept in certain 20th-century philosophical movements.
See
also
Theater of the Absurd
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin absurdus “inharmonious,” literally “away
from the (right) sound,” from assumed surdos “sound.”]
—ab·surd·ly,
adverb

—ab·surd·ness, noun[1]



absurdism

absurdism
ab·surd·ism 
[əb súrdizzəm, əb
zúrdizzəm] or Ab·surd·ism [əb
súrdizzəm, əb zúrdizzəm] noun

theory
of life’s meaninglessness: the idea that the universe
is without meaning or rational order and that human beings, in attempting to
find a sense of order, must come into conflict with the universe
—ab·surd·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



absurdity

absurdity
ab·surd·i·ty
[əb súrdətee] (plural ab·surd·i·ties)
noun

1.  ludicrousness:
ridiculousness or silliness

2.  something
ludicrous:
something that is that is irrational, incongruous, or illogical

[1]



ABT

ABT
ABT

Abbreviation of
American Ballet Theater[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AbuBakr

AbuBakr
A·bu
Ba·kr
[boo bkər] (573–634)

Arabian religious leader who
was the first caliph of Islam. He was responsible for uniting Arabia and
spreading Islam.[1]



AbuDhabi

AbuDhabi
A·bu
Dha·bi 
[ boo dbee]

capital of the United Arab
Emirates, on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf. Population: 363,432 (1989)[1]



abuilding

abuilding
a·build·ing 
[ə bílding] adjective

being built:
in the process of being built[1]



Abuja

Abuja
A·bu·ja 
[ b j]

official capital of Nigeria
since December 1991. It is located in the Federal Capital Territory in central
Nigeria. Population: 305,900 (1992)[1]



Abukir,Bay of

Abukir,Bay of
A·bu·kir,
Bay of
[áboo kə, boo
kə] or A·bou·kir [áboo kə,
boo kə] or A·bū Qīr [áboo kə, boo kə]

a bay in the Nile Delta that
was the site of Nelson’s defeat of the French fleet in 1798[1]



abundance

abundance
a·bun·dance 
[ə búndənss] (plural a·bun·danc·es)
noun

1.  large
amount:
a more than plentiful quantity of something

2.  affluence:
a lifestyle with more than adequate material provisions

3.  fullness:
a fullness of spirit that overflows

4.  CHEMISTRY GEOLOGY rate
of incidence: the extent to which an element is
present in the earth or in rocks of a particular type

5.  PHYSICS proportion
of isotope atoms: the proportion of one isotope of an
element, expressed by number of atoms, to the total quantity of the element
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin abundantia, from abundant- (see abundant ).][1]



abundant

abundant
a·bun·dant 
[ə búndənt] adjective

1.  plentiful:
present in great quantities

2.  well-supplied:
providing a more than plentiful supply of something

3.  found
in quantity: existing in large quantities
[14th
century. From Latin abundant-, the present participle stem of abundare
“to overflow” (see abound ).]
—a·bun·dant·ly, adverb[1]



abuse

abuse
a·buse 
noun [ə byss] (plural a·bus·es)

1.  maltreatment:
the physical or psychological maltreatment of a person or animal

2.  improper
use:
the illegal, improper, or harmful use of something, or an illegal, improper, or
harmful practice

3.  insults:
insulting or offensive language

4.  drug
use:
the harmful use of drugs or alcohol
verb
[ə byz] (past a·bused, past
participle a·bused, present participle a·bus·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·bus·es)

1.  transitive
verb
misuse
something:
to use something in an improper, illegal, or damaging way

2.  transitive
verb
maltreat
somebody:
to maltreat a person or animal physically, sexually, or psychologically

3.  transitive
verb
insult
somebody:
to speak insultingly or offensively to somebody

4.  reflexive
verb
masturbate:
to masturbate (disapproving)
[15th
century. Via French abus from Latin abusus, the past participle
of abuti “to use up, misuse,” from uti “to use.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  abuse
  or misuse ?
  Both
  as a verb and as a noun, abuse is more
  morally loaded than misuse ; alcohol misuse is a factual
  statement about alcohol wrongly used, whereas alcohol abuse implies a
  judgment about the user. This difference has been greatly emphasized by the
  use of abuse (both noun and verb) with
  reference to violence or sexual acts committed on children; the alternative
  word misuse would be meaningless here.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at misuse

[1]



abuser

abuser
a·bus·er
[ə byzər] (plural a·bus·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who maltreats another: somebody who physically,
sexually, or psychologically maltreats a person or an animal

2.  drug
user:
somebody who makes harmful use of drugs or alcohol

[1]



AbuSimbel

AbuSimbel
A·bu
Sim·bel 
[ boo símbəl, 
boo sím bèl] noun

ancient Egyptian temples:
the site of two carved rock temples in southern Egypt, built in the reign of
Rameses II in the 13th century BC.
They were moved to higher ground in the 1960s to avoid possible damage from the
construction of the Aswan High Dam.[1]



abusive

abusive
a·bu·sive 
[ə byssiv] adjective

1.  insulting:
meant to insult or offend somebody • abusive
language

2.  harmful:
involving physical or psychological damage •

3.  wrongful::
involving illegal, improper, or harmful activities • using
abusive methods to secure power
—a·bu·sive·ly,
adverb

—abu·sive·ness, noun[1]



abut

abut
a·but 
[ə bút] (past a·but·ted, past
participle a·but·ted, present participle a·but·ting, 3rd
person present singular a·buts) intransitive and transitive verb

be
adjacent:
to touch or be adjacent to something along one side
[15th century. Partly from
Anglo-Latin abuttare, from butta “ridge or strip of land”; partly
from Old French aboter “to aim at,” from boter “to strike,” from
Germanic.][1]



abutilon

abutilon
a·bu·ti·lon 
[ə byt’l òn] (plural a·bu·ti·lons)
noun

See
flowering maple
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Arabic ubutilun .][1]



abutment

abutment
a·but·ment 
[ə bútmənt] (plural a·but·ments)
noun

1.  adjacency:
the immediate adjacency of two objects or pieces of land

2.  meeting
point:
the point at which two things abut

3.  making
things abut: the positioning of two things so that
they abut

4.  support
structure:
a structure that supports the end of a bridge or dam, or that bears the thrust
of an arch or vault

[1]



abuttals

abuttals
a·but·tals 
[ə bútt’lz] plural noun

boundaries:
the boundaries of a piece of land in relation to an adjoining piece of land[1]



abuzz

abuzz
a·buzz 
[ə búz] adjective

buzzing:
filled with buzzing or a sound like it, often as a result of lively
conversation or activity[1]



abwatt

abwatt
ab·watt
[áb wòt] (plural ab·watts) noun

unit of electrical power:
the centimeter-gram-second unit of electrical power, equal to 10 –7 of a watt[1]



abysm

abysm
a·bysm 
[ə bízzəm] (plural a·bysms) noun

abyss:
a chasm, void, or other abyss (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
abisme from medieval Latin abysmus, an alteration of late Latin abyssus
(see abyss ).][1]



abysmal

abysmal
a·bys·mal 
[ə bízm’l] adjective

1.  horrible:
appallingly bad or extremely severe

2.  very
deep:
similar to the great depth of an abyss

3.  deep-sea:
extremely deep or found at extreme depths (archaic)
—a·bys·mal·ly, adverb[1]



abyss

abyss
a·byss 
[ə bíss] (plural a·byss·es) noun

1.  chasm:
a chasm or gorge so deep or vast that its extent is not visible

2.  endless
space:
something that is immeasurably deep or infinite

3.  terrible
situation:
a situation of apparently unending awfulness

4.  hell:
hell thought of as a bottomless pit
[14th century. Via late Latin
abyssus from Greek abussos, literally “bottomless,” from bussos
“bottom.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English bathos .][1]



abyssal

abyssal
a·bys·sal 
[ə bíss’l] adjective

deep-sea:
found in the very deepest areas of the oceans or on the deep ocean floor[1]



Abyssinia

Abyssinia
Ab·ys·sin·i·a 
[àbbə sínniə] noun

Former
name for
Ethiopia
—Ab·ys·sin·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Abyssiniancat

Abyssiniancat
Ab·ys·sin·i·an
cat
(plural Ab·ys·sin·i·an cats) noun

short-haired domestic cat:
a domestic cat belonging to a breed with dark brown or black markings on its
short-haired brown coat[1]



abyssopelagic

abyssopelagic
ab·ys·so·pe·la·gic
[ə bìssōpə lájjik] adjective

deep-sea:
relating to or living in the water just above the deep ocean floor
[Ultimately from Greek abussos
“abyss” (see abyss ) + pelagikos “of
the sea” (see pelagic )][1]



Ac

Ac2
Ac2

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Acts of the Apostles[1]



AC

AC
AC

1.  AC
or a.c. ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of alternating
current
See
also
DC

2.  BEVERAGES Abbreviation of
appellation contrôlée

3.  Abbreviation
of
air conditioning

[1]



ac.

ac.
ac.

Abbreviation of
acre[1]



ac-

ac-
ac-
prefix

(used before c, k, and q)See
ad-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ac

Ac1

Ac1
Symbol for
actinium[1]



A.C.

A.C.
A.C.

Abbreviation of
ante Christum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








A/C

A/C
A/C

1.  A/C
or a/c ACCOUNTING Abbreviation
of account

2.  A/C
or a/c ACCOUNTING Abbreviation
of account current

3.  Abbreviation
of
air conditioning

[1]



-ac

-ac
-ac
suffix

person
affected with a condition • amnesiac
[Via modern Latin -acus
from Greek -akos][1]



acacia

acacia
a·ca·cia 
[ə káyshə] (plural a·ca·cias or
a·ca·cia) noun

1.  flowering
tree:
a tropical or subtropical shrub or tree that has small fluffy yellow globular
flowers, narrow leaves, and dark fruit pods. Genus: Acacia

2.  tree
like true acacia: any tree or shrub like acacia proper,
for example, the locust

3.  See
gum arabic
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek akakia, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Egyptian .][1]



academe

academe
ac·a·deme 
[ákə dm] (plural ac·a·demes) noun
(formal)

1.  See
academia

2.  academic
institution: a place of learning, especially a
college or university
[Late 16th century. Partly
from Latin academia, and partly from its Greek source Akademeia
(see academy ).][1]



academia

academia
ac·a·de·mi·a 
[àkə dmee ə] noun

academic
life:
scholars and students of the academic world and their activities.
Also
called
academe
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
(see academy ).][1]



academic

academic
ac·a·dem·ic 
[àkə démmik] adjective

1.  educational:
connected with education, educational studies, an educational institution, or
the educational system

2.  scholarly:
scholarly and intellectual

3.  irrelevant
in practice: theoretical and not of any practical
relevance

4.  conventional:
using the conventional techniques or emphasizing the formal aspects of an art
form such as painting or poetry

5.  for
college-bound students: designed for students who
intend to study at a college after high school, or attending a school with such
courses • She’s
taking the academic track.
noun
(plural ac·a·dem·ics)

1.  university
teacher:
somebody teaching or conducting research at an institution of higher learning

2.  scholarly
person:
somebody with scholarly background or attitudes
—ac·a·dem·i·cal,
adjective

—ac·a·dem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



academician

academician
ac·a·de·mi·cian 
[àkədə mísh’n, ə
kàddə mísh’n] (plural ac·a·de·mi·cians) noun

academy member:
a member of an academy or society concerned with the arts or sciences[1]



academicism

academicism
ac·a·dem·i·cism 
[àkə démməsīzzəm] noun

conventional or formal
artistry: artistry that relies on
conventional techniques or emphasizes the formal aspects of an art form such as
painting or poetry.
Also called
academism[1]



academicyear

academicyear
ac·a·dem·ic
year
(plural ac·a·dem·ic years) noun

annual school session:
the annual cycle of teaching and study at an educational institution. It
usually starts more than halfway through the calendar year and is divided into
semesters or quarters.[1]



academism

academism
a·cad·e·mism 
[ə káddəmizzəm] noun

See
academicism[1]



academy

academy
a·cad·e·my 
[ə káddəmee] (plural a·cad·e·mies)
noun

1.  society:
a formal society whose purpose is to promote a particular aspect of knowledge
or culture

2.  specialized
school:
an educational institution devoted to a particular subject

3.  private
high school: a secondary or high school, usually a
private one (usually used in school names)

4.  academic
world:
the academic community, especially scholars at colleges and universities
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin academia
from Greek Akademeia, the school of philosophy founded by Plato, named
for the park on the outskirts of Athens where he taught.][1]



Academy

Academy
A·cad·e·my
noun

Plato’s school:
the school Plato founded to teach his philosophy[1]



AcademyAward

AcademyAward
A·cad·e·my
Award
(plural A·cad·e·my Awards) noun

film award:
an award given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for
work in filmmaking or acting. The statuette awarded is called an Oscar.[1]



Acadia

Acadia
A·ca·di·a 
[ə káydee ə] noun

French colony in N America:
a former French colony in North America that comprised present-day New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and parts of Quebec and New
England[1]



Acadian

Acadian
A·ca·di·an 
[ə káydee ən] (plural A·ca·di·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Acadia: one of the French settlers who colonized
Acadia after 1604, most of whom were deported elsewhere in North America,
especially to Louisiana, by the British authorities between 1755 and 1762

2.  French
Canadian living in Maritimes: a French-speaking inhabitant
of the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward
Island

3.  See
Acadian French
[Early
18th century]
—A·ca·di·an, adjective[1]



AcadiaNational Park

AcadiaNational Park

A·ca·di·a Na·tion·al Park
park in northeastern Maine, partially on
Mount Desert Island. It was established in 1919 as Lafayette National Park, but
the name was changed in 1929. Area: 16,924 hectares/41,819 acres.[1]



AcadianFrench

AcadianFrench
A·ca·di·an
French
or A·ca·di·an noun

Canada
French
spoken in Canadian Maritimes: the form of French spoken in
the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island
—A·ca·di·an French, adjective[1]



acalculia

acalculia
a·cal·cu·lia 
[àykal kylee ə] noun

inability
to count:
an inability, or the loss of the ability, to carry out basic arithmetic
calculations
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a- “not” + Latin calculare “to
calculate” (see calculate ) + -ia .][1]



acanthi

acanthi
a·can·thi


Plural of
acanthus[1]



acantho-

acantho-
acantho-
prefix

thorn
• acanthopterygian
[From Greek akanthos
“thorn plant” (see acanthus )][1]



acanthocephalan

acanthocephalan
a·can·tho·ceph·a·lan 
[ə kànthə séffələn] (plural a·can·tho·ceph·a·lans)
noun

See
spiny-headed worm
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from acantho- + Greek kephalē
“head” (see cephalo- ).]
—a·can·tho·ceph·a·lan,
adjective[1]



acanthopterygian

acanthopterygian
ac·an·thop·ter·yg·i·an 
[àkən thoptə ríjjee ən] (plural ac·an·thop·ter·yg·i·ans)
noun

fish
with spiny-rayed fins: a fish with spiny-rayed fins
and toothed scales. Mackerel, perch, and bass are acanthopterygians.
Superorder: Acanthopterygii
[Mid-19th
century. Ultimately from Greek akantha “thorn” + pterugion “fin,”
literally “small wing,” from pterux “wing.”]
—ac·an·thop·ter·yg·i·an,
adjective[1]



acanthus

acanthus

a·can·thus 
[ə kánthəss] (plural a·can·thus·es
or a·can·thi [ə kánthī] or
a·can·thus) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with spiny leaves: a Mediterranean shrub or
perennial plant with spiny leaves and white or purple flowers. Bear’s breech is
a variety of acanthus . Genus: Acanthus

2.  ARCHITECTURE leaf
design:
a design characteristic of the capital of a Corinthian column, representing
acanthus leaves
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
from Greek akanthos, from Greek akantha “thorn.”][1]



acappella

acappella
a
cap·pel·la 
[ kəpéllə, à kəpéllə]
adverb adjective

by
voices only: without accompaniment from musical
instruments
[Late 19th century. From
Italian a cappella, literally “by the choir,” that is, “in the style of
church music.”][1]



Acapulco

Acapulco
Ac·a·pul·co 
[àkə plkō, kə
plkō]

seaport and resort on the
Pacific coast in southern Mexico. Population: 592,187 (1990)[1]



acari

acari
ac·a·ri


Plural of
acarus[1]



acariasis

acariasis
ac·a·ri·a·sis 
[ákə r əssəss] noun

disease caused by mites:
infestation of the skin with mites[1]



acarid

acarid
ac·a·rid 
[ákərid] (plural ac·a·rids) noun

mite:
a mite or tick. Order: Acarina[1]



acaroidresin

acaroidresin
ac·a·roid
res·in
[àkəroydrézzin] (plural ac·aroid
res·ins) or ac·a·roid gum [ákəroyd
gum] (plural ac·aroid gums) noun

plant resin:
a red resin exuded by certain grass trees, used in making varnishes and coating
paper.
Also called
gum accroides[1]



acarology

acarology
ac·a·rol·o·gy 
[àkə rólləjee] noun

study
of mites and ticks: the branch of zoology
devoted to the study of mites and ticks
—ac·a·rol·o·gist, noun[1]



acarophobia

acarophobia
ac·a·ro·pho·bi·a 
[àkərə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of mites or ticks:
irrational fear of mites or ticks[1]



acarus

acarus
ac·a·rus 
[ákə rəss] (plural ac·a·ri [ákə rī]) noun

mite
or tick:
a mite or tick (technical)
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin, from Greek akari “mite,” literally “too short to cut, tiny,”
ultimately from the stem kar- “to cut.”][1]



acatalectic

acatalectic
a·cat·a·lec·tic 
[ay kàtt’l éktik] adjective

metrically
complete:
having the full number of syllables in the final foot of a line of verse
noun
(plural a·cat·a·lec·tics)

metrically
complete verse: a line of verse that has the full number
of syllables in the final foot
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin acatalecticus from Greek akatalektos “complete,” from katalektos
“incomplete.”][1]



acaudal

acaudal
a·cau·dal 
[ay káwd’l] or a·cau·date [ay káwdayt] adjective

tailless:
without a tail (technical)[1]



acaulescent

acaulescent
a·cau·les·cent 
[àykaw léss’nt, àkaw
léss’nt] adjective

appearing stemless:
with no stem or with a stem that is very short[1]



acauline

acauline
a·cau·line
[ay káw lin, ay
káw līn] adjective

stemless:
with no stem (technical)[1]



acc.

acc.
acc.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of accusative

2.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
account

[1]



accede

accede
ac·cede 
[ak sd] (past ac·ced·ed, past
participle ac·ced·ed, present participle ac·ced·ing, 3rd
person present singular ac·cedes) intransitive verb

1.  assent:
to give consent or agreement to something

2.  come
to power:
to attain an important and powerful position

3.  sign
treaty:
to become a party to an international agreement or treaty
[15th
century. From Latin accedere, literally “to come to,” from cedere
“to come” (source of English cease
and ancestor ).]
—ac·ced·ence,
noun

—ac·ced·er, noun[1]



accel.

accel.
accel.

Abbreviation of
accelerando[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








accelerando

accelerando
ac·cel·er·an·do 
[ak sèllə rándō, aa
chèllə rndō] adverb adjective

increasingly
fast:
with gradually increasing speed (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, “accelerating.”][1]



accelerant

accelerant
ac·cel·er·ant 
[ak séllərənt] (plural ac·cel·er·ants)
noun

1.  combustible
substance:
a substance that is used to intensify a fire

2.  See
accelerator  noun 3

[1]



accelerate

accelerate
ac·cel·er·ate 
[ək séllə ràyt] (past ac·cel·er·at·ed,
past participle ac·cel·er·at·ed, present participle ac·cel·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cel·er·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  go
faster:
to move increasingly quickly, or cause something to move faster

2.  progress
faster:
to happen or develop faster, or cause something to happen or develop faster

3.  PHYSICS increase
velocity:
to cause an increase in the velocity of something, or experience an increase in
velocity
[Early
16th century. From Latin acceleratus, the past participle of accelerare
“to quicken,” from celer “quick” (source of English celerity ).]
—ac·cel·er·at·ed,
adjective

—ac·cel·er·a·tive [ak séllə ràytiv], adjective[1]



acceleration

acceleration
ac·cel·er·a·tion 
[ak sèllə ráysh’n] (plural ac·cel·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  increase
in velocity: the rate at which something increases in
velocity

2.  increase
in rate of progress: an increase in the rate at
which something happens or develops

3.  act
of accelerating: something’s accelerating, or the causing
of something to accelerate

4.  PHYSICS increase
in velocity: the rate of increase in the velocity of
something. Symbol a

[1]



accelerationclause

accelerationclause
ac·cel·er·a·tion
clause
(plural ac·cel·er·a·tion clauses) noun

condition in loan agreement:
a clause in the terms of a loan or mortgage stipulating that payments must be
made earlier in particular circumstances[1]



accelerator

accelerator
ac·cel·er·a·tor 
[ək séllə ràytər] (plural ac·cel·er·a·tors)
noun

1.  speed-increasing
control:
a pedal or other control mechanism used to cause a vehicle to increase speed

2.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS device
for giving particles high velocities: a
machine used to increase the velocity, and hence the kinetic energy, of
subatomic particles or nuclei, usually in preparation for collision with a
target.
Also
called
particle accelerator

3.  chemical
that speeds up reaction: a substance that increases the
rate of a chemical reaction.
Also
called
accelerant

[1]



acceleratorcard

acceleratorcard
ac·cel·er·a·tor
card
(plural ac·cel·er·a·tor cards) or ac·cel·er·a·tor board
(plural ac·cel·er·a·tor boards) noun

computer speed device:
a circuit board that adds a faster central processing unit or a special
coprocessor to a computer[1]



accelerometer

accelerometer
ac·cel·er·om·e·ter 
[ək sèllə rómmətər] (plural ac·cel·er·om·e·ters)
noun

instrument for measuring
acceleration: an instrument or device
for measuring acceleration[1]



accent

accent
ac·cent 
noun [ák sent] (plural ac·cents)

1.  manner
of pronunciation: a way of pronouncing words that
indicates the place of origin or social background of the speaker • a
Southern accent

2.  intonation:
a way of using intonation or inflection to convey the speaker’s mood or
character • He
answered with an accent of bitterness.

3.  stress
on syllable: a greater emphasis in pronouncing a
syllable within a word or a word within a phrase

4.  mark
above letter: a symbol used in print or writing to
indicate stress or the pronunciation of a vowel

5.  main
emphasis:
an aspect of a situation, issue, or state of affairs that is emphasized • the
accent is on safety

6.  contrasting
detail:
a contrasting decorative feature used to add interest • a
blue room with green accents in the furnishings

7.  style:
a distinctive style that is characteristic of a particular person, region, or
artistic school

8.  MUSIC stress
on notes:
stress placed on particular notes in a piece of music, or the symbol printed
above the notes to indicate this stress

9.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
symbol:
a superscript symbol, ′ or ″, used to indicate a unit of measure such as feet
and inches respectively or minutes and seconds of an arc respectively
transitive
verb
[ák sent, ak
sént] (past ac·cent·ed, past participle ac·cent·ed,
present participle ac·cent·ing, 3rd person present singular
ac·cents)

1.  emphasize
something:
to stress something, for example, by pronouncing a word or syllable more
prominently

2.  mark
something with an accent: to mark a letter, word, or
something else with a written or printed accent
[Early 16th century. Via
French, from Latin accentus, from ad “to” + cantus
“singing” (source of English cantor, chant, and incentive
), a literal translation of Greek prosōidia “accompanied song.”][1]



accentlighting

accentlighting
ac·cent
light·ing
noun

lighting that highlights an
area or feature of a room, for example, a painting or an alcove[1]



accentor

accentor
ac·cen·tor
[ak séntər] (plural ac·cen·tors)
noun

bird resembling sparrow:
a Eurasian and African songbird distinguished from a house sparrow by its thin
finely pointed bill. Hedge sparrows are one type of accentor . Family:
Prunellidae[1]



accentual

accentual
ac·cen·tu·al 
[ak sénchoo əl] adjective

1.  of
accent:
involving or associated with accent or stress

2.  POETRY based
on stress:
employing a structure based on the number of stresses in a poetic line instead
of on the number of syllables.
See
also
syllabic
—ac·cen·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



accentuate

accentuate
ac·cen·tu·ate 
[ak sénchoo àyt] (past ac·cen·tu·at·ed,
past participle ac·cen·tu·at·ed, present participle ac·cen·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cen·tu·ates) transitive verb

1.  draw
attention to something: to make a feature of
something more noticeable

2.  stress
something:
to emphasize a syllable, word, or phrase when saying it
[Mid-18th
century. From medieval Latin accentuatus, the past participle of accentuare
“to emphasize,” from Latin accentus (see accent
).]
—ac·cen·tu·a·tion [ak sènchoo áysh’n], noun[1]



accept

accept
ac·cept 
[ak sépt] (past ac·cept·ed, past
participle ac·cept·ed, present participle ac·cept·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cepts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
something offered: to take something that is
offered, for example, a gift or payment

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
yes to invitation: to reply in the affirmative
to an invitation

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
on duty:
to agree to take on a duty, responsibility, or position

4.  transitive
verb
believe
something:
to acknowledge that something is true

5.  transitive
verb
endure
situation:
to tolerate something without protesting or attempting to change it

6.  transitive
verb
come
to terms with something: to acknowledge a fact or
truth and come to terms with it

7.  transitive
verb
take
blame for something: to admit the blame or
responsibility for something

8.  transitive
verb
LAW COMMERCE agree to terms:
to indicate formal agreement to the terms and conditions in a contract

9.  transitive
verb
allow
somebody to join: to allow somebody to join an
organization or attend an institution

10. transitive
verb
process
something:
to be able to process something or be operated by something • old
machines that won’t accept the new cards

11. transitive
verb
be
welcoming to somebody: to treat somebody as a
member of a group or social circle

12. transitive
verb
receive
something for review: to receive something such as
a report for official action or review

13. transitive
verb
agree
to marry somebody: to reply in the affirmative
to a marriage proposal (dated)
[14th century. Via French accepter
from Latin acceptare, from accipere, literally “to take to
(yourself),” from capere “to take” (source of English catch and occupy
).][1]



acceptable

acceptable
ac·cept·a·ble 
[ak séptəb’l] adjective

1.  adequate:
considered to be satisfactory

2.  approved
of:
likely to gain somebody’s approval

3.  welcome:
likely to please the person who receives it
—ac·cept·a·bil·i·ty
[ək sèptə bíllətee], noun

—ac·cept·a·ble·ness
[ək séptəb’lnəss], noun

—ac·cept·a·bly [ək séptəblee], adverb[1]



acceptabledaily intake

acceptabledaily intake
ac·cept·a·ble
dai·ly in·take noun

harmless quantity of ingested
chemical: the highest daily intake
level of a chemical that, if continued over the whole life of a person, appears
to pose no health risk[1]



acceptance

acceptance
ac·cep·tance 
[ak séptənss] (plural ac·cep·tances)
noun

1.  saying
yes:
a written or verbal indication that somebody agrees to an invitation

2.  taking
of a gift:
the willing receipt of a gift or payment

3.  willingness
to believe:
willingness to believe that something is true

4.  coming
to terms with something: the realization of a fact or
truth resulting in somebody’s coming to terms with it

5.  toleration:
the tolerating of something without protesting

6.  social
tolerance:
willingness to treat somebody as a member of a group or social circle

7.  positive
response to application: an offer to allow somebody
to join an organization or attend an institution

8.  LAW COMMERCE agreement to terms:
formal agreement, in writing or verbally, showing that somebody assents to the
terms and conditions in a contract

9.  COMMERCE agreement
to pay:
a formal agreement by a debtor to pay a draft or bill of exchange when it
becomes payable

[1]



acceptant

acceptant
ac·cep·tant 
[ak séptənt] adjective

accepting:
receiving something willingly (formal)[1]



acceptation

acceptation
ac·cep·ta·tion 
[àksep táysh’n] noun

1.  general
acceptance:
a generally favorable reception of something

2.  accepted
meaning:
the sense in which a word or phrase is generally understood

[1]



accepted

accepted
ac·cept·ed 
[ak séptəd] adjective

generally approved:
widely used and recognized[1]



accepter

accepter
ac·cept·er 
noun

1.  somebody
accepting:
somebody or something that accepts something

2.  See
acceptor  noun 1
See acceptor  noun 2

[1]



acceptinghouse

acceptinghouse
ac·cept·ing
house
(plural ac·cept·ing hous·es) noun

financial institution:
a financial institution that guarantees bills of exchange[1]



acceptor

acceptor
ac·cep·tor 
[ak séptər] (plural ac·cep·tors)
noun

1.  ac·cep·tor
or ac·cep·ter (plural ac·cep·ters) COMMERCE somebody
accepting debt: somebody who accepts liability for a
bill of exchange

2.  ac·cep·tor
or ac·cep·ter (plural ac·cep·ters) ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING impurity
improving conductivity: an impurity added to a
semiconductor to increase its conductivity. The metallic element gallium is
often used in this way.

3.  CHEMISTRY atom
accepting electrons: an atom or group of atoms
that accepts electrons to form a coordinate bond during the formation of a
chemical compound.
See
also
donor

[1]



access

access
ac·cess 
[áksess] noun (plural ac·cess·es)

1.  entry
or approach: the possibility or means of entering or
approaching a place

2.  opportunity
for use:
the opportunity or right to experience or make use of something

3.  right
to meet somebody: the right or opportunity to meet
somebody

4.  outburst:
a sudden strongly felt burst of emotion (literary) “With a sudden access
of tenderness he flung his arm about me.” Rider Haggard She 1887

5.  COMPUTING right
to use computer: the right or ability to log on to a
computer system or use a computer program • software
that allows network access
transitive
verb
(past ac·cessed, past participle ac·cessed, present
participle ac·cess·ing, 3rd person present singular ac·cess·es)

1.  enter
place:
to find a way or means of entering or approaching a place

2.  get
information: to have the opportunity or right to
experience or make use of something

3.  COMPUTING call
up:
to retrieve data or a computer file • the
program can be accessed using the correct password
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French acces from Latin accessus,
the past participle of accedere “to come near” (see accede ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  access
  or accession ?
  The
  essential difference is that access refers
  to a right whereas accession refers to a
  process (and is normally used in the special ways mentioned). If you have access to a library you are allowed to use it,
  consult the books, and perhaps borrow them. An accession
  to a library is a new book that has been bought for people with access to the library to use. Accession to the throne is the process by which
  an heir to the throne becomes king or queen. Somebody who wants to meet the
  new mayor would have to seek access to him
  or her after his or her accession to
  office. You might have an access of strong
  feeling such as joy or anger, but you would have an accession
  of strength.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  What
  things can you access ?
  There
  is normally no problem with using access
  as a verb in computing contexts (although even this is objected to by some
  people), but there is more resistance to using it in general contexts such as
  accessing bank accounts or items of information.

[1]



accessary

accessary
ac·ces·sa·ry
noun

See
accessory

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at accessory.

[1]



accessbroker

accessbroker
ac·cess
bro·ker
(plural ac·cess bro·kers) noun

politically connected
lobbyist: somebody with connections to
high officials in a political administration who uses those connections for
lobbying[1]



accesscode

accesscode
ac·cess
code
(plural ac·cess codes) noun

password:
a sequence of letters or numbers that has to be keyed in to allow somebody
access to something such as a building or a telephone network[1]



accessible

accessible
ac·ces·si·ble 
[ək séssəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
reached:
easy to enter or reach physically

2.  easily
understood:
able to be appreciated or understood without specialist knowledge

3.  easily
available:
able to be obtained, used, or experienced without difficulty

4.  approachable:
not aloof and not difficult to talk to or meet with

5.  susceptible:
susceptible to or likely to be influenced by something

6.  LOGIC observable
from another world: able to be referred to from
another possible world, so that the truth value of statements about it can be
given
—ac·ces·si·bil·i·ty
[ək sèssə bíllətee], noun

—ac·ces·si·bly [ək séssəblee], adverb[1]



accession

accession
ac·ces·sion 
[ak sésh’n] noun (plural ac·ces·sions)

1.  taking
up position: the assumption of an important position,
usually a position of power

2.  INTERNATIONAL LAW acceptance
of treaty:
the formal acceptance by a state of an international treaty or convention

3.  assent:
agreement or consent, usually when given unwillingly

4.  sudden
mood:
a sudden and unexpected display of a particular mood or emotion (literary)

5.  addition
to collection: an item added to a collection

6.  LAW increase
to property: addition to property by natural growth
or by improvement

7.  LAW right
to increase in property: the right of an owner to add
to a property by natural growth or improvement
transitive
verb
(past ac·ces·sioned, past participle ac·ces·sioned,
present participle ac·ces·sion·ing, 3rd person present
singular ac·ces·sions)

catalog additions to collection:
to make a formal record of an addition to a collection
—ac·ces·sion·al,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at access.

[1]



accessorize

accessorize
ac·ces·sor·ize 
[ak séssə rz] (past ac·ces·sor·ized,
past participle ac·ces·sor·ized, present participle ac·ces·sor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·ces·sor·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb decorate
an outfit:
to wear or use items such as gloves, hats, and handbags to complete an outfit
of clothing

2.  transitive
verb
provide
with accessories: to fit accessories to something

[1]



accessory

accessory
ac·ces·so·ry 
[ak séssəree] or ac·ces·sa·ry
[ak séssəree] noun (plural ac·ces·so·ries)
(plural ac·ces·sa·ries)

1.  optional
part:
an optional part that may be fitted to something to perform an additional
function or enhance performance

2.  fashion
article:
an item of clothing that is worn or used for a fashionable effect with an
outfit “designers who create neckties as fashion accessories” International
Herald Tribune June 1997

3.  LAW criminal
helper:
somebody who aids somebody else to commit a crime or avoid arrest but who does
not participate in the crime itself
adjective

1.  additional:
supplementary or subsidiary to the main thing

2.  LAW assisting
in crime:
aiding a criminal act although not participating in the crime itself
—ac·ces·so·ri·al
[àkse sáwree əl], adjective

—ac·ces·so·ri·ly
[ak séssərəlee], adverb

—ac·ces·so·ri·ness
[ak séssərinəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  accessory
  or accessary ?
  Accessory is now the normal spelling
  in the two main meanings of the word, “an extra attachment” and “somebody who
  is involved in a crime in addition to the person who commits the crime.” Accessary is an older spelling, and you will
  still find it used, especially in legal contexts.

[1]



accessoryafter the fact

accessoryafter the fact
ac·ces·so·ry
af·ter the fact (plural ac·ces·so·ries af·ter
the fact) noun

helper of criminal after a
crime: somebody who aids and abets
somebody who has committed a crime[1]



accessoryapartment

accessoryapartment
ac·ces·so·ry
a·part·ment
(plural ac·ces·so·ry a·part·ments) noun

apartment in house:
a self-contained apartment within a family home, usually rented to a relative[1]



accessorybefore the fact

accessorybefore the fact
ac·ces·so·ry
be·fore the fact (plural ac·ces·so·ries be·fore
the fact) noun

helper of criminal before a
crime: somebody who incites or aids
somebody to commit a crime but who is not present during the crime[1]



accessorynerve

accessorynerve
ac·ces·so·ry
nerve
(plural ac·ces·so·ry nerves) noun

cranial nerve:
the eleventh cranial nerve, associated with the pharynx and muscles in the
throat, larynx, palate, neck, and back[1]



accesstime

accesstime
ac·cess
time
(plural ac·cess times) noun

computer speed:
the time taken by a computer to locate and retrieve data.
Also called
reaction time[1]



acciaccatura

acciaccatura
ac·ciac·ca·tu·ra 
[aa chkə trə] (plural ac·ciac·ca·tu·ras
or ac·ciac·ca·tu·re [aa chkə tray])
noun

MUSIC grace
note:
a brief grace note sounded at the same time as or just before a principal note
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, “crushing sound.”][1]



accidence

accidence
ac·ci·dence 
[áksidənss] noun

study
of inflections: the area of traditional grammar dealing
with the inflections of words
[15th century. From late
Latin accidentia (plural) “things that happen” (taken as singular), from
Latin accident- (see accident ).][1]



accident

accident
ac·ci·dent 
[áksidənt, áksi
dent] (plural ac·ci·dents) noun

1.  chance:
the way things happen without any planning, apparent cause, or deliberate
intent

2.  crash:
a collision or similar incident involving a moving vehicle, often resulting in
injury or death

3.  mishap:
an unplanned and unfortunate event that results in damage, injury, or upset of
some kind

4.  chance
happening:
an event that happens completely by chance, with no planning or deliberate
intent

5.  failure
to reach toilet: an incident when somebody, particularly
a small child, is incontinent (used euphemistically)

6.  unplanned
pregnancy:
a child conceived in an unplanned way

7.  PHILOSOPHY nonessential
attribute:
a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something
[14th century. Via French,
from Latin accident-, the present participle stem of accidere “to
happen,” literally “to fall to,” from cadere “to fall, die” (source of
English cadaver and chance ).][1]



accidental

accidental
ac·ci·den·tal 
[àksə dént’l] adjective

1.  chance:
happening by chance and not planned

2.  incidental:
not specifically intended and arising as a side effect

3.  MUSIC not in
key signature: sharp, flat, or natural, in a way not
indicated in the key signature
noun
(plural ac·ci·den·tals)

1.  unplanned
effect:
something not specifically intended that arises as a side effect

2.  MUSIC note
not in key signature: a musical note, marked with
a sharp, flat, or natural sign, whose pitch does not correspond to the key
signature
—ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb[1]



accidentand emergency

accidentand emergency
ac·ci·dent
and e·mer·gen·cy noun

See
casualty  noun 4[1]



accidentinsurance

accidentinsurance
ac·ci·dent
in·sur·ance
noun

insurance against accidents:
insurance against injury or death caused by an accident[1]



accident-prone

accident-prone
ac·ci·dent-prone 
adjective

liable to have mishaps:
having more accidents than average[1]



accipiter

accipiter
ac·cip·i·ter 
[ak síppitər] (plural ac·cip·i·ters)
noun

1.  hawk:
a hawk, typically with short broad wings and a long tail. Accipiters include
goshawks. Genus: Accipiter

2.  large
predatory bird: a bird in the family that includes all
hawks, eagles, and kites. Family: Accipitidae
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, from accipere, literally “to take to (yourself)” (see accept ). The underlying idea is of a bird that
seizes prey.][1]



accipitrine

accipitrine
ac·cip·i·trine 
[aksípitrin, aksípitrīn]
adjective

of birds of prey:
used to describe the family of predatory birds that includes hawks, eagles, and
kites[1]



acclaim

acclaim
ac·claim 
[ə kláym] verb (past ac·claimed,
past participle ac·claimed, present participle ac·claim·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·claims)

1.  transitive
verb
praise
somebody lavishly: to praise somebody or
something publicly with great enthusiasm

2.  transitive
verb
pronounce
somebody to be something: to declare enthusiastically
and publicly that somebody holds a high position

3.  intransitive
verb
shout
enthusiastically: to demonstrate enthusiastic approval by
shouting and cheering

4.  transitive
verb
Canada win office by default:
to elect a candidate to an office by default, owing to a lack of opposition (usually
passive)
noun

enthusiastic reception:
enthusiastic approval given to somebody or something publicly
[Early
16th century. From Latin acclamare, literally “to shout to,” from clamare
“to shout” (source of English claim
and clamor ).]
—ac·claim·er, noun[1]



acclamation

acclamation
ac·cla·ma·tion 
[àklə máysh’n] (plural ac·cla·ma·tions)
noun

1.  approval:
a public and enthusiastic display of approval

2.  vocal
vote:
a vote in which no formal ballot is held but the voters make views clear by
shouts or applause

3.  Canada
unopposed
election win: an election victory won through default,
owing to a lack of opposition
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin stem acclamation-, from acclamare (see acclaim ).]
—ac·clam·a·to·ry [ə klámmə tàwree], adjective[1]



acclimate

acclimate
ac·cli·mate 
[ə klmət, áklə
màyt] (past ac·cli·mat·ed, past participle ac·cli·mat·ed,
present participle ac·cli·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular
ac·cli·mates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb See acclimatize

2.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY alter
because of environment: to adjust in response to a
change in environment
[Late
18th century. From French acclimater, from a- “to” + climat
“climate” (see climate ).]
—ac·cli·ma·tion [àklə máysh’n], noun[1]



acclimatize

acclimatize
ac·cli·ma·tize 
[əklmə tz] (past ac·cli·ma·tized,
past participle ac·cli·ma·tized, present participle ac·cli·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cli·ma·tiz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

adapt:
to become accustomed to a new climate or environment, or help somebody become
accustomed to it
—ac·cli·ma·ti·za·tion
[ə klmətə záysh’n], noun[1]



acclivity

acclivity
ac·cliv·i·ty 
[ə klívvətee] (plural ac·cliv·i·ties)
noun

slope:
an upward slope on a hill
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem acclivitat- “ascent,” from acclivis “uphill,” from clivus
“slope” (source of English proclivity
).][1]



accolade

accolade
ac·co·lade 
[ákə làyd, ákə
ld] (plural ac·co·lades) noun

1.  sign
of praise:
a sign or expression of high praise and esteem for somebody

2.  public
recognition: praise and public recognition of
somebody’s achievements

3.  knighting:
the ceremonial bestowal of a knighthood by touching somebody’s shoulders with a
sword. Knighthood was formerly conferred by an embrace, which is the original
sense of accolade.

4.  ARCHITECTURE curved
molding:
an ornamental molding shaped like a brace
[Early 17th century. Via
French, from Provençal acolada “embrace,” literally “to the neck,”
ultimately from Latin collum “neck” (source of English collar ).][1]



accommodate

accommodate
ac·com·mo·date 
[ə kómmə dàyt] (past ac·com·mo·dat·ed,
past participle ac·com·mo·dat·ed, present participle ac·com·mo·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·com·mo·dates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
oblige
somebody:
to adjust actions in response to somebody’s needs

2.  transitive
verb
allow
for something: to be adaptable enough to allow
something without major change

3.  transitive
verb
have
room for somebody or something: to have sufficient
space for somebody or something

4.  transitive
verb
provide
lodging for somebody: to provide somebody with a
place to stay

5.  intransitive
verb
adjust:
to adapt to a new situation

6.  transitive
verb
lend
somebody money: to give somebody money in response to a
request for a loan

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb reach
agreement:
to settle a difference of opinion in a way that is acceptable to all

8.  intransitive
verb
OPHTHALMOLOGY adjust
focus:
to adjust focus automatically to give clear vision (refers to the eyes)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin accommodare “to make fit,” from commodus
“suitable,” literally “with the measure,” from modus “measure” (source
of English modern ).]
—ac·com·mo·da·tive,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Is
  it accommodate or accomodate ?
  Note
  that accommodate and accommodation are spelled with -cc- and -mm-
  . Accommodation, in particular, is often
  misspelled as accomodation on signs and in notices.

[1]



accommodating

accommodating
ac·com·mo·dat·ing 
[ə kómmə dàyting] adjective

obliging:
willing to adjust actions in response to the needs of others
—ac·com·mo·dat·ing·ly,
adverb[1]



accommodation

accommodation
ac·com·mo·da·tion 
[ə kòmmə dáysh’n] (plural ac·com·mo·da·tions)
noun

1.  helpfulness:
willingness to adjust actions in response to the needs of others

2.  helpful
gesture:
a modification of actions in response to the needs of others

3.  agreement:
an agreement acceptable to all parties in a dispute

4.  flexibility:
the ability to include something without major change

5.  adjustment:
adaptation to a new situation

6.  OPHTHALMOLOGY adjustment
of eye focus: the automatic adjustment of the focus of
an eye to give clear vision

7.  COMMERCE loan
of money:
a loan of money, especially by a financial institution as a favor to somebody
before a formal credit arrangement is made

[1]



accommodationaddress

accommodationaddress
ac·com·mo·da·tion
ad·dress
(plural ac·com·mo·da·tion ad·dress·es) noun

U.K.
See mail drop[1]



accommodationbill

accommodationbill
ac·com·mo·da·tion
bill
(plural ac·com·mo·da·tion bills) noun

bill of exchange:
a bill of exchange cosigned by another party in order to give added security[1]



accommodationist

accommodationist
ac·com·mo·da·tion·ist 
[ə kòmmə dáysh’nist] (plural ac·com·mo·da·tion·ists)
noun

compromiser:
somebody who prefers compromise to confrontation
—ac·com·mo·da·tion·ist,
adjective[1]



accommodationladder

accommodationladder
ac·com·mo·da·tion
lad·der
(plural ac·com·mo·da·tion lad·ders) noun

ship’s ladder:
a ladder or flight of stairs hung over a ship’s side to allow boarding or
disembarking[1]



accommodationplatform

accommodationplatform
ac·com·mo·da·tion
plat·form
(plural ac·com·mo·da·tion plat·forms) or ac·com·mo·da·tion
rig (plural ac·com·mo·da·tion rigs) noun

living quarters:
a platform or rig used as living quarters for offshore oil or gas workers[1]



accommodations

accommodations
ac·com·mo·da·tions
plural noun

1.  lodging:
a room or building to live in

2.  seating:
seating in a vehicle or public facility

3.  workspace:
a room or space to work in

[1]



accompaniment

accompaniment
ac·com·pa·ni·ment 
[ə kúmpənimənt, ə
kúmpnimənt] (plural ac·com·pa·ni·ments) noun

1.  MUSIC musical
backing:
instrumental or vocal parts in a musical composition that support the more
important parts

2.  simultaneous
occurrence:
something that occurs at the same time and in the same place as something else

3.  supplement:
an item that is added or served because it goes well with something

[1]



accompanist

accompanist
ac·com·pa·nist 
[ə kúmpənist, ə
kúmpnist] (plural ac·com·pa·nists) noun

backing musician:
somebody who plays the musical accompaniment for a soloist[1]



accompany

accompany
ac·com·pa·ny 
[ə kúmpənee, ə
kúmpnee] (past ac·com·pa·nied, past participle ac·com·pa·nied,
present participle ac·com·pa·ny·ing, 3rd person present
singular ac·com·pa·nies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
escort
somebody:
to go with somebody

2.  transitive
verb
be
present with something: to be enclosed, attached, or
present with something

3.  transitive
verb
occur
with something: to happen at the same time as something
else

4.  transitive
verb
supplement
something:
to be present or served with something as a supplement

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC provide musical backing:
to play or sing a part that supports a more important part
[15th century. From Old
French acompaignier, literally “to be a companion to,” from compaing
“companion” (see companion ).][1]



accomplice

accomplice
ac·com·plice 
[ə kómpliss] (plural ac·com·plices)
noun

somebody
helping wrongdoer: somebody who knowingly helps
somebody to commit a crime or misdeed
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of archaic complice (by misunderstanding of a complice ), via
French, from Latin complic-, the stem of complex “associate,”
literally “folded with,” from complicare (see complicate
).][1]



accomplish

accomplish
ac·com·plish 
[ə kómplish] (past ac·com·plished,
past participle ac·com·plished, present participle ac·com·plish·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·com·plish·es) transitive verb

1.  achieve
something:
to succeed in doing or achieving something

2.  reach
point in time: to arrive at the end of a period of time
(literary) (usually passive)
[14th
century. From Old French accompliss-, a stem of acomplir,
literally “to complete to,” ultimately from Latin complere (see complete ).]
—ac·com·plish·a·ble,
adjective

—ac·com·plish·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  accomplish, achieve, attain,
  realize, pull off
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  bring something to a successful conclusion accomplish;
  the most general term and wide-ranging term for performing something
  successfully; achieve; to
  accomplish something by overcoming some difficulty or exerting a particular
  effort, usually over a period of time; attain;
  to be successful in reaching a specific objective; realize; to fulfill a specific vision or plan,
  particularly in relation to something material or financial or other gain; pull off; an informal term for accomplishing
  something, especially against expectations or in extremely difficult circumstances

[1]



accomplished

accomplished
ac·com·plished 
[ə kómplisht] adjective

1.  talented:
having considerable talent and skill

2.  with
social graces: possessing social skills and talents

3.  complete:
fully established

[1]



accomplishment

accomplishment
ac·com·plish·ment 
[ə kómplishmənt] (plural ac·com·plish·ments)
noun

1.  achieving
of something: the completion or fulfillment of
something

2.  feat:
a remarkable or successful achievement

3.  talent:
a skill or talent that has been developed

[1]



accord

accord
ac·cord 
[ə káwrd] verb (past ac·cord·ed,
past participle ac·cord·ed, present participle ac·cord·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cords)

1.  transitive
verb
render:
to give somebody or something a particular status or treatment

2.  intransitive
verb
agree:
to be in agreement or come to an agreement

3.  transitive
verb
grant
something:
to bestow something such as a blessing on somebody
noun
(plural ac·cords)

1.  agreement:
a treaty or settlement agreed to by two or more parties

2.  consensus:
general agreement as to what is right

3.  harmony:
a state in which things are in harmony with each other
[Pre-12th
century. From Old French acorder, ultimately from Latin ad “to” +
cord-, the stem of cor “heart” (source of English cordial and quarry
).]
of
or on your own accord

of your own free will[1]



accordance

accordance
ac·cor·dance 
[ə káwrd’nss] noun

1.  consensus:
consensus as to the right course of action

2.  adherence
to correct process: conformity with specified
procedures or actions

3.  bestowal:
the bestowal of a particular status or treatment on somebody or something

[1]



accordant

accordant
ac·cor·dant 
[ə káwrd’nt] adjective

in
agreement:
in general harmony or agreement (formal)
—ac·cor·dant·ly, adverb[1]



accordingas

accordingas
ac·cord·ing
as 
[ə káwrding əz] conjunction

if:
depending on whether, or corresponding to the extent to which[1]



accordingly

accordingly
ac·cord·ing·ly 
[ə káwrdinglee] adverb

1.  correspondingly:
in a way that is appropriate

2.  in
consequence: in accordance with what has been said or
with a principle or practice

[1]



accordingto

accordingto
ac·cord·ing
to
preposition

1.  on
somebody’s or something’s authority: as
stated by somebody or indicated by something • The
gospel according to St Luke.

2.  related
to:
depending on and corresponding in extent to something • Salary
according to experience.

3.  as
determined by: on the basis of and in line with a
particular method, approach, or principle • arranged
in alphabetical order

4.  as
laid down by: in the way that a particular plan or
system stipulates • done exactly according
to the instructions

[1]



accordion

accordion


ac·cor·di·on 
[ə káwrdee ən] (plural ac·cor·di·ons)
noun
air-driven
musical instrument: a musical instrument with a
keyboard or buttons on one side, buttons on the other, and a middle section
that is expanded and contracted to force air past metal reeds
[Mid-19th century. From
German Akkordion, from Akkord “chord,” from Italian accordare
“to tune (an instrument).”][1]



accordionpleats

accordionpleats
ac·cor·di·on
pleats
plural noun

sharp skirt pleats:
sharp pleats in a garment or piece of fabric, resembling the folds in the
bellows of an accordion[1]



accost

accost
ac·cost 
[ə kóst] (past ac·cost·ed, past
participle ac·cost·ed, present participle ac·cost·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·costs) transitive verb

approach
and stop:
to approach and stop somebody in order to speak, especially in an aggressive,
insistent, or suggestive way
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin accostare “to adjoin,” from costa
“rib, side” (source of English coast
). The underlying sense is “to be alongside.”][1]



accouchement

accouchement
ac·couche·ment 
[ koosh mN, ə
kshmənt] (plural ac·couche·ments) noun

period
of childbirth : the period just before, during, and just
after childbirth (archaic)
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from accoucher (see accoucheur
).][1]



accoucheur

accoucheur
ac·coucheur
[àkoo shúr] (plural ac·coucheurs)
noun

obstetrician:
a a man who works as a midwife or obstetrician (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from accoucher, from coucher “to lie down” (source
of English couch ).][1]



account

account
ac·count 
[ə kównt] noun (plural ac·counts)

1.  report:
a written or verbal report of something

2.  explanation:
an explanation of something that has happened, especially one given to somebody
in authority

3.  BANKING bank
arrangement: an arrangement in which a customer keeps
money in a bank or other financial institution and is offered certain services
in exchange

4.  BANKING money
in bank:
the money that a customer keeps in a bank

5.  FINANCE financial
arrangement: an arrangement with a store, company,
stockbroker, or other business, which provides certain financial services, for
example, credit

6.  BUSINESS customer:
a customer who has a regular business relationship with a company

7.  BUSINESS business
on somebody’s behalf: an area of business handled
by a company on behalf of another, for example, advertising, design, or
publicity
plural
noun
ac·counts

ACCOUNTING list
of financial information: a detailed list of
everything that a company or individual earns or spends, kept primarily for tax
purposes
transitive
verb
(past ac·count·ed, past participle ac·count·ed, present
participle ac·count·ing, 3rd person present singular ac·counts)

consider: to
consider something, somebody, or yourself to have a specified quality (dated)
[14th
century. From Old French aconte “a counting up,” from aconter,
from, ultimately, Latin computare “to sum up” (source of English computer ).]
by
all accounts

according
to what most people say

call
somebody to account

to
demand that somebody explain what he or she has done

of
no account

of
no importance

on
account

on
credit

on
account of

because
of

on
no account

for
no reason, whatever the circumstances

on
somebody’s account

out
of concern for somebody’s well-being

take
account of something

or
take something into accountto consider something when making a decision[1]



accountable

accountable
ac·count·a·ble 
[ə kówntəb’l] adjective

1.  responsible:
responsible to somebody else or to others, or responsible for something

2.  able
to be explained: capable of being explained (formal)
—ac·count·a·bil·i·ty
[ə kòwntə bíllətee], noun

—ac·count·a·ble·ness
[ə kówntəb’lnəs], noun

—ac·count·a·bly [ə kówntəblee], adverb[1]



accountancy

accountancy
ac·count·an·cy
[ə kówntənsee] noun

work done by accountant:
the work or profession of an accountant[1]



accountant

accountant
ac·count·ant 
[ə kówntənt] (plural ac·count·ants)
noun

somebody who checks finances:
somebody who is responsible for maintaining and checking the business records
of an individual or organization and preparing forms and reports for tax or
other financial purposes[1]



accountexecutive

accountexecutive
ac·count
ex·ec·u·tive (plural ac·count ex·ec·u·tives)
noun

somebody handling clients’
accounts: somebody employed by a
company, especially in advertising or public relations, to handle all of the
business of an individual client[1]



accountfor

accountfor
account
for
transitive verb

1.  explain:
to provide an explanation for something • And
how do you account for the hole in the wall?

2.  be
responsible for: to be responsible for something or be an
important factor in something • Export
sales account for at least half of our total business.

3.  kill
or destroy:
to be responsible for killing, destroying, or neutralizing somebody or
something

[1]



accounting

accounting
ac·count·ing 
[ə kównting] noun

bookkeeping:
the activity, practice, or profession of maintaining and checking the business
records of an individual or organization and preparing forms and reports for
tax or other financial purposes[1]



accountspayable

accountspayable
ac·counts
pay·a·ble
plural noun

record of debts:
a record that shows how much a company owes suppliers for the purchase of
supplies or services on credit[1]



accountsreceivable

accountsreceivable
ac·counts
re·ceiv·a·ble plural noun

record of money owed:
a record that shows how much is owed to a company by customers who have
purchased supplies or services on credit[1]



accouter

accouter
ac·cou·ter
[ə ktər] (past ac·cou·tered, past
participle ac·cou·tered, present participle ac·cou·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cou·ters) or ac·cou·tre
[ə ktər] (past ac·cou·tred, past
participle ac·cou·tred, present participle ac·cou·tring,
3rd person present singular ac·cou·tres) transitive verb

equip:
to equip and clothe somebody, especially for military purposes
[Mid-16th century. Via French
accoutrer “to equip with something, especially clothes,” from,
ultimately, assumed Latin consutura “sewn together,” from sutura
“sewn” (source of English suture ).][1]



accouterment

accouterment
ac·cou·ter·ment
[ə ktərmənt] (plural ac·cou·ter·ments)
or ac·cou·tre·ment [ə ktrə mənt]
(plural ac·cou·tre·ments) noun

1.  accessory:
an accessory or piece of equipment associated with a particular object, task,
or role

2.  piece
of military equipment: a piece of military
equipment carried by soldiers in addition to their standard uniform and weapons

[1]



accra

accra
ac·cra 
[ə kr, ákrə]
(plural ac·cras) noun

Caribbean
fish fritter: in Caribbean countries, a fritter made
of stripped salted fish mixed with flour batter and then deep-fried
[Late 19th century. From
Yoruba àkàrà “bean cake.”][1]



Accra

Accra
Ac·cra 
[ə kr, ákrə]

capital of Ghana. It is
located on the Gulf of Guinea in southeastern Ghana. Population: 953,500 (1990)[1]



accredit

accredit
ac·cred·it 
[ə kréddət] (past ac·cred·it·ed,
past participle ac·cred·it·ed, present participle ac·cred·it·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cred·its) transitive verb

1.  give
authority:
to give somebody the authority to perform a function (usually passive)

2.  give
official recognition to somebody: officially to
recognize a person or organization as having met a standard or criterion (usually
passive)

3.  appoint
as envoy:
to appoint somebody as an envoy or ambassador representing his or her government
or country
[Early
17th century. From French accréditer “to believe (firmly),” from crédit
(see credit ).]
—ac·cred·i·ta·tion [ə krèdde táysh’n], noun[1]



accrete

accrete
ac·crete 
[ə krt] (past ac·cret·ed, past
participle ac·cret·ed, present participle ac·cret·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cretes) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
bigger:
to become bigger, or make something become bigger, especially by adding to what
is there or by two or more things growing together
[Late 18th century. From
Latin accret-, the past participle stem of accrescere from crescere
“to grow.”][1]



accretion

accretion
ac·cre·tion 
[ə krsh’n] (plural ac·cre·tions)
noun

1.  increase:
an increase in size or amount as a result of something accumulating or being
added gradually, or something accumulated in this way

2.  LAW addition:
something added to something else, for example, a fund or account, from an
external source

3.  ASTRONOMY attraction
of matter by gravity: a process in which matter
revolving around an astronomical object is gradually pulled in and added to the
body’s mass

4.  GEOLOGY increase
in landmass: a process by which a body of rock or a
landmass increases in size as a result of material accumulating on or around it

5.  GEOLOGY increase
in size of continents: a process by which the size
of a continent increases as a result of the moving together and deforming of
tectonic plates
—ac·cre·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



accretiondisk

accretiondisk
ac·cre·tion
disk
(plural ac·cre·tion disks) noun

matter around astronomical
object: a band of matter revolving
around and being pulled into an astronomical object that has an intense
gravitational field, for example, a star or black hole[1]



accrual

accrual
ac·cru·al 
[ə kr əl] (plural ac·cru·als)
noun

something accrued:
something that has accrued[1]



accrualmethod

accrualmethod
ac·cru·al
meth·od
noun

method of accounting:
a method of accounting that counts income or expenses at the time they are
earned or incurred, irrespective of when money is received or paid out.
See also
cash method[1]



accrue

accrue
ac·crue 
[ə kr] (past ac·crued, past
participle ac·crued, present participle ac·cru·ing, 3rd
person present singular ac·crues) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
into somebody’s possession: to come into somebody’s
possession, often over a period of time

2.  intransitive
verb
increase:
to increase in amount or value

3.  transitive
verb
gather
together:
to gather together an amount, especially over a period of time

4.  intransitive
verb
LAW become
enforceable: to become legally enforceable (refers
to claims or rights)
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin accrescent- (see accrete ).]
—ac·crue·ment, noun[1]



acct.

acct.
acct.

Abbreviation of
account[1]



acculturate

acculturate
ac·cul·tur·ate 
[ə kúlchə ràyt] (past ac·cul·tur·at·ed,
past participle ac·cul·tur·at·ed, present participle ac·cul·tur·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cul·tur·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
on other culture: to absorb and assimilate the culture of
another group of people or another individual

2.  transitive
verb
change
culture of somebody: to change somebody’s
cultural behavior and thinking through contact with another culture
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from acculturation
.]
—ac·cul·tur·a·tive [ə kúlchə ràytiv], adjective[1]



acculturation

acculturation
ac·cul·tur·a·tion 
[ə kùlchə ráysh’n] noun

1.  cultural
change:
a change in the cultural behavior and thinking of an individual or group
through contact with another culture

2.  absorption
of culture:
the process by which somebody absorbs the culture of a society from birth
onward
[Late
19th century. Coined from ac- + culture + -ation
.]
—ac·cul·tur·a·tion·al,
adjective[1]



accumulate

accumulate
ac·cu·mu·late 
[ə kymyə làyt] (past ac·cu·mu·lat·ed,
past participle ac·cu·mu·lat·ed, present participle ac·cu·mu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cu·mu·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb collect:
to gather something together or collect something, or gather together or
collect, over a period of time

2.  intransitive
verb
increase:
to gather, grow, or increase over a period of time
[15th
century. From Latin accumulat-, the past participle stem of accumulare
“to heap up in addition,” from cumulus “heap.”]
—ac·cu·mu·la·ble
[ə kymyələb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at collect

[1]



accumulation

accumulation
ac·cu·mu·la·tion 
[ə kymyə láysh’n] (plural ac·cu·mu·la·tions)
noun

1.  process
of gathering: the process of gathering together and
increasing in amount over a period of time

2.  collection
of things:
a number of things that have collected or been collected over a period of time

3.  FINANCE growth
through interest: the growth of a sum by the addition of
earned interest

[1]



accumulative

accumulative
ac·cu·mu·la·tive 
[ə kymyələtiv, ə
kymyə làytiv] adjective

1.  tending
to accumulate: tending to gather or collect things

2.  growing
by additions: growing by gradual additions
—ac·cu·mu·la·tive·ly,
adverb

—ac·cu·mu·la·tive·ness,
noun[1]



accumulator

accumulator
ac·cu·mu·la·tor 
[ə kymyə làytər] (plural ac·cu·mu·la·tors)
noun

1.  COMPUTING memory
for short-term storage: a section of memory in a
computer or calculator in which the results of a calculation are temporarily
held

2.  U.K.
See storage battery

[1]



accuracy

accuracy
ac·cu·ra·cy 
[ákyərəssee] noun

1.  correctness:
the correctness or truthfulness of something

2.  ability
to avoid errors: the ability to be precise and avoid
errors

[1]



accurate

accurate
ac·cu·rate 
[ákyərət] adjective

1.  correct:
giving a correct or truthful representation of something • Their
account of the incident was not entirely accurate.

2.  free
from errors: precise or free from errors • an
accurate typist

3.  providing
information to accepted standard: providing correct
information in accordance with an accepted standard
[Late
16th century. Via Latin accuratus “done with care,” from, ultimately, cura
“care” (source of English curious, procure, and secure
).]
—ac·cu·rate·ly,
adverb

—ac·cu·rate·ness, noun[1]



accursed

accursed
ac·curs·ed 
[ə kúrst, ə kúrsəd]
or ac·curst [ə kúrst] adjective
(archaic or literary)

1.  doomed:
enduring the effects of a curse

2.  horrible:
horrible or hateful
[12th
century. Formed from a- “on” (from Old English ar- ) + curse .]
—ac·curs·ed·ly
[ə kúrsədlee], adverb

—ac·curs·ed·ness, noun[1]



accus.

accus.
accus.

Abbreviation of
accusative[1]



accusation

accusation
ac·cu·sa·tion 
[àkyə záysh’n] (plural ac·cu·sa·tions)
noun

1.  allegation:
a claim that somebody has done something illegal, wrong, or undesirable

2.  act
of accusing: the accusing of somebody, or the state
of having been accused of something

[1]



accusative

accusative
ac·cu·sa·tive 
[ə kyzətiv] noun (plural ac·cu·sa·tives)

1.  grammatical
case:
a grammatical case that identifies the direct object of a verb or certain other
grammatical parts in some inflected languages and that affects nouns, pronouns,
and adjectives

2.  word
or phrase in accusative: a word or phrase in the
accusative
adjective

in accusative:
in or relating to the accusative
[15th
century. From Latin accusativus, from accusare (see accuse ). The grammatical meaning comes from a
mistranslation of Greek ptōsis aitiātikē “case denoting causation,” as
“case denoting the accused.”]
—ac·cu·sa·tive·ly, adverb[1]



accusatorial

accusatorial
ac·cu·sa·to·ri·al 
[ə kyzə táwree əl] or ac·cu·sa·to·ry
[ə kyzə tàwree] adjective

1.  claiming
wrongdoing:
containing or suggesting a claim that somebody has done something wrong (formal)

2.  LAW relying
on proof provided by prosecutor: used to describe a
legal system in which the prosecution is required to provide proof beyond
reasonable doubt against an accused person, with the evidence being assessed by
an impartial judge and jury.
See
also
inquisitorial
—ac·cu·sa·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



accuse

accuse
ac·cuse 
[ə kyz] (past ac·cused, past
participle ac·cused, present participle ac·cus·ing, 3rd
person present singular ac·cus·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb confront
and blame:
to confront somebody with a charge of having done something illegal, wrong, or
undesirable

2.  transitive
verb
LAW charge:
to charge somebody formally with having committed a crime (often passive)
[14th
century. Via French, from Latin accusare “to call somebody to account,”
from ad causa “to the (legal) case.” The underlying idea is to take
somebody to court.]
—ac·cus·er, noun[1]



accused

accused
ac·cused 
[ə kyzd] noun

somebody charged with crime:
the person or people being charged in a criminal case[1]



accusing

accusing
ac·cus·ing
[ə kyzing] adjective

blaming:
containing or suggesting a claim that somebody has done something wrong
—ac·cus·ing·ly, adverb[1]



accustom

accustom
ac·cus·tom 
[ə kústəm] (past ac·cus·tomed,
past participle ac·cus·tomed, present participle ac·cus·tom·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·cus·toms) transitive verb

make
used to something: to make yourself or somebody
else become used to something through frequent or prolonged contact or use
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman acustomer, from custome “habit” (see custom ).][1]



accustomed

accustomed
ac·cus·tomed 
[ə kústəmd] adjective

1.  used
to something: used to or familiar with something

2.  habitual:
habitual or usual

[1]



AC/DC

AC/DC
AC/DC 
adjective

1.  ELECTRICITY powered
by battery or electrical outlet: able to be powered by
battery or by connection to an electrical outlet. Full form alternating
current/direct current

2.  bisexual:
offensive term for bisexual (slang offensive)

[1]



ACE

ACE2
ACE2

Abbreviation of
American Council on Education[1]



Ace

Ace
Ace
Trademark

a trademark for a type of
elastic bandage[1]



ACE

ACE1
ACE1 [ays]
noun

enzyme
causing high blood pressure: an enzyme causing high blood
pressure. Its action can be controlled by drugs as a treatment for heart
disease.
[Late-20th century. Acronym
of angiotensin-converting enzyme .][1]



ace

ace
ace 
[ayss] noun (plural ac·es)

1.  CARD GAMES playing
card:
a playing card that has a single mark on it, or the single mark itself

2.  single-spotted
side:
a single-spotted side of a die or domino, or the single spot itself

3.  TENNIS winning
serve:
a serve that an opponent cannot reach

4.  GOLF hole
in one:
the hitting of a golf ball from the tee into a hole in one stroke, or a hole at
which only one stroke was taken

5.  AIR FORCE fighter
pilot:
a top fighter pilot, especially one who has shot down five or more enemy
aircraft

6.  somebody
with an exceptional skill: somebody who is
outstandingly good at a particular activity, for example, a sport (informal)

7.  best
friend:
somebody who is a best friend (slang)
transitive
verb
(past aced, past participle aced, present
participle ac·ing, 3rd person present singular ac·es)

1.  TENNIS beat
with serve:
to beat an opponent by serving an ace

2.  GOLF play
hole in single stroke: to play a hole with only one
stroke

3.  defeat
soundly:
to defeat an opponent convincingly (slang)

4.  score
high grade:
to score an A in a course or examination (slang) • aced
all her finals
adjective

excellent:
excellent (informal)
[14th
century. Via French as from Latin, “unit, unity.” Originally the lowest
score, one, in dice; its connotations of “excellence” come from the powerful
status of the ace in cards.]
be
coming up aces

to
be flourishing or successful (informal) • She’s
hot, coming up aces with every movie she makes.

ace
in the hole

an
advantage that is reserved for use until it is most needed (informal)

hold
all the aces

to
have all the advantages (informal)

within
an ace of

very close to[1]



-acean

-acean
-acean
suffix

See
-aceous[1]



ACEinhibitor

ACEinhibitor
ACE
in·hib·i·tor  (plural ACE in·hib·i·tors)
noun

drug to lower blood pressure:
a drug that counters the effects of an enzyme that causes high blood pressure[1]



acentric

acentric
a·cen·tric 
[ay séntrik] adjective

1.  lacking
center:
without a center

2.  without
centromere:
used to describe a chromosome that lacks the structure at which the two arms of
a chromosome join ( centromere ).
See
also
acrocentric
See
also
metacentric
See
also
telocentric

[1]



-aceous

-aceous
-aceous
or -acean suffix

resembling
or related to • herbaceous
[Formed from modern Latin -aceus,
from Latin][1]



acephalous

acephalous
a·ceph·a·lous 
[ay séffələs] adjective

with
no head:
used to describe an animal that has no head
[Mid-18th century. Via
medieval Latin, from Greek akephalos “without a head,” from kephalē
“head” (see cephal- ).][1]



acequia

acequia
a·ce·qui·a 
[aa sáykee ə] (plural a·ce·qui·as)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
irrigation
canal:
an irrigation canal or ditch
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Arabic sāqīah “irrigation stream.”][1]



acer

acer
ac·er
[áysər] (plural ac·ers) noun

ornamental tree or shrub:
a Eurasian and North American tree or shrub grown as an ornamental for its
foliage. Genus: Acer[1]



acerb

acerb
a·cerb 
adjective

See
acerbic
[Early 17th century. From
Latin acerbus (see acerbic ).][1]



acerbate

acerbate
ac·er·bate 
[ássər bàyt] (past ac·er·bat·ed,
past participle ac·er·bat·ed, present participle ac·er·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·er·bates) transitive verb (formal)

1.  annoy
somebody:
to annoy or irritate somebody

2.  make
something bitter: to make something taste bitter
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
acerbat-, the past participle stem of acerbare “to make harsh,”
from acerbus (see acerbic ).][1]



acerbic

acerbic
a·cer·bic 
[ə sérbik] or a·cerb [ə sérb] adjective

bitter:
bitter or sharp in tone, taste, or manner
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin acerbus “harsh,” from, ultimately, an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English acid, acne,
and oxygen .]
—a·cer·bi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



acerbity

acerbity
a·cer·bi·ty 
[ə sérbətee] noun

bitterness:
bitterness or sharpness in tone, taste, or manner
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French acerbité from Latin acerbitas, from acerbus
(see acerbic ).][1]



acet-

acet-
acet-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
aceto-[1]



acetabulum

acetabulum
ac·e·tab·u·lum 
[àssə tábbyələm] (plural ac·e·tab·u·lums
or ac·e·tab·u·la [àssə tábbyələ])
noun

1.  ANATOMY cavity
on hipbone:
the curved cavity on the side of the hipbone where the end of the thighbone
fits

2.  ZOOLOGY round
sucker:
a round cup-shaped sucker found on flatworms, leeches, and mollusks such as the
octopus
[14th
century. From Latin, literally “a vinegar cup” but also used to mean “a
cup-shaped cavity,” formed from acetum “vinegar” (see acetic ).]
—ac·e·tab·u·lar, adjective[1]



acetal

acetal
ac·e·tal 
[ássət’l, ássə
tàl] (plural ac·e·tals) noun

1.  colorless
chemical solvent: a colorless volatile liquid used in
perfumes and as a solvent. C6H14O2

2.  organic
compound:
an organic compound similar to acetal that contains a particular chemical
group. -CH(OR1)OR2

[1]



acetaldehyde

acetaldehyde
ac·et·al·de·hyde 
[àssə táldə hd] noun

colorless liquid with
distinctive smell: a colorless
volatile liquid with a distinctive smell, used in the manufacture of other
chemicals, especially acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and butanol. C2H4O
Also called
ethanal[1]



acetamide

acetamide
a·cet·a·mide 
[ə séttə md, àssət
á md] noun

white crystalline solid:
a white crystalline solid that absorbs water readily and is used in the
manufacture of other chemicals. CH3CONH2 
Also called
ethanamide[1]



acetaminophen

acetaminophen
a·cet·a·min·o·phen 
[ə stə mínnəfən, àssətə
mínnəfən] noun

pain reliever:
a crystalline compound used to relieve pain and reduce fever. C8H9NO2 
U.K. term
paracetamol[1]



acetanilide

acetanilide
ac·et·an·i·lide 
[àssə tánn’l d] noun

pain
reliever:
a white crystalline compound used to relieve pain and reduce fever, and in
manufacturing other chemicals, dyes, and rubber. C8H9NO
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from acetyl + aniline
+ -ide .][1]



acetate

acetate
ac·e·tate 
[ássə tàyt] noun

1.  derivative
of acetic acid: a salt or ester of acetic acid

2.  See
cellulose acetate

3.  product
containing acetate: a product made of or
containing acetate

[1]



acetic

acetic
a·ce·tic 
[ə stik] adjective

vinegary:
containing, producing, or made from vinegar or acetic acid
[Late 18th century. From
French acétique, from Latin acetum “vinegar.” Ultimately from the
same Indo-European ancestor as English acute,
acrid, and acid .][1]



aceticacid

aceticacid
a·ce·tic
ac·id
noun

main component of vinegar:
a colorless acid with a pungent odor that is the main component of vinegar and
is used in manufacturing drugs, dyes, plastics, fibers, and other products. CH3COOH
Also called
ethanoic acid
See also
glacial acetic acid[1]



aceticanhydride

aceticanhydride
a·ce·tic
an·hy·dride
noun

strong-smelling liquid:
a colorless liquid with a pungent odor, used in the manufacture of aspirin and
plastics[1]



acetify

acetify
a·ce·ti·fy 
[ə stə f, ə
séttə f] (past a·ce·ti·fied, past participle a·ce·ti·fied,
present participle a·ce·ti·fy·ing, 3rd person present singular
a·ce·ti·fies) intransitive and transitive verb

make
into or become vinegar: to turn into, or cause
something to turn into, acetic acid or vinegar
—a·ce·ti·fi·ca·tion
[ə stəfə káysh’n, ə
sèttəfə káysh’n], noun

—a·ce·ti·fi·er [ə stə fr, ə séttə
fr], noun[1]



aceto-

aceto-
aceto-
or acet- prefix

acetic
acid • acetify
[From Latin acetum
“vinegar” (see acetum )][1]



acetone

acetone
ac·e·tone 
[ássətn] noun

common solvent:
a colorless flammable liquid with a pleasant smell, widely used as a solvent
for paints and nail polish, and in manufacturing chemicals. C3H6O
Also called
propanone[1]



acetonebody

acetonebody
ac·e·tone
bod·y
noun

See
ketone body[1]



acetous

acetous
a·ce·tous 
[ə stəs, ássətəs]
adjective

like
vinegar:
like, containing, or producing acetic acid or vinegar
[14th century. From late
Latin acetosus, from Latin acetum “vinegar” (see acetic ).][1]



acetyl

acetyl
a·ce·tyl 
[ə st’l, ássət’l]
noun

relating
to acetic acid derivative: relating to or containing
the chemical group derived from acetic acid. CH3CO-
—ac·e·tyl·ic [àssə tíllik], adjective[1]



acetylate

acetylate
a·cet·y·late 
[ə sétt’l àyt] (past a·cet·y·lat·ed,
past participle a·cet·y·lat·ed, present participle a·cet·y·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular a·cet·y·lates) transitive verb

add
acetyl group to something: to introduce the acetyl
group into a compound
—a·cet·y·la·tion [ə sètt’l áysh’n], noun[1]



acetylcholine

acetylcholine
a·ce·tyl·cho·line 
[ə st’l kṓ leen, àssət’l
kṓ leen] noun

transmitter of nerve
impulses: a white crystalline compound
released from the ends of nerve fibers and involved in the transmission of
nerve impulses. C7H17NO3[1]



acetylcholinesterase

acetylcholinesterase
a·ce·tyl·cho·lin·es·ter·ase 
[ə st’l kōlən éstərayz] noun

enzyme that stops nerve
stimulation: an enzyme, present in
blood and some nerve endings, that aids the breakdown of acetylcholine and
suppresses its stimulatory effect on nerves.
Also called
cholinesterase[1]



acetylcoenzyme A

acetylcoenzyme A
a·ce·tyl
co·en·zyme A or a·ce·tyl CoA noun

coenzyme of metabolism:
a coenzyme derived from fatty acids, carbohydrates, and amino acids during
metabolism[1]



acetylene

acetylene
a·cet·y·lene 
[ə sétt’lən, ə
sétt’l n] noun

flammable
gas:
a colorless gaseous flammable hydrocarbon used in welding and in manufacturing
chemicals. C2H2 
Also
called
ethyne
—a·cet·y·len·ic, adjective[1]



acetylide

acetylide
a·cet·y·lide
[ə sétt’l d] (plural a·cet·y·lides)
noun

explosive compound:
any chemical compound derived from acetylene and containing a metal atom. Many
of these compounds are very explosive.[1]



acetylsalicylicacid

acetylsalicylicacid
a·ce·tyl·sal·i·cyl·ic
ac·id 
[ə st’l sálli sìllik ássid, àssət’l sálli sìllik ássid] noun

aspirin:
the drug aspirin (technical)[1]



acey-deucy

acey-deucy
ac·ey-deuc·y 
[àysee dssee] noun

version
of backgammon: a version of backgammon in which a dice
throw of one or two wins an additional turn
[Formed from ace and deuce][1]



Achaea

Achaea
A·chae·a 
[ə k ə] or A·cha·ia [ə k ə, ə káy ə]
noun

1.  modern
Greek administrative area: an administrative area in
modern Greece

2.  ancient
Greek province: in ancient Greece, a province in the
northern Peloponnesus

[1]



Achaean

Achaean
A·chae·an 
[ə k ən, ə k ən,
ə káy ən] (plural A·chae·ans) or
A·cha·ian [ə k ən, ə k ən, ə káy ən]
(plural A·cha·ians) noun

1.  member
of ancient Hellenic people: a member of an ancient
Hellenic people thought to have founded the Mycenaean civilization on the
Peloponnesus

2.  somebody
from Achaea: somebody who lives in or was born in the
modern Greek administrative area of Achaea
—A·chae·an, adjective[1]



achalasia

achalasia
ach·a·la·sia 
[àkə láyzhə, àkə
láyzhee ə] noun

failure
of muscle to relax: a failure of certain smooth
muscle bands, for example, in the gullet, to relax
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a- + Greek khalasis
“relaxation,” from khalan “to loosen.”][1]



ache

ache
ache 
[ayk] noun (plural aches)

constant pain:
a feeling of constant dull pain
intransitive
verb
(past ached, past participle ached, present
participle ach·ing, 3rd person present singular aches)

1.  feel
pain:
to feel or be the site of a dull constant pain

2.  yearn:
to yearn for the presence of somebody or something

3.  want
badly:
to want something very much (informal) • aching
to tell her the news
[Old
English æce (noun), acan (verb), of uncertain origin: perhaps
ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “fault.” The ch spelling arose
from a mistaken association with Greek akhos “pain.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pain

[1]



achene

achene

a·chene 
[ə kn] (plural a·chenes) or
a·kene [ə kn] (plural a·kenes)
noun
fruit
that does not open: a dry single-seeded fruit
that does not open to release its seed. Dandelions and sunflowers have achenes.
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin achaenium, literally “not gaping,” from Greek khainein
“to gape.”][1]



Acheron

Acheron
Ach·er·on 
[ákə rōn] noun

river in Hades:
in Greek mythology, one of the rivers that ran through Hades[1]



Acheson,Dean

Acheson,Dean
Ach·e·son
[áchəss’n], Dean (1893–1971)

U.S. lawyer and statesman who
was prominent in the development of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and
NATO.[1]



Acheulian

Acheulian
A·cheu·li·an 
[ə shlee ən] noun

period
of Paleolithic era: a period of the Paleolithic
era during which people made symmetrical stone hand axes
[Early
20th century. Named for the French village of Saint-Acheul near Amiens in
Picardy, where a large number of distinctive tools were found in the 19th
century.]
—A·cheu·li·an, adjective[1]



achieve

achieve
a·chieve 
[ə chv] (past a·chieved, past
participle a·chieved, present participle a·chiev·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·chieves) transitive verb

succeed
in doing:
to succeed in doing or gaining something, usually with effort
[14th
century. From French achever “to bring to an end, bring to a head,” from
a chief, literally “to a head” (see chief
).]
—a·chiev·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at accomplish

[1]



achieved

achieved
a·chieved 
[ə chvd] adjective

accomplished:
showing great skill or accomplishment[1]



achievedstatus

achievedstatus
a·chieved
sta·tus
noun

importance gained by effort:
social importance within a culture that an individual gains through personal
effort rather than by inheriting it[1]



achievement

achievement
a·chieve·ment 
[ə chvmənt] (plural a·chieve·ments)
noun

1.  success:
something that somebody has succeeded in doing, usually with effort

2.  finishing
well:
the act or process of finishing something successfully

3.  HERALDRY full
coat of arms: a full coat of arms that includes
standing figures such as lions or unicorns ( supporters ), the family symbol ( crest ), and the family motto

4.  SOCIOLOGY earned
social status: social status gained through personal
merit rather than as a result of the circumstances into which somebody is born

[1]



achievementage

achievementage
a·chieve·ment
age
(plural a·chieve·ment ag·es) noun

age to complete test:
the age at which a child should be able to perform a particular task
successfully[1]



achiever

achiever
a·chiev·er
[ə chvər] (plural a·chiev·ers)
noun

1.  successful
person:
somebody who is successful and motivated to go on being successful

2.  somebody
who does something successfully: somebody who succeeds
in doing or gaining a particular thing

[1]



Achilles

Achilles
A·chil·les 
[ə kílleez] noun

Greek hero of Trojan War:
in Greek mythology, the principal hero of the Trojan War, made invulnerable by
being dipped in the river Styx as a baby by his mother, except for the heel she
held him by. He killed the Trojan hero Hector before being fatally wounded in
the heel with an arrow fired by Paris.[1]



Achillesheel

Achillesheel
A·chil·les
heel
(plural A·chil·les heels) noun

small but fatal weakness:
a weakness that seems small but makes somebody fatally vulnerable[1]



Achillesjerk

Achillesjerk
A·chil·les
jerk
(plural A·chil·les jerks) noun

reflex foot action:
a reflex action of the foot, which jerks downward when the lower leg muscles
contract[1]



Achillestendon

Achillestendon
A·chil·les
ten·don
(plural A·chil·les ten·dons) noun

heel tendon:
the tendon that connects the heelbone to the calf muscles[1]



achiral

achiral
a·chir·al
[ày krəl] adjective

symmetrical:
used to describe a molecule that does not have either left-handed or
right-handed configuration ( chirality )[1]



achlorhydria

achlorhydria
a·chlor·hy·dri·a 
[áy klawr hdree ə] noun

absence
of hydrochloric acid: an absence of or reduction
in hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice
—a·chlor·hy·dric, adjective[1]



achondrite

achondrite
a·chon·drite 
[ay kón drt] (plural a·chon·drites)
noun

stony
meteorite:
a stony meteorite that does not contain rounded grains ( chondrules )
—a·chon·drit·ic [ày kon dríttik], adjective[1]



achondroplasia

achondroplasia
a·chon·dro·pla·sia 
[ày kóndrə pláyzhə, ày
kóndrə pláyzhee ə] noun

dwarfism:
a genetic disorder in which cartilage fails to develop into bone at the early
stages of development, resulting in dwarfism
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek akhondros “without cartilage” + -plasia .]
—a·chon·dro·plas·tic [ày kóndrə plástik], adjective[1]



achromat

achromat
ach·ro·mat 
[ákrə màt] (plural ach·ro·mats)
noun

1.  PHYSICS See achromatic lens

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY See monochromat
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from achromatic .][1]



achromatic

achromatic
ach·ro·mat·ic 
[àkrə máttik] adjective

1.  without
color:
without color and therefore white, gray, or black in appearance

2.  PHYSICS without
spectrum colors: able to reflect or refract light without
spectral color separation

3.  BIOLOGY not easily
stained:
used to describe cells not easily stained with standard dyes

4.  MUSIC without
sharps or flats: using a scale with no sharps or flats
—ach·ro·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ach·ro·ma·tic·i·ty
[àkrəmə tíssətee], noun

—a·chro·ma·tism [àkrəmə tísm], noun[1]



achromaticcolor

achromaticcolor
ach·ro·mat·ic
col·or
(plural ach·ro·mat·ic col·ors) noun

black, white, or gray:
a color with no hue or chromatic component[1]



achromaticlens

achromaticlens
ach·ro·mat·ic
lens
(plural ach·ro·mat·ic lens·es) noun

lens with reduced distortion:
a composite lens in which two or more lenses with different properties are
combined to prevent distortion ( chromatic
aberration ).
Also called
achromat[1]



achy

achy
ach·y 
[áykee] (comparative ach·i·er,
superlative ach·i·est) adjective

with
constant pain: feeling or being the site of a constant
dull pain
—ach·i·ness, noun[1]



acicula

acicula
a·cic·u·la 
[ə síkyələ] (plural a·cic·u·lae
[ə síkyə l, ə
síkyə l]) noun

needle-shaped
part:
a needle-shaped part, for example, a spine, bristle, or crystal (technical)
[Mid-19th
century. From late Latin, literally “little needle.”]
—a·cic·u·late,
adjective

—a·cic·u·lat·ed [ə síkyə làytəd], adjective[1]



acid

acid
ac·id 
[ássid] noun (plural ac·ids)

1.  CHEMISTRY corrosive
substance:
a compound, usually water-soluble, that releases hydrogen ions when in
solution. An acid reacts with a base to form a salt, has a pH less than 7, and
turns blue litmus red. Acids are corrosive and have a sour taste.
See
also
alkali

2.  DRUGS (slang) See LSD

3.  sharpness:
a sharp, bitter, or sarcastic quality in speech or writing
adjective

1.  relating
to an acid:
with the properties of or containing an acid

2.  sharp:
sharp, bitter, or sarcastic

3.  METEOROLOGY polluted:
used to describe rain or snow that contains dilute acid resulting from
pollution

4.  GEOLOGY high
in silica:
used to describe igneous rocks that have a high silica content
[Late
17th century. Directly or via French, from Latin acidus, from acere
“to be sour.”]
—ac·id·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European word from which acid comes
  is also the ancestor of English acacia,
  acme, acne,
  acrid, acrobat,
  acute, alacrity,
  eager, edge,
  oxygen, and vinegar.

[1]



aciddeposition

aciddeposition
ac·id
dep·o·si·tion  noun

acidic water vapor deposit:
a deposit of water vapor formed in the atmosphere, for example, dew, rain,
snow, hail, or fog, that is high in acid content because of atmospheric
pollution[1]



acidhead

acidhead
ac·id·head 
[ássid hèd] (plural ac·id·heads)
noun

LSD user:
somebody who abuses the illegal drug LSD (slang)[1]



acidic

acidic
a·cid·ic 
[ə síddik] adjective

1.  sour-tasting:
sour or bitter in taste

2.  CHEMISTRY forming
acid in water: forming an acid in water

[1]



acidification

acidification
a·cid·i·fi·ca·tion
[ə sìddəfə káysh’n] noun

process
of becoming acid: the process of becoming acid, for
example, when soil or water is polluted by acid rain
[Late 18th century][1]



acidify

acidify
a·cid·i·fy 
[ə síddə f] (past a·cid·i·fied,
past participle a·cid·i·fied, present participle a·cid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular a·cid·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

turn
acid:
to turn something acid, or become acid
—a·cid·i·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—a·cid·i·fi·er, noun[1]



acidimeter

acidimeter
ac·i·dim·e·ter 
[àssə dímmətər] (plural ac·i·dim·e·ters)
noun

acid
measurer:
an instrument for measuring the amount of acid in a solution
—a·cid·i·met·ric
[ə sìddə méttrik], adjective

—ac·i·dim·e·try [àssə dímmətree], noun[1]



acidity

acidity
a·cid·i·ty 
[ə síddətee] (plural a·cid·i·ties)
noun

1.  extent
to which something is acid: the concentration of an acid
in a substance, often measured in terms of pH

2.  See
hyperacidity

[1]



acidjazz

acidjazz
ac·id
jazz
noun

mixture of jazz and soul:
a mixture of funk, jazz, and soul music that first appeared in the 1980s[1]



acidophil

acidophil
a·cid·o·phil
[ə síddə fìl, a
síddə fìl, ə síddə fl] (plural
a·cid·o·phils) or a·cid·o·phile [ə
síddə fìl, a síddə fìl, ə síddə fl] (plural a·cid·o·philes)
noun

1.  acid-loving
organism:
a microorganism or plant that flourishes in an acid environment

2.  BIOLOGY cell
taking up acidic dye: a cell that stains readily
with acidic dyes

[1]



acidophilic

acidophilic
ac·i·do·phil·ic 
[àssidō fíllik, ə
sìddə fíllik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY easily
stained by acid dye: used to describe cells that
are easily stained by an acid dye

2.  MICROBIOLOGY BOTANY flourishing
in acid environment: used to describe
microorganisms or plants that flourish in an acid environment

[1]



acidophilusmilk

acidophilusmilk
ac·i·doph·i·lus
milk 
[àssi dóffləssmìlk] noun

fermented milk:
milk fermented using bacterial cultures, used to treat digestive disorders[1]



acidprotease

acidprotease
ac·id
pro·te·ase
noun

protein-digesting enzyme:
a protein-digesting enzyme that has maximum activity in the acid environment of
the stomach[1]



acidrain

acidrain
ac·id
rain
noun

polluted rain:
rain that contains dilute acid derived from burning fossil fuels and that is
potentially harmful to the environment[1]



acidrock

acidrock
ac·id
rock
noun

psychedelic rock music:
a type of electric rock music popular in the late 1960s, with instrumental
effects and lyrics suggesting or promoting psychedelic experiences[1]



acidtest

acidtest
ac·id
test
noun

decisive
test:
a decisive test that establishes the worth or credibility of something
[From
the use of nitric acid to test gold]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  An
  acid test is one that is definitive or
  conclusive. The phrase, popularized by President Woodrow Wilson, has been
  sometimes criticized as being trite and overused; nevertheless, it continues
  to be widely used, especially by journalists and politicians: • The
  treatment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to come will be
  the acid test of their good will.

[1]



acidulate

acidulate
a·cid·u·late 
[ə síjjə làyt] (past a·cid·u·lat·ed,
past participle a·cid·u·lat·ed, present participle a·cid·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular a·cid·u·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become slightly acid: to make something slightly
acid, or become slightly acid
—a·cid·u·la·tion [ə sìjjə láysh’n], noun[1]



acidulous

acidulous
a·cid·u·lous 
[ə síjjələss] adjective

1.  sour-tasting:
slightly sour in taste (formal)

2.  cutting:
cutting and sharp in speech or tone
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin acidulus, from acidus (see acid
).][1]



acid-washed

acid-washed
ac·id-washed 
adjective

treated with acid:
treated with chlorine acid to make a fabric look worn and washed-out and feel
softer[1]



acierate

acierate
ac·i·er·ate 
[ássee ə ràyt] (past ac·i·er·at·ed,
past participle ac·i·er·at·ed, present participle ac·i·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·i·er·ates) transitive verb

make
iron into steel: to make iron into steel by combining it
with carbon and other elements
[Mid-19th
century. From French aciérer, from acier “steel.”]
—ac·i·er·a·tion [àssee ə ráysh’n], noun[1]



acinus

acinus
ac·i·nus 
[ássənəss] (plural ac·i·ni [ássən ]) noun

1.  small
glandular sac: a rounded sac, containing secretory
cells, found at the ends of the ducts in an exocrine gland

2.  ANATOMY See alveolus

3.  part
of blackberry: one of the small globes ( drupelets ) that make up an aggregate fruit such
as a blackberry or raspberry
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “berry growing in a cluster, kernel.”]
—ac·i·nar,
adjective

—ac·i·nous, adjective[1]



ack.

ack.
ack.

Abbreviation of
acknowledge[1]



ack-ack

ack-ack
ack-ack 
[ák àk, àk ák]
(plural ack-acks) noun (informal)

1.  antiaircraft
gun:
an antiaircraft gun

2.  antiaircraft
fire:
antiaircraft fire
[In military jargon antiaircraft was abbreviated to “AA,” which became
“ack-ack” from the use of “ack” for the letter “a” when spelling out messages][1]



ackee

ackee
ack·ee 
noun

See
akee[1]



acknowledge

acknowledge
ac·knowl·edge 
[ək nóllij] (past ac·knowl·edged,
past participle ac·knowl·edged, present participle ac·knowl·edg·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·knowl·edg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb admit
something:
to admit or accept that something exists, is true, or is real

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb show
awareness of something: to respond to something such
as a greeting or message to show it has been noticed or received

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb show
appreciation of something: to show appreciation or
express thanks for something such as a letter or gift

4.  transitive
verb
recognize
something legally: to recognize or admit the
existence, rights, or authority of somebody or something, especially in a legal
context

5.  transitive
verb
thank
somebody officially: to give official or public
recognition of the help somebody has given or the work somebody has done
[15th
century. Probably formed from knowledge on
the model of obsolete English aknow “to recognize, acknowledge” (formed
from know ).]
—ac·knowl·edg·a·ble,
adjective

—ac·knowl·edg·er, noun[1]



acknowledged

acknowledged
ac·knowl·edged 
[ək nóllijd] adjective

well-known:
known or widely accepted as having a particular status[1]



acknowledgment

acknowledgment
ac·knowl·edg·ment
[ək nóllijmənt] or ac·knowl·edge·ment
[ək nóllijmənt] noun (plural ac·knowl·edg·ments)
(plural ac·knowl·edge·ments)

1.  act
of acknowledging: the act of acknowledging something, or
the condition of being acknowledged

2.  sign
of recognition: a sign showing that somebody has seen or
heard somebody else’s greeting or presence

3.  indication
of receipt:
a letter or other message sent to say that something has been received

4.  thanks:
an expression of thanks or appreciation for something

5.  official
recognition: official or public recognition of the
help somebody has given or the work somebody has done
plural
noun
ac·knowl·edg·ments

author’s thanks:
a section at the beginning or end of a book or other piece of writing where an author
thanks those who have helped

[1]



aclinicline

aclinicline
a·clin·ic
line 
[ay klínnik ln] noun

See
magnetic equator
[Aclinic formed from Greek aklinēs
“not leaning,” from klinein “to lean”][1]



ACLU

ACLU
ACLU

Abbreviation of
American Civil Liberties Union[1]



acme

acme
ac·me 
[ákmee] (plural ac·mes) noun

highest
point:
the highest point of perfection or achievement
[Late 16th century. From
Greek akmē, literally “highest point.” Ultimately from the same
Indo-European ancestor that produced English acid,
edge, and oxygen
.][1]



acne

acne
ac·ne 
[áknee] noun

skin
condition:
a disease of the skin giving rise to blackheads and pimples on the face, neck,
and shoulders. It often affects adolescents.
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, a misreading of Greek akmē (see acme ).]
—ac·ned, adjective[1]



acoelomate

acoelomate
a·coe·lo·mate 
[ə slə màyt] (plural a·coe·lo·mates)
noun

type of organism:
an organism such as a flatworm or jellyfish with no cavity ( coelom ) between its digestive tract and outer
wall[1]



acolyte

acolyte
ac·o·lyte 
[ákə lt] (plural ac·o·lytes) noun

1.  RELIGION assistant
to cleric:
somebody, especially a young person, who assists a member of the clergy in the
performance of rites

2.  assistant:
a follower or assistant • the
acolytes of this powerful leader
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French, from ecclesiastical Latin acolytus, from Greek akolouthos
“follower,” from a- “together” + keleuthos “path” (source of
English anacoluthon ).][1]



Aconcagua

Aconcagua
A·con·ca·gua 
[àkən kgwə, kən
kgwə]

highest mountain in the Andes
and in the western hemisphere, located in western Argentina near the Chilean
border. Height: 6,960 m/22,834 ft.[1]



aconite

aconite
ac·o·nite 
[ákə nt] (plural ac·o·nites) noun

1.  plant
with hooded flowers: a plant with poisonous roots
that grows in northern temperate regions and has purplish blue or white hooded
flowers. Monkshood and wolfsbane are types of aconite. Genus: Aconitum

2.  See
winter aconite

3.  extract
of plant root: an extract of the dried poisonous root
of some aconite plants, used in the past as a drug.
Also
called
monkshood
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French, from Latin aconitum, from Greek akoniton, of
unknown origin.][1]



acorn

acorn

a·corn 
[áy kàwrn] (plural a·corns) noun
fruit
of oak:
the hard fruit of an oak tree, consisting of a smooth single-seeded nut that is
set in a cup-shaped base and ripens from green to brown
[Old English æcern,
possibly formed from æcer “open land” (source of English acre ). The word was later interpreted as
“oak-corn,” as if meaning “fruit of the oak.”][1]



acornbarnacle

acornbarnacle
a·corn
bar·na·cle
(plural a·corn bar·na·cles) noun

marine organism that clings
to rocks: a marine organism that
attaches itself to rocks and catches food using tendrils that protrude from a
hole in the top of its conical shell. Latin name: Balanus balanoides[1]



acornsquash

acornsquash

a·corn squash
(plural a·corn squash·es or a·corn squash) noun
acorn-shaped squash:
an acorn-shaped winter squash with a ridged dark-green rind and yellow or
orange flesh[1]



acornworm

acornworm
a·corn
worm
(plural a·corn worms) noun

marine burrower:
a small burrowing sea animal that looks like a worm and has an acorn-shaped
snout that it uses to dig for food on the ocean floor. Phylum: Chordata[1]



acouchi

acouchi
a·cou·chi 
[ə kshee] (plural a·cou·chis or
a·cou·chies) or a·cou·chy [ə
kshee] (plural a·cou·chies) noun

S
American rodent: an agile South American rodent similar
to an agouti. Genus: Myoprocta
[Late 18th century. Via
French, from Tupi .][1]



acoustic

acoustic

a·cous·tic 
[ə kstik] or a·cous·ti·cal [ə kstik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to sound:
relating to, involving, or typical of sound, hearing, or the study of sound

2.  designed
for use with sound: designed to control sound,
absorb it, or carry it better

3.  MUSIC not
amplified:
used to describe music or a musical instrument that is not amplified
electronically
noun (plural
a·cous·tics)

1.  musical
instrument without amplification: a musical instrument
that is not electronically amplified, usually a guitar (informal)

2.  See
acoustics
[Early
18th century. From Greek akoustikos, from akouein “to hear,” from
the same Indo-European ancestor as English hear
and caution .]
—a·cous·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



acoustician

acoustician
ac·ous·ti·cian 
[àkoo stísh’n] (plural ac·ous·ti·cians)
noun

sound specialist:
a specialist in the study of sound[1]



acousticnerve

acousticnerve
a·cous·tic
nerve
(plural a·cous·tic nerves) noun

See
auditory nerve[1]



acousticrock

acousticrock
a·cous·tic
rock
noun

unamplified rock music:
rock music intended to be played mainly on unamplified instruments[1]



acoustics

acoustics
a·cous·tics 
[ə kstiks] noun

study
of sound:
the scientific study of sound (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

sound-carrying ability:
the characteristic way in which sound carries or can be heard within a
particular enclosed space, for example, an auditorium.
Also called
acoustic[1]



acoustictile

acoustictile
a·cous·tic
tile
(plural a·cous·tic tiles) noun

tile used to deaden sound:
a ceiling or wall tile designed to stop or diminish the transmission of sound[1]



acoustoelectric

acoustoelectric
a·cous·to·e·lec·tric 
[ə kstō i léktrik] adjective

See
electroacoustic
—a·cous·to·e·lec·tric·al·ly,
adverb[1]



ACP

ACP
ACP
noun

group of developing
countries: a group of over forty
nonaligned developing countries with aid-related and economic links. Full
form African, Caribbean and Pacific (countries)[1]



acquaint

acquaint
ac·quaint 
[ə kwáynt] (past ac·quaint·ed,
past participle ac·quaint·ed, present participle ac·quaint·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·quaints) transitive verb

1.  make
aware:
to make somebody, or yourself, aware of or familiar with something

2.  introduce
somebody:
to introduce somebody or make somebody known to somebody else (dated or
formal)
[13th century. Via French acointier
“to make known” from Latin accognoscere “to know perfectly,” from cognoscere
“to know” (source of English cognition
and quaint ).][1]



acquaintance

acquaintance
ac·quain·tance 
[ə kwáyntəns] (plural ac·quain·tances)
noun

1.  somebody
known:
somebody who is known slightly rather than intimately

2.  knowledge:
knowledge, usually slight, of somebody or something
—ac·quain·tance·ship,
noun
make
somebody’s acquaintance

to meet somebody for the
first time[1]



acquainted

acquainted
ac·quaint·ed 
[ə kwáyntəd] adjective

1.  familiar:
having some, often not very much, knowledge of something

2.  known:
known to somebody or to each other from a previous introduction

[1]



acquiesce

acquiesce
ac·qui·esce 
[àkwee éss] (past ac·qui·esced,
past participle ac·qui·esced, present participle ac·qui·esc·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·qui·esc·es) intransitive verb

go
along with something: to agree to or comply with
something passively rather than expressing approval or support
[Early
17th century. From Latin acquiescere “to remain resting,” hence “to
agree tacitly,” from quiescere “to rest” (source of English coy and quiet
).]
—ac·qui·es·cence,
noun

—ac·qui·es·cent,
adjective

—ac·qui·es·cent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at agree

[1]



acquire

acquire
ac·quire 
[ə kwr] (past ac·quired, past
participle ac·quired, present participle ac·quir·ing, 3rd
person present singular ac·quires) transitive verb

1.  get
something:
to get or obtain possession of something

2.  develop
something:
to learn or develop something • a
habit I acquired in the Army

3.  AEROSPACE locate
by radar:
to locate an object such as an aircraft by the use of radar or another detector
[15th
century. Via Old French acquerre from Latin acquirere “to get
something extra,” from quaerere “to try to get or obtain” (see query ).]
—ac·quir·a·ble,
adjective

—ac·quired,
adjective

—ac·quir·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at get

[1]



acquiredcharacter

acquiredcharacter
ac·quired
char·ac·ter
(plural ac·quired char·ac·ters) or ac·quired
char·ac·ter·is·tic (plural ac·quired char·ac·ter·is·tics) noun

uninherited characteristic:
a characteristic that an organism develops in response to its environment and
that cannot be passed on to the next generation[1]



acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome

acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome
ac·quired
im·mune de·fi·cien·cy syn·drome or ac·quired
im·mu·no·de·fi·cien·cy syn·drome noun

Full form of
AIDS[1]



acquiredtaste

acquiredtaste
ac·quired
taste
(plural ac·quired tastes) noun

learned liking for something:
a liking that develops for something that seems unpleasant at first[1]



acquirement

acquirement
ac·quire·ment 
[ə kwrmənt] (plural ac·quire·ments)
noun

1.  act
of acquiring something: the act or process of
acquiring something

2.  learned
skill:
something learned or attained, especially a skill

[1]



acquisition

acquisition
ac·qui·si·tion 
[àkwi zísh’n] noun (plural ac·qui·si·tions)

1.  acquiring:
act of acquiring something

2.  new
possession:
something that has recently been bought or obtained

3.  skill
development: developing a new skill, practice, or way
of doing things • language acquisition

4.  AEROSPACE locating
by radar:
the location of an object such as an aircraft by the use of radar or some other
detector
plural
noun
ac·qui·si·tions

1.  FINANCE company
department:
the department in a company responsible for taking over other businesses • I
work in acquisitions and mergers.

2.  additions
department:
the department of a library or museum responsible for obtaining and taking care
of new items
[14th century. From the Latin
stem acquisition-, from acquisit-, the past participle stem of acquirere
(see acquire ).][1]



acquisitive

acquisitive
ac·quis·i·tive 
[ə kwízzətiv] adjective

1.  eager
to possess things: eager to acquire things,
especially possessions

2.  quick
to learn:
curious, eager, and quick to learn • an
acquisitive mind
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from the Latin stem acquisit- (see acquire ), on the model of French acquisitif
.]
—ac·quis·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—ac·quis·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



acquit

acquit
ac·quit 
[ə kwít] (past ac·quit·ted, past
participle ac·quit·ted, present participle ac·quit·ting,
3rd person present singular ac·quits) verb

1.  transitive
verb
LAW declare
innocent:
to declare officially that somebody is not guilty of a charge or accusation

2.  reflexive
verb
behave:
to conduct yourself in a particular way (formal) • The
band acquitted itself well at the performance.

3.  transitive
verb
free
from obligation: to free somebody from a duty or
obligation (formal)

4.  transitive
verb
repay:
to repay something such as a debt (old)
[13th
century. Via Old French a(c)quiter from assumed Latin acquitare,
literally “to bring to rest,” hence “to set free,” from quies “quiet”
(source of English quiet and aquiesce
).]
—ac·quit·ter,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at excuse

[1]



acquittal

acquittal
ac·quit·tal 
[ə kwítt’l] (plural ac·quit·tals)
noun

not-guilty verdict:
a judgment given by a judge or jury that somebody is not guilty of a charge or
accusation[1]



acquittance

acquittance
ac·quit·tance 
[ə kwítt’ns] (plural ac·quit·tances)
noun

release from debt:
release from a debt or obligation, or a written receipt or other record of this
(formal)[1]



acre

acre

a·cre 
[áykər] noun (plural a·cres)

unit of area: a
unit of area used in some countries, including the United States and the United
Kingdom, equal to 4,046.86 sq m/4,840 sq yd
plural noun a·cres

1.  land:
land, especially a large amount of land

2.  large
amount:
a large amount or area of something (informal)
[Old
English æcer . Ultimately probably “area over which plowing oxen can be
driven in a day,” from an Indo-European ancestor (source also of English acorn and agriculture
) meaning “to drive.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Thousand Acres, a novel by Jane Smiley ( 1991 ). A retelling of King Lear
  set in the Midwest, it exposes the tragedies of alcoholism and emotional and
  environmental abuse behind the rural idyll of a family farm. The novel won
  the Pulitzer Prize in literature and a National Book Critics’ Circle Award,
  and was made into a movie in 1997.

[1]



acreage

acreage
a·cre·age 
[áykərij, áykrij]
noun

land measured in acres:
land, or an area of land, measured in acres[1]



acre-foot

acre-foot
a·cre-foot 
(plural a·cre-feet) noun

acre of water, one foot deep:
the volume of water that would cover an area of one acre to a depth of one
foot, equivalent to 1,233.5 cu. M/43,560 cu. ft[1]



acre-inch

acre-inch
a·cre-inch 
(plural a·cre-inch·es) noun

acre of water, one inch deep:
one-twelfth of an acre-foot, or the volume of water that would cover an area of
one acre to a depth of one inch, equivalent to 102.8 cu. M/3,630 cu. ft[1]



acrid

acrid
ac·rid 
[ákrəd] adjective

1.  unpleasantly
pungent:
unpleasantly strong and bitter in smell or taste

2.  bitter:
sharp or bitter in tone or character
[Early
18th century. Formed from the Latin stem acri- “sharp, pungent,” modeled
on acid (which has the same Indo-European
ancestor).]
—a·crid·i·ty
[ə kríddətee], noun

—ac·rid·ly
[ákrədlee], adverb

—ac·rid·ness, noun[1]



acridine

acridine
ac·ri·dine 
[ákrə dn, ákrədin]
noun

colorless
compound used in making dyes: a colorless crystalline
solid used in manufacturing dyes and pharmaceuticals. C13H9N
[Late 19th century. From
German Acridin, from the Latin stem acri- (see acrid ).][1]



acriflavine

acriflavine
ac·ri·fla·vine 
[àkrə fláy vn, àkrə
fláyvin] noun

antiseptic:
an orange-brown crystalline solid used in solution as an antiseptic. C14H14N3Cl[1]



acrimonious

acrimonious
ac·ri·mo·ni·ous 
[àkrə mṓnee əs] adjective

resentful
and angry:
full of or displaying anger and resentment
—ac·ri·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—ac·ri·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun[1]



acrimony

acrimony
ac·ri·mo·ny 
[ákrə mnee] noun

bitterness:
bitterness and resentment, especially in speech, attitude, or tone
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French, from Latin acrimonia, from the stem acri- (see acrid ).][1]



acro-

acro-
acro-
prefix

top,
tip, height • acrocentric
• acrophobia
[From Greek akros
“extreme, topmost.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp,
pointed,” which is also the ancestor of English edge,
acute, acid,
and acme .][1]



acrobat

acrobat
ac·ro·bat 
[ákrə bàt] (plural ac·ro·bats)
noun

1.  gymnast
entertainer: a performer of gymnastic feats as
entertainment

2.  facile
changer of own opinions: somebody whose opinions or
positions change readily to suit the circumstances
[Early
19th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek akrobatos “walking on
tiptoe,” from akros (see acro- ) + bainein
“to walk” (source of English base and
basis ).]
—ac·ro·bat·ic
[àkrə báttik], adjective

—ac·ro·bat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



acrobatics

acrobatics
ac·ro·bat·ics 
[àkrə báttiks] noun (takes a
singular or plural verb)

1.  gymnastics:
the skill or performance routines of an acrobat

2.  activity
requiring agility: an activity that requires
great skill or agility

3.  virtuoso
performance: performance of something that is marked
by virtuosic skill • verbal acrobatics in
her closing argument

[1]



acrocentric

acrocentric
ac·ro·cen·tric 
[àkrō séntrik] adjective

with arms of unequal length:
used to describe a chromosome that has arms of unequal length because the
structure at which the two arms join ( centromere
) is located toward one end.
See also
acentric
See also
telocentric[1]



acrocephaly

acrocephaly
ac·ro·ceph·a·ly 
[àkrō séffəlee] noun

See
oxycephaly
—ac·ro·ce·phal·ic
[àkrō sə fállik], adjective

—ac·ro·ceph·a·lous [àkrō séffələss], adjective[1]



acrodont

acrodont
ac·ro·dont 
[ákrə dònt] adjective

having no roots:
used to describe the teeth of some reptiles that have no roots and are joined
to the jawbone, or reptiles with teeth of this type[1]



acrolect

acrolect
ac·ro·lect 
[ákrə lèkt] (plural acrolects)
noun

closest to standard language:
the language variety among a group of related varieties that is closest to the
standard form of the language[1]



acrolein

acrolein
a·cro·le·in 
[ə krṓlee in] noun

colorless poisonous chemical:
a colorless poisonous pungent aldehyde used in manufacturing chemicals and
pharmaceuticals. CH2CHCHO[1]



acrolith

acrolith
ac·ro·lith 
[ákrə lìth] (plural acroliths)
noun

wood and stone statue:
a statue, especially in ancient Greece, with only the hands, feet, and head
made in stone, the body being wooden[1]



acromegaly

acromegaly
ac·ro·meg·a·ly 
[àkrō méggəlee] noun

disease
involving abnormal growth: a disease of adults that is
caused by overproduction of growth hormones, resulting in enlargement of the
bones of the hands, feet, jaw, nose, and ribs
—ac·ro·me·gal·ic [àkrō mə gállik], adjective[1]



acromion

acromion
a·cro·mi·on 
[ə krṓmee òn, ə
krṓmee ən] (plural a·cro·mi·a [ə
krṓmee ə]) noun

end
of shoulder blade: a bony projection from the
outer end of the spine of the shoulder blade, to which the collarbone is
attached
[Late 16th century. From
Greek akrōmion, from akros (see acro-
) + ōmos “shoulder.”][1]



acronym

acronym
ac·ro·nym 
[ákrənim] (plural ac·ro·nyms) noun

word
formed from initials: a word formed from the
initials or other parts of several words, for example, “NATO,” from the initial
letters of “North Atlantic Treaty Organization”
[Mid-20th
century. Literally “tip-name.”]
—ac·ro·nym·ic
[àkrə nímmik], adjective

—a·cron·y·mous
[ə krónnəməss], adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at abbreviation.

[1]



acropetal

acropetal
a·crop·e·tal 
[ə króppət’l] adjective

growing
from bottom to top: used to describe leaves or
flowers that grow in order from the base of a plant or stem toward the apex.
See
also
basipetal
—a·crop·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



acrophobia

acrophobia
ac·ro·pho·bi·a 
[àkrə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of heights:
an irrational fear of being in high places
—ac·ro·pho·bic, adjective[1]



Acropolis

Acropolis

A·crop·o·lis
[ə króppəliss] noun
Athenian citadel:
the ancient citadel of Athens in Greece that was the religious focus of the
city. It contains the remains of several classical temples, including the
Parthenon.[1]



acropolis

acropolis
a·crop·o·lis 
[ə króppəliss] (plural a·crop·o·lis·es)
noun

ancient
Greek citadel: the fortified citadel of a city in
ancient Greece
[Early 17th century. From
Greek akropolis .][1]



acrosome

acrosome
ac·ro·some 
[ákrə sm] (plural ac·ro·somes)
noun

structure in sperm cell:
a structure at the end of a sperm cell that releases enzymes to digest the cell
membrane of an egg, enabling the sperm to penetrate the egg[1]



across

across
a·cross 
[ə kráws, ə
króss] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that somebody or something is on the opposite
side of something or moves or reaches from one side to the other • (preposition)
I live across the street from you. • (adverb)
a bridge wide enough to walk across

1.
preposition in spite of boundaries:
in such a way that boundaries or borders are transcended • united
across cultures

2.
adjective adverb so as to cross
something:
in such a way as to intersect or form a cross with something • placed
one board across the other

3.
preposition throughout:
all over something or somewhere • all
across the state

4.
adverb measured in width:
as measured from one side of something to the other • about
an inch across

5.
adverb horizontally on crossword:
in a horizontal position in a crossword puzzle • couldn’t
find the solution to 3 across.
See
also
down
[13th century. Via Old French
à croix or en croix “transversely,” literally “at cross” or “in
cross,” from Latin crux (see cross
).][1]



across-the-board

across-the-board
a·cross-the-board 
adjective adverb

comprehensive:
affecting everyone or everything equally or proportionally
adjective

betting to finish in first
three: : wagering an equal amount to
win if a horse or other competitor finishes first, second, or third[1]



acrostic

acrostic
a·cros·tic 
[ə króstik] (plural a·cros·tics)
noun

written
lines containing word: a number of lines of
writing, especially a poem or word puzzle, in which particular letters, for
example, the first, in each line spell a word or phrase
[Late
16th century. Via French acrostiche from Greek akrostikhis, from akros
“outermost” + stikhos “line of verse” (formed from steikhein “to
go”).]
—a·cros·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



acrylateresin

acrylateresin
ac·ry·late
res·in 
[àkrə làyt rézzin] (plural ac·ry·late
res·ins) noun

resin
from acrylic acid: a resin derived from acrylic
acid or other related acids and used in paints, sizing, adhesives, and
plastics.
Also
called
acrylic resin
[Acrylate formed from acrylic][1]



acrylic

acrylic
a·cryl·ic 
[ə kríllik, a
kríllik] noun (plural a·cryl·ics)

1.  synthetic
fiber:
a synthetic textile fiber produced from acrylonitrile

2.  something
made with acrylic acid: something containing or made
from acrylic acid

3.  paint:
a paint containing acrylate resin, used especially in painting pictures
adjective

relating to acrylic acid:
relating to, derived from, or containing acrylic acid

[1]



acrylicacid

acrylicacid
a·cryl·ic
ac·id
noun

corrosive liquid:
a colorless corrosive acid used in the manufacture of acrylate resins. C3H4O2 
Also called
propenoic acid[1]



acrylicresin

acrylicresin
a·cryl·ic
re·sin
(plural a·cryl·ic re·sins) noun

See
acrylate resin[1]



acrylonitrile

acrylonitrile
ac·ry·lo·ni·trile 
[ákrəlō nt rīl, ákrəlō
ntrəl, ákrəlō n treel] noun

chemical
used in acrylic fiber production: a colorless toxic
liquid used in making acrylic fibers and resins, rubber, and thermoplastics. C3H3N
[Late 19th century. Coined
from acrylic + nitrile
.][1]



act

act
act 
[akt] noun (plural acts)

1.  something
done:
something that somebody does

2.  doing
something:
the action of carrying something out

3.  part
of play:
one of the main sections of a play or other dramatic performance

4.  one
of several performances: a short performance,
especially one that is part of a varied program or show • The
next act is a barbershop quartet.

5.  performer:
the performer or performers who take part in an act

6.  personal
behavior:
somebody’s actions or behavior considered as entertainment or used as an
assessment of that person’s worth (informal) • a
class act

7.  pretense:
behavior that is intended to impress or deceive other people

8.  POLITICS statement
of instruction regarding law: a record or statement of the
decision made by a law-making or judicial body such as Congress

9.  formal
record:
a formal written record of the proceedings of a society, committee, or elected
group

10. PHILOSOPHY something
done intentionally: something brought about by
human will
verb
(past act·ed, past participle act·ed, present
participle act·ing, 3rd person present singular acts)

1.  intransitive
verb
do
something:
to do something to change a situation, for example, to solve a problem or prevent
one arising

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb behave
in certain way: to adopt a particular way of behaving • You’ve
been acting funny all morning. • Stop
acting the fool. “I even liked him when he was
“difficult” and official, because I thought I knew why he acted like that.”
Paul Scott The Jewel in the Crown 1966

3.  intransitive
verb
pretend:
to behave in a way intended to impress or deceive other people

4.  intransitive
verb
function
as something: to serve a particular purpose or perform
a particular function • The
ozone layer acts as a barrier against harmful radiation.

5.  intransitive
verb
replace
somebody:
to be a substitute for somebody or something else • Since
the director cannot attend, his deputy will act for him.

6.  intransitive
verb
have
an effect:
to create, produce, or bring about an effect or result • Once
the medicine acts, you’ll feel better.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb play a
role:
to play the part of a character in a dramatic performance • a
chance to act Othello

8.  intransitive
verb
be
actor:
to pursue a career in films or drama

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb perform
something or be performed: to stage a dramatic
performance, or be capable of being staged • The
company will act a different play tomorrow night.
[14th
century. Directly or via French acte from Latin actus and actum
“public transaction,” both from the past participle stem of agere “to
do” (source of English agent and prodigal ).]
—act·a·ble,
adjective
a
hard or tough act to follow

somebody
or something that sets a standard difficult to reach by others who come later

catch
somebody in the act

to
see or meet somebody just as he or she is doing something, especially something
wrong

clean
up your act

to
improve your behavior

get
in on the act

to
join in something in order to share in its success or profit (informal)

get
your act together

to
do something to become more organized (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  act
  or action ?
  Both
  act and action
  mean “something done,” but action tends to
  emphasize the process of doing whereas act
  denotes the deed itself: • Terrorist
  action has increased. • It
  was an act of terrorism. Acts are more often
  associated with people, whereas actions can refer to machines (especially to
  denote the way a machine works).

[1]



Actaeon

Actaeon
Act·ae·on 
[ak t ən] noun

hunter in Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, a hunter who was turned into a stag after inadvertently
catching sight of the goddess Artemis bathing[1]



ACTH

ACTH
ACTH 
noun

pituitary hormone:
a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex to
produce steroid hormones. Full form adrenocorticotropic
hormone
Also called
adrenocorticotropin
Also called
corticotropin[1]



actin-

actin-
actin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
actino-[1]



actin

actin
ac·tin 
[áktin] noun

protein
involved in cell movement: a protein that is essential
for cell movement and the maintenance of cell shape. It is a constituent of the
structure of cells and muscle tissue and combines with myosin during muscle
contraction.
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin actus (see act ).][1]



actinal

actinal
ac·ti·nal 
[áktənəl] adjective

1.  relating
to marine animal’s mouth area: used to describe the
side of a marine animal such as a jellyfish or sea anemone from which the arms
or tentacles radiate, or on which the mouth area is situated

2.  with
tentacles:
with rays or tentacles

[1]



acting

acting
act·ing 
[ákting] noun

performing in plays:
the art, profession, or performance of an actor
adjective

1.  temporary:
carrying out certain duties or doing somebody else’s job temporarily • the
acting manager

2.  with
directions for staging: including directions in a
play’s text to be used in staging a performance • a
copy of the acting edition of the play

[1]



actinian

actinian
ac·tin·i·an
[ak tínee ən] noun

sea
anemone:
a sea anemone (technical)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Actinia, genus name, from Greek aktin- “ray,”
from its radial form.][1]



actinic

actinic
ac·tin·ic 
[ak tínik] adjective

of
radiation that causes chemical effect:
relating to radiation such as ultraviolet radiation that produces a chemical
effect
—ac·tin·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



actinide

actinide
ac·tin·ide 
[áktə nd] (plural ac·tin·ides)
noun

radioactive
element:
chemical element in the series of radioactive elements beginning with actinium
and ending with lawrencium
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from actinium, on the model of lanthanide .][1]



actinism

actinism
ac·tin·ism 
[áktənìzəm] noun

photochemical effect:
the property of radiation that makes it possible to effect photochemical
changes[1]



actinium

actinium

ac·tin·i·um 
[ak tínee əm] noun
radioactive
element:
a radioactive silvery white metallic chemical element found in pitchblende, and
used as a source of alpha rays. Symbol Ac
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Greek stem aktin- “ray.”][1]



actino-

actino-
actino-
or actin- prefix

1.  radial
• actinomorphic

2.  radiation
[From Greek aktin-,
the stem of aktis “ray of light”][1]



actinolite

actinolite
ac·tin·o·lite 
[ak tínə lt] (plural actinolites)
noun

green mineral:
a green or grayish green mineral consisting of calcium magnesium iron silicate.
It is a member of the amphibole group.[1]



actinomere

actinomere
ac·ti·no·mere 
[ak tínə meer] (plural ac·ti·no·meres)
noun

ZOOLOGY
See antimere[1]



actinometer

actinometer
ac·ti·nom·e·ter 
[àktə nómmətər] (plural ac·ti·nom·e·ters)
noun

radiation
meter:
a device for measuring the intensity of radiation, especially that from the Sun
—ac·ti·no·met·ric
[àktənō méttrik], adjective

—ac·ti·nom·e·try [àktə nómmətree], noun[1]



actinomorphic

actinomorphic
ac·ti·no·mor·phic 
[àktənō máwrfik] or ac·ti·no·mor·phous
[àktənō máwrfəs] adjective

symmetrical
about central point: spreading out symmetrically
around a central point and so making identical halves when divided along any
vertical axis. Tulips and starfish are actinomorphic.
—ac·ti·no·mor·phy [áktənō mawrfee], noun[1]



actinomycete

actinomycete
ac·ti·no·my·cete 
[áktənō m seet, àktənō
mī st] (plural ac·ti·no·my·cetes) noun

rod-shaped
bacterium:
a rod-shaped or filamentous bacterium belonging to a large group that includes
some that cause diseases and some that are the sources of antibiotics. Order:
Actinomycetales
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from modern Latin actinomycetes, coined
from actino- + Greek mukēs “fungus.”]
—ac·ti·no·my·ce·tous, adjective[1]



actinomycin

actinomycin
ac·ti·no·my·cin 
[áktənō msin] (plural ac·ti·no·my·cins)
noun

cancer drug:
an antibiotic used mainly to treat childhood cancers[1]



actinouranium

actinouranium
ac·ti·no·u·ra·ni·um 
[àktənōyoo ráynee əm] noun

uranium isotope:
the only naturally occurring radioactive isotope of uranium that is naturally
fissile. It is used in nuclear reactors and weapons.[1]



action

action
ac·tion 
[ákshən] noun (plural ac·tions)

1.  doing
something toward goal: the process of doing
something in order to achieve a purpose

2.  something
done:
something that somebody or something does

3.  movement:
the way somebody or something moves or works, or the movement itself • the
action of a piston

4.  verve:
energetic activity • a woman of action

5.  LAW legal
proceedings: legal proceedings in a court to obtain
compensation for something or to enforce a right • decided
not to take action

6.  events:
the important events in any form of narrative composition such as a novel or
film

7.  function
or influence: the way in which something functions, or
the effect it produces • the
action of water on stone

8.  MILITARY fighting
during war:
a small battle, or the fighting that takes place during a war • wounded
in action
• a
campaign of brief actions

9.  exciting
or profitable activity: involvement in something
that brings excitement, profit, or pleasure (informal) • a
piece of the action

10. operating
mechanism:
the operating parts of a mechanism or instrument, for example, a watch or piano

11. MUSIC space
under strings: the space between the fingerboard and
strings of a string instrument such as a violin or a guitar

12. PHYSICS force:
the force applied to a body

13. PHYSICS property
of system used in dynamics: twice the average kinetic
energy of a system in a given time multiplied by the time

14. PHILOSOPHY voluntary
behavior:
voluntary or intended behavior, as opposed to forced behavior
interjection

CINEMA start
performing:
a command from a film director telling actors to begin acting as filming has
begun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Can
  action be used as a verb?
  The
  use of action as a verb, as in • Criticism
  was leveled at the way the operation was actioned,
  has crept into ordinary usage from business jargon. It is disliked by many
  people because they maintain, with good reason, that simpler words such as do,
  achieve, and complete are just as effective and a good deal
  less pretentious. The use is particularly unwelcome in cases such as to
  action dismissal, as in • Dismissal
  will be actioned if any employee violates this rule,
  when a simple verb is available ( • Any
  employee who violates this rule will be dismissed.
  ). It is always better to use the more straightforward word when this conveys
  the meaning just as well.

[1]



actionable

actionable
ac·tion·a·ble 
[áksh’nəb’l] adjective

giving cause for legal
action: giving a basis for somebody
to take legal action[1]



actionchess

actionchess
ac·tion
chess 
noun

See
speed chess[1]



actioner

actioner
ac·tion·er 
[ákshənər] (plural ac·tion·ers)
noun

action movie:
a movie that features a great deal of usually extreme action (informal)
• a
made-for-TV actioner with a little-known cast[1]



actiongroup

actiongroup
ac·tion
group
(plural ac·tion groups) noun

group supporting or opposing
something: a group of people formed to
achieve some purpose, for example, to support or oppose a proposal[1]



actionpainting

actionpainting
ac·tion
paint·ing
noun

painting technique involving
splashing paint: a technique used by
artists of the Abstract Expressionism movement in which paintings are created
by splashing, dripping, spattering, or smearing paint[1]



actionpotential

actionpotential
ac·tion
po·ten·tial
noun

electrical signal associated
with nerve impulse: a temporary
change in electrical potential that occurs between the inside and the outside
of a nerve or muscle fiber when a nerve impulse is transmitted[1]



actionreplay

actionreplay
ac·tion
re·play
(plural ac·tion re·plays) noun

U.K.
See instant replay[1]



actionstations

actionstations
ac·tion
sta·tions
plural noun

U.K.
MILITARY See battle
stations
interjection

U.K.
MILITARY See battle
stations[1]



activate

activate
ac·ti·vate 
[áktə vàyt] (past ac·ti·vat·ed,
past participle ac·ti·vat·ed, present participle ac·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·ti·vates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something active: to make something active, or set
something in motion

2.  intransitive
verb
become
active:
to become active or begin to operate

3.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS make
something radioactive: to make something
radioactive

4.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY make
something reactive: to increase the rate of a
chemical reaction, for example, by applying heat

5.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY increase
power of adsorption: to treat a substance such as
charcoal so as to increase its capacity for adsorption

6.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY purify
with air:
to purify sewage by aerating it

7.  transitive
verb
mobilize
military:
to set up or mobilize a military unit • activate
the National Guard
—ac·ti·va·tion
[àktə váysh’n], noun

—ac·ti·va·tor [áktə vaytər], noun[1]



activatedcarbon

activatedcarbon
ac·ti·vat·ed
car·bon
or ac·ti·vat·ed char·coal noun

carbon as filter:
a highly adsorbent powdered or granular form of carbon, used to purify liquids
and gases through adsorption, to extract chemicals, to recover solvents, and as
an antidote to some poisons[1]



activatedsludge

activatedsludge
ac·ti·vat·ed
sludge
(plural ac·ti·vat·ed sludg·es) noun

treated sewage:
aerated sewage containing microorganisms added to untreated sewage to purify it
by accelerating its bacterial decomposition[1]



activationenergy

activationenergy
ac·ti·va·tion
en·er·gy
noun

energy to convert molecules:
the energy needed to make molecules of a substance take part in a chemical
reaction[1]



active

active
ac·tive 
[áktiv] adjective

1.  moving
about:
moving about, working, or doing something as opposed to resting or sleeping

2.  busy:
full of or involved in busy activity • an
active life

3.  doing
something:
carrying out some action or process, or able to do so • an
active ingredient

4.  showing
energy and involvement: marked by involvement,
energy, or action • played an active part

5.  needing
and using energy: requiring a lot of energy and movement • active
pastimes

6.  GEOLOGY not
extinct:
used to describe a volcano that is not extinct and still erupts occasionally

7.  GRAMMAR relating
to role of verb’s subject: used to describe a verb
whose subject is the person or thing performing the action described by the
verb.
See
also
passive

8.  ASTRONOMY showing
variable surface features: used to describe the Sun
when it is displaying large numbers of dark patches ( sunspots ) and bright
patches ( faculae ) and high variability in radio-wave emissions

9.  COMMERCE used
to produce profit: producing or being used to
produce profits or dividends

10. FINANCE trading
in large volume: being bought and sold in large
quantities

11. FINANCE involving
frequent trading: used to describe a form of portfolio
management in which the manager adds value to the portfolio by frequent trades

12. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING with
power source: used to describe electronic networks and
components that contain a power source and are capable of operating
noun

GRAMMAR verb
voice:
the active voice of a verb
—actively,
adverb

—ac·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at busy

[1]



activeduty

activeduty
ac·tive
du·ty
or ac·tive ser·vice noun

full military duty:
full-time service in the armed forces with full pay and benefits[1]



activeimmunity

activeimmunity
ac·tive
im·mu·ni·ty
noun

immunity produced by exposure
to antigens: immunity generated by
the production of antibodies within a body when it is exposed to antigens[1]



active-matrixdisplay

active-matrixdisplay
ac·tive-ma·trix
dis·play 
noun

flat liquid-crystal screen:
a flat liquid-crystal display with high color resolution that is particularly
suited to use in laptop and notebook computers[1]



activeservice

activeservice
ac·tive
ser·vice
noun

See
active duty[1]



activesite

activesite
ac·tive
site
(plural ac·tive sites) noun

reacting part of enzyme or
antibody: the part of an enzyme or
antibody molecule that reacts with the substance the enzyme acts on ( substrate ) or the substance that gives rise to
the antibody ( antigen )[1]



activetransport

activetransport
ac·tive
trans·port
noun

molecular movement:
a process in which energy is used to move a chemical substance across a
cellular membrane from a region of low concentration to a region of high
concentration[1]



activevocabulary

activevocabulary
ac·tive
vo·cab·u·lar·y (plural ac·tive
vo·cab·u·lar·ies) noun

range of words used:
the range of words that somebody normally uses in speech or writing, as opposed
to words he or she understands when used by others[1]



activism

activism
ac·tiv·ism 
[áktə vìzzəm] noun

vigorous
action:
vigorous and sometimes aggressive action in pursuing a political or social end
—act·i·vist,
noun, adjective

—ac·tiv·is·tic, adjective[1]



activity

activity
ac·tiv·i·ty 
[ak tívətee, ak
tívitee] (plural ac·tiv·i·ties) noun

1.  something
somebody does: something that somebody takes part in or
does (often used in the plural)

2.  physical
exercise:
energetic physical movement or exercise

3.  state
of doing something: work, movement, or whatever
somebody or something is doing • Activity
in the newsroom has reached fever pitch.

4.  CHEMISTRY measure
of potential for chemical reaction: a
measure of the ability of a chemical substance to undergo a chemical reaction

5.  natural
process:
a process or function that takes place naturally in a living organism • activities
such as eating or sleeping

6.  EDUCATION learning
experience:
an educational exercise designed to provide direct experience of something • an
activity to accompany the geography lesson

7.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS radioactivity:
radioactivity (technical) Symbol A

[1]



actof contrition

actof contrition
act
of con·tri·tion (plural acts of con·tri·tion)
noun

repentant prayer:
a short prayer of penitence[1]



actof faith

actof faith
act
of faith
(plural acts of faith) noun

action showing belief:
an action motivated by belief in something for which there is no concrete
evidence[1]



actof God

actof God
act
of God
(plural acts of God) noun

event beyond human control:
a sudden uncontrollable event produced by natural forces, for example, an
earthquake or a tornado[1]



actomyosin

actomyosin
ac·to·my·o·sin 
[áktə m əsən] noun

protein complex in muscles:
a protein complex of actin and myosin that is found in muscle cells and that is
partly responsible for muscular contraction[1]



acton

acton
act
on
or act up·on transitive verb

1.  do
as suggested: to be guided by somebody’s advice or
suggestion

2.  have
an effect:
to have an effect on something

[1]



actor

actor
ac·tor 
[áktər] (plural ac·tors) noun

1.  performer
in plays:
somebody who acts in plays, movies, or television

2.  somebody
who pretends: somebody who pretends to be somebody
else or to feel something so as to impress or deceive

[1]



actout

actout
act
out
transitive verb

1.  perform
something:
to perform something or portray it in action

2.  PSYCHIATRY misbehave
to express feeling: to express a negative
feeling or impulse by behaving in a socially unacceptable way

[1]



actress

actress
ac·tress 
[áktrəs, áktris,
ák tres] (plural ac·tress·es) noun

1.  performer
in plays:
a woman or girl who acts in plays, movies, or television

2.  woman
who pretends: a woman or girl who behaves in a way
intended to deceive or impress others

[1]



Actsof the Apostles

Actsof the Apostles
Acts
of the A·pos·tles  noun

fifth book of New Testament:
the fifth book of the New Testament, in which the early history of the
Christian church is described (takes a singular verb)[1]



actual

actual
ac·tu·al 
[ákchoo əl] adjective

1.  real:
real and existing as fact • Is
that her actual title?

2.  used
for emphasis: used for emphasis, for example, to
stress that somebody or something being referred to is genuinely the person or
thing involved • This is the actual
place where Lincoln stood.

3.  existing
now:
existing or occurring at the moment • actual
as opposed to projected income

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Actual should normally be used
  when it contrasts with some other condition such as “ideal” or “imagined”
  rather than as a mere intensifier often without any real meaning: • He
  wanted to know what actual damage had been done. In
  this sentence actual could be removed
  without any significant change to the sense. But in the sentence • The
  actual total was much higher, actual is legitimately used to mark a contrast
  with projected or estimated totals.

[1]



actuality

actuality
ac·tu·al·i·ty 
[àkchoo állətee] (plural ac·tu·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  what
in fact is:
something that is real, as opposed to what is expected, intended, or feared • Let’s
deal with actualities.

2.  everything
that really exists or happens: everything that does
or could exist or happen in real life

[1]



actualize

actualize
ac·tu·al·ize 
[ákchoo ə līz] (past ac·tu·al·ized,
past participle ac·tu·al·ized, present participle ac·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·tu·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
real:
to make something real or actual, or make something come about • expectations
actualized by deeds

2.  portray:
to portray or represent something realistically
—ac·tu·al·i·za·tion [àkchoo ə lə záysh’n], noun[1]



actually

actually
ac·tu·al·ly
[ákchoo əlee] adverb

in
fact:
used to emphasize that something really is so or really exists, for example,
when it may be hard to believe or contrasts with what has already been said • He’s
actually over 35, although he looks much younger.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Actually, like actual, is used most effectively when it
  contrasts with what is theoretical or only apparent: • It
  sounds difficult but it’s actually quite straightforward.
  It is regarded as poor style to use it as a kind of sentence filler with no
  real meaning, although this is more acceptable in informal conversation, in
  which such fillers help to maintain the flow and balance of the sentence and
  to avoid bluntness: • Actually,
  I prefer her to her cousin.

[1]



actuarial

actuarial
ac·tu·ar·i·al 
[àkchoo áiree əl, àkshoo
áiree əl, àkchoo áiree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to calculation of risk: relating to the statistical
calculation of risk or life expectancy for insurance purposes

2.  relating
to actuaries: relating to actuaries and their work

[1]



actuarialscience

actuarialscience
ac·tu·ar·i·al
sci·ence
noun

statistics for insurance
purposes: the branch of statistics
that deals with the calculation of risk, life expectancy, and insurance
premiums[1]



actuary

actuary
ac·tu·ar·y 
[ákchoo eree, ákshoo
eree] (plural ac·tu·ar·ies) noun

insurance statistician:
a statistician who calculates insurance premiums, risks, dividends, and annuity
rates[1]



actuate

actuate
ac·tu·ate 
[ákchoo àyt] (past ac·tu·at·ed,
past participle ac·tu·at·ed, present participle ac·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ac·tu·ates) transitive verb

1.  make
act:
to make somebody act or behave in a certain way (often used in the passive)
• actuated
by self-interest

2.  make
work:
to make a device move or start working (formal)
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin actuatus, the past participle of actuare
“to cause something to be done,” from Latin actus (see act ).]
—ac·tu·a·tion
[àkchoo áysh’n], noun

—ac·tu·a·tor [ákchoo àyter], noun[1]



ACT-UP

ACT-UP
ACT-UP
[ákt up] noun

AIDS activist group:
an AIDS activist organization in the United States and Britain. Full form
Aids Coalition To Unleash Power[1]



actup

actup
act
up
intransitive verb

be troublesome:
to cause trouble or pain[1]



acuity

acuity
a·cu·i·ty 
[ə ky ətee] noun

sharpness:
keenness of hearing, sight, or intellect
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French acuité from medieval Latin acuitas, from Latin acuere
(see acute ).][1]



aculeate

aculeate
a·cu·le·ate 
[ə kylee ət] adjective

1.  stinging:
used to describe an insect that has a sting

2.  prickly:
used to describe a plant or plant part that has prickles
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
aculeatus, from aculeus, “a small needle,” from acus (see acute ).][1]



acumen

acumen
a·cu·men 
[ə kymən, ákyəmən]
noun

sharpness
of mind:
quick insight, or the ability to make quick accurate judgments of people or
situations • political
acumen
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “point, sharpness,” formed from acuere “to sharpen.”][1]



acuminate

acuminate
a·cu·mi·nate 
adjective [ə kymənət, ə kymə nayt]

pointed:
used to describe leaves that taper to a sharp point
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin acuminatus, the past participle of acuminare “to sharpen to
a point,” from Latin acumen (see acumen
).][1]



acupressure

acupressure
ac·u·pres·sure 
[ákyoo preshər] noun

treatment
using manual pressure: a form of alternative
therapy similar to acupuncture that uses manual pressure rather than needles
[Mid-19th century. Acu- from acupuncture .][1]



acupuncture

acupuncture
ac·u·punc·ture 
[ákyoo pungkchər] noun

treatment
with needles: a method, originally from China, of
treating disorders by inserting needles into the skin at points where the flow
of energy is thought to be blocked ( meridians )
[Late
17th century. Acu- from Latin acus “needle.”]
—ac·u·punc·tur·ist, noun[1]



acute

acute
a·cute 
[ə kyt] adjective

1.  very
great or bad: extremely serious, severe, or painful • an
acute financial crisis

2.  perceptive:
keenly perceptive and intelligent • an
acute grasp of foreign affairs

3.  sensitive:
very powerful and sensitive to detail • acute
eyesight

4.  GEOMETRY less
than 90 degrees: used to describe an angle that is less
than 90 degrees

5.  GEOMETRY with
angles less than 90 degrees: used to describe a triangle
that has three internal angles of less than 90 degrees

6.  MEDICINE severe
and of short duration: used to describe a disease
that is brief, severe, and quickly comes to a crisis

7.  BOTANY pointed:
used to describe leaves that end in a short narrow point
noun
(plural a·cutes) a·cute a·cute ac·cent (plural
a·cute ac·cents)

LANGUAGE mark
above letter: in some languages, a mark placed above a
letter, as in á and ó, to show it is sounded in a particular way.
In Spanish, the acute indicates a stressed syllable, as in cupón, in
French a particular pronunciation of e, as in blé, and in
classical Greek a vowel sounded at a higher pitch.
[14th
century. From Latin acutus (source of English ague ), the past participle of acuere “to sharpen,”
from acus “needle” (source of English acuity
and cute .]
—a·cute·ly,
adverb

—a·cute·ness, noun[1]



acutedose

acutedose
a·cute
dose
(plural a·cute dos·es) noun

lethal amount of radiation:
a fatal amount of radiation received over a short period[1]



acyclic

acyclic
a·cy·clic 
[ay sklik, ay
siklik] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY with
atoms forming chain structure: having a molecular
structure in which the atoms are arranged in a string whose ends do not meet ( open chain ) rather than being arranged in a ring

2.  BOTANY with
parts in spiral arrangement: used to describe flowers
that have their parts arranged in a spiral rather than a whorl

[1]



acyclovir

acyclovir
a·cy·clo·vir 
[ay sklə veer] noun

antiviral drug:
an antiviral drug used to treat conditions such as genital herpes and cold
sores. It works by interfering with viral reproduction, thereby reducing
infection. [1]



acyl

acyl
ac·yl 
[áy s’l] adjective

containing
carboxylic-acid-derived chemical group:
relating to or containing the chemical group derived from a carboxylic acid,
for example the acetyl group[1]



acylation

acylation
a·cyl·a·tion 
[ày sə láysh’n] noun

addition of acyl:
the introduction of an acyl group into a chemical compound[1]



AD

AD
AD

Abbreviation of
Alzheimer’s disease[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ad

ad2
ad2 

TENNIS
Abbreviation of advantage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ad

ad1
ad1  [ad]
(plural ads) noun

advertisement:
an advertisement
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



ad-

ad-
ad-
or ac- or af- or ag- or at-
or ap- prefix

1.  to,
toward • adsorb
• advance

2.  near
• adrenal
[From Latin ad
“toward, near.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English at .][1]



a.d.

a.d.
a.d.

BANKING
Abbreviation of after date[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








A.D.

A.D.
A.D.
adverb

indicating
date:
used to indicate a date that is a specified number of years after the birth of
Jesus Christ. Full form anno Domini
See
also
CE
See
also
BC
See
also
BCE

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Before
  or after the date?
  Because
  of its meaning, AD is
  traditionally put before the numeral to which it relates, so that it makes
  grammatical sense if understood in its expanded form: • AD 1453
  . In practice, AD is often put
  after the numeral, being then understood as a word in its own right, and it
  is normally acceptable to put it after the identification of a century, as in
  • the
  fifth century AD.

[1]



-ad

-ad
-ad
suffix

to,
toward • cephalad
[From Latin ad (see ad- )][1]



ADA

ADA
ADA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Americans with Disabilities Act

2.  Abbreviation
of
American Dental Association

[1]



Ada

Ada
A·da 
[áydə] noun

computer
language:
a high-level general-purpose programming language used for military and other
complex programming applications. Ada programs are highly readable and
therefore easy to maintain.
[Late 20th century. Named for
the English mathematician Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace (
1815–1852 ).][1]



adage

adage
ad·age 
[áddij] (plural ad·ages) noun

saying:
a traditional saying that expresses something taken as a general truth “Oysters
are said to be best in months containing the letter R, according to an old
adage.” Barbara Sturm Living Page 1997
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from Latin adagium, from ad “to” + a variant of aio
“I say.”][1]



adagio

adagio
a·da·gio 
[ə djee ō, ə
dzhee ō, ə dj ō] adverb

slowly:
slowly, but faster than lento (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural adagios)

musical
piece:
a movement or piece of music played or marked adagio
[Late
17th century. From Italian, literally “at ease.”]
—a·da·gio, adjective[1]



Adam

Adam
Ad·am 
[áddəm] noun

first
man:
in the Bible, the first man, created by God
not
know somebody from Adam

to have never met or seen
somebody before[1]



Adam,Adolphe Charles

Adam,Adolphe Charles
Ad·am 
[áddəm], Adolphe Charles (1803–1856)

French composer who wrote
sixty operas and the ballet Giselle ( 1841 ).[1]



adamant

adamant
ad·a·mant 
[áddəmənt, áddə
mant] adjective

set
in opinion:
very determined and not influenced by appeals to reconsider “They did their
best to persuade her, but Mother was adamant.” Gerald Durrell Birds, Beasts and
Relatives 1969
noun
(plural ad·a·mants)

legendary
stone:
a extremely hard legendary stone, sometimes identified as diamond or lodestone
(archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French adamaunt and the Latin stem adamant-
“adamant, steel, diamond,” from Greek adamas, literally “unbreakable,”
from daman “to break down.”]
—ad·a·mant·ly, adverb[1]



adamantine

adamantine
ad·a·man·tine 
[àddə mánt een, àddə
mánt īn, àddə mánt’n] adjective
(literary)

1.  unyielding:
extremely hard or unyielding

2.  hard
and brilliant: like a diamond in hardness and
brilliance

[1]



Adam,Robert

Adam,Robert
Ad·am 
[áddəm], Robert (1728–1792)

British architect and
interior designer who built grand neoclassical country and town houses,
including Kenwood House (1768) and Osterley Park (1778).[1]



Adams,Abigail

Adams,Abigail
Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], Abigail (1744–1818)

U.S. feminist. She married
John Adams, second president of the United States. Her letters to him were
published by her grandson.[1]



Adams,Ansel

Adams,Ansel
Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], Ansel (1902–1984)

U.S. photographer, noted for
his dramatic photographs of the American landscape.[1]



Adams,Gerry

Adams,Gerry

Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], Gerry (1948– )
Northern Irish politician and president
of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army. He was elected
to the British Parliament (1983–1992, 1997) but declined to take his seat. He
is seen as having played an important part in the negotiations to end violence
in Northern Ireland.[1]



Adams,Henry

Adams,Henry
Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], Henry (1838–1918)

U.S. historian. His works
include History of the United States during the Administrations of Jefferson
and Madison (1889–1891). His autobiography The Education of Henry Adams
was published privately (1904) and later for a general readership (1918) and
won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize (1919).[1]



Adams,John

Adams,John
Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], John (1735–1826)

U.S. statesman and second
president of the United States. He served from 1797 until 1801 and was one of
the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



Adams,John Quincy

Adams,John Quincy

Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], John Quincy (1767–1848)
U.S. statesman and sixth president of the
United States. He served from 1825 until 1829. As secretary of state to
President James Monroe (1817–1825), he formulated the Monroe Doctrine opposing
foreign intervention in the American continents.[1]



Adams,Samuel

Adams,Samuel

Ad·ams 
[áddəmz], Samuel (1722–1803)
American revolutionary leader. He was a
signatory to the Declaration of Independence (1776), and governor of
Massachusetts (1794–1797).[1]



Adam’sapple

Adam’sapple
Ad·am’s
ap·ple 
(plural Ad·am’s ap·ples) noun

lump
at front of throat: the hard lump at the front
of the throat formed by the thyroid cartilage of the larynx
[From the belief that it
results from the forbidden apple being stuck in Adam’s throat][1]



Adam’sneedle

Adam’sneedle
Ad·am’s
nee·dle
(plural Ad·am’s nee·dles) noun

N
American yucca: a North American yucca cultivated for
its spiny pointed leaves and spikes of white flowers. Latin name: Yucca
filamentosa
[From the spines on its
leaves, in allusion to Adam and Eve sewing fig leaves together to cover
themselves (Genesis 3:7)][1]



Adana

Adana
A·da·na 
[ádənə, ə dánə]

city in southern Turkey and
capital of the province of the same name. Population: 1,047,300 (1994 est.)[1]



adapt

adapt
a·dapt 
[ə dápt] (past a·dapt·ed, past
participle a·dapt·ed, present participle a·dapt·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·dapts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
something to meet requirements: to change, or change
something, to suit different conditions or a different purpose • adapted
the novel for radio

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb adjust
to something: to make or become used to a new
environment or different conditions

3.  transitive
verb
rewrite
book or play: to rewrite a book or a play so that it
can be made into a film or a television program
[15th century. Via French adapter
and Latin adaptare, literally “to fit to,” from, ultimately, aptus,
“attached” (source of English apt ).][1]



adaptable

adaptable
a·dapt·a·ble 
[ə dáptəb’l] adjective

1.  changing
easily:
able to adjust easily to changes and new conditions

2.  adjustable:
capable of being modified to suit different purposes or conditions • adaptable
for different voltages
—a·dapt·a·bil·i·ty
[ə dàptə bíllətee], noun

—a·dapt·a·ble·ness [ə dáptəb’lnəs], noun[1]



adaptation

adaptation
ad·ap·ta·tion 
[à dap táysh’n, àddəp
táysh’n] (plural ad·ap·ta·tions) or ad·ap·tion
[ə dápshən] (plural ad·ap·tions)
noun

1.  adapting:
the process or state of changing to fit new circumstances or conditions, or the
resulting change

2.  something
adapted to fit need: something that has been
modified for a purpose • a film
adaptation of a novel

3.  BIOLOGY change
to suit environment: the development of physical
and behavioral characteristics that allow organisms to survive and reproduce in
their habitats

4.  PHYSIOLOGY diminishing
sensory response: the diminishing response of a sense
organ to a sustained stimulus
—ad·ap·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—ad·ap·ta·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



adapter

adapter
a·dapt·er
[ə dáptər] (plural a·dapt·ers)
or a·dapt·or [ə dáptər] (plural
a·dapt·ors) noun

1.  electric
connector:
a device used to connect an electrical appliance to a power source with a
different voltage or a different plug shape, or several appliances to one
outlet

2.  device
for connecting unlike parts: a device for connecting two
nonmatching parts

3.  somebody
or something that adapts: somebody who or something
that changes something or is able to adjust to suit different conditions

[1]



adaption

adaption
a·dap·tion 
noun

See
adaptation[1]



adaptive

adaptive
a·dap·tive 
[ə dáptiv] adjective

usable
in different conditions: able to be adjusted for use
in different conditions
—a·dap·tive·ly, adverb[1]



adaptiveradiation

adaptiveradiation
a·dap·tive
ra·di·a·tion noun

diversification of forms:
the developmental diversification of a group of organisms from an original
ancestral form or group into several different forms that adapt to different
environments[1]



adaptivereuse

adaptivereuse
a·dap·tive
re·use
noun

new use for old building:
a use of a building that is different from its original or previous use, often
involving conversion work[1]



adaptor

adaptor
a·dap·tor 
noun

See
adapter[1]



Adar

Adar
A·dar 
[ə dr] (plural A·dars) noun

twelfth
month of Jewish calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year. It
is 29 or 30 days long. In leap years it is renamed Adar Rishon.
[14th century. From Hebrew ǎḏār
.][1]



AdarRishon

AdarRishon
A·dar
Rish·on
[aa dr ríshon] noun

leap year month in Jewish
calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
name given to the month of Adar during a leap year, when an additional month ( Adar Sheni ) follows it[1]



AdarSheni

AdarSheni
A·dar
She·ni 
[ə dr sháynee] noun

extra
month in Jewish year: a thirteenth month added to
the Jewish calendar after Adar in leap years. It is 29 days long.
[Sheni from Hebrew šēnî,
“second”][1]



adaxial

adaxial
a·dax·i·al 
[ad áksee əl] adjective

facing axis:
used to describe the upper side of a leaf or other surface that faces toward
the stem.
See also
abaxial[1]



ADC

ADC
ADC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Aid to Dependent Children

2.  ADC
or a.d.c. Abbreviation of Air Defense Command

3.  Abbreviation
of
analog-to-digital converter

[1]



Adcock,Fleur

Adcock,Fleur
Ad·cock
[ád kòk], Fleur (1934– )

New
Zealand poet, author of The Inner Harbour ( 1979 ).
Full name
Adcock, Kareen Fleur[1]



add

add
add 
[ad] (past add·ed, past
participle add·ed, present participle add·ing, 3rd
person present singular adds) verb

1.  transitive
verb
unite
or combine things: to put something into or
join something onto something else • I’ll
add your name to the list.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS figure total:
to calculate the total of two or more numbers or amounts

3.  transitive
verb
put
in ingredient: to mix in an ingredient that is part of
a recipe • Add
six eggs to the flour.

4.  transitive
verb
introduce
something:
to give something a particular quality or more of a particular quality • The
flowers add a touch of cheerfulness.

5.  intransitive
verb
intensify
something:
to increase the effect of something • This
adds to our problems.

6.  transitive
verb
supplement
speech or writing: to say or write something
else after you have written or said something • “Don’t
forget your umbrella,” she added.
[14th
century. From Latin addere, from dare “to give” (source of
English data, edit, and vendor
).]
—add·a·ble, adjective[1]



ADD

ADD
ADD

Abbreviation of
attention deficit disorder[1]



add.

add.
add.

1.  Abbreviation
of
addendum

2.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
addition

3.  Abbreviation
of
address

[1]



Addams,Charles

Addams,Charles
Ad·dams
[áddəmz], Charles (1912–1988)

U.S. cartoonist, noted for
his humorous and macabre drawings in The New Yorker magazine.[1]



Addams,Jane

Addams,Jane

Ad·dams
[áddəmz], Jane (1860–1935)
U.S. reformer and feminist. A Nobel peace
laureate (1931), she founded Hull House, Chicago, (1889) ultimately the largest
settlement house.[1]



addax

addax

ad·dax 
[ádd aks] (plural ad·dax·es or
ad·dax) noun
N
African antelope: an antelope that has long spiraling
horns and lives in desert regions of North Africa. Latin name: Addax
nasomaculatus
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, from an African word.][1]



addend

addend
ad·dend 
[ádd end, ə dénd]
(plural ad·dends) noun

number
to be added: a number that is to be added
[Late 17th century.
Shortening of addendum .][1]



addendum

addendum
ad·den·dum 
[ə déndəm] (plural ad·den·da [ə déndə]) noun

1.  something
added:
something that is or has been added

2.  supplement:
a supplement to a book or magazine
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, formed from addere (see add
).][1]



adder

adder1
add·er1 [áddər]
(plural add·ers) noun

somebody or something that
does addition: somebody or something
that adds, especially an electronic device that adds numbers[1]



adder

adder2
ad·der2 [áddər]
(plural ad·ders) noun

small
European snake: a small venomous snake, common in
Europe, that is dark gray with a black zigzag pattern on its back. Latin name: Vipera
berus
Also
called
viper
[Old English nd(d)re
“snake.” The initial n was lost when “a nadder” was misanalyzed as “an adder.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced German Natter
“adder.”][1]



adder’stongue

adder’stongue
ad·der’s
tongue
(plural ad·der’s tongues) noun

1.  fern
with pointed frond: a fern found in the northern
hemisphere that has a spore-bearing stalk at the base of a pointed frond.
Genus: Ophioglossum

2.  PLANTS See dogtooth violet
[From the resemblance of the
stalk to a snake’s tongue][1]



addict

addict
ad·dict
[áddikt] (plural ad·dicts) noun

1.  somebody
dependent on a drug: somebody who is
physiologically or mentally dependent on a drug liable to have a damaging
physiological or psychological effect

2.  enthusiast:
somebody who is devoted to something • soap
opera addicts
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
addictus, the past participle of addicere “to award, devote,”
from dicere “to say” (source of English dictionary,
dictate, and verdict ).][1]



addicted

addicted
ad·dict·ed
[ə díktəd] adjective

1.  dependent:
physiologically or mentally dependent on a harmful drug

2.  very
enthusiastic: very interested in something and
devoting a lot of time to it • addicted
to football

[1]



addiction

addiction
ad·dic·tion 
[ə díksh’n] (plural ad·dic·tions)
noun

1.  drug
dependence:
a state of physiological or psychological dependence on a drug liable to have a
damaging effect

2.  devotion:
great interest in something to which a lot of time is devoted

[1]



addictionology

addictionology
ad·dic·tion·ol·o·gy
[ə dìkshən ólləjee] noun

study
of addiction: the study and treatment of addictions
—ad·dic·tion·ol·o·gist,
noun[1]



addictive

addictive
ad·dic·tive
[ə díktiv] adjective

making
somebody addicted: making somebody an addict,
or able or likely to do so
—ad·dic·tive·ly, adverb[1]



addictivepersonality

addictivepersonality
ad·dic·tive
per·son·a·li·ty (plural ad·dic·tive
per·son·a·li·ties) noun

dependent character:
a personality predisposed toward becoming addicted to something[1]



add-in

add-in
add-in
noun

See
add-on[1]



AddisAbaba

AddisAbaba
Ad·dis
Ab·a·ba 
[adiss ábbəbə]

capital of Ethiopia.
Population: 1,912,500 (1990)[1]



Addison

Addison
Ad·di·son 
[áddis’n]

village in northeastern
Illinois, west of Chicago. Population: 33,580 (1996)[1]



Addison,Thomas

Addison,Thomas
Ad·di·son 
[áddis’n], Thomas (1793–1860)

British physician who
correctly ascribed the symptoms of Addison’s disease to adrenal malfunction.[1]



Addison’sdisease

Addison’sdisease
Ad·di·son’s
dis·ease 
noun

wasting
disease:
a wasting disease characterized by bronzing of the skin, low blood pressure,
and weakness. It is caused by underactivity of the adrenal glands.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Thomas Addison .][1]



addition

addition
ad·di·tion 
[ə dísh’n] (plural ad·di·tions)
noun

1.  putting
in or on:
the act of adding something onto or into something else

2.  something
added:
something or somebody that is added

3.  MATHEMATICS calculation:
the process of calculating the sum of two or more numbers or amounts

4.  annex:
a part added to a building

5.  CHEMISTRY chemical
reaction:
a chemical reaction in which a new compound is produced by the combination of
two or more compounds • an
addition-type reaction.
See
also
substitution
[14th
century. Directly or via French, from the Latin stem addition-, from additus,
the past participle of addere (see add
).]
in
addition

1.  used
to introduce an additional point or a relevant fact

2.  also

in
addition to

as
well as

[1]



additional

additional
ad·di·tion·al
[ə dísh’n’l, ə
díshn’l] adjective

extra:
added on to something else[1]



additionally

additionally
ad·di·tion·al·ly
[ə dísh’nəlee, ə
díshnəlee] adverb

1.  further:
further to what has just been said • Additionally,
each machine is checked hourly.

2.  even
more:
to an even greater extent (literary) “The atmosphere of the place was
heavy and moldy, being rendered additionally oppressive by the closing of the
door which led into the church.” Wilkie Collins The Woman in White 1860

3.  also:
as well as

[1]



additive

additive
ad·di·tive 
[áddətiv] noun (plural ad·di·tives)

something
added:
something added to something else to alter or improve it in some way, for
example, to change the color or texture of food
adjective

involving
adding something: involving or produced by addition or by
the addition of something (formal)
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin additivus, from additus (see addition
).][1]



additiveidentity

additiveidentity
ad·di·tive
i·den·ti·ty
(plural ad·di·tive i·den·ti·ties) noun

element added that changes
nothing: a quantity that, when added
to another, leaves it unchanged. For ordinary numbers this is zero.[1]



additiveinverse

additiveinverse
ad·di·tive
in·verse
(plural ad·di·tive in·verses) noun

number resulting in zero when
added: a number or quantity that
gives zero when added to another. For example, the additive inverse of 3 is –3.[1]



additiveprinting

additiveprinting
ad·di·tive
print·ing
noun

adding of colors:
a process in printing in which colors are produced by adding proportionate
amounts of three primary colors[1]



addle

addle
ad·dle 
[ádd’l] (past ad·dled, past
participle ad·dled, present participle ad·dling, 3rd
person present singular ad·dles) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  befuddle:
to confuse or muddle somebody, or become confused or muddled

2.  rot:
to make something rotten or spoiled
[Old English adela
“filth, liquid manure.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of Dutch aal “liquid manure.”][1]



addlepated

addlepated
ad·dle·pat·ed 
[ádd’l paytid] or ad·dle·brain·ed
[ádd’l braynd] or ad·dle·head·ed
[ádd’l hedid] adjective

confused:
with a mind that is muddled and confused (dated informal)[1]



add-on

add-on
add-on 
(plural add-ons) or add-in (plural add-ins)
noun

extra equipment:
a piece of equipment that can be added to another, for example, a computer
system, to expand its capabilities[1]



address

address
ad·dress 
noun [ə dréss, á drèss] (plural ad·dress·es)

1.  physical
location:
the number, street name, and other information that describes where a building
is or where somebody lives

2.  written
form of address: the address of a person or organization
when written on a letter or an item of mail

3.  formal
talk:
a formal speech or report

4.  COMPUTING number
for location: a number that specifies a location in a
computer’s memory
plural
noun
ad·dress·es

courtship: attention
paid to somebody that is intended as courtship (archaic)
verb
[ə dréss] (past ad·dressed, past
participle ad·dressed, present participle ad·dress·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·dress·es)

1.  transitive
verb
write
directions on: to write or print on an item of mail
details of where it is to be delivered

2.  transitive
verb
speak
or make speech to: to say something to
somebody, or make a speech to an audience

3.  reflexive
verb
begin
job:
to set about doing some task “Through this program of action we address
ourselves to putting our own national house in order” Franklin D. Roosevelt
First Inaugural Address 1933

4.  transitive
verb
deal
with:
to face up to and deal with a problem or issue • failure
to address the main issue

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS DANCE face:
to move to face or stand facing a target in a sport or a partner in a dance • address
the target

6.  transitive
verb
GOLF aim
golf club:
to take up the correct stance before hitting a golf shot • address
the ball
[14th
century. Via Old French adresser and assumed Vulgar Latin addrictiare,
literally “to direct to,” from, ultimately, Latin directus (see direct ).]
of
no fixed address

having no permanent place in
which to live[1]



addressable

addressable
ad·dress·a·ble 
[ə dréssəb’l] adjective

1.  resolvable:
capable of being dealt with or resolved (formal)

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS all-channel:
used to describe a cable television system that allows the user to decode any
broadcast channel
—ad·dress·a·bil·i·ty [ə drèssəbíllətee], noun[1]



addressee

addressee
ad·dress·ee 
[àd res , ə
drèss ] (plural ad·dress·ees) noun

somebody to receive mail:
a person or organization to whom an item of mail is to be delivered[1]



adduce

adduce
ad·duce 
[ə ds, ə dys]
(past ad·duced, past participle ad·duced, present
participle ad·duc·ing, 3rd person present singular ad·duc·es)
transitive verb

offer
as evidence: to offer something as evidence, reason,
or proof (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin adducere “to bring forward,” from ducere “to
lead” (source of English abduct, duke, and seduce
).]
—ad·duce·a·ble, adjective[1]



adduct

adduct
ad·duct 
[ə dúkt, a dúkt]
transitive verb (past ad·duct·ed, past participle ad·duct·ed,
present participle ad·duct·ing, 3rd person present singular
ad·ducts)

pull
toward axis: to pull a leg or arm toward the central
line of the body or a toe or finger toward the axis of a leg or arm.
See
also
abduct
noun
(plural ad·ducts)

chemical
compound:
a chemical compound formed by the combination of two or more different
compounds or elements in an addition-type reaction
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from adduction, which came directly or via French from
the Latin stem adduction-, from adductus, the past participle of adducere
(see adduce ).]
—ad·duc·tion,
noun

—ad·duc·tive, adjective[1]



adductor

adductor
ad·duc·tor 
[ə dúktər] (plural ad·duc·tors)
noun

muscle
that pulls in: a muscle that pulls a leg or arm toward
the central line of the body or a toe or finger toward the axis of a leg or arm
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin adductus, the past participle of adducere
(see adduce ).][1]



addup

addup
add
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
total:
to calculate the total of two or more numbers or amounts, or reach a total

2.  intransitive
verb
make
sense:
to make a sensible or believable story or explanation • His
story just doesn’t add up.

3.  intransitive
verb
form
large amount: to make a large total or amount • If
everyone gives a little, it soon adds up.

[1]



addup to

addup to
add
up to
transitive verb

make amount:
to amount to or result in a particular sum or thing[1]



-ade

-ade
-ade
suffix

1.  a
sweetened drink • orangeade

2.  an
action • cannonade
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin -ata, feminine of -atus (see -ate )][1]



Adelaide

Adelaide
Ad·e·laide 
[ádd’l àyd]

city in southeastern
Australia, situated on the Gulf of St. Vincent. It was founded in 1836.
Population: 978,100 (1996)[1]



Aden

Aden
A·den 
[d’n, áyd’n]

1.  former
British colony and protectorate that became part of South Yemen in 1967 and is
now part of Yemen. Area: 195 sq km/75 sq mi.

2.  port
and second largest city of Yemen, situated on a peninsula that juts into the
Gulf of Aden. Population: 562,000 (1995)

[1]



aden-

aden-
aden-
[d’n, áyd’n]
prefix

(used before vowels)See
adeno-[1]



Adenauer,Konrad

Adenauer,Konrad

Ad·en·au·er
[ádd’n òw ər], Konrad (1876–1967)
German statesman and the first chancellor
of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949–1963). He led West Germany into NATO
in 1955.[1]



adenectomy

adenectomy
ad·e·nec·to·my 
[àdd’ néktəmee] (plural ad·e·nec·to·mies)
noun

removal of gland:
the surgical removal of a gland[1]



adenine

adenine
ad·e·nine 
[ádd’ neen, ádd’
nin] noun

DNA component:
a component of nucleic acids, energy-carrying molecules such as ATP, and
certain coenzymes that carries hereditary information in DNA and RNA.
Chemically, it is a purine base. C5H5N5 Symbol
A[1]



adenitis

adenitis
ad·e·ni·tis 
[ádd’ ntəs] noun

inflammation of gland:
inflammation of a gland or a lymph node[1]



adeno-

adeno-
adeno-
or aden- prefix

gland
• adenovirus
[From Greek adēn .
Ultimately related to Latin inguen “groin” (source of English inguinal ).][1]



adenocarcinoma

adenocarcinoma
ad·e·no·car·ci·no·ma 
[àddinō krs’n ṓmə] (plural ad·e·no·car·ci·no·mas
or ad·e·no·car·ci·no·ma·ta [àddinō
krs’n ṓmətə]) noun

1.  malignant
tumor in gland: a malignant tumor in glandular tissue.
Breast cancers are often adenocarcinomas.

2.  tumor
resembling gland: a malignant tumor with cells arranged in
patterns similar to those of a gland
—ad·e·no·car·ci·nom·a·tous,
adjective[1]



adenoid

adenoid

ad·e·noid 
[ádd’n òyd] adjective

1.  relating
to glands:
relating to or similar to a gland

2.  concerning
lymphoid tissue: relating to lymphoid tissue

3.  See
adenoidal
plural noun ad·e·noids

throat tissue:
a mass of tissue at the back of the throat. If they become enlarged, breathing
can be restricted through the nose.[1]



adenoidal

adenoidal
ad·e·noi·dal 
[àdd’n óyd’l] adjective

1.  affected
by enlarged adenoids: displaying symptoms caused
by enlarged adenoids, for example, a nasal voice or breathing difficulties.
Also
called
adenoid

2.  relating
to adenoids: used to describe the adenoids

[1]



adenoidectomy

adenoidectomy
ad·e·noi·dec·tom·y
[àdd’noy déktəmee] (plural ad·e·noi·dec·tom·ies)
noun

removal of adenoids:
surgical removal of adenoids[1]



adenoma

adenoma
ad·e·no·ma 
[àdd’n ṓmə] (plural ad·e·no·mas
or ad·e·no·ma·ta [àdd’n ṓmətə])
noun

1.  benign
tumor in gland: a benign tumor in glandular tissue

2.  tumor-like
gland:
a benign tumor with cells arranged in patterns similar to those found in a
gland
—ad·e·nom·a·toid, adjective[1]



adenopathy

adenopathy
ad·e·nop·ath·y 
[àdd’n óppəthee] (plural ad·e·no·path·ies)
noun

disease of gland or lymph
node: a diseased condition, for
example, inflammation or enlargement, in a gland or lymph node[1]



adenosine

adenosine
a·den·o·sine 
[ə dénnə seen, ə
dénnəs’n] noun

component
of RNA:
a compound of adenine and a ribose that is a component of nucleic acids and
energy-carrying molecules such as ATP. C10H13N5O4
[Early 20th century. A blend
of adenine and ribose
.][1]



adenosinediphosphate

adenosinediphosphate
a·den·o·sine
di·phos·phate

Full form of
ADP[1]



adenosinemonophosphate

adenosinemonophosphate
a·den·o·sine
mon·o·phos·phate

Full form of
AMP[1]



adenosinetriphosphatase

adenosinetriphosphatase
a·den·o·sine
tri·phos·pha·tase  noun

enzyme releasing energy:
an enzyme occurring in living organisms that aids the breakdown of ATP into ADP
with the release of energy that is used by cells[1]



adenosinetriphosphate

adenosinetriphosphate
a·den·o·sine
tr·iphos·phate

Full form of
ATP[1]



adenosis

adenosis
ad·en·o·sis 
[àdd’ nṓs əs] noun

1.  enlarged
or unusual glands: the enlargement of a gland,
or the unusual formation of glandular tissue

2.  gland
disease:
any disease characterized by adenosis

[1]



adenovirus

adenovirus
ad·e·no·vi·rus 
[áddinō vrəs] (plural ad·e·no·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
that infects humans: a virus that causes
respiratory infections in humans
[From its occurrence in
adenoid tissue when first discovered][1]



adenylatecyclase

adenylatecyclase
a·den·yl·ate
cy·clase 
[ə dénnələt s klàyss] or a·den·yl
cy·clase [áddənīl s klàyss] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme involved in the formation of cyclic AMP from ATP[1]



adept

adept
a·dept 
adjective [ə dépt]

skillful:
highly proficient or expert
noun
[ádd ept] (plural a·depts)

skilled
person:
somebody who is highly proficient or expert at something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin adeptus, the past participle of adipisci “to
acquire,” from apisci “to pursue.” The underlying idea is of having
acquired a skill.]
—a·dept·ly
[ə déptlee], adverb

—a·dept·ness, noun[1]



adequate

adequate
ad·e·quate 
[áddəkwət] adjective

1.  enough:
sufficient in quality or quantity to meet a need

2.  just
barely enough: just barely sufficient in quality or
quantity to meet a need or qualify for something
[Late
16th century. From Latin adaequatus, the past participle of adaequare
“to make equal, to match,” from aequus “even” (source of English equal ).]
—ad·e·qua·cy,
noun

—ad·e·quate·ly,
adverb

—ad·e·quate·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at enough

[1]



Ader,Clément

Ader,Clément
A·der
[aa dáir], Clément (1841–1926)

French engineer who
constructed a steam-powered aircraft and made the first heavier-than-air
powered flight (1890).[1]



ADH

ADH
ADH

Abbreviation of
antidiuretic hormone See vasopressin[1]



ADHD

ADHD
ADHD

Abbreviation of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder[1]



adhere

adhere
ad·here 
[əd hr, ad hr]
(past ad·hered, past participle ad·hered, present
participle ad·her·ing, 3rd person present singular ad·heres)
intransitive verb

1.  obey:
to follow a rule or instructions exactly, or keep to an agreement

2.  support:
to hold firmly to a belief, idea, or opinion

3.  stick
firmly:
to stick firmly to a surface or an object
[15th
century. Directly or via French adhérer from Latin adhaerere,
from haerere “to stick” (source of English cohere
and hesitate ).]
—ad·her·ence, noun[1]



adherent

adherent
ad·her·ent 
[əd hrənt, ad
hrənt, əd hérrənt] noun (plural
ad·her·ents)

supporter:
somebody who supports a particular cause or leader
adjective

sticky:
able to stick firmly to a surface or an object (formal)[1]



adhesion

adhesion
ad·he·sion 
[əd hzh’n, ad
hzh’n] (plural ad·he·sions) noun

1.  sticking
power:
the ability to stick firmly to something

2.  non-slippiness:
the ability to make firm contact with a surface without slipping

3.  support:
loyal support for a cause or a leader

4.  PHYSICS intermolecular
attraction:
the intermolecular attraction between substances that are unlike and in surface
contact, causing them to cling together

5.  joining
of body parts: the joining of normally unconnected body
parts by bands of fibrous tissue
[15th century. Directly or
via French, from the Latin stem adhaesion-, from adhaes-, the
past participle stem of adhaerere (see adhere
).][1]



adhesive

adhesive
ad·he·sive 
[əd hsiv, ad
hsiv, əd hziv, ad hziv] noun (plural ad·he·sives)

glue:
a substance used to stick things together
adjective

sticky:
able to stick to something or to stick things together
[Late
17th century. Formed from the Latin stem adhaes- (see adhesion ).]
—ad·he·sive·ly,
adverb

—ad·he·sive·ness, noun[1]



adhoc

adhoc
ad
hoc 
[ad hók, ad hṓk]
adjective

done
for particular purpose: done or set up solely in
response to a particular situation or problem and without considering wider
issues • ad
hoc measures
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “to this.”]
—ad hoc, adverb[1]



adhoc committee

adhoc committee
ad
hoc com·mit·tee noun

1.  temporary
committee:
a temporary committee formed for a particular need

2.  POLITICS congressional
committee:
a congressional committee that is not permanent, but is formed by members of
various other committees to address a specific issue or problem

[1]



adhocism

adhocism
ad
hoc·ism 
[ad hókizəm, ad
hṓkizəm] or ad hock·er·y [ad
hókəree, ad hṓkəree] noun

quick decision-making:
making decisions or implementing measures according to the nature and needs of
each specific case individually rather than on the basis of a set, planned
policy (disapproving)[1]



adhominem

adhominem
ad
hom·i·nem 
[ad hómmə nem, ad
hómmənəm] adjective

appealing
to emotions: appealing to people’s emotions and
beliefs rather than their ability to think (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “to the person.”]
—ad hom·i·nem, adverb[1]



ADI

ADI
ADI

Abbreviation of
acceptable daily intake[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








adiabatic

adiabatic
ad·i·a·bat·ic 
[àddee ə báttik, àydee
ə báttik, ày d ə báttik] adjective

without
change in heat: used to describe a thermodynamic process
that happens without loss or gain of heat
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek adiabatos “impassable,” from diabainein,
“to go through” (source of English diabetes
).]
—ad·i·a·bat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



adieu

adieu
a·dieu 
[ə dy, ə d]
interjection noun (plural a·dieux [ə dyz, ə dz] or
a·dieus [ə dyz, ə dz])

goodbye:
used to say goodbye “…The more gentle adieus of her sisters were uttered
without being heard” Jane Austen Pride And Prejudice 1813
[14th century. From French,
literally “(I commend you) to God.”][1]



AdiGranth

AdiGranth
A·di
Granth
[di grúnt] noun

principal
Sikh scripture: the principal Sikh scripture, which
contains the teachings of the first five gurus and also poems and hymns
[From Sanskrit ādigrantha
literally “first book,” from grantha “tying, work of literature”][1]



adinfinitum

adinfinitum
ad
in·fi·ni·tum  [ad ínfə
ntəm] adverb

endlessly:
endlessly, for so long as to seem endless
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “to infinity.”][1]



adinterim

adinterim
ad
in·ter·im 
[àd íntərim] adverb

temporarily:
for the meantime
adjective

temporary:
done or created for the meantime only
[From Latin, literally “to
the meanwhile”][1]



adios

adios
ad·i·os 
[àddee áws, dee
áws] interjection

goodbye:
used to say goodbye (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “to God” (see adieu ).][1]



adipicacid

adipicacid
ad·ip·ic
ac·id
[ə dìppik ássid] noun

crystalline
chemical:
a white crystalline solid used in making nylon and in the production of other
chemicals. C6H10O4
[Mid-19th century. Adipic
formed from the Latin stem adip- “fat” (see adipo-
), because the acid was originally made by oxidizing fats.][1]



adipo-

adipo-
adipo-
prefix

fat,
fatty • adipocyte
[From Latin adip-, the
stem of adeps “fat,” of unknown origin][1]



adipocere

adipocere
ad·i·po·cere 
[áddi pō sr] noun

wax
on corpse:
a brownish, waxy substance, consisting primarily of fatty acids, that is
produced by postmortem chemical changes to body fat over time or as a result of
prolonged immersion in water
[Early 19th century. From
French, from the Latin stem adip- (see adipo-
) + French cire “wax.”][1]



adipocyte

adipocyte
ad·i·po·cyte 
[áddipə st] (plural adipocytes)
noun

fat-storing
cell:
a cell that synthesizes and stores fat.
Also
called
steatocyte
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin adiposus “of fat” (from the Latin stem adip-
“animal fat”) + -cyte .][1]



adipose

adipose
ad·i·pose 
[áddə pss] adjective

fatty:
containing fat
noun

fat:
fat found in tissue just below the skin and surrounding major organs, acting as
an energy reserve and providing insulation and protection
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin adiposus “fatty.”]
—ad·i·pose·ness,
noun

—ad·i·pos·i·ty [àddə páwssətee], noun[1]



adiposetissue

adiposetissue
ad·i·pose
tis·sue
noun

fatty tissue:
connective tissue in animal bodies that contains fat[1]



adipsin

adipsin
a·dip·sin 
[ə dípsin] noun

protein
used to treat obesity: a protein that is believed
to control appetite, and so is used to treat obesity
[Late 20th century. Coined
from adipsia “abstaining from liquids.”][1]



Adirondackchair

Adirondackchair
Ad·i·ron·dack
chair 
[àddə ráwn dak cháir] (plural Ad·i·ron·dack
chairs) noun

type
of chair:
a wooden armchair usually used outdoors, having wide slats and a slanted seat
and back
[Late 20th century. Named for
the Adirondack Mountains ; from the use of
such chairs in that area.][1]



AdirondackMountains

AdirondackMountains

Ad·i·ron·dack Moun·tains 
[àddə ráwn dak ] or Ad·i·ron·dacks
[àddə ráwn dak ]
mountain chain in northeastern New York
State, known for spectacular scenery and recreational activities. The highest
peak is Mount Marcy 1,629 m/5,344 ft .[1]



adit

adit
ad·it 
[áddət] (plural ad·its) noun

access
shaft:
a nearly horizontal shaft used for giving access to a mine or for drainage
[Early 17th century. From
Latin aditus “approach, entrance,” from the past participle of adire
“to go toward,” from ire “to go.”][1]



adj.

adj.
adj.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of adjective

2.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
adjoint

3.  Abbreviation
of
adjunct

4.  BANKING INSURANCE Abbreviation of adjustment

5.  adj.
or Adj. MILITARY Abbreviation
of adjutant

[1]



adjacency

adjacency
ad·ja·cen·cy 
[ə jáyss’nsee] (plural ad·ja·cen·cies)
noun

1.  something
adjacent:
something that is near or adjoining

2.  being
adjacent:
the state of being near or adjoining

[1]



adjacent

adjacent
ad·ja·cent 
[ə jáyss’nt] adjective

1.  neighboring:
near or close, especially adjoining

2.  MATHEMATICS sharing
edges:
used to describe either a pair of vertices in a graph that have common edges,
or a pair of edges in a graph that have a common vertex
[15th
century. From Latin adjacent-, the present participle stem of adjacere
“to lie near,” from jacere “to lie.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  adjacent
  or adjoining ?
  Two
  houses are said to be adjoining when they
  are next to each other with a common wall. Adjoining
  tables are next to each other end to end, forming one surface (they are, to
  use a more technical word, contiguous ). Adjacent
  houses, on the other hand, can have a space between them or even be on
  opposite sides of the road, as long as there is nothing significant between
  them (for example, another house) and they are close enough for you to pass
  easily from one to the other. Adjacent
  tables are next to each other but not necessarily touching. Note also that adjoining, being a form of a verb, can govern an
  object ( • the
  house adjoining ours ), whereas adjacent needs the addition of to ( • the
  house adjacent to ours ).

[1]



adjacentangle

adjacentangle

ad·ja·cent an·gle
(plural ad·ja·cent an·gles) noun
angle next to another:
either of the two angles that are formed by the intersection of two straight
lines and lie on the same side of one line[1]



adjectival

adjectival
ad·jec·ti·val 
[ájjək tv’l] adjective

used
as adjective: relating to or functioning as an
adjective
—ad·jec·ti·val·ly, adverb[1]



adjective

adjective
ad·jec·tive 
[ájjəktiv] noun (plural ad·jec·tives)

word qualifying noun:
a word that qualifies or describes a noun or pronoun
adjective

1.  acting
as adjective: relating to, forming, or functioning as
an adjective

2.  LAW practiced
in court:
relating to court practice and procedure rather than the principles of law
[14th
century. Via French adjectif from Latin adjectivus, from,
ultimately, adjicere, literally “to throw to,” from jacere “to
throw.”]
—ad·jec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



adjoin

adjoin
ad·join 
[ə jóyn] (past ad·joined, past
participle ad·joined, present participle ad·join·ing, 3rd
person present singular ad·joins) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb border:
to be next to or share a common border with something, especially an area of
land • The
two properties adjoin.

2.  transitive
verb
connect:
to attach or add on something (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
ajoin-, the stem of ajoindre, from Latin adjungere “to
join to,” from jungere “to join.”][1]



adjoining

adjoining
ad·join·ing 
[ə jóyning] adjective

adjacent:
situated next to or touching something or each other

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at adjacent.

[1]



adjoint

adjoint
ad·joint
[ájjoynt] (plural ad·joints) noun

type
of matrix:
a matrix formed from a given square matrix, each element being derived from its
cofactors, the determinants of the given matrix obtained by removing the row
and column containing the element
[Late 16th century. From
French, the past participle of adjoindre (see adjoin
).][1]



adjourn

adjourn
ad·journ 
[ə júrn] (past ad·journed, past
participle ad·journed, present participle ad·journ·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·journs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb postpone
proceedings: to suspend the business of a court,
legislature, or committee temporarily or indefinitely, or become suspended
temporarily or indefinitely • The
court adjourned at one o’clock.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb postpone:
to postpone a meeting to another time, or become postponed

3.  transitive
verb
defer:
to defer a matter or an action to another time

4.  intransitive
verb
move
as group:
to move together from one place to another

5.  intransitive
verb
stop
working:
to stop working (informal)
[14th century. From Old
French ajourner, from the phrase à jorn (nomé) “to an (appointed)
day.”][1]



adjournment

adjournment
ad·journ·ment 
[ə júrnmənt] (plural ad·journ·ments)
noun

break in official
proceedings: a temporary or
indefinite cessation of the business of a court, legislature, or committee[1]



Adjt.

Adjt.
Adjt.
or adjt.

Abbreviation of
adjutant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








adjudge

adjudge
ad·judge 
[ə júj] (past ad·judged, past
participle ad·judged, present participle ad·judg·ing, 3rd
person present singular ad·judg·es) transitive verb

1.  make
declaration about: to judge somebody or
something in a particular way • She
was adjudged to be an accomplished musician.

2.  LAW determine
judicially:
to decide something in a judicial proceeding

3.  LAW decree
legally:
to pronounce something by law
[14th century. Via Old French
ajuger from Latin adjudicare (see adjudicate
).][1]



adjudicate

adjudicate
ad·ju·di·cate 
[ə jdi kàyt] (past ad·ju·di·cat·ed,
past participle ad·ju·di·cat·ed, present participle ad·ju·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·ju·di·cates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  LAW decide
legally:
to reach a judicial decision on something

2.  decide
about:
to make an official decision about a problem or dispute
[Early
18th century. From Latin adjudicat-, the past participle stem of adjudicare
“to award in arbitration,” from the stem judic- “judge.”]
—ad·ju·di·ca·tive
[ə jdi kàytiv, ə
jdikətiv], adjective

—ad·ju·di·ca·tor [ə jdi kàytər], noun[1]



adjudication

adjudication
ad·ju·di·ca·tion 
[ə jdi káysh’n] (plural ad·ju·di·ca·tions)
noun

court decision:
a judicial decision, sentence, or decree[1]



adjunct

adjunct
ad·junct 
[ájjungkt] noun (plural ad·juncts)

1.  something
extra added on: something inessential added to something
else

2.  assistant:
somebody who assists and is subordinate to somebody else

3.  GRAMMAR inessential
part of sentence: a part of a sentence that is not the
subject or predicate
adjective

attached temporarily to a staff:
assigned temporarily or as an auxiliary member to the staff of an institution • an
adjunct professor of art history
[Early
16th century. From Latin adjunctus, the past participle of adjungere
(see adjoin ).]
—ad·junc·tion
[ə júngksh’n], noun

—ad·junc·tive, adjective[1]



adjuration

adjuration
ad·ju·ra·tion 
[àjjə ráysh’n] (plural ad·ju·ra·tions)
noun

1.  formal
oath:
a solemn oath

2.  supplication:
an earnest appeal
—ad·jur·a·to·ry [ə jrə tàwree], adjective[1]



adjure

adjure
ad·jure 
[ə jr] (past ad·jured, past
participle ad·jured, present participle ad·jur·ing, 3rd
person present singular ad·jures) transitive verb

1.  command
solemnly:
to order somebody to do something, especially under oath

2.  make
appeal:
to make an earnest appeal to somebody
[14th
century. From Latin adjurare “to swear by oath,” from jurare “to
swear” (see jury ).]
—ad·jur·er, noun[1]



adjust

adjust
ad·just 
[ə júst] (past ad·just·ed, past
participle ad·just·ed, present participle ad·just·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·justs) verb

1.  transitive
verb
change
slightly:
to make slight changes in something to make it fit or function better

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb adapt
to new circumstances: to adapt to a new
environment or condition

3.  transitive
verb
decide
amount of money owed: to decide what sums are
payable in the settlement of an insurance claim
[Early
17th century. Via obsolete French adjuster from assumed Vulgar Latin adjuxtare
“to put close to,” from Latin juxta “close” (source of English juxtapose ).]
—ad·just·a·ble,
adjective

—ad·just·a·bly, adverb[1]



adjustablerate mortgage

adjustablerate mortgage
ad·just·a·ble
rate mort·gage (plural ad·just·a·ble rate
mort·gag·es) noun

mortgage with variable
interest: a mortgage on which interest
is payable at a rate that varies according to a predetermined formula. The
interest is typically tied to another interest rate such as the prime rate.
U.K. term
variable rate mortgage[1]



adjuster

adjuster
ad·just·er
[ə jústər] (plural ad·just·ers)
or ad·jus·tor [ə jústər] (plural
ad·jus·tors) noun

insurance claim assessor:
somebody who assesses the validity of an insurance claim on behalf of an
insurance company and authorizes appropriate payment, repairs, or other action.

U.K. term
loss adjuster[1]



adjustment

adjustment
ad·just·ment 
[ə jústmənt] (plural ad·just·ments)
noun

1.  act
of being adjusted: the act of being or becoming
adjusted

2.  slight
change:
a slight change intended to make something fit or function better

3.  device
for adjusting something: a device for adjusting
something

[1]



adjutant

adjutant
ad·ju·tant 
[ájjətənt] (plural ad·ju·tants)
noun

commanding
officer’s administrative assistant: an
officer who acts as an administrative assistant to a commanding officer
[Early 17th century. From
Latin adjutant-, the present participle stem of adjutare,
literally “to keep on helping” (source also of English aid ), from adjuvare (see adjuvant ).][1]



adjutantgeneral

adjutantgeneral
ad·ju·tant
gen·er·al 
(plural ad·ju·tants gen·er·al) noun

1.  senior
military administrative officer: an army general
responsible for administration and personnel

2.  administrative
officer of a military unit: the adjutant of a military
unit commanded by a general staff

[1]



adjutantstork

adjutantstork
ad·ju·tant
stork
(plural ad·ju·tant storks) noun

Asian
stork:
a carrion-eating stork of Southeast Asia with a pink neck and soft white
feathers on its underside. Latin name: Leptoptilos dubius Leptoptilos
javanicus
[From the similarity of its
walk to that of a military staff officer][1]



adjuvant

adjuvant
ad·ju·vant 
[ájjəvənt] noun (plural ad·ju·vants)

1.  MEDICINE drug-enhancing
agent:
a drug or agent added to another drug or agent to enhance its medical
effectiveness

2.  MEDICINE antigen-enhancing
drug:
a substance injected along with an antigen to enhance the immune response
stimulated by the antigen

3.  helping
agent:
something that helps or assists
adjective

supplementary:
helping by supplementing
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French, from Latin adjuvant-, the present participle stem of adjuvare
“to give help to,” from juvare “to help.”][1]



Adler,Alfred

Adler,Alfred
Ad·ler 
[áddlər], Alfred (1870–1937)

Austrian psychiatrist who
stressed the importance of the inferiority complex. His books include The
Neurotic Constitution (1912).[1]



Adler,Stella

Adler,Stella
Ad·ler 
[áddlər], Stella (1902–1992)

U.S. actress who taught
Method acting at her school, the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting.[1]



adlib

adlib
ad
lib 
[àd líb] adjective

See ad libitum
adverb

1.  See
ad libitum

2.  off
the cuff:
without any advance preparation
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of ad libitum .][1]



ad-lib

ad-lib
ad-lib 
[àd líb] intransitive and transitive verb
(past ad-libbed, past participle ad-libbed, present
participle ad-lib·bing, 3rd person present singular ad-libs)

improvise
speech or performance: to make up a speech or a
musical or dramatic performance on the spot without a fixed text or score
adjective

unplanned:
improvised or made up on the spot
noun
(plural ad-libs)

improvised
remark in performance: something said by an actor
or other performer that is not in the script
[Early
20th C. From ad lib .]
—ad-lib·ber, noun[1]



adlibitum

adlibitum
ad
li·bi·tum 
[àd líbbətəm] adjective adverb

as
the performer chooses: to be performed at the
discretion of the performer, or in a speed or style of the performer’s choice
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “at your pleasure.”][1]



adlitem

adlitem
ad
lit·em 
[ád ltəm] adjective

LAW appointed
as minor’s guardian: appointed by a court to
represent a minor
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “for the purpose of a lawsuit.”][1]



Adm.

Adm.
Adm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Admiral

2.  Abbreviation
of
Admiralty

[1]



adman

adman
ad·man
[ád màn] (plural ad·men [ád mèn]) noun

advertising person:
somebody who works in the advertising business (informal)[1]



admeasure

admeasure
ad·meas·ure 
[ad mézhər] (past ad·meas·ured,
past participle ad·meas·ured, present participle ad·meas·ur·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·meas·ures) transitive verb

apportion:
to divide something up to be shared out
[14th century. Via Old French
amesurer from medieval Latin admensurare “to apply a measure
to.”][1]



administer

administer
ad·min·is·ter 
[əd mínnəstər] (past ad·min·is·tered,
past participle ad·min·is·tered, present participle ad·min·is·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·min·is·ters) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be in
charge of:
to manage the affairs of a business, organization, or institution

2.  transitive
verb
dispense:
to preside over the dispensation of something • He
administered justice in the fairest possible manner.

3.  transitive
verb
give
as medication: to give somebody a measured amount of a
medication, often also physically introducing it into the body

4.  transitive
verb
perform
as ritual:
to carry out a set ritual or religious ceremony on behalf of an individual or
group

5.  intransitive
verb
supervise
oath-taking: to oversee the taking of an oath by
somebody

6.  intransitive
verb
look
after somebody: to look after and tend to the needs of
somebody

7.  transitive
verb
organize
handover of property: to manage the distribution
of a deceased person’s property in accordance with the law
[14th
century. Via Old French aministrer from Latin administrare “to
serve, manage,” from ministrare “to serve.”]
—ad·min·is·tra·ble,
adjective

—ad·min·is·trant, noun,
adjective[1]



administrate

administrate
ad·min·is·trate 
[əd mínnə stràyt] (past ad·min·is·trat·ed,
past participle ad·min·is·trat·ed, present participle ad·min·is·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·min·is·trates) intransitive and
transitive verb

organize
affairs:
to oversee or organize the affairs of something, especially a business,
organization, or institution
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
administrat-, past participle stem of administrare (see administer ).][1]



administration

administration
ad·min·is·tra·tion 
[əd mìnnə stráysh’n] (plural ad·min·is·tra·tions)
noun

1.  management
of business: the management of the affairs of a
business or organization

2.  management
staff:
the staff of a business or institution whose task is to manage its affairs

3.  management
of government: the management of public affairs or the
affairs of a government

4.  staff
of government: a government’s staff whose task is to
manage its affairs

5.  term
of office:
the duration of a particular office, usually a political one

6.  government:
a government, especially its executive branch

7.  U.S.
government agency: a United States government
agency or board

8.  legal
disposal of estate: the disposal or management
of a deceased person’s estate or an estate held in trust

9.  administering
something to somebody: the act of administering
something such as an oath, medicine, or sacrament

[1]



administrative

administrative
ad·min·is·tra·tive
[əd mínnə stràytiv] adjective

of
administration: relating to the administration of a
business or organization
—ad·min·is·tra·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



administrativelaw

administrativelaw
ad·min·is·tra·tive
law
noun

area of law:
the area of law dealing with the affairs of agencies of the executive branch of
a government, and with the judicial review of public bodies generally[1]



administrator

administrator
ad·min·is·tra·tor 
[əd mínnə stràytər] (plural ad·min·is·tra·tors)
noun

1.  manager
in organization: somebody whose job is to administer the
affairs of a business or organization

2.  manager
of estate:
somebody appointed by a court to manage the estate of a deceased person,
especially when there is no competent executor

[1]



admirable

admirable
ad·mi·ra·ble 
[ádmərəb’l] adjective

excellent:
deserving to be admired
[15th
century. From Latin admirabilis, from admirari (see admire ).]
—ad·mi·ra·ble·ness,
noun

—ad·mi·ra·bly, adverb[1]



admiral

admiral
ad·mi·ral 
[ádmərəl] (plural ad·mi·rals) noun

1.  naval
commander:
the officer in command of a navy or fleet

2.  senior
naval officer: a naval rank above vice admiral and
below Admiral of the Fleet

3.  naval
officer:
a high-ranking naval officer entitled to fly a personal flag

4.  admiral’s
flagship:
an admiral’s flagship (archaic)

5.  ZOOLOGY brightly
colored butterfly: a brightly colored butterfly
of temperate regions. Family: Nymphalidae
See
also
red admiral
See
also
white admiral
[13th
century. Via French amiral from, ultimately, Arabic amir-al,
literally “commander of” in such phrases as amir-al-bahr “commander of
the sea.”]
—ad·mi·ral·ship, noun[1]



Admiralof the Fleet

Admiralof the Fleet
Ad·mi·ral
of the Fleet  (plural Ad·mi·rals of the
Fleet) noun

chief naval officer:
an officer holding the highest rank in the U.S. Navy or the Royal Navy[1]



admiralty

admiralty
ad·mi·ral·ty 
[ádmərəltee] (plural ad·mir·al·ties)
noun

office of admiral:
the office or jurisdiction of an admiral[1]



AdmiraltyIslands

AdmiraltyIslands
Ad·mi·ral·ty
Is·lands
[ádmərltee ləndz]

island group in the Bismarck
Archipelago, north of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean. Manus is the
group’s largest island. Area: 2,072 sq km/829 sq mi.[1]



admiration

admiration
ad·mi·ra·tion 
[àdmə ráysh’n] noun

1.  high
regard:
a feeling of pleasure and approval, and, often, wonder

2.  object
of high regard: something or somebody regarded with a
feeling of pleasure, approval, and, often, wonder

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



admire

admire
ad·mire 
[əd mr] (past ad·mired, past
participle ad·mired, present participle ad·mir·ing, 3rd
person present singular ad·mires) transitive verb

1.  be
pleased by:
to regard somebody or something with a feeling of pleasure, approval, and,
often, wonder

2.  respect:
to have a high opinion of somebody or something, for example, a quality or
attribute
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French admirer from Latin admirari
“to wonder at,” from mirari “to wonder” (source of English miracle ).]
—ad·mir·er, noun[1]



admiring

admiring
ad·mir·ing
[əd mring] adjective

showing
admiration:
full of admiration for somebody or something
—ad·mir·ing·ly, adverb[1]



admissible

admissible
ad·mis·si·ble 
[əd míssəb’l] adjective

1.  allowable:
allowed to be done

2.  allowed
to come in:
able or deserving to enter

3.  allowed
to be given in court: accepted as evidence in
court
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French, from medieval Latin admissibilis,
from the Latin stem admiss- (see admission
).]
—ad·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[əd mìssə bíllətee], noun

—ad·mis·si·ble·ness
[əd míssəbəlnəs], noun

—ad·mis·si·bly, adverb[1]



admission

admission
ad·mis·sion 
[əd mísh’n] (plural ad·mis·sions)
noun

1.  entry:
the right, ability, or permission to enter

2.  fee
for entry:
a fee paid for entrance to a place or event

3.  confession:
a confession to having committed a crime or having made a mistake

4.  declaration:
an acknowledgment that something is true
[15th
century. From the Latin stem admission-, from admiss-, the past
participle stem of admittere (see admit
).]
—ad·mis·sive,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  admission
  or admittance ?
  Both
  words mean “permission or right to enter.” Admission
  is the usual word, whereas admittance is
  largely restricted to formal or official contexts, for example, signs and
  notices: • Admission
  is by ticket only. • No
  admittance. Admission
  is the only word of the two that can by itself mean “the price charged for
  entrance” and that can be used before another noun in this meaning: • admission
  money
  ; • admission
  ticket
  .

[1]



admit

admit
ad·mit 
[əd mít] (past ad·mit·ted, past
participle ad·mit·ted, present participle ad·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular ad·mits) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb acknowledge
truth:
to acknowledge that something is true • You
must admit it is a tempting offer.

2.  transitive
verb
allow
to enter:
to allow somebody or something entrance or access • “Admits
one”

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb confess:
to confess to having committed a crime or having made a mistake

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
possibility: to permit the possibility of something • Their
conduct admits of only one explanation.
[14th century. From Latin admittere,
literally “to let go into,” from mittere “to let go.” The sense “to
confess” probably evolved from “letting a confession enter your speech.”][1]



admittance

admittance
ad·mit·tance 
[əd mítt’ns] noun

1.  permission
to go in:
the permission or right to enter a place

2.  entrance
to place:
physical entry to a place

3.  PHYSICS measure
of flow of current: the reciprocal of impedance,
a measure of the ability of an electrical current to flow. Symbol Y

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at admission.

[1]



admittedly

admittedly
ad·mit·ted·ly 
[əd míttədlee] adverb

as is generally admitted:
as must be acknowledged[1]



admix

admix
ad·mix 
[əd míks, ad
míks] (past ad·mixed, past participle ad·mixed,
present participle ad·mix·ing, 3rd person present singular
ad·mix·es) transitive verb

incorporate:
to mix something into something else
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from admixture
.][1]



admixture

admixture
ad·mix·ture 
[əd míkschər, ad
míkschər] (plural ad·mix·tures) noun

1.  product
of mixing:
something produced by mixing something into something else

2.  ingredient:
something added to something else by mixing

3.  process
of mixing ingredients: the mixing of something into
something else
[Early 17th century. Formed
from mixture .][1]



admonish

admonish
ad·mon·ish 
[əd mónnish] (past ad·mon·ished,
past participle ad·mon·ished, present participle ad·mon·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·mon·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  rebuke:
to rebuke somebody mildly but earnestly

2.  advise:
to advise somebody to do or, more often, not to do something
[14th
century. Anglicization of Old French amonester from assumed Vulgar Latin
admonere, from Latin monere “to warn” (source of English monitor ).]
—ad·mon·ish·er, noun[1]



admonition

admonition
ad·mo·ni·tion 
[àdmə nísh’n] (plural ad·mo·ni·tions)
noun

1.  rebuke:
a mild but earnest rebuke

2.  advice:
advice for or against doing something

[1]



admonitory

admonitory
ad·mon·i·to·ry 
[əd mónnə tàwree] adjective

1.  rebuking:
mildly reproving

2.  advisory:
advising somebody to do or not to do something

[1]



adnauseam

adnauseam
ad
nau·se·am 
[ad náwzee əm] adverb

to
extreme degree: to an extreme or annoying extent
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “to sickness.”][1]



adnexa

adnexa
ad·nex·a 
[ad néksə] plural noun

adjoining
anatomical parts: adjoining structural parts of the body
[Late
19th century. From Latin, from, ultimately, adnectere “to tie together,”
from nectere “to tie.”]
—ad·nex·al, adjective[1]



adnominal

adnominal
ad·nom·i·nal 
[əd nómmən’l] (plural ad·nom·i·nals)
noun

modifier
of noun:
a word that modifies a noun
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin adnomen, alteration of agnomen “agnomen.”][1]



ado

ado
a·do 
[ə d] noun

bustle:
excited activity or bother
[14th
century. Contraction of northern English dialect at do, a form of “to
do,” from Old Norse at “to” + do .]
without
further ado

without
wasting any time





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Much
  Ado About Nothing, a play by William Shakespeare ( 1598? ). A comedy set in
  the court of the Duke of Messina in Sicily, it tells of the love of a
  soldier, Claudio, for the Duke’s daughter, Hero, and the eventually
  unsuccessful attempts of Claudio’s enemy, Don John, to prevent their
  marriage.

[1]



adobe

adobe
a·do·be 
[ə dṓbee] (plural a·do·bes) noun

1.  earthen
brick:
brick made from earth and straw and dried by the sun

2.  building
made of adobe: a structure made with adobe bricks

3.  earth
that forms adobe: earth used to make adobe bricks
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish, from Arabic at-tūb “the bricks.”][1]



adobeflat

adobeflat
a·do·be
flat
(plural a·do·be flats) noun

sloping plain:
a gently sloping plain of clay soil deposited by desert floods[1]



adobo

adobo
a·do·bo 
[aa dṓ b, ə dṓ
b] (plural a·do·bos) noun

Philippine
dish:
a Philippine dish of marinated meat or fish seasoned with vinegar, garlic, soy
sauce, and spices
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish .][1]



adolescence

adolescence
ad·o·les·cence 
[àddə léss’ns] noun

1.  time
preceding adulthood: the period from puberty to
adulthood in human beings

2.  intermediate
stage of development: the stage in the development
of something such as a civilization before its reaching maturity

[1]



adolescent

adolescent
ad·o·les·cent 
[àddə léss’nt] noun (plural ad·o·les·cents)

somebody in period preceding adulthood:
somebody who has reached puberty but is not yet an adult
adjective

1.  experiencing
adolescence: going through the period of adolescence
• adolescent
youths

2.  happening
during adolescence: typically occurring during
the period of adolescence

3.  immature:
typical of somebody who is immature
[15th century. Via French,
from Latin adolescent-, the present participle stem of adolescere
“to be nourished, grow up” (source also of English adult
), from alere “to nourish.”][1]



Adonai

Adonai
Ad·o·nai 
[dō n] noun

God:
a name used in Judaism instead of the unspeakable name of God
[14th century. From Hebrew ‘āḏōny
.][1]



Adonis

Adonis
A·don·is 
[ə dónniss, ə dṓniss]
(plural A·don·is·es) noun

1.  handsome
man in Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, a
handsome youth loved by Aphrodite and Persephone. He was killed while hunting
boar, but was allowed by Zeus to divide his time between Aphrodite on earth and
Persephone in the underworld.

2.  A·don·is
or a·do·nis (plural adonises) handsome
youth:
an extremely handsome young man
[Late 16th century. From
Greek Adōnis, from, ultimately, Phoenician ædōnī “my lord.”][1]



adopt

adopt
a·dopt 
[ə dópt] (past a·dopt·ed, past
participle a·dopt·ed, present participle a·dopt·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·dopts) transitive verb

1.  legally
raise another’s child as your own: to raise a child of
other biological parents as if it were your own, in accordance with formal
legal procedures

2.  choose
and decide to use: to take up something such as
a plan, idea, cause, or practice and use or follow it

3.  take
over:
to take over something such as an idea that originated elsewhere and use it as
your own

4.  assume
way of acting: to assume a particular attitude or way
of behaving

5.  start
using:
to take on and use a new name or title

6.  vote
in favor of: to vote to accept something such as a
committee’s decision or a congressional bill

7.  choose
requirement: to officially select something as a
requirement
[15th
century. Directly or via French adopter from Latin adoptare “to
choose for oneself,” from optare “to choose” (see opt ).]
—a·dopt·a·ble,
adjective

—a·dopt·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  adopted
  or adoptive ?
  Parents
  who adopt a child have an adopted child,
  and the child has adoptive parents. It is
  easy to confuse these two words but it is important to remember the
  distinction.

[1]



adopted

adopted
a·dopt·ed
[ə dóptəd] adjective

related by adoption:
used to describe a child who has been adopted[1]



adoptee

adoptee
a·dop·tee 
[ə dòp t] (plural a·dop·tees)
noun

somebody adopted:
a child who has been adopted[1]



adoption

adoption
a·dop·tion
[ə dópsh’n] (plural a·dop·tions)
noun

1.  legal
procedure for adopting a child: a formal legal process
to adopt a child

2.  instance
of adopting somebody or something: an instance of
adopting somebody or something such as an idea, name, or attitude

[1]



adoptive

adoptive
a·dop·tive 
[ə dóptiv] adjective

related
by adoption: used to describe a parent who adopts a
child or somebody related to another by adoption

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at adopt.

[1]



adorable

adorable
a·dor·a·ble 
[ə dáwrəb’l] adjective

very
pleasing:
charming, lovable, and usually very pretty
—a·dor·a·bil·i·ty
[ə dàwrə bíllətee], noun

—a·dor·a·ble·ness
[ə dáwrəbəlnəss], noun

—a·dor·a·bly [ə dáwrəblee], adverb[1]



adoration

adoration
ad·o·ra·tion 
[àddə ráysh’n] noun

1.  love:
great love and esteem

2.  worship:
religious worship of God, a deity, or a spirit

[1]



adore

adore
a·dore 
[ə dáwr] (past a·dored, past
participle a·dored, present participle a·dor·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·dores) transitive verb

1.  love
deeply:
to love somebody intensely

2.  worship:
to worship God, a deity, or a spirit

3.  like
very much:
to like something or somebody very much (informal)
[14th
century. Via Old French, from late Latin adorare, literally “to pray
to,” from Latin orare “to pray” (see orate
).]
—a·dor·er, noun[1]



adoring

adoring
a·dor·ing
[ə dáwring] adjective

loving:
showing love or admiration for somebody
—a·dor·ing·ly, adverb[1]



adorn

adorn
a·dorn 
[ə dáwrn] (past a·dorned, past
participle a·dorned, present participle a·dorn·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·dorns) transitive verb

1.  embellish:
to add decoration or ornamentation to something

2.  enhance:
to add to the beauty or glory of something or somebody
[14th
century. Via Old French, from Latin adornare “to embellish with
ornaments,” from ornare “to embellish” (see ornate
).]
—a·dorn·er, noun[1]



adornment

adornment
a·dorn·ment 
[ə dáwrnmənt] (plural a·dorn·ments)
noun

1.  decorating:
the act of adorning something

2.  something
decorative:
a decorative item or material added to something to make it look better

[1]



ADP

ADP2
ADP2 

Abbreviation of
automatic data processing[1]



ADP

ADP1
ADP1  noun

chemical compound in living
organisms: a chemical compound ( nucleotide ) in living organisms that is formed
when another nucleotide ( ATP ) breaks down
to release energy that is used by cells. Full form adenosine diphosphate[1]



ADR

ADR
ADR

STOCK
EXCHANGE Abbreviation of
American depositary receipt[1]



Adrastea

Adrastea
A·dras·te·a
[ə drástee ə] noun

a small moon of Jupiter:
a small natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1979[1]



adrem

adrem
ad
rem
[ad rém] adverb

relevantly:
to the point or purpose
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “to the matter or business.”]
—ad rem, adjective[1]



adren-

adren-
adren-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
adreno-[1]



adrenal

adrenal
ad·re·nal 
[ə drn’l] adjective

1.  on
the kidneys: relating to or on the kidneys

2.  relating
to adrenal glands: used to describe parts or
effects of the adrenal glands
noun
(plural ad·re·nals)

See adrenal gland
[Late
19th century. Coined from ad- + renal .]
—ad·re·nal·ly, adverb[1]



adrenalectomy

adrenalectomy
ad·re·nal·ec·to·my 
[ə drn’l éktəmee] (plural ad·re·nal·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal of adrenal gland:
the surgical removal of one or both of the adrenal glands[1]



adrenalgland

adrenalgland
ad·re·nal
gland
(plural ad·re·nal glands) noun

organ secreting hormones:
an endocrine gland located above each kidney. The inner part ( medulla ) of each gland secretes epinephrine and
the outer part ( cortex ) secretes steroids.

Also called
adrenal[1]



Adrenalin

Adrenalin
Ad·ren·a·lin 
Trademark

a trademark for epinephrine[1]



adrenaline

adrenaline
a·dren·a·line 
[ə drénn’lən] noun

hormone
secreted by adrenal gland: a hormone secreted in the
adrenal gland that raises blood pressure, produces a rapid heartbeat, and acts
as a neurotransmitter when the body is subjected to stress or danger (often
used informally) • get
the adrenaline pumping
[Early 20th century. Coined
from adrenal + -ine
.][1]



adrenalize

adrenalize
ad·re·nal·ize 
[ə drénn’l z] (past ad·re·nal·ized,
past participle ad·re·nal·ized, present participle ad·re·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·re·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

energize somebody:
to get somebody stirred up and ready for action[1]



adrenergic

adrenergic
ad·re·ner·gic 
[àddrə núrjik] adjective

producing
epinephrine: producing or activated by epinephrine or
a similar substance
—adren·er·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



adreno-

adreno-
adreno-
or adren- prefix

pertaining
to adrenaline or the adrenal glands • adrenochrome
[Coined from ad- + renal,
because the adrenal glands are next to the kidneys][1]



adrenocortical

adrenocortical
a·dre·no·cor·ti·cal 
[ə drnō káwrtək’l] adjective

relating to adrenal cortex:
involving, located in, or produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands[1]



adrenocorticosteroid

adrenocorticosteroid
ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·ster·oid 
[ə drnō káwrtikō str òyd, ə drnō káwrtikō sté ryd] (plural adreno·cor·ti·cos·teroids)
noun

1.  hormone
produced by adrenal glands: a steroid hormone obtained
from the cortex of the adrenal glands

2.  synthetic
steroid drug: a drug with similar physiological
effects to the natural steroid produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands

[1]



adrenocorticotrophic

adrenocorticotrophic
ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·troph·ic

See
adrenocorticotropic[1]



adrenocorticotropic

adrenocorticotropic
ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·trop·ic 
[ə drnō káwrtikō tróppik] or ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·troph·ic
[ə drnō káwrtikō tróffik] adjective

stimulating the adrenal
cortex: used to describe hormones or
drugs that stimulate the cortex of the adrenal glands to produce
corticosteroids[1]



adrenocorticotropichormone

adrenocorticotropichormone
ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·trop·ic
hor·mone
noun

Full form of
ACTH[1]



adrenocorticotropin

adrenocorticotropin
ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·trop·in 
[ə drnō káwrtikō trṓpin] or ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·troph·in
[ə drnō káwrtikō trṓfin] noun

See
ACTH[1]



adrenoleukodystrophy

adrenoleukodystrophy
ad·re·no·leu·ko·dys·tro·phy 
[ə drnō lkə dístrəfee] noun

disorder of the nervous
system: a hereditary disorder of the
nervous system in boys that affects the adrenal glands[1]



adrenolytic

adrenolytic
ad·re·no·lyt·ic 
[ə drn’l íttik] adjective

stopping
epinephrine effects: blocking the action of the
adrenergic nerves or inhibiting the response to epinephrine
noun
(plural ad·re·no·lyt·ics)

inhibitory drug:
an adrenolytic drug or agent[1]



Adrian

Adrian
A·dri·an 
[áydree ən]

city in southeastern
Michigan, southwest of Detroit. Population: 22,262 (1996)[1]



AdriaticSea

AdriaticSea
A·dri·at·ic
Sea 
[àydree áttik see]

arm of the Mediterranean Sea,
east of Italy. aboutArea: 155,000 sq.km/ 60,000 sq.mi.[1]



adrift

adrift
a·drift 
[ə dríft] adjective adverb

1.  floating
without direction: floating freely without
being steered in a particular direction

2.  without
purpose:
living life without a goal

[1]



adroit

adroit
a·droit 
[ə dróyt] adjective

skillful:
displaying physical or mental skill
[Mid-17th
century. From French à droit “by right, properly.” The meaning
“skillful” evolved from the idea of “doing something properly or well.”]
—a·droit·ly,
adverb

—a·droit·ness, noun[1]



adscititious

adscititious
ad·sci·ti·tious 
[àdsə tíshəss] adjective

additional:
added to something rather than being inherent or essential (formal)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin adscit-, the past participle stem of adsciscere “to
admit, adopt.”][1]



ADSL

ADSL
ADSL

Abbreviation of
asymmetrical digital subscriber line[1]



adsorb

adsorb
ad·sorb 
[əd sáwrb, əd
záwrb] (past ad·sorbed, past participle ad·sorbed,
present participle ad·sorb·ing, 3rd person present singular
ad·sorbs) intransitive and transitive verb

cause
or undergo adsorption: to undergo or cause
something to undergo adsorption
[Late
19th century. Back-formation from adsorption
.]
—ad·sorb·able, adjective[1]



adsorbate

adsorbate
ad·sor·bate
[əd sáwrbət, əd
záwrbət, əd sáwr bàyt] (plural
ad·sor·bates) noun

adsorbed substance:
a substance that is adsorbed[1]



adsorbent

adsorbent
ad·sor·bent 
[əd sáwrbənt, əd
záwrbənt] adjective

capable
of adsorbing: able to adsorb
noun
(plural ad·sor·bents)

adsorbing substance:
a substance capable of adsorbing[1]



adsorption

adsorption
ad·sorp·tion 
[əd sáwrpsh’n, əd
záwrpsh’n] noun

accumulation
of substance on surface: the process by which a layer
of atoms or molecules of a substance, usually a gas, is formed on the surface
of a solid or liquid
[Late
19th century. Blend of ad- and absorption .]
—ad·sorp·tive, adjective[1]



adularia

adularia
ad·u·lar·i·a 
[àjjə lérree ə] (plural ad·u·lar·i·as)
noun

type
of gemstone: a white or transparent variety of the
mineral orthoclase, used as a gemstone. KAlSi3O8
[Late 18th century. Formed
from French adulaire, from Adula, the name of mountains in the
Swiss Alps where the mineral was first found.][1]



adulate

adulate
ad·u·late 
[ájjə làyt] (past ad·u·lat·ed,
past participle ad·u·lat·ed, present participle ad·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·u·lates) transitive verb

admire
or flatter excessively: to admire or flatter
somebody excessively
[Mid-18th
century. Back-formation from adulation .]
—ad·u·la·tor, noun[1]



adulation

adulation
ad·u·la·tion 
[àjjə láysh’n] noun

excessively
admiring behavior: excessive flattery or
admiration
[14th century. Directly or
via French, from the Latin stem adulation-, from adulari “to
flatter.”][1]



adulatory

adulatory
ad·u·la·to·ry
[ájjələ tàwree] adjective

too flattering:
excessively admiring and flattering[1]



adult

adult
a·dult 
[ə dúlt, á dùlt]
adjective

1.  completely
grown:
fully developed and mature

2.  for
somebody mature: involving, typical of, or meant for
mature people

3.  unsuitable
for children: considered unsuitable for young people
because of violent, or sexually explicit content
noun
(plural a·dults)

1.  fully
grown life form: a fully mature person, animal, plant, or
other form of life

2.  somebody
legally an adult: somebody who has reached the age of
legal majority, generally 18 years of age in the United States
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin adultus, the past participle of adolescere
(see adolescent ).]
—a·dult·ness, noun[1]



adultchild

adultchild
a·dult
child 
(plural a·dult chil·dren) noun

adult with maturity of child:
somebody who is an adult in age but, because of a psychiatric disorder, thinks
and behaves more like a child[1]



adulteducation

adulteducation
a·dult
ed·u·ca·tion noun

See
continuing education[1]



adulterant

adulterant
a·dul·ter·ant 
[ə dúltərənt] (plural a·dul·ter·ants)
noun

impurity:
something that makes something else less pure
—a·dul·ter·ant, adjective[1]



adulterate

adulterate
a·dul·ter·ate 
[ə dúltə ràyt] transitive verb (past
a·dul·ter·at·ed, past participle a·dul·ter·at·ed, present
participle a·dul·ter·at·ing, 3rd person present singular a·dul·ter·ates)

make impure: to
make something less pure by adding inferior or unsuitable elements or
substances to it
adjective

1.  impure:
made less pure

2.  (literary)
See adulterous
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin adulterat-, the past participle stem of adulterare
“to change, corrupt, commit adultery,” from alterare “to alter” (see alter ).]
—a·dul·ter·a·tion
[ə dùltə ráysh’n], noun

—a·dul·ter·a·tive [ə dúltə ràytiv, ə dúltərətiv],
adjective[1]



adulterer

adulterer
a·dul·ter·er 
[ə dúltərər] (plural a·dul·ter·ers)
noun

somebody
who commits adultery: somebody who commits
adultery
[Early 16th century. Formed
from earlier adulter “to commit adultery,” from Latin adulterare
(see adulterate ).][1]



adulterine

adulterine
a·dul·ter·ine 
[ə dúltə rn, ə
dúltə rn, ə dúltərin] adjective

1.  impure:
characterized by adulteration

2.  born
from adultery: born from an adulterous relationship

3.  illegal:
not within the law

[1]



adulterous

adulterous
a·dul·ter·ous 
[ə dúltərəss] adjective

relating
to adultery: relating to or involved in adultery
[Early
17th century. Formed from earlier adulter “adulterer” from Latin adulterare
(see adulterate ).]
—a·dul·ter·ous·ly, adverb[1]



adultery

adultery
a·dul·ter·y 
[ə dúltəree] noun

extramarital
sex:
voluntary sexual relations between a married person and somebody other than his
or her spouse
[15th century. Directly and
via Old French avout(e)rie from Latin adulterare (see adulterate ).][1]



adulthood

adulthood
a·dult·hood 
[ə dúlt hd, á
dùlt hd] noun

state of being grown up:
the age or state of legal majority[1]



adult-onsetdiabetes

adult-onsetdiabetes
a·dult-on·set
di·a·be·tes 
noun

diabetes that develops in
adults: a form of diabetes mellitus
that develops slowly in some adults as the body becomes unable to use insulin
effectively[1]



adumbrate

adumbrate
ad·um·brate 
[áddəm bràyt, ə
dúm bràyt] (past ad·um·brat·ed, past participle ad·um·brat·ed,
present participle ad·um·brat·ing, 3rd person present singular
ad·um·brates) transitive verb

1.  sketchily
indicate:
to give an incomplete or faint outline or indication of something

2.  foreshadow:
to give a vague indication or warning of something to come

3.  conceal:
to overshadow and obscure something
[Late
16th century. From Latin adumbrat-, the past participle stem of adumbrare
“to overshadow,” from umbra “shade.”]
—ad·um·bra·tion
[àddəm bráysh’n], noun

—ad·um·bra·tive
[áddəm bràytiv, ə
dúmbrətiv], adjective

—ad·um·bra·tive·ly [ad úmbrətivlee], adverb[1]



adv.

adv.
adv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
adverb

2.  Abbreviation
of
adverbial

3.  Abbreviation
of
advertisement

4.  Abbreviation
of
advisory

[1]



adval.

adval.
ad
val.

Abbreviation of
ad valorem[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








advalorem

advalorem
ad
va·lo·rem 
[àd və láwrəm] adjective adverb

according
to value:
in proportion to the value of something
[Late 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



advance

advance
ad·vance 
[əd váns] verb (past ad·vanced,
past participle ad·vanced, present participle ad·vanc·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·vanc·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
ahead:
to move forward in position

2.  transitive
verb
suggest:
to put something forward as a proposal

3.  transitive
verb
give
beforehand:
to supply something or part of something, especially money, before it is due

4.  transitive
verb
lend
money or goods: to supply money or goods on credit

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise
in status:
to rise in rank or position

6.  transitive
verb
bring
forward in time: to make something happen earlier than
originally expected

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb progress:
to further the progress or improvement of something, for example, a cause, or
undergo such progress or improvement

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise
in amount:
to increase in price, rate, or amount
noun
(plural ad·vanc·es)

1.  development:
a progress or improvement

2.  payment
ahead of time: a sum of money paid before it is due

3.  movement
ahead:
a forward movement in position

4.  friendly
approach:
an approach made to somebody in an attempt to form a relationship or come to an
agreement (often used in the plural)

5.  providing
something before being paid: the act of supplying money
or goods before payment is received

6.  something
received before being paid for: a quantity of money or
goods supplied before payment is made or repayments begin

7.  loan:
a loan of money

8.  price
rise:
an increase in price or rate
adjective

1.  ahead
of time:
made, given, or sent ahead of time

2.  going
in front:
going ahead of the main group
[13th
century. Via Old French avancer from assumed Vulgar Latin abantiare,
from abante “(from) before,” from Latin ante “before.”]
—ad·vanc·er,
noun
in
advance

before a particular event
takes place[1]



advanced

advanced
ad·vanced 
[əd vánst] adjective

1.  more
highly developed: at a higher stage of development or
progress than other similar people or things

2.  far
along:
at a point late in the progress or development of something

3.  futuristic:
considered to be radical or ahead of its time

[1]



advanceddegree

advanceddegree
ad·vanced
de·gree
(plural ad·vanced de·grees) noun

master’s degree or doctorate:
a university degree higher than a bachelor’s[1]



advancedstanding

advancedstanding
ad·vanced
stand·ing
noun

type of student status:
the status of a college student who has been granted credit for courses taken
or demonstrated knowledge acquired elsewhere[1]



advanceguard

advanceguard
ad·vance
guard
noun

military force sent on ahead:
a body of troops sent ahead of a main force to prepare an area for operations[1]



advanceman

advanceman
ad·vance
man
(plural ad·vance men) noun

agent of public figure:
somebody employed by a politician or other public figure to travel ahead on
trips to organize timetables, publicity, security, and other arrangements[1]



advancement

advancement
ad·vance·ment 
[əd vánsmənt] (plural ad·vance·ments)
noun

1.  promotion:
a promotion in rank or position

2.  advancing:
an act or instance of moving ahead

3.  development:
an improvement or progress in something

4.  LAW use of
legacy before due: the use of money from a
legacy by or on behalf of its beneficiary before the person is strictly
entitled to it

[1]



advanceparty

advanceparty
ad·vance
par·ty
(plural ad·vance par·ties) noun

1.  military
force sent on ahead: a group of soldiers or units
sent ahead of a larger force to prepare an area for operations

2.  small
group sent ahead: a small group sent on ahead of any main
party, for example, on an expedition

[1]



advancepoll

advancepoll
ad·vance
poll
(plural ad·vance polls) noun

vote before election day:
in Canada, an early vote held for voters who will be absent from their regular
polling place on election day[1]



advancewom&cot;an

advancewom&cot;an
ad·vance
wom&cot;an

agent of public figure:
somebody employed by a politician or other public figure to travel ahead on
trips to organize timetables, publicity, security, and other arrangements[1]



advantage

advantage
ad·van·tage 
[əd vántij] noun (plural ad·van·tag·es)

1.  superior
position:
a superior or favorable position in relation to somebody or something

2.  factor
favoring somebody: a circumstance or factor
that places somebody in a favorable position in relation to others • These
children have the advantage of a stable home.

3.  profit:
a benefit or gain • Our competitor’s
mistakes worked to our advantage.

4.  TENNIS point
after deuce: in tennis, the point scored after deuce
transitive
verb
(past ad·van·taged, past participle ad·van·taged, present
participle ad·van·tag·ing, 3rd person present singular ad·van·tag·es)

benefit somebody:
to put somebody in a superior or favorable position in relation to other people
[14th
century. Alteration of Old French avantage, from avant “before,”
from assumed Vulgar Latin abante (see advance
).]
take
advantage of somebody

to
use somebody in a selfish way in order to achieve a personal benefit, usually
by exploiting a weakness

take
advantage of something

to
make use of something that is available for personal benefit

to
advantage

in a way that emphasizes the
positive aspects of somebody or something[1]



advantageous

advantageous
ad·van·ta·geous 
[àdvən táyjəss] adjective

1.  giving
an advantage: giving an advantage

2.  useful:
of use or benefit
—ad·van·ta·geous·ly,
adverb

—ad·van·ta·geous·ness,
noun[1]



advect

advect
ad·vect 
[əd vékt] (past ad·vect·ed, past
participle ad·vect·ed, present participle ad·vect·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·vects) transitive verb

transfer
by advection: to transfer something by advection
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from advection .][1]



advection

advection
ad·vec·tion 
[əd véksh’n] noun

horizontal
transfer of heat by air: the horizontal transfer of a
property such as heat, caused by air movement
[Early 20th century. From the
Latin stem advection-, from advehere “to carry to,” from vehere
“to carry” (see vehicle ).][1]



Advent

Advent
Ad·vent
(plural Ad·vents) noun

1.  four
weeks before Christmas: the four-week period leading
up to Christmas, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day

2.  coming
of Jesus Christ: in Christian theology, the coming of
Jesus Christ
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
adventus “arrival,” from, ultimately, advenire, literally “to
come to,” from venire “to come” (see venue
).][1]



advent

advent
ad·vent 
(plural ad·vents) noun

arrival:
the arrival of something important or awaited[1]



Adventist

Adventist
Ad·vent·ist 
[ád ventist, ad
véntist] (plural Ad·vent·ists) noun

believer
in Second Coming: a member of any of several Christian
denominations, for example, the Seventh-Day Adventists, who believe that the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ is imminent
—Ad·vent·ism, noun[1]



adventitia

adventitia
ad·ven·ti·tia 
[àdvən tíshə] (plural ad·ven·ti·tias)
noun

outer
covering of body organ: the outer covering of an
organ or body part, especially that of a blood vessel
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, from the neuter plural of medieval Latin adventitius (see adventitious ).][1]



adventitious

adventitious
ad·ven·ti·tious 
[àdvən tíshəss] adjective

1.  from
outside:
added from an outside and often unexpected source rather than intrinsic

2.  BIOLOGY unusually
positioned:
developing in an unusual position, as does, for example, a root growing
downward from a branch
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin adventitius “coming from outside,”
alteration of Latin adventicius, from adventus (see Advent ).]
—ad·ven·ti·tious·ly,
adverb

—ad·ven·ti·tious·ness,
noun[1]



adventive

adventive
ad·ven·tive 
[əd véntiv] adjective

not
indigenous:
used to describe a plant or animal found in an environment where it is not
native and is not fully established
noun
(plural ad·ven·tives)

non-indigenous
plant or animal: an adventive plant or animal.
Also
called
casual
—ad·ven·tive·ly, adverb[1]



AdventSunday

AdventSunday
Ad·vent
Sun·day
(plural Ad·vent Sun·days) noun

fourth Sunday before
Christmas: the fourth Sunday before
Christmas, marking the start of Advent. It is regarded as the beginning of the
Christian ecclesiastical year.[1]



adventure

adventure
ad·ven·ture 
[əd vénchər] noun (plural ad·ven·tures)

1.  exciting
experience:
an exciting or extraordinary event or series of events

2.  bold
undertaking: an undertaking involving uncertainty and
risk

3.  involvement
in bold undertakings: the participation or
willingness to participate in things that involve uncertainty and risk • Where’s
your sense of adventure?

4.  financial
speculation: a risky or speculative financial
undertaking
verb
(past ad·ven·tured, past participle ad·ven·tured, present
participle ad·ven·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular ad·ven·tures)

1.  transitive
verb
risk:
to risk something

2.  transitive
verb
risk
saying:
to risk saying something that other people may disagree with or find offensive

3.  intransitive
verb
risk
danger:
to dare to go somewhere new or engage in something dangerous
[13th
century. Via French aventure from Latin adventurus “about to
arrive,” the future participle of advenire (see Advent
). The sense “exciting event” evolved from “what arrives by chance” via
“hazardous undertaking.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel by Mark Twain ( 1884 ). Conceived as
  a sequel to Tom Sawyer, it focuses on subsequent events in the life of
  Tom’s friend Huckleberry Finn. With its realistic portrayal of frontier life,
  it is generally seen as a more adult book than its predecessor.

[1]



adventurer

adventurer
ad·ven·tur·er 
[əd vénchərər] (plural ad·ven·tur·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
in search of adventure: somebody who takes part in
exciting or risky activities

2.  somebody
pursuing money or position: somebody who uses
unscrupulous means in order to gain wealth or social position

3.  speculator:
somebody who seeks wealth through financial speculation

[1]



adventuresome

adventuresome
ad·ven·ture·some 
[əd vénchərsəm] adjective

daring:
willing or eager to participate in risky or exciting activities
—ad·ven·ture·some·ly,
adverb

—ad·ven·ture·some·ness,
noun[1]



adventuress

adventuress
ad·ven·tur·ess 
[əd vénchərəss] (plural ad·ven·tur·ess·es)
noun

woman pursuing money or
position: a woman who uses
unscrupulous means in order to gain wealth or social position (dated)[1]



adventurism

adventurism
ad·ven·tur·ism 
[əd vénchə rìzzəm] noun

reckless
intervention by government: reckless intervention by one
government in the affairs of another
—ad·ven·tur·ist, noun[1]



adventurous

adventurous
ad·ven·tur·ous 
[əd vénchərəss] adjective

1.  daring:
willing or eager to participate in risky or exciting activities

2.  risky:
involving risk
—ad·ven·tur·ous·ly,
adverb

—ad·ven·tur·ous·ness, noun[1]



adverb

adverb
ad·verb 
[ád vùrb] (plural ad·verbs) noun

modifier
of verb or adjective: a word that modifies a verb,
an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence, for example, “happily,” “very,” or
“frankly”
[15th century. Directly or
via French, from Latin adverbium, which was modeled on Greek epirrhēma
“added word.”][1]



adverbial

adverbial
ad·ver·bi·al 
[ad vúrbee əl] adjective

relating
to adverb:
relating to or functioning as an adverb
noun
(plural ad·ver·bials)

adverb:
an adverb, or a phrase or clause that functions as an adverb
—ad·ver·bi·al·ly, adverb[1]



adverbum

adverbum
ad
ver·bum 
[ad vúrbəm] adverb

literally:
word for word
[From Latin, “in accordance
with the word”][1]



adversarial

adversarial
ad·ver·sar·i·al 
[àdvər sáiree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to adversaries: relating to conflict or adversaries

2.  U.K.
See adversary

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  adversarial
  or adversative
  Not
  until the twentieth century did adversarial
  begin to come into use; formerly, adversative
  was the only possible choice. Now, however, adversarial
  has almost wholly superseded adversative,
  except in reference to grammar and such adversative conjunctions as but
  and yet, and in connection with the stringent methods employed by
  certain military schools: • “This
  ‘adversative education,’ as they call it, is designed to break the cadet of
  flabby, undisciplined habits acquired early in life and to remake him into a
  soldier.”

[1]



adversary

adversary
ad·ver·sar·y 
[ádvər sèrree] noun (plural ad·ver·sar·ies)

opponent:
somebody who opposes somebody else in a conflict, contest, or debate
adjective

contesting:
involving conflicting parties or interests, in relation to a legal proceeding.
U.K.
term
adversarial
[14th
century. Via Old French, from Latin adversarius “enemy,” from adversus
(see adverse ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at opponent

[1]



adversative

adversative
ad·ver·sa·tive 
[əd vúrsətiv] (plural ad·ver·sa·tives)
noun

word
expressing opposition: a word, phrase, or clause
that expresses opposition or contrast, for example, “but” or “although”
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French, from late Latin adversativus “opposed,”
from Latin adversus (see adverse ).]
—ad·ver·sa·tive,
adjective

—ad·ver·sa·tive·ly, adverb[1]



adverse

adverse
ad·verse 
[ad vúrs, ád
vùrs] adjective

1.  antagonistic:
acting with or characterized by opposition or antagonism

2.  harmful:
creating unfavorable or undesirable results

3.  contrary:
creating momentum in a direction opposite from that desired

4.  BOTANY facing
the stem:
used to describe a leaf or flower that faces the main stem
[14th
century. Via Old French, from Latin adversus “turned against, hostile,”
from the past participle of advertere (see advert 1 ).]
—ad·verse·ly
[ad vúrslee], adverb

—ad·verse·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  adverse
  or averse ?
  Both
  words mean “opposed” in different ways. Adverse
  is normally used before an abstract noun such as circumstances or conditions
  when these are unfavorable or likely to cause difficulties. Averse describes people who are disinclined to
  do something or have a strong dislike that is specified by the word that
  follows to : • He
  was averse to flattery . Averse
  is never used attributively (i.e. before a noun), as adverse
  normally is.

[1]



adversepossession

adversepossession
ad·verse
pos·ses·sion noun

occupation of another’s
property: the possession or occupation
of land or property without the owner’s permission as a method of acquiring
legal ownership[1]



adversity

adversity
ad·ver·si·ty 
[ad vúrsətee] (plural ad·ver·si·ties)
noun

1.  misfortune:
hardship and suffering

2.  adverse
happening:
an extremely unfavorable experience or event

[1]



advert

advert1
ad·vert1 [ad
vúrt] (past ad·vert·ed, past participle ad·vert·ed,
present participle ad·vert·ing, 3rd person present singular
ad·verts) intransitive verb

refer
to something: to call attention or make reference to
something
[15th century. Via Old French
advertir “to notice,” from Latin advertere “to turn toward,” from
vertere “to turn.”][1]



advert

advert2
ad·vert2 [ád
vùrt] (plural ad·verts) noun

U.K.
advertisement:
an advertisement (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



advertence

advertence
ad·ver·tence
[ad vúrt’ns] noun

heedfulness:
the act of paying attention to or being mindful of something[1]



advertise

advertise
ad·ver·tise 
[ádvər tz] (past ad·ver·tised,
past participle ad·ver·tised, present participle ad·ver·tis·ing,
3rd person present singular ad·ver·tis·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb praise
commercial product: to publicize the qualities
of a product, service, business, or event in order to encourage people to buy
or use it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb publicly
announce availability or need: to publicize something
such as a job opening or item for sale in a newspaper or on the radio,
television, or Internet • advertise
for a new roommate

3.  transitive
verb
tell
others about: to make something known to others
[15th
century. From Old French advertiss-, the stem of advertir (see advert 1 ). The meaning “to
publicize” evolved from “to notice” via “to warn” and “to give notice of.”]
—ad·ver·tis·er, noun[1]



advertisement

advertisement
ad·ver·tise·ment 
[ádvər tzmənt, ádvər
tzmənt, əd vúrtəsmənt] (plural
ad·ver·tise·ments) noun

1.  public
announcement: a public announcement in a newspaper or
on the radio, television, or Internet advertising something such as a product
for sale or an event

2.  act
of advertising: the act of advertising something

[1]



advertising

advertising
ad·ver·tis·ing 
[ádvər tzing] noun

1.  public
promotion of something: the promotion through public
announcements in newspapers or on the radio, television, or Internet of
something such as a product, service, event, or vacancy in order to attract or
increase interest in it

2.  business
of producing advertisements: the business of producing
advertisements

3.  advertisements:
advertisements considered collectively

[1]



advice

advice
ad·vice 
[əd vs] (plural ad·vices) noun

1.  recommendation
about action: somebody’s opinion about what another
person should do • I followed her advice
and changed jobs.

2.  official
information: formal or official information about
something, usually received from a distance (often used in the plural)
[13th century. Via French avis
“opinion” from, ultimately, Latin ad (meum) visum “in (my) view or
opinion”; visum is the past participle of videre “to see.”][1]



advisable

advisable
ad·vis·a·ble 
[əd vzəb’l] adjective

worth
doing:
being a sensible or desirable thing to do
—ad·vis·a·bil·i·ty
[əd vzə bíllətee], noun

—ad·vis·a·ble·ness
[əd vzəb’lnəss], noun

—ad·vis·a·bly [əd vzəblee], adverb[1]



advise

advise
ad·vise 
[əd vz] (past ad·vised, past
participle ad·vised, present participle ad·vis·ing, 3rd
person present singular ad·vis·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
advice:
to offer advice to somebody • We
were advised to leave.

2.  transitive
verb
recommend:
to suggest or recommend something

3.  transitive
verb
inform:
to make somebody aware of something

4.  intransitive
verb
seek
advice:
to seek advice or information
[14th
century. Via Old French aviser, from avis “opinion.” Ultimately
from Latin ad (meum) visum (see advice
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  advise
  = “inform”
  The
  use of the verb advise to mean “inform” is
  widely regarded as commercialese and is best avoided in general usage: • Please
  advise us of [better: let us know] your new address.
  • I
  will advise them [better: inform them] of the new time of the meeting.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at recommend

[1]



advisedly

advisedly
ad·vis·ed·ly 
[əd vzədlee] adverb

after consideration:
after careful consideration[1]



advisee

advisee
ad·vi·see 
[əd v z] (plural ad·vi·sees)
noun

somebody advised:
somebody who receives advice[1]



adviser

adviser
ad·vis·er
[əd vzər] (plural ad·vis·ers)
or ad·vi·sor [əd vzər] (plural
ad·vi·sors) noun

1.  giver
of advice:
somebody who gives advice

2.  somebody
advising students: somebody who advises
students on academic matters such as course choices
[Early 17th century. Formed
from advise .][1]



advisory

advisory
ad·vi·so·ry 
[əd vzəree] adjective

1.  giving
advice:
providing or of the nature of advice

2.  having
the function of giving advice: having the function of
giving advice, usually with the implication that the advice given need not be
followed
noun
(plural ad·vi·so·ries)

1.  informational
bulletin:
a report that gives facts or data and sometimes advice about a subject, for
example, about economic conditions

2.  warning
of something to come: an advance notice of
something, for example, a warning of impending severe weather • traffic
advisory

[1]



advocaat

advocaat
ad·vo·caat 
[àdvō kt] (plural ad·vo·caats)
noun

drink
similar to eggnog: an alcoholic beverage
similar to eggnog, containing eggs, sugar, and brandy
[Mid-20th century. From Dutch
“advocate,” because it was supposed to help clear the throat.][1]



advocacy

advocacy
ad·vo·ca·cy 
[ádvəkəssee] (plural ad·vo·ca·cies)
noun

giving
aid to a cause: active verbal support for a cause or
position
[14th century. Via Old French
advocacie from, ultimately, Latin advocatus (see advocate ).][1]



advocate

advocate
ad·vo·cate 
transitive verb [ádvə kàyt] (past
ad·vo·cat·ed, past participle ad·vo·cat·ed, present
participle ad·vo·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular ad·vo·cates)

support: to
support or speak in favor of something • advocating
social reform
noun
[ádvəkət, ádvə
kàyt] (plural ad·vo·cates)

1.  somebody
giving support: somebody who supports or speaks in favor
of something

2.  helper:
somebody who acts or intercedes on behalf of another

3.  LAW legal
representative: somebody, for example, a lawyer, who
pleads another’s case in a legal forum
[14th
century. Via Old French avocat “advocate” from, ultimately, advocare
“to call to,” from Latin vocare “to call” (source of English vocation and revoke
).]
—ad·vo·ca·tor,
noun

—ad·voc·a·to·ry
[ad vókə tàwree, ádvə
kàytəree], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recommend

[1]



advt.

advt.
advt.

Abbreviation of
advertisement[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Adyghe

Adyghe
A·dy·ghe
[di gay, di
gáy] or A·dy·gei [di gay,
di gáy] noun

Caucasian
language:
a language spoken in the northwestern region of the republic of Georgia,
belonging to the Abkhaz-Adyghean group of languages. Adyghe is spoken by about
100,000 people.
—A·dy·ghe, adjective[1]



adytum

adytum
ad·y·tum 
[áddətəm] (plural ad·y·ta [áddətə]) noun

inner
sanctum:
the most sacred part in an ancient temple, restricted to priests
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, from Greek adutos, literally “not to be entered,” from duein
“to enter.”][1]



adz

adz
adz
[adz] (plural adzes) or
adze [adz] (plural adzes)
noun

woodworking
tool:
a tool similar to an ax, with an arched blade set at right angles to the
handle, used for trimming and shaping wood
[Old English adesa or eadesa,
of unknown origin][1]



adzukibean

adzukibean
ad·zu·ki
bean 
[ad zki] (plural ad·zu·ki beans)
or a·du·ki bean [a dkee been]
(plural a·du·ki beans) or a·zu·ki bean [a zkee been] (plural a·zu·ki beans)
noun

1.  Asian
bean plant:
a bean belonging to a species grown especially in China and Japan. Latin name: Vigna
angularis

2.  sweet
bean:
a small slightly sweet red-brown bean, the seed of the adzuki plant, used in
sweet dishes in Asian cooking and in western vegetarian cooking
[Adzuki from Japanese azuki
“red bean”][1]



AEC

AEC
AEC

Abbreviation of
Atomic Energy Commission[1]



aecidiospore

aecidiospore
ae·cid·i·o·spore
noun

See
aeciospore[1]



aecidium

aecidium
ae·cid·i·um
noun

See
aecium[1]



aeciospore

aeciospore
ae·ci·o·spore 
[ssee ə spàwr, sshee
ə spàwr] (plural ae·ci·o·spores) or ae·cid·i·o·spore
[ee síddee ə spàwr] (plural ae·cid·i·o·spores)
noun

fungal
spore:
a spore produced in the reproductive organ ( aecium
) of a rust fungus and containing two genetically distinct rust nuclei
[Early 20th century. Coined
from aecium + spore
.][1]



aecium

aecium
ae·ci·um 
[shee əm, see əm]
(plural ae·ci·a [shee ə, ssee ə]) or ae·cid·i·um [ee síddiəm] (plural ae·cid·i·a [ee síddiə]) noun

reproductive
organ of fungus: a cup-shaped reproductive organ ( fruiting body ) produced by some rust fungi in the
tissue of their host plant, in which spores ( aeciospores ) are formed
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek aikia “injury”; from the harm caused by the
fungi.][1]



aedes

aedes
a·e·des 
[ay deez] (plural a·e·des) noun

disease-transmitting
mosquito:
a tropical and subtropical mosquito that can transmit serious diseases, for
example, yellow fever and dengue. Latin name: Aedes aegypti
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek aēdēs “unpleasant,” because it
carries diseases.][1]



aedile

aedile
ae·dile 
[ dl] (plural ae·diles) noun

official
of ancient Rome: a magistrate in ancient Rome responsible
for public works and buildings, games, markets, and the grain and water
supplies
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
aedilis, from aedes “building” (source of English edifice ).][1]



AegeanSea

AegeanSea
Ae·ge·an
Sea
[i j ən see]

arm of the Mediterranean Sea
containing numerous islands divided into three main groups, the Cyclades,
Dodecanese, and Sporades. about Area: 179,000 sq km/69,000 sq mi.[1]



aegis

aegis
ae·gis 
[jiss] or e·gis [jiss] noun

shield
of Zeus or Athena: in Greek mythology, the
shield of Zeus or Athena
[Early
17th century. Via Latin, from Greek aigis “goatskin shield of Zeus.”]
under
the aegis of somebody or something

with the support or
protection of somebody or something (formal)[1]



Aeneas

Aeneas
Ae·ne·as 
[i n əss] noun

Trojan hero in classical
mythology: in Greek and Roman
mythology, a Trojan hero who escaped after the fall of Troy and spent seven
years traveling before settling near the site of Rome in Italy. His travels are
the subject of Virgil’s Aeneid.[1]



Aeolia

Aeolia
Ae·o·li·a


See
Aeolis[1]



aeolian

aeolian
ae·o·li·an 
adjective

See
eolian[1]



Aeolian

Aeolian
Ae·o·li·an 
[ee ṓlee ən, ee ṓlyən]
or E·o·li·an [ee ṓlee ən, ee ṓlyən] noun (plural Ae·o·li·ans)
(plural E·o·li·ans)

1.  member
of Hellenic people: a member of an ancient
Hellenic people who lived in Aeolis and Lesbos about 1100 BC

2.  LANGUAGE See Aeolic
adjective

1.  of
Aeolis:
relating to Aeolis, or its people or culture

2.  of
Aeolus:
relating to Aeolus

[1]



aeolianharp

aeolianharp
ae·o·li·an
harp
(plural ae·o·lian harps) or Ae·o·li·an harp (plural
Ae·o·li·an harps) noun

wind-sounded
instrument:
a box-shaped musical instrument, a type of zither, with strings tuned in unison
to produce their fundamental tones and harmonics when the wind blows over them.

Also
called
wind harp
[Aeolian formed from Aeolus, from Greek aiolos “fast-moving”][1]



Aeolic

Aeolic
Aeolic 
[ee ṓlik] or Eolic [ee ṓlik] noun

dialect of Ancient Greek:
a dialect of Ancient Greek that was spoken mainly in Aeolis, Thessaly, and
Boeotia.
Also called
Aeolian[1]



Aeolis

Aeolis
Ae·o·lis 
[ ə liss] or Ae·o·li·a [ee ṓlee ə]

ancient region on the
northwestern coast of Asia Minor, settled by the Aeolian Greeks about 1100 BC[1]



Aeolus

Aeolus
Ae·o·lus 
[ ə ləss] noun

Greek god of wind:
in Greek mythology, the god of wind[1]



aeon

aeon
ae·on 
noun

See
eon[1]



aer-

aer-
aer-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
aero-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aerate

aerate
aer·ate 
[ái ràyt] (past aer·at·ed, past
participle aer·at·ed, present participle aer·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular aer·ates) transitive verb

1.  expose
to air:
to allow circulating air to reach or penetrate something

2.  put
gas into a liquid: to charge a liquid with a
gas, especially with carbon dioxide when making bubbly and gaseous drinks

3.  See
oxygenate
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin aer “air,” from Greek aēr (see aero- ).]
—aer·a·tion
[air ráysh’n], noun

—aer·a·tor [ái ràytər], noun[1]



aerenchyma

aerenchyma
aer·en·chy·ma 
[ai réngkəmə] noun

tissue
that makes aquatic plants float: the spongy tissue in
some aquatic plants that keeps them afloat and helps in the exchange of gases
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek aēr “air” + egkhuma “infusion.”][1]



aeri-

aeri-
aeri-
prefix

See
aero-[1]



aerial

aerial
aer·i·al 
[áiree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to air:
consisting of, typical of, or relating to the air

2.  in
air:
living, happening, or moving in the air • a
plant with aerial roots

3.  light
in weight:
like the air in being light and insubstantial

4.  imaginary:
existing only in the imagination

5.  involving
aircraft:
done by or involving aircraft • an
aerial bombardment
noun
(plural aer·i·als)

1.  See
antenna

2.  HOCKEY high
ball in field hockey: in field hockey, a ball
passed by being raised off the ground
plural
noun
aerials

mid-air ski-jump acrobatics:
acrobatic movements that a ski-jumper performs while in the air (informal)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin aerius, from Greek aerios, from aēr “air.”][1]



aerialist

aerialist
aer·i·al·ist 
[áiree əlist] (plural aer·i·al·ists)
noun

tightrope artist:
an acrobat who performs on a tightrope or trapeze[1]



aerialladder

aerialladder
aer·i·al
lad·der
(plural aer·i·al lad·ders) noun

rescue ladder:
a mechanically extending ladder used to reach high places, especially one on a
fire engine.
U.K. term
turntable ladder[1]



aerialperspective

aerialperspective
aer·i·al
per·spec·tive noun

painting perspective:
the use in painting of gradations in color and definition to suggest distance[1]



aerie

aerie
aer·ie 
[áiree, ree]
(plural aer·ies) or eyr·ie [áiree, ree] (plural eyr·ies)
or aer·y [áiree, ree] (plural aer·ies) or eyr·y
[áiree, ree]
(plural eyr·ies) noun

1.  bird
of prey’s nest: the nest of an eagle or other bird of
prey, usually built in a high, inaccessible place

2.  secure
building:
a building, especially a stronghold, in a high inaccessible place
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin aeria from Old French airie, from, ultimately, Latin area
“level ground” (source of English area
).][1]



aeriform

aeriform
aer·i·form
[áirə fàwrm] adjective

1.  gaseous:
existing as air or gas

2.  insubstantial:
having no substance or material form

[1]



aero-

aero-
aero-
or aeri- or aer- prefix

1.  air,
atmosphere, gas • aerodynamic

2.  aviation
• aerospace
[From Greek aēr “air”][1]



aero

aero
ae·ro 
[áirō] adjective

of aircraft or aeronautics:
used in aircraft or aeronautics[1]



aeroballistics

aeroballistics
aer·o·bal·lis·tics 
[àirō bə lístiks] noun

study
of airborne weapons: the branch of ballistics
that deals with projectiles fired or dropped from aircraft (takes a singular
verb)
—aer·o·bal·lis·tic, adjective[1]



aerobatics

aerobatics
aer·o·bat·ics 
[àirō báttiks] noun

stunt
flying:
the flying of an aircraft in daring maneuvers, often as an entertainment (takes
a singular or plural verb)
[Early
20th century. Coined from aero-, modeled on acrobatics .]
—aer·o·batic, adjective[1]



aerobe

aerobe
aer·obe 
[ái rb] (plural aer·obes) noun

organism
that needs oxygen: a microorganism that
requires oxygen for metabolism
[Late 19th century. Coined
from aero- + Greek bios “life.”][1]



aerobic

aerobic1
aer·o·bic1  [ai
rṓbik, ə rṓbik] adjective

1.  needing
oxygen:
living or taking place only in the presence of oxygen

2.  giving
oxygen:
having or providing oxygen
[Late
19th century. Formed from French aérobie, coined by Louis Pasteur from
Greek aēr “air” + bios “life.”]
—aerobically, adverb[1]



aerobic

aerobic2
aer·o·bic2  [ai
rṓbik, ə rṓbik] adjective

1.  speeding
up respiration: increasing respiration and heart rates • aerobic
exercise

2.  of
aerobics:
used in or relating to aerobics
[Mid-20th century. From aerobics .][1]



aerobicrespiration

aerobicrespiration
aer·o·bic
res·pi·ra·tion noun

energy production using
oxygen: the breakdown of foodstuffs
to create energy in a process that requires the presence of oxygen.
See also
anaerobic respiration[1]



aerobics

aerobics
aer·o·bics 
[ai rṓbiks, ə rṓbiks]
noun (takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  fitness
exercises:
an active exercise program done to music, often in a class

2.  activities
that speed up respiration: exercises, for example,
walking, jogging, bicycling, and swimming, that increase respiration and heart
rates
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper from aerobic on the
model of gymnastics .][1]



aerobiology

aerobiology
aer·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[àirō bī ólləjee] noun

study
of airborne organisms: the study of airborne
biological materials and organisms, for example, airborne allergens and
disease-causing microorganisms
—aer·o·bi·o·log·i·cal
[àirō b ə lójjik’l], adjective

—aer·o·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



aerobiosis

aerobiosis
aer·o·bi·o·sis 
[àirō bī ṓssiss] noun

life
where there is oxygen: life in the presence of
oxygen
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek (see aerobic
).][1]



aerobraking

aerobraking
ae·ro·brak·ing
noun

See
aerodynamic braking[1]



aerodrome

aerodrome
aer·o·drome 
[érrədrōm] noun

U.K. =
airdrome[1]



aerodynamic

aerodynamic
aer·o·dy·nam·ic 
[àirō dī námmik] adjective

1.  designed
to reduce air resistance: designed to reduce air
resistance, especially to increase fuel efficiency or maximum speed

2.  of
aerodynamics: involving or typical of aerodynamics
—aero·dy·nam·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



aerodynamics

aerodynamics
aer·o·dy·nam·ics 
[àirō dī námmiks] noun

study
of objects moving through air: the study of moving
gases, especially the study of the forces experienced by objects moving through
air (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

aerodynamic
properties:
the aerodynamic properties of an object (takes a plural verb)
—aer·o·dy·nam·i·cist [àirō dī námmisist], noun[1]



aerodyne

aerodyne
aer·o·dyne 
[áirō dn] (plural aer·o·dynes)
noun

aircraft
that needs motion to fly: an aircraft such as an
airplane or helicopter that is heavier than air and whose lift in flight
results from forces caused by its motion through the air
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from aerodynamic .][1]



aeroembolism

aeroembolism
aer·o·em·bo·lism 
[àirō émbə lìzzəm] (plural aer·o·em·bo·lisms)
noun

See
air embolism[1]



aerofoil

aerofoil
aer·o·foil 
[érrəfoyl] noun

U.K. =
airfoil[1]



aerogram

aerogram
aer·o·gram 
[áirō gràm] (plural aer·o·grams)
or aer·o·gramme [áirō gràm] (plural
aer·o·grammes) noun

airmail
letter:
a letter designed for airmail consisting of a single sheet of lightweight paper
that, once written on, can be folded and sealed to form an envelope.
Also
called
air letter
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on telegram .][1]



aerography

aerography
aer·og·ra·phy
[ai róggrəfee] noun

study of atmospheric
conditions: the study of atmospheric
conditions[1]



aerolite

aerolite
aer·o·lite 
[áirō lt] (plural aer·o·lites)
noun

stony
meteorite:
a meteorite with a high silicate content
[Early
19th century. Coined from aero- + -lite .]
—aer·o·lit·ic [àirō líttik], adjective[1]



aerology

aerology
aer·ol·o·gy 
[ai rólləjee] noun

study
of atmospheric layers: the study of the lower
layers of the Earth’s atmosphere
—aer·o·log·ic
[àirə lójjik], adjective

—aer·o·log·i·cal,
adjective

—aer·ol·o·gist [ai rólləjist], noun[1]



aeromagnetic

aeromagnetic
aer·o·mag·net·ic
[àirō mag néttik] adjective

measuring
the earth’s magnetic field: relating to the study or
measurement of the earth’s magnetic field from aircraft
—aer·o·mag·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—aer·o·mag·net·ics, noun[1]



aeromechanics

aeromechanics
aer·o·me·chan·ics 
[àirō mə kánniks] noun

study
of gases in motion: the study of gases in motion
and in equilibrium, including the study of the mechanical effects of gases upon
objects (takes a singular verb)
—aer·o·me·chan·i·cal,
adjective

—aer·o·me·chan·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



aeromedicine

aeromedicine
aer·o·med·i·cine 
[àirō médissin] noun

See
aviation medicine
—aer·o·med·i·cal, adjective[1]



aerometeorograph

aerometeorograph
aer·o·me·te·or·o·graph 
[àirō meetee áwrə gràf] (plural aer·o·me·te·or·o·graphs)
noun

aircraft instrument:
an instrument on board an aircraft that records temperature, atmospheric
pressure, and humidity[1]



aerometer

aerometer
aer·om·e·ter 
[ai rómmətər] (plural aer·om·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring gas: an instrument for measuring
the mass or density of air or another gas
[Late 18th century. From
French aéromètre .][1]



aeronaut

aeronaut
aer·o·naut 
[áirə nàwt] (plural aer·o·nauts)
noun

airship
pilot:
somebody who pilots, navigates, or is a passenger in a blimp or balloon
[Late 18th century. From
French aéronaute, from aéro- (from Greek aēr “air”) +
Greek nautēs “sailor” (source of English nautical
and astronaut ).][1]



aeronautical

aeronautical
aer·o·nau·ti·cal
[àirə náwtik’l] or aer·o·nau·tic
[àirə náwtik] adjective

of
aircraft:
relating to aircraft or their flight
[Early
19th century. From French aéronautique (see aeronaut
).]
—aer·o·nau·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aeronautics

aeronautics
aer·o·nau·tics 
[àirə náwtiks] noun

science of flight:
the science, art, theory, and practice of designing, building, and operating
aircraft (takes a singular verb)[1]



aeroneurosis

aeroneurosis
aer·o·neu·ro·sis 
[àirō n rṓssiss] noun

pilot exhaustion:
anxiety and fatigue in airline pilots brought on by prolonged periods of flying[1]



aeropause

aeropause
aer·o·pause 
[áirə pàwz] noun

boundary between atmosphere
and outer space: the part of the Earth’s
upper atmosphere above which air is too thin for aircraft to fly[1]



aerophagy

aerophagy
aer·o·pha·gy
[ai róffəjee] or aer·o·pha·gia
[àirə fáyjə] noun

gulping
in air:
the spasmodic swallowing of air, a common cause of flatulence and belching
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on French aérophagie .][1]



aerophobia

aerophobia
aer·o·pho·bi·a 
[àirə fṓbee ə] noun

irrational
fear of drafts: an irrational fear of drafts of air
—aer·o·pho·bic [àirə fṓbik], adjective[1]



aerophyte

aerophyte
aer·o·phyte 
[áirə ft] (plural aer·o·phytes)
noun

See
epiphyte[1]



aeroplane

aeroplane
aer·o·plane 
[érrəplayn] noun

U.K. =
airplane[1]



aerosol

aerosol

aer·o·sol 
[áirə sòl] (plural aer·o·sols)
noun

1.  container
with gas under pressure: a small container holding a
substance that can be dispensed under pressure by a propellant as a spray.
Also
called
air spray

2.  substance
sprayed:
a substance held in a small container from which it can be dispensed under
pressure by a propellant as a spray.
Also
called
air spray

3.        suspension
of particles in gas: a
suspension of solid or liquid particles in a gaseous medium[1]



aerospace

aerospace
aer·o·space 
[áirō spàyss] noun

atmosphere
and outer space: the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space
adjective

of aircraft and spacecraft:
relating to the design, manufacture, and flight of vehicles or missiles that
fly in and beyond the Earth’s atmosphere[1]



aerospacemedicine

aerospacemedicine
aer·o·space
med·i·cine
noun

medicine of air and space:
the branch of medicine concerned with disorders associated with flight both
inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere[1]



aerostat

aerostat
aer·o·stat 
[áirō stàt] (plural aer·o·stats)
noun

aircraft
lighter than air: a hot-air or gas-filled aircraft such as
a blimp or balloon
[Late
18th century. From French aérostat, from aéro- “aero-” + Greek statos
“standing” (source of English static
).]
—aer·o·stat·ic [àirō státtik], adjective[1]



aerostatics

aerostatics
aer·o·stat·ics 
[àirō státtiks] noun

1.  PHYSICS study
of gases in equilibrium: the study of gases in
equilibrium and objects in equilibrium in gases

2.  AEROSPACE study
of dirigibles and balloons: the science of aircraft that
are lighter than air, for example, dirigibles and balloons

[1]



aerothermodynamics

aerothermodynamics
aer·o·ther·mo·dy·nam·ics 
[àirō thúrmō dī námmiks] noun

study
of heat exchange and gases: the study of the heat
exchange between gases and solid objects, especially between air and aircraft
flying at high velocity (takes a singular verb)
—aer·o·ther·mo·dy·nam·ic,
adjective[1]



aery

aery1
aer·y1 [áiree]
(comparative aer·i·er, superlative aer·i·est) adjective

insubstantial:
insubstantial and unworldly
[Late 16th century. From
Latin aerius, ultimately derived from Greek aēr “air” (source of
English air ).][1]



aery

aery2
aer·y2 noun

See
aerie[1]



Aesculapian

Aesculapian
Aes·cu·la·pi·an 
[èskyə láypee ən] adjective

relating
to healing arts: relating to medicine and the healing
arts
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine.][1]



aesculapiansnake

aesculapiansnake
aes·cu·la·pi·an
snake
(plural aes·cu·la·pi·an snakes) noun

long
brown snake: a long slender brown nonvenomous snake
found in forests in Europe and western Asia. Latin name: Elaphe longissima
[From the common depiction of
Aesculapius (see Aesculapian ) in antiquity
with such a snake][1]



Aesop

Aesop
Ae·sop 
[ssəp,  sòp]
(lived 6th century BC)

Greek writer
reputedlyformerly enslaved. His fables were popularized by the Roman poet
Phaedrus (1st century AD ).[1]



aesthesia

aesthesia
aes·the·sia
[es thzee ə] or es·the·sia [es thzee ə] noun

feeling:
the ability to feel or experience through the senses
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek aisthēsis “perceiving,” from aisthesthai
“to perceive” (see aesthetic ).][1]



aesthete

aesthete
aes·thete 
[és tht] (plural aes·thetes) or
es·thete [és tht] (plural es·thetes)
noun

lover
of beauty:
somebody who has or affects a highly developed appreciation of beauty,
especially in the arts
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from aesthetic, modeled on athlete .][1]



aesthetic

aesthetic
aes·thet·ic 
[es théttik] or es·thet·ic [es théttik] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to aesthetics: relating to the philosophical principles
of aesthetics

2.  ARTS appreciating
beauty:
sensitive to or appreciative of art or beauty

3.  beautiful:
pleasing in appearance
noun
(plural aes·thet·ics) (plural es·thet·ics)

set of principles:
a set of principles
[Early
19th century. From Greek >aisthētikos “perceptual,” from >aisthesthai
“to perceive” (source of English anesthetic,
literally “without feeling”). The sense “relating to perception of beauty”
evolved from “perception.”]
—aes·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aesthetician

aesthetician
aes·the·ti·cian 
[èsthə tísh’n] (plural aes·the·ti·cians)
or es·the·ti·cian [èsthə tísh’n]
(plural es·theti·cians) noun

1.  somebody
who studies beauty: a student or devotee of the
principles of art or beauty

2.  person
giving beauty treatments: a person who gives beauty
treatments to people

[1]



aestheticism

aestheticism
aes·thet·i·cism 
[es thétti sìzzəm] or es·thet·i·cism
[es thétti sìzzəm] noun

1.  derivation
of moral principles from beauty: the philosophical
doctrine that all moral principles are derived from beauty

2.  belief
in importance of aesthetics: the belief that the
principles of aesthetics are of the highest importance in the arts

3.  love
of beauty:
appreciation of and devotion to beauty

[1]



aestheticize

aestheticize
aes·thet·i·cize 
[es thétti sz] (past aes·thet·i·cized,
past participle aes·thet·i·cized, present participle aes·thet·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular aes·thet·i·ciz·es) or es·thet·i·cize
[es thétti sz] (past es·thet·i·cized,
past participle es·thet·i·cized, present participle es·thet·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular es·thet·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

make something pleasing:
to show something in its best or most artistic light[1]



aesthetics

aesthetics
aes·thet·ics 
[es théttiks] or es·thet·ics [es théttiks] noun

1.  study
of beauty:
the branch of philosophy dealing with the study of aesthetic values such as the
beautiful and the sublime (takes a singular verb)

2.  study
of art:
the study of the rules and principles of art (takes a singular verb)

3.  idea
of beauty:
a particular idea of what is beautiful or artistic (takes a singular or
plural verb)

4.  how
something looks: how something looks, especially when
considered in terms of how pleasing it is (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin aesthetica, from Greek aisthētikos (see aesthetic ), perhaps modeled on athletics .][1]



aestheticsurgery

aestheticsurgery
aes·thet·ic
sur·ge·ry
or es·thet·ic sur·ge·ry noun

See
cosmetic surgery[1]



aestival

aestival
aes·ti·val 
adjective

See
estival[1]



aestivate

aestivate
aes·ti·vate 
intransitive verb

See
estivate[1]



aestivation

aestivation
aes·ti·va·tion 
noun

See
estivation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AET

AET
AET
or A.E.T.

Abbreviation of
aminoethylisothioronium[1]



aetiology

aetiology
ae·ti·ol·o·gy 
noun

See
etiology[1]



AEW

AEW
AEW

Abbreviation of
airborne early warning (aircraft)[1]



AF

AF
AF

1.  Abbreviation
of
air force

2.  Abbreviation
of
Anglo-French

3.  Abbreviation
of
autofocus

[1]



Af.

Af.
Af.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Africa

2.  Abbreviation
of
African

[1]



af-

af-
af-
prefix

(used before f)See
ad-[1]



a.f.

a.f.
a.f.

Abbreviation of
audio frequency[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








afar

afar
a·far 
[ə fr] adverb

far
away:
at, to, or from a great distance (literary)
noun

place
far away:
a great distance away
[14th century. From a + far .][1]



AFB

AFB
AFB

Abbreviation of
Air Force Base[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AFC

AFC
AFC

1.  Abbreviation
of
automatic flight control

2.  Abbreviation
of
automatic frequency control

[1]



AFDC

AFDC
AFDC

Abbreviation of
Aid to Families with Dependent Children[1]



afeard

afeard
a·feard
[ə frd] or a·feared [ə frd] adjective

afraid:
afraid (dated) (regional)
[Old English, the past
participle of afren “to frighten,” from fren “to fear”][1]



afebrile

afebrile
a·feb·rile 
[ay fébb rīl, ay
fb rīl] adjective

without fever:
having no fever, or marked by absence of fever[1]



affable

affable
af·fa·ble 
[áffəb’l] adjective

easygoing:
good-natured, friendly and easy to talk to
[15th
century. Via French, from Latin affabilis “easy to speak to,” from (af)fari
“to speak (to)” (source of English fable,
fame, and fabulous
).]
—af·fa·bil·i·ty
[àffə bíllətee], noun

—af·fa·bly [áffəblee], adverb[1]



affair

affair
af·fair 
[ə fáir] noun (plural af·fairs)

1.  business
matter:
a matter that has been attended to or that needs attention, especially business
•

2.  occurrence:
an event or occurrence that has been referred to or is known about • that
odd affair at work last week

3.  social
event:
a social event

4.  something
of a particular kind: an object or item of a
particular kind • The house is a
ramshackle affair.

5.  sexual
relationship: a sexual relationship between people not
married to each other.
Also
called
affaire

6.  scandalous
incident:
an incident that attracts public attention or notoriety
plural
noun
af·fairs

business to attend to:
professional, public, or personal business
[12th century. Via French,
literally “to do,” from, ultimately, Latin facere (source of English fact and fashion
).][1]



affairede coeur

affairede coeur
af·faire
de coeur 
[ə fàir də kúr] (plural af·faires
de coeur [ə fàir də kúr]) noun

love
affair:
a love affair or romantic attachment
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “affair of the heart.”][1]



affect

affect1
af·fect1 [ə
fékt] (past af·fect·ed, past participle af·fect·ed,
present participle af·fect·ing, 3rd person present singular
af·fects) transitive verb

1.  influence:
to act upon or have an effect on somebody or something

2.  move
emotionally: to move somebody emotionally

3.  cause
disease:
to infect or damage somebody or something with disease
[14th
century. From Latin affect-, the past participle stem of afficere
“to act on,” from facere “to do” (source of English fact and fetish
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  affect
  or effect ?
  The
  first thing to notice is that affect is
  only a verb, whereas effect is a noun and
  verb. What causes confusion is that they are both pronounced the same way and
  have meanings that are closely related. If one thing affects another, it has
  an effect on it. Notice also that you can affect (cause a change in) people as well as
  things, but you can only effect (bring
  about) things. • The election effected
  major changes in the government.

[1]



affect

affect2
af·fect2 [ə
fékt] (past af·fect·ed, past participle af·fect·ed,
present participle af·fect·ing, 3rd person present singular
af·fects) transitive verb

1.  pretend
to be:
to give the appearance or pretense of something

2.  adopt
something:
to adopt a use, style, or manner as your own

3.  act
like somebody: to imitate somebody else’s style or
character

4.  come
to be or have: to assume a particular form or state • affect
a liquid state
[15th
century. Directly or via French affecter from Latin affectare “to
strive for,” from affect-, the past participle stem of afficere
(see affect 1 ).]
—af·fect·er, noun[1]



affect

affect3
af·fect3 [á
fèkt] (plural af·fects) noun

feeling
associated with an action: an emotion or mood
associated with an idea or action, or the external expression of such a feeling
• blunted
affect
[Late 19th century. Via
German Affekt .][1]



affectation

affectation
af·fec·ta·tion 
[à fek táysh’n] (plural af·fec·ta·tions)
noun

1.  behavior
intended to impress: feigned or unnatural
behavior that is often meant to impress others

2.  act
intended to impress: an appearance or manner
assumed or put on as a show or pretense, often to impress others
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French, from the Latin stem affection- “influence,” from affectare
(see affect 2 ).][1]



affected

affected
af·fect·ed
[ə féktəd] adjective

1.  influenced
by something: acted upon or influenced by something or
somebody

2.  moved
emotionally: emotionally moved by something

3.  infected
or damaged:
infected or damaged by disease

4.  trying
to impress:
behaving in an unnatural way intended to impress others

5.  intended
to impress:
done or assumed with the intention of impressing others
—af·fect·ed·ly,
adverb

—af·fect·ed·ness, noun[1]



affecting

affecting
af·fect·ing 
[ə fékting] adjective

emotionally
moving:
able to stir the emotions
—af·fect·ing·ly, adverb[1]



affection

affection
af·fec·tion 
[ə fékshən] noun (plural af·fec·tions)

fondness:
fond or tender feeling toward somebody or something
plural
noun
af·fect·ions

feelings:
feelings of fondness or tenderness, sometimes as opposed to reason
[12th
century. Via Old French affectation “emotion,” from the Latin stem affection-
“inclination,” from, ultimately, afficere (see affect 1 ).]
—af·fec·tion·al,
adjective

—af·fec·tion·al·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at love

[1]



affectionate

affectionate
af·fec·tion·ate 
[ə fékshənət] adjective

loving:
having or showing affection
[15th
century. Directly or via French, from Latin affectionatus “devoted,”
from the stem affection- (see affection
).]
—af·fec·tion·ate·ly,
adverb

—af·fec·tion·ate·ness,
noun[1]



affective

affective
af·fec·tive 
[ə féktiv] adjective

1.  PSYCHOLOGY of
emotional expression: relating to an external
expression of emotion associated with an idea or action

2.  See
affecting
[15th
century. Via French affectif from late Latin affectivus, from
Latin affect-, the past participle stem of afficere (see affect 1 ).]
—af·fec·tive·ly,
adverb

—af·fec·tiv·i·ty [à fek tívvətee], noun[1]



affectivedisorder

affectivedisorder
af·fec·tive
dis·or·der
(plural af·fec·tive dis·or·ders) noun

prolonged emotional
disturbance: a psychiatric disorder
with a central emotional component, for example, depression[1]



affectless

affectless
af·fect·less 
[ə féktləss] adjective

without
emotion:
feeling or showing no emotion
—af·fect·less·ness, noun[1]



affenpinscher

affenpinscher
af·fen·pin·scher 
[áffən pìnchər] (plural af·fen·pin·schers)
noun

small
dog:
a European breed of small dogs with wiry hair and a tufted muzzle
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “ape terrier.”][1]



afferent

afferent
af·fer·ent 
[áffərənt] adjective

bringing
something toward a body part: used to describe nerves that
carry impulses from the outer body toward the brain or spinal cord, or blood
vessels that carry blood to an organ
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, the present participle stem of afferre “to bring
toward.”]
—af·fer·ently, adverb[1]



affettuoso

affettuoso
af·fet·tu·o·so 
[a fèchoo ṓssō] adverb adjective

tenderly:
played or sung musically with feeling (used as a musical direction)
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, ultimately from Latin affect-, the past participle stem of afficere
“to act on” (see affect 1 ).][1]



affiance

affiance
af·fi·ance 
[ə f əns] (past af·fi·anced, past
participle af·fi·anced, present participle af·fi·anc·ing,
3rd person present singular af·fi·anc·es) transitive verb

promise
in marriage: to promise yourself or somebody else in
marriage to somebody (formal) (often passive)
[14th century. Via Old French
afiancer from afiance “trust,” from, ultimately, medieval Latin affidare
“to trust” (source of English affidavit
).][1]



affidavit

affidavit
af·fi·da·vit 
[àffi dáyvit] (plural af·fi·da·vits)
noun

written
version of sworn statement: a written declaration made
on oath before somebody authorized to administer oaths, usually setting out the
statement of a witness for court proceedings
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “he or she has sworn,” a form of affidare “to
trust, affirm,” from, ultimately, fidus “faithful” (source of English fidelity ).][1]



affiliate

affiliate
af·fil·i·ate 
verb [ə fíllee àyt] (past af·fil·i·at·ed,
past participle af·fil·i·at·ed, present participle af·fil·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular af·fil·i·ates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
organizations: to come, or bring a person or group,
into a close relationship with another, usually larger, group

2.  transitive
verb
determine
something’s origin: to determine the origin of
something
noun
[ə fíllee ət, ə
fíllee àyt] (plural af·fil·i·ates)

associate: a group
that is closely connected with a larger group, or an individual who combines
with others to form a group
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin affiliare “to adopt as a son,” from filius
“son” (source of English filial ).]
—af·fil·i·at·ed,
adjective

—af·fil·i·a·tion [ə fìllee áysh’n], noun[1]



affine

affine
af·fine 
[ə fn, a fn]
(plural af·fines) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS type
of geometric transformation: a geometric transformation
that maps points and parallel lines to points and parallel lines

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY relative:
a relative by marriage
[Early
20th century. From Latin affinis (see affinity
).]
—af·fi·nal [ə fn’l], adjective[1]



affined

affined
af·fined 
[ə fnd] adjective

closely related:
joined by close relationship (formal)[1]



affinity

affinity
af·fin·i·ty 
[ə fínnitee] (plural af·fin·i·ties)
noun

1.  feeling
of identification: a natural liking for or
inclination toward somebody or something, or a feeling of identification with
somebody or something

2.  somebody
attractive:
somebody to whom somebody else is attracted

3.  connection:
a similarity or likeness that connects persons or things

4.  ANTHROPOLOGY kinship
by marriage: a relationship by marriage rather than
blood

5.  BIOLOGY LANGUAGE similarity in structure:
a similarity in structure between groups that may suggest a common origin

6.  CHEMISTRY likelihood
of chemical reaction: a measure of the likelihood
of a chemical reaction taking place between two substances.
Also
called
avidity

7.  IMMUNOLOGY antigen-antibody
attraction:
the attraction between an antigen and an antibody
[14th century. Via Old French
afinité “close relationship” from, ultimately, Latin affinis,
literally “bordering on something,” from finis “border” (source of
English finish and confine ).][1]



affirm

affirm
af·firm 
[ə fúrm] (past af·firmed, past
participle af·firmed, present participle af·firm·ing, 3rd
person present singular af·firms) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb declare
positively:
to declare positively that something is true • They
affirmed their continued support for the initiative

2.  transitive
verb
confirm:
to confirm something as binding or valid

3.  intransitive
verb
LAW make a
formal statement: to make a statement formally but not
under oath
[13th
century. Via Old French, from Latin affirmare “to strengthen,” from firmus
“firm” (source of English firm and farm ).]
—af·firm·a·ble,
adjective

—af·firm·a·bly,
adverb

—af·fir·mant,
noun

—af·firm·er, noun[1]



affirmation

affirmation
af·fir·ma·tion 
[àffər máysh’n] (plural af·fir·ma·tions)
noun

1.  assertion
of truth:
an assertion of truth

2.  something
said to be true: something asserted as being true

3.  LAW formal
legal declaration: a formal declaration
acceptable in a court, usually made by somebody who has a conscientious
objection to taking an oath

4.  positive
statement of achievement: a positive statement
asserting that a goal the speaker or thinker wishes to achieve is already happening
• Start
the day by repeating 20 times the affirmation “I am a nonsmoker.”
[15th century. Directly or
via French, from the Latin stem affirmation-, from affirmare (see
affirm ).][1]



affirmative

affirmative
af·fir·ma·tive 
[ə fúrmətiv] adjective

1.  true:
confirming or asserting that something is true

2.  indicating
agreement:
indicating agreement or giving assent

3.  LOGIC relating
to a type of proposition: relating to or being a
categorical proposition in which the predicate’s extension is contained
partially or wholly within the subject, for example, “All humans are mammals”
noun
(plural af·fir·ma·tives)

1.  positive
assertion:
a positive assertion

2.  word
conveying agreement: a word or statement
conveying agreement or approval

3.  side
for a proposition: the side in a debate that
supports a proposition
interjection

MILITARY yes:
a signal code word expressing agreement or compliance
—af·fir·ma·tive·ly, adverb[1]



affirmativeaction

affirmativeaction
af·fir·ma·tive
ac·tion
noun

program to rectify
discrimination: a policy or program
aimed at countering discrimination against minorities and women, especially in
employment and education.
U.K. term
positive discrimination[1]



affix

affix
af·fix 
transitive verb [ə fíks] (past
af·fixed, past participle af·fixed, present participle
af·fix·ing, 3rd person present singular af·fix·es)

1.  fasten
to something else: to fasten something to
something else

2.  add
on to something: to add something at the end of
something, for example, a signature to a document

3.  attribute
to somebody: to ascribe something, for example,
responsibility or blame, to somebody
noun
[áffiks] (plural af·fix·es)

1.  LINGUISTICS part
added to a word: a form added to the beginning, middle,
or end of another word that creates a derivative word or inflection

2.  something
attached:
something attached or added
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French affixer from medieval Latin affixare,
literally “to keep on fastening to,” from Latin affigere “to fasten to,”
from figere “to fasten” (source of English fix
).]
—af·fix·a·ble,
adjective

—af·fix·er, noun[1]



afflatus

afflatus
af·fla·tus 
[ə fláytəss] noun

inspiration:
creative inspiration, usually thought of as divine (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “act of blowing on,” from, ultimately, flare “to blow”
(source of English flatulent ). The
underlying sense is of divine breath infusing a mortal being.][1]



afflict

afflict
af·flict 
[ə flíkt] (past af·flict·ed, past
participle af·flict·ed, present participle af·flict·ing,
3rd person present singular af·flicts) transitive verb

cause
distress:
to cause severe mental or physical distress to somebody
[14th
century. From Latin afflict-, the past participle stem of affligere,
literally “to strike down,” hence “to cause to suffer,” from fligere “to
strike” (source of English profligate
).]
—af·flict·er,
noun

—af·flic·tive,
adjective

—af·flic·tive·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  afflict
  or inflict ?
  The
  chief difference is in the grammatical construction: you inflict something unpleasant on somebody,
  whereas you afflict somebody (or, more
  usually, somebody is afflicted ) with or by something unpleasant. • The
  government will inflict a new hardship on students when it abolishes the
  student loans. • The
  population was afflicted with a series of food shortages.

[1]



affliction

affliction
af·flic·tion 
[ə flíkshən] (plural af·flic·tions)
noun

1.  distress:
a condition of great physical or mental distress

2.  cause
of distress: something that causes great physical or
mental distress
[14th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem affliction-, from affligere (see afflict ).][1]



affluence

affluence
af·flu·ence 
[áffloo əns] or af·flu·en·cy [áffloo ənsee] noun

wealth:
an abundance of material wealth
[14th century. Via French,
from Latin affluentia, from affluent-, the present participle
stem of affluere (see affluent ).][1]



affluent

affluent
af·flu·ent 
[áffloo ənt] adjective

wealthy:
having an abundance of material wealth
noun
(plural af·flu·ents)

1.  wealthy
people:
people who are financially well off • restaurants
and clubs frequented by the affluent

2.  GEOGRAPHY stream
flowing into another: a stream or river that flows
into another
[15th
century. Via Old French, from, ultimately, Latin affluere “to flow
toward,” from fluere “to flow” (source of English fluid ).]
—af·flu·ent·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Affluent Society, a book by U.S. economist John Kenneth Galbraith ( 1958 ).
  One of Galbraith’s most widely read works, it attacks what he views as the
  American obsession with production and material goods and urges greater
  government expenditure on the country’s infrastructure and public services.

[1]



afflux

afflux
af·flux 
[á flùks] (plural af·flux·es) noun

flow:
an inward flow or flow toward a point, especially of blood in the body
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin affluxus, from affluere (see affluent ).][1]



afford

afford
af·ford 
[ə fáwrd] (past af·ford·ed, past
participle af·ford·ed, present participle af·ford·ing,
3rd person present singular af·fords) transitive verb

1.  be
able to buy: to be able to meet the cost of something
without unacceptable difficulty

2.  be
able to do:
to be able to do or provide something without unacceptable or disadvantageous
consequences

3.  be
able to spare: to be able to spare something without
unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences

4.  provide:
to supply or provide something (formal)
[Old English geforþian
“to accomplish,” from forþian “to further.” The sense “to be able to
buy” evolved from the idea of “having enough money to accomplish something.”][1]



affordable

affordable
af·ford·a·ble 
[ə fáwrdəb’l] adjective

able
to be afforded: able to be paid for, done, or spared
without unacceptable difficulty or disadvantageous consequences
—af·ford·a·bil·i·ty
[ə fàwrdə bíllətee], noun

—af·ford·a·bly [ə fáwrdəblee], adverb[1]



afforest

afforest
af·for·est 
[ə fáwrəst] (past af·for·est·ed,
past participle af·for·est·ed, present participle af·for·est·ing,
3rd person present singular af·for·ests) transitive verb

plant
trees on:
to convert land not previously forested into forest by planting trees
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin afforestare, from foresta
(partial source of English forest ).]
—af·for·es·ta·tion [ə fàwrə stáysh’n], noun[1]



affray

affray
af·fray 
[ə fráy] (plural af·frays) noun

fight:
a fight or violent disturbance in a public place
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman afrayer “to disturb” from assumed Vulgar Latin exfridare,
literally “to take out of peace.” Ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



affricate

affricate
af·fri·cate 
[áffrikət] (plural af·fri·cates)
or af·fri·ca·tive [ə fríkətiv]
(plural af·fri·ca·tives) noun

consonantal
sound:
a composite speech sound made up of a stop immediately followed by a fricative
[Late
19th century. From Latin affricat-, the past participle stem of affricare
“to rub against,” from fricare “to rub” (source of English friction ).]
—af·fri·ca·tive, adjective[1]



affright

affright
af·fright 
[ə frt] transitive verb (past
af·fright·ed, past participle af·fright·ed, present
participle af·fright·ing, 3rd person present singular af·frights)

frighten:
to overwhelm somebody with sudden fear (archaic literary)
noun

terror:
sudden overpowering fear (archaic literary)
[Late
16th century. Formed from the verb fright .]
—af·fright·ment, noun[1]



affront

affront
af·front 
[ə frúnt] noun (plural af·fronts)

open
insult:
an open insult or giving of offense to somebody
transitive
verb
(past af·front·ed, past participle af·front·ed, present
participle af·front·ing, 3rd person present singular af·fronts)

insult
openly:
to insult or offend somebody openly
[14th century. Via Old
French, from Vulgar Latin affrontare “to strike in the face,” from ad
frontem “to the face.”][1]



affusion

affusion
af·fu·sion 
[ə fyzh’n] noun

type
of baptism:
a form of baptism in which water is poured over somebody’s head
[Early 17th century. From
Latin affus-, the past participle stem of affundere “to pour on,”
from fundere “to pour” (source of English foundry
).][1]



Afghan

Afghan
Af·ghan 
noun (plural Af·ghans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Afghanistan: somebody who was born or raised in
Afghanistan, or who is a citizen of Afghanistan

2.  LANGUAGE See Pashto

3.  ZOOLOGY See Afghan hound
adjective

of Afghanistan:
relating to the Republic of Afghanistan, or its people or culture

[1]



afghan

afghan
af·ghan 
[áf gàn] (plural af·ghans) noun

1.  blanket:
a knitted or crocheted blanket or shawl, often with geometric designs

2.  carpet:
a large carpet woven in a geometric design
[Early 18th century. From
Pashto afghāni “of Afghanistan.”][1]



Afghanhound

Afghanhound
Af·ghan
hound
(plural Af·ghan hounds) or Af·ghan (plural Af·ghans)
noun

dog with long silky coat:
a tall dog with a long silky coat, belonging to a breed originally developed in
Afghanistan as hunting dogs and sheepdogs[1]



afghani

afghani
af·ghan·i 
[af gánnee, af
gnee] (plural af·ghan·is) noun

1.  Afghan
currency unit: a unit of currency in Afghanistan

2.  coin
worth an afghani: a coin worth one afghani
[Early 20th century. From
Pashto afghāni .][1]



Afghanistan




Back to definition

Afghanistan

[1]



Afghanistan

Afghanistan



Af·ghan·i·stan 
[af gánni stàn]
former monarchy in southwestern Asia,
which became a republic in 1973. Language: Pashto. Language: Dari (Persian).
Currency: Afghani. Capital: Kabul. Population: 23,738,085 (1997) Area: 652,225
sq km/251,825 sq mi.[1]



Afghanistization

Afghanistization
Af·ghan·i·sti·za·tion 
[af gànní stə záysh’n, àf ganí stə záysh’n] noun

process
of marginalization: the process of becoming, or
coming to be seen as, a remote and marginal place
[Late 20th century. Formed
from Afghanistan, from the political and
social disintegration there after the breakup of the Soviet Union.][1]



aficionada

aficionada
a·fi·cio·na·da
[ə fìshə ndə, ə
fìshiə ndə] (plural a·ficion·adas) noun

enthusiast:
a woman who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something[1]



aficionado

aficionado
a·fi·cio·na·do 
[ə fìshə ndō, ə
fìshee ə ndō] (plural a·fi·cio·na·dos) noun

1.  enthusiast:
somebody who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something

2.  bullfighting
enthusiast:
a devotee of bullfighting
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “somebody who likes something,” from, ultimately, the Latin
stem affection- (see affection ).][1]



afield

afield
a·field 
[ə fld] adverb adjective

1.  away:
distant from home or customary surroundings

2.  off
the point:
off the point or subject

[1]



afikomen

afikomen
a·fi·ko·men 
[fi kṓmən] noun

unleavened
bread:
in Judaism, the unleavened bread that completes the festive meal ( Seder ) on the first night of Passover
[Late 19th century. Via
Hebrew aphīqōmān from Greek, “festival.”][1]



afire

afire
a·fire 
[ə fr] adjective adverb

1.  ablaze:
on fire or blazing

2.  passionate:
passionately interested in something

[1]



AFL

AFL
AFL

1.  Abbreviation
of
American Federation of Labor

2.  Abbreviation
of
American Football League

[1]



aflame

aflame
a·flame 
[ə fláym] adjective

1.  ablaze:
in flames or blazing

2.  impassioned:
highly aroused or impassioned

[1]



aflatoxin

aflatoxin
af·la·tox·in 
[àfflə tóksin] (plural af·la·tox·ins)
noun

toxin
from fungus: a toxic compound produced by a mold
fungus in agricultural crops, especially peanuts, and in animal feeds that have
not been carefully stored. It can cause hepatitis and liver cancer.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin Aspergillus flavus + toxin
.][1]



AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO

Abbreviation of
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations[1]



afloat

afloat
a·float 
[ə flṓt] adjective adverb

1.  floating
on water:
floating on water

2.  on
board ship:
on board a ship or at sea

3.  flooded:
covered with water

4.  drifting
purposelessly: without purpose or guidance

5.  in
circulation: circulating among the public

6.  financially
solvent:
free of debt or financial problems

[1]



aflutter

aflutter
a·flut·ter 
[ə flúttər] adjective adverb

1.  excited:
in a state of agitation or excitement

2.  flapping:
flapping or waving, for example, as a flag does in the breeze

[1]



afoot

afoot
a·foot 
[ə ft] adjective adverb

1.  happening:
in the process of happening

2.  on
foot:
on foot or by walking
[13th century. Partly modeled
on Old Norse á fótum “on foot.”][1]



afore

afore
a·fore 
[ə fáwr] adverb preposition conjunction

before:
before (regional)
[Old English onforan,
from foran “in front, before” (source also of English before )][1]



aforementioned

aforementioned
a·fore·men·tioned 
[ə fáwr mènshənd] adjective

mentioned
earlier:
previously mentioned (formal)
noun

the previously mentioned:
the previously mentioned person or people (formal)[1]



aforesaid

aforesaid
a·fore·said 
[ə fáwr sèd] adjective

named earlier:
previously named (formal)[1]



aforethought

aforethought
a·fore·thought 
[ə fáwr thàwt] adjective

planned in advance:
thought about or planned beforehand[1]



afortiori

afortiori
a
for·ti·o·ri 
[aa fàwrtee áwree, ay
fàwrtee ṓ r] adverb

with
more reason: for an even stronger reason
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “from the stronger (reason),” from fortis “strong.”][1]



afoul

afoul
a·foul
[ə fówl] adjective adverb

1.  into
conflict:
in or into trouble or conflict with somebody or something

2.  entangled:
entangled or in collision with something

[1]



Afr.

Afr.
Afr.

Abbreviation
of
Africa


Abbreviation of
African[1]



afraid

afraid
a·fraid 
[ə fráyd] adjective

1.  frightened:
frightened or apprehensive about something

2.  reluctant:
feeling hesitation or disinclination toward something

3.  regretful:
regretful that something is or is not the case
[14th
century. Originally the past participle of affray,
modeled on Anglo-Norman affrayé .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Who’s
  Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, a play by American dramatist Edward Albee ( 1962
  ). Albee’s first full-length play examines the sour relationship between a
  middle-aged, underachieving academic and his embittered wife. A dinner party
  with a younger, not dissimilar, couple forces them to confront the reality of
  their past and present.

[1]



A-frame

A-frame
A-frame 
adjective

shaped
like A:
built in the shape of a capital letter A
noun
(plural A-frames)

A-shaped building:
a building shaped like a capital letter A, with a triangular front and back and
a roof that slopes to the ground forming the sides of the building[1]



afreet

afreet
af·reet 
[á frt, ə frt]
(plural af·reets) or af·rit [á frt, ə frt]
(plural af·rits) noun

evil
spirit:
an evil spirit or powerful monster in Arabian mythology
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic afrīt .][1]



afresh

afresh
a·fresh 
[ə frésh] adverb

again:
once again, especially from the beginning[1]



Africa

Africa

Af·ri·ca 
[áffrikə]
the second largest continent, lying south
of Europe with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east.
Population: 728,000,000 (1995) Area: 30,330,000 sq km/11,699,000 sq mi.[1]



Africa




Back to definition

Africa

[1]



African

African
Af·ri·can 
[áffrikən] adjective

of Africa:
relating to any of the countries of the African continent, or their peoples or
cultures
noun
(plural Af·ri·cans)

1.  somebody
from Africa: somebody who was born or who lives in
Africa

2.  somebody
of African descent: somebody descended from any
of the peoples of Africa
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Africanus, from, ultimately, Afri “the ancient inhabitants of
North Africa.”][1]



AfricanAmerican

AfricanAmerican
Af·ri·can
A·mer·i·can
(plural Af·ri·can A·mer·i·cans) noun

American
of African descent: an American of African
descent. 
—African
American, adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  African
  American,
  Afro-American, or black ?
  African American has vigorously overtaken Afro-American as a term descriptive of black
  Americans. Similarly, Chinese American is now more common than Sino-American,,
  and Italian American than Italo-American . Unlike the others of
  these compounds, of course, African American,
  along with Asian American, refers to a continent, not a country. This
  lack of parallelism perhaps explains why African
  American and Asian American seldom appear in discussions of
  international relations, whereas both forms of the compounds that pair
  another country with the United States often do ( • Franco-American
  dialogue
  and • French-American
  friendship ). Other limitations on the use of African American have to do with the stress it
  lays on African heritage. Although blacks with Caribbean or Hispanic
  backgrounds may be able to trace their ancestry to Africa, they do not
  necessarily regard themselves as African Americans, any more than the
  descendants of Spanish immigrants to Argentina consider themselves Spanish. Black is broader in application, referring as
  well to non-Americans. People of color is broader still, referring to
  non-whites of whatever origin and nationality. Colored people is
  redolent of other times or other places and is not recommended.

[1]



AfricanAmerican Vernacular English

AfricanAmerican Vernacular English
Af·ri·can
A·mer·i·can Ver·nac·u·lar Eng·lish noun

form
of American English: the variety of English
spoken by many African Americans.
Also
called
Black English
Also
called
Ebonics





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  African American Vernacular English, or
  AAVE, is the term used by scholars for the widespread and varied
  African American usages of the English Language, also called Ebonics, Afro-American
  English, American Black English, Black English, Black
  English Vernacular, and Black Vernacular English . Originating in
  the pidgin of the slave trade and Plantation Creole in the U.S. Southern
  states, African American Vernacular English considerably influenced U.S.
  Southern English and, in the late 19th and the 20th centuries, spread by
  migration through much of the nation. It therefore has both rural and urban
  components. It has also come to be associated with the language of blues,
  jazz, and rap music.
  As
  with African English, African American Vernacular English is "non-rhotic"
  or r -dropping: r is not pronounced in words such as art,
  door, and worker . Its other characteristics - some going back
  to similar features of African languages - are these: (1) the use of d
  and t instead of th, as in dem for them and tree
  for three ; (2) l -dropping, as in hep for help, sef
  for self, and too for tool ; (3) consonant reduction at
  the ends of some words (including tense endings), as in wha for what,
  jus for just, and pas for past ; (4) use of -in
  for -ing, as in runnin for running ; (5) multiple
  negatives, as in no way nobody can do it ; (6) verb aspects marked for
  intermittent, momentary, or continuous action rather than tense per se, the
  tense time being apparent from the contexts, as in he be laughin for he
  is always laughing and he run for he runs ; and (7)
  dropping of the verb to be in some constructions, as in she sick
  and he gone for she is sick and he has gone .
  African
  American Vernacular English expressions have contributed to the rich texture
  of American English, these terms being typical: yam (sweet potato), goober
  (peanut), okra, gumbo (the soup and the river mud), tote
  (carry), juke, mumbo jumbo, hey/hip, and boogie
  woogie . All these are rooted in African languages. In its more urban
  settings, African American Vernacular English’s contributions are also many,
  these few examples making the point: dis (to disrespect), igg
  (to ignore), chill out (to stop behaving stupidly), ’tude
  (attitude), the Man (the police), hang-up (a problem), rap
  (to talk), make it (succeed), kicks (pleasure), and the sense
  of bad meaning variously “good,” “extraordinary,” and “beautiful.” See
  also AFRICAN ENGLISH.

[1]



Africanbuffalo

Africanbuffalo
Af·ri·can
buf·fa·lo
(plural Af·ri·can buf·fa·los or Af·ri·can buf·fa·loes
or Af·ri·can buf·fa·lo) noun

wild buffalo of Africa:
a reddish-brown to black wild buffalo found in Africa. There are two species,
the Cape buffalo and the smaller forest, or dwarf, buffalo. Latin name: Synceros
caffer Synceros nanus[1]



AfricanCanadian

AfricanCanadian
Af·ri·can
Ca·na·di·an
(plural Af·ri·can Ca·na·di·ans) noun

Canadian
of African descent: a Canadian of African
descent
—Af·ri·can Ca·na·di·an,
adjective[1]



Africandaisy

Africandaisy
Af·ri·can
dai·sy
(plural Af·ri·can dai·sies) noun

flower resembling daisy:
a plant with colorful flowers resembling large daisies. The name is used for
several different plants originating in Africa.[1]



Africander

Africander
Af·ri·can·der
noun

See
Afrikander[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AfricanEnglish

AfricanEnglish
Af·ri·can
Eng·lish
noun

English of Africa:
the variety of English spoken in Africa[1]



Africangreenheart

Africangreenheart
Af·ri·can
green·heart
(plural Af·ri·can green·hearts or Af·ri·can green·heart)
noun

tropical African tree:
a leguminous tree of African tropical forests that is the source of
commercially important timber. Latin name: Cylicodiscus gabunensis[1]



Africanism

Africanism
Af·ri·can·ism 
[áfrikənizzəm] (plural Af·ri·can·isms)
noun

African characteristic:
a cultural characteristic of or about Africa or Africans, especially a
linguistic feature, found in a non-African language[1]



Africanist

Africanist
Af·ri·can·ist 
[áfrikənist] (plural Af·ri·can·ists)
noun

specialist in Africa:
somebody who specializes in African politics, cultures, or languages[1]



Africanizedbee

Africanizedbee
Af·ri·can·ized
bee 
(plural Af·ri·can·ized bees) noun

aggressive hybrid bee:
an aggressive honeybee that was accidentally hybridized in Brazil from African
and European strains and has spread north into Mexico and southern Texas[1]



Africanlily

Africanlily
Af·ri·can
lil·y
(plural Af·ri·can lil·ies) noun

plant with round blue
flowerheads: a southern African
plant of the lily family that has rounded heads of funnel-shaped blue, or
sometimes white, flowers. Latin name: Agapanthus africanus
U.K. term
agapanthus
Also called
lily of the Nile[1]



Africanmahogany

Africanmahogany
Af·ri·can
ma·hog·a·ny
(plural Af·ri·can ma·hog·a·nies) noun

1.  African
tree like mahogany: an African tree that
produces wood similar in appearance to that of tropical American mahogany.
Genera: Khaya Entandrophragma

2.  wood
like mahogany: the hard wood of the African mahogany
tree. It is used for making the same types of products as tropical American
mahogany, for example, furniture.

[1]



Africanmillet

Africanmillet
Af·ri·can
mil·let
noun

See
pearl millet[1]



AfricanNational Congress

AfricanNational Congress
Af·ri·can
Na·tion·al Con·gress noun

Full form of
ANC[1]



Africanviolet

Africanviolet

Af·ri·can vi·o·let
(plural Af·ri·can vi·o·lets) noun
flowering houseplant:
a tropical African plant grown as a houseplant for its violet, white, or pink
flowers and fleshy leaves. Genus: Saintpaulia
Also called
saintpaulia[1]



Afrikaans

Afrikaans
Af·ri·kaans 
[àffri kns, àffri
knz] noun

South
African language: one of the 11 official languages of
South Africa, also spoken in Namibia. It is descended from the Dutch spoken by
17th-century settlers. Afrikaans is spoken by about 10 million people.
adjective

of
Afrikaners:
relating to the Afrikaner people, or their culture or language
[Early 20th century. From
Dutch “African.”][1]



Afrikander

Afrikander
Af·ri·kan·der
[àffri kándər] (plural Af·ri·kan·ders)
or Af·ri·can·der [àffri kándər]
(plural Af·ri·can·ders) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE breed
of S African beef cattle: a long-horned hump-backed
animal with a reddish color, belonging to a South African breed of beef cattle

2.  AGRICULTURE breed
of S African sheep: a sheep belonging to an
indigenous South African breed

3.  PEOPLES Afrikaner:
an Afrikaner (archaic)
[Variant of Afrikaner][1]



Afrikaner

Afrikaner
Af·ri·ka·ner 
[àffri knər] noun (plural Af·ri·ka·ners)

Afrikaans-speaking
South African: a South African whose first language is
Afrikaans, usually descended from 17th century settlers ( Boers )
adjective

of
Afrikaans-speaking South Africans: relating to the
Afrikaans-speaking population of South Africa
[Early 19th century. From
Afrikaans, formed from Afrikaan “African person” on the model of Hollander
“Dutch person.”][1]



afrit

afrit
af·rit 
noun

See
afreet[1]



Afro-

Afro-
Afro-
prefix

Africa,
African • Afro-Cuban
[From Latin Afr-, the
stem of Afer “an African”][1]



Afro

Afro
Af·ro 
[áffrō] noun (plural Af·ros)

hairstyle
with tight curls: a hairstyle with rounded thick curls
adjective

of
Africa:
of African origin or style
[Mid-20th century. From Afro-American or Afro- .][1]



Afro-American

Afro-American
Af·ro-A·mer·i·can 
noun (plural Af·ro-A·mer·i·cans) adjective

See
African American

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at AfricanAmerican.

[1]



Afro-Asian

Afro-Asian
Af·ro-A·sian
adjective

of Africa and Asia:
relating to the continents of Africa and Asia or their peoples or shared
cultural phenomena[1]



Afro-Asiatic

Afro-Asiatic
Af·ro-A·si·at·ic 
noun

language
family of Africa and Asia: a family of more than 200
languages spoken across North Africa and the Middle East, consisting of the
Semitic, Berber, Cushitic, Chadic, and Egyptian subfamilies. About 250 million
people speak an Afro-Asiatic language.
Also
called
Hamito-Semitic
—Afro-Asiatic, adjective[1]



Afro-Caribbean

Afro-Caribbean
Af·ro-Car·ib·be·an
(plural Af·ro-Car·ib·be·ans) noun

Caribbean of African descent:
a Caribbean person of African descent[1]



Afro-Cuban

Afro-Cuban
Af·ro-Cu·ban
adjective

of Africa and Cuba:
relating to Cuban culture as influenced by Africa, especially a style of jazz
based on Cuban interpretations of African rhythms[1]



aft

aft
aft 
[aft] adverb adjective

at
the back of a craft: toward or at the rear of a
ship, submarine, or aircraft
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of abaft .][1]



AFT

AFT
AFT

Abbreviation of
American Federation of Teachers[1]



aft.

aft.
aft.

Abbreviation of
afternoon[1]



after

after
af·ter 
[áftər] preposition

1.  later
than:
later in time than

2.  behind:
behind in order or place

3.  in
pursuit of:
in pursuit of or looking for

4.  regarding:
about or regarding

5.  following
from:
subsequent to and considering

6.  like:
in imitation or in the manner of somebody or something

7.  agreeing
with:
in agreement with or in conformity to

8.  past
the hour of: past the hour of
adverb

1.  later:
later in time or place

2.  NAUTICAL AIR further back:
further toward the rear of a ship, submarine, or aircraft
conjunction

following a time when:
following a time when, and sometimes as a result
adjective

1.  subsequent:
later in time

2.  NAUTICAL AIR rear:
nearer to the rear of a ship, submarine, or aircraft
[Old
English æfter . Assumed to be a comparative form, literally “further
away,” from an Indo-European base meaning “away, off” (ancestor also of English
off ).]
after
all

1.  used
to emphasize something that should be taken into consideration in spite of what
has happened or been said

2.  used
to show that in the end something happened, was done, or was recognized in
spite of expectations to the contrary or efforts to prevent it

[1]



afterbeat

afterbeat
af·ter·beat
[áftər bt] (plural af·ter·beats)
noun

See
backbeat[1]



afterbirth

afterbirth
af·ter·birth 
[áftər bùrth] noun

placenta
expelled after birth: the placenta and fetal
membranes expelled from the uterus womb after a birth
[Late 16th century. Perhaps
modeled on German Aftergeburt .][1]



afterburner

afterburner
af·ter·burn·er 
[áftər bùrnər] (plural af·ter·burn·ers)
noun

1.  device
for increasing jet’s thrust: a system for increasing the
thrust of an aircraft jet engine by feeding fuel into the hot exhaust gases

2.  part
of car exhaust: a device in the exhaust system of an
internal combustion engine for burning or catalytically destroying potentially
harmful unburned or incompletely burned carbon compounds

[1]



aftercare

aftercare
af·ter·care 
[áftər kàir] noun MEDICINE

1.  care
after leaving hospital: care or support somebody
receives after leaving a hospital, often provided by a home nurse or social
worker

2.  care
after illness: care given in a hospital to a patient
who is recovering from an illness or operation

[1]



afterclap

afterclap
af·ter·clap 
[áftər klàp] (plural af·ter·claps)
noun

unexpected aftereffect:
a belated, unexpected, and usually adverse consequence of something thought to
be over and done with[1]



afterdamp

afterdamp
af·ter·damp 
[áftər dàmp] noun

fumes from mine explosion:
gaseous fumes remaining in a mine after an explosion of firedamp[1]



afterdeck

afterdeck
af·ter·deck 
[áftər dèk] (plural af·ter·decks)
noun

rear deck:
the part of the main open deck of a ship that extends from the bridge or
midships to the stern[1]



aftereffect

aftereffect
af·ter·ef·fect 
[áftər i fèkt] (plural af·ter·ef·fects)
noun

1.  delayed
result:
an effect, usually unpleasant, that follows its cause after an interval of time
• The
stock markets are still showing the aftereffects of last month’s rise in interest
rates.

2.  PHYSIOLOGY secondary
reaction:
a secondary response that follows the primary response to a physiological
stimulus

3.  PSYCHOLOGY delayed
reaction:
a delayed reaction to a psychological stimulus

[1]



afterglow

afterglow
af·ter·glow 
[áftər gl] noun

1.  light
glow:
radiated light that remains visible after a source of light or energy has been
removed, for example, the glow sometimes seen in the sky after sunset

2.  good
feeling:
a feeling of pleasure or a favorable impression that remains after a positive
experience • In
the afterglow of the victory, we forgot our leading scorer had been injured.

[1]



afterimage

afterimage
af·ter·im·age 
[áftər ìmmij] (plural af·ter·im·ages)
noun

residual visual image:
a visual image that remains briefly after light stimulation has ended.
Also called
photogene[1]



afterlife

afterlife
af·ter·life 
[áftər lf] noun

1.  RELIGION life
after death: a form of existence believed to continue
after death

2.  later
stage of life: the period of somebody’s life that
follows a particular event

[1]



aftermarket

aftermarket
af·ter·mar·ket
[áftər mrkət] noun

market for replacement parts:
subsequent sales opportunities resulting from an original sale, especially the
demand for parts and services that follows the purchase of something such as a
car[1]



aftermath

aftermath
af·ter·math 
[áftər màth] (plural af·ter·maths)
noun

1.  period
following bad event: the consequences of an
event, especially a disastrous one, or the period of time during which these
consequences are felt • in the
aftermath of the war

2.  second
crop:
a second crop or growth of grass in the same season, after the first harvest or
mowing
[15th
century. Literally “grass that springs up after mowing,” formed from after
+ obsolete math “mowing.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  To
  refer to a second cutting of growth after the first growth of hay has been
  cut, aftermath is used principally in the New England and Delaware
  regions. It is also recorded in the South of the United States, beside second
  cutting, lattermath, and the dominant Gulf States term volunteer
  and volunteer crop . Aftermath is less common in the Midwest
  and Upper Midwest, where second crop prevails. Another New England
  term, aftergrass, has little currency beyond the northeastern states.

[1]



aftermost

aftermost
af·ter·most 
[áftər mst] or aft·most [áft mst] adjective

farthest aft:
nearest to the stern of a ship[1]



afternoon

afternoon
af·ter·noon 
[àftər nn] noun (plural af·ter·noons)

1.  TIME daytime
between midday and evening: the period of the day
between noon and evening

2.  latter
part:
a latter part of something, especially of somebody’s life (literary)
interjection

greeting: a
greeting used to say “good afternoon” (informal)

[1]



afternoons

afternoons
af·ter·noons
[àftər nnz] adverb

in the afternoon:
during the afternoon, or every afternoon (informal)[1]



afterpains

afterpains
af·ter·pains 
[áftər pàynz] plural noun

pains after birth:
pains experienced by some women just after giving birth, similar to labor pains
and caused by contractions of the uterus[1]



afterpiece

afterpiece
af·ter·piece 
[áftər pss] (plural af·ter·pieces)
noun

short comic play:
a short entertainment, usually comic, performed after a play[1]



aftersensation

aftersensation
af·ter·sen·sa·tion 
[áftər sen sàysh’n] (plural af·ter·sen·sa·tions)
noun

residual sense impression:
any sense impression, for example, an aftertaste or afterimage, that remains
after the immediate stimulus has been removed[1]



aftershave

aftershave
af·ter·shave
[áftər shàyv] (plural af·ter·shaves)
noun

soothing scented liquid:
a liquid applied after shaving, to soothe and scent the skin of the face[1]



aftershock

aftershock
af·ter·shock 
[áftər shòk] (plural af·ter·shocks)
noun

1.  small
earthquake:
a small earthquake, usually one of several, that follows a larger one after a
period of time

2.  delayed
reaction:
a delayed psychological or physical reaction to a serious event or trauma

[1]



aftertaste

aftertaste
af·ter·taste 
[áftər tàyst] (plural af·ter·tastes)
noun

1.  persisting
taste:
a taste left in the mouth by food or drink after swallowing

2.  unpleasant
feeling:
a feeling or sensation, especially an unpleasant one, left behind after an
experience

[1]



after-tax

after-tax
af·ter-tax 
adjective

left after taxes:
remaining after paying or deducting money for taxes[1]



afterthought

afterthought
af·ter·thought 
[áftər thàwt] (plural af·ter·thoughts)
noun

something added later:
something not thought of, said, or done originally, but added afterward[1]



afterward

afterward
af·ter·ward 
[áftərwərd] or af·ter·wards [áftərwərdz] adverb

after that:
at a later time or after an event that has been mentioned previously • Let’s
have breakfast now and go skiing afterward.[1]



afterword

afterword
af·ter·word 
[áftər wùrd] (plural af·ter·words)
noun

end section of book:
a short concluding section added at the end of a literary work, which may be
either an epilogue or a commentary of some kind[1]



aftmost

aftmost
aft·most 
adjective

See
aftermost[1]



AFTRA

AFTRA
AFTRA 
[áftrə]

Abbreviation of
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists[1]



ag-

ag-
ag-
prefix

(used before g)See
ad-[1]



Ag

Ag
Ag

Symbol
for
silver
[Shortening of Latin argentum
“silver”][1]



A.G.

A.G.
A.G.
or AG

1.  Abbreviation
of
Adjutant General

2.  Abbreviation
of
Attorney General

[1]



aga

aga
a·ga 
[gə, ággə]
(plural a·gas) or a·gha [gə,
ággə] (plural a·ghas) noun

Islamic
commander:
used as a title for a military commander or important official in Islamic
countries, especially during the Ottoman Empire •
[Mid-16th century. From
Turkish aghā, literally “chief, master, lord.”][1]



again

again
a·gain 
[ə gén] adverb

1.  another
time:
at another time or on another occasion, repeating what has happened or been
done before • I
hope to come here again some day.

2.  as
before:
to the place, person, or state where somebody or something was earlier • Will
I ever be able to walk again?

3.  in
addition:
in addition to a previously mentioned quantity • You’ll
need all that and half as much again.

4.  differently:
on the other hand • You may be right, but
again you may be wrong.

5.  moreover:
similarly and in addition (formal) • Again,
that is something that the court must take into account.

6.  in
response:
in return or response (archaic)
[Old
English ongēan, literally “in a direct line with, facing” or “back to a
starting point,” from a prehistoric Germanic compound formed from the ancestor
of German gegen “against, towards”]
again
and again

repeatedly[1]



against

against
a·gainst 
[ə génst] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating opposition to or conflict with somebody or something,
either physically or intellectually • (preposition)
a battle against cancer preposition

1.  in
competition with: with somebody or something as an
opponent in a competitive situation, especially in sports • Iowa
against UCLA in the Rose Bowl

2.  in
contact with by leaning: in a position such that part
or all of something touches another object or surface, by leaning or resting on
the side of it rather than resting on top of it • I
leaned against a tree.

3.  into
sudden contact or collision with: so as to briefly touch
or suddenly collide with a usually stationary object while in movement • banged
his head against the beam

4.  in
the opposite direction of: in the opposite direction to
the movement, angle, or position of something or somebody • to
swim against the current

5.  seen
in contrast with: seen in contrast with something, for
example, a color that is behind or surrounding something • The
dark green pines are lovely against the blue sky.

6.  in
relation to events: in relation to, or
contrasted with, a set of events or circumstances • Government
actions makes sense against the background of rising tensions.

7.  as
protection from: in order to prevent or avoid something,
or to be protected from something • vaccinate
against disease

8.  in
payment of:
in partial or total payment of, or as a charge on • I’d
like to put this money against the amount I owe you.

9.  as
a disadvantage to: to the disadvantage of
somebody or something • Will
you hold it against me if I don’t come to your party?

10. compared
with:
in comparison with something • weighed
the cost of hiring someone against that of promoting existing staff

11. contrary
to:
contrary to or not approved or allowed by something or somebody • It’s
against the law.

12. in
preparation for: in preparation for something, usually an
expected unpleasant event (dated) • to
save against hard times

13. opposite:
opposite to or facing something (archaic)
[14th century. Formed from
earlier agenes (from Old English ongēan, the ancestor of again + the adverbial suffix -es ) + -t, modeled
on such words as amidst .][1]



AgaKhan III

AgaKhan III
A·ga
Khan III 
[gə kn] (1877–1957)

religious leader, born in
Karachi, Pakistan. He was imam of the Ismaili Muslim religious group and
president of the League of Nations Assembly (1937).[1]



AgaKhan IV

AgaKhan IV
A·ga
Khan IV
[gə kn] (1936– )

Swiss-born
Muslim leader. He became imam of the Ismaili religious group in 1957.
Born
Karim al Hussaini Shah[1]



agama

agama
a·ga·ma 
[ə gáymə, ággəmə]
(plural a·ga·mas) noun

1.  small
lizard:
a small long-tailed, often colorful lizard native to tropical Africa and Asia.
Genus: Agama

2.  See
agamid
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin and Spanish from, probably, Carib mami “lizard.”][1]



Agamemnon

Agamemnon
Ag·a·mem·non 
[àggə mém nòn, àggə
mémnən] noun

Greek leader at Troy:
the commander of the Greek army in the Trojan War. When Agamemnon returned from
the war, he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. His
death was later avenged by his son Orestes.[1]



agamic

agamic
a·gam·ic 
[ay gámmik] or ag·a·mous [ay gámməs] adjective

multiplying
asexually:
used to describe an organism that multiplies asexually
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek agamos “unmarried,” from gamos
“marriage.”]
—a·gam·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



agamid

agamid
a·ga·mid 
[ággəmid] (plural agamids) noun

small
long-tailed lizard: a small long-tailed
insect-eating lizard found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Family:
Agamidae
Also
called
agama
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Agamidae, family name, ultimately from agama (see agama ).][1]



agamogenesis

agamogenesis
a·gam·o·gen·e·sis 
[ay gàmmə jénnəssiss, àggəmō jénnəssiss] noun

asexual
reproduction: asexual reproduction, for example, by
cell division or budding
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek agamos “unmarried” + -genesis
.][1]



agamospermy

agamospermy
a·gam·o·sper·my 
[ay gámmə spùrmee, ággəmō
spùrmee] noun

asexual
seed formation: the asexual formation of seeds without
fertilization
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek agamos “not married” + sperm
+ -y 1 .][1]



agamous

agamous
ag·a·mous 
adjective

See
agamic[1]



agapanthus

agapanthus
ag·a·pan·thus 
[àggə pánthəss] (plural ag·a·pan·thus
or ag·a·pan·thus·es) noun

See
African lily
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek agapē “love” + anthos “flower”
(source of English anthology ).][1]



agape

agape1
a·gape1 [ə
gáyp] adverb adjective (literary)

1.  wide
open:
opened quite widely • The
door to the room was agape.

2.  open-mouthed:
with the mouth wide open, usually in surprise or wonder

[1]



agape

agape2
a·ga·pe2 [aa
gpee] noun

1.  nonsexual
love:
love that is wholly selfless and spiritual

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
love:
selfless love felt by Christians for their fellow human beings

3.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
communal meal: a communal meal held by a Christian
community, especially in early Christian times, in commemoration of the Last
Supper
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
agapē “affectionate love.”][1]



agar

agar
a·gar 
[gər, áygər]
or a·gar-a·gar [gər, áygər] noun

1.  FOOD gelling
agent from seaweed: an extract of seaweed in
powder form used as a gelling agent in vegetarian cooking and commercially as a
thickener

2.  BIOLOGY gel
for growing microorganisms: a gel culture medium based
on a seaweed extract, widely used for growing microorganisms in laboratories
[Late 19th century. From
Malay agar-agar “jelly.”][1]



agaric

agaric

ag·a·ric 
[ággərik, ə
gérrik] (plural ag·a·rics) noun
large-capped
fungus:
a fungus with a large cap resembling an umbrella with numerous radiating gills
on the underside. Some types are edible and some are poisonous. Family:
Agaricaceae
[15th century. Directly or
via French, from Latin agaricum, from Greek agarikon “tree
fungus,” of uncertain origin: perhaps named for Agaria in Sarmatia, an
ancient region of eastern Europe.][1]



agarose

agarose
ag·a·rose 
[ággə rss, ággə
rz] noun

complex carbohydrate:
a complex carbohydrate ( polysaccharide )
obtained from agar and used in chromatography and electrophoresis as a medium
in which a substance being analyzed can be separated into its component
molecules[1]



Agassi,Andre

Agassi,Andre
Ag·as·si
[ággəssee], Andre (1970– )

U.S. tennis player. He won
Wimbledon in 1992 and gold in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.[1]



Agassiz,Louis

Agassiz,Louis
Ag·as·siz
[ággəssee], Louis (1807–1873)

Swiss-born
U.S. naturalist and glaciologist who became Professor of Natural History at
Harvard (1848), and developed theories on the occurrence of Ice Ages.
Full name
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz[1]



agate

agate
ag·ate 
[ággət] (plural ag·ates) noun

1.  type
of chalcedony: a hard fine-grained form of chalcedony
with variously colored bands, markings, and areas of clouding, often used as a
gemstone

2.  toy
marble:
a playing marble made of agate or of glass that looks like agate
[Late 16th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, Greek akhātēs, perhaps named for Achates,
a river in Sicily.][1]



agateware

agateware
ag·ate·ware
[ággətwair] noun

1.  type
of pottery:
decorative pottery made using a cross section of layers of clay of contrasting
colors

2.  type
of metalware: a variety of metalware, such as pots and
pans, with an enamel surface decorated to resemble agate

[1]



agave

agave

a·ga·ve 
[ə gvee, ə
gáyvee] (plural a·ga·ves or a·ga·ve) noun
spiny-leaved
plant:
a plant native to hot dry areas of North and South America that has spiny-edged
leaves and a single tall stalk with clusters of flowers. Some species are grown
as ornamentals, and others are grown for their fiber ( sisal
) and sap, which is used in making tequila and other alcoholic drinks. Genus: Agave
[Late 18th century. Via
Latin, from Greek Agauē, the mother of Pentheus in Greek mythology,
whose name meant literally “illustrious” or “brilliant.”][1]



Agawam

Agawam
A·ga·wam 
[ággə wm]

city in southwestern
Massachusetts, situated on the west bank of the Connecticut River. Population:
27,323 (1990)[1]



agcy.

agcy.
agcy.

Abbreviation of
agency[1]



age

age
age 
[ayj] noun (plural ag·es)

1.  how
old somebody or something is: the length of time that
somebody or something has existed, usually expressed in years

2.  stage
of life:
one of the stages or phases in the lifetime of somebody or something • At
an early age.

3.  legal
adulthood:
the age at which somebody is legally considered to be an adult

4.  having
lived a long:: condition of having lived many years • the
wisdom of age

5.  age
or Age (plural Ages) historical
era:
a period in history, especially a long period or one associated with and named
for a distinctive characteristic, achievement, or influential person • the
space age

6.  age
or Age (plural Ages) GEOLOGY geologic era:
a relatively short division of recent geologic time, shorter than an epoch • the
Ice Age

7.  EDUCATION level
of development: a level of development equivalent to
that of an average person of the stated age • a
reading age of 7

8.  generation:
a generation of people (literary) • the
greatest writer of her age
plural
noun
ag·es

1.  long
time:
a very long time (informal)

2.  history:
human history • People have warred with
one another throughout the ages.
verb
(past aged, past participle aged, present
participle ag·ing or age·ing, 3rd person present singular
ag·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
because of time:: become or to cause somebody or something
to become different because of the passage of time • The
paint has aged quickly.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOD improve something over time:
to cause a food or wine to mature, develop a desired flavor, or become more
tender, or to become improved in this way over time • The
cheese is aged at a controlled tempurature..

3.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING stabilize
something through use: to stabilize an electronic
device by using it
[13th
century. Via Old French aage from the Latin stem aetat- “period
of life,” ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced English eon .]
come
of age

to
reach the age when somebody is legally considered an adult

of
a certain age

no longer young (humorous)[1]



-age

-age
-age
suffix

1.  action
or result of an action • breakage
• coinage

2.  collection
of things • signage

3.  housing
• orphanage

4.  condition,
office • brigandage
• peerage

5.  charge
• dockage
[Via French from assumed
Vulgar Latin -aticum, formed from Latin -aticus, suffix forming
adjectives][1]



aged

aged
ag·ed 
[áyjəd, áyjd]
adjective

1.  having
lived a long time:: very advanced in years

2.  of
particular age: of the stated age • a
person aged 50

3.  improved
with time:
stored for a period of time in order to mature and produce the best flavor • well-aged
cheese

4.  eroded:
showing evidence of advanced erosion
plural
noun

senior citizens::
people of advanced years
[15th
century. Probably modeled on French âgé “aged.”]
—ag·ed·ly
[ayjədlee], adverb

—ag·ed·ness [áyjədnəss], noun[1]



agediscrimination

agediscrimination
age
dis·crim·i·na·tion noun

prejudice directed at age:
discrimination against people because of particular ages, particularly in
employment[1]



Agee,James

Agee,James

A·gee 
[áyjee], James (1909–1955)
U.S. poet, novelist, screenwriter, and
film critic. He co-wrote Let Us Now Praise Famous Men with Walker Evans
( 1941 ) and wrote the screenplay for The African Queen ( 1951 ).[1]



age-grade

age-grade
age-grade
(plural age-grades) noun

ANTHROPOLOGY
people of same age and sex:
a group of people in a society who are the same sex and approximately the same
age. Age-grades and the relationships between them are an important part of the
organization of certain cultures.[1]



agegroup

agegroup
age
group
(plural age groups) noun

people of similar age:
a group of people whose ages are approximately the same or fall within a stated
range[1]



ageing

ageing
age·ing 
noun adjective

See
aging[1]



ageism

ageism
age·ism 
[áy jìzzəm] or ag·ism [áy jìzzəm] noun

discrimination
directed at age: discrimination or prejudice against
people of particular ages, particularly in employment
—age·ist, adjective[1]



ageless

ageless
age·less 
[áyjləss] adjective

1.  not
becoming older: never growing or seeming to grow older

2.  of
all generations: not typical of or confined to a
particular period of time • the
ageless search for the truth

[1]



agency

agency
a·gen·cy 
[áyjənsee] (plural a·gen·cies)
noun

1.  BUSINESS company
acting as agent: an organization, especially a company,
acting as the representative, agent, or subcontractor of a person or another
company • an
employment agency

2.  POLITICS government
organization: a division of a government or
international organization that carries out administrative duties • a
United Nations agency

3.  office
of agency:
the building or offices where an agency is located

4.  action
or operation: the action, medium, or means by which
something is accomplished

5.  LAW legal
relationship: a legal relationship involving a person
( the principal ) and another who acts for
the person ( the agent ), or the area of the
law concerned with such relationships • The
case hinges on a question of agency.
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin agentia, from the Latin stem agent- (see agent ).][1]



agencyshop

agencyshop
a·gen·cy
shop
(plural a·gen·cy shops) noun

unionized workplace:
a workplace in which a union represents both union and nonunion workers and
requires payments from nonunion workers[1]



agenda

agenda
a·gen·da 
[ə jéndə] noun (plural a·gen·das)

1.  list
of things to do: a formal list of things to be done in a
particular order, especially a list of things to be discussed at a meeting

2.  matters
needing attention: the various matters that
somebody needs to deal with at a given time • What’s
your agenda for today?

3.  somebody’s
particular motive: an underlying personal
viewpoint or bias • Of course she’s in
favor, but then she has her own agenda.


Plural of agendum
[Early
17th century. From Latin, the plural of agendum “thing to be done,” from
agere “to do” (see agent ).]
set
the agenda

to
be the major influence or force affecting something • It
is the environmental lobby that is setting the agenda in this round of
negotiations.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Is
  agenda singular or plural?
  Although
  agenda is strictly speaking a plural noun
  meaning “items to be dealt with,” the singular form agendum
  is not used, and agenda is used in the
  singular as if it were “a list of things to be done,” with a plural form
  agendas : • The
  agenda for tomorrow’s meeting has been changed. • This
  item has appeared on a number of previous agendas.

[1]



Agenda21

Agenda21
A·gen·da
21
noun

global environmental program:
the global environmental program and statement of principles agreed to at the
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992[1]



agendum

agendum
a·gen·dum 
[ə jéndəm] (plural a·gen·dums or
a·gen·da [ə jéndə]) noun

item
on agenda:
an item on an agenda (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (see agenda ).][1]



agenesis

agenesis
a·gen·e·sis 
[ay jénnəssiss] noun

absence of body part:
the incomplete development or total absence of a body part • ovarian
agenesis[1]



agent

agent
a·gent 
[áyjənt] (plural a·gents) noun

1.  BUSINESS somebody
representing another: somebody representing
somebody else in business, usually under contract, especially in buying and
selling property or insurance, or in arranging work in entertainment or
publishing

2.  government
employee:
somebody who is employed by a government or other organization as an
investigator, guard, or representative • a
federal agent

3.  causative
substance:
something, for example, a chemical substance, organism, or natural force, that
causes an effect • a cleansing agent

4.  means
effecting result: the means by which an effect or result
is produced • As
CEO you will be expected to be the main agent of change.

5.  spy:
somebody who works undercover as a spy or agent provocateur (informal)

6.  COMPUTING computer
program:
a program that works automatically on routine tasks specified by a user, for
example, sorting e-mail or monitoring the Internet
[15th
century. From Latin agent-, the present participle stem of agere
“to drive, lead, act, do.”]
—a·gen·tial
[ay jénshəl], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word agere from which agent
  is derived is also the source of English act,
  active, actual,
  agile, agitate,
  ambiguous, cachet, cogent,
  essay, exact,
  examine, and squat.

[1]



AgentOrange

AgentOrange
A·gent
Or·ange 
noun

toxic
herbicide:
a herbicide, now understood to be extremely toxic, that was sprayed from the
air by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to defoliate the jungle and
expose enemy forces
[From the color-coded orange
stripe on the drums in which the toxin was stored][1]



agentprovocateur

agentprovocateur
a·gent
pro·vo·ca·teur  [a zhN
praw váwkə tr] (plural a·gents pro·vo·ca·teurs [a zhN praw váwkə tr]) noun

undercover
agent:
somebody employed to gain the trust of suspects and then tempt them to do
something illegal so that they can be arrested and punished
[From French, literally
“provocative agent”][1]



agentry

agentry
a·gent·ry 
[áyjəntree] noun

agent’s office:
an agent’s office or work[1]



Ageof Aquarius

Ageof Aquarius
Age
of A·quar·i·us noun

astrological era:
an astrological era in which increased spirituality and harmony is said to
characterize people’s lives[1]



ageof consent

ageof consent
age
of con·sent
(plural ag·es of con·sent) noun

legal age for marriage or
sex: the age at which somebody is
legally old enough to consent to marriage or sexual intercourse[1]



Ageof Reason

Ageof Reason
Age
of Rea·son
noun

period of rationalism:
the period from the mid- to late 18th century during which there was an
emphasis on rationalism in philosophy, religion, and society[1]



age-old

age-old
age-old 
adjective

long-existing:
dating from a very long time ago and still in existence[1]



ageratum

ageratum
ag·er·a·tum 
[àjjə ráytəm] (plural ag·er·a·tum
or ag·er·a·tums) noun

low-growing
flowering plant: a low-growing plant grown in gardens for
its thick clusters of blue, white, or purplish flowers that almost hide the
leaves. Genus: Ageratum
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Greek agēratos “ageless, everlasting,” from gēras
“old age” (source of English geriatric
).][1]



Aggadah

Aggadah
Ag·ga·dah
[ gaa d, ə gdə]
(plural Ag·ga·doth [ gaa dáwt,
ə g dòt]) noun JUDAISM

1.  rabbinic
literature on biblical stories: those sections of the
Talmud and other rabbinic literature dealing with biblical narrative and
stories and legends on biblical themes, rather than with religious law and
regulations

2.  See
Haggadah  noun 1
See Haggadah  noun 3
[Mid-19th century. From
Rabbinic Hebrew haggādāh “tale,” especially “edifying tale.”][1]



aggie

aggie2
ag·gie2 [ággee]
(plural ag·gies) noun (informal)

1.  agricultural
student:
a student at an agricultural school, college, or university

2.  agricultural
school:
an agricultural school, college, or university

[1]



aggie

aggie1
ag·gie1 [ággee]
(plural ag·gies) noun

agate:
an agate (informal)[1]



aggiornamento

aggiornamento
ag·gior·na·men·to 
[ə jàwrnə mént] noun

Roman
Catholic modernization: the process of modernizing
Roman Catholic Church ritual and policy
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from aggiornare “to bring up to date,” ultimately from Latin diurnum
“day.”][1]



agglomerate

agglomerate
ag·glom·er·ate 
intransitive and transitive verb [ə glómmə
ràyt] (past ag·glom·er·at·ed, past participle ag·glom·er·at·ed,
present participle ag·glom·er·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular ag·glom·er·ates)

1.  form
a mass:
to collect together into a mass

2.  GEOLOGY collect
in round mass: to gather or accumulate something in a
roughly ball-shaped mass
noun
[ə glómmərət] (plural ag·glom·er·ates)

1.  jumbled
collection:
a jumbled mass or collection of something (formal)

2.  GEOLOGY volcanic
rock:
rock produced by a volcanic eruption, consisting of fragments of different rock
types, sizes, and shapes set in fine-grained solidified volcanic ash
adjective
[ə glómmərət]

in round mass:
gathered into or forming a rounded mass
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin agglomerat-, past participle stem of agglomerare
“to heap up,” literally “to wind or add onto a ball,” ultimately from the stem glomer-
“ball” (source of English conglomerate
).]
—ag·glom·er·a·tive
[ə glómmə ràytiv, ə
glómmərətiv], adjective

—ag·glom·er·a·tor, noun[1]



agglomeration

agglomeration
ag·glom·er·a·tion 
[ə glòmmə ráysh’n] (plural ag·glom·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  jumbled
mass:
a jumbled or confused mass of separate elements

2.  gathering
things to form mass: the process of gathering
things together to form a mass

[1]



agglutinate

agglutinate
ag·glu·ti·nate 
intransitive and transitive verb [ə glt’n
àyt] (past ag·glu·ti·nat·ed, past participle ag·glu·ti·nat·ed,
present participle ag·glu·ti·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular ag·glu·ti·nates)

1.  adhere
or cause something to adhere: to be joined or glued
together, or cause things to stick to each other

2.  BIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY clump or cause cells to
clump:
to cause cells such as red blood cells or bacteria to form clumps, or stick
together in clumps

3.  LINGUISTICS form
compound word: to combine simple words together without
changing their form to make a new word, or be combined in a new word in this
way
noun
[ə glt’nət] (plural ag·glu·ti·nates)

BIOLOGY See agglutination  noun 4
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin agglutinat-, the past participle stem of agglutinare
“to fasten with glue,” ultimately from gluten “glue” (see gluten ).]
—ag·glu·tin·a·bil·i·ty
[ə glt’nə bíllətee], noun

—ag·glu·tin·a·ble
[ə glt’nə b’l], adjective

—ag·glu·ti·nant [ə glt’nənt], noun, adjective[1]



agglutination

agglutination
ag·glu·ti·na·tion 
[ə glt’n áysh’n] (plural ag·glu·ti·na·tions)
noun

1.  adhesion:
the gluing together or uniting of separate elements or objects

2.  clumped
mass:
a group, clump, or mass formed by the gluing together or uniting of separate
elements or objects

3.  BIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY clumping of cells:
the formation of clumps of cells, for example, red blood cells or
microorganisms, in the presence of particular antibodies • platelet
agglutination

4.  BIOLOGY cell
clump:
clumps of cells, for example, red blood cells or microorganisms, formed in the
presence of particular antibodies.
Also
called
agglutinate

5.  LINGUISTICS compound
word formation: the process of forming compound words,
derivatives, or inflections by combining simple words or word components
without alteration

[1]



agglutinative

agglutinative
ag·glu·ti·na·tive 
[ə glt’n àytiv, ə
glt’nətiv] adjective

1.  able
to agglutinate: able or likely to agglutinate

2.  LINGUISTICS forming
words by agglutination: forming words by combining
simple words or word components without alteration • an
agglutinative language

[1]



agglutinin

agglutinin
ag·glu·ti·nin 
[ə glt’nin] (plural ag·glu·ti·nins)
noun

substance causing
agglutination: a substance that causes
cells to clump together, for example, an antibody or lectin[1]



agglutinogen

agglutinogen
ag·glu·tin·o·gen 
[àgl tínnəjən, ə
glt’nəjən] (plural ag·glu·tin·o·gens) noun

antigen:
an antigen responsible for the formation of a specific agglutinin[1]



aggrade

aggrade
ag·grade 
[ə gráyd] (past ag·grad·ed, past
participle ag·grad·ed, present participle ag·grad·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·grades) transitive verb

raise
ground level: to build up a land surface or streambed
through the natural deposition of material.
See
also
degrade
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from aggradation, from ag- + degradation
.]
—ag·gra·da·tion
[àggrə dáysh’n], noun

—ag·gra·da·tion·al, adjective[1]



aggrandize

aggrandize
ag·gran·dize 
[ə grán dīz, ággrən
dīz] (past ag·gran·dized, past participle ag·gran·dized,
present participle ag·gran·diz·ing, 3rd person present
singular ag·gran·diz·es) transitive verb

1.  enlarge
or extend something: to increase the size or
scope of something

2.  improve
status of something: to increase or improve the
power, wealth, influence, or status of somebody or something, especially by
deliberate plan

3.  exaggerate
greatness of somebody: to make somebody or something
seem bigger or better than is actually the case, especially through exaggerated
praise (formal disapproving) • aggrandizing
the value of her accomplishments
[Mid-17th
century. From French agrandiss-, the stem of agrandir, from grandir
“to increase,” ultimately from Latin grandis “great” (see grand ).]
—ag·gran·dize·ment
[ə grándizmənt, ə
grándīzmənt], noun

—ag·gran·diz·er, noun[1]



aggravate

aggravate
ag·gra·vate 
[ággrə vayt] (past ag·gra·vat·ed,
past participle ag·gra·vat·ed, present participle ag·gra·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·gra·vates) transitive verb

1.  annoy
somebody:
to irritate or anger somebody, especially with a continuing or trivial
annoyance (informal)

2.  make
something worse: to make something that is already bad or
serious worse or more severe
[Mid-16th
century. Probably via Old French, from Latin aggravat-, the past
participle stem of aggravare “to make heavier,” ultimately from gravis
“heavy” (see grave ).]
—ag·gra·vat·ing,
adjective

—ag·gra·vat·ing·ly,
adverb

—ag·gra·va·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Can
  aggravate mean “annoy?”
  The
  use of aggravate to mean “annoy” or
  “irritate” is still disliked by many people, despite a history of usage
  dating back to the 17th century: • We
  were aggravated by the continuous loud noise from the street.
  • Their
  bad behavior is very aggravating.
  Except in informal conversation it is usually better to use an alternative
  word such as annoy, exasperate, or irritate.

[1]



aggravated

aggravated
ag·gra·vat·ed
[ággrə vaytid] adjective

with worsening feature:
having features that make it a worse criminal offense • aggravated
assault[1]



aggravation

aggravation
ag·gra·va·tion 
[àggrə váysh’n] (plural ag·gra·va·tions)
noun

1.  irritation:
a feeling of exasperation or irritation, especially when caused by a continuing
problem

2.  source
of irritation: somebody or something that causes
continuing exasperation, irritation, or trouble

3.  worsening:
the worsening of an already bad situation, or something that or somebody who
makes a bad situation worse • Exercising
before you have fully recovered may lead to an aggravation of your condition.

4.  U.K.
trouble:
annoyance or bother, often aggressive in nature (informal) • I
get a lot of aggravation from dissatisfied customers.

[1]



aggregate

aggregate
ag·gre·gate 
adjective [ággrəgət, ággrə gàyt]

1.  forming
a total:
collected together from different sources and considered as a whole (formal)

2.  GEOLOGY resembling
rock:
used to describe a mixture of minerals or rock fragments that resembles rock • an
aggregate structure
noun
[ággrəgət, ággrə
gàyt] (plural ag·gre·gates)

1.  sum
total:
a total or whole made up of different parts from often disparate sources (formal)
• The
political party was an aggregate of many diverse groups.

2.  CONSTRUCTION ingredients
of concrete: broken stone, gravel, and sand used in
road construction and, when mixed with cement and water, for making concrete

3.  GEOLOGY mineral
mixture resembling rock: a mixture of minerals or
rock fragments that resembles rock
verb
[ággrə gàyt] (past ag·gre·gat·ed,
past participle ag·gre·gat·ed, present participle ag·gre·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·gre·gates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb unite:
to come together, or bring different things together, into a total, mass, or
whole • Aggregate
the different totals to get the overall cost.

2.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS add
up to a number: to amount or add up to a particular
number • The
company’s earnings aggregate $175,000.
[15th
century. From Latin aggregat-, past participle stem of aggregare
“to add to,” literally “to bring into the flock,” ultimately from the stem greg-
“flock” (source also of English gregarious
).]
—ag·gre·gate·ly
[ággrəgətlee], adverb

—ag·gre·ga·tive
[ággrə gàytiv], adjective

—ag·gre·ga·tor
[ággrə gàytər], noun
in
the aggregate

considered or taken together
as a whole[1]



aggregation

aggregation
ag·gre·ga·tion
[àggrə gáysh’n] (plural ag·gre·ga·tions)
noun

collection or total:
a total or collection of different things added together, or the process of
adding them together[1]



aggress

aggress
ag·gress 
[ə gréss] (past ag·gressed, past
participle ag·gressed, present participle ag·gress·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·gress·es) intransitive verb

start
a fight:
to attack first, or begin a fight, argument, or war (formal)
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French aggresser from Latin aggress-, the past
participle stem of aggredi “to approach, attack,” literally “to walk
to,” from gradi “to walk.”][1]



aggression

aggression
ag·gres·sion 
[ə grésh’n] noun

1.  attack:
hostile action, especially a physical or military attack, directed against
another person or country, often without provocation

2.  hostile
attitude or behavior: threatening behavior or
actions
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French, from the Latin stem aggression-, from aggress-
(see aggress ).][1]



aggressive

aggressive
ag·gres·sive 
[ə gréssiv] adjective

1.  likely
to harm:
showing a readiness or having a tendency to attack or do harm to others

2.  attacking:
attacking or taking action without provocation or without waiting for an enemy
to make the first move

3.  assertive:
characterized by or exhibiting determination, energy, and initiative • an
aggressive investment policy

4.  MEDICINE spreading
quickly:
used to describe a disease process or pathological growth, for example, a
tumor, that is fast-growing or spreading to other parts of the body
—ag·gres·sive·ly,
adverb

—ag·gres·sive·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  One
  g or two?
  Note
  that the correct spelling of aggressive
  and aggression is with -gg- and -ss-.

[1]



aggressor

aggressor
ag·gres·sor 
[ə gréssər] (plural ag·gres·sors)
noun

attacker:
a person or country that attacks or starts a war, fight, or argument, often
without being provoked
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin, formed from aggress- (see aggress
).][1]



aggrieve

aggrieve
ag·grieve 
[ə grv] (past ag·grieved, past
participle ag·grieved, present participle ag·griev·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·grieves) transitive verb

1.  cause
distress to somebody: to cause somebody pain,
trouble, or distress (formal)

2.  LAW inflict
injury on somebody: to inflict an actionable
injury on somebody
[13th century. Via Old French
agrever “to make heavier,” from Latin aggravare (see aggravate ). The modern spelling is modeled on grieve
.][1]



aggrieved

aggrieved
ag·grieved 
[ə grvd] adjective

1.  upset:
distressed or angry because of being treated badly or unfairly

2.  LAW wronged:
harmed by injustice, especially a denial of legal rights • Compensation
was awarded to the aggrieved party.
—ag·griev·ed·ly
[ə grvədlee], adverb

—ag·griev·ed·ness [ə grvədnəss], noun[1]



aggro

aggro
ag·gro 
[ággrō] noun U.K. (slang)

1.  threatening
behavior:
threatening behavior, especially troublemaking or fighting • we
don’t want any aggro

2.  difficulty:
trouble or difficulty • He’s
having a lot of aggro with that car.
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of aggravation or aggression
.][1]



agha

agha
a·gha 
noun

See
aga[1]



AghaMohammad Khan

AghaMohammad Khan
A·gha
Mo·ham·mad Khan [gə mə hámməd
kn], Shah (1742–1797)

Iranian ruler who was
self-proclaimed Shah (1796–1797). He founded the Qajar dynasty, which reigned
from 1762 until 1925.[1]



aghast

aghast
a·ghast 
[ə gást] adjective

horrified:
overcome with shock and dismay
[13th century. From the past
participle of obsolete agast “to frighten,” ultimately from Old English gāst
“spirit, ghost” (source also of English ghastly
and ghost ).][1]



AGI

AGI
AGI

Abbreviation of
adjusted gross income[1]



agile

agile
ag·ile 
[ájj’l] adjective

1.  nimble:
able to move quickly and with suppleness, skill, and control

2.  mentally
quick:
able to think quickly and intelligently
[Late
16th century. Via French, from Latin agilis “that can be moved easily,
nimble, quick,” from agere “to move, do” (see agent
).]
—ag·ile·ly,
adverb

—ag·ile·ness, noun[1]



agility

agility
a·gil·i·ty 
[ə jíllətee] noun

1.  physical
nimbleness:
a combination of physical speed, suppleness, and skill

2.  mental
alertness:
a combination of mental quickness, alertness, and intelligence
[15th century. Via French,
from the Latin stem agilitat-, from agilis (see agile ).][1]



agin

agin
a·gin 
[ə gín] preposition

against:
against (regional)[1]



aging

aging
ag·ing 
[áyjing] or age·ing [áyjing] noun

1.  changing
with time:
the process of changing with time, especially during the later part of life

2.  maturing
process:
the natural or chemically assisted process of bringing foods to maturity or of
making materials like wood appear older
adjective

entering later life:
entering or in the later part of life • caring
for an aging parent

[1]



agism

agism
ag·ism 
noun

See
ageism[1]



agita

agita
ag·i·ta 
[ájjitə] noun

heartburn:
acid indigestion[1]



agitate

agitate
ag·i·tate 
[ájji tàyt] (past ag·i·tat·ed,
past participle ag·i·tat·ed, present participle ag·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·i·tates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody anxious: to make somebody feel anxious, nervous,
or disturbed

2.  intransitive
verb
arouse
public interest: to attempt to arouse public feeling,
interest, or support for or against something such as a cause

3.  transitive
verb
move
something violently: to cause something to move
vigorously or violently, for example, by shaking or blowing it • Agitate
the mixture until the sediment is thoroughly dispersed.
[Late
16th century. From Latin agitat-, the past participle stem of agitare
“to move to and fro,” from agere “to drive, move.”]
—ag·i·ta·tive [ájji tàytiv], adjective[1]



agitated

agitated
ag·i·tat·ed
[ájji taytid] adjective

anxious
and tense:
anxious, nervous, or upset and unable to relax
—ag·i·tat·ed·ly, adverb[1]



agitation

agitation
ag·i·ta·tion 
[àjji táysh’n] noun

1.  anxiety:
nervous anxiety

2.  public
campaigning: actions intended to arouse public
feeling, interest, or support for or against something such as a cause

3.  shaking:
vigorous or violent shaking, stirring, or other disturbance of something,
especially a liquid • Observe
the mixture after agitation.
—ag·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



agitato

agitato
ag·i·ta·to 
[àjji ttō] adjective adverb

in
restless manner: in a restless, tense, or excited manner
(used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian, from, ultimately, Latin agitat- (see agitate
).][1]



agitator

agitator
ag·i·ta·tor 
[ájji tàytər] (plural ag·i·ta·tors)
noun

1.  supporter
of cause:
somebody who attempts to arouse feeling or interest for or against something,
especially a political cause

2.  apparatus
causing movement: a machine or machine part that causes
vigorous movement in a liquid or other substance

[1]



agitprop

agitprop
ag·it·prop 
[ájjit pròp] noun

1.  propaganda:
political propaganda, especially pro-Communist, and especially when
disseminated through literature, drama, music, or art

2.  propagandist
art:
artistic work or works serving as a vehicle for political propaganda
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, from agitatsiya “agitation” + propaganda “propaganda.”][1]



Aglaia

Aglaia
A·gla·ia 
[ə gláy ə, ə gl
ə] noun

one of three Graces:
in Greek mythology, one of the three Graces who lived on Mount Olympus and
tended the goddess Aphrodite. Aglaia was the daughter of Zeus and Euronyme.[1]



agleam

agleam
a·gleam 
[ə glm] adjective

gleaming:
glowing, gleaming, or emitting a soft light (literary) • She
was laughing, her eyes agleam.[1]



aglet

aglet
ag·let 
[ágglət] (plural ag·lets) noun

1.  end
of shoelace: a plain or ornamental metal or plastic
sheath covering the end of a shoelace or ribbon

2.  metal
decoration for clothing: a metallic ornament such as
a stud, cord, or pin worn on clothing
[15th century. From French aiguillette
(see aiguillette ).][1]



agley

agley
a·gley 
[ə gláy, ə gl]
adverb adjective

Scotland,
Northern England awry:
awry or askew “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men/ Gang aft agley” Robert
Burns To a mouse 1785
[Late 18th century. Formed
from a- + gley “to squint” (of
unknown origin).][1]



aglimmer

aglimmer
a·glim·mer 
[ə glímmər] adjective

glimmering:
glimmering with light (literary)[1]



aglitter

aglitter
a·glit·ter 
[ə glíttər] adjective

glittering:
glittering or sparkling with light (literary)[1]



agloo

agloo
ag·loo
(plural ag·loos) noun

See
aglu[1]



aglow

aglow
a·glow 
[ə glṓ] adjective

glowing:
radiating light, warmth, excitement, or happy emotion[1]



aglu

aglu
ag·lu
[ágloo] (plural ag·lus) or
ag·loo [ágloo] (plural ag·loos)
noun

Canada
seal’s
breathing hole in ice: a breathing hole that a seal
has made in sea ice
[Late 19th century. From
Inuktitut .][1]



aglycone

aglycone
a·gly·cone 
[ə gl kn] (plural a·gly·cones)
or a·gly·con [ə gl kòn] (plural
a·gly·cons) noun

nonsugar
compound:
a nonsugar compound that is produced from the reaction of a glycoside with
water. Alcohols and phenols are aglycones.
[Early 20th century. From
German Aglykon, from Greek glukus “sweet” (see glucose ).][1]



agnail

agnail
ag·nail 
[ág nàyl] (plural ag·nails) noun

1.  See
hangnail

2.  swelling
near nail:
a painful swelling near the nail of a toe or finger
[Old English angnægl,
formed from ang- “narrow, painful” + nægl “nail”][1]



agnate

agnate
ag·nate 
[ág nayt] noun (plural ag·nates)

relative descended from the same man::
a relative who is descended from a man who is also the ancestor of other
relatives, especially through the male line (formal)
adjective
(formal)

1.  patrilineal:
patrilineal

2.  related:
related or akin in any way
[15th
century. From Latin agnatus, literally “born in addition,” from Old
Latin gnatus, the past participle of gnasci “to be born” (source
of English innate and nativity ).]
—ag·nat·ic
[ag náttik], adjective

—ag·nat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ag·na·tion [ag náysh’n], noun[1]



Agnew,Spiro T.

Agnew,Spiro T.

Ag·new
[ágnoo], Spiro T. (1918–1996)
U.S. politician. He was Richard Nixon’s
vice-president (1969–1973) and was forced to resign after admitting to tax
evasion.[1]



Agni

Agni
Ag·ni 
[úgnee] noun

Hindu
god:
the Hindu god of fire
[From Sanskrit, “fire, the
fire-god”][1]



agnolotti

agnolotti
ag·no·lot·ti 
[ànnyə lóttee, àgnə
lóttee] plural noun

pasta
with filling: small pieces of semicircular pasta
stuffed with meat, cheese, or other filling and sealed at the edges
[Late 20th century. From
Italian dialect, an alteration of Italian anellotto, literally “little
ring.”][1]



agnomen

agnomen
ag·no·men 
[ag nṓmən] (plural ag·nom·i·na
[ag nómmənə] or ag·no·mens) noun

fourth
name:
a fourth name that was occasionally bestowed on somebody as an honor in ancient
Rome
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “additional name,” from (g)nomen “name.”][1]



Agnon,Shmuel Yosef

Agnon,Shmuel Yosef
Ag·non
[g nàwn], Shmuel Yosef (1888–1970)

Austrian-born Israeli author
whose novels include The Bridal Canopy ( 1919 ) and The Day Before
Yesterday ( 1945 ).[1]



agnosia

agnosia
ag·no·sia 
[ag nṓzhə] noun

loss
of recognition ability: the total or partial loss of
the ability to recognize familiar people or objects, usually caused by brain
damage
[Early 20th century. From
Greek agnōsia, literally “lack of knowledge,” from gnōsis
“knowledge.”][1]



agnostic

agnostic
ag·nos·tic 
[ag nóstik] (plural ag·nos·tics)
noun

1.  somebody
denying God’s existence is provable:
somebody who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists

2.  somebody
denying something is knowable: somebody who doubts
that a particular question has a single correct answer or that a complete
understanding of something can be attained • I’m
an agnostic concerningspace aliens.
[Mid-19th
century. Coined (reputedly by the English biologist and religious skeptic T. H.
Huxley (1825–1895) in 1869, although an earlier use of the word has been
recorded) from a- + gnostic
.]
—ag·nos·tic,
adjective

—ag·nos·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



agnosticism

agnosticism
ag·nos·ti·cism 
[ag nóstə sìzzəm] noun

view that God’s existence is
unprovable: the belief that it is
impossible to know whether or not God exists[1]



AgnusDei

AgnusDei
Ag·nus
Dei 
[g nss dáy , gnəss
dáy , àg nss dáy , àgnəss dáy ] noun

1.  lamb
with cross:
a lamb, usually depicted with a halo and holding a cross and banner, used as a
symbol of Jesus Christ

2.  Christian
prayer:
a Christian prayer that begins in Latin with the words “Agnus Dei,” or “Lamb of
God,” part of the liturgy of the Mass

3.  MUSIC music
for Agnus Dei prayer: a musical setting of the
Christian prayer beginning “ Agnus Dei ”
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “Lamb of God.”][1]



ago

ago
a·go 
[ə gṓ] adverb adjective

before
now:
before the present time • He
only left about five minutes ago.
[14th
century. From the past participle of Old English āgān “to go away, pass
by,” from gān “to go.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  ago
  and since
  If
  ago is used it should be followed by that
  and not since in a following clause: • It
  was several weeks ago that I saw them .
  If ago is left out, then since is
  used: • It
  is several weeks since I saw them .
  Note also that in sentences of this type, ago
  is preceded by a verb in the past tense ( was ) and since by a
  verb in the present tense.

[1]



agog

agog
a·gog 
[ə góg] adjective

very
interested:
intensely interested, excited, or eager • agog
at the new twist to the scandal
[15th century. Probably based
on Old French en gogues “enjoying yourself,” literally “in enjoyment”;
the origin of gogues is unknown.][1]



-agog

-agog
-agog
suffix

See
-agogue[1]



-agogue

-agogue
-agogue
or -agog suffix

substance
promoting the flow of something • galactagogue
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek agōgos “a drawing off,” from agein “to lead”][1]



agon

agon
a·gon 
[á gòn,  gn]
(plural a·gons or a·gon·es [à gṓniz]) noun

1.  conflict:
a conflict, especially one between the main characters in a drama or other work
of literature (formal)

2.  Greek
festival:
in ancient Greece, a festival featuring sports, musical, or theatrical
competitions, for example, the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games
[Early 17th century. From
Greek agōn “contest,” from agein “to lead, conduct, celebrate.”][1]



agonal

agonal
ag·o·nal 
[ággən’l] adjective

of death’s agony:
involving intense pain, especially the pain or throes of death[1]



agones

agones
a·gon·es


Plural of
agon[1]



agonist

agonist
ag·o·nist 
[ággənist] (plural ag·o·nists)
noun

1.  ANATOMY muscle
acting against another: a muscle whose action is
balanced by that of another associated muscle.
See
also
antagonist

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY drug
mimicking bodily chemical: a drug, hormone, or other
substance that triggers a response in a particular body tissue or group of
cells by binding to specific receptor molecules on or inside the cells, as if
it were the bodily substance that normally binds there.
See
also
antagonist

3.  competitor:
somebody involved in a struggle, contest, or competition with somebody else (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Greek agōnistēs “contestant, actor,” from agōn (see agon ).][1]



agonistes

agonistes
ag·o·nistes 
[àggə nísteez] adjective

in
struggle:
used after a name to indicate that somebody is engaged in a struggle,
especially a moral one (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
Greek agōnistēs (see agonist ).][1]



agonistic

agonistic
ag·o·nis·tic 
[àggə nístik] or ag·o·nis·ti·cal
[àggə nístik’l] adjective

1.  trying
for effect:
striving to achieve an effect but appearing contrived or exaggerated (literary)

2.  argumentative:
tending to argue and eager to win an argument (literary)

3.  of
Greek contests: relating to the ancient Greek sports,
musical, or theatrical contests

4.  ZOOLOGY aggressive:
characteristic of aggressive interaction between individuals, usually of the
same species
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin, from Greek agōnistikos, from agōnistēs
(see agonist ).]
—ag·o·nis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



agonize

agonize
ag·o·nize 
[ággə nz] (past ag·o·nized, past
participle ag·o·nized, present participle ag·o·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular ag·o·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
time worrying: to think about something intensely and
anxiously, usually in great detail and for a long time, before making a
decision • to
agonize over the answer to every question

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb suffer
or cause somebody pain: to suffer, or cause somebody
to suffer, extreme pain or mental anguish

3.  intransitive
verb
struggle:
to make a desperate or strenuous effort (literary)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French, from late Latin agonizare, modeled on Greek agōnizesthai
“to take part in a contest,” from agōn (see agon
).][1]



agonized

agonized
ag·o·nized
[ággə nīzd] adjective

extremely painful or anxious:
expressing or characterized by severe pain or anxiety • an
agonized scream • an
agonized search for the missing person[1]



agonizing

agonizing
ag·o·niz·ing
[ággə nīzing] adjective

1.  very
painful:
extremely painful

2.  causing
difficulty or unpleasantness: causing much difficulty or
unpleasantness • an agonizing decision
—ag·o·niz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



agony

agony
ag·o·ny 
[ággənee] (plural ag·o·nies) noun

1.  great
pain or anguish: intense physical pain or mental anguish

2.  intense
emotion:
a consuming emotion • in an
agony of indecision

3.  struggle:
an intense struggle or contest (formal)

4.  suffering
preceding death: a period of struggle or suffering
immediately preceding death (archaic) • last
agony
[14th
century. Directly or via French, from Latin agonia, from Greek agōnia
“(mental) struggle, anguish,” from agōn “contest” (see agon ).]
prolong
the agony

to make a period of
misfortune or anxiety last longer than necessary[1]



agonycolumn

agonycolumn
ag·o·ny
col·umn
(plural ag·o·ny col·umns) noun

missing persons ads:
a newspaper column of personal advertisements, usually inquiring about missing
relatives or friends (archaic)[1]



agora

agora1
ag·o·ra1 [ággərə,
ə gáwrə] (plural a·go·ras or
a·go·rae [ággəree]) noun

marketplace:
an open space in a town where people gather, especially a marketplace in
ancient Greece
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “marketplace, place of assembly,” from ageirein “to assemble.”][1]



agora

agora2
a·go·ra2 [gə
r] (plural a·go·rot [gə rṓt])
noun

1.  Israeli
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Israel

2.  coin
worth an agora: a coin worth one agora
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew agōrāh “small coin.”][1]



agorae

agorae
ag·o·rae

Plural of
agora 1[1]



agoraphobia

agoraphobia
ag·o·ra·pho·bi·a 
[àggərə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of open spaces: a condition characterized by an
irrational fear of public or open spaces
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek agora “open place” (see agora 1 ) + -phobia
.]
—ag·o·ra·pho·bic, adjective,
noun[1]



agorot

agorot
a·go·rot


Plural of
agora 2[1]



agouti

agouti

a·gou·ti 
[ə gtee] (plural a·gou·tis or
a·gou·ties) noun

1.  tropical
rodent:
a tropical rodent native to Central and South America that is similar in size
to a rabbit and has short ears and clawed feet. Genus: Dasyprocta

2.  striped
fur:
an irregularly striped pattern in the individual hairs of the fur of an agouti
[Early 17th century. Via
French or Spanish, from Tupi-Guarani akutí .][1]



agr.

agr.
agr.

Abbreviation of
agriculture[1]



Agra

Agra
Ag·ra 
[grə] or Āg·ra [grə]

city in Uttar Pradesh state,
northern India. It is famous as the site of the Taj Mahal. Population: 955,674
(1991)[1]



agranulocytosis

agranulocytosis
a·gran·u·lo·cy·to·sis 
[ay grànyəlō sī tṓssiss] noun

serious
blood disorder: a serious and sometimes fatal acute
illness characterized by a decrease in granular white blood cells, and lesions
of the throat, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. The condition often occurs as
a toxic effect of certain drugs.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a- + granulocyte
+ -osis .][1]



agrapha

agrapha
ag·ra·pha 
[ággrəfə] plural noun

Jesus
Christ’s sayings not in Bible: sayings of Jesus
Christ not recorded in the Bible but found in other early Christian writings
[Late 19th century. From the
plural of Greek agraphon “unwritten.”][1]



agraphia

agraphia
a·graph·i·a 
[ə gráffee ə, ay
gráffee ə] noun

loss
of writing ability: loss of the ability to
write, resulting from neurological damage such as a brain lesion
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from a- + Greek graphia
“writing.”]
—a·graph·ic, adjective[1]



agrarian

agrarian
a·grar·i·an 
[ə gráiree ən] adjective

1.  of
rural life:
dominated by or relating to farming or rural life

2.  of
land:
relating to land, especially its ownership and cultivation

3.  pro-farmer:
promoting the interests of farmers, especially by seeking a fairer or more
equitable basis of land ownership • an
agrarian political party
noun
(plural a·grar·i·ans)

land reformer:
somebody, often a member of an agrarian political movement, who believes in the
fair distribution of land, especially the redistribution of large amounts of
land owned by the rich
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin agrarius, from the stem agr- “field” (see agriculture ).][1]



agrarianism

agrarianism
a·grar·i·an·ism 
[ə gráiree ənizzəm] noun

land reform:
a political movement or philosophy that promotes the interests of the farmer,
especially the redistribution of land owned by the rich or government[1]



agree

agree
a·gree 
[ə gr] (past a·greed, past
participle a·greed, present participle a·gree·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·grees) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
in accord:
to have the same opinion about something as somebody or each other • Scientists
don’t agree about what causes these reactions.

2.  intransitive
verb
consent:
to consent to or approve something • They
agreed to a postponement.

3.  intransitive
verb
admit
as true:
to admit that something is true • I had
to agree that the room looked better with a coat of paint.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb decide:
to come to an understanding or reach a settlement regarding something • Do
you think we can agree on a plan?

5.  intransitive
verb
be
consistent:
to be consistent in content, meaning, or characteristics with something • The
witnesses’ stories agree in most details with the accused’s.

6.  intransitive
verb
be
suitable:
to suit or be good for somebody • The
climate doesn’t agree with me.

7.  intransitive
verb
LINGUISTICS match
grammatically: to have the same grammatical number,
case, person, or gender, especially in the same sentence
[14th
century. Via French agréer “to please” from, ultimately, Latin ad
“to” + gratus “pleasing.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  agree, consent, concur,
  acquiesce, assent
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  accept an idea, plan, or proposed action that has been put forward agree; the most general and wide-ranging
  term; consent; a slightly more
  formal term for agree, also often used to
  mean to give formal permission to, and sometimes indicating willingness
  rather than enthusiasm; concur; a
  formal term suggesting that somebody has reached agreement independently,
  often regarding a statement or opinion; acquiesce;
  a somewhat formal term that suggests a lack of enthusiasm and commitment, or
  an initial reluctance and reservation that may have been overcome by some
  form of external persuasion; assent;
  the most formal term, indicating full support, often a statement or opinion

[1]



agreeable

agreeable
a·gree·a·ble 
[ə gr əb’l] adjective

1.  pleasing:
pleasing to the senses or to somebody’s taste • The
climate here is very agreeable.

2.  friendly:
pleasant, friendly, and ready to please others • an
agreeable companion

3.  willing
to comply:
willing to consent to or consider something • If
the committee is agreeable, you can start work straight away.

4.  satisfactory:
good enough or suitable for somebody (formal) • Let
us make an arrangement agreeable to both sides.
[14th
century. From French, formed from agréer (see agree
).]
—a·gree·a·bil·i·ty
[ə gr ə bíllətee], noun

—a·gree·a·bly [ə gr əb’lee], adverb[1]



agreed

agreed
a·greed
[ə grd] adjective

1.  determined
by consensus: previously decided and assented to by
two or more people • the agreed procedure

2.  sharing
opinion:
sharing the same view as somebody else or others • Are
we all agreed on the proposal?
interjection

yes: used
to confirm agreement with somebody else

[1]



agreement

agreement
a·gree·ment 
[ə grmənt] (plural a·gree·ments)
noun

1.  formal
contract:
a contract or arrangement, either written or verbal and sometimes enforceable
by law

2.  act
or state of agreeing: the reaching or sharing of
the same opinion that somebody or others hold • Do
we have your agreement on this issue?

3.  consensus
of opinion:
a situation in which everyone accepts the same terms or has the same opinion • everyone
is in agreement

4.  consent:
consent, or an answer of yes • my
parents’ agreement to the marriage

5.  GRAMMAR grammatical
correspondence: correspondence of the number, case,
gender, or person of one word with that of another word, especially in the same
sentence.
Also
called
concord

[1]



agri

agri
agri
prefix

See
agro-[1]



agribusiness

agribusiness
ag·ri·busi·ness 
[ággri bìznəss] (plural ag·ri·busi·ness·es)
noun

farming as an industry:
the operations and businesses that are associated with large-scale farming[1]



agrichemical

agrichemical
agri·chem·i·cal 
noun

See
agrochemical[1]



agricultural

agricultural
ag·ri·cul·tur·al
[àggri kúlchərəl] adjective

1.  of
agriculture: involving or relating to agriculture • agricultural
equipment
• agricultural
college

2.  farming-centered:
with farming as the dominant way of life • one
of the earliest agricultural communities
—ag·ri·cul·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



agriculture

agriculture
ag·ri·cul·ture 
[ággri kùlchər] noun

farming:
the occupation, business, or science of cultivating the land, producing crops,
and raising livestock
[15th
century. Directly or via French, from Latin agricultura, from agri
“of the land” (from the stem agr- “field, land”) + cultura
“cultivation.”]
—agri·cul·tur·ist [àggri kúlchərist], noun[1]



agrimony

agrimony
ag·ri·mo·ny 
[ággrə mōnee] (plural ag·ri·mo·ny
or ag·ri·mo·nies) noun

1.  plant
with spiny fruits: a perennial plant that has
compound leaves, spikes of small yellow flowers, and spiny fruits. Genus: Agrimonia

2.  See
hemp agrimony
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French, from Latin agrimonia, a misreading of argemonia, from
Greek argemōnē “poppy.”][1]



agro-

agro-
agro-
or agri- prefix

1.  soil
• agrology

2.  agriculture
• agroindustrial
[From Latin agri (a
form of ager ) and Greek agros “field.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “field,” which is also the ancestor of English acre .][1]



agrobiology

agrobiology
ag·ro·bi·ol·o·gy 
[àggrō bī ólləjee] noun

science
of agricultural production: the branch of biology
concerned with agricultural production, especially crop growth
—ag·ro·bi·o·log·i·cal
[àggrō bī ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ag·ro·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ag·ro·bi·ol·o·gist [àggrō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



agrochemical

agrochemical
ag·ro·chem·i·cal 
[àggrō kémmik’l] (plural ag·ro·chem·i·cals)
or ag·ri·chem·i·cal [àggri kémmik’l]
(plural ag·ri·chem·i·cals) noun

1.  chemical
for farming: a chemical used in farming, for example,
a fertilizer or pesticide

2.  chemical
from plant:
a chemical that is extracted or derived from an agricultural product

[1]



agroforestry

agroforestry
ag·ro·for·est·ry
[àggrō fáwrəstree] noun

1.  AGRICULTURE forestry
combined with farming: the method or practice of
integrating the raising of trees into farming to provide fuel, fruits, forage,
shelter for animals or crops, and other benefits

2.  FORESTRY forestry
for timber only: forestry conducted purely to produce
timber, without any regard for sporting or recreational pursuits

[1]



agroindustrial

agroindustrial
ag·ro·in·dus·tri·al 
[àgrō in dústree əl] adjective

1.  for
agriculture and industry: relating to the production
or provision of materials needed by both agriculture and industry, for example,
water

2.  of
industrial agriculture: used in, produced by, or
involved in the industrial processing of agricultural products

[1]



agronomic

agronomic
ag·ro·nom·ic 
[àggrə nómmik] or ag·ro·nom·i·cal
[àggrə nómmik’l] adjective

1.  of
study of soils and plants: relating to the scientific
study of soil management, land cultivation, and crop production

2.  important
for crop quality: used to describe plant characteristics
that are important during growth and development of a crop, for example, height
and stem strength

[1]



agronomics

agronomics
ag·ro·nom·ics
[àggrə nómmiks] noun

economics
of land use: the branch of economics that is
concerned with the use and productivity of land (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from agro- + economics
.][1]



agronomy

agronomy
a·gron·o·my 
[ə grónnəmee] noun

science
of soils and plants: the science of soil
management, land cultivation, and crop production
[Early
19th century. Via French agronomie from, ultimately, Greek agronomos
“overseer of land,” from agros “land” + -nomos “dispensing,
administering.”]
—a·gron·o·mist, noun[1]



aground

aground
a·ground 
[ə grównd] adjective adverb

on ground:
onto or on ground, especially a shore, a reef, rocks, or the bottom of shallow
water[1]



agt.

agt.
agt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
agent

2.  Abbreviation
of
agreement

[1]



aguardiente

aguardiente
a·guar·di·en·te
[ gwaardee éntee, 
gwaard yén tày] noun

rough
brandy:
rough brandy distilled in Spain, Portugal, or Latin America, sometimes flavored
with anise
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, from agua “water” + ardiente “fiery.”][1]



Aguascalientes

Aguascalientes
A·guas·ca·lien·tes 
[gwəss kaalee én tàyss]

state in central Mexico on
the Anahuac plateau. The resort city of Aguascalientes is its capital.
Population: 862,335 (1995) Area: 5,589 sq km/2,158 sq mi.[1]



ague

ague
a·gue 
[áy gy] (plural a·gues) noun

1.  fever:
a feverish condition involving alternating hot, cold, and sweating stages,
especially as a symptom of malaria

2.  attack
of fever:
a fever or shivering fit (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French, from medieval Latin acuta, short for febris
acuta, literally “sharp fever.”]
—a·gu·ish
[áy gy ish], adjective

—a·gu·ish·ly,
adverb

—a·gu·ish·ness, noun[1]



Aguinaldo,Emilio

Aguinaldo,Emilio

A·gui·nal·do
[ gi nldō], Emilio (1869–1964)
Filipino politician who led the fight for
independence from Spain (1896–1898) and fought against U.S. occupation
(1899–1901).[1]



ah

ah
ah 
[aa] or ahh [aa] interjection

1.  expressing
emotion:
used to express emotions ranging from blissful contentment to acute discomfort
to disgust, depending on the speaker’s tone of voice • Ah,
Mom, do I have to?
See
also
aah

2.  expressing
recognition: used to express surprise or recognition
and understanding • Ah, I see.
intransitive
verb

say “ ah ”: to
say “ ah. ” See ooh
noun

utterance of “ ah ”:
an exclamation of “ ah ” expressing any of various emotions

[1]



a.h.

a.h.
a.h.
or A.h.

Abbreviation of
ampere-hour[1]



A.H.

A.H.
A.H.
or AH adverb

indicating date in Muslim
calendar: used to indicate the number
of years from the Hegira ( A.D.
622), a key date in the Muslim calendar. Full form anno Hegirae[1]



AHA

AHA
AHA

Abbreviation of
alpha-hydroxy acid[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aha

aha
a·ha 
[aa h] interjection

registering
a discovery: used when discovering something,
especially to express triumphant satisfaction or excitement • Aha,
I caught you in the act!
[14th century. Formed from ah + ha .][1]



ahead

ahead
a·head 
[ə héd] adverb adjective

1.  in
front:
in front of somebody or something • They
are in the white car just ahead.

2.  forward:
onward or in a forward direction • Keep
walking straight ahead and it’ll be on your left.

3.  to
the future:
in or into the future • We
expect more news in the weeks ahead.

4.  earlier:
before or in advance of something or somebody • You
need to learn to plan ahead!

5.  in
better shape: in or into a more advanced or desirable
state • Our
company is definitely ahead compared to competition.

6.  in
first place: in a winning position in a contest or
competition • They
were ahead by 6 points.
ahead
of

1.  in
front of

2.  at
an earlier time than

3.  in
a more advanced or advantageous position than

get
ahead

to
succeed, do well, or advance financially (informal)

[1]



ahem

ahem
a·hem 
[ə hém] interjection

representing
a quiet cough: used in writing to indicate the sound of
a quiet cough made to attract attention, express disapproval or doubt, or gain
time
[Mid-18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ahh

ahh
ahh
interjection

See
ah[1]



ahimsa

ahimsa
a·him·sa 
[ə hím s] noun

not
harming living things: the Hindu, Buddhist, and
Jainist philosophy of revering all life and refraining from harm to any living
thing
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit, from a- “without” + hiṁsā “injury.”][1]



ahistorical

ahistorical
a·his·tor·i·cal 
[ày hi stáwrik’l] or a·his·tor·ic
[ày hi stáwrik] adjective

not historical:
not concerned with or not taking into account history or historical
development, especially when examining a phenomenon that changes over time[1]



AHL

AHL
AHL

Abbreviation of
American Hockey League[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ahold

ahold
a·hold 
[ə hṓld] noun

hold:
a firm grasp on something, usually with the hand (informal)
get
ahold of

1.  get
somebody or something or reach somebody by phone or similar means (informal)

2.  to
regain emotional control after a shock or state of distress, fear, anxiety, or
excitement (informal)

[1]



-aholic

-aholic
-aholic
suffix

 dependent
on or with an extreme fondness for. • workaholic
[From alcoholic][1]



ahoy

ahoy
a·hoy 
[ə hóy] interjection

1.  expressing
greeting:
used by sailors to greet another ship or person or to attract attention • Ahoy
there!

2.  registering
a sighting:
used by sailors to announce that something, usually another ship or land, is in
sight
[Mid-18th century. Probably a
blend of aha and hoy .][1]



Ahriman

Ahriman
Ah·ri·man 
[rimən] noun

spirit
of evil:
the spirit of evil in Zoroastrianism, and the opponent of Ormadz
[Via Persian, from,
ultimately, Avestan angrō mainiiuš “evil spirit”][1]



AhuraMazda

AhuraMazda
A·hu·ra
Maz·da 
[ə hrə mázdə] noun

See
Ormazd
[From Avestan ahurō mazdå,
literally “wise lord”][1]



AI

AI
AI

1.  Abbreviation
of
artificial insemination

2.  Abbreviation
of
artificial intelligence

[1]



AIB

AIB
AIB

Abbreviation of
American Institute of Banking[1]



AID

AID
AID

1.  Abbreviation
of
Agency for International Development

2.  Abbreviation
of
acute infectious disease

3.  (dated)
Abbreviation of artificial insemination by donor

[1]



aid

aid
aid 
[ayd] intransitive and transitive verb
(past aid·ed, past participle aid·ed, present
participle aid·ing, 3rd person present singular aids)

give help to somebody:
to provide somebody or something with help or with what is needed to achieve
something • Better
sewage systems aid in the fight against cholera.
noun
(plural aids)

1.  money
or supplies: financial or material assistance, for
example, that provided by a government or international organization,
especially in times of crisis

2.  assistance:
anything done or provided that assists somebody or something • I
wouldn’t have made it without the aid of my friends.

3.  somebody
or something helpful: somebody or something, for
example, a device, resource, or material, that helps or assists with something
• visual
aids such as maps • This
book is an aid to using the Internet for research.

4.  assistant:
an assistant or aide

5.  MILITARY military
aide:
an officer’s aide-de-camp

6.  HISTORY payment
to lord:
a monetary payment by a vassal to an English feudal lord

7.  HISTORY subsidy
for English king: a special subsidy formerly granted to
the English king by parliament. Aids for extraordinary expenses were granted
from the time of the Norman Conquest into the 18th century.
[15th
century. Via French, from Latin adjutare “to help” (see adjutant ).]
aid
and abet

to assist somebody in
commission of a crime[1]



aide

aide
aide 
[ayd] (plural aides) noun

1.  assistant:
an assistant to somebody in public office or to somebody providing a
professional service • a
congressional aide

2.  See
aide-de-camp
[Late
18th century. Shortening of aide-de-camp .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at assistant

[1]



aide-de-camp

aide-de-camp
aide-de-camp 
[àyd də kámp] (plural aides-de-camp
[àydz də kámp]) or aide [ayd] (plural aides) noun

military
assistant:
a military officer acting as a confidential assistant to a general or senior
officer
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “camp assistant.”][1]



aide-mémoire

aide-mémoire
aide-mé·moire 
[àyd mem wr] (plural aide-mé·moire
[àyd mem wr] or aide-mé·moires
or aides-mé·moire) noun (formal)

1.  brief
summary:
a brief written summary or outline of the items on an agenda for a meeting or
on which agreement was reached in a meeting

2.  memory
aid:
something, for example, a mnemonic device, book, or document, that is an aid to
remembering something else
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “help-memory.”][1]



AIDS

AIDS
AIDS 
[aydz] noun

immune
system disease: a disease of the immune system caused by
infection with the retrovirus HIV, which destroys certain white blood cells and
is transmitted through blood or bodily secretions such as semen. Patients lose
the ability to fight infections, often dying from secondary causes such as
pneumonia or Kaposi’s sarcoma.
[Late 20th century. Acronym
formed from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome .][1]



AIDS-relatedcomplex

AIDS-relatedcomplex
AIDS-re·lat·ed
com·plex 
noun

symptoms of AIDS:
the set of symptoms associated with infection by HIV, including weight loss and
fever[1]



aidstation

aidstation
aid
sta·tion
(plural aid sta·tions) noun

military hospital:
a military medical installation for troops in the field[1]



aigrette

aigrette
ai·grette 
[ay grét, áy
gret] (plural ai·grettes) or ai·gret [ay grét, áy gret]
(plural ai·grets) noun

1.  plume
of feathers: a tuft of long upright plumes,
especially the tail feathers of an egret, worn on the head or on a hat for
decoration

2.  jewelry
resembling plume of feathers: a piece of jewelry that
resembles a plume of feathers, usually worn on the head or on a hat
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “egret, heron” (see egret
).][1]



aiguille

aiguille
ai·guille 
[ay gwl] (plural ai·guilles) noun

needle-shaped
rock:
a mountain peak or large rock that is tall and sharply pointed
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “needle.”][1]



aiguillette

aiguillette
ai·guil·lette 
[àygwi lét] (plural ai·guil·lettes)
noun

decorative
cord:
a decorative cord worn on the shoulder of some military uniforms
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “little needle,” from aiguille “needle.” The word
originally denoted a metallic pin worn as an ornament.][1]



AIH

AIH
AIH

Abbreviation of
artificial insemination by husband[1]



Aiken

Aiken
Ai·ken
[áykən]

city in west central South
Carolina. It was the site of a Civil War battle in 1865. Population: 22,834
(1996)[1]



Aiken,Conrad Potter

Aiken,Conrad Potter
Ai·ken
[áykən], Conrad Potter (1889–1973)

U.S. writer, poet, and
critic. He won the Pulitzer Prize ( 1930 ) for Selected Poems ( 1929 ).[1]



aikido

aikido
ai·ki·do 
[ ki d, ī k
d] noun

martial
art like judo: a martial art originating in Japan that
is similar to judo but incorporates blows made with the hands and feet
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “way of coordinated breathing.”][1]



ail

ail
ail 
[ayl] (past ailed, past
participle ailed, present participle ail·ing, 3rd
person present singular ails) transitive verb

cause
something to have problems: to cause something to be
wrong with somebody or something, or cause somebody to feel ill • This
soup is good for whatever ails you.
[Old English eglian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be afraid or distressed,”
which is also the ancestor of English awe
.][1]



ailanthus

ailanthus
ai·lan·thus 
[ay lánthəs] (plural ai·lan·thus·es)
noun

Asian
tree:
an Asian tree or shrub with long feathery leaves, winged fruit, and dense
flower clusters. Tree-of-heaven is a type of ailanthus. Genus: Ailanthus
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Amboinese ai lanto, literally “tree of
heaven,” influenced by plant names ending in -anthus .][1]



aileron

aileron
ai·le·ron 
[áylə ròn] (plural ai·le·rons)
noun

flap
on aircraft wing: a hinged flap on the trailing edge of an
aircraft wing, used to control banking or rolling movements
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “small wing,” from aile “wing,” from Latin ala
.][1]



Ailey,Alvin

Ailey,Alvin

Ai·ley
[áylee], Alvin (1931–1989)
U.S. dancer and choreographer. He founded
the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (1958).[1]



ailing

ailing
ail·ing
[áyling] adjective

1.  in
bad condition: performing below an expected standard • An
ailing industry.

2.  ill:
having or weakened by an illness (dated)

[1]



ailment

ailment
ail·ment 
[áylmənt] (plural ail·ments) noun

illness:
a mild illness or injury, especially a persistent one

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at illness

[1]



ailurophile

ailurophile
ai·lu·ro·phile 
[ī lrə fl, ay
lrə fl] (plural ai·lu·ro·philes) noun

cat
lover:
somebody who loves cats
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek ailuros “cat” + -phile .][1]



ailurophobe

ailurophobe
ai·lu·ro·phobe 
[ī lrə fb, ay
lrə fb] (plural ai·lu·ro·phobes) noun

cat
hater:
somebody who hates or has an irrationalfear of cats
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek ailuros “cat” + -phobe
.]
—ai·lu·ro·pho·bi·a, noun[1]



aim

aim
aim 
[aym] verb (past aimed,
past participle aimed, present participle aim·ing, 3rd
person present singular aims)

1.  intransitive
verb
plan
to do something: to intend or plan to do something

2.  transitive
verb
direct
a message:
to target words, a message, an action, or a product at a particular person or
group

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb point
an object:
to point a weapon or object or direct a blow at somebody or something
noun
(plural aims)

1.  intention:
a plan to do or achieve something

2.  act
of aiming:
an act or manner of aiming • Take
aim and fire.

3.  skill
in aiming:
skill at hitting a target • Her
aim was perfect.

4.  degree
of accuracy: the level of accuracy of a weapon • A
rifle has more precise aim than a shotgun.

5.  target:
something at which a weapon or other object is aimed (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French esmer “to estimate” and aesmer “to aim at,” both
ultimately from Latin aestimare (see estimate
).][1]



AIM

AIM
AIM

Abbreviation of
American Indian Movement[1]



aimless

aimless
aim·less 
[áymləss] adjective

without
purpose:
without purpose or direction
—aim·less·ly,
adverb

—aim·less·ness, noun[1]



aina

aina
a·i·na
[ eenə] noun

Hawaii
land:
land or country
[20th century. From Hawaiian ‘āina
.][1]



Ainu

Ainu
Ai·nu 
[ n] (plural Ai·nu or
Ai·nus) noun

1.  member
of Japanese people: a member of a Japanese
people who now live in the north of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and on the
Kuril Islands and the island of Sakhalin

2.  language
of northern Japan: a language spoken in
Hokkaido. It has proven impossible as yet to show a relationship between Ainu
and any other language.
[Early
19th century. From Ainu, “person.”]
—Ai·nu, adjective[1]



ain’t

ain’t
ain’t 
[aynt] contraction

am
not:
a contraction of “am not,” “is not,” “are not,” “have not,” or “has not” (nonstandard)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  When
  can you say ain’t ?
  Ain’t is one of the most
  informal verb contractions in English, and it is widely disliked because it
  is associated with uneducated speech of a kind that many people disfavor. It
  is slightly more acceptable as a contraction of am not, and in the
  form ain’t I? is more common as a question in informal English ( • Ain’t
  I right?
  ).Otherwise ain’t is best avoided, except
  in allusive phrases such as • You
  ain’t seen nothing yet.

[1]



aioli

aioli
ai·o·li 
[ī ṓlee] noun

mayonnaise
with garlic: mayonnaise flavored with garlic, used
especially to garnish fish and vegetables
[Early 20th century. Via
French, from Provençal, formed from ai “garlic” and oli “oil.”][1]



air

air
air 
[air] noun (plural airs)

1.  gases
forming atmosphere: the mixture of gases, mainly
nitrogen and oxygen, that forms the Earth’s atmosphere

2.  atmosphere
in open space: the atmosphere of an open space as
opposed to that of an enclosed space • in the
open air

3.  atmosphere
we breathe:
the particular atmosphere in a place or enclosed space • fresh
air

4.  sky:
the sky or the empty space above the earth • it
flew through the air and landed at our feet

5.  travel
in aircraft: travel in or transportation by aircraft
(often used before a noun) • sending
the package by air • an
air terminal

6.  aura:
an aura or particular quality • an air
of sadness about him

7.  somebody’s
distinctive quality: a distinctive quality in
somebody’s appearance or manner • her air
of superiority

8.  MUSIC melody:
a melody or tune, especially a light or cheerful one

9.  See
air conditioning

10. light
wind:
a very light wind
plural
noun
airs

affectation:
affected manners or conduct meant to impress others • He’s
always putting on airs.
adjective

of zodiac signs:
relating to the Aquarius, Gemini, or Libra signs of the zodiac
verb
(past aired, past participle aired, present
participle air·ing, 3rd person present singular airs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb broadcast
or be broadcast: to be broadcast or broadcast something
on radio or television • aired
in the spring

2.  transitive
verb
make
known:
to express something such as an opinion or complaint • air
your views

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb expose
to air:
to be exposed to the air, or expose something to the air in order to dry it,
remove dampness from it, cool it, or ventilate it
[13th
century. Partly via Old French and Latin, from Greek aēr “atmosphere”
(see aero- ), and partly via French,
“nature, place of origin,” from Latin ager “field” and area “open
space.”]
clear
the air

to
remove the tension, uncertainty, or misunderstanding from a situation

give
air to something

to
express something verbally

in
the air

happening
or about to happen • The rumor is that a merger
is in the air.

off
(the) air

not
being broadcast on radio or television, for example, because a person or
program has stopped or finished broadcasting

on
(the) air

being
broadcast on radio or television

take
the air

to
go for a walk (formal)

up
in the air

undecided
or uncertain

vanish
into thin air

to
disappear completely

walk
on air

to be extremely happy[1]



airbag

airbag
air
bag
(plural air bags) noun

1.  safety
device:
a safety device in an automobile consisting of a bag that automatically
inflates on impact to protect the occupant of the seat

2.  inflatable
rescue bag:
a strong inflatable bag used to bring sunken items to the surface or by rescue
workers to lift heavy machinery or debris under which somebody is trapped

[1]



airball

airball
air
ball
(plural air balls) noun

missing shot:
a shot in basketball that misses not only the net but the rim and backboard (informal)[1]



airbase

airbase
air
base
(plural air ba·ses) noun

military airport:
a place from which military aircraft operate[1]



airbladder

airbladder
air
blad·der
(plural air blad·ders) noun

1.  fish’s
buoyancy organ: an air-filled sac above the alimentary
canal in most fishes that regulates buoyancy and, in some, aids in respiration.

Also
called
swim bladder
Also
called
float

2.  air-filled
sac in seaweed: an air-filled sac that aids buoyancy in
certain types of seaweed.
Also
called
float

[1]



airboat

airboat
air·boat 
[áir bt] (plural air·boats) noun

See
swamp boat
[So called because it is
driven with a propellor and steered with a rudder like an airplane’s][1]



airborne

airborne
air·borne 
[áir bàwrn] adjective

1.  carried
by air:
carried along by movements of air

2.  by
aircraft:
carried out or transported by aircraft

3.  in
flight:
in flight or in the air

[1]



airbrake

airbrake
air
brake
(plural air brakes) noun

1.  air-operated
brake:
a brake operated by compressed air, especially in a heavy motor vehicle

2.  aircraft
brake:
a flap or small parachute on an aircraft operated to increase drag and thus
slow the aircraft.
Also
called
dive brake

[1]



airbrush

airbrush
air·brush 
[áir brùsh] noun (plural air·brush·es)

paint
spraying device: a device for spraying paint using
compressed air
transitive
verb
(past air·brushed, past participle air·brushed, present
participle air·brush·ing, 3rd person present singular air·brush·es)

paint with airbrush:
to paint something or alter or improve a picture using an airbrush • The
blemish had been airbrushed out.[1]



airburst

airburst
air·burst 
[áir bùrst] (plural air·bursts)
noun

explosion in air:
an explosion of a bomb, shell, or missile in the air[1]



airchamber

airchamber
air
cham·ber
(plural air cham·bers) noun

1.  space
enclosing air: an enclosed space with air in it

2.  chamber
in hydraulic system: a chamber in a hydraulic
system in which air expands and compresses to control the flow of a fluid

[1]



air-condition

air-condition
air-con·di·tion 
(past air-con·di·tioned, past participle air-con·di·tioned,
present participle air-con·di·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular air-con·di·tions) transitive verb

cool
air in a building: to cool and control the
humidity and purity of the air circulating in a building with an air
conditioner
—air con·di·tioned, adjective[1]



airconditioner

airconditioner
air
con·di·tion·er (plural air con·di·tion·ers)
noun

air cooling device:
a device for cooling and controlling the humidity and purity of the air
circulating in a building[1]



airconditioning

airconditioning
air
con·di·tion·ing noun

air cooling system:
a system for cooling and controlling the humidity and purity of the air
circulating in a building.
Also called
air[1]



air-cool

air-cool
air-cool 
(past air-cooled, past participle air-cooled, present
participle air-cool·ing, 3rd person present singular air-cools)
transitive verb

cool
by air:
to cool something, especially an engine, by a flow of air rather than a water
system
—air-cooled, adjective[1]



AirCorps

AirCorps
Air
Corps
noun

former United States air
force: the airborne division of the
United States Army that later became a separate service as the United States
Air Force[1]



aircorridor

aircorridor
air
cor·ri·dor
(plural air cor·ri·dors) noun

air route:
a specified route that aircraft should take through airspace in which flying is
restricted[1]



aircover

aircover
air
cov·er
noun

defense using aircraft:
the provision of an airborne defense for ground forces against an enemy air
attack, or the aircraft providing the defense[1]



aircraft

aircraft
air·craft 
[áir kràft] (plural air·craft)
noun

flying vehicle:
any vehicle capable of flight[1]



aircraftcarrier

aircraftcarrier

air·craft car·ri·er
(plural air·craft car·ri·ers) noun
large warship:
a warship with a long flat deck designed to allow aircraft to take off and land
on it.
Also called
carrier
Also called
flattop[1]



aircrew

aircrew
air·crew 
[áir kr] (plural air·crews) noun

crew of aircraft:
the pilot, navigator, and other crew members of an aircraft[1]



aircurtain

aircurtain
air
cur·tain
(plural air cur·tains) noun

stream of air:
a stream of air directed across a doorway, especially to prevent drafts[1]



aircushion

aircushion
air
cush·ion
(plural air cush·ions) noun

1.  air
beneath hovercraft: the pocket of air that is
forced down to support a hovercraft

2.  air
suspension:
a type of suspension that uses enclosed air to absorb shocks.
Also
called
air spring
—air-cush·ioned, adjective[1]



aircushion vehicle

aircushion vehicle
air
cush·ion ve·hi·cle (plural air
cush·ion ve·hi·cles) noun

See
hovercraft[1]



airdam

airdam
air
dam
(plural air dams) noun

air resistance reduction
device: a device for reducing the
air resistance of a vehicle, especially a strip of metal or plastic fitted
across the width of a car below the front bumper[1]



airdate

airdate
air·date 
[áir dàyt] (plural air·dates) noun

date of broadcast:
the date on which a radio or television program is scheduled to be broadcast[1]



airdivision

airdivision
air
di·vi·sion
(plural air di·vi·sions) noun

U.S. Air Force body:
a unit of the United States Air Force of a size between a wing and an air force[1]



airdoor

airdoor
air
door
(plural air doors) noun

current of air:
a strong current of air directed upward in an entrance to take the place of a
door[1]



airdrome

airdrome
air·drome 
[áir drm] (plural air·dromes)
noun

small
airfield:
a small airfield with limited facilities
[Early 20th century. Coined
from air + drome .][1]



airdrop

airdrop
air·drop 
[áir dròp] noun (plural air·drops)

parachute
landing:
a landing of troops or supplies by parachute from an aircraft
transitive
verb
(past air·dropped, past participle air·dropped, present
participle air·drop·ping, 3rd person present singular air·drops)

land by parachute:
to land troops or supplies by parachute from an aircraft[1]



air-dry

air-dry
air-dry 
verb (past air-dried, past participle air-dried,
present participle air-dry·ing, 3rd person present singular
air-dries)

dry
by air:
to dry something by exposing it to air
adjective

totally dry:
dry to the point where continued exposure to air will remove no further
moisture[1]



Airedale

Airedale
Aire·dale 
[áir dàyl] (plural Aire·dales)
or Aire·dale ter·ri·er [áir dàyl]
(plural Aire·dale ter·ri·ers) noun

large
dog:
a large terrier belonging to a breed with rough tan-colored hair and a black
patch on the back
[Late 19th century. Named for
the district of Airedale in West Yorkshire, England.][1]



airembolism

airembolism
air
em·bo·lism
(plural air em·bo·lisms) noun

air in the bloodstream:
the presence of air in a blood vessel resulting from injury, from moving too
rapidly from high to lower atmospheric pressure, or from using a heart-lung
machine during cardiopulmonary bypass.
Also called
aeroembolism[1]



airfare

airfare
air·fare 
[áir fàir] (plural air·fares) noun

price of air trip:
the price of a trip in an aircraft[1]



airfield

airfield
air·field 
[áir fld] (plural air·fields)
noun

1.  area
for aircraft: an area where aircraft can take off and
land

2.  airport:
an airport or air base

[1]



airflow

airflow
air·flow 
[áir fl] (plural air·flows) noun

flow of air:
a flow of air, especially around a moving vehicle.
Also called
airstream[1]



airfoil

airfoil
air·foil 
[áir fòyl] (plural air·foils) noun

stabilizing aircraft surface:
a part of an aircraft’s or other vehicle’s surface, for example, an aileron,
wing, or propeller, that acts on the air to provide lift or control.
Also called
foil[1]



airforce

airforce
air
force
(plural air forc·es) noun

1.  aircraft
branch of armed services: a military organization that
uses aircraft in war, especially a branch of a nation’s armed forces

2.  U.S.
Air Force body: a unit of the United States Air Force of
a size between a division and a high-level command, for example, the United
States European Command

[1]



AirForce One

AirForce One
Air
Force One
noun

U.S. President’s plane:
the official airplane of the President of the United States[1]



airframe

airframe
air·frame 
[áir fràym] (plural air·frames)
noun

aircraft
body:
the whole body of an aircraft, apart from its engines
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from aircraft + frame
.][1]



airfreight

airfreight
air·freight 
[áir fràyt] noun

1.  transportation
of goods by air: the transportation of freight by air

2.  charge
for airfreight: the charge made for transporting freight
by air
transitive
verb
(past air·freight·ed, past participle air·freight·ed,
present participle air·freight·ing, 3rd person present
singular air·freights)

transport goods by air:
to transport goods by air

[1]



airgas

airgas
air
gas
noun

See
producer gas[1]



airglow

airglow
air·glow 
[áir gl] noun

light in night sky:
a faint light observed in the night sky from low latitudes, caused by
photochemical reactions generated by solar radiation in the upper atmosphere[1]



airguitar

airguitar
air
gui·tar
(plural air gui·tars) noun

imaginary guitar:
an imaginary guitar held by somebody pretending to play a real instrument,
especially when miming to rock music (informal)[1]



airgun

airgun
air
gun
(plural air guns) noun

gun fired by compressed air:
a pistol or rifle that fires a projectile by releasing compressed air[1]



airhead

airhead2
air·head2 [áir
hèd] noun

secured
enemy territory: an area in enemy territory captured and
held by airborne forces and used when flying troops and supplies in or out of
the territory
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from air, on the model of beachhead .][1]



airhead

airhead1
air·head1 [áir
hèd] (plural air·heads) noun

vacuous person:
an unintelligent and superficial person (slang insult)
Also called
bubblehead[1]



airhole

airhole
air
hole
(plural air holes) noun

1.  ventilation
hole:
a hole to allow the passage of air

2.  hole
in ice:
an unfrozen area in the surface of a frozen body of water, especially one where
aquatic mammals surface to breathe

3.  See
air pocket  noun 1

[1]



airily

airily
air·i·ly
[áirilee] adverb

1.  light-heartedly:
in a carefree or light-hearted way as if something was unimportant

2.  lightly:
in a delicate or light way

[1]



airiness

airiness
air·i·ness
[áirinəss] noun

1.  casualness:
carefree or lighthearted casualness

2.  spaciousness:
the quality of being spacious or having plenty of fresh air

[1]



airing

airing
air·ing 
[áiring] (plural air·ings) noun

1.  drying:
exposure to air or heat, especially for drying, removal of dampness, or
ventilation

2.  making
something known: the exposure to public attention of
somebody’s opinions or ideas

3.  radio
or television broadcast: a radio or television
broadcast

[1]



airish

airish
air·ish
[aírish] adjective

chilly:
used to describe weather that is chilly or cool (regional)[1]



airjacket

airjacket
air
jack·et
(plural air jack·ets) noun

1.  insulation:
an air-filled casing around a machine to insulate it against heat loss or gain

2.  See
life jacket

[1]



air-kiss

air-kiss
air-kiss 
(past air-kissed, past participle air-kissed, present
participle air-kiss·ing, 3rd person present singular air-kiss·es)
transitive verb

mimic
kissing:
greet somebody by making a kissing gesture near to, but not actually making
contact with, his or her cheek (informal) • The
guests were welcomed in a flurry of air-kissing and delighted squeals.
—air-kiss, noun[1]



airlane

airlane
air
lane
(plural air lanes) noun

regular route:
a regular route used in air travel.
Also called
lane[1]



airlayering

airlayering
air
lay·er·ing
noun

propagation method:
a plant propagation method in which a growing branch is cut or stripped of bark
and the area wrapped in moist compost to encourage root formation[1]



airless

airless
air·less 
[áirləss] adjective

1.  with
stale air:
with stale rather than fresh air

2.  without
air:
completely lacking any air

3.  still:
without wind or movement of air

[1]



airletter

airletter
air
let·ter
(plural air let·ters) noun

See
aerogram[1]



airlift

airlift
air·lift 
[áir lìft] noun (plural air·lifts)

air
transport:
the transport of people or things by air, especially when alternative means
cannot be used
transitive
verb
(past air·lift·ed, past participle air·lift·ed, present
participle air·lift·ing, 3rd person present singular air·lifts)

transport by air:
to transport people or things by air, especially when alternative means cannot
be used[1]



airline

airline
air·line 
[áir ln] (plural air·lines) noun

1.  system
of flying:
a system of commercial scheduled flights transporting people and goods, or a
company that operates such a system

2.  source
of air:
a tube through which air is passed under pressure

[1]



airliner

airliner
air·lin·er 
[áir lnər] (plural air·lin·ers)
noun

passenger aircraft:
a large commercial passenger-carrying aircraft[1]



airlock

airlock
air·lock
[áir lòk] (plural air·locks) noun

1.  airtight
chamber:
an airtight chamber between two areas of differing air pressure in which air
pressure can be altered to match that of either area

2.  obstruction
in flow of liquid: an obstruction to the flow
of a liquid in a pipe, caused by a bubble of air

[1]



airmail

airmail
air·mail 
[áir màyl] noun

1.  sending
of mail by air: the system of transporting letters and
packages in aircraft

2.  mail
sent by air: mail transported in aircraft
adjective

sent by air: sent
by airmail
transitive
verb
(past air·mailed, past participle air·mailed, present
participle air·mail·ing, 3rd person present singular air·mails)

send by air: to
send something, for example, a letter or package, by airmail

[1]



airman

airman
air·man 
[áirmən] (plural air·men [áirmən]) noun

1.  member
of U.S. Air Force: an enlisted person in the
United States Air Force, who holds a rank above airman basic and below airman
first class, or the rank itself

2.  pilot:
a pilot, especially of a military aircraft

[1]



airmanbasic

airmanbasic
air·man
ba·sic
(plural air·men ba·sic) noun

enlisted person with lowest
rank: an enlisted person who holds
the lowest rank in the United States Air Force, or the name of the rank itself[1]



airmanfirst class

airmanfirst class
air·man
first class
(plural air·men first class) noun

U.S. Air Force enlisted
person: an enlisted person in the
United States Air Force who holds a rank above airman and below sergeant, or
the name of the rank itself[1]



airmass

airmass
air
mass
(plural air mass·es) noun

body of air:
a large body of air with temperature, pressure, and moisture uniform throughout
its mass but changed by the environment through which it passes[1]



AirMedal

AirMedal
Air
Medal 
(plural Air Medals) noun

flying award:
a decoration for meritorious conduct in the air awarded by the United States
Army, Navy, or Air Force[1]



airmile

airmile
air
mile
(plural air miles) noun

See
nautical mile[1]



airmobile

airmobile
air·mo·bile
[áir mb’l, áir
m beel, áir m bīl] adjective

transportable into combat
zone by air: able to be transported
into a combat zone by air, especially by helicopter[1]



airpack

airpack
air·pack
[áir pàk] (plural air·packs) noun

breathing apparatus:
a device consisting of a portable supply of oxygen connected to a face mask
that allows somebody to enter an area where the air is unsafe to breathe[1]



airpark

airpark
air·park 
[áir prk] (plural air·parks) noun

small airport:
a small airport, usually close to a business or industrial center[1]



airpiracy

airpiracy
air
pi·ra·cy
noun

aircraft hijacking:
the hijacking of an aircraft in flight[1]



airpistol

airpistol
air
pis·tol
(plural air pis·tols) noun

pistol fired by compressed
air: a pistol that fires a
projectile by releasing compressed air or another gas[1]



airplane

airplane

air·plane 
[áir plàyn] (plural air·planes)
noun
flying
vehicle:
a vehicle with wings and a jet engine or propellers, that is heavier than air,
and is able to fly
[Late 19th century. From
French aéroplane, from aéro- “ aero-
” + -plane, of uncertain origin: possibly from plan “flat” or planer
“to soar,” or from Greek planos “wandering.”][1]



airplant

airplant
air
plant
(plural air plants) noun

plant without soil:
a plant that obtains nutrients and moisture from the air and rain, especially
one grown as a houseplant for the novelty value of its requiring no soil or
compost.
See also
epiphyte[1]



airplay

airplay
air·play 
[áir plày] noun

broadcast of a recording:
the playing on radio of a piece of recorded music[1]



airpocket

airpocket
air
pock·et
(plural air pock·ets) noun

1.  downward
air current: a small area of lower air density or a
downward air current that makes an aircraft abruptly lose height.
Also
called
air hole

2.  air
bubble in fluid: an air bubble that impedes the flow of
liquid or gas, for example, in a pipe

[1]



airpolice

airpolice
air
po·lice
noun

military police of an air
force: the military police of an
air force[1]



airpopper

airpopper
air
pop·per 
(plural air pop·pers) noun

popcorn maker:
a container for cooking popcorn that uses heated air[1]



airport

airport
air·port 
[áir pàwrt] (plural air·ports)
noun

civil airfield:
an area where civil aircraft may take off and land, especially one equipped
with surfaced runways and facilities for handling passengers and cargo
See also
Table of Airport Codes[1]



airpower

airpower
air·pow·er
[áir pòwr] noun

military capability in air:
military capability in terms of combat power delivered from the air[1]



airpressure

airpressure
air
pres·sure
noun

See
atmospheric pressure[1]



airpump

airpump
air
pump
(plural air pumps) noun

device for moving air:
a device for compressing air or forcing it into or out of something[1]



airquality index

airquality index
air
qua·li·ty in·dex  (plural air quality in·dex·es
or air qua·li·ty in·dic·es) noun

indicator of air pollution:
a numerical scale that indicates how polluted the air is[1]



airrage

airrage
air
rage 
noun

outbreak of violence aboard
aircraft: disruptive or aggressive
behavior by passengers aboard an aircraft that is liable to endanger the safety
of other passengers[1]



airraid

airraid
air
raid
(plural air raids) noun

air attack:
an attack by aircraft on something on the ground, especially a non-military
target[1]



airrifle

airrifle
air
ri·fle
(plural air ri·fles) noun

rifle fired by compressed
air: a rifle that fires a
projectile by releasing compressed air or another gas[1]



airrights

airrights
air
rights
plural noun

rights to space above
something: rights to build in or
otherwise use space above an existing structure[1]



airsac

airsac
air
sac
(plural air sacs) noun

1.  See
alveolus  noun 1

2.  air-filled
cavity in bird: an air-filled cavity in a bird, formed
as an extension of the respiratory system and growing into the bones, that aids
respiration and decreases bone mass

3.  respiration
aid in insect: a thin-walled bulge ( diverticulum ) that aids respiration, located in
the tubes that transport air through the bodies of some insects

[1]



airscrew

airscrew
air·screw 
[áir skr] (plural air·screws)
noun

U.K.
propeller:
a propeller on an aircraft[1]



air-searescue

air-searescue
air-sea
res·cue
noun

sea rescue:
a rescue at sea in which aircraft are used[1]



airship

airship

air·ship 
[áir shìp] (plural air·ships) noun
aircraft lighter than air:
an aircraft that is lighter than air, powered, and navigable.
Also called
dirigible[1]



airshow

airshow
air·show
[áir sh] (plural air·shows) noun

aircraft exhibition:
a public exhibition at an airfield of aircraft in flight and on the ground[1]



airshower

airshower
air
show·er
(plural air show·ers) noun

1.  blast
of air:
a process during which people who work in a clean environment stand in jets of
air to remove dust or particles from their clothes

2.  device
for giving air showers: a device for giving air
showers

[1]



airsickness

airsickness
air·sick·ness 
[áir sìknəss] noun

sickness
in an aircraft: motion sickness caused by air travel
—air·sick, adjective[1]



airside

airside
air·side 
[áir sd] noun

aircraft area:
the area of an airport where the aircraft take off and land, load, or unload[1]



airsock

airsock
air
sock
(plural air socks) noun

See
windsock[1]



airspace

airspace
air·space
[áir spàyss] noun

1.  space
above territory: the part of the atmosphere directly over
an area of land or water, especially a part over which a state claims
jurisdiction

2.  flying
space:
the space in the air that a flying aircraft occupies or needs to maneuver

[1]



airspeed

airspeed
air
speed
(plural air speeds) noun

speed through air:
the speed of an aircraft in relation to the air through which it moves[1]



airsplint

airsplint
air
splint
(plural air splints) noun

inflatable splint:
a type of splint consisting of an inflatable cylinder that surrounds the
injured limb[1]



airspray

airspray
air
spray
(plural air sprays) noun

See
aerosol  noun 1
See aerosol  noun 2[1]



airspring

airspring
air
spring
(plural air springs) noun

See
air cushion  noun 1[1]



airstation

airstation
air
sta·tion
(plural air sta·tions) noun

small airfield:
a small airfield with facilities for maintenance of aircraft[1]



airstream

airstream
air·stream
[áir strm] (plural airstreams)
noun

1.  wind:
a wind, especially one blowing at a high altitude

2.  See
airflow

[1]



airstrike

airstrike
air
strike 
(plural air strikes) noun

aircraft
attack:
an attack by aircraft on something on the ground, especially an enemy position
or formation
[Late
20th century]
—airstrike, transitive
verb[1]



airstrip

airstrip
air·strip 
[áir strìp] (plural air·strips)
noun

runway:
a place for aircraft to take off and land that has no facilities and is often
temporary.
Also called
landing strip
Also called
strip[1]



airstripping

airstripping
air
stripping 
noun

water purification technique:
a technique for removing pollutants from water by breaking the water into
minute particles[1]



airtaxi

airtaxi
air
tax·i
(plural air tax·is) noun

small commercial aircraft:
a small commercial aircraft used for brief flights between places that do not
have regularly scheduled flights[1]



airterminal

airterminal
air
ter·mi·nal
(plural air ter·mi·nals) noun

airport building:
an airport building with facilities for passengers, where disembarking
passengers are received and outward-bound passengers leave to board an aircraft[1]



airterrorism

airterrorism
air
ter·ror·ism
noun

terrorist acts on aircraft:
the use of actions such as skyjacking, aircraft bombing, and other terrorist
acts involving airplanes in an attempt to achieve a political objective or get
international publicity[1]



airtight

airtight
air·tight 
[áir tt] adjective

1.  impermeable
by air:
not allowing air in or out

2.  flawless:
without flaws or vulnerable points

[1]



airtime

airtime
air·time 
[áir tm] noun

1.  time
on air:
the amount of time given to a program or subject in radio or television
broadcasting

2.  time
of broadcast: the time at which an item is scheduled
to be broadcast

[1]



air-to-air

air-to-air
air-to-air 
adjective

in air:
moving or passing from one aircraft to another while in flight[1]



air-to-surface

air-to-surface
air-to-sur·face 
adjective

from air to ground:
moving or passing from a flying aircraft to a point on the ground[1]



airtraffic

airtraffic
air
traf·fic
noun

aircraft movements:
the movement of aircraft in a particular area[1]



air-trafficcontrol

air-trafficcontrol
air-traf·fic
con·trol
noun

organization
directing movement of aircraft: the system or
organization responsible for directing the movement of aircraft over a
particular area, operated by ground staff in radio contact with pilots
—air traf·fic con·trol·ler,
noun[1]



airvesicle

airvesicle
air
ves·i·cle
(plural air ves·i·cles) noun

air-filled cavity:
an air-filled cavity between cells that assists buoyancy in certain aquatic
plants, for example, seaweed[1]



airwalk

airwalk
air
walk
(plural air walks) noun

aerial passageway:
a high-level passageway connecting two buildings, usually made from a
transparent material[1]



airwaves

airwaves
air·waves
[áir wàyvz] plural noun

radio broadcasting:
radio waves as used in broadcasting[1]



airway

airway
air·way 
[áir wày] (plural air·ways) noun

1.  breathing
passage:
a passage for air from the nose or mouth to the lungs

2.  tube
to keep airway open: a device for keeping an
unconscious person’s airway open, incorporating a tube inserted into the throat

3.  ventilation
passage:
a passage for ventilation in a mine or tunnel

4.  air
route:
an air route, especially one used by regular commercial flights (often used
in the plural)

[1]



airworthy

airworthy
air·wor·thy 
[áir wùree] adjective

safe
to fly:
in good enough condition to be safe to fly
[Early
19th century. Modeled on seaworthy .]
—air·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



airy

airy
air·y 
[áiree] (comparative air·i·er,
superlative air·i·est) adjective

1.  roomy:
having plenty of space

2.  ventilated:
having plenty of fresh air

3.  carefree:
carefree or lighthearted and unconcerned

4.  ethereal:
ethereal or illusory

5.  of
air:
connected with, like, or taking place in the air

6.  graceful:
light and graceful in movement

7.  high
in the air:
at a great height in the sky

[1]



aisle

aisle
aisle 
[īl] (plural aisles) noun

1.  passageway
between seats: a passageway between areas of seating,
especially in a church, theater, or passenger vehicle

2.  passageway
between goods: a passageway between stacks or displays
of goods, especially in a supermarket or warehouse

3.  division
in church:
an area of a church separated from the nave or central area by pillars,
especially one forming a passage between seats
[14th
century. Alteration of Old French ele “wing,” from Latin ala,
under the influence of isle and, later,
French aile “wing.”]
rolling
in the aisles

laughing very heartily[1]



aitch

aitch
aitch 
[aych] (plural aitch·es) noun

letter
“h”:
the letter “h,” or its sound
[Mid-16th century. From
French hache, via late Latin ach from Latin ah, an
alteration of ha .][1]



ajar

ajar
a·jar 
[ə jr] adjective adverb

partially
open:
neither shut nor wide open • left
the door ajar
[Late 17th century. Formed
from an obsolete word meaning “turn,” from Old English cierr . The
underlying meaning is “turning on its hinges.”][1]



Ajax

Ajax
A·jax 
[áy jàks] noun

warrior in Trojan War:
in Greek mythology, a powerful warrior who fought in the Trojan War as leader
of the Salaminian forces[1]



AK

AK
AK

Abbreviation of
Alaska[1]



a.k.a.

a.k.a.
a.k.a.
or aka

Abbreviation of
also known as[1]



Akan

Akan
A·kan 
[ kn] (plural A·kan or
A·kans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a people who
live in southern Ghana, the southeastern Ivory Coast, and parts of Togo

2.  language
of western Africa: a language spoken in Ghana
and Ivory Coast, belonging to the Kwa group of Niger-Congo languages. Akan is
spoken by about eight million people.
[Late
17th century. From Twi akaŋ .]
—A·kan, adjective[1]



akaryote

akaryote
a·kar·y·ote 
[ày kérri t] (plural a·kar·y·otes)
noun

cell
lacking a nucleus: a cell that has no nucleus
—a·kar·y·ot·ic [ày kèrree óttik], adjective[1]



AKC

AKC
AKC

Abbreviation of
American Kennel Club[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








akee

akee
ak·ee 
[ákee, ə k]
(plural ak·ees or ak·ee) or ac·kee [ákee, ə k] (plural
ac·kees or ac·kee) noun

1.  African
tree:
an evergreen tree of the soapberry family that is native to tropical western
Africa and cultivated in the Caribbean and Florida for its fruit. Latin name: Blighia
sapida

2.  fruit:
the red pear-shaped fruit of the akee tree, edible when ripe but poisonous at
other times and with poisonous seeds
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Kru .][1]



akene

akene
a·kene 
noun

See
achene[1]



Akhmatova,Anna

Akhmatova,Anna

Akh·ma·to·va
[ak mtəvə, àkmə
tṓvə], Anna (1889–1966)
Russian
poet. She was a leading figure in an early 20th-century movement that advocated
precision and brevity in poetic language.
Pseudonym
Gorenko, Anna Andreyevna[1]



Akibaben Joseph

Akibaben Joseph
A·ki·ba
ben Jo·seph 
[aa k baa bən jṓzəf, aa k baa bən jṓssəf] (AD 50?–135?)

Palestinian Jewish rabbi. He
lived near Jaffa and was executed by the Romans about 135.[1]



Akihito

Akihito
Ak·i·hi·to 
[ki h tō], Emperor of Japan (1933– )

He succeeded his father,
Hirohito, in 1989.[1]



akimbo

akimbo
a·kim·bo 
[ə kímbō] adjective adverb

1.  with
hands on hips: with the hands on the hips and the
elbows turned outward

2.  arched:
bent or arched
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



akin

akin
a·kin 
[ə kín] adjective

1.  similar:
similar or closely related to something

2.  related:
related by blood

3.  with
common origin: used to describe languages that share a
common origin or ancient forms

[1]



akinesia

akinesia
a·ki·ne·sia 
[ày kə nzhə, ày
kī nzhə] noun

loss
of movement: the loss or reduction of the normal
power of movement
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek “lack of movement,” from, ultimately, kinein “to
move” (see kinetic ).]
—a·ki·net·ic [ày ki néttik], adjective[1]



AkiraYoshimura

AkiraYoshimura
A·ki·ra
Yo·shi·mu·ra [a krə yṓshi
mrə] (1927– )

Japanese writer whose
prize-winning novels and nonfiction works include Journey to the Stars (
1966 ) and Von Siebold’s Daughter ( 1978 ).[1]



Akita

Akita2
A·ki·ta2  [ə
ktə] (plural A·ki·tas) noun

large powerful dog:
a large powerful dog with a broad head, deep muzzle, and curled tail, belonging
to a Japanese breed[1]



Akita

Akita1
A·ki·ta1  [ə
ktə]

capital city of Akita
Prefecture on the Sea of Japan (East Sea), northwestern Honshu Island, Japan.
Population: 302,362 (1990)[1]



Akkad

Akkad
Ak·kad
[á kàd,  kd]

ancient region situated in
central northern Mesopotamia that corresponds approximately to biblical
Babylonia. It was most influential during the third millennium BC .[1]



Akkadian

Akkadian
Ak·ka·di·an 
[ə káydiən] (plural Ak·ka·di·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Akkad:
somebody who was born or lived in the ancient city or region of Akkad

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
Middle Eastern language: the extinct Semitic language
of Mesopotamia. It was written in cuneiform.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Akkad, a city in ancient Babylonia.]
—Ak·ka·di·an, adjective[1]



akrasia

akrasia
ak·ra·sia 
[ə kráyzhə] noun

weakness
of will:
weakness of will, especially a failure to act according to a sense of moral
obligation
[From
Greek, variant of akrateia, literally “powerlessness,” from kratos
“strength” (see -cracy )]
—ak·rat·ic [ə kráttik], adjective[1]



Akron

Akron
Ak·ron 
[ákrən]

city in northeastern Ohio
noted for its rubber products. Population: 221,886 (1994)[1]



AkutagawaRyunosuke

AkutagawaRyunosuke
A·ku·ta·ga·wa
Ry·u·no·su·ke [ kootə gwə
rnə skee] or A·ku·ta·ga·wa Ry·ū·no·su·ke [ kootə gwə rnə skee] (1892–1927)

Japanese author, noted for
his macabre stories set in Japan’s feudal era, for example, Rashomon (
1917 ).[1]



akvavit

akvavit
ak·va·vit 
noun

See
aquavit[1]



al.

al.
al.

1.  Abbreviation
of
alcohol

2.  Abbreviation
of
alcoholic

[1]



Al

Al
Al

Symbol for
aluminum[1]



AL

AL
AL

1.  Abbreviation
of
Alabama

2.  Abbreviation
of
American League

3.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Albania

[1]



-al

-al2
-al2 suffix

action,
process • disposal
[Via Old French -aille
from Latin -alia, neuter plural of -alis][1]



-al

-al3
-al3 suffix

aldehyde
• chloral
[From aldehyde][1]



-al

-al1
-al1 suffix

relating
to or characterized by • delusional
[Via French from Latin -alis][1]



Ala.

Ala.
Ala.

Abbreviation of
Alabama[1]



Alabama

Alabama


Al·a·bam·a 
[àllə bámmə]

1.  state
of the southeastern United States, bounded by Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico,
Mississippi, and Tennessee. Capital: Montgomery. Population: 4,319,154 (1997)
Area: 135,293 sq km/52,237 sq mi.

2.  river
flowing from central Alabama southwest to the Tombigbee River north of Mobile.
Length: 507 km/315 mi.
—Al·a·ba·man,
adjective, noun

—Al·a·ba·mi·an [àllə bámmee ən], adjective, noun[1]



Alabama




Back to definition

Alabama

[1]



alabaster

alabaster
al·a·bas·ter 
[àllə bástər] noun (plural al·a·bas·ters)

1.  type
of gypsum:
a type of gypsum, usually white or translucent, used for sculpture and
decorative work

2.  type
of calcite:
a hard semitranslucent type of calcite, which sometimes has bands
adjective

of alabaster: made
of alabaster, or white and translucent like alabaster
[14th century. Via Old
French, from, ultimately, Greek alabastros .][1]



alack

alack
a·lack 
[ə lák] interjection

expressing
regret:
used to express regret (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Formed from lack, on the model of alas
.][1]



alacrity

alacrity
a·lac·ri·ty 
[ə lákrətee] noun

eager
readiness:
promptness or eager and speedy readiness
[Early
16th century. From Latin alacritas, formed from alacer “lively.”]
—a·lac·ri·tous, adjective[1]



al-Adha

al-Adha
al-Adha
[àl də] noun

See
Eid-ul-Adha[1]



Alameda

Alameda
A·la·me·da 
[àllə mdə]

city and port in western
California, situated on an island south of Oakland. Population: 76,042 (1996)[1]



alameda

alameda
a·la·me·da 
[àllə mdə, àllə
máydə] (plural al·a·me·das) noun

Southwestern
U.S.
tree-shaded
promenade:
a public promenade shaded by trees
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish, formed from álamo “poplar tree.”][1]



Alamo

Alamo

Al·a·mo 
[álləmō]
chapel built at the San Antonio mission
in Texas in 1744. It was besieged by Mexican forces in 1836 and all 182 Texan
defenders were killed.[1]



alamo

alamo
al·a·mo 
[álləmō] noun

Southwestern
U.S.
poplar
tree:
a poplar tree, especially a cottonwood
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



alamode

alamode
a·la·mode 
[lə mṓd, àllə mṓd]
(plural a·la·modes) noun

type
of silk:
a light silk used especially for shawls
[Mid-17th century. From
French à la mode, literally “in the style.”][1]



Alamogordo

Alamogordo
Al·a·mo·gor·do 
[àlləmə gáwrdō]

city in southern New Mexico,
northeast of the site of the first atomic bomb explosion, on July 16 1945.
Population: 29,036 (1996)[1]



alanine

alanine
al·a·nine 
[állə nn] noun

amino
acid:
a crystalline water-soluble amino acid that is a constituent of various
proteins and can also be produced by humans and animals. C3H7NO2
[Mid-19th century. From
German Alanin, from Aldehyd “aldehyde.”][1]



alanui

alanui
a·la·nu·i
[ə lə nee] (plural a·la·nu·is)
noun

Hawaii
street:
a street
[20th century. From Hawaiian alanui
.][1]



alar

alar
a·lar 
[áylər] or a·la·ry [áyləree] adjective

of
wings:
used to describe a part of an animal or plant that is shaped like a wing or is
associated with such a part
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
alaris, from ala “wing.”][1]



alarm

alarm
a·larm 
[ə lrm] noun (plural a·larms)

1.  warning
device:
a device for giving a warning of danger

2.  security
device:
a security device fitted to property, especially a house or car, to make a
warning sound if a break-in or theft is attempted

3.  sound
of security or warning device: the sound made by a
security or warning device

4.  See
alarm clock

5.  fear:
fear caused by perception of imminent danger

6.  call
to arms:
a summons to prepare to fight (archaic)

7.  FENCING challenge
made by stamping: a warning or challenge to a fencer made
by stamping the leading foot
transitive
verb
(past a·larmed, past participle a·larmed, present
participle a·larm·ing, 3rd person present singular a·larms)

1.  frighten:
to make somebody frightened or apprehensive

2.  warn:
to give somebody warning of danger

3.  fit
with warning device: to fit a building or vehicle
with a security warning device
[Early
16th century. Via French, from Italian all’ arme “to arms!”.]
—a·larmed, adjective[1]



alarmclock

alarmclock
a·larm
clock
(plural a·larm clocks) or a·larm (plural a·larms)
noun

clock to wake somebody:
a clock that can be set to sound an alarm at a desired time, especially to wake
somebody[1]



alarming

alarming
a·larm·ing
[ə lrming] adjective

frightening:
frightening or disturbing
—a·larm·ing·ly, adverb[1]



alarmist

alarmist
a·larm·ist 
[ə lrmist] noun (plural a·larm·ists)

1.  somebody
spreading fear: somebody who spreads unnecessary fear or
warnings of danger

2.  somebody
easily scared: somebody who becomes afraid easily
adjective

spreading fear:
liable to make people feel unnecessarily fearful or worried
—a·larm·ism, noun[1]



alarmreaction

alarmreaction
a·larm
re·ac·tion
(plural a·larm re·ac·tions) noun

reaction to stress:
the initial response of a person or animal to stress, including an increased
heart rate and hormonal activity[1]



alarum

alarum
a·la·rum 
[ə lrəm, ə láirəm]
(plural a·la·rums) noun

alarm:
an alarm (archaic)
[Variant of alarm][1]



Alas.

Alas.
Alas.

Abbreviation of
Alaska[1]



alas

alas
a·las 
[ə láss] interjection

expressing
sorrow:
used to express sorrow or pity
adverb

unfortunately:
unfortunately or regrettably
[13th century. Via French hélas
from, ultimately, Latin lassus “weary” (see lassitude
).][1]



Alaska




Back to definition

Alaska

[1]



Alaska

Alaska


A·las·ka 
[ə láskə]
U.S.
state of northwestern North America, bordered by Canada and the Pacific and
Arctic oceans. Capital: Juneau. Population: 609,311 (1997) Area: 1,593,438 sq
km/615,230 sq mi.
—A·las·kan, adjective,
noun[1]



AlaskaHighway

AlaskaHighway
A·las·ka
High·way
noun

road in Alaska:
a road built in 1942 from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Former name Alcan Highway[1]



Alaskanking crab

Alaskanking crab
A·las·kan
king crab
(plural A·las·kan king crabs) noun

See
king crab  noun 1[1]



Alaskanmalamute

Alaskanmalamute
A·las·kan
mal·a·mute
(plural A·las·kan mal·a·mutes) noun

See
malamute[1]



AlaskanNorth Slope

AlaskanNorth Slope
A·las·kan
North Slope

region of northern Alaska,
extending from the Arctic Ocean south to the Brooks Range[1]



AlaskaRange

AlaskaRange
A·las·ka
Range

mountain range in southern
Alaska, extending in a 640 km/400 mi semicircle north of Anchorage. It includes
the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley 6,194 m/20,320 ft .[1]



AlaskaStandard Time

AlaskaStandard Time
A·las·ka
Stan·dard Time noun

local time in Alaska:
the local standard time in the ninth zone west of the Greenwich meridian,
calculated at 135° west and used throughout Alaska apart from the western
Aleutian Islands[1]



alastor

alastor
a·las·tor 
[ə lástər] (plural alas·tors) noun

avenging
deity:
an avenging deity, frequently evoked in Greek tragedy
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, literally “somebody who is not forgotten,” from lath-, the stem
of lanthanesthai “to forget” (see lanthanum
).][1]



alate

alate
a·late 
[áy làyt] or a·lat·ed [áy làytəd] adjective

with
wings:
used to describe insects with wings or seeds with parts resembling wings
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
alatus, from ala “wing.”][1]



alb

alb
alb 
[alb] (plural albs) noun

robe:
a long white robe with long sleeves worn by priests
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin (vestis) alba “white (garment)” from Latin albus
“white.”][1]



Alb.

Alb.
Alb.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Albania

2.  Abbreviation
of
Albanian

[1]



albacore

albacore
al·ba·core 
[álbə kàwr] (plural al·ba·core
or al·ba·cores) noun

large
tuna:
a large tuna with a long pectoral fin, found in the warm waters of the Atlantic
and Pacific and used as a food fish. Latin name: Thunnus alalunga
[Late 16th century. From
Portuguese albacor, of uncertain origin: possibly from Arabic al-bakrah
“young camel” or al-bakūra “premature.”][1]



Albania




Back to definition

Albania

[1]



Albania

Albania



Al·ba·ni·a 
[al báyniə]
republic in southeastern Europe,
bordering the Adriatic Sea. A former Communist country, it became a
parliamentary democracy in 1991. Language: Albanian. Currency: lek. Capital:
Tirana. Population: 3,260,000 (1995) Area: 28,748 sq km/11,100 sq mi.[1]



Albanian

Albanian
Al·ba·ni·an 
[al báynee ən] noun (plural Al·ba·ni·ans)

1.  LANGUAGE language
of Albania:
the official language of Albania, also spoken in parts of nearby countries. A
distinct branch of the Indo-European languages, Albanian is spoken by about
four million people.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Albania: somebody who was born or raised in
Albania, or who is a citizen of Albania
adjective

of Albania:
relating to Albania, or its culture or people

[1]



Albany

Albany
Al·ba·ny 
[lbənee]

1.  capital
of New York, situated on the western bank of the Hudson River. Population:
103,564 (1996)

2.  city
in west central Oregon, on the east bank of the Willamette River, south of
Salem. Population: 37,919 (1996)

3.  city
in southwestern Georgia, situated on the Flint River. Population: 78,591 (1996)

4.  river
in Ontario, Canada, flowing northeast into James Bay. Length: 982 km/610 mi.

[1]



albatross

albatross


al·ba·tross 
[álbə tròss] (plural al·ba·tross·es
or al·ba·tross) noun

1.  large
seabird:
a large long-winged seabird that inhabits cool southern oceans and spends most
of its life in flight. Family: Diomedeidae

2.  oppressive
burden:
an oppressive burden or hindrance

3.  U.K.
GOLF See double eagle
[Late
17th century. Alteration (under the influence of Latin albus “white”) of
Portuguese alcatraz, from Arabic al-ġaās “the diver.”]
an albatross around somebody’s neck

a burden from which somebody
cannot escape[1]



albedo

albedo
al·be·do 
[al bdō] (plural al·be·dos) noun

light
reflected by planet: the fraction of incident
light that is reflected by an object, especially the Earth or another planet
reflecting the Sun’s light
[Mid-19th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin, “whiteness,” from Latin albus “white” (see alb ).][1]



Albee,Edward Franklin

Albee,Edward Franklin

Al·bee
[áwlbee, álbee],
Edward Franklin (1928– )
U.S. playwright, author of Who’s
Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ( 1962 ). His play Three Tall Women ( 1991
) won him his third Pulitzer Prize for drama.[1]



albeit

albeit
al·be·it 
[àwl b it] conjunction

even
though:
used to add information that is different to what you have already said • a
difficult, albeit rewarding job
[14th century. Formed from all + be + it, meaning literally “all though it may be.”][1]



AlbemarleSound

AlbemarleSound
Al·be·marle
Sound
[álbə mrl]

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean,
in northeastern North Carolina. Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers first
flew, is on the barrier island that separates the shallow sound from the ocean.[1]



Alberich

Alberich
Al·be·rich
[álbərich] noun

German king of dwarves:
in medieval German legend, king of the dwarves and guardian of the treasures of
the Nibelung[1]



Albers,Josef

Albers,Josef
Al·bers
[álbərz, áwlbərz],
Josef (1888–1976)

German painter and designer.
He taught at the Bauhaus school of design. After 1933 he worked in the United
States.[1]



Alberta




Back to definition

Alberta

[1]



Alberta

Alberta


Al·ber·ta 
[al búrtə]
Canada’s westernmost Prairie Province and
a leading producer of oil and natural gas. Capital: Edmonton. Population:
2,696,826 (1996) Area: 661,190 sq km/255,287 sq mi.[1]



albertite

albertite
al·ber·tite 
[álbər tt] noun

bitumen:
a solid black variety of bitumen found in oil-bearing rock strata
[Mid-19th century. Named for Albert
County, New Brunswick, in Canada, where it was originally found.][1]



Albert,Prince

Albert,Prince
Al·bert 
[álbərt], Prince, Prince Consort (1819–1861)

German-born prince consort to
Queen Victoria. A supporter of technological innovation and patron of the arts,
he organized the Great Exhibition (1851). The proceeds enabled the building of
several museums and the Royal Albert Hall (1871).[1]



albescent

albescent
al·bes·cent 
[al béss’nt] adjective

becoming
white:
becoming white or whitish
[Early 18th century. Via the
Latin stem albescent- from, ultimately, albus (see alb ).][1]



Albigenses

Albigenses
Al·bi·gen·ses 
[àlbi jén sz] plural noun

heretical
religious group: a heretical Christian religious group in
southern France during the 12th and 13th centuries. They believed that
everything in the material world is evil.
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin, formed from Albiga, the city of Albi
in southern France, where the group originated.]
—Al·bi·gen·sian
[àlbi jénshən], adjective

—Al·bi·gen·sian·ism, noun[1]



albinism

albinism
al·bi·nism 
[álbi nìzzəm] noun

lack
of pigmentation: congenital lack of normal pigmentation
in the skin and hair of a person or animal or in the coloration of a plant
—al·bi·nis·tic [àlbi nístik], adjective[1]



albino

albino
al·bi·no 
[al bnō] (plural al·bi·nos) noun

1.  person
or animal lacking pigmentation: a person or animal
whose skin and hair lack pigmentation and whose irises are pink because of a
hereditary condition ( albinism )

2.  plant
lacking normal coloration: a plant that lacks normal
coloration because of a congenital condition ( albinism
)
[Early
18th century. Via Portuguese, from, ultimately, Latin albus “white” (see
alb ).]
—al·bin·ic
[al bínnik], adjective

—al·bin·o·tic [àlbi nóttik], adjective[1]



Albion

Albion
Al·bi·on 
[álbee ən]

ancient name for England or
the island of Britain[1]



albite

albite
al·bite 
[ál bt] noun

form
of feldspar: a usually white form of feldspar
consisting of sodium aluminum silicate, used in making glass and ceramics.
NaAlSi3O8
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin albus “white” (see alb ).]
—al·bit·ic [al bíttik], adjective[1]



ALBM

ALBM
ALBM

Abbreviation of
air-launched ballistic missile[1]



Albright,Ivan Le Lorraine

Albright,Ivan Le Lorraine
Al·bright
[áwl brt], Ivan Le Lorraine (1897–1983)

U.S. painter. He is best
known for his macabre painting of the title character for the movie The
Picture of Dorian Gray ( 1945 ).[1]



Albright,Madeleine

Albright,Madeleine
Al·bright
[áwl brt], Madeleine (1937– )

U.S. stateswoman. She became
the highest-ranking woman in American politics in 1997, when she became
secretary of state.[1]



album

album
al·bum 
[álbəm] (plural al·bums) noun

1.  blank
book:
a book or binder with blank pages or pockets in which valuable or fragile items
like postage stamps, photographs, mementos, or autographs are kept

2.  music
recording:
a music recording, sometimes including more than one disk or cassette, issued
as an individual item

3.  record
holder:
a cardboard holder for phonograph records, similar to a book in shape

4.  U.K.
collection:
a collection in book form of short literary or musical pieces or pictures (dated)
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “blank tablet,” from albus “white.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word albus from which album
  is derived is also the source of English alb,
  albino, albumen,
  auburn, and daub.

[1]



albumblatt

albumblatt
al·bum·blatt
[álbəm blàt] (plural al·bum·blatts
or al·bum·blät·ter [álbəm blèttər])
noun

short
light instrumental piece: a short light instrumental
piece popular in the 19th century, usually bound together in a set with other
similar pieces
[From German, literally “page
from an album”][1]



albumen

albumen
al·bu·men 
[al bymən] (plural al·bu·mens)
noun

1.  white
of egg:
the clear water-soluble protein that surrounds the yolk of an egg and provides
nutrition for the embryo (technical)
Also
called
egg white

2.  egg-white
protein:
the protein component of egg white, which includes albumin
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from albus “white” (see alb
).][1]



albumin

albumin
al·bu·min 
[al bymin] (plural al·bu·mins)
noun

protein:
a water-soluble protein coagulated by heat. Albumins are found in many animal
and plant tissues, especially egg white, blood plasma, and milk.[1]



albuminoid

albuminoid
al·bu·mi·noid 
[al bymə nòyd] adjective

like
albumin:
resembling or having the characteristics of albumin
noun
(plural al·bu·mi·noids)

See
scleroprotein
—al·bu·mi·noi·dal, adjective[1]



albuminous

albuminous
al·bu·mi·nous
[al bymənəss] adjective

of albumin:
connected with, like, or containing albumin[1]



albuminuria

albuminuria
al·bu·mi·nu·ri·a 
[àl byoomə nree ə] noun

albumin in urine:
the presence of albumin in urine, usually an indication of kidney disease.
Also called
proteinuria[1]



Albuquerque

Albuquerque
Al·bu·quer·que 
[álbə kùrkee]

city and tourist resort on
the Rio Grande and the largest city in New Mexico. Population: 419,681 (1996)[1]



alc.

alc.
alc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
alcohol

2.  Abbreviation
of
alcoholic

[1]



alc.

alc.
alc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
alcohol

2.  Abbreviation
of
alcoholic

[1]



Alcaic

Alcaic
Al·ca·ic 
[al káy ik] adjective

containing
four four-foot lines: in poetry, written in the
metrical form of a stanza of four lines, each containing four feet
noun
(plural Al·ca·ics)

poetry
type:
a poem or lines written in the Alcaic form (often used in the plural)
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek Alkaios, the lyric poet credited with
inventing the form.][1]



alcaide

alcaide
al·cai·de 
[al kdee] (plural al·cai·des)
or al·cay·de [al kdee] (plural
al·cay·des) noun

1.  fortress
commander:
a commander of a fortress in a Spanish-speaking area

2.  prison
governor:
a governor of a prison in a Spanish-speaking area
[Early 16th century. Via
Spanish, from Arabic al-ā-’id “the commander.”][1]



alcalde

alcalde
al·cal·de 
[al kldee] (plural al·cal·des)
noun

mayor:
the mayor or chief magistrate of a town in a Spanish-speaking area
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish, from Arabic al-āḍī “the judge.”][1]



AlcanHighway

AlcanHighway
Al·can
High·way 
[ál kàn] noun

Former
name for
Alaska Highway
[From Alcan, a
contraction of Alaska-Canada][1]



Alcatraz

Alcatraz
Al·ca·traz 
[álkə tràz]

island in San Francisco Bay,
California, site of a federal prison from 1933 to 1963. It has been part of
Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1972.[1]



alcayde

alcayde
al·cay·de 
noun

See
alcaide[1]



alcazar

alcazar
al·caz·ar 
[al kázzər, álkə
zr, lkə zr] (plural al·caz·ars)
noun

fortress:
fortress or palace in Spain, especially one built by the Moors
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish, from Arabic al-aṣr “the castle,” ultimately from Latin castrum
“camp” (source also of English castle
).][1]



Alcestis

Alcestis
Al·ces·tis 
[al séstiss] noun

daughter of Pelias:
in Greek mythology, daughter of Pelias and wife of Admetus, King of Phaerae.
She died to save her husband’s life but was later rescued from Hades by
Hercules.[1]



alchemist

alchemist
al·che·mist 
[álkəmist] (plural al·che·mists)
noun

practitioner
of alchemy:
somebody who practices alchemy
—al·che·mis·tic [àlkə místik], adjective[1]



alchemize

alchemize
al·che·mize 
[álkə mz] (past al·che·mized,
past participle al·che·mized, present participle al·che·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular al·che·miz·es) transitive verb

transform into gold:
to transform something into gold or into a much purer or brighter form by
alchemy[1]



alchemy

alchemy
al·che·my 
[álkəmee] noun

1.  predecessor
of chemistry: an earlier and unscientific form of
chemistry, seeking to transform base metals into gold and to discover a
life-prolonging elixir, a universal cure for disease, and a universal solvent (
alkahest )

2.  transforming
or enchanting power: a power supposedly like
alchemy, especially of enchantment or transformation
[14th
century. Via Old French alquemie and medieval Latin alchimia from
Arabic al-kīmiyā “the chemistry,” ultimately from Greek khēmeia
.]
—al·chem·ic
[al kémmik], adjective

—al·chem·i·cal, adjective[1]



ALCM

ALCM
ALCM

Abbreviation of
air-launched cruise missile[1]



Alcmene

Alcmene
Alc·me·ne 
[alk ménnee] noun

mother of Hercules:
in Greek mythology, wife of Amphitryon. While her husband was away at war, Zeus
visited Alcmene disguised as Amphitryon. She later gave birth to two sons,
Hercules and Iphicles.[1]



Alcock,John William

Alcock,John William
Al·cock
[áwl kòk, l kòk],
Sir John William (1892–1919)

British aviator. With Arthur
Brown, he made the first transatlantic flight, from Newfoundland to Ireland,
which took 16 hours 27 minutes.[1]



alcohol

alcohol
al·co·hol 
[álkə hàwl] (plural al·co·hols)
noun

1.  liquid
for drinks or solvents: a colorless liquid, produced
by the fermentation of sugar or starch, that is the intoxicating agent in
fermented drinks and is used as a solvent. C2H5OH
Also
called
ethanol
Also
called
ethyl alcohol

2.  drinks
with alcohol: intoxicating drinks containing alcohol

3.  organic
compound:
any organic compound containing one or more hydroxyl groups bound to carbon
atoms
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin, “fine powder, distilled essence of a substance,” from Arabic al-kuḥl
“the antimony powder” (source of English kohl
).][1]



alcoholic

alcoholic
al·co·hol·ic 
[àlkə háwlik] adjective

1.  containing
alcohol:
containing or concerning alcohol

2.  caused
by alcohol:
caused by alcohol consumption • alcoholic
dehydration

3.  addicted
to alcohol:
addicted to drinking beverages containing alcohol
noun
(plural al·co·hol·ics)

alcohol addict:
somebody who is addicted to drinking beverages containing alcohol

[1]



alcoholicity

alcoholicity
al·co·hol·ic·i·ty 
[àlkə haw líssətee] noun

degree of alcohol content:
the amount of alcohol contained in something[1]



AlcoholicsAnonymous

AlcoholicsAnonymous
Al·co·hol·ics
A·non·y·mous

organization for alcoholics:
an organization for alcoholics offering mutual support to members to help in
overcoming their dependency[1]



alcoholism

alcoholism
al·co·hol·ism 
[álkə haw lìzzəm] noun

1.  addiction
to alcohol:
dependence on alcohol consumption to an extent that adversely affects behavior
and social or work function and produces withdrawal symptoms when intake is
stopped or greatly reduced

2.  alcohol
poisoning:
a physical disorder caused by the toxic effects of excessive alcohol
consumption

[1]



Alcoran

Alcoran
Al·co·ran 
[àlkə rán] noun

See
Koran
—Al·co·ran·ic, adjective[1]



Alcott,Amos Bronson

Alcott,Amos Bronson
Al·cott
[áwlkət, álkət],
Amos Bronson (1799–1888)

U.S. transcendentalist and
writer who founded the Concord Summer School of Philosophy and Literature in
1879.[1]



Alcott,Louisa May

Alcott,Louisa May

Al·cott
[áwlkət, álkət],
Louisa May (1832–1888)
U.S. novelist. Her novels include her
most famous book, Little Women (1868), and its sequels.[1]



alcove

alcove
al·cove 
[ál kv] (plural al·coves) noun

1.  internal
recess:
a recess in the wall of a room

2.  external
recess:
a recess in an exterior wall, usually with a roof or some covering structure

3.  secluded
place:
a shady or secluded place in a garden
[Late 16th century. Via
French alcôve and Spanish alcoba from Arabic al-ubba “the
vault, the arch.”][1]



alcove

alcove
al·cove 
[ál kv] (plural al·coves) noun

1.  internal
recess:
a recess in the wall of a room

2.  external
recess:
a recess in an exterior wall, usually with a roof or some covering structure

3.  secluded
place:
a shady or secluded place in a garden
[Late 16th century. Via
French alcôve and Spanish alcoba from Arabic al-ubba “the
vault, the arch.”][1]



Ald.

Ald.
Ald.

Abbreviation of
alderman[1]



Aldebaran

Aldebaran
Al·deb·a·ran 
[al débbərən] noun

bright star in constellation
Taurus: the brightest star in the
constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the sky[1]



aldehyde

aldehyde
al·de·hyde 
[áldə hd] (plural al·de·hydes)
noun

organic
compound:
a highly reactive organic compound produced by the oxidation of an alcohol and
having a CHO group, especially acetaldehyde
[Mid-19th
century. Contraction of modern Latin alcohol dehydrogenatum
“dehydrogenated alcohol.”]
—al·de·hy·dic [àldə híddik], adjective[1]



aldente

aldente
al
den·te 
[àl dén tay, àl
déntee] adjective

firm:
cooked just long enough to be firm rather than soft
[From Italian, literally “to
the tooth”][1]



alder

alder
al·der 
[áwldər] (plural al·ders) noun

1.  deciduous
tree:
a deciduous tree or shrub with male catkins and cone-shaped fruits, common in
wet places in northern temperate areas. Genus: Alnus

2.  wood
of the alder: the wood of the alder tree, valuable for
use in underwater structures as it resists rot when wet. It is also used for
carving and furniture making.
[Old English alor .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “reddish-brown,” which is also
the ancestor of English elm and elk .][1]



alderman

alderman
al·der·man 
[áwldərmən] (plural al·der·men
[áwldərmən]) noun

1.  member
of town legislating body: a member of the legislating
body of a town or city in the United States or Canada

2.  English
senior council member: a senior member of an
English or Welsh local council before the local government reorganization of
1974

3.  See
ealdorman
[Old
English ealdorman, from ealdor “an elder” + man]
—al·der·man·ic
[àwldər mánnik], adjective

—al·der·man·cy, noun[1]



Alderney

Alderney
Al·der·ney 
[áwldərnee] (plural Al·der·neys)
noun

dairy cow:
a cow belonging to a breed of small dairy cattle originally from the Channel
Islands[1]



Aldislamp

Aldislamp
Al·dis
lamp
[áwldiss làmp] (plural Al·dis
lamps) noun

signaling
device:
a signaling device in the form of a portable lamp used to flash messages in
Morse code
[Early 20th century. Named
for the British inventor A. C. W. Aldis, who designed it.][1]



Aldm.

Aldm.
Aldm.

Abbreviation of
alderman[1]



aldohexose

aldohexose
al·do·hex·ose
[àldō hék sss] (plural al·do·hex·oses)
noun

type
of sugar:
a six-carbon sugar, for example, glucose or mannose, that contains a CHO group
[Early 20th century.
Contraction of aldehyde + hexose .][1]



aldol

aldol
al·dol 
[ál dàwl] (plural al·dols) noun

1.  liquid
used in solvents and perfumes: a colorless or pale
yellow oily liquid used chiefly in making chemicals to accelerate the
vulcanization of rubber, as a solvent, and in making perfumes. C4H8O2

2.  organic
compound:
a colorless liquid formed by the condensation of acetaldehyde and used in
organic synthesis and in denaturing alcohol

[1]



aldolase

aldolase
al·dol·ase 
[áldə làyss] noun

enzyme
breaking down fructose: an enzyme that aids the
breakdown of fructose
[Mid-20th century. From
German, coined from Aldol “aldol” + -ase “-ase.”][1]



aldose

aldose
al·dose 
[ál dss] (plural al·doses) noun

type of sugar:
a sugar ( monosaccharide ) that contains a
CHO group[1]



aldosterone

aldosterone
al·dos·ter·one 
[al dóstə rn] noun

steroid:
a steroid hormone, secreted by the adrenal cortex, that controls the balance of
salt and water in the body[1]



aldosteronism

aldosteronism
al·dos·ter·on·ism 
[al dóstərə nìzzəm] noun

medical disorder:
a condition caused by excessive secretion of aldosterone by the adrenal cortex,
characterized by weakness, high blood pressure, and large fluid intake and
urinary output[1]



Aldrin,Buzz

Aldrin,Buzz

Al·drin 
[áwldrin], Buzz (1930– )
U.S.
astronaut. He was the second man to walk on the Moon (1969).
Full name
Aldrin, Jr., Edwin Eugene[1]



ale

ale
ale 
[ayl] (plural ales) noun

alcoholic
drink:
an alcoholic drink made from rapidly fermented malt to which hops have been
added
[Old English ealu .
From a prehistoric Germanic word possibly meaning “intoxicating drink.”][1]



aleatory

aleatory
a·le·a·to·ry 
[áylee ə tàwree] adjective

1.  depending
on chance:
depending on chance or contingency

2.  a·le·a·to·ry
or a·le·a·to·ric having random notes:
having the sequence of given notes or passages in a piece of music chosen at
random by the performer or left to chance
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
aleatorius from, ultimately, alea “dice,” of unknown origin.][1]



Alecto

Alecto
A·lec·to 
[ə léktō] noun

Greek Fury:
in Greek mythology, one of the three Furies. The others were Megaera and
Tisiphone.[1]



alee

alee
a·lee 
[ə l] adverb adjective

on leeward side:
on or to the leeward side[1]



alef

alef
a·lef
noun

See
aleph[1]



alegar

alegar
al·e·gar 
[álləgər, áyləgər]
noun

type
of vinegar:
vinegar made from fermented ale
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from ale, on the model of vinegar .][1]



alehouse

alehouse
ale·house 
[áyl hòwss] (plural ale·houses
[áyl hòwzəz]) noun

place selling ale:
a place where ale was sold and served (archaic)[1]



Alemanni

Alemanni
Al·e·man·ni
[àllə mánnee] plural noun

Germanic
peoples:
a group of Germanic peoples who settled in areas around the Rhine, Main, and
Danube rivers at the beginning of the fourth century AD
[From Latin (source also of
French allemand and Spanish alemán “German”). Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word possibly meaning “all the peoples.”][1]



Alemannic

Alemannic
Al·e·man·nic 
[àllə mánnik] noun

German
dialects:
a group of High German dialects spoken in Alsace, Switzerland, and southwestern
Germany
adjective

of Alemanni:
belonging to the Alemanni[1]



alembic

alembic

a·lem·bic 
[ə lémbik] (plural a·lem·bics)
noun
distillation
apparatus:
an apparatus formerly used in distillation
[14th century. Via Old French
and medieval Latin alembicus from Arabic al-’anbī “the still,”
from Greek ambix “cup.”][1]



aleph

aleph
a·leph 
[ lèf, ləf]
(plural a·lephs) or a·lef [
lèf, ləf] (plural a·lefs)
noun

1st
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the first letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, transliterated as an apostrophe and pronounced as a glottal
stop
[14th century. Via Hebrew ‘alep
from, ultimately, Canaanite ‘alp “ox,” which started with this sound.][1]



Aleppo

Aleppo
A·lep·po 
[ə léppō]

city in northwestern Syria,
northeast of Homs, an important center on an ancient trade route to the East.
Population: 1,542,000 (1994) Formerly Beroea[1]



alert

alert
a·lert 
[ə lúrt] adjective

1.  watchful:
watchful and ready to deal with whatever happens

2.  mentally
lively:
clear-headed and responsive
noun
(plural a·lerts)

1.  warning
of danger:
an alarm or warning of danger

2.  time
of danger:
a period of time during which an alert remains in force
verb
(past a·lert·ed, past participle a·lert·ed, present
participle a·lert·ing, 3rd person present singular a·lerts)

warn: to
make somebody aware of possible dangers or difficulties • Police
have alerted the public to the danger.
[Late
16th century. Via French alerte from Italian all’erta, literally
“on the lookout.”]
—a·lert·ly,
adverb

—a·lert·ness,
noun
on
red alert

prepared
for any trouble or danger that may occur

on
the alert

watchful and ready to deal
with whatever happens[1]



AlessandriPalma, Arturo

AlessandriPalma, Arturo
Al·es·san·dri
Pal·ma
[allə sàndri pálmə, allə
sndri plmə], Arturo (1868–1950)

Chilean statesman who served
as the president of Chile three times, in 1920–1924, 1925, and 1932–1938.[1]



alethic

alethic
a·leth·ic
[ə léthik, ə
lthik] adjective

of
logic:
relating to the philosophical concepts of truth and possibility and especially
to the branch of logic that formalizes them
[Late 20th century. Formed
from Greek alētheia “truth,” from alēthēs “true,” literally “not
hidden.”][1]



aleurone

aleurone
al·eu·rone 
[állyə rn] or al·eu·ron [állyə rn] noun

plant
protein:
a protein occurring as granules in various plants, especially in seeds
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of Greek aleuron “wheat flour.”]
—al·eu·ron·ic [àllyə rónnik], adjective[1]



Aleut

Aleut
A·leut 
[ə lt, àllee t]
(plural A·leut or A·leuts) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an indigenous Alaskan people: a member of a an
indigenous people who live in the Aleutian Islands and southwestern coastal
Alaska

2.  LANGUAGE Eskimo-Aleut
language:
a language spoken in the Aleutian Islands and coastal parts of Alaska,
belonging to the Eskimo-Aleut group. Only a few hundred people now speak Aleut.
[Late
18th century. From Russian .]
—A·leut, adjective[1]



Aleutian

Aleutian
A·leu·tian 
[ə lsh’n] adjective

of the Aleutian Islands:
relating to the Aleutian Islands, or their people or culture[1]



AleutianIslands

AleutianIslands
A·leu·tian
Is·lands

chain of islands stretching
westward for about 1,800 km/1,100 mi from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and
separating the Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea to the north[1]



AleutianRange

AleutianRange
A·leu·tian
Range

mountain range on the east
coast of the Alaska Peninsula that includes the Katmai National Park and
Preserve[1]



AleutianTrench

AleutianTrench
A·leu·tian
Trench

ocean trench at the western
end of the Aleutian Islands. Maximum Depth: 7,600 m/24,934 ft.[1]



Alevel

Alevel
A
lev·el 
(plural A lev·els) noun

1.  school
examination: the advanced level of any subject
studied to gain a General Certificate of Education qualification in England,
Wales, and Northern Ireland. Full form Advanced level

2.  examination
passing grade: a passing grade in an examination in a
subject studied at A level
[Shortening of Advanced
level][1]



alevin

alevin
a·lev·in
[álləvin] (plural a·lev·ins) noun

young
salmon or trout: a young salmon or trout with the yolk
sac still attached.
Also
called
yolk fry
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, from assumed Vulgar Latin allevamen, literally “something that
is raised,” from Latin levare (see lever
).][1]



alewife

alewife
ale·wife
[áyl wf] (plural ale·wives [áyl wvz]) noun

1.  migrating
herring:
a herring that migrates up rivers to spawn. It appears off the Atlantic coast
of North America in early summer and can be eaten as food. Latin name: Alosa
pseudoharengus

2.  woman
ale-seller:
a woman who sold ale, especially one who kept an alehouse (archaic)
[14th century. From ale + wife
“woman.”.][1]



alexander

alexander
a·lex·an·der
[àllig zándər] (plural a·lex·an·ders)
noun

cocktail:
a cocktail made from crème de cacao, sweet cream, and gin or brandy
[Early 20th century. From the
name Alexander .][1]



Alexander,Grover Cleveland

Alexander,Grover Cleveland
A·lex·an·der
[àllig zándər], Grover Cleveland (1887–1950)

U.S. baseball player who
pitched for various teams (1911–1929) and was voted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1938.[1]



AlexanderII

AlexanderII

A·lex·an·der II
[àllig zándər], Tsar of Russia (1818–1881)
He enacted many reforms and sold the
Russian lands in North America (now Alaska) to the United States in 1867.[1]



AlexanderIII

AlexanderIII
A·lex·an·der
III
[àllig zándər], Pope (1105?–1181)

He
was pope from 1159 to 1181, during which time he imposed penance on Henry II of
England for the murder of St. Thomas à Becket.
Born
Bandinelli, Rolando[1]



Alexandertechnique

Alexandertechnique
A·lex·an·der
tech·nique
noun

method
of improving posture: a method of improving the
posture that involves developing awareness of it
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Australian physiotherapist Frederick Alexander ( 1869–1955 ), who
developed the technique.][1]



Alexanderthe Great

Alexanderthe Great

A·lex·an·der the Great
[àllig zándər], King of Macedonia (356 BC–323 BC)
He conquered most of the ancient world
from Asia Minor to Egypt and India.[1]



Alexandra

Alexandra
A·lex·an·dra 
[àllig zándrə], Empress of Russia
(1872–1918)

The wife of Tsar Nicholas II,
she was executed by the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinberg.[1]



Alexandria

Alexandria
A·lex·an·dria 
[àllig zándriə]

1.  city
in eastern Virginia on the Potomac River, south of Washington, D.C. Population:
117,586 (1996)

2.  city
and Mediterranean seaport in northern Egypt, on the delta of the Nile River.
Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC,
it was a major cultural center of the ancient world, renowned for its library.
Population: 3,380,000 (1992)

[1]



Alexandrian

Alexandrian
Al·ex·an·dri·an 
[àllig zándriən] (plural Al·ex·an·dri·ans)
adjective

1.  of
Alexander the Great: of or relating to Alexander
the Great

2.  relating
to ideas in early Alexandria: relating to the literary,
philosophical, and scientific theories and ideas in Alexandria during the 3rd
century BC and later, when
Alexandria was home to a famous library

3.  scholarly
but unoriginal: scholarly and pedantic rather than
creative or imaginative and original

[1]



alexandrine

alexandrine
al·ex·an·drine
[àllig zándrin, àllig
zán drn] noun (plural al·ex·an·drines)

1.  English
verse form:
in English poetry, a line of verse that has six iambic feet and usually a
caesura after the third foot

2.  French
verse form:
in French poetry, a line of verse that has twelve syllables and usually a
caesura after the sixth syllable
adjective

like or in alexandrines:
typical of or written in alexandrines
[Late 16th century. From
French, named for the romance Alexandre about Alexander the Great, which
was written in this meter.][1]



alexandrite

alexandrite
al·ex·an·drite 
[àllig zán drt] (plural al·ex·an·drites)
noun

green
gem:
a green chrysoberyl used as a gemstone
[Mid-19th century. From
German Alexandrit, named for Alexander II ( 1818–1881 ), Tsar of
Russia, because it was discovered on the day of his majority.][1]



alexia

alexia
a·lex·i·a 
[ə léksee ə] noun

inability
to read:
a loss of the ability to read, caused by a disorder of the central nervous
system.
Also
called
word blindness
[Late 19th century. Coined
from a- + Greek lexis “speech” + -ia, under the influence of Latin legere
“to read.”][1]



alexin

alexin
a·lex·in 
[ə léksin] (plural a·lex·ins) noun

complement:
in biochemistry, a complement (dated)
[Late 19th century. Via
German, from Greek alexein “to ward off.”][1]



Alfa

Alfa
Al·fa
noun adjective

See
Alpha
[Variant of alpha][1]



alfalfa

alfalfa
al·fal·fa 
[al fálfə] noun

forage
crop:
a European and Asian plant in the pea family, widely grown as a hay and forage
crop. Latin name: Medicago sativa
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, from Arabic al-faṣfaṣa, literally “the best kind of fodder.”][1]



alfilaria

alfilaria
al·fil·a·ri·a 
[al fìllə r ə] or al·fil·e·ri·a
[al fìllə r ə] noun

forage
plant:
a European plant of the geranium family that has pink or purple flowers. It is
regarded as a weed in Europe but is grown for forage in the western United
States. Latin name: Erodium cicutarium
Also
called
filaree
Also
called
pin clover
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of American Spanish alfilerillo, literally “little pin,” from Spanish alfiler
“pin,” from Arabic al-ilāl “thorn.”][1]



al-Fitr

al-Fitr
al-Fit·r
[al fíttər] noun

See
Eid-ul-Fitr[1]



alforja

alforja
al·for·ja 
[al fáwr h] (plural al·for·jas)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
saddlebag:
a saddlebag
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Arabic al-urj “saddlebag.”][1]



alfredo

alfredo
al·fre·do 
[al frédd&omacr, al fr&aacute;yddō;]
adjective

with
a cream sauce: served with a rich sauce made from
cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Alfred(the Great)

Alfred(the Great)
Al·fred
(the Great)
[álfrəd], King of Wessex (849–901)

He reigned from 871,
reconquering Danish territories in England. He also translated several Latin
works into English.[1]



alfresco

alfresco
al·fres·co 
[al fréskō] adverb

outdoors:
outdoors or in the open air
adjective

located
outdoors:
taking place or located outdoors
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “in the fresh (air).”][1]



alg.

alg.
alg.

Abbreviation of
algebra[1]



Alg.

Alg.
Alg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Algeria

2.  Abbreviation
of
Algerian

[1]



alga

alga
al·ga 
[álgə] (plural al·gae [ál j] or al·gas) noun

photosynthetic
organism:
a mainly aquatic photosynthetic organism that differs from plants in not having
true leaves, roots, or stems and includes the seaweeds. Algae were once
considered to be plants but are no longer classified as such.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “seaweed,” of uncertain origin.]
—al·gal [álgəl], adjective[1]



algalbloom

algalbloom
al·gal
bloom
noun

growth of algae covering
water: an excessive growth of algae
on or near the surface of water, occurring naturally or as a result of an
oversupply of nutrients from organic pollution.
Also called
bloom[1]



algarroba

algarroba
al·gar·ro·ba 
[àlgə rṓbə] (plural al·gar·ro·bas)
or al·ga·ro·ba [àlgə rṓbə] (plural
al·ga·ro·bas) noun

1.  See
carob

2.  See
honey mesquite

3.  fruit:
the edible fruit of the carob or the mesquite
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from Arabic al-arrūba “the carob.”][1]



algebra

algebra
al·ge·bra 
[áljəbrə] noun

1.  mathematics
using letters as symbols: a branch of mathematics in
which symbols, usually letters of the alphabet, are used to represent unknown
numbers and in doing so generalize arithmetic

2.  study
of mathematical structures: the study of structures in
mathematics such as groups, rings, fields, and categories.
Also
called
modern algebra
[Mid-16th
century. Via Italian and medieval Latin from Arabic al-jabr, literally
“the reuniting,” in the title of the treatise “The science of reunion and
equation,” by the mathematician al-Khwarizmi .]
—al·ge·bra·ist [àlji bráy ist], noun[1]



algebraic

algebraic
al·ge·bra·ic 
[àljə bráyik] adjective

1.  relating
to algebra:
involving or relating to algebra

2.  using
only finite numbers or operations: relating to or using
only finite numbers, expressions, and operations
—al·ge·bra·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Alger,Horatio

Alger,Horatio
Al·ger
[áljər], Horatio (1832–1899)

U.S. writer and clergyman .
He was author of many novels, including Ragged Dick ( 1867 ) and Tattered
Tom ( 1871 ).[1]



Algeria

Algeria



Al·ge·ri·a 
[al jriə]
country
in northwestern Africa. It became independent from France in 1962. Language:
Arabic. Currency: Algerian dinar. Capital: Algiers. Population: 29,830,371
(1997) Area: 2,381,741 sq km/919,595 sq mi.
—Al·ge·ri·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Algeria




Back to definition

Algeria

[1]



-algia

-algia
-algia
suffix

pain
• neuralgia
[Formed from Greek algos
“pain,” of uncertain origin][1]



algicide

algicide
al·gi·cide 
[álji sd] (plural al·gi·cides)
noun

substance
that kills algae: a substance that kills algae or prevents
them from growing
—al·gi·ci·dal [álji sd’l], adjective[1]



algid

algid
al·gid 
[áljid] adjective

cold
and clammy:
used to describe an episode during a severe fever when the patient’s body
temperature suddenly drops to an abnormally low level
[Early
17th century. From Latin algidus, from algere “to be cold.”]
—al·gid·i·ty [al jíddətee], noun[1]



Algiers

Algiers
Al·giers 
[al jrz]

capital, chief port, and
largest city of Algeria. Population: 2,168,000 (1995)[1]



algin

algin
al·gin 
[áljin] (plural al·gins) noun

substance
used as thickener: a viscous liquid, especially
alginic acid or an alginate, obtained from seaweed and used as a thickener or
emulsifier in the manufacture of plastics or in food
[Late 19th century. Formed
from alga + -in, suffix denoting organic
compounds (compare insulin ).][1]



alginate

alginate
al·gi·nate 
[áljə nàyt, áljənət]
(plural al·gi·nates) noun

salt or ester of alginic
acid: a salt or ester of alginic
acid. Alginates are often used as thickeners or emulsifiers in plastics or
food.[1]



alginicacid

alginicacid
al·gin·ic
ac·id 
[al jìnnik ássid] noun

insoluble acid obtained from
seaweed: an insoluble powdery acid
obtained from brown seaweed and used in making food, pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, and textiles. (C6H8O6)n[1]



algo-

algo-
algo-
prefix

pain
• algophobia
[From Greek algos
“pain,” of uncertain origin][1]



algoid

algoid
al·goid 
[ál gòyd] adjective

of or like algae:
resembling or relating to algae[1]



ALGOL

ALGOL
AL·GOL 
[ál gòl] or Al·gol [ál gòl] noun

computer
language:
a high-level computer programming language that employs algebraic symbols and
is designed for use in solving mathematical and scientific problems
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of algorithm-oriented language .][1]



algolagnia

algolagnia
al·go·lag·ni·a 
[àlgō lágnee ə] noun

pleasure
from pain:
sexual pleasure experienced through inflicting or experiencing pain (technical)
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek algos “pain” and lagneia “lust.”]
—al·go·lag·nic
[àlgō lág nik], adjective

—al·go·lag·nist, noun[1]



algology

algology
al·gol·o·gy 
[al gólləjee] noun

study
of algae:
the branch of botany concerned with the scientific study of algae.
Also
called
phycology
—al·go·log·i·cal
[àlgə lójjik’l], adjective

—al·gol·o·gist [al gólləjist], noun[1]



Algonkian

Algonkian
Al·gon·ki·an 
noun

See
Algonquian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Algonkin

Algonkin
Al·gon·kin 
noun

See
Algonquin[1]



Algonquian

Algonquian
Al·gon·qui·an 
[al góngkee ən, al
góngkwee ən] (plural Al·gon·qui·an or Al·gon·qui·ans)
or Al·gon·ki·an [al góngkee ən]
(plural Al·gon·ki·an or Al·gon·ki·ans) noun

1.  LANGUAGE group
of N American languages: a group of over thirty
related North American languages that are, or used to be, spoken in central and
eastern Canada, and parts of the central and eastern United States. Algonquian
includes the languages of the Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Delaware, Fox,
Ojibwa, Sauk, and Shawnee peoples.

2.  PEOPLES member
of Algonquian -speaking people: a member of an
Algonquian -speaking Native North American people
[Late
19th century. Formed from Algonquin .]
—Al·gon·qui·an, adjective[1]



Algonquin

Algonquin1
Al·gon·quin1  [al
góngkin, al góngkwin] (plural Al·gon·quin
or Al·gon·quins) or Al·gon·kin [al góngkin] (plural Al·gon·kin or
Al·gon·kins) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Canadian indigenous people : a member of a group of
First Nations peoples living along the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers in
eastern Canada. Historically, the Algonquin were allies of the French against
the Iroquois.

2.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
a Native North American language spoken in Quebec and Ontario. About 3,000
people speak Algonquian dialects, which are closely related to Ojibwa.
[Early
17th century. From Canadian French, of Algonquian origin.]
—Al·gon·quin, adjective[1]



Algonquin

Algonquin2
Al·gon·quin2  [al
góngkin, al góngkwin]

village in northeastern
Illinois. Population: 18,019 (1996)[1]



algophobia

algophobia
al·go·pho·bi·a 
[àlgə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of pain:
an abnormally intense fear of pain[1]



algorism

algorism
al·go·rism 
[álgə rìzzəm] (plural al·go·risms)
noun

algorithm:
an algorithm (dated)
[13th century. Via Old French
and medieval Latin from Arabic al-&Klineunder;wārazmī, name of the
mathematician Abū Ja`far Muammad ibn Mūsā, (780?-850?), who introduced it to
the West.][1]



algorithm

algorithm
al·go·rithm 
[álgə rìəm] (plural al·go·rithms)
noun

1.  problem-solving
procedure:
a logical step-by-step procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite
number of steps, often involving repetition of the same basic operation

2.  problem-solving
computer program: a logical sequence of steps for solving
a problem, often written out as a flow chart, that can be translated into a
computer program
[Late
17th century. Variant of algorism, under the
influence of Greek arithmos “number.”]
—al·go·rith·mic [àlgə rímik], adjective[1]



Alhambra

Alhambra1
Al·ham·bra1  [al
hámbrə]

citadel and palace in
Granada, Spain, built for Moorish kings in the 12th and 13th centuries[1]



Alhambra

Alhambra2
Al·ham·bra2  [al
hámbrə]

city in southwestern
California, northeast of Los Angeles. Population: 83,644 (1996)[1]



Alia,Ramiz

Alia,Ramiz
A·li·a
[lee ə], Ramiz (1925– )

Albanian politician who was
president of Albania (1985–1992).[1]



alias

alias
a·li·as 
[áylee əss, áylyəss]
adverb

also known as:
otherwise or also known as
noun
(plural a·li·as·es)

1.  name
taken:
an assumed name

2.  COMPUT file
or directory name: a name assigned to file or
directory, for example, to make it more convenient to locate or manipulate
[15th century. From Latin,
“otherwise.”][1]



alibi

alibi
al·i·bi 
[állə b] noun (plural al·i·bis)

1.  accused’s
claim of having been elsewhere: a form of defense
against an accusation in which the accused person claims to have been somewhere
other than at the scene of the crime when the crime was committed

2.  somebody
used to establish alibi: somebody or something used
to prove that somebody else was elsewhere at the time that a crime was
committed

3.  excuse:
an explanation offered to justify something (informal)
transitive
verb
(past al·i·bied, past participle al·i·bied, present
participle al·i·bi·ing, 3rd person present singular al·i·bis)

provide alibi for somebody:
to provide an alibi or excuse for somebody
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “elsewhere.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  alibi
  = “excuse”:
  Alibi should only be used
  informally in the weakened meaning “excuse or pretext,” because it has a
  precise legal meaning that is in danger of being compromised. In any case it
  often sounds silly and affected when excuse is the more natural word
  to use: • He
  used his illness as an excuse (not as an alibi) for leaving work early.

[1]



Alice

Alice
A·lice 
[álliss]

city in southeastern Texas,
west of Corpus Christi. Population: 20,599 (1996)[1]



Alice-in-Wonderland

Alice-in-Wonderland
Al·ice-in-Won·der·land
[àllis in wúndərland] adjective

unreal:
absurd, fantastic, or completely at odds with reality
[Early 20th century. From the
well-known fantasy by Lewis Carroll ( 1832–1898 ), Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland ( 1865 ).][1]



alicyclic

alicyclic
al·i·cy·clic 
[álli sklik, àllee
síklik] adjective

with
open chain and carbon ring: used to describe organic
compounds that have carbon atoms joined in a string ( open
chain ) as well as in rings.
See
also
aliphatic
[Late 19th century. Blend of aliphatic and cyclic
.][1]



alien

alien
a·li·en 
[áylyən, áylee ən]
noun (plural a·li·ens)

1.  extraterrestrial
being:
a being from another planet or another part of the universe, especially in
works of science fiction

2.  LAW non-citizen
resident of country: somebody who is a citizen of
a country other than the one in which he or she lives or happens to be

3.  outsider:
somebody who does not belong to, is not accepted in, or does not feel part of a
particular group or society
adjective

1.  strange:
outside somebody’s normal or previous experience and seeming strange and
sometimes threatening

2.  inconsistent
with something: not in keeping or totally incompatible
with the nature of something or somebody • The
idea was alien to her nature.

3.  LAW not of
country:
not a citizen of, or not belonging to, the country in question

4.  extraterrestrial:
from another world or part of the universe, or involving or relating to
extraterrestrial beings
transitive
verb
(past a·li·ened, past participle a·li·ened, present
participle a·li·en·ing, 3rd person present singular a·li·ens)

LAW See alienate  verb 4
[14th century. Via Old French
or directly from Latin alienus, from alius “other” (see alias ).][1]



alienable

alienable
al·ien·a·ble 
[áylyənəb’l, áylee
ənəb’l] adjective

transferable:
capable of being transferred by a legal process to another owner
—al·ien·a·bil·i·ty [àylyənə bíllətee, àylee
ənə bíllətee], noun[1]



alienate

alienate
al·ien·ate 
[áylyə nàyt, áylee
ə nàyt] (past al·ien·at·ed, past participle al·ien·at·ed,
present participle al·ien·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
al·ien·ates) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody unfriendly: to cause somebody to change
his or her previously friendly or supportive attitude and become unfriendly,
unsympathetic, or hostile • His
selfishness alienated all of his friends.

2.  make
somebody feel disaffected: to make somebody feel that
he or she does not belong to or share in something, or is isolated from it (often
passive) • People
like that often feel alienated from society.

3.  turn
something away: to cause something, especially
somebody’s affections, to be directed at somebody or something else

4.  LAW transfer
ownership to somebody: to transfer the ownership of
a property or right to somebody
[15th
century. From Latin alienat-, the past participle stem of alienare
“to make somebody else’s, alienate” (see alien
).]
—al·ien·a·tor, noun[1]



alienation

alienation
al·ien·a·tion 
[àylyə náysh’n, àylee
ə náysh’n] noun

1.  estrangement:
the process of causing somebody to become unfriendly, unsympathetic, or
hostile, or somebody’s estrangement from or unfriendly attitude toward somebody
else

2.  withdrawn
state:
a feeling of being isolated or withdrawn, or of not belonging to or sharing in
something • prey
to feelings of alienation

3.  PSYCHOLOGY feeling
of unreality: a psychological condition in which
somebody comes to feel divorced from the objective world or parts of his or her
own personality or feel that he or she is unreal

4.  LAW transfer
of property: the transfer of property or a right to
somebody

[1]



alienee

alienee
al·ien·ee 
[àylyə n, àylee
ə n] (plural al·ien·ees) noun

receiver of property:
somebody to whom property or a right is transferred by a legal process[1]



alienist

alienist
al·ien·ist 
[áylyənist, áylee
ənist] (plural al·ien·ists) noun

1.  psychiatrist
in legal system: an expert witness, usually a
psychiatrist, who is accepted by a court of law as qualified to assess the
psychological state of people appearing in court

2.  psychiatrist:
a psychiatrist (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, Latin alienare “to estrange, make irrational”
(see alienate ).][1]



alienor

alienor
al·ien·or 
[áylyə nàwr, áylee
ə nàwr] (plural al·ien·ors) noun

somebody transferring
something: somebody who transfers
property or a right to somebody else by a legal process[1]



aliform

aliform
a·li·form 
[áylə fàwrm, állə
fàwrm] adjective

wing-shaped:
shaped like a wing (technical)
[Early 18th century. Coined
from Latin ala “wing” (see ala ) + -form
.][1]



Alighieri

Alighieri
A·li·ghie·ri

See
Dante[1]



alight

alight1
a·light1 [ə
lt] (past a·light·ed or a·lit [ə lít], past participle a·light·ed or
a·lit, present participle a·light·ing, 3rd person
present singular a·lights) intransitive verb

1.  get
out of vehicle: to step down from a vehicle onto the
ground or a platform, or dismount from a horse or bicycle • The
VIPs alighted from their train.

2.  land:
to land or settle after a flight • A crow
alighted on a branch.

3.  find
by chance:
to happen to find, spot, or come to rest on something • to
alight on a suitable candidate
[Old English alíhtan,
from a- “away, up, out,” and líhtan “to make lighter, lighten”
(see light 1 )][1]



alight

alight2
a·light2 [ə
lt] adjective

1.  full
of energy:
filled with or radiating energy, excitement, interest, or pleasure • His
face was alight with joy.

2.  lit
up:
lit up or full of light • The
sky was alight with fireworks.

3.  on
fire:
on fire or burning • Try to keep the fire
alight.
[Old English aliht
“illuminated,” past participle of alihtan, “to light up” (see light 1][1]



align

align
a·lign
[ə ln] (past a·ligned, past
participle a·ligned, present participle a·lign·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·ligns) or a·line [ə ln] (past a·lined, past
participle a·lined, present participle a·lin·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·lines) verb

1.  transitive
verb
bring
something into line: to place something in a
line, or in an orderly spatial relationship, for example, parallel, with
something else

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
into correct position: to bring something, for
example, different parts of a machine or structure, into the correct position
with respect to each other or something else, or come into this position

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb declare
support for somebody or something: to declare your
support, or the support of somebody or something you represent, for a
particular person, group, argument, or point of view • The
country aligned itself with NATO.

4.  intransitive
verb
form
line:
to become arranged in a line
[15th
century. Via Old French alignier from, ultimately, Latin linea
“line.”]
—a·lign·er, noun[1]



alignment

alignment
a·lign·ment 
[ə lnmənt] (plural a·lign·ments)
or a·line·ment [ə lnmənt] (plural
a·line·ments) noun

1.  linear
or orderly arrangement: the arrangement of something
in a straight line or in an orderly position relative to something else

2.  positioning
of something for proper performance: the
correct position or positioning of different components relative to one
another, so that they perform properly • the
wheels are out of alignment

3.  support
or alliance: support for, or a political alliance
with, a particular person, group, or point of view • shifting
alignments within the legislature

4.  ground
plan:
a ground plan, especially one showing the course of a road or railroad track

[1]



alike

alike
a·like 
[ə lk] adjective

similar:
similar in appearance or character • They’re
so alike, it’s difficult to tell them apart.
adverb

the
same:
in a similar or the same way • The
film will please young and old alike.
[Old
English gelíc “alike, similar.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word meaning “body, form.”]
—a·like·ness, noun[1]



aliment

aliment
al·i·ment 
noun [álləmənt] (plural al·i·ments)

something
that sustains: something that feeds, sustains, or
supports something else (formal)
transitive
verb
[àllə mént] (past al·i·ment·ed,
past participle al·i·ment·ed, present participle al·i·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular al·i·ments)

support:
to provide sustenance or support to somebody or something (formal)
[15th
century. Via French, from Latin alimentum, from alere “to
nourish.”]
—al·i·men·tal,
adjective

—al·i·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



alimentary

alimentary
al·i·men·ta·ry 
[àllə méntəree] adjective (formal)

1.  of
food or nutrition: relating to food or
nutrition

2.  providing
sustenance or support: providing nourishment,
sustenance, support, or maintenance

[1]



alimentarycanal

alimentarycanal
al·i·men·ta·ry
ca·nal
(plural al·i·men·ta·ry ca·nals) noun

digestive system:
the tubular passage between the mouth and the anus, including the organs
through which food passes for digestion and elimination as waste.
Also called
digestive tract[1]



alimentation

alimentation
al·i·men·ta·tion 
[àlləmən táysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  nourishment:
the providing of food or nourishment

2.  support:
the providing of maintenance or support
—al·i·men·ta·tive [àllə méntətiv], adjective[1]



alimony

alimony
al·i·mo·ny 
[állə mnee] noun

1.  financial
support to ex-spouse: money paid regularly by one
marriage partner to the other as ordered by a court after a legal separation or
divorce, or during proceedings for divorce or separation

2.  maintenance:
something that provides somebody with a living
[Early 17th century. From
Latin alimonia “subsistence” (see aliment
).][1]



Ali,Muhammad

Ali,Muhammad

A·li
[aa l], Muhammad (1942– )
U.S.
boxer, three times world heavyweight champion (1964–1971, 1974–1978,
1978–1980).
Former name
Cassius Clay[1]



aline

aline
a·line 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
align[1]



A-line

A-line
A-line 
adjective

A-shaped:
resembling the outline of the letter A, especially in a garment by flaring out
from the top to the bottom • an
A-line dress[1]



alinement

alinement
a·line·ment 
noun

See
alignment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aliphatic

aliphatic
al·i·phat·ic 
[àllə fáttik] adjective

with
open-chain structure: used to describe organic
compounds that have carbon atoms linked in a string ( open
chain ).
See
also
alicyclic
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the Greek stem aleiphat- “fat,” because the term was originally
applied to fatty acids (see lipid ).][1]



aliquant

aliquant
al·i·quant 
[állə kwònt, álləkwənt]
adjective

not
dividing into something exactly: used to describe a
number or quantity that cannot divide another number or quantity without
leaving a remainder.
See
also
aliquot
[Late 17th century. From
Latin aliquantum “somewhat.”][1]



aliquot

aliquot
al·i·quot 
[állə kwòt, álləkwət]
adjective

dividing
into something exactly: used to describe a number or
quantity that will divide another number or quantity without leaving a
remainder.
See
also
aliquant
noun
(plural aliquots)

aliquot
part:
an aliquot part, including fractional parts, for example, ½, ¼, or 
[Late 16th century. Via
French, from Latin, “a certain number.”][1]



Alist

Alist
A
list 
noun

people most in demand:
the people most sought after or most in demand for any activity, for example,
as guests at social functions or for recruitment to a team or organization (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



alit

alit
a·lit


Past tense and past
participle of alight[1]



aliterate

aliterate
a·lit·er·ate
[àylíttərət] (plural alit·er·ates)
noun

somebody
unwilling to read: somebody who, though usually
able to read, is completely uninterested in reading and literature
—a·lit·er·acy
[àylíttərəssee], noun

—a·lit·er·ate [àylíttərət], adjective[1]



alive

alive
a·live 
[ə lv] adjective

1.  living:
living, especially still living, and not dead

2.  of
all people living: of all people currently
living (usually used with a superlative) • the
luckiest person alive

3.  still
in existence: still existing, continuing, or
functioning • The
movement remained alive by going underground.

4.  swarming
with something: full of or swarming with people or
animals • The
floor of the tent was alive with ants.

5.  full
of life:
full of energy and vigor, and with a zest for and interest in life

6.  animated:
active or animated, especially full of busy activity or a sense of excitement • The
place doesn’t come alive till after midnight.

7.  still
interesting: still interesting, relevant, or vividly
imaginable for people in the present day

8.  aware
of something: sensitive to or aware of things • alive
to the danger involved in the operation
[Old
English on lífe, literally “in life” (compare afire
)]
—a·live·ness,
noun
alive
and kicking

still
active, healthy, or functioning vigorously

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at living

[1]



aliyah

aliyah
a·li·yah 
[aa l y, li
y] (plural a·li·yahs [li yṓss]
or a·li·yot [li yṓt] or
a·li·yoth [li yṓt]) noun

immigration
to Israel:
travel to Israel by a Jew in order to take up residence
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew, literally “ascent.”][1]



alizarin

alizarin
a·liz·a·rin 
[ə lízzərin] noun

orange-red
or brownish yellow dye: an orange-red or brownish
yellow crystalline compound, now made from coal tar but originally extracted
from madder root, used as a dye and in making other dyes. C14H8O4
[Mid-19th century. From
French alizarine, probably ultimately from Arabic alizari
“madder.”][1]



al-Kadr

al-Kadr
al-Kadr
noun

See
Lailat-ul-Qadr[1]



alkalescent

alkalescent
al·ka·les·cent 
[àlkə léss’nt] adjective

turning
alkaline:
slightly alkaline or becoming alkaline
—al·ka·les·cence, noun[1]



alkali

alkali
al·ka·li 
[álkə l] (plural al·ka·lis or
al·ka·li) noun

1.  acid-neutralizing
chemical substance: a chemical substance that is
soluble in water, neutralizes acids, and forms salts with them. An alkali has a
pH above 7 and turns red litmus paper blue.

2.  soluble
salt harmful to crops: a soluble mineral salt found
in arid soils and some natural waters that is detrimental to agriculture

3.  soda
ash:
the soluble part of ashes of marine plants
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin, from Arabic al-alī “ashes of saltwort,” from which it was first
obtained.][1]



alkalimetal

alkalimetal
al·ka·li
met·al
(plural al·ka·li met·als) noun

metallic element with
alkaline hydroxide: a metallic
element belonging to the group comprising lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium,
cesium, and francium. Alkali metals are soft, white, and highly reactive, and
their hydroxides are alkalis. Alkali metals also make up group 1 of the
periodic table.[1]



alkalimeter

alkalimeter
al·ka·lim·e·ter 
[àlkə límmətər] (plural al·ka·lim·e·ters)
noun

alkalinity
measuring device: an instrument used for measuring the
concentration of alkalis in a solution
—al·ka·lim·e·try,
noun

—al·ka·li·met·ric
[àlkəli métrik], adjective

—al·ka·li·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



alkaline

alkaline
al·ka·line 
[álkəlin, álkə
ln] adjective

being or containing an
alkali: having the properties of an
alkali, or containing an alkali or alkalis[1]



alkaline-earthmetal

alkaline-earthmetal
al·ka·line-earth
met·al 
(plural al·ka·line-earth met·als) or al·ka·line earth
(plural al·ka·line earths) noun

metallic element:
a metallic element belonging to the group comprising beryllium, magnesium,
calcium, strontium, barium, and radium that makes up group 2 of the periodic
table[1]



alkalinity

alkalinity
al·ka·lin·i·ty 
[àlkə línnətee] noun

measure of alkali:
the concentration of alkali in a solution, measured in terms of pH[1]



alkalize

alkalize
al·ka·lize 
[álkə lz] (past al·ka·lized, past
participle al·ka·lized, present participle al·ka·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular al·ka·liz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become alkaline:
to make something alkaline, or become alkaline[1]



alkaloid

alkaloid
al·ka·loid 
[álkə lòyd] (plural al·ka·loids)
noun

alkaline
compound found in plants: a nitrogen-containing
alkaline compound found in plants and used in medicines, drugs, or as a poison.
Strychnine, nicotine, and quinine are alkaloids.
[Early
19th century. Formed from alkali, because
their chemical properties are similar to it.]
—al·ka·loid·al [àlkə lóyd’l], adjective[1]



alkalosis

alkalosis
al·ka·lo·sis 
[àlkə lṓssiss] noun

abnormally
high alkalinity in body: an abnormally high level of
alkalinity in the blood, other body fluids, or body tissues, causing a high
blood pH
—al·ka·lot·ic [àlkə lóttik], adjective[1]



alkane

alkane
al·kane 
[ál kàyn] (plural al·kanes) noun

hydrocarbon compound such as
methane: an open-chain hydrocarbon
compound with no carbon-to-carbon multiple bonds, belonging to a series whose
members all have the same general chemical formula. Methane and ethane are
alkanes. CnH2n+2 
Also called
paraffin[1]



alkanet

alkanet
al·ka·net 
[álkə nèt] (plural al·ka·nets or
al·ka·net) noun

1.  European
dye plant:
a European plant related to borage, with small blue flowers and red roots, from
which a dye is extracted. Latin name: Alkanna tinctoria

2.  red
dye:
a red dye obtained from the roots of the alkanet plant

3.  plant
related to alkanet: a bristly blue-flowered
plant found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, related to alkanet. Genus: Anchusa
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Spanish alcaneta, ultimately from Arabic al-innā’
(see henna ).][1]



alkene

alkene
al·kene 
[ál kn] (plural al·kenes) noun

unsaturated hydrocarbon with
double bond: an open-chain
hydrocarbon compound containing one carbon-to-carbon double bond, belonging to
a series whose members all have the same general chemical formula. Ethylene is
an alkene. CnH2n 
Also called
olefin[1]



alky

alky
al·ky 
[álkee] (plural al·kies) or
al·kie [álkee] (plural al·kies)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is an alcoholic or who drinks to excess (slang
offensive)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



alkyd

alkyd
al·kyd 
[ál kid] (plural al·kyds) or
al·kyd res·in [ál kid] (plural
al·kyd res·ins) noun

sticky
resin used in paints: a sticky resin that is
prepared from phthalic acid and glycerol and becomes liquid or plastic when
heated, used in paints and lacquer
[Early 20th century. Coined
from alkyl + acid
.][1]



alkyl

alkyl
al·kyl 
[ál kəl] (plural al·kyls) adjective

of
an alkane-derived hydrocarbon group: used
to describe a hydrocarbon group derived from an alkane, for example the ethyl
group
[Late 19th century. From
German, formed from Alkohol “alcohol” + -yl
.][1]



alkylation

alkylation
al·kyl·a·tion 
[àlkə láysh’n] noun

addition of an alkyl group:
the addition of one or more alkyl groups to a chemical compound through
replacement of a hydrogen atom[1]



alkyne

alkyne
al·kyne
[ál kn] (plural al·kynes) noun

unsaturated hydrocarbon with
triple bond: an open-chain
hydrocarbon compound containing one carbon-to-carbon triple bond, belonging to
a series whose members all have the same general chemical formula. CnH2n−2[1]



all

all
all 
[awl] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that the whole of a particular thing,
amount, group, or area is involved or affected • (adjective)
all men and all women • (pronoun)
All of the computers are down. • (pronoun)
All that glitters is not gold.

1.
adjective the whole of: used
to indicate that the whole of a particular amount, area, quantity, or thing is
involved or affected • All
Europe was cold this winter.

2.
adjective every: every
one of • all
men over 30

3.
adjective any: any
whatever (used after a negative word such as “refuse” or “deny”) • Deny
all connection with the plot.

4.
adjective most: the
greatest possible • with all speed

5.
adjective characterized by:
dominated in mood or character by something (informal) • He
was all smiles.

6.
adjective used up:
finished or used up, especially of food or drink (regional)

7.
adverb very: very,
completely, or totally (informal) • I
got all confused.

8.
pronoun every one or the whole:
the whole number or amount (takes a plural verb) • All
of us are going to the game.

9.
pronoun everything or everyone:
the whole quantity or group • All
that glitters is not gold.

10.
noun somebody’s
best effort: the greatest amount of somebody’s
ability or effort • He gave his all in the performance.
[Old
English eall . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “all,” which is
also the ancestor of English also .]
all
along

from
the beginning, or for the whole time that something else was taking place

(all)
in all

when
everything has been taken into account

all
of

only,
or no more than (informal)

all
square

in
a situation where all debts and obligations to each other have been cleared and
nobody owes anybody anything

all
that

1.  very,
particularly, or to that extent (informal) (usually used in negative
statements or questions) • I’m
not all that worried about it.

2.  extraordinarily
good or admirable (slang) • She is
definitely all that!

all
the same

1.  nevertheless

2.  used
to indicate that it is unimportant to the speaker which of two or more things
is done or chosen

all
there

fully
alert, aware of what is going on, and able to handle it (informal)

all
very well

used
to indicate that there is some kind of objection or drawback, despite the fact
that somebody else is apparently satisfied with the situation • That’s
all very well, but it’s still my responsibility.

be
all over somebody

to
be extremely or excessively friendly or effusive toward somebody (informal)

be
all over something

to
have something, especially a project or a problem, completely under control (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  all
  or all of ?
  There
  is a choice between all and all of when the following noun is qualified by the,
  this, that, these, those, or a possessive
  adjective such as my and your : • All
  my life I’ve wanted to be a singer. • I’ve
  been a singer all of my life. • All
  these things worried them. • All
  of these things worried them. Generally all is preferred, but the balance and flow of a
  particular sentence also plays a part.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  On
  its own meaning “all gone, used up,” all is a German loanword that
  occurs primarily in the territory of the Pennsylvanian Dutch (southeastern
  Pennsylvania) and neighboring states. It is used especially of quantifiable
  amounts of food and drink: “the meat is all; potatoes are yet,” indicates
  that the meat is all gone, but the potatoes remain.

[1]



allabreve

allabreve
al·la
breve 
[àllə brév, lə
bré vày] noun

See
cut time
adverb

at
double speed: at twice the normal speed (used as a
musical direction)
[From
Italian, literally “according to the breve”]
—al·la breve, adjective[1]



Allah

Allah
Al·lah 
[állə, lə]
noun

Islamic
name of God: in Islam, the name of God
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic ’allāh .][1]



allamanda

allamanda
al·la·man·da 
[àllə mándə] (plural al·la·man·das
or al·la·man·da) noun

flowering
shrub:
an evergreen shrub of tropical America, cultivated for its attractive
trumpet-shaped yellow or purple flowers. Genus: Allamanda
[Late 18th century. Named for
the Swiss scientist J. N. S. Allamand .][1]



all-American

all-American
all-A·mer·i·can 
adjective

1.  of
or about the United States: of or about the United
States, its people, or their way of life, or representing them at their best

2.  SPORTS best
in the United States: selected and honored as the
best amateur player or athlete in the United States in a particular position or
event • an
all-American linebacker

3.  made
of U.S. components: made up entirely of people
from the United States, or of materials or components from the United States

4.  of
all the Americas: including all the countries of North and
South America or representatives from them • an
all-American agreement
noun
(plural all-A·mer·i·cans)

1.  best
U.S. athlete: a player or athlete chosen as being the
best in a position or event in the United States

2.  team
of best U.S. players: a team made up of U.S.
players or athletes selected for their excellence in a particular position or
event

[1]



Allan,Hugh

Allan,Hugh
Al·lan
[állən], Sir Hugh (1810–1882)

Scottish-born Canadian
businessman and shipping mogul . He was head of the company that built Canada’s
cross-continental railroad.[1]



allantois

allantois
al·lan·to·is 
[ə làntō iss] (plural al·lan·to·i·des
[àllən t’_oy diz]) noun

part
of animal embryo: a membranous sac that grows from the
lower gut in mammal, bird, and reptile embryos. In mammals, it combines with
the chorion to form the umbilical cord and placenta.
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek allantoeidēs
“sausage-like,” because of its shape.]
—al·lan·to·ic [àllən tṓ ik], adjective[1]



allargando

allargando
al·lar·gan·do 
[ laar gn dō] adverb

slower
and more broadly: at a gradually slower tempo, with a
broadening, stately sound (used as a musical direction)
[Late
19th century. From Italian, literally “broadening.”]
—al·lar·gan·do, adjective[1]



all-around

all-around
all-a·round 
adjective

1.  with
many abilities: able to do many things well, or useful
in a number of different ways, not specialized • the
best all-around player for both offense and defense

2.  all-inclusive:
broad or comprehensive in scope • for
all-around news coverage

3.  in
all directions: in all directions

[1]



allay

allay
al·lay 
[ə láy] (past al·layed, past
participle al·layed, present participle al·lay·ing, 3rd
person present singular al·lays) transitive verb

1.  calm
an emotion or worry: to calm a strong emotion,
for example, anger, or diminish and set at rest somebody’s fears or suspicions

2.  relieve
pain:
to relieve or reduce the severity of pain or a painful emotion
[Old
English álecgan “to lay aside” (see lay
). The meaning was influenced by Old French aleger “to lighten” and aleier
“to moderate.”]
—al·lay·er,
noun

—al·lay·ment, noun[1]



all-candidatesmeeting

all-candidatesmeeting
all-can·di·dates
meet·ing
noun

Canada
pre-election political meeting:
a public meeting during which all candidates for an elected office explain
their policies and answer questions from the audience[1]



all-choice

all-choice
all-choice 
adjective

enabling choice of school:
used to describe a school system that allows people to choose a particular
school to attend[1]



allclear

allclear
all
clear
(plural all clears) noun

1.  signal
that danger is over: a signal that a period of
danger is over, especially one sounded on a siren after an air raid

2.  signal
to proceed:
a signal or notification that something may proceed • We’ve
got the all clear to start building.

[1]



allegation

allegation
al·le·ga·tion 
[àllə gáysh’n] (plural al·le·ga·tions)
noun

1.  LAW unproved
assertion:
an assertion, especially relating to wrongdoing or misconduct on somebody’s
part, that has yet to be proved or supported by evidence

2.  alleging:
the alleging of something, especially wrongdoing

3.  declaration:
an assertion made as a plea or excuse

[1]



allege

allege
al·lege 
[ə léj] (past al·leged, past
participle al·leged, present participle al·leg·ing, 3rd
person present singular al·leg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW assert without proof:
to state or assert something, especially to accuse somebody of wrongdoing,
without offering proof of it or with a view to proving it later • The
prosecutor alleged that Simmons knew about the planned robbery.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb affirm:
to state something positively • allege
that a watch has been stolen

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
something as reason: to put something forward as
a reason or excuse for your actions or conduct (formal) • He
declined the invitation, alleging a prior appointment.

4.  transitive
verb
refer
to something: to cite or quote something or somebody
as an authority (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman “to declare before a legal tribunal,” from,
ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin exlitigare “to clear of charges” (see litigate ).]
—al·lege·a·ble,
adjective

—al·leg·er, noun[1]



alleged

alleged
al·leged 
[ə léjd] adjective

presumed:
claimed but not yet proven to have taken place, have been committed, or be as
described
—al·leg·ed·ly
[ə léjjədlee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  alleged
  and accused
  Alleged is often used to describe
  a crime or wrongdoing and denotes uncertainty about whether it happened at
  all or whether a particular person is responsible for it: • The
  alleged fraud took place over a number of months. It
  is also used to describe somebody who is associated with a crime, not
  necessarily as the culprit: • The
  claims of the alleged victims were vigorously denied in court by the
  defendant. In this use alleged
  differs from accused, which is normally
  used with a neutral word: • The
  accused was taken into custody by the police.

[1]



Allegheny

Allegheny

Al·le·ghe·ny
[àllə gáynee]
river in Pennsylvania and New York,
flowing north from its headwaters in Pennsylvania into New York before turning
south again to join the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh to create the Ohio
River. Length: 523 km/325 mi.[1]



AlleghenyMountains

AlleghenyMountains

Al·le·ghe·ny Moun·tains 
or Al·le·ghe·nies
western mountain range of the Appalachian
Mountains, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. The range is
the divide between those rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and those
flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.[1]



AlleghenyPlateau

AlleghenyPlateau
Al·le·ghe·ny
Pla·teau

high plateau region of the
eastern United States, stretching from New York’s Mohawk Valley southward
through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia to the Cumberland
Plateau[1]



Alleghenyspurge

Alleghenyspurge
Al·le·ghe·ny
spurge
noun

creeping evergreen plant:
a low-growing creeping evergreen plant belonging to the box family and found in
the southern United States. It is grown for its mottled foliage or for ground
cover. Latin name: Pachysandra procumbens[1]



allegiance

allegiance
al·le·giance 
[ə ljəns] (plural al·le·giances)
noun

1.  loyalty
to ruler or state: a subject’s or citizen’s
loyalty to a ruler or state, or the duty of obedience and loyalty owed by a
subject or citizen

2.  devoted
support:
loyalty to or support for a particular person, cause, or group • The
game was a treat for all fans, whatever their allegiance.

3.  feudal
obligation:
the feudal obligation of vassals to their liege lord
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, from Old French ligeance, from lige
“liege” (see liege ).]
—al·le·giant, adjective[1]



allegorical

allegorical
al·le·gor·i·cal 
[àllə gáwrik’l] or al·le·gor·ic
[àllə gáwrik’l] adjective

1.  using
allegory:
expressing something through allegory, or intended to be understood as an
allegory

2.  typical
of allegory: used in or relating to allegory
—al·le·gor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



allegorize

allegorize
al·le·go·rize 
[állə gaw rz, álləgə
rz] (past al·le·go·rized, past participle al·le·go·rized,
present participle al·le·go·riz·ing, 3rd person present
singular al·le·go·riz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
something as allegory: to express something in the
form of an allegory

2.  transitive
verb
interpret
something as allegory: to interpret or treat
something as an allegory
—al·le·go·ri·za·tion
[àllə gáw rə záysh’n, àlləgərə záysh’n], noun

—al·le·go·riz·er [állə gaw rzər, álləgə
rzər], noun[1]



allegory

allegory
al·le·go·ry 
[állə gàwree] (plural al·le·go·ries)
noun

1.  symbolic
work:
a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing
other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or
political meaning

2.  symbolic
expression of meaning in story: the symbolic
expression of a deeper meaning through a story or scene acted out by human,
animal, or mythical characters • the
poet’s use of allegory

3.  genre:
allegories considered as a literary or artistic genre

4.  symbolic
representation: a symbolic representation of something
[14th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek allegorein, literally “to say
otherwise,” from allos “other” and agoreuein “to speak in
public.”]
—al·le·go·rist, noun[1]



allegretto

allegretto
al·le·gret·to 
[àllə gréttō] adverb

fairly
quickly:
at a fairly quick tempo (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural al·le·gret·tos)

piece
of music played allegretto: a piece of music, or a
section of a piece, played allegretto
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, literally “less than allegro.”]
—al·le·gret·to, adjective[1]



allegro

allegro
al·le·gro 
[ə léggrō] adverb

quickly:
at a quick and lively tempo (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural al·le·gros)

piece
of music played allegro: a piece of music, or a
section of a piece, played allegro
[Late
17th century. From Italian, literally “lively.”]
—al·le·gro, adjective[1]



allele

allele
al·lele 
[ə ll] (plural al·leles) noun

form
of gene:
one of two or more alternative forms of a gene, occupying the same position ( locus ) on paired chromosomes and controlling the
same inherited characteristic.
Also
called
allelomorph
[Mid-20th
century. From German Allel, shortening of Allelomorph
“allelomorph.”]
—al·le·lic,
adjective

—al·le·lism, noun[1]



allelo-

allelo-
allelo-
prefix

one
another • allelopathy
[From Greek allēlon,
which was formed from allos “other” (see allo-
)][1]



allelochemical

allelochemical
al·le·lo·chem·i·cal 
[ə llə kémmik’l] (plural al·le·lo·chem·i·cals)
noun

toxic plant chemical:
a chemical produced by one plant that is toxic to another.
Also called
allelotoxin[1]



allelomorph

allelomorph
al·le·lo·morph 
[ə llə màwrf, ə
léllə màwrf] (plural al·le·lo·morphs) noun

See
allele
[Early
20th century. Coined from the Greek stem allēl- “one another” + -o- + -morph .]
—al·le·lo·mor·phic
[ə llə máwrfik, ə
lèllə máwrfik], adjective

—al·le·lo·mor·phism [ə llə máwr fìzzəm], noun[1]



allelopathy

allelopathy
al·le·lop·a·thy 
[àllə lóppəthee] noun

suppression
of neighboring plants: the release into the
environment by one plant of a substance that inhibits the germination or growth
of other potential competitor plants of the same or another species
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from the Greek stem allēl- “one another” + -o- + -pathy .]
—al·lelo·path·ic [ə llə páthik, ə lèllə
páthik], adjective[1]



allelotoxin

allelotoxin
al·le·lo·tox·in 
[ə llə tóksin] (plural al·le·lo·tox·ins)
noun

See
allelochemical
[Late 20th century][1]



alleluia

alleluia
al·le·lu·ia 
interjection noun (plural al·leluias)

See
hallelujah[1]



allemande

allemande
al·le·mande 
[állə mànd, àllə
mánd] (plural al·le·mandes) noun

1.  dance
movement:
a movement used in country dancing or square dancing that involves partners
changing positions, often by interlinking arms

2.  musical
movement forming part of suite: a stately piece of
music in moderate tempo and four-four time, often used as the opening movement
of a baroque or classical suite

3.  dance
popular in 18C: a stately dance of German origin popular
in France in the 18th century
[Late 17th century. From
French, “German.”][1]



all-embracing

all-embracing
all-em·brac·ing
adjective

including all or everything:
including all or everything without discrimination[1]



Allen

Allen
Al·len
[állən]

city in northeastern Texas.
It is a suburb of Dallas. Population: 31,177 (1996)[1]



AllendeGossens, Salvador

AllendeGossens, Salvador
A·llen·de
Gos·sens
[aa yèn day gáw sens], Salvador (1908–1973)

Chilean politician . He was a
founder of the Chilean socialist party and was president (1970–1973).[1]



Allen,Ethan

Allen,Ethan
Al·len
[állən], Ethan (1738–1789)

U.S. soldier who led the
Green Mountain Boys to victory at Fort Ticonderoga (1775) during the American
Revolution.[1]



Allen,Fred

Allen,Fred
Al·len
[állən], Fred (1894–1956)

U.S.
comedian and comic writer who was known for his satirical radio show Allen’s
Alley ( 1932–1949 ).
Real name
Allen, John Florence Sullivan[1]



Allenkey

Allenkey
Al·len
key
noun

U.K.
See Allen wrench
[See Allen
screw][1]



Allenscrew

Allenscrew
Al·len
screw
(plural Al·len screws) noun

type
of screw:
a screw with a hexagonal recess in its head that allows it to be turned using
an Allen wrench
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Allen Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut.][1]



Allentown

Allentown
Al·len·town 
[állən tòwn]

city in east central
Pennsylvania. It is home to Muhlenberg College. Population: 102,211 (1996)[1]



Allen,Woody

Allen,Woody

Al·len
[állən], Woody (1935– )
U.S.
movie director, actor, screenwriter, playwright, and humorous essayist . His
movies include the Academy Award-winning Annie Hall ( 1977 ).
Real name
Konigsberg, Allen Stewart[1]



Allenwrench

Allenwrench
Al·len
wrench
(plural Al·len wrench·es) noun

L-shaped
wrench:
a tool in the form of an L-shaped rod, hexagonal in cross section, made in
different sizes to turn corresponding sizes of Allen screws.
U.K.
term
Allen key
[See Allen
screw][1]



allergen

allergen
al·ler·gen 
[állərjən] (plural al·ler·gens)
noun

substance
causing allergy: any substance that causes an allergic
reaction
—al·ler·gen·ic [àllər jénnik], adjective[1]



allergic

allergic
al·ler·gic 
[ə lúrjik] adjective

1.  having
allergy:
having an allergy to a substance • allergic
to cat hair

2.  caused
by allergy:
typical of or caused by an allergy • an
allergic reaction

3.  having
a dislike:
having a strong dislike for or aversion to something or somebody (informal)
• allergic
to loud music

[1]



allergist

allergist
al·ler·gist 
[állərjist] (plural al·ler·gists)
noun

physician specializing in
allergies: a physician who specializes
in allergies and their treatment[1]



allergy

allergy
al·ler·gy 
[állərjee] (plural al·ler·gies)
noun

1.  hypersensitivity
to a substance: unusual sensitivity to a normally
harmless substance that, when breathed in, ingested, or brought into contact
with the skin, provokes a strong reaction from the person’s body. The body is
sensitized by the immune system’s response to the first exposure to the
substance, and the reaction takes place only upon subsequent exposures.

2.  aversion:
a strong dislike for or aversion to something (informal) • an
allergy to housework
[Early 20th century. From
German Allergie, from Greek allos “other” (see allo- ), on the model of Energie “energy.”][1]



allethrin

allethrin
al·le·thrin 
[állə thrìn] noun

insecticide:
a clear or amber-colored viscous liquid used as an insecticide. C19H26O3
[Mid-20th century. Blend of allyl and pyrethrin
.][1]



alleviate

alleviate
al·le·vi·ate 
[ə lvee àyt] (past al·le·vi·at·ed,
past participle al·le·vi·at·ed, present participle al·le·vi·at·ing,
3rd person present singular al·le·vi·ates) transitive verb

lessen
something:
to make something, for example, pain or hardship, more bearable or less severe
[Early
16th century. From late Latin alleviat-, the past participle stem of alleviare,
literally “to lighten,” from Latin levis “light” (see levity ).]
—al·le·vi·a·tion
[ə lvee áysh’n], noun

—al·le·vi·a·tive
[ə lvee àytiv], adjective

—al·le·vi·a·tor,
noun

—al·le·vi·a·to·ry [ə lvee ə tàwree], adjective[1]



alley

alley2
al·ley2 [állee]
(plural al·leys) noun

large
marble:
a large playing marble
[Early 18th century. Variant
of ally, a shortening of alabaster,
from which they were originally made.][1]



alley

alley1
al·ley1 [állee]
(plural al·leys) noun

1.  narrow
passage:
a narrow passageway or lane, especially one running between or behind buildings

2.  See
bowling alley

3.  small
street:
a short or narrow street

4.  BASEBALL outfield
zone in baseball: in baseball, the zones between the
normal position of the center fielder and those of the right and left fielders

5.  TENNIS part
of tennis court: either of the two spaces, one on each
side of a court, between the singles and doubles sidelines.
U.K.
term
tramline

6.  path
in garden or park: a path or walk in a garden
or park, especially one between trees or shrubs
[14th
century. From Old French alee “a walk,” ultimately from Latin ambulare
(see ambulate ).]
up
or down somebody’s alley

completely suited to
somebody’s interest, expertise, or line of work[1]



alleyball

alleyball
al·ley
ball
noun

basketball:
the game of basketball as played informally in urban neighborhoods (slang)[1]



alleycat

alleycat
al·ley
cat
(plural al·ley cats) noun

1.  homeless
cat:
a homeless or stray cat, usually in bad condition or half wild, that lives on
the streets

2.  disreputable
person:
somebody thought to resemble an alley cat, especially in having loose morals or
being disreputable or fierce-tempered

[1]



alley-oop

alley-oop
al·ley-oop
[àllee p] interjection

encouragement on getting up:
used as a word of encouragement when somebody is leaping, getting up, or being
helped up, or something is being lifted (dated)
noun
(plural al·ley-oops)

1.  type
of move in basketball: a play in basketball in
which a player jumps up to receive a pass over the basket and immediately puts
the ball into the net from above

2.  type
of pass in basketball: a pass in basketball aimed
to allow a player to jump up to receive it over the basket
[Early 20th century. Coined
from French allez “come on!” + houp “upsadaisy!”.][1]



alleyway

alleyway
al·ley·way 
[álli wày] (plural al·ley·ways)
noun

alley:
an alley or narrow passageway[1]



all-fired

all-fired
all-fired 
adverb

excessively:
in an excessive or inordinate way (informal) • Don’t
act so all-fired high and mighty.
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of “hell-fired.”][1]



AllFools’ Day

AllFools’ Day
All
Fools’ Day 
(plural All Fools’ Days) noun

See
April Fools’ Day[1]



allfours

allfours
all
fours
noun

CARD GAMES See seven-up
on
all fours

crawling
along or crouched down on the hands and knees

on
all fours with

consistent or comparable with
something (informal)[1]



allget-out

allget-out
all
get-outor like all get-out

as much, as fast, or as
intensely as is possible (informal)[1]



allhail

allhail
all
hail
interjection

welcome or acclamation:
a greeting, welcome, or shout of acclamation, usually addressed to a person of
high rank or distinction (archaic)[1]



Allhallows

Allhallows
All·hal·lows 
[àwl hállōz] (plural All·hal·lows)
or All·hal·low·mas [awl hállōməss]
(plural All·hal·low·mas·es) noun

All
Saints’ Day: All Saints’ Day (archaic) (takes
a singular verb)
[Old English ealra hálgena,
literally “of all saints,” from hálga “saint,” from hálig “holy”
(see holy )][1]



Allhallows’Eve

Allhallows’Eve
All·hal·lows’
Eve
(plural All·hal·lows’ Eves) noun

Halloween:
Halloween (archaic)[1]



allheal

allheal
all·heal
[áwl hl] (plural all·heals or
all·heal) noun

healing plant:
a plant traditionally believed to have healing powers, for example, valerian or
selfheal[1]



Alliance

Alliance
Al·li·ance 
[ə l əns]

city in northeastern Ohio on
the Mahoning River, southeast of Cleveland. Population: 22,846 (1996)[1]



alliance

alliance
al·li·ance 
[ə l əns] (plural al·li·anc·es)
noun

1.  association
of groups with common aim: an association of two or
more groups, individuals, or nations who agree to cooperate with one another to
achieve a common goal

2.  forming
of alliance: the establishment of or participation in
an alliance with somebody

3.  members
of alliance: the nations, individuals, or groups that
make up an alliance • the
enemy alliance

4.  close
relationship: a close relationship, based on the
possession of similar aims or characteristics, between two or more people or
things, especially a love affair
[13th century. From Old
French aliance, from alier “to ally” (see ally ).][1]



allied

allied
al·lied 
[ə ld, állīd]
adjective

1.  joined
with others in alliance: joined in an alliance with
other nations, groups, or individuals by agreement or treaty

2.  associated:
having a close relationship or connection with each other • allied
banks

3.  of
similar type: of a similar or related type • sociology
and allied studies

[1]



alligator

alligator


al·li·ga·tor 
[álli gàytər] noun (plural al·li·ga·tors)

1.  (plural
al·li·ga·tors or al·li·ga·tor) ZOOLOGY large reptile:
a large reptile that lives near water, has thick scaly skin, powerful jaws, a
long tail, and a shorter and broader snout than a crocodile. There are two
species of alligators, one found in the southern United States, the other found
in China. Genus: Alligator

2.  INDUSTRY leather
from alligator skin: leather made from alligator
skin

3.  tool
or machine with movable jaw: a tool or machine with a
strong, movable, often toothed jaw for gripping or crushing
intransitive verb
(past al·li·ga·tored, past participle al·li·ga·tored,
present participle al·li·ga·tor·ing, 3rd person present
singular al·li·ga·tors)

crack: to
develop cracks or blisters • Paint
alligators in hot sun.
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Spanish el lagarto, literally “the lizard,” from Latin lacertus
(source of English lizard ).][1]



alligatorclip

alligatorclip
al·li·ga·tor
clip
(plural al·li·ga·tor clips) noun

clasp
for making electrical connections: a narrow clasp with a
spring and serrated jaws for making temporary electrical connections.
U.K.
term
crocodile clip
[From the fact that it resembles
an alligator’s jaws][1]



alligatorpear

alligatorpear
al·li·ga·tor
pear
(plural al·li·ga·tor pears) noun

See
avocado
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of American Spanish aguacate “avocado,” possibly because of the rough
dark skin of some varieties.][1]



all-night

all-night
all-night 
adjective

lasting throughout the night:
lasting, open, or available throughout the night, or throughout a particular
night • all-night
negotiations[1]



all-nighter

all-nighter
all-night·er
(plural all-night·ers) noun

something lasting throughout
the night: a study or work session,
entertainment, or other event that lasts throughout an entire night (informal)[1]



allo-

allo-
allo-
prefix

other,
different, alternate • allosteric
• allophone
[From Greek allos
“other” (source of English allegory
and parallel ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “other of more than two,” which is also the ancestor
of else and alias .][1]



allocate

allocate
al·lo·cate 
[állə kayt] (past al·lo·cat·ed,
past participle al·lo·cat·ed, present participle al·lo·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular al·lo·cates) transitive verb

give
or earmark something: to give something to a
particular person, or set something aside for a particular purpose, when
dividing something between different people or projects • Each
team member has been allocated a specific task.
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin allocat-, the past participle stem of allocare,
literally “to put in place” (see locus ).]
—al·lo·ca·ble
[álləkəb’l], adjective

—al·lo·cat·a·ble
[àllə káytəb’l], adjective

—al·lo·ca·tor, noun[1]



allocation

allocation
al·lo·ca·tion 
[àllə káysh’n] (plural al·lo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  act
of allocating: the assignment or earmarking of
something • allocation
of duties

2.  something
allocated:
a thing, amount, or share of something allocated to somebody or something • The
department has already used its entire allocation.

[1]



allochthonous

allochthonous
al·loch·thon·ous 
[ə lókthənəss] adjective
See
also
autochthonous

1.  GEOLOGY not in
original position: used to describe features of
the landscape or elements of its geological structure that have been moved to
their current position by tectonic forces

2.  BIOLOGY introduced:
used to describe flora, fauna, or inhabitants that have moved to the region in
which they are found from elsewhere
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek allochthon, from allo- + khthōn
“soil” + -ous .][1]



allocution

allocution
al·lo·cu·tion 
[àllə kysh’n] (plural al·lo·cu·tions)
noun

formal
speech:
a formal speech or address, especially one that contains an authoritative
statement on a subject or an exhortation to somebody (formal)
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem allocution-, from alloqui, literally “to speak to,”
from loqui “to speak” (see loquacious
).][1]



allogamy

allogamy
al·log·a·my 
[ə láwgəmee, a
láwgəmee] noun

cross-fertilization:
the process of cross-fertilization in flowering plants
—al·log·a·mous, adjective[1]



allogeneic

allogeneic
al·lo·ge·ne·ic 
[àlləjə n ik] or al·lo·gen·ic
[àllə jénnik] adjective

genetically
different:
used to describe tissues that are genetically different and therefore
incompatible when transplanted
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from allo- + Greek genea
“race” (see genealogy ).]
—al·lo·ge·ne·ic·al·ly,
adverb[1]



allograft

allograft
al·lo·graft 
[állə gràft] (plural al·lo·grafts)
noun

tissue graft between
genetically different organisms: a
graft of tissue from one member of a species to a genetically different member
of the same species.
See also
homograft[1]



allograph

allograph
al·lo·graph 
[állə gràf] (plural al·lo·graphs)
noun

1.  something
written on somebody’s behalf: something, especially a
signature, written by one person on another’s behalf

2.  GRAMMAR representation
of phoneme:
a letter or combination of letters that is one of a set that can be used to
represent the same speech sound ( phoneme ),
as, for example, “s,” “ss,” and “c” in English

[1]



allomerism

allomerism
al·lom·er·ism 
[ə lómmə rìzzəm] noun

structural
similarity:
a similarity in the structure of the crystals of substances that are chemically
different
—al·lom·er·ous, adjective[1]



allometry

allometry
al·lom·e·try 
[ə lómmətree] noun

measuring
relative growth rate: measurement of the rate of
growth of a part or parts of an organism relative to the growth of the whole
organism. This rate determines the organism’s final shape.
—al·lo·met·ric [àllə méttrik], adjective[1]



allomone

allomone
al·lo·mone 
[àllə mṓn] (plural al·lo·mones)
noun

defensive
chemical produced by plant: a chemical substance
produced by a plant in response to attack by other organisms
[Late 20th century. Coined
from allo- + plant
hormone .][1]



allomorph

allomorph
al·lo·morph
[állə màwrf] (plural al·lo·morphs)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR representation
of morpheme: a letter or combination of letters that
is part of a set used to represent the same basic grammatical element ( morpheme ) of a language, as, for example, “-ed”
and “-t” both form the English past tense

2.  variant
form of chemical compound: any of the differing
crystalline forms of the same chemical compound or element, especially of a
mineral
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from allo- + morpheme .]
—al·lo·mor·phic
[àllə máwrfik], adjective

—al·lo·mor·phism [àllə máwr fìzzəm], noun[1]



allonym

allonym
al·lo·nym 
[állə nìm] (plural al·lo·nyms)
noun

assumed
name:
the name of another person, especially that of a significant historical figure,
assumed by somebody, especially a writer (formal)
[Mid-19th
century. From French allonyme, from Greek allos “other” and onoma
“name.”]
—al·lon·y·mous
[ə lónnəməss], adjective

—al·lon·y·mous·ly, adverb[1]



allopathy

allopathy
al·lop·a·thy 
[ə láwpəthee, a
láwpəthee] noun

use
of nonhomeopathic remedies: the treatment of a disease
by using remedies whose effects differ from those produced by that disease.
This is the principle of mainstream medical practice, as opposed to that of
homeopathy.
—al·lo·path
[álləpath], noun

—al·lo·path·ic
[àllə páthik], adjective

—al·lo·path·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



allopatric

allopatric
al·lo·pat·ric 
[àllə páttrik] adjective

separated
and not interbreeding: used to describe species or
populations that do not interbreed because they are geographically isolated
from one another
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from allo- + Greek patra
“homeland,” from patēr “father” (see patri-
).]
—al·lo·pat·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—al·lop·a·try [ə lóppətree], noun[1]



allophane

allophane
al·lo·phane 
[állə fàyn] noun

amorphous
mineral:
an amorphous mineral, hydrated aluminum silicate, that occurs in a variety of
colors
[Early 19th century. From
Greek allophanēs, literally “appearing otherwise” (because it changes
color when heated), from allos “other” and phainesthai “to
appear” (see phenomenon ).][1]



allophone

allophone
al·lo·phone 
[állə fn] (plural al·lo·phones)
noun

1.  similar
speech sound: one of the slightly differing forms that
the same single speech sound ( phoneme ) can
take

2.  Quebec
immigrant:
an immigrant in Quebec who speaks neither English nor French as a first
language
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from allo- + phoneme .]
—al·lo·phon·ic
[àllə fónnik], adjective

—al·lo·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



allopurinol

allopurinol
al·lo·pu·ri·nol 
[àllō pyrə nòl] noun

anti-gout
drug:
a drug that reduces the level of the enzyme that produces uric acid in the
blood, used in treating gout
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from allo- + purine
.][1]



all-or-none

all-or-none
all-or-none 
adjective

either completely or not at
all: functioning or taking effect
either completely or not at all[1]



all-or-nothing

all-or-nothing
all-or-noth·ing 
adjective

1.  involving
complete success or failure: bound to result either in
complete success or total failure, with no possibility of anything in between

2.  uncompromising:
totally and uncompromisingly dedicated to the achievement of something, or
unwilling to accept anything less than all • an
all-or-nothing approach to negotiating

[1]



allosaurus

allosaurus
al·lo·saur·us 
[àllə sáwrəss] (plural al·lo·saur·us·es)
noun

dinosaur:
a very large carnivorous theropod dinosaur of the late Upper Jurassic period,
fossil remains of which have been found in North America. Genus: Allosaurus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Allosaurus, genus name, from Greek allos “other”+ saurus
“lizard.”][1]



allosteric

allosteric
al·lo·ster·ic 
[àllə stérrik] adjective

relating
to change in protein activity: used to describe
changes in the activity of proteins, especially enzymes, resulting from their
combining with other substances at sites other than those where they are
usually biochemically active
—al·lo·ster·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—al·los·ter·y [ə lóstəree], noun[1]



allot

allot
al·lot 
[ə lót] (past al·lot·ted, past
participle al·lot·ted, present participle al·lot·ting,
3rd person present singular al·lots) transitive verb

1.  give
as share:
to give something to a somebody as his or her share of what is available or
what has to be done • I was
allotted the task of sweeping up.

2.  earmark:
to earmark or reserve something for a particular purpose • alloting
ten shelves for books
[15th
century. From Old French aloter, from lot “portion,” of Germanic
origin.]
—al·lot·ter, noun[1]



allotment

allotment
al·lot·ment 
[ə lótmənt] (plural al·lot·ments)
noun

1.  something
allotted:
a thing, amount, or share allotted to somebody or something

2.  allotting
of something: the assignment or earmarking of
something • the
allotment of shares

[1]



allotransplant

allotransplant
al·lo·trans·plant 
[àllō tráns plànt] transitive verb (past
al·lo·trans·plant·ed, past participle al·lo·trans·plant·ed,
present participle al·lo·trans·plant·ing, 3rd person present
singular al·lo·trans·plants)

transplant
between genetically different individuals: to
transplant an organ or body tissue from one member of a species to a
genetically different member of the same species
noun
(plural al·lo·trans·plants)

something transplanted:
an organ or piece of body tissue transplanted from one member of a species to a
genetically different member of the same species[1]



allotrope

allotrope
al·lo·trope 
[állə trp] (plural al·lo·tropes)
noun

variant
form of element: one of several different forms in which
a chemical element occurs, each of which differs in its physical properties but
not in the kind of atoms in its composition. Diamonds and coal are allotropes
of carbon.
[Late
19th century. Formed from allo- + -trope .]
—al·lo·trop·ic
[àllə trṓpik], adjective

—al·lo·trop·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



allotropism

allotropism
al·lot·ro·pism
noun

See
allotropy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








allotropous

allotropous
al·lot·ro·pous 
[ə lóttrəpəss] adjective

with nectar accessible to all
insects: used to describe flowers in
which the nectar is accessible to all species of insect[1]



allotropy

allotropy
al·lot·ro·py 
[ə lóttrəpee] or al·lot·ro·pism
[ə lóttrə pìzzəm] noun

occurrence of element in
different forms: the existence in more
than one form ( allotrope ) of the same
chemical element, each form differing in physical properties but having the
same chemical properties[1]



allottee

allottee
al·lot·tee 
[ə lò t, àllə
t] (plural al·lot·tees) noun

somebody receiving allotment:
somebody to whom something is allotted[1]



allout

allout
all
out
adverb

with maximum effort:
with maximum effort, at full power, or at top speed[1]



all-out

all-out
all-out 
adjective

greatest possible:
involving the maximum possible effort or every available resource • an
all-out attempt to break the record[1]



allover

allover
all
o·ver
adverb (informal)

1.  everywhere:
everywhere

2.  stressing
particular actions of somebody: used to stress that a
particular description or action is utterly typical of the person or type of
person stated • That’s Jackie all over:
late again!

[1]



all-over

all-over
all-o·ver
adjective

covering completely:
covering the whole surface area of something • an
all-over tan[1]



allow

allow
al·low 
[ə lów] (past al·lowed, past
participle al·lowed, present participle al·low·ing, 3rd
person present singular al·lows) verb

1.  transitive
verb
let
somebody do something: to give permission for
something to happen or somebody to do something, or take no action or make no
rule to prevent it • I can’t allow you to
throw this chance away.

2.  transitive
verb
let
somebody enter or be present: to let somebody or something
enter or be present in a place • Children
are not allowed after nine o’clock.

3.  transitive
verb
let
somebody have something: to let somebody or yourself
have something, often a benefit or pleasure of some kind • Allow
yourself a few minutes to catch your breath.

4.  transitive
verb
credit
somebody money for something: to give or credit somebody
with an amount of money as a discount or in exchange for something • How
much will you allow on our old machine?

5.  transitive
verb
allocate
something:
to set aside or make available something such as a period of time or amount of
material for a particular purpose • Allow
extra for shrinkage.

6.  intransitive
verb
make
provision for something: to take something into
consideration or make provision for it when making a plan or decision • The
schedule doesn’t allow for any delays.

7.  transitive
verb
admit:
to admit something or accept it to be true or valid (formal) • You
must allow that it was rather harsh.

8.  intransitive
verb
present
as possible: to present something as possible or
reasonable (formal) • The
events allow of only one interpretation.

9.  intransitive
verb
Southern U.S. say or think:
to state or suppose • He
allowed it was time to go.
[14th
century. Via Old French allouer from Latin allaudare “to praise”
and medieval Latin allocare “to assign” (see allocate
).]
—al·low·a·ble,
adjective

—al·low·a·bly,
adverb

—al·lowed, adjective[1]



allowance

allowance
al·low·ance 
[ə lówəns] noun (plural al·low·anc·es)

1.  money
given to children: a small sum of money paid
regularly by parents to a child so that the child can make his or her own
purchases.
U.K.
term
pocket money

2.  budgeted
amount:
an amount of something, especially money, given out at regular intervals or for
a specific purpose • a mileage allowance as
well as expenses

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING amount
of variation allowed: a small amount of variation
permitted in the dimensions of closely fitting machine parts

4.  discount:
money deducted from the selling price of something by the seller as a discount
or in exchange for something

5.  SPORTS handicap:
a handicap or advantage in certain sports, especially horseracing

6.  toleration:
the allowing of something to happen, or the toleration of it
transitive
verb
(past al·low·anced, past participle al·low·anced, present
participle al·low·anc·ing, 3rd person present singular al·low·anc·es)

1.  give
somebody allowance: to restrict somebody to a
fixed regular amount of something

2.  hand
something out: to supply something, especially an
amount of money, in limited amounts (archaic)
make
allowance or allowances (for somebody or something)

1.  to
take a charitable view of somebody or something and take mitigating
circumstances into account

2.  to
take something into consideration when making a plan, decision, or judgment

[1]



allowedly

allowedly
al·low·ed·ly 
[ə lówədlee] adverb

as conceded:
admittedly or by general agreement • Allowedly,
the salary is modest.[1]



alloy

alloy
al·loy 
noun [á lòy] (plural al·loys)

1.  METALLURGY mixture
of metals:
a substance that is a mixture of two or more metals, or of a metal with a
nonmetallic material

2.  debasing
addition:
something that detracts from the value or quality of the thing it is added to
or mixed with • The movie is weakened
by the alloy of sentimentality.

3.  blend:
any mixture, amalgam, or compound of different materials
transitive
verb
[ə lóy, á lòy]
(past al·loyed, past participle al·loyed, present
participle al·loy·ing, 3rd person present singular al·loys)

1.  METALLURGY mix
metals:
to mix one metal with another, or mix a metal with a nonmetallic material

2.  debase
something:
to detract from the quality, purity, or value of something by being added to it
or by adding an inferior material to it • principles
alloyed with cynicism

3.  combine
something:
to mix or combine different things
[Mid-17th
century. Via Old French dialect allai (noun) and allayer (verb)
from, ultimately, Latin alligare “to bind to” (see ligature ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mixture

[1]



all-pointsbulletin

all-pointsbulletin
all-points
bul·le·tin
(plural all-points bul·le·tins) noun

urgent police broadcast:
a message broadcast to all police in a particular area, usually containing
urgent information or a warning[1]



all-purpose

all-purpose
all-pur·pose 
adjective

for any use:
suitable for a wide variety of uses[1]



allright

allright
all
right
adjective

1.  satisfactory:
generally good, satisfactory, or pleasing (hyphenated when used before a
noun) • Everything’s
going to be all right.

2.  just
adequate:
just about acceptable or adequate, but not very good • The
new job’s all right, I guess.

3.  uninjured:
not injured or unwell

4.  in
good condition: in good condition or order, and not
defective or damaged
interjection

yes: used
to express agreement or approval • “Will
you come along?”“All right.”
adverb

1.  satisfactorily:
in a generally good, satisfactory, or pleasing way • My
old drill still works all right.

2.  certainly:
without any doubt • He’s his father’s son
all right.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Is
  it all right to use alright ?
  It
  depends on your point of view. Some people think this one-word spelling is
  justified by the analogy of already and altogether, and that it
  is sometimes useful to be able to distinguish between all right and alright
  (just like altogether and all together ): • The
  answers were alright (= satisfactory). • The
  answers were all right (= all correct).
  Though alright is generally considered nonstandard it is often used in
  informal writing.

[1]



all-round

all-round
all-round 
adjective

U.K. =
all-around[1]



allround

allround
all
round
adverb

1.  in
every respect: in every respect or taking everything
into consideration • I think, all round, it
was a pretty successful effort, don’t you?

2.  involving
everyone:
for, from, or involving everyone

[1]



AllSaints’ Day

AllSaints’ Day
All
Saints’ Day 
(plural All Saints’ Days) or All Saints noun

November 1:
November 1, the day in the Christian calendar set aside to celebrate the lives
of saints[1]



AllSouls’ Day

AllSouls’ Day
All
Souls’ Day 
(plural All Souls’ Days) or All Souls noun

November 2:
November 2, the day in the Roman Catholic Church calendar set aside for prayer
for the souls of those who have died and are believed to be in purgatory[1]



allspice

allspice
all·spice 
[áwl spss] (plural all·spic·es)
noun
Also
called
pimento

1.  (plural
all·spices or all·spice) TREES
tropical
tree with aromatic berries: an evergreen tree from
tropical America that is related to myrtle and has clusters of white flowers
and aromatic berries. Latin name: Pimenta dioica

2.  COOKING spice:
the ground dried berries of the allspice tree, used as a spice
[From the fact that it is
thought to combine the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg][1]



all-star

all-star
all-star 
adjective

made
up of star performers: made up mainly or completely
of very famous and talented performers or players
noun
(plural all-stars)

member of all-star team:
a member of an all-star team[1]



Allston,Washington

Allston,Washington
All·ston
[áwlstən], Washington (1779–1843)

U.S. artist and writer,
author of the Gothic novel Monaldi ( 1841 ).[1]



all-suite

all-suite
all-suite 
adjective

with sitting room and
kitchenette: used to describe a
hotel room that has a sitting room and kitchenette as well as the standard
features of hotel accommodation[1]



all-terrainbike

all-terrainbike
all-ter·rain
bike
(plural all-ter·rain bikes) noun

off-road bike:
a bicycle or motorcycle designed for use in open country as well as on roads[1]



all-terrainvehicle

all-terrainvehicle
all-ter·rain
ve·hi·cle 
(plural all-ter·rain ve·hi·cles) noun

off-road vehicle:
a motor vehicle designed for use on rough, sandy, or marshy ground, as well as
on roads. It usually has only one seat.[1]



all-time

all-time
all-time 
adjective

best ever:
having never yet been bettered, or the best, greatest, or most popular ever • an
all-time record for this distance[1]



alltold

alltold
all
told
adverb

in
all:
when everything or everyone is counted, included, or taken into account • A
dozen people made it, all told.
[ told
in the early sense “counted”][1]



allude

allude
al·lude 
[ə ld] (past al·lud·ed, past
participle al·lud·ed, present participle al·lud·ing, 3rd
person present singular al·ludes) intransitive verb

refer
indirectly:
to mention something or somebody, usually briefly, without giving a precise
name or explicit identification but usually making clear by other means who or
what is being referred to • I
presume you are alluding to the alleged financial discrepancy.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin alludere, literally “to play to,” formed from ludere
“to play” (see ludicrous ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  She
  alluded to her husband by name.
  This
  is a self-contradiction, because allude
  means “to refer indirectly.” When the reference is direct, the word to use is
  refer . So if she mentioned “the man at home looking after the
  children,” she was alluding to her husband, whereas if she mentioned “George”
  or “my husband” directly, she was referring to him.

[1]



allure

allure
al·lure 
[ə lr] noun (plural al·lures)

highly
attractive quality: an attractive or tempting
quality possessed by somebody or something, often a glamorous and sometimes
risky one • They
couldn’t resist the allure of the big city.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past al·lured,
past participle al·lured, present participle al·lur·ing,
3rd person present singular al·lures)

attract
powerfully:
to exert a very powerful and often dangerous attraction on somebody
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman alurer, Old French aloirrier, aleurier,
literally “to bring to the bait,” from leure “bait” (see lure ). Originally a term of falconry.]
—al·lure·ment, noun[1]



alluring

alluring
al·lur·ing
[ə lring] adjective

attractive
and fascinating: extremely attractive, tempting, or
glamorous, and able to arouse strong desire in people
—al·lur·ing·ly, adverb[1]



allusion

allusion
al·lu·sion 
[ə lzh’n] (plural al·lu·sions)
noun

1.  indirect
reference:
a reference that is made indirectly, subtly suggested, or implied • a
poem typical of its period in its use of classical allusions

2.  act
of alluding: the act of making an indirect reference
to somebody or something
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French, from the late Latin stem allusion-,
from Latin allus-, the past participle stem of alludere (see allude ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  allusion,
  delusion, or illusion ?
  Allusion and illusion are the closest in sound but the
  furthest apart in meaning: an allusion is
  a process of alluding, that is, an indirect reference to a person, thing, or
  event ( • The
  story contained an allusion to his childhood in Africa
  ), whereas an illusion is a false or
  misleading impression or perception, either by the senses or by the mind: • The
  shimmering effect on a hot road is an optical illusion.
  • By
  shutting himself in his room for hours he kept up an illusion of studying
  hard.
  Illusion and delusion
  are similar in meaning, but delusion
  denotes something somebody falsely believes, often harmfully, rather than a
  wrong impression that somebody receives: • Visitors
  often suffer under the delusion that the weather is always hot here.

[1]



allusive

allusive
al·lu·sive 
[ə lsiv, ə
lziv] adjective

1.  making
an allusion: that makes or contains an indirect
reference to something or somebody

2.  characterized
by allusions: characterized by the use of indirect
references or subtle suggestion
—al·lu·sive·ly,
adverb

—al·lu·sive·ness, noun[1]



alluvia

alluvia
al·lu·vi·a


Plural of
alluvium[1]



alluvial

alluvial
al·lu·vi·al 
[ə lvee əl] adjective

silty:
used to describe the environment, action, and sedimentary deposits of rivers or
streams[1]



alluvion

alluvion
al·lu·vi·on 
[ə lvee ən] noun

1.  movement
of sea against shore: the flow or wash of the sea
or other body of water against a shore

2.  formation
of land:
the expansion of a land area through the buildup of alluvial deposits or the
receding of a body of water
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from the Latin stem alluvion-, from alluvius (see alluvium ).][1]



alluvium

alluvium
al·lu·vi·um 
[ə lvee əm] (plural al·lu·vi·ums
or al·lu·vi·a [ə lvee ə]) noun

soil
deposited by water: sediment deposited by
running water, especially the type of soil formed in river valleys and deltas
from material washed down by the river
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, a form of alluvius “washed against,” from, ultimately, lavere
“to wash” (see lavatory ).][1]



all-weather

all-weather
all-weath·er
adjective

usable in all types of
weather: usable in or able to stand
up to all types of weather[1]



ally

ally
al·ly 
[ə l, á l]
verb (past al·lied, past participle al·lied,
present participle al·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular al·lies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
in mutually supportive association: to
join, or enlist somebody, in an association with one or more other states,
organizations, or individuals for mutual help and support or the achievement of
a common purpose

2.  transitive
verb
affiliate
something:
to connect something with something else through similarity or common features
(usually passive) • These
plants are allied to lilies.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb connect
through marriage: to connect individuals or families, or
to form a connection with another individual or family, through marriage or a
similar tie
noun
(plural al·lies)

1.  member
of alliance: a person, group, or state that is joined
in an association with another or others for mutual help and support or the
achievement of a common purpose

2.  BIOLOGY related
organism:
an organism that is closely related to another
[14th century. Via Old French
al(e)ier from Latin alligare, literally “to bind to,” from ligare
“to bind” (see ligate ).][1]



allyl

allyl
al·lyl 
[álləl] adjective

containing
carbon-hydrogen chemical group: used to describe a
chemical compound containing a chemical group consisting of three carbon and
five hydrogen atoms. C3H5–
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin allium “garlic” (because it was first obtained from garlic) +
-yl .][1]



allylalcohol

allylalcohol
al·lyl
al·co·hol
noun

colorless liquid:
a colorless, strong-smelling liquid that is used in the preparation of chemical
products such as resins and plasticizers.
Also called
propenol[1]



all’ottava

all’ottava
all’ot·ta·va
[àllə tvə] adverb

played
an octave higher or lower: to be played an octave
higher or lower than written (used as a musical direction)
[Early
19th century. From Italian, literally “on the octave.”]
—all’ot·ta·va, adjective[1]



Almagest

Almagest
Al·ma·gest 
[álmə jest] (plural Al·ma·gests)
noun

1.  astronomy
text:
a text on astronomy written by Ptolemy in the second century AD setting out his view of the universe
with the Earth at its center surrounded by spheres

2.  Al·ma·gest
or al·ma·gest (plural al·ma·gests) medieval
treatise on astronomy: an important medieval
treatise on a subject, especially on astronomy, astrology, or alchemy
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Arabic al-mijistī, literally “the greatest,” from Greek
megistē “greatest,” superlative of megas “great” (see mega- ).][1]



almamater

almamater
al·ma
ma·ter 
[lmə mtər, àlmə
mtər] (plural al·ma ma·ters) or Al·ma Ma·ter
[lmə mtər, àlmə
mtər] (plural Al·ma Ma·ters) noun

1.  place
where somebody was educated: the school, college, or
university that somebody formerly attended

2.  college
song:
a song used as the anthem of a school, college, or university
[From Latin, literally
“bounteous mother,” a title given by the Romans to several goddesses associated
with abundance][1]



almanac

almanac
al·ma·nac 
[áwlmə nak, álmə
nak] (plural al·ma·nacs) noun

1.  calendar:
an annual publication that includes a calendar for the year as well as
astronomical information and details of anniversaries and events

2.  book
of data:
an annually published book of information relating to a particular subject or
activity • a
sports almanac

3.  practical
guidebook:
a book, often but not always published annually, containing practical
information on a particular subject • a home
winemaker’s almanac
[14th century. From medieval
Latin almanac(h), of uncertain origin: perhaps from assumed Spanish
Arabic al-manākh, literally “the almanac.”][1]



almandine

almandine
al·man·dine 
[álməndeen] (plural al·man·dines)
or al·man·dite [álmən dīt] (plural
al·man·dites) noun

red
gemstone:
a deep red garnet consisting of iron aluminum silicate, used as a gemstone. Fe3Al2Si3O12
[15th century. Via French,
alteration of alabandine, from Latin alabandina (gemma) “(gem) of
Alabanda,” from Alabanda, city in Asia Minor where the gem was
originally cut and polished.][1]



Almaty

Almaty
Al·ma·ty 
[al mtee]

city and former capital of
Kazakhstan, in the southeastern part of the country, east of Bishkek in
Kyrgyzstan. Population: 1,180,000 (1993) Former name Alma-Ata[1]



almighty

almighty
al·might·y
[awl mtee] adjective

1.  all-powerful:
having supreme unquestionable power over everything • her
almighty desire for fame

2.  extreme:
extreme or excessive of its kind (informal) • an
almighty quarrel
adverb

extremely: to an
extreme or excessive degree (informal) • almighty
proud
[Old
English ælmeahtig, from æl “completely” (see all ) + meahtig “mighty” (see mighty )]
—al·might·i·ness, noun[1]



Almighty

Almighty
Al·might·y
[awl mtee] noun

God:
God • pray
to the Almighty[1]



almond

almond

al·mond 
[mənd, lmənd,
ámmənd, álmənd]
noun (plural al·monds)

1.  nut:
an edible, oval-shaped, brown-skinned nut that is widely used in cooking,
particularly to flavor desserts, cakes, and cookies

2.  small
tree producing almonds: a small tree native to west
Asia but widely cultivated, with pink flowers and green fruits containing a
hard pit, the kernel of which is edible. Latin name: Prunus dulcis

3.  yellowish
gray:
a yellowish gray color, like that of an almond kernel

4.  almond
-shaped object: something oval and pointed in shape like
an almond
adjective

1.  almond
-shaped:
oval and pointed in shape like an almond

2.  of
yellowish gray: yellowish gray in color, like an almond
kernel
[14th century. Via Old French
alemande, a(l)mande from, ultimately, Greek amugdalē, of
unknown origin.][1]



almoner

almoner
al·mo·ner 
[álmənər, mənər]
(plural al·mo·ners) noun

1.  U.K.
hospital
social worker: in the past, somebody affiliated with a
hospital as a social worker for its patients

2.  giver
of money as charity: in former times, somebody
who distributed alms to the needy, especially on behalf of a church, monastery,
or wealthy family
[15th century. Alteration of
obsolete aumener, which came via Old French aumoner from assumed
late Latin almosinarius, from ecclesiastical Latin eleemosynarius
“connected with alms,” from eleemosyna (see alms
).][1]



almost

almost
al·most 
[áwlmōst, awl mṓst]
adverb

nearly:
not exactly, not yet, or not in fact, but very close to being or happening as
described • I
almost wrecked the car.[1]



alms

alms
alms 
[mz, lmz]
plural noun

charitable
donations:
in former times, money or other assistance given to the poor as charity
[Pre-12th century. Via
assumed Vulgar Latin alimosina from ecclesiastical Latin eleemosyna,
from Greek eleēmosynē “compassionateness,” from, ultimately, eleos
“compassion, mercy.”][1]



almshouse

almshouse
alms·house 
[mz hows, lmz
hows] (plural alms·hous·es) noun

See
poorhouse[1]



alnico

alnico
al·ni·co 
[álni kō] (plural al·ni·coes) noun

alloy
for making magnets: an alloy of iron, aluminum,
and nickel together with one or more of cobalt, copper, and titanium, used for
making strong permanent magnets
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from aluminum + nickel
+ cobalt .][1]



alocasia

alocasia
al·o·ca·sia 
[àlə káyzhə] (plural al·o·ca·sias)
noun

Asian
plant:
a plant of the arum family, native to tropical Asia but grown elsewhere as a
houseplant for its large heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves. Genus: Alocasia
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of earlier colocasia, a related plant, from, ultimately, Greek kolokasia
“Egyptian water lily.”][1]



aloe

aloe
al·oe 
[állō] (plural al·oes) noun

southern
African plant: a plant native to southern Africa that
has fleshy toothed leaves and red or yellow flowers. Genus: Aloe
[14th century. Via Latin,
from Greek aloē, probably of Asian origin. As aloes
pre-12th century.][1]



aloes

aloes
al·oes 
[állōz] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  laxative
made from aloe: a bitter-tasting laxative drug made from
the leaves of some species of aloe.
Also
called
bitter aloes

2.  aloes
or aloes wood resinous wood:
the fragrant wood of an Asian tree from which a resin is obtained that is used
in making perfumes. Latin name: Aquilaria agallocha
U.K.
term
eaglewood

[1]



aloevera

aloevera
al·oe
ver·a 
[àllōvrə] noun

1.  Mediterranean
plant:
a Mediterranean species of aloe. Latin name: Aloe barbadensis

2.  soothing
plant extract: an extract from the leaves of the aloe
vera plant, used in drugs and cosmetics for its emollient and soothing
qualities
[From modern Latin, literally
“true aloe”][1]



aloft

aloft
a·loft 
[ə lóft] adverb

1.  high
up:
upward, high up, or in a higher position

2.  in
or into ship’s rigging: in or into the rigging of a
sailing ship
[13th century. From Old Norse
á lopt(i), literally “in the air,” from lopt “air, sky” (see loft ).][1]



alogical

alogical
a·log·i·cal 
[ay lójjik’l] adjective

not
logical:
that cannot be dealt with by, or has nothing to do with, logic
[Late
17th century. Formed from a- “not” + logical .]
—a·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—a·log·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



aloha

aloha
a·lo·ha 
[ə lṓ aa, ə lṓ
haa, aa lṓ haa] interjection

Hawaii
greeting:
used as a greeting or farewell
[Early 19th century. From
Hawaiian, literally “love, affection.”][1]



alohashirt

alohashirt
a·lo·ha
shirt
(plural a·lo·ha shirts) noun

See
Hawaiian shirt[1]



AlohaState

AlohaState
A·lo·ha
State
noun

Hawaii:
the state of Hawaii (informal)[1]



aloin

aloin
al·o·in 
[állō in] noun

laxative:
a bitter-tasting yellow crystalline derivative of aloe used in making laxative
drugs
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from aloe + -ine
.][1]



alone

alone
a·lone 
[ə lṓn] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word meaning without any other person or thing nearby • (adjective)
I like to be alone sometimes. • (adverb)
wandering alone in the wilderness

1.
adverb without help from others:
without help or support from anybody or anything else • I
can’t do this job alone.

2.
adjective unique in some respect:
used to describe the only one of a group to do, achieve, or think something • Am
I alone in thinking this?

3.
adjective done without others:
carried out by somebody or assigned to somebody without the assistance or
company of others

4.
adverb adjective without company:
without any other person or thing nearby or in attendance, for company, or to
give assistance • She left with the others
but returned alone.
[13th
century. From the phrase all one “completely by oneself.”]
—a·lone·ness, noun[1]



along

along
a·long 
[ə láwng] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating that something is situated or moves over all or part
of the length of something • came
racing along the path

1.
preposition parallel with:
following a course or line parallel with or beside • freighters
sailing along the coastline

2.
preposition similar to:
in accordance with or similar to • new
questions along the same lines

3.
adverb with somebody:
with you, with somebody, or with the rest of the group when going somewhere • I
asked if I could come along. • Next
time you come, bring your guitar along.

4.
adverb forward:
forward, onward, or in a particular direction • Move
along there!

5.
adverb at or to a place:
arriving at or coming or going to a particular place • There’ll
be a bus along in a minute.
[14th
century. From Old English andlang, literally “against the long,” from lang
“long.”]
along
with

together with, or as well as[1]



alongshore

alongshore
a·long·shore 
[ə láwng shàwr, ə
làwng shawr] adverb

beside
a shore:
near to, beside, or along a shore • The
water was too shallow to bring the ship alongshore.
adjective

being near shore:
located on or near a shore or moving along a shore[1]



alongside

alongside
a·long·side 
[ə láwng sīd, ə
láwng sd] preposition a·long·side a·long·side of

by
the side of: close up against, near, or parallel to
the side of • pulled
the boat alongside the pier
adverb

by the side:
in or into a position along or by the side of something[1]



Alonso,Alicia

Alonso,Alicia
A·lon·so
[ə láwn zō], Alicia (1921– )

Cuban ballerina and
choreographer who was instrumental in establishing the National Ballet of Cuba.
She was also a dance teacher.[1]



aloof

aloof
a·loof 
[ə lf] adjective

1.  remote
in manner:
uninvolved or unwilling to become involved with other people or events, often
out of a sense of lofty superiority to them

2.  physically
remote:
physically distant or apart from somebody or something • an
aloof pine tree at the summit of the mountain
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from earlier a luff “in a windward
direction,” hence “away from the shore,” modeled on Dutch te loef, the
underlying idea being “steering clear of something.”]
—a·loof·ly,
adverb

—a·loof·ness, noun[1]



alopecia

alopecia
al·o·pe·cia 
[àllə psh ə, àllə
pshee ə] noun

baldness:
loss or the absence of hair, especially from the human head
[14th
century. Via Latin, from Greek alōpekia, literally “fox mange” (thought
by the Greeks to resemble human baldness), from the stem alōpek- “fox.”]
—al·o·pe·cic [àllə pshik], adjective[1]



aloud

aloud
a·loud 
[ə lówd] adverb

1.  audibly:
using an audible speaking voice • reading
aloud

2.  loudly:
in a loud voice • cried aloud for mercy

[1]



alp

alp
alp 
[álp] (plural alps) noun

high
mountain:
a high mountain.
See
also
Alps
[15th century. Via French Alpes
“Alps” from Latin, from Greek Alpeis .][1]



alpaca

alpaca
al·pac·a 
[al pákə] (plural al·pac·as) noun

1.  (plural
al·pac·as or al·pac·a) S
American mammal: a domesticated, long-haired South
American mammal of the camel family, related to the llama and similar in
appearance. Latin name: Lama pacos

2.  wool
from alpaca: wool or cloth made from the long shaggy
hair of the alpaca

3.  glossy
cloth:
a thin glossy fabric made from cotton, wool, or rayon to simulate cloth made
from the wool of the alpaca
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish, from Aymara alpako, from pako “reddish brown,” from the
color of its hair.][1]



alpenglow

alpenglow
al·pen·glow 
[álpən glō] noun

sunlight
on mountains: a reddish glow on snow-covered mountain
peaks at sunset or sunrise, caused by reflected weak sunlight.
See
also
afterglow
[Late 19th century. Partial
translation of German Alpenglühen, literally “glowing of the Alps.”][1]



alpenhorn

alpenhorn


al·pen·horn 
[álpən hàwrn] (plural al·pen·horns)
or alp·horn [álp hawrn] (plural
alp·horns) noun
long
wooden trumpet: a traditional wooden wind instrument
with a very long tube curving up at the end, originally blown by herders in the
Swiss Alps to call cattle
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “horn of the Alps.”][1]



alpenstock

alpenstock
al·pen·stock 
[álpən stòk] (plural al·pen·stocks)
noun

mountaineer’s
staff:
a long staff with an iron spike at one end, used by mountain climbers until
largely superseded by the ice ax
[Early 19th century. From
German, literally “staff of the Alps.”][1]



alpestrine

alpestrine
al·pes·trine 
[al péstrin] adjective

at
high altitude: used to describe a plant that grows at
high altitudes
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin alpestris “alpine,” from Alpes (see alp ).][1]



alpha

alpha
al·pha 
[álfə] or al·fa [álfə] noun (plural al·phas) (plural
al·fas)

1.  1st
letter of Greek alphabet: the first letter of the
Greek alphabet (A, α), represented in the English alphabet as “a”

2.  RADIO code
word for letter “A”: a code word for the letter
“A,” used in international radio communications

3.  al·pha
or Al·pha ASTRONOMY brightest
star:
the brightest or main star in a constellation (followed by the Latin
genitive) • Alpha Centauri
adjective

1.  most
important:
first or most important • the
alpha male in a group of chimpanzees

2.  alphabetical:
relating to or being in alphabetical order • in
alpha order

3.  CHEMISTRY relating
to the nearest atom: used to describe the atom
nearest to a designated atom or group of atoms in an organic molecule

4.  CHEMISTRY relating
to the major form of element: used to describe the major
form of a chemical element with more than one physical form ( allotrope )
[13th century. Via Latin,
from Greek, from Hebrew or Phoenician āleph “ox, leader,” name of the
first letter of the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets, originally shaped to
resemble an ox’s head.][1]



alphaand omega

alphaand omega
al·pha
and o·me·ga
noun

1.  beginning
and end:
the beginning and end of something

2.  most
important part: the most important aspect of something
[From their being the first
and last letters of the Greek alphabet][1]



alphabet

alphabet
al·pha·bet 
[álfə bet] (plural al·pha·bets)
noun

1.  letters
used to represent language: a set of letters, usually
listed in a fixed order, used in writing a language and representing its basic
speech sounds • the Cyrillic alphabet

2.  symbols
for communicating: a set of symbols representng
units used in communication, especially speech sounds or words • the
alphabet in Braille

3.  basic
principles:
the basic principles of something (formal)

4.  Malaysia,
Singapore letter of alphabet:
an individual letter of an alphabet
[Early 16th century. Via late
Latin alphabetum from Greek alphabētos, from Greek alpha
and bēta, the first and second letters of the alphabet, taken as a name
for the whole alphabet).][1]



alphabetical

alphabetical
al·pha·bet·i·cal 
[àlfə béttik’l] or al·pha·bet·ic
[àlfə béttik] adjective

1.  in
order of alphabet letters: arranged or listed in the
customary order of the letters of the alphabet

2.  relating
to an alphabet: based on, typical of, or relating to an
alphabet
—al·pha·bet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



alphabetize

alphabetize
al·pha·bet·ize
[álfəbət z] (past al·pha·bet·ized,
past participle al·pha·bet·ized, present participle al·pha·bet·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular al·pha·bet·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  put
in alphabetical order: to arrange words or items in
alphabetical order

2.  provide
with alphabet: to provide a language with, or express
something in the form of, an alphabet
—al·pha·bet·i·za·tion
[àlfə bet ə záysh’n], noun

—al·pha·bet·iz·er [álfəbət `īzər], noun[1]



alphabetsoup

alphabetsoup
al·pha·bet
soup
(plural al·pha·bet soups) noun

jumble of letters:
a confusing mass of letters, especially a list of obscure abbreviations[1]



alpha-blocker

alpha-blocker
al·pha-block·er 
(plural al·pha-block·ers) noun

substance that lowers blood
pressure: a drug used to treat high
blood pressure and some other conditions, such as an enlarged prostate. The
nervous stimulation that constricts blood vessels, and hence increases blood
pressure, is blocked by such drugs.[1]



alphadecay

alphadecay
al·pha
de·cay
noun

process of radioactive decay:
a radioactive decay process in which an alpha particle is emitted from a
nucleus[1]



alpha-fetoprotein

alpha-fetoprotein
al·pha-fe·to·pro·tein 
noun

fetal protein:
a protein in the liver of a human fetus, the presence of which in abnormally
high or low quantities in the amniotic fluid may indicate spina bifida or Down
syndrome[1]



alpha-hydroxyacid

alpha-hydroxyacid
al·pha-hy·drox·y
ac·id
(plural al·pha-hy·drox·y ac·ids) noun

organic acid:
an organic acid in which a hydroxyl acid is bonded to a carbon atom. Compounds
of this type are frequently used as ingredients in skin care products.[1]



alphanumeric

alphanumeric
al·pha·nu·mer·ic 
[àlfənoo mérrik] or al·pha·nu·mer·i·cal
[àlfənoo mérrik’l] or al·pha·mer·ic
[àlfə mérrik] adjective

using
letters and numbers: consisting of both letters
and numbers or using both as symbols • an
alphanumeric code
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of alphabet and numeric .]
—al·pha·nu·mer·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



alphaparticle

alphaparticle
al·pha
par·ti·cle
(plural al·pha par·ti·cles) noun

helium nucleus:
a particle consisting of two neutrons and two protons that is identical to the
helium nucleus and is emitted during certain radioactive transformations.
Also called
α-particle[1]



alpharay

alpharay
al·pha
ray
(plural al·pha rays) noun

stream of alpha particles:
a stream of alpha particles[1]



alpha-receptor

alpha-receptor
al·pha-re·cep·tor 
(plural al·pha-re·cep·tors) noun

molecule on cell surface:
a protein molecule in the membrane of a cell that specifically binds
epinephrine, norepinephrine, or related substances and triggers a response, for
example, a nerve impulse, in the cell[1]



alpharhythm

alpharhythm
al·pha
rhythm
(plural al·pha rhythms) noun

brain activity:
the pattern of electrical activity in the brain of somebody awake but relaxed
or drowsy, registering on an electroencephalograph at a reading between 8 and
13 hertz[1]



alphatest

alphatest
al·pha
test
noun

in-house
test:
a first test on a new or upgraded piece of software or hardware, carried out by
the manufacturer under laboratory conditions
[From
the idea of being “first in a series,” hence “preliminary”]
—alpha-test, transitive
verb[1]



alphorn

alphorn
alp·horn 
(plural alp·horns) noun

See
alpenhorn[1]



alpine

alpine
al·pine 
[ál pīn] adjective

1.  typical
of high mountains: relating to, typical of, or
found in high mountains • an
alpine climate

2.  BOTANY situated
or growing above timberline: used to describe the zone of
vegetation on high mountains between the timberline and snow line and any plant
that grows in or originates from that zone

3.  used
in mountaineering: used in or involving
mountain climbing
noun
(plural alpines)

mountain plant:
a plant that originates from or can grow in the alpine zone on mountains, above
the timberline
[From Latin alpinus,
from Alpes (see alp )][1]



Alpine

Alpine
Al·pine
adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY of
the Alps:
relating to the Alps and those who live in them

2.  Al·pine
or al·pine SKIING relating
to downhill skiing: used to describe competitive
skiing on steep downhill courses, especially downhill and slalom events

[1]



alpine-style

alpine-style
al·pine-style
adjective

carrying
climbing equipment: used to describe a type of
mountaineering in which the climbers carry all the necessary equipment with
them on a single ascent to a mountain summit
—al·pine-style, adverb[1]



alpinist

alpinist
al·pin·ist 
[álpənist] (plural al·pin·ists)
noun

climber:
a mountain climber, especially one who climbs in the Alps or mountains of
similar height
[Late
19th century. From French alpiniste, from Latin alpinus (see alpine ).]
—al·pin·ism, noun[1]



Alps

Alps
Alps 
[álps]

mountain range in southern
Europe, extending about 800 km500 mi from southeastern France to Austria. The
highest peak is Mont Blanc. Height: 4,807 m/15,771 ft.[1]



al-Quds

al-Quds
al-Quds
[al kdz] noun

Islamic name for Jerusalem:
the Islamic name for Jerusalem, the third most important of the sacred sites of
Islam[1]



already

already
al·read·y 
[awl réddee, áwl
redee] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb indicating that something has happened before now, happened in the
past before a particular time, or will have happened by or before a particular
time in the future • I already know what
you’re going to say. • She
had already left when I arrived. adverb

1.  unexpectedly
early:
by or at an earlier time than expected • Have
you finished already?

2.  used
to give emphasis: used after a command, exclamation, or
other statement to give it emphasis or express exasperation (informal) • Enough
already!
[14th century. From the
phrase all ready “completely ready”; the meaning evolved via “ready for
something” to “beforehand.”][1]



alright

alright
al·right 
[awl rt, áwl
rīt] adverb

satisfactory:
generally good, satisfactory, or pleasing (informal)
adjective

pleasant:
generally good, satisfactory, or pleasant (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at allright.

[1]



ALS

ALS
ALS

Abbreviation of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis[1]



A.L.S.

A.L.S.
A.L.S.

Abbreviation of
autograph letter, signed[1]



Alsace

Alsace
Al·sace 
[al sáss]

region and former province of
France, situated west of the River Rhine. Capital: Strasbourg. Population:
1,642,000 (1990) Area: 8,280 sq km/3,197 sq mi.[1]



Alsace-Lorraine

Alsace-Lorraine
Al·sace-Lor·raine
[al sàss lə ráyn]

area of France on the German
border, now divided into two administrative regions, Alsace and Lorraine. The
area was disputed by France and Germany between 1871 and 1945. Population:
3,930,100 (1990) Area: 31,827 sq km/12,288 sq mi.[1]



Alsatian

Alsatian
Al·sa·tian 
[al sáysh’n] noun (plural Al·sa·tians)

1.  somebody
from Alsace: somebody who was born or who lives in
Alsace

2.  U.K.
ZOOLOGY See German shepherd
adjective

from Alsace:
relating to Alsace, or or its people or culture
[Late 19th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Alsatia “Alsace.”][1]



alsegno

alsegno
al
se·gno 
[aal sáyn yō] adverb

MUSIC to the
sign:
used in a musical score to indicate that the performer should continue playing
from a point marked elsewhere in the score by a sign
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “to the sign.”][1]



alsikeclover

alsikeclover
al·sike
clo·ver 
[àl sak klṓvər, àl
sīk klṓvər] noun

European
clover:
a European perennial clover with white or pink flowers, widely grown for
forage. Latin name: Trifolium hybridum
[Mid-19th century. Named for Alsike,
a town near Uppsala in Sweden, where it was first found.][1]



also

also
al·so 
[áwlsō] adverb

1.  in
addition:
used to indicate that something is true or is the case in addition • got
his picture in the paper and also won a prize.
See
also
too
See
also
as well

2.  likewise
or similarly: like or in the same way as somebody or
something else • Her nephew was also
called John. • When
they withdraw their forces, we will also withdraw ours.

3.  moreover:
and in addition to that (used to modify a whole sentence or clause) • Also,
you must complete the task in one hour.
[Old English ealswā, allswā
. The main modern sense, “in addition,” evolved from “just so, in exactly this
way” via “similarly.”][1]



also-ran

also-ran
al·so-ran 
(plural al·so-rans) noun

1.  losing
runner:
a horse or other entrant in a race that does not finish in any of the winning
places

2.  losing
competitor:
a losing entrant in any contest

3.  somebody
unimportant: somebody of little or no consequence or
significance
[Because newspaper racing
results formerly listed horses that finished fourth or lower under the heading
“Also Ran”][1]



alstroemeria

alstroemeria
al·stroe·me·ri·a 
[àlstrə mree ə] (plural al·stroe·me·ri·as
or al·stroe·me·ri·a) noun

S
American plant: a tuberous South American plant of the
amaryllis family, cultivated for its brightly and variously colored flowers
that last for a long time when cut. Genus: Alstroemeria
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Klas von Alstroemer (1736–1796),
Swedish naturalist.][1]



alt.

alt.
alt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
alteration

2.  Abbreviation
of
alternate

3.  Abbreviation
of
altitude

4.  Abbreviation
of
alto

[1]



alt-

alt-
alt-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
alto-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Alt

Alt
Alt


Abbreviation of
Alt key[1]



Alta.

Alta.
Alta.

Abbreviation of
Alberta[1]



Altadena

Altadena
Al·ta·de·na 
[àltə dnə]

urban community in
southwestern California in the San Gabriel Mountains. Population: 42,658 (1990)[1]



Altaic

Altaic
Al·ta·ic 
[al táy ik] noun

family
of languages of Asia: a family of languages that
consists of Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungusic. It is sometimes thought that Altaic
languages form part of a wider Ural-Altaic family.
[Mid-19th
century. Named for the Altai Mountains .]
—Altaic, adjective[1]



AltaiMountains

AltaiMountains
Al·tai
Moun·tains
[àl tī mównt’nz]

mountains in central Asia, on
the Kazakhstan-Mongolia border, south of Russia and north of China[1]



AltamonteSprings

AltamonteSprings
Al·ta·mon·te
Springs 
[àltə mōnt sprìngz]

city in east-central Florida,
near Orlando. Population: 38,379 (1996)[1]



altar

altar
al·tar 
[áwltər] (plural al·tars) noun

1.  raised
ceremonial religious structure: a raised structure,
typically a flat-topped rock or a table of wood or stone, or raised area where
religious ceremonies are performed

2.  Communion
table:
the table or other raised structure in a Christian church on which the bread
and wine of Communion are prepared
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin altare, from altaria “burnt offerings,” from,
probably, adolere “to burn up.”]
lead
somebody to the altar

to marry somebody (dated
informal)[1]



altarcall

altarcall
al·tar
call
(plural al·tar calls) noun

appeal for profession of
faith: an appeal by an evangelist
for worshipers to come forward and make a profession of faith[1]



altarcloth

altarcloth
al·tar
cloth
(plural al·tar cloths) noun

covering for altar:
a cloth covering for the top of a church altar, or sometimes for its top,
front, and sides[1]



altarpiece

altarpiece
al·tar·piece 
[áwltər pees] (plural al·tar·pieces)
noun

painting behind altar:
a work of art, usually a painting, placed above and behind an altar[1]



altarrail

altarrail
al·tar
rail
(plural al·tar rails) noun

rail in church:
a rail in front of a church altar, separating the chancel from the rest of the
church[1]



altazimuth

altazimuth
alt·az·i·muth 
[al tázməth, al
tázzəməth] (plural alt·az·i·muths) noun

1.  telescope:
an instrument, incorporating a telescope that can move vertically and
horizontally, used to measure the altitude and azimuth of a celestial body

2.  surveying
instrument:
an instrument similar to a theodolite used in surveying to measure horizontal
and vertical angles
[Mid-19th century. Blend of altitude and azimuth
.][1]



alter

alter
al·ter 
[áwltər] (past al·tered, past
participle al·tered, present participle al·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular al·ters) verb

1.  transitive
verb
adjust
garment for better fit: to make adjustments to a
piece of clothing so that it fits better • The
pants are fine, but the jacket will have to be altered.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change:
to make changes to something or somebody, or be changed or become different • We’ll
have to alter our plans.

3.  transitive
verb
U.S., Australia castrate:
to castrate or spay an animal (informal)
[14th
century. Via French, from late Latin alterare, from Latin alter
“other,” source also of English alternate,
altercation, and altruism .]
—al·ter·a·bil·i·ty
[àwltərə bíllətee], noun

—al·ter·a·ble
[áwltərəb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



alteration

alteration
al·ter·a·tion 
[àwltə ráysh’n] (plural al·ter·a·tions)
noun

1.  change:
a change, modification, or adjustment made to something, especially a garment

2.  difference:
difference in something resulting from change • I
don’t see any alteration in the patient’s condition.

3.  process
of changing: the process of changing something or of
being changed • undergoing alteration

[1]



altercate

altercate
al·ter·cate 
[áwltər kàyt] (past al·ter·cat·ed,
past participle al·ter·cat·ed, present participle al·ter·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular al·ter·cates) intransitive verb

argue
heatedly:
to engage in a heated argument or confrontation
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
altercat-, the past participle stem of altercari “to dispute,”
from alter (see alter ). The
underlying idea is of taking turns speaking with another.][1]



altercation

altercation
al·ter·ca·tion 
[àwltər káysh’n] (plural al·ter·ca·tions)
noun

heated argument:
a heated argument, quarrel, or confrontation[1]



alterego

alterego
al·ter
e·go
[àwltər gō] (plural al·ter e·gos)
noun

1.  alternative
personality: a second side to an individual’s
personality, different from the one that most people know

2.  very
close friend: a very close and trusted friend
[From Latin, literally “other
self,” used by Cicero, a translation of Greek allos egō, heteros egō][1]



alternate

alternate
al·ter·nate 
verb [áwltər nàyt] (past al·ter·nat·ed,
past participle al·ter·nat·ed, present participle al·ter·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular al·ter·nates)

1.  intransitive
verb
follow
in interchanging pattern: to follow each other and
take each other’s place in a regular pattern of events • as
night alternates with day

2.  intransitive
verb
fluctuate:
to shift back and forth, especially regularly or constantly, between one state
and another • Her
mood alternates between elation and despair.

3.  transitive
verb
arrange
things in interchanging pattern: to arrange things, or
cause things to happen, in a regular pattern in which one thing always follows
the other • alternating
black tiles with white

4.  intransitive
verb
be
an understudy: to act as an understudy for another
performer
adjective
[áwltərnət]

1.  arranged
in alternating pattern: arranged or happening in a
regular pattern in which the one thing alternates with the other • alternate
spells of sun and showers

2.  every
other:
every other or second of a series • They
babysit for each other on alternate weekends.

3.  serving
as a backup: different from and serving, or able to
serve, as a substitute for something else • The
band decided to go with the song’s alternate title.

4.  BOTANY not
aligned:
used to describe flowers, buds, or leaves that are arranged singly and at
different levels on either side of the stem of a plant, as opposed to being in
pairs or groups
noun
[áwltərnət] (plural al·ter·nates)

1.  somebody
who fills in: somebody who acts as a substitute for
somebody else • An alternate for the
first-string quarterback played the entire first half.

2.  See
alternative  noun 1
[Early
16th century. From Latin alternat-, the past participle stem of alternare
“to do things one after another,” from alternus “one after another,”
from alter (see alter ).]
—al·ter·nate·ness [àwltərnətnəss], noun[1]



alternateangle

alternateangle

al·ter·nate an·gle 
(plural al·ter·nate an·gles) noun
angle opposite another:
one of a pair of angles on opposite sides and at opposite ends of a line that
cuts two other lines[1]



alternately

alternately
al·ter·nate·ly
[áwltərnətlee] adverb

1.  interchanging:
by following one immediately after the other in a regular repeated pattern or
sequence • Driving
downtown was restricted to cars with odd and even license plate numbers
alternately by day of the month.

2.  See
alternatively

[1]



alternatingcurrent

alternatingcurrent
al·ter·nat·ing
cur·rent 
(plural al·ter·nat·ing cur·rents) noun

reversing current:
an electric current that regularly reverses direction[1]



alternation

alternation
al·ter·na·tion 
[àwltər náysh’n] (plural al·ter·na·tions)
noun

1.  process
of alternating: a process of change in which one thing
follows, or is made to follow, another in a regular repeated pattern

2.  LOGIC proposition:
a proposition of the form “p or q,” that is, either sentence “p” is true or
sentence “q” is true

[1]



alternationof generations

alternationof generations
al·ter·na·tion
of gen·er·a·tions noun

alternating forms of
reproductiom: the existence in the
life cycle of an organism of two or more alternating forms or reproductive
modes, for example, sexual and asexual cycles[1]



alternative

alternative
al·ter·na·tive 
[awl túrnətiv] noun (plural al·ter·na·tives)

1.  other
possibility: something different from, and able to
serve as a substitute for, something else • You
could take the bus as an alternative to driving.

2.  possibility
of choosing: the possibility of choosing between two
different things or courses of action • We
gave you the alternative; you decided to stay.

3.  option:
either one of two, or one of several, things or courses of action to choose
between • I
can’t decide which of the two alternatives is worse.
adjective

1.  See
alternate  adjective 3

2.  mutually
exclusive:
of which only one can be true, or only one can be used or chosen, or take place
at any one time • There are two
alternative theories as to why this phenomenon occurs.

3.  unconventionally
nontraditional: outside the establishment or mainstream,
and often presented as being less institutionalized or conventional, or more
natural or economical with resources • alternative
methods of painting

4.  LOGIC See disjunctive

[1]



alternativecomedy

alternativecomedy
al·ter·na·tive
com·e·dy
noun

comedy
outside mainstream: any form of comedy
characterized by subject matter and a style of presentation deliberately made
different from mainstream comedy
—al·ter·na·tive
co·me·di·an, noun[1]



alternativeenergy

alternativeenergy
al·ter·na·tive
en·er·gy
noun

naturally generated energy
source: any form of energy obtained
from the sun, wind, waves, or another natural renewable source, in contrast to
energy generated from fossil fuels.
Also called
renewable energy[1]



alternativelifestyle

alternativelifestyle
al·ter·na·tive
life·style 
(plural al·ter·na·tive life·styles) noun

unconventional way of life:
a way of living adopted by people who reject the prevailing lifestyle, for
example, because they consider it to be too materialistic or too dependent upon
technology[1]



alternatively

alternatively
al·ter·na·tive·ly
[awl túrnətivlee] adverb

otherwise:
or instead of that • Alternatively,
you could drive there.[1]



alternativemedicine

alternativemedicine
al·ter·na·tive
med·i·cine
noun

nontraditional remedies:
the treatment of illness using remedies not considered part of mainstream
medicine, for example, homeopathy or naturopathy.
Also called
complementary medicine[1]



alternativepress

alternativepress
al·ter·na·tive
press
noun

nontraditional media:
newspapers and periodicals that reflect nontraditional viewpoints and
lifestyles[1]



alternativeschool

alternativeschool
al·ter·na·tive
school
(plural al·ter·na·tive schools) noun

nontraditional school:
an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are
nontraditional[1]



alternator

alternator
al·ter·na·tor 
[áwltər nàytər] (plural al·ter·na·tors)
noun

generator of alternating
current: a device that generates
alternating current, especially in a car[1]



altho

altho
al·tho
[awl ṓ] conjunction

although:
although (informal)[1]



althorn

althorn
alt·horn 
[ált hawrn] (plural alt·horns)
noun

wind
instrument:
an alto brass wind instrument of either the saxhorn or the flügelhorn family,
used mainly in brass or military bands
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “alto horn,” from Alt “alto” + Horn “horn.”][1]



although

although
al·though
[awl ṓ] conjunction

notwithstanding
that:
granting or in spite of the fact that • Although
the children were sleepy, they kept watching the movie.
[14th
century. From all in the sense “even” + though .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  although
  or though ?
  In
  many uses although and though are interchangeable. Although is more usual when introducing a clause
  at the beginning of a sentence, but apart from this though
  is a generally more versatile word capable of occupying different positions
  in a sentence and having more grammatical flexibility. It is the only choice
  in the phrases as though and even though, and in the following
  types of use: • I don’t like them,
  though.
  • It
  is true though that they have been kind to us. • The
  chair, though damaged, could still be used. • We
  enjoyed the day out, cold though it was.

[1]



alti-

alti-
alti-
prefix

See
alto-[1]



altimeter

altimeter
al·tim·e·ter 
[al tímmətər, áltə
meetər] (plural al·tim·e·ters) noun

instrument
indicating altitude: an instrument that shows
height above sea level, especially one mounted in an aircraft and incorporating
an aneroid barometer that senses differences in pressure caused by changes in
altitude
—al·ti·met·ric
[àltə méttrik], adjective

—al·tim·e·try [al tímmətree], noun[1]



altiplano

altiplano
al·ti·pla·no 
[àlti pl nō] (plural al·ti·pla·nos)
noun

area
of high land: a high plateau, especially in Mexico or
the Andes of South America
[Early 20th century. From
American Spanish, literally “high plain.”][1]



altitude

altitude
al·ti·tude 
[áltətood] (plural al·ti·tudes)
noun

1.  height
above sea level: the height of something above a
particular specified level, especially above sea level or the Earth’s surface

2.  high
place:
a place or region situated high above sea level (often used in the plural)

3.  GEOMETRY distance:
in a geometrical figure, the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the base

4.  ASTRONOMY angle
celestial body is above horizon: the angle of a
celestial body above an observer’s horizon, measured from the horizon along the
circle passing through the object and the point above the observer.
Also
called
elevation

5.  high
rank or position: a high rank or high position in a
society or group
[14th
century. From Latin altitudo, from altus “high” (source of
English haughty ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to grow,” the underlying idea being “growing
tall.”]
—al·ti·tu·di·nal [àltə tdən’l], adjective[1]



altitudesickness

altitudesickness
al·ti·tude
sick·ness
noun

effect of low oxygen levels:
a condition caused by low levels of oxygen in the air at high altitudes,
resulting in nausea and breathlessness.
Also called
mountain sickness
Also called
puna[1]



Altkey

Altkey
Alt
key
noun

a key on a computer keyboard
that can be pressed together with another key to change the function of the
latter[1]



Altman,Robert

Altman,Robert
Alt·man
[áwltmən], Robert (1925– )

U.S. movie director and
screenwriter who is known for the movies M*A*S*H ( 1970 ) and The
Player ( 1992 ).[1]



alto

alto
al·to 
[áltō] (plural al·tos) noun

1.  See
contralto  noun 1

2.  highest
man’s voice: the highest singing voice for an adult
man, achieved by using falsetto

3.  alto
singer:
somebody who sings with an alto or contralto voice

4.  instrument
between soprano and tenor: in a family of instruments,
the instrument whose size and pitch fall between the soprano and tenor
instruments
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian, literally “high,” from Latin altus (see altitude ).][1]



alto-

alto-
alto-
or alti- or alt- prefix

high,
altitude • altocumulus,
altimeter
[From Latin altus
“high, deep” (source also of English altitude
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to grow,” which is also the
ancestor of old .][1]



altoclef

altoclef
al·to
clef
noun

C clef:
the C clef indicating that middle C is on the third line of the staff[1]



altocumulus

altocumulus
al·to·cu·mu·lus 
[àltō kymyələss] (plural al·to·cu·mu·li
[àltō kymyə l]) noun

cloud with rounded outline:
white or gray patchy cloud with a rounded outline[1]



altogether

altogether
al·to·geth·er 
[àwltə géər, áwltə
gèər] adverb

1.  with
everything included: when everything is included
or taken into account • Altogether,
your bill comes to $75.99.

2.  totally:
entirely or utterly • I’m
not altogether satisfied.

3.  on
the whole:
considered as a whole • Altogether,
it’s been a good day.
[12th
century. From all “the whole group” + together .]
in
the altogether

naked
(informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  altogether
  or all together ?
  The
  meanings are close and this causes confusion, but whereas altogether means “completely” or “in all” and is
  an adverb, all together means “everyone together,” that is, “all at the same
  place or time” and functions as an adjectival phrase. Usually the word all
  can be removed without affecting the grammar or the sense: • They
  arrived all together at nine. • The
  plates are all together on a separate shelf.

[1]



altoist

altoist
al·to·ist 
[áltō ist] (plural al·to·ists)
noun

alto saxophonist:
a musician who plays an alto saxophone[1]



Alton

Alton
Al·ton 
[áwlt’n]

city on the eastern banks of
the Mississippi River, in southwestern Illinois. Population: 31,562 (1996)[1]



Altoona

Altoona
Al·too·na 
[al tnə]

city in south central
Pennsylvania, in the heart of the state’s coalmining region. Population: 50,101
(1996)[1]



alto-relievo

alto-relievo
al·to-re·lie·vo
[àltō ri l vō] (plural al·to-re·lie·vos
or al·to-re·lie·vi [àltō ri l vee])
or al·to-ri·lie·vo [àltō ri l vō]
(plural al·to-ri·lie·vos or al·to-ri·lie·vi) noun

See
high relief
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian alto-rilievo, literally “high-relief.”][1]



altostratus

altostratus
al·to·stra·tus 
[àltō stráytəss, àltō
stráttəss] (plural al·to·stra·ti [àltō
stráy tī]) noun

gray layered cloud:
grayish cloud in thin sheets or layers of uniform appearance, through which the
Sun can be seen[1]



altricial

altricial
al·tri·cial 
[al tríshəl] adjective

helpless
and dependent: used to describe birds or mammals that
are helpless when young and dependent on their parents for food
noun
(plural al·tri·cials)

animal
producing helpless young: a bird or mammal that
produces young that are unable to move or feed themselves without help
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Altrices (former division of birds), plural of Latin altrix
“female nourisher,” from alere “to nourish.”][1]



altruism

altruism
al·tru·ism 
[áltroo ìzəm] noun

1.  selflessness:
an attitude or way of behaving marked by unselfish concern for the welfare of
others

2.  belief
in acting for others’ good: the belief that acting for
the benefit of others is right and good
[Mid-19th
century. Via French altruisme from Italian altrui “that which
belongs to other people,” from, ultimately, Latin alter “other.”]
—al·tru·ist
[áltroo ist], noun

—al·tru·is·tic
[àltroo ístik], adjective

—al·tru·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ALU

ALU
ALU

Abbreviation of
arithmetic logic unit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








alula

alula
al·u·la 
[állyələ] (plural al·u·lae [állyəlee]) noun

bastard
wing:
a bastard wing (technical)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, literally “little wing,” formed from Latin ala
“wing.”]
—al·u·lar, adjective[1]



alum

alum1
al·um1  [álləm]
(plural al·ums) noun
Also
called
potash alum

1.  colorless
solid:
a colorless crystalline solid that turns white in air. It is used as an
astringent, in water purification, to dress leather, and to make pigments and
dyes. KAl(SO4)2.12H2O

2.  compound
structurally similar to alum: an inorganic chemical
compound with a structure similar to that of alum
[14th century. Via Old
French, from Latin alumen (see aluminum
).][1]



alum

alum2
al·um2  [ə
lúm] (plural al·ums) noun

alumnus
or alumna:
a graduate of a school, college, or university (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



alumina

alumina
a·lu·mi·na 
[ə lmənə] noun

oxide
of aluminum: white or colorless aluminum oxide, found
naturally as corundum and in bauxite. It is used as a catalyst and an abrasive,
and in the manufacture of artificial sapphires and rubies. Al2O3 
Also
called
aluminum oxide
[Late 18th century. Coined
from the Latin stem alumin- (see aluminum
), on the model of words such as soda and magnesia .][1]



aluminate

aluminate
a·lu·mi·nate 
[ə lmənət] (plural a·lu·mi·nates)
noun

aluminum salt:
any salt of aluminum and a metallic oxide[1]



aluminiferous

aluminiferous
a·lu·mi·nif·er·ous 
[ə lmə níffərəss] adjective

containing alumina or
aluminum: that contains or is a source
of alumina or aluminum[1]



aluminium

aluminium
al·u·min·i·um 
[àlə mínnee əm] noun

U.K. =
aluminum[1]



aluminize

aluminize
a·lu·mi·nize 
[ə lmə nīz] (past a·lu·mi·nized,
past participle a·lu·mi·nized, present participle a·lu·mi·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·lu·mi·niz·es) transitive verb

coat with aluminum:
to treat or coat something with aluminum[1]



aluminothermy

aluminothermy
a·lu·min·o·ther·my 
[ə lmənō thúrmee] noun

process for extracting metal
from oxide: a process for extracting a
metal from its oxide that involves burning the oxide together with aluminum
powder.
Also called
thermite process[1]



aluminous

aluminous
a·lu·mi·nous 
[ə lmənəss] adjective

1.  resembling
aluminum:
resembling aluminum or alum

2.  See
aluminiferous
[15th century. Formed from
Latin aluminosus, from the stem alumin- (see aluminum ).][1]



aluminum

aluminum

a·lu·mi·num 
[ə lmənəm] noun
metallic
element:
a light metallic element that is silvery white, ductile, malleable, and
resistant to corrosion. The commonest metal found in the Earth’s crust,
aluminum occurs naturally only in compounds such as bauxite. Symbol Al
[Early 19th century. From
Latin alumin-, the stem of alumen “alum.” Coined by the British
chemist Sir Humphrey Davy.][1]



aluminumfoil

aluminumfoil
a·lu·mi·num
foil
noun

thin sheet of aluminum:
aluminum in the form of a very thin sheet, used especially for wrapping food
that is to be baked or roasted in an oven[1]



aluminumhydroxide

aluminumhydroxide
a·lu·mi·num
hy·drox·ide
noun

white solid:
a white solid used as an antacid, catalyst, and drying agent, and in making
glass and ceramics. Al(OH)3 or Al2O3.3H2O[1]



aluminumoxide

aluminumoxide
a·lu·mi·num
ox·ide
noun

See
alumina[1]



aluminumsiding

aluminumsiding
a·lu·mi·num
sid·ing
noun

protective coating:
aluminum used as a protective surface on the outer walls of frame buildings[1]



aluminumsulfate

aluminumsulfate
a·lu·mi·num
sul·fate
noun

white solid:
a white crystalline solid used in making paper and textiles and in water
purification. Al2(SO4)3[1]



alumna

alumna
a·lum·na 
[ə lúmnə] (plural a·lum·nae [ə lúmnī, ə lúmnee])
noun

woman
graduate:
a woman graduate or former student of a school, college, or university
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, feminine form of alumnus .][1]



alumnus

alumnus
a·lum·nus 
[ə lúmnəs] (plural a·lum·ni [ə lúmnī, ə lúmnee])
noun

man
graduate:
a man graduate or former student of a school, college, or university
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “pupil, foster-child,” formed from alere “to nourish”
(source of English adolescent, adult, and alimony
).][1]



alumroot

alumroot
al·um·root 
[álləm root] (plural al·um·roots)
noun

N
American plant: a North American plant of the saxifrage
family with small bell-shaped flowers, dark green round or heart-shaped leaves,
and astringent roots. Genus: Heuchera
[From the astringency of the
roots][1]



alunite

alunite
al·u·nite 
[állyə nīt] noun

mineral:
a white, gray, or reddish mineral composed of hydrated potassium aluminum
sulfate, formed by alteration of volcanic rocks and used in the production of
fertilizers
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from alun “alum” from, ultimately, Latin alumen
(see aluminum ).][1]



Alvarado,Pedro de

Alvarado,Pedro de
Al·va·ra·do
[àlvə rdō], Pedro de (1486–1541)

Spanish explorer who served
with Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico (1519) and was governor of
Guatemala (1530).[1]



alveolar

alveolar
al·ve·o·lar 
[al v ələr, al
vlər, àlvee ṓlər] adjective

1.  ANATOMY relating
to air sac in lung: relating to the air sacs in
the lungs ( alveoli )

2.  ANATOMY relating
to the jawbone: relating to the part of the upper or
lower jaw that contains the roots of the teeth

3.  PHONETICS with
tongue near upper teeth ridge: used to describe a
consonant that is sounded with the tongue touching or close to the ridge behind
the teeth of the upper jaw
noun
(plural al·ve·o·lars)

PHONETICS alveolar
consonant:
an alveolar consonant, for example, “t,” “d,” or “s” in English
—al·ve·o·lar·ly, adverb[1]



alveolus

alveolus
al·ve·o·lus 
[al v ələss] (plural al·ve·o·li
[al v ə l]) noun

1.  air
sac in lung: a tiny thin-walled air sac found in
large numbers in each lung, through which oxygen enters and carbon dioxide
leaves the blood.
Also
called
acinus
Also
called
air sac

2.  tooth
socket:
a socket in the jaw bone in which a tooth is rooted
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “little cavity,” formed from alveus “cavity,” from alvus
“belly.”][1]



Alvin

Alvin
Al·vin 
[álvin]

city in eastern Texas, south
of Houston. Population: 20,579 (1996)[1]



always

always
al·ways 
[áwl wayz, áwl
wiz] adverb

1.  every
time or continuously: used to indicate that
something happens or is done at all times, either continuously, repetitively,
or on every occasion • She’s
always very polite.

2.  through
all past or future time: throughout all past time or
all future time, or for as long as anyone can remember and as long as anyone
can foresee • I
will always love you.

3.  if
necessary:
if necessary, or if there is no other or no better option • I
could always stay an extra day if you need help.
[14th
century. From Old English ealne weg, literally “all the way,” originally
“covering the complete distance,” later “perpetually.”]
for
always

for all time[1]



Alyceclover

Alyceclover
Al·yce
clo·ver
[àlləs klṓvər] noun

forage
plant:
a low-growing spreading tropical plant grown as a pasture and hay crop in the
southern United States. Latin name: Alysicarpus vaginalis
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: “Alyce” probably by folk etymology (by association with the forename
Alice ) from modern Latin Alysicarpus, genus name, from Greek halusis
“chain” + karpos “fruit.”][1]



alyssum

alyssum
a·lys·sum 
[ə líssəm] noun

1.  See
sweet alyssum

2.  See
basket-of-gold
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Greek alysson “madwort” (a plant
believed to cure rabies), formed from alyssos, literally “without
rabies,” from lyssa “rabies.”][1]



Alzheimer’sdisease

Alzheimer’sdisease
Alz·heim·er’s
dis·ease 
[lts hīmərz di zeez] or Alzheimer’s
[lts hīmərz di zeez] noun

medical
disorder causing dementia: a degenerative disorder that
affects the brain and causes dementia, especially late in life
[Early 20th century. Named
for Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915), German neurologist, who described it in
1907.][1]



Am.

Am.
Am.

Abbreviation of
American[1]



am

am1

am1 or AM
Abbreviation of
amplitude modulation[1]



am

am2
am2 [(stressed) am, (unstressed) əm]
verb

1st
person present singular of be
[Old English eom .
Ultimately from an Indo-European verb meaning “to be” (source also of French être
).][1]



Am

Am
Am

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Amos

2.  Abbreviation
of
americium

[1]



a.m.

a.m.
a.m.
or A.M. adjective adverb

before noon:
in the period between midnight and noon. Full form ante meridiem[1]



A.M.

A.M.
A.M.

1.  Abbreviation
of
anno mundi

2.  Abbreviation
of
Artium Magister

[1]



AMA

AMA
AMA

Abbreviation of
American Medical Association[1]



Amado,Jorge

Amado,Jorge
A·ma·do
[ə mdō, ə m d],
Jorge (1912– )

Brazilian novelist and
politician. His works include Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands ( 1969 ).[1]



amah

amah
a·mah 
[mə, maa,
aam] (plural a·mahs) noun

nurse
or servant in Asia: a children’s nurse, a woman
domestic servant, or an office cleaner and attendant in an Asian country
[Mid-19th century. Via
Portuguese ama “nurse” from medieval Latin amma “mother”
(probably originally a nursery word).][1]



amalgam

amalgam
a·mal·gam 
[ə málgəm] (plural a·mal·gams)
noun

1.  mixture:
a blend of two or more elements or characteristics

2.  DENTISTRY filling
material for teeth: a substance used as filling
for tooth cavities, consisting of a paste of powdered mercury, silver, and tin
that quickly hardens
[15th
century. Directly or via French, from medieval Latin amalgama, of
uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Greek malagma “emollient,”
from, ultimately, malakos “soft.” Originally in English, “soft alloy.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mixture

[1]



amalgamate

amalgamate
a·mal·ga·mate 
[ə málgə màyt] (past a·mal·ga·mat·ed,
past participle a·mal·ga·mat·ed, present participle a·mal·ga·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular a·mal·ga·mates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  combine:
to combine two or more organizations or things into one unified whole, or join
together to form one unified whole

2.  METALLURGY alloy
with mercury: to alloy a metal with mercury, or be
alloyed with mercury
—a·mal·ga·ma·tive,
adjective

—a·mal·ga·ma·tor, noun[1]



amalgamation

amalgamation
a·mal·ga·ma·tion 
[ə màlgə máysh’n] (plural a·mal·ga·ma·tions)
noun

1.  COMMERCE business
merger:
a combination of two or more business concerns so as to form one

2.  result
of combining things: something that is a
combination of different things or results from their amalgamation

3.  combining
things:
the process of amalgamating things into a unified whole

4.  METALLURGY metal
extraction from ore: a method of extracting a
precious metal from an ore by using mercury to form an amalgam with the metal

[1]



Amalthea

Amalthea
Am·al·the·a
[àmm’l th ə] noun

a small moon of Jupiter:
a natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1892[1]



amandine

amandine
a·man·dine 
[mən dn, mən
dn, ámmən dn] adjective

with
almonds:
filled, cooked, or served with almonds
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from amande “almond.”][1]



amantadine

amantadine
a·man·ta·dine 
[ə mántə dn] noun

antiviral
drug:
a drug used to combat viral infection, particularly certain types of influenza,
and also to treat Parkinson’s disease. It helps reduce the tremor of
Parkinson’s disease by promoting the release of dopamine in the brain.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of amine and adamantane .][1]



amanuensis

amanuensis
a·man·u·en·sis 
[ə mànnyoo énsiss] (plural a·man·u·en·ses
[ə mànnyoo én sz]) noun

1.  scribe:
somebody employed by an individual to write from his or her dictation or to
copy manuscripts

2.  writer’s
assistant:
a writer’s assistant with research and secretarial duties
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, formed from a manu, literally, “by hand” (in the phrase servus
a manu enslaved servant with secretarial duties”).][1]



amaranth

amaranth

am·a·ranth 
[ámmə rànth] (plural am·a·ranths
or am·a·ranth) noun

1.  flowering
plant with drooping flowerheads: a plant with long
drooping heads of small green, red, or purple flowers. Some types are grown as
a grain crop or as a leafy vegetable. Genus: Amaranthus

2.  legendary
flower:
a flower, that, according to legend, never fades

3.  food
dye:
a synthetic red food dye
[Mid-16th century. Via either
French amarante or modern Latin amaranthus from Latin amarantus,
from Greek amarantos, literally “not corruptible, not fading.”][1]



amaranthine

amaranthine
am·a·ran·thine 
[àmmə rán thən, àmmə
ránthīn] adjective

1.  undying:
undying or unfading, like the legendary amaranth (literary)

2.  dark
reddish purple: of a dark reddish purple color

[1]



amaretto

amaretto
am·a·ret·to 
[àmmə réttō] (plural am·a·ret·tos)
noun

Italian
liqueur:
an Italian almond-flavored liqueur
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “little bitter (one),” formed from amaro “bitter,”
from Latin amarus (source of English maraschino
and morello ).][1]



Amarillo

Amarillo
Am·a·ril·lo 
[àmmə ríllō]

city in northwestern Texas,
near the center of the Texas Panhandle. Population: 169,588 (1996)[1]



amaryllis

amaryllis
am·a·ryl·lis 
[àmmə rílləss] (plural am·a·ryl·lis·es
or am·a·ryl·lis) noun

1.  southern
African plant: a southern African plant grown from a
bulb for its large red, pink, or white trumpet-shaped flowers that appear
facing in opposite directions at the head of a single stalk. Latin name: Amaryllis
belladonna
Also
called
belladonna lily

2.  tropical
American plant: a tropical American plant related to the
southern African amaryllis. Genus: Hippeastrum
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek Amarullis, name of a shepherdess in
pastorals such as those of Theocritus, Virgil, and Ovid.][1]



amass

amass
a·mass 
[ə máss] (past a·massed, past
participle a·massed, present participle a·mass·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·mass·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

bring
or come together: to gather things together or collect
them over time until they form a large pile, collection, or fund, or accumulate
or be collected in this way • amassed
a fortune in the 1950s
[15th
century. From French amasser, from masser “to gather into a
mass,” from, ultimately, Latin massa (see mass
).]
—a·mass·a·ble,
adjective

—a·mass·er,
noun

—a·mass·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at collect

[1]



amateur

amateur
am·a·teur 
[ámmətùr, ámmətər,
ámməchr] noun (plural am·a·teurs)

1.  somebody
doing something for pleasure: somebody who does or takes
part in something for pleasure rather than for pay • a
talented amateur golfer

2.  unskilled
person:
somebody who has only limited skill in, or knowledge of, an activity • Whoever
fixed your car must have been an amateur.

3.  somebody
who loves something: somebody who loves or is
greatly interested in something (literary) • She
is an amateur of classical sculpture.
adjective

1.  by
amateurs:
for, by, or consisting of amateurs

2.  not
done with skill: unskillful or unprofessional, or done in
an unskillful or unprofessional way
[Late 18th century. Via
French, from Latin amator “lover” from amare “to love” (source of
English enamor ).][1]



amateurish

amateurish
am·a·teur·ish 
[àmmə túrish, àmmə
chrish] adjective

unskillful
or unskillfully done: lacking the skill of a
professional, or unskillfully or unprofessionally done
—am·a·teur·ish·ly,
adverb

—am·a·teur·ish·ness, noun[1]



amateurism

amateurism
am·a·teur·ism 
[ámmətərizəm, ámməchooriz’m]
noun

being an amateur:
amateur status, participation by amateurs, or the principle that something
should reserved for amateurs • one
of the last bastions of true amateurism in sports[1]



amatol

amatol
am·a·tol 
[ámmə tòl] noun

explosive:
an explosive made from ammonium nitrate and TNT and used in bombs
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ammonium + toluene
.][1]



amatory

amatory
am·a·to·ry 
[ámmə tàwree] or am·a·to·ri·al
[àmmə táwree əl] adjective

associated
with love:
relating to, involving, expressing, or typical of physical love • amatory
adventures
[Late 16th century. From
Latin amatorius, from amator (see amateur
).][1]



amaurosis

amaurosis
am·au·ro·sis 
[à maw rṓssəss] noun

blindness:
partial or complete vision impairment, especially when there is no obvious
damage to the eye
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek amaurōsis, from amauroun “to darken,” from amauros
“dark.”]
—am·au·rot·ic [à maw ráwtik], adjective[1]



amautik

amautik
a·mau·tik
[ə mṓwtik] (plural amautiks) or
a·mau·ti [ə mṓwtee] (plural a·mau·tis)
noun

Canada
Inuit
jacket:
among the Inuit, a woman’s jacket that has a fur-lined hood for carrying an
infant or small child
[From Inuktitut][1]



amaze

amaze
a·maze 
[ə máyz] transitive verb (past
a·mazed, past participle a·mazed, present participle
a·maz·ing, 3rd person present singular a·maz·es)

1.  fill
somebody with wonder: to fill somebody with
wonder, astonishment, or extreme surprise • We
were amazed at the news.

2.  bewilder
somebody:
to bewilder or stupefy somebody (archaic)
noun

amazement: a
state of astonishment or bewilderment (archaic)
[Old
English āmasian “to stupefy, stun” (source of English maze ), of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old
Norse]
—a·mazed,
adjective

—a·maz·ed·ly
[ə máyzədlee], adverb

—a·maz·ed·ness [ə máyzədnəss], noun[1]



amazement

amazement
a·maze·ment 
[ə máyzmənt] noun

1.  astonishment:
a strong feeling of wonder or surprise at the extraordinariness of something

2.  bewilderment:
bewilderment or confusion (archaic)

[1]



amazing

amazing
a·maz·ing
[ə máyzing] adjective

1.  causing
amazement:
so extraordinary or wonderful as to be barely believable or cause extreme
surprise • an
amazing escape

2.  outstanding:
outstandingly good, skillful, or admirable (informal) • an
amazing concert
—a·maz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



amazon

amazon
am·a·zon 
[ámmə zòn] (plural am·a·zons) noun

S
American parrot: a parrot of tropical America that
typically has green plumage. Genus: Amazona
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Amazon .][1]



Amazon

Amazon1
Am·a·zon1  [ámmə
zòn, ámməzən] (plural Am·a·zons)
noun

1.  mythological
warrior:
in Greek mythology, a member of a group of women warriors who lived in Scythia
or elsewhere at the northern limits of the world. They fought in the Trojan war
on the side of Troy.

2.  Am·a·zon
or a·ma·zon (plural a·ma·zons) strong
woman:
a notably tall, physically strong, or strong-willed woman
—Am·a·zo·ni·an [àmmə zneeən], adjective[1]



Amazon

Amazon2
Am·a·zon2  [ámmə
zòn, ámməzən]

the
world’s second longest river. It flows east from northern Peru, traversing
northern South America and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil. about
Length: 6,400 km/4,000 mi.
—Am·a·zo·ni·an, adjective[1]



Amazonas

Amazonas
Am·a·zon·as
[àmə zṓnəss]

state in northwestern Brazil.
It has many cattle ranches and produces rubber and jute. Population: 2,390,102
(1996) Area: 1,577,820 sq km/609,039 sq mi.[1]



Amazondolphin

Amazondolphin
Am·a·zon
dol·phin
noun

S American dolphin:
a freshwater dolphin with a long snout found in the upper reaches of the Amazon
and Orinoco rivers. Latin name: Inia geoffrensis[1]



amazonite

amazonite
am·a·zon·ite 
[ámmə zo nt] noun

green
gemstone:
a green or bluish green mineral, a form of microcline used as a gemstone
[Named for the Amazon 2, where
similar green stones were formerly found][1]



Amb.

Amb.
Amb.

Abbreviation of
ambassador[1]



ambassador

ambassador
am·bas·sa·dor 
[am bássədər, am
bássədàwr] (plural am·bas·sa·dors) noun

1.  diplomatic
representative: a diplomatic official of the highest
rank sent by one country as its long-term representative to another

2.  official
representative: somebody who serves as an official
representative of something, for example, a movement • visiting
this country as an ambassador for a fund dedicated to saving endangered species

3.  unofficial
representative: somebody or something regarded as an
unofficial representative or a symbol of something • The
swallow is an ambassador of spring.
[14th
century. Via French ambassadeur from Italian ambasciator, from,
ultimately, Latin ambactus “vassal,” from a Gaulish word meaning
“servant” (source of English embassy
).]
—am·bas·sa·do·ri·al
[am bàssə dáwree əl], adjective

—am·bas·sa·dor·ship
[am bássədər shìp], noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Ambassadors, a novel by Henry James ( 1903 ). Sometimes regarded as James’s
  masterpiece, it tells the story of Lambert Strether, a middle-aged editor
  sent by his wealthy New England patron and fiancée to Paris to persuade her
  expatriate son Chad to return home.

[1]



ambassadorat large

ambassadorat large
am·bas·sa·dor
at large
(plural am·bas·sa·dors at large) noun

traveling ambassador:
an ambassador not assigned to one particularcountry[1]



ambeer

ambeer
am·beer 
[ám beer] noun

Southern
U.S.
brownish-red
spit:
saliva in the mouth containing the juice of chewed tobacco
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of amber
and beer, from its color and foaminess.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term ambeer is limited to the tobacco-producing regions of the
  southeastern United States. But its main meaning, given here, is commonplace
  throughout the rural South.

[1]



amber

amber
am·ber 
[ámbər] noun

1.  yellow
fossil resin: a hard translucent fossil resin varying
in color from yellow to light brown, used for making jewelry and ornaments

2.  browny
yellow color: a yellow to brown color

3.  (plural
am·bers) signal for caution:
in a system of traffic signals, the yellow-colored light that advises caution.
A car at an amber must halt if it safely can, but a train may proceed with
caution.
adjective

yellowish-brown:
of a yellowish-brown color
[14th century. Via French ambre
from Arabic anbar “ambergris,” the original sense in English, from a
perceived similarity between the two.][1]



ambergris

ambergris
am·ber·gris 
[ámbər gris, ámbər
grees] noun

substance
used in perfumery: a gray waxy substance,
consisting mainly of cholesterol, secreted from the intestines of the sperm
whale. It is found floating in tropical waters or on beaches and is used in
perfume-making.
[15th century. From French ambre
gris, literally “gray amber.”][1]



amberjack

amberjack
am·ber·jack 
[ámbər jak] (plural am·ber·jacks
or am·ber·jack) noun

Atlantic fish:
a large sea fish found in warm Atlantic waters that has golden markings. Genus:
Seriola[1]



amberoid

amberoid
am·ber·oid
[ámbə royd] or am·broid [ámbroyd] noun

synthetic amber:
a synthetic form of amber made by heating and compressing valueless small
pieces of amber with other resins[1]



ambi-

ambi-
ambi-
prefix

both
• ambiversion
[From Latin ambi
“around, on both sides.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English by, umlaut, and amphi-
.][1]



ambiance

ambiance
am·bi·ance 
[ámbee əns] or am·bi·ence [ámbee əns] noun

atmosphere:
the typical atmosphere or mood of a place • a
restaurant with a welcoming ambiance
[Mid-20th century. From
French ambiance .][1]



ambidexterity

ambidexterity
am·bi·dex·ter·i·ty 
[àmbi dek stérrətee] noun

1.  ability
to use either hand: the ability to use either
hand with equal skill

2.  skillfulness:
general skillfulness, especially with the hands

3.  deceit:
dishonesty, deceit, or double-dealing (literary)

[1]



ambidextrous

ambidextrous
am·bi·dex·trous 
[àmbi dékstrəss] adjective

1.  using
either hand: able to use either the right or the left
hand with equal skill

2.  skillful
in many ways: very skillful and versatile
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin ambidexter, literally “right-handed on
both sides,” formed from Latin dexter “right-handed” (see dextrous ), from the traditional association of
the right hand with skill.]
—am·bi·dex·trous·ly [àmbi dékstrəsslee], adverb[1]



ambience

ambience
am·bi·ence 
noun

See
ambiance[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ambient

ambient
am·bi·ent 
[ámbiənt] adjective

in
surrounding area: in the immediately surrounding area • ambient
temperature
noun
ambient music

background
music:
a type of music that is usually instrumental and repetitive and often contains
soothing electronic sounds. It is used to create an atmosphere of calm or
relaxation.
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French, from Latin ambire, literally “to go around” (see ambition ).][1]



ambiguity

ambiguity
am·bi·gu·i·ty 
[àmbi gyətee] (plural am·bi·gu·i·ties)
noun

1.  doubt
about meaning: a situation in which something can be
understood in more than one way and it is not clear which meaning is intended

2.  statement
with more than one meaning: an expression or statement
that has more than one meaning

[1]



ambiguous

ambiguous
am·big·u·ous 
[am bíggyooəss] adjective

1.  having
more than one meaning: having more than one
possible meaning or interpretation • an
ambiguous response

2.  causing
uncertainty: causing uncertainty or confusion • an
ambiguous result
[Early
16th century. Formed from Latin ambiguus “undecided,” from ambigere
“to wander around,” from agere “to lead” (source of English agent ).]
—am·big·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—am·big·u·ous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  ambiguous
  or ambivalent ?
  Both
  words describe uncertainty in understanding what something or somebody means.
  The principal difference is that ambivalent
  is used of people and their attitudes, whereas ambiguous
  refers to something said or written. If people are ambivalent
  about disarmament, they are unsure about the advantages and disadvantages and
  cannot easily decide between the various arguments, whereas if a political
  leader makes an ambiguous statement about
  disarmament, then the statement has more than one possible meaning.

[1]



ambisexual

ambisexual
am·bi·sex·u·al 
[àmbi sékshooəl] (plural am·bi·sex·u·als)
adjective

1.  of
both sexes:
used to describe secondary sexual characteristics that are common to both sexes

2.  attracted
to both sexes: sexually responsive or attracted to both
sexes

3.  See
unisex
—am·bi·sex·u·al·i·ty [àmbi sekshoo àllətee], noun[1]



ambisonics

ambisonics
am·bi·son·ics
[ambi sniks] noun

sound
reproduction technique: a recording and reproduction
system that uses separate channels and speakers to create the effect of being
surrounded by sound (takes a singular verb)
—am·bi·son·ic, adjective[1]



ambit

ambit
am·bit 
[ámbit] (plural am·bits) noun

range
or boundary: the scope, extent, or limits of
something • within
the ambit of the court’s jurisdiction
[Late 16th century. From
Latin ambitus “circuit,” from ambire (see ambition ).][1]



ambition

ambition
am·bi·tion 
[am bísh’n] (plural am·bi·tions)
noun

1.  desire
for success: a strong feeling of wanting to be
successful in life and achieve great things

2.  aim
or goal:
an aim or objective that somebody is trying to achieve
[14th century. Via French,
from Latin ambitio, from ambire “to canvass for votes, go
around,” from ire “to go” (source of English exit
).][1]



ambitious

ambitious
am·bi·tious 
[am bíshəss] adjective

1.  having
strong desire for success: having a strong desire to be
successful in life

2.  needing
great effort to succeed: sounding impressive but
difficult to achieve because very high standards have been set or a great deal
of work is required • an
ambitious plan to increase market share

3.  strongly
desirous:
with a strong desire to have or do something • ambitious
to be the youngest person ever to win the championship
—am·bi·tious·ly,
adverb

—am·bi·tious·ness, noun[1]



ambivalence

ambivalence
am·biv·a·lence 
[am bívvələns] noun

1.  conflict
of ideas or attitudes: the presence of two opposing
ideas, attitudes, or emotions at the same time

2.  uncertainty:
a feeling of uncertainty about something due to a mental conflict
[Early 20th century. From
German Ambivalenz, which was modeled on Äquivalenz (see equivalence ).][1]



ambivalent

ambivalent
am·biv·a·lent 
[am bívvələnt] adjective

unsure:
having mixed, uncertain, or conflicting feelings about something

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at ambiguous.

[1]



ambiversion

ambiversion
am·bi·ver·sion 
[ambi vúrzhən] noun

combination
of introversion and extroversion: a personality pattern
that has characteristics of both introversion and extroversion
—am·bi·vert [ámbivurt], noun[1]



amble

amble
am·ble 
[ámb’l] intransitive verb (past
am·bled, past participle am·bled, present participle
am·bling, 3rd person present singular am·bles)

walk
slowly:
to walk slowly in a relaxed way “I took off shoes and socks and ambled along
carrying them, enjoying the evening sun.” Dick Francis The Danger 1983
noun

slow
walk:
a slow and relaxed walk or style of walking
[14th
century. Via French ambler from Latin ambulare “to walk.”]
—am·bler, noun[1]



amblygonite

amblygonite
am·blyg·o·nite 
[am blggə nīt] noun

ore
of lithium:
a white or grayish green mineral consisting of lithium aluminum
fluorophosphate. It is an important source of lithium.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from amblygon “obtuse-angled triangle,” from, ultimately, Greek amblugōnios
“obtuse-angled.” From the shape of its crystals.][1]



amblyopia

amblyopia
am·bly·o·pi·a 
[àmbli ṓpiə] noun

visual
impairment:
an impairment of the vision in one eye does not have a physical cause.
Also
called
lazy eye
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin, from Greek ambluōpia, literally
“dim-sightedness.”]
—am·bly·o·pic, adjective[1]



ambo

ambo
am·bo 
[ámb`ō] (plural am·bos or
am·bo·nes [am bṓneez]) noun

pulpit:
a stand or pulpit in early Christian churches from which the lessons or other
parts of the service were read
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek ambōn “raised edge (of a dish).”][1]



ambones

ambones
am·bo·nes


Plural of
ambo[1]



ambrette

ambrette
am·brette 
[am brét] (plural am·brette or
am·brettes) noun

See
abelmosk
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “a little ambergris,” from ambre (see amber ). From its musk-scented seeds.][1]



ambroid

ambroid
am·broid
noun

BOTANY
See amberoid[1]



Ambrose,Saint

Ambrose,Saint
Am·brose 
[ámbrōz], Saint (340?–397)

Roman priest and theologian .
As bishop of Milan from 374 he combatted Arianism and introduced much Greek
theology to the West.[1]



ambrosia

ambrosia
am·bro·sia 
[am brṓzhə] (plural am·bro·sias)
noun

1.  food
of the dieties: in classical mythology, the food of the
dieties, which was supposed to make those who ate it immortal

2.  something
delicious:
a substance that tastes or smells delicious (literary)

3.  fruit
and coconut dish: a dessert or salad made from oranges,
bananas, and coconut
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
from Greek, from ambrotos “immortal,” from an archaic form of brotos
“mortal.”][1]



ambrosial

ambrosial
am·bro·sial 
[am brṓzhəl] or am·bro·sian [am brṓzhən] adjective (literary)

1.  delicious-tasting:
delightful to taste or smell

2.  associated
with dieties: associated with the dieties
—am·bro·sial·ly, adverb[1]



ambry

ambry
am·bry 
[ámbree] (plural am·bries) or
aum·bry [áwmbree] (plural aum·bries)
noun

1.  recess
in church:
a small recess near the altar in a church, where sacred vessels are kept

2.  U.K.
small
cupboard:
a small cupboard or pantry (archaic)
[14th century. Via French armarie
from Latin armarium (see armoire ).][1]



ambsace

ambsace
ambs·ace 
[áymz àyss] (plural ambs·aces)
or ames·ace [áymz àyss] (plural
ames·aces) noun (archaic)

1.  double
ace:
the lowest throw at dice, with the single spot uppermost on both dice

2.  bad
luck:
bad luck or worthlessness
[13th century. Via Old French
ambes as, literally “both ace,” from Latin ambas as .][1]



ambulacrum

ambulacrum
am·bu·lac·rum 
[àmbyə láykrəm] (plural am·bu·lac·ra
[ambyə láykrə]) noun

part
of starfish: any one of the five radial areas on the
underside of a starfish, sea urchin, or similar animal, along which the blood
vessels and nerves run and through which the feet extend
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “avenue,” formed from ambulare (see ambulate ).]
—am·bu·lac·ral, adjective[1]



ambulance

ambulance
am·bu·lance 
[ámbyələns] (plural am·bu·lances)
noun

vehicle
for carrying to hospital: a vehicle designed and
equipped for carrying people to and from a hospital
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from hôpital ambulant “field hospital,” literally “walking
hospital,” from, ultimately, Latin ambulare (see ambulate ).][1]



ambulancechaser

ambulancechaser
am·bu·lance
chas·er
(plural am·bu·lance chasers) noun (slang disapproving)

1.  lawyer
benefiting from accidents: a lawyer who, in order to
earn large fees, seeks out accident victims and encourages them to claim heavy
damages

2.  overly
aggressive lawyer: a lawyer considered to be
overly aggressive and perhaps unethical
[Origin
uncertain: probably from the late-19C practice of disreputable lawyers in New
York City of commissioning ambulance drivers and police officers to inform them
of accidents]
—am·bu·lance chas·ing,
noun[1]



ambulant

ambulant
am·bu·lant 
[ámbyələnt] adjective

1.  traveling:
moving around from place to place

2.  MEDICINE See ambulatory
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin ambulare (see ambulate
).][1]



ambulate

ambulate
am·bu·late 
[ámbyə làyt] (past am·bu·lat·ed,
past participle am·bu·lat·ed, present participle am·bu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular am·bu·lates) intransitive verb

walk
around:
to walk or move from one place to another (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin ambulat-, the past participle stem of ambulare
“to walk” (source of English alley, amble, and pram
).]
—am·bu·la·tion, noun[1]



ambulatory

ambulatory
am·bu·la·to·ry 
[ámbyələ tàwree] adjective

1.  MEDICINE mobile:
used to describe a patient who is able to walk and does not have to be kept in
bed

2.  walking
or moving:
walking or moving around, or done while walking or moving (formal) • ambulatory
activities

3.  relating
to walking:
relating to or equipped for walking (formal)

4.  LAW revocable:
able to be revoked • an ambulatory will
noun
(plural am·bu·la·to·ries)

ARCHITECTURE walkway
in church or cloister: an aisle at the end of a
choir or chancel in a church, or a covered walkway of a cloister
—am·bu·la·to·ri·ly [àmbyələ táwrəlee], adverb[1]



ambuscade

ambuscade
am·bus·cade 
[ámbə skàayd] noun (plural am·bus·cades)

ambush
set:
an ambush set for somebody (literary)
transitive
verb
(past am·bus·cad·ed, past participle am·bus·cad·ed,
present participle am·bus·cad·ing, 3rd person present singular
am·bus·cades)

ambush
somebody:
to ambush somebody (literary)
[Late
16th century. Via French embuscade and Italian imboscata from,
ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin imboscare (see ambush
).]
—am·bus·cad·er, noun[1]



ambush

ambush
am·bush 
[ámbsh] noun (plural am·bush·es)

1.  surprise
attack:
an unexpected attack from a concealed position

2.  concealment
before attack: a concealment before a surprise attack • They
lay in ambush and waited for their victims.

3.  somebody
waiting in ambush: one or more people concealed
in order to make a surprise attack

4.  place
of concealment before attack: a hiding place used in an
ambush
verb
(past am·bushed, past participle am·bushed, present
participle am·bush·ing, 3rd person present singular am·bush·es)

1.  transitive
verb
attack:
to attack somebody or something suddenly from a concealed position

2.  intransitive
verb
hide
before attack: to wait in a hiding place to attack
somebody or take something by surprise
[14th
century. Via Old French embusche from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin imboscare,
literally “to hide in a bush,” from assumed boscus “bush” (related to
English bush ).]
—am·bush·er, noun[1]



ameba

ameba
a·me·ba 
noun

See
amoeba[1]



amebiasis

amebiasis
am·e·bi·a·sis 
[amə bəssiss] or am·oe·bi·a·sis
[amə bəssiss] noun

disease caused by amoeba:
an infection or disease affecting the bowel, caused by an amoeba Entamoeba
histolytica[1]



amebicdysentery

amebicdysentery
ame·bic
dys·en·ter·y or a·moe·bic dys·en·ter·y noun

intestinal infection:
an inflammation of the colon causing diarrhea of varying degrees of severity
that results from infection by an amoeba Entamoeba histolytica[1]



amebocyte

amebocyte
a·me·bo·cyte
(plural a·me·bo·cytes) noun

See
amoebocyte[1]



ameboid

ameboid
a·me·boid
adjective

See
amoeboid[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ameliorate

ameliorate
a·me·lio·rate 
[ə mliə ràyt] (past a·me·lio·rat·ed,
past participle a·me·lio·rat·ed, present participle a·me·lio·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular a·me·lio·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

improve:
to improve something or make it better (formal)
[Mid-18th
century. Alteration of meliorate (on the
model of French améliorer ).]
—a·me·lio·ra·ble
[ə mlee ərəb’l], adjective

—a·me·lio·rant,
noun

—a·me·lio·ra·tive,
adjective

—a·me·lio·ra·tor, noun[1]



amelioration

amelioration
a·me·lio·ra·tion 
[əmeeliə ráyshən] (plural a·me·lio·ra·tions)
noun

1.  process
of improvement: the act of improving something, or the
process of getting better

2.  improvement
made:
an improvement in something or somebody

[1]



amen

amen
a·men 
[ay mén, aa mén]
interjection

1.  so
be it:
said or sung at the end of a prayer or hymn to affirm its content

2.  expressing
strong agreement: used to express strong agreement • amen
to that
noun
(plural a·mens)

affirmation in a prayer:
an indication, at the end of a prayer or hymn, that the person praying or
singing affirms its content
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin and Greek, from Hebrew ‘āmēn “truly,” from ‘āman “to
confirm.”][1]



amenable

amenable
a·me·na·ble 
[ə mnəb’l] adjective

1.  willing
to cooperate: responsive to suggestion and likely to
cooperate

2.  accountable:
required to account for your behavior to an authority

3.  liable
to be judged: likely or available to be tested or
judged
[Late
16th century. From Anglo-Norman, from Old French amener, literally “to
bring to,” from, ultimately, Latin minari “to threaten,” from minae
“threats.”]
—a·me·na·bil·i·ty
[ə mnə bíllətee], noun

—a·me·na·ble·ness
[ə mnəb’lnəss], noun

—a·me·na·bly, adverb[1]



amencorner

amencorner
a·men
cor·ner
noun

1.  seats
for most devout: the part of some Protestant churches
where the most fervent worshipers sit

2.  enthusiastic
supporters:
a group of supporters or followers who tend to agree with everything their
leader says (informal) • As
usual, enthusiastic support for the bill came from the sponsoring senator’s
amen corner.
[From
the practice of responding to the preacher’s prayers by saying “amen”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  The
  term amen corner has traditionally been
  used in certain Protestant churches to describe the area set aside for
  members of the congregation who tend to make verbal responses, including the
  response Amen . By extension the term has come to mean, outside the
  world of religious worship, any area where strong support and high feeling
  are expressed on behalf of a speaker or performer.

[1]



amend

amend
a·mend 
[ə ménd] (past a·mend·ed, past
participle a·mend·ed, present participle a·mend·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·mends) verb

1.  transitive
verb
improve
or correct something: to make changes to
something, especially a piece of text, in order to improve or correct it

2.  transitive
verb
revise
legislation: to revise or alter formally a motion,
bill, or constitution

3.  intransitive
verb
behave
better:
to improve your behavior
[13th
century. Via French amender from, ultimately, Latin emendare “to
correct,” from menda “error” (source of English emend and mendicant
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  amend
  or emend ?
  The
  normal word to use in general contexts is amend
  . Emend is normally restricted to the
  correction of errors in a printed or written text. • The
  ambiguous wording at the beginning of the document needs amending (= changing
  to something clearer). • By
  emending two words (= suggesting alternatives to them because they may have
  been copied wrongly) it is possible to make the sentence intelligible.

[1]



amendatory

amendatory
a·men·da·to·ry 
[ə méndə tàwree] adjective

corrective:
intended or serving to correct or improve something[1]



amendment

amendment
a·mend·ment 
[ə méndmənt] (plural a·mend·ments)
noun

1.  alteration
to something: a change, correction, or improvement to
something

2.  change
to legal instrument: an addition or alteration to
a motion, bill, or constitution

3.  process
of changing or improving something: the
process of changing, correcting, or improving something • The
bill was passed without amendment.

[1]



amends

amends
a·mends 
[ə méndz] noun

restitution
of wrong:
something done or given as compensation for a wrong (takes a singular or
plural verb) • a desire to make amends
after the misunderstanding • No
amends were forthcoming even after we had proven that they were in the wrong.
[14th century. From Old
French amendes, the plural of amende “reparation,” from amender
(see amend ).][1]



amenities

amenities
a·men·i·ties
[ə ménəteez, ə
mnəteez] plural noun

1.  social
pleasantries: any gestures and words of courtesy or
pleasantness • The
secretary of state and the foreign minister engaged in the usual diplomatic
amenities before signing the treaty.

2.  attractive
extras:
the features that, when taken together, make a place such as a hotel or resort
attractive to guests or customers • among
the usual amenities such as hair dryers in every room of the hotel

3.  toilet:
a toilet, especially one in a public building (used euphemistically)

[1]



amenity

amenity
a·men·i·ty 
[ə ménətee, ə
mnətee] (plural a·men·i·ties) noun

1.  public
facility:
a useful or attractive feature or service, for example, leisure facilities (often
used in the plural)

2.  pleasantness:
an experience of pleasantness or attractiveness • thoroughly
enjoyed the amenity of the clean mountain air in the summer
[14th century. Directly or
via French aménité from Latin amoenitas, from amoenus
“pleasant.”][1]



amenorrhea

amenorrhea
a·men·or·rhe·a
[ay mènə rə] or a·men·or·rhoe·a
[ay mènə rə] noun

absence
of menstruation: the noteworthy absence or suppression of
menstruation
—a·men·or·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



amensalism

amensalism
a·men·sa·lism 
[ay ménsə lìzzəm] noun

inhibition
of one population by another: an interaction between
populations of two species that harms one but not the other
[Origin uncertain: probably
coined from commensalism][1]



ament

ament
a·ment
[ámmənt, áymənt]
(plural a·ments) noun

BOTANY catkin:
a catkin (technical)
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
amentum “strap.”][1]



Amer.

Amer.
Amer.

Abbreviation of
American[1]



Amerasian

Amerasian
Am·er·a·sian 
[amə ráyən] noun (plural Am·er·a·sians)

somebody
of American and Asian descent: somebody of both
American and Asian parentage
adjective

of
of American and Asian descent:: having both American
and Asian parentage
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
American and Asian
.][1]



amerce

amerce
a·merce 
[ə múrs] (past a·merced, past
participle a·merced, present participle a·merc·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·merc·es) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  punish
with fine:
to punish somebody with a fine

2.  punish
arbitrarily: to punish somebody in an arbitrary way
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman amercier “to place at one’s mercy (as to the
amount of a fine),” from Old French a merci, literally “at (one’s)
mercy.”]
—a·merce·a·ble,
adjective

—a·merce·ment, noun[1]



America

America
A·mer·i·ca 
[ə mérrikə]

1.  See
United States

2.  N,
S, and Central America: a landmass comprising North
America, South America, and Central America

3.  N.
America:
North America (informal)
[Early
16th century. From Americus, Latinized form of the first name of Amerigo
Vespucci (1454–1512), Italian navigator.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue
  The
  use of America to mean the United States may cause offense to people from
  Canada and Mexico, and should be avoided.

[1]



American

American1
A·mer·i·can1  [ə
mérrikən] noun (plural A·mer·i·cans)

somebody from United States:
somebody who was born in or is a citizen of the United States
adjective

1.  of
the United States: relating to the United
States, its people, its culture, or the form of English spoken there

2.  of
the American continents: relating to

North,
South, and Central America
[Mid-16th
century. From modern Latin Americanus, from America
.]
—A·mer·i·can·ness, noun[1]



American

American2
A·mer·i·can2  [ə
mérrikən]

river in north central
California flowing southward to join the Sacramento River at Sacramento. Gold
discovered along the river in 1848 spurred the California Gold Rush. Length: 48
km/30 mi.[1]



Americana

Americana
A·mer·i·ca·na 
[ə mèri knə] noun

1.  collectible
items from United States: things from or about the
United States, especially items that are valued by collectors (takes a
singular or plural verb)

2.  culture
of United States: the culture of the United States (takes
a singular verb)

[1]



Americanchameleon

Americanchameleon
A·mer·i·can
cha·me·leon
(plural A·mer·i·can chameleons) noun

See
anole[1]



Americancheese

Americancheese
A·mer·i·can
cheese
noun

mild cheese product:
a smooth processed cheese with a mild taste similar to cheddar[1]



Americanchestnut

Americanchestnut
A·mer·i·can
chest·nut
(plural A·mer·i·can chest·nuts) noun

chestnut tree:
a North American deciduous tree with rough bark that produces catkins and
spiny-covered nuts. Almost annihilated by a blight, it is now found chiefly as
shoots from old stumps. Latin name: Castanea dentata[1]



Americandream

Americandream
A·mer·i·can
dream
or A·mer·i·can Dream noun

traditional U.S. social
ideals: the idea that everyone in
the United States has the chance to achieve success and prosperity [1]



Americaneagle

Americaneagle
A·mer·i·can
ea·gle
(plural A·mer·i·can ea·gles) noun

See
bald eagle[1]



Americanelm

Americanelm
A·mer·i·can
elm
(plural A·mer·i·can elms) noun

elm tree:
a North American elm tree with large spreading branches and winged fruits,
often grown for shade or ornament. Once characteristic of U.S. streets and
lawns, it has largely disappeared because of Dutch elm disease. Latin name: Ulmus
americana[1]



AmericanEnglish

AmericanEnglish
A·mer·i·can
Eng·lish
noun

English
spoken in United States: the form of English that is
spoken in the United States





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  American English is the English language as
  used in the United States of America. With a population of over 260 million,
  the United States is the largest and most influential English-speaking
  country in the world, and English has been in use within its present borders
  for over 400 years. American English can be described in terms of three
  groups: (1) The dialect divisions Northern, Coastal Southern, Midland, and
  Western; (2) Distinctive urban varieties, as in New York and New Orleans; (3)
  Vernacular forms such as African American English and Jewish English. Because
  many (especially immigrant) Americans have at least one language other than
  English, they may casually mix English with those languages, as in the remark
  Sometimes I start a sentence in English y termino en español (“… and
  end in Spanish”). Spanish is the most prominent other language, and the
  hybrid variety Spanglish has distinctive forms in New York, Florida,
  Texas, California, and Puerto Rico. Although English is the administrative
  language of the nation, is culturally dominant, and is the statutory official
  language in many states, it is not statutory at the federal level - a
  situation that has engendered no small controversy.
  The
  history of American English falls into three broad periods: (1) Colonial
  1607-1776, dominated by British English norms; (2) National 1776-1898,
  exhibiting a vigorous and growing independence that included dictionaries and
  style guides; and (3) International 1898-, marked by a steadily
  increasing worldwide influence and prestige. American English tends to be
  nasal and, apart from three areas (eastern New England, New York City, and
  the Southern states), it is “rhotic” ( r is pronounced in words such
  as art, door, and worker) and “retroflex” ( r pronounced with the tip
  of the tongue curled back and raised). The spelling, punctuation, grammar,
  vocabulary, and idiom of standard American English have been established
  since the late 19th century; it differs in many ways from British English and
  other varieties, with the exception of Philippine English, which follows the
  U.S. model, and Canadian English, which has features of both American English
  and British English). See African American
  Vernacular English, Canadian English,
  Hawaiian English, Philippine
  English .
  Although
  standard American and British English are similar, there are significant
  differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. With pronunciation,
  the two Englishes differ chiefly in vowel quality, stress, and voice timbre.
  For example, Americans pronounce the a in words such as ask, grass,
  and path in a flat short manner, as in gasoline, whereas
  British English speakers use a broad a, as in father, when
  saying these words. American English speakers rather clearly articulate
  certain unaccented syllables, such as -ary in secretary,
  whereas British English speakers clip them to yield pronunciations such as secret’ry
  . American English often places stress on the first syllables of certain
  words, such as laboratory and excess, whereas British English
  moves the stress to medial or terminal positions, as in their pronunciations
  /lə bórrətri/ and /ek séss/. The reverse is also true with words such as garage,
  in which the U.S. stress is on the last syllable, whereas the U.K. stress is
  on the first syllable. As for spelling, Americans use, for example, aluminum,
  center, encyclopedia, color, fulfill, and tire
  whereas British speakers use aluminium, centre, encyclopaedia,
  colour, fulfil, and tyre . In terms of vocabulary, the
  two Englishes can and do diverge markedly: American English uses molasses,
  snow pea, truck stop, and zucchini, while British
  English uses treacle, mangetout, transport cafe, and courgette
  for the same things. By preference or established convention, American
  English tends to prefer store, defog, visor, and rooster,
  while British English prefers shop, demist, peak and cock
  . American and British English are also set apart by sets of words sharing
  elements in common, yet being distinctively different words for the same
  things. American English speakers say talk show, fish stick, substitute
  teacher, and moving van, while speakers of British English say chat
  show, fish finger, supply teacher, and removal van .
  The two Englishes also have sets of words covering the same subject matter,
  yet not having the same specific meanings. A prime example is the food term biscuit,
  which, in British English, is the equivalent of U.S. cookie, while biscuit
  in American English is a small, round, light pastry. Finally, there are words
  mutually exclusive to each English, based upon historical, social, and
  cultural differences: for example, inside the Beltway referring to
  people, opinions, and issues close to the nation’s capital, is U.S. English
  only, whereas Questions in the Commons or Question Time, the
  period when members of the British Parliament may question government
  ministers, is British English only. Finally, the idiomatic expressions used
  in both varieties of English can and do differ: a tempest in a teapot
  is American English; a storm in a teacup is British English.

[1]



AmericanFalls

AmericanFalls
A·mer·i·can
Falls

part of Niagara Falls on the
Niagara River on the U.S. side of the boundary with Canada. About two-thirds of
the water volume for Niagara Falls passes over American Falls. Height: 55 m/182
ft.[1]



Americanfootball

Americanfootball
A·mer·i·can
foot·ball
noun

See
football[1]



AmericanFork

AmericanFork
A·mer·i·can
Fork

city in northern Utah, beside
Utah Lake, southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of Provo. Population:
19,451 (1996)[1]



Americanfoxhound

Americanfoxhound
A·mer·i·can
fox·hound
(plural A·mer·i·can fox·hounds) noun

small foxhound:
a small dog bred in the United States, with drooping ears and a smooth black,
tan, and white coat. It is smaller than the English foxhound.[1]



Americanfries

Americanfries
A·mer·i·can
fries
or A·mer·i·can fried po·ta·toes plural noun

pan-fried potatoes:
boiled potatoes, sliced and pan-fried[1]



Americangothic

Americangothic
A·mer·i·can
gothic
or A·mer·i·can Goth·ic adjective

hard-working
and strait-laced: depicting or representing hard work,
frugality, and conservative social attitudes traditionally associated with
rural and small-town United States
[Named for a 1930 painting by
the Iowan painter Grant Wood (1892–1942), which depicts a dour farm couple and
their surroundings][1]



AmericanIndian

AmericanIndian
A·mer·i·can
In·di·an
(plural A·mer·i·can In·di·ans) noun

Native
American:
a Native American (dated)
—A·mer·i·can In·di·an,
adjective[1]



Americanism

Americanism
A·mer·i·can·ism 
[ə mérrikənizzəm] (plural A·mer·i·can·isms)
noun

1.  U.S.
expression or feature: a word, phrase, or custom
that originated in, or is regarded as characteristic of, the United States

2.  loyalty
to United States: strong affection or support for the
United States

[1]



Americanist

Americanist
A·mer·i·can·ist 
[ə mérrikənist] (plural A·mer·i·can·ists)
noun

1.  authority
on United States: an expert on the life, history,
language, or culture of the United States

2.  specialist
in Native American cultures: somebody who is a student of
or specialist in the languages and cultures of Native Americans

[1]



Americanize

Americanize
A·mer·i·can·ize 
[ə mérrikə n`īz] (past A·mer·i·can·ized,
past participle A·mer·i·can·ized, present participle A·mer·i·can·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular A·mer·i·can·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

make
or become American: to give something the form,
style, or qualities associated with or used in the United States, or to take on
such qualities
—A·mer·i·can·i·za·tion
[ə mèrikə nī záyshən], noun[1]



Americankestrel

Americankestrel
A·mer·i·can
kes·trel
noun

See
sparrow hawk  noun 1[1]



AmericanLegion

AmericanLegion
A·mer·i·can
Le·gion
noun

U.S. veterans’ organization:
an organization of veterans of the U.S. armed services, founded in 1919[1]



Americanpit bull terrier

Americanpit bull terrier
A·mer·i·can
pit bull ter·ri·er (plural A·mer·i·can
pit bull ter·ri·ers) noun

See
pit bull terrier[1]



Americanplan

Americanplan
A·mer·i·can
plan
noun

single charge for meals and
board: a pricing system used in
hotels and resorts in which there is a fixed per-day charge for room and meals.

U.K. term
full board[1]



AmericanRevised Version

AmericanRevised Version
A·mer·i·can
Re·vised Ver·sion noun

See
American Standard Version[1]



AmericanRevolution

AmericanRevolution
A·mer·i·can
Rev·o·lu·tion noun

U.S. war of independence:
the war in which the American colonies won independence from Great Britain
(1775–1783).
U.K. term
American War of Independence[1]



Americansaddle horse

Americansaddle horse
A·mer·i·can
sad·dle horse (plural A·mer·i·can sad·dle
hors·es) noun

high-stepping horse:
a high-stepping saddle horse, originally bred in Kentucky and trained to walk,
trot, canter, gallop, and pace[1]



AmericanSamoa

AmericanSamoa

A·me·ri·can Sa·mo·a

U.S. territory, consisting of a group of
South Pacific islands, in the Samoan island chain. Pago Pago is the seat of
government. Population: 59,566 (1996) Area: 200 sq km/77 sq mi.[1]



Americanshorthair

Americanshorthair
A·mer·i·can
short·hair
(plural A·mer·i·can short·hairs) noun

U.S. domestic cat:
a domestic cat belonging to a breed with a broad head and short thick coat[1]



AmericanSign Language

AmericanSign Language
A·mer·i·can
Sign Lan·guage noun

communication system using
hand signs: a system of communication
used by and with people with impaired hearing that uses signs made with the
hands.
Also called
Ameslan[1]



AmericanStaffordshire terrier

AmericanStaffordshire terrier
A·mer·i·can
Staf·ford·shire ter·ri·er  (plural A·mer·i·can
Staf·ford·shire ter·ri·ers) noun

See
pit bull terrier[1]



AmericanStandard Code for Information Interchange

AmericanStandard Code for Information Interchange
A·mer·i·can
Stan·dard Code for In·for·ma·tion In·ter·change noun

COMPUTING
Full form of ASCII[1]



AmericanStandard Version

AmericanStandard Version
A·mer·i·can
Stan·dard Ver·sion noun

U.S. version of Bible:
a United States revision of the King James Bible, published in 1901.
Also called
American Revised Version[1]



AmericanWar of Independence

AmericanWar of Independence
A·mer·i·can
War of In·de·pend·ence noun

See
American Revolution[1]



Americanwater spaniel

Americanwater spaniel
A·mer·i·can
wa·ter span·iel (plural A·mer·i·can wa·ter
span·iels) noun

U.S. hunting dog:
a dog with a tightly curled brown coat belonging to a breed used for hunting.
The dog is an excellent swimmer and uses its tail as a rudder.[1]



Americas

Americas
A·mer·i·cas
[ə mérrikəz]

See
America  2[1]



americium

americium

am·er·i·ci·um 
[àmə rísshiəm] noun
radioactive
chemical element: a white radioactive metallic chemical
element used as a source of alpha particles to make other artificial
radioactive elements. Symbol Am
[Mid-20th century. Named for America,
where it was first produced.][1]



Americus

Americus
A·me·ri·cus 
[ə mérrikəss]

city southeast of Columbus,
in southwestern Georgia. It is an agricultural trading center. Population:
16,606 (1996)[1]



Amerind

Amerind
A·mer·ind
[ámə rìnd] noun

proposed family of American
languages: a proposed grouping of
languages, defined by some linguists as all those that were spoken in the
Americas before the arrival of Europeans, except the Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Dené
families[1]



Amerindian

Amerindian
Am·er·in·di·an 
[àmə ríndiən] noun (plural Am·er·in·di·ans)
adjective

Native
American:
a Native American (dated, sometimes considered offensive)
[Late
19th century. A blend of American and Indian .]
—Am·er·in·dic [àmə ríndik], adjective[1]



Ames

Ames
Ames 
[aymz]

city in central Iowa, home to
Iowa State University of Science and Technology. Population: 47,698 (1996)[1]



amesace

amesace
ames·ace
(plural ames·aces) noun

See
ambsace[1]



Ameslan

Ameslan
Am·es·lan 
[ámmə slàn] noun

See
American Sign Language
[Late 20th century. Acronym.][1]



Amestest

Amestest
Ames
test
[áymz test] (plural Ames tests)
noun

test
for carcinogens: a test used to determine the
cancer-causing potential of a chemical or other agent by measuring its effect
on bacteria
[Late 20th century. Named for
the U.S. biochemist Bruce N. Ames (born 1928), who developed it.][1]



amethopterin

amethopterin
am·e·thop·ter·in 
[àmmi thóptərin] noun

See
methotrexate[1]



amethyst

amethyst

am·e·thyst 
[ámməthəst] noun (plural am·e·thysts)

1.  MINERALS violet
quartz gemstone: a translucent violet variety of quartz
used as a gemstone

2.  MINERALS purple
gemstone:
a purple variety of corundum used as a gemstone

3.  COLORS bluish-purple:
a bluish-purple color
adjective

1.  MINERALS of
amethyst:
made of or containing amethyst

2.  COLORS of
bluish-purple color: of a bluish-purple color
[13th
century. Via Old French and Latin, from Greek amethustos, literally “not
intoxicating,” from, ultimately, methu “wine” (source of English methyl ). From the belief that it prevented
drunkenness.]
—am·e·thys·tine [àmə thíst īn], adjective[1]



ametropia

ametropia
am·e·tro·pi·a 
[àmi trṓpiə] noun

visual
impairment:
a condition such as myopia or astigmatism in which a refractive error prevents
the eye from focusing light on the retina
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek ametros “irregular,” literally “without
measure” (formed from metron “measure” ) + -opia
.]
—am·e·trop·ic [ami trpik], adjective[1]



Amex

Amex
Amex
[ámmeks] or AMEX [ámmeks]

Abbreviation of
American Stock Exchange[1]



Amharic

Amharic
Am·har·ic 
[am hárrik] noun

language
of Ethiopia: the official language of Ethiopia,
belonging to the Semitic branch of Afro-Asiatic languages. Amharic is written
in Ethiopic script. It has nearly 15 million native speakers, with as many more
speaking it as a second language.
[Early
19th century. Formed from Amhara, the name of a province in northwestern
Ethiopia.]
—Am·har·ic, adjective[1]



Amherst

Amherst
Am·herst 
[ám ərst]

1.  city
north of Springfield, in southwestern Massachusetts. It is home to Amherst
College and the University of Massachusetts. Population: 35,468 (1996)

2.  city
west of Cleveland, near Lake Erie, in northern Ohio. Population: 11,311 (1996)

[1]



Amherst,Jeffrey

Amherst,Jeffrey
Am·herst 
[ám hùrst], Jeffrey, Baron (1717–1797)

British colonial North
American administrator. He was governor-general of the British-held American
territories (1760–1763).[1]



amiable

amiable
a·mi·a·ble 
[áymiəb’l] adjective

1.  friendly
and pleasant: friendly and pleasant to be with

2.  with
friendly feelings: characterized by friendly
feelings
[14th
century. Via French, from late Latin, amicabilis (see amicable ), influenced in meaning by French aimable
“lovable” (from Latin amabilis, from amare “to love”).]
—a·mi·a·bil·i·ty
[àymiə bíllətee], noun

—a·mi·a·ble·ness
[áymiəb’lnəss], noun

—a·mi·a·bly, adverb[1]



amianthus

amianthus
am·i·an·thus 
[àmee ánthəss] (plural am·i·an·thus·es)
noun

type
of asbestos: a type of asbestos with thin silky
fibers
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, from Greek amiantos, literally “undefiled,” from miainein
“to defile.”][1]



amicable

amicable
am·i·ca·ble 
[ámmikəb’l] adjective

friendly:
characterized by or done in friendliness, without anger or bad feelings • an
amicable divorce
[15th
century. From late Latin amicabilis, from Latin amicus “friend”
(source also of English enemy ), from
amare “to love.”]
—am·i·ca·bil·i·ty
[àmikə bíllətee], noun

—am·i·ca·ble·ness
[ámmikəb’lnəss], noun

—am·i·ca·bly, adverb[1]



amice

amice
am·ice 
[ámmiss] (plural am·ices) noun

religious
garment:
a length of white fabric worn by a Christian priest or minister around the neck
and shoulders
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French amit from Latin amictus
“cloak,” from amicire “to cover,” from iacere “to throw.”][1]



amicuscuriae

amicuscuriae
am·i·cus
cu·ri·ae 
[ə mkəss kyree ] (plural am·i·ci
cu·ri·ae [ə mkī kyree ]) or a·mi·cus
[ə mkəss kyree ] (plural a·mi·ci)
noun

somebody
who assists court: somebody who is not a party
to a legal case but whose counsel provides information to the court on the
legal issues involved.
Also
called
friend of the court
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “friend of the court.”][1]



amid

amid
a·mid 
[ə míd] or a·midst [ə mídst] preposition

1.  within
or among:
surrounded by things or people • a
small lake amid the hills

2.  while
something is happening: used to indicate the
circumstances or events around or accompanying something • I
sat down amid roars of laughter.
[12th century. Formed from an
earlier form of middle .][1]



amide

amide
am·ide 
[á md, ámmid]
(plural am·ides) noun

1.  inorganic
derivative of ammonia: any inorganic compound
derived from ammonia and containing the NH 2 ion

2.  organic
derivative of ammonia: any organic compound derived
from ammonia, formed by the replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms with acyl
groups
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from ammonia .]
—a·mid·ic [ə míddik], adjective[1]



amidol

amidol
am·i·dol 
[ámmi dl] noun

photographic
developing fluid: a colorless, water-soluble, crystalline
compound used as a photographic developer. C6H8N2O·2HCL
[Late 19th century. From
German, a trademark.][1]



amidships

amidships
a·mid·ships 
[ə mídships] or a·mid·ship [ə mídships] adverb adjective

near center of vessel:
near or in the middle of a boat or ship[1]



amidst

amidst
a·midst 
preposition

See
amid[1]



amigo

amigo
a·mi·go 
[ə mgō] (plural a·mi·gos) noun

friend:
a friend (used especially in Spanish-speaking regions)
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, from Latin amicus “friend.”][1]



amine

amine
a·mine 
[ə mn, á mn]
(plural a·mines) noun

organic
derivative of ammonia: any organic derivative of
ammonia formed by the replacement of hydrogen with one or more alkyl groups
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from ammonia .][1]



-amine

-amine
-amine
suffix

amine
• tryptamine
[From amine][1]



Amin,Idi

Amin,Idi
A·min
[aa mn], Idi (1925– )

Ugandan politician. Under his
presidency (1971–1979), approximately 70,000 Asians were expelled from Uganda,
and perhaps as many as 300,000 Ugandans were killed.[1]



amino

amino
a·mi·no 
[ə mnō] adjective

relating to compound with NH 2:
used to describe a chemical compound containing the NH 2 group of
atoms[1]



amino-

amino-
amino-
prefix

containing
an NH 2 group combined with a
nonacid radical • aminophenol
[Formed from amine][1]



aminoacid

aminoacid
a·mi·no
ac·id
(plural a·mi·no ac·ids) noun

constituent of protein:
an organic acid containing one or more amino groups, especially any of a group
that make up proteins and are important to living cells. Some can be
synthesized by the body nonessential amino acids and others must be obtained
through the diet essential amino acids .[1]



aminobenzoicacid

aminobenzoicacid
a·mi·no·ben·zo·ic
ac·id 
[ə mnō ben zṓ ik ássid] (plural a·mi·no·ben·zo·ic
ac·ids) noun

crystalline compound:
any of three crystalline solids derived from benzoic acid, especially
para-aminobenzoic acid, which is used in sunscreen lotions. C7H7NO2[1]



aminopeptidase

aminopeptidase
a·mi·no·pep·ti·dase
[ə mnō péptə dàyss] noun

intestinal enzyme:
an enzyme bound to the lining of the small intestine, where it breaks down
dietary peptides into amino acids[1]



aminophenol

aminophenol
a·mi·no·phe·nol 
[ə mnō fnaal] (plural a·mi·no·phe·nols)
noun

organic compound:
any of three white soluble organic compounds used in dyes and photographic
developers. C6H7NO[1]



amir

amir
a·mir 
noun

See
emir[1]



Amish

Amish
A·mish 
[mish] plural noun

members
of U.S. Protestant group: members of a Protestant
group who migrated from Europe to the United States and Canada in the 18th
century. The Amish seek to maintain a way of life based on the Bible.
adjective

of
the Amish:
relating to the Amish people or their culture
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from German amisch . Named for Jacob Ammann
or Amen, a 17th century Swiss Mennonite preacher.][1]



amiss

amiss
a·miss 
[ə míss] adverb

incorrectly:
incorrectly or inappropriately • Things
began to go amiss after she left.
adjective

wrong:
incorrect, inappropriate, or not as it should be • We
knew immediately from the disorder in the house that something was amiss.
[13th
century. From Old Norse á mis, literally “so as to miss.”]
take
something amiss

to be upset or offended by
something, even though no offense was intended[1]



amitosis

amitosis
a·mi·to·sis
[àymī tṓssiss] noun

cell
division:
cell division by simple division of the nucleus and cytoplasm, without the
appearance of chromosomes
[Late
19th century. Formed from mitosis .]
—a·mi·tot·ic [àymītáwtik], adjective[1]



amitriptyline

amitriptyline
am·i·trip·tyl·ine 
[àmi tríptə leen] noun

antidepressant drug:
an antidepressant drug with sedative effects, also used to treat chronic pain[1]



amity

amity
am·i·ty 
[ámmətee] noun

friendliness:
friendliness and peaceful relations (formal)
[15th century. Via French amitié
from medieval Latin amicitas, from Latin amicus “friend” (see amicable ).][1]



Amman

Amman
Am·man 
[aa mn]

capital of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, in the northwestern part of the country, northeast of the
Dead Sea. Population: 1,000,000 (1994)[1]



ammeter

ammeter
am·me·ter 
[ámm tər] (plural am·me·ters)
noun

current-measuring
device:
an instrument used for measuring electric current in amperes
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ampere + -meter
.][1]



ammine

ammine
am·mine 
[ámm een] (plural am·mines) noun

ammonia
compound:
a chemical compound containing one or more ammonia molecules attached to a salt
or similar compound through coordinate bonds.
Also
called
ammonate
[Late 19th century. Formed
from ammonia .][1]



ammo

ammo
am·mo 
[ámmō] noun

ammunition:
ammunition (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



ammocoete

ammocoete
am·mo·coete 
[ámmə st] (plural am·mo·coetes)
or am·mo·cete [ámmə st] (plural
am·mo·cetes) noun

lamprey
larva:
the filter-feeding larva of the lamprey
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Ammocoetes, genus name originally given to the larva, from
Greek ammos “sand” + koitē “bed.”][1]



ammonate

ammonate
am·mo·nate
[ámmənàyt] noun

See
ammine[1]



ammonia

ammonia
am·mo·nia 
[ə mṓnyə] noun

1.  pungent
gas:
a colorless gas with a pungent odor that is highly soluble in water. It is used
in refrigeration and in the manufacture of fertilizers, explosives, plastics,
and other chemicals. NH3

2.  ammonia
solution:
a solution of ammonia in water, used as a household cleaner and in the
manufacture of a wide range of products including fertilizers and textiles.
Also
called
ammonia water
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin sal ammoniacus, literally “salt of Ammon,”
from, ultimately, Greek Ammōn “Ammon,” an Egyptian god near whose temple
ammonia and ammoniac were said to be obtained.][1]



ammoniac

ammoniac
am·mo·ni·ac
[ə mṓnee àk] noun

gum
resin:
a strong-smelling brownish yellow gum resin obtained from an Asian plant of the
carrot family, used in medicine and as a porcelain cement.
Also
called
gum ammoniac See ammoniacal
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin ammoniacus (see ammonia
).][1]



ammoniacal

ammoniacal
am·mo·ni·a·cal
[ámmə n ək’l] or am·mo·ni·ac
[ámmə n ək’l] adjective

containing or like ammonia:
containing or resembling ammonia[1]



ammoniate

ammoniate
am·mo·ni·ate 
[ə mṓnee àyt] (past am·mo·ni·at·ed,
past participle am·mo·ni·at·ed, present participle am·mo·ni·at·ing,
3rd person present singular am·mo·ni·ates) transitive verb

treat
with ammonia: to treat or combine something with
ammonia or an ammonia compound
—am·mo·ni·a·tion [ə m`ōnee áyshən], noun[1]



ammoniawater

ammoniawater
am·mo·nia
wa·ter
noun

See
ammonia  noun 2[1]



ammonification

ammonification
am·mon·i·fi·ca·tion 
[ə mnəfə káyshən] noun

1.  treating
or mixing with ammonia: the treatment with ammonia
or the combination of something with ammonia

2.  formation
of ammonia:
the formation of ammonia or ammonia compounds through the bacterial
decomposition of organic compounds

[1]



ammonify

ammonify
am·mon·i·fy 
[ə mnə f`_i] (past am·mon·i·fied,
past participle am·mon·i·fied, present participle am·mon·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular am·mon·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

treat
with ammonia: to treat something with ammonia or to
undergo ammonification
—am·mon·i·fi·er, noun[1]



ammonite

ammonite1

am·mo·nite1  [ámmə
nt] (plural am·monites) noun

1.  extinct
sea animal:
an extinct marine mollusk with a flat partitioned spiral shell.
Also
called
ammonoid

2.  fossilized
ammonite shell: the fossilized shell of an ammonite
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin ammonites, from medieval Latin cornu
Ammonis, literally “horn of Ammon.” From its resemblance to a ram’s horns,
which characterize representations of the Egyptian god Ammon.]
—am·mo·nit·ic [àmə níttik], adjective[1]



ammonite

ammonite2
am·mo·nite2  [ámmənt]
noun

1.  fertilizer:
a mixture of dried animal wastes, used as a fertilizer

2.  explosive:
an explosive consisting of ammonium nitrate and TNT
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ammonium + nitrate
.][1]



Ammonite

Ammonite
Am·mon·ite 
[ámmə nt] (plural Am·mon·ites)
noun

member
of Semitic people in Bible: a member of an ancient
Semitic people in the Bible who lived between the Syrian desert and the Jordan
River from the 13th to the 6th centuries BC.
They were constant enemies of the Israelites.
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin, from Hebrew ‘Ammōn “Ammon (son of Lot).”][1]



ammonium

ammonium
am·mo·ni·um 
[ə mṓneeəm] noun

ammonia
ion:
relating to or containing the NH 4 +
ion derived from ammonia
[Early 19th century. Formed
from ammonia .][1]



ammoniumbicarbonate

ammoniumbicarbonate
am·mo·ni·um
bi·car·bon·ate noun

ingredient of baking powder:
a white crystalline solid that is used in baking powder. NH4HCO3[1]



ammoniumcarbonate

ammoniumcarbonate
am·mo·ni·um
car·bon·ate
noun

ingredient of smelling salts:
a white crystalline solid that is used in smelling salts, baking powder, and
dyeing. (NH4)2CO3 
Also called
sal volatile[1]



ammoniumchloride

ammoniumchloride
am·mo·ni·um
chlo·ride
noun

chemical used in batteries:
a white crystalline solid that is used as a soldering flux, in dry batteries,
and in medicine as an expectorant. NH4Cl
Also called
sal ammoniac[1]



ammoniumhydroxide

ammoniumhydroxide
am·mo·ni·um
hy·drox·ide
noun

ammonia-water solution:
a solution of ammonia in water[1]



ammoniumnitrate

ammoniumnitrate
am·mo·ni·um
ni·trate
noun

ingredient of fertilizers and
explosives: a colorless crystalline
solid that is used as a fertilizer and in herbicides, insecticides, and
explosives. NH4NO3[1]



ammoniumsulfate

ammoniumsulfate
am·mo·ni·um
sul·fate
noun

ingredient of fertilizers:
a colorless crystalline solid that is used in fertilizers and to purify water.
(NH4)2SO4[1]



ammonoid

ammonoid
am·mo·noid 
[ámmə nòyd] (plural am·mo·noids)
noun

See
ammonite 1 noun 1
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Ammonoidea, order name, which was formed from ammonites
“ammonite.”][1]



Ammons,Archie Randolph

Ammons,Archie Randolph
Am·mons
[ámmənz], Archie Randolph (1926– )

U.S. poet, an important
exponent of the tradition of transcendentalism in U.S. poetry.[1]



ammunition

ammunition
am·mu·ni·tion 
[àmyə nísh’n] noun

1.  bullets
and missiles: bullets, shells, missiles, and other
projectiles used as weapons

2.  explosive
material:
bombs, grenades, and other explosive devices or substances used as weapons

3.  supporting
facts:
facts and information that can be used to support a point of view in an
argument
[Late 16th century. From
French, an alteration (due to mistaking “la munition” for “l’amunition”) of munition
(see munition ).][1]



amnesia

amnesia
am·ne·sia 
[am nzhə] noun

memory
loss:
loss of memory as a result of shock, injury, psychological disturbance, or
medical disorder
[Late
18th century. From Greek amnēsia, an alteration of amnēstia
“forgetfulness,” from amnēstos, literally “not remembered,” from mnasthai
“to remember.”]
—am·ne·si·ac
[am nzee àk], noun, adjective

—am·nes·tic [am néstik], adjective[1]



amnesty

amnesty
am·nes·ty 
[ámnəstee] noun (plural am·nes·ties)

1.  pardon:
a general pardon, especially for those who have committed political crimes

2.  prosecution-free
period:
a period during which crimes can be admitted or illegal weapons handed in
without prosecution
transitive
verb
(past am·nes·tied, past participle am·nes·tied, present
participle am·nes·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular am·nes·ties)

pardon somebody:
to grant amnesty to somebody
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek amnēstia (see amnesia
). The underlying idea is of forgetting a wrongdoing.][1]



amnia

amnia
am·ni·a


Plural of
amnion[1]



amnio

amnio
am·ni·o
[amneeō] (plural am·ni·os) noun

amniocentesis:
an amniocentesis (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



amniocentesis

amniocentesis
am·ni·o·cen·te·sis 
[àmneeō ssen tssiss] (plural am·ni·o·cen·te·ses)
noun

test
done on fetus: a test performed to determine the
health, sex, or genetic constitution of a fetus by taking a sample of amniotic
fluid through a needle inserted into the womb of the mother
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from amnion + Greek kentēsis
“pricking” (from kentein “to prick”).][1]



amniography

amniography
am·ni·og·ra·phy 
[àmnee grəfee] noun

X-ray
of womb:
an X-ray of the womb, taken after a substance that will be shown up by the
X-rays has been injected into the bloodstream
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from amnion + -graphy
.][1]



amnion

amnion
am·ni·on 
[ámnee aan] (plural am·ni·ons or
am·ni·a [ámnee ə]) noun

1.  inner
membrane surrounding embryo: the inner of the two
membranes enclosing the embryo of a bird, reptile, or mammal and its
surrounding fluid.
See
also
chorion

2.  embryo
sac:
the fluid-filled sac within which the embryo of a bird, reptile, or mammal
develops.
Also
called
amniotic sac
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek, “caul,” literally “a small lamb,” from amnos
“lamb.”]
—am·ni·ot·ic [àmnee tik], adjective[1]



amniote

amniote
am·ni·ote 
[ámneeōt] (plural am·niotes) noun

vertebrate
that develops in embryo sac: any vertebrate that develops
from an embryo within an amnion, for example, a bird, reptile, or mammal
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Amniota, from amnion .][1]



amnioticfluid

amnioticfluid
am·ni·ot·ic
flu·id
[àmnee ottik fl əd] noun

fluid surrounding fetus:
the fluid that surrounds a fetus while it is developing. It is the fluid that
flows out in the “breaking of the water” before a baby is born.[1]



amnioticsac

amnioticsac
am·ni·ot·ic
sac
(plural am·ni·ot·ic sacs) noun

See
amnion  noun 2[1]



amobarbital

amobarbital
am·o·bar·bi·tal 
[àmō brbi tal] noun

sedative
drug:
a colorless crystalline barbiturate used as a sedative and hypnotic
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from amyl + barbital
.][1]



amoeba

amoeba
a·moe·ba 
[ə mbə] (plural a·moe·bas or
a·moe·bae [ə mbee]) or a·me·ba
[ə mbə] (plural a·me·bas or
a·me·bae [ə mbee]) noun

single-celled
organism:
a single-celled organism found in water and in damp soil on land, and as a
parasite of other organisms. Lacking a fixed form and supporting structures, an
amoeba consists of a protoplasmic mass in a thin membrane, and forms temporary
projections ( pseudopodia ) in order to move. Genus: Amoeba
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin, genus name, from Greek amoibē “change,” from ameibein
“to change.” From its changing shape.]
—a·moe·bic, adjective[1]



amoebiasis

amoebiasis
am·oe·bi·a·sis 
noun

See
amebiasis[1]



amoebicdysentery

amoebicdysentery
a·moe·bic
dys·en·ter·y noun

See
amebic dysentery[1]



amoebocyte

amoebocyte
a·moe·bo·cyte 
[ə mbə ss`īt] (plural a·moe·bo·cytes)
or a·me·bo·cyte [ə mbə ss`īt]
(plural a·me·bo·cytes) noun

cell moving like amoeba:
a cell that moves like an amoeba, for example, a blood cell that can engulf
particles[1]



amoeboid

amoeboid
a·moe·boid 
[ə m bòyd] or a·me·boid [ə m bòyd] adjective

moving like amoeba:
resembling an amoeba, especially in the manner of moving[1]



amok

amok
a·mok 
[ə múk, ə mók]
or a·muck [ə múk] adjective

out of control:
frenzied and out of control
adverb

1.  out
of control:
in a very frenzied way • rioters
running amok

2.  confusedly:
in or into a confused or disorganised state
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via Portuguese am(o)uco “homicidally violent Malay” from Malay amuk
“fighting frenziedly.”][1]



amole

amole
a·mo·le 
[ə mṓ lay] (plural a·mo·les) noun

1.  plant
part used as soap: the root or other part of
certain North American plants, used as a substitute for soap

2.  (plural
a·mo·les or a·mo·le) plant
yielding soap substitute: a plant of which the roots
or other parts can be used as a substitute for soap. Agave and yucca are
amoles.
[Mid-19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl ahmōlli “soap.”][1]



among

among
a·mong 
[ə múng] or a·mongst [ə múngst] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating that something or somebody is surrounded by people,
things, ideas, or circumstances • You’re
among friends here. preposition

1.  of
a group:
of the stated group or class • Her
carvings are among the world’s finest.

2.  in
a group:
in or by the particular group stated • a
widely-held notion among physicists

3.  between
group members: by, between, or to each person or thing
in a group • divided
among six of us

4.  in
addition to: in addition to other things or people • The
photos showed, among other things, a birthday party.
[Old English on (ge)mong,
from on “in” + (ge)mong “crowd.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English mingle
and mongrel .][1]



amontillado

amontillado
a·mon·til·la·do 
[ə mntə ldō] (plural a·mon·til·la·dos)
noun

medium-dry
sherry:
a pale medium-dry sherry from Spain
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish . Named for the Spanish town Montilla, where sherry of this type
is made.][1]



amoral

amoral
a·mor·al 
[ay máwrəl] adjective

1.  outside
scope of morality: not concerned with or
amenable to moral judgments

2.  without
moral standards: not caring about good behavior or morals
—a·mor·al·ism,
noun

—a·mor·al·i·ty
[ày mə rállətee], noun

—a·mor·al·ly
[ay mórəlee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at immoral.

[1]



amoretto

amoretto
am·o·ret·to 
[àmə réttō] (plural am·o·ret·ti
[amə réttee]) noun

infant
cupid in painting: an artistic representation
of a small naked boy or winged cherub as a symbol of love
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, literally “a small cupid,” from amore “love,” from Latin amor
(see amorous ).][1]



amorist

amorist
am·o·rist 
[ámmərist] (plural am·o·rists)
noun

lover
or writer about love: somebody who writes about
love or who is in love (literary)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from French amour “love” or Latin amor (see amorous ).][1]



Amorite

Amorite
Am·o·rite 
[ámmə r`īt] noun (plural Am·o·rites)

member
of Semitic people in Bible: a member of an ancient
Semitic people in the Bible who lived in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine
between approximately 2,600 and 1,200 B.C.
adjective

of
the Amorite people: relating to the Amorite
people or their culture
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Hebrew ‘ĕmōrī, from, ultimately, Akkadian Amurru(m),
literally “West,” the name of the land inhabited by the Amorites.][1]



amorous

amorous
am·o·rous 
[ámmərəss] adjective

expressing
or feeling love: showing or feeling romantic love or
sexual attraction
[14th
century. Via Old French, from medieval Latin amorosus, from Latin amor
“love” (source of English amateur ).]
—am·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—am·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



amorphism

amorphism
a·mor·phism 
[ə máwr fìzzəm] noun

1.  lack
of shape or form: the lack of shape, form, structure, or
classifying features

2.  CHEMISTRY GEOLOGY lack
of crystalline structure: the absence of crystalline
structure, for example, in mineral or chemical compounds or rocks

[1]



amorphous

amorphous
a·mor·phous 
[ə máwrfəss] adjective

1.  without
shape:
without any clear shape, form, or structure

2.  not
classifiable: not obviously belonging to any
particular category or type

3.  CHEMISTRY GEOLOGY without
crystalline structure: without a crystalline
structure
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin, from Greek amorphos, literally “without
shape,” from morphē “shape.”]
—a·mor·phous·ly,
adverb

—a·mor·phous·ness, noun[1]



amortization

amortization
am·or·ti·za·tion 
[àmərtə záysh’n] noun

reduction of debt:
the reduction of a debt by making payments in installments or regular
transfers, or the money used for this.
See also
amortize  verb 2[1]



amortize

amortize
am·or·tize 
[ámmər t`īz] (past am·or·tized,
past participle am·or·tized, present participle am·or·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular am·or·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  reduce
debt by installments: to reduce a debt by making
payments against the principal balance in installments or regular transfers

2.  write
off cost of asset: to write off the cost of an
asset over a period of time in a statement of accounts

3.  transfer
property:
to transfer land or other assets to an ecclesiastical body (archaic)
[14th
century. Via the French stem amortiss- “to alienate in mortmain” from
assumed Vulgar Latin admortire “to deaden,” from the Latin stem mort-
“death.”]
—am·or·tiz·a·ble, adjective[1]



Amos

Amos
A·mos 
[áyməss]

Hebrew
prophet:
a Hebrew prophet in the Bible who lived in the 8th century BC and delivered judgments against
Judah, Samaria, and Israel
noun

book in Bible:
a book of the Bible that contains the prophecies of Amos[1]



amount

amount
a·mount 
[ə mównt] (plural a·mounts) noun

quantity:
a quantity or degree of something, considered as a unit or total
[14th
century. From Old French amonter “to rise,” from amont “upward,”
from Latin ad montem, literally “to the mountain.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  amount
  or number ?
  Amount is normally used with
  singular forms of words or meanings that have no plural, that is, so-called
  uncountable or mass nouns such as coal, happiness, and warfare,
  whereas number is used with plural nouns
  such as books, questions, and ships . • a
  large amount of coal. • any
  amount of happiness. • a
  large number of books. • a
  good number of cheeses (= types of cheese). • an
  excessive number of questions. In everyday speech, amount is sometimes used when number is strictly called for: • a
  large amount of books. This should be avoided in
  formal speaking and writing.

[1]



amountto

amountto
amount
to
transitive verb

1.  add
up to:
to come to a particular total when added up

2.  be
equivalent to: to be equivalent to something • Their
statement amounts to nothing more than a slick evasion.

[1]



amour

amour
a·mour 
[ə mr] (plural a·mours) noun

illicit
love affair: a love affair, especially one that is
clandestine (dated)
[14th century. Via French,
from Latin amor “love.”][1]



amour-propre

amour-propre
a·mour-pro·pre 
[àmr prṓprə] noun

self-esteem:
self-respect or estimation of your true worth (formal)
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “self-love.”][1]



Amoy

Amoy
A·moy 
[ə móy] noun

Chinese
dialect:
the dialect of Chinese spoken on the island of Xiamen and in neighboring areas
in southeastern China
[Mid-19th century. Named for Amoy
( Xiamen ).][1]



amp

amp
amp 
[amp] (plural amps) noun

1.  ampere:
an ampere

2.  amplifier:
an amplifier (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



AMP

AMP
AMP 
noun

compound affecting genes:
a chemical compound ( nucleotide ) occurring
in living organisms that is formed from another nucleotide, ATP, and affects
the function of genes and enzymes. Full form adenosine
monophosphate
See also
cyclic AMP[1]



amperage

amperage
am·per·age 
[ámpərij] noun

measurement of amperes:
the number of amperes measured in an electric current[1]



ampere

ampere
am·pere 
[ámpir] (plural am·peres) noun

SI
unit of electric current: the basic unit of electric
current in the SI system, equal to a current that produces a force of 2x10 –7 newtons per meter between
two parallel conductors in a vacuum. Symbol A
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836), who first
distinguished between electrical current and voltage.][1]



ampere-hour

ampere-hour
am·pere-hour 
(plural am·pere-hours) noun

quantity of electric current:
a measure of quantity of electricity equal to the amount of electricity that
passes in one hour through a conductor with a current of one ampere[1]



ampersand

ampersand
am·per·sand 
[ámpər sànd] (plural am·per·sands)
noun

symbol
meaning “and”: the symbol “&,” meaning “and”
[Mid-19th century. From and
per se and, literally “(the character) “&” by itself (means) and.” The
character “&” itself is a conventionalized printed version of an
abbreviation used for Latin et “and.”][1]



amphetamine

amphetamine
am·phet·a·mine 
[am féttə mn] (plural am·phet·a·mines)
noun

stimulant
drug:
a white crystalline compound, or any of its derivatives, formerly used as a
stimulant of the central nervous system to treat conditions such as depression,
and as an appetite suppressant. Use of amphetamines can cause dangerous side
effects and dependency.
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of alpha-methyl-phenethylamine .][1]



amphi-

amphi-
amphi-
prefix

both
• amphibious
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek amphi “on both sides.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that
is also the ancestor of English by, umlaut, and ambi-
.][1]



amphiarthrosis

amphiarthrosis
am·phi·ar·thro·sis 
[àm fee aar thrṓssiss] (plural am·phi·ar·thro·ses
[am fee aar thrṓsseez]) noun

joint permitting slight
movement: a joint that permits only a
small amount of movement, such as a joint between vertebrae[1]



amphibian

amphibian
am·phib·i·an 
[am fíbbeeən] (plural am·phib·i·ans)
noun

1.  land
animal that breeds in water: a cold-blooded vertebrate
that spends some time on land but must breed and develop into an adult in
water. Frogs, salamanders, and toads are amphibians. Class: Amphibia

2.  aircraft
or vehicle:
an aircraft or vehicle designed to operate on land or water
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Amphibia, class name, from Greek amphibion
“amphibious being,” from amphibios (see amphibious
).]
—am·phib·i·an, adjective[1]



amphibious

amphibious
am·phib·i·ous 
[am fíbbeeəss] adjective

1.  living
on land and in water: used to describe an animal
that lives in water during early development and on land as an adult

2.  on
land and in water: taking place or operating
both on land and in water • made
an amphibious assault on the island • amphibious
vehicles

3.  of
mixed type:
with two different qualities or features resulting in a mixed type
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek amphibios, literally “living on both (land and
water),” from bios “life” (source of English biology
).]
—am·phib·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—am·phib·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



amphibole

amphibole
am·phi·bole 
[ámfə bl] (plural am·phi·boles)
noun

silicate
mineral:
a hydrous silicate mineral containing aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, and
sodium, singly or in combination. Hornblende, tremolite, and asbestos are
amphiboles.
[Early
19th century. From French, ultimately from Greek amphibolos “ambiguous,”
literally “throwing in both directions,” from ballein “to throw”;
because the mineral is able to appear in a variety of forms.]
—am·phi·bol·ic [àmfə bóllik], adjective[1]



amphibolite

amphibolite
am·phib·o·lite 
[am fíbbə lt] noun

type of metamorphic rock:
a metamorphic rock consisting mainly of amphibole with some plagioclase[1]



amphibology

amphibology
am·phib·ol·o·gy 
[àmfə báwləjee] (plural am·phib·ol·o·gies)
or am·phib·o·ly [am fíbbəlee]
(plural am·phib·o·lies) noun

ambiguous
expression:
a phrase or sentence that can be interpreted in two ways, usually because of
the grammatical construction rather than the meanings of the words themselves.
The phrase “the boy on the chair with a broken leg” is an amphibology.
[Late
16th century. From late Latin amphibologia “ambiguity,” coined from
Latin amphibolia + Greek -logia “speech.”]
—am·phib·o·log·i·cal
[àm fibbə lójjik’l], adjective

—am·phib·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—am·phib·o·lous [am fíbbələss], adjective[1]



amphibrach

amphibrach
am·phi·brach 
[ámfə bràk] (plural am·phi·brachs)
noun

three
syllables with second stressed: a metrical foot of
three syllables with the stress on the second syllable, or of one long syllable
between two short syllables. The word “contentment” and the phrase “a mushroom”
are amphibrachs.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin amphibrachys from Greek amphibrakhus
“short on both sides,” from brakhus “short.”]
—am·phi·brach·ic [àmfə brákik], adjective[1]



amphictyon

amphictyon
am·phic·ty·on
[am fíktee ən, am
fíkti òn] (plural am·phic·ty·ons) noun

member
of ancient Greek religious council: a
representative of an ancient Greek state or community at the council of a
religious alliance ( amphictyony )
[Late 16th century. From
Greek amphiktuones, originally amphiktiones “nearby dwellers,”
from ktizein “to settle, found.”][1]



amphictyony

amphictyony
am·phic·ty·o·ny 
[am fíktee ənee] (plural am·phic·ty·o·nies)
noun

ancient
Greek religious alliance: a group of neighboring
states or communities in ancient Greece that shared responsibility for shrines
and temples. The amphictyony maintaining the shrine of Apollo at Delphi is a
famous example.
—am·phic·ty·on·ic [am fìktee ónnik], adjective[1]



amphigory

amphigory
am·phi·go·ry
[ámfə gàwree, am
fíggəree] (plural am·phi·go·ries) or am·phi·gou·ri
[àmfə goo r] (plural am·phi·gou·ris)
noun

nonsense
poem:
a nonsensical piece of writing, usually in verse
[Early 19th century. From
French amphigouri, probably coined from Greek amphi- “all around”
and, perhaps, French allégorie “allegory.”][1]



amphimacer

amphimacer
am·phim·a·cer 
[am fímməssər, ámfə
màyssər] (plural am·phim·a·cers) noun

three
syllables with second unstressed: a metrical foot of
three syllables with the stress on the first and third syllables, or of one
short syllable between two long syllables. The phrase “happy days” is an
amphimacer.
Also
called
cretic
[Late 16th century. Via
Latin, from Greek amphimakros “long on both sides,” from makros
“long.”][1]



amphimixis

amphimixis
am·phi·mix·is 
[àmfə míksiss] noun

fusion
of reproductive cells: sexual reproduction
involving the fusion of reproductive cells ( gametes ) from two organisms
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, coined from Greek amphi- “on both
sides” + mixis “mingling,” from mignunai “to mix.”]
—am·phi·mic·tic, adjective[1]



amphioxus

amphioxus
am·phi·ox·us 
[àmfee óksəss] (plural am·phi·ox·i
[àmfi ók s] or am·phi·ox·us·es)
noun

See
lancelet
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “sharp at both sides,” from Greek amphi- “at
both sides” + oxus “sharp” (source of English oxygen ).][1]



amphipod

amphipod
am·phi·pod 
[ámfə pòd] (plural am·phi·pods)
noun

small
crustacean:
a small freshwater or marine crustacean with a thin body and without a
carapace. Beach fleas are amphipods. Order: Amphipoda
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Amphipoda, order name, from Greek amphi-
“both” + pous “foot,” because there are two types of feet in this
order.]
—am·phi·po·dous [am fíppədəss], adjective[1]



amphiprostyle

amphiprostyle
am·phip·ro·style 
[àmfə prṓ st`īl] (plural am·phip·ro·styles)
noun

building
with columns at each end: a classical temple or other
building with a set of columns at each end but not at the sides
[Early 18th century. Via
French and Latin, from Greek amphiprostulos “with pillars at both ends,”
from prostulos “having pillars” (see prostyle
).][1]



amphisbaena

amphisbaena
am·phis·bae·na 
[àmfiss bnə] (plural am·phis·bae·nae
[àmfiss bnee] or am·phis·bae·nas)
noun

1.  lizard
without legs: a legless lizard usually found in
tropical America with a rounded tail resembling a second head. Family:
Amphisbaenidae
Also
called
worm lizard

2.  mythological
serpent:
in classical mythology, a poisonous snake that has a head at each end of its
body, allowing it to move in either direction
[14th
century. Via Latin, from Greek amphisbaina, literally “going both ways,”
from amphis “both ways” + bainein “to go.”]
—am·phis·bae·nic, adjective[1]



amphistylar

amphistylar
am·phi·sty·lar 
[ámfə stlər] adjective

with
two sets of columns: used to describe a building,
especially a classical temple, that has a set of columns on both ends or sides
[19th century. Formed from amphi- + Greek stulos “column.”][1]



amphitheater

amphitheater

am·phi·the·a·ter 
[àmfə th ətər] (plural am·phi·the·a·ters)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE circular
building:
a round or oval building without a roof that has a central open space
surrounded by tiers of seats, especially one used by the ancient Romans for
public entertainments

2.  SPORT place
for sports:
a large enclosure where sporting activities or public entertainments take place

3.  GEOLOGY round
hollow in land: a circular area of level ground
surrounded by hills or rising ground, usually a natural feature of the
landscape

4.  seating
for spectators: a gallery of seats arranged in
semicircular tiers for the audience in a theater or lecture room

5.  lecture
room:
a lecture hall or operating room where seating is arranged in semicircular
tiers
[Mid-14th
century. Via Latin, from Greek amphitheatron, literally “theater on both
sides” (because the typical classical Greek theater had seating on one side
only), from theatron “theater” (see theater
).]
—am·phi·the·at·ric
[àmfə thee áttrik], adjective

—am·phi·the·at·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



amphitheatre

amphitheatre
am·phi·the·a·tre
noun

U.K. =
amphitheater[1]



amphora

amphora
am·pho·ra 
[ámfərə] (plural am·pho·rae [ámfəree] or am·pho·ras) noun

narrow-necked
jar:
a jar, usually made of clay, with a narrow neck and two handles, used by
ancient Greeks and Romans for holding oil or wine
[15th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek amphiphoreus, from amphi-
“on both sides” + phoreus “bearer,” from pherein “to bear”; from
its two handles.]
—am·pho·ral, adjective[1]



amphoteric

amphoteric
am·pho·ter·ic 
[àmfə térrik] adjective

reacting
as acid and base: able to react chemically as either an
acid or a base
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek amphoteroi “both of two,” the comparative form of amphō
“both.”][1]



amphr

amphr
amp
hr

Abbreviation of
ampere-hour[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ampicillin

ampicillin
am·pi·cil·lin 
[àmpə síllin] noun

form
of penicillin: a semisynthetic form of penicillin, used
especially in the treatment of respiratory infections
[Mid-20th century. Blend of amino- and penicillin
.][1]



ample

ample
am·ple 
[ámpəl] (comparative am·pler, superlative
am·plest) adjective

1.  more
than enough: as much or as many as required, usually
with some left over

2.  large:
large, especially in physical size (often used euphemistically)
[15th
century. Via French, from Latin amplus “large, plentiful.”]
—am·ple·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at enough

[1]



amplexus

amplexus
am·plex·us 
[am pléksəss] noun

mating
posture of frogs or toads: the mating posture of a pair
of frogs or toads, in which the male clasps the female from behind during egg
release and fertilization
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, “an embracing,” from the past participle of amplecti “to
embrace.”][1]



amplicon

amplicon
am·pli·con
[ámpli kòn] noun

artificially made nucleic
acid fragment: a nucleic acid fragment
that is the product of the artificial large-scale reproduction of genetic
material[1]



amplidyne

amplidyne
am·pli·dyne
[ámplə dn] (plural am·pli·dynes)
noun

direct-current
generator:
a specialized direct-current generator in which small changes in power input
produce large changes in output. It is used especially in servo systems.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of amplifier + Greek dynamis “power” (see dynamic ).][1]



amplification

amplification
am·pli·fi·ca·tion 
[àmpləfi káysh’n] noun

1.  enlargement
of something: the act or process of making something
larger, greater, or stronger

2.  process
of making louder: the act or process of making something
louder

3.  addition
of detail:
the act or process of making a spoken or written account fuller or clearer

4.  (plural
am·pli·fi·ca·tions) detail added:
a detail, explanation, or illustration added to a spoken or written account to
make it fuller or clearer

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING increase
in signal magnitude: the increase in the
magnitude of a signal produced by an amplifier

6.  GENETICS gene
reproduction: the artificial large-scale reproduction
of genes or DNA sequences.
Also
called
gene amplification

[1]



amplifier

amplifier
am·pli·fi·er 
[ámplə fr] (plural am·pli·fi·ers)
noun

1.  sound-increasing
apparatus:
a device that makes sounds louder, especially one used to increase the sound
level of musical instruments

2.  signal
enhancer:
an electronic device that increases the magnitude of a signal, voltage, or
current

[1]



amplify

amplify
am·pli·fy 
[ámplə f] (past am·pli·fied, past
participle am·pli·fied, present participle am·pli·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular am·pli·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase:
to become larger, greater, or stronger, or make something such as an emotion or
sensation become larger, greater, or stronger

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
louder:
to become louder, or make a sound become louder, by electronic or other means

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb add
detail:
to make a spoken or written account fuller, clearer, or more detailed

4.  transitive
verb
exaggerate:
to make something seem greater or larger than it is

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING increase
signal:
to increase the magnitude of a signal using an amplifier, or undergo such an
increase
[15th
century. Via French amplifier from Latin amplificare “to
enlarge,” from amplus “large” (source of English ample ) + fic-, a form of the stem of facere
“to make.”]
—am·pli·fi·a·ble
[ámplə f əb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



amplitude

amplitude
am·pli·tude 
[ámplə td] (plural am·pli·tudes)
noun

1.  largeness:
a largeness in size, volume, or extent

2.  breadth:
a breadth of range

3.  abundance:
an amount that is more than required

4.  PHYSICS distance
from mean point: the furthest distance that a vibrating
or oscillating system such as a pendulum travels from a mean or zero point

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING signal’s
maximum value: the maximum value of an alternating
signal

6.  MATHEMATICS angle
of vector representing complex number: the
angle between a vector representing a complex number and the positive real
axis.
Also
called
argument
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from Latin amplitudo “size, greatness, grandeur,” from amplus
(see ample ).][1]



amplitudemodulation

amplitudemodulation
am·pli·tude
mod·u·la·tion  noun

modulation of radio wave:
the modulation of the amplitude of a radio wave in such a way as to encode the
wave with audio or visual information[1]



amply

amply
am·ply
[ámplee] adverb

more than enough:
to a more than adequate degree[1]



ampoule

ampoule
am·poule 
[ám pyl] (plural am·poules) or
am·pule [ám pyl] (plural am·pules)
or am·pul [ám pyl] (plural
am·puls) noun

sealed
container of medication: a small sealed glass
container that holds a measured amount of a medicinal substance to be injected
[Early 20th century. Via
French, from Latin ampulla (see ampulla
); the spelling may be a revival of an earlier form of the word, borrowed from
Old French in the 13th century.][1]



ampulla

ampulla
am·pul·la 
[am pllə, am
púllə] (plural am·pul·lae [am
p l, am púl]) noun

1.  vessel
for holy liquid: a small container for a consecrated
substance, especially oil, water, or the wine used in the Christian Communion

2.  ancient
Roman bottle: a round two-handled bottle used by the
ancient Romans to hold wine, oil, or perfume
[Late 14th century. From
Latin, literally “little amphora,” from ampora, a variant of amphora
(see amphora ).][1]



amputate

amputate
am·pu·tate 
[ámpyə tàyt] (past am·pu·tat·ed,
past participle am·pu·tat·ed, present participle am·pu·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular am·pu·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

cut
off part of body: to cut off a limb or other appendage of
the body, especially in a surgical operation
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin amputat-, the past participle stem of amputare
“to cut around,” from ambi- “around” + putare “to cut.”]
—am·pu·ta·tion
[àmpyə táysh’n], noun

—am·pu·ta·tor [ámpyə taytər], noun[1]



amputee

amputee
am·pu·tee 
[àmpyə t] (plural am·pu·tees)
noun

somebody with limb cut off:
somebody who has had a limb or part of a limb cut off[1]



amrita

amrita
am·ri·ta 
[am rtə] or am·ree·ta [am rtə] noun

1.  drink
bestowing immortality: in Hindu mythology, a
substance prepared by the dieties that makes those who drink it immortal

2.  immortality:
immortality gained by drinking amrita
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit amṛta, literally “without death,” from mṛta “death.”][1]



Amritsar

Amritsar
Am·rit·sar 
[əm rítsər]

city in Punjab state in
northwestern India. It is a holy city for Sikhs. Population: 709,456 (1991)[1]



Amsterdam

Amsterdam
Am·ster·dam 
[ámstər dàm]

1.  capital
and commercial center in the Netherlands, situated where the River Amstel flows
into the Ijsselmeer. Population: 724,096 (1994)

2.  city
in east central New York, on the Mohawk River. Population: 19,843 (1996)

[1]



amt.

amt.
amt.

Abbreviation of
amount[1]



amtrac

amtrac
am·trac
[ám tràk] (plural am·tracs) or
am·track [ám tràk] (plural am·tracks)
noun

amphibious
vehicle for troops: a flat-bottomed motor
vehicle that can move on land or water, used to transport troops from ship to
shore in preparation for an attack
[Mid-20th century. Blend of amphibious and tractor
.][1]



amu

amu
amu

Abbreviation of
atomic mass unit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








amuck

amuck
a·muck 
adjective adverb

See
amok[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AmuDarya

AmuDarya
A·mu
Dar·ya 
[ moo dryə]

river in central and western
Asia flowing from the Pamir plateau toward the Aral Sea. Length: 2,540 km/1,580
mi.[1]



amulet

amulet
am·u·let 
[ámmyələt] (plural am·u·lets) noun

1.  lucky
jewelry:
a piece of jewelry worn to provide protection against evil, injury, disease, or
bad luck

2.  lucky
object:
an ordinary object that is supposed to provide protection against bad luck or
negative forces
[Late 16th century. From
Latin amuletum .][1]



Amun

Amun
A·mun
[mən] noun

ancient Egyptian god:
a supreme god of ancient Egypt. Amun was originally a local god of Thebes, but
was elevated during the eighteenth dynasty.[1]



AmundsenGulf

AmundsenGulf
A·mund·sen
Gulf
[ómmənsən gulf]

body of water in Canada
between Banks and Victoria Islands and the Northwest Territories coast. Length:
403 km/250 mi.[1]



Amundsen,Roald

Amundsen,Roald

A·mund·sen
[ámməndsən], Roald (1872–1928)
Norwegian explorer. He was the first
person to reach the South Pole (1911).[1]



Amur

Amur
A·mur
[aa mr]

river in east central Asia
that forms the boundary between Manchuria and Siberia before flowing north into
the Tatar Strait. Length: 2,874 km/1,786 mi.[1]



amuse

amuse
a·muse 
[ə myz] (past a·mused, past
participle a·mused, present participle a·mus·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·mus·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody laugh: to make somebody smile or laugh or think
that something is funny

2.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody happily occupied: to keep somebody occupied or
entertained by providing entertainment or an interesting task

3.  transitive
verb
deceive
somebody by distraction: to distract somebody’s
attention, usually in order to trick or deceive (archaic)
[15th
century. From French amuser “to cause to stare stupidly,” from muser
“to stare stupidly” (see muse ). The modern
senses evolved from “to deceive” via “to divert somebody’s attention.”]
—a·mused,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  history of the word amuse is very similar
  to that of distract and divert : all three have moved from the
  notion of “leading the mind astray” in a negative sense to the notion of
  “entertainment.” In the case of amuse the
  earlier connotations have been entirely lost.

[1]



amusement

amusement
a·muse·ment 
[ə myzmənt] (plural a·muse·ments)
noun

1.  feeling
something is funny: the feeling that something
is funny or entertaining

2.  recreational
activity:
an enjoyable activity such as a game, a hobby, or a form of entertainment

3.  ride
or game:
a ride, game, or other attraction found in an amusement park or a video arcade

4.  keeping
happily occupied: the act of keeping somebody or a group
of people occupied or entertained

[1]



amusementpark

amusementpark
a·muse·ment
park
(plural a·muse·ment parks) noun

outdoor recreation place:
an outdoor area with a variety of mechanical rides, games, and other
attractions that people pay to use[1]



amusementtax

amusementtax
a·muse·ment
tax
(plural a·muse·ment tax·es) noun

tax on amusement:
a tax, often levied locally, on various forms or places of amusement[1]



amusing

amusing
a·mus·ing 
[ə myzing] adjective

somewhat
funny:
causing somebody to smile or laugh or be amused, often in a subdued way
—a·mus·ing·ly,
adverb

—a·mus·ing·ness, noun[1]



Amvets

Amvets
Am·vets
[ám vèts] or AM·VETS [ám vèts] noun

veterans’ organization:
a private organization of U.S. veterans of World War II and the Korean and
Vietnam wars[1]



amygdala

amygdala
a·myg·da·la 
[ə mígdələ] (plural a·myg·da·lae
[ə mígdə lee]) noun

part
of brain:
an almond-shaped mass of gray matter, one in each hemisphere of the brain,
associated with feelings of fear and aggression and important for visual
learning and memory
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin,
from Greek amugdalē “almond,” the original sense in English .][1]



amygdalin

amygdalin
a·myg·da·lin 
[ə mígdəlin] or a·myg·da·line
[ə mígdəlin, ə
mígdə ln] noun

bitter-tasting
powder:
a white crystalline bitter-tasting sugar derivative ( glycoside
) found in the seeds of many plants of the rose family such as apricots,
almonds, and peaches
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin amygdala “almond” (see amygdala
) + -in .][1]



amyl

amyl
am·yl 
[ámm’l] adjective

relating
to organic chemical group: relating to or containing
any of eight possible forms of a chemical group with the same basic formula. C5H11–
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin amylum, from Greek amulon “finely ground meal,” from,
ultimately, mulē “mill” + -yl .][1]



amyl-

amyl-
amyl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
amylo-[1]



amylaceous

amylaceous
am·y·la·ceous 
[àmmə láyshəss] adjective

starchy:
having or resembling starch (technical)[1]



amylacetate

amylacetate
am·yl
ac·e·tate
noun

colorless liquid with smell
like pears: a colorless volatile liquid
that smells like pears. It is used as a flavoring and as a solvent for paints
and lacquers. CH3CO2C5H11[1]



amylalcohol

amylalcohol
am·yl
al·co·hol
(plural am·yl al·co·hols) noun

colorless alcohol:
a colorless alcohol, or a mixture of any of the eight related amyl alcohols,
used in the synthesis of other chemicals and drugs and as a solvent. C5H12O[1]



amylase

amylase
am·y·lase 
[ámmə làyss, ámmə
làyz] (plural am·y·lases) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme, found in plants, animal saliva, and pancreatic juice, that aids the
conversion of starch and glycogen to simple sugars such as glucose[1]



amylnitrite

amylnitrite
am·yl
ni·trite
noun

chemical that dilates blood
vessels: a pale yellow fragrant
liquid used mainly as an inhalant to dilate blood vessels in the treatment of
angina pectoris. C5H11NO2[1]



amylo-

amylo-
amylo-
or amyl- prefix

starch
• amylosin
[From Latin amylum
“starch” (see amylum )][1]



amyloid

amyloid
am·y·loid 
[ámmə lòyd] noun (plural am·y·loids)

1.  waxy
protein:
a waxy translucent substance composed of complex protein fibers and
polysaccharides that is formed in body tissues in some degenerative diseases,
for example, Alzheimer’s disease

2.  starchy
substance:
a substance that resembles starch in composition or function
adjective

starchy:
resembling a starch (technical)

[1]



amyloidosis

amyloidosis
am·y·loid·o·sis 
[àmmə loy dṓssiss] noun

accumulation of protein in
body: a condition marked by the
accumulation of a protein-based substance ( amyloid
) in the body’s organs and tissues[1]



amylopectin

amylopectin
am·y·lo·pec·tin
[àmmə lō péktin] noun

insoluble component of
starch: an insoluble component of
starch that is a carbohydrate polymer with a highly branched structure, high
molecular weight, and an inability to gel readily in aqueous solution.
See also
amylose[1]



amylopsin

amylopsin
am·y·lop·sin 
[àmmə lópsin] noun

pancreatic
enzyme:
an enzyme ( amylase ) found in pancreatic
juice that aids the conversion of starch to maltose
[Late 19th century. Coined
from amylo- + trypsin
.][1]



amylose

amylose
am·y·lose 
[ámmə lss, ámmə
lz] noun

soluble component of starch:
a soluble component of starch that is an unbranched carbohydrate polymer formed
of glucose units, with a tendency to form gels in aqueous solution.
See also
amylopectin[1]



amyotonia

amyotonia
a·my·o·to·ni·a 
[ày mī ə tṓnee ə] noun

lack of muscle tone:
a medically noteworthy lack of muscle tension[1]



amyotrophiclateral sclerosis

amyotrophiclateral sclerosis
a·my·o·tro·phic
lat·er·al scle·ro·sis  [ə
mə trfik láttərəl sklə rṓssiss] noun

nervous system disease:
a fatal degenerative disease of the nervous system marked by progressive muscle
weakness and atrophy. It is a form of motor neuron disease.
Also called
Lou Gehrig’s disease[1]



amyotrophy

amyotrophy
a·my·o·tro·phy
[ày mī óttrəfee] noun

muscle
degeneration: a degeneration of the muscles caused by
nerve disease
[Late 19th century. Coined
from a- + myo-
+ -trophy .][1]



AN

AN
AN

Abbreviation of
airman, Navy[1]



an

an1
an1 [ən]
indefinite article

a
form of “a”: used instead of “a,” the indefinite
article, in front of words with an initial vowel sound
[Old
English, a stressless form of the numeral ān “one” (source also of
English a )]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at a.

[1]



an

an2
an2 [an,
ən] or an’ [an, ən] conjunction

if:
if (archaic)
[12th century. Reduced form
of and in the sense “if.”][1]



an.

an.
an.

1.  Abbreviation
of
anno

2.  Abbreviation
of
ante

[1]



an-

an-
an-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
a-  prefix.[1]



-an

-an2
-an2 suffix

an
unsaturated carbon compound • benzofuran
[Alteration of -ane][1]



-an

-an1
-an1 suffix

1.  of
or relating to • Minoan
• agrarian

2.  a
person of or resembling a certain kind • librarian
[Via Old French from Latin -anus,
a suffix forming nouns and adjectives][1]



ana

ana2
an·a2 [ánnə]
adverb

of
each in equal amounts: of each of the ingredients
specified in a medical prescription in equal amounts
[From the Greek prefix ana-
“up, back, again,” from the preposition and adverb ana “up”][1]



ana

ana1
an·a1 [ánnə,
nə] (plural an·a or an·as)
noun

1.  collection
of items:
a collection of things connected with a famous person, place, or period,
especially spoken or written information, anecdotes, or sayings

2.  collectible
item:
an item in an ana

[1]



ANA

ANA
ANA

Abbreviation of
American Newspaper Association[1]



ana-

ana-
ana-
prefix

1.  up,
upward • anamorphic

2.  back,
backward, away • anaphase

3.  again
• anaplastic
[From Greek ana .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “on,” which is also the ancestor
of English on .][1]



-ana

-ana
-ana
suffix

a
collection of objects or information about a topic, person, or place • Shakespeareana
[Via modern Latin from Latin,
neuter plural of -anus “pertaining to”][1]



anabaptism

anabaptism
an·a·bap·tism
[ànnə báp tìzzəm] noun

advocacy
of adult baptism: the advocacy of adult baptism on the
grounds that only as adults can people responsibly accept and declare their
faith
[See Anabaptism][1]



Anabaptism

Anabaptism
An·a·bap·tism
noun

beliefs
of Anabaptists: the doctrines or beliefs of the
Anabaptists
[Mid-16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin anabaptismus from Greek anabaptismos “second
baptism,” from baptismos “baptism.”][1]



Anabaptist

Anabaptist
An·a·bap·tist 
[ànnə báptəst] (plural An·a·bap·tists)
noun

member
of 16C Protestant movement: a member of a 16th-century
Protestant movement promoting the doctrine of adult baptism on the grounds that
only adults can accept and declare their faith on their own behalf
[Mid-16th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin anabaptista, which was formed from Greek
ana- “again, afresh” + baptistēs “baptizer” (see baptize ).]
—An·a·bap·tist, adjective[1]



anabasis

anabasis
a·nab·a·sis 
[ə nábbəsiss] (plural a·nab·a·ses
[ə nábbə sz]) noun

military
advance:
the advance of an army, especially a large-scale march or expedition moving
inland from the coast. The term derives from an account by Xenophon of the
unsuccessful advance of a troop of Greek mercenaries led by Cyrus the Younger
across Asia Minor in 401–400 BC.
[Early 18th century. From
Greek, “going up, ascent,” from anabainein “to go up,” from bainein
“to go.”][1]



anabatic

anabatic
an·a·bat·ic 
[ànnə báttik] adjective

blowing
upward:
used to describe winds that move or blow upward during the daytime as warm air
rises up mountain slopes.
See
also
katabatic
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
anabatikos “relating to mounting,” from anabainein “to go up,
mount,” from bainein “to go.”][1]



anabolic

anabolic
an·a·bol·ic 
[ànnə bóllik] adjective

of
type of metabolic process: used to describe a metabolic
process in which energy is used to construct complex molecules from simpler
ones
[Late 19th century. Blend of ana- and metabolic
.][1]



anabolicsteroid

anabolicsteroid
an·a·bol·ic
ster·oid
(plural an·a·bol·ic ster·oids) noun

1.  synthetic
hormone:
a synthetic steroid hormone that increases muscle mass and strength. It is
sometimes used by weightlifters and other athletes.

2.  hormone:
a naturally occurring hormone that promotes tissue growth

[1]



anabolism

anabolism
a·nab·o·lism 
[ə nábbə lìzzəm] noun

metabolic
process:
a metabolic process in which energy is used to construct complex molecules from
simpler ones in the synthesis of needed compounds and tissues
[Late 19th century. Blend of ana- and metabolism
.][1]



anabolite

anabolite
a·nab·o·lite 
[ə nábbə lt] (plural a·nab·o·lites)
noun

product of metabolic process:
a product or substance resulting from the metabolic process of anabolism[1]



anabranch

anabranch
a·na·branch
(plural a·na·branch·es) noun

stream
rejoining river: a stream that separates from a river and
follows its own course before re-entering the same river further downstream
[Mid-19th century. Blend of
anastomosing (from anastomose ) and branch .][1]



anachronism

anachronism
a·nach·ro·nism 
[ə nákrə nìzzəm] (plural a·nach·ro·nisms)
noun

1.  chronological
mistake:
something from a different period of time, for example, a modern idea or
invention wrongly placed in a historical setting in fiction or drama

2.  something
out of time: a person, thing, idea, or custom that
seems to belong to a different time in history

3.  making
of chronological mistake: the representation of
somebody or something out of chronological order or in the wrong historical
setting
[Mid-17th
century. Via French anachronisme from, ultimately, late Greek anakhronizesthai,
literally “to be timed backward,” from khronos “time.”]
—a·nach·ro·nous
[ə nákrənəss], adjective

—a·nach·ro·nous·ly, adverb[1]



anachronistic

anachronistic
a·nach·ro·nis·tic 
[ə nàkrə nístik] adjective

1.  chronologically
wrong:
belonging to a time other than the one being represented, especially in fiction
or drama

2.  not
appropriate to the times: out-of-date or inappropriate
at the time in question
—a·nach·ro·nis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anaclitic

anaclitic
an·a·clit·ic
[ànnə klíttik] adjective

relating
to dependence on mother: characterized by strong
emotional dependence on a mother or other nurturing person, especially to the
extent of exhibiting or causing serious developmental and psychological
disturbances
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek anaklitos “for reclining,” from anaklinein
“to lean upon,” from klinein “to lean.”]
—an·a·cli·sis [ánnə klssiss, ə nákləssiss],
noun[1]



anacoluthon

anacoluthon
an·a·co·lu·thon 
[ànnəkə l thòn] (plural an·a·co·lu·tha
[ànnəkə lthə]) noun

uncompleted
sentence:
an instance of abandoning a grammatical construction in speech or writing
before it is complete and continuing with another. The sentence “The subject of
the lecture was –I didn’t really understand it” contains an anacoluthon.
[Early
18th century. Via late Latin, from Greek anakolouthon “illogicality,
inconsistency,” from anakolouthos “not following,” from akolouthos
“following” (source also of English acolyte
).]
—an·a·co·lu·thic, adjective[1]



anaconda

anaconda
an·a·con·da 
[ànnə kóndə] (plural an·a·con·das)
noun

largest
living snake: a South American nonvenomous snake, the
largest in the boa family, that lives in or near water and in trees. It can
grow to a length of more than 9 m/ 30 ft. Latin name: Eunectes murinus
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Sinhalese, an alteration of henakadayā,
literally “lightning snake.”][1]



Anaconda

Anaconda
An·a·con·da
[ànnə kóndə]

city northwest of Butte, in
southwestern Montana; home to the world’s largest ore-smelting plant until
1980. Population: 10,093 (1996)[1]



Anacreon

Anacreon
A·nac·re·on 
[ə nákreeən] (570? BC–478 BC)

Greek lyric poet. He is well
known for celebrating love and wine in his verse.[1]



Anacreontic

Anacreontic
A·nac·re·on·tic 
[ə nàkree óntik] or a·nac·re·on·tic
[ə nàkree óntik] adjective

with
Anacreon’s style or themes: written in the style or
treating the subjects of the Greek poet Anacreon
noun
(plural A·nac·re·on·tics) (plural a·na·cre·on·tics)

type
of poem:
an Anacreontic poem
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin Anacreonticus from Greek Anakreont-, the stem of Anakreōn
(see Anacreon ).][1]



anacrusis

anacrusis
an·a·cru·sis 
[ànnə krsiss] (plural an·a·cru·ses
[ànnə krseez]) noun

1.  POETRY unstressed
syllables:
one or more unstressed syllables at the beginning of a line of verse that are
not considered part of the metrical pattern of the line

2.  MUSIC unaccented
notes:
one or more unaccented notes immediately before the first downbeat of a bar
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin, from, ultimately, Greek anakrouein “to strike
up (a tune),” from krouein “to strike.”]
—a·na·crus·tic [ànnə krstik], adjective[1]



anadamabread

anadamabread
an·a·da·ma
bread 
[ànnə dámmə brèd] noun

cornbread:
a type of yeast-raised cornbread that was originally made in New England
[Origin unknown][1]



anadem

anadem
an·a·dem 
[ánnə dèm] (plural an·a·dems) noun

garland
for head:
a garland or wreath worn on the head (archaic or literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, from Greek anadēma “headband,” from anadeein “to bind up,”
from deein “to bind” (source of English diadem
).][1]



anadiplosis

anadiplosis
an·a·di·plo·sis 
[ànnə də plṓsiss] (plural an·a·di·plo·ses
[ànnədə plṓseez]) noun

repetition
for effect:
the rhetorical repetition of the last word or words of one phrase or sentence
at the beginning of the next. The sentence “He was tormented by fears –fears
that were soon to be realized” uses anadiplosis.
[Late 16th century. Via
Latin, from, ultimately, Greek anadiploein, literally “to double back,”
from diploein “to double.”][1]



anadromous

anadromous
a·nad·ro·mous 
[ə náddrəməss] adjective

returning
to rivers to breed: used to describe fish such
as salmon and shad that return from the sea to the rivers where they were born
in order to breed.
See
also
catadromous
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Greek anadromos “running up (a river from the sea),” from dromos
“a running.”][1]



anaemia

anaemia
a·nae·mi·a 
noun

See
anemia[1]



anaemic

anaemic
a·nae·mic 
adjective

See
anemic[1]



anaerobe

anaerobe
an·aer·obe 
[ánnə rb] (plural an·aer·obes)
noun

organism
not needing oxygen: a microorganism that does
not require oxygen for metabolism
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from French anaérobie “living without air,” coined by
Louis Pasteur, from Greek an- “not” + French aéro- “air” + Greek bios
“life.”][1]



anaerobic

anaerobic
an·aer·o·bic 
[ànnə rṓbik] adjective

1.  not
needing oxygen: living or taking place in the absence of
oxygen, especially not requiring oxygen for metabolism

2.  lacking
oxygen:
having or providing no oxygen
—an·aer·o·bic·al·ly, adverb[1]



anaerobicprocess

anaerobicprocess
an·aer·o·bic
proc·ess
(plural an·aer·o·bic proc·ess·es) noun

process not needing oxygen:
a chemical or biological process such as decay or decomposition that does not
require oxygen. Such processes are often used to dispose of wastes while
generating useful gases.[1]



anaerobicrespiration

anaerobicrespiration
an·aer·o·bic
res·pi·ra·tion noun

production of energy without
oxygen: the production of energy
from foodstuffs without the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic respiration occurs in
some yeasts and bacteria, and in muscle tissue during strenuous exercise when
oxygen is insufficient.
See also
aerobic respiration[1]



anaerobiosis

anaerobiosis
an·aer·o·bi·o·sis 
[ànnerō bī ṓssiss] noun

life
without oxygen: life in the absence of free or
atmospheric oxygen
[Late
19th century. Coined from anaerobic + -biosis .]
—an·aer·o·bi·ot·ic [ànnərō bī óttik], adjective[1]



anaesthesia

anaesthesia
an·aes·the·sia 
noun

See
anesthesia[1]



anaesthetic

anaesthetic
an·aes·thet·ic 
noun

See
anesthetic[1]



anaesthetics

anaesthetics
an·aes·thet·ics
noun

U.K.
See anesthesiology[1]



anaglyph

anaglyph
an·a·glyph 
[ánnə glìf] (plural an·a·glyphs)
noun

1.  carved
decoration:
a decoration carved in low relief, so that the shape of the design projects
only slightly from the background

2.  three-dimensional
picture:
a three-dimensional visual effect created by dyeing each of two images a
different color, usually red and green, and then viewing them through
complementary-colored filters, one over each eye
[Late
16th century. From Greek anagluphē “low-relief sculpture,” literally
“upward carving,” from gluphein “to carve.”]
—an·a·glyph·ic
[ànnə glíffik], adjective

—an·a·glyp·tic [ànnə glíptik], adjective[1]



anagnorisis

anagnorisis
a·nag·nor·i·sis 
[ànag náwrəssìss] (plural a·nag·nor·i·ses
[ànag náwrə sz]) noun

discovery
leading to resolution of plot: in literature,
especially Greek tragedy, the principal character’s discovery or acknowledgment
of some fact that leads to the resolution of the plot
[Late 18th century. Via
Latin, from Greek, “recognition,” formed from anagnōrizein, literally
“to know thoroughly,” from gnōrizein “to get knowledge of.”][1]



anagoge

anagoge
an·a·go·ge
[ánnə gjee] (plural an·a·go·ges)
or an·a·go·gy [ánnə gōjee] (plural
an·a·go·gies) noun

1.  spiritual
interpretation: a spiritual or mystical interpretation
of a word or passage, especially in a sacred text, in contrast to a literal or
moral interpretation

2.  allegorical
interpretation in Bible: an allegorical
interpretation of a passage in the Bible as an allusion to or foreshadowing of
people or events in the New Testament
[18th
century. Via Latin, from Greek anagōgē “reference,” from anagein,
literally “to take back,” from agein “to take” (source of English pedagogue ).]
—an·a·gog·ic
[ànnə gójjik], adjective

—an·a·gog·i·cal,
adjective

—an·a·gog·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anagram

anagram
an·a·gram 
[ánnə gràm] (plural an·a·grams)
noun

1.  word
rearranged to form another: a word or phrase that
contains all the letters of another word or phrase in a different order.
“Astronomers” is an anagram of “no more stars.”

2.  word
game:
a word game that involves the forming of anagrams (takes a singular verb)
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French anagramme from modern Latin anagramma,
probably from Greek anagrammatismos “transposition of letters,” from anagrammatizein
(see anagrammatize ).]
—an·a·gram·mat·ic
[ànnəgrə máttik], adjective

—an·a·gram·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anagrammatize

anagrammatize
an·a·gram·ma·tize 
[ànnə grámmə tz] (past an·a·gram·ma·tized,
past participle an·a·gram·ma·tized, present participle an·a·gram·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·a·gram·ma·tiz·es) transitive
verb

rearrange
letters:
to rearrange the letters of a word or phrase to form a different word or phrase
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps directly from Greek anagrammatizein “to rearrange the
letters of a word,” from gramma “letter.”][1]



Anaheim

Anaheim
An·a·heim 
[ánnə hm]

city in southwestern
California. It is home to Disneyland. Population: 288,945 (1996)[1]



anal

anal
a·nal 
[áyn’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY relating to anus:
relating to or situated near the anus

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS relating
to childhood interest in defecation: in
Freudian theory, relating to a stage of childhood psychosexual development
during which the focus is on the anal region and functions

3.  obsessively
self-controlled: in Freudian theory, relating to adult
personality traits, for example, obsessive neatness, stubbornness, and
frugality, that are considered to have originated during or be characteristic
of the anal stage of development
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin analis, from anus (see anus ).]
—a·nal·ly, adverb[1]



anal.

anal.
anal.

1.  Abbreviation
of
analogous

2.  Abbreviation
of
analogy

3.  Abbreviation
of
analysis

4.  Abbreviation
of
analytic

[1]



analcime

analcime
a·nal·cime 
[ə nál sm] or a·nal·cite [ə nálst] noun

form
of mineral zeolite: a white or light-colored
mineral, a form of zeolite composed of hydrated silicate of sodium and aluminum
and found in crystal form in igneous rock
[Early
19th century. Via French, coined from Greek analkimos, literally “not
strong” (in reference to the mineral’s weak electric current), from alkimos
“strong,” from alkē “strength.”]
—a·nal·cim·ic [ànn’l símmik], adjective[1]



analects

analects
an·a·lects 
[ánnə lèkts] or an·a·lec·ta [ànnə léktə] plural noun

literary
extracts:
passages selected from one or more literary or philosophical works, especially
when published as a collection
[Early
17th century. Via Latin, from Greek analekta “collected, or selected,
things,” from, ultimately, analegein, literally “to gather up,” from legein
“to gather.”]
—an·a·lec·tic, adjective[1]



analemma

analemma
an·a·lem·ma 
[ànnə lémmə] (plural an·a·lem·mas
or an·a·lem·ma·ta [ànnə lémmətə])
noun

scale
on sundial:
a scale, found on some sundials and globes, that is shaped like a figure eight
and marked to indicate the declination of the sun and to allow the calculation
of apparent solar time
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin,
“sundial, pedestal of a sundial,” from Greek analēmma “pedestal,
support,” from analambanein “to take up, support,” from lambanein
“to take.”][1]



analeptic

analeptic
an·a·lep·tic 
[ànnə léptik] adjective

stimulant:
restorative or invigorating, especially after an illness
noun
(plural an·a·lep·tics)

stimulant
drug:
a drug that has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin,
from Greek analēptikos “restorative,” from analambanein (see analemma ).][1]



analgesia

analgesia
an·al·ge·si·a 
[ànn’l jzee ə, ànn’l
jzhə] noun MEDICINE

1.  unawareness
of pain:
the lack of sensibility to pain while somebody is conscious

2.  pain
control:
treatment to control pain
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin, from Greek analgēsia “lack of feeling,
insensibility,” from, ultimately, algeein “to feel pain,” from algos
“pain.”]
—an·al·get·ic [ànn’l jéttik], adjective[1]



analgesic

analgesic
an·al·ge·sic 
[ànn’l jzik, ànn’l
jssik] adjective

pain-relieving:
used to describe a type of medication that alleviates pain without loss of
consciousness
noun
(plural an·al·ge·sics)

pain-relieving medication:
a type of medication that alleviates pain without loss of consciousness[1]



analintercourse

analintercourse
a·nal
in·ter·course noun

sexual intercourse through
anus: a form of sexual intercourse
in which a man puts his penis into the anus of a man or woman.
Also called
anal sex[1]



analog

analog
an·a·log 
[ánnə lawg] or an·a·logue [ánnə lawg] noun (plural an·a·logs)

similar
chemical:
a chemical with a similar structure to another but differing slightly in
composition.
U.K.
term
analogue
adjective

using
physical representation: relating to a system or
device that represents data variation by a measurable physical quality.
See
also
digital  adjective 4

U.K.
term
analogue
[Mid-20th century. Variant of
analogue .][1]



analogclock

analogclock
an·a·log
clock
(plural an·a·log clocks) or an·a·logue clock (plural
an·a·logue clocks) noun

clock with hands:
a clock that shows the time by means of hands on a dial[1]



analogcomputer

analogcomputer
an·a·log
com·put·er
(plural an·a·log com·put·ers) or an·a·logue com·put·er
(plural an·a·logue com·put·ers) noun

type of computer:
a computer that uses a variable physical quantity such as voltage to represent
data[1]



analogical

analogical
an·a·log·i·cal 
[ànnə lójjik’l] adjective

of
analogy:
relating to or working by means of analogy
[Late
16th century. Formed directly or via French analogique from Latin analogicus,
from Greek analogikos (see analogous
).]
—an·a·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



analogist

analogist
a·nal·o·gist 
[ə nálləjist] (plural a·nal·o·gists)
noun

analogy user:
somebody who uses analogy as a form of reasoning, to provide an explanation, or
to support an argument[1]



analogize

analogize
a·nal·o·gize 
[ə nállə jz] (past a·nal·o·gized,
past participle a·nal·o·gized, present participle a·nal·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·nal·o·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
draw
comparisons: to compare two things that are similar
in some respects, especially in order to explain something or to support an
argument

2.  intransitive
verb
use
analogy:
to make use of an analogy

[1]



analogous

analogous
a·nal·o·gous 
[ə nálləgəss] adjective

1.  similar:
similar in some respects, allowing an analogy to be drawn

2.  BIOLOGY equivalent
but appearing independently: used to describe body parts
and organs that have equivalent functions but that appeared independently of
one another in different plants or animals. The wings of birds, bats, and
insects, for example, are analogous.
[Mid-17th
century. Via French analogue or Latin analogus from Greek analogos,
from analogon “in due ratio,” from ana “according to” + logos
“ratio.”]
—a·nal·o·gous·ly,
adverb

—a·nal·o·gous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Some
  things are more analogous than others.
  Analogous, correctly used, should
  include a notion of analogy, that is, of directly corresponding
  features: • The
  Commission has set up guidelines for broadcasters that are analogous to those
  for journalists. It is better to avoid it
  when the comparison is only general and when more straightforward words such
  as similar, equivalent, comparable, or corresponding
  would serve as well: • The
  new system is analogous to that used in the electronics industry.

[1]



analogrecording

analogrecording
an·a·log
re·cord·ing
(plural an·a·log re·cord·ings) or an·a·logue
re·cord·ing (plural an·a·logue re·cord·ings) noun

type of recording:
the recording of sound onto vinyl or tape by converting the audio waveform into
analogous variations in shape or magnetization[1]



analogue

analogue
an·a·logue
[ánn’l òg] noun (plural an·a·logues)

1.  corresponding
thing:
a thing, idea, or institution that is similar to or has the same function as
another “They had no exact analogue for our word ‘home,’ any more than they had
for our Roman-based ‘family.’” Charlotte Perkins Gilman Herland 1915

2.  BIOLOGY equivalent
but independentorgan: a body part or organ that
has an equivalent function to one in a different plant or animal but that
appeared independently. The wings of birds, bats, and insects, for example, are
analogues.

3.  CHEMISTRY See analog  noun

4.  FOOD food
substitute:
a food or dish made to resemble another by the substitution of inferior
ingredients
adjective

See analog
[Early 19th century. Via
French, from Greek analogon (see analogous
).][1]



analogwatch

analogwatch
an·a·log
watch
(plural an·a·log watch·es) or an·a·logue watch (plural
an·a·logue watch·es) noun

watch with hands:
a watch that shows the time by means of hands on a dial[1]



analogy

analogy
a·nal·o·gy 
[ə nálləjee] (plural a·nal·o·gies)
noun

1.  comparison:
a comparison between two things that are similar in some respects, often used
to help explain something or make it easier to understand

2.  similarity:
a similarity in some respects

3.  BIOLOGY equivalence
between independentparts: equivalence in biological
function between body parts or organs that have appeared independently in
different plants and animals

4.  LOGIC form
of reasoning: a form of logical inference, reasoning
that if two things are taken to be alike in a particular way, they are alike in
certain other ways

5.  LINGUISTICS standardization
of linguistic forms: the development or
production of linguistic forms and patterns that resemble those already
predominating in a language
[15th century. Via French analogie
or Latin analogia from Greek analogia “proportion,” from analogos
(see analogous ).][1]



analphabetic

analphabetic
an·al·pha·bet·ic 
[a nàlfə béttik] adjective (formal)

1.  not
alphabetical: not in alphabetical order

2.  illiterate:
not knowing how to read or write
noun
(plural an·al·pha·bet·ics)

illiterate person:
somebody who does not know how to read or write (formal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek analphabētos “not knowing the alphabet,” from alphabētos
“alphabet.”][1]



anal-retentive

anal-retentive
a·nal-re·ten·tive 
adjective

See
anal  adjective 3
—a·nal
re·ten·tion, noun

—a·nal-re·ten·tive,
noun

—a·nal-re·ten·tive·ness,
noun[1]



analsex

analsex
a·nal
sex
noun

See
anal intercourse[1]



analysand

analysand
a·nal·y·sand 
[ə nállə sànd, ə
nállə zànd] (plural a·nal·y·sands) noun

somebody
being analyzed: somebody who is undergoing
psychoanalysis
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from analyze, on the model of operand .][1]



analysis

analysis
a·nal·y·sis 
[ə nálləssiss] (plural a·nal·y·ses
[ə nállə sz]) noun

1.  separation
into components: the separation of something into its
constituents in order to find out what it contains, to examine individual
parts, or to study the structure of the whole

2.  list
of parts:
a statement giving details of all the constituent elements of something and how
they relate to each other

3.  close
examination: the examination of something in detail
in order to understand it better or draw conclusions from it

4.  assessment:
an assessment, description, or explanation of something, usually based on
careful consideration or investigation

5.  MATHEMATICS branch
of mathematics: the branch of mathematics dealing with
differential calculus, functions, and limits

6.  LINGUISTICS way
of expressing grammatical relationships: the
use of function words or word order, rather than inflectional forms, to express
grammatical relationships in a language

7.  See
psychoanalysis
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin, from Greek analusis “a breaking up into elements,” from analuein
“to unloose, dissolve into elements,” from luein “to loosen.”][1]



analysisof variance

analysisof variance
a·nal·y·sis
of var·i·ance (plural a·nal·y·ses of
var·i·ance) noun

statistical assessment:
the analysis of the difference in outcomes of an experiment to determine the
factors contributing to the variations[1]



analyst

analyst
an·a·lyst 
[ánn’list] (plural an·a·lysts)
noun

1.  expert
who examines something: somebody with specialist
knowledge or skill who studies or examines something by separating it into its
constituent elements and gives an assessment, description, or explanation of it

2.  See
psychoanalyst
[Mid-17th century. From
French analyste, from analyse “analysis” (see analyze ).][1]



analytic

analytic
an·a·lyt·ic 
[ànnə líttik] or an·a·lyt·i·cal
[ànnə líttik’l] adjective

1.  of
analysis:
connected with or involving analysis

2.  using
analysis:
able or inclined to separate things into their constituent elements in order to
study or examine them, draw conclusions, or solve problems

3.  LOGIC true
by meaning alone: true by definition or by virtue of the
meaning of the words used

4.  MATHEMATICS differentiable
at all points in domain: used to describe a function
of a complex variable that is differentiable at all points in its domain

5.  LINGUISTICS using
function words: expressing grammatical relationships by
means of function words or word order rather than inflections
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin, from Greek analutikos, from analuein
(see analysis ).]
—an·a·lyt·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



analyticalbalance

analyticalbalance
an·a·lyt·i·cal
bal·ance
(plural an·a·lyt·i·cal bal·anc·es) noun

laboratory scales:
an accurate scales used in laboratories for weighing minute objects or
quantities[1]



analyticalreagent

analyticalreagent
an·a·lyt·i·cal
re·a·gent
(plural an·a·lyt·i·cal re·a·gents) noun

pure chemical:
a substance processed to be virtually free of impurities[1]



analyticgeometry

analyticgeometry
an·a·lyt·ic
ge·om·e·try
noun

branch of geometry:
a branch of mathematics dealing with geometric properties using algebraic
operations and notation to locate points within a coordinate system.
Also called
coordinate geometry[1]



analyticphilosophy

analyticphilosophy
an·a·lyt·ic
phi·los·o·phy noun

school of philosophy
emphasizing language: a
20th-century philosophy primarily concerned with resolving philosophical
problems through the analysis and clarification of language[1]



analyticpsychology

analyticpsychology
an·a·lyt·ic
psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychoanalysis based on
Jung’s theories: a system of
psychoanalysis based on the psychological theories of Carl Jung[1]



analytics

analytics
an·a·lyt·ics 
[ànnə líttiks] noun

branch of logic:
the branch of logic involved with the analysis of propositions (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



analyze

analyze
an·a·lyze 
[ánn’l z] (past an·a·lyzed or
an·a·lyzed, past participle an·a·lyzed or an·a·lyzed,
present participle an·a·lyz·ing or an·a·lyz·ing, 3rd
person present singular an·a·lyz·es) transitive verb

1.  break
down into components: to find out what something
is made up of by identifying its constituent parts

2.  examine
structure:
to study or examine the structure of something or how its constituent parts are
put together

3.  study
closely:
to examine something in great detail in order to understand it better or
discover more about it

4.  GRAMMAR express
by using function words: to express grammatical
relationships by using function words or word order rather than inflectional
endings

5.  See
psychoanalyze
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly a back-formation from analysis, or from French analyse “analysis”
used as a verb; in either case reinforced by French analyser “to
analyze.”]
—an·a·lyz·a·ble,
adjective

—an·a·ly·za·tion
[ànn’lə záysh’n], noun

—an·a·lyz·er [ánn’l zər], noun[1]



anamnesis

anamnesis
an·am·ne·sis 
[ànnəm nssiss, à
nam nssiss] (plural an·am·ne·ses [ànnəm n sz]) noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY recollection:
a recollection of past events (technical)

2.  case
history:
the medical of a patient, especially in the patient’s own words
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “remembrance,” from anamimnēskein, literally “to call back to
mind,” from mimnēskein “to call to mind.”][1]



anamnestic

anamnestic
an·am·nes·tic
[ànam néstik] adjective

showing
late response to antigen: showing a secondary
immunological response to an antigen at some time after initial immunization
[Early
18th century. From Greek anamnēstikos, ultimately from anamimnēskein
(see anamnesis ).]
—an·am·nes·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anamorphic

anamorphic
an·a·mor·phic 
[ànnə máwrfik] adjective

of image distortion:
relating to or producing image distortion caused by unequal magnification along
different perpendicular axes[1]



anamorphosis

anamorphosis
an·a·mor·pho·sis 
[ànnə mawr fṓssiss, ànnə
máwrfəssiss] (plural an·a·mor·pho·ses [ànnə mawr fṓ seez]) noun

1.  distorted
image:
a distorted image or drawing of a distorted image that appears normal when
viewed with or reflected from a special device

2.  imaging
process:
the process of making distorted images by means of special mirrors or other
devices
[Mid-18th century. From Greek,
“transformation,” from anamorphoein, literally “to change shape again,”
from morphoein “to change shape,” from morphē “shape.”][1]



Ananke

Ananke
An·an·ke
[ə nángkee] noun

a small natural satellite of
Jupiter, discovered in 1951[1]



anapest

anapest
an·a·pest 
[ánnə pèst] (plural an·a·pests)
or an·a·paest [ánnə pèst] (plural
an·a·paests) noun

three
syllables with third stressed: a metrical foot of
three syllables with the stress on the third syllable, or of two short
syllables followed by a long syllable. The word “unconcerned” and the phrase
“up the hill” are anapests.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin, from Greek anapaistos “struck backward” (from
its being a reversed dactyl), the past participle of anapaiein, from paiein
“to strike.”]
—an·a·pes·tic [ànnə péstik], adjective[1]



anaphase

anaphase
an·a·phase 
[ánnə fàyz] noun

stage
in cell division: a late stage of cell division during
which chromosomes move to the poles of the spindle.
See
also
prophase
See
also
metaphase
See
also
telophase
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek ana- “up, back” + phase .][1]



anaphora

anaphora
a·naph·o·ra 
[ə náffərə] noun

1.  repetition
for effect:
the use of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several successive
clauses, sentences, lines, or verses, usually for emphasis or rhetorical
effect. “She didn’t speak. She didn’t stand. She didn’t even look up when we
came in” is an example of anaphora. (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR referring
back:
reference to a word or phrase used earlier, especially to avoid repeating the
word or phrase by replacing it with something else such as a pronoun. In the
sentence “I told Paul to close the door and he did so,” the clause “he did so”
makes use of anaphora.

3.  CHRISTIANITY part
of Communion: the offering of the bread and wine in
Communion
[Late
16th century. Via Latin, from Greek, “reference, repetition,” from anapherein,
literally “to carry back,” from pherein “to carry.”]
—a·naph·o·ric
[ànnə fáwrik], adjective

—a·naph·or·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anaphoresis

anaphoresis
a·naph·o·re·sis 
[ànnəfə rssiss] noun

movement toward anode:
the movement toward the anode of suspended particles in solution[1]



anaphrodisia

anaphrodisia
an·aph·ro·dis·i·a 
[ə nàffrə dízzee ə, ə
nàffrə dízhə] noun

low
sexual desire: absence or reduction of sexual desire
[20th century. From Greek,
“inability to inspire love,” from aphrodisios “relating to love” (see aphrodisiac ).][1]



anaphrodisiac

anaphrodisiac
an·aph·ro·dis·i·ac
[ə nàffrə dízzee àk] adjective

reducing
sexual desire: tending to reduce sexual desire
noun
(plural an·aph·ro·dis·i·acs)

drug
reducing sexual desire: a drug, herb, or other
substance that reduces sexual desire
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek aphrodisiakos “inspiring love, sexual” (see aphrodisiac ).][1]



anaphylactic

anaphylactic
an·a·phy·lac·tic
[ànnəfə láktik] adjective

involving
extreme sensitivity: relating to or caused or
characterized by extreme sensitivity to a substance ( anaphylaxis
)
—an·a·phy·lac·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anaphylacticshock

anaphylacticshock
an·a·phy·lac·tic
shock
noun

allergic reaction:
a sudden severe and potentially fatal allergic reaction in somebody sensitive
to a particular substance, marked by a drop in blood pressure, itching,
swelling, and difficulty in breathing.
Also called
anaphylaxis[1]



anaphylaxis

anaphylaxis
an·a·phy·lax·is 
[ànnəfə láksiss] noun

1.  extreme
sensitivity: extreme sensitivity to a particular
substance such as a specific protein or drug

2.  See
anaphylactic shock
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, coined from Greek ana- “again” (because
a substance is reintroduced) + -phylaxis “guarding, watching.”]
—an·a·phy·lac·toid [ànnəfə lák tòyd], adjective[1]



anaplasia

anaplasia
an·a·pla·sia 
[ànnə pláyzhə] noun

loss of distinctive cell
features: the reversion of cells,
usually within a tumor, to a simpler or less differentiated form.
Also called
dedifferentiation[1]



anaplastic

anaplastic
an·a·plas·tic 
[ànnə plástik] adjective

having lost distinctive cell
features: relating to or characterized
by the loss of distinctive cell features ( anaplasia
)[1]



anaptyxis

anaptyxis
an·a·ptyx·is 
[ànnəp tíksiss, ànnap
tíksiss] noun

insertion
of vowel:
the insertion of a weak vowel sound between two consonants in order to make a
word or phrase easier to pronounce
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek anaptuxis “an unfolding,” from anaptussein
“to unfold,” from ptussein “to fold.”][1]



anarch

anarch
an·arch 
[á nrk] (plural an·archs) noun

advocate
of anarchy:
somebody who supports or instigates anarchy (archaic)
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from anarchy .][1]



anarchic

anarchic
an·ar·chic 
[a nrkik, ə ]
or an·ar·chi·cal [a nrkik’l] adjective

1.  lawless:
showing no respect for established laws, rules, institutions, or authority

2.  chaotic:
characterized by a lack of organization or control

3.  encouraging
anarchy:
likely to cause the overthrow of a formal system of government or a breakdown
of law and order
—an·ar·chi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anarchism

anarchism
an·ar·chism 
[ánnər kìzzəm] noun

1.  doctrine
rejecting government: an ideology that rejects the
need for a system of government in society and proposes its abolition

2.  actions
of anarchists: behavior intended to overthrow or weaken
a society’s formal system of government

3.  resistance
to control:
resistance to all forms of authority or control

[1]



anarchist

anarchist
an·ar·chist 
[ánnərkist] (plural an·ar·chists)
noun

1.  supporter
of anarchism: somebody who rejects the need for a
system of government in society and proposes its abolition

2.  lawless
person:
somebody who tries to overthrow a society’s formal system of government or
behaves in a generally lawless manner and encourages others to do the same (disapproving)
—an·ar·chis·tic [ànnər kístik], adjective[1]



anarchy

anarchy
an·ar·chy 
[ánnərkee] noun

1.  lack
of government: the absence of any formal system of
government in a society

2.  chaotic
situation:
a situation in which there is a total lack of organization or control
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin anarchia, from Greek anarkhia, from anarkhos
“without a ruler,” from arkhos “ruler.”][1]



anarthria

anarthria
an·ar·thri·a 
[a nrthree ə] noun

loss
of speech:
the loss of the ability to articulate words
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin, from Greek, formed from anarthros
“inarticulate, disjointed,” from arthron “joint.”]
—an·ar·thric, adjective[1]



anarthrous

anarthrous
an·ar·throus 
[a nrthrəss] adjective

without
an article:
used or occurring without a definite or indefinite article
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek anarthros, literally “not articulated,” from arthron
“article, joint.”][1]



anasarca

anasarca
an·a·sar·ca 
[ànnə srkə] noun

buildup
of fluid:
the accumulation of watery fluid in connective tissue and cavities, resulting
in swelling ( edema )
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin, from the Greek adjective anasarx, applied
by Galen, a Greek physician, to dropsy, representing the phrase ana sarka
“throughout the flesh.”]
—an·a·sar·cous, adjective[1]



Anasazi

Anasazi
A·na·sa·zi 
[nə szee, ànnə
szee] (plural A·na·sa·zis or A·na·sa·zi) noun

member
of Native North American people: a member of an ancient
Native North American people
[Mid-20th century. From
Navajo anaasásí, literally “enemy ancestors.”][1]



Anasaziculture

Anasaziculture
A·na·sa·zi
cul·ture
noun

early N American culture:
a highly developed ancient culture of the region that is now the southwestern
United States. It was centered in the broad plateau where present-day Arizona,
New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet.[1]



Anastasia

Anastasia
A·na·sta·sia
[ànnə stáyzhə], Grand Duchess (1901–1918)

The
daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, she died when the Bolsheviks executed the
Romanovs (July 1918), but many women claimed to be her thereafter.
Born
Romanovna, Anastasia Nikolaevna[1]



anastigmat

anastigmat
an·as·tig·mat 
[a nàstíg màt, ànnə
stíg màt] (plural an·as·tig·mats) noun

lens
without astigmatism: a lens or combination of
lenses free from astigmatism
[Late 19th century. From
German, a back-formation from anastigmatisch “anastigmatic,” from,
ultimately, medieval Latin stigmaticus (see stigmatic
).][1]



anastigmatic

anastigmatic
an·as·tig·mat·ic 
[ànnə stig mátik, a
nàstig mátik] adjective

without astigmatism:
used to describe a lens that is corrected for or free from astigmatism[1]



anastomose

anastomose
a·nas·to·mose 
[ə nástə mz, ə
nástə mss] (past a·nas·to·mosed, past participle a·nas·to·mosed,
present participle a·nas·to·mos·ing, 3rd person present
singular a·nas·to·mo·ses) transitive verb

join
tubular parts by surgery: to join blood vessels or
other tubular parts in a surgical operation ( anastomosis
)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from anastomosis,
perhaps on the model of ankylose and metamorphose .][1]



anastomosis

anastomosis
a·nas·to·mo·sis 
[ə nàstə mṓssiss] (plural a·nas·to·mo·ses
[ə nàstə mṓ sz]) noun

1.  natural
joint:
the connection or place of connection of two or more parts of a natural
branching system, for example, of blood vessels, leaf veins, stems of woody
plants, or rivers

2.  MEDICINE surgical
union of tubular parts: the surgical union of two
hollow organs, for example, blood vessels or parts of the intestine, to ensure
continuity of the passageway

3.  network
of fungal filaments: a fusion between fungal
filaments ( hyphae ) to form a network
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin, from Greek, “outlet, opening, interconnection
of openings,” from anastomoein “to supply with a mouth or opening,” from
stoma “mouth” (source also of English stomach
).]
—a·nas·to·mot·ic [ə nàstə móttik], adjective[1]



anastrophe

anastrophe
a·nas·tro·phe 
[ə nástrəfee] (plural a·nas·tro·phes)
noun

change
in order:
an alteration of the normal order of words or phrases in a grammatical
construction, usually for rhetorical effect. Coleridge’s “The helmsman steered;
the ship moved on; yet never a breeze up blew” ends with an anastrophe.
Also
called
inversion
[Mid-16th century. From
Greek, “a turning back, inversion,” formed from stroph-, the stem of strephein
“to turn.”][1]



anat.

anat.
anat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
anatomical

2.  Abbreviation
of
anatomy

[1]



anatase

anatase
an·a·tase 
[ánnə tàyss, ánnə
tàyz] noun

blue
or yellowish brown mineral: a blue or yellowish brown
mineral consisting of titanium dioxide, which occurs in igneous rock
[Early 19th century. Via
French, from Greek anatasis “extension” (from the elongated crystals),
from, ultimately, teinein “to stretch.”][1]



anathema

anathema
a·nath·e·ma 
[ə náthəmə] (plural a·nath·e·mas)
noun

1.  object
of loathing: somebody or something that is greatly
disliked or detested and is therefore shunned

2.  RELIGION ecclesiastical
curse:
a curse from a religious authority that denounces something or excommunicates
somebody

3.  general
curse:
any forceful curse or denunciation

4.  RELIGION somebody
or something formally denounced: somebody or something
cursed, denounced, or excommunicated by a religious authority
[Early 16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin, from Greek, “something devoted to evil,” earlier
“something devoted,” variant of anathēma “votive offering,” from anatithenai
“to set up.”][1]



anathematize

anathematize
a·nath·e·ma·tize 
[ə náthəmə tz] (past a·nath·e·ma·tized,
past participle a·nath·e·ma·tized, present participle a·nath·e·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·nath·e·ma·tiz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

curse:
to formally curse, denounce, or excommunicate somebody or something
[Mid-16th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin anathematizare “to ban, curse” from
Greek anathematizein “to dedicate to evil,” from anathemat-, the
stem of anathema (see anathema ).]
—a·nath·e·ma·ti·za·tion
[ə nàthəmətə záysh’n], noun[1]



Anatolia

Anatolia
An·a·to·li·a 
[ànnə tṓlee ə] noun

Asian part of Turkey:
the Asian part of Turkey, forming the westernmost peninsula of Asia[1]



Anatolian

Anatolian
An·a·to·li·an 
[ànnə tṓlee ən] (plural An·a·to·li·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Anatolia: somebody who was born or who lives in
Anatolia

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
Middle Eastern language group: a group of extinct
languages spoken more than 3,000 years ago in central and western Turkey. They
form a branch of the Indo-European language family.
—An·a·to·li·an, adjective[1]



AnatolianPlateau

AnatolianPlateau
An·a·to·li·an
Pla·teau
[anə tṓlee ən platō]

mountainous region extending
across much of Turkey[1]



anatomical

anatomical
an·a·tom·i·cal 
[ànnə tómmik’l] or an·a·tom·ic
[ànnə tómmik] adjective

relating
to physical structure: relating to or showing the
physical structure of animals or plants
—an·a·tom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anatomicallycorrect

anatomicallycorrect
an·a·tom·i·cal·ly
cor·rect
adjective

with full anatomical detail:
having an accurate representation of the genitals and other bodily details[1]



anatomist

anatomist
a·nat·o·mist 
[ə náttəmist] (plural a·nat·o·mists)
noun

specialist in anatomy:
a student of or expert on the physical structure of animals or plants,
especially the structure of the human body[1]



anatomize

anatomize
a·nat·o·mize 
[ə náttə mz] (past a·nat·o·mized,
past participle a·nat·o·mized, present participle a·nat·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·nat·o·miz·es) transitive verb

1.  See
dissect  verb 1

2.  analyze
in detail:
to analyze or examine something in great detail, thus revealing features that
are not obvious
—a·nat·o·mi·za·tion [ə nàttəmə záysh’n], noun[1]



anatomy

anatomy
a·nat·o·my 
[ə náttəmee] (plural a·nat·o·mies)
noun

1.  physical
structure of organism: the physical structure,
especially the internal structure, of an animal, plant, or other organism, or
of any of its parts

2.  study
of structure of body: the branch of science that
studies the physical structure of animals, plants, and other organisms

3.  body:
the human body (informal)

4.  book
about anatomy: a book or other written work about the
physical structure of animals, plants, or other organisms

5.  analysis:
a detailed analysis of something
[14th
century. Via French anatomie and late Latin anatomia from Greek anatomē
“cutting up” from, ultimately, temnein “to cut” (source of English atom ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  From
  the 16th century to the early 19th century anatomy
  was used to mean “skeleton,” and in this sense it was often misanalyzed as an
  atomy, as if the initial an- were the indefinite article: “My
  bones…will be taken up smooth, and white, and bare as an atomy,” Tobias
  Smollett ( 1755 ).

[1]



Anaxagoras

Anaxagoras
An·ax·ag·o·ras 
[à nak sággərəss] (500? BC–428 BC)

Greek philosopher. He stated
that matter was infinitely divisible and was the first person to explain solar
eclipses.[1]



Anaximander

Anaximander
A·nax·i·man·der 
[ə nàksə mándər] (611? BC–547? BC)

Greek philosopher. He put
forward an evolutionary theory of the origins of life, claiming that human
beings evolved from more primitive species.[1]



Anaximenes

Anaximenes
A·nax·i·me·nes
[à nak símmə neez] (570? BC–500? BC)

Greek philosopher. He
believed that the universe consisted of air or vapor in various stages of
condensation, and that the movement of air changed the structure of physical
objects.[1]



ANC

ANC
ANC
noun

South African political
party: a South African political
party founded in 1912 that fought against apartheid. It formed South Africa’s
first multiracial, democratically elected government in 1994. Full form African National Congress[1]



ancestor

ancestor
an·ces·tor 
[án sèstər, ánsèstər]
(plural an·ces·tors) noun

1.  distant
relation somebody is descended from:
somebody from whom somebody else is directly descended, especially somebody
more distant than a grandparent

2.  forerunner:
a predecessor of somebody, for example, in the development of a certain art
form

3.  BIOLOGY earlier
species:
an animal or plant from which a species has evolved

4.  earlier
model:
a device that was an earlier form of a modern invention or was used as a basis
for developing it
[14th century. Via Old French
ancestre from Latin antecessor, literally “somebody who goes
before,” from cess-, the past participle stem of cedere (see cede ).][1]



ancestral

ancestral
an·ces·tral 
[an séstrəl] adjective

of
previous generations: belonging to former
generations of somebody’s family, or inherited from them
[15th
century. From Old French ancestrel, from ancestre (see ancestor ).]
—an·ces·tral·ly, adverb[1]



ancestry

ancestry
an·ces·try 
[án sèstree, ánsèstree]
(plural an·ces·tries) noun

ancestors:
somebody’s ancestors regarded as a line linking the modern generation to its
past
[14th century. Alteration of
Old French ancesserie, from ancessour, from Latin antecessor
(see ancestor ).][1]



Anchises

Anchises
An·chi·ses 
[an k sz] noun

father of Aeneas:
in Greek and Roman mythology, a Trojan prince and the father of Aeneas by the
goddess Aphrodite. In later life, Anchises was saved during the Greek sack of
Troy when Aeneas carried him from the burning city on his back.[1]



anchor

anchor

an·chor 
[ángkər] noun (plural an·chors)

1.  NAUTICAL device
to hold ship in place: a heavy, traditionally
double-hooked, device for keeping a ship or floating object in place

2.  device
keeping object in place: any device that keeps an
object in place

3.  something
dependable:
somebody who or something that provides a sense of stability • She
was my anchor during the crisis.

4.  BROADCASTING presenter
of news program: a presenter on a news program, providing
links between the studio and reporters on location.
Also
called
anchorperson
See
also
anchorman
See
also
anchorwoman

5.  SPORTS somebody
positioned last: the team member who is responsible for
the last leg in a relay race or farthest to the rear in a tug of war

6.  MOUNTAINEERING something
climber is tied to: a rock feature, piton, or
other feature to which a climber is tied
adjective

attaching: used
for securing or connecting something
transitive verb
(past an·chored, past participle an·chored, present
participle an·chor·ing, 3rd person present singular an·chors)

1.  hold
something in place: to hold something securely
in place

2.  BROADCASTING be
news program’s presenter: to be the presenter on a
news program
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin ancora from Greek agkura . Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to bend, hook,” which is also the ancestor of
English angle and ankle .]
at anchor

held on the water by an
anchor[1]



Anchorage

Anchorage
An·chor·age 
[ángkərij]

city and port in southern
Alaska, at the eastern end of Cook Inlet. Population: 253,649 (1994)[1]



anchorage

anchorage
an·chor·age 
[ángkərij] (plural an·chor·ages)
noun

1.  place
to hold boats secure: a place in or near a harbor
where boats are moored

2.  charge
for anchoring boat: a charge for anchoring a
boat in a harbor

3.  something
holding object in place: any device used to hold an
object in place

4.  anchoring:
the securing of a ship with an anchor

5.  security:
a source of stability, or a stable condition

[1]



anchorite

anchorite
an·cho·rite 
[ángkər rt] (plural an·cho·rites)
noun

religious
recluse:
somebody who lives a life of prayer, either alone or as part of a religious
community
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin anc(h)orita from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Greek anakhōrētēs,
from Greek anakhōrein, literally “to withdraw,” from ana- “away”
+ khōrein “to move.”][1]



anchorman

anchorman
an·chor·man 
[ángkər màn] (plural an·chor·men
[ángkər mèn]) noun

1.  BROADCASTING man
news anchor: a man who is an anchor for a news
program

2.  SPORTS male
anchor on sports team: a man or boy who is the
anchor in a relay race or for a tug-of-war team

[1]



anchorperson

anchorperson
an·chor·per·son 
[ángkər pùrs’n] (plural an·chor·per·sons
or an·chor·peo·ple) noun

See
anchor  noun 4[1]



anchorstore

anchorstore
an·chor
store
(plural an·chor stores) noun

major store in shopping
center: a large retail store, such
as a department store, that is a major store in a shopping center and is
intended to attract shoppers who will patronize the smaller stores[1]



anchorwoman

anchorwoman
an·chor·wom·an 
[ángkər wmən] (plural an·chor·wom·en
[ángkər wìmmən]) noun

1.  BROADCASTING woman
who presents news: a woman who is an anchor for
a news program

2.  SPORTS woman
anchor on sports team: a woman or girl who is the
anchor in a relay race or for a tug-of-war team

[1]



anchovy

anchovy
an·cho·vy 
[án chvee, an
chṓvee] (plural an·cho·vies or an·cho·vy) noun

small
fish usually salted and canned: a small silvery edible
sea fish that travels in large schools. It is widely used in Mediterranean
cooking and is often sold salted and canned in oil. Family: Engraulidae
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish anchova, of uncertain origin.][1]



ancienrégime

ancienrégime
an·cien
ré·gime 
[aaN syN ray zhm] (plural an·ciens
ré·gimes [aaN syN ray zhm]) noun

1.  pre-revolutionary
French society: the political and social system of
France before the revolution of 1789

2.  former
system:
any former system or administration, or outmoded way of doing things
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “old regime.”][1]



ancient

ancient
an·cient
[áynshənt] adjective

1.  of
distant past: belonging to the distant past,
especially to the time before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in A.D. 476

2.  old:
very old
noun
(plural an·cients)

1.  somebody
from past civilization: somebody who belonged to a
civilization in the distant past

2.  somebody
who has lived long: a very mature or venerable
person
plural
noun
an·cients

1.  people
of ancient Western civilizations: the people who lived
in one of the ancient civilizations, especially Greece and Rome

2.  ancient
Greek and Roman authors: the authors of ancient
Greece and Rome, whose writings form the basis of the classics as a subject of
study
[14th
century. Via French ancien from assumed Vulgar Latin anteanus,
from Latin ante “before.”]
—an·cient·ness, noun[1]



AncientGreek

AncientGreek
An·cient
Greek
noun

early forms of Greek:
the forms of the Greek language spoken from about 1500 BC to about AD
500[1]



ancienthistory

ancienthistory
an·cient
his·to·ry
noun

1.  study
of old cultures: the study of the civilizations that
flourished in the distant past, especially those of Greece and Rome

2.  things
that happened in past: things that happened a long
time ago (informal)

[1]



AncientMariner

AncientMariner
An·cient
Mar·i·ner
noun

boring
person:
somebody who talks at length about subjects, often obsessively (informal
humorous)
[From the title of the poem
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge][1]



Ancientof Days

Ancientof Days
An·cient
of Days
noun

God:
a name for God, used in the King James Bible (Daniel 7: 9)
[Translation of Latin antiquus
dierum][1]



ancillary

ancillary
an·cil·lar·y 
[ánssə lèree] adjective

1.  subordinate:
in a position of lesser importance

2.  providing
support:
providing support for somebody or something, for example, nontechnical
assistance to people who work in an industry or profession
noun
(plural an·cil·lar·ies)

1.  subordinate
part:
a subordinate part or element, for example, a branch of an organization

2.  nontechnical
support employee: a worker who provides nontechnical
assistance or support to the core workers in an industry or profession
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin ancilla “handmaid,” feminine of anculus “manservant.”][1]



ancylostomiasis

ancylostomiasis
an·cy·lo·sto·mi·a·sis 
[ángkə lōstə m əssiss, ánsə lōstə m əssiss] or an·ky·lo·sto·mi·a·sis
[ángkə lōstə m əssiss, ánsə lōstə m əssiss] noun

intestinal
disease caused by hookworms: a tropical disease caused by
infestation of the small intestine by hookworms, with symptoms of anemia and
tiredness.
Also
called
hookworm disease
Also
called
tunnel disease
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Ancyclostoma, genus of hookworms, from Greek agkulos
“hooked” + stoma “mouth.”][1]



And.

And.
And.

Abbreviation of
Andorra[1]



and

and
and 
[(stressed) and, (unstressed) ənd, ən] CORE
MEANING:
a conjunction used to indicate an additional thing, situation, or fact. “And”
in this case links words and phrases of the same grammatical value. • a
sister and two brothers • We
need to clean the house and pack our suitcases. • switching
back and forth between different systems conjunction

1.  then:
used to link two verbs or statements about events to indicate that the second
follows the first • Just add water and
stir.

2.  as
a result:
used to introduce a situation or event that is a consequence of something just
mentioned • Their
work was excellent and won several awards.

3.  used
to stress repetition or continuity: used
to link identical words or phrases in order to emphasize repetition or
continuity • It
gets better and better.

4.  plus:
used to link two numbers or quantities to indicate that they are to be added
together • One
and one are two.

5.  but:
used to introduce a contrasting statement • My
dentist says to eat fruit and avoid refined sugar.

6.  moreover:
used to introduce a statement that continues or adds weight to a statement just
made • Kim
needed clothes, and I hadn’t been paid in weeks.

7.  used
to connect ideas: used to connect clauses or sentences,
especially in spoken conversation • I like
Pierre, the head waiter, but the work’s hard. And the hours are very long.

8.  indicates
an infinitive verb: used instead of “to” before
an infinitive verb, usually with verbs such as “try,” “go,” and “come” (informal,
nonstandard) • I usually try and visit
her once a week.

9.  if:
used to introduce a conditional clause (archaic) • and
it please you
[Old
English and, ond (related to Dutch en and German und )]
and
how

an
interjection meaning “absolutely” or “certainly,” usually following or
answering a statement (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  and
  at the beginning of a sentence:
  The
  notion that and should not be used at the beginning of a sentence is a
  mistaken notion arising from too literal an understanding of the “joining”
  function of conjunctions: the same objection is also raised with regard to but
  . If it is overdone the effect is of poor style, but this is not a matter of
  grammatical correctness, and the position of and at the beginning of a
  sentence can often be an effective way of drawing attention to what follows:
  • “You
  can’t get away with this,” he threatened. And we knew he meant it.

[1]



AND

AND
AND
[and] (plural ANDs) noun

logical
operator:
a word used in computer technology to link two or more items that must occur
together
[Mid-20th century. From and .][1]



Andalusia

Andalusia
An·da·lu·sia 
[àndə lzhə, àndə
lshee ə]

autonomous
region of southern Spain bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic
Ocean. It contains the historic cities of Sevilla (Seville), Granada, and Cádiz
and many examples of Moorish architecture. Population: 6,940,522 (1991) Area:
87,268 sq km/33,694 sq mi. Spanish Andalucía
—An·da·lu·si·an, adjective,
noun[1]



andalusite

andalusite
an·da·lu·site 
[àndə l s`īt] (plural an·da·lu·sites)
noun

hard
mineral used as gem: a hard mineral of various
colors consisting of aluminum silicate. Some forms are used as gemstones.
[Early 19th century. Named
for Andalusia, where the mineral was first
found.][1]



AndamanIslands

AndamanIslands
An·da·man
Is·lands 
[ándəmən lənds]

northern part of the Indian
union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, situated between the Bay of
Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The Andaman Islands consist of five large islands
and about 200 islets. Population: 240,089 (1991) Area: 6,475 sq km/2,500 sq mi.[1]



andante

andante
an·dan·te 
[an dántee, aan
dn tay, aan dntee] adjective
adverb

slowly:
at a moderate musical tempo but slower than moderato (used as a musical
direction)
noun
(plural an·dan·tes)

music
played andante: a title given to certain musical pieces
or movements that are to be played andante
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, “walking,” the present participle of andare “to go, walk.”][1]



andantino

andantino
an·dan·ti·no 
[n daan t nō] adjective adverb

fairly
slowly:
at a moderate musical tempo slightly faster than andante (used as a musical
direction)
noun
(plural an·dan·ti·nos)

music
played andantino: a title given to certain musical pieces
or movements that are to be played andantino
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “little andante.”][1]



Andersen,Hans Christian

Andersen,Hans Christian

An·der·sen
[ándərsən], Hans Christian (1805–1875)
Danish writer. His fairy tales include
“The Snow Queen” (1844) and “The Ugly Duckling” (1843).[1]



Anderson

Anderson
An·der·son
[ándərsən]

1.  city
in east central Indiana. It is the site of Native American burial mounds.
Population: 59,131 (1996)

2.  city
located in northwestern South Carolina. Population: 26,429 (1996)

[1]



Anderson,Marian

Anderson,Marian


An·der·son
[ándərsən], Marian (1897–1993)
U.S. contralto. She was the first black
singer to appear at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City ( 1955 ).[1]



Anderson,Maxwell

Anderson,Maxwell
An·der·son
[ándərsən], Maxwell (1888–1959)

U.S. playwright and
screenwriter. He wrote the verse plays Elizabeth the Queen ( 1930 ) and Mary
of Scotland ( 1933 ).[1]



Anderson,Philip W.

Anderson,Philip W.
An·der·son
[ándərsən], Philip W. (1923– )

U.S. physicist. He shared the
Nobel Prize in physics in 1977.[1]



Anderson,Sherwood

Anderson,Sherwood
An·der·son 
[ándərsən], Sherwood (1876–1941)

U.S. writer. His most famous
work is the short-story collection Winesburg, Ohio ( 1919 ).[1]



Andes

Andes
An·des 
[ándeez]

huge
South American mountain system that extends north to south along the western
coast from Panama to Tierra del Fuego. It consists of several ranges and has
its highest point at Aconcagua 6,960 m/22,835 ft .
—An·de·an [ándee ən], adjective, noun[1]



andesine

andesine
an·de·sine 
[ándə zn] (plural an·de·sines)
noun

hard
colorless mineral: a hard colorless mineral
belonging to the feldspar group, an essential component of andesite
[Because it is found in the Andes][1]



andesite

andesite
an·de·site 
[ándə zt] (plural an·de·sites)
noun

volcanic
rock:
a fine-grained grayish volcanic rock characterized by feldspar minerals
[Because
it is found in the Andes]
—an·de·sit·ic [àndə zíttik], adjective[1]



AndhraPradesh

AndhraPradesh
And·hra
Pra·desh
[ndrə prə désh]

Indian state, situated in the
southeast of the country facing the Bay of Bengal. Capital: Hyderabad.
Population: 71,800,000 (1994) Area: 275,045 sq km/106,195 sq mi.[1]



andiron

andiron

and·i·ron 
[ánd ərn] (plural and·i·rons)
noun
metal
holder for fireplace logs: either of a pair of metal
stands used to hold logs in a fireplace.
Also
called
firedog
Also
called
dog
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by iron ) of Old French andier,
ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



and/or

and/or
and/or 
[àn dáwr] conjunction

either
or both:
a short way of saying that either or both of two options may be valid • Bring
mosquito netting and/or bug repellent.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  When
  to use and/or ?
  And/or is a useful device to
  express three possibilities in a concise form: • A
  and/or B
  gives the three possibilities A only, B only, or both A and B. On the other
  hand, it is not a particularly elegant expression and is usually more
  appropriate to legal and business usage. An alternative that is often
  preferable in general contexts is the type • A
  or B or both.

[1]



Andorra

Andorra



An·dor·ra 
[an dáwrə]
co-principality
in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. Language: Catalan.
Currency: French franc. Currency: Spanish peseta. Capital: Andorra la Vella.
Population: 64,000 (1997) Area: 468 sq km/181 sq mi.
—An·dor·ran, adjective,
noun[1]



Andorra




Back to definition

Andorra

[1]



Andorrala Vella

Andorrala Vella
An·dor·ra
la Vel·la 
[an dàwrə lə véllə]

capital of the principality
of Andorra. Population: 20,437 (1990)[1]



Andover

Andover
An·do·ver 
[án dvər, ándəvər]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, north of Boston. It is home to Phillips Academy, one of the
oldest preparatory schools in the country. Population: 30,891 (1996)[1]



andr-

andr-
andr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
andro-[1]



andradite

andradite
an·dra·dite 
[an dr dīt] (plural an·dra·dites)
noun

type
of garnet:
a type of garnet consisting of calcium iron silicate of various colors. It is
used as a gemstone.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Brazilian geologist and independence leader José Bonifácio de Andrada
e Silva (1763?–1838).][1]



AndreanofIslands

AndreanofIslands
An·dre·a·nof
Is·lands 
[àndree ánəf , àndree
á nòf ]

group of islands forming part
of the Aleutian Islands[1]



Andre,Carl

Andre,Carl
An·dre
[n drày], Carl (1935– )

U.S. sculptor. He is known
for abstract minimalist sculptures made of mass-produced objects such as bricks
and metal plates.[1]



Andrews,Edwin Howard

Andrews,Edwin Howard
An·drews
[án drooz], Edwin Howard (1890–1954)

U.S. engineer. He invented
electronic circuitry, which became the basis of radio and television
transmission.[1]



Andrews,Julie

Andrews,Julie
An·drews
[án drooz], Julie (1935– )

British-born
U.S. actor and singer. She made her Broadway debut in the musical My Fair
Lady ( 1956 ) and starred in the popular films Mary Poppins ( 1964 )
and The Sound of Music ( 1965 ).
Real name
Wells, Julia Elizabeth[1]



andro-

andro-
andro-
or andr- prefix

male,
masculine • androgen
[From Greek, formed from andr-,
the stem of anēr “man”][1]



Androcles

Androcles
An·dro·cles 
[ándrə klz] noun

legendary Roman slave:
a legendary Roman slave who was forced to fight a lion, which spared his life
after recognizing Androcles as the man who had once removed a thorn from its
paw[1]



androecium

androecium
an·droe·ci·um 
[an drshee əm, an
drshəm] (plural an·droe·ci·a [an
drshee ə, an drshə]) noun

set
of stamens:
the set of stamens in a single flower
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek andro- “man, male” + oikion
“house.” The underlying sense is “housing for the male part of the flower.”]
—an·droe·cial [an drsh’l], adjective[1]



androgen

androgen
an·dro·gen 
[ándrəjən] (plural an·dro·gens)
noun

male
sex hormone: a natural or artificial steroid that
acts as a male sex hormone. Androgens are responsible for the development of
male sex organs and secondary sexual characteristics. Testosterone and
androsterone are androgens.
—an·dro·gen·ic [àndrə jénnik], adjective[1]



androgenize

androgenize
an·drog·e·nize 
[an drójjə nz] (past an·drog·e·nized,
past participle an·drog·e·nized, present participle an·drog·e·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·drog·e·niz·es) transitive verb

masculinize:
to cause a female to acquire some male sexual characteristics
—an·drog·e·ni·za·tion
[an dròjjənə záysh’n], noun[1]



androgyne

androgyne
an·dro·gyne 
[ándrə jn] (plural an·dro·gynes)
noun

1.  androgynous
person:
somebody who gives the impression of having both a male and a female sexual
identity

2.  BOTANY See hermaphrodite
[Mid-16th century. Via French
and Latin from Greek androgunos, from andro- “man” + gunē
“woman.”][1]



androgynous

androgynous
an·drog·y·nous 
[an drójjənəss] adjective

1.  blending
masculine and feminine: neither male nor female in
appearance but having both conventionally masculine and feminine traits and
giving an impression of ambiguous sexual identity

2.  BOTANY with
both male and female flowers: used to describe a plant
species in which both male and female flowers occur in the same flower head

3.  See
hermaphrodite
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin androgynus “hermaphrodite” (see androgyne ).]
—an·drog·y·nous·ly,
adverb

—an·drog·y·ny, noun[1]



android

android
an·droid 
[án dròyd] (plural an·droids) noun

human-looking
robot:
in science fiction, a robot that looks and behaves like a human being
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin androides, from Greek andro-, the stem of anēr
“man.”][1]



Andromache

Andromache
An·drom·a·che 
[an drómməkee] noun

Trojan heroine:
in Greek mythology, a princess of Troy and the wife of Hector. She led the
Trojan women throughout the Trojan War, and was celebrated in myth and
literature for her dignity and faith after the deaths of her husband and son in
the war.[1]



Andromeda

Andromeda

An·drom·e·da 
[an dráwmədə] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY wife
of Perseus:
in Greek mythology, the daughter of Cassiopeia, who was saved from a sea
monster by her future husband, Perseus

2.        ASTRONOMY constellation
in northern hemisphere: a
constellation in the northern hemisphere between the constellations of
Cassiopeia and Pegasus. It contains a spiral galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, that
can be seen with the naked eye.[1]



andromeda

andromeda
an·drom·e·da 
[an drómmədə] (plural an·drom·e·da
or an·drom·e·das) noun

evergreen
shrub:
an evergreen shrub of the heath family with drooping flower clusters. Genera: Andromeda
Pieris
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name.][1]



Andropov,Yuri

Andropov,Yuri
An·dro·pov
[an dró pòv], Yuri (1914–1984)

Soviet
statesman. He was general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
from 1982.
Full name
Andropov, Yuri Vladimirovich[1]



Andros,Edmund

Andros,Edmund
An·dros 
[ándrəss], Sir Edmund (1637–1714)

British colonial
administrator. He governed the British North American colonies of New England
(1686–1689), Virginia (1692–1698), and Maryland (1693–1694).[1]



androsterone

androsterone
an·dros·ter·one 
[an dróstə rn] noun

male
sex hormone: a steroid that is a weak male sex
hormone, produced by the metabolism of other hormones such as testosterone, and
normally present in both male and female urine. C19H30O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from andro- + sterol
+ -one .][1]



-andry

-andry
-andry
suffix

1.  The
condition of having a particular number of males or husbands • polyandry

2.  The
condition of having a particular number of stamens • monandry
[From
Greek -andria, from andr-, the stem of anēr “man”]
—-androus, suffix[1]



André,John

André,John
An·dré
[n drày], John (1750–1780)

British soldier and spy. He
conspired to turn over West Point to the British (1780), but was captured and
hanged.[1]



-ane

-ane
-ane
suffix

a
saturated hydrocarbon • methane
[Coined on the model of -ene,
-ine, and -one, suffixes used in the names of other hydrocarbon derivatives][1]



anear

anear
a·near
[ə nr] preposition

near:
near to (archaic or literary) “I wouldn’t ever go anear that house
again” Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1884
adverb

nearby:
nearby (archaic or literary)[1]



anecdotal

anecdotal
an·ec·dot·al 
[ànnək dṓt’l] or an·ec·dot·ic
[ànnək dṓtik] adjective

1.  based
on anecdotes or hearsay: consisting of or based on
secondhand accounts rather than firsthand knowledge or experience or scientific
investigation

2.  of
anecdotes:
relating to anecdotes or in the form of anecdotes
—an·ec·do·tal·ly, adverb[1]



anecdote

anecdote
an·ec·dote 
[ánnək dòt] (plural an·ec·dotes)
noun

somebody’s
account of something: a short personal account of
an incident or event
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via French from modern Latin anecdota, from Greek anekdota,
literally “things unpublished,” from an- “not” + ekdidonai, “to
publish” (literally “to give out”).][1]



anecdotic

anecdotic
an·ec·dot·ic 
adjective

See
anecdotal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








anechoic

anechoic
an·e·cho·ic 
[ànnə kṓ ik] adjective

echoless:
producing or characterized by few or no echoes[1]



anemia

anemia
a·ne·mi·a 
[ə nmee ə] or a·nae·mi·a [ə nmee ə] noun

1.  MEDICINE blood
deficiency:
a blood condition in which there are too few red blood cells or the red blood
cells are deficient in hemoglobin, resulting in poor health

2.  weakness:
lack of vitality or courage
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek anaimia, literally “being without blood,” from haima
“blood.”][1]



anemic

anemic
a·ne·mic 
[ə nmik] or a·nae·mic [ə nmik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE having
anemia:
having some form of anemia

2.  sick-looking:
pale and not looking well

3.  weak:
lacking vitality, strength, or courage

[1]



anemo-

anemo-
anemo-
prefix

wind
• anemography
[From Greek anemos
“wind.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to breathe,” which is
also the ancestor of English animal
and unanimous .][1]



anemography

anemography
an·e·mog·ra·phy 
[ànnə móggrəfee] noun

measuring wind speed:
the process of measuring wind speed[1]



anemometer

anemometer
an·e·mom·e·ter 
[ànnə mómmətər] (plural an·e·mom·e·ters)
noun

instrument measuring wind
force: an instrument that measures
the force and direction of the wind.
Also called
wind gauge[1]



anemometry

anemometry
an·e·mom·e·try 
[ànnə mómmətree] noun

measuring
wind force:
the process of measuring the force and direction of the wind
—an·e·mo·met·ri·cal [ànnəmə méttrək’l], adjective[1]



anemone

anemone
a·nem·o·ne 
[ə némmənee] (plural a·nem·o·nes
or a·nem·o·ne) noun

1.  BOTANY flowering
plant:
a perennial flowering plant of the buttercup family. Many anemone species grow
wild and popular varieties are deep red, purple, and pink with black centers.
Genus: Anemone

2.  ZOOLOGY See sea anemone
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek anemōnē, of uncertain origin.][1]



anemonefish

anemonefish
a·nem·o·ne
fish
noun

small tropical marine fish:
a small colorful damselfish with stinging cells, found on tropical coral reefs
in close association with sea anemones. Genus: Amphiprion
Also called
clown fish
Also called
clown anemone[1]



anemophilous

anemophilous
an·e·moph·i·lous 
[ànnə móffələss] adjective

pollinated
by wind:
used to describe a plant species that is pollinated by the wind
—an·e·moph·i·ly, noun[1]



anencephaly

anencephaly
an·en·ceph·a·ly 
[àn en séffəlee] noun

congenital
brain defect: the absence of all or a part of the
brain and part of the skull at birth
—an·en·ce·phal·ic [àn ensə fállik], adjective[1]



anergy

anergy
an·er·gy
[á nurjee, ánnəjee]
noun

immune
deficiency:
decreased immunity or lack of immunity to an antigen
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin anergia, from Greek an- “without”
+ ergon “work.”]
—an·er·gic [a núrjik], adjective[1]



aneroid

aneroid
an·er·oid 
[ánnə ròyd] adjective

without
liquid:
not containing or using liquid
[Mid-19th century. From
French anéroïde, from Greek a- “without” + nēron “water,
liquid.”][1]



aneroidbarometer

aneroidbarometer
an·er·oid
ba·rom·e·ter (plural an·er·oid
ba·rom·e·ters) noun

device indicating air
pressure: an instrument for indicating
atmospheric pressure on a circular dial. You tap an aneroid barometer to ensure
an up-to-date reading.[1]



anesthesia

anesthesia
an·es·the·sia 
[ànnəss thzhə] or an·aes·the·sia
[ànnəss thzhə] noun

1.  MEDICINE medically
induced insensitivity to pain: induced loss of
sensitivity to pain in all or a part of the body for medical reasons. Methods
include drugs, acupuncture, and hypnosis. The procedure may render the patient
unconscious general anesthesia or merely numb a body part local anesthesia .

2.  MED loss
of sensation: the loss of sensation caused by damage
to a nerve

3.  apathy:
a state of apathy or mindlessness
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek anaisthēsia, literally “lack of sensation,”
from aisthēsis “feeling, sensation” (see aesthetic
).][1]



anesthesiologist

anesthesiologist
an·es·the·si·ol·o·gist 
[ànnəss theezee ólləjəst] (plural an·es·the·si·ol·o·gists)
or an·aes·the·si·ol·o·gist [ànnəss
theezee ólləjəst] (plural an·aes·the·si·ol·o·gists) noun

doctor administering
anesthetics: a doctor qualified to
administer anesthetics to patients.
U.K. term
anaesthetist
See also
anesthetist[1]



anesthesiology

anesthesiology
an·es·the·si·ol·o·gy 
[ànnəss theezee ólləjee] or an·aes·the·si·ol·o·gy
[ànnəss theezee ólləjee] noun

study of anesthetic
substances: the branch of medicine that
deals with the study and use of anesthetic substances.
U.K. term
anaesthetics[1]



anesthetic

anesthetic
an·es·thet·ic 
[ànnəss théttik] or an·aes·thet·ic
[ànnəss théttik] noun (plural an·es·thet·ics)
(plural an·aes·thet·ics)

substance
that dulls pain: a substance that reduces sensitivity to
pain and may cause unconsciousness, especially a drug used in medicine
adjective

pain-reducing:
relating to or producing loss of sensation and unconsciousness
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek anaisthētos, literally “without feeling,”
from aisthētos “capable of feeling” (see aesthetic
).]
—an·es·thet·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



anesthetist

anesthetist
a·nes·the·tist 
[ə nésthətəst] (plural a·nes·the·tists)
or a·naes·the·tist [ə nésthətəst]
(plural a·naes·the·tists) noun

U.K.
See anesthesiologist[1]



anesthetize

anesthetize
a·nes·the·tize 
[ə nésthətīz] (past a·nes·the·tized,
past participle a·nes·the·tized, present participle a·nes·the·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·nes·the·tiz·es) or a·naes·the·tize
[ə nésthətīz] (past a·naes·the·tiz·ed,
past participle a·naes·the·tiz·ed, present participle a·naes·the·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·naes·the·tiz·es) transitive verb

give
anesthetic:
to administer an anesthetic to somebody
—an·es·the·ti·za·tion
[ə nèsthətə záysh’n], noun[1]



anestrous

anestrous
an·es·trous
[an éstrəss] adjective

1.  not
active sexually: used to describe a female mammal that is
sexually inactive between breeding periods

2.  without
sexual activity: used to describe the period of sexual
inactivity between breeding periods in certain female mammals

[1]



anestrus

anestrus
an·es·trus 
[an éstrəss] noun

period of sexual inactivity
in mammals: the period of sexual
inactivity between the breeding periods of certain female mammals[1]



aneuploid

aneuploid
an·eu·ploid 
[ánnyə plòyd] adjective

with
unusual number of chromosomes: used to describe a
cell or organism with fewer or more chromosomes than usual
—an·eu·ploid,
noun

—an·eu·ploid·y, noun[1]



aneurysm

aneurysm
an·eu·rysm 
[ánnyə rìzzəm] (plural an·eu·rysms)
or an·eu·rism [ánnyə rìzzəm] (plural
an·eu·risms) noun

bulge
in artery:
a fluid-filled sac in the wall of an artery that can weaken the wall
[From
Greek aneurusma “dilation, swelling,” from aneurunein “to widen
out,” from ana- “through” + eurus “wide”]
—an·eu·rys·mal [ànnyə rízm’l], adjective[1]



anew

anew
a·new 
[ə n, ə ny]
adverb

1.  again:
again or once more

2.  in
new way:
in a new way or form that is unlike the previous one
[14th century. From a-
(an eroded form of of ) + new ;
probably modeled on Old French de neuf, de nouveau .][1]



anfractuosity

anfractuosity
an·frac·tu·os·i·ty 
[àn frakchoo óssətee] (plural an·frac·tu·os·i·ties)
noun (literary)

1.  twist:
a twist or turn, for example, in a road or in the plot of a novel

2.  twistiness:
the twisting, turning nature of something

[1]



anfractuous

anfractuous
an·frac·tu·ous 
[an frákchoo əss] adjective

twisty:
with much twisting and turning (literary)
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin anfractuosus, from Latin anfractus “bending,” from ambi-
“around” + fract-, the past participle stem of frangere “to
break” (see frangible ).][1]



Ang.

Ang.
Ang.

Abbreviation of
Angola[1]



angel

angel
an·gel 
[áynjəl] (plural an·gels) noun

1.  RELIGION heavenly
being:
a divine being who acts as a messenger of God. According to a medieval
hierarchy, the nine classes of heavenly being are, in ascending order, angels,
archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominations, thrones, cherubim,
and seraphim.

2.  kind
person:
somebody who is kind or beautiful

3.  picture
of heavenly being: a picture of an angel as a
human figure with wings

4.  guardian
and guide:
a spirit that protects and offers guidance

5.  CHRISTIANITY member
of lowest angelic order: a member of the lowest order
of angels in the medieval Christian celestial hierarchy, ranked below
archangels

6.  MONEY old
English coin: a gold coin that was a unit of currency
in England from 1465 to the early 17th century
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek aggelos “messenger.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at backer

[1]



angeldust

angeldust
an·gel
dust
noun

DRUGS phencyclidine:
the illegal hallucinogenic drug phencyclidine (slang)
[From its white color][1]



AngelFalls

AngelFalls
An·gel
Falls

the world’s highest
waterfall, located in southeastern Venezuela in the Guiana Highlands. Height:
979 m/3,212 ft.[1]



angelfish

angelfish

an·gel·fish 
[áynjəl fìsh] (plural an·gel·fish
or an·gel·fish·es) noun

1.  tropical
freshwater fish with striped body: a freshwater fish
found in the tropical waters of South America. It has a broad striped body and
large fins, and is often kept in aquariums. Latin name: Pterophyllum scalare

Also
called
scalare

2.  tropical
marine fish: a brightly colored tropical marine fish
that has a broad flat body. Family: Chaetodontidae Pomacanthidae

3.  See
angel shark
[Mainly from the fish’s long
winglike fins][1]



angelfood cake

angelfood cake
an·gel
food cake
(plural an·gel food cakes) or an·gel cake (plural
an·gel cakes) noun

light cake made without egg
yolks: a whitish light-textured
cake with a delicate flavor, made with egg whites but without yolks[1]



angelic

angelic
an·gel·ic 
[an jéllik] or an·gel·i·cal [an jéllik’l] adjective

1.  kindly:
very kind or beautiful

2.  of
angels:
relating to angels
—an·gel·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—an·gel·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



angelica

angelica
an·gel·i·ca 
[an jéllikə] (plural an·gel·i·cas
or an·gel·i·ca) noun

1.  PLANTS tall
hollow-stemmed flowering plant: a tall hollow-stemmed
flowering plant of the carrot family. Angelicas have white or greenish flowers
and are found mainly in Europe and Asia. Genus: Angelica
Also
called
archangel

2.  COOKING candied
stems of angelica plant: the bright green, candied
stems of the angelica plant, used to decorate cakes and cookies
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin, short for herba angelica, literally “angelic plant”;
perhaps from its traditional use as a remedy for poison and contagion.][1]



angelical

angelical
an·gel·i·cal
adjective

See
angelic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Angelico,Fra

Angelico,Fra

An·gel·i·co 
[an jélli kō], Fra (1400?–1455)
 Italian
religious painter. He became a Dominican monk. He is noted for his frescoes in
Florence, including the Annunciation and the Coronation of the
Virgin.
Born
Guido di Pietro[1]



Angelof Death

Angelof Death
An·gel
of Death
noun

See
Azrael[1]



angelof mercy

angelof mercy
an·gel
of mer·cy
(plural an·gels of mer·cy) noun

somebody bringing help
unexpectedly: somebody who brings
welcome assistance[1]



Angelou,Maya

Angelou,Maya

An·ge·lou
[ánjə l], Maya (1928– )
U.S. writer. Her novels and poetry are
notable for their depiction of assertive African American women.[1]



angelshark

angelshark
an·gel
shark
noun

small
shark with large fins: a small shark with a flat
body, broad head, and enlarged pectoral fins, giving it the appearance of a
ray. Genus: Squatina
Also
called
monkfish
Also
called
angel fish
[From its winglike pectoral
fins][1]



Angelus

Angelus
An·ge·lus 
[ánjələss] (plural An·ge·lus·es)
or an·ge·lus [ánjələss] (plural
an·ge·lus·es) noun

1.  Roman
Catholic prayers: in the Roman Catholic Church, a set of
prayers to commemorate the Annunciation and the Incarnation

2.  bell
announcing Angelus: a bell rung to announce the
time for the Angelus
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
Angelus domini “the angel of the Lord,” the first words of the prayer.][1]



anger

anger
an·ger 
[áng gər] noun

great
annoyance:
a feeling of extreme annoyance
intransitive
and transitive verb (past an·gered,
past participle an·gered, present participle an·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular an·gers)

become
or make greatly annoyed: to become or make somebody
extremely annoyed
[13th
century. From Old Norse angr “trouble, sorrow.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “tight, painful,” which is also the ancestor of
English anxious, anguish, hangnail,
and angina .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  anger, annoyance, indignation, rage,
  fury, ire, wrath
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  feeling of strong displeasure in response to an assumed injury anger; the most general term; annoyance; a feeling of irritation, milder
  or more fleeting than anger; resentment;
  subdued anger caused by a sense of unfair treatment, and a powerlessness to
  remedy this; indignation; anger
  based on a condemnation of something considered wrong or unfair; fury; an intense form of anger that suggests
  lack of control and potential to do violence; rage;
  violent anger, more intense than fury; ire;
  a literary term for anger; wrath;
  a literary or formal term for strong anger, often with overtones of a desire
  for revenge









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Look
  Back in Anger, a play by English dramatist John Osborne ( 1956 ). Seen at the
  time of its first performances as a landmark play that reflected the
  disaffection of many young people, this domestic drama focuses on Jimmy
  Porter, a working-class graduate who feels stifled by the middle-class family
  into which he has married and trapped by traditional social conventions.

[1]



Angevin

Angevin
An·ge·vin 
[ánjəvin] adjective

1.  of
Anjou:
relating to the Anjou region in France

2.  of
Anjou and Plantagenet dynasties: relating to the House
of Anjou, especially the branch that includes the Plantagenet kings of England
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from medieval Latin Andegavinus, from Andegavia “Anjou.”][1]



angina

angina
an·gi·na 
[an jnə] or an·gi·na pec·to·ris
[an jnəpéktəriss] noun

chest
pains:
a medical condition in which lack of blood to the heart causes severe chest
pains
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “quinsy,” an alteration (influenced by angere “to squeeze”) of
Greek agkhonē “strangling,” from agkhein “to squeeze, strangle.”][1]



angio-

angio-
angio-
prefix

1.  blood
or lymph vessel • angiogram

2.  pericarp
• angiosperm
[Via modern Latin from Greek aggeion
“blood vessel,” literally “small vessel,” from aggos “vessel,” of
unknown origin][1]



angiocardiography

angiocardiography
an·gi·o·car·di·og·ra·phy 
[ànjee ō kaardee óggrəfee] noun

X-raying
the heart:
X-ray examination of the heart and related blood vessels after a substance that
will show up when X-rayed has been injected into the bloodstream
—an·gi·o·car·di·o·graph·ic
[ànji ō kaardee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



angiogenesis

angiogenesis
an·gi·o·gen·e·sis
[ànjee ō jénnəssəss] noun

formation of blood vessels:
the formation of new blood vessels, for example, in an embryo or as a result of
a tumor[1]



angiogram

angiogram
an·gi·o·gram 
[ánjee ə gram] (plural an·gi·o·grams)
noun

blood-vessel X-ray:
an X-ray photograph of a blood vessel[1]



angiography

angiography
an·gi·og·raph·y 
[ànjee óggrəfee] noun

X-raying
blood vessels: X-ray examination of blood vessels after
a substance that will show up when X-rayed has been injected into the
bloodstream
—an·gi·o·graph·ic [ànjee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



angiology

angiology
an·gi·ol·o·gy 
[ànjee ólləjee] noun

medical specialty in blood
vessels: the branch of medicine that
deals with blood vessels and the lymphatic system[1]



angioma

angioma
an·gi·o·ma 
[ànjee ṓmə] (plural an·gi·o·mas
or an·gi·o·ma·ta [ànjee ṓmətə])
noun

benign
tumor:
a benign tumor made up of blood or lymph vessels
—an·gi·o·ma·tous, adjective[1]



angiopathy

angiopathy
an·gi·op·a·thy 
[ànjee óppəthee] (plural an·gi·op·a·thies)
noun

blood vessel disease:
a disease of the blood vessels or lymph vessels[1]



angioplasty

angioplasty
an·gi·o·plas·ty 
[ánjee ə plàstee] (plural an·gi·o·plas·ties)
noun

surgery to clear blood
vessels: a surgical operation to
clear a narrowed or blocked artery[1]



angiosarcoma

angiosarcoma
an·gi·o·sar·co·ma 
[ànjee ō saar kṓmə] (plural an·gi·o·sar·co·mas)
noun

malignant tumor:
a malignant tumor consisting of vascular cells, often in the liver[1]



angioscope

angioscope
an·gi·o·scope 
[ánjee ə skōp] (plural an·gi·o·scopes)
noun

instrument
for looking inside blood vessels: a long fine surgical
viewing instrument threaded into a patient’s blood vessels, to allow surgeons
to observe and perform operations without large incisions
[Late
20th century]
—an·gi·os·co·py [ánjee os kəpee], noun[1]



angiosperm

angiosperm
an·gi·o·sperm 
[ánjee ə spùrm] (plural an·gi·o·sperms)
noun

flowering
plant:
a plant in which the sex organs are within flowers and the seeds are in a
fruit.
See
also
gymnosperm
[Early 19th century. Coined
from angio- + Greek sperma “seed.”][1]



angiotensin

angiotensin
an·gi·o·ten·sin 
[ànjee ō ténsən] (plural an·gi·o·ten·sins)
noun

hormone
that raises blood pressure: a hormone that causes blood
pressure to rise, formed in the blood by a series of processes that can be
influenced by drugs
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from angio- + hypertension
+ -in .][1]



Angkor

Angkor

Ang·kor 
[áng kàwr] or Âng·kôr [áng kàwr]
ancient capital city of early Khmer
civilization, now deserted but noted for its temples and monuments, built
850–900. It is in present-day northwestern Cambodia. Area: 13 sq km/5 sq mi.[1]



Angle

Angle
An·gle 
[áng g’l] (plural An·gles) noun

member
of Germanic people: a member of a Germanic
people who invaded and settled throughout eastern and northern England in the
5th and 6th centuries AD
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Angli, literally “people from Angul ” in North Germany (source also of English ), of Germanic origin; ultimately
related to angle 1 .][1]



angle

angle2
an·gle2 [áng
g’l] (past an·gled, past participle an·gled,
present participle an·gling, 3rd person present singular an·gles)
intransitive verb

1.  fish
with rod:
to fish with a hook, line, and rod

2.  attempt
to get something: to attempt to obtain a compliment or an
advantage (informal)
[Old English angul
“fishhook.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to bend, hook,”
which is also the ancestor of English angle 1, ankle, and anchor
.][1]



angle

angle1

an·gle1  [áng
g’l] noun (plural an·gles)

1.  space
between diverging lines: the space between two
diverging lines or planes, or a measure of the space

2.  figure
formed by diverging lines: a figure formed by two lines
diverging from a common point or two planes diverging from a common line

3.  See
solid angle

4.  part
that sticks out: a projecting part of something

5.  position
for viewing something: a position from which
somebody can look at something • a
sculpture seen from three angles

6.  way
of considering something: a way of looking at a
situation • Consider
the matter from this angle.
verb (past
an·gled, past participle an·gled, present participle
an·gling, 3rd person present singular an·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
change
direction sharply: to turn in a sharply
different direction

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb direct
or place obliquely: to direct or place something
obliquely, or move or be placed obliquely

3.  transitive
verb
present
something with bias: to present something with a
particular audience in mind or in order to express a particular point of view
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin angulus “corner.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to bend, hook,” which is also the ancestor of angle 2, ankle, and anchor
.][1]



anglebar

anglebar
an·gle
bar
(plural an·gle bars) noun

See
angle iron[1]



anglebracket

anglebracket
an·gle
brack·et
(plural an·gle brack·ets) noun

enclosing marks:
one of a pair of marks, < or >, used to enclose text[1]



angleiron

angleiron
an·gle
i·ron
(plural an·gle i·rons) noun

L-shaped metal bar:
an iron or steel bar that is L-shaped in cross section.
Also called
angle bar[1]



angleof attack

angleof attack
an·gle
of at·tack
noun

angle between wing and
airflow: the acute angle between the
direction of airflow and the line linking the leading and trailing edges of an
aircraft wing[1]



angleof bank

angleof bank
an·gle
of bank
noun

tilt of aircraft’s wings:
the angle between the lateral and horizontal axes of an aircraft in flight[1]



angleof dip

angleof dip
an·gle
of dip
noun

PHYSICS
See dip[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








angleof incidence

angleof incidence
an·gle
of in·ci·dence noun

angle between incoming ray
and perpendicular: the angle
between an incoming ray of light and the line perpendicular to the surface at
the point of arrival[1]



angleof reflection

angleof reflection
an·gle
of re·flec·tion noun

angle between reflected ray
and perpendicular: the angle
between a reflected ray of light and the line perpendicular to the surface at
the point of reflection[1]



angleof refraction

angleof refraction
an·gle
of re·frac·tion noun

angle between refracted ray
and perpendicular: the angle
between a refracted ray of light and the line perpendicular to the surface at
the point of refraction[1]



angleof repose

angleof repose
an·gle
of re·pose
noun

maximum slope of loose
material: the maximum slope or angle
at which unconsolidated material such as sand can be made into a mound before
it begins to slide[1]



angleof yaw

angleof yaw
an·gle
of yaw
noun

horizontal angle of
aircraft’s flight: the acute
angle between the direction in which an aircraft is flying and its own
longitudinal axis[1]



angleplate

angleplate
an·gle
plate
(plural an·gle plates) noun

L-shaped metal construction
plate: an L-shaped metal plate used
to support a framework[1]



angler

angler
an·gler 
[áng glər] (plural an·glers) noun

1.  somebody
who goes fishing: somebody who fishes with a hook, line,
and rod

2.  ZOOLOGY See anglerfish

[1]



anglerfish

anglerfish
an·gler·fish 
[áng glər fish] (plural an·gler·fish
or an·gler·fish·es) noun

fish using fin as lure:
a marine fish that uses a long dorsal fin extending over its mouth to attract
prey. Order: Lophiiformes
Also called
angler[1]



Anglesey

Anglesey
An·gle·sey
[áng g’lsee]

island off the coast of
northwestern Wales in the county of Gwynedd. Population: 67,200 (1995) Area:
620 sq km/276 sq mi.[1]



anglesite

anglesite
an·gle·site 
[áng g’l st] (plural an·gle·sites)
noun

mineral containing lead:
a colorless, white, or lightly tinted mineral consisting of lead sulfate[1]



Anglian

Anglian
An·gli·an 
[áng glee ən] adjective

of
Angles:
relating to the Angles
noun

LANGUAGE group
of Old English dialects: a group of dialects of Old
English that includes Mercian and Northumbrian.
See
also
Kentish
See
also
West Saxon
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin Angli “the Angles” (see Angle
).][1]



Anglican

Anglican
An·gli·can 
[áng gləkən] adjective

of
Anglican Church: relating to the Anglican Church
noun
(plural An·gli·cans)

member
of Anglican Church: somebody who belongs to an
Anglican denomination
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin Anglicanus “English” from, ultimately, Latin Angli
“Angles” (see Angle ); from its originally
denoting the Church of England.][1]



AnglicanChurch

AnglicanChurch
An·gli·can
Church
or An·gli·can Com·mun·ion noun

group of Christian churches:
a group of Christian churches including the Churches of England and Ireland, as
well as the Protestant Episcopal Church[1]



Anglicanism

Anglicanism
An·gli·can·ism 
[áng gləkə nìzzəm] noun

traditions of Anglican
Church: the doctrines of the Church
of England and other Anglican churches[1]



Anglicism

Anglicism
An·gli·cism 
[áng glə sìzzəm] (plural An·gli·cisms)
or an·gli·cism [áng glə sìzzəm]
(plural an·gli·cisms) noun

1.  British
English word: a term that is peculiar to British
English as opposed to other varieties of English

2.  English
word in foreign language: an English word or phrase
used in another language
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Anglicus “English” (see Anglican
).][1]



Anglicize

Anglicize
An·gli·cize 
[áng gli sz] or an·gli·cize [áng gli sz] (past an·gli·cized, past
participle an·gli·cized, present participle an·gli·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·gli·ciz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become more English: to become or make somebody
or something more English
[Early
18th century. Formed from medieval Latin Anglicus “English” (see Anglican ).]
—An·gli·ci·za·tion [àng glissi záysh’n], noun[1]



angling

angling
an·gling 
[áng gling] noun

fishing:
the sport of catching fish with a hook, line, and rod[1]



Anglin,Margaret

Anglin,Margaret
An·glin
[áng glin], Margaret (1876–1958)

Canadian actor. She was a
stage performer in Canada, Australia, and the United States.[1]



Anglo-

Anglo-
Anglo-
prefix

England,
the English • Anglophile
[From Latin Angli
“Angles” (see Angle )][1]



Anglo

Anglo
An·glo
[áng glō] (plural An·glos) or
an·glo [áng glō] (plural an·glos)
noun (informal)

1.  non-Hispanic
Caucasian person: an English-speaking Caucasian person in
the United States who is not of Hispanic origin

2.  Canada
non-French-speaking
Canadian:
an English-speaking person in Canada, especially in Quebec
[Early 19th century. From Anglo- .][1]



Anglo-American

Anglo-American
An·glo-A·mer·i·can 
(plural An·glo-A·mer·i·cans) noun

N American citizen with
British roots: a citizen of the United
States or Canada whose ancestors were originally from Britain and whose
language and culture derive from Britain[1]



Anglo-French

Anglo-French
An·glo-French 
adjective

French and British:
relating to the links that exist between France and Great Britain[1]



Anglo-Indian

Anglo-Indian
An·glo-In·di·an 
adjective

from Indian language:
introduced into English from an Indian language
noun
(plural An·glo-In·di·ans)

1.  somebody
with British and Indian ancestry: somebody of both
British and Indian descent

2.  British
person resident in India: British person who has lived
a long time in India, especially during the time when India was a British
colony

[1]



Anglo-Irish

Anglo-Irish
An·glo-I·rish 
plural noun

Irish
people with English ancestry: people of English descent
who were born or live in Ireland
—An·glo-I·rish, adjective[1]



Anglo-Norman

Anglo-Norman
An·glo-Nor·man 
adjective

HISTORY English
and Norman:
connected with the 11th-century Norman conquerors of England
noun
(plural An·glo-Nor·mans)

1.  HISTORY Norman
in England:
a Norman inhabitant of England after 1066

2.  LANGUAGE French
spoken in medieval England: the form of Norman French
spoken in medieval England.
Also
called
Anglo-French

[1]



Anglophile

Anglophile
An·glo·phile 
[áng glə fl] (plural An·glo·philes)
noun

lover
of things English: somebody who greatly admires
England or the English
—An·glo·phil·i·a
[àng glə fíllee ə], noun

—An·glo·phil·ic [àng glə fíllik], adjective[1]



Anglophobe

Anglophobe
An·glo·phobe 
[áng glə fb] (plural An·glo·phobes)
noun

hater
of things English: somebody who hates England
or the English
—An·glo·pho·bi·a
[àng glə fṓbee ə], noun

—An·glo·pho·bic [àng glə fṓbik], adjective[1]



Anglophone

Anglophone
An·glo·phone
[áng glə fn] or an·glo·phone
[áng glə fn] noun (plural An·glo·phones)
(plural an·glo·phones)

speaker
of English:
somebody who speaks English, especially as a first language
adjective

where English is native
tongue: where English is spoken by
most people as their first language[1]



Anglo-Saxon

Anglo-Saxon
An·glo-Sax·on 
noun (plural An·glo-Sax·ons)

1.  PEOPLES member
of Germanic people: a member of one of the West
Germanic peoples who settled in Britain from the fifth century AD and were dominant until 1066. They
included the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

2.  LANGUAGE See Old English

3.  white
English native speaker: somebody who is white,
speaks English as a first language, and has connections with an
English-speaking country
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE from
Old English: used to describe a word in Modern
English that comes from Old English

2.  of
English speakers: relating to white English speakers
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin Anglo-Saxones “Anglo-Saxons,” a translation of Old English Angulseaxe
“English Saxon” (as opposed to one living on the continent of Europe).][1]



angmo

angmo
ang
mo
[àng mṓ] (plural ang mos) noun

Malaysia,
Singapore Westerner: an
inhabitant of the West, especially western Europe or North America (informal)
[From Hokkien, literally “red
hair”][1]



Angola

Angola



An·go·la 
[ang gṓlə]
republic
in west central Africa that gained its independence from Portugal in 1975.
Language: Portuguese. Currency: kwanza. Capital: Luanda. Population: 10,548,000
(1997) Area: 1,246,700 sq km/481,530 sq mi.
—An·go·lan, adjective,
noun[1]



Angola




Back to definition

Angola

[1]



angora

angora
an·go·ra 
[ang gáwrə] (plural an·go·ras)
noun

1.  silky-haired
animal:
a rabbit, goat, or cat belonging to a breed with long silky fur

2.  wool
from angora hair: wool made from the hair of an angora
goat or rabbit (often used before a noun)
See
also
mohair
[Early 19th century. From
Angora .][1]



angostura

angostura
an·gos·tu·ra 
[àng gə strə] or an·gos·tu·ra
bark [àng gə strə] noun

bark
of S American tree: the bitter aromatic bark of
either of two South American citrus trees, used as a flavoring in bitters and
formerly used medicinally to relieve fever
[Named for the city of Angostura
(Ciudad Bolívar) in Venezuela][1]



angrily

angrily
an·gri·ly
[áng grəlee] adverb

1.  with
anger:
in a way that conveys extreme annoyance or displeasure

2.  stormily:
in a stormy threatening way

[1]



angry

angry
an·gry 
[áng gree] (comparative an·gri·er,
superlative an·gri·est) adjective

1.  feeling
very annoyed: feeling extremely annoyed, often about
an insult or a wrong

2.  expressing
annoyance:
expressing extreme annoyance “Low growls and angry snarls assailed our ears on
every side…” Edgar Rice Burroughs The Gods of Mars 1913

3.  stormy:
stormy-looking

4.  inflamed:
inflamed and painful-looking
[14th century. Formed from anger .][1]



angryyoung man

angryyoung man
an·gry
young man
noun

1.  an·gry
young man
or An·gry Young Man LITERATURE
THEATER rebellious
writer:
a member of a group of British men writing in the 1950s who were hostile to
authority. The setting for their works is typically working-class, and the
central character typically a lone man. (often used in the plural)

2.  rebellious
young man:
a young man who is hostile to authority

[1]



angst

angst
angst
[angkst, angst,
aangkst, aangst]
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY existentialist
dread:
in existentialist philosophy, a feeling of dread arising from an awareness of
free choice

2.  anxiety:
any feeling of dread or anxiety
[Early
20th century. From German . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“tight, painful,” which is also the ancestor of English anguish and anger
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at worry

[1]



angstrom

angstrom
ang·strom 
[ángstrəm] (plural ang·stroms)
or ang·strom u·nit [ángstrəm]
(plural ang·strom u·nits) noun

unit
used to measure electromagnetic radiation: a
unit of length equal to one ten-billionth of a meter ( 10 –10 m), used to measure the
wavelengths of electromagnetic radiations. Symbol Å
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Swedish physicist and astronomer Anders Jonas Ångström,
(1814–1874).][1]



Anguilla

Anguilla

An·guil·la 
[ang gwíllə]
one of the Leeward Islands, in the West
Indies. It is east of Puerto Rico. Area: 91 sq km/35 sq mi.[1]



Anguilla




Back to definition

Anguilla

[1]



anguish

anguish
an·guish 
[áng gwish] noun

extreme
anxiety:
extreme anxiety or emotional torment
intransitive
and transitive verb (past an·guished,
past participle an·guished, present participle an·guish·ing,
3rd person present singular an·guish·es)

feel
or cause somebody anguish: to feel or cause somebody to
feel anguish
[12th century. Via Old French
anguis from, ultimately, Latin angustus “narrow, tight.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “tight, painful,” which is also
the ancestor of English anxious, anger, hangnail,
and angina .][1]



anguished

anguished
an·guished 
[áng gwisht] adjective

1.  with
anguish:
feeling or showing extreme anxiety or torment

2.  causing
anguish:
producing extreme anxiety or other torment

[1]



angular

angular
an·gu·lar 
[áng gyələr] adjective

1.  thin:
thin and bony

2.  awkward
and ungainly: stiff, awkward, and ungainly

3.  sharply
defined:
used to describe an object with a lot of angles

4.  MATHEMATICS measured
by angles:
measured by an angle or rate of change of an angle
[14th century. From Latin angularis,
from angulus (see angle 1 ).][1]



angularacceleration

angularacceleration
an·gu·lar
ac·cel·er·a·tion (plural an·gu·lar
ac·cel·er·a·tions) noun

rate of rotation change:
the rate at which the rotation of a rotating body changes. Symbol α[1]



angulardisplacement

angulardisplacement
an·gu·lar
dis·place·ment (plural an·gu·lar
dis·place·ments) noun

angle of rotation:
the angle through which something has been rotated about an axis, usually
measured in radians[1]



angularfrequency

angularfrequency
an·gu·lar
fre·quen·cy
noun

frequency of rotation:
the frequency of a repeating rotation expressed in radians per second, or the
frequency of an oscillation multiplied by 2π. Symbol ω[1]



angularity

angularity
an·gu·lar·i·ty 
[àng gyə lérrətee] (plural an·gu·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  thin
bony quality: the thin and bony appearance of
somebody’s body

2.  sharp
angle:
a sharp corner or angle (often used in the plural)

[1]



angularmomentum

angularmomentum
an·gu·lar
mo·men·tum
(plural an·gu·lar mo·men·tums) noun

momentum due to rotation:
the momentum that a body has due to its rotation about an axis, calculated as
the product of its mass and its angular velocity. Symbol L[1]



angularvelocity

angularvelocity
an·gu·lar
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

rate of rotation:
the rate of rotation of a body around an axis. Symbol ω[1]



Angus

Angus
An·gus
[ángəss] (plural An·gus or
An·gus·es) noun

black hornless beef cow:
a cow belonging to a short-haired, black, hornless breed of beef cattle that
originally came from the Aberdeen region of Scotland.
Also called
Aberdeen Angus
Also called
Black Angus
U.K. term
Aberdeen Angus[1]



anhinga

anhinga
an·hin·ga 
[an híng gə] (plural an·hin·gas
or an·hin·ga) noun

BIRDS tropical
fish-eating bird: a fish-eating diving bird with a long
neck and sharp bill that inhabits the warmer freshwater regions of North and
South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Family: Anhingidae
Also
called
darter
Also
called
snake bird
Also
called
water turkey
U.K.
term
darter
[Mid-18th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi áyinga .][1]



Anhui

Anhui
An·hui 
[n hw] or An·hwei [n hw]

province in east central
China surrounded by the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and
Henan. Capital: Hefei. Population: 59,550,000 (1994) Area: 139,899 sq km/54,015
sq mi.[1]



anhydride

anhydride
an·hy·dride 
[an h drd, an
hdrid] (plural an·hy·drides) noun

compound
formed by removal of water: a chemical compound formed
when water molecules are removed from another compound
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from anhydrous .][1]



anhydrite

anhydrite
an·hy·drite 
[an h drt] (plural an·hy·drites)
noun

colorless
mineral:
a colorless or lightly tinted mineral consisting of anhydrous calcium sulfate,
used in cement and fertilizers. CaSO4
[Early 19th century. Formed
from anhydrous .][1]



anhydrous

anhydrous
an·hy·drous 
[an h drəss] adjective

with
no water:
used to describe compounds that contain no water, or crystals that lack
chemically bound water ( water of crystallization
)
[Early 19th century. From
Greek anudros, literally “waterless,” from hudōr “water” (see hydro- ).][1]



ani

ani
a·ni 
[aa n] (plural a·nis or
a·ni) noun

black
cuckoo:
a black long-tailed bird of the cuckoo family that has a heavy arched bill and
lives in tropical America. Anis lay eggs in a communal nest. Genus: Crotophaga
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish aní or Portuguese ani from Tupi anũ .][1]



AniakchakNational Monument and Preserve

AniakchakNational Monument and Preserve
An·i·ak·chak
Na·tion·al Mon·u·ment and Pre·serve [ànnee ák chàk ]

national park in southwestern
Alaska. One of its outstanding natural features is the Aniakchak Crater, a
volcanic crater 610 m/2,000 ft deep.[1]



anicca

anicca
an·ic·ca
[ə níkə] noun

Buddhist
cycle of life and death: in Buddhism, the cycle of
birth, life, and death
[Via Pali from Sanskrit anitya-
“not eternal,” from nitya- “constant, perpetual”][1]



anil

anil
an·il
[ánnil] (plural an·ils or
an·il) noun

plant
yielding indigo: a West Indian shrub with small reddish
yellow flowers that is the source of indigo dye. Latin name: Indigofera
suffruticosa
[Late 16th century. Via
French, Portuguese, Arabic, and Persian from, ultimately, Sanskrit nīla-
“dark blue.”][1]



anile

anile
an·ile 
[á nl, áy nl]
adjective

like
a senior woman: resembling a woman of advanced years
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
anilis, from anus “venerable woman.”][1]



aniline

aniline
an·i·line
[ánn’lən] noun

colorless
poisonous liquid: a colorless poisonous oily liquid that
is used in the manufacture of dyes, resins, pharmaceuticals, and explosives. C6H5NH2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from anil the indigo plant, because it was first obtained by distilling indigo
with alkali.][1]



anilinedye

anilinedye
an·i·line
dye
(plural an·i·line dyes) noun

synthetic dye:
a synthetic dye derived from aniline[1]



anilingus

anilingus
a·ni·lin·gus 
[àyni líng gəss] noun

form
of sexual stimulation: the act of sexually
stimulating the anus with the tongue or mouth
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin anus “anus,” on the model of cunnilingus .][1]



anima

anima
an·i·ma 
[ánnəmə] (plural an·i·mas) noun

1.  inner
self:
in Jungian psychology, the true inner self as opposed to the outer persona

2.  a
man’s feminine side: in Jungian psychology, the
feminine aspect of a man’s personality
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, “breath, soul, spirit” (source also of English animate and unanimous
).][1]



animadversion

animadversion
an·i·mad·ver·sion 
[ànnə mad vúr’n] (plural an·i·mad·ver·sions)
noun

criticism:
a critical comment or comments, especially those reproaching somebody[1]



animadvert

animadvert
an·i·mad·vert 
[ànnə mad vúrt, ànnəməd
vúrt] (past an·i·mad·vert·ed, past participle an·i·mad·vert·ed,
present participle an·i·mad·vert·ing, 3rd person present
singular an·i·mad·verts) intransitive verb

comment
critically:
to comment critically or unfavorably
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
animadvertere, literally “to turn the mind toward,” from animus
“mind” + advertere “to turn toward” (see advert 1 ).][1]



animal

animal
an·i·mal 
[ánnəm’l] noun (plural an·i·mals)

1.  living
organism with independent movement: a
living organism that is distinguished from plants by independent movement and
responsive sense organs

2.  mammal:
a land mammal other than a human being

3.  brutish
person:
somebody who is vulgar or brutish

4.  instinct-driven
inner self:
the instinctive inner self as opposed to the one subject to self-restraint

5.  person
or thing:
any particular person or thing (informal)
adjective

1.  from
animals:
derived from animals

2.  instinctive:
belonging to the realm of instincts and urges
[14th century. From Latin animale,
from animalis “living, breathing,” from anima “breath, life,
soul” (see anima ).][1]



animalcracker

animalcracker
an·i·mal
crack·er
(plural an·i·mal crack·ers) noun

animal-shaped cookie:
a small cookie in the shape of an animal[1]



animalhusbandry

animalhusbandry
an·i·mal
hus·band·ry
noun

care of farm animals:
the branch of agriculture concerned with breeding and rearing farm animals[1]



animalism

animalism
an·i·mal·ism 
[ánnəm’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  preoccupation
with physical side of life: preoccupation with physical
rather than spiritual needs.
Also
called
animality

2.  theory
of humans’ nonspiritual nature: the theory that human
beings are driven by physical appetites rather than spiritual needs

3.  typical
animal behavior: behavior that is typical of animals
—an·i·mal·is·tic [ànnəmə lístik], adjective[1]



animalist

animalist
an·i·mal·ist
[ánnəm’l ìst] (plural an·i·mal·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
preoccupied with physical needs: somebody who is
preoccupied with physical rather than spiritual needs

2.  somebody
denying humans’ spiritual nature: somebody who holds
that human beings are driven by physical appetites rather than spiritual needs

3.  animal
rights supporter: somebody who believes in animal rights
and is prepared to take part in militant action to protect them (informal)

[1]



animality

animality
an·i·mal·i·ty 
[ànnə mállətee] noun

1.  animal
characteristics: the characteristics of animals, as
opposed to plants

2.  See
animalism  noun 1

[1]



animalize

animalize
an·i·mal·ize 
[ánnəmə lz] (past an·i·mal·ized,
past participle an·i·mal·ized, present participle an·i·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·i·mal·iz·es) transitive verb

bring
out the animal in somebody: to bring out somebody’s
brutal or instinctive nature
—an·i·mal·i·za·tion [ànnəmə lə záysh’n], noun[1]



animalliberation

animalliberation
an·i·mal
lib·er·a·tion noun

campaign for animal rights:
the movement to free animals from what is held to be human exploitation (often
used before a noun)[1]



animalmagnetism

animalmagnetism
an·i·mal
mag·net·ism
noun

strong attractiveness to
others: somebody’s strong physical
attractiveness (informal humorous)[1]



animalprotein

animalprotein
an·i·mal
pro·tein 
noun

animal tissue for commercial
use: animal tissue processed for
commercial or industrial use[1]



animalstarch

animalstarch
an·i·mal
starch
noun

See
glycogen[1]



animalwelfarist

animalwelfarist
an·i·mal
wel·far·ist 
(plural an·i·mal wel·far·ists) noun

supporter of animal rights:
somebody who believes in the rights of animals[1]



animate

animate
an·i·mate 
transitive verb [ánnə màyt] (past
an·i·mat·ed, past participle an·i·mat·ed, present
participle an·i·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular an·i·mates)

1.  make
lively:
to make somebody or something lively

2.  inspire
somebody:
to rouse or inspire somebody to take action or to have strong feelings

3.  present
something using animation techniques: to
present or record something in the form of a sequence of moving still images

4.  make
somebody active: to arouse somebody or something into
activity

5.  cause
to live:
to bring somebody or something to life
adjective
[ánnə mət]

1.  physically
alive:
in a physically live state, as opposed to being dead or inert

2.  full
of liveliness: full of liveliness or energy
[14th
century. From Latin animat-, the past participle stem of animare
“to give life to,” from anima (see anima
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at living

[1]



animated

animated
an·i·mat·ed 
[ánnə màytəd] adjective

1.  lively
or busy:
full of liveliness or activity

2.  filmed
as moving sequence of stills: in the form of a sequence of
moving still images
—an·i·mat·ed·ly, adverb[1]



animation

animation
an·i·ma·tion 
[ànnə máysh’n] (plural an·i·ma·tions)
noun

1.  liveliness:
liveliness in the way somebody speaks or behaves

2.  production
of animated films: the making of movies by
filming a sequence of slightly varying drawings or models so that they appear
to move and change when the sequence is shown

3.  animated
movie or pictures: a movie or pictures
consisting of a series of drawn, painted, or modeled scenes

[1]



animato

animato
a·ni·ma·to 
[nə mtō] adjective adverb

lively:
to be played in a lively animated manner (used as a musical direction)
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin animare (see animate
).][1]



animator

animator
a·ni·ma·tor 
[ánnə màytər] (plural a·ni·ma·tors)
noun

1.  maker
of animated movies: somebody who makes animated
movies, or who provides a technical or artistic skill needed to produce
animations

2.  somebody
or something adding liveliness: somebody or something
that makes things lively, exciting, or interesting

[1]



animatronics

animatronics
an·i·ma·tron·ics 
[ànnəmə trónniks] noun

puppet
animation:
the use of computer technology and a form of radio control to animate puppets
or other models, for example, for a movie (takes a singular verb)
[Late
20th century. A blend of animate and electronics .]
—an·i·ma·tron·ic, adjective[1]



animism

animism
an·i·mism 
[ánnə mìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
that nature has a soul: the belief that things in
nature, for example, trees, mountains, and the sky, have souls or consciousness

2.  belief
in organizing force in universe: the belief that a
supernatural force animates and organizes the universe

3.  belief
in existence of separate spirit: the belief that people
have spirits that do or can exist separately from their bodies
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin anima “soul.”]
—an·i·mist,
adjective, noun

—an·i·mis·tic [ànni místik], adjective[1]



animosity

animosity
an·i·mos·i·ty 
[ànnə móssətee] (plural an·i·mos·i·ties)
noun

hostility:
a feeling or spirit of hostility and resentment
[15th
century. Directly or via French animosité from late Latin animositas
“spiritedness,” from animosus “spirited,” from animus (see animus ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



animus

animus
an·i·mus 
[ánnəməss] noun

1.  hostility:
a feeling or display of animosity

2.  disposition:
an attitude or feeling that motivates somebody’s actions

3.  a
woman’s masculine side: in Jungian psychology, the
masculine aspect of a woman’s personality
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “mind, spirit.”][1]



animé

animé
an·i·mé
[ánni mày] noun

resin
used in varnishes: any of various resins from
tropical American trees, used in varnishes and scents
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Tupi wana’ni .][1]



anion

anion
an·i·on 
[á n ən] (plural an·i·ons) noun

negative
ion:
a negatively charged ion, especially one that is attracted to an anode, either
during electrolysis or within a vacuum tube
[Mid-19th
century. A blend of anode and ion .]
—an·i·on·ic
[ànnī ónnik], adjective

—an·i·on·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anise

anise
an·ise 
[ánniss] noun

1.  plant
with licorice-flavored seeds: an aromatic Mediterranean
plant with licorice-flavored seeds ( aniseed
), used in medicines and for flavoring food and drinks. Latin name: Pimpinella
anisum

2.  See
aniseed
[13th century. Via French anis
and Latin anisum from Greek anison .][1]



aniseed

aniseed
an·i·seed
[ánni sd] noun

anise seeds used as
flavoring: the licorice-flavored seeds
of anise, used whole or in ground spice mixtures as a flavoring in foods,
especially candy and cakes, and in drinks, for example, pastis and ouzo.
Also called
anise
Also called
anise seed[1]



aniseikonia

aniseikonia
an·i·sei·ko·ni·a 
[a nsī kṓnee ə] noun

eye
defect:
a defect in the lens of one eye that results in its seeing an image that
differs in size and shape from the image seen by the other eye
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from anis- + Greek eikōn “image” + -ia
.][1]



aniseseed

aniseseed
an·ise
seed
noun

See
aniseed[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








anisette

anisette
an·i·sette 
[ànni sét, ànni
zét] (plural an·i·settes) noun

sweet
liqueur:
a sweet liqueur flavored with aniseed
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “a little anise,” from anis “ anise
.”][1]



aniso-

aniso-
aniso-
prefix

differing,
not equal • anisogamy
[From Greek anisos,
from an- “not” + isos “equal”][1]



anisogamete

anisogamete
an·i·so·gam·ete 
[a nssō gá mt, a
nssō gə mt] (plural an·i·so·gam·etes) noun

See
heterogamete[1]



anisogamy

anisogamy
an·i·sog·a·my 
[ànnī sóggəmee] noun

See
heterogamy  noun 1
—an·i·so·gam·ic
[ànnīsə gámmik], adjective

—an·i·sog·a·mous [ànnī sóggəməss], adjective[1]



anisole

anisole
an·i·sole
[ánni sl] noun

colorless
liquid with pleasant smell: a colorless liquid with a
pleasant smell that is used as a solvent and a flavoring. C6H5OCH3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from anise + -ole
.][1]



anisomeric

anisomeric
an·i·so·mer·ic
[a nssə mérrik] adjective

not forming different
molecules: used to describe a chemical
compound that does not form structurally different molecules ( isomers )[1]



anisometric

anisometric
an·i·so·met·ric 
[a nssə méttrik] adjective

1.  asymmetric:
not isometric or symmetrical • an
anisometric particle

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY shaped
irregularly: used to describe a crystal that does not
have three perpendicular axes of equal length and is therefore not regular

[1]



anisometropia

anisometropia
an·i·so·me·tro·pi·a 
[a nssə mə trṓpee ə] noun

eyes’
unequal refraction of light: lack of balance between each
eye’s ability to refract light
[Late
19th century. Coined from aniso- + Greek metron
“measure” + -opia .]
—an·i·so·me·trop·ic [a nssə mə tróppik], adjective[1]



anisotropic

anisotropic
an·i·so·trop·ic 
[a nssə tróppik] adjective

with
different properties in different directions: used
to describe something with physical properties that are different in different
directions, for example, crystals that are not symmetrical or regular,
especially ones measuring differently along each of two or more axes
—an·i·so·trop·i·cal·ly
[a nssə tróppikəlee], adverb

—an·i·sot·ro·pism
[ànnī sóttrə pìzzəm], noun

—an·i·sot·ro·py [ànnī sóttrəpee], noun[1]



Anjou

Anjou1
An·jou1  [ánzhoo,
ánjoo] (plural An·jous) or
An·jou pear [ánzhoo, ánjoo] (plural An·jou pears) noun

firm
variety of pear: a variety of pear with green skin and
firm flesh
[Named for Anjou, where it was originally grown][1]



Anjou

Anjou2
An·jou2  [ánzhoo,
ánjoo]

former province in western
France in the lower Loire valley. Once ruled by the English kings, it was
claimed for France in 1481.[1]



Ankara

Ankara
An·ka·ra 
[ángkərə]

capital of Turkey, in the
north central part of the country, on the Ankara River, northwest of Adana and
southeast of Bursa. Population: 2,782,200 (1994) Former name Angora[1]



ankerite

ankerite
an·ker·ite 
[ángkə rt] noun

mineral
resembling dolomite: a white, gray, brown, or
reddish mineral that resembles dolomite and contains calcium, magnesium, iron,
and sometimes manganese
[Mid-19th century. From
German Ankerit . Named for its discoverer, the Austrian mineralogist M.
J. Anker (1772–1843).][1]



ankh

ankh
ankh 
[angk] (plural ankhs) noun

Egyptian
cross with loop at top: a symbol consisting of a
cross with a loop for the top extension and a short crossbar, used in ancient
Egypt to signify life.
Also
called
ansate cross
[Late 19th century. From Egyptian,
literally “life.”][1]



ankle

ankle
an·kle 
[ángk’l] (plural an·kles) noun

1.  joint
between foot and leg: the joint that connects the
bones of the leg with the highest bone in the foot

2.  slim
part of leg above ankle: the slender part of the leg
immediately above the ankle
[14th century. From assumed
Old Norse ankula, which replaced Old English anclēow (both
related to English anchor and angle ).][1]



anklebone

anklebone
an·kle·bone 
[ángk’l bn] (plural an·kle·bones)
noun

See
talus 1 noun[1]



ankleboot

ankleboot
an·kle
boot
(plural an·kle boots) noun

short boot:
a boot that extends up to the ankle but not much beyond[1]



anklet

anklet
an·klet 
[ángklət] (plural an·klets) noun

1.  ankle
bracelet:
a piece of jewelry or some other ornament worn around the ankle

2.  short
sock coming just above ankle: a sock that extends up to
the ankle but not much beyond.
U.K.
term
ankle sock

[1]



ankylosaur

ankylosaur
an·ky·lo·saur 
[ángkələ sàwr] (plural an·ky·lo·saurs)
noun

heavily
armored dinosaur: a plant-eating dinosaur with short legs,
a heavy thickset body, and bony dorsal plates. It lived during the Cretaceous
period.
[Late 20th century. From
modern Latin Ankylosaurus, genus name, from Greek agkulōsis (see ankylosis ) + sauros “lizard.”][1]



ankylose

ankylose
an·ky·lose
[ángkə lss, ángkə
lz] (past an·ky·losed, past participle an·ky·losed,
present participle an·ky·los·ing, 3rd person present singular
an·ky·los·es) intransitive and transitive verb

fuse
and stiffen: to fuse together and become stiff, or
cause bones to fuse together and a joint to become stiff as a result of injury
or disease. This is sometimes done surgically to relieve pain and allow
injuries to heal.
[Late 18th century.
Back-formation from ankylosis .][1]



ankylosingspondylitis

ankylosingspondylitis
an·ky·los·ing
spon·dy·li·tis [àngkə
lōssing spónd’l tiss, àngkə lōzing spónd’l
tiss] noun

fusion of bones in spine:
a disease of the spine that causes the vertebrae to form a solid inflexible
column[1]



ankylosis

ankylosis
an·ky·lo·sis 
[àngkə lṓssiss] (plural an·ky·los·es
[àngkə lṓ sz]) noun

1.  fusion
of bones:
the fusion of the bones of a joint, often as a result of disease or injury, or
intentionally through surgery

2.  stiffness
of joint bones: stiffness or immobility in a joint
caused by bones fusing together as a result of disease or injury or arising
from surgery to join one bone or part to another
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek agkulōsis “stiffening of the
joints,” from agkuloun “to bend,” from agkulos “bent.”]
—an·ky·lot·ic [àngkə lóttik], adjective[1]



ankylostomiasis

ankylostomiasis
an·ky·lo·sto·mi·a·sis
noun

See
ancylostomiasis[1]



anlage

anlage
an·lage 
[n lgə] (plural an·la·gen [n lgən] or an·la·ges) noun

1.  EMBRYOLOGY part
in embryonic stage: a part or organ in its
earliest stage of development

2.  basis
for something: something, often a principle, on which
something else is based or founded (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “layout.”][1]



ann.

ann.
ann.

1.  Abbreviation
of
annals

2.  Abbreviation
of
annual

3.  Abbreviation
of
annuity

[1]



anna

anna
an·na 
[nə, ánnə]
(plural an·nas) noun

Indian
coin:
a copper coin formerly used in the Indian subcontinent, worth one-sixteenth of
a rupee
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi ānā .][1]



annal

annal
an·nal
[ánn’l] (plural an·nals) noun

entry
in historical record: a single entry in a record
of historical events, or a record of the events of a single year in history (dated)
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from annals .][1]



annalist

annalist
an·nal·ist 
[ánn’list] (plural an·nal·ists)
noun

writer of annals:
somebody who compiles annals[1]



annals

annals
an·nals 
[ánn’lz] plural noun

1.  annual
records:
a record of events arranged chronologically by year

2.  recorded
history:
history in general, as it is recorded in books and other documents • Her
achievements have secured her place in the annals of our nation.

3.  learned
journal:
a periodical that records events and reports in a specific field of research
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin annales, from annalis (see annual ).][1]



Annam

Annam
An·nam 
[ə nám, á nàm]

region
in Vietnam, forming a narrow strip along the South China Sea. It became a
protectorate of France in 1883 and was autonomous after World War II, until
Vietnam was partitioned in 1954.
—An·na·mese [ànnə mz, ànnə mss],
adjective, noun[1]



Annandale

Annandale
An·nan·dale 
[ánnən dàyl]

city in Virginia, situated
northeast of Alexandria[1]



Annan,Kofi

Annan,Kofi
An·nan
[a nn, ánnən],
Kofi (1938– )

Ghanaian statesman. He was
elected secretary general of the United Nations in 1997.[1]



Annapolis

Annapolis
An·nap·o·lis 
[ə náppəliss]

capital
of Maryland, situated near Chesapeake Bay. Population: 33,234 (1996)
noun

NAVY
U.S. Naval Academy:
the U.S. Naval Academy, which is located in Annapolis.
See also
West Point[1]



Annapūrna

Annapūrna
An·na·pūr·na 
[ànnə prnə, ánnə
púrnə]

mountain in the Himalayan
range in north central Nepal, one of the world’s highest peaks. Height: 8,078
m/26,504 ft.[1]



AnnArbor

AnnArbor
Ann
Ar·bor 
[àn rbər]

city in southeastern
Michigan, home to the main campus of the University of Michigan. Population:
108,758 (1996)[1]



annatto

annatto
an·nat·to
[ə náttō] (plural an·nat·tos) noun

1.  INDUSTRY dye
from seed-case pulp: a yellowish red dye made
from the pulp enclosing the seeds of a small tropical tree, used to color
fabric and food products

2.  TREES small
flowering tree: a small tropical American tree with pink
or red flowers and seeds encased in a pulpy substance used to make annatto dye.
Latin name: Bixa orellana
[Early 17th century. From
Carib .][1]



Ann,Cape

Ann,Cape
Ann,
Cape
[an káyp]

cape on a peninsula of
northeastern Massachusetts, jutting 14 km/9 mi into the Atlantic Ocean at the
northern edge of Massachusetts Bay[1]



anneal

anneal
an·neal 
[ə nl] verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb METALLURGY CRAFT
make
something stronger through heating: to
subject an alloy, metal, or glass to a process of heating and slow cooling to
make it tougher and less brittle

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CELL BIOLOGY separate strands of
nucleic acid: to subject nucleic acid to a process of
heating and cooling in order to separate strands

3.  transitive
verb
make
something more resolute: to make something,
especially an opinion, a feeling, or an intention, stronger, firmer, or more
resolute (literary)
[Old English onlan,
from lan “to burn.” Originally in the meaning “to set on fire.”][1]



annelid

annelid
an·ne·lid 
[ánnəlid] (plural an·ne·lids) noun

organism
with segmented body: an invertebrate organism
with a flat body that is divided into segments. Earthworms and leeches are
annelids. Phylum: Anelida
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Annelida, phylum name, from French annelés “ringed,”
from, ultimately, Latin an(n)ulus (see annulus
).][1]



annex

annex
an·nex 
transitive verb [ə néks, a néks, á nèks]
(past an·nexed, past participle an·nexed, present
participle an·nex·ing, 3rd person present singular an·nex·es)

1.  add
something to something: to attach something
subsidiary to a larger thing (usually passive) • The
new pool will be annexed to the gymnasium.

2.  take
over territory: to take over territory and incorporate
it into another political entity, for example, a country or state

3.  attach
a quality to something: to add something as a consequence,
quality, or condition (usually passive) • Annexed
to his feeling of guilt was a sense of having let everybody down.

4.  steal:
to take something without permission (informal) • He
returned to find that his assistant had annexed his chair.
noun
[á nèks] (plural an·nex·es)
U.K.
term
annexe

1.  BUILDING auxiliary
building:
a building added on to another building or serving as an auxiliary building to
a larger one

2.  attached
document:
an appendix, epilogue, or other additional material attached to a larger
document
[14th century. Via French annexer
from Latin annectere “to tie together,” from nectere “to tie”
(source of English connect and nexus ).][1]



annexation

annexation
an·nex·a·tion 
[à nek sáysh’n] (plural an·nex·a·tions)
noun

1.  addition
of something: the addition of something to a larger
whole

2.  taking
possession of territory: the incorporation of a
territory into another country, state, or other political entity

3.  something
added:
something that has been added to a larger whole, especially a territory that
has been incorporated into another country or state
—an·nex·a·tion·al,
adjective

—an·nex·a·tion·ism,
noun

—an·nex·a·tion·ist, noun[1]



annexe

annexe
an·nexe 
[á nèks] (plural an·nex·es) noun

U.K.
See annex[1]



AnnieOakley

AnnieOakley
An·nie
Oak·ley 
[ànnee ṓklee] (plural An·nie
Oak·leys) noun

free
ticket:
a free ticket for something
[Early 20th century. Named
for Annie Oakley . From the resemblance of a
punched ticket to a playing card riddled with bullets.][1]



annihilate

annihilate
an·ni·hi·late 
[ə n ə làyt] (past an·ni·hi·lat·ed,
past participle an·ni·hi·lat·ed, present participle an·ni·hi·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular an·ni·hi·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to destroy something completely, especially so that it ceases to exist

2.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to defeat somebody easily and convincingly (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
make
something invalid: to declare something to be
void or ineffective (archaic)

4.  intransitive
verb
NUCLEAR PHYSICS be
destroyed in particle collision: to be mutually
destroyed when a particle collides with a corresponding antiparticle
[Early
16th century. From late Latin annihilat-, the past participle stem of annihilare
“to reduce to nothing,” from Latin nihil “nothing” (source of English nil ).]
—an·ni·hi·la·ble
[ə n ələ b’l], adjective

—an·ni·hi·la·tive
[ə n ə làytiv, ə
n ə lətiv], adjective

—an·ni·hi·la·tor, noun[1]



annihilation

annihilation
an·ni·hi·la·tion 
[ə n ə láysh’n] noun

1.  destruction:
the complete destruction of something

2.  defeat
of opponent: the complete and convincing defeat of an
opponent (informal)

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS destructive
collision of particle and antiparticle: the
process in which a particle combines with its antiparticle, destroying both and
releasing their energy in the form of radiation or other particles • annihilation
radiation

[1]



Anniston

Anniston
An·nis·ton 
[ánnistən]

city in northeastern Alabama,
south of Gadsden. Population: 25,774 (1996)[1]



anniversary

anniversary
an·ni·ver·sa·ry 
[ànnə vúrsəree] (plural an·ni·ver·sa·ries)
noun

1.  annual
observation of past event: a date that is observed on
an annual basis because it is the same date as an important event in a past
year, often the date of somebody’s wedding

2.  annual
ritual:
a celebration or other commemorative ritual marking the date of an important
event, often a wedding
[13th century. Directly or
via French anniversaire from medieval Latin anniversarium, from
Latin anniversarius “returning yearly,” from annus “year” + versus,
the past participle of vertere “to turn.”][1]



annoDomini

annoDomini
an·no
Dom·i·ni 
[ànnō dómmi nə, ànnō
dómminee] adverb

Full
form of
A.D.
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “in the year of the Lord.”][1]



annoHegirae

annoHegirae
anno
He·gi·rae 
[ánnō hə jree, ànnō
héjjəree] adverb

Full
form of
A.H.
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “in the year of the Hegira.”][1]



annona

annona
an·no·na
[ə nṓnə] (plural an·no·nas or
an·no·na) noun

tropical
fruit tree:
any one of several tropical American and African trees from which fruits such
as the cherimoya, custard apple, soursop, and sugar apple are obtained. Genus: Annona
[Via modern Latin and
American Spanish from Arawak][1]



annotate

annotate
an·no·tate 
[ánnə tàyt] (past an·no·tat·ed,
past participle an·no·tat·ed, present participle an·no·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular an·no·tates) transitive verb

add
notes to something: to add critical or
explanatory notes to a text (often passive)
[Mid-18th
century. Via Latin annotat-, the past participle stem of annotare
“to note down,” from, ultimately, nota “mark” (source of English note ).]
—an·no·ta·tive,
adjective

—an·no·ta·tor, noun[1]



annotation

annotation
an·no·ta·tion 
[ànnə táysh’n] (plural an·no·ta·tions)
noun

1.  addition
of notes:
the adding of explanatory or critical notes to a text

2.  explanatory
note:
an explanatory or critical comment that has been added to a text

[1]



announce

announce
an·nounce 
[ə nówns] (past an·nounced, past
participle an·nounced, present participle an·nounc·ing,
3rd person present singular an·nounc·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
tell
something publicly: to declare or report
something publicly

2.  transitive
verb
say
something:
to say something in a formal, forceful, or aggressive way

3.  transitive
verb
declare
arrival of somebody or something: to tell others
formally that somebody or something has arrived

4.  transitive
verb
signify
or foretell something: to be a sign that something
has arrived or is imminent

5.  transitive
verb
serve
as presenter of something: to act as a presenter of
something, for example, a television or radio show

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb declare
candidacy:
to declare an intention to run for a public office

7.  intransitive
verb
BROADCASTING be
an announcer: to act as an announcer on television or
radio
[15th century. Via French annoncer
and Latin annuntiare from, ultimately, nuntius “messenger”
(source of English nuncio, pronounce, and renounce
).][1]



announcement

announcement
an·nounce·ment 
[ə nównsmənt] (plural an·nounce·ments)
noun

1.  public
declaration: a public statement giving people
information or news, or the making of the statement

2.  written
notice:
a formal written notice, often a card or newspaper item, giving the news of a
birth, wedding, or other event

[1]



announcer

announcer
an·nounc·er 
[ə nównsər] (plural an·nounc·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
making announcements: somebody who makes public
announcements, for example, on a public address system at an airport or
railroad station

2.  BROADCASTING TV
or radio commentator: somebody who provides
informative comment on something, usually a television or radio commentator who
gives news bulletins, running commentary on sports, or program information

[1]



annoy

annoy
an·noy 
[ə nóy] (past an·noyed, past
participle an·noyed, present participle an·noy·ing, 3rd
person present singular an·noys) verb

1.  transitive
verb
irritate
somebody:
to make somebody feel impatient or angry

2.  transitive
verb
harass
somebody:
to harass or bother somebody repeatedly

3.  intransitive
verb
be
irritating:
to be a source of irritation • Barking
dogs are bound to annoy.
[13th
century. Via Old French anoier from late Latin inodiare “to make
loathsome,” from Latin in odio “in hatred.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  annoy.,
  irritate, exasperate, vex, irk
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  cause a mild degree of anger in somebody annoy;
  to cause anything from slight impatience to anger in somebody; irritate; to annoy somebody repeatedly or
  continuously, often over a period of time; exasperate;
  to arouse strong impatience in somebody by seeming to disregard his or her
  wishes; vex; a more dated term than
  annoy suggesting distinct confusion or even mild distress; irk; a more formal term suggesting that the
  annoyance is tiresome

[1]



annoyance

annoyance
an·noy·ance 
[ə nóy əns] (plural an·noy·ances)
noun

1.  feeling
of irritation: feelings of mild anger and impatience

2.  nuisance:
something that causes somebody to be mildly angry or impatient • Living
in this neighborhood is not without its annoyances.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger

[1]



annoying

annoying
an·noy·ing 
[ə nóy ing] adjective

causing
irritation:
causing mild anger or impatience
—an·noy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



annual

annual
an·nu·al 
[ánnyoo əl] adjective

1.  once
a year:
happening once a year

2.  for
period of one year: based on or accumulating
over one year

3.  BOTANY dying
after one season: used to describe a plant that flowers,
produces seed, and dies in one growing season
noun
(plural an·nu·als)

1.  BOTANY plant
that dies after one season: a plant that flowers,
produces seed, and dies in one growing season

2.  See
yearbook

3.  PUBLISHING yearly
book or magazine: a book or magazine published once a
year, especially one for children
[14th century. Directly or
via French annuel from late Latin annualis, a blend of Latin annuus
and annalis “yearly,” from annus “year.”][1]



annualize

annualize
an·nu·al·ize 
[ánnyoo ə lz] (past an·nu·al·ized,
past participle an·nu·al·ized, present participle an·nu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·nu·al·izes) transitive verb

1.  make
figures apply to a year: to calculate or adjust
figures so that they reflect a period of a year

2.  do
something yearly: to put something on, or change something
to, a once-a-year schedule • Let’s
annualize the newsletter.

[1]



annually

annually
an·nu·al·ly
[ánnyoo əlee] adverb

yearly:
every year or once a year[1]



annualmeeting

annualmeeting
an·nu·al
meet·ing
(plural an·nu·al meet·ings) noun

yearly meeting of
stockholders: a yearly meeting of the
stockholders of a corporation or members of a foundation, when officers and
directors may be elected and other votes taken. At an annual meeting the
officers usually report on matters such as the financial health of the
organization.[1]



annualreport

annualreport
an·nu·al
re·port
(plural an·nu·al re·ports) noun

yearly review of activities:
a document that outlines and analyzes the activities, especially the financial
dealings, of a company or other organization over the past year[1]



annualring

annualring

an·nu·al ring
(plural an·nu·al rings) noun
See
growth ring[1]



annuitant

annuitant
an·nu·i·tant 
[ə n itənt] (plural an·nu·i·tants)
noun

receiver of annuity:
somebody who is entitled to receive an annuity[1]



annuity

annuity
an·nu·i·ty 
[ə n itee] (plural an·nu·i·ties)
noun

1.  money
paid at regular intervals: an amount of money paid to
somebody yearly or at some other regular interval

2.  investment
paying annual sum: a type of investment that
pays the investor a set amount of money each year for a number of years, often
the investor’s lifetime

3.  contract
for annual payment: the right to receive or the
obligation to pay an annuity
[15th century. Via French annuité
from medieval Latin annuitas, from Latin annuus (see annual ).][1]



annul

annul
an·nul 
[ə núl] (past an·nulled, past
participle an·nulled, present participle an·nul·ling, 3rd
person present singular an·nuls) transitive verb

1.  LAW make
something invalid: to render a legal document
or agreement invalid

2.  RELIGION declare
marriage invalid: to declare that a marriage was never a
true marriage in the eyes of a church, for example, because one of the parties
was not completely committed to it

3.  destroy
something:
to wipe out or destroy the effect or existence of something • not
able to annul my fears
[14th
century. Via Old French anuller from late Latin annullare “to
make into nothing,” from Latin nullus “nothing” (source of English null ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at nullify

[1]



annular

annular
an·nu·lar 
[ánnyələr] adjective

shaped
like ring:
shaped like or forming a ring
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French annulaire from Latin an(n)ularis, from an(n)ulus
(see annulus ).][1]



annulareclipse

annulareclipse
an·nu·lar
e·clipse
(plural an·nu·lar e·clips·es) noun

eclipse with ring of sunlight
visible: a solar eclipse in which all
but the outermost rim of the sun is blocked by the moon, leaving a ring of
sunlight visible around the moon[1]



annularligament

annularligament
an·nu·lar
lig·a·ment
(plural an·nu·lar lig·a·ments) noun

ring-shaped ligament around
joint: a ring-shaped ligament that
surrounds an ankle joint or a wrist joint and holds other ligaments in place[1]



annulate

annulate
an·nu·late 
[ányələt, ányə
layt] or an·nu·lat·ed [ányələt,
ányə layt] adjective

ring-shaped:
with ring-shaped parts, or consisting of rings
[Early 19th century. From
Latin an(n)ulatus, from an(n)ulus (see annulus
).][1]



annulation

annulation
an·nu·la·tion 
[ànnyə láysh’n] (plural an·nu·la·tions)
noun

1.  formation
of rings:
the formation of rings or ring-shaped parts

2.  ring-shaped
part:
any part that is shaped like a ring

[1]



annulet

annulet
an·nu·let 
[ánnyələt] (plural an·nu·lets)
noun

ARCHITECTURE circular
molding:
a ring-shaped molding around a column
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin an(n)ulus (see annulus ).][1]



annuli

annuli
an·nu·li


Plural of
annulus[1]



annulment

annulment
an·nul·ment 
[ə núlmənt] (plural an·nul·ments)
noun

1.  LAW voiding
of something: the process or result of making a legal
document or agreement void or invalid.
Also
called
defeat

2.  RELIGION ruling
that marriage is invalid: a ruling that a marriage was
never a true marriage in the eyes of a church

[1]



annulus

annulus
an·nu·lus 
[ánnyələss] (plural an·nu·li [ánnyə l] or an·nu·lus·es) noun

1.  BIOLOGY ring-shaped
part:
any ring-shaped part or arrangement of parts in a plant or animal, for example,
a growth ring on fish scales

2.  MATHEMATICS area
between concentric circles: the area bounded by two
concentric circles
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
an(n)ulus, literally “a small ring,” from anus “ring.”][1]



annunciate

annunciate
an·nun·ci·ate 
[ə núnsee àyt] (past an·nun·ci·at·ed,
past participle an·nun·ci·at·ed, present participle an·nun·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular an·nun·ci·ates) transitive verb

announce
something:
to announce or proclaim something (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin annuntiat-,
the past participle stem of annuntiare (see announce
).][1]



annunciation

annunciation
an·nun·ci·a·tion 
[ə nùnsee áysh’n] (plural an·nun·ci·a·tions)
noun

announcement:
the announcing of something, or an announcement (archaic)[1]



Annunciation

Annunciation
An·nun·ci·a·tion
noun

1.  Gabriel’s
visit to Mary: in the Bible, the archangel Gabriel’s
visit to the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother
of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26–38)

2.  Christian
festival:
March 25, celebrated in the Christian calendar as the feast of the Annunciation

[1]



annunciator

annunciator
an·nun·ci·a·tor 
[ə núnsee àytər] (plural an·nun·ci·a·tors)
noun

1.  announcer:
somebody who makes announcements (archaic)

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electronic
signaling device: an electronic signaling device, for
example, a switchboard device that indicates the source of incoming telephone
calls

[1]



annushorribilis

annushorribilis
an·nus
hor·ri·bi·lis [ànnəss hə
ríbbəliss] (plural an·ni hor·ri·bi·les [à nī hə ríbbə lz]) noun

U.K.
calamitous
year:
a year of great unhappiness or misfortune (formal)
[Late 20th century. From
Latin, “horrible year.”][1]



annusmirabilis

annusmirabilis
an·nus
mi·ra·bi·lis  [ànnəss mi
rábbəliss] (plural an·ni mi·ra·bi·les [à nī mi rábbə lz]) noun

remarkable
year:
a year that is remarkable for its great events (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “wonderful year.”][1]



anode

anode
an·ode 
[á nd] (plural an·odes) noun

1.  negative
terminal:
the negative terminal of a battery

2.  positive
electrode:
the positive electrode in an electrolytic cell
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek anodos, literally “way up,” from hodos “way.”][1]



anodize

anodize
an·o·dize 
[ánnə dz] (past an·o·dized, past
participle an·o·dized, present participle an·o·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·o·diz·es) transitive verb

coat
metal with oxide: to coat a metal, for example, aluminum,
with a protective or decorative oxide by making the metal the anode of an
electrolytic cell
—an·o·di·za·tion [ànnədi záysh’n], noun[1]



anodontia

anodontia
an·o·don·tia
[ànnə dónshə, ànnə
dónshee ə] noun

lack
of teeth:
the absence of some or all teeth because the teeth have never developed
[Late 19th century. Coined
from an- + -odontia
.][1]



anodyne

anodyne
an·o·dyne 
[ánnə dn] noun (plural an·o·dynes)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY painkiller:
a medication such as aspirin or codeine that relieves pain

2.  comforting
thing:
something that soothes, comforts, or relaxes (literary)
adjective

1.  PHARMACOLOGY painkilling:
bringing relief from pain or discomfort

2.  soothing:
serving to soothe, relax, or comfort (literary) • the
anodyne effects of a weekend in the mountains after a hard workweek

3.  bland:
harmless, inoffensive, or uncontroversial to the point of being dull (literary)
• a
rather anodyne speech, given the nature of the crisis
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek anōdunos “without pain,” from odunē “pain.”][1]



anoestrous

anoestrous
an·oes·trous
noun

ZOOLOGY
U.K. = anestrous[1]



anoestrus

anoestrus
an·oes·trus
noun

ZOOLOGY
U.K. = anestrus[1]



anoint

anoint
a·noint 
[ə nóynt] (past a·noint·ed, past
participle a·noint·ed, present participle a·noint·ing,
3rd person present singular a·noints) transitive verb

1.  bless
somebody with oil: to rub oil or ointment on a
part of somebody’s body, usually the head or feet, as part of a religious
ceremony, for example, in a Christian baptism

2.  ordain
somebody:
to install somebody officially or ceremonially in a position or office
[14th
century. Via Old French enoint, the past participle of enoindre,
from Latin inungere, from ungere “to smear” (source of English ointment and unctuous
).]
—a·noint·ment, noun[1]



anointingof the sick

anointingof the sick
a·noint·ing
of the sick 
noun

Roman Catholic sacrament:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the sacrament of anointing people who are very
sick, praying for their recovery, and offering confession and absolution of
sins[1]



anole

anole
a·no·le 
[ə nṓlee] (plural a·no·les) noun

lizard
that changes color: any one of several
tree-climbing, chiefly tropical lizards that can change color. Genus: Anolis

Also
called
American chameleon
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin Anolis, genus name, from, ultimately, Carib anoli .][1]



anomalisticmonth

anomalisticmonth
a·nom·a·lis·tic
month
[ə nommə lìstik ] (plural a·nom·a·lis·tic
months) noun

time Moon takes to orbit
Earth: the average time taken by
the Moon to orbit the Earth once, starting from the point in its orbit at which
it is nearest the Earth, measured as 27.554 days[1]



anomalisticyear

anomalisticyear
a·nom·a·lis·tic
year
(plural a·nom·a·lis·tic years) noun

time Earth takes to orbit
Sun: the time taken by the Earth
to orbit the Sun once, starting from the point in its orbit at which the Earth
is nearest the Sun, measured as 365.26 days[1]



anomalous

anomalous
a·nom·a·lous 
[ə nómmələss] adjective

1.  irregular:
deviating from the norm or from what people expect • We’re
getting anomalous readings on the heart monitor.

2.  unusual:
strange and difficult to identify or classify “Individuals would occasionally
give rise to new species having anomalous habits.” Charles Darwin On the Origin
of Species 1859
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin anomalus, from Greek anōmalos “uneven,” from homalos
“even.”][1]



anomaly

anomaly
a·nom·a·ly 
[ə nómməlee] (plural a·nom·a·lies)
noun

1.  irregularity:
something that deviates from the norm or from expectations • looking
for anomalies in the patient’s blood tests

2.  peculiarity:
something strange and difficult to identify or classify • The
space probe has encountered an anomaly.

3.  ASTRONOMY angle
in planet’s orbit: the angle between a planet’s
position, the Sun, and the point in the planet’s orbit when it is closest to
the Sun

[1]



anomic

anomic
an·o·mic 
[ə nómmik, ə nṓmik]
adjective

1.  SOCIOLOGY unstable
because of moral breakdown: unstable because moral and
social codes have been eroded or abandoned • an
anomic society

2.  PSYCHOLOGY affected
by alienation: feeling alienated from society and
disoriented by the perceived absence of a social or moral framework
noun
(plural an·o·mics)

PSYCHOLOGY somebody
affected by alienation: somebody who feels a sense
of alienation and disorientation as a result of the perceived absence of a
social and moral framework

[1]



anomie

anomie
an·o·mie 
[ánnəmee] or an·o·my [ánnəmee] noun

1.  SOCIOLOGY social
instability: instability in society caused by the
erosion or abandonment of moral and social codes

2.  PSYCHOLOGY social
alienation:
a feeling of disorientation and alienation from society caused by the perceived
absence of a supporting social or moral framework
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Greek anomia “lawlessness,” from anomos “lawless,”
from nomos “law.”][1]



anon.

anon.
anon.

Abbreviation of
anonymous[1]



anon

anon
a·non 
[ə nón] adverb (archaic or
literary)

1.  another
time:
at an unspecified future time • I’ll
see you anon.

2.  soon:
in a short while • more of these grotesque
escapades anon
[Old English on ān,
literally “in one”][1]



anonym

anonym
an·o·nym 
[ánnə nìm] (plural an·o·nyms) noun

1.  unnamed
author:
an author whose name is not known or not given

2.  pseudonym:
a name used by somebody to hide his or her identity
[Early 19th century. From
French anonyme “ anonymous .”][1]



anonymity

anonymity
an·o·nym·i·ty 
[ànnə nímmətee] (plural an·o·nym·i·ties)
noun

1.  freedom
from identification: the state of not being known
or identified by name, for example, as the author or donor of something

2.  lack
of distinctiveness: a lack of distinctive
features that makes things seem bland or interchangeable • detested
the anonymity of the downtown hotels

3.  unnamed
person:
somebody who is unnamed or unacknowledged as the doer of something

4.  state
of being unnoticed: the state of blending into a
crowd and going unnoticed • I
always preferred the anonymity of the big city.

[1]



anonymous

anonymous
a·non·y·mous 
[ə nónnəməss] adjective

1.  unnamed:
whose name is not known or not given

2.  with
name withheld: with the performer’s, maker’s, or
creator’s identity withheld

3.  indistinctive:
lacking individuality or distinctiveness • a
quirkiness unsuited to an anonymous shopping mall

4.  preventing
identification: obscuring somebody’s identity, or
allowing somebody to go unnoticed • a
thief who lost his pursuers in an anonymous crowd
[Early
17th century. Formed from late Latin anonymus, from Greek anōnumos
“unnamed,” from onuma “name.”]
—a·non·y·mous·ness, noun[1]



anonymousFTP

anonymousFTP
a·non·y·mous
FTP
(plural a·non·y·mous FTPs) noun

type of Internet file
transfer: a method of connecting to a
computer on the Internet that allows files to be accessed and downloaded
without needing a password[1]



anonymously

anonymously
a·non·y·mous·ly 
[ə nónnəməsslee] adverb

without giving a name:
without being named or acknowledged[1]



anorak

anorak
an·o·rak 
[ánnə rak] (plural an·o·raks) noun

hooded
waterproof parka: a warm thick waterproof hip-length
jacket with a hood
[Early 20th century. From
(Greenlandic) Inuit annoraaq .][1]



anorectic

anorectic
an·o·rec·tic 
[ànnə réktik] adjective

relating
to pathological appetite loss: relating to, affected
by, or causing pathological loss of appetite
noun

appetite-suppressing
medication:
a type of medication that suppresses the appetite, used in treating any
disorder marked by overeating
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek anorektos “without appetite,” from orexein “to
desire.”][1]



anorexia

anorexia
an·o·rex·i·a 
[ànnə réksee ə] noun

1.  See
anorexia nervosa

2.  continual
appetite loss: persistent loss of appetite
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, “lack of appetite,” from orexis “appetite,”
from orexein (see anorectic ).][1]



anorexianervosa

anorexianervosa
an·o·rex·i·a
nerv·o·sa 
[ànnə réksee ə nər vṓssə] noun

eating
disorder:
an eating disorder, marked by an extreme fear of becoming overweight leading to
excessive dieting to the point of serious ill-health and sometimes death.
Also
called
anorexia
[From modern Latin, literally
“nervous anorexia”][1]



anorexic

anorexic
an·o·rex·ic 
[ànnə réksik] adjective

1.  of
anorexia nervosa: relating to or affected by anorexia
nervosa

2.  very
thin:
extremely thin, especially unhealthily or unattractively so (informal)
noun
(plural anorex·ics)

somebody with anorexia:
somebody who is affected by loss of appetite or by anorexia nervosa

[1]



anorthite

anorthite
an·or·thite 
[a náwr tht] noun

rare
light-colored mineral: a rare white, gray, or
reddish gray variety of the mineral feldspar, occurring mainly in igneous rocks
and used in making glass and in ceramics. CaAl2Si2O8
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from an- + orth- + -ite . From its oblique crystals.]
—an·or·thi·tic [à nawr thíttik], adjective[1]



anorthosite

anorthosite
an·or·tho·site 
[a náwrthə st] noun

coarse-grained
igneous rock: a coarse-grained igneous rock comprising
at least 90 percent feldspar
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from French anorthose “type of feldspar,” from Greek anorthos,
literally “not straight.” From its oblique crystals.]
—an·or·tho·si·tic [a nàwrthə síttik], adjective[1]



anosmia

anosmia
an·os·mi·a 
[a nózmee ə] noun

absence
of sense of smell: absence or loss of the sense
of smell
[Early
19th century. Coined from an- + Greek osmē
“smell” + -ia .]
—an·os·mic, adjective[1]



another

another
an·oth·er 
[ə núər] adjective pronoun

1.  one
more:
an additional • need another person to
help
• May
I have another?

2.  one
that is different: somebody who or something
that is completely separate or different from the one mentioned • We
need another accountant because ours is moving. • This
one is too dark; I would prefer another.

3.  some
other:
some other one, or any other one

[1]



anovulant

anovulant
an·ov·u·lant 
[a nóvvyələnt] noun (plural an·ov·u·lants)

drug
preventing ovulation: a drug that prevents a woman
from ovulating, for example, a birth-control pill
adjective

preventing
ovulation:
used to describe a drug that prevents ovulation
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from an- + ovulate + -ant
.]
—an·o·vu·la·to·ry [a nóvvyələ tàwree, a nṓvyələ
tàwree], adjective, noun[1]



anovulation

anovulation
an·o·vu·la·tion 
[anòvvyə láysh’n, anv
yə láysh’n] noun

absence of ovulation:
the state of not ovulating because of a medical condition, suppression by
drugs, or menopause[1]



anoxemia

anoxemia
an·ox·e·mi·a 
[à nok smee ə] noun

low
oxygen level in blood: a deficiency of oxygen in
the blood flowing through the arteries
[Late
19th century. Coined from an- + ox- + -emia .]
—an·ox·e·mic, adjective[1]



anoxia

anoxia
an·ox·i·a 
[a nóksee ə] noun

See
hypoxia
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from an- + ox- + -ia .]
—an·ox·ic, adjective[1]



ans.

ans.
ans.

Abbreviation of
answer[1]



ansate

ansate
an·sate 
[án sàyt] adjective

with
handle:
with a handle or a part shaped like a handle
[Late 19th century. From
Latin ansatus, from ansa “handle.”][1]



ansatecross

ansatecross
an·sate
cross
(plural an·sate cross·es) noun

See
ankh[1]



ANSI

ANSI
ANSI 
[ánsee]

Abbreviation of
American National Standards Institute[1]



Ansonia

Ansonia
An·so·ni·a 
[an sṓnee ə, an
sṓnyə]

city in southern Connecticut,
on the Naugatuck River. Population: 17,865 (1996)[1]



answer

answer
an·swer 
[ánsər] noun (plural an·swers)

1.  response
to question: the information requested by a question

2.  way
of solving something: the solution to a problem • trying
to find an answer to our ecological problems

3.  response
to action:
a response to something that somebody says or does • She
had no answer to her opponent’s lethal backhand.

4.  corresponding
thing:
something designed to match or correspond to something else • The
Space Needle is Seattle’s answer to the Eiffel Tower.

5.  LAW plea
in court:
a defendant’s plea in response to a charge, lawsuit, or summons
verb
(past an·swered, past participle an·swered, present
participle an·swer·ing, 3rd person present singular an·swers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reply
to something: to reply to something written or spoken

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb respond
to call:
to respond to a summons, for example, a ringing telephone, a doorbell, or
somebody calling your name

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
something in reaction: to do something as a
reaction to an attack, criticism, or bad situation

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb correspond
to something: to match something or correspond to it • We
haven’t found anyone who answers to that description.

5.  transitive
verb
meet
a need:
to fulfill a need or wish

6.  intransitive
verb
serve
a purpose:
to be adequate in meeting a requirement or serving a purpose • an
upturned box that answers for a seat

7.  transitive
verb
LAW respond
to charge in court: to offer a plea in response
to a charge, lawsuit, or summons • The
defendant will now answer the charges.
[Old
English andswaru . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“to swear against.” The underlying idea is of making a sworn statement rebutting
a charge.]
know
or have all the answers

to
be admirably knowledgeable about a subject, or be irritatingly eager to
demonstrate or claim superior knowledge

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  answer.,
  reply, response, rejoinder,
  retort, riposte
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  said, written, or done in acknowledgment of a question, remark, or other
  stimulus answer; the most general
  term, used as an acknowledgment of, or reaction to, questions, letters,
  actions, and situations; reply; a
  more restricted term than answer, used especially with reported
  speech; rejoinder; a slightly more
  formal term than reply, used to indicate a consdered reaction to a
  proposal, or a critcism or challenge a reply to a reply; retort; a sharp reply, often to some form of
  criticism or accusation; riposte;
  the most formal or literary term, used to indicate a quick or witty answer

[1]



answerable

answerable
an·swer·a·ble 
[ánsərəb’l] adjective

1.  solvable:
having a possible solution or a correct response

2.  accountable:
responsible for something, or obliged to explain your actions to somebody • You’re
answerable to your boss for any losses you incur.

3.  able
to be denied: able to be argued against or disproved • Is
the charge answerable?
—an·swer·a·bil·i·ty
[ànsərə bíllətee], noun

—an·swer·a·bly [ánsərəblee], adverb[1]



answerback

answerback
answer
back
intransitive and transitive verb

reply to somebody impudently:
to reply to somebody boldly or with impudence when silence is expected[1]



answerback

answerback
an·swer·back 
[ánsər bàk] (plural an·swer·backs)
noun

radioed reply:
a response in a two-way radio transmission[1]



answerfor

answerfor
answer
for
transitive verb

1.  explain
mistake or fault: to give an excuse or explanation for a
wrong that has been committed • You’ll
have to answer for this broken window.

2.  receive
punishment for something: to be punished for a
wrongdoing • They’ll
answer for their carelessness when the case comes to trial.

3.  guarantee
somebody’s reliability: to give an assurance about
somebody’s good character • She
can be trusted, but I can’t answer for the rest of the team.

[1]



answeringmachine

answeringmachine
an·swer·ing
ma·chine 
(plural an·swer·ing ma·chines) noun

phone message recorder:
a recording device that is connected to a telephone and can be activated to
play a message to callers and record messages from them[1]



answeringservice

answeringservice
an·swer·ing
ser·vice
(plural an·swer·ing serv·ic·es) noun

business relaying phone
messages to customers: a business
that receives telephone calls on behalf of other individuals and organizations
and takes messages for them[1]



answerto

answerto
answer
to
transitive verb

be accountable to somebody:
to be obliged to give somebody reasons for your behavior, or be obliged to
accept criticism or punishment from somebody[1]



Ant.

Ant.
Ant.

Abbreviation of
Antarctica[1]



ant-

ant-
ant-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
anti-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ant

ant
ant 
[ant] (plural ants) noun

crawling
insect living in colonies: an insect that lives in
complex well-organized colonies and is noted for its ability to carry objects
heavier than itself. Male ants have wings, as do fertile females ( queens ) after mating. Family: Formicidae
[Old
English æmette . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
cut off,” which also produced German Ameise “ant.”]
have
ants in your pants

to be excited or impatient
about something (informal)[1]



ant.

ant.
ant.

1.  Abbreviation
of
antiquarian

2.  Abbreviation
of
antiquity

3.  Abbreviation
of
antonym

[1]



-ant

-ant
-ant
suffix

1.  performing
a particular action • desiccant

2.  being
in a particular state • hesitant
[From
Latin -ant-, the stem of -ans, a present participle ending]
—-ance,
suffix

—-ancy, suffix[1]



anta

anta
an·ta 
[ántə] (plural an·tas or
an·tae [án t]) noun

thick
end of Greek temple wall: a thicker end of the side
wall of a Greek temple that forms one side of a porch
[Mid-18th century.
Back-formation from Latin antae “square pilasters.”][1]



antacid

antacid
ant·ac·id 
[ant ássid] adjective

neutralizing
acidity:
preventing, counteracting, or neutralizing acidity, especially in the stomach
noun
(plural ant·ac·ids)

anti-acidity drug:
a drug that reduces or neutralizes stomach acid[1]



antae

antae
an·tae


Plural of
anta[1]



antagonism

antagonism
an·tag·o·nism 
[an tággə nìzzəm] noun

1.  hostility:
hostility or hatred causing opposition and ill will

2.  opposition:
opposition between forces or principles • the
antagonism between good and evil

3.  PHYSIOLOGY neutralizing
interaction: the interaction between two or more
chemical substances in the body that diminishes the effect each of them has
individually

4.  PHYSIOLOGY muscle
opposition:
the opposing force that usually exists between pairs of muscles

[1]



antagonist

antagonist
an·tag·o·nist 
[an tággənist] (plural an·tag·o·nists)
noun

1.  opponent:
somebody or something opposing or in conflict with another • several
antagonists locked in a power struggle

2.  ARTS character
in conflict with hero: a major character in a book,
play, or movie whose values or behavior are in conflict with those of the
protagonist or hero

3.  PHARMACOLOGY neutralizing
agent:
a substance, often a drug, that nullifies the effect another substance has on
the body

4.  PHYSIOLOGY opposing
muscle:
a muscle that acts with and limits the action of another muscle

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at opponent

[1]



antagonistic

antagonistic
an·tag·o·nis·tic 
[an tàggə nístik] adjective

hostile:
showing or expressing hostility
—an·tag·o·nis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



antagonize

antagonize
an·tag·o·nize 
[an tággə nz] (past an·tag·o·nized,
past participle an·tag·o·nized, present participle an·tag·o·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·tag·o·niz·es) transitive verb

arouse
somebody’s hostility: to cause a person or animal
to be hostile
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
antagōnizesthai, literally “to struggle against,” from agōnizesthai
“to struggle,” from agōn “contest” (source of English agony ).][1]



Antakya

Antakya
An·ta·kya 
[aan tkyə]

city in southern Turkey on
the Orontes River. Founded in 301 BC,
it was formerly known as Antioch and was the capital of the eastern Roman
Empire (64 BC – AD 260). Population: 124,443 (1990)[1]



Antalya

Antalya
An·tal·ya 
[aan tlyə]

city in southwestern Turkey,
situated on the Gulf of Antalya. Population: 378,208 (1990)[1]



Antananarivo

Antananarivo
An·ta·na·na·ri·vo 
[àntə nannə r vō, ntə
naanə r vō]

capital of Madagascar,
located in the central part of the island. Population: 1,052,835 (1993) Former
name Tananarive until 1977[1]



Antarctic

Antarctic
Ant·arc·tic
[an trktik, an
trtik] noun

region
south of Antarctic Circle: the region lying south of
the Antarctic Circle.
See
also
Arctic
—Ant·arc·tic, adjective[1]



Antarctica

Antarctica

Ant·arc·ti·ca 
[an trktikə, an
trtikə]
uninhabited continent surrounding the
South Pole, consisting of an ice-covered plateau and high mountain peaks. Area:
14,245,000 sq km/5,500,000 sq mi.
See also
Arctic[1]



Antarctica




Back to definition

Antarctica

[1]



AntarcticCircle

AntarcticCircle
Ant·arc·tic
Cir·cle

parallel of latitude at 66°
30′ S, encircling Antarctica and its surrounding seas, marking the northern
limit of the area in which the sun does not set during the summer solstice and
does not rise during the winter solstice[1]



AntarcticCurrent

AntarcticCurrent
Ant·arc·tic
Cur·rent

ocean current circling
Antarctica. Moving eastward, it circulates water from one ocean to another.[1]



AntarcticOcean

AntarcticOcean
Ant·arc·tic
O·cean

the waters that surround the
South Pole and Antarctica, consisting of the waters of the southern Atlantic,
Indian, and Pacific oceans. Depths exceed 6,000 m/20,000 ft .[1]



antbear

antbear
ant
bear
(plural ant bears) noun

See
aardvark[1]



antcow

antcow
ant
cow
(plural ant cows) noun

aphid:
an aphid that excretes a substance similar to honey ( honeydew
) that is eaten by certain ants[1]



ante

ante
an·te
[ántee] noun (plural an·tes)

1.  stake:
an amount a card player puts into the gambling pot before cards are dealt

2.  contribution
paid in advance: any sum of money that is paid in advance
as a contribution (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past an·ted, past
participle an·ted, present participle an·te·ing, 3rd
person present singular an·tes)

contribute to gambling pot:
to put forward betting stakes before cards are dealt
[Early
19th century. From Latin, literally “before.”]
up
the ante

1.  to
increase the amount of money required to do or get something (informal)

2.  to
demand more, or try to get more from a situation (informal)

[1]



ante-

ante-
ante-
prefix

before,
in front • antechamber
[From Latin ante
(source also of English ancient ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “front,” which is also the
ancestor of end, until, and anti-
.][1]



anteater

anteater


ant·eat·er 
[ánt tər] (plural ant·eat·ers)
noun

1.  tropical
mammal that feeds on ants: a long-snouted mammal of
Central and South America that has no teeth but has long claws and a sticky
tongue for catching prey, usually ants and termites. Family: Myrmecophagidae

2.  See
pangolin

3.  See
echidna

4.        See
aardvark[1]



antebellum

antebellum
an·te·bel·lum 
[ànti bélləm] adjective

1.  before
any war:
preceding any war, or characteristic of the time preceding any war

2.  before
Civil War:
belonging or relating to the time before the Civil War
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
ante bellum “before the war.”][1]



antecede

antecede
an·te·cede 
[ànti sd] (past an·te·ced·ed,
past participle an·te·ced·ed, present participle an·te·ced·ing,
3rd person present singular an·te·cedes) transitive verb

come
before something: to precede something in time or order • Economic
depressions often antecede wars.
[Early 17th century. From
Latin antecedere, literally “to go before,” from cedere (see cede ).][1]



antecedence

antecedence
an·te·ce·dence 
[ànti sd’ns] noun

precedence:
an earlier position in time, order, or importance[1]



antecedent

antecedent
an·te·ce·dent 
[ànti sd’nt] noun (plural an·te·ce·dents)

1.  thing
coming before: something that happened or existed
before something else • The
book deals with the historical antecedents of the revolution.

2.  GRAMMAR word
that subsequent word refers to: a word or phrase that
a subsequent word refers back to. “Mary” is the antecedent of “her” in the
sentence “I’ll give this to Mary if I see her.”

3.  LOGIC clause
expressing condition: the first part of a
conditional proposition, which states the condition and is the p component in a
proposition phrased “if p then q”
plural
noun
an·te·ce·dents

1.  ancestors:
somebody’s ancestors

2.  somebody’s
history:
the events or circumstances in somebody’s past • He’s
done pretty well for himself, considering what we know of his antecedents.
adjective

occurring earlier in time:
happening or existing before something else (formal) • A
high fever is usually an antecedent condition to other effects of the disease.
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin antecedent-, the present
participle stem of antecedere (see antecede
).]
—an·te·ce·dent·ly, adverb[1]



antechamber

antechamber
an·te·cham·ber 
[ánti chàymbər] (plural an·te·cham·bers)
noun

room
leading to larger room: a small room leading into a
larger main room and often used as a waiting area
[Mid-17th century. From
French antichambre, a translation of Italian anticamera,
literally “room in front.”][1]



antechoir

antechoir
an·te·choir 
[ánti kwr] (plural an·te·choirs)
noun

part of church adjoining
choir: an area at the entrance to
the choir in a church, reserved for clergy and choir members[1]



antedate

antedate
an·te·date 
[ánti dàyt] transitive verb (past
an·te·dat·ed, past participle an·te·dat·ed, present
participle an·te·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular an·te·dates)

1.  occur
earlier than something: to exist or happen at an
earlier date than something else • These
tapestries antedate the development of synthetic dyes.

2.  put
earlier date on something: to assign something a date
that is earlier than its true or original date • This
vase was mistakenly antedated to the Ming dynasty.
noun
(plural an·te·dates)

earlier date: a
date assigned to something that is earlier than its true or original date

[1]



antediluvian

antediluvian
an·te·di·lu·vi·an 
[ànti də lvee ən] adjective

1.  from
time before Flood: in or from the time before
the biblical Flood

2.  outdated:
extremely old-fashioned or out-of-date (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin diluvium “flood” (source of English deluge ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



antefix

antefix
an·te·fix 
[ánti fìks] (plural an·te·fix·es
or an·te·fix·a [ánti fìksə] or
an·te·fix·ae [ánti fiks]) noun

roof
ornament:
an ornamental edging on the eaves of ancient buildings with tiled roofs that
hides the joints of the roof tiles
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin antefixum, from antefigere “to fasten
before,” from figere “to fasten.”]
—an·te·fix·al [ànti fíksəl], adjective[1]



antelope

antelope
an·te·lope 
[ántə lp] (plural an·te·lopes
or an·te·lope) noun

1.  horned
mammal:
a ruminant mammal with smooth brown or gray hair, two-toed hooves, and
unbranched horns, native to Africa and southwestern Asia. Antelopes include the
impala, springbok, and gazelles. Family: Bovidae

2.  See
pronghorn
[15th century. Via Old French
antelop “mythical creature with sawlike horns said to live on the banks
of the Euphrates” from, ultimately, medieval Greek antholops .][1]



antemeridian

antemeridian
an·te·me·rid·i·an 
[ànti mə ríddee ən] adjective

in the morning:
relating to or taking place in the morning[1]



antemeridiem

antemeridiem
an·te
me·rid·i·em 
[ànti mə ríddee əm] adjective adverb

Full
form of
a.m.
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “before noon.”][1]



antemortem

antemortem
an·te·mor·tem 
[ànti máwrtəm] adjective

before
death:
existing or happening before death (formal)
[Late
19th century. From Latin ante mortem “before death.”]
—an·te mor·tem, adverb[1]



antenatal

antenatal
an·te·na·tal 
[ànti náyt’l] adjective

See
prenatal
—an·te·na·tal·ly, adverb[1]



antenna

antenna
an·ten·na 
[an ténnə] (plural an·ten·nae
[an ténnee] or an·ten·nas) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY thin
sensor on organism’s head: a thin movable sensory organ
found in pairs on the heads of some organisms, including insects and
crustaceans

2.  inquiring
sense:
somebody’s inquisitive or inquiring sense (informal) (often used in
the plural)

3.  BROADCASTING device
for sending and receiving radio waves: a
metallic piece of equipment of variable shape, used in the sending and
receiving of television or radio signals.
Also
called
aerial
U.K.
term
aerial
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “pole supporting a sail.”]
—an·ten·nal, adjective[1]



antependium

antependium
an·te·pen·di·um 
[ànti péndee əm] (plural an·te·pen·di·ums
or an·te·pen·di·a [ànti péndee ə])
noun

altar
hanging:
a decorative cloth that hangs on the front of an altar or lectern
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin, from Latin pendere “to hang.”][1]



antepenult

antepenult
an·te·pe·nult 
[ànti p nult, ánti
pi núlt] (plural an·te·pe·nults) noun

third last syllable:
the third from last syllable in a word • The
antepenult is stressed in the word “superfluous.”

Also called
antepenultimate[1]



antepenultimate

antepenultimate
an·te·pe·nul·ti·mate 
[ànti pi núltəmət] adjective

third
from last:
third from last in a series • the
antepenultimate word in the paragraph
noun
(plural an·te·pe·nul·ti·mates)

See
antepenult[1]



anterior

anterior
an·te·ri·or 
[an tree ər] adjective

1.  in
front:
at or near the front of something (formal) • an
anterior view of the building

2.  earlier:
existing or happening before something else (formal)

3.  ANATOMY near
front of body: situated at or near the front of the
body or of a body part

4.  BOTANY away
from stem:
used to describe a leaf or flower part that is situated furthest away or facing
away from the stem of a plant
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin, “earlier,” from ante
“before.”]
—an·te·ri·or·i·ty
[an tree áwrətee], noun

—an·te·ri·or·ly [an tree ərlee], adverb[1]



anteroom

anteroom
an·te·room 
[ánti rm, ánti
rm] (plural an·te·rooms) noun

entry room:
a subsidiary room that opens into a larger main room, often used as a waiting
area[1]



antetype

antetype
an·te·type
[ánti tp] (plural an·te·types)
noun

earlier version:
an earlier form of something “Antiochus Ephiphanes, the biblical antetype of
the Antichrist” Rollan McCleary The Dead Sea Scrolls in Astrology 1997[1]



anteup

anteup
ante
up
intransitive and transitive verb

pay what is owed:
to pay money that is due to be paid (informal) • We
know you’ve got the cash, so ante up now![1]



anteversion

anteversion
an·te·ver·sion
[ànti vúrzh’n] noun

forward tilting of organ:
an unusual tilting forward of an organ, especially the uterus, without bending[1]



anthelion

anthelion
ant·he·li·on 
[ant hlyən, an
thlyən] (plural ant·he·li·a [ant
hlyə] or ant·he·li·ons) noun

luminous
spot in sky: a luminous spot appearing occasionally
in the sky opposite the Sun
[Late 17th century. From
Greek, literally “opposite the sun,” from hēlios “sun.”][1]



anthelix

anthelix
ant·he·lix
[ant hliks, an
thliks] (plural ant·he·lix·es [ant
hliksiz] or ant·he·li·ces [ant
hlə sz]) or an·ti·he·lix [ant
hliks, an thliks] (plural an·ti·he·lix·es
or an·ti·he·li·ces) noun

cartilaginous ridge in ear:
a ridge of cartilage located behind the folded edge ( helix
) of the outer ear and running more or less parallel to it[1]



anthelminthic

anthelminthic
ant·helm·inth·ic
[ànt hel mínthik] adjective

controlling
parasitic worms: able to reduce or eliminate parasitic
worm populations
noun

substance for controlling
parasitic worms: a natural or
pharmaceutical substance that reduces or eliminates parasitic worm populations[1]



anthelmintic

anthelmintic
ant·hel·min·tic 
[ànt hel míntik, àn
thel míntik] or ant·hel·min·thic [ànt
hel mínthik] adjective

destructive
to parasitic worms: used to describe a drug that
destroys parasitic worms or flushes out intestinal parasitic worms
noun
(plural ant·hel·min·tics)

substance
killing parasitic worms: a substance that kills
parasitic worms or allows the natural discharge of intestinal parasitic worms
[Late 17th century. Formed
from the Greek stem helmint- “worm.”][1]



anthem

anthem
an·them 
[ánthəm] (plural an·thems) noun

1.  song
of allegiance: a song praising and declaring loyalty to
something, for example, country, cause or organization • a
rock anthem

2.  CHRISTIANITY short
hymn for choir: a short hymn with words from the Bible,
sung by a choir as part of a church service

3.  CHRISTIANITY religious
song with parts: a religious song with parts for
different singers or groups, especially a church hymn with parts sung by
different members of the congregation, for example, a responsorial psalm
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin antiphona “antiphon” from Greek antiphōnos “responsive,”
from phonē “sound” (source of English phonetic
and telephone ).][1]



anthemion

anthemion
an·the·mi·on 
[an thmee ən] (plural an·the·mi·a
[an thmee ə]) noun

leaf
motif:
a motif of radiating leaves resembling those of the honeysuckle or palm, found
in classical Greek art and design
[Mid-19th century. Via Greek,
literally “a small flower,” from, ultimately, anthos “flower.”][1]



anther

anther
an·ther 
[ánthər] (plural an·thers) noun

male
flower part containing pollen: a male flower part,
the top part of a stamen, that bears the pollen in pollen sacs.
See
also
filament
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin, literally “medicine made from (the pollen-bearing part of) flowers,”
from Greek anthēra “flowery,” from anthos “flower.”][1]



antheridium

antheridium
an·ther·id·i·um 
[ànthə ríddee əm] (plural an·ther·id·i·a
[ànthə ríddee ə]) noun

male reproductive organ:
the male reproductive organ in algae, ferns, fungi, and mosses[1]



anthesis

anthesis
an·the·sis 
[an thssiss] noun

1.  blooming
of flower:
the opening of a flower bud

2.  flowering
period:
the period of time between the opening of a flower and the formation of the
fruit
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek anthēsis “bloom,” from anthein “to flower,” from
anthos “flower.”][1]



anthill

anthill
ant·hill 
[ánt hìl] (plural ant·hills) noun

mound made by ants:
a mound of earth formed by ants during the construction of their nest[1]



antho-

antho-
antho-
prefix

flower
• anthozoan
[From Greek anthos][1]



anthocyanin

anthocyanin
an·tho·cy·a·nin 
[ánthō s ənin] (plural an·tho·cy·a·nins)
noun

plant
pigment:
a water-soluble pigment that produces blue, violet, and red colors in flowers,
fruits, leaves, and other plant parts
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from antho- + cyanine
.][1]



anthodium

anthodium
an·tho·di·um 
[an thṓ dee əm] (plural an·tho·di·a
[an thṓ dee ə]) noun

BOTANY See capitulum
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek anthōdēs “flowerlike,” from anthos
“flower.”][1]



anthologize

anthologize
an·thol·o·gize 
[an thóllə jz] (past an·thol·o·gized,
past participle an·thol·o·gized, present participle an·thol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·thol·o·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
writings into collection: to gather works from
different writers or other artists, for example, songwriters or painters, into
a collection, or include somebody’s work in a collection

2.  intransitive
verb
compile
anthology:
to compile or publish an anthology

[1]



anthology

anthology
an·thol·o·gy 
[an thóllə jee] (plural an·thol·o·gies)
noun

1.  collection
of different writers’ works: a book that consists of
essays, stories, or poems by different writers

2.  printed
collection of any artistic work: a printed collection
of works from different artists, for example, a collection of songs or prints
of paintings

3.  any
collection:
anything that brings together various things or ideas
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from medieval Greek anthologiā, literally
“collection of flowers,” from Greek anthos “flower.”]
—an·thol·o·gist, noun[1]



Anthony,Susan B.

Anthony,Susan B.

An·tho·ny 
[ánthənee], Susan B. (1820–1906)
U.S.
social reformer. She helped to found the National American Woman Suffrage
Association (1869).
Full name
Anthony, Susan Brownell[1]



anthophilous

anthophilous
an·tho·phi·lous
[an thóffələss] adjective

feeding on or living in
flowers: used to describe an insect
that feeds on or lives among flowers[1]



anthozoan

anthozoan
an·tho·zo·an 
[ànthə zṓ ən] (plural an·tho·zo·ans)
noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal with a
roundish hollow body. Corals and sea anemones are anthozoans . Class: Anthozoa
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Anthozoa, class name, from antho- + Greek zōia “animals.”]
—an·tho·zo·ic, adjective[1]



anthracene

anthracene
an·thra·cene 
[ánthrə sn] noun

crystalline
solid made from coal tar: an aromatic crystalline
solid with a faint blue glow, obtained by distilling coal tar and used to make
dyes and chemicals, for example, alizarin. C14H10
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek anthrax “coal.”][1]



anthraces

anthraces
an·thra·ces


Plural of
anthrax[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








anthracite

anthracite
an·thra·cite 
[ánthrə st] noun

hard
black coal:
a hard shiny black type of coal that is clean-burning, high in carbon content,
and low in volatile matter.
Also
called
hard coal
[Early
19th century. Via Latin from Greek anthrakitēs, from anthrax
“coal.”]
—an·thra·cit·ic [ànthrə síttik], adjective[1]



anthracnose

anthracnose
an·thrac·nose 
[an thrák nss] noun

fungal
disease of plants: a fungal disease of beans
and vines that produces dark sunken spots on fruit, stems, and leaves
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Greek anthrax “coal” + nosos “disease.”][1]



anthracosis

anthracosis
an·thra·co·sis 
[ànthrə kṓssiss] noun

MEDICINE pneumoconiosis
caused by coal dust: pneumoconiosis caused by
long-term inhalation of coal dust.
Also
called
black lung
Also
called
coal miner’s lung
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek anthrax “coal.”][1]



anthraquinone

anthraquinone
an·thra·quin·one
[ànthrə kwí nōn, ànthrə
kw nn] noun

chemical
for making dyes: a yellow crystalline chemical that is
used in the manufacture of dyes. C14H8O2
[Late 19th century. A blend
of anthracene and quinone
.][1]



anthrax

anthrax
an·thrax 
[án thràks] (plural an·thra·ces
[ánthrə sz]) noun

1.  fatal
disease:
a highly infectious fatal bacterial disease of mammals, especially cattle and
sheep, that causes skin ulcers and is transmittable to humans by inhalation and
through feces and infected meat

2.  skin
sore caused by anthrax: an open sore on the skin
that results from infection with anthrax
[14th century. From Greek,
“coal.” Originally in the meaning “carbuncle” (from its resemblance to a
burning coal).][1]



anthrop.

anthrop.
anthrop.

1.  Abbreviation
of
anthropological

2.  Abbreviation
of
anthropology

[1]



anthropo-

anthropo-
anthropo-
prefix

human
being • anthropocentric
[From Greek anthrōpos
(source of English misanthrope and philanthropy )][1]



anthropocentric

anthropocentric
an·thro·po·cen·tric 
[ànthrəpə séntrik] adjective

1.  treating
humans as preeminent: regarding humans as the
universe’s most important entity

2.  from
point of view of humankind: seeing things in human
terms, especially judging things according to human perceptions, values, and
experiences • anthropocentric
responses to the condition of animals
—an·thro·po·cen·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—an·thro·po·cen·trism,
noun[1]



anthropogenesis

anthropogenesis
an·thro·po·gen·e·sis 
[ànthrəpə jénnəssiss] or an·thro·po·gen·y
[ànthrə pójjənee] noun

study of human origin:
the scientific study of the origin of humankind and how it has developed[1]



anthropogenic

anthropogenic
an·thro·po·gen·ic
[ànthrəpə jénnik] or an·thro·po·ge·ne·tic
[ànthrəpəjə néttik] adjective

1.  caused
by humans:
relating to or resulting from the influence humans have on the natural world

2.  relating
to origin of humankind: relating to the origin and
development of human beings

[1]



anthropogeny

anthropogeny
an·thro·po·gen·y
noun

See
anthropogenesis[1]



anthropoid

anthropoid
an·thro·poid 
[ánthrə pòyd] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY relating
to apes:
used to describe monkeys and apes

2.  like
humans:
physically resembling human beings or human parts

3.  resembling
a stereotyped ape: rough-mannered, clumsy,
ugly, or unintelligent, as apes are sometimes characterized (informal)
noun
(plural an·thro·poids)

1.  primate:
an animal belonging to the group that includes monkeys, gibbons, great apes,
and humans. Suborder: Anthropoidea

2.  See
anthropoid ape

[1]



anthropoidal

anthropoidal
an·thro·poid·al
[ànthrə póyd’l] adjective

See
anthropoid  adjective 1[1]



anthropoidape

anthropoidape
an·thro·poid
ape
(plural an·thro·poid apes) noun

tailless ape:
a tailless animal with long arms and a highly developed brain that belongs to
the family that includes the gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gibbons.
Also called
anthropoid[1]



anthropological

anthropological
an·thro·po·log·i·cal
[ànthrəpə lójjik’l] adjective

of
study of humankind: relating to the study of
humankind, especially the study of cultures
—an·thro·po·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anthropologicallinguistics

anthropologicallinguistics
an·thro·po·log·i·cal
lin·guis·tics noun

study of language and
culture: a branch of linguistic
research that investigates the relationship between language and culture (takes
a singular verb)[1]



anthropology

anthropology
an·thro·pol·o·gy 
[ànthrə pólləjee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY study
of humankind: the study of humankind in all its
aspects, especially human culture or human development. It differs from
sociology in taking a more historical and comparative approach.

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
doctrine concerned with humankind: the parts of Christian
doctrine that are concerned with the nature, origin, and destiny of humankind
—an·thro·pol·o·gist, noun[1]



anthropometry

anthropometry
an·thro·pom·e·try 
[ànthrə pómmətree] noun

body
measurement research: the study of human body
measurements. The uses of anthropometry include the creation of ergonomic
furniture designs and the examination and comparison of populations.
—an·thro·po·met·ric
[ànthrəpə méttrik], adjective

—an·thro·po·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—an·thro·po·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—an·thro·pom·e·trist [ànthrə pómmitrist], noun[1]



anthropomorphism

anthropomorphism
an·thro·po·mor·phism 
[ànthrəpə máwr fìzzəm] noun

attribution
of human characteristics to nonhumans: the
attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behavior to
nonhuman things such as deities in mythology and animals in children’s stories
—an·thro·po·mor·phic,
adjective

—an·thro·po·mor·phi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anthropomorphize

anthropomorphize
an·thro·po·mor·phize 
[ànthrəpə máwr fz] (past an·thro·po·mor·phized,
past participle an·thro·po·mor·phized, present participle an·thro·po·mor·phiz·ing,
3rd person present singular an·thro·po·mor·phiz·es) transitive
verb

treat
nonhuman thing as human: to give a nonhuman thing a
human form or human characteristics • Mythology
and children’s stories anthropomorphize animals and inanimate objects.
—an·thro·po·mor·phi·za·tion
[ànthrəpə mawrfə záysh’n], noun[1]



anthropomorphous

anthropomorphous
an·thro·po·mor·phous 
[ànthrəpə máwrfəss] adjective

1.  human
in shape:
with the shape of the human body or a human body part

2.  attributing
human qualities to nonhuman things:
relating to the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman things, for
example, deities or animals

[1]



anthropopathism

anthropopathism
an·thro·pop·a·thism 
[ànthrə póppə thìzzəm] or an·thro·pop·a·thy
[ànthrə póppəthee] noun

attributing
emotions to nonhuman things: the attribution of human
emotions to a nonhuman thing, for example, a deity or an object of worship
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from anthropo- + -pathy
+ -ism .][1]



anthropophagus

anthropophagus
an·thro·poph·a·gus 
[ànthrə póffəgəss] (plural an·thro·poph·a·gi
[ànthrə póffə j]) noun

cannibal:
somebody who eats the flesh of other human beings (technical)
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek anthrōpophagos, literally “man-eating,”
from anthrōpos (see anthropo- ).]
—an·thro·po·phag·ic
[ànthrəpə fájjik], adjective

—an·thro·poph·a·gous
[ànthrə póffəgəss], adjective

—an·thro·poph·a·gy [ànthrə póffəjee], noun[1]



anthurium

anthurium

an·thur·i·um 
[an three əm] (plural an·thur·i·ums)
noun
plant
grown for showy foliage: a tropical evergreen
American plant cultivated for its glossy heart-shaped red or white flowers
enclosing a spike of yellow florets. Genus: Anthurium
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek anthos “flower” (see antho- ) + oura “tail.”][1]



anti

anti
an·ti 
[ántī, ántee]
adjective

opposed
to something: expressing or holding an opposing view,
particularly regarding a political issue or moral principle (informal) • She’s
very anti greed.
noun
(plural an·tis)

somebody
who disagrees: somebody who holds or expresses an
opposing view, particularly regarding a political issue or principle (informal)
• Are
you a pro or an anti?
[Late 18th century. From anti- .][1]



anti-

anti-
anti-
or ant- prefix

against,
opposite • anticonvulsive
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek anti “opposite, against”][1]



antiabortion

antiabortion
an·ti·a·bor·tion 
[àntī ə báwrsh’n, àntee
ə báwrsh’n] adjective

opposed
to abortion: opposed to the practice of abortion or
to its being legal.
—an·ti·a·bor·tion·ist,
noun[1]



antiadrenergic

antiadrenergic
an·ti·ad·re·ner·gic
[àntī áddrə núrjik, àntee
áddrə núrjik] adjective

counteracting
epinephrine: blocking or counteracting the
physiological effects of epinephrine
noun
(plural an·ti·a·dren·er·gics)

antiadrenergic drug:
a drug that counteracts the effects of epinephrine[1]



antiaircraft

antiaircraft
an·ti·air·craft 
[àntī áir kràft, àntee
áir kràft] adjective

for attacking airplanes:
designed and used to destroy enemy aircraft[1]



antialiasing

antialiasing
an·ti·a·li·as·ing
[àntī áylee əssing, àntee
áylee əssing] noun

smoothing line edges in
computer images: smoothing the jagged
edges of diagonal lines in computer-generated images by varying the color or
shades of gray at the edges[1]



antianxiety

antianxiety
an·ti·an·xi·e·ty 
[ántī ang z ətee, ántee
ang z ətee] adjective

counteracting anxiety:
preventing or relieving anxiety[1]



antiapartheid

antiapartheid
an·ti·a·part·heid 
[àntī ə prt ht, àntee
ə pr tàyt, àntee ə prt hàyt] adjective

opposed to apartheid:
expressing or working in opposition to apartheid, particularly as it was
legally enforced in South Africa between 1948 and 1991[1]



antiarrhythmic

antiarrhythmic
an·ti·ar·rhyth·mic 
[àntī ə rímik, àntee
ə rímik] adjective

counteracting
irregular heart beat: preventing or correcting
irregularities in the heart’s action
noun
(plural an·tiar·rhyth·mics)

antiarrhythmic drug:
a drug that prevents or corrects irregularities in the heart’s action[1]



anti-art

anti-art
an·ti-art 
noun (plural an·ti-arts)

early
20th-century art movement: the rebellion against easel
painting and conventional art launched by the Dada movement during World War I.
The term is meant to indicate the movement’s rejection of conventional artistic
practices and bourgeois tastes.
adjective

opposed to conventional art:
rejecting established artistic conventions[1]



antiatom

antiatom
an·ti·at·om 
[ántī àttəm, ántee
àttəm] (plural an·ti·at·oms) noun

atom made of antiparticles:
an atom made up of antiparticles[1]



antibacterial

antibacterial
an·ti·bac·ter·i·al 
[àntī bak tree əl, àntee
bak tree əl] adjective

acting
against growth of bacteria: preventing, killing, or
reducing the growth of bacteria
noun
(plural an·tibac·te·ri·als)

agent acting against
bacteria: an agent that prevents,
kills, or reduces the growth of bacteria[1]



antiballisticmissile

antiballisticmissile
an·ti·bal·lis·tic
mis·sile 
[àntī bə lístikmíss’l, àntee bə lístik míss’l] (plural an·tibal·lis·tic
mis·siles) noun

powered defense weapon:
a missile used to prevent a ballistic missile from reaching its target by
destroying it in flight[1]



Antibes

Antibes
An·tibes 
[oN tb]

port and resort southwest of
Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes Department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
of France. Population: 63,000 (1990)[1]



antibiosis

antibiosis
an·ti·bi·o·sis 
[àntī bī ṓssiss, àntee
bī ṓssiss] noun

harmful
relationship between organisms: a relationship between
organisms that is harmful to one of them, for example, the production by one
microorganism of chemicals that harm another
[Late 19th century. Coined
from anti-, on the model of symbiosis .][1]



antibiotic

antibiotic
an·ti·bi·ot·ic 
[àntī bī óttik, àntee
bī óttik] noun (plural an·ti·bi·ot·ics)

agent
that destroys bacteria: a substance that is able to
kill or inactivate bacteria in the body. Antibiotics are derived from
microorganisms, especially fungi, or are synthetically produced. They have no
effect against viruses.
adjective

working
as an antibiotic: able to kill bacteria or render them
inactive
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from anti- + biotic .]
—an·ti·bi·ot·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



antibody

antibody
an·ti·bod·y 
[ánti boddee] (plural an·ti·bod·ies)
noun

protein
that fights infections: a protein produced by B
cells in the body in response to the presence of an antigen, for example, a
bacterium or virus. Antibodies are a primary form of immune response in
resistance to disease and act by attaching themselves to a foreign antigen and
weakening or destroying it.
[Early 20th century.
Translation of German Antikörper, a contraction of anti-toxischer
Körper “antitoxic body” or a similar phrase.][1]



antibusiness

antibusiness
an·ti·busi·ness 
[àntī bíznəss, àntee
bíznəss] adjective

opposed to big business:
working against or opposing the interests or development of business,
especially large corporations[1]



antibusing

antibusing
an·ti·bus·ing 
[àntī bússing, àntee
bússing] adjective

opposed to school-busing
policy: opposed to the policy or
practice of transporting children by bus ( busing
) to schools outside their district in order to achieve an ethnic balance in
individual schools[1]



antic

antic
an·tic 
[ántik] noun (plural an·tics)

clown:
an actor or performer playing a crazily comic role (archaic)
plural
noun
an·tics

silly
pranks:
amusing, frivolous, or eccentric behavior
adjective

strange:
ludicrously or amusingly strange and eccentric (archaic)
[Early
16th century. Via Italian antico “old, old-fashioned” from Latin anticus,
antiquus .]
—an·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



anticancer

anticancer
an·ti·can·cer 
[àntī kánsər, àntee
kánsər] adjective

acting against cancer:
preventing or arresting the development of cancer[1]



anticatalyst

anticatalyst
an·ti·cat·a·lyst 
[àntī kátt’list, àntee
kátt’list] (plural an·ti·cat·a·lysts) noun

1.  ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY See inhibitor

2.  substance
to prevent action of catalyst: a substance that
inhibits or prevents the action of a catalyst

[1]



anticathode

anticathode
an·ti·cath·ode 
[àntī ká thd, àntee
ká thd] (plural an·ti·cath·odes) noun

anode in vacuum tube:
the anode in a vacuum tube, for example, an X-ray tube, toward which electrons
flow[1]



anti-choice

anti-choice
an·ti-choice 
adjective

opposed to abortion:
against the principle or practice of legal abortion[1]



anticholinergic

anticholinergic
an·ti·cho·lin·er·gic 
[àntī kṓlə núrjik, àntee
kṓlə núrjik] adjective

blocking
nerve impulses: blocking impulses from the part of the
nervous system that controls heartbeat, blood pressure, and other responses to
stress, by neutralizing the effects of acetylcholine
noun
(plural an·ti·cho·lin·er·gics)

substance that blocks nerve
impulses: an agent with an
anticholinergic effect[1]



anticholinesterase

anticholinesterase
an·ti·cho·lin·es·ter·ase 
[àntī kṓlə néstə ràyss, àntee kṓlə néstə ràyss, àntī
kṓlə néstə ràyz, àntee kṓlə néstə ràyz]
(plural an·ti·cho·lin·es·ter·ases) noun

agent blocking enzyme
activity: a substance that blocks the
activity of the enzyme cholinesterase, increasing the concentration of
acetylcholine in the body[1]



Antichrist

Antichrist
An·ti·christ
[ántī krst, ántee
krst] noun

1.  antagonist
of Jesus Christ: an antagonist of Jesus Christ, expected
by the early Christians to spread evil throughout the world, but then to be
overcome by the second coming of Christ

2.  An·ti·christ
(plural An·ti·christs) or an·ti·christ (plural
an·ti·christs) any opponent of Jesus Christ:
any person or power opposed to Jesus Christ
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from Greek antikhristos .][1]



anticipant

anticipant
an·tic·i·pant 
[an tíssipənt] adjective

1.  acting
in advance:
working or taking action in advance

2.  feeling
anticipation: expecting or looking forward to
something
[Early 16th century. From
Latin anticipant-, the present participle stem of anticipare (see
anticipate ).][1]



anticipate

anticipate
an·tic·i·pate 
[an tíssi pàyt] (past an·tic·i·pat·ed,
past participle an·tic·i·pat·ed, present participle an·tic·i·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular an·tic·i·pates) transitive verb

1.  act
beforehand to address something imminent: to
imagine or consider something before it happens and make any necessary
preparations or changes

2.  expect
something:
to think or be fairly sure that a certain thing will happen or come

3.  look
forward to something: to feel excited, hopeful, or
eager about something that is going to happen

4.  prevent
something:
to imagine or consider something that might happen and take action to prevent
it

5.  start
something ahead of time: to say or do something
before it becomes fashionable or comes into widespread use (formal)

6.  use
something not yet received: to make use of something
before it has actually been received (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin anticipare, literally “to catch beforehand,” from capere
.]
—an·tic·i·pat·a·ble,
adjective

—an·tic·i·pa·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Anticipating
  trouble
  If
  you anticipate trouble, it often just means that you are expecting or
  foreseeing trouble, whereas its proper meaning is that you are taking steps
  to prevent trouble, that is, “forestalling” rather than “expecting” it.

[1]



anticipation

anticipation
an·tic·i·pa·tion 
[an tìssi páysh’n] noun

1.  expectant
waiting:
the feeling of looking forward, usually excitedly or eagerly, to something that
is going to happen

2.  FINANCE premature
use of funds: the seizure or use of funds before they
are legally available, especially from a trust fund

3.  MUSIC note
played before chord: a note related to a chord
that is played just before the chord itself

[1]



anticipative

anticipative
an·tic·i·pa·tive 
[an tíssi pàytiv, an
tíssipətiv] adjective

looking
forward to something: expecting or looking forward
to something
—an·tic·i·pa·tive·ly, adverb[1]



anticipatory

anticipatory
an·tic·i·pa·to·ry 
[an tíssipə tàwree] adjective

in expectation of something:
experienced or done in the expectation of a future event[1]



anticlerical

anticlerical
an·ti·cler·i·cal 
[àntī klérrik’l, àntee
klérrik’l] adjective

opposed
to political involvement of church:
opposed to the involvement by the church or clergy in politics and public
affairs
—an·ti·cler·i·cal·ism,
noun[1]



anticlimax

anticlimax
an·ti·cli·max 
[ántī kl màks, ántee
kl màks] (plural an·ti·cli·max·es) noun

1.  disappointing
end after big buildup: an ordinary or unsatisfying
event that follows an increasingly exciting, dramatic, or unusual series of
events or a period of increasing anticipation and excitement

2.  LITERATURE sudden
lowering of tone: an unexpected change in tone or subject
matter from the high-minded, serious, or compelling to the trivial, comic, or
dull
—an·ti·cli·mac·tic
[àntī klī máktik, àntee
klī máktik], adjective

—an·ti·cli·mac·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



anticlinal

anticlinal
an·ti·cli·nal 
[ántī kln’l, ántee
kln’l] adjective

1.  of
arching rock layers: relating to, or in the form
of, layers of sedimentary rock pushed up into an arch shape ( anticline ) by movements in the earth’s crust

2.  BOTANY perpendicular
to plant surface: used to describe a plant cell layer that
is perpendicular to the surface of a plant part
[Early 19th century. Coined
from anti- + Greek klinein “to lean,”
on the model of incline .][1]



anticline

anticline

an·ti·cline 
[ánti kln] (plural an·ti·clines)
noun
upwardly
folded rock: an arch-shaped formation of layers of
sedimentary rock folded upward by movements in the earth’s crust
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from anticlinal .][1]



anticlockwise

anticlockwise
an·ti·clock·wise 
[àntī klók wz, àntee
klók wz] adjective adverb

U.K.
See counterclockwise[1]



anticoagulant

anticoagulant
an·ti·co·ag·u·lant 
[àntī kō ággyələnt, àntee]
adjective

stopping
blood clotting: preventing the normal clotting process
of blood
noun
(plural an·ti·co·ag·u·lants)

substance that stops blood
clotting: a natural or synthetic agent
that prevents blood clots from forming[1]



anticodon

anticodon
an·ti·co·don 
[àntī kṓ dòn, àntee
kṓ dòn] (plural an·ti·codons) noun

unit of genetic code:
a unit of genetic code, comprising a set of three nucleotides in transfer RNA
involved in the formation of a specific protein[1]



anticoincidence

anticoincidence
an·ti·co·in·ci·dence
[àntī kō ínsid’ns, àntee
kō ínsid’ns] adjective

describing electronic
circuit: used to describe an
electronic circuit that produces an output pulse if one, but not both, of its
input terminals receives a pulse within a specified time frame[1]



anticompetitive

anticompetitive
an·ti·com·pet·i·tive 
[àntī kəm péttitiv, àntee
kəm péttitiv] adjective

discouraging competition:
likely or certain to discourage competition[1]



anticonvulsant

anticonvulsant
an·ti·con·vul·sant 
[àntī kən vúlsənt, àntee
kən vúlsənt] adjective

controlling
convulsions: preventing or reducing the incidence of
seizures, for example, in epilepsy
noun
(plural an·ti·con·vul·sants)

drug
for controlling convulsions: a drug for preventing or
reducing the incidence of seizures, for example, in epilepsy
—an·ti·con·vul·sive, noun,
adjective[1]



AnticostiIsland

AnticostiIsland
An·ti·cos·ti
Is·land
[ànti kósti lənd]

island in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, Quebec, Canada. Its abundant forests shelter diverse wildlife. Area:
7,941 sq km/3,066 sq mi.[1]



anticrime

anticrime
an·ti·crime 
[ántī krm, ántee
krm] adjective

preventing or reducing crime:
designed to prevent or reduce the incidence of crime in a particular area or
among particularly vulnerable groups of people[1]



anticyclone

anticyclone
an·ti·cy·clone 
[ántī s kln, ántee
s kln] (plural an·ti·cy·clones) noun

atmospheric
high pressure: a large system of atmospheric high
pressure marked by circulating winds moving clockwise from the center in the
northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, bringing
generally settled weather.
Also
called
high
—an·ti·cy·clon·ic [àntī sī klónnik, àntee
sī klónnik], adjective[1]



antidemocratic

antidemocratic
an·ti·dem·o·crat·ic 
[àntī démmə kráttik, àntee démmə kráttik] adjective

opposed to democracy:
opposed to or working in a way that undermines democratic procedures or
policies, especially the political institution of representative government[1]



antidepressant

antidepressant
an·ti·de·pres·sant 
[àntī di préss’nt, àntee
di préss’nt] noun (plural an·ti·de·pres·sants)

drug
to control depression: a drug used to prevent or
reduce depression
adjective

controlling
depression:
acting to prevent or reduce depression
—an·ti·de·pres·sive, adjective[1]



antidiarrheal

antidiarrheal
an·ti·di·ar·rhe·al 
[àntī dī ə r əl, àntee
dī ə r əl] or an·ti·di·ar·rhoe·al [àntī dī ə r əl, àntee
dī ə r əl] adjective

controlling
diarrhea:
preventing or reducing diarrhea
noun
(plural an·ti·di·ar·rhe·als) (plural an·ti·di·ar·rhoe·als)

drug for controlling
diarrhea: a drug for preventing or
reducing diarrhea[1]



antidiuretic

antidiuretic
an·ti·di·u·ret·ic
[àntī d ə réttik, àntee
d ə réttik] adjective

controlling
urine output: preventing the excessive output of urine
noun
(plural an·ti·d·i·u·ret·ics)

drug for controlling urine
output: a drug for preventing or
reducing the excessive output of urine[1]



antidote

antidote
an·ti·dote 
[ánti dt] (plural an·ti·dotes)
noun

1.  substance
that counteracts poison: a substance that counteracts
the effect of a poison or toxin

2.  welcome
relief or remedy: something that will take away or reduce
the bad effects of something experienced earlier
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek antidoton, from antididonai,
literally “to give against,” from didonai “to give” (see dose ).]
—an·ti·dot·al
[ànti dṓt’l], adjective

—an·ti·dot·al·ly, adverb[1]



antidumping

antidumping
an·ti·dump·ing 
[àntī dúmping, àntee
dúmping] adjective

opposed to cheap imports:
opposed to or restricting the importation of cheaply produced goods that
undercut domestic producers’ prices[1]



antiemetic

antiemetic
an·ti·e·met·ic 
[àntī i méttik, àntee
i méttik] adjective

preventing
vomiting:
acting to prevent vomiting
noun
(plural an·ti·e·met·ics)

drug preventing vomiting:
a drug that prevents vomiting[1]



antifederalist

antifederalist
an·ti·fed·er·al·ist
[àntī féddərəlist, àntee
féddərəlist] noun (plural an·ti·fed·er·al·ists)

1.  an·ti·fed·er·al·ist
or An·ti·fed·er·al·ist (plural An·ti·fed·er·al·ists)
HISTORY historical
opponent of U.S. Constitution: somebody who did not
agree that the U.S. Constitution should be formally approved and recognized at
the time it was drawn up

2.  somebody
opposed to federalism: somebody who disagrees with
a political system or philosophy that calls for division of power between a
central government and regional governments
adjective

against federalism:
hostile to the idea or practice of federalism
—an·ti·fed·er·al·ism, noun[1]



antiferromagnetic

antiferromagnetic
an·ti·fer·ro·mag·net·ic
[àntī férrō mag néttik, àntee férrō mag néttik] adjective

behaving
like paramagnetic or ferromagnetic substances: used
to describe substances that behave like paramagnetic substances with respect to
their permeability but behave like ferromagnetic substances when their
temperature is changed
—an·ti·fer·ro·mag·net
[àntī férrō mágnət, àntee
férrō mágnət], noun

—an·ti·fer·ro·mag·net·ism,
noun[1]



antifertility

antifertility
an·ti·fer·til·i·ty 
[àntī fər tíllətee, àntee
fər tíllətee]

controlling fertility:
acting to reduce or destroy the ability to reproduce[1]



antifoulingpaint

antifoulingpaint
an·ti·foul·ing
paint 
[àntī fówling pàynt, àntee fówling pàynt] noun

paint for bottom of ship:
a very poisonous type of paint used to prevent barnacles and other organisms
from growing on the bottoms of boats or ships[1]



antifreeze

antifreeze
an·ti·freeze 
[ánti frz] noun

liquid causing low freezing
point: a liquid that lowers the
freezing point of another liquid. An antifreeze such as ethylene glycol is
added to or substituted for the water in a vehicle’s engine to stop it from
freezing in winter.[1]



antifungal

antifungal
an·ti·fun·gal 
[àntī fúng’l, àntee
fúng’l] adjective

preventing growth of fungi:
preventing or reducing the growth of fungi, or killing fungi[1]



antigen

antigen
an·ti·gen 
[ántijən] (plural an·ti·gens) noun

substance
that stimulates production of antibody: a
substance, usually a protein, on the surface of a cell or bacterium that
stimulates the production of an antibody
[Early
20th century. Via German from French antigène, from anti- “anti-”
+ Greek -genēs (see -gen ).]
—an·ti·gen·ic
[ànti jénnik], adjective

—an·ti·gen·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—an·ti·ge·nic·i·ty [ànti jə níssətee], noun[1]



antigoglin

antigoglin
an·ti·gog·lin
[ànti gógglin] adverb (regional)

1.  askew:
askew

2.  cater-cornered:
diagonally
[Late
19th century. Of uncertain origin; possibly from anti-
+ goggle in a British dialect sense “to tremble, shake.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Both
  senses of antigoglin are common in the southern, South Midland, and
  western United States. These regions share several synonyms, none of which is
  easily distinguished in meaning from the others: angly, antigoglin,
  blasy, catawampus, crossways, and diagonally.

[1]



Antigone

Antigone
An·tig·o·ne 
[an tíggənee] noun

daughter of Oedipus:
in Greek mythology, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. She killed herself
after being condemned to death by Creon, king of Thebes, for cremating her
brother’s body against Creon’s command.[1]



AntigonusI

AntigonusI
An·tig·o·nus
I 
[an tíggənəss] (382? –301 BC)

Greek general. He secured a
large part of Asia Minor after the breakup of Alexander the Great’s empire in
323 BC.[1]



antigravity

antigravity
an·ti·grav·i·ty 
[àntī grávvətee, àntee
grávvətee] noun

hypothetical
force canceling gravitational force: a
hypothetical force that would cancel the force of gravity
adjective

opposing gravitational force:
counteracting the effects of gravity or of high acceleration[1]



Antiguaand Barbuda




Back to definition

Antiguaand Barbuda

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Antiguaand Barbuda

Antiguaand Barbuda



An·ti·gua
and Bar·bu·da  [an tgə ənd
baar bdə]
island
nation in the Leeward Isles, east of Puerto Rico and north of Venezuela in the
Caribbean Sea. Language: English. Currency: East Caribbean dollar. Capital:
Saint John’s. Population: 63,739 (1997) Area: 440 sq km/170 sq mi.
—Antiguan, adjective,
noun[1]



antihelix

antihelix
an·ti·he·lix
noun

See
anthelix[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








antihero

antihero
an·ti·he·ro
[ánti hrō] (plural an·ti·he·roes)
noun

unheroic
central character: somebody who is the central
character in a story but who is not brave, noble, or morally good as heroes
traditionally are
—an·ti·her·o·ic
[ànti hi rṓ ik], adjective

—an·ti·her·o·ism [ànti hérrō ìzzəm], noun[1]



antihistamine

antihistamine
an·ti·his·ta·mine 
[ànti hístəmin, ànti
hístə mn, àntī hístəmin, àntī hístə mn] (plural an·ti·his·ta·mines)
noun

drug
for treating allergies: a drug that blocks cell
receptors for histamine, either to prevent allergic effects such as sneezing
and itching or to reduce the rate of certain secretions in the stomach
—an·ti·his·ta·min·ic [ànti hístə mínnik, àntī
hístə mínnik], adjective[1]



antihypertensive

antihypertensive
an·ti·hy·per·ten·sive 
[àntī hpər ténsiv, àntee
hpər ténsiv] adjective

controlling
high blood pressure: preventing or reducing
abnormally high blood pressure
noun
(plural an·ti·hy·per·ten·sives)

drug that controls
hypertension: an agent or means used
to prevent or reduce abnormally high blood pressure[1]



anti-inflammatory

anti-inflammatory
an·ti-in·flam·ma·to·ry 
(plural an·ti-in·flam·ma·to·ries) noun

drug
that reduces inflammation: a drug that acts to reduce
inflammation. Aspirin and corticosteroids are anti-inflammatories .
—an·ti-in·flam·ma·to·ry,
adjective[1]



antiknock

antiknock
an·ti·knock 
[ànti nók] noun

chemical added to gasoline:
a substance used to reduce or stop faulty fuel combustion in vehicle engines, a
problem identified with a knocking sound[1]



Anti-LebanonMountains

Anti-LebanonMountains
An·ti-Leb·a·non
Moun·tains

mountain range running from
north to south in Lebanon, parallel to the Mediterranean coast[1]



antilepton

antilepton
an·ti·lep·ton 
[àntī lép tòn, àntee
lép tòn] (plural an·ti·lep·tons) noun

lepton’s antiparticle:
the antiparticle of a lepton[1]



antilockbrake

antilockbrake
an·ti·lock
brake 
[àntī lók bràyk] (plural an·ti·lock
brakes) noun

car brake preventing wheel
locking: an electronically controlled
brake or braking system designed so that the vehicle’s wheels do not lock if
the driver brakes very suddenly[1]



antilogarithm

antilogarithm
an·ti·log·a·rithm 
[àntī lóggə rìəm, àntee
lóggə rìəm] (plural an·ti·log·a·rithms) or an·ti·log
[ánti lòg, ántī
lòg] (plural an·ti·logs) noun

number corresponding to
logarithm: a number for which the
logarithm is a given number, so for logarithm a b = c, then
antilogarithm a c
= b[1]



antimacassar

antimacassar
an·ti·ma·cas·sar 
[ànti mə kássər] (plural an·ti·ma·cas·sars)
noun

additional
cover on back of chair: a washable piece of fabric,
usually embroidered, placed over the back of an armchair to keep it clean where
heads rub against it (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from anti- + Macassar, a brand of
hair oil.][1]



antimagnetic

antimagnetic
an·ti·mag·net·ic 
[àntī mag néttik, àntee
mag néttik] adjective

not permanently magnetized:
used to describe a material that does not become permanently magnetized in a
magnetic field[1]



antimalarial

antimalarial
an·ti·ma·lar·i·al 
[àntī mə láiree əl, àntee
mə láiree əl] adjective

controlling
malaria:
preventing or curing malaria
noun
(plural an·ti·ma·lar·i·als)

drug for controlling malaria:
a drug that prevents or cures malaria[1]



antimasque

antimasque
an·ti·masque
[ánti màsk] (plural an·ti·masques)
or an·ti·mask [ánti màsk] (plural
an·ti·masks) noun

contrasting section of
masque: an interlude in or prelude
to a 17th-century masque that contrasts with the main performance and often
involves grotesque costumes and dancing[1]



antimatter

antimatter
an·ti·mat·ter 
[ánti màttər, ántee
màttər] noun

matter composed of
antiparticles: a hypothetical form of
matter composed of subatomic particles ( antiparticles ) that correspond to and
can annihilate other elementary particles[1]



antimere

antimere
an·ti·mere 
[ánti mr] (plural an·ti·meres)
noun

symmetrical
part of organism: a part of a radially symmetrical animal
that is the opposite of a corresponding part of the animal.
Also
called
actinomere
—an·ti·mer·ic [ànti mérrik], adjective[1]



antimetabolite

antimetabolite
an·ti·me·tab·o·lite 
[àntī mə tábbə lt, àntee
mə tábbə lt] (plural an·ti·me·tab·o·lites) noun

drug that disrupts normal
cell growth: a substance that
disrupts cell growth by taking the place of a normal nutrient metabolite with
similar properties. Some antimetabolites are effective in treating certain
cancers.[1]



antimissilemissile

antimissilemissile
an·ti·mis·sile
mis·sile 
[àntī míss’l míss’l, àntee míss’l míss’l] (plural an·ti·mis·sile mis·siles)
noun

missile used against another
missile: a missile used to prevent
another missile from reaching its target by destroying it in flight[1]



antimitotic

antimitotic
an·ti·mi·tot·ic 
[àntī mī tóttik, àntee
mī tóttik] adjective

inhibiting
cell division: preventing or reducing the rate of cell
division ( mitosis )
—an·ti·mi·tot·ic, noun[1]



antimonial

antimonial
an·ti·mo·ni·al 
[àntə mṓnee əl] adjective

containing
antimony:
used to describe drugs that contain antimony
noun
(plural an·ti·mo·ni·als)

substance containing
antimony: a drug or other substance
containing antimony[1]



antimony

antimony

an·ti·mo·ny 
[ántə mnee] noun
brittle
metallic chemical element: a toxic crystalline chemical
element that occurs in metallic and nonmetallic forms. The metallic form is
silver-white, brittle, and lustrous, and is used in alloys and electronics. Symbol
Sb
[15th century. From medieval
Latin antimonium, of uncertain origin.][1]



antineoplastic

antineoplastic
an·ti·ne·o·plas·tic 
[àntī nee ō plástik, àntee nee ō plástik] adjective

preventing
cancerous growth: preventing or inhibiting the growth of
cancers
—an·ti·ne·o·plas·tic, noun[1]



antineutrino

antineutrino
an·ti·neu·tri·no 
[àntī noo tr nō, àntee
noo tr nō] (plural an·ti·neu·tri·nos) noun

antiparticle of neutrino:
the antiparticle of a neutrino. When a neutrino and an antineutrino are brought
together mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



antineutron

antineutron
an·ti·neu·tron 
[àntī n tròn, àntee
n tròn] (plural an·ti·neu·trons) noun

antiparticle of neutron:
the antiparticle of a neutron. When a neutron and an antineutron are brought
together mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



anting

anting
ant·ing
[ánting] noun

bird behavior:
a behavioral practice in which birds pick up ants in their beaks and rub them
on their feathers to spread fluids repellent to parasites[1]



antinode

antinode
an·ti·node 
[ánti nd] (plural an·ti·nodes)
noun

maximum amplitude in standing
wave: a point of maximum amplitude
of a wave characteristic in a system in which the wave form is stationary in
time[1]



antinomian

antinomian
an·ti·no·mi·an 
[ànti nṓmee ən] noun (plural an·ti·no·mi·ans)

Christian believing salvation depends on
faith:
somebody who maintains that Christians are not bound by established laws,
especially moral laws, but should rely on faith and divine grace for salvation
adjective

1.  opposing
fixed moral laws: disagreeing with the philosophy that the
same fixed rules of morality and other laws should apply to everybody

2.  holding
antinomian beliefs: holding or relating to the
view that Christians are not bound by established laws, especially moral laws,
but should rely on faith and divine grace for salvation
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Antinomi “Antinomians,” from Latin antinomia
(see antinomy ).][1]



antinomianism

antinomianism
an·ti·no·mi·an·ism 
[ànti nṓmee ə nìzzəm] noun

1.  Christian
moral doctrine: a belief that Christians are not bound
by established laws, especially moral laws, but should rely on faith and divine
grace for salvation

2.  flexible
concept of morality: the belief that it is
impossible to apply a universal moral code because it will have a different
meaning for different people

[1]



antinomy

antinomy
an·tin·o·my 
[an tínnəmee] (plural an·tin·o·mies)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY paradoxical
result:
two apparently correct and reasonable statements or facts that do not agree and
therefore produce a contradictory and illogical conclusion

2.  LAW legal discrepancy:
a contradiction between two laws, principles, or authorities
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek antinomia, literally “against law,”
from nomos “law, rule.”]
—an·ti·nom·ic [ànti nómmik], adjective[1]



antinovel

antinovel
an·ti·nov·el
[àntī nòvv’l, àntee
nòvv’l] (plural an·ti·nov·els) noun

unconventional
type of novel: a work of fiction that lacks the
elements traditionally used in a novel, especially one with no coherent plot
and characters, or in which the writer’s perspective is deliberately
inconsistent.
Also
called
nouveau roman
—an·ti·nov·el·ist, noun[1]



antinuclear

antinuclear
an·ti·nu·cle·ar 
[àntī nklee ər, àntee
nklee ər] adjective

1.  against
use of nuclear power: opposed to nuclear weapons
or power

2.  IMMUNOLOGY destroying
cells:
reactive with or destructive to cell nuclei

[1]



antinucleon

antinucleon
an·ti·nu·cle·on 
[àntī nklee òn, àntee
nklee òn] (plural an·ti·nu·cle·ons) noun

antiparticle of nucleon:
an antiproton or antineutron. When a nucleon and an antinucleon are brought
together mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



antinuke

antinuke
an·ti·nuke
[àntī nk, àntee
nk] adjective

antinuclear:
antinuclear (informal) • an
antinuke demonstration[1]



Antioch

Antioch
An·ti·och 
[ántee òk]

city in northwestern
California, on the San Joaquin River. Population: 76,293 (1996)[1]



anti-oncogene

anti-oncogene
an·ti-on·co·gene 
(plural an·ti-on·co·genes) noun

gene thought to inhibit
cancerous growth: a recessive gene that
is thought to suppress cancers by limiting cell multiplication[1]



antioxidant

antioxidant
an·ti·ox·i·dant 
[àntī óksid’nt, àntee
óksid’nt] (plural an·ti·ox·i·dants) noun

substance that inhibits
oxidation: any substance that inhibits
the destructive effects of oxidation, for example, in the body or in foodstuffs
and plastics[1]



antiparallel

antiparallel
an·ti·par·al·lel
[àntī pérrə lèl, àntee
pérrə lèl] adjective

parallel but opposite in
direction: parallel but opposite in
linear or rotational direction[1]



antiparticle

antiparticle
an·ti·par·ti·cle 
[àntī prtik’l, àntee
prtik’l] (plural an·ti·par·ti·cles) noun

elementary particle having
some opposite properties: an
elementary particle with the same mass as its corresponding particle but having
opposite values for other properties such as charge. When an antiparticle and
its particle interact mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



antipasto

antipasto
an·ti·pas·to 
[ànti pstō, àntee
pástō] (plural an·ti·pas·ti [ànti
pstee]) noun

Italian
appetizer:
any of various different foods served at the beginning of an Italian meal or as
a snack, especially cooked meats and sliced sausage, marinated fish, or
vegetables
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, literally “before food.”][1]



antipathetic

antipathetic
an·tip·a·thet·ic 
[àntipə théttik, an
tìppə théttik] adjective

1.  feeling
dislike for something or somebody: feeling or expressing
anger, hostility, strong opposition, or disgust, especially toward a particular
person or thing

2.  repulsive:
stirring up or causing strongly negative feelings such as anger, hostility, or
disgust
[Early
17th century. From antipathy, modeled on pathetic .]
—an·tip·a·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



antipathy

antipathy
an·tip·a·thy 
[an típpəthee] (plural an·tip·a·thies)
noun

1.  strongly
negative feeling: anger, hostility, fixed opposition, or
disgust directed toward a particular person or thing

2.  object
of loathing: a source of somebody’s anger, hostility,
fixed opposition, or disgust
[Late
16th century. Via French antipathie from, ultimately, Greek antipathēs,
literally “feeling the opposite,” from pathos “feeling” (see pathos ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



antiperiodic

antiperiodic
an·ti·pe·ri·od·ic 
[àntī pree óddik, àntee
pree óddik] (plural an·ti·pe·ri·od·ics) adjective

controlling
recurrence of disease: preventing the periodic
recurrence of symptoms or of a disease such as malaria
—an·ti·pe·ri·od·ic, noun[1]



antiperistalsis

antiperistalsis
an·ti·pe·ri·stal·sis
[àntī perri stàwlsiss, àntee perri stólsiss] (plural an·ti·pe·ri·stal·ses
[àntī perri stól seez]) noun

intestinal
contractions forcing contents upward:
contractions of the intestine in the reverse direction to what is usual,
tending to cause vomiting
—an·ti·pe·ri·stal·tic,
adjective[1]



antipersonnel

antipersonnel
an·ti·per·son·nel 
[àntī pùrsə nél, àntee
pùrsə nél] adjective

targeted at people:
intended to injure and kill enemy personnel rather than to blow up buildings,
structures, arsenals, or missiles[1]



antiperspirant

antiperspirant
an·ti·per·spi·rant 
[àntī púrspərənt, àntee
púrspərənt] noun (plural an·ti·per·spi·rants)

substance
to control sweating: an astringent preparation
applied especially under the arms to help prevent perspiration. Antiperspirants
are produced in many forms, including aerosols, roll-ons, and sticks.
adjective

controlling sweating:
used to reduce or prevent perspiration[1]



antiphon

antiphon
an·ti·phon 
[ántə fòn] (plural an·ti·phons)
noun

1.  music
sung in alternating parts: a hymn or psalm performed by
two groups of singers chanting alternate sections.
Also
called
antiphony

2.  section
of formal church service: a short piece of biblical or
devotional text that is chanted or sung before or after a psalm verse in a
Roman Catholic or Anglican church service

3.  response:
a response or reply (literary)
[15th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin antiphona (source of English anthem ) from Greek antiphōnos,
literally “sounding in response,” from phōnē (see -phone ).][1]



antiphonal

antiphonal
an·tiph·o·nal 
[an tíffən’l] adjective

1.  performed
in alternating sections: sung, played, or recited by
two or more groups performing alternate sections

2.  with
responses:
with alternating phases or responses, as in an antiphon
noun
(plural an·tiphonals)

See antiphonary
—an·tiph·o·nal·ly, adverb[1]



antiphonary

antiphonary
an·tiph·o·nar·y 
[an tíffə nèrree] (plural an·tiph·o·nar·ies)
noun

church music book:
a book, often large and richly decorated, containing antiphons or anthems to be
sung or chanted responsively.
Also called
antiphonal[1]



antiphony

antiphony
an·tiph·o·ny 
[an tíffənee] (plural an·tiph·o·nies)
noun

1.  See
antiphon  noun 1

2.  music
performed in alternating sections: responsive chanting,
recitation, or singing, for example, of liturgical antiphons

3.  response
in music:
a musical response or answering phrase
[Formed from antiphon][1]



antiphrasis

antiphrasis
an·tiph·ra·sis 
[an tíffrəssiss] noun

use
of word to mean opposite: the use of a word or phrase
to mean the opposite of its usual or literal sense, for example, saying on a
rainy day, “What a great day for a picnic!”
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek antiphrazein, literally “to express
oppositely,” from phrazein “to declare” (see phrase
).][1]



antipodal

antipodal
an·tip·o·dal 
[an típpəd’l] adjective

1.  on
sphere’s opposite side: used to describe a point at
the opposite end of the diameter of a sphere to another point • The
North and South Poles are antipodal.

2.  diametrically
opposite:
diametrically opposite or reversed
noun
(plural an·tipo·dals)

BOTANY embryo
cells in plant: a group of three cells in the embryo sac
of a plant lying at the opposite end from the canal ( micropyle
) through which the pollen tube enters for fertilization

[1]



antipode

antipode
an·ti·pode 
[ánti pd] (plural an·tipodes)
noun

exact
opposite:
an exact or diametrical opposite
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from antipodes .][1]



antipodean

antipodean
an·tip·o·de·an 
[an tìppə d ən] or An·tip·o·de·an
[an tìppə d ən] adjective

of Australia and New Zealand:
coming from or relating to Australia or New Zealand[1]



antipodes

antipodes
an·tip·o·des 
[an típpədeez] plural noun

1.  places
at opposite sides of world: places at opposite sides of
the world from each other, or the area at the side of the world opposite from a
given place

2.  opposites:
two points, places, or things that are diametrically opposite each other
[14th century. Via French or
late Latin from Greek antipodes, literally “those who have their feet
opposite,” from pod-, the stem of pous “foot.”][1]



Antipodes

Antipodes
An·tip·o·des 
[an típpədeez] noun

Australia and New Zealand:
Australia and New Zealand, from the perspective of the United Kingdom or Europe
(informal)

2.  group
of islands:
a group of small islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, southeast of New
Zealand, and included in its geographical boundaries

[1]



antipollution

antipollution
an·ti·pol·lu·tion 
[àntī pə lsh’n, àntee
pə lsh’n] adjective

intended to control
pollution: designed to stop or reduce
pollution of the environment[1]



antipope

antipope
an·ti·pope 
[ánti pp] (plural an·ti·popes)
noun

unofficial
pope:
somebody who claims or is declared to be pope, even though a pope chosen by the
orthodox canonical system already holds office
[15th century. Via French antipape
from medieval Latin antipapa, from papa “pope,” on the model of
antichristus “antichrist.”][1]



antiproton

antiproton
an·ti·pro·ton 
[àntī pr tòn, àntee
pr tòn] (plural an·ti·pro·tons) noun

antiparticle of proton:
the antiparticle of a proton. When a proton and an antiproton are brought
together mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



antipruritic

antipruritic
an·ti·pru·rit·ic 
[àntī pr ríttik, àntee
pr ríttik] adjective

controlling
itching:
preventing or reducing itching
noun
(plural an·tipru·rit·ics)

agent for controlling
itching: a drug or other agent that
prevents or reduces itching[1]



antipsychiatry

antipsychiatry
an·ti·psy·chi·a·try
[àntī sī k ətree, ànti
s k ətree] noun

type of psychiatric
treatment: a way of treating people
with psychiatric disorders that is derived from psychoanalysis and is opposed
to the conventional medical mode, which uses medication[1]



antipsychotic

antipsychotic
an·ti·psy·chot·ic 
[àntī sī kóttik, àntee
sī kóttik] adjective

reducing
psychosis:
counteracting or alleviating the symptoms of a psychiatric disorder such as
schizophrenia
noun
(plural an·ti·psy·chot·ics)

drug that reduces psychosis:
a drug that counteracts or alleviates the symptoms of a psychiatric disorder
such as schizophrenia[1]



antipyretic

antipyretic
an·ti·py·ret·ic 
[àntī pī réttik, àntee
pī réttik] adjective

reducing
fever:
acting to reduce fever
noun
(plural an·ti·py·ret·ics)

drug
that reduces fever: a drug or other agent that
reduces fever
—an·ti·py·re·sis [àntī pī rssiss, ànti
pī rssiss], noun[1]



antiq.

antiq.
antiq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
antiquarian

2.  Abbreviation
of
antiquity

[1]



antiquarian

antiquarian
an·ti·quar·i·an 
[ànti kwáiree ən] adjective

in
the antiques business: dealing with or relating to
antiques or antiquities, especially rare and old books
noun
(plural an·ti·quar·i·ans)

See
antiquary
—an·ti·quar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



antiquark

antiquark
an·ti·quark 
[ántī kwàwrk, ántee
kwàwrk] (plural an·ti·quarks) noun

antiparticle of quark:
the antiparticle of a quark. When a quark and an antiquark are brought together
mutual annihilation occurs.[1]



antiquary

antiquary
an·ti·quar·y 
[ánti kwèrree] (plural an·ti·quar·ies)
noun

somebody
interested in old objects: a collector, scholar, or
seller of antiques or antiquities.
Also
called
antiquarian
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
antiquarius, from antiquus (see antique
).][1]



antiquate

antiquate
an·ti·quate 
[ánti kwàyt] (past an·ti·quat·ed,
past participle an·ti·quat·ed, present participle an·ti·quat·ing,
3rd person present singular an·ti·quates) transitive verb

1.  make
something old-fashioned: to cause something to become
out of date or old by replacing it with something newer

2.  See
antique
[Late 16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin antiquare “to make old” from, ultimately, Latin antiquus
(see antique ).][1]



antiquated

antiquated
an·ti·quat·ed 
[ánti kwàytəd] adjective

ancient
or old-fashioned: quaint, extremely out of date, or badly
in need of updating or replacing
—an·ti·quat·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



antique

antique
an·tique 
[an tk] noun (plural an·tiques)

1.  old
item:
a collectible decorative or household object, often a piece of furniture, which
is valued because of its age

2.  classical
art:
the style, traditions, and qualities of ancient times, usually specifically the
art and sculpture of ancient Greece and Rome
adjective

1.  made
long ago:
old and often valuable, of interest to collectors, and characteristic of a
particular period and style of manufacture

2.  from
classical times: derived from a period of ancient
history, especially ancient Greece or Rome, or stylistically typical of such a
period (formal)

3.  ancient:
very old or old-fashioned (informal)
transitive
verb
(past an·tiqued, past participle an·tiqued, present
participle an·tiqu·ing)

make something appear old:
to treat something, especially a new object, so that it looks antique or worn
with time
[15th
century. Via French from Latin antiquus “old” (source of English antic ).]
—an·tique·ly,
adverb

—an·tique·ness, noun[1]



antiquity

antiquity
an·tiq·ui·ty 
[an tíkwətee] (plural an·tiq·ui·ties)
noun

1.  ancient
history:
ancient history, especially the period of time during which the ancient Greek
or Roman civilizations flourished

2.  oldness:
the state of being very old or ancient • a
sculpture of great antiquity

3.  old
object:
an object, especially something collectible, decorative, valuable, or
interesting, that dates from a previous era

4.  people
of ancient time: the people of ancient civilizations,
especially those of ancient Greece or Rome

[1]



antiracism

antiracism
an·ti·ra·cism
[àntī ráy sìzzəm, àntee
ráy sìzzəm] noun

opposition
to racial discrimination: policies, views, or actions
that oppose racial prejudice and discrimination and promote racial equality
—an·ti·ra·cist, adjective,
noun[1]



antirejection

antirejection
an·ti·re·jec·tion
[àntī rə jékshən, àntee
ri jékshən] adjective

preventing rejection of
transplanted organ: designed to
prevent the immune system from rejecting a newly grafted organ or tissue[1]



anti-rollbar

anti-rollbar
an·ti-roll
bar 
(plural an·ti-roll bars) noun

safety feature for
stabilizing vehicle: a
cross-mounted metal bar incorporated in the suspension system of a motor
vehicle, designed to prevent the vehicle from swinging dangerously or
overturning.
Also called
anti-sway bar
Also called
stabilizer bar
Also called
sway bar[1]



antisatellite

antisatellite
an·ti·sat·el·lite 
[àntī sátt’l t, àntee
sátt’l t] adjective

for use against satellites:
designed to destroy or incapacitate satellites[1]



anti-Semitic

anti-Semitic
an·ti-Se·mit·ic
adjective

prejudiced against Jews:
hating or discriminating against Jewish people[1]



anti-Semitism

anti-Semitism
an·ti-Sem·i·tism 
noun

behavior
discriminating against Jews: policies, views, or actions
that harm or discriminate against Jewish people
—an·ti-Sem·ite
[àntī sé mt, ànti
sé mt], noun

—an·ti-Se·mit·ic [àntī sə míttik, ànti sə
míttik], adjective[1]



antisense

antisense
an·ti·sense
[àntī séns, àntee
séns] adjective

relating to complementary
DNA: relating to or having a
strand of DNA complementary to other genetic material and used in genetic
engineering to regulate the expression of a trait[1]



antisepsis

antisepsis
an·ti·sep·sis
[ànti sépsiss] noun

1.  elimination
of microorganisms: eliminating or reducing the
spread of microorganisms causing disease or decay, especially with chemicals

2.  absence
of microorganisms: the condition of being free
from microorganisms

[1]



antiseptic

antiseptic
an·ti·sep·tic 
[ànti séptik] adjective

1.  controlling
infection:
reducing or preventing infection, especially by the elimination or reduction of
the growth of microorganisms

2.  dull:
unexciting and unimaginative
noun
(plural an·ti·sep·tics)

agent for controlling infection:
an agent that prevents or reduces infection, especially by eliminating or
reducing the growth of microorganisms
—an·ti·sep·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



antiserum

antiserum
an·ti·se·rum 
[ánti srəm] (plural an·ti·se·rums
or an·ti·se·ra [ánti sìrrə]) noun

serum containing antibodies:
an animal or human blood serum containing one or more specific ready-made
antibodies and used to provide immunity against a disease or to counteract
venom.
Also called
antitoxin
Also called
serum[1]



antisexist

antisexist
an·ti·sex·ist
[àntī séksist, àntee
séksist] adjective

opposed
to sexism:
opposed to discrimination on the basis of sex, particularly discrimination
against women
—an·ti·sex·ism, noun[1]



antislavery

antislavery
an·ti·slav·er·y 
[àntī sláyvəree, àntee
sláyvəree] adjective

opposed to slavery:
in favor of abolishing the slave trade or preventing people from enslaving
others[1]



antismog

antismog
an·ti·smog 
[àntī smóg, àntee
smóg] adjective

controlling smog:
designed to stop or reduce smog[1]



antismoking

antismoking
an·ti·smok·ing 
[àntī smṓking, àntee
smṓking] adjective

opposed to tobacco smoking:
established or designed to stop people from smoking tobacco, especially in
public places[1]



antisocial

antisocial
an·ti·so·cial 
[àntī sṓsh’l, àntee
sṓsh’l] adjective

1.  not
caring about others: annoying, inconsiderate, or
indifferent to the comfort or needs of neighbors, or to society as a whole

2.  not
sociable:
preferring not to spend time with other people
—an·ti·so·cial·i·ty
[àntī sṓshee állətee, àntee sṓshee állətee], noun

—an·ti·so·cial·ly [àntī sṓsh’lee, àntee sṓsh’lee],
adverb[1]



antispasmodic

antispasmodic
an·ti·spas·mod·ic 
[àntī spaz móddik, àntee
spaz móddik] adjective

controlling
spasms:
preventing or reducing the number and frequency of spasms
noun
(plural an·ti·spas·mod·ics)

drug for controlling spasms:
a drug or other agent or means that prevents or relieves muscle spasms.
Also called
spasmolytic[1]



antistatic

antistatic
an·ti·stat·ic 
[àntī státtik, àntee
státtik] or an·ti·stat [ánti
stàt] adjective

controlling static
electricity: preventing or
controlling the effects of static electricity[1]



Antisthenes

Antisthenes
An·tis·the·nes 
[an tísthə nz] (444? BC–365? BC)

Greek philosopher. He
believed that happiness depends on moral virtue and founded the Cynic school of
philosophy.[1]



antistrophe

antistrophe
an·tis·tro·phe 
[an tístrəfee] (plural an·tis·tro·phes)
noun

1.  movement
in ancient Greek drama: the second of two movements
made by the chorus in a classical Greek drama, or the section of an ode sung
during this movement. The chorus moves back in the opposite direction after the
first movement ( strophe ).

2.  second
metrical form in poem: the second type of metrical
form in a poem that alternates two contrasting metrical forms
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek antistrophē, from antistrephein,
literally “to turn back,” from strophē (see strophe
).]
—an·ti·stroph·ic
[ànti stróffik], adjective

—an·ti·stroph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



antisubmarine

antisubmarine
an·ti·sub·ma·rine 
[àntī súbmə rn, àntee
súbmə rn] adjective

for use against submarines:
designed to destroy or incapacitate submarines[1]



anti-swaybar

anti-swaybar
an·ti-sway
bar 
(plural an·ti-sway bars) noun

See
anti-roll bar[1]



antitank

antitank
an·ti·tank 
[àntī tángk, àntee
tángk] adjective

for use against tanks:
designed to destroy or incapacitate military tanks[1]



antithesis

antithesis
an·tith·e·sis 
[an títhəssiss] (plural an·tith·e·ses
[an títhə sz]) noun

1.  direct
opposite:
the complete or exact opposite of something

2.  figure
of speech:
a use of words or phrases that contrast with each other to create a balanced
effect

3.  PHILOSOPHY contrasting
proposition: a proposition that is the opposite of
another already proposed
[Early 16th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek antitithenai, literally “to set against,”
from tithenai “to set” (see thesis
).][1]



antithetical

antithetical
an·ti·thet·i·cal 
[ànti théttik’l] or an·ti·thet·ic
[ànti théttik] adjective

1.  diametrically
opposed:
expressing or constituting the complete or exact opposite (formal) • policies
that are antithetical to the prevailing mood of the country

2.  PHILOSOPHY contrasting
with earlier proposition: amounting or relating to a
proposition that is the opposite of another already proposed
[Late
16th century. Formed from Greek antithetikos, from antitithenai
(see antithesis ).]
—an·ti·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



antitoxic

antitoxic
an·ti·tox·ic 
[ànti tóksik] adjective

counteracting toxin:
acting to counteract toxins[1]



antitoxin

antitoxin
an·ti·tox·in 
[ànti tóksin] (plural an·ti·tox·ins)
noun

1.  antibody
opposing toxin: an antibody produced in response to a
particular toxin

2.  See
antiserum

[1]



antitrade

antitrade
an·ti·trade 
[ánti tràyd] (plural an·ti·trades)
noun

wind above trade winds:
a wind in the planetary wind system that is above the trade winds and blows in
the opposite direction from them[1]



antitragus

antitragus
an·ti·tra·gus 
[an títtrəgəss, ànti
tráygəss] (plural an·ti·tra·gi [an
títtrə j, an títtrə g, ànti tráy j, ànti
tráy g]) noun

bump of cartilage above ear
lobe: a bump of cartilage just
below the opening of the external ear[1]



antitrust

antitrust
an·ti·trust 
[àntī trúst, àntee
trúst] adjective

opposing business monopoly:
intended to oppose trusts and cartels, for example, from using monopolistic
business practices to make unfair profits[1]



antitussive

antitussive
an·ti·tus·sive 
[àntī tússiv, àntee
tússiv] adjective

controlling
coughing:
preventing or alleviating coughing
noun
(plural an·ti·tus·sives)

medicine for controlling
coughing: a drug that prevents or
alleviates coughing[1]



antitype

antitype
an·ti·type 
[ánti tp] (plural an·ti·types)
noun

1.  later
of associated Biblical pair: somebody or something seen
as being foreshadowed by or having striking similarities to an earlier person
or thing ( type ) in the Bible

2.  opposite
type:
an opposite or contrasting type
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek antitupos, literally
“corresponding as an impression (to the die in which it was cast),” from tupos
(see type ).]
—an·ti·typ·i·cal [ànti típpik’l], adjective[1]



anti-utopia

anti-utopia
an·ti-u·to·pi·a 
noun

completely
wicked and miserable place: a place, society, or state
that is the opposite of perfect in every way (literary)
—an·ti-u·to·pi·an, adjective[1]



antivenin

antivenin
an·ti·ven·in 
[àntī vénnin, àntee
vénnin] (plural an·ti·ven·ins) or an·ti·ven·om
[àntī vénnəm, àntee
vénnəm] (plural an·ti·ven·oms) noun

1.  antibody
to venom:
an antitoxin to the venom of a particular animal or insect

2.  serum
counteracting venom: an antiserum containing
antibodies to venom
[Early 20th century. Coined
from anti- + venom
+ -in .][1]



antiviral

antiviral
an·ti·vi·ral 
[àntī vrəl, àntee
vrəl] adjective

for
use against viruses: capable of eliminating or
inactivating viruses
noun
(plural an·tivi·rals)

agent used against viruses:
a drug or other agent used to eliminate or inactivate a virus.
Also called
antivirus[1]



antivirus

antivirus
an·ti·vi·rus 
[àntī vrəss, àntee
vrəss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE See antiviral  noun

2.  COMPUTING for
removing computer viruses: used to describe a utility
program that identifies and removes viruses in a computer’s memory or on disks
before damage occurs to the computer system

[1]



antivitamin

antivitamin
an·ti·vi·ta·min 
[àntī vtəmin, àntee
vtəmin] (plural an·ti·vi·ta·mins) noun

vitamin inhibitor:
a substance that inhibits the effects of a vitamin[1]



antiwar

antiwar
an·ti·war 
[àntī wáwr, àntee
wáwr] adjective

opposed to war:
wanting to prevent a war or bring a war to an end[1]



antler

antler
ant·ler 
[ántlər] (plural ant·lers) noun

bony
outgrowth on head of deer: a solid bony branched horn
found in pairs on the head of animals, especially males, of the deer family,
including caribou and elk. Antlers are shed each year.
[14th
century. From an Anglo-Norman variant of Old French antoillier, of
uncertain origin: possibly from assumed Vulgar Latin anteoculare,
literally “in front of the eye” from Latin oculus (see ocular ).]
—ant·lered, adjective[1]



Antlia

Antlia
Ant·li·a
[ántlee ə] noun

faint constellation of
southern hemisphere: a faint
constellation of the southern hemisphere near Centaurus and Hydra[1]



antlion

antlion
ant
li·on
(plural ant li·ons) noun

insect
with predatory larvae: a nocturnal insect that
resembles the damselfly when adult. The larvae lie buried under sand at the
bottom of a cone-shaped pit and trap insects such as ants. Family:
Myrmeleontidae
[Translation of Greek murmēko-leōn
; from its usual prey and its fierce-looking jaws][1]



Antofagasta

Antofagasta
An·to·fa·gas·ta 
[n tō fə gstə]

city in northern Chile on the
fringes of the Atacama Desert. It is an important center for mining copper and
nitrates. Population: 225,316 (1992)[1]



Antonelloda Messina

Antonelloda Messina
An·to·nel·lo
da Mes·si·na  [àntə néllō
daa mə s n] (1430?–1479)

Italian painter who was
influenced by Flemish realism.[1]



AntoninusPius

AntoninusPius
An·to·ni·nus
Pi·us 
[ántə nnəss p əss] (86–161)

Roman
emperor. He succeeded Hadrian and conducted a peaceful and prosperous reign
(138–161).
Full name
Titus Aurelius Fulvius Boionius Arrius Antoninus[1]



antonomasia

antonomasia
an·to·no·ma·sia 
[àntənə máyzhə] noun

1.  using
title instead of name: the use of a title or formal
description such as “Your Highness” or “His Excellency” in place of somebody’s
proper name

2.  using
proper name for general idea: the use of a proper name as
a common noun to refer to somebody or something with associated
characteristics, for example, in calling a strong young man “a hercules”
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek antonomazein “to name instead,” from anti-
“against, instead” + onoma “name” (see onomastic
).][1]



antonym

antonym
an·to·nym 
[ántə nìm] (plural an·to·nyms)
noun

word
with opposite meaning: a word that means the
opposite of another word. For example, “hot” is the antonym of “cold.”
[Mid-19th
century. From French antonyme, from Greek anti- “against,
opposite” + onuma “name.”]
—an·to·nym·ic
[àntə nímmik], adjective

—an·ton·y·mous
[an tónnəməss], adjective

—an·ton·y·my [an tónnəmee], noun[1]



Antony,Mark

Antony,Mark

An·to·ny 
[ántənee], Mark (83? BC–30 BC)
Roman politician and general. He fought
in Rome’s last civil war allied with Cleopatra and was defeated by Octavian.[1]



antra

antra
an·tra 
[ántrə]

Plural of
antrum[1]



antre

antre
an·tre 
[ántər] (plural an·tres) noun

cavern:
a cavern or cave (literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin antrum (see antrum
).][1]



antrum

antrum
an·trum 
[ántrəm] (plural an·tra [ántrə]) noun

cavity
in bone:
a cavity within a bone, especially a sinus cavity
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin, “cave,” from Greek antron .][1]



antsy

antsy
ant·sy 
[ántsee] (comparative ant·si·er,
superlative ant·si·est) adjective (informal)

1.  nervous:
tensely nervous or apprehensive

2.  fidgety:
moving or squirming around in a restless, bored, or impatient way
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the expression to have ants in your pants .][1]



Antwerp

Antwerp
Ant·werp 
[ántwərp]

leading port of Belgium,
situated on the Schelde (Escaut) river estuary 88 km/55 mi from the sea.
Population: 455,852 (1996)[1]



Anubis

Anubis
A·nu·bis 
[ə nbiss] noun

Egyptian god:
in Egyptian mythology, a god represented with the head of a jackal, who leads
the dead to judgment[1]



anuran

anuran
a·nu·ran 
[ə nrən] (plural a·nu·rans) noun

a
frog or toad: an amphibian such as a frog or toad that
does not have a tail as an adult and has long powerful hind legs. Order: Anura
Also
called
salientian
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Anura, order name, from Greek an- “without” + oura
“tail.”][1]



anuresis

anuresis
an·u·re·sis 
[ànnyə rssiss] noun

urine
retention:
inability to pass urine (archaic)
[Late
19th century. Coined from an- + Greek ourēsis
“urination,” from ourein “to urinate” (see ureter
).]
—an·u·ret·ic [ànnyə réttik], adjective[1]



anuria

anuria
a·nu·ri·a 
[a nyree ə, ə
nyree ə, a nree ə, ə nree ə] noun

inability
to form urine: inability of the kidneys to form urine,
leading to a buildup of toxic waste in the blood
—a·nu·ric, adjective[1]



anurous

anurous
a·nu·rous 
[ə nrəss] adjective

tailless:
without a tail[1]



anus

anus
a·nus 
[áynəss] (plural a·nus·es) noun

ANATOMY ZOOLOGY opening for release of feces:
the opening at the lower end of the alimentary canal through which feces are
released
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “ring.”][1]



anvil

anvil
an·vil 
[ánvil] (plural an·vils) noun

1.  metalworker’s
hammering block: a sturdy piece of iron onto which heated
metal is placed to be beaten into the required shape, especially by a
blacksmith

2.  ANATOMY See incus
[Old English anfilte, anfealt
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to beat,” which is also the
ancestor of English pelt and felt
.][1]



anviltechnique

anviltechnique
an·vil
tech·nique
noun

prehistoric method of making
stone tools: a prehistoric method of
making chipped stone tools that involves striking a stone repeatedly against a
static boulder used as an anvil[1]



anxiety

anxiety
anx·i·e·ty 
[ang z ətee] (plural anx·i·e·ties)
noun

1.  feeling
of worry:
nervousness or agitation, often about something that is going to happen

2.  something
that worries somebody: a subject or concern that
causes worry

3.  strong
wish to do something: the strong wish to do a
particular thing, especially if the wish is unnecessarily or unhealthily strong

4.  PSYCHIATRY extreme
apprehension: a state of intense apprehension or fear
of real or imagined danger, manifested physiologically as increased heart rate,
sweating, trembling, weakness, and stomach or intestinal discomfort
[Early
16th century. Via French anxiété from, ultimately, Latin anxius
(see anxious ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at worry

[1]



anxietydisorder

anxietydisorder
anx·i·e·ty
dis·or·der
(plural anx·i·e·ty dis·or·ders) noun

psychiatric disorder
characterized by anxiety: a
psychiatric disorder causing feelings of persistent anxiety, for example, panic
disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder[1]



anxietyneurosis

anxietyneurosis
anx·i·e·ty
neu·ro·sis
(plural anx·i·e·ty neu·ro·ses) noun

disorder featuring persistent
extreme anxiety: a former term for a
persistent psychological disorder characterized by emotional distress, constant
worry, a strong tendency to avoid specific situations, and overactivity of the
sympathetic nervous system[1]



anxiolytic

anxiolytic
anx·i·o·lyt·ic 
[àngzee ə líttik] adjective

relieving
anxiety:
with the effect of relieving anxiety
noun
(plural anx·i·o·lyt·ics)

drug
for relieving anxiety: a drug that relieves anxiety
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from anxiety + -lytic .][1]



anxious

anxious
anx·ious 
[ángkshəss, ángshəss]
adjective

1.  feeling
nervous:
worried or afraid, especially about something that is going to happen or might
happen

2.  eager:
wanting very much, or in a desperate or nervous way, to do or receive something

3.  producing
anxiety:
producing feelings of fear, uncertainty, or nervousness
[Early
17th century. From Latin anxius, from anx-, the past participle
stem of angere “to torment,” literally “to strangle.”]
—anx·ious·ly,
adverb

—anx·ious·ness, noun[1]



any

any
an·y 
[énnee] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate one, some, or several, when the quality,
type, or number is not important • (adjective)
Do you have any German beer? • (pronoun)
for any who wish to enter

1.
adjective pronoun even one or a little:
even one or even the least amount (used in negative statements) • I
don’t want any dessert. • I
didn’t see any. • This
isn’t any of your business.

2.
adjective pronoun every:
every person or thing stated, no matter who or what • Any
financial advisor would agree.

3.
adjective without limit:
an unlimited or indefinite amount or number of • any
number of foods including soups, stews, and salads

4.
adverb at all: to
even the smallest extent or degree • Is it
getting any louder?
[Old
English nig . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “one of a
kind,” which is also the ancestor of English unique
and inch .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Singular
  or plural?
  Any
  used as a pronoun is followed by a singular or plural verb depending on the
  sense: • Any
  of these suggestions is acceptable. • Are
  any of the children coming? ( • Is
  any of the children coming? implies that one is
  expected, with uncertainty as to which).

[1]



anybody

anybody
an·y·bod·y 
[énni bòddee, énni
bùddee] pronoun

1.  See
anyone

2.  famous
or important person: somebody considered to be of
particular importance or influence • Nobody
who was anybody missed the opening night.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at anyone.

[1]



anyhow

anyhow
an·y·how 
[énni hòw] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb meaning no matter what the situation is or no matter what may be true
• What
does it matter, anyhow? • and
anyhow I have to go adverb

1.  in
any case:
no matter what the situation is or no matter what may be true • What
does it matter, anyhow?

2.  in
a careless way: in a haphazard, careless, or untidy way
• ideas
produced anyhow

3.  in
any manner:
in any manner or by any means whatever • Just
do it anyhow.

4.  nevertheless:
in spite of something • I
asked him to wait, but he left anyhow.

[1]



anymore

anymore
an·y·more 
[ènni máwr] or an·y more [ènni máwr] adverb

1.  still:
at present and continuing from a point in the past (used in negative
statements or questions) • They
sure don’t make them like this anymore!

2.  from
now on:
from the present and ongoing (used in negative statements or questions)
• I’m
not tolerating this anymore.

3.  nowadays:
these days (nonstandard informal) (regional) (used in positive
sentences) • We always use a taxi
anymore.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  anymore
  or any more ?
  The
  adverbs any more (written as two words) and anymore (written as one word) are
  equally standard in American English and some other varieties (for example,
  South African English) Both forms are used after a negative or a question: • She
  doesn’t live here anymore. • Do
  you eat out any more?

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE



  Used
  in the positive sense, “nowadays,” as in asparagus is expensive anymore,
  anymore recurs over much of the United States. It is strongest in the
  South Midland states of Kentucky and Indiana, but is also fairly common in
  the Upper and Lower Midwest, from Minnesota to Oklahoma, and in the Blue
  Ridge region of Virginia.

[1]



anyone

anyone
an·y·one 
[énni wùn] CORE
MEANING:
an indefinite pronoun used to mean one or more people, when exactly which
person or which people is not known or not important • Can
I get anyone more coffee? • Did
anyone show up? • There
isn’t anyone home. pronoun

1.  every
person:
any or every particular person who could be named or thought of • more
qualified than anyone in the business

2.  even
one person:
used to emphasize the unlikelihood of finding even one person to match the
stated description or criteria • Why
would anyone want to hurt me?

3.  unimportant
person:
an unimportant and unknown person • It’s
not just anyone, it’s your sister!

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  anyone
  or any one ?
  Anyone is somewhat more common
  than anybody (which has the same meaning), and is used only of a
  person: • Has
  anyone seen my pen? The words any and one
  are written separately when they are meant to retain their distinct meanings,
  and in this case any one can be used of a person or thing: • Any
  one of them could have started the fire. • The
  tables are all free, so you can sit at any one you like.

[1]



anyplace

anyplace
an·y·place 
[énni plàyss] or an·y place [énni plàyss] adverb

anywhere:
at, in, or to any place (informal)[1]



anything

anything
an·y·thing 
[énni thìng] pronoun

something
unspecified or unknown: any object, event, action,
situation, or fact • Is there anything I
need to know?
adverb

at
all:
in any way (used in negative statements or questions) • He
isn’t anything like his brother.
anything
but

used as an emphatic way of
contradicting or negating a statement[1]



anytime

anytime
an·y·time 
[énni tm] adverb

at any time:
at some undecided time, whenever you like, or whenever seems appropriate (informal)[1]



anyu

anyu
an·yu 
noun

See
añu[1]



anyway

anyway
an·y·way 
[énni wày] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb meaning no matter what the situation is • Anyway,
we have to pay whether it was accidental or not. • Recycling,
according to some anyway, is the best way of teaching respect for the
environment. adverb

1.  in
any case:
no matter what

2.  regardless
of something: in spite of the situation already stated
• I
knew it would be a sad movie but I went anyway.

3.  in
a careless way: in a careless, haphazard, or lazy way • According
to my mother, packing is a skilled operation, not throwing your clothes into a
case just anyway.

4.  an·y·way
or an·y way by any means:
in any manner or way (informal) • We
have to teach our children moral values anyway we can.

[1]



anyways

anyways
an·y·ways 
[énni wàyz] adverb

anyway:
anyway (regional)[1]



anywear

anywear
an·y·wear 
[énni wair] noun

clothing for all occasions:
clothing that can be worn for both casual and more formal occasions (informal)[1]



anywhere

anywhere
an·y·where 
[énni hwàir] CORE
MEANING:
an indefinite pronoun and adverb referring to one or many places unknown or
unspecified • (pron-indef)
Is there anywhere you prefer? • (pron-indef)
Anywhere we live now will seem warm. • (adverb)
She can sleep anywhere.

1.
pronoun some unidentified place:
one or many places unknown or unspecified

2.
adverb to any place: to
one or many places unknown or unspecified • I’ll
follow you anywhere!

3.
adverb at or in any place:
at or in any place there is, or any place with the stated description • We
couldn’t find her anywhere. • will
live anywhere with a beach
anywhere
from…to

used to state an approximate
measurement of something by stating the smallest and largest possible
measurements • weighing
anywhere from six to ten pounds[1]



anywheres

anywheres
any·wheres
[énni hwàirz] adverb

anywhere:
a regional alternative for anywhere (nonstandard) (regional)[1]



anywise

anywise
an·y·wise 
[énni wz] adverb

anyway:
in any way or in any case (regional) (usually used in negative
statements) • With
or without them, I wouldn’t go anywise.[1]



Anzac

Anzac
An·zac 
[án zàk] (plural An·zacs) noun

1.  Australia,
New Zealand
World
War I soldier: a soldier who served in the Australian
and New Zealand Army Corps in World War I

2.  Australia
Australian
soldier:
an Australian soldier

[1]



Anzio

Anzio
An·zi·o 
[ánzi ō]

port and resort on the
western coast of Italy 60 km37 mi south of Rome. Heavy fighting occurred there
during World War II when Allied forces secured a beachhead in January 1944.
Population: 32,383 (1991)[1]



a/o

a/o
a/o
or A/O or a.o.

Abbreviation of
account of[1]



aodai

aodai
ao
dai 
[òw d, aw d]
(plural ao da·is) noun

item
of traditional Vietnamese dress: a long tunic worn over
pants by Vietnamese women. It has a high neck and is slit at both sides below
the waist.
[Mid-20th century. From
Vietnamese ào dái “long blouse.”][1]



A-OK

A-OK
A-OK
[ày ō káy] or A-o·kay [ày ō káy] adjective

working
perfectly:
in excellent condition or working order (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From all
(systems) OK .][1]



AOR

AOR
AOR

Abbreviation of
adult-oriented rock[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aorist

aorist
a·o·rist 
[áyərist] noun

type
of verb in classical Greek: a verb tense used to express
a past action in an unqualified way, without specifying whether that action was
repeated, continuing, or completed or how long it lasted, found especially in
classical Greek
[Late
16th century. From Greek aoristos “indefinite,” from a- “not” + horistos
“delimited,” from horizein “to delimit” (see horizon
).]
—a·o·ris·tic
[ày ə rístik], adjective

—a·o·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aorta

aorta
a·or·ta 
[ay áwrtə] (plural a·or·tas or
a·or·tae [ay áwr tee]) noun

main
artery leaving heart: the main artery in mammals
that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to all the branch
arteries in the body except those in the lungs
[Mid-16th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek aortē, from aeirein “to
raise”; perhaps from the notion that the heart was held up by the aorta.]
—a·or·tal,
adjective

—a·or·tic, adjective[1]



aorticarch

aorticarch
a·or·tic
arch
(plural a·or·tic arches) noun

1.  curved
section of main artery: the section of the largest
artery ( aorta ) in the body that forms the curve between the ascending and
descending parts. As it leaves the heart, the aorta goes upward and then bends
back on itself to form the arch.

2.  set
of paired arteries: a set of paired curved
arteries, one of several in the vertebrate embryo that begin in the aorta, rise
through the pharynx, and join with the dorsal arterial system

[1]



aorticvalve

aorticvalve
a·or·tic
valve
(plural a·or·tic valves) noun

valve by which blood leaves
heart: the valve in the largest
artery ( aorta ) in the body at the point
where it leaves the heart. It allows the blood to flow out but not back into
the heart.[1]



aortography

aortography
a·or·tog·ra·phy 
[ày awr tóggrəfee] noun

X-ray
examination of main artery: the X-ray examination of the
largest artery ( aorta ) in the body after a
substance that will be shown up by the X-rays has been injected into the
bloodstream
—a·or·to·graph·ic [ày awrtə gráffik], adjective[1]



aoudad

aoudad
a·ou·dad 
[ów dàd,   dàd]
(plural a·ou·dads) noun

wild
N African sheep: a wild North African sheep that has long
curved horns and a long fringe of hair on the neck and forelegs. Latin name: Ammotragus
lervia
Also
called
Barbary sheep
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Berber udād .][1]



ap-

ap-1
ap-1 prefix

(used before p)See
ad-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AP

AP
AP

1.  Abbreviation
of
advanced placement

2.  Abbreviation
of
Air Police

3.  Abbreviation
of
American plan

4.  MILITARY Abbreviation of antipersonnel

5.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
Associated Press

[1]



ap-

ap-2
ap-2 prefix

(used before vowels and h)See
apo-[1]



ap.

ap.
ap.

Abbreviation of
apothecary[1]



a.p.

a.p.
a.p.

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of
additional premium

2.  PHARMACOLOGY (used in
prescriptions) Abbreviation of before a meal

3.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
author’s proof

[1]



apace

apace
a·pace 
[ə páyss] adverb

1.  quickly:
at a good or fast pace

2.  abreast:
at a sufficient rate to keep up with or be alongside somebody or something
[14th century. From Old
French a pas, literally “on step.”][1]



Apache

Apache
A·pach·e 
[ə páchee] (plural A·pach·e or
A·pach·es) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of nomadic Native American people: a member of one of six
nomadic Native American peoples who used to live in the southwestern United
States and northern Mexico. A number of Apache peoples live in Arizona,
Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

2.  LANGUAGE Athabaskan
language:
a Native American language spoken in parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
Arizona, belonging to the Athabaskan group. Apache is spoken by about 50,000
people.
[Mid-18th
century. From American Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from
Zuñi Ápachu, literally “enemy.”]
—A·pach·e, adjective[1]



Apachean

Apachean
A·pach·e·an 
[ə páchee ən] adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Apache people: relating to the Apache people or their
culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Apache and related languages: relating to a subgroup of
Athabaskan languages that includes Apache and Navajo

[1]



Apalachicola

Apalachicola
Ap·a·lach·i·co·la 
[àppə làchi kṓlə]

river in western Florida,
formed at the Georgia border by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint
rivers. It flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachicola Bay. Length:
145 km/90mi.[1]



ApalachicolaNational Forest

ApalachicolaNational Forest
Ap·a·lach·i·co·la
Na·tion·al For·est

national forest in the
panhandle of western Florida that includes Bradwell Bay Wilderness. Area:
228,250 hectares/564,000 acres.[1]



apanage

apanage
ap·a·nage 
noun

See
appanage[1]



aparejo

aparejo
ap·a·re·jo 
[àppə ráy h, àppə
ráy ō] (plural ap·a·re·jos) noun

Southwestern
U.S.
packsaddle:
a padded leather saddle used for carrying goods on a horse or mule
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish, literally “equipment,” from, ultimately, Latin apparare
“to prepare” (see apparatus ).][1]



apart

apart
a·part 
[ə prt] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word meaning separated in space or time • (adverb)
scheduled appointments a month apart • (adverb)
living apart • (adjective)
hard to be apart • (adjective)
sitting with legs apart

1.
adverb not together:
separated in space or time • She
placed the chairs some distance apart.

2.
adverb into pieces: into
separate parts or sections • take
the machine apart

3.
adverb moving away after being together:
away from somebody or something after previously being together • We’ve
drifted apart over the years.

4.
adverb removed from consideration:
set aside or excluded from consideration, or taken as an exception • The
orange flowered tie apart, it was a pretty cool outfit.

5.
adverb into difficulty:
into a bad or difficult condition

6.
adverb of a separate kind:
different and consequently separate from others • a
world apart

7.
adjective separated: away
from each other in position or location • with
legs apart
• think
of her all the time we’re apart
[14th
century. From Old French a part, literally “to the side.”]
apart
from

1.  with
the exception of somebody or something

2.  in
addition to something, or besides something

[1]



apartheid

apartheid
a·part·heid 
[ə prt ht, ə
prt hàyt] noun

segregated
political system: a political system in South Africa from
1948 to the early 1990s that separated the different peoples living there and
gave particular privileges to those of European origin
[Mid-20th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “separateness,” from Dutch apart “separate,” from
French .][1]



a-particle

a-particle
a-par·ti·cle
noun

See
alpha particle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








apartment

apartment
a·part·ment 
[ə prtmənt] noun (plural a·part·ments)

1.  home
in larger building: a self-contained residence,
situated with other similar units in a larger building.
U.K.
term
flat

2.  a·part·ment
or a·part·ment build·ing (plural a·part·ment build·ings)
or a·part·ment house (plural a·part·ment hous·es) building
of residential apartments: a building, often large or
high-rise, made up of a number of separate apartments

3.  room:
a single room in a residential building (formal)
plural
noun
a·part·ments

U.K. special
rooms in big building: a suite of adjoining rooms
used for a particular purpose, for example, as an office, entertainment suite,
or place to live (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Via French
appartement from, ultimately, Italian a parte “apart,” literally
“to the side”; the underlying sense is “separate place.”][1]



apatetic

apatetic
ap·a·tet·ic 
[àppə téttik] adjective

serving
to camouflage: used to describe protective camouflage
coloring
[Late 19th century. Via Greek
apatētikos “deceptive” from, ultimately, apatē “deceit,” of
unknown origin.][1]



apathetic

apathetic
ap·a·thet·ic 
[àppə théttik] adjective

indifferent
and unenergetic: not taking any interest in anything, or
not bothering to do anything
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from apathy, on the model of
pathetic .]
—ap·a·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at impassive

[1]



apathy

apathy
ap·a·thy 
[áppəthee] noun

1.  lack
of enthusiasm or energy: lack of interest in
anything, or the absence of any wish to do anything

2.  emotional
emptiness:
inability to feel normal or passionate human feelings or to respond emotionally
[Early 17th century. Via
French apathie from, ultimately, Greek apathēs, literally
“without feeling,” from pathos “feeling” (see pathos
).][1]



apatite

apatite
ap·a·tite 
[áppə tt] noun

mineral
used in making fertilizers: a glassy calcium-phosphate
mineral, belonging to a group that ranges from colorless to purple, green, or
brown in color, used in making fertilizers and as a source of phosphorus
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek apatē “deceit”; from its diversity of form and color.][1]



APB

APB
APB
(plural APBs)

Abbreviation of
all-points bulletin[1]



ape

ape
ape
[ayp] noun (plural apes)

1.  tailless
primate:
any tailless primate such as a chimpanzee, gorilla, or orangutan. Family:
Pongidae
Also
called
great ape
Also
called
anthropoid ape

2.  primate:
any primate (informal)

3.  See
monkey

4.  imitator:
an imitator or mimic of somebody or something

5.  clumsy
person:
a clumsy or unintelligent person (informal)
transitive
verb
(past aped, past participle aped, present
participle ap·ing, 3rd person present singular apes)

imitate somebody or something:
to copy somebody or something in an absurd or mindless way
[Old
English apa]
go
ape

to
lose self-control, because of either anger or excitement (slang)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at imitate

[1]



apeak

apeak
a·peak 
[ə pk] adjective adverb

NAUTICAL vertical
or vertically: in a vertical position or direction
[Late 16th century. From
French à pic, literally “at the peak.”][1]



APEC

APEC
APEC
[áy pek]

Abbreviation of
Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation[1]



ape-man

ape-man
ape-man 
[áyp màn] (plural ape-men [àyp mén]) noun

1.  extinct
primate:
a nontechnical name for any of various extinct primates believed to be
ancestors of modern humans.
See
also
hominid

2.  rough,
coarse, unsophisticated man: a rough or coarse man, or
one with unsophisticated urges and desires (informal disapproving)

[1]



Apennines

Apennines
Ap·en·nines 
[áppə nnz]

mountain range that forms the
backbone of peninsular Italy. It extends about 1,290 km/800 mi from the area
north of Genoa to the toe of Italy. The highest peak is Monte Corno 2,912
m/9,554 ft .[1]



aperient

aperient
a·pe·ri·ent 
[ə pree ənt] adjective

with
a laxative effect: mildly stimulating the
opening and emptying of the bowels
noun
(plural a·pe·ri·ents)

laxative
substance:
a mild laxative
[Early 17th century. From
Latin aperient-, the present participle stem of aperire (see aperture ).][1]



aperiodic

aperiodic
a·pe·ri·od·ic 
[ày peeree áwdik] adjective

1.  irregular:
happening at irregular intervals • aperiodic
floods

2.  PHYSICS not
exhibiting resonance: used to describe a
mechanical or electrical system that does not exhibit resonance when a periodic
disturbance is applied
—a·pe·ri·od·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—a·pe·ri·o·dic·i·ty [ày peeriə díssitee], noun[1]



aperture

aperture
ap·er·ture 
[áppər chr] (plural ap·er·tures)
noun

1.  narrow
opening:
a small narrow opening

2.  opening
through lens or mirror: a fixed or adjustable
opening in a device, for example, a camera or microscope, that lets light pass
through a lens or mirror

3.  diameter
of aperture: the diameter of an aperture, for
example, in a camera
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin apert-, the past participle stem of aperire
“to open” (source of English overt
).]
—ap·er·tur·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at opening

[1]



aperturecard

aperturecard
ap·er·ture
card
(plural ap·er·ture cards) noun

a card for mounting
microfilmed pages[1]



aperturepriority

aperturepriority
ap·er·ture
pri·or·i·ty
noun

automatic selection of
shutter speed: the system in a
semiautomatic camera in which the user sets the lens aperture and the camera
then selects the appropriate shutter speed automatically[1]



aperturestop

aperturestop
ap·er·ture
stop
(plural ap·er·ture stops) noun

See
f-stop[1]



aperçu

aperçu
a·per·çu
[pər s, pər
sy] (plural aperçus) noun (formal)

1.  insight:
a revealing glimpse or insight

2.  summary:
a concise outline or summary
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “something perceived.”][1]



Apex

Apex
Apex
[áy pèks] or APEX [áy pèks] noun

discounted
ticket system: a system whereby air tickets are
available at a reduced price when bought a certain period of time in advance
[Abbreviation of
“advance-purchase excursion”][1]



apex

apex
a·pex 
[áy peks] (plural a·pex·es or
a·pi·ces [áppə seez, áypə seez]) noun

1.  highest
point:
the highest point of something

2.  highest
point of somebody’s career: the most successful part of
something, especially somebody’s career or life

3.  tip
of something: the tip or top of something, especially
something that is pointed, for example, a triangle
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



Apgarscore

Apgarscore
Ap·gar
score 
[áp gr skawr] (plural Ap·gar
scores) noun

score
assessing condition of newborn child: a
score that is given after assessing the condition of a newborn baby in the five
areas of heart rate, breathing, skin color, muscle tone, and reflex response.
Each area has a maximum of two points.
[Named for the U.S. physician
Virginia Apgar (1909–1974), who developed it][1]



aphaeresis

aphaeresis
a·phaer·e·sis 
[ə férrəssəss] or a·pher·e·sis
[ə férrəssəss] noun

loss
of word’s initial sound: the loss of a syllable from
the beginning of a word, for example, in “coon” for “raccoon”
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek aphairesis, from aphairein “to
take away,” from hairein “to take” (source of English heresy ).]
—aph·ae·ret·ic [àffə réttik], adjective[1]



aphagia

aphagia
a·pha·gi·a 
[ə fáyjee ə, ə
fáyjə] noun

inability to swallow:
the inability or refusal to swallow[1]



aphakia

aphakia
a·pha·ki·a 
[ə fáykee ə] noun

absence
of lens in eye: a medical condition in which the
internal crystalline lens of the eye is absent
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek phakos “lentil,” because of its shape.][1]



aphanite

aphanite
aph·a·nite 
[áffə nt] (plural aph·a·nites)
noun

igneous
rock:
an igneous rock with mineral components that are too fine to be seen by the
naked eye
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek aphanēs “unseen,” from phan-, the
stem of phainesthai “to appear” (see phenomenon
).]
—aph·a·nit·ic [àffə níttik], adjective[1]



aphasia

aphasia
a·pha·sia 
[ə fáee ə, ə
fáə] (plural a·pha·sias) noun

lack
of language abilities: the partial or total
inability to produce and understand speech as a result of brain damage caused
by injury or disease
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek, from aphatos “speechless,” from phanai “to
speak.”]
—a·pha·sic [ə fáyzik], adjective[1]



aphelandra

aphelandra
a·phe·lan·dra
[àffə lándrə] (plural a·phe·lan·dras)
noun

evergreen shrub:
an evergreen shrub, native to tropical America, that has shiny leaves and
brightly colored flowers. It is often grown as a house plant. Genus: Aphelandra[1]



aphelion

aphelion
a·phe·li·on 
[ə flyən] (plural a·phe·li·a
[ə flyə]) noun

point
in orbit farthest from Sun: the point in the orbit of a
planet, comet, or other celestial body that is farthest from the Sun
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin aphelium, from Greek apo- “away” + hēlios
“sun” (see helio- ).]
—a·phe·lian, adjective[1]



apheresis

apheresis
a·pher·e·sis 
[ə férrəssəss] noun

1.  MEDICINE retransfusion
of treated blood: the retransfusion of a donor’s or
patient’s own blood from which certain constituents have been removed.
Also
called
hemapheresis

2.  LINGUISTICS See aphaeresis

[1]



aphesis

aphesis
aph·e·sis 
[áffəssəss] noun

loss
of initial unstressed vowel: the loss of an unstressed
vowel at the beginning of a word, for example, in “round” for “around”
[Late
19th century. From Greek, literally “letting go,” from aphienai,
literally “to send away,” from hienai “to send” (see catheter ).]
—a·phet·ic
[ə féttik], adjective

—a·phet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aphid

aphid

a·phid 
[áy fid] (plural a·phids) noun
insect
that feeds on plants: an insect that has specially
adapted mouthparts for piercing and sucking the sap from plants. Many aphids
transfer viruses from plant to plant as they feed. Family: Aphididae
Also
called
plant louse
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin aphid-, the stem of Aphis, genus
name.]
—a·phid·i·an
[ə fíddee ən], adjective

—a·phid·i·ous, adjective[1]



aphidlion

aphidlion
a·phid
li·on
(plural a·phid li·ons) noun

aphid-eating larva:
a larva of a green lacewing, or of other insects belonging to the same family,
that feeds on aphids and other insects[1]



aphonia

aphonia
a·pho·ni·a 
[ày fṓnee ə, ə fṓnee
ə] noun

loss
of voice:
the loss of the voice as a result of injury or disease of the larynx or mouth
or of various psychological conditions
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek aphōnos, literally “having no voice,”
from phōnē “voice” (see -phone ).]
—a·phon·ic [ày fáwnik], adjective[1]



aphorism

aphorism
aph·o·rism 
[áffərìz’m] (plural aph·o·risms)
noun

succinct
comment:
a succinct statement expressing an opinion or a general truth • Jerome
Kern’s famous aphorism “Irving Berlin has no place in American music –he is
American music”
[Early
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek aphorizein “to define,”
from horizein “to delimit” (see horizon
).]
—aph·o·rist,
noun

—aph·o·ris·tic
[àffə rístik], adjective

—aph·o·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aphorize

aphorize
aph·o·rize 
[áffə rìz] (past aph·o·rized, past
participle aph·o·rized, present participle aph·o·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular aph·o·riz·es) intransitive verb

use aphorisms:
to speak or write using aphorisms[1]



aphotic

aphotic
a·pho·tic 
[ày fṓtik] adjective

without photosynthesis:
used to describe those parts of the ocean that are not reached by sunlight, or
plants that grow there without photosynthesizing[1]



aphrodisiac

aphrodisiac
aph·ro·dis·i·ac 
[àffrə dízzee àk, àffrə
dzee àk] noun (plural aph·ro·dis·i·acs)

something
arousing sexual desire: something that arouses or
intensifies sexual desire
adjective

able
to increase physical desire: able to arouse or intensify
physical desire
[Early
18th century. From Greek aphrodisiakos “arousing sexual desire,” from aphrodisia
“sexual pleasures,” from Aphroditē (see Aphrodite
).]
—aph·ro·di·si·a·cal [áffrədi z ək’l], adjective[1]



Aphrodite

Aphrodite
Aph·ro·di·te 
[áffrə dtee] noun

Greek goddess of love:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty. She was the daughter of
Zeus.
Also called
Cytherea Roman equivalent Venus[1]



Apia

Apia
A·pi·a 
[ə pə, pee ə]

capital of Western Samoa, on
northern Upolu Island in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of Nuku’alofa in
Tonga. Population: 34,126 (1991)[1]



apian

apian
a·pi·an 
[áypee ən] adjective

of
bees:
relating to or resembling bees
[Early 19th century. From
Latin apianus, from apis “bee,” of unknown origin.][1]



apiarian

apiarian
a·pi·ar·i·an 
[àypee érree ən] adjective

of beekeeping:
related to bees or beekeeping[1]



apiarist

apiarist
a·pi·a·rist 
[áypee ərəst] (plural a·pi·a·rists)
noun

somebody who keeps bees:
somebody who keeps bees, often for commercial purposes[1]



apiary

apiary
a·pi·ar·y 
[áypee èree] (plural a·pi·ar·ies)
noun

place
for bees and beehives: a place where beehives are
kept and bees are raised for their honey
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
apiarium “beehive,” from apis “bee,” of unknown origin.][1]



apical

apical
ap·i·cal 
[áppək’l, áypək’l]
adjective

1.  forming
top:
used to describe the top of something

2.  PHONETICS using
top of tongue: used to classify a consonant that is
pronounced with the tip of the tongue, for example, “t” or “d”
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin apic-, the stem of apex “apex.”]
—ap·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



apicaldominance

apicaldominance
ap·i·cal
dom·i·nance
noun

inhibition of bud growth:
the inhibition exerted on the growth of lateral buds by the terminal bud of a
growing plant shoot[1]



apicalmeristem

apicalmeristem
ap·i·cal
mer·i·stem
(plural ap·i·cal mer·i·stems) noun

growing tissue at shoot or
root tip: the zone of actively
dividing tissue at the tip of a shoot or root that produces new tissue, mainly
to increase length[1]



apices

apices
a·pi·ces


Plural of
apex[1]



apiculate

apiculate
a·pic·u·late 
[ə píkyələt] adjective

with
short broad tip: used to describe a leaf that has a short
broad tip
[Early 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin apiculus, literally “little apex,” from apex
“apex.”][1]



apiculture

apiculture
a·pi·cul·ture 
[áypə kùlchər] noun

beekeeping:
the keeping of bees, especially for commercial purposes
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin apis “bee” + culture
.]
—a·pi·cul·tur·al,
adjective

—a·pi·cul·tur·ist, noun[1]



apiece

apiece
a·piece 
[ə pss] adverb

for
each:
to or for each one • gold watches, from $150
to $550 apiece
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from a + piece
.][1]



apish

apish
ap·ish 
[áypish] adjective

1.  boorish:
silly, ridiculous, or boorish

2.  imitative:
imitating somebody else or somebody’s style
—ap·ish·ly,
adverb

—ap·ish·ness, noun[1]



aplacental

aplacental
a·pla·cen·tal 
[àyplə sént’l] adjective

without a placenta:
used to describe mammals such as marsupials that do not develop a placenta[1]



aplanatic

aplanatic
ap·la·nat·ic 
[àpplə náttik] adjective

without
spherical aberration: used to describe a lens that
does not have, or is corrected for, spherical aberration and so produces a
clear undistorted image
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek planasthai “to wander” (source of English planet ).][1]



aplasia

aplasia
a·pla·sia 
[ə pláy ə, ə
pláyee ə] noun

incomplete development of
part of body: the absence or partial
development of an organ, part of an organ, or tissue[1]



aplastic

aplastic
a·plas·tic 
[ay plástik] adjective

unable to develop new cells:
unable to develop new cells or tissue[1]



aplasticanemia

aplasticanemia
a·plas·tic
a·ne·mia
noun

severe anemia:
severe anemia in which the capacity of bone marrow cells to generate red blood
cells is diminished.
Also called
pancytopenia[1]



aplenty

aplenty
a·plen·ty 
[ə pléntee] adjective

plentiful:
in large or excessive amounts • There
are apples aplenty for all of you.[1]



aplite

aplite
ap·lite 
[á plīt] noun

type
of granite:
a light-colored, fine-grained igneous rock.
Also
called
haplite
[Late
19th century. Via German Aplit from, ultimately, Greek haplous
“single,” because of its chemical composition (see haploid
).]
—ap·lit·ic [a plíttik], adjective[1]



aplomb

aplomb
a·plomb 
[ə pláwm, ə plúm]
noun

confident
poise:
confidence, skill, and poise, especially in difficult or challenging
circumstances
[Early 19th century. From
French à plomb “perpendicular,” literally “according to the plumb
line.”][1]



apnea

apnea
ap·ne·a 
[áppnee ə] or ap·noe·a [áppnee ə] noun

brief
pause in breathing: a temporary suspension or
absence of breathing
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek apnoia, literally “not breathing,” from pnein
“to breathe.”][1]



apneusis

apneusis
ap·neu·sis 
[ap nssəss] noun

breathing
irregularity: a form of breathing caused by brain
damage, in which each full inhalation is held for a prolonged period
—ap·neus·tic, adjective[1]



apnoea

apnoea
ap·noe·a
noun

See
apnea[1]



APO

APO
APO

Abbreviation of
Army Post Office[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








apo-

apo-
apo-
or ap- prefix

away
from, detached • apolune
• apocarp
[From Greek apo “off,
away.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English of, off, after,
and aft .][1]



Apoc.

Apoc.
Apoc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Apocalypse

2.  Abbreviation
of
Apocrypha

[1]



apocalypse

apocalypse
a·poc·a·lypse 
[ə pókə lìps] (plural apoc·a·lypses)
noun

1.  total
destruction: the total destruction or devastation of
something, or an instance of this

2.  revelation
of future:
a revelation made concerning the future
[13th
century. Via late Latin from Greek apokalupsis “revelation,” from apokaluptein
“to uncover,” from kaluptein “to cover.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Apocalypse
  Now, a movie by Francis Ford Coppola ( 1979 ). This surreal, hallucinatory
  account of the Vietnam War is based loosely on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of
  Darkness . It follows an American captain on his mission to assassinate a
  rebel officer, played by Marlon Brando, conducting his own independent war in
  the heart of the jungle.

[1]



Apocalypse

Apocalypse
A·poc·a·lypse
noun

See
Revelation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








apocalyptic

apocalyptic
a·poc·a·lyp·tic 
[ə p&ograve;kə líptik] adjective

1.  predicting
disaster:
warning about or predicting a disastrous future or outcome • an
apocalyptic scenario of global warming

2.  BIBLE relating
to the Apocalypse: relating to the events in
the Book of Revelation in the Bible

3.  involving
destruction: involving widespread destruction and
devastation
—a·poc·a·lyp·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



apocalypticism

apocalypticism
a·poc·a·lyp·ti·cism 
[ə p&ograve;kə líptəsìz’m] noun

belief in Apocalypse:
the belief that the end of the world is coming, with the resulting triumph of
good over evil, as prophesied in the biblical Book of Revelation[1]



apocalyptist

apocalyptist
a·poc·a·lyp·tist 
[ə pókə lìptist] (plural apoc·a·lyp·tists)
noun

somebody
who believes in Apocalypse: a believer in the prophecies
in the biblical Book of Revelation, including the eventual triumph of good over
evil
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek apokaluptein (see apocalypse
).][1]



apocarpous

apocarpous
ap·o·car·pous 
[àppə krpəss] adjective

with
separate carpels: used to describe a flower that has
separate carpels
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from apo- + Greek karpos
“fruit.”]
—ap·o·car·py [áppə kaarpee], noun[1]



apochromat

apochromat
a·po·chro·mat
[àppə krṓmət] (plural apoc·hro·mats)
noun

lens without chromatic
aberration: a lens that is corrected for
chromatic aberration by incorporating different types of glass[1]



apochromatic

apochromatic
ap·o·chro·mat·ic 
[àppəkrō máttik] adjective

corrected
for chromatic aberration: used to describe a lens that
has been corrected for chromatic aberration
—a·po·chro·ma·tism [àppə krómə tìzzəm], noun[1]



apocope

apocope
a·poc·o·pe 
[ə páwkəpee] noun

omission
of end of word: the loss or omission of one or more
syllables from the end of a word, for example, the shortening of “kind of” to
“kinda”
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek apokopē, literally “cutting off,”
from koptein “to cut” (see comma ).]
—a·poc·o·pate, transitive
verb[1]



apocrine

apocrine
ap·o·crine 
[áppəkrin, áppə
krn, áppə krn] adjective

secreting
cell contents: used to describe glands that secrete
part of their secreting cells with the secretory products
[Early 20th century. Coined
from apo- + Greek krinein “to
separate” (see critic ).][1]



Apocrypha

Apocrypha
A·poc·ry·pha 
[ə páwkrəfə] noun

1.  biblical
writings of disputed authenticity: books of the Bible
that are included in the Vulgate and Septuagint versions of the Christian
Bible, but not in the Protestant Bible or the Hebrew canon (may be singular
or plural)

2.  early
Christian writings: a group of Christian
writings dating from the early centuries AD
that are not included in the Bible
[14th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from, ultimately, Greek apokruphos, literally
“hidden away,” from kruptein “to hide” (see crypt
).][1]



apocryphal

apocryphal
a·poc·ry·phal 
[ə páwkrəf’l] adjective

1.  not
true:
probably not true, but widely believed to be true

2.  of
the Apocrypha: relating to the Apocrypha
—a·poc·ry·phal·ly, adverb[1]



apodal

apodal
ap·o·dal 
[áppəd’l] or ap·o·dous [áppədəss] adjective

without
limbs or fins: without limbs, feet, or pelvic fins.
Eels and snakes are apodal organisms.
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from the Greek stem apod- “footless,” from pous “foot” (see podium ).][1]



apodictic

apodictic
ap·o·dic·tic 
[àppə díktik] or ap·o·deic·tic
[áppə dktik] adjective

certain:
demonstrably or indisputably true
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek apodeiknunai “to
demonstrate,” from deiknunai “to show” (see deictic
).]
—ap·o·dic·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



apodosis

apodosis
a·pod·o·sis 
[ə páwdəssəss] (plural a·pod·o·ses
[ə páwdəsees]) noun

main
clause in conditional statement: the main clause
explaining the consequence in a conditional statement, for example, “we can
watch the film” in “If you come early, we can watch the film.” In logic the
apodosis is the “q” component of propositions of the form “if p then q.”
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek apodidonai, literally “to give back” (see dose ).][1]



apodous

apodous
ap·o·dous 
adjective

See
apodal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








apoenzyme

apoenzyme
ap·o·en·zyme 
[àppō én zìm] (plural ap·o·en·zymes)
noun

protein part of an enzyme:
the protein component of an enzyme that determines the enzyme’s specific
function but has no physiological effect until it becomes attached to another
compound ( coenzyme )[1]



apogamy

apogamy
a·pog·a·my 
[ə páwgəmee] noun

development
of embryo without fertilization: the development of an
embryo without prior fertilization. Apogamy occurs in some ferns, algae, and
fungi.
—ap·o·gam·ic [àppə gámmik], adjective[1]



apogee

apogee

ap·o·gee 
[áppə jee] (plural ap·o·gees) noun

1.  culmination:
the best or greatest point

2.  ASTRONOMY point
in orbit farthest from Earth: the point when the Moon, or
a satellite or other object orbiting around the Earth, is farthest from the
center of the Earth
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek apogaios “away from the
earth,” from gaia “earth” (source of English geo-
).]
—ap·o·ge·an [àppə j ən, áppə jee ən],
adjective[1]



apolitical

apolitical
a·po·lit·i·cal 
[àypə líttək’l] adjective

uninterested
in politics: having no interest in politics, or not
concerned with politics
—a·po·lit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Apollo

Apollo
A·pol·lo 
[ə páwlō] noun

1.  Greek
god of prophecy: in Greek mythology, the god of prophecy,
sunlight, music, and healing, also worshiped by the Romans

2.  A·pol·lo
(plural A·pol·los) or a·pol·lo (plural a·pol·los)
handsome
man:
a very handsome young man (literary)
[Via Latin from Greek Apollōn][1]



Apollonian

Apollonian
Ap·ol·lo·ni·an 
[àppə lṓnee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Apollo:
relating to Apollo or the worship of Apollo

2.  orderly:
calm, ordered, and balanced
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin Apollonius, from Apollo “Apollo.”][1]



apologetic

apologetic
a·pol·o·get·ic 
[ə pàwlə jéttik] adjective

1.  expressing
apology:
expressing apology or contrition for something

2.  defensive:
defending something in speech or writing
[Mid-17th
century. Via French and Latin from, ultimately, Greek apologeisthai “to
speak in your own defense,” from apologia “defense” (see apology ).]
—a·pol·o·get·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



apologetics

apologetics
a·pol·o·get·ics 
[ə pàwlə jéttiks] noun

branch of Christian theology:
a branch of theology that is concerned with proving the truth of Christianity (takes
a singular verb)[1]



apologia

apologia
ap·o·lo·gi·a 
[àppə lṓjee ə, ə
plə j ə] (plural ap·o·lo·gi·as) noun

justification:
a formal, usually written, defense or justification of a belief, theory, or
policy (formal)
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see apology ).][1]



apologist

apologist
a·pol·o·gist 
[ə pólləjəst] (plural a·pol·o·gists)
noun

somebody who defends or
justifies something: somebody
who argues to defend or justify a particular doctrine or ideology[1]



apologize

apologize
a·pol·o·gize 
[ə páwlə jīz] (past a·pol·o·gized,
past participle a·pol·o·gized, present participle a·pol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·pol·o·giz·es) intransitive verb

1.  express
remorse for something: to say you are sorry for
something that has upset or inconvenienced somebody else

2.  acknowledge
that something is not ideal: to acknowledge that
something is not as it should be, especially when you feel embarrassed or
guilty about it

3.  defend
formally:
to defend something formally in writing or speech
[Late
16th century. From Greek apologizesthai, from apologia (see apology ).]
—a·pol·o·giz·er, noun[1]



apologue

apologue
ap·o·logue 
[áppə làwg] (plural ap·o·logues)
noun

moral
fable:
a fable that is intended to teach a moral lesson, especially one that has
animals as characters
[Mid-16th century. Via French
or late Latin from Greek apologos “story,” from logos “speech”
(see logos ).][1]



apology

apology
a·pol·o·gy 
[ə pólləjee] (plural a·pol·o·gies)
noun

1.  statement
expressing remorse: a written or spoken
statement expressing remorse for something

2.  inferior
example:
an inferior or bad example of something (humorous) • I
can’t work in this apology for an office!

3.  formal
justification: a formal defense or justification of
something
[Mid-16th century. Via French
apologie and Latin apologia from Greek “speech in defense,”
literally “speaking off,” from logos “speech” (see logos ).][1]



apolune

apolune
a·po·lune 
[áppə ln] (plural a·po·lunes)
noun

point
in lunar orbit: the point in the orbit of a spacecraft
circling the Moon when it is farthest from the Moon’s center
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from apo- + Latin luna “moon” (see lunar ), on the model of English apogee .][1]



apomictic

apomictic
ap·o·mic·tic
[áppə mìktik] adjective

reproducing
asexually:
used to describe an organism that reproduces asexually
—ap·o·mict
[áppə mìkt], noun

—ap·o·mic·tic·al·ly [àppə míktək’lee], adverb[1]



apomixis

apomixis
ap·o·mix·is 
[àppə míksiss] noun

asexual
reproduction: asexual reproduction in organisms that
are also able to reproduce sexually, in which embryos are formed without
fertilization or the creation of specialized reproductive cells
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek mixis “mingling” (see amphimixis
).][1]



aponeurosis

aponeurosis
ap·o·neu·ro·sis 
[àppō nə rṓssəss] (plural ap·o·neu·ro·ses
[àppō nə rṓseez]) noun

membrane
connecting muscles: a broad sheet of fibrous
tissue or expanded tendon that joins muscles together or connects muscle to
bone
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek aponeurousthai
“to become like a tendon,” from neuron “sinew” (see neuron ).]
—ap·o·neu·rot·ic [àppō nə ráwtik], adjective[1]



aponeurosis

aponeurosis
ap·o·neu·ro·sis 
[àppō nə rṓssəss] (plural ap·o·neu·ro·ses
[àppō nə rṓseez]) noun

membrane
connecting muscles: a broad sheet of fibrous
tissue or expanded tendon that joins muscles together or connects muscle to
bone
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek aponeurousthai
“to become like a tendon,” from neuron “sinew” (see neuron ).]
—ap·o·neu·rot·ic [àppō nə ráwtik], adjective[1]



apophasis

apophasis
a·poph·a·sis 
[ə páwfəssəss] noun

rhetorical
device:
the rhetorical device of alluding to something by denying that it will be
mentioned, for example, in “I will not bring up the question of age now that
you are forty”
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek apophasis “to deny,” literally “to speak off,” from phanai
“to speak” (see -phasia ).][1]



apophthegm

apophthegm
ap·o·phthegm 
noun

See
apothegm[1]



apophyge

apophyge
a·poph·y·ge 
[ə páwfəjee] (plural a·poph·y·ges)
noun

curve
on column:
the outward curve at the top of an architectural column where it joins the
capital, or at the bottom where it joins the base
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
apophugē, literally “fleeing away,” from pheugein “to flee.” The
underlying idea is of the column escaping into its base.][1]



apophyge

apophyge
a·poph·y·ge 
[ə páwfəjee] (plural a·poph·y·ges)
noun

curve
on column:
the outward curve at the top of an architectural column where it joins the
capital, or at the bottom where it joins the base
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
apophugē, literally “fleeing away,” from pheugein “to flee.” The
underlying idea is of the column escaping into its base.][1]



apophyllite

apophyllite
a·poph·yl·lite 
[àppə fíllīt, ə
páwfə līt] (plural a·poph·yl·lites) noun

white,
pink, or pale green mineral: a crystalline mineral that
is white, pale pink, or pale green and is composed of hydrated potassium,
calcium silicate, and fluorine
[Early 19th century. Coined
from apo- + Greek phullon “leaf” (see
phyllo- ), because it peels when heated.][1]



apophyllite

apophyllite
a·poph·yl·lite 
[àppə fíllīt, ə
páwfə līt] (plural a·poph·yl·lites) noun

white,
pink, or pale green mineral: a crystalline mineral that
is white, pale pink, or pale green and is composed of hydrated potassium,
calcium silicate, and fluorine
[Early 19th century. Coined
from apo- + Greek phullon “leaf” (see
phyllo- ), because it peels when heated.][1]



apophysis

apophysis
a·poph·y·sis 
[ə póffəssiss] (plural a·poph·y·ses
[ə póffə sz]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY natural
swelling on animal or plant: a natural swelling or
outgrowth on an animal or plant, for example, a bony protuberance on a vertebra

2.  GEOLOGY offshoot
from rock:
a small offshoot or network of veins from a large igneous mass of rock such as
granite
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek apophuein,
literally “to grow out,” from phuein “to grow” (see physics ).]
—a·poph·y·sate,
adjective

—a·poph·y·si·al [ə pòffə s əl], adjective[1]



apoplectic

apoplectic
ap·o·plec·tic 
[àppə pléktik] (plural apoplec·tics)
adjective

1.  furious:
overcome with anger

2.  MEDICINE exhibiting
symptoms of stroke: having the symptoms of a
stroke (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Via French or late Latin from Greek apoplēktikos, from apoplēxia
(see apoplexy ).]
—ap·o·plec·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



apoplexy

apoplexy
ap·o·plex·y 
[áppə plèksee] noun

1.  angry
fit:
a fit of anger

2.  MEDICINE stroke
caused by brain hemorrhage: a cerebral stroke, usually
caused by a hemorrhage in the brain (archaic)
[14th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek apoplēxia, from apoplēssein, literally “to
strike completely,” from plēssein “to strike” (see plectrum ).][1]



aporia

aporia
a·po·ri·a
[ə páwree ə] (plural a·po·ri·as)
noun

difficulty
in establishing truth: a confusion in establishing
the truth of a proposition
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Greek aporos, literally
“without passage,” from poros “passage” (see pore 1 ).]
—a·po·ret·ic [àppə réttik], adjective[1]



aport

aport
a·port 
[ə páwrt] adverb adjective

on port side of ship:
on or toward the port or left-hand side of a ship as you face forward[1]



aposematic

aposematic
ap·o·se·mat·ic 
[àppə se máttik] adjective

colored as a warning sign:
used to describe natural colors and bright markings on an animal that warn
predators that it is poisonous • aposematic
coloration[1]



aposiopesis

aposiopesis
ap·o·si·o·pe·sis 
[àppə sī ə pssiss] (plural ap·o·si·o·pe·ses
[àppə sī ə p sz]) noun

sudden
break in speaking: a sudden break in speaking,
giving the impression that the speaker does not want to or cannot continue, for
example, in the sentence “On Tuesday morning I came in just as I always do, and
I saw—I can’t go on”.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek aposiopan “to stop
speaking,” from siopē “silence.”]
—ap·o·si·o·pet·ic [àppə sī ə péttik], adjective[1]



apospory

apospory
ap·o·spor·y 
[áppə spàwree, ə
páwspəree] noun

asexual
reproduction: the process of asexual reproduction
without the occurrence of cell division ( meiosis
) or spore formation, in certain ferns and mosses
[Late 19th century. Coined
from apo- + spore
+ -y .][1]



apostasy

apostasy
a·pos·ta·sy 
[ə páwstəsee] noun

renunciation
of faith:
the renunciation of a religious or political belief or allegiance
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek apostasis, literally “standing away,” from histanai
“to stand” (source of English prostrate
and system ).][1]



apostate

apostate
a·pos·tate 
[ə páw stàyt, ə
páwstət] (plural a·pos·tates) noun

somebody
who renounces belief: somebody who has renounced a
religious or political belief or allegiance
[14th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek apostatēs, literally “somebody caused to stand away,”
from stat-, related to histanai “to cause to stand.”][1]



apostatize

apostatize
a·pos·ta·tize 
[ə páwstə tz] (past a·pos·ta·tized,
past participle a·pos·ta·tized, present participle a·pos·ta·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·pos·ta·tiz·es) intransitive verb

renounce faith:
to renounce a religious faith, a political party, a set of principles, or a
moral allegiance (formal)[1]



aposteriori

aposteriori
a
pos·te·ri·o·ri  [ paws
teeree áw ree, ày paws teeree áw rī] adjective
adverb

deriving
knowledge from experience: deriving knowledge from
experience, or reasoning from observed facts or events back to their causes
[From Latin, literally “from
what comes later”][1]



apostil

apostil
a·pos·til
[ə páwstəl] (plural a·pos·tils)
noun

annotation:
an annotation, comment, or note in a margin (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From Old
French apostille “marginal note,” a variant of postille (see
postil ).][1]



Apostle

Apostle
A·pos·tle 
(plural A·pos·tles) noun

one of Jesus Christ’s
disciples: one of the 12 followers of
Jesus Christ chosen by him to preach the news about Christianity[1]



apostle

apostle
a·pos·tle 
[ə páwss’l] (plural apos·tles)
noun

1.  strong
believer in something: somebody who believes
strongly in an idea or cause and tries to persuade others to share it • an
apostle of free trade

2.  prominent
Christian missionary: a prominent Christian
missionary, especially one who is responsible for first converting a nation

3.  official
in Latter-Day Saints: a member of the 12-person
administrative council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
[Pre-12th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek apostolos, literally
“somebody sent out,” from stellein “to send” (source of English epistle ).]
—a·pos·tle·ship, noun[1]



Apostles’Creed

Apostles’Creed
A·pos·tles’
Creed 
noun

statement of Christian
belief: a statement of Christian
belief ascribed to the Apostles and dating from around AD 500. It is frequently used in services in Eastern
Orthodox, Episcopalian, and Lutheran churches.[1]



apostolate

apostolate
a·pos·to·late 
[ə póstə làyt, ə
póstələt] (plural a·pos·to·lates) noun

1.  work
of an apostle: the duties or mission of an apostle

2.  group
of people propagating religion: a group involved in
converting new followers to a religion or doctrine
[Mid-17th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin apostolatus, from apostolus “apostle” (see apostle ).][1]



apostolic

apostolic
ap·os·tol·ic 
[àppə stóllik] adjective

1.  relating
to pope:
relating to, given by, or on behalf of the pope

2.  relating
to Apostles: connected with the Apostles or their
teachings, or contemporary with them
[Mid-16th
century. Via French and ecclesiastical Latin from, ultimately, Greek apostolos
“apostle” (see apostle ).]
—ap·os·tol·i·cal,
adjective

—ap·os·tol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



apostolicdelegate

apostolicdelegate
ap·os·tol·ic
del·e·gate
(plural ap·os·tol·ic del·e·gates) noun

representative of pope:
a representative of the pope who is sent to a country that has no formal
diplomatic relations with the Vatican[1]



ApostolicFather

ApostolicFather
Ap·os·tol·ic
Fa·ther 
(plural Apos·tolic Fa·thers) noun

early Christian church
leader: a Christian church leader of
the first or second century AD who
was contemporary with or lived shortly after the Apostles[1]



ApostolicSee

ApostolicSee
Ap·os·tol·ic
See
noun

pope’s area of jurisdiction:
the area of jurisdiction ( see ) of the
pope.
Also called
Holy See[1]



apostolicsuccession

apostolicsuccession
ap·os·tol·ic
suc·ces·sion noun

Christian doctrine of
bishops’ authority: the
doctrine of some Christian denominations that the ordination of bishops follows
in an unbroken line of succession from the Apostles, providing the basis of
their spiritual authority[1]



apostrophe

apostrophe1
a·pos·tro·phe1 [ə
páwstrəfee] (plural a·pos·tro·phes) noun

punctuation
symbol (’):
the punctuation mark (’) used to show where letters are omitted from a word, to
mark the possessive, and sometimes to form the plural of numbers, letters, and
symbols
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek apostrophos, literally “turned away,” formed
from apostrephein “to turn away,” from strephein “to turn” (see strophe ).][1]



apostrophe

apostrophe2
a·pos·tro·phe2 [ə
páwstrəfee] noun

address
to imaginary person: a speech, especially in the
form of a digression, addressing an absent or imaginary person or a
personification of an abstract or inanimate entity
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek apostrephein (see apostrophe 1 ).]
—ap·os·troph·ic [àppə stróffik], adjective[1]



apostrophize

apostrophize
a·pos·tro·phize 
[ə páwstrə fz] (past a·pos·tro·phized,
past participle a·pos·tro·phized, present participle a·pos·tro·phiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·pos·tro·phiz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

address imaginary person:
to address an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction[1]



apothecaries’measure

apothecaries’measure
a·poth·e·car·ies’
meas·ure 
(plural a·poth·e·car·ies’ meas·ures) noun

system of liquid measure:
a system of liquid volume measure formerly used in pharmacy and based on the
minim, fluid dram, fluid ounce, and pint[1]



apothecaries’weight

apothecaries’weight
a·poth·e·car·ies’
weight
(plural a·poth·e·car·ies’ weights) noun

system of weights:
a system of weights formerly used in pharmacy and based on a troy ounce equal
to 480 grains and a pound equal to 12 ounces[1]



apothecary

apothecary
a·poth·e·car·y 
[ə páwthə kèrree] (plural a·poth·e·car·ies)
noun (archaic)

1.  pharmacist:
a pharmacist

2.  pharmacy:
a pharmacy
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek apothēkē “storehouse” (source of English boutique ), formed from apotithenai “to
put away,” from tithenai “to put.”][1]



apothecium

apothecium
ap·o·the·ci·um 
[àppə thshee əm, àppə
thssee əm] (plural ap·o·the·ci·a [àppə thshə, àppə thssi ə])
noun

spore-bearing
structure:
a disk-shaped or cup-shaped spore-bearing structure found in certain fungi,
including the fungal component of most lichens.
Also
called
shield
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek apothēkē (see apothecary ).]
—ap·o·the·cial [àppə thsh’l], adjective[1]



apothegm

apothegm
ap·o·thegm 
[áppə thèm] (plural ap·o·thegms)
or ap·o·phthegm [áppə thèm] (plural
ap·o·phthegms) noun

terse
saying:
a terse saying that embodies an important truth, for example, “Haste makes
waste”
[Mid-16th
century. From Greek apophthegma, formed from apophtheggesthai “to
speak plainly,” from phtheggesthai “to speak.”]
—ap·o·theg·mat·ic
[àppə theg máttik], adjective

—ap·o·theg·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



apotheosis

apotheosis
a·poth·e·o·sis 
[ə pàwthee ṓssəss] (plural a·poth·e·o·ses
[ə pàwthee ṓssəsseez]) noun

1.  highest
level of glory or power: the highest point of glory,
power, or importance

2.  best
example of something: the best or most glorious
example of something • the
apotheosis of romantic music

3.  transformation
into diety:
the transformation of a human being into a diety
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek apotheoun, literally “to make into a god
completely,” from theos “god” (see theo-
).][1]



apotheosize

apotheosize
ap·o·the·o·size 
[ə póthee ə sz, àppə
th ə sz] (past ap·o·the·o·sized, past participle ap·o·the·o·sized,
present participle ap·o·the·o·siz·ing, 3rd person present
singular ap·o·the·o·siz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody into a diety: to elevate somebody to the
status of a diety

2.  glorify:
to glorify or exalt somebody or something

[1]



apotropaic

apotropaic
ap·o·tro·pa·ic 
[àppətrə páy ik] adjective

preventing
evil:
intended to ward off evil or bad luck
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek apotropaios, from apotrepein,
literally “to turn away” from trepein “to turn” (see -tropous ).]
—ap·o·tro·pa·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ap·o·tro·pa·ism, noun[1]



app.

app.
app.

1.  Abbreviation
of
apparatus

2.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
appendix

3.  Abbreviation
of
appointed

4.  Abbreviation
of
apprentice

[1]



app

app
app
[ap] (plural apps) noun

COMPUT
(informal) See application  noun
6[1]



appal

appal
ap·pal
transitive verb

U.K. =
appall[1]



Appalachia

Appalachia
Ap·pa·la·chi·a 
[àppə láychee ə, àppə
láchə] noun

southeastern U.S. region:
the region in the United States that includes the southern Appalachian
Mountains, extending roughly from southwestern Pennsylvania through West
Virginia and parts of Kentucky and Tennessee to northwestern Georgia[1]



Appalachian

Appalachian
Ap·pa·la·chi·an 
[àppə láychee ən, àppə
láchən] adjective

1.  relating
to Appalachian Mountains: in, from, or relating to the
Appalachian Mountains

2.  of
Appalachia:
relating to Appalachia, or its people or culture
noun
(plural Ap·pa·la·chi·ans)

somebody from Appalachia:
somebody who lives in or was born or raised in Appalachia
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Apalachee, the name of a Native American people of what is now the
southeastern United States.][1]



AppalachianMountains

AppalachianMountains
Ap·pa·la·chi·an
Moun·tains 
or Ap·pal·a·chi·ans

North American mountain
system, stretching from southeastern Canada to central Alabama. Major ranges
include the White, Green, Catskill, Allegheny, Blue Ridge, Great Smoky, and Cumberland
mountains. The highest point is Mount Mitchell 2,037 m/6,684 ft .[1]



Appalachiantea

Appalachiantea
Ap·pa·la·chi·an
tea
noun

See
withe rod[1]



AppalachianTrail

AppalachianTrail
Ap·pa·la·chi·an
Trail
noun

hiking path in eastern United
States: a hiking path in the eastern
United States, extending about 3,298 km/2,050 mi from Mount Katahdin in central
Maine to Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. It is one of the longest
continuous mountain trails in the world.[1]



appall

appall
ap·pall 
[ə páwl] (past ap·palled, past
participle ap·palled, present participle ap·pall·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·palls) transitive verb

shock
or disgust somebody: to make somebody feel shock,
horror, or disgust
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French apallir “to grow pale or faint,” from pale “ pale .”][1]



appalled

appalled
ap·palled
[ə páwld] adjective

shocked by something
dreadful: feeling or appearing to be
shocked by something dreadful or awful • an
appalled look[1]



appalling

appalling
ap·pall·ing 
[ə páwling] adjective

1.  dreadful
and shocking: causing shock or horror

2.  very
bad:
very bad, or much worse than expected
—ap·pall·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Appaloosa

Appaloosa
Ap·pa·loo·sa
[àppə lsə] (plural Ap·pa·loo·sas)
or ap·pa·loo·sa [àppə lsə] (plural
ap·pa·loo·sa) noun

U.S.
saddle horse: a saddle horse with white hair and dark
patches, first bred in northwestern North America. It was much used in the past
by Native Americans.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps an alteration of Palouse, a river in the northwestern
United States.][1]



appanage

appanage
ap·pa·nage 
[áppənij] (plural ap·pa·nages)
or ap·a·nage [áppənij] (plural
ap·a·nages) noun

1.  source
of revenue given by sovereign: a source of revenue
for example, land given by a sovereign for the maintenance of a member of the
royal family, especially a younger son

2.  natural
or expected accompaniment to something: a
thing that naturally or usually accompanies something else
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, medieval Latin appanare, literally “(to give)
bread to,” from panis “bread” (see pantry
).][1]



apparat

apparat
ap·pa·rat 
[àppə rt, pə
rt] noun

Communist
administration in former Soviet Union: the
administrative organization or staff of the Communist Party in the former
Soviet Union and other Communist states
[Mid-20th century. Via
Russian from German, “apparatus.”][1]



apparatchik

apparatchik
ap·pa·ra·tchik 
[àppə rchik, pə
rchik] (plural ap·pa·ra·tchiks) noun

1.  unquestioningly
loyal subordinate: a subordinate who is
unquestioningly loyal to a powerful political leader or organization

2.  Communist
functionary: a member of the administrative
organization or staff ( apparat ) of the
Communist Party in the former Soviet Union and other Communist states
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian .][1]



apparatus

apparatus
ap·pa·ra·tus 
[àppə ráttəss, àppə
ráytəss] (plural ap·pa·ra·tus·es or ap·pa·ra·tus)
noun

1.  equipment:
a piece of machinery, a tool, or a device used for a particular purpose

2.  system
allowing something to function: the system or
structure in which a process occurs or an organization functions • a
complex bureaucratic apparatus

3.  ANATOMY system
of organs:
a group or system of organs that work together to perform a particular function
[Early
17th century. From Latin, literally “something prepared,” the past participle
of apparare “to prepare,” from parare (see pare ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at implement

[1]



apparatuscriticus

apparatuscriticus
ap·pa·ra·tus
crit·i·cus
[àppə ratəss kríttəkəss, àppə ráytəss kríttəkəss] noun

See
critical apparatus
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “critical apparatus.”][1]



apparel

apparel
ap·par·el 
[ə pérrəl] noun

1.  clothing:
clothing or garments, especially outer or decorative clothing • Olympics-related
sports apparel

2.  NAUTICAL ship’s
equipment:
a ship’s gear and equipment
transitive
verb
(past ap·par·eled, past participle ap·par·eled, present
participle ap·par·el·ing, 3rd person present singular ap·par·els)

clothe: to
dress somebody, especially in formal clothes (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
apareil “preparation” from, ultimately, Latin apparare (see apparatus ). The sense “clothing” evolved via
“equipment for performing a particular function.”][1]



apparent

apparent
ap·par·ent 
[ə pérrənt] adjective

1.  clear
to somebody: clearly seen or understood

2.  seeming:
appearing to show particular qualities, feelings, or attributes that may not be
genuine • her
apparent indifference

3.  PHYSICS directly
observed but neglecting modifying factors:
directly observed or measured but not taking into account factors or effects
that should be allowed for, for example, distortion caused by the measuring
instruments themselves
[14th
century. Via Old French aparant, the present participle of aparoir
(see appear ).]
—ap·par·ent·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at evident

[1]



apparenthorizon

apparenthorizon
ap·par·ent
ho·ri·zon
noun

See
horizon  noun 1[1]



apparently

apparently
ap·par·ent·ly
[ə pérrəntlee] adverb

according to what seems true:
according to what seems to be the case but may not actually be so[1]



apparentmagnitude

apparentmagnitude
ap·par·ent
mag·ni·tude
noun

See
magnitude[1]



apparentwind

apparentwind
ap·par·ent
wind
[wind] noun

wind plus ship’s created
wind: a combination of the actual
wind and the wind created by a ship’s motion[1]



apparition

apparition
ap·pa·ri·tion 
[àppə rísh’n] (plural ap·pa·ri·tions)
noun

1.  appearance
of something ghostly: an appearance of a supposed
ghost or something ghostly

2.  appearance
of something unlikely: an appearance of something
or somebody unexpected or strange (humorous)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin apparere (see appear ).]
—ap·pa·ri·tion·al, adjective[1]



appassionato

appassionato
ap·pas·sion·a·to 
[ə pàssyə n tō] adjective adverb

to
be played with passion: to be performed in an
impassioned way (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian, literally
“impassioned”][1]



appeal

appeal
ap·peal 
[ə pl] noun (plural ap·peals)

1.  earnest
or urgent request: an earnest or urgent request
to somebody for something • an
emotional appeal for forgiveness

2.  campaign
to raise money: a request or campaign to raise money or
resources • The
hospital has launched an appeal for funds.

3.  attraction:
the quality that makes somebody or something pleasant or desirable • The
movie’s appeal lies in its humor and charm.

4.  formal
request:
a formal request to a higher authority requesting a change in or confirmation
of a decision • An appeal to the boss
might solve the matter.

5.  LAW hearing
of case before superior court: the hearing of part or
the whole of a previously tried case by a superior court, a request for a
hearing, or the right to have such a hearing
verb
(past ap·pealed, past participle ap·pealed, present
participle ap·peal·ing, 3rd person present singular ap·peals)

1.  intransitive
verb
request
money:
to ask for or campaign to raise money or resources • The
charity is appealing for books and toys.

2.  intransitive
verb
earnestly
request something: to make an earnest and
urgent request for something • We are
appealing to the public to let us know if they see anything suspicious.

3.  intransitive
verb
make
a formal request to superior: to make a formal request to
a higher authority requesting a change in or confirmation of a decision • You
will have to appeal to a senior officer.

4.  intransitive
verb
attract
or fascinate somebody: to be interesting or
desirable • Starting
up my own business really appeals to me.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW apply to superior court for
hearing:
to apply to a superior court for a hearing of the whole or part of a case
previously tried in a lower court

6.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS challenge
umpire’s decision: to challenge the decision of
an umpire or referee
[14th
century. Via Old French apeler from, ultimately, Latin appellare
“to address, entreat,” related to pellere “to push.”]
—ap·peal·er,
noun
on
appeal

at
the stage of a court case that involves reconsideration of the decision made at
the original trial





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  Latin
  pellere, from which appeal is
  derived, is also the source of English compel,
  dispel, expel,
  impel, propel,
  pulse, repeal,
  and repel.

[1]



appealable

appealable
ap·peal·a·ble
[ə pləb’l] adjective

LAW
able to be appealed:
having the right to be heard before a higher court with the possibility of a
changed judgment[1]



appealing

appealing
ap·peal·ing
[ə pling] adjective

1.  pleasing:
pleasing and interesting or desirable

2.  requesting
help or sympathy: appearing to request help or sympathy • a
timid, appealing glance
—ap·peal·ing·ly, adverb[1]



appear

appear
ap·pear 
[ə pr] (past ap·peared, past
participle ap·peared, present participle ap·pear·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·pears) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
into view:
to come into view, or become visible • The
main menu will appear whenever you turn on the computer.

2.  intransitive
verb
begin
to exist:
to come into existence • When
did this rash appear?

3.  intransitive
verb
become
available for sale: to become available,
especially as a product for sale • Cheaper
and better printers have appeared on the market.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb seem
likely:
to seem likely or true • The
three men appear to have left the city.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
seen in public: to come before the public, especially to
perform a duty or to act • His dream
was to appear on Broadway.

6.  intransitive
verb
LAW be in
law court officially: to be present in a court of
law as a defendant, plaintiff, witness, or legal adviser • due
to appear in court next week

7.  intransitive
verb
formally
present yourself to somebody: to formally present yourself
to somebody after receiving an official request • He
was ordered to appear in the police chief’s office.
[13th century. Via Old French
aparoir from Latin apparere, literally “to show, become visible
to,” from parere “to show.”][1]



appearance

appearance
ap·pear·ance 
[ə prəns] (plural ap·pear·ances)
noun

1.  coming
into existence: the act of emerging, arriving, or coming
into existence • the appearance of the
first daffodils

2.  way
somebody or something looks: the way somebody or
something looks or seems to other people • a
youthful appearance

3.  outward
aspect:
an outward aspect of somebody or something that creates a particular impression
(often used in the plural) • The
place gives the appearance of prosperity. • I
know the dog looks friendly, but don’t be fooled by appearances.

4.  performance
or exhibition in public: a performance or exhibition
before a public audience • It was
the band’s first U.S. appearance.

5.  attendance
in court:
attendance in court as a defendant, plaintiff, witness, or legal adviser • The
prospect of an appearance in court was daunting.
keep
up appearances

to
maintain an appearance of well-being despite difficulties

put
in an appearance at something

to attend something, often
only for a short time or to fulfill an obligation[1]



appease

appease
ap·pease 
[ə pz] (past ap·peased, past
participle ap·peased, present participle ap·peas·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·peas·es) transitive verb

1.  pacify:
to pacify somebody, especially by acceding to demands

2.  satisfy
need:
to satisfy or relieve something, especially a physical appetite
[14th
century. From Old French apaisier, from pais “peace” (see peace ).]
—ap·peas·a·ble,
adjective

—ap·peas·a·bly,
adverb

—ap·peas·er, noun[1]



appeasement

appeasement
ap·pease·ment 
[ə pzmənt] noun

1.  pacification
of potentially hostile nation: the political strategy
of pacifying a potentially hostile nation in the hope of avoiding war, often by
granting concessions

2.  grant
of concessions: an attempt to stop complaints or reduce
difficulties by making concessions

[1]



appel

appel
ap·pel 
[ə pél] (plural ap·pels) noun

1.  fencer’s
warning stamp of foot: a stamp of the foot that
signals a fencer’s intention to start attacking

2.  blow
with fencing blade: in fencing, a sharp blow
with the blade made to procure an opening
[From French, literally
“call”][1]



appellant

appellant
ap·pel·lant 
[ə péllənt] (plural ap·pel·lants)
noun

LAW somebody
who appeals court decision: the person or group of
people in a legal action who appeal a judicial decision in a higher court or a
different jurisdiction
[Late 16th century. From Old
French apelant, the present participle of apeler (see appeal ).][1]



appellate

appellate
ap·pel·late 
[ə péllət] adjective

LAW empowered
to review judicial decisions: having the jurisdiction to
hear appeals and review the decisions of lower courts
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
appellatus, the past participle of appellare (see appeal ).][1]



appellatecourt

appellatecourt
ap·pel·late
court 
(plural ap·pel·late courts) noun

LAW
court that hears appeals:
a court with the power to review and reverse the decisions of lower courts[1]



appellatejurisdiction

appellatejurisdiction
ap·pel·late
ju·ris·dic·tion noun

LAW
appellate court’s power of review:
the power vested in an appellate court authorizing it to review the decisions
of lower courts[1]



appellation

appellation
ap·pel·la·tion 
[àppə láysh’n] (plural ap·pel·la·tions)
noun

name
or title:
the name or title by which something or somebody is known (formal)
Also
called
appellative
[15th century. Via French,
“naming,” from, ultimately, Latin appellare (see appeal ).][1]



appellationcontrôlée

appellationcontrôlée
ap·pel·la·tion
con·trô·lée
[aa pèll syawN kawNtrō láy] (plural ap·pel·la·tions
con·trô·lées [aa pèll syawN kawNtrō láy])
noun

certification
for French wine: a certification for French wine that
guarantees its origin and verifies that it meets production regulations
[From French, literally
“controlled name”][1]



appellative

appellative
ap·pel·la·tive 
[ə péllətiv] noun (plural ap·pel·la·tives)

1.  (formal)
See appellation

2.  GRAMMAR See common noun
adjective

1.  relating
to name:
connected with a name or title

2.  used
as common noun: used as a common noun to describe a
class of things
—ap·pel·la·tive·ly, adverb[1]



append

append
ap·pend 
[ə pénd] (past ap·pend·ed, past
participle ap·pend·ed, present participle ap·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·pends) transitive verb

1.  add
extra information: to add extra information to
something, especially to attach extra information to a document

2.  add
authorized signature to agreement: to add an authorized
signature to a bill or an official agreement as one of the final parts of the
ratification or agreement process (formal) • All
principals to the sale must append their signatures.

3.  attach
something:
to attach something or fasten it to something else
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
appendere, literally “to hang upon” (source of English penthouse ), from pendere “to hang”
(see pendant ).][1]



appendage

appendage
ap·pend·age 
[ə péndij] (plural ap·pend·ages)
noun

1.  secondary
attachment:
something fastened to something else as a small or secondary attachment • feeling
like an appendage of a large company

2.  ZOOLOGY projecting
body part:
a body part or organ for example, a tail, wing, or fin that projects from the
main part of the body

[1]



appendant

appendant
ap·pen·dant 
[ə péndənt] noun (plural ap·pen·dants)

1.  attachment:
something that is attached or added to something larger or more important

2.  LAW something
added to legal document: a secondary document that is
attached to the main body of a legal document, for example, a codicil altering
the terms of a will
adjective

attached:
attached or added to something larger or more important
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French apendant from, ultimately, Latin appendere (see append ).][1]



appendectomy

appendectomy
ap·pen·dec·to·my 
[àppən déktəmee] (plural ap·pen·dec·to·mies)
noun

operation
to remove appendix: a surgical operation to
remove the appendix
[Late 19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem of appendix “ appendix
” + -ectomy .][1]



appendices

appendices
ap·pen·di·ces


Plural of
appendix[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








appendicitis

appendicitis

ap·pen·di·ci·tis 
[ə péndə stiss] noun
inflammation of appendix:
an inflammation of the appendix, causing severe pain[1]



appendicle

appendicle
ap·pen·di·cle 
[ə péndək’l] (plural ap·pen·di·cles)
noun

a
small appendage (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin appendicula, literally “small appendix,” from appendix “ appendix .”][1]



appendicular

appendicular
ap·pen·dic·u·lar 
[àppən díkyələr] adjective

1.  associated
with limbs:
used to describe body parts that are associated with the limbs • appendicular
muscles

2.  of
appendix:
used to describe the appendix
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin appendicula .][1]



appendix

appendix

ap·pen·dix 
[ə péndiks] (plural ap·pen·dix·es
or ap·pen·di·ces [ə péndi seez])
noun

1.  ANATOMY small
outgrowth from large intestine: a blind-ended tube
leading from the first part of the large intestine ( cecum ), near its junction
with the small intestine. In humans it is small, occurs in the lower right-hand
part of the abdomen, and contains cells of the immune system.
Also
called
vermiform appendix

2.  additional
information accompanying main text: a
collection of separate material at the end of a book or document

3.  projecting
part:
a part that projects from something larger
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from appendere (see append ).][1]



apperceive

apperceive
ap·per·ceive 
[àppər sv] (past ap·per·ceived,
past participle ap·per·ceived, present participle ap·per·ceiv·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·per·ceives) transitive verb

comprehend
in terms of past experiences: to comprehend or assimilate
something, for example, a new idea, in terms of previous experiences or
perceptions
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from apperception .][1]



apperception

apperception
ap·per·cep·tion 
[àppər sépsh’n] (plural ap·per·cep·tions)
noun

comprehension
using past experiences: the comprehension or
assimilation of something, for example, a new idea, in terms of previous
experiences or perceptions
[Mid-18th
century. From the modern Latin stem apperception-, literally “toward
perception,” from Latin perceptio “perception” (see perception ).]
—ap·per·cep·tive, adjective[1]



appertain

appertain
ap·per·tain 
[àppər táyn] (past ap·per·tained,
past participle ap·per·tained, present participle ap·per·tain·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·per·tains) intransitive verb

belong:
to belong or relate to something (formal) • another
issue that appertains to the policy under discussion
[14th century. Via Old French
apartenir from, ultimately, late Latin appertinere, literally “to
belong completely to,” from pertinere “to belong to” (see pertain ).][1]



appestat

appestat
ap·pe·stat 
[áppə stàt] (plural ap·pe·stats)
noun

brain
area regulating appetite: the region of the brain that
controls appetite and eating
[Coined from appetite + -stat][1]



appetence

appetence
ap·pe·tence 
[áppət’ns] (plural ap·pe·tences)
or ap·pe·ten·cy [áppətənsee] (plural
ap·pe·ten·cies) noun

desire:
a desire or longing for something
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin appetentia, from appetent-, the present
participle stem of appetere (see appetite
).][1]



appetite

appetite
ap·pe·tite 
[áppə tt] (plural ap·pe·tites)
noun

1.  desire
for food:
a natural desire for food

2.  strong
desire:
a strong desire or craving for something
[14th
century. Via French from Latin appetitus “desire,” from appetere,
literally “to seek after,” from petere “to seek” (see petition ).]
—ap·pe·ti·tive [áppə ttiv, ə péttətiv],
adjective[1]



appetizer

appetizer
ap·pe·tiz·er 
[áppə tzər] (plural ap·pe·tiz·ers)
noun

1.  food
served before main course: a small dish of food served
at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite

2.  stimulating
sample:
a sample of something that is meant to stimulate an interest
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from earlier appetize “to give an appetite,” a back-formation from appetizing .][1]



appetizing

appetizing
ap·pe·tiz·ing 
[áppə tzing] adjective

stimulating
the appetite: appealing to or stimulating the appetite
[Mid-17th
century. Anglicization of French appétissant, from appétit (see appetite ).]
—ap·pe·tiz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



applaud

applaud
ap·plaud 
[ə pláwd] (past ap·plaud·ed, past
participle ap·plaud·ed, present participle ap·plaud·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·plauds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb clap
hands:
to clap hands as a sign of welcome, appreciation, or approval

2.  transitive
verb
express
approval:
to praise somebody or something • applauded
the students’ achievement
[15th
century. Directly and via French from Latin applaudere, literally “to
clap at,” from plaudere “to clap” (source of English plaudit and explode
).]
—ap·plaud·a·ble,
adjective

—ap·plaud·er,
noun

—ap·plaud·ing,
adjective

—ap·plaud·ing·ly, adverb[1]



applause

applause
ap·plause 
[ə pláwz] noun

clapping
of hands:
the clapping of hands to express welcome, enjoyment, appreciation, or approval
[Late 16th century. From
Latin applausus, from applaus-, the past participle stem of applaudere
(see applaud ).][1]



apple

apple

ap·ple 
[ápp’l] (plural ap·ples) noun

1.  firm
round fruit with central core: a firm round fruit
with a central core, red or green skin, and white flesh

2.  fruit
tree:
a deciduous Eurasian tree that has white or pink flowers and produces apples.
Latin name: Malus pumila
[Old
English æppel]
the apple of somebody’s eye

somebody or something very
much loved and favored by another person[1]



Applebaum,Louis

Applebaum,Louis
Ap·ple·baum
[ápp’l bàwm], Louis (1918– )

Canadian composer and
conductor. He was a prolific composer for film, theater, television, and radio.[1]



applebutter

applebutter
ap·ple
but·ter
noun

spread made of apples:
a smooth spread made of stewed apples flavored with spices[1]



applecart

applecart
ap·ple·cart
[ápp’l krt] (plural ap·ple·carts)
noun

fruitseller’s
cart:
in former times, a street vendor’s cart from which apples were sold
upset
the applecart

to spoil a plan or
arrangement[1]



applegreen

applegreen
ap·ple
green
noun

bright
green color: a bright green color with a light tinge
of yellow
—ap·ple-green, adjective[1]



applejack

applejack
ap·ple·jack 
[ápp’l jàk] (plural ap·ple·jacks)
noun

1.  brandy:
a brandy distilled from cider

2.  beverage:
an alcoholic beverage made from the liquid remaining after cider has been
frozen

[1]



applemaggot

applemaggot
ap·ple
mag·got
(plural ap·ple mag·gots) noun

larva that damages apples:
the larva of a fruit fly that bores into and feeds on the fruit of apple trees.
Latin name: Rhagoletis pomonella[1]



appleof Peru

appleof Peru

ap·ple of Pe·ru 
(plural ap·ples of Pe·ru) noun
ornamental annual plant:
an ornamental annual plant that has pale violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers.
Latin name: Nicandra physalodes
Also called
shoo-fly plant[1]



applepandowdy

applepandowdy
ap·ple
pan·dow·dy
noun

New England
sweet apple pie:
a type of apple pie or deep-dish apple cobbler sweetened with molasses[1]



applepie

applepie
ap·ple
pie
(plural ap·ple pies) noun

dessert
with apples in pastry: a dessert made by cooking
sliced apples in a pastry case
Mom
and apple pie

the virtues, for example,
neighborliness and civic pride, that Americans believe have traditionally
characterized U.S. culture[1]



apple-pie

apple-pie
ap·ple-pie 
adjective

characteristic
of typical U.S. values: characteristic of or
embodying the virtues that Americans believe to be typical of U.S. culture, for
example, neighborliness, civic pride, and honesty (informal) • apple-pie
honesty
in
apple-pie order

neat and tidy[1]



apple-polish

apple-polish
ap·ple-pol·ish 
(past ap·ple-pol·ished, past participle ap·ple-pol·ished,
present participle ap·ple-pol·ish·ing, 3rd person present
singular ap·ple-pol·ish·es) intransitive and transitive verb

curry
favor:
to try to win favor by flattering somebody (slang)
—ap·ple pol·ish·er, noun[1]



applesauce

applesauce
ap·plesauce
[ápp’l sàwss] noun

1.  condiment
made from apples: a sauce of sweetened stewed apples,
often served with pork

2.  nonsense:
silly nonsense (informal)

[1]



applet

applet
ap·plet
[ápplət] (plural ap·plets) noun

1.  limited
computer program: a simple computer program that performs
a single task and is run from within a larger application

2.  computer
program transferrable over Internet: a
small piece of computer code, often embedded within a Web page, that can be
transferred over the Internet and executed by the recipient’s computer
[Late 20th century. Coined
from application + -let .][1]



Appleton

Appleton
Ap·ple·ton 
[ápp’ltən]

city in east central
Wisconsin, on the Fox River. Population: 65,862 (1996)[1]



Appletonlayer

Appletonlayer
Ap·ple·ton
lay·er
noun

See
F region
[Named for the British
physicist Edward V. Appleton (1892–1965), who discovered it.][1]



AppleValley

AppleValley
Ap·ple
Val·ley


city in southeastern
Minnesota, south of St. Paul. Population: 42,949 (1996)[1]



appliance

appliance
ap·pli·ance 
[ə pl əns] (plural ap·pli·ances)
noun

1.  domestic
electrical machine: an electrical device or
machine such as a vacuum cleaner that is used for a particular purpose in the
home

2.  device
for straightening teeth: a device made of metal bands
or wires that is connected to the teeth and tightened in order to make them
straighter

3.  putting
something into effect: the act of putting something
into effect

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at implement

[1]



applicable

applicable
ap·pli·ca·ble 
[ápplikəb’l, ə
plíkəb’l] adjective

relevant:
affecting, connected with, or relevant to a particular person, group of people,
or situation
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin applicare “to apply” (see apply ).]
—ap·pli·ca·bil·i·ty
[àpplikə bíllətee], noun

—ap·pli·ca·bly [áppləkəblee], adverb[1]



applicant

applicant
ap·pli·cant 
[áppləkənt] (plural ap·pli·cants)
noun

somebody
who formally applies for something:
somebody who formally applies for something, for example, a job, a grant of
money, or admission to a university
[Early
19th century. From Latin applicant-, the present participle stem of applicare
(see apply ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



application

application
ap·pli·ca·tion 
[àpplə káysh’n] (plural ap·pli·ca·tions)
noun

1.  formal
request for something: a formal and usually written
request for something, for example, a job, a grant of money, or admission to a
university

2.  use
of something: the use something is put to or the
process of putting it to use

3.  relevance:
the relevance or value that something has, especially when it is applied to a
certain field or area • the
industrial applications of biochemical research

4.  spreading
liquid on surface: the act of spreading a
liquid, such as paint or medicine on a surface

5.  hard
work:
concentration and hard work

6.  COMPUTING computer
software:
a computer program or piece of software designed to perform a specific task.
Also
called
app
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin applicare (see apply
).][1]



applicative

applicative
ap·pli·ca·tive 
[áppli kàytiv, ə
plíkətiv] adjective

applicable:
capable of being applied
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin applicat-, the past participle stem of applicare
(see apply ).]
—ap·pli·ca·tive·ly, adverb[1]



applicator

applicator
ap·pli·ca·tor 
[ápplə kàytər] (plural ap·pli·ca·tors)
noun

device
for applying substance: a device used to apply a
liquid or powder to a surface
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin applicat-, the past participle stem of applicare “to
apply” (see apply ).][1]



applicatory

applicatory
ap·pli·ca·to·ry 
[ápplikə tàwree, ə
plíkə tàwree] adjective

suitable
for applying: easily or suitably applied
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin applicat-, the past participle stem of applicare (see apply ).][1]



applied

applied
ap·plied 
[ə pld] adjective

practical:
able to be put to practical use, especially as a branch of a subject that has
both practical and theoretical aspects.
See also
pure[1]



appliedanthropology

appliedanthropology
ap·plied
an·thro·pol·o·gy noun

practical branch of
anthropology: the branch of
anthropology concerned with the solution of practical problems such as drought
relief or economic development[1]



appliedlinguistics

appliedlinguistics
ap·plied
lin·guis·tics noun

practical branch of
linguistics: the branch of
linguistics that applies the results of research to practical areas of language
such as translation, language disorders, or teaching second languages (takes
a singular verb)[1]



appliedpsychology

appliedpsychology
ap·plied
psy·chol·o·gy noun

practical branch of
psychology: the branch of psychology in
which theory is applied to real-life situations, for example, in the workplace
or in medical settings[1]



appliqué

appliqué
ap·pli·qué 
[àppli káy] noun

fabric
pieces sewn on fabric: shaped pieces of fabric sewn
on a foundation fabric to form a design or pattern
transitive
verb
(past ap·pli·quéd, past participle ap·pli·quéd, present
participle ap·pli·qué·ing, 3rd person present singular ap·pli·qués)

sew
fabric pieces on fabric: to form a design or pattern
by sewing shaped pieces of fabric on a foundation fabric
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “applied.”][1]



apply

apply
ap·ply 
[ə pl] (past ap·plied, past
participle ap·plied, present participle ap·ply·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·plies) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a formal request for something: to make a formal,
usually written, request for something • How
do I apply for a the job?

2.  transitive
verb
use
something:
to make use of something to achieve a result • He
applied his first-aid skills to help the accident victims.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
relevant:
to be relevant to somebody or something • The
requirement applies only if you are over 65.

4.  transitive
verb
spread
something:
to spread a liquid or other material over a surface • Apply
a thin layer of cream to the face and neck.

5.  transitive
verb
work
hard:
to work hard or spend a significant amount of time on something • I
could have done better if I’d applied myself a little more.
[14th
century. Via Old French aplier from Latin applicare “to fold
toward,” from plicare “to fold” (see ply
).]
—ap·pli·er, noun[1]



appoggiatura

appoggiatura
ap·pog·gia·tu·ra 
[ə pòjjə trə] (plural ap·pog·gia·tu·ras
or ap·pog·gia·tu·re [ə pòjjə tray])
noun

ornamental
musical note: in music, an ornamental dissonant note
resolving, usually downward by a step, into a principal note
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “something supported by another.”][1]



appoint

appoint
ap·point 
[ə póynt] (past ap·point·ed, past
participle ap·point·ed, present participle ap·point·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·points) transitive verb

1.  select
somebody for position or job: to select a person or a
group of people for an official position or to do a particular job • She’s
been appointed director.

2.  agree
upon a time or place: to fix or agree upon a
particular time or place for something to happen (formal)

3.  LAW give
certain powers to trustee: to authorize a trustee to
transfer trust property to particular beneficiaries
[14th century. From Old
French apointier “to arrange, settle,” from a point, literally
“to a point.”][1]



appointed

appointed
ap·point·ed
[ə póyntəd] adjective

decorated:
decorated, furnished, or equipped (usually used in combination) • a
well-appointed apartment[1]



appointee

appointee
ap·point·ee 
[ə pòyn t] (plural ap·point·ees)
noun

1.  somebody
selected for job: somebody who is selected for an office
or position or to perform a particular job

2.  LAW trustee
responsible for trust property: a trustee with the
power to transfer trust property to particular beneficiaries

[1]



appointive

appointive
ap·point·ive 
[ə póyntiv] adjective

1.  filled
by appointment: being or relating to a position to which
somebody is appointed

2.  LAW relating
to trust property: relating to trust property
that is managed by a trustee with the power to transfer it to beneficiaries

[1]



appointment

appointment
ap·point·ment 
[ə póyntmənt] noun (plural ap·point·ments)

1.  arrangement
to meet somebody: an arrangement to have a meeting or to
be somewhere at a particular time

2.  choice
of somebody for job: the selection of somebody
for a position, office, or job

3.  position
or job:
a position, office, or job to which somebody is appointed

4.  somebody
appointed to job: somebody who has been appointed to a
position, office, or job

5.  LAW selection
of trustee:
the selection of a trustee to whom power is given to transfer trust property to
beneficiaries
plural
noun
appointments

furniture and fittings:
the furniture, accessories, and equipment belonging to a particular place

[1]



appointmentbook

appointmentbook
ap·point·ment
book
(plural ap·point·ment books) noun

book for appointments:
a book, usually with pages labeled according to the days of a calendar year,
used to keep notes of appointments.
U.K. term
diary[1]



appointmentTV

appointmentTV
appointment
TV 
noun

TV programs watched
regularly: television programs that
viewers watch regularly and are loyal to[1]



appointor

appointor
ap·poin·tor 
[ə póyntər] (plural ap·poin·tors)
noun

LAW
somebody who selects trustee:
somebody responsible for selecting a trustee to supervise and transfer trust
property[1]



Appomattox

Appomattox
Ap·po·mat·tox 
[àppə máttəks]

1.  city
in central Virginia. The courthouse there was the site of the 1865 Confederate
surrender to the Union Army. Population: 1,838 (1996)

2.  river
in southeastern Virginia that flows eastward into the James River at Hopewell.
Length: 217 km/135 mi.

[1]



apport

apport
ap·port
[ə páwrt] (plural ap·ports) noun

1.  production
of objects at seance: the production of objects at
a spiritualist’s seance, supposedly by paranormal means

2.  object
produced at seance: an object produced at a
spiritualist’s seance, supposedly by paranormal means
[15th century. From French aport,
literally “bringing to,” from aporter “to carry to,” from porter
“to carry” (see port ).][1]



apportion

apportion
ap·por·tion 
[ə páwrsh’n] (past ap·por·tioned,
past participle ap·por·tioned, present participle ap·por·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·por·tions) transitive verb

divide
something among many: to divide and allocate
something among different people or groups
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin portio “portion” (see portion ).][1]



apportionment

apportionment
ap·por·tion·ment 
[ə páwrsh’nmənt] noun

1.  allocation:
the division and allocation of something among people or groups

2.  distribution
of legislative seats: the distribution of seats in
the U.S. House of Representatives or a state legislature, based proportionally
on the population of states or electoral districts

3.  allocation
of taxes:
the distribution of direct federal taxes to the states in proportion to their
population

[1]



appose

appose
ap·pose 
[ə pṓz] (past ap·posed, past
participle ap·posed, present participle ap·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·pos·es) transitive verb

put
beside:
to be placed near something, or place or move something next to something else
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin apponere, on the model of English compose and expose
.][1]



apposite

apposite
ap·po·site 
[áppəzit] adjective

particularly
appropriate: especially well suited to the
circumstances
[Early
17th century. From Latin appositus, the past participle of apponere
“to add to, put near,” from ponere “to put” (see position ).]
—ap·po·site·ly,
adverb

—ap·po·site·ness, noun[1]



apposition

apposition
ap·po·si·tion 
[àppə zíshən] noun

1.  juxtaposition:
the relative position of two things that are next to each other

2.  GRAMMAR relationship
between noun phrases: the relationship between two
usually consecutive nouns or noun phrases that refer to the same person or
thing and have the same relationship to other sentence elements. In the
sentence “My son, an actor, lives with me,” the phrase “My son, an actor” is an
example of apposition.

3.  BIOLOGY cell
growth in layers: cell growth in which layers of material
are deposited on already existing ones
—ap·po·si·tion·al,
adjective

—ap·po·si·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



appositive

appositive
ap·pos·i·tive 
[ə pózzətiv] (plural ap·pos·i·tives)
adjective

in
grammatical apposition: used to describe words or
phrases that refer to the same person or thing and have the same relationship
to other sentence elements
—ap·pos·i·tive,
noun

—ap·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb[1]



appraisal

appraisal
ap·prais·al 
[ə práyz’l] (plural ap·prais·als)
noun

1.  evaluation:
a judgment or opinion of something or somebody, especially one that assesses
how effective or useful something or somebody is

2.  valuation:
an estimate of the value of something

[1]



appraise

appraise
ap·praise 
[ə práyz] (past ap·praised, past
participle ap·praised, present participle ap·prais·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·prais·es) transitive verb

1.  valuate
something:
to give an estimate of how much money something is worth

2.  assess
merits or quality: to give an opinion of
somebody’s merits or something’s quality
[15th
century. Alteration of apprize, on the model
of praise .]
—ap·prais·a·ble,
adjective

—ap·praise·ment,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  appraise
  or apprise ?
  Appraise, meaning “to assess,
  evaluate,” is used with reference to people or (more usually) the things they
  do or achieve. • She appraised their
  work at the end of each week. Apprise,
  meaning “inform,” is a more formal word and is used with reference to people.
  • He
  apprised them of the decisions.

[1]



appraiser

appraiser
ap·prais·er
[ə práyzər] (plural ap·prais·ers)
noun

giver of appraisals:
somebody whose job is to make appraisals of valuables, for example, antiques,
jewels, and silver[1]



appreciable

appreciable
ap·pre·cia·ble 
[ə prshəbəl] adjective

noticeable:
large or important enough to be noticed • There
is no appreciable difference between them.
—ap·pre·cia·bly, adverb[1]



appreciate

appreciate
ap·pre·ci·ate 
[ə prshee ayt] (past ap·pre·ci·at·ed,
past participle ap·pre·ci·at·ed, present participle ap·pre·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·pre·ci·ates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
feel
gratitude:
to feel grateful for something • I’d
appreciate it if you didn’t repeat this to anyone.

2.  transitive
verb
value
somebody or something highly: to recognize and like the
qualities in somebody or something

3.  transitive
verb
understand
something:
to understand fully the meaning or importance of a particular situation

4.  intransitive
verb
gain
in value:
to increase in value, especially over time
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin appretiare “to value, estimate, rate,
appraise,” from pretium “money spent, worth, value” (source of English price ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Proper
  contexts.
  Language
  critics’ opinions on appreciate vary widely. Some critics, explaining
  that the word’s etymology has to do with accurate valuation, say proper use
  requires it to be used only in neutral contexts ( • I
  appreciate your position ). Others, pointing out
  that appreciation is admiration or gratitude, say it should be used
  only in favorable contexts ( • I
  appreciate your honesty ). Still others argue that
  the verb’s object should always be a noun ( • I
  appreciate your annoyance ), not a clause ( • I
  appreciate how angry you are ). Certainly it is
  worth remembering the verb’s continuing ties to the ideas of valuation and
  gratitude, and worth remembering, too, that no one objects to recognize
  or realize or understand in negative contexts or before
  clauses.

[1]



appreciation

appreciation
ap·pre·ci·a·tion 
[ə prshee áyshən] noun

1.  gratefulness:
a feeling or expression of gratitude • a
token of my appreciation

2.  positive
opinion:
a favorable opinion of something

3.  valuing
something highly: recognition and liking of something’s
qualities

4.  full
understanding: a full understanding of the meaning and
importance of something

5.  growth
in value:
an increase in value, especially over time

[1]



appreciative

appreciative
ap·pre·cia·tive 
[ə prshətiv] adjective

grateful
or approving: expressing or feeling gratitude or
approval
—ap·pre·cia·tive·ly,
adverb

—ap·pre·cia·tive·ness,
noun[1]



apprehend

apprehend
ap·pre·hend 
[àppri hénd] (past ap·pre·hend·ed,
past participle ap·pre·hend·ed, present participle ap·pre·hend·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·pre·hends) transitive verb

1.  arrest
somebody:
to put somebody suspected of wrongdoing into legal custody

2.  understand
something:
to grasp the importance, significance, or meaning of something

3.  become
aware of something: to become aware of something
by use of the senses (formal)

4.  be
fearful of something: to await an impending
disaster or other calamity with fear or dread (formal)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin apprehendere “to take hold of,” from prehendere
“to seize” (see prehensile ).][1]



apprehensible

apprehensible
ap·pre·hen·si·ble 
[àppri hénsəb’l] adjective

understandable:
capable of being understood[1]



apprehension

apprehension
ap·pre·hen·sion 
[àppri hénshən] (plural ap·pre·hen·sions)
noun

1.  dread:
a feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen

2.  arrest:
the taking of a criminal suspect into custody (formal)

3.  idea:
an idea formed by observation or experience

4.  ability
to understand: the power or ability to grasp the
importance, significance, or meaning of something (formal)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from the late Latin stem apprehension-, from apprehens-,
the past participle stem of Latin apprehendere (see apprehend ).][1]



apprehensive

apprehensive
ap·pre·hen·sive 
[àppri hénsiv] adjective

1.  fearful:
worried that something bad will happen

2.  aware:
aware or cognizant of something nonphysical, for example, implications or
results (formal)
—ap·pre·hen·sive·ly,
adverb

—ap·pre·hen·sive·ness,
noun[1]



apprentice

apprentice
ap·pren·tice 
[ə préntiss] noun (plural ap·pren·tic·es)

1.  trainee:
somebody who works under a skilled professional in order to learn an art,
craft, or trade and become qualified in it

2.  inexperienced
person:
a novice or amateur
transitive
verb
(past ap·pren·ticed, past participle ap·pren·ticed,
present participle ap·pren·tic·ing, 3rd person present
singular ap·pren·tic·es)

make somebody apprentice:
to give somebody work as an apprentice to a skilled professional • He
was apprenticed to a master electrician for five years.
[14th
century. From Old French aprentis, from aprendre “to learn,” from
Latin apprehendere (see apprehend ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at beginner

[1]



apprenticeship

apprenticeship
ap·pren·tice·ship 
[ə préntis shìp] (plural ap·pren·tice·ships)
noun

1.  time
spent as apprentice: the period of time that an
apprentice spends training

2.  status
of apprentice: an apprentice’s status or conditions of
employment

[1]



appressed

appressed
ap·pressed 
[ə prést] adjective

lying
flat:
used to describe a part of a plant that is pressed closely against another part
without being joined to it • appressed
leaves
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin appressus, the past participle of apprimere “to press
to,” from premere “to press” (see press
).][1]



apprise

apprise
ap·prise 
[ə prz] (past ap·prised, past
participle ap·prised, present participle ap·pris·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·pris·es) transitive verb

inform
somebody:
to inform or give notice to somebody about something (formal)
[Late
17th century. From French appris, the past participle of apprendre
“to make learn, teach” (see apprentice ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at appraise.

[1]



apprize

apprize
ap·prize 
[ə prz] (past ap·prized, past
participle ap·prized, present participle ap·priz·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·prizes) transitive verb

hold
in high regard: to value something very highly, for
example, because of its monetary worth (formal)
[15th century. Via Old French
aprisier from Latin appretiare (see appreciate
).][1]



approach

approach
ap·proach 
[ə prṓch] verb (past ap·proached,
past participle ap·proached, present participle ap·proach·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·proach·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
closer:
to move closer to somebody or something • He
motioned to us to approach.

2.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody:
to speak to somebody with a view to asking for something

3.  transitive
verb
treat
something in particular way: to deal with something in a
particular way • How did she approach
the problem?

4.  transitive
verb
border
on something: to be almost at a particular level or
state

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
closer in time: to come nearer in time to something • As
spring approaches I notice people smiling more.

6.  intransitive
verb
GOLF hit
ball from fairway to green: to make a golf shot from the
fairway toward a green

7.  intransitive
verb
TENNIS come
to net:
come in toward the net in tennis
noun
(plural ap·proach·es)

1.  coming:
a coming nearer in space or time

2.  method:
a way of doing or solving something

3.  making
of contact:
an informal request, offer, suggestion, or proposal made to somebody (often
used in the plural)

4.  similar
thing:
one thing that is very similar in its nature or qualities to another

5.  access:
a way of reaching or gaining access to a building or place

6.  aircraft’s
course to landing site: the path that an aircraft
follows as it prepares to land

7.  GOLF shot
from fairway to green: a golf shot made from the
fairway toward the green.
Also
called
approach shot

8.  TENNIS movement
toward net:
movement of a tennis player toward the net

9.  BOWLING player’s
preparation to release bowling ball: the
steps somebody takes before releasing the ball in bowling, or the part of the
bowling alley used for doing this
[14th century. Via Old French
aproch(i)er from late Latin appropiare “to go nearer to,” from propius
“nearer” (see propinquity ).][1]



approachable

approachable
ap·proach·a·ble 
[ə prṓchəb’l] adjective

1.  invitingly
friendly:
friendly and easy to talk to

2.  easily
accessible:
able to be reached with ease, especially in terms of transportation

3.  user-friendly:
easy for nonspecialists to understand
—ap·proach·a·bil·i·ty
[ə prchə bíllətee], noun

—ap·proach·a·ble·ness
[ə prṓchəb’lnəss], noun[1]



approaching

approaching
ap·proach·ing
[ə prṓching] adjective

drawing near:
coming near in space or time[1]



approachshot

approachshot
ap·proach
shot
(plural ap·proach shots) noun

1.  TENNIS shot
hit deep into opponent’s court: a tennis shot hit deep
into the opponent’s court, designed to give the player time to approach the net
for the next shot

2.  GOLF See approach  noun 9

[1]



approbation

approbation
ap·pro·ba·tion 
[àpprə báyshən] noun

1.  expression
of approval: approval, consent, or appreciation

2.  official
sanction:
the official approving, authorizing, or sanctioning of something
—ap·pro·ba·tive
[ápprə bàytiv, ə
prṓbətiv], adjective

—ap·pro·ba·to·ry [àpprə báytəree], adjective[1]



appropriable

appropriable
ap·pro·pri·a·ble 
[ə prṓpriəb’l] adjective

capable of undergoing
appropriation: able or likely to be
appropriated[1]



appropriate

appropriate
ap·pro·pri·ate 
adjective [ə prṓpree ət]

fitting:
suitable for the occasion or circumstances
transitive
verb
[ə prṓpree àyt] (past ap·pro·pri·at·ed,
past participle ap·pro·pri·at·ed, present participle ap·pro·pri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·pro·pri·ates)

1.  take
something for own use: to take or use something
forcefully or without permission

2.  use
money for particular purpose: to set aside an amount of
money for a particular use
[15th
century. From late Latin appropriatus, the past participle of Latin appropriare
“to make your own,” from propius “own” (source of English proper ).]
—ap·pro·pri·ate·ly,
adverb

—ap·pro·pri·ate·ness,
noun

—ap·pro·pri·a·tive
[ə prpree àytiv], adjective

—ap·pro·pri·a·tor [ə prṓpree àytər], noun[1]



appropriation

appropriation
ap·pro·pri·a·tion 
[əprpree áysh’n] (plural ap·pro·pri·a·tions)
noun

1.  taking
something for own use: the taking or using of
something forcefully or without permission

2.  money
for particular purpose: a sum of money that has been
set aside from a budget, especially a government budget, for a particular
purpose (often used in the plural)

[1]



approval

approval
ap·prov·al 
[ə prvəl] (plural ap·prov·als)
noun

1.  good
opinion:
a favorable opinion or feeling about something

2.  official
sanction:
formal or official agreement or permission
on
approval

with the opportunity to try
something before deciding whether you really want to buy it[1]



approve

approve
ap·prove 
[ə prv] (past ap·proved, past
participle ap·proved, present participle ap·prov·ing, 3rd
person present singular ap·proves) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
like
somebody or something: to have a favorable opinion
of somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
give
something official agreement or acceptance: to
agree officially to something, or accept that something has reached a required
standard

3.  transitive
verb
prove
something:
to prove something by trial or testing (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin approbare “to assent to as good,”
from probus “good” (source of English probity
).]
—ap·prov·a·ble, adjective[1]



approved

approved
ap·proved
[ə prvd] adjective

1.  generally
accepted:
accepted by most people as appropriate or correct

2.  officially
sanctioned:
officially accepted or permitted

[1]



approx.

approx.
approx.

1.  Abbreviation
of
approximately

2.  Abbreviation
of
approximate

[1]



approximal

approximal
ap·prox·i·mal
[ə próksim’l] adjective

adjacent or close together:
used to describe, or relating to, teeth that are side by side or set close
together[1]



approximate

approximate
ap·prox·i·mate 
adjective [ə próksəmət]

1.  nearly
exact:
not quite exact, but only slightly more or less in number or quantity

2.  similar:
similar in nature, appearance, or characteristics to something else
verb
[ə próksə màyt] (past ap·prox·i·mat·ed,
past participle ap·prox·i·mat·ed, present participle ap·prox·i·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular ap·prox·i·mates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
similar to something: to be or become similar to
something in nature, size, or extent

2.  transitive
verb
estimate
something:
to make or provide an estimate, usually a rough estimate, of something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
or bring close: to come or bring something close to
something else
[15th
century. From late Latin approximatus, the past participle of approximare
“to draw near to,” from Latin proximus “near” (source of English proximity ).]
—ap·prox·i·mate·ness, noun[1]



approximately

approximately
ap·prox·i·mate·ly 
[ə próksəmətlee] adverb

nearly:
not exactly, but nearly or roughly[1]



approximation

approximation
ap·prox·i·ma·tion 
[ə pròksə máysh’n] (plural ap·prox·i·ma·tions)
noun

1.  rough
calculation: a figure that is not exact, but is only
slightly higher or lower than a given amount

2.  similar
thing:
something that is very similar to something else

3.  estimation:
the guessing or estimating of an amount or number • figures
arrived at by approximation

[1]



appt.

appt.
appt.

Abbreviation of
appointment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








appulse

appulse
ap·pulse
[ə púlss] (plural ap·pulses) noun

near
approach of two celestial bodies: a near approach of two
celestial bodies that does not result in a partial concealment or an eclipse
[Early 17th century. From
Latin appulsus, the past participle of appellere “to drive to,
force toward,” from pellere “to drive.”][1]



appurtenance

appurtenance
ap·pur·te·nance 
[ə púrt’nəns] noun (plural ap·pur·te·nances)

1.  accessory:
an accompanying part or feature of something (formal) (often used in
the plural) • an athletic club with
all the usual appurtenances

2.  LAW minor
right:
a legal right or privilege attached to a property and inherited with it
plural
noun
ap·pur·te·nan·ces

equipment: the
equipment needed for a particular activity (formal)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-French from, ultimately, late Latin appertinere (see appertain ).]
—ap·pur·te·nant, adjective[1]



APR

APR
APR

Abbreviation of
annual percentage rate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Apr.

Apr.
Apr.
or Apr

Abbreviation of
April[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








apraxia

apraxia
a·prax·i·a 
[ay práksee ə] noun

inability
to perform complex movements: inability to perform complex
movements, often as a result of brain damage, for example, following a stroke.
Also
called
dyspraxia noun 2
[Late
19th century. Via German from Greek, “inaction.”]
—a·prax·ic [ay práksik], adjective[1]



apricot

apricot

a·pri·cot 
[áppri kòt, áypri
kot] noun (plural a·pri·cots)

1.  fruit:
a small round fruit with a soft furry yellowish orange skin and a single pit

2.  fruit
tree:
a tree widely cultivated in temperate climates for its small yellowish orange
fruits. Latin name: Prunus armeniaca

3.  yellowish-orange
color:
a pale yellowish-orange color, like that of an apricot
adjective

yellowish orange:
of a pale yellowish-orange color, like an apricot
[Mid-16th
century. Via obsolete Catalan abrecoc from Arabic al-barqūq,
literally “the apricot.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  apricot got its name because the Romans
  regarded it as a type of early-ripening peach. They therefore applied to it
  the epithet praecocus (a variant of praecox, from which English
  gets precocious ). This passed via
  Byzantine Greek berikokkia into Arabic where, with the definite
  article al, it became al-birqūq or al-barqūq . Catalan
  adopted this as abrecoc, which is how English acquired the word (the
  earliest recorded English spelling is abrecock ). The final -t
  came soon after, from French.

[1]



April

April
A·pril 
[áyprəl] (plural A·prils) noun

4th
month of Gregorian calendar: in the Gregorian calendar,
the fourth month of the year, made up of 30 days
[14th century. From Latin Aprilis,
from Etruscan apru, from Greek Aphrō, a shortening of Aphroditē
(see Aphrodite ).][1]



Aprilfool

Aprilfool
A·pril
fool
noun (plural A·pril fools)

1.  target
of joke:
somebody who is the target of a practical joke on April Fools’ Day

2.  joke
played on somebody: a practical joke played on
somebody on April Fools’ Day
interjection

announcing that joke has been played:
used to tell somebody that he or she has been the target of an April Fools’ Day
joke

[1]



AprilFools’ Day

AprilFools’ Day
A·pril
Fools’ Day 
(plural A·pril Fools’ Days) noun

April 1:
April 1, traditionally a day on which people play practical jokes on other
people.
Also called
All Fools’ Day[1]



apriori

apriori
a
pri·o·ri 
[ pree áwree, ày
prī áwrī] adjective

1.  based
on something known: working from something that
is already known or self-evident to arrive at a conclusion

2.  assumed:
known or assumed without reference to experience

3.  made
beforehand:
conceived or formulated before investigation or experience
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “from the previous (one, cause, hypothesis).”]
—a
pri·o·ri, adverb

—a·pri·or·i·ty [aà pree áwrətee], noun[1]



apron

apron
a·pron 
[áyprən] (plural a·prons) noun

1.  protective
garment tied over clothes: a garment worn over the
front of clothes to keep them clean during working, especially cooking. An
apron is usually tied around the waist and often has a bib to cover the chest.

2.  TECHNOLOGY protective
part:
a shield or plate attached to a machine that protects the user from flying
debris

3.  projecting
edge:
the projecting edge of a platform, for example, a theater stage, dock, or
loading bay

4.  AIR paved
area at airport: the paved area immediately in front of
airport buildings, on which aircraft are loaded and unloaded

5.  GOLF border
around green: the outer edge of a green on a golf
course

6.  BOXING area
outside boxing ring ropes: the part of the floor of a
boxing ring that is outside the ropes

7.  GEOGRAPHY low-angled
surface:
a gently sloping surface of sand, gravel, or bare rock, usually in front of a
mountain range

8.  INDUSTRY conveyor
belt made of slats: a conveyor belt made of
slats loosely attached to each other in a way that allows the belt to go around
curves

9.  TRANSPORT See skirt  noun 7
[14th century. From Old
French naperon, literally “small cloth,” from nape “tablecloth,”
from Latin mappa “napkin” (source of English napkin
). The original phrase “a napron” was later construed as “an apron.”][1]



apronstage

apronstage
a·pron
stage
(plural a·pron stag·es) noun

projecting stage:
a stage that juts out into the auditorium[1]



apropos

apropos
ap·ro·pos 
[àpprə pṓ] adjective

just
right:
appropriate in a particular situation (formal)
preposition

in
regard to:
on the subject of (formal) • We’ve
had further correspondence from them apropos our application for funds.
adverb

incidentally:
by the way (formal) • Apropos,
do you think we should delay the announcement?
[Mid-17th century. From
French à propos, literally “to the purpose,” a translation of Latin ad
propositum .][1]



aprotic

aprotic
a·pro·tic 
[ay prṓtik] adjective

not
supplying protons: used to describe a solvent
that is unable to donate protons
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from a- + proton
+ -ic .][1]



après-ski

après-ski
a·près-ski
[ pray sk] noun

socializing
after skiing: social activities taking place after
skiing
adjective

after
skiing:
taking place during or appropriate to the period of time after skiing
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “after skiing.”][1]



apse

apse

apse 
[aps] (plural apses) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE rounded
projection on building: a semicircular projecting
part of a building, especially the east end of a church that contains the
altar.
Also
called
apsis

2.  ASTRONOMY See apsis
[Early
19th century. From Latin apsis (see apsis
).]
—ap·si·dal [ápsid’l], adjective[1]



apsis

apsis
ap·sis 
[ápsiss] (plural ap·si·des [ápsi deez]) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY nearest
or farthest point in orbit: either of the two points in
an orbit that are nearest to and farthest from the center of gravitational
attraction.
Also
called
apse

2.  ARCHITECTURE See apse
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek (h)apsis “rim of a wheel, wheel,
arch, vault,” perhaps from haptein “to fasten.”]
—ap·si·dal, adjective[1]



apt

apt
apt 
[apt] adjective

1.  very
appropriate: especially suited to the circumstances

2.  likely:
often doing something and likely to do it again

3.  quick
to learn:
enthusiastic and quick to learn new things
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin aptus, past participle of
apere “to fit, fasten, join.”]
—apt·ly,
adverb

—apt·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at likely.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word apere from which apt is
  derived is also the source of English adapt,
  adept, attitude,
  copulate, couple, and inept.

[1]



apt.

apt.
apt.

Abbreviation of
apartment[1]



apteral

apteral
ap·ter·al 
[áptərəl] adjective

1.  without
columns:
used to describe a classical temple that has no columns along its sides

2.  without
aisles:
used to describe a church that has no aisles
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek apteros “wingless,” from pteron “wing, feather”
(source of English pterodactyl ).][1]



apterous

apterous
ap·ter·ous 
[áptərəss] adjective

lacking
wings:
used to describe an insect that has no wings
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek apteros (see apteral ).][1]



apteryx

apteryx
ap·ter·yx 
[áptəriks] (plural ap·ter·yx·es)
noun

See
kiwi
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, coined from Greek a- “without” + pterux “wing.”][1]



aptitude

aptitude
ap·ti·tude 
[ápti td] (plural ap·ti·tudes)
noun

1.  potential
to acquire skill: a natural talent or ability for
something, especially one that is not yet fully developed

2.  quickness
in learning: quickness and ease in learning

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ability See Synonyms at talent

[1]



aptitudetest

aptitudetest
ap·ti·tude
test
(plural ap·ti·tude tests) noun

test of suitability for work:
a test to determine how readily somebody is likely to be able to develop
certain skills, especially in order to do a particular kind of work[1]



Apus

Apus
A·pus
[áypəss] noun

faint constellation near
south celestial pole: a faint
constellation lying near the south celestial pole[1]



APWU

APWU
APWU

Abbreviation of
American Postal Workers Union[1]



apyrase

apyrase
ap·y·rase 
[áppə ràyss, áppə
ràyz] (plural ap·y·ras·es) noun

enzyme
reacting with ATP: an enzyme that aids the
breakdown of ATP, yielding phosphate and energy
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of adenyl pyrophosphatase, its chemical name.][1]



apyrexia

apyrexia
ap·y·rex·i·a 
[ày pī réksee ə, àppə
réksee ə] noun

lack
of fever:
absence of fever, or a period during which a patient experiences no fever
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek apurexia .]
—ap·y·ret·ic
[àypī réttik, àppə
réttik], adjective

—ap·y·rex·i·al, adjective[1]



apéritif

apéritif
a·pé·ri·tif 
[ perə tf, aa
pèrrə tf, ə pèrrə tf] (plural
apéri·tifs) noun

drink
before meal: an alcoholic beverage to be drunk before
a meal
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin apertus, the past participle of aperire
(see aperture ).][1]



aq.

aq.
aq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
aqua

2.  GEOLOGY Abbreviation of aqueous

[1]



AQ

AQ
AQ

EDUCATION
Abbreviation of achievement quotient[1]



Aqaba,Gulf of

Aqaba,Gulf of
A·qa·ba,
Gulf of
[kəbə]

northeastern arm of the Red
Sea, bordered by Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on the east, Israel on the north, and
Saudi Arabia on the west. It is of great strategic importance in the Middle
East, as it provides Israel with its only access to the Red Sea. Length: 160
km/100 mi.[1]



Aqmola

Aqmola
Aq·mo·la
[aak móllə, aak
máwlə]

Former name for
Astana[1]



aqua-

aqua-
aqua-
prefix

water
• aquanaut
[From Latin aqua (see aqua )][1]



aqua

aqua
aqua 
[kwə, ákwə]
noun (plural aq·uae [kwee,
ákwee, k wī,
ák wī] or aq·uas)

1.  water:
water, especially when used as a solvent (technical)

2.  See
aquamarine
adjective

See aquamarine
[14th century. From Latin .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the source of the “i” in island .][1]



aquacrop

aquacrop
aq·ua·crop 
[ákwə krop] (plural aq·ua·crops)
noun

crop
of marine or freshwater organisms: a crop produced by
deliberate cultivation of organisms that live in the sea or fresh water, for
example, fish produced by fish-farming
[Late 20th century. Coined
from aquaculture + crop
.][1]



aquaculture

aquaculture
aq·ua·cul·ture 
[kwə kùlchər, ákwə
kùlchər] or aq·ui·cul·ture [kwi
kùlchər, ákwi kùlchər] noun

1.  farming
fish and aquatic plants: the farming of marine and
freshwater plants and animals for human consumption

2.  See
hydroponics
[Mid-19th
century. Modeled on agriculture .]
—aq·ua·cul·tur·al
[kwə kúlchərəl, àkwə
kúlchərəl], adjective

—aq·ua·cul·tur·ist, noun[1]



aquadynamic

aquadynamic
aq·ua·dy·na·mic 
[àkwə dī námmik] adjective

able
to pass through water easily: having a smooth or
streamlined surface in order to reduce drag when passing through water
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on aerodynamic .][1]



aquae

aquae
aq·uae


Plural of
aqua[1]



aquafortis

aquafortis
aq·ua
for·tis 
[kwə fáwrtiss] noun

nitric
acid (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “strong water.”][1]



Aqua-Lung

Aqua-Lung
Aq·ua-Lung 
Trademark

a trademark for an underwater
breathing apparatus used by divers[1]



aquamarine

aquamarine
aq·ua·ma·rine 
[kwə mə rn, àkwə
mə rn] noun (plural aq·ua·ma·rines)

1.  greenish-blue
gemstone:
a greenish-blue variety of the mineral beryl, used as a gemstone

2.  greenish
blue:
a greenish-blue color.
Also
called
aqua
adjective

greenish-blue:
of a greenish-blue color
[Late 16th century. From
Latin aqua marina “sea water” (the color of the stone).][1]



aquanaut

aquanaut
aq·ua·naut 
[kwə nàwt, ákwə
nawt] (plural aq·ua·nauts) noun

somebody
spending time underwater: somebody with training and
equipment to spend long periods working or swimming underwater
[Late 19th century. Coined
from aqua- + Greek nautēs “sailor,”
on the model of Argonaut .][1]



aquaphobia

aquaphobia
aq·ua·pho·bi·a
[kwə fṓbee ə, àkwə
fṓbee ə] noun

fear of water:
an irrational fear of water[1]



aquaplane

aquaplane
aq·ua·plane 
[kwə plàyn, ákwə
playn] noun (plural aq·ua·planes)

water-skiing board:
a water-skiing board on which somebody stands while being towed by a motorboat
intransitive
verb
(past aq·ua·planed, past participle aq·ua·planed, present
participle aq·ua·plan·ing, 3rd person present singular aq·ua·planes)

1.  ride
on an aquaplane: to ride on an aquaplane

2.  U.K.
See hydroplane

[1]



aquaregia

aquaregia
aq·ua
re·gi·a 
[àkwə rjee ə, àkwə
rjə] noun

highly
corrosive mixture of acids: a fuming, highly corrosive
mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid that is used to dissolve metals,
including gold.
Also
called
nitrohydrochloric acid
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “royal water,” so called because it can dissolve gold and
other “noble” metals.][1]



aquarelle

aquarelle
aq·ua·relle 
[kwə rél, àkwə
rél] (plural aq·ua·relles) noun

1.  watercolor
painting technique: a painting technique that
uses transparent washes of watercolor

2.  painted
picture:
a painting produced using the aquarelle technique
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from obsolete Italian acquarella “watercolor,” from acqua
“water.”]
—aq·ua·rel·list, noun[1]



aquaria

aquaria
a·quar·i·a


Plural of
aquarium[1]



Aquarian

Aquarian
A·quar·i·an 
[ə kwáiree ən] (plural A·quar·i·ans)
noun

See
Aquarius  noun 3
—A·quar·i·an, adjective[1]



aquarist

aquarist
a·quar·ist 
[ə kwáirist] (plural a·quar·ists)
noun

somebody with aquarium:
somebody who takes care of an aquarium as a hobby or a profession[1]



aquarium

aquarium
a·quar·i·um 
[ə kwáiree əm] (plural a·quar·i·ums
or a·quar·i·a [ə kwáiree ə]) noun

1.  container
for fish:
a water-filled transparent container, often box-shaped, in which fish and other
aquatic animals and plants are kept

2.  aquatic
zoo:
a building in which fish and other aquatic animals are kept and shown to the
public
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin aquarius (see Aquarius )
on the model of vivarium .][1]



Aquarius

Aquarius

A·quar·i·us 
[ə kwáiree əss] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY constellation
in southern hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the southern hemisphere between Pisces and Capricornus

2.  ZODIAC 11th
sign of zodiac: the 11th sign of the zodiac, represented
by a man pouring water, and lasting from approximately January 20 to February
18. Aquarius is classified as an air sign and its ruling planets are Saturn and
Uranus.
Also
called
the Water Carrier

3.  ZODIAC somebody
born under Aquarius: somebody whose birthday
falls between January 20 and February 18.
Also
called
Aquarian
[14th
century. From Latin, “water carrier,” a noun use of aquarius “of water,”
from aqua (see aqua ).]
—A·quar·i·us, adjective[1]



aquarobics

aquarobics
aq·ua·ro·bics 
[àkwə rṓbiks] noun

fitness
exercises in water: aerobic exercises done to
music in a swimming pool (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Late 20th century. Blend of aqua- and aerobics
.][1]



aquatic

aquatic
a·quat·ic 
[ə kwtik] adjective

1.  of
water:
connected with, consisting of, or dependent upon water

2.  living
in water:
living or growing in water

3.  done
in water:
played or performed in or on water
noun
(plural aquatics)

water plant or animal:
a plant or animal that lives or grows in water
—a·quat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aquatics

aquatics
a·quat·ics
[ə kwtiks] noun

water sports:
sports played in or on water (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



aquatint

aquatint
aq·ua·tint 
[kwə tìnt, ákwə
tint] (plural aq·ua·tints) noun

1.  etching
method:
a method of etching a copper plate in which the prints produced from it show
areas similar to watercolors. This effect is produced by varying the etching
times used for different areas of the plate.

2.  etched
picture:
an etching produced by the aquatint process
[Late
18th century. Via French aquatinte from Italian acquatinta,
literally “tinted water.”]
—aq·ua·tint·er,
noun

—aq·ua·tint·ist, noun[1]



aquavit

aquavit
a·qua·vit 
[kwə vt, ákwə
veet] noun

liquor
flavored with caraway: a potato- or grain-based
liquor flavored with caraway seeds, produced in Scandinavia
[Late 19th century. Via
Danish, Norwegian, Swedish aquavit from Latin aqua vitae (see aqua vitae ).][1]



aquavitae

aquavitae
aq·ua
vi·tae 
[ákwə vtee] noun

liquor:
a strong liquor, especially brandy
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “water of life.”][1]



aqueduct

aqueduct

aq·ue·duct 
[kwə dùkt, ákwə
dukt] (plural aq·ue·ducts) noun

1.  channel
for water:
a pipe or channel for moving water to a lower level, often across a great
distance

2.  structure
carrying canal: a structure in the form of a bridge that
carries a canal across a valley or river

3.  ANATOMY channel
carrying fluid in body: a channel in an organ or
body part through which fluid passes
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin aqueductus, from Latin aquae ductus “water
conveyance.”][1]



aqueous

aqueous
a·que·ous 
[áykwee əss, ákwee
əss] adjective

1.  watery:
containing, dissolved in, or consisting mostly of water

2.  GEOLOGY formed
from material carried by water: used to describe rocks
or deposits that are formed from material carried by water
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin aqueus, from Latin aqua (see aqua ).][1]



aqueoushumor

aqueoushumor
a·que·ous
hu·mor
noun

liquid in eye:
the transparent fluid that circulates in the eye chamber between the back of
the cornea and the front of the iris and pupil. It also permeates the vitreous
humor behind the lens.[1]



aqui-

aqui-
aqui-
prefix

water
• aquifer
[From Latin aqua (see aqua )][1]



aquiculture

aquiculture
aq·ui·cul·ture 
noun

See
aquaculture[1]



aquifer

aquifer
aq·ui·fer 
[ákwifər] (plural aq·ui·fers) noun

water-bearing rock:
a layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel through which groundwater flows,
containing enough water to supply wells and springs[1]



Aquila

Aquila
A·qui·la
[ákwələ, ə kwíllə]
noun

constellation lying across
Milky Way: a constellation on the
celestial equator near Aquarius lying across the Milky Way. It contains the
bright star Altair.[1]



aquiline

aquiline
aq·ui·line 
[ákwi l`īn] adjective

1.  thin
and curved:
thin, curved, and pointed like an eagle’s beak

2.  of
eagles:
resembling or connected with eagles
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin aquilinus, from aquila “eagle.”]
—aq·ui·lin·i·ty [àkwi línnitee], noun[1]



Aquino,Corazón

Aquino,Corazón

A·qui·no
[ə k nō], Corazón (1933– )
Filipino government leader. She was
president of the Philippines (1986–1992) after the uprising against Ferdinand
Marcos.[1]



Aquitaine

Aquitaine
Aq·ui·taine 
[ákwi tàyn]

region of France, situated in
the southwest. It includes the departments of Dordogne, Gironde, Landes,
Lot-et-Garonne, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds roughly to the same as
the Roman administrative region of Aquitania. Capital: Bordeaux. Population:
2,795,800 (1990) Area: 41,308 sq km/15,949 sq mi.[1]



aquiver

aquiver
a·quiv·er 
[ə kwívvər] adjective

shaking with excitement:
quivering, especially from excitement or agitation[1]



ar.

ar.
ar.

1.  Abbreviation
of
arrival

2.  Abbreviation
of
arrive

[1]



Ar.

Ar.
Ar.

Abbreviation of
Arabia


1.  Abbreviation
of
Arabian

2.  Abbreviation
of
Arabic

[1]



Ar

Ar
Ar

Symbol for
argon[1]



AR

AR
AR

Abbreviation of
Arkansas[1]



-ar

-ar
-ar
suffix

of,
relating to, or resembling • nebular
[Via Old French -ar
from Latin -aris, an alternative for -alis][1]



Ara

Ara
A·ra
[áyrə, áirə]
noun

faint southern constellation
in Milky Way: a faint constellation
of the southern hemisphere lying in the Milky Way near Scorpius[1]



Arab

Arab
Ar·ab 
[árrəb] noun (plural Ar·abs)

member
of Semitic people: a member of a Semitic
Arabic-speaking people who live throughout North Africa and the Middle East
adjective

See
Arabian
[14th
century. Via Old French and Latin from the Greek stem Arab- from Arabic arab
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Arab,
  Arabic, Arabian :
  Arab denotes a person, and is also used
  attributively (i.e. before a noun) as a kind of adjective ( • the
  Arab people, • Arab
  fears
  ). Arabian is an adjective referring to Arabia
  in geographical terms ( • the
  Arabian peninsula, • an
  Arabian camel ); and Arabic is a noun and
  adjective meaning the language ( • She
  speaks Arabic and knows Arabic literature ). Arabic
  is written with a capital initial letter in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3,
  etc.), and with a small initial letter in the term gum arabic, a
  substance obtained from African acacia trees.

[1]



Arab.

Arab.
Arab.

Abbreviation of
Arabia


1.  Abbreviation
of
Arabian

2.  Abbreviation
of
Arabic

[1]



arabesque

arabesque
ar·a·besque 
[àrrə bésk] (plural ar·a·besques)
noun

1.  DANCE ballet
posture:
a ballet position in which the dancer stands on one leg with the other extended
back and both arms stretched out, usually one forward and the other backward

2.  ARTS ornate
design:
an intricate and often symmetrical design, or style of design, incorporating
curves, geometric patterns, leaves, flowers, and animal shapes

3.  MUSIC music
with ornate melody: a piece of classical music
characterized by decorative melody. The term is often applied to 19th-century
compositions for solo piano.
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Italian arabesco “in the Arabian style.”][1]



Arabia

Arabia
A·ra·bi·a 
[ə ráybiə]

peninsula of southwestern
Asia, bordering the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea. Area:
3,000,000 sq km/1,160,000 sq mi.[1]



Arabian

Arabian
A·ra·bi·an 
[ə ráybee ən] adjective

of Arabia:
relating to Arabia, or its peoples or cultures
noun
(plural A·ra·bi·ans)

1.  somebody
from Arabia: somebody who was born or raised in one
of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
Also
called
Arab

2.  See
Arabian horse

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Arab.

[1]



Arabiancamel

Arabiancamel
A·ra·bi·an
cam·el
noun

See
dromedary[1]



Arabianhorse

Arabianhorse
A·ra·bi·an
horse
(plural A·ra·bi·an hors·es) noun

horse known for speed:
a horse belonging to a breed native to Arabia and known for its intelligence,
graceful build, and speed.
Also called
Arabian[1]



ArabianPeninsula

ArabianPeninsula
A·ra·bi·an
Pen·in·su·la

See
Arabia[1]



ArabianSea

ArabianSea
A·ra·bi·an
Sea

part of the Indian Ocean,
extending from the Arabian Peninsula to the Indian subcontinent[1]



Arabic

Arabic
Ar·a·bic 
[árrəbik] noun

Semitic language :
a Semitic language that is the official language of several countries of North
Africa and the Middle East. It is spoken by about 150 million people, with
around a further 175 million using it as a second language.
adjective

1.  of
Arabia:
relating to Arabia, or its people or culture

2.  of
Arabic:
relating or belonging to the Arabic language

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Arab.

[1]



arabica

arabica
a·rab·i·ca 
[ə rábbikə] noun

1.  PLANTS coffee
species:
a widely grown species of coffee bush producing high-quality coffee. Latin
name: Coffea arabica

2.  kind
of strong flavored coffee: coffee made with arabica
coffee beans
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, species name, “Arabic.”][1]



Arabicnumeral

Arabicnumeral
Ar·a·bic
nu·mer·al
(plural Ar·a·bic nu·mer·als) noun

standard numerical symbol:
any of the symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 that are used to represent
numbers[1]



arabinose

arabinose
a·rab·i·nose 
[ə rábbi n`ōss, árrəbi
n`ōss] noun

sugar
derived from plant gums: a sugar ( aldose ) derived from various plant gums and used
in culturing. C5H10O5
[Late 19th century. Coined
from gum arabic + -in
+ -ose .][1]



Arabist

Arabist
Ar·ab·ist 
[árrəbist] (plural Ar·ab·ists)
noun

1.  expert
on Arabs:
a student of or expert on the Arabs, their language, or their culture

2.  supporter
of Arabs:
somebody who favors Arab causes or political positions

[1]



arable

arable
ar·a·ble 
[árrəb’l] adjective

suitable
for growing crops: capable of being cultivated
for growing crops
noun

U.K.
land
suitable for cultivation: land that is fit for
planting crops
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin arabilis, from arare “to
plough.”]
—ar·a·bil·i·ty [èrrə bíllətee], noun[1]



ArabLeague

ArabLeague
Ar·ab
League
noun

association of Arab states:
a political and economic association of Arab states, formed in 1945[1]



arachidonicacid

arachidonicacid
ar·a·chi·don·ic
ac·id 
[àrrəki dónnik ássid] noun

fatty
acid:
an unsaturated fatty acid found in most animal fats and considered essential in
human nutrition. C20H32O2
[Early 20th century.
“Arachidonic” coined from the modern Latin stem arachid- “peanut” (from
Greek arakhos “type of leguminous plant”) + -one
+ -ic .][1]



arachnid

arachnid

a·rach·nid 
[ə ráknid] (plural a·rach·nids)
noun
eight-legged
organism:
a member of a large class of animals that includes spiders, scorpions, and
mites. Arachnids have four pairs of legs and a body with two segments. Class:
Arachnida
Also
called
arachnoid
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Arachnida, class name, from Greek arakhnē
“spider.”]
—a·rach·ni·dan, adjective[1]



arachnoid

arachnoid
a·rach·noid 
[ə rák nòyd] noun (plural a·rach·noids)

1.  ANATOMY membrane
in spinal cord: the middle of the three membranes that
envelop the brain and spinal cord

2.  ZOOLOGY See arachnid
adjective

ZOOLOGY like
an arachnid: resembling or related to an arachnid
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek arakhnoeidēs “cobweblike,” from arakhnē (see arachnid ).][1]



arachnology

arachnology
a·rach·nol·o·gy
[ə ràk nólləjee] noun

study
of arachnids: the branch of zoology concerned with the
study of spiders and other arachnids
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek arakhnē “spider” + -logy
.]
—a·rach·nol·o·gist, noun[1]



arachnophobia

arachnophobia
a·rach·no·pho·bi·a 
[ə ràknə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of spiders:
an abnormally strong fear of spiders
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek arakhnē “spider” + -phobia .]
—a·rach·no·phobe,
noun

—a·rach·no·pho·bic, adjective[1]



Arafat,Yasir

Arafat,Yasir

Ar·a·fat
[érrə fàt], Yasir (1929– )
Palestinian leader. He became chairman of
the Palestine Liberation Organization (1968) and shared the 1994 Nobel Peace
Prize with Itzhak Rabin.[1]



ArafuraSea

ArafuraSea
A·ra·fu·ra
Sea 
[èrrə frə see]

area of the Pacific Ocean
between the northern coast of Australia, New Guinea, and eastern Indonesia[1]



aragonite

aragonite
a·rag·o·nite 
[ə rággə n`īt] noun

mineral
similar to calcite: a colorless, blue to violet,
or yellow mineral consisting of calcium carbonate. CaCO3
[Late 18th century. Named for
Aragon, the region in northeastern Spain where it was first found.][1]



ArakawaShusaku

ArakawaShusaku
A·ra·ka·wa
Shu·sa·ku
[aarə kwə shoo skoo] (1936– )

Japanese artist whose
Western-style paintings influenced early conceptual art. He moved to the United
States in 1961.[1]



aralia

aralia
a·ra·li·a 
[ə ráylee ə] (plural a·ra·li·as
or a·ra·li·a) noun

ornamental
plant of ivy family: a plant widely grown as a
houseplant for its ornamental leaves. Genera: Aralia Polyscias
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name.][1]



AralSea

AralSea
Ar·al
Sea 
[àrrəl s]

inland sea straddling the
Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border in western Asia, east of the Caspian Sea. Area:
66,458 sq km/25,660 sq mi. maximum Depth: 68 m/223 ft.[1]



Aramaic

Aramaic
Ar·a·ma·ic 
[àrrə máy ik] noun

Semitic
language:
a major language of the ancient Near East, dating from about 300 BC and still spoken in parts of Syria,
Iraq, Iran, and other countries. It belongs to the Semitic group of languages
and is spoken by between 50,000 and 100,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek Aramaios “of Aram” (the biblical name for
ancient Syria).]
—Ar·a·ma·ic, adjective[1]



AranIslands

AranIslands
Ar·an
Is·lands 
[àrrən ləndz]

group of three islands,
Inishmoor, Inishmaan, and Inisheer, situated at the mouth of Galway Bay in
western Ireland. Population: 803 (1981) Area: 47 sq km/18 sq mi.[1]



Arapaho

Arapaho
A·rap·a·ho 
[ə ráppə h`ō] (plural A·rap·a·ho
or A·rap·a·hos) or A·rap·a·hoe [ə ráppə h`ō] (plural A·rap·a·hoe or
A·rap·a·hoes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native North American people: a member of a Native
North American people who originally lived by hunting buffalo on the Great
Plains, and who now live mainly in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana

2.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
a North American language of the Algonquian family of languages. Arapaho is
spoken by about 1,500 people.
[Early
19th century. From Crow alappahó, literally “many tattoo marks.”]
—A·rap·a·ho, adjective[1]



Ararat,Mount

Ararat,Mount
Ar·a·rat,
Mount
[árrə ràt]

mountain in eastern Turkey,
which rises in two peaks, Great Ararat 5,137 m/16,854 ft and Little Ararat
3,914 m/12,840 ft . According to the Bible, it is the landing place of Noah’s
Ark.[1]



Araucanian

Araucanian
Ar·au·ca·ni·an 
[àrraw káynee ən] noun
Also
called
Mapuche

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native South American people: a member of a Native
South American people who live in central Chile and areas of western Argentina

2.  LANGUAGE South
American language: a South American language
spoken in parts of Chile and western Argentina. Araucanian is spoken by about
300,000 people.
[Early
19th century. Formed from Spanish Araucanía, a region of Chile.]
—Ar·au·ca·ni·an, adjective[1]



araucaria

araucaria
ar·au·car·i·a 
[à raw káiriə] (plural ar·au·car·i·as
or ar·au·car·i·a) noun

coniferous
tree:
a coniferous tree that is native to the southern hemisphere but widely grown
elsewhere. Norfolk Island pine and monkey puzzle are types of araucaria .
Genus: Araucaria
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, coined from Arauco, a province in central
Chile.][1]



Arawak

Arawak
Ar·a·wak 
[árrə wàwk] (plural Ar·a·wak or
Ar·a·waks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of South American people: a member of a South American
people that lives mainly on the coast of Guyana, but also in parts of Suriname
and French Guiana

2.  LANGUAGE Arawakan
language:
a South American language of the Arawakan family, spoken in Guyana and
neighboring countries
[Mid-18th century. From Carib
aruac .][1]



Arawakan

Arawakan
Ar·a·wa·kan 
[àrrə wáwkən] (plural Ar·a·wa·kan
or Ar·a·wa·kans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native South American people: a member of a Native
American people who live throughout South America and the West Indies

2.  LANGUAGE South
American language family: a family of languages that
includes Guajiro, spoken by widely scattered communities in Central and South
America. About 300,000 people speak an Arawakan language.
—Ar·a·wa·kan, adjective[1]



arb

arb
arb 
[aarb] (plural arbs) noun

(slang)
See arbitrageur
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



arbalest

arbalest
ar·ba·lest 
[rbələst] (plural ar·ba·lests)
or ar·ba·list [rbələst] (plural
ar·ba·lists) noun

medieval
weapon:
a large medieval crossbow used to propel stones, arrows, and other missiles
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French arbaleste from late Latin arcuballista,
from arcus “bow” + ballista (see ballista
).]
—ar·ba·lest·er, noun[1]



ArbenzGuzman, Jacobo

ArbenzGuzman, Jacobo
Ar·benz
Guz·man
[rbənz gzmən], Jacobo (1913–1971)

Guatemalan politician. He was
president of Guatemala from 1950 until 1954, when he was ousted during a coup.[1]



arbiter

arbiter
ar·bi·ter 
[rbətər] (plural ar·bi·ters) noun

1.  somebody
making judgment: somebody who has the power and authority
to settle a dispute or decide an issue

2.  influential
person or thing: somebody or something with great
influence over what people say, think, or do
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French arbitre from Latin arbiter “judge, umpire.”][1]



arbitrable

arbitrable
ar·bi·tra·ble 
[rbitrəb’l] adjective

subject to arbitration:
able to be settled, or likely to be best settled, by arbitration[1]



arbitrage

arbitrage
ar·bi·trage 
[rbə trzh] noun

simultaneous
buying and selling: the simultaneous buying and
selling of the same negotiables or commodities in different markets in order to
make an immediate riskless profit
intransitive
verb
(past ar·bi·traged, past participle ar·bi·traged, present
participle ar·bi·trag·ing, 3rd person present singular ar·bi·trages)

engage
in arbitrage: to participate in arbitrage
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from arbitrer “to judge,” from Latin arbitrari
(see arbitrate ).][1]



arbitrageur

arbitrageur
ar·bi·tra·geur 
[rbi traa zhúr] (plural ar·bi·tra·geurs)
noun

participant
in arbitrage: somebody who engages in arbitrage.
Also
called
arb
[Mid-19th century. From
French .][1]



arbitral

arbitral
ar·bi·tral
[rbətrəl] adjective

of arbiters or arbitration:
relating to arbiters or arbitration, or arising from the intervention of an
arbitrator[1]



arbitrary

arbitrary
ar·bi·trar·y 
[rbə trèrree] adjective

1.  based
on personal whim: based solely on personal wishes,
feelings, or perceptions, rather than on objective facts, reasons, or
principles

2.  randomly
chosen:
chosen or determined at random

3.  LAW not according
to rule:
based on the decision of a particular judge or court rather than accordance
with any rule or law

4.  authoritarian:
with unlimited power

5.  MATHEMATICS assigned
no specific value: used to describe a constant
that is not assigned a specific value
[15th
century. From Latin arbitrarius “uncertain, depending on the judgment of
an arbiter” (a term in Roman law), from arbiter “judge” (source of
English arbiter ).]
—ar·bi·trar·i·ly
[rbə trérrəlee], adverb

—ar·bi·trar·i·ness [rbə trérrinəss], noun[1]



arbitrate

arbitrate
ar·bi·trate 
[rbi tràyt] (past ar·bi·trat·ed,
past participle ar·bi·trat·ed, present participle ar·bi·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·bi·trates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb settle
dispute between others: to act as a judge in a
dispute between others

2.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody to settle dispute: to submit a dispute to be
decided by a third party
[Late 16th century. From
Latin arbitrat-, the past participle stem of arbitrari “to judge,
decide,” from arbiter “judge” (source of English arbiter ).][1]



arbitration

arbitration
ar·bi·tra·tion 
[rbi tráysh’n] noun

process
for resolution of disputes: the process of resolving
disputes between people or groups by referring them to a third party, either
agreed on by them or provided by law, who makes a judgment
—ar·bi·tra·tion·al, adjective[1]



arbitrator

arbitrator
ar·bi·tra·tor 
[rbi tràytər] (plural ar·bi·tra·tors)
noun

judge of dispute:
somebody designated to hear both sides of a dispute and make a judgment[1]



arbor

arbor2
ar·bor2  [rbər]
(plural ar·bors) noun

1.  axle
on machine or power tool: a shaft, axle, or spindle on
a machine or a power tool, for example, a lathe

2.  supporting
piece:
a machine part that holds an object being worked on, or the tools being used to
work on the object

3.  INDUSTRY reinforcing
part of mold: a part that reinforces the core of a
mold used to cast metal
[Mid-17th century. Via Old
French arbre from Latin arbor “tree, mast, lever, shaft.”][1]



arbor

arbor1
ar·bor1  [rbər]
(plural ar·bors) noun

1.  shady
place:
a shaded place formed by the leaves and branches of trees and plants that
interweave naturally or are trained to grow around a trellis

2.  GARDENING a trellis or other
structure used to support plants that form an arbor
[14th century. Via Old French
(h)erb(i)er from Latin herbarium (see herbarium
).][1]



ArborDay

ArborDay
Ar·bor
Day
(plural Ar·bor Days) noun

day for promoting trees:
in the United States, a day set aside for the planting and appreciation of
trees. It is typically the last Friday in April, but the date varies from state
to state.[1]



arboreal

arboreal
ar·bo·re·al 
[aar báwree əl, aar
bṓree əl] adjective

1.  living
in trees:
used to describe a species that lives in trees

2.  of
trees:
relating to, resembling, or consisting of trees
—ar·bo·re·al·ly, adverb[1]



arboreous

arboreous
ar·bo·re·ous 
[aar báwree əss, aar
bṓree əss] adjective

with many trees:
covered with trees[1]



arborescent

arborescent
ar·bo·res·cent 
[rbə réss’nt] adjective

growing
like a tree: resembling a tree, especially in
developing branches or similar parts
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin arborescent-, the present participle stem of arborescere
“to grow into a tree,” from arbor “tree.”]
—ar·bo·res·cence, noun[1]



arboretum

arboretum
ar·bo·re·tum
[rbə rtəm] (plural ar·bo·re·tums
or ar·bo·re·ta [rbə rtə]) noun

tree
cultivation area: an area planted with many types of trees
for study, display, and preservation
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “place grown with trees, plantation of trees,” from arbor
“tree.”][1]



arboriculture

arboriculture
ar·bo·ri·cul·ture 
[rbəri kùlchər, aar
báwri kùlchər] noun

tree
cultivation: the cultivation of trees and shrubs for
study, ornamentation, or profit
[Mid-19th
century. Blend of arbor and agriculture .]
—ar·bo·ri·cul·tur·al,
adjective

—ar·bo·ri·cul·tur·ist,
noun[1]



arborio

arborio
ar·bor·i·o 
[aar báwri ō] (plural ar·bor·i·os)
or ar·bor·i·o rice [aar báwri ō]
(plural ar·bor·i·o rices) noun

short-grained
rice:
a short-grained rice, used to make risotto and other Italian dishes
[Late 20th century. From
Italian .][1]



arborist

arborist
ar·bor·ist 
[rbərist] (plural ar·borists)
noun

tree specialist:
an expert in the cultivation and care of trees[1]



arborize

arborize
ar·bo·rize 
[rbə r`īz] (past ar·bo·rized,
past participle ar·bo·rized, present participle ar·bo·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·bo·riz·es) intransitive verb

branch:
to develop many branching parts or formations
—ar·bo·ri·za·tion [aarbə ri záyshən], noun[1]



arborvitae

arborvitae
ar·bor·vi·tae 
[rbər vtee, rbər
vtī] (plural ar·bor·vi·taes) or ar·bor vi·tae
[rbər vtee, rbər
vtī] (plural ar·bor vi·taes) noun

coniferous
tree:
a coniferous tree of the cypress family with flat closely fitted leaves
resembling scales. It is native to Asia and North America and is widely grown
as an ornamental. Genus: Thuja
Also
called
thuja
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “tree of life.”][1]



arbour

arbour
ar·bour 
(plural ar·bours) noun

U.K. =
arbor 1[1]



arbovirus

arbovirus
ar·bo·vi·rus 
[rbə v`īrəss] (plural ar·bo·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
transmitted by ticks and fleas: a virus transmitted by
bloodsucking arthropods, for example, ticks and fleas. The viruses that cause
encephalitis, yellow fever, and dengue are arboviruses.
[Mid-20th
century. Contraction of arthropod - borne virus .]
—ar·bo·vi·ral [rbə vrəl], adjective[1]



Arbus,Diane

Arbus,Diane
Ar·bus
[rbəss], Diane (1923–1971)

U.S. photographer, known for
her unconventional and occasionally morbid portraits of unusual characters.[1]



arbutus

arbutus
ar·bu·tus 
[aar bytəss] (plural ar·bu·tus·es
or ar·bu·tus) noun

1.  See
trailing arbutus

2.  European
shrub:
a southern European shrub or tree cultivated for its white or pink flowers and
reddish fruits. Genus: Arbutus
Also
called
madrona
Also
called
strawberry tree
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “wild strawberry,” from the shape of the leaves.][1]



arc

arc
arc 
[aark] noun (plural arcs)

1.  curve:
a curved or semicircular line, direction of movement, or arrangement of items

2.  GEOMETRY section
of circle:
a section of a circle, ellipse, or other curved figure

3.  ASTRONOMY visible
part of celestial body’s path: a section of the path
that a planet or other celestial body appears to follow, especially that
between rising above the horizon and disappearing below it

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electric
discharge:
a luminous discharge caused by an electric current flowing across a gap in an
electrical circuit

5.  GEOLOGY See island arc
intransitive
verb
(past arced, past participle arced, present
participle arc·ing, 3rd person present singular arcs)

1.  form
or move in arc: to form a curve or move along a curved
path

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING spark
across gap:
to produce a luminous discharge across a gap in an electrical circuit
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin arcus “bow, curve” (source of English arch ).][1]



ARC

ARC
ARC


Abbreviation of
AIDS-related complex[1]



arcade

arcade
ar·cade 
[aar káyd] (plural ar·cades) noun

1.  avenue
of stores:
a covered passage with stores on both sides

2.  enclosed
area with game machines: an enclosed area where
people can play on coin-operated game machines such as pinball machines or
video games

3.  passageway
with arches: a passageway or building with a series
of arches and supporting columns

4.  series
of arches:
a series of arches and the columns supporting them
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Italian arcata, from, ultimately, Latin arcus “bow, curve,
arch” (source of English arch ).][1]



Arcadia

Arcadia1
Ar·ca·di·a1  [aar
káydee ə] (plural Ar·ca·di·as) noun

1.  rural
paradise in classical literature: the imagined rural
paradise used as the setting for much Greek and Roman poetry and some
Renaissance literature

2.  Ar·ca·di·a
or ar·ca·di·a (plural ar·ca·di·as) imagined
place of rural bliss: a place in which people are
imagined or believed to enjoy a perfect life of rustic simplicity
[Late
19th century. Via Latin from Greek Arkadia, a mountainous district in
Peloponnesus.]
—Ar·ca·di·an, adjective[1]



Arcadia

Arcadia2
Ar·ca·di·a2  [aar
káydee ə]

1.  mountainous
region in the central Peloponnesus in Greece

2.  city
in southwestern California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 50,483 (1996)
—Ar·ca·di·an, adjective,
noun[1]



arcana

arcana
ar·ca·na 
[aar káynə] noun (plural ar·ca·nas)

tarot
division:
either of two divisions of a pack of tarot cards
plural
noun

Plural of
arcanum[1]



arcane

arcane
ar·cane 
[aar káyn] adjective

1.  mysteriously
obscure:
requiring secret knowledge to be understood

2.  hard
to fathom:
difficult or impossible to understand
[Early
16th century. From Latin arcanus (see arcanum
).]
—ar·cane·ly,
adverb

—ar·cane·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at obscure

[1]



arcanum

arcanum
ar·ca·num 
[aar káynəm] (plural ar·ca·na
[aar káynə]) noun (usually used in
the plural)

1.  secret
known to few: a secret known only to the members of a
small select group

2.  secret
of nature:
a secret of nature, of the kind that was sought by alchemists
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, a noun use of the neuter form of arcanus “closed, secret,” from arca
“box” (source of English ark ).][1]



Arcde Triomphe

Arcde Triomphe
Arc
de Tri·omphe [rk də tr
ōNf] noun

a triumphal arch at the end
of the Avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris, France, completed in 1835. It was
commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate military victories, and is now used as
a war memorial.[1]



arcfurnace

arcfurnace
arc
fur·nace
(plural arc fur·naces) noun

furnace heated by electric
arc: a furnace in which an
electric arc supplies the heat[1]



arch-

arch-
arch-
prefix

1.  chief,
most important • archrival

2.  extreme
• archconservative
[Via Old English ærce-
and Old French arche from, ultimately, Greek arkhi- “first,
chief” (see archi- )][1]



arch.

arch.
arch.

1.  Abbreviation
of
architecture

2.  Abbreviation
of
architect

3.  Abbreviation
of
archaic

4.  Abbreviation
of
archaism

5.  Abbreviation
of
archipelago

6.  Abbreviation
of
archery

7.  Abbreviation
of
archbishop

[1]



arch

arch2
arch2 [aarch]
adjective

1.  knowingly
playful or mischievous: expressing playfulness,
mischief, or shared humor in a knowing way

2.  most
extreme:
greatest, especially most hostile
[Mid-16th
century. From arch- . The sense
“mischievous” developed from its use in such phrases as “arch knave” and “arch
wag.”]
—arch·ly,
adverb

—arch·ness, noun[1]



arch

arch1

arch1 [aarch]
noun (plural arch·es)

1.  curved
structure:
a curved structure that forms the upper edge of an open space, for example, a
window, a doorway, or the space between a bridge’s supports

2.  passage
under arch:
an entrance or passageway under an arch.
Also
called
archway

3.  arch
shape:
the shape of an arch, resembling an inverted U, or an object with such a shape
• the
arch of his eyebrows

4.  ANATOMY curved
body part:
a body part with the shape of an arch, especially the bony structure in the
foot

5.  GEOGRAPHY curved
rock formation: a naturally occurring arch -shaped span
of rock found in arid, especially desert, regions
verb (past
arched, past participle arched, present participle arch·ing,
3rd person present singular arch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
form
something into curved shape: to form something into the
shape of an arch • Arch your back and let
your arms take your weight.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in curving line: to follow a trajectory in the shape of
an arch

3.  transitive
verb
cross:
to extend across something

4.  transitive
verb
build
something in arch shape: to build something in the
shape of an arch or with arch -shaped supports
[13th century. Via Old French
arche from, ultimately, Latin arcus “bow, curve, arch” (source
also of English arc ).][1]



-arch

-arch
-arch
suffix

leader,
ruler • matriarch
[Via
Old French and late Latin from, ultimately, Greek arkhos, from arkhein
“to rule”)]
—-archic,
suffix

—-archy, suffix[1]



Archaean

Archaean
Ar·chae·an 
noun adjective

See
Archean[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








archaebacteria

archaebacteria
ar·chae·bac·te·ri·a
[rki bak triə] plural noun

primitive
single-celled organisms: members of one of two
distinct lines of the most primitive living single-celled organisms
—ar·chae·bac·te·ri·al,
adjective[1]



archaeo-

archaeo-
archaeo-
or archae- or archeo- prefix

ancient
• archaeoastronomy
[Via modern Latin from Greek arkhaios][1]



archaeoastronomy

archaeoastronomy
ar·chae·o·as·tron·o·my
[rkee ō ə strónnəm] or ar·che·o·as·tron·o·my
[rkee ō ə strónnəm] noun

astronomy
of prehistoric and ancient cultures: the
study of the astronomical beliefs, practices, and discoveries of prehistoric
and ancient cultures
—ar·chae·o·as·tron·o·mer,
noun

—ar·chae·o·as·tro·nom·i·cal
[rkee ō astrə nómmik’l], adjective[1]



archaeobotany

archaeobotany
ar·chae·o·bot·a·ny
[rkee ō bótt’nee] or ar·che·o·bot·a·ny
[rkee ō bótt’nee] noun

study
of ancient plant remains: the scientific study of
excavated plant remains from ancient times
—ar·chae·o·bot·a·nist,
noun[1]



archaeological

archaeological
ar·chae·o·log·i·cal
[rkee ə lójjik’l] or ar·che·o·log·i·cal
[rkee ə lójjik’l] or ar·chae·o·log·ic
[rkee ə lójjik] or ar·che·o·log·ic
[rkee ə lójjik] adjective

of
or for archaeology: relating to archaeology, or
carried out for the purposes of archaeology
—ar·chae·o·log·i·cally,
adverb[1]



archaeology

archaeology
ar·chae·o·lo·gy 
[rkee ólləjee] or ar·che·o·lo·gy
[rkee ólləjee] noun

study
of ancient cultures through remains: the
scientific study of ancient cultures through the examination of their material
remains, for example, buildings, graves, tools, and other artifacts usually dug
up from the ground
—ar·chae·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



archaeomagnetism

archaeomagnetism
ar·chae·o·mag·net·ism
[àarkee ō mágnətizzəm] or ar·che·o·mag·net·ism
[àarkee ō mágnətizzəm] noun

dating of remains by
measuring magnetism: a method of
dating excavated artifacts by measuring the degree of their magnetization[1]



archaeometry

archaeometry
ar·chae·om·e·try
[rkee ómmətree] or ar·che·om·e·try
[rkee ómmətree] noun

archaeological
object dating: the systematic dating of archaeological
objects
—ar·chae·o·met·ri·cal
[rkee ə méttrik’l], adjective

—ar·chae·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—ar·chae·om·e·trist [àarkee ómmətrist], noun[1]



archaeopteryx

archaeopteryx
ar·chae·op·ter·yx 
[rkee óptəriks] (plural ar·chae·op·ter·yx·es)
noun

prehistoric
bird:
an extinct bird of the Jurassic period that had the feathers of modern birds
but the jaw and sharp teeth of reptiles. It has been considered a link between
reptiles and birds. Latin name: Archaeopteryx lithographica
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from archaeo- + Greek pterux “wing.”][1]



archaic

archaic
ar·cha·ic 
[aar káy ik] adjective

1.  ancient:
belonging or relating to a much earlier period

2.  no
longer in ordinary language: used to describe a word or
phrase that is no longer in general use but is still encountered in older
literature and still sometimes used for special effect

3.  outmoded:
no longer useful or efficient
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Greek arkhaikos, from arkhaios “old,
ancient,” from arkhē “beginning.”]
—ar·cha·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



archaicsmile

archaicsmile
ar·cha·ic
smile
(plural ar·cha·ic smiles) noun

smiling expression in ancient
Greek sculpture: a facial expression
typical of ancient Greek sculpture, in which the edges of the mouth are
upturned but the rest of the face is fairly blank[1]



archaism

archaism
ar·cha·ism 
[rkee ìzzəm] (plural ar·cha·isms)
noun

1.  old
form:
a word, expression, practice, or method from an earlier time that is no longer
used

2.  use
of old things: the use of expressions, techniques, and
fashions from an earlier period
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek arkhaismos, from arkhaizein
“to copy the ancients, give an archaic air to,” from arkhaios (see archaic ).]
—ar·cha·ist,
noun

—ar·cha·is·tic [rkee ístik], adjective[1]



archaize

archaize
ar·cha·ize 
[rkee `īz] (past ar·cha·ized,
past participle ar·cha·ized, present participle ar·cha·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·cha·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something seem old: to cause something to seem
much older than it is by using old forms or styles
—ar·cha·iz·er, noun[1]



archangel

archangel
arch·an·gel 
[rk àynjəl] (plural arch·an·gels)
noun

1.  principal
angel:
a chief or principal angel

2.  rank
above angel in medieval classification: a
member of the second-lowest rank in the medieval order of celestial beings,
ranking above angels and below principalities

3.  See
angelica
[Pre-12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Greek arkhaggelos,
from Greek arkhi- “chief” (see arch-
) + aggelos (see angel ).]
—arch·an·gel·ic [rk an jéllik], adjective[1]



archbishop

archbishop
arch·bish·op 
[aarch bíshəp] (plural arch·bish·ops)
noun

highest-ranking bishop:
a bishop of the highest rank, who heads an archdiocese or an ecclesiastical
province[1]



archbishopric

archbishopric
arch·bish·op·ric 
[aarch bíshəprik] (plural arch·bish·op·rics)
noun

1.  area
archbishop is responsible for: the area of an
archbishop’s jurisdiction

2.  archbishop’s
status:
the status or term of office of an archbishop
[Pre-12th century. From archbishop + Old English rice “realm.”][1]



archbp.

archbp.
archbp.

Abbreviation of
archbishop[1]



archconservative

archconservative
arch·con·ser·va·tive 
[rch kən súrvətiv] (plural arch·con·ser·va·tives)
noun

somebody strongly
conservative: somebody who has
strongly conservative political views[1]



archd.

archd.
archd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
archdeacon

2.  Abbreviation
of
archduke

[1]



archdeacon

archdeacon
arch·dea·con 
[aarch dkən] (plural arch·dea·cons)
noun

bishop’s
assistant:
a member of the clergy who ranks just below a bishop and assists the bishop
with ceremonial and administrative duties
—arch·dea·con·ate,
noun

—arch·dea·con·ship [aarch dkən ship], noun[1]



archdeaconry

archdeaconry
arch·dea·con·ry 
[aarch dkənree] (plural arch·dea·con·ries)
noun

archdeacon’s status:
the status or term of office of an archdeacon[1]



archdiocese

archdiocese
arch·di·o·cese 
[aarch dəssəss] noun

area
under archbishop’s control: the area for which an
archbishop has ecclesiastical responsibility
—arch·di·oc·e·san [rch dī óssəssən], adjective[1]



archducal

archducal
arch·du·cal 
[aarch dk’l] adjective

of rulers of archduchies:
relating or belonging to archdukes, archduchesses, or archduchies[1]



archduchess

archduchess
arch·duch·ess 
[rch dúchəss] (plural arch·duch·ess·es)
noun

1.  archduke’s
wife:
an archduke’s wife or widow

2.  Austrian
princess:
a princess of the former Austrian imperial family

[1]



archduchy

archduchy
arch·duch·y 
[aarch dúchee] (plural arch·duch·ies)
noun

archduke’s domain:
the land ruled by an archduke or archduchess[1]



archduke

archduke
arch·duke 
[aarch dk] (plural arch·dukes)
noun

senior
duke:
a senior duke in some countries. The title was used especially in Austria and
granted to the eldest son of the emperor.
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French archeduc from late Latin archidux, from archi-
“chief, first” + dux “leader” (source of English duke ).][1]



Archean

Archean
Ar·che·an
[aar k ən] or Ar·chae·an [aar k ən] adjective

1.  of
oldest rock: used to describe the oldest known kinds
of rock. They are mostly igneous.

2.  of
earliest geological period: used to describe the
earliest geological period of time, dating from about four billion years ago
noun

Archean era: the
Archean era
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek arkhaios “old, ancient” + -an
.][1]



arched

arched
arched 
[rcht] adjective

1.  curved:
with a curved top in the shape of an arch

2.  with
an arch attached: having or including an arch, for
example, as a support

[1]



archegonia

archegonia
ar·che·go·ni·a

Plural of
archegonium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








archegoniate

archegoniate
ar·che·go·ni·ate
[rki gṓnee ət] adjective

with
archegonia:
bearing archegonia
noun
(plural ar·che·go·ni·ates)

plant with archegonia:
a plant that bears archegonia[1]



archegonium

archegonium
ar·che·go·ni·um 
[rki gṓnee əm] (plural ar·che·go·ni·a
[rki gṓnee ə]) noun

reproductive
organ in plants: the female reproductive organ of mosses,
ferns, liverworts, and most gymnosperms. It contains a single egg cell.
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek arkhegonos, from arkhe-
“chief, first” + gonos “people” (source of English gonad ).]
—ar·che·go·ni·al, adjective[1]



archenemy

archenemy
arch·en·e·my 
[rch énnəmee] (plural arch·en·e·mies)
noun

1.  worst
enemy:
somebody’s main or worst enemy

2.  arch·en·e·my
or Arch·en·e·my Satan:
the Devil

[1]



archenteron

archenteron
ar·chen·ter·on 
[aar kéntə ròn, aar
kéntərən] (plural ar·chen·ter·ons) noun

embryonic
digestive tract: a digestive cavity in animal embryos
that develops into the gut
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek arkhē “beginning”+ enteron
“intestine.”]
—ar·chen·ter·ic, adjective[1]



archeo-

archeo-
archeo-
prefix

See
archaeo-[1]



archeological

archeological
ar·che·o·log·i·cal
adjective

See
archaeological[1]



archeology

archeology
ar·che·ol·o·gy 
noun

See
archaeology[1]



archer

archer
arch·er 
[rchər] (plural arch·ers) noun

user
of bow and arrow: somebody who has been trained to use a
bow and arrow
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French archier, from, ultimately, Latin arcus
“bow, curve” (source of English arch,
arcade, and arc ).][1]



Archer

Archer
Arch·er 
noun

ZODIAC
See Sagittarius[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








archerfish

archerfish
arch·er·fish 
[rchər fìsh] (plural arch·er·fish
or arch·er·fish·es) noun

fish that spits water:
a freshwater fish of Australia and Southeast Asia that hunts insects by
spitting water at them. Family: Toxotidae[1]



archery

archery
arch·er·y 
[rchəree] noun

1.  shooting
with bow and arrow: the activity of shooting
with a bow and arrow

2.  troop
of archers:
a troop of soldiers armed with bows and arrows

3.  archers’
weapons:
the bows and arrows used by archers

[1]



ArchesNational Park

ArchesNational Park
Ar·ches
Na·tion·al Park [rchəz ]

park in south eastern Utah,
noted for its natural stone arches, created by erosion. Established as a
national monument in 1929, it became a national park in 1971. Area: 29,695
hectares/73,379 acres.[1]



archesporium

archesporium
ar·che·spo·ri·um
[rki spáwree əm] (plural ar·che·spo·ri·a
[rki spáwree ə]) noun

tissue
developing into spore-producing cells: the
tissue that gives rise to spore-producing cells in a sporangium in fungi
[Late 19th century. Coined
from arche-, an alteration of archi-
+ spore + -ium
.][1]



archetypal

archetypal
ar·che·typ·al 
[rki tp’l] adjective

1.  typical:
typical of its kind, or providing a perfect example or model of something • the
archetypal bachelor

2.  relating
to archetypes: relating to archetypes
—ar·che·typ·al·ly, adverb[1]



archetype

archetype
ar·che·type 
[rki tp] (plural ar·che·types)
noun

1.  typical
specimen:
a typical, ideal, or classic example of something • It
was described as an archetype of the interior design of the period.

2.  original
model:
something that served as the model or pattern for other things of the same type
• The
film was one of the archetypes of the American Western.

3.  PSYCHOLOGY image
from collective unconscious: in Jungian psychology, an
inherited memory represented in the mind by a universal symbol and observed in
dreams and myths

4.  ARTS recurring
symbol:
an image or symbol that is used repeatedly in art or literature
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin archetypum from Greek arkhetupon “first molded
as a model,” from arkhe- “first, chief” + tupon “mold, model.”]
—ar·che·typ·ic
[rki típik], adjective

—ar·che·typ·i·cal,
adjective

—ar·che·typ·i·cal·ly [rki típik’lee, rkə
típik’lee], adverb[1]



archfiend

archfiend
arch·fiend 
[rch fnd] (plural arch·fiends)
noun

1.  extremely
wicked creature: an extremely wicked person or creature

2.  arch·fiend
or Arch·fiend Satan:
the Devil

[1]



archi-

archi-
archi-
prefix

1.  chief,
most important • archimage

2.  primitive,
primary • archenteron
[Via French archi-
from, ultimately, Greek arkhi-, from arkhein “to be first, rule”][1]



archidiaconal

archidiaconal
ar·chi·di·ac·o·nal 
[rki dī ákən’l] adjective

of
archdeacons: relating to the work or position of an
archdeacon
[15th century. Formed from
Latin archidiaconus (see archdeacon
).][1]



archidiaconate

archidiaconate
ar·chi·di·ac·o·nate 
[rki dī ák’nət, rki
dī ákə nayt] (plural ar·chi·di·ac·o·nates) noun

archdeacon’s
rank or domain: an archdeacon’s position, area of
jurisdiction, or term of office
[Mid-18th century. Ultimately
from Latin archidiaconus (see archdeacon
).][1]



Archie

Archie
Ar·chie
[rchee] noun

Internet
database:
a database that Internet users can access in order to search for files and
programs that they can download using File Transfer Protocol
[Late 20th century. Coined
from archive + -ie,
on the model of the name Archie .][1]



archiepiscopal

archiepiscopal
ar·chi·e·pis·co·pal 
[rkee ə pískəp’l] adjective

of
archbishops: relating to archbishops or archdioceses
[Early
17th century. Formed from ecclesiastical Latin archiepiscopus
“archbishop,” from ecclesiastical Greek arkhiepiskopos .]
—ar·chi·e·pis·co·pal·i·ty
[rkee ə pískə pállətee], noun

—ar·chi·e·pis·co·pal·ly
[rkee ə pískəpəlee], adverb

—ar·chi·e·pis·co·pate
[rkee ə pískəpət], noun[1]



archimage

archimage
arch·im·age 
[rch ímij] (plural arch·im·ag·es)
noun

great
wizard:
somebody supposed to be a powerful magician
[Late 16th century. From
Greek arkhimagos “chief of the magi,” from arkhe- “first, chief”
+ magos “sorcerer” (see magi ).][1]



archimandrite

archimandrite
ar·chi·man·drite 
[rkə mán drt] (plural ar·chi·man·drites)
noun

head
of monastery: in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a senior
priest who heads a monastery or group of monasteries
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from ecclesiastical Latin archimandrita, from
ecclesiastical Greek arkhimandritēs, from arkhi- “first, chief” +
mandra “enclosure, monastery.”][1]



Archimedeanscrew

Archimedeanscrew

Ar·chi·me·de·an
screw
[rkə m dənskroo] (plural Ar·chi·me·de·an
screws) noun
water-raising
device:
an ancient method of raising water using either a large screw inside a sloping
tube or a spiral tube curling around a sloping axis. Water is carried upward
when the screw or tube is turned.
Also
called
Archimedes’ screw
[Named for Archimedes, who invented it][1]



Archimedes

Archimedes
Ar·chi·me·des 
[rkə m dz] (287 BC–212 BC)

Greek mathematician. He wrote
on geometry, arithmetic, and mechanics.[1]



Archimedes’principle

Archimedes’principle
Ar·chi·me·des’
prin·ci·ple
noun

law of floating:
the principle stating that an object immersed in a liquid experiences an upward
thrust equal to the weight of liquid it displaces. Light objects float because
they displace more than their own weight in water, whereas heavy objects sink
because they displace less.[1]



Archimedes’screw

Archimedes’screw
Ar·chi·me·des’
screw 
noun

See
Archimedean screw[1]



archine

archine
ar·chine
[aar shn] (plural ar·chines) noun

unit
of length:
a unit of length equal to about 71 cm28 in., used formerly in Russia and Turkey
[Mid-18th century. From
Russian .][1]



archipelago

archipelago
ar·chi·pel·a·go 
[rkə péllə g] (plural ar·chi·pel·a·gos
or ar·chi·pel·a·goes) noun

1.  islands:
a group or chain of islands (often used in place names)

2.  sea
with islands: an area of sea with many islands
[Early
16th century. From Italian arcipelago, from Greek arkhi- “chief,
main” + pelagos “sea.” First applied to the Aegean Sea.]
—ar·chi·pe·lag·ic [rkəpə lájjik], adjective[1]



archit.

archit.
archit.

Abbreviation of
architecture[1]



architect

architect
ar·chi·tect 
[rkə tèkt] (plural ar·chi·tects)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE building
designer:
somebody whose job is to design buildings and advise on their construction

2.  creator:
the person who created or invented something • the
architect of her own fortune
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French and Italian from Latin architectus, from Greek arkhitektōn
“chief builder,” from tektōn “builder” (source of English tectonics ).][1]



architectonic

architectonic
ar·chi·tec·ton·ic 
[rkə tek táwnik] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE of
architecture or architectural qualities:
relating to architecture or the qualities, for example, design and structure,
that architecture requires

2.  PHILOSOPHY of
classification of knowledge: relating to the
classification of knowledge used in metaphysics
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek arkhitektonikos, from arkhitektōn
(see architect ).]
—ar·chi·tec·ton·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



architectonics

architectonics
ar·chi·tec·ton·ics 
[rkə tek táwniks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  ARCHITECTURE science
of architecture: the science of architecture

2.  structural
design of complex thing: the way in which the parts
of a complex object or system fit together • the
architectonics of a good novel

3.  PHILOSOPHY classification
of knowledge: in metaphysics, the classification of
knowledge

[1]



architectural

architectural
ar·chi·tec·tur·al
[rkə tékchərəl] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE relating
to building design: relating to the style of
buildings or the job of designing them • the
architectural merits of the building

2.  COMPUTING of
computer system design: relating to the architecture
of a computer

[1]



architecturally

architecturally
ar·chi·tec·tur·al·ly
[rkə tékchərəlee] adverb

in or regarding architecture:
with regard to architecture as a science or an art, or in a way that involves
architecture or its principles • Architecturally,
the city is unique.[1]



architecture

architecture
ar·chi·tec·ture 
[rkə tékchər] noun

1.  building
design:
the art and science of designing and constructing buildings

2.  building
style:
a particular style or fashion of building, especially one that is typical of a
period of history or of a particular place

3.  COMPUTING structure
of computer system: the design, structure, and
behavior of a computer system, microprocessor, or system program, including the
characteristics of individual components and how they interact • network
architecture

[1]



architrave

architrave

ar·chi·trave 
[rkə tràyv] (plural ar·chi·traves)
noun

1.  slab
on columns:
in classical architecture, the lowest section of an entablature, which comes
into contact with the top of the columns.
Also
called
epistyle

2.  door
or window frame: a decorative strip of wood or plaster
forming a frame around a door or window
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian, “main beam,” from trave “beam,” from the Latin stem trab-
.][1]



archival

archival
ar·chi·val 
[aar kv’l] adjective

relating to archive:
kept in an archive, or relating to the storage of records in an archive[1]



archive

archive
ar·chive 
[r kv] noun

1.  collection
of documents: a collection of documents such as
letters, official papers, photographs, or recorded material, kept for their
historical interest (often used in the plural) • archive
material
• We’ll
have to check the archives.

2.  place
where archives are held: the building or room that
houses archives • Duke University houses
the Duke Papyrus Archive. • the
Harvard Economics Symposium Archive

3.  COMPUT backup
computer file: a copy of computer files kept, often in
compressed form, on tape or disk for long-term storage

4.  COMPUT computer
file of compressed files: a computer file that
contains other files in compressed form

5.  COMPUT directory
accessed using File Transfer Protocol: a
directory of files that Internet users can access using anonymous File Transfer
Protocol • The
report was filed in an archive for distribution on the Internet.
transitive
verb
(past ar·chives, past participle ar·chived, present
participle ar·chived, 3rd person present singular ar·chiv·ing)

1.  put
document in archive: to store a document in an
archive

2.  COMPUT store
data outside hard disk: to transfer data from a
computer’s hard disk to a tape or disk for long-term storage

3.  COMPUT combine
and compress computer files: to store copies of multiple
computer files in compressed form in a single file
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin archiva archia, from Greek arkheia
“things kept at the public office,” plural of arkheion “ruler’s house,
public office,” from arkhē “beginning, government.”][1]



archivist

archivist
ar·chi·vist 
[rkəvist, r
kvist] (plural ar·chi·vists) noun

somebody in charge of
archive: somebody employed to
collect, catalog, and take care of the items in an archive[1]



archivolt

archivolt
ar·chi·volt 
[rkə v`ōlt] (plural ar·chi·volts)
noun

1.  molding
around arch: a decorative molding or band on the face
of an arch

2.  underside
of arch:
the underside of an arch
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French archivolte from Italian archivolto, from,
ultimately, Latin arcus “arch” + volta “vault.”][1]



archon

archon
ar·chon 
[r kawn] (plural ar·chons) noun

Athenian
magistrate:
one of the nine chief magistrates in ancient Athens
[Late
16th century. From Greek arkhōn, from arkhein “to rule.”]
—ar·chon·ship, noun[1]



archpriest

archpriest
arch·priest 
[rch prst] (plural arch·priests)
noun

1.  bishop’s
senior assistant: a title formerly given to the most
senior Roman Catholic priest belonging to a cathedral chapter, who acted as the
bishop’s principal assistant

2.  special
Roman Catholic title: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a title given to a priest who has a specific important duty or function

3.  high-ranking
Eastern Orthodox priest: in the Eastern Orthodox
Church, a priest with the highest rank that a married priest can have
[14th century. Via Old French
archeprestre from late Latin archipresbyter “chief priest.” The
modern spelling is based on arch- and priest .][1]



archrival

archrival
arch·ri·val 
[rch rv’l] (plural archri·vals)
noun

main rival:
somebody’s main or most dangerous rival[1]



archt.

archt.
archt.

Abbreviation of
architect[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








archway

archway
arch·way 
[rch wày] (plural arch·ways) noun

arched entrance:
an entrance or passage under one or more arches, or an arch that forms an
entrance[1]



Archytas

Archytas
Ar·chy·tas
[aar ktəss] (lived early 4thC BC)

Greek mathematician. He
calculated the mathematical relationships of musical notes and scales.[1]



Arcimboldo,Giuseppe

Arcimboldo,Giuseppe
Ar·cim·bol·do
[rchim báwldō], Giuseppe (1530?–1593)

Italian painter and designer.
He produced pictures of fantastic heads composed of items such as vegetables
and animals.[1]



arclamp

arclamp
arc
lamp
(plural arc lamps) or arc light (plural arc
lights) noun

bright electric light:
an intensely bright electric lamp with numerous uses, for example, in
floodlights[1]



arco

arco
ar·co
[rkō] adverb

with
the bow:
played using the bow of a stringed instrument, usually after a passage played
by plucking the strings ( pizzicato ) (used
as a musical direction)
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, “bow.”]
—ar·co, adjective[1]



arctic

arctic
arc·tic 
[rktik, rtik]
adjective

very
cold:
extremely cold (informal)
noun
(plural arc·tics)

overshoe:
a high waterproof overshoe with a warm lining
[14th century. Via Old French
artique from, ultimately, Greek arktikos, from arktos
“bear,” also “the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear),” which points to
the northern Pole Star.][1]



Arctic

Arctic
Arc·tic 
[rktik] noun

northern
polar region: the region that lies around the North
Pole, including the Arctic Ocean and its islands and parts of North America,
Asia, and Europe. The area is extremely cold, and its border is generally
considered to be the Arctic Circle.
See
also
Antarctic
—Arc·tic, adjective[1]



arcticchar

arcticchar
arc·tic
char
noun

trout of Arctic waters:
a fish of the salmon family, similar to a trout, that is found in the lakes and
streams of the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Salvelinus alpinus[1]



ArcticCircle

ArcticCircle
Arc·tic
Cir·cle

the line of latitude at
66°30’N that marks the boundary of the Arctic. North of this latitude there are
periods of continuous night in the winter and day in the summer.[1]



arcticfox

arcticfox
arc·tic
fox
(plural arc·tic foxes) noun

fox with white fur in winter:
a small fox found in Arctic regions. It has thick fur that is brownish-gray in
summer and white or blue in winter. Latin name: Alopex lagopus
Also called
white fox[1]



arctichare

arctichare
arc·tic
hare
(plural arc·tic hares or arc·tic hare) noun

N American hare:
a large hare of Arctic North America and Greenland with white fur that in
southern regions turns brown in the summer. Latin name: Lepus arcticus[1]



ArcticOcean




Back to definition

ArcticOcean

[1]



ArcticOcean

ArcticOcean

Arc·tic O·cean
the world’s smallest ocean, mostly
ice-covered, situated north of the Arctic Circle and surrounding the North
Pole. Area: 14,055,930 sq km/5,427,000 sq.mi. Depth: 5,500 m/17,880 ft.[1]



arctictern

arctictern
arc·tic
tern
(plural arc·tic terns or arc·tic tern) noun

migrating Arctic bird:
a black-headed seabird that breeds in Arctic regions and migrates to southern
Africa, South America, and the Antarctic. Latin name: Sterna paradisaea[1]



arctiid

arctiid
arc·ti·id
[rktee id] (plural arc·ti·ids
or arc·ti·id) noun

type
of moth:
a small to medium-sized moth. There are 8,000 species of arctiid, including the
tiger moth. Family: Arctiidae
[From modern Latin arctiidae,
genus name, from Greek arktos “bear”][1]



arctophile

arctophile
arc·to·phile 
[rktō fl] (plural arc·tophiles)
noun

teddy
bear collector: somebody who collects or likes teddy
bears
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Greek arktos “bear” + -phile .][1]



Arcturus

Arcturus
Arc·tu·rus 
[aark trəss] noun

bright star in constellation
Boötes: the brightest star in the
constellation Boötes and the fourth brightest star in the sky[1]



arcuate

arcuate
ar·cu·ate 
[rkyə ət, rkyə
àyt] adjective

curved:
in the shape of an arc or a bow
[15th
century. From Latin arcuatus, from arcus “bow, arch” (source of
English arch ).]
—ar·cu·ate·ly, adverb[1]



arcwelding

arcwelding
arc
weld·ing
noun

welding involving electric
arc: the joining of metal
components by fusing them with heat from an electric arc struck between two
electrodes.
Also called
electric-arc welding[1]



ARD

ARD
ARD

Abbreviation of
acute respiratory disease[1]



-ard

-ard
-ard
or -art suffix

somebody
who characteristically has a given quality • dullard
[From Old French ; of
Germanic origin][1]



Ardennes

Ardennes
Ar·dennes 
[aar dén]

forested and thinly populated
plateau in southeastern Belgium, extending into Luxembourg and northeastern
France. The Battle of the Bulge took place in the Ardennes in 1944. The highest
peak is Botrange, near Belgium’s border with Germany 694 m/2,277 ft .[1]



ardent

ardent
ar·dent 
[rd’nt] adjective

1.  passionate:
feeling passion, or felt passionately

2.  enthusiastic:
feeling or showing great enthusiasm or eagerness • one
of his most ardent supporters

3.  glowing:
shining or glowing brightly, with a fiery quality (literary) • her
ardent gaze
[14th
century. Via Old French ardant from Latin ardent-, the present
participle stem of ardere “to burn” (source of English arson ).]
—ar·dent·ly, adverb[1]



ardentspirits

ardentspirits
ar·dent
spir·its
plural noun

alcoholic beverages:
distilled alcoholic beverages, for example, whiskey and rum[1]



Ardmore

Ardmore
Ard·more 
[rd màwr]

city north of Lake Murray, in
southern Oklahoma. Population: 23,484 (1996)[1]



ardor

ardor
ar·dor 
[rdər] noun

intense
emotion:
fierce intensity of feelings • repeated
attempts to dampen their revolutionary ardor
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin ardor, from ardere “to burn” (see ardent ).][1]



ardour

ardour
ar·dour 
noun

U.K. =
ardor[1]



arduous

arduous
ar·du·ous 
[rjoo əss] adjective

1.  difficult
and tiring:
requiring hard work or continuous strenuous effort

2.  steep
or demanding: very difficult to traverse, endure, or
overcome
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin arduus “steep, difficult,” the sense “difficult”
developing from the fact that anything steep is difficult and tiring to climb.]
—ar·du·ous·ly,
adverb

—ar·du·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hard

[1]



are

are2
are2 [aar]
(plural ares) noun

metric
unit of area: a metric unit of area, equal to 100 sq
m. There are one hundred ares in a hectare.
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Latin area (see area ).][1]



are

are1
are1 [aar]

part
of “be”:
the plural and second person singular present tense of the verb “be”
[Old English earon .
Of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



area

area
ar·e·a 
[áiree ə] (plural ar·e·as) noun

1.  measurement
of surface:
the extent of part of a surface enclosed within a boundary, or the extent of
the surface of all or part of a solid. The area of a square or rectangle can be
calculated by multiplying together the lengths of two adjacent sides.

2.  part
of surface:
a distinct part of the surface of something, especially a piece of land • The
storms resulted in flooding over a large area.

3.  space
or part for specific function: a space, part, or
surface of something, especially when intended for a specific use • an
area of the brain used for memory

4.  region
or district: a region or district, either a distinct
political or administrative division or a place that has particular qualities
or features

5.  subject:
a particular subject, field of knowledge, or sphere of activity • in
the area of genetic research

6.  SOCCER See penalty area
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “flat piece of unoccupied land,” of unknown origin.][1]



areabombing

areabombing
ar·e·a
bomb·ing
noun

See
carpet bombing[1]



areacode

areacode
ar·e·a
code
(plural ar·e·a codes) noun

telephone number prefix:
digits indicating a particular area of a country that are dialed before the
local number in calls from outside that area. In the United States and Canada,
area codes have three digits. • For
long distance calls, dial “1” plus the area code and number.[1]



areaway

areaway
ar·e·a·way 
[áiree ə wày] (plural ar·e·a·ways)
noun

sunken area beside a
basement: an area of lowered ground
outside a basement, created to allow more light into basement windows or direct
access to the basement from outside[1]



areca

areca
a·re·ca 
[ə rkə, árrikə]
(plural a·re·cas) noun

flowering
palm tree:
a tall Southeast Asian palm tree with white flowers. Genus: Areca
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese from Malayalam aekka .][1]



areg

areg
a·reg

Plural of
erg 2[1]



arena

arena
a·re·na 
[ə r nə] (plural are·nas) noun

1.  stadium:
an indoor or outdoor area, surrounded by seating for spectators, where shows or
sports events take place

2.  scene
of activity: a place or situation where there is
conflict or intense activity • A new
contestant has entered the political arena.

3.  center
of Roman amphitheater: the open area inside a Roman
amphitheater, in which gladiatorial contests and other entertainments were
staged
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (h)arena “sand, sand-strewn place.”][1]



arenaceous

arenaceous
ar·e·na·ceous 
[àrrə náyshəss] adjective

1.  sandy:
used to describe rocks or deposits that are composed of sand grains or have a
sandy texture

2.  suited
to sandy soil: used to describe plants that grow best
in sandy soil
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin arenaceus “of sand,” from arena (see arena ).][1]



arenatheater

arenatheater
a·re·na
the·a·ter
(plural a·re·na the·a·ters) noun

See
theater-in-the-round[1]



Arendt,Hannah

Arendt,Hannah

A·rendt
[árrənt, rənd],
Hannah (1906–1975)
German-born U.S. philosopher and
political theorist. Her major works include Origins of Totalitarianism (
1951 ) and Eichmann in Jerusalem ( 1963 ).[1]



arenicolous

arenicolous
ar·e·nic·o·lous 
[àrrə níkələss] adjective

living
in sand:
living, burrowing, or thriving in sand
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from Latin arena “sand” + -cola “inhabiting” + -ous .][1]



aren’t

aren’t
aren’t 
[rnt] contraction (informal)

1.  are
not:
short form of “are not” • They
aren’t coming.

2.  am
not:
short form of “am not,” which can only be used in questions • I’m
allowed to go too, aren’t I?

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Use
  of aren’t.
  English
  is deficient in not having a convenient contracted form of am I not?
  (The logically expected form amn’t I is used in some parts of Scotland
  and Ireland but has never been part of standard English.) There is no
  contraction for the type I am not that corresponds to I don’t
  and I haven’t (as distinct from I’m not, which places greater
  emphasis on the not ), and this is why the nonstandard form ain’t
  tends to be used for want of anything better, although it is extremely
  informal. (See the Usage note at ain’t .).

[1]



areola

areola
a·re·o·la 
[ə r ələ] (plural a·re·o·lae
[ə r ə l] or a·re·o·las) noun

1.  ANATOMY dark
area around nipple: the small circular dark area
around the nipple in humans

2.  MEDICINE circular
area:
a small circular area, for example, an inflamed ring around a spot
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “little area.”]
—a·re·o·lar,
adjective

—a·re·o·late
[ə r ələt], adjective

—a·re·o·la·tion [ə r ə láysh’n], noun[1]



areole

areole
ar·e·ole 
[árree l] (plural ar·e·oles) noun

1.  BIOLOGY small
clearly defined space: a small clearly defined
space, for example, that between veins on a leaf

2.  BOTANY pit on
surface of cactus: a depression on the surface
of a cactus that the spines, hairs, or flowers grow from
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin areola (see areola ).][1]



Arequipa

Arequipa
A·re·qui·pa 
[èrrə kpə, rə
kpə]

city in southern Peru in the
Andes. It is an important commercial center. Population: 620,471 (1993)[1]



Ares

Ares
A·res 
[áireez] noun

Greek god of war:
in Greek mythology, the god of war and the son of Zeus and Hera. Roman
equivalent Mars[1]



arethusa

arethusa
ar·e·thu·sa 
[àrree zə, èrree
zə] (plural arethusas) noun

See
swamp pink
[Named for the mythical Greek
nymph Arethusa, who changed into a spring when pursued by the river god
Alpheus][1]



argal

argal
ar·gal 
noun

See
argol[1]



argali

argali
ar·ga·li 
[rgəlee] (plural ar·ga·li) noun

wild
Asian sheep: a large wild sheep found in the dry
mountainous areas of central and northern Asia. Latin name: Ovis ammon
[Late 18th century. From
Mongolian.][1]



argent

argent
ar·gent 
[rjənt] noun

1.  silver:
the metal or the color silver (archaic or literary)

2.  HERALDRY color
on coat of arms: the color white or silver on a coat of
arms
[14th
century. Via French from Latin argentum “silver.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “shining, white,” which is also the ancestor of
English argil and argue .]
—ar·gent, adjective[1]



argentic

argentic
ar·gen·tic 
[aar jéntik] adjective

containing silver:
containing silver with a valence of 2[1]



argentiferous

argentiferous
ar·gen·tif·er·ous 
[rjən tífərəss] adjective

containing silver:
used to describe rocks or deposits containing silver[1]



Argentina

Argentina



Ar·gen·ti·na 
[rjən tnə]
republic that occupies most of the
southern tip of South America. It was settled by the Spanish in the 16th
century and became independent in 1816. Language: Spanish. Currency: austral.
Capital: Buenos Aires. Population: 35,797,981 (1997) Area: 2,780,400 sq
km/1,073,518 sq mi. Official name Argentine Republic[1]



Argentina




Back to definition

Argentina

[1]



Argentina,La

Argentina,La
Ar·gen·ti·na 
[r hen tnə], La (1888–1936)

Argentine
dancer. She reintroduced Spanish dancing as a popular art form in the 20th
century.
Real name
Mercé, Antonia[1]



argentine

argentine
ar·gen·tine 
[rjən tīn, rjən
teen] adjective

silvery:
silvery in color (archaic or literary)
noun
(plural ar·gen·tines)

silver:
the metal silver, or any material that looks like silver[1]



Argentine

Argentine
Ar·gen·tine
[rjən t`īn, rjən
tn] noun (plural Ar·gen·tines)

1.  See
Argentina

2.  See
Argentinean  adjective
adjective

See Argentinean  noun

[1]



Argentinean

Argentinean
Ar·gen·tin·e·an
[rjən tí nee ən] noun (plural
Ar·gen·tin·e·ans)

somebody
from Argentina: somebody who was born in or is a citizen
of Argentina.
Also
called
Argentine
adjective

of Argentina:
relating to Argentina, or its people or culture[1]



argentite

argentite
ar·gen·tite 
[rjən tīt] noun

mineral
yielding silver: a gray to black mineral consisting of
silver sulfide crystallized in cubic form. Ag2S
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin argentum “silver” + -ite
.][1]



argil

argil
ar·gil 
[rjəl] noun

clay:
clay, especially potter’s clay
[14th century. Via Old French
argille from Greek argillos “clay.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “shining, white.”][1]



argillaceous

argillaceous
ar·gil·la·ceous 
[rjə láyshəss] adjective

composed of clay particles:
used to describe sedimentary rock that is made up of fine silt or clay
particles[1]



argillite

argillite
ar·gil·lite 
[rjə lt] noun

rock made of clay:
rock that is made up of clay or silt particles, especially a hardened mudstone[1]



arginase

arginase
ar·gi·nase 
[rjə nàyss, rjə
nz] noun

liver enzyme:
an enzyme in the liver that aids the breakdown of the amino acid arginine,
producing urea for excretion[1]



arginine

arginine
ar·gi·nine 
[rjə nn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid, obtained by animals from their diet, that is one of the
constituents of protein. It is derived from guanidine in plant and animal
tissue. C6H14N4O2
[Late 19th century. From
German, perhaps formed from Greek arginoeis “bright-shining, white.”][1]



Argive

Argive
Ar·give 
[r gv, r jv]
adjective

1.  Greek:
relating to ancient Greece, especially the city of Argos

2.  of
Argos:
relating to the city of Argos
noun
(plural Ar·gives)

1.  ancient
Greek:
somebody from ancient Greece (literary)

2.  of
citizen of Argos: somebody from the city of Argos
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
Argivus “of Argos.”][1]



Argo

Argo
Ar·go 
[rgō] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a large constellation in the
southern hemisphere, now usually regarded as consisting of the smaller
constellations of Puppis, Vela, Carina, and Pyxis[1]



argol

argol
ar·gol 
[r gàwl, rg’l]
or ar·gal [rg’l] noun

potassium
deposit:
a deposit of potassium hydrogen tartrate, formed in wine casks and sometimes
used to manufacture cream of tartar
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman argoile, of unknown origin.][1]



argon

argon

ar·gon 
[r gàwn] noun
chemical
element:
a chemical element in the form of an inert gas that makes up about one percent
of the Earth’s atmosphere. Argon is used in electric lights and as a gas shield
in welding. Symbol Ar
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, from argos “inactive, idle,” from a- “without” + ergon
“work” (source of English ergonomics
and allergy ).][1]



argonaut

argonaut
ar·go·naut 
[rgə nàwt] (plural ar·go·nauts)
noun

ZOOLOGY See paper nautilus
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Argonauta, its genus name. From the fact that it drifts
through the oceans (like Jason’s Argonauts
).][1]



Argonaut

Argonaut
Ar·go·naut 
(plural Ar·go·nauts) noun

1.  Greek
hero:
one of the heroes in Greek mythology who sailed with Jason to find the Golden
Fleece

2.  Ar·go·naut
or ar·go·naut (plural ar·go·nauts) adventurer:
an adventurer, especially somebody who took part in the Californian gold rush
of 1849
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
argonauta from Greek argonautēs “sailor in the ship Argo.”][1]



argosy

argosy
ar·go·sy 
[rgəsee] (plural ar·go·sies) noun

1.  laden
merchant ship: a large richly laden merchant ship, or a
fleet of richly laden ships (literary)

2.  rich
store:
a rich plentiful store or supply of something (archaic or literary)
[Late 16th century. Probably
from Italian Ragusea “(ship from) Ragusa” (now Dubrovnik in Croatia),
which was an important port at the time.][1]



argot

argot
ar·got 
[rgət, rgō]
(plural ar·gots) noun

jargon:
jargon used by a particular group
[Mid-19th
century. From French, originally meaning the jargon of criminals, of unknown
origin.]
—ar·got·ic [aar góttik], adjective[1]



arguable

arguable
ar·gu·a·ble 
[rgyoo əb’l] adjective

1.  plausible
or possible: able to be supported or proved with
evidence or arguments • an
arguable case for global warming

2.  open
to dispute:
not obviously true or accurate, and therefore likely to be questioned or argued
about • It’s
arguable whether he really is the world’s best guitarist.

[1]



arguably

arguably
ar·gu·a·bly 
[rgyoo əblee] adverb

possibly:
used to mean that a statement is open to dispute but could be defended in an
argument • This
is arguably the best restaurant in town.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  arguably,
  debatably, disputably
  Arguably, which is the most common
  of the three words, tends to emphasize the affirmative position and suggests
  that the speaker is asserting that which is arguable: • arguably
  the most influential legislator in the county. Debatably
  is the most nearly neutral of the three: • It
  was a debatably rude thing to do. Disputably,
  the least common word, tends to emphasize the potential for disagreement: • The
  cause was disputably his work habits, although some say it was his temper
  that got him into trouble.

[1]



argue

argue
ar·gue 
[rgyoo] (past ar·gued, past
participle ar·gued, present participle ar·gu·ing, 3rd
person present singular ar·gues) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
express
disagreement: to express disagreement with somebody,
especially continuously or angrily

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
reasons for something: to give reasons for an
opinion in order to support it • You
could argue that this calls for greater freedom, not less.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb discuss
something:
to discuss something in all its aspects

4.  transitive
verb
persuade
somebody:
to persuade somebody to do something by giving reasons • argued
her out of leaving

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
evidence for something: to be evidence or a sign of
something
[14th
century. Via French arguer from Latin argutari “to assert
repeatedly,” from arguere “to make clear, assert.”]
—ar·gu·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disagree

[1]



argufy

argufy
ar·gu·fy 
[rgyə f] (past ar·gu·fied, past
participle ar·gu·fied, present participle ar·gu·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·gu·fies) intransitive verb

Southern U.S.
argue over something trivial:
to argue about something that is unimportant (informal)[1]



argument

argument
ar·gu·ment 
[rgyəmənt] (plural ar·gu·ments)
noun

1.  quarrel:
a disagreement in which different views are expressed, often angrily

2.  reason:
a reason put forward in support of a point of view • the
arguments for and against the planned development

3.  stated
point of view: the main point of view expressed in a
book, report, or speech

4.  discussion:
debate or discussion about whether something is correct

5.  LINGUISTICS noun
element in clause: any of the noun elements in
a clause that relate directly to the verb, such as the subject or object

6.  PHILOSOPHY logical
statements with conclusion: a unit of reasoning moving
from premises that provide evidence to a conclusion

7.  MATHEMATICS variable
element:
an independent variable whose value determines the value of a mathematical
expression

8.  COMPUTING feature
controlling computer program: a value that modifies how a
command or function operates in a computer program

[1]



argumenta

argumenta
ar·gu·men·ta


Plural of
argumentum[1]



argumentation

argumentation
ar·gu·men·ta·tion 
[rgyəmən táysh’n, rgyə
men táysh’n] (plural ar·gu·men·ta·tions) noun

1.  debate:
a process of debating or discussing something

2.  logical
reasoning:
reasoning that proceeds methodically from a statement to a conclusion

[1]



argumentative

argumentative
ar·gu·men·ta·tive 
[rgyə méntətiv] adjective

1.  inclined
to disagree: tending to disagree and argue

2.  characterized
by disagreement: characterized by disagreement or
argument
—ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—ar·gu·men·ta·tive·ness,
noun[1]



argumentum

argumentum
ar·gu·men·tum 
[rgyə méntəm] (plural ar·gu·men·ta
[rgyə méntə]) noun

line
of reasoning: a series of statements or a
demonstration that leads to a logical conclusion (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “argument, rationale,” from arguere (see argue
).][1]



argumentumad hominem

argumentumad hominem
ar·gu·men·tum
ad hom·i·nem [rgyə méntəmad
hómmi nem, ad hómmənəm] noun

attack
on opponent’s character: criticism of an opponent’s
character or motives, rather than of the person’s argument, opinion, or beliefs
(formal)
[From Latin, literally
“argument to the person”][1]



Argus

Argus
Ar·gus 
[rgəss] noun

1.  hundred-eyed
giant:
in Greek mythology, a giant with a hundred eyes. He was sent by the jealous
Hera to watch over her husband Zeus’s lover, Io, but was later lulled to sleep
and killed by Hermes.

2.  (plural
Ar·gus·es) watchful person:
somebody who is very alert and watchful (literary)

[1]



Argus-eyed

Argus-eyed
Ar·gus-eyed 
adjective

observant:
extremely alert and seeing everything (literary)[1]



argyle

argyle

ar·gyle
[r gīl, aar gl]
or ar·gyll [r gīl, aar gl] adjective
with
diamond pattern: knitted with a pattern of colored
diamonds
noun
(plural ar·gyles)
sock
or sweater with diamond pattern: a sock or sweater made
in an argyle design
[Mid-20th century. From its
being based on the tartan of the branch of the Campbell clan who lived in
Argyll in Scotland.][1]



arhat

arhat
ar·hat 
[rhət] (plural ar·hats) noun

Buddhist
in state of enlightenment: a Buddhist who has reached
the highest state of peace and enlightenment.
See
also
arahat
[Late
19th century. Via Pali from Sanskrit, “deserving, meritorious.”]
—ar·hat·ship, noun[1]



aria

aria
a·ri·a 
[ree ə] (plural a·ri·as) noun

opera
song:
a melody sung solo or as a duet in an opera, oratorio, or cantata
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin aer “air” (see air
).][1]



Ariadne

Ariadne
Ar·i·ad·ne 
[àrree ádnee] noun

Greek heroine:
in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She gave Theseus the
ball of thread which he used to find his way out of the labyrinth after killing
the Minotaur.[1]



Arian

Arian2
Ar·i·an2  [áiree
ən] (plural Ar·i·ans) noun

Christian
heretic:
a follower of the ancient Greek Christian theologian Arius, who argued that
Jesus Christ was the highest created being, but was not divine. This doctrine
was pronounced heretical in the 4th century AD.
—Ar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



Arian

Arian1
Ar·i·an1  [áiree
ən] (plural Ar·i·ans) noun

See
Aries  noun 2
—Ar·i·an, adjective[1]



Arias,Arnulfo

Arias,Arnulfo
A·ri·as
[ree ss], Arnulfo (1901–1988)

Panamanian political leader.
As president of Panama (1940–1941, 1949–1951, and 1968), he was noted for his
authoritarian policies.[1]



AriasSanchez, Oscar

AriasSanchez, Oscar

A·ri·as San·chez
[ree aass sn chez], Oscar (1941– )
Costa Rican statesman. He was president
of Costa Rica (1986–1990) and won the Nobel Peace Prize (1987).[1]



ariboflavinosis

ariboflavinosis
a·ri·bo·fla·vi·no·sis 
[ay rbə flayvə nṓsəss] noun

deficiency
of vitamin B 2:
a condition caused by a dietary deficiency of vitamin B 2 ( riboflavin
). The symptoms are mouth lesions and excessive oiliness of the skin and hair.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from a- + riboflavin
+ -osis .][1]



arid

arid
ar·id 
[árrid, érrid]
adjective

1.  with
low rainfall: used to describe a region in which
annual rainfall is less than 25 cm10 in

2.  dull:
completely lacking in interest or excitement
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from Latin aridus, from arere “to
be dry.”]
—a·rid·i·ty
[ə rídətee], noun

—ar·id·ness
[árridniss, érridniss],
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dry

[1]



aridzone

aridzone
ar·id
zone
(plural ar·id zones) noun

dry hot climatic zone:
either of two zones of latitude that are between 15° and 30° north and south of
the equator, consisting mostly of desert or semidesert[1]



Ariel

Ariel
Ar·i·el 
[áiree əl] noun

a moon of Uranus:
a natural satellite of Uranus having a radius of 580 km, discovered in 1851[1]



Aries

Aries

Ar·ies 
[ái rz, ái ree
z] noun

1.  ZODIAC first
sign of the zodiac: the first sign of the
zodiac, represented by a ram and lasting from approximately March 21 to April
19. Aries is classified as a fire sign and its ruling planet is Mars.
Also
called
the Ram

2.  ZODIAC somebody
born under Aries: somebody whose birthday falls between
March 21 and April 19.
Also
called
Arian

3.  ASTRONOMY constellation:
a zodiacal constellation of the northern hemisphere lying between Pisces and
Taurus
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin aries “ram.”]
—Ar·ies, adjective[1]



arietta

arietta
a·ri·et·ta 
[ree éttə, àrree
éttə, èrree éttə] (plural a·ri·et·tas)
noun

short
aria:
a short simple aria in an opera, oratorio, or cantata
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “little aria.”][1]



aright

aright
a·right 
[ə rt] adverb

correctly:
well, or in the correct or proper way (archaic)[1]



Arikara

Arikara
A·rik·a·ra 
[ə ríkərə] (plural A·rik·a·ras
or A·rik·a·ra) noun

member of Native North
American people: a member of a Native
American people who used to live in the Missouri River valley, but who now live
in western North Dakota[1]



aril

aril
ar·il 
[árrəl, érrəl]
(plural ar·ils) noun

seed
covering:
a fleshy, often brightly colored seed covering in some plants. It draws
attention to the seed and aids dispersal by birds.
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin arillus from medieval Latin arilli
“dried grape pips,” of unknown origin.]
—ar·iled,
adjective

—ar·il·late [árrə layt, érrəlayt],
adjective[1]



arioso

arioso
a·ri·o·so 
[ree ṓsō, ree ṓssō]
adjective adverb

songlike:
with intense lyricism or feeling
noun
(plural a·ri·o·sos)

short
lyrical piece: a short lyrical aria or instrumental
work
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “like an aria.”][1]



arise

arise
a·rise 
[ə rz] (past a·rose [ə rṓz], past participle a·ris·en [ə rìzən], present participle a·ris·ing,
3rd person present singular a·ris·es) intransitive verb

1.  occur:
to happen or come into existence, or be noticed or heard • When
did the problem arise?

2.  be
caused by something: to happen or exist as a
result of something

3.  become
active or vocal: to rise from a quiet, inactive, or
subjugated state to become active, vocal, or rebellious (literary)

4.  go
up:
to move upward to a higher place or level (archaic or literary)

5.  stand
up:
to stand up from a sitting, lying, or kneeling position (archaic or literary)

6.  get
out of bed:
to get out of bed (archaic or literary)
[Old English arisan
“to rise up,” from the same prehistoric Germanic ancestor as English rise][1]



arista

arista
a·ris·ta 
[ə rístə] (plural a·ris·tae [ə rístay, ə rístee])
noun

1.  BOTANY (technical) See
awn

2.  INSECTS bristle:
a bristly part of the antennae of some flies
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “ear of grain,” of unknown origin.][1]



Aristarchusof Samos

Aristarchusof Samos
Ar·is·tar·chus
of Sa·mos 
[èrri strkəss əv sáy moss] (310? BC–250? BC)

Greek astronomer. He proposed
that the Earth rotates on its axis and orbits the Sun.[1]



Aristide,Jean-Bertrand

Aristide,Jean-Bertrand
Ar·is·tide
[ri std], Jean-Bertrand (1953– )

Haitian political leader. He
was elected president of the independent republic of Haiti (1991–1996) in
Haiti’s first free elections since 1804.[1]



Aristidesthe Just

Aristidesthe Just
Ar·is·ti·des
the Just
[àrri st deez ə júst] (530 BC–468 BC)

Greek soldier-statesman. He
commanded the Athenian land forces at Salamis against the Persians.[1]



Aristippus

Aristippus
Ar·is·tip·pus
[àrri stíppəss] (435? BC–360? BC)

Greek philosopher. A student
of Socrates, he founded the Cyrenaic school of hedonism, believing that
pleasure is the highest good.[1]



aristocracy

aristocracy
ar·is·toc·ra·cy 
[àrris tókrəsee, èrris
tókrəsee] (plural ar·is·toc·ra·cies) noun

1.  people
of highest class: people of noble families or the highest
social class

2.  superior
group:
a group acknowledged to be superior to all others of the same kind

3.  government
by elite:
government of a country by a small group of people, especially a hereditary
nobility

4.  state
governed by aristocracy: a state governed by an
aristocracy
[15th century. Via French aristocratie
from Greek aristokratia “rule by the best,” from aristos “best” +
kratos “power, rule” (see -cracy ).
The connotations of social class developed in the mid-17th century.][1]



aristocrat

aristocrat
a·ris·to·crat 
[ərístə kràt] (plural a·ris·to·crats)
noun

1.  member
of elite social class: a member of the highest
social class in a country

2.  supporter
of aristocratic rule: a member of a governing
aristocracy, or somebody who supports government by aristocracy

3.  superior
person:
a person, thing, or group believed to be superior to all others of the same
kind

[1]



aristocratic

aristocratic
a·ris·to·crat·ic
[ə rìstə kráttik] adjective

1.  of
or about established wealth or nobility: of or
about people belonging to noble or wealthy families, for example, in having a
grand lifestyle or elegant manners

2.  of
class of nobles: belonging or relating to the highest
social class, especially the nobility
—a·ris·to·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Aristophanes

Aristophanes

Ar·is·toph·a·nes 
[àrri stóffə nz] (448? BC–385 BC)
Greek dramatist. He satirized social and
intellectual pretensions in plays such as The Birds ( 414 BC ) and The Clouds ( 423 BC ).[1]



Aristotelian

Aristotelian
Ar·is·to·te·li·an 
[àrristə tlee ən, èrristə
tlee ən] adjective

relating
to Aristotle: expressing or based on the ideas of the
Greek philosopher Aristotle
noun
(plural Ar·is·to·te·li·ans)

follower of Aristotle:
a follower of Aristotle’s philosophy[1]



Aristotelianlogic

Aristotelianlogic
Ar·is·to·te·li·an
log·ic
noun

Aristotle’s system of logic:
the system of logic developed by Aristotle, based on the kind of reasoning ( syllogism ) that reaches a conclusion from two
independent statements with a common factor[1]



Aristotle

Aristotle

Ar·is·tot·le 
[àrri stótt’l] (384 BC–322 BC)
Greek philosopher and scientist. He was
among the most influential of philosophers in Western history.[1]



arithmetic

arithmetic
a·rith·me·tic 
noun [ə ríthmə tìk]

1.  basic
math:
the branch of mathematics that deals with addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division

2.  calculation
using basic mathematics: one or more calculations
using basic mathematics

3.  use
of numbers:
the use of numbers in calculation, or educational exercises involving this

4.  ability
to do arithmetic: somebody’s ability to add, subtract,
multiply, and divide (informal)
adjective
[àrrith méttìk]

relating to arithmetic:
using, involving, or based on arithmetic
[13th
century. Via Old French arismetique from, ultimately, Greek arithmētikē
(tekhnē) “counting (art),” from arithmein “to reckon,” from arithmos
“number.”]
—ar·ith·met·i·cal
[àrri méttik’l, èrri
méttik’l], adjective

—ar·ith·met·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—a·rith·me·ti·cian [ə rìmə tísh’n], noun[1]



arithmeticlogic unit

arithmeticlogic unit
ar·ith·met·ic
log·ic u·nit (plural ar·ith·met·ic log·ic
u·nits) noun

computer circuit making
calculations: the circuit in a
computer’s central processing unit that makes decisions based on the results of
calculations[1]



arithmeticmean

arithmeticmean
ar·ith·met·ic
mean
(plural ar·ith·met·ic means) noun

average of several numbers:
the average of a set of numbers, calculated by adding them together and then
dividing their sum by the number of terms[1]



arithmeticprogression

arithmeticprogression
ar·ith·met·ic
pro·gres·sion (plural ar·ith·met·ic
pro·gres·sions) noun

sequence of numbers:
a sequence of numbers in which a constant figure ( common
difference ) is added to each term to give the next. For example, 3, 8,
13, 18 is an arithmetic progression in which the common difference is 5.[1]



-arium

-arium
-arium
suffix

a
place or device connected with something • herbarium
[From Latin, neuter of -arius][1]



Ariz.

Ariz.
Ariz.

Abbreviation of
Arizona[1]



Arizona

Arizona


Ar·i·zo·na 
[àrri zṓnə]
state
in the southwestern United States, bounded by New Mexico, Mexico, California,
Nevada, and Utah. Capital: Phoenix. Population: 4,554,966 (1997) Area: 295,274
sq km/114,000 sq mi.
—Ar·i·zo·nan,
adjective, noun

—Ar·i·zo·ni·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Arizona




Back to definition

Arizona

[1]



Arjuna

Arjuna
Ar·ju·na 
[áar jə nə] noun

prince in Hindu mythology:
major character in the Mahabharata . Serving as his charioteer, Krishna
explains Hindu doctrine to him.[1]



Ark.

Ark.
Ark.

Abbreviation of
Arkansas[1]



ark

ark
ark 
[aark] (plural arks) noun

1.  Noah’s
ship:
the ship that, according to biblical accounts, Noah was instructed to build by
God to save his family and the animals from the Flood.
Also
called
Noah’s ark

2.  sanctuary:
a place providing refuge

3.  ark
or Ark See Ark of the Covenant

4.  ark
or Ark (plural Arks) cabinet
containing Torah scrolls: a cupboard in a synagogue in
which the scrolls of the Torah are kept.
Also
called
Holy Ark
[Old
English ærc, via prehistoric Germanic from Latin arca “chest,
box”]
out
of the ark

extremely
old or old-fashioned (informal)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Schindler’s
  Ark, a novel by Thomas Kenneally ( 1982 ). It tells the true story of a
  German industrialist, Oskar Schindler, who helped thousands of Jews avoid the
  Nazi death camps by employing them in his factories. It was made into a movie
  called Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg in 1993.

[1]



Arkadelphia

Arkadelphia
Ar·ka·del·phi·a
[rkə délfee ə]

city in southwestern
Arkansas, on the Ouachita River. Population: 10,472 (1996)[1]



Arkansas




Back to definition

Arkansas

[1]



Arkansas

Arkansas


Ar·kan·sas 
[rkən sàw]

1.  southern
U.S. state, bordered by Missouri, the Mississippi River, Louisiana, Texas, and
Oklahoma. Capital: Little Rock. Population: 2,522,819 (1996) Area: 137,741 sq
km/53,182 sq mi.

2.  major
river of the central United States, rising in central Colorado and flowing
south and eastward to join the Mississippi River in southeastern Arkansas. The
main cities along its course are Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Length: 2,350 km/1,460 mi.
—Ar·kan·san, noun,
noun adjective[1]



ArkansasPost National Memorial

ArkansasPost National Memorial
Ar·kan·sas
Post Na·tion·al Me·mo·ri·al

national park in east central
Arkansas. It is located on the site of the first permanent settlement
established in 1686 by the French in the lower Mississippi River valley. Area:
157 hectares/389 acres.[1]



Arkansawyer

Arkansawyer
Ar·kan·saw·yer
[rkən sàwyər] (plural Ar·kan·saw·yers)
noun

(regional)
See Arkansan
[Early
20th century. Formed from Arkansas + -yer
in sawyer .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Arkansawyer is, apparently, preferred
  by natives of Arkansas to the more familiar Arkansan.

[1]



Arkof the Covenant

Arkof the Covenant
Ark
of the Cov·e·nant or Ark of the Tes·ti·mo·ny
noun

chest containing Ten
Commandments: the chest in which,
according to biblical accounts, Moses placed the two stone tablets containing
the Ten Commandments. The Hebrews treasured it as the most sacred sign of God’s
presence among them.
Also called
Ark[1]



arkose

arkose
ark·ose 
[rkss, rkz]
noun

sedimentary
rock:
a coarse-grained sedimentary rock rich in feldspar and quartz
[Mid-19th century. From
French, probably coined from Greek arkhaios “ancient” (source of English
archaic ).][1]



Arlen,Harold

Arlen,Harold
Ar·len
[rlən], Harold (1905–1986)

U.S. composer. He wrote the
scores for many movies and Broadway musicals.[1]



Arles

Arles
Arles 
[aarl]

city in the Bouches-du-Rhône
Department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region in France, situated
northwest of Marseilles. It was a major Roman city, and after the 10th century
was the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Population: 52,593 (1990)[1]



Arlington

Arlington
Ar·ling·ton 
[rlingtən]

1.  city
in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C., site of Arlington National
Cemetery and the Pentagon. Population: 175,334 (1996)

2.  city
situated between Fort Worth and Dallas in northeastern Texas. Population:
294,816 (1996)

[1]



ArlingtonHeights

ArlingtonHeights
Ar·ling·ton
Heights

city in northeastern
Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Population: 76,740 (1996)[1]



ARM

ARM
ARM

Abbreviation of
adjustable rate mortgage[1]



arm

arm2
arm2 [aarm]
verb (past armed, past participle armed, present
participle arm·ing, 3rd person present singular arms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb equip
with weapons: to equip somebody or a country with
weapons

2.  transitive
verb
activate:
to prepare a weapon so that it is ready to use

3.  transitive
verb
provide
with tools:
to provide somebody with the information or equipment needed to do something • armed
myself with statistics before the meeting
noun
(plural arms)

weapon: a
weapon, especially one used in warfare (often used in the plural)
plural
noun
arms

1.  warfare:
fighting and military activity

2.  See
coat of arms
[12th
century. Via Old French armer from Latin armare, from arma
(plural) “weapons.”]
be
up in arms

to
protest or complain angrily

lay
down your arms

to
stop fighting

take
up arms

to enter, or prepare to
enter, a battle[1]



arm

arm1
arm1 [aarm]
(plural arms) noun

1.  upper
limb:
a limb attached to the shoulder of the human body

2.  part
of garment:
the part of a piece of clothing that covers the arm

3.  part
of chair:
a side piece of a seat designed to support the arms

4.  animal’s
limb:
a part of an animal’s body that is similar to the human arm, or a flexible limb
in an invertebrate such as an octopus

5.  long
projecting part of something: a part of something that is
similar to a human arm in function or appearance • an
arm of the sea

6.  division
of larger group: a branch of an organization, especially
a section of the armed forces
[Old
English arm, earm . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “fit,
join.”]
an
arm and a leg

a
lot of money (informal) • It
would cost an arm and a leg to repair.

arm
in arm

holding
each other affectionately by linking arms

at
arm’s length

in
a position or situation that avoids involvement or familiarity

put
the arm on somebody

1.  to
try to force somebody to do something (informal)

2.  to
borrow money from somebody (informal)

twist
somebody’s arm

to
try to persuade somebody to do something against his or her will

with
open arms

in
a friendly and welcoming way

would
give your right arm for something

would
be willing to do or give almost anything to get something that you want (informal)

[1]



armada

armada
ar·ma·da 
[aar mdə] (plural ar·ma·das) noun

fleet:
a large fleet of ships
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, medieval Latin armata (see army ).][1]



armadillo

armadillo

ar·ma·dil·lo 
[rmə dílō] (plural ar·ma·dil·los
or ar·ma·dil·lo) noun
mammal
with hard-plated body: a burrowing mammal with a
hard-plated body, found in temperate and tropical regions of the Americas.
Armadillos are related to anteaters and sloths. Family: Dasypodidae
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, literally “little armed man,” from, ultimately, Latin armare
“to arm” (see arm 2 ).][1]



Armageddon

Armageddon
Ar·ma·ged·don 
[rmə gédd’n] noun

1.  biblical
battle between good and evil: in the Bible, the battle
between the forces of good and evil that is predicted to mark the end of the
world and precede the Day of Judgment. (Revelation 16:16) .

2.  all-destroying
war:
any final and decisive war or conflict, for example, a worldwide nuclear war
[Early 19th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Hebrew har megiddōn “hill of Megiddo.”][1]



Armagh

Armagh
Ar·magh 
[aar m]

historic county of Northern
Ireland, in the province of Ulster. Area: 667 sq km/258 sq mi.[1]



armament

armament
ar·ma·ment 
[rməmənt] (plural ar·ma·ments)
noun

1.  military
weapons:
the guns and other weapons on a military aircraft, vehicle, or ship (often
used in the plural)

2.  process
of arming:
the provision of weapons and equipment in preparation for war

3.  force
equipped for war: a military force equipped for war (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin armamentum, from armare (see arm 2 ).][1]



armamentarium

armamentarium
ar·ma·men·tar·i·um 
[rmə men térree əm] (plural ar·ma·men·tar·i·ums
or ar·ma·men·tar·i·a [rmə men térree
ə]) noun

medical
equipment:
the complete range of equipment, medications, and techniques that a medical
practitioner has at his or her disposal
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “arsenal, armory,” formed from armare (see arm 2 ).][1]



Armani,Giorgio

Armani,Giorgio
Ar·ma·ni
[aar mnee], Giorgio (1934– )

Italian fashion designer. He
founded the Giorgio Armani fashion design company in 1975.[1]



armature

armature
ar·ma·ture 
[rməchər, rmətr,
rməchr] (plural ar·ma·tures)
noun

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING moving
part in electromagnetic device: the moving part in an
electromagnetic device, wound with coils that carry a current. In a generator,
an electric current is induced in the coils when they revolve through a
magnetic field.

2.  keeper
for magnet:
a bar of soft iron or steel placed across the poles of a magnet to maintain its
strength.
Also
called
keeper

3.  BIOLOGY protective
part:
a protective outer covering or structure, for example, quills on a porcupine or
spines on a plant

4.  SCULPTURE framework
for a sculpture: a framework that supports a sculpture
while it is being modeled
[15th century. Via French
from Latin armatura (source also of English armor
), from armat-, the past participle stem of armare (see arm 2 ). The
original meaning was “armor.”][1]



armband

armband
arm·band
[rm bànd] (plural arm·bands) noun

band worn around the arm:
a band of fabric worn around the upper arm[1]



armcandy

armcandy
arm
candy 
noun

good-looking woman companion:
a good-looking woman with whom a man does not have a relationship but who
accompanies him to a social event by prior arrangement, often for a fee (slang
humorous)[1]



armchair

armchair
arm·chair 
[rm chàir] noun (plural arm·chairs)

chair
with armrests: a chair with arms, especially a
comfortable upholstered chair
adjective

with no first-hand
experience: with no direct experience,
only theoretical knowledge • an
armchair tourist[1]



armed

armed
armed
[rmd] adjective

1.  equipped
with weapons: equipped with one or more weapons • armed
robbers

2.  using
weapons:
involving the use of weapons • armed
conflict

3.  with
exploding mechanism active: prepared and ready for use
as a weapon, especially with a fuse or detonator activated

4.  provided
with necessary things: equipped with the
information or tools needed to achieve something • armed
with the latest statistics

[1]



armedforces

armedforces
armed
forc·es 
plural noun

army, navy, marines, and air
force: the combined bodies of
troops of a country who fight on land, at sea, or in the air[1]



Armenia

Armenia



Ar·me·ni·a 
[aar mnee ə]
country in southwestern Asia between the
Black and the Caspian seas, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Nakcivan
enclave, Iran, Turkey, and Georgia. Language: Armenian. Currency: dram.
Capital: Yerevan. Population: 3,433,629 (1997) Area: 29,800 sq km/11,506 sq mi.[1]



Armenia




Back to definition

Armenia

[1]



Armenian

Armenian
Ar·me·ni·an 
[r mnee ən] (plural Ar·me·ni·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Armenia: somebody who was born or raised in
Armenia, or who is a citizen of Armenia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Armenia:
the national language of Armenia, also spoken in Turkey and in many other parts
of the world. It forms a distinct branch of Indo-European and is spoken by
about six million people.
—Ar·me·ni·an, adjective[1]



armful

armful
arm·ful 
[rmfl] (plural arm·fuls) noun

amount carried in arms:
the amount of something that can be carried with one or both arms[1]



armhole

armhole
arm·hole 
[rm hl] (plural arm·holes) noun

hole in garment for arm:
either of the holes at the top of a garment for the wearer’s arms to go through[1]



armiger

armiger
ar·mi·ger 
[rmijər] (plural ar·mi·gers) noun

1.  HERALDRY somebody
with coat of arms: somebody entitled to have a
coat of arms (archaic)

2.  MILITARY medieval
squire:
a squire who carried a medieval knight’s armor
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “bearing weapons,” formed from arma “weapons” (see arm 2 ).][1]



armillarysphere

armillarysphere

ar·mil·lar·y
sphere 
[rmə lérree sfr, aar
mìlləree sfr] (plural ar·mil·lar·y spheres) noun
early
model of universe: a spherical model of the
universe, first used by early Greek astronomers, in which the relative
positions of the Earth and other celestial bodies are represented by
intersecting metal rings
[“Armillary” from modern
Latin armillaris, from Latin armilla “arm bracelet,” literally
“little shoulder,” from armus “shoulder”][1]



Arminian

Arminian
Ar·min·i·an 
[aar mínnee ən] adjective

opposing
Calvinism:
relating to or following the Protestant theologian Arminius or his doctrines,
which rejected the Calvinist view of absolute predestination
noun
(plural Ar·min·i·ans)

follower
of Arminianism: a follower of Arminius or his doctrines
[Early
17th century. Formed from Arminius, Latinized surname of Jakob
Hermandszoon (1560–1609).]
—Ar·min·i·an·ism, noun[1]



armistice

armistice
ar·mi·stice 
[rmistiss] (plural ar·mi·stices)
noun

break
in fighting: a truce in a war to discuss terms for
peace
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via French from modern Latin armistitium, literally “stoppage of
weapons,” coined from Latin arma “weapons.”][1]



ArmisticeDay

ArmisticeDay
Ar·mi·stice
Day 
noun

celebration of end of World
War I: the former annual
celebration of the armistice that ended World War I on 11 November, 1918. In
1954 it was incorporated into the observance of Veterans Day.[1]



armlet

armlet
arm·let 
[rmlət] (plural arm·lets) noun

1.  band
worn on arm: a band worn on the upper arm

2.  GEOGRAPHY narrow
strip of water: a short narrow arm of a lake or the sea

[1]



armload

armload
arm·load 
[rm ld] (plural arm·loads) noun

amount carried in arms:
an amount of something that can be carried with one or both arms[1]



armlock

armlock
arm·lock
[rm lòk] (plural arm·locks) noun

grip around somebody’s arm:
a tight immobilizing grip around one or both of somebody’s upper arms, for
example, in wrestling or judo[1]



armoire

armoire
ar·moire
[aarmwr] (plural ar·moires) noun

freestanding
cupboard:
a tall cupboard or wardrobe, often ornately decorated. Originally, an armoire
was used for storing weapons.
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin armarium “chest,” from arma
(plural) “weapons, tools.”][1]



armor

armor

ar·mor 
[rmər] noun

1.  MILITARY protection
for soldiers: protective clothing of metal or leather
worn in battle by soldiers in former times

2.  MILITARY protection
for military vehicles: the protective layer of
metal covering military vehicles, ships, and aircraft

3.  BIOLOGY covering
on plants or animals: a protective layer covering
an animal or plant

4.  protection:
anything that gives protection or acts as a safeguard

5.  GEOGRAPHY gravel
on river bed: a surface layer of gravel in a river bed
preventing erosion of the material below

6.  HERALDRY coats
of arms:
coats of arms or the symbols and designs used on them
[13th century. From French armure
from Latin armatura (see armature ).][1]



armored

armored
ar·mored
[rmərd] adjective

1.  with
protective metal covering: with a protective metal
covering to protect from bullets or missiles

2.  with
armored vehicles: using armored vehicles

3.  with
protective covering: with a natural protective
covering, for example, a shell

[1]



armoredcar

armoredcar
ar·mored
car
(plural ar·mored cars) noun

1.  civilian
vehicle protected by armor: any vehicle, for example, a
security van, with an extra layer of thick metal to protect the occupants from
bullets or other weapons

2.  light
military vehicle: a lightweight military vehicle that is
lightly armored and used mainly for reconnaissance

[1]



armorer

armorer
ar·mor·er 
[rmərər] (plural ar·mor·ers) noun

1.  maker
of weapons and armor: somebody who makes and
repairs armor and weapons

2.  soldier
maintaining small arms: a soldier who repairs and
maintains small arms

[1]



armorial

armorial
ar·mo·ri·al 
[aar máwree əl] adjective

of
or with coat of arms: relating to coats of arms or
decorated with a coat of arms • armorial
bearings
[Late 16th century. Formed
from obsolete armory “heraldry,” from Old French armoi(e)rie,
from armoier “to blazon,” from armes (plural) “weapons” (see arm 2 ).][1]



armorplate

armorplate
ar·mor
plate
noun

protective
metal for military vehicles: strong metal sheets used for
protecting military vehicles, aircraft, and ships
—ar·mor-plat·ed, adjective[1]



armory

armory
ar·mor·y 
[rməree] (plural ar·mor·ies) noun

1.  store
for weapons: a building in which weapons are stored

2.  collection
of weapons:
a store or collection of weapons

3.  building
for military training: a building used for drilling
and training militia

4.  resources
of any kind: a range of equipment and skills
available to somebody, used especially in dealing with opponents

5.  arms
factory:
a factory where arms are manufactured
[14th century. From Old French
armoi(e)rie “weaponry” (see armorial
).][1]



armour

armour
ar·mour 
noun

U.K. =
armor[1]



Armour,Philip Danforth

Armour,Philip Danforth
Ar·mour
[rmər], Philip Danforth (1832–1901)

U.S. business executive. He
revolutionized the meat-packing business and founded Armour & Company in
1870.[1]



armoury

armoury
ar·mour·y
[rməree] (plural ar·mour·ies)
noun

1.  U.K.
=
armory

2.  ar·mour·y
or ar·mour·ies Canada
Also
called
armouries See armory  noun 3

[1]



armpit

armpit
arm·pit 
[rm pìt] (plural arm·pits) noun

1.  hollow
under arm:
the hollow area under the arm where it joins the body.
Also
called
axilla

2.  worst
place:
a place that is the worst of its kind (slang)

[1]



armrest

armrest
arm·rest 
[rm rèst] (plural arm·rests) noun

support for arm:
a projecting part, for example, on a chair, designed to support the arm of
somebody sitting down[1]



armsrace

armsrace
arms
race
noun

quest for military
superiority: the competition between
countries for superiority in the number and power of weapons held[1]



Armstrong,Louis

Armstrong,Louis

Arm·strong
[rm stràwng], Louis (1901–1971)
U.S.
jazz musician. He was known for his trumpet playing and gravelly singing voice.
Full name
Armstrong, Daniel Louis Known as Satchmo[1]



Armstrong,Neil

Armstrong,Neil

Arm·strong
[rm stràwng], Neil (1930– )
U.S. astronaut. He was the first person
to set foot on the Moon (1969).[1]



arm-twisting

arm-twisting
arm-twist·ing 
noun

threats or pressure on
somebody: heavy-handed or unfair
pressure on somebody to do something[1]



armwrestling

armwrestling
arm
wres·tling
noun

contest of strength:
a contest of strength between two people in which they sit opposite each other
with one elbow each on a table, clasp hands, and try to force the opponent’s
hand onto the table[1]



army

army
ar·my 
[rmee] (plural ar·mies) noun

1.  branch
of armed forces: the branch of a country’s armed forces
trained to fight on land

2.  large
armed group: any trained or armed fighting force

3.  large
organized group: a large group that has been organized to
do a particular thing • an
army of volunteers

4.  large
number of things: a very large number of things
[14th century. Via French armée
from medieval Latin armata (source of English armada ), from the past participle of Latin armare
“to arm” (see arm 2 ).][1]



armyant

armyant
ar·my
ant
(plural ar·my ants) noun

swarming tropical ant:
any nomadic tropical ant that forages in large groups.
Also called
driver ant
Also called
legionary ant[1]



armybrat

armybrat
ar·my
brat
(plural ar·my brats) noun

somebody raised in army
family: a person who is born into,
or grows up in, the family of a member of the army • As
an army brat, she’s lived all over the world.[1]



armypost

armypost
ar·my
post
(plural ar·my posts) noun

contained army community:
a piece of land owned and occupied by the army, used for housing and training
personnel[1]



armyworm

armyworm
ar·my·worm 
[rmi wùrm] (plural ar·my·worms)
noun

larva that migrates in
groups: the larva of any insect that
travels in large migratory groups destroying vegetation and crops[1]



arm’s-length

arm’s-length
arm’s-length
adjective

without a close relationship:
without close contact or an intimate relationship • the
companies’ arm’s-length trading arrangement[1]



Arnhem

Arnhem
Arn·hem 
[rn hèm, rnəm]

city in the eastern
Netherlands. It was the scene of a major battle in World War II, when Allied
airborne troops fought unsuccessfully to secure Rhine bridges in September
1944. Population: 133,670 (1994)[1]



ArnhemLand

ArnhemLand
Arn·hem
Land


region in northern Australia,
situated between the Roper and South Alligator rivers in the Northern
Territory, and the site of one of Australia’s largest Aboriginal reserves[1]



arnica

arnica
ar·ni·ca 
[rnikə] (plural ar·ni·cas or
ar·ni·ca) noun

1.  plant
with yellow flowers: a perennial plant found in
northern Europe, usually with yellow flowers like daisies. Genus: Arnica

2.  treatment
for bruises: a liquid preparation made from the dried
flower heads of arnica, used in alternative medicine for treating bruises and
sprains
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



Arno

Arno
Ar·no 
[rnō]

chief river of the Tuscany
region in central Italy. It rises in the Tuscan Apennines and flows through of
Florence and Pisa. Length: 240 km/about 150 mi.[1]



Arnold,Benedict

Arnold,Benedict

Ar·nold 
[rnəld], Benedict (1741–1801)
U.S. officer and traitor. His plan to
surrender West Point to the British (1780) during the American Revolution made
his name synonymous with treachery.[1]



Arnold,Matthew

Arnold,Matthew

Ar·nold 
[rnəld], Matthew (1822–1888)
British poet and critic. He was professor
of poetry at Oxford (1857), and in addition to poetry wrote critical and
religious works.[1]



Arnold,Thomas

Arnold,Thomas
Ar·nold 
[rnəld], Thomas (1795–1842)

British educator. He was the
father of Matthew Arnold, and the influential reforming headmaster of Rugby
school (1828–1842).[1]



aroid

aroid
ar·oid 
[árr òyd, érr
òyd] (plural ar·oids) adjective

of
arum family: belonging to the arum family of
perennial plants
[Late 19th century. Coined
from arum + -oid
.][1]



aroma

aroma
a·ro·ma 
[ə rṓmə] (plural a·ro·mas) noun

1.  smell:
a smell, especially a pleasant smell

2.  quality:
a subtle impression or quality
[12th
century. Via Latin from Greek, “spice.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



aromatherapy

aromatherapy
a·ro·ma·ther·a·py 
[ə rmə érrəpee] noun

treatment
using plant oils: the use of oils extracted from plants to
alleviate physical and psychological disorders, usually through massage or
inhalation
[Mid-20th
century. From French aromathérapie .]
—a·ro·ma·ther·a·pist, noun[1]



aromatic

aromatic
ar·o·mat·ic 
[àrrō máttik, èrrō
máttik] adjective

1.  with
pleasant smell: with a distinctive and pleasant smell

2.  CHEMISTRY of
class of chemical compounds: used to describe a class of
organic chemical compounds that contain one or more rings of carbon atoms and
undergo chemical reactions that are characteristic of benzene. About half of
all organic compounds are aromatic.
See
also
aliphatic
noun
(plural ar·o·mat·ics)

fragrant substance or plant:
an aromatic substance or plant
[14th
century. Via French aromatique from, ultimately, Greek arōma
“spice.”]
—ar·o·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



aromatize

aromatize
a·ro·ma·tize 
[ə rṓmə tz] (past a·ro·ma·tized,
past participle a·ro·ma·tized, present participle a·ro·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular a·ro·ma·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
fragrant:
to make something fragrant, or release the fragrance of something

2.  CHEMISTRY convert
to aromatic compound: to convert a nonaromatic ( aliphatic ) compound to an aromatic compound
—a·ro·ma·ti·za·tion [ə rmə tī záysh’n], noun[1]



Aroostook

Aroostook
A·roos·took 
[ə rstək, ə
rstək]

river in northern Maine that
flows northeastward into New Brunswick, Canada, and empties into the St. John
River. It is a source of hydroelectric power. Length: 225 km/140 mi.[1]



arose

arose
a·rose


Past tense of
arise[1]



around

around
a·round 
[ə równd] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that something surrounds a place or object
or is situated on or moves around all sides of it • (preposition)
She came in and looked at the mess all around her. • (preposition)
A crumbling wall still stood around the old town. • (adverb)
From this spot you could see the countryside for miles around.

1.
preposition to the other side of:
moving or looking to the other side of • around
the corner

2.
adverb in opposite direction:
in the opposite direction • turned
around and walked away

3.
adverb present:
present or existing • since
computers have been around

4.
adverb preposition from place to place:
from place to place, in every or most parts • rushing
around

5.
adverb preposition in the vicinity:
in the vicinity, especially with no particular purpose or intent • hanging
around

6.
adverb preposition here and there:
in various unspecified parts of a place or area • traveled
around the country

7.
adverb preposition approximately:
approximately • around $600 a month
[13th
century. Formed from a- “on” + round, probably on the model of Old French a la
reond “in the round, roundabout.”]
have
been around

to have had enough experience
of life and the ways of the world not to be easily deceived (informal)[1]



around-the-clock

around-the-clock
a·round-the-clock 
adjective

constant:
happening constantly with no breaks, for 24 hours a day[1]



arousal

arousal
a·rous·al
[ə rówz’l] noun

1.  arousing
of emotion or activity: the arousing of a feeling,
response, or desire • the
arousal of feelings of jealousy

2.  sexual
desire:
feelings and physical signs of sexual desire

3.  waking
up:
waking up from sleep, unconsciousness, or a similar state

[1]



arouse

arouse
a·rouse 
[ə rówz] (past a·roused, past
participle a·roused, present participle a·rous·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·rous·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
stimulate:
to evoke a feeling, response, or desire

2.  transitive
verb
stimulate
sexual desire in somebody: to cause feelings of sexual
desire in somebody

3.  transitive
verb
anger:
to make somebody angry

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb wake
up:
to wake up, or wake somebody up from sleep or unconsciousness (formal)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from rouse .][1]



arpeggio

arpeggio

ar·peg·gi·o 
[aar péjjee ō, aar
péjjō] (plural ar·peg·gi·os) noun
series
of notes in chord: a sounding of the notes of a
chord one after the other in rapid succession, rather than simultaneously
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, formed from arpeggiare “to play on the harp,” from arpa
“harp.”][1]



Arp,Jean

Arp,Jean
Arp
[aarp], Jean (1887–1966)

French
sculptor. A cofounder of the Dada movement (1916), he produced organic abstract
sculpture based on natural forms.
Also known as
Arp, Hans[1]



arquebus

arquebus
ar·que·bus 
noun

See
harquebus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








arr.

arr.
arr.

1.  MUSIC Abbreviation of arranged

2.  Abbreviation
of
arrives

3.  Abbreviation
of
arrived

4.  Abbreviation
of
arrival

[1]



arraign

arraign
ar·raign 
[ə ráyn] (past ar·raigned, past
participle ar·raigned, present participle ar·raign·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·raigns) transitive verb

1.  LAW charge
somebody in court: to bring somebody to court
to answer a criminal charge (usually passive)

2.  accuse
somebody:
to call somebody to account for a fault or mistake
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman arainer from assumed Vulgar Latin adrationare
“to call to account,” literally “to reason to,” from Latin ratio
“reason” (source of English reason ).
The “g” was probably introduced to give an appearance of Latin origin.]
—ar·raign·er, noun[1]



arraignment

arraignment
ar·raign·ment
[ə ráynmənt] (plural ar·raign·ments)
noun

LAW
charging of somebody in court:
the legal process involved in bringing somebody before a court of law to answer
a criminal charge[1]



Arran

Arran
Ar·ran 
[érrən]

island in the Firth of Clyde
in western Scotland. It is noted for its mountain scenery. Area: 433 sq.km/169
sq.mi.[1]



arrange

arrange
ar·range 
[ə ránj] (past ar·ranged, past
participle ar·ranged, present participle ar·rang·ing, 3rd
person present singular ar·rang·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
prepare
for something: to do what is necessary to make
something happen in the future • arrange
a meeting

2.  transitive
verb
put
somebody or something in order: to put people or
things in a position or order • The
flowers had been beautifully arranged.

3.  transitive
verb
make
agreement for something to happen: to make an agreement
so that something can happen or somebody can have something • She’s
arranged for the plumbers to start next week.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC adapt music:
to adapt a piece of music for playing or singing in a different manner (often
passive)
[Mid-18th
century. From Old French arangier, literally “to put in a line to,” from
rangier “to put in a line” (see range
).]
—ar·range·a·ble,
adjective

—ar·rang·er, noun[1]



arranged

arranged
ar·ranged
[ə ráynjd] adjective

planned:
brought about by agreement or planning • an
arranged marriage[1]



arrangement

arrangement
ar·range·ment 
[ə ráynjmənt] (plural ar·range·ments)
noun

1.  preparation:
something that has to be done so that something else can happen in the future,
or the making of such preparations (often used in the plural)

2.  agreement:
an agreement made with somebody to do something, or the making of such an
agreement

3.  pleasing
display:
a group of things organized in a way that is meant to be pleasing to look at,
or the arranging of such a group

4.  organization:
the way in which something is organized

5.  MUSIC musical
adaptation:
a version of a piece of music adapted for playing or singing in a different
manner, or the scoring of such a version

[1]



arrant

arrant
ar·rant 
[érrənt] adjective

very
bad:
used to emphasize that somebody or something is an extreme example of something
disapproved of • That comment was arrant
nonsense.
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of errant “wandering”;
from its frequent application to roving vagabonds.]
—ar·rant·ly, adverb[1]



arras

arras
ar·ras 
[àrrəs] (plural ar·ras·es) noun

tapestry
curtain:
a tapestry used as a wall hanging or hanging screen
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman draps d’Arras “cloth of Arras,” named for Arras, a
town in the Pas-de-Calais, northern France, which was famous for the
manufacture of woolens and tapestry.][1]



array

array
ar·ray 
[ə ráy] noun (plural ar·rays)

1.  collection:
a large number or wide range of people or things • a
dazzling array of talent

2.  striking
arrangement: a group of things arranged in an
impressive or structured way • an
array of Greek sculptures

3.  fine
clothes:
fine, expensive, or impressive clothes (literary)

4.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS group
of antennas: a group of antennas arranged to increase
their effectiveness

5.  MATHEMATICS set
of numbers arranged in order: a set of numbers or symbols,
for example, experimental data, usually arranged in a particular order

6.  LAW jurors:
a panel of jurors, or the group of people from whom a jury is selected

7.  COMPUTING data
structure:
an arrangement of items of computerized data in tabular form for easy
reference. A computer program references an item by naming the array and the
item’s position in it.
transitive
verb
(past ar·rayed, past participle ar·rayed, present
participle ar·ray·ing, 3rd person present singular ar·rays)

1.  arrange
something:
to arrange something for display or in readiness for use (formal) (usually
passive)

2.  deploy
troops:
to arrange troops for battle (literary) (usually passive)

3.  dress
somebody:
to dress somebody in particular clothes (literary) (often passive)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French arei, from areer “to array,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin arredare “to arrange,” from Latin ad “to” +
a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to prepare.”][1]



arrearage

arrearage
ar·rear·age 
[ə rrij] (plural ar·rear·ages)
noun

1.  remaining
debt:
the debt that remains after part of an overdue debt has been paid

2.  being
in arrears:
the state of being overdue in the payment of a debt

[1]



arrears

arrears
ar·rears 
[ə rrz] plural noun

unpaid
debts:
unpaid debts, especially debts accumulating as a result of the debtor’s failure
to make regular payments
[15th
century. From the obsolete adverb arrear “to the rear, overdue,” which
came via Old French from medieval Latin adretro, from Latin ad
“to” + retro “backward, behind” (source of English retro ).]
in
or into arrears

behind in making regular
payments of money owed[1]



arrest

arrest
ar·rest 
[ə rést] transitive verb (past
ar·rest·ed, past participle ar·rest·ed, present
participle ar·rest·ing, 3rd person present singular ar·rests)

1.  take
somebody into custody: to seize and take somebody
into legal custody

2.  stop
or slow something: to stop or slow a process (formal)
• a
mechanism that arrests the motion of the flywheel

3.  take
hold of something: to capture suddenly and hold
something, especially somebody’s attention (formal)

4.  seize
something legally: to seize something by legal
authority (formal)
noun
(plural ar·rests)

1.  taking
of somebody into custody: the seizing and taking of
somebody into legal custody • a case
of wrongful arrest

2.  custody:
the state of being held in legal custody • You’re
under arrest!

3.  sudden
stop:
a sudden stopping of the movement or operation of something

4.  legal
seizure:
the legal seizure or detention of something (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French from assumed Vulgar Latin arrestare “to cause to
stop,” literally “to stop to,” from Latin restare “to stop, stay behind”
(see rest ).]
—ar·rest·ment, noun[1]



arrestee

arrestee
ar·rest·ee 
[ə rès t] (plural ar·rest·ees)
noun

somebody arrested:
somebody who is under arrest[1]



arrester

arrester
ar·rest·er
[ə réstər] (plural ar·rest·ers)
or ar·res·tor [ə réstər, ə rést awr] (plural ar·res·tors) noun

1.  NAVY device
to stop landing aircraft: one of a set of cables on an
aircraft carrier used to slow and stop landing aircraft

2.  LAW arresting
officer:
somebody who takes a suspect into legal custody

3.  something
that arrests: somebody or something that arrests, for
example, by causing something to stop or somebody to pause

[1]



arresting

arresting
ar·rest·ing 
[ə résting] adjective

striking:
so good-looking or so unusual that people’s attention is immediately caught
—ar·rest·ing·ly, adverb[1]



arrestingcable

arrestingcable
ar·rest·ing
ca·ble
noun

cable to stop landing
aircraft: one of a set of cables
strung across the deck of an aircraft carrier to catch the tail hook of a
landing aircraft and bring it to a halt (usually used in the plural)[1]



arrestof judgment

arrestof judgment
ar·rest
of judg·ment (plural ar·rests of judg·ment)
noun

postponement of judgment:
the withholding of judgment in a legal action if there appears to be a good
reason to question its appropriateness, for example, because of a lack of
jurisdiction[1]



arrestor

arrestor
ar·res·tor
noun

See
arrester[1]



arrhythmia

arrhythmia
ar·rhyth·mi·a 
[ə rímee ə, ay
rímee ə] noun

irregular
heartbeat:
an irregularity in the normal rhythm or force of the heartbeat
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, formed from arruthmos, literally “without measure,” from rhuthmos
“measure” (see rhythm ).][1]



arrhythmic

arrhythmic
ar·rhyth·mic 
[ə rímik, ay
rímik] adjective

1.  irregular:
used to describe a heartbeat that has an irregular rhythm

2.  lacking
rhythm:
without a regular or recognizable rhythm
—ar·rhyth·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



arris

arris
ar·ris 
[érrəs] (plural ar·ris or
ar·ris·es) noun

sharp
edge:
a sharp edge or ridge made by the meeting of two surfaces on an architectural
column or molding
[Late 17th century. Via early
modern French areste “sharp edge” from Latin arista (see arête ).][1]



arrival

arrival
ar·ri·val 
[ə rv’l] (plural ar·ri·vals) noun

1.  arriving:
the reaching of a place after coming from another place • Her
arrival caused a buzz of comment.

2.  newcomer:
somebody or something recently arriving at a place or joining a group • a
late arrival

3.  passenger
vehicle arriving somewhere: an aircraft, train, or bus
arriving at an airport or station

4.  time
of arriving: the time when somebody or something
reaches a place after coming from another place • date
of arrival

5.  beginning:
the moment when something begins or becomes important • The
arrival of television changed the world.

6.  birth:
the birth of a baby

7.  reaching
of something: the achieving or reaching of something
after much work or effort • Their
arrival at a decision seems unlikely.

[1]



arrive

arrive
ar·rive 
[ə rv] (past ar·rived, past
participle ar·rived, present participle ar·riv·ing, 3rd
person present singular ar·rives) intransitive verb

1.  get
to place:
to reach a place after coming from another place

2.  be
delivered:
to be delivered or brought to somebody or something • She’s
waiting for the mail to arrive.

3.  become
available or common: to become available or
common

4.  begin:
to begin or happen after a period of time or waiting

5.  be
born:
to be born

6.  work
out solution: to reach a decision after thinking about
or discussing a problem • How
did you arrive at the idea of using strings?

7.  succeed:
to become successful or famous (informal) • You
haven’t arrived until you’ve eaten in this restaurant.
[12th
century. Via Old French from assumed Vulgar Latin arripare, literally
“to come to shore,” from Latin ripa “shore” (source of English river ).]
—ar·riv·er, noun[1]



arrivederci

arrivederci
ar·ri·ve·der·ci 
[àrrive dáirchee, ə
rve dáirchee] interjection

goodbye:
goodbye for now
[Late 20th century. From
Italian a rivederci, literally “until we see each other again,” from rivedere
“to see again.”][1]



arriviste

arriviste
ar·ri·viste 
[àri vst, àri
víst] (plural ar·ri·vistes) noun

untrustworthy
social climber: somebody who has recently become
influential or socially prominent, especially somebody suspected of
self-serving or unscrupulous motives (disapproving)
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “somebody who arrives.”][1]



arrière-pensée

arrière-pensée
ar·ri·ère-pen·sée
[àrree air poN sáy] (plural ar·ri·ère-pen·sées
[àrree air poN sáy]) noun (formal)

1.  reservation:
a mental reservation

2.  intention:
an unspoken intention
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “behind-thought,” from the concealing of the thought.][1]



arrogance

arrogance
ar·ro·gance 
[érrəgəns] noun

contemptuous pride:
a strong feeling of proud self-importance that is expressed by treating other
people with contempt or disregard[1]



arrogant

arrogant
ar·ro·gant 
[érrəgənt] adjective

proudly
contemptuous: feeling or showing proud self-importance
and contempt or disregard for others
[14th
century. Via French from Latin arrogant-, the present participle stem of
arrogare “to claim for yourself,” literally “to ask to,” from rogare
“to ask” (see rogation ).]
—ar·ro·gant·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at proud

[1]



arrogate

arrogate
ar·ro·gate 
[érrə gàyt] (past ar·ro·gat·ed,
past participle ar·ro·gat·ed, present participle ar·ro·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·ro·gates) transitive verb (formal)

1.  claim
something without right: to take or claim something
for yourself without the right to do so • arrogating
the powers of the General

2.  assign
something to another: to assign or attribute
something to another in a way that is not warranted
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin arrogat-, the past participle stem of arrogare
(see arrogant ).]
—ar·ro·ga·tion
[èrrə gáysh’n], noun

—ar·ro·ga·tor [érrə gàytər], noun[1]



arrondissement

arrondissement
ar·ron·disse·ment 
[ə róndissmənt, ə
róndiss mòN] (plural ar·ron·disse·ments [ə róndissmənt, ə
róndiss mòN]) noun

1.  subdivision
of French administrative district: an administrative area
in France that is a major subdivision of an administrative district

2.  area
of French city: an administrative area in some large
cities in France, including Paris
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from arrondiss-, a stem of arrondir “to make
round.”][1]



arrow

arrow
ar·row 
[érrō] (plural ar·rows) noun

1.  missile
shot from bow: a long thin missile pointed at one end
and usually with feathers at the other, fired from a bow

2.  direction
sign:
a direction sign consisting of a horizontal stroke finishing in the middle of a
V shape
[Old
English arwe . From the Old Norse stem örv- . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that also produced English arc
and archer . The original meaning may
have been “bow,” and by extension “thing belonging to the bow.”]
—ar·row·y, adjective[1]



arrowarum

arrowarum
ar·row
ar·um
(plural ar·row ar·um or ar·row ar·ums) noun

plant with pointed leaves:
a perennial plant with arrow-shaped leaves that grows in eastern North America.
Latin name: Peltandra virginica[1]



arrowhead

arrowhead

ar·row·head 
[érrō hed] (plural ar·row·heads)
noun

1.  point
of arrow:
a sharp pointed tip attached to an arrow

2.        aquatic
plant: an aquatic plant with
arrow-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers, native to Asia and North
America. Genus: Sagittaria[1]



arrow-poisonfrog

arrow-poisonfrog
ar·row-poi·son
frog
(plural ar·row-poi·son frogs) noun

S American poisonous frog:
a brightly colored South American frog whose skin glands produce poison. The
frogs are used by local peoples as a source of poison for their arrow tips.
Family: Dendrobatidae[1]



arrowroot

arrowroot
ar·row·root 
[érrō root] (plural ar·row·root
or ar·row·roots) noun

1.  PLANTS West
Indian plant: a West Indian plant with white flowers
and rhizomes that yield an edible starch. Latin name: Maranta arundinacea

2.  FOOD edible
rhizome:
the edible rhizome of the arrowroot plant

3.  starch:
starch from the rhizomes of the arrowroot plant, used as a thickener for clear
sauces and in cookies
[Late 17th century. By folk
etymology from Arawak aru-aru, literally “meal of meals,” from the use of
the tubers to absorb poison from arrow wounds.][1]



arrow-wood

arrow-wood
ar·row-wood 
(plural ar·row-woods or ar·row-wood) noun

N American shrub:
a shrub with tough, straight stems that were previously used by Native
Americans to make arrows. Genus: Viburnum[1]



arrowworm

arrowworm
ar·row
worm
(plural ar·row worms) noun

spiny
marine invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal
that has an arrow-shaped body and spines on its head for catching prey. Phylum:
Chaetognatha
[From the shape of the head
with its curved bristles on either side, suggesting an arrow][1]



arroyo

arroyo
ar·roy·o 
[ə róy ō] (plural ar·roy·os) noun
Southwestern U.S.

1.  dry
gulch:
a steep-sided dry gulch in a desert area, that is wet only after heavy rain

2.  a
small stream of running water
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin arrugia “mineshaft,” of unknown origin.][1]



arse

arse
arse 
[aars] (plural ar·ses) noun

U.K.
(taboo offensive) See ass 2
[Old English ærs, ears
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “buttocks” that is also the
ancestor of anuran and squirrel .][1]



arse-licker

arse-licker
arse-lick·er
noun

(taboo offensive) U.K.
= ass kisser[1]



arsenal

arsenal
ar·se·nal 
[rsən’l, rsnəl]
(plural ar·se·nals) noun

1.  armaments:
a stockpile of weapons and military equipment

2.  weapons
storehouse:
a building where weapons and military equipment are stored

3.  resources:
a supply of methods or resources • arsenal
of teaching strategies
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French from Italian arzanale, from
Venetian Italian arzaná, from, ultimately, Arabic dār-(aṣ-)ṣinā’a
“workshop, factory,” literally “house of the manufacture.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Arsenal is derived from an Arabic
  word dār-(aṣ-)ṣinā’a, meaning “workshop” or “factory.” When the
  original Arabic word was borrowed into Venetian Italian, the initial d
  was lost, possibly because it was misinterpreted as the Italian preposition de
  “of.” The word came to mean “dock possessing naval stores,” and the dockyard
  in Venice, which in the 15th century was the leading naval power in the
  Mediterranean, is known to this day as the Arzenale . The Romance
  languages retain this meaning in words from the same ancestor that still show
  the Arabic d, in Italian darsena “dock,” for example; in
  English too, “dockyard” was the original sense, giving way in the late 16th
  century to “military storehouse.”

[1]



arsenate

arsenate
ar·se·nate 
[rsənət, rsnət,
rsə nayt] (plural ar·se·nates)
noun

salt
of arsenic acid: any salt of arsenic acid
[Early 19th century. Coined
from arsenic + -ate
.][1]



arsenic

arsenic

ar·se·nic 
[rsnik, rsənik]
noun

1.  poisonous
element:
a steel-gray poisonous solid chemical element that is a brittle crystalline
metalloid used in alloys. Symbol As

2.  See
arsenic trioxide
adjective

containing arsenic:
relating to or containing arsenic with a valence of 5
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek arsenikon “yellow orpiment,”
from Arabic az-zarnīk, literally “the orpiment,” from, ultimately,
Persian zar “gold.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  term arsenic was originally applied to the
  lemon-yellow mineral arsenic trisulphide, hence its origin in zar, the
  Persian word for gold. The Arabic derivative of this word was misinterpreted
  by foreign listeners as including the definite article al, and in
  Greek the supposed beneficial effects on virility led the term to be
  associated by folk etymology with the similar-sounding words arsenikos,
  “masculine,” and arsēn, “manly.” In English the word still referred to
  the mineral at first (for which orpiment was the other current name),
  and it is not until the early 17th century that it becomes used for white
  arsenic or arsenic trioxide. The element arsenic itself was isolated and so
  named at the start of the 19th century.

[1]



arsenicacid

arsenicacid
ar·sen·ic
ac·id 
[aar sènnik ássid] noun

poisonous white solid:
a white crystalline solid that contains arsenic. It is poisonous and is used to
make arsenates and insecticides. H3AsO4[1]



arsenical

arsenical
ar·sen·i·cal 
[aar sénnik’l] adjective

relating
to arsenic:
relating to or containing arsenic
noun
(plural ar·sen·i·cals)

substance containing arsenic:
a substance, for example, a drug or insecticide, that contains arsenic[1]



arsenictrioxide

arsenictrioxide
ar·sen·ic
tri·ox·ide 
[rsnik trī ók sīd, aar
sènnik trī ók sīd] noun

poisonous white solid:
a white solid that contains arsenic. It is poisonous and is used as an
insecticide, rat poison, and weed killer, and in making glass and pigments. AS2O3 
Also called
arsenic[1]



arsenide

arsenide
ar·se·nide
[rsə n`īd] (plural ar·se·nides)
noun

arsenic
compound:
a chemical compound of arsenic and a metal
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from arsenic + -ide
.][1]



arsenious

arsenious
ar·se·ni·ous 
[aar snee əs] adjective

containing
arsenic:
relating to or containing arsenic with a valence of 3
[Early 19th century. Coined
from arsenic + -ious .][1]



arsenopyrite

arsenopyrite
ar·se·no·py·rite 
[rsənō pr īt, aar
sénō pr īt] noun

mineral
containing arsenic: a gray-to-white mineral with
metallic luster consisting of a sulfide of iron and arsenic. FeAsS
Also
called
mispickel
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from arsenic + pyrite
.][1]



arses

arses
ar·ses

Plural of
arsis[1]



arsine

arsine
ar·sine 
[aar sn, r
seen] noun

colorless
poisonous gas: a colorless poisonous gas with an odor
like garlic, used to make organic compounds and transistors and as a chemical
weapon. AsH3
[Late 19th century. Coined
from arsenic + -ine
.][1]



arsis

arsis
ar·sis 
[rsiss] (plural ar·ses [r seez]) noun

1.  short
syllable:
in classical Greek and Roman verse, the short syllable or syllables in a
metrical foot.
See
also
thesis  noun 6

2.  accented
syllable:
in modern accentual verse, the accented syllable in a metrical foot.
See
also
thesis  noun 7
[14th century. Via late
Latin, “raising of the voice to greater force, accented part of the metrical
foot,” from Greek arsis “raising (of the foot in beating time).”][1]



arson

arson
ar·son 
[rs’n] noun

crime
of burning property: the burning of a building or
other property for a criminal or malicious reason
[Late 17th century. Via legal
Anglo-Norman arsoun from, ultimately, Latin arsus, the past
participle of ardere “to burn” (source of English ardent and ardor
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to burn,” which is also the
ancestor of English ash and arid .][1]



arsonist

arsonist
ar·son·ist
[rs’nist] (plural ar·son·ists)
noun

somebody who commits arson:
somebody who sets fire to a building or other property for a criminal or
malicious reason[1]



art

art2
art2 [aart]

(archaic or literary) 2nd
person present singular of be[1]



art

art1
art1 [aart]
noun (plural arts)

1.  creation
of beautiful things: the creation of beautiful or
thought-provoking works, for example, in painting, music, or writing

2.  beautiful
objects:
beautiful or thought-provoking works produced through creative activity

3.  branch
of art:
a branch or category of art, especially one of the visual arts

4.  artistic
skill:
the skill and technique involved in producing visual representations

5.  study
of art:
the study of a branch of the visual arts

6.  creation
by humans:
creation by human endeavor rather than by nature

7.  techniques
or craft:
the techniques used by somebody in a particular field, or the use of those
techniques • the
art of the typographer

8.  ability:
the skill or ability to do something well

9.  cunning:
the ability to achieve things by deceitful or cunning methods (literary)
plural
noun
arts

1.  forms
of creative beauty: the activities enjoyed for
the beauty they create or the way they present ideas, for example, painting,
music, and literature

2.  nonscientific
subjects:
nonscientific and nontechnical subjects at school or college
[13th
century. Via French from the Latin stem art- “skill” (source of English artisan and artificial
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to fit together.”]
have
something down to a fine art

to
be able to do something very skillfully





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin stem art- is also the source of the English words artificial, artisan,
  and inert.

[1]



art.

art.
art.

1.  Abbreviation
of
article

2.  Abbreviation
of
artificial

3.  Abbreviation
of
artillery

4.  Abbreviation
of
artist

[1]



-art

-art
-art
suffix

See
-ard[1]



artal

artal
ar·tal

Plural of
rotl[1]



artdeco

artdeco
art
dec·o
[aart dékō] or Art Dec·o [aart dékō] noun

1930s
style:
a style of architecture, interior design, and jewelry most popular in the 1930s
that used geometrical designs and bold colors and outlines.
Also
called
deco
[Mid-20th century. From
French, shortening of Arts Décoratifs, literally “decorative arts,” from
Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
“International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts,” held in
Paris in 1925.][1]



artdirector

artdirector
art
di·rec·tor
(plural art di·rec·tors) noun

set and costume supervisor:
the person in charge of the sets and costumes when something is being filmed or
photographed[1]



artefact

artefact
ar·te·fact 
(plural ar·te·facts) noun

See
artifact[1]



artel

artel
ar·tel
[aar tél] (plural ar·tels) noun

Russian
workers’ association: a workers’ or producers’
cooperative in imperial Russia or the Soviet Union
[Late 19th century. From
Russian artel, of uncertain origin.][1]



Artemis

Artemis
Ar·te·mis 
[rtəmiss] noun

Greek goddess of hunting:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of hunting and the moon, and of childbirth. She
was the daughter of Zeus and the sister of Apollo. Roman equivalent Diana[1]



artemisia

artemisia
ar·te·mis·i·a 
[rtə mízhee ə] (plural ar·te·mis·i·as
or ar·te·mis·i·a) noun

aromatic
plant:
an aromatic plant found in the northern hemisphere that has grayish-green
leaves and many small flower heads. Genus: Artemisia
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek, “wormwood,” literally “plant sacred to Artemis,” goddess of
childbirth and fertility. Perhaps from the medicinal use of the herb for
diseases of the womb.][1]



arterial

arterial
ar·te·ri·al 
[aar tree əl] adjective

1.  of
arteries:
relating to, affecting, or used in arteries

2.  oxygenated:
used to describe the bright red blood in the arteries that has absorbed oxygen

3.  main:
constituting a main route in a road, rail, or river system
—ar·te·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



arterialize

arterialize
ar·te·ri·al·ize 
[aar tree ə l`īz] (past ar·te·ri·al·ized,
past participle ar·te·ri·al·ized, present participle ar·te·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·te·ri·al·iz·es) transitive verb

oxygenate
blood:
to convert venous blood into arterial blood by replenishing its oxygen
—ar·te·ri·al·i·za·tion
[aar tree ə lə záysh’n], noun[1]



arterio-

arterio-
arterio-
prefix

artery,
arterial • arteriovenous
[From Greek artēria
(see artery )][1]



arteriogram

arteriogram
ar·te·ri·o·gram
[aar tree ə gram] (plural ar·te·ri·o·grams)
noun

X-ray of arteries:
an X-ray of the arteries made after a substance that shows up on an X-ray has
been injected into the bloodstream[1]



arteriography

arteriography
ar·te·ri·og·ra·phy 
[aar tree óggrəfee] noun

X-raying
of arteries: examination of the arteries by X-raying
them after injecting into the bloodstream a substance that shows up on an X-ray
—ar·te·ri·o·graph·ic [aar tree ə gráffik], adjective[1]



arteriole

arteriole
ar·te·ri·ole 
[aar tri l] (plural ar·te·ri·oles)
noun

small
artery:
a blood vessel that branches off from an artery
[Mid-19th
century. From French artériole, literally “little artery,” from artère
“artery,” from Latin arteria (see artery
).]
—ar·te·ri·o·lar [aar tree ṓlər], adjective[1]



arteriosclerosis

arteriosclerosis
ar·te·ri·o·scle·ro·sis 
[aar tree ō sklə rṓssiss] noun

atherosclerosis:
the arterial disease atherosclerosis (dated)
—ar·te·ri·o·scle·rot·ic
[aar tree ō sklə róttik], adjective[1]



arteriovenous

arteriovenous
ar·te·ri·o·ve·nous 
[aar tree ō vnəss] adjective

of vein and artery:
involving both a vein and an artery[1]



arteritis

arteritis
ar·te·ri·tis 
[rtə rtəs] noun

inflammation of artery:
inflammation of the walls of an artery[1]



artery

artery
ar·ter·y 
[rtəree] (plural ar·ter·ies) noun

1.  type
of blood vessel: a blood vessel that is part of the
system carrying blood under pressure from the heart to the rest of the body

2.  main
route:
a main route in a road, rail, or river system
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek artēria “windpipe,” of uncertain origin. The Greeks called
arteries “windpipes” because they regarded them as air ducts branching from the
trachea; since arteries do not contain blood after death, it was supposed that
their function was conveying air.][1]



artesianwell

artesianwell

ar·te·sian
well 
[aar t’n wél] (plural arte·sian
wells) noun
well
working by natural pressure: a well drilled through
impermeable rocks into strata where water is under enough pressure to force it
to the surface without pumping
[Mid-19th century. “Artesian”
from French artésien, literally “of Artois ” ( Arteis in Old
French), a region in northeastern France where such wells were first drilled in
the 18th century.][1]



artfilm

artfilm
art
film
(plural art films) noun

serious noncommercial film:
a serious, independently made film that is not aimed at a mass audience[1]



artform

artform
art
form
(plural art forms) noun

1.  artistic
medium:
a creative activity or type of artistic expression that is intended to be
beautiful or thought-provoking

2.  something
done artistically: something that is done in
such a sophisticated or skillful way that it can be seen as artistic • He’s
turned the answering of questions without actually saying anything into an art
form.

[1]



artful

artful
art·ful 
[rtf’l] adjective

1.  cunning:
using subtle and clever means to achieve things

2.  performed
with cleverness: performed with cleverness and subtlety

3.  skillful:
done skillfully or with taste
—art·ful·ly
[rtfəlee], adverb

—art·ful·ness [rtf’lnəss], noun[1]



artgallery

artgallery
art
gal·ler·y
(plural art gal·ler·ies) noun

1.  museum
of art:
a building where works of art are displayed

2.  place
selling art: an establishment that displays and sells
works of art

[1]



arthouse

arthouse
art
house
(plural art hous·es) noun

place showing art films:
a theater where art films are shown[1]



arthr-

arthr-
arthr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
arthro-[1]



arthralgia

arthralgia
ar·thral·gia 
[aar thráljə, aar
thráljee ə] noun

joint
pain:
pain in a joint
—ar·thral·gic, adjective[1]



arthrectomy

arthrectomy
ar·threc·to·my 
[aar thréktəmee] (plural ar·threc·to·mies)
noun

operation to remove joint:
the surgical removal of a joint[1]



arthritic

arthritic
ar·thrit·ic 
[aar thríttik] adjective

with
arthritis:
affected by arthritis
noun
(plural arthrit·ics)

somebody
with arthritis: somebody who has arthritis
—ar·thrit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



arthritis

arthritis
ar·thri·tis 
[aar thrtəss] noun

painful
joint condition: a medical condition affecting a joint or
joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek arthritis “joint disease,” from arthron “joint.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to fit together,” which is also
the ancestor of English read and logarithm .][1]



arthro-

arthro-
arthro-
or arthr- prefix

joint
• arthroscopic
[From Greek arthron .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fit together,” which is also
the ancestor of English arm, article, and art
.][1]



arthrogram

arthrogram
ar·thro·gram
[rthrə gràm] (plural ar·thro·grams)
noun

X-ray of joint:
an X-ray of the inside of a damaged joint made after a substance that shows up
on an X-ray has been injected into the joint[1]



arthrography

arthrography
ar·throg·ra·phy 
[aar thróggrəfee] noun

X-raying of joint:
examination of the inside of a damaged joint by X-raying it after injecting a
substance that shows up on an X-ray[1]



arthropathy

arthropathy
ar·throp·a·thy 
[aar thróppəthee] noun

disease of joint:
disease or medically noteworthy condition of a joint[1]



arthroplasty

arthroplasty
ar·thro·plas·ty
[rthrə plàstee] (plural ar·thro·plas·ties)
noun

joint replacement:
surgical repair of a joint or replacement of a joint or part of one by metal or
plastic parts. The most common operations are hip and knee replacements.[1]



arthropod

arthropod
ar·thro·pod 
[rthrə pòd] (plural ar·thro·pods)
noun

invertebrate
animal:
an invertebrate animal that has jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an
exoskeleton made of chitin. Insects, arachnids, centipedes, and crustaceans are
arthropods . Phylum: Arthropoda
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Arthropoda, phylum name, from Greek arthron
“joint” (see arthritis ) + the stem pod-
“foot” (see -pod ).]
—ar·thro·pod,
adjective

—ar·throp·o·dal
[aar thráwpəd’l], adjective

—ar·throp·o·dous [aar thráwpədəs], adjective[1]



arthroscopy

arthroscopy
ar·thros·co·py 
[aar thróskəpee] (plural ar·thros·co·pies)
noun

inspection
of joint:
inspection of the inside of a joint of the body using an endoscope
—ar·thro·scope
[rthrəsk`ōp], noun

—ar·thro·scop·ic
[rthrə skóppik], adjective

—ar·thro·scop·ic·al·ly
[rthrə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



arthrosis

arthrosis
ar·thro·sis 
[aar thrṓssiss] (plural ar·thro·ses
[aar thrṓ seez]) noun

1.  joint
between bones: a joint between two bones (technical)

2.  joint
disease:
a degenerative disease of a joint
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek arthrōsis, from arthroun “to articulate,” from arthron
“joint” (see arthritis ). The sense “joint
disease” is modeled on other disease names ending in -osis
.][1]



arthrotomy

arthrotomy
ar·throt·o·my 
[aar thróttəmee] (plural ar·throt·o·mies)
noun

joint surgery:
a surgical operation that involves cutting into a joint of the body[1]



Arthur,Chester A.

Arthur,Chester A.

Ar·thur 
[rthər], Chester A. (1829–1886)
U.S.
statesman and 21st president of the United States. A Republican president
(1881–1885), he enacted sweeping civil service reforms (1883) that lost him the
support of his party.
Full name
Arthur, Chester Alan[1]



ArthurI

ArthurI
Ar·thur
I
noun

legendary
king of Britons: in medieval legend, a king of the
Britons whose court was based at Camelot. He was the leader of the Knights of
the Round Table.
—Ar·thu·ri·an [aar three ən], adjective[1]



artichoke

artichoke

ar·ti·choke 
[rtəch`ōk] (plural ar·ti·chokes
or ar·ti·choke) noun

1.  plant
with edible flower buds: a plant native to Europe and
Asia that has flowers that resemble thistles. Latin name: Cynara scolymus

Also
called
globe artichoke

2.  flower
bud eaten as vegetable: the flower bud of an
artichoke plant, parts of which can be eaten after cooking.
Also
called
globe artichoke

3.  See
Jerusalem artichoke
[Mid-16th century. From
Northern Italian articiocco, arciciocco, from Italian arcicioffo,
from Spanish alcarchofa, from Arabic al-karšūf(a), literally “the
artichoke.”][1]



article

article
ar·ti·cle 
[rtik’l] noun (plural ar·ti·cles)

1.  newspaper
or reference piece: a piece of nonfiction
writing in a newspaper, magazine, or reference book • an
article on ecology

2.  item:
an object or item, especially one that is part of a group • articles
of clothing

3.  LAW legal
paragraph:
a section of a legal document that deals with a particular point

4.  GRAMMAR word
before noun: a word used with a noun that specifies
whether the noun is definite or indefinite. In English the indefinite articles
are “a” and “an,” and the definite article is “the.”
transitive
verb
(past ar·ti·cled, past participle ar·ti·cled, present
participle ar·ti·cling, 3rd person present singular ar·ti·cles)

LAW bind
somebody by contract: to bind somebody by the
articles of a contract, especially somebody training in the legal profession
[12th century. Via French
from Latin articulus “joint, section,” literally “little joint,” from artus
“joint, limb.” The sense “section of a text” came from the idea of a joint as a
section of a limb. The meaning “item” is a 19th century development.][1]



Article15

Article15
Ar·ti·cle
15
(plural Ar·ti·cle 15s) noun

punishment without trial:
a punishment under part of the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice that
allows commanders to punish certain offenses without bringing the offender to
trial[1]



articleof faith

articleof faith
ar·ti·cle
of faith
noun

1.  basic
religious belief: any one of the items that must be
believed as part of a creed or statement of faith

2.  deeply
held belief: something that somebody believes
completely

[1]



articulable

articulable
ar·tic·u·la·ble 
[aar tíkyələb’l] adjective

able to be articulated:
able to be expressed clearly in words[1]



articular

articular
ar·tic·u·lar 
[aar tíkyələr] adjective

of
joint:
relating to or involving a joint of the body
[15th
century. From Latin articularis, from articulus “joint” (see article ).]
—ar·tic·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



articulate

articulate
ar·tic·u·late 
adjective [aar tíkyə lət]

1.  eloquent:
able to express thoughts, ideas, and feelings coherently

2.  coherent:
spoken or expressed clearly

3.  able
to speak:
possessing the power of speech

4.  ANATOMY jointed:
with joints or jointed segments, as in the bodies of higher vertebrates and
arthropods (technical)
verb
[aar tíkyə làyt] (past ar·tic·u·lat·ed,
past participle ar·tic·u·lat·ed, present participle ar·tic·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·tic·u·lates)

1.  intransitive
verb
speak
intelligibly: to utter intelligible speech

2.  transitive
verb
communicate
something:
to express thoughts, ideas, or feelings coherently • unable
to articulate his grief

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
distinctly:
to pronounce something or speak clearly

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
to allow movement: to form the kind of joint
that allows movement
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin articulatus, the past participle of articulare
“to divide into joints, speak distinctly,” from articulus “joint” (see article ).]
—ar·tic·u·la·cy,
noun

—ar·tic·u·late·ly,
adverb

—ar·tic·u·late·ness, noun[1]



articulated

articulated
ar·tic·u·lat·ed 
[aar tíkyə làytəd] adjective

with pivoting parts:
made up of two or more sections connected by a joint that can pivot • an
articulated bus[1]



articulatedlorry

articulatedlorry
ar·tic·u·lat·ed
lor·ry
(plural ar·tic·u·lat·ed lor·ries) noun

U.K.,
New Zealand lorry in two
joined parts: a truck made up of two
parts, tractor and trailer, connected by a joint that can pivot[1]



articulation

articulation
ar·tic·u·la·tion 
[aar tìkyə láysh’n] (plural ar·tic·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  speech:
the pronouncing of words, or the manner in which they are pronounced

2.  communication:
the coherent expression of thoughts, ideas, or feelings

3.  jointing:
the connection of the different parts of something by joints, or the way the
parts fit together

4.  ANATOMY animal’s
joint:
a joint in an animal (technical)

5.  BOTANY plant
node:
a node of a plant, or the space on a stem between two nodes (technical)
—ar·tic·u·la·tive
[aar tíkyələtiv], adjective

—ar·tic·u·la·to·ry [aar tíkyələ tawree], adjective[1]



articulator

articulator
ar·tic·u·la·tor 
[aar tíkyə laytər] (plural ar·tic·u·la·tors)
noun

1.  communicator:
somebody who speaks or expresses things clearly

2.  PHONETICS vocal
organs:
a part of the vocal organs that helps form speech sounds

[1]



articulatoryphonetics

articulatoryphonetics
ar·tic·u·la·to·ry
pho·net·ics
noun

speech-sound formation:
the branch of phonetics that deals with how speech sounds are made[1]



artifact

artifact
ar·ti·fact 
[rti fakt] (plural ar·ti·facts)
or ar·te·fact [rti fakt] (plural
ar·te·facts) noun

1.  object
made by human: an object made by a human being, for
example, a tool or ornament, especially one that has archaeological or cultural
interest

2.  method-dependent
result:
something that appears to exist because of the way a thing, data, or the like
is examined, for example, a form of behavior that is produced by a behavioral
test

3.  foreign
substance:
something in a biological specimen that is not present naturally but has been
introduced or produced during a procedure
[Early 19th century. From
Latin arte, a form of ars “skill” (see art
) + factum “thing made” (see fact ).][1]



artifice

artifice
ar·ti·fice 
[rtəfəss] (plural ar·ti·fices)
noun (formal)

1.  clever
trick:
a clever trick or stratagem

2.  cleverness:
the use of clever stratagems or tricks

3.  insincere
behavior:
the deceiving of people in a clever or subtle way
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin artificium “craft, art, cunning,” from
the stem artific- “artisan, contriver,” from the stem art-
“skill” (see art ) + facere “to make”
(see fact ).][1]



artificer

artificer
ar·tif·i·cer 
[r tíffəsər] (plural ar·tif·i·cers)
noun (dated)

1.  skilled
worker:
somebody whose work requires manual skill

2.  inventor:
somebody who invents or devises things
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman (with influence from medieval Latin artificiarius ) from,
probably, Old French artificien, from, ultimately, Latin artificium
“craft, cunning.”][1]



artificial

artificial
ar·ti·fi·cial 
[rtə físh’l] adjective

1.  made
by humans:
made by human beings rather than occurring naturally

2.  synthetic:
made in imitation of something natural

3.  insincere:
without sincerity or spontaneity (disapproving) • an
artificial smile

4.  not
spontaneous: produced as a result of human action
rather than arising spontaneously • an
artificial barrier between the beach and the ocean
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin artificialis, from artificium
“craft, cunning” (see artifice ).]
—ar·ti·fi·ci·al·i·ty
[rtəfishee állətee], noun

—ar·ti·fi·cial·ly [rtə físhəlee], adverb[1]



artificialclimbing

artificialclimbing
ar·ti·fi·cial
climb·ing
noun

climbing on synthetic
objects: climbing on indoor or other
human-made environments such as special walls designed and built for this[1]



artificialhorizon

artificialhorizon
ar·ti·fi·cial
ho·ri·zon
(plural ar·ti·fi·cial ho·ri·zons) noun

instrument showing if
aircraft is horizontal: an
instrument that displays, usually pictorially, the amount of pitch or bank of
an aircraft relative to the horizon[1]



artificialinsemination

artificialinsemination
ar·ti·fi·cial
in·sem·i·na·tion noun

method of inducing pregnancy:
a method of inducing pregnancy in a female mammal by injecting sperm into the
womb. The technique is used in agriculture to improve the breeding of
livestock.[1]



artificialintelligence

artificialintelligence
ar·ti·fi·cial
in·tel·li·gence noun

1.  development
of intelligent machines: a branch of computer science
devoted to the development of computer programs that will allow machines to
perform functions normally requiring human intelligence

2.  computer
intelligence: the ability of computers to perform
functions that normally require human intelligence

[1]



artificialize

artificialize
ar·ti·fi·cial·ize
[rtə físhə l`īz] (past ar·ti·fi·cial·ized,
past participle ar·ti·fi·cial·ized, present participle ar·ti·fi·cial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ar·ti·fi·cial·izes) transitive
verb

make
something artificial: to give something an
artificial appearance or quality
—ar·ti·fi·cial·i·za·tion
[rtəfishələ záysh’n], noun[1]



artificiallanguage

artificiallanguage
ar·ti·fi·cial
lan·guage
(plural ar·ti·fi·cial lan·guages) noun

invented language:
a language that has been invented for international communication or for use
with computers. The best known artificial language is Esperanto.[1]



artificialrespiration

artificialrespiration
ar·ti·fi·cial
res·pi·ra·tion noun

help with breathing:
any method of forcing air into the lungs of somebody who has stopped breathing,
especially the method that involves blowing air into the mouth. Another
formerly used method involved pushing down rhythmically on the chest.[1]



artificialselection

artificialselection
ar·ti·fi·cial
se·lec·tion
noun

animal and plant breeding:
selection by humans of animals and plants with desirable characteristics for
use in breeding over several generations.
See also
natural selection[1]



artificialsweetener

artificialsweetener
ar·ti·fi·cial
sweet·en·er
(plural ar·ti·fi·cial sweet·en·ers) noun

sugar substitute:
a synthetic sugar substitute used as an ingredient in low-calorie drinks or
food or added to drinks such as coffee or tea by dieters or people with
diabetes[1]



artillery

artillery
ar·til·ler·y 
[aar tílləree] noun

1.  powerful
guns:
large-caliber guns, for example, cannons, howitzers, missile launchers, and
mortars

2.  soldiers
using powerful guns: soldiers who specialize in
operating large, powerful firearms, regarded as a group or unit

3.  catapults:
catapults and other large mechanical weapons once used by armies (archaic)
[14th century. From French artillerie,
from artiller “to equip, arm,” from (with influence by folk etymology
from art “skill”) atillier “to equip, arm,” of uncertain origin.][1]



artilleryman

artilleryman
ar·til·ler·y·man 
[aar tíllərimən] (plural ar·til·ler·y·men
[aar tíllərimən]) noun

artillery unit soldier:
a soldier in an artillery unit[1]



artilleryplant

artilleryplant
ar·til·ler·y
plant
(plural ar·til·ler·y plants) noun

tropical American plant:
a tropical American plant with fleshy leaves and stamens that discharge their
pollen by exploding. Latin name: Pilea microphylla[1]



artiodactyl

artiodactyl
ar·ti·o·dac·tyl 
[rtee ō dákt’l] (plural ar·ti·o·dac·tyls)
noun

even-toed
mammal:
any herbivorous, hooved mammal with an even number of toes on each foot. Cows,
sheep, and deer are artiodactyls. Order: Artiodactyla
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Artiodactyla, order name, literally
“even-toed ones,” which was coined from Greek artios “even, fitting” + dactylos
“finger, toe.”]
—ar·ti·o·dac·ty·lous, adjective[1]



artisan

artisan
ar·ti·san 
[rtəzən] (plural ar·ti·sans) noun

skilled
craftsperson: somebody who is skilled at a craft
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Italian artigiano, from, ultimately, Latin artit-,
the past participle stem of artire “to instruct in the arts,” from the
stem art- “work of art, skill” (see art
).]
—ar·ti·san·ship, noun[1]



artist

artist
art·ist 
[rtist] (plural art·ists) noun

1.  creator
of art:
somebody who creates art, especially paintings, drawings, or sculptures

2.  skilled
person:
somebody who does something with great skill and creativity • an
artist with a basketball

3.  performer:
a member of the performing arts • a
well-known recording artist

4.  cunning
person:
somebody who is very good at doing something, especially something involving
cunning or deceit (slang) • a
ripoff artist
[Late 16th century. Via
French artiste from Italian artista, from arte “art” (see art ).][1]



artiste

artiste
ar·tiste 
[aar tst] (plural ar·tistes) noun

1.  performer:
a professional entertainer, especially a singer or dancer

2.  artistic
pretender:
somebody who would like to be regarded as artistic (ironic)
[Early 19th century. From
French, “artist” (see artist ).][1]



artistic

artistic
ar·tis·tic 
[aar tístik] adjective

1.  good
at art:
good at a form of creative expression

2.  of
art:
involving or typical of art or artists • the
artistic tradition of a nation

3.  tasteful:
showing taste, skill, and imagination • artistic
flower arrangements

4.  appreciative
of art:
able to appreciate the beauty and worth of art • lacking
an artistic eye
—ar·tis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



artisticdirector

artisticdirector
ar·tis·tic
di·rec·tor
(plural ar·tis·tic di·rec·tors) noun

supervisor of artistic
content: somebody responsible for the
artistic content of an enterprise in one of the performing arts[1]



artistry

artistry
art·ist·ry 
[rtəstree] noun

1.  artistic
ability:
the creative ability and skill of an artist, or the expression of this

2.  great
skill:
great ability and skill in doing something

[1]



artless

artless
art·less 
[rtləss] adjective

1.  without
deception:
without guile or deception

2.  totally
natural:
completely natural and unforced

3.  inelegant:
lacking skill, knowledge, or elegance
—art·less·ly,
adverb

—art·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naive

[1]



artmusic

artmusic
art
mu·sic
noun

classical music:
music composed in the classical tradition rather than in a folk or pop style[1]



artnouveau

artnouveau

art
nou·veau 
[rt noo vṓ, r
noo vṓ] or Art Nou·veau [rt
noo vṓ, r noo vṓ] noun
late
19C style:
a style of art, architecture, and decoration popular in the 1890s that used
stylized natural forms and flowing lines
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “new art.”][1]



artrunner

artrunner
art
run·ner
(plural art run·ners) noun

art broker:
an art dealer who acts as a broker by bringing prospective buyers and sellers
together[1]



Artsand Crafts

Artsand Crafts
Arts
and Crafts
noun

movement stressing
artisanship: a movement in the late
19th and early 20th centuries in Britain and the United States that stressed
the value of artisanship[1]



artsand crafts

artsand crafts
arts
and crafts
noun

creative design of everyday
objects: the hand production of
decoratively designed everyday objects, especially as a skilled craft or as
part of a educational or rehabilitation program (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



artsmedicine

artsmedicine
arts
med·i·cine 
noun

treatment of performers:
a medical specialty that deals with the disorders and injuries sustained by
performers, for example, musicians.
Also called
performing arts medicine[1]



artsong

artsong
art
song
(plural art songs) noun

classically composed song:
a lyric song composed in the classical tradition[1]



artsy

artsy
art·sy
[rtsee] (comparative art·si·er,
superlative art·si·est) or art·y [rtee] (comparative art·i·er, superlative
art·i·est) adjective

affectedly artistic:
pretentiously or self-consciously artistic (informal disapproving)[1]



artsy-craftsy

artsy-craftsy
art·sy-craft·sy 
[rtsi kráftsee] adjective

artsy
in rustic way: decorated in an excessively artistic or
cute way, especially seeking to produce an impression of rural craft (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the phrase arts and crafts .][1]



artsy-fartsy

artsy-fartsy
art·sy-fart·sy
[rtsi frtsee] adjective

artsy in elitist way:
pretentiously artistic in a elitist or self-indulgent way (slang offensive)[1]



artwear

artwear
art·wear 
[rt wair] noun

designer jewelry:
jewelry or clothing designed and made by an artist[1]



artwork

artwork
art·work 
[rt wurk] (plural art·works) noun

1.  work
of art:
a work or works of art

2.  illustration
for printing: the illustrations that are to be printed
in a publication

[1]



arty

arty
art·y 
adjective

(informal disapproving)
See artsy[1]



arty.

arty.
arty.

Abbreviation of
artillery[1]



Aruba

Aruba
A·ru·ba 
[ə rbə]

island off the Venezuelan
coast, formerly a Dutch dependency and since 1986 a self-governing part of the
Netherlands. Language: Dutch. Language: Papamiento. Capital: Orangestad.
Population: 67,794 (1996) Area: 193 sq km/75 sq mi.[1]



arugula

arugula
a·ru·gu·la 
[ə rgyələ, ə róogələ] (plural a·ru·gu·las
or a·ru·gu·la) noun

salad
herb:
a Mediterranean herb of the mustard family, with pungently flavored leaves that
are often eaten in salads. Latin name: Eruca vesicaria
Also
called
rocket 2 
U.K.
term
rocket 2 noun 4
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from dialectal Italian .][1]



arum

arum

ar·um 
[áirəm] (plural ar·ums or
ar·um) noun
plant
with arrow-shaped leaves: a European perennial plant
that grows from tubers and has arrow-shaped leaves. Genus: Arum
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek aron, of unknown origin.][1]



arumlily

arumlily
ar·um
lil·y
(plural ar·um lil·ies or ar·um lil·y) noun

See
calla lily[1]



ArunachalPradesh

ArunachalPradesh
A·run·ach·al
Pra·desh
[rə nk’l prə désh] or A·ru·nā·chal
Pra·desh [rə nk’l prə désh]

union state of India.
Situated in northeastern India, it has borders with China and Myanmar. A
portion of this state's territory is claimed by China. Capital: Itanagar.
Population: 965,000 (1994) Area: 83,743 sq km/32,333 sq mi.[1]



aruspex

aruspex
a·rus·pex 
noun

See
haruspex[1]



ARV

ARV
ARV

BIBLE
Abbreviation of American Revised Version[1]



-ary

-ary
-ary
suffix

of
or relating to • functionary
[Via Old French -arie
from Latin -arius][1]



Aryan

Aryan
Ar·y·an 
[áiree ən] noun (plural Ar·y·ans)

1.  LANGUAGE Indo-European
language:
the hypothetical parent language of the Indo-European languages (dated)

2.  LANGUAGE Indo-European
ancestor:
somebody who spoke the hypothetical parent language of the Indo-European
languages (dated)

3.  ETHNOLOGY Indo-European
descendant:
somebody belonging to a people thought to be descended from the Indo-Europeans,
especially a speaker of an Iranian or Indic language (dated)

4.  POLITICS Nazi
ideal:
in Nazi ideology, a Caucasian person of non-Semitic descent regarded as
racially superior
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of
Indo-European: belonging to or typical of any of the
Indo-European languages or their hypothetical parent language (dated)

2.  POLITICS referring
to Nazi ideal: in Nazi ideology, belonging to or
characteristic of the supposed Aryan race
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Sanskrit ārya “noble, of good family,” originally a national name
denoting the worshipers of the dieties of the Brahmans. Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “lord, ruler,” which is also the ancestor of English
else .][1]



aryl

aryl
ar·yl 
[érrəl] adjective

derived from aromatic
hydrocarbon: used to describe a
chemical group derived from benzene or another aromatic hydrocarbon[1]



arytenoid

arytenoid
ar·y·te·noid 
[èrrə t nòyd, ə
rítt’n òyd] adjective ar·y·te·noid ar·y·te·noid·al

1.  relating
to larynx cartilage: used to describe either of
the two small cartilages of the larynx to which the vocal cords are attached

2.  relating
to larynx muscle: used to describe any of the small
muscles of the larynx
noun
(plural ar·y·te·noids)

arytenoid cartilage or muscle:
an arytenoid cartilage or muscle
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek arutainoeidēs, literally “ladle-shaped,” from arutaina
“ladle, funnel,” from aruein “to draw water.”][1]



arête

arête
a·rête
[ə ráyt, a ráyt,
ə rét, a rét]
(plural a·rêtes) noun

narrow
mountain ridge: a narrow ridge of bare rock situated
between two or more deep smooth-sided semicircular areas ( cirques ), found in
a mountainous area that has been glaciated
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin arista “ear of corn, fish bone, spine,” from its
shape.][1]



As

As
As

Symbol for
arsenic[1]



AS

AS
AS

1.  BANKING Abbreviation of after
sight

2.  Abbreviation
of
American Samoa

3.  AS
or A.S. Abbreviation of Anglo-Saxon

4.  Abbreviation
of
antisubmarine

5.  Abbreviation
of
Associate in Science

[1]



as

as
as
[áz] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating simultaneity, causality, comparison, or the
identity or function of somebody or something • (conjunction)
Once again, as I started my interview, the telephone rang.
• (conjunction)
I’ll drop the book in, as I’ll be passing your house anyway.
• (conjunction
coord) Here, take this pencil as it’s sharper than yours.
• (preposition)
Data is stored on the disk as magnetic patterns, much as music is stored on an
audio tape or cassette.

1.
conjunction at the time that:
used to indicate that something happens at the same time as something else • A
woman stands near the water’s edge as two large golden retrievers frolic in the
river.

2.
conjunction what:
that which • Do
as you like!

3.
conjunction because:
seeing that • I’m
not sure where we are in mathematics, as I’ve been absent for the last week.

4.
conjunction used for comparison:
used to compare things, people, or situations • (conj-coord)
Marvin’s eyes are as big as saucers. • (conj-subord)
The little Honda races toward its destination as fast as its little engine will
take it.

5.
conjunction emphasizes amounts:
used to indicate that an amount is small or large

6.
conjunction introduces clause:
used to introduce a short clause referring to a previous or subsequent
statement • As
you know, I have been in this job for a long time.

7.
conjunction in the way that:
used to indicate the way that something happens or exists • Did
everything go as planned?

8.
conjunction in the same way that:
used to indicate that something happens or exists in the same way as something
else • Her
attitude to life was very practical, as her mother’s had been.

9.
conjunction despite:
in spite of • Hard-working
as she is, she can’t compete with the others

10.
preposition time when:
used to indicate a stage in somebody’s life • As
a teenager I was quite overweight.
[12th
century. From Old English ealswā “exactly so” (see also ).]
as
against

used
to indicate comparison or contrast between two facts or amounts

as
ever

used
to indicate that a situation is the same as usual

as
far as

to
the extent to which a situation holds or is relevant

as
for

or as
toused to introduce a topic related to what has been mentioned before

as
from

or as
ofon and after a given date or time (formal)

as
if

or as
though1.   in
a way that suggests something • He
looked as though he’d been crying.

2.  used
to indicate that the speaker is saying something ridiculous • As
if I’d say a thing like that!

as
is

in
the present condition, with whatever faults there may be

as
it were

used
to indicate qualification, uncertainty, or lack of definiteness in a statement
(formal)

as
such

1.  used
to indicate that a word or phrase does not apply exactly to a situation (often
used with a negative) • I have
no qualifications as such, but I feel I could do the job.

2.  used
to indicate that something is being considered separately • After
the earthquake, the village as such virtually ceased to exist.

as
regards

on
the topic of

as
to

with
reference to

as
yet

used
to indicate that a situation has lasted up to the present time • She
has never once mentioned the terrible accusation nor has she, as yet, said that
she is sorry for all the pain it inflicted.

as
you were

a
military command to return to the same position as before

as
how

used
to mean “that” in the phrases “seeing as how” and “allowed as how” (informal)
• Seeing
as how they were almost finished, I waited. • She
allowed as how I had helped her more than anybody.

as
long as

1.  provided
that • You
can go, as long as you’re home by midnight.

2.  because
or seeing that • As long as we’re here
we may as well look around.

as
much again

twice
as much

as
per

in
accordance with

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  As
  meaning “in the capacity of”
  In
  this use, the preposition as is used to
  show the capacity in which somebody or something exists or acts: • She
  has a job as a copywriter. • As
  a doctor I understand these problems.
  Care has to be taken to avoid false links with the as
  clause, when these result in ambiguity or apparent absurdity: • As
  a journalist, you know I do not like being asked such questions.
  (Which is the journalist?) There is less of a problem with the type • As
  students their rent was reduced, since despite the
  logical connection no one is going to be fooled into thinking that the
  students and the rent are the same; but the style is poor and the sentence
  would be better rephrased as (for example) • Since
  they were students, their rent was reduced.

[1]



As.

As.
As.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Asia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Asian

[1]



ASA

ASA2
ASA2

Abbreviation of
American Standards Association[1]



ASA

ASA1
ASA1 adjective

of film speed:
used to indicate the speed of photographic film[1]



Asadha

Asadha
As·ad·ha
[sh ada] (plural As·ad·has) noun

INDIAN
RELIGION fourth
month of Hindu year: in the
Hindu calendar, the fourth month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and
occuring about the same time as June to July. It is followed in certain leap
years by an extra month Dvitiya Asadha .[1]



asafetida

asafetida
as·a·fet·i·da 
[àssə féttədə, àssə
ftədə] or as·a·foet·i·da [àssə
féttədə, àssə ftədə] noun

strong-smelling
plant extract: a bitter, brownish, acrid-smelling plant
extract, used in Indian cooking
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, from asa (from Persian āzā “mastic,” of unknown origin) + foetida
“fetid,” (see fetid ).][1]



asana

asana
a·sa·na 
[sənə] (plural a·sa·nas) noun

yoga
posture:
a posture used in yoga
[Mid-20th century. From
Sanskrit āsana “manner of sitting,” from āste “he sits.”][1]



ASAP

ASAP
ASAP
or asap

Abbreviation of
as soon as possible[1]



ASAT

ASAT
ASAT
or Asat

MILITARY
Abbreviation of antisatellite[1]



asbestos

asbestos
as·bes·tos 
[as béstəss, az
béstəss] noun

fibrous
heat-resistant mineral: a fibrous silicate mineral
widely used for its chemical inertness and heat-resistant properties until
discovered to be a cause of certain cancers
[Early
17th century. From Greek asbestos “unslaked lime,” literally
“inextinguishable,” from sbestos “extinguished,” from sbennunai
“to extinguish.”]
—as·bes·tine, adjective[1]



asbestosis

asbestosis
as·bes·to·sis 
[às bes tṓssiss, àz
bes tṓssiss] noun

lung
disease:
inflammation of the lungs caused by prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers
[Early 20th century. Coined
from asbestos + -osis
.][1]



Asbury,Francis

Asbury,Francis
As·bur·y
[ázbəree], Francis (1745–1816)

British-born U.S. Methodist
missionary who became leader of the U.S. Methodist Episcopal Church (1785).[1]



AsburyPark

AsburyPark
As·bur·y
Park


city and resort in eastern
New Jersey. Population: 16,799 (1990)[1]



ASCAP

ASCAP
ASCAP

Abbreviation of
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers[1]



ascared

ascared
a·scared 
[ə skáird] adjective

Southern U.S.
afraid:
frightened (nonstandard)[1]



ascariasis

ascariasis
as·ca·ri·a·sis 
[áskə r əssiss] noun

intestinal
disease caused by roundworms: infestation of the
intestines by common roundworms or related nematode worms ( ascarids )
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ascarid + -iasis
.][1]



ascarid

ascarid
as·ca·rid 
[áskərid] (plural as·ca·rids) noun

parasitic
nematode worm: a parasitic nematode worm such as the
common roundworms. Family: Ascaridae
[Late 17th century.
Back-formation from ascarides, the plural of modern Latin ascaris,
from Greek askaris “intestinal worm,” from askarizein “to jump,”
an alteration of skarizein “to jump, throb.” From the worms’ squirming.][1]



ASCE

ASCE
ASCE

Abbreviation of
American Society of Civil Engineers[1]



ascend

ascend
as·cend 
[ə sénd] (past as·cend·ed, past
participle as·cend·ed, present participle as·cend·ing,
3rd person present singular as·cends) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
move
upward:
to go upward, usually vertically or into the air

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb climb:
to climb up something, for example, a hill or stairway • The
climber let down a rope so the others could ascend.

3.  intransitive
verb
lead
upward:
to rise or lead to a higher level

4.  transitive
verb
take
up position: to succeed to an important position,
especially as a monarch (formal)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise
through in career: to rise through the ranks to
a higher status • She ascended the ranks
all the way to general.
[14th
century. From Latin ascendere, literally “to climb to,” from scandere
“to climb” (see scan ).]
—as·cend·a·ble, adjective[1]



ascendance

ascendance
as·cen·dance
[ə séndəns] or as·cen·dence [ə séndəns] noun

1.  coming
into power:
succeeding or rising to a powerful position

2.  See
ascendancy

[1]



ascendancy

ascendancy
as·cen·dan·cy
[ə séndənsee] or as·cen·den·cy
[ə séndənsee] noun

powerful position:
a position of power or domination over others[1]



ascendant

ascendant
as·cen·dant
[ə séndənt] or as·cen·dent [ə séndənt] adjective

1.  moving
upward:
moving upward (literary)

2.  dominant:
having a position of power or domination over others (formal)

3.  BOTANY See ascending  adjective 2
noun
(plural as·cen·dants) (plural as·cen·dents)

ASTROL point
on ecliptic: in astrology, the point on the ecliptic
or the sign of the zodiac that is rising in the east at a particular time
—as·cend·ence,
noun

—as·cend·en·cy, noun[1]



ascender

ascender

as·cend·er 
[ə séndər] (plural as·cend·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that ascends: somebody or something that
ascends something

2.  PRINTING letter
part extending upward: the part of a lowercase
letter, for example, h, d, or b, that projects above the body of the letter

3.  PRINTING letter
with ascender: a letter with an ascender
—as·cend·ent, noun,
adjective[1]



ascending

ascending
as·cend·ing 
[ə sénding] adjective

1.  moving
up:
moving upward, especially on a scale

2.  as·cend·ing
or as·cen·dant BOTANY
growing
upward:
used to describe a plant part that grows upward

[1]



ascension

ascension
as·cen·sion 
[ə sénsh’n] (plural as·cen·sions)
noun

act
of ascending: an act of ascending something (formal)
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem ascension-, from ascens-,
the present participle stem of ascendere (see ascend
).]
—as·cen·sion·al, adjective[1]



Ascension

Ascension
As·cen·sion
noun

Jesus Christ’s rising to
heaven: according to Christianity,
the rising of Jesus Christ from earth to heaven after the Resurrection[1]



AscensionDay

AscensionDay
As·cen·sion
Day
noun

celebration of Jesus Christ’s
ascent: the Thursday, forty days
after Easter, when Christians celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ from earth
to heaven after the Resurrection[1]



AscensionIsland

AscensionIsland
As·cen·sion
Is·land

island in the South Atlantic
Ocean to the northwest of Saint Helena, by which it is administered as a
British dependency. Population: 1,007 (1988) Area: 88 sq km/34 sq mi.[1]



ascent

ascent
as·cent 
[ə sént] (plural as·cents) noun

1.  climb:
an act of climbing a mountain or hill • the
ascent of Everest

2.  upward
movement:
an upward vertical movement

3.  upward
slope:
an upward slope

4.  way
up mountain: a climbers’ route up a mountain or hill

5.  rise
to importance: the process by which somebody becomes
more important, successful, or powerful
[Late 16th century. Formed
from ascend, on the model of descend, descent
.][1]



ascertain

ascertain
as·cer·tain 
[àssər táyn] (past as·cer·tained,
past participle as·cer·tained, present participle as·cer·tain·ing,
3rd person present singular as·cer·tains) intransitive and
transitive verb

determine
something:
to find out something with certainty (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Old French acertain-, a stem of acertener,
from certain certain .]
—as·cer·tain·a·ble,
adjective

—as·cer·tain·a·bly,
adverb

—as·cer·tain·ment, noun[1]



ascetic

ascetic
as·cet·ic 
[ə séttik] noun (plural as·cet·ics)

somebody who leads austere life:
somebody who chooses an austere life of self-denial
adjective

1.  austere:
choosing or reflecting austerity and self-denial

2.  relating
to asceticism: relating to asceticism as a way of life
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via medieval Latin from Greek askētikos, from askētēs
“monk, hermit,” from askein “to exercise.”]
—as·cet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



asceticism

asceticism
as·cet·i·cism 
[ə séttə sizzəm] noun

self-denying way of life:
austerity and self-denial, especially as a principled way of life[1]



Asch,Sholem Shalom

Asch,Sholem Shalom
Asch
[ash], Sholem Shalom (1880–1957)

Russian-born U.S. writer. He
wrote in Hebrew and later primarily in Yiddish. Many of his works, such as Salvation
( 1934 ), were translated into English.[1]



asci

asci
as·ci


Plural of
ascus[1]



ascidia

ascidia
as·cid·i·a


Plural of
ascidium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ascidian

ascidian
as·cid·i·an 
[ə síddee ən] (plural as·cid·i·ans
or as·cid·i·an) noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal that has a
body with openings through which water passes. Sea squirts are ascidians.
Class: Ascidiacea
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Ascidia, genus name, from Greek askidion,
literally “little wineskin,” from askos “wineskin, leather bag,” of
unknown origin.][1]



ascidium

ascidium
as·cid·i·um 
[ə síddee əm] (plural as·cid·i·a
[ə síddee ə]) noun

pitcher-shaped
part:
a part of a plant or fungus shaped like a pitcher
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek askidion (see ascidian
).][1]



ASCII

ASCII
ASCII 
[áskee] noun

computer data exchange
standard: a standard that identifies
the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and various symbols by code numbers for
exchanging data between different computer systems. Full form American Standard Code for Information Interchange[1]



ASCIIart

ASCIIart
ASCII
art
noun

illustrations using ASCII
characters: illustrations using only
ASCII characters, often used to decorate or enliven e-mail[1]



ASCIIfile

ASCIIfile
ASCII
file 
(plural ASCII files) noun

text file:
a computer file that contains text or data consisting only of ASCII characters.

See also
binary file[1]



ascites

ascites
as·ci·tes 
[ə s teez] noun

fluid
in abdomen:
an accumulation of fluid ( serous fluid ) in
the peritoneal cavity, causing abdominal swelling
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek askitēs “dropsy,” from askos
“wineskin, leather bag,” of unknown origin.]
—as·cit·ic [ə síttik], adjective[1]



asco-

asco-
asco-
prefix

ascus
• ascocarp
[Via modern Latin from Greek askos
“wineskin, leather bag,” of unknown origin][1]



ascocarp

ascocarp
as·co·carp 
[áskə kaarp] (plural as·co·carps)
noun

fruiting body of fungi:
a fleshy structure in certain fungi ( ascomycetes
) containing sexually produced spores ( ascospores
) in a membranous spore case ( ascus ).
Also called
ascoma[1]



ascogonium

ascogonium
as·co·go·ni·um 
[àskə gṓnee əm] (plural as·co·go·ni·a
[àskə gṓnee ə]) noun

female reproductive part of
fungi: a female reproductive part
in certain fungi ( ascomycetes )[1]



ascoma

ascoma
a·sco·ma
[à skṓmə] (plural a·sco·ma·ta
[à skṓmətə]) noun

See
ascocarp[1]



ascomycete

ascomycete
as·co·my·cete 
[áskō m seet, àskō
mī st] (plural as·co·my·cetes [àskō
mī s teez]) noun

fungus
that produces spores in sac: a fungus that produces
spores sexually inside a membranous, often cylindrical, spore case ( ascus ). Yeasts and truffles are ascomycetes .
Class: Ascomycetes
Also
called
sac fungus
—as·co·my·ce·tous [às kō mī stəss], adjective[1]



ascorbate

ascorbate
a·scor·bate 
[ay skáwrbət] (plural ascor·bates)
noun

salt of ascorbic acid:
any salt of ascorbic acid[1]



ascorbicacid

ascorbicacid
a·scor·bic
ac·id 
[ə skàwrbik ássid] noun

See
vitamin C
[Mid-20th century. Ascorbic,
literally “not scorbutic,” coined from a- + scorbutic .][1]



ascospore

ascospore
as·co·spore 
[áskə spawr] (plural as·co·spores)
noun

fungal
spore:
a fungal spore produced sexually in a membranous spore case ( ascus )
—as·co·spor·ic
[àskə spáwrik, àskə
spṓrik], adjective

—as·co·spo·rous [àskə spáwrəss, ass
kóspərəss], adjective[1]



ascot

ascot
as·cot 
[áskət, ás kot]
(plural as·cots) noun

wide cravat:
a broad cravat with square ends, often held in place with an ornamental stud[1]



ascribe

ascribe
as·cribe 
[ə skrb] (past as·cribed, past
participle as·cribed, present participle as·crib·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·cribes) transitive verb (formal)

1.  give
something as cause: to believe or say that
something was caused by something else that is named • ascribed
the defeat to a series of miscalculations

2.  give
somebody as author: to believe or say that
something was originally written or said by somebody who is named • a
poem no longer ascribed to Shakespeare

3.  give
something as characteristic: to believe that something
that is named belongs to or is typical of a person or group • to
ascribe contentment to the unambitious
[15th
century. From Latin ascribere “to add to in writing,” literally “to
write to,” from scribere “to write.”]
—as·crib·a·ble, adjective[1]



ascribedstatus

ascribedstatus
as·cribed
sta·tus
noun

status assigned by society:
the status that an individual possesses by reason of age, sex, ethnic
background, family background, or another factor outside the control of the
individual[1]



ascription

ascription
as·crip·tion 
[ə skrípsh’n] (plural as·crip·tions)
noun

1.  attribution:
the attributing of a relationship between something and somebody or something
else (formal)

2.  statement
of attribution: a statement that assigns or attributes
something to somebody or something else (formal)

3.  SOCIOLOGY social
status by birth: the social status derived from the
circumstances into which somebody is born
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin stem ascription-, from ascript-, the past participle stem
of ascribere (see ascribe ).][1]



ASCU

ASCU
ASCU

Abbreviation of
Association of State Colleges and Universities[1]



ascus

ascus
as·cus 
[áskəss] (plural as·ci [ássī, áss kee])
noun

fungal
spore case:
a membranous spore case formed by certain fungi ( ascomycetes
) that contains eight sexually produced spores ( ascospores
)
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek askos “wineskin, leather bag,” of unknown origin.][1]



ASDE

ASDE
ASDE

Abbreviation of
Airport Surface Detection Equipment[1]



ASE

ASE
ASE

Abbreviation of
American Stock Exchange[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ase

-ase
-ase
suffix

enzyme
• polymerase
[From diastase][1]



ASEAN

ASEAN
ASEAN
[ássee an]

Abbreviation of
Association of Southeast Asian Nations[1]



aseismic

aseismic
a·seis·mic
[ay szmik] adjective

1.  not
having earthquakes: not subject to earthquakes

2.  able
to withstand earthquakes: built to withstand
earthquakes

[1]



aseismiccreep

aseismiccreep
a·seis·mic
creep 
noun

Earth crust movement:
movement of tectonic plates below the Earth’s crust that is not caused by
earthquakes or other seismic disturbance[1]



asepsis

asepsis
a·sep·sis 
[ay sépsiss] noun

1.  germ-free
condition:
a condition in which no living disease-causing microorganisms are present

2.  elimination
of germs:
the process or methods of bringing about a condition in which no
disease-causing microorganisms are present

[1]



aseptic

aseptic
a·sep·tic 
[ay séptik] adjective

1.  without
disease-causing microorganisms: free of
disease-causing microorganisms

2.  preventing
infection:
designed to prevent infection from pathogenic microorganisms
—a·sep·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—a·sep·ti·cism, noun[1]



asexual

asexual
a·sex·u·al 
[ay sékshoo əl, ay
séksh’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY without
sex-linked features: lacking any apparent sex or
sex organs

2.  BIOLOGY without
sexual fusion: used to describe reproduction in which
there is no fusion of male and female sex cells ( gametes
), for example, vegetative reproduction or budding

3.  sexually
inactive:
without sexual desire or activity
—a·sex·u·al·i·ty
[ay sèkshoo állətee], noun

—a·sex·u·al·ly [ay sékshoo əlee, ay
sékshəlee], adverb[1]



asg.

asg.
asg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
assigned

2.  Abbreviation
of
assignment

[1]



Asgard

Asgard
As·gard 
[áz gaard, ás
gaard] noun

home of Norse dieties:
in Norse mythology, the home of the dieties and of heroes killed in battle[1]



asgd.

asgd.
asgd.

Abbreviation of
assigned[1]



asgmt.

asgmt.
asgmt.

Abbreviation of
assignment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ash

ash1
ash1 [ash]
noun (plural ash·es)

1.  remains
of fire:
the powdery substance that is left when something has been burned (often
used in the plural)

2.  GEOLOGY volcanic
dust:
fine-grained lava that erupts from a volcano in a gas cloud before settling on
the ground, or that flows out
plural
noun
ash·es

burned remains of body:
the remains of somebody’s body after it has been cremated
adjective

silvery gray: of a
silvery gray color
[Old
English æsce . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to burn,
be dry,” which is also the ancestor of English arid,
ardent, and azalea .]
rise
(like a phoenix) from the ashes

to come into existence or
popularity again, seemingly from a state of ruin or destruction[1]



ash

ash2

ash2 [ash]
(plural ash·es or ash) noun

1.  deciduous
tree:
a deciduous tree that has compound leaves with paired leaflets, winged fruits,
and clusters of small flowers. It is found widely in temperate regions. Genus: Fraxinus

2.  hard
wood of ash: the hard durable wood of the ash tree,
used to make furniture and tool handles

3.  LINGUISTICS symbol
for vowel sound: the character “æ” representing the vowel
sound of the modern English word “pad,” used in Old English and the
International Phonetic Alphabet
[Old English æsc
(related to German Esche and Old Norse askr )][1]



ashamed

ashamed
a·shamed 
[ə sháymd] adjective

1.  full
of shame:
feeling full of shame

2.  embarrassed:
embarrassed or regretful • I’m
ashamed to say I didn’t acknowledge their invitation.
[Old English āscamod,
from sceamu “shame” (source of English shame
)][1]



Ashanti

Ashanti
A·shan·ti 
[ə shántee, ə
shntee] (plural A·shan·ti or A·shan·tis) or
A·shan·te [ə shántee, ə shntee] (plural A·shan·te or
A·shan·tes) noun

1.  area
in Ghana:
a former kingdom and present-day administrative area in central Ghana

2.  PEOPLES member
of Ghanaian people: a member of a Ghanaian
people who live mainly in Ashanti

3.  LANGUAGE African
language:
a language spoken in central Ghana, now often regarded as a form of Akan
[Early
18th century. From Twi Asante .]
—A·shan·ti, adjective[1]



ashblond

ashblond
ash
blond
or ash blonde adjective

light
blond:
light or whitish blond in color
noun
(plural ash blonds) (plural ash blondes)

fair-haired person:
somebody with ash blond hair[1]



ashcake

ashcake
ash·cake 
[ásh kàyk] (plural ash·cakes) noun

cornmeal patty:
a small cornmeal patty that is cooked over an open fire or in hot ashes (regional)[1]



ashcan

ashcan
ash·can
[ásh kàn] (plural ash·cans) noun

1.  See
trash can

2.  MILITARY depth
charge:
a depth charge (slang)

[1]



Ashcanschool

Ashcanschool
Ash·can
school 
noun

early 20thC painters:
an early 20th century school of U.S. painters whose works focused on the
everyday life of cities and city dwellers, depicted realistically[1]



Ashcroft,Dame Peggy

Ashcroft,Dame Peggy
Ash·croft
[ásh kròft], Dame Peggy (1907–1991)

British
actress who played leading theatrical roles from the 1930s to the 1950s. Her
films include A Passage to India ( 1984 ).
Real name
Ashcroft, Edith Margaret Emily[1]



Ashdown,Paddy

Ashdown,Paddy
Ash·down
[ásh dòwn], Paddy (1941– )

British politician. A former
Royal Marine, he became an MP (1983) and leader of the Liberal Democrat Party
(1988–1999).[1]



Ashe,Arthur

Ashe,Arthur

Ashe
[ash], Arthur (1943–1993)
U.S.
tennis player who was the first African American men’s tennis champion.
Full name
Ashe, Jr., Arthur Robert[1]



ashen

ashen2
ash·en2 [ásh’n]
adjective

relating to ash tree or wood:
relating to the ash tree, or made from its wood (literary)[1]



ashen

ashen1
ash·en1 [ásh’n]
adjective

1.  very
pale:
extremely pale in appearance

2.  like
ashes:
resembling or consisting of ashes

[1]



Asheville

Asheville
Ashe·ville 
[ásh vìl]

city in western North
Carolina, near the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Population: 64,067
(1996)[1]



Ashgabat

Ashgabat
Ash·ga·bat 
[shgə bt]

capital of Turkmenistan,
located in the southern part of the country near the Turkmenistan-Iran border
and the Kara Kum desert. Population: 517,200 (1993) Former name
Ashkhabad[1]



Ashkenazi

Ashkenazi
Ash·ke·naz·i 
[shkə nzee, àshkə
názzee] (plural Ash·ke·naz·im [shkə
nzim]) noun

N
European Jew: a member of a Jewish community
originating in Germany and northern Europe, as distinguished from a Jewish
person of Spanish or Portuguese origin ( Sephardi
)
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Hebrew, formed from medieval Hebrew Ashkenaz
“Germany,” from Hebrew Ashkēnāz, name of a grandson of Noah.]
—Ash·ke·naz·i,
adjective

—Ash·ke·naz·ic, adjective[1]



Ashland

Ashland
Ash·land 
[áshlənd]

1.  city
in northeastern Kentucky, on the Ohio River. Population: 22,918 (1996)

2.  city
in north central Ohio. Population: 21,502 (1996)

[1]



ashlar

ashlar
ash·lar 
[áshlər] (plural ash·lars) or
ash·ler [áshlər] (plural ash·lers)
noun

1.  stone
slab used for facing: a thin slab of squared
stone, used for facing walls or building

2.  masonry
using thin slabs of stone: masonry using thin slabs of
squared stone as facing material
[14th century. Via Old French
aisselier “plank” from, ultimately, medieval Latin axicellus,
from Latin axis “plank, axletree” (source of English axis and axle
).][1]



ashlaring

ashlaring
ash·lar·ing
[áshləring] noun

construction using ashlars:
the construction of a building using ashlars[1]



Ashora

Ashora
Ash·or·a
[ə shōra] noun

Islamic festival:
an Islamic festival celebrated on the tenth day of Muharram[1]



ashore

ashore
a·shore 
[ə sháwr] adverb

to or on land:
to the land from the water, or on land as opposed to a ship or boat • All
but the captain went ashore.[1]



ashram

ashram
ash·ram 
[shrəm] (plural ash·rams) noun

1.  Hindu
retreat:
a retreat for the practice of yoga or other Hindu disciplines

2.  spiritual
community:
a commune or communal house whose members share spiritual goals and practices
[Early 20th century. From
Sanskrit āśramaḥ “hermitage.”][1]



Ashtabula

Ashtabula
Ash·ta·bu·la 
[àshtə bylə]

city in extreme northeastern
Ohio, beside Lake Erie. Population: 21,315 (1996)[1]



Ashton-Warner,Sylvia

Ashton-Warner,Sylvia
Ash·ton-War·ner
[àshtən wáwrnər], Sylvia (1905–1984)

New Zealand novelist and
teacher, author of Spinster ( 1958 ).[1]



Ashtoreth

Ashtoreth
Ash·to·reth 
[áshtə rèth] noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Ishtar[1]



ashtray

ashtray
ash·tray 
[ásh trày] (plural ash·trays) noun

container for cigarette ash:
an open receptacle for the ash from a cigarette, cigar, or pipe and for
cigarette butts[1]



AshWednesday

AshWednesday
Ash
Wednes·day 
(plural Ash Wednes·days) noun

Christian
holiday:
a Christian religious holiday that marks the first day of Lent, the period
preceding Easter
[So called because of the
Roman Catholic custom of marking the heads of penitents with ashes on this day][1]



ashy

ashy
ash·y 
[áshee] (comparative ash·i·er,
superlative ash·i·est) adjective

1.  extremely
pale:
extremely pale or grayish in appearance (literary)

2.  like
ash:
resembling or covered in ash

[1]



Asia

Asia

A·sia 
[áyzhə]
the world’s largest continent, bordered
by the Ural and Caucasus mountains and the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.
Area: 44,936,000 sq km/17,350,000 sq mi.[1]



Asia




Back to definition

Asia

[1]



Asiadollar

Asiadollar
A·sia·dol·lar
[áyzhə dòllər, áyshə
dòllər] (plural A·sia·dol·lars) noun

dollar used in Asia:
a United States dollar used in Asian banks and currency markets[1]



AsiaMinor

AsiaMinor
A·sia
Mi·nor

peninsula in the extreme west
of Asia, roughly corresponding to Asian Turkey[1]



Asian

Asian
A·sian 
[áyzh’n, áysh’n]
adjective

of
Asia:
relating to any of the countries of Asia, or their peoples or cultures
noun
(plural A·sians)

somebody
from Asia:
somebody who was born in or is a citizen of any of the countries that form the
continent of Asia
[Via Latin from Greek Asianos,
from Asia “Asia”][1]



AsianAmerican

AsianAmerican
A·sian
A·mer·i·can
(plural A·sian A·mer·i·cans) noun

American
of Asian descent: a citizen of the United States who was
born in Asia, or whose ancestors came from any of the countries that form the
continent of Asia
—A·sian
A·mer·i·can, adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at AfricanAmerican.

[1]



Asiancockroach

Asiancockroach
A·sian
cock·roach
(plural A·sian cock·roach·es) noun

medium-sized cockroach:
a pale brown cockroach of medium size commonly found around dwellings in warm
and temperate climates. Latin name: Blattella asahinai
Also called
Asiatic cockroach[1]



Asianflu

Asianflu
A·sian
flu
noun

influenza:
influenza that occurs in sporadic worldwide epidemics, caused by a virus strain
thought to have originated in China in the mid-1950s, and related strains.
Also called
Asian influenza[1]



Asianize

Asianize
A·sian·ize
[áy’n īz, áysh’n
īz] (past A·sian·ized, past participle A·sian·ized,
present participle A·sian·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
A·sian·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
Asian:
to make somebody or something Asian, for example, in cultural characteristics

2.  make
Asian-owned: to bring something under Asian ownership
or control
—A·sian·i·za·tion [àyzh’nə záysh’n, àysh’nə
záysh’n], noun[1]



Asianpear

Asianpear
A·sian
pear
(plural A·sian pears) noun

See
sand pear[1]



Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific
A·sia-Pa·ci·fic
noun

Asian and Pacific business
region: a commercial region
encompassing the countries of Asia and the Pacific Rim[1]



Asiatic

Asiatic
A·si·at·ic 
[àyzhee áttik, àyzee
áttik] adjective

from
Asia:
used to describe things Asian, for example, flora, fauna, or climatic
conditions • Asiatic
plants and animals • parts
of the Asiatic steppes
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek Asiatikos, from Asia “Asia.”][1]



Asiaticbuffalo

Asiaticbuffalo
A·si·at·ic
buf·fa·lo
(plural A·si·at·ic buf·fa·lo or A·si·at·ic buf·fa·loes
or A·si·at·ic buf·fa·los) noun

Asian ox:
an ox of Southeast Asia, with large upturned horns, now widely domesticated and
rare in the wild. Latin name: Bubalus bubalis[1]



Asiaticcholera

Asiaticcholera
A·si·at·ic
chol·er·a
noun

See
cholera[1]



Asiaticcockroach

Asiaticcockroach
A·si·at·ic
cock·roach
(plural A·si·at·ic cock·roach·es) noun

See
Asian cockroach[1]



aside

aside
a·side 
[ə sd] adverb

1.  away
or to one side: away from somebody or something, or to
one side • Stand
aside and let the people through.

2.  out
of the way:
out of the way, or away from the area of main concern • brush
aside all criticism

3.  ignored:
ignored for the sake of argument • Budget
constraints aside, is the deadline feasible?

4.  for
future use:
for special or future use • put
aside some money each week
noun
(plural a·sides)

1.  THEATER actor’s
comment:
a remark made by an actor, usually to the audience, that the other characters
on stage supposedly cannot hear

2.  confidential
comment in undertone: a spoken remark not directed
to all listeners and usually made in a quiet voice

3.  digression:
a digression from a main point

[1]



asidefrom

asidefrom
a·side
from
preposition

1.  in
addition to: in addition to or besides somebody or
something • Aside
from his medical practice he is also a lawyer.

2.  other
than:
except for or not considering the stated thing • Aside
from the cold weather, I love it here.

[1]



Asimov,Isaac

Asimov,Isaac

As·i·mov
[ázzi mòf, ázzi
màwf], Isaac (1920–1992)
Russian-born U.S. scientist and writer,
author of around 500 books for young people, including textbooks and science
fiction.[1]



asinine

asinine
as·i·nine 
[áss’n n] adjective

1.  ridiculous:
utterly ridiculous or lacking sense

2.  like
an ass:
relating to or resembling an ass
[15th
century. From Latin asininus, from asinus “ass.”]
—as·i·nine·ly,
adverb

—as·i·nin·i·ty [àss’n ínnətee], noun[1]



ask

ask
ask 
[ask] (past asked, past
participle asked, present participle ask·ing, 3rd
person present singular asks) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb question
somebody:
to put a question to somebody • Ask
them how long it will take.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
request:
to make a request for something • They
asked me for my opinion.

3.  transitive
verb
invite
somebody:
to invite somebody to a social event • Only
close friends were asked to dine.

4.  transitive
verb
require:
to require somebody to give or contribute something • The
job asks a lot more of me than I expected.

5.  transitive
verb
name
as price:
to name an amount as an acceptable price • They’re
asking $100,000 for the house.
[Old
English āscian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
wish.”]
for
the asking

available at no cost • apples
for the asking[1]



askafter

askafter
ask
after
transitive verb

inquire about somebody:
to inquire about somebody’s welfare • She
asks after the children whenever we meet.[1]



askance

askance
a·skance 
[ə skáns] adverb

1.  suspiciously:
with doubt or suspicion “They surveyed each other askance, feeling that they
were rivals, and mentally calculating each other’s chances.” Horatio Alger, Jr.
Ragged Dick 1868

2.  obliquely:
sideways, or out of the side of the eye (archaic)
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



askari

askari
as·ka·ri
[áskəree, ə
skree] (plural as·ka·ris) or as·kar [áskər] (plural as·kars) noun

African
soldier or police officer: a soldier or police officer
in various Muslim countries of eastern Africa
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic askarī “soldier.”][1]



askew

askew
a·skew 
[ə sky] adjective adverb

off center:
at an angle • with
his hat askew[1]



askfor

askfor
ask
for
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb request
something:
to request that something be provided • I
asked for a cup of coffee.

2.  transitive
verb
request
somebody’s appearance: to request somebody’s
appearance • A
visitor is asking for you.

3.  transitive
verb
request
telephone conversation with somebody: to
request that somebody be called to the telephone • The
caller is asking for the manager.

4.  transitive
verb
invite
something unpleasant: to behave in a way that
deserves something unpleasant • You’re
asking for a lot of problems if you do that.

[1]



askin

askin
ask
in
transitive verb

invite somebody in:
to invite somebody to enter or participate in something[1]



askingprice

askingprice
ask·ing
price 
(plural ask·ing pric·es) noun

price originally requested:
the price set by a seller before any negotiation[1]



askout

askout
ask
out
transitive verb

invite somebody on date:
to invite somebody to go on a date[1]



ASL

ASL
ASL

Abbreviation of
American Sign Language[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








aslant

aslant
a·slant 
[ə slánt] adverb

slanting:
sloping or at an angle • books
all aslant on the shelves[1]



asleep

asleep
a·sleep 
[ə slp] adjective

1.  not
awake:
in or into a state of sleep

2.  not
alert:
not alert enough to function or operate properly • asleep
on the job

3.  numb:
numb for lack of proper blood circulation

[1]



aslope

aslope
a·slope 
[ə slṓp] adjective adverb

sloping:
at a sloping angle[1]



ASM

ASM
ASM

Abbreviation of
air-to-surface missile[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Asmara

Asmara
As·ma·ra 
[aaz mrə]

capital and largest city of
Eritrea. It is also the name of one of the ten provinces within Eritrea.
Population: 367,300 (1991)[1]



asocial

asocial
a·so·cial 
[ay sṓsh’l] adjective

1.  unwilling
to mix socially: disinclined or averse to human social
interaction

2.  not
interacting socially: lacking a need or capacity
for social interaction

3.  unsuited
to society:
not acceptable in normal society, or showing a lack of consideration for others

[1]



asp

asp2
asp2  [asp]
(plural asps) noun

aspen:
an aspen tree (archaic)
[Old English æspe (see
aspen )][1]



asp

asp1
asp1  [asp]
(plural asps) noun

1.  snake
that killed Cleopatra: a small poisonous snake that
caused the death of Cleopatra. It is thought to have been a member of the cobra
family found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Latin name: Naja haje

2.  southern
European viper: a snake of the viper family, resembling
a small adder, found in southern Europe.
Also
called
asp viper

3.  See
horned viper
[Directly or via Old French aspe
from Latin aspis, from Greek, of unknown origin][1]



asparaginase

asparaginase
as·par·a·gin·ase 
[ə spárrəjə nayss, ə
spárrəjə nayz] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that aids the breakdown of the amino acid asparagine, producing
aspartic acid and ammonia[1]



asparagine

asparagine
as·par·a·gine 
[ə spérrə jn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid found in many plant seeds that can also be produced by humans and
animals. C4H8N2O3
[Early 19th century. Formed
from asparagus, from which it was first
obtained.][1]



asparagus

asparagus
as·par·a·gus 
[ə spérrəgəss] (plural as·par·a·gus)
noun

1.  plant
cultivated for edible shoots: a perennial plant that is
widely cultivated for its edible young shoots. Latin name: Asparagus
officinalis

2.  succulent
vegetable:
the spear-shaped young shoots of the asparagus plant, cooked and served as a
vegetable
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek asparagos, of unknown origin.][1]



asparagusfern

asparagusfern
as·par·a·gus
fern
(plural as·par·a·gus ferns) noun

feathery plant:
a South African plant with feathery leaves, small white flowers, and purplish
black berries that is grown as a houseplant. Its foliage is used in bouquets.
Latin name: Asparagus setaceus[1]



aspartame

aspartame
as·par·tame 
[áspər tàym, ə
spr tàym] noun

artificial
sweetener:
a synthetic sweetener, many times sweeter to the taste than sugar, that is a
protein produced from aspartic acid
[Late 20th century. Coined
from aspartic acid + -ame, of uncertain
origin.][1]



aspartate

aspartate
a·spar·tate 
[ə spr tàyt, áspər
tàyt] (plural a·spar·tates) noun

compound of aspartic acid:
a salt or ester of aspartic acid[1]



asparticacid

asparticacid
as·par·tic
ac·id 
[ə sprtik ássid] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid occurring in many plant proteins that can also be produced by
humans and animals. C4H7NO4
[Mid-19th century. From
French aspartique, from Latin asparagus “asparagus,” (see asparagus ).][1]



A.S.P.C.A.

A.S.P.C.A.
A.S.P.C.A.

Abbreviation of
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals[1]



aspect

aspect
as·pect 
[á spèkt] (plural as·pects) noun

1.  one
side or part: a facet, phase, or part of a whole • consider
the various aspects of the problem

2.  appearance:
the appearance of something to the mind or eye • The
stone has a greenish aspect in this light.

3.  viewpoint:
a particular view or point of view • seeing
life from a new aspect • the
aspect of the mountain from the river

4.  exposure:
exposure to a particular direction, weather, or other influence • This
plant requires a sunny aspect.

5.  ASTRONOMY angle
between two celestial bodies: the apparent angular
separation of two celestial bodies, especially as observed from the Earth

6.  ASTROL positions
of planets in astrology: in astrology, the relative
positions of the stars and planets, believed to influence human affairs

7.  GRAMMAR grammatical
category:
a grammatical category of verbs that considers qualities of action independent
of tense. In English, the progressive and perfect aspects are recognized.

8.  look:
a look or gaze (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin aspectus,
the past participle of aspicere, literally “to look at,” from specere
(see spectacle ).][1]



aspectratio

aspectratio
as·pect
ra·tio
(plural as·pect ra·tios) noun

1.  screen
image width-height ratio: in television and the
movies, the ratio of the width of the picture on the screen to its height. This
ratio was 4:3 until the 1950s, when it increased in the movies to 1.85:1 in the
United States and 5:3 in Europe.

2.  AEROSPACE ratio
of wing length to breadth: the ratio of the length of
an aircraft’s wing to the mean distance between the front and back edge of the
wing. Aircraft operating at low speeds, such as gliders, need a high aspect
ratio and have long narrow wings while for supersonic flight a low aspect ratio
is created by swinging the wings back.

[1]



aspectual

aspectual
as·pec·tu·al
[a spékchoo əl] adjective

connected with verb aspects:
relating to the aspects of a verb[1]



Aspen

Aspen
As·pen 
[áspən]

city in the Rocky Mountains,
at an elevation of about 2,410 m/7,900 ft in west central Colorado. It is a
popular ski resort. Population: 5,245 (1996)[1]



aspen

aspen
as·pen 
[áspən] (plural as·pens or
as·pen) noun

poplar
with shaking leaves: a tree of the poplar family,
common in the northern United States and Europe, with leaves that rustle and
flutter in the breeze.
Also
called
trembling poplar
[14th century. Formed from
Old English æspe . The word was originally an adjective meaning “made of
aspen wood.”][1]



asper

asper
as·per
[áspər] (plural as·pers) noun

minor
unit of Turkish currency: a minor unit of currency in
Turkey, 120 of which are worth a piastre
[Via French aspre
from, ultimately, Greek aspros “newly minted,” from Latin asper
“rough” (source of English asperity
)][1]



asperges

asperges
as·per·ges 
[a spúrjiz] noun

Roman
Catholic rite: a religious ceremony of the Roman
Catholic Church in which holy water is sprinkled over the altar, clergy, and
congregation before High Mass
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “thou shalt sprinkle,” the first word of the rite.][1]



aspergill

aspergill
as·per·gill 
(plural as·per·gills) noun

See
aspergillum
[Mid-19th century.
Anglicization of Latin aspergillum (see aspergillum
).][1]



aspergillosis

aspergillosis
as·per·gil·lo·sis 
[àspərji lṓssiss] noun

severe fungal infection:
a disease affecting mucous membranes, lungs, and sometimes bones that is caused
by infection with the fungus Aspergillus[1]



aspergillum

aspergillum
as·per·gil·lum 
[àspər jílləm] (plural as·per·gil·la
[àspər jíllə] or as·per·gil·lums)
or as·per·gill [àspər jíl] (plural
as·per·gil·la or as·per·gills) noun

holy-water
sprinkler:
a brush or perforated container for sprinkling holy water.
Also
called
aspersorium
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “little sprinkler,” formed from Latin aspergere
“to sprinkle.”][1]



asperity

asperity
as·per·i·ty 
[a spérrətee] (plural as·per·i·ties)
noun

1.  harshness
or severity: harshness or severity of manner or tone
(formal)

2.  roughness:
the roughness of a surface (literary)

3.  hardship:
something that is hard to bear because of its harshness or severity

4.  PHYSICS area
where two load-bearing surfaces touch: a
region of contact between two load-bearing flat surfaces
[13th century. Via French asperité
from, ultimately, Latin asper “rough,” of unknown origin.][1]



aspermia

aspermia
a·sper·mi·a
[ay spúrmee ə] noun

lack
of sperm:
a medical condition in which no spermatozoa are present in the seminal fluid
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from a- + Greek sperma
“seed” + -ia .]
—a·sper·mic, adjective[1]



asperse

asperse
as·perse 
[ə spúrs] (past as·persed, past
participle as·persed, present participle as·pers·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·pers·es) transitive verb

denigrate
or slander somebody: to malign somebody by
spreading harmful information or making false accusations (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin aspers-, the past participle stem of aspergere,
literally “to spatter on,” from spargere (see sparge ). The underlying
meaning is “to sling mud.”]
—as·pers·er,
noun

—as·per·sive,
adjective

—as·per·sive·ly, adverb[1]



aspersion

aspersion
as·per·sion 
[ə spúrzh’n, ə
spúrsh’n] (plural as·per·sions) noun

1.  slanderous
remark:
a statement that attacks somebody’s character or reputation (often used in
the plural)

2.  making
of slanderous remarks: the making of defamatory
remarks

[1]



aspersorium

aspersorium
as·per·so·ri·um
[àspər sáwree əm] (plural as·per·so·ria
[àspər sáwree ə]) noun

RELIGION See aspergillum
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin, formed from Latin aspers-, the past participle stem of aspergere
(see asperse ).][1]



asphalt

asphalt
as·phalt 
[ás fàwlt] noun

1.  semisolid
bituminous substance: a brownish black solid or
semisolid substance used in paving, waterproofing, and fungicides. It occurs
naturally in some oil-bearing rocks and can be obtained as a byproduct of
petroleum distillation.

2.  material
used for surfacing roads: paving material composed
mainly of asphalt and gravel or crushed rock that hardens on cooling and is
used for making roads and sidewalks
transitive
verb
(past as·phalt·ed, past participle as·phalt·ed, present
participle as·phalt·ing, 3rd person present singular as·phalts)

cover something with asphalt:
to surface a roadway, sidewalk, or other area with asphalt
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek asphaltos, of uncertain origin.]
—as·phal·tic [as fáwltik], adjective[1]



asphaltite

asphaltite
as·phal·tite 
[as fáwl tt, às
fáwl tt] noun

naturally occurring solid
asphalt: solid asphalt containing
little inorganic material and occurring naturally in veins and beds below the
surface of the ground[1]



asphaltjungle

asphaltjungle
as·phalt
jun·gle
(plural as·phalt jun·gles) noun

built-up environment:
a big city or urban area with much paving and little natural landscape[1]



aspheric

aspheric
a·spher·ic 
[ay sfrik, ày
sférik] or a·spher·i·cal [ay
sfrik, ày sférik] adjective

not sphere-shaped:
not perfectly spherical[1]



asphodel

asphodel
as·pho·del 
[ásfə dèl] (plural as·pho·dels
or as·pho·del) noun

1.  flowering
plant:
a perennial plant of the lily family, native to southern Europe, that has long
clusters of white, pink, or yellow flowers. Genera: Asphodelus Asphodeline

2.  plant
resembling true asphodel: a plant similar to asphodel
proper, for example, bog asphodel

3.  MYTHOLOGY flower
of Hades:
in Greek mythology, the flower of Hades that was sacred to Persephone
[Middle English. Via Latin asphodilus
(source of English daffodil ) from
Greek asphodelos, of unknown origin.][1]



asphyxia

asphyxia
as·phyx·i·a 
[as fíksee ə, əs
fíksee ə] noun

suffocation:
suffocation as a result of physical blockage of the airway or inhalation of
toxic gases, causing a lack of oxygen and unconsciousness
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek asphuxia, literally “lack of pulse,” from sphuxis
“heartbeat,” from sphuzein “to throb.”][1]



asphyxiant

asphyxiant
as·phyx·i·ant 
[as fíksee ənt, əs
fíksee ənt] adjective

suffocating:
causing oxygen deficiency and suffocation
noun
(plural as·phyx·i·ants)

cause of suffocation:
an agent that causes asphyxia, for example, a toxic gas[1]



asphyxiate

asphyxiate
as·phyx·i·ate 
[as fíksee àyt, əs
fíksee àyt] (past as·phyx·i·at·ed, past participle as·phyx·i·at·ed,
present participle as·phyx·i·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular as·phyx·i·ates) intransitive and transitive verb

suffocate:
to deprive a person or animal of oxygen, or be deprived of oxygen, usually
leading to unconsciousness or death
—as·phyx·i·a·tion
[as fìksee áysh’n, əs
fìksee áysh’n], noun

—as·phyx·i·a·tor [as fíksee àytər, əs
fíksee àytər], noun[1]



aspic

aspic
as·pic
[áspik] noun

savory
jelly:
a cold jelly often used as a mold for fish, meat, eggs, or vegetables
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “asp,” an alteration of Old French aspe (see asp 1 ). Possibly
so called because the colors in the jelly were thought to resemble the
snake’s.][1]



aspidistra

aspidistra

as·pi·dis·tra 
[àspi dístrə] (plural as·pi·dis·tras)
noun
leafy
houseplant:
an Asian plant of the lily family that has large glossy leaves and small
brownish flowers and is commonly grown as a houseplant. Genus: Aspidistra
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek aspid-, the stem of aspis
“shield,” because of the shape of the plant’s leaves.][1]



aspirant

aspirant
as·pi·rant 
[áspərənt, ə
sprənt] noun (plural as·pi·rants)

aspiring
person:
somebody who seeks or hopes to attain something • an
aspirant to the presidency
adjective

aspiring:
seeking or hoping to attain something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



aspirate

aspirate
as·pi·rate 
transitive verb [áspə ràyt] (past
as·pi·rat·ed, past participle as·pi·rat·ed, present
participle as·pi·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular as·pi·rates)

1.  pronounce
while breathing out: to pronounce a sound or word
while breathing out, for example, the letter h at the beginning of such words
as “house” and “hat” in standard English

2.  remove
liquid:
to remove liquid or gas by suction, especially from a body cavity • using
a syringe to aspirate the fluid from the cyst

3.  inhale
something:
to inhale something, especially a liquid, into the lungs
noun
[áspərət] (plural as·pi·rates)

1.  breathy
letter:
a sound pronounced while breathing out, for example, the sound of the letter h
at the beginning of many English words

2.  matter
removed:
matter removed by aspirating
adjective

breathy sounding:
pronounced while breathing out
[Late 17th century. From
Latin aspirat-, the past participle stem of aspirare, literally
“to breathe toward,” from spirare (see spirit
).][1]



aspiration

aspiration
as·pi·ra·tion 
[àspə ráysh’n] (plural as·pi·ra·tions)
noun

1.  ambition:
a desire or ambition to achieve something

2.  breathy
pronunciation: pronunciation accompanied by breathing
out

3.  suction:
the withdrawal by suction of fluids or gases from the body or a body cavity

4.  inhalation:
drawing matter into the lungs along with the breath
—as·pir·a·to·ry [ə sprə tàwree], adjective[1]



aspirational

aspirational
as·pi·ra·tion·al 
[àspi ráyshən’l, àspi
ráyshnəl] adjective

materially ambitious:
showing a desire or ambition to achieve something, especially self-improvement
or material success • the
aspirational working class[1]



aspirator

aspirator
as·pi·ra·tor 
[áspə ràytər] (plural as·pi·ra·tors)
noun

suction device:
an apparatus for drawing out fluids or gases by suction[1]



aspire

aspire
as·pire 
[ə spr] (past as·pired, past
participle as·pired, present participle as·pir·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·pires) intransitive verb

1.  have
particular ambition: to seek to attain a
particular goal • aspire to public office

2.  fly
high:
to soar to a great height (literary)
[14th
century. From Latin aspirare “to breathe toward.” The underlying
metaphor is of projecting or breathing your desires toward something.]
—as·pir·er,
noun

—as·pir·ing, adjective[1]



aspirin

aspirin
as·pi·rin 
[áspirin, ásprin]
(plural as·pi·rins or as·pi·rin) noun

1.  pain
reliever:
a drug derived from salicylic acid that is used to relieve pain and
inflammation, to lower fever, and to reduce the risk of blood clotting within
an artery. C9H8O4

2.  tablet
containing aspirin: a tablet containing aspirin
[Late 19th century. From
German, formed from a contraction of acetylierte Spirsäure “acetylated
spiraeic acid” (the former name of salicylic acid).][1]



aspviper

aspviper
asp
vi·per
(plural asp vi·pers) noun

See
asp 1 noun
2[1]



asquint

asquint
a·squint 
[ə skwínt] adverb

askance:
from the corner of the eye, as if suspiciously[1]



Asquith,Herbert Henry

Asquith,Herbert Henry
As·quith
[áskwith], Herbert Henry (1852–1928)

British statesman and Liberal
prime minister (1908–1916). His government introduced pensions for people of
advanced years, and national insurance.[1]



ASR

ASR
ASR

Abbreviation of
airport surveillance radar[1]



ass

ass2
ass2 [ass]
(plural ass·es) noun (taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
offensive term for a person’s buttocks or anus.
U.K.
term
arse

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for sexual intercourse
[Euphemistic
respelling of arse]
cover
your ass

to
behave in a way that ensures you will not be blamed for something later (taboo
offensive)

haul
ass

to
move or start to move quickly (taboo offensive)

have
your ass in a sling or bind

to
be in trouble (taboo offensive)

kick
(some) ass

to
behave aggressively or violently in order to get what you want (taboo
offensive)

kiss
ass

to
be very polite or obsequious to somebody in authority (taboo offensive)

not
know your ass from your elbow

to be very ignorant (taboo
offensive)[1]



ass

ass1


ass1 [ass]
(plural ass·es) noun

1.  animal
resembling horse with long ears: an animal resembling a
small horse with long ears, sometimes used as a beast of burden. The donkey is
a domesticated descendant of the wild ass. Genus: Equus

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an unintelligent, thoughtless, or ridiculous person (offensive)
[Old English assa, via
an unknown Celtic source from Latin asinus (source of English asinine and easel
)][1]



Assad,Hafez al-

Assad,Hafez al-
As·sad
[aa sd], Hafez al- (1928– )

Syrian government leader. He
seized power in 1970 and was elected president of Syria in 1971.[1]



assagai

assagai
as·sa·gai 
noun

See
assegai[1]



assail

assail
as·sail 
[ə sáyl] (past as·sailed, past
participle as·sailed, present participle as·sail·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·sails) transitive verb

1.  attack
somebody:
to attack somebody vigorously with words or actions • assailed
by furious criticism

2.  trouble
or beset somebody: to overwhelm the mind or
senses of somebody “Low growls and angry snarls assailed our ears on every
side.” Edgar Rice Burroughs The Gods of Mars 1913
[13th
century. Via Old French asaill-, the stem of asalir, from assumed
Vulgar Latin assalire, literally “to leap at,” from Latin salire
“to leap.”]
—as·sail·a·ble,
adjective

—as·sail·er,
noun

—as·sail·ment, noun[1]



assailant

assailant
as·sail·ant 
[ə sáylənt] (plural as·sail·ants)
noun

attacker:
somebody who violently attacks somebody else, usually causing physical injury[1]



Assam

Assam
As·sam 
[a sám]

union state of India,
situated in the northeastern part of the country. Capital: Dispur. Population:
24,200,000 (1994) Area: 78,438 sq km/30,285 sq mi.[1]



Assamese

Assamese
As·sam·ese 
[àssə mz, àssə
mss] (plural As·sam·ese) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Assam:
somebody who was born in or lives in the state of Assam in northeastern India

2.  LANGUAGE Indic
language:
a language spoken in the state of Assam in northeastern India and in
Bangladesh. It belongs to the Indic group of Indo-European languages and is
written in Bengali script. Assamese is spoken by about 11 million people.
—As·sam·ese, adjective[1]



assassin

assassin
as·sas·sin 
[ə sáss’n] (plural as·sas·sins)
noun

murderer:
a killer, especially of a political leader or other public figure
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Arabic ḥašāšīn, literally “hashish users,” denoting a
group of 11th-century Ismaili Muslims who murdered Christian leaders.][1]



assassinate

assassinate
as·sas·si·nate 
[ə sáss’n àyt] (past as·sas·si·nat·ed,
past participle as·sas·si·nat·ed, present participle as·sas·si·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sas·si·nates) transitive verb

1.  murder
somebody:
to kill somebody, especially a political leader or other public figure, by a
sudden violent attack

2.  ruin
something:
to harm or destroy something such as somebody’s reputation maliciously or
treacherously
—as·sas·si·na·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill

[1]



assassination

assassination
as·sas·si·na·tion 
[ə sàss’n áysh’n] (plural as·sas·si·na·tions)
noun

1.  murder:
the killing of a political leader or other public figure by a sudden violent
attack • an
unsuccessful assassination attempt

2.  destruction
of something: the destruction of something such as
somebody’s reputation by malicious or treacherous means

[1]



assassinbug

assassinbug
as·sas·sin
bug
(plural as·sas·sin bugs) noun

blood-sucking insect:
a large long-legged insect with powerful mouthparts that kills and sucks the
blood of other animals. Family: Reduviidae
Also called
reduviid[1]



AssateagueIsland

AssateagueIsland
As·sa·teague
Is·land 
[ássə tg]

barrier island in the
Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia, which share ownership.
It is noted for its wild ponies, traditionally rounded up each July. Area:
16,079 hectares/39,733 acres.[1]



assault

assault
as·sault 
[ə sáwlt] noun (plural as·saults)

1.  physical
or verbal attack: a violent physical or verbal attack

2.  LAW attack
or fear of bodily harm: an unlawful threat of bodily
violence or harm to somebody else, or an attempt to do such violence or harm

3.  LAW rape:
the offense of raping somebody

4.  attempt
to destroy something: a campaign or series of
actions that aims to challenge or destroy something • The
proposals are under assault by various special interest groups.
transitive
verb
(past as·sault·ed, past participle as·sault·ed, present
participle as·sault·ing, 3rd person present singular as·saults)

1.  LAW attack
somebody:
to attack somebody physically or verbally in a violent way

2.  MILITARY make
military attack on place: to attack a place with a
military force
[Via
Old French assaut from assumed Vulgar Latin assaltus, the past
participle of assalire (see assail )]
—as·sault·er, noun[1]



assaultand battery

assaultand battery
as·sault
and bat·ter·y noun

physical, harmful attack:
the crime of attacking somebody, carried out by violent means, for example, by
hitting or knocking to the ground[1]



assaultcourse

assaultcourse
as·sault
course
(plural as·sault cours·es) noun

U.K.
See obstacle course[1]



assaultive

assaultive
as·saul·tive 
[ə sáwltiv] adjective

aggressive:
extremely aggressive or disposed to attack[1]



assay

assay
as·say 
[á sày, a sáy]
noun (plural as·says)

1.  analysis
of something: an examination and analysis of something

2.  CHEMISTRY chemical
analysis:
chemical testing carried out to determine the composition of a substance or the
concentration of various components in a substance

3.  sample
of material: a sample of material for analysis

4.  attempt
at something: an attempt to do something (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past as·sayed, past participle as·sayed, present
participle as·say·ing, 3rd person present singular as·says)

1.  examine
something:
to examine or test something with a view to evaluating it

2.  CHEMISTRY analyze:
to analyze a substance such as a metal or ore in order to discover its
components

3.  attempt
to do something: to attempt to do something (literary)
[The
noun is from Old French assai “test”; the verb from Old French assaier
“to test,” variant of essaier (see essay
)]
—as·say·a·ble
[a sáyəb’l], adjective

—as·say·er, noun[1]



ass-backwards

ass-backwards
ass-back·wards
adjective adverb

offensive term:
offensive term for the reverse of what is usual, normal, or correct (taboo
offensive)[1]



assegai

assegai
as·se·gai 
[ássə g] (plural as·se·gais) or
as·sa·gai [ássə g] (plural as·sa·gais)
noun

spear:
a slender hardwood spear with an iron tip, used especially by the Zulu peoples
of southern Africa
[Early 17th century. Via
obsolete French azagaie from, ultimately, Berber zaġāya “spear.”][1]



assemblage

assemblage
as·sem·blage 
[ə sémblij] (plural as·sem·blages)
noun

1.  gathering
together:
a gathering of things or people at one point • a
law to forbid an assemblage of world-famous actors and directors at the award
ceremony

2.  collection:
a collection of people or things • an
assemblage of ideas

3.  SCULPTURE artistic
arrangement of miscellaneous items: a
work of art made from a collection of different objects

[1]



assemblagist

assemblagist
as·sem·blag·ist
[ə sémblijist] (plural as·sem·blag·ists)
noun

assembling artist:
a sculptor who creates assemblages[1]



assemble

assemble
as·sem·ble 
[ə sémb’l] (past as·sem·bled, past
participle as·sem·bled, present participle as·sem·bling,
3rd person present singular as·sem·bles) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
components together: to fit the parts of
something together to make a finished whole • assembled
a model

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb collect
together:
to bring people or things together or gather together in one place • A
crowd began to assemble.
[Via
French assembler, from assumed Vulgar Latin assimulare, literally
“to put together,” from Latin simul “together”]
—as·sem·bled,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at build See Synonyms at collect

[1]



assembler

assembler
as·sem·bler 
[ə sémblər] (plural as·sem·blers)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY fitter
of parts:
a person, machine, or company that puts together the parts of a machine or
piece of equipment when it is being built

2.  COMPUTING computer
program:
a computer program that converts assembly language into machine language

3.  COMPUTING See assembly language

[1]



assembly

assembly
as·sem·bly 
[ə sémblee] (plural as·sem·blies)
noun

1.  fitting
components together: the putting together of
parts to make a finished product

2.  gathering:
the coming together of people for a common purpose • freedom
of assembly

3.  EDUCATION school
meeting:
a regular formal gathering of all the students in a school for a special
program

4.  as·sem·bly
or As·sem·bly legislative meeting:
a group of people meeting as a deliberative or lawmaking body

5.  components:
a set of components before they are put together to make a finished product

6.  military
gathering:
the gathering together of a military unit prior to an event or operation

7.  military
signal:
a signal for soldiers or other personnel to gather

8.  COMPUTING translation
of computer language: the translation of assembly
language into machine language
[14th
century. From French assemblée, the feminine past participle of assembler
(see assemble ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at meeting

[1]



assemblylanguage

assemblylanguage
as·sem·bly
lan·guage 
noun

low-level computer language:
a low-level computer language that consists of mnemonic codes and symbolic
addresses corresponding to machine-language instructions.
Also called
assembler[1]



assemblyline

assemblyline
as·sem·bly
line
(plural as·sem·bly lines) noun

manufacturing system:
a series of work stations at which individual steps in the assembly of a
product are carried out by workers or machines as the product is moved along[1]



assemblyman

assemblyman
as·sem·bly·man 
[ə sémblimən] (plural as·sem·bly·men
[ə sémblimən]) noun

lawmaker:
a member of a legislative assembly[1]



Assemblyof God

Assemblyof God
As·sem·bly
of God
(plural As·sem·blies of God) noun

Protestant church:
an Evangelical Christian Church founded in the United States in 1914[1]



assemblywoman

assemblywoman
as·sem·bly·wom·an 
[ə sémbli wmmən] (plural as·sem·bly·wom·en
[ə sémbli wìmmin]) noun

woman lawmaker:
a woman member of a legislative assembly[1]



assent

assent
as·sent 
[ə sént] intransitive verb (past
as·sent·ed, past participle as·sent·ed, present
participle as·sent·ing, 3rd person present singular as·sents)

agree
to something: to agree to something or express
agreement • She
will never assent to their marriage.
noun

expression
of agreement: an expression of agreement or acceptance
[13th
century. Via Old French assenter from, ultimately, Latin assentire,
literally “to feel toward.”]
—as·sent·er,
noun

—as·sent·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at agree

[1]



assentation

assentation
as·sen·ta·tion 
[àss’n táysh’n, à
sen táysh’n] noun

insincere agreement:
agreement, especially in an insincere manner (literary)[1]



assented

assented
as·sent·ed
[ə séntəd] or as·sent·ing [ə séntəd] adjective

agreed in advance:
used to describe securities that are bought or held with the understanding that
proposed changes may affect their status or number[1]



assentient

assentient
as·sen·ti·ent
[ə sénshee ənt] adjective

agreeing:
agreeing or accepting (formal)
noun
(plural as·sen·ti·ents)

somebody
who agrees:
a person or party that agrees (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
assentient-, the present participle stem of assentire (see assent ).][1]



assenting

assenting
as·sent·ing
adjective

FINANCE
See assented[1]



assert

assert
as·sert 
[ə súrt] (past as·sert·ed, past
participle as·sert·ed, present participle as·sert·ing,
3rd person present singular as·serts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
claim:
to state something as being true • She
asserted that she had never seen the man before.

2.  transitive
verb
insist
on rights:
to insist on or exercise your rights • He
asserted his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to testify.

3.  reflexive
verb
behave
forcefully:
to exercise and emphatically reveal your power, influence, and prerogatives • New
management quickly began to assert itself two days after the takeover.

4.  reflexive
verb
become
known or effective: to start to have an effect
or become noticeable • Their
relationship went well until the age difference began to assert itself.
[Early
17th century. From Latin assert-, the past participle stem of asserere,
literally “to join to,” from serere (see series
).]
—as·sert·a·ble,
adjective

—as·ser·ter, noun[1]



assertion

assertion
as·ser·tion 
[ə súrsh’n] (plural as·ser·tions)
noun

1.  emphatic
statement:
a strong statement that something is true

2.  act
of stating something emphatically: stating emphatically
that something is true • denied
them the assertion of their rights

[1]



assertive

assertive
as·ser·tive 
[ə súrtiv] adjective

1.  acting
confidently: confident in stating your position or
claim • Modern
education encourages the assertive student.

2.  strong
and pronounced: forcefully strong and noticeable • an
assertive flavor
—as·ser·tive·ly, adverb[1]



assertiveness

assertiveness
as·ser·tive·ness 
[ə súrtivnəss] noun

bold confidence:
willingness to be forceful if a situation requires it[1]



assertivenesstraining

assertivenesstraining
as·ser·tive·ness
train·ing
noun

training to act boldly:
teaching people how to overcome shyness and assert themselves[1]



assess

assess
as·sess 
[ə séss] (past as·sessed, past
participle as·sessed, present participle as·sess·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·sess·es) transitive verb

1.  judge:
to examine something in order to judge or evaluate it • not
enough information to assess whether the event occurred

2.  determine
amount:
to calculate a value based on various factors • Insurance
adjustors are assessing the damage.

3.  FINANCE calculate
value for tax: to calculate the value of something in
order to establish how much tax must be paid • property
assessed at $300,000

4.  LAW charge
as amount:
to present a demand for payment, for example, of a fine or penalty • We
were assessed $750 in court costs.
[Via
Old French assesser from Latin assess-, the past participle stem
of assidere, literally “to sit beside,” from sedere “to sit” (see
sedentary )]
—as·sess·a·ble, adjective[1]



assessedvalue

assessedvalue
as·sessed
val·ue
noun

value for tax purposes:
the value of a property that serves as the basis for tax calculation[1]



assessment

assessment
as·sess·ment 
[ə séssmənt] (plural as·sess·ments)
noun

1.  evaluation:
a judgment about something based on an understanding of the situation • a
fair assessment of the project

2.  property
valuation:
a calculation of the value of something in order to know how much tax must be
paid

3.  amount
calculated:
an amount assessed, for example, on property

4.  educational
evaluation:
a method of evaluating student performance and attainment

[1]



assessor

assessor
as·ses·sor 
[ə séssər] (plural as·ses·sors)
noun

1.  somebody
who calculates: somebody who calculates amounts to be
paid or assessed for tax or insurance purposes

2.  LAW judge’s
assistant:
a judge’s or magistrate’s assistant in some jurisdictions, typically somebody
with specialized expertise in a given subject

[1]



asset

asset
as·set 
[á sèt] noun (plural as·sets)

1.  somebody
or something useful: somebody or something that
is useful and contributes to the success of something

2.  valuable
thing:
a property to which a value can be assigned
plural
noun
as·sets

1.  owned
items:
the property that is owned by a particular person or organization

2.  LAW seizable
property:
the property of a person that can be taken by law for the settlement of debts
or that forms part of a dead person’s estate

3.  FINANCE balance
sheet items: the items on a balance sheet that
constitute the total value of an organization
[Mid-16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman assetz “sufficient goods” (to settle an estate) from,
ultimately, Latin ad satis, literally “to sufficiency.”][1]



asset-stripping

asset-stripping
as·set-strip·ping
noun

company
dismemberment: the practice of buying a company cheaply
and making a profit by selling all its assets individually
—as·set-strip·per, noun[1]



asseverate

asseverate
as·sev·er·ate 
[ə sévvə ràyt] (past as·sev·er·at·ed,
past participle as·sev·er·at·ed, present participle as·sev·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sev·er·ates) transitive verb

state
something earnestly: to state something earnestly
or solemnly (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin asseverat-, the past participle stem of asseverare,
from severus (see severe ).]
—as·sev·er·a·tion [ə sèvvə ráysh’n], noun[1]



asshole

asshole
ass·hole 
[áss hōl] (plural ass·holes) noun

1.  very
unpleasant person: a very unpleasant person (taboo
insult)

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term for the anus (taboo offensive)
U.K.
term
arsehole

[1]



assibilate

assibilate
as·sib·i·late 
[ə síbbi làyt] (past as·sib·i·lat·ed,
past participle as·sib·i·lat·ed, present participle as·sib·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sib·i·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
utter
something with hiss: to utter something with a
hissing sound like that of the letter s or z

2.  intransitive
verb
change
into hissing sound: to be transformed into a
hissing sound ( sibilant )
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin assibilat-, the past participle stem of assibilare,
literally “to hiss at,” from sibilare (see sibilant
).]
—as·sib·i·la·tion [ə sìbbi láysh’n], noun[1]



assiduity

assiduity
as·si·du·i·ty 
[àssi d ətee] noun

great
care:
great care and attention in doing something
plural
noun
as·si·du·i·ties

attentive behavior:
constant attentiveness shown toward somebody[1]



assiduous

assiduous
as·sid·u·ous 
[ə síjjoo əss] adjective

very
careful:
undeviating in effort and care
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin assiduus, from assidere (see assess ), in a late sense “to apply oneself.”]
—as·sid·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—as·sid·u·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



assign

assign
as·sign 
[ə sn] transitive verb (past as·signed,
past participle as·signed, present participle as·sign·ing,
3rd person present singular as·signs)

1.  give
somebody task or duty: to give somebody a
particular job to do • assign
homework

2.  send
somebody to do something: to send somebody to work in
a particular place or with a particular group of people • I
assigned him to the maintenance department.

3.  MILITARY order
a soldier:
to put a soldier or military unit under a particular command

4.  LAW transfer
property:
to transfer property or rights to another by an official act

5.  set
something aside for something: to designate something
for a particular use • The
new radio station has been assigned a frequency by the authorities.

6.  COMPUTING place
a value:
to designate a value for a computer memory location corresponding to a named
variable
noun
(plural as·signs)

LAW See assignee  noun 1
[14th
century. Via French assigner from Latin assignare, from signare
“to mark out, designate,” from signum (see sign
).]
—as·sign·a·bil·i·ty
[ə snə bíllətee], noun

—as·sign·a·ble
[ə snəb’l], adjective

—as·sign·a·bly
[ə snəblee], adverb

—as·sign·er, noun[1]



assignation

assignation
as·sig·na·tion 
[àssig náysh’n] (plural as·sig·na·tions)
noun

1.  lovers’
meeting:
an appointment to meet with a lover, especially secretly

2.  assigning
somebody or something: the act of giving somebody a
particular job or designating something for a particular use

3.  LAW See assignment  noun 4
[Via French from the Latin
stem assignation-, from assignare (see assign
)][1]



assignedcounsel

assignedcounsel
as·signed
coun·sel
(plural as·signed coun·sels) noun

court-appointed lawyer:
a lawyer who has been appointed by the court to represent a defendant[1]



assignedrisk

assignedrisk
as·signed
risk 
(plural as·signed risks) noun

compulsory coverage:
a risk assigned to one of a pool of insurers by state law, the risk being
otherwise unacceptable[1]



assignee

assignee
as·sign·ee 
[ə s n, à sī
n] (plural as·sign·ees) noun

1.  somebody
receiving right over property: somebody to whom a
right over property is given or transferred.
Also
called
assign

2.  proxy:
a person appointed to act for another

[1]



assignment

assignment
as·sign·ment 
[ə snmənt] (plural as·sign·ments)
noun

1.  task:
a specific task assigned or undertaken • All
team members have received their assignments.

2.  appointment:
a position, duty, or job for which somebody is chosen • an
assignment in Japan

3.  LAW legal
transfer document: a document, for example, a
deed, that effects a legal transfer of rights

4.  LAW legal
transfer:
the transfer of a right in or over property to another.
Also
called
assignation

[1]



assignmentworker

assignmentworker
as·sign·ment
work·er 
(plural as·sign·ment work·ers) noun

temporary worker:
a part-time, freelance, or temporary employee[1]



assignor

assignor
as·sign·or 
[ə snər, ə s
nàwr] (plural as·sign·ors) noun

somebody transferring rights:
somebody who transfers rights in or over property to another[1]



assimilable

assimilable
as·sim·i·la·ble 
[ə símmiləb’l] adjective

integrative:
capable of being integrated or assimilated
—as·sim·i·la·bil·i·ty
[ə sìmmilə bíllətee], noun

—as·sim·i·la·bly [ə símmiləblee], adverb[1]



assimilate

assimilate
as·sim·i·late 
[ə símmi làyt] (past as·sim·i·lat·ed,
past participle as·sim·i·lat·ed, present participle as·sim·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sim·i·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SOCIAL SCIENCES integrate:
to integrate somebody into a larger group, so that differences are minimized or
eliminated, or become integrated in this way

2.  transitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY absorb
nutrients:
to incorporate digested food materials into the cells and tissues of the body • assimilate
protein

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHONETICS sound like adjacent sound:
to make a speech sound similar to an adjacent sound or to become similar to an
adjacent sound
[15th
century. From Latin assimilat-, the past participle stem of assimilare,
literally “to make the same,” from similis “like.”]
—as·sim·i·la·tor, noun[1]



assimilation

assimilation
as·sim·i·la·tion 
[ə sìmmi láysh’n] noun

1.  act
of becoming part of something: the process of
becoming part of or more like something greater

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES integration
into group:
the process in which one group takes on the cultural and other traits of a
larger group

3.  learning
process:
the integration of new knowledge or information with what is already known

4.  PHYSIOLOGY nutrient
conversion:
incorporation of nutrients into the cells and tissues of plants and animals
involving digestion, photosynthesis, and root absorption

5.  (plural
as·sim·i·la·tions) PHONETICS
speech
sound change: the changing of a speech sound under the
influence of an adjacent sound

[1]



assimilationism

assimilationism
as·sim·i·la·tion·ism 
[ə sìmmi láysh’n ìzzəm] noun

integration
policy:
a policy of assimilating differing ethnic or cultural groups
—as·sim·i·la·tion·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



assimilatory

assimilatory
as·sim·i·la·to·ry
[ə símmilə tàwree] or as·sim·i·la·tive
[ə símmi làytiv, ə
símmilətiv] adjective

of assimilation:
connected with or capable of assimilation[1]



Assiniboin

Assiniboin
As·sin·i·boin 
[ə sínnə boyn] (plural As·sin·i·boin
or As·sin·i·boins) or As·sin·i·boine [ə sínnə boyn] (plural As·sin·i·boine
or As·sin·i·boines) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native North American people: a member of a Native
American people of North America who originally occupied lands in northern
parts of the Great Plains, and whose members now live mainly in Saskatchewan,
Alberta, and Montana

2.  Native
N American language: a language spoken in parts
of southern and western Canada and in Montana by the Assiniboin people. It
belongs to the Siouan language family.
[Late
17th century. Via Canadian French from Ojibwa assini:-pwa:n, literally
“stone Sioux.”]
—As·sin·i·boin, adjective[1]



Assiniboine

Assiniboine
As·sin·i·boine 
[ə sínni bòyn]

river flowing from
southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, southwestward into Manitoba and the Red
River at Winnipeg. Length: 1,070 km/665 mi.[1]



Assisi

Assisi
As·si·si 
[ə s s, ə s
z]

town in central Italy, famous
as the birthplace of St. Francis in 1182. The Basilica of St. Francis suffered
considerable earthquake damage in 1997. Population: 24,700 (1990)[1]



Assisiembroidery

Assisiembroidery
As·si·si
em·broi·der·y noun

type of embroidery:
a type of embroidery in which designs are outlined, some design areas are left
open, and the background is filled in with cross-stitch[1]



assist

assist
as·sist 
[ə síst] verb (past as·sist·ed,
past participle as·sist·ed, present participle as·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sists)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb help
somebody:
to help somebody to do or accomplish something • a
program to assist new parents

2.  intransitive
verb
attend
something:
to attend something or be present (archaic)
noun
(plural as·sists)

1.  SPORTS team
player help: an act by a player in a sport that
enables a teammate to score or achieve a successful defensive play

2.  act
of helping:
an act or series of actions helping another
[15th
century. Via French assister from Latin assistere, literally “to
stand beside,” from sistere “to stand,” from stare (see station ).]
—as·sist·er, noun[1]



assistance

assistance
as·sis·tance 
[ə sístənss] noun

help:
help given or made available to another • technical
assistance[1]



assistant

assistant
as·sis·tant 
[ə sístənt] noun (plural as·sis·tants)

helper:
somebody, especially a subordinate, who helps somebody else to do something
adjective

1.  helping:
subordinate to or helping another • an
assistant teacher

2.  helpful:
serving to help or be useful

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  assistant, helper,
  deputy, aide, right-hand man or woman
  CORE
  MEANING: somebody
  who helps another person in carrying out a task assistant;
  somebody who works to somebody else’s instructions, often in a paid capacity;
  helper; a more informal term than assistant, usually implying
  unpaid voluntary help; deputy; an
  officially designated chief assistant authorized to act on a superior’s
  behalf; aide; an assistant in a
  military context, now extended to cover an executive assistant in political
  or commercial contexts; right-hand man or woman; a trusted
  deputy whom a superior relies on particularly for support and advice

[1]



assistantprofessor

assistantprofessor
as·sis·tant
pro·fes·sor
(plural as·sis·tant pro·fes·sors) noun

university faculty member:
a member of a college or university faculty ranking typically above an
instructor and below an associate professor[1]



assistantship

assistantship
as·sis·tant·ship 
[ə sístənt shìp] (plural as·sis·tant·ships)
noun

supported position:
an academic position that provides financial support in exchange for services,
typically for a graduate student[1]



assistedconception

assistedconception
as·sist·ed
con·cep·tion  noun

See
assisted reproduction[1]



assistedliving

assistedliving
as·sist·ed
liv·ing 
(plural as·sist·ed liv·ings) noun

1.  residential
care for seniors: the provision of independent residential
care for individual seniors needing some help with their daily living and
medications, provided in a homelike environment

2.  residential-care
setting for seniors: a freestanding facility, or
a part of a nursing home, where residents live to varying degrees of
independence

[1]



assistedreproduction

assistedreproduction
as·sist·ed
re·pro·duc·tion  noun

aid to human reproduction:
the use of a technique, for example, in vitro fertilization, to aid human
reproduction in cases where this is problematic.
Also called
assisted conception[1]



assistedsuicide

assistedsuicide
as·sist·ed
su·i·cide
(plural as·sist·ed su·i·cides) noun

suicide facilitated by
caregiver or physician: the suicide
of a patient, usually somebody who is terminally ill, that is aided by a
caregiver or especially a physician, by the express wish and consent of the
patient[1]



assize

assize
as·size 
[ə sz] noun (plural as·siz·es)

inquest:
a judicial inquest, or the verdict of the jurors involved
plural
noun
as·sizes

periodic
courts:
periodic judicial proceedings that were held formerly in the counties of
England and Wales and presided over by itinerant judges. They were replaced by
the Crown Courts in 1971.
[Middle English. Via Old
French assise, the past participle of asseoir “to settle,” from
Latin assidere (see assess ).][1]



asskisser

asskisser
ass
kis·ser
(plural ass kis·sers) noun

flatterer:
somebody who flatters or slavishly carries out the orders of a superior in
order to gain favor (taboo offensive)[1]



assn.

assn.
assn.
or assoc.

Abbreviation of
association[1]



associable

associable
as·so·ci·a·ble 
[ə sṓshee əb’l, ə
sṓshəb’l] adjective

linkable:
capable of being linked or associated
—as·so·ci·a·bil·i·ty [ə sshee ə bíllətee, ə
sshə bíllətee], noun[1]



associate

associate
as·so·ci·ate 
verb [ə sṓshee àyt, ə sṓssee àyt] (past as·so·ci·at·ed, past
participle as·so·ci·at·ed, present participle as·so·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular as·so·ci·ates)

1.  transitive
verb
connect
things in mind: to connect one thing with another in the
mind

2.  intransitive
verb
spend
time with somebody: to spend time together with
somebody • Before
the race she associated only with other skiers.

3.  reflexive
verb
join
as partner:
to join other people in a professional or social relationship • Two
artists were associated with the design firm.

4.  intransitive
verb
form
an association: to form an association
noun
[ə sṓshee ət, ə
sṓshee àyt, ə sṓssee ət] (plural
as·so·ci·ates)

1.  partner:
a partner in business or other undertaking • my
associates in the firm

2.  connected
person:
somebody who is seen with or known to spend time with another • I
couldn’t identify any of his associates.

3.  member:
a member of a club, for example, or of a law firm, especially a newly licensed
attorney, who does not have full status, rights, or privileges

4.  holder
of degree:
a holder of an associate degree
adjective
[ə sṓshee ət, ə
sṓshee àyt, ə sṓssee ət]

1.  allied:
joined with others in purpose on an equal or nearly equal basis

2.  secondary:
with subordinate status or less than full membership in an organization • an
associate member
[14th
century. From Latin associat-, the past participle stem of associare,
from socius “ally, companion” (see social
).]
—as·so·ci·ate·ship
[ə sṓshee ət shìp, ə
sṓssee ət shìp], noun

—as·so·ci·a·tor [ə sṓshee àytər, ə sṓssee
àytər], noun[1]



associatedegree

associatedegree
as·so·ci·ate
de·gree
(plural as·so·ci·ate de·grees) noun

two-year college degree:
a degree earned on completion of a two-year program of study at a community
college, junior college, technical school, or other institution of higher
education[1]



associatejustice

associatejustice
as·so·ci·ate
jus·tice
(plural as·so·ci·ate jus·tices) noun

1.  judge:
a judge of a court, other than the presiding judge or chief justice

2.  state
court judge: a judge on any of several high state
courts

[1]



associateprofessor

associateprofessor
as·so·ci·ate
pro·fes·sor
(plural as·so·ci·ate pro·fes·sors) noun

university teacher:
a member of a college or university faculty ranking typically above an
assistant professor and below a professor[1]



association

association
as·so·ci·a·tion 
[ə sssee áysh’n, ə
sshee áysh’n] (plural as·so·ci·a·tions) noun

1.  group:
a group of people or organizations joined together for a purpose • form
an association to represent dairy farmers

2.  connection:
a linking or joining of people or things • She
hasn’t profited from her association with him.

3.  coming
together:
coming together and social interaction between people • freedom
of association

4.  PSYCHOLOGY psychological
connection:
a connection of ideas, memories, or feelings with each other, or with events.
See
also
free association

5.  linked
idea:
a thought, idea, or feeling that is linked with an event

6.  CHEMISTRY grouping
of molecules: the formation of groups of loosely bound
molecules

7.  ECOLOGY grouping
of organisms: a major ecological community dominated
by one or more species, for example, oak and hickory in a deciduous forest
—as·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



associationism

associationism
as·so·ci·a·tion·ism 
[ə sssee áysh’n ìzzəm, ə sshee áysh’n ìzzəm] noun

psychological
theory:
a psychological theory that explains complex thought and feelings in terms of
associations with simpler elements
—as·so·ci·a·tion·ist,
noun

—as·so·ci·a·tion·is·tic,
adjective[1]



associative

associative
as·so·ci·a·tive 
[ə sṓshee àytiv, ə
sṓssee àytiv, ə sṓssee ətiv] adjective

1.  of
psychological connections: connected with the
association of ideas, or of ideas with events and experiences

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC giving
same result in any order: giving the same result
irrespective of the order taken, thus since a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c, addition
is associative. Multiplication is also associative but subtraction and division
are not.
—as·so·ci·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



associativelearning

associativelearning
as·so·ci·a·tive
learn·ing
noun

learning process:
a learning process in which separate ideas and beliefs are linked in order to
increase learning effectiveness[1]



associativememory

associativememory
as·so·ci·a·tive
mem·o·ry
noun

storage by content:
computer memory organization in which stored information is accessed by its
content rather than by memory address[1]



assoil

assoil
as·soil 
[ə sóyl] (past as·soiled, past
participle as·soiled, present participle as·soil·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·soils) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  absolve
somebody:
to absolve somebody

2.  atone:
to atone for something
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman assoilier from, ultimately, Latin absolvere (see absolve ).][1]



assonance

assonance
as·so·nance 
[áss’nəns] noun

sound
similarity:
the similarity of two or more vowel sounds or the repetition of two or more
consonant sounds, especially in words that are close together in a poem
[Early
18th century. Via French from Latin assonare, literally “to respond to,”
from sonare “to sound.”]
—as·so·nant, adjective[1]



assort

assort
as·sort 
[ə sáwrt] (past as·sort·ed, past
participle as·sort·ed, present participle as·sort·ing,
3rd person present singular as·sorts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
sort:
to sort things by type or category

2.  intransitive
verb
fit
into group:
to fit into a particular group
[15th
century. From Old French assorter, from sorte “a sort” (see sort ).]
—as·sort·er, noun[1]



assorted

assorted
as·sort·ed 
[ə sáwrtəd] adjective

1.  various:
consisting of various kinds • arrived
with assorted excuses

2.  arranged:
arranged in groups

[1]



assortment

assortment
as·sort·ment 
[ə sáwrtmənt] (plural as·sort·ments)
noun

collection:
a collection of various kinds • an
assortment of drawings[1]



A.S.S.R.

A.S.S.R.
A.S.S.R.
or ASSR

Abbreviation of
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic[1]



asst.

asst.
asst.

Abbreviation of
assistant[1]



asstd.

asstd.
asstd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
assisted

2.  Abbreviation
of
assorted

[1]



assuage

assuage
as·suage 
[ə swáyj] (past as·suaged, past
participle as·suaged, present participle as·suag·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·suag·es) transitive verb

relieve
something unpleasant: to provide relief from
something distressing or painful • Constant
reassurance could not assuage their fears.
[13th
century. Via Old French assuagier from assumed Vulgar Latin assuaviare,
literally “to sweeten,” from Latin suavis “sweet” (see suave ).]
—as·suage·ment,
noun

—as·suag·er,
noun

—as·sua·sive [ə swáysiv, ə swáyziv],
adjective[1]



assumable

assumable
as·sum·a·ble
[ə sməb’l] adjective

1.  FINANCE transferable:
used to describe a financial obligation that can be taken over by somebody else

2.  able
to be assumed: that can be supposed or taken for
granted
—as·sum·a·bly, adverb[1]



assume

assume
as·sume 
[ə sm] (past as·sumed, past
participle as·sumed, present participle as·sum·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·sumes) transitive verb

1.  suppose:
to think that something is true even though you have no evidence for it • Don’t
assume that all has been revealed.

2.  take
responsibility for something: to start being responsible
for something • She assumed all of her
brother’s debts when he died.

3.  adopt
something:
to adopt or take on something • assume
a new role as sales director

4.  take
on role:
to take on a particular role or function • assumed
the office of mayor

5.  pretend
something:
to put on a pretense of something, usually in order to hide your true feelings
• He
assumed an air of indifference.
[From
Latin assumere, literally “to take up,” from sumere (see sumptuous )]
—as·sum·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



assumed

assumed
as·sumed 
[ə smd] adjective

1.  expected:
taken for granted • an assumed increase in
expenditure

2.  artificial:
not genuine or true • Better
to express your feelings than sit there with an assumed smile.
—as·sum·ed·ly [ə smədlee], adverb[1]



assumedname

assumedname
as·sumed
name
(plural as·sumed names) noun

pseudonym:
a false name, especially one used by somebody doing something illegal[1]



assuming

assuming
as·sum·ing 
[ə sming] adjective

expecting
too much:
expecting too much of other people
conjunction

on
the assumption that: if it is assumed that
—as·sum·ing·ly, adverb[1]



assumpsit

assumpsit
as·sump·sit 
[ə súmpsit] (plural as·sump·sits)
noun

1.  contract
off the record: an oral or written agreement, contract,
or promise that exists without being on the record or under seal

2.  legal
action:
an attempt to recover damages from a breached assumpsit
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “he has undertaken.”][1]



Assumption

Assumption
As·sump·tion
or As·sump·tion of the Vir·gin Mar·y noun

1.  Mary’s
journey to heaven: the ascent of the Virgin
Mary to heaven at her death, as believed by some Christians

2.  Christian
feast:
a Christian feast that celebrates the Assumption, commemorated on August 15.
Also
called
Feast of the Assumption

[1]



assumption

assumption
as·sump·tion 
[ə súmpshən] (plural as·sump·tions)
noun

1.  something
taken for granted: something that is believed
to be true without proof • Make
no assumptions before looking at the evidence.
“Cruelty will be slyly advocated by the assumption that its only opposite is
sentimentality.” C. S. Lewis Reflections on the Psalms 1961

2.  taking
something for granted: believing something to be
true without proof

3.  adopting
something:
taking something upon yourself • With
the assumption of power comes responsibility.

4.  taking
responsibility for something: taking over responsibility
for something

5.  inclination
to high expectations: the tendency to expect too
much

6.  LOGIC unproved
starting point: something taken as a starting point of a
logical proof rather than given as a premise
[From the Latin stem assumption-,
from assumpt-, the past participle stem of assumere (see assume )][1]



assumptive

assumptive
as·sump·tive 
[ə súmptiv] adjective

based on assumption:
predicated on an assumption or a set of assumptions[1]



assurance

assurance
as·sur·ance 
[ə shrəns] (plural as·sur·ances)
noun

1.  pledge
or promise:
a declaration that inspires or is intended to inspire confidence • They
gave us every assurance it would arrive on time.

2.  confidence:
confidence in your ability or status • He
steered the ungainly machine with smooth assurance.

3.  certainty:
freedom from uncertainty • took
heart in the assurance that the problem was solved

4.  making
something certain: making something certain or
overcoming doubt

5.  U.K.
INSURANCE insurance
against certainty: insurance against something
that is certain to happen, for example, death, rather than something that might
happen, for example, loss of or damage to property • life
assurance

[1]



assure

assure
as·sure 
[ə shr] (past as·sured, past
participle as·sured, present participle as·sur·ing, 3rd
person present singular as·sures) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody confident: to overcome somebody’s doubt
or disbelief about something • I can
assure you that every word is true.

2.  convince
somebody:
to convince somebody of something • assured
us of her sincerity

3.  make
something certain: to make something certain • Proper
planning assures that the job will be done right.

4.  U.K.
INSURANCE insure
against certainty: to insure somebody against
something that is certain to happen, for example, death, rather than something
that might happen, for example, loss of or damage to property
[14th
century. Via French assurer from assumed Vulgar Latin assecurare,
literally “to make secure,” from Latin securus (see secure ).]
—as·sur·a·ble,
adjective

—as·sur·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  assure,
  ensure, or insure ?
  You
  use assure when you are referring to
  somebody being made sure about something, and ensure when you are
  referring to something that you want to be sure of. • I
  assure you it doesn’t hurt. • She
  wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t hurt. Insure
  is used chiefly in connection with insurance (i.e. financial protection), but
  it is also a variant spelling of ensure .

[1]



assured

assured
as·sured 
[ə shrd] adjective

1.  guaranteed:
certain to happen • an assured victory

2.  self-confident:
confident about your abilities or other qualities • the
most assured conductor the orchestra had ever seen
—as·sur·ed·ly
[ə shrədlee], adverb

—as·sur·ed·ness [ə shrədnəss], noun[1]



assy.

assy.
assy.

Abbreviation of
assembly[1]



Assyria

Assyria
As·syr·i·a 
[ə sree ə]

ancient Mesopotamian kingdom
with a large empire extending southward and eastward, at its height from the
ninth to the seventh centuries BC[1]



Assyrian

Assyrian
As·syr·i·an 
[ə sírree ən] (plural As·syr·i·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE Akkadian
dialect:
the Akkadian language, particularly in the form that is recorded in cuneiform
tablets from Assyria

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Assyria: somebody who lived in Assyria
—As·syr·i·an, adjective[1]



AST

AST
AST

Abbreviation of
Atlantic Standard Time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








astable

astable
a·sta·ble
[ay stáyb’l] adjective

1.  unstable:
lacking stability

2.  ELECTRICITY oscillating
between states: oscillating between two unstable states

[1]



Astaire,Fred

Astaire,Fred
A·staire
[ə stáir], Fred (1899–1987)

U.S.
dancer and actor who was known for his performances in Broadway musicals and
movies. He famously partnered Ginger Rogers.
Real name
Fred Austerlitz[1]



Astana

Astana
As·ta·na
[ə stnə]

capital of Kazakhstan. It is
situated in the northern part of the country, on the Ishim River. Population:
281,000 (1990) Former name Aqmola
until 1998[1]



Astarte

Astarte
As·tar·te 
[əstrtee] noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Ishtar[1]



astasia

astasia
a·sta·sia 
[ə stáyzhə] noun

inability
to stand:
inability to stand caused by a lack of muscle coordination
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “unsteadiness,” from astatos, literally “not standing,” from statos
“standing.”][1]



astatic

astatic
a·stat·ic 
[ay státtik] adjective

unsteady:
unsteady because of poor muscle coordination
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek astatos “unstable,” from statos
“standing.”]
—a·stat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—a·stat·i·cism [ay státtissiz’m], noun[1]



astaticgalvanometer

astaticgalvanometer
a·stat·ic
gal·va·nom·e·ter (plural a·stat·ic
gal·va·nom·e·ters) noun

instrument unaffected by
Earth’s magnetic field: an
instrument for measuring electric current ( galvanometer
) that is not significantly affected by the Earth’s magnetic field[1]



astatine

astatine

as·ta·tine 
[ástə teen] noun
unstable
radioactive element: a highly unstable
radioactive element, the heaviest in the halogen series, found naturally in
trace amounts. It is produced artificially and used in medicine as a
radioactive tracer. Symbol At
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek astatos (see astatic ).][1]



aster

aster

as·ter 
[ástər] (plural as·ters) noun

1.  PLANTS garden
plant with daisylike flowers: an annual plant of the daisy
family, grown for its white, pink, or violet flowers

2.  CELL BIOLOGY star-shaped
structure in cell: a star-shaped structure seen
during cell division ( mitosis ).
Also
called
cytaster
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek astēr “star” (source of English asterisk and disaster
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English star .][1]



-aster

-aster
-aster
suffix

one
that is inferior • criticaster
[From Latin][1]



asteriated

asteriated
as·te·ri·at·ed 
[a stree aytəd] adjective

reflecting
light in star shape: used to describe a crystal
that reflects light in a star shape
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek asterios “starry.”][1]



asterisk

asterisk
as·ter·isk 
[ástərisk] noun (plural as·ter·isks)

1.  PRINTING star-shaped
symbol (*):
a star-shaped symbol (*) used in printing

2.  LINGUISTICS asterisk
as linguistic symbol: an asterisk used to mark a
sound, form, or structure that is believed to have existed but is unrecorded,
or that is wrong or ungrammatical
transitive
verb
(past as·ter·isked, past participle as·ter·isked, present
participle as·ter·isk·ing, 3rd person present singular as·ter·isks)

mark something with asterisk:
to mark a printed or written item with an asterisk
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek asteriskos, literally “little star,” from astēr “star”
(see aster ).][1]



asterism

asterism
as·ter·ism 
[ástərizzəm] (plural as·ter·isms)
noun

1.  PRINTING printer’s
mark of three asterisks: a triangle formed of three
asterisks to call the reader’s attention to a following passage

2.  ASTRONOMY star
cluster:
a cluster of stars that is smaller than a constellation

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY star-shaped
reflection in crystals: an optical effect appearing
as a star in the light reflected from certain crystals
[Late 16th century. From
Greek asterismos “constellation,” from astēr “star” (see aster ).][1]



astern

astern
a·stern 
[ə stúrn] adverb

1.  in
or to the stern: in, on, to, or toward the stern of a
ship or boat • The
deckhand walked astern.

2.  with
stern foremost: into a position with the stern pointing
in the direction of motion • Bring
the captain’s gig astern.
adjective

behind boat:
positioned behind a boat • The
astern line has been cut.

[1]



asteroid

asteroid
as·ter·oid 
[ástə royd] (plural as·ter·oids)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY rocky
object orbiting Sun: an irregularly shaped rock
that orbits the Sun, mostly in a band asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars
and Jupiter. Asteroids range in size from the largest, Ceres, with a diameter
of 930 km/ 580 mi down to dust particles.
Also
called
planetoid

2.  ZOOLOGY starfish:
a starfish (technical)
[Early
19th century. From Greek asteroeidēs “starlike,” from astēr
“star” (see aster ).]
—as·ter·oid·al [àstə róyd’l], adjective[1]



asthenia

asthenia
as·the·ni·a 
[as thniə] noun

loss
of bodily strength: a condition marked by loss
of strength in the body
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek asthenēs (see asthenic ).][1]



asthenic

asthenic
as·then·ic 
[as thénnik] adjective

1.  physically
weak:
showing remarkable physical weakness

2.  of
slender build: having a slender and lightly muscled
build
[Late 18th century. From
Greek asthenikos, from asthenēs, literally “without strength,”
from sthenos “strength,” of unknown origin.][1]



asthenosphere

asthenosphere
as·then·o·sphere 
[as thénnə sfeer] noun

weak
part of earth’s mantle: a weak zone in the upper
part of the Earth’s mantle where rock can be deformed in response to stress,
resulting in movement of the overlying crust
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek asthenēs (see asthenic ) +
-sphere .][1]



asthma

asthma
asth·ma 
[ázmə] noun

respiratory
disease:
a disease of the respiratory system, sometimes caused by allergies, with
symptoms including coughing, sudden difficulty in breathing, and a tight
feeling in the chest
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin from Greek, from azein “to breathe hard.”][1]



asthmatic

asthmatic
asth·mat·ic 
[az máttik] adjective

1.  with
asthma:
affected with or prone to attacks of asthma

2.  of
asthma:
relating to the respiratory difficulties associated with asthma
noun
(plural asth·mat·ics)

somebody with asthma:
somebody who is affected with or prone to attacks of asthma
[Early
16th century. Via Latin asthmaticus from Greek asthmatikos, which
was formed from, ultimately, azein (see asthma
).]
—asth·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



astigmatism

astigmatism
a·stig·ma·tism 
[ə stígmətizzəm] noun

1.  visual
defect:
a visual defect caused by the unequal curving of one or more of the refractive
surfaces of the eye, usually the cornea. It prevents light rays lying in
certain planes from coming to a focus on the retina, thus producing blurred
vision.

2.  optical
lens defect: a defect in a lens or mirror that
prevents light rays from meeting at a single point, producing an imperfect
image
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from the Greek stem stigmat- “point.”]
—as·tig·mat·ic
[àstig máttik], adjective

—as·tig·mat·i·cal·ly [àstig máttiklee], adverb[1]



astilbe

astilbe
a·stil·be 
[ə stílbee] (plural a·stil·bes
or a·stil·be) noun

plant
with plume-shaped flowers: a perennial plant with
pretty plume-shaped flowers. It was originally found in eastern Asia but now is
widely cultivated in shady damp gardens. Genus: Astilbe
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “not glittering,” from Greek a-
“not” + stilbos “glittering.”][1]



astir

astir
a·stir 
[ə stúr] adjective

1.  up
and about:
awake and moving around, especially out of bed • The
children were astir early as usual.

2.  moving:
moving around • leaves astir in the
breeze

[1]



Astispumante

Astispumante
As·ti
spu·man·te
[sti spoo mntee] noun

Italian sparkling wine:
sparkling white wine from Asti in northwestern Italy[1]



as-told-to

as-told-to
as-told-to 
adjective

based
on conversations: used to describe an autobiography
written by a professional author using conversations with the person whose life
is documented (informal) • another
as-told-to book
[From the phrase sometimes used
in the subtitles of such books][1]



astonied

astonied
a·ston·ied 
[ə stónnid] adjective

dazed:
in a confused or shocked condition (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Past
participle of earlier astone (see astound
).][1]



astonish

astonish
a·ston·ish 
[ə stónnish] (past a·ston·ished,
past participle a·ston·ished, present participle a·ston·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular a·ston·ish·es) transitive verb

amaze
somebody greatly: to amaze somebody to a great degree
[Early
16th century. Formed from a variant of earlier astone (see astound ).]
—a·ston·ish·ing,
adjective

—a·ston·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



astonishment

astonishment
a·ston·ish·ment 
[ə stónnishmənt] noun

great amazement:
great amazement, often eliciting shock • He
was on time, to my astonishment.[1]



Astoria

Astoria
As·to·ri·a 
[ə stṓriə]

city and port in northwestern
Oregon. The Lewis and Clark Expedition ended here in 1806 . Population: 9,844
(1996)[1]



Astor,John Jacob

Astor,John Jacob

As·tor
[ástər], John Jacob (1763–1848)
German-born U.S. fur trader, property
millionaire, and founder of the Astor family and fortune. He endowed the Astor
Library, now part of the New York Public Library.[1]



Astor,Nancy

Astor,Nancy
As·tor
[ástər], Nancy, Viscountess (1879–1964)

American-born British
politician. She was the first woman member of Parliament (elected 1919).[1]



astound

astound
a·stound 
[ə stównd] (past a·stound·ed, past
participle a·stound·ed, present participle a·stound·ing,
3rd person present singular a·stounds) transitive verb

surprise
somebody greatly: to overwhelm and stun somebody with
sudden surprise • astounded by the
viciousness of the attacks
[14th
century. Alteration of earlier astoned, past participle of astone
“to stun,” via Old French estoner (source of English stun ) from assumed Vulgar Latin extonare,
literally “to thunder out.”]
—a·stound·ing,
adjective

—a·stound·ing·ly, adverb[1]



astr-

astr-
astr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
astro-[1]



astraddle

astraddle
a·strad·dle 
[ə strádd’l] preposition adverb

astride:
with one leg or part on either side of something[1]



astragal

astragal
as·tra·gal 
[ástrəg’l] (plural as·tra·gals)
noun

1.  type
of decorative molding: a narrow convex molding,
often taking the form of beads

2.  molding
on double doors: a small, convex, usually semicircular
molding attached to one or both meeting stiles of a pair of double doors to
prevent drafts or the passage of light, noise, or smoke
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Greek astragalos (see astragalus
).][1]



astragalus

astragalus
as·trag·a·lus 
[ə strággələss] (plural as·trag·a·li
[ə strággəlee]) noun

ANATOMY See talus 1 noun
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek astragalos . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“bone,” which is also the ancestor of English osteo-,
oyster, and ostracize .][1]



astrakhan

astrakhan
as·tra·khan 
[strə kaan, ástrə
kan] noun

fur fabric:
fur fabric originally made from the expensive curly black or gray fleece of
lambs from Astrakhan, southern Russia, now usually made from acrylic fibers. It
is used for hats and trimming coats.[1]



astral

astral
as·tral 
[ástrəl] adjective

1.  relating
to stars:
relating to, characteristic of, or consisting of stars

2.  above
material world: in theosophical belief, belonging to the
ethereal region that is believed to exist throughout and at a higher level than
the material world, in which personal auras are said to be perceived

3.  exalted:
likened to stars, for example, in height or distance from ordinary places or
people • the
astral position of king or president
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin astralis from, ultimately, Greek astron
“star,” from astēr (see aster ).]
—as·tral·ly, adverb[1]



astralbody

astralbody
as·tral
bod·y
(plural as·tral bod·ies) noun

spiritual body:
in theosophical belief, a second body, not directly perceivable by the human
senses, believed to coexist with and survive the death of the physical body[1]



astralplane

astralplane
as·tral
plane
noun

spirit’ssupposed location
after death: in theosophical belief,
a level of existence where the spirit goes between death and entry into the
spirit world[1]



astralprojection

astralprojection
as·tral
pro·jec·tion noun

sending astral body out:
in theosophical belief, the ability to send the astral body outside of the
physical body, while both remain connected[1]



astray

astray
a·stray 
[ə stráy] adverb

1.  off
right path:
away from the right path • went
astray and ended up lost

2.  into
error or sin: in or into an evil or undesirable course
of life • a
young man who went astray
[13th century. From Old
French estraie, past participle of estraier “to stray” (see stray ).][1]



astride

astride
a·stride 
[ə strd] preposition

1.  with
legs around: on top of and with a leg on each side of
something • astride
a horse

2.  extending
across:
extending across in terms of influence or power • a
military colossus astride the world
adverb

with legs apart:
with legs spread wide apart • He
stood with arms folded and legs astride.

[1]



astringent

astringent
as·trin·gent 
[ə strínjənt] noun (plural as·trin·gents)

pore-closing
substance:
a substance used on the skin to draw tissue together
adjective

sharp
and acidic in tone: speaking or writing in a
manner that is critical and hurtful in tone and content
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin astringent-, the present participle stem of astringere,
literally “to bind to,” from stringere “to bind.”]
—as·trin·gen·cy,
noun

—as·trin·gent·ly, adverb[1]



astro-

astro-
astro-
or astr- prefix

1.  star,
the stars, outer space • astrobiology

2.  aster
of a cell • astrosphere
[From Greek, from astron
“star,” from astēr (see aster )][1]



astrobleme

astrobleme
as·tro·bleme 
[ástrə bleem] (plural as·tro·blemes)
noun

meteorite
crater:
a depression, usually circular, on the surface of the Earth that is caused by
the impact of a meteorite
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from astro- + Greek blēma “wound from
a missile.”][1]



astrochemistry

astrochemistry
as·tro·chem·is·try 
[àstrō kémmistree] noun

chemistry
of space:
the application of the principles of chemistry to celestial bodies and
interstellar space
—as·tro·chem·ist, noun[1]



astrocompass

astrocompass
as·tro·com·pass
[ástrō kùmpəss] (plural as·tro·com·pass·es)
noun

navigational instrument:
a nonmagnetic navigational instrument used to determine the position of true
north relative to a celestial body[1]



astrocyte

astrocyte
as·tro·cyte 
[ástrə sīt] (plural as·tro·cytes)
noun

star-shaped cell:
a star-shaped cell in the central nervous system’s supportive tissue ( glia )[1]



astrocytoma

astrocytoma
as·tro·cy·to·ma 
[àstrō sī tṓmə] (plural as·tro·cy·to·mas
or as·tro·cy·to·ma·ta [àstrō sī tṓmətə])
noun

malignant brain tumor:
a commonly occurring malignant brain tumor made up of star-shaped cells (
astrocytes )[1]



astrodome

astrodome
as·tro·dome 
[ástrə dōm] (plural as·tro·domes)
noun

dome on aircraft:
a transparent dome on an aircraft or spacecraft through which celestial
observations are made in order to navigate[1]



astrodynamics

astrodynamics
as·tro·dy·nam·ics 
[àstrō dī námmiks] noun

study
of motion in space: the study of the effects of
gravitational and other forces on the motion of natural and artificial bodies
in outer space (takes a singular verb)
—as·tro·dy·nam·ic, adjective[1]



astrogeology

astrogeology
as·tro·ge·ol·o·gy 
[àstrō jee ólləjee] noun

extraterrestrial
geology:
the study of the origin, history, and structure of cosmic bodies other than the
Earth
—as·tro·ge·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



astrol.

astrol.
astrol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
astrologer

2.  Abbreviation
of
astrological

3.  Abbreviation
of
astrology

[1]



astrolabe

astrolabe

as·tro·labe 
[ástrə layb] (plural as·tro·labes)
noun
early
astronomical instrument: an early instrument used to
observe the position and determine the altitude of the Sun or other celestial
body. The astrolabe was used for navigation from the Middle Ages until the 18th
century when it was replaced by the sextant.
[14th century. Via Old French
and medieval Latin from Greek astrolabon, literally “to take a star.”][1]



astrology

astrology
as·trol·o·gy 
[ə strólləjee] noun

study
of planets and human behavior: the study of the
positions of the Moon, Sun, and other planets in the belief that their motions
affect human beings
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek astrologia, literally
“account of the stars,” which was coined from astro- “ astro- ” + -logia (see -logy ). Used scientifically for “observation of
the stars.”]
—as·trol·o·ger
[ə strólləjər], noun

—as·tro·log·i·cal
[àstrə lójjik’l], adjective

—as·tro·log·i·cal·ly
[àstrə lójjiklee], adverb

—as·trol·o·gist [ə strólləjist], noun[1]



astrometry

astrometry
as·trom·e·try 
[ə strómmətree] noun

measurement
of celestial motion and position: the measurement of the
real and apparent motions and the positions of celestial bodies
—as·tro·met·ri·cal [àstrə méttrik’l], adjective[1]



astron.

astron.
astron.

1.  Abbreviation
of
astronomer

2.  Abbreviation
of
astronomical

3.  Abbreviation
of
astronomy

[1]



astronaut

astronaut
as·tro·naut 
[ástrə nawt] (plural as·tro·nauts)
noun

1.  space
traveler:
somebody trained to travel and perform tasks in space

2.  Canada
Canadian
immigrant working in Asia: a Canadian immigrant,
usually Asian, whose family is settled in Canada but who frequently travels to
Asia to work (informal)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from astro-, on the model of aeronaut
.][1]



astronautics

astronautics
as·tro·nau·tics 
[àstrə náwtiks] noun

1.  science
of spacecraft design: the science and technology
of designing and building spacecraft (takes a singular verb)

2.  spacecraft
operation:
the skills and activities associated with the operation of a spacecraft (takes
a plural verb)
[Early
20th century. Coined from astro-, on the
model of aeronautics .]
—as·tro·nau·tic,
adjective

—as·tro·nau·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



astronavigation

astronavigation
as·tro·nav·i·ga·tion 
[àstrō navvi gáysh’n] noun

1.  navigation
in space:
the navigation of a spacecraft among celestial bodies, especially stars

2.  See
celestial navigation
—as·tro·nav·i·gate
[astrō návvi gayt], intransitive and transitive
verb

—as·tro·nav·i·ga·tor [astrō návvi gaytər], noun[1]



astronomer

astronomer
as·tron·o·mer 
[ə strónnəmər] (plural as·tron·o·mers)
noun

student of astronomy:
somebody who specializes in studying celestial bodies[1]



astronomical

astronomical
as·tro·nom·i·cal 
[àstrə nómmik’l] adjective

1.  immeasurably
great:
immeasurably numerous, high, or great (informal) • reached
astronomical proportions

2.  relating
to astronomy: relating to the science of astronomy
—as·tro·nom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



astronomicalclock

astronomicalclock
as·tro·nom·i·cal
clock
(plural as·tro·nom·i·cal clocks) noun

clock showing astronomical
information: a clock that shows
astronomical information such as the phases of the Moon[1]



astronomicaltelescope

astronomicaltelescope
as·tro·nom·i·cal
tel·e·scope
(plural as·tro·nom·i·cal tel·e·scopes) noun

telescope used for astronomy:
a telescope used to view celestial objects[1]



astronomicaltwilight

astronomicaltwilight
as·tro·nom·i·cal
twi·light
noun

period when Sun just below
horizon: the period of time during
which the Sun is at 18º below the horizon[1]



astronomicalunit

astronomicalunit
as·tro·nom·i·cal
u·nit
(plural as·tro·nom·i·cal u·nits) noun

distance in space:
a unit of astronomical distances especially within the solar system, equal to
the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun, about 150 million km/93
million mi[1]



astronomicalyear

astronomicalyear
as·tro·nom·i·cal
year
(plural as·tro·nom·i·cal years) noun

See
solar year[1]



astronomy

astronomy
as·tron·o·my 
[ə strónnəmee] noun

scientific
study of universe: the scientific study of the
universe, especially of the motions, positions, sizes, composition, and
behavior of celestial objects. These objects are studied and interpreted from
the radiation they emit and from data gathered by interplanetary probes.
[13th century. Via Old French
and Latin from Greek astronomia, literally “star-arranging,” from astro-
“ astro- ” + -nomia (see -nomy ).][1]



astrophotography

astrophotography
as·tro·pho·tog·ra·phy 
[àstrōfə tóggrəfee] noun

photography of celestial
objects: the art of photographing
celestial objects and events for astronomical studies[1]



astrophysics

astrophysics
as·tro·phys·ics 
[àstrō fízziks] noun

the
physics of celestial objects: the study of the physical
properties, origin, and development of celestial objects and events (takes a
singular verb)
—as·tro·phys·i·cal,
adjective

—as·tro·phys·i·cally,
adverb

—as·tro·phys·i·cist, noun[1]



AstroTurf

AstroTurf
As·tro·Turf 
[ástrō tùrf] Trademark

a trademark for synthetic
turf resembling grass[1]



Asturias,Miguel Angel

Asturias,Miguel Angel
As·tu·ri·as 
[a stree əss, ə
stree əss], Miguel Angel (1899–1974)

Guatemalan writer, author of
antiimperialist novels rooted in Native American tradition. He won the 1967
Nobel Prize.[1]



astute

astute
as·tute 
[ə stt] adjective

clever
and perceptive: shrewd and discerning, especially where
personal benefit is to be derived • an
astute investor
[Early
17th century. From Latin astutus, from astus “cleverness,
skill.”]
—as·tute·ly,
adverb

—as·tute·ness, noun[1]



astylar

astylar
a·sty·lar 
[ay stlər] adjective

without
architectural columns: used to describe a classical
building that has no columns
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek astulos “without pillars,” from stulos “pillar.”][1]



Asuncion

Asuncion
A·sun·cion 
[aa sn syáwn]

capital of Paraguay and of
the Asuncion and Central departments and the largest city in Paraguay, located
on the Paraguay River. Population: 502,426 (1992)[1]



asunder

asunder
a·sun·der 
[ə súndər] adverb

into
different parts or pieces: into separate parts, pieces,
or places (formal)
[Old English onsundran,
literally “into parts,” from on “into” + sundran “parts,” from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English sundry][1]



asura

asura
a·su·ra
[ússrə] (plural asuras) noun

evil
being:
in Hindu myth, a member of a class of nonhuman beings who are enemies of
heavenly beings
[From Sanskrit, “demon,”
originally “mighty Lord”][1]



ASV

ASV
ASV

BIBLE
Abbreviation of American Standard Version[1]



Asvina

Asvina
As·vi·na
[ásh vin] (plural As·vi·nas) noun

7th month of Hindu calendar:
in the Hindu calendar, the seventh month of the year, occuring approximately
the same time as September to October[1]



aswarm

aswarm
a·swarm 
[ə swáwrm] adjective

full of movement:
full of moving living beings (literary)[1]



aswirl

aswirl
a·swirl 
[ə swúrl] adjective

swirling:
moving with a swirling or twirling motion (literary)[1]



aswoon

aswoon
a·swoon 
[ə swn] adjective

in a swoon:
experiencing a swoon or faint (literary)[1]



Aswān

Aswān
As·wān 
[a swn, á swn]

city on the Nile River in
southern Egypt. The Aswan High Dam, south of the city, holds back Lake Nasser.
Population: 220,000 (1992 est.)[1]



asyllabic

asyllabic
a·syl·lab·ic
[àyssi lábbik] adjective

without syllabic quality:
used to describe a speech sound that does not constitute a syllable[1]



asylum

asylum
a·sy·lum 
[ə sləm] (plural a·sy·lums) noun

1.  shelter
and protection: protection or safety from danger or
imminent harm provided by a sheltered place • They
sought asylum in a neutral country.

2.  protection
from extradition: protection and immunity from extradition

3.  offensive
term:
offensive term for an institution for people with psychiatric disorders (dated
offensive)

4.  HISTORY place
of sanctuary: a place that once offered shelter to
criminals and debtors, especially a church
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek asulon “refuge,” from asulos, literally “without right of
seizure,” from sulon “right of seizure.”][1]



asymmetrical

asymmetrical
a·sym·met·ri·cal 
[ày si méttrik’l] or a·sym·met·ric
[ày si méttrik] adjective

1.  not
symmetrical: not arranged in a symmetrical way • an
asymmetrical flower arrangement

2.  CHEMISTRY with
particular spatial arrangement of atoms: used
to describe a carbon atom with four different atoms or radicals attached. This
results in molecules with the same structure but a different spatial
arrangement of their atoms ( stereoisomerism
).

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING with
varying conductivity: used to describe a substance
or a device that exhibits varying or different conductivities for currents
flowing through it in different directions

4.  AEROSPACE with
unequal thrust from engines: unbalanced because of
unequal thrust from two or more sources, for example, when one engine of a pair
is not functioning properly

5.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS not interchangeable:
used to describe a relation between two things where the first has a relation
to the second, but the second cannot have the same relation to the first
—a·sym·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



asymmetry

asymmetry
a·sym·me·try 
[a símmətree] noun

1.  being
asymmetrical: the condition of being asymmetrical in
arrangement • some
asymmetry in the design.
Also
called
dissymmetry

2.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS unreciprocal relation
between two things: a relation between two
things where the first has a relation to the second, but the second cannot have
the same relation to the first. Asymmetry is illustrated in the statement “A is
the father of B,” since B cannot be the father of A.

[1]



asymptomatic

asymptomatic
a·symp·to·mat·ic 
[ay sìmtə máttik] adjective

without
obvious symptoms: not showing or producing indications of
a disease or other medical condition • The
surgery was successful, and, she has remained asymptomatic ever since.
—a·symp·to·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



asymptote

asymptote

as·ymp·tote 
[ássimp tōt, ássim
tōt] (plural as·ymp·totes) noun
line
not touched by a curve: a line that draws
increasingly nearer to a curve without ever meeting it
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek asumptōtos, literally “not adapted
to fall together,” from sun- “together” + ptōtos “adapted to
fall”, literally “to fall together” (see symptom
).]
—as·ymp·tot·ic
[àssimp tóttik, àssim
tóttik], adjective

—as·ymp·tot·i·cal·ly [àssimp tóttiklee, àssim
tóttiklee], adverb[1]



asynapsis

asynapsis
a·syn·ap·sis 
[àyssi nápsiss] noun

failure of chromosomes to
pair: the failure of chromosomes
that are alike ( homologous ) to pair during
cell division ( meiosis )[1]



asyndeton

asyndeton
a·syn·de·ton 
[ə síndi ton] (plural a·syn·de·ta
[ə síndi tə]) noun

leaving
out conjunctions: the leaving out of conjunctions in
sentence constructions in which they would usually be used.
See
also
parataxis
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Greek asundetos, literally
“not bound together,” from sundein “to bind together” (source of English
syndetic ).]
—as·yn·det·ic
[àssin déttik], adjective

—as·yn·det·i·cal·ly [àssin déttiklee], adverb[1]



asynergy

asynergy
a·syn·er·gy
[ay sínnərjee] or a·sy·ner·gia
[ày si núrjə] noun

failure
in muscle coordination: a failure of coordination
between different muscle groups so that delicate, skilled, or rapid movements
become impossible
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek sunergia (see synergy
).]
—a·syn·er·gic [ay sínnərjik], adjective[1]



asystole

asystole
a·sys·to·le 
[ay sístəlee] noun

lack
of heartbeat: the absence of any heartbeat
—a·sys·tol·ic [ày si stóllik], adjective[1]



At

At
At

Symbol for
astatine[1]



at

at2
at2 [at]
(plural at) noun

1.  Lao
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Laos

2.  coin
worth an at: a coin worth one at
[Mid-20th century. From Thai
.][1]



at-

at-
at-
prefix

(used before t-)See
ad-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








at.

at.
at.

1.  Abbreviation
of
airtight

2.  Abbreviation
of
atomic

3.  PHYSICS MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of atmosphere

[1]



at

at1
at1 [(stressed) at, (unstressed) ət]
CORE
MEANING:
a preposition used to indicate general position or location. In order to be
more precise about exact physical location, other prepositions such as “on,”
“over,” “under,” and “by” are used instead. • a
conference at the school • Someone’s
at the door. • I
work at home. preposition

1.  attending:
attending regularly • not at
school yet

2.  from
an interval of: used to describe the position of
something by indicating its distance or angle • She
followed them at a distance.

3.  indicates
when something happens: used to indicate the time or
age when something happens • Lunch
is at noon.

4.  during
an event:
while present during an event • had a
good time at the carnival

5.  indicates
rate or frequency: used to indicate the rate,
frequency, level, or price of something • driving
at 65 miles per hour

6.  toward:
to or in the direction of somebody or something • He
glanced over at her.

7.  as
a reaction to: used to indicate what somebody is
reacting to • amazed
at what had happened

8.  in
the stated activity: used to indicate an activity
or subject that a judgment about somebody relates to • an
expert at windsurfing

9.  in
a condition or state: indicating the state or
condition that somebody or something is in • at
risk of infection

10. doing:
engaged or occupied in • hard
at work

11. in
the manner of: used to indicate how something is done • set
off at a run

12. indicates
repeated actions: used to indicate the object of a
repeated action • She just picks at her
food.

13. according
to somebody’s wishes: in response to or based on
somebody’s wish or decision • Spend
this money at your discretion.
[Old
English æt . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin ad “to, toward” (source of English aid ).]
where
it’s or something is at

where
all the action and excitement is happening (informal)

at
all

in any way, to any extent, or
under any conditions • don’t
like it at all[1]



AT

AT
AT

1.  Abbreviation
of
antitank

2.  Abbreviation
of
automatic transmission

3.  AT
or A.T. Abbreviation of Atlantic Time

[1]



Atabrine

Atabrine
At·a·brine 
[áttə brìn, áttə
brn] Trademark

a trademark for the
antimalarial drug quinacrine[1]



AtacamaDesert

AtacamaDesert
A·ta·ca·ma
De·sert 
[aatə kmə dézərt]

barren, arid, sparsely
populated plateau in northern Chile known for its once enormously abundant
nitrate and copper resources. Area: 363,000 sq km/140,000 sq mi.[1]



ataghan

ataghan
at·a·ghan 
noun

See
yataghan[1]



Atahualpa

Atahualpa

A·ta·hual·pa 
[tə wlpə] (1500?–1533)
Inca king. The last ruler of the Inca
Empire (1525–1532), he was executed for having his co-ruling brother Huascar
assassinated.[1]



ataman

ataman
at·a·man 
[áttə màn] (plural at·a·mans) noun

Cossack
chieftain:
a Cossack chieftain.
Also
called
hetman
[Mid-19th century. Via
Russian from Turkic, literally “great father.”][1]



atamascolily

atamascolily
at·a·mas·co
lil·y 
[àttə más kō lillee] (plural at·a·mas·co
lil·ies) noun

lily
with single flower: a plant found in the
southeastern United States that grows from a bulb and has one large flower,
usually white or pinkish, on a tall stalk. Latin name: Zephyranthes atamasco
[Mid-18th century. Atamasco
from Virginia Algonquian attamusco .][1]



atar

atar
atar
noun

See
attar[1]



ataractic

ataractic
at·a·rac·tic 
[àttə ráktik] or at·a·rax·ic [àttə ráksik] adjective

tranquilizing:
used to describe a drug or other agent that produces calm and peace of mind
noun
(plural at·a·rac·tics) (plural at·a·rax·ics)

tranquilizer:
a tranquilizer (technical)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek ataraktos, literally “not disturbed,” from tarassein
“to disturb.”][1]



ataraxia

ataraxia
at·a·rax·i·a 
[àttə ráksee ə] noun

peace
of mind:
freedom from worry or any other preoccupation
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, from ataraktos (see ataractic
).][1]



ataraxic

ataraxic
at·a·rax·ic 
adjective noun

See
ataractic[1]



Atatürk,Mustafa Kemal

Atatürk,Mustafa Kemal

A·ta·türk
[áttə tùrk], Mustafa Kemal (1881–1938)
Turkish statesman. He was the founder and
the first president of the republic of Turkey (1923–1938).[1]



atavism

atavism
at·a·vism 
[áttəviz’m] (plural at·a·visms)
noun

1.  reappearance
of genetic feature: the recurrence of a
genetically controlled feature in an organism after it has been absent for
several generations, usually because of an accidental recombination of genes

2.  somebody
with atavism: an individual showing atavism.
Also
called
atavist
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin atavus, literally “beyond a grandfather,” from avus
“grandfather.”][1]



atavistic

atavistic
at·a·vis·tic
[àttə vístik] adjective

1.  relating
to genetic reappearance: relating to or displaying
the recurrence of a genetic feature that has been absent for several
generations

2.  uncivilized
and instinctive: relating to or displaying the kind of
behavior that seems to be a product of impulses long since suppressed by
society’s rules
—at·a·vis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ataxia

ataxia
a·tax·i·a 
[ə táksee ə] or a·tax·y [ə táksee] noun

lack
of muscle control: inability to coordinate the
movements of muscles
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek, literally “without order,” from taxis
“order” (see taxis ).]
—a·tax·ic, adjective[1]



ATB

ATB
ATB

Abbreviation of
all terrain bike[1]



Atchison

Atchison
At·chi·son 
[áchiss’n]

city on the Missouri River
northeast of Topeka, in northeastern Kansas. Population: 10,000 (1996)[1]



ate

ate
ate


Past tense of
eat[1]



-ate

-ate
-ate
suffix

1.  having,
characterized by • lobate

2.  office,
rank • archdeaconate

3.  to
act on in a particular way • fluoridate

4.  a
chemical compound derived from a particular element or compound • borate
[From Latin -atus,
past participle ending of verbs in “-are”][1]



A-team

A-team
A-team 
(plural A-teams) noun

1.  U.S.
Special Forces unit: a unit of 12 soldiers in the
United States Special Forces

2.  best
people:
a group of people who are the very best of their type
[From A “first one in a series,” modeled on “A-detachment”][1]



atelectasis

atelectasis
at·e·lec·ta·sis 
[àtt’l éktəssiss] noun

1.  collapse
of a lung:
a partial or total collapse of a lung

2.  nonexpansion
of lungs at birth: a condition in which the
lungs fail to expand completely at birth
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek atelēs “incomplete” + ektasis “extension.”][1]



atelier

atelier
at·el·ier 
[àtt’l yáy, ə
tèl yáy] (plural at·el·iers) noun

artist’s
studio:
a studio or workshop where an artist works
[Late 17th century. Via
French, literally “carpenter’s workshop,” from, ultimately, late Latin astella
“board.”][1]



atemoya

atemoya
a·te·moy·a 
[tə móyə, àttə
móyə] (plural a·te·moy·as) noun

1.  tropical
fruit:
a cone-shaped or heart-shaped green fruit that has edible sweet white flesh

2.  tropical
fruit tree:
the tree on which the atemoya fruit grows, found in the Philippines. The tree
is a cross between cherimoya and sweetsop.
[Early 20th century. Blend of
Philippine English ate “sweetsop” and cherimoya
.][1]



atempo

atempo
a
tem·po 
[aa témpō] adverb adjective

in
a previous tempo: in or back into a previous musical tempo
(used as a musical direction)
[From Italian, literally “in
time”][1]



atemporal

atemporal
a·tem·po·ral 
[ay témpərəl, ay
témprəl] adjective

independent of time:
independent of or unaffected by time[1]



atenolol

atenolol
a·ten·ol·ol
[ə ténnə làwl] noun

angina medication:
a medication that is used to treat high blood pressure and angina[1]



ATF

ATF
ATF

1.  Abbreviation
of
(Bureau of) Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

2.  Abbreviation
of
automatic transmission fluid

[1]



Athabasca

Athabasca
Ath·a·bas·ca
[athə báskə]

river flowing northeast from
the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, into Lake Athabasca. Length: 1,231
km/765 mi.[1]



Athabasca,Lake

Athabasca,Lake
Ath·a·bas·ca,
Lake
[athə báskə]

fourth largest lake in
Canada, bridging the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Area: 7,936 sq
km/3,064 sq mi.[1]



Athabaskan

Athabaskan
Ath·a·bas·kan 
[àthə báskən] (plural Ath·a·bas·kans)
or Ath·a·pas·kan [àthə páskən]
(plural Ath·a·pas·kans) noun

1.  LANGUAGE group
of North American languages: a group of languages spoken
in northwestern Canada and parts of Alaska, Oregon, and California. It includes
Apache and Navajo and is a branch of the Na-Dene family. About 180,000 people
speak an Athabaskan language.

2.  PEOPLES speaker
of an Athabaskan language: a member of one of the
Athabaskan-speaking peoples
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Lake Athabasca .]
—Ath·a·bas·kan, adjective[1]



AthanasianCreed

AthanasianCreed
Ath·a·na·sian
Creed
[àthə náy’n krd, àthə
náysh’n krd] noun

Christian statement of
belief: a 5th-century Christian
statement of belief of unknown authorship, formerly attributed to St.
Athanasius, Greek patriarch of Alexandria.[1]



Athapaskan

Athapaskan
Ath·a·pas·kan
noun adjective

See
Athabaskan[1]



atheism

atheism
a·the·ism 
[áythiizzəm] noun

unbelief
in God or dieties: disbelief in the existence
of God or dieties
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek atheos “godless,” from theos (see theo- ).][1]



atheist

atheist
a·the·ist 
[áythiist] (plural a·the·ists)
noun

unbeliever in God or dieties:
somebody who does not believe in God or dieties[1]



atheistic

atheistic
a·the·is·tic 
[àythee ístik] or a·the·is·ti·cal
[àythee ístik’l] adjective

of
atheists or atheism: relating to or
characteristic of atheists or atheism
—a·the·is·ti·cal·ly, adjective[1]



atheling

atheling
ath·e·ling 
[áthəling] (plural ath·e·lings)
noun

Anglo-Saxon
heir to throne: an Anglo-Saxon nobleman or prince,
usually the heir to a throne
[Old English æþeling .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “noble,” which is also the
ancestor of English edelweiss .][1]



athematic

athematic
a·the·mat·ic
[ày thi máttik] adjective

not based on themes:
used to describe music that is not based on themes or tunes[1]



Athena

Athena
A·the·na 
[ə thnə] or A·the·ne [ə thnee] noun

Greek goddess of wisdom:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, and the patron goddess
of Athens. She was born from Zeus’s head. Roman equivalent Minerva[1]



athenaeum

athenaeum
ath·e·nae·um 
[àthə n əm] (plural ath·e·nae·ums)
or ath·e·ne·um [àthə n əm] (plural
ath·e·ne·ums) noun

1.  institution
advocating learning: an institution that
encourages learning, for example, an academy of science

2.  reading
room or library: any institution where reading materials
are made available to the public, for example, a library
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from Greek Athēnaion, the temple of Athena in Athens, which was used for
teaching.][1]



AthenagorasI

AthenagorasI
A·the·na·go·ras
I
[ə thnə gáwrəss] (1886–1972)

Greek religious leader. He
was patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church (1948–1972).[1]



atheneum

atheneum
ath·e·ne·um
noun

See
athenaeum[1]



Athenian

Athenian
Ath·e·ni·an
[ə théenee ən] noun (plural Athe·ni·ans)

somebody
from Athens: somebody from the ancient or modern city
of Athens in Greece
adjective

of Athens:
relating to the ancient or modern city of Athens in Greece, or its people or
culture[1]



Athens




Back to definition

Athens

[1]



Athens

Athens

Ath·ens 
[áthənz]

1.  capital
and largest city of Greece, situated in the southeastern part of the country.
Population: 3,096,775 (1991)

2.  city
in northeastern Georgia, on the Oconee River. It is a commercial and
agricultural center and home to the country’s oldest chartered state
university. Population: 45,734 (1990)

3.        city
in southeastern Ohio, on the south bank of the Hocking River, southeast of
Columbus. Population: 21,094 (1996)[1]



atheoretical

atheoretical
a·the·o·ret·i·cal 
[àythee ə réttik’l] adjective

lacking theoretical basis:
without a theoretical basis[1]



athermancy

athermancy
a·ther·man·cy
[a thúrmənssee] noun

inability
to transmit heat: the inability of a substance to transmit
infrared radiation or radiant heat
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek athermantos, literally “not heated,” from thermainein
“to heat.”][1]



atherogenesis

atherogenesis
ath·er·o·gen·e·sis 
[àthərō jénnəssiss] noun

formation
of deposits in arteries: the origination and
formation of fatty deposits ( atheromas ) in arteries
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from atheroma + -genesis .]
—ath·er·o·gen·ic,
adjective

—ath·er·o·gen·i·ci·ty
[àthərōjə níssətee], noun[1]



atheroma

atheroma
ath·er·o·ma 
[àthə rṓmə] (plural ath·er·o·mas
or ath·er·o·ma·ta [àthə rṓmətə])
noun

fatty
deposit in an artery: an accumulation in the inner
lining of an artery of a plaque of cholesterol and other constituents
atheromatous plaque
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek athērē “porridge,” from
its texture.]
—ath·er·o·ma·to·sis
[àthə rōmə tṓssiss], noun

—ath·er·om·a·tous [àthə rómmətəss, àthə rṓmətəss],
adjective[1]



atherosclerosis

atherosclerosis
ath·er·o·scle·ro·sis 
[àthərōsklə rṓssiss] noun

arterial
disease:
a common arterial disease in which raised areas of degeneration and cholesterol
deposits ( plaques ) form on the inner surfaces of the arteries. These tend to
obstruct blood flow when the blood clots on the roughened plaques.
[Early
20th century. Coined from atheroma + sclerosis .]
—ath·er·o·scle·rot·ic
[àthərōsklə róttik], adjective

—ath·er·o·scle·rot·i·cal·ly
[àthərōsklə róttiklee], adverb[1]



athetosis

athetosis
ath·et·o·sis 
[àthə tṓssiss] noun

involuntary
movements:
a condition characterized by involuntary slow movements of the fingers, toes,
hands, and feet and usually caused by a brain lesion
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek athetos, literally “without a place,” from tithenai
“to place” (see thesis ).][1]



athirst

athirst
a·thirst 
[ə thúrst] adjective

1.  eager:
eager or longing for something (literary)

2.  thirsty:
thirsty (archaic)
[Old English ofþyrst,
formed from the past participle of ofþyrstan “to thirst greatly,” from þurst
(see thirst )][1]



athlete

athlete
ath·lete 
[áth leet] (plural ath·letes) noun

somebody
with athletic ability: somebody who has the
necessary abilities to participate in physical exercise, especially in
competitive situations such as games, races, and matches
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek athlētēs, from athlein “to contend for a prize.” Originally
used in English for “wrestler.”][1]



athlete’sfoot

athlete’sfoot
ath·lete’s
foot 
noun

fungal
infection:
a contagious fungal infection affecting the feet
[From the fact that it
flourishes in the heat and dampness of athletes’ shoes][1]



athletic

athletic
ath·let·ic 
[ath léttik] adjective

1.  of
athletes or athletics: relating to athletes,
athletics, or other sports activities • athletic
uniforms

2.  muscular
and strong:
possessing a large skeletal structure and having strong muscles • an
athletic build
[Early
17th century. Via French and Latin from Greek athlētikos, from athlētēs
(see athlete ).]
—ath·let·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ath·let·i·cism, noun[1]



athletics

athletics
ath·let·ics 
[ath léttiks] noun

1.  sports
activities:
activities such as sports and exercises that require physical skill and
strength (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  methods
of athletic training: the methods, systems, or
principles of training and practice for activities involving athletics (takes
a plural verb)

3.  U.K.
(takes a singular or plural verb) See track
and field

[1]



athleticshoe

athleticshoe
ath·let·ic
shoe
(plural ath·let·ic shoes) noun

shoe for athletic activities:
a shoe designed to be worn during athletic activities or exercising[1]



athleticsupporter

athleticsupporter
ath·let·ic
sup·port·er
(plural ath·let·ic sup·port·ers) noun

See
jockstrap[1]



athodyd

athodyd
ath·o·dyd 
[áthədid] (plural ath·o·dyds) noun

tubular
jet engine:
a simple tubular jet engine
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of aero-thermodynamic duct .][1]



at-home

at-home
at-home
(plural at-homes) or at home (plural at
homes) noun

social gathering:
an informal social gathering in somebody’s own home[1]



athwart

athwart
a·thwart 
[ə thwáwrt] preposition

1.  across:
so as to be across or positioned crosswise over something

2.  opposing:
so as to oppose or obstruct something

[1]



athwartships

athwartships
a·thwart·ships 
[ə thwáwrt ships] adverb

from port to starboard:
from one side of a ship to the other[1]



atilt

atilt
a·tilt 
[ə tílt] adverb adjective

tilted:
in or into a slanting position • Her
hat was atilt on her head.[1]



atingle

atingle
a·tin·gle 
[ə tíng’l] adjective

tingling:
feeling a tingling sensation, often associated with excitement (literary)
• atingle
with anticipation[1]



-ation

-ation
-ation
suffix

an
action or process, or the result of it • alienation
[Via French from the Latin
stem -ation-, a suffix forming nouns from verbs in -are][1]



-ative

-ative
-ative
suffix


See also
-ate[1]



Atkinson,Brooks

Atkinson,Brooks
At·kin·son
[átkinsən], Brooks (1894–1984)

U.S. theater critic. He was
the drama critic for the New York Times from 1925 to 1960.[1]



Atlanta

Atlanta

At·lan·ta 
[at lántə, ət
lántə]
capital of Georgia, and its largest city.
It was an important Civil War battle site. Population: 401,907 (1996)[1]



Atlanta




Back to definition

Atlanta

[1]



atlantes

atlantes
at·lan·tes 
[ət lán teez, at
lán teez]

Plural of
atlas  noun 3[1]



Atlantic

Atlantic
At·lan·tic 
[ət lántik] adjective

of the Atlantic Ocean:
relating to or situated in or near the Atlantic Ocean
noun

1.  See
Atlantic Ocean

2.  West
African language group: a group of languages of West
Africa, considered by many linguists to be related to one another and to belong
to the Niger-Congo language family
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek Atlantikos, from Atlas (see atlas
).][1]



AtlanticCity

AtlanticCity
At·lan·tic
Cit·y

city in southeastern New
Jersey, on the Atlantic Ocean, noted for its beaches and gambling casinos.
Population: 38,361 (1996)[1]



AtlanticIntracoastal Waterway

AtlanticIntracoastal Waterway
At·lan·tic
In·tra·coas·tal Wa·ter·way

system of protected inland
waterways along the Atlantic Ocean coast, stretching from Cape Cod,
Massachusetts, to southern Florida. It is mostly used by pleasure boats.[1]



Atlanticism

Atlanticism
At·lan·ti·cism 
[ət lántissiz’m] noun

doctrine of transatlantic
cooperation: a doctrine assuming
that both western Europe and the United States can benefit politically and
economically from cooperation, especially in military matters[1]



AtlanticOcean

AtlanticOcean
At·lan·tic
O·cean
or At·lan·tic

the world’s second largest
ocean, which separates Europe and Africa from North and South America. about
Area: 82,362,000 sq km/31,800,000 sq mi.[1]



AtlanticProvinces

AtlanticProvinces
At·lan·tic
Prov·in·ces

Canadian provinces of New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland[1]



AtlanticRim

AtlanticRim
At·lan·tic
Rim 
noun

regions bordering the
Atlantic Ocean: those regions that have
shores on the Atlantic Ocean, especially the north Atlantic[1]



Atlanticsalmon

Atlanticsalmon
At·lan·tic
salm·on
(plural At·lan·tic salm·on or At·lan·tic salm·ons) noun

species of salmon:
a species of salmon that lives in northern Atlantic waters, swims up rivers in
North America and Europe to spawn, and is valued as food. Latin name: Salmo
salar[1]



AtlanticStandard Time

AtlanticStandard Time
At·lan·tic
Stan·dard Time or At·lan·tic Time noun

fourth time zone west of
Greenwich: the standard time in the
fourth time zone west of Greenwich, England, reckoned at 60° West. It is used,
for example, in Puerto Rico and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.[1]



Atlanticyam

Atlanticyam
At·lan·tic
yam
(plural At·lan·tic yams) noun

wild
yam:
the wild yam, whose tuberous roots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable like
potatoes. Genus: Dioscorea (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Atlantic yam in the sense of wild yam
  is recorded only in Kansas.

[1]



Atlantis

Atlantis
At·lan·tis 
[at lántiss, ət
lántiss] noun

legendary island:
in ancient mythology, an idyllic island that sank in an earthquake[1]



Atlas

Atlas1
At·las1  [áttləss]
noun

Titan in Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, a Titan who was forced by Zeus to support the heavens on
his shoulders as a punishment[1]



atlas

atlas
at·las
[átləss] (plural at·las·es) noun

1.  map
book:
a book containing maps and vital statistics relating to geographic regions

2.  ANATOMY top
bone in the neck: the vertebra that is at the top of the
spinal column and supports the skull

3.  (plural
at·lan·tes) ARCHITECTURE figure
of man used as support: a figure of a man, either
standing or kneeling, used as a support for the upper part of a classical
building.
Also
called
telamon
[Late 16th century. From
Greek .][1]



Atlas

Atlas2
At·las2 [atləss]
noun

a small moon of Saturn:
a small natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980[1]



Atlascedar

Atlascedar
At·las
ce·dar
(plural At·las ce·dars) noun

N
African evergreen tree: an evergreen tree from
northern Africa, widely grown as an ornamental for its green to silvery-blue
foliage. Latin name: Cedrus atlantica
[Named for the Atlas Mountains where it grows][1]



atlasmoth

atlasmoth
at·las
moth
(plural at·las moths) noun

huge tropical moth:
a large moth of tropical Asia and Australia, with a wingspan of 25 cm10 in. or
more and strongly hooked and boldly patterned wings. Latin name: Attacus
atlas[1]



AtlasMountains

AtlasMountains
At·las
Moun·tains

system of mountain ranges
that extends through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Jebel
Toubkal in Morocco. Height: 4,165 m/13,665 ft.[1]



atlatl

atlatl
at·la·tl 
[át latt’l, t
laat’l] (plural at·la·tls) noun

device
for throwing spear: a spear-throwing device,
usually a stick equipped with a thong or socket, used to steady the butt of the
spear during the throwing motion
[Late 19th century. From
Nahuatl ahtlatl .][1]



atm.

atm.
atm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
atmosphere

2.  Abbreviation
of
atmospheric

[1]



ATM

ATM
ATM
noun

electronic
cash machine: an electronic machine, usually situated
outside a bank, that enables customers to withdraw paper money or carry out
other banking procedures on insertion of an encoded plastic card. Full form
automated teller machine

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Risk
  of redundancy:
  Relatively
  new and conceivably puzzling acronyms, such as ATM, GPS, and PIN,
  tempt the user to orient the listener or reader with an additional word such
  as machine, system, or number . A moment’s thought will
  reveal that the resulting expression is redundant: ATM machine is
  equivalent to • automated teller
  machine machine. Whenever it seems likely
  the acronym alone will not be understood, it may be accompanied by the full
  form ( • automated
  teller machine, or ATM ) or the full form may be
  used alone instead.

[1]



atman

atman
at·man 
[tmən] noun

essence
of individual: in Hinduism, the essence of an
individual
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit ātman “breath, spirit” (source of English mahatma ).][1]



Atman

Atman
At·man
[tmən] noun

Universal Soul:
in Hinduism, Brahman regarded as the Universal Soul[1]



atmo-

atmo-
atmo-
prefix

gas,
vapor • atmolysis
[From Greek atmos
“breath, vapor.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to blow,” which
is also the ancestor of English fan
.][1]



atmosphere

atmosphere

at·mos·phere 
[átmə sfeer] (plural at·mos·pheres)
noun

1.  gas
around celestial body: the mixture of gases that
surrounds a celestial body such as the Earth

2.  air
or climate:
the air or climate in a given place

3.  mood
or tone:
a prevailing emotional tone or attitude, especially one associated with a
specific place or time “The atmosphere of the place was heavy and moldy, being
rendered additionally oppressive by the closing of the door which led into the
church.” Wilkie Collins The Woman in White 1860

4.  mood
or tone of artwork: the prevailing tone or mood
of a work of art

5.  interesting
mood of place: an interesting or exciting mood existing
in a particular place • a jazz
club with lots of atmosphere

6.  PHYSICS unit
of pressure: a unit of pressure defined as the
pressure that will support a 760 mm column of mercury at 0°C at sea level,
equal to 1.01325 x 10 5 newtons per square meter.
Also
called
standard atmosphere
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin atmosphaera, literally “sphere of vapor,” from Greek atmos
(see atmo- ) + Latin sphaera (see sphere ).][1]



atmospheric

atmospheric
at·mos·pher·ic 
[àtməs férrik, àtməs
féerrik] or at·mos·pher·i·cal [àtməs
férrik’l, àtməs féerrik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to atmosphere: relating to the atmosphere of a
celestial body or of a particular place • atmospheric
pollution

2.  eliciting
tone or aesthetic quality: evoking or producing an
emotional tone or aesthetic quality • a
mural with a misty atmospheric effect
—at·mos·pher·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



atmosphericpressure

atmosphericpressure
at·mos·pher·ic
pres·sure
noun

air pressure:
the downward pressure exerted by the weight of the overlying atmosphere. It has
a mean value of one atmosphere at sea level but decreases as elevation
increases.[1]



atmospherics

atmospherics
at·mos·pher·ics 
[àtməs férriks, àtməs
féerriks] noun

study of atmospheric interference:
the study of electromagnetic radiation emanating from natural sources in the
atmosphere (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun
(takes a plural verb)

1.  atmospheric
interference with electronic signals:
static on a radio or flickering white spots ( snow
) on a television screen caused by electromagnetic radiation from natural
sources in the atmosphere.
Also
called
sferics

2.  prevailing
mood:
the mood or atmosphere suffusing a situation, group, or place

[1]



at.no.

at.no.
at.
no.

Abbreviation of
atomic number[1]



atoll

atoll
a·toll 
[á tol] (plural a·tolls) noun

coral
island surrounding lagoon: a ring-shaped coral reef and
small island, enclosing a lagoon and surrounded by open sea (often used in
placenames) • Bikini Atoll
[Early 17th century. From
Maldivian ato⋖u
.][1]



atom

atom
at·om 
[áttəm] (plural at·oms) noun

1.  smallest
part of element: the smallest portion into which an
element can be divided and still retain its properties, made up of a dense,
positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons. Atoms usually
do not divide in chemical reactions except for some removal, transfer, or the
exchange of specific electrons.

2.  very
small amount: a very small part or amount • not
an atom of truth

3.  particle
of matter in Greek philosophy: the basic particle of
matter, indestructible and indivisible, first proposed by ancient Greek philosophers
as the fundamental component of the universe
[16th century. Via Latin atomus
from Greek atomos, literally “unable to be cut,” from temnein “to
cut” (source of English tome, anatomy, and epitome
).][1]



atombomb

atombomb
at·om
bomb
(plural at·om bombs) noun

See
atomic bomb[1]



atomic

atomic
a·tom·ic 
[ə tómmik] adjective

1.  based
on nuclear energy: based on or using nuclear
energy

2.  relating
to atom:
relating to an atom or atoms • atomic
theory

3.  tiny:
extremely small

4.  LOGIC unanalyzable:
used to describe a proposition, sentence, or formula that cannot be analyzed
into a coherent structure
—a·tom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



AtomicAge

AtomicAge
A·tom·ic
Age
noun

era of use of nuclear energy:
the present era, starting with 1945 and the first use of atomic weaponry,
considered in terms of the discovery, uses, and social implications of nuclear
energy[1]



atomicbomb

atomicbomb
a·tom·ic
bomb
(plural a·tom·ic bombs) noun

nuclear weapon:
an explosive device whose destructive power is due to the uncontrollable
release of energy from the fission of heavy nuclei, usually uranium-235 or
plutonium-239, by neutrons sustaining a rapid chain reaction.
Also called
atom bomb
U.K. term
atom bomb[1]



atomicclock

atomicclock
a·tom·ic
clock
(plural a·tom·ic clocks) noun

accurate clock regulated by
atomic vibrations: an
extremely accurate timekeeping device regulated by the natural regular
oscillations of an atom or molecule. An atomic clock powered by a hydrogen atom
( maser ) is accurate to 1 part in 2
quadrillion.[1]



atomiccocktail

atomiccocktail
a·tom·ic
cock·tail
(plural a·tom·ic cock·tails) noun

cancer medication:
a radioactive substance in liquid form, used to diagnose or treat cancer (informal)[1]



atomicenergy

atomicenergy
a·tom·ic
en·er·gy
noun

See
nuclear energy[1]



atomicheat

atomicheat
a·tom·ic
heat
noun

specific heat multiplied by
atomic weight: a value obtained by
multiplying the specific heat of an element by its atomic weight[1]



atomicity

atomicity
at·o·mic·i·ty 
[àttə míssitee] noun

1.  atomic
composition: the number of atoms in a molecule of a
chemical element

2.  atomic
nature:
the state of being composed of atoms

3.  See
valence  noun 1

[1]



atomicmass

atomicmass
a·tom·ic
mass
(plural a·tom·ic mass·es) noun

See
relative atomic mass[1]



atomicmass unit

atomicmass unit
a·tom·ic
mass u·nit
(plural a·tom·ic mass u·nits) noun

measure of mass of atom:
a unit of mass defined as one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom, equal to
1.66 x 10 –27 kg. It is
useful for expressing the masses of atoms and molecules.
Also called
dalton[1]



atomicnumber

atomicnumber
a·tom·ic
num·ber
(plural a·tom·ic num·bers) noun

number of protons in atom:
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element. The atomic
number of all the isotopes of an element is the same and determines that
element’s position in the periodic table. • The
atomic number of carbon is 6. Symbol
Z
Also called
proton number[1]



atomicreactor

atomicreactor
a·tom·ic
re·ac·tor
(plural a·tom·ic re·ac·tors) noun

(dated) See nuclear reactor[1]



atomictheory

atomictheory
a·tom·ic
the·o·ry
noun

theory that matter consists
of atoms: any theory proposing that
matter is composed of atoms[1]



atomicveteran

atomicveteran
a·tom·ic
vet·er·an
(plural a·tom·ic vet·er·ans) noun

veteran exposed to
radioactivity: a former member of a
military group who was exposed to radioactivity during the use or testing of
nuclear weapons in or after World War II[1]



atomicweight

atomicweight
a·tom·ic
weight
(plural a·tom·ic weights) noun

relative atomic mass:
relative atomic mass (dated)[1]



atomism

atomism
at·om·ism 
[áttəmiz’m] noun

idea
that atoms make up everything: the theory that all
matter in the universe is made up of small, individual, finite, and indivisible
particles
—at·om·ist, noun[1]



atomize

atomize
at·om·ize 
[áttə mīz] (past at·om·ized, past
participle at·om·ized, present participle at·om·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular at·om·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
separate
something into atoms: to reduce something to atoms
or separate something into free atoms

2.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to destroy something with atomic weapons

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
into spray:
to convert a liquid into fine particles or to spray particles converted in this
way
—at·om·i·za·tion [àttəmi záysh’n], noun[1]



atomizer

atomizer
at·om·iz·er 
[áttə mīzər] (plural at·om·iz·ers)
noun

spray device:
a device that converts a liquid into a fine spray[1]



atomsmasher

atomsmasher
at·om
smash·er
(plural at·om smash·ers) noun

particle
accelerator: a device that speeds up subatomic
particles (informal)
[From the fact that it
creates collisions between atomic nuclei in order to break them down into
subatomic particles][1]



atonal

atonal
a·to·nal 
[ay tṓn’l] adjective

with
no key:
used to describe music in which the notes are not related by any mode or key.
See
also
tonal
—a·to·nal·ly, adverb[1]



atonalism

atonalism
a·to·nal·ism 
[ay tṓn’lizzəm] noun

atonal
composing of music: the process of composing
music in an atonal style or using atonality
—a·to·nal·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



atonality

atonality
a·to·nal·i·ty 
[ày tō nállətee] noun

absence of key:
in music, the fact of consisting of notes that are not related by any mode or
key.
See also
tonality[1]



atone

atone
a·tone 
[ə tṓn] (past a·toned, past
participle a·toned, present participle a·ton·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·tones) intransitive verb

make
up for misdeed: to make reparation for a sin or a
mistake (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From at one “in agreement,” as in the phrase (to set) at one “to
reconcile.”]
—a·ton·a·ble,
adjective

—a·ton·er, noun[1]



atonement

atonement
a·tone·ment 
[ə tṓnmənt] noun

1.  making
of amends:
the making of reparation for a sin or a mistake

2.  a·tone·ment
or A·tone·ment reconciliation between God
and people:
in Christian belief, the reconciliation between God and people brought about by
the death of Jesus Christ
[Early 16th century. Formed
from atone, partly modeled on medieval Latin
adunamentum, from adunare “to unite,” and partly on earlier
English onement “unification.”][1]



atonic

atonic
a·ton·ic 
[ay tónnik] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS unstressed:
used to describe a syllable or sound that is not accented or stressed

2.  MEDICINE lacking
muscle tone: connected with, caused by, or showing a
lack of muscle tone
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from tonic and atony .]
—at·o·nic·i·ty [àytə níssitee, àytō
níssitee, at’n íssitee], noun[1]



atony

atony
at·o·ny 
[átt’nee] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS absence
of stress:
lack of stress or accent

2.  MEDICINE absence
of muscle tone: lack of normal muscle tone
[Late 17th century. Via
French or late Latin atonia “weakness” from Greek, from atonos,
literally “lacking tone,” from tonos (see tone
).][1]



atop

atop
a·top 
[ə tóp] preposition adverb

on top of something:
on or at the top of something (literary)[1]



atopic

atopic
a·top·ic 
[ay tóppik, ə
tóppik] adjective

allergic:
used to describe a condition that is caused by a hereditary tendency to react
to certain allergens, such as occurs in hay fever, some skin irritations, and
asthma
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek atopia “unusualness,” from atopos,
literally “out of place,” which itself was formed from topos “place”
(see topic ).]
—at·o·py [áttəpee], noun[1]



-ator

-ator
-ator
suffix

something
or somebody that acts in a given way • demonstrator
—-atory, suffix[1]



ATP

ATP
ATP 
noun

organic chemical compound:
a chemical compound ( nucleotide ) occurring
in living organisms that provides most of the energy required by cells during
its conversion to another nucleotide ( ADP
). Full form adenosine triphosphate[1]



ATPase

ATPase
ATP·ase 
[ày tee p ayss, ày
tee p ayz]

Abbreviation of
adenosine triphosphatase[1]



atrabilious

atrabilious
at·ra·bil·ious 
[àttrə bíllee əss, àttrə
bíllyəss] adjective (literary)

1.  gloomy:
tending to feel very sad

2.  peevish:
inclined to peevishness and irritability
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin atra bilis, literally “black bile” (a
translation of Greek melankholia ), the bodily fluid thought to cause
sadness and irritability.]
—at·ra·bil·ious·ness, noun[1]



atrazine

atrazine
at·ra·zine 
[áttrə zeen] noun

herbicide:
a herbicide used to kill weeds, especially in agricultural crops. C8H14N5Cl
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from the Latin stem atr- “black” (because it prevents photosynthesis) + triazine .][1]



atremble

atremble
a·trem·ble 
[ə trémb’l] adjective

trembling:
shaking or trembling from a strong emotion such as fear or excitement (literary)[1]



atresia

atresia
a·tre·sia 
[ə trzhə] noun

absence
of usual body opening: the often congenital absence
of a usual body opening such as the anus, or ear canal
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek trēsis “perforation.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to twist, drill,” which is also the ancestor of English drill .][1]



Atreus

Atreus
A·treus 
[áy trss, áytree
əss] noun

king of Mycenae in Greek
mythology: in Greek mythology, king of
Mycenae and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus[1]



atria

atria
a·tri·a


Plural of
atrium[1]



atrioventricular

atrioventricular
a·tri·o·ven·tric·u·lar 
[àytree ō ven tríkyələr] adjective

relating
to heart structure: relating to the upper and
lower chambers, atria, and ventricles of the heart
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from atrium + ventricular
.][1]



at-risk

at-risk
at-risk 
adjective

in a potentially dangerous
situation: exposed to danger or harm of
some kind [1]



atrium

atrium

a·tri·um 
[áytree əm] (plural a·tri·ums or
a·tri·a [áytree ə]) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE central
hall with skylight: a central hall usually with
a glass roof or skylight and extending the full height or several stories of a
building

2.  ARCHITECTURE HISTORY Roman
courtyard:
the open central courtyard of an ancient Roman house

3.  ANATOMY body
chamber or cavity: a cavity or chamber of the
body, especially one of the upper chambers of the heart that takes blood from
the veins and pumps it into a ventricle
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



atrocious

atrocious
a·tro·cious 
[ə trṓshəss] adjective

1.  very
bad:
appallingly bad • atrocious manners

2.  very
cruel:
extremely evil or cruel • atrocious
crimes

3.  ugly
to look at:
so ugly in taste or appearance as to elicit revulsion • an
atrocious hat
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from the Latin stem atroc-, from atrox, literally
“dark,” from ater “dark.” Originally in English, “wantonly cruel.”]
—a·tro·cious·ly,
adverb

—a·tro·cious·ness, noun[1]



atrocity

atrocity
a·troc·i·ty 
[ə tróssətee] (plural a·troc·i·ties)
noun

1.  shockingly
cruel act:
a shockingly cruel act, especially an act of wanton violence against an enemy
in wartime • to
deplore the atrocities of war

2.  extreme
cruelty:
extreme evil or cruelty • an act
of atrocity

3.  something
very bad:
something repellent or extremely bad of its kind
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin atrocitas, from atrox (see atrocious ).][1]



atrophy

atrophy
at·ro·phy 
[áttrəfee] noun

1.  wasting
away:
the shrinking in size of some part or organ of the body, usually caused by
injury, disease, or lack of use

2.  lessening
of ability:
weakening or lessening of some ability
intransitive
verb
(past at·ro·phied, past participle at·ro·phied, present
participle at·ro·phy·ing, 3rd person present singular at·ro·phies)

weaken: to
weaken or waste away through disuse or the effects of disease
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin atrophia from Greek, literally “lack of
food,” from trophē “food” (see -trophy
).]
—a·troph·ic [ə tróffik], adjective[1]



atropine

atropine
at·ro·pine 
[áttrə peen, áttrə
pin] or at·ro·pin [áttrə pin]
noun

poisonous
plant extract: a poisonous alkaloid obtained from
belladonna or related plants, used medically to dilate the pupils of the eyes
and to stop spasms. It is also used by the armed forces as an antidote for
nerve-gas poisoning. C17H23NO3
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Atropa, genus name of the belladonna plant.][1]



Atropos

Atropos
At·ro·pos 
[áttrə pòss] noun

one of three Fates:
in Greek mythology, one of the Fates, who were three goddesses who influenced
human destiny. Atropos was known as the Inexorable, and carried the shears that
cut the thread of life.
See also
Clotho
See also
Lachesis[1]



ATS

ATS
ATS

Abbreviation of
Applications Technology Satellite[1]



att.

att.
att.

1.  Abbreviation
of
attached

2.  Abbreviation
of
attention

3.  Abbreviation
of
attorney

[1]



attaboy

attaboy
at·ta·boy
[áttə boy] interjection

used
to cheer somebody on: used to express enthusiastic
encouragement or approval to a man or boy (slang)
noun
(plural at·taboys)

congratulations:
an act or an instance of congratulating somebody on an achievement (slang)
• received
several attaboys from top management after the sales presentation
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of “That’s the boy!”.][1]



attach

attach
at·tach 
[ə tách] (past at·tached, past
participle at·tached, present participle at·tach·ing, 3rd
person present singular at·ta·ches) verb

1.  transitive
verb
secure
something to something else: to secure one thing to
another • attached
the door to the frame

2.  transitive
verb
add
something to something else: to append one thing to
another as a separate piece, the two being held together • attached
copies of the contracts

3.  intransitive
verb
be
associated with something: to have a close innate relationship
to something • little
prestige attached to this post

4.  transitive
verb
ascribe
something:
to assign a certain character or quality to something under consideration • I
attach no importance whatsoever to their claims.

5.  transitive
verb
bind
emotionally: to bind somebody emotionally to somebody
else or to something (usually passive)

6.  transitive
verb
MILITARY place
somebody on temp duty: to assign military personnel
to a military group on a temporary basis

7.  transitive
verb
LAW seize
something legally: to seize people or property
by legal writ • They’ve attached her
salary for nonpayment of taxes.
[14th
century. From Old French atachier, alteration of estachier “to
fasten with a stake,” of Germanic origin. Originally in English, “to arrest,”
the modern sense was reborrowed later from French.]
—at·tach·a·ble,
adjective

—at·tach·er, noun[1]



attached

attached
at·tached 
[ə tácht] adjective

1.  enclosed:
fastened to or enclosed with something else • Please
see the attached documents and call with any questions.

2.  devoted:
devoted to or fond of somebody or something

3.  committed
emotionally to somebody: committed to an emotional
relationship with somebody else (informal)

4.  ARCHITECTURE touching
another structure: sharing a wall with another
building, and thus not standing alone

5.  Malaysia,
Singapore employed:
having a permanent job with a person or organization • My
brother is attached to the Ministry.

[1]



attachment

attachment
at·tach·ment 
[ə táchmənt] (plural at·tach·ments)
noun

1.  emotional
bond:
an emotional bond or tie to somebody or something.
See
also
bonding

2.  attached
text:
a document or file attached to another or to an e-mail message

3.  act
of attaching: the action of attaching one thing to
another • The
attachment of that new printer took me two hours.

4.  part
attached:
an accessory attached or to be attached to a machine

5.  means
of attaching something: a means by which something
is attached to something else

6.  LAW legal
seizure:
the legal seizure of people or property, especially to acquire jurisdiction
over them or it

[1]



attachmentof earnings

attachmentof earnings
at·tach·ment
of earn·ings noun

court order to withhold
wages: a court order directing a
third party, usually an employer, to withhold somebody’s wages in order to
satisfy unpaid debts[1]



attaché

attaché
at·ta·ché 
[àttə sháy, a tà
sháy] (plural at·tachés) noun

official
diplomat:
somebody on the staff of a diplomatic mission who has responsibilities in a
specific area
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of attacher “to attach.”][1]



attachécase

attachécase
at·ta·ché
case
(plural at·ta·ché cas·es) noun

slender
rigid briefcase: a hard flat rectangular briefcase used
for carrying business documents
[From the fact that diplomats
customarily use one to carry documents][1]



attack

attack
at·tack 
[ə ták] verb (past at·tacked,
past participle at·tacked, present participle at·tack·ing,
3rd person present singular at·tacks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb harm:
to try to harm somebody by using violence or try to defeat an enemy or capture
an enemy position

2.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody or something: to subject somebody or
something to strong or vehement criticism • The
press has repeatedly attacked his plan.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb infect
somebody or damage something: to cause an infection,
illness, or damage in somebody or something • The
disease can attack at any age.

4.  transitive
verb
make
a vigorous start on something: to begin something
such as work with enthusiasm or determination and deal vigorously with it

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS GAMES try
to win:
to attempt to defeat, or score against, an opponent or an opposing team in a
competitive game or team sport • The
chess game began sluggishly, with both sides slow to attack.
noun
(plural at·tacks)

1.  action
of attacking: the process or an instance of attacking

2.  bout
of illness:
an occurrence of something such as a medical disorder that is temporarily debilitating
• an
attack of asthma

3.  attacking
members of team: the offensive players on a team,
especially the forwards on a soccer team (takes a singular verb)

4.  MUSIC energetic
way of playing: the decisive or energetic way in which a
musician begins to play a piece or passage
[Early 17th century. Via
French attaquer from Italian attacare battaglia “to join battle.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to join,” which is also
the ancestor of English attach .][1]



attacker

attacker
at·tack·er
[ə tákər] (plural at·tack·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who assaults: somebody who commits an assault on
somebody else

2.  critic:
somebody who criticizes somebody or something

3.  SPORTS player
with scoring role: a player whose role is to
score or create scoring opportunities

[1]



attain

attain
at·tain 
[ə táyn] (past at·tained, past
participle at·tained, present participle at·tain·ing, 3rd
person present singular at·tains) transitive verb

1.  accomplish
something:
to achieve a goal or desired state, usually with effort

2.  reach
specified state: to reach a specified age, speed, or size
[13th
century. Via Old French ataindre from Latin attingere, literally
“to reach to,” from tangere “to touch” (see tangent
).]
—at·tain·a·bil·ity
[ə tàynə bíllətee], noun

—at·tain·a·ble
[ə táynəb’l], adjective

—at·tain·a·ble·ness
[ə táynəb’lnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at accomplish

[1]



attainder

attainder
at·tain·der 
[ə táyndər] noun

confiscation
of rights or property: in former times, the removal
of the rights or the confiscation of the property of somebody outlawed or
sentenced to death for a serious crime, often treason
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman, a variant of Old French ataindre “to affect, dishonor”
(see attain ).][1]



attainment

attainment
at·tain·ment 
[ə táynmənt] (plural at·tain·ments)
noun

1.  accomplishment
of something: the achievement of the goals that
somebody has set

2.  talent
or ability:
a skill, accomplishment, or distinction, especially one achieved through effort
(often used in the plural)

[1]



attaint

attaint
at·taint 
[ə táynt] transitive verb (past
at·taint·ed, past participle at·taint·ed, present
participle at·taint·ing, 3rd person present singular at·taints)

deprive
somebody of rights: in former times, to take
away the civil rights of somebody outlawed or sentenced to death for committing
a serious crime, often treason (archaic) (often passive)
noun

loss
of reputation: loss of honor or good reputation (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French atainte, the feminine past participle of ataindre “to
affect” (see attain ).][1]



attar

attar
at·tar 
[áttər, á tr]
or at·ar [áttər, á tr] noun

essential
oil from flowers: essential oil extracted from flowers,
especially the oil extracted from rose petals.
Also
called
otto
[Mid-17th century. From
Arabic dialect aar .][1]



attempt

attempt
at·tempt 
[ə témpt, ə témt]
intransitive and transitive verb (past at·tempt·ed, past
participle at·tempt·ed, present participle at·tempt·ing,
3rd person present singular at·tempts)

try to do something:
to try to do something, especially without much expectation of success
noun
(plural at·tempts)

1.  effort
to do something: an act of trying to do something • a
successful attempt at cooking

2.  attack:
an attack or assault • an
attempt on his life
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin attemptare, literally “to try for,”
from temptare (see tempt ).]
—at·tempt·a·ble,
adjective

—at·tempt·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at try

[1]



attempted

attempted
at·tempt·ed
[ə témptəd, ə
témtəd] adjective

unsuccessful:
used to describe something at which a failed attempt has been made, especially
a crime or offense • an
attempted robbery[1]



attend

attend
at·tend 
[ə ténd] (past at·tend·ed, past
participle at·tend·ed, present participle at·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular at·tends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go to
event:
to go to or be present at an event • Hundreds
attended the wedding.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb regularly
go to specific establishment: to go regularly to an
institution such as a school or church for instruction or worship

3.  intransitive
verb
listen
or watch carefully: to listen or play close
attention to somebody or something

4.  transitive
verb
occur
along with something: to accompany something or be
associated with it (usually passive)

5.  transitive
verb
be
somebody’s attendant: to escort somebody or act as
an attendant to somebody (usually passive)

6.  intransitive
verb
result
from something: to be the consequence of something (literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French atendre from Latin attendere, literally
“to reach toward,” from tendere “to stretch” (see tend ).]
—at·tend·er, noun[1]



attendance

attendance
at·ten·dance 
[ə téndəns] (plural at·ten·dances)
noun

1.  presence
at event or institution: an instance of being at an
event or regularly going to a school, church, or other institution

2.  number
attending:
the number of people who are present at an event or institution

[1]



attendant

attendant
at·ten·dant 
[ə téndənt] noun (plural at·ten·dants)

1.  somebody
serving in a public place: somebody employed to serve
or help members of the public in a public institution or place • a
museum attendant

2.  escort:
somebody who escorts or serves another, especially bridesmaids escorting a
bride
adjective

occurring along with something:
associated with something, or resulting or following from it • parenthood
and its attendant anxieties

[1]



attendee

attendee
at·ten·dee 
[ə tèn d, à ten
d] (plural at·ten·dees) noun

somebody attending something:
any of the people attending something, especially a conference, course, or
seminar[1]



attending

attending
at·tend·ing 
[ə ténding] adjective

working
in teaching hospital: serving on the staff of a
teaching hospital • The attending physician
made the rounds of all the wards every morning.
noun
(plural at·tend·ings)

hospital doctor:
a physician who serves on the staff of a teaching hospital • The
orders for these medications were written by two attendings.[1]



attendto

attendto
attend
to
intransitive and transitive verb

deal with somebody or
something: to deal with or look after
somebody or something • patients
to attend to • attend
to business[1]



attention

attention
at·ten·tion 
[ə ténsh’n] noun

1.  concentration:
mental focus, serious consideration, or concentration

2.  interest:
notice or interest • media attention
• A
letter for the attention of Mr. Brown.

3.  appropriate
treatment:
care, tending, or appropriate treatment

4.  (plural
at·ten·tions) affectionate act:
a polite, considerate, or affectionate act (formal) (often used in
the plural)

5.  MILITARY formal
military posture: a formal standing attitude assumed by
members of the armed forces in drill and often when receiving orders, with feet
together, eyes forward, and arms at the sides
interjection

MILITARY military
order:
a shouted military order to assume posture of attention
[14th century. From Latin attention-,
from the stem of attendere (see attend
).][1]



attentiondeficit disorder

attentiondeficit disorder
at·ten·tion
def·i·cit dis·or·der or at·ten·tion
def·i·cit hy·per·ac·tiv·i·ty dis·or·der noun

hyperactivity in children:
a condition, occurring mainly in children, characterized by hyperactivity,
inability to concentrate, and impulsive or inappropriate behavior[1]



attentionline

attentionline
at·ten·tion
line
(plural at·ten·tion lines) noun

line with recipient’s name on
it: a line in a formally
addressed letter or on an envelope addressed to an organization indicating for
whom, especially for which employee or member of staff, the letter is intended[1]



attentionspan

attentionspan
at·ten·tion
span
(plural at·ten·tion spans) noun

limits of concentration:
the length of time that somebody can concentrate effectively on a particular
task or activity[1]



attentive

attentive
at·ten·tive 
[ə téntiv] adjective

1.  considerate
or responsive: behaving toward somebody in a way that
shows special regard or affection

2.  paying
attention:
listening or watching carefully and with concentration
[14th
century. From French attentif, from atendre (see attend ).]
—at·ten·tive·ly,
adverb

—at·ten·tive·ness, noun[1]



attenuate

attenuate
at·ten·u·ate 
(past at·ten·u·at·ed, past participle at·ten·u·at·ed,
present participle at·ten·u·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular at·ten·u·ates) verb [ə
ténnyoo àyt]

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become weaker: to reduce the size, strength, or density
of something, or to become thinner, weaker, or less dense

2.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY make
pathogen less virulent: to reduce the virulence of a
bacterium or virus, for example, by exposing it to heat or producing a culture
of it in a special medium. Attenuated bacteria or viruses are used in some
vaccines.
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
attenuat-, the past participle stem of attenuare, literally “to
make thin,” from tenuis “thin” (see tenuous
).][1]



attenuated

attenuated
at·ten·u·at·ed 
[ə ténnyə àytəd] adjective

long and narrow:
long, narrow, and sometimes tapering[1]



attenuator

attenuator
at·ten·u·a·tor 
(plural at·ten·u·a·tors) noun

device for reducing signal
strength: a device for reducing the
strength of a wave, especially an electrical signal[1]



attest

attest
at·test 
[ə tést] (past at·test·ed, past
participle at·test·ed, present participle at·test·ing,
3rd person present singular at·tests) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  be
evidence of something: to show that something
exists or is true or valid

2.  confirm
something:
to state that something is true, especially in a formal written statement
[15th
century. Via French attester from Latin attestari, literally “to
witness to,” from testis “witness” (see testament
).]
—at·test·ant,
noun

—at·tes·ta·tion
[à te stáysh’n, àttə
stáysh’n], noun

—at·tes·tor [ə téstər], noun[1]



Att.Gen.

Att.Gen.
Att.
Gen.

Abbreviation of
Attorney General[1]



Attic

Attic
At·tic 
[áttik] adjective

1.  of
Attica:
relating to the ancient Greek territory of Attica or of the modern Greek
department of Attica

2.  elegantly
witty:
elegantly succinct or drily witty
noun

extinct dialect of Attica:
a dialect of ancient Greek that was spoken in Athens and surrounding areas.
Most of the literature of Classical Greece is written in Attic.
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Attikos, from Attikē “Attica.”][1]



attic

attic
at·tic 
[áttik] (plural at·tics) noun

area
immediately under roof: a room or the area that
occupies the space under a pitched roof • boxes
in the attic
[Late 17th century. Via
French attique “Attic” from Latin Atticus (see Attic ). The word originally described a
decorative structure (in the Attic style) above the main façade of a building.][1]



Attica

Attica
At·ti·ca
[áttikə]

1.  department
of east central Greece. Capital: Athens. Area: 14,257 sq km/5,466 sq mi.

2.  peninsula
region of ancient Greece that was divided into 12 states

[1]



Atticism

Atticism
At·ti·cism 
[áttə sìzzəm] (plural At·ti·cisms)
or at·ti·cism [áttə sìzzəm] (plural
at·ti·cisms) noun

witty
phrase:
a witty or elegantly simple and concise turn of phrase
[Late 16th century. From
Greek Attikismos, from Attikos (see Attic
.][1]



Attila

Attila

At·ti·la 
[ə tíllə, áttlə]
(406?–453?)
Hunnish warrior king who led an army of
Mongolian nomads and subdued lands from the Rhine to the frontiers of China.[1]



attire

attire
at·tire 
[ə tr] noun

clothing:
clothing, especially a garment or combination of garments, worn on a particular
occasion (formal)
transitive
verb
(past at·tired, past participle at·tired, present
participle at·tir·ing, 3rd person present singular at·tires)

dress:
to dress yourself or somebody else, especially in clothes of a particular type
(formal)
[13th century. From Old
French atirier “to array,” literally “to put in order,” from tire
“order” (see tier ).][1]



attitude

attitude
at·ti·tude 
[áttə td] noun

1.  personal
view of something: an opinion or general
feeling about something • a
positive attitude to change

2.  bodily
posture:
a physical posture, either conscious or unconscious, especially while
interacting with others

3.  conscious
assertiveness: an arrogant or assertive manner or
stance assumed as a challenge or for effect (informal) • a
streetwise teenager with an attitude

4.  AEROSPACE orientation
of aircraft’s axes: the angle of an aircraft in
relation to the direction of the airflow or to the horizontal plane

5.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY orientation
of spacecraft: the angle of a spacecraft in relation to
its direction of movement
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, late Latin aptitudo “disposition.”][1]



attitudinal

attitudinal
at·ti·tu·di·nal 
[àtti td’nəl] adjective

insisting
on your rights: insisting strongly on your rights
[Late 20th century. From attitude in the sense “contentiousness.”][1]



attitudinize

attitudinize
at·ti·tu·di·nize 
[áttə tood’n z] (past at·ti·tu·di·nized,
past participle at·ti·tu·di·nized, present participle at·ti·tu·di·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular at·ti·tu·di·niz·es) intransitive
verb

consciously adopt postures or
opinions: to strike exaggerated or
unspontaneous poses, or adopt extreme opinions, for effect[1]



Attleboro

Attleboro
At·tle·bor·o 
[átt’l bùrr ō]

city in southeastern
Massachusetts, northwest of Providence, Rhode Island. Population: 39,070 (1996)[1]



Attlee,Clement

Attlee,Clement
Att·lee
[áttlee], Clement, 1st Earl Attlee
(1883–1967)

British politician who was
prime minister (1945–1951) and deputy prime minister in Churchill’s wartime
coalition government. His post-war government introduced the welfare state and granted
independence to India.[1]



attn.

attn.
attn.

Abbreviation of
attention[1]



attorney

attorney
at·tor·ney 
[ə túrnee] (plural at·tor·neys)
noun

1.  lawyer:
a qualified lawyer, especially one who represents clients in court proceedings

2.  somebody
given legal power: somebody legally empowered
by a document ( power of attorney ) to make
decisions and act on behalf of somebody else
[14th
century. From Old French atorne, the past participle of atorner
“to appoint,” literally “to turn over,” from torner (see turn ).]
—at·tor·ney·ship,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lawyer

[1]



attorneyat law

attorneyat law
at·tor·ney
at law
(plural at·tor·neys at law) noun

court lawyer:
a lawyer qualified to appear in court to represent somebody who is a party to a
legal action[1]



attorneygeneral

attorneygeneral
at·tor·ney
gen·er·al
(plural at·tor·ney gen·er·als or at·tor·neys gen·er·al)
noun

1.  country’s
chief legal officer: a country’s chief legal
officer, and its government’s chief legal adviser. In the United States, the
attorney general is a member of the President’s cabinet.

2.  state’s
chief legal officer: the chief law officer of a
state, and its government’s chief legal adviser

3.  chief
law officer of Canada: the chief law officer of a
Canadian province, and its government’s chief legal adviser

[1]



attract

attract
at·tract 
[ə trákt] (past at·tract·ed, past
participle at·tract·ed, present participle at·tract·ing,
3rd person present singular at·tracts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
draw
closer:
to draw objects nearer, for example, as a magnet draws iron objects toward it

2.  transitive
verb
entice:
to be appealing enough to make people visit a place or spend their money

3.  transitive
verb
get
a response:
to win or elicit a response from people, especially support or encouragement

4.  transitive
verb
draw
somebody’s attention: to draw or secure somebody’s
attention, or become the focus of somebody’s attention “It takes a big idea to
attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.” David
Ogilvy Ogilvy on Advertising 1985

5.  transitive
verb
have
appeal:
to appeal to people or awaken a response in them

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb be the
object of sexual feelings: to be the focus or object of
sexual interest
[15th
century. From Latin attract-, the past participle stem of attrahere,
literally “to draw toward,” from trahere “to draw” (see traction ).]
—at·tract·a·ble,
adjective

—at·tract·er, noun[1]



attraction

attraction
at·trac·tion 
[ə trákshən] (plural at·trac·tions)
noun

1.  power
of attracting: the power of attracting or the feeling
of being attracted “Our mutual attraction was immediate, and we enjoyed one
another’s company.” Peter Ustinov Dear Me 1977

2.  appealing
quality or feature: a quality or feature that
attracts somebody • The idea has its
attractions.

3.  thing
or place that draws tourists: something, for example, an
historic site or building, that people, especially tourists, like to see or
visit

[1]



attractive

attractive
at·trac·tive 
[ə tráktiv] adjective

1.  agreeable:
pleasing in appearance or manner

2.  good-looking:
good-looking or sexually desirable

3.  interesting:
interesting or appealing because of the probable advantages • an
attractive proposition
—at·trac·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at goodlooking

[1]



attractively

attractively
at·trac·tive·ly
[ə tráktivlee] adverb

agreeably:
in a pleasing, appealing, or sexually interesting way • attractively
priced furnishings • attractively
situated a few minutes from the beach[1]



attractor

attractor
at·tract·or 
[ə tráktər] (plural at·tract·ors)
noun

fixed point or state of
system: a fixed point or state of
equilibrium that the behavior of a system is attracted to and tends to imitate[1]



attrib.

attrib.
attrib.

Abbreviation of
attributive[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








attributable

attributable
at·trib·ut·a·ble 
[ə tríbbyətəb’l] adjective

caused by something:
caused or explained by something[1]



attribute

attribute
at·trib·ute 
transitive verb [ə tríbbyoot] (past
at·trib·ut·ed, past participle at·trib·ut·ed, present
participle at·trib·ut·ing, 3rd person present singular at·trib·utes)

1.  ascribe
a feature:
to think of something as caused by a particular circumstance • To
what do you attribute your success?

2.  give
credit:
to give credit for a certain thing, such as a work of art or literature, or a
saying, to a particular person, often wrongly • It’s
a bon mot that is often wrongly attributed to Saki.

3.  assign
qualities:
to regard somebody or something as having particular qualities • the
wisdom that she attributes to her favorite writers
noun
[áttri byt] (plural at·trib·utes)

quality or property:
a quality, property, or characteristic of somebody or something
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin attribut-, the past
participle stem of attribuere, literally “to allot to,” from tribuere
(see tribute ).]
—at·trib·ut·er [ə tríbbyootər], noun[1]



attribution

attribution
at·tri·bu·tion 
[àttrə bysh’n] noun

attributing something:
the ascribing of something to somebody or something, for example, a work of art
to a certain artist or circumstances to a particular cause[1]



attributive

attributive
at·trib·u·tive 
[ə tríbbyətiv] adjective

forming
part of noun phrase: forming part of a noun
phrase and typically preceding the noun. For example, the adjective “tiny” in
the noun phrase “one tiny problem” is in the attributive position.
—at·trib·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—at·trib·u·tive·ness, noun[1]



attrit

attrit
at·trit 
[ə trít] (past at·trit·ted, past
participle at·trit·ted, present participle at·trit·ting,
3rd person present singular at·trits) transitive verb

wear
down:
to wear something down little by little, especially enemy forces by constant
attacks (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from attrition .][1]



attrition

attrition
at·tri·tion 
[ə trísh’n] noun

1.  wearing
away of surface: the wearing away of a surface, typically
by friction or abrasion

2.  weakening
by persistent attack: the gradual wearing away of
morale and the powers of resistance by persistent attacks

3.  loss
of personnel: the gradual reduction of the size of a
workforce by not replacing personnel lost through retirement or resignation

4.  sorrow
for sin:
remorse for sin typically engendered by the fear of damnation
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin attrit-, the past participle stem of atterere,
literally “to rub away,” from terere “to rub” (see trite ).][1]



Attu

Attu
At·tu 
[á t]

most western of the Aleutian
Islands, Alaska. It is rocky and barren, and during World War II it was taken
by the Japanese in June 1942 and retaken by U.S. and Canadian forces in June
1943. Area: 1,010 sq km/390 sq mi.[1]



Attucks,Crispus

Attucks,Crispus

At·tucks
[áttəks], Crispus (1723?–1770)
American patriot. He was a sailor, and
perhaps escaped from slavery, who was killed in the Boston Massacre.[1]



attune

attune
at·tune 
[ə tn] (past at·tuned, past
participle at·tuned, present participle at·tun·ing, 3rd
person present singular at·tunes) transitive verb

adjust something to something
else: to adjust or accustom
something to become receptive or responsive to something else[1]



atty.

atty.
atty.

Abbreviation of
attorney[1]



Atty.Gen.

Atty.Gen.
Atty.
Gen.

Abbreviation of
attorney general[1]



ATV

ATV
ATV

Abbreviation of
all-terrain vehicle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Atwater

Atwater
At·wa·ter 
[át wòttər, át
wàwtər]

city in central California,
east of San Jose. Population: 23,638 (1996)[1]



atwitter

atwitter
a·twit·ter 
[ə twíttər] adjective

buzzing with excitement:
full of excited chatter about something[1]



Atwood,Margaret

Atwood,Margaret

At·wood
[át wd], Margaret (1939– )
Canadian writer whose works include poems
and novels such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” ( 1986 ).[1]



at.wt.

at.wt.
at.
wt.

Abbreviation of
atomic weight[1]



atypical

atypical
a·typ·i·cal 
[ay típpik’l] adjective

not typical:
not conforming to the usual type or expected pattern[1]



Au

Au
Au

Symbol
for
gold
[From Latin aurum (see
gold )][1]



A.U.

A.U.
A.U.

Abbreviation of
astronomical unit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








A.u.

A.u.
A.u.
or a.u.

Abbreviation of
angstrom unit[1]



aubade

aubade
au·bade 
[ō bd] (plural au·bades) noun

song
or poem to dawn: a song, poem, or piece of instrumental
music celebrating or greeting the dawn (literary)
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Provençal albada, from alba “dawn,” from Latin albus
“white” (see alb ).][1]



aubergine

aubergine
au·ber·gine 
[ṓbər zhn] (plural au·ber·gines)
noun

U.K.

See
also
eggplant
[Late 18th century. Via
French, Catalan, and Arabic from Persian bādingān .][1]



Aubertde Gaspé, Philippe-Joseph

Aubertde Gaspé, Philippe-Joseph
Au·bert
de Gaspé
[ō bàir də gsp], Philippe-Joseph
(1786–1871)

Canadian novelist, author of Les
Anciens Canadiens ( 1863 ).[1]



auburn

auburn
au·burn 
[áw bùrn] adjective

reddish
brown:
dark coppery red or reddish brown in color • auburn
hair
[15th
century. From Old French (influenced in sense by the similarity of the variant
spelling abrun to brun “brown”), from medieval Latin alburnus
“whitish,” from Latin albus “white.”]
—auburn, noun[1]



Auburn

Auburn
Au·burn 
[áwbərn]

1.  city
northwest of Phenix City, in east-central Alabama. Population: 37,664 (1996)

2.  city
in southwestern Maine, on the west bank of the Androscoggin River, north of
Lewiston. Population: 22,997 (1996)

3.  city
in central Massachusetts. It is a southeastern suburb of Worcester. Population:
15,002 (1996)

4.  city
in central New York, north of Lake Owasco. It is a southwestern suburb of
Syracuse. Population: 29,774 (1996)

5.  city
in west-central Washington, south of Seattle. Population: 36,393 (1996)

[1]



A.U.C.

A.U.C.
A.U.C.

(used by Roman classical
writers to specify the dates of events in terms of the number of years since
Rome’s foundation in 753 BC)Abbreviation
of ab urbe condita[1]



Auckland

Auckland
Auck·land 
[áwklənd]

1.  administrative
region of New Zealand, located in northwestern North Island and including the
city of Auckland. Population: 1,077,205 (1996) Area: 16,282 sq km/6,287 sq mi.

2.  the
largest city in New Zealand, located in northwestern North Island. Founded in
1840, it is a commercial and industrial center and port. Population: 997,940
(1996)

[1]



aucontraire

aucontraire
au
con·traire 
[ō kòn traír] adverb

on
the contrary: indeed, the opposite is really the case
[From French, literally “to
the contrary”][1]



aucourant

aucourant
au
cou·rant 
[ k róN] adjective

knowing
latest developments: abreast of the latest
developments
[From French, literally “in
the current”][1]



auction

auction
auc·tion 
[áwksh’n] noun

1.  (plural
auc·tions) sale by bidding:
a sale of goods or property at which intending buyers bid against one another
for individual items. Each item is sold to the bidder offering the highest
price.

2.  BRIDGE bidding
in game of bridge: the bidding phase in a game
of bridge, during which players contract to win a certain number of tricks if a
certain suit is trumps
intransitive
and transitive verb (past auc·tioned,
past participle auc·tioned, present participle auc·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular auc·tions)

sell at auction:
to sell goods by auction
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem auction-, literally “increase,” from augere
(see augment ).]
—auc·tion·a·ble, adjective[1]



auctionbridge

auctionbridge
auc·tion
bridge
noun

bridge in which all tricks
count: a form of bridge in which
all tricks won count toward the score, as distinct from contract bridge, in
which only those tricks contracted to win count[1]



auctioneer

auctioneer
auc·tion·eer 
[àwkshə nr] (plural auc·tion·eers)
noun

somebody
conducting an auction: somebody who is in charge of
and announces the bids at an auction
—auc·tion·eer·ing, noun[1]



aud.

aud.
aud.

1.  Abbreviation
of
audit

2.  Abbreviation
of
auditor

[1]



AUD

AUD
AUD

Abbreviation of
Australian dollar[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








audacious

audacious
au·da·cious 
[aw dáyshəss] adjective

daring:
bold, daring, or fearless, especially in challenging assumptions or conventions
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin audac-, the stem of audax “bold,” from
audere “to dare,” from avidus (see avidity
).]
—au·da·cious·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bold

[1]



audaciously

audaciously
au·da·cious·ly
[aw dáyshəsslee] adverb

boldly:
in a bold way that challenges assumptions or conventions[1]



audacity

audacity
au·dac·i·ty 
[aw dássətee] noun

1.  boldness
or daring:
daring or willingness to challenge assumptions or conventions or tackle
something difficult or dangerous

2.  impudence:
lack of respect in somebody’s behavior toward another

[1]



Auden,W. H.

Auden,W. H.

Au·den
[áwd’n], W. H. (1907–1973)
British-born
U.S. poet and dramatist. One of the most influential poets of his generation,
he wrote numerous works including “September 1939” and “Lullaby”,
and won the Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Anxiety ( 1947 ).
Full name
Auden, Wystan Hugh[1]



audi-

audi-
audi-
prefix

See
audio-[1]



audial

audial
au·di·al 
[áwdiəl] adjective

of
hearing or sounds: relating to hearing or
sounds
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from audio .][1]



audible

audible
au·di·ble 
[áwdib’l] adjective

capable
of being heard: loud or clear enough to be heard • an
audible gasp from the crowd
noun
(plural au·di·bles)

call
for new tactic: in football, a new play called out in
coded form by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage
[15th
century. From late Latin audibilis, from Latin audire “to hear.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to perceive,” which is also the
ancestor of English audience, obey, and aesthetic
.]
—au·di·bil·i·ty
[àwdi bíllətee], noun

—au·di·ble·ness [áwdəb’lnəss], noun[1]



audibly

audibly
au·di·bly 
[áwdəblee] adverb

loudly enough to hear:
loudly enough to allow others to hear • a
man in the back row sobbing audibly as the play ended[1]



audience

audience
au·di·ence 
[áwdee əns] (plural au·di·ences)
noun

1.  people
watching live performance: a group of people who are
watching and listening to a show, concert, or other live performance

2.  people
watching or listening to broadcast: the
viewers of a movie or a television program, or the listeners to a radio
program,

3.  author’s
readership:
the people who read a particular writer’s books

4.  formal
interview:
a formal, usually prearranged, interview with somebody important
[14th century. Via French
from Latin audientia, literally “a hearing,” from audire “to
hear” (see audible ).][1]



audile

audile
au·dile 
[áw dl] (plural au·diles) adjective

See
auditory
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin audire “to hear” (see audible
).][1]



audio

audio
au·di·o 
[áwdee ] noun

sound
recording:
the recording and reproduction of sound
[Early 20th century. The
prefix audio-, used as a word.][1]



audio-

audio-
audio-
or audi- prefix

sound,
hearing • audiogram
[From Latin audire “to
hear” (see audible )][1]



audiobook

audiobook
au·di·o
book
(plural au·di·o books) noun

recorded book:
a commercial recording, usually on a cassette tape, of somebody reading the
text of a well-known book[1]



audiocassette

audiocassette
au·dio·cas·sette 
[àwdee ō kə sét] (plural au·dio·cas·settes)
noun

audiotape cassette:
a cassette containing an audiotape, for use in a tape recorder[1]



audioclip

audioclip
au·di·o
clip 
(plural au·di·o clips) noun

sound extract:
an extract from a longer sound recording, for example, from a movie soundtrack,
that can be listened to on a personal computer[1]



audiofrequency

audiofrequency
au·di·o
fre·quen·cy
(plural au·di·o fre·quen·cies) noun

frequency heard by human ear:
a frequency that is audible to the human ear, between 20 and 20,000 hertz in
people with normal hearing[1]



audiogram

audiogram
au·dio·gram 
[áwdee ō gràm] (plural au·dio·grams)
noun

recording of somebody’s
hearing: a tracing produced by an
audiometer, recording the sharpness of somebody’s hearing[1]



audiology

audiology
au·di·ol·o·gy 
[àwdee ólləjee] noun

study
of hearing:
the scientific study of hearing, especially for diagnosing and treating hearing
defects
—au·di·o·log·i·cal
[àwdee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—au·di·ol·o·gist [àwdee ólləjist], noun[1]



audiometer

audiometer
au·di·om·e·ter 
[àwdee ómmətər] (plural au·di·om·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for testing hearing: an instrument for testing
the ability of a human ear to detect sounds over a range of frequencies and
intensities
—au·di·o·met·ric
[àwdee ō méttrik], adjective

—au·di·om·e·try [àwdee ómmətree], noun[1]



audiophile

audiophile
au·di·o·phile 
[áwdee ō fl] (plural au·di·o·philes)
noun

hi-fi enthusiast:
somebody who has an enthusiasm for sound reproduction, especially high-fidelity
recordings or broadcasts of music[1]



audiotape

audiotape
au·di·o·tape 
[áwdee ō tàyp] (plural au·di·o·tapes)
noun

1.  sound-recording
tape:
magnetic tape for recording sound, or a length of this, typically in a cassette

2.  sound
recording on tape: a sound recording on
magnetic tape, especially an audiocassette for use in a tape recorder

[1]



audiovisual

audiovisual
au·di·o·vis·u·al 
[àwdi ō vízhoo əl] adjective

1.  of
sound and vision: relating to sound and vision, especially
when combined, for example, in a presentation using both film and sound
recordings

2.  of
hearing and sight: relating to the faculties of
hearing and seeing
noun
(plural au·di·o·vis·u·als)

teaching aid using sound and vision:
a teaching or lecture aid that combines sound and vision, for example, in the
form of video equipment, software programs, or slides accompanied by sound
recordings.
U.K.
term
audiovisual aid

[1]



audiovisualaid

audiovisualaid
au·di·o·vi·sual
aid
(plural au·di·o·vi·sual aids) noun

U.K.
See audiovisual[1]



audit

audit
au·dit 
[áwdət] noun (plural au·dits)

1.  check
of accounts: a formal examination, correction, and
official endorsing of financial accounts, especially those of a business,
undertaken annually by an accountant

2.  efficiency
check:
a systematic check or assessment, especially of the efficiency or effectiveness
of an organization or department, typically carried out by an independent
assessor
transitive
verb
(past au·dit·ed, past participle au·dit·ed, present
participle au·dit·ing, 3rd person present singular au·dits)

1.  carry
out audit:
to carry out an audit of the financial accounts of a business, department, or
organization to establish accuracy or efficiency

2.  sit
in on class: to attend a class without asking for or
receiving graduation credit for it, usually attending all the sessions but not
doing the assignments
[15th
century. From Latin auditus “hearing,” from audit-, the past
participle stem of audire “to hear” (see audible
); so called because originally the accounts were read aloud.]
—au·dit·a·ble, adjective[1]



auditee

auditee
au·di·tee 
[àwdi t] (plural au·di·tees) noun

somebody or something being
audited: a person or organization
that is being audited[1]



audition

audition
au·di·tion 
[aw dísh’n] noun (plural au·di·tions)

1.  test
performance by candidate: a test in the form of a
short performance, taken, for example, by an actor applying for a role in a
movie or play

2.  PHYSIOLOGY hearing:
the sense, faculty, or process of hearing
intransitive
and transitive verb (past au·di·tioned,
past participle au·di·tioned, present participle au·di·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular au·di·tions)

do or give an audition:
to do an audition or give somebody an audition for a role
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin stem audition-, literally “hearing,” from audire (see audible ).][1]



auditive

auditive
au·di·tive 
[áwdətiv] adjective

See
auditory
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin audire “to hear” (see audible ).][1]



auditor

auditor
au·di·tor 
[áwdətər] (plural au·di·tors) noun

1.  BUSINESS somebody
checking accounts or systems: somebody who is qualified to
audit accounts or to conduct an audit of a department or organization

2.  student
sitting in on class: a student who attends a
class without asking for or receiving graduation credit

3.  hearer:
a hearer or listener, for example, a member of an audience or somebody
listening to somebody who is talking (formal)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin auditor “hearer,” from audire (see audible ).][1]



auditor-general

auditor-general
au·di·tor-gen·er·al
(plural au·di·tor-gen·er·als or au·di·tors-gen·er·al)
noun

independent auditor reporting
on government spending: in Canada,
an independent auditor who prepares annual reports on federal government
spending, including the spending of some Crown corporations[1]



auditorium

auditorium
au·di·to·ri·um 
[àwdi táwree əm] (plural au·di·to·ri·ums
or au·di·to·ri·a [àwdə táwree ə])
noun

1.  hall
or lecture room: a hall or a building with a hall that is
used for lectures, concerts, and other events

2.  part
of theater where audience sits: the area of a theater
or concert hall where the audience sits
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “a place for hearing,” formed from audire (see audible ).][1]



auditory

auditory
au·di·to·ry 
[áwdə tàwree] adjective

relating
to hearing:
relating to the sense, organs, or process of hearing
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin auditorius, from Latin audire (see audible
).][1]



auditorynerve

auditorynerve
au·di·to·ry
nerve
(plural au·di·to·ry nerves) noun

nerve connecting inner ear to
brain: either of the eighth pair of
cranial nerves, which convey impulses relating to hearing and balance from the
inner ear to the brain.
Also called
acoustic nerve[1]



audittrail

audittrail
au·dit
trail
(plural au·dit trails) noun

record of operations:
a record kept, for example, by a computer, of a sequence of events or
transactions[1]



Audubon,John James

Audubon,John James


Au·du·bon
[áwdə bòn], John James (1785–1851)
Haitian-born U.S. ornithologist,
naturalist, and artist who was known for Birds of America ( 1826–1838 ).[1]



aufait

aufait
au
fait 
[ō fáy] adjective

up
to date with something: abreast of the latest
developments in something, or supplied with the most recent facts about
something
[From French, literally “to
the fact”][1]



aug.

aug.
aug.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of augmentative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Aug.

Aug.
Aug.

Abbreviation of
August[1]



Augean

Augean
Au·ge·an 
[aw j ən] adjective

1.  filthy:
disgustingly dirty, like the Augean stables

2.  difficult:
extremely difficult and unpleasant

[1]



Augeanstables

Augeanstables
Au·ge·an
sta·bles
noun

stables
cleaned by Hercules: in Greek mythology, the
stables owned by King Augeas that had not been cleaned in 30 years. One of
Hercules’ tasks was to clean them in one day, which he achieved by diverting
two rivers through them.
cleanse
the Augean stables

to put something that is extremely
chaotic and disorganized into a state of order[1]



auger

auger
au·ger 
[áwgər] (plural au·gers) noun

hand
tool for boring: a hand tool with a corkscrew-shaped bit
for boring holes, or a larger tool, using the same principle, for boring holes
in the ground
[Old English nafogār,
formed from nave 2 and gār
“spear” (see gore 1 ). The
initial “n” was lost in the 16th century by false division of “a nauger” as “an
auger.”][1]



aught

aught
aught
[awt] pronoun

anything:
anything whatever (archaic literary)
[Old English āwiht,
literally “ever a thing.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was
formed from the ancestors of English aye 2 and wight .][1]



augite

augite
au·gite 
[áw jt, áwgt]
noun

dark
green mineral: a dark green mineral of the pyroxene
group, containing aluminum, calcium, iron, and magnesium. It is found in
igneous rock.
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin augites, a precious stone (possibly turquoise), from Greek augitēs,
from augē “luster.”][1]



augment

augment
aug·ment 
[àwg mént] verb (past aug·ment·ed,
past participle aug·ment·ed, present participle aug·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular aug·ments)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase:
to grow, or to increase something in number, amount, size, strength, or
intensity (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
MUSIC enlarge
interval by semitone: in music, to enlarge a
perfect or major interval by a semitone
noun
(plural aug·ments)

GRAMMAR prefixed
vowel:
in Greek or Sanskrit grammar, a vowel prefixed to a verb, or added to its
initial vowel so as to lengthen it into a diphthong, to form a past tense
[14th
century.Via French from, ultimately, Latin augere “to increase” (source
also of English auction ). Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English wax, eke,
and august .]
—aug·ment·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



augmentation

augmentation
aug·men·ta·tion 
[àwgmən táysh’n, àwg
men táysh’n] (plural aug·men·ta·tions) noun

1.  increase:
the increasing, or growth, of something in number, amount, size, strength, or
intensity, or the amount by which something grows or is added to • augmentation
in costs

2.  MUSIC increasing
note values: the technique of varying a theme by
increasing its note values proportionally

[1]



augmentative

augmentative
aug·men·ta·tive 
[awg méntətiv] adjective

1.  causing
an increase: tending to add to or increase something
or to enable something to grow or increase (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR denoting
great size or importance: used to describe an affix,
such as Spanish “-ote” or Italian “-one,” that signifies great size or
importance, or a word to which an affix of this kind has been added
noun
(plural aug·men·ta·tives)

GRAMMAR augmentative
affix or word: an affix signifying great size or
importance, or a word to which an affix of this kind has been added

[1]



augmented

augmented
aug·ment·ed 
[awg méntəd] adjective

enlarged by semitone:
in music, used to describe a perfect or major interval that has been enlarged
by a semitone[1]



augratin

augratin
au
gra·tin 
[ grt’n, 
grátt’n,  graa tN] adjective

with
a browned crust: sprinkled with breadcrumbs, sometimes
mixed with grated cheese, and browned before serving
[From French, literally “with
a gratin crust”][1]



augur

augur
au·gur 
[áwgər] noun (plural au·gurs)

1.  interpreter
of messages from Roman dieties: a religious official
in ancient Rome who interpreted natural phenomena, such as the flight of birds,
as signs that the dieties favored or disapproved of actions proposed by the
city

2.  soothsayer
or prophet:
any soothsayer, prophet, or diviner
transitive
verb
(past au·gured, past participle au·gured, present
participle au·gur·ing, 3rd person present singular au·gurs)

indicate what will happen:
to suggest or indicate what will happen in the future
[14th
century. From Latin (source also of English inaugurate ). Probably ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to increase,” which in Latin developed the
sense “divine favor” (see augment ).]
—au·gu·ral [áwgyərəl, áwgərəl],
adjective[1]



augury

augury
au·gu·ry 
[áwgyəree, áwgəree]
(plural au·gu·ries) noun

1.  divination:
the art, activity, prophecies, or pronouncements of an augur, soothsayer, or
diviner

2.  portent
or omen:
an indication of what will happen in the future

[1]



august

august
au·gust 
[aw gúst] adjective

dignified
and splendid: full of solemn splendor and dignity (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin augustus . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to increase,” which is also the ancestor of English wax, eke, and augment .][1]



August

August
Au·gust 
[áwgəst] (plural Au·gusts) noun

eighth
month of year: the eighth month of the year in the
Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days.
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
augustus, named for the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.][1]



Augusta

Augusta
Au·gus·ta 
[aw gústə, ə
gústə]

1.  city
on the western bank of the Savannah River in east-central Georgia, previously
known as Fort Cornwallis. Population: 41,783 (1996)

2.  capital
of Maine and vacation resort, in the southwest of the state, on the Kennebec
River. Population: 20,441 (1996)

[1]



Augustan

Augustan
Au·gus·tan 
[aw gústən] adjective

1.  of
Augustus Caesar or his time: relating to the Roman
emperor Augustus Caesar, to his reign, or to the classical writers, including
Virgil, Ovid, and Horace, who flourished during this period

2.  characterized
by classical writing: relating to any period or
the writers or works of a period during which writing in the classical style
flourished, especially during 17th-century France and 18th-century England
noun
(plural Au·gus·tans)

Augustan writer or student:
a writer from an Augustan period, or somebody who studies Augustan literature

[1]



Augustine,Saint

Augustine,Saint
Au·gus·tine 
[áwgə stn, aw
gústin], Saint

Roman priest. Sent by Pope
Gregory I to convert the Anglo-Saxons, he became the first Archbishop of
Canterbury ( 597–604 ).[1]



Augustine,Saint

Augustine,Saint
Au·gus·tine
[áwgə stn, aw
gústin], Saint (354–430)

Roman priest and theologian.
His masterpiece, De Civitate Dei ( The City of God ), greatly
influenced the development of Christianity. He was bishop of Hippo, North
Africa, from 396 until his death.[1]



Augustinian

Augustinian
Au·gus·tin·i·an 
[àwgə stínnee ən] adjective

of
St. Augustine: relating to St. Augustine of Hippo, or
to his teachings, or to any of the Christian religious orders living according
to his rule or system of monastic life.
noun
(plural Au·gus·tin·i·ans)

follower of Augustine or his
rule: a follower of St. Augustine,
especially a member of one of the religious orders living according to his
rule.[1]



Augustus

Augustus

Au·gus·tus 
[aw gústəss] (63 BC–AD 14)
Roman emperor. The founder of the Roman
Empire, he was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He succeeded his adoptive
father as absolute ruler in 27 BC
after a period of civil war.[1]



auk

auk
auk 
[awk] (plural auks) noun

black-and-white
sea bird:
a small black-and-white heavy-bodied sea bird that belongs to the puffin
family. Auks are found in cool northern seas and are skilled divers for fish.
Family: Alcidae
[Late 17th century. Via
Norwegian alk from Old Norse álka .][1]



auklet

auklet
auk·let 
[áwklət] (plural auk·lets) noun

small N Pacific bird:
a small auk found in the North Pacific that nests in burrows or rock slides.
Family: Alcidae[1]



auldlang syne

auldlang syne
auld
lang syne 
[áwld lang zn] noun

Scotland
times
long past:
old times or times long gone (archaic)
[Literally “old long since,”
“old long ago”][1]



aunaturel

aunaturel
au
na·tu·rel 
[ náchə rél] adverb adjective

1.  simply
or uncooked: served simply and plainly, for example,
uncooked or without seasoning or salt

2.  nude:
wearing no clothes (humorous)
[From French, literally “in
the natural state”][1]



AungSan Suu Kyi, Daw

AungSan Suu Kyi, Daw

Aung San Suu Kyi
[áwng san soo k], Daw (1945– )
Burmese human rights activist who won the
Nobel Peace Prize (1991) for establishing Burma’s National League for Democracy
(NLD) party.[1]



AungSan, U

AungSan, U
Aung
San
[awng sán], U (1916?–1947)

Burmese nationalist leader.
He became prime minister of British Burma after World War II and negotiated
Burmese independence.[1]



aunt

aunt
aunt 
[ant, aant]
(plural aunts) noun

father’s
or mother’s sister: somebody’s mother’s or
father’s sister, or somebody’s uncle’s wife, a word used before her first name
as a title or form of address
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin amita “father’s sister.”]
—aunt·hood, noun[1]



auntie

auntie
aunt·ie
[ántee, ntee]
(plural aunt·ies) or aunt·y [ántee, ntee] (plural
aunt·ies) noun

aunt:
an aunt or close woman friend of a child’s parents (informal)[1]



aunty

aunty
aunt·y
[ántee] (plural aunt·ies) noun

See
auntie[1]



aupair

aupair
au
pair 
[ páir] (plural au pairs) noun

international
student working as domestic helper: a
young person from another country living with a family to learn the language,
and helping with childcare and domestic work in return for room and board
[From French, literally “on
equal terms”][1]



aura

aura
au·ra 
[áwrə] (plural au·ras or
au·rae [áwree]) noun

1.  distinctive
quality:
a characteristic or distinctive impression created by somebody or something • an
aura of mystery

2.  PARANORMAL force
emanating from somebody or something: a
force that is said to surround all people and objects, discernible, often as a
bright glow, only to people of unusual psychic sensitivity

3.  MEDICINE warning
sensation before epileptic episode: a
distinctive sensation or visual disturbance that may signal the beginning of an
epileptic episode or a migraine headache
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin,
“gentle breeze,” from Greek .][1]



aural

aural
au·ral
[áwrəl] adjective

of
hearing or sound: relating to the ear, hearing, or to
receptiveness and response to speech or other sounds
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin auris “ear.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “ear,” which is also the ancestor of English ear and scout
.]
—au·ral·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  aural
  or oral ?
  These
  two words are often confused because they are pronounced in a similar way and
  have meanings that are close. Essentially aural
  has to do with hearing whereas oral has to do with speaking. An aural test is a medical examination of the ears,
  whereas an oral test is any kind of test in which the answers are
  spoken rather than written.

[1]



aurar

aurar
au·rar


Plural of
eyrir[1]



aureate

aureate
au·re·ate 
[áwree ət, áwree
àyt] adjective

1.  golden:
gold, gilded, golden, or gold-colored

2.  elaborately
worded:
expressed or written in a highly or excessively ornamented, florid, or
elaborate style
[15th century. From Latin aureatus,
from aureus “golden,” from aurum “gold.”][1]



aurei

aurei
au·rei

Plural of
aureus[1]



aureole

aureole
au·re·ole 
[áwri l] (plural au·re·oles) or
au·re·o·la [aw r ələ] (plural
au·re·o·las) noun

1.  halo:
a painted or carved representation of a circle of light around the head of a
divine being or a saint

2.  METEOROLOGY See corona  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from late Latin corona aureola, literally “golden crown.”][1]



aureus

aureus
au·re·us
[áwree əss] (plural au·re·i [áwree ]) noun

Roman
coin:
a gold coin that was a unit of currency in the Roman Empire between 30 BC and AD
310
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, noun use of aureus “golden” (see aureate
).][1]



aurevoir

aurevoir
au
re·voir 
[àw rəv wr,  rəv
wr] interjection

goodbye:
goodbye till we see each other again
[From French, literally
“until seeing again”][1]



auri-

auri-2
auri-2 prefix

gold
• auriferous
[From Latin aurum (see
aurum )][1]



auri-

auri-1
auri-1 prefix

ear,
hearing • auriform
[from Latin auris (see
aural )][1]



auric

auric
au·ric 
[áwrik] adjective

containing
gold:
containing gold with a valence of three • auric
oxide
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin aurum “gold.”][1]



auricle

auricle
au·ri·cle 
[áwrək’l] (plural au·ri·cles) noun

1.  visible
part of ear: the part of the external ear that
projects outward from the head.
Also
called
pinna

2.  part
of heart chamber: an ear-shaped muscular part that sticks
out from the surface of each upper chamber ( atrium
) of the heart

3.  atrium:
an atrium of the heart (dated)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin auricula, literally “little ear,” from auris
“ear” (see aural ).]
—au·ri·cled, adjective[1]



auricula

auricula
au·ric·u·la 
[aw ríkyələ] (plural au·ric·u·las
or au·ric·u·lae [aw ríkyə l, aw ríkyə l]) noun

alpine
primrose:
a yellow-flowered alpine primrose with leaves shaped like a bear’s ear. Latin
name: Primula auricula
Also
called
bear’s ear
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
(see auricle ).][1]



auricular

auricular
au·ric·u·lar 
[aw ríkyələr] adjective

1.  ear-shaped:
shaped like an ear

2.  relating
to hearing organs: relating to the ear or to
the sense of hearing

3.  relating
to heart chambers: relating to the ear-shaped
muscular part ( auricle ) on the surface of
each upper chamber ( atrium ) of the heart

[1]



auriculate

auriculate
au·ric·u·late 
[aw ríkyələt, aw
ríkyə làyt] adjective

1.  with
ear-shaped leaf attachment: used to describe leaves that
have an attachment at the base that is shaped like an ear

2.  with
ears:
relating to an animal that has ears, auricles, or extensions that resemble
earlobes

[1]



auriferous

auriferous
au·rif·er·ous 
[aw ríffərəss] adjective

yielding gold:
used to describe rock or minerals that contain gold[1]



Auriga

Auriga
Au·ri·ga
[aw rgə] noun

a large prominent
constellation of northern hemisphere:
a large and prominent constellation of the northern hemisphere lying on the
Milky Way between Gemini and Perseus. It contains the bright star Capella.[1]



Aurignacian

Aurignacian
Au·rig·na·cian 
[àwrig náysh’n, àwrin
yáysh’n] adjective

of
a prehistoric European culture: belonging to a
prehistoric culture associated with Cro-Magnon people in Europe around the
period 30,000 to 22,000 B.C.
[Early 20th century. Named
for the village of Aurignac in southern France, where the first evidence
of such a culture was discovered.][1]



aurochs

aurochs
au·rochs 
[ów ròks, áw
ròks] (plural au·rochs) noun

extinct
wild ox:
a long-horned wild ox, now extinct but thought to be an ancestor of modern
domestic cattle. The auroch s once inhabited the forests of North Africa,
Europe, and Southwest Asia.
Also
called
urus
[Late 18th century. From
German, variant of Auerochs, literally “original ox.”][1]



aurora

aurora
au·ro·ra 
[àw ráwrə, ə
ráwrə] (plural au·ro·ras or au·ro·rae [àw ráwree]) noun

1.  northern
or southern lights: a phenomenon occurring in
the night sky around the polar regions, caused by atmospheric gases interacting
with solar particles to create streamers, folds, or arches of colored light

2.  au·ro·ra
or Au·ro·ra dawn:
the dawn, usually personified or regarded, as in classical literature, as a
goddess
[15th
century. From Latin, “dawn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
shine,” which is also the ancestor of English east
and Easter .]
—au·ro·ral, adjective[1]



Aurora

Aurora
Au·ro·ra 
[aw ráwrə, ə
ráwrə]

1.  city
in northeastern Colorado. It is a northern suburb of Denver. Population:
252,341 (1996)

2.  city
southwest of Chicago in northeastern Illinois, on the east bank of the Fox
River. Population: 116,405 (1996)

[1]



auroraaustralis

auroraaustralis
au·ro·ra
aus·tra·lis 
[aw ràwrə aw stráyliss] noun

colored
lights in southern skies: the colored lights seen in
the skies around the South Pole.
Also
called
southern lights
[From modern Latin, literally
“southern aurora”][1]



auroraborealis

auroraborealis

au·ro·ra
bo·re·al·is 
[aw ràwrə bawree álliss] noun
colored
lights in northern skies: the colored lights seen in
the skies around the North Pole.
Also
called
northern lights
[From modern Latin, literally
“northern aurora”][1]



auroratrout

auroratrout
au·ro·ra
trout
(plural au·ro·ra trout or au·ro·ra trouts) noun

rare Canadian brook trout:
a rare, brilliantly colored, unspotted brook trout found in northern Ontario.
Latin name: Salvelinus fontinalis[1]



AUS

AUS
AUS

Abbreviation of
Army of the United States[1]



Aus.

Aus.
Aus.

Abbreviation
of
Australia


Abbreviation
of
Australian


Abbreviation
of
Austria


Abbreviation of
Austrian[1]



Auschwitz

Auschwitz
Ausch·witz 
[ów shwits]

site of the largest Nazi
concentration camp, where between 1.4 and 4 million people were murdered
between 1941 and 1945. Situated in southern Poland, southeast of Katowice, it
is now a museum and archive.[1]



AuschwitzLie

AuschwitzLie
Ausch·witz
Lie 
noun

denial of Holocaust:
denial that the attempted extermination of the Jews by the Nazis ever took
place[1]



auscultate

auscultate
aus·cul·tate 
[áwskəl tàyt] (past aus·cul·tat·ed,
past participle aus·cul·tat·ed, present participle aus·cul·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular aus·cul·tates) transitive verb

listen
with stethoscope: to listen to various sounds made by a
patient’s internal organs, usually with the help of a stethoscope, in order to
make a diagnosis
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from auscultation .]
—aus·cul·ta·tive
[áwskəl tàytiv], adjective

—aus·cul·ta·to·ry [aw skúltə tàwree], adjective[1]



auscultation

auscultation
aus·cul·ta·tion 
[àwskəl táysh’n] noun

examination
with stethoscope: listening to the sounds made by a
patient’s internal organs, especially the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs,
usually with a stethoscope, in order to make a diagnosis
[Mid-17th century. From the
Latin stem auscultation-, from auscultare “to listen to.”][1]



auslander

auslander
aus·land·er 
[óws làndər] (plural aus·land·ers)
noun

somebody
from elsewhere: somebody from another country or area or
who is an outsider
[Mid-20th century. From
German Ausländer, literally “outlander.”][1]



auslese

auslese
aus·le·se
[òwss láyzə] noun

quality
graded German wine: a middle grade of
high-quality German table wine, made from selected late-picked grapes and
typically medium sweet to sweet
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “selection.”][1]



auspice

auspice
aus·pice 
[áwspəss] noun (plural aus·pi·ces
[áwspəsseess])

omen:
a sign or token for the future, especially a happy or promising one
plural
noun
aus·pi·ces

support:
the help or support of a person or organization • a
study conducted under the auspices of the United Nations
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin auspicium “taking omens,” from auspex “soothsayer,”
originally literally “somebody who foretells the future by studying the flight
pattern of birds,” from avis “bird” + a stem of specere “to
look.”][1]



auspicious

auspicious
aus·pi·cious 
[aw spíshəss] adjective

promising
well for future: marked by lucky signs or good omens, and
therefore by the promise of success or happiness
—aus·pi·cious·ly,
adverb

—aus·pi·cious·ness, noun[1]



Aussie

Aussie
Aus·sie 
[áwsee] adjective

Australian:
Australian (informal)
noun
(plural Aus·sies)

an
Australian:
somebody who is Australian (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Aust.

Aust.
Aust.

Abbreviation
of
Australia


Abbreviation
of
Australian


Abbreviation
of
Austria


Abbreviation of
Austrian[1]



austenite

austenite
aus·ten·ite 
[áwstə nìt] noun

carbon-iron
component of steel: a solid solution of carbon
in iron that occurs as a component of steel at a certain stage of manufacture
[Early
20th century. Named for the English metallurgist Sir William Roberts- Austen
(1843–1902).]
—aus·ten·it·ic [àwstə níttik], adjective[1]



Austen,Jane

Austen,Jane

Aus·ten
[áwstən], Jane (1775–1817)
British novelist, writer of elegant,
satirical fiction, including Pride and Prejudice ( 1813 ).[1]



austere

austere
aus·tere 
[aw str] adjective

1.  suggesting
physical hardship: imposing or suggesting
physical hardship

2.  unsmiling:
grimly unsmiling, humorless, or suggesting strict self-denial

3.  plain
and without luxury: plain and simple, without
luxury or self-indulgence

4.  plain
in style or design: severely plain in design or
lines, without distractions or decoration
[14th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek austēros . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “dry, harsh,” which is also the ancestor of English sere and sear
.]
—aus·tere·ly,
adverb

—aus·tere·ness, noun[1]



austerity

austerity
aus·ter·i·ty 
[aw stérrətee] (plural aus·ter·i·ties)
noun

1.  severity
or plainness: severity of discipline, regime,
expression, or design

2.  economy
measure:
a saving, economy, or act of self-denial, especially in respect of something
regarded as a luxury

3.  ECONOMICS enforced
thrift:
thrift imposed as government policy, with restricted access to or availability
of consumer goods

[1]



Austerlitz

Austerlitz
Aus·ter·litz 
[áwstər lìts, ówstər
lìts]

site of a major battle in
1805 in what is now the eastern Czech Republic, when Napoleon defeated Russian
and Austrian forces[1]



Austin

Austin
Aus·tin 
[áwstin]

capital of Texas and
university town in the south of the state, on the Colorado River. Population:
541,278 (1996)[1]



Austin,Stephen Fuller

Austin,Stephen Fuller
Aus·tin 
[áwstin], Stephen Fuller (1793–1836)

U.S. political leader. He
encouraged the settlement of Texas and became Texas’s first secretary of state.[1]



austral

austral2
aus·tral2 [ówstrəl]
(plural aus·trals or aus·tral·es) noun

1.  unit
of currency in Argentina: a subunit of currency in
Argentina

2.  coin
worth an austral: a coin worth an austral
[Late 20th century. Via
Spanish from Latin australis (see austral 1 .][1]



Austral.

Austral.
Austral.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Australasia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Australia


Abbreviation of
Australian

[1]



austral

austral1
aus·tral1 [áwstrəl]
adjective

southern:
relating to, belonging to, or coming from the south
[15th century. From Latin australis,
from auster “south,” of unknown origin.][1]



Australasia

Australasia
Aus·tral·a·sia 
[àwstrəl áyzhə]

region
consisting of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and neighboring islands of
the South Pacific
—Aus·tral·a·sian, adjective,
noun[1]



Australia




Back to definition

Australia

[1]



Australia

Australia



Aus·tra·lia 
[aw stráylee ə]
country occupying the continent of
Australia. Australia was founded in 1901. Language: English. Currency:
Australian dollar. Capital: Canberra. Population: 18,311,000 (1996) Area:
7,682,300 sq km/2,966,200 sq mi.[1]



Australian

Australian
Aus·tra·lian 
[aw stráylee ən] adjective

1.  of
Australia:
relating to Australia, or its people or culture

2.  of
Aboriginal languages of Australia: relating to the family
of languages spoken in Australia before European settlement. Most Australian
languages are now extinct or approaching extinction.
noun
(plural Aus·tra·lians)

1.  somebody
from Australia: somebody who was born in or who is a
citizen of Australia

2.  Australian
English:
the form of English that is spoken in Australia

[1]



Australianballot

Australianballot
Aus·tra·lian
bal·lot
(plural Aus·tra·lian bal·lots) noun

See
secret ballot[1]



AustralianEnglish

AustralianEnglish
Aus·tra·lian
En·glish

the
form of English spoken in Australian as distinct from other forms of English
such as American English or British English





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Australian English is the English
  language as used in the Commonwealth of Australia, population 15 million,
  which is, with Canada, third in size and distinctness among the primary
  English-speaking countries. English has been used in Australia for about 200
  years. Australian English, after the United States and the United Kingdom, is
  markedly homogeneous, with three kinds of accent: (1) Cultivated
  Australian, similar to Received Pronunciation in the United Kingdom, and
  formerly highly regarded; (2) Broad Australian, often compared with
  Cockney; and (3) General Australian, the majority variety, occupying
  the social middle ground. Australian English is “non-rhotic” (that is, r
  is not pronounced in words such as art, door, and worker
  ), the vowel in can’t dance is closer to that in “kent dense” than in
  “cahnt dahnce” or “kaynt daynce,” and the Broad version of I’m going there
  today sounds to some ears like “I’m going there to die.” Australian
  English and British English spelling are generally identical (with some
  ambivalence in the -or/our endings, most notably in U.S.-style Labor,
  the name of a political party). Grammar is comparable to general usage in
  both Britain and the United States, but Australian English has a large and
  distinctive home-grown vocabulary that includes: (1) Adoptions from
  Aboriginal languages, with a penchant for spelling with double letters (as in
  corroboree and kookaburra ) and mainly relating to animals,
  plants, objects, and localities, for example, billabong, boomerang,
  didgeridoo, dingo, koala, Murrumbidgee, Woomera
  ) a process similar to American English’s adoption from Native American
  languages; (2) Extensions in meaning of everyday words, for example, to
  feel crook “to feel ill,” to farewell someone “to give someone a
  farewell party,” mob “a flock or group (of sheep, kangaroos, etc.),” station
  “a ranch,” as in sheep station ; (3) Extensions or shifts in the
  meaning of British dialect words, such as cobber (a friend, mate), dinkum
  “reliable, genuine,” dunny “a lavatory,” wowser “a spoilsport,
  prude”; (4) Distinctive informal word endings, e.g., -o in abbreviations such
  as arvo “afternoon” and journo “journalist,” and -ie in
  names for workers, such as truckie “truck-driver” and wharfie
  “stevedore.” See NEW ZEALAND ENGLISH.

[1]



Australianism

Australianism
Aus·tra·lian·ism
[aw sstráylee ə nìzzəm] (plural Aus·tra·lian·isms)
noun

Australian word or
expression: a word or expression that
originated in, or is used mainly in, Australia[1]



AustralianRules

AustralianRules
Aus·tra·lian
Rules
or Aus·tra·lian Rules foot·ball noun

Australian sport like rugby:
an Australian game resembling rugby, played on an oval field with 18 to a team
and a large oval ball that can be punched, kicked, or carried (takes a singular
verb)
Also called
National Code
Also called
Rules[1]



Australianterrier

Australianterrier
Aus·tra·lian
ter·ri·er
(plural Aus·tra·lian ter·ri·ers) noun

type of wirehaired terrier:
a short stocky terrier with erect ears and a straight, wiry coat that is
normally blue- or silver-gray with brown patches on the muzzle and feet[1]



Australoid

Australoid
Aus·tra·loid 
[áwstrə lòyd] adjective

Aboriginal:
belonging or relating to the ethnic group that includes the Australian
Aborigines and certain other southern Asian and Pacific peoples
noun
(plural Aus·tra·loids)

Australoid person:
a member of one of the Australoid peoples[1]



australopithecine

australopithecine
aus·tra·lo·pith·e·cine 
[àwstrəlō píthə sn] adjective

of
prehistoric African primate: relating to a prehistoric
primate whose fossilized remains, resembling those of humans, have been found
in southern and eastern Africa
noun
(plural aus·tra·lo·pith·e·cines)

prehistoric
primate:
an australopithecine primate. Genus: Australopithecus
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Australopithecus, from Latin australis
“southern” + Greek pithēkos “ape.”][1]



Austrasia

Austrasia
Aus·tra·sia 
[aw stráyzhə]

eastern part of the medieval
kingdom of the Franks, consisting of what are now parts of France, Germany, and
the Netherlands[1]



Austria

Austria



Aus·tri·a 
[áwstriə]
democratic
federal republic in central Europe. Language: German. Currency: Schilling.
Capital: Vienna. Population: 8,054,000 (1995) Area: 83,858 sq km/32,378 sq mi.
—Aus·tri·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Austria




Back to definition

Austria

[1]



Austrianblind

Austrianblind
Aus·tri·an
blind
(plural Aus·tri·an blinds) noun

blind with gathered panels:
a type of fabric window blind that consists of parallel panels that can be
gathered up vertically into loose billowing folds[1]



Austro-

Austro-
Austro-
prefix

southern
• Austroasiatic
[From Latin auster][1]



Austroasiatic

Austroasiatic
Aus·tro·a·si·at·ic
[àwstrō ayzhee áttik] noun

Southeast Asian language
family: a family of over 100
languages spoken in Southeast Asia and in central India by about 70 million
people. Its three main branches are Mon-Khmer, Munda, and Nicobarese.[1]



Austronesia

Austronesia
Au·stro·ne·sia
[àwstrō nzhə, àwstrō
nshə]

region consisting of
Indonesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and neighboring islands in the
Pacific Ocean[1]



Austronesian

Austronesian
Aus·tro·ne·sian 
[àwstrō nzh’n, àwstrō
nsh’n] adjective

of
Austronesia: relating to the countries of
Austronesia, or its peoples, culture, or languages
noun

LANGUAGE
language family of Asia:
a family of languages spoken in Taiwan, parts of Southeast Asia, the
Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, and
Madagascar. About 250 million people speak an Austronesian language. Malay,
Javanese, and Tagalog are major languages of the family.
Also called
Malayo-Polynesian[1]



aut-

aut-
aut-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
auto[1]



autarchy

autarchy
au·tar·chy
[áw trkee] (plural au·tar·chies)
noun

1.  unlimited
political power: absolute power, especially such power
wielded by a despotic ruler

2.  self-government:
self-government of a country by representatives drawn from among its own
citizens

3.  country
with despotic ruler: a country governed by a
ruler who has absolute power

4.  self-governing
country:
an independent country with its own government, as distinct from a colony or
dependency
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Greek autarkhos, literally “self-governing,” from arkhein
“to rule.”]
—au·tar·chic
[aw trkik], adjective

—au·tar·chi·cal
[aw trkik’l], adjective

—au·tar·chist, noun[1]



autarky

autarky
au·tar·ky 
[áw trkee] (plural au·tar·kies)
noun

1.  economic
self-sufficiency: an economic policy or situation in which
a nation is independent of international trade and not reliant upon imported
goods

2.  self-sufficient
country:
a nation that is economically self-sufficient
[Early
17th century. From Greek autarkeia “self-sufficiency,” from autarkēs
“self-sufficient,” from autos “self” + arkein “to be
sufficient.”]
—au·tar·kic
[aw trkik], adjective

—au·tar·ki·cal [aw trkik’l], adjective[1]



autecology

autecology
au·te·col·o·gy 
[àwtə kólləjee] noun

study
of species in its environment: the study of
individuals or populations of a single species and their relationship to their
environment
—au·te·co·log·i·cal [àwtəkə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



auteur

auteur
au·teur 
[aw túr] (plural au·teurs) noun

film
director:
a film director whose films are so distinctive that he or she is perceived as a
film’s creator
[Mid-20th century. From
French, “author.”][1]



auteurism

auteurism
au·teur·ism 
[aw túr ìzzəm] noun

See
auteur theory
—au·teur·ist, adjective[1]



auteurtheory

auteurtheory
au·teur
the·o·ry
noun

study of director’s work:
a type of film criticism that considers the director of a film to be its
primary creator.
Also called
auteurism[1]



auth.

auth.
auth.

1.  Abbreviation
of
authentic

2.  Abbreviation
of
author

3.  Abbreviation
of
authority

4.  Abbreviation
of
authorized

[1]



authentic

authentic
au·then·tic 
[aw théntik, ə
théntik, aw thénnik] adjective

1.  not
false or copied: genuine and original, as opposed to
something that is a fake or reproduction

2.  trustworthy:
shown to be true and trustworthy

3.  LAW valid:
legally valid because all necessary procedures have been followed correctly

4.  MUSIC in
style of original period: performed in the style
current at the time of composition, and on instruments similar to those of the
time

5.  MUSIC with
upward range from main note: used to describe church
music, such as Gregorian chant, that has an upward range from the keynote of
the scale
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek authentikos “genuine,”
from authentes “master, doer,” from autos “self.”]
—au·then·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



authenticate

authenticate
au·then·ti·cate 
[aw théntə kayt, ə
théntə kayt] (past au·then·ti·cat·ed, past participle
au·then·ti·cat·ed, present participle au·then·ti·cat·ing, 3rd
person present singular au·then·ti·cates) transitive verb

1.  confirm
genuineness or truth of something: to establish that
something is genuine or that an account is true

2.  LAW establish
as valid:
to establish something such as a deed or document as legally valid
—au·then·ti·ca·tion
[aw thèntə káysh’n, ə
thèntə káysh’n], noun

—au·then·ti·ca·tor [aw théntə kaytər], noun[1]



authenticity

authenticity
au·then·tic·i·ty 
[àw then tíssətee, àwthən
tíssətee] noun

1.  genuineness:
the genuineness or truth of something

2.  LAW correctness:
the legal validity or correctness of a legal document

[1]



author

author
au·thor 
[áwthər] noun (plural au·thors)

1.  writer:
somebody who writes a book or other text, for example, a literary work or a
report

2.  professional
writer:
somebody who writes books as a profession

3.  creator
or source:
somebody who causes or creates something
transitive
verb
(past au·thored, past participle au·thored, present
participle au·thor·ing, 3rd person present singular au·thors)

1.  write
something:
to write or be responsible for the final form of a book, report, or other text

2.  cause
something:
to be the cause, creator, or originator of something
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin auctor “creator, originator,” from,
ultimately, augere “to originate, increase” (source of English augment ).]
—au·thor·i·al [aw tháwree əl], adjective[1]



authoring

authoring
au·thor·ing
[áwthəring] noun

writing of computer programs:
the creation of multimedia documents, for example, training packages or sales
presentations, using special software geared to a nonprogrammer[1]



authoringlanguage

authoringlanguage
au·thor·ing
lan·guage
(plural au·thor·ing lan·guages) noun

user-friendly computer
system: a software development
system that lets users develop applications such as databases and multimedia
educational materials without having to learn a formal programming language[1]



authoritarian

authoritarian
au·thor·i·tar·i·an 
[aw thàwrə táiree ən] adjective

1.  strict
and demanding obedience: favoring strict rules and
established authority

2.  POLITICS demanding
political obedience: belonging to or believing in
a political system in which obedience to the ruling person or group is strongly
enforced
noun
(plural au·thor·i·tar·i·ans)

1.  somebody
who demands obedience: somebody who favors or
maintains strict rules and obedience to authority

2.  POLITICS somebody
who upholds rules and authority: somebody who favors or
belongs to a political system in which obedience to authority is strongly
enforced
—au·thor·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



authoritative

authoritative
au·thor·i·ta·tive 
[ə tháwrə tàytiv] adjective

1.  reliable:
convincing, reliable, backed by evidence, and showing deep knowledge

2.  backed
by authority: backed by an established and accepted
authority

3.  showing
authority:
showing that the person is used to being obeyed or expects to be obeyed
—au·thor·i·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—au·thor·i·ta·tive·ness,
noun[1]



authority

authority
au·thor·i·ty 
[ə tháwrətee] (plural au·thor·i·ties)
noun

1.  right
to command:
the right or power to enforce rules or give orders

2.  holder
of power:
somebody or something with official power

3.  power
given to somebody: power to act on behalf of
somebody else or official permission to do something

4.  source
of reliable information: somebody who is accepted as
a source of reliable information on a subject, or a book in which such
information is given

5.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION administrative
body:
an official body that is set up by a government to administer an area of
activity (often used in the plural)

6.  justification:
a statement that makes somebody believe something is true

7.  quality
that is respected: the ability to gain the
respect of other people and to influence or control what they do

8.  obvious
knowledge and experience: knowledge, skill, or
experience worthy of respect

9.  LAW source
of precedent or principle: a law or legal decision that
is cited as establishing a precedent or a principle

10. SOCIAL SCIENCES legitimate
power:
a form of rule that is seen as legitimate
[13th century. Via French
from Latin auctoritas, from auctor (see author
).][1]



authorityfigure

authorityfigure
au·thor·i·ty
fig·ure
(plural au·thor·i·ty fig·ures) noun

somebody powerful:
somebody who is, or appears to be, strong and powerful and able to command and
influence others[1]



authorization

authorization
au·thor·i·za·tion 
[àwthə rə záysh’n] (plural au·thor·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  permission:
official power or permission to do something

2.  document
giving permission: a letter or document that
confirms that somebody has permission to do something or be somewhere

[1]



authorize

authorize
au·thor·ize 
[áwthə rz] (past au·thor·ized,
past participle au·thor·ized, present participle au·thor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular au·thor·iz·es) transitive verb

confer
or confirm power or permission: to give somebody or
something power or permission to do something or be somewhere
[14th
century. Via French from medieval Latin auctorizare, from Latin auctor
(see author ).]
—au·thor·ized,
adjective

—au·thor·iz·er, noun[1]



AuthorizedVersion

AuthorizedVersion
Au·thor·ized
Ver·sion 
noun

See
King James Bible[1]



authorship

authorship
au·thor·ship 
[áwthər shìp] noun

1.  writing
as occupation: the practice or profession of writing
books or other works

2.  origin
of something: the origin or source of something,
especially the person who wrote a particular literary work

[1]



autism

autism
au·tism 
[áwtizəm] noun

condition
disturbing perceptions and relationships: a
disturbance in psychological development in which use of language, reaction to
stimuli, interpretation of the world, and the formation of relationships are
not fully established and follow unusual patterns
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek autos “self” + -ism .][1]



autistic

autistic
au·tis·tic 
[aw tístik] adjective

affected
with or caused by autism: showing evidence of autism,
for example, failure to use language and perceive surroundings normally
—au·tis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



auto

auto
au·to 
[áwtō] (plural au·tos) noun

car:
an automobile (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of automobile .][1]



auto-

auto-
auto-
or aut- prefix

1.  self
• autograft

2.  automatic
• autorotation
[From Greek autos
“self,” of unknown origin][1]



auto.

auto.
auto.

1.  Abbreviation
of
automatic

2.  Abbreviation
of
automotive

[1]



autoantibody

autoantibody
au·to·an·ti·bod·y 
[àwtō ánti bodee] (plural au·to·an·ti·bod·ies)
noun

:
antibody that attacks producer’s own
system: an antibody that reacts
against normal substances present in the organism producing it, and is present
in certain diseases ( autoimmune diseases )[1]



autobahn

autobahn
au·to·bahn 
[áwtō baan, áwtə
baan] (plural au·to·bahns) noun

German
expressway:
an expressway in a German-speaking country or region
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “automobile track.”][1]



autobiographical

autobiographical
au·to·bi·o·graph·i·cal 
[àwtō bī ə gráffik’l] adjective

about
own self:
told or written by a writer about him- or herself
—au·to·bi·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



autobiography

autobiography
au·to·bi·og·ra·phy 
[àwtō bī óggrəfee] (plural au·to·bi·og·ra·phies)
noun

life
story written by self: an account of somebody’s
life written by that person
—au·to·bi·og·ra·pher, noun[1]



autobus

autobus
au·to·bus 
[áwtō bus] (plural au·to·bus·es)
noun

bus:
a bus or motor coach[1]



autocatalysis

autocatalysis
au·to·ca·tal·y·sis 
[àwtō kə tálləsis] noun

production
of faster reaction: the speeding up of a
chemical reaction by a catalyst that is a product of the reaction
—au·to·cat·a·lyt·ic
[àwtō káttə líttik], adjective

—au·to·cat·a·lyt·i·cal·ly
[àwtō káttə líttiklee], adverb[1]



autocephalous

autocephalous
au·to·ceph·a·lous
[àwtō séffələs] or au·to·ceph·a·lic
[àwtōsi fállik] adjective

self-governing:
used to describe an Eastern Orthodox church that is governed by its own elected
bishop or patriarch
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from auto- + Greek kephalē “head.”][1]



autochthon

autochthon
au·toch·thon 
[aw tókthən, aw
tók thon] (plural au·toch·thons or au·toch·tho·nes
[aw tókthə nz]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY native
plant or animal: a plant or animal that originated in the
country where it is found

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES aboriginal
person:
somebody who is descended from the earliest inhabitants of a region

3.  GEOLOGY geologic
deposit originating where found: a rock formation,
mineral deposit, or geologic feature that was formed in the area where it is
now found
[Early 19th century. From Greek
autokhthōn “indigenous,” from khthōn “earth, soil.”][1]



autochthonous

autochthonous
au·toch·tho·nous 
[aw tókthənəs] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY formed
where found: used to describe a rock, mineral
deposit, or geologic feature that was formed in the area where it is found

2.  BIOLOGY present
from earliest times: descended from the original
flora, fauna, or inhabitants of the region in which it is found

3.  PHYSIOLOGY produced
where situated: produced or originating as a physical
function or disorder in the place where it is found
—au·toch·thon·ism,
noun

—au·toch·tho·nous·ly,
adverb

—au·toch·tho·ny,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at native

[1]



autocidal

autocidal
au·to·ci·dal 
[áwtō sd’l] adjective

interfering with
reproduction: used to describe a
method of pest control in which sterile or genetically altered insects are
released to reduce the breeding success of the local insect population[1]



autoclave

autoclave
au·to·clave 
[áwtō klayv, áwtə
klayv] noun (plural au·to·claves)

1.  SCIENCE sterilization
equipment:
a strong steel vessel that is used for the steam sterilization of equipment or
materials, or for chemical reactions, at high temperature and under pressure

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING steamer
for concrete: an apparatus with which newly cast
concrete is cured by steam under pressure
transitive
verb
(past au·to·claved, past participle au·to·claved, present
participle au·to·clav·ing, 3rd person present singular au·to·claves)

use autoclave:
to use an autoclave to steam something
[Late 19th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Greek autos “self” + Latin clavus
“nail” or clavis “key”; so called because it is self-fastening.][1]



autocorrelation

autocorrelation
au·to·cor·re·la·tion
[àwtō kawrə láysh’n] noun

adjacent items in sequence
not independent: a property displayed by
some sequences of adjacent items not being independent of each other[1]



autocracy

autocracy
au·toc·ra·cy 
[aw tókrəsee] (plural au·toc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  rule
by one person: a government in which somebody holds
unlimited power

2.  ruler’s
absolute power: the unlimited political power of a
single ruler

3.  place
ruled by one person: a country governed by a
single ruler who has unlimited power
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
autokrateia, from autokratēs (see autocrat
).][1]



autocrat

autocrat
au·to·crat 
[áwtə kràt] (plural au·to·crats)
noun

1.  ruler
with absolute authority: a ruler who holds unlimited
power and is answerable to no other person

2.  bossy
person:
somebody who dominates other people
[Early
19th century. Via French autocrate from Greek autokratēs
“independent authority,” from kratos “power.”]
—au·to·crat·ic
[àwtə kráttik], adjective

—au·to·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, a book of essays and poems by Oliver Wendell
  Holmes ( 1858 ). One of a series of works that also includes The Professor
  at the Breakfast Table and The Poet at the Breakfast Table, this
  humorous collection satirizes, among other targets, Calvinism and medical
  bigotry.

[1]



autocross

autocross
au·to·cross 
[áwtō kraws] noun

type
of car racing: an automobile competition testing the
drivers’ speed and skill
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of automobile + cross-country .][1]



auto-da-fé

auto-da-fé
au·to-da-fé 
[àwtō də fáy, òwtō
də fáy] (plural au·tos-da-fé [àwtō
də fáy, òwtō də fáy]) noun

execution
of heretic:
a sentence of death pronounced on a heretic by a court of the Spanish
Inquisition and carried out by the civil authorities. The condemned person was
burned at the stake.
[Early 18th century. From
Portuguese, literally “act of the faith.”][1]



autodeconstruction

autodeconstruction
au·to·de·con·struc·tion 
[àwtō deekən strúkshən] (plural au·to·de·con·struc·tions)
noun

critical analysis by artists:
critical analysis of artistic works that is done by the artists themselves
rather than critics[1]



autodestruct

autodestruct
au·to·de·struct
[àwtō di strúkt] intransitive verb (past
au·to·de·struc·ted, past participle au·to·de·struc·ted, present
participle au·to·de·struc·ting, 3rd person present singular au·to·de·structs)

MILITARY self-destruct:
to undergo self-destruction (technical) • The
missile auto-destructed after a failed launch.
adjective

enabling self-destruction:
allowing or causing something to destroy itself[1]



autodial

autodial
au·to·di·al
[áwtō dī əl] (plural au·to·di·als)
noun

automatic
dialing system: a device that automatically dials a
prerecorded number in response to an input signal, for example, pressing a
button
[Late
20th century. Contraction.]
—au·to·di·al·er, noun[1]



autodidact

autodidact
au·to·di·dact 
[áwtō d dakt, àwtō
dī dákt] (plural au·to·di·dacts) noun

self-taught
person:
somebody who has acquired a great deal of knowledge despite little or no formal
education
[Mid-18th
century. From Greek, formed from didaskein “to teach” (source of English
didactic ).]
—au·to·di·dac·tic [àwtō dī dáktik, àwtō
di dáktik], adjective[1]



autodyne

autodyne
au·to·dyne 
[áwtō dīn] noun (plural au·to·dynes)

type
of electronic circuit: an electronic circuit
containing an element such as a transistor that acts simultaneously as a
detector and oscillator
adjective

with
autodyne:
used to describe a radio device containing an element, such as a transistor,
that acts simultaneously as a detector and oscillator
[Early 20th century. Coined
from auto- + Greek dunamis “force,
power” (source of English dynamic ).][1]



autoecious

autoecious
au·toe·cious 
[aw tshəs] adjective

parasitic
on one species: living as a pest or parasite on a single
host species
[Late
19th century. Coined from auto- + Greek oikia
“house” + -ious .]
—au·toe·cism, noun[1]



autoeroticism

autoeroticism
au·to·e·rot·i·cism
[àwtō i rótti sìzzəm] or au·to·er·o·tism
[àwtō érrə tìzzəm] noun

sexual
pleasure from own body: sexual arousal and
gratification from self-stimulation
—au·to·e·rot·ic [àwtō i róttik], adjective[1]



autofocus

autofocus
aut·o·fo·cus
[áwtō fōkəs] (plural aut·o·fo·cus·es)
noun

automatic focus adjustment:
a device that automatically adjusts the focus of a camera[1]



autogamy

autogamy
au·tog·a·my 
[aw tóggəmee] noun

1.  BOTANY self-pollination:
the process by which some flowering plants fertilize themselves

2.  BIOLOGY type
of reproductive process: the division and subsequent
reunification of a single cell in the reproductive processes of certain simple
one-celled animals and algae
[Late
19th century. Coined from auto- + -gamy .]
—au·to·gam·ic
[àwtə gámmik], adjective

—au·tog·a·mous [aw tóggəməs], adjective[1]



autogenesis

autogenesis
au·to·gen·e·sis 
[àwtō jénnəsis] noun

BIOLOGY See abiogenesis
—au·to·ge·ne·tic
[àwtō jə néttik], adjective

—au·to·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[àwtō jə néttiklee], adverb[1]



autogenic

autogenic
au·to·gen·ic
adjective

See
autogenous
[Late
19th century. Coined from auto- + -genic .]
—au·to·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



autogenictraining

autogenictraining
au·to·gen·ic
train·ing
noun

stress-reducing technique:
a method of relieving stress by using meditation and other mental exercises to
produce physical relaxation.
Also called
autogenics[1]



autogenocide

autogenocide
au·to·ge·no·cide
[àwtō jénnə sīd] noun

killing
of fellow citizens: the extermination of people
by their fellow citizens
[Late 20th century][1]



autogenous

autogenous
au·tog·e·nous 
[aw tójjənəss] or au·to·gen·ic
[àwtō jénnik] adjective

1.  produced
inside something: produced or created within something
itself, without external help or influence

2.  MEDICINE produced
from something from recipient’s body:
produced in, or with tissue from, the body of the person to whom it will be
given

3.  INSECTS not
needing blood: used to describe insects that do not
require a meal of blood in order to produce viable eggs
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek autogenēs, from, ultimately, gignesthai
“to be born.”]
—au·tog·e·nous·ly, adverb[1]



autogiro

autogiro
au·to·gi·ro
[àwtō jrō] (plural au·to·gi·ros)
noun

aircraft
with propeller and rotor: an aircraft that uses a
propeller for forward motion and an unpowered horizontal rotor for lift and
stability.
See
also
gyroplane
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “self-turning,” formed from giro “gyration.”][1]



autograft

autograft
au·to·graft
[àwtə graft] (plural au·to·grafts)
noun

graft taken from patient’s
body: a graft of skin or other
tissue obtained from the patient’s own body[1]



autograph

autograph
au·to·graph 
[áwtə gràf] noun (plural au·to·graphs)

1.  somebody’s
signature:
a signature, especially the signature of a famous person

2.  handwritten
text:
a copy of a document or text handwritten by its creator (formal)
transitive
verb
(past au·to·graphed, past participle au·to·graphed,
present participle au·to·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular au·to·graphs)

sign with name:
to write your signature on something such as a book or photograph
[Early 17th century. Via
French or late Latin from Greek autographon, literally “written with
your own hand,” from graphein (see graphic
).][1]



autographhunter

autographhunter
au·to·graph
hunt·er
(plural au·to·graph hunt·ers) or au·to·graph hound
(plural au·to·graph hounds) noun

enthusiastic autograph
collector: somebody who collects the
signatures of famous people (informal)[1]



autography

autography
au·tog·ra·phy 
[aw tóggrəfee] noun

personal handwriting:
the writing of something in your own hand[1]



Autoharp

Autoharp

Au·to·harp
[áwtō hrp] Trademark
a trademark for a musical instrument
similar to a zither[1]



autohypnosis

autohypnosis
au·to·hyp·no·sis 
[àwtō hip nṓsis] noun

hypnotizing
yourself:
a process by which somebody hypnotizes himself or herself.
Also
called
self-hypnosis
—au·to·hyp·not·ic [àwtō hip nóttik], adjective[1]



autoimmune

autoimmune
au·to·im·mune 
[àwtō im yn] adjective

caused
by allergy to own body: caused by the reaction of an
antibody to substances that occur naturally in the body
—au·to·im·mun·i·ty,
noun

—au·to·im·mu·ni·za·tion
[àwtō ímyə nə záysh’n], noun[1]



autoimmunedisease

autoimmunedisease
au·to·im·mune
dis·ease
(plural au·to·im·mune dis·eases) noun

allergic reaction to own
body: a disease caused by the
reaction of antibodies to substances occurring naturally in the body. Three
common autoimmune diseases are lupus erythematosus, Addison’s disease, and
rheumatoid arthritis.[1]



autoinfection

autoinfection
au·to·in·fec·tion 
[àwtō in féksh’n] noun

reinfection by parasite:
infection caused by an organism already present in another part of the body or
by the larval reproduction of a parasite already present in the body[1]



autoinoculation

autoinoculation
au·to·in·oc·u·la·tion 
[àwtō i nokyə láysh’n] noun

disease
coming from elsewhere in body: a disease that occurs
when an infection spreads from one part of the body to another
—au·to·in·oc·ul·a·ble
[àwtō i nókyələb’l], adjective[1]



autointoxication

autointoxication
au·to·in·tox·i·ca·tion 
[àwtō in toksə káysh’n] noun

poisoning from within own
body: poisoning by something that
has been produced within the body of the person who is poisoned.
Also called
autotoxemia[1]



autoload

autoload
au·to·load
[áwtō lōd] adjective

ARMS See semiautomatic
—au·to·load·er, noun[1]



autologous

autologous
au·tol·o·gous 
[aw tólləgəs] adjective

from
patient’s own body: derived from the patient’s
own body
[Early 20th century. Coined
from auto- + -logous, from -logy .][1]



autolysate

autolysate
au·tol·y·sate 
[aw tóllə sayt, aw
tólləsət] (plural au·tol·y·sates) noun

product of cell being broken
down: a product of the process ( autolysis ) by which cells are broken down by
enzymes produced in the cells themselves[1]



autolysin

autolysin
au·tol·y·sin 
[aw tólləsin, áwtə
lsin] (plural au·tol·y·sins) noun

enzyme that digests own
cells: an enzyme that can break
down the cell in which it is produced[1]



autolysis

autolysis
au·tol·y·sis 
[aw tólləsis] noun

self-digestion
of cells:
the breaking down of cells by an enzyme that is produced within them
—au·to·lyt·ic [àwtə líttik], adjective[1]



automaker

automaker
au·to·mak·er 
[áwtō màykər] (plural au·to·mak·ers)
noun

maker of motor vehicles:
a manufacturer of motor vehicles[1]



automata

automata
au·tom·a·ta


Plural of
automaton[1]



automate

automate
au·to·mate 
[áwtə màyt] (past au·to·mat·ed,
past participle au·to·mat·ed, present participle au·to·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular au·to·mates) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
something automatic: to convert a process or
workplace to automation
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from automation .][1]



automatedteller machine

automatedteller machine
au·to·mat·ed
tel·ler ma·chine  (plural au·to·mat·ed tel·ler
ma·chines) noun

Full form of
ATM[1]



automatic

automatic
au·to·mat·ic 
[àwtə máttik] adjective

1.  starting
or functioning by itself: started, operated, or
regulated by a process or mechanism without human intervention

2.  done
by prior arrangement: beginning when certain
conditions are fulfilled, without the need for a decision or action

3.  PHYSIOLOGY independent
of somebody’s will: done without thought or
intention, especially as the result of a reflex

4.  done
without thought: performed without conscious thought as
the result of habit or custom
noun
(plural au·to·mat·ics)

1.  machine
operating without human intervention: a
machine, for example, a washing machine, that controls its own operating
process

2.  AUTOMOTIVE motor
vehicle not requiring manual gear: a motor vehicle that
has a built-in mechanism ( automatic transmission
) for changing gears without requiring the driver to do it

3.  ARMS gun
that fires continuously: a gun that continues to fire
for as long as the trigger is pressed, automatically ejecting used cartridges.
Also
called
automatic weapon
[18th
century. Formed from Greek automatos (see automaton
).]
—au·to·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



automaticdrip

automaticdrip
au·to·mat·ic
drip
(plural au·to·mat·ic drips) noun

machine that makes coffee:
a machine that heats water, drips it through ground coffee in a filter, and
keeps the resulting coffee warm in a pot[1]



automaticexposure

automaticexposure
au·to·mat·ic
ex·po·sure
(plural au·to·mat·ic ex·po·sures) noun

automatic camera setting:
a control system in a camera that sets the lens aperture and shutter speed
according to the amount of light that is present[1]



automaticfrequency control

automaticfrequency control
au·to·mat·ic
fre·quen·cy con·trol (plural au·to·mat·ic
fre·quen·cy con·trols) noun

control of radio or
television tuning: a control
system in a radio or television receiver that keeps it tuned to a signal in
spite of minor variations in the signal’s frequency[1]



automaticgain control

automaticgain control
au·to·mat·ic
gain con·trol (plural au·to·mat·ic gain
con·trols) noun

volume control on amplifier:
a radio receiver control system by which the amplifier is adjusted to
compensate for variations in the volume of the signal, so that the volume of
the output is constant[1]



automaticpilot

automaticpilot
au·to·mat·ic
pi·lot
(plural au·to·mat·ic pi·lots) noun

1.  AEROSPACE NAUTICAL automatic
steering system: a control in the steering system of a
ship, aircraft, or spacecraft that can be set to put or keep it on a steady
course.
Also
called
autopilot

2.  PHYSIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY preset
or instinctive behavior: a condition in which
somebody is not fully aware of what he or she is doing but is acting in a
habitual and unthinking way, for example, because of stress

[1]



automatictransmission

automatictransmission
au·to·mat·ic
trans·mis·sion (plural au·to·mat·ic
trans·mis·sions) noun

automatic gear-changing
system: a transmission system for
motor vehicles in which changes of gear are made automatically in response to
the speed of the vehicle[1]



automaticweapon

automaticweapon
au·to·mat·ic
weap·on
(plural au·to·mat·ic weap·ons) noun

See
automatic  adjective 3[1]



automaticwriting

automaticwriting
au·to·mat·ic
writ·ing
noun

involuntary or unconscious
writing: the production of writing
while in a trance or similar state as an attempt to make contact with the
writer’s unconscious or telepathically with a supposed spirit[1]



automation

automation
au·to·ma·tion 
[àwtə máysh’n] noun

replacement
of human workers by technology: the conversion of a
workplace to one that replaces or minimizes human labor with mechanical or
electronic machines or processes
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from automatic .][1]



automatism

automatism
au·tom·a·tism 
[aw tómmətìzəm] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY involuntary
organic function: a physical reflex or involuntary
activity of the body

2.  PHILOSOPHY LAW theory
that actions are performed automatically: the
philosophical theory that all bodily actions have involuntary physical or
physiological causes, or the legal defense that an action had such a cause

3.  PSYCHOLOGY activity
not consciously caused: behavior that is not
consciously motivated, for example, sleepwalking or involuntary repetitive
actions

4.  PAINTING LITERATURE artistic method:
an artistic approach, associated with the surrealists, in which the painter or
writer empties the mind and allows the unconscious to direct the work
—au·tom·a·tist, noun[1]



automatize

automatize
au·tom·a·tize 
[aw tómmə tz] (past au·tom·a·tized,
past participle au·tom·a·tized, present participle au·tom·a·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular au·tom·a·tiz·es) transitive verb

make
something automatic: to make a process or
workplace operate automatically using electronic or mechanical devices
—au·tom·a·ti·za·tion [aw tòmməti záysh’n], noun[1]



automaton

automaton
au·tom·a·ton 
[aw tómmətən, aw
tómmə tòn] (plural au·tom·a·tons or au·tom·a·ta
[aw tómmətə]) noun

1.  ENGINEERING independent
and complex machine: a machine that contains its
own power source and can perform a complicated series of actions, including
responses to external stimuli, without human intervention

2.  somebody
who acts like machine: somebody who resembles a
machine by obeying instructions automatically, performing repetitive actions,
or showing no emotion
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek, neuter of automatos “acting by
itself” (source of English automatic
).]
—au·tom·a·tous, adjective[1]



automobile

automobile
au·to·mo·bile 
[àwtə mō bl, áwtə
mṓ bèel] (plural au·to·mo·biles) noun

passenger-carrying
road vehicle: a road vehicle, usually with four wheels
and powered by an internal-combustion engine, designed to carry a small number
of passengers
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “self-mobile.”][1]



automobilia

automobilia
au·to·mo·bi·li·a
[àwtə mə blee ə] plural noun

automobile-related
items for collectors: things to do with
automobiles or driving that appeal to collectors and enthusiasts
[Late 20th century. Coined
from automobile, on the model of memorabilia .][1]



automotive

automotive
au·to·mo·tive 
[àwtə mṓtiv] adjective

1.  of
motor vehicles: relating to or involving motor vehicles

2.  self-propelled:
propelled by its own motor or engine

[1]



autonomic

autonomic
au·to·nom·ic 
[àwtə nómmik] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY controlled
by automatic responses: used to describe functions
of the nervous system not under the voluntary control of the individual, for
example, the regulation of heartbeat or gland secretions

2.  PHYSIOLOGY without
thought:
used to describe an action or response that occurs without conscious control

3.  BIOLOGY from
internal stimuli: produced or caused by internal stimuli
—au·to·nom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



autonomicnervous system

autonomicnervous system

au·to·nom·ic nerv·ous sys·tem
noun
nerves controlling bodily processes:
the part of the nervous system in humans and other vertebrates that controls
involuntary activity, for example, the action of the heart and glands,
breathing, digestive processes, and reflex actions.
See also
somatic nervous system[1]



autonomous

autonomous
au·ton·o·mous 
[aw tónnəməs] adjective

1.  self-governing:
politically independent and self-governing

2.  able
to choose:
able to make decisions and act on them as a free and independent moral agent

3.  self-sufficient:
existing, reacting, or developing as an independent, self-regulating organism
—au·ton·o·mous·ly, adverb[1]



autonomy

autonomy
au·ton·o·my 
[aw tónnəmee] noun

1.  POLITICS self-government:
political independence and self-government

2.  PHILOSOPHY existence
as independent moral agent: personal independence and
the capacity to make moral decisions and act on them

3.  LITERATURE independence
of a text:
the status of a text as an aesthetic object not to be judged or commented on in
the light of external knowledge, for example, of the biography of the author
[Early
17th century. From Greek autonomia, from autonomos “having its
own laws,” from nomos “law.”]
—au·ton·o·mist, noun[1]



autopilot

autopilot
au·to·pi·lot 
[áwtō pīlət] (plural au·to·pi·lots)
noun

AEROSPACE NAUTICAL See automatic pilot  noun 1
on
autopilot

without guidance, control, or
proper attention (informal) • The
business has been on autopilot since the manager resigned.[1]



autopista

autopista
au·to·pis·ta 
[àwtə pstə] (plural au·to·pis·tas)
noun

Spanish
expressway:
an expressway in a Spanish-speaking country or region
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, literally “automobile track.”][1]



autoplasty

autoplasty
au·to·plas·ty 
[áwtə plàstee] (plural au·to·plas·ties)
noun

replacement
surgery using patient’s own tissue: the
repair of a patient’s body using tissue, for example, skin, taken from another
part of the patient’s body
—au·to·plas·tic
[àwtə plástik], adjective

—au·to·plas·ti·cal·ly
[àwtə plástiklee], adverb[1]



autopsy

autopsy
au·top·sy 
[áwt opsee] (plural au·top·sies)
noun

1.  MEDICINE examination
to find cause of death: the medical examination of a
dead body in order to establish the cause and circumstances of death.
Also
called
necropsy

2.  exhaustive
examination: an exhaustive critical examination of
something
[Mid-17th century. Via French
or modern Latin from Greek autopsia “seeing with your own eyes,” from autoptēs
“eye witness.”][1]



autoracing

autoracing
au·to
rac·ing
noun

racing in fast cars:
racing in motor vehicles, especially in cars that are specially designed to
travel at high speeds.
U.K. term
motor racing[1]



autoradiograph

autoradiograph
au·to·ra·di·o·graph 
[àwtō ráydee ə graf] (plural au·to·ra·di·o·graphs)
or au·to·ra·di·o·gram [àwtō ráydee ə
gram] (plural au·to·ra·di·o·grams) noun

image
made from radiation: a photograph that reveals
how radioactivity is distributed in a specimen or sample, made by exposing a
photographic plate to the radiation.
Also
called
autoradiogram
—au·to·ra·di·o·graph·ic
[àwtō raydee ə gráffik], adjective

—au·to·ra·di·og·ra·phy
[àwtō ráydee óggrəfee], noun[1]



autorickshaw

autorickshaw
au·to·rick·shaw
[àwtō rík shaw] (plural au·to·rick·shaws)
noun

motorcycle rickshaw:
a vehicle with three wheels, like a covered motor scooter with a back seat for
passengers, that is used as a taxi on the Indian subcontinent[1]



autoroute

autoroute
au·to·route 
[áwtō root] (plural au·to·routes)
noun

French
expressway:
an expressway in a French-speaking country or region
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “automobile route.”][1]



autosave

autosave
au·to·save
[áwtō sàyv] noun

automatic saving of data:
a computer program feature in which data in an open file is saved automatically
at intervals usually determinable by the user. This feature can minimize data
loss in the event of a crash.[1]



autosome

autosome
au·to·some 
[áwtə sōm] (plural au·to·somes)
noun

non-sex
chromosome:
a chromosome other than one that determines sex
[Early
20th century. Coined from auto- + -some, on the model of chromosome
.]
—au·to·so·mal
[àwtə sṓm’l], adjective

—au·to·so·mal·ly [àwtə sṓməlee], adverb[1]



autostrada

autostrada
au·to·stra·da 
[ówtō straadə, áwtō
straadə] (plural au·to·stra·das) noun

Italian
expressway:
an expressway in an Italian-speaking country or region
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “automobile road.”][1]



autosuggestion

autosuggestion
au·to·sug·ges·tion 
[àwtō sə jéschən] noun

influencing
self by suggestion: the process by which
somebody’s perceptions, behavior, or physical condition may be altered by means
of his or her power of suggestion.
Also
called
self-suggestion
—au·to·sug·gest,
transitive verb

—au·to·sug·gest·i·bil·i·ty
[àwtō sə jestə bíllətee], noun

—au·to·sug·gest·i·ble
[àwtō sə jéstəb’l], adjective

—au·to·sug·ges·tive [àwtō sə jéstiv], adjective[1]



autotelic

autotelic
au·to·tel·ic
[àwtō téllik] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY possessing
internal purpose: concerning an entity or event that has
within itself the purpose of its existence or occurrence

2.  LEISURE done
for its own sake: done for its own sake rather than to
gain a material reward or avoid a punishment
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek autotelēs, from autos “self” + telos
“end.”]
—au·to·tel·ism, noun[1]



autotimer

autotimer
au·to·tim·er
[áwtō tmər] (plural au·to·tim·ers)
noun

automatic timer:
an automatic timing device, for example, on a stove[1]



autotomize

autotomize
au·tot·o·mize 
[aw tóttəm īz] (past au·tot·o·mized,
past participle au·tot·o·mized, present participle au·tot·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular au·tot·o·miz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

shed limb:
to cast off a part of the body such as the tail or a leg in order to escape
from an attacker or because it has become trapped. This is done, for example,
by lizards, snakes, worms, and crustaceans.[1]



autotomy

autotomy
au·tot·o·my 
[aw tóttəmee] noun

discarding
of body part: the casting off of part of the body by
an animal such as a lizard, snake, worm, or crustacean when it is caught or
attacked by a predator
[Late
19th century. Coined from auto- + -tomy .]
—au·to·tom·ic [àwtə tómmik], adjective[1]



autotoxemia

autotoxemia
au·to·tox·e·mi·a
[àwtō tok smee ə] noun

See
autointoxication[1]



autotoxin

autotoxin
au·to·tox·in 
[àwtə tóksən] (plural au·to·tox·ins)
noun

internally generated poison:
a substance that poisons the system within which it is formed[1]



autotransformer

autotransformer
au·to·trans·form·er 
[àwtō trans fáwrmər] (plural au·to·trans·form·ers)
noun

transformer with coils
sharing windings: a transformer in which
the primary and secondary coils share all or some windings[1]



autotransfusion

autotransfusion
au·to·trans·fu·sion
[àwtō trans fy’n] (plural au·to·trans·fu·sions)
noun

transfusion of own blood:
a blood transfusion using the patient’s own blood[1]



autotrophic

autotrophic
au·to·troph·ic 
[àwtə troffik, àwtə
trṓfik] adjective

able
to manufacture nutrients: used to describe organisms,
especially green plants, that are capable of making nutrients from inorganic
materials
[Late
19th century. Coined from auto- + -trophic .]
—au·to·troph
[áwtə trōf, áwtə
trof], noun

—au·tro·troph·i·cal·ly
[áwtə troffiklee, àwtə
trṓfiklee], adverb

—au·tot·ro·phy [aw tóttrəfee], noun[1]



autowinder

autowinder
au·to·wind·er
[áwtō wndər] (plural au·to·wind·ers)
noun

automatic winder:
a device that automatically winds the film in a camera forward after a
photograph is taken[1]



autoxidation

autoxidation
au·tox·i·da·tion
[àw tòksi dáysh’n] noun

1.  oxidation
in air:
the oxidation of certain substances that occurs at normal temperatures as a
result of contact with air

2.  oxidation
of two substances: oxidation that occurs only
when there is another substance present that also undergoes oxidation

[1]



autumn

autumn
au·tumn 
[áwtəm] (plural au·tumns) noun

1.  season
after summer and before winter: the season occurring
between summer and winter. In the northern hemisphere it is the time when
weather begins to become colder, many fruits ripen, and leaves change color and
drop. Autumn traditionally lasts from 22 September to 21 December in the northern
hemisphere, and from 21 March to 21 June in the southern hemisphere.
Also
called
fall

2.  time
of late maturity: a time in the development of something
that follows its most vigorous and successful phase, before its decline • in
the autumn of his career as a cellist
[14th century. From Latin autumnus,
of uncertain origin. The word replaced harvest
as the term for this time of year.][1]



autumnal

autumnal
au·tum·nal 
[aw túmn’l] adjective

in or of autumn:
occurring in or typical of autumn[1]



autumnalequinox

autumnalequinox
au·tum·nal
e·qui·nox
noun

1.  CALENDAR time
when sun crosses equatorial plane: the first day of
autumn, when the sun crosses the plane of the Earth’s equator and makes day and
night approximately of equal length. The day occurs about 22 September in the
northern hemisphere and 21 March in the southern hemisphere.

2.  ASTRONOMY sun’s
path crossing celestial equator: the position of the
sun during the autumnal equinox

[1]



autumncrocus

autumncrocus
au·tumn
cro·cus
(plural au·tumn cro·cus·es or au·tumn cro·ci) noun

purple plant resembling
crocus: an autumn-flowering plant
that has crocus-shaped purple or pink flowers growing directly from the ground
after the leaves have died down. Latin name: Colchicum autumnale
Also called
meadow saffron[1]



autunite

autunite
au·tun·ite 
[ṓtə nīt, áwtə
nīt] noun

yellow
mineral containing uranium: a yellow radioactive
fluorescent mineral consisting of hydrated calcium uranium phosphate
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Autun in eastern France, near where the mineral was first
discovered.][1]



aux.

aux.
aux.

Abbreviation of
auxiliary[1]



auxesis

auxesis
aux·e·sis 
[awg zssiss, awk
sssiss] noun

growth
from increased cell size: growth in animals or plants
caused by an increase in the size of cells, not by cellular division
[Mid-19th
century. Via late Latin from Greek .]
—aux·et·ic,
adjective

—aux·et·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



auxiliary

auxiliary
aux·il·ia·ry 
[awg zíllyəree, awg
zílləree] adjective

1.  giving
support:
acting to support or supplement a group of people

2.  held
in reserve:
available as backup for a system, process, or piece of equipment

3.  secondary:
secondary to something larger

4.  NAUTICAL with
motor and sails: used to describe a boat with an engine
to supplement or replace the sails
noun
(plural aux·il·ia·ries)

1.  HUMAN RESOURCES supporting
person or thing: somebody who or something that acts in a
supporting, backup, or supplementary role

2.  GRAMMAR See auxiliary verb

3.  MILITARY member
of supporting troops: a member of a separate
troop, often from another country, that fights with an army as allies or
mercenaries and has its own command structure (often used in the plural)

4.  NAUTICAL sailing
ship with engine: a sailing ship equipped with an engine

5.  NAVY naval
support vessel: a naval vessel, for example, a tug or
transport ship, that does not engage in combat
[Early 17th century. From
Latin auxiliarius, from auxilium “help, assistance.”][1]



auxiliarylanguage

auxiliarylanguage
aux·il·ia·ry
lan·guage
(plural aux·il·ia·ry lan·guages) noun

language used for
intercommunication: a language,
for example, English, Esperanto, or Kiswahili, that is used by speakers of
other languages in order to communicate[1]



auxiliarynote

auxiliarynote
aux·il·ia·ry
note
(plural aux·il·ia·ry notes) noun

MUSIC
note between others of same pitch:
a note that falls between two adjacent notes of the same pitch and is not an
overtone[1]



auxiliaryrotor

auxiliaryrotor
aux·il·ia·ry
ro·tor
(plural aux·il·ia·ry ro·tors) noun

helicopter tail rotor:
the tail rotor of a helicopter[1]



auxiliaryverb

auxiliaryverb
aux·il·ia·ry
verb
(plural aux·il·ia·ry verbs) noun

verb
used with another verb: a verb that is used with
another verb to indicate person, number, mood, tense, or aspect. Some auxiliary
verbs in English are “be,” “have,” “will,” and “do.”
Also
called
auxiliary

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Auxiliary
  verb:
  The
  auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have, which together
  with the so-called modal (or modal auxiliary) verbs can, may, shall,
  should, will, and would are used with other verbs to
  form past and future tenses, negatives, questions, the passive voice, and
  other special functions. Most ordinary verbs cannot fulfill these functions
  by themselves; for example, you have to use the auxiliary verb do to
  form negatives and questions ( • They
  don’t like it. • Do
  you want to leave? ), the auxiliary verbs be
  and have to form past tenses ( • We
  were leaving. • They
  haven’t decided. ), and the modal verbs shall
  and will to form future tenses ( • He
  will drive you to the station. • Shall
  we go now? ). Sometimes more than one auxiliary
  verb is used to form a tense, as in We will be going and They have
  been paid . The verb be is used to form the passive voice: • The
  letter was posted last night. See also the note at
  modal .

[1]



auxin

auxin
aux·in 
[áwksən] (plural aux·ins) noun

plant
hormone:
a natural plant hormone or synthetic substance that affects growth and the
development of shoots, roots, fruit, and flowers
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek auxein “to increase” + -in .]
—aux·in·ic
[awk sínnik], adjective

—aux·in·i·cal·ly [awk sínniklee], adverb[1]



auxotonic

auxotonic
aux·o·ton·ic 
[àwksə tónnik] adjective

contracting
against increasing force: occurring against increasing
force as part of a muscle contraction
[Coined from Greek auxein
“to increase” + tonic][1]



auxotroph

auxotroph
aux·o·troph 
[áwksə trof] (plural aux·o·trophs)
noun

microorganism
requiring nutrient from environment: a
mutant strain of an organism, for example, a bacterium, that has lost the
ability to synthesize a particular nutrient growth factor and must obtain it
from its environment to survive.
See
also
prototroph
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from auxotrophic .][1]



auxotrophic

auxotrophic
aux·o·troph·ic 
[àwksə tróffik] adjective

requiring
nutrient from environment: used to describe a mutant
strain of an organism, for example, a bacterium, that has lost the ability to
synthesize a particular nutrient growth factor and must obtain it from its
environment to survive
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek auxein “to increase” + -trophic
.][1]



AuyuittuqNational Park

AuyuittuqNational Park
Au·yu·it·tuq
Na·tion·al Park [àuyoo
t~ook ]

Canada’s first national park
north of the Arctic Circle, located on eastern Baffin Island in Nunavut
Territory. Area: 21,469 sq km/8,289 sq mi.[1]



Av

Av
Av 
[aav] (plural Avs) or Ab
[aab] (plural Abs) noun

11th
month in Jewish calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
eleventh month of the civil year and the fifth month of the religious year,
occuring about the same time as July to August. It is thirty days long.
U.K.
term
Ab
[Late 18th century. From
Hebrew ā .][1]



A/V

A/V
A/V
or a/v or a.v.

FINANCE
Abbreviation of ad valorem[1]



av.

av.
av.

1.  av.
or Av. Abbreviation of avenue

2.  Abbreviation
of
average

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
avoirdupois

[1]



AV

AV
AV


1.  COMMUNICATION Abbreviation of
audiovisual

2.  AV
or A.V. BIBLE Abbreviation
of Authorized Version

[1]



avadavat

avadavat
av·a·da·vat 
[ávədə vàt] (plural av·a·da·vats)
noun

brightly
colored cagebird: an Asian waxbill often kept as a
cagebird. The male of one species is green and the male of the other species is
red. Genus: Estrilda
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Ahmadabad, a city in western India where these birds were
sold.][1]



avail

avail
a·vail 
[ə váyl] verb (past a·vailed,
past participle a·vailed, present participle a·vail·ing,
3rd person present singular a·vails)

1.  reflexive
verb
use
something:
to make use of something useful or helpful while you have the opportunity

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb help:
to be helpful or useful to somebody or to help somebody succeed
noun
(plural a·vails)

help or advantage:
help, advantage, or success in achieving something (used in negative
statements) • His defense was of no
avail, a conviction was secured.
plural
noun
a·vails

BUSINESS profits:
profits or proceeds from something (archaic)
[14th century. Formed from
Old French vail-, the stem of valoir “to be worth” (source of
English valor and value ), from Latin valere “to be
strong.”][1]



available

available
a·vail·a·ble 
[ə váyləb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be gotten: able to be used or obtained, or spoken
to or consulted

2.  POLITICS eligible
for office:
eligible and willing to undertake a public office or run for election

3.  unattached:
not currently involved in a romantic or sexual relationship but ready to engage
in one (informal)
[15th
century. Originally, the word meant “effective, useful”; the underlying sense
is “possible or suitable to avail yourself of.”]
—a·vail·a·bil·i·ty
[ə vàylə bíllətee], noun

—a·vail·a·bly [ə váyləblee], adverb[1]



avalanche

avalanche
av·a·lanche 
[ávə lanch] noun (plural av·a·lanch·es)

1.  downhill
fall of snow: a rapid downhill flow of a large mass of
snow or ice dislodged from a mountainside or the top of a precipice, or a
similar fall of rocks and earth

2.  overwhelming
quantity:
a sudden overwhelming quantity of something

3.  PHYSICS increase
in number of ions: an increase in the number of
ions or electrons, usually within a medium exposed to an applied
electromagnetic field, caused by collisions of the ions or electrons with the
medium
intransitive
and transitive verb (past av·a·lanched,
past participle av·a·lanched, present participle av·a·lanch·ing,
3rd person present singular av·a·lanch·es)

flow down in large quantity:
to descend in a large mass on something or somebody
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Romansh avalantze, from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin labanca,
of unknown origin.][1]



avalanchelily

avalanchelily
av·a·lanche
lil·y
(plural av·a·lanche lil·ies) noun

lily growing in mountains:
a North American lily that grows on mountains near the snowline and has white
or yellow flowers. Genus: Erythronium[1]



Avalon

Avalon
Av·a·lon 
[ávə lon] noun

island paradise in Celtic
mythology: in Celtic mythology, an
island paradise in the West. In the legend of King Arthur, he is said to have
been taken to Avalon after being apparently mortally wounded.[1]



avant-garde

avant-garde
a·vant-garde 
[vaan grd] noun (plural a·vant-gardes)

artists with new ideas and methods:
writers, artists, film makers, or musicians whose work is innovative,
experimental, or unconventional
adjective

1.  artistically
new:
artistically new, experimental, or unconventional

2.  of
the avant-garde: belonging to the artistically innovative
[Early
20th century. From French, literally “before the guard” (see vanguard ).]
—a·vant-gard·ism,
noun

—a·vant-gard·ist, noun[1]



Avar

Avar
Avar
[ vaar] noun

Caucasian
language:
a language of the Caucasian family spoken in the Dagestan republic of Russia
—Avar, adjective[1]



avarice

avarice
av·a·rice 
[ávvərəs] noun

greed
for wealth:
an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money
[13th century. Via French
from Latin avaritia, from avarus “greedy,” from avere “to
desire” (source of English avid ).][1]



avaricious

avaricious
av·a·ri·cious 
[àvvə ríshəs] adjective

greedy
for wealth:
showing an unreasonably strong desire for money
—av·a·ri·cious·ly,
adverb

—av·a·ri·cious·ness, noun[1]



avascular

avascular
a·vas·cu·lar 
[ay váskyələr] adjective

without
blood vessels: lacking blood vessels in body tissue
—a·vas·cu·lar·i·ty [ay vàskyə lérrətee], noun[1]



avast

avast
a·vast 
[ə vást] interjection

stop:
used by sailors as a command to stop doing something or to ignore a previous
order
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Dutch hou’vast, shortening of houd vast, literally
“hold fast.”][1]



avatar

avatar
av·a·tar 
[ávvə tr] (plural av·a·tars) noun

1.  incarnation
of Hindu diety: an incarnation of a Hindu diety in human
or animal form, especially one of the incarnations of Vishnu such as Rama and
Krishna

2.  embodiment
of something: somebody who embodies, personifies, or
is the manifestation of an idea or concept

3.  COMPUTING image
of person in virtual reality: a movable three-dimensional
image that can be used to represent somebody in cyberspace, for example, an
Internet user
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit avatāra “descent,” referring to the descent of a god to earth.][1]



avaunt

avaunt
a·vaunt 
[ə váwnt] interjection

go
away:
used as a command to go away, especially to an evil spirit (archaic)
[14th century. From French avant
“forward,” from Latin ante “before.”][1]



avdp.

avdp.
avdp.

Abbreviation of
avoirdupois[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ave

ave
a·ve 
[ vày] or A·ve [ vày] interjection noun (plural
a·ves)

See Hail Mary
interjection

greeting or farewell:
used as a greeting or farewell (archaic)
noun
(plural a·ves)

1.  time
for prayer:
the time when the Hail Mary is to be said, marked by the ringing of a bell

2.  rosary
bead:
a small bead on a rosary, used for keeping track of how many times the Hail
Mary has been said
[13th century. From Latin,
imperative of avere “to be or fare well.”][1]



Ave.

Ave.
Ave.
or ave.

Abbreviation of
avenue[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Avedon,Richard

Avedon,Richard
A·ve·don
[ávvə dòn], Richard (1923– )

U.S. photographer. He is best
known for his pictures of political and literary figures and celebrities.[1]



AveMaria

AveMaria
A·ve
Ma·ri·a 
(plural A·ve Marias) or a·ve or A·ve noun

See
Hail Mary
[13th century. From the Latin
original of the Hail Mary .][1]



avenge

avenge
a·venge 
[ə vénj] (past a·venged, past
participle a·venged, present participle a·veng·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·veng·es) transitive verb

act
in retaliation: to inflict punishment on somebody for a
wrong done, or retaliate on behalf of somebody else
[14th
century. From Old French avengier, from vengier (see vengeance ).]
—a·veng·er,
noun

—a·veng·ing,
adjective

—a·veng·ing·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  avenge
  or revenge ?
  Both
  words are about repaying a wrong, and the differences between them have more
  to do with grammar than meaning. Avenge is
  a verb only whereas revenge is a verb and (more usually, in fact) a
  noun. But as a verb avenge is more versatile
  than revenge : you can avenge a
  person (including yourself but more usually somebody else) or an act but you
  can only revenge an act or yourself (in an awkward construction with on
  ). The possibilities therefore are: • They
  took revenge on their enemies. • We
  revenged ourselves on our enemies . • We
  will revenge the wrong done to us. • They
  avenged the wrong done to them. • He
  avenged his murdered brother.

[1]



avens

avens
av·ens 
[ávvənz] (plural av·ens) noun

See
mountain avens
[12th century. From Old
French avence, of unknown origin.][1]



aventurine

aventurine
a·ven·tu·rine 
[ə vénchə rn, ə
vénchərin] or a·ven·tu·rin [ə
vénchərin] noun

1.  CRAFT glass
containing shiny particles: dark brown or green glass
that contains sparkling mineral particles

2.  MINERALS mineral
containing shiny particles: feldspar or quartz
containing minute particles of iron compounds or, in some of the quartz types,
mica.
Also
called
goldstone
Also
called
sunstone
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian avventurino “chance” (because it was discovered
accidentally).][1]



avenue

avenue
av·e·nue 
[ávvə noo] (plural av·e·nues) noun

1.  TRANSPORT wide
street:
a wide street or road in a town

2.  means
of approach: a course of action to be taken in order
to approach, attain, or gain access to somebody or something • need
to explore all avenues
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “approach,” feminine past participle of avenir “to
arrive,” from Latin advenire (see advent
).][1]



aver

aver
a·ver 
[ə vúr] (past a·verred, past
participle a·verred, present participle a·verr·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·vers) transitive verb

1.  assert
confidently: to assert or allege something
confidently (formal)

2.  LAW allege:
to state or allege that something is true
[14th
century. Via French avérer from, ultimately, Latin verus “true”
(source of English veracity, verify, and very
).]
—a·ver·ment,
noun

—a·ver·ra·ble, adjective[1]



average

average
av·er·age 
[ávvərij, ávvrij]
noun (plural av·er·ag·es)

1.  typical
amount:
the level, amount, or degree of something that is typical of a group or class
of people or things

2.  MATHEMATICS number
considered typical of number group: a
number that can be regarded as typical of a group of numbers, calculated by
adding the numbers together, then dividing the total by the amount of numbers

3.  SPORTS measure
of playing performance: a measure of a player’s or
team’s achievement, reached by dividing the number of opportunities for
successful performances by how many times a successful performance was achieved

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE intermediate
price:
a measure of stock exchange performance, based on the total of prices for a
group or class of securities, divided by the number of securities

5.  LAW loss
at sea:
in maritime law, the loss or damage of a ship and its cargo, or the division of
the costs of this loss or damage among the owner or partners involved
adjective

1.  typical:
without any extraordinary, untypical, or exceptional characteristic • just
an average guy

2.  MATHEMATICS calculated
as total divided by members: obtained by adding the
numerical value for each member or part of a group or class and dividing the
total by the number of members

3.  not
very good:
not terrible but not very good either • The
performance was no better than average.
transitive
verb
(past av·er·aged, past participle av·er·aged, present
participle av·er·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular av·er·ag·es)

1.  MATHEMATICS calculate
numerical average: to calculate a numerical
average of something, by finding the total amount and dividing it by the number
of members in the group

2.  have
as average:
to have or show as an average

3.  achieve
or get as average: to do, produce, or receive a
particular amount of something as an average • She
averages one trip to Asia each year.
[15th
century. Alteration, modeled on damage, of
French avarie, from, ultimately, Arabic ‘awār “damage to goods.”]
—av·er·age·ly,
adverb

—av·er·age·ness, noun[1]



averagedeviation

averagedeviation
av·er·age
de·vi·a·tion (plural av·er·age
de·vi·a·tions) noun

STATISTICS
See mean deviation[1]



averagedown

averagedown
average
down
intransitive verb

buy more shares at lower
price: to purchase more shares of a
stock when its price is falling, in the hope of reducing costs and increasing
profits[1]



averageout

averageout
average
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
have
as average:
to have or show as an average

2.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS calculate
average:
to calculate the numerical average of something

[1]



averageup

averageup
average
up
intransitive verb

buy shares at higher price:
to purchase more shares of a stock when its price is rising, in the hope of
increasing profits[1]



averageup

averageup
average
up
intransitive verb

buy shares at higher price:
to purchase more shares of a stock when its price is rising, in the hope of
increasing profits[1]



averageup

averageup
average
up
intransitive verb

buy shares at higher price:
to purchase more shares of a stock when its price is rising, in the hope of
increasing profits[1]



averse

averse
a·verse 
[ə vúrs] adjective

1.  opposed
to something: strongly opposed to or disliking
something (formal) • The
board is not averse to the idea of further talks. • risk-averse

2.  BOTANY turned
away from stem: used to describe a leaf or flower that
is turned away from the main stem or axis
[Late
16th century. From Latin aversus, literally “turned away,” past
participle of avertere (see avert ).]
—a·verse·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at adverse.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at unwilling

[1]



aversion

aversion
a·ver·sion 
[ə vúr’n] (plural a·ver·sions)
noun

1.  strong
dislike:
a strong feeling of dislike or hatred of somebody or something (formal)

2.  somebody
or something disliked: somebody or something
strongly disliked

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



aversiontherapy

aversiontherapy
a·ver·sion
ther·a·py
noun

1.  therapy
giving certain behavior unpleasant consequences: a
method of therapy that attempts to eliminate undesired behavior by associating
it repeatedly with painful or unpleasant effects

2.  therapy
to overcome fears or dislikes: therapy aimed at
eliminating an irrational fear or dislike by making somebody experience the
thing feared or disliked in remote or indirect ways that gradually become
closer and more direct

[1]



aversive

aversive
a·ver·sive 
[ə vúrsiv] adjective

inducing
dislike:
inducing dislike or loathing of something
—a·ver·sive·ly,
adverb

—aver·sive·ness, noun[1]



avert

avert
a·vert 
[ə vúrt] (past a·vert·ed, past
participle a·vert·ed, present participle a·vert·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·verts) transitive verb

1.  prevent
something from happening: to prevent something from
occurring, especially something harmful

2.  look
away:
to turn your eyes away from something
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin avertere “to turn away,” from vertere
“to turn” (see verse ), evolving from “to
turn someone away.”]
—a·vert·i·ble, adjective[1]



Avery,Milton Clark

Avery,Milton Clark
A·ver·y
[áyvəree], Milton Clark (1885–1965)

U.S. artist. His work
typically uses broad sections of color on large canvases.[1]



Avesta

Avesta
A·ves·ta 
[ə véstə] noun

Zoroastrian
scriptures:
the sacred book of the Zoroastrian religion
[Early 16th century. From
Middle Persian Avastāk, literally “original text.”][1]



Avestan

Avestan
A·ves·tan 
[ə véstən] or A·ves·tic [ə véstik] noun

ancient
Iranian language: an ancient language once spoken in
various parts of the Middle East. It belongs to the Iranian group of languages.
The sacred writings of the Zoroastrians are written in Avestan.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Avesta .]
—A·ves·tan, adjective[1]



avg.

avg.
avg.

Abbreviation of
average[1]



avian

avian
a·vi·an 
[áyvee ən] adjective

of
birds:
belonging to, relating to, or characteristic of birds
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin avis “bird” (source of English augur
and inaugurate ).][1]



aviary

aviary
a·vi·ar·y 
[áyvee erree] (plural a·vi·ar·ies)
noun

large
enclosure for birds: an enclosure or large cage
where birds are kept
[Late 16th century. From
Latin aviarium, from avis (see avian
).][1]



aviation

aviation
a·vi·a·tion 
[àyvee áysh’n] noun

development
and use of aircraft: the design, manufacture,
use, or operation of aircraft
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from Latin avis “bird” (see avian
).][1]



aviationmedicine

aviationmedicine
a·vi·a·tion
med·i·cine
noun

medical specialty concerning
effects of flying: the branch
of medicine concerned with the physical and psychological effects of flying in
aircraft.
Also called
aeromedicine[1]



aviator

aviator
a·vi·a·tor 
[áyvee àytər] (plural a·vi·a·tors)
noun

pilot:
the pilot of an aircraft[1]



aviatorglasses

aviatorglasses
a·vi·a·tor
glass·es
plural noun

oval metal-framed eyeglasses:
eyeglasses with oval tinted lenses and a metal frame[1]



aviculture

aviculture
a·vi·cul·ture 
[áyvi kùlchər, ávvi
kùlchər] noun

bird
rearing:
the care and rearing of birds in cages, aviaries, or enclosures
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin avis “bird” + culture
.]
—a·vi·cul·tur·ist, noun[1]



avid

avid
av·id 
[ávvid] adjective

keen:
eager for, dedicated to, or enthusiastic about something
[Mid-18th
century. Back-formation from avidity .]
—av·id·ly, adverb[1]



avidin

avidin
av·i·din 
[ávvədən] noun

protein
found in egg white: a protein found in egg white
that inactivates the vitamin biotin by binding with it but that loses its
ability to bind when subjected to heat
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from avid, because of its “avidity” for biotin .][1]



avidity

avidity
a·vid·i·ty 
[ə víddətee] noun

1.  eagerness
or greed:
great eagerness or greed for something

2.  CHEMISTRY See affinity

3.  BIOLOGY strength
of antigen-antibody binding: a measure of the strength
with which an antibody binds to an antigen
[15th century. Via French
from Latin avidus, from avere “to desire” (source of English avarice ).][1]



avifauna

avifauna
a·vi·fau·na 
[àyvə fáwnə, àvvə
fáwnə] (plural a·vi·fau·nas or a·vi·fau·nae
[àyvə fáwnee]) noun

bird
community:
all the birds present in a region, environment, or period of time
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin avis “bird” + fauna
.]
—a·vi·fau·nal, adjective[1]



Avignon

Avignon
A·vi·gnon 
[vi nyáwN]

capital of the Vaucluse
Department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region in southeastern France.
Population: 89,440 (1990)[1]



avionics

avionics
a·vi·on·ics 
[àyvee ónniks] noun

technology
applied to aircraft and spacecraft: the
development and use of electric and electronic equipment for aircraft and
spacecraft (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

plane
or spacecraft technological devices: the
electrical and electronic equipment of an aircraft or spacecraft (takes a
plural verb)
[Mid-20th
century. A blend of aviation and electronics .]
—a·vi·on·ic, adjective[1]



avirulent

avirulent
a·vir·u·lent 
[ay vírrələnt, ay
vírryələnt] adjective

not
causing disease: used to describe microorganisms that are
not likely to cause disease in another organism
—a·vir·u·lence, noun[1]



avitaminosis

avitaminosis
a·vi·ta·min·o·sis 
[ày vtəmə nṓssəss] (plural a·vi·ta·min·o·ses
[ày vtəmə nṓ seez]) noun

vitamin
deficiency disease: a disease caused by
deficiency of a particular vitamin
—a·vi·ta·min·ot·ic [ày vtəmə nóttik], adjective[1]



Aviv

Aviv
A·viv
[ə vv] noun

JUDAISM
See Nisan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








avn.

avn.
avn.

Abbreviation of
aviation[1]



avo

avo
a·vo 
[ávvoo] (plural a·vos) noun

currency
unit of Macau: a subunit of currency in Macau
[Early 20th century. From
Portuguese, shortened from oitavo “eighth,” from Latin octavus
(source of English octave ), from octo
“eight.”][1]



avocado

avocado

av·o·ca·do 
[àvvə kdō, və
kdō] noun (plural av·o·ca·dos)

1.  av·o·ca·do
or av·o·ca·do pear (plural av·o·ca·do pears) green-fleshed
edible fruit: a fruit with a leathery dark green or
blackish skin with a soft, smooth-tasting, pale green flesh and a large stony
seed, eaten raw in salads or dips.
Also
called
alligator pear

2.  tree
on which avocados grow: a tropical tree that bears
avocados. Latin name: Persea americana

3.  creamy
green:
a dull creamy green color, like that of the flesh of an avocado
adjective

of creamy green color:
of a dull creamy green color, like the flesh of an avocado
[Mid-17th century. From
Spanish, an alteration (influenced by avocado “lawyer”) of aguacate,
from Nahuatl ahuacatl, literally “testicle” (because of the shape of the
fruit).][1]



avocation

avocation
av·o·ca·tion 
[àvvə káysh’n] (plural av·o·ca·tions)
noun

1.  occupation:
a calling or occupation (formal)

2.  hobby:
a hobby or pastime (formal)

3.  distraction:
something that distracts or diverts somebody from what he or she is doing (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “distraction,” from, ultimately vocare “to
call” (see vocation ).]
—av·o·ca·tion·al,
adjective

—av·o·ca·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



avocet

avocet
av·o·cet 
[ávvə set] (plural av·o·cets) noun

wading
bird with long beak: a shore bird with black and
white plumage, long legs, and a long slender upward-curving beak. Genus: Recurvirostra
[Late 17th century. Via
French avocette from Italian avosetta .][1]



Avogadro,Amedeo

Avogadro,Amedeo
A·vo·ga·dro
[və g drō], Amedeo, Conte di Quaregna e
Ceretto (1776–1856)

Italian
physicist and chemist who formulated Avogadro’s law.
Full name
Avogadro, Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo[1]



Avogadro’slaw

Avogadro’slaw
A·vo·ga·dro’s
law 
noun

law
of molecule numbers in gases: a principle in physics
stating that equal volumes of different gases at the same temperature and
pressure contain the same number of molecules
[Late 19th century. Named for
Amedeo Avogadro .][1]



Avogadro’snumber

Avogadro’snumber
A·vo·ga·dro’s
num·ber
or A·vo·ga·dro’s con·stant noun

atoms
or molecules in mole: the number of atoms or
molecules, 6.023 x 10 23, contained in one mole of a
substance. Symbol N A
[Late 19th century. Named for
Amedeo Avogadro .][1]



avoid

avoid
a·void 
[ə vóyd] (past a·void·ed, past
participle a·void·ed, present participle a·void·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·voids) verb

1.  transitive
verb
not
go near:
to keep away from somebody or something • a
place to be avoided

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb not do
something or prevent something: to manage not to do
something or to stop something from happening • I
narrowly avoided colliding with it.

3.  transitive
verb
LAW state
something is not valid: to say that something is
void or invalid
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Old French vuide “empty”
(see void ).]
—a·void·a·ble,
adjective

—a·void·a·bly,
adverb

—a·void·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  avoid,
  evade, or elude ?
  All
  three words involve keeping away from somebody or something or keeping
  somebody or something away from you. The main difference between avoid and evade is that avoid is neutral in tone whereas evade
  implies dishonesty or deception, or at least some sort of ulterior motive. If
  you avoid a responsibility, you take measures to prevent it being necessary,
  whereas if you evade a responsibility you get out of it in an underhand or
  deceitful way when the necessity is still there. Avoid
  can be followed by a verbal noun in -ing, whereas evade must be
  followed by an ordinary noun: • We
  avoided having to pay. • We
  evaded payment. Elude implies clever or
  ingenious avoidance without it being devious or wrong. It also has the
  special meaning of “escape,” as in • Her
  name eludes me.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at escape

[1]



avoidance

avoidance
a·void·ance 
[ə vóyd’ns] noun

1.  act
of keeping away: the act of staying away from somebody or
something

2.  act
of not doing something: the act of refraining from
doing something or preventing something from happening or applying

3.  LAW act of
making something invalid: the act of making something
void or invalid

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  avoidance
  or evasion ?
  The
  difference corresponds to the difference between avoid and evade
  . In particular, tax avoidance means a legal method, whereas tax evasion
  means an illegal method, of reducing a liability to pay taxes.

[1]



avoirdupois

avoirdupois
av·oir·du·pois 
[àvvər də póyz] noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS See avoirdupois weight

2.  somebody’s
weight:
the amount that somebody weighs (humorous)
[14th century. From Old
French aveir de peis, literally “goods of weight.” The word originally denoted
merchandise sold by weight, hence the system used to weigh them.][1]



avoirdupoisweight

avoirdupoisweight
av·oir·du·pois
weight
or av·oir·du·pois noun

weight measure derived from
pound: a system for measuring
weights based on the pound.
Also called
avoirdupois[1]



Avon

Avon
A·von 
[áy vòn, áyvən]

city in north central
Connecticut. It lies on the Farmington River, northwest of Hartford.
Population: 13,833 (1996)[1]



avouch

avouch
a·vouch 
[ə vówch] (past a·vouched, past
participle a·vouched, present participle a·vouch·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·vouch·es) transitive verb

state
that something is true: to acknowledge, guarantee,
or confirm that something is true (archaic)
[15th century. Via Old French
avochier from Latin advocare (see avow
).][1]



avow

avow
a·vow 
[ə vów] (past a·vowed, past
participle a·vowed, present participle a·vow·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·vows) transitive verb

affirm:
to state or affirm that something is a fact (formal)
[13th
century. Via Old French avouer “to acknowledge” from Latin advocare
“to summon” (see advocate ).]
—a·vow·a·ble,
adjective

—a·vow·a·bly,
adverb

—a·vow·ed·ly [ə vówədlee], adverb[1]



avowal

avowal
a·vow·al 
[ə vów əl] (plural a·vow·als) noun

frank statement:
a frank statement or admission (formal)[1]



avulsion

avulsion
a·vul·sion 
[ə vúlsh’n] noun

1.  MEDICINE separation
of body part: the tearing away or separation of part
of the body, resulting from an accident or performed during surgery

2.  LAW removal
of soil:
the removal of soil from one person’s land to another’s, especially by a flood
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from the Latin stem avulsion-, from, ultimately, vellere
“to pull” (source of English convulse
and svelte ).][1]



avuncular

avuncular
a·vun·cu·lar 
[ə vúng kyələr] adjective

1.  like
an uncle:
resembling an uncle, especially one who is friendly, helpful, or good-humored

2.  of
an uncle:
relating to or deriving from an uncle (formal or humorous)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin avunculus “maternal uncle,” literally “little
uncle” (see uncle ).]
—a·vun·cu·lar·i·ty
[ə vùng kyə lérrətee], noun

—a·vun·cu·lar·ly [ə vàng kyələrlee], adverb[1]



avunculate

avunculate
a·vun·cu·late 
[ə vúng kyələt] noun

uncle-nephew
relationship: in some patrilineal societies, a special
relationship similar to that of father and son that exists between a man and
his sister’s sons
—avunculate, adjective[1]



aw

aw
aw 
[aw] interjection

U.S.,
Scotland expressing feeling:
used to express surprise, disappointment, or pity (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



a.w.

a.w.
a.w.

1.  a.w.
or A/W MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation
of actual weight

2.  MEASUREMENTS PHYSICS Abbreviation of atomic weight

3.  NAUTICAL Abbreviation of all
water

[1]



AWACS

AWACS
AWACS 
[áy waks] noun

airborne
military surveillance system: a radar and computer system
carried in an aircraft to track large numbers of low-flying aircraft
[Acronym formed from airborne
warning and control system][1]



await

await
a·wait 
[ə wáyt] (past a·wait·ed, past
participle a·wait·ed, present participle a·wait·ing, 3rd
person present singular a·waits) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wait
for something: to expect or be looking for somebody or
something

2.  transitive
verb
be
waiting for somebody: to be going to happen or be
given to somebody “Where we find a difficulty we may always expect that a
discovery awaits us.” C. S. Lewis Reflections on the Psalms 1961
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman awaitier, from, ultimately, Old French guaitier,
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English wake .][1]



awake

awake
a·wake 
[ə wáyk] adjective

1.  not
asleep:
fully conscious and not asleep

2.  alert:
alert and vigilant about what is going on all around “The color had come back
to his face, and his eyes were clear, and fully awake and aware.” J. R. R.
Tolkien The Fellowship of the Ring 1954

3.  aware
of something: fully aware of something or alert to it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past a·woke [ə wṓk] or a·waked, past
participle a·waked or a·wok·en [ə wṓkən], present participle a·wak·ing,
3rd person present singular a·wakes)

1.  emerge
from sleep:
to rouse somebody or be roused from sleep

2.  become
or make somebody aware: to become or make somebody
become alert to something

3.  arouse
somebody:
to arouse yourself or somebody else from a dazed or dreamlike state

4.  arouse
feelings:
to arouse feelings or memories
[Old English āwæcnan,
from two Old English verbs, wacian “to be awake” and assumed wacen
“to wake up,” both ancestors of English wake 1][1]



awaken

awaken
a·wak·en 
[ə wáyk’n] (past a·wak·ened, past
participle a·wak·ened, present participle a·wak·en·ing,
3rd person present singular a·wak·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

wake
up:
to wake up from a state of sleep or a state likened to sleep
[Old
English āwæcnian, from wæcnan “to waken”]
—a·wak·en·er, noun[1]



awakening

awakening
a·wak·en·ing
[ə wáykəning] adjective

just beginning:
just beginning or growing
noun

1.  arousal
from sleep:
the act or process of waking from sleep

2.  renewed
attention to something: a revival or renewal of
interest in something, especially religion

3.  sudden
awareness:
a sudden recognition or realization of something

[1]



award

award
a·ward 
[ə wáwrd] noun (plural a·wards)

1.  something
given for achievement: something, for example, a
prize, that is given in recognition of somebody’s merit or an achievement

2.  LAW something
granted by law court: something bestowed, granted,
or assigned to somebody by a court of law or by arbitration
transitive
verb
(past a·ward·ed, past participle a·ward·ed, present
participle a·ward·ing, 3rd person present singular a·wards)

1.  give
something for merit: to give somebody something
in recognition of merit

2.  LAW bestow
as result of court’s decision: to bestow or grant
something by a judicial decision or by arbitration
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, “to decide a legal case,” from, ultimately, Old
French warder “to judge,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also
the ancestor of English warden .]
—a·ward·a·ble,
adjective

—a·ward·er, noun[1]



awardee

awardee
a·ward·ee 
[ə wàwr d] (plural a·ward·ees)
noun

somebody given an award:
somebody who receives an award by a judicial decision or by arbitration[1]



aware

aware
a·ware 
[ə wáir] adjective

1.  knowing
something:
having knowledge of something because you have observed it or somebody has told
you about it • We
are already aware of the problem, and we are dealing with it.

2.  noticing
or realizing something: mindful that something
exists because you notice it or realize that it is happening • He
became aware of a pain in his left side.

3.  knowledgeable:
well-informed about what is going on in the world or about the latest
developments in a particular sphere of activity • More
financially aware investors were starting to sell their stock.
[Old
English gewær, literally “very watchful,” from wær “watchful”
(source of English wary and beware )]
—a·ware·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  aware, conscious, mindful, cognizant,
  sensible
  CORE
  MEANING: having
  knowledge of the existence of something aware;
  the most wide-ranging term, indicating that somebody knows something either
  intellectually or intuitively; conscious;
  having something in the forefront of the mind, often in a slightly troubling
  way; mindful; actively attentive,
  or deliberately keeping something in mind; cognizant;
  a formal term indicating that somebody has a special knowledge about
  something, sometimes because of having made a deliberate effort to find out; sensible; a formal or literary term for aware

[1]



awash

awash
a·wash 
[ə wósh, ə wáwsh]
adjective

1.  covered
in water:
covered in water or some other liquid

2.  oversupplied:
having more of something than is desirable or manageable • an
office awash with letters of complaint

3.  SHIPPING with
water running over the sides: sunk so low that water is
able to come in over the sides of the vessel

[1]



away

away
a·way 
[ə wáy] (plural aways) CORE
MEANING:
an adverb used to indicate that something or somebody moves so as to leave a
particular place • I really need to go
away for a while. • The
truck drove away leaving us stranded. • The
cat has run away.

1.
adverb uninvolved:
separated or far from somebody or something • I
try to stay away from trouble.

2.
adverb in a different direction:
in a different direction from the one somebody was originally facing or looking
in • He
turned his face away.

3.
adverb into the distance:
toward the distance • pine
groves stretching away toward the sea

4.
adverb in the future:
at a particular time in the future (follows a span of time) • Thanksgiving
is only a week away.

5.
adverb into storage or safekeeping:
into the place where something is normally stored, or into a safe place • We
put the silver away.

6.
adverb off something:
so as to remove or separate something, or so as to be removed or separated (follows
a verb) • a
tool to chip away the old paint

7.
adverb to or from somebody:
into or out of the possession of somebody or something (follows the verb or
object of the verb) • decided
to give the old car away

8.
adverb until something is used up:
so as to make something disappear or be expended (follows a verb and
precedes the object)

9.
adverb gradually:
gradually until it ceases or is no longer noticed • The
music gradually died away.

10.
adverb so as to show a change:
so that a perceptible change from one thing to another occurs • a
shift away from heavier taxation

11.
adverb without stopping:
continuously and usually energetically over a period of time • hammering
away in the garage

12.
adverb so as to set out:
so as to be on a trip • hope
to get away after breakfast

13.
adverb adjective in another place:
not in the particular place or the place where somebody usually is, especially
at home or at work • I’ll be away until
Thursday.
• She
works away from the office.

14.
adverb adjective in distance or time:
as measured in distance or time from here (follows a measure or indication
of distance or time) • He
works about 10 minutes away. • The
mountains are not far away.

15.
adverb adjective SPORTS
on
opposing team’s field: played on an opponent’s home
field • Their
next three games will be played away. • Their
away record has been very bad this season.

16.
adjective GOLF furthest
from the hole: placed furthest from the hole in a game
of golf
[Old English aweg,
from on weg “on (your) way.” The meaning evolved from “on” (as in “move
on”) to “from this (or that) place.”][1]



awe

awe
awe 
[aw] noun

1.  mixture
of wonder and dread: a feeling of amazement and
respect mixed with fear that is often coupled with a feeling of personal
insignificance or powerlessness • Filled
with awe, they gazed at the ruins of the massive temple.

2.  ability
to inspire dread: the ability to inspire dread or
reverence (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past awed, past participle awed, present
participle aw·ing, 3rd person present singular awes)

cause awe in somebody:
to make somebody feel awe (usually passive) • The
visiting ambassadors were awed by this display of military might.
[13th century. From Old Norse
agi . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be afraid,”
which is also the source of English ail
.][1]



aweather

aweather
a·weath·er 
[ə wéər] adverb

SAILING
windward:
toward the windward side[1]



aweigh

aweigh
a·weigh 
[ə wáy] adjective

SAILING
clear of seabed:
hanging clear of the bottom of a body of water • Anchors
aweigh![1]



awe-inspiring

awe-inspiring
awe-in·spir·ing
adjective

amazing and slightly
frightening: so impressive as to
make a person feel humble or slightly afraid[1]



awendaw

awendaw
aw·en·daw
[áwin dàw] noun

Southern
U.S.
spoon
bread:
spoon bread made from hominy or cornmeal
[Named for a South Carolina
hamlet in upper Charleston County, inland from Bulls Bay, from a Native
American name][1]



awesome

awesome
awe·some 
[áwsəm] adjective

1.  impressive
and frightening: so impressive or overwhelming as to
inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear • the
awesome destructive power of a tornado

2.  excellent:
used as a general term of enthusiastic approval (slang) • The
second track on this CD is totally awesome. • That’s
awesome skateboarding!
—awe·some·ly,
adverb

—awe·some·ness, noun[1]



awestruck

awestruck
awe·struck 
[áw strùk] or awe·strick·en [áw strìkən] adjective

awed:
filled with a feeling of awe[1]



awful

awful
aw·ful 
[áwf’l] adjective

1.  extremely
bad:
very bad or unpleasant • an
awful smell

2.  causing
shock or sadness: extremely shocking, saddening, or
unpleasant • an
awful accident

3.  not
very well:
in very poor health • I feel
awful this morning.

4.  very
great:
enormous in size, amount, number, or extent (informal) • We
spent an awful lot of money on furniture.

5.  awe-inspiring:
so impressive as to inspire awe (literary)
adverb

extremely: to an
extreme degree or extent (informal) • It’s
awful hot this morning.
[13th
century. The original meaning was “awe-inspiring.”]
—aw·ful·ness, noun[1]



awfully

awfully
aw·ful·ly 
[áwflee, áwfəlee]
adverb

1.  very:
to an extremely great degree • I’m
awfully grateful to you for helping me out.

2.  badly
or unpleasantly: in a very bad or unpleasant way • treated
them awfully

[1]



awhile

awhile
a·while 
[ə hwl] adverb

for
brief period: for a short time (literary)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  awhile
  or a while ?
  Both
  expressions are derived from the word while, but they have a different
  role in the sentence. Awhile is an adverb
  ( • Let
  us wait awhile ), whereas a while written as
  two words is a noun phrase (and is normally preceded by for ): • I’m
  going to be away for a while . Sometimes,
  however, the word for is left out, making a while look more
  like an adverbial phrase, although it is still strictly a noun phrase: • We
  had to wait quite a while. This use is fairly easy to
  identify because while is qualified in some way, for example, quite
  a while or a long while .

[1]



awhirl

awhirl
a·whirl 
[ə hwúrl] adjective

1.  in
a dizzy state: in a dizzy state of excitement or
confusion • Her
mind was awhirl with new ideas.

2.  around
and around:
moving around and around (literary) • red
and golden leaves awhirl in the autumn breeze

[1]



awkward

awkward
awk·ward 
[áwkwərd] adjective

1.  embarrassing:
embarrassing and requiring great tact or skill to resolve • I
find myself in an awkward situation.

2.  difficult
or uncomfortable to use: difficult to use because you
have to move your body into an uncomfortable position

3.  performed
gracelessly: performed in a way that lacks grace and
looks uncomfortable

4.  without
graceful coordination: lacking physical
coordination and grace • an
awkward, gangling adolescent

5.  shyly
uncomfortable: shy, uncomfortable, and embarrassed • He
was always awkward around kids.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from obsolete awke “turned the wrong way” (from Old
Norse afugr “turned backward”) + -ward
.]
—awk·ward·ly,
adverb

—awk·ward·ness, noun[1]



awl

awl

awl 
[awl] (plural awls) noun
sharp-pointed
tool:
a tool consisting of a handle and a slim metal shaft with a sharp point, used
for punching small holes in leather or wood
[Old English æl, of
uncertain origin: perhaps from a non-Indo-European language in Anatolia (Asia
Minor)][1]



awn

awn
awn 
[awn] (plural awns) noun

bristle
on top of grass seed: a stiff bristle projecting
from the tip of a plant organ, for example, from the sheath surrounding a
cereal or grass seed
[12th
century. From the Old Norse stem agn- “chaff.”]
—awned,
adjective

—awn·less [áwnləss], adjective[1]



awning

awning
awn·ing 
[áwning] (plural awn·ings) noun

extendable
canvas roof: a plastic, canvas, or metal porch or
shade supported by a frame and often foldable, that is placed over a
storefront, doorway, window, or side of a recreational vehicle
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



awoke

awoke
a·woke


Past tense of
awake[1]



awoken

awoken
a·wok·en


Past participle of
awake[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








AWOL

AWOL
AWOL 
[áy wàwl] or a.w.o.l. [áy wàwl] adjective

away
from position without permission: absent from a post,
especially a military position assigned, without official permission
noun
(plural AWOLs)

MILITARY deserter:
a member of the armed forces who is absent from his or her place of assignment
without official permission
[From a(bsent) w(ith)o(ut)
l(eave)][1]



awry

awry
a·wry 
[ə r] adjective

1.  crooked:
not in the proper position but turned or twisted to one side • The
cushions were awry and there was mud on the carpet.

2.  amiss:
not in keeping with plans or expectations • Our
plans have gone awry.
[14th century. From the
phrase on wry, literally “in a twist.”][1]



aw-shucks

aw-shucks
aw-shucks 
adjective

modest in a homespun way:
modest, self-conscious, and unsophisticated in a homespun manner (informal)[1]



ax.

ax.
ax.

Abbreviation of
axiom[1]



ax

ax
ax
[aks] or axe [aks] noun (plural ax·es) (plural
ax·es)

1.  tool
for cutting: a tool consisting of a flat heavy metal
head with a sharpened edge attached to a long handle, used to chop wood or fell
trees

2.  job
loss:
dismissal from a job (slang) • Her
secretary got the ax yesterday.

3.  immediate
closure:
the immediate closure of an institution or the sudden discontinuation of a
project or funding (slang) • The
tractor plant is slated for the ax.

4.  MUSIC musical
instrument:
a musical instrument, specifically a rock guitar or a jazz saxophone (slang)
transitive
verb
(past axed, past participle axed, present
participle ax·ing, 3rd person present singular ax·es)
(past axed, past participle axed, present
participle ax·ing, 3rd person present singular ax·es)

1.  terminate
something:
to end something, for example, a job, a service, or a television program
usually without prior warning or discussion (informal) (usually
passive) • In
July, the show was axed.

2.  fire
somebody:
to dismiss somebody from a job, especially abruptly (informal)

3.  reduce
something drastically: to cut something, for
example, expenditures or services, drastically
[Old
English æcs . Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting a cutting
or hewing tool.]
an
ax to grind

a personal consideration or
motivation, especially one involving a grievance • It
was clear from their hostile questioning that certain reporters had an ax to
grind on this issue.[1]



axe

axe
axe 
noun (plural a·xes [áksəz])
transitive verb

See
ax[1]



axel

axel
ax·el 
[áks’l] (plural ax·els) noun

jump
in ice skating: a figure-skating jump in which the
skater takes off from the forward outside edge of one skate, turns in midair,
and lands on the rear outside edge of the other skate
[Mid-20th century. Named for Axel
Rudolph Paulser (1885–1938), Norwegian skater.][1]



AxelHeiberg Island

AxelHeiberg Island
Ax·el
Hei·berg Is·land [áks’l h
burg lənd]

easternmost and largest
Sverdrup Island, west of Ellesmere Island, in Nunavut Territory, Canada. Area:
43,178 sq km/16,671 sq mi.[1]



axenic

axenic
a·xen·ic 
[ay zénnik, ay
znik] adjective

uncontaminated:
used to describe a culture of an organism that is free from contamination by
other living organisms
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek a- “not” + xenikos “alien, strange.”][1]



axes

axes
ax·es

Plural of
axis 1[1]



axial

axial
ax·i·al 
[áksee əl] adjective

1.  GEOMETRY of
axis:
relating to or forming an axis

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY located
along plane of axis: located on or in the plane
of an axis of a crystal

3.  ANATOMY of
axis of organism: located in or relating to the axis of an
organism
—ax·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



axialskeleton

axialskeleton
ax·i·al
skel·e·ton
(plural ax·i·al skel·e·tons) noun

backbone and skull:
the bones that make up the vertebral column and skull[1]



axil

axil
ax·il 
[áks’l] (plural ax·ils) noun

space
between leaf and stem: the space between a leaf or
branch and the stem to which it is attached
[Late 18th century. From
Latin axilla (see axilla ).][1]



axile

axile
ax·ile 
[ák sl] adjective

on or along axis:
used to describe a plant structure that grows along an axis[1]



axilla

axilla
ax·il·la 
[ak síllə] (plural ax·il·lae [ak síllee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY (technical) See
armpit

2.  ZOOLOGY hollow
under bird’s wing: the hollow underneath the
wing of a bird
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “little wing,” from ala “wing, upper arm.”][1]



axillar

axillar
ax·il·lar 
[ak síllər, áksələr]
(plural ax·il·lars) noun

ZOOLOGY
feather on wing’s underside:
a feather growing from the hollow ( axilla )
under a bird’s wing.
Also called
axillary[1]



axillary

axillary
ax·il·lar·y 
[àksə lérree] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of
armpit:
relating to or near the armpit

2.  BOTANY between
leaf or branch and stem: relating to or growing in
the space ( axil ) between a leaf or branch
and the stem
noun
(plural ax·il·lar·ies)

ZOOLOGY See axillar

[1]



axinite

axinite
ax·i·nite 
[áksi nt] noun

brown
mineral with wedge-shaped crystals: a
brilliant brown mineral consisting of wedge-shaped crystals of calcium and
aluminum borosilicate with some iron and manganese
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek axinē “ax” + -ite .][1]



axiology

axiology
ax·i·ol·o·gy 
[àksee ólləjee] noun

study
of values:
the study of the nature, types, and governing criteria of values and value
judgments
[Early
20th century. From French axiologie, from Greek axia “value” (see
axiom ).]
—ax·i·o·log·i·cal
[àksee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ax·i·o·log·i·cal·ly
[àksee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ax·i·ol·o·gist [àksee ólləjist], noun[1]



axiom

axiom
ax·i·om 
[áksee əm] (plural ax·i·oms) noun

1.  generally
accepted truth: a statement or idea that people accept
as self-evidently true

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC basic
proposition assumed to be true: a basic proposition of
a system that, although unproven, is used to prove the other propositions in
the system
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin axioma, from Greek axiōma, literally
“something worthy,” from, ultimately, axios “weighty, worthy.”][1]



axiomatic

axiomatic
ax·i·o·mat·ic 
[àksee ə máttik] adjective

1.  self-evident:
self-evidently true, or universally accepted as being true

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC based
on axioms:
consisting of or based on axioms
[Late 18th century. From
Greek axiōmatikos, from the stem of axiōma (see axiom ).][1]



Axis

Axis
Ax·is 
noun

World
War II fascist powers: the military and political
alliance of Germany, Italy, and, later, Japan that fought the Allies in World
War II
[Mid-20th century. From
Mussolini’s idea of “an axis around which all nation’s could assemble.”][1]



axis

axis2
ax·is2  noun

See
axis deer
[Early 17th century. From
Latin axis, an unidentified wild animal in India, of unknown origin.][1]



axis

axis1

ax·is1  [áksiss]
(plural ax·es [ák sz]) noun

1.  SCIENCE line
around which object rotates: an imaginary straight line
around which an object, such as the earth, rotates

2.  GEOMETRY line
around which shape is symmetrical: a straight line around
which a geometric figure or three-dimensional object is symmetrical

3.  GEOMETRY one of two or more lines on
which coordinates are measured. Often on a graph two axes form its left and
lower margins.

4.  alliance:
an alliance or association between two or more people, organizations, or
countries that is thought of as forming a center of power or influence • the
Paris-Bonn axis

5.  AIR line
defining direction of aircraft: any one of the three
mutually perpendicular lines in an aircraft that define its orientation

6.  ANATOMY second
vertebra in neck: the second vertebra in the neck, which
acts as the pivot on which the head and first vertebra turn

7.  BOTANY central
part of plant: the main part of a plant, usually the
stem and the root, from which all subsidiary parts develop

8.  OPTICS line
perpendicular to lens or mirror: the axis of symmetry
of an optical system, especially a line perpendicular to the surface of a lens
or mirror

9.  GEOLOGY line
at maximum curvature: an imaginary line along the
crest of an anticline or the trough of a syncline at the point of maximum
curvature

10. CRYSTALLOGRAPHY line
passing through crystal: an imaginary line, one of
three or four that pass through the center of a crystal and are used to define
its symmetry and the arrangement of its atoms
[14th century. From Latin,
“axle, pivot.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “axis,” which is
also the ancestor of English axle .][1]



axisdeer

axisdeer
ax·is
deer
(plural ax·is deer) or ax·is (plural ax·is)
noun

Indian deer:
a deer with a reddish brown, white-spotted coat that lives in India and central
Asia. Latin name: Axis axis
Also called
chital[1]



axisymmetric

axisymmetric
ax·i·sym·met·ric 
[àksi sə méttrik] or ax·i·sym·met·ri·cal
[àksi sə méttrik’l] adjective

with
symmetry around axis: symmetrical with respect to
an axis
—ax·i·sym·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



axle

axle
ax·le 
[áks’l] (plural ax·les) noun

1.  shaft
on which wheel turns: a shaft on which a wheel or
set of wheels revolves, especially a shaft under the body of a vehicle that
connects a pair of wheels

2.  spindle
on which wheel turns: the spindle on which one or
more wheels revolve
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of axletree .][1]



axletree

axletree
ax·le·tree 
[áks’l tr] (plural ax·le·trees)
noun

shaft
between wheels: a shaft that runs underneath the body of
a vehicle such as a cart or carriage and connects a pair of wheels
[13th century. From Old Norse
öxultré, from öxull “axle” + tré “tree, beam.”][1]



axman

axman
ax·man 
[áks màn, áksmən]
(plural ax·men [áks mèn]) noun

1.  man
with ax:
a man who carries or uses an ax as either a tool or a weapon

2.  MUSIC rock
or jazz musician: a rock guitarist or a jazz saxophone
player (slang)

[1]



Axminster

Axminster
Ax·min·ster
[áks mìnstər] (plural Ax·min·ster)
noun

high-quality
carpet:
a high-quality carpet with a cut pile that is usually woven into a colorful
pattern
[Early 19th century. Named
for Axminster, a town in Devon, southwestern England, where they were
originally made.][1]



axolemma

axolemma
ax·o·lem·ma 
[àksə lémmə] (plural ax·o·lem·mas)
noun

membrane
around nerve cell: the membranous sheath that
encloses the long thin extension of a nerve cell ( axon )
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek axōn “axis” + lemma “skin, husk.”][1]



axolotl

axolotl
ax·o·lotl 
[áksə làwt’l] (plural ax·o·lotls
or ax·o·lotl) noun

aquatic
salamander:
an aquatic salamander native to Mexico and the western United States that often
retains its external gills as an adult. Genus: Ambystoma
[Late 18th century. From
Nahuatl, from atl “water” + xolotl “servant.”][1]



axon

axon
ax·on 
[ák son] (plural ax·ons) noun

extension
of nerve cell: an extension of a nerve cell, similar in
shape to a thread, that transmits impulses outward from the cell body
[Late 19th century. From
Greek axōn “axis.”][1]



axoneme

axoneme
ax·o·neme 
[áksə nm] (plural ax·o·nemes)
noun

BIOLOGY fibrils
forming central core of flagellum: a bundle of fibrils
that form the central core of a cilium or flagellum. It consists of nine pairs
of microtubules surrounding a central pair.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek axōn “axis” + nēma “thread.”][1]



axonometric

axonometric
ax·o·no·met·ric 
[àksənə méttrik, àksənō
méttrik] adjective

drawing only partially to
scale: used to describe a method of
drawing a three-dimensional object so that the vertical and horizontal axes are
drawn to scale but the curves and diagonals appear distorted[1]



axoplasm

axoplasm
ax·o·plasm 
[áksə plàzzəm] noun

cytoplasm
of nerve cell part: the cytoplasm of a nerve
cell extension ( axon )
—ax·o·plas·mic [àksə plázmik], adjective[1]



ay

ay2
ay2 adverb

See
aye 2[1]



ay

ay1
ay1 interjection noun

See
aye 1[1]



ayah

ayah
a·yah 
[ ə] (plural a·yahs) noun

South
Asia
maid
acting as baby nurse: a maid whose duties include
the care of children
[Late 18th century. Via
Portuguese aia “woman tutor” from Latin avia “grandmother.”][1]



ayatollah

ayatollah
a·ya·tol·lah 
[ ə tṓlə] (plural a·ya·tol·lahs)
noun

Shiite
religious leader: a Shiite religious leader in Iran, often
one who takes an important political as well as religious role
[Mid-20th century. Via
Persian from Arabic ‘āyatu-llāh “miraculous sign of God,” from ‘āya
“sign, miracle” + allāh “God.”][1]



aye

aye1
aye1 [ī]
or ay [ī] interjection

yes:
used to say yes (regional)
noun
(plural ayes) (plural ayes)

vote
or voter in favor: a vote in favor of a motion,
or somebody who casts a vote in favor
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the pronoun I (at
first it was always written as I ), or perhaps from aye 2 .][1]



aye

aye2
aye2 [ī]
or ay [ī] adverb

forever:
always or forever (archaic or regional)
[13th century. From Old Norse
ei, ey ; probably related to English ever
.][1]



aye-aye

aye-aye
aye-aye 
[ ī] (plural aye-ayes) noun

small
Madagascan primate: a small nocturnal primate
that lives in trees and is found in Madagascar, and has a long bushy tail, long
bony fingers, and teeth resembling those of a rodent. Latin name: Daubentonia
madagascariensis
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Malagasy aiay ; probably an imitation of its cry.][1]



AyersRock

AyersRock
Ayers
Rock
[áyərz rok]

Former name for
Uluru[1]



AYH

AYH
AYH

Abbreviation of
American Youth Hostels[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ayin

ayin
a·yin 
[ yin] (plural a·yins) noun

16th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 16th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, written as an apostrophe and pronounced approximately like an
“o”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew ‘ayin, literally “eye.”][1]



Aylmer,Matthew Whitworth

Aylmer,Matthew Whitworth
Ayl·mer 
[áylmər], Matthew Whitworth (1775–1850)

British colonial
administrator. He was governor general of British North America (1830–1835).[1]



Aymara

Aymara
Ay·ma·ra 
[mə r] (plural Ay·ma·ra or
Ay·ma·ras) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native South
American people who live around Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru. The great
ruins at Tiahuanaco are believed to have been built by the Aymara around AD 500.

2.  LANGUAGE S
American language: a language of Bolivia and
Peru, related to or strongly influenced by Quechua. About two million people
speak Aymara.
[Mid-19th
century. From Bolivian Spanish .]
—Ay·ma·ran [mə rn], adjective[1]



Ayurveda

Ayurveda
A·yur·ved·a
[àayər váydə, yər
véedə] noun

Hindu
treatise on healing: an ancient Hindu treatise on
the art of healing and prolonging life
[Early
20th century. From Sanskrit āyur-veda “medicine,” literally “science of
life,” from āyur- “life, vital power” + veda “knowledge.”]
—A·yur·ved·ic, adjective[1]



AZ

AZ
AZ

Abbreviation of
Arizona[1]



az.

az.
az.

1.  ASTRONOMY Abbreviation of
azimuth

2.  HERALDRY Abbreviation of azure

[1]



azalea

azalea

a·zal·ea 
[ə záylyə] (plural a·zal·eas or
a·zal·ea) noun
flowering
shrub:
a flowering shrub that is widely grown for its large pink, purple, white,
yellow, or orange flowers. Some azaleas lose their leaves, while the small
varieties of Japanese origin are evergreen. Genus: Rhododendron
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek, from azaleos “dry” (related to English ardent, arid,
and ash ). From the dry soil in which
it flourishes, or from its dry brittle wood.][1]



azan

azan
a·zan 
[aa zn] (plural a·zans) noun

Islamic
call to prayer: the Islamic call to prayer that a
muezzin repeats five times a day from the minaret of a mosque
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic aḏān “announcement.”][1]



Azapo

Azapo
A·za·po
[ə záppō] noun

Socialist
political movement: a Socialist political
movement in South Africa
[Late 20th century. Acronym
formed from Azanian People’s Organization .][1]



azathioprine

azathioprine
az·a·thi·o·prine 
[àzə th ə prn] noun

immunosuppressive
drug:
a synthetic drug that suppresses the body’s immune responses and is widely used
during and after transplant surgery to prevent rejection of the transplanted
organ
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from aza- + thi- + purine
.][1]



azeotrope

azeotrope
a·ze·o·trope 
[áy zee ə trp] (plural a·ze·o·tropes)
noun

mixture
of liquids with constant composition: a
mixture of liquids that has a different boiling point from any of its
components and retains its composition when it is a vapor
[Early
20th century. Coined from a- “not” + Greek zeo-,
the combining form of zein “to boil” (source of English eczema )+ Greek -tropos “turning,
changing.”]
—a·ze·o·trop·ic
[àyzee ə tróppik], adjective

—a·ze·ot·ro·py [àyzee óttrəpee], noun[1]



Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan



A·zer·bai·jan 
[àzzər bī jn, àzzər
bī zhn]
country
of southwestern Asia bisected by Armenia. It is also surrounded by the Caspian
Sea, Russia, Georgia, and Iran. Language: Azeri. Currency: manat. Capital:
Baku. Population: 7,797,476 (1997) Area: 86,600 sq km/33,436 sq mi.
—A·zer·bai·ja·ni [àzzər bī jnee], noun, adjective[1]



Azerbaijan




Back to definition

Azerbaijan

[1]



Azeri

Azeri
A·ze·ri
[ə záiree] noun adjective

LANGUAGE
language of Azerbaijan:
the official language of the country of Azerbaijan, also spoken in the province
of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. A Turkic language of the Altaic family, it
is spoken by about 14 million people.[1]



azerty

azerty
az·er·ty 
[ə zúrtee] or AZ·ER·TY [ə zúrtee] adjective

having European typewriter
keyboard layout: using the commonest
type of computer or typewriter keyboard layout in continental Europe, where the
top row of letters, beginning from the left, runs A, Z, E, R, T, Y.
See also
qwerty[1]



azide

azide
az·ide 
[á zd, áy zd]
(plural az·ides) noun

compound
containing three adjacent nitrogen atoms: any
chemical compound containing a group of three adjacent nitrogen atoms. N3
[Early 20th century. Coined
from azo- + -ide
.][1]



azidothymidine

azidothymidine
a·zi·do·thy·mi·dine 
[ə zddō thmə dn] noun

Full form of
AZT[1]



Azilian

Azilian
A·zil·ian 
[ə zíllee ən] noun

prehistoric
European culture: a prehistoric culture that existed in
Spain and southwestern France from around 10,000 to 8,000 B.C. The distinctive artifacts produced
by this culture include flat bone harpoons and painted pebbles.
[Late 19th century. Named for
Mas d’ Azil in the French Pyrenees, where a cave containing bone and
flint implements was found.][1]



azimuth

azimuth
az·i·muth 
[ázzəməth] (plural az·i·muths)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY eastward
angle to object from north: the angle measured from
north, eastward along the horizon to the point where a vertical circle through
a celestial object intersects the horizon

2.  NAVIGATION horizontal
angle of bearing: the angular distance along the horizon
between a point of reference, usually the observer’s bearing, and another
object
[Early
17th century. Via French azimut from Arabic as-samūt, plural of as-samt,
literally “the way,” from samt “way, direction” (see zenith ).]
—az·i·muth·al
[àzzə múth’l], adjective

—az·i·muth·al·ly [àzzə múthəlee], adverb[1]



azimuthalequidistant projection

azimuthalequidistant projection

az·i·muth·al e·qui·dis·tant pro·jec·tion
noun
method of map projection:
a method of map projection in which a straight line from the center to any
given point represents the shortest distance to that point and can be measured
to scale[1]



azine

azine
az·ine 
[á zn, áy zn]
(plural az·ines) noun

chemical
compound with six-sided ring structure: an
organic chemical compound with a six-sided ring structure containing one or
more atoms of nitrogen
[Late 19th century. Coined
from azo- + -ine
.][1]



azo

azo
az·o 
[ázzō] adjective

containing
two adjacent nitrogen atoms: relating to or containing
two adjacent nitrogen atoms. -N=N-
See
also
diazo
[Late 19th century. From azo- .][1]



azo-

azo-
azo-
prefix

containing
a nitrogen group • azole
[From French azote
“nitrogen,” from Greek a- “not” + zōē “life,” so called because
living creatures cannot breathe it][1]



azobenzene

azobenzene
az·o·ben·zene
[àzzō bén zn, àyzō
bén zn] noun

crystalline solid used in
dyes: a yellow or orange
crystalline solid that is used mainly for making dyes. C6H5N=NC6H5[1]



azocompound

azocompound
az·o
com·pound
(plural az·o com·pounds) noun

compound containing two
adjacent nitrogen atoms: any
compound containing two adjacent nitrogen atoms attached to aromatic groups[1]



azodye

azodye
az·o
dye
(plural az·o dyes) noun

dye containing azo group:
an artificial dye containing an azo group. Azo dyes, usually orange, yellow, or
brown, are derived from amines.[1]



azoic

azoic
a·zo·ic 
[ay zṓ ik, ə zṓ
ik] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY PALEONTOLOGY before there was life
on Earth:
belonging to a geologic period before the appearance of living organisms on
Earth

2.  GEOLOGY without
any life:
without any trace of life or organic remains
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek azōos, literally “without life,” from zōē “life.”][1]



azole

azole
az·ole 
[á zl, áy zl]
(plural az·oles) noun

compound
with five-sided ring structure: an organic chemical
compound with a ring structure comprising five linked atoms, of which at least
one is nitrogen
[Late 19th century. Coined
from azo- + -ole
.][1]



azonal

azonal
a·zon·al 
[ay zṓn’l] adjective

1.  with
no zones:
not divided into zones

2.  not
restricted to an area: not restricted to a specific
zone or geographic area

[1]



azonalsoil

azonalsoil
a·zon·al
soil
(plural a·zon·al soils) noun

soil not produced by local
environment: a soil with
characteristics that are not determined by the climate and vegetation of the
area in which it is found, for example, glacial or volcanic soil[1]



azonic

azonic
a·zon·ic 
[ay zónnik, ay zṓnik]
adjective

See
azonal  adjective 2[1]



Azores

Azores
A·zores 
[áy zàwrz]

archipelago in the North
Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal, of which it is an autonomous region. There
are nine main islands. Capital: Ponta Delgada. Population: 239,900 (1992) Area:
2,247 sq km/868 sq mi.[1]



azotemia

azotemia
az·o·te·mi·a 
[àzzə tmee ə] noun

See
uremia
[Early
20th century. Coined from obsolete azote “nitrogen” (see azo- ) + -emia .]
—az·o·te·mic [àzzə témmik, àzzə
tmik], adjective[1]



azotic

azotic
az·ot·ic
[a zóttik, ə
zóttik] adjective

relating
to nitrogen: relating to or containing nitrogen
[Late 18th century. Formed
from obsolete azote “nitrogen” (see azo-
).][1]



azotobacter

azotobacter
a·zo·to·bac·ter 
[a zṓtə bàktər, ə
zṓtə bàktər] (plural a·zo·to·bac·ters) noun

nitrogen-fixing
bacterium:
a rod-shaped or spherical bacterium found in soil and water that fixes
atmospheric nitrogen. Family: Azotobacter
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, family name, coined from French azote “nitrogen” (see azo- ) + bacterium .][1]



AZT

AZT
AZT 
noun

AIDS treatment drug:
an antiviral drug used in the treatment of AIDS. It works by inhibiting the
enzyme reverse transcriptase, which the HIV virus causing AIDS requires in
order to reproduce. Full form azidothymidine

Also called
zidovudine[1]



Aztec

Aztec
Az·tec 
[áz tèk] noun (plural Az·tecs)

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people of Mexico: a
member of a Native Middle American people whose powerful empire dominated
central Mexico during the 14th and 15th centuries. The Spanish, under Cortés,
defeated them around 1520.

2.  LANGUAGE See Nahuatl
adjective
Az·tec Az·tec·an

PEOPLES of
Aztecs:
relating to the Aztecs or their culture and civilization
[Late 18th century. Via
French Aztèque or Spanish Azteca from Nahuatl aztecatl
“somebody from Aztlan.”][1]



azukibean

azukibean
a·zu·ki
bean 
noun

See
adzuki bean[1]



azure

azure
az·ure 
[ázhər] adjective

1.  deep
blue in hue: deep blue, like the color of a clear sky
(literary) • the azure depths of the
ocean

2.  HERALDRY blue:
colored blue on a coat of arms
noun
(literary)

1.  blue
sky:
a clear blue sky

2.  deep
blue hue:
a deep blue color, like that of a clear sky • the
azure of her eyes
[13th century. Via Old French
azur from medieval Latin azzurum, from Arabic al-lāzaward,
literally “the lapis lazuli,” from Persian lāžward “lapis lazuli”
(source of “lazuli” in English lapis lazuli
).][1]



azurite

azurite
az·ur·ite 
[ázhə rt] (plural az·ur·ites)
noun

deep-blue mineral:
a deep blue mineral consisting of a hydrated carbonate of copper. It is a
source of copper, and some forms are used as gemstones.
Also called
chessylite[1]



Azusa

Azusa
A·zu·sa 
[ə zssə]

city in southwestern
California. It lies east of Los Angeles, near San Gabriel Canyon. Population:
41,203 (1996)[1]



azygos

azygos
a·zy·gos 
[ázzəgəss] adjective

unpaired:
occurring as a single muscle or vein rather than as a pair
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Greek azugos, literally “without yoke,” from zugon “yoke”
(see zygote ).][1]



añu

añu
a·ñu
[ n,  ny,
á n, á ny]
or an·yu [ ny, á ny] noun

1.  S
American plant: a twining plant of the nasturtium
family, found in the Andes, with edible tubers and large yellow flowers with
red spurs. Latin name: Tropaeolum tuberosum

2.  edible
tubers of añu: the edible tubers of the añu plant,
eaten in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile
[Via American Spanish añú
from Quechua áñu][1]



b.

b.
b.

1.  Abbreviation
of
baseman

2.  b.
or B. MUSIC Abbreviation
of bass 1

3.  b.
or B. MUSIC Abbreviation
of basso

4.  Abbreviation
of
base

5.  b.
or B. Abbreviation of book

6.  Abbreviation
of
born

7.  b.
or B. Abbreviation of breadth

[1]



B.

B.
B.

1.  EDUCATION (used in degree
titles) Abbreviation of bachelor

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of baht

3.  FINANCE Abbreviation of balboa

4.  MICROBIOLOGY Abbreviation of
bacillus

5.  Abbreviation
of
Baumé scale

6.  GEOGRAPHY (used on maps) Abbreviation
of Bay

7.  MUSIC Abbreviation of basso

8.  Abbreviation
of
Bible

9.  FINANCE Abbreviation of bolivar

[1]



B

B3
B3 

Abbreviation of
bishop[1]



b

b2
b2  PHYSICS

1.  Abbreviation
of
barn

2.  b
or B Abbreviation of bel

[1]



b

b1

b1  [bee]
(plural b’s) or B [bee]
(plural B’s or Bs) noun

1.  2nd
letter in English alphabet: the second letter and first
consonant in the alphabet in modern English, and in other languages that also
use the Latin alphabet

2.  sound
of “b”:
the speech sound represented by the letter “b”

3.        letter
“b” written: a written
representation of the letter “b”[1]



B

B2
B2 

1.  Symbol
for
boron

2.
(used in hexadecimal notation) Symbol for eleven

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for magnetic flux density

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for baryon
number

[1]



B

B1
B1  noun

1.  MUSIC 7th
note of scale in C: the seventh note of a scale
in C major

2.  MUSIC something
that produces a B: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note B

3.  MUSIC scale
beginning on B: a scale or key that starts on the note B

4.  MUSIC written
symbol of B: a graphic representation of the note B

5.  EDUCATION second
highest grade: the second highest grade in a series,
for example, an above-average grade for academic work

6.        ANATOMY blood
type: a type of human blood in the
ABO group[1]



BA

BA
BA
or B.A.

1.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Arts

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of batting average

[1]



Ba

Ba
Ba

Symbol for
barium[1]



baa

baa

baa 
[ba, baa]
intransitive verb (past baaed, past participle baaed,
present participle baa·ing, 3rd person present singular baas)
bleat
like sheep:
to make the long wavering cry characteristic of a sheep or lamb
noun
(plural baas)
cry
of sheep:
the long wavering cry characteristic of a sheep or lamb
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Baal

Baal
Ba·al 
[báyəl, baal]
(plural Ba·al·im [báyəlim, blim] or Ba·als) noun

1.  ancient
Semitic god: any of the fertility or nature gods
worshiped by the Canaanites and the Phoenicians, and considered false idols by
the ancient Hebrews

2.  Ba·al
or ba·al false god:
an idol or false god

[1]



Baalbek

Baalbek
Baal·bek 
[bl bèk, báyəl
bèk]

town in eastern Lebanon
between the Litani and Asi rivers. It is the site of the ancient ruins of
Heliopolis. Population: 15,600 (1995)[1]



baalteshuvah

baalteshuvah
baal
tesh·u·vah
[bàyəl tə shvə, bàyəl
chvə] (plural baa·lei tesh·u·vah [bàyə lay tə shvə]) or baal tsh·u·va [bàyəl tə shvə, bàyəl
chvə] (plural baa·lei tsh·u·va) noun

somebody
who resumes Orthodox Jewish practice:
somebody who returns to Orthodox Jewish practice after having previously
abandoned it
[From Hebrew, literally
“master of return”][1]



Bab

Bab
Bab
[baab, bab]
noun

title
of Persian religious leader: the title of a Persian
religious leader, Mirza Ali Muhammad (1819–1850), who founded Babism and was
executed as a heretic to Islam
[Mid-19th century. Via
Persian, from Arabic bāb “intermediary,” literally “gate.”][1]



baba

baba
ba·ba 
[bbə] (plural ba·bas) noun

rum-flavored
dessert:
a dessert made of leavened dough soaked in a rum-flavored syrup and baked in a
pan
[Early 19th century. Via
French, from Polish, literally “married (peasant) woman.”][1]



Babangida,Ibrahim

Babangida,Ibrahim
Ba·ban·gi·da
[bə báng geedə], Ibrahim (1941– )

Nigerian soldier and
politician. He was president of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993.[1]



babassu

babassu
ba·bas·su 
[bbə s] (plural ba·bas·sus or
ba·bas·su) noun

tall
Brazilian palm tree: a tall Brazilian palm tree
that produces nuts whose oil is used in the manufacture of soap, margarine,
cosmetics, and cooking oil. Genus: Orbignya
[Early 20th century. From
Brazilian Portuguese babaçú, from Tupi ybá “fruit” + guasu
“large.”][1]



Babbitt

Babbitt
Bab·bitt 
[bábbit] (plural Bab·bitts) noun

complacent
middle-class man: a self-satisfied narrow-minded man who
cannot see beyond his own business and social interests “His name was …
Babbitt, and … he was nimble in the calling of selling houses for more than
people could afford to pay” Sinclair Lewis Babbitt 1922
[Early
20th century. Named for George F. Babbitt, the main character in the
satirical novel Babbitt (1922) by Sinclair Lewis .]
—Bab·bitt·ry, noun[1]



babbitt

babbitt
bab·bitt 
[bábbit] noun (plural bab·bitts)

bearing:
a bearing made of babbitt metal
transitive
verb
(past bab·bit·ted, past participle bab·bit·ted, present
participle bab·bit·ting, 3rd person present singular bab·bitts)

cover
surface with babbitt metal: to cover or line a surface
with babbitt metal or a similar alloy
[Late 19th century. Named for
Isaac Babbitt (1799–1862), U.S. inventor of the alloy.][1]



Babbitt,Irving

Babbitt,Irving
Bab·bitt 
[bábbit], Irving (1865–1933)

U.S. humanist and scholar. He
was a leader of the New Humanism movement, influential in literary studies in
the first decades of the 20th century.[1]



babbittmetal

babbittmetal
bab·bitt
met·al
(plural bab·bitt met·als) noun

soft
alloy:
a soft alloy used especially in the manufacture of antifriction bearings. It
originally consisted of tin, copper, and antimony, but now often contains lead.
[Named for its U.S. inventor,
Isaac Babbitt (1799–1862)][1]



Babbitt,Milton

Babbitt,Milton
Bab·bitt 
[bábbit], Milton (1916– )

U.S.
composer. He was a leader in the development of serialism and electronic music.
Full name
Babbitt, Milton Byron[1]



babble

babble
bab·ble 
[bább’l] verb (past bab·bled,
past participle bab·bled, present participle bab·bling,
3rd person present singular bab·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
incoherently: to say something rapidly and
incoherently without pausing, usually because of excitement or fear • He
babbled something about leaving a deposit and then dashed out.

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
in an irrelevant way: to talk rapidly or at length
in a way people find irrelevant • He
babbled on about the importance of some new gadget.

3.  intransitive
verb
murmur:
to make a continuous low murmuring or bubbling sound • a
brook babbling through the pasture

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb blurt
something out: to reveal something thoughtlessly or
impulsively that is supposed to be secret or confidential • immediately
babbled the whole story to the neighbors
noun

1.  sound
of loud unintelligible voices: the sound of voices
speaking too excitedly and rapidly to be heard properly • the
babble of guests in the hallway

2.  foolish
talk:
irrelevant chatter

3.  sound
of running water: the low continuous murmuring or bubbling
sound made by water as it flows along
[13th
century. Origin uncertain; probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch babbelen,
an imitation of the sound, or from a similar formation in English.]
—bab·ble·ment,
noun

—bab·bler, noun[1]



babe

babe
babe 
[bayb] (plural babes) noun

1.  lover:
used as an affectionate term of address to a lover or somebody you love (slang)

2.  young
woman considered good-looking: an young woman who is
considered good-looking (slang, sometimes considered offensive)

3.  baby:
a baby or small child (literary or archaic)

4.  handsome
youth:
an attractive young man (slang)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain, probably from obsolete baban “baby,”
ultimately an imitation of childish utterances.]
a
babe in arms

somebody
who is innocent and inexperienced

a
babe in the woods

somebody who is naive and
trusts other people too easily[1]



babel

babel
ba·bel
[bább’l, báyb’l]
noun (literary)

1.  confused
noise:
a confused noise, especially the noise of loud unintelligible voices all
talking at once

2.  noisy
place:
a scene or place of noisy confusion
[Early 16th century. From the
Tower of Babel .][1]



Babel

Babel
Ba·bel 
[báyb’l, bább’l]

See
Tower of Babel[1]



babesiosis

babesiosis
ba·be·si·o·sis 
[bə bzee ṓssiss] or bab·e·si·a·sis
[bábbi zə siss] noun

tick-borne infection:
a disease of humans and animals caused by protozoan infection of red blood
cells and transmitted by a tick bite[1]



Babi

Babi
Ba·bi
[bbee] (plural Ba·bis) noun

EASTERN RELIGION follower
of the Bab:
a follower of the Bab or of Babism
[Mid-19th century. Via
Persian, from Arabic, formed from bāb (see Bab
).][1]



Babinskireflex

Babinskireflex
Ba·bin·ski
re·flex 
[bə bìnskee rfleks] or Ba·bin·ski’s
re·flex [bə bìnskee rfleks] noun

physiological
response to foot stroking: a curling upward of the big
toe when the sole of the foot is stroked, which is a normal reflex in children
up to two years old but indicates disease of the brain or spinal cord in older
people
[Early 20th century. Named
for J. F. F. Babinski (1857–1932), French neurologist.][1]



babirusa

babirusa
bab·i·ru·sa 
[bàbbə rssə, bbərssə]
(plural bab·i·ru·sas or bab·i·ru·sa) or bab·i·rus·sa
[bàbbə rssə, bbərssə]
(plural bab·i·rus·sas or bab·i·rus·sa) or bab·i·rou·sa
[bàbbə rssə, bbərssə]
(plural bab·i·rou·sas or bab·i·rou·sa) noun

SE
Asian wild boar: a wild boar living in the forests of
Indonesia and Malaysia that has almost hairless skin and very large curved
tusks. Latin name: Babyrousa babyrussa
[Late 17th century. From
Malay, from babi “pig” + rusa “deer,” from its horns, which
suggest a deer’s antlers.][1]



Babism

Babism
Ba·bism
[b bìzzəm] noun

pantheistic religion:
a pantheistic religion founded in Persia by the Bab, Mirza Ali Muhammad
(1819–1850), that forbade polygamy, begging, slave-trading, and the use of
alcohol or drugs[1]



babka

babka
bab·ka 
[bbkə] (plural bab·kas) noun

yeast
cake with raisins: a sweet cake made with
candied citrus peel, raisins, almonds, and sometimes rum
[Late 20th century. From
Polish, literally “little old woman,” formed from baba (see baba ).][1]



baboo

baboo
ba·boo
noun

See
babu[1]



baboon

baboon
ba·boon 
[ba bn] (plural ba·boons) noun

1.  large
monkey:
a large ground-dwelling monkey native to Africa and Asia with a prominent snout
resembling a dog’s muzzle, large teeth, and bare pink patches on the buttocks.
Genus: Papio

2.  rude
clumsy person: somebody who is thought of as rude or
oafishly clumsy (insult)
[15th century. From French babuin
“gaping figure, baboon” or medieval Latin babewynus, both of uncertain
origin: possibly from French baboue “muzzle, grimace.”][1]



Babson,Roger

Babson,Roger
Bab·son
[bábsən], Roger (1875–1967)

U.S.
statistician. He lectured and wrote about statistics as applied to investments,
and founded Babson College, Massachusetts, in 1919.
Full name
Babson, Roger Ward[1]



babu

babu
ba·bu 
[b boo] (plural ba·bus) or
ba·boo [b boo] (plural ba·boos)
noun

Hindi
courtesy title: a courtesy title or form of address in
Hindi equivalent to “Mr”
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi bābū, literally “father.”][1]



babul

babul
ba·bul 
[bə bl] (plural ba·buls or
ba·bul) noun

acacia
tree:
an acacia tree found in North Africa and India that is a source of gum arabic,
tannin, and hardwood. Latin name: Acacia nilotica
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi babūl, Bengali bābul from Sanskrit babbūla .][1]



babushka

babushka
ba·bush·ka 
[bə bshkə] (plural ba·bush·kas)
noun

1.  scarf:
a headscarf folded and tied under the chin in the style of Russian peasant
women

2.  Russian
grandmother: a traditional Russian grandmother figure
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, “grandmother,” literally “little old woman,” formed from baba
(see baba ).][1]



baby

baby
ba·by 
[báybee] noun (plural ba·bies)

1.  very
young child: a very young child who is not yet able
to walk or talk

2.  unborn
child:
a child that is still in the womb

3.  childish
person:
somebody who behaves childishly or is overly dependent on others • told
him not to be such a baby

4.  youngest
member:
the youngest member of a family or group • the
baby of the team

5.  immature
animal:
a very young animal

6.  term
of endearment: an affectionate term of endearment,
especially for a woman (slang, sometimes considered offensive)

7.  something
regarded with affection or pride: something or somebody
regarded with affection, pride, or admiration (slang) • That
baby is ten years old and still looks like new!
adjective

smaller and younger:
smaller and younger than usual, as are certain vegetables served as delicacies
transitive
verb
(past ba·bied, past participle ba·bied, present
participle ba·by·ing, 3rd person present singular ba·bies)

treat somebody with great care:
to show a great or inordinate amount of care to something or somebody
[14th
century. Pet form of babe .]
throw
out the baby with the bathwater

to
reject something in its entirety without discriminating between what is bad and
what is good or would be useful to retain





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  Old English, the term for what we would now call a baby
  was child, and it seems only to have been from about the 11th century
  that child began to extend its range to the slightly more mature age
  that it now covers. Then when the word baby
  came into the language in the 14th century, it was also used in this
  developed sense of “child,” and only gradually came to refer to infants not
  yet capable of speech or walking.

[1]



babyblue

babyblue
ba·by
blue
noun

pale
blue color:
a pale pastel blue color
[Origin
uncertain, perhaps from the lightness of the color]
—baby-blue, adjective[1]



baby-blue-eyes

baby-blue-eyes
ba·by-blue-eyes 
(plural ba·by-blue-eyes) noun

blue-flowered
annual plant: a spreading annual plant that has
serrated gray-green leaves and small bowl-shaped blue flowers with white
centers. Latin name: Nemophila menziesii (takes a singular or plural
verb)
[From the fancied resemblance
of its spots to eyes][1]



babyblues

babyblues
ba·by
blues
plural noun

postnatal depression:
the depression experienced by some women after giving birth (informal) (used
with a singular or plural verb)[1]



babybond

babybond
ba·by
bond
(plural ba·by bonds) noun

bond of less than $1,000:
a bond issued for an amount lower than $1,000, usually between $25 and $500[1]



babybonus

babybonus
ba·by
bo·nus
(plural ba·by bo·nus·es) noun

Canada
See child tax benefit[1]



babyboom

babyboom
ba·by
boom
(plural ba·by booms) noun

large increase in birthrate:
a sudden large increase in the birthrate over a particular period, especially
the 15 years after World War II[1]



babyboomer

babyboomer
ba·by
boom·er
(plural ba·by boom·ers) noun

somebody born in baby boom:
somebody born during a baby boom, especially the one following the end of World
War II.
Also called
boomer[1]



babybuggy

babybuggy
ba·by
bug·gy
noun

baby carriage:
a baby’s or young child’s stroller (regional)[1]



babybust

babybust
ba·by
bust
(plural ba·by busts) noun

large decrease in birthrate:
a sudden large decrease in the birthrate over a particular period[1]



babycarriage

babycarriage
ba·by
car·riage
(plural ba·by car·riages) noun

small wheeled carriage:
a small carriage, usually consisting of a rectangular body on four wheels with
a folding hood and a handle, designed for pushing an infant, especially
outdoors.
U.K. term
pram[1]



baby-dolls

baby-dolls
ba·by-dolls
plural noun

women’s nightwear:
women’s nightwear consisting of a loose top and loose shorts, popularized by
the short pajamas worn in the movie Baby Doll in 1956[1]



babyface

babyface
ba·by
face
(plural ba·by fac·es) noun

1.  face
like a baby’s: a smooth round face that gives somebody
a childlike innocent look

2.  somebody
with childlike face: somebody who has a baby face

[1]



babygrand

babygrand
ba·by
grand
(plural ba·by grands) noun

small grand piano:
a small grand piano about 1.5 m./5 ft long[1]



babyhood

babyhood
ba·by·hood
[báybi hd] noun

early childhood:
the period during which a child is considered to be a baby, usually from birth
to two or three years[1]



babyish

babyish
ba·by·ish
[báybee ish] adjective

1.  like
a baby:
like a baby in appearance or behavior

2.  suitable
for a baby:
suitable for a baby or for a younger child • Clothes
like these are too babyish for a child his age.

[1]



Babylon

Babylon3
Bab·y·lon3 [bábbə
lòn] noun

1.  place
of immorality: a place of great luxury or immorality (disapproving)

2.  place
of exile:
a place of exile or captivity

[1]



Babylon

Babylon1
Bab·y·lon1  [bábbə
lən, bábbə lòn]

ancient Mesopotamian city:
the capital of ancient Babylonia, sited on the Euphrates River in modern Iraq.
It was known for its opulence, and the Hanging Gardens there were one of the
Seven Wonders of the World.[1]



Babylon

Babylon2
Bab·y·lon2  [bábbə
lən, bábbə lòn]

town and vacation spot on
Long Island, New York. Population: 202,889 (1990)[1]



Babylonia

Babylonia
Bab·y·lo·ni·a 
[bàbbə lṓnee ə, bàbbə
lṓnyə] noun

ancient Mesopotamian empire:
an empire in Mesopotamia that flourished from the first half of the second
millennium BC until its conquest
by Persia in 539 BC[1]



Babylonian

Babylonian
Bab·y·lo·ni·an 
[bàbbə lṓnee ən] (plural Bab·y·lo·ni·ans)
noun

1.  HISTORY PEOPLES somebody from Babylon:
somebody who lived in ancient Babylon or Babylonia

2.  LANGUAGE dialect
of Akkadian: the Akkadian language, particularly the
form of it that is recorded in cuneiform texts from Babylonia
—Bab·y·lo·ni·an, adjective[1]



Babyloniancaptivity

Babyloniancaptivity
Bab·y·lo·ni·an
cap·tiv·i·ty noun

exile of Jews in Babylonia:
the period of time that the Jews spent in exile in Babylonia in the sixth
century BC[1]



baby-sit

baby-sit
ba·by-sit 
(past ba·by-sat, past participle ba·by-sat, present
participle ba·by-sit·ting, 3rd person present singular ba·by-sits)
or ba·by·sit (past ba·by·sat, past participle
ba·by·sat, present participle ba·by·sit·ting, 3rd
person present singular ba·by·sits) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
care of child: to take care of a child or children in
the child’s home while the parents are out

2.  transitive
verb
take
care of somebody or something: to take care of
somebody or something unable to be left unsupervised or needing constant
attention (informal) • Would
you babysit my plants next week?
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from baby-sitter .][1]



baby-sitter

baby-sitter
ba·by-sit·ter
[báybi sìtər] (plural ba·by-sit·ters)
or ba·by·sit·ter [báybi sìtər]
(plural ba·by·sit·ters) noun

somebody who takes care of
children: somebody who takes care of
children in their own home while their parents are out.
Also called
sitter[1]



babytalk

babytalk
ba·by
talk
noun

1.  babies’
speech:
the sounds and words used by babies when they are learning to talk

2.  language
used by adults to children: the simplified or specially
modified language and exaggerated intonation that adults use to show affection
when talking to very small children

[1]



babytooth

babytooth
ba·by
tooth
noun

See
milk tooth[1]



baby’sbreath

baby’sbreath
ba·by’s
breath 
(plural ba·by’s breath or ba·by’s breaths) noun

1.  plant
with sprays of small flowers: a flowering plant that has a
mass of delicate branched stems bearing small fragrant white or pink flowers,
often used in bouquets and floral arrangements. Latin name: Gypsophila
paniculata

2.  bedstraw
plant:
a perennial plant that has many flowers on the end of delicate stems,
especially a bedstraw
[From its delicate scent][1]



baby’stears

baby’stears
ba·by’s
tears
(plural ba·by’s tears) noun

evergreen
plant:
an evergreen plant that has many small roundish leaves and tiny flowers. It is
native to Corsica and Sardinia. Latin name: Soleirolia solerolii (takes
a singular or plural verb)
[From the small size of the
flowers][1]



BAC

BAC
BAC
or B.A.C.

Abbreviation of
blood-alcohol concentration[1]



Bacall,Lauren

Bacall,Lauren
Ba·call
[bə káwl], Lauren (1924– )

U.S.
actor. She starred in musicals and movies including To Have and Have Not
(1944) and The Big Sleep (1946). Her first husband was Humphrey Bogart.
Real name
Perske, Betty Joan[1]



baccalaureate

baccalaureate
bac·ca·lau·re·ate 
[bàkə láwree ət] (plural bac·ca·lau·re·ates)
noun

bachelor’s
degree:
a bachelor’s degree (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French, from medieval Latin baccalaureatus, from baccalaureus
“bachelor.”][1]



baccalaureatesermon

baccalaureatesermon
bac·ca·lau·re·ate
ser·mon
(plural bac·ca·lau·re·ate ser·mons) noun

farewell sermon:
a farewell sermon delivered to a graduating class, usually at a high school,
college, or university[1]



baccarat

baccarat
bac·ca·rat 
[baàkə r, bàkə
r] noun

gambling
card game:
a card game, similar to chemin de fer, in which three hands are dealt and
players bet against the banker. The winning hand is the one that totals nine
points or is closest to nine points without exceeding it.
[Mid-19th century. From
French baccara, of unknown origin.][1]



baccate

baccate
bac·cate 
[bák àyt] adjective

like
a berry:
similar to a berry in shape or texture
[Early 19th century. From
Latin baccatus, from bacca “berry,” of uncertain origin.][1]



Bacchae

Bacchae
Bac·chae 
[bák ee] plural noun

priestesses
of Bacchus:
in Greek and Roman mythology, the priestesses and women who participated in the
orgiastic rites of Bacchus
[Early 20th century. Via
Latin, from Greek Bakkhai, plural of Bakkhē “priest of Bacchus,”
from Bakkhos “Bacchus.”][1]



bacchanal

bacchanal
bac·cha·nal 
[bàkə nál, bkə
nl, bákə nəl] noun (plural
bac·cha·nals)

1.  participant
in orgiastic rites: somebody who took part in
the orgiastic rites of the god Bacchus

2.  loud
drunk:
a riotous drunken reveler (literary)

3.  drunken
party:
a noisy drunken celebration or spree (literary)
adjective

relating to Bacchus:
relating to Bacchus or the worship of Bacchus
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
bacchanalis “of Bacchus,” from Bacchus “Bacchus.”][1]



bacchanalia

bacchanalia
bac·cha·na·lia
[bàkə náylyə, bàkə
náylee ə] noun

drunken
revelry:
riotous drunken revels (literary) (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Late
16th century. From Latin bacchanalia, plural of bacchanalis (see bacchanal ).]
—bac·cha·na·lian, adjective[1]



Bacchanalia

Bacchanalia
Bac·cha·na·lia 
[bàkə náylyə, bàkə
náylee ə] noun

HISTORY RELIGION ancient Roman festivities:
ancient Roman festivities in honor of Bacchus that involved orgiastic rites (takes
a singular or plural verb)
—Bac·cha·na·lian, adjective[1]



bacchant

bacchant
bac·chant 
[bə kánt, bə
knt, bákənt] (plural bac·chants)
noun

priest
of Bacchus:
a priest, priestess, or other devotee of Bacchus
[Late 16th century. Via
French bacchante from Latin baccant-, the present participle stem
of bacchari “to celebrate the feast of Bacchus,” from Bacchus
“Bacchus.”][1]



bacchante

bacchante
bac·chan·te 
[bə kántee, bə
kntee, bə kánt, bə knt] (plural bac·chan·tes) noun

priestess
of Bacchus:
a priestess or woman devotee of Bacchus
[Late 18th century. From
French bacchante (see bacchant ).][1]



bacchantic

bacchantic
bac·chan·tic
[bə kántik, bə
kntik] adjective

relating to the worship of
Bacchus: relating to the worship of
Bacchus and the orgiastic rites associated with it[1]



bacchic

bacchic
bac·chic
[bákik] adjective

riotously drunk:
characterized by riotous drunkenness (literary)[1]



Bacchic

Bacchic
Bac·chic 
[bákik] adjective

MYTHOLOGY
of Bacchus:
relating to Bacchus[1]



Bacchus

Bacchus
Bac·chus 
[bákəss, bkəss]
noun

classical
god of wine: in classical mythology, the god of wine,
identified with the Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Liber. He was
worshiped with orgiastic and ecstatic rites.
[Via Latin, from Greek Bakkhos][1]



bach

bach
bach
[bach] (past bached, past
participle bached, present participle bach·ing, 3rd
person present singular bach·es) or batch [bach] (past batched, past
participle batched, present participle batch·ing, 3rd
person present singular batch·es, plural batch·es) intransitive
verb

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand to keep house for yourself:
to live alone as a single man and keep house for yourself (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of bachelor .][1]



Bach,C.P.E.

Bach,C.P.E.
Bach
[baakh, baak],
C.P.E. (1714–1788)

German
composer. The son of Johann Sebastian Bach, he composed numerous concertos and
sonatas as well as chamber and church music. He also wrote The True Art of
Clavier Playing ( 1753 ).
Full name
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Known as Berlin Bach Known as Hamburg
Bach[1]



bachelor

bachelor
bach·e·lor 
[báchələr, báchlər]
(plural bach·e·lors) noun

1.  unmarried
man:
a man who is not married, or one who has never been married

2.  young
knight:
a young knight in feudal times who served under the banner of another knight or
a great lord

3.  unmated
young male seal: a young male seal, especially a fur
seal, that older male seals keep from having access to breeding grounds

4.  Canada
See bachelor apartment
[13th
century. Via Old French bacheler “young man aspiring to knighthood” from
assumed Vulgar Latin baccalaris, of uncertain origin.]
—bach·e·lor·dom,
noun

—bach·e·lor·hood,
noun

—bach·e·lor·ship, noun[1]



bachelorapartment

bachelorapartment
bach·e·lor
a·part·ment
noun

Canada
one-room apartment:
an apartment consisting of a large single room, a small kitchen, and a bathroom[1]



Bachelorof Arts

Bachelorof Arts
Bach·e·lor
of Arts
(plural Bach·e·lors of Arts) noun

degree:
a college or university degree awarded to somebody who has successfully
completed an undergraduate course in an aspect of the arts or humanities[1]



Bachelorof Science

Bachelorof Science
Bach·e·lor
of Sci·ence
(plural Bach·e·lors of Sci·ence) noun

degree:
a college or university degree awarded to somebody who has successfully
completed an undergraduate course in an aspect of the sciences or technology[1]



bachelor’sbutton

bachelor’sbutton

bach·e·lor’s
but·ton
(plural bach·e·lor’s but·tons) noun
plant
with small round flowers: a plant with small round
flowers, for example, a cornflower
[From the resemblance of the
flowers to buttons][1]



bachelor’sdegree

bachelor’sdegree
bach·e·lor’s
de·gree
(plural bach·e·lor’s de·grees) noun

undergraduate degree:
a degree awarded on the successful completion of an undergraduate course at a
college or university[1]



Bach,J.C.

Bach,J.C.
Bach
[baakh, baak],
J.C. (1735–1782)

German
composer. The youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and a composer of church
music and operas, he settled in London (1762) and was musician to Queen
Charlotte.
Full name
Bach, Johann Christian Known as London Bach Known as English Bach[1]



Bach,Johann Sebastian

Bach,Johann Sebastian


Bach
[baakh, baak],
Johann Sebastian (1685–1750)
German composer and organist. Known as a
supreme master of counterpoint, he wrote many organ works, chamber and keyboard
works, and oratorios, and over 295 cantatas. His works include the “Brandenburg”
Concertos ( 1721 ) and St. Matthew Passion ( 1727 ).[1]



Bach,W.F.

Bach,W.F.
Bach
[baakh, baak],
W.F. (1710–1784)

German
composer. He led a dissolute life despite being a gifted organist and composer.
He was the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Full name
Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Known as Halle Bach[1]



bacillary

bacillary
bac·il·lar·y 
[bássə lèrree, bəsí
ləree] adjective

1.  of
bacilli:
relating to or caused by rod-shaped bacteria ( bacilli )

2.  rod-shaped:
shaped like a small rod or consisting of small rod-shaped parts

[1]



bacillus

bacillus
ba·cil·lus 
[bə sílləss] (plural ba·cil·li
[bə síll]) noun

1.  rod-shaped
bacterium:
an aerobic, rod-shaped, spore-producing bacterium. Bacilli occur mainly in
chains and include many saprophytes, some parasites, and the bacterium that
causes anthrax. Genus: Bacillus

2.  rod-shaped
bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin, literally “little rod,” formed from baculus “rod, stick” (source
of English baguette and imbecile ).][1]



bacitracin

bacitracin
bac·i·tra·cin 
[bàssi tráys’n] noun

antibiotic
for skin infections: an antibiotic that is used
mainly in the treatment of skin infections caused by gram-positive bacteria
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from bacillus + Margaret Tracy, name
of a U.S. child in whom the substance was discovered in a wound + -in .][1]



back

back
back
[bak] noun (plural backs)

1.  ANATOMY rear
part of body: the rear part of the human body between
the neck and the pelvis

2.  ANATOMY spine:
the spinal column

3.  ZOOLOGY back
of an animal: the area of a vertebrate animal’s body
on either side of the backbone

4.  CLOTHES part
of garment:
the part of a garment designed to cover the wearer’s back

5.  part
at the rear: the part that is at the rear of
something or is farthest from the front • Someone
at the back of the crowd called out.

6.  side
not usually seen: the side of something such as a sheet of
paper or a photo that carries less information or is away from the viewer

7.  FURNITURE part
of piece of furniture: the part of a seat designed
to support somebody’s spine

8.  SPORTS defensive
player:
a player in games such as soccer or hockey whose role is mainly to prevent the
other team from scoring

9.  FOOTBALL player
behind line: a player positioned behind the offensive
or defensive line, especially in football

10. PUBLISHING part
of book or periodical: the part of a book,
magazine, or newspaper that is located toward the last page • the
index at the back of the book

11. PRINTING part
to which pages are fixed: the part of the book where
the pages are glued or stitched to the binding
adverb

1.  in
a reverse direction: in the opposite direction
from the one somebody or something was previously facing or moving • He
looked back at us over his shoulder.

2.  at
a distance:
at a distance from where something is situated or taking place • Stay
back; the dog might bite you.

3.  in
reserve:
as a reserve or supply kept for future use • I
kept back part of the proceeds.

4.  so
as to uncover something: away from something so as to
leave something else uncovered or revealed • roll
back the carpet

5.  so
as to recline: in or into a reclining position • Sit
back and relax.

6.  in
or into the past: used to indicate a time in the past • It
happened about three weeks back.
See
also
ago

7.  to
the original owner: to or into the keeping of
the original or former owner or possessor • You
can have it back now, because I’ve finished with it.

8.  in
return:
as a reaction or response to something • She
called me while I was out, so I called her back.

9.  indicates
direction and distance: in the distance behind
something, especially somebody’s present position • We
passed it about two miles back.

10. returned
to condition or topic: used to indicate a return to
a state, situation, or subject of discussion • to
get back to your point

11. popular
again:
into fashion or popularity again • The
70s are back. • Do
you think Depression glass will ever come back?
adjective

1.  located
at the rear: located at the rear of something or at
the part farthest from the front • Use
the back entrance.

2.  PUBLISHING issued
earlier:
published or issued at an earlier date • a
back issue

3.  due
earlier:
due at or owed from an earlier date • paid
the back taxes in full

4.  located
away from main roads: located away from the main
roads or the center of a town • a
quiet back street

5.  remote:
situated away from the main centers of population or activity • explored
the back areas of the huge canyon

6.  reverse:
moving in an opposite direction from the usual one

7.  LINGUISTICS formed
at rear of mouth: formed at or toward the rear of the
mouth, as the vowel in “ball” is • a back
vowel
verb
(past backed, past participle backed, present
participle back·ing, 3rd person present singular backs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
backward:
to move backward, or make somebody or something move backward • The
vehicle in front backed into me.

2.  transitive
verb
support
person or cause: to give a person or cause financial,
political, or moral support

3.  transitive
verb
GAMBLING bet
on outcome of race: to bet money on the person,
team, or horse thought likely to win a race or competition

4.  transitive
verb
provide
proof to support something: to provide evidence or proof
in support a statement • But
can they back their allegations?

5.  transitive
verb
reinforce
something:
to reinforce something by adding a support or backing • colored
paper backed with cardboard

6.  transitive
verb
be
behind something: to be situated behind something (usually
passive) • a
lake backed by a range of mountains

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC provide
musical accompaniment for somebody: to
provide an instrumental or vocal accompaniment to somebody or something

8.  intransitive
verb
SAILING change
direction:
to change direction, moving in an counterclockwise direction (refers to wind)

9.  transitive
verb
address
an envelope: to write an address on an envelope or
letter (regional)
[Old
English bæc, from prehistoric Germanic]
back
and fill

1.  to
dither or vacillate in actions or decision-making

2.  SAILING to adjust the sails of a
vessel in order to allow the wind to move in and out of them in an alternating
manner as the boat is maneuvered in a narrow channel

back
of

at
the back of or behind something (informal)

behind
somebody’s back

when
somebody is not present

be
or get on somebody’s back

to
criticize or pressurize somebody (slang)

get
off somebody’s back

to
stop criticizing or pressurizing somebody (slang)

have
your back to the wall

to
be in a very difficult situation, with little chance of getting out of it

in
back of

behind
something

put
your back intosth

to
put effort and especially physical strength into doing something

turn
your back on somebody or something

to
ignore or reject somebody or something

you
scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours

if
you help me, I will help you in return (often refers to unofficial or
dishonest business dealings)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Movement
  in time:
  back as it applies to the past refers to a
  change to an earlier time. • They
  have moved the estimate of its date of origin back a hundred years
  would mean a change from, say, AD
  1000 to AD 900. As the word
  applies to the future, however, it usually signifies a change to a later
  time: • The
  forecast is for rain, so let’s move the picnic back a week.
  What the two uses have in common is movement in time away from the present. Up
  is the opposite of back in this sense: • Let’s
  move the date up means moving the date closer
  to the present, and thus in future contexts changing it to an earlier one. Forward
  in future contexts is used less consistently than either back or up ; it is best avoided. All
  these words become particularly confusing when the subject is, e.g., a decision,
  now in the past, about what was at the time the future: • Last
  month she told me she wanted to move my appointment back.
  In a context like this, make earlier or make later is clearer.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  back
  of
  and in back of
  The
  phrase back of is standard and in back of is its informal variant. Both mean
  “behind,” and in back of is formed on the
  direct analogy of in front of : • There
  was a swimming pool (in) back of the house.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  In
  the sense “to address an envelope or letter,” back
  is a mainly Southern and South Midland term, being found from Tennessee and
  Georgia to Texas, with scattered instances in New England, the Midwest, and
  the West.

[1]



backache

backache
back·ache 
[bák àyk] (plural back·aches) noun

pain in the back:
an ache or pain affecting the back, most commonly the lower back[1]



backaway

backaway
back
away
intransitive verb

1.  move
away backward: to walk backward away from somebody or
something, usually because of fear

2.  retreat
from a situation: to withdraw from a situation or previous
position • We
think they’ll back away from any direct confrontation over sanctions.

[1]



backbacon

backbacon
back
ba·con
noun

Canada
lean bacon from loin of pig:
relatively fat-free bacon from the loin or rib-end of a pig[1]



backbeat

backbeat
back·beat 
[bák bt] (plural back·beats) noun

MUSIC
heavy beat:
a loud rhythmic beat occurring on the offbeats of the bar, used especially in
rock music[1]



backbench

backbench
back·bench 
[bák bènch] noun

1.  U.K.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand area
for MPs not in government: a rear bench in a
legislative assembly reserved for junior members of Parliament (usually
plural) • on
the back benches

2.  new
members of Congress: new members of Congress, or
members of Congress who have low seniority

[1]



backbencher

backbencher
back·bench·er
[bák bènchər] (plural back·bench·ers)
noun

1.  new
member of Congress: a new member of Congress, or
one who has low seniority

2.  U.K.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand MP not
in government: a junior member of the lower house of a
legislative assembly who is not a government minister or an official Opposition
spokesperson

[1]



backbend

backbend
back·bend
[bák bènd] (plural back·bends)
noun

exercise in gymnastics:
an exercise in gymnastics in which somebody bends over backward from a standing
position until the hands touch the floor[1]



backbite

backbite
back·bite 
[bák bt] (past back·bit [bák bìt], past participle back·bit·ten
[bák bìtt’n], present participle back·bit·ing,
3rd person present singular back·bites) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
spiteful remarks: to make spiteful or slanderous comments
about somebody who is not present
[12th
century. From the idea of an animal biting another (usually of the same
species) on the back, often in play.]
—back·bit·er, noun[1]



backboard

backboard
back·board 
[bák bàwrd, bák
brd] (plural back·boards) noun

1.  BASKETBALL board
behind the basket: the board situated behind
the basket that serves to rebound the ball onto the court.
Also
called
board

2.  MEDICINE board
used to support injured back: a board that is used to
support the back after injury or as aid to recovery after surgery

3.  board
forming back of something: a board that forms the back
of something, for example, a cart or boat

[1]



backbone

backbone
back·bone 
[bák bn] (plural back·bones) noun

1.  See
spinal column

2.  something
similar to spinal column: something that is similar in
shape or position to a spinal column • the
Andes, the backbone of South America

3.  central
supporting part: the part of an organization or system
that is its strongest unifying factor and main support • People
like her form the backbone of this nation.

4.  fortitude:
strength of character and determination • He
doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to his critics.

5.  COMPUTING high-speed
relay:
a high-speed relay, for example, over fiber-optic cables or satellites, that
feeds smaller channels in corporate networks and the Internet

[1]



backbreaker

backbreaker
back·break·er
[bák bràykər] (plural back·break·ers)
noun

1.  wrestling
hold:
a wrestling hold in which somebody’s back is bent backward over the opponent’s
knee or shoulder

2.  backbreaking
task:
an exhausting task, or one that demands a tremendous physical effort (informal)

[1]



backbreaking

backbreaking
back·break·ing 
[bák bràyking] adjective

arduously exhausting:
involving enormous physical effort[1]



backburner

backburner
back
burn·er
(plural back burn·ers)

put something on the back
burner: to assign something a lower
priority or give something less prominence • The
project has been put on the back burner.[1]



backchannel

backchannel
back
chan·nel
(plural back chan·nels) noun

indirect means of exchanging
sensitive information: a covert
way of exchanging sensitive information in politics or diplomacy that
circumvents the usual procedures[1]



backchat

backchat
back·chat
[bák chàt] noun

U.K.
(informal) See back talk[1]



backcloth

backcloth
back·cloth 
[bák klawth, bák
kloth] (plural back·cloths) noun

THEATER
See backdrop  noun 1[1]



backconcession

backconcession
back
con·ces·sion noun

Canada
remote farmland:
a concession that is sparsely populated or remote from well-traveled roads[1]



backcountry

backcountry
back
coun·try
noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand remote
rural area: a remote, sparsely populated
rural area, often used for various forms of outdoor recreation, including
backpacking and camping • backpacking
in rugged back country[1]



backcourt

backcourt
back·court 
[bák kàwrt, bák
krt] (plural back·courts) noun

1.  RACKET GAMES rear
of court:
the area between the baseline and the service line on a tennis court or the
area of the court nearest the back boundary line or back wall in similar games

2.  BASKETBALL defended
half of basketball court: the half of the court where
the basket being defended is located

3.  BASKETBALL defensive
players:
the players who defend the backcourt

[1]



backcross

backcross
back·cross 
[bák kràwss, bák
kròss] transitive verb (past back·crossed, past
participle back·crossed, present participle back·cross·ing,
3rd person present singular back·cross·es)

cross hybrid with parent:
to cross an organism, especially a hybrid, with one of its parents or an
individual genetically identical to that parent
noun
(plural back·cross·es)

1.  hybrid
obtained by backcrossing: a hybrid obtained by
backcrossing

2.  act
of backcrossing: the act or the process of backcrossing
organisms

[1]



backdate

backdate
back·date
[bák dàyt] (past back·dat·ed, past
participle back·dat·ed, present participle back·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular back·dates) transitive verb

put earlier date on
something: to put a date on a document
that is earlier than the actual date of its writing or signing[1]



backdive

backdive
back
dive
(plural back dives) noun

dive with back to water:
a dive made when the diver’s back is facing the water[1]



backdoor

backdoor
back
door
(plural back doors) noun

1.  rear
door:
a door or entrance at the rear of a building

2.  dishonest
advantage:
an underhand or indirect way that gives somebody an unfair advantage

[1]



backdoor

backdoor
back·door 
[bák dàwr, bák
dr] adjective

indirect or underhand:
carried out in secrecy or in a surreptitious way • There’s
been a lot of backdoor pressure on her to step down.[1]



backdown

backdown
back
down
intransitive verb

withdraw claim or argument:
to abandon a claim, opinion, or commitment because of the degree of opposition
it arouses[1]



backdown

backdown
back·down
[bák dòwn] (plural back·downs)
noun

abandonment of something
because of opposition: the
abandonment of a course of action or an opinion in the face of opposition from
other people[1]



backdrop

backdrop
back·drop 
[bák dròp] (plural back·drops)
noun

1.  THEATER painted
cloth at back of stage: a large painted cloth hung
at the back of the stage that usually depicts the setting in which the action
of a scene takes place.
Also
called
backcloth

2.  setting
for something: the setting for something, for example,
the scenery or colors behind it • The
ski-jumping took place against a backdrop of jagged mountain peaks.

[1]



backend

backend
back
end
noun

Northern England
fall:
autumn[1]



backend load

backend load
back
end load
(plural back end loads) noun

sales charge:
a mutual fund sales charge paid when shares are sold[1]



backer

backer
back·er 
[bákər] (plural back·ers) noun

1.  supporter:
somebody who gives moral or financial support to somebody or something

2.  gambler:
somebody who bets on somebody or something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  backer, angel, guarantor,
  patron, sponsor
  CORE
  MEANING: somebody
  who provides financial support backer;
  the most general term of the group, indicating support of either a financial
  or nonfinancial nature; angel; a
  person who provides financial support for an enterprise, for example, a
  theatrical venture; guarantor;
  somebody who gives a legal undertaking to make good any financial losses
  incurred in a venture; patron; a
  person who provides an artist or writer with the financial means to pursue
  his or her art, or who contributes money to an institution, such as a theater
  or art gallery, or cause; sponsor;
  a person who contributes money to somebody participating in some kind of
  fundraising event, such as a marathon race, or a company that provides
  financial support for an activity such as a sports or musical event, usually
  in return for publicity for the company and its products

[1]



backfield

backfield
back·field 
[bák fld] noun FOOTBALL

1.  area
of field:
in football, the area of the playing field behind the line of scrimmage

2.  players:
the players who line up behind the line of scrimmage

3.  positions:
the positions of the players who line up behind the line of scrimmage

[1]



backfill

backfill
back·fill
[bák fìl] transitive verb (past
back·filled, past participle back·filled, present
participle back·fill·ing, 3rd person present singular back·fills)

refill
a trench:
to refill a trench or other excavation with the soil dug out of it
noun

soil:
the soil used to refill a trench[1]



backfire

backfire

back·fire 
[bák fr] intransitive verb (past
back·fired, past participle back·fired, present
participle back·fir·ing, 3rd person present singular back·fires)

1.  have
opposite effect: to have an effect opposite to the one
intended • The
policy of mandatory testing may well backfire and do more harm than good.

2.  AUTOMOTIVE make
explosion in exhaust pipe: to produce an explosion of
prematurely ignited fuel in an internal-combustion engine or of unburned
exhaust gases in the exhaust pipe

3.  FORESTRY start
fire to create firebreak: to start a fire in the path
of an advancing wildfire in order to halt its advance
noun (plural
back·fires)

1.  AUTOMOTIVE explosion
in car exhaust: an explosion of prematurely ignited fuel
in an internal-combustion engine or of unburned exhaust gases in the exhaust
pipe

2.        FORESTRY fire
started to create firebreak: a fire
deliberately started in order to clear the ground in front of an advancing
wildfire so as to halt it[1]



backflow

backflow
back·flow
[bák fl] noun

action of flowing back:
the flowing back of something toward the source[1]



back-formation

back-formation
back-for·ma·tion
(plural back-for·ma·tions) noun

1.  process
of word formation: a process of word formation
in which a new word is coined by removing a real or imagined affix from an
existing word

2.  new
word formed by affix removal: a word formed by
back-formation, for example, “greed” from “greedy,” or “televise” from
“television”

[1]



backforty

backforty
back
for·ty
noun

rear part of farm:
a remote, usually unused part of a farm or ranch[1]



backfour

backfour
back
four
noun

defensive formation:
a defensive formation in soccer that consists of two wing backs and two center
backs deployed in a straight line across the field[1]



backgammon

backgammon

back·gam·mon 
[bák gàmmən] (plural back·gam·mons)
noun

1.  board
game involving dice: a board game for two players
who each move their 15 pieces around the board according to the throw of a pair
of dice. The object of the game is to be the first to gather all your pieces in
one corner and remove them from the board.

2.  complete
victory in backgammon: the most complete form of
victory in backgammon, when a player succeeds in removing all 15 pieces while
the other still has a piece furthest from the point at which he or she can
remove pieces from the board
[Mid-17th century. From back + obsolete gamen, an early form of game ; probably from the pieces sometimes being
put “back” on the table.][1]



Back,George

Back,George
Back 
[bak], Sir George (1796–1878)

British-born Canadian
explorer. He helped map the North American coastline, accompanied Sir John
Franklin’s Arctic expeditions, and searched for Sir John Ross.[1]



background

background
back·ground 
[bák gròwnd] noun (plural back·grounds)

1.  personal
circumstances and experiences: the personal
circumstances and experiences that shape somebody’s life, for example, ethnic
and social origins, upbringing, education, and work experience • a
group of people from very different backgrounds

2.  causes
of an event: the circumstances leading up to an event
that explain its cause • The
meeting takes place against a background of rising tension.

3.  scenery
behind something: the setting for a scene, for example,
the scenery behind it • A
silvery lake shone against a background of tall dark firs.

4.  ARTS part
of picture:
the part of a picture or pattern that appears to be in the distance or behind
the most important part

5.  information:
information that helps to explain what somebody or something is like or why
something is happening

6.  inconspicuous
position:
a position of relative inconspicuousness or unimportance • working
tirelessly in the background

7.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS See
background radiation

8.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING PHYSICS signal
causing distortion or interference: an
extraneous signal, often in the form of electronic or acoustic noise, that can
cause distortion or affect an instrument reading (often used before a noun)
• background
interference

9.  COMPUTING low-priority
environment in computers: the low-priority environment
in computers that can perform more than one task at a time
adjective

1.  as
part of the background: situated or depicted in, or
forming part of, the background to something

2.  accompanying:
functioning or suitable as an accompaniment to something else
on
background

on conditions of anonymity
and in an effort to provide the press with nonattributable information, usually
sensitive in nature • addressed
the sensitive issue on background only[1]



backgrounder

backgrounder
back·ground·er 
[bák gròwndər] (plural back·ground·ers)
noun

unattributed press briefing:
an informal meeting or press conference in which a government spokesperson
provides journalists with background information on condition that the
informant is not identified as the source[1]



backgroundmusic

backgroundmusic
back·ground
mu·sic
noun

accompanying music:
music used as a suitable accompaniment to action or dialog in a movie, or to
create a pleasant atmosphere for an activity or in a public place[1]



backgroundprocessing

backgroundprocessing
back·ground
pro·cess·ing noun

COMPUTING
simultaneous performance of subsidiary
operation: execution of computer
programs and tasks either while the user works with an interactive application
in the foreground or during pauses in the execution of a foreground program or
task. Once started, background tasks such as printing or copying data execute
without user input.[1]



backgroundradiation

backgroundradiation
back·ground
ra·di·a·tion noun

weak radiation from the
environment: low-level radiation
occurring naturally as a result of radioactivity present in the air, soil, and
buildings and other structures.
Also called
background[1]



backhand

backhand
back·hand 
[bák hànd] noun (plural back·hands)

1.  RACKET GAMES backhanded
stroke:
in tennis and similar games, a stroke made with the back of the hand turned
toward the ball as the arm moves outward from a position across the body

2.  RACKET GAMES backhand
side:
the side of a tennis court, or of the body, on which a player would naturally
play a backhand stroke. It is the left-hand side for a right-handed player.

3.  BASEBALL catch
made on backhand side: a catch made with the
catcher’s hand, in a mitt, held across his or her body

4.  handwriting
sloping leftward: a style of handwriting in which the
letters slope to the left
adjective

with back of hand toward ball:
carried out with the back of the hand facing in the direction in which the
stroke, movement, or blow is made
adverb

backhandedly: with
a backhand stroke
transitive
verb
(past back·hand·ed, past participle back·hand·ed, present
participle back·hand·ing, 3rd person present singular back·hands)

1.  contact
ball with backhand: to strike a ball with a
backhand stroke, or to catch it with the hand held across the body • She
backhanded the ball just over the net.

2.  hit
somebody with back of hand: to hit somebody or something
with the back of the hand • accidentally
backhanded an opponent

[1]



backhanded

backhanded
back·hand·ed 
[bák hàndəd] adjective

1.  played
backhand:
carried out with the back of the hand facing in the direction in which the
stroke, movement, or blow is made • a
backhanded return

2.  with
double meaning: with a doubtful or double meaning,
especially one that can be understood equally as a compliment or as an insult • a
backhanded compliment

3.  written
with letters sloping leftward: written in a style of
handwriting in which the letters slope to the left
adverb

with backhanded stroke:
with the back of the hand facing in the direction in which a stroke, movement,
or blow is made
—back·hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—back·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



backhoe

backhoe

back·hoe 
[bák h] (plural back·hoes) noun
digging machine:
a digging machine or attachment consisting of a hinged scoop attached to a
jointed mechanical arm that drags the scoop back toward the cab from which it
is operated[1]



backing

backing
back·ing 
[báking] (plural back·ings) noun

1.  support
or help:
active approval, support, or help, often in financial form, given to an
individual, organization, or cause

2.  supporters:
the people or organizations giving support to a person or cause

3.  rear
surface:
material forming or covering the back of something, especially to strengthen,
stiffen, or protect it

4.  MUSIC musical
accompaniment: the music or singing that accompanies
the playing or singing of the main performer of a piece of popular music or
jazz

[1]



backissue

backissue
back
is·sue
(plural back is·sues) noun

PUBLISHING
old issue of a publication:
a previous issue of a magazine or newspaper.
Also called
back number
U.K. term
back number[1]



backjudge

backjudge
back
judge
(plural back judg·es) noun

referee:
in football, a referee stationed behind the line of scrimmage who keeps the
time in a game and determines players eligible to receive a pass
[From the fact that this
referee is responsible for calls in the backfield][1]



backlash

backlash
back·lash 
[bák làsh] (plural back·lash·es)
noun

1.  strong
reaction:
a strong adverse reaction among a group of people to an event, development, or
trend, especially one that benefits another group

2.  violent
backward movement: a sudden violent backward
jerking movement, for example, when a cable breaks under strain

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING recoil
between machine parts: a jarring recoil that
sometimes occurs when worn or badly fitting parts of a mechanism come together

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING play
between machine parts: excessive play between
adjacent parts in a mechanism such as a set of gears, usually as a result of
the parts being worn or badly fitted

5.  ANGLING fishing
line tangle: a tangle in the part of a fishing line
that is wound on the reel

[1]



backless

backless
back·less
[bákləss] adjective

with a low-cut back:
with the back cut very low • a
backless dress[1]



backlight

backlight
back·light 
[bák lt] noun

light
from behind: light that illuminates the subject of a
photograph or painting from behind
transitive
verb
(past back·light·ed or back·lit [bák lìt], past participle back·light·ed
or back·lit, present participle back·light·ing, 3rd
person present singular back·lights)

illuminate
from behind: to illuminate a subject from behind
—back·light·ing, noun[1]



backlist

backlist
back·list 
[bák lìst] (plural back·lists)
noun

PUBLISHING
earlier books still in print:
the range of books already published by a publisher that are still in print • The
departing editor had built up a highly respectable backlist.[1]



backlit

backlit
back·lit


Past tense of
backlight Past participle of backlight[1]



backlog

backlog
back·log 
[bák lōg, bák
làwg] noun (plural back·logs)

1.  things
still to be done: a quantity of unfinished business or
work that has built up over a period of time and must be dealt with before
progress can be made • She
faced a backlog of work when she came back from the Bahamas.

2.  large
log on a fire: a large log placed at the back of an
open fire
intransitive
and transitive verb (past back·logged,
past participle back·logged, present participle back·log·ging,
3rd person present singular back·logs)

accumulate: to
accumulate and need to be dealt with, or to accumulate work or material that
needs to be dealt with • Order
fulfillment got backlogged when nearly everyone in the department came down
with the flu.

[1]



backmatter

backmatter
back
mat·ter
noun

PUBLISHING
material at back of book:
the parts of a book that appear after the main text, for example, the index or
an appendix.
Also called
end matter[1]



backmutation

backmutation
back
mu·ta·tion
(plural back mu·ta·tions) noun

reversion of gene to original
form: the reversion of a mutated
gene to its original form[1]



backnumber

backnumber
back
num·ber
(plural back num·bers) noun

PUBLISHING
U.K. See back issue[1]



backoff

backoff
back
off
intransitive verb

1.  move
back:
to move away backward

2.  withdraw:
to withdraw from a previous commitment, claim, or position

3.  ease
pressure on somebody: to stop putting pressure on
somebody to do something

[1]



backout

backout
back
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
withdraw:
to withdraw from a previous commitment • The
buyer backed out before the papers were signed.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
backward:
to move out backward, or cause something to move out backward

[1]



backpack

backpack
back·pack 
[bák pàk] noun (plural back·packs)

1.  LEISURE rucksack:
a large straight-sided sturdy fabric bag, often attached to a metal frame, worn
strapped to the back and used by hikers and travelers for carrying their
belongings, equipment, and supplies

2.  equipment
carried on the back: a pack or carrier for a
piece of equipment, such as an astronaut’s personal life-support system, that
is designed to be strapped on the user’s back
verb
(past back·packed, past participle back·packed, present
participle back·pack·ing, 3rd person present singular back·packs)

1.  intransitive
verb
LEISURE hike
with backpack: to travel, especially hike, carrying
belongings or supplies in a backpack • She
spent a month backpacking in the Rockies.

2.  transitive
verb
carry
something on the back: to transport something,
usually equipment or supplies, in a pack on the back • astronauts
backpacking oxygen during a spacewalk
—back·pack·er, noun[1]



backpass

backpass
back
pass
(plural back pass·es) noun

SOCCER
pass to goalkeeper:
a pass from an outfield player back to the goalkeeper, in soccer. Goalkeepers
are forbidden to handle back passes with their hands.[1]



backpay

backpay
back
pay
noun

pay owed for work done
earlier: pay that is owed to an
employee for work done before the current payment period and is either overdue
or results from a backdated pay increase[1]



backpedal

backpedal
back·ped·al 
[bák pèdd’l] (past back·ped·aled,
past participle back·ped·aled, present participle back·ped·al·ing,
3rd person present singular back·ped·als) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CYCLING pedal backward:
to turn the pedals of a bicycle backward, for example, in order to operate a
brake

2.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS move
backward:
to move quickly backward, for example, in order to get away from an opponent or
to catch a ball

3.  intransitive
verb
retreat:
to try to escape the consequences of a statement or action by retracting it,
modifying it, or toning it down

[1]



backplate

backplate
back·plate
[bák plàyt] (plural back·plates)
noun

armor for the back:
a piece of armor protecting the back[1]



backpressure

backpressure
back
pres·sure
noun

1.  ENGINEERING resistant
pressure:
resistant pressure exerted by any solid, liquid, or gas to the forward motion
of a system, especially the pressure opposing the exhaust stroke of a piston in
an internal-combustion engine

2.  INDUSTRY oil or
gas pressure: the pressure exerted by fluids in the
bore of an oil well on the oil and gas in the reservoir. Careful control of
this pressure ensures an even supply of oil.

3.  MEDICINE pressure
due to obstruction: pressure within a blood
vessel or the urinary system that builds up when there is an obstruction to the
flow of fluid

[1]



backprojection

backprojection
back
pro·jec·tion noun

projecting film as
background: the cinematic technique of
projecting a film onto a translucent screen from behind, usually to provide a
moving background against which other action can be filmed[1]



backrest

backrest
back·rest 
[bák rèst] (plural back·rests)
noun

support for the back:
a part of a seat designed to support the user’s back[1]



backroom

backroom
back·room
[bák rm, bák
rm] or back room [bák rm,
bák rm] noun (plural back·rooms)
(plural back rooms)

1.  room
at the back: a room at or toward the back of a
building

2.  meeting
place of power elite: the supposed meeting place
of a group that exercises a powerful behind-the-scenes influence on events or
an organization
adjective
back·room back-room

unobtrusive or clandestine:
taking place away from the center of activity or attention, but usually important
or influential nonetheless • The
tax law was hammered out in a backroom deal between Republicans and Democrats.

[1]



backsaw

backsaw
back·saw 
[bák sàw] (plural back·saws) noun

saw with stiffened edge:
a small saw stiffened and strengthened by a strip of metal on its noncutting
edge[1]



backscatter

backscatter
back·scat·ter 
[bák skàttər] noun

1.  deflection
of radiation or particles: the deflection of radiation
or particles through angles of greater than 90 degrees measured with respect to
the original direction of travel through a medium

2.  deflected
radiation or particles: radiation or particles
deflected more than 90 degrees while passing through a medium

[1]



backscratcher

backscratcher
back·scratch·er
[bák skràchər] (plural back·scratch·ers)
noun

1.  tool
for scratching the back: a long-handled implement,
often ending in a claw or hand shape, for scratching your own back

2.  somebody
who exchanges favors: somebody who does favors for
others in order to receive similar favors from them (informal)

[1]



backscratching

backscratching
back·scratch·ing
[bák skràching] noun

exchanging
favors:
the doing of favors for other people in return for similar favors from them (informal)
—backscratch, intransitive
verb[1]



backseat

backseat
back
seat
(plural back seats) noun

1.  seat
in the back: a seat at the back of a vehicle

2.  less
important role: a less important or active role
take
a back seat (to somebody)

to allow somebody else to
direct or control something while taking on a relatively less important role
yourself[1]



back-seatdriver

back-seatdriver
back-seat
driv·er
(plural back-seat driv·ers) noun (informal)

1.  passenger
who pesters a driver: a passenger in a vehicle who
continually pesters the driver with unwanted advice or criticism

2.  somebody
giving unwanted advice: somebody who gives unwanted
advice or criticism while somebody else carries out a task, or who attempts to
control something for which he or she has no responsibility

[1]



backset

backset
back·set 
[bák sèt] (plural back·sets) noun

eddy:
an eddy or a current flowing against the direction of the main current in a
body of water[1]



backshore

backshore
back·shore 
[bák shàwr, bák
shr] (plural back·shores) noun

shore
usually above high water: the area of the shore that
is above the high-water mark except in very severe weather
[Early 20th century. Coined
from shore, on the model of foreshore .][1]



backside

backside
back·side 
[bák sd] (plural back·sides) noun

buttocks:
a person’s buttocks (informal)[1]



backsight

backsight
back·sight
[bák st] (plural back·sights)
noun

1.  ARMS rear
sight on gun: a sight on the part of a firearm nearest
to the aimer’s eye

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING surveying
sight taken backward: a sight or reading taken by
a surveyor back toward a position from which a previous sight has been made

[1]



backslang

backslang
back
slang
noun

slang with words pronounced
backward: a type of slang in which
words are disguised by being pronounced as if spelled backward[1]



backslap

backslap
back·slap 
[bák slàp] (past back·slapped,
past participle back·slapped, present participle back·slap·ping,
3rd person present singular back·slaps) intransitive and
transitive verb

be
jovial:
to treat somebody, or treat each other, in a hearty, jovial, and
enthusiastically complimentary way, with or without physical slaps on the back
• a
political candidate who backslapped his way across the country
—back·slap·per, noun[1]



backslash

backslash
back·slash
[bák slàsh] (plural back·slash·es)
noun

left-leaning diagonal line:
a keyboard character (\) with various uses in computing and programming[1]



backslide

backslide
back·slide 
[bák sld] (past back·slid [bák slìd], past participle back·slid,
present participle back·slid·ing, 3rd person present singular
back·slides) intransitive verb

relapse
into bad habit: to fall back into wrongdoing or a bad
habit after having attempted to change your behavior or to lose faith in a
religion after being a believer
—back·slid·er, noun[1]



backspace

backspace
back·space 
[bák spàyss] intransitive verb (past
back·spaced, past participle back·spaced, present
participle back·spac·ing, 3rd person present singular back·spac·es)

move
back one space: to move the cursor of a computer or the
carriage of a typewriter back one or more spaces using the key designed for
this purpose
noun
(plural back·spac·es)

key for moving back one
space: a key on a computer or
typewriter keyboard that moves the cursor or carriage back one space at a time[1]



backspin

backspin
back·spin 
[bák spìn] noun

backward spinning motion:
spin that makes a ball rotate in the opposite direction to its line of movement
so that when it lands or strikes something its forward momentum will be
reduced.
Also called
underspin[1]



backsplash

backsplash
back·splash
[bák splàsh] noun

protective panel:
a vertical waterproof surface, usually tiled, that protects the area above a
sink or bath from splashes[1]



backstab

backstab
back·stab 
[bák stàb] (past back·stabbed,
past participle back·stabbed, present participle back·stab·bing,
3rd person present singular back·stabs) transitive verb

betray
somebody:
to do or say something harmful to somebody after pretending to be a friend
[Early
20th century. From the expression to stab somebody in the back .]
—back·stab·ber,
noun

—back·stab·bing, noun[1]



backstage

backstage
back·stage 
adverb [bàk stáyj]

1.  THEATER behind
the scenes:
behind the area of a theater stage that is visible to an audience, for example,
in the areas where stage technicians work or in the dressing rooms • Journalists
were allowed backstage to interview the star.

2.  in
private:
in private or out of the view of the general public
adjective
[bák stàyj]

1.  THEATER situated
or working behind the scenes: situated or working in the
area of a stage not visible to an audience

2.  not
visible to public: taking place in private or
out of the view of the general public

[1]



backstairs

backstairs
back·stairs 
[bák stàirz] plural noun

private
stairs:
a set of stairs in a private part of a house, often originally for the use of
servants
adjective

secret:
carried on secretly or furtively
[Mid-17th century. The sense
“secret” derives from the backstairs in royal palaces, which were inaccessible
to state visitors.][1]



backstay

backstay
back·stay 
[bák stày] (plural back·stays)
noun

1.  SAILING supporting
rope:
a rope leading backward from the top of a mast to the side or stern and giving
support to the mast

2.  back
support:
a thing that supports or strengthens the back of something else, for example, a
piece of leather covering the back seam of a shoe

[1]



backstick

backstick
back·stick
[bák stik] noun

large
log:
a large log at the back of a fire or campfire (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term backstick is most common today in
  Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Upper Alabama. It is now essentially an
  upcountry folk term.

[1]



backstitch

backstitch
back·stitch 
[bák stìch] noun (plural back·stitch·es)

reinforced
stitch:
a method of stitching in which each new stitch starts from the middle of the
previous stitch
intransitive
and transitive verb (past back·stitched,
past participle back·stitched, present participle back·stitch·ing,
3rd person present singular back·stitch·es)

stitch strongly:
to sew fabric using backstitches[1]



backstop

backstop
back·stop 
[bák stòp] noun (plural back·stops)

1.  SPORTS screen
to stop a ball: a screen or barrier to stop the ball
traveling out of the playing area, especially behind the home plate at a
baseball field

2.  BASEBALL See catcher  noun 1

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING catch
stopping backward movement: a catch on a mechanism
designed to prevent it from moving back too far

4.  additional
support:
somebody or something providing additional support or protection in case
somebody or something else fails
transitive
verb
(past back·stopped, past participle back·stopped, present
participle back·stop·ping, 3rd person present singular back·stops)

give support to somebody:
to give support or backing to somebody or something, or to reinforce somebody
or something

[1]



back-story

back-story
back-sto·ry 
(plural back-sto·ries) noun

1.  background
to story:
the events that are supposed to have taken place before the action of a movie,
television program, or novel begins (informal)

2.  See
prequel

[1]



backstreet

backstreet
back·street
[bák strt] noun (plural back·streets)
back·street back street

minor street: a
small unimportant street off the main highways in a city or town
adjective

1.  back·street
or back-street in a backstreet:
situated or taking place in a backstreet

2.  back-street
illicit:
carried out furtively or illicitly in a place where it is unlikely to attract
public attention

[1]



backstretch

backstretch
back
stretch
(plural back stretch·es) noun

straight part of track:
the straight section of a racing circuit opposite the home stretch.
U.K. term
back straight[1]



backstroke

backstroke
back·stroke 
[bák strk] noun (plural back·strokes)

1.  SWIMMING swimming
on the back: a method of swimming on the back in
which the swimmer makes circular backward movements with each arm alternately
while kicking the legs rhythmically up and down

2.  return
stroke:
a stroke or movement in the opposite direction to that of the original or forward
one

3.  SPORTS backhand
stroke:
a backhand stroke
intransitive
verb
(past back·stroked, past participle back·stroked, present
participle back·strok·ing, 3rd person present singular back·strokes)

SWIMMING swim
backstroke:
to swim using the backstroke
—back·strok·er, noun[1]



backswept

backswept
back·swept 
[bák swèpt] adjective

angled backward:
angled, slanting, or brushed backward • a
backswept hairstyle[1]



backswimmer

backswimmer
back·swim·mer 
[bák swìmmər] (plural back·swim·mers)
noun

water bug:
a North American water bug that swims lying on its back and propelled by its
broad hind legs. Family: Notonectidae
Also called
water boatman[1]



backswing

backswing
back·swing
[bák swìng] (plural back·swings)
noun

SPORTS
backward move before hitting:
the backward movement of a player’s club, bat, or racket away from the eventual
point of contact with the ball in preparation for making the actual stroke[1]



backsword

backsword
back·sword 
[bák sàwrd, bák
srd] (plural back·swords) noun

1.  ARMS one-edged
sword:
a sword with a cutting edge on one side of the blade only

2.  FENCING fencing
stick:
a stick with a basket-shaped hilt used in fencing practice

[1]



backtalk

backtalk
back
talk
noun

insolent replies:
rude or impertinent answers or comments.
U.K. term
backchat[1]



back-to-back

back-to-back
back-to-back 
adjective

1.  with
backs to each other: standing or sitting with
backs turned to, and sometimes touching, one another

2.  consecutive:
following immediately one after the other • We
had back-to-back meetings prior to the product launch.
—back-to-back, adverb[1]



backtrack

backtrack
back·track 
[bák tràk] (past back·tracked,
past participle back·tracked, present participle back·track·ing,
3rd person present singular back·tracks) intransitive verb

1.  go
back:
to go back in the direction from which you have come

2.  change
your mind:
to change, or distance yourself from, a previous action, opinion, statement, or
policy, especially as a result of other people’s opposition to it • After
enormous public outrage, the government backtracked on its proposed ban.

[1]



backup

backup
back·up 
[bák ùp] noun (plural back·ups)

1.  support:
support or assistance from other people, for example, from the supplier of a
product when it breaks down

2.  reinforcements:
reinforcements to help personnel already committed, especially police officers
• The
officers at the scene are calling for a backup.

3.  substitute
or reserve:
a substitute or reserve that can be used if the thing normally used fails

4.  COMPUTING security
copy:
a separate copy of data with which somebody is working that is stored, for
example, on a floppy disk

5.  COMPUTING copying:
the procedure for making a separate copy or copies of data with which somebody
is working • The
backup is done automatically every morning.

6.  overflow:
an overflow from a pipe caused by a blockage • a
backup of water

7.  traffic
holdup:
a buildup or stoppage of traffic caused by an obstruction, for example, an
accident or road construction

8.  MUSIC accompaniment:
instrumental music or singing forming an accompaniment to the main performer of
a piece of popular music or jazz
adjective

1.  supporting:
acting as a support, reserve, or reinforcement • The
field commander radioed for backup troops.

2.  COMPUTING copied:
made or kept in case something goes wrong with the original • Check
the condition of your backup disk.

3.  MUSIC providing
musical accompaniment: providing instrumental or
vocal accompaniment for a pop or jazz performer, usually a singer
[Mid-20th century. From the
phrase back up .][1]



backup

backup
back
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
to
support somebody: to provide support for a person or idea
• I’m
sure you’ll back me up on this.

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING copy
computer files: to make a copy or copies of computer
data to keep in case anything goes wrong with the original

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
backward:
to go or move something backward

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb accumulate:
to build up, or cause something to build up, especially because normal flow is
obstructed • Traffic
was backed up three miles from the accident.

5.  transitive
verb
prove
statement:
to supply proof that a statement is true • Evidence
of growth is backed up by recent economic statistics.

[1]



backuplight

backuplight
back·up
light
noun

warning light:
a light on the back of a motor vehicle that comes on when the vehicle is in
reverse.
U.K. term
reversing light[1]



backward

backward
back·ward 
[bákwərd] adjective

1.  to
the rear:
in the opposite direction to the one in which somebody or something is facing

2.  reversed:
positioned the opposite way around, arranged in the opposite order, or
proceeding in the opposite direction to the normal one

3.  not
achieving usual or expected standard:
lagging behind the progress and development of others of comparable status • a
backward economy

4.  retrograde:
causing or representing a return to a previous or less advanced, and usually
less satisfactory, state • a
backward step developmentally

5.  toward
the past:
directed toward the past • a
backward look over the city’s progress during the last century

6.  shy:
shy or lacking in self-confidence
adverb
back·ward back·wards
U.K.
term
backwards

1.  back
first:
with your or something’s back facing in the direction in which you move or it
moves • She
walked backward out of the room.

2.  toward
the rear:
behind somebody or in a direction away from the front of something • I
reached backward until I felt my fingers touch the wall.

3.  wrong
way around:
the opposite way around, or in the reverse order or direction from the usual • You’ve
got your shirt on backward.

4.  toward
the past:
toward or into the past • travel
backward in time

5.  into
a worse condition: into a state that is worse
or less advanced than the previous or original one • Everything’s
gone backward since the new committee took over.
—back·ward·ness,
noun
bend
or lean over backward

to
make an exceptional effort to do something, especially to help somebody • I
felt uncomfortable although everybody bent over backward to make me feel
welcome.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  backward
  or backwards ?
  Backward is the only form available
  for the adjective: • A
  backward glance. Backward
  is more common in adverbial use as well, but in other parts of the
  English-speaking world backwards is more
  usual for the adverb. • The
  vehicle moved slowly backward/backwards.

[1]



backward-looking

backward-looking
back·ward-look·ing
adjective

more relevant to past than
present: more concerned with or
relevant to a past state of affairs than the present[1]



backwards

backwards
back·wards
adverb

See
backward[1]



backwash

backwash
back·wash 
[bák wòsh, bák
wàwsh] noun

1.  retreating
wave:
the movement of water back down a beach after a wave has broken

2.  NAUTICAL water
pushed backward: a backward movement or flow in water
produced by a ship’s propeller or by oars

3.  AIR air
pushed backward: a backward rush of air produced by an
aircraft propeller or jet engine

4.  consequences:
the consequential effects of an event or action, especially unpleasant or
unsettling ones

[1]



backwater

backwater
back·wa·ter 
[bák wàwtər, bák
wòttər] (plural back·wa·ters) noun

1.  small
stagnant branch of river: a still body of water
connected to a river but not affected by its current

2.  still
water:
a still body of water held back by a dam, obstruction, or prevailing
countercurrent

3.  dull
place:
a place or situation regarded as cut off from the mainstream of activity or
development and consequently seen as quiet and uneventful or unimportant and
dull

[1]



backwoods

backwoods
back·woods 
[bák wdz] noun (takes a singular
or plural verb)

1.  remote
wooded areas: a sparsely inhabited forested area
distant from the main centers of population

2.  unsophisticated
area:
an area regarded as remote, rustic, and culturally unsophisticated
adjective

1.  in
or from remote area: situated in, coming from, or
typical of a sparsely settled area

2.  unsophisticated:
rustic, uncouth, or culturally unsophisticated

[1]



backwoodsman

backwoodsman
back·woods·man
[bák wdzmən] (plural back·woods·men
[bák wdzmən]) noun

backwoods inhabitant:
somebody who lives in the backwoods[1]



backyard

backyard
back
yard
(plural back yards) noun

1.  yard
behind a house: a yard or a garden behind a house

2.  garden:
a back garden

3.  somebody’s
neighborhood: somebody’s immediate neighborhood or the
area considered as somebody’s home ground • The
gangs know better than to cause trouble in each other’s back yard.

[1]



backyard

backyard
back·yard
[bák yrd] adjective

belonging to a back yard:
situated or happening in a back yard • good
weather for backyard barbecues[1]



bacon

bacon
ba·con 
[báykən] noun

meat
from hog:
meat from the back and sides of a hog that has been salted, dried, and often
smoked
[14th
century. Via Old French, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning literally
“back meat,” which is also the ancestor of English back
.]
bring
home the bacon

to
earn the money on which a family lives (informal)

save
somebody’s bacon

to save somebody from serious
trouble, punishment, injury, or danger (informal)[1]



Bacon,Francis

Bacon,Francis
Ba·con 
[báykən], Sir Francis, 1st Baron Verulam and
Viscount Saint Albans (1561–1626)

English philosopher, lawyer,
and statesman. A pioneer of modern scientific thought, he wrote The
Advancement of Learning (1605) and Essayes (1597–1625). He was Lord
Chancellor (1618–1621), but was dismissed for bribery.[1]



Bacon,Francis

Bacon,Francis
Ba·con 
[báykən], Francis (1909–1992)

Irish-born British painter. A
major late-20th century painter, he often used gory and shocking imagery, as in
Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef (Study After Velázquez) ( 1954 ).[1]



Baconian

Baconian
Ba·co·ni·an 
[bay kṓnee ən] adjective

of works of Sir Francis Bacon:
typical of or similar to the philosophy of Sir Francis Bacon, particularly his
method of inductive reasoning in which the emphasis is placed on collecting
instances rather than testing theories
noun
(plural Ba·co·ni·ans)

1.  PHILOSOPHY follower
of Sir Francis Bacon: somebody who studies the
philosophy of Sir Francis Bacon or whose own philosophy or philosophical method
is strongly influenced by him

2.  LITERATURE believer
in Bacon as author of Shakespeare’s plays:
somebody who believes that the plays usually attributed to Shakespeare were
actually written by Sir Francis Bacon

[1]



bact.

bact.
bact.

1.  Abbreviation
of
bacteria

2.  Abbreviation
of
bacteriology

[1]



bacteremia

bacteremia
bac·te·re·mi·a 
[bàktə rmee ə] noun

bacteria
in the blood: the presence of bacteria in the blood
—bac·te·re·mic
[bàktə rmik], adjective

—bac·te·re·mi·cal·ly [bàktə rmiklee], adverb[1]



bacteri-

bacteri-
bacteri-
prefix

See
bacterio-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bacteria

bacteria
bac·te·ri·a


Plural of
bacterium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bacterial

bacterial
bac·te·ri·al 
[bak tree əl] adjective

connected
with bacteria: consisting of, caused by, or connected
with bacteria
—bac·te·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



bactericide

bactericide
bac·te·ri·cide 
[bak tri sd] (plural bac·te·ri·cides)
noun

bacteria
killer:
a substance or agent that destroys bacteria
—bac·te·ri·cid·al [bak tri sd’l], adjective[1]



bacterio-

bacterio-
bacterio-
prefix

1.  bacteria,
bacterial • bacteriostat

2.  pressure,
weight • barometer
[From modern Latin bacterium
“ bacterium ”][1]



bacteriol.

bacteriol.
bacteriol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
bacteriological

2.  Abbreviation
of
bacteriology

[1]



bacteriology

bacteriology
bac·te·ri·ol·o·gy 
[bak tree ólləjee] noun

scientific
study of bacteria: the scientific study of
bacteria, especially in relation to medicine and agriculture
—bac·te·ri·o·log·i·cal
[bak tree ə lójjik’l], adjective

—bac·te·ri·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—bac·te·ri·ol·o·gist [bak tree ólləjist], noun[1]



bacteriolysis

bacteriolysis
bac·te·ri·ol·y·sis 
[bak tree óllississ] (plural bac·te·ri·ol·y·ses
[bak tree ólli sz]) noun

destruction
of bacterial cell: the dissolution or
destruction of a bacterial cell, for example, as a result of the use of a
bactericidal agent during disinfection
—bac·te·ri·o·lyt·ic [bak tree ə líttik], adjective[1]



bacteriophage

bacteriophage
bac·te·ri·o·phage 
[bak tree ə fàyj] (plural bac·te·ri·o·phages)
noun

bacteria-infecting
virus:
a virus that infects bacteria and may integrate into the genetic material of
its host cell. Bacteriophages are used as vectors in gene cloning and have
other biotechnological uses.
Also
called
phage
—bac·te·ri·o·phag·ic
[bak tree ə fájjik], adjective

—bac·te·ri·oph·a·gous
[bak tree óffəgəss], adjective

—bac·te·ri·oph·a·gy [bak tree óffəjee], noun[1]



bacteriostasis

bacteriostasis
bac·te·ri·o·sta·sis 
[bak tree ō stáyssiss] noun

inhibition of bacterial
growth: inhibition of bacterial
growth and multiplication by a chemical agent[1]



bacteriostat

bacteriostat
bac·te·ri·o·stat 
[bak tree ə stàt] (plural bac·te·ri·o·stats)
noun

bacteria-inhibiting
substance:
a substance that restricts the growth and activity of bacteria without killing
them
—bac·te·ri·o·stat·ic
[bak tri ō státtik], adjective

—bac·te·ri·o·stat·i·cal·ly
[bak tri ō státtiklee], adverb[1]



bacterium

bacterium
bac·te·ri·um 
[bak tree əm] (plural bac·te·ri·a
[bak tree ə]) noun

microscopic
life form:
a single-celled, often parasitic microorganism without distinct nuclei or
organized cell structures. Various species are responsible for decay,
fermentation, nitrogen fixation, and many plant and animal diseases. Kingdom: Eubacteria
[Mid-19th century. From,
ultimately, Greek baktērion “little rod” (because the first ones
discovered were rod-shaped), from baktron “rod.”][1]



bacteriuria

bacteriuria
bac·te·ri·u·ri·a 
[bak tri yree ə] noun

bacteria in urine:
the presence of bacteria in urine[1]



bacteroid

bacteroid
bac·te·roid 
[báktə ròyd] noun (plural bac·te·roids)

bacterium
in human mouth and gut: a bacterium that can grow
only in the absence of air, found in the human mouth and intestinal tract, in
the rumen of ruminant animals, and in sewage. Genus: Bacteroides
adjective

resembling a bacterium:
resembling a bacterium in structure or behavior[1]



Bactriancamel

Bactriancamel
Bac·tri·an
cam·el
[bàktree ən kámm’l] (plural Bac·tri·an
cam·els) noun

two-humped
camel:
a two-humped camel, originally from central Asia but now found only in the Gobi
Desert. Latin name: Camelus bactrianus
[Early 17th century. Bactrian
from, ultimately, Latin Bactrianus, from Bactria, an ancient
country in central Asia.][1]



baculiform

baculiform
bac·u·li·form 
[bákyələ fàwrm, bə
kylə fàwrm] adjective

rod-shaped:
shaped like a rod
[Coined from Latin baculum
“rod” (see baculum ) + -form][1]



Bacǎu

Bacǎu
Ba·cǎu
[bəków]

city in eastern Romania. It
is the capital of Bacǎu County, and a major rail hub. Population: 204,495
(1992)[1]



bad

bad
bad
[bad] adjective (comparative worse
[wurss], superlative worst [wurst])

1.  of
poor quality: below an acceptable standard in quality
or performance • bad driving

2.  unskillful:
lacking the skill or competence to perform a task adequately • I’ve
always been bad at remembering dates.

3.  not
functioning properly: not functioning properly
because of a fault • bad TV reception

4.  incorrect:
incorrect according to the normal rules, especially those governing the use of
language • used
bad grammar in the essay

5.  wicked:
morally evil, blameworthy, or unacceptable • It’s
how you tell the good guys from the bad guys.

6.  misbehaving
and disobedient: troublesome or, people, usually through
rudeness, disobedience, or mischievousness • Bad
dog!

7.  angry
and unpleasant toward others: characterized by anger and
unpleasantness toward other people • in a
bad mood

8.  offensive:
likely to cause offense to other people because it deals with a taboo subject
or expresses violent feelings • swearing
and other bad language

9.  harmful:
liable to damage health or cause injury • Reading
in a dim light is bad for the eyes.

10. rotten:
rotted or deteriorated in quality to the point of being unfit to eat or drink • This
milk is bad.

11. injured
or diseased: affected by an injury or disease, or not
functioning properly, and often causing pain • She’s
got a bad tooth.

12. unwell:
unwell or in pain • I’ve been feeling bad
for a couple of days.

13. uneasy:
uneasy or regretful about something, or causing somebody to feel this way • I
feel really bad about having had to reprimand you.

14. more
unpleasant than usual: possessing an unpleasant,
painful, or troublesome quality to a higher degree than usual • Was
the pain very bad?

15. distressing:
likely to cause unhappiness or disappointment • I’m
afraid the news is bad.

16. unfavorable:
containing or indicating an unfavorable assessment of somebody’s performance,
work, or character • received a bad job
evaluation

17. (comparative
bad·der, superlative bad·dest) very
good:
extremely good (slang) • the
baddest outfit at the party
noun

1.  evil:
wrong or immoral behavior • You’re
old enough to know good from bad.

2.  unsatisfactory
or unpleasant things: things or events that are
unsatisfactory or unpleasant • You’ve
got to take the good with the bad.
adverb
(informal)

1.  badly:
in an unsatisfactory manner • We
didn’t do too bad.

2.  very
much:
to an intense or extreme degree • He’s
got it bad!
[13th
century. Origin uncertain, possibly from Old English bddel “effeminate
man.”]
—bad·ness,
noun
go
bad

to
become rotten or unfit to eat

go
from bad to worse

to
become even more unpleasant, unsatisfactory, or morally unacceptable than
before

not
(half or so or that or too) bad

fairly
good or of a standard that is admitted to be satisfactory, sometimes grudgingly
or cautiously, but often in a positive or definitely approving way • That’s
not bad for a first attempt.  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  bad, criminal, delinquent,
  mischievous, naughty
  CORE
  MEANING: indicating
  wrongdoing bad; the most general
  and widely used term, applying to a whole range of wrongdoing from the most
  trivial to the most immoral or evil; criminal;
  specifically used in connection with wrongdoing that constitutes a criminal
  offense, but also used informally to indicate strong disapproval; delinquent; a formal word, literally meaning
  neglectful of duty, for wrongdoing of a criminal or socially unacceptable
  nature; mischievous; applied to
  children or their actions to suggest wrongdoing of a minor and often playful
  kind, but, when used of adults, suggesting more harmful wrongdoing designed
  to cause trouble; naughty; used of
  children or their actions to describe both relatively trivial misdeeds and
  more major ones

[1]



badactor

badactor
bad
ac·tor
noun

wrongdoer:
a persistent wrongdoer, or somebody or something that causes trouble or has a
harmful effect[1]



badapple

badapple
bad
ap·ple
(plural bad ap·ples) noun

bad
influence:
somebody who is thought to be the source of a bad influence on others,
especially a source of moral corruption (informal)
[From the idea that one bad
apple can spoil a whole bunch][1]



badass

badass
bad·ass 
[bád àss] noun (plural bad·ass·es)

bad-tempered person:
somebody who is bad-tempered or aggressive (offensive taboo)
adjective
(offensive slang)

1.  offensive
term:
offensive term for bad-tempered or aggressive behavior • badass
talk

2.  extremely
good:
extremely good and impressive, or having a very powerful effect
[Mid-20th century. Expressive
alteration of bad .][1]



badblood

badblood
bad
blood
noun

ill
feeling:
an intense and usually long-lasting feeling of hatred, anger, or resentment
[From blood in the sense of
“feelings, emotions”][1]



badbreath

badbreath
bad
breath
noun

unpleasant breath:
unpleasant-smelling breath.
Also called
halitosis[1]



badcheck

badcheck
bad
check
(plural bad checks) noun

invalid check:
a check that is invalid because there are insufficient funds in the account to
cover it[1]



baddebt

baddebt
bad
debt
(plural bad debts) noun

money owed but not paid:
a sum of money owed that is unlikely to be repaid[1]



baddie

baddie
bad·die
[báddee] (plural bad·dies) or
bad·dy [báddee] (plural bad·dies)
noun

villain:
somebody, especially a character in a movie or a novel, who does evil or
criminal things (informal)[1]



bade

bade
bade


Past tense of
bid[1]



Baden-Powell,Robert

Baden-Powell,Robert
Ba·den-Pow·ell
[bàyd’n pṓəl], Robert, 1st Baron
Baden-Powell of Gilwell (1857–1941)

British
soldier and founder of the Boy Scout movement.
Full name
Baden-Powell, Robert Stephenson Smyth[1]



badfaith

badfaith
bad
faith
noun

insincerity:
insincerity, especially as evidenced by actions that do not accord with
somebody’s stated intentions[1]



badge

badge
badge 
[baj] noun (plural badg·es)

1.  emblem:
a small distinctively shaped or marked piece of fabric, metal, or plastic worn
on clothing as a sign of rank, membership, or achievement

2.  identifying
feature:
a characteristic or identifying mark of a particular quality or of a particular
type of person
transitive
verb
(past badged, past participle badged, present
participle badg·ing, 3rd person present singular badg·es)

1.  put
identifying mark on something: to put a badge or a
distinctive identifying mark on something

2.  sell
with badge on: to market a product under different
badges or brand names
[14th century. From Old
French bage, of unknown origin.][1]



badger

badger
badg·er 
[bájjər] noun (plural badg·ers)

burrowing
mammal:
a medium-sized burrowing animal that is related to the weasel and has short
legs, strong claws, and a thick coat. It usually has black and white stripes on
the sides of its head. Subfamily: Melinae
transitive
verb
(past badg·ered, past participle badg·ered, present
participle badg·er·ing, 3rd person present singular badg·ers)

pester
somebody:
to pester or annoy somebody continually • kept
badgering me to go shopping
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from badge, because of
the markings on its head.][1]



Badger

Badger
Bad·ger
[bájjər] (plural Bad·gers) noun

somebody
from Wisconsin: somebody who was born in or who lives in
Wisconsin
[From the fact that the
badger is the state animal of Wisconsin][1]



badhair day

badhair day
bad
hair day
noun

bad day:
a day during which somebody feels bad, looks bad, and experiences a series of
difficulties or annoyances (slang)[1]



badinage

badinage
bad·i·nage 
[bàdd’n zh] noun

playful
talk:
the exchange of playful or joking remarks between people in conversation
[Mid-17th century. From
French, via badin “fool, joker” from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin badare
“to yawn, gape” (source of English bay
and abash ).][1]



badlands

badlands
bad·lands 
[bád làndz] plural noun

barren area:
a barren area of gullies and bare mountain peaks or mesas formed by erosion[1]



BadlandsNational Park

BadlandsNational Park
Bad·lands
Na·tion·al Park

national park in South Dakota
and Nebraska that contains an arid region where wind erosion has caused unusual
rock formations[1]



badly

badly
bad·ly 
[báddlee] adverb

1.  poorly:
in an unsatisfactory, incompetent, or incorrect way • The
paint job had been badly done.

2.  unhappily:
in such a way as to cause suffering, sorrow, or disappointment to the people
involved • felt
badly let down

3.  severely:
to a degree that causes serious concern for the person or thing involved • Two
of the survivors were very badly burned.

4.  very
much:
very much, or to an extreme degree • We’re
badly in need of new ideas.

5.  wickedly:
in a way that is immoral, or that causes trouble, offense, or annoyance to
other people • had
been behaving badly

6.  remorseful:
full of remorse or regret • feel
badly about it

[1]



badman

badman
bad
man
or Bad Man noun

Devil:
the Devil (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  bad man is a euphemism for the Devil that is often capitalized, suggesting
  importance to religion or superstition. The term is most common in Tennessee
  and the Lower South, with scattered occurrences from New York to California.

[1]



badminton

badminton
bad·min·ton 
[bád mìntən] (plural bad·min·tons)
noun

SPORTS game
with a net and rackets: a game similar to tennis,
using rackets to strike a shuttlecock back and forth across a high net
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Badminton, a village in southwestern England that is the seat of the Duke of
Beaufort.][1]



badmouth

badmouth
bad·mouth 
[bád mowth, bád
mow] (past bad·mouthed, past participle bad·mouthed,
present participle bad·mouth·ing, 3rd person present singular
bad·mouths) transitive verb

criticize somebody:
to make sharply critical or disparaging remarks about somebody to other people
(slang)[1]



badnews

badnews
bad
news
noun

something undesirable:
somebody or something that is likely to cause trouble and should be avoided (slang)
• Something
tells me this guy’s bad news.[1]



bad-talk

bad-talk
bad-talk
(past bad-talked, past participle bad-talked, present
participle bad-talk·ing, 3rd person present singular bad-talks)
transitive verb

Caribbean
badmouth somebody:
to speak ill of somebody (informal)[1]



bad-tempered

bad-tempered
bad-tem·pered
adjective

irritable:
characterized by anger and unpleasantness toward other people
—bad-tem·pered·ly, adverb[1]



Baedeker

Baedeker
Bae·de·ker
[báydəkər] (plural Bae·de·kers)
or bae·de·ker [báydəkər] (plural
bae·de·kers) noun

guidebook:
any guidebook for travelers
[Mid-19th century. From Karl Baedeker,
German publisher of a series of guidebooks.][1]



Baekeland,Leo

Baekeland,Leo
Bae·ke·land
[báykələnd, báykə
lànd], Leo (1863–1944)

Belgian-born
U.S. chemist. He invented Bakelite™, a plastic resin (1909), and was a founder
of the modern plastics industry.
Full name
Baekeland, Leo Hendrik[1]



Baez,Joan

Baez,Joan
Ba·ez 
[bī éz, b èz],
Joan (1941– )

U.S. folk singer and
activist. From the 1960s, she was widely known for her folk and protest songs
and for her human rights campaigning.[1]



BaffinIsland

BaffinIsland
Baff·in
Is·land

Canada’s largest island,
located in the northeast of the country, forming part of Nunavut. Area: 476,070
sq km/183,810 sq mi.[1]



Baffin,William

Baffin,William
Baf·fin 
[báffin], William (1584–1622)

English navigator. While
trying to find the Northwest Passage (1612–1616), he explored the Hudson Strait
and Baffin Island.[1]



baffle

baffle
baf·fle 
[báff’l] transitive verb (past
baf·fled, past participle baf·fled, present participle
baf·fling, 3rd person present singular baf·fles)

1.  puzzle
somebody:
to prove too difficult or complicated for somebody to understand, solve, or
deal with, and cause a feeling of confusion or helplessness

2.  frustrate
something:
to hinder or thwart an action or intention (formal)

3.  TECHNOLOGY control
something:
to impede or control the movement of a fluid or gas or the emission of sound or
light waves
noun
(plural baf·fles)

1.  TECHNOLOGY restraining
device:
a device used to control or impede the flow or emission of something and reduce
its force

2.  ACOUSTICS partition
in loudspeaker: a partition in a loudspeaker or
microphone intended to prevent sound waves of different frequencies from
interfering with one another
[Mid-16th
century. Perhaps a blend of French bafouer “to ridicule” and Scots bauchle
“to revile,” both of unknown origin. Its earliest meaning was “to disgrace
publicly.”]
—baf·fle·ment, noun[1]



bafflegab

bafflegab
baf·fle·gab 
[báff’l gàb] noun

nonsense:
pretentious and obscure talk full of technical terminology or circumlocutions (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From baffle + gab .][1]



baffling

baffling
baf·fling 
[báffling] adjective

puzzling:
impossible for the mind to understand, and causing a feeling of confusion or
helplessness • I
find the new technology baffling.[1]



bag

bag
bag 
[bag] noun (plural bags)

1.  flexible
container:
a nonrigid portable container made of fabric, leather, paper, or plastic in a
wide variety of sizes, opening at one end and used mainly for packaging or
carrying merchandise

2.  amount
in flexible container: the amount that can be
contained in a bag, often used as a measure

3.  portable
container for equipment or belongings: a
portable container made of strong flexible material for carrying somebody’s
belongings or equipment • I
threw everything into a bag and rushed out.

4.  item
of baggage:
an item of traveler’s baggage, for example, a suitcase, that can be carried by
hand (often used in the plural) • Did
you check the bags before coming to the departure gate?

5.  purse:
a handbag or purse

6.  HUNTING number
of animals shot: the number of animals shot or captured
by an individual hunter or party

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term deliberately insulting a woman’s age and appearance (slang
insult)

8.  somebody’s
specialty:
something that somebody is particularly interested in or good at (slang
dated)

9.  BASEBALL See base 1 noun 21

10. DRUGS small
quantity of illegal drug: a small quantity of an
illegal drug, for example, heroin or marijuana, in a piece of folded paper, a
plastic bag, or a similar container (slang)
verb
(past bagged, past participle bagged, present
participle bag·ging, 3rd person present singular bags)

1.  transitive
verb
put
into bag:
to put something into a bag • He
spent the afternoon bagging groceries at the local supermarket.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bulge:
to bulge or become baggy, or cause something to do this

3.  transitive
verb
HUNTING shoot
or capture animal: to shoot or capture a game
animal or bird • He bagged a six-point
buck.

4.  transitive
verb
obtain
something:
to take, catch, seize, or steal something, usually in an opportunistic way (informal)
• They’ve
gotten hold of our mailing list and are using it to try to bag some of our
customers.
[13th
century. From Old Norse baggi .]
—bag·ger,
noun
bag
and baggage

with
all your belongings

bag
of tricks

1.  everything,
especially all the equipment necessary to do something (informal) • They
picked up the whole bag of tricks and slung it onto the back of a truck.

2.  a
magician’s collection of equipment and props

bags
of

a
huge amount or number of something (informal)

be
left holding the bag

to
be left in a situation where you are solely responsible for something because
other people have abdicated their own responsibility

in
the bag

certain
to be achieved or obtained (informal)

[1]



Baganda

Baganda
Ba·gan·da
[bə gndə] plural noun

E
African people: an ethnic group living in East Africa,
mainly in Uganda, and representing about 30 percent of the population
[Late 19th century. From
Bantu .][1]



bagasse

bagasse
ba·gasse 
[bə gáss] (plural ba·gasses) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE pulp:
the pulp or dry refuse left after the juice has been extracted from sugar cane,
grapes, or sugar beets, and used as fuel, in making paper, and as cattle feed

2.  PAPER paper:
paper made from bagasse
[Early 19th century. Via
French, from Spanish bagazo “dregs,” from Latin baca “berry.”][1]



bagatelle

bagatelle
bag·a·telle 
[bàggə tél] (plural bag·a·telles)
noun

1.  MUSIC short
playful piece of music: a short piece of classical
music, usually for piano, written in a playful style

2.  GAME board
game:
a game played on a board or table, in which balls have to be propelled by a cue
or spring-loaded launcher past obstacles and into numbered holes

3.  something
unimportant: a thing of little importance (formal)
• a
mere bagatelle
[Mid-17th century. Via French,
from Italian bagatella, of unknown origin.][1]



bagel

bagel
ba·gel 
[báyg’l] (plural ba·gels) noun

ring-shaped
roll:
a glazed ring-shaped bread roll made from dough that is dropped in boiling
water and then baked, which gives a slightly chewy texture to the crust
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish beygl from, ultimately, Old High German boug “ring.”][1]



bagful

bagful
bag·ful
[bág fl] (plural bag·fuls) noun

amount in bag:
the amount a bag holds[1]



baggage

baggage
bag·gage 
[bággij] (plural bag·gages) noun

1.  packed
suitcases and bags: suitcases and other
containers holding the belongings of people who are traveling

2.  preconceived
ideas:
ideas, beliefs, or practices retained from somebody’s previous life
experiences, especially insofar as they affect a new situation where they may
be no longer relevant or appropriate (informal) • emotional
baggage

3.  MILITARY portable
equipment:
the equipment and supplies that a military force carries with it on campaign

4.  impudent
girl or woman: a girl or woman who is thought of as
impudent or obstinate (often considered offensive)

5.  prostitute:
an immoral woman, especially a prostitute (often considered offensive)
[15th century. Via French,
from Old French bague “bundle,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Germanic.][1]



baggagecar

baggagecar
bag·gage
car
noun

car on train:
a car on a train reserved for transporting passengers’ baggage.
U.K. term
luggage van[1]



baggagecheck

baggagecheck
bag·gage
check
(plural bag·gage checks) noun

room in station to leave
bags: a room in a train or bus
station where you can temporarily deposit baggage.
U.K. term
left-luggage office[1]



baggagehandler

baggagehandler
bag·gage
han·dler
(plural bag·gage han·dlers) noun

airport baggage loader:
somebody whose job it is to load and unload baggage onto and off airplanes[1]



baggataway

baggataway
bag·ga·ta·way
[bə gátə way] noun

form
of lacrosse: an early from of lacrosse played by the
Native American peoples of eastern North America
[Early 19th century. From
Ojibwa paka’towe “(he) plays lacrosse.”][1]



baggies

baggies
bag·gies
[bággeez] plural noun

extra large clothes:
clothing that is cut extra large for the size of the wearer and hangs loosely
on the body (informal)[1]



Baggies

Baggies
Bag·gies
[bággeez] Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
small plastic storage bags[1]



bagging

bagging
bag·ging 
[bágging] noun

cloth for bags:
coarse material used for making bags[1]



baggy

baggy
bag·gy 
[bággee] (comparative bag·gi·er,
superlative bag·gi·est) adjective

loose:
hanging loosely, puffed out, or bulging, either as a deliberate style or as a
result of being too big for the wearer or having stretched while being worn
—bag·gi·ly,
adverb

—bag·gi·ness, noun[1]



Baghdād

Baghdād
Bagh·dād
[bág dàd] or Bag·dad [bág dàd] or Bagh·dād [bág dàd]

capital of Iraq in the
eastern part of the country, on the Tigris River, northwest of Basra.
Population: 4,478,000 (1995)[1]



bagjob

bagjob
bag
job
(plural bag jobs) noun

(slang) See black bag job[1]



baglady

baglady
bag
la·dy
noun

homeless woman:
a homeless woman who carries her possessions in shopping bags (informal)[1]



bagman

bagman
bag·man 
[bágmən] (plural bag·men [bágmən]) noun

1.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand somebody handling illicit
money:
somebody who makes deliveries or collections of money on behalf of somebody
else involved in criminal activities (slang)

2.  Canada
POLITICS fundraiser:
somebody who raises funds for a political party

[1]



bagnio

bagnio
ba·gnio 
[bánnyō, bnyō]
(plural ba·gnios) noun

1.  brothel:
a house of prostitution (literary)

2.  prison:
a prison, especially a prison in Asia (archaic)

3.  bathhouse:
a bathhouse in Italy or Turkey (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian bagno “bath” from Latin balneus, because public baths
were often the site of illicit encounters and prostitution.][1]



Bagnold,Enid

Bagnold,Enid
Bag·nold
[bág nld], Enid (1889–1981)

British author and
playwright. She is best known as the author of National Velvet (1935).[1]



bagperson

bagperson
bag
per·son
(plural bag per·sons) noun

homeless person:
a homeless person who carries his or her possessions in shopping bags (informal)[1]



bagpipes

bagpipes



bag·pipes
[bág pps] plural noun
wind
instrument with inflatable bag: a wind instrument
consisting of an inflatable bag with an inlet pipe and one or more outlet pipes
that produce either a fixed or a variable note. The player squeezes the
inflated bag under his or her arm, forcing the air out through the speaking
pipes and using finger holes to control the pitch of the note. (sometimes
singular)
—bag·pip·er, noun[1]



bags

bags
bags
plural noun

loose skin under the eyes:
prominent folds of skin beneath the eyes, often caused by fatigue[1]



baguette

baguette
ba·guette 
[ba gét] (plural ba·guettes) noun

1.  FOOD stick-shaped
loaf:
a long thin loaf of French bread

2.  rectangular
gem:
a gem cut into a long rectangular shape

3.  shape
of baguette gem: the long narrow rectangular shape that a
baguette gem is cut into

4.  ARCHITECTURE convex
molding:
a small narrow rounded convex molding on a wall or column
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin baculum “stick” (see baculum ).][1]



bagwig

bagwig
bag·wig 
[bág wìg] (plural bag·wigs) noun

18thC wig:
an 18th-century wig with the back hair gathered in a decorative bag[1]



bah

bah
bah 
[baa, ba]
interjection

expression of disgust:
used to express scornful irritation, disgust, or contempt[1]



Bahamas,The

Bahamas,The



Ba·ha·mas,
The 
[bə hməz, bə
háyməz]
nation
consisting of hundreds of islands, islets, and keys in the Atlantic Ocean
southeast of Florida and north of Cuba. It was settled by the British in the
17th century and became independent in 1973. Language: English. Currency:
Bahamian dollar. Capital: Nassau. Population: 259,367 (1996) Area: 13,940 sq
km/5,380 sq mi.
—Ba·ha·mi·an [bə háymee ən, bə
h_’amee ən] (plural Ba·ha·mi·ans), noun, adjective[1]



Bahamas,The




Back to definition

Bahamas,The

[1]



BahasaIndonesia

BahasaIndonesia
Ba·ha·sa
In·do·ne·sia  [baa hssə
ində nə] noun

Indonesian
form of Malay: the form of Malay that is the official
language of Indonesia.
Also
called
Indonesian
[From Malay, “language of
Indonesia”][1]



BahasaMalaysia

BahasaMalaysia
Ba·ha·sa
Ma·lay·sia
[baa hssə mə láy] noun

Malaysian
form of Malay: the form of Malay that is the official
language of Malaysia
[From Malay, “language of
Malaysia”][1]



Baha’i

Baha’i
Ba·ha’i 
[baa h ee, bə
h] noun (plural Ba·ha’is)

1.  religion
emphasizing spiritual unity of humankind: a
religion founded in Iran in 1863 that maintains that the teachings of all
religions are of value and humankind is spiritually one, and advocates world
peace

2.  believer
in Baha’i:
somebody who believes in and follows the teachings of Baha’i
adjective

connected with Baha’i:
connected with or characteristic of Baha’i
[Late
19th century. Via Persian bahā’ī from Arabic bahā’ “splendor.”]
—Ba·ha’ism,
noun

—Ba·ha’ist, noun[1]



Bahia

Bahia
Ba·hi·a 
[bə h ə, baa  ə]

1.  state
in eastern Brazil on the Atlantic coast. Capital: Salvador. Population:
12,531,895 (1996) Area: 566,970 sq km/218,850 sq mi.

2.  Former
name for
Salvador

[1]



Bahiagrass

Bahiagrass
Ba·hi·a
grass 
(plural Ba·hi·a grass·es) noun

American
lawn grass:
a perennial tropical American grass, grown in the southern United States for
lawns, to stabilize soil, and as forage. Latin name: Paspalum notatum
[Early 20th century. Named
after Bahia .][1]



Bahrain




Back to definition

Bahrain

[1]



Bahrain

Bahrain



Bah·rain 
[baa ráyn] or Bah·rein [baa ráyn]
independent
island state on the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia, northwest of
Qatar. Language: Arabic. Language: English. Language: Farsi. Language: Urdu.
Currency: Bahraini dinar. Capital: Manama. Population: 603,318 (1997) Area: 707
sq km/273 sq mi.
—Bah·rain·i [baa ráynee] (plural Bah·rain·is), noun,
adjective[1]



baht

baht
baht 
[baat] (plural bahts or
baht) noun

1.  Thai
unit of currency: the basic unit of currency in Thailand

2.  something
worth a baht: a bill or coin worth one baht
[Early 19th century. From
Thai bāt .][1]



baigan

baigan
baigan
noun

Caribbean
See bhaigan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Baikal,Lake

Baikal,Lake
Bai·kal,
Lake
[bī kl]

the world’s deepest lake and
the largest freshwater lake on the Eurasian continent, in southern Siberia,
Russia. Area: 31,500 sq km/12,200 sq mi. Depth: 1,637 m/5,371 ft.[1]



bail

bail3
bail3 [bayl]
(plural bails) noun

crosspiece
of wicket:
in cricket, either of the two short pieces of wood laid on top of the stumps to
make the wicket
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain, possibly via Old French from, ultimately, Latin baculum
“stick” (see baculum ). Originally “outer wall of a castle.”][1]



bail

bail4
bail4 [bayl]
(plural bails) noun

1.  hinged
bar:
a hinged bar on a typewriter or printer that holds the paper against the
platen.
Also
called
bail bar

2.  semicircular
handle:
a semicircular handle, for example, on a bucket

3.  semicircular
support:
a semicircular support, for example, to hold up the canopy on a covered wagon
[15th century. Origin
uncertain, probably from assumed Old English bēgel or a Scandinavian
word meaning “ring.”][1]



bail

bail2
bail2 [bayl]
(past bailed, past participle bailed, present
participle bail·ing, 3rd person present singular bails)
intransitive and transitive verb

empty
water out from boat: to empty water out of a
boat, using a bucket or similar container • We
bailed the sinking boat for an hour.
[Early
17th century. From earlier baille “bucket,” via Old French, from an
assumed Vulgar Latin bajula “water carrier.”]
—bail·er, noun[1]



bail

bail1
bail1 [bayl]
noun

1.  security
for appearance in court: a sum of money deposited to
secure an accused person’s temporary release from custody and to guarantee that
person’s appearance in court at a later date. If the person fails to appear in
court on the date set, the money is forfeited.

2.  somebody
who pays bail: somebody who deposits money as bail for
somebody else

3.  release
under security: temporary release from custody after
bail has been paid • Her brother was out on
bail.
transitive
verb
(past bailed, past participle bailed, present
participle bail·ing, 3rd person present singular bails)

free somebody by paying bail:
to release an accused person from custody after bail has been paid (usually
passive)
[14th
century. Via Old French, “temporary custody,” from, ultimately, Latin bajulus
“somebody who carries (responsibility),” of unknown origin.]
jump
or skip bail

to fail to appear in court as
promised at the end of a bail period (informal)[1]



bailable

bailable
bail·a·ble 
[báyləb’l] adjective

1.  eligible
for bail:
eligible to be released on bail • a
bailable prisoner

2.  allowing
bail:
for which bail is allowable • a
bailable offense

[1]



bailbar

bailbar
bail
bar
(plural bail bars) noun

See
bail 4 noun
1[1]



bailbond

bailbond
bail
bond
(plural bail bonds) noun

document with which bail is
achieved: a document in which the
prisoner released on bail and the person who pays the bail money promise that
the prisoner will appear in court at a set time[1]



bailbondsman

bailbondsman
bail
bonds·man
(plural bail bonds·men) noun

bail provider:
somebody engaged in the business of providing bail money, or acting as surety,
for an accused person.
Also called
bailsman[1]



bailey

bailey
bai·ley 
[báylee] (plural bai·leys) noun

1.  outer
wall of a castle: the outermost wall surrounding a castle

2.  court
inside a castle wall: a courtyard inside the
walls, especially the outermost walls, of a castle
[13th century. Origin
uncertain, probably an alteration of bail 3, under the
influence of medieval Latin ballium .][1]



Baileybridge

Baileybridge
Bai·ley
bridge
(plural Bai·ley bridges) noun

temporary
bridge:
a temporary steel bridge made of prefabricated parts and designed for quick
construction
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the English engineer Sir D. Coleman Bailey (1901–1985), who designed
it.][1]



bailiff

bailiff
bail·iff 
[báylif] (plural bail·iffs) noun

1.  LAW court
official:
a court official whose tasks include supervising prisoners and keeping order in
court during a trial

2.  U.K.
LAW sheriff’s
officer:
a legal officer who serves under a sheriff and is empowered to take possession
of a debtor’s property, forcibly if necessary, to serve writs, and to make
arrests

3.  U.K.
steward:
a steward or agent of a landowner or landlord
[13th century. Via the Old French
stem baillif- “overseer” from assumed medieval Latin bajulivus,
from Latin bajulus (see bail 1 ).][1]



bailiwick

bailiwick
bail·i·wick 
[báyli wìk] (plural bail·i·wicks)
noun

sphere
of specialized knowledge: an area of activity in which
somebody has particular responsibility, or in which he or she has specialized
knowledge or ability • Export
permits are her bailiwick.
[15th century. From bailiff + wik “town” (via Old English wīc
from Latin vicus ; see vicinity ).][1]



bailment

bailment
bail·ment 
[báylmənt] (plural bail·ments)
noun

granting bail:
the granting of bail to somebody in custody[1]



bailout

bailout
bail·out 
[báyl òwt] (plural bail·outs) noun

financial rescue:
an intervention by a person or company to help another person or company out of
financial difficulties[1]



bailout

bailout
bail
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb empty
water out of boat: to empty water out of a
boat, using a bucket or similar container • bailing
water out as the boat slowly sank

2.  intransitive
verb
parachute
from plane:
to escape from a plane that is in danger of crashing by making a parachute jump

3.  intransitive
verb
escape
from difficult situation: to abandon hurriedly and
unceremoniously a situation that is dangerous or difficult • When
the company hit the skids, she was the first to bail out.

4.  transitive
verb
help
somebody out of trouble: to help somebody out of a
difficult situation

[1]



bailout

bailout
bail
out
transitive verb

have accused person released
on bond: to secure somebody’s release
from legal custody by paying bail, or posting bond[1]



bailsman

bailsman
bails·man 
[báylzmən] (plural bails·men [báylzmən]) noun

LAW
See bail bondsman[1]



Baily’sbeads

Baily’sbeads
Bai·ly’s
beads
[bàyleez bdz] plural noun

points
of light around Moon: bright points of sunlight
that briefly appear around the Moon immediately before and after a total
eclipse of the Sun. They are caused by sunlight shining through valleys on the
Moon.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the English astronomer Francis Baily (1774–1844).][1]



bain-marie

bain-marie
bain-ma·rie 
[bàN mə r] (plural bain-ma·ries)
noun

type
of cooking utensil: a cooking utensil containing
heated water into which another container is placed to be kept warm or cooked
gently
[Early 19th century. From
French, translation of medieval Latin balneum Mariae, translation of
Greek kaminos Marias “alchemist’s apparatus,” literally “furnace of
Maria,” alchemist and sister of Moses.][1]



Bairam

Bairam
Bai·ram
[bī rm] (plural Bai·rams) noun

Islamic
festival:
either of two Islamic festivals, the Lesser Bairam celebrated at the end of
Ramadan or the Greater Bairam seventy days later, at the end of the Islamic
year
[Late 16th century. Via
Turkish bayram from, ultimately, Persian baẕrām .][1]



Baird,John Logie

Baird,John Logie
Baird
[baird], John Logie (1888–1946)

British inventor. He
demonstrated the first television system in 1926. He also researched radar.[1]



Bairiki

Bairiki
Bai·ri·ki 
[bī rkee]

administrative center of
Kiribati, situated on Tarawa atoll in the western Pacific Ocean. Population:
1,956[1]



bairn

bairn
bairn 
[bairn] (plural bairns) noun

Scotland,
Northern England child:
a young child
[Old English bearn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to carry, bear children,” which
is also the ancestor of English bear,
bring, suffer,
and metaphor .][1]



Baisakhi

Baisakhi
Bai·sak·hi 
[bī skee] noun

Sikh New Year festival:
the Sikh New Year festival, usually celebrated on April 13. It commemorates the
founding in 1699 of the Khalsa order by Gobind Singh.[1]



bait

bait2
bait2 [bayt]
intransitive verb

See
bate 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bait

bait1
bait1 [bayt]
noun (plural baits)

1.  ANGLING HUNTING food for attracting animals:
a piece of food attached to the end of a hook or thrown into water to entice a
fish into biting it, or placed in a trap to lure an animal in • fishing
with live bait

2.  enticement:
something used to attract somebody or something else into being caught, or used
to tempt somebody to do something
transitive
verb
(past bait·ed, past participle bait·ed, present
participle bait·ing, 3rd person present singular baits)

1.  ANGLING HUNTING put food on hook:
to put a food attractant on a hook or in a trap • This
line’s baited with a minnow.

2.  harass
somebody:
to persecute, tease, or harass somebody • Stop
baiting the dog please!

3.  attack
animal with dogs: to set dogs onto a chained animal,
usually a bear or bull, for sport
[13th
century. Noun: from Old Norse beit “food”; verb: from beita “to
hunt with dogs,” from bíta “to bite.”]
—bait·er,
noun
fish
or cut bait

to
do what needs to be done or else step aside and allow somebody else to do it

rise
to the bait

to react to something,
especially to temptation or provocation, in precisely the way that somebody
wants you to, for example, by getting angry when somebody teases you[1]



baitand switch

baitand switch
bait
and switch
noun

scheme to tempt buyers:
a tactic used in sales in which buyers are tempted by an advertised bargain but
then persuaded to buy a more expensive item instead (slang)[1]



baiza

baiza
bai·za 
[b zaa] (plural bai·zas or
bai·za) noun

currency
unit in Oman: a subunit of currency in Oman
[Late 20th century. Via
Arabic from Hindi paisā .][1]



baize

baize
baize 
[bayz] (plural baizes) noun

green
woolen cloth: a green woolen cloth, similar to felt,
used chiefly for covering the tops of pool tables or card tables
[Late 16th century. From
French baies, the plural of bai “bay-colored” (see bay 4 ), probably
because of its original color.][1]



BajaCalifornia

BajaCalifornia
Ba·ja
Cal·i·for·nia  [b haa
kállə fáwrnyə]

peninsula in northwestern
Mexico between the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, divided into the
states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. Length: 1,220 km/760 mi.[1]



bajee

bajee
ba·jee
noun

FOOD
See bhaji[1]



bake

bake
bake 
[bayk] verb (past baked,
past participle baked, present participle bak·ing, 3rd
person present singular bakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cook
food in oven: to cook something such as bread, a cake,
or a pie in an oven by dry heat, or be cooked in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb harden
by heat:
to become hardened, or harden something, by exposing it to dry heat

3.  intransitive
verb
be
very hot:
to be or feel very hot (informal) • You
must be baking in that heavy coat.
noun
(plural bakes)

1.  amount
baked:
a number of things baked at the same time

2.  party
with baked food: a party at which baked food is served (informal)
(often used in combination) • an
oyster bake on the shore
[Old English bacan
(source of English batch ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to warm,” which is also the
ancestor of English bath .][1]



bakedAlaska

bakedAlaska
baked
A·las·ka
(plural baked Alaskas) noun

cake with ice cream inside:
a dessert consisting of a cooked cake base that is cooled, topped with ice
cream, covered with meringue, and then quickly browned in a very hot oven[1]



Bakelite

Bakelite
Ba·ke·lite
[báykə lt] Trademark

a trademark for any of
various synthetic resins used in many manufacturing applications[1]



Bake-Off

Bake-Off
Bake-Off

a service mark for a cooking
contest during which contestants prepare their own recipes, especially of baked
goods, with the winners receiving prizes[1]



baker

baker
bak·er 
[báykər] (plural bak·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who makes bread and cakes: somebody who makes bread,
cakes, and other baked foods, especially somebody who makes them for sale

2.  portable
oven:
a portable oven

[1]



Baker,Dame Janet

Baker,Dame Janet
Bak·er 
[báykər], Dame Janet (1933– )

British
mezzo-soprano. After performing as a soloist for Sir John Barbirolli in the
1960s, she moved on to opera, and is associated especially with English music.
Born
Abbott, Janet[1]



Baker,Josephine

Baker,Josephine
Bak·er 
[báykər], Josephine (1906–1975)

U.S.-born
French dancer and entertainer. She performed as a singer and dancer in New York
before settling in Paris in 1925. Highly popular in Europe, she campaigned for
racial equality in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.
Born
McDonald, Freda Josephine[1]



Bakersfield

Bakersfield
Ba·kers·field 
[báykərzfeeld]

city in south central
California in the valley of the San Joaquin River. Population: 205,508 (1996)[1]



bakersheet

bakersheet
bak·er·sheet 
[báykər sht] (plural bak·er·sheets)
noun

New England
drip pan:
a drip pan used in cooking[1]



bakery

bakery
bak·er·y 
[báykəree] (plural bak·er·ies)
noun

1.  place
where things are baked: a building or part of a
building where items of food, especially bread and cakes, are baked

2.  store
selling baked food: a store or part of a store
where items of baked food, especially bread and cakes, are sold
[Mid-19th century. Its
earliest meaning was “the work of a baker.”][1]



baker’sdozen

baker’sdozen
bak·er’s
doz·en 
noun

thirteen:
a set of thirteen items
[From the fact that retailers
of bread formerly received an extra loaf with each dozen from the baker, which
they were entitled to keep as profit][1]



bakeshop

bakeshop
bake·shop 
[báyk shòp] (plural bake·shops)
noun

small bakery:
a small bakery, especially one forming part of a larger store such as a
supermarket[1]



baking

baking
bak·ing
[báyking] noun (plural bak·ings)

1.  cooking
of bread and cakes: the cooking of bread, cakes,
and other foods by dry heat in an oven • did
the baking early in the morning

2.  amount
baked at one time: a quantity of items baked at
one time • a
baking of 46 rolls
adjective

very hot: very
hot and dry • a
baking sun

[1]



bakingpowder

bakingpowder
bak·ing
pow·der 
noun

mixture used for making cakes
rise: a mixture containing sodium
bicarbonate, starch, and acids, used to make cakes and some light doughs rise.
The acids react with bicarbonate of soda when liquid is added, releasing carbon
dioxide that aerates the mixture.[1]



bakingsheet

bakingsheet
bak·ing
sheet
(plural bak·ing sheets) noun

metal tray for oven cooking:
a flat metal tray used for cooking, especially baking, food in an oven.
Also called
cookie sheet[1]



bakingsoda

bakingsoda
bak·ing
so·da
noun

raising agent:
sodium bicarbonate used as a raising agent in baking.
Also called
bicarbonate of soda
U.K. term
bicarbonate of soda[1]



baklava

baklava
ba·kla·va 
[bklə v, bklə
v] (plural ba·kla·vas) noun

rich
pastry:
a dessert, originally from Turkey, made of paper-thin pastry brushed with
butter, layered with nuts and baked, with syrup or honey poured over it after
cooking
[Mid-17th century. From
Turkish .][1]



bakra

bakra
bak·ra
[bákrə] (plural bak·ras) noun

Caribbean
white
person:
a white person, particularly one from Britain
[Mid-18th century. From
Ibibio and Efik (m)bakara “European, master.”][1]



baksheesh

baksheesh
bak·sheesh 
[bák shsh, bak
shsh] noun

tip
or bribe:
in the Middle East, money given as a tip or bribe, or as charity
[Mid-18th century. From
Persian bašīš . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to share
out,” which is also the ancestor of English pagoda
and nebbish .][1]



Baku

Baku
Ba·ku 
[baa k]

capital of Azerbaijan, on the
shores of the Caspian Sea, in the center of an oil-producing region in the
eastern part of the country. Population: 1,780,000 (1990)[1]



Bakunin,Mikhail

Bakunin,Mikhail
Ba·ku·nin
[bə knin, bə
knyin], Mikhail (1814–1876)

Russian-born
anarchist. Born an aristocrat, he was sent in exile to Siberia in 1857, but
escaped to England in 1861 to become Europe’s leading anarchist.
Full name
Bakunin, Mikhail Aleksandrovich[1]



bal.

bal.
bal.

Abbreviation of
balance[1]



BAL

BAL
BAL
noun

See
dimercaprol
[An acronym of British
anti-lewisite][1]



Balaam

Balaam
Ba·laam
[báyləm] noun

biblical seer:
in the Bible, a Mesopotamian seer who, when called on to curse the Israelites,
instead praised them after being reproached by his donkey (Numbers 22–24)[1]



balaclava

balaclava

bal·a·cla·va 
[bàllə klvə] (plural bal·a·cla·vas)
noun
knitted
cap:
a close-fitting knitted covering for the head and neck, leaving only the face,
or parts of it, exposed
[Late 19th century. Named for
the village of Balaklava in the Crimea, probably because the cap was
worn by infantry involved in the campaign there.][1]



Balaguer,Joaquín

Balaguer,Joaquín
Bal·a·guer
[blə gáir], Joaquín (1907– )

Dominican
political leader. He was president of the Dominican Republic (1960–1962,
1966–1978, and 1986–1996).
Full name
Balaguer, Joaquín Vidella[1]



balalaika

balalaika


bal·a·lai·ka 
[bàllə lkə] (plural bal·a·lai·kas)
noun
triangular
Russian stringed instrument: a Russian musical instrument
with a triangular sound box and three strings that produces sounds similar to a
mandolin when plucked or strummed
[Late 18th century. From
Russian, of Turkic origin.][1]



balance

balance
bal·ance 
[bálləns] noun (plural bal·anc·es)

1.  steady
state on a narrow base: a state in which a body or
object remains reasonably steady in a particular position while resting on a
base that is narrow or small relative to its other dimensions. For human
beings, this most commonly involves remaining upright and steady on the feet. • He
lost his balance and fell from the beam.

2.  opposition
of equal forces: a state in which two opposing forces or
factors are of equal strength or importance so that they effectively cancel
each other out and stability is maintained

3.  harmony:
a state in which various elements form a satisfying and harmonious whole and
nothing is out of proportion or unduly emphasized at the expense of the rest

4.  emotional
stability:
a state of emotional and mental stability in which somebody is calm and able to
make rational decisions and judgments

5.  TECHNOLOGY weighing
machine:
a simple mechanical device for weighing objects or samples, often consisting of
a pivoted horizontal beam with a pan suspended from each end. Material to be
weighed is put in one pan and weights of a fixed value are gradually added to
the other until the beam returns to the horizontal.

6.  counterweight:
something that offsets or counters the weight or influence of another element • a
system of checks and balances

7.  greater
part:
the greater, more significant, or more influential part of something, such as
evidence or opinion that is likely to sway a decision

8.  remainder:
a remaining or outstanding amount, for example, the amount remaining in a bank
account after a withdrawal or the amount still to be paid to settle a bill

9.  ACCOUNTING equal
debit and credit: a position where the amounts on the
debit and credit sides of an account are equal and cancel each other out

10. ACCOUNTING difference
between debit and credit: the amount by which the
debit and credit sides of an account differ

11. CHEMISTRY equality
of elements in an equation: a state of a chemical
equation where the number of the atoms of each chemical element are equal on
both sides of the equation
verb
(past bal·anced, past participle bal·anced, present
participle bal·anc·ing, 3rd person present singular bal·anc·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remain
in or give something equilibrium: to achieve or
maintain, or cause somebody or something to achieve or maintain, a position of
steadiness while resting on a narrow base • balanced
precariously on a branch

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb place
in precarious position: to place an object in a
position where it is or seems to be in imminent danger of falling over or of
falling off something (often passive)

3.  transitive
verb
assess
something:
to assess and compare the relative importance of different factors or
alternatives before making a choice or decision • balanced
the pros and cons of the plan before moving ahead with it

4.  transitive
verb
weigh
in balance:
to weigh something in a balance or by an action or method that resembles the
working of a balance

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb equal
or cancel out: to be equal to something in force,
weight, or importance, or cancel it out

6.  transitive
verb
ARTS bring
elements into harmony: to arrange the different
elements of something so that they form a harmonious and well-proportioned whole

7.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS CHEMISTRY bring
equation into equality: to bring the elements of a
chemical or mathematical equation into a state of equality

8.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING assess
account:
to assess the relative positions of the debit and credit sides of an account

9.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING equalize
account:
to make the debit and credit sides of an account equal
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin (libra) bilanx, literally
“(scales) with two pans,” from lanx “plate, pan.”]
—bal·ance·a·ble,
adjective
hang
in the balance

to
be in a dramatic and tense situation where two diametrically opposed outcomes
are possible and the possibility of an unfavorable one is real and greatly
feared

hold
the balance

1.  to
have the power to decide in which way a situation will develop or which of two
opposing sides will prevail

2.  to
control the key to maintaining an existing state of equilibrium between two
opposing forces

on
(the) balance

having
taken all the relevant factors into consideration and assessed their relative
significance • The
situation, on balance, is relatively hopeful.

strike
a balance

to
reach a compromise between two extremes

throw
somebody off balance

to
surprise or confuse somebody

[1]



Balance

Balance
Bal·ance 
noun

ZODIAC
See Libra[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








balancebeam

balancebeam
bal·ance
beam
(plural bal·ance beams) noun

gymnasts’ balancing bar:
a narrow horizontal wooden bar on legs that women gymnasts stand on to perform
balancing exercises, or the event involving this.
U.K. term
beam
Also called
beam[1]



balanced

balanced
bal·anced
[bállənst] adjective

1.  even-handed:
taking account of all sides on their merits without prejudice or favoritism • a
balanced assessment

2.  healthy:
containing different elements in suitable quantities or suitably arranged to
produce a satisfying and effective whole • a
balanced diet

3.  mentally
stable:
in a state of mental and emotional stability and able to make rational
judgments

[1]



balanceof payments

balanceof payments
bal·ance
of pay·ments noun

nation’s debits and credits:
the difference between the amount paid by a national government to other
countries and the amount it receives from them[1]



balanceof power

balanceof power
bal·ance
of pow·er
noun

1.  equilibrium
of power between nations: the distribution of power
among two or more nations, where the pattern of force and dominance among them
is balanced such that no single nation has dominance over the others

2.  power
to affect situation decisively: the power of a single
country, group, or individual to affect a situation decisively by supporting
either of two opposing sides whose powers are equally balanced

[1]



balanceof terror

balanceof terror
bal·ance
of ter·ror
noun

military equilibrium between
nations: a situation in which two
potentially hostile nations or groups have the military capability to inflict
roughly equal destruction on each other and war is thus prevented[1]



balanceof trade

balanceof trade
bal·ance
of trade
noun

difference between imports
and exports: the difference between
the value of the total imports and total exports of a country as assessed over
a fixed period[1]



balanceout

balanceout
balance
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cancel
something out: to act as an equal and opposing weight,
force, or value to something and either neutralize or complement its effect • This
gain balances out last month’s losses.

2.  intransitive
verb
work
out evenly:
to arrive at a state of equality or harmony, usually through one thing
offsetting the other over a period of time • These
things tend to balance out in the end.

[1]



balancesheet

balancesheet
bal·ance
sheet
(plural bal·ance sheets) noun

statement of debits and
credits: a statement showing the
assets and liabilities of a company or institution at a particular time[1]



balanceweight

balanceweight
bal·ance
weight
(plural bal·ance weights) noun

weight counterbalancing a
part: a weight used to
counterbalance a moving part in a machine[1]



balancewheel

balancewheel
bal·ance
wheel
(plural bal·ance wheels) noun

regulating wheel:
a wheel in a machine, especially in a clock, that regulates the rate of
movement of the main mechanism[1]



Balanchine,George

Balanchine,George

Bal·an·chine 
[bállən chn, bàllən
chn], George (1904–1983)
Russian-born
U.S. dancer and choreographer. Cofounder of the New York City Ballet (1948), he
revolutionized classical ballet with his innovative choreography.
Born
Balanchivadze, Georgy Melitonovich[1]



balancingact

balancingact
bal·anc·ing
act 
(plural bal·anc·ing acts) noun

1.  attempt
to deal with many things: a skillful or precarious
attempt to deal with or survive a situation where you have to conciliate
opposing groups, reconcile opposing views, or perform a large variety of tasks
(informal)

2.  ARTS performance
of balancing things: an entertainment in which the
performer keeps objects balanced in precarious positions, or balances himself
or herself on an unstable object, such as an upended chair

[1]



balanitis

balanitis
bal·an·i·tis
[bàllə ntiss] noun

inflammation
of head of penis: inflammation of the head of the penis,
usually caused by an infection
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek balanos “acorn, glans penis.”][1]



balas

balas
bal·as 
[bálləss] or bal·as ru·by [bálləss] noun

red
spinel:
a red form of the mineral spinel, used as a gemstone
[15th century. Via Old French
balais and Spanish balax from, ultimately, Arabic balaš,
from Persian Badašān, the region of Afghanistan where it is found.][1]



balata

balata
ba·la·ta 
[bə ltə] (plural ba·la·tas) noun

material
similar to rubber: a gum resembling and used as
a substitute for rubber, made from the sap of a tropical tree. It is used for
making gaskets and chewing gum, and as a substitute for gutta percha.
[Early 17th century. From
Carib balatá .][1]



balboa

balboa
bal·bo·a 
[bal bṓ ə] (plural bal·bo·as) noun

1.  Panamanian
currency unit: the basic unit of currency in Panama

2.  something
worth a balboa: a coin worth one balboa
[Early 20th century. Named
for Vasco Núñez de Balboa .][1]



Balboa,Vasco

Balboa,Vasco

Bal·bo·a 
[Núñez de bal bṓ ə], Vasco (1475?–1519)
Spanish explorer. He was the first
European to reach the Pacific Ocean (1513).[1]



balcony

balcony
bal·co·ny 
[bálkənee] (plural bal·co·nies)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE platform
on wall of building: a platform projecting from
the interior or exterior wall of a building, usually enclosed by a rail or
parapet

2.  THEATER theater
gallery:
one of the separate areas of seating raised entirely above the ground level in
a theater, movie theater, or concert hall
[Early
17th century. Via Italian balcone from Old Italian, “scaffold,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English balk “wooden beam.”]
—bal·co·nied, adjective[1]



bald

bald
bald 
[bawld] (comparative bald·er, superlative
bald·est) adjective

1.  with
hairless head: having little or no hair on the head

2.  without
natural covering: with little or no hair, fur, grass, or
other natural covering, and with the bare skin or surface showing • a
bald patch on the grass

3.  AUTOMOTIVE worn:
having a very worn-down tread • Bald
tires are dangerous on wet roads.

4.  plain:
plain and direct, with no attempt to elaborate or explain • a
bald statement of the facts

5.  Canada
treeless:
treeless or nearly treeless • a bald
prairie

6.  unornamented:
plain, bare, and without ornamentation, often to the point of seeming dull or
prosaic

7.  ZOOLOGY with white
markings:
used to describe birds and mammals that have white markings on the face or head
[14th
century. Origin uncertain, possibly formed from an earlier bal “white
spot or streak, especially on a horse’s face.”]
—bald·ness, noun[1]



baldachin

baldachin
bal·da·chin 
[báwldəkin, báldəkin]
(plural bal·da·chins) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE CHRISTIANITY canopy:
a canopy made of cloth or stone erected over an altar, shrine, or throne in a
Christian church

2.  CHRISTIANITY portable
canopy:
a canopy carried above a priest or venerated object during a religious
procession

3.  TEXTILES brocade:
a rich silk and gold brocade
[Late 16th century. From
Italian baldacchino, from Baldacco “Baghdad,” where it was made.][1]



baldcypress

baldcypress
bald
cy·press
noun

1.  N
American conifer: a deciduous coniferous tree, related to
sequoias, found in the northern United States. Latin name: Taxodium
distichum
Also
called
swamp cypress

2.  wood
of bald cypress: the hard wood of a bald cypress tree,
used in boat building and for making shingles
[Bald from the fact that it
sheds its needles, unlike most members of its family][1]



baldeagle

baldeagle
bald
ea·gle
(plural bald ea·gles) noun

N American bird of prey:
a large North American eagle found mainly near lakes and rivers, the adult of
which has a white head and tail. An image of it is used as an emblem of the
United States. Latin name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus[1]



Balder

Balder
Bal·der
[báwldər] noun

Norse god:
in Norse mythology, one of Odin’s sons, who was god of the summer sun. He was
vulnerable only to mistletoe, by which he was killed.[1]



balderdash

balderdash
bal·der·dash 
[báwldər dàsh] noun

nonsense:
senseless or pointless talk or writing
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bald-faced

bald-faced
bald-faced 
adjective

See
barefaced  adjective 1[1]



baldhead

baldhead
bald·head 
[báwld hèd] (plural bald·heads)
noun

bald person:
somebody with a bald head (informal offensive)[1]



balding

balding
bald·ing 
[báwlding] adjective

going bald:
partly bald, or in the process of losing the hair on the head[1]



baldly

baldly
bald·ly
[báwldlee] adverb

bluntly:
in a simple and blunt way • To
put it baldly, she did a lousy job.[1]



baldpate

baldpate
bald·pate 
[báwld pàyt] (plural bald·pates)
noun

See
widgeon[1]



baldric

baldric
bal·dric 
[báwldrik] (plural bal·drics) noun

sash
for supporting sword: a sash or belt worn from one
shoulder to the opposite hip, used to support a sword
[13th century. Directly and
via Old French baudre from Middle High German balderich, of unknown
origin.][1]



Baldwin

Baldwin
Bald·win 
[báldwin]

borough in southwestern
Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River. It is a southeastern suburb of
Pittsburgh. Population: 21,923 (1990)[1]



Baldwin,James

Baldwin,James
Bald·win 
[báldwin], James (1924–1987)

U.S.
writer. His novels and essays addressed racism in the United States, and
include Go Tell It on the Mountain ( 1953 ) and Notes of a Native Son
( 1955 ).
Full name
Baldwin, James Arthur[1]



BaldwinPark

BaldwinPark
Bald·win
Park

city in southwestern
California, in the San Gabriel Valley. It is an eastern suburb of Los Angeles.
Population: 71,414 (1996)[1]



Baldwin,Robert

Baldwin,Robert
Bald·win 
[báldwin], Robert (1804–1858)

Canadian statesman. He was
joint prime minister of the united Province of Canada (1842–1843, 1848–1851).[1]



Baldwin,Stanley

Baldwin,Stanley
Bald·win 
[báldwin], Stanley, 1st Earl Baldwin of
Bewdley (1867–1947)

British statesman.
Conservative party leader and prime minister (1923–1924, 1924–1929, 1935–1937),
he retired from politics in 1937 amid criticism that he had ignored Germany’s
preparations for World War II.[1]



baldy

baldy
bald·y
[báwldee] (plural baldi·es) noun

bald person:
somebody who is bald or balding (informal offensive)[1]



bale

bale1
bale1 [bayl]
noun (plural bales)

large
bundle or package: a large bundle or package of
hay or a raw material such as cotton, tightly bound with string or wire to keep
it in shape during transportation or storage
intransitive
and transitive verb (past baled, past
participle baled, present participle bal·ing, 3rd
person present singular bales)

make
into bundles: to gather and fasten material or goods
into bales • baling
hay
[14th
century. From Old French, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English ball and balloon . The underlying meaning is “rolled-up
bundle.”]
—bal·er, noun[1]



bale

bale2
bale2 [bayl]
noun

evil
or suffering: evil or suffering (archaic or
literary)
[Old English bealu][1]



Balearic

Balearic
Bal·e·ar·ic
[bàllee árrik] adjective

connected with the Balearic
Islands: belonging to the Balearic
Islands[1]



BalearicIslands

BalearicIslands
Bal·e·ar·ic
Is·lands 
[bàllee árrik ləndz]

island group in the western
Mediterranean that includes Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza. It is a province and
autonomous region of Spain. Population: 736,865 (1991) Area: 5,012 sq km/1,935
sq mi.[1]



baleen

baleen
ba·leen 
[bə ln] noun

horny
material on whale’s jaw: a horny substance that grows
as fringed plates from the upper jaws of certain whales, acting to strain food,
especially small crustaceans, from the water.
Also
called
whalebone
[14th century. Via Old French
balaine from Latin balaena “whale,” from Greek phalaina .][1]



baleenwhale

baleenwhale
ba·leen
whale
(plural ba·leen whales) noun

toothless whale:
a large whale that has two blowholes and a set of horny fringed plates ( baleen ) instead of teeth. Right, gray, and blue
whales are baleen whales . Suborder: Mysticeti
Also called
whalebone whale[1]



baleful

baleful
bale·ful 
[báylfəl] adjective

1.  threatening:
threatening, or seeming to threaten, harm, or misfortune • a
baleful stare

2.  harmful:
causing or threatening to cause harm
—bale·ful·ly,
adverb

—bale·ful·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  baleful
  or baneful ?
  Baleful, meaning “harmful,” is a
  much more common term than baneful,
  meaning “destructive,” which is largely confined to literary use.

[1]



Bali

Bali
Ba·li 
[blee]

mountainous island east of
Java, Indonesia, that is a popular vacation destination. Capital: Denpasar.
Population: 2,895,600 (1995) Area: 5,623 sq km/2,171 sq mi.[1]



balibuntal

balibuntal
bal·i·bun·tal 
[bàlli búnt’l] (plural bal·i·bun·tals)
noun

1.  woven
straw:
fine straw woven into material, used especially for making hats in the
Philippines

2.  straw
hat:
a hat made from balibuntal
[Early 20th century. From Baliuag
in the Philippines, where it was made, + Tagalog buntal “straw from the
talipot palm tree.”][1]



Balikpapan

Balikpapan
Ba·lik·pa·pan 
[blik p paan]

city and port in Indonesia,
situated on the island of Borneo, on the Makassar Strait. Population: 368,729
(1990)[1]



Balinese

Balinese
Ba·li·nese 
[blə nz, bli
nss] (plural Ba·li·nese) noun

1.  somebody
from Bali:
somebody who was born or raised on the Indonesian island of Bali

2.  Austronesian
language:
a language spoken on Bali that is a member of the Austronesian language family.
Balinese is spoken by between two and three million people.
[Early
19th century. From Dutch Balinees, from Bali (see Bali ).]
—Ba·li·nese, adjective[1]



Balinesecat

Balinesecat
Ba·li·nese
cat
(plural Ba·li·nese cats) noun

long-haired domestic cat:
a domestic cat belonging to a breed resembling Siamese cats but with long hair[1]



balisier

balisier
bal·i·si·er
[bə lzee ày] (plural bal·is·i·ers)
noun

small shrub with bright
flowers: a small bushy shrub bearing
a distinctive flower ranging in color from yellow to bright red. The flower is
the symbol of the People’s National Movement, one of the major political
parties of Trinidad. Family: Heliconia[1]



balk

balk
balk 
[bawk] or baulk [bawk] verb (past balked, past
participle balked, present participle balk·ing, 3rd
person present singular balks) (past baulked, past
participle baulked, present participle baulk·ing, 3rd
person present singular baulks)

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
short:
to stop suddenly and refuse to go on, especially when faced with an obstacle • The
horse balked and refused the jump.

2.  intransitive
verb
turn
away:
to hesitate or be unwilling to do something, usually because of a natural
revulsion or moral scruples • I
balked at getting down on my hands and knees to wipe the floor.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb refuse
to deal with something: to refuse to deal with
something that presents a difficulty

4.  transitive
verb
foil
somebody:
to prevent somebody from carrying out a plan or intention (often passive)
• acted
like a lion balked of its prey

5.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL make
illegal pitching motion: to make an illegal motion in
baseball, by pretending to pitch but not actually pitching
noun
(plural balks) (plural baulks)

1.  BUILDING large
piece of wood: a large squared piece of wood

2.  BUILDING wooden
beam in house roof: a wooden tie beam in the
roof of a house

3.  AGRICULTURE unplowed
ridge:
a ridge of land left unplowed to serve as a boundary or to counter erosion

4.  BASEBALL illegal
pitching move: an illegal motion by the pitcher when
there are runners on base

5.  obstacle:
something that hinders or frustrates • a balk
to further progress in the peace negotiations

6.  CUE GAMES area
behind balk line: the area between the balk line and the
bottom cushion on a billiard table, or in balk-line billiards between any balk line
and the cushion
[From
Old English balca “ridge” and Old Norse bálkr “beam, bar,” both
ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “beam,” which is also the
ancestor of English balcony, fulcrum, and debauch]
—balk·er, noun[1]



Balkan

Balkan
Bal·kan 
[báwlkən] adjective

of
Balkan states: relating to the states of the Balkan
Peninsula, or their peoples or cultures
[Mid-19th century. From
Turkish, name of a mountain chain.][1]



Balkanization

Balkanization
Bal·kan·i·za·tion
[bàwlkəni záysh’n] or bal·kan·i·za·tion
[bàwlkəni záysh’n] noun

division
into hostile subgroups: division of an area, region,
or group into smaller and often mutually hostile units
[Early
20th century. From the political fragmentation of the Balkan states between the
Treaty of Berlin (1878) and the Balkan Wars (1912–1913).]
—Bal·kan·ize, transitive
verb[1]



BalkanMountains

BalkanMountains
Bal·kan
Moun·tains

extension of the Alpine
mountain system, running across central Bulgaria. The highest point is Botev
Peak 2,376 m/7,795 ft .[1]



BalkanPeninsula

BalkanPeninsula
Bal·kan
Pen·in·su·la

mountainous peninsula in
southeastern Europe between the Adriatic and Ionian seas in the west and the
Aegean and Black seas in the east. It includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, mainland Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, European
Turkey, and parts of Croatia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. The Sava and Danube
rivers are considered to be the northern borders.[1]



Balkans

Balkans
Bal·kans

See
Balkan States[1]



BalkanStates

BalkanStates
Bal·kan
States
or Bal·kans

the countries in the Balkan
Peninsula, including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece,
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the European part of Turkey, and the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia[1]



balkline

balkline
balk·line
[báwk ln] or balk line [báwk ln] noun

1.  line
on billiard table: a straight line parallel to
the end of a billiard table, from behind which opening shots with the cue ball
are made.
Also
called
string
Also
called
string line

2.  dividing
line on billiard table: one of four lines parallel
to the edges of a billiard table that divide it into the central area and eight
smaller compartments that are used in a particular variety of billiards

3.  variety
of billiards: the variety of billiards in which balk
line s are used
—balk-line, adjective[1]



balky

balky
balk·y 
[báwkee] (comparative balk·i·er,
superlative balk·i·est) adjective

uncooperative:
difficult and uncooperative • a
balky mule that stopped dead in its tracks
—balk·i·ly,
adverb

—balk·i·ness, noun[1]



ball

ball1
ball1 [bawl]
noun (plural balls)

1.  round
object played with: an object, usually round in
shape and often hollow and flexible, central to many games and sports in which
it is thrown, struck, or kicked

2.  round
or roundish thing: something spherical or
almost spherical, especially a spherical mass or arrangement of material • a
ball of wool

3.  a
game with ball: a game, especially one played by
children, in which a ball is used and, for example, is thrown from one player
to another • Who’s
coming out to play ball?

4.  SPORTS ball
played in a particular way: a particular use, movement,
or way of transferring the ball to another player in the course of a game • a
long ball into the end zone

5.  BASEBALL pitch
that is not a strike: in baseball, any pitch ball
that does not pass through the strike zone and at which the batter does not
swing

6.  ARMS solid
projectile:
a solid nonexploding and usually round projectile shot from an old-fashioned
pistol, musket, or cannon

7.  ARMS solid
projectiles collectively: a collective term for the
solid projectiles fired from old-fashioned guns • The
gunners were ordered to change from ball to case-shot.

8.  rounded
body part:
a rounded part of the body, for example, at the base of the thumb or just behind
the toes • the
ball of the foot

9.  ANATOMY offensive
term:
offensive term for a testicle (slang offensive)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past balled, past
participle balled, present participle ball·ing, 3rd
person present singular balls)

1.  make
into or form ball: to mold, gather, or wind
something into a ball, or become a ball -shaped mass • She
balled her fists.

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse (taboo offensive)
[13th
century. From Old Norse böllr or assumed Old English beall, from
a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English balloon, bale 1, and ballot .]
carry
the ball

to
be in charge of getting something done (slang) • We’re
looking for a fundraiser, and so we need a good organizer to carry the ball.

drop
the ball

to
abandon responsibility for or botch something suddenly (slang) • The
project was going ahead full speed until he dropped the ball.

get
or set or start the ball rolling

to
start something off, especially a conversation or project

on
the ball

aware
of what is going on and quick to respond and take action (informal)

have
something on the ball

to
have a particular level of knowledge, competence, or skill to offer in a
certain situation (informal) • She
has a lot on the ball; let’s give her the opportunity to chair the committee.

play
ball (with somebody)

to
cooperate together or with somebody (slang)

the
ball is in somebody’s court

used
to say that it is somebody’s turn to take action (slang)

the
whole ball of wax

the whole affair (slang)
• We
only wanted a plane ticket, but the travel agent wanted to sell us the whole
ball of wax.[1]



ball

ball2
ball2 [bawl]
(plural balls) noun

formal
dance:
a large-scale formal social event at which the main activity is dancing
[Early
17th century. Via French bal from, ultimately, late Latin ballare
“to dance,” from Greek ballizein .]
have
a ball

to enjoy yourself very much (dated
slang) • It
was a great party; we really had a ball![1]



ballad

ballad
bal·lad 
[bálləd] (plural bal·lads) noun

1.  MUSIC LITERATURE narrative song:
a song or poem, especially a traditional one or one in a traditional style,
telling a story in a number of short regular stanzas, often with a refrain • the
Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde

2.  MUSIC slow
romantic song: a slow romantic popular song • two
up-tempo numbers followed by a ballad
[Late
15th century. Via French ballade from, ultimately, late Latin ballare
(see ball 2 ).]
—bal·lad·ic
[bə láddik, ba
láddik], adjective

—bal·lad·ist [bállədist], noun[1]



ballade

ballade
bal·lade 
[bə ld, ba ld]
(plural bal·lades) noun

1.  LITERATURE poem
with refrain: a poem consisting of three stanzas of
eight or ten lines and a short concluding explanatory stanza ( envoy ), all of which end with the same refrain

2.  instrumental
piece suggesting a story: an instrumental piece,
usually for piano, intended to suggest the telling of a story as in a ballad.
The best-known ballades in the classical repertoire are by Chopin and Brahms.
[14th century. Variant of ballad .][1]



balladeer

balladeer
bal·lad·eer 
[bàllə dr] (plural bal·lad·eers)
noun

ballad singer:
somebody who sings ballads[1]



balladopera

balladopera
bal·lad
op·er·a
(plural bal·lad op·er·as) noun

opera with popular songs:
a form of opera with spoken dialogue and popular tunes made into songs. The
most famous example is John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera.[1]



balladry

balladry
bal·lad·ry 
[bállədree] noun

1.  ballads
collectively: ballads considered collectively

2.  writing
or performing ballads: the composing or performing
of ballads

[1]



balladstanza

balladstanza
bal·lad
stan·za
(plural bal·lad stan·zas) noun

type of verse used in
ballads: a stanza form frequently
used in ballads that has four lines, the first and third with four stresses and
unrhymed, the second and fourth with three stresses and rhyming[1]



balland chain

balland chain
ball
and chain
(plural ball and chains) noun

1.  iron
ball on a chain: a type of restraint formerly used for
prisoners consisting of an iron ball on a chain that is attached at its other
end to the prisoner’s ankle

2.  great
hindrance:
something considered to be a great hindrance or restraint • Censorship
is the ball and chain fettering artistic freedom of expression.

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term deliberately insulting a man’s wife (offensive)

[1]



ball-and-claw

ball-and-claw
ball-and-claw
adjective

with animal’s claw holding a
ball: having a foot or another
part modeled in the shape of an animal’s claw holding a ball • a
ball-and-claw bathtub[1]



balland socket joint

balland socket joint
ball
and sock·et joint (plural ball and sock·et
joints) or ball joint (plural ball joints) noun

1.  ANATOMY joint
like hip joint: a joint such as the hip joint, in which
a bone with a rounded end fits into a concave area of the adjoining bone,
allowing a wide range of movement

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING junction
between moving parts: a junction between two
moving parts of a mechanism in which the rounded end of one part fits into a
cup-shaped socket on the other.
Also
called
ball joint

[1]



ballast

ballast
bal·last 
[bálləst] noun (plural bal·lasts)

1.  NAUTICAL stabilizing
heavy weights: heavy material carried in the hold of a
ship, especially one that has no cargo, or in the gondola of a balloon, to give
the craft increased stability

2.  something
that gives bulk or stability: anything that serves no
particular purpose except to give bulk or weight to something or that provides
additional stability

3.  TRANSPORT foundation
material:
stones or gravel used as a foundation for a road or a railroad track

4.  BUILDING gravel
used in making concrete: gravel used in making
concrete and in earthworks
transitive
verb
(past bal·last·ed, past participle bal·last·ed, present
participle bal·last·ing, 3rd person present singular bal·lasts)

1.  load
something with ballast: to load ballast onto
something

2.  stabilize
something:
to give stability to something
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain, probably from Old Danish, literally “mere weight,” from bar
“bare, mere” + last “load.”][1]



ballbearing

ballbearing
ball
bear·ing
(plural ball bear·ings) noun

1.  friction-reducing
metal ball:
a metal ball used to reduce friction between moving parts

2.  type
of bearing:
a bearing containing a number of metal balls that rotate freely to reduce
friction between moving parts

[1]



ballboy

ballboy
ball
boy
(plural ball boys) noun

1.  TENNIS collector
of tennis balls: a boy who retrieves balls during a
tennis match at the end of each point and delivers them to the server when
required

2.  BASEBALL keeper
of baseballs: a boy who takes care of the balls that
are out of play during a baseball game or practice

[1]



ballbreaker

ballbreaker
ball·break·er
[báwl bràykər] (plural ball·break·ers)
noun

offensive term:
a deliberately offensive term for a woman who is regarded as aggressive toward
men (offensive taboo)
Also called
ballbuster[1]



ballbuster

ballbuster
ball·bust·er
[báwl bùstər] (plural ball·bust·ers)
noun (slang taboo)

1.  difficult
job:
a difficult and unpleasant job

2.  See
ballbreaker

[1]



ballcarrier

ballcarrier
ball
car·ri·er
(plural ball car·ri·ers) noun

player carrying ball:
in football, a player who carries the ball toward or across the opposing team’s
goal line.
Also called
runner[1]



ballclay

ballclay
ball
clay
noun

clay
used in ceramics: a sedimentary clay containing kaolin,
mica, other minerals, and organic matter, used in ceramics
[Ball from an obsolete mining
process in which clay was handled as rounded cubes ( balls )][1]



ballcock

ballcock
ball
cock
(plural ball cocks) noun

water level controller:
a floating ball on the end of an arm that is connected to a valve controlling
the water level in a cistern or tank. The valve opens as the ball falls and
closes as it rises.[1]



ballerina

ballerina
bal·le·ri·na 
[bàllə rnə] (plural bal·le·ri·nas)
noun

1.  woman
dancer:
a woman ballet dancer

2.  principal
woman ballet dancer: a woman dancer in a ballet
company who is regularly given principal parts
[Late 18th century. From the
feminine form of Italian ballerino “dancing master” from ballare
“to dance,” ultimately from the same Greek source as ball 2 .][1]



Ballesteros,Severiano

Ballesteros,Severiano
Balles·teros
[bàllə stérrōss], Severiano (1957– )

Spanish golfer. The youngest
golfer to win the British Open (1979), he won that tournament twice more as
well as the Masters and the World Matchplay.[1]



ballet

ballet

bal·let 
[ba láy, bállày]
(plural bal·lets) noun

1.  form
of dance:
a form of dance characterized by conventional steps, poses, and graceful
movements including leaps and spins. Women ballet dancers often wear pointe
shoes to perform steps balancing on the tips of their toes.

2.  story
performed by dancers: a choreographed presentation
of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers, or the musical score
written for this

3.  group
of dancers:
a company of ballet dancers who perform together
[Mid-17th century. Via
French, from Italian ballo (see ball 2 ).][1]



balletic

balletic
bal·let·ic 
[ba léttik, bə
léttik] adjective

graceful:
with the grace of somebody dancing in a ballet[1]



balletomane

balletomane
bal·let·o·mane 
[bə léttə màyn] (plural bal·let·o·manes)
noun

ballet
lover:
somebody who passionately loves ballet
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from ballet + -mane .]
—bal·let·o·ma·ni·a [ba lèttə máynee ə, ba
lèttə máynyə], noun[1]



balletshoe

balletshoe
bal·let
shoe
(plural bal·let shoes) noun

1.  ballet
dancer’s shoe: a flat light flexible slipper made of
silk or leather, worn by ballet dancers for performing and practice

2.  See
toe shoe

3.  light
flat shoe:
a flat shoe resembling one worn by a ballet dancer

[1]



ballgame

ballgame
ball
game
[báw gàym] (plural ball games)
or ball·game [báw gàym] (plural
ball·games) noun

1.  baseball:
a game of baseball

2.  ancient
Native American game: a team game with religious
significance, played with a ball on walled courts by the Maya and other
Mesoamerican peoples
a
whole new ball game

a completely new or different
set of circumstances (slang)[1]



ballgirl

ballgirl
ball
girl
(plural ball girls) noun

1.  TENNIS collector
of tennis balls: a girl who retrieves balls during a
tennis match at the end of each point and delivers them to the server when
required

2.  BASEBALL keeper
of baseballs: a girl who takes care of balls that are
out of play during a baseball game or practice

[1]



ballgown

ballgown
ball
gown
(plural ball gowns) or ball·gown (plural ball·go·wns)
noun

formal dress:
a full-length formal dress suitable for wearing to a ball[1]



ballicatter

ballicatter
bal·li·cat·ter
[bàli kátər] noun

Canada
ridge
of ice along shore: a ridge of ice formed along
a shoreline by waves and freezing spray
[Alteration of barricade][1]



ballista

ballista
bal·lis·ta 
[bə lístə] (plural bal·lis·tae
[bə lís t]) noun

ancient
weapon:
a piece of military equipment that was used in ancient times to hurl stones and
other missiles over a distance
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin, from, ultimately, Greek ballein “to throw.”][1]



ballistic

ballistic
bal·lis·tic 
[bə lístik] adjective

relating
to projectiles: relating to the movements of objects
propelled through the air
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from ballista .]
—bal·lis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb
go
ballistic

to become extremely angry (slang)[1]



ballisticmissile

ballisticmissile
bal·lis·tic
mis·sile 
(plural bal·lis·tic mis·siles) noun

large self-propelled
projectile: a missile that maintains a
course determined by its initial orientation and engine thrust, rather than one
calculated by guidance systems during flight[1]



ballistics

ballistics
bal·lis·tics 
[bə lístiks] noun

1.  study
of projectiles: the study of the movements and forces
involved in the propulsion of objects through the air (takes a singular verb)

2.  study
of firearms: the study of firearms and ammunition (takes
a singular verb)

3.  firing
characteristics of weapon: the characteristics of a
firearm that affect the way missiles are fired (takes a singular or plural
verb)

[1]



balljoint

balljoint
ball
joint
(plural ball joints) noun

See
ball and socket joint  noun 2[1]



balllightning

balllightning
ball
light·ning
noun

lightning shaped like ball:
a rare form of lightning that takes the shape of a moving glowing ball,
typically disappearing without explosion[1]



Ball,Lucille

Ball,Lucille
Ball 
[bawl], Lucille (1911–1989)

U.S.
actor. A gifted comedian, she appeared with her husband Desi Arnaz in the
television comedy I Love Lucy ( 1951–1957 ), the first of several
popular series. She was also a successful television producer.
Full name
Ball, Lucille Désirée[1]



ballof fire

ballof fire
ball
of fire
(plural balls of fire) noun

dynamic person:
an extremely energetic and dynamic person (informal)
Also called
fireball[1]



balloon

balloon

bal·loon 
[bə ln] noun (plural bal·loons)

1.  gas-filled
bag used as toy: a small colored bag made of thin rubber
or plastic that is inflated with air or helium and used as a toy or decoration

2.  AIR gas-filled
bag used in air transport: an extremely large bag
filled with a lighter-than-air gas and used as a form of air transport,
carrying passengers or equipment in a suspended basket or gondola

3.  speech
circle in cartoon: a rounded outline with a
point directed toward a character in a cartoon that encloses the text of the
character’s speech or thought

4.  brandy
glass:
a glass with a large rounded bowl, used for drinking brandy
intransitive verb
(past bal·looned, past participle bal·looned, present
participle bal·loon·ing, 3rd person present singular bal·loons)

1.  swell:
to form a large round swollen shape

2.  increase
in amount:
to increase in amount suddenly and rapidly
[Late
16th century. Via French ballon or Italian ballone “large ball”
(see ball 1 ).]
go over or down like a lead
balloon

to be completely unsuccessful
(slang)[1]



balloonangioplasty

balloonangioplasty
bal·loon
an·gi·o·plas·ty noun

repair of narrowed artery:
the use of a balloon catheter to widen a narrowed artery[1]



ballooncatheter

ballooncatheter
bal·loon
cath·e·ter
(plural bal·loon cath·e·ters) noun

medical tool:
a tube that can be inserted into a blood vessel or other body part and inflated
while inside, for example, to widen a narrowed artery[1]



ballooning

ballooning
bal·loon·ing
[bə lning] noun

riding in a balloon:
the sport of riding in or piloting a balloon[1]



balloonist

balloonist
bal·loon·ist
[bə lnəst] (plural bal·loon·ists)
noun

pilot of balloon:
somebody who pilots a balloon for sport[1]



balloonloan

balloonloan
bal·loon
loan
(plural bal·loon loans) noun

loan with large final
payment: a loan that is repaid with a
series of regular payments and one much larger payment at the end[1]



balloonmortgage

balloonmortgage
bal·loon
mort·gage
(plural bal·loon mort·gag·es) noun

mortgage with large final
payment: a mortgage that is paid back
in a series of regular payments with one much larger payment at the end[1]



balloonsail

balloonsail
bal·loon
sail
(plural bal·loon sails) noun

large sail for light winds:
a large balloon-shaped foresail, used to replace or assist the jib in light
winds[1]



balloontire

balloontire
bal·loon
tire
(plural bal·loon tires) noun

wide tire with low pressure:
a pneumatic tire with a wide tread inflated to a low pressure, used to drive on
soft surfaces such as deep sand[1]



balloonvine

balloonvine
bal·loon
vine
(plural bal·loon vines) noun

tropical vine with ornamental
pods: a tropical vine with small
flowers and ornamental pods shaped like balloons. Latin name: Cardiospermum
halicacabum[1]



balloonwhisk

balloonwhisk
bal·loon
whisk
(plural bal·loon whisks) noun

hand-held whisk:
a hand-held whisk made of stiff wires that form a loop at one end and are
gathered into a covered handle at the other[1]



ballot

ballot
bal·lot 
[bállət] noun (plural bal·lots)

1.  voting
system:
a system in which eligible people vote, usually in secret, to determine the
outcome of an election or make some other collective decision

2.  See
ballot paper

3.  total
votes:
the total number of votes that have been cast in an election
verb
(past bal·lot·ed, past participle bal·lot·ed, present
participle bal·lot·ing, 3rd person present singular bal·lots)

1.  transitive
verb
ask
people to vote: to carry out a ballot on members of an
organization or an electorate

2.  intransitive
verb
vote:
to vote in a ballot
[Mid-16th
century. From Italian ballotta “little ball,” from balla “ball”
(see ball 1 ). From the small balls that
were used for casting votes.]
—bal·lot·er, noun[1]



ballotbox

ballotbox
bal·lot
box
(plural bal·lot box·es) noun

1.  box
for votes:
a box in which voters put their ballot papers after marking them

2.  election
by ballot:
the system in which leaders are elected or decisions are made using a ballot • The
people will decide at the ballot box.

[1]



ballotpaper

ballotpaper
bal·lot
pa·per
(plural bal·lot pa·pers) noun

paper for voting on:
a piece of paper or card on which somebody can record a vote.
Also called
ballot[1]



ballotrigging

ballotrigging
bal·lot
rig·ging
noun

dishonest election practice:
the use of dishonest or illegal methods of voting to ensure victory for a
particular candidate or party in an election[1]



ballpark

ballpark
ball·park 
[báwl prk] noun (plural ball·parks)

1.  SPORT park
for playing ball games: a stadium or area of land
for playing ball games, especially baseball

2.  AEROSPACE touchdown
area for spacecraft: the approximate area within
which a spacecraft is intended to touch down
adjective

approximate: rough
or approximate (informal) • a
ballpark figure
in
the right ballpark

within the right general
range or scope (slang)[1]



ballplayer

ballplayer
ball
play·er
(plural ball play·ers) or ball·play·er (plural
ball·play·ers) noun

player of ball game:
somebody who plays baseball, softball, football, or basketball[1]



ballpoint

ballpoint
ball·point
[báwl pòynt] (plural ball·points)
or ball·point pen [báwl pòynt]
(plural ball·point pens) noun

type of ink pen:
a pen with a small rotating ball at its tip that transfers the ink from an
inner tube onto the writing surface[1]



ballroom

ballroom
ball·room 
[báwl rm, báwl
rm] (plural ball·rooms) noun

room for dancing in:
a very large room with a smooth floor and a high ceiling, used for formal
dances[1]



ballroomdancing

ballroomdancing
ball·room
danc·ing
noun

formal dancing with a
partner: formal dancing with a
partner in dances that use a set pattern of steps, for example, the foxtrot,
quickstep, and waltz (formal)[1]



BallstonSpa

BallstonSpa
Balls·ton
Spa
[bàwlstən sp]

village southwest of Saratoga
Springs in eastern New York, noted for its mineral springs. Population: 5,512
(1996)[1]



ballsup

ballsup
balls
up
transitive verb

U.K.
(slang) See ball up
[From balls “muddle”][1]



ballsy

ballsy
balls·y 
[báwlzee] (comparative balls·i·er,
superlative balls·i·est) adjective

a
taboo term for tough-minded: a taboo term for unusually
tough, courageous, or determined (slang taboo)
[Mid-20th century. From ball 1 .][1]



ballup

ballup
ball
up
transitive verb

make
a total mess of something: to make a complete mess of
something by mistake or through lack of skill (slang offensive)
U.K.
term
balls up
[From ball “to become clogged” (as if with a ball)][1]



ballvalve

ballvalve
ball
valve
(plural ball valves) noun

valve opened and closed by
ball: a nonreturn valve in which a
ball moves in and out of an aperture in response to changes in fluid or
mechanical pressure[1]



Ballwin

Ballwin
Ball·win
[báwlwin]

city in eastern Missouri, a
western suburb of St. Louis. Population: 20,853 (1996)[1]



ballyhoo

ballyhoo
bal·ly·hoo 
[bálleeh] noun (plural bal·ly·hoos)

1.  sensational
advertising: sensational, loud, or sustained
advertising

2.  uproar:
a noisy argument or disturbance
transitive
verb
(past bal·ly·hooed, past participle bal·ly·hooed, present
participle bal·ly·hoo·ing, 3rd person present singular bal·ly·hoos)

advertise something loudly:
to advertise or publicize something loudly and insistently
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



ballyrag

ballyrag
bal·ly·rag 
transitive verb

See
bullyrag
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



balm

balm

balm 
[baam, baalm]
(plural balms) noun

1.  soothing
oil:
a fragrant oily substance obtained as a resin from various plants such as
evergreen trees, used in soothing ointments or other preparations

2.  something
that soothes: something that has the effect of
calming, soothing, or comforting • balm
to his wounded ego

3.  plant
of mint family: a plant of the mint family, for example,
bee balm or horse balm

4.  nice
smell:
a pleasant scent (literary)

5.  BOTANY See lemon balm
[13th century. Via French bame
from Latin balsamum (see balsam ).
The “l” found its way into the English spelling from the Latin form.][1]



Balmerseries

Balmerseries
Bal·mer
se·ries
[bálmər seeriz] noun

lines
in hydrogen spectrum: a series of lines in the
visible part of the atomic spectrum of hydrogen
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Swiss physicist J. J. Balmer (1825–1898), who discovered it.][1]



balmof Gilead

balmof Gilead
balm
of Gil·e·ad 
[baam əvgíllee əd, baalm
əv gíllee àd] (plural balms of Gil·e·ad or balm
of Gil·e·ad) noun

1.  See
balsam fir

2.  poplar
tree:
a hybrid poplar tree that has heart-shaped leaves and resinous buds. Genus: Populus

3.  fragrant
resin:
the fragrant resin produced by the balm of Gilead tree
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the balm of Gilead in Coverdale’s Bible.][1]



Balmoral

Balmoral
Bal·mor·al
[bal máwrəl] (plural Bal·mor·als)
or bal·mor·al [bal máwrəl] noun

1.  laced
walking shoe: a strong walking shoe that is fastened
with laces

2.  woolen
cap:
a traditional Scottish flat woolen cap
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the royal estate of Balmoral in Scotland. Because of Queen Victoria’s
fondness for this estate, Scottish items became fashionable during her reign.][1]



balmy

balmy
balm·y
[bmee, blmee]
(comparative balm·i·er, superlative balm·i·est) adjective

1.  pleasantly
mild:
used to describe weather that is pleasantly mild • a
balmy summer evening

2.  (informal)
See barmy
—balm·i·ly,
adverb

—balm·i·ness, noun[1]



balneology

balneology
bal·ne·ol·o·gy 
[bàlnee óllə jee] noun

science
of medical treatment by bathing: a branch of medicine
concerned with therapeutic bathing, especially in natural mineral spring water
—bal·ne·o·log·i·cal
[bàlnee ə láwjək’l], adjective

—bal·ne·ol·o·gist [bàlnee ólləjəst], noun[1]



balneotherapy

balneotherapy
bal·ne·o·ther·a·py 
[bàlnee ə thérrəpee] noun

immersion
treatment:
the medical practice of treatment by immersion in baths, especially those in
spas containing water with a high mineral content
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin balneum “bath” + therapy
.][1]



Balochi

Balochi
Ba·lo·chi
noun adjective

See
Baluchi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








baloney

baloney
ba·lo·ney
[bə lṓnee] noun (informal)

1.  FOOD See bologna  noun 1

2.  nonsense:
any silly or stupid talk • Don’t
talk baloney.
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Bologna in Bologna sausage .][1]



Balqash,Lake

Balqash,Lake
Bal·qash,
Lake
[baal ksh, bal
kásh]

shallow lake in southeastern
Kazakhstan into which the Ili River flows. Area: 18,200 sq km/7,030 sq mi.[1]



balsa

balsa
bal·sa 
[báwlsə, blsə]
(plural bal·sas or bal·sa) noun

1.  tree
with lightweight wood: a South American tree that
yields a lightweight softwood. Genus: Ochroma

2.  bal·sa
or bal·sa wood lightweight wood:
a lightweight wood obtained from the balsa tree, used in making rafts and toy
models and as insulation
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish, “raft,” because the tree was useful for making rafts.][1]



balsam

balsam
bal·sam 
[báwlsəm, blsəm]
(plural bal·sams) noun

1.  oily
resinous plant substance: an oily resinous substance (
oleoresin ) obtained from plants, especially
one containing benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, that is used in making perfume
and medicine

2.  preparation
containing balsam: a preparation containing or
resembling balsam

3.  flowering
plant:
a plant of the family that includes impatiens and garden balsam. Family:
Balsaminaceae
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin, from Greek balsamon, of uncertain origin: perhaps
from Hebrew bāsām “spice.”]
—bal·sam·ic [bawl sámmik, baal
sámmik], adjective[1]



balsamapple

balsamapple
bal·sam
ap·ple
(plural bal·sam ap·ples) noun

ornamental vine with orange
fruits: a tropical vine related to
the gourd and naturalized in North America that is grown ornamentally for its
yellow flowers and orange fruit. Latin name: Mormordica balsamina[1]



balsamfir

balsamfir
bal·sam
fir
(plural bal·sam firs or bal·sam fir) noun

N American fir tree:
a pyramid-shaped North American fir tree, used for pulpwood and popular as a
Christmas tree. It is the source of Canada balsam. Latin name: Abies
balsamea
Also called
balm of Gilead[1]



balsamicvinegar

balsamicvinegar
bal·sam·ic
vin·e·gar 
[bawl sàmmik vínnəgər, baal sàmmik vínnəgər] noun

dark-colored Italian vinegar:
an expensive Italian vinegar made from the juice of white grapes. It is matured
in wood for 10 to 50 years, giving it a characteristic dark color and rich
sweet-sour taste.[1]



balsamof Peru

balsamof Peru
bal·sam
of Pe·ru 
(plural bal·sams of Pe·ru or bal·sam of Pe·ru) noun

1.  tree
producing timber and resinous extract: a
South American tree that produces high-quality timber. It is also the source of
a balsam used medicinally, in making chocolate, and in perfumery. Latin name: Myroxylon
balsamum var. pareirae
Also
called
Peruvian balsam

2.  balsam
from tree:
the balsam obtained from the balsam of Peru tree

[1]



balsampoplar

balsampoplar
bal·sam
pop·lar
(plural bal·sam pop·lars) noun

N American poplar:
a North American poplar tree with broad leaves and sticky resinous buds. Latin
name: Populus balsamifera
Also called
hackmatack
Also called
tacamahac[1]



Balt

Balt
Balt 
[bawlt] (plural Balts) noun

1.  somebody
from one of Baltic States: somebody who lives in or was
born or raised in Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia

2.  speaker
of Baltic States language: somebody whose native
language is Lithuanian, Latvian, or Estonian
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin balthae .][1]



Balthazar

Balthazar
Bal·tha·zar
[bal tháyzzər, bàl
thə zr] or Bal·tha·sar [bal
tháyzzər, bàl thə zr] noun

one of Magi:
one of the three wise men who, according to the Bible, brought gifts to
Bethlehem to honor the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12)[1]



Balti

Balti
Bal·ti
[báwltee, bltee,
báltee] noun

Sino-Tibetan
language:
a language spoken in northern Kashmir that may be counted as a dialect of
Tibetan
[Early
20th century. From a Ladakhi dialect name.]
—Bal·ti, adjective[1]



balti

balti
bal·ti
[báwltee, bltee,
báltee] (plural bal·tis) noun

spicy dish of Pakistan:
a spicy dish originally from Pakistan that is traditionally served in the
bowl-shaped pan it is cooked in[1]



Baltic

Baltic1
Bal·tic1  [báwltik]
noun

Indo-European
language group: a group of northeastern European
languages that includes Latvian, Lithuanian, and the extinct Old Prussian. It
is a branch of the Indo-European family, closely linked with the Slavic group.
About five million people speak a Baltic language.
[Late
16th century. From late Latin Balticus .]
—Bal·tic, adjective[1]



Baltic

Baltic2
Bal·tic2  [báwltik]
noun

1.  See
Baltic Sea

2.  See
Baltic States
—Bal·tic, adjective[1]



BalticSea

BalticSea
Bal·tic
Sea
or Bal·tic

sea in northwestern Europe.
Nearly landlocked, it borders Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark. Area: 414,000 sq km/160,000 sq mi.[1]



BalticStates

BalticStates
Bal·tic
States
or Bal·tic

Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania: the nations of Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania, considered as a group[1]



Baltimore

Baltimore
Bal·ti·more 
[báwltə màwr, báwltə
mr]

the largest city in Maryland,
near the Chesapeake Bay. This port town is home to the Johns Hopkins
University. Population: 702,979 (1994)[1]



Baltimoreoriole

Baltimoreoriole
Bal·ti·more
o·ri·ole
(plural Bal·ti·more o·ri·oles) noun

bright
orange-and-black bird: a North American bird, the
male of which has a black head and upper body with orange underside and tail.
The female has olive-brown plumage. Latin name: Icterus galbula
Also
called
golden robin
Also
called
northern oriole
[Late 17th century. Named for
George Calvert, Lord Baltimore (1580?-1632), the English proprietor of
Maryland, whose coat of arms has the same colors as the male bird.][1]



Balto-Slavic

Balto-Slavic
Bal·to-Sla·vic
[bàwl tō slávvik] or Bal·to-Sla·von·ic
[bàwl tō slávvik] noun

Baltic
and Slavonic languages: the Baltic and Slavic
branches of the Indo-European language family, sometimes considered to form a
unified grouping
—Bal·to-Sla·vic, adjective[1]



Baluchi

Baluchi
Ba·lu·chi 
[bə lchee] (plural Ba·lu·chis
or Ba·lu·chi) or Ba·lo·chi [bə lchee] (plural Ba·lo·chis or Ba·lo·chi)
noun

1.  somebody
from Baluchistan: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the region of Baluchistan

2.  Iranian
language:
a language spoken in Baluchistan belonging to the Eastern Iranian group of
languages. Baluchi is spoken by about five million people.
[Early
17th century. From Persian Balučī .]
—Ba·lu·chi, adjective[1]



Baluchistan

Baluchistan
Ba·lu·chi·stan 
[bə lchi stán]

mountainous desert region in
southwestern Pakistan and southeastern Iran[1]



baluster

baluster
bal·us·ter 
[bálləstər] (plural bal·us·ters)
noun

1.  post
supporting handrail: an upright post supporting a
handrail, for example, in the banister of a staircase

2.  vase-shaped
leg or stem: a support, for example, a chair leg or
the stem of a glass, that is shaped like a long narrow vase
[Early 17th century. Via
French balustre from Italian balaustro, from, ultimately, Greek balāustion
“blossom of the wild pomegranate,” because early balusters resembled its
shape.][1]



balustrade

balustrade

bal·us·trade 
[bállə stràyd] (plural bal·us·trades)
noun
decorative
railing:
a decorative railing together with its supporting balusters, often used at the
front of a parapet or gallery
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from either Spanish balastrada or Italian balaustrata from balaustro
(see baluster ).][1]



Balzac,Honoré de, Honoré de

Balzac,Honoré de, Honoré de

Balzac,
Honoré de
[báwl zàk, bál
zk, baal zk], Honoré de (1799–1850)
French
novelist. He wrote 90 novels that provide a panoramic social history of France
from 1789 to 1830, and arranged them under the collective title The Human
Comedy.

—Bal·zac·i·an [bal zákee ən, balzáysh’n],
adjective[1]



bam

bam
bam
[bam] intransitive and transitive verb
(past bammed, past participle bammed, present
participle bam·ming, 3rd person present singular bams)

make
loud noise:
to make a loud hammering or thudding noise • The
police bammed on the door with a battering ram.
noun
(plural bams)

loud
noise:
a loud thudding or hammering noise • The
dictionary fell to the floor with a bam.
interjection

used to indicate sudden
impact: used to indicate sudden
impact, the result of such impact, or the sudden occurrence of an event of
great significance (informal) • All
of a sudden, bam! I was 30![1]



Bamako

Bamako
Ba·ma·ko 
[bmə kṓ]

capital and largest city of
Mali, situated on the Niger River. Population: 800,000 (1993)[1]



Bambara

Bambara
Bam·ba·ra 
[baam braa] (plural Bam·ba·ra
or Bam·ba·ras) noun

1.  member
of W African people: a member of an African
people living mainly in Mali, western Africa

2.  Mande
language:
a language spoken in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and the Ivory Coast. It
belongs to the Mande group of Niger-Congo languages and is spoken by between
one and two million people.
[Late
19th century. From Bambara .]
—Bam·ba·ra, adjective[1]



bambino

bambino
bam·bi·no 
[bam bnō, baam
bnō] (plural bam·bi·nos or bam·bi·ni [bam bnee]) noun

1.  baby:
a baby or young child (informal)

2.  image
of infant Jesus Christ: a representation of Jesus
Christ as a baby
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, “baby,” literally “silly little one,” formed from bambo
“silly.”][1]



bamboo

bamboo
bam·boo 
[bam b] (plural bam·boos) noun

1.  tall
stiff-stemmed plant: a plant with long woody,
often hollow, stems that grows in dense clumps in tropical and semitropical
regions. Family: Bambusaceae

2.  bamboo
stem:
the strong hollow stems of bamboo plants, used to make furniture, for building,
and as canes and fishing rods
[Late 16th century. Via Dutch
bamboes from modern Latin bambusa from, ultimately, Malay mambu
. The “s” of the Dutch form was later assumed to be a plural and dropped.][1]



bamboocurtain

bamboocurtain
bam·boo
cur·tain
noun

ideological
barrier formerly isolating Communist China: the
political, military, and ideological barrier that effectively isolated China
from Western countries from the Communist revolution of 1949 until China’s
relaxation of trade barriers in 1979
[Coined on the model of iron curtain][1]



bambooshoot

bambooshoot
bam·boo
shoot
(plural bam·boo shoots) noun

vegetable used in Asian
cooking: an edible young shoot of the
bamboo plant that is eaten sliced and cooked in Asian dishes[1]



bamboozle

bamboozle
bam·boo·zle 
[bam bz’l] (past bam·boo·zled,
past participle bam·boo·zled, present participle bam·boo·zling,
3rd person present singular bam·boo·zles) transitive verb
(informal)

1.  cheat
somebody:
to trick or deceive somebody through misleading statements or falsehoods

2.  perplex
somebody:
to make somebody confused
[Early
18th century. Of obscure origin.]
—bam·boo·zler, noun[1]



B& B

B& B
B
& B

(informal) Abbreviation
of bed and breakfast[1]



B& W

B& W
B
& W
or b & w

PHOTOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of black-and-white[1]



ban

ban2
ban2 [baan]
(plural ba·ni [bnnee]) noun

Romanian
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Romania
[Late 19th century. Via
Romanian, from Serbo-Croat bān “lord” from Turkic bayan “very
rich person,” formed from bay “rich gentleman.”][1]



ban

ban1
ban1 [ban]
transitive verb (past banned, past participle banned,
present participle ban·ning, 3rd person present singular bans)

1.  forbid
something:
to forbid something officially or legally so that it cannot be done, used,
seen, or read

2.  stop
somebody from doing something: to forbid somebody
from doing something or going somewhere

3.  HISTORY restrict
rights in South Africa: during the apartheid era in
South Africa, to punish somebody suspected of breaking the apartheid laws by
preventing the person from moving around freely and having contact with other
people
noun
(plural bans)

1.  order
forbidding something: an order officially or
legally forbidding something so that it cannot be done, used, seen, or read

2.  public
revilement:
public condemnation of somebody or something (archaic)

3.  curse:
a powerful curse on somebody (archaic)
[Old English bannan
“to summon, proclaim”; the noun came via Old French ban “summons for
military duty, proclamation”][1]



Banaba

Banaba
Ba·na·ba
[baa nbə]

one of the 33 islands of
Kiribati in the western Pacific Ocean. Population: 284 (1990) Area: 5 sq km/2
sq mi. Former name Ocean Island[1]



banal

banal
ba·nal 
[bə nál, báyn’l,
bə nl] adjective

dull
and unoriginal: boringly ordinary and lacking in
originality
[Mid-19th
century. From French, from ban (see ban 1 ), which developed in French
from “compulsory military service” via “(something) common to all” to
“commonplace.”]
—ba·nal·ly, adverb[1]



banality

banality
ba·nal·i·ty 
[bə nállətee, bay
nállətee] (plural ba·nal·i·ties) noun

1.  boring
ordinariness: conventional or dull ordinariness

2.  unremarkable
comment or feature: an ordinary remark or
feature that lacks originality

[1]



banana

banana

ba·nan·a 
[bə nánə] (plural ba·nan·as or
ba·nan·a) noun

1.  long
curved yellow fruit: a long and slightly curved
fruit with a skin that turns from green to yellow when ripe. The edible part
inside has a creamy color and soft texture.
See
also
plantain

2.  plant
on which bananas grow: a tropical plant with large
leaves and hanging clusters of long curved fruits. Genus: Musa
[Late
16th century. Via Spanish and Portuguese, from Mande .]
go bananas

to become uncontrollably or
unreasonably angry or excited (informal)[1]



bananaquit

bananaquit
ba·nan·a·quit
[bə nánə kwìt] (plural ba·nan·a·quits)
noun

bird resembling warbler:
a bird found in Central and South America that resembles a warbler with a
downturned bill. Latin name: Coereba flaveola[1]



bananarepublic

bananarepublic
ba·nan·a
re·pub·lic
(plural ba·nan·a re·pub·lics) noun

small dictatorship:
a small country with an unstable government, typically a military dictatorship,
and an economy dependent on the export of a single product or on outside
financial help (disapproving)[1]



bananasplit

bananasplit
ba·nan·a
split
(plural ba·nan·a splits) noun

sundae with banana and ice
cream: a dessert made from a peeled
banana cut in half lengthwise, typically topped with three scoops of ice cream,
three types of syrup, chopped nuts, pieces of fruit, and whipped cream[1]



banausic

banausic
ba·nau·sic 
[bə náwsik, bə
náwzik] adjective

1.  uncreative:
with no art, creativity, or imagination

2.  practical
or materialistic: practical or materialistic rather than
uplifting or inspiring
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek banausikos “of or for artisans.”][1]



banc

banc
banc
[bangk] noun

judges’
meeting:
a meeting held by all the judges of a court
[Early 18th century. From
Anglo-French banc “bench,” deriving from Latin in banco,
literally “on the bench,” which referred to full court sittings of a Superior
Court of Common Law.][1]



banco

banco
ban·co 
[báng kō, bng
kō] interjection

used
for betting against the bank: used in baccarat and chemin
de fer to declare that a player wishes to place a bet equivalent to the total
worth of the bank
noun
(plural ban·cos)

bet
against the bank: in baccarat and chemin de fer, a bet
placed equivalent to to the total worth of the bank
[Late 18th century. Via
French, from Italian (see bank 1 ).][1]



Bancroft,Anne

Bancroft,Anne
Ban·croft
[bán kràwft, bán
kròft, báng], Anne (1931– )

U.S.
actor. She won an Academy Award for her part in the movie The Miracle Worker
( 1962 ) and gained fame as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate ( 1967 ).
Real name
Italiano, Anna Maria Louise[1]



Bancroft,George

Bancroft,George

Ban·croft
[bán kràwft, bán
kròft, báng], George (1800–1891)
U.S. statesman and historian. He founded
the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis (1845), was ambassador to several nations,
and wrote the 10-volume History of the United States (1834–1840,
1852–1874).[1]



band

band2
band2 [band]
noun (plural bands)

1.  strip
or loop of material: a strip of fabric, metal,
elastic, or other material placed around something to strengthen it or around
several things to hold them together

2.  contrasting
stripe:
a long narrow area that is different in material, color, or texture from the
adjacent parts

3.  CLOTHES strip
or circle of material: a strip or circle of fabric
or elastic used for such purposes as decoration, identification, strengthening
parts of clothing, or absorbing sweat on the forehead or hands

4.  ACCESSORIES ring:
a plain ring worn on a finger • a
wedding band

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING moving
belt:
a moving belt in a piece of machinery

6.  RADIO range
of radio frequencies: a range of frequencies or
wavelengths assigned to a radio station or radio broadcaster

7.  PHYSICS range
of energies: the range of energies possessed by
electrons in a solid.
Also
called
energy band

8.  GEOLOGY ore or
mineral layer: a layer of rock with a different
composition or texture from the adjacent layers
transitive
verb
(past band·ed, past participle band·ed, present
participle band·ing, 3rd person present singular bands)

put band on or around something:
to put a strip on or around something to decorate or identify it or to hold a
number of things together
[13th century. From Old
Norse, later reinforced by French bande, both, ultimately, from a
prehistoric Germanic ancestor that was also the source of English bind, bend,
and bond .][1]



band

band1
band1 [band]
(plural bands) noun

1.  MUSIC musicians
playing together: a group of musicians who play together,
particularly a group playing popular or rock music.
See
also
pop group

2.  MUSIC HISTORY instrumental ensemble:
in pre-18th-century Europe, an instrumental ensemble (archaic)

3.  group
with same beliefs or purpose: a group of people who have
the same ideas or beliefs or who are pursuing the same activity together • a
growing band of supporters

4.  ANTHROPOLOGY small
simply-structured group: a small group of people with
a relatively simple social structure

5.  animals
together:
a group of animals
[15th
century. From French bande, of uncertain origin: probably from the same
prehistoric Germanic ancestor as English banner
.]
to
beat the band

to a very great extent or
degree (dated)[1]



bandage

bandage
band·age 
[bándij] noun (plural band·ag·es)

cloth
strip for covering injury: a long narrow strip of thin
or elasticized fabric that can be wrapped and fastened around a wound or
injured part of the body to protect or support it
transitive
verb
(past band·aged, past participle band·aged, present
participle band·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular band·ag·es)

apply
bandage:
to protect a wound or support an injured body part by applying a bandage
[Late
16th century. From French, from bande (see band 2 ).]
—band·ag·er, noun[1]



Band-Aid

Band-Aid
Band-Aid
Trademark

a trademark for an adhesive
bandage with a central gauze pad[1]



bandanna

bandanna
ban·dan·na 
[ban dánnə] (plural ban·dan·nas)
or ban·dan·a [ban dánnə] (plural
ban·dan·as) noun

bright
cotton scarf: a large square of brightly colored
cotton or silk cloth worn over the hair or around the neck
[Mid-18th century. Probably
via Portuguese, from Hindi bāndhnū, the name of a method of tie-dyeing,
from bāndhnā “to tie.”][1]



Bandaranaike,Chandrika

Bandaranaike,Chandrika
Ban·dar·an·aike
[bn draa n kee], Chandrika (1945– )

Sri
Lankan politician. The daughter of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, she was elected
president of Sri Lanka in 1994 and appointed her mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike,
prime minister.
Full name
Kumaratunga, Chandrika Bandaranaike[1]



Bandaranaike,Sirimavo

Bandaranaike,Sirimavo
Ban·dar·an·aike
[bn draa n kee], Sirimavo (1916– )

Sri
Lankan politician. The succeeded her husband S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike to become
the world’s first woman prime minister (1960–1965, 1970–1977, 1994 -). She
nationalized schools and foreign-owned plantations in Sri Lanka.
Born
Ratwatte, Sirimavo[1]



Bandaranaike,S.W.R.D.

Bandaranaike,S.W.R.D.
Ban·dar·an·aike
[bn draa n kee], S.W.R.D. (1899–1959)

Sri
Lankan statesman. Prime minister of Sri Lanka (1956–1959), he was assassinated
by a Buddhist monk.
Full name
Bandaranaike, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias[1]



BandarSeri Begawan

BandarSeri Begawan
Ban·dar
Se·ri Be·ga·wan  [bùn dər
sèrri bə g wən]

capital of Brunei, in the
northern part of the country, on Brunei Bay. Population: 50,000 (1995)[1]



BandaSea

BandaSea
Ban·da
Sea 
[bándəsee, bndə
]

sea in the Pacific Ocean in
eastern Indonesia, north of the island of Timor and southeast of Celebes
Island. Area: 738,150 sq km/285,000 sq mi.[1]



bandbox

bandbox
band·box 
[bánd bòks] (plural band·box·es)
noun

box
for carrying accessories: a round lightweight box for
carrying accessories such as hats
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from band 2 + box, so called because they were originally used
to carry neckbands.][1]



bandcouncil

bandcouncil
band
coun·cil
noun

Canada
POLITICS Aborginal
administrative unit: a unit of
Aboriginal local government that consists of a chief and a group of elected
councilors[1]



bandeau

bandeau
ban·deau 
[bàn dṓ] (plural ban·deaux [ban dz] or ban·deaus) noun

1.  band
for hair:
a ribbon or band of material worn around the head to keep the hair in place

2.  band
of material worn over breasts: a piece of material
worn around the chest to cover the breasts
[Early 18th century. From
French, from Old French bandel “little band,” from bande (see band 2 ).][1]



banded

banded
band·ed
[bándəd] adjective

with different colored bands:
marked with bands of different or contrasting colors • banded
agate[1]



banderilla

banderilla
ban·de·ri·lla 
[bàndə r ə, bàndə
rl yə] (plural ban·de·ri·llas) noun

dart
used in bullfight: in a bullfight, a long
decorated barbed dart that is thrust into the neck or shoulder of a bull by a
bullfighter’s assistant
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish “a little banner,” from bandera “banner.”][1]



banderillero

banderillero
ban·de·ri·lle·ro 
[bàndə ree érrō, bándəreel
yáirō] (plural ban·de·ri·lle·ros) noun

bullfighter’s
assistant:
a bullfighter’s assistant who sticks a banderilla into the bull during a
bullfight
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish, from banderilla (see banderilla
).][1]



banderole

banderole
ban·de·role 
[bándə rl] (plural ban·de·roles)
or ban·de·rol [bándə rl] (plural
ban·de·rols) or ban·ner·ol [bánnə
rl] (plural ban·ner·o·ls) noun

1.  NAUTICAL flag
on masthead: a long narrow flag with a divided end
that is flown on a ship’s masthead

2.  flag
at funeral:
a flag that is carried at a funeral or used to cover a tomb

3.  ARCHITECTURE inscribed
band:
a sculpted scroll or band bearing an inscription

4.  HISTORY ribbon
on knight’s lance: a ribbon or streamer hanging
from a knight’s lance
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from Italian banderuola “small banner,” from bandiera
“banner.” Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic ancestor as English band 2 .][1]



bandicoot

bandicoot

ban·di·coot 
[bándi kt] (plural ban·di·coots)
noun
Australasian
marsupial with long pointed nose: a marsupial with a
long nose, strong hind legs, and a long tail. Bandicoots eat mainly insects and
plants and are found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Family:
Peramelidae
[Late 18th century. From
Telugu pandikokku, literally “pig-rat.”][1]



bandicootrat

bandicootrat
ban·di·coot
rat
(plural ban·di·coot rats) noun

large Asian rat:
a large rodent found in southern Asia that is a serious pest to farmers. Latin
name: Bandicota indica[1]



banding

banding
band·ing
[bánding] noun

U.K.
See tracking[1]



bandit

bandit
ban·dit 
[bándit] (plural ban·dits) noun

1.  armed
robber:
an armed robber who steals from travelers and other people, usually at gunpoint

2.  gangster:
a member of a gang of violent criminals

3.  exploitative
person:
somebody who cheats or swindles other people

4.  AIR FORCE enemy
aircraft:
an enemy aircraft sighted by a crew while flying (informal) • Bandits
at twelve o’clock high!
[Late
16th century. From Italian bandito, from bandire “to ban.”
Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic ancestor as English ban 1 .]
make
out like a bandit or bandits

to be extremely successful,
especially by making a lot of money in a short period of time (informal)[1]



banditry

banditry
ban·dit·ry 
[bánditree] noun

armed robbery:
the occurrence or prevalence of armed robbery and violent crime[1]



bandleader

bandleader
band·lead·er 
[bánd ldər] (plural ban·dlead·ers)
noun

conductor of musicians:
the conductor of a band, especially of a dance band[1]



bandlist

bandlist
band
list
noun

Canada
members of band recognized by government:
a list of members of an Aboriginal community ( band
) that is recognized by the federal government[1]



bandmaster

bandmaster
band·mas·ter 
[bánd màstər] (plural band·mas·ters)
noun

conductor of musicians:
the conductor of a band, especially of a brass band or a military band[1]



bandog

bandog
ban·dog 
[bán dòg] (plural ban·dogs) noun

aggressive
breed of dog: an aggressive dog produced by
cross-breeding a pit bull terrier with a mastiff, Rottweiler, or Rhodesian
ridgeback
[15th century. A blend of band 2 and dog, because it originally referred to a dog that
was chained up or bound.][1]



bandoleer

bandoleer
ban·do·leer 
[bàndə lr] (plural ban·do·leers)
or ban·do·lier [bàndə lr] (plural
ban·do·liers) noun

soldier’s
cartridge belt: a soldier’s belt with loops or small
pockets for storing cartridges, worn over the shoulder and across the chest
[Late 16th century. From
French, perhaps from Spanish bandolera, from banda “sash,” or
from Catalan bandolera, from bandoler “bandit.”][1]



bandoneon

bandoneon
ban·do·ne·on 
[ban dṓnee òn] (plural ban·do·ne·ons)
noun

S
American concertina: a square concertina, used
especially in Argentina
[Early
20th century. Via Spanish bandonéon from German Bandonion, which
was named for its 19th century German inventor Heinrich Band .]
—ban·do·ne·on·ist [ban dṓnee ənəst], noun[1]



bandore

bandore
ban·dore 
[bán dàwr, bán
dwr] (plural ban·dores) noun

kind
of lute:
a musical instrument similar to a large guitar or lute that was played in the
16th and 17th centuries.
Also
called
pandore
[Mid-16th century. Of
uncertain origin. Forms of the word are found in many European languages and
appear to go back to Latin pandura, from Greek pandoura
“three-stringed lute.”][1]



band-passfilter

band-passfilter
band-pass
fil·ter
(plural band-pass fil·ters) noun

1.  frequency
filter:
an electronic filter that passes only those frequencies within a specified
range

2.  device
transmitting light of particular wavelengths: a
device transmitting electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light, within
a restricted wavelength range

[1]



bandsaw

bandsaw
band
saw
(plural band saws) noun

power saw:
a stationary power saw with a continuous vertically mounted blade[1]



bandshell

bandshell
band
shell
(plural band shells) noun

bandstand with curved rear
wall: a bandstand with a curved
wall at the back that is designed to reflect the sound toward the audience[1]



bandsman

bandsman
bands·man 
[bándzmən] (plural bands·men [bándzmən]) noun

player in band:
a player in a brass band or military band[1]



bandstand

bandstand
band·stand 
[bánd stànd] (plural band·stands)
noun

platform for band:
a platform for a band or small orchestra to perform on, especially outdoors[1]



bandtheory

bandtheory
band
the·o·ry
noun

theory of conductivity of
solids: a theory that explains the
electrical conductivity of solids in terms of energy bands containing
electrons.
Also called
energy-band theory[1]



bandtogether

bandtogether
band
together
intransitive verb

unite as group:
to form a group in order to achieve a goal[1]



Bandung

Bandung
Ban·dung 
[bn dng]

city in southern Indonesia,
on western Java Island, southeast of Jakarta. Population: 2,056,915 (1990)[1]



bandwagon

bandwagon
band·wag·on 
[bánd wàgən] (plural band·wag·ons)
noun

1.  increasingly
popular movement: a cause or movement that is gaining
popularity and support

2.  wagon
for musicians: an ornately decorated wagon that
musicians perform on during a parade
jump
or climb on the bandwagon

to join in something only
because it is fashionable or likely to be profitable[1]



bandwidth

bandwidth
band·width 
[bánd wìdth] (plural band·widths)
noun

1.  RADIO TELECOMMUNICATIONS range
of radio frequencies: a range of radio frequencies
used in radio or telecommunications transmission and reception

2.  COMPUTING communications
capacity:
the capacity of a communications channel, for example, a connection to the
Internet, often measured in bits per second

[1]



bandy

bandy
ban·dy
[bándee] transitive verb (past
ban·died, past participle ban·died, present participle
ban·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular ban·dies)

casually
exchange words: to toss words back and forth casually,
often without caring whether they are true or what effect they may have • I’ve
heard the name being bandied about.
adjective
(comparative ban·di·er, superlative ban·di·est)

curved
so knees cannot meet: used to describe legs that
curve outward so that the knees cannot meet
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain, perhaps from French bander “to take
sides at tennis,” which probably goes back to the same ancestor as band 1 .]
bandy
words with somebody

to have an argument or
discussion with somebody, often one that is unnecessary or a waste of time[1]



bandy-bandy

bandy-bandy
ban·dy-ban·dy
(plural ban·dy-ban·dies) noun

Australia,
New Zealand
mildly
poisonous Australian snake: a small, mildly venomous
Australian snake marked with black-and-white bands. Latin name: Vermicella
annulata
[Early 20th century. From an Aboriginal
language.][1]



bandy-legged

bandy-legged
ban·dy-leg·ged 
adjective

bowlegged:
having legs that curve outward, so that the knees do not touch[1]



bane

bane
bane 
[bayn] (plural banes) noun

1.  something
that causes misery: something that continually
causes problems or misery • It’s
the bane of my life.

2.  something
that causes ruin: something that causes death,
destruction, or ruin (literary or archaic)

3.  deadly
poison:
a fatal poison (often used in combination in the names of poisonous plants)
[Old English bana,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



baneberry

baneberry

bane·ber·ry
[báyn bèree] (plural bane·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with poisonous berries: plant of North America,
Europe, and Asia, with poisonous red or white berries. Genus: Rubus
fruticosus

2.        poisonous
berry: a poisonous fleshy red or
white berry of a baneberry plant[1]



baneful

baneful
bane·ful 
[báynfl] adjective

destructive:
causing ruin or destruction (literary)
—bane·ful·ly,
adverb

—bane·ful·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at baleful.

[1]



BanffNational Park

BanffNational Park
Banff
Na·tion·al Park

national park in the Rocky
Mountains, southwestern Alberta, Canada. Area: 6,641 sq km/2,564 sq mi.[1]



bang

bang2
bang2 [bang]
noun

See
bhang[1]



bang

bang1

bang1 [bang]
noun (plural bangs)

1.  sudden
loud noise:
a sudden loud noise, for example, the sound of a gun firing or a door slamming
shut

2.  sharp
hit:
a sharp blow or hit • a
nasty bang on the head

3.  pleasure:
a great deal of pleasure (informal) • I
got a real bang out of the musical.

4.  energy
burst:
a burst of energy or activity (informal) • The
party started with a bang.

5.  DRUGS injection
of drug:
an injection of an illegal drug such as heroin (slang)

6.  COMPUT character
in typesetting: the character (!) in typesetting
plural noun bangs

fringe of hair across forehead:
the hair falling over the forehead when it is cut square above the eyes
verb (past
banged, past participle banged, present participle bang·ing,
3rd person present singular bangs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit:
to hit something hard, or slam something against a surface • He
banged his fist on the table.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
accidentally: to hit something unintentionally • She
banged her knee.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb close
hard and noisily: to close suddenly and loudly, or make
something close, with a sudden loud noise • The
door banged shut.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
loud noise:
to make a sudden loud noise • children
banging on pots and pans

5.  intransitive
verb
move
around noisily: to move around making a lot of noise • bang
sulkily around the house

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang
offensive)

7.  intransitive
verb
DRUGS inject
a drug:
to inject an illegal drug such as heroin (slang)
adverb

suddenly:
suddenly and unexpectedly • I
turned around and bang, there he was!
interjection

imitating explosive sound:
used especially by children to imitate the sound of a gun firing (informal)
• Bang!
You’re dead!
[Mid-16th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
bang for your buck

value
for money spent or effort expended (slang)

bang on

U.K. Canada
exactly right

go out with a bang

to
end or finish something in a dramatic way (informal)

go over with a bang

to be very successful (informal)
• The
new novel went over with a bang, selling over two million copies.[1]



Bangalore

Bangalore
Ban·ga·lore 
[bángəlōr]

capital of Karnataka State in
south central India. Population: 2,651,000 (1991)[1]



bangaloretorpedo

bangaloretorpedo
ban·ga·lore
tor·pe·do 
(plural ban·ga·lore tor·pe·does) noun

explosive
device:
an explosive device in a metal tube, used to blow holes in barbed-wire fences
or to detonate land mines
[Early 20th century. Named
for Bangalore where it was invented.][1]



Bangasi

Bangasi
Ban·ga·si

See
Banghazi[1]



bangaway

bangaway
bang
away
intransitive verb

keep doing something:
to keep doing something persistently and determinedly[1]



bangbelly

bangbelly
bang·bel·ly
[báng bèlee] noun

Canada
kind of dumpling:
a piece of dough that has been fried, baked, or stewed[1]



Bangka

Bangka
Bang·ka
[bng kaa] or Ban·ka [bng kaa]

island in western Indonesia
forming part of the Malay Archipelago. Pangkalpinang is the largest town. Area:
11,937 sq km/4,609 sq mi.[1]



Bangkok




Back to definition

Bangkok

[1]



Bangkok

Bangkok

Bang·kok 
[báng kòk]
capital city and port on the Chao Phraya
River, just north of the Gulf of Thailand, southern Thailand. Population:
5,562,141 (1992)[1]



Bangla

Bangla
Bang·la
[bng glə] noun

LANGUAGE
See Bengali[1]



Bangladesh

Bangladesh



Bang·la·desh 
[bnglə désh]
republic
in south central Asia, formerly part of India and then, from 1947 to 1971,
Pakistan. It became a separate nation following a civil war in 1971. Language:
Bengali. Currency: taka. Capital: Dhaka. Population: 125,340,261 (1997) Area:
147,570 sq km/56,977 sq mi. Official name People’s Republic of
Bangladesh
—Bang·la·desh·i [bng glə déshee], noun, adjective[1]



Bangladesh




Back to definition

Bangladesh

[1]



bangle

bangle
ban·gle 
[báng g’l] (plural ban·gles) noun

1.  rigid
bracelet:
a stiff metal, plastic, or wooden bracelet that is worn around the arm, wrist,
or ankle

2.  disk
attached to bracelet: a decorative disk, charm, or
other ornament that hangs from a bracelet
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi baṅglī “colored glass bracelet.”][1]



Bangor

Bangor
Ban·gor 
[bángər]

city and port on the
Penobscot River, northeast of Belfast, in south central Maine. Population:
31,649 (1996)[1]



bangout

bangout
bang
out
transitive verb (informal)

1.  produce
something quickly: to produce something
speedily • bang
out a term paper overnight

2.  play
a tune loudly: to play a tune on a musical instrument
loudly and without sensitivity to the music

[1]



bangtail

bangtail
bang·tail 
[báng tayl] (plural bang·tails)
noun

1.  racehorse:
a horse that is run in races

2.  envelope
with detachment: an envelope with a detachable section
that can be used as an order form or to provide marketing information

[1]



Bangui

Bangui
Ban·gui 
[baang g]

capital city and major port
of the Ubangi River, southern Central African Republic. Population: 451,690
(1988)[1]



bangup

bangup
bang
up
transitive verb

cause or sustain bad damage:
to damage something badly, or be damaged badly (informal) • I
banged up my car on the icy road.[1]



bang-up

bang-up
bang-up 
adjective

super:
of an excellent quality or standard (slang)[1]



Bang’sdisease

Bang’sdisease
Bang’s
dis·ease 
[bángz də zeez] noun

brucellosis
in animals:
brucellosis in animals, especially in cattle
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Danish veterinarian Bernhard L. F. Bang (d. 1932).][1]



bani

bani
ba·ni


Plural of
ban 2[1]



banish

banish
ban·ish 
[bánnish] (past ban·ished, past
participle ban·ished, present participle ban·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular ban·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  send
somebody away: to exile somebody from a place, or send
somebody to another place officially as a punishment

2.  get
rid of something: to forbid or expel something, or put it
out of your mind • Let us banish from our
minds all dark thoughts.
[14th
century. From French baniss-, the stem of banir “to proclaim,”
from assumed Vulgar Latin bannire . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word, the ancestor of English ban 1 and bandit .]
—ban·ish·er, noun[1]



banishment

banishment
ban·ish·ment 
[bánnishmənt] noun

1.  expulsion:
the forcible expulsion or exile of somebody or something

2.  period
of exile:
a period of time spent in exile

[1]



banister

banister
ban·is·ter
[bánnəstər] (plural ban·is·ters)
or ban·nis·ter [bánnəstər] (plural
ban·nis·ters) noun

1.  handrail
on staircase: a handrail supported by posts running up
the outside edge of a staircase

2.  post
supporting handrail: any one of the posts
supporting a handrail on a staircase
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of baluster .][1]



BanjaLuka

BanjaLuka
Ban·ja
Lu·ka 
[bànyə lkə]

city on the Vrbas River in
northern Bosnia-Herzegovina. Population: 142,644 (1991)[1]



Banjarmasin

Banjarmasin
Ban·jar·ma·sin
[bnjər m s’n] or Band·jar·ma·sin
[bnjər m s’n]

city in southeastern Borneo,
Indonesia. It is the capital of South Kalimantan Province. Population: 480,737
(1990)[1]



banjo

banjo


ban·jo 
[bán jō] (plural ban·jos or
ban·joes) noun
five-stringed
instrument with circular sound box: a
musical instrument that has a round sound box covered with parchment, five
strings, and a long neck. Plucked or strummed, it is popular in North American
folk music.
[Mid-18th century. Related to
Jamaican English banja “fiddle,” of uncertain origin, probably from an
African language, and related to Kimbundu mbanza “stringed musical
instrument.”][1]



Banjul

Banjul
Ban·jul 
[bnjl]

capital and largest city of
the Gambia. It is situated at the mouth of the Gambia River. Population: 42,407
(1993)[1]



bank

bank2
bank2 [bangk]
noun

1.  side
of waterway: the steep side of a river, stream, lake,
or canal

2.  raised
area of land below water: a ridge of sand or other
sedimentary deposit in a river or coastal sea that decreases the depth of the
water above it and may become visible at low tide

3.  earth
or snow with sloping side: a pile of earth, snow, or
sand, or a raised area of ground with a sloping side

4.  METEOROLOGY mass
of cloud:
a large dense area of cloud or fog

5.  MOTOR SPORTS slope
at bend in racetrack: an upward slope at a bend in
a road or racetrack, designed to reduce the likelihood of drivers going off the
road or track when traveling around the bend at speed

6.  AIR turning
angle of aircraft: the angle made by an
airplane as it turns

7.  CUE GAMES cushion
of pool table: the cushion of a billiard or pool table

8.  MINING mouth
of mine shaft: the area around the mouth of a mine
shaft

9.  U.K.
RAIL long
track gradient: a long gradient or slope on a railway

10. AGRICULTURE pile
of vegetables: a heap of vegetables, usually potatoes,
covered with earth and mulch and sometimes stored in a shed (regional)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
into pile:
to make something into a pile or a large heap or form a pile or heap • snow
banked against the fence

2.  transitive
verb
cover
fire:
to cover a fire with ashes or fuel so that it will continue to burn slowly for
a long time

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR tilt while turning plane:
to tilt an airplane with one wing higher than the other while turning, or turn
an airplane so that it tilts

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MOTOR SPORTS tilt while driving:
to tilt a vehicle, especially a motorcycle while traveling around a bend at speed,
or travel around a bend like this

5.  transitive
verb
MOTOR SPORTS build
slope into road or racetrack: to build a slope into a road
or racetrack at a bend

6.  transitive
verb
CUE GAMES hit
billiard ball into cushion: to hit a billiard ball into
the cushion
[12th
century. From assumed Old Norse banki “ridge, bank.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic ancestor that is also the ancestor of English bench and bank 1 .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense “a heap of potatoes” bank is
  most common in the Lower South, where it competes with potato bunk,
  potato hill, potato hole, potato house, potato kiln,
  and potato pump.

[1]



bank

bank1
bank1 [bangk]
noun (plural banks)

1.  business
offering financial services: a business that keeps money
for individuals or companies, exchanges currencies, makes loans, and offers
other financial services

2.  bank’s
local office: a local office of a bank

3.  GAMBLING fund
of money or tokens: the fund of money, tokens,
chips, or other pieces that players can draw out in certain games, or the
player who holds the fund

4.  store
of something: a supply of something stored, ready for
immediate use, for example, data, food, or blood
verb
(past banked, past participle banked, present
participle bank·ing, 3rd person present singular banks)

1.  transitive
verb
deposit
money in bank: to pay money into a bank • banked
the check immediately

2.  intransitive
verb
have
account with financial institution: to
have an account with or use a particular bank • bank
with a local institution
[15th
century. Directly or via French banque from Italian banca “bank,
bench, table.” The sense bank developed in the source language from the table
on which banking was transacted.]
break
the bank

1.  GAMBLING to win more money than is
available

2.  to
leave somebody very short of or without money (informal)

[1]



bank

bank3
bank3 [bangk]
noun (plural banks)

1.  row
of similar things: a row or several rows of
things of one type • a bank of switches

2.  NAUTICAL galley
rowers’ bench: a bench for rowers in a galley

3.  NAUTICAL galley
oars:
a row of oars in a galley

4.  secondary
part of headline: a secondary part of a headline running
below the main headline in smaller type
transitive
verb
(past banked, past participle banked, present
participle bank·ing, 3rd person present singular banks)

put things into rows:
to arrange things in rows or tiers
[13th century. From French banc
“bench.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English bank 2 and bench .][1]



bankable

bankable
bank·a·ble 
[bángkəb’l] adjective

1.  likely
to bring in money: likely to become financially
profitable • a
bankable movie star

2.  acceptable
to a bank:
readily and legally acceptable to a bank
—bank·a·bil·i·ty [bàngkə bíllətee], noun[1]



bankaccount

bankaccount
bank
ac·count
(plural bank ac·counts) noun

arrangement for transactions
with bank: an arrangement according to
which a bank accepts deposits of money and keeps that money available for
withdrawal by the named account holder or holders[1]



bankbalance

bankbalance
bank
bal·ance
(plural bank bal·anc·es) noun

amount in bank account:
the amount of money in a bank account at any given time[1]



bankbarn

bankbarn
bank
barn
(plural bank barns) noun

barn built into hill:
in the United States or Canada, a two-story barn built into a hillside that has
an entrance to the first story at the front and an entrance to the second story
at the back[1]



bankbill

bankbill
bank
bill
(plural bank bills) noun

See
banknote[1]



bankbook

bankbook
bank·book 
[bángk bk] (plural bank·books)
noun

See
passbook[1]



bankcard

bankcard
bank
card
(plural bank cards) noun

See
ATM card[1]



bankdiscount

bankdiscount
bank
dis·count
(plural bank dis·counts) noun

interest deducted on loan:
the interest on a loan that is deducted from the amount borrowed at the time
the loan is taken out[1]



bankdraft

bankdraft
bank
draft
(plural bank drafts) noun

bill of exchange:
a bill of exchange drawn by one bank on another[1]



banker

banker
bank·er
[bángkər] (plural bank·ers) noun

1.  somebody
senior in banking: somebody who owns or works
at a senior level in a bank

2.  GAMBLING player
in charge of bank: the player in charge of the
bank in a gambling game
[Mid-16th
century. From bank 1 .]
—bank·er·ly, adjective[1]



bankers’hours

bankers’hours
bank·ers’
hours 
or bank·er’s hours plural noun

short day:
a short working day (informal)[1]



Bankhead,Tallulah

Bankhead,Tallulah
Bank·head
[bángk hèd], Tallulah (1902–1968)

U.S.
actor. She was famous for the husky voice and extravagant acting style on stage
in such plays as Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes ( 1939 ) and in
films including Lifeboat ( 1944 ).
Born
Brockman, Tallulah[1]



banking

banking2
bank·ing2  [bángking]
noun

New England,
Canada protective outer layer
of hay or seaweed: in rural
areas of New England and the Maritime Provinces, seaweed or hay piled against
the side of a house as a form of insulation[1]



banking

banking1
bank·ing1  [bángking]
noun

work of banks:
the work carried out by banks or bankers[1]



bankmanager

bankmanager
bank
man·ag·er
(plural bank man·ag·ers) noun

somebody in charge of bank
branch: somebody who is in charge of
a branch of a bank.
Also called
branch manager[1]



banknote

banknote
bank·note
[bángk nt] (plural ban·knotes)
noun

piece of paper money:
a piece of paper money issued by a bank that may be freely exchanged for goods
or services.
Also called
bank bill[1]



Bankof Canada

Bankof Canada
Bank
of Can·a·da
noun

Canadian central bank:
the federal central bank of Canada[1]



Bankof England

Bankof England
Bank
of Eng·land
noun

U.K. central bank:
the central bank of England and Wales[1]



bankon

bankon
bank
on
transitive verb

rely on:
to count on something happening • We’re
banking on your support.[1]



bankroll

bankroll
bank·roll 
[bángk rōl] noun (plural bank·rolls)

1.  roll
of paper money: a roll of banknotes

2.  fund
of money:
a fund of money used to finance a project
transitive
verb
(past bank·rolled, past participle bank·rolled, present
participle bank·roll·ing, 3rd person present singular bank·rolls)

finance something:
to provide the money needed to finance a project on a continuing basis (informal)
—bank·roll·er, noun[1]



bankrupt

bankrupt
bank·rupt 
[bángk rùpt] adjective

1.  unable
to pay debts: judged legally to be unable to pay off
personal debts

2.  without
resources:
completely lacking in a particular quality, especially in good or ethical
qualities • morally
bankrupt
noun
(plural bank·rupts)

1.  somebody
who cannot pay debts: somebody who has been
declared legally unable to pay his or her outstanding debts

2.  somebody
without resources: somebody who is completely
lacking a particular quality, especially good or ethical qualities
transitive
verb
(past bank·rupt·ed, past participle bank·rupt·ed, present
participle bank·rupt·ing, 3rd person present singular bank·rupts)

deplete somebody’s funds:
to cost so much that a person or business will have hardly any money left or
will be declared bankrupt
[Mid-16th century. From
Italian banca rotta, literally “broken table,” from banca (see bank 1 ) + rotto,
from Latin ruptus “broken.” Formerly a symbol for a bankrupt
moneylender.][1]



bankruptcy

bankruptcy
bank·rupt·cy 
[bángk ruptsee] (plural bank·rupt·cies)
noun

1.  legal
inability to pay debts: the state of having been
legally declared bankrupt

2.  lack
of resources: the complete lack of a particular
quality, especially good or ethical qualities • moral
bankruptcy

[1]



banksia

banksia
bank·si·a 
[bángksee ə] (plural bank·si·as
or bank·si·a) noun

small
Australian evergreen: a small Australian evergreen
tree or shrub with leathery narrow leaves and cylindrical flowers. Family:
Proteaceae
Also
called
Australian honeysuckle
[Early 19th century. Modern
Latin, named for Joseph Banks .][1]



BanksIsland

BanksIsland
Banks
Is·land
[bángks lənd]

island in the Inuvik Region,
Northwest Territories, Canada. It has a predominantly Inuit population. Area:
70,028 sq km/27,038 sq mi.[1]



Banks,Joseph

Banks,Joseph

Banks
[bangks], Sir Joseph (1743–1820)
British naturalist. A member of Captain
Cook’s expedition around the world (1768–1771), he helped to establish botany
as a science and was instrumental in developing Kew Gardens in London.[1]



bankstatement

bankstatement
bank
state·ment
(plural bank state·ments) noun

statement showing
transactions in bank account: a document
showing all the transactions in a bank account over a specific period of time[1]



Banneker,Benjamin

Banneker,Benjamin
Ban·ne·ker
[bánnəkər], Benjamin (1731–1806)

U.S. mathematician and
astronomer. He published an annual almanac (1792–1802) and helped plan the
District of Columbia (1791–1793).[1]



banner

banner
ban·ner 
[bánnər] noun

1.  cloth
suspended between two poles: a long piece of cloth, often
bearing a symbol or slogan, and attached at each end to a pole or hanging from
the top of a pole

2.  guiding
principle:
a guiding principle, cause, or philosophy • under
the banner of the labor union movement

3.  COMPUTING Web
site advertisement: an advertisement in the form
of a rectangular logo or headline spread across the width of a Web page

4.  nation’s
or army’s flag: the flag of a country or army

5.  HISTORY flag
of king, emperor, or knight: a flag used by a king,
emperor, or knight when going into battle

6.  PRESS See banner headline
adjective

especially good:
especially good or successful • a
banner year for sales
transitive
verb
(present participle ban·ner·ing, 3rd person present singular
ban·ners)

PRESS head
article with big headline: to give a newspaper article
a banner headline • We bannered the piece
on the storm in huge black type.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman banere from Old French banière from,
ultimately, medieval Latin bandum “standard.” Ultimately from the same
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English band 1 .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Star-Spangled Banner, a patriotic song with
  lyrics by Francis Scott Key to music by English composer John Stafford Smith
  (1814). Penned by Key after he had witnessed the successful defense of the
  city of Baltimore by U.S. troops against a British attack in 1814, it soon
  became a popular patriotic song. It was adopted as the national anthem of the
  United States on March 3, 1931.

[1]



banneret

banneret
ban·ner·et
[bánnərət, bánnə
ret, bànnə rét] (plural ban·ner·ets)
noun

1.  knight
with own army: a knight who was entitled to lead his
own men into battle and was thus of a higher rank than other knights

2.  historical
title for bravery: in former times, a title
given by a king or queen for bravery in battle
[13th century. From Old
French baneret, literally “bannered,” from banière (see banner ).][1]



bannerheadline

bannerheadline
ban·ner
head·line
(plural ban·ner head·lines) noun

large header:
a headline in large letters that runs across an entire page of a newspaper.
Also called
banner noun 3[1]



bannerol

bannerol
ban·ner·ol 
(plural ban·ner·o·ls) noun

See
banderole[1]



bannister

bannister
ban·nis·ter 
noun

See
banister[1]



Bannister,Roger

Bannister,Roger

Ban·nis·ter 
[bánnistər], Sir Roger (1929– )
British
athlete. He was the first man to run the mile in under four minutes (1954).
Full name
Bannister, Sir Roger Gilbert[1]



bannock

bannock
ban·nock 
[bánnək] (plural ban·nocks) noun

1.  New
England
cornbread
griddle cake: cornbread baked on a griddle

2.  Canada
ash
leavened bread cooked on griddle: a dough of flour,
water, lard, and sometimes baking powder cooked on a griddle or in a frying
pan, often over a campfire
[Old English bannuc,
from an earlier word meaning “drop”][1]



banns

banns
banns
[banz] plural noun

church
announcement of marriage: an announcement of a
forthcoming marriage, proclaimed in the church of the engaged couple on three
successive Sundays
[14th century. From ban 1 .][1]



banquet

banquet
ban·quet 
[bángkwit] noun (plural ban·quets)

1.  ceremonial
meal:
an elaborate formal meal attended by many guests, often held in honor of a
particular person or occasion and followed by speeches

2.  big
meal:
an elaborate or lavish meal of many courses
intransitive
verb
(past ban·quet·ed, past participle ban·quet·ed, present
participle ban·quet·ing, 3rd person present singular ban·quets)

experience a banquet:
to eat or drink as a guest at a banquet
[15th
century. From French, literally “little bank” (see bank 3 ). Originally, this referred
to a small snack eaten while seated on a bench, not at a table.]
—ban·quet·er, noun[1]



banquethall

banquethall
ban·quet
hall
(plural ban·quet halls) noun

large room in palace:
a room large enough to accommodate a banquet, usually in a palace, castle, or
stately home[1]



banquetroom

banquetroom
ban·quet
room
(plural ban·quet rooms) noun

large room in hotel:
a room large enough to accommodate a banquet in a hotel, resort, or restaurant[1]



banquette

banquette
ban·quette 
[bàng két] (plural ban·quettes)
noun

1.  upholstered
bench:
an upholstered bench along a wall, especially in a restaurant

2.  raised
step for gunner: a raised step in a trench or behind a
parapet on which a soldier may stand to fire or a gun may be mounted

3.  Southern
U.S.
See sidewalk

4.  raised
buffet shelf: a raised ledge at the back of a buffet,
used as a shelf for dishes and utensils
[Early 17th century. Via
French, from Italian banchetta “little bench,” formed from banca
“bench, shelf” (see bank 1 ).][1]



banshee

banshee
ban·shee 
[bán shee] (plural ban·shees) noun

1.  spirit
who warns of death: in Gaelic folklore, a spirit
of a woman who appears, wailing, to signal that somebody in the household is
going to die

2.  Ireland
female
fairy:
a female fairy
[Late 17th century. Via Irish
bean sidhe from Old Irish ben “woman” + side “of the fairy
world.”][1]



bantam

bantam
ban·tam 
[bántəm] noun (plural ban·tams)

1.  small
domestic fowl: a bird belonging to a breed of small
domestic fowl

2.  See
bantamweight

3.  Canada
HOCKEY SOFTBALL junior player:
in hockey and softball, a category of players from 13 to 15 years of age, or a
player in this category
adjective

1.  miniature:
small in size

2.  overconfident:
overconfident and slightly aggressive
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the town of Bantam in Java from where the birds are supposed to have
been imported, although they are not native there.][1]



bantamweight

bantamweight
ban·tam·weight 
[bántəm wàyt] (plural ban·tam·weights)
or ban·tam [bántəm wàyt] (plural
ban·tam) noun

1.  boxer
weighing less than featherweight: a professional boxer
weighing 51–53.5 kg/112–118 lb, or an amateur weighing 51–54 kg/112–119 lb

2.  lightweight
wrestler:
a wrestler weighing 52–57 kg/115–126 lb

[1]



banter

banter
ban·ter 
[bántər] noun

light
teasing remarks: lighthearted teasing or amusing remarks
that are exchanged between people
intransitive
verb
(past ban·tered, past participle ban·tered, present
participle ban·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular ban·ters)

exchange
teasing remarks: to exchange lighthearted teasing remarks
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—ban·ter·er, noun[1]



Banting,Frederick Grant

Banting,Frederick Grant
Ban·ting
[bánting], Sir Frederick Grant (1891–1941)

Canadian physician. He
co-discovered insulin with Charles Best ( 1922 ), for which he shared the Nobel
Prize in physiology or medicine ( 1923 ).[1]



Bantu

Bantu

Ban·tu 
[bán too] (plural Ban·tu or
Ban·tus) noun

1.  LANGUAGE African
language group: a group of over 500 languages, including
Kiswahili, Xhosa, and Zulu, spoken in central, eastern, and southern Africa. It
belongs to the Benue-Congo subfamily of Niger-Congo languages and has over 150
million speakers.
Also
called
Sintu

2.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a large group of
peoples living in equatorial and southern Africa
[Mid-19th
century. In some Bantu languages the plural of -ntu “person.”]
—Ban·tu,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue:
  In
  post-apartheid South Africa, Bantu is
  considered highly offensive when used with reference to black people,
  especially in the singular to refer to one person, and black or African
  are the normally accepted terms. In technical contexts outside South Africa,
  for example, academic discussions of anthropology and language, the term
  continues in use.

[1]



banyan

banyan
ban·yan 
[bánnyən, bán
yan] (plural ban·yans) noun

tropical
tree with aerial roots: a tree grown in the Indian
subcontinent and East Indies for shade or ornament. The roots grow down from
the branches into the ground to form new secondary trunks. Latin name: Ficus
benghalensis
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese, from Gujarati vāṇiyo “man of the trading class,” from
Sanskrit nāṇija “merchant.” Applied to a tree under which some traders
had built a pagoda.][1]



banzai

banzai
ban·zai 
[ban z, bán zī]
interjection

patriotic
Japanese shout: a patriotic Japanese battle cry or shout
adjective

reckless
and ferocious in battle: reckless and utterly
ferocious in a military attack
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “(may you live) ten thousand years.”][1]



baobab

baobab

ba·o·bab 
[b_’a ōbab, baáō
bab] (plural ba·o·babs) noun
tropical
tree:
a tropical tree native to southern Africa and northwestern Australia that has a
very thick trunk, and bears fruit with a hard rind and edible pulp. Latin name:
Adansonia digitata
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from North African Arabic bū ḥibab “fruit of many
seeds.”][1]



BaoDai

BaoDai
Bao
Dai
[bòw d], Emperor of Annam (1913– )

The
last emperor of the Nguyen dynasty (1926–1945) in Indochina, he renounced his
title and headed Vietnam under French rule (1949–1955) before being deposed and
forced into exile.
Born
Nguyen Vinh Duy[1]



baptism

baptism
bap·tism 
[báptizzəm] (plural bap·tisms)
noun

1.  rite
of purification: a religious ceremony in which somebody
is sprinkled with or immersed in water to symbolize purification. In Christian
baptisms, the person is often named and accepted into the Christian faith.

2.  initiation
or naming ceremony: a ceremony that serves as an
initiation or naming ritual
—bap·tis·mal
[bap tízməl], adjective

—bap·tis·mal·ly, adverb[1]



baptismof fire

baptismof fire
bap·tism
of fire
(plural bap·tisms of fire) noun

1.  initial
ordeal:
a difficult or dangerous first experience in a new situation

2.  soldier’s
first battle: a soldier’s first experience of battle

[1]



Baptist

Baptist
Bap·tist 
[báptəst] (plural Bap·tists) noun

member
of Protestant denomination: a member of a Protestant
denomination that baptizes people by total immersion when they are old enough
to understand and declare their faith
—Bap·tist, adjective[1]



baptistery

baptistery
bap·tis·ter·y 
[báptəstree] (plural bap·tis·ter·ies)
or bap·tis·try [báptəstree] (plural
bap·tis·tries) noun

1.  part
of Christian church: a part of a Christian church
used for baptisms

2.  pool
in church for baptisms: a tank or pool in a Baptist
church used for baptisms by total immersion

[1]



baptize

baptize
bap·tize 
[bap tz, báp
tz] (past bap·tized, past participle bap·tized,
present participle bap·tiz·ing, 3rd person present singular
bap·tiz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb perform
ceremony of baptism: to sprinkle somebody with or
immerse somebody in water as a sign that the person has been accepted into the
Christian faith

2.  transitive
verb
name
somebody in baptism: to give a personal name to
somebody during the Christian ceremony of baptism
[13th
century. Via French baptiser and ecclesiastical Latin baptisare
from Greek baptizein “to baptize,” from baptein “to dip.”]
—bap·tiz·er, noun[1]



B.Ar.

B.Ar.
B.Ar.
or B.Arch.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Architecture[1]



bar.

bar.
bar.

1.  Abbreviation
of
barometer

2.  Abbreviation
of
barometric

3.  Abbreviation
of
barrel

[1]



bar

bar2
bar2 [baar]
(plural bars) noun

unit
of pressure: a unit of pressure that can be used in
combination with SI units and prefixes, equal to 10 5 newtons per square meter
[Early 20th century. From
Greek baros “weight.”][1]



bar

bar1
bar1 [baar]
noun (plural bars)

1.  length
of solid material: a length of metal, wood, or
other solid material used as a barrier, or as part of a structure

2.  small
block:
a small, solid, usually rectangular, block of some substance • a
bar of soap

3.  barrier:
something that blocks or hinders progress • Aloofness
is a bar to making friends easily.

4.  place
for drinking: a place where alcoholic drinks can be
bought and drunk

5.  drinks
counter:
a counter where alcoholic drinks are served

6.  place
providing product or service: a commercial establishment,
or a counter inside one, where a product or service is provided • a
juice bar

7.  narrow
band:
a narrow stripe or band of color or light

8.  something
used as a standard: something referred to as an
authority or standard • We
need to raise the bar of academic courses for all our students.

9.  LAW part
of law court: the railing in a law court that
separates the judge, jury, lawyers, people on trial, and witnesses from the
public

10. LAW lawyers
or their profession: lawyers considered
collectively, or the profession of a lawyer

11. U.K.
LAW place
for defendant in court: the place in a British law
court where somebody on trial stands or sits

12. LAW tribunal:
a tribunal or court of law

13. LAW defeat
of legal action: the defeat, prevention, or nullification
of an action or claim, or the process by which this is achieved

14. MUSIC unit
of time in music: a fundamental unit of time into which
all music is divided, according to the number of beats.
Also
called
measure

15. MUSIC vertical
line separating musical units: any one of the
vertical lines on a sheet of music that separates each unit of musical time

16. MILITARY metal
strip showing rank: a metal strip worn on a
military uniform to show rank or a service distinction

17. SPORTS See crossbar

18. GYMNASTICS See horizontal bar

19. BALLET See barre

20. HERALDRY line
across shield: a horizontal line on a shield, usually
one of two or three parallel lines

21. GEOGRAPHY ridge
of sand:
a low ridge of sand or shingle in the shallow part of the bed of a body of
water

22. GEOGRAPHY river’s
crescent-shaped sand deposit: a crescent-shaped area of
alluvium deposited on the convex bend of a river bed

23. BACKGAMMON strip
in backgammon board: the central dividing strip
on a backgammon board
transitive
verb
(past barred, past participle barred, present
participle bar·ring, 3rd person present singular bars)

1.  fasten
with bar:
to fasten something with a bar • barred
the door

2.  block
something:
to block something by means of bars or barriers

3.  not
allow somebody entry: to refuse somebody entry to
a place • He
was barred from the club.

4.  not
allow somebody to do something: to prevent somebody or
forbid somebody to do something

5.  mark
something with bars: to mark something with
stripes or bands of color (usually passive)

6.  LAW halt
court case:
to prevent a court case from going ahead by making a legal objection to it
preposition

excluding:
except for • The
fight was all over, bar the shouting.
[12th
century. Via Old French barre from Vulgar Latin barra, of unknown
origin.]
behind
bars

in prison • a
convicted felon who spent 20 years behind bars[1]



BAR

BAR
BAR

Abbreviation of
Browning automatic rifle[1]



Bar

Bar
Bar
(plural Bars) noun

LAW
lawyers or their profession:
lawyers considered collectively, or the profession of a lawyer • the
federal and state Bars[1]



Bar.

Bar.
Bar.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Baruch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Barabbas

Barabbas
Ba·rab·bas 
[bə rábəs] noun

robber freed instead of Jesus
Christ: in the Bible, a condemned
thief who was freed by Pilate on Passover instead of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27)[1]



barachois

barachois
ba·ra·chois
[bárə shwàw] noun

Canada
tidal
pond:
a tidal pond separated from a beach by a sandbar
[From Canadian French][1]



BaranofIsland

BaranofIsland
Ba·ra·nof
Is·land 
[bérrə nàwf lənd, bérrə
nòf lənd]

island off southeastern
Alaska, part of the Alexander Archipelago. It is named for the first governor
of the Russian colony of Alaska, Aleksandr Baranov (1746–1819). Area: 4,162 sq km/1,607
sq mi.[1]



barasingha

barasingha
ba·ra·sing·ha 
[brə síng gə] (plural ba·ra·sing·ha)
noun

See
swamp deer
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
brah-singā, literally “twelve-tined.”][1]



barathea

barathea
bar·a·the·a 
[bàrrə th ə] (plural bar·a·the·as)
noun

fabric:
a type of fabric made from a combination of silk, cotton, wool, or synthetic
material, often used for making coats
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Bara,Theda

Bara,Theda
Bar·a
[bàrrə], Theda (1890–1955)

U.S.
actor. One of the first women to become a movie star, she was known for her
allure, and is best remembered for the line “Kiss me, my fool!”
Born
Goodman, Theodosia Known as Vamp[1]



baraza

baraza
ba·ra·za
[bə rzə] (plural ba·ra·zas) noun

meeting
or meeting place: a public meeting or a place where
meetings are held in eastern Africa
[Late 19th century. From
Kiswahili .][1]



barb

barb3
barb3 [baarb]
(plural barbs) noun

barbiturate:
a barbiturate (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



barb

barb2
barb2 [baarb]
(plural barbs or barb) noun

horse:
a horse belonging to a breed originally from North Africa, noted for speed and
stamina
[Mid-17th century. Via French
barbe from Italian barbero “of Barbary.”][1]



barb

barb1
barb1 [baarb]
noun (plural barbs)

1.  reverse
point of arrow: a sharp point facing away from the head
of an arrow, fishhook, or harpoon, designed to make it difficult to remove

2.  wounding
remark:
a pointed or wounding remark

3.  (plural
barbs or barb) ZOOLOGY
aquarium
fish:
a small fish often kept in aquariums. Genera: Barbus Puntius

4.  CLOTHES medieval
headdress:
a white cloth headdress covering the chin and throat, worn by women in the
Middle Ages

5.  ZOOLOGY part
of feather:
a stiff filament that forms the framework of a feather. The barbs stick out on
each side of the main shaft.

6.  ZOOLOGY whisker
on animal’s head: a growth on an animal’s head like a
beard or whisker

7.  BOTANY bristle
of a plant:
a hooked projection on some plants and fruits
transitive
verb
(past barbed, past participle barbed, present
participle barb·ing, 3rd person present singular barbs)

fit with barb:
to provide something with a barb or barbs
[14th century. Via Old French
barbe “beard, appendage like a beard,” from Latin barba “beard.”][1]



Barbados

Barbados



Bar·ba·dos 
[baar báydəss, baar
báydss]
island
nation in the West Indies off northeastern South America. Settled by the
British in the 17th century, it has been an independent state within the
British Commonwealth since 1966. Language: English. Currency: Barbados dollar.
Capital: Bridgetown. Population: 258,756 (1997) Area: 430 sq km/166 sq mi.
—Bar·ba·di·an [baar báydee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Barbados




Back to definition

Barbados

[1]



Barbadosalmond

Barbadosalmond
Bar·ba·dos
al·mond
(plural Bar·ba·dos al·monds) noun

See
Indian almond[1]



Barbadoscherry

Barbadoscherry
Bar·ba·dos
cher·ry
(plural Bar·ba·dos cher·ries) noun

1.  tropical
tree with edible fruit: a tropical American
evergreen tree with red flowers and edible fruits resembling cherries. Latin
name: Malpighia glabra

2.  edible
fruit:
the edible fruit of the Barbados cherry, often used in jellies and desserts

[1]



Barbadosgooseberry

Barbadosgooseberry
Bar·ba·dos
goose·ber·ry (plural Bar·ba·dos
goose·ber·ries) noun

1.  cactus
with edible fruit: a broad-leafed tropical
American cactus with spiny, climbing or trailing shoots, fragrant flowers, and
edible fruits. Latin name: Pereskia aculeata

2.  cactus
fruit:
the edible yellow fruit of the Barbados gooseberry, often used in preserves

[1]



barbarian

barbarian
bar·bar·i·an 
[baar báiree ən] (plural bar·bar·i·ans)
noun

1.  uncivilized
person:
especially in ancient times, a member of a people whose culture and behavior
was considered uncivilized

2.  uncultured
person:
somebody who is considered to have no interest in culture

3.  aggressive
person:
an extremely aggressive or violent person
[14th
century. From Old French barbarien or Latin barbarianus, from barbarus
(see barbarous ).]
—bar·bar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



barbaric

barbaric
bar·bar·ic 
[baar bàrrik] adjective

1.  uncivilized:
uncivilized or unsophisticated when compared to highly developed civilizations

2.  of
uncivilized cultures: typical of peoples and
cultures seen as primitive and unsophisticated
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French barbarique from Latin barbaricus,
from Greek barbarikos, from barbaros (see barbarous ).]
—bar·bar·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



barbarism

barbarism
bar·ba·rism 
[brbə rìzzəm] (plural bar·ba·risms)
noun

1.  cruel
act:
a cruel or brutal act

2.  uncivilized
quality:
the uncivilized nature of a culture or civilization

3.  GRAMMAR ungrammatical
word:
a word or expression considered to be grammatically incorrect

4.  unconventional
or unacceptable thing: something that breaks rules
of convention or good taste
[15th century. Via French barbarisme
from Latin barbarismus, from Greek barbarismos, from barbarizein
(see barbarize ).][1]



barbarity

barbarity
bar·bar·i·ty 
[baar bérrətee] (plural bar·bar·i·ties)
noun

1.  cruel
act:
a cruel act

2.  uncivilized
condition:
a primitive or uncivilized condition
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
barbarus (see barbarous ).][1]



barbarize

barbarize
bar·ba·rize 
[brbə rz] (past bar·ba·rized,
past participle bar·ba·rized, present participle bar·ba·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular bar·ba·riz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become cruel: to become, or make somebody, cruel or
brutal

2.  make
or become more uncivilized: to become less civilized, or
less cultured, or reduce something to this state
[15th
century. From Greek barbarizein “to act or speak like a foreigner, to
speak gibberish,” from barbaros (see barbarous
).]
—bar·ba·ri·za·tion [brbərə záysh’n], noun[1]



Barbarossa

Barbarossa
Bar·ba·ros·sa 
[brbə róssə] (1483?–1546)

Greek-born
Ottoman admiral and pirate. Admiral of the Ottoman fleet after 1533, he was
feared as a pirate on the Barbary coast. He defeated Holy Roman Emperor Charles
V (1538) and sacked Gibraltar (1540).
Born
Khair ad-Din[1]



barbarous

barbarous
bar·ba·rous 
[brbərəs] adjective

1.  extremely
cruel:
showing extreme cruelty

2.  uncivilized:
characterized by an uncivilized culture

3.  not
sophisticated: lacking sophistication or refinement

4.  GRAMMAR ungrammatical:
using ungrammatical language
[15th
century. Via Latin barbarus from Greek barbaros “non-Greek,
foreign, ignorant, uncivilized.”]
—bar·ba·rous·ly,
adverb

—bar·ba·rous·ness, noun[1]



Barbary

Barbary
Barbary
[brbəree]

former region of North Africa
stretching from the Atlantic coast to western Egypt. It included the Barbary
States of Morocco, Algeria, Tripolitania, Tunisia, and Moorish Spain.[1]



Barbaryape

Barbaryape
Bar·ba·ry
ape
(plural Bar·ba·ry apes) noun

tailless monkey:
a tailless monkey that lives in caves and cliffs on Gibraltar and in
northwestern Africa. Latin name: Macaca sylvana[1]



BarbaryCoast

BarbaryCoast
Barbary
Coast

1.  formerly,
the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It was an important base for pirates
between the 16th and 19th centuries.

2.  the
waterfront area of San Francisco, California, between the 1849 gold rush and
the 1906 earthquake. It was notorious for its gambling dens, brothels, and
saloons.

[1]



Barbarysheep

Barbarysheep
Bar·ba·ry
sheep
(plural Bar·ba·ry sheep) noun

See
aoudad[1]



Barbeau,Charles Marius

Barbeau,Charles Marius
Bar·beau
[baar bṓ], Charles Marius (1883–1969)

Canadian anthropologist and
folklorist. He collected folk traditions and pioneered professional folklore
studies in Canada.[1]



barbecue

barbecue
bar·be·cue 
[brbə ky] or bar·be·que [brbə ky] noun (plural bar·be·cues)

1.  equipment
for cooking outdoors: an apparatus, including a
grill and fuel, used for cooking food outdoors

2.  outdoor
party with food cooked outdoors: an outdoor party where
people eat food cooked on a grill

3.  food
cooked on grill: food, especially meat, poultry, and
fish, cooked on a grill
transitive
verb
(past bar·be·cued, past participle bar·be·cued, present
participle bar·be·cu·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·be·cues)

cook food on grill outdoors:
to cook food on a grill outdoors
[Mid-17th century. From
American Spanish barbacoa, of uncertain origin, probably from Arawak barbakoa
“frame of sticks.” Current senses evolved from the practice of drying or
smoking meat on a wooden frame.][1]



barbecuesauce

barbecuesauce
bar·be·cue
sauce
(plural bar·be·cue sauc·es) noun

spicy sauce for meat:
a sweet-sour and spicy sauce, sometimes with chili, used to marinate meat or
served as an accompaniment to meat[1]



barbed

barbed
barbed 
[baarbd] adjective

1.  with
barbs:
with one or more backward-facing points

2.  spiteful:
critical or biting • a barbed comment

[1]



barbedwire

barbedwire
barbed
wire
noun

spiky wire:
strong wire with pointed projections along its length, used to make fences and
barriers.
Also called
barbwire[1]



barbel

barbel
bar·bel
[brb’l] (plural bar·bels) noun

1.  feeler
on mouth of fish: a slender feeler resembling a whisker on
the lips or jaws of some fishes

2.  fish
with barbels: a toothless European fish with barbels
that resembles the carp. Genus: Barbus
[From Latin barba
“beard”][1]



barbell

barbell
bar·bell 
[br bèl] (plural bar·bells) noun

exercise
bar with weights: a metal bar with removable weights at
either end, used in weightlifting
[Late
19th century. Blend of bar 1 and dumbell .]
—bar·bel·ler, noun[1]



barbellate

barbellate
bar·bel·late 
[brbə làyt, baar
béllət] adjective

with
barbs:
with short hooked barbs or bristles
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin barbella “very small beard,” from Latin barbula (see
barbule ).][1]



barber

barber
bar·ber 
[brbər] noun (plural bar·bers)

somebody who cuts hair:
somebody whose profession it is to cut men’s hair and shave their beards
verb
(past bar·bered, past participle bar·bered, present
participle bar·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·bers)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
somebody’s hair: to cut or shave somebody’s hair,
especially a man’s

2.  intransitive
verb
work
as barber:
to work as a barber
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman barbour, which was formed from French barbe
(see barb 1 ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Barber of Seville, an opera by Italian composer Gioacchino Antonio Rossini
  (1816). A comedy based on a play by Beaumarchais (1775), it tells of the
  attempts of Count Almaviva, disguised as a poor student called Lindoro, to
  woo Rosina, ward of Doctor Bartolo. Almaviva is assisted in his eventful
  courtship by the wily local barber, Figaro.

[1]



barberry

barberry
bar·ber·ry 
[br bèrree] (plural bar·ber·ries)
noun

shrub
with red berries: a thorny flowering shrub native to Asia
but widely grown as a garden or hedge plant, especially a yellow-flowered
variety that has orange or red berries. Genus: Berberis
Also
called
berberis
[14th century. From Old
French berberis (see berberis ),
influenced by berry .][1]



Barber,Samuel

Barber,Samuel
Bar·ber 
[brbər], Samuel (1910–1981)

U.S. composer. His
neo-Romantic works, which include Adagio for Strings ( 1936 ), won two
Pulitzer Prizes.[1]



barbershop

barbershop
bar·ber·shop 
[brbər shòp] (plural bar·ber·shops)
noun

1.  barber’s
business place: the business place of a barber

2.  MUSIC music
for men singing in harmony: a style of popular music for
unaccompanied single-sex voices in close harmony, originally for four male
voices. There are now many female barbershop groups and larger barbershop
choirs.

[1]



Barberton

Barberton
Bar·ber·ton 
[brbərtən]

city in northeastern Ohio, a
southeastern suburb of Akron. Population: 27,623 (1990)[1]



barber’sitch

barber’sitch
bar·ber’s
itch 
noun

skin rash:
any rash or skin eruption on the face and neck, especially around the beard,
caused by a fungal infection.
Also called
barber’s rash[1]



barber’spole

barber’spole
bar·ber’s
pole
(plural bar·ber’s poles) noun

sign of barber’s shop:
a short pole with red and white stripes found outside a barber’s shop[1]



barber’srash

barber’srash
bar·ber’s
rash
noun

See
barber’s itch[1]



barbet

barbet
bar·bet 
[brbət] (plural bar·bets) noun

tropical
bird:
a small brightly colored tropical bird related to the toucan, with a large
head, a thick hairy bill, short rounded wings, and a short tail. Family:
Capitonidae
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “small beard,” formed from barbe (see barb 1 ).][1]



barbette

barbette
bar·bette 
[baar bét] (plural bar·bettes)
noun

1.  warship
armor:
a metal cylinder giving armored protection to a gun turret on a warship

2.  gun
platform:
a mound of earth inside a fortress used as a platform for cannons
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “small beard” (perhaps from the idea of cannon sticking over
the parapet like a line of bristles), formed from barbe (see barb 1 ).][1]



barbican

barbican
bar·bi·can 
[brbikən] (plural bar·bi·cans)
noun

castle
fortification: a strong defensive tower at the entrance
to a town or fortress
[13th century. Via Old French
barbacane from, ultimately, Persian barbarkhana “guard house.”][1]



barbicel

barbicel
bar·bi·cel 
[brbi sèl] (plural bar·bi·cels)
noun

hook
on feather:
a tiny projection on the filaments ( barbules
) of feathers, linking them together
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian or modern Latin barbicella “small beard,” formed from Latin barba
“beard.”][1]



barbie

barbie
bar·bie
[brbee] (plural bar·bies) noun

Australia
barbecue:
a barbecue (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Barbie,Klaus

Barbie,Klaus
Bar·bie
[brbee], Klaus (1913–1991)

German
SS officer. In occupied France during World War II, he deported thousands of
Jews to Auschwitz and killed French Resistance workers. He was tried in France
after extradition from Bolivia (1983) and imprisoned for life.
Known as
The Butcher of Lyons[1]



barbital

barbital
bar·bi·tal 
[brbi tòl, brbi
tàwl] noun

kind
of barbiturate: a barbiturate with a long-lasting
sedative or hypnotic effect, usually prescribed in the form of a white soluble
powder. C8H12N2O3
[Early 20th century. From barbituric acid .][1]



barbiturate

barbiturate
bar·bi·tu·rate 
[baar bíchərət, baar
bíchə ràyt] (plural bar·bi·tu·rates) noun

sedative
drug:
one of a class of barbituric acid derivatives with sedative and hypnotic
properties
[Late 19th century. From barbituric acid .][1]



barbituricacid

barbituricacid
bar·bi·tu·ric
ac·id 
[brbə choorik ássid] noun

chemical
basis of barbiturate drugs: a white crystalline solid
used for making barbiturates. C4H4N2O
[Barbituric from French acide
barbiturique, used to translate German Barbitursäure, coined in 1863
by Adolf von Baeyer, a German chemist, from the name Barbara][1]



BarbizonSchool

BarbizonSchool
Bar·bi·zon
School
[brbə zòn skl] noun

group
of painters: a group of mid-19th-century French
painters, which included Corot, Millet, Daubigny, and Rousseau, noted for their
realistic depictions of landscapes
[Late 19th century. Named for
the village of Barbizon in France, where the artists met.][1]



Barbuda

Barbuda
Bar·bu·da 
[baar bdə]

coral
island of the independent state of Antigua and Barbuda, in the Caribbean Sea.
Population: 1,280 (1995) Area: 161 sq km/62 sq mi. See Antigua and Barbuda
—Bar·bu·dan [baar bd’n] (plural Bar·bu·dans), noun,
adjective[1]



barbule

barbule
bar·bule 
[br byl] (plural bar·bules) noun

feather’s
individual filament: a slender filament attached
to the thicker spines ( barbs ) on a
feather’s central shaft that interlocks with others
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
barbula “little beard,” from barba “beard.”][1]



barbwire

barbwire
barb·wire 
[brb wr] noun

See
barbed wire[1]



barcarole

barcarole
bar·ca·role 
[brkə rl] (plural bar·ca·roles
[brkə rl]) or bar·ca·rolle [brkə rl] (plural bar·ca·rolles) noun

1.  gondoliers’
song:
a song traditionally sung by Venetian gondoliers

2.  instrumental
piece imitating barcarole: a piece of instrumental
music that imitates a gondolier’s song, made popular especially by Chopin and
Mendelssohn
[Early 17th century. Via
French, from Venetian Italian barcaruola, from barcarolo
“gondolier,”from late Latin barca “bark.”][1]



Barcelona

Barcelona
Bar·ce·lo·na 
[brssə lṓnə]

second largest city of Spain
and a major seaport on the northern Mediterranean coast. It is capital of
Barcelona Province and the autonomous region of Catalonia. Population:
1,630,867 (1994)[1]



barchart

barchart
bar
chart 
(plural bar charts) noun

See
bar graph[1]



barcode

barcode
bar
code 
(plural bar codes) noun

computer code on merchandise:
a sequence of numbers and vertical lines identifying an item and often its
price when interpreted by an optical scanner[1]



barcode reader

barcode reader
bar
code read·er (plural bar code read·ers)
noun

electronic interpreter of bar
codes: an optical scanner used to
read bar codes[1]



bard

bard1
bard1 [baard]
(plural bards) noun

1.  ancient
Celtic poet: in ancient Celtic culture, a poet who
composed and recited epic poems describing important events

2.  poet:
a poet, especially one of national importance (literary or humorous)
[15th
century. Via Gaelic bàrd from Celtic . Originally a Scottish term for an
itinerant minstrel-poet; the elevated sense of “poet” dates from the 17th
century.]
—bard·ic, adjective[1]



bard

bard2
bard2 [baard]
noun (plural bards)

armor for horse:
a piece of armor for a horse
transitive
verb
(past bard·ed, past participle bard·ed, present
participle bard·ing, 3rd person present singular bards)

1.  decorate
horse with bard: to put a bard on a horse

2.  COOKING cover
meat with fat: to cover meat with fat before roasting
it to prevent it from drying out
[15th century. Via French barde
from, ultimately, Arabic barḏa’a “saddle cloth, padded saddle.”][1]



Bardeen,John

Bardeen,John
Bar·deen 
[baar dn], John (1908–1991)

U.S. physicist. He shared two
Nobel Prizes in physics, for developing the transistor (1956) and for his
research in superconductivity (1972).[1]



Bardot,Brigitte

Bardot,Brigitte
Bar·dot 
[baar dṓ], Brigitte (1934– )

French
actor and activist. She became an international symbol for movies including And
God Created Woman ( 1956 ). She retired from movies in 1973 to devote
herself to campaigning for animal welfare.
Real name
Javal, Camille[1]



bare

bare
bare
[bair] adjective (comparative bar·er,
superlative bar·est)

1.  not
covered:
not covered by clothing • bare
legs

2.  without
plants:
without vegetation • a bare hillside

3.  without
decoration:
without the usual furnishings or decorations • the
room was bare except for an iron bedstead

4.  basic:
simple or essential • the
bare facts

5.  emphasizing
smallness:
used to emphasize how small something is • the
bare minimum of supplies

6.  minimum:
only just sufficient • the
bare essentials
transitive
verb
(past bared, past participle bared, present
participle bar·ing, 3rd person present singular bares)

expose something:
to reveal or expose something • The
dog bared its teeth. • an
investigative report that bared the details of the conspiracy
[Old
English baer, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word]
—bare·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naked

[1]



bareback

bareback
bare·back 
[báir bàk] or bare·backed [báir bàkt] adverb adjective

on unsaddled horse:
on the bare back of a horse that is usually saddled[1]



barebones

barebones
bare·bones
[bàir bṓnz] adjective

basic:
containing only the basic elements or components • the
cost of a barebones computing system[1]



barebones

barebones
bare
bones
plural noun

the essentials:
the essential elements or structure of something, without any elaboration (informal)[1]



barefaced

barefaced
bare·faced 
[bàir fáyst] adjective

1.  undisguised:
shamelessly undisguised • a
barefaced lie

2.  with
bare face:
with an uncovered or clean-shaven face
—bare·fac·ed·ly
[bàir fáystlee, bàir
fáysədlee], adverb

—bare·fac·ed·ness [bàir fáystnəs, bàir
fáysədnəs], noun[1]



barefoot

barefoot
bare·foot 
[báir ft] or bare·foot·ed [bàir ftəd, báir ftəd]
adjective adverb

without shoes on:
wearing nothing on the feet[1]



barefootdoctor

barefootdoctor
bare·foot
doc·tor
(plural bare·foot doc·tors) noun

roving healthcare worker:
an auxiliary healthcare worker who is trained to carry out various activities,
for example, dispensing of medications, first aid, and delivering babies,
especially one working in rural areas of China[1]



barehanded

barehanded
bare·hand·ed 
[bàir hándəd] adjective adverb

without
weapons or gloves: without weapons, or with
ungloved hands
—bare·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



bareheaded

bareheaded
bare·head·ed 
[bàir hédəd] adjective adverb

with
head uncovered: wearing nothing on the head
—bare·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



bareknuckle

bareknuckle
bare·knuck·le
[báir nùkl] or bare·knuck·led
[báir nùkl’d] adverb

BOXING without
boxing gloves: not wearing boxing gloves
adjective

1.  BOXING using
bare hands:
using ungloved hands • He was
a great bareknuckle champion in his time.

2.  aggressive
and competitive: characterized by open aggression or
competitiveness • a bareknuckle exchange
on the Senate floor

[1]



barelegged

barelegged
bare·leg·ged 
[bàir légd, bàir
léggəd] adjective adverb

with
legs uncovered: with nothing covering the legs
—bare·leg·ged·ness [bàir léggədnəs], noun[1]



barely

barely
bare·ly 
[báirlee] adverb

1.  to
a very limited extent: almost not, or for a very
inadequate amount of time • They
had barely enough money to pay the rent. • She
had barely sat down when the phone rang.
See
also
hardly

2.  simply
and without decoration: sparsely or simply, with no
adornments • a
barely furnished office

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at hardly.

[1]



Barenboim,Daniel

Barenboim,Daniel
Bar·en·boim 
[bàrrən bòym], Daniel (1942– )

Argentinean-born Israeli
pianist and conductor. A noted performer of the classical repertoire, he was
musical director and conductor of orchestras including the English Chamber
Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.[1]



BarentsSea

BarentsSea
Ba·rents
Sea
[bérrənts s]

shallow part of the Arctic
Ocean, north of Norway, Finland, and Russia and south of Franz Josef Land.
Area: 1,370,100 sq km/529,000 sq mi.[1]



Barents,Willem

Barents,Willem
Ba·rents
[brənts] or Ba·rentz [brənts], Willem (1550?–1597)

Dutch explorer. In his search
for a Northeast Passage to Asia, he discovered Spitsbergen. Barents Sea is
named for him.[1]



barf

barf
barf 
[baarf] intransitive and transitive verb
(past barfed, past participle barfed, present
participle barf·ing, 3rd person present singular barfs)

vomit: to
vomit the contents of the stomach (informal)
noun
(plural barfs) (informal)

1.  act
of vomiting: an act of vomiting the contents of the
stomach

2.  something
vomited:
vomited food
[Mid-20th
century. Probably an imitation of the sound.]
—barf·y, adjective[1]



barfly

barfly
bar·fly 
[br fl] (plural bar·flies) noun

person
frequenting bars: somebody who spends large amounts of
time in bars (slang)
[Early 20th century. Formed
by analogy with “house fly” and “fruit fly,” the barfly being regarded as a
similar pest.][1]



bargain

bargain
bar·gain 
[brgən] noun (plural bar·gains)

1.  cheap
purchase:
something offered or bought at less than the normal price

2.  mutual
pact:
an agreement between two people or parties in which each side promises to carry
out an obligation

3.  price
agreement:
a commercial agreement between two parties that fixes the price of something

4.  things
received by agreement: goods or services obtained
by a commercial agreement
verb
(past bar·gained, past participle bar·gained, present
participle bar·gain·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·gains)

1.  intransitive
verb
negotiate
with somebody: to negotiate the terms of an agreement
with somebody

2.  transitive
verb
exchange
something:
to exchange one thing for another
[14th
century. From Old French bargaignier “to trade, negotiate, dispute,” of
uncertain origin, probably ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.]
—bar·gain·er,
noun
in
or into the bargain

as well • hardworking
and very intelligent in the bargain[1]



bargainaway

bargainaway
bargain
away
transitive verb

lose something by unwise
bargaining: to lose something by giving
it away as part of an agreement that is ultimately disadvantageous[1]



bargainbasement

bargainbasement
bar·gain
base·ment
noun (plural bar·gain base·ments)

part
of store selling cheap goods: an area of a store, often in
the basement, selling merchandise cheaply
adjective
bar·gain-base·ment

lower than normal • at
bargain-basement prices[1]



bargainfor

bargainfor
bargain
for
transitive verb

expect something:
to expect or believe something to be of a certain nature, and prepare for it • The
bill was a lot more than we’d bargained for.[1]



bargainhunter

bargainhunter
bar·gain
hunt·er
(plural bar·gain hunt·ers) noun

somebody
seeking out cheap merchandise: somebody who enjoys
seeking out bargains
—bar·gain hunt·ing, noun[1]



bargaining

bargaining
bar·gain·ing
[brgəning] noun

negotiations:
negotiations to reach an agreement, especially between employers and employees[1]



bargainingchip

bargainingchip
bar·gain·ing
chip 
(plural bar·gain·ing chips) noun

negotiating asset:
something that can be used as leverage in negotiations[1]



bargainon

bargainon
bargain
on
transitive verb

expect something:
expect or believe something will happen, and prepare for it • We
hadn’t bargained on the train arriving early.[1]



barge

barge
barge 
[baarj] noun (plural barg·es)

1.  freight
boat:
a long narrow flat-bottomed boat used for transporting freight on rivers or
canals

2.  open
boat used ceremonially: a large open boat used
during ceremonies

3.  small
naval boat:
a motorboat used by a high-ranking naval officer for ceremonial occasions • an
admiral’s barge
verb
(past barged, past participle barged, present
participle barg·ing, 3rd person present singular barg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
roughly:
to move roughly, colliding with other people

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb push:
to push somebody or something roughly

3.  transitive
verb
transport
by barge:
to transport freight by barge
[13th century. From Old
French barge or medieval Latin bargia, of uncertain origin,
perhaps from late Latin barca (source of English barque ), or from Greek baris “Nile
boat.”][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.








bargeboard

bargeboard
barge·board 
[brj bàwrd] (plural barge·boards)
noun

roof
edging:
an ornamental board attached to the gable end of a roof
[Mid-19th century. Barge from
medieval Latin bargus, a kind of gallows.][1]



bargecourse

bargecourse
barge
course
(plural barge cours·es) noun

1.  roof’s
overhang:
the overhang of a roof at its gable end

2.  wall’s
top layer of bricks: bricks laid on their edge as
the top layer of a brick wall
[Barge from medieval Latin bargus,
a kind of gallows][1]



bargee

bargee
barg·ee 
[baar j] (plural barg·ees) noun

U.K.
See bargeman[1]



bargein

bargein
barge
in
transitive verb

intrude:
to enter or intrude suddenly or rudely • Don’t
just barge in here without knocking.[1]



bargein on

bargein on
barge
in on
transitive verb

interrupt:
to interrupt somebody in a clumsy or rude manner • Don’t
barge in on them; they are having a private meeting.[1]



bargello

bargello

bar·gel·lo 
[baar jéllō] (plural bar·gel·los)
noun
needlepoint
stitch:
a straight needlepoint stitch that is worked in zigzag waves across the canvas
to create chevron or scallop patterns.
Also
called
Florentine stitch
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Bargello Palace in Florence, Italy, where there are several
examples.][1]



bargeman

bargeman
barge·man 
[brjmən] (plural barge·men [brjmən]) noun

barge captain or crew member:
a person who works on a freight-carrying barge, either as the captain or a crew
member.
U.K. term
bargee[1]



bargepole

bargepole
barge·pole
[brj pl] (plural barge·poles)
noun

long pole:
a long pole used to propel barges[1]



barghest

barghest
bar·ghest 
[br gèst] (plural bar·ghests
[br gèst]) or bar·guest [br gèst] (plural bar·guests) noun

ghostly
animal portending doom: a spirit that takes the form
of a black dog or other animal, believed to portend death or tragedy to anyone
who sees it
[Mid-18th century. From bar
of uncertain origin (possibly from barrow 2 ) + ghest,
a dialectal variant of ghost .][1]



bargirl

bargirl
bar
girl
(plural bar girls) noun

See
B-girl[1]



bargraph

bargraph

bar graph 
(plural bar graphs) noun
graph with bars representing values:
a graph consisting of a series of vertical or horizontal bars representing
statistical data.
Also called
bar chart[1]



barguest

barguest
bar·guest 
noun

See
barghest[1]



BarHarbor

BarHarbor
Bar
Har·bor 
[br hrbər]

town and tourist spot on
Mount Desert Island, southeastern Maine. It is near Acadia National Park.
Population: 4,571 (1996)[1]



barhop

barhop
bar·hop 
[br hòp] (past bar·hopped, past
participle bar·hopped, present participle bar·hop·ping,
3rd person present singular bar·hops) intransitive verb

go to different bars:
to visit a number of different bars during an evening (informal)[1]



bariatrics

bariatrics
bar·i·at·rics 
[bàrree áttriks] noun

treatment
of obesity:
the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of obesity (takes a
singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from baro- + -iatrics .]
—bar·i·at·ric, adjective[1]



baric

baric
bar·ic
[báirik] adjective

1.  of
barium:
relating to or containing barium

2.  of
barometric pressure: relating to barometric
pressure

[1]



barilla

barilla
ba·ril·la 
[bə ríllə] noun

1.  plant
burned for sodium carbonate: a European plant once burned
to produce a form of sodium carbonate. Latin name: Salsola kali Salsola
soda

2.  ash
from barilla plant: a sodium carbonate and
sodium sulfate alkali ash obtained from burning the barilla plant, formerly
used in making soap
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish barilla “small bar,” from barra “bar.”][1]



barit.

barit.
barit.

Abbreviation of
baritone[1]



barite

barite
bar·ite 
[bái rt] noun

barium
sulfate in mineral form: barium sulfate in the form
of a yellow, white, or colorless mineral, the main ore from which barium is
obtained. BaSO4 
U.K.
term
barytes
[Mid-19th century. From barium and -ite
.][1]



baritone

baritone
bar·i·tone 
[bàrrə tn] (plural bar·i·tones)
or bar·y·tone [bàrrə tn] (plural
bar·y·tones) noun

1.  man
singer or voice: a man’s singing voice with a range lower
than a tenor and higher than a bass, or a singer with this voice

2.  wind
instrument:
a wind instrument with the second lowest range in its family
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian baritono from Greek barutonos, “deep-sounding,
baritone.”][1]



barium

barium

bar·i·um 
[báiree əm] noun
silver-white
chemical element: a soft silver-white toxic chemical
element used in alloys. Symbol Ba
[Early 19th century. From baryta + -ium
.][1]



bariumenema

bariumenema
bar·i·um
en·e·ma
(plural bar·i·um en·e·mas) noun

X-ray fluid in rectum:
the introduction of a barium salt suspension into the rectum and colon before
an X-ray is taken[1]



bariumsulfate

bariumsulfate
bar·i·um
sul·fate
noun

white or yellowish compound:
a white or yellowish odorless powder, useful in medicine because it cannot be
penetrated by X-rays. BaSO4[1]



bark

bark1

bark1  [baark]
noun (plural barks)

1.  dog’s
noise:
the natural loud abrupt sound made by a dog or fox

2.  sound
resembling dog’s noise: a sound similar to the bark
of a dog • the
bark of guns in the distance
verb (past
barked, past participle barked, present participle bark·ing,
3rd person present singular barks)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
dog’s sound: to make the loud abrupt sound of a dog
or fox

2.  intransitive
verb
make
sound similar to dog’s: to make a sound similar to a
dog’s bark

3.        intransitive
and transitive verb speak
aggressively: to say something in a
loud or aggressive manner • He
barked out an order.[1]



bark

bark2
bark2  [baark]
noun

outer layer of tree:
the rough outer covering of the woody stems of trees or other plants
transitive
verb
(past barked, past participle barked, present
participle bark·ing, 3rd person present singular barks)

1.  graze
skin:
to have the skin rubbed off a part of the body through abrasive contact with
another object • I barked my shins
climbing the fence.

2.  strip
bark from tree: to remove the bark from a tree or log

3.  MANUFACTURING tan
leather using bark: to tan leather using tannins
derived from some kinds of bark
[13th
century. From Old Norse börkr .]
—bark·y, adjective[1]



bark

bark3
bark3  [baark]
(plural barks [baark]) or
barque [baark] (plural barques)
noun

1.  small
ship with sails running breadthways: a
small sailing ship with masts whose sails are fixed breadthways ( square ) except for the last mast, which has its
sail running lengthwise ( fore-and-aft )

2.  small
boat:
any small sailing ship or boat

[1]



barkbeetle

barkbeetle
bark
bee·tle
(plural bark bee·tles) noun

small burrowing beetle:
a beetle that burrows under the bark of trees. Family: Scolytidae[1]



barkeep

barkeep
bar·keep
[br kp] (plural bar·keeps) noun

See
bartender[1]



barkeeper

barkeeper
bar·keep·er 
[br kpər] (plural bar·keep·ers
[br kp]) noun

1.  person
running bar: somebody who owns or runs a bar

2.  See
bartender

[1]



barker

barker2
bark·er2 [brkər]
(plural bark·ers) noun

tree stripper:
a person or machine that strips bark off trees and logs or prepares bark for
tanning[1]



barker

barker1
bark·er1 [brkər]
(plural bark·ers) noun

1.  advertiser
of fairground attractions: somebody who stands outside
the entrance to a fair, carnival, or other place of entertainment and shouts
out its attractions

2.  barking
dog:
a dog that barks, especially one that barks a lot

[1]



Barkley,Alben W.

Barkley,Alben W.
Bar·kley
[brklee], Alben W., 35th vice president of
the United States (1877–1956)

He
was a member of the U.S. Senate and was Truman’s vice president (1949–1953).
Full name
Barkley, Alben William[1]



barkmantis

barkmantis
bark
man·tis
(plural bark man·tis·es or bark man·tes) noun

insect looking like bark:
an insect whose shape and color blends in well with tree bark. Latin name: Gonatista
grisea[1]



bar-le-duc

bar-le-duc
bar-le-duc
[br lə dk] (plural bar-le-ducs)
noun

type
of preserve: a preserve made from gooseberries or
white and red currants
[Named for the town of Bar-le-Duc
in northeastern France][1]



barley

barley
bar·ley 
[brlee] noun

1.  grain
crop:
a cereal plant with a long head of whiskered grains, widely grown for food,
malt production, and livestock feed. Latin name: Hordeum vulgare

2.  grain:
the grain from a barley plant
[Old English bærlic
“barley-like,” formed from bære, bere “barley,” (source of
English barn ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English farina and farrago
.][1]



barleycorn

barleycorn
bar·ley·corn 
[brli kàwrn] (plural bar·ley·corns)
noun

grain of barley:
a single grain of barley (archaic)[1]



barleysugar

barleysugar
bar·ley
sug·ar
(plural bar·ley sug·ars) noun

kind of hard candy:
a clear hard candy made from boiled-down sugar,[1]



Barlow,Joel

Barlow,Joel
Bar·low 
[brlō], Joel (1754–1812)

U.S. politician and poet. A
diplomat, he is best known for his poem ‘Hasty Pudding’ ( 1796 ).[1]



Barlowknife

Barlowknife
Bar·low
knife
[brlō nf] (plural Bar·low knives)
noun

twin-blade
pocketknife: a pocketknife with one blade for cutting
and another for poking or gouging
[Late 18th century. Named for
the original makers, the Barlow family, cutlers in Sheffield, England.][1]



barm

barm
barm 
[baarm] noun

yeasty
foam on liquor: the foam that rises to the surface
during the fermentation of malt liquor
[Old English beorma .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English brew, bread, and broth
.][1]



barmaid

barmaid
bar·maid 
[br màyd] (plural bar·maids) noun

woman serving in bar:
a woman who serves in a bar[1]



barman

barman
bar·man 
[brmən] (plural bar·men [brmən]) noun

U.K.
man serving in bar:
a man who serves in a bar[1]



Barmecidal

Barmecidal
Bar·me·cid·al 
[brmə sd’l] or Bar·me·cide [brmə sd] adjective

falsely
abundant:
abundant or lavish only in appearance and not in reality (literary)
[Mid-18th century. From Barmecide,
a prince in The Arabian Nights who served a series of empty dishes to a
hungry beggar to test his sense of humor.][1]



barmitzvah

barmitzvah
bar
mitz·vah 
[baar mítsvə] (plural bar
mitz·vahs) noun

1.  Jewish
rite of passage: the ritual ceremony that marks the 13th
birthday of a Jewish boy, after which he takes full responsibility for his
moral and spiritual conduct

2.  Jewish
boy reaching 13: a Jewish boy who has reached the age of
13, the age of religious responsibility
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew bar miṣwāh, literally “son of the commandment.”][1]



barmy

barmy
barm·y 
[brmee] (comparative barm·i·er,
superlative barm·i·est) or balm·y [brmee] (comparative balm·i·er, superlative
balm·i·est) adjective U.K. (informal)

1.  slightly
irrational:
unconventional or slightly irrational in behavior

2.  nonsensical:
completely lacking in good sense or reason • That’s
a barmy idea and you know it.
[15th century. Literally
“frothy,” formed from barm .][1]



barn

barn
barn 
[baarn] (plural barns) noun

1.  large
farm outbuilding: a large outbuilding on a farm used to
store grain or shelter livestock

2.  large
building:
any large building, especially one that is plain and functional

3.  vehicle
storage building: a large building for housing railroad
cars, trucks, or other vehicles
[Old English ber(e)n
“barley house,” from bere “barley” (see barley
) + ærn “house, place”][1]



Barnabas,Saint

Barnabas,Saint
Bar·na·bas 
[brnəbəss], Saint (lived 1st century AD)

Cypriot
missionary. He was a companion of St. Paul during Paul’s early ministry, and is
traditionally thought to have founded the Cypriot church.
Born
Joseph[1]



barnacle

barnacle
bar·na·cle 
[brnək’l] (plural bar·na·cles)
noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY clinging
marine organism: a small marine organism with a shell
that clings to rocks and ships and draws food by using slender hairs ( cirri ). Subclass: Cirripedia

2.  ZOOLOGY See barnacle goose

3.  somebody
who clings:
a clinging or dependent person or thing
[12th century. From medieval
Latin berneca, of unknown origin.][1]



barnaclegoose

barnaclegoose
bar·na·cle
goose
(plural bar·na·cle geese) noun

European wild goose:
a wild goose found in northern Europe and Greenland that has gray wings and a
black-and-white head and body. Latin name: Branta leucopsis[1]



Barnard,Christiaan

Barnard,Christiaan
Bar·nard
[brnaard], Christiaan (1922– )

South
African surgeon. He performed the world’s first successful human heart
transplant operation in 1967.
Full name
Barnard, Christiaan Neethling[1]



Barnard,Edward

Barnard,Edward
Bar·nard
[brnərd], Edward (1857–1923)

U.S.
astronomer. He discovered comets, stars and moons, including Amalthea, a moon
of Jupiter, (1892) and Barnard’s star (1916). He was also a pioneering
astrophotographer.
Full name
Barnard, Edward Emerson[1]



Barnard,Henry

Barnard,Henry

Bar·nard
[brnaard], Henry (1811–1900)
U.S. educator and legislator. A tireless
reformer of public education, he was the first U.S. commissioner of education
(1867–1870).[1]



Barnard’sstar

Barnard’sstar
Bar·nard’s
star
[br naardz str, brnərdz
str] noun

star
in Ophiuchus constellation: a red dwarf star in the
constellation Ophiuchus
[Early 20th century. Named
for Edward Emerson Barnard .][1]



barnburner

barnburner
barn·burn·er 
[brn bùrnər] (plural barn·burn·ers)
noun

impressive
event:
an event or occasion memorable for being impressive or successful (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Supposedly
from a story of a man who burned down his barn to rid it of rats.][1]



barndance

barndance
barn
dance
(plural barn danc·es) noun

party with square dancing:
a party, originally held in a barn, with square dancing[1]



BarnegatBay

BarnegatBay
Bar·ne·gat
Bay
[brnə gat bày, brnəgət
bày]

inlet on the coast of New
Jersey, separated from the Atlantic Ocean by Long Beach Island and Island Beach
Peninsula[1]



barnowl

barnowl
barn
owl
(plural barn owls) noun

whitish owl that nests in
barns: an owl with white and pale
brown feathers that often nests in barns.
Also called
monkey-faced owl[1]



barnraising

barnraising
barn
rais·ing
(plural barn rais·ings) noun

communal building of barn:
the building of a wooden barn by a team of people, traditionally a small rural
community, often presented as a symbol of bygone community fellowship[1]



Barnstable

Barnstable
Barn·sta·ble 
[brnstəb’l]

city and tourist resort in
southeastern Massachusetts on an inlet of Cape Cod Bay. Population: 43,699
(1996)[1]



barnstorm

barnstorm
barn·storm 
[brn stàwrm] (past barn·stormed,
past participle barn·stormed, present participle barn·storm·ing,
3rd person present singular barn·storms) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
performing tour of rural areas: to travel from place
to place giving performances

2.  intransitive
verb
do
flying stunts: to perform exhibitions of aerial
acrobatics at shows and fairs

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb tour
rural areas making political speeches: to go
on a whistle-stop tour of rural areas making political speeches as part of an
election campaign
—barn·storm·er,
noun

—barn·storm·ing [brn stàwrming], adjective[1]



barnswallow

barnswallow
barn
swal·low
(plural barn swal·lows) noun

common swallow:
a common swallow, that has long pointed wings, a forked tail, a navy blue back,
and light brown underparts. Latin name: Hirundo rustica[1]



Barnum,P. T.

Barnum,P. T.

Bar·num 
[brnəm], P. T. (1810–1891)
U.S.
showman, known for his spectacular circuses, including “The Greatest Show on
Earth” (1871). With James Bailey (1847–1906) he originated the Barnum and
Bailey Circus (1881).
Full name
Barnum, Phineas Taylor[1]



barnyard

barnyard
barn·yard 
[brn yrd] noun (plural barn·yards)

area
of farm around barn: the area around a barn,
where small farm animals roam
adjective

crude:
crude or vulgar (informal) • barnyard
humor[1]



barnyardgrass

barnyardgrass
barn·yard
grass
noun

coarse weedy grass:
a coarse weedy grass with spiky clusters of flowers, sometimes grown as forage.
Latin name: Echinochloa crusgalli[1]



baroceptor

baroceptor
bar·o·cep·tor
[bárrə sèptər] (plural bar·o·cep·tors)

See
baroreceptor[1]



barogram

barogram
bar·o·gram 
[bárrə gràm] (plural bar·o·grams)
noun

atmospheric pressure reading:
a record of atmospheric pressure produced by a barograph or other
meteorological instrument[1]



barograph

barograph
bar·o·graph 
[bárrə gràf] (plural bar·o·graphs)
noun

barometer
supplying continuous record: a barometer that gives a
continuous printed record of variations in atmospheric pressure
—bar·o·graph·ic [bàrrə gráffik], adjective[1]



Barolo

Barolo
Ba·ro·lo 
[bə rṓllo, ba rṓllo]
noun

Italian red wine:
a full-bodied red wine made in the area around Barolo in northwestern Italy[1]



barometer

barometer
ba·rom·e·ter 
[bə rómmətər] (plural ba·rom·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
measuring atmospheric pressure: an instrument
measuring changes in atmospheric pressure, used in weather forecasting

2.  indicator
of mood:
something that indicates an atmosphere or mood • the
barometer of public opinion
—bar·o·met·ric
[bàrrə méttrik], adjective

—bar·o·met·ri·cal
[bèrrə méttrik’l], adjective

—bar·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[bèrrə méttrikəlee], adverb

—ba·rom·e·try [bə rómmətree], noun[1]



barometricpressure

barometricpressure
bar·o·met·ric
pres·sure
noun

atmospheric pressure recorded
on barometer: atmospheric pressure as
recorded by a barometer[1]



baron

baron
bar·on 
[bárrən] (plural bar·ons) noun

1.  nobleman:
a male member of the lowest rank of British or Japanese nobility, or a nobleman
of various ranks in some European countries

2.  powerful
person:
somebody who has power or influence • an oil
baron

3.  medieval
nobleman:
a nobleman in the Middle Ages who was given land in return for loyal service

4.  cut
of meat:
a cut of beef consisting of a double sirloin, joined at the backbone
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman barun and Old French baron from medieval Latin baron-
“man, warrior.” Probably ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English bairn .][1]



baronage

baronage
bar·on·age 
[bérrənij] noun

1.  barons
as a group:
barons considered collectively

2.  rank
of baron:
a baron’s rank or position

[1]



baroness

baroness
bar·on·ess 
[bérrənəs, bérrə
nès] (plural bar·on·ess·es) noun

1.  noblewoman:
a woman who belongs to the lowest rank of British or Japanese nobility, or to
any of various ranks of the nobility in some European countries

2.  baron’s
wife or widow: a baron’s wife or widow

[1]



baronet

baronet
bar·on·et 
[bérrənət, bérrə
nèt] (plural bar·on·ets) noun

minor nobleman:
a British man who holds the lowest hereditary rank of honor[1]



baronetage

baronetage
bar·on·et·age 
[bérrənətij] noun

1.  baronets
as a group:
baronets collectively

2.  See
baronetcy

[1]



baronetcy

baronetcy
bar·on·et·cy 
[bérrənətsee] noun

rank of baronet:
a baronet’s rank or position.
Also called
baronetage[1]



barong

barong
ba·rong 
[bə ráwng, bə
róng] (plural ba·rongs) noun

broad-bladed
knife:
a large knife with a broad blade, used by the Moro people of the Philippines
[Late 19th century. From
Malayo-Polynesian .][1]



baronial

baronial
ba·ro·ni·al 
[bə rṓnee əl] adjective

1.  relating
to barons:
relating to or associated with barons

2.  large
and impressive: large, imposing, or sumptuous • a
baronial fireplace

[1]



barony

barony
bar·o·ny 
[bàrrənee] (plural bar·o·nies)
noun

1.  baron’s
rank or land: a baron’s rank or position, or the land
held by a baron

2.  influential
person’s territory: a powerful businessperson’s
area of influence • a newspaper tycoon
zealously guarding his barony

[1]



barophilic

barophilic
bar·o·phil·ic 
[bàrrə fíllik] adjective

tolerant
of high atmospheric pressure: used to describe an organism
that can tolerate high atmospheric pressure
—bar·o·phile [bàrrə fl], noun[1]



barophobic

barophobic
ba·ro·pho·bic
[bàrrə fṓbik] adjective

not
tolerant of high atmospheric pressure: used
to describe an organism that cannot tolerate conditions of high atmospheric
pressure
—ba·ro·phobe
[bàrrə fb] (plural ba·ro·phobes),
noun

—ba·ro·pho·bi·a (plural
baro·pho·bi·as), noun[1]



Baroque

Baroque

Ba·roque
noun

1.  flamboyant
style of architecture and art: a highly ornamental
style of European architecture and art that lasted from the mid-16th to the
early 18th centuries, or this period in European history

2.  17thC
classical music: classical music of the 17th century, the
period of such composers as Purcell, Vivaldi, and Telemann
—Ba·roque, adjective[1]



baroque

baroque
ba·roque 
[bə rṓk, bə rók]
adjective

1.  in
very ornamental style: bizarre or highly
exaggerated in style

2.  in
17thC style: in the Baroque style of art or
architecture
[Mid-18th
century. Via French, applied to ornate architecture, from Italian barocco
and Portuguese barroco “irregularly shaped pearl,” of unknown origin.]
—ba·roque·ly, adverb[1]



baroreceptor

baroreceptor
bar·o·re·cep·tor 
[bárrō ri sèptər] (plural bar·o·re·cep·tors
[bérrō sèptər]) noun

pressure-sensitive nerve
ending: a nerve ending that is
sensitive to blood pressure changes.
Also called
baroceptor[1]



barothermograph

barothermograph
bar·o·ther·mo·graph
[bàrrə thérmə gràf] (plural bar·o·ther·mo·graphs)
noun

instrument that records
temperature and pressure: an
instrument that records atmospheric pressure and temperature simultaneously[1]



barotitis

barotitis
bar·o·ti·tis
noun

pressure pain in ear:
pain in the ear caused by pressure differences, for example, during air travel
(informal)[1]



barotrauma

barotrauma
baro·trauma
[bárrō trawmə] noun

MEDICINE
pain caused by atmospheric pressure:
pain in and possible damage to an organ occurring as a result of changes in
atmospheric pressure[1]



barouche

barouche
ba·rouche 
[bə rsh] (plural ba·rouches) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, widely used in the 19th century, with two
facing double seats, a retractable hood, and a box seat at the front for the
driver
[Early 19th century. Via
German dialect Barutsche from Italian baroccio “two-wheeled,”
from, ultimately, Latin birotus, from rota “wheel.”][1]



barperson

barperson
bar·per·son
[br pùrs’n] (plural bar·peo·ple
[br pp’l]) noun

somebody working in bar:
somebody who serves in a bar[1]



barpoint

barpoint
bar
point
noun

point on backgammon board:
the seventh point on a large backgammon board, near the bar[1]



barque

barque
barque 
[baark] noun

See
bark 3[1]



Barquisimeto

Barquisimeto
Bar·qui·si·me·to
[br kə sə máytō]

city in northwestern
Venezuela and the capital of Lara State, on the Turbio River. Population:
602,662 (1991)[1]



barra

barra
bar·ra
[bárrə] (plural bar·ras or
bar·ra) noun

See
barramundi  noun[1]



barrack

barrack2
bar·rack2 [bárrək]
(past bar·racked, past participle bar·racked, present
participle bar·rack·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·racks)
intransitive and transitive verb (informal)

1.  U.K.
shout
at somebody in protest: to shout at somebody in
criticism or protest

2.  Australia
shout
in support of somebody: to shout support for
somebody, especially a player or team
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain, possibly from Northern Irish dialect barrack
“brag.” Originally Australian .]
—bar·rack·er [bérrəkər], noun[1]



barrack

barrack1
bar·rack1 [bárrək]
noun (plural bar·racks)

See barracks
transitive
verb
(past bar·racked, past participle bar·racked, present
participle bar·rack·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·racks)

1.  put
soldiers in barracks: to house soldiers in a
barracks

2.  put
somebody in temporary accommodation: to
house people in any kind of temporary accommodation (often passive)
[Late 17th century. From barracks .][1]



barracks

barracks
bar·racks
[bárrəks] noun (takes a singular
or plural verb)

1.  soldiers’
quarters:
a building used to accommodate military personnel

2.  temporary
accommodation: any temporary accommodation
[Late 17th century. Via
French baraque from Italian baracca or Spanish barraca
“soldier’s tent,” also called “barrack,” of unknown origin.][1]



barracoon

barracoon
bar·ra·coon 
[bàrrə kn, bérrə
kn] (plural bar·ra·coons) noun

temporary
prison:
in former times, a large building used to confine convicts or enslaved persons
temporarily
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish barracon “large barracks,” from barraca “barracks.”][1]



barracouta

barracouta
bar·ra·cou·ta
[bàrrə ktə] (plural bar·ra·cou·tas
or bar·ra·cou·ta) noun

predatory
Pacific fish: a large predatory sea fish with strong
teeth and a projecting lower jaw, found only in the Pacific Ocean. It has teeth
like a barracuda, but is not related to it. Family: Gempylidae
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of barracuda .][1]



barracuda

barracuda
bar·ra·cu·da 
[bàrrə kdə] (plural bar·ra·cu·das
or bar·ra·cu·da) noun

predatory
sea fish:
a predatory sea fish with a long body and protruding jaws and teeth, found in
tropical seas. Genus: Sphyraena
[Late 17th century. Via
American Spanish, from Spanish dialect barraco “overlapping tooth,” of
unknown origin.][1]



barrage

barrage
bar·rage
[bə rzh] noun (plural bar·rag·es)

1.  military
bombardment: a long continuous burst of gunfire

2.  attacking
flow of something: a rapid attacking outpouring
of something • a
barrage of criticism

3.  river
barrier:
an artificial barrier built across a river or canal to provide water or prevent
flooding
transitive
verb
(past bar·raged, past participle bar·raged, present
participle bar·rag·ing, 3rd person present singular bar·rag·es)

1.  fire
continuously on enemy: to attack an enemy with
rapid and continuous gunfire

2.  attack
somebody continuously: to subject somebody to a
relentless onslaught • Those
two have been barraging me with questions all morning.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “barrier,” from barrer “to block,” from barre “bar” (see bar 1 ).][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








barrageballoon

barrageballoon
bar·rage
bal·loon 
(plural bar·rage bal·loons) noun

military balloon:
any one of a set of large balloons anchored to the ground in wartime to deter
enemy aircraft[1]



barramundi

barramundi
bar·ra·mun·di
[bàrrə múndee] (plural bar·ra·mun·dis
or bar·ra·mun·dies or bar·ra·mun·di) or bar·ra·mun·da
[bèrrə múndə] (plural bar·ra·mun·das
or bar·ra·mun·da) noun

edible
Australian fish: an edible Australian fish of the perch
family. Latin name: Lates calcarifer
Also
called
barra
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain, probably from a Queensland Aboriginal word.][1]



barranca

barranca
bar·ran·ca 
[bə ráng kə] (plural bar·ran·cas)
or bar·ran·co [bə ráng kō] (plural
bar·ran·cos) noun

Southwestern
U.S.
a ravine or steep bank
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, of unknown origin.][1]



Barranquilla

Barranquilla
Bar·ran·quil·la 
[b raan k yə]

river port and capital of
Atlántico Department, northern Colombia. It is situated on the Magdalena River,
about 13 km/8 mi inland from the Caribbean Sea. Population: 1,064,255 (1995)[1]



barratry

barratry
bar·ra·try 
[bàrrətree] noun

1.  LAW bringing
of unreasonable lawsuits: the illegal action of
persistently bringing lawsuits for little or no reason

2.  illegal
shipping practice: any unlawful practice
committed by a ship’s master or crew that harms its owner or charterer

3.  buying
of church or government position: the sale or purchase
of a position in government or the church
[15th
century. From French baraterie “combat, deceit,” from barater “to
fight, cheat,” ultimately from Greek prattein “to do” (source of English
practice ).]
—bar·ra·tor,
noun

—bar·ra·trous,
adjective

—bar·ra·trous·ly, adverb[1]



Barrbody

Barrbody
Barr
bod·y 
[br bòdee] (plural Barr bod·ies)
noun

chromosome
used to identify sex: an inactive X chromosome
present in the cells of females, used in a test to determine sex.
Also
called
sex chromatin
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Canadian anatomist Murray L. Barr, born 1908, who first reported its
existence.][1]



barre

barre
barre
[baar] (plural bar·res) noun

exercise
bar:
a rail attached to a wall, at about hip height, used by ballet dancers when
exercising.
Also
called
bar 1
[Mid-20th century. From
French (see bar 1 ).][1]



Barre

Barre
Barre
[bárree]

city in east central Vermont
noted for its granite quarries. Population: 9,206 (1996)[1]



barred

barred
barred 
[baard] adjective

1.  with
stripes:
having strips of color

2.  with
bars fitted: fitted with or made of bars

3.  closed:
closed off

[1]



barredowl

barredowl
barred
owl
(plural barred owls) noun

N American owl with striped
breast: a large North American owl
with dark eyes, broad brownish stripes across its breast, and streaked
underparts. Latin name: Strix varia[1]



barredspiral galaxy

barredspiral galaxy
barred
spi·ral gal·ax·y (plural barred spi·ral
gal·ax·ies) noun

galaxy with arms spiraling
from bar: a galaxy in which the stars
form a spiral with a bright bar across the center[1]



barrel

barrel
bar·rel 
[bàrrəl] noun (plural bar·rels)

1.  large
cask:
a cylindrical container with a flat top and bottom, used to store liquids

2.  amount
held by barrel: the amount held by a barrel.
Also
called
barrelful

3.  unit
of volume in oil industry: a unit of liquid volume used
in the oil industry, usually taken to be 42 U.S. gallons ( approximately 159
liters )

4.  unit
of volume in brewing industry: a unit of liquid
volume used in the brewing industry, equal to 31 U.S. gallons (approximately
164 liters )

5.  tubelike
part of a gun: the tube-shaped part of gun through
which bullets are fired

6.  cylindrical
part:
any one of various hollow cylindrical devices that form part of a mechanism,
for example, in clocks and watches
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bar·reled
or bar·relled, past participle bar·reled or bar·relled,
present participle bar·rel·ing or bar·rel·ling, 3rd
person present singular bar·rels)

travel fast: to
move somewhere at high speed (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French barril from medieval Latin barriclus
“small cask.”]
scrape
the bottom of the barrel

to
use somebody or something of very poor quality because nothing or no one else
is available

over
a barrel

having little room to
maneuver[1]



barrelcactus

barrelcactus
bar·rel
cac·tus
noun

cactus without branches:
a cactus with unbranched spiny stems, native to Mexico and the southwestern
United States. Genera: Ferocactus Echinocactus[1]



barrelchair

barrelchair

bar·rel chair
(plural bar·rel chairs) noun
high-backed chair:
an upholstered chair with a high, curved, solid back that looks like part of a
barrel[1]



barrel-chested

barrel-chested
bar·rel-chest·ed
adjective

large-chested:
with a large rounded chest[1]



barrelful

barrelful
bar·rel·ful 
[bérrəl fl] (plural bar·rel·fuls)
noun

See
barrel  noun 2[1]



barrelhead

barrelhead
bar·rel·head 
[bérrəl hèd] (plural bar·rel·heads)
noun

barrel’s top:
the flat circular top of a barrel[1]



barrelhouse

barrelhouse
bar·rel·house 
[bàrrəl hòws] (plural bar·rel·houses
[bérrəl hòwzəz]) noun

1.  seedy
bar:
a cheap disreputable bar, especially one where there is music and dancing (dated)

2.  style
of jazz:
a loud rough style of jazz characterized by a heavy two-beat rhythm
[Late 19th century. So called
from the barrels of liquor along the walls.][1]



barrelorgan

barrelorgan
bar·rel
or·gan
(plural bar·rel or·gans) noun

mechanical
organ operated by hand: a mechanical musical
instrument consisting of a cylinder turned with a handle, which allows air to
pass through a set of pipes
[So called from the internal cylinder
or barrel][1]



barrelroll

barrelroll
bar·rel
roll
(past bar·rel rolled, past participle bar·rel rolled,
present participle bar·rel rol·ling, 3rd person present
singular bar·rel rolls, plural bar·rel rolls) noun

flight maneuver:
a flight maneuver in which an aircraft makes one complete sideways revolution[1]



barrelvault

barrelvault
bar·rel
vault
(plural bar·rel vaults) noun

ceiling with half-cylinder
shape: a ceiling in the shape of a
half cylinder.
Also called
tunnel vault
Also called
wagon vault[1]



barren

barren
bar·ren 
[bàrrən] adjective

1.  bare
of vegetation: with no trees or other plants growing

2.  not
fruiting:
producing no fruit or seed

3.  unable
to have children: not able to bear children (archaic or
literary)

4.  with
no useful result: not producing valuable results or
interesting effects • It was
a barren period in his career.

5.  lacking
in something: lacking in a particular thing (literary)
• Our
writers seem somewhat barren of new ideas.
noun

flat scrubland:
an area of flat, scrubby, unproductive land (often used in the plural)
[12th
century. From Old French baraigne, of unknown origin.]
—bar·ren·ly,
adverb

—bar·ren·ness, noun[1]



barret

barret
bar·ret
[bárrət] (plural bar·rets) noun

kind
of flat hat: a flat hat similar in shape to the
biretta worn by Roman Catholic clergy
[Early 19th century. Via
French barrette from Italian berretta “biretta” (see biretta ).][1]



barrette

barrette
bar·rette 
[bə rét] (plural bar·rettes) noun

hair
clasp:
a metal or plastic clasp used by women and girls to keep their hair in place
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “small bar,” formed from barre “bar” (see bar 1 ).][1]



barricade

barricade
bar·ri·cade 
[bárri kàyd, bárri
káyd] noun (plural bar·ri·cades)

defensive
barrier:
a barrier that protects defenders or blocks a route
transitive
verb
(past bar·ri·cad·ed, past participle bar·ri·cad·ed,
present participle bar·ri·cad·ing, 3rd person present singular
bar·ri·cades)

obstruct
something with barricades: to obstruct or protect
something, or protect yourself, using barricades
[Late 16th century. From
French, formed from barrique “barrel.” So called because the earliest
barricades were made of barrels filled with earth, rock, and debris.][1]



Barrie,J. M.

Barrie,J. M.

Bar·rie 
[bàrree], Sir J. M. (1860–1937)
British
author. He wrote Peter Pan ( 1904 ) and numerous other plays including The
Admirable Crichton ( 1902 ).
Full name
Barrie, Sir James Matthew[1]



barrier

barrier
bar·ri·er 
[bàrree ər] (plural bar·ri·ers)
noun

1.  thing
that obstructs: something that obstructs or separates,
often by emphasizing differences

2.  structure
blocking access: a structure, for example, a fence,
intended to prevent access or keep one place separate from another

3.  limit
or standard: something considered to be a limit,
standard, or boundary

4.  GEOGRAPHY ice
shelf:
the part of the Antarctic ice shelf that extends over the sea and partly rests
on the ocean floor
[14th century. Via Old French
barriere from, ultimately, Vulgar Latin barra “bar” (see bar 1 ).][1]



barrierisland

barrierisland
bar·ri·er
is·land
(plural bar·ri·er is·lands) noun

protective sandy island:
a long sandy island that runs parallel to a coastline and serves to protect the
shore from erosion[1]



barriermethod

barriermethod
bar·ri·er
meth·od
(plural bar·ri·er meth·ods) noun

contraception creating
physical barrier to womb: a method of
contraception in which the access of sperm to the womb is blocked, for example,
by use of a condom or diaphragm[1]



barrierreef

barrierreef
bar·ri·er
reef
(plural bar·ri·er reefs) noun

ridge of coral:
a narrow ridge of coral lying parallel and close to a coastline and separated
from it by a wide deep lagoon[1]



barring

barring
bar·ring 
[bring] preposition

except
for:
except for something, or unless something happens • Barring
delays, we’ll arrive this afternoon.
[15th century. Present
participle of bar 1 .][1]



barrio

barrio
bar·ri·o 
[bree ] (plural bar·ri·os) noun

1.  Spanish-speaking
part of U.S. city: a Spanish-speaking quarter
in a city or town in the United States

2.  district
of Spanish town: an area of a town in a Spanish-speaking
country
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Arabic barr “open area,.”][1]



barrister

barrister
bar·ris·ter 
[bárrəstər] (plural bar·ris·ters)
noun

1.  U.K.
lawyer
in higher court: a lawyer who is qualified to represent
clients in the higher law courts in England and Wales

2.  Canada
lawyer
in Canadian court: a lawyer who represents
clients in any law court in Canada
[15th
century. From bar 1, perhaps modeled on words
such as minister and chorister .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lawyer

[1]



barroom

barroom
bar·room 
[br rm, br
rm] (plural bar·rooms) noun

location for drinking:
a bar for serving drinks, especially one inside a larger establishment such as
a hotel or club[1]



Barrow

Barrow
Bar·row
[bárrō]

village in northwestern
Alaska with a predominantly Inuit population. It is southwest of Point Barrow,
the northernmost point of the United States. Population: 4,080 (1996)[1]



barrow

barrow1
bar·row1 [bárrō]
(plural bar·rows) noun

1.  U.K.
hand
cart:
a two-wheeled cart used by street vendors to sell their wares. See pushcart

2.  See
wheelbarrow
[Old English bearwe
“stretcher, bier.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
bear,” which is also the ancestor of English bear
and bier .][1]



barrow

barrow3
bar·row3 [bárrō]
(plural bar·rows) noun

castrated
pig:
a pig that has been castrated before sexual maturity
[Old English b(e)arg,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



barrow

barrow2
bar·row2 [bárrō]
(plural bar·rows) noun

ancient
burial mound: a large mound of earth above a
prehistoric tomb.
Also
called
tumulus
[Old English beorg
“hill, tumulus,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to hide or protect,”
which is also the ancestor of English borough
and belfry][1]



Barrow,Clyde

Barrow,Clyde
Bar·row
[bárrō], Clyde (1909–1934)

U.S. outlaw. He and Bonnie
Parker robbed banks and killed 12 people (1932–1934) before being killed by
Louisiana police.[1]



Barrymore,Ethel

Barrymore,Ethel

Bar·ry·more 
[bárri màwr], Ethel (1879–1959)
U.S. actor. The sister of John and Lionel
Barrymore, she had a long stage career and won an Academy Award for None but
the Lonely Heart (1944).[1]



Barrymore,John

Barrymore,John
Bar·ry·more 
[bárri màwr], John (1882–1942)

U.S. actor. A handsome
leading man, he made numerous films, but was most famous for his performance of
Hamlet. He was the brother of Ethel and Lionel Barrymore.[1]



Barrymore,Lionel

Barrymore,Lionel
Bar·ry·more 
[bárri màwr], Lionel (1878–1954)

U.S. actor. The brother of
Ethel and John Barrymore, he won an Academy Award for Free Soul ( 1931 )
and appeared in the original Dr Kildare films.[1]



Barry,Philip James

Barry,Philip James
Bar·ry
[bárree], Philip James (1896–1949)

U.S. playwright. He is known
for sophisticated comedies such as The Philadelphia Story ( 1939 ).[1]



barré

barré
bar·ré
[baa ráy] (plural bar·rés) noun

1.  using
finger to raise guitar’s pitch: the placing of the
index finger over all the strings of a guitar or similar string instrument to
raise the pitch of each string simultaneously

2.  chord
played in barré fashion: a chord played on a guitar
or similar string instrument in a barré fashion
[Late 19th century. From
French barre, past participle of barrer (see barrage ).][1]



Barsac

Barsac
Bar·sac
[br sàk] (plural Bar·sacs) noun

sweet white wine:
a sweet white Bordeaux wine from the area around the town of Barsac, France[1]



barsinister

barsinister
bar
sin·is·ter
(plural bars sin·is·ter) noun

1.  HERALDRY See bend sinister

2.  evidence
of somebody’s illegitimacy: evidence suggesting that
somebody is of illegitimate birth

[1]



bartack

bartack
bar
tack
(plural bar tacks) noun

type of stitch:
a straight stitch that crosses a piece of cloth at a right angle to a slit, for
example, at the end of a buttonhole[1]



bartender

bartender
bar·tend·er 
[br tèndər] (plural bar·tend·ers)
noun

somebody serving in bar:
somebody who serves in a bar.
Also called
barkeep
Also called
barkeeper[1]



barter

barter
bar·ter 
[brtər] verb (past bar·tered,
past participle bar·tered, present participle bar·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular bar·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb exchange
goods or services: to exchange goods or
services in return for other goods or services

2.  intransitive
verb
negotiate
terms of agreement: to negotiate or argue over
the terms of a transaction
noun

1.  bartering:
the practice or system of bartering

2.  things
bartered:
goods or services that are bartered
[15th
century. Origin uncertain, probably from Old French barater (see barratry ).]
—bar·ter·er, noun[1]



Barthes,Roland

Barthes,Roland
Barthes 
[baart], Roland (1915–1980)

French
philosopher and writer. He was a leading proponent of structuralism and author
of the seminal critical work Writing Degree Zero (1953). He formulated
the literary theory that the “meaning” of a text lies not in its author’s
intentions but in its underlying semiotic structure.
Full name
Barthes, Roland Gérard[1]



Barth,John

Barth,John
Barth
[baarth], John (1930– )

U.S.
writer and educator. He is known for his formal experimentation in fictional
works such as Giles Goat-Boy ( 1966 ) and Tidewater Tales ( 1987
).
Full name
Barth, John Simmons[1]



Bartholin’sgland

Bartholin’sgland
Bar·tho·lin’s
gland 
[brthəlinz glànd] (plural Bar·tho·lin’s
glands) noun

lubricating
gland in vagina: either of two small glands on either
side of the lower vagina that secrete a lubricating mucus during sexual
stimulation.
See
also
Cowper’s gland
[Early 20th century. Named
for Kaspar Bartholin (1655–1738), the Danish anatomist who described
them.][1]



bartizan

bartizan
bar·ti·zan 
[brtizən, brtə
zàn] (plural bar·ti·zans) noun

castle
turret:
a small turret that projects from a tower or wall of a fortress or castle, used
as a lookout or a defensive position
[Mid-16th
century. From bartisane, a Scots variant of bratticing
“timberwork,” from brattice .]
—bar·ti·zaned, adjective[1]



Bartlesville

Bartlesville
Bar·tles·ville 
[brt’lz vìl]

city in northeastern
Oklahoma, on the Caney River, in an agricultural and oil-producing region.
Population: 34,256 (1990)[1]



Bartlett

Bartlett
Bart·lett 
[brtlət]

city in southwestern
Tennessee, a northeastern suburb of Memphis. Population: 35,735 (1996)[1]



Bartlett,John

Bartlett,John
Bart·lett 
[brtlət], John (1820–1905)

U.S. publisher and compiler.
Best known for his Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations ( 1855 ), for many
years he owned the University Book Store at Harvard (1849–1863).[1]



Bartlett,Josiah

Bartlett,Josiah
Bart·lett 
[brtlət], Josiah (1729–1795)

American politician. A
physician and delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration
of Independence and was New Hampshire’s first governor (1793–1794).[1]



barton

barton
bar·ton
[brt’n] (plural bar·tons) noun

farmyard:
a farmyard (archaic)
[Old English beretun
“threshing floor,” from bere barley +
tun “place, farm, town” (see town )][1]



Barton,Clara

Barton,Clara

Bar·ton
[brt’n], Clara (1821–1912)
U.S.
humanitarian. She founded the American Red Cross and was its first president
(1881–1904).
Full name
Barton, Clarissa Harlowe[1]



Bartram,John

Bartram,John
Bar·tram 
[brtrəm], John (1699–1777)

American botanist. He
collected plants native to North America, made plant maps, and experimented
with hybrids.[1]



Bartók,Béla

Bartók,Béla
Bar·tók
[br tòk, br
tàwk], Béla (1881–1945)

Hungarian composer.
Influenced by Hungarian folk music, he wrote piano concertos, string quartets,
and the opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle ( 1911 ).[1]



Baruch

Baruch
Bar·uch 
[bə rk] noun

book in Roman Catholic Bible:
a book in the Roman Catholic Bible and the Protestant Apocrypha traditionally
ascribed to Baruch, a disciple of the prophet Jeremiah[1]



Baruch,Bernard

Baruch,Bernard
Bar·uch 
[bə rk], Bernard (1870–1965)

U.S.
financier and statesman. An adviser to U.S. presidents from Wilson through
Kennedy, he participated in the Paris Peace Conference (1919).
Full name
Baruch, Bernard Mannes[1]



barware

barware
bar·ware 
[br wàir] noun

bar equipment:
glassware and other items used to prepare and serve drinks[1]



barycenter

barycenter
bar·y·cen·ter 
[bárri sèntər] (plural bar·y·cen·ters)
noun

center
of a system’s mass: the center of the mass of a
system, especially a system of celestial bodies
[Late
19th century. From Greek barus “heavy” + center
.]
—bar·y·cen·tric [bàrri séntrik], adjective[1]



baryon

baryon
bar·y·on 
[bárree òn] (plural bar·y·ons)
noun

type
of elementary particle: a subatomic particle
belonging to a group that undergo strong interactions, have a mass greater than
or equal to that of the proton, and consist of three quarks
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek barus “heavy” + -on
.]
—bar·y·on·ic [bàrree ónnik], adjective[1]



Baryshnikov,Mikhail

Baryshnikov,Mikhail

Ba·rysh·ni·kov 
[bə ríshni kàwf], Mikhail (1948– )
Russian-born
U.S. dancer and choreographer. He defected from the Soviet Union (1974) and
danced for and directed (1980–1989) the American Ballet Theatre.
Full name
Baryshnikov, Mikhail Nikolayevich[1]



barysphere

barysphere
bar·y·sphere 
[bárri sfr] noun

Earth’s
core:
the Earth’s core (dated)
[Early 20th century. From
Greek barus “heavy” + sphere .][1]



baryta

baryta
ba·ry·ta 
[bə rtə] (plural ba·ry·tas) noun

barium
compound:
any one of various barium compounds
[Early
19th century. From barytes with ending -a
from soda .]
—ba·ry·tic [bə ríttik], adjective[1]



barytes

barytes
ba·ry·tes 
[bə rteez, bárrə
tz] noun

See
barite
[Late 18th century. From
Greek barutēs “weight.”][1]



barytone

barytone
bar·y·tone 
noun

See
baritone[1]



Barzun,Jacques

Barzun,Jacques
Bar·zun 
[brzən], Jacques (1907– )

French-born
U.S. historian and educator. A distinguished language and literary critic, he
worked as a teacher and administrator at Columbia University (1955–1975).
Full name
Barzun, Jacques Martin[1]



basal

basal
bas·al 
[báyss’l] adjective

1.  at
the base or bottom: at or forming the bottom of
something

2.  basic:
basic or fundamental
—bas·al·ly, adverb[1]



basalbody

basalbody
bas·al
bod·y
noun

part at cell’s base:
a structure found near the base of cells that have projecting threads ( cilia ).
Also called
kinetosome[1]



basalcell

basalcell
bas·al
cell
(plural bas·al cells) noun

base cell of skin:
a cell forming the deepest layer of the skin[1]



basalcell carcinoma

basalcell carcinoma
bas·al
cell car·ci·no·ma noun

type of skin cancer:
a slow-growing malignant tumor that typically affects the facial skin of older
persons. It rarely spreads to other parts, and is generally curable by surgery
or radiotherapy.
Also called
rodent ulcer[1]



basalganglion

basalganglion
bas·al
gan·gli·on
noun

mass of brain’s gray matter:
a mass of gray matter that lies in the white matter near the base of each
cerebral hemisphere of the brain. The basal ganglia help to regulate the body’s
voluntary movements.[1]



basalmetabolic rate

basalmetabolic rate
bas·al
met·a·bol·ic rate (plural bas·al met·a·bol·ic
rates) noun

rate of oxygen consumption:
the rate at which an organism consumes oxygen while awake but at rest, measured
in kilocalories per square meter of body surface per hour[1]



basalmetabolism

basalmetabolism
bas·al
me·tab·o·lism (plural bas·al me·tab·o·lisms)
noun

minimum energy requirements:
the amount of energy consumed by a resting organism simply in maintaining its
basic functions[1]



basalt

basalt
ba·salt 
[bə sáwlt, báy
sàwlt] noun

1.  black
shiny volcanic rock: a hard black, often glassy,
volcanic rock. It covers more than half the Earth’s surface and was produced by
the partial melting of the Earth’s mantle.

2.  black
unglazed pottery: a hard black unglazed pottery
[Early
17th century. Via Latin basaltes, a variant of basanites, from
Greek basanitēs “very hard stone, touchstone,” from Egyptian bakhan
“slate.”]
—ba·sal·tic [bə sáwltik], adjective[1]



basaltware

basaltware
ba·salt·ware
[bə sáwlt wàir, bá
sàwlt wàir, báy sàwlt wàir] noun

black stoneware pottery:
a hard black stoneware pottery made in England and parts of continental Europe
in the 18th century[1]



basanite

basanite
ba·san·ite
[bássə nt] noun

black
volcanic rock: volcanic basaltic rock containing
olivine and additional alkaline minerals
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
basanites (see basalt ).][1]



bascule

bascule
bas·cule 
[bás kyl] (plural bas·cules) noun

1.  pivoting
device:
a counterbalanced device that pivots on a central axis so that the unweighted
end rises as the weighted end is allowed to fall

2.  bas·cule
or bas·cule bridge (plural bas·cule bridg·es) bridge
with lifting roadway: a bridge with a roadway that
can be raised to allow tall boats and ships to pass through
[Late 17th century. From
French, “see- saw,” ultimately from battre “to batter” (see batter ) + cul “buttocks.”][1]



base

base2
base2 [báyss]
adjective

1.  lacking
morals:
lacking proper social values or moral principles

2.  of
poor quality: inferior in value or quality

3.  counterfeit:
containing a higher proportion of base metals than usual

4.  illegitimate:
of humble or illegitimate birth (archaic)

5.  HISTORY relating
to peasant:
relating to a peasant ( villein ) renting
land from a feudal lord (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French bas from medieval Latin bassus “short, low,”
which is found in classical Latin only as part of somebody’s name.]
—base·ly,
adverb

—base·ness, noun[1]



base

base1
base1 [báyss]
noun (plural bas·es)

1.  lowest
part:
the lowest, bottom, or supporting part or layer of something

2.  lower
part of built structure: the lower part of a built
structure, for example, a wall, pillar, or column, regarded as a separate
feature

3.  main
supporting element: the main source of an
important component in an economy or sphere of influence • improve
our customer base

4.  fundamental
principle:
the main principle or starting point of a system or theory

5.  center
from which activities start: a center from which
activities start or are coordinated

6.  military
center:
a coordinating or supply center for military operations

7.  main
ingredient:
a main ingredient to which others are added

8.  solvent:
a medium in which ingredients or constituents may be dissolved or carried

9.  attaching
part of organ: the part of an organ or body part by
which it is attached to a more central structure of an organism

10. lower
part of heraldic shield: the lower part of a heraldic
shield

11. GRAMMAR stem
of word:
in morphology, any part of a word regarded as a unit to which affixes or other
bases may be added to form a derived word. For example, “paint” is the base of
“painter” and “repaint.”

12. MATHEMATICS reference
number:
the number that is the basis for a system of calculation, represented by the
total countable digits in the system. The base 10 system contains the ten
digits 0–9.

13. MATHEMATICS logarithm
reference:
a number raised to a power denoted by a superscript. In the equation 10 2 = 100, 10 is the base.
Natural logarithms have a base e (= 2.718).

14. GEOMETRY lower
side of figure: the lower side or face of a geometric
figure

15. MEASUREMENTS See baseline  noun 1

16. lowest
stock price: the lowest recorded price level of a
tradable commodity or security

17. CHEMISTRY chemical
compound:
a chemical compound having a pH value between 8 and 14 that reacts with acids
to form salts

18. CHEMISTRY chemical
compound forming covalent bond: a chemical compound
that can accept a proton or donate a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond
with an acid

19. PHOTOGRAPHY film
foundation:
an inert medium supporting the photographic emulsion of films

20. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING middle
region of transistor: the middle region of a
transistor between the emitter and the collector

21. BASEBALL field
marker:
any one of the four corners of the diamond-shaped infield that a batter must
touch in order to score a run.
Also
called
bag
transitive
verb
(past based, past participle based, present
participle bas·ing, 3rd person present singular bas·es)

1.  make
a base:
to create or provide a base for something

2.  assign
somebody to base: to station, post, or assign somebody to
a base

3.  use
something as a basis: to use something as a base
or basis for something else
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin basis, from Greek basis
(see basis ).]
—base·ness,
noun
have
all bases covered

to
have made preparations to insure that you can deal with whatever happens

off
base

wrong
or inexact • Your
calculations are all off base

touch
base (with somebody)

to
communicate briefly with somebody, for example, to carry a project forward or
exchange current information  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mean

[1]



baseball

baseball

base·ball 
[báyss bàwl] (plural base·balls)
noun

1.  bat
and ball game: a game played with a bat and ball by two
teams of nine players, on a field that has four bases arranged in a diamond
pattern to mark the course a batter must take to score a run. Each team fields
and bats alternately, and the goal is to score the most runs.
Also
called
hardball

2.        ball
used in baseball: a hard leather-covered
ball, about 23 cm9 in. in circumference, used in the game of baseball[1]



baseballcap

baseballcap
base·ball
cap
(plural base·ball caps) noun

cap with visor:
a close-fitting cap with a visor, originally worn by baseball players[1]



baseboard

baseboard
base·board 
[báyss bàwrd] (plural base·boards)
noun

1.  board
serving as base: a board that serves as the base of
something

2.  board
covering wall and floor joint: a narrow board,
attached to the base of an interior wall, that covers the joint between the
wall and the floor.
U.K.
term
skirting board
Also
called
mopboard

[1]



baseborn

baseborn
base·born 
[báyss bàwrn] adjective (archaic)

1.  of
humble birth: born of poor or disgraced parents

2.  illegitimate:
born of unmarried parents

3.  ignoble:
dishonorable or unworthy

[1]



baseburner

baseburner
base
burn·er
(plural base burn·ers) noun

self-feeding stove:
a stove into which fuel is fed automatically from a hopper as needed[1]



Basedow’sdisease

Basedow’sdisease
Bas·e·dow’s
dis·ease
[bázzədōz di zz] noun

See
Graves’ disease
[Late 19th century. Named for
Karl Adolph von Basedow (1799–1854), German physician.][1]



BaseExchange

BaseExchange
Base
Ex·change


military service mark:
a service mark for stores on U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy bases that sell
merchandise to military personnel, their dependents, and authorized civilians[1]



basehit

basehit
base
hit
(plural base hits) noun

BASEBALL
hit allowing batter to reach base:
a hit that enables the batter to reach a base safely without causing an error,
a force play, or a fielder’s choice[1]



basehouse

basehouse
base
house
(plural base hous·es) noun

drug users’ facility:
a place where people go to smoke ( freebase
) illegal drugs (slang)[1]



Basel

Basel
Ba·sel 
[báas’l] or Bas·le [báas’l]

city in northwestern
Switzerland, situated on the highest navigation point of the Rhine. It is the
capital of the half canton of Basel-Stadt. Population: 179,639 (1994)[1]



baseless

baseless
base·less 
[báyssləss] adjective

1.  untrue:
without grounds or a factual basis

2.  lacking
supporting part: lacking a base or foundation
—base·less·ly,
adverb

—base·less·ness, noun[1]



baselevel

baselevel
base
lev·el
noun

lowest level of eroded land:
the lowest level to which moving water can erode a land surface, for example,
the bed of a stream, lake, or sea[1]



baseline

baseline
base·line
[báyss ln] (plural base·lines)
noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS measuring
line:
a line used as a basis for measurement, calculation, or location, for example,
in surveying or navigation.
Also
called
base

2.  standard
of value:
a standard of value to which other similar things are compared

3.  reference
data:
the data used as a reference with which to compare future observations or
results

4.  SPORTS boundary
line at end of court: a boundary line at each end
of a court that marks the limit of play in tennis, badminton, or basketball

5.  BASEBALL line
between bases: a line running from home plate to first
base and from home plate to third base, and extending into the outfield as foul
lines

6.  BASEBALL runner’s
reference line: in baseball, the area within which a
base runner must stay when running between bases.
Also
called
base path

[1]



baseliner

baseliner
base·lin·er
[báyss lnər] (plural base·lin·ers)
noun

tennis player who stays near
baseline: a tennis player who prefers
to play on or near the baseline, and who only occasionally moves to the net[1]



baseload

baseload
base
load
noun

average electricity demand:
the average demand placed on an electrical power supply system[1]



baseman

baseman
base·man 
[báyssmən] (plural base·men [báyssmən]) noun

BASEBALL
fielder near base:
any of the three fielders positioned near first, second, and third base[1]



basement

basement
base·ment 
[báysmənt] (plural base·ments)
noun

1.  underground
story of building: a story of a building that
is wholly or partly below ground level

2.  ARCHITECTURE lowest
part of wall or building: the foundation,
substructure, or lowest part of a wall or building

3.  GEOLOGY part
of Earth’s crust: the highly folded igneous or metamorphic
layer of rocks that lies beneath more recent, softer sedimentary rocks

4.  New
England
toilet
or washroom: a toilet or washroom, especially in a
school
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via obsolete Dutch basement from Italian basamento
“base of a column,” from basare “to base.”][1]



basemetal

basemetal
base
met·al
noun

common inexpensive metal:
a common inexpensive metal, for example, copper, iron, lead, tin, or zinc, as
distinguished from the precious metals of gold, silver, and platinum[1]



basenji

basenji

ba·sen·ji 
[bə sénjee] (plural ba·sen·jis)
noun
small
nonbarking dog: a dog belonging to a small curly-tailed
African breed that rarely barks and has a short smooth coat varying from black
to chestnut
[Mid-20th century. From Bantu
.][1]



baseon balls

baseon balls
base
on balls
(plural ba·ses on balls) noun

BASEBALL
free advance to first base:
an advance to first base awarded to a batter who receives four pitches outside
the strike zone at which the batter does not swing[1]



basepair

basepair
base
pair
noun

set of chemicals linking DNA:
a chemical unit that forms the bridge linking the complementary strands of DNA
or RNA. It consists of a purine linked to a pyrimidine by hydrogen bonds.[1]



basepairing

basepairing
base
pair·ing
noun

bond-forming process:
the hydrogen bonding between complementary purine and pyrimidine bases,
specifically adenine with thymine, and guanine with cytosine, that forms the
double-stranded structure of DNA, RNA, and DNA/RNA hybrid molecules[1]



basepath

basepath
base
path
(plural base paths) noun

BASEBALL
See baseline  noun 6[1]



basepay

basepay
base
pay
noun

pay excluding extras:
the pay for a job or position excluding any additional payments or allowances[1]



baserate

baserate
base
rate
noun

1.  pay
per unit:
the rate of pay set for a unit of work before anything extra is added

2.  U.K.
interest
rate used by central banks: the rate of interest used by
U.K. clearing banks as a basis for calculating their lending rates.
Also
called
bank rate

[1]



baserunner

baserunner
base
run·ner
(plural base run·ners) noun

BASEBALL
player on base:
a player on the team at bat who is on a base or is trying to get to one safely[1]



bases

bases
ba·ses


Plural of
basis[1]



baseunit

baseunit
base
u·nit
(plural base u·nits) noun

unit of system of
measurement: a fundamental unit
within a system of measurement from which other units in the system are derived[1]



bash

bash
bash 
[bash] verb (past bashed,
past participle bashed, present participle bash·ing,
3rd person present singular bash·es) (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
strike
with heavy blow: to strike something or somebody with a
heavy blow

2.  transitive
verb
smash:
to smash or strike something violently or damagingly

3.  transitive
verb
make
dent:
to make a dent in something

4.  intransitive
verb
collide
with:
to crash into or collide with something

5.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize harshly
noun
(plural bash·es)

1.  celebration:
a party or celebration

2.  blow:
a strong blow (informal)

3.  dent:
a dent (informal)
[Mid-17th century. Probably
an imitation of the sound of hitting; perhaps a blend of bang 1 and either smash or dash
.][1]



bashful

bashful
bash·ful 
[báshfəl] adjective

shy:
shy, self-conscious, or modest
[15th
century. Formed from a shortened form of abash
.]
—bash·ful·ly,
adverb

—bash·ful·ness, noun[1]



Bashkortostan

Bashkortostan
Bash·kor·to·stan
[baash kàwrtə stán]

autonomous republic in
central Russia, west of the Urals, bordering the republic of Tatarstan to the
northwest and the republic of Udmurtia to the north. Capital: Ufa. Population:
4,055,300 (1994) Area: 143,600 sq km/55,444 sq mi. Former name Bashkiria
until 1992[1]



basho

basho
bash·o
[b sh, baa shṓ]
(plural bash·os) noun

sumo
tournament:
a sumo wrestling tournament
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Basho

Basho
Ba·sho 
[b shō] or Ba·shō [b shō] (1644–1694)

Japanese
poet. He is closely identified with the haiku form. His work was strongly
influenced by Zen Buddhism.
Pseudonym of
Matsuo Munefusa[1]



bashup

bashup
bash
up
transitive verb

injure by attack:
to attack and injure somebody (informal)[1]



basi-

basi-
basi-
prefix

See
baso-[1]



basic

basic
ba·sic 
[báyssik] adjective

1.  most
important:
most important or essential • a few
basic guidelines

2.  elementary:
serving as a starting point or minimum

3.  without
extra:
without anything extra • a
basic salary

4.  plain:
plain and utilitarian rather than luxurious or fancy (informal)

5.  CHEMISTRY relating
to chemical base: containing, relating to, or being a
chemical base

6.  CHEMISTRY alkaline:
having an alkaline reaction

7.  CHEMISTRY containing
hydroxide or oxide groups: used to describe a salt that
contains hydroxide or oxide groups in addition to other anions, for example,
the carbonate ion

8.  GEOLOGY low in
silica:
used to describe rock that contains 45–53 percent total silica by weight, for
example, basalt

9.  METALLURGY using
a base in steelmaking: used to describe a
steelmaking process in which the furnace is lined with a base that combines
with acidic impurities in the ore to produce basic slag
noun

See basic training
plural
noun
ba·sics

most important things:
the most important or fundamental elements of something
—ba·sic·i·ty [bay síssətee], noun[1]



BASIC

BASIC
BA·SIC 
[báyssik] or Ba·sic [báyssik] noun

computer
programming language: a high-level computer
programming language that uses a combination of common English terms and
algebra
[Acronym for Beginners
All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code][1]



basically

basically
ba·si·cal·ly
[báysikəlee] adverb

1.  essentially:
used to emphasize the most important aspect of something, or to give a
simplified account of something more complicated

2.  in
general:
generally or in most respects

3.  simply:
in a simple way, using only essentials

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Basically
  as a sentence adverb:
  This
  use, in which basically is reduced to
  adding emphasis, is common in informal conversation but should be avoided
  otherwise. So too should the meaning “to speak generally rather than in
  detail,” as in • It is basically the
  case that fats can cause heart disease.

[1]



basiceducation

basiceducation
ba·sic
ed·u·ca·tion noun

essential education:
the formal education deemed necessary for somebody to function properly in
society[1]



basicrate

basicrate
ba·sic
rate
noun

COMMERCE
unmodified rate:
the standard cost or rate of pay excluding any discounts or additions[1]



basicslag

basicslag
ba·sic
slag
noun

steelmaking by-product:
the slag from steelmaking using a basic process. It is rich in phosphates and
is used as a fertilizer.[1]



basictraining

basictraining
ba·sic
train·ing
noun

initial military training:
the initial training of a military recruit.
Also called
basic[1]



basidiomycete

basidiomycete
ba·sid·i·o·my·cete 
[bə síddi ō m st, bə
síddi ō mī st] (plural ba·sid·i·o·my·cetes) noun

spore
producing fungus: a fungus that produces spores in a
specialized structure ( basidium ).
Mushrooms, puffballs, rusts, shelf fungi, and smuts are basidiomycetes. Class:
Basidiomycetes
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Basidiomycetes, class name, from basidium
“basidium” (see basidium ) + Greek mukētes
“fungi.”]
—ba·sid·i·o·my·ce·tous
[bə sìddi ō mī stəss], adjective[1]



basidium

basidium
ba·sid·i·um 
[bə síddee əm] (plural ba·sid·i·a
[bəsíddee ə]) noun

spore-bearing
part of fungus: a cell or organ found in certain fungi
from which external sexual spores are produced
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “small base,” from Greek basis
“step, base.”]
—ba·sid·i·al, adjective[1]



Basie,Count

Basie,Count


Ba·sie 
[báyzee], Count (1904–1984)
U.S.
composer and bandleader. He was one of the most enduring popular American
musicians as the leader of his own big-band swing ensembles from 1935 until his
death, and composed numbers including “One O’Clock Jump.”
Real name
Basie, William[1]



basify

basify
ba·si·fy 
[báyssi f] (past ba·si·fied, past
participle ba·si·fied, present participle ba·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ba·si·fies) transitive verb CHEMISTRY

1.  make
into base:
to change a chemical into a base

2.  make
alkaline:
to make something alkaline
—ba·si·fi·ca·tion [bàyssifi káysh’n], noun[1]



basil

basil

bas·il 
[báyzz’l, báz’l]
(plural bas·ils) noun
cooking
herb:
an herb with aromatic leaves used for seasoning, especially sweet basil. Latin
name: Ocimum basilicum
[15th century. Via Old French
basile from Latin basilicum, from Greek basilikon (phuton)
“royal (herb),” from its usefulness in cooking and medicine.][1]



basilar

basilar
bas·i·lar 
[bássələr] adjective

near
base:
relating to or situated at the base of something, for example,the skull
[Mid-16th century. From
modern Latin basilaris, from Latin basis (see basis ).][1]



basilica

basilica

ba·sil·i·ca 
[bə síllikə, bə
zíllikə] (plural ba·sil·i·cas) noun

1.  privileged
Roman Catholic church: a Roman Catholic church or
cathedral given ceremonial privileges by the Pope

2.  ARCHITECTURE ancient
Roman building: a type of ancient Roman building that
had a central nave with an aisle on each side formed by two rows of columns,
and typically a terminal semicircular apse. It was used as a court of justice,
an assembly hall, or an exchange.

3.  large
Christian church: a Christian church building formed out
of a Roman basilica or built to a similar design
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin, “royal palace” from Greek basilikē, from basilikos
“royal,” from basileus “king” (source of English basil and basilisk
).]
—ba·sil·i·can, adjective[1]



basilisk

basilisk

bas·i·lisk 
[bássəlisk, bázzəlisk]
(plural bas·i·lisks) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY legendary
reptile:
a legendary reptile whose look or breath was supposed to be fatal. It was said
to have been hatched by a serpent from a rooster’s egg.
Also
called
cockatrice

2.  ZOOLOGY lizard
related to iguana: a tropical American lizard,
related to the iguana, that is able to run upright on its long hind legs. The
males have an inflatable crest at the back of the head. Genus: Basiliscus
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek basilikos, literally “kinglet,” also “kind of serpent,” formed
from basileus “king” (source of English basil
and basilica ).][1]



Basil,Saint

Basil,Saint
Bas·il 
[bázz’l, báyz’l],
Saint (329? AD–379 AD)

Greek
prelate and scholar. He studied at Byzantium and Athens, became Bishop of
Caesarea (370), and defended Christian philosophy against heresies such as
Arianism.
Known as
Basil the Great[1]



basin

basin
ba·sin 
[báyss’n] (plural ba·sins) noun

1.  open
container for washing: an open metal, ceramic, or
plastic container with sloping sides, typically used for holding water or
washing

2.  basin
contents:
the contents of or amount contained in a basin

3.  GEOGRAPHY land
draining into river or lake: a broad area of land drained
by a single river and its tributaries, or draining into a lake

4.  dock
near sea:
a dock built in a harbor or river that opens to the sea

5.  depression
in land filled with water: any depression in the
Earth’s surface that contains water

6.  GEOLOGY bowl-shaped
depression:
a bowl-shaped depression on land or on the ocean floor into which sediments may
be deposited

7.  GEOLOGY circular
formation of sloping rock strata: a large circular
outcrop of rock in which strata dip inward toward the center
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin ba(s)cinus, from bacca “water container,” a
word probably borrowed from Gaulish.][1]



basinet

basinet
bas·i·net 
[bàssə nét, bássi
nèt] (plural bas·i·nets) noun

medieval
helmet:
a lightweight steel helmet, sometimes with a visor, worn in medieval times
[14th century. From Old
French bacinet, literally “little basin,” from its shape.][1]



basinful

basinful
bas·in·ful
[báyss’n fl] (plural bas·in·fuls)
noun

amount a basin holds:
the quantity that a basin holds[1]



basipetal

basipetal
ba·sip·e·tal 
[bay síppit’l] adjective

growing
toward base of stem: developing from the top of a
stem toward the base so that the oldest leaves or flowers are at the top
—ba·sip·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



basis

basis
ba·sis 
[báyssiss] (plural ba·ses [báy sz]) noun

1.  foundation:
something that acts as a support or foundation, especially of an idea or
argument

2.  starting
point:
the point from which something, for example, a discussion, starts or is
developed

3.  way
of proceeding: the basic method or system according to
which something is done or organized • work
on a part-time basis

4.  main
component:
the main component or ingredient of something

5.  MATHEMATICS set
of vectors:
in a vector space, the minimal set of vectors necessary to define all other
vectors in the space
[Late
16th century. Via Latin basis (source of English base ) from Greek basis “step,
base,”from bainen “to go.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Basis does a number of jobs that
  other words can do better or that need not be done at all. Expressions such
  as • on
  a continuing basis, • on
  a daily basis, and • on
  a regular basis, are only wordier ways of
  saying continually,daily, and regularly. By the same token, • providing
  expert resources on a global basis
  means providing them anywhere; and • we
  can help develop your basis for facilities design
  means, essentially, • we
  can help you plan. Careful writers should
  avoid the unnecessary use of basis.

[1]



basispoint

basispoint
ba·sis
point
(plural ba·sis points) noun

FINANCE
one hundredth of 1 percent:
one hundredth of one percent, used to express interest rates and bond yields[1]



bask

bask
bask 
[bask] (past basked, past
participle basked, present participle bask·ing, 3rd
person present singular basks) intransitive verb

1.  expose
yourself to warmth: to lie in or expose yourself
to enjoyable warmth, especially from the sun

2.  get
pleasure from something: to derive great satisfaction
or pleasure from something
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse bathask “to bathe yourself,”
ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic source as English bath .][1]



Baskerville

Baskerville
Bas·ker·ville
[báskər vìl] noun

serif
typeface:
a typeface characterized by serifs
[Early 19th century. Named
for John Baskerville (1706–1779), the British typefounder and printer
who designed it.][1]



basket

basket
bas·ket 
[báskət] (plural bas·kets) noun

1.  woven
container:
a container made of woven strips of material such as cane, wire, wood, or
plastic, often with a handle or handles

2.  basket
contents:
the contents of, or amount contained in a basket

3.  something
like a basket: something that looks like or is used
like a basket, for example, the open gondola attached to a hot-air balloon

4.  BASKETBALL goal:
a mounted horizontal metal hoop with a hanging open net, through which a
basketball player must throw the ball in order to score.
Also
called
bucket

5.  BASKETBALL goal
scored:
a goal scored in basketball by throwing the ball through the basket. It is
worth 1, 2, or 3 points depending on circumstances.

6.  group
of related items: a group or collection of similar or
related things or ideas
[14th century. Origin
unknown, found earlier in Old French .][1]



basketball

basketball
bas·ket·ball 
[báskət bàwl] (plural bas·ket·balls)
noun

1.  ball
game played on court: a game played by two teams
of five players, who score points by throwing a ball through a basket mounted
at the opponent’s end of a rectangular court

2.  ball
used in basketball: a ball of the type used in
the game of basketball

[1]



basketcase

basketcase
bas·ket
case
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is suffering from severe nervous strain (offensive)

2.  somebody
incapacitated: somebody who is completely incapacitated
or ineffective (informal)

[1]



basketchair

basketchair
bas·ket
chair
noun

wicker chair:
a deep chair made of wicker or cane[1]



basketful

basketful
bas·ket·ful
[báskət fl] (plural bas·ket·fuls)
noun

amount a basket holds:
the quantity that a basket holds[1]



baskethilt

baskethilt
bas·ket
hilt
noun

sword
handle guard: a sword hilt with a guard made of
interwoven strips
—bas·ket-hilt·ed, adjective[1]



BasketMaker

BasketMaker
Bas·ket
Mak·er 
(plural Bas·ket Mak·ers) noun

member of Native American
people: a member of an ancient
Native American culture of southwestern North America, preceding the Pueblo
periods. The culture is noted for skill in basketmaking and for farming with
little water.[1]



basketof currencies

basketof currencies
bas·ket
of cur·ren·cies noun

group of currencies:
a group of currencies of which the average value is used as a basis for
comparison with another currency[1]



basket-of-gold

basket-of-gold
bas·ket-of-gold 
noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a European perennial plant with oval hairy gray-green leaves and bright yellow
flowers. Latin name: Aurinia saxatilis
U.K. term
alyssum[1]



basketry

basketry
bas·ket·ry 
[báskətree] noun
Also
called
basketwork

1.  CRAFT basketmaking:
the art or craft of making baskets

2.  baskets:
baskets collectively

[1]



basketstar

basketstar
bas·ket
star
noun

organism like a starfish:
a marine organism that has thin branching interlaced arms and is related to the
starfish. Genus: Gorgonocephalus[1]



basketweave

basketweave
bas·ket
weave
noun

weaving pattern:
a textile weave that resembles the checkered pattern of a woven basket[1]



basketwork

basketwork
bas·ket·work
[báskət wùrk] noun

CRAFT
See basketry  noun 1[1]



baskingshark

baskingshark
bask·ing
shark 
noun

large shark:
a large plankton-eating shark measuring up to 12 m/40 ft that often floats on
the surface of the sea. Latin name: Cetorhinus maximus
Also called
sailfish[1]



basmati

basmati
bas·ma·ti 
[ba smtee, baa
smtee] noun

aromatic
rice:
a long-grained aromatic brown or white rice originally grown in northern India
and Pakistan
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
bāsamatī “fragrant.”][1]



basmitzvah

basmitzvah
bas
mitz·vah 
[baas mítsvə] or Bas Miz·vah [baas mítsvə] noun

See
bat mitzvah[1]



baso-

baso-
baso-
prefix

bottom,
base • basipetal


chemical
base • basophil
[From Latin basis (see
base )][1]



basophil

basophil
ba·so·phil 
[báysə fìl, báyzə
fìl] (plural ba·so·phils) or ba·so·phile [báysə fìl, báyzə fìl]
(plural ba·so·philes) noun

readily stained cell:
a white blood cell with granules that are readily stained by basic dyes,
occurring in some blood diseases[1]



basophilia

basophilia
ba·so·phil·i·a 
[bàyssə fíllee ə] or ba·si·phil·i·a
[bàyssə fíllee ə] noun

1.  BIOLOGY affinity
for basic dyes: the property of microorganisms and white
blood cells of being stained with basic dyes

2.  MEDICINE increase
in stained cells: an increase in the blood of the type of
cells that stain with basic dyes, occurring in a variety of blood diseases

[1]



basophilic

basophilic
ba·so·phil·ic 
[bàyssə fíllik] or ba·soph·i·lous
[bə sóffələss] adjective

taking basic stain:
used to describe cells or cell components that are readily stained by basic
dyes[1]



Basotho

Basotho
Ba·sot·ho
[bə sṓ tō, bə s
t] plural noun

African
people:
an African Sotho people who live in Lesotho
[Mid-19th century. From
Sesotho.][1]



basque

basque
basque 
[bask] (plural basques) noun

1.  long
corset:
a woman’s tight-fitting corset that covers the area from the breasts to the top
of the thighs

2.  jacket
extension:
a part of the bodice of a woman’s jacket that extends below the waist
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from some perceived similarity to the Basque national
costume.][1]



Basque

Basque
Basque 
[bask] (plural Basques) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of European people: a member of a people of
unknown origin living in the western Pyrenees, in northeastern Spain and
southwestern France

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Basques:
the language spoken by the Basque people. It has no known relationship with any
other languages and is spoken by about 700,000 people.
[Early
19th century. Via French from Latin Vasco, the Romans’ name for these
people, which also developed into Gascon
.]
—Basque, adjective[1]



BasqueCountry

BasqueCountry
Basque
Coun·try

autonomous region of northern
Spain, consisting of the provinces of Álava, Guipúzcoa, and Vizcaya. The
regional capital is Vitoria. Population: 2,130,783 (1995) Area: 7,261 sq
km/2,803 sq mi. Spanish Pais Vasco Basque Euskadi[1]



Basra

Basra
Bas·ra 
[bssrə]

city and port in southeastern
Iraq, at the northern end of the Shatt al Arab waterway. Population: 872,176
(1987)[1]



bas-relief

bas-relief
bas-re·lief 
[b ri lf] (plural bas-re·liefs)
noun

1.  flat
sculpture:
a type of sculpture in which the design projects slightly from a flat
background, but without any part being totally detached from the background.
Also
called
basso-relievo
Also
called
basso-rilievo
Also
called
low relief
See
also
high relief

2.  piece
of bas-relief: an example or piece of bas-relief
sculpture
[Early 17th century. From the
earlier basso rilievo, altered to match the French form of the word.][1]



bass

bass3
bass3 [bass]
noun

1.  See
bast fiber

2.  INDUSTRY See basswood  noun 1
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of bast .][1]



bass

bass1

bass1 [bayss]
noun (plural bass·es)

1.  MUSIC lowest
singing voice: a voice of the lowest range, or somebody
with that voice

2.  MUSIC lowest
pitches:
the lower half of the total range of pitches produced by a voice or an
instrument

3.  MUSIC lowest
musical part: the lowest part in instrumental or vocal
part music

4.  MUSIC lowest
instrument in family: the instrument that has the
lowest range in a family of musical instruments

5.  MUSIC low
frequency in audio reproduction: the low-frequency part
of the sound output from an electric amplifier

6.  bass
control:
a knob on a record player, CD player, or cassette player that controls the
low-frequency part of its sound output
adjective

1.  deep
in tone:
deep or grave in tone

2.  low
in pitch:
low in pitch

3.  relating
to bass:
relating to a bass
[15th century. Via French bas
from medieval Latin bassus, influenced by Italian basso “basso”
(see basso ).][1]



bass

bass2

bass2 [bass]
(plural bass or bass·es) noun
food
fish:
a spiny-finned fish found in rivers, lakes, and seas that is caught for food.
Families: Centrarchidae Percichthyidae Serranidae
[15th century. Alteration of
Old English bærs, bears, of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



bass-baritone

bass-baritone
bass-bar·i·tone
(plural bass-bar·i·tones) noun

low singing voice:
a singing voice between baritone and bass, or somebody with that voice[1]



bassclef

bassclef
bass
clef 
noun
Also
called
F clef

1.  musical
symbol:
a symbol on a musical staff indicating that a note on the fourth line from the
bottom represents the F a fifth below middle C

2.  musical
staff for bass: the musical staff on which the bass part
of a composition is written. It is identified by a bass clef symbol.

[1]



bassdrum

bassdrum


bass drum 
noun
low-pitched drum:
a large drum that has a cylindrical body, two drumheads, and a low indefinite
pitch[1]



Bassein

Bassein
Bas·sein
[bə sáyn]

city in southern Myanmar,
about 137 km85 mi west of the capital, Yangon (Rangoon). Population: 144,092
(1983)[1]



basset

basset
bas·set
[bássət] (plural bas·sets) noun

See
basset hound[1]



Basseterre

Basseterre
Basse·terre 
[bass táir, baass
táir]

capital of St. Kitts and
Nevis, in the Leeward Islands. It is situated on the southwestern coast of St.
Kitts island. Population: 12,600 (1994)[1]



bassethorn

bassethorn
bas·set
horn
[bássət hàwrn] noun

alto
clarinet:
an alto clarinet in F, used in classical music
[Mid-19th century. From
German, itself a translation of French cor de basset, from Italian corno
di bassetto, literally “cello-horn,” from its sharing the cello’s range.][1]



bassethound

bassethound
bas·set
hound 
noun

short-legged
dog:
a dog of a breed with short legs, long ears, and a short-haired, white, black,
and tan coat, originally bred for hunting.
Also
called
basset
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from bas “low,” from its short legs.][1]



bassguitar

bassguitar
bass
gui·tar
noun

low-pitched guitar:
a four-string guitar, usually electric, that has the same pitch and tuning as a
double bass[1]



bassinet

bassinet
bas·si·net 
[bàssə nét, bássə
nèt] (plural bas·si·nets) noun

baby’s
bed:
a baby’s bed in the shape of a basket, commonly made of wood or wicker
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “little basin,” from bassin (see basin ).][1]



bassist

bassist
bass·ist 
[báyssist] (plural bass·ists) noun

player of bass instrument:
a player of a bass guitar or a double bass[1]



basso

basso
bas·so 
[bássō, bssō]
(plural bas·sos or bas·si [bsee])
noun

bass
singer:
a bass singer, especially of opera
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from medieval Latin bassus (see base 2 ).][1]



bassocontinuo

bassocontinuo
bas·so
con·tin·u·o 
[bàssō kən tínnyoo , bssō kən tínnyoo ] noun

See
continuo[1]



bassoon

bassoon


bas·soon 
[bə sn, ba sn]
(plural bas·soons) noun
low-pitched
woodwind instrument: a low-pitched double-reed
instrument of the oboe family. Its wooden body is a long U-shaped tube,
attached to the mouthpiece by means of a thin metal pipe.
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian bassone, literally “large bass,” from basso
“basso” (see basso ).][1]



bassoprofundo

bassoprofundo
bas·so
pro·fun·do 
[bàssō prə fúndō, bssō
prə fndō] (plural bas·so pro·fun·dos) noun

low
bass singer: a bass singer with an exceptionally low
range
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “deep bass.”][1]



basso-relievo

basso-relievo
bas·so-re·lie·vo 
(plural bas·so-re·lie·vos) or bas·so-ri·lie·vo (plural
bas·so-ri·lie·vos) noun

See
bas-relief
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian basso-rilievo, literally “low relief.”][1]



Bass,Sam

Bass,Sam
Bass 
[bass], Sam (1851–1878)

U.S. outlaw. He robbed trains
and stagecoaches with organized gangs, and was shot dead in Texas (1878).[1]



bassviol

bassviol
bass
vi·ol 
noun

1.  See
viola da gamba

2.  See
double bass

[1]



basswood

basswood
bass·wood 
[báss wd] (plural bass·woods)
noun

1.  TREES N
American linden tree: a North American linden
tree, commonly used as a shade tree. Latin name: Tilia americana
Also
called
bass 3

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of basswood tree: the soft light-colored wood of the
basswood tree, used for making boxes and crates and for carving.
Also
called
linden
[From bass 3][1]



bast

bast
bast 
[bast] noun

1.  BOTANY See phloem

2.  U.K.
INDUSTRY See bast fiber

3.  See
raffia
[Old English bæst, of
unknown origin][1]



bastard

bastard
bas·tard 
[bástərd] noun (plural bas·tards)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a disagreeable or obnoxious person (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody born to unmarried parents (offensive)

3.  difficult
thing:
something that is extremely difficult, trying, or unpleasant (slang)

4.  abnormal
thing:
something that is abnormal, inferior, or of questionable or mixed origin (sometimes
considered offensive)
adjective

1.  with
unmarried parents: born to unmarried parents (archaic
or offensive)

2.  not
genuine:
not the real thing

3.  of
inferior or mixed origin: of an inferior,
ill-conceived, or mixed origin

4.  ZOOLOGY similar:
used to describe plants and animals that are similar but not identical to, and
usually slightly inferior to, a particular kind or species

5.  abnormal:
abnormal or irregular in shape, size, or appearance (sometimes considered
offensive)
[14th
century. Via Old French bastart from medieval Latin bastardus,
probably from bastum “pack saddle,” the idea probably being of a child
produced from a relationship with a traveler.]
—bas·tard·ly, adjective[1]



bastardize

bastardize
bas·tard·ize 
[bástər dz] (past bas·tard·ized,
past participle bas·tard·ized, present participle bas·tard·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular bas·tard·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  debase:
to lower the value or quality of something by combining it with something else

2.  declare
somebody illegitimate: to prove or declare somebody
to be illegitimate (archaic)
—bas·tard·i·za·tion [bàstərdi záysh’n], noun[1]



bastardtitle

bastardtitle
bas·tard
ti·tle
noun

PUBLISHING
See half title[1]



bastardwing

bastardwing
bas·tard
wing
(plural bas·tard wings) noun

tuft of feathers:
the part of a bird’s wing that corresponds to a thumb and contains a few short
feathers[1]



bastardy

bastardy
bas·tard·y 
[bástərdee] noun

illegitimacy:
the state of being a child with unmarried parents (archaic)[1]



baste

baste1
baste1 [bayst]
(past bast·ed, past participle bast·ed, present
participle bast·ing, 3rd person present singular bastes)
transitive verb

COOKING moisten
during cooking: to moisten meat or fish at intervals
during cooking with a liquid such as melted fat or cooking juices
[14th century. Via Old French
bastir from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to join
together with bast.”][1]



baste

baste2
baste2 [bayst]
(past bast·ed, past participle bast·ed, present
participle bast·ing, 3rd person present singular bastes)
transitive verb

1.  SEWING sew
loosely:
to sew fabric with long loose stitches in order to hold pieces of material
together temporarily

2.  sew
diagonally:
to sew fabric with rows of long diagonal stitches
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from baste 3 .][1]



baste

baste3
baste3 [bayst]
(past bast·ed, past participle bast·ed, present
participle bast·ing, 3rd person present singular bastes)
transitive verb

1.  beat:
to beat somebody severely

2.  scold:
to scold somebody vigorously
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



baster

baster
bast·er
[báystər] (plural bast·ers) noun

basting utensil:
a cooking utensil consisting of a long tube with a rubber bulb attached at one
end, with which you draw up cooking juices from the pot and release them over
the food[1]



bastfiber

bastfiber
bast
fi·ber
noun

fibrous material from plants:
a strong woody fibrous material obtained chiefly from the phloem of plants such
as flax, hemp, and jute, and used for making ropes, mats, and textiles.
Also called
bass
U.K. term
bast[1]



bastille

bastille
bas·tille 
[ba stl] (plural bas·tilles) noun

fortress:
a fortress or fortified tower
[14th century. From French,
an alteration of bastide, ultimately from Provençal bastir “to
build.”][1]



BastilleDay

BastilleDay
Bas·tille
Day
noun

July 14:
a French national holiday observed on July 14, commemorating the storming of
the Bastille in 1789 at the beginning of the French Revolution[1]



bastinado

bastinado
bas·ti·na·do 
[bàsti náydō, bàstee
ndō] noun (plural bas·ti·na·does)

1.  punishment
by beating feet: a punishment or torture in which the
soles of the victim’s feet are beaten with a stick

2.  thrashing:
a beating or a blow with a club

3.  club:
a stick or club
transitive
verb
(past bas·ti·na·doed, past participle bas·ti·na·doed,
present participle bas·ti·na·do·ing, 3rd person present
singular bas·ti·na·does)

beat with stick:
to beat somebody with a stick, especially on the soles of the feet
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish bastonada, from bastón “cudgel.”][1]



basting

basting
bast·ing
[báysting] (plural bast·ings) noun

1.  SEWING loose
stitches:
loose or temporary stitches

2.  moistening
during cooking: the process of moistening meat or fish
during cooking

[1]



bastion

bastion
bas·tion 
[báschən, bástee
ən] (plural bas·tions) noun

1.  strong
supporter:
somebody or something regarded as providing strong defense or support,
especially for a belief or cause, or a place where there are such people • The
northeastern part of the state is a liberal bastion.

2.  fortification:
a fortified place

3.  projecting
part:
a projecting part of a wall, rampart, or other fortification
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian bastione, from bastire “to build.”][1]



bastnaesite

bastnaesite
bast·naes·ite 
[bástnə st] or bast·na·site [bástnə st] noun

rare
mineral:
a rare yellow to reddish brown mineral, a fluorocarbonate of lanthanum and
cerium, that is a source of rare-earth elements
[Late 19th century. Named for
Bastnäs in Sweden, where it was found.][1]



bat

bat3
bat3 [bat]
(past bat·ted, past participle bat·ted, present
participle bat·ting, 3rd person present singular bats)
transitive verb

wink:
to wink or flutter something, especially the eyes or eyelids
[Early 19th century. Variant
of bate 2 .][1]



bat.

bat.
bat.
[bat]

1.  Abbreviation
of
battalion

2.  COMPUT Abbreviation of batch

[1]



bat

bat1
bat1 [bat]
noun (plural bats)

1.  SPORTS club
used in sports: a club used to strike the ball in sports
such as baseball and cricket, usually wooden but sometimes made of metal or
plastic

2.  heavy
stick or club: a heavy stick or wooden club

3.  BASEBALL batter:
a batter in baseball

4.  blow
from stick:
a blow from a stout stick or club

5.  U.K.
AIR See paddle
verb
(past bat·ted, past participle bat·ted, present
participle bat·ting, 3rd person present singular bats)

1.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL have
turn at batting: to come to bat in sports such as
baseball and cricket

2.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL hold
stated batting average: in baseball, to have a
particular batting average

3.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL advance
a runner:
in baseball, to advance a runner to the next base by making a base hit

4.  transitive
verb
strike
with bat:
to strike somebody or something with a bat
[Old
English batt, of uncertain origin, possibly influenced by Old French batte]
be
at bat

to
be the person on whom success or failure depends (informal)

go
to bat for somebody

to
support or assist somebody (informal)

right
off the bat

immediately (informal)[1]



bat

bat2

bat2 [bat]
noun
ZOOLOGY flying
mammal:
a small nocturnal flying mammal with leathery wings stretching from the
forelimbs to the rear legs and tail. Bats eat fruit or insects, usually hang
upside down when resting, and often use echolocation to detect prey and to
navigate. Order: Chiroptera
[Late
16th century. Alteration of Middle English backe, from a Scandinavian
word such as Old Swedish natbakka “night bat” or Old Norse leðerblaka
“leather flapper.”]
have
bats in the belfry

to
be slightly but harmlessly eccentric (informal)

like
a bat out of hell

extremely fast (informal)[1]



Bataan

Bataan
Ba·taan 
[bə tán, bə tn]

peninsula of Luzon Island in
the Philippines, the scene of intense Japanese-American World War II combat.
Area: 1,373 sq km/530 sq mi.[1]



Batak

Batak
Ba·tak
[bə tk, b tk]
noun

group
of Austronesian languages: a group of Austronesian
languages spoken by about three million people in Sumatra, Indonesia. Toba
Batak is the best known of the Batak languages.
[Early
19th century. From Batak .]
—Ba·tak, adjective[1]



Batangas

Batangas
Ba·tan·gas
[bə tng gss]

city and port on Luzon Island
in the Philippines. It is the capital of Batangas Province. Population: 185,000
(1990)[1]



bataround

bataround
bat
around
verb

1.  transitive
verb
discuss:
to discuss or consider something at length (informal)

2.  have
all batters up: in baseball, to have all nine batters
up, especially in one inning

[1]



Batavia

Batavia
Ba·ta·vi·a 
[bə táyvee ə]

city
in western New York. It is the site of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.
Population: 16,310 (1990)


Former name for
Jakarta[1]



batboy

batboy
bat·boy 
[bát bòy] (plural bat·boys) noun

baseball helper:
a boy employed to look after the equipment, especially the bats, of a baseball
team[1]



batch

batch2
batch2 [bách]
intransitive verb

See
bach[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








batch

batch1
batch1 [bach]
noun (plural batch·es)

1.  quantity
regarded as group: a quantity of people or
things treated or regarded as a group, especially when subdivided from a larger
group

2.  COOKING amount
baked:
the amount of something baked at one time or produced at one baking

3.  amount
for one operation: the amount of material
prepared or needed for, or produced in, one operation

4.  COMPUTING programs
processed together: a set of programs or jobs
submitted for processing on a computer at one time
transitive
verb
(past batched, past participle batched, present
participle batch·ing, 3rd person present singular batch·es)

process items as batch:
to process or assemble items as a batch or in batches
[15th century. From assumed
Old English bæcce “something baked,” from bacan “to bake” (see bake ).][1]



batchayil

batchayil
bat
chay·il 
[baat khyil] or bat hay·ill [baat khyil] noun

See
bat mitzvah  noun 2
[Late 20th century. From
Hebrew, literally “daughter of valor.”][1]



batchfile

batchfile
batch
file
noun

series of computer commands:
a computer file containing a series of commands to be processed by a computer,
as if they were entered from the keyboard consecutively. Most personal
computers execute a batch file called AUTOEXEC.BAT at the start of each
operating session to prepare the system for use.[1]



batchprocessing

batchprocessing
batch
proc·ess·ing noun

type of computer program
processing: a mode of computer operation
in which programs are executed without the user being able to influence
processing while it is in progress[1]



bate

bate1
bate1 [bayt]
(past bat·ed, past participle bat·ed, present
participle bat·ing, 3rd person present singular bates)
transitive verb (archaic)

1.  hold
something back: to hold back or moderate something

2.  subtract:
to subtract something, or take something away
[14th century. Shortened form
of abate .][1]



bate

bate2
bate2 [bayt]
(past bat·ed, past participle bat·ed, present
participle bat·ing, 3rd person present singular bates)
or bait [bayt] (past bait·ed,
past participle bait·ed, present participle bait·ing,
3rd person present singular baits) intransitive verb

beat
wings:
to beat the wings wildly or impatiently in an attempt to fly off something, for
example, a perch or a falconer’s fist, when still attached by a leash (refers
to a falcon or other hunting bird)
[13th century. From Old
French batre (see batter 1 ).][1]



bat-earedfox

bat-earedfox
bat-eared
fox
(plural bat-eared foxes) noun

African fox:
a yellowish gray fox with large ears, found in eastern and southern Africa.
Latin name: Otocyon megalotis[1]



bateau

bateau
ba·teau 
[ba tṓ] (plural ba·teaux [ba tṓz, ba tṓ])
noun

flat-bottomed
riverboat:
a light flat-bottomed riverboat with sharply tapering stern and bow
[Early 18th century. From
French, “boat.”][1]



bateaubridge

bateaubridge
ba·teau
bridge
(plural ba·teau bridges) noun

See
pontoon bridge[1]



BateiDin

BateiDin
Ba·tei
Din
[b tay dín] noun

Plural of
Beth Din[1]



bateleur

bateleur
ba·te·leur 
[bàtt’lər] (plural ba·te·leurs)
or ba·te·leur ea·gle [bàtt’lər]
(plural ba·te·leur ea·gles) noun

crested
African eagle: a crested African eagle that has a short
tail and long broad wings. It feeds mainly on carrion. Latin name: Terathopius
ecaudatus
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “juggler, rogue.”][1]



Batesianmimicry

Batesianmimicry
Bates·i·an
mim·ic·ry 
[bàytsee ən mímmikree] noun

type
of camouflage: a type of mimicry in which a harmless
species is protected from predators by its resemblance to a species that is
harmful or unpalatable to them
[Late 19th century. Named for
H.W. Bates (1825–1892), who discovered it.][1]



Bates,Katherine Lee

Bates,Katherine Lee
Bates
[bayts], Katherine Lee (1859–1929)

U.S. educator and writer. She
wrote America the Beautiful ( 1893 ).[1]



batfish

batfish
bat·fish 
[bát fìsh] (plural bat·fish or
bat·fish·es) noun

marine angler fish:
a marine angler fish that has a flattened head and body and waddles on the sea
bottom using pectoral and pelvic fins. Family: Ogcocephalidae[1]



batfowl

batfowl
bat·fowl 
[bát fòwl] (past bat·fowled, past
participle bat·fowled, present participle bat·fowl·ing,
3rd person present singular bat·fowls) intransitive verb

catch roosting birds:
to catch roosting birds at night by temporarily blinding them with a light and
netting or hitting them[1]



batgirl

batgirl
bat·girl 
[bát gùrl] (plural bat·girls) noun

baseball helper:
a girl employed to look after the equipment, especially the bats, of a baseball
team[1]



Bath

Bath
Bath 
[bath]

city on the Avon River in
Somerset, England. It is the site of the only natural hot springs in England
and has been a spa since Roman times. Population: 85,202 (1991)[1]



bath

bath
bath
[bath] noun (plural baths
[baths, baz])

1.  immersion
of body:
the act of immersing all or part of the body in a bathtub in order to wash it

2.  water
in tub:
water used for bathing

3.  See
bathtub

4.  See
bathroom  noun 1

5.  body
treatment:
the act of immersing all or part of the body in an enveloping substance, for
example, mud, usually for therapeutic reasons

6.  CHEMISTRY liquid:
a liquid, or a liquid and its container, used for a particular purpose such as
developing photographs or maintaining something at a constant temperature
plural
noun
baths

bathhouse: a
building with facilities for people to have baths
intransitive
verb
(past bathed, past participle bathed, present
participle bath·ing, 3rd person present singular baths
[bath])

U.K. See
bathe
[Old
English bæþ, from prehistoric Germanic]
take
a bath

to suffer a severe financial
setback (slang)[1]



bathchair

bathchair
bath
chair
noun

old-fashioned
wheelchair:
an old-fashioned type of wheelchair, often with a hood
[From its being first used in
Bath, England][1]



bathe

bathe
bathe 
[bay] (past bathed, past
participle bathed, present participle bath·ing, 3rd
person present singular bathes, plural bathes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wash
in bath:
to wash yourself or somebody else in a bath.
U.K.
term
bath

2.  transitive
verb
cleanse
wound:
to apply water or another liquid to a wound or part of the body in order to
cleanse, heal, or soothe it

3.  transitive
verb
dip
something in liquid: to immerse something in
liquid

4.  transitive
verb
cover
something:
to cover or surround something with light, color, or a substance • bathed
in a golden glow

5.  transitive
verb
flow
along edge of something: to flow along the edge of
something

6.  intransitive
verb
swim
or paddle in open water: to swim or paddle, especially
for pleasure, in an area of open water such as the sea or a river
[Old English bæþ, from
prehistoric Germanic][1]



bather

bather
bath·er
[báyər] (plural bath·ers) noun

swimmer:
somebody who is swimming[1]



bathetic

bathetic
ba·thet·ic 
[bə thétik] adjective

1.  showing
bathos:
showing or characterized by bathos

2.  trite:
trite, commonplace, or absurdly sentimental
[Late
18th century. Formed from bathos, on the
model of pathos, pathetic .]
—ba·thet·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



bathhouse

bathhouse
bath·house 
[báth hòws] (plural bath·houses
[báth hòwzəz]) noun

1.  building
equipped with baths: a building equipped with
baths, especially for public use

2.  building
for changing: a building near a swimming pool,
equipped with showers and locker rooms

[1]



bathing

bathing
bath·ing
[báying] noun

swimming:
the activity of swimming in an area of open water, for example, the sea or a
river (dated)[1]



bathingcap

bathingcap
bath·ing
cap 
noun

swimmer’s cap:
a tight-fitting rubber cap that swimmers wear to keep their hair dry (dated)[1]



bathingsuit

bathingsuit
bath·ing
suit
noun

swimsuit:
a swimsuit[1]



bathingtrunks

bathingtrunks
bath·ing
trunks
plural noun

swimming trunks:
a pair of swimming trunks (dated)[1]



bathmat

bathmat
bath·mat 
[báth màt] (plural bath·mats) noun

1.  mat
beside bathtub: a mat that is placed beside a bathtub or
shower for somebody to step out onto

2.  mat
inside bathtub: a mat, often made of rubber, that is
placed in a bathtub or shower to prevent somebody from slipping

[1]



batho-

batho-
batho-

deep,
depth • bathometer
[From Greek bathos
“depth”][1]



bathochromic

bathochromic
bath·o·chrom·ic
[bàthə krṓmik] adjective

indicating increasing
wavelength: used to describe a move to a
longer wavelength in a compound’s absorption spectrum[1]



bathoil

bathoil
bath
oil
noun

oil for bathwater:
a scented oil used to add fragrance to bathwater[1]



batholith

batholith
bath·o·lith 
[báthə lìth] (plural bath·o·liths)
or bath·o·lite [báthə lt] (plural
bath·o·lites) noun

large
mass of igneous rock: a large mass of igneous
rock, composed of granite or gabbro, formed deep in the Earth’s crust and
intruded in a molten state
—bath·o·lith·ic [bàthə líthik], adjective[1]



bathometer

bathometer
ba·thom·e·ter 
[bə thómmətər] (plural ba·thom·e·ters)
noun

depth-measuring
instrument:
an instrument for measuring the depth of a body of water
—bath·o·met·ric
[bàthə méttrik], adjective

—ba·thom·e·try [bə thómmətree], noun[1]



bathophilous

bathophilous
bath·o·phi·lous
[bə thóffiləss] adjective

living in deep water:
used to describe organisms that are adapted to living in very deep water[1]



bathos

bathos
ba·thos 
[báy thòss, báy
thàwss] noun

1.  excessive
pathos:
insincere and excessively sentimental pathos

2.  abrupt
change to ordinary style: in writing or speech, a
sudden descent in style or manner from the elevated or sublime to the
commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect

3.  See
anticlimax
[Early 18th century. From
Greek, “depth,” from bathus “deep” (source of English bathy- ). The English meaning seems to have
been created by the English poet Alexander Pope
(1688–1744).][1]



bathrobe

bathrobe
bath·robe 
[báth rb] (plural bath·robes)
noun

loose garment:
a loose-fitting garment with a belt worn before or after bathing, or for
lounging[1]



bathroom

bathroom
bath·room 
[báth rm, báth
rm] (plural bath·rooms) noun

1.  toilet:
a room with a toilet

2.  room
containing bathtub: a room containing a bathtub
or shower and, usually, a sink and a toilet.
Also
called
bath

[1]



bathroomscale

bathroomscale
bath·room
scale
(plural bath·room scales) noun

scale for weighing:
a step-on device for people to weigh themselves on at home, usually kept in a
bathroom[1]



bathsalts

bathsalts
bath
salts 
plural noun

bathwater additive:
soluble mineral salts used to perfume and soften bathwater[1]



Bathsheba

Bathsheba
Bath·she·ba 
[bath shbə, báth
shəbə]

mother of Solomon:
in the Bible, the wife of Uriah and later of David, by whom she became the
mother of Solomon (II Samuel 11–12)[1]



bathtowel

bathtowel
bath
tow·el
noun

large towel:
a large towel used to dry the body after a bath or shower[1]



bathtub

bathtub
bath·tub 
[báth tùb] (plural bath·tubs) noun

fixture for washing the body:
a large container, often oblong in shape and usually made of enameled metal or
plastic, in which you sit to wash your body.
U.K. term
bath[1]



bathtubgin

bathtubgin
bath·tub
gin
noun

homemade spirits:
homemade spirits consisting of alcohol mixed with flavoring (slang)[1]



bathtubring

bathtubring
bath·tub
ring
(plural bath·tub rings) noun

grime:
a ring of grime deposited on the inside of a bathtub at the high-water mark of
bathwater[1]



Bathurst

Bathurst2
Bath·urst2  [báthərst]

summer resort city in
northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. Population: 13,815 (1996)[1]



Bathurst

Bathurst1
Bath·urst1 noun

Former name for
Banjul[1]



bathwater

bathwater
bath·wa·ter
[báth wàwtər] noun

water for bath:
the water used for a bath[1]



bathy-

bathy-
bathy-

deep,
depth • bathysphere
[From Greek bathus
“deep”][1]



bathyal

bathyal
bath·y·al 
[báthee əl] adjective

relating to ocean depths:
relating to or living in ocean depths between 200 and 2,000 m/650 and 6,550 ft[1]



bathylimnetic

bathylimnetic
bath·y·lim·net·ic 
[bàthə lim néttik] adjective

living
deep in lakes: used to describe organisms that live
deep in lakes and marshes
[Early 20th century. Coined
from bathy- + Greek limnon “pool” + -etic .][1]



bathymetry

bathymetry
ba·thym·e·try 
[bə thímmətree] noun

1.  measurement
of water depth: the measurement of the depth of large
bodies of water, for example, lakes, oceans, and seas

2.  depth
measurements: the data obtained by the use of
bathymetry
—bath·y·met·ric
[bàthə méttrik], adjective

—bath·y·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



bathypelagic

bathypelagic
bath·y·pe·lag·ic 
[bàthəpə lájjik] adjective

relating to ocean depths:
relating to or living in the depths of the ocean, especially between 600 and
3,600 m/2,000 and 12,000 ft[1]



bathyscaphe

bathyscaphe
bath·y·scaphe
[báthə skàf, báthə
skàyf] (plural bath·y·scaphes) or bath·y·scaph
[báthə skàf, báthə
skàyf] (plural bath·y·scaphs) noun

submersible
deep-sea research vessel: a deep-sea research vessel
that has a large flotation hull and an observation cabin attached to its
underside, and can dive to depths over 10,000 m6.2 mi
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from bathy- + Greek skaphos “ship.”][1]



bathysphere

bathysphere
bath·y·sphere 
[báthə sfr] (plural bath·y·spheres)
noun

diving sphere lowered by
cable: a strong steel diving sphere
that can be lowered by cable to depths of 900 m/3,000 ft[1]



batik

batik
ba·tik 
[bə tk] (plural ba·tiks) or
bat·tik [bə tk] (plural bat·tiks)
noun

1.  fabric
printing technique: a method of hand-printing a
fabric by covering with removable wax the parts that will not be dyed

2.  hand-dyed
fabric:
fabric that has been hand-dyed by the batik method

3.  design
produced by batik method: a design produced by batik
[Late 19th century. From
Javanese, literally “painted.”][1]



Batistay Zaldívar, Fulgencio

Batistay Zaldívar, Fulgencio
Ba·tis·ta
y Zal·dí·var  [bə tstə
ee zaal d vr], Fulgencio (1901–1973)

Cuban soldier and political
leader. His presidency of Cuba (1940–1944, 1952–1959) was ended by Fidel
Castro’s revolution (1959).[1]



batiste

batiste
ba·tiste 
[bə tst, ba
tst] noun

plain-woven
fabric:
a fine soft plain-woven fabric made of cotton or linen, used especially for
clothing
[Early 19th century. From
French, possibly from the name of Baptiste of Cambrai, a 13th-century
cloth maker.][1]



Batlley Ordóñez, José

Batlley Ordóñez, José
Bat·lle
y Or·dó·ñez
[btye ee awr áwn yàyss], José (1856–1929)

Uruguayan statesman. As
president (1903–1907, 1911–1915), he helped to modernize Uruguay’s society,
economy, and government.[1]



batmitzvah

batmitzvah
bat
mitz·vah 
[baat mítsvə] or bath mitz·vah
[baat mítsvə] or bas mitz·vah
[baass mítsvə] noun
Also
called
bat chayil

1.  Jewish
rite of passage: the ritual that marks the 13th birthday
of a Jewish girl, after which she takes full responsibility for her moral and
spiritual conduct

2.  Jewish
girl reaching 13: a Jewish girl who has reached the age of
13, the age of religious responsibility
[From Hebrew ba miṣwāh
“daughter of commandment”][1]



baton

baton
ba·ton 
[bə tón, bátt’n]
(plural ba·tons) noun

1.  MUSIC conducting
stick:
a short thin stick used by a conductor to direct musical performers

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION police
stick:
a short thick stick used as a weapon, for example, by police

3.  SPORTS relay
team stick:
a short stick or hollow cylinder passed by each runner in a relay team to the
next runner

4.  drum
major’s stick: a long stick with a knob at one or both
ends, carried and twirled by a drum major or majorette

5.  official
staff:
a staff carried by an official, for example, a field marshal, as a symbol of
office

6.  HERALDRY diagonal
line on coat of arms: a shortened narrow diagonal
line on a coat of arms, especially one signifying bastardy
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, late Latin bastum “stick.”][1]



BatonRouge

BatonRouge
Bat·on
Rouge 
[bàtt’n rzh]

capital of Louisiana,
situated on the Mississippi River in the southeastern part of the state.
Population: 227,482 (1994)[1]



batout

batout
bat
out
transitive verb

produce quickly:
to produce or compose something, especially in a casual or rushed manner (informal)
• bat
out three news items in an hour[1]



batrachian

batrachian
ba·tra·chi·an 
[bə tráykee ən] noun (plural ba·tra·chi·ans)

tailless
amphibian:
a tailless amphibian, for example, a frog or toad
adjective

relating
to tailless amphibians: relating to amphibians
without tails, for example, frogs or toads
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Batrachia, former order name, from Greek batrakhos
“frog.”][1]



bats

bats
bats 
[bats] adjective

eccentric:
harmlessly eccentric (informal)
[Early 20th century. From the
phrase have bats in the belfry .][1]



batsman

batsman
bats·man 
[bátsmən] (plural bats·men [bátsmən]) noun

player who bats or is
batting: a baseball player who bats
or is batting.
See also
hit batsman[1]



batt

batt
batt 
[bat] noun

TEXTILES See batting 2
[Late 19th century.
shortening.][1]



batt.

batt.
batt.

Abbreviation of
battalion[1]



battalion

battalion
bat·tal·ion 
[bə tállyən] (plural bat·tal·ions)
noun

1.  military
unit:
a military unit typically consisting of a headquarters and three or more
companies, batteries, or other subunits of similar size

2.  large
body of soldiers: a large body of soldiers organized to
act together

3.  large
number:
a large group or number (often used in the plural)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian bataglione, literally “great battle,” ultimately
from late Latin bat(t)uere “to beat” (source of English batter and battle
).][1]



battement

battement
batte·ment
[bat mn, batmənt]
(plural batte·ments) noun

ballet
movement:
a ballet movement in which one leg is extended, either once or repeatedly, to
the front, side, or back, and then beat against the supporting foot
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “beating.”][1]



batten

batten
bat·ten
[bátt’n] noun (plural bat·tens)

1.  SAILING strip
for keeping sails in shape: a thin flexible strip of
wood or plastic inserted in pockets at the edge of a sail to keep it taut and
flat

2.  NAUTICAL slat
for fastening down tarpaulin: a narrow metal or wooden
slat used to fasten down the edges of a tarpaulin covering a ship’s raised
hatch in poor weather

3.  THEATER lights
in theater:
a row of lights in a theater, or the strip or bar that holds it
transitive
verb
(past bat·tened, past participle bat·tened, present
participle bat·ten·ing, 3rd person present singular bat·tens)

provide with battens:
to provide, strengthen, or secure something with battens
[Late 16th century. From Old
Norse batna “to improve, get better,” ultimately from the same
prehistoric Germanic source as English better
and best .][1]



batter

batter1
bat·ter1 [báttər]
transitive verb (past bat·tered, past participle bat·tered,
present participle bat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
bat·ters)

1.  hit
repeatedly:
to hit or beat something repeatedly using heavy blows in order to break,
bruise, or damage it

2.  subject
to attack:
to subject somebody to persistent attack or violence

3.  damage
by heavy blows or wear: to damage or injure
something by hard blows or heavy wear (often passive)
noun
(plural bat·ters) PRINTING

1.  damaged
type:
a damaged or worn printing type or plate

2.  faulty
impression:
a defective impression resulting from a printing batter
[14th
century. Via Old French batre from, ultimately, late Latin bat(t)uere
“to beat” (source of English batten
and battle ).]
—bat·ter·er, noun[1]



batter

batter2
bat·ter2 [báttər]
noun (plural bat·ters)

COOKING mixture
of flour, milk, and eggs: a liquid mixture of flour,
milk, and eggs used in making cakes and pancakes, and for coating foods before
frying
transitive
verb
(past bat·tered, past participle bat·tered, present
participle bat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular bat·ters)

COOKING coat
food in batter: to cover food with batter before frying
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



batter

batter4
bat·ter4 [báttər]
transitive verb (past bat·tered, past participle bat·tered,
present participle bat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
bat·ters)

build
in receding slope: to build something, for
example, a wall or similar structure, in a way that forms an upwardly receding
slope
noun
(plural bat·ters)

receding
upward slope: a receding upward slope of the outer
face of a wall, hedge, or similar structure
[14th century. From Old
French bateüre “act of beating,” from batre (see batter 1 ); from the
idea of beating the mixture.][1]



batter

batter3
bat·ter3 [báttər]
(plural bat·ters) noun

SPORTS
player batting:
a player who bats, especially in baseball[1]



batterbread

batterbread
bat·ter
bread
noun

Southern
U.S.
corn
bread:
corn bread made with eggs and milk





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Batter bread, also called baby bread,
  is a Virginian term for corn bread that competes with awendo, egg
  bread, spoon bread, and dozens of other terms across the Southern
  states.

[1]



battercake

battercake
bat·ter·cake 
[báttər kàyk] (plural bat·ter·cakes)
noun Southern U.S.

1.  See
pancake  noun 1

2.  See
johnnycake

[1]



battered

battered
bat·tered
[báttərd] adjective

1.  maltreated:
subjected to persistent physical assault, especially by a spouse, partner, or
caregiver

2.  showing
signs of wear: marked by dents, scratches, and other
signs of heavy wear

[1]



batterie

batterie
bat·ter·ie
[báttəree, bat
r] (plural bat·ter·ies) noun

ballet
movement:
a ballet movement in which the dancer beats the feet or calves together during
a leap
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “battery.”][1]



batteriede cuisine

batteriede cuisine
bat·ter·ie
de cui·sine 
[bat r də kwi zn] (plural bat·ter·ies
de cui·sine [bat r də kwi zn]) noun

set
of cooking utensils: a set of cooking utensils,
pots, and pans
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “set (of implements) for cooking.”][1]



batteringram

batteringram
bat·ter·ing
ram
noun

1.  heavy
beam:
a large heavy beam used in ancient times to break down the walls and doors of a
fortification under siege

2.  door
breaker:
a heavy metal bar used by police officers and firefighters to break down doors

[1]



battery

battery

bat·ter·y 
[báttəree] (plural bat·ter·ies)
noun

1.  ELECTRICITY power
source:
a number of connected electric cells that produce a direct current through the
conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy

2.  LAW unlawful
use of force on somebody: the unlawful use of any
physical force on another person, including beating or offensive touching
without the person’s consent

3.  BASEBALL pitcher
and catcher of baseball team: the pitcher and catcher of a
baseball team

4.  MILITARY grouping
of artillery: a grouping of similar artillery pieces,
for example, guns or missile launchers, that function as a single tactical unit

5.  MILITARY gun
emplacement: a prepared position for artillery

6.  MILITARY army
artillery unit: an army artillery unit corresponding to
a company in an infantry regiment

7.  grouping
of similar things used together: an array or grouping
of similar things intended to be used together

8.  similar
things together: a cluster of similar things or ideas
taken, used, or considered together

9.  act
of battering: the act of battering, beating, or
pounding something

10. MUSIC percussion
section:
the percussion section of an orchestra
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French baterie from, ultimately, late Latin bat(t)uere
“to hit” (source of English battle ).
“Group of guns” comes from the idea of “beating” a target down.]
recharge your batteries

to restore your level of
energy and strength (informal)[1]



batterycharger

batterycharger
bat·ter·y
charg·er
noun

device for restoring power to
batteries: a device for restoring power
to electrical batteries[1]



battik

battik
bat·tik
noun

See
batik[1]



batting

batting2
bat·ting2  [bátting]
noun

TEXTILES padding:
bulky material made from fabric or other fibers, used for padding and stuffing.

Also
called
batt
[Early 19th century. Formed
from bat 1 “to hit,”
from the beating out of impurities from cotton.][1]



batting

batting1
bat·ting1  [bátting]
noun

SPORTS
action or ability with bat:
the action or ability of a player or team that hits with a bat, especially in
baseball or cricket[1]



battingaverage

battingaverage
bat·ting
av·er·age
noun

SPORTS
batter’s performance measure:
a measure of a baseball batter’s performance, calculated by dividing the total
of base hits gained in a given period by the number of times at bat[1]



battle

battle
bat·tle 
[bátt’l] noun (plural bat·tles)

1.  MILITARY armed
fight:
a large-scale fight between armed forces involving combat between armies,
warships, or aircraft

2.  struggle:
a drawn-out conflict between adversaries, or against powerful forces • the
battle against malaria
verb
(past bat·tled, past participle bat·tled, present
participle bat·tling, 3rd person present singular bat·tles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fight:
to fight in a battle

2.  intransitive
verb
strive:
to strive or contend in order to overcome or achieve something
[13th
century. Via French bataille from, ultimately, late Latin battualia
“military or gladatorial exercises,” from bat(t)uere “to beat” (source
of English battery and batten ).]
—bat·tler,
noun
fight
a losing battle

to
try hard with no prospect of success

be
half the battle

to
be an important first part of a difficult task • Shipping
the books on time is only half the battle; we have to sell them too

do
battle with somebody or something

to
fight or struggle against somebody or something

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  The
  people of South Carolina have been battling a hurricane.
  This
  transitive use of battle (with a direct
  object, instead of battle against or battle with ) is a feature
  of American usage that has begun to enter other Englishes also. This is
  partly a revival of an older use that died out in the 19th century.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at fight

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word bat(t)uere from which battle
  is derived is also the source of English abate,
  battalion, battery, battlements,
  combat, debate,
  and rebate.

[1]



battleax

battleax
bat·tle·ax 
[bátt’l àks] (plural bat·tle·ax·es)
noun

1.  broad-headed
ax:
a large heavy broad-headed ax used as a weapon

2.  ferocious
woman:
a domineering and fearsome woman (insult)

[1]



BattleCreek

BattleCreek
Bat·tle
Creek


city in southern Michigan,
southwest of Lansing. It is famous as a major producer of breakfast cereals.
Population: 53,430 (1996)[1]



battlecruiser

battlecruiser
bat·tle
cruis·er
noun

armed warship:
a heavily armed warship but with lighter armor, fewer guns, greater
maneuverability, and a faster speed than a battleship[1]



battlecry

battlecry
bat·tle
cry
noun

1.  soldiers’
shout:
a rallying or encouraging shout that soldiers make when going into battle.
Also
called
war cry

2.  supporters’
slogan:
a slogan used by supporters of a cause to rally fellow supporters

[1]



battledore

battledore
bat·tle·dore 
[bátt’l dàwr] (plural bat·tle·dores)
noun

1.  early
racket game: an early racket game played by two
people with flat wooden rackets and a shuttlecock. It is the ancestor of
badminton.

2.  light
racket used in battledore: a light racket, smaller than
a tennis racket, used for hitting the shuttlecock in battledore

3.  wooden
bat:
a wooden bat used in the past to beat clothes when washing them
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Provençal batedor “beater,” from battre
“to beat,” from late Latin bat(t)uere (see battle
).][1]



battledress

battledress
bat·tle
dress
noun

soldier’s ordinary uniform:
the ordinary uniform worn by a soldier[1]



battlefatigue

battlefatigue
bat·tle
fa·tigue
noun

See
combat fatigue[1]



battlefield

battlefield
bat·tle·field 
[bátt’l fld] (plural bat·tle·fields)
noun

1.  place
of battle:
the place where a battle is fought

2.  area
of conflict: an area of conflict or contention

[1]



battlegroup

battlegroup
bat·tle
group
(plural bat·tle groups) noun

1.  army
unit:
a U.S. army unit that usually consists of five companies

2.  group
of warships: a naval force made up of warships and
other vessels

[1]



Battle,Kathleen

Battle,Kathleen
Bat·tle 
[bátt’l], Kathleen (1948– )

U.S. soprano. An
internationally renowned concert and opera singer, she sang with the
Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City (1977–1994).[1]



battleline

battleline
bat·tle
line
noun

line
where fighting takes place: a position along which a
battle takes place
draw
(up) the battle lines

to prepare for a fight,
quarrel, or contest[1]



battlements

battlements

bat·tle·ments
[bátt’lmənts] plural noun
parapet
with indentations: a defensive or decorative
parapet with indentations.
Also
called
embattlements
[14th century. Formed from
French bateiller “to fortify.”][1]



battleplan

battleplan
bat·tle
plan
noun

1.  fighting
strategy:
a strategy for fighting a battle

2.  operation
strategy:
a strategy for any operation or contest

[1]



battler

battler
bat·tler
[bátt’lər] (plural bat·tlers) noun

fighter:
somebody who fights, especially in a courageous or indomitable way[1]



battleroyal

battleroyal
bat·tle
roy·al
(plural bat·tles roy·al or bat·tle roy·als) noun

1.  battle
involving many combatants: a battle involving many
combatants, especially a fight to the finish

2.  great
conflict:
a passionate conflict, especially one that unfolds in public

[1]



battleship

battleship
bat·tle·ship 
[bátt’l shìp] (plural bat·tle·ships)
noun

largest warship:
the largest type of warship that carries the heaviest armor[1]



battleshipgray

battleshipgray
bat·tle·ship
gray
adjective

of
gray color:
of a medium gray color tinged with blue, like the color in which battleships
are commonly painted
—bat·tle·ship gray, noun[1]



battlewagon

battlewagon
bat·tle·wag·on 
[bátt’l wàggən] (plural bat·tle·wag·ons)
or bat·tle wag·on [bátt’l wàggən]
(plural bat·tle wag·ons) noun

(informal) See battleship[1]



battue

battue
bat·tue 
[ba t] (plural bat·tues) noun

1.  driving
of game in hunt: the beating of bushes, brush, and
underbrush in order to drive game toward hunters

2.  hunt
using battue: a hunt in which battue is used

3.  slaughter:
a wholesale massacre or indiscriminate slaughter
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “beaten,” from the past participle of battre (see batter 1 ).][1]



batty

batty
bat·ty 
[báttee] (comparative bat·ti·er,
superlative bat·ti·est) adjective

zany:
slightly eccentric (informal)
[Early
20th century. From the phrase have bats in the belfry .]
—bat·ti·ness, noun[1]



Batumi

Batumi
Ba·tu·mi 
[bə tmee] or Ba·tum [bə tmee]

city and port in southwestern
Georgia on the Black Sea, and the capital of Ajaria autonomous region.
Population: 137,500 (1991)[1]



batwingsleeve

batwingsleeve
bat·wing
sleeve
[bàt wing sl v] noun

wide sleeve of garment:
a sleeve that is wide at the armhole and tight at the wrist[1]



bauble

bauble
bau·ble 
[báwb’l] (plural bau·bles) noun

1.  trinket:
something that is small and decorative but of little real value

2.  mock
scepter:
a mock scepter of office carried by a court jester (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French, “plaything,” of unknown origin.][1]



baud

baud
baud 
[bawd] (plural bauds) noun

unit
of data transmission speed: a unit for measuring data
transmission speed, equal to one unit element per second
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the French engineer J M E Baudot (1845–1903), who invented a method of
transmitting information using binary digits.][1]



Baudelaire,Charles

Baudelaire,Charles

Baude·laire 
[bōd láir], Charles (1821–1867)
French
critic and poet. His symbolist verse, notably Les fleurs du mal ( 1857
), explored his sense of melancholy, isolation, and the attractions of evil and
vice.
Full name
Baudelaire, Charles Pierre[1]



BaudouinI

BaudouinI
Bau·douin
I 
[bō dwáN], King of the Belgians (1930–1993)

He
spent five years in voluntary exile in Switzerland before ascending the throne
on the abdication of his father, Leopold III, in 1951.
Full name
Baudouin Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave[1]



Bauhaus

Bauhaus

Bau·haus 
[bów hòwss] noun
school
of architecture, design, and craftsmanship: an
influential German school of architecture and design, founded in 1919 by Walter
Gropius. It attempted to synthesize technology, craftsmanship, design, and art,
and was noted for a style of functional architecture.
[Early 20th century. From
German, coined by Gropius from Bau “building” + Haus “house.”][1]



bauhinia

bauhinia
bau·hin·i·a 
[baw hínnee ə, bō
hínnee ə] (plural bau·hin·i·as) noun

climbing
plant in pea family: a tropical or subtropical
climbing plant of the pea family that has flattened stems and is cultivated for
its flowers of various colors. Genus: Bauhinia
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, named for the Swiss botanist brothers Bauhin (Jean
(1541–1613) and Gaspard (1560–1624).][1]



baulk

baulk
baulk 
noun verb

See
balk[1]



Baum,L. Frank

Baum,L. Frank

Baum
[bawm, baam],
L. Frank (1856–1919)
U.S.
writer. He wrote about the fairytale land of Oz in 14 volumes starting with The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( 1900 ).
Full name
Baum, Lyman Frank[1]



Bauméscale

Bauméscale
Bau·mé
scale 
[bō máy skàyl, bṓ
may skàyl] noun

hydrometer
scale:
a scale for calibrating hydrometers that are used to ascertain the relative
density of liquids
[Mid-19th century. Named for
its inventor, the French chemist Antoine Baumé (1728–1804).][1]



bauxite

bauxite
baux·ite 
[báwk st] noun

principal
source of aluminum: an impure amorphous mixture
of aluminum hydroxides that is the principal ore of aluminum
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the southern French village of Les Baux, where the first sample described
in the scientific press came from.][1]



Bavaria

Bavaria
Ba·var·i·a 
[bə váireeə]

the largest state of Germany.
It is situated in the southeastern part of Germany and has borders with
Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Thüringen and Saxony states, and the Czech Republic
and Austria. Capital: Munich. Population: 11,922,000 (1994) Area: 70,546 sq
km/27,238 sq mi.[1]



Bavarian

Bavarian
Ba·var·i·an 
[bə váiree ən] (plural Ba·var·i·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Bavaria: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the German state of Bavaria

2.  German
dialect:
a group of High German dialects spoken in Bavaria and parts of Austria
—Ba·var·i·an, adjective[1]



bawd

bawd
bawd 
[bawd] (plural bawds) noun

1.  madam
of brothel:
a woman who runs a brothel

2.  prostitute:
a prostitute
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French baude “bold, lively,” of prehistoric
Germanic origin.][1]



bawdry

bawdry
bawd·ry 
[báwdree] noun (archaic)

1.  procuring
of prostitutes: the supplying of prostitutes

2.  vulgarity:
coarse or obscene language

[1]



bawdy

bawdy
bawd·y 
[báwdee] (comparative bawd·i·er,
superlative bawd·i·est) adjective

ribald:
ribald in a frank, humorous, and often crude way
—bawd·i·ly,
adverb

—bawd·i·ness, noun[1]



bawdyhouse

bawdyhouse
bawd·y·house 
[báwdi hòwss] (plural bawd·y·hous·es
[báwdi hòwzəz]) noun

brothel:
a house of prostitution (archaic)[1]



bawl

bawl
bawl 
[báwl] intransitive and transitive verb
(past bawled, past participle bawled, present
participle bawl·ing, 3rd person present singular bawls)

1.  shout:
to shout something in a loud and usually aggressive voice

2.  cry
noisily:
to cry very loudly and energetically (informal)
noun
(plural bawls)

loud shout: a
loud cry or shout
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse baula “to low,” but
ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—bawl·er, noun[1]



bawlout

bawlout
bawl
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout
something loudly: to shout or cry something out loudly

2.  transitive
verb
tell
off:
to tell somebody off loudly and angrily (informal)

[1]



bay

bay1
bay1 [bay]
(plural bays) noun

1.  curved
inlet of sea: an area of sea enclosed by a wide
inward-curving stretch of coastline

2.  land
with curving hills around: a lowland area with curving
hills partly surrounding it
[14th century. Via French baie
from Spanish bahia, of Iberian origin.][1]



bay

bay5
bay5 [bay]
verb (past bayed, past participle bayed, present
participle bay·ing, 3rd person present singular bays)

1.  intransitive
verb
howl:
to make the howling sound of a hunting dog on the trail of an animal

2.  intransitive
verb
make
loud outcry for something: to call noisily and
aggressively for something bad to happen to somebody

3.  transitive
verb
corner
hunted animal: to corner or exhaust a hunted animal so
that it must turn and face its hunters
noun

position of no escape:
the position in which a hunted animal or a person being pursued has to face the
hunters or pursuers
[13th
century. Via Old French (a)baier from assumed Vulgar Latin abbaiare
; ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
keep
somebody or something at bay

to keep somebody or something
unpleasant at a distance to avoid difficulty or harm • Take
these drops twice a day and you’ll keep colds and flu at bay.[1]



bay

bay4
bay4 [bay]
noun

1.  reddish-brown
colored animal: an animal with a reddish-brown coat,
especially a horse

2.  reddish
brown:
a reddish-brown color
adjective

bay -colored: of a
reddish-brown color (refers to horses) • a
bay mare
[14th century. Via Old French
bai from Latin badius “chestnut-colored” (used only of horses).][1]



bay

bay2
bay2 [bay]
(plural bays) noun

1.  special
area or compartment: an area, for example, in a
building, bus station, or aircraft, that is divided off and used for a
particular purpose

2.  space
between two pillars: a section of a wall or
building between two vertical structures such as pillars or buttresses

3.  recess:
a recess or alcove in a wall

4.  See
bay window  noun 1
[14th century. From French baie
“opening,” from bayer “to gape, stand open,” from assumed Vulgar Latin batare
“to yawn, gape.”][1]



bay

bay3
bay3 [bay]
noun (plural bays)

1.  tree
with aromatic leaves: a small evergreen
Mediterranean tree of the laurel family with stiff dark green aromatic leaves
that are used dried as a flavoring in cooking. Latin name: Laurus nobilis

Also
called
sweet bay
Also
called
bay laurel

2.  See
laurel  noun 2

3.  tree
like the laurel: a shrub or tree resembling the laurel,
such as the bayberry
plural
noun
bays

wreath for poet or victor:
a wreath woven out of laurel leaves, classically presented to poets and
victors, or the honor conferred by this (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
baie from Latin baca “berry.”][1]



bayadere

bayadere
ba·ya·dere 
[b ə dr, b ə
dàir] noun

striped
fabric:
fabric with horizontal stripes of bold contrasting colors
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Portuguese bailladeira “woman dancer,” from bailar “to
dance”; from the fabric of the dancers’ costumes.][1]



Bayamón

Bayamón
Ba·ya·món
[b aa mṓn]

city in northeastern Puerto
Rico, west of the Bayamón River, and west of San Juan. Population: 231,845
(1996)[1]



BayazidI

BayazidI
Bay·a·zid
I
[b əzid] or Bay·ez·it I [b əzid] or Ba·ja·zet [b əzid] or Bay·a·zid [b əzid], Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
(1360?–1403?)

He
reigned from 1389 to 1402. He conquered much of the Balkans and Asia Minor, but
was eventually defeated in 1402 by the Tatar Timur.
Known as
Yilderim “Lightning”[1]



BayazidII

BayazidII
Bay·a·zid
II
[b əzid], Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
(1448–1512)

He ruled from 1481 to 1512,
and constructed the Mosque of Bayazid in Constantinople (1505).[1]



bayberry

bayberry
bay·ber·ry 
[báy bèrree] (plural bay·ber·ries)
noun

1.  N
American shrub: a shrub of the eastern coast of North
America that has aromatic leaves and fruits covered with a waxy substance used
in making candles. Genus: Myrica
Also
called
wax myrtle

2.  See
bay rum tree

3.  fruit
of bayberry shrub: the fruit of the North
American bayberry shrub

[1]



BayCity

BayCity
Bay
Cit·y


1.  city
and port in eastern Michigan, situated where the Saginaw River flows into
Saginaw Bay. Population: 36,548 (1996)

2.  city
in southeastern Texas, near the Colorado River, southwest of Houston.
Population: 18,705 (1996)

[1]



Bayes’theorem

Bayes’theorem
Bayes’
the·o·rem
[báyz th ərəm] noun

probability
based on observation: a theorem of conditional
probability that allows estimates of probability to be revised continually
based on observations of occurrences of events
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Thomas Bayes (1702–1761), British mathematician.][1]



Bayeux

Bayeux
Ba·yeux 
[bay , baa y]

town in Calvados Department,
northern France. The Bayeux Tapestry, and 11th-century embroidery depicting the
Norman conquest of 1066, is housed in the town’s museum. Population: 15,106
(1990)[1]



Bayeuxtapestry

Bayeuxtapestry
Ba·yeux
tap·es·try 
noun

depiction of the Norman
conquest: a linen embroidery from the
11th century that hangs in Bayeux, France, and depicts the Norman conquest of
England[1]



baylaurel

baylaurel
bay
lau·rel
(plural bay lau·rels) noun

See
bay 3 noun
1[1]



bayleaf

bayleaf
bay
leaf
noun

aromatic leaf used in
cooking: the aromatic leaf of the
Mediterranean bay tree, used for flavoring in cooking[1]



baylynx

baylynx
bay
lynx
noun

See
bobcat
[From bay 4][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Bayof Pigs

Bayof Pigs
Bay
of Pigs

bay on the southwestern coast
of Cuba that was the site of an abortive attempt by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles to
overthrow the government of Fidel Castro in 1961[1]



bayonet

bayonet

bay·o·net 
[báyənət, bàyə
nét] noun (plural bay·o·nets)
blade
fitted to rifle: a blade that can be attached to the end
of a rifle and used for stabbing
transitive
verb
(past bay·o·net·ed or bay·o·net·ted, past
participle bay·o·net·ed or bay·o·net·ted, present
participle bay·o·net·ing or bay·o·net·ting, 3rd
person present singular bay·o·nets)
stab
with bayonet: to stab or kill somebody with a bayonet
[Early 17th century. From
French baïonnette, named for Bayonne
where it was first made.][1]



Bayonne

Bayonne
Bay·onne 
[bay ṓn]

city in northeastern New
Jersey, on a peninsula connected to Staten Island by a bridge. Population:
60,499 (1996)[1]



bayou

bayou
bay·ou 
[b , b ]
(plural bay·ous) noun

marshland:
in the southern United States, an area of slow-moving water, often overgrown
with reeds, leading from a river or lake
[Mid-18th century. Via
Louisiana French from Choctaw bayuk “small river forming part of a
delta.”][1]



Bayreuth

Bayreuth
Bay·reuth 
[bī róyt]

city in Bavaria, southern
Germany, northeast of Nuremberg. It is the site of an annual Wagner opera
festival. Population: 73,100 (1992)[1]



bayrum

bayrum
bay
rum
noun

aromatic liquid:
a liquid used in men’s cosmetics made by dissolving the oil of the leaves of
the bay rum tree and other fragrant oils in alcohol and water. It was
originally made by distilling the oil with rum.[1]



bayrum tree

bayrum tree
bay
rum tree
(plural bay rum trees) noun

tropical tree producing
fragrant oil: a tropical American
tree whose leaves produce an oil used to make bay rum and in perfumes and
soaps. Latin name: Pimenta racemosa
Also called
bayberry[1]



BayShore

BayShore
Bay
Shore

one of approximately 20
communities comprising the town of Islip, on Long Island, New York[1]



BayStreet

BayStreet
Bay
Street
noun

1.  Toronto
financial district: the street in Toronto on
which Canada’s largest stock exchange is located

2.  Toronto
financial markets: the controlling financial
interests of Toronto, Canada

[1]



Baytown

Baytown
Bay·town 
[báy town]

city and port in southeastern
Texas, on the northern shore of Galveston Bay, north of Galveston. Population:
68,156 (1996)[1]



baywindow

baywindow
bay
win·dow
(plural bay win·dows) noun

1.  protruding
window:
a rounded or three-sided window that sticks out from an outside wall and forms
a recess on the inside.
Also
called
bay

2.  bulging
belly:
a large bulging belly (slang)

[1]



baywood

baywood
bay·wood
[báy wd] noun

mahogany:
a light variety of mahogany from southern Mexico
[Named for the Bay of
Campeche, Mexico][1]



bazaar

bazaar
ba·zaar 
[bə zr] (plural ba·zaars) noun

1.  charitable
sale:
a sale of goods to raise money for charity, often held outdoors

2.  variety
store:
a retail store that sells a wide variety of items

3.  Middle
Eastern market: a street market in Middle Eastern
countries
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian and Turkish from Persian bāzār “market.”][1]



bazodee

bazodee
ba·zo·dee
[bə zṓ d] adjective

Caribbean
confused
and dazed:
unable to think clearly, either because of psychological turmoil or because of
some physical condition or effect (slang)
[Via French Creole from
French abasourdi “stunned, bewildered”][1]



bazooka

bazooka

ba·zoo·ka 
[bə zkə] (plural ba·zoo·kas) noun
portable
antitank weapon: a tube-shaped weapon, fired from the
shoulder, that launches a missile that can disable a tank
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: originally applied to a crude musical instrument similar to a
trombone, and perhaps coined from earlier slang bazoo “kazoo,” of
unknown origin.][1]



bb

bb
bb 
or b.b.

Abbreviation of
ball bearing[1]



BB

BB1
BB1  (plural BBs) noun

gun
pellet:
a pellet fired from a shotgun or air rifle
[Late 19th century. From the
official designation of shot that is 0.18 in. (0.46 cm) in diameter.][1]



BB

BB2
BB2 

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of base on balls

2.  BB
or B.B. JUDAISM Abbreviation
of B’nai B’rith

[1]



B.B.A.

B.B.A.
B.B.A.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Business Administration[1]



BBB

BBB
BBB

Abbreviation of
Better Business Bureau[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BBC

BBC
BBC


Abbreviation of
British Broadcasting Corporation[1]



BBgun

BBgun
BB
gun
(plural BB guns) noun

air
rifle:
an air rifle that has a spring-loaded plunger rather than a lever for
compressing air inside the barrel
[From BB 1][1]



bbl

bbl
bbl
or bbl. (plural bbls)

Abbreviation of
barrel[1]



BBQ

BBQ
BBQ

Abbreviation of
barbecue[1]



BBS

BBS
BBS


COMPUTING
Abbreviation of Bulletin Board System[1]



B.C.

B.C.1
B.C.1 or BC adverb

before the birth of Christ:
used to indicate a date that is a specified number of years before the birth of
Jesus Christ (used after a date) Full form before Christ[1]



B.C.

B.C.2
B.C.2

Abbreviation of
British Columbia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bcc

bcc
bcc
or b.c.c.

Abbreviation of
blind carbon copy[1]



BCD

BCD
BCD

Abbreviation of
binary coded decimal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B.C.E.

B.C.E.2
B.C.E.2 B.C.E.

Abbreviation of
Before the Common Era[1]



B.C.E.

B.C.E.1
B.C.E.1

1.  (plural
BCEs) Abbreviation of Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

2.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Civil Engineering

[1]



Bcell

Bcell
B
cell
(plural B cells) noun

white blood cell:
a type of white blood cell ( lymphocyte ),
formed in bone marrow in mammals and present in blood and lymph, that creates
antibodies in response to a specific antigen.
Also called
B lymphocyte[1]



BCG

BCG
BCG
(plural BCGs) noun

anti-tuberculosis vaccine:
an anti-tuberculosis vaccine made from a weakened strain of the tubercle
bacillus. Full form bacillus Calmette-Guérin (vaccine)[1]



Bcomplex

Bcomplex
B
com·plex
noun

See
vitamin B complex[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BCsoil

BCsoil
BC
soil
noun

soil with two layers:
soil made up of two distinct layers[1]



b/d

b/d
b/d

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of brought down[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B.D.

B.D.
B.D.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Divinity[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B/D

B/D
B/D
or b/d

1.  Abbreviation
of
bank draft

2.  Abbreviation
of
bills discounted

[1]



bd

bd
bd

Abbreviation of
bundle[1]



BD

BD
BD

1.  Abbreviation
of
bank draft

2.  Abbreviation
of
bomb disposal

3.  BD
or B.D. Abbreviation of bills discounted

[1]



bd.

bd.
bd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
board

2.  Abbreviation
of
bond

3.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
bound

[1]



bdellium

bdellium
bdel·li·um 
[déllee əm] (plural bdel·li·ums)
noun

1.  resinous
tree:
a tropical tree of Africa and western Asia that produces a resin similar to
myrrh. Genus: Commiphora

2.  valuable
resin:
the transparent yellowish resin of the bdellium tree, valued for its perfume
[14th century. Via Latin and
Greek from, ultimately, a Semitic language.][1]



bd.ft.

bd.ft.
bd.
ft.

Abbreviation of
board foot[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bdl

bdl
bdl

Abbreviation of
bundle[1]



Bdr

Bdr
Bdr

Abbreviation of
Bombardier[1]



bdrm.

bdrm.
bdrm.

Abbreviation of
bedroom[1]



bds.

bds.
bds.

PUBLISHING
Abbreviation of bound in boards[1]



B.E.

B.E.
B.E.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Education

2.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Engineering

[1]



B/E

B/E
B/E

Abbreviation of
bill of exchange[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Be

Be
Be

Symbol for
beryllium[1]



BE

BE
BE
or B.E.

Abbreviation of
Board of Education[1]



be-

be-
be-
prefix

1.  thoroughly,
excessively • bedazzle
• bespatter

2.  on,
over, about • bewail

3.  to
surround or cover with • befog
• bedew

4.  to
furnish with • befriend

5.  to
make • belittle
[ETYMOLOGY: Old English be-,
bi- . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “around,” which is
also the ancestor of English ambi-, amphi-, and by
.][1]



be

be
be 
[(stressed) bee, (unstressed) bee] (1st person singular past indicative was,
2nd person singular past indicative were, 3rd person singular
past indicative was, 1st person plural past indicative were,
2nd person plural past indicative were, 3rd person plural past
indicative were, past subjunctive were, past
participle been, present subjunctive be, 1st person
present singular am, 2nd person present singular are, 3rd
person present singular is, 1st person present plural are,
2nd person present plural are) CORE
MEANING:
a verb used most commonly to link the subject of a clause to a complement in
order to give more information about the subject, for example, its identity,
nature, attributes, position, or value • This
is my colleague. • He’s
a very sweet person. • Her
new car is blue. • The
supermarket is on the left. • The
clock was worth $3000 intransitive verb

1.  giving
a description: used after “it” as the subject of the
clause, to give a description or judgment of something • It
was a good thing they didn’t go after all. • It
is up to you to make a success of the business.

2.  exist
or be true:
used after “there” to indicate that something exists or is true • There
was nothing in the news today about the resignation.
• There
are too many people in here.

3.  exist:
to exist, have presence, or live • I
think, therefore I am. • Our
cat has ceased to be.

4.  happen:
to happen or take place • The
meeting will be at 2 o’clock in the conference room.

5.  stay:
to stay or visit • He wanted nothing but
to be with the family. • Have
you ever been to Italy?

6.  have
particular quality: to have a particular quality
or attribute • To
be really precise, you must state the exact time at which the accident
happened.

7.  remain:
used to indicate that a certain situation remains • The
fact of the matter is, I just don’t want to stay here any more.

8.  expressing
continuation: used as an auxiliary verb with the
present participles of other verbs to express continuation • The
firm will be instituting more training programs next year.

9.  forming
the passive: used as an auxiliary verb with the past
participles of transitive verbs to form the passive voice • She
was sent on the mission.

10. forming
perfect tense: used as an auxiliary verb with the past
participles of some intransitive verbs to form a perfect tense (archaic)
• She
is gone.

11. expressing
the future:
used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that something is planned, expected,
intended, or supposed to happen in the future (used with an infinitive)
• The
meeting is to take place tomorrow. • What
am I to do?

12. expressing
unplanned action in the past: used as an auxiliary verb
when reporting past events to indicate that something happened later than the
time reported and was unplanned or uncertain at the time (used with an
infinitive) • He kissed her goodbye;
it was to be the last time he ever saw her.
[Old
English bēon, via a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “exist, dwell”
from an Indo-European base meaning “exist, grow”]
be
that as it may

even
if that is the case • “I
don’t even like camping vacations.”–“Be that as it may, you’re still going with
us.”

be
off

go
away • It’s
already seven o’clock; I’m off.





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  prehistoric Germanic word that is the ancestor of the verb be is also the source of English boor, booth,
  bower, build,
  bylaw, husband,
  and neighbor.

[1]



beach

beach
beach 
[beech] noun (plural beach·es)

coastal
sand:
a strip of sand or pebbles at the point where land meets the sea or a lake
intransitive
and transitive verb (past beached,
past participle beached, present participle beach·ing,
3rd person present singular beach·es)

haul
boat ashore: to pull or run a boat onto a beach, or
be pulled onto a beach
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English bæce “brook.” Originally in the
meaning of “shingle.”][1]



beachball

beachball
beach
ball
(plural beach balls) noun

lightweight inflatable ball:
a large light easily inflated ball, often brightly colored, for playing with on
a beach[1]



beachbuggy

beachbuggy
beach
bug·gy
noun

U.K.
See dune buggy[1]



beachbum

beachbum
beach
bum
(plural beach bums) noun

person idling on beaches:
a person with no serious occupation who spends time lazing around on beaches (informal)[1]



beachcomber

beachcomber
beach·comb·er 
[bch kmər] (plural beach·comb·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
salvaging things from beach: somebody who wanders along
beaches looking through debris for useful or valuable things

2.  U.K.
See comber

[1]



beached

beached
beached
[beecht] adjective

stranded on beach:
stranded on a beach or out of the water[1]



beachflea

beachflea
beach
flea
noun

See
sand flea[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








beachfront

beachfront
beach·front 
[bch frùnt] (plural beach·fronts)
noun

land along a beach:
a strip of land that adjoins a beach[1]



beachgrass

beachgrass
beach
grass
(plural beach grass·es) noun

strong grass growing in sand:
a thick grass with strong roots that grows along sandy shores in North America.
It is often planted to stop beach erosion. Genus: Ammophila[1]



beachhead

beachhead
beach·head 
[bch hèd] (plural beach·heads)
noun

1.  captured
enemy beach: a part of an enemy shoreline that troops
have captured and are using as a base for launching an attack

2.  base
for achieving something: an initial success that lays
the groundwork for achieving an objective
[Modeled on bridgehead][1]



Beach-la-Mar

Beach-la-Mar
Beach-la-Mar
[bch lə mr] noun

language
of W Pacific: a pidgin based on English that
originally developed in Vanuatu, Fiji, and other nearby islands as a trading
lingua franca. The modern form that is the national language of Vanuatu is
known as Bislama.
[Early 19th century. By folk
etymology from Portuguese bicho do mar “sea cucumber,” literally “sea
worm,” by association with beach .][1]



beachpea

beachpea
beach
pea
(plural beach peas) noun

purple-flowered pea plant:
a plant of the pea family that has purple flowers and grows wild along sandy
shores of the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Lathyrus japonicus
U.K. term
sea pea[1]



beachplum

beachplum
beach
plum
(plural beach plums) noun

1.  N
American shrubby plum tree: a small shrubby plum tree
that has large white flowers and grows in coastal regions of northeastern North
America. Latin name: Prunus maritima

2.  edible
purple fruit: the dark purple edible fruit of the
beach plum tree

[1]



beachscape

beachscape
beach·scape 
[bch skàyp] (plural beach·scapes)
noun

view of beach:
a view of a beach, either in reality or in a painting or photograph[1]



beachside

beachside
beach·side 
[bch sd] adjective

on or by a beach:
on or next to a beach[1]



beachwear

beachwear
beach·wear 
[bch wàir] noun

clothes for beach:
casual clothing designed to be worn on a beach[1]



BeachyHead

BeachyHead
Beach·y
Head 
[bchee héd]

chalk headland on the English
Channel near Eastbourne, East Sussex, southern England. Height: 171 m/570 ft.[1]



beacon

beacon
bea·con 
[bkən] (past bea·coned, past
participle bea·coned, present participle bea·con·ing, 3rd
person present singular bea·cons, plural bea·cons) noun

1.  SHIPPING flashing
light for ships: a lighthouse or signaling buoy that
produces a flashing light to warn or guide ships

2.  NAVIGATION radio
transmitter producing navigation signal: a
radio transmitter that continuously broadcasts a signal that aircraft use for
guidance

3.  signaling
fire on hill: a fire lit on a hilltop or tower in
former times as a signal, for example, to warn of invasion

4.  hill
suitable for signaling fires: a prominent hill on which
fires were formerly lit as a signal (often used in place names)

5.  source
of inspiration: somebody or something that inspires or
guides others (literary)
[Old English bēacen
“signal, sign.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced
English beckon .][1]



Beacon

Beacon
Bea·con
[bkən]

city in southeastern New
York, on the Hudson River. Population: 13,275 (1996)[1]



bead

bead
bead 
[beed] noun (plural beads)

1.  ball
for a necklace: a small gemstone or sphere of glass,
plastic, or wood, pierced for stringing on a necklace or for sewing onto fabric

2.  drop
of moisture: a drop of moisture, especially of sweat

3.  ARCHITECTURE FURNITURE building
or furniture trim: an edge or rim that sticks
out on a building or a piece of furniture, traditionally with a pattern of
rounded knobs

4.  ARMS gun
sight:
a knob sticking up on the end of the barrel of a gun, forming the front part of
the gun’s sight

5.  AUTOMOTIVE seal
on a tire:
a projecting lip on the tire of a motor vehicle that seals to the wheel rim

6.  METALLURGY deposit
of metal:
a deposit of metal used in welding
plural
noun
beads

1.  RELIGION rosary:
a rosary

2.  necklace:
a necklace made of beads
verb
(past bead·ed, past participle bead·ed, present
participle bead·ing, 3rd person present singular beads)

1.  transitive
verb
decorate
with beads:
to trim or ornament something with beads

2.  intransitive
verb
form
into beads:
to form drops of moisture
[Old
English gebed “prayer.” The meaning “small ball” evolved in the 14th
century via “prayer said on a rosary” and “rosary bead.”]
draw
a bead on somebody or something

1.  to
take careful aim at somebody or something

2.  to
single out somebody or something for special consideration

tell
or say or count your beads

to
say prayers recited in sequence and counted using a rosary

[1]



beading

beading
bead·ing 
[bding] (plural bead·ings) noun

1.  building
or furniture trim: an edge or rim that sticks
out on a building or a piece of furniture, traditionally with a pattern of
rounded knobs

2.  carved
wood for edging: a rounded piece of molding, for example,
on a door

[1]



beadle

beadle
bea·dle 
[bd’l] (plural bea·dles) noun

1.  JUDAISM caretaker
of a synagogue: an official who acts as caretaker of a
synagogue and oversees the running of the service

2.  CHRISTIANITY minor
church official: a minor parish official once employed in
the Church of England to usher and keep order
[13th century. From Old
French bedel, literally “proclaimer, messenger,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English bid
.][1]



Beadle,George Wells

Beadle,George Wells
Bea·dle
[bd’l], George Wells (1903–1989)

U.S.
geneticist. He won a Nobel Prize (1958) for his pioneering research into the
role of genes in synthesis of cellular substances.
Full name
Beadle, George Wells[1]



beadwork

beadwork
bead·work 
[bd wùrk] noun

1.  wooden
edging:
decorative wooden edging, for example, on a door or window frame

2.  pattern
of beads:
decoration using beads to form a design, for example, on furniture or knitwear

[1]



beady

beady
bead·y 
[bdee] (comparative bead·i·er,
superlative bead·i·est) adjective

1.  like
beads:
small, round, and shiny like glass beads

2.  covered
with beads:
covered or ornamented with beads
—bead·i·ly,
adverb

—bead·i·ness,
noun
keep
a or your beady eye on somebody or something

to watch somebody or
something very carefully (informal)[1]



beagle

beagle
bea·gle 
[bg’l] (plural bea·gles) noun

small
smooth-haired dog: a small smooth-haired dog
belonging to a breed with a white, tan, and black coat and long drooping ears,
often used for hunting
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French beegueule “noisy person,” from beer,
“to gape” (source of English bay 2 ) + gueule
“throat” (see gullet ).][1]



beak

beak
beak 
[beek] (plural beaks) noun

1.  BIRDS bird’s
mouth:
the strong horny outer parts of a bird’s mouth that stick out from its head.
Beaks take many different shapes adapted to the eating habits of individual
bird species.

2.  ZOOLOGY protruding
part of animal’s mouth: a projecting part of the
mouth or jaw of animals other than birds, for example, the sucking mouthpart of
an insect or the bony jaw projection of a fish

3.  ZOOLOGY part
of mollusk’s shell: the oldest part of the shell
of a mollusk with a hinged shell, found nearest the hinge

4.  somebody’s
nose:
somebody’s nose, especially when it is long or hooked (slang)

5.  projecting
part:
a part that sticks out, for example, the lip of a container

6.  ARCHITECTURE curved
cornice or molding: a cornice or molding with a
downward-curving edge
[13th
century. Via Old French bec from Latin beccus, of Gaulish
origin.]
—beak·less, adjective[1]



beaked

beaked
beaked
[beekt] adjective

with a beak:
having a beak or some part resembling a beak[1]



beakedwhale

beakedwhale
beaked
whale
(plural beaked whales) noun

medium-sized whale with
snout: a widely found,
medium-sized, toothed whale with a long snout. Family: Ziphiidae[1]



beaker

beaker
beak·er 
[bkər] (plural beak·ers) noun

1.  laboratory
container:
a flat-bottomed glass container used in laboratories

2.  wide
cup:
a wide-mouthed cup, especially a plastic one without a handle
[14th century. Via Old Norse bikarr
from assumed Vulgar Latin bicarium, perhaps ultimately from Greek bikos
“wine jar, earthen vessel.”][1]



Beakerfolk

Beakerfolk
Beak·er
folk
plural noun

people of prehistoric Europe:
a prehistoric people who lived throughout Central Europe during the period 2000
to 1000 B.C. The remains of
pottery beakers are often found in areas where they are known to have lived.[1]



be-all

be-all
be-allthe
be-all and end-all

the thing that is most
important[1]



beam

beam
beam 
[beem] noun (plural beams)

1.  CONSTRUCTION horizontal
structural support: a horizontal structural
member that carries the load by bending, for example, a long piece of timber,
metal, or concrete spanning a room and supporting the story or roof above

2.  line
of light:
a narrow line of light, for example, from a flashlight

3.  PHYSICS flow
of radiation: a narrow stream of radiation or
particles flowing in one direction

4.  NAVIGATION guiding
signal:
a radio or radar signal intended to guide a ship or aircraft, or the direction
indicated by this

5.  GYMNASTICS See balance beam

6.  broad
smile:
a broad smile of happiness or satisfaction

7.  NAUTICAL structural
crosspiece in ship: a structural member of a
ship or boat that joins the sides and supports the deck

8.  NAUTICAL ship’s
breadth:
the full breadth of a ship

9.  NAUTICAL side
of ship:
either of the sides of a ship

10. horizontal
part of balance: the pivoted horizontal bar of a balance
on which the two scales hang

11. main
supporting shaft: a main bar or shaft, for example, either
of the main stems of a deer’s antlers or the central shaft of a plow

12. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING connecting
lever in engine: a lever connecting the piston rod and
crankshaft in an engine

13. MANUFACTURING roller
in loom:
a cylinder in a loom on which either the warp or the cloth is wound
verb
(past beamed, past participle beamed, present
participle beam·ing, 3rd person present singular beams)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb smile
broadly:
to smile broadly with happiness or satisfaction, or express feelings by smiling
broadly

2.  transitive
verb
BROADCASTING send
as radio or TV signal: to send or transmit a
program to a distant place in the form of a radio or television signal

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shine:
to shine in a particular direction

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
circumstances suddenly: to move between completely
different places or situations in a sudden and disorienting way (slang)
(used with “up” or “down”)
[Old
English bēam “tree, piece of timber, column, ray,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English boom]
off
the beam

or off
beammissing the point or relevance

on
the beam

1.  using
a beam for guidance

2.  on
track or working effectively

[1]



beamantenna

beamantenna
beam
an·ten·na
noun

a radio or television antenna
designed to transmit or receive signals in or from a particular direction[1]



beamcompass

beamcompass
beam
com·pass
(plural beam com·pass·es) noun

circle-drawing tool:
a tool for drawing very large circles or arcs, consisting of a horizontal bar
with sliding legs[1]



beam-ends

beam-ends
beam-ends 
plural noun

ends
of supporting beams: the ends of the beams
supporting the deck of a vessel
on
her or its beam-ends

used to describe a ship
leaning so far to one side that its deck is vertical[1]



Beamon,Bob

Beamon,Bob
Bea·mon
[bmən], Bob (1946– )

U.S.
athlete. He set a world long jump record of 8.9 m/ 29 ft 2.5 in. at the 1968
Olympic Games in Mexico City; it lasted for 23 years.
Full name
Beamon, Robert[1]



beamsplitter

beamsplitter
beam
split·ter
(plural beam split·ters) noun

device used to make
holograms: a device used in holography
to divide a laser light into two beams by means of a prism and mirror so as to
produce a three-dimensional image[1]



beamy

beamy
beam·y 
[bmee] (comparative beam·i·er,
superlative beam·i·est) adjective

1.  shining
brightly:
sending out beams of light (literary)

2.  with
broad beam:
having a broad beam, or broad in the beam (refers to a ship)

[1]



bean

bean
bean 
[been] noun (plural beans)

1.  plant
with edible pods and seeds: a climbing or short bushy
plant that is cultivated for its edible, usually green, pods and seeds. Genus: Phaseolus

See
also
French bean

2.  edible
green pod:
a long thin usually green seedpod of a bean plant eaten cooked as a vegetable

3.  small
round vegetable: a small round or kidney-shaped seed of
various colors that is eaten as a vegetable and can be dried to preserve it

4.  See
soybean

5.  See
broad bean

6.  seed
used in food or drink: a coffee, cocoa, or carob
seed that is processed and used in food or drink

7.  head:
a person’s head or brain (slang)
plural
noun
beans

nothing:
nothing at all (informal)
transitive
verb
(past beaned, past participle beaned, present
participle bean·ing, 3rd person present singular beans)

hit on head: to
hit somebody on the head (slang)
[Old
English bēan, from prehistoric Germanic]
full
of beans

1.  bright
and energetic (informal)

2.  full
of incorrect information or nonsense (informal)

not
know beans about something

to
have no knowledge or understanding of something (informal)

spill
the beans

to
reveal secret information (informal)

[1]



beanbag

beanbag
bean·bag 
[bn bàg] (plural bean·bags) noun

1.  GAME bean-filled
bag used in games: a small cloth bag filled
with dried beans or something similar, thrown or otherwise used in children’s
games

2.  FURNITURE large
cushion used as seat: an oversized cushion filled
with tiny polystyrene balls, laid on the floor and used as a chair

[1]



beanball

beanball
bean
ball
(plural bean balls) noun

ball
aimed at head: in baseball, a ball deliberately pitched
at the batter’s head (informal)
[From bean in the sense of “head”][1]



beanbeetle

beanbeetle
bean
bee·tle
(plural bean bee·tles) noun

See
Mexican bean beetle[1]



beancounter

beancounter
bean
count·er
(plural bean coun·ters) noun

accountant:
an accountant as contrasted with the creative staff of an organization (slang
insult)[1]



beancurd

beancurd
bean
curd
noun

tofu:
tofu, especially as used in Chinese cookery[1]



beanery

beanery
bean·er·y 
[bnəree] (plural bean·er·ies)
noun

cheap restaurant:
a cheap restaurant (informal)[1]



Beanhead

Beanhead
Bean·head
[bn hed] (plural Bean·heads) noun

United States Military
Academy freshman: a first-year cadet at
the United States Military Academy at West Point (slang)[1]



beanie

beanie
bean·ie 
[bnee] (plural bean·ies) noun

hat
like skullcap: a round tight-fitting hat like a
skullcap, formerly worn by schoolboys and young college students
[Formed from bean in the sense of “head”][1]



beano

beano
bean·o 
[bnō] noun

bingo:
the game of bingo, sometimes played with beans as markers, and often considered
illegal gambling (informal)[1]



beanpole

beanpole
bean·pole 
[bn pl] (plural bean·poles) noun

1.  stick
supporting bean plant: a stick or pole for
supporting a climbing bean plant

2.  tall
thin person: somebody who is very tall and thin (informal)

[1]



beansprouts

beansprouts
bean
sprouts
plural noun

shoots of sprouted bean
seeds: long pale shoots of sprouted
bean seeds, particularly of the mung bean, harvested while crisp and used raw
or very lightly cooked[1]



Bear

Bear
Bear
[bair]

river that rises in Utah and
flows through Wyoming and Idaho before entering Utah and emptying into the
Great Salt Lake. Length: 563 km/350 mi.[1]



bear

bear2
bear2 [bair]
(past bore [bawr], past
participle borne [bawrn] or
born [bawrn], present participle
bear·ing, 3rd person present singular bears) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tolerate:
to be able to endure something without great distress or annoyance (used
with a negative) • couldn’t
bear to see them unhappy

2.  transitive
verb
support
something:
to hold or support a weight or something heavy

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be fit
for something: to withstand being subjected to a
particular action • Will her theories bear
scrutiny?

4.  transitive
verb
merit
something:
to be worthy of an action • These
allegations bear further investigation.

5.  transitive
verb
accept
as responsibility: to accept something as a
duty or responsibility

6.  transitive
verb
be
characterized by something: to have something as a
quality, characteristic, or permanent attribute • The
description bore no relation to reality.

7.  transitive
verb
be
marked by something: to show physical signs of
something

8.  transitive
verb
carry:
to hold or support and transport somebody or something

9.  transitive
verb
produce
something:
to yield something by a natural process, or produce something desirable or
valuable • the
tree bore fruit

10. transitive
verb
give
birth:
to give birth to a child or young.
See
also
born

11. transitive
verb
think
something:
to hold a particular thought, feeling, or idea in the mind • I
bore him no ill will.

12. transitive
verb
transmit:
to hold something in mind and communicate it to others (formal)

13. intransitive
verb
head
in a certain direction: to move or turn in a
particular direction • Bear
right when the road divides.

14. transitive
verb
behave
in a certain way: to conduct or carry yourself in a
particular way
[Old
English beran]
bring
something to bear (on something)

to use something to force a
desired outcome[1]



bear

bear1


bear1 [bair]
(plural bears) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
furry animal: a large strong omnivorous four-legged
mammal that has thick shaggy fur and sharp claws and walks on the flat of its
paws. Family: Ursidae

2.  ZOOLOGY medium-sized
furry animal: an animal that resembles but is
unrelated to the true bear, for example, the koala

3.  See
teddy bear

4.  bad-tempered
person:
somebody who is surly or ill-tempered (informal)

5.  difficult
thing:
something difficult to experience or endure (slang)

6.  STOCK EXCHANGE somebody
who anticipates falling prices: somebody who sells
stocks or commodities in anticipation of falling prices.
See
also
bull 1 noun 4

7.  FINANCE somebody
anticipating bad business conditions:
somebody who anticipates unfavorable business conditions
[Old
English bera, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “the brown one.”
In the financial sense, probably from the expression “to sell the bear’s skin
before you have caught the bear.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  prehistoric Germanic word from which bear
  is derived is also the ancestor of English amphora,
  barrow, berth,
  bier, birth,
  born, burden,
  fertile, paraphernalia, and suffer.

[1]



bearable

bearable
bear·a·ble 
[báirəb’l] adjective

tolerable:
not too unpleasant to put up with or accept[1]



bearbaiting

bearbaiting
bear·bait·ing 
[báir bàyting] noun

dogs attacking a bear for
fun: the setting of fierce dogs
onto a chained bear, once a popular form of public entertainment[1]



bearberry

bearberry
bear·ber·ry 
[báir bèrree] (plural bear·ber·ries)
noun

trailing
shrub:
a trailing evergreen shrub of North America, Europe, and Asia that has small
pinkish flowers and red berries. Latin name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
[Early 17th century. From bear 1 .][1]



bearcat

bearcat
bear·cat 
[báir kàt] (plural bear·cats) noun

See
red panda[1]



beard

beard
beard 
[beerd] noun (plural beards)

1.  hair
growing on man’s chin: the hair on a man’s chin
and, often, his neck and cheeks

2.  ZOOLOGY tufts
growing on plants and animals: a growth of longer
hair on an animal, for example, on a goat’s chin, or a long slender growth on
plants, for example, on barley and wheat heads

3.  attention-diverting
person or thing: somebody or something that diverts
attention or suspicion from another
transitive
verb
(past beard·ed, past participle beard·ed, present
participle beard·ing, 3rd person present singular beards)

stand up to somebody openly:
to oppose or confront something or somebody confidently or disrespectfully • bearded
the senator in the cloak room and took him to task for his position on taxes
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “beard,” which is also
the ancestor of English barber .]
—beard·less, adjective[1]



bearded

bearded
beard·ed
[brdəd] adjective

with
beard:
having a beard
—beard·ed·ness, noun[1]



beardedcollie

beardedcollie
beard·ed
col·lie
(plural beard·ed col·lies) noun

sheepdog:
a medium-sized gray or brown-and-white dog with a long coat, drooping ears, and
a tuft of hair on its chin, belonging to a breed used for herding animals[1]



beardeddragon

beardeddragon
beard·ed
drag·on
(plural beard·ed drag·ons) or beard·ed liz·ard (plural
beard·ed liz·ards) noun

large Australian lizard:
a large Australian lizard with a pouch under its chin, that inflates to ward
off attackers. Latin name: Amphibolus barbatus[1]



beardediris

beardediris
beard·ed
i·ris 
(plural beard·ed i·ris·es) noun

iris with hairs on petals:
an iris growing from a rhizome that has numerous hairs, often colored, along
the center of each drooping lower petal[1]



beardedtit

beardedtit
beard·ed
tit
(plural beard·ed tits) noun

See
reedling[1]



beardedvulture

beardedvulture
beard·ed
vul·ture
(plural beard·ed vul·tures) noun

See
lammergeier[1]



beardown

beardown
bear
down
intransitive verb

push in childbirth:
to push with the vaginal muscles during childbirth[1]



beardown on

beardown on
bear
down on
transitive verb

1.  approach:
to move quickly and menacingly toward somebody or something

2.  press
down:
to exert downward pressure on something

[1]



Beardsley,Aubrey

Beardsley,Aubrey

Beards·ley 
[brdzlee], Aubrey (1872–1898)
British
artist and illustrator. One of the “Decadents” in the 1890s, he produced art
nouveau illustrations in a distinctive black-and-white style, including series
for Morte d’Arthur (1893) and Salomé (1894).
Full name
Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent[1]



beardtongue

beardtongue
beard·tongue 
[brd tùng] (plural beard·tongues)
noun

BOTANY See penstemon
[Early 19th century. From the
tufts resembling hair on one of its stamens.][1]



bearer

bearer
bear·er 
[bàirər] (plural bear·ers) noun

1.  bringer:
somebody who brings or carries something

2.  FINANCE holder
of redeemable note: somebody possessing a
document redeemable for payment

3.  See
pallbearer

4.  porter:
a local person employed to carry equipment on an expedition

[1]



bearerbond

bearerbond
bear·er
bond
(plural bear·er bonds) noun

bond payable to holder:
a bond payable only to the party that presents it[1]



beargarden

beargarden
bear
gar·den
(plural bear gar·dens) noun

rowdy place:
a noisy or unruly place or occasion[1]



bearhug

bearhug
bear
hug
(plural bear hugs) noun

1.  tight
embrace:
an enthusiastic or energetic embrace

2.  WRESTLING squeezing
hold in wrestling: in wrestling, a tight,
squeezing hold around an opponent’s chest and arms

3.  COMMERCE warning
of intended takeover: one company’s warning to
another of its intention to assume control

[1]



bearing

bearing
bear·ing 
[báiring] (plural bear·ings) noun

1.  relevance:
an effect on something, or a connection with something • This
has no bearing on the matter under discussion.

2.  way
of moving or standing: somebody’s way of moving,
standing, or behaving generally • her
dignified bearing

3.  NAVIGATION calculation
of direction or geographic position:
somebody’s location or direction of movement calculated using a map or compass

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING housing
for a moving part: the part of a machine that
supports a sliding or rotating part

5.  BUILDING support
for beam:
a support for a beam or girder

6.  HERALDRY heraldic
device:
a heraldic device or charge
find
or get your bearings

1.  to
learn exactly where you are and in which direction you should proceed

2.  to
become familiar with a new environment

lose
your bearings

1.  to
become uncertain about where you are and in which direction you should proceed

2.  to
become unable to react in a normal manner

[1]



bearingpile

bearingpile
bear·ing
pile
(plural bear·ing piles) noun

weight-bearing column:
a column of concrete, steel, or timber driven vertically into the ground to
transfer the weight of a structure built above onto firm soil below[1]



bearingrein

bearingrein
bear·ing
rein
(plural bear·ing reins) noun

U.K.
See checkrein[1]



bearish

bearish
bear·ish 
[báirish] adjective

1.  clumsy:
moving or behaving roughly or clumsily

2.  bad-tempered:
surly or ill-tempered toward people

3.  STOCK EXCHANGE anticipating
falling prices: conducive to or characterized by selling
rather than buying stocks or commodities in anticipation of falling prices

4.  FINANCE anticipating
bad business conditions: anticipating unfavorable
business conditions

[1]



bearmarket

bearmarket
bear
mar·ket
(plural bear mar·kets) noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE market
with falling stock prices: a situation
in a stock or commodity market in which stockholders are selling in
anticipation of falling prices[1]



BearMountain

BearMountain
Bear
Mount·ain
[báir mòwnt’n]

mountain in southeastern New
York State on the western bank of the Hudson River. Height: 398 m/1,305 ft.[1]



bearon

bearon
bear
on
or bear up·on transitive verb

1.  be
relevant:
to relate to or affect something

2.  cause
difficulty:
to be a problem for, or a burden to, somebody or something

[1]



bearout

bearout
bear
out
transitive verb

prove:
to prove something or somebody to be true or justified • This
bears out my theory.[1]



bearraid

bearraid
bear
raid
(plural bear raids) noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE selling
in order to lower prices: an attempt
to lower a stock or commodity price by selling large numbers of shares, usually
in order to buy them back at a lowered price[1]



bearskin

bearskin
bear·skin 
[báir skìn] (plural bear·skins)
noun

1.  bear’s
pelt:
a bear’s skin with the fur still attached, stripped from the animal

2.  TEXTILES shaggy
woolen cloth: coarse woolen fabric, often used to make
overcoats

3.  MILITARY soldier’s
tall fur hat: a tall fur hat worn as part of the
ceremonial uniform of soldiers in some British army regiments and by drum
majors

[1]



beartrout

beartrout
bear
trout
noun

trout of Lake Superior:
the lake trout of Lake Superior, most frequently observed in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan (regional)[1]



bearup

bearup
bear
up
intransitive verb

1.  withstand
examination: to remain true or undamaged after being
examined or criticized

2.  stay
cheerful in difficulties: to remain cheerful and
determined in spite of problems

[1]



bearupon

bearupon
bear
upon
transitive verb

See
bear on[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bearwith

bearwith
bear
with
transitive verb

be patient:
to be patient with somebody trying to do something[1]



bear’sbreech

bear’sbreech
bear’s
breech 
(plural bear’s breech·es) noun

spiky-leaved garden plant:
a large garden plant with spiky leaves and whitish purple-streaked flowers.
Latin name: Acanthus mollis
Also called
acanthus[1]



bear’sear

bear’sear
bear’s
ear
(plural bear’s ears) noun

BOTANY
See auricula[1]



beast

beast
beast 
[beest] (plural beasts) noun

1.  large
animal:
an animal, especially a large four-footed mammal

2.  irrational
side of somebody’s personality: the instinctive,
irrational, or aggressive part of somebody’s personality

3.  brutal
person:
a cruel or aggressive person

4.  something
unpleasant:
a thing or situation that is difficult or unpleasant (informal) • This
is truly a beast of a job!
[12th century. Via Old French
beste from Latin bestia, of unknown origin.][1]



beastfable

beastfable
beast
fa·ble
(plural beast fa·bles) noun

moral story featuring
animals: a story that teaches a moral
lesson using the exploits of animals that speak and act like human beings[1]



beastie

beastie
beast·ie
[bstee] (plural beast·ies) noun

U.S.,
Scotland insect:
a small animal, especially an insect or small crawling creature (informal)[1]



beastly

beastly
beast·ly 
[bstlee] adjective

nasty:
thoroughly unpleasant or objectionable
—beast·li·ness, noun[1]



beastof burden

beastof burden
beast
of bur·den
(plural beasts of bur·den) noun

animal that carries loads:
an animal, for example, a donkey or an ox, used to carry or pull things or do
other heavy work[1]



beastof prey

beastof prey
beast
of prey
(plural beasts of prey) noun

animal hunting others:
a mammal that hunts other animals for food[1]



beat

beat
beat 
[beet] verb (past beat,
past participle beat·en [bt’n],
present participle beat·ing, 3rd person present singular beats)

1.  transitive
verb
defeat:
to defeat somebody in a contest • She
was beaten in the semifinal.

2.  transitive
verb
hit
repeatedly:
to hit somebody or something with repeated heavy blows • beaten
nearly to death.

3.  intransitive
verb
knock
against repeatedly: to knock or strike against
something repeatedly • waves
beating against the rocks

4.  transitive
verb
flog:
to inflict physical punishment or injury on somebody using an instrument such
as a whip, stick, or belt • He was
beaten with a strap.

5.  intransitive
verb
pulsate:
to make natural short rhythmical movements (refers to the heart or pulse)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC hit drum:
to hit a drum repeatedly to produce a musical rhythm or a signal

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC set
musical rhythm: to show or establish a musical rhythm,
for example, with a conductor’s baton or by clapping hands

8.  transitive
verb
COOKING stir
vigorously:
to mix moist ingredients vigorously to combine them, make them smooth, or
incorporate air into them • Now,
beat the eggs.

9.  transitive
verb
overcome
obstacles in something: to overcome the difficulties
or obstacles created by something • You
can’t beat the system.

10. transitive
verb
arrive
ahead of somebody: to arrive or finish
something sooner than somebody else or than a time limit • She
beat me to the office.

11. transitive
verb
avoid
later delays: to take early action to avoid being
prevented or delayed by something • Order
now and beat the rush!

12. transitive
verb
surpass:
to surpass a previous best performance • beat
the long jump record

13. intransitive
and transitive verb be
better:
to be or do better than a particular thing, activity, or quality (informal)
• Sitting
by the pool sure beats working.

14. transitive
verb
make
by blows:
to shape or make something by pounding or trampling • beat
silver into jewelry

15. intransitive
and transitive verb BIRDS flap wings:
to move the wings up and down in flight or an attempt at flight, or be moved in
this way • The
vulture beat its wings.

16. transitive
verb
force
to withdraw: to force somebody to retreat or accept a
weaker position • they beat back the
enemy

17. intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING drive game from brush:
to move through or disturb cover in order to frighten animals and birds for
hunting

18. intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL sail
into wind:
to sail a boat or ship as nearly as possible in the direction from which the
wind is blowing
noun
(plural beats)

1.  steady
throbbing:
a rhythmical sound or movement made by something throbbing or pulsating (often
used in combination) • a fast
heartbeat

2.  stroke:
an act of striking one thing against another, or the sound of one thing
striking against another, especially repeatedly and rhythmically • a
drum beat

3.  MUSIC set
rhythm:
a single element of measured time in a musical piece or poem. Beats occur at
regular intervals and are the rhythmic and metrical foundations of music.

4.  MUSIC conductor’s
signal:
a movement made by a conductor’s baton or hand to indicate a musical beat

5.  MUSIC dominant
rhythm:
the dominant rhythm in a piece of music, especially a strong rhythm in rock
music

6.  usual
route:
a regular route followed or area covered while working, for example, by a
police officer • the local police
officer on the beat

7.  area
somebody usually goes to: the places somebody usually
frequents, especially somebody’s usual hunting or fishing area
adjective

1.  tired
out:
completely exhausted (slang)

2.  puzzled:
unable to understand or think how to proceed (informal) • It
has me beat.

3.  beat
or Beat of the Beat Generation:
typical of or produced by members of the Beat Generation
[Old
English bēatan . Via a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced (via
French) English button and buttress, from an Indo-European base meaning
“strike,” which also produced English confute
and refute .]
beat
it!

used
to tell somebody to go away (slang)

beat
somebody to it or something

to
succeed in doing something before somebody else can do it (informal)

it
beats me

used
to indicate you have no answer (informal)

not
miss a beat

to
show no sign of surprise or upset  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



beatbox

beatbox
beat·box
[bt bòks] noun

MUSIC
an electronic drum used mainly in hip-hop and rap music to provide accompanying
rhythm and sounds (informal)[1]



beatdown

beatdown
beat
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
down strongly: to shine intensely or fall heavily from
the sky (refers to sun or rain)

2.  transitive
verb
persuade
somebody to sell for less: to persuade somebody to
charge less than the intended selling price (informal)

[1]



beaten

beaten
beat·en


Past participle of
beat[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








beater

beater
beat·er 
[btər] (plural beat·ers) noun

1.  tool
for beating: a tool for beating something, for
example, a shaped stick for beating the dust out of carpets, or an electric
food mixer attachment for beating eggs (often used in combination)

2.  HUNTING hunter’s
assistant for driving birds out: somebody who scares
game from hiding, usually by hitting trees and bushes with a stick, so that
hunters can shoot them

3.  somebody
who beats metal: somebody who beats or hammers metal

4.  old
car:
an old rusty automobile in poor running condition (informal)

[1]



BeatGeneration

BeatGeneration
Beat
Gen·er·a·tion noun

1.  youth
movement in 1950s America: young people in the 1950s
who rejected the traditional values, customs, and dress of Western society and
experimented with Eastern philosophies, communal living, and illegal drugs

2.  1950s
writers:
a group of writers associated with the attitudes of the Beat Generation,
including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Laurence Ferlinghetti

[1]



beatific

beatific
be·a·tif·ic 
[b ə tíffik] adjective (literary)

1.  blissful:
expressing or radiating great happiness and serenity

2.  of
heavenly happiness: bringing or expressing the
perfect happiness and inner peace supposed to be enjoyed by the soul in heaven
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French béatifique from Latin beatificus,
from beatus “blessed.”]
—be·a·tif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



beatify

beatify
be·at·i·fy 
[bee átti f] (past be·at·i·fied,
past participle be·at·i·fied, present participle be·at·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular be·at·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  CHRISTIANITY declare
somebody to be holy: in the Roman Catholic
Church, to state officially that a dead person lived a holy life, usually as
the first step toward sainthood

2.  make
somebody happy: to make somebody extremely happy (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French béatifer from ecclesiastical Latin beatificare,
from Latin beatificus (see beatific
).]
—be·at·i·fi·ca·tion [bee àttifi káysh’n], noun[1]



beating

beating
beat·ing 
[bting] (plural beat·ings) noun

1.  repeated
hitting:
an attack or punishment in which somebody is repeatedly hit

2.  defeat:
a severe defeat or setback, for example, in a competition or in business
take
some beating

to be difficult to improve on
because of its excellence • Her
speech on the Senate floor will take some beating.[1]



beatingreed

beatingreed
beat·ing
reed
(plural beat·ing reeds) noun

reed in musical instrument:
a reed in woodwind instruments that vibrates as air passes over it[1]



beatitude

beatitude
be·at·i·tude 
[bee áttə td] (plural be·at·i·tudes)
noun (literary)

1.  heavenly
happiness:
the perfect happiness and inner peace supposed to be enjoyed by the soul in
heaven

2.  bliss:
extreme happiness and serenity
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem beatitud-, from beatus “blessed.”][1]



Beatitude

Beatitude
Be·at·i·tude
noun

1.  BIBLE statement
of those who are blessed: each of the sayings of Jesus
Christ in the Sermon on the Mount about the eight groups of people who will
receive blessing in heaven (Matthew 5:3–11)

2.  CHRISTIANITY title
of non-Orthodox bishop: a title given to a senior
bishop in non-Orthodox churches of the eastern Mediterranean

[1]



Beatles

Beatles

Beat·les 
[bt’lz] (1959–1970)
British pop music group. This group of
musicians from Liverpool, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and
Ringo Starr, revolutionized popular music in the 1960s.[1]



beatnik

beatnik
beat·nik 
[btnik] (plural beat·niks) noun

1950s dropout:
a member of the Beat Generation of the 1950s[1]



beatoff

beatoff
beat
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
repel
attack:
to stop an attack or challenge by vigorous action

2.  intransitive
verb
masturbate:
to masturbate (slang taboo)

[1]



Beaton,Cecil

Beaton,Cecil
Bea·ton 
[bt’n], Sir Cecil (1904–1980)

British
photographer and designer. He was a fashion and high-society photographer. He
also designed scenery and costumes for My Fair Lady, Gigi, and
other productions.
Full name
Beaton, Sir Cecil Walter Hardy[1]



Beatrix

Beatrix
Be·a·trix 
[báyə trìks, b ə
trìks], Queen of the Netherlands. (1938– )

She
acceded to the throne on the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana, in 1980.
Full name
Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard[1]



Beattie,Ann

Beattie,Ann
Beat·tie
[btee], Ann (1947– )

U.S. writer. She is author of
the novel Chilly Scenes of Winter ( 1976 ) and the short-story
collection Where You’ll Find Me ( 1986 ).[1]



beat-up

beat-up
beat-up 
(plural beat-ups) adjective

dilapidated:
in bad condition because of overuse (informal)[1]



beatup

beatup
beat
up
transitive verb

injure somebody with blows:
to injure somebody badly by repeated punches or kicks (informal)[1]



beatupon

beatupon
beat
upon
verb

See
beat up[1]



beau

beau
beau 
[bō] (plural beaus or beaux
[bōz]) noun

1.  boyfriend:
a boyfriend or male admirer (dated)

2.  fashionably
dressed man: a man always smartly dressed in the most
fashionable clothes (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From
French, from beau “beautiful,” from Latin bellus (see beauty ).][1]



beaucoup

beaucoup
beau·coup 
[bō k] adjective

great:
very many or very much (slang) • His
new suit cost beaucoup dollars.
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



Beaufortscale

Beaufortscale
Beau·fort
scale
[bṓfərt skayl] noun

scale
for measuring wind speed: an international scale of
wind speeds indicated by numbers ranging from 0 for calm to 12 for hurricane.
Each force is recognized by its effects on things such as flags and trees and
on people and the surface of the sea.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Sir Francis Beaufort (1774–1857), British admiral who devised the
scale.][1]



BeaufortSea

BeaufortSea
Beau·fort
Sea

section of the Arctic Ocean
northwest of Canada and north of Alaska. Area: 450,000 sq.km/170,000 sq mi.
Depth: 4,682 m/15,360 ft.[1]



beaugeste

beaugeste
beau
geste 
[b ést] (plural beaux gestes
[b ést]) noun

generous
act:
a kind or magnanimous act (literary)
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “fine gesture.”][1]



beauideal

beauideal
beau
i·de·al 
[b ī d əl] noun

perfect
beauty:
somebody’s idea of perfection or beauty, or a perfect example of something (literary)
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “ideal beauty” (but usually taken as meaning “beautiful ideal”).][1]



Beaujolais

Beaujolais
Beau·jo·lais
[bə láy] (plural Beau·jo·lais
[bə láy]) noun

red or white French wine:
a fruity fairly light red or white wine produced in the Beaujolais district of
the Burgundy region in central France[1]



Beaujolaisnouveau

Beaujolaisnouveau
Beau·jo·lais
nou·veau
noun

young Beaujolais:
Beaujolais sold from November in the year of its production[1]



beaumonde

beaumonde
beau
monde 
[bō mónd, bō
máwnd] noun

high
society:
the part of society made up of the richest and most fashionable people
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “beautiful world.”][1]



Beaumont

Beaumont
Beau·mont 
[bṓ mont]

city and port in southeastern
Texas connected to the Gulf of Mexico by the Neches River ship canal.
Population: 111,224 (1996)[1]



Beauregard,P.G.T.

Beauregard,P.G.T.
Beau·re·gard 
[bṓ rə grd], P.G.T. (1818–1893)

U.S.
Confederate general. He led troops from the first engagement at Charleston,
South Carolina (1861), throughout the Civil War.
Full name
Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant[1]



beaut

beaut
beaut 
[byoot] (plural beauts) noun

Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. something
outstanding: a fine or impressive thing (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of beauty or beautiful
.][1]



beauteous

beauteous
beau·te·ous 
[bytee əss] adjective

beautiful:
beautiful to look at (literary)
—beau·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—beau·te·ous·ness, noun[1]



beautician

beautician
beau·ti·cian 
[byoo tísh’n] (plural beau·ti·cians)
noun

somebody giving beauty
treatments: somebody trained to give
beauty treatments, for example, application of makeup and facial treatments.
Also called
cosmetologist
Also called
cosmetician[1]



beautiful

beautiful
beau·ti·ful 
[bytif’l] adjective

1.  pleasing
to the senses: very pleasing and impressive to listen
to, touch, or especially to look at

2.  excellent:
very good or enjoyable
—beau·ti·ful·ly,
adverb

—beau·ti·ful·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at goodlooking

[1]



beautifulpeople

beautifulpeople
beau·ti·ful
peo·ple
plural noun

1.  high
society:
rich fashionable people

2.  in
the 1960s, hippies collectively

[1]



beautify

beautify
beau·ti·fy 
[byti f] (past beau·ti·fied,
past participle beau·ti·fied, present participle beau·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular beau·ti·fies) transitive verb

make
something beautiful: to make something pleasing
and impressive to look at
—beau·ti·fi·ca·tion
[byootifi káysh’n], noun

—beau·ti·fi·er [byti fr], noun[1]



beauty

beauty
beau·ty 
[bytee] (plural beau·ties) noun

1.  pleasing
and impressive qualities: the combination of qualities
that make something pleasing and impressive to listen to or touch, or
especially to look at

2.  pleasing
personal appearance: personal physical
attractiveness, especially with regard to the use of cosmetics and other
methods of enhancing it

3.  beautiful
woman:
a beautiful woman or girl • her
reputation as a great beauty

4.  fine
example:
something very good, attractive, or impressive of its kind

5.  excellent
aspect:
an attractive, useful, or satisfying feature • Great
fuel economy is one of the beauties of this vehicle.
[13th
century. Via Old French bealte from the Vulgar Latin stem bellitat-,
from Latin bellus “handsome, fine,” from bonus “good.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Sleeping
  Beauty, a ballet by Russian composer Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1889). Based on
  Charles Perrault’s fairy tale La belle au bois dormant, it tells the
  story of Princess Aurora, who is condemned to death by the wicked fairy
  Carabosse. Her sentence is commuted to a hundred years’ sleep, from which she
  is eventually awakened by the handsome Prince Florimund.

[1]



beautybush

beautybush
beau·ty·bush 
[byti bsh] (plural beau·ty·bush·es)
noun

pink-flowered shrub:
a Chinese shrub of the honeysuckle family, grown for its pink flowers and fruit
with hairy knobby skin. Latin name: Kolkwitzia amabilis[1]



beautymark

beautymark
beau·ty
mark
(plural beau·ty marks) noun

See
beauty spot  noun 2[1]



beautyparlor

beautyparlor
beau·ty
par·lor
(plural beau·ty par·lors) noun

place for beauty treatments:
a business where beauty treatments are provided, for example, hair styling,
facials, and manicures.
Also called
beauty salon
Also called
beauty shop[1]



beautyquark

beautyquark
beau·ty
quark
(plural beau·ty quarks) noun

See
bottom quark[1]



beautyqueen

beautyqueen
beau·ty
queen
(plural beau·ty queens) noun

winner of contest for
beautiful women: a woman judged to be
the most beautiful of all the candidates in a competition for beautiful women[1]



beautysalon

beautysalon
beau·ty
sa·lon
(plural beau·ty sa·lons) noun

See
beauty parlor[1]



beautyshop

beautyshop
beau·ty
shop
noun

See
beauty parlor[1]



beautysleep

beautysleep
beau·ty
sleep
noun

long night’s sleep:
deep restful sleep, especially before midnight, supposed to preserve youthful
good looks (informal)[1]



beautyspot

beautyspot
beau·ty
spot
(plural beau·ty spots) noun

1.  popular
scenic place: a place that people often visit because
of its pleasing scenery

2.  small
natural mark on face: a mole or other small round
blemish on somebody’s face.
Also
called
beauty mark

3.  dot
worn on the face: a small black or brown dot of silk or
makeup on somebody’s face used to emphasize the skin’s paleness or hide a
blemish. Beauty spots were especially popular among aristocratic women in
18th-century Europe.

[1]



Beauvoir,Simone de

Beauvoir,Simone de

Beau·voir 
[bō vwr], Simone de (1908–1986)
French writer. She wrote the feminist
classic, The Second Sex (1949) and the novel The Mandarins
(1954). She was the lifelong companion of Jean-Paul Sartre.[1]



beaux

beaux
beaux


Plural of
beau[1]



beaver

beaver1
bea·ver1 [bvər]
noun (plural bea·vers)

1.  (plural
bea·vers or bea·ver) ZOOLOGY
furry
flat-tailed water animal: a semiaquatic rodent that
lives in North America, Europe, and Asia and has a broad flat tail and webbed
hind feet. Beavers are noted for felling trees to build dams and partially
submerged dens called lodges. Genus: Castor

2.  INDUSTRY fur
from beaver: the valuable fur of the beaver

3.  CLOTHES man’s
fur hat:
a man’s hat made of beaver fur, felt, or a fabric imitating beaver fur

4.  TEXTILES thick
fabric:
thick woolen or cotton fabric

5.  offensive
term:
offensive term for a woman’s outer sex organs and pubic hair (taboo
offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past bea·vered, past participle bea·vered, present
participle bea·ver·ing, 3rd person present singular bea·vers)

work hard and continuously:
to work hard with unflagging energy and attention (informal)
[Old English beofor .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “brown animal.”][1]



beaver

beaver2
bea·ver2 [bvər]
(plural bea·vers) noun

part
of helmet:
the guard for the lower part of the face on a medieval helmet
[15th century. From French baviere,
originally “child’s bib,” from baver “to slaver.”][1]



beaverboard

beaverboard
bea·ver·board 
[bvər bàwrd] noun

wood-fiber building board:
a thick board made of compressed wood fibers, used to make the ceilings and
inner walls of buildings[1]



Beaverton

Beaverton
Bea·ver·ton 
[bvərtən]

city in northwestern Oregon.
It is a western suburb of Portland. Population: 63,224 (1996)[1]



bebeeru

bebeeru
be·bee·ru 
[bə broo] (plural be·bee·rus)
noun

See
greenheart
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish bibirú from Carib .][1]



bebop

bebop
be·bop 
[b bòp] noun

fast
complex jazz: fast jazz music with complex harmonies
and melodies. Charlie Parker was the most famous exponent of the style.
[Mid-20th
century. An imitation of either the two-beat phrase of such music or the
nonsense syllables of scat singing.]
—be·bop·per, noun[1]



becalm

becalm
be·calm 
[bi km] (past be·calmed, past
participle be·calmed, present participle be·calm·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·calms) transitive verb

1.  SAILING stop a
sailboat:
to cause a sailing boat or sailing ship to stop moving because of lack of wind
(usually passive)

2.  soothe
somebody:
to bring peace and quiet to somebody

[1]



became

became
be·came

Past tense of
become[1]



because

because
be·cause 
[bi káwz, bi kúz]
conjunction

for
the reason that: for the reason that follows
[14th
century. From the phrase by cause “for the reason (that),” which was
modeled on Old French par chance .]
because
of

indicating
the reason or cause

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  because,
  as, for, or since ?
  As and since
  are used more often at the beginning of a sentence than because, and tend to be used when the reason is
  already well known or when the reason is considered not as important as the
  main statement: • As you’re only
  staying a little while, we’d better eat now. • He
  refrained from comment, since he knew it might annoy his companions.
  Because puts a greater emphasis on the
  cause: • He
  liked her because she was witty and lively. Because and for
  are both used to introduce reasons that justify a statement as distinct from
  giving a reason for it: • You
  must have forgotten to invite them, because/for they didn’t turn up.
  The conjunction for is never used at the
  beginning of a sentence. As can sometimes
  be understood to mean “while” as well as “because”: • As
  Luisa went back to work, Tony stayed behind to look after the baby.
  In these cases, it is better to avoid ambiguity and use either because or while
  as appropriate.

[1]



beccafico

beccafico
bec·ca·fi·co 
[bekə fkō] (plural bec·ca·fi·cos)
noun

See
Orphean warbler
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, literally “figpecker,” from beccare “to peck” (from,
ultimately, late Latin beccus “beak,” source of English beak ) + fico “fig.”][1]



Bechuanaland

Bechuanaland
Bech·u·a·na·land
[bech wnə lànd]

Former name for
Botswana until 1966[1]



beck

beck
beck
[bek] (plural becks) noun

nod:
a nod, wave, or similar gesture to attract attention (literary)
[14th
century. From the obsolete verb beck “to beckon, bow,” a shortening of beckon .]
at
somebody’s beck and call

always available and ready to
carry out somebody’s wishes[1]



Becker,Boris

Becker,Boris
Beck·er
[békər], Boris (1967– )

German tennis player. The
youngest ever men’s singles champion at Wimbledon (1985), he won again in 1986
and 1989.[1]



becket

becket
beck·et 
[békət] (plural beck·ets) noun

rope
for tying up ship’s gear: a rope with a knot at one
end and a small loop or hook at the other, used for tying down loose equipment
on a ship or boat
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Becket,Thomas à, Saint

Becket,Thomas à, Saint
Beck·et 
[békət], Thomas à, Saint (1118?–1170)

English saint and martyr. He
became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 and was assassinated by knights of
Henry II. In 1155 he became the first Englishman to hold the office of Chancellor
since the Norman Conquest. His strong views on religious prerogative brought
him into conflict with Henry II.[1]



Beckett,Samuel

Beckett,Samuel
Beck·ett 
[békit], Samuel (1906–1989)

Irish
writer. His bleak dramas of the absurd include Waiting for Godot (1954)
and Not I (1973). He won a Nobel Prize in literature (1969). Beckett
settled in Paris in 1937, and produced novels, plays, and poems in both English
and French.
Full name
Beckett, Samuel Barclay[1]



beckon

beckon
beck·on 
[békən] (past beck·oned, past
participle beck·oned, present participle beck·on·ing, 3rd
person present singular beck·ons) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  gesture
to somebody to come: to signal to somebody to
approach with a movement of the hand or head

2.  attract
or tempt:
to be an attraction or temptation to somebody (literary)
[Old
English bēcnan . Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base as beacon .]
—beck·on·er,
noun

—beck·on·ing·ly, adverb[1]



becloud

becloud
be·cloud 
[bi klówd] (past be·cloud·ed, past
participle be·cloud·ed, present participle be·cloud·ing,
3rd person present singular be·clouds) transitive verb (literary)

1.  cover
with cloud:
to cover or conceal something with cloud or mist

2.  confuse
or obscure:
to make something confused or difficult to understand

[1]



become

become
be·come 
[bi kúm] (past be·came [bi káym], past participle be·come, present
participle be·com·ing, 3rd person present singular be·comes)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
to be something: to change or develop into something • The
caterpillar will soon become a moth.

2.  transitive
verb
suit:
to suit the appearance or personality of somebody • That
color really becomes you.

3.  transitive
verb
be
appropriate: to be an appropriate or socially
acceptable thing for somebody to do or say (formal)
[Old English becuman][1]



becomeof

becomeof
become
of
transitive verb

befall:
to happen to somebody or something • What
will become of us?[1]



becoming

becoming
be·com·ing 
[bi kúmming] adjective

1.  showing
somebody to advantage: attractively suitable for
somebody’s appearance

2.  befitting:
appropriate or fitting for somebody
—be·com·ing·ly,
adverb

—be·com·ing·ness, noun[1]



becquerel

becquerel
bec·que·rel 
[be krél, békə
rèl] (plural bec·que·rels) noun

unit
of radioactivity: the SI unit for measuring radioactivity,
equal to the activity resulting from the decay of one nucleus of radioactive
matter in one second. Symbol Bq
[Late 19th century. Named for
Alexandre Edmond Becquerel (1852–1908), French physicist.][1]



B.Ed.

B.Ed.
B.Ed.
(plural B.Eds.)

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Education[1]



bed

bed
bed 
[bed] noun (plural beds)

1.  furniture
on which to sleep: a piece of furniture on
which to sleep, usually consisting of a rectangular frame with a mattress on
top

2.  mattress:
a mattress, especially with its coverings

3.  place
for sleeping: a place in which to sleep, or an object
on which to sleep • looking for a bed for
the night

4.  accommodations
for guest or patient: a place for one person to
stay or sleep as a guest in a hotel or a patient in a hospital

5.  sleep:
sleep or rest in bed, or the time for this

6.  state
of intimacy: the state of sexual intimacy associated
with being in bed with somebody • the
marriage bed

7.  GARDENING patch
of soil:
an area of soil prepared for plants, especially flowers, or an area where
particular plants are growing • a rose
bed

8.  GEOGRAPHY ground
under water: the ground at the bottom of the sea, a
river, or a lake

9.  area
of sea with shellfish: an area of the sea, a river,
or a lake, where a particular kind of shellfish is found or cultivated • oyster
beds

10. surface
on which to build: a prepared surface on which
something is built or laid, for example, the foundation of a road or a railroad
track

11. COOKING layer
of food:
a layer of food on which another item of food is placed for serving

12. GEOLOGY layer
of rock:
a layer of rock, normally sedimentary, that is generally homogeneous and was
deposited more or less continuously without erosion.
Also
called
stratum
verb
(past bed·ded, past participle bed·ded, present
participle bed·ding, 3rd person present singular beds)

1.  transitive
verb
fix
into surrounding surface: to embed something firmly in
a surrounding mass of a substance such as rock or concrete

2.  transitive
verb
have
sexual intercourse with somebody: to have sexual
intercourse with somebody (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
layer:
to arrange something, or be arranged, in a layer or stratum
[Old
English bedd, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “dig”]
a
bed of nails

an
extremely difficult situation or existence

go
to bed with somebody

to
have sexual intercourse with somebody

put
something to bed

to
finish something, such as a project

get
up on the wrong side of the bed

to
be in an irritable or angry mood right from the start of the day





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  Bed meant both “sleeping place” and
  “garden plot” in Old English, and if the latter is the original sense, it
  could mean that the word comes ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
  ancestor meaning “dig” (which is also the ancestor of English fossil ), and that the underlying notion of
  a bed was originally of a sleeping place
  dug or scraped in the ground, like an animal’s lair.

[1]



bedand board

bedand board
bed
and board
noun

food and lodging:
accommodation and meals provided for somebody[1]



bedand breakfast

bedand breakfast
bed
and break·fast (plural bed and break·fasts)
noun

1.  guesthouse:
a small hotel or, more often, a private home that offers overnight
accommodations and breakfast for paying guests

2.  room
and breakfast: overnight accommodations and breakfast
provided for paying guests

[1]



bedaub

bedaub
be·daub 
[bi dáwb] (past be·daubed, past
participle be·daubed, present participle be·daub·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·daubs) transitive verb

smear with something that
spoils: to smear a surface thickly
or carelessly with something that spoils it or makes it dirty (literary)[1]



bedazzle

bedazzle
be·daz·zle 
[bi dázz’l] (past be·daz·zled,
past participle be·daz·zled, present participle be·daz·zling,
3rd person present singular be·daz·zles) transitive verb (literary)

1.  impress
somebody greatly: to astonish somebody by being
immediately impressive (usually passive)

2.  interrupt
vision with light: to make somebody temporarily
unable to see by shining a bright light

[1]



bedbath

bedbath
bed
bath
(plural bed baths) noun

U.K.
See sponge bath[1]



bedbug

bedbug
bed·bug
[béd bug] (plural bed·bugs) noun

small bloodsucking insect in
bedding: a small wingless
bloodsucking insect that infests the bedding and furnishings of dirty houses
and the nests of mammals. Family: Cimicidae[1]



bedcheck

bedcheck
bed
check
(plural bed checks) noun

nighttime check that everyone
is present: an inspection to see if all
the members of a group of people under supervision, for example, students or
soldiers are in bed after lights out[1]



bedclothes

bedclothes
bed·clothes 
[béd klōz, béd
klōz] plural noun

bed coverings:
the sheets, blankets, and any other similar coverings on a bed[1]



beddable

beddable
bed·da·ble
[béddəb’l] adjective

physically desirable:
considered desirable enough to make a good sexual partner (informal)[1]



bedder

bedder
bed·der
[béddər] (plural bed·ders) noun

GARDENING
See bedding plant[1]



bedding

bedding
bed·ding 
[bédding] noun

1.  bed
coverings:
the coverings, for example, sheets, quilts, and blankets, and the mattress and
pillows used to prepare a bed

2.  something
used as bed: something used to make a bed

3.  bed
for animals: material such as straw put down for
animals to lie on

4.  BUILDING under
layer:
a layer of material put down under something else, especially to serve as a
foundation

5.  GEOLOGY arrangement
of rock strata: the arrangement of a group of rock
strata, or beds, in a particular area or outcrop

[1]



beddingplant

beddingplant
bed·ding
plant
(plural bed·ding plants) noun

plant for flower bed:
a plant suitable for planting in a flower bed for one season’s display.
Also called
bedder[1]



beddown

beddown
bed
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
go
to bed:
to settle down somewhere, not usually in a bed, ready for sleep

2.  transitive
verb
put
to bed:
to put a person to bed or an animal in a place with bedding for the night

[1]



bedeck

bedeck
be·deck 
[bi dék] (past be·decked, past
participle be·decked, present participle be·deck·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·decks) transitive verb

decorate:
to make something look pretty or festive, especially by decorating it with
colorful flags, ribbons, or streamers (literary)[1]



Bede,Saint

Bede,Saint
Bede 
[beed] or Bae·da [bdə], Saint (673?–735)

English
theologian and historian. He wrote many grammatical and historical works,
including his Ecclesiastical History of the English People (completed in
731).
Known as
Venerable Bede the[1]



bedevil

bedevil
be·dev·il 
[bi dévv’l] (past be·dev·iled,
past participle be·dev·iled, present participle be·dev·il·ing,
3rd person present singular be·dev·ils) transitive verb

cause
problems:
to be a continual source of problems or irritation to something or somebody
—be·dev·il·ment, noun[1]



bedew

bedew
be·dew 
[bi d, bi dy]
(past be·dewed, past participle be·dewed, present
participle be·dew·ing, 3rd person present singular be·dews)
transitive verb

make something wet:
to wet or cover something with dew or drops of liquid (literary)[1]



bedfellow

bedfellow
bed·fel·low 
[béd felō] (plural bed·fel·lows)
noun

1.  associate:
somebody who or something that becomes paired or allied with somebody or
something else

2.  somebody
who shares bed: somebody who sleeps in the same bed as
somebody else (archaic)

[1]



Bedford

Bedford
Bed·ford 
[bédfərd]

city in northeastern Texas
situated between Fort Worth and Dallas. Population: 49,431 (1996)[1]



Bedfordcord

Bedfordcord
Bed·ford
cord
noun

material like corduroy:
a heavy ribbed fabric resembling corduroy[1]



bedhead

bedhead
bed·head
[béd hed] (plural bed·heads) noun

upper end of bed:
the upper end of a bed, often with a headboard or rail[1]



bed-hopping

bed-hopping
bed-hop·ping
noun

promiscuous sex:
casual sex with successive partners (informal)[1]



bedim

bedim
be·dim 
[bi dím] (past be·dimmed, past
participle be·dimmed, present participle be·dim·ming, 3rd
person present singular be·dims) transitive verb (literary)

1.  make
less perceptive: to make the eyes or mind less able to
perceive things clearly

2.  make
indistinct:
to make something appear less bright or distinct

[1]



bedin

bedin
bed
in
intransitive and transitive verb

settle into place:
to settle something firmly into place, or fit firmly into place[1]



bedizen

bedizen
be·di·zen 
[bi dz’n, bi
dízz’n] (past be·di·zened, past participle be·di·zened,
present participle be·di·zen·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·di·zens) transitive verb

dress
or decorate showily: to dress or decorate
somebody or something in a way that seems exaggeratedly or vulgarly conspicuous
and showy (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from earlier dizen “to put flax on to a rod.”]
—be·di·zen·ment, noun[1]



bedjacket

bedjacket
bed
jack·et
(plural bed jack·ets) noun

jacket worn sitting in bed:
a woman’s short light jacket worn over a nightgown when sitting up in bed (dated)[1]



bedlam

bedlam
bed·lam 
[bédləm] (plural bed·lams) noun

1.  chaos:
a place or situation full of noise, frenzied activity, and confusion

2.  psychiatric
hospital:
a psychiatric hospital (archaic, offensive in some contexts)
[15th century. Alteration of Bethlehem .][1]



bedlinen

bedlinen
bed
lin·en
(plural bed lin·ens) noun

fabric covers for bed:
any one or all of the sheets, pillowcases, and other fabric coverings that go
on a bed[1]



Bedlingtonterrier

Bedlingtonterrier

Bed·ling·ton
ter·ri·er 
[bèdlingtən térree ər] (plural Bed·ling·ton
ter·ri·ers) or Bed·ling·ton [bèdlingtən
térree ər] (plural Bed·ling·tons) noun
type
of dog:
a dog belonging to a breed of English terriers that have a tapering head and
fleecy coat that makes them look similar to lambs
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Northern English town of Bedlington, where this breed was developed
in the early 19th century.][1]



bedmolding

bedmolding
bed
mold·ing
(plural bed mold·ings) noun

lowest part of cornice:
in classical architecture, the lowest section of a cornice, protruding less
than the topmost part[1]



Bedouin

Bedouin
Bed·ou·in 
[béddoo ən, bédwin]
(plural Bed·ou·ins or Bed·ou·in) or Bed·u·in
[béddoo ən, bédwin]
(plural Bed·u·ins or Bed·u·in) noun

nomadic
Arab:
a nomadic Arab of the desert regions of Arabia and North Africa
[15th
century. Via Old French beduin from, ultimately, Arabic badw
“desert, nomadic desert people.”]
—Bed·ou·in, adjective[1]



bedout

bedout
bed
out
transitive verb

plant outside:
to put young plants raised indoors into their final growing position outside[1]



bedpan

bedpan
bed·pan 
[béd pàn] (plural bed·pans) noun

container for excreta:
a shallow container into which a sick or frail person can urinate or defecate
while lying in bed[1]



bedplate

bedplate
bed·plate 
[béd playt] (plural bed·plates)
noun

base for machine:
a heavy metal base or platform to which the frame of an engine or machine is
attached[1]



bedpost

bedpost
bed·post 
[béd pst] (plural bed·posts) noun

post at bed corner:
one of the posts at the corners of a bed, especially a four-poster bed[1]



bedraggled

bedraggled
be·drag·gled 
[bi drágg’ld] adjective

wet, dirty, and messy:
wet, dirty, and unkempt, or with hair or clothes in this state[1]



bedrail

bedrail
bed·rail
[béd rayl] (plural bed·rails) noun

rail of bed:
a rail at the head, foot, or side of a bed[1]



bedrest

bedrest
bed
rest
noun

complete rest in bed:
staying in bed to rest and recover when not well[1]



bedridden

bedridden
bed·rid·den 
[béd rìd’n] adjective

confined
to bed:
forced to remain in bed because of illness, weakness, or injury
[Old English bedrida,
literally “bed-rider,” hence “somebody who is carried about in a bed”][1]



bedrock

bedrock
bed·rock 
[béd ròk] noun

1.  GEOLOGY underlying
rock:
the solid rock beneath a layer of soil, rock fragments, or gravel

2.  underlying
facts or principles: the facts or principles on
which something is based

3.  lowest
point:
the lowest point, especially in a time of hardship or unhappiness

[1]



bedroll

bedroll
bed·roll 
[béd rl] (plural bed·rolls) noun

traveler’s rolled-up bedding:
a roll of bedding carried by somebody who is hiking or camping[1]



bedroom

bedroom
bed·room 
[béd rm, béd
rm] noun (plural bed·rooms)

room
for sleeping: a room that has a bed in it and is used
mainly for sleeping
adjective

featuring sex:
involving, depicting, or suggesting sexual activity • a
bedroom comedy[1]



bedroomcommunity

bedroomcommunity
bed·room
com·mu·ni·ty noun

commuters’ suburb:
a town or suburb inhabited mainly by people who travel to work in a nearby
city.
Also called
bedroom suburb
U.K. term
dormitory town[1]



bedroomsuburb

bedroomsuburb
bed·room
sub·urb
(plural bed·room sub·urbs) noun

See
bedroom community[1]



beds.

beds.
beds.

(used in advertisements)Abbreviation
of bedrooms[1]



bedside

bedside
bed·side 
[béd sīd] (plural bed·sides) noun

side
of bed:
the side of a bed, or the space next to it
—bed·side, adjective[1]



bedsidemanner

bedsidemanner
bed·side
man·ner
noun

doctor’s manner:
a doctor’s way of talking to and dealing with patients[1]



bed-sitter

bed-sitter
bed-sit·ter 
[béd sittər] (plural bed-sit·ters)
noun

U.K.
combined
bedroom and living room: a combined bedroom and
living room, especially one that is rented and serves as somebody’s residence
[Sitter formed from sitting room + -er][1]



bedsore

bedsore
bed·sore 
[béd sàwr] (plural bed·sores) noun

skin ulcer:
an ulcer on the skin caused by pressure and friction from bedding when somebody
is confined to bed for a long time.
Also called
pressure sore[1]



bedspread

bedspread
bed·spread 
[béd spred] (plural bed·spreads)
noun

cover for bed:
a decorative covering placed on top of bedding[1]



bedstead

bedstead
bed·stead 
[béd sted] (plural bed·steads)
noun

frame
of bed:
the structural framework of a bed, excluding the mattress and coverings
[Stead because it originally
denoted the place where the bed stood][1]



bedtime

bedtime
bed·time 
[béd tīm] noun

time for bed:
the time when somebody normally goes to bed[1]



Beduin

Beduin
Bed·u·in 
noun adjective

See
Bedouin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bedwarmer

bedwarmer
bed·warm·er
[béd wàwrmər] (plural bed·warm·ers)
noun

warming device for bed:
a covered metal container for hot coals, formerly used to warm a bed[1]



bed-wetting

bed-wetting
bed-wet·ting 
noun

urination
in bed:
urination in bed during sleep (especially of children)
—bed·wet·ter, noun[1]



bee

bee
bee
[bee] (plural bees) noun

1.  honey-making
insect:
a flying insect with a furry body that makes a buzzing sound as it flies. Some
species of bees have stingers, and some live in hives and produce honey.
Superfamily: Apoidea
See
also
bumblebee
See
also
honeybee

2.  gathering
for activity and socializing: a gathering at which people
combine working together at a particular activity or having a friendly
competition with socializing • a
sewing bee
• a
quilting bee
[Old English bēo from
a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



beebalm

beebalm
bee
balm
noun

plant of mint family:
a North American plant of the mint family with aromatic leaves and variously
colored spikes of flowers. Genus: Monarda
Also called
bergamot
Also called
Oswego tea
U.K. term
bergamot[1]



beebread

beebread
bee·bread 
[b bred] noun

bees’ food:
a yellow-brown pollen stored by bees and mixed with honey as food for their
larvae[1]



beech

beech
beech 
[beech] (plural beech·es) noun

1.  TREES deciduous
tree:
a tall tree found in temperate regions that has smooth gray bark, glossy
leaves, and nuts enclosed in spiny cases. Genus: Fagus

2.  INDUSTRY beech
wood:
the wood of the beech tree, used especially for furniture
[Old English bēce from
a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



beechdrops

beechdrops
beech·drops
[bch drops] noun

plant parasite of beech:
a low-growing, brownish-colored plant of the broomrape family that has white,
tube-shaped flowers and lives as a parasite on the roots of beech trees. Latin
name: Epifagus virginiana (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



Beecher,Henry Ward

Beecher,Henry Ward
Bee·cher 
[beechər], Henry Ward (1813–1887)

U.S. clergyman and orator.
The son of Lyman Beecher, he was a popular revivalist preacher, abolitionist,
and supporter of women’s suffrage. He was acquitted of an adultery charge after
a sensational trial (1874).[1]



Beecher,Lyman

Beecher,Lyman
Bee·cher 
[beechər], Lyman (1775–1763)

U.S. Presbyterian clergyman.
A popular Presbyterian preacher in New England, he was the first president of
Lane Theological Seminary near Cincinnati (1832–1850). He was the father of
Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.[1]



beechmarten

beechmarten
beech
mar·ten
(plural beech mar·tens) noun

See
stone marten[1]



beechmast

beechmast
beech
mast
(plural beech masts) noun

beech fruits and seeds:
the fruits and seeds of beech trees[1]



beechnut

beechnut
beech·nut 
[bch nut] (plural beech·nuts)
noun

fruit of beech tree:
the small triangular hard edible fruit of the beech tree[1]



bee-eater

bee-eater

bee-eat·er 
(plural bee-eat·ers) noun
small insect-eating bird:
a small brightly colored bird found in Europe and Asia that preys on insects.
Family: Meropidae[1]



beef

beef
beef 
[beef] noun (plural beefs)

1.  FOOD meat
from cattle: meat from a cow, heifer, bull, or steer

2.  (plural
beeves or beef) AGRICULTURE
animal
giving beef: a cow, heifer, bull, or steer being
reared for meat

3.  strength:
muscular strength or effort (informal)

4.  complaint:
a complaint (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past beefed, past participle beefed, present
participle beef·ing, 3rd person present singular beefs)

complain: to
complain about something (slang)
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman boef from the stem of Latin bos “ox” (source of
English bovine ).][1]



beefalo

beefalo
beef·a·lo 
[bfə l] (plural beef·a·lo or
beef·a·loes) noun

bison-cattle
hybrid:
a cross between the North American bison and domestic cattle that is raised for
its resistance to disease and its lean meat.
Also
called
cattalo
[Late 20th century. Blend of beef and buffalo
.][1]



beefbourguignon

beefbourguignon
beef
bour·gui·gnon  [bf br
geen yáwn, bf br geen yawn] noun

beef
in wine:
a rich French stew consisting of chunks of beef braised in red wine, with
carrots, onions, mushrooms, and sometimes bacon
[Bourguignon from French, “of
Burgundy”][1]



beefburger

beefburger
beef·burg·er
[bf bùrgər] (plural beef·burg·ers)
noun

See
hamburger[1]



beefcake

beefcake
beef·cake 
[bf kayk] noun

muscular
men:
muscular men or pictures of them, considered from the point of view of their
physical appearance (informal)
[Modeled on cheesecake][1]



beefeater

beefeater
beef·eat·er 
[bf tər] (plural beef·eat·ers)
noun

Tower of London warder:
one of the Yeomen of the Guard of a British monarch, a group who act as warders
of the Tower of London wearing a uniform of Tudor dress[1]



beefly

beefly
bee
fly
noun

fly resembling bee:
a fly that resembles a bee, eats pollen and nectar, and whose larvae develop as
parasites on insect larvae. Family: Bombyliidae[1]



beefsteak

beefsteak
beef·steak 
[bf stàyk] (plural beef·steaks)
noun

steak:
a slice of lean, tender beef that can be broiled or fried[1]



beefsteakfungus

beefsteakfungus
beef·steak
fun·gus
or beef·steak mush·room (plural beef·steak mush·rooms)
noun

edible
fungus:
an edible bracket fungus with a large reddish cap that grows especially on oak
and ash trees. Latin name: Fistulina hepatica
[Because its cap resembles a
beefsteak][1]



beefsteaktomato

beefsteaktomato
beef·steak
to·ma·to
noun

large
tomato:
a large, firm-fleshed tomato.
U.K.
term
beef tomato
[From its color and density][1]



beefstroganoff

beefstroganoff
beef
stro·ga·noff  [bf strṓgə
nawf] noun

beef
with sour cream: a dish consisting of thin strips of
sautéed beef cooked with onions and mushrooms in a sour cream sauce.
Also
called
stroganoff
[Named in honor of Count Paul
Stroganoff, a 19th century Russian diplomat][1]



beeftomato

beeftomato
beef
to·ma·to
noun

U.K.
See beefsteak tomato[1]



beeftomato

beeftomato
beef
to·ma·to
noun

U.K.
See beefsteak tomato[1]



beefup

beefup
beef
up
transitive verb

strengthen
something:
to make something stronger or more effective (informal)
[From
the idea of adding muscle in the same way as fattening up cattle for meat]
—beefed-up, adjective[1]



beefWellington

beefWellington
beef
Wel·ling·ton  noun

beef in pastry:
a dish consisting of a fillet of beef, covered in pâté de foie gras, wrapped in
pastry, and baked[1]



beefwood

beefwood
beef·wood 
[bf wd] (plural beef·woods) noun

1.  INDUSTRY hard
reddish wood: a hard red-colored wood used in
construction and cabinetmaking

2.  TREES Australian
evergreen tree: an Australian tree that produces
beefwood. Genus: Casuarina

[1]



beefy

beefy
beef·y 
[bfee] (comparative beef·i·er,
superlative beef·i·est) adjective

1.  muscular:
strong and muscular

2.  powerful:
having strength, power, or substance (informal) • a
novel with a really beefy plot

3.  like
beef:
containing, produced by, or resembling beef
—beef·i·ly,
adverb

—beef·i·ness, noun[1]



beeglue

beeglue
bee
glue
noun

See
propolis[1]



beegum

beegum
bee
gum
(plural bee gums) noun

Southern
U.S.,
Midwestern U.S. beehive:
a beehive, especially in a hollow tree or log
[gum because it originally
denoted a hive in a gum tree][1]



Beehive

Beehive
Bee·hive
[b hīv] noun

New Zealand
New Zealand Parliament building:
the dome-shaped Parliament building in Wellington, New Zealand[1]



beehive

beehive
bee·hive 
[b hv] noun (plural bee·hives)

1.  hive
for bees:
a structure housing a colony of bees

2.  tall
hairstyle:
a hairstyle for women, popular around 1960, in which the hair is arranged in a
high rounded shape on top of the head
adjective

beehive-shaped:
shaped like a beehive, with a round base rising in a cone to a domed top

[1]



beehivehouse

beehivehouse
bee·hive
house
noun

prehistoric house:
a type of round prehistoric house with a domed roof[1]



beekeeper

beekeeper
bee·keep·er 
[b kpər] (plural bee·keep·ers)
noun

somebody
who keeps bees: somebody who keeps bees in hives for the
purpose of producing honey or pollinating crops
—bee·keep·ing, noun[1]



beekiller

beekiller
bee
kill·er
(plural bee kill·ers) noun

See
robber fly[1]



beeline

beeline
bee·line 
[b ln] noun

direct
path:
a very direct line, path, or other course from one point to another
[From the belief that bees
return to their hives in a straight line][1]



Beelzebub

Beelzebub
Be·el·ze·bub 
[bee élzə bùb] noun

devil:
the Devil, or one of the chief devils in hell
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Hebrew ba’al zěū, literally “Lord of Flies,” a Philistine god.][1]



been

been
been


Past
participle of be
been
there, done that (bought the tee shirt)

used to indicate somebody’s
blasé attitude (slang)[1]



beeorchid

beeorchid
bee
or·chid
(plural bee or·chids) noun

orchid with flower resembling
bee: a European orchid with a
flower that looks like a bee. Latin name: Ophrys apiphera[1]



beep

beep

beep 
[beep] noun

short high noise:
a short high-pitched noise emitted as a signal by a piece of electronic
equipment or the horn of a vehicle
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
beep:
to make a beep, or cause a vehicle horn or other device to make a beep

2.  transitive
verb
to page somebody using a beeper
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



beeper

beeper
beep·er 
[bpər] (plural beep·ers) noun

(informal) See pager[1]



beeplant

beeplant
bee
plant
(plural bee plants) noun

plant that attracts bees:
any plant that is particularly attractive to bees[1]



beer

beer
beer 
[beer] (plural beers) noun

1.  drink
brewed from malt: a typically bitter-tasting alcoholic
drink brewed by fermenting malt with sugar and yeast and flavoring it with hops

2.  drink
of beer:
a drink or glass of beer

3.  herbal
drink:
a carbonated or slightly fermented drink made from, or flavored with, the
roots, leaves, or seeds of a plant
[Old English bēor .
Ultimately from late Latin biber “drink,” from bibere “to drink”
(source of English imbibe and beverage ).][1]



beerbelly

beerbelly
beer
bel·ly
noun

beer drinker’s stomach:
an extended stomach often associated with having drunk too much beer (slang)

Also called
beer gut[1]



beergarden

beergarden
beer
gar·den
(plural beer gar·dens) noun

place for open-air drinking:
an open space or garden, often attached to a tavern, where beer and other
alcoholic drinks can be purchased and drunk in the open air[1]



beergut

beergut
beer
gut
(plural beer guts) noun

(slang) See beer belly[1]



beerparlour

beerparlour
beer
par·lour
(plural beer par·lours) noun

Canada
bar selling beer:
a bar where beer is served[1]



Beersheba

Beersheba
Beer·she·ba 
[beer shbə, bər
shbə]

city on the edge of the Negev
Desert, southwest of Jerusalem, Israel. In biblical times it was in the extreme
southern part of Palestine. Population: 156,500 (1997)[1]



beery

beery
beer·y 
[bree] (comparative beer·i·er,
superlative beer·i·est) adjective

1.  slightly
inebriated:
typical of somebody who is slightly inebriated from having drunk too much beer

2.  like
beer:
smelling or tasting of beer
—beer·i·ly,
adverb

—beer·i·ness, noun[1]



beestings

beestings
bee·stings
[bstingz] or bea·stings [bstingz] noun

U.K.
milk
after calving: the first milk secreted by a mammal,
especially a cow or goat, after it has given birth
[Old English bsting .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin.][1]



bee-stung

bee-stung
bee-stung
adjective

full and rounded, as if stung
by a bee • bee-stung
lips[1]



beeswax

beeswax
bees·wax 
[bz wàks] noun

1.  wax
made by bees: the dark yellow substance secreted by
honeybees and used for building honeycombs

2.  commercially
processed beeswax: wax produced by bees that
has been commercially processed for use in furniture polishes, candles, and
crayons
transitive
verb
(past bees·waxed, past participle bees·waxed, present
participle bees·wax·ing, 3rd person present singular bees·wax·es)

polish with beeswax:
to polish something with beeswax

[1]



beeswing

beeswing
bees·wing
[bz wìng] noun

sediment in wine:
a thin shiny sediment that forms in port and some other wines when they are
kept for a long time after bottling[1]



beet

beet

beet 
[beet] (plural beets) noun

1.  plant
with swollen root: a plant with a large swollen
root. Some types are eaten cooked, others are fed to animals, and one type
yields sugar. Genus: Beta
See
also
spinach beet
See
also
sugar beet
See
also
mangelwurzel

2.  root
of beet plant as vegetable: the red-colored root of a
variety of beet plant, eaten as a vegetable (usually plural)
U.K.
term
beetroot
[Old English bēte,
related to German Bete . Ultimately from Latin beta, perhaps of
Celtic origin.][1]



Beethoven,Ludwig van

Beethoven,Ludwig van


Bee·tho·ven 
[báy tvən], Ludwig van (1770–1827)
German composer. His symphonies and
chamber pieces reached new levels of expressivity, inspiring the Romantics. He
composed nine symphonies, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets, among many
other works.[1]



beetle

beetle2
bee·tle2 [bt’l]
noun (plural bee·tles)

1.  BUILDING large
mallet:
a large tool with a long handle and a heavy wooden head, used for driving in
stakes, ramming, and pounding

2.  TEXTILES textile-finishing
machine:
a machine that beats cloth to give it a smooth finish
transitive
verb
(past bee·tled, past participle bee·tled, present
participle bee·tling, 3rd person present singular bee·tles)

TEXTILES finish
cloth:
to give a finishing treatment to cloth with a beetle
[Old English bētel, bīetel
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



beetle

beetle3
bee·tle3 [bt’l]
intransitive verb (past bee·tled, past participle bee·tled,
present participle bee·tling, 3rd person present singular bee·tles)

overhang:
to overhang or jut out (literary)
adjective

jutting
out:
jutting out and shaggy (literary) • beetle
brows
[14th
century. Of unknown origin: perhaps from the resemblance of a beetle’s antennae
to eyebrows.]
—bee·tling, adjective[1]



beetle

beetle1
bee·tle1 [bt’l]
noun (plural bee·tles)

1.  INSECTS hard-backed
insect:
an insect belonging to a large order characterized by a modified outer pair of
wings that forms a hard covering for the inner pair. Order: Coleoptera

2.  insect
resembling a beetle: a insect with an appearance
similar to a beetle
intransitive
verb
(past bee·tled, past participle bee·tled, present
participle bee·tling, 3rd person present singular bee·tles)

U.K. go
quickly:
to go somewhere quickly (informal)
[Old English bitula, bitela,
from bītan “to bite,” from its biting mouthparts][1]



beetle-browed

beetle-browed
bee·tle-browed
adjective

with prominent eyebrows:
having eyebrows that are thick and bushy, or that jut out over the eyes[1]



beetleweed

beetleweed
bee·tle·weed 
[bt’l wd] noun

See
galax[1]



beetree

beetree
bee
tree
(plural bee trees) noun

tree that attracts bees:
any tree that seems particularly attractive to bees[1]



beetroot

beetroot
beet·root 
[btrt] (plural beet·roots) noun
U.K.

1.  See
beet  noun 2

2.  See
beet

[1]



beetsugar

beetsugar
beet
sug·ar
noun

sugar made from beets:
sugar that has been extracted from sugar beets[1]



beeves

beeves
beeves


Plural of
beef  noun 2[1]



bee’sknees

bee’sknees
bee’s
knees
plural noun

outstanding
person or thing: somebody or something considered
outstanding and wonderful (dated informal)
[Modeled on cat’s whiskers][1]



befall

befall
be·fall 
[bi fawl] (past be·fell [bi fél], past participle be·fall·en
[bi fáwlən], present participle be·fall·ing,
3rd person present singular be·falls) intransitive and
transitive verb

happen:
to happen, or happen to somebody, especially through the unexpected workings of
chance or fate (archaic or literary)[1]



befit

befit
be·fit 
[bi fít] (past be·fit·ted, past
participle be·fit·ted, present participle be·fit·ting,
3rd person present singular be·fits) transitive verb

be
appropriate for: to be suitable or appropriate for
somebody or something
—be·fit·ting,
adjective

—be·fit·ting·ly, adverb[1]



befog

befog
be·fog 
[bi fóg] (past be·fogged, past
participle be·fogged, present participle be·fog·ging, 3rd
person present singular be·fogs) transitive verb (literary)

1.  confuse:
to make somebody or something vague or confused

2.  cover
with fog:
to make something difficult to see or see through because it is covered with
fog

[1]



before

before
be·fore 
[bi fáwr] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that a point in time, event, or situation
precedes another in a sequence • (preposition)
We try all of the products before deciding to stock them.
• (conjunction)
We lost a lot of manufacturing jobs in the 12 years before I became president.
• (conjunction)
She died at the hospital before her parents could reach her side.
• (adverb)
They had left the subway terminal perhaps twenty minutes before.
• (adverb)
He has had this nightmare before.

1.
preposition in the presence of:
in the presence of a person or body of people • spoke
before a huge crowd

2.
preposition with more importance than:
indicating that one thing is preferable to or more important than another • Their
needs come before yours.

3.
preposition indicates location:
located close to something but just ahead of it

4.
preposition ahead of:
stretching ahead of somebody

5.
preposition conjunction adverb earlier:
earlier than a particular date, time, or event

6.
preposition conjunction indicates
sequence:
used to indicate a sequence of actions, one preceding the other and closely
connected with it

7.
adverb previously: on a
previous occasion

8.
conjunction rather than:
used to indicate that somebody would prefer to do one thing rather than what
they consider to be a worse thing • I’ll
quit before I report to him.
[Old English beforan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English for, which originally meant
“before.”][1]



beforehand

beforehand
be·fore·hand 
[bi fáwr hànd] adverb

in advance:
used to indicate that a situation, action, or event happens ahead of time or in
advance of something[1]



beforementioned

beforementioned
be·fore·men·tioned
[bi fáwr mènsh’nd] adjective

already mentioned:
that has been mentioned before (formal)[1]



befoul

befoul
be·foul 
[bi fówl] (past be·fouled, past
participle be·fouled, present participle be·foul·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·fouls) transitive verb

make
dirty:
to make something dirty or impure, or diminish somebody or something’s moral
purity or reputation (archaic or literary)
—be·foul·ment, noun[1]



befriend

befriend
be·friend 
[bi frénd] (past be·friend·ed,
past participle be·friend·ed, present participle be·friend·ing,
3rd person present singular be·friends) transitive verb

make
friends with: to be friendly to somebody, especially
to somebody who has no friends and needs help
—be·friend·er, noun[1]



befuddle

befuddle
be·fud·dle 
[bi fudd’l] (past be·fud·dled,
past participle be·fud·dled, present participle be·fud·dling,
3rd person present singular be·fud·dles) transitive verb

1.  confuse:
to make somebody confused or perplexed

2.  to
inebriate:
to make somebody inebriated and unable to think clearly
—be·fud·dled,
adjective

—be·fud·dle·ment, noun[1]



beg

beg
beg 
[beg] (past begged, past
participle begged, present participle beg·ging, 3rd
person present singular begs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask
with emotion: to ask somebody for something in a very
intense, humble, or even humiliating way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask
for charity: to ask people for gifts of money or
food, especially in the street

3.  intransitive
verb
sit
up and ask for food: to ask for food by
performing an action that has been previously taught, especially, for a dog, by
sitting up and holding out the front legs

4.  transitive
verb
evade:
to avoid answering or dealing with a point, especially by assuming that it has
already been dealt with • beg
the question
[Probably
from Old English bedecian, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
that is also the ancestor of English bid]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Begging
  the question
  To
  beg the question is often used to mean “to
  raise the question” or “to avoid a direct answer,” since both meanings are
  consistent with the form of the idiom. The basic meaning of this idiom
  relates to the validity of a proposition that is used as a basis of argument.
  For example, in an argument about the effect on the environment of gas
  emissions from road traffic, the proposition that a higher tax on vehicles
  would contribute to cleaner air begs the question, because it needs to be
  proved that raising taxes would result in fewer road users. The fallacy
  implied by the notion of begging the question usually involves the omission
  of one stage in an argument, or a questionable assumption of its validity.

[1]



begad

begad
be·gad 
[bi gád] interjection

term
of emphasis: used to add emphasis to something that
is said (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of “by God” to avoid offense.][1]



began

began
be·gan


Past tense of
begin[1]



beget

beget
be·get 
[bi gét] (past be·got, past
participle be·got·ten [bə gótt’n]
or be·got [bə gót], present
participle be·get·ting, 3rd person present singular be·gets)
transitive verb

1.  father:
to be the father of a child (archaic)

2.  cause:
to be the cause of something
[Old
English begietan “to get”]
—be·get·ter, noun[1]



beggar

beggar
beg·gar 
[béggər] noun (plural beg·gars)

1.  somebody
who begs:
somebody who begs for money or food from strangers

2.  very
poor person: somebody who is very poor
transitive
verb
(past beg·gared, past participle beg·gared, present
participle beg·gar·ing, 3rd person present singular beg·gars)

1.  make
poor:
to make somebody poor (literary)

2.  be
beyond scope of: to be so extraordinary as to make
description or belief impossible

[1]



beggarly

beggarly
beg·gar·ly 
[béggərlee] adjective

paltry:
insufficient and showing stinginess
—beg·gar·li·ness, noun[1]



beggary

beggary
beg·gar·y 
[béggəree] noun

extreme poverty:
a state of extreme poverty[1]



beggar’slice

beggar’slice
beg·gar’s
lice 
or beg·gar ticks (plural beg·gar ticks) noun

1.  plant
with sticky burs: a plant that has burs that stick to
clothes and fur. Genus: Bidens (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also
called
Spanish needles
U.K.
term
bur marigold

2.  the
burs of a beggar’s lice plant.
Also
called
bur marigold
Also
called
stickseed

[1]



beggingbowl

beggingbowl
beg·ging
bowl
(plural beg·ging bowls) noun

bowl for charity:
a bowl carried by somebody who begs to collect gifts of food or money[1]



begin

begin
be·gin 
[bi gín] (past be·gan [bi gán], past participle be·gun [bə gún], present participle be·gin·ning,
3rd person present singular be·gins) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb start:
to do something that was not being done before • People
began to leave.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
as its starting point: to have as its starting
point, first action, or first part, or be the starting point or first part of
something • The
story begins with a birthday party.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
or bring into being: to come into existence, or
cause something to come into existence or take place • The
business began as a two-person operation.

4.  transitive
verb
undertake
for first time: to undertake, use, or give attention to
something for the first time

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
to speak:
to start to say something, or start by saying something

6.  transitive
verb
be
capable of:
to be able to succeed in accomplishing a particular task (used in negative
statements) • The salary doesn’t even
begin to meet her expectations • I
couldn’t begin to explain how awful it was
[Old English beginnan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
German and Dutch beginnen .][1]



Begin,Menachem

Begin,Menachem

Be·gin 
[báygin], Menachem (1913–1992)
Russian-born
Israeli statesman. As prime minister of Israel (1977–1983), he shared the 1978
Nobel Peace Prize with Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat and signed the
first-ever Israeli treaty with an Arab state (1979).
Full name
Begin, Menachem Wolfovitch[1]



beginner

beginner
be·gin·ner 
[bi gínnər] (plural be·gin·ners)
noun

somebody
who has just started something: somebody who has just
started to do or learn something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  beginner.,
  apprentice, greenhorn, novice, trainee,
  tyro
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  person who has not acquired the necessary experience or skills to do
  something beginner; the most
  general term and one of the most informal, without the negative connotations
  of some of the other terms; apprentice;
  a somewhat technical term, usually without negative connotations, indicating
  somebody who is being taught the skills of a trade by somebody fully trained;
  greenhorn; a derogatory term used
  to emphasize the lack of experience and gullibility of somebody who has just
  started something; novice; a derogatory
  term that emphasizes the general ineptness of somebody who has just started
  something; trainee; a more general
  term than apprentice but one that also suggests that somebody has
  started on a training program of some kind to learn the skills of a job; tyro; a more derogatory word than beginner,
  used to emphasize the rawness and inexperience of somebody

[1]



beginner’sluck

beginner’sluck
be·gin·ner’s
luck
noun

early success:
early success that seems inconsistent with somebody’s lack of experience[1]



beginning

beginning
be·gin·ning 
[bi gínning] noun (plural be·gin·nings)

1.  first
part:
the first part or early stages of something

2.  start:
the point in time or space at which something starts, comes into existence, or
is first encountered
plural
noun
be·gin·nings

early conditions:
the conditions in which something or somebody starts

[1]



begoff

begoff
beg
off
intransitive verb

make excuse:
to ask to be excused from doing something[1]



begone

begone
be·gone 
[bi gáwn, be gón]
interjection

go away:
used to tell somebody to go away (archaic)[1]



begonia

begonia

be·go·nia 
[bi gṓnyə] (plural be·go·nias)
noun
ornamental
flowering plant: a widely grown houseplant and garden
plant that has round brightly colored flowers and ragged-edged leaves. Genus: Begonia
[Mid-18th century. From
Modern Latin, named for Michel Bégon, (1638–1710), Governor of French
Canada and patron of botany.][1]



begorra

begorra
be·gor·ra 
[bi gáwrə, bi
górə] interjection

Ireland
exclamation:
used as an exclamation or a mild oath (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of “by God” to avoid offense.][1]



begot

begot
be·got


Past tense of
beget Past participle of beget[1]



begotten

begotten
be·got·ten


Past participle of
beget[1]



begrime

begrime
be·grime 
[bi grm] (past be·grimed, past
participle be·grimed, present participle be·grim·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·grimes) transitive verb

cover with grime:
to cover something with grime (literary)[1]



begrudge

begrudge
be·grudge 
[bi grúj] (past be·grudged, past
participle be·grudged, present participle be·grudg·ing,
3rd person present singular be·grudg·es) transitive verb

1.  resent
something somebody has: to resent the fact that
somebody has something • begrudged
me my success

2.  not
want to give: to be unwilling to give or pay something

[1]



begrudging

begrudging
be·grudg·ing
[bi grújjing] adjective

ungenerous:
showing unwillingness to give somebody something or to let somebody be admired
or praised
—be·grudg·ing·ly, adverb[1]



beguile

beguile
be·guile 
[bi gl] (past be·guiled, past
participle be·guiled, present participle be·guil·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·guiles) transitive verb

1.  charm:
to win and hold somebody’s attention, interest, or devotion

2.  deceive:
to mislead or deceive somebody (literary)

3.  cheat:
to rob somebody of something (literary)

4.  pass:
to pass time in a pleasant way (literary)
[13th
century. guile in the obsolete sense “to trick.”]
—be·guile·ment,
noun

—be·guil·er, noun[1]



beguiling

beguiling
be·guil·ing 
[bi gling] adjective

charming:
having the power to gain people’s interest or devotion
—be·guil·ing·ly, adverb[1]



beguine

beguine
be·guine 
[bi gn] (plural be·guines) noun

rhythmic
ballroom dance: a ballroom dance similar to the rumba,
originating in the West Indies
[Early 20th century. Via
French béguine from béguin “flirtation,” originally “hood,” from beguine
“lay sister in the Netherlands,” from, ultimately, Middle Dutch beggaert,
literally “somebody who rattles off prayers.”][1]



begum

begum
be·gum 
[báygəm, bgəm]
(plural be·gums) noun

1.  woman’s
title:
a title of respect for a woman in some Muslim communities

2.  important
woman:
a woman of high rank in some Muslim communities
[Mid-17th century. Via Urdu
from East Turkic, literally “my mistress.”][1]



begun

begun
be·gun


Past participle of
begin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








behalf

behalf
be·half
[bi háf, bi háaf][14th
century. Blend of the earlier expressions on his half and by half him,
both meaning “on his side.”]
in
somebody’s behalf

on
somebody’s behalf

on
somebody’s behalf

for
somebody’s benefit or support, or in somebody’s best interests • We
chose James to speak on our behalf.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  on
  behalf of, in behalf of
  A
  distinction frequently overlooked between on behalf of and in behalf of is
  that on behalf of means “acting for,” whereas in behalf of
  means “in the interests of”: • She
  appeared on behalf of the U.N. Secretary General at a conference held in
  behalf of the world’s children. Also note that
  because a person acting on somebody’s behalf is acting for another, on
  behalf of myself is illogical. This phrase should not be used.

[1]



behave

behave
be·have 
[bi háyv] (past be·haved, past
participle be·haved, present participle be·hav·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·haves) intransitive verb

1.  act:
to act in a particular way that expresses general character, state of mind, or
response to a situation or other people • He’s
been behaving oddly.

2.  behave
well:
to act in an acceptable way, especially by being polite, good-tempered, and
self-controlled

3.  perform:
to perform in or react to particular conditions, or operate in accordance with
natural laws
[15th century. Formed from have in the obsolete sense “to hold, comport.”][1]



behavior

behavior
be·hav·ior 
[bi háyvyər] (plural be·hav·iors)
noun

1.  the
way somebody behaves: the way in which somebody
behaves

2.  PSYCHOLOGY response:
the way in which a person, organism, or group responds to a certain set of
conditions

3.  what
something does: the way that a machine operates or a
substance reacts under a certain set of conditions
[15th
century. Modeled on earlier haviour “possession,” from, ultimately, Old
French aveir “to have.”]
—be·hav·ior·al,
adjective

—be·hav·ior·al·ly, adverb[1]



behavioralcontagion

behavioralcontagion
be·hav·ior·al
con·ta·gion
noun

spread of behavior:
the spread of a type of behavior first exhibited by a few people in a group to
the group as a whole[1]



behavioralmedicine

behavioralmedicine
be·hav·ior·al
med·i·cine
noun

See
behavior medicine[1]



behavioralpsychology

behavioralpsychology
be·hav·ior·al
psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychology based on behavior:
a branch of psychology based on the observation and modification of the way
that people behave[1]



behavioralscience

behavioralscience
be·hav·ior·al
sci·ence
(plural be·hav·ior·al sci·ences) noun

1.  science
studying behavior: a science such as sociology,
psychology, or anthropology that is concerned with the ways in which people or
animals behave

2.  study
of behavior: the use of scientific methods to study
the behavior of living creatures
—be·hav·ior·al sci·en·tist,
noun[1]



behavioraltherapy

behavioraltherapy
be·hav·ior·al
ther·a·py
noun

See
behavior therapy[1]



behaviorism

behaviorism
be·hav·ior·ism 
[bi háyvyərìz’m, bə
háyvyəriz’m] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY nonanalytical
psychology:
an approach to the study of psychology that concentrates exclusively on
observing, measuring, and modifying behavior

2.  PHILOSOPHY materialist
philosophical theory: the theory that statements
about the mind and mental states are really about actual or potential behavior
—be·hav·ior·ist,
adjective, noun

—be·hav·ior·is·tic [bi hàyvjə rístik], adjective[1]



behaviormedicine

behaviormedicine
be·hav·ior
med·i·cine
or be·hav·ior·al med·i·cine noun

medical treatment by changing
behavior: the use of behavior
modification to treat or prevent medical or psychological conditions[1]



behaviormodification

behaviormodification
be·hav·ior
mod·i·fi·ca·tion noun

changing somebody’s behavior:
psychological treatment that attempts to change somebody’s behavior by
rewarding new and desirable responses and making accustomed undesirable ones
less attractive[1]



behaviortherapy

behaviortherapy
be·hav·ior
ther·a·py
noun

changing somebody’s behavior:
a form of psychotherapy, the goal of which is observable changes in problem
behaviors rather than changes in mental state.
Also called
behavioral therapy[1]



behaviour

behaviour
be·hav·iour 
(plural be·hav·iours) noun

U.K. =
behavior[1]



behead

behead
be·head 
[bi héd] (past be·head·ed, past
participle be·head·ed, present participle be·head·ing,
3rd person present singular be·heads) transitive verb

cut off head:
to cut the head off somebody or something, especially as a form of execution[1]



beheld

beheld
be·held


Past tense of
behold Past participle of behold[1]



behemoth

behemoth
be·he·moth 
[bi h məth, b əməth]
(plural be·he·moths) noun

1.  be·he·moth
or Be·he·moth BIBLE huge
animal:
a huge beast referred to in the Bible, usually thought to be a hippopotamus
(Job 40:15)

2.  something
huge:
something that is enormously big or powerful
[14th century. From Hebrew bĕhēmō,
from bĕhēmāh “beast.”][1]



behest

behest
be·hest 
[bi hést, bə
hést] (plural be·hests) noun

order:
an order or request (formal) • arrived
at the conference only at her behest
[Alteration of Old English behs
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to bid, call.”][1]



behind

behind
be·hind 
[bi hnd, bə
hnd] (plural be·hinds) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that somebody or something is in or is going
toward a position at the back or rear of something • (preposition)
From behind the door we heard country music. • (preposition)
She was behind the wheel, and I was in the back. • (adverb)
their car was hit from behind • (adverb)
She had to go back because she’d left her money behind.

1.
preposition adverb at the back of:
in or toward a position further back or at the rear of something

2.
preposition adverb following:
following somebody or something

3.
adverb in debt: in
debt or in arrears on a payment • months
behind on the payments

4.
adverb remaining: used
to indicate that somebody or something is left after another’s departure

5.
preposition in the past:
indicates that an achievement or experience happened in the past • My
best days are behind me.

6.
preposition late:
indicates that something is not as far advanced as it should be • seven
weeks behind schedule

7.
preposition causing something:
causing or being responsible for something • the
reason behind it

8.
preposition supporting somebody:
backing or supporting somebody • I’m
behind you all the way on this issue.

9.
preposition underneath:
underneath the external appearance of somebody or something • Behind
his calm exterior, he was very confused

10.
noun buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks (informal)
[Old English behindan,
literally “by from behind,” from hindan “from behind,” of prehistoric
Germanic origin][1]



behindhand

behindhand
be·hind·hand 
[bi hnd hànd, bə
hnd hand] adjective

1.  behind
schedule:
behind schedule

2.  lagging
behind:
behind in development or achievement

3.  FINANCE in
arrears:
in arrears for payment of a debt
[Mid-16th century. Modeled on
beforehand .][1]



behind-the-scenes

behind-the-scenes
be·hind-the-scenes 
adjective

secret:
carried out privately or secretly • a
lot of frantic behind-the-scenes negotiation[1]



behold

behold
be·hold 
[bi hṓld, bə hṓld]
(past be·held [bi héld], past
participle be·held, present participle be·hold·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·holds) verb

1.  transitive
verb
see:
to see something or somebody (archaic or literary)

2.  intransitive
verb
take
note:
used to tell somebody to look at something or listen to something, especially
something amazing or unexpected (used as a command) • Behold
the fellow who didn’t listen to his lawyer; he’s now in jail.
[Old
English bihaldan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“to watch, guard.”]
—be·hold·er, noun[1]



beholden

beholden
be·hold·en 
[bi hṓld’n, bə hṓld’n]
adjective

under
an obligation: under an obligation to somebody because
of something helpful that person has done
[14th century. Originally the
past participle of behold, in the obsolete
sense “to hold under obligation.”][1]



behoove

behoove
be·hoove 
[bi hv, bə hv]
(past be·hooved, past participle be·hooved, present
participle be·hoov·ing, 3rd person present singular be·hooves)
transitive verb

be
fitting:
to be right and proper or appropriate for somebody (formal) • It
ill behooves him to complain.
[Old English behōfian
“to need”][1]



behove

behove
be·hove
[bi hṓv] (past be·hoved, past
participle be·hoved, present participle be·hov·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·hoves) transitive verb

U.K. =
behoove[1]



Behrman,S. N.

Behrman,S. N.
Behr·man 
[báirmən], S. N. (1893–1973)

U.S.
playwright. His 21 Broadway plays include sophisticated, witty comedies of
manners such as No Time for Comedy ( 1939 ).
Full name
Behrman, Samuel Nathaniel[1]



Beiderbecke,Bix

Beiderbecke,Bix
Bei·der·becke 
[bdər bèk], Bix (1903–1931)

U.S.
musician. He was one of the major jazz musicians of his generation.
Real name
Beiderbecke, Leon Bismarke[1]



beige

beige
beige 
[bay] adjective

COLORS very
pale brown:
of a very pale brown color with a tinge of yellow or pink
noun

1.  COLORS pale
brown:
a very pale brown hue with a tinge of yellow or pink

2.  TEXTILES undyed
woolen cloth: cloth made of wool that has not been
dyed or bleached
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, perhaps from, ultimately, late Latin bombax “cotton” (source of
English bombastic ).][1]



beignet

beignet
bei·gnet 
[ben yáy] (plural bei·gnets) noun

1.  fritter:
a small piece of seafood, covered in batter and then deep-fat fried

2.  Southern
U.S.
square
holeless doughnut: in southern Louisiana, a
square doughnut that has no hole in its center
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from beigne “a bump caused by a blow,” from its shape.][1]



Beijing




Back to definition

Beijing

[1]



Beijing

Beijing


Bei·jing 
[bay jíng] or Pe·king [p kíng, pày kíng]
national capital of China as well as a
cultural, administrative, and educational center. It is situated in the
northeastern part of the country, northwest of Bo Hai gulf. Population: 7,000,000
(1991)[1]



being

being
be·ing 
[b ing] (plural be·ings) noun

1.  existence:
the state of existing

2.  essential
nature:
somebody’s essential nature or character

3.  living
thing:
a living thing, especially one conceived of as supernatural or not living on
earth

4.  person:
a human individual

[1]



Beirut

Beirut
Bei·rut 
[bay róot]

capital, port, and largest
city in Lebanon, situated on the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 1,500,000
(1998)[1]



bejesus

bejesus
be·je·sus 
[bi jzəss, bi
jáy zess] noun

Ireland
used
as an emphasizing expression: used to emphasize a
statement or question (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of “by Jesus” to avoid offense.][1]



bejewel

bejewel
be·jew·el
[bi j əl, bə j
əl] (past be·jew·eled, past participle be·jew·eled,
present participle be·jew·el·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·jew·els) transitive verb

decorate with jewels:
to decorate something lavishly with jewels or colorful decorative objects (literary)[1]



BekaaValley

BekaaValley
Be·kaa
Val·ley
[bə k] or Be·káa Val·ley [bə k]

valley in Lebanon, east of
Beirut, running down the center of the country between the Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Length: 120 km/75 mi.[1]



bel

bel
bel 
[bel] (plural bels) noun

measure
of comparative loudness: a logarithmic unit for
comparing the loudness or strength of signals, equal to an intensity ratio of
10 to 1
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Scottish-born scientist Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), the
inventor of the telephone.][1]



belabor

belabor
be·la·bor 
[bi láybər] (past be·la·bored,
past participle be·la·bored, present participle be·la·bor·ing,
3rd person present singular be·la·bors) transitive verb

1.  harp
on:
to repeat something unnecessarily, or discuss it at too great a length or in
too much detail

2.  criticize:
to subject somebody to a sustained verbal or literary attack (literary)

3.  beat:
to hit somebody hard and repeatedly with something (literary or humorous)

[1]



belabour

belabour
be·la·bour 
(past be·la·boured, past participle be·la·boured, present
participle be·la·bour·ing, 3rd person present singular be·la·bours)
transitive verb

U.K. =
belabor[1]



Belarus

Belarus



Be·la·rus 
[béllə rss]
republic in eastern Europe. It became an
independent nation after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union in 1991.
Language: Belarusian. Language: Russian. Currency: Belarusian ruble. Capital:
Minsk. Population: 10,412,219 (1997) Area: 207,595 sq km/80,153 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Belarus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Belarus




Back to definition

Belarus

[1]



Belarusian

Belarusian
Be·la·ru·sian
[bèllə rúsh’n] (plural Be·la·ru·sians)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Belarus: somebody who was born or raised in
Belarus, or who is a citizen of Belarus.
Also
called
White Russian noun 1

2.  LANGUAGE Slavic
language:
the official language of the Republic of Belarus, belonging to the East Slavic
group of Indo-European languages. Belarusian is spoken by about 11 million
people.
—Be·la·ru·sian, adjective[1]



Belasco,David

Belasco,David
Be·las·co 
[bə láskō], David (1859–1931)

U.S. producer and playwright.
The naturalistic productions he staged at his New York City theater greatly
influenced the American stage.[1]



belated

belated
be·lat·ed 
[bi láytid, bə
láytid] adjective

late:
occurring after the appropriate or expected time, especially too late to be
effective or useful
[Early
17th century. Formed from earlier belate “to make late, delay.”]
—be·lat·ed·ly,
adverb

—be·lat·ed·ness, noun[1]



Belau

Belau
Be·lau

See
Palau[1]



BelaundeTerry, Fernando

BelaundeTerry, Fernando
Be·laun·de
Ter·ry
[bèlaa oon day térree], Fernando (1912– )

Peruvian statesman. He was
president of Peru (1963–1968, 1980–1985).[1]



belay

belay
be·lay 
[bi láy, bə láy]
intransitive and transitive verb (past be·layed, past
participle be·layed, present participle be·lay·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·lays)

1.  NAUTICAL fasten
line on ship: to fasten a rope or line to a securing
point on a ship or boat

2.  CLIMBING secure
rope:
to fasten or control the rope to which a climber is attached by wrapping it
around a metal device or another person

3.  NAUTICAL stop:
to tell somebody to stop doing something or to cancel an earlier instruction (used
as a command)
noun
(plural be·lays) CLIMBING

1.  securing
of climber’s rope: the fastening or controlling
of a climber’s rope by wrapping it around a metal device or another person, or
the method by which this is done

2.  fastening
point:
the point to which a climber’s rope is fastened
[Old English belecgan
“to surround.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of Dutch beleggen . Reintroduced from Dutch in the 16th century
in nautical senses.][1]



belayingpin

belayingpin
be·lay·ing
pin 
[bi láying pin] (plural be·lay·ing
pins) noun

holder for rope:
a large wooden or metal pin that fits into a hole in a rail on a ship or boat
and to which a rope can be fastened.
Also called
pin[1]



belcanto

belcanto
bel
can·to 
[bel kntō] noun

1.  style
of singing:
a style of operatic singing that concentrates on producing a pure and even
tone. It was developed in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries.

2.  instrumental
style:
a style of expressive melodic instrumental playing that uses the principles of
bel canto singing
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “fine song.”][1]



belch

belch

belch 
[belch] intransitive and transitive verb
(past belched, past participle belched, present
participle belch·ing, 3rd person present singular belch·es)

1.  release
gas from mouth noisily: to let gas from the stomach
out through the mouth, making a loud noise in the throat

2.  send
or come out visibly: to send out large amounts of
steam, smoke, or gas, or come out of something in a thick cloud
noun (plural
belch·es)

burping: an
act or the noise of burping
[Old English bealcettan,
bælcan . Perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of German bölken “to bleat, belch.”][1]



beleaguer

beleaguer
be·lea·guer 
[bi lgər, bə
lgər] (past be·lea·guered, past participle be·lea·guered,
present participle be·lea·guer·ing, 3rd person present
singular be·lea·guers) transitive verb (usually passive)

1.  annoy:
to make somebody feel harassed, hemmed in, or under severe pressure

2.  besiege:
to surround somebody or something with an army
[Late
16th century. From Dutch belegeren, literally “to camp around,” hence
“to besiege.”]
—be·lea·guer·ment, noun[1]



belemnite

belemnite
bel·em·nite 
[bélləm nt] (plural bel·em·nites)
noun

fossil
shell:
any of the fossilized cylinder-shaped internal shells of an extinct order of
cephalopods that were common in the Mesozoic era
[Early 17th century. From
Modern Latin, from Greek belemon “a dart,” from its shape.][1]



belesprit

belesprit
bel
es·prit 
[bèl es pr, bél
əs pr] (plural beaux es·prits [bz
es prée]) noun

witty
cultured person: a witty, intelligent, and cultured
person
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “fine mind.”][1]



Belfast

Belfast
Bel·fast 
[bél fàst, bel
fást]

port and capital of Northern
Ireland, located at the head of Belfast Lough on the Lagan River. Population:
296,700 (1995)[1]



belfry

belfry
bel·fry 
[bélfree] (plural bel·fries) noun

1.  space
for bells:
the part of a church steeple or a tower in which bells are hung

2.  bell
tower:
a tower on a building, in which a bell or bells are hung
[13th
century. By folk etymology from Old French berfrei “movable siege tower”
(from assumed Frankish, literally “to protect peace”), by association with bell .]
—bel·fried, adjective[1]



Belgae

Belgae
Bel·gae 
[bél g, bél j]
noun

ancient Celtic people:
an ancient Celtic people who lived in northern Gaul and parts of southern
England[1]



Belgian

Belgian
Bel·gian 
[bélj’n] noun (plural Bel·gians)

somebody from Belgium:
somebody who was born or raised in Belgium, or who is a citizen of Belgium
adjective

1.  of
Belgium:
relating to Belgium, or its people or culture

2.  of
Flemish or Walloon: relating to the Flemish or
Walloon French languages

[1]



Belgianhare

Belgianhare
Bel·gian
hare
(plural Bel·gian hares) noun

breed of rabbit:
a breed of slender reddish brown domestic rabbit with long legs and ears, or
any member of the breed[1]



BelgianMalinois

BelgianMalinois
Bel·gian
Ma·li·nois 
[màlənw] (plural Bel·gian
Ma·li·noises) noun

herding dog:
a sturdy dog with a short dense coat and black mask, belonging to a breed used
for herding animals that is related to the Belgian sheepdog[1]



Belgiansheepdog

Belgiansheepdog
Bel·gian
sheep·dog
(plural Bel·gian sheep·dogs) noun

herding dog:
a dog with a long black coat, bred in Belgium for herding sheep[1]



BelgianTervuren

BelgianTervuren
Bel·gian
Ter·vu·ren 
[ter vyrən, tər
vyrən] (plural Bel·gian Ter·vu·rens) noun

herding
dog:
a sturdy dog with a long brown coat with black tips belonging to a breed
related to the Belgian sheepdog
[Mid-20th century. Tervuren
from the name of a commune in Belgium.][1]



Belgium

Belgium



Bel·gium 
[béljəm]
kingdom in northwestern Europe that
became independent in 1830. Language: Flemish, French, German. Currency:
Belgian franc. Capital: Brussels. Population: 10,165,059 (1997) Area: 30,528 sq
km/11,787 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Belgium[1]



Belgium




Back to definition

Belgium

[1]



Belgrade

Belgrade
Bel·grade 
[bél grayd]

capital of Yugoslavia and the
Republic of Serbia that forms part of Yugoslavia. It is situated at the
junction of the Danube and Sava rivers. Population: 1,136,786 (1991)[1]



Belgrano,Manuel

Belgrano,Manuel
Bel·gra·no
[bel grnō], Manuel (1770–1820)

Argentine general and
statesman. He led Argentine troops in revolt against Spanish rule, winning
major battles (1812 and 1813) and was later a diplomat.[1]



Belial

Belial
Be·li·al 
[blee əl] noun

personification
of evil:
a personification of evil or worthlessness, mentioned in the Bible and often
thought of as a devil or demon
[13th century. From Hebrew bĕliyya’al
“worthlessness.”][1]



belie

belie
be·lie 
[bi l, bə l]
(past be·lied, past participle be·lied, present
participle be·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular be·lies)
transitive verb

1.  give
false impression: to disguise the true nature of something

2.  show
to be false: to show that something is not true or
real • The
evidence belies the testimony of the witness
[Old English belēogan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
German belügen .][1]



belief

belief
be·lief 
[bi lf] (plural be·liefs) noun

1.  acceptance
of truth of something: acceptance by the mind that
something is true or real, often underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense
of certainty • belief
in an afterlife

2.  trust:
confidence that somebody or something is good or will be effective • belief
in democracy

3.  something
that somebody believes in: a statement, principle, or
doctrine that a person or group accepts as true

4.  opinion:
an opinion, especially a firm and considered one

5.  RELIGION religious
faith:
religious faith
[12th century. Alteration of
Old English gelēafa on the model of believe
.][1]



beliefsystem

beliefsystem
be·lief
sys·tem
(plural be·lief sys·tems) noun

1.  set
of beliefs:
a set of beliefs, for example, in religion or politics, that form a unified
system

2.  organized
societal beliefs: a collection and organization of beliefs
prevalent in a community or society

[1]



believable

believable
be·liev·a·ble 
[bi lvəb’l, bə
lvəb’l] adjective

appearing
true:
seeming to be true or authentic, and capable of being believed or believed in
—be·liev·a·bil·i·ty
[bi lvə bíllətee, bə
lvə bíllətee], noun

—be·liev·a·bly, adverb[1]



believe

believe
be·lieve 
[bi lv] (past be·lieved, past
participle be·lieved, present participle be·liev·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·lieves) verb

1.  transitive
verb
accept
as true:
to accept that something is true or real • I
don’t know which story to believe.

2.  transitive
verb
accept
as truthful: to accept that somebody is telling the
truth • Nobody
will believe you!

3.  transitive
verb
credit
with something: to accept that somebody or something has
a particular quality or ability • No one
believed her capable of such a malicious remark.

4.  intransitive
verb
think
that something exists: to be of the opinion that
something exists or is a reality, especially when there is no absolute proof of
its existence or reality • believe
in reincarnation

5.  intransitive
verb
trust:
to be confident that somebody or something is good, or will be effective • We
all believe in you.

6.  intransitive
verb
think
something is good: to be of the opinion that
something is right or beneficial, and, usually, to act in accordance with that
belief • believe
strongly in freedom of expression

7.  intransitive
verb
RELIGION have
religious faith: to have a religious belief
[Old English belyfan,
an alteration of earlier gelēfan . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to love, trust.”][1]



believer

believer
be·liev·er
[bi lvər] (plural be·liev·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
with religious faith: somebody who believes in the
teachings of a particular religious faith

2.  supporter
of an idea:
somebody who holds a belief and usually acts in accordance with it • a
great believer in discipline

[1]



belike

belike
be·like 
[bi lk, bə lk]
adverb

probably:
probably (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From an
earlier form of by + like .][1]



Belinda

Belinda
Bel·in·da
[bə líndə] noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe[1]



belittle

belittle
be·lit·tle 
[bi lítt’l, bə
lítt’l] (past be·lit·tled, past participle be·lit·tled,
present participle be·lit·tling, 3rd person present singular
be·lit·tles) transitive verb

make
seem less significant: to make something seem less
good or important than it is
—be·lit·tle·ment,
noun

—be·lit·tler, noun[1]



Beliveau,Jean

Beliveau,Jean
Be·li·veau
[bélli v], Jean (1931– )

Canadian hockey player. A
center for the Montreal Canadiens, he was the National Hockey League’s most
valuable player in 1956 and 1964.[1]



Belize




Back to definition

Belize

[1]



Belize

Belize



Be·lize 
[bə lz]
country
in Central America on the Caribbean Sea, bordered to the west by Mexico and
Guatemala. It became a British crown colony in 1862 and became an independent
Commonwealth state in 1981. Language: English. Language: Spanish. Currency:
Belizean dollar. Capital: Belmopan. Population: 224,663 (1997) Area: 22,965 sq
km/8,867 sq mi. Former name British Honduras
—Be·li·ze·an, noun,
adjective[1]



BelizeCity

BelizeCity
Be·lize
Cit·y

city and the main port of
Belize on the Caribbean Sea. It was the capital of British Honduras between
1884 and 1972. Population: 50,000 (1990)[1]



bell

bell2
bell2  [bel]
noun (plural bells)

bellow:
a bellowing sound made by a rutting stag or by a hunting dog during the chase
intransitive
verb
(past belled, past participle belled, present
participle bell·ing, 3rd person present singular bells)

bellow:
to make a bellowing sound
[Old English bellan,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



bell

bell1
bell1  [bel]
noun (plural bells)

1.  object
with ringing sound: a hollow open-ended metal
instrument with a rounded top that produces a ringing sound when struck. Bells
are traditionally used as summonses and signals.

2.  electrical
device producing sound: a device activated by
electricity that produces a ringing or buzzing signal

3.  something
bell-shaped: something with the curved and open-ended
shape of a bell, especially a flower

4.  MUSIC flared
end of wind instrument: the flared end of a wind instrument,
from which the sound emerges

5.  NAUTICAL duration
of ship’s watch: the time during a watch on a ship,
indicated by rings on a bell, one ring for each half hour that has passed
plural
noun
bells

MUSIC percussion
instrument:
a percussion instrument consisting of metal tubes or bars hung from a frame
that give out a ringing sound when struck
intransitive
and transitive verb (past belled, past
participle belled, present participle bell·ing, 3rd
person present singular bells)

become or make wider:
to open out, or open something out, into a curved or flared shape similar to
that of a bell
[Old
English belle, from prehistoric Germanic]
ring
a bell

to
evoke a vague memory of something or somebody • Her
name doesn’t ring a bell





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  For
  Whom the Bell Tolls, a novel by U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway (1940). Widely
  viewed as Hemingway’s most ambitious work, it is set during the Spanish Civil
  War and tells the story of Robert Jordan, a U.S. volunteer fighting for the
  Republicans, who falls in love with a fellow volunteer called Maria. It was
  made into a movie by Sam Woods in 1943.

[1]



Bell

Bell
Bell
[bel]

city in southwestern
California, and a southern suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 35,077 (1996)[1]



BellaCoola

BellaCoola
Bel·la
Coo·la 
[bèlə klə] (plural Bel·la Coo·las)
noun

Native North American:
a member of an aboriginal people of Canada living along the Bella Coola River
in British Columbia[1]



belladonna

belladonna

bel·la·don·na 
[bèllə dónnə] (plural bel·la·don·nas)
noun

1.  PLANTS bush
with poisonous black berries: an extremely poisonous
Eurasian plant with drooping purplish flowers and small black berries. Latin
name: Atropa belladonna
Also
called
deadly nightshade
U.K.
term
deadly nightshade

2.  PHARMACOLOGY drug
from belladonna: a drug, for example, atropine or
hyoscyamine, that is made from belladonna
[Mid-18th century. Via Modern
Latin from Italian, literally “beautiful lady,” from the use of belladonna to
dilate the pupils, making the eyes look larger and brighter.][1]



belladonnalily

belladonnalily
bel·la·don·na
lil·y
noun

See
amaryllis[1]



Bell,Alexander Graham

Bell,Alexander Graham

Bell
[bel], Alexander Graham (1847–1922)
Scottish-born U.S. inventor and educator.
He made the first intelligible telephonic transmission (1876), patented the
telephone (1876), and founded Bell Telephone Company (1877). Among his numerous
other inventions were wax cylinder recordings (1886) and the hydrofoil (1917).[1]



Bellamy,Edward

Bellamy,Edward
Bel·la·my 
[bélləmee], Edward (1850–1898)

U.S. writer. His utopian
novel Looking Backward ( 1888 ) achieved widespread popularity and
spread socialist ideas.[1]



bellarmine

bellarmine
bel·lar·mine 
[béll aar mn, béllər
meen] (plural bel·lar·mines) noun

jug
with bearded face on it: a large earthenware or
stoneware jug decorated with a bearded face
[Mid-17th century. Named for
St. Robert Bellarmin, 1542–1621, Jesuit cardinal lampooned by the
original jugs.][1]



bellbird

bellbird
bell·bird 
[bél bùrd] (plural bell·birds)
noun

bird that sounds like a bell:
a tropical American or Australasian bird with a call that sounds like a bell.
The members of the cotinga and honey-eater families are bellbirds.[1]



bell-bottompants

bell-bottompants
bell-bot·tom
pants
or bell-bot·toms plural noun

pants with flared legs:
pants that widen below the knees into a bell shape[1]



bellboy

bellboy
bell·boy 
[bél bòy] (plural bell·boys) noun

See
bellhop[1]



bellbuoy

bellbuoy
bell
buoy
(plural bell buoys) noun

buoy with bell:
a floating buoy with a bell on top that is rung by the movement of the waves
and gives a warning or positional signal to ships[1]



bellcaptain

bellcaptain
bell
cap·tain
(plural bell cap·tains) noun

head bellhop:
somebody in charge of the bellhops in a hotel[1]



bellcrank

bellcrank
bell
crank
(plural bell cranks) noun

two-armed lever:
a lever with two arms that share a fulcrum at the point where they join[1]



belle

belle
belle 
[bel] (plural belles) noun

1.  beautiful
woman:
a beautiful girl or woman

2.  most
beautiful woman: a woman considered to be the most
conspicuously good looking of all those living in a particular place or
attending a particular social event
[Early 17th century. From
French “beautiful.”][1]



Belleekware

Belleekware
Bel·leek
ware 
[bə lk wáir] or Bel·leek [bə lk wáir] noun

thin
porcelain:
a type of very thin, typically cream-colored porcelain with a lustrous glaze
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town in Northern Ireland where it was made.][1]



BelleFourche

BelleFourche
Belle
Fourche 
[bèl fsh]

river that rises in
northeastern Wyoming and flows eastward to join the Cheyenne River in western
South Dakota. Length: 563 km/350 mi.[1]



BelleIsle, Strait of

BelleIsle, Strait of
Belle
Isle, Strait of

channel separating
Newfoundland from Labrador, Canada, connecting the Gulf of St. Lawrence with
the Atlantic. Length: 145 km/90 mi.[1]



Bellerophon

Bellerophon
Bel·ler·o·phon 
[bə lérrəfən, bə
lérrəfon] noun

Greek mythological hero:
in Greek mythology, a hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the
fire-breathing monster Chimera[1]



belles-lettres

belles-lettres
belles-let·tres 
[bel léttrə] noun

elegant
literature:
writings that are valued for their elegance and aesthetic qualities rather than
for any human interest or moral or instructive content (takes a singular or
plural verb)
[Mid-17th
century. French, literally “fine letters.”]
—bel·let·rism,
noun

—bel·let·rist, noun[1]



Belleville

Belleville
Belle·ville 
[bélvìl]

city in southwestern
Illinois, an eastern suburb of St. Louis. Population: 41,608 (1996)[1]



Bellevue

Bellevue
Belle·vue 
[bélvy]

1.  city
in eastern Nebraska, on the west bank of the Missouri River, a southern suburb
of Omaha. Population: 42,807 (1996)

2.  city
in west central Washington, beside Lake Washington. It is a suburb of Seattle.
Population: 92,267 (1996)

[1]



belleépoque

belleépoque
belle
é·poque 
[bel ay púk] noun

elegant
and artistic era: an era of cultural refinement, social
elegance, and general prosperity and security, especially the last decades of
the 19th century and the early years of the 20th prior to World War I
[Mid-20th century. French,
literally “fine period.”][1]



bellflower

bellflower
bell·flow·er 
[bél flowər] (plural bell·flow·ers)
noun

See
campanula[1]



bellfoundry

bellfoundry
bell·found·ry
[bél fowndree] (plural bell·found·ries)
noun

bell-making foundry:
a foundry that specializes in making bells[1]



bellglass

bellglass
bell
glass
(plural bell glass·es) noun

See
bell jar  noun 2[1]



bellhop

bellhop
bell·hop 
[bél hòp] (plural bell·hops) noun

hotel porter:
an employee in a hotel who helps guests by carrying their luggage and running
errands.
Also called
bellboy
Also called
bellman
Also called
callboy
U.K. term
bellboy[1]



bellicose

bellicose
bel·li·cose 
[bélli kss] adjective

warlike:
ready or inclined to quarrel, fight, or go to war
[15th
century. From Latin bellicosus, from bellum “war” (source of
English rebel ).]
—bel·li·cose·ly,
adverb

—bel·li·cose·ness,
noun

—bel·li·cos·i·ty [belli kóssitee], noun[1]



belligerence

belligerence
bel·lig·er·ence 
[bə líjjərəns] noun

hostility or aggression:
the quality of being hostile, ready to start a fight, or ready to go to war[1]



belligerency

belligerency
bel·lig·er·en·cy 
[bə líjjərənsee] noun

1.  See
belligerence

2.  state
of war:
the state of being at war

[1]



belligerent

belligerent
bel·lig·er·ent 
[bə líjjərənt] adjective

1.  hostile
or aggressive: hostile, ready to start a fight, or
ready to go to war

2.  engaged
in war:
taking part in warfare, especially in a war recognized by the law of nations

3.  relating
to belligerent nation: relating to or
characteristic of a participant in war or a fight
noun
(plural bel·lig·er·ents)

participant in war:
a participant in a war or fight, especially a nation engaged in a war
recognized by the law of nations
[Late
16th century. From Latin belligerare “to wage war,” from belliger,
literally “carrying on war,” from bellum “war” + gerere “to carry
on.”]
—bel·lig·er·ent·ly, adverb[1]



Bellingham

Bellingham
Bel·ling·ham 
[bélling hàm]

city and port in northwestern
Washington, just south of the Canadian border, at the head of Bellingham Bay.
Population: 61,043 (1996)[1]



Bellingshausen,Fabian Gottlieb von

Bellingshausen,Fabian Gottlieb von
Bel·lings·hau·sen 
[béllingz hòwz’n], Fabian Gottlieb von
(1778–1852)

Russian explorer. He explored
an area of the Antarctic Sea (1819–1821) that was later named for him.[1]



BellingshausenSea

BellingshausenSea
Bel·lings·hau·sen
Sea

predominantly ice-covered sea
constituting part of the southern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Antarctica[1]



Bellini,Giovanni

Bellini,Giovanni
Bel·li·ni 
[bə lnee], Giovanni (1430?–1516)

Italian painter. The son of
Jacopo Bellini, he produced calm yet sensuous religious pictures, combining
figures and landscape in naturalistic light.[1]



Bellini,Jacopo

Bellini,Jacopo
Bel·li·ni 
[bə lnee], Jacopo (1400?–1470?)

Italian painter. He produced
stylized paintings and drawings with strong architectural elements.[1]



belljar

belljar

bell
jar
(plural bell jars) noun

1.  glass
cover for displayed objects: a glass cover, shaped like a
bell, used to protect and display delicate items

2.        CHEMISTRY glass
cover for experiments: a glass
cover shaped like a bell used in laboratories to enclose equipment in
experiments, especially to prevent gases from escaping or entering[1]



bellman

bellman
bell·man 
[bélmən] (plural bell·men [bélmən]) noun

1.  See
bellhop

2.  man
who rings bell: a man who rings a bell, especially a
town crier (archaic)

[1]



bellmetal

bellmetal
bell
met·al
(plural bell met·als) noun

copper alloy used for bells:
an alloy of copper with 20 to 25 percent tin, used to cast bells and plain
bearings[1]



Belloc,Hilaire

Belloc,Hilaire
Bel·loc 
[béllòk, béllək],
Hilaire (1870–1953)

French-born
British writer. He wrote Cautionary Tales for Children (1907) and
biographies of historical figures including Napoleon (1932).
Full name
Belloc, Joseph Hilaire Pierre[1]



bellow

bellow
bel·low 
[béllō] verb (past bel·lowed,
past participle bel·lowed, present participle bel·low·ing,
3rd person present singular bel·lows)

1.  intransitive
verb
utter
roar like bull: to give a bull’s loud deep roar or a
roar like that of a bull

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout
loudly:
to shout something in a loud deep voice
noun
(plural bel·lows)

1.  roar
like bull’s: a bull’s loud deep roar, or a roar like
that of a bull

2.  loud
shout:
a loud deep shout or cry
[Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English bylgan, or from belgan “to be
enraged”]
—bel·low·er, noun[1]



bellows

bellows
bel·lows 
[béllōz] (plural bel·lows) noun
(takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  compressible
chamber for pumping air: a device or piece of
equipment with a chamber with flexible sides that can be expanded to draw air
in and compressed to force the air out

2.  pleated
expandable part: something constructed of a pleated
material and, like a bellows, able to be expanded and contracted, for example,
the part enclosing the lenses on some cameras or photographic enlargers
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old English belga, a shortening of blæstbelig,
literally “blowing bag,” from blæst “blowing” (source of blast ) + belig “bag” (source of belly ).][1]



Bellow,Saul

Bellow,Saul
Bel·low 
[béllō], Saul (1915– )

Canadian-born U.S. writer. He
won the Nobel Prize in literature (1976). His novels include the Pulitzer
prize-winning Humboldt’s Gift ( 1975 ).[1]



Bellows,George Wesley

Bellows,George Wesley
Bel·lows 
[béllōz], George Wesley (1882–1925)

U.S. artist. He was a realist
painter who depicted urban scenes and boxing matches, as in Stag at
Sharkey’s ( 1909 ).[1]



bellpepper

bellpepper
bell
pep·per
(plural bell pep·pers) noun

See
sweet pepper
[From its shape][1]



bellpull

bellpull
bell·pull
[bél pl] (plural bell·pulls) noun

cord pulled to ring bell:
a handle or cord that when pulled makes a bell ring[1]



bellpush

bellpush
bell
push
(plural bell push·es) noun

button pushed to ring bell:
a button that when pressed causes an electric bell to ring[1]



bell-ringer

bell-ringer
bell-ring·er
(plural bell-ring·ers) noun

1.  somebody
ringing church bells: somebody who rings church
bells, whether as an ecclesiastical function or as a hobby

2.  somebody
playing handbells: a musician who plays
handbells
—bell-ring·ing, noun[1]



bellsand whistles

bellsand whistles
bells
and whis·tles plural noun

unnecessary elaborate
features: special features that are
not necessary but are incorporated in a product to make it appear more
desirable or useful (informal)[1]



bellsof Ireland

bellsof Ireland
bells
of Ire·land 
noun

plant with green cup-shaped
sepals: an annual plant with small
flowers surrounded by green cup-shaped sepals. Latin name: Moluccella laevis[1]



belltower

belltower
bell
tow·er
(plural bell tow·ers) noun

tower containing bell:
a tower with a bell or bells housed in it[1]



bellwether

bellwether
bell·weth·er 
[bél weər] (plural bell·weth·ers)
noun

1.  indicator
of future developments: somebody who or something
that acts as an indicator of future developments or trends

2.  leader:
somebody who takes the initiative or leads others

3.  sheep
leading flock: a sheep that leads the rest of the
flock, usually wearing a bell around its neck (archaic)

[1]



Bellwood

Bellwood
Bell·wood 
[bélwd]

town in northeastern
Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. Population: 20,122 (1996)[1]



bellwort

bellwort
bell·wort 
[bél wùrt, bél
wàwrt] (plural bell·worts or bell·wort) noun

plant with yellow bell-shaped
flowers: a North American plant of
the lily family with yellow bell-shaped flowers. Genus: Uvularia[1]



belly

belly
bel·ly 
[béllee] noun (plural bel·lies)

1.  middle
part of body: the part of the body of a vertebrate
that contains the stomach, intestines, and other organs

2.  front
of body around stomach: the surface of the body of a
vertebrate around the stomach

3.  stomach:
the stomach (informal)

4.  appetite:
the desire or need for food and drink

5.  desire
or persistence: the courage or desire to have or do
something • They
haven’t got the belly for a fight.

6.  bulging
part:
a part of something that bulges out, for example, a sail

7.  interior
cavity:
the interior cavity of a structure, especially a ship

8.  MUSIC upper
surface of stringed instrument: the top or front
surface of the body of a stringed instrument, over which the strings are
stretched
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bel·lied,
past participle bel·lied, present participle bel·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular bel·lies)

bulge: to
bulge or make something bulge • The
wind bellied out the sail.
[Old
English belig “bag.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
swell” that is also the ancestor of English billow
and bolster .]
go
or turn belly up

to go bankrupt, fail, or fall
through[1]



bellyache

bellyache
bel·ly·ache 
[béllee àyk] noun (plural bel·ly·aches)

stomach
ache:
a painful or upset stomach (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past bel·ly·ached, past participle bel·ly·ached, present
participle bel·ly·ach·ing, 3rd person present singular bel·ly·aches)

complain:
to complain in a whining manner (informal)
—bel·ly·ach·er, noun[1]



bellyband

bellyband
bel·ly·band 
[bélli bànd] (plural bel·ly·bands)
noun

strap around draft animal’s
belly: a strap passed around the
belly of a draft animal and attached to the shafts of the vehicle it is pulling[1]



bellybutton

bellybutton
bel·ly·but·ton 
[bélli bùtt’n] (plural bel·ly·but·tons)
noun

navel:
the human navel (informal)[1]



bellydance

bellydance
bel·ly
dance
(plural bel·ly danc·es) noun

dance
using belly movements: a dance for women,
originally from the Middle East, in which rhythmic movement of the hips and
abdomen is emphasized
—bel·ly
danc·er, noun

—bel·ly danc·ing, noun[1]



bellyflop

bellyflop
bel·ly
flop
(plural bel·ly flops) noun

1.  SWIMMING dive
in which stomach smacks water: an almost horizontal
dive where the front of the diver’s body hits the water first

2.  AIR See belly landing
—bel·ly-flop, intransitive
verb[1]



bellyful

bellyful
bel·ly·ful 
[bélli fl] noun (informal)

1.  all
somebody can eat: all the food that somebody wants or is
able to eat

2.  excess:
an undesirable or excessive amount of something

[1]



bellylanding

bellylanding
bel·ly
land·ing
(plural bel·ly land·ings) noun

landing
of aircraft with wheels up: an emergency landing of an
aircraft with the wheels not extended.
Also
called
belly flop
—belly-land, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



bellylaugh

bellylaugh
bel·ly
laugh
(plural bel·ly laughs) noun

unrestrained laugh:
a deep and unrestrained laugh[1]



bellyup to

bellyup to
belly
up to
transitive verb

move close to something:
to move close to or stand next to something against which you can lean or press
(informal)[1]



Bell’spalsy

Bell’spalsy
Bell’s
pal·sy
noun

paralysis
of face muscles: paralysis of the muscles on one side of
the face, causing a distorted facial expression. It results from injury to the
facial nerve and is usually temporary.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Scottish anatomist Sir Charles Bell, 1774–1842, who described it.][1]



Belmont

Belmont
Bel·mont 
[bél mònt]

1.  city
on the San Mateo Peninsula, south of San Francisco, western California.
Population: 25,562 (1996)

2.  town
in northeastern Massachusetts. It is a northwestern suburb of Boston and
Cambridge. Population: 24,044 (1996)

[1]



Belmopan

Belmopan
Bel·mo·pan 
[bèlmō pán]

capital of Belize, located on
the Belize River in the eastern part of the country. Population: 6,500 (1996)[1]



BeloHorizonte

BeloHorizonte
Be·lo
Ho·ri·zon·te  [béllō
hàwri zàwntee]

city and capital of Minas
Gerais State in eastern Brazil. Population: 2,091,770 (1996)[1]



Beloit

Beloit
Be·loit 
[bə lóyt]

city in southern Wisconsin,
on the Rock River, south of Madison. Population: 35,836 (1996)[1]



belong

belong
be·long 
[bi láwng, bi
lóng] (past be·longed, past participle be·longed,
present participle be·long·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·longs) intransitive verb

1.  be
somebody’s property: to be the property of a
person or organization • Who
does this coat belong to?

2.  be
personally linked: to be linked to a particular
place or person by a relationship such as birth, affection, or membership

3.  be
classified:
to be part of a class or group • Tulips
belong to the lily family.

4.  be
part of:
to be a part or component of something else

5.  be
in right place: to be in an appropriate or usual place • He
belongs in jail.

6.  be
accepted:
to be accepted or made welcome in a place or group • feeling
that I didn’t belong
[14th C. Formed from obsolete
English long “to relate to,” with the literal sense of “to relate to
thoroughly.”][1]



Belonger

Belonger
Be·long·er 
[bi láwngər, bi
lóngər] (plural Be·long·ers) noun

Caribbean
black native-born Caribbean person:
somebody of African descent who was born and lives on a Caribbean island[1]



belonging

belonging
be·long·ing 
[bi láwnging, bi
lónging] noun

feeling
at home:
the state of being comfortable and accepted in a place or community
plural
noun
be·long·ings

personal possessions:
the things somebody owns or has with him or her[1]



Belorussia

Belorussia
Be·lo·rus·sia 
[bèllō rúshə]

See
Belarus[1]



Belorussian

Belorussian
Bel·o·rus·sian 
[bèllō rúsh’n] adjective noun
(plural Be·lorus·sians)

Belarusian:
Belarusian (dated)[1]



beloved

beloved
be·lov·ed 
[bi lúvvid, (predicatively) bi lúvd] adjective

adored:
loved very much
noun
(plural be·lov·eds)

loved person:
somebody who is loved very much[1]



below

below
be·low 
[bi lṓ] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating something situated or placed beneath something
else or lower than something else • (preposition)
a river below the town • (adverb)
on the shelf below

1.
preposition adverb in lower grade:
at or to a level, standard, or grade that is lower than that specified or
understood • animals
ranked below humans • below
average
• 30
degrees below

2.
adverb further down: lower
down or later on in a text, especially on the same page • see
below
• on
page 29 below

3.
adverb NAUTICAL lower
than the deck: on or to a level of a ship or boat that
is lower than the deck

4.
adverb RELIGION on
earth:
on earth or in hell, as opposed to in heaven (archaic)
[14th century. Formed from an
earlier form of by + low, possibly
modeled on beneath .][1]



belowground

belowground
be·low·ground 
[bi lṓ gròwnd] adjective

underground:
situated under the ground
adverb

under the ground:
into or under the ground[1]



Belsen

Belsen
Bel·sen 
[bélzən]

village in northwestern
Germany, about 16 km10 mi north of Celle. It is the site of the Bergen-Belsen
Nazi concentration camp (1943–1945).[1]



Belshazzar

Belshazzar
Bel·shaz·zar 
[bel sházzər] noun

king of Babylon:
a king of Babylon in the sixth century BC
. The Bible tells of the foretelling of his death in an inscription that
mysteriously appears on the wall of his palace during a feast (Daniel 5) .[1]



belt

belt
belt 
[belt] noun (plural belts)

1.  ACCESSORIES strip
of material around waist: a strip of material worn
around the waist, used to hold up clothing for the lower body, as decoration,
or to carry tools or weapons

2.  INDUSTRY band
as part of machine: a band of strong flexible
material used in machinery to transmit motion or power or to move articles

3.  TRANSPORT See seat belt

4.  blow:
a hard blow (informal)

5.  drink:
a drink of liquor (slang)

6.  specific
area:
an area or region where a particular item or quality is characteristic • a
wheat belt

7.  strip
of something different: a band or stripe of a
different color, texture, or substance from what it encircles or crosses

8.  SPORTS belt
given for achievement: a belt awarded to a sports
competitor, especially in boxing or the martial arts, as a trophy or a sign of
having attained a particular grade

9.  SPORTS somebody
holding belt for sporting achievement:
somebody awarded a particular belt for a sporting achievement, usually in
boxing or one of the martial arts

10. belt
as sign of rank: a belt worn as a sign of a particular
rank, for example, by a knight or an earl

11. a
sudden strong emotional reaction (slang) • Read
this! It’ll give you a belt.

12. See
beltway
verb
(past belt·ed, past participle belt·ed, present
participle belt·ing, 3rd person present singular belts)

1.  transitive
verb
fasten
with belt:
to fasten or attach something with a belt

2.  transitive
verb
hit
hard:
to strike somebody or something with a hard blow (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move very quickly (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
hit
with belt:
to strike somebody with a belt
[Old
English . Ultimately from Latin balteus “girdle,” of, perhaps, Etruscan
origin.]
below
the belt

unfair
and often hurtful

have
something under your belt

to
have done or acquired something that will be of benefit to you in the future • She
has 12 computer science courses under her belt.

tighten
your belt

to reduce your expenditures[1]



Beltane

Beltane
Bel·tane 
[bél tàyn, bél
tèn] (plural Bel·tanes) noun

Celtic
festival in May: an ancient Celtic festival at the
beginning of May, marked by the lighting of bonfires
[15th century. Via Gaelic bealltainn
from Old Irish .][1]



beltcourse

beltcourse
belt·course
[bélt kàwrs] (plural belt·courses)
noun

See
stringcourse[1]



beltdrive

beltdrive
belt
drive
(plural belt drives) noun

power transmission by endless
belt: a system for transmitting
power from one shaft to another by means of an endless flexible belt looped
over pulleys mounted on the shafts[1]



belthighway

belthighway
belt
high·way
(plural belt high·ways) noun

See
beltway[1]



belting

belting
belt·ing 
[bélting] (plural belt·ings) noun

1.  material
for belts:
material used for making belts

2.  belts
collectively: belts considered collectively

[1]



Belton

Belton
Bel·ton
[bélt’n]

1.  city
in western Missouri, a southern suburb of Kansas City. Population: 20,862
(1996)

2.  city
in central Texas, northeast of Austin and southwest of Waco. Population: 14,800
(1996)

[1]



beltout

beltout
belt
out
transitive verb

sing or play loudly:
to sing or play something loudly and enthusiastically (informal)[1]



beltsander

beltsander
belt
sand·er
(plural belt sanders) noun

sanding machine:
a sander that uses a continuous belt coated with an abrasive[1]



beltup

beltup
belt
up
intransitive and transitive verb

put on safety belt:
to fasten a safety belt, or secure somebody with a safety belt[1]



beltway

beltway
belt·way 
[bélt wày] (plural belt·ways) noun

highway skirting an urban
area: a highway that surrounds or
skirts an urban area.
U.K. term
ring road
Also called
belt noun 11

Also called
belt highway[1]



beluga

beluga
be·lu·ga 
[bə lgə] (plural be·lu·gas or
be·lu·ga) noun

1.  Russian
sturgeon:
a large white sturgeon found in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Its eggs are
used in caviar, and isinglass was traditionally made from its air bladders.
Latin name: Huso huso Acipenser huso

2.  be·lu·ga
(plural be·lu·gas) or be·lu·ga cav·i·ar (plural
be·lu·ga cav·i·ars) caviar:
caviar made from the eggs of the beluga sturgeon

3.  See
white whale
[Late 16th century. From
Russian, literally “large white,” from bely “white.”][1]



belvedere

belvedere
bel·ve·dere 
[bélvi dr] (plural bel·ve·deres)
noun

building
with fine view: a building or part of a building
positioned to offer a fine view of the surrounding area
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, literally “beautiful to see.”][1]



Belém

Belém
Be·lém 
[bə lém]

port and capital of Pará
State on the Pará River in northern Brazil. Population: 1,244,690 (1992)[1]



bema

bema

be·ma 
[bmə] (plural be·mas) noun

1.  be·ma
or bi·ma or bi·mah JUDAISM
platform
for scripture readings: in a synagogue, the raised
platform where the scriptures are read

2.  CHRISTIANITY platform
that altar is on: in an Orthodox church, the raised area
where the altar is located
[Late 17th century. From
Greek bēma “step, platform.”][1]



Bemba

Bemba
Bem·ba 
[bémbə] (plural Bem·ba or
Bem·bas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of an African
people chiefly located in Zambia

2.  LANGUAGE African
language:
a Bantu language spoken in east central Africa and belonging to the Benue-Congo
group of languages. Bemba is spoken by more than two million people.
Also
called
Chibemba
[Mid-20th
century. From Bantu .]
—Bem·ba, adjective[1]



Bemelmans,Ludwig

Bemelmans,Ludwig
Be·mel·mans 
[bm’lmənz, bémm’lmənz],
Ludwig (1898–1962)

Austrian-born U.S. writer and
illustrator. He is known for his classic children’s book, Madeleine (
1939 ).[1]



bemire

bemire
be·mire 
[bi mr] (past be·mired, past
participle be·mired, present participle be·mir·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·mires) transitive verb

1.  soil:
to soil something or somebody with mud or dirt (archaic)

2.  cause
to stick in mud: to cause somebody or something to become
stuck in mud (archaic or literary) (usually passive)

[1]



bemoan

bemoan
be·moan 
[bi mṓn] (past be·moaned, past
participle be·moaned, present participle be·moan·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·moans) transitive verb

lament:
to express grief or disappointment about something[1]



bemuse

bemuse
be·muse 
[bi myz] (past be·mused, past
participle be·mused, present participle be·mus·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·mus·es) transitive verb

bewilder:
to cause somebody to be confused or puzzled
—be·muse·ment [bi myzmənt], noun[1]



bemused

bemused
be·mused 
[bi myzd] adjective

bewildered:
confused, puzzled, and unable to understand or think clearly
—be·mus·ed·ly [bi myzidlee], adverb[1]



Benadryl

Benadryl
Be·na·dryl
[bénnədril] Trademark

a trademark for allergy,
sinus, cold, and headache medication[1]



Benares

Benares
Be·na·res 
[bə náarəz, bə
náareez]

Former name for
Varanasi[1]



bench

bench
bench 
[bench] noun (plural bench·es)

1.  FURNITURE long
backless seat: a long seat for two or more people,
usually made without a back or arms

2.  NAUTICAL seat
in boat:
a seat for a rower in a boat

3.  work
table:
a long strong work table

4.  LAW judge’s
seat:
the seat where a judge sits in a court

5.  LAW judge:
a judge or magistrate presiding over a court

6.  LAW judges:
the judges of a court system

7.  LAW judgeship:
the office or position of a judge

8.  SPORTS seat
for nonplaying athletes: in team sports, the seat for
players not on the field or court during play

9.  SPORTS substitute
players on sports team: the substitute players of a
sports team

10. GEOLOGY ledge
of land:
a narrow flat ledge of land, often the remnant of a former shoreline

11. MINING ledge
in mine:
a ledge formed by excavation in a mine

12. platform
for showing animals: a platform used for
displaying dogs, cats, or other animals at a show
transitive
verb
(past benched, past participle benched, present
participle bench·ing, 3rd person present singular bench·es)

1.  SPORTS put on
nonplayers’ bench: to exclude or remove a
member of a sports team from play

2.  display
animal at show: to display a dog, cat, or other animal
at a show on a bench

3.  provide
with benches: to provide something with benches
[Old English benc .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor of
German Bank and English bank
“riverbank,” the underlying idea being of a “raised ridge.”][1]



Benchley,Peter

Benchley,Peter
Bench·ley
[bénchlee], Peter (1940– )

U.S. writer. The son of
Robert Benchley, he is the author of Jaws ( 1974 ) and other thrillers.[1]



Benchley,Robert

Benchley,Robert

Bench·ley 
[bénchlee], Robert (1889–1945)
U.S.
humorist, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his wit, he was theater critic of
the New Yorker and wrote humorous short movies.
Full name
Benchley, Robert Charles[1]



benchmark

benchmark
bench
mark
(plural bench marks) noun

surveyor’s reference marker:
a mark made by a surveyor on a permanent object that shows an established
position and elevation and is used as a reference point[1]



benchmark

benchmark
bench·mark 
[bénch mrk] noun (plural bench·marks)

1.  standard:
a standard against which something can be measured or assessed

2.  COMPUTING test
of computer performance: a test or set of tests used
to measure the performance of computer hardware or software
adjective

used as standard:
used as a standard for measuring or assessing something
transitive
verb
(past bench·marked, past participle bench·marked, present
participle bench·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular bench·marks)

1.  provide
standard:
to provide a standard against which something can be measured or assessed

2.  COMPUTING test
computer performance: to test the performance of
computer hardware or software for the purpose of comparison with similar
products

[1]



benchpress

benchpress
bench
press
(plural bench press·es) noun

lift
made while lying on bench: in weightlifting, a lift
where somebody lies on a bench with the feet on the floor and raises a weight
from chest level to arm’s length
—bench-press, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



benchseat

benchseat
bench
seat
(plural bench seats) noun

long undivided seat:
in a motor vehicle, a seat that extends across the full width of the vehicle[1]



benchtest

benchtest
bench
test
(plural bench tests) noun

preinstallation
test:
a trial of a machine or part in the laboratory or workshop to confirm that it
works properly before it is installed
—bench-test, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



benchwarmer

benchwarmer
bench·warm·er 
[bénch wàrmər] (plural bench·warm·ers)
noun

substitute player:
a substitute player on a sports team who spends most of the game on the bench[1]



bend

bend1
bend1 [bend]
verb (past bent [bent],
present participle bend·ing, 3rd person present singular bends)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make curved: to take on or cause something to take on
a curved or angled shape • The
wooden struts bent under pressure.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stoop:
to make or cause somebody to make a stooping or inclined movement • I
bent to pick up the ball.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb yield
or force to yield: to yield in response to a
strong will or force, or force somebody or something to yield

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
or cause to change direction: to change or cause something
to change direction or course • The
path bends to the right.

5.  transitive
verb
distort
for somebody’s benefit: to adapt or interpret
something in a way that was not originally intended, especially for personal
benefit or to help somebody else • bend
the rules

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb concentrate
on doing something: to concentrate on doing
something • bent
her mind to the task at hand

7.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL attach:
to attach or fasten something, especially a pair of lines or ropes
noun
(plural bends)

1.  curve:
a curved part of something, especially a sharp curve in a road

2.  act
of bending:
an act of bending

3.  NAUTICAL knot
joining two ropes: a knot that joins one line
to another
[Old
English bendan “to tie, curve” (because if you tie something it becomes
curved). Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor
of English bind, bond, and bundle
.]
—bend·a·bil·i·ty,
noun

—bend·a·ble,
adjective
around
the bend

wild
or distracted (slang)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  prehistoric Germanic word from which bend
  comes is also the ancestor of English band,
  bind, bond,
  and bundle.

[1]



bend

bend2

bend2 [bend]
(plural bends) noun
HERALDRY diagonal
band:
a band that crosses a heraldic shield diagonally from top right to bottom left
[Old English, “band,”
originally a sense of bend 1 and, later,
from Old French bende][1]



Bend

Bend
Bend 
[bend]

city in central Oregon, east
of Eugene, on the eastern bank of the Deschutes River. Population: 31,733
(1996)[1]



benday

benday
ben·day
[ben dáy] or Ben Day [ben dáy] adjective

adding
tone:
used to describe a printing process of adding tone to an image by overlaying a
transparent sheet patterned with dots before the image is reproduced to make a
plate
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. printer Benjamin Day Jr. (1838–1916), who invented the
process.][1]



bended

bended
bend·ed
[béndəd] adjective

bent:
in a position so as to be curved or bent (dated) • on
bended knee[1]



bender

bender
bend·er 
[béndər] (plural bend·ers) noun

drinking spree:
a prolonged bout of drinking (slang)[1]



bendrofluazide

bendrofluazide
ben·dro·flu·a·zide
[bèndrō fl ə zd] noun

U.K.
See bendroflumethiazide[1]



bendroflumethiazide

bendroflumethiazide
ben·dro·flu·me·thi·a·zide
[bendrō fl methə zd] noun

diuretic drug:
a diuretic drug used in the treatment of edema and hypertension. It acts on a
part of the kidneys to promote the excretion of salt and water.
U.K. term
bendrofluazide[1]



bends

bends
bends
[bendz] noun

divers’ sickness:
decompression sickness, especially in divers (informal) (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



bendsinister

bendsinister

bend
sin·is·ter
(plural bends sin·is·ter) noun
diagonal
band:
a band that crosses a heraldic shield diagonally from top left to bottom right,
used to indicate a line of descent from a birth outside of marriage.
Also
called
bar sinister noun 1
[From sinister “on the left”][1]



beneath

beneath
be·neath 
[bi nth] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating a position underneath or lower than something

1.
preposition adverb underneath:
in, at, or to a lower position or less superficial level than that specified or
understood • kept
in a box beneath the bed • a
door giving access to the cellar beneath • Beneath
his veneer of politeness lay hostility.

2.
preposition adverb lower:
in, at, or to a lower level, grade, or standard than that specified or
understood • She
always supported those beneath her.

3.
preposition too low for:
too low in status or character for • beneath
contempt
• Telling
tales should be beneath you.
[Old English binithan,
bineothan, literally “by or from below.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English nether
.][1]



benedicite

benedicite
ben·e·dic·ite 
[bènni díssətee, báy
nay díchi tày] (plural ben·e·dic·ites) noun

blessing:
a blessing or grace used in some Christian religious communities
[13th century. From Latin,
“bless you!,” a form of benedicere, literally “to say well to,” from bene
“well” + dicere “to say.”][1]



Benedicite

Benedicite
Ben·e·dic·ite 
[bènni díssətee, báy
nay díchi tày] noun

Latin hymn:
a Latin hymn beginning “Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino,” traditionally
translated as “O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord”[1]



Benedictine

Benedictine
Ben·e·dic·tine 
[bènni díktin, bènni
díktn] noun (plural Ben·e·dic·tines)

monk
or nun:
a monk or nun belonging to a religious order founded by St. Benedict or
following his rule.
adjective

of St. Benedict:
relating to or characteristic of St. Benedict, his rule, or the monastic order
that he founded.[1]



benediction

benediction
ben·e·dic·tion 
[bènni díksh’n] (plural ben·e·dic·tions)
noun

1.  expression
of approval: an expression of approval or good wishes

2.  prayer
asking for God’s blessing: a prayer asking for God’s
blessing, usually at the end of a service

3.  Ben·e·dic·tion
or ben·e·dic·tion Catholic devotional
service:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a devotional service during which the
congregation is blessed with the Host

4.  blessedness:
the state of being blessed
[15th
century. Directly or via French bénédiction from the Latin stem benediction-
from, ultimately, benedicere, literally “to say well to,” from bene
“well” + dicere “to say.”]
—ben·e·dic·tive,
adjective

—ben·e·dic·to·ry [bènni díktəree], adjective[1]



Benedict,Ruth

Benedict,Ruth

Ben·e·dict 
[bénnidìkt], Ruth (1887–1948)
U.S.
anthropologist. She studied Native American peoples. Her writings include Patterns
of Culture ( 1934 ).
Born
Fulton, Ruth[1]



Benedictus

Benedictus
Ben·e·dic·tus 
[bènni díktəss] noun

1.  Latin
hymn from Luke: a Latin hymn from Luke, beginning
“Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini” (“Blessed is he that cometh in the name
of the Lord”)

2.  Latin
hymn from Matthew: a Latin hymn from Matthew,
beginning “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel” (“Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel”)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
benedicere (see benediction ).][1]



BenedictXV

BenedictXV

Ben·e·dict
XV 
[bénnidìkt], Pope (1854–1922)
As
pope (1914–1922) he was active in organizing war relief during World War I.
Born
della Chiesa, Giacomo[1]



Benedict’ssolution

Benedict’ssolution
Ben·e·dict’s
so·lu·tion 
[bénni dìkts səlS’n] or Ben·e·dict’s
re·a·gent [bénni dìkts səlS’n] noun

solution
to test for glucose: a solution of copper
sulfate, sodium citrate, and sodium carbonate that turns red in the presence of
glucose and other sugars that are reducing agents. It is used in urine tests
for diabetes.
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. chemist Stanley Rossiter Benedict, 1884–1936 .][1]



benefaction

benefaction
ben·e·fac·tion 
[bénnə fàksh’n, bènnə
fáksh’n] (plural ben·e·fac·tions) noun

1.  doing
good:
an act of doing good

2.  good
deed:
a good deed, especially an act of charity

3.  donation:
a donation given to a charity
[Mid-17th century. From Late
Latin benefaction-, formed from bene facere, literally “to do
well to,” from bene “well” + fact-, the past participle stem of
Latin facere “to do.”][1]



benefactor

benefactor
ben·e·fac·tor 
[bénnə fàktər] (plural ben·e·fac·tors)
noun

financial supporter:
somebody who aids a cause, institution, or individual, especially with a gift
of money[1]



benefactress

benefactress
ben·e·fac·tress 
[bénnə fàktriss] (plural ben·e·fac·tress·es)
noun

woman benefactor:
a woman who aids a cause, institution, or individual, especially with a gift of
money[1]



benefic

benefic
be·nef·ic 
[bə néffik] adjective

doing
good:
doing good or charitable acts (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin beneficus, from bene facere (see benefaction
).][1]



benefice

benefice
ben·e·fice 
[bénnəfiss] noun (plural ben·e·fic·es)

1.  CHRISTIANITY endowed
church living: a church office that provides a living
for its holder through an endowment attached to it

2.  CHRISTIANITY revenue
for church living: the revenue or property that
provides the living of the holder of a church benefice

3.  HISTORY form
of feudal tenure: a form of feudal tenure in which a
vassal held land from a superior, especially in return for military service
transitive
verb
(past ben·e·ficed, past participle ben·e·ficed, present
participle ben·e·fic·ing, 3rd person present singular ben·e·fic·es)

CHRISTIANITY provide
with benefice: to provide a member of the clergy with a
church office that will yield a living
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin beneficium, literally “doing well,” from bene “well” +
fic-, a variant of the stem of facere “to do.”][1]



beneficence

beneficence
be·nef·i·cence 
[bə néffissəns] (plural be·nef·i·cences)
noun

1.  generosity:
generosity or charity

2.  generous
gift:
a good or charitable act, especially a generous gift

3.  beneficial
effect:
the beneficial nature or effect that something has

[1]



beneficent

beneficent
be·nef·i·cent 
[bə néffissənt] adjective

1.  doing
good:
doing good or charitable acts

2.  producing
benefit:
producing benefits or advantages
[Early
17th century. From Latin beneficent-, the stem of beneficentior,
literally “more beneficent,” from beneficus, from bene facere
(see benefaction ).]
—be·nef·i·cent·ly, adverb[1]



beneficial

beneficial
ben·e·fi·cial 
[bènnə físh’l] adjective

1.  having
good effect: producing a good or advantageous effect
• The
exercise should prove beneficial to his health.

2.  LAW profitable:
entitling somebody to or entitled to profits or property
[15th
century. Directly or via French bénéficial from Late Latin beneficialis,
from Latin beneficium (see benefice
).]
—ben·e·fi·cial·ly,
adverb

—ben·e·fi·cial·ness, noun[1]



beneficiary

beneficiary
ben·e·fi·ci·ar·y 
[bènnə físhee èrree, bénnə físhəree] noun (plural ben·e·fi·ci·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
benefiting:
somebody who receives a benefit from something

2.  LAW legal
recipient of money: somebody who is entitled by
a will, trust, or insurance policy to receive money or property

3.  CHRISTIANITY holder
of benefice: a member of the clergy who holds an
office that provides a living ( benefice )
adjective

CHRISTIANITY relating
to benefice: relating to a church office that
provides a living ( benefice ) or the member
of the clergy who holds it
[Early 17th century. From
Latin beneficarius, from beneficium (see benefice
).][1]



benefit

benefit
ben·e·fit 
[bénnəfit] noun (plural ben·e·fits)

1.  advantage:
something that has a good effect or promotes well-being • They
eventually reaped the benefits of all their hard work.

2.  SOCIAL WELFARE government
assistance:
a regular payment made by a government agency, such as Social Security, to
somebody qualified to receive it or in need of financial assistance (often
used in the plural)

3.  money
paid to claimant: a payment made to a claimant or entitled
person by an employer, insurance company, or other institution (often used
in the plural)

4.  performance
for charity: a performance by entertainers, athletes,
or others to raise money for somebody or something, especially a charity
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ben·e·fit·ed
or ben·e·fit·ted, past participle ben·e·fit·ed or
ben·e·fit·ted, present participle ben·e·fit·ing or ben·e·fit·ting,
3rd person present singular ben·e·fits)

give or receive benefit:
to give or receive help, an advantage, or another benefit
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman benfet and Old French bienfait from,
ultimately, Latin benefactum “good deed,” from bene facere (see benefaction ).]
give
somebody the benefit of the doubt

to assume that somebody is
telling the truth about something or is innocent of something because there is
not enough evidence that the person is lying or guilty[1]



benefitof clergy

benefitof clergy
ben·e·fit
of cler·gy
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY church
blessing:
the official approval or ministration of the church • married
without benefit of clergy

2.  LAW HISTORY clerical exemption from civil
trial:
the privilege held by the clergy in the Middle Ages that entitled them to trial
by an ecclesiastical court and exemption from trial by secular authorities

[1]



Benelux

Benelux
Be·ne·lux 
[bénnə lùks] noun

the
countries of Belgium the Netherlands and Luxembourg as a group. The three
countries formed a customs union in 1948 that was replaced by the Benelux
Economic Union in 1960.
[Mid-20th century. Acronym of
“Belgium,” “Netherlands,” and “Luxembourg.”][1]



benevolence

benevolence
be·nev·o·lence 
[bə névvələns] (plural be·nev·o·lences)
noun

1.  tendency
to be kind:
an inclination to be kind and helpful or generous

2.  generous
act:
something done or given out of kindness

3.  HISTORY forced
loan imposed by English king: a compulsory loan or gift of
money imposed by English kings of the late Middle Ages on their subjects
[15th century. Via French bénévolence
from Latin benevolentia, from benevolent- (see benevolent ).][1]



benevolent

benevolent
be·nev·o·lent 
[bə névvələnt] adjective

1.  kind:
showing kindness or goodwill

2.  charitable:
performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit
[15th
century. Via Old French benivolent from Latin benevolent-, the
present participle stem of bene velle “to wish well.”]
—be·nev·o·lent·ly, adverb[1]



Bengal

Bengal
Ben·gal 
[ben gáwl, beng
áwl, bén gəl, béng ]

former
province of northeastern India. In 1947 it was divided into the Indian state of
West Bengal and East Bengal, now Bangladesh. Area: 224,500 sq km/87,700 sq mi.
—Ben·ga·lese, noun[1]



Bengal,Bay of

Bengal,Bay of
Ben·gal,
Bay of
[ben gáwl, beng
áwl, bén gəl, béng ]

northeastern section of the
Indian Ocean bordered by India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Area: 2,172,000 sq
km/839,000 sq mi.[1]



Bengali

Bengali
Ben·ga·li 
[ben gáwlee, bèng
góllee] (plural Ben·ga·lis) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Bangladesh or West Bengal: somebody who lives in
or was born or raised in Bangladesh or the state of West Bengal in India

2.  LANGUAGE Indic
language:
the national language of Bangladesh and state language of West Bengal, India.
It is an Indic language of the Indo-European family. There are Bengali
-speaking communities in many parts of the world, and the language is spoken by
at least 170 million people.
Also
called
Bangla
[Late
18th century. Formed from Hindi baṅgālī .]
—Ben·ga·li, adjective[1]



bengaline

bengaline
ben·ga·line 
[béng gə ln] (plural ben·ga·lines)
noun

ribbed
fabric:
a heavyweight ribbed fabric, usually of cotton and silk or wool
[Late 19th century. From
French, because of its similarity to cloth made in Bengal.][1]



Benghazi

Benghazi
Ben·gha·zi
[ben gzee, beng
gzee] or Ben·ga·si [ben gzee,
beng gzee] or Ban·ghā·zī [ben gzee, beng gzee]

city and port in northeastern
Libya on the gulf of Sidra. It is near the site of the ancient Greek colony of
Euhesperides. Population: 446,250 (1988)[1]



Ben-Gurion,David

Ben-Gurion,David

Ben-Gur·i·on 
[ben gree ən], David (1886–1973)
Polish-born
Israeli statesman. He was the first prime minister of Israel (1948–1953,
1955–1963).
Born
Gruen, David[1]



benighted

benighted
be·night·ed 
[bi ntid] adjective

1.  unenlightened:
unenlightened intellectually, socially, or morally

2.  overtaken
by night:
overtaken by night or the dark
—be·night·ed·ly,
adverb

—be·night·ed·ness, noun[1]



benign

benign
be·nign 
[bi nn] adjective

1.  kindly:
having a kind and gentle disposition or appearance

2.  not
life-threatening: not a threat to life or long-term
health, especially by being noncancerous

3.  harmless:
neutral or harmless in its effect or influence

4.  favorable:
mild or favorable in effect • a
benign climate
[14th
century. Via French bénigne from Latin benignus of uncertain
origin: probably from, ultimately, bene genus, literally “well born,”
from bene “well” + -genus “born.”]
—be·nign·ly, adverb[1]



benignant

benignant
be·nig·nant 
[bi nígnənt] adjective

gracious:
kind and gracious in behavior or appearance
—be·nig·nan·cy, noun[1]



benignity

benignity
be·nig·ni·ty 
[bi nígnitee] (plural be·nig·ni·ties)
noun

1.  kindliness:
kindness and gentleness of disposition or appearance

2.  kind
act:
a kind or gracious act

[1]



Benin

Benin



Be·nin 
[bə nín, be nn]
republic
in western Africa between Togo and Nigeria, with a short coastline on the Bight
of Benin. It became independent from France in 1960. Language: French.
Currency: CFA franc. Capital: Porto-Novo. Population: 5,902,178 (1997) Area:
112,622 sq km/43,484 sq mi. Official name Republic of Benin Former
name Dahomey until 1975
—Be·nin·ese [bènnə nz], adjective, noun[1]



Benin




Back to definition

Benin

[1]



Benin,Bight of

Benin,Bight of
Be·nin,
Bight of

wide bay in West Africa, the
western section of the Gulf of Guinea. It stretches from the mouth of the Volta
River to the mouth of the Niger River, with Lagos as one of its principal
ports. approximately Length: 720 km/450 mi.[1]



BeninCity

BeninCity
Be·nin
Cit·y

capital of Edo State in
southern Nigeria. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Benin that flourished in
the 15th and 16th centuries, producing magnificent brass, bronze, and ivory
sculptures. Population: 223,900 (1995)[1]



benison

benison
ben·i·son 
[bennizən, bennissən]
(plural ben·i·sons) noun

blessing:
a blessing or benediction (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old French
benisson from the Latin stem benediction- (see benediction ).][1]



benjamin

benjamin
ben·ja·min 
[bénjəmən] (plural ben·jamins)
noun

See
benzoin
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of an earlier form of benzoin by association
with the forename “Benjamin.”][1]



Benjamin

Benjamin
Ben·ja·min 
[bénjəmən] noun

Hebrew patriarch:
in the Bible, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel and father of the smallest
tribe of Israel[1]



Benjamin,Judah

Benjamin,Judah
Ben·ja·min 
[bénjəmən], Judah (1811–1884)

U.S.
politician and lawyer. Secretary of war in Jefferson Davis’s cabinet, he fled
to England after the Civil War and made a career as a lawyer.
Full name
Benjamin, Judah Philip[1]



benne

benne
ben·ne
[bénnee] or bene [bénnee] or ben·ni [bénnee] noun

See
sesame  noun 2
[Mid-18th century. From Mande
.][1]



bennet

bennet
ben·net 
[bénnit] (plural ben·nets) noun

See
herb bennet
[15th century. Via French herbe
benëite from Medieval Latin herba benedicta “blessed plant,” because
it was said to frighten off the Devil.][1]



Bennett,James Gordon

Bennett,James Gordon

Ben·nett
[bénnit], James Gordon (1841–1918)
U.S. newspaper owner and editor. As
editor of the New York Herald, he financed H.M. Stanley’s African
expeditions.[1]



Bennett,Richard Bedford

Bennett,Richard Bedford
Ben·nett
[bénnit], Richard Bedford, 1st Viscount
(1870–1947)

Canadian
statesman and business executive. He was Conservative prime minister of Canada
(1930–1935).
Known as
Iron Heel Bennett[1]



Bennington

Bennington
Ben·ning·ton 
[bénningtən]

town and ski resort in
southwestern Vermont, the site of Bennington College. Population: 16,328 (1996)[1]



benny

benny
ben·ny 
[bénnee] (plural ben·nies) noun

amphetamine
tablet:
an amphetamine tablet, especially Benzedrine™ (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of Benzedrine™ .][1]



Benny,Jack

Benny,Jack
Ben·ny 
[bénnee], Jack (1894–1974)

U.S.
comedian. He is known for his miserly self-caricature in the Jack Benny Show
on radio and television (1932–1965).
Real name
Benjamin Kubelsky[1]



bensh

bensh
bensh
[bench] (past benshed, past
participle benshed, present participle bensh·ing, 3rd
person present singular bensh·es) or bentsh [bench] (past bent·shed, past
participle bent·shed, present participle bent·shing, 3rd
person present singular bent·shes) intransitive verb

say
Jewish blessing after meal: to say a Jewish benediction
after eating a meal
[Via Yiddish bentshen
from Latin benedicere “to bless”][1]



bent

bent3
bent3 [bent]
(plural bents) noun

1.  grass
of temperate regions: a perennial grass of
temperate regions, grown for hay and planted for lawns or putting greens.
Genus: Agrostis

2.  reedy
grass:
a stiff reedy grass (archaic)

3.  grass
stalk:
a flower stalk of a stiff grass (archaic)
[Old English beonet .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German
Binse .][1]



bent

bent1
bent1 (plural bents)

Past
tense of
bend 1 Past participle of bend 1

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talent

[1]



bent

bent2
bent2 [bent]
adjective

1.  curved:
having a curved, twisted, or angled shape

2.  determined:
having a fixed desire to do or accomplish something • bent
on making a name for herself

3.  U.K.
corrupt:
dishonest or corrupt in behavior (slang) • a
bent cop
noun

1.  natural
inclination: a strong natural inclination or talent
for something

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING crosswise
support:
a crosswise framework or member used to strengthen a structure

[1]



Benthamism

Benthamism
Ben·tham·ism 
[bénthə mìzzəm] noun

Bentham’s
utilitarian philosophy: the utilitarian philosophy
of Jeremy Bentham, which argues that the highest good is the happiness of the
greatest number.
See
also
consequentialism
See
also
deontology
—Ben·tham·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



Bentham,Jeremy

Bentham,Jeremy

Ben·tham 
[bénthəm], Jeremy (1748–1832)
British philosopher, jurist, and social
reformer. The chief proponent of utilitarianism, he wrote Introduction to
the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789). He helped found University
College London.[1]



benthic

benthic
ben·thic
[bénthik] or ben·thon·ic [ben thónnik] adjective

of sea or lake bottom:
relating to or characteristic of the bottom of a sea, lake, or deep river, or
the animals and plants that live there[1]



benthos

benthos
ben·thos 
[bén thòss] noun

organisms
at sea or lake bottom: the animals and plants that
live on or in the sediment at the bottom of a sea, lake, or deep river
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “depth of the sea.”][1]



bento

bento
ben·to 
[béntō] (plural ben·tos) noun

FOOD
See obento[1]



BentonHarbor

BentonHarbor
Ben·ton
Har·bor

city on the southeastern
shore of Lake Michigan, in southwestern Michigan. Population: 11,824 (1996)[1]



bentonite

bentonite
ben·ton·ite 
[bént’n t] noun

expanding
clay:
a light-colored valuable clay that expands with the addition of water and is
used as oil-well drilling mud and as a filler in the building, paper, soap, and
pharmaceutical industries
[Late
19th century. Named for Fort Benton, Montana, where it was first
identified.]
—ben·ton·it·ic [bènt’n íttik], adjective[1]



Benton,Thomas Hart

Benton,Thomas Hart

Ben·ton 
[béntən], Thomas Hart (1889–1975)
U.S. artist. Known for his naturalistic
populist panels and murals, he is credited with founding the Regionalist school
of painting.[1]



bentsh

bentsh
bentsh
intransitive verb

See
bensh[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bent-wingmoth

bent-wingmoth
bent-wing
moth
(plural bent-wing moths) noun

moth with destructive larvae:
a large Australian ghost moth whose larvae, up to 15 cm6 in. long, bore into
and are harmful to eucalyptus trees. Latin name: Leto staceyi[1]



bentwood

bentwood
bent·wood 
[bént wd] (plural bent·woods)
noun

molded wood:
wood that has been bent into a curved shape by being steamed and then put into
a mold. It is used to make furniture.[1]



Benue-Congo

Benue-Congo
Be·nue-Con·go
[bàyn way kóng g] noun

African
language group: a group of about 700 languages spoken
across central and southern Africa and belonging to the Niger-Congo family of
languages. Bantu languages form the largest subgroup of Benue-Congo.
—Be·nue-Con·go, adjective[1]



benumb

benumb
be·numb 
[bi núm] (past be·numbed, past
participle be·numbed, present participle be·numb·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·numbs) transitive verb

1.  make
unable to feel: to remove the sense of feeling from a
faculty or part of the body, especially by exposure to extreme cold

2.  make
inactive:
to make somebody incapable of activity or thought (usually passive)
—be·numb·ment, noun[1]



benz-

benz-
benz-
[bents] prefix

(used before vowels)See
benzo-[1]



benzaldehyde

benzaldehyde
benz·al·de·hyde 
[ben záldə hd] noun

chemical in almonds:
a colorless volatile liquid with the odor of, and occurring naturally in,
almonds. It is used in the manufacture of dyes, flavorings, and perfumes. C6H5CHO[1]



Benzedrine

Benzedrine
Ben·ze·drine 
[bénzə drn] Trademark

a trademark for a preparation
of amphetamine, a medical stimulant[1]



benzene

benzene
ben·zene 
[bén zn, ben
zn] noun

toxic
liquid from petroleum: a colorless volatile toxic
liquid with a distinctive odor, obtained from petroleum and used in the
manufacture of dyes, polymers, and industrial chemicals such as phenol. C6H6 Former name benzol
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from benzoic .][1]



benzenering

benzenering

ben·zene ring
(plural ben·zene rings) noun
molecular structure of benzene:
a molecular structure common to benzene and its derivatives in which six carbon
atoms are bonded in a hexagon by alternating single and double bonds[1]



benzine

benzine
ben·zine 
[bén zn, ben
zn] (plural ben·zines) or ben·zin [bén zin] (plural ben·zins) noun

solvent
with selected boiling point range: a liquid that is
obtained from crude oil and has a carefully selected boiling point range. It is
used widely as an industrial solvent, for example, to extract oils from seeds.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from benzoic .][1]



benzo-

benzo-
benzo-
prefix

benzene,
benzoic acid • benzopyrene
[From benzoin][1]



benzodiazepine

benzodiazepine
ben·zo·di·az·e·pine 
[bènzō dī ázzə pn, benzō
dī ázzəpin] (plural ben·zo·di·az·e·pines) noun

minor tranquilizer:
a compound belonging to a group used as minor tranquilizers and as a short-term
treatment for sleeping difficulties[1]



benzoicacid

benzoicacid
ben·zo·ic
ac·id 
[ben z ik ássid] noun

food preservative:
a colorless crystalline solid found in some natural resins and manufactured
synthetically. It is used as a food preservative and in the manufacture of
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. C6H5COOH[1]



benzoin

benzoin
ben·zo·in 
[bénzō in, bénzòyn]
(plural ben·zo·ins) noun

toxic
white solid: a toxic white crystalline solid
occurring in natural resins or manufactured synthetically. It is used in
medications, perfumes, and incense. C14H12O2 
Also
called
benjamin
[Mid-16th century. Via French
benjoin from, ultimately Arabic lubānjāwī “incense from
Sumatra.”][1]



benzol

benzol
ben·zol 
[bén zàwl, bén
zl, bén zòl] noun

See
benzene
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from benzoic .][1]



benzopyrene

benzopyrene
ben·zo·py·rene 
[bènzō p rn, bénzō
pī rn] noun

carcinogen in cigarette
smoke: a yellow carcinogenic
crystalline solid that is one of the most harmful constituents of cigarette
smoke. C20H12[1]



benzoquinone

benzoquinone
ben·zo·quin·one 
[bènzōkwi nṓn, bènzō
kw nn] noun

yellow crystalline organic
compound: a yellow crystalline solid
with an unpleasant odor. It is used in the manufacture of dyes, antioxidants,
and as a photographic developer. C6H4O2 
Also called
quinone[1]



benzoyl

benzoyl
ben·zo·yl 
[bénzō ìl] adjective

with
a particular group of atoms: relating to or containing a
particular group of carbon and hydrogen atoms. C6H5CO–
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Benzoësäure “benzoic acid” + Greek hylē “wood,
matter.”][1]



benzpyrene

benzpyrene
benz·py·rene
noun

See
benzopyrene[1]



Ben-Zvi,Itzhak

Ben-Zvi,Itzhak
Ben-Zvi
[ben zví], Itzhak (1884–1963)

Polish-born Israeli
statesman. A leading Zionist, he moved to Palestine in 1907. He was the second
president of Israel (1952–1963).[1]



benzyl

benzyl
ben·zyl 
[bénzil, bénzl]
adjective

with particular group of
atoms: relating to or containing a
particular group of carbon and hydrogen atoms. C6H5CH2–[1]



Benét,Stephen Vincent

Benét,Stephen Vincent
Be·nét
[bi náy], Stephen Vincent (1898–1943)

U.S. author and poet. He
wrote John Brown’s Body ( 1928 ), which won a Pulitzer Prize.[1]



Benét,William Rose

Benét,William Rose
Be·nét 
[bi náy], William Rose (1886–1950)

U.S. poet, critic, and
editor. The brother of Stephen Vincent Benét, he cofounded The Saturday
Review of Literature in 1924.[1]



Beowulf

Beowulf
Be·o·wulf 
[báy ə wlf] noun

Old English epic poem:
an anonymous Old English epic poem of the eighth century AD describing the exploits of the hero
Beowulf, in particular his slaying of the monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother[1]



bequeath

bequeath
be·queath 
[bi kw, bi
kwth] (past be·queathed, past participle be·queathed,
present participle be·queath·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·queaths) transitive verb

1.  leave
somebody something in will: to leave personal or other
property to somebody after death by means of a will

2.  hand
down to posterity: to hand something, for
example, knowledge or a practice, down to future generations
[Old
English becweðan, literally “to speak about,” from cweðan “to
speak.” The underlying idea is of expressing your will.]
—be·queath·al,
noun

—be·queath·er,
noun

—be·queath·ment, noun[1]



bequest

bequest
be·quest 
[bi kwést] (plural be·quests) noun

1.  something
left in will: something disposed of in a will

2.  something
handed down to posterity: something passed down to
future generations

3.  act
of bequeathing: an act of bequeathing something
[14th century. Formed from bequeath .][1]



berate

berate
be·rate 
[bi ráyt] (past be·rat·ed, past
participle be·rat·ed, present participle be·rat·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·rates) transitive verb

scold:
to scold somebody vigorously and lengthily
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from rate “to berate.”][1]



Berber

Berber
Ber·ber 
[búrbər] (plural Ber·bers or
Ber·ber) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of N African people: a member of a people living
in northern Africa

2.  LANGUAGE group
of Afro-Asiatic languages: a group of about twenty
languages spoken across northern Africa, especially in Algeria and Morocco, and
constituting a branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Berber is sometimes
regarded as a single language with very divergent dialects. About 12 million people
speak a Berber language.
[Mid-18th
century. From Arabic barbar (source also of English barbary ).]
—Ber·ber, adjective[1]



berberine

berberine
ber·ber·ine 
[búrbə rn, búrbərin]
or ber·ber·in [búrbərin] noun

alkaloid
used as amebicide: a pale yellow toxic
crystalline solid obtained from the roots of barberry and other plants, used
formerly as an amebicide and in the treatment of cholera. C20H19NO5
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from berberis .][1]



berberis

berberis
ber·be·ris 
[búrbəriss] (plural ber·be·ris·es)
noun

BOTANY See barberry
[Late 16th century. Via
Modern Latin or Old French from Medieval Latin barbaris (source of
English barberry ).][1]



berceuse

berceuse
ber·ceuse 
[bùr s/’oz] (plural ber·ceus·es)
noun

1.  lullaby:
a lullaby or cradlesong

2.  MUSIC piece
of music resembling lullaby: an instrumental piece of
music, usually in  time, meant to sound like a
lullaby
[Late 19th century. From
French, from bercer “to rock.”][1]



Berchtesgaden

Berchtesgaden
Berch·tes·ga·den
[báirkhtəss gd’n]

town in southeastern Bavaria,
Germany, a popular ski resort. Adolf Hitler’s fortified retreat, the Berghof
was nearby. Population: 7,979 (1991)[1]



Berczy,William von Moll

Berczy,William von Moll
Ber·czy
[búrkzee], William von Moll (1744–1813)

German-born Canadian painter
and architect. One of his most famous paintings is The Woolsey Family (
1809 ).[1]



berdache

berdache
ber·dache 
[bər dásh] (plural ber·dach·es)
noun

Native
American cross-dresser: among some Native American
peoples, somebody, usually a man, who takes on the dress, role, and status of
the opposite sex
[Early 19th century. Via
French, “catamite,” from, ultimately, Arabic bardaj “slave.”][1]



Berea

Berea
Be·re·a 
[bə rə]

city in northeastern Ohio,
northwest of Akron and southwest of Cleveland. Population: 18,909 (1996)[1]



bereave

bereave
be·reave 
[bi rv] (past be·reaved or
be·reft [bi réft], past participle
be·reaved or be·reft [bi réft],
present participle be·reav·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·reaves) transitive verb

deprive
through death: to deprive somebody of a beloved person
or a treasured thing, especially through death (often passive)
[Old
English bereafian “to deprive, rob.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of Dutch beroven, German berauben
and English rob .]
—be·reave·ment,
noun

—be·reav·er, noun[1]



bereaved

bereaved
be·reaved 
[bi rvd] adjective

deprived
of loved one by death: having lost a loved one
through death
noun
(plural be·reaved)

somebody bereaved:
somebody who has suffered the loss by death of a loved one[1]



bereft

bereft
be·reft 
[bi réft] (past be·reft, past
participle be·reft) adjective

1.  deprived:
deprived of somebody or something loved or valued

2.  lacking:
lacking in something desirable or necessary the 1990sKamp Vanity Fair February
1999

3.  feeling
sense of loss: filled with a sense of loss

4.  See
bereaved

[1]



Berenice’sHair

Berenice’sHair
Ber·e·ni·ce’s
Hair 
[berrə nssiz haír] noun

See
Coma Berenices
[Mid-16th century. Named for
a third century BC Egyptian queen
whose hair, cut off and dedicated as an offering for her husband’s safe return
from war, is said to have been placed in the stars.][1]



Berenson,Bernard

Berenson,Bernard
Ber·en·son 
[bérrənssən], Bernard (1865–1959)

Lithuanian-born
U.S. art critic and collector. He wrote extensively about Renaissance painting,
and was an influential authenticator, collector, and dealer of art.
Born
Valvrojenski, Bernard[1]



beret

beret
be·ret 
[bérrày] (plural be·rets) noun

flat
round hat:
a flat round soft hat, usually woolen, with a tight-fitting headband
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, late Latin birrus “hooded cloak” (source also
of English biretta ), possibly of
Celtic origin.][1]



beretta

beretta
be·ret·ta
noun

CHRISTIANITY
See biretta[1]



berg

berg
berg 
[burg] (plural bergs) noun

iceberg:
an iceberg
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



bergamot

bergamot
ber·ga·mot 
[búrgə mòt] (plural ber·ga·mots
or ber·ga·mot) noun

1.  ber·ga·mot
or ber·ga·mot or·ange (plural ber·ga·mot or·ang·es)
spiny
Asian citrus tree: a spiny Asian citrus tree
that bears sour pear-shaped fruit. Latin name: Citrus bergamia

2.  ber·ga·mot
or ber·ga·mot oil oil from fruit of
bergamot tree: a fragrant yellow-green essential oil
extracted from the rind of the fruits of bergamot trees, used in making
perfumes

3.  Mediterranean
mint plant:
a Mediterranean mint plant that is the source of a fragrant oil similar to
bergamot oil. Latin name: Mentha citrata

4.  See
bee balm

5.  See
wild bergamot
[Late 17th century. Named for
Bergamo .][1]



Bergen

Bergen
Ber·gen 
[búrgən, bérgən]

city and port in southwestern
Norway and the administrative capital of Hordaland County. Population: 221,717
(1995)[1]



Bergen-Belsen

Bergen-Belsen
Ber·gen-Bel·sen
or Bel·sen

See
Belsen[1]



Bergenfield

Bergenfield
Ber·gen·field 
[búrgən fld]

borough in northeastern New
Jersey, north of Jersey City and east of Paterson. Population: 24,625 (1996)[1]



bergenia

bergenia
ber·gen·ia 
[bùr gnee ə] (plural ber·gen·ias
or ber·gen·ia) noun

early
flowering perennial plant: a perennial plant with large
leathery leaves, grown in gardens for its early, usually red, purple, or pink,
flowers. Genus: Bergenia
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German botanist and physician Karl August von Bergen, 1704–1760 .][1]



Bergman,Ingmar

Bergman,Ingmar

Berg·man 
[búrgmən], Ingmar (1918– )
Swedish
movie director. His many movies include dark, brooding movie classics such as Wild
Strawberries ( 1957 ) and The Seventh Seal ( 1957 ).
Full name
Bergman, Ernst Ingmar[1]



Bergman,Ingrid

Bergman,Ingrid

Berg·man
[búrgmən], Ingrid (1915–1982)
Swedish-born U.S. movie actor. Best known
for her role in the movie Casablanca ( 1942 ), she acted in numerous
U.S. and European movies, and won three Academy Awards.[1]



bergschrund

bergschrund
berg·schrund 
[búrk shrnt] (plural berg·schrunds
or berg·schrunde [búrk shrndə])
noun

crevasse
at top of glacier: a crevasse formed at the
head of a glacier.
Also
called
rimaye
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “mountain cleft.”][1]



Bergson,Henri

Bergson,Henri

Berg·son 
[búrgs’n], Henri (1859–1941)
French
philosopher. One of his most influential ideas was the central role that
creative energy plays in human development. He won the Nobel Prize in
literature in 1927.
Full
name
Bergson, Henri Louis
—Berg·so·ni·an [bèrg sṓnee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Bergsonism

Bergsonism
Berg·son·ism 
[búrgsənìzzəm] noun

Bergson’s philosophy:
the philosophy of Henri Bergson, which posits the existence of a universal
life-giving force ( élan vital )[1]



bergère

bergère
ber·gère 
[bùr áir] (plural ber·gères) noun

cane-backed
seat:
a type of chair or sofa with sides and back made of woven cane
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “shepherdess.”][1]



beriberi

beriberi
ber·i·ber·i 
[bèrri bérree] noun

thiamine-deficiency
disease:
a degenerative disease of the nerves caused by a deficiency of the vitamin
thiamine and marked by pain, inability to move, and swelling
[Early 18th century. From
Sinhalese, “weakness.”][1]



Beringland bridge

Beringland bridge
Ber·ing
land bridge
noun

prehistoric route linking
Alaska and Siberia: a link
between Alaska and Siberia that was above sea level during the Ice Age between
13,000 and 10,000 years ago and provided a route for prehistoric man and
animals into the Americas[1]



BeringSea

BeringSea
Ber·ing
Sea

part of the North Pacific
Ocean surrounded by the Aleutian Islands, Siberia, and Alaska. Area: 2,261,000
sq km/873,000 sq mi. Depth: 4,773 m/15,659 ft.[1]



BeringStrait

BeringStrait
Be·ring
Strait

narrow stretch of sea
connecting the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean, and separating Russia from
Alaska. At its narrowest point it is 82 km/51 mi wide.[1]



Bering,Vitus

Bering,Vitus
Ber·ing
[bring, báiring,
báring, báyring],
Vitus (1681–1741)

Danish-born
Russian explorer. He investigated the theory that Asia and North America were
once connected. The Bering Sea and Bering Strait are named for him.
Full name
Bering, Vitus Jonassen[1]



Berio,Luciano

Berio,Luciano
Be·ri·o
[bérri ō], Luciano (1925– )

Italian-born composer. His
experimental compositions combined prerecorded and electronic sounds, and
spoken words.[1]



Berkeleianism

Berkeleianism
Berke·le·ian·ism 
[brklee ə nìzzəm, búrk
lee ə nìzzəm] noun

Berkeley’s
philosophy:
the philosophy of George Berkeley, particularly his view that the material
world is an idea in God’s mind and that an object’s existence consists in its
being perceived
[Early
19th century. Named for Bishop Berkeley .]
—Berke·le·ian, adjective,
noun[1]



Berkeley

Berkeley
Berke·ley 
[búrklee]

city in western California on
San Francisco Bay, home to the University of California. Population: 103,243
(1996)[1]



Berkeley,Busby

Berkeley,Busby
Berke·ley 
[búrklee], Busby (1895–1976)

U.S.
movie director and choreographer. He is famous for his work in Broadway and
Hollywood musicals including 42nd Street ( 1933 ).
Real name
Enos, William Berkeley[1]



Berkeley,William

Berkeley,William
Berke·ley 
[búrklee, brklee],
Sir William (1606–1677)

English-born U.S.
administrator of the colony of Virginia (1641–1651, 1660–1676).[1]



berkelium

berkelium

ber·ke·li·um 
[bər klee əm, búrklee
əm] noun
synthetic
radioactive element: a synthetic radioactive
element produced by bombarding the element americium-241 with helium ions. Symbol
Bk
[Mid-20th century. Named for Berkeley, California, where it was first made.][1]



BerkshireHills

BerkshireHills
Berk·shire
Hills
[bùrkshr hílz, bùrkshər
hílz] or Berk·shires [bùrkshr
hílz, bùrkshər hílz]

low forested mountains in
western Massachusetts, part of the Appalachian Mountains and a major resort
area. The highest point is Mount Greylock l,064 m/3,491 ft .[1]



Berle,Milton

Berle,Milton
Berle
[burl], Milton (1908– )

U.S.
comedian. After a career in vaudeville, he became a fixture on television in
the 1940s and 50s.
Born
Berlinger, Milton Known as Mr. Television Known as Uncle Miltie[1]



berlin

berlin
ber·lin 
[bər lín] (plural ber·lins) noun
ber·lin ber·line
Also
called
berline

1.  four-wheeled
covered carriage: a four-wheeled covered carriage popular
in the 18th century

2.  limousine:
a large and luxurious automobile with a glass partition between the driver and
the passengers
[Late 17th century. Named for
the city of Berlin .][1]



Berlin

Berlin

Ber·lin
[bur lín]
capital
and the largest city of Germany. At the end of World War II (1945), the city
was divided into East and West Berlin. It became the national capital again
following the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. Population:
3,472,000 (1997) See Berlin Wall
—Ber·lin·er, noun[1]



Berlin




Back to definition

Berlin

[1]



berline

berline
ber·line 
[bər lín] noun

See
berlin  noun 1
See berlin  noun 2
[Mid-18th century. French
form of berlin .][1]



Berlin,Irving

Berlin,Irving

Ber·lin 
[bur lín], Irving (1888–1989)
Russian-born
U.S. songwriter. One of the all-time great writers of American popular songs,
including White Christmas, he also wrote numerous musicals, including Annie
Get Your Gun ( 1946 ).
Born
Baline, Israel[1]



Berlin,Isaiah

Berlin,Isaiah
Ber·lin
[bur lín], Sir Isaiah (1909–1997)

Latvian-born British
philosopher and historian. He espoused liberal humanism in works such as Two
Concepts of Liberty (1959), Vico and Herder (1976), and The
Crooked Timber of Humanity (1990).[1]



BerlinWall

BerlinWall
Ber·lin
Wall
noun

a fortified wall surrounding
West Berlin, Germany, built in 1961 to prevent East German citizens traveling
to the West. Its demolition in 1989 marked the end of the Cold War.[1]



Berlinwool

Berlinwool
Ber·lin
wool
(plural Ber·lin wools) noun

fine wool:
a fine wool yarn used for making clothes and in tapestry[1]



Berlinwoolwork

Berlinwoolwork
Ber·lin
wool·work
noun

embroidery with Berlin wools:
needlepoint embroidery stitched with Berlin wools from handpainted colored
charts, popular especially in the second half of the 19th century[1]



Berlioz,Hector

Berlioz,Hector

Ber·li·oz 
[bérlee z, bérlee
s], Hector (1803–1869)
French
composer. He was a seminal figure in 19th-century romanticism. Major works
among his symphonies, operas, and masses include Symphonie Fantastique (
1831 ) and the opera The Trojans ( 1856–1858 ).
Full name
Berlioz, Louis Hector[1]



berm

berm
berm
[burm] (plural berms) or
berme [burm] (plural bermes)
noun

1.  narrow
path:
a ledge or narrow path along the top or bottom of a slope, at the edge of a
road, or along a canal

2.  earthen
embankment:
an earthen embankment or wall, usually erected to provide protection from the
weather or act as a landscaping screen

3.  ridge
above high tide mark: a natural ridge or flat
platform formed at the rear of a beach, above the high tide mark

4.  MILITARY ledge between
moat and rampart: a ledge or narrow path between a moat or
ditch and a rampart

5.  MINING roadway
in strip mine: a narrow roadway cut in the slope of a
strip mine
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Dutch, of uncertain origin.][1]



Bermuda

Bermuda
Ber·mu·da 
[bər mydə]

self-governing
British dependency in the western North Atlantic Ocean. It contains more than
150 islands, 20 of which are inhabited. Language: English. Currency: Bermuda
dollar. Capital: Hamilton. Population: 61,600 (1995) Area: 53 sq km/21 sq mi.
—Ber·mu·dan, noun,
adjective[1]



Bermudabag

Bermudabag
Ber·mu·da
bag
(plural Ber·mu·da bags) noun

oval-shaped handbag:
an oval-shaped handbag with wooden handles and removable covers[1]



Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass
Ber·mu·da
grass
(plural Ber·mu·da grass·es) noun

grass with wiry roots:
a creeping grass with wiry roots, native to southern Europe but now widespread.
It is used for lawns and pastures and to stabilize sand dunes. Latin name: Cynodon
dactylon
Also called
scutch grass[1]



Bermudaonion

Bermudaonion
Ber·mu·da
on·ion
(plural Ber·mu·da onions) noun

mild onion:
any one of various mild-flavored onions with a round flattened shape[1]



Bermudarig

Bermudarig
Ber·mu·da
rig
noun

arrangement of mast and
sails: a fore-and-aft arrangement
of a boat’s mast and sails that has a tall pointed mainsail on a sharply raked
mast.
Also called
Marconi rig[1]



Bermudashorts

Bermudashorts
Ber·mu·da
shorts
[bər mydəz] or Ber·mu·das [bər mydəz] plural noun

knee-length shorts:
tailored shorts whose legs extend almost to the knee[1]



BermudaTriangle

BermudaTriangle
Ber·mu·da
Tri·an·gle
noun

an area in the western
Atlantic Ocean, between Bermuda, Florida, and Puerto Rico, where many ships and
aircraft are believed to have disappeared in mysterious circumstances[1]



Bern

Bern
Bern 
[burn, bern]
or Berne [burn, bern]

capital of Switzerland since
1848. Situated on the Aar River in western Switzerland, it is also capital of
Bern Canton. Population: 134,129 (1994)[1]



Bernadetteof Lourdes, Saint

Bernadetteof Lourdes, Saint
Ber·na·dette
of Lourdes 
[bùrnə dét əv lrd, bùrnə
dét əv lrdz], Saint (1844–1879)

French
nun and visionary. She said in 1858 that she had received apparitions of the
Virgin Mary near her birthplace, Lourdes, which became a popular place of Roman
Catholic pilgrimage.
Born
Soubirous, Marie Bernarde[1]



Bernardine

Bernardine
Ber·nar·dine
[búrnə dn] noun (plural Ber·nar·dines)

1.  Cistercian
monk:
a monk belonging to a stricter branch of the Cistercian order

2.  nun:
a nun belonging to a non-Cistercian order that follows a rule based on the
original Cistercian rule
adjective

1.  of
the Bernardines: relating to or characteristic of a
Bernardine

2.  of
St. Bernard: relating to or characteristic of St.
Bernard of Clairvaux or his monastic reforms.

[1]



Berne

Berne
Berne

See
Bern[1]



Bernhardt,Sarah

Bernhardt,Sarah

Bern·hardt 
[búrn hàrt], Sarah (1844–1923)
French
actor. Known for her passionate performances in tragedy, she founded her own
theater company in 1899. Among her famous roles were Cordelia, Phèdre, and
Hamlet.
Real name
Bernard, Henriette Rosine[1]



Bernier,Sylvie

Bernier,Sylvie
Ber·ni·er
[bur nyáy], Sylvie (1964– )

Canadian diver. She was
Canada’s first Olympic gold medal winner.[1]



Bernini,Gianlorenzo

Bernini,Gianlorenzo
Ber·ni·ni 
[bərnéenee, bernéenee],
Gianlorenzo (1598–1680)

Italian
sculptor and architect. The foremost Italian artist of the Baroque period, he
produced bronze and marble sculptures and designed many of the most impressive
elements of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome.
Full name
Bernini, Giovanni Lorenzo[1]



Bernoulli,Daniel

Bernoulli,Daniel
Ber·noul·li 
[bər nóolee], Daniel (1700–1782)

Dutch-born Swiss
mathematician and physicist. The son of Johann Bernoulli, he formulated the
Bernoulli effect governing the conservation of energy in fluid dynamics.[1]



Bernoullidistribution

Bernoullidistribution
Ber·noul·li
dis·tri·bu·tion (plural Ber·noul·li
dis·tri·bu·tions) noun

See
binomial distribution
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Jakob Bernoulli .][1]



Bernoulli,Jakob

Bernoulli,Jakob
Ber·noul·li 
[bər nóolee], Jakob (1654–1705)

Swiss mathematician. The
brother of Johann Bernoulli, he wrote Ars conjectandi ( 1713 ) on the
theory of probability and made theoretical advances in geometry and calculus.[1]



Bernoulli,JohannJean

Bernoulli,JohannJean
Ber·noul·li 
[bər nóolee], JohannJean (1667–1748)

Swiss mathematician. He
helped write the first textbook on differential calculus. He was the brother of
Jakob Bernoulli and the father of Daniel Bernoulli.[1]



Bernoulli’sprinciple

Bernoulli’sprinciple
Ber·noul·li’s
prin·ci·ple
or Ber·noul·li’s law noun

the
physical law that the sum of the pressure, potential energy, and kinetic energy
is constant at any point in a tube through which a liquid is flowing steadily
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Jakob Bernoulli .][1]



Bernstein,Leonard

Bernstein,Leonard

Bern·stein 
[búrn stn, búrn
stn], Leonard (1918–1990)
U.S. conductor, composer, and pianist. He
composed classical works and the musicals Candide ( 1956 ) and West
Side Story ( 1957 ).[1]



Berra,Yogi

Berra,Yogi
Ber·ra
[bérrə], Yogi (1925– )

U.S.
baseball player and manager. He had an 18 year career as catcher with the New
York Yankees, then managed the New York Mets and Yankees. He was celebrated for
his humorous malapropisms.
Real name
Berra, Lawrence Peter[1]



berried

berried
ber·ried 
[bérreed] adjective

1.  BOTANY with
berries:
bearing berries or small fruits resembling berries

2.  ZOOLOGY carrying
eggs:
used to describe a lobster that is carrying eggs

[1]



berry

berry

ber·ry 
[bérree] noun (plural ber·ries)

1.  BOTANY small
juicy fruit: any small juicy or fleshy fruit. Berries
are usually round and may be edible or inedible.

2.  BOTANY fleshy
seed-containing fruit: a soft fleshy fruit that
contains many seeds. Tomato, grape, and banana fruits are berries . (technical)

3.  BOTANY kernel:
a seed or kernel, for example, a coffee bean

4.  ZOOLOGY lobster
egg:
an egg of a lobster or other egg-carrying crustacean
intransitive verb
(past ber·ried, past participle ber·ried, present
participle ber·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular ber·ries)

1.  search
for edible berries: to gather or hunt for
berries to eat

2.  bear
berries:
to produce berries (refers to bushes)
[Old English beri(g)e
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
Dutch bes and German Beere .][1]



Berryman,John

Berryman,John
Ber·ry·man 
[bérreemən], John (1914–1972)

U.S.
poet, writer, and critic. In collections such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning 77
Dream Songs ( 1964 ) he revealed his own emotional struggles.
Full name
Berryman, John McAlpin[1]



Berry,Martha McChesney

Berry,Martha McChesney
Ber·ry 
[bérree], Martha McChesney (1866–1942)

U.S. educator. She founded
schools in Appalachia that taught practical skills and became a model for other
schools across the South.[1]



berseem

berseem
ber·seem 
[bər sm] noun

clover
grown for forage: a Mediterranean clover grown for forage
for grazing livestock and to improve soil quality, especially in the southern
United States and the Nile Valley. Latin name: Trifolium alexandrinum
Also
called
Egyptian clover
[Early 20th century. Via
Arabic birsīm from Coptic bersīm .][1]



berserk

berserk
ber·serk 
[bər súrk, bər
zúrk] (plural be·serks) adjective

aggressive
or angry:
extremely aggressive or angry • go
berserk
[Early
19th century. From Old Norse berserk “wild warrior,” probably from the
stem of bjorn “bear” + serkr “shirt,” because either they wore
bearskins or were fierce like bears.]
—ber·serk·ly, adverb[1]



berserker

berserker
ber·serk·er 
[bər súrkər, bər
zúrkər] (plural ber·serk·ers) noun

frenzied Norse warrior:
a member of a group of Norse warriors who fought with wild unrestrained
aggression.
Also called
berserk[1]



berth

berth
berth 
[burth] noun (plural berths)

1.  bed
on ship or train: a bed, usually built-in, on a ship or a
train

2.  NAUTICAL dock
for ship:
a place, usually alongside a quay or dock, where a ship ties up or anchors

3.  NAUTICAL room
to maneuver at sea: sufficient room between a
ship and the shore or between a ship and another vessel or object to allow the
ship to maneuver safely

4.  parking
place:
a place for a motor vehicle to park or be loaded or unloaded

5.  NAUTICAL job on
ship:
a position as a member of a ship’s crew

6.  job:
a job or position of employment (informal)
verb
(past berthed, past participle berthed, present
participle berth·ing, 3rd person present singular berths)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL dock a ship:
to dock or moor a vessel, or be docked or moored

2.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL assign
mooring to vessel: to assign a vessel a place
to dock or moor

3.  transitive
verb
assign
berth to somebody: to assign somebody a berth
on a ship or train
[Early
17th century. Formed from bear “to carry.”
Originally in the sense “enough room to steer in,” probably influenced by bear in the sense “to steer in a particular
direction.”]
give
somebody or something a wide berth

to keep well away from
somebody or something[1]



bertha

bertha
ber·tha 
[búrthə] (plural ber·thas) noun

wide
long collar on dress: a wide long collar around
the shoulders of a woman’s low-necked dress
[Mid-19th century. From
French berthe, named for the Carolingian Queen Bertha, died A.D.
783, wife of Pepin the Short.][1]



Berthon,George Theodore

Berthon,George Theodore
Ber·thon
[bair thóN], George Theodore (1806–1892)

Austrian-born Canadian
portraitist. He is noted for his portraits of the business and judicial elite
of Upper Canada.[1]



Bertillonsystem

Bertillonsystem
Ber·til·lon
sys·tem
[búrt’l òn sìstəm, berti
yáwN sìstəm] noun

method
of identifying criminals: a former method of
identifying people, especially criminals, on the basis of detailed records of
their physical measurements and characteristics
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon, 1853–1914, who invented
it.][1]



Berton,Pierre

Berton,Pierre
Ber·ton
[búrt’n], Pierre (1920– )

Canadian journalist,
historian, and media personality. He wrote works of popular history, including Klondike
( 1958 ).[1]



Berwyn

Berwyn
Ber·wyn 
[búrwin]

city in northeastern
Illinois. It is a residential suburb west of Chicago. Population: 43,735 (1996)[1]



beryl

beryl
ber·yl 
[bérrəl] (plural ber·yls) noun

mineral
used for gemstones: a hard mineral, beryllium
aluminum silicate, that occurs in white, yellow, pink, green, or blue forms.
The green form is emerald, the blue is aquamarine, and the other forms are also
valued as gems. Be3Al2Si6O18
[12th
century. Via French and Latin beryllus from Greek bērullos,
probably from, ultimately, Pali veḷuriya, perhaps meaning “white,
pale.”]
—ber·yl·line [bèrrə lín, bérrə ln],
adjective[1]



beryllium

beryllium

be·ryl·li·um 
[bə ríllee əm] noun
metallic
chemical element: a metallic gray-white chemical element
that is light, hard, brittle, and resists corrosion. It is used in alloys, as a
lightweight construction material, and in windows in X-ray tubes. Symbol
Be
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from beryl, which is a major source.][1]



beseech

beseech
be·seech 
[bi sch] (past be·sought [bi sáwt] or be·seeched, past
participle be·sought [bi sáwt] or
be·seeched, present participle be·seech·ing, 3rd person
present singular be·seech·es) transitive verb (literary)

1.  beg
somebody:
to ask earnestly or beg somebody to do something

2.  beg
for something: to ask urgently for something
[12th
century. Formed from seek .]
—be·seech·er,
noun

—be·seech·ing·ly, adverb[1]



beset

beset
be·set 
[bi sét] (past be·set, past
participle be·set, present participle be·set·ting, 3rd
person present singular be·sets) transitive verb (usually
passive)

1.  harass:
to harass or trouble somebody or something continually • beset
by nasty rumors.

2.  surround:
to attack somebody or something on all sides (formal)

3.  set
with jewels: to surround or set something with jewels
or other ornaments (literary)
[Old
English besettan, literally “to set about”]
—be·set·ment,
noun

—be·set·ter, noun[1]



besetting

besetting
be·set·ting 
[bi sétting] adjective

harassing:
harassing or troubling somebody continually[1]



beshrew

beshrew
be·shrew 
[bi shr] (past be·shrewed, past
participle be·shrewed, present participle be·shrew·ing,
3rd person present singular be·shrews) transitive verb

curse
somebody:
to curse or wish evil upon somebody (archaic) (usually used in mild
oaths)
[13th century. Formed from shrew in its obsolete sense “to nag.”][1]



beside

beside
be·side 
[bi sd] preposition

1.  at
the side of: in a position next to or alongside • Sit
beside me.

2.  compared
with:
in comparison with • handsome beside his
brother

3.  as
well as:
in addition to • in another dictionary
beside this one
[Old
English be sīdan, literally “by the side of”]
beside
yourself

in
a very excited or agitated state

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  beside
  or besides ?
  Beside is used with reference to
  physical position: • Come
  and sit beside me. It is also used in the
  idiomatic expression to be beside yourself : • They
  were beside themselves with worry. Besides is an adverb meaning “moreover”: • it’s
  late and besides, the weather’s too cold,
  and a preposition meaning “in addition to”: • They’ve
  already paid a lot for the house besides what they’ll need for improvements.
  Note that besides is inclusive, whereas except is exclusive, so that • they
  are all friends of mine besides Larry
  means that Larry is also a friend whereas • they
  are all friends of mine except Larry
  means that Larry is not a friend.

[1]



besides

besides
be·sides 
[bi sdz] preposition adverb

as
well:
in addition to something or somebody specified or understood • Besides
fruit, we will also need cheese, and crackers.
adverb

moreover:
what is more • He’s
my cousin. Besides, he’s good company.[1]



besiege

besiege
be·siege 
[bi sj] (past be·sieged, past
participle be·sieged, present participle be·sieg·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·sieg·es) transitive verb

1.  surround
with army:
to surround a city or stronghold with armed forces in order to bring about its
surrender or capture

2.  crowd
around somebody: to crowd around somebody in an
oppressive way (usually passive) • the
newlyweds were besieged by reporters outside their hotel

3.  harass:
to harass a person or organization with insistent demands or complaints (usually
passive) • The
box office was besieged by fans wanting tickets.
[13th
century. Formed from earlier assiege, via Old French asegier
from, ultimately, Latin sedere (see siege
).]
—be·siege·ment,
noun

—be·sieg·er, noun[1]



besmear

besmear
be·smear 
[bi smr] (past be·smeared, past
participle be·smeared, present participle be·smear·ing,
3rd person present singular be·smears) transitive verb

1.  smear
with substance: to smear somebody or something with mud,
dirt, or some greasy or sticky substance

2.  sully:
to bring shame or disgrace on somebody or something

[1]



besmirch

besmirch
be·smirch 
[bi smúrch] (past be·smirched,
past participle be·smirched, present participle be·smirch·ing,
3rd person present singular be·smirch·es) transitive verb

1.  sully:
to bring shame or disgrace on somebody’s reputation

2.  make
dirty:
to make something dirty (literary)
—be·smirch·er,
noun

—be·smirch·ment, noun[1]



besom

besom
be·som 
[bzəm, bízzəm]
noun (plural be·soms)

1.  broom
made from twigs: a broom, especially one made from a
bundle of twigs

2.  SPORTS broom
used in curling: a broom used in curling to sweep the ice
in front of a moving stone in order to help it slide
transitive
verb
(past be·somed, past participle be·somed, present
participle be·som·ing, 3rd person present singular be·soms)

sweep with broom:
to sweep something with a broom
[Old English bes(e)ma
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
Dutch bezem and German Besen .][1]



besotted

besotted
be·sot·ted 
[bi sóttəd] adjective

1.  infatuated:
made confused through affection for or attraction to somebody

2.  muddled:
in a confused mental state, especially through having drunk too much alcohol (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from earlier sot “to stupefy,” from Old French, “fool.”][1]



besought

besought
be·sought


Past tense of
beseech Past participle of beseech[1]



bespangle

bespangle
be·span·gle
[bi spáng g’l] (past be·span·gled,
past participle be·span·gled, present participle be·span·gling,
3rd person present singular be·span·gles) transitive verb

decorate with spangles:
to ornament something with something bright, especially spangles[1]



bespatter

bespatter
be·spat·ter 
[bi spáttər] (past be·spat·tered,
past participle be·spat·tered, present participle be·spat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular be·spat·ters) transitive verb

dirty something:
to splash something with mud, paint, or some other substance[1]



bespeak

bespeak
be·speak 
[bi spk] (past be·spoke [bi spṓk], past participle be·spo·ken
[bi spṓkən], present participle be·speak·ing,
3rd person present singular be·speaks) transitive verb

1.  signify:
to be a sign or indication of something

2.  ask
for politely: to ask politely for something, for
example, a favor (formal)

3.  address
somebody:
to speak to somebody (literary)

4.  portend:
to foretell something (archaic)
[Old English bisprecan,
literally “to speak about,” from sprecan “to speak” (see speak )][1]



bespectacled

bespectacled
be·spec·ta·cled 
[bi spéktək’ld] adjective

with eyeglasses:
wearing eyeglasses[1]



bespoke

bespoke
be·spoke


Past tense of
bespeak[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bespoken

bespoken
be·spo·ken


Past participle of
bespeak[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








besprinkle

besprinkle
be·sprin·kle 
[bi spríngk’l] (past be·sprin·kled,
past participle be·sprin·kled, present participle be·sprin·kling,
3rd person present singular be·sprin·kles) transitive verb

sprinkle drops over
something: to sprinkle small quantities
of liquid or something light over the surface of something (often passive)[1]



Bessarabia

Bessarabia
Bes·sa·ra·bi·a
[bèssə ráybee ə]

historic region in
southeastern Europe, between the Prut and Dniester Rivers, corresponding
roughly to present-day Moldova and part of Ukraine. A much-contested area, it
was a province of Romania between 1918 and 1940.[1]



Bessel,Friedrich Wilhelm

Bessel,Friedrich Wilhelm
Bes·sel 
[béssəl], Friedrich Wilhelm (1784–1846)

German mathematician and
astronomer. He identified and determined the distance of the nearest stars, and
predicted the existence of a planet beyond Uranus.[1]



Bessemer

Bessemer
Bes·se·mer 
[béssəmər]

city south of Birmingham,
central Alabama, named for Sir Henry Bessemer. Population: 31,234 (1996)[1]



Bessemerprocess

Bessemerprocess
Bes·se·mer
proc·ess
noun

obsolete
steelmaking method: a largely obsolete method
for making steel from impure iron by forcing air through the molten metal in a
specialized furnace Bessemer converter
[Late 19th century. Named for
Sir Henry Bessemer, who patented it.][1]



Bessette,Gerard

Bessette,Gerard
Bes·sette
[be sét], Gerard (1920– )

Canadian novelist and critic.
The author of L’incubation ( 1965 ), he was a leader in Canadian
psychoanalytic literary criticism.[1]



best

best
best 
[best] CORE
MEANING:
better than anybody or anything else

1.
adjective better than all others:
of the highest quality or standard or the most excellent type • the
best days of your life • wearing
her best dress • the
best sprinter of the decade

2.
adjective most likely to succeed:
most likely to have or come near to the desired outcome • the
best thing to do in the circumstances

3.
adjective most intimate:
liked, trusted, and confided in more than anybody else • my
best friends

4.
adverb more than all others:
in the highest degree or to the greatest extent • likes
me best

5.
adverb most successfully:
in a way that is most likely to have or come near to the desired outcome • It
works best if you warm it up first.

6.
adverb to the highest standard:
to a higher standard than anybody or anything else • the
best trained horse in the competition

7.
noun what
is best:
the best possible things or circumstances • want
the best for their family • will
only buy the best

8.
noun somebody
or something better than others: somebody or something
of the highest quality or standard • is the
best at hockey

9.
noun top
quality:
the highest quality or standard that somebody or something is capable of • do
your best
• past
its best

10.
noun SPORTS top
achievement: the best time or score that somebody has
achieved in a sport or game • trying
to beat her personal best in the marathon

11.
noun endorsement:
used as an enthusiastic endorsement of something (slang) • How
is your hotel? –It’s the best!
[Old
English betest ; superlative of good
and well . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German and Dutch best .]
at
best

according
to the most favorable interpretation

at
the best of times

even
when circumstances are at their most favorable

at
your or its best

performing
at the peak of ability or effectiveness

make
the best of something

to do what is required to
deal with an unfavorable situation[1]



best-ball

best-ball
best-ball
adjective

matching individual against
team’s best score: using a
scoring method in which a golfer competes against a team of two or three other
golfers, with the team recording only the best individual score for each hole[1]



bestboy

bestboy
best
boy
(plural best boys) noun

assistant to chief lighting
electrician: the chief assistant to
the electrician in charge of lighting ( gaffer
) on a movie or television set[1]



Best,Charles H.

Best,Charles H.
Best 
[best], Charles H. (1899–1978)

U.S.-born
Canadian physiologist. He was the codiscoverer of insulin with Frederick
Banting (1922).
Full name
Best, Charles Herbert[1]



bestial

bestial
bes·tial 
[béschəl, bschəl]
adjective

1.  inhuman:
lacking normal human feelings of pity or remorse • bestial
cruelty

2.  sexually
depraved:
sexual in a depraved or purely physical manner

3.  brutish:
lacking intellect, reason, or culture

4.  relating
to beasts:
relating to or characteristic of a beast
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin bestia (see beast ).]
—bes·tial·ly, adverb[1]



bestiality

bestiality
bes·ti·al·i·ty 
[bèschee állitee, bschee
állitee] (plural bes·ti·al·i·ties) noun

1.  sex
with animal: sexual activity between a human being
and an animal

2.  inhuman
behavior:
an act, behavior, or condition more appropriate for an animal than a human
being

[1]



bestialize

bestialize
bes·tial·ize
[béschə lz, bschə
lz] (past bes·tial·ized, past participle bes·tial·ized,
present participle bes·tial·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular bes·tial·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  reduce
to level of animal: to make somebody behave or
live like an animal

2.  make
inhuman:
to make somebody inhuman or savage

[1]



bestiary

bestiary
bes·ti·ar·y 
[béschee èrree, bschee
èrree] (plural bes·ti·ar·ies) noun

animal
book:
a medieval book containing pictures and moralizing stories about real and
imaginary animals
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin bestiarium, from Latin bestia “beast.”][1]



bestir

bestir
be·stir 
[bi stúr] (past be·stirred, past
participle be·stirred, present participle be·stir·ring,
3rd person present singular be·stirs) reflexive verb

start
doing something: to begin to do something after a period
of inactivity (formal) • After
a long afternoon nap, they finally bestirred themselves to start the supper
preparations.
[14th century. Coined from be- “all over, thoroughly” + stir .][1]



bestman

bestman
best
man
(plural best men) noun

bridegroom’s attendant:
a man attending a bridegroom and carrying out important duties during the
wedding celebrations[1]



bestow

bestow
be·stow 
[bi stṓ] (past be·stowed, past
participle be·stowed, present participle be·stow·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·stows) transitive verb

1.  give
or present something: to present something to
somebody (formal)

2.  put
somewhere:
to put something somewhere (archaic) “Alonso hence, and bestow your
luggage where you found it.” William Shakespeare The Tempest 1611
—be·stow·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at give

[1]



bestrew

bestrew
be·strew 
[bi str] (past be·strewed, past
participle be·strewed or be·strewn [bi strn], present participle be·strew·ing,
3rd person present singular be·strews) transitive verb (literary)

1.  scatter
things:
to scatter things over something • a church
aisle bestrewn with flowers

2.  be
scattered over something: to be scattered over
something • the
rice that bestrewed the church steps after the wedding

[1]



bestride

bestride
be·stride 
[bi strd] (past be·strode [bi strṓd], past participle be·strid·den
[bi strídd’n], present participle be·strid·ing,
3rd person present singular be·strides) transitive verb

stand across something:
to sit or stand with one leg on each side of something • He
bestrode the courtroom entranceway, holding forth on the merits of the case to
the assembled press.[1]



bestseller

bestseller
best·sell·er 
[bèst séllər] (plural best·sell·ers)
noun

1.  popular
product:
something, especially a book, that is commercially very successful

2.  author
of popular books: an author who writes bestsellers

[1]



bestselling

bestselling
best·sell·ing
[bèst sélling] adjective

bought by many:
far more popular and successful than other products on sale at the same time • his
bestselling account of life in the wilderness[1]



bet

bet
bet 
[bet] noun (plural bets)

1.  act
of betting:
an agreement that the person who incorrectly predicts the outcome of a future
event will forfeit something, usually money, to another

2.  amount
wagered:
the amount of money that somebody agrees to pay as a bet • She
lost her $10 bet.

3.  what
somebody expects or thinks: what somebody expects to
happen or thinks is true • My bet
is they’ll decide to overlook the whole thing.

4.  somebody
or something likely to win: somebody or something likely
to be successful • She’s a good bet for a
vice-presidency.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bet or
bet·ted, past participle bet or bet·ted, present
participle bet·ting, 3rd person present singular bets)

1.  risk
something of value: to agree with somebody that
something specified, usually money, will be forfeited by the person who
incorrectly predicts the outcome of a future event to the other

2.  think
something is true: to express certainty that
something will happen, has happened, or is true (informal) • I
bet he’s forgotten to bring the keys.
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of abet ; the underlying idea would be of support for what you
think may happen.]
your
best or safest bet

the
course of action most likely to be productive

you
bet!

used to show emphatic
agreement (informal)[1]



Beta

Beta
Be·ta
[báytə, btə]
noun

type of star:
the second brightest star in a constellation (followed by the Latin genitive)
• Beta
Centauri[1]



beta

beta
be·ta 
[báytə, btə]
noun (plural be·tas)

1.  2nd
letter of Greek alphabet: the second letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in English as “b”

2.  FINANCE measure
of price sensitivity: a measure of the relative
price sensitivity of a security to that of the overall market

3.  COMPUT test:
a beta test (informal)
adjective

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS relating
to electrons produced by radioactivity: used
to describe electrons, especially those formed by the splitting of a neutron
into a proton and an electron

2.  CHEMISTRY second
nearest to designated atom: used to describe the second
nearest atom to a designated atom or group of atoms in an organic molecule

3.  describing
minor form of element: used to describe a minor
form of a chemical element with more than one form ( allotrope
)
[14th century. Via Latin and
Greek from Canaanite bet “house” (see beth
).][1]



beta-blocker

beta-blocker
be·ta-block·er 
(plural be·ta-block·ers) noun

drug for heart:
a drug belonging to a group used to regulate the activity of the heart,
especially in the treatment of high blood pressure, by suppressing the activity
of beta-receptors[1]



beta-carotene

beta-carotene
be·ta-car·o·tene 
noun

See
carotene[1]



betadecay

betadecay
be·ta
de·cay
noun

radioactive transformation
emitting beta particle: the
radioactive transformation of an atomic nucleus during which an electron or
positron is produced, although the mass number remains unchanged.
Also called
beta transformation
Also called
beta process[1]



betaine

betaine
be·ta·ine 
[btə n, btə
in] noun

sweet
compound from sugar beets: a sweet-tasting organic
compound that occurs naturally in plants and animals, especially in sugar
beets. It has been used as a treatment for muscular degeneration. C5H11NO2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin beta “beet” (see beet .][1]



betake

betake
be·take 
[bi táyk] (past be·took [bi tk], past participle be·tak·en [bi táykən], present participle be·tak·ing,
3rd person present singular be·takes) reflexive verb

go somewhere:
to go somewhere (archaic or literary)[1]



Betancourt,Rómulo, Rómulo

Betancourt,Rómulo, Rómulo
Betancourt,
Rómulo 
[bétt’n kr, bé
taan krt], Rómulo (1908–1981)

Venezuelan statesman. He
helped to found Democratic Action (1941) and spent periods in exile. As
president of Venezuela (1959–1964) he instituted reforms that paved the way for
democracy.[1]



beta-oxidation

beta-oxidation
be·ta-ox·i·da·tion 
noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
breakdown of fatty acids:
the breakdown of fatty acids that occurs during cellular metabolism,
characterized by the successive removal from one end of the molecule of
segments that contain two carbon atoms[1]



betaparticle

betaparticle
be·ta
par·ti·cle
(plural be·ta par·ti·cles) or β-particle noun

electron created by
radioactive emission: a
high-speed electron emitted from the nucleus of an atom during radioactive
decay and created by the splitting of a neutron into a proton and an electron.
Also called
β[1]



betaprocess

betaprocess
be·ta
proc·ess
noun

See
beta decay[1]



betaray

betaray
be·ta
ray
(plural be·ta rays) noun

stream of particles:
a stream of beta particles[1]



beta-receptor

beta-receptor
be·ta-re·cep·tor 
(plural be·ta-re·cep·tors) noun

cell feature:
a site on cells in the autonomic nervous system that responds to hormones such
as epinephrine and operates to control blood pressure, regulate the heartbeat,
and contract muscles[1]



betarhythm

betarhythm
be·ta
rhythm
(plural be·ta rhythms) noun

pattern of brain waves:
a pattern of electrical waves in the brain of somebody who is awake and active
( beta waves ), registering on an electroencephalogram at a reading between 18
and 30 hertz[1]



betatest

betatest
be·ta
test
transitive verb (past be·ta test·ed, past participle
be·ta test·ed, present participle be·ta test·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·ta tests)

give
to users to try: to test a product, especially computer
software, by giving it to customers to try out before the final version is put
on sale
noun
(plural be·ta tests)

test by customers:
a test of a product, especially computer software, by giving it to a few
customers to try out, before the final version is put on sale[1]



betatransformation

betatransformation
be·ta
trans·for·ma·tion noun

See
beta decay[1]



betatron

betatron
be·ta·tron 
[báytə tròn, btə
tròn] (plural be·ta·trons) noun

electron
accelerator: a device that accelerates electrons in a
circular orbit by means of a rapidly alternating magnetic field. In this way,
electrons can reach energies of 340 MeV and may be used to strike a metal
target to produce a continuous stream of gamma rays.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from beta + -tron
.][1]



betaware

betaware
be·ta·ware
[báytə waìr, btə
waìr] (plural be·ta·wares) noun

software for beta testing:
a version of computer software that is to be tested by giving it to customers
before the final version is put on sale[1]



betawave

betawave
be·ta
wave
(plural be·ta waves) noun

brain wave:
a high-frequency electrical wave produced in the human brain and associated
with normal wakefulness.
See also
beta rhythm[1]



betcha

betcha
bet·cha
[bétchə] contraction

I bet you:
a form of “bet you” used mainly in conversation (nonstandard) • Betcha
the Lions win by 20 points.[1]



betel

betel
be·tel 
[bt’l] (plural be·tels or
be·tel) noun

Asian
climbing plant: an evergreen Asian climbing plant with
wide leaves that people in Asia chew as a mild stimulant and digestive aid.
Latin name: Piper betle
[Mid-16th century. Via
Portuguese from Malayalam veṟṟila, from Tamil vṟṟilai .][1]



Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse
Be·tel·geuse 
[bt’l jz, bt’l
jöz] noun

red star in Orion:
a bright red variable supergiant star that is the second brightest star in the
constellation Orion and the twelfth brightest in the night sky[1]



betelnut

betelnut
be·tel
nut
(plural be·tel nuts) noun

seed for chewing:
one of the dark red seeds of the betel palm that is wrapped in betel leaves
with lime and chewed by people in Asia as a mild stimulant[1]



betelpalm

betelpalm

be·tel palm
(plural be·tel palms) noun
Asian palm tree:
a tropical Asian palm tree that has orange fruit and dark red seeds. Latin
name: Areca catechu[1]



betenoire

betenoire
bete
noire 
[bet nwr] (plural betes noires
[bèt nwr]) or bête noire [bet nwr] (plural b&ecirc;te noires)
noun

pet
hate:
somebody or something you particularly dislike (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “black beast.”][1]



beth

beth
beth 
[bet] (plural beths) noun

2nd
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the second letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented as “b” in English
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew, from bayith “house.”][1]



BethDin

BethDin
Beth
Din
[bet dn] (plural Ba·tei Din [b tay dn]) noun

Jewish
religious court: a Jewish religious court regulating
matters of Jewish law such as dietary laws, divorce, and conversion
[Late 18th century. From
Hebrew bē dīn “house of judgment.”][1]



Bethe,Hans

Bethe,Hans
Be·the 
[báytə], Hans (1906– )

German-born
U.S. physicist. He helped develop the atomic bomb (1943–1946). His work on
stellar nuclear energy won him the Nobel Prize in physics (1967).
Full name
Bethe, Hans Albrecht[1]



bethel

bethel
beth·el 
[béthəl] (plural beth·els) noun
(archaic)

1.  holy
place:
a place that is regarded as sacred or holy

2.  sailors’
chapel:
a chapel for sailors and other seafarers
[Early 17th century. From
Hebrew bē- ‘ēl, literally “house of God.”][1]



BethelPark

BethelPark
Beth·el
Park
[bèthəl prk]

borough in southwestern
Pennsylvania in a former coal-mining region south of Pittsburgh. Population:
33,661 (1996)[1]



Bethesda

Bethesda
Be·thes·da 
[bə thézdə]

town northwest of Washington,
D.C., in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is home to the National Institutes of
Health and two large army and navy medical centers. Population: 62,936 (1990)[1]



bethink

bethink
be·think 
[bi thíngk] (past be·thought [bi tháwt], past participle be·thought,
present participle be·think·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·thinks) reflexive verb

remind oneself:
to think of or remember something (archaic)[1]



Bethlehem

Bethlehem
Beth·le·hem 
[béthli hèm, béthlee
əm]

1.  town
in the West Bank near Jerusalem. Part of Israel since 1967, it has been
administered by the Palestinian Authority since 1995. Thought to be the
birthplace of King David and Jesus Christ, it is regarded as a holy city by
Christians. Population: 34,100 (1987)

2.  city
in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River. It is a major steel-manufacturing
center. Population: 70,245 (1996)

[1]



bethought

bethought
be·thought

Past tense of
bethink Past participle of bethink[1]



Bethune,Mary McLeod

Bethune,Mary McLeod

Be·thune 
[bə thn, bay
thyn], Mary McLeod (1875–1955)
U.S. educator and activist. She founded
and was president of what became Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach,
Florida. She promoted education for African Americans and founded the National
Council of Negro Women (1935).[1]



betide

betide
be·tide 
[bi td] (3rd person present singular
be·tides) intransitive and transitive verb

happen:
to happen, or happen to somebody (archaic) • Whether
good or ill betide you, trust in yourself.[1]



betimes

betimes
be·times 
[bi tmz] adverb (archaic)

1.  early:
early, or in good time

2.  soon:
in a short time
[13th century. From by + time .][1]



betoken

betoken
be·to·ken 
[bi tṓkən] (past be·to·kened, past
participle be·to·kened, present participle be·to·ken·ing,
3rd person present singular be·to·kens) transitive verb

indicate something:
to be a sign that something exists or will happen (literary)[1]



betony

betony
bet·o·ny 
[bétt’nee] (plural bet·o·nies)
noun

1.  plant
with purplish flowers: a plant of the mint family
that grows in Europe and Asia and has purplish flowers, formerly used in
medicine. Latin name: Stachys officinalis

2.  plant
like true betony: any plant resembling betony proper

3.  See
lousewort
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin betonica, variant of Vettonica, of uncertain
origin: perhaps formed from Vettones (plural), an Iberian people.][1]



betook

betook
be·took

Past tense of
betake[1]



betray

betray
be·tray 
[bi tráy] (past be·trayed, past
participle be·trayed, present participle be·tray·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·trays) transitive verb

1.  help
an enemy:
to harm or be disloyal to your own country or another person by helping or
giving information to an enemy

2.  surrender
somebody or something treacherously: to
deliver somebody or something to an enemy • He
betrayed his own brother to the secret police.

3.  go
against a promise: to act in a way that is
contrary to a promise made “If an intelligent person is betrayed repeatedly,
and humiliated publicly, yet chooses to remain in that situation, one must ask:
what are the rewards?” Gail Sheehy Vanity Fair February 1999

4.  reveal
something:
to show something, often unintentionally • She
said nothing, but her bright eyes betrayed her excitement.

5.  deceive
somebody:
to deceive somebody, or lead somebody into doing something wrong (dated)
[13th
century. Formed from Old French trair, from Latin tradere “to
hand over.”]
—be·tray·er, noun[1]



betrayal

betrayal
be·tray·al 
[bi tráy əl] (plural be·tray·als)
noun

betraying:
the act or an instance of betraying somebody or something[1]



betroth

betroth
be·troth 
[bi trṓ, bi
tráwth] (past be·trothed, past participle be·trothed,
present participle be·troth·ing, 3rd person present singular
be·troths) transitive verb

promise
somebody in marriage: to promise to marry
somebody, or promise that somebody will marry somebody (formal)
[14th century. Coined from be- + truth .][1]



betrothal

betrothal
be·troth·al 
[bi trṓəl, bi
tráwthəl] (plural be·troth·als) noun

engagement:
the act of becoming engaged to marry somebody, or the state of being engaged to
somebody (formal)[1]



betrothed

betrothed
be·trothed 
[bi trōd, bi
tráwtht] (plural be·trotheds or be·trothed) noun

person
somebody will marry: the person to whom somebody
is engaged to be married (formal)
—betrothed, adjective[1]



Bettelheim,Bruno

Bettelheim,Bruno
Bet·tel·heim 
[bétt’l hm], Bruno (1903–1990)

Austrian-born U.S.
psychologist. A member of the University of Chicago faculty, he was best known
for his treatment of autistic children and for his study of the meaning of
fairy tales, The Uses of Enchantment (1976).[1]



Bettendorf

Bettendorf
Bet·ten·dorf 
[bétt’n dàwrf]

city in eastern Iowa, on the
Mississippi River, in Scott County. Population: 31,015 (1996)[1]



better

better2
bet·ter2 [béttər]
(plural bet·ters) noun

GAMBLING
See bettor[1]



better

better1
bet·ter1 [béttər]
(past bet·tered, past participle bet·tered, present
participle bet·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular bet·ters,
plural bet·ters) CORE MEANING:
indicating that a thing or an action is superior in some way to something else
or is an improvement upon a situation • (adjective)
Concentrated laundry detergent is better because it requires a smaller box or
bottle.
• (adjective)
She is gradually getting better, albeit slowly. • (adverb)
Treatment programs may get the job done better.

1.
adjective more likable: more
pleasing or likable than something else • That
hairstyle is far better than the one you had before.

2.
adjective of greater quality:
of greater quality, usefulness, or suitability than something else • Economic
security helps ensure a better future for our children.
• It
is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

3.
adjective improved in health:
in an improved state of health, after not being well • I’m
feeling much better today, thank you.

4.
adverb more or to a higher standard:
more, or in a more skillful or effective way • He
plays tennis much better than I do. • I
liked her much better after I got to know her.

5.
adverb preferably: in a
way that is preferable or more advantageous • Such
things are better left unsaid.

6.
adverb ought to or must do something:
indicates that it would be more advantageous for somebody to act in a
particular way (nonstandard) • You
better listen to me!

7.
transitive verb surpass something:
to improve on something • She
hopes to better the record that she set at last year’s championships.
• He
summed the whole thing up in a way that I couldn’t possibly better.

8.
transitive verb improve self or thing:
to improve yourself or something (formal) • They
tried to better themselves by attaining a good education.
• attempts
to better the lot of the refugees

9.
noun superior
person:
a person who is superior to another in some way (often used in the plural)
• They
think themselves our betters.
[13th
century. From Old English bettra, from the comparative of a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “advantageous,” which is also the ancestor of English best and boot
“remedy.”]
for
better or worse

whatever
the outcome may be

get
the better of somebody

1.  to
defeat somebody in some way

2.  to
be too strong for somebody to control

go
one better

to
do something that has been done before but in a superior or preferable way

had
better do something

ought
to or must do something • You’d
better tell them soon.

think
better of something

to
change your mind and decide not to do something • After
seeing the ice on the streets we thought better of making the trip.

[1]



betterhalf

betterhalf
bet·ter
half
(plural bet·ter halves) noun

spouse:
somebody’s wife or husband (informal)[1]



betterment

betterment
bet·ter·ment 
[béttərmənt] noun

1.  change
for better:
a change that improves something, especially somebody’s financial or social
condition (formal)

2.  property
improvement: improvement of a building or land that
increases its value

[1]



betting

betting
bet·ting
[bétting] noun

placing bets:
the activity of placing bets[1]



bettor

bettor
bet·tor
[béttər] (plural bet·tors) or
bet·ter [béttər] (plural bet·ters)
noun

somebody who bets:
somebody who bets[1]



between

between
be·tween 
[bi twn] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating an intermediate point between two places or times
• (preposition)
I was standing between two other women. • (preposition)
I intend to pay off my mortgage between now and 2010.
• (adverb)
He worked two shifts, with an hour off between. preposition

1.  to
and from:
from one place to another • She
travels between Los Angeles and Santa Monica most days.

2.  together:
together or in combination with • Between
us we should have enough money to pay for the trip.

3.  indicates
comparison:
indicates a comparison, discussion, or relationship involving two people or
groups • Reconciliation
was hampered by personality conflicts between company executives.

4.  indicates
choices:
indicates two or more possible courses of action • The
Court offers them a choice between a fine or community service.
[13th
century. From Old English betwēonum, literally “by two each,” from wēonum
“two each” (related to twā “two” (see two
).]
(just)
between you and me

used
to indicate that something is very confidential

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  between
  or among ?
  Although
  some people insist on using among and not between when more than two items are involved,
  it is established usage to use between in
  this meaning as well, especially when among
  might sound too formal: • There
  is still no agreement on this topic between the NATO countries.

[1]



betweentimes

betweentimes
be·tween·times 
[bi twn tmz] adverb

now and again:
in the intervals between doing other things[1]



betwixt

betwixt
be·twixt 
[bi twíkst] adverb preposition

between:
between (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old English betweox, from tweox “for two” (see two ). The final “t” began to be used widely in
the 16th century.]
betwixt
and between

between two groups or
categories, without belonging to one or the other[1]



BeV

BeV
BeV

Abbreviation of
billion (10 9 ) electron
volts[1]



bevel

bevel
bev·el 
[bévv’l] noun (plural bev·els)

1.  slanting
edge:
a surface that joins another surface at an angle that is not a right angle

2.  angle:
the angle at which one surface joins another, when this is not a right angle

3.  tool:
a tool with two legs that can be adjusted to make various angles, and used to
measure or mark an angle on something.
Also
called
bevel square
transitive
verb
(past bev·eled, past participle bev·eled, present
participle bev·el·ing, 3rd person present singular bev·els)

make slanting edge:
to shape the edge of something so that it forms an angle other than a right
angle with the main surface • a
mirror with beveled edges
[Late 17th century. From
assumed Old French, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from baif
“gaping.”][1]



bevelgear

bevelgear
bev·el
gear
(plural bev·el gears) noun

gear wheel set:
either of a pair of gear wheels, one conical and the other flat or conical,
connecting and transmitting power between shafts that are not parallel[1]



bevelsquare

bevelsquare
bev·el
square
(plural bev·el squares) noun

See
bevel  noun 3[1]



beverage

beverage
bev·er·age 
[bévvərij, bévvrij]
(plural bev·er·ages) noun

drink:
a drink other than water (formal) (used mainly in commercial contexts)
[14th century. From Old
French bevrage, from bevre, variant of boire, from Latin bibere
“to drink” (source of English bib and
imbibe ).][1]



Beverly

Beverly
Bev·er·ly 
[bévvərlee]

city on Massachusetts Bay in
northeastern Massachusetts. It was home to the United States’s first successful
cotton mill. Population: 38,195 (1990)[1]



BeverlyHills

BeverlyHills
Bev·er·ly
Hills

wealthy residential and
commercial city in southwestern California, a western suburb of Los Angeles.
Population: 32,367 (1996)[1]



bevy

bevy
bev·y 
[bévvee] (plural bev·ies) noun

1.  group
of people:
a group of people

2.  group
of animals:
a group of animals, especially quail, larks, or roe deer
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French bevee “drink.”][1]



bewail

bewail
be·wail 
[bi wáyl] (past be·wailed, past
participle be·wailed, present participle be·wail·ing, 3rd
person present singular be·wails) transitive verb

lament something:
to express great sadness about something (formal)[1]



beware

beware
be·ware 
[bi wáir] intransitive and transitive
verb

be
vigilant:
to be on guard against somebody or something (used only as a command and in
the infinitive)
[13th century. From the
phrase be ware “be careful” (see aware
).][1]



bewhiskered

bewhiskered
be·whis·kered 
[bi wískərd] adjective

with whiskers or beard:
sporting whiskers or a beard • bewhiskered
gentlemen in old photographs[1]



Bewick’sswan

Bewick’sswan
Be·wick’s
swan
[by iks] (plural Be·wick’s swans)
noun

small swan:
a small swan belonging to the race of tundra swans that lives mainly in marshy
and swampy Arctic regions of Europe and Asia. Latin name: Cygnus bewickii[1]



bewigged

bewigged
be·wigged 
[bi wígd] adjective

wigged:
wearing a wig[1]



bewilder

bewilder
be·wil·der 
[bi wíldər] (past be·wil·dered,
past participle be·wil·dered, present participle be·wil·der·ing,
3rd person present singular be·wil·ders) transitive verb

confuse
somebody:
to confuse or puzzle somebody completely
[Late
17th century. Back-formation from bewildered
.]
—be·wil·der·ment, noun[1]



bewildered

bewildered
be·wil·dered 
[bi wíldərd] adjective

confused:
extremely confused
[Late
17th century. Coined from be + archaic wilder,
of uncertain origin: probably a back-formation from wilderness
on the model of wander .]
—be·wil·dered·ly,
adverb

—be·wil·dered·ness, noun[1]



bewildering

bewildering
be·wil·der·ing
[bi wíldəring] adjective

confusing:
extremely confusing
—be·wil·der·ing·ly, adverb[1]



bewitch

bewitch
be·witch 
[bi wích] (past be·witched, past
participle be·witched, present participle be·witch·ing,
3rd person present singular be·witch·es) transitive verb

1.  enchant
somebody:
to fascinate or be very desirable to somebody (often passive)

2.  cast
supposed spell on somebody: to affect somebody or
something using a supposed magic spell
[13th
century. Coined from be- + wicchen
“to enchant,” from, ultimately, an earlier form of witch
.]
—be·witch·er,
noun

—be·witch·ment, noun[1]



bewitching

bewitching
be·witch·ing 
[bi wíching] adjective

enchanting:
fascinating, charming, or very desirable
—be·witch·ing·ly, adverb[1]



bey

bey
bey 
[bay] (plural beys) noun

1.  governor:
a title used for various high-ranking officials in the Ottoman Empire,
especially governors of a province

2.  title:
a respectful form of address for men used in Turkey and Egypt
[Late 16th century. From
Turkish, from Old Turkish beg “prince.”][1]



beyond

beyond
be·yond 
[bee ónd, bi
yónd] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is on the other side of something
else, either physically or in the abstract • (preposition)
They are expanding environmental protection programs beyond the border area.
• (preposition)
The gift of laughter is beyond price.

1.
preposition adverb after a stated time:
indicates that something continues after a particular time • will
remain the world’s leading economy in the next decade and beyond

2.
preposition past:
past a particular stage or situation • Don’t
attempt to live beyond your income.

3.
preposition farther than:
further than a particular state of mind or emotion • The
site has proved to be popular beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

4.
preposition except:
indicates an exception • He was
incapable of any emotion beyond a certain rueful irony.

5.
preposition impossible for:
indicates that something is impossible for somebody to do • It
is beyond me to describe the complexities of this problem.

6.
noun the
hereafter:
the form of existence that some people believe the spirit reaches after death • He
feels that his late parents watch over him from the beyond.

7.
noun what
is out there: an area that lies outside what is known
• Humanity
stands at the edge of the solar system, contemplating the beyond.
[14th century. From Old
English begeondan, from geond “yonder” + -an “from.”][1]



bezel

bezel
bez·el 
[bézz’l] (plural bez·els) noun

1.  sloping
edge of tool: the face of a cutting tool, especially a
chisel, that slopes toward the cutting edge

2.  groove
to hold watch glass: the groove that holds the
glass of a watch, light, or instrument dial in position
[Late 16th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin.][1]



bezique

bezique
be·zique 
[bə zk] noun

1.  card
game:
a card game like pinochle, played with the highest 64 cards from two decks

2.  hand
at cards:
the combination of the queen of spades and the jack of diamonds, which gains a
high score in the game of bezique
[Mid-19th century. From
French besigue, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Persian bazigar
“acrobat” or bazi “game.”][1]



bezoar

bezoar
be·zoar 
[b zàwr, b zr]
(plural be·zoars) noun

hard
mass of material: a hard mass of material such as fruit or
hair found in the intestines of a ruminant animal and believed in the past to
be an antidote to poison
[15th century. Via French bezourd
from Arabic badhizahr, from Persian padzahr, from pad
“protection (against)” + zahr “poison.”][1]



bf

bf
bf
or b.f. or B/F or b/f

1.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
brought forward

2.  PRINTING Abbreviation of boldface

[1]



BF

BF
BF

Symbol for
Belgian franc[1]



bg.

bg.
bg.

Abbreviation of
bags[1]



BG/B.G.

BG/B.G.
BG/B.G.

Abbreviation of
brigadier general[1]



B-girl

B-girl
B-girl 
(plural B-girls) noun

1.  woman
employed by bar: a woman employed by a bar to entertain
and encourage customers to spend money freely (slang dated)
Also
called
bar girl

2.  woman
fan of hip-hop and rap: a woman or girl who is a
devotee of hip-hop and rap music culture (slang)
[Origin uncertain: probably
from bar girl][1]



BH

BH
BH

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Belize[1]



BHA

BHA
BHA


Abbreviation of
butylated hydroanisole[1]



Bhadrapada

Bhadrapada
Bha·dra·pa·da
[bdrə pdə] noun

6th month of Hindu calendar:
in the Hindu calendar, the sixth month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days
and occurring about the same time as August to September[1]



Bhagavadgita

Bhagavadgita
Bha·ga·vad·gi·ta
[bgə vaad gtə] or Bha·ga·vad-Gi·ta
[bgə vaad gtə] noun

Hindu
holy book:
a Hindu religious text in which the god Krishna teaches the importance of
detachment from personal aims, fulfillment of religious duties, and devotion to
God
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit Bhagavadgītā, literally “song of the blessed one” (referring to
Krishna), from bhagavant- “blessed” + gītā “song.”][1]



Bhai

Bhai
Bhai
noun

Sikh title:
a title of respect that is used after a Sikh man’s name to indicate distinction[1]



bhaigan

bhaigan
bhai·gan
[b gan] or bai·gan [b gan] (plural bhai·gans or bai·gans)
noun

Caribbean
an eggplant[1]



bhaji

bhaji
bha·ji 
[bjee] (plural bha·jis) or
bha·jee [bjee] (plural bha·jees)
or ba·jee [bjee] (plural
ba·jees) noun

dish from India:
an Indian dish consisting of vegetable fritters, often made with gram flour or
chickpea flour[1]



bhakti

bhakti
bhak·ti 
[bktee] noun

loving
devotion to God: the Hindu practice of loving devotion to
God as the means of salvation
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit, “devotion.”][1]



bhang

bhang
bhang
[bang] or bang [bang] noun

cannabis:
a drug made from the Indian hemp or cannabis plant
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese bangue from Persian and Urdu bang and Hindustani bhan,
from Sanskrit bhanga .][1]



bharal

bharal
bhar·al 
[brəl] (plural bhar·als) noun

Himalayan
sheep:
a wild sheep from the Himalayas with a bluish-gray coat and curved-back horns.
Latin name: Pseudois nayaur
Also
called
blue sheep
[Mid-19th century. From
Hindustani .][1]



BHC

BHC
BHC

Abbreviation of
benzene hexachloride[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Bhopal

Bhopal
Bho·pal 
[bō pl] or Bhō·pal [bō pl]

city and capital of Madhya
Pradesh State, central India. It was the site of the world’s worst industrial
accident when a gas leak at a chemical plant killed more than 3,300 people in
1984. Population: 1,063,662 (1991)[1]



bhp

bhp
bhp
or b.hp.

Abbreviation of
brake horsepower[1]



Bhutan




Back to definition

Bhutan

[1]



Bhutan

Bhutan



Bhu·tan 
[boo tán, boo
tn]
landlocked
kingdom in the eastern Himalayas between India and the Tibet region of China.
It is an absolute monarchy and one of the world’s least developed countries.
Language: Dzongkha. Currency: ngultrum. Capital: Thimphu. Population: 842,000
(1996) Area: 47,000 sq km/18,100 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Bhutan
—Bhu·tan·ese, noun,
adjective[1]



Bhutto,Benazir

Bhutto,Benazir

Bhut·to 
[btō], Benazir (1953– )
Pakistani politician. The daughter of
Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928–1979), she led the Pakistan People’s
Party and was herself elected prime minister (1988–1990, 1993–1996).[1]



bi-

bi-
bi-
prefix

two,
twice, both • biaxial
• bimonthly
[From Latin bi-, the
stem of bis “twice,” and bini “two by two.” Ultimately from the
Indo-European word for “two,” which is also the ancestor of English two, dual,
and binary .][1]



Bi

Bi
Bi


Symbol for
bismuth[1]



bi

bi
bi 
[bī] adjective

bisexual:
bisexual (slang)
noun
(plural bi’s)

bisexual person:
somebody who is bisexual (slang)[1]



BIA

BIA
BIA

Abbreviation of
Bureau of Indian Affairs[1]



Biafra

Biafra
Bi·a·fra 
[bee áffrə, bee
ffrə]

region
of eastern Nigeria that was declared a secessionist state by the majority Ibo
people between 1967 and 1970. Official name Republic of Biafra
—Bi·a·fran, noun,
adjective[1]



bialy

bialy
bi·a·ly 
[bee lee] (plural bi·a·lys) noun

flat
round roll with onion: a flat, round, baked roll
with small pieces of baked onion on top
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of bialystoker, literally “of Bialystok,” the city in Poland where this
bread was made.][1]



Bianca

Bianca
Bi·an·ca
[bee ángkə, byngkə]
noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe[1]



bi-and-bi

bi-and-bi
bi-and-bi
noun

Canada
bilingual Canadian culture:
Canada’s French- and English-language cultures (informal)[1]



biannual

biannual
bi·an·nu·al 
[bī ánnyoo əl] adjective

twice
in a year:
happening twice in a year

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  biannual
  or biennial ?
  Biannual means “twice a year”
  whereas biennial means “every two years.”
  Because many people are unsure about which is which, it is often advisable to
  use the more straightforward expressions twice-yearly and two-yearly : • Interest
  is paid on a twice-yearly basis. (or, less formally,
  • Interest
  is paid twice a year. ) • They
  met at a series of two-yearly conferences on the environment.

[1]



Biarritz

Biarritz
Biar·ritz 
[bə rìts, bə
ríts]

tourist resort on the Bay of
Biscay in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department, southwestern France. Population:
28,887 (1990)[1]



bias

bias
bi·as 
[b əss] noun (plural bi·as·es
or bi·as·ses)

1.  preference:
an unfair preference for or dislike of something • a
bias in favor of internal candidates

2.  TEXTILES diagonal
line:
a line that runs diagonally across the weave of a fabric • a
dress cut on the bias

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING voltage
applied:
the voltage applied across an electronic device, especially a transistor or
valve, to determine the conditions under which it operates.
Also
called
bias voltage

4.  STATISTICS distortion
of results:
the distortion of a set of statistical results by a variable not considered in
the calculation, or the variable itself
transitive
verb
(past bi·ased or bi·assed, past participle bi·ased
or bi·assed, present participle bi·as·ing or
bi·as·sing, 3rd person present singular bi·as·es or
bi·as·ses)

influence: to
influence somebody or something unfairly or in a biased way
adjective

diagonal:
running diagonally across the weave of a fabric • a
bias seam
adverb

diagonally:
diagonally across the weave of a fabric • The
sleeves are bias cut.
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Old Provençal biais “slant,” from Greek epikarsios
“oblique.”][1]



biasbinding

biasbinding
bi·as
bind·ing
noun

U.K.
See bias tape[1]



biased

biased
bi·ased
[b əst] or bi·assed [b əst] adjective

1.  prejudiced:
unable or unwilling to form a fair or objective opinion about somebody or
something • a
biased opinion

2.  unfair:
unfair or partial because of a preference for or dislike of something • a
biased sample

[1]



bias-plytire

bias-plytire
bi·as-ply
tire 
(plural bi·as-ply tires) noun

tire with diagonal fibers:
a tire that has layers of fiber running diagonally to the line of the tread.
U.K. term
crossply tyre[1]



biastape

biastape
bi·as
tape
noun

tape for hems:
a long narrow strip of material, cut on the bias, and used to form the edge of
a hem or to bind the edges of a garment.
U.K. term
bias binding[1]



biasvoltage

biasvoltage
bi·as
volt·age
noun

See
bias  noun 3[1]



biathlon

biathlon
bi·ath·lon 
[bī áth lən, bī
áth lòn] (plural bi·ath·lons) noun

ski
and shooting contest: a competition that combines
cross-country skiing with rifle shooting at targets along the course
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from bi- + Greek athlon
“prize from a contest.”]
—bi·ath·lete, noun[1]



biaxial

biaxial
bi·ax·i·al 
[bī áksee əl] adjective

with
two axes:
having two axes
—bi·ax·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



Białystok

Białystok
Bia·ły·stok
[bee li stàwk]

capital of Bialystok Province
in northeastern Poland. It is an industrial city in a predominantly
agricultural region. Population: 277,800 (1995)[1]



bib

bib
bib 
[bib] (plural bibs) noun

1.  protective
clothing:
a small piece of material fastened under a child’s chin to protect the clothing
while eating

2.  part
of garment:
the front part of a pinafore, apron, or pair of overalls that covers the chest
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Latin bibere “to drink”
(source of English imbibe ).]
somebody’s
best bib and tucker

somebody’s finest clothes (informal)[1]



Bib.

Bib.
Bib.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bible

2.  Abbreviation
of
biblical

[1]



bibb

bibb
bibb 
[bib] (plural bibbs) noun

part
of ship’s rigging: a part attached to the mast
of a sailing ship to support the trestletrees
[Late 18th century. Variant
of bib .][1]



bibber

bibber
bib·ber 
[bíbbər] (plural bib·bers) noun

drinker:
somebody who regularly drinks alcohol (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from bib “to drink frequently” (see bib
).][1]



Bibblettuce

Bibblettuce
Bibb
let·tuce 
[bib letəss] (plural Bibb
let·tuces) noun

variety
of lettuce:
a variety of lettuce that forms a small loose head of dark green leaves
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. horticulturist Major John Bibb .][1]



bibcock

bibcock
bib·cock 
[bíb kòk] (plural bib·cocks) noun

faucet:
a faucet with a nozzle that is bent downward
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from bib + cock .][1]



bibelot

bibelot
bi·be·lot 
[bbə l, bi blṓ]
(plural bi·be·lots) noun

trinket:
a small and attractive ornament or piece of jewelry
[Late 19th century. From
French, a variant by doubling of bel “beautiful.”][1]



bibl.

bibl.
bibl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
bibliography

2.  Abbreviation
of
bibliographical

[1]



Bible

Bible
Bi·ble 
[bīb’l] (plural Bi·bles) noun

1.  Christian
holy book:
the sacred book of the Christian religion

2.  BIBLE Jewish
holy book:
the Hebrew scriptures, the sacred book of the Jewish religion

3.  Bi·ble
or bi·ble religion’s holy book:
the holy book of any religion

4.  Bi·ble
or bible copy of Bible:
a copy or edition of the Bible

5.  essential
book:
a book that is considered an authority on a particular subject • a
bible for amateur renovaters
See
also
Table of Books of the Bible
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin biblia (sacra) (plural) “(sacred) books,” from Greek,
plural of biblion “book,” from biblos “papyrus, scroll.”][1]



Biblebelt

Biblebelt
Bi·ble
belt
noun

heavily Protestant U.S. area:
those areas of the southern and midwestern United States that are characterized
by strong Protestant beliefs and strict interpretation of the Bible[1]



Biblepaper

Biblepaper
Bi·ble
pa·per
noun

thin paper:
thin strong paper often used for Bibles and reference books.
Also called
India paper[1]



Bible-thumper

Bible-thumper
Bi·ble-thump·er
noun

vehement promoter of
Christianity: a committed Christian
whose outspoken evangelizing is regarded by some as extreme (slang,
sometimes considered offensive)
U.K. term
Bible-basher[1]



biblical

biblical
bib·li·cal
[bíbblikəl] or Bib·li·cal [bíbblikəl] adjective

1.  of
the Bible:
relating to the Bible, or written about in the Bible

2.  like
the Bible:
like the Bible, especially in style of language
—bib·li·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Biblicist

Biblicist
Bib·li·cist 
[bíbblissist] (plural Bib·li·cists)
or bib·li·cist [bíbblissist] (plural
bib·li·cists) noun

1.  biblical
scholar:
a scholar who studies the Bible

2.  strict
constructionist of Bible: somebody who interprets the
Bible in a strict or literal way
—Bib·li·cism, noun[1]



biblio-

biblio-
biblio-
prefix

book
• bibliomania
[From Greek biblion,
literally “small book,” from biblos “papyrus, scroll,” from Bublos,
Phoenician city from which papyrus was imported][1]



bibliography

bibliography
bib·li·og·ra·phy 
[bìbblee óggrəfee] (plural bib·li·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  book
sources:
a list of books and articles consulted, appearing at the end of a book or other
text

2.  books
on subject:
a list of books and articles on a particular subject

3.  list
of publications: a list of the books and articles written
by a particular author or issued by a particular publisher

4.  book
history:
the history of books and other publications, and the work of classifying and
describing them
—bib·li·og·ra·pher,
noun

—bib·li·o·graph·ic
[bìbblee ə gráffik], adjective

—bib·li·o·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—bib·li·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



bibliomancy

bibliomancy
bib·li·o·man·cy 
[bíbblee ə mànsee] noun

fortune telling by book:
an attempt to foretell the future or answer a question by picking a passage at
random from a book, especially the Bible[1]



bibliomania

bibliomania
bib·li·o·ma·ni·a 
[bìbblee ə máynee ə, bìbblee ə máynyə] noun

obsession
with books:
an extreme fondness for books, or an obsessive urge to collect them
—bib·li·o·ma·ni·ac, noun[1]



bibliophile

bibliophile
bib·li·o·phile 
[bíbblee ə fl] (plural bib·li·o·philes)
noun

collector of books:
somebody who loves or collects books[1]



bibulous

bibulous
bib·u·lous 
[bíbbyələss] adjective

tending
to drink:
tending to drink too much alcohol (literary or humorous)
[Late
17th century. From Latin bibulus from bibere “to drink.”]
—bib·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—bib·u·lous·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word bibere from which bibulous
  is derived is also the source of English beer,
  beverage, and imbibe.

[1]



bicameral

bicameral
bi·cam·er·al 
[bī kámmərəl] adjective

with
two legislative chambers: having two separate and
distinct lawmaking assemblies, for example, the Senate and the House of
Representatives in the United States
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin camera “chamber” (see camera ).]
—bi·cam·er·al·ism,
noun

—bi·cam·er·al·ist, noun[1]



bicarb

bicarb
bi·carb
[bī kaarb] noun

sodium
bicarbonate: sodium bicarbonate (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of bicarbonate .][1]



bicarbonate

bicarbonate
bi·car·bon·ate 
[bī krbənàyt, bī
krbənit] (plural bi·car·bon·ates) noun

See
hydrogen carbonate[1]



bicarbonateof soda

bicarbonateof soda
bi·car·bon·ate
of so·da
noun

1.  PHARMACOLOGY antacid:
sodium bicarbonate taken medicinally to counter the effects of excess acid in
the stomach

2.  COOKING See baking soda

[1]



bice

bice
bice 
[bīss] noun

pigment
color:
a dull blue or color pigment
[14th century. From French bis
“dark gray,” of unknown origin.][1]



biceblue

biceblue
bice
blue 
noun

sky blue:
a deep sky-blue color[1]



bicegreen

bicegreen
bice
green
noun

leaf green:
a bright leaf-green color[1]



bicentenary

bicentenary
bi·cen·ten·a·ry 
[b sen ténnəree, bī
sén tənnèree] noun (plural bi·cen·ten·a·ries)

U.K.
See bicentennial
adjective

U.K.
See bicentennial[1]



bicentennial

bicentennial
bi·cen·ten·ni·al 
[b sen ténnee əl] noun (plural
bi·cen·ten·ni·als)

200th
anniversary: an anniversary on which something is 200
years old.
U.K.
term
bicentenary
adjective

celebrating
200 years:
marking or celebrating a 200th anniversary.
U.K.
term
bicentenary
—bi·cen·ten·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



bicephalous

bicephalous
bi·ceph·a·lous 
[bī séffələss] adjective

with
two heads:
having two heads, or two parts resembling heads
[Early 19th century. Coined
from bi- + Greek kephalē “head” + -ous .][1]



biceps

biceps
bi·ceps 
[b sèps] (plural bi·ceps or
bi·ceps·es) noun

1.  arm
muscle:
a large muscle in the upper arm that contracts to bend the elbow

2.  muscle
with two attachment points: a muscle that has two points
of attachment at one end, especially one biceps brachii in the upper arm and
one biceps femoris in the back of the thigh
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin, “two-headed,” from caput “head.”][1]



bicipital

bicipital
bi·cip·i·tal 
[bī síppit’l] adjective

of
biceps:
relating to or typical of a biceps muscle
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin bicipit-, stem of biceps (see biceps
).][1]



bicker

bicker
bick·er 
[bíkər] (past bick·ered, past
participle bick·ered, present participle bick·er·ing, 3rd
person present singular bick·ers, plural bick·ers) intransitive
verb

argue:
to argue in a bad-tempered way about something unimportant
[13th century. Coined from
Middle Dutch bicken “to stab, attack” + English -er
“repeatedly.”][1]



bickering

bickering
bick·er·ing
[bíkəring] noun

petty arguing:
bad-tempered arguing about something unimportant[1]



bicoastal

bicoastal
bi·coas·tal 
[bī kṓst’l] adjective

of
two coasts:
traveling between two coasts, occurring on each of two coasts, or extending
between two coasts. It is used especially with reference to the East and West
coasts of North America. • a
bicoastal marriage –he, in Hollywood; she, on Broadway
noun
(plural bi·coas·tals)

East-West coast resident or
traveler: somebody regularly traveling
between the East and West coasts of North America or living at least part of
the time on each coast • bicoastals
who take the red-eye out of LAX every Sunday for New York[1]



bicolor

bicolor
bi·col·or
[b kùllər] or bi·col·ored [b kùllərd] adjective

of two colors:
having two colors[1]



biconcave

biconcave
bi·con·cave 
[b kon káyv, bī
kón kàyv] adjective

OPTICS
with two concave faces:
used to describe a lens with two faces that are concave[1]



biconditional

biconditional
bi·con·di·tion·al
[b kən dísh’n’l] (plural bi·con·di·tion·als)
noun

relationship in logic:
a proposition in logic involving two statements, one of which is true if, and
only if, the other is true[1]



biconvex

biconvex
bi·con·vex 
[b kon véks, bī
kón vèks] adjective

OPTICS
with two convex faces:
used to describe a lens with two faces that are convex[1]



bicultural

bicultural
bi·cul·tur·al 
[bī kúlchərəl] adjective

1.  with
two cultures: relating to or containing two cultures • a
bicultural society

2.  of
French and English cultures: relating to both English and
French culture in Canada
—bi·cul·tur·al·ism, noun[1]



bicuspid

bicuspid
bi·cus·pid 
[bī kúspid] adjective

BIOLOGY with
two points:
with two cusps or points • a
bicuspid tooth
noun
(plural bi·cus·pids)

premolar
tooth:
a tooth with two points, especially one of the eight teeth ( premolars ) that come between the canines and the
molars in adult humans
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from bi- + Latin cuspid-, stem of cuspis
(see cusp ).][1]



bicuspidvalve

bicuspidvalve
bi·cus·pid
valve
(plural bi·cus·pid valves) noun

ANATOMY
See mitral valve[1]



bicycle

bicycle

bi·cy·cle 
[b sìk’l, b
sik’l, b sk’l] noun (plural
bi·cy·cles)
two-wheeled
vehicle:
a vehicle with two wheels and a seat that is moved by pushing pedals with the
feet, and steered by handlebars at the front wheel
intransitive
verb
(past bi·cy·cled, past participle bi·cy·cled, present
participle bi·cy·cling, 3rd person present singular bi·cy·cles)
ride
a bicycle:
to travel by bicycle
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from bi- + cycle on the model of tricycle
.]
—bi·cy·cler, noun[1]



bicyclemotocross

bicyclemotocross
bi·cy·cle
mo·to·cross
noun

Full form of
BMX[1]



bicyclic

bicyclic
bi·cy·clic 
[bī sklik, bī
síklik] adjective

1.  with
two circles or rings: consisting of or arranged in
two circles, rings, or cycles

2.  CHEMISTRY with
two rings of atoms: used to describe a molecule
containing atoms arranged in two rings

[1]



b.i.d.

b.i.d.
b.i.d.
adverb

twice
daily:
twice a day (used in prescriptions)
[Abbreviation of Latin bis
in die “twice a day”][1]



bid

bid
bid 
[bid] verb (past bade or
bid, past participle bid·den [bídd’n]
or bid or bade [bad,
bayd], present participle bid·ding,
3rd person present singular bids)

1.  (past
bid, past participle bid) intransitive and transitive
verb offer
money at auction: to offer a particular amount of money
for something at an auction

2.  (past
bid, past participle bid) intransitive verb offer
price for work: to offer to do a piece of work for a
particular price

3.  transitive
verb
say
to somebody: to say something to somebody as a
greeting or farewell • She
called in on her way to the airport to bid us goodbye.

4.  (past
bid, past participle bid) intransitive and transitive
verb CARD GAMES state
number of tricks: to declare the number of card tricks to
be taken

5.  transitive
verb
order:
to tell somebody to do something (archaic) • We
were bidden to sit quietly, and so we did.

6.  transitive
verb
invite:
to invite somebody somewhere (archaic)

7.  (past
bid, past participle bid) intransitive verb try
to achieve something: to make an attempt to
achieve a particular goal • He
hasn’t decided whether or not he’ll bid for the Presidency.
noun
(plural bids)

1.  offer
made to pay: an offer of money for something at an
auction

2.  offer:
an offer to do a piece of work for a particular price • bids
were invited for the contract

3.  attempt:
an attempt to do something or get something • in
a desperate bid to save the situation.
See
also
takeover bid

4.  CARD GAMES statement
of tricks:
a statement of the number of tricks that a player will take in a card game
[12th century. Partly from
Old English biddan “to request,” and partly from Old English beodan
“to offer.”][1]



biddable

biddable
bid·da·ble 
[bíddəb’l] adjective

obedient:
likely to do as asked or ordered
—bid·da·bil·i·ty
[bìddə bíllətee], noun

—bid·da·ble·ness [bíddəb’lnəss], noun[1]



Biddeford

Biddeford
Bid·de·ford 
[bíddəfərd]

city in southwestern Maine,
on the south bank of the Saco River, southwest of Portland. Population: 20,788
(1996)[1]



bidder

bidder
bid·der
[bíddər] (plural bid·ders) noun

somebody who bids:
somebody who makes a bid, especially at an auction[1]



bidding

bidding
bid·ding 
[bídding] noun

1.  making
of bids:
the making of bids at an auction or in a card game

2.  somebody’s
orders:
somebody’s orders or instructions • lots
of paperwork to do at the boss’s bidding

[1]



Biddle,Nicholas

Biddle,Nicholas
Bid·dle
[bídd’l], Nicholas (1786–1844)

U.S. financier. A lawyer and
editor, he was president of the Second Bank of the United States (1822–1839).[1]



biddy

biddy
bid·dy
[bíddee] (plural bid·dies) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that insults a woman’s behavior as fussing or interfering (slang
offensive)

2.  chicken:
a chicken (regional)
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bide

bide
bide 
[bīd] (past bode [bōd] or bid·ed (archaic), past
participle bid·ed, present participle bid·ing, 3rd
person present singular bides) verb (archaic)

1.  intransitive
verb
stay:
to stay, remain, or wait • Bide
here with us a while.

2.  transitive
verb
endure:
to bear or endure something • We
must bide the king’s displeasure.
[Old
English biden . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English beetle, boat, and fission
.]
bide
your time

to wait for a good
opportunity to do something[1]



bidet

bidet
bi·det 
[bee dáy] (plural bi·dets) noun

low
basin for washing genitals: a low bathroom plumbing
fixture resembling a toilet and equipped with a spray or jet of water, used for
washing the genital and anal areas
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “pony,” from bider “to trot,” of unknown origin.][1]



bidin

bidin
bid
in
transitive verb

bid to push price up:
to bid at an auction for something already owned, in order to increase its
final selling price[1]



bidprice

bidprice
bid
price
(plural bid pric·es) noun

price a dealer will pay:
the price that a dealer on the stock exchange will pay for a security[1]



bidup

bidup
bid
up
transitive verb

bid to increase price of:
to make bids that are intended to increase the price of something, not to
obtain it[1]



Biedermeier

Biedermeier

Bie·der·mei·er 
[bdər m ər] adjective
in
German 19thC style: belonging to or typical of a
highly conventional neoclassical style of home decoration and furnishing that
was popular among the middle class in 19th-century Germany
[Early 20th century. Named
for the fictional poet Gottlieb Biedermeier, created in 1854 by Ludwig
Eichrodt (1827–1892).][1]



Biencourt,Charles de

Biencourt,Charles de
Bien·court
[byaaN kr], Charles de, Baron de Saint-Just
(1591?–1623)

French-born Canadian
colonist. He was the original administrator of the French colony of Acadia in
present-day Nova Scotia.[1]



BienHoa

BienHoa
Bi·en
Ho·a
[biən hṓ ə]

city in southern Vietnam east
of Ho Chi Minh City, on the Dong Nai River. Population: 273,953 (1989)[1]



biennial

biennial
bi·en·ni·al 
[bī énnee əl] adjective

1.  biannual:
happening every two years

2.  flowering
in second year: used to describe a plant that lives for
two years and produces flowers and fruit in the second year
noun
(plural bi·en·ni·als)

1.  plant
that lives two years: a plant that lives for two
years and produces fruit and flowers in the second year

2.  event:
an event that happens every two years
[Early
17th century. From, ultimately, Latin biennium “two-year period.”]
—bi·en·ni·al·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at biannual.

[1]



bier

bier
bier 
[beer] (plural biers) noun

1.  stand
for casket:
a table on which a casket or a corpse is placed

2.  frame
for carrying coffin: a wooden frame on which a
corpse or a coffin is carried to where it will be buried (literary)
[Old English br, from
a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English bear “to carry”][1]



Bierce,Ambrose

Bierce,Ambrose

Bierce 
[beers], Ambrose (1842–1914?)
U.S.
writer. Known for his satirical political articles and short stories, he wrote The
Devil’s Dictionary ( 1906 ). He disappeared in Mexico in 1913.
Full name
Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett[1]



Bierstadt,Albert

Bierstadt,Albert
Bier·stadt 
[br stàt, br
shtt], Albert (1830–1902)

German-born U.S. artist. He
was associated with the Hudson River School of painters. His romantic
landscapes include Rocky Mountains ( 1863 ).[1]



bifacial

bifacial
bi·fa·cial 
[bī fáysh’l] adjective

1.  BOTANY with
different surfaces: used to describe leaves with
upper and lower surfaces that are different from each other

2.  two-sided:
having two sides or surfaces

[1]



bifarious

bifarious
bi·far·i·ous 
[bī férree əss] adjective

in
two rows:
used to describe plant parts that are arranged in two rows, one on either side
of an axis
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin bifarius, literally “doing twice,” from -farius
“doing.”]
—bi·far·i·ous·ly, adverb[1]



biff

biff
biff
[bif] (past biffed, past
participle biffed, present participle biff·ing, 3rd
person present singular biffs) transitive verb

hit:
to hit somebody with the fist (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. An imitation of the sound caused.]
—biff, noun[1]



biffy

biffy
bif·fy 
[bíffee] (plural bif·fies (informal))
noun

Midwestern
U.S.
toilet:
a toilet, especially an outhouse (informal)
[Origin uncertain: probably a
variant of privy][1]



bifid

bifid
bi·fid 
[bfid] adjective

BOTANY ZOOLOGY divided:
divided at one end into two equal parts
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin bifidus, literally “twice divided,” from findere
“to divide.”]
—bi·fid·i·ty
[bī fídditee], noun

—bi·fid·ly [bfidlee], adverb[1]



bifilar

bifilar
bi·fi·lar 
[bī flər] adjective

with
two parallel wires: used to describe a part
suspended on two parallel wires or threads, especially the moving part of an
electrical measuring instrument
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from bi- + Latin filum “thread.”][1]



biflagellate

biflagellate
bi·flag·el·late 
[bī flájjəlit, bī
flájjə làyt] adjective

with two slender appendages:
used to describe a cell that has two slender appendages ( flagella )[1]



bifocal

bifocal
bi·fo·cal 
[bī fṓk’l, b
fk’l] adjective

with
two focal lengths: used to describe lenses with
sections that have different focal lengths, especially in glasses for near and
distant vision
plural
noun
bi·fo·cals

glasses
for near and distant vision: a pair of glasses with
bifocal lenses
[Late 19th century. Benjamin
Franklin developed bifocals under the name “double spectacles” 100 years before
the term was coined.][1]



bifurcate

bifurcate
bi·fur·cate 
intransitive and transitive verb [b fər
kàyt, bī fúr kàyt] (past bi·fur·cat·ed,
past participle bi·fur·cat·ed, present participle bi·fur·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular bi·fur·cates)

divide
in two:
to split or branch off into two parts, or split something into two parts
adjective
[b fur kàyt, bī
fúr kàyt, b furkət, bī fúrkət]

dividing
in two:
separating or branching off into two parts
[Early
17th century. From, ultimately, Latin bifurcare, literally “to fork
twice,” from furca “fork” (see fork
).]
—bi·fur·ca·tion [bfər káysh’n], noun[1]



big

big
big 
[big] adjective (comparative big·ger,
superlative big·gest)

1.  of
great size:
of great size, number, or amount • a big
crowd

2.  of
great power: of great power or volume • A
big cheer went up.

3.  significant:
significant or important to somebody • your
big moment

4.  significantly
great:
significantly or surprisingly great • You’re
making a big mistake.

5.  older:
older or grown-up (usually used by or to children) • When
I’m big, I’ll be rich and famous.

6.  important:
important and powerful • one of
the big fashion houses

7.  enthusiastic:
enthusiastic about something or somebody (informal) • I’m
a big baseball fan.

8.  great:
used to make a word convey greater dislike or disapproval (informal) • It’s
all a big con, really.

9.  magnanimous:
generous or noble • She’s a woman with a
big heart.

10. ambitious:
full of boastful or unrealistic ambition • She’s
not likely to fall for his big talk.

11. filled:
filled with or swollen by something (literary) • eyes
big with tears

12. pregnant:
in an obvious state of pregnancy (archaic) • She
was big with child.

13. WINE full-bodied:
full-bodied and full of flavor • The
best accompaniment to this dish would be a big Chianti.
adverb

1.  ambitiously:
in a way that is ambitious, and often boastful or unrealistic • You
have to think big if you want to get anywhere.

2.  successfully:
in a highly successful way (informal) • This
approach should go over big at the convention.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .]
big
on

enthusiastic
about something or recognizing its importance (informal)

too
big for your britches or boots

overconfident
(informal) • Now that she’s won the
talent contest, she’s gotten too big for her britches.

in
a big way

to
a great degree or with great enthusiasm (informal) • They
fell for each other in a big way. • They’re
going into antiques in a big way.

make
it big

to be extremely successful (informal)[1]



bigamist

bigamist
big·a·mist 
[bíggəməst] (plural big·a·mists)
noun

somebody married to two
people: somebody who is married
illegally to two people simultaneously[1]



bigamous

bigamous
big·a·mous 
[bíggəməss] adjective

with
illegal second marriage: involved in or constituting
an illegal marriage made when an existing marriage is still valid
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin bigamus (see bigamy
).]
—big·a·mous·ly, adverb[1]



bigamy

bigamy
big·a·my 
[bíggəmee] noun

crime
of being simultaneously twice married: the
crime of marrying somebody while being legally married to somebody else
[13th century. From,
ultimately, Latin bigamus, literally “marriage twice,” from Greek gamos
“marriage.”][1]



BigApple

BigApple
Big
Ap·ple
noun

New
York:
an informal name for New York City
[From apple, used by jazz musicians to mean “job,” and the fact that
New York was the most sought-after place to have a job or engagement][1]



bigband

bigband
big
band 
(plural big bands) noun

jazz or dance band:
a large jazz or dance band, especially one that was popular in the 1930s and
1940s • the
big band sound of Tommy Dorsey[1]



bigbang

bigbang
big
bang
noun

explosion that started the
universe: the explosion of a single
extremely dense mass of matter that started the universe according to the big
bang theory[1]



bigbang theory

bigbang theory
big
bang the·o·ry noun

expanding universe theory:
the theory that the universe started with the explosion of a small amount of
extremely dense matter. The theory is supported by evidence that the universe
is still expanding.[1]



bigbeat

bigbeat
big
beat
noun

blues with heavy backbeat:
a type of blues with a heavy backbeat, a precursor of rock and roll[1]



BigBen

BigBen
Big
Ben
noun

1.  clock
above Parliament building: the large clock above the
Houses of Parliament in London, or the tower in which it stands

2.  large
bell:
the large bell that chimes the hours in the clock tower of the Houses of
Parliament in London
[Named for Sir Benjamin
Hall, the Chief Commissioner of Works when the bell was cast in 1856][1]



BigBend National Park

BigBend National Park
Big
Bend Na·tion·al Park [bìg
bénd nàsh’n’l prk]

national park in southwestern
Texas, known for its scenery and wildlife, and bounded by the Río Grande. Area:
801,163 hectares/324,219 acres.[1]



BigBertha

BigBertha
Big
Ber·tha
(plural Big Ber·thas) noun

gun:
a type of long-range gun used by Germany in World War I
[Early 20th century. Named
for Bertha Krupp, daughter of the armaments manufacturer Alfred Krupp.][1]



BigBlack

BigBlack
Big
Black

river in western Mississippi
that flows southwestward to join the Mississippi River near Vicksburg. Length:
531 km/330 mi.[1]



BigBoard

BigBoard
Big
Board
noun

New York Stock Exchange:
an informal name for the New York Stock Exchange (informal)[1]



BigBrother

BigBrother
Big
Broth·er
noun

dictator:
a person or group who exerts dictatorial control and maintains a constant watch
over others, often while presenting a caring image
[Coined
by the English author George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
(1949)]
—Big Broth·er·ism, noun[1]



bigbucks

bigbucks
big
bucks
plural noun

money:
a large amount of money (slang)[1]



bigbusiness

bigbusiness
big
busi·ness
noun

most important firms:
the activity of large commercial organizations, or these organizations
considered as a group[1]



bigcat

bigcat
big
cat
(plural big cats) noun

large member of cat family:
any large carnivorous wild mammal related to the domestic cat . Lions, tigers,
leopards, lynxes, and mountain lions are types of big cats . Family: Felidae
Also called
cat[1]



bigcheese

bigcheese
big
cheese
(plural big chees·es) noun

somebody important:
somebody who is important, especially the head of an organization (slang
dated)
Also called
big wheel[1]



BigChill

BigChill
Big
Chill
noun

death
or utter misery: death, a near-death experience, or a
state of perilous misery (slang) • When
the deck crane’s cable snapped, that seaman came very close to the Big Chill.
[From the film The Big
Chill (1983)][1]



bigcity

bigcity
big
cit·y
(plural big cit·ies) noun

largest city:
the largest city in an area • the
lure of the big city[1]



big-city

big-city
big-cit·y
adjective

urban:
typical of life in a large metropolitan area • the
fast-paced big-city lifestyle[1]



big-conepine

big-conepine
big-cone
pine
(plural big-cone pines) noun

See
coulter pine[1]



bigdaddy

bigdaddy
big
dad·dy
noun (slang)

1.  somebody
or something regarded with respect:
somebody who or something that is respected, powerful, or well known for
something in particular • the
big daddy of the blues guitar

2.  paternalistic
head:
the head of an organization, especially one who exerts paternalistic control

[1]



bigdeal

bigdeal
big
deal
interjection

is
that all?:
used to counter that something is less impressive or important than somebody
thinks it is (informal) • So
he’s head of a department. Big deal.
noun

something important:
something that is very important (informal) • Let’s
not make a big deal out of a minor misunderstanding.[1]



BigDipper

BigDipper

Big Dip·per
noun
group of stars:
the seven brightest stars in the constellation Ursa Major.
Also called
Plow
U.K. term
Plough[1]



BigEasy

BigEasy
Big
Eas·y
noun

New
Orleans:
an informal name for New Orleans, Louisiana • a
night on the town in the Big Easy
[From The Big Easy
(1970), a novel by James Conaway][1]



bigenchilada

bigenchilada
big
en·chi·la·da or Big En·chi·lada noun
(slang)

1.  boss:
somebody who is in charge

2.  big
prize:
the top prize or award in a competition
[Origin unknown. First used
in the Watergate tapes to describe the U.S. Attorney General.][1]



bigeneric

bigeneric
bi·ge·ner·ic 
[b jə nérrik] adjective

BOTANY
from two genera:
used to describe a hybrid produced from two different genera[1]



bigeye

bigeye
big·eye 
[bígg] (plural big·eyes or
big·eye) noun

small tropical fish with big
eyes: a small tropical or
subtropical sea fish with rough reddish or silvery scales and very large eyes.
Family: Priacanthidae[1]



Bigfoot

Bigfoot
Big·foot 
[bíg ft] or big·foot [bíg ft] noun

legendary
humanoid creature of NW America: a large hairy humanoid
creature supposed to live in the wilderness areas of northwestern North
America, and described as standing 2–3 m/7–10 ft tall.
Also
called
Sasquatch
[Mid-20th century. From the
size of the footprints it is said to leave.][1]



biggame

biggame
big
game
noun

1.  large
animals hunted for sport: large wild animals hunted
for sport, especially the larger African mammals

2.  main
objective:
the main purpose of a complex or risky set of actions

[1]



biggie

biggie
big·gie 
[bíggee] (plural big·gies) noun
(informal)

1.  large
thing:
something that is big

2.  something
or somebody important: somebody or something that
is very significant, important, powerful, or successful
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from big .][1]



biggish

biggish
big·gish
[bíggish] adjective

rather big:
fairly large, although not extremely large • The
house is really nice, and it’s got a biggish backyard.[1]



biggity

biggity
big·gi·ty
[bíggi tee] or big·ge·ty [bíggi tee] adjective

conceitedly
impudent:
conceitedly impudent or cocky, or behaving and speaking in a manner indicating
this (regional)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly formed from big on the
model of “uppity.”][1]



biggovernment

biggovernment
big
gov·ern·ment noun

interventionist style of
government: government perceived as
being excessively big-spending and attempting to control too many aspects of
people’s lives[1]



biggun

biggun
big
gun
(plural big guns) noun

somebody
powerful:
a powerful or influential person (informal)
[From the earlier meaning
“heavy artillery”][1]



bigguy

bigguy
big
guy
(plural big guys) noun

(slang) See big shot[1]



bighair

bighair
big
hair
noun

bouffant hairstyle:
hair that is rather long with a lot of body, often teased or sprayed so that it
stands away from the head (informal)[1]



bighead

bighead
big·head 
[bíg hèd] (plural big·heads) noun
(informal)

1.  conceited
person:
somebody who is too proud of his or her own abilities, achievements, or
appearance

2.  too
much pride:
too much conceit
—big·head·ed, adjective[1]



big-hearted

big-hearted
big-heart·ed 
adjective

kind and generous:
showing kindness and willingness to help and support others[1]



bighorn

bighorn
big·horn 
[bíg hàwrn] (plural big·horns or
big·horn) noun

wild sheep:
a large wild sheep of western North America and northeastern Asia that has a
long coarse brown coat and very large curving horns. It is well adapted for
living in mountainous regions and can leap over rocky terrain with great
agility and speed. Genus: Ovis
See also
mountain sheep[1]



Bighorn

Bighorn
Big·horn
[bíg hàwrn]

river flowing from Wyoming
into Montana. It is a major tributary of the Yellowstone. Length: 541 km/336
mi.[1]



BighornMountains

BighornMountains
Big·horn
Moun·tains


mountain range of north
central Wyoming and southern Montana, part of the Rocky Mountains. The highest
point is Cloud Peak 4,019 m/13,187 ft . Bighorn National Forest lies in the
range.[1]



bighouse

bighouse
big
house
(plural big hous·es) noun

prison:
a large penitentiary (slang)[1]



bight

bight
bight 
[bīt] (plural bights) noun

1.  curve
of coastline: a wide curving bend in a shoreline,
forming a bay

2.  rope
loop:
a loop or slack curve in a rope
[Old English byht .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bend,” also the ancestor of
English bow and bagel .][1]



big-league

big-league
big-league 
adjective

top-ranking:
among the most successful or influential in a particular field[1]



bigleague

bigleague
big
league
(plural big leagues) noun

1.  SPORTS major
league in sports: a major sports league, especially in
baseball

2.  highest
level in endeavor: the highest level of
achievement in any field, or the people who occupy the top positions in it (informal)

[1]



biglie

biglie
big
lie
(plural big lies) or Big Lie (plural Big
Lies) noun

lie on grand scale:
a gross misrepresentation of the facts concerning a major issue, especially for
political purposes[1]



BigMan

BigMan
Big
Man
noun

leader ruling by influence:
in some cultures a male leader whose leadership is based on influence, not
official or formally recognized authority[1]



bigmouth

bigmouth
big·mouth 
[bíg mòwth] (plural big·mouths
[bíg mowths, bígg
mowz]) noun (informal)

1.  boastful
person:
a noisy, vulgar, or boastful person

2.  indiscreet
person:
somebody who cannot keep a secret

[1]



bigname

bigname
big
name
(plural big names) noun

somebody
or something famous: a well-known and successful
person, organization, or product
—big-name, adjective[1]



bignoise

bignoise
big
noise
(plural big nois·es) noun

important person:
an important or influential person (dated informal)[1]



bignonia

bignonia
big·no·ni·a 
[big nṓnee ə] (plural big·no·ni·as)
noun

climbing
plant with trumpet-shaped flowers: a climbing woody
evergreen shrub grown for its trumpet-shaped red, orange, or yellow flowers.
Genus: Bignonia
Also
called
cross vine
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name after the French librarian Abbé J. P. Bignon
1662–1743 .][1]



bigot

bigot
big·ot 
[bíggət] (plural big·ots) noun

intolerant
person:
somebody who has very strong opinions, especially on matters of politics,
religion, or ethnicity, and refuses to accept different views
[Late 16th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



bigoted

bigoted
big·ot·ed 
[bíggətid] adjective

prejudiced
and intolerant: holding very strong opinions, especially
on matters of politics, religion, or ethnicity, and unwilling to accept
different views
—big·ot·ed·ly,
adverb

—big·ot·ed·ness, noun[1]



bigotry

bigotry
big·ot·ry 
[bíggə tree] noun

prejudice
and intolerance: intolerance toward people who hold
different views, especially on matters of politics, religion, or ethnicity
[Late 17th century. Formed
from bigot, on the model of French bigoterie
.][1]



bigscience

bigscience
big
sci·ence
noun

expensive scientific
research: any area of scientific
research that needs major capital investment[1]



bigscreen

bigscreen
big
screen
noun

the movies:
the movie industry and films made for the movie industry, as opposed to
television or video[1]



bigshot

bigshot
big
shot
(plural big shots) noun

important person:
a person with a great deal of power or influence, or somebody who thinks they
are important or powerful (informal)[1]



BigSioux

BigSioux
Big
Sioux
[big s]

river that rises in South
Dakota and empties into the Missouri River in Iowa. Length: 650 km/400 mi.[1]



BigSpring

BigSpring
Big
Spring

city and major oil-refining
center in western Texas, northeast of Midland and Odessa. Population: 23,248
(1996)[1]



bigstick

bigstick
big
stick
noun

threat
of force:
a threat of force or severe penalties
[From “speak softly and carry
a big stick,” an adage made popular by President Theodore Roosevelt][1]



big-ticket

big-ticket
big-tick·et 
adjective

expensive:
costing a lot of money (informal)[1]



bigtime

bigtime
big
time
noun

top
level of achievement: the highest level of
achievement and success in a profession or other activity (slang) • Now
that you’ve appeared on Broadway, you’ve hit the big time.
adverb

greatly:
on a grand scale or to a significant degree (slang) • He
had messed up his life big time.
—big tim·er, noun[1]



bigtop

bigtop
big
top
(plural big tops) noun

1.  circus
tent:
a large round tent, especially the main tent, used for circus performances

2.  circus:
the circus, or the life of a circus performer

[1]



bigtree

bigtree
big
tree
(plural big trees) noun

See
giant sequoia[1]



bigwheel

bigwheel
big
wheel
(plural big wheels) noun

(informal) See big cheese[1]



Bihar

Bihar
Bi·har 
[bi hr] or Bi·hār [bi hr]

state in northeastern India
that is crossed by the Ganges River and shares a border with Nepal. Capital:
Patna. Population: 93,080,000 (1994) Area: 173,876 sq km/67,134 sq mi.[1]



Bihari

Bihari
Bi·ha·ri 
[bi hree] (plural Bi·ha·ri or
Bi·ha·ris) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people in Indian subcontinent: a member of a people
who live mostly in the Indian state of Bihar, but also in Bangladesh and
Pakistan

2.  LANGUAGE Hindi
area language: a language of the state of Bihar, in
India, belonging to the Indic group and closely related to Hindi
[Late
19th century. From Hindi bihārī .]
—Bi·ha·ri, adjective[1]



bijection

bijection
bi·jec·tion
[bī jékshən] (plural bi·jec·tions)
noun

mathematical
mapping:
a mathematical mapping between two spaces in which every element in each space
corresponds to only one element of the other space for mapping in either
direction
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from bi-, on the model of injection .]
—bi·jec·tive, adjective[1]



bijou

bijou
bi·jou 
[b zh] (plural bi·jous [b zhz] or bi·joux [b zh]) noun

delicate
trinket:
a small delicate jewel or ornamental object
[Mid-17th century. Via
French, “trinket,” from Breton bizoù “jeweled ring,” from biz
“finger,” of unknown origin.][1]



Bikaner

Bikaner
Bi·ka·ner 
[bikə náir] or Bī·kā·ner [bikə náir]

walled city in Rajasthan
State, northwestern India. It was founded in 1488 and was formerly capital of
the princely state of Bikaner. Population: 415,355 (1991)[1]



bike

bike
bike 
[bīk] noun (plural bikes)

bicycle
or motorcycle: a bicycle or a motorcycle (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past biked, past participle biked, present
participle bik·ing, 3rd person present singular bikes)

go
by bike:
to ride somewhere on a bicycle or motorcycle (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of bicycle .][1]



biker

biker
bik·er 
[bkər] (plural bik·ers) noun

motorcycle rider:
somebody who rides a motorcycle, especially somebody who belongs to a gang of
riders[1]



bikeway

bikeway
bike·way 
[bk wày] (plural bike·ways) noun

bicycle route:
a route or traffic lane for bicycles.
U.K. term
cycle path[1]



Bikini

Bikini
Bi·ki·ni 
[bə knee]

atoll consisting of 36 islets
in the Marshall Islands, the western Pacific Ocean. It was used as a nuclear
testing site by the United States between 1946 and 1958. Area: 5 sq km/2 sq mi.[1]



bikini

bikini
bi·ki·ni 
[bi knee] (plural bi·ki·nis) noun

1.  woman’s
two-piece bathing suit: a woman’s or girl’s
two-piece bathing suit consisting of a bra-style top and panties-style bottoms

2.  bi·ki·ni
or bi·ki·nis briefs:
very scanty briefs for women or men
[Mid-20th
century. Named for Bikini Atoll, where an atom bomb was tested in 1946. The
impact of the swimsuit was supposed to be similar.]
—bi·ki·nied, adjective[1]



bikiniline

bikiniline
bi·ki·ni
line
noun

area around top of thighs:
the area where the top of a woman’s thighs meets the lower edge of her bikini
or underwear[1]



Biko,Steve

Biko,Steve

Bik·o
[bkō], Steve (1946–1977)
South
African political activist. He founded and led the Black Consciousness
Movement. He was beaten to death in police custody.
Full name
Biko, Stephen Bantu[1]



bilabial

bilabial
bi·la·bi·al 
[bī láybee əl] adjective

using
both lips:
used to describe a consonant pronounced by closing or rounding both lips
noun
(plural bi·la·bi·als)

consonant
pronounced using both lips: a consonant pronounced by
bringing both lips into contact with each other or by rounding them. In
English, the bilabials are “b,” “p,” “m,” and “w.”
—bi·la·bi·al·ly, adverb[1]



bilateral

bilateral
bi·lat·er·al 
[bī láttərəl] adjective

1.  POLITICS involving
two groups:
involving or carried out by two groups, especially the political
representatives of two countries • bilateral
talks

2.  on
both sides:
relating to or affecting both of two sides • bilateral
kidney failure
—bi·lat·er·al·ism
[bī láttərəl ìzzəm], noun

—bi·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



bilateralsymmetry

bilateralsymmetry
bi·lat·er·al
sym·me·try
noun

sameness of right and left
sides: symmetry in which an
imaginary plane divides an object into right and left halves, each side being a
mirror image of the other. Most animals exhibit this symmetry.[1]



bilayer

bilayer
bi·lay·er 
[b layər] (plural bi·lay·ers)
noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY two-molecule
layer:
a membrane that consists of two layers of molecules

2.  BIOLOGY See lipid bilayer

[1]



Bilbao

Bilbao
Bil·ba·o 
[bil bō, bil
bów]

industrial city and Spain’s
leading port in the Basque Country, northern Spain. It is the site of the
Guggenheim Museum that was opened in 1997. Population: 370,997 (1995)[1]



bilberry

bilberry
bil·ber·ry 
[bíll bèree] (plural bil·ber·ries)
noun

1.  blue-black
berry:
a small edible blue-black berry from a hardy shrub that grows wild in northern
Europe

2.  fruit
bush:
the shrub that produces bilberries. Genus: Vaccinium
[Late 16th century. Bil- of
uncertain origin: probably from Scandinavian.][1]



bilby

bilby
bil·by
[bíll bee] (plural bil·bies) noun

burrowing
marsupial:
an Australasian marsupial resembling a rat with large ears, a pointed nose, and
a long tail. It lives in a burrow and eats small mammals and lizards. Genus: Macrotis
[Late 19th century. From
Yuwaalaraay bilbi (an Aboriginal language).][1]



bildungsroman

bildungsroman
bil·dungs·ro·man 
[bíll dngz rō mn] (plural bil·dungs·ro·mans)
noun

novel
about somebody’s formative years: a novel about the
early years of somebody’s life, exploring the development of his or her
character and personality
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “education-novel.”][1]



bile

bile
bile 
[bīl] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY digestive
fluid:
a yellowish-green fluid produced in the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and
passed through ducts to the small intestine, where it plays an essential role
in emulsifying fats

2.  bitterness:
feelings of bitterness and irritability (literary)

3.  HISTORY bodily
humor:
according to medieval medicine, one of the four basic fluids of the body ( humors ), an excess of which was thought to make
somebody prone to anger
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin bilis ; probably ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



bileduct

bileduct
bile
duct
(plural bile ducts) noun

tube carrying bile to
intestine: a tube that carries bile
from the liver or gallbladder to the small intestine. The hepatic and cystic
ducts merge to form the common bile duct.[1]



bi-level

bi-level
bi-lev·el
adjective

1.  two-level:
with two levels for cargo or passengers

2.  having
two ground-floor levels: having two ground-floor
levels divided by a vertical partition
noun

(plural
bi-levels) a bi-level house

[1]



bilge

bilge
bilge 
[bilj] noun (plural bilg·es)

1.  lower
hull of boat: the part of a boat below the water where
the sides curve inward to the keel

2.  lower
hull’s insides: the area inside the bottom of a boat,
beneath the lowest floorboards

3.  dirty
water in boat bottom: dirty water that collects
inside the bottom of a boat.
Also
called
bilge water

4.  barrel’s
widest part: the widest part of a barrel or cask

5.  pap:
ridiculous silly talk or ideas (informal) • a
load of bilge
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bilged, past
participle bilged, present participle bilg·ing, 3rd
person present singular bilg·es)

spring a leak:
to be, or cause a boat to be, damaged in the lower part of the hull and start
leaking
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of bulge
.][1]



bilgekeel

bilgekeel
bilge
keel
(plural bilge keels) noun

side fin on boat’s bottom:
either of two fin-shaped underwater projections on either side of a boat’s
hull, designed to control rolling[1]



bilgewater

bilgewater
bilge
wa·ter
noun

See
bilge  noun 3[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bilharzia

bilharzia
bil·har·zi·a 
[bil hr zee ə] (plural bil·har·zi·as)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY See schistosome

2.  MED See schistosomiasis
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, after the German physician Theodor Bilharz,
1825–1862, who first identified the parasite.][1]



bilharziasis

bilharziasis
bil·har·zi·a·sis 
[bìl haar z əssiss] noun

See
schistosomiasis[1]



biliary

biliary
bil·i·ar·y 
[bíllee èrree] adjective

1.  ANATOMY relating
to bile:
relating to bile or the transporting of bile

2.  MEDICINE affecting
a bile duct: affecting a bile duct or the system of
ducts in the liver • biliary cirrhosis
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin bilis “bile.”][1]



bilinear

bilinear
bi·lin·e·ar 
[bī línnee ər] adjective

with two linear variables:
relating to or representing a mathematical expression with two variables, such
as x + y, neither of which is squared, cubed, or raised to another power or
exponent[1]



bilingual

bilingual
bi·lin·gual 
[bī líng gwəl, bī
líng gy əl] adjective

1.  speaking
two languages: able to speak two languages easily and
naturally

2.  in
two languages: written, expressed, or conducted in two
languages • a
bilingual dictionary
noun
(plural bi·lin·guals)

bilingual speaker:
somebody who speaks two languages easily and naturally
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin bilinguis, from bi- “two” + lingua
“tongue, speech.”]
—bi·lin·gual·ly, adverb[1]



bilingualism

bilingualism
bi·lin·gual·ism
[bī líng gwə lizzəm, bī líng gy əlizzəm] noun

1.  fluency
in two languages: the ability to speak two languages
easily and naturally

2.  use
of two languages: the regular use of two languages in
everyday communication

[1]



bilious

bilious
bil·ious 
[bíllyəss] adjective

1.  nauseated:
unsettled in the stomach, as if about to vomit

2.  nauseatingly
unpleasant:
extremely unpleasant to look at • The
walls were painted bilious green.

3.  showing
bad mood:
bad-tempered and irritable, or indicating this • a
bilious stare
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin biliosus, from bilis “bile” (see bile ).]
—bil·ious·ly,
adverb

—bil·ious·ness, noun[1]



bilirubin

bilirubin
bil·i·ru·bin 
[bìlli rbin] noun

yellowish
bile pigment: a reddish-yellow bile pigment that is an
intermediate product of the breakdown of hemoglobin in the liver. Too much
bilirubin in the blood causes jaundice.
[Late 19th century. From
German, from Latin bilis “bile” + ruber “red.”][1]



biliverdin

biliverdin
bil·i·ver·din 
[bìlli vúrdin] noun

green
bile pigment: a greenish bile pigment that is an
intermediate product of the breakdown of hemoglobin in the liver and that in
turn can break down to produce bilirubin
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Latin bilis “bile” + French vert “green.”][1]



bilk

bilk
bilk 
[bilk] (past bilked, past
participle bilked, present participle bilk·ing, 3rd
person present singular bilks, plural bilks) transitive
verb

1.  cheat:
to cheat somebody, especially by swindling him or her out of money (informal)

2.  avoid
paying:
to avoid paying a debt or the person to whom money is owed (informal)

3.  avoid
or evade:
to escape from somebody, or manage to lose a pursuer
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of balk
.]
—bilk·er, noun[1]



bill

bill1
bill1 [bil]
noun

1.  statement
of money owed: a written statement of how much money
has to be paid for items that have been bought or for services provided • I’ll
send you the bill.

2.  amount
owed:
the amount of money owed for items or services provided, as shown on a
statement • The
bill for the meal came to $150!

3.  POLITICS law
proposal:
a written proposal for a new law, discussed and voted upon by the members of a
legislative body

4.  advertising
notice:
a notice, poster, or leaflet advertising something

5.  list
of items:
a list, especially of entertainment features or acts in a show, or the program
of entertainment itself • We’ve
got a brilliant new comedian on the bill tonight.

6.  paper
money:
a piece of paper money.
U.K.
term
note  noun 13

7.  $100:
one hundred, or a piece of paper money worth one hundred (slang)
transitive
verb

1.  send
request for payment: to send somebody a statement
of how much money is owed for items bought or services provided • Bill
me for the cost of dry-cleaning.

2.  advertise:
to advertise an event or performance, especially using posters • It’s
billed as the biggest ice show on the East Coast.

3.  describe:
to describe an emerging or forthcoming thing in a particular way • billed
as the technological advance of the decade
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman bille from, ultimately, medieval Latin bulla
“seal on a document.”]
—bill·a·ble,
adjective

—bill·er,
noun
fill
or fit the bill

to be suitable for a
particular purpose[1]



bill

bill2
bill2 [bil]
(plural bills) noun

1.  BIRDS bird’s
beak:
the beak of a bird, consisting of two pointed jaws protected by a horny
covering

2.  ZOOLOGY mouthpart
of animal:
the mouthparts of a platypus or other animal

3.  NAUTICAL point
of an anchor: the point at the very end of one of the
arms of an anchor
[Old
English bile, of unknown origin]
bill
and coo

to kiss and whisper
intimately, as young lovers do, in a way thought to be reminiscent of the
affectionate behavior of doves[1]



billabong

billabong
bil·la·bong 
[bíllə bàwng, bíllə
bòng] (plural bil·la·bongs) noun

Australia
pool
linked to river: a pool or water hole formed by a side
channel of a river during the wet season
[Mid-19th century. From
Wiradhuri (an Aboriginal language), from bila “river” + bang
“watercourse that only runs after rain.”][1]



billboard

billboard2
bill·board2 [bíl
bàwrd] (plural bill·boards) noun

storing place for boat’s
anchor: a ledge on the front of a
boat or ship to which the anchor is secured[1]



billboard

billboard1
bill·board1 [bíl
bàwrd] noun (plural bill·boards)

1.  advertising
board:
a very large board erected by the roadside or attached to a building, used for
displaying advertisements

2.  introductory
selection of highlights: a selection of the
highlights of something such as a television show or a program of sports
events, presented as an introduction to it
transitive
verb

promote something:
to promote or advertise something (often passive) • a
political program billboarded as “the people’s right to reply”

[1]



billbug

billbug
bill·bug 
[bíl bùg] (plural bill·bugs) noun

cereal-root
weevil:
a weevil whose larvae feed on the roots of cereal grasses. Genus: Calendra
Sitophilus
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from bill 2 ; so called
because of its pointed snout.][1]



Billerica

Billerica
Bille·ric·a 
[bil ríkə, bèlə
ríkə]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, northwest of Boston, on the Concord River. Population: 38,861
(1996)[1]



billet

billet1
bil·let1 [bíllit]
noun (plural bil·lets)

1.  MILITARY accommodations
for service people: a private home or a guest
house providing temporary accommodations for people in the armed forces

2.  MILITARY order
to provide accommodation: an official order stating
that a householder has to provide temporary accommodations for a member of the
armed forces

3.  employment
position:
a position of employment together with its tasks (informal)

4.  brief
letter:
a short letter or a note to somebody (archaic)
verb
(past bil·let·ed, past participle bil·let·ed, present
participle bil·let·ing, 3rd person present singular bil·lets)
MILITARY

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb assign
soldier to temporary accommodations: to
arrange for a member of the armed forces have temporary accommodations in a
particular house, or to have such temporary accommodations somewhere

2.  transitive
verb
provide
temporary accommodations for soldier: to
provide temporary accommodations in your home for a member of the armed forces
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman bilette “written orders,” literally “small document,” from
Old French bulle .][1]



billet

billet2
bil·let2 [bíllit]
(plural bil·lets) noun

1.  chunk
of wood:
a short thick piece of wood, especially firewood

2.  METALLURGY metal
bar in semifinished state: a metal bar or block with a
simple shape that requires further working

3.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
molding:
any one of a series of short, evenly spaced blocks or cylinders forming part of
a decorative molding
[15th century. From Old
French billette, literally “small log,” from bille “log,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin bilia ; probably ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



billet-doux

billet-doux
bil·let-doux 
[bìllay d] (plural bil·lets-doux
[bìllay d, bìllay
dz]) noun

love
letter:
a letter expressing affectionate and romantic thoughts (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “sweet note.”][1]



billfish

billfish
bill·fish 
[bíl fìsh] (plural bill·fish or
bill·fish·es) noun

fish
with jaws like spears: a large fish with jaws
resembling spears that lives near the surface of tropical and semitropical
waters and is hunted for sport. Marlin, sailfish, and swordfish are billfish.
Family: Xiphiidae
[Formed from bill 2][1]



billfold

billfold
bill·fold 
[bíl fld] (plural bill·folds)
noun

folding
container for money: a pocket-sized folding
container for paper money, credit cards, stamps, and photographs, sometimes
with a compartment for loose change
[Formed from bill 1][1]



billhook

billhook
bill·hook 
[bíl hk] (plural bill·hooks) noun

woodcutting
tool:
a woodcutting tool with a wooden handle and a large broad curved blade, used
especially to lop branches off trees
[Formed from obsolete bill “a
bladed or pointed weapon”][1]



billiard

billiard
bil·liard 
[bíllyərd] adjective

relating to billiards:
relating to or used in the cue game billiards • a
billiard table[1]



billiards

billiards
bil·liards 
[bíllyərdz] noun

game
of hitting balls with cue: an indoor game in which a
felt-tipped stick ( cue ) is used to hit
three colored balls across a cloth-covered table into pockets (takes a
singular verb)
[Late 16th century. From
French billard, from bille “log” (see billet 2 ).][1]



billing

billing
bill·ing 
[bílling] noun

1.  position
in terms of advertising: the particular importance or
prominence given to a performer or event in advertisements • an
exciting young band currently getting top billing

2.  advertising:
the advertising or promoting of a performance, event, or product

3.  bill·ing
or bill·ings total business transacted:
the total amount of business transacted in a given period, especially in
advertising, insurance, or law, or the value of that business • The
law firm’s billings are up this month. • She
charged 1,000 billing hours to that case.
[Formed from bill 1][1]



Billings

Billings
Bil·lings 
[bíllingz]

city on the Yellowstone River
in southern Montana northeast of Yellowstone National Park. Population: 91,195
(1996)[1]



Billings,Josh

Billings,Josh
Bil·lings 
[bíllingz], Josh (1818–1885)

U.S.
humorist. He is known for his deliberately misspelled sketches of rural life.
Pseudonym of
Shaw, Henry Wheeler[1]



billion

billion
bil·lion 
[bíllyən] (plural bil·lions or
bil·lion) noun

1.  one
thousand million: one thousand million, written as 1
followed by nine zeros

2.  U.K.
one
million million: one million million, written as 1
followed by 12 zeros (dated)

3.  large
number:
an extremely large but unspecified number of people or things (informal)
(often plural)

4.  billion
dollars:
a billion dollars
[Late
17th century. From French, “a million million,” from bis “twice” + million
“ million .”]
—bil·lionth, noun,
adjective[1]



billionaire

billionaire
bil·lion·aire 
[bìlyə naír] (plural bil·lion·aires)
noun

very
rich person: a very rich person, literally somebody
who has money and property worth more than a billion dollars
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on millionaire .][1]



billof entry

billof entry
bill
of en·try
(plural bills of en·try) noun

list of imported or exported
goods: a list of goods to be
imported or exported, presented to officials at a customhouse[1]



billof exchange

billof exchange
bill
of ex·change (plural bills of ex·change)
noun

written instruction to pay:
a document setting out an instruction to pay a named person a fixed sum of
money on a specified date or when the person requests payment[1]



billof fare

billof fare
bill
of fare
(plural bills of fare) noun

1.  menu:
a menu of food available in a restaurant or served at a special function

2.  list
of items:
a list of items of any kind, especially events in a program of entertainment (informal)

[1]



billof goods

billof goods
bill
of goods
(plural bills of goods) noun

1.  consignment
of goods:
a quantity of goods to be delivered

2.  fake
or worthless thing: something fake or something
not worth having (informal) • What
kind of bill of goods have they dumped on you this time?

[1]



billof health

billof health
bill
of health
(plural bills of health) noun

certificate
of crew’s health: a certificate stating that the crew of a
ship is healthy and is not affected by infectious diseases
a
clean bill of health

a good report on somebody’s
health, or a good report about the state of something, for example, an
organization’s efficiency or profitability[1]



billof indictment

billof indictment
bill
of in·dict·ment (plural bills of in·dict·ment)
noun

list of criminal charges:
a document setting out the criminal charges against somebody, presented to a
grand jury[1]



billof lading

billof lading
bill
of lad·ing
(plural bills of lad·ing) noun

goods list:
a list of merchandise being transported, especially by ship, together with the
conditions that apply to their transportation[1]



billof particulars

billof particulars
bill
of par·tic·u·lars (plural bills of
par·tic·u·lars) noun

list of legal charges and
claims: a list of the charges,
claims, or counterclaims made in a legal action[1]



Billof Rights

Billof Rights
Bill
of Rights
noun

U.S. human rights law:
the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which protect people’s basic
human rights[1]



billof rights

billof rights
bill
of rights
(plural bills of rights) noun

law specifying human rights:
a list of basic human rights as guaranteed by the laws of a country[1]



billof sale

billof sale
bill
of sale
(plural bills of sale) noun

sale document:
a document stating that something has been sold or transferred to the ownership
of another party[1]



billon

billon
bil·lon 
[bíllən] noun

1.  alloy
used for coins: an alloy consisting of a small amount of
silver or gold mixed with a base metal such as copper, used especially for
making coins

2.  silver-copper
alloy used for medals: an alloy of silver with
copper in high proportion, used especially for making medals
[Early 18th century. From
French, “ingot, bronze money,” from bille “log” (see billet 2 ).][1]



billow

billow
bil·low 
[bíllō] verb

1.  transitive
verb
swell
with air:
to fill with air, or cause something made of fabric to fill with air, and swell
outward • the
wind billowing their dresses

2.  intransitive
verb
flow
in curling mass: to flow upward or along in a curling
mass
noun

flowing curling mass:
a curling or rolling mass of something, for example, waves or clouds of smoke
[Mid-16th century. From Old
Norse bylgja “wave.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
swell,” which is also the ancestor of English bellows,
belly, and bulge .][1]



billowy

billowy
bil·low·y 
[bíllōwee] adjective

curling or rolling:
moving in a large curling or rolling mass[1]



billposter

billposter
bill·post·er 
[bíl pstər] (plural bill·post·ers)
noun

somebody
who sticks up posters: somebody who puts up
advertising notices in public places • Billposters
will be prosecuted.
Also
called
billsticker
[Formed
from bill 1]
—bill·post·ing, noun[1]



billy

billy3
billy3 [bíllee]
(plural bil·lies) noun

See
billy goat[1]



billy

billy2
bil·ly2 [bíllee]
(plural bil·lies) noun

U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand camp cooking pot:
a light metal cooking pot, used for boiling water or cooking food on a
campfire.
Also
called
billycan
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scottish dialect billy-pot “cooking utensil,” or
of Australian Aboriginal origin.][1]



billy

billy1
bil·ly1 [bíllee]
(plural bil·lies) noun

(informal)
See billy club
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of billet 2, or from
the man’s nickname Billy .][1]



billycan

billycan
bil·ly·can
[bílli kàn] (plural bil·ly·cans)
noun

See
billy 2 noun[1]



billyclub

billyclub
bil·ly
club
(plural bil·ly clubs) noun

truncheon
or police club: a short stick or club used as a weapon
by a police officer.
Also
called
billy
[From billy 1][1]



billygoat

billygoat
bil·ly
goat
(plural bil·ly goats) noun

male
goat:
a male goat.
Also
called
billy
[From Billy, a
nickname for William][1]



Billythe Kid

Billythe Kid
Bil·ly
the Kid 
[bìllee ə kíd] (1859–1881)

U.S.
outlaw. A notorious robber and cattle rustler on the Western frontier, he
claimed to have killed at least 21 people. He used numerous aliases, and the
facts of his life are not clearly known.
Real name
McCarty, Henry[1]



bilobate

bilobate
bi·lo·bate 
[bī lṓ bàyt] or bi·lobed [b lbd] adjective

having two lobes:
having or in the form of two lobes • a
bilobate leaf[1]



Biloxi

Biloxi
Bi·lox·i 
[bə lúksee, bə
lóksee]

city and port in southeastern
Mississippi, midway between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama.
Population: 48,414 (1996)[1]



biltong

biltong
bil·tong 
[bíl tòng, bíl
tàwng] noun

South
Africa
sun-dried
meat:
strips of lean meat dried in the sun
[Early 19th century. From
Afrikaans, from Dutch bil “buttock, rump” + tong “tongue.” So
called because the meat is usually taken from the hind quarter, and is said to
taste like smoked tongue.][1]



Bim

Bim
Bim
[bim] (plural Bims) noun

somebody
from Barbados: somebody who lives in, or comes from,
Barbados (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bima

bima
bi·ma
or bi·mah noun

JUDAISM
See bema  noun 1[1]



bimanual

bimanual
bi·man·u·al 
[bī mányoo əl] adjective

two-handed:
done with two hands, or needing the use of two hands
—bi·man·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



bimbo

bimbo
bim·bo 
[bím bō] (plural bim·bos) noun
(slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s intelligence while
implying that she is good-looking

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man or woman who is regarded as being unintelligent or
superficial
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Italian, “baby, small child.”][1]



bimetallic

bimetallic
bi·me·tal·lic 
[b mə tállik] adjective

made up of two metals:
containing or consisting of two metals[1]



bimetallicstrip

bimetallicstrip
bi·me·tal·lic
strip
(plural bi·me·tal·lic strips) noun

two-metal strip that bends
when heated: a strip composed of two
metals with different coefficients of expansion fixed together that bend at
different rates when heated. Bimetallic strips are used in thermostats, thermal
switches, and some thermometers.[1]



bimillenary

bimillenary
bi·mil·le·nar·y 
[bī míllə nèrree, bmə
lénnə ree] adjective

relating
to 2,000th anniversary: relating to or celebrating a
2,000th anniversary
noun
(plural bi·mil·le·nar·ies)

2,000th anniversary:
the 2,000th anniversary of something.
Also called
bimillennial
Also called
bimillennium[1]



bimodal

bimodal
bi·mod·al 
[bī mṓd’l] adjective

STATISTICS with
two peaks:
relating to or consisting of a set of observations with two peaks, representing
two values that occur with equal frequency and more often than any other value
• bimodal
distribution
—bi·mo·dal·i·ty [b mō dállitee], noun[1]



bimolecular

bimolecular
bi·mo·lec·u·lar 
[bmə lékyələr] adjective

of two molecules:
relating to, consisting of, or formed from two molecules[1]



bimonthly

bimonthly
bi·month·ly 
[bī múnnthlee] adjective

occurring
every two months: produced or held every two months
adjective
adverb

occurring
twice a month: produced or held twice a month
noun
(plural bi·month·lies)

PUBLISHING
publication issued bimonthly:
a publication, for example, a magazine or journal, that appears every two
months or twice a month[1]



bimorphemic

bimorphemic
bi·mor·phe·mic 
[b mawr fmik] adjective

made up of two morphemes:
consisting of two of the smallest units of meaning in language ( morphemes ).
The word “fallen” is bimorphemic, comprising the free morpheme “fall” and the
bound past participle morpheme “-en.”[1]



bin

bin
bin 
[bin] noun (plural bins)

1.  large
storage container: a large storage container,
for example, an industrial container for grain or coal or an open container
holding merchandise in a store

2.  U.K.
trash
container:
a container for trash or wastepaper (often used in combination)

3.  WINE storage
shelves for wine: a set of shelves with compartments for
storing bottles of wine in a cellar
transitive
verb
(past binned, past participle binned, present
participle bin·ning, 3rd person present singular bins)

store in bin: to
put something in a storage bin
[Old English binn, of
Celtic origin][1]



binary

binary
bi·na·ry 
[bnəree] adjective

1.  in
two parts:
consisting of two parts or two separate elements

2.  MATHEMATICS relating
to number system based on two: used to describe a
number system, or a number belonging to it, that has 2 rather than 10 as its
base

3.  CHEMISTRY having
only two chemical elements: consisting of two different
chemical elements only

4.  CHEMISTRY having
two chemicals mixing toxically: consisting of or using
two harmless components that, when combined, become extremely toxic

5.  MUSIC See duple
noun
(plural bi·na·ries)

1.  MATHEMATICS binary
number system: the binary number system • written
in binary

2.  MATHEMATICS binary
digit:
a binary number or digit

3.  ASTRONOMY See binary star

4.  ARMS See binary weapon
[15th century. From late
Latin binarius, from Latin bini “two by two.”][1]



binarycode

binarycode
bi·na·ry
code
(plural bi·na·ry codes) noun

computer code using binary
number system: a computer code that
uses the binary number system. Numbers and letters are translated into signals
that a computer reads as sequences of ones and zeros called binary digits ( bits ).[1]



binarycoded decimal

binarycoded decimal
bi·na·ry
cod·ed dec·i·mal  (plural bi·na·ry cod·ed
dec·i·mals) noun

system using binary numbers
for decimals: a numbering system in
which each digit of a decimal is converted into a binary number[1]



binarydigit

binarydigit
bi·na·ry
dig·it
(plural bi·na·ry digits) noun

digits 0 and 1:
either of the digits 0 and 1, used in the binary system.
See also
bit[1]



binaryfile

binaryfile
bi·na·ry
file
(plural bi·na·ry files) noun

computer file in
computer-readable format: a computer
file that contains data in a raw or nontext state made up of characters that
only a computer can read. Executable programs are stored and transmitted in
binary files, as are most numeric data files.
See also
ASCII file[1]



binaryfission

binaryfission
bi·na·ry
fis·sion
noun

cell division by dividing in
two: the reproduction of a cell
or a one-celled organism by division into two nearly equal parts[1]



binaryform

binaryform
bi·na·ry
form
(plural bi·na·ry forms) noun

music with two-part
structure: a musical form that has two
complementary parts, both usually repeated[1]



binarynotation

binarynotation
bi·na·ry
no·ta·tion
noun

See
binary system[1]



binarystar

binarystar
bi·na·ry
star
(plural bi·na·ry stars) noun

pair of gravitationally
linked stars: a pair of stars that
revolve around their common center of mass under mutual gravitational
attraction.
Also called
binary
Also called
double star[1]



binarysystem

binarysystem
bi·na·ry
sys·tem
noun

number system with 2 as base:
the number system with 2 as its base, decimal numbers being expressed as
sequences of the digits 0 and 1. For example, the number 5 breaks down as one
1, no 2s, and one 4, written as 101 read from right to left.
Also called
binary notation[1]



binaryweapon

binaryweapon
bi·na·ry
weap·on
(plural bi·na·ry weap·ons) noun

chemical weapon becoming
toxic after firing: a chemical
weapon, for example, a bomb or artillery shell, containing two chemicals that
are harmless in isolation but combine to form a toxic compound before reaching
the target.
Also called
binary[1]



binational

binational
bi·na·tion·al 
[bī náshənəl, bī
náshnəl] adjective

relating to two nations:
relating to two nations, or with two nations taking part[1]



binaural

binaural
bin·au·ral 
[bī náwrəl, bináwrəl]
adjective

1.  involving
both ears:
relating to both ears, or the perception of sound by both ears

2.  in
stereo:
recorded onto two separate channels using two microphones, so as to sound
realistic when heard through headphones

[1]



bind

bind
bind 
[bīnd] verb (past bound
[bownd], past participle bound,
present participle bind·ing, 3rd person present singular binds)

1.  transitive
verb
tie
firmly to something: to tie something firmly to
something else by winding a cord tightly around both things

2.  transitive
verb
wrap
ribbon or bandage around: to wind a cord, tape, or
bandage firmly around something to protect it or hold it together • You
have to bind the wound firmly.

3.  transitive
verb
tie
somebody’s hands or feet together: to tie somebody’s
hands or feet together to make it difficult to escape (often passive) • bound
hand and foot

4.  transitive
verb
SEWING protect
edge of fabric: to protect or decorate the edge of a
piece of material by stitching over it or attaching a strip of fabric to it

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
feelings of loyalty or closeness: to form a link or
relationship based on loyalty, affection, or a shared experience • the
natural instinct that binds mother and child

6.  transitive
verb
force
to do something: to oblige or compel somebody to do
something, for example, by invoking a law or a promise that has been made (often
passive) • priests
who are bound by their vow of celibacy

7.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING put
book together: to attach pages to one another and put
them in a cover to form a book, leaflet, or other publication

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb stick
together:
to stick together, or cause elements or ingredients to stick together, so as to
form a solid mass • The water, sand, and
cement bind to form workable mortar.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY form chemical bond:
to form a chemical bond

10. transitive
verb
MEDICINE make
feces firmer: to make the feces firmer and more solid,
especially to curb diarrhea • White
rice is said to bind you.

11. intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING become
stiff or stuck: to become stiff, stuck, or unable to
move freely (refers to mechanical parts) • The
brakes are binding.

12. transitive
verb
employ
as apprentice: in former times, to employ somebody as
an apprentice under the terms of an agreement that obliged the apprentice to
work for a fixed period, often several years
noun
(plural binds)

1.  nuisance:
something that is annoying or causes inconvenience • I
have to go to the hospital every two weeks: it’s a real bind.

2.  FENCING fencing
movement:
a fencing movement that pushes an opponent’s blade out of line

3.  CHESS dominant
position in chess: in chess, a position of
dominance in the center of the board that restricts an opponent’s moves
[Old
English bindan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English band, bend, bond,
and bundle .]
in
a bind

in a difficult or unpleasant
situation, especially a situation in which every option leads to difficulties[1]



binder

binder
bind·er 
[bndər] (plural bind·ers) noun

1.  hard
cover for papers: a stiff cover with clips inside for
holding loose sheets of paper or magazines

2.  machine
for binding books or papers: a machine for holding sheets
of paper together to form a book or booklet

3.  bookbinder:
somebody whose job is to make books by assembling the pages and putting on the
cover

4.  cord
or tie:
a length of cord, string, or tape that is used to tie things together

5.  something
that sticks things: a substance added to form
dry ingredients into a solid mass or to maintain an even consistency throughout
a liquid or semiliquid substance

6.  AGRICULTURE machine
for making sheaves: an attachment on a reaping
machine for bundling cut grain into sheaves, or a reaping machine with this
attachment

7.  COMMERCE statement
binding somebody to agreement: a formal statement
together with the payment of a deposit, showing that somebody has serious
intentions of going ahead with an agreement, especially an agreement to
purchase insurance

[1]



bindery

bindery
bind·er·y 
[bndəree] (plural bind·er·ies)
noun

bookbinding workshop:
a place where the pages and covers of books are put together[1]



binding

binding
bind·ing 
[bn ding] noun (plural bind·ings)

1.  PUBLISHING book
covering:
the cover of a book, or the material used to cover books

2.  PUBLISHING something
holding book’s pages together: the glue, strip of
plastic, or other material that holds the pages of a book or booklet together

3.  cord
used for tying: something that is used to tie or protect
things, especially a cord or tape that is wound around something

4.  SEWING fabric
edging:
a strip of fabric or tape attached to the edge of a piece of material to
prevent it from fraying

5.  SKIING ski
fastening:
one of the fastenings on a ski that hold the ski to the boot
adjective

obliging somebody to do something:
creating a legal or moral obligation to do something, with no possibility of
withdrawal or avoidance

[1]



bindingenergy

bindingenergy
bind·ing
en·er·gy
noun PHYSICS

1.  energy
to remove particle from system: the energy required to
remove a particle from a system, for example, an electron from an atom

2.  energy
to separate system into components: the
energy required to separate a system into its individual particles or
components

[1]



bindlestiff

bindlestiff
bin·dle·stiff 
[bínd’l stìf] (plural bin·dle·stiffs)
noun

hobo:
somebody who is homeless, has no job, and travels around with a small bundle of
possessions (informal)
[Early 20th century. From bindle
“bundle” (probably from German dialect bindel ) + stiff in the sense
“hobo.”][1]



bindoff

bindoff
bind
off
intransitive and transitive verb

KNITTING
cast off stitches:
to remove stitches from a knitting needle and finish them off so that they will
not unravel. Stitches are bound off to shape the sides of a piece of knitting,
or at the end when it is completed.
U.K. term
cast off[1]



bindover

bindover
bind
over
transitive verb

LAW
obligate accused to appear:
to accept bail from an accused person, obligating the accused to appear at
trial • The
accused was bound over for trial.[1]



bindweed

bindweed
bind·weed 
[bnd wd] noun

twining plant:
a plant with long twining stems, especially a wild plant with large white
funnel-shaped flowers, generally regarded as a weed. Genera: Convolvulus
Calystegia[1]



binend

binend
bin
end
(plural bin ends) noun

last bottle of batch of wine:
one of the last bottles remaining from a single quantity of wine, often sold at
a reduced price[1]



binge

binge
binge 
[binj] noun (plural bing·es)

1.  heavy
drinking or eating session: a short period when somebody
drinks or eats far too much, especially a period of uncontrolled drinking or
eating caused by a disorder such as alcoholism or bulimia

2.  spree:
a short period of time when something is done in an unrestrained way • a
shopping binge
intransitive
verb
(past binged, past participle binged, present
participle binge·ing or bing·ing, 3rd person
present singular bing·es)

1.  eat
too much:
to eat far too much food very quickly, sometimes as a symptom of an eating
disorder such as bulimia

2.  be
self-indulgent with something: to do or consume
something in an unrestrained self-indulgent way • stay
in all day and binge on old movies
[Early
19th century. From a dialect word meaning “to soak,” of unknown origin.]
—bing·er, noun[1]



bingeeating

bingeeating
binge
eat·ing
noun

uncontrolled eating:
uncontrolled eating, especially when caused by bulimia[1]



Bingham

Bingham1, George Caleb
Bing·ham1 [bíngəm],
George Caleb (1811–1879)

U.S. artist. He is known for
his paintings depicting quiet landscapes and U.S. pioneer life.[1]



Bingham,Hiram

Bingham,Hiram
Bing·ham
[bíngəm], Hiram (1789–1869)

U.S. clergyman. He founded
the first Protestant mission in Hawaii and translated the Bible into Hawaiian.[1]



Binghamton

Binghamton
Bing·ham·ton 
[bíngəmtən]

city in New York where the
Susquehanna and Chenango rivers meet, southeast of Ithaca. Population: 48,294
(1996)[1]



bingo

bingo
bin·go 
[bíng gō] noun (plural bin·gos)

lottery game with numbered cards:
a game played communally with numbered cards in which numbers are selected at
random and the first person to cover all or specified numbered slots on his or
her card wins
interjection

1.  call
in bingo:
a shout of success, called by a player who has won a game of bingo

2.  exclamation
of success:
used to express satisfaction at sudden success or achievement
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from bing, the sound of a bell ringing or a target being
hit.][1]



binnacle

binnacle
bin·na·cle 
[bínnəkəl] (plural bin·na·cles)
noun

housing
for ship’s compass: a support or mounting for a
ship’s compass
[15th century. Alteration of
Spanish bitácula, from Latin habitaculum “housing,” from habitare
“to inhabit.”][1]



binocular

binocular
bin·oc·u·lar 
[bə nókyələr, bī
nókyələr] adjective

relating
to both eyes: involving or using both eyes, or
relating to vision using both eyes.
See
also
monocular
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from Latin bini “two together” + oculus “eye.”]
—bin·oc·u·lar·i·ty [bə nòkyə lárritee, bī
nòkyə lárrətee], noun[1]



binoculars

binoculars

bin·oc·u·lars 
[bə nókyələrz, bī
nókyələrz] plural noun
linked pair of small telescopes:
a device for looking at distant objects that magnifies what is seen using a
lens for each eye[1]



binomial

binomial
bi·no·mi·al 
[bī nṓmee əl] noun (plural bi·no·mi·als)

1.  MATHEMATICS expression
with two terms: a mathematical expression made up of two
terms and a plus or minus sign

2.  BIOLOGY organism’s
two-part name: a pair of Latin or Latinized words
forming a scientific name in the classification of plants, animals, and
microorganisms. The first word represents the genus and the second the species.
adjective

having two names or terms:
relating to or consisting of two names, especially the two elements of a
scientific name, or two terms, for example, the terms of a mathematical
expression
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from modern Latin binomius, from Latin bi- “two”
+ Greek nomos “part.”]
—bi·no·mi·al·ly, adverb[1]



binomialcoefficient

binomialcoefficient
bi·no·mi·al
co·ef·fi·cient (plural bi·no·mi·al
co·ef·fi·cients) noun

number in two-part
mathematical expression: a number
that multiplies the variables in a two-part mathematical expression, for
example, the numbers 3 and 4 in the expression 3x-4y[1]



binomialdistribution

binomialdistribution
bi·no·mi·al
dis·tri·bu·tion noun

probability of successful
outcomes: a formula that indicates the
probability of achieving a given number of successful outcomes in a
predetermined number of statistical trials when the probability of success is
the same for each trial.
Also called
Bernoulli distribution[1]



binomialnomenclature

binomialnomenclature
bi·no·mi·al
no·men·cla·ture noun

system of two-part scientific
names: the system of assigning
two-part Latin or Latinized scientific names to plants, animals, and
microorganisms, with the first word denoting the genus and the second the
species[1]



binomialtheorem

binomialtheorem
bi·no·mi·al
the·o·rem
(plural bi·no·mi·al the·o·rems) noun

formula for multiplying
two-part expression: a
mathematical formula used to calculate the value of a two-part mathematical
expression that is squared, cubed, or raised to another power or exponent, for
example, (x+y) n, without
explicitly multiplying the parts themselves[1]



binturong

binturong
bin·tu·rong 
[bin tr awng, bin
tr òn] (plural bin·tur·ongs) noun

Asian
mammal resembling cat: a Southeast Asian mammal
resembling a cat, with a thick black coat, a long tail, and tufts on its ears.
The largest of the civet family, it lives in dense forests, uses its tail for
grasping branches when climbing, and can also swim to catch fish. Latin name: Arctictus
binturong
[Early 19th century. From
Malay .][1]



binuclear

binuclear
bi·nu·cle·ar 
[bī nklee ər, bī
nyklee ər] adjective

See
binucleate[1]



binucleate

binucleate
bi·nu·cle·ate 
[bī nklee it, bī
nkli àyt, bī nyklee it] or bi·nu·cle·at·ed
[bī nkli àytid] or bi·nu·cle·ar
[bī nklee ər] adjective

BIOLOGY
having two nuclei:
having two distinct cell nuclei[1]



bio-

bio-
bio- 
prefix

BIOLOGY life, biology • bioengineering
[From Greek bios
“life, way of living.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to live,”
which is also the ancestor of English quick,
vital, zoo-,
and hygiene .][1]



bio

bio
bi·o 
[b ō] (plural bi·os) noun

biography:
a biographical work (informal) • mostly
fiction and celebrity bios
[Mid-20th C. Shortening of biography .][1]



bioaccumulation

bioaccumulation
bi·o·ac·cu·mu·la·tion 
[b ō ə kymyə láysh’n] noun

organism’s
accumulation of harmful substance: the accumulation of a
harmful substance such as a radioactive element, a heavy metal, or an
organochlorine in a biological organism, especially one that forms part of the
food chain.
Also
called
biomagnification
—bi·o·ac·cu·mu·la·tive
[b ō ə kymyə làytiv], adjective[1]



bioactive

bioactive
bi·o·ac·tive 
[b ō áktiv] adjective

affecting living organisms:
capable of producing an effect or reaction in living tissue[1]



bioactivity

bioactivity
bi·o·ac·tiv·i·ty 
[b ō ak tívvitee] noun

effect on tissue:
the effect that a substance or agent has on living tissue or an organism[1]



bioassay

bioassay
bi·o·as·say 
[b ō ássày, b
ō a sáy] (plural bi·o·as·says) noun

test
of substance’s activity: a technique for determining
the concentration or potency of a substance such as a drug by measuring its
effect on a living organism
—bi·o·as·say, transitive
verb[1]



bioastronautics

bioastronautics
bi·o·as·tro·nau·tics 
[b ō àstrə náw tiks] noun

space
flight’s effects on living things: the study of the
effects of space flight on living things, especially the biological and medical
effects (takes a singular verb)
—bi·o·as·tro·nau·ti·cal,
adjective[1]



bioastronomy

bioastronomy
bi·o·as·tron·o·my
[b ō ə strónəmee] noun

study of potential life
outside Earth: the study of the
possibility of life in the universe other than on Earth[1]



bioavailability

bioavailability
bi·o·a·vail·a·bil·i·ty 
[b ō ə vàylə bíllitee] noun

measure of drug absorption:
the degree to which a drug or other substance can be absorbed and utilized by
those parts of the body on which it is intended to have an effect[1]



biocenosis

biocenosis
bi·o·ce·no·sis 
[b ō si nṓssiss] (plural bi·o·ce·nos·es)
noun

ecological
community:
a diverse group of species or organisms with its own distinct habitat,
interacting to form an ecological community
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek bios “life” + koinōsis “sharing,” from koinos
“common.”][1]



biochemical

biochemical
bi·o·chem·i·cal
[b ō kémmikəl] adjective

relating
to biochemistry: relating to the chemical substances
present in living organisms and the reactions and methods used to identify or
characterize them
—bi·o·chem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



biochemicalengineering

biochemicalengineering
bi·o·chem·i·cal
en·gi·neer·ing noun

biochemistry relating to
fermentation: the branch of chemical
engineering that is concerned with the large-scale culture of living cells in
fermentation processes[1]



biochemicaloxygen demand

biochemicaloxygen demand
bi·o·chem·i·cal
ox·y·gen de·mand noun

measure of water pollution:
a measure of the pollution present in water, obtained by measuring the amount
of oxygen absorbed from the water by the microorganisms present in it.
Also called
biological oxygen demand[1]



biochemistry

biochemistry
bi·o·chem·is·try 
[b ō kémmi stree] noun

1.  chemistry
of living organisms: the scientific study of the
chemical substances, processes, and reactions that occur in living organisms

2.  chemical
nature of organism or system: the chemistry or composition
of a particular organism or system
—bi·o·chem·ist, noun[1]



biocide

biocide
bi·o·cide 
[b ə sd] (plural bi·o·cides)
noun

See
pesticide
—bi·o·cid·al [b ə sd’l], adjective[1]



bioclimatic

bioclimatic
bi·o·cli·mat·ic
[b ō klī máttik] adjective

relating to bioclimatology:
relating to the relationship between climate and living organisms, or to the
study of bioclimatology[1]



bioclimatology

bioclimatology
bi·o·cli·ma·tol·o·gy 
[b ō klmə tólləjee] noun

effect
of climate on life: the study of how climate
affects living things
—bi·o·cli·ma·tol·o·gist,
noun[1]



biocompatibility

biocompatibility
bi·o·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty 
[b ō kəm patə bíllitee] noun

nonrejection
of biological tissue: the compatibility of a
donated organ or artificial limb with the living tissue into which it is
implanted or with which it is brought into contact. Incompatibility leads to
toxic reactions or immunological rejection.
—bi·o·com·pat·i·ble [b ō kəm pátəbəl], adjective[1]



biocomputer

biocomputer
bi·o·com·put·er 
[b ō kəm pytər] (plural bi·o·com·put·ers)
noun

computer
made from biological material: a very fast computer
made from biochemical substances instead of conventional materials. Its
calculations are performed using biological processes instead of semiconductor
technology.
[Late 20th century][1]



biocontrol

biocontrol
bi·o·con·trol
[b ō kən trl] noun

See
biological control[1]



bioconversion

bioconversion
bio·con·ver·sion 
[b ō kən vúrən, b
ō kən vúrshən] noun

biological conversion of
waste: the conversion of organic
material into a source of energy, using biological processes or organisms[1]



biodata

biodata
bi·o·da·ta
[b ō dàytə, b
ōdàtə] noun

South Asia
résumé:
somebody’s résumé (takes a singular or plural noun)[1]



biodegradable

biodegradable
bi·o·de·grad·a·ble 
[b ō di gráydəbəl] adjective

able
to decompose naturally: made of substances that will
decay relatively quickly as a result of the action of bacteria and break down
into elements such as carbon that are recycled naturally
—bi·o·de·grad·a·bil·i·ty
[b ō di gràydə bíllitee], noun[1]



biodegrade

biodegrade
bi·o·de·grade
[b ō di gráyd] (past bi·o·de·grad·ed,
past participle bi·o·de·grad·ed, present participle bi·o·de·grad·ing,
3rd person present singular bi·o·de·grades) intransitive verb

decompose
naturally:
to decay naturally as the result of the action of bacteria
—bi·o·de·gra·da·tion [b ō dè grə dáysh’n], noun[1]



biodiesel

biodiesel
bi·o·die·sel
[b ō dz’l, b
ō ds’l] noun

substitute diesel made from
vegetable oil: a substitute for diesel
fuel made wholly or partly from organic products, especially processed
vegetable oils such as soybean oil and groundnut oil[1]



biodiversity

biodiversity
bi·o·di·ver·si·ty 
[b ō dī vúrssitee] noun

range of organisms in
environment: the range of organisms
present in a given ecological community or system. It can be measured by the
numbers and types of different species, or the genetic variations within and
between species.[1]



biodynamics

biodynamics
bi·o·dy·nam·ics 
[b ō dī námmiks] noun

relationships
between forces and living things: the study of how
energy, motion, and other forces affect living things (takes a singular verb)
—bi·o·dy·nam·ic, adjective[1]



bioelectricity

bioelectricity
bio·e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[b ō ilek tríssitee, b ō lek tríssitee] noun

electricity
in living tissue: electric current generated by living
tissue
—bi·o·e·lec·tric, adjective[1]



bioenergetics

bioenergetics
bi·o·en·er·get·ics 
[b ō enər jéttiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  BIOLOGY study
of energy in living things: the study of the conversion
of energy in organisms and biological systems, for example, in photosynthesis

2.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE therapies
designed to release energy: a combination of therapies,
including breathing and body exercise and the free expression of feelings and
impulses, designed to relieve tension and release physical and emotional energy

3.  PSYCHOLOGY Reichian
therapy:
a therapy, devised by Wilhelm Reich in the 1940s, that uses an analysis of
somebody’s physical posture and movements to enhance emotional well-being
—bi·o·en·er·get·ic, adjective[1]



bioengineering

bioengineering
bi·o·en·gi·neer·ing 
[b ō ènjə nring] noun

engineering
principles applied to medicine: the use of engineering
principles and techniques to solve medical problems, for example, in the design
of artificial limbs or in organ replacement.
Also
called
biomedical engineering
—bi·o·en·gi·neer, noun[1]



bioethics

bioethics
bi·o·eth·ics 
[b ō éthiks] noun

ethics
of medical research and treatment: the study of the moral
and ethical choices faced in medical research and in the treatment of patients,
especially when the application of advanced technology is involved (takes a
singular verb)
—bi·o·eth·i·cal,
adjective

—bi·o·eth·i·cist, noun[1]



biofeedback

biofeedback
bi·o·feed·back 
[b ō fd bàk] noun

physiological control
technique: the use of monitoring
devices that display information about the operation of a bodily function, for
example, heart rate or blood pressure, that is not normally consciously
controlled. This helps a patient to learn to control the function consciously.[1]



bioflavonoid

bioflavonoid
bi·o·fla·vo·noid 
[b ō fláyvənòyd] noun

biological compound:
a biologically active compound found in the rinds of citrus fruits and some
other plants.
Also called
vitamin P[1]



biofuel

biofuel
bi·o·fu·el
[b ō fy əl] (plural bi·o·fu·els)
noun

fuel made from biological
materials: a renewable fuel, for
example, biodiesel, biogas, and methane, that is derived from biological matter[1]



biog.

biog.
biog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
biographer

2.  Abbreviation
of
biographical

3.  Abbreviation
of
biography

[1]



biogas

biogas
bi·o·gas 
[b ō gàs] noun

organic gas used as fuel:
a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane formed by the decay of organic waste
matter and used as a fuel[1]



biogenesis

biogenesis
bi·o·gen·e·sis 
[b ō jénnississ] noun

1.  development
of living things: the generation of living things from
other preexisting life forms

2.  origins
of life:
the theory that living things can arise only from other living things and
cannot be spontaneously created

3.  BIOLOGY See recapitulation  noun 2
—bi·o·ge·net·ic [b ō jə néttik], adjective[1]



biogenic

biogenic
bio·gen·ic 
[b ō jénik] adjective

resulting from life or living
things: resulting from biological
activity or from living things • a
biogenic amine[1]



biogeochemistry

biogeochemistry
bi·o·ge·o·chem·is·try 
[b ō j ō kémmistree] noun

chemical
relationships between organisms and surroundings: the
study of the chemical relationships between organisms and their physical
environment
—bi·o·ge·o·chem·i·cal
[b ō j ō kémmikəl], adjective[1]



biogeography

biogeography
bi·o·ge·og·ra·phy 
[b ō jee ógrəfee] noun

study
of distribution of plants and animals: the
study of the geographical distribution of plants and animals
—bi·o·ge·og·ra·pher,
noun

—bi·o·ge·o·graph·ic
[b ō jə gráffik], adjective

—bi·o·ge·o·graph·i·cal
[b ō jə gráffikəl], adjective[1]



biographee

biographee
bi·og·ra·phee 
[bī ògrəf, bee
ògrəf] (plural bi·og·ra·phees) noun

subject of a biography:
somebody whose life is described in a biography[1]



biographical

biographical
bi·o·graph·i·cal 
[b ə gráffikəl] adjective

1.  relating
to somebody’s life story: relating to, containing, or
consisting of a description of somebody’s life, written by another person • a
biographical dictionary

2.  relating
to writing of biographies: relating to biography as a
form of writing
—bi·o·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



biography

biography
bi·og·ra·phy 
[bī ógrəfee, bee
ógrəfee] (plural bi·og·ra·phies) noun

1.  account
of somebody’s life: an account of somebody’s
life, for example, in the form of a book, movie, or television program, written
or produced by another person

2.  biographies
in general:
books about people’s lives, considered as a whole or as a type of literature
[Late
17th century. Via French and Latin from medieval Greek biographia
“writing about lives,” from Greek bios “life” (see bio- ) + graphein “to write” (see graphic ).]
—bi·o·graph·er, noun[1]



biohazard

biohazard
bi·o·haz·ard 
[b ō hàzzərd] (plural bi·o·haz·ards)
noun

harmful
agent:
a risk to human beings or their environment, especially one presented by a
toxic or infectious agent
—bi·o·haz·ard·ous [b ō házzər dəss], adjective[1]



bioinstrumentation

bioinstrumentation
bi·o·in·stru·men·ta·tion 
[b ō ìnstrə men táyshən] noun

instruments recording body’s
functions: instruments used to record
and display information about the body’s functions[1]



Bioko

Bioko
Bi·o·ko 
[bee ṓkō]

island in the Gulf of Guinea
that forms part of Equatorial Guinea. It contains the national capital, Malabo.
Population: 57,190 (1983) Area: 2,017 sq km/779 sq mi. Former name
Fernando Póo until 1973 Former name Macias Nguema[1]



biol.

biol.
biol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
biological

2.  Abbreviation
of
biology

[1]



biological

biological
bi·o·log·i·cal 
[b ə lójjik’l] adjective

1.  concerning
living things: relating to living organisms • biological
diversity

2.  relating
to biology:
relating to the science of biology

3.  containing
enzymes:
containing enzymes that are intended to digest stains caused by natural
substances • biological
detergent

4.  genetically
related:
related by birth rather than by adoption • my
biological mother
noun
(plural bi·o·log·i·cals)

medication or vaccine from living
organisms:
a drug or other compound such as an antibiotic or a vaccine that is produced by
living organisms. It is often a commercially important product of genetic
engineering.
—bi·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



biologicalclock

biologicalclock
bi·o·log·i·cal
clock
(plural bi·o·log·i·cal clocks) noun

physiological timing
mechanism: the set of mechanisms within
living organisms that link physiological processes with daily, monthly, or
seasonal cycles or with stages of development and aging.
Also called
body clock[1]



biologicalcontrol

biologicalcontrol
bi·o·log·i·cal
con·trol
(plural bi·o·log·i·cal con·trols) noun

pest control:
a method of reducing or eliminating plant pests by introducing predators or
microorganisms that attack the targeted pests but spare other species in the
area.
Also called
biocontrol[1]



biologicaloxygen demand

biologicaloxygen demand
bi·o·log·i·cal
ox·y·gen de·mand noun

See
biochemical oxygen demand[1]



biologicalshield

biologicalshield
bi·o·log·i·cal
shield
(plural bi·o·log·i·cal shields) noun

radiation shield around
nuclear reactor: a massive structure,
usually made of concrete and steel, built around the core of a nuclear reactor
to protect operating personnel from radiation[1]



biologicalwarfare

biologicalwarfare
bi·o·log·i·cal
war·fare
noun

use of biological weapons in
war: the use of microorganisms
and toxic biological products to cause death or injury to plants and animals,
including humans.
Also called
germ warfare[1]



biologicalweapon

biologicalweapon
bi·o·log·i·cal
weap·on
(plural bi·o·log·i·cal weap·ons) noun

missile containing harmful
microorganisms: a missile, bomb, or
other device used to deliver and disseminate biological agents that are
designed to cause disease, death, or damage to the environment and to humans[1]



biology

biology
bi·ol·o·gy 
[bī ólləjee] (plural bi·ol·o·gies)
noun

1.  science
of life:
the science that deals with all forms of life, including their classification,
physiology, chemistry, and interactions

2.  life
in one place: the forms of life in a particular
environment and their behavior, development, and history • the
biology of desert regions

3.  plant’s
or animal’s makeup: the physical makeup and
functioning of a particular plant or animal • the
biology of the fruit fly
[Early
19th century. Via French biologie from German, from Greek bios
“life” (see bio- ).]
—bi·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



bioluminescence

bioluminescence
bi·o·lu·mi·nes·cence 
[b ō lmə néssəns] noun

emitting
light by organism: the generation and emission
of light by living organisms such as fireflies, some bacteria and fungi, and
many marine animals
—bi·o·lu·mi·nes·cent, adjective[1]



biomagnification

biomagnification
bi·o·mag·ni·fi·ca·tion
[b ō mágnəfi káysh’n] noun

See
bioaccumulation[1]



biomass

biomass
bi·o·mass 
[b ō màs] (plural bi·o·mass·es)
noun

1.  mass
of organisms in ecosystem: the mass of living organisms
within a given environment, measured in terms of weight per unit of area

2.  plant
and animal waste as fuel: plant and animal material,
for example, agricultural waste products, used as a source of fuel

3.  organism’s
dry weight:
the mass of material in a living organism, or in a community of organisms,
usually measured in terms of dry weight

[1]



biomaterial

biomaterial
bi·o·ma·te·ri·al 
[b ō mə tree əl] noun

material compatible with
living tissue: material that can
safely be implanted into the human body and left there without causing an
adverse reaction[1]



biomathematics

biomathematics
bi·o·math·e·mat·ics 
[b ō màthə máttiks] noun

math
applied to biology: the application of
mathematical methods and formulas to medical or biological phenomena (takes
a singular verb)
—bi·o·math·e·mat·i·cal,
adjective

—bi·o·math·e·ma·ti·cian
[b ō màthəmə tíshən], noun[1]



biome

biome
bi·ome 
[b m] (plural bi·omes) noun

major
ecological community: a division of the world’s
vegetation that corresponds to a particular climate and is characterized by
certain types of plants and animals, for example, tropical rain forest or
desert. The world’s lakes and oceans may also be considered biomes, although they
are less susceptible to climatic influences than terrestrial biomes.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from bio- and -ome
.][1]



biomechanics

biomechanics
bi·o·me·chan·ics 
[b ō mi kánniks] noun

MEDICINE motion
study:
the study of body movements and of the forces acting on the musculoskeletal
system (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

mechanical
forces acting on body: the mechanical forces at
work in a particular body or organ (takes a plural verb)
—bi·o·me·chan·i·cal,
adjective

—bi·o·me·chan·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



biomedicalengineering

biomedicalengineering
bi·o·med·i·cal
en·gi·neer·ing noun

See
bioengineering[1]



biomedicine

biomedicine
bi·o·med·i·cine 
[b ō médisin] noun

1.  basic
science applied to medicine: the employing of the
principles of biology, biochemistry, physiology, and other basic sciences to
solve problems in clinical medicine

2.  study
of body in extreme conditions: the study of the
body’s ability to withstand the stresses of unusual environments, for example,
outer space
—bi·o·med·i·cal [b ō méddikəl], adjective[1]



biometeorology

biometeorology
bi·o·me·te·or·ol·o·gy 
[b ō mtee ə rólə jee] noun

effects of weather on living
things: the study of how weather
conditions affect living things[1]



biometry

biometry
bi·om·e·try 
[bī ómitree] noun

biological
statistics:
the application of statistical techniques to biological studies
—bi·o·met·rist, noun[1]



biomolecule

biomolecule
bi·o·mol·e·cule
[b ō móli kyl] (plural bi·o·mol·e·cules)
noun

1.  molecule
that organisms are made of: one of the molecules from
which living organisms are made

2.  molecule
of biological compound: a molecule of a compound
produced by or important to a biological organism
—bi·o·mo·lec·u·lar [b o mə lékyələr], adjective[1]



bionic

bionic
bi·on·ic 
[bī ónik] adjective

1.  having
electronically powered organs: having many or most
ordinary human organs or functions replaced or enhanced by electronically
powered parts that give superhuman capabilities, in the realm of science
fiction

2.  having
superhuman qualities: having superhuman strength,
speed, or intensity (informal) • a
bionic appetite

3.  BIOLOGY involving
bionics:
involving or relating to bionics
[Early 20th century. Coined
from bio- + electronic
.][1]



bionics

bionics
bi·on·ics 
[bī óniks] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  application
of biological information to machines: the
study of biological function and mechanics, and the application of them to
machine design

2.  use
of electronically operated replacement organs: the
use of electronic devices to replace damaged limbs and organs

[1]



-biont

-biont
-biont 
suffix

an
organism that lives under particular conditions • halobiont
[From symbiont][1]



bioorganic

bioorganic
bi·o·or·gan·ic 
[b ō awr gánnik] adjective

containing biologically
important carbon: used to describe a
carbon-based ( organic ) compound produced
by a living organism or of biological importance[1]



biophysics

biophysics
bi·o·phys·ics 
[b ō fízziks] noun

use
of physics in biological studies: the science that
applies the laws and methods of physics to the study of biological processes (takes
a singular verb)
—bi·o·phys·i·cal,
adjective

—bi·o·phys·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—bi·o·phys·i·cist, noun[1]



biopolymer

biopolymer
bi·o·pol·y·mer 
[b ō pólləmər] (plural bi·o·pol·y·mers)
noun

type of molecule in living
organism: a substance that is composed
of molecules joined in long chains ( polymers
) and is produced in living organisms. Proteins and DNA are biopolymers.[1]



bioprocess

bioprocess
bi·o·proc·ess 
[b ō pròssess, b
ō prssess] (plural bi·o·proc·es·ses) noun

method of producing
biological material: any method
for producing commercially useful biological material[1]



biopsy

biopsy
bi·op·sy 
[b òpsee] (plural bi·op·sies)
noun

removal
of living tissue: the removal of a sample of tissue from a
living person for laboratory examination
[Late
19th century. Coined from bio- + Greek opsis
“a viewing,” from ōps “eye”; modeled on necropsy
.]
—bi·op·sic
[bī ópsik], adjective

—bi·op·tic [bī óptik], adjective[1]



biopsychology

biopsychology
bi·o·psy·chol·o·gy 
[b ō sī kólləjee] noun

See
psychobiology[1]



bioreactor

bioreactor
bi·o·re·ac·tor 
[b ō ree àktər] (plural bi·o·re·ac·tors)
noun

1.  microorganism
used in industrial processes: a microorganism that,
through its biochemical reactions, can produce medically or commercially useful
materials, for example, beer from fermentation of yeast or insulin from
genetically altered bacteria

2.  tank
for growing microorganisms: a large tank for growing
microorganisms used in industrial production.
Also
called
fermentation vat

[1]



bioremediation

bioremediation
bi·o·re·me·di·a·tion
[b ō ri mdee áysh’n] noun

environmental cleanup by
biological agents: the use of
biological means to restore or clean up contaminated land, for example, by
adding bacteria and other organisms that consume or neutralize contaminants in
the soil[1]



biorhythm

biorhythm
bi·o·rhythm 
[b ō rìəm] (plural bi·o·rhythms)
noun

natural
cyclical physiological change: a cyclical change, for
example, sleeping, waking, or the reproductive cycle, that takes place within
living organisms. Some people believe that biorhythms affect behavior, mood,
and sense of well-being. (often used in the plural)
—bi·o·rhyth·mic
[b ō rímik], adjective

—bi·o·rhyth·mi·cal·ly
[b ō rímiklee], adverb[1]



biorhythmics

biorhythmics
bi·o·rhyth·mics 
[b ō rímiks] noun

study of biorhythms:
a branch of science dealing with biorhythms (takes a singular verb)[1]



BIOS

BIOS
BIOS


COMPUTING
Abbreviation of Basic Input-Output System[1]



biosatellite

biosatellite
bi·o·sat·el·lite 
[b ō sàtt’l t] (plural bi·o·sat·el·lites)
noun

satellite that can be lived
in: a satellite designed for
living beings, including humans, to live in[1]



bioscience

bioscience
bi·o·sci·ence 
[b ō s əns] (plural bi·o·sci·ences)
noun

science that studies life:
a science, for example, biology, ecology, physiology, or molecular biology that
studies structures, functions, interactions, or other aspects of living
organisms[1]



bioscientist

bioscientist
bi·o·sci·en·tist
[b ō s əntist] (plural bi·o·sci·en·tists)
noun

specialist in a life science:
a specialist in any of the life sciences, for example, biology, ecology,
physiology, or molecular biology[1]



biosensor

biosensor
bi·o·sen·sor 
[b ō sènsər, b
ō sènsawr] (plural bi·o·sen·sors) noun

device for detecting
physiological signals: an
apparatus for detecting chemical or physical signals that provide information
about specific biological activities. Blood pressure or heart monitors and
systems that use live organisms are types of biosensors.[1]



-biosis

-biosis
-biosis
suffix

a
particular mode of life • necrobiosis
[From
Greek biōsis “way of living,” from bioun “to live,” from bios
“life” (see bio- )]
—-biotic, suffix[1]



biosphere

biosphere
bi·o·sphere 
[b ə sfr] (plural bi·o·spheres)
noun

planet
Earth and its life: the whole area of the
Earth’s surface, atmosphere, and sea that is inhabited by living things.
Also
called
ecosphere
—bi·o·spher·ic [bə sfrik, bə sférik],
adjective[1]



biospherereserve

biospherereserve
bi·o·sphere
re·serve
(plural bi·o·spheric re·serves) noun

nationally or internationally
protected area: a type of nationally or
internationally protected area managed primarily to preserve natural ecological
processes. Biosphere reserves are often open to tourists.[1]



biosphericcycles

biosphericcycles
bi·o·spher·ic
cy·cles
plural noun

naturally occurring recycling
processes: the natural recycling
processes essential to life on Earth, involving the principal elements that
make up the biosphere. They include the oxygen cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen
cycle, and water cycle.[1]



biostatics

biostatics
bi·o·stat·ics
[b ō státtiks] noun

biological
form and function: a branch of science dealing
with the relationship between the structure and the function of an organism (takes
a singular verb)
—bi·o·stat·ic,
adjective

—bi·o·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



biostratigraphy

biostratigraphy
bi·o·stra·tig·ra·phy
[b ō strə tíggrəfee] noun

science of dating sedimentary
rocks: the branch of science that
uses animal and plant fossils to date and correlate sequences of sedimentary
rocks[1]



biostrome

biostrome
bi·o·strome
[b ə strm] noun

separate
layer in rock: a thin layer in a rock formation that
consists of organic material such as fossils, deposited at the site where they
lived
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek strōma “bed, covering.”][1]



biosynthesis

biosynthesis
bi·o·syn·the·sis 
[b ō sínthississ] noun

biological
production of chemical substances: the synthesis of
chemical substances as the result of biological activity
—bi·o·syn·thet·ic
[b ō sin théttik], adjective

—bi·o·syn·thet·i·cal·ly
[b ō sin théttiklee], adverb[1]



biosystematics

biosystematics
bi·o·sys·tem·at·ics 
[b ō sìstə máttiks] noun

study
of relationships between organisms: the
study of the relationships among groups of species using criteria such as
morphology, biochemistry, and DNA comparisons, especially to determine the
history of a species (takes a singular verb)
—bi·o·sys·tem·at·ic, adjective[1]



biota

biota
bi·o·ta 
[bī ṓtə] (plural bi·o·tas) noun

all
the organisms in given area: the total complement of
animals and plants in a particular area • The
biotas of tropical forests are the richest of all.
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek biotē “life,” from bios “life” (see bio- ).][1]



biotech

biotech
bi·o·tech 
[b ō ték] noun

See
biotechnology
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



biotechnical

biotechnical
bi·o·tech·ni·cal
[b ō téknik’l] adjective

of biotechnology:
relating to or involving biotechnology[1]



biotechnology

biotechnology
bi·o·tech·nol·o·gy
[b ō tek nólləjee] noun

practical
use of biological processes: the use of biological
processes or living microorganisms in industrial production. Early examples of
biotechnology include the making of cheese, wine, and beer, while later
developments include vaccine and insulin production.
Also
called
biotech


See
ergonomics
—bi·o·tech·no·log·i·cal
[b ō teknə lójjik’l], adjective

—bi·o·tech·no·log·i·cal·ly
[b ō teknə lójjiklee], adverb

—bi·o·tech·nol·o·gist
[b ō tek nólləjist], noun[1]



biotelemetry

biotelemetry
bi·o·te·lem·e·try 
[b ō tə lémmitree] noun

electronic monitoring at a
distance: the remote monitoring of
vital processes, for example, by attaching a signaling device to an animal[1]



biotherapy

biotherapy
bi·o·ther·a·py 
[b ō thèrrəpee] (plural bi·o·ther·a·pies)
noun

treatment with live vaccines
or antibiotics: the treatment of
disease with substances produced through the activity of living organisms, such
as serums, vaccines, or antibiotics[1]



biotic

biotic
bi·ot·ic 
[bī óttik] adjective

living:
used to describe the features of a natural system that are living
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek biōtikos “of life, lively,” ultimately from bios
“life” (see bio- ). In modern use from
French biotique .][1]



bioticpotential

bioticpotential
bi·ot·ic
po·ten·tial
(plural bi·ot·ic po·ten·tials) noun

optimal ability to survive
and reproduce: the optimal ability of
an organism or a species to survive and reproduce successfully[1]



biotin

biotin
bi·o·tin 
[b ətin] noun

vitamin
B component: a vitamin in the B complex that is found
in egg yolk, cereals, milk, and liver and is used by the body in metabolizing
fat and carbohydrates. Deficiency can lead to dermatitis, loss of appetite,
hair loss, and anemia. C10H16N2O3S
Also
called
vitamin H
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek biōtos “life, sustenance,” from bios “life” (see bio- ) + -in .][1]



biotite

biotite
bi·o·tite 
[b ə tt] noun

mineral:
a black, dark brown, or green silicate mineral found in igneous and metamorphic
rocks. It is a member of the mica group of minerals and shares a similar
crystal structure.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French physicist J.-B. Biot (1774–1862).][1]



biotope

biotope
bi·o·tope 
[b ətp] (plural bi·o·topes) noun

small
environmentally distinct area: a small area with a
distinct set of environmental conditions that supports a particular ecological
community of plants and animals
[Early 20th century. From
German Biotop, formed from Greek topos “place.”][1]



biotron

biotron
bi·o·tron 
[b ə tròn] (plural bi·o·trons)
noun

controlled laboratory
environment: a place in a laboratory
in which temperature and other environmental conditions can be controlled[1]



biotroph

biotroph
bi·o·troph 
[b ə trōf] (plural bi·o·trophs)
noun

type of parasite:
a parasite that feeds on the living tissue of its host[1]



biotype

biotype
bi·o·type 
[b ə tp] (plural bi·o·types)
noun

genetically
alike group: a naturally occurring group of
individuals with the same genetic makeup ( genotype
)
—bi·o·typ·ic [b ə típpik], adjective[1]



biparental

biparental
bi·pa·ren·tal 
[b pə rént’l] adjective

having male and female
parents: descended from two parents,
male and female, as opposed to being the product of asexual reproduction[1]



biparietal

biparietal
bi·pa·ri·e·tal 
[b pə r it’l] adjective

relating to skull bones:
relating to or involving both parietal bones of the skull, particularly with
respect to the measurement of the distance between their rounded projections[1]



biparous

biparous
bip·a·rous 
[bíppərəss] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY bearing
young in pairs: giving birth to two offspring at one
time

2.  BOTANY producing
two branches: producing two branches from a single
stem
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from bi- + -parous
.][1]



bipartisan

bipartisan
bi·par·ti·san 
[bī prtizz’n, bī
prtiss’n] adjective

involving
two political parties: relating to, undertaken by,
or including two political parties • bipartisan
support
—bi·par·ti·san·ism,
noun

—bi·par·ti·san·ship, noun[1]



bipartite

bipartite
bi·par·tite 
[bī pr tt] adjective

1.  POLITICS two-part:
made or shared by two groups of people • a
bipartite agreement

2.  BOTANY divided
in two:
used to describe leaves that are almost completely divided into two parts
—bi·par·tite·ly,
adverb

—bi·par·ti·tion [b paar tísh’n], noun[1]



biped

biped
bi·ped 
[b pèd] (plural bi·peds) noun

two-legged
animal:
an animal, for example, a human, with only two legs for locomotion
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French bipède from the Latin stem biped- “two-footed,”
from ped- “foot.”][1]



bipedal

bipedal
bi·ped·al 
[bī pédd’l, bī
pd’l] adjective

two-legged:
used to describe an animal that has two legs or feet
[15th century. From Latin bipedalis,
from the stem biped- (see biped ).][1]



bipedalism

bipedalism
bi·ped·al·ism
[bī pédd’l ìzz’m] noun

walking upright:
walking upright on two feet as opposed to moving on all four limbs[1]



biphasic

biphasic
bi·pha·sic
[bī fáyzik] adjective

two-phased:
having two phases[1]



biphenyl

biphenyl
bi·phen·yl 
[bī fénn’l, bī
fn’l] noun

chemical used as fungicide:
a white crystalline substance used as a fungicide, in organic synthesis, and as
a heat transfer agent. C12H10[1]



bipinnate

bipinnate

bi·pin·nate 
[bī pínn àyt] adjective
with
divided leaflets: used to describe leaves divided into
leaflets that are themselves subdivided
—bi·pin·nate·ly, adverb[1]



biplane

biplane
bi·plane 
[b plàyn] (plural bi·planes) noun

airplane with two sets of
wings: an airplane with two sets of
wings, one above the other. The type was built and flown mainly in the early
part of the 20th century.[1]



bipod

bipod
bi·pod 
[b pòd] (plural bi·pods) noun

two-legged support:
a stand or support that has two legs[1]



bipolar

bipolar
bi·po·lar 
[bī pṓlər] adjective

1.  two-poled:
with two poles

2.  having
two different ideas: having two quite different
opinions, attitudes, or natures

3.  GEOGRAPHY relating
to N and S Poles: involving, found at, or relating to both
the North and South Poles

4.  PSYCHIATRY having
manic and depressed periods: characterized by shifts
between episodes of mania and depression

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING using
negative and positive charge carriers: used
to describe electronic devices, especially transistors, in which both negative
and positive charge carriers are utilized
—bi·po·lar·i·ty [b pō lárritee], noun[1]



bipolardisorder

bipolardisorder
bi·po·lar
dis·or·der
noun

psychiatric disorder with
extreme mood swings: a
psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme mood swings, ranging between
episodes of acute euphoria ( mania ) and
severe depression.
Also called
manic-depressive disorder[1]



bipotentiality

bipotentiality
bi·po·ten·ti·al·i·ty 
[bpə tenshee állitee] noun

potential development of
embryonic cell: the potential early in
embryological development for a cell or organ to differentiate in one of two
ways, especially for a gonad to become either an ovary or a testis[1]



biprism

biprism
bi·prism
[b prizz’m] (plural bi·prisms)
noun

type of prism producing
double images: a glass prism that
produces a double image of a single object[1]



bipropellant

bipropellant
bi·pro·pel·lant 
[bprə péllənt] (plural bi·pro·pel·lants)
noun

rocket fuel:
a substance made up of two elements, usually a fuel and an oxidizer, that is
used to propel a rocket.
Also called
dipropellant[1]



biquadratic

biquadratic
bi·quad·rat·ic 
[b kwo dráttik] adjective

of
the square of a square: relating to the fourth power
of a number • a
biquadratic equation
noun
(plural bi·quad·rat·ics)

equation involving square of
square: an equation that involves
the fourth power of a number[1]



biradial

biradial
bi·ra·di·al
[bī ráydee əl] adjective

MARINE
BIOLOGY symmetric
in two ways: with both bilateral and
radial symmetry, as found in some primitive marine animals[1]



biramous

biramous
bi·ra·mous 
[bī ráyməss] adjective

BIOLOGY
forked:
divided into or forming two branches • a
biramous appendage[1]



birch

birch

birch 
[burch] noun (plural birch·es)

1.  tall
tree with peeling bark: a tall tree that grows in
the northern hemisphere and has thin, papery, peeling bark. Genus: Betula

2.  wood
of a birch:
the wood that comes from the birch tree

3.  rod
for flogging somebody: a birch rod or bundle of
twigs, especially one formerly used to beat people as a punishment
transitive verb
(past birched, past participle birched, present
participle birch·ing, 3rd person present singular birch·es)

punish by beating:
to beat somebody with a birch rod as a punishment
[Old English birce,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced Dutch berk and
German Birke . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English bright .][1]



Bircher

Bircher
Birch·er 
[búrchər] (plural Birch·ers) noun

member
of right-wing U.S. group: a member of the John Birch
Society, a right-wing political organization in the United States with the
prime mission of fighting Communism
[Mid-20th century. Named for
John Birch, a U.S. Baptist missionary killed in 1945 by Chinese
Communists.][1]



birch-leafminer

birch-leafminer
birch-leaf
min·er
(plural birch-leaf min·ers) noun

sawfly that eats birch
leaves: a sawfly of the eastern
United States, the larvae of which feed on birch leaves. Latin name: Fenusa
pumila[1]



bird

bird

bird 
[burd] (plural birds) noun

1.  two-legged
winged animal: a two-legged warm-blooded animal that
has wings, a hard beak, and a body covered with feathers. Birds lay eggs from
which their young hatch, and most species can fly. Class: Aves

2.  fowl
eaten as food: a fowl, for example, a turkey, chicken,
duck, goose, or game hen, cooked and eaten as food

3.  kind
of person:
somebody of a particular type (informal) • he’s
a wise old bird

4.  airplane
or spacecraft: an aircraft, satellite, or rocket (slang)

5.  RACKET GAMES See shuttlecock

6.  SPORTS See clay pigeon
[Old
English brid “young bird,” of unknown origin]
give or flip or shoot
somebody the bird

to
hold the middle finger erect with the back of the hand toward somebody, as an
insult (slang)

kill two birds with one stone

to
achieve two goals with one action

(strictly) for the birds

worthless
or unacceptable (informal)

the birds and the bees

the facts about sexual
reproduction in humans (informal humorous)[1]



birdbath

birdbath
bird·bath 
[búrd bàth] (plural bird·baths
[búrd bàz]) noun

bath for birds:
a small shallow basin containing water that is placed outside a house for birds
to bathe in[1]



birdbrain

birdbrain
bird·brain 
[búrd bràyn] (plural bird·brains)
noun

somebody
unintelligent: somebody who is silly or mildly
unintelligent (informal)
—bird·brained, adjective[1]



birdcage

birdcage
bird·cage 
[búrd kàyj] (plural bird·cages)
noun

cage for a bird:
a cage with wire or bamboo bars used to keep birds in captivity[1]



birdcall

birdcall
bird·call 
[búrd kàwl] (plural bird·calls)
noun

1.  bird’s
cry:
the sound or cry of a bird, especially a warning cry

2.  instrument
imitating bird’s sound: a device that imitates a
bird’s call, used especially in trying to hunt or catch birds

[1]



birdcolonel

birdcolonel
bird
colo·nel
(plural bird colo·nels) noun

full
colonel:
a full colonel in the United States Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps, as
opposed to a lieutenant colonel (informal)
[From the insignia of an
eagle worn by a U.S. colonel][1]



birddog

birddog
bird
dog
(plural bird dogs) noun

hunting dog:
a dog used to bring back game birds after they have been shot[1]



bird-dog

bird-dog
bird-dog
(past bird-dogged, past participle bird-dog·ged, present
participle bird-dog·ging, 3rd person present singular bird-dogs)
intransitive and transitive verb

watch carefully:
to watch somebody or something carefully and persistently (informal)[1]



birder

birder
bird·er 
[búrdər] (plural bird·ers) noun

See
birdwatcher[1]



birdfeeder

birdfeeder
bird
feed·er
(plural bird feed·ers) noun

device for feeding birds:
a device containing food such as nuts that allows birds to feed at will[1]



birdhouse

birdhouse
bird·house 
[búrd hòwss] (plural bird·hous·es
[búrd hòwzez]) noun

1.  shelter
for birds:
a small box or shelter that is specially built for birds to nest in

2.  large
birdcage:
a large cage in which birds are kept in captivity

[1]



birdie

birdie
bird·ie 
[búrdee] noun (plural bird·ies)

1.  GOLF golf
score:
a score in golf in which the ball is hit into the hole using one stroke fewer
than the accepted standard number of strokes ( par
) for that hole

2.  RACKET GAMES See shuttlecock
transitive
verb
(past bird·ied, past participle bird·ied, present
participle bird·ie·ing, 3rd person present singular bird·ies)

GOLF play
hole one stroke under par: to play a hole in golf in
one stroke less than the accepted standard number ( par
)
[Late 18th century. In the
sense “golf score,” perhaps from slang bird “exceptionally smart or
accomplished person.”][1]



Bird,Larry

Bird,Larry
Bird 
[burd], Larry (1956– )

U.S.
basketball player. As the Boston Celtics’ star forward (1979–1992), he led them
to three NBA championships and was three times the NBA’s most valuable player.
Full name
Bird, Larry Joe[1]



birdlife

birdlife
bird·life
[búrd lf] noun

birds as a group:
all the birds that live in a particular area or region[1]



birdlime

birdlime
bird·lime 
[búrd lm] noun

sticky
substance for trapping birds: a sticky substance made from
plants that is spread on trees to catch birds
transitive
verb
(past bird·limed, past participle bird·limed, present
participle bird·lim·ing, 3rd person present singular bird·limes)

trap birds with sticky
substance: to spread a sticky substance
on trees in order to catch birds[1]



birdlouse

birdlouse
bird
louse
(plural bird lice) noun

insect that lives on birds:
a wingless insect with a flattened body that is not truly parasitic but lives
on the feathers and skin debris of birds, often causing skin irritation.
Suborder: Mallophaga[1]



birdof paradise

birdof paradise

bird
of par·a·dise (plural birds of par·a·dise)
noun

1.  BIRDS bird
with bright feathers: a bird from New Guinea and
Australia, the male of which has bright feathers used in spectacular mating
displays. Family: Paradisaeidae

2.        PLANTS plant
with flowers like bird’s head: a
South African or South American plant that has flowers containing erect orange
and blue petals resembling a bird’s head and crest in shape. Genus: Strelitzia

Also called
crane flower[1]



birdof passage

birdof passage
bird
of pas·sage
(plural birds of pas·sage) noun

1.  migratory
bird:
a bird that migrates from one region or country to another according to the
season

2.  transient:
somebody who travels around a lot, rarely staying in the same place for long

[1]



birdof prey

birdof prey

bird of prey
(plural birds of prey) noun
bird that kills for food:
a bird that kills other birds and animals for food and has excellent eyesight,
sharp talons, and a sharp curved beak. Owls, eagles, and hawks are birds of
prey.[1]



birdpepper

birdpepper
bird
pep·per
(plural bird pep·pers) noun

1.  PLANTS pepper
plant:
a tropical plant that has a thin hot-tasting fruit. The bird pepper is thought
to be the ancestor of the sweet pepper and many hot peppers. Latin name: Capsicum
frutescens

2.  FOOD hot-tasting
pepper:
the small pod-shaped hot-tasting fruit of the bird pepper plant

[1]



birdsanctuary

birdsanctuary
bird
sanc·tu·ar·y (plural bird sanc·tu·ar·ies)
or bird re·serve (plural bird re·serves) noun

place for protecting birds:
a natural area where birds are kept under protection so that they can live and
breed in safety and under observation[1]



birdseed

birdseed
bird·seed 
[búrd sd] noun

food for birds:
seed or a mixture of seeds, usually used for feeding caged or wild birds[1]



Birdseye,Clarence

Birdseye,Clarence
Birds·eye 
[búrdz ], Clarence (1886–1956)

U.S. inventor and business
executive. He pioneered the retailing of quick-frozen and dehydrated foods.[1]



birdshot

birdshot
bird·shot 
[búrd shòt] noun

small lead shot:
small lead shot designed to be fired from a shotgun[1]



birdsong

birdsong
bird·song 
[búrd sòng] noun

the song of birds:
the sounds made by a bird to attract a mate or defend territory[1]



birdspider

birdspider
bird
spi·der
(plural bird spi·ders) noun

spider that eats birds:
a large hairy spider from tropical America that eats birds. Family:
Aviculariidae[1]



birdstrike

birdstrike
bird
strike
(plural bird strikes) noun

collision when bird hits
aircraft: a collision between a bird
and an aircraft in flight[1]



birdwatcher

birdwatcher
bird·watch·er
[búrd wòchər] (plural bird·watch·ers)
noun

somebody
who watches birds: somebody who as a hobby
observes birds in their natural habitats, usually from a distance using
binoculars.
Also
called
birder
—bird·watch·ing, noun[1]



bird’s-eye

bird’s-eye
bird’s-eye 
noun (plural bird’s-eyes)

1.  fabric
pattern:
a pattern for fabric that is composed of diamond shapes with a dot in the
middle of each

2.  patterned
fabric:
fabric with a bird’s-eye pattern
adjective

marked with spots:
marked with round dark spots resembling the eyes of birds • bird’s-eye
maple

[1]



bird’s-eyeview

bird’s-eyeview
bird’s-eye
view
(plural bird’s-eye views) noun

1.  view
from high up: a view that is seen from somewhere very
high up

2.  general
impression:
an overall impression or summary of something without details

[1]



bird’s-foottrefoil

bird’s-foottrefoil
bird’s-foot
tre·foil 
(plural bird’s-foot tre·foils) noun

plant with seedpods
resembling bird’s foot: a creeping
wild plant that has yellow flowers with red tips and seedpods in the shape of a
bird’s foot. Latin name: Lotus corniculatus[1]



bird’snest

bird’snest
bird’s
nest
(plural bird’s nests) noun

Asian food:
a food delicacy obtained from high cliffs in Southeast Asia, believed to be
swifts’ nests built with the birds’ saliva. Bird’s nest, usually used in soups,
is believed by the Chinese to be good for the skin and lungs. (hyphenated
when used before a noun) • bird’s-nest
soup[1]



bird’s-nestfern

bird’s-nestfern
bird’s-nest
fern 
(plural bird’s-nest ferns) noun

fern growing on trees:
a fern with long green fronds shaped like a bird’s nest that grows on the
ground or on trees in parts of Australia, India, and the South Pacific islands.
Latin name: Asplenium nidus[1]



birefringence

birefringence
bi·re·frin·gence 
[b ri frínjənss] noun

splitting
in two of ray of light: the splitting of one ray of
light into two in an anisotropic medium.
U.K.
term
double refraction
—bi·re·frin·gent, adjective[1]



bireme

bireme
bi·reme 
[b rm] (plural bi·remes) noun

ancient
war gallery: an ancient warship that had two ranks of
oars on each side
[Late 16th century. From
Latin biremis, literally “two-oared,” from remus “oar.”][1]



biretta

biretta
bi·ret·ta 
[bə réttə] or be·ret·ta [bə réttə] noun

cleric’s
stiff hat:
a stiff hat worn by Roman Catholic clerics that has three upright sections
meeting at the center on top. Priests wear black birettas, bishops purple ones,
and cardinals red ones.
[Late 16th century. From
Italian berretta or Spanish birreta, from late Latin birrus,
birrum “hooded cape or cloak” (source of English beret ), perhaps ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



biriani

biriani
bi·ri·a·ni 
noun

See
biryani[1]



Birkenstock

Birkenstock
Birkenstock
[búrkən stòk] Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
footwear that includes sandals and clogs[1]



birl

birl
birl 
[burl] (past birled, past
participle birled, present participle birl·ing, 3rd
person present singular birls) transitive verb

make
floating log spin: to cause a floating log to
spin around in water
[Early
18th century. Thought to be an imitation of the sound of something rotating
rapidly.]
—birl·er, noun[1]



birling

birling
birl·ing 
[búrling] noun

balancing
game:
a game played by lumberjacks in which players have to balance on spinning
floating logs
[Late 16th century. From
Gaelic birlinn, beirlinn .][1]



Birmingham

Birmingham
Bir·ming·ham 
[búrminghàm, búrmingəm]

1.  the
second largest city in central England and a major industrial center. Located
in the west Midlands, it has three universities, two cathedrals, and the
National Exhibition Centre, built in 1976. Population: 1,017,500 (1995)

2.  city
in northern Alabama. Just south of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the largest
city in the state. Population: 258,543 (1996)

3.  city
in southeastern Michigan, just southeast of Pontiac. It is a northwestern
suburb of Detroit. Population: 19,794 (1996)

[1]



Birney,Earle

Birney,Earle
Bir·ney
[búrn], Earle (1904– )

Canadian
poet. He wrote experimental poetry in the 1960s.
Full name
Birney, Alfred Earle[1]



Birney,James

Birney,James
Bir·ney 
[búrn], James (1792–1857)

U.S.
abolitionist. He advocated the emancipation of enslaved people and twice ran as
the Liberty Party candidate for president (1840, 1844).
Full name
Birney, James Gillespie[1]



birr

birr1
birr1 [bur]
intransitive and transitive verb (past birred, past
participle birred, present participle bir·ring, 3rd
person present singular birrs)

U.S.,
Scotland make whir: to
make a whirring sound, or cause something to make a whirring sound
noun
(plural birrs)

U.S.,
Scotland whir: a
whirring sound
[14th century. From Old Norse
byrr “favorable wind,” of uncertain origin: perhaps literally “thing
carried,” and ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English burden .][1]



birr

birr2
birr2 [beer]
(plural birrs) noun

1.  Ethiopian
unit of currency: the basic unit of currency of Ethiopia,
worth 100 cents

2.  bill
and coin worth a birr: a bill and coin worth one
birr
[Late 20th century. From
Amharic .][1]



birth

birth
birth
[burth] noun (plural births)

1.  event
of being born: the emergence of the young of a human or
animal from the mother’s womb into the outside world • The
father was present at the birth.

2.  process
of being born: the process of bringing forth young from
a mother’s womb • the growing number of
home births

3.  time
or place of birth: the time or place of birth

4.  somebody’s
heritage:
somebody’s social or national origins • a
man of noble birth • Italian
by birth

5.  origin
of something: the origin, beginning, or formation of
something • the
birth of jazz

6.  somebody’s
child:
the child of a particular mother born at a particular time (archaic)
adjective

biologically related as a parent:
biologically related to somebody, especially as a parent, rather than related
by adoption
transitive
verb

Southern U.S. have
or deliver infant: to have or deliver a baby
[13th
century. From Old Norse byrð, ultimately from an Indo-European word that
also produced English bear “to
carry.”]
give
birth

1.  to
produce a child or young from the womb

2.  to
originate or be responsible for creating something • a
revolution that gave birth to a free nation

[1]



birthcanal

birthcanal
birth
ca·nal
(plural birth ca·nals) noun

passageway out of the womb:
the passageway including the cervix and vagina through which a fetus emerges
from the womb into the outside world[1]



birthcertificate

birthcertificate
birth
cer·tif·i·cate (plural birth cer·tif·i·cates)
noun

document recording somebody’s
birth: an official document that
states when and where somebody was born and the parents’ names[1]



birthcontrol

birthcontrol
birth
con·trol
noun

pregnancy prevention:
the deliberate limiting, usually by contraceptive means, of the number of
children born[1]



birthcontrol pill

birthcontrol pill
birth
con·trol pill (plural birth con·trol pills)
noun

See
oral contraceptive[1]



birthday

birthday
birth·day 
[búrth dày] (plural birth·days)
noun

1.  anniversary
of day of birth: the day in each year that is the
anniversary of the day somebody was born (often used before a noun)

2.  day
somebody is born: the day on which somebody is born





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Birthday Party, a play by English dramatist Harold Pinter (1958). It tells
  the story of a young man called Stanley whose comfortable life in a seaside
  boarding house is disrupted by the arrival of two mysterious intimidating strangers,
  Goldberg and McCann. Noted for its sinisterly formal dialogue, the play
  creates a disturbing atmosphere of paranoia and fear.

[1]



birthdaysuit

birthdaysuit
birth·day
suit
(plural birth·day suits) noun

nudity:
a state of nakedness (slang humorous)[1]



birthfather

birthfather
birth
fa·ther
(plural birth fa·thers) noun

somebody’s natural father:
somebody’s biological father, especially in the case of an adopted child[1]



birthing

birthing
birth·ing 
[búrthing] noun

giving
birth:
the process of giving birth, especially when using natural childbirth methods
adjective

for facilitating childbirth:
designed to facilitate childbirth • a
birthing pool[1]



birthingcenter

birthingcenter
birth·ing
cen·ter
noun

childbirth medical facility
resembling home: a clinic or hospital
that provides medical care during labor and childbirth in a friendly
environment resembling the mother’s own home[1]



birthingchair

birthingchair
birth·ing
chair
(plural birth·ing chairs) noun

chair for childbirth:
a chair designed to support a woman and ease the process of childbirth by
enabling gravity to act on the fetus as it moves through the birth canal[1]



birthingroom

birthingroom
birth·ing
room
(plural birth·ing rooms) noun

nonclinical-looking room for
delivering babies: an area
with nonclinical-looking surroundings in a hospital or other building set up
for childbirth[1]



birthmark

birthmark
birth·mark 
[búrth mrk] (plural birth·marks)
noun

blemish on skin:
a reddish or brown marking seen on the skin of some newborn babies that
typically remains visible for life[1]



birthmother

birthmother
birth
moth·er
(plural birth moth·ers) noun

somebody’s natural mother:
somebody’s biological mother, especially in the case of an adopted child[1]



birthpangs

birthpangs
birth
pangs
noun

See
contraction
plural
noun

initial difficulties:
a difficult or troubled period at the start of something[1]



birthparent

birthparent
birth
par·ent
(plural birth par·ents) noun

somebody’s natural parents:
somebody’s biological mother or father, especially in the case of an adopted
child[1]



birthplace

birthplace
birth·place 
[búrth plàyss] (plural birth·places)
noun

place of birth or origin:
a place where somebody was born or where something first started • Shakespeare’s
birthplace • the
birthplace of classical philosophy[1]



birthrate

birthrate
birth·rate
[búrth ràyt] (plural birth·rates)
noun

number of children born per
year: the number of live births
per 1,000 members of the population in a year • a
declining birthrate.
Also called
natality[1]



birthright

birthright
birth·right 
[búrth rt] (plural birth·rights)
noun

1.  basic
entitlement: a basic right that somebody has or is
thought to be entitled to from birth • Freedom
of speech is our birthright.

2.  family
property somebody expects to own: property or money that
somebody feels entitled to because it belongs in the family

[1]



birthroot

birthroot
birth·root 
[búrth rt, búrth
rt] (plural birth·roots or birth·root) noun

plant used during childbirth:
a North American plant whose roots were once used by Native Americans to help
ease childbirth. Genus: Trillium
See also
trillium[1]



birthstone

birthstone
birth·stone 
[búrth stn] (plural birth·stones)
noun

lucky stone:
a precious or semiprecious stone such as an amethyst or garnet that is
popularly associated with the month in which somebody was born. A birthstone is
believed by some people to bring luck.[1]



birthwort

birthwort
birth·wort 
[búrth wùrt, búrth
wàwrt] noun

plant that helps pain in
childbirth: a European climbing plant
that was formerly used to help ease pain during childbirth. Latin name: Aristolochia
clematitis[1]



biryani

biryani
bi·ry·a·ni 
[bìrree nee] (plural bi·ry·a·nis)
or bi·ri·a·ni [bìrree nee] (plural
bi·ri·a·nis) noun

Indian
dish:
an Indian dish containing spicy colored rice mixed with meat, fish, or
vegetables • chicken
biryani
[Mid-20th century. Via Hindi
from Persian biriyān, literally “fried, grilled.”][1]



bis

bis
bis 
[bis] adverb

to
be repeated: to be played or sung again (used as a
musical direction)
interjection

calling
for encore:
used by members of an audience to call for an encore
[Early 17th century. Via
French and Italian from Latin, “twice,” ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “two,” which is also the ancestor of English two .][1]



Biscay,Bay of

Biscay,Bay of
Bis·cay,
Bay of
[bis káy]

arm of the North Atlantic
Ocean between western France and northern Spain. Area: 223,000 sq km/86,000 sq
mi.[1]



BiscayneBay

BiscayneBay
Bis·cayne
Bay 
[bis káyn bày, bís
kàyn bày]

shallow inlet of the Atlantic
Ocean on the East Coast of southern Florida. The city of Miami is on the
northern shore, and Biscayne Bay National Park is to the east. Length: 64 km/40
mi.[1]



biscotto

biscotto
bis·cot·to 
[bi skóttō] (plural bis·cot·ti
[bi skóttee]) noun

anise-flavored
cookie:
a hard oblong cookie often containing nuts and usually flavored with anise
[Via Italian from medieval
Latin bis coctus “twice cooked” (see biscuit
)][1]



biscuit

biscuit
bis·cuit 
[bískit] noun (plural bis·cuits)

1.  FOOD small
round piece of bread: a small round plain piece of
bread that rises with baking powder or soda and is then baked in an oven

2.  U.K.
FOOD See cookie

3.  COLORS light
brown:
a light brown color

4.  CERAMICS unglazed
pottery:
pottery that has been fired but not glazed.
Also
called
bisque
adjective

COLORS light
brown:
of a light brown color
[14th century. From Old
French bescuit, literally “twice-cooked,” ultimately from Latin bis
“twice” + coctus, past participle of coquere “to cook” (source of
English cook ).][1]



biscuitfiring

biscuitfiring
bis·cuit
fir·ing
(plural bis·cuit fir·ings) noun

first firing of clay object:
the first firing of something made of clay, at a relatively low temperature[1]



biscuitware

biscuitware
bis·cuit
ware
noun

pots after first firing:
pots or pottery that have been through a first firing at a relatively low
temperature[1]



bisect

bisect
bi·sect 
[b sèkt, bī
sékt] (past bi·sect·ed, past participle bi·sect·ed,
present participle bi·sect·ing, 3rd person present singular
bi·sects) transitive verb

1.  split
into two:
to split something into two parts • The
river bisects the town.

2.  MATHEMATICS halve:
to divide something into two exactly equal parts
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from bi- + Latin sect-,
the past participle stem of secare “to cut” (see section ).]
—bi·sec·tion
[bī séksh’n], noun

—bi·sec·tion·al,
adjective

—bi·sec·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



bisector

bisector
bi·sec·tor 
[b sèktər, bī
séktər] (plural bi·sec·tors) noun

line that divides another
line: a straight line or plane
that divides an angle or another line into two exactly equal parts[1]



bisexual

bisexual
bi·sex·u·al 
[bī sékshooəl, bī
sékshəl] adjective

1.  attracted
to both sexes: sexually attracted to both men and
women, or engaging in both heterosexual and homosexual activity

2.  both
male and female in characteristics:
having both male and female characteristics

3.  BIOLOGY with
male and female reproductive organs: used
to describe something such as a flower that has both male and female
reproductive organs
noun
(plural bi·sex·u·als)

somebody sexually attracted to both sexes:
somebody who is sexually attracted to both men and women, or who engages in
both heterosexual and homosexual activity
—bi·sex·u·al·i·ty
[bī sekshoo állətee], noun

—bi·sex·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



Bishkek

Bishkek
Bish·kek 
[bish kék]

capital of Kyrgyzstan, in the
northern part of the country, on the Chu River, just south of the border with
Kazakhstan. Population: 630,000 (1994)[1]



bishop

bishop
bish·op 
[bíshəp] (plural bish·ops) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY senior
Christian cleric: a senior Christian cleric, especially in
the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Eastern Orthodox churches, who is in charge
of the spiritual life and administration of a particular region ( diocese )

2.  CHESS chess
piece:
a chess piece that can be moved diagonally across the board over any number of
squares of the same color
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin episcopus
“bishop, overseer” from Greek episkopos “overseer,” from skopos
“watcher” (source of English scope
).][1]



Bishop,Elizabeth

Bishop,Elizabeth
Bish·op 
[bíshəp], Elizabeth (1911–1979)

U.S. poet. Known for her
personal, reflective poetry, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her collections North
and South: A Cold Spring ( 1955 ).[1]



bishopric

bishopric
bish·op·ric 
[bíshəprik] (plural bish·op·rics)
noun

1.  bishop’s
diocese:
an area that a bishop is in charge of

2.  bishop’s
see:
a place where a bishop’s cathedral is situated

3.  rank
of bishop:
the rank or office of a bishop
[Pre-12th century. Formed
from bishop + Old English rīce
“realm, power.”][1]



bishop’scap

bishop’scap
bish·op’s
cap 
(plural bish·op’s caps) noun

See
miterwort[1]



bishop’sweed

bishop’sweed
bish·op’s
weed
noun

See
goutweed[1]



Bislama

Bislama
Bis·la·ma
[bis lmə] noun

language
of SW Pacific: the national language of Vanuatu in the
Pacific, a modern form of the English-based pidgin language known as
Beach-la-Mar. Approximately 128,000 people speak Bislama.
[Late 20th century. Local
pronunciation and official spelling of Beach-la-Mar
.][1]



Bismarck

Bismarck
Bis·marck 
[bíz mrk]

capital of North Dakota, on
the eastern bank of the Missouri River. Population: 53,514 (1996)[1]



BismarckArchipelago

BismarckArchipelago
Bis·marck
Ar·chi·pel·a·go

group of over 200 islands,
part of Papua New Guinea, in the western Pacific Ocean, off New Guinea. Area:
51,800 sq km/20,720 sq mi.[1]



Bismarck,Otto Eduard Leopold von

Bismarck,Otto Eduard Leopold von

Bis·marck 
[bíz mrk], Otto Eduard Leopold von, Prince
(1815–1898)
German
statesman. As Prussian prime minister after 1862, he embarked on the European
wars that unified the German states. He was the most powerful statesman in
Europe as chancellor of the new German Empire from 1871 to 1890.
Known as
the Iron Chancellor[1]



bismuth

bismuth

bis·muth 
[bízməth] noun
metallic
element:
a heavy reddish-white crystalline metallic element that breaks easily and is
widely used in alloys. The compounds of bismuth are used in medicines. Symbol
Bi
[Mid-17th century. From
obsolete German Bismut and modern Latin bisemutum from Middle
High German wise “meadow” + muth “claim to a mine.”][1]



bison

bison


bi·son 
[bss’n] (plural bi·son) noun
large
humped animal: a large hairy animal resembling an ox,
but with massive head and shoulders and a humped back. Bison were once common
in North America and Europe, but are now mainly found only in protected areas.
Genus: Bison
See
also
buffalo
See
also
wisent
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin bison, which came from a prehistoric Germanic
source that also produced English wisent
.][1]



bisque

bisque2
bisque2 [bisk]
noun

1.  CERAMICS See biscuit  noun 4

2.  COLORS pinkish
brown:
a pinkish-brown color
adjective

pinkish-brown:
pinkish-brown in color
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of biscuit, perhaps in order to seem
fashionably French.][1]



bisque

bisque1
bisque1 [bisk]
noun

shellfish
soup:
a rich soup made from shellfish • lobster
bisque
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of unknown origin: perhaps an alteration of Biscaye “Biscay.”][1]



bisque

bisque3
bisque3 [bisk]
(plural bisques) noun

extra
point or stroke: an extra turn, stroke, or point that is
given as an advantage to a weaker player in a game of tennis, golf, or croquet
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



Bissau

Bissau
Bis·sau 
[bi sów]

city on the northern shore of
the Geba River estuary and capital of Guinea-Bissau since 1941. Population:
200,000 (1994)[1]



bissextile

bissextile
bis·sex·tile 
[bī sékstil, bī
sékstl, bi sékstl] adjective

making
a leap year: having the extra day in a year that
makes it a leap year • bissextile
month
noun
(plural bis·sex·tiles)

leap
year:
a leap year
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin bis(s)extilus, from Latin bi(s)sextus (dies), literally
“twice-sixth (day)” (February 24, counted twice in a leap year; the sixth day
before March 1), in the ancient Roman calendar from sextus “sixth.”][1]



bistort

bistort
bis·tort 
[bís tàwrt] noun

medicinal
plant:
a plant found in Europe and Asia with an S-shaped underground stem ( rhizome ) that was dried and used in traditional
medicine. Latin name: Polygonum bistorta
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French from assumed medieval Latin bistorta, from bis
“twice” + torta, feminine past participle of torquere “to twist”
(see torque ); from its twisted roots.][1]



bistoury

bistoury
bis·tou·ry 
[bístəree] (plural bis·tou·ries)
noun

surgical
knife:
a thin surgical knife designed to cut from the inside outward, formerly used to
cut open abscesses or enlarge fistulas
[Mid-18th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Italian dialectal bistori
“dagger,” which evolved from pistorino “of Pistoia,” a city in northern
Italy famous for the manufacture of knives.][1]



bistro

bistro
bis·tro 
[bstrō, bístrō]
(plural bis·tros) noun

small
restaurant:
a small restaurant or bar
[Early 20th century. From
French, originally “little restaurant,” of uncertain origin, perhaps related to
bistouille “raw spirits,” or from dialect bistraud “little
shepherd.”][1]



bisulfate

bisulfate
bi·sul·fate 
[bī súl fàyt] (plural bi·sul·fates)
noun

See
hydrogen sulfate[1]



bisulfide

bisulfide
bi·sul·fide 
[bī súl fd] (plural bi·sul·fides)
noun

See
disulfide[1]



bisulfite

bisulfite
bi·sul·fite 
[bī súl ft] (plural bi·sul·fites)
noun

See
hydrogen sulfite[1]



bit

bit1
bit1 [bit]
(plural bits) noun

1.  piece:
a small piece of something • There
were bits of paper everywhere.

2.  short
amount of time: a very short period of time or distance
• I’ll
do it in a bit.

3.  twelve-and-one-half
cents:
an eighth of a dollar (slang dated) (used in the plural) • two
bits

4.  MONEY small
coin:
a small coin of a particular value (informal dated) • a
threepenny bit

5.  ARTS short
performance: a short routine, joke, or skit in a
performance

6.  CINEMA small
acting part: a small part in a movie or play (often
used before a noun) • I had
a bit part in one of her movies.

7.  everything
about a role: all the aspects of a particular role in
life (informal) • did
the whole two-career marriage bit
[Old
English bita, formed from bītan “to bite” (see bite ). Originally “piece bitten off, morsel”; the
more general meaning “piece” dates from the 13th century.]
a
bit

somewhat
(informal)

bit
by bit

gradually

bits
and pieces

miscellaneous
small objects (informal) • I
collected up my bits and pieces and left.

do
your bit

to
contribute your share to work that needs to be done

every
bit

in
every way • She
is every bit as skilled as he is.

to
bits

very much or to the greatest
degree possible (informal) • I
just love the kids to bits![1]



bit

bit2
bit2 [bit]
noun (plural bits)

1.  mouthpiece
of bridle:
a part of a bridle, that consists of a metal mouthpiece held in a horse’s mouth
by the reins and used to control the horse

2.  detachable
part of drill: a small metal tool that is inserted into
a drill or brace and used for boring or drilling

3.  tool
blade:
the part of a plane that is used for cutting

4.  part
of key:
the part of a key that moves the tumblers or bolt of a lock

5.  part
of pincers:
the gripping part of a pair of pincers
transitive
verb
(past bit·ted, past participle bit·ted, present
participle bit·ting, 3rd person present singular bits)

1.  insert
bridle bit:
to put a bit into the mouth of a horse

2.  restrain:
to restrain somebody, or hold somebody back
[Old
English bite, from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English bitter and bite . The original meaning was “a bite.”]
champ
or chafe at the bit

to
be impatient for something to happen, or impatient because no action is
possible

get
or take or have the bit between your teeth

to start something and refuse
stubbornly to stop[1]



bit

bit3
bit3 [bit]
(plural bits) noun

1.  digit
in binary notation: in binary notation, either
of the digits 0 or 1 used to represent one of only two outcomes, for example,
on or off

2.  unit
of information in computer: the smallest unit of
information storable in a computer or a peripheral device, expressed as 0 or 1.
Eight bit s make a byte, the common measure of memory or storage capacity.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of binary and digit
.][1]



bit

bit4
bit4 [bit]

Past tense of
bite Past participle of bite[1]



bitch

bitch
bitch 
[bich] noun (plural bitch·es)

1.  ZOOLOGY female
dog:
a female dog, or the female of another related animal, for example, the fox, or
another carnivore, for example, the ferret

2.  taboo
offensive term: a highly offensive term that
deliberately insults a woman’s temperament (taboo insult)

3.  complaint:
a querulous nagging complaint (slang, often considered offensive)

4.  something
difficult:
a difficult thing or situation (slang, often considered offensive) • That
lock’s a real bitch to open.
intransitive
verb
(past bitched, past participle bitched, present
participle bitch·ing, 3rd person present singular bitch·es)

1.  be
nasty about somebody: to talk about somebody who
is not present in an unpleasant or malicious way (slang, often considered
offensive)

2.  complain
continually: to complain or grumble about something
continually (slang, often considered offensive)
[Old English bicce,
perhaps from an Old Norse word][1]



bitchin

bitchin
bitch·in 
[bíchən] adjective

great:
particularly or extremely good (slang)
adverb

very:
extremely (slang)
[Mid-20th C. Alteration of
bitching, shortening of sonofabitching, from son of
a bitch .][1]



bitchy

bitchy
bitch·y 
[bíchee] (comparative bitch·i·er,
superlative bitch·i·est) adjective

nasty
in speech or actions: malicious or unpleasant in
speaking to, talking about, or behaving toward somebody (slang, often
considered offensive)
—bitch·i·ly,
adverb

—bitch·i·ness, noun[1]



bite

bite
bite 
[bīt] verb (past bit, past
participle bit·ten [bítt’n] or
bit [bit], present participle bit·ing,
3rd person present singular bites)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grip
with the teeth: to hold something tightly, tear
something off, or cut through something using the teeth • I
bit into the fruit.

2.  transitive
verb
sting:
to puncture or tear the skin of a person or animal using fangs, teeth, or mouth
parts • got
bitten by a spider

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb grip
something firmly: to make firm or secure contact with
something • This
stripped screw isn’t biting.

4.  intransitive
verb
corrode
something:
to eat into something with a corrosive action • The
acid had bitten into the metal surface.

5.  intransitive
verb
cut
into somebody or something: to penetrate somebody or
something sharply, as if with a honed blade

6.  intransitive
verb
take
bait:
to attempt to take the bait that has been placed on the end of a fishing line (refers
to fish)

7.  intransitive
verb
rise
to somebody else’s bait: to respond when somebody
else tries to get you involved in a scheme or an argument (informal) • Even
though baited by the opposing attorney in court, she refused to bite.

8.  intransitive
verb
be
effective:
to have an effect or influence • The
trade sanctions are at last beginning to bite.
noun
(plural bites)

1.  seizure
of something with teeth: the action of taking
something between the teeth and tearing it off

2.  mouthful:
a piece of food torn off with the teeth

3.  injury
from teeth or insect: an injury that has been
caused by an animal or insect puncturing or tearing the skin with teeth, fangs,
or mouth parts • a mosquito bite

4.  attempt
by fish to take bait: an attempt by a fish to eat
the bait that has been put on the end of a fishing line

5.  piquancy:
a pleasantly sharp taste

6.  wit
and intelligence: a penetrating and intelligent quality

7.  coldness:
a cold sharp sensation that is quite painful • There’s
a bite in the air today.

8.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING depth
of machine tool’s blade: the depth to which a machine
tool can cut

9.  grip:
the grip that something such as a tool has on something else

10. DENTISTRY fit
between teeth: the way the upper and lower teeth meet
and fit together when the jaw is closed

11. corrosive
effect:
the corrosive effect of acid on a surface

12. period
when fish eat: a time when fish usually feed • The
catfish bite is usually the heaviest and best in the evening.
[Old
English bītan, from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that also
produced English beetle and fission]
—bit·a·ble,
adjective

—bit·er,
noun
bite
off more than you can chew

to take on more than you can
deal with (informal)[1]



biteback

biteback
bite
back
verb

1.  transitive
verb
stop
from expressing: to hold back from saying something or
openly crying • I bit back my tears.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
sharp retort: to retort sharply, or say something in a
very sharp manner in response to somebody else

[1]



biteplate

biteplate
bite·plate
[bt plàyt] (plural bite·plates)
noun

dental device:
a removable acrylic dental device that sticks to the roof of the mouth and is
worn to encourage the back teeth to come through or to correct an overbite[1]



bite-sized

bite-sized
bite-sized
or bite-size adjective

as big as one bite:
small enough to be eaten as a single mouthful • cut
the meat into bite-sized pieces[1]



Bitewing-Pro

Bitewing-Pro
Bite·wing-Pro
[bt wing pr] Trademark

a trademark for a dental
X-ray device used for examining the crowns of the upper and lower teeth[1]



Bithynia

Bithynia
Bi·thyn·i·a
[bi thínnee ə]

ancient country of
northwestern Asia Minor, on the Black Sea in present-day Turkey[1]



biting

biting
bit·ing 
[bting] adjective

1.  very
cold:
cold enough to cause discomfort or pain • a
biting north wind

2.  cleverly
sarcastic:
sarcastic and clever

[1]



bitinglouse

bitinglouse
bit·ing
louse
(plural bit·ing lice) noun

insect parasite:
a wingless insect that spends its entire life cycle as a parasite on the body
of a bird or mammal and feeds on skin flakes, feathers, glandular secretions,
and blood. Suborder: Mallophaga
Also called
chewing louse[1]



bitingmidge

bitingmidge
bit·ing
midge
(plural bit·ing midg·es) or bit·ing gnat (plural
bit·ing gnats) noun

U.K.
See punkie[1]



bitmap

bitmap
bit
map
noun (plural bit maps)

computer
image represented as bits: a representation of a
graphic image in computer memory consisting of rows and columns of dots, each
corresponding to a pixel. For monochrome images one bit is sufficient to
represent each dot, while colors and shades of gray require more than one bit
of data for each dot.
transitive
verb
(past bit-mapped, past participle bit-mapped, present
participle bit-map·ping, 3rd person present singular bit-maps)

represent
computer image as bits: to represent a graphic image
in computer memory as a matrix of dots or to recreate the image on a computer
screen from such a bit map
[From bit 3][1]



bitok

bitok
bi·tok 
[btok] (plural bi·toks) noun

ground
beef patties with sauce: fried ground beef patties
served with a sour cream sauce
[Via Russian from French bifteck
(haché), “(ground) beef,” from English beefsteak][1]



bitt

bitt
bitt 
[bit] noun (plural bitts)

post
on ship:
either of a pair of posts on a ship’s deck for fastening cables (often used
in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past bitt·ed, past participle bitt·ed, present
participle bitt·ing, 3rd person present singular bitts)

tie
to a bitt:
to fasten something around a bitt
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse biti “beam,” from, ultimately, an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English bite .][1]



bitten

bitten
bit·ten

Past participle of
bite[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bitter

bitter
bit·ter 
[bíttər] adjective

1.  strong
and sharp in taste: having a sharp strong
unpleasant taste, for example, like that of orange peel

2.  resentful:
angry and resentful • a
bitter smile

3.  difficult
to accept:
painful or very hard to accept • a bitter
blow

4.  hostile:
expressing intense hostility • bitter
fighting.

5.  very
cold:
penetratingly and unpleasantly cold • a
bitter wind
[Old
English biter, from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that also
produced English bite, beetle, and fission]
—bit·ter·ness, noun[1]



bitteralmond

bitteralmond
bit·ter
al·mond
(plural bit·ter al·monds) noun

almond containing cyanide:
a type of almond tree that produces nuts containing hydrogen cyanide. When
detoxified, the almond oil can be used as a flavoring.[1]



bitteraloes

bitteraloes
bit·ter
al·oes
noun

See
aloes[1]



bitterbrush

bitterbrush
bit·ter·brush 
[bíttər brùsh] (plural bit·ter·brush·es)
noun

western N American shrub:
a shrub with yellow flowers that grows in western North America. Latin name: Purshia
tridentata[1]



bittercress

bittercress
bit·ter
cress
noun

plant growing in damp places:
a plant belonging to the mustard family that has clusters of typically white
flowers and often grows in damp places. Genus: Cardamine[1]



bitterend

bitterend
bit·ter
end
noun

unpleasant
termination: the very end of something, however
unpleasant it is • They held out to the
bitter end.
[Originally “end of a ship’s
cable or mooring rope secured on board the ship”; bitter perhaps from bitt, but now interpreted as “painful”][1]



bitterender

bitterender
bit·ter·en·der
[bìttər éndər] (plural bit·ter·en·ders)
noun

recalcitrant person:
a highly obstinate, inflexible, recalcitrant person who takes a stand, refusing
to budge until he or she is forced by adverse circumstances to do so • The
senior advisors in the administration, bitterenders refusing to divulge
information to the courts, were eventually forced to resign in disgrace.[1]



bitterling

bitterling
bit·ter·ling
[bíttərling] (plural bit·ter·lings)
noun

aquarium
fish:
a small brightly colored freshwater fish from central Europe that is often kept
in aquariums. Latin name: Rhodeus sericeus
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “small bitter (fish).”][1]



bitterly

bitterly
bit·ter·ly
[bíttərlee] adverb

1.  resentfully
and angrily: with feelings of anger, injustice, and
resentment • wept
bitterly

2.  intensely
and negatively: intensely or profoundly, in reaction to
an unpleasant situation • a
bitterly fought divorce case

3.  extremely
and penetratingly: to an extreme and
penetrating degree • bitterly cold

[1]



bittern

bittern1

bit·tern1 [bíttərn]
(plural bit·terns) noun
wading
bird:
a wading bird of the heron family, similar to the herons but with mottled
brownish plumage, shorter legs and neck, and a booming call. Family: Ardeidae
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of bitore, probably from, ultimately, Anglo-Latin butorius
or Old French butor, both ultimately from Latin butio “bittern” +
taurus “bull,” from its booming voice.][1]



bittern

bittern2
bit·tern2 [bíttərn]
noun

bitter
liquid:
the bitter liquid that is left after common salt has crystallized from sea
water
[Late 17th century. Formed
from bitter, but the origin of the final -n
is not known.][1]



bitternut

bitternut
bit·ter·nut 
[bíttər nùt] (plural bit·ter·nuts)
noun

1.  hickory
tree:
a type of hickory tree, native to eastern North America, that bears
thin-shelled nuts with a bitter kernel. Latin name: Carya cordiformis

2.  thin-shelled
nut:
the nut that grows on the bitternut tree

[1]



bitterorange

bitterorange
bit·ter
or·ange
(plural bit·ter or·anges) noun

1.  orange
tree with bitter fruit: an orange tree that produces
bitter fruit used for making marmalade. Latin name: Citrus aurantium
Also
called
Seville orange
Also
called
sour orange
U.K.
term
Seville orange

2.  orange
used for marmalade: the bitter-tasting fruit of
the bitter orange, used for making marmalade.
Also
called
Seville orange
U.K.
term
Seville orange

[1]



bitterpill

bitterpill
bit·ter
pill
(plural bit·ter pills) noun

something unavoidable and
unpleasant: something unpleasant that
nonetheless must be accepted • Not
getting the job was a bitter pill for him to swallow.[1]



bitterroot

bitterroot
bit·ter·root 
[bíttər rt, bíttər
rt] noun

plant with edible roots:
a western North American plant of the purslane family that has edible starchy
roots and is able to grow and live in dry surroundings. Latin name: Lewisia
redivia[1]



BitterrootRange

BitterrootRange
Bit·ter·root
Range 
[bíttər rt ràynj]

mountain range of the
northern Rocky Mountains, extending about 700 km/435 mi along the Idaho-Montana
border. Its highest peak is Scott Peak 3,473 m/11,393 ft .[1]



bitters

bitters
bit·ters
[bíttərz] noun

alcoholic
liquid:
a slightly alcoholic liquid flavored with plant extracts and used as a mixer
with certain cocktails (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

digestive aid:
a bitter-tasting liquid used as a digestive aid[1]



bittersweet

bittersweet

bit·ter·sweet 
[bíttər swt] adjective

1.  both
bitter and sweet: smelling or tasting both bitter and
sweet at the same time

2.  both
happy and sad: causing feelings of happiness and
sadness at the same time
noun (plural
bit·ter·sweets) PLANTS

1.  plant
with bright capsules and seeds: a poisonous climbing
plant found in North America that has orange capsules containing bright red
seeds. Genus: Celastus

2.        nightshade:
a sprawling plant with purple flowers and poisonous red fruits resembling
berries, and stems that taste bitter then sweet when chewed. Latin name: Solanum
dulcamara
Also called
bittersweet nightshade
U.K. term
woody nightshade[1]



bitterweed

bitterweed
bit·ter·weed
[bíttər wd] (plural bit·ter·weeds)
noun

bitter American plant:
an American plant, such as sneezeweed or some species of ragweed, that contains
a bitter-tasting substance[1]



bitty

bitty
bit·ty 
[bíttee] (comparative bit·ti·er,
superlative bit·ti·est) adjective

tiny:
extremely small in size or physical stature (informal) • a
little bitty kid riding a tricycle[1]



bitumen

bitumen
bi·tu·men 
[bi tmən, bə
tymən, bī tymən] noun

road-surfacing
material:
a sticky mixture of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum and found in substances
such as asphalt and tar that are used for road surfacing and roofing
[15th
century. From Latin, “asphalt,” probably from a Celtic source.]
—bi·tu·mi·noid, adjective[1]



bituminize

bituminize
bi·tu·mi·nize 
[bi tmə nz, bi
tymə nz, bī tmə nz] (past bi·tu·mi·nized,
past participle bi·tu·mi·nized, present participle bi·tu·mi·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular bi·tu·mi·niz·es) transitive verb

tar:
to cover or treat something with bitumen or to convert something into bitumen
—bi·tu·mi·ni·za·tion [bi tməni záysh’n], noun[1]



bituminous

bituminous
bi·tu·mi·nous 
[bi tmənəss, bi
tymənəss, bī tymənəss] adjective

of or containing bitumen:
relating to or containing bitumen[1]



bituminouscoal

bituminouscoal
bi·tu·mi·nous
coal
noun

soft coal:
a type of soft coal that burns with a smoky flame[1]



bivalence

bivalence
bi·va·lence 
[bī váylənss] noun

property of being true or
false: the property that a
proposition has in classical systems of logic of being either true or false[1]



bivalent

bivalent
bi·va·lent 
[bī váylənt] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY See divalent

2.  GENETICS paired:
used to describe structurally identical ( homologous
) chromosomes that come together during cell division ( meiosis )
noun

GENETICS pair
of chromosomes: a pair of structurally identical ( homologous ) chromosomes that come together during
cell division ( meiosis )

[1]



bivalve

bivalve
bi·valve 
[b vàlv] (plural bi·valves) noun

mollusk
with hinged shell: a marine or freshwater
mollusk that has its body contained within two shells joined by a hinge.
Oysters, mussels, and clams are bivalves.
Also
called
lamellibranch
Also
called
pelecypod
—bi·valved,
adjective

—bi·val·vu·lar [b válvyələr], adjective[1]



bivariate

bivariate
bi·var·i·ate 
[bī váiree it, bī
váiree ayt] adjective

of two variables:
relating to or involving two variables[1]



bivouac

bivouac
biv·ou·ac 
[bívvoo àk, bívwàk]
noun (plural biv·ou·acs)

1.  military
or mountaineering camp: a very simple temporary camp
that is set up and used by soldiers or mountaineers

2.  MOUNTAINEERING brief
overnight stay: a short stay, usually overnight, often
with minimum equipment
intransitive
verb
(past biv·ou·acked, past participle biv·ou·acked, present
participle biv·ou·ack·ing, 3rd person present singular biv·ou·acs)

make camp: to
set up and stay in a very simple temporary camp
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, probably, Low German bīwake, from bi- “by” + wake
“watch, vigil.”][1]



biweekly

biweekly
bi·week·ly 
[bī wklee] adjective

1.  coming
out every two weeks: produced or appearing every
two weeks

2.  coming
out twice a week: produced or appearing twice a week
adverb

1.  once
every two weeks: at two-week intervals

2.  twice
a week:
twice during a one-week period
noun
(plural bi·week·lies)

twice-weekly publication:
a publication that appears every two weeks

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  How
  many times is biweekly ?
  Confusion
  is caused by the fact that biweekly and bimonthly can mean either “once every two weeks
  (or months)” or “twice a week (or month).” If you want to avoid doubt it is
  better to rephrase: • The
  talks are held twice a week at the local school . • The
  talks are held every two weeks at the local school.

[1]



biyearly

biyearly
bi·year·ly 
[bī yrlee] adjective

1.  coming
out every two years: produced or appearing every
two years

2.  coming
out twice a year: produced or appearing twice a year
adverb

1.  once
every two years: at two-year intervals

2.  twice
a year:
twice during a one-year period

[1]



biz

biz
biz 
[biz] noun

business:
a business of a particular type, typically involving fashion, entertainment, or
the media (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortened
from business .][1]



bizarre

bizarre
bi·zarre 
[bi zr] adjective

grotesquely
odd:
amusingly or grotesquely strange or unusual
[Mid-17th
century. Via French, “odd,” formerly “brave, handsome,” from Spanish bizarro
“brave” (perhaps influenced by Basque bizar “beard,” taken as a symbol
of vigor), from, ultimately, Italian bizzarro “angry.”]
—bi·zarre·ly,
adverb

—bi·zarre·ness, noun[1]



bizarrerie

bizarrerie
bi·zar·re·rie
[bi zrəree] (plural bi·zar·re·ries)
noun

grotesque
oddity:
amusing or grotesque strangeness or oddity
[Mid-18th century. From
French .][1]



Bizet,Georges

Bizet,Georges


Bi·zet
[bee záy], Georges (1838–1875)
French
composer. He completed the opera Carmen just before his death.
Born
Bizet, Alexandre César Léopold[1]



bizonal

bizonal
bi·zon·al 
[bī zṓn’l] adjective

two-zoned:
made up of two zones[1]



Bk

Bk

Bk
Symbol for
berkelium[1]



bk.

bk.
bk.

1.  Abbreviation
of
bank

2.  Abbreviation
of
book

[1]



bkcy.

bkcy.
bkcy.

Abbreviation of
bankruptcy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bkg.

bkg.
bkg.

Abbreviation of
banking[1]



bkgd.

bkgd.
bkgd.

Abbreviation of
background[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bkpt.

bkpt.
bkpt.

Abbreviation of
bankrupt[1]



bks.

bks.
bks.

1.  Abbreviation
of
barracks

2.  Abbreviation
of
books

[1]



B.L.

B.L.
B.L.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Laws

2.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Letters

[1]



B/L

B/L
B/L

Abbreviation of
bill of lading[1]



bl.

bl.
bl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
barrel

2.  Abbreviation
of
black

3.  Abbreviation
of
blue

4.  Abbreviation
of
bale

[1]



blab

blab
blab 
[blab] intransitive verb (past
blabbed, past participle blabbed, present participle
blab·bing, 3rd person present singular blabs) (informal)

1.  tell
secrets:
to talk indiscreetly about something that is supposed to be secret

2.  chatter:
to chatter in a mildly incoherent way
noun
(plural blabs)

See blabbermouth
[13th century. Origin
uncertain, but ultimately probably from a prehistoric Germanic word imitating
the sound of vacuous talking (compare Danish blabbre “to gabble”).][1]



blabber

blabber
blab·ber 
[blábbər] intransitive verb (past
blab·bered, past participle blab·bered, present
participle blab·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular blab·bers)

chatter: to
chatter in a mildly incoherent way
noun
(plural blab·bers)

1.  See
blabbermouth

2.  noise
of chatter:
the sound made by people talking loudly and incoherently
[14th century. Origin
uncertain, but probably formed from blab .][1]



blabbermouth

blabbermouth
blab·ber·mouth 
[blábbər mòwth] (plural blab·ber·mouths
[blábbər mòwthz]) noun

somebody who cannot keep a
secret: somebody who in unable to
keep from talking too much or from revealing secrets (informal)
Also called
blab
Also called
blabber[1]



black

black
black 
[blak] adjective (comparative black·er,
superlative black·est)

1.  COLORS of the
darkest color: being the color of coal or carbon

2.  devoid
of light:
completely dark, with no light

3.  black
or Black dark-skinned:
belonging to an African ethnic group, or to any other ethnic group with very
dark skin

4.  black
or Black relating to African American
people:
relating to a U.S. ethnic group descended from dark-skinned African peoples

5.  BEVERAGES without
milk:
served without adding milk or cream

6.  funny
and macabre: dealing with very serious things in a
humorous and often macabre way

7.  MILITARY clandestine:
carried out in the utmost secrecy

8.  full
of anger:
filled with anger or hostility

9.  hopeless:
so depressing as to end all hope

10. dirty:
covered with mud, soil, or any other dark substance

11. seriously
bad or unfortunate: causing or associated with
severely bad conditions or misfortune

12. dishonorable:
extremely dishonorable and deserving the most serious criticism

13. evil:
evil, or associated with evil
noun
(plural blacks)

1.  COLORS darkest
color:
a color value that has no hue as a result of the absorption of nearly all light
from all visible wavelengths

2.  COLORS coal-colored
dye or pigment: a pigment or dye that is the color of
carbon or coal

3.  black
or Black PEOPLES member
of dark skinned people: a member of an African
ethnic group or any other ethnic group with very dark skin

4.  black
or Black PEOPLES African
American person: a member of a U.S. ethnic group
descended from dark-skinned African peoples

5.  black
material or clothes: fabric or clothing that is
black in color

6.  total
darkness:
complete darkness

7.  BOARD GAMES black
piece:
a black piece in a game such as chess or checkers

8.  BOARD GAMES player
with black pieces: a player in games such as
chess or checkers who is playing with the black pieces

9.  CUE GAMES black
ball:
a black ball in snooker, which is the last ball to be sunk

10. ARCHERY black
ring on archery target: a black ring on a target in
archery, which gives a player a score of three

11. GAMBLING black
color bets are placed on: one of the colors on which
players can lay their bets when gambling at such games as roulette
transitive
verb
(past blacked, past participle blacked, present
participle black·ing, 3rd person present singular blacks)

1.  make
black:
to make something black, or cover something in black

2.  use
black polish: to cover something, for example, shoes
or boots, with black polish

3.  bruise
the eye:
to hit somebody’s eye so that it becomes very bruised and turns a
purplish-black color
[Old
English blæc, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “shine, burn,” which also produced English flame ; the underlying sense would be “scorch”
and, hence, “make dark”]
—black·ish,
adjective

—black·ness,
noun
in
the black

1.  having
or making money or a profit

2.  not
in debt or overdrawn

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue
  The
  word black is standard in current usage for a dark-skinned person of African
  origin or descent. However, many Americans of African descent prefer the more
  formal term African American, used both as noun and adjective. See
  also the note at colored.

[1]



blackalder

blackalder
black
al·der
(plural black al·ders) noun

See
winterberry[1]



black-and-blue

black-and-blue
black-and-blue 
adjective

bruised:
covered with bruises, or feeling very bruised (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



Blackand Tan

Blackand Tan
Black
and Tan
(plural Black and Tans) noun

British militia in Ireland:
a member of the armed force that was sent by the British to Ireland in 1921 to
fight Sinn Fein. Their uniform was khaki, with a black beret and armband.[1]



blackand white

blackand white
black
and white
noun

1.  printed
or written matter: material either handwritten
or printed

2.  visual
medium without colored images: a visual medium
without colors, and in hues of black, white, and shades of gray

[1]



black-and-white

black-and-white
black-and-white 
adjective

1.  not
in color:
representing an image in which colors have been converted to black, white, and
shades of gray • a black-and-white
photograph

2.  reproducing
images not in color: reproducing images in which
colors have been converted to black, white, and shades of gray • a
black-and-white television

3.  clear-cut:
clear-cut and straightforward, allowing no room for compromise or doubt (not
hyphenated after a verb) • Everything
is black and white as far as she’s concerned.

[1]



BlackAngus

BlackAngus
Black
An·gus 
noun

See
Angus
[Angus from the name of an
administrative region of northeastern Scotland][1]



blackarts

blackarts
black
arts
plural noun

magic attempted for evil
purposes: magic attempted for evil
purposes, calling upon the help of the Devil[1]



black-backedgull

black-backedgull
black-backed
gull
(plural black-backed gulls) noun

black-backed bird:
either of two species of common gull with a black back and wings and white
underparts, found in North Atlantic coastal waters. Latin name: Larus
marinus Larus fuscus[1]



blackbag job

blackbag job
black
bag job
(plural black bag jobs) noun

illegal search of premises:
an illegal clandestine entry into somebody’s premises by a law enforcement
agency or a private detective (slang)[1]



blackball

blackball
black·ball 
[blák bawl] transitive verb (past
black·balled, past participle black·balled, present
participle black·ball·ing, 3rd person present singular black·balls)

1.  keep
from joining: to prevent somebody from becoming a
member of a club by voting against the person

2.  exclude
from group:
to exclude somebody from a group or profession
noun
(plural black·balls)

1.  negative
vote:
a vote against somebody, especially somebody wanting to join a group

2.  voting
token:
a black ball used to show a negative vote (archaic)

[1]



blackbass

blackbass
black
bass 
(plural black bass) noun

N American game fish:
a large freshwater bass of North America that is popular as a game fish. Genus:
Micropterus[1]



blackbean

blackbean
black
bean
(plural black beans) noun

1.  PLANTS bean
plant:
any bean plant with small black seeds that are dried and used in cooking

2.  FOOD dried
bean:
a dried seed from a black bean plant, used in cooking, often as an
accompaniment to rice

3.  TREES bean
tree:
a tree found in the rain forests of eastern Australia that has smooth bark,
dark green leaves, and yellow or red flowers. It is used in furniture-making.
Latin name: Castanospermum australe
Also
called
Moreton Bay chestnut

4.  FOOD fermented
soybean:
a soybean used fermented in Asian cooking • black
bean sauce

[1]



blackbear

blackbear
black
bear
(plural black bears) noun

1.  N
American bear: a bear that lives in the forests of
North America and ranges from brownish yellow to black in color. Latin name: Euarctos
americanus

2.  Asiatic
bear:
a bear that lives in central and eastern Asia and has a black coat with a
whitish V-shaped mark on its chest. Latin name: Selenarctos thibetanus

[1]



black-belliedplover

black-belliedplover
black-bel·lied
plov·er
noun

BIRDS
shore bird with black underside:
a grey North American and Eurasian shore bird. In summer it has a black
underside that turns white in winter. Latin name: Pluvialis squatarola
Also called
gray plover
U.K. term
grey plover[1]



blackbelt

blackbelt
black
belt
(plural black belts) noun

1.  belt
showing skill in martial arts: a belt that is worn by
somebody who has reached the highest level of skill in a martial art such as
judo or karate

2.  somebody
with black belt: somebody who has reached the highest
level of skill in a martial art such as judo or karate, and who is entitled to
wear a belt that is black

3.  black
belt
or Black Belt fertile agricultural region:
a region in the southern United States, stretching from Georgia across Alabama
and Mississippi, with extremely fertile dark soil

[1]



blackberry

blackberry

black·ber·ry 
[blák bèrree] (plural black·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS thorny
bush with small purple fruits: a thorny European bush
of the rose family that has pink or white flowers and purple edible fruit made
up of a cluster of small round sections. Latin name: Rubus fruticosus

2.        FOOD fruit
of blackberry: the fruit of the
blackberry bush[1]



blackberrylily

blackberrylily
black·ber·ry
lil·y
noun

ornamental plant:
an ornamental plant from China that has orange flowers with small red spots and
clusters of blackish seeds that look like blackberries. Latin name: Belamcanda
chinensis[1]



blackbile

blackbile
black
bile
noun

melancholy:
one of the four humors that were once believed to be the base of somebody’s
character, associated with a melancholy temperament. It was characterized as
cold and dry. (archaic)
Also called
melancholy[1]



blackbirch

blackbirch
black
birch
(plural black birch·es) noun

See
sweet birch[1]



blackbird

blackbird
black·bird 
[blák bùrd] (plural black·birds)
noun

1.  bird
with black feathers: a bird belonging to a family
widespread throughout North and South America, with black feathers showing a
metallic sheen or bold patterns of yellow, orange, or red. Family: Icteridae

2.  common
European bird with black feathers: a common European
bird, the male of which has black feathers and a yellow beak. The female has
brown feathers. Latin name: Turdus merula

[1]



blackboard

blackboard
black·board 
[blák bàwrd] (plural black·boards)
noun

board on which to write
things: a board of either a dark
color or white that is written on with contrasting chalk or erasable markers,
used especially in classrooms.
Also called
chalkboard
See also
whiteboard[1]



blackbody

blackbody
black·bod·y 
(plural black·bod·ies) noun

PHYSICS
idealized object absorbing all radiation:
an ideal object that would absorb all of the radiation incident on it without
reflecting any[1]



blackbook

blackbook
black
book
(plural black books) noun

1.  book
of phone numbers: a book in which somebody keeps the names
and telephone numbers of private friends, especially boyfriends or girlfriends
(informal)

2.  book
of blacklisted people: a book in which the names of
people who are to be punished or blacklisted are kept

[1]



blackbottom pie

blackbottom pie
black
bot·tom pie
(plural black bot·tom pies) noun

chocolate dessert:
a dessert with a layer of chocolate on the bottom and vanilla pudding on top[1]



blackbox

blackbox
black
box
(plural black box·es) noun

1.  AIR See flight recorder

2.  COMPUTING component
of unknown construction: an electronic component
whose constituents or circuitry are unknown or irrelevant, but whose function
is understood

[1]



blackbread

blackbread
black
bread
noun

dark rye bread:
a very dark rye bread that is particularly popular in Germany and Slavic
countries[1]



blackbuck

blackbuck
black·buck 
[blák bùk] (plural black·bucks
or black·buck) noun

small Indian antelope:
a small antelope, the male of which has a black back, white underbelly, and
spiral horns. It was once abundant in India but is now rare. Latin name: Antilope
cervicapra
Also called
sasin[1]



blackcap

blackcap
black·cap 
[blák kàp] (plural black·caps)
noun

1.  small
songbird:
a small brown-gray warbler of Eurasia and Africa, the male of which has a
black-topped head. Latin name: Sylvia atricapilla

2.  bird
with black crown: any bird similar to the blackcap warbler
that has a black-topped head, for example, a chickadee

3.  BOTANY See black raspberry

[1]



blackcherry

blackcherry
black
cher·ry
noun

1.  wild
N American cherry tree: a large wild North American
cherry tree that has dark bark, white flowers, and black fruits. Latin name: Prunus
serotina

2.  wood
of black cherry tree: the wood of the black cherry
tree, used for furniture, cabinets, and musical instruments

3.  dark-colored
cherry:
a dark-skinned cherry, especially one from the black cherry tree

[1]



blackcock

blackcock
black·cock 
[blák kòk] (plural black·cocks
or black·cock) noun

male black grouse:
the male of the black grouse[1]



blackcod

blackcod
black
cod
noun

See
sablefish[1]



blackcomedy

blackcomedy
black
com·e·dy
noun

comedy dealing with
unpleasant subjects: comedy
containing bitter jokes about unpleasant aspects of life[1]



blackcow

blackcow
black
cow
(plural black cows) noun

Midwestern U.S.
root beer beverage:
a root beer float made with vanilla ice cream[1]



blackcrappie

blackcrappie
black
crap·pie
(plural black crap·pies) noun

N
American fish: a medium-sized edible sunfish with
black-spotted skin, found in lakes and rivers of eastern North America. Latin
name: Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Also
called
calico bass
[Crappie, origin unknown][1]



blackdamp

blackdamp
black·damp 
[blák damp] noun

low-oxygen conditions in
mine: atmospheric conditions in a
mine that prevent normal breathing because insufficient oxygen remains after an
explosion.
Also called
chokedamp[1]



Black,Davidson

Black,Davidson
Black 
[blak], Davidson (1884–1934)

Canadian anthropologist. He
identified “Peking Man” (Sinanthropus pekinensis), a prehistoric human
species later called Homo Erectus, in China in the late 1920s.[1]



BlackDeath

BlackDeath
Black
Death
noun

14thC
plague epidemic: the bubonic plague epidemic that killed
over 50 million people throughout Asia and Europe in the 14th century
[Black probably from the
color of the buboes][1]



blackdiamond

blackdiamond
black
di·a·mond
noun

1.  See
carbonado

2.  black
hematite:
the black variety of hematite, the principal ore of iron
plural
noun
black di·a·monds

coal: coal
(informal)

[1]



blackduck

blackduck
black
duck
(plural black ducks) noun

dark-colored duck:
a brownish duck of northeastern North America. Latin name: Anas rubripes[1]



blackeconomy

blackeconomy
black
e·con·o·my
noun

unofficial or illegal
earnings: the part of an economy that
consists of unofficial or illegal, and therefore untaxed, earnings[1]



blacken

blacken
black·en 
[blákən] (past black·ened, past
participle black·ened, present participle black·en·ing,
3rd person present singular black·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
black:
to become, or cause something to become, darker or black

2.  transitive
verb
slander:
to harm or damage somebody’s reputation (formal)

[1]



BlackEnglish

BlackEnglish
Black
Eng·lish
noun

English variety spoken in
black communities: any one of
the varieties of English that have developed in black communities worldwide,
many of which share features of grammar and vocabulary. See African American Vernacular English[1]



blackeye

blackeye
black
eye
(plural black eyes) noun

bruising around the eye:
an area of bruising around somebody’s eye[1]



black-eyedbean

black-eyedbean
black-eyed
bean
noun

U.K.
See black-eyed pea[1]



black-eyedpea

black-eyedpea
black-eyed
pea 
(plural black-eyed peas) noun
Also
called
cowpea
U.K.
term
black-eyed bean

1.  edible
legume:
a legume widely cultivated in the southern United States for forage and for its
seeds. Latin name: Vigna unguiculata

2.  small
bean with black spot: a small beige bean with a
black spot. Black-eyed peas are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day in some
parts of the United States.

[1]



black-eyedSusan

black-eyedSusan

black-eyed
Su·san 
(plural black-eyed Su·sans) noun

1.  flower
with dark center: a North American plant that has
yellowish-orange flowers with a dark conical center. Genus: Rudbeckia

2.        climbing
plant with yellow flowers: a tropical
African climbing plant that has yellow flowers with purple centers. Latin name:
Thunbergia alata[1]



blackfish

blackfish
black·fish 
[blák fìsh] (plural black·fish
or black·fish·es) noun

1.  small
Arctic fish: a small freshwater fish that is very
abundant in Arctic North America and Siberia. Latin name: Dallia pectoralis

2.  salmon
after spawning: a female salmon that has spawned

3.  See
pilot whale

4.  See
tautog

[1]



blackflag

blackflag
black
flag
noun (plural black flags)

See
Jolly Roger
transitive
verb
(past black-flagged, past participle black-flagged,
present participle black-flag·ging, 3rd person present
singular black-flags)

call racing driver into pits:
to signal to a racing driver to pull into the pits by waving a black flag[1]



blackfly

blackfly
black
fly
[blák fl] (plural black flies
or black fly) noun

bloodsucking gnat:
a small dark biting gnat that causes painful itchy welts in people and animals.
Family: Simuliidae[1]



blackfly

blackfly
black·fly
(plural black·flies or black·fly) noun

insect that infests plants:
a black aphid that infests many types of plant. Genus: Aphis[1]



Blackfoot

Blackfoot
Black·foot 
[blák ft] (plural Black·feet
[blák ft] or Black·foot) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
North American: a member of a group of Native North
American peoples living in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana

2.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
an Algonquian language spoken in Alberta and in Montana. Blackfoot is spoken by
about 8,000 people.
[Late
18th century. Translation of Blackfoot Siksika, said to be from the
blackening of the soles of their moccasins when they walked across burned
prairies.]
—Black·foot, adjective[1]



black-footedalbatross

black-footedalbatross
black-foot·ed
al·ba·tross 
noun

dark Pacific albatross:
a dark albatross of the Pacific that spends most of its time at sea. Latin
name: Diomedea nigripes
See also
gooney[1]



black-footedferret

black-footedferret
black-foot·ed
fer·ret
(plural black-foot·ed fer·rets) noun

N American weasel:
a North American weasel that has a light-colored coat and blackish patches on
its face, tail, and feet. Latin name: Mustela nigripes
Also called
ferret[1]



BlackForest

BlackForest
Black
For·est

wooded highland region in
Baden-Württemberg State, southwestern Germany that contains the sources of the
Danube and Neckar rivers. Area: 5,180 sq km/about 2,000 sq mi.[1]



BlackForest cake

BlackForest cake
Black
For·est cake (plural Black For·est cakes)
noun

chocolate
cake:
a rich chocolate cake that is topped and filled with cherries and whipped
cream.
U.K.
term
Black Forest gateau
[Probably from the cake’s
dark color][1]



BlackForest gateau

BlackForest gateau
Black
For·est ga·teau noun

U.K.
See Black Forest cake[1]



BlackFriar

BlackFriar
Black
Fri·ar
(plural Black Fri·ars) noun

Dominican monk:
a member of the Dominican order of monks[1]



blackgrouse

blackgrouse
black
grouse
(plural black grouse) noun

large grouse:
a large grouse of Europe and western Asia with a lyre-shaped tail. The male is
black with white patches on its wings. Latin name: Lyrurus tetrix[1]



blackguillemot

blackguillemot
black
guil·le·mot
(plural black guil·le·mots) noun

black seabird:
a small seabird of northeastern North America that belongs to the auk family
and has black plumage with white wing patches in summer. Latin name: Cepphus
grylle[1]



BlackHand

BlackHand
Black
Hand
noun

criminal
organization: an early 20th-century criminal
organization of Sicilian immigrants in the United States that practiced
blackmail and violence (informal)
[Translation of Italian La
Mano Negra, the name of a Sicilian and Italian-American criminal society of
the late 19th and 20th centuries][1]



blackhaw

blackhaw
black
haw
(plural black haws) or black·haw (plural black·haws)
noun

1.  wild
plant:
a shrub or small tree of the honeysuckle family, native to the eastern United
States, with white flowers and bluish-black fruits. Latin name: Viburnum prunifolium

2.  See
sheepberry

[1]



BlackHawk

BlackHawk
Black
Hawk
[blák hawk] (1767–1838)

U.S. Native American leader.
A leader of the Sauk people, he fought against Native Americans’ westward
displacement by Europeans in what became known as the Black Hawk War (1832).[1]



blackhead

blackhead
black·head 
[blák hed] (plural black·heads)
noun

1.  dark
blocked pore: a small plug of dark fatty matter
blocking a follicle on the skin, especially on the face

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE fowl
disease:
an infectious disease of turkeys and related fowl resulting in darkened head
skin. It is caused by a protozoan.

3.  BIRDS bird
with black head: a bird with a dark-colored head,
especially a duck or gull

[1]



BlackHills

BlackHills

Black Hills
mountainous region in western South
Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, a mining area famous for the granite
sculptures of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The highest point is Harney
Peak. Height: 2,207 m/7,242 ft. Area: 15,000 sq km/6,000 sq mi.[1]



blackhole

blackhole
black
hole
(plural black holes) noun

1.  object
in space:
an object in space thought to contain a celestial object with such a strong
gravitational pull that no matter or energy can escape from it. Black holes are
believed to form when stars collapse in upon themselves.

2.  place
where things get lost: a place or thing into which
objects disappear and are not expected to be seen again (humorous)

[1]



Black,Hugo

Black,Hugo

Black 
[blak], Hugo (1886–1971)
U.S.
Supreme Court justice. On the U.S. Supreme Court (1937–1971), he was known for
upholding a literal interpretation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Full name
Black, Hugo LaFayette[1]



blackhumor

blackhumor
black
hu·mor
noun

humor
dealing with unpleasant subjects: humor that deals with
unpleasant aspects of life in a bitter or ironic way
—black hu·mor·ist, noun[1]



blackice

blackice
black
ice
noun

thin
ice on roads: a thin, almost invisible, layer of ice
formed when rain falls on a surface that is below freezing.
Also
called
glare
[Black from the typical color
of the underlying road surface][1]



blacking

blacking
black·ing 
[bláking] noun

polish for blackening:
polish used, especially formerly, to make shoes and stoves black[1]



blackjack

blackjack
black·jack 
[blák jak] noun (plural black·jacks)

1.  CARD GAMES card
game:
a card game in which the winner is the player holding cards of a total value
closest to, but not more than, 21 points.
Also
called
twenty-one
U.K.
term
pontoon

2.  CARD GAMES winning
combination of cards: a combination of an ace and
a face card, which is a winning hand in blackjack.
U.K.
term
pontoon

3.  MINERALS black
mineral:
a black variety of the mineral sphalerite or zinc blende

4.  ARMS short
club:
a weapon in the form of a short leather-covered club
interjection

CARD GAMES indicating
a win at blackjack: used to indicate to other
players that a blackjack has been dealt
transitive
verb
(past black·jacks, past participle black·jacked, present
participle black·jack·ing, 3rd person present singular black·jacks)

1.  hit
with club:
to hit somebody with a short club

2.  force:
to force somebody to do something
[Jack from jack “knave
in a pack of cards”][1]



blackjackoak

blackjackoak
black·jack
oak
(plural black·jack oaks) noun

U.S. oak with blackish bark:
a small oak tree with blackish bark that is common in the southeastern United
States. Latin name: Quercus marilandica[1]



BlackKettle

BlackKettle
Black
Ket·tle
[blák kett’l] (c. 1803–1868)

U.S. Native American leader.
He led the Southern Cheyenne, many of whom were massacred by U.S. forces in
1864, and was himself killed in a massacre.[1]



blackknight

blackknight
black
knight
(plural black knights) noun

company making hostile
takeover bid: a company that makes an
unwelcome attempt to take over another[1]



blacklead

blacklead
black
lead 
noun

graphite:
a commercial form of graphite[1]



blackleg

blackleg
black·leg 
[blák lèg] (plural black·legs)
noun

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE disease
of farm animals: an infectious bacterial disease of farm
animals that causes swellings on the legs

2.  BOTANY potato
disease:
a disease of potato plants caused by the bacterium Erwinia carotovora
that makes the lower stems rot

3.  BOTANY disease
of oilseed rape: a fungal disease of cabbage, oilseed
rape, and similar plants that causes the stems to rot. It is caused by the
bacterium Leptosphaeria maculans .

4.  GAMBLING gambler
who cheats:
a cheat at cards or horseracing (informal)

5.  U.K.
somebody
who works during strike: a worker who is criticized
and despised by striking colleagues for working during a strike (slang) See
scab

[1]



blackletter

blackletter

black let·ter
noun
PRINTING
See Gothic[1]



blacklight

blacklight
black
light
(plural black lights) noun

1.  invisible
light:
any invisible electromagnetic radiation, for example, ultraviolet or infrared
light

2.  device
emitting black light: a bulb, tube, or other
device that emits black light when stimulated with electrical current

[1]



blacklist

blacklist
black·list 
[blák list] noun (plural black·lists)

list of disapproved people:
a list of people or groups who are under suspicion or excluded from something • a
credit blacklist
transitive
verb
(past black·list·ed, past participle black·list·ed,
present participle black·list·ing, 3rd person present singular
black·lists)

1.  put
on blacklist: to add somebody’s name to a blacklist

2.  condemn:
to shun or condemn somebody for behavior that breaks implicit or explicit rules

[1]



blacklocust

blacklocust
black
lo·cust
(plural black lo·custs) noun

1.  tall
white-flowered tree: a tall North American tree
with compound leaves, fragrant white flowers in spring, and hard wood. Latin
name: Robinia pseudoacacia

2.  hard
wood:
the hard, light-colored wood of the black locust

[1]



blacklung

blacklung
black
lung
noun

MED
See anthracosis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








blackly

blackly
black·ly
[bláklee] adverb

1.  angrily:
in an angry or threatening way

2.  with
a black appearance: showing or making use of the
color black

[1]



blackmagic

blackmagic
black
mag·ic
noun

magic attempted for evil
purposes: magic attempted for evil
purposes, calling upon evil spirits or the Devil[1]



blackmail

blackmail
black·mail 
[blák mayl] noun

1.  use
of secrets to compel: the act of forcing somebody
to pay money or do something by threatening to reveal shameful or incriminating
facts about him or her.
See
also
greenmail
See
also
graymail

2.  coercion:
unfair threatening or incriminating of somebody, as a way of achieving a result
transitive
verb
(past black·mailed, past participle black·mailed, present
participle black·mailing, 3rd person present singular black·mails)

use secrets to compel somebody:
to force somebody to pay money or do something by threatening to reveal
shameful or incriminating facts about him or her
[Mid-16th
century. Mail from obsolete mail “tribute, tax,” from Old Norse mál
“speech, agreement”; the word originally referred to protection money extorted
by Scottish border bandits.]
—black·mail·er, noun[1]



blackmark

blackmark
black
mark
(plural black marks) noun

demerit:
a record of something that somebody has done that gives people a bad opinion of
him or her • Avoiding
the family reunion counted as a black mark against me.[1]



blackmarket

blackmarket
black
mar·ket
(plural black mar·kets) noun

illegal
buying and selling: a system of buying and
selling officially controlled goods illegally
—black
mar·ket·eer, noun

—black
mar·ket·eer·ing, noun

—black mar·ket·er, noun[1]



blackmass

blackmass
black
mass
(plural black mass·es) noun

service worshiping the Devil:
an imitation of a Christian Mass said to be conducted by worshipers of the
Devil[1]



blackmeasles

blackmeasles
black
mea·sles
noun

severe measles with dark
spots: a severe form of measles,
with bleeding under the skin causing dark spots or patches (takes a singular
or plural verb)[1]



blackmoney

blackmoney
black
mon·ey
noun

illegal earnings:
money earned unofficially or illegally[1]



BlackMonk

BlackMonk
Black
Monk
(plural Black Monks) noun

Benedictine monk:
a member of the Benedictine order of monks, who wear black cloaks over their
white habits[1]



BlackMountains

BlackMountains
Black
Moun·tains

mountain range in western
North Carolina, part of the Blue Ridge and the highest range in the
Appalachians. Its highest point is Mount Mitchell, 2,037 m/6,684 ft, the
highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River.[1]



Blackmun,Harry

Blackmun,Harry

Black·mun 
[blákmən], Harry (1908– )
U.S.
Supreme Court justice. On the Supreme Court (1970–1994), he became identified
with his decision supporting abortion rights in Roe v. Wade (1973).
Full name
Blackmun, Harry Andrew[1]



BlackMuslim

BlackMuslim
Black
Mus·lim
(plural Black Mus·lims) noun

member of African American
Islamic group: a member of the Nation
of Islam, an almost exclusively African American Islamic denomination based in
the United States[1]



blackmustard

blackmustard
black
mus·tard
noun

plant with seeds used for
mustard: a yellow-flowered plant of
Europe and Asia with strong-tasting seeds used to make mustard. Latin name: Brassica
nigra[1]



Blacknationalist

Blacknationalist
Black
na·tion·al·ist (plural black na·tion·al·ists)
noun

believer
in self-government for blacks: a member of any
political organization that promotes separate self-governing communities or
states for black people
—Black na·tion·al·ism,
noun[1]



blacknightshade

blacknightshade
black
night·shade
noun

poisonous plant with black
berries: a widely found plant of the
nightshade family that has poisonous leaves, white star-shaped flowers, and
black berries. Latin name: Solanum nigrum[1]



blackout

blackout
black·out 
[blák owt] (plural black·outs)
noun

1.  MEDICINE loss
of consciousness: a temporary loss of consciousness,
sight, or memory

2.  BROADCASTING withdrawal
of broadcasting: a refusal to broadcast radio or
television programs, or a sports event for which tickets are still available

3.  COMMUNICATION withholding
of information: the withholding of news or information
about a subject, especially by official sources

4.  ELECTRICITY loss
of electric light: a failure of an electrical
supply

5.  MILITARY period
of extinguishing or hiding lights: a period during
wartime in which all lights are to be turned off or covered up at night to
prevent towns from being seen from enemy aircraft

6.  RADIO loss
of radio communication: a loss of radio
communication between an aircraft or ship and headquarters

[1]



BlackPanther

BlackPanther
Black
Pan·ther
(plural Black Pan·thers) noun

African
American activist of 1960s: a member of a militant
African American political organization opposed to white domination that was
active in the United States especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s
[Panther from the emblem used
by certain Black Power electoral candidates in Alabama in the mid-1960s][1]



blackpepper

blackpepper
black
pep·per
noun

pepper from unhusked seeds:
dark brown seasoning made by grinding pepper seeds that have not had their
black outer covering removed[1]



blackpoll

blackpoll
black·poll 
[blák pl] (plural black·polls)
or black·poll war·bler [blák pl]
(plural black·poll war·blers) noun

N
American songbird: a small bird found in
northern North America that has streaky plumage and is abundant in conifer
forests. Latin name: Dendroica striata
[Poll from obsolete poll
“head”][1]



blackpowder

blackpowder
black
pow·der
noun

kind of gunpowder:
gunpowder, especially the kind formerly used in mines and quarries. It contains
saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal and is now mainly used in fireworks and muzzle
loading firearms.[1]



BlackPower

BlackPower
Black
Pow·er
noun

black political movement:
a movement formed by black people to engender social equality and emphasize
pride in their racial identity via black cultural and political institutions
and organizations[1]



blackpudding

blackpudding
black
pud·ding
(plural black pud·dings) noun

U.K.,
Southern U.S. See blood sausage[1]



blackracer

blackracer
black
rac·er
(plural black rac·ers) noun

harmless American snake:
a dark-colored nonpoisonous snake of the eastern United States. Latin name: Coluber
constrictor
Also called
blacksnake[1]



blackraspberry

blackraspberry
black
rasp·ber·ry
(plural black rasp·ber·ries) noun

1.  type
of raspberry plant: a prickly North American
shrub that produces edible berries. Latin name: Rubus occidentalis
Also
called
blackcap noun 3

2.  dark-colored
raspberry:
the fruit of the black raspberry, generally smaller and darker-colored than the
cultivated raspberry

[1]



blackrat

blackrat
black
rat
(plural black rats) noun

common rat:
a common dark brown rat that is a household pest and disease carrier. It was
originally from Eurasia but was imported to coastal cities throughout the
world, and is an important carrier of plague. Latin name: Rattus rattus
Also called
roof rat
Also called
climbing rat[1]



blackrot

blackrot
black
rot
noun

plant disease:
any plant disease that causes blackening as well as decay[1]



Black,Samuel

Black,Samuel
Black 
[blak], Samuel (1780–1841)

Scottish-born Canadian
explorer and fur trader. He kept a journal of his discoveries.[1]



Blacksburg

Blacksburg
Blacks·burg 
[bláksbərg]

town in southwestern
Virginia, southwest of Salem, on the west side of the Allegheny Mountains.
Population: 34,294 (1996)[1]



BlackSea

BlackSea
Black
Sea

large inland sea linked to
the Mediterranean by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. It
is bordered by Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, and Turkey. Area:
436,400 sq km/168,500 sq mi.[1]



blackshale

blackshale
black
shale
(plural black shales) noun

oil-bearing shale:
a mudstone that contains organic carbon, for example, an oil-bearing shale[1]



blacksheep

blacksheep
black
sheep
noun

misfit:
somebody regarded by the other members of a family or group as not living up to
their standards and expectations
[From black sheep’s wool
being less valuable to the shepherd than white][1]



Black,Shirley Temple, Shirley

Black,Shirley Temple, Shirley
Black,
Shirley Temple, Shirley (1928– )

U.S. actor. She made 25
movies from 1934 as an internationally popular child star. She was later U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, under her married name of Shirley Temple
Black.[1]



Blackshirt

Blackshirt
Black·shirt
[blák shùrt] (plural Black·shirts)
or black·shirt [blák shùrt] (plural
black·shirts) noun

European
fascist in World War II: a member of any European
fascist movement active before and during World War II, especially a member of
the Italian Fascist Party
[From the distinctive item of
the party’s uniform][1]



blackskimmer

blackskimmer
black
skim·mer
(plural black skim·mers) noun

black seabird:
a black-and-white seabird of coastal North America that has a black-tipped red
bill with the lower mandible longer than the upper. Latin name: Rhynchops
niger[1]



blacksmith

blacksmith
black·smith 
[blák smith] (plural black·smiths)
noun

worker
with iron:
somebody whose job is making and repairing iron and metal objects, including
horseshoes. Blacksmiths originally worked by hand with a hammer and anvil, but
now more often use electrically powered tools.
Also
called
smith
Also
called
smithy
[Black from their working
with iron, called black metal (as distinct from tin called white metal)][1]



blacksnake

blacksnake
black·snake 
[blák snayk] (plural black·snakes)
noun

1.  dark
nonvenomous snake: a dark-colored, chiefly
nonvenomous, snake, such as the black racer. Genera: Coluber Elaphe

2.  whip
of braided leather: a long tapering whip made of
braided strips of leather or hide

[1]



blackspot

blackspot
black
spot
(plural black spots) noun

BOTANY
plant disease:
a plant disease that causes black patches to form on leaves, particularly on
roses[1]



blackspruce

blackspruce
black
spruce
(plural black spruc·es) noun

N American conifer:
a dark green conifer found in marshy areas in northern North America. Latin
name: Picea mariana[1]



BlackStone

BlackStone
Black
Stone
noun

sacred Islamic stone:
the sacred stone in the Kaaba in the great mosque in Mecca, believed to have
been given by God. It is reddish black in color.[1]



blackstrap

blackstrap
black·strap 
[blàk strap] or black·strap
mo·las·ses [blàk strap] noun

strong
molasses:
molasses from which all refinable sugar has been removed
[From blackstrap
“strong dark port,” drink made from rum and molasses][1]



BlackStudies

BlackStudies
Black
Stud·ies
plural noun

study of black culture:
an academic subject or curriculum that deals with the history, culture, and
literature of black communities worldwide, often with an emphasis on African
American culture[1]



blackstump

blackstump
black
stump
noun

Australia
point
where true wilderness begins: an imaginary stump marking
the farthest edge of civilization (informal) • I
grew up beyond the black stump and didn’t see a city until I was 25.
[Perhaps from the frequency
with which fire-blackened tree stumps were mentioned in direction-giving in the
Australian outback][1]



blackswallowtail

blackswallowtail
black
swal·low·tail (plural black swal·low·tails)
noun

N American butterfly:
a common North American swallowtail butterfly with black, blue, and white
markings and two small red eyespots on the trailing edge of its hind wing.
Latin name: Papilio polyxenes[1]



blackswan

blackswan
black
swan
(plural black swans) noun

black Australian swan:
a large swan with black plumage and a red beak found throughout Australia and
in New Zealand, where it is an introduced species. Latin name: Cygnus
atratus[1]



black-taileddeer

black-taileddeer
black-tailed
deer 
noun

N American deer:
a mule deer with a tail that is black on top, found west of the North American
Continental Divide. Latin name: Odocoileus hemionus columbianus[1]



blacktea

blacktea
black
tea
(plural black teas) noun

tea leaves fermented before
drying: dark-colored tea leaves that
have been fermented before being dried.
See also
green tea[1]



blackthorn

blackthorn
black·thorn 
[blák thawrn] (plural black·thorns)
noun

1.  thorny
bush:
a thorny black-stemmed bush of Europe and Asia that has white flowers and small
blue-black berries called sloes. Latin name: Prunus spinosa
Also
called
sloe

2.  hardwood
walking stick: a walking stick made from the hard wood
of the blackthorn

[1]



blacktie

blacktie
black
tie
(plural black ties) noun

1.  black
bow tie:
a black bow tie worn on formal occasions

2.  formal
style of dress for men: a formal style in men’s
dress that includes a black bow tie and a tuxedo
—black-tie, adjective[1]



blacktop

blacktop
black·top 
[blák top] noun (plural black·tops)

1.  road-surfacing
material:
a road-surfacing material bound together with a tarry substance such as asphalt

2.  road
made with blacktop: a road or other area with a
blacktop surface
intransitive
and transitive verb (past black·topped,
past participle black·topped, present participle black·top·ping,
3rd person present singular black·tops)

coat surface with blacktop:
to cover a road or other surface with blacktop

[1]



blackvulture

blackvulture
black
vul·ture
(plural black vul·tures) noun

1.  American
vulture:
a common vulture native to North and South America that has black plumage and a
bald black head. Latin name: Coragyps atratus

2.  large
vulture:
a large dark vulture native to southern Europe and the Middle East. Latin name:
Aegypius monachus

[1]



blackwalnut

blackwalnut
black
wal·nut
(plural black wal·nuts) noun

1.  TREES N
American walnut tree: a North American walnut tree
with hard dark wood and edible nuts in very hard shells. Latin name: Juglans
nigra

2.  INDUSTRY N
American walnut wood: the hard wood of the black
walnut tree, used especially for veneer and cabinets

3.  FOOD edible
nut:
an edible nut from the black walnut tree

[1]



blackwaterfever

blackwaterfever
black·wa·ter
fe·ver
noun

fever with blackish urine:
a serious condition, developing from malaria, that causes a rapid and massive
loss of red blood cells and turns the urine dark red or blackish[1]



Blackwell,Antoinette Louisa

Blackwell,Antoinette Louisa

Black·well 
[blák wèl, blákwəl],
Antoinette Louisa (1825–1921)
U.S. minister and feminist. She was the
first woman formally ordained as a minister of a Protestant church in the
United States (1853), and wrote on women’s rights.[1]



Blackwell,Elizabeth

Blackwell,Elizabeth

Black·well
[blák wèl, blákwəl],
Elizabeth (1821–1910)
British-born doctor. The first woman to
earn a medical degree in the United States (1849), she founded a women’s
medical college in New York (1869) and later practiced in England. Emily
Blackwell was her sister.[1]



Blackwell,Emily

Blackwell,Emily
Black·well
[blák wèl, blákwəl],
Emily (1826–1910)

British-born U.S. doctor. She
was a pioneering woman physician who with her sister Elizabeth Blackwell
developed the New York Infirmary for Women and Children (1857). She was dean of
its medical school (1869–1899).[1]



blackwidow

blackwidow

black
wid·ow
(plural black wid·ows) noun
poisonous
spider:
a highly poisonous spider of temperate North America and the Far East. The
female has a black body with an hourglass-shaped red marking on the abdomen.
Latin name: Latrodectus mactans
[Widow from the female’s
habit of eating her mate][1]



bladder

bladder

blad·der 
[bláddər] (plural blad·ders) noun

1.  ANATOMY bodily
sac for liquid or gas: an organ or other body part
for storing a liquid or gas, especially the sac that stores urine ( urinary bladder ) or the sac that stores bile (
gallbladder )

2.  inflatable
inner bag:
an inflatable part of something, especially a football, that resembles a bag

3.  BOTANY sac in
plant:
a sac found in some plants, for example, in bladder wrack to store air allowing
the plant to float, or in bladderwort to trap insects

4.  MEDICINE fluid-filled
blister:
a blister or small sac filled with fluid
[Old
English bldre, blæddre . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
that is also the ancestor of English blow
“to puff,” flatulent, and inflate .]
—blad·der·y [bláddəree], adjective[1]



bladdercampion

bladdercampion
blad·der
cam·pi·on
(plural blad·der cam·pi·ons) noun

European wildflower:
a wild European plant with a swollen calyx below the petals of its white
flowers. Latin name: Silene vulgaris[1]



bladderfern

bladderfern
blad·der
fern
(plural blad·der ferns) noun

fern with bulbous seed case:
a small delicate fern that grows in rocks and walls and has a bulbous seed pod.
Latin name: Cystoperis fragilis[1]



bladderkelp

bladderkelp
blad·der
kelp
(plural blad·der kelps) noun

seaweed with bladders:
any of various brown algae with inflated bladders from which leaflike streamers
are suspended[1]



bladdernose

bladdernose
blad·der·nose 
[bláddər nōz] (plural blad·der·noses)
noun

ZOOLOGY See hooded seal
[Bladder from the inflatable
pouch near its nose][1]



bladdernut

bladdernut
blad·der·nut 
[bláddər nut] (plural blad·der·nuts)
noun

1.  tree
with bulbous seed pod: a small tree or shrub that
produces clusters of small white flowers and bulbous seed pods. Genus: Staphylea

2.  seed
pod:
the seed pod of a bladdernut tree or shrub

[1]



bladderworm

bladderworm
blad·der
worm
(plural blad·der worms) noun

tapeworm larva:
the larva of a tapeworm, shaped like a sac and armed with six hooks. Class:
Cestoda[1]



bladderwort

bladderwort
blad·der·wort 
[bláddər wurt, bláddər
wawrt] (plural blad·der·worts) noun

insect-catching water plant:
an aquatic plant with floating leaves bearing small bladders that are used to
trap insects. Genus: Utricularia[1]



bladderwrack

bladderwrack
blad·der
wrack
noun

seaweed with air pockets:
a brown seaweed that has bulbous air bladders on its fronds, allowing them to
float. It grows between the high and low water line. Latin name: Fucus
vesiculosus[1]



blade

blade
blade 
[blayd] noun (plural blades)

1.  cutting
part:
the flat sharp-edged cutting part of a tool or weapon

2.  long
thin flat part: a long thin flat part of some tools or
machines, for example, a propeller

3.  thin
leaf:
a long thin leaf, especially of grass

4.  flat
striking part: the flat striking part of something such
as an oar or a golf club

5.  razor
blade:
a razor blade

6.  SPORTS part
of ice skate: the metal part of an ice skate that
glides on the ice

7.  PHONETICS part
of tongue:
the flat upper part of the tongue just behind the tip

8.  ARCHAEOLOGY stone
fragment:
a parallel-sided stone flake that is at least twice as long as it is wide

9.  sword:
a sword (literary) “And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats/ Of breaches,
ambuscadoes, Spanish blades” William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet

10. swordsman:
a swordsman (archaic)

11. dashing
man:
an energetic fun-loving man (dated informal)
plural
noun
blades

SPORTS in-line roller skates (informal)
intransitive
verb

to
skate on in-line roller skates (informal)
[Old English blæd .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic stem that is also the ancestor of
English bloom, blossom, blow
“to blossom,” and flower . The
original meaning was “leaf.”][1]



blading

blading
blad·ing
[bláyding] noun

SPORTS
in-line skating:
the activity of skating on in-line skates[1]



blah

blah
blah 
[blaa] noun

nonsense:
talk or writing that is inane or boring (informal)
plural
noun
blahs

malaise:
a condition of feeling bored, restless, and listless • She’s
got the blahs today.
intransitive
verb
(past bla·hed, past participle bla·hed, present
participle blahing, 3rd person present singular blahs)

talk
nonsense:
to talk in a meaningless way (informal) (often repeated for emphasis)
adjective

dull:
dull and uninteresting or uninterested (informal) • feeling
really blah today
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound of somebody talking vacuously.][1]



Blaine

Blaine
Blaine
[blayn]

city in southeastern
Minnesota. It is a northern suburb of St. Paul, and lies northeast of
Minneapolis. Population: 43,241 (1996)[1]



Blaine,James G.

Blaine,James G.
Blaine
[blayn], James G. (1830–1893)

U.S.
statesman. Speaker of the House of Representatives (1869–1875) and secretary of
state (1881, 1889–1892), he was defeated in four presidential bids.
Full name
Blaine, James Gillespie[1]



Blair,Tony

Blair,Tony

Blair
[blair], Tony (1953– )
British
politician. A member of Parliament from 1983, he was elected Labour Party
leader in 1994, and became prime minister in 1997.
Full
name
Blair, Anthony Charles Lynton
—Blair·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



Blake,Edward

Blake,Edward
Blake
[blayk], Edward (1833–1912)

Canadian politician. He was
the Liberal premier of Ontario (1871–1872) and federal minister (1873–1878).[1]



Blake,Eubie

Blake,Eubie
Blake
[blayk], Eubie (1883–1983)

U.S.
musician. He was an innovative composer of shows including the revue Shuffle
Along ( 1921 ).
Real name
Blake, James Herbert[1]



Blake,William

Blake,William
Blake
[blayk], William (1757–1827)

British
poet, painter, and engraver. He wrote Songs of Innocence (1789), The
Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790–1793), and Jerusalem (1804–1820),
illustrating his poetry with highly original engravings and watercolors. He
championed mystical wisdom and the unfettered imagination in the face of
18th-century rationalism.

—Blakeian, adjective[1]



Blakey,Art

Blakey,Art
Blak·ey
[bláy kee], Art (1919–1990)

U.S.
jazz musician His innovations as a drummer led to the development of bebop and
hard bop. His band, the Jazz Messengers (1954), introduced young musicians.
Full name
Blakey, Arthur[1]



blame

blame
blame 
[blaym] transitive verb (past blamed,
past participle blamed, present participle blam·ing,
3rd person present singular blames)

1.  consider
somebody responsible: to consider somebody to be
responsible for something wrong or unfortunate that has happened • She
blames me for what happened.

2.  criticize:
to find fault with somebody (used in negative statements and questions)
• I
don’t blame you for wanting to know what happened.
noun

responsibility:
responsibility for something wrong or unfortunate that has happened • It’s
still not clear where the blame lies.
[12th
century. Via Old French bla(s)mer from Latin blastemare, an
alteration of blasphemare “to reproach” (source of English blaspheme ).]
—blam·a·ble,
adjective
to
blame

responsible for something
wrong or unfortunate that has happened • Who’s
to blame for the mix-up?[1]



blameless

blameless
blame·less 
[bláymləss] adjective

1.  not
responsible: not responsible for something wrong or
unfortunate that has happened • No one
involved is entirely blameless.

2.  innocent:
doing nothing bad or wrong • a
blameless life
—blame·less·ly,
adverb

—blame·less·ness, noun[1]



blameworthy

blameworthy
blame·wor·thy 
[bláym wuree] adjective

to
blame:
deserving blame or criticism
—blame·wor·thi·ness [bláym wurinəss], noun[1]



Blamey,Thomas Albert

Blamey,Thomas Albert
Blam·ey
[bláymee], Sir Thomas Albert (1884–1951)

Australian soldier. Commander
of the World War II Allied Land Forces in the southwestern Pacific (1942–1945),
he later became Australia’s first field marshal in 1950.[1]



blanch

blanch
blanch 
[blanch] (past blanched, past
participle blanched, present participle blanch·ing, 3rd
person present singular blanch·es) or blench [blench] (past blenched, past
participle blenched, present participle blench·ing, 3rd
person present singular blench·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
food briefly in boiling water: to put food in boiling
water for a few seconds in order to loosen the skin or to kill enzymes

2.  intransitive
verb
turn
pale:
to become pale suddenly

3.  transitive
verb
whiten
vegetables by growing in dark: to grow vegetables,
especially celery and endive, in dark conditions in order to whiten the stems
and improve their flavor

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
or lose color: to lose color, or cause something to
lose color
[14th
century. From French blanchir “to whiten,” from blanche, feminine
of blanc “white” (source of English blank
and blanket ).]
—blanch·er, noun[1]



blancmange

blancmange
blanc·mange 
[blə mnj, blə
mnzh] (plural blanc·manges) noun

cold
milk-based dessert: a dessert similar to pudding
made with milk, sugar, flavorings, and cornstarch and eaten cold
[14th century. From Old
French blanc mangier, from blanc “white” (see blanch ) + mangier “food,” from mangier
“to eat” (source of English manger ),
from Latin manducare “to chew.”][1]



bland

bland
bland 
[bland] (comparative bland·er,
superlative bland·est) adjective

1.  insipid:
lacking flavor, character, or interest • a
bland diet

2.  free
of stress:
free from anything annoying or upsetting

3.  unemotional:
without emotion
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin blandus “smooth, flattering,” of unknown origin.]
—bland·ly
[blándlee], adverb

—bland·ness, noun[1]



blandish

blandish
blan·dish 
[blándish] (past blan·dished, past
participle blan·dished, present participle blan·dish·ing,
3rd person present singular blan·dish·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

cajole:
to persuade somebody by flattery (formal)
[14th
century. Via the Old French stem blandiss- from, ultimately, Latin blandus
“smooth, flattering” (source of English bland
).]
—blan·dish·er, noun[1]



blandishment

blandishment
blan·dish·ment 
[blándishmənt] (plural blan·dish·ments)
noun

1.  flattery:
the use of flattery and enticements to persuade somebody to do something

2.  piece
of flattery: a piece of flattery intended to persuade
somebody to do something (formal) (often used in the plural) • impervious
to all blandishments

[1]



blank

blank
blank 
[blank] adjective (comparative
blank·er, superlative blank·est)

1.  not
marked:
not written on, drawn on, or printed on • a
blank page

2.  unbroken:
plain and unvaried • a blank wall

3.  lacking
interest:
having or showing no interest or awareness • a
blank expression

4.  uneventful
or unproductive: characterized by lack of useful action
or result • It
was one of those blank periods when nothing particular was happening.

5.  downright:
complete or absolute • She
stared at me in blank amazement.
noun
(plural blanks)

1.  emptiness
of mind:
a complete absence of awareness or memory • I
remember hearing a loud noise: the rest is a blank.

2.  void:
a period about which nothing is known • There
are a lot of blanks in her account of the event.

3.  space
in which to write: a space left blank in which
to write, in a form or document • Fill
in the blanks.

4.  mark
indicating missing word: a mark (-) in writing or
print indicating that a word or letter is missing • a
word meaning solitary, spelt a l - - e

5.  document
with blank spaces: a form or document with
spaces for writing in

6.  ARMS See blank cartridge

7.  MANUFACTURING piece
from which article is made: a piece of metal or other
material that will be shaped to produce a finished article

8.  bull’s
eye:
the bull’s eye of a target
verb
(past blanked, past participle blanked, present
participle blank·ing, 3rd person present singular blanks)

1.  transitive
verb
obliterate:
to delete or block something out (often used with out)

2.  intransitive
verb
forget
temporarily: to forget something suddenly and
temporarily • I
tried to recall their names, but I just blanked.

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS prevent
from scoring: to prevent an opponent from scoring
[13th
century. From French blanc “white” (see blanch
). Originally in the sense “white.”]
—blank·ness
[blángknəss], noun
draw
a blank

to
be unsuccessful in a search or inquiry

fire
or shoot blanks

to
be unable to impregnate a woman because of a low sperm count (slang,
sometimes considered offensive)

go
blank

to be unable to think of or
remember something[1]



blankcartridge

blankcartridge
blank
car·tridge
(plural blank car·tridges) noun

cartridge with no bullet:
a gun cartridge that contains explosive but no bullet.
Also called
blank[1]



blankcheck

blankcheck
blank
check
(plural blank checks) noun

1.  check
with no amount stated: a signed check that has not
yet had the amount payable filled in

2.  permission:
complete freedom to act or decide (informal) • They
gave us a blank check in our negotiations.

[1]



blankendorsement

blankendorsement
blank
en·dorse·ment (plural blank en·dorse·ments)
noun

endorsement naming no payee:
an endorsement on a bill of exchange that does not name a payee and so may
benefit the bearer[1]



blanket

blanket
blan·ket 
[blángkət] noun (plural blan·kets)

1.  large
piece of thick cloth: a piece of thick cloth used
as a cover for a bed or for spreading on the ground and sitting on

2.  covering
layer:
a layer of something, covering an area completely
adjective

applying generally:
applying to all areas or situations • We
have blanket approval for our proposals.
noun
(plural blan·kets)

NUCLEAR PHYSICS layer
around core of nuclear reactor: in a nuclear reactor,
a layer of material surrounding the radioactive core used to reflect neutrons
or to create more fissile material
transitive
verb
(past blan·ket·ed, past participle blan·ket·ed, present
participle blan·ket·ing, 3rd person present singular blan·kets)

1.  cover
with layer:
to cover something with a thick layer • The
streets were blanketed with snow.

2.  cover
to suppress: to cover something, especially a fire,
in order to stop it or put it out • Foam
from the fire extinguisher quickly blanketed the flames.

3.  apply
uniformly:
to apply all over something in a uniform manner • The
county was blanketed with leaflets.

4.  NAUTICAL prevent
wind reaching sails: to take the wind from the
sails of another boat by sailing to windward of it
[14th century. From Old
Northern French blanquet, “blanket,” Old French blanchet, from blanc
“white” (see blanch ). The original meaning
was “white cloth.”][1]



blanketflower

blanketflower
blan·ket
flow·er
(plural blan·ket flow·ers) noun

See
gaillardia[1]



blanketstitch

blanketstitch
blan·ket
stitch
noun

wide
stitching for reinforcement: looped stitching with wide
gaps between stitches, used to reinforce the edge of a piece of fabric
[From its use on the edges of
blankets][1]



blankly

blankly
blank·ly
[blánklee] adverb

1.  in
a vacant way: in a way that suggests a complete lack
of interest, understanding, or awareness • She
stared at me blankly.

2.  downright:
completely and without exception

[1]



blankverse

blankverse
blank
verse
noun

unrhymed poetry:
unrhymed poetry that has a regular rhythm and line length, especially iambic
pentameter[1]



blare

blare
blare 
[blair] verb (past blared,
past participle blared, present participle blar·ing,
3rd person present singular blares)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
loud sound:
to make a loud harsh noise

2.  transitive
verb
announce
something:
to proclaim something loudly • “Heiress
disappears,” the headlines blared.
noun

loud strident sound:
a loud harsh noise that is intended to be heard
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from assumed Old English blæren, Middle Dutch bleren
“to bleat, shout,” or Middle Low German blaren ; ultimately probably an
imitation of the sound.][1]



blarney

blarney
blar·ney 
[blrnee] noun

nonsense:
unintelligent or insincere talk (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past blar·neyed,
past participle blar·neyed, present participle blar·ney·ing,
3rd person present singular blar·neys)

wheedle:
to persuade somebody with flattery (informal)
[Late 18th century. Named for
the Blarney Stone .][1]



BlarneyStone

BlarneyStone
Blar·ney
Stone
noun

supposedly magical stone in
Ireland: a stone in Blarney Castle,
near Cork in Ireland, that is said to give the power of persuasive talk to
people who kiss it[1]



blaspheme

blaspheme
blas·pheme 
[blas fm, blás
feem] (past blas·phemed, past participle blas·phemed,
present participle blas·phem·ing, 3rd person present singular
blas·phemes) verb

1.  swear
impiously:
to swear in a way that insults religion

2.  transitive
verb
insult
religion:
to treat God or sacred things disrespectfully through words or action
[14th
century. Via Old French blasfemer from ecclesiastical Latin blasphemare
“to revile” (source of English blame
), from Greek blasphēmein, formed from blasphēmos
“evil-speaking.”]
—blas·phem·er [blas fmər, blásfəmər],
noun[1]



blasphemous

blasphemous
blas·phe·mous 
[blásfəməss] adjective

disrespectful
of sacred things: expressing or involving disrespect for
God or sacred things
—blas·phe·mous·ly,
adverb

—blas·phe·mous·ness, noun[1]



blasphemy

blasphemy
blas·phe·my 
[blásfəmee] (plural blas·phe·mies)
noun

1.  disrespect
for religion: disrespect for God or sacred things

2.  something
showing disrespect for religion: something done or said
that shows disrespect for God or sacred things

[1]



blast

blast

blast 
[blast] noun (plural blasts)

1.  explosion:
an explosion, or a sudden rush of air caused by an explosion • Several
homes were destroyed by the blast.

2.  air
or gas current: a sudden strong current of air or wind

3.  loud
explosive sound: the sound made by an explosion • We
were almost deafened by the blasts.

4.  instrument’s
loud sound:
a short loud sound made on an instrument, whistle, or car horn

5.  outburst:
a loud or angry outburst • a
blast of criticism

6.  good
time:
an enjoyable occasion of fun and laughter (slang) • The
party was a real blast!
verb (past
blast·ed, past participle blast·ed, present participle
blast·ing, 3rd person present singular blasts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb blow
up with explosives: to destroy or break open
something using explosives • Rescuers
blasted a hole in the rock. • Road
crews had to blast a way through the mountains.

2.  transitive
verb
hit
hard:
to strike something with great force (informal) • She
blasted the ball into the net

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
loud noise:
to come out with great force or volume or make something do this (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to subject somebody or something to severe criticism (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
BOTANY blight:
to affect a plant with a withering disease (often passive)
[Old
English blst . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English blaze and blow .]
—blast·er,
noun
(at) full blast

at
maximum volume or speed

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at criticize

[1]



-blast

-blast
-blast
suffix

embryonic
cell • melanoblast
[From
Greek blastos “bud”]
—-blastic, suffix[1]



blastaway

blastaway
blast
away
intransitive verb

keep shooting:
to fire a gun repeatedly (informal)[1]



blasted

blasted
blast·ed 
[blástəd] adjective adverb

expressing annoyance:
used to express mild irritation (informal) • Then
the blasted handle broke.[1]



blastema

blastema
blas·te·ma 
[bla stmə] (plural blas·te·mas
or blas·te·ma·ta [bla stmətə])
noun

mass
of cells:
a group of unspecialized animal cells from which an organ or new tissue
develops
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek, “sprout.”]
—blas·te·mal,
adjective

—blas·te·mat·ic
[blàstə máttik], adjective

—blas·te·mic [bla stmik], adjective[1]



blastfurnace

blastfurnace
blast
fur·nace
(plural blast fur·naces) noun

metal-smelting furnace:
a vertical shaft furnace for smelting metals. Fuel, ores, and slag-forming rock
are loaded from above, and air is blown in from the bottom to raise the
temperature. The molten metal is tapped periodically from the base.[1]



blasting

blasting
blast·ing
[blásting] noun

1.  blowing
up rock:
the blowing up of rock in a quarry, or mine, or road-building operation • “Danger!
Blasting.”

2.  cursing:
swearing in annoyance (informal)

[1]



blastingpowder

blastingpowder
blast·ing
pow·der
noun

form of gunpowder:
a form of gunpowder containing sodium nitrate instead of potassium nitrate that
is used in blasting rock and ores[1]



blasto-

blasto-
blasto-
prefix

bud,
germ • blastomycete
[From Greek blastos
“bud”][1]



blastocoel

blastocoel
blas·to·coel 
[blástə seel] (plural blas·to·coels)
or blas·to·coele [blástə seel]
(plural blas·to·coeles) noun

cavity
in embryo:
the cavity that forms within the mass of cells ( blastula
) in a developing embryo and that fills with fluid.
Also
called
segmentation cavity
[Late
19th century. Coined from blasto- + Greek koilos
“hollow.”]
—blas·to·coe·lic [blàstə slik], adjective[1]



blastocyst

blastocyst
blas·to·cyst 
[blástə sist] (plural blas·to·cysts)
noun

embryonic
stage:
a mammalian embryo at the stage where it is implanted in the wall of the womb
—blas·to·cys·tic [blàstə sístik], adjective[1]



blastoderm

blastoderm
blas·to·derm 
[blástə durm] (plural blas·to·derms)
noun

cells
from division of egg: a layer of cells arising
from the repeated division of a fertilized mammalian egg that develops into an
embryo
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from blasto- + -derm,
formed from Greek derma “skin.”]
—blas·to·der·mat·ic
[blàstədər máttik], adjective

—blas·to·der·mic [blàstə dúrmik], adjective[1]



blastoff

blastoff
blast·off 
[blást of] (plural blast·offs)
noun

rocket launch:
a launch of a rocket, spacecraft, or missile[1]



blastoff

blastoff
blast
off
intransitive and transitive verb

start space journey:
to launch a rocket, spacecraft, or astronaut into space, or be launched into
space[1]



blastogenesis

blastogenesis
blas·to·gen·e·sis 
[blàstə jénnəssiss] noun

multiplication
by budding:
asexual reproduction by budding
—blas·to·ge·net·ic
[blàstə jə néttik], adjective

—blas·to·gen·ic [blàstə jénnik], adjective[1]



blastomycosis

blastomycosis
blas·to·my·co·sis 
[blà stō mī kṓssiss] noun

fungal infection:
a fungal infection causing lesions on the lungs, skin, or mucous membranes[1]



blastopore

blastopore
blas·to·pore 
[blástə pawr] (plural blas·to·pores)
noun

embryonic
opening:
an opening in a young embryo that develops into the anus in some mammals
—blas·to·por·al,
adjective

—blasto·por·ic [blàstə páwrik], adjective[1]



blastosphere

blastosphere
blas·to·sphere 
[blástə sfeer] (plural blas·to·spheres)
noun

See
blastula[1]



blastospore

blastospore
blas·to·spore 
[blástə spawr] (plural blas·to·spores)
noun

spore produced by budding:
a fungal spore produced by budding[1]



blastula

blastula
blas·tu·la 
[bláschələ] (plural blas·tu·las
or blas·tu·lae [bláschəlee]) noun

embryonic
form:
an embryo at an early stage of development, consisting of a hollow ball of
cells.
Also
called
blastosphere
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek blastos “sprout,
germ.”]
—blas·tu·lar,
adjective

—blas·tu·la·tion [blàschə láysh’n], noun[1]



blasé

blasé
bla·sé 
[blaa záy] adjective

unconcerned:
not impressed or worried by something, usually because of having experienced it
before
[Early 19th century. From
French, “satiated.”][1]



blat

blat2
blat2  [blat]
(plural blats) or blatt [blat]
(plural blatts) noun

popular
newspaper:
a popular newspaper (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From
German Blatt “leaf, sheet (of paper).”][1]



blat

blat1
blat1  [blat]
intransitive verb (past blat·ted, past participle blat·ted,
present participle blat·ting, 3rd person present singular blats)
noun (plural blats)

bleat:
a bleating sound (regional)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past blat·ted,
past participle blat·ted, present participle blat·ting,
3rd person present singular blats)

(informal)
See blab  verb 1
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



blatant

blatant
bla·tant 
[bláyt’nt] adjective

1.  very
obvious:
so obvious or conspicuous as to be impossible to hide • blatant
falsehoods

2.  noisy:
excessively or offensively noisy (literary)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly an alteration of Scottish blatand
“bleating,” or from Latin blatire “to babble.”]
—bla·tan·cy,
noun

—bla·tant·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  blatant
  or flagrant ?
  Both
  words describe openly offensive behavior, but there is a difference. Blatant emphasizes the obviousness of the
  offense, whereas flagrant emphasizes the
  shocking effect that the offense has. A blatant
  lie is one that is easily discerned, whereas a flagrant
  lie is one that is particularly shameless or outrageous.

[1]



blather

blather
blath·er 
[bláər] or bleth·er [bléər] or blith·er [bléər] intransitive verb (past blath·ered,
past participle blath·ered, present participle blath·er·ing,
3rd person present singular blath·ers) (past bleth·ered,
past participle bleth·ered, present participle bleth·er·ing,
3rd person present singular bleth·ers)

talk
inanely:
to talk in an unintelligent or inane manner, especially at length (informal)
noun

foolish
talk:
foolish and prolonged talk (informal)
[Early
16th century. Originally a Scottish and northern English dialect word. From Old
Norse blaðra “to chatter, babble.”]
—blath·er·er (plural
blath·er·ers), noun[1]



blatherskite

blatherskite
blath·er·skite 
[bláər skīt] (plural blath·er·skites)
or bleth·er·skite [bláər skīt]
noun (dated informal)

1.  talkative
person:
somebody who likes to chat about silly or unimportant things

2.  inane
talk:
chat about silly or unimportant things
[Mid-17th century. From blather + Scottish dialect skate
“contemptible person.”][1]



blatt

blatt
blatt
noun

See
blat[1]



Blaxploitation

Blaxploitation
Blax·ploi·ta·tion 
[blàk sploy táysh’n] noun

black
stereotyping in movies: depiction of blacks in
movies or other media in a way that appeals to people’s popular and often
inaccurate or negative notions of their experiences and qualities (informal)
[Late 20th century. Blend of blacks
(plural of black ) and exploitation .][1]



blaze

blaze2
blaze2 [blayz]
noun (plural blaz·es)

1.  white
mark on animal’s face: a white streak on the face
of a horse or other animal

2.  mark
showing the way: a mark indicating a path, originally a
cut made in a tree trunk
transitive
verb
(past blazed, past participle blazed, present
participle blaz·ing, 3rd person present singular blaz·es)

1.  mark
path:
to indicate a new path by making marks

2.  do
something new: to lead the way in doing something new • He
blazed the way to the understanding of DNA’s structure.
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Old Norse blesi, Middle High German blasse,
or Middle Low German bles “white mark.”][1]



blaze

blaze3
blaze3 [blayz]
(past blazed, past participle blazed, present
participle blaz·ing, 3rd person present singular blaz·es)
transitive verb

proclaim:
to spread news or information loudly and clearly (archaic)
[14th century. Via Middle
Dutch blāzen “to swell” from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that is
also the ancestor of English blow and
blast .][1]



blaze

blaze1
blaze1 [blayz]
intransitive verb (past blazed, past participle blazed,
present participle blaz·ing, 3rd person present singular blaz·es)

1.  burn
brightly:
to burn brightly and fiercely

2.  shine:
to shine or appear to shine brightly

3.  experience
strong emotion: to be affected by a strong emotion (informal)
• blazing
with indignation

4.  fire
gun:
to fire a gun repeatedly
noun
(plural blaz·es)

1.  bright
fire:
a bright flame or fire

2.  conspicuous
display:
a display that attracts attention • a
blaze of glory.
[Old
English blæse “torch, bright flame”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fire

[1]



blazer

blazer
blaz·er 
[bláyzər] (plural blaz·ers) noun

jacket:
a sports jacket for men or women, sometimes in a bright color or pattern
[Mid-17th century. From the
typically bright color, in particular that of the red jackets once worn by
members of a Cambridge University, England, boat club.][1]



blazes

blazes
blaz·es
[bláyzəz] plural noun

as emphasizer:
used to add emphasis (informal) • What
in blazes did you do that for? • run
like blazes[1]



blazing

blazing
blaz·ing
[bláyzing] adjective

1.  intense:
intense and impassioned • a
blazing row

2.  hot:
very hot • sitting
in the blazing sun
adverb

extremely:
extremely or intensely • blazing
hot
—blaz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



blazingstar

blazingstar
blaz·ing
star 
(plural blaz·ing stars) noun

1.  plant
with white flowers: a North American plant of
the lily family that has a long head of white flowers. Latin name: Chamaelirium
luteum
Also
called
devil’s bit

2.  plant
with white or purple flowers: a North American flower of
the daisy family with long heads of white or purplish flowers. Genus: Liatris

Also
called
button snakeroot

3.  plant
with clusters of flowers: a North American plant with
rough leaves and red or purple flowers. Genus: Laevicaulis

[1]



blazon

blazon
bla·zon 
[bláyz’n] transitive verb (past
bla·zoned, past participle bla·zoned, present
participle bla·zon·ing, 3rd person present singular bla·zons)

1.  proclaim
widely:
to announce something widely or ostentatiously

2.  HERALDRY depict
coat of arms: to create or describe a coat of arms
using the traditional symbols
noun
(plural bla·zons)

HERALDRY coat
of arms:
a coat of arms, or a technical description of one
[13th
century. From French blason “shield,” of unknown origin.]
—bla·zon·er,
noun

—bla·zon·ment, noun[1]



blazonry

blazonry
bla·zon·ry 
[bláyz’nree] noun

1.  HERALDRY making
or explaining coats of arms: the art of creating or
explaining coats of arms

2.  HERALDRY coats
of arms:
coats of arms individually or collectively

3.  brilliant
display:
a bright or showy display (literary)

[1]



bldg.

bldg.
bldg.

Abbreviation of
building[1]



bleach

bleach
bleach 
[bleech] noun (plural bleach·es)

1.  color-removing
substance:
a chemical substance that removes color and stains and is also used as a
cleansing agent and disinfectant

2.  application
of bleach:
an act of using bleach on something
verb
(past bleached, past participle bleached, present
participle bleach·ing, 3rd person present singular bleach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
use
bleach on:
to clean or whiten something using bleach

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb lighten
in color:
to make something whiter or lighter, or become lighter or whiter
[Old
English blcan “to make white,” from blc “pale, shining,” from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English bleak]
—bleach·er, noun[1]



bleachers

bleachers
bleach·ers 
[blchərz] plural noun (sometimes
used in the singular)

1.  stadium
seats:
seats in an uncovered area of a sports stadium

2.  indoor
seats in sports arena: retractable tiered benches
for spectators in a gymnasium, at a swimming pool, or in some other indoor
sports arena
[Late 19th century. From the
sun’s bleaching of the exposed benches.][1]



bleachingpowder

bleachingpowder
bleach·ing
pow·der 
(plural bleach·ing pow·ders) noun

cleaning powder:
a white powder, obtained from calcium hydroxide and chlorine, that is used as a
disinfectant and a bleaching agent. CaCl(OCl)[1]



bleak

bleak
bleak
[bleek] (comparative bleak·er,
superlative bleak·est) adjective

1.  unwelcoming:
providing little comfort or shelter • a
cabin on a bleak hilltop

2.  discouraging:
without hope or expectation of success or improvement • The
company’s future looks bleak.

3.  cold
and cloudy:
unpleasantly cold, dull, and windy • bleak
winter days
[14th
century. From Old Norse bleikr “pale, white, shining.”]
—bleak·ly
[blklee], adverb

—bleak·ness [blknəss], noun[1]



blear

blear
blear 
[bleer] (past bleared, past
participle bleared, present participle blear·ing, 3rd
person present singular blears) transitive verb

make
eyes or sight dim: to make eyes misty or
eyesight dim, for example, with tears (usually passive)
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bleary

bleary
blear·y 
[blree] (comparative blear·i·er,
superlative blear·i·est) adjective

1.  seeing
dimly:
not seeing clearly owing to mistiness or blurring, especially that associated
with sleepiness • a bleary gaze

2.  obscured:
obscured and not easy to see
—blear·i·ly
[blreelee], adverb

—blear·i·ness, noun[1]



bleary-eyed

bleary-eyed
blear·y-eyed 
adjective

seeing unclearly:
seeing unclearly, especially because of sleepiness or drunkenness[1]



bleat

bleat

bleat 
[bleet] verb (past bleat·ed,
past participle bleat·ed, present participle bleat·ing,
3rd person present singular bleats)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
sheep’s noise: to make the wavering cry of a sheep,
goat, or calf

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb complain
annoyingly:
to complain about something in an irritating way (informal)
noun (plural
bleats)

sheep’s sound:
the wavering cry of a sheep, goat, or calf
[Old
English bltan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of Dutch blaten ; an imitation of the sound.]
—bleat·er, noun[1]



bleb

bleb
bleb 
[bleb] (plural blebs) noun

1.  MEDICINE blister:
a small blister on the skin

2.  bubble:
a small bubble, for example, in glass
[Early
17th century. An alteration of blob .]
—bleb·by [blébbee], adjective[1]



bleed

bleed
bleed 
[bleed] verb (past bled
[bled], past participle bled, present
participle bleed·ing, 3rd person present singular bleeds)

1.  intransitive
verb
lose
blood:
to lose blood from the body, through a wound or because of illness • The
wound was bleeding heavily.

2.  transitive
verb
take
blood from:
to take blood from a person or animal, especially in order to treat a disease

3.  intransitive
verb
feel
sorrow:
to feel sadness or pity • My
heart bleeds for her in her loss.

4.  intransitive
verb
exude
sap:
to exude sap from a plant’s wound

5.  intransitive
verb
release
color:
to release color when wet or being washed (refers to fabrics)

6.  transitive
verb
take
money or resources from: to use up large amounts of
money or resources from an individual or organization, especially dishonestly (informal)
• bleeding
public funds.

7.  transitive
verb
draw
off liquid or gas: to draw liquid or gas out of
a container or pressurized system • bleed
a radiator

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING overrun page:
to print something, or to be printed, so that part of something is cut off by
the edge of the page

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING make colors of illustration
run:
to print something, or to be printed, so that colors run into other colors or
over the edge of an illustration
noun
(plural bleeds)

1.  instance
of bleeding: an instance of losing blood

2.  PRINTING something
that overruns printed page: an illustration or piece of
text printed in such a way that part of it is cut off the page
[Old English blēdan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English blood and bless .][1]



bleeder

bleeder
bleed·er 
[bldər] (plural bleed·ers) noun

MEDICINE
bleeding blood vessel:
a blood vessel that is bleeding during surgery and requires clamping or other
measures to stop it[1]



bleeding

bleeding
bleed·ing
[blding] adjective adverb

U.K.
used for emphasis:
used for emphasis, as a milder form of “bloody” (slang)[1]



bleedingheart

bleedingheart

bleed·ing
heart 
(plural bleed·ing hearts) noun

1.  plant
with heart-shaped flowers: a plant with drooping pink,
red, or white heart-shaped flowers. Genus: Dicentra

2.        foolishly
soft-hearted person: somebody
regarded as naively kind or sympathetic (informal, offensive in some
contexts)[1]



bleedingheart liberal

bleedingheart liberal
bleed·ing
heart lib·er·al (plural bleed·ing heart
lib·er·als) noun

soft-hearted liberal:
a political liberal who is thought too sympathetic or sentimental (informal)[1]



bleep

bleep

bleep 
[bleep] noun (plural bleeps)

electronic sound:
a short high-pitched electronic noise, intended as a signal and repeated
intermittently.
Also
called
blip noun 2
verb (past
bleeped, past participle bleeped, present participle
bleep·ing, 3rd person present singular bleeps)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
electronic sound: to make a short high-pitched electronic
noise

2.  bleep
or bleep out transitive verb remove
offensive language: to remove offensive material
from a broadcast, and replace it with a short high-pitched electronic sound • They
bleeped most of his comments.
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bleeping

bleeping
bleep·ing
[blping] adjective

substitute
for swearword: used in place of a swearword to indicate
mild irritation • Where are the bleeping
car keys?
[Mid-20th century][1]



bleepout

bleepout
bleep
out
transitive verb

See
bleep[1]



blemish

blemish
blem·ish 
[blémish] noun (plural blem·ish·es)

1.  spoiling
mark or flaw: a mark or imperfection that spoils the
appearance of something • a
cream that hides skin blemishes

2.  spoiling
fault:
something that spoils a person’s reputation or good record
transitive
verb
(past blem·ished, past participle blem·ished, present
participle blem·ish·ing, 3rd person present singular blem·ish·es)

mar: to
spoil the appearance or reputation of something
[14th
century. From the Old French stem ble(s)miss- “to make pale, injure.”]
—blem·ish·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at flaw

[1]



blench

blench1
blench1 [blench]
(past blenched, past participle blenched, present
participle blench·ing, 3rd person present singular blench·es)
intransitive verb

shy
away:
to move back or away in fear (literary)
[Old
English blencan “to deceive, cheat,” of unknown origin. The modern
meaning probably developed via “to evade, dodge” and “to move suddenly.”]
—blench·er, noun[1]



blench

blench2
blench2 intransitive verb

See
blanch
[Early 19th century. An
alteration of blanch, by association with blench 1 .][1]



blend

blend
blend 
[blend] verb (past blend·ed,
past participle blend·ed, present participle blend·ing,
3rd person present singular blends)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb mix
ingredients: to mix different substances together so
that they do not readily separate • blend
the butter and sugar together

2.  transitive
verb
create
product by mixing ingredients: to create food or
beverages by mixing different types of ingredients (often passive)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb intermingle:
to mix with other people or things without being conspicuous, or mix something
in this way • blend
fact and fiction

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
pleasing combination: to combine things or
qualities to create a pleasing effect, or be combined in this way • instruments
blending harmoniously

5.  intransitive
verb
shade
imperceptibly into each other: to shade from one
color to another without obvious transitions and boundaries
noun
(plural blends)

1.  mixture:
a mixture or combination • an
interesting blend of traditional styles and modern materials

2.  food
or drink mixture: a food or beverage created by mixing
different types of ingredient • an
expensive coffee blend

3.  word
made by joining two words: a new word made by joining
parts of other words, as in “telex,” formed from “teleprinter” and “exchange”
[14th
century. Probably from the Old Norse present stem blend- “to mix.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mixture

[1]



blende

blende
blende 
[blend] noun

1.  See
sphalerite

2.  sulfide
ore:
metallic sulfide ore that has a bright luster
[Late 17th century. From
German blenden “to deceive”; so called because sphalerite, despite
resembling galena ore, does not yield lead.][1]



blendedwhiskey

blendedwhiskey
blend·ed
whis·key 
noun

mixture of several whiskeys:
whiskey made by blending two or more whiskeys, or whiskey and neutral spirits[1]



blender

blender
blend·er 
[bléndər] (plural blend·ers) noun

1.  appliance
for mixing food: an electrical kitchen appliance used to
liquidize and blend foods

2.  somebody
or something that blends: somebody or something that
blends things, especially a person or company that blends foods or drinks

[1]



blendin

blendin
blend
in
intransitive verb

1.  fit
in:
to have personal qualities that suit a situation well • He’s
a likable boy who blends in well.

2.  be
difficult to pick out: to be difficult to see or
distinguish from similar things around

[1]



blenny

blenny
blen·ny 
[blénnee] (plural blen·nies or
blen·ny) noun

small
long-bodied fish: a small scaleless long-bodied fish found
in rocky coastal areas and coral reefs. Family: Blenniidae
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
blennius, formed from Greek blennos “slime” from the fish’s
covering of mucus.][1]



blephar-

blephar-
blephar-
prefix

See
blepharo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








blepharitis

blepharitis
bleph·a·ri·tis 
[bléffə rtiss] noun

eyelid
inflammation: inflammation of one or both eyelids
[Formed from Greek blepharon
“eyelid”+ -itis][1]



blepharo-

blepharo-
blepharo-
prefix

1.  eyelid
• blepharospasm

2.  cilium,
flagella • blepharoplast
[From Greek blepharon
“eyelid,” of unknown origin][1]



blesbok

blesbok
bles·bok 
[blés bok] (plural bles·boks or
bles·bok) noun

S
African antelope: a reddish brown southern African
antelope that has a white streak on its nose. Latin name: Damaliscus dorcas
[Early 19th century. From
Afrikaans, from Dutch bles “white facial streak” + bok “buck.”][1]



bless

bless
bless 
[bles] (past blessed, past
participle blest [blest], present
participle bless·ing, 3rd person present singular bless·es)
transitive verb

1.  RELIGION make
holy:
to bestow holiness on somebody or something in a religious ceremony • The
bishop blessed the new chapel.

2.  protect:
to watch over somebody or something protectively • We
prayed for God to bless our marriage.

3.  wish
well:
to declare approval and support for somebody or something • The
governor has blessed the new plan.

4.  confer
personal benefit on: to give somebody a desirable
quality or talent (usually passive) • blessed
with brains as well as good looks

5.  thank:
to express heartfelt thanks to somebody (often expressing a wish) • Bless
you for speaking up for my child!
[Old
English blētsian, from a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced
English bleed and blood ; the original sense seems to have been
“to mark with blood”]
—bless·er, noun[1]



blessed

blessed
bless·ed 
[bléssəd] adjective

1.  RELIGION holy:
made holy

2.  CHRISTIANITY beatified:
declared holy by the pope, usually as the first stage toward being declared a
saint

3.  bestowing
joy:
bringing happiness or good luck • The
rain has brought farmers blessed relief from the long drought.
adjective
adverb

used for emphasis:
used to add emphasis in an expression of annoyance (informal) • She
wouldn’t say a blessed thing about it.
—bless·ed·ly,
adverb

—bless·ed·ness, noun[1]



BlessedSacrament

BlessedSacrament
Bless·ed
Sac·ra·ment
noun

Communion bread and wine:
in various Christian churches, the bread and wine that has been blessed for use
in Holy Communion[1]



blessing

blessing
bless·ing 
[bléssing] (plural bless·ings)
noun

1.  RELIGION God’s
help:
help from God or another deity

2.  RELIGION religious
act:
a ceremony in which an ordained person invokes or bestows divine help

3.  RELIGION prayer
before meal: a prayer of thanks before a meal

4.  expression
of approval: approval or good wishes

5.  something
fortunate:
something to be glad or relieved about • It’s
a blessing that we had time to fix all of the mistakes in the original version

[1]



blest

blest
blest


Past participle of
bless[1]



blether

blether
bleth·er 
intransitive verb noun

U.K.
See blather[1]



bletherskite

bletherskite
bleth·er·skite
noun

(informal) See blatherskite[1]



blew

blew
blew

1.  Past
tense of
blow 1

2.  Past
tense of
blow 3

[1]



blewit

blewit
ble·wit
[bl it] (plural ble·wits) noun

edible
fungus:
an edible fungus with a brown cap and a bluish stem. Genus: Lepista
[Early 19th century. Probably
formed from blue, reflecting the color of its stem.][1]



blight

blight
blight 
[blīt] noun

1.  destructive
force:
something that spoils or damages things severely

2.  ruined
state:
a severely spoiled or ruined state, especially of an urban area • urban
blight

3.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a plant disease, caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses, in which symptoms range
from brownish blotches on the foliage to withering of the entire plant without
rotting

4.  U.K.
BOTANY See potato blight

5.  cause
of blight in plants: a bacterium, fungus, or
virus that causes blight in plants
transitive
verb

1.  ruin:
to spoil or damage something severely • a
football career blighted by injury

2.  PLANTS affect
plant with blight: to cause a plant to wither
without rotting
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Blighty

Blighty
Bligh·ty
[bltee] or bligh·ty [bltee] noun

U.K.
Britain:
England or Britain (dated humorous slang)
[Early 20th century.
Anglicization of Hindi bilāyatī, literally “foreign, European,”
originally used by British soldiers serving in India for “home.”][1]



Bligh,William

Bligh,William
Bligh 
[blī], William (1754–1817)

British naval officer. Cast
adrift in the Pacific by mutineers of the HMS Bounty (1789), he
navigated nearly 4,000 miles in an open boat to reach Timor. He was promoted to
rear admiral in 1811 and vice admiral in 1814.[1]



blimey

blimey
bli·mey
[blmee] interjection

U.K.
expressing
amazement or shock: used to express amazement or
shock (informal) • Blimey,
that’s expensive!
See
also
cor blimey
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of “ blind me! ” or “ blame me! ”][1]



blimp

blimp1

blimp1 [blimp]
(plural blimps) noun
small
airship:
a nonrigid airship that nowadays uses helium rather than hydrogen to remain
buoyant
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from “Type B-limp,” an airship without a rigid internal structure,
as opposed to the “Type A-rigid” with a rigid framework.][1]



blimp

blimp2
blimp2  [blimp]
(plural blimps) or Colo·nel Blimp [blimp] (plural Colo·nel Blimps) noun

U.K.
pompous
person:
somebody who is stubborn, pompous, or unreasonably conservative (humorous)
[Mid-20th century. Named for
a cartoon character invented by the cartoonist David Low ( 1891–1963 ).][1]



blind

blind
blind 
[blīnd] adjective

1.  unable
to see:
unable to see, permanently or temporarily

2.  unable
to recognize: unwilling or unable to understand
something • blind
to the consequences

3.  uncontrollable:
so extreme and uncontrollable as to make somebody behave irrationally • blind
rage
• blind
fear

4.  unquestioning:
not based on fact and usually total and unquestioning • blind
prejudice

5.  lacking
awareness • a
blind stupor

6.  not
giving a clear view: not giving a clear view and
possibly dangerous • a blind corner

7.  SEWING made
on underside of fabric: hidden from sight on the
underside of a fabric

8.  without
doors or windows: without doors or windows, or not
enclosing an open space

9.  closed
at one end:
closed off at one end • a
blind unused tunnel

10. done
without looking: done without looking or while unable to
see • blind
taste tests

11. done
unprepared:
done without preparation or the relevant information • a
blind presentation

12. with
information concealed for unprejudiced result: used
to describe scientific experiments or similar evaluations in which information
is withheld in order to obtain an unprejudiced result

13. BOTANY without
a growing point: used to describe a plant in which growth
stops because the growing point is damaged. It may be caused by pests, nutrient
deficiency, waterlogging of the soil, or drought.
adverb

1.  without
prior examination or preparation: without previously
thinking about or preparing for something • You
shouldn’t buy livestock blind.

2.  AIR using
instruments: using information from aircraft
instruments, without being able to see

3.  totally:
totally or utterly (informal) • an
unscrupulous lawyer who robbed his clients blind
transitive
verb
(past blind·ed, past participle blind·ed, present
participle blind·ing, 3rd person present singular blinds)

1.  make
permanently blind: to make somebody permanently
unable to see

2.  make
temporarily blind: to make somebody temporarily
unable to see • blinded by the lights

3.  make
unable to judge properly: to make somebody unable to
judge or act rationally • blinded
by rage

4.  confuse:
to make it difficult for somebody to understand something • Stop
trying to blind us with statistics.
noun
(plural blinds)

1.  window
covering:
a device that is pulled down to shut out the light from a window

2.  cover
or subterfuge: something that is intended to conceal
the true nature of somebody’s activities

3.  proxy:
a person or organization whose public activities conceal a secret purpose

4.  obstruction:
anything that blocks the free passage of light, sight, or air • The
trees act as a blind to sunlight.

5.  HUNTING hiding
place for hunters: a place, for example, a bush
or undergrowth, in which shooters can hide, especially when hunting fowl.
U.K.
term
hide
[Old
English blind . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“confusion, obscurity,” which is also the ancestor of English blunder . The underlying idea is of someone
wandering around in darkness.]
—blind·ly,
adverb

—blind·ness, noun[1]



blindalley

blindalley
blind
al·ley
(plural blind al·leys) noun

1.  closed-off
passage:
a narrow alley or passage that is closed off at one end

2.  unproductive
undertaking: something that produces no worthwhile
results

[1]



blinddate

blinddate
blind
date
(plural blind dates) noun

1.  date
with somebody unknown: a date arranged between
people who have not seen or met each other before

2.  somebody
met on blind date: somebody whom you meet on a
blind date

[1]



blinder

blinder
blind·er 
[blndər] noun (plural blind·ers)

something
that obscures vision: something that prevents
clear vision or understanding
plural
noun
blind·ers

eye covers for horse:
a pair of flaps attached to a horse’s bridle, one beside each eye, to keep the
horse looking straight ahead.
U.K. term
blinkers[1]



blindfold

blindfold
blind·fold 
[blnd fōld] noun (plural blind·folds)

bandage tied over eyes:
a piece of cloth tied over the eyes to prevent the wearer from seeing
transitive
verb
(past blind·fold·ed, past participle blind·fold·ed,
present participle blind·fold·ing, 3rd person present singular
blind·folds)

1.  put
bandage on eyes: to prevent somebody from seeing by
putting a bandage or other material over the person’s eyes

2.  prevent
from understanding: to prevent somebody from
understanding clearly
[Early 16th century. By folk
etymology (from fold, with the idea of
“folding” something around the eyes) from the past tense of obsolete blindfell
“to make unable to see.”][1]



blindfolded

blindfolded
blind·fold·ed
[blnd fōldəd] adjective

wearing a blindfold • heavily
blindfolded[1]



blindgut

blindgut
blind
gut
noun

See
cecum
[From blind  adjective 9
“closed at one end.”][1]



blinding

blinding
blind·ing
[blnding] adjective

impairing
vision:
causing inability to see, especially temporarily, by being bright • a
blinding flash of light
—blind·ing·ly, adverb[1]



blindman’sbuff

blindman’sbuff
blind·man’s
buff
noun

children’s
game:
a children’s game in which one player is blindfolded and has to catch and
identify other players by touch
[Buff a shortening of buffet “stroke with the hand”][1]



blindpig

blindpig
blind
pig
(plural blind pigs) noun

(regional)
See blind tiger
[From the custom of
exhibiting stuffed animals in speakeasies][1]



blindside

blindside
blind
side
[blndsd] (plural blind sides)
noun

area you cannot see:
the area that is out of your field of vision • The
cyclist came up on my blind side.[1]



blind-side

blind-side
blind-side 
or blind·side transitive verb

1.  attack
from blind side: to attack somebody from the blind side,
especially in sports

2.  attack
when vulnerable: to put somebody at a disadvantage

[1]



blindsnake

blindsnake
blind
snake
(plural blind snakes) noun

tropical snake with scales
over eyes: a small tropical nonvenomous
snake with scales over its eyes, adapted for burrowing and eating small soil
invertebrates. Families: Typhlopidae Anomalepididae[1]



blindspot

blindspot
blind
spot
(plural blind spots) noun

1.  ANATOMY See optic disk

2.  area
of ignorance: a subject that somebody is ignorant
about • have
a blind spot for math

3.  direction
in which vision is obscured: an area or direction,
especially on a road, in which somebody’s vision is obscured

4.  ACOUSTICS acoustically
unsatisfactory area: an area in an auditorium
where things cannot be clearly heard

5.  BROADCASTING place
with poor radio reception: an area within the normal
range of a radio transmitter where reception is poor

[1]



blindstaggers

blindstaggers
blind
stag·gers
noun

VETERINARY MEDICINE disease
of livestock: the symptoms of a form of plant
poisoning that affects the nervous system of cattle, horses, and other domestic
animals, causing them to lose their coordination, stagger, and often fall (takes
a singular verb)
Also
called
staggers
[From the stumbling around][1]



blindtiger

blindtiger
blind
ti·ger
(plural blind ti·gers) noun

illegal
bar:
a place where liquor is sold or served illegally (regional)
Also
called
blind pig
[From the custom of
exhibiting stuffed animals in speakeasies][1]



blindworm

blindworm
blind·worm 
[blnd wurm] (plural blind·worms)
noun

See
slowworm
[15th century. Blind from the
animal’s small eyes.][1]



blini

blini
bli·ni
[blínnee] (plural bli·nis or
bli·ni) noun

Russian
pancake:
a small pancake made with yeast and buckwheat flour, traditional in Russia and
other parts of Eastern Europe
[Late 20th century. From
Russian bliný, plural of blin .][1]



blink

blink
blink 
[blingk] verb (past blinked,
past participle blinked, present participle blink·ing,
3rd person present singular blinks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb close
and reopen eyes: to close and reopen both eyes rapidly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb look
while blinking: to look at somebody or something while
blinking

3.  transitive
verb
hide
or remove by blinking: to open and shut the eyes
rapidly to remove something from them • He
blinked away his tears.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb flash:
to flash on and off, especially as a signal

5.  transitive
verb
transmit
message by blinking light: to transmit a message by
making a light flash on and off

6.  intransitive
verb
waver:
to waver or lose your nerve • After
a ten-week strike, it was management that finally blinked.
noun
(plural blinks)

1.  act
of blinking eyes: a rapid closing and reopening of both
eyes

2.  METEOROLOGY See iceblink See snowblink
[13th
century. Partly from a variant of blench “to
flinch,” and partly from Middle Dutch blinken “to glitter,” of unknown
origin. The underlying idea is of “flashing,” hence “sudden movement.”]
on
the blink

not working properly (informal)
• The
television’s on the blink.[1]



blinker

blinker
blink·er 
[blíngkər] noun (plural blink·ers)

flashing
light:
a light that flashes in order to give a message or warning, especially on a
motor vehicle. Blinkers were used to send coded messages, especially between
ships, to avoid interception of radio signals during World Wars I and II.
plural
noun
blink·ers

U.K.
See blinders
transitive
verb
(past blink·ered, past participle blink·ered, present
participle blink·er·ing, 3rd person present singular blink·ers)

fit horse with blinkers:
to put blinders on a horse[1]



blinkered

blinkered
blink·ered 
[blíngkərd] adjective

narrow-minded:
unable or unwilling to understand anything outside a very narrow range (disapproving)
• took a
very blinkered attitude[1]



blip

blip
blip 
[blip] noun (plural blips)

1.  spot
on display screen: a spot of light, often
accompanied by a high-pitched sound, indicating the position of something on a
screen • The
submarine shows up as a series of faint blips on the screen.

2.  See
bleep

3.  sudden
deviation:
a sudden temporary problem in the normal progress of something
intransitive
verb
(past blipped, past participle blipped, present
participle blip·ping, 3rd person present singular blips)

make a blip: to
produce a blip
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bliss

bliss
bliss 
[bliss] noun

1.  perfect
happiness:
perfect untroubled happiness • It was
bliss to have a day at home.

2.  spiritual
joy:
a state of spiritual joy
[Old
English bliss, an alteration of blīþs, from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “gentle, kind,” which is also the ancestor of English blithe]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Bliss, a novel by Australian
  writer Peter Carey ( 1981 ). A fable about the battle between good and evil,
  it tells the story of advertising executive Harry Joy who, after a successful
  heart bypass operation, becomes convinced that he has woken up in Hell. It
  was made into a movie by Ray Lawrence in 1985.

[1]



blissful

blissful
bliss·ful
[blísf’l] adjective

1.  perfectly
happy:
characterized by perfect happiness • a look
of blissful contentment

2.  happy
because unaware: serenely happy because of being unaware
of something • blissful
ignorance
—bliss·ful·ly,
adverb

—bliss·ful·ness, noun[1]



blissout

blissout
bliss
out
(past blissed out, past participle blissed out, present
participle blissing out, 3rd person present singular blisses
out) intransitive verb

become blissful:
to go into a state of extreme happiness or euphoria (slang) • bliss
out on chocolates[1]



blister

blister
blis·ter 
[blístər] noun (plural blis·ters)

1.  MEDICINE painful
swelling:
a painful swelling on the skin containing fluid ( serum
)

2.  PLANTS plant
disease:
a swelling in a leaf or other plant part indicating disease

3.  bubble
on paint:
a bubble containing liquid or air on paintwork or rubber

4.  AEROSPACE aircraft
dome:
a rounded, usually transparent dome on the fuselage of an aircraft, used for
observation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past blis·tered,
past participle blis·tered, present participle blis·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular blis·ters)

form blisters:
to be raised in a blister or blisters, or to cause blisters to form
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French blestre “swelling”
from Middle Dutch bluyster, of unknown origin.]
—blis·ter·y, adjective[1]



blisterbeetle

blisterbeetle
blis·ter
bee·tle
(plural blis·ter bee·tles) noun

beetle that causes blisters:
a soft-bodied beetle that secretes for its own defense a substance that raises
burning blisters on the skin of vertebrates. Family: Meloidae[1]



blistering

blistering
blis·ter·ing 
[blístəring] adjective

1.  very
hot:
extremely hot

2.  scornful:
extremely scornful or critical • a
blistering attack on the governor’s failures
—blis·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



blisterpack

blisterpack
blis·ter
pack
(plural blis·ter packs) noun

type of packaging:
a package in which small items are contained in raised domes of plastic.
Also called
bubble pack[1]



B.Lit.

B.Lit.
B.Lit.
[b lít] (plural B.Lit.s) noun

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Literature
[Latin, Baccalaureus
Litterarum][1]



blithe

blithe
blithe 
[blī, blīth]
adjective

1.  cheerful
and carefree: happy, cheerful, and carefree (literary)

2.  casual:
casually indifferent • with a
blithe disregard for anyone’s feelings
[Old
English blīþe, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “gentle” (see bliss )]
—blithe·ly,
adverb

—blithe·ness, noun[1]



blither

blither
blith·er 
intransitive verb

(informal)
See blather
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
blather .][1]



blithering

blithering
blith·er·ing
[blíəring] adjective

useless:
used to express annoyance and contempt for somebody or something (informal
insult)[1]



blithespirit

blithespirit
blithe
spir·it
(plural blithe spir·its) noun

carefree person:
somebody whose characteristic mood is one of carefree happiness (used
approvingly)[1]



B.Litt.

B.Litt.
B.Litt.
[b lít] (plural B.Litt.s) noun

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Literature
[Latin, Baccalaureus
Litterarum][1]



blitz

blitz
blitz 
[blits] noun (plural blitz·es)

1.  MILITARY sustained
aerial attack: a heavy air raid intended to obliterate
a target

2.  MILITARY See blitzkrieg

3.  concerted
effort:
a concentrated effort to get something done (informal) • a
last-minute blitz to finish the book

4.  FOOTBALL charge
on passer:
a direct attack on the passer, by one or more players who usually stay behind
the line of scrimmage, to try to prevent a pass.
Also
called
red-dog
verb
(past blitzed, past participle blitzed, present
participle blitz·ing, 3rd person present singular blitz·es)

1.  transitive
verb
MILITARY destroy
by aerial bombing: to attack or destroy
something by bombardment from the air

2.  transitive
verb
deal
with energetically: to concentrate a lot of
effort on something to get it done (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
try
to overwhelm: to subject somebody to an overwhelming
amount of something, often in order to force him or her into agreement or
submission (informal) • blitzed
with a stream of facts

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOTBALL charge passer:
to charge the passer in order to prevent a pass
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of blitzkrieg .][1]



blitzkrieg

blitzkrieg
blitz·krieg 
[blíts kreeg] (plural blitz·kriegs)
noun

swift
military offensive: a swift military offensive
using ground and air forces.
Also
called
blitz
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “lightning war.”][1]



blivet

blivet
bliv·et
(plural bliv·ets) or bliv·it (plural bliv·its)
noun

1.  liquid
carrier:
a collapsible rubberized bladder used to transport and store fuel and water in
forward areas of a battlefield

2.  something
useless, pointless, or annoying (slang)

3.  something
difficult to name: something whose name you do
not know or cannot remember (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



blivit

blivit
blivit
[blívvət] (plural bliv·its) noun

1.  See
blivet

2.  problem
difficult to solve: an intractable problem,
especially in computing (slang)

3.  pointless
source of annoyance: a source of annoyance that
is pointless (slang)

[1]



Blixen,Karen

Blixen,Karen
Blix·en 
[blíksən], Karen, Baroness (1885–1962)

Danish
writer. A much-traveled author, she is best known for her semiautobiographical Out
of Africa ( 1937 ).
See
Dinesen, Isak[1]



blizzard

blizzard
bliz·zard 
[blízzərd] (plural bliz·zards)
noun

heavy
snowstorm:
a severe snowstorm with strong winds and poor visibility. For a snowstorm to be
classified as a blizzard, winds must exceed 56 km 35 mi per hour and the
temperature must be 20 / -7°C or lower.
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps coined from dialectal blizz “violent rainstorm” + -ard ; or thought to suggest the sound of the wind
or the falling of the snow.][1]



blk.

blk.
blk.

1.  Abbreviation
of
block

2.  Abbreviation
of
bulk

[1]



B.LL.

B.LL.
B.LL.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Laws
[Latin, Baccalaureus Legum][1]



BLM

BLM
BLM

Abbreviation of
Bureau of Land Management[1]



bloat

bloat
bloat 
[blōt] intransitive and transitive verb
(past bloat·ed, past participle bloat·ed, present
participle bloat·ing, 3rd person present singular bloats)

1.  swell:
to become swollen or inflated, or to make something do this

2.  excessively
expand:
to increase excessively or to make something do this

3.  swell
with pride:
to become or cause to become unpleasantly proud or conceited
noun

1.  excessive
increase:
an excessive amount or excessive increase in something • corporate
bloat

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE cattle
disease:
a disease affecting cattle and sheep, characterized by excessive gas in the
main stomach compartment ( rumen )
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse blautr “soft, wet.” The modern
meaning “to swell” apparently evolved from the obsolete meaning “flabby” via
“swollen.”][1]



bloated

bloated
bloat·ed 
[blṓtəd] adjective

1.  swollen:
swollen with liquid, air, or gas

2.  overfull
after overeating: overfull after eating too much

3.  too
large:
excessively large (disapproving) • a
bloated expense account
—bloat·ed·ness, noun[1]



bloater

bloater
bloat·er
[blṓtər]

fish
cured by soaking and smoking: a large herring that has
been soaked in brine and smoked
noun
(plural bloat·ers)

freshwater
fish:
a common freshwater cisco native to the Great Lakes. Latin name: Coregonus
hoyi
[Mid-19th century. From
obsolete bloat herring, bloat of uncertain origin: perhaps from bloat, because herrings preserved by smoking are
plumper than those fully dried.][1]



bloatware

bloatware
bloat·ware
[blṓt wair] noun

COMPUTING
unnecessarily complex software:
a computer program with many, often superfluous features that take up so much
memory that the computer’s performance is impaired (informal)
Also called
fatware[1]



blob

blob
blob 
[blob] noun (plural blobs)

1.  soft
mass:
a soft lump or drop of something such as paint or glue

2.  small
spot of color: a small rounded spot of color

3.  indistinct
form:
an indistinct or shapeless form or object
transitive
verb
(past blobbed, past participle blobbed, present
participle blob·bing, 3rd person present singular blobs)

put blobs on something:
to apply blobs of color or a soft substance to something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete blober “bubble, bubbling”; or an
imitation of the sound made by the lips in producing a bubble.][1]



bloc

bloc
bloc 
[blok] (plural blocs [blaak]) or block [blok] (plural blocks) noun

1.  united
group of countries: a group of countries with a
shared aim • former
Eastern bloc countries

2.  loose
coalition in legislature: a usually temporary grouping
within a legislature, made up of diverse members acting together for a common
interest or purpose • the
environmental bloc in Congress
[Early 20th century. From
French, from Old French (see block ).][1]



Bloch,Ernest

Bloch,Ernest
Bloch 
[blok], Ernest (1880–1959)

Swiss-born U.S. composer. He
incorporated themes from Jewish music in such works as his symphony Israel
( 1912–1916 ).[1]



block

block
block 
[blok] noun (plural blocks)

1.  solid
lump:
a large solid piece of a hard substance, usually with flat sides

2.  CONSTRUCTION building
unit:
a large flat-sided piece of hard material such as stone or wood, used in
building

3.  See
building block

4.  chopping
base:
a large piece of wood used for chopping things on

5.  place
for beheading people: a large piece of wood or
stone on which people were beheaded in former times

6.  auctioneer’s
platform:
a stand on which articles in an auction are displayed

7.  PRINTING printing
device:
a piece of wood, metal, or stone with a design engraved on it used for printing

8.  SPORTS See starting block

9.  street
section:
the section of a street between two parallel streets • The
post office is in the middle of the next block.

10. group
of buildings: a group of buildings in a town or city
bounded on each side by a street • I’m
just taking the dog for a walk around the block.

11. special-purpose
building:
a building or part of a building designed for a particular purpose • the
new science block

12. U.K.
large
building:
a building divided into offices or apartments • an
apartment block

13. land
area:
an area of land marked for division or development

14. unbroken
expanse or area: a uniform expanse of something such as
color

15. set
of similar items: a set of similar items sold as a unit • a
block of tickets

16. group
of postage stamps: a group of four or more
postage stamps forming a rectangle

17. RAIL length
of track:
a length of railroad track on which only one train is permitted at a time

18. COMPUTING unit
of data:
a set of contiguous data that performs some action together • a
block of text

19. POLITICS See bloc

20. obstruction:
something that obstructs or prevents progress

21. SPORTS obstruction
of play:
an act of deliberately preventing a ball or another player from moving forward

22. FOOTBALL obstructing
players:
the act of preventing defensive players from interfering with movement toward
the goal

23. MEDICINE obstruction
of physiological function: an interruption of the
normal functioning of an organ of the body

24. disruption
of psychological processes: an inability to begin or
continue a psychological process, often attributed to emotional stress

25. See
engine block

26. Australia,
New Zealand
large
area of settled land: an extensive area of land
used for a particular purpose, for example, housing or farming
verb
(past blocked, past participle blocked, present
participle block·ing, 3rd person present singular blocks)

1.  transitive
verb
obstruct:
to prevent or hinder movement through, into, or out of something • The
drains are blocked with leaves. • He
stood in front of me, blocking my way.

2.  transitive
verb
hinder
somebody’s or something’s movement or progress: to
prevent something from moving or developing • Her
promotion was blocked by the senior vice-president

3.  transitive
verb
obstruct
sight of something: to obstruct somebody’s line
of sight

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS obstruct player or ball:
to prevent a ball or another player from moving forward

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOTBALL obstruct player:
to prevent a defensive player from interfering with movement toward the goal

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE prevent normal functioning:
to prevent the normal functioning of a physiological process • a
blocked tear duct

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
to remember: to fail to remember something or to have
a psychological block • block
a memory

8.  transitive
verb
make
into block:
to shape something into a block

9.  transitive
verb
support
with block:
to support or strengthen something using a block

10. transitive
verb
shape
on block:
to mold something with or on a block

11. transitive
verb
PRINTING stamp
using block: to stamp a surface with a title or using
an engraved block

12. intransitive
and transitive verb THEATER rehearse basic movements for
scene:
to plan and rehearse the basic movements and positions for the actors in a
scene

13. transitive
verb
(archaic) See blockade
[14th
century. Via Old French bloc from Middle Dutch blok “tree
trunk.”]
block
and level

to
level a portable structure by placing blocks of various heights under its
corners

on
the block

for
sale at an auction  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hinder

[1]



blockade

blockade
block·ade 
[blo káyd] noun (plural block·ades)

1.  prevention
of access:
an organized action to prevent people or goods entering or leaving a place

2.  forces
forming blockade: the ships or forces used to maintain a
blockade

3.  obstacle
or obstruction: something that prevents access to a
place
transitive
verb
(past block·ad·ed, past participle block·ad·ed, present
participle block·ad·ing, 3rd person present singular block·ades)

1.  subject
place to blockade: to impose a blockade on a
place

2.  block
access to place: to obstruct access to a place
[Late
17th century. Perhaps modeled on ambuscade
.]
—block·ad·er, noun[1]



blockage

blockage
block·age 
[blókij] (plural block·ages) noun

1.  physical
obstruction: something that obstructs movement
through a pipe or channel • a
blockage in an artery

2.  act
of blocking: the act of blocking something

[1]



blockand tackle

blockand tackle
block
and tack·le
(plural blocks and tack·les) noun

pulley system:
a system of two pulley blocks, each with at least one pulley with rope or cable
threaded through them, used for hoisting or hauling. The greater the number of
pulleys, the greater the weight that can be raised by the same force on the
rope or cable.[1]



blockbuster

blockbuster
block·bust·er 
[blók bustər] (plural block·bust·ers)
noun

1.  popular
success:
something such as a book, play or film that is either very large or achieves
enormous commercial success (informal)

2.  MILITARY huge
destructive bomb: a large high-explosive bomb designed to
demolish buildings over a large area (dated)

3.  BUSINESS person
who practices blockbusting: somebody who attempts to
persuade people to sell their houses by instilling fear of declining property
values (informal)

[1]



blockbusting

blockbusting
block·bust·ing 
[blók busting] noun

exploitation
technique:
the practice of persuading homeowners to sell low for fear of declining
property values (informal)
adjective

successful:
sensational and enormously successful commercially • a
blockbusting novel[1]



blockcapital

blockcapital
block
cap·i·tal
(plural block cap·i·tals) noun

capital letter:
a plain capital letter that is not joined to other letters • Fill
out the form in block capitals.
Also called
block letter[1]



blockdiagram

blockdiagram
block
di·a·gram
(plural block di·a·grams) noun

diagram of process or system:
a diagram in which the essential parts of a system or process are represented
by labeled rectangles[1]



blocker

blocker
block·er
[blókər] (plural block·ers) noun

1.  PHARMACOLOGY chemical
agent:
a drug that prevents a physiological function

2.  FOOTBALL offensive
player:
in football, an offensive player who tries to keep the defense from reaching
the ball, kicker, or passer

[1]



blockgrant

blockgrant
block
grant
(plural block grants) noun

federal grant to local
government: money from the federal
budget granted to state or local governments to spend on local services[1]



blockhead

blockhead
block·head 
[blók hed] (plural block·heads)
noun

unintelligent
person:
a person regarded as very unintelligent (dated insult)
[Mid-16th century. The
meaning “stupid” evolved from the wooden heads used to display hats and wigs.][1]



blockhouse

blockhouse
block·house 
[blók hows] (plural block·hous·es)
noun

1.  small,
easily defended building: a small military building
with apertures to fire through, used as part of a defensive system or an
observation post

2.  wooden
fort:
a fort of former times constructed from heavy wooden beams

[1]



blockin

blockin
block
in
transitive verb

1.  prevent
from moving: to prevent somebody or something moving
from a place by being, or placing something, in the way • Two
double-parked cars have blocked us in.

2.  fill
something in: to fill in something hollow so that it
becomes solid

3.  sketch
something in outline: to make a quick, rough
sketch showing the general outlines or idea of a place or plan

4.  shade
empty spaces: to fill in the blank spaces on an
outline design with color

[1]



BlockIsland

BlockIsland
Block
Is·land
[blók lənd]

island in the Atlantic Ocean
at the northern end of Long Island Sound in southern Rhode Island. A resort and
fishing center, it is named for the Dutch sailor Adriaen Block, who landed
there in 1614. Population: 836 (1991) Area: 28 sq km/11 sq mi.[1]



blockletter

blockletter
block
let·ter
(plural block let·ters) noun

1.  See
block capital

2.  PRINTING sans
serif font or letter: a compressed sans serif
typeface or individual letter

[1]



blockoff

blockoff
block
off
transitive verb

1.  physically
obstruct:
to put up or form a barrier in order to prevent anybody or anything from
entering • Police
blocked off the street.

2.  obstruct
sight of:
to put up or form a barrier that prevents something from being seen

[1]



blockout

blockout
block
out
transitive verb

1.  put
out of mind: to prevent a disturbing thought from
entering the mind

2.  describe
without detail: to describe something in a general
fashion, without great detail • block
out a proposal

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY cover
part of negative: to cover part of a negative or stencil
when printing from it to prevent that part from appearing

[1]



blockparty

blockparty
block
par·ty
(plural block par·ties) noun

neighborhood gathering:
a party for all the people who live on the same block or street[1]



blockplane

blockplane
block
plane
(plural block planes) noun

small carpenter’s plane:
a small carpenter’s plane with the blade at a low pitch, used to cut across the
grain of the wood[1]



blockprinting

blockprinting
block
print·ing
noun

printing from blocks:
printing from hand-carved or engraved blocks[1]



blockup

blockup
block
up
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become obstructed:
to prevent movement through something by filling all the space in, or to become
completely obstructed[1]



blocky

blocky
block·y 
[blókee] (comparative block·i·er,
superlative block·i·est) adjective

resembling a block:
three-dimensional, boxy in shape, and seemingly solid[1]



BlocQuébécois

BlocQuébécois
Bloc
Qué·bé·cois
[blòk káy bay kwáa] noun

POLITICS
Canadian federal political party:
a Canadian federal political party consisting of members from Quebec and
espousing that province’s interests, especially sovereignty or separation from
Canada[1]



bloke

bloke
bloke 
[blōk] (plural blokes) noun

U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand man:
a man (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Shelta, a secret jargon used by Romany people in Britain and Ireland.][1]



blond

blond
blond
[blaand] or blonde [blaand] adjective

1.  fair:
yellowish or golden in color

2.  fair-haired
and light-skinned: with fair hair and a
light-colored skin • a blond little boy
• a
blond little girl

3.  light
colored:
light-colored, ranging from light yellowish brown to grayish yellow • blond
wood

4.  bleached:
used to describe wood that is light-colored, usually through bleaching • blonde
walnut
noun
(plural blonds) (plural blondes)

fair-haired person:
a person with blond hair
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, medieval Latin blundus “yellow,”
of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “clouded,” which is also the ancestor of English blend .]
—blond·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  blond
  or blonde ?
  When
  describing the color of somebody’s hair, blond
  is normally used whether the person is male or female. • Jane
  has blond hair. When used as a noun or adjective to
  describe somebody directly, blond is used
  of a man or boy and blonde of a woman or girl. • He
  is blond.
  • Jane
  is a blonde.

[1]



blood

blood
blood 
[blud] noun (plural bloods)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY red
fluid circulating in body: the red fluid that is pumped
from the heart and circulates around the bodies of humans and other vertebrates

2.  ZOOLOGY body
fluid of invertebrates: a liquid found in
invertebrates, with functions similar to those of vertebrate blood

3.  bloodshed:
bloodshed or killing

4.  vital
life force:
blood considered as a vital life force

5.  family
or kinship:
family background or descent from a particular ancestor, especially when viewed
as determining a person’s character or appearance

6.  pure
breeding:
pure breeding in animals, especially horses

7.  members
of group:
people considered for their potential to strengthen and improve an organization
(informal)

8.  black
man:
a black man (slang) (used primarily among black people)
transitive
verb
(past blood·ed, past participle blood·ed, present
participle blood·ing, 3rd person present singular bloods)

1.  MILITARY initiate
troops in battle: to subject troops to their first
experience of battle

2.  HUNTING let
dog taste blood: to give a dog its first taste of the
blood of a freshly killed animal in order to make it eager to hunt
[Old
English blōd, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English bleed]
be
out for or after somebody’s blood

to
be intending to punish somebody

blood
is thicker than water

family
ties and loyalties take precedence over other relationships

blood
on somebody’s hands

responsibility
for somebody’s death

in
cold blood

deliberately,
and in a way that shows a complete lack of emotion • was
murdered in cold blood

make
somebody’s blood boil

to
make somebody extremely angry

make
somebody’s blood run cold

to
frighten or horrify somebody

sweat
blood

to make a great effort[1]



bloodbank

bloodbank
blood
bank
(plural blood banks) noun

1.  store
for blood:
a place where blood or blood plasma is stored for transfusion

2.  blood
supply:
the blood or blood plasma stored in a blood bank

[1]



bloodbath

bloodbath
blood·bath
[blúd bath] (plural blood·baths
[blúd bathez]) noun

indiscriminate killing:
a battle or fight characterized by mass killing[1]



bloodbrother

bloodbrother
blood
broth·er
(plural blood broth·ers) noun

sworn friend:
either one of two men or boys who have sworn mutual loyalty and friendship[1]



bloodclot

bloodclot
blood
clot
(plural blood clots) noun

mass of thickened blood:
a thick mass of coagulated blood[1]



bloodcount

bloodcount
blood
count
(plural blood counts) noun

1.  determination
of blood cell number: a counting of the number of
red and white blood cells and platelets in a given volume of blood

2.  number
of cells:
the actual number of cells and platelets found in a blood count

[1]



bloodcurdling

bloodcurdling
blood·cur·dling 
[blúd kurdling] adjective

horrifying:
arousing extreme fear • bloodcurdling
screams[1]



blooddonor

blooddonor
blood
do·nor
(plural blood do·nors) noun

somebody who gives blood:
somebody who gives some of his or her own blood for use in transfusions[1]



blooddoping

blooddoping
blood
dop·ing
noun

reinjection of somebody’s own
blood cells: the practice of
reinjecting an athlete with his or her own red blood cells shortly before a
competition in order to enhance performance. The practice is illegal in most
organized competitions.[1]



blooded

blooded
blood·ed 
[blúddəd] adjective

of superior or pure breed:
belonging to a superior breed • blooded
mares[1]



bloodfeud

bloodfeud
blood
feud
(plural blood feuds) noun

feud involving murder:
a long-lasting feud between families or clans involving murder[1]



bloodfin

bloodfin
blood·fin
[blúd fin] (plural blood·fins)
noun

aquarium fish:
a small red-finned freshwater fish native to Argentina, popular in aquariums.
Latin name: Aphyocharax rubripinnis[1]



bloodfluke

bloodfluke
blood
fluke
(plural blood flukes) noun

parasitic flatworm found in
human blood: a parasitic flatworm
that is common in tropical Asia and Africa and is found in human blood. It
relies on two hosts, humans and some types of snails, to complete its life
cycle. Genus: Schistosoma[1]



bloodgroup

bloodgroup
blood
group
(plural blood groups) noun

class of human blood:
any class into which human blood is divided for transfusion purposes according
to the presence or absence of genetically determined antigens that determine
its immunological compatibility. The ABO system is the most commonly known set
of blood groups.
Also called
blood type[1]



bloodhound

bloodhound
blood·hound 
[blúd hownd] (plural blood·hounds)
noun

1.  tracking
dog:
a large powerful dog with drooping ears, sagging jowls, and a keen sense of
smell, formerly used for tracking

2.  sleuth:
a detective who is relentless in pursuing people or things (informal)
[14th century. From the dog’s
skill in following the scent of people and animals.][1]



bloodless

bloodless
blood·less 
[blúddləss] adjective

1.  without
killing or violence: conducted without killing or
great violence • a bloodless coup

2.  pale
and anemic:
pale and anemic-looking

3.  lacking
liveliness:
dull and lacking liveliness • a
bloodless performance

4.  lacking
emotion:
cold and lacking in human emotion • bloodless
statistics

5.  lacking
blood:
lacking blood, or the expected amount of blood
—blood·less·ly,
adverb

—blood·less·ness, noun[1]



bloodlesssurgery

bloodlesssurgery
blood·less
sur·ger·y
noun

surgery causing minimal
bleeding: surgery using techniques
that minimize the loss of blood or the need for blood transfusions[1]



bloodletting

bloodletting
blood·let·ting 
[blúd letting] (plural blood·let·tings)
noun

1.  MEDICINE See phlebotomy

2.  bitter
quarreling:
bitter violent fighting between rival groups

3.  ejection
as of people: the large-scale ejection, or laying off,
of human resources in a corporation (formal) • corporate
bloodletting in which a number of senior managers were let go
—blood·let·ter, noun[1]



bloodline

bloodline
blood·line
[blúd līn] (plural blood·lines)
noun

line of descent:
a direct line of descent from a particular human or animal ancestor, especially
with respect to the common characteristics shared by that ancestor’s
descendants[1]



bloodlust

bloodlust
blood
lust
noun

desire for violence:
a strong desire for killing or violence[1]



bloodmoney

bloodmoney
blood
mon·ey
noun

1.  compensation
paid for killing: in some cultures, compensation paid to
the relatives of somebody who has been killed or murdered

2.  fee
for hired killer: the fee paid to a hired killer or to
somebody who reveals where the victim of a murder is to be found

3.  reward
for finding killer: the reward paid to somebody
for giving information about a criminal, especially a murderer

[1]



bloodorange

bloodorange
blood
or·ange
(plural blood or·anges) noun

orange with red flesh:
an orange that has deep red flesh[1]



bloodplasma

bloodplasma
blood
plas·ma
noun

See
plasma[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bloodpoisoning

bloodpoisoning
blood
poi·son·ing 
noun

infection of blood:
infection of the blood, generally caused either by the presence in the blood of
microorganisms ( septicemia ) or of toxins
produced by body cells ( toxemia )[1]



bloodpressure

bloodpressure
blood
pres·sure
noun

pressure exerted by blood:
the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of blood vessels. Blood
pressure depends on the strength of the heartbeat, thickness and volume of the
blood, the elasticity of the artery walls, and the healthiness of the
individual.[1]



bloodprofile

bloodprofile
blood
pro·file
(plural blood pro·files) noun

See
complete blood count[1]



bloodred

bloodred
blood
red
noun

bright
red:
a deep vivid red color
adjective

deep
red:
of a deep vivid red color, like that of blood (hyphenated when used before a
noun)
[Old English blōdrēad][1]



bloodrelation

bloodrelation
blood
re·la·tion
(plural blood re·la·tions) or blood rel·a·tive (plural
blood rel·a·tives) noun

relative by birth:
a person who is related to another person by birth rather than marriage[1]



bloodroot

bloodroot
blood·root 
[blúd root] (plural blood·roots
or blood·root) noun

N American plant:
a plant of eastern North America that produces a single white flower and has
poisonous, deep red sap in its roots. Latin name: Sanguinaria canadensis

Also called
red puccoon
Also called
sanguinaria[1]



bloodsausage

bloodsausage
blood
sau·sage
(plural blood sau·sages) noun

dark sausage:
a dark-colored sausage whose main ingredient is pig’s blood.
U.K. term
black pudding[1]



bloodshed

bloodshed
blood·shed 
[blúd shed] noun

killings or injuries:
activity resulting in killings or injuries[1]



bloodshot

bloodshot
blood·shot 
[blúd shot] adjective

inflamed
and red:
inflamed and red as a result of the widening of small blood vessels in the
white of the eye • bloodshot eyes
[Mid-16th century. Shot the
past participle of shoot .][1]



bloodsport

bloodsport
blood
sport
(plural blood sports) noun

sport in which animals are
killed: a sport in which animals are
killed. Hunting and bullfighting are blood sports .[1]



bloodstain

bloodstain
blood·stain 
[blúd stayn] (plural blood·stains)
noun

stain
made by blood: a dark stain left by dried blood
—blood·stained, adjective[1]



bloodstone

bloodstone
blood·stone 
[blúd stōn] (plural blood·stones)
noun

semiprecious mineral:
a semiprecious mineral that is a deep green variety of chalcedony with small
red spots or streaks of red jasper in it.
Also called
heliotrope[1]



bloodstream

bloodstream
blood·stream 
[blúd streem] noun

flow of blood around body:
the flow of blood circulating through the blood vessels of a person or animal[1]



bloodsucker

bloodsucker
blood·suck·er 
[blúd sukər] (plural blood·suck·ers)
noun

1.  parasite
that sucks blood: a parasite that sucks blood from its
host, for example, leeches and mosquitoes

2.  exploiter:
somebody who exploits somebody else, especially by extortion or blackmail (informal
disapproving)
—blood·suck·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



bloodsugar

bloodsugar
blood
sug·ar
noun

level of glucose in blood:
the concentration of glucose in the blood[1]



bloodtest

bloodtest
blood
test
(plural blood tests) noun

analysis of blood sample:
a scientific analysis of a sample of blood[1]



bloodthirsty

bloodthirsty
blood·thirst·y 
[blúd thurstee] (comparative bloodthirst·i·er,
superlative bloodthirst·i·est) adjective

1.  eager
for violence: eager to take part in or witness
violence and bloodshed

2.  violent:
full of intentional violence or killing
[Mid-16th
century. From blood + thirsty, modeled on German blutdürstig,
coined by Martin Luther .]
—blood·thirst·i·ly,
adverb

—blood·thirst·i·ness, noun[1]



bloodtype

bloodtype
blood
type
(plural blood types) noun

See
blood group[1]



bloodvessel

bloodvessel
blood
ves·sel
(plural blood ves·sels) noun

artery, capillary, or vein:
any of the arteries, veins, or capillaries through which blood flows[1]



bloodworm

bloodworm
blood·worm 
[blúd wurm] (plural blood·worms)
noun

1.  aquatic
midge larva: the red aquatic larva of a freshwater
midge. Genus: Chironomus

2.  reddish
worm used as fishing bait: a reddish segmented worm
that is often used as fishing bait. Genera: Tubifex Polycirrus (regional)

Also
called
redworm





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Although
  recorded from Canada throughout the Middle Atlantic states, bloodworm recurs most frequently in New Jersey.

[1]



bloody

bloody
blood·y 
[blúddee] adjective (comparative
blood·i·er, superlative blood·i·est)

1.  bloodstained:
covered or smeared with blood • Her
hands were bloody and shaking.

2.  relating
to blood:
resembling or containing blood

3.  involving
much bloodshed: involving a great deal of killing and
bloodshed

4.  swearword:
used as a swearword or to add emphasis (slang, sometimes considered
offensive) • a bloody nuisance
adverb

U.K. swearword:
used as a swearword or to add emphasis (slang, sometimes considered offensive)
• a
bloody good job too!
transitive
verb
(past blood·ied, past participle blood·ied, present
participle blood·y·ing, 3rd person present singular blood·ies)

stain with blood:
to stain or smear something with blood
[In
the emphatic sense, perhaps originally a reference to the habits of the
“bloods,” wealthy young men, in phrases such as “ bloody drunk,” literally “as
drunk as a blood”]
—blood·i·ly,
adverb

—blood·i·ness, noun[1]



bloodymary

bloodymary
blood·y
mar·y
(plural blood·y mar·ys) or Blood·y Mar·y noun

cocktail:
a cocktail consisting of vodka, tomato juice, and other spices[1]



bloody-minded

bloody-minded
blood·y-mind·ed 
adjective

U.K.
contrary
and obstructive: intentionally uncooperative and
obstructive (informal)
[From
earlier sense “inclined to violence, cruel”]
—blood·y-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—blood·y-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



bloom

bloom1
bloom1 [bloom]
noun (plural blooms)

1.  PLANTS flower:
a flower, especially on a plant cultivated chiefly for its flowers

2.  PLANTS mass
of flowers:
the mass of flowers on a single plant

3.  PLANTS flowering:
the state of being in flower • roses
in full bloom

4.  prime:
the condition of greatest freshness or health (literary) • in
the bloom of youth

5.  BOTANY healthy
appearance or complexion: a fresh, youthful, healthy
complexion

6.  white
coating on leaves or fruit: a thin white coating on the
leaves of some plants and on fruits

7.  white
powder on coins: a fine white powder sometimes found on
newly minted coins

8.  COOKING coating
on chocolate: a mottled white coating on chocolate,
usually caused by incorrect temperature during storage

9.  ECOLOGY See algal bloom
intransitive
verb
(past bloomed, past participle bloomed, present
participle bloom·ing, 3rd person present singular blooms)

1.  PLANTS to
flower:
to open into flower • The
roses bloomed early this year.

2.  PLANTS produce
plants:
to produce abundant plant life, especially unexpectedly • make
the desert bloom

3.  prosper
or flourish: to reach the fullest stage of
development or maturity (literary)

4.  appear
healthy:
to appear healthy and vigorous (literary)

5.  appear
suddenly:
to appear suddenly, usually in a cloud • A
cloud of smoke bloomed under the rocket.

6.  ECOLOGY become
covered with algae: to become discolored on the
surface because of an excessive growth of algae or phytoplankton (refers to
bodies of water)
[13th
century. From Old Norse blóm, from, ultimately, an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English flower
.]
—bloom·y, adjective[1]



bloom

bloom2
bloom2 [bloom]
noun (plural blooms)

METALLURGY bar
of semifinished metal: a bar of steel or wrought
iron hammered or rolled from an ingot
transitive
verb
(past bloomed, past participle bloomed, present
participle bloom·ing, 3rd person present singular blooms)

flatten
an ingot:
to convert an ingot of iron or steel into a bloom
[Pre-12th century. From Old
Norse blóm (see bloom 1 ).][1]



bloomer

bloomer
bloom·er
[blmər] (plural bloom·ers) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
that flowers: a flowering plant, especially considered
with respect to the time of its flowering • an
early bloomer

2.  U.K.
embarrassing
mistake:
a mildly embarrassing mistake (informal humorous)
[Mid-18th century. “Mistake”
a shortening and alteration of blooming error .][1]



Bloomer,Amelia

Bloomer,Amelia

Bloom·er 
[blmər], Amelia (1818–1894)
U.S.
feminist and reformer. She was founding editor of the feminist journal The
Lily ( 1849–1855 ), and fashioned a pants-like garment for women that was
nicknamed “bloomers.”
Born
Amelia Jenks[1]



bloomers

bloomers
bloom·ers
[blmərs] plural noun (dated)

1.  baggy
underwear:
baggy underwear for women or girls, especially garments that reach down to just
above the knee

2.  women’s
loose sports pants: loose pants gathered at the
knee, worn by women for cycling or swimming in the late 19th century

3.  long
loose women’s pants: long loose pants gathered at
the ankle and formerly worn by women and girls under a shorter skirt
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Amelia Bloomer .][1]



Bloomfield

Bloomfield
Bloom·field 
[blm fld]

town in Essex County,
northeastern New Jersey, just north of Newark. Population: 45,061 (1990)[1]



blooming

blooming
bloom·ing 
[blming] adjective

flourishing:
flourishing and in exceptionally good health or condition
adjective
adverb

U.K.
used for emphasis:
used as a euphemistic alternative for “bloody” (dated informal) • a
blooming idiot • not
blooming likely[1]



Bloomington

Bloomington
Bloo·ming·ton 
[blmingtən]

1.  city
in central Illinois, directly north of Decatur. Population: 57,365 (1996)

2.  city
in southern Indiana, southwest of Indianapolis. It is home to Indiana
University. Population: 66,479 (1996)

3.  city
on the Minnesota River in southeastern Minnesota, a southern suburb of
Minneapolis. Population: 86,664 (1996)

[1]



BloomsburyGroup

BloomsburyGroup
Blooms·bur·y
Group
[blmz berri groop, blmzbəree
groop] noun

London
literary set: a group of artists and writers who
congregated in Bloomsbury in London after World War I. They shared political
views and an experimental approach to their respective fields.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Bloomsbury, a district in west central London.][1]



bloop

bloop
bloop 
[bloop] transitive verb (past blooped,
past participle blooped, present participle bloop·ing,
3rd person present singular bloops)

BASEBALL hit
baseball:
to hit a baseball just over the infield
noun
(plural bloops)

BASEBALL See blooper  noun 2
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



blooper

blooper
bloop·er 
[blpər] (plural bloop·ers) noun

1.  embarrassing
mistake:
a mildly embarrassing mistake (informal humorous)

2.  BASEBALL hit:
a hit just beyond the infield.
Also
called
bloop

3.  BASEBALL pitch:
a lobbed underhand pitch
[Early 20th century. Formed
from bloop .][1]



Bloquiste

Bloquiste
Blo·quiste
[blo kéest] (plural Blo·quistes)
noun

Canada
POLITICS a member of the Bloc
Québécois
[Late 20th century. From
Canadian French, where it was formed from Bloc .][1]



blossom

blossom
blos·som 
[blóssəm] noun (plural blos·soms)

1.  mass
of flowers on tree: a mass of flowers appearing
on a tree or bush

2.  single
flower:
a single flower

3.  flowering:
the state of flowering • cherry
trees in blossom
intransitive
verb
(past blos·somed, past participle blos·somed, present
participle blos·som·ing, 3rd person present singular blos·soms)

1.  come
into flower: to open into flower

2.  develop
well:
to develop in a pleasing or promising way

3.  blos·som
or blos·som out stop being shy:
to stop being shy and reserved
[Old
English blōstm . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is related
to Latin flos (source of English flower
).]
—blos·som·y, adjective[1]



blot

blot2
blot2 [blot]
(plural blots) noun

1.  BACKGAMMON exposed
piece:
a piece placed alone on a point and therefore exposed to capture by the
opposing player

2.  weak
point:
a weak or exposed point (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch bloot “exposed, naked.”][1]



blot

blot1
blot1 [blot]
noun (plural blots)

1.  stain:
a stain or spot caused by a drop of liquid

2.  eyesore:
something ugly that spoils the appearance of something • a
blot on the landscape

3.  blemish:
something that spoils somebody or something’s good name or reputation
verb
(past blot·ted, past participle blot·ted, present
participle blot·ting, 3rd person present singular blots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb create
blot:
to make a blot on paper

2.  transitive
verb
bring
disrepute:
to bring dishonor on somebody’s reputation

3.  transitive
verb
dry
with absorbent material: to soak up liquid from the
surface of something using absorbent material
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Scandinavian .][1]



blotch

blotch
blotch 
[bloch] noun (plural blotch·es)

1.  spot
or mark:
an irregularly shaped spot or mark

2.  blemish
on skin:
a reddish patch on the skin

3.  PLANTS plant
disease:
any fungal disease of plants marked by discolored areas on leaves and stems
intransitive
and transitive verb (past blotched,
past participle blotched, present participle blotch·ing,
3rd person present singular blotch·es)

mark with blotches:
to mark or become marked with blotches
[Early
17th century. Blend of blot and botch .]
—blotch·i·ly,
adverb

—blotch·i·ness,
noun

—blotch·y, adjective[1]



blotout

blotout
blot
out
transitive verb

1.  obscure:
to cover something so that it can no longer be seen

2.  obliterate
from memory: to remove something painful from the
mind

[1]



blotter

blotter
blot·ter 
[blóttər] (plural blot·ters) noun

1.  piece
of blotting paper: a sheet of blotting paper
that absorbs ink or water

2.  logbook:
a book used for recording daily events and transactions • a
police blotter

[1]



blottingpaper

blottingpaper
blot·ting
pa·per 
noun

paper for absorbing ink:
soft paper used for soaking up ink from paper[1]



blotto

blotto
blot·to 
[blóttō] adjective

inebriated:
extremely inebriated (slang)
[Early 20th century. Formed
obscurely from blot, noun or verb.][1]



blouse

blouse
blouse 
[blowss, blowz]
(past bloused, past participle bloused, present
participle blous·ing, 3rd person present singular blous·es,
plural blous·es) noun

1.  woman’s
shirt:
a woman’s loose-fitting shirt

2.  peasant
smock:
a loose-fitting shirt or smock, often part of peasant dress

3.  cadet’s
or soldier’s tunic: a tunic, sometimes loose and
sometimes very snug, that is a part of some military uniforms
[Early 19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



blouson

blouson
blou·son 
[blówsson, blówss’n,
blówzon, blówz’n]
(plural blou·sons) noun

1.  garment
like a shirt: a woman’s garment resembling a shirt
that is gathered at the waist

2.  short
jacket:
a short jacket that fits closely at the waist and becomes looser over the upper
body
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



blow

blow1
blow1 [blō]
verb (past blew [bloo],
past participle blown [blōn], present
participle blow·ing, 3rd person present singular blows)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
moving as air: to be moving as a current of air • It
blew all night.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with air current: to move something with a current of air,
especially air exhaled through the mouth • I
blew the dust off the shelf.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb exhale:
to send a stream of air out from the mouth • She
blew on her soup

4.  transitive
verb
make
by blowing:
to make bubbles or smoke rings by sending a stream of air out from the mouth

5.  transitive
verb
clear
nose:
to clear the nose by forcing air through it

6.  transitive
verb
CRAFT shape
hot glass:
to give shape to molten glass by forcing air into it

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC sound by blowing:
to make a sound from a musical instrument by blowing air into it, or to emit a
sound when blown

8.  transitive
verb
send
a kiss:
to send somebody a symbolic kiss by kissing your hand and then blowing across
it

9.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY expel
moist air:
to expel moist air from the lungs up through the blowhole (refers to whales,
dolphins, and other cetaceans)

10. intransitive
verb
breathe
hard:
to breathe hard or pant through exertion

11. transitive
verb
exhaust
horse:
to cause a horse to breathe hard through overexertion

12. intransitive
and transitive verb destroy
or move by explosion: to destroy or displace
something or somebody violently • The
blast blew the roof off.

13. transitive
verb
open
by force:
to break open something that is firmly shut using explosives

14. intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES puncture:
to cause or experience a blowout (informal)

15. intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRICITY cause fuse to burn out:
to burn out and break an electrical circuit, or to cause a piece of equipment
to do this • The
toaster blew when I plugged it in.

16. intransitive
and transitive verb break
because of pressure: to cause something to
rupture under excess pressure, or to undergo this process

17. transitive
verb
miss
an opportunity: to fail to take advantage of an
opportunity (slang)

18. transitive
verb
waste
money:
to spend money wastefully (slang) • blew
a bundle of dough on fast cars

19. transitive
verb
expose:
to expose something secret (slang) • blew
his cover

20. transitive
verb
disregard:
to disregard something as trivial (slang dated) (usually used as a
command) • Blow
the expense!

21. intransitive
and transitive verb leave
a place suddenly: to leave a place suddenly (slang)
• When
the cops arrived, the thieves blew

22. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC play music informally:
to play music, especially informally or with other musicians (slang)

23. transitive
verb
inhale
drug:
to inhale a drug (slang)

24. transitive
verb
fellate:
to fellate (slang offensive)

25. (past
participle blowed) transitive verb U.K. expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise (dated informal) • Blow
me down, look who’s here!
noun
(plural blows)

1.  act
of blowing:
an act of blowing

2.  MUSIC sound
produced by blowing: the sound produced by
blowing on a musical instrument or the like

3.  strong
wind:
a strong wind (informal)

4.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand boast:
an act of boasting (informal)

5.  cocaine:
the drug cocaine (slang)
[Old
English blāwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English bladder, flatulent, and inflate
.]
blow
a fuse or gasket

to
lose your temper (informal)

blow
it

to spoil your chances of
success (slang)[1]



blow

blow2
blow2 [blō]
(plural blows) noun

1.  hard
hit:
a hard hit with a fist or weapon • a
nasty blow on the head

2.  action
helping cause: an important action that helps a cause
or belief • They
struck an important blow for civil rights.

3.  setback:
a sudden setback • a blow to his
confidence
[15th century. Originally
northern English and Scottish dialect blaw, of uncertain origin: perhaps
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to strike.”][1]



blow

blow3
blow3 [blō]
(past blew [bloo], past
participle blown [blōn], present
participle blow·ing, 3rd person present singular blows)
intransitive and transitive verb

bloom:
to blossom or to cause something to blossom
[Old English blōwan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English bloom .][1]



blowaway

blowaway
blow
away
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
by wind:
to move something from its place, or to be moved, by the force of a current of
air or the wind

2.  transitive
verb
kill:
to shoot somebody dead (slang)

3.  transitive
verb
defeat
decisively:
to subject somebody to an overwhelming defeat (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
overwhelm:
to affect somebody emotionally (slang) • an
epic movie that just blew me away

[1]



blowback

blowback
blow·back 
[blṓ bak] noun

1.  firearm
power residue: the powdery residue that is released or
ejected upon firing bullets or shells from a weapon

2.  reaction:
a reaction or effect resulting from an action or cause, usually a negative
reaction (informal) • The
blowback from the press revelations was terrific.

3.  system
for reloading automatic weapons: the escape to the rear
of gases formed during the firing of a weapon. The gases activate a piston that
forces back the bolt, allowing the spent casing to be ejected and a fresh
cartridge inserted.

[1]



blow-by-blow

blow-by-blow
blow-by-blow 
adjective

detailed:
describing something in great detail • a
blow-by-blow account
[From the idea of commenting
on the sequence of punches at a boxing match][1]



blow-dry

blow-dry
blow-dry 
transitive verb

style
hair with hairdryer: to dry and style hair using
a hair dryer
noun

blow-dried hairstyle:
a hairstyle produced by blow-drying[1]



blower

blower
blow·er 
[blṓ ər] (plural blow·ers) noun

1.  blowing
machine:
a machine that produces a current of air or gas • a
leaf blower

2.  low-pressure
compressor:
an air compressor that produces air at low pressure

3.  See
supercharger

4.  braggart:
a boastful person (informal)

[1]



blowfish

blowfish
blow·fish 
[blṓ fish] (plural blow·fish or
blow·fish·es) noun

See
puffer[1]



blowfly

blowfly
blow·fly 
[blṓ flī] (plural blow·flies) noun

meat-seeking
fly:
a large fly such as a bluebottle that lays its eggs in rotting meat, in dung,
or in open wounds. Family: Calliphoridae
[Early 19th century. “ Blow ”
from blow, in the sense “to deposit eggs.”][1]



blowgun

blowgun
blow·gun 
[blṓ gun] (plural blow·guns) noun

tube for shooting darts:
a long narrow tube through which darts or pellets are shot by blowing.
U.K. term
blowpipe
Also called
blowpipe[1]



blowhard

blowhard
blow·hard 
[blṓ haard] (plural blow·hards)
noun

empty
boaster:
somebody who boasts but is considered ineffectual
[Mid-19th century. Blow from blow, in the sense “to boast.”][1]



blowhole

blowhole
blow·hole 
[blṓ hōl] (plural blow·holes) noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY nostril
of whale or similar mammal: a nostril in the top of the
head of a whale, dolphin, or similar sea mammal that allows the exchange of air
from the lungs

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY breathing
hole in ice: a hole in ice where aquatic mammals come
to the surface to breathe

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING air
vent:
a vent to permit the escape of air or gas from a tunnel or passage

4.  METALLURGY bubble
in ingot:
a gas pocket formed in a metal as it solidifies

[1]



blowin

blowin
blow
in
intransitive verb

1.  arrive:
to arrive or enter a place in a casual way (slang) • blew
in at midnight from Toronto

2.  start
producing:
to start producing oil (refers to oil wells)

[1]



blowjob

blowjob
blow
job
(plural blow jobs) noun

fellatio:
the act of fellatio (slang offensive)[1]



blowlamp

blowlamp
blow·lamp
noun

U.K.
See blowtorch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








blown

blown1
blown1 [blōn]
adjective

1.  swollen:
swollen or inflated

2.  See
flyblown

3.  out
of breath:
out of breath and panting

4.  made
by blowing:
made or shaped by blowing • blown
glass

[1]



blown

blown2
blown2

Past participle of
blow 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








blowoff

blowoff
blow
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING
release
gas:
to release a gas or liquid under pressure.
See
also
blow out

2.  transitive
verb
fail
to meet:
to disregard an obligation to meet somebody (slang) • Lee
blew me off, so I’m free for lunch.

[1]



blowoff

blowoff
blow·off 
[blṓ of] (plural blow·offs [blṓ of]) noun TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

1.  discharge
of surplus steam: a discharge of surplus gas or fluid
under pressure

2.  vent
for gas or liquid: a device through which
surplus gas or liquid under pressure is released

[1]



blowout

blowout
blow
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb extinguish:
to extinguish a flame with a blast of air or wind

2.  reflexive
verb
METEOROLOGY die
down:
to return to a state of calm after a storm (refers to storms and winds)

3.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES puncture:
to puncture suddenly and at high speed (refers to tires)

4.  intransitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY emit uncontrollably:
to release oil or gas explosively (refers to gas or oil wells)

[1]



blowout

blowout
blow·out 
[blṓ owt] (plural blow·outs) noun

1.  tire
puncture:
a sudden puncture of a tire

2.  gush
of oil or gas: a sudden rush of oil or gas from an oil
well to the surface

3.  big
party:
a big party with ample food and drink (slang)

[1]



blowover

blowover
blow
over
intransitive verb

1.  die
down:
to become less violent (refers to storms)

2.  be
forgotten:
to no longer excite strong feelings (informal) • It
was quite a scandal but it all blew over.

[1]



blowpipe

blowpipe
blow·pipe 
[blṓ pīp] (plural blow·pipes) noun

1.  ARMS See blowgun

2.  CHEMISTRY tube
for concentrating heat: a small tube that leads a
jet of air into a flame to increase its heat

3.  CRAFT glassblower’s
tube:
a long narrow iron tube used in glassblowing to shape molten glass

[1]



blowsy

blowsy
blow·sy 
adjective

See
blowzy[1]



blowtorch

blowtorch
blow·torch 
[blṓ tawrch] (plural blow·torch·es)
noun

small portable gas burner:
a small, usually portable, gas burner that intensifies the heat of its flame by
a blast of air or oxygen.
U.K. term
blowlamp[1]



blowup

blowup
blow
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb destroy
by explosion: to destroy something or kill somebody by
causing an explosion, or to be destroyed in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb explode
or detonate: to detonate an explosive, or to explode

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb inflate:
to blow air into something so that it becomes swollen, or to swell as a result
of being filled with air

4.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY enlarge
image:
to enlarge a photograph

5.  intransitive
verb
become
angry:
to lose your temper suddenly (informal)

6.  intransitive
verb
begin
to blow:
to begin to develop or gather force (refers to winds or storms)

7.  transitive
verb
exaggerate:
exaggerate the value or importance of something (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
CINEMA PHOTOGRAPHY expand images:
to expand the images of a motion picture from a smaller gauge of film to a
larger or to expand a small portion of an image so that it becomes the subject
of another

[1]



blowup

blowup
blow·up 
[blṓ up] (plural blow·ups) noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
enlargement: an enlargement of a photograph or
picture

2.  outburst
of temper:
a sudden outburst of temper (informal)

3.  explosion:
an explosion caused by a bomb or similar device

4.  CINEMA PHOTOGRAPHY expanded film:
a motion picture on a larger gauge of film that has been expanded in size from
a smaller gauge, for example, from 16 mm to 35 mm

[1]



blowy

blowy
blow·y 
[blṓ ee] (comparative blow·i·er,
superlative blow·i·est) adjective

windy:
windy or breezy (informal)[1]



blowzy

blowzy
blow·zy 
[blówzee] (comparative blow·zi·er,
superlative blow·zi·est) or blow·sy [blówzee] (comparative blow·si·er, superlative
blow·si·est) adjective

1.  red-faced:
with a reddish face and coarse complexion (disapproving)

2.  slovenly:
slovenly and careless in appearance
[Early
17th century. Formed from obsolete blowze “wench.”]
—blow·zi·ly,
adverb

—blow·zi·ness, noun[1]



BLS

BLS
BLS

Abbreviation of
Bureau of Labor Statistics[1]



BLT

BLT
BLT 
(plural BLTs or BLT’s) noun

bacon, lettuce, and tomato
sandwich: a sandwich with a filling of
bacon, lettuce, and tomato[1]



blubber

blubber
blub·ber
[blúbbər] verb (past blub·bered,
past participle blub·bered, present participle blub·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular blub·bers) (informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
sob
loudly:
to sob in a loud and unattractive manner

2.  transitive
verb
say
while sobbing: to say something while sobbing
noun

1.  fat
of marine mammals: the insulating fat of whales
and other large sea mammals, used as a source of oil and food

2.  unsightly
fat:
unsightly body fat (informal, sometimes considered offensive)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound of bubbling water.
“Fat” may come from the sense “fish’s entrails,” from their bubbling appearance
when ripped open.]
—blub·ber·er,
noun

—blub·ber·y, adjective[1]



bludgeon

bludgeon
bludg·eon 
[blújjən] noun (plural bludg·eons)

short club: a
short stout club used as a weapon
transitive
verb
(past bludg·eoned, past participle bludg·eoned, present
participle bludg·eon·ing, 3rd person present singular bludg·eons)

1.  hit
with heavy object: to hit somebody repeatedly
with a heavy object • bludgeoned
to death

2.  coerce
or bully:
to coerce or bully somebody into doing something
[Mid-18th
century. Origin unknown.]
—bludg·eon·er, noun[1]



blue

blue
blue
[bloo] adjective (comparative blu·er,
superlative blu·est)

1.  of
the color of the sky: having the color of the sky
on a cloudless day, or any similar shade

2.  slightly
purple in skin color: with the skin appearing
slightly purple because of cold, bruising, or exertion

3.  BIOLOGY bluish:
used to describe animals and plants that are bluish or blue-gray in color • a
blue whale
• a
blue spruce

4.  depressed:
depressed, or accompanied by feelings of depression (informal) • feeling
blue
• a
blue day

5.  explicit:
depicting or referring to sex in an explicit or offensive way (informal)

6.  puritanical:
rigidly conservative in moral and social views (dated)
noun
(plural blues)

1.  color
of the sky:
the color of the sky on a cloudless day. Blue lies toward one end of the
visible spectrum and is one of the three primary colors of light and pigment.

2.  blue
pigment:
a blue dye or pigment

3.  the
distance:
the far distance (informal) • disappeared
off into the blue

4.  ARCHERY blue
ring on target: the blue ring on the target in archery

5.  blue
or Blue (plural Blues) member
of Union Army: a member of the Union Army in the Civil
War.
See
also
gray 1 noun 4

6.  blue
or Blue Union Army:
the Union Army in the Civil War.
See
also
gray 1 noun 5

7.  ZOOLOGY small-winged
blue butterfly: a common blue small-winged butterfly.
Subfamily: Plebeiinae
verb
(past blued, past participle blued, present
participle blue·ing or blu·ing, 3rd person present
singular blues)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become blue: to make something blue or to become blue

2.  transitive
verb
treat
with bluing: to treat something with bluing
[13th
century. From Old French bleu . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
whose meaning evolved from “yellow” via “white” and “pale” to “livid, the color
of bruised skin.” In the sense “to squander” perhaps an alteration of blow .]
—blue·ness,
noun
out
of the blue

unexpectedly • The
offer came out of the blue.[1]



bluebaby

bluebaby
blue
ba·by
noun

baby with bluish skin color:
a baby born with a bluish skin color ( cyanosis
) as a result of a congenital heart defect that causes the mixing of venous and
arterial blood[1]



bluebeard

bluebeard
blue·beard 
[bl beerd] (plural blue·beards)
or Blue·beard [bl beerd] (plural
Blue·beards) noun

wife
killer:
a man who marries and then kills successive wives
[Early 19th century. Named
for Blue Beard, a translation of French Barbe Bleue, a character
in a story by Charles Perrault ( 1628–1703 ).][1]



bluebell

bluebell
blue·bell 
[bl bel] (plural blue·bells) noun

1.  European
woodland plant: a woodland plant of the lily family that
has long thin leaves and small blue bell-shaped flowers. Genus: Endymion

Also
called
wild hyacinth
Also
called
wood hyacinth

2.  See
harebell

3.  plant
of eastern N America: a plant of the borage
family, native to eastern North America, that has showy blue flowers. Genus: Mertenia

[1]



blueberry

blueberry
blue·ber·ry 
[bl berree] (plural blue·ber·ries)
noun

1.  shrub
with edible berries: a shrub of the heath family
that has tubular flowers and bears small edible bluish black berries. Genus: Vaccinium

2.  berry:
the edible dark blue berry of the blueberry plant, popular in pies and muffins

[1]



bluebill

bluebill
blue·bill 
[bl bil] (plural blue·bills) noun

1.  See
scaup

2.  heavy-billed
bird:
any African waxbill with a heavy metallic blue bill. Genus: Spermophaga

[1]



bluebird

bluebird
blue·bird 
[bl burd] (plural blue·birds)
noun

1.  N
American songbird: a North American thrush that
has bright blue plumage with a bluish or reddish-brown breast. Genus: Sialia

2.  blue
bird:
any bird with blue feathers

[1]



blue-black

blue-black
blue-black
adjective

black
tinged with blue: black tinged with blue or with a blue
sheen when caught by the light
—blue-black, noun[1]



blueblood

blueblood
blue
blood
(plural blue bloods) or blue·blood (plural blue·bloods)
noun

1.  noble
descent:
the quality of being royal or aristocratic by birth

2.  aristocrat:
an aristocrat, or a noble, or a person born into a respectable and very wealthy
family
—blue-blood·ed, adjective[1]



bluebonnet

bluebonnet
blue·bon·net 
[bl bonnət] (plural blue·bon·nets)
noun

1.  plant
with spikes of blue flowers: either of two low-growing
lupines, native to Texas, with spikes of light blue flowers. Latin name: Lupinus
texensis Lupinus subcarnosus
Also
called
Texas bluebonnet

2.  Scottish
woolen cap:
a wide round flat cap of blue wool, formerly worn in Scotland

[1]



bluebook

bluebook
blue
book
(plural blue books) noun

1.  U.S.
school exam book: a thin blank notebook with blue covers,
used in schools for writing examination answers

2.  government
report:
an official government report bound in a blue cover, especially one published
by the British or Canadian government

[1]



bluebottle

bluebottle
blue·bot·tle 
[bl bott’l] (plural blue·bot·tles)
noun

1.  INSECTS large
buzzing fly: a large buzzing blowfly with an
iridescent blue body that lays its eggs in decaying plant and animal material.
Genus: Calliphora

2.  PLANTS blue-flowered
plant:
a blue-flowered plant, especially the cornflower or grape hyacinth

[1]



bluecat

bluecat
blue
cat
(plural blue cats) noun

large freshwater catfish:
a large bluish freshwater catfish of the Mississippi valley that is a popular
food and game fish. It may grow to over 450 kg100 lbs . Latin name: Ictalurus
furcatus[1]



bluecheese

bluecheese
blue
cheese
noun

cheese with blue mold:
any whitish cheese with veins of blue mold.
Also called
bleu cheese[1]



bluechip

bluechip
blue
chip
(plural blue chips) noun

1.  STOCK EXCHANGE valuable
stock in reliable company: a stock selling for a high
price because it belongs to a company that is considered to be
well-established, highly successful, and reliable

2.  BUSINESS valuable
asset or company: an extremely valuable asset, especially
a well-established, reliable, and successful company

3.  GAMBLING poker
chip:
a blue-colored gambling chip of high value
—blue-chip, adjective[1]



blue-chipper

blue-chipper
blue-chip·per
noun

BUSINESS
blue-chip company:
a blue-chip company[1]



bluecoat

bluecoat
blue·coat 
[bl kt] (plural blue·coats) noun

wearer of blue uniform:
somebody who wears a blue coat, especially a police officer (archaic)[1]



bluecod

bluecod
blue
cod
(plural blue cod or blue cods) noun

New Zealand fish:
a sea fish, related to perches, that is a popular food in New Zealand. Latin
name: Parapercis colias
Also called
rock cod[1]



bluecohosh

bluecohosh
blue
co·hosh 
noun

plant with blue fruit:
a North American perennial plant of the barberry family with large blue
berries. The root is sometimes used to induce labor in childbirth. Latin name: Caulophyllum
thalictroides[1]



blue-collar

blue-collar
blue-col·lar 
adjective

of
manual workers: relating to or belonging to workers who
do manual or industrial work, and who often require work clothes or protective
clothing.
See
also
white-collar
See
also
pink-collar
[Mid-20th
century. From the clothing typically worn by such workers.]
—blue-col·lar, noun[1]



bluecrab

bluecrab
blue
crab
noun

North American crab:
an edible bluish crab found on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America.
Latin name: Callinectes sapidus[1]



bluecurls

bluecurls
blue·curls
[bl kùrlz] noun

plant with blue flowers:
a North American plant of the mint family that has curled blue stamens in blue
flowers. Genus: Trichostema (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



bluedevil

bluedevil
blue
dev·il
noun (plural blue dev·ils)

barbiturate
capsule:
a capsule containing the barbiturate amobarbital (slang)
Also
called
blue heaven
plural
noun
blue dev·ils

melancholy:
melancholy or low spirits (dated slang)[1]



blue-eyedboy

blue-eyedboy
blue-eyed
boy
(plural blue-eyed boys) noun

U.K.
(informal) See fair-haired boy[1]



blue-eyedMary

blue-eyedMary
blue-eyed
Mar·y
noun

N American plant with blue
flowers: a North American plant of
the snapdragon family that has blue and white flowers. Latin name: Collinsia
verna
Also called
innocence[1]



bluefin

bluefin
blue·fin
[bl fìn] or blue·fin tu·na [bl fìn] noun

large tuna:
a large tuna that lives in temperate seas and is caught for sport and food.
Latin name: Thunnus thynnus[1]



bluefish

bluefish
blue·fish 
[bl fìsh] (plural blue·fish or
blue·fish·es) noun

1.  bluish
sea fish:
a bluish fish with a silver underside, caught for sport and food in temperate
and tropical regions of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Latin name: Pomatomus
saltatrix

2.  any
bluish fish: any fish with bluish coloring

[1]



blueflag

blueflag
blue
flag
noun

N American iris:
any North American iris with large blue-violet flowers. The root of one variety
has been used medicinally as a purgative, emetic, and liver stimulant. Latin
name: Iris versicolor[1]



bluefox

bluefox
blue
fox
noun

1.  Arctic
fox:
an Arctic fox with a tawny-brown coat that turns pale blue-gray in winter.
Latin name: Alopex lagopus

2.  blue
fox fur:
the fur of a blue fox

[1]



bluefunk

bluefunk
blue
funk
(plural blue funks) noun

sad mood:
a state of melancholy (dated informal)[1]



bluegill

bluegill
blue·gill 
[bl gìl] (plural blue·gills or
blue·gill) noun

N American sunfish:
a freshwater sunfish common in eastern and central North America. Latin name: Lepomis
macrochirus[1]



bluegrass

bluegrass
blue·grass 
[bl gràss] (plural blue·grass·es)
noun

1.  MUSIC style
of country music: a style of country music from the
southern United States, usually played on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin
and featuring close harmony and instrumental solos (often used before a noun)

2.  BOTANY blue-green
grass:
a blue-green grass found in North America and Europe, used for fodder and as a
lawn grass. Kentucky bluegrass is one species of bluegrass . Genus: Poa
[Mid-18th century. Originally
referring to a species of grass indigenous to Kentucky and Virginia, the word
came to refer to the folk music associated with these areas.][1]



BluegrassState

BluegrassState
Blue·grass
State
noun

Kentucky:
the state of Kentucky (informal)[1]



blue-greenalgae

blue-greenalgae
blue-green
al·gae
plural noun

BIOLOGY
See cyanobacteria[1]



bluegrouse

bluegrouse
blue
grouse
noun

N
American grouse: a species of grouse that lives in
western North America and produces a deep booming sound from air sacs on its
neck. The male has gray-blue plumage. Latin name: Dendragapus obscurus (regional)

Also
called
sooty grouse





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term blue grouse occurs in the Pacific
  Northwest, especially in Oregon.

[1]



bluegum

bluegum
blue
gum
noun

1.  hard-timbered
Australian eucalyptus: a tall Australian eucalyptus
tree, native to Tasmania, with hard timber and aromatic leaves from which a
medicinal oil is extracted. Latin name: Eucalyptus globulus

2.  Australian
eucalyptus:
an Australian eucalyptus tree that has smooth blue-gray bark. Genus: Eucalyptus

[1]



blueheaven

blueheaven
blue
heav·en
(plural blue heav·ens) noun

(slang) See blue devil[1]



blueheron

blueheron
blue
her·on
noun

N American heron:
a North American heron with bluish gray plumage, such as the great blue heron[1]



blueing

blueing
blue·ing 
noun

See
bluing[1]



blueish

blueish
blue·ish 
adjective

See
bluish[1]



bluejacket

bluejacket
blue·jack·et 
[bl jàkət] (plural blue·jack·ets)
noun

sailor:
an enlisted man in the navy (slang)[1]



bluejay

bluejay

blue jay
(plural blue jays) noun
N American bird with blue feathers:
a North American bird that belongs to the jay family and has blue plumage, a
crested head, and a white underside. Latin name: Cyanocitta cristata[1]



bluejeans

bluejeans
blue
jeans
plural noun

jeans of blue denim:
a pair of jeans made of blue denim[1]



bluelaw

bluelaw
blue
law
(plural blue laws) noun

1.  moral
law:
a law regulating moral conduct, for example, a law prohibiting the sale of
alcohol on Sundays

2.  old
law governing moral conduct: a law intended to govern
moral conduct in colonial New England
[Blue in the sense of
“puritanical”][1]



blueline

blueline
blue
line
(plural blue lines) noun

boundary in ice hockey:
either of two blue lines that divide an ice hockey rink into the defensive,
neutral, and offensive zones[1]



bluemoon

bluemoon
blue
moon
(plural blue moons) noun

1.  long
time:
a long period of time (informal) • once
in a blue moon

2.  2nd
full moon in a month: a second full moon in a
calendar month. As there is a full moon every 29.5 days, a blue moon is a
comparatively rare event.
[From the notion of the moon
appearing blue, a rare if not unheard of event. Sense 2 from the rarity of the
phenomenon.][1]



BlueMountains

BlueMountains
Blue
Moun·tains

plateau region about 65 km/47
mi west of Sydney, Australia, part of the Great Dividing Range. Its highest
point is Bird Rock, 1,134 m/3,871 ft . Area: 1,400 sq km/540 sq mi.[1]



BlueNile

BlueNile
Blue
Nile 
[bloo nl]

river in northeastern Africa
that rises in Ethiopia and supplies about 70 percent of the water that reaches
Khartoum, where it joins the White Nile to form the Nile proper. Length: 1,370
km/850 mi.[1]



bluenose

bluenose
blue·nose 
[bl nz] (plural blue·nos·es)
noun

puritanical
person:
somebody who is excessively concerned with morals (dated informal)
[In the sense “puritanical
person,” compare blue law][1]



bluenote

bluenote
blue
note
(plural blue notes) noun

musical note lower than
usual: a musical note played or
sung slightly lower than usual, especially in blues and jazz[1]



bluepages

bluepages
blue
pag·es
plural noun

section
of telephone book: the section of the telephone
book that contains listings of government agencies and departments
[Because it is usually
printed on blue paper][1]



blue-pencil

blue-pencil
blue-pen·cil 
(past blue-pen·ciled or blue-pen·cilled, past
participle blue-pen·ciled or blue-pen·cilled, present
participle blue-pen·cil·ing or blue-pen·cil·ling, 3rd
person present singular blue-pen·cils) transitive verb

edit:
to edit a piece of writing by marking it, in order to shorten, censor, or
delete it
[From the use of a blue
pencil in the editing process][1]



BluePeter

BluePeter

Blue
Pe·ter 
(plural Blue Pe·ters) noun
ship’s
signal flag: a blue flag with a white square in the
middle, used by ships to signal that they are ready to sail
[Peter from Peter,
personal name, from the fact that the pattern on the flag represents the letter
P in the International Code of Symbols][1]



blue-plate

blue-plate
blue-plate 
adjective

at
special price: used to describe a main course offered
by a restaurant at a lower price than usual • We
had the blue-plate special.
[Origin uncertain: probably
from the fact that specially priced meals were often served on cheap,
blue-patterned plates][1]



bluepoint

bluepoint
blue·point
[bl pòynt] (plural blue·point
or blue·points) noun

small
oyster:
a small oyster of the northeastern coastal waters of the United States, usually
eaten raw. Latin name: Crassotrea virginica
[Late 18th century. Named for
Blue Point, Long Island, because many of the oysters are from the oyster
beds near there.][1]



bluepoint

bluepoint
blue
point
(plural blue points) noun

Siamese cat:
a domestic cat, especially a Siamese, that has a bluish-cream coat and dark
gray markings on its extremities ( points ).

See also
seal point[1]



blueprint

blueprint
blue·print 
[bl prìnt] noun (plural blue·prints)

1.  print
of plan:
a photographic print of a technical drawing with white lines printed on a blue
background, usually used as a reference before and during the building process.

Also
called
cyanotype

2.  plan
or guide:
a plan of action, or something already done that can be used as a guide to
doing something in the future • His
administration’s policies became a blueprint for those that followed.
transitive
verb
(past blue·print·ed, past participle blue·print·ed,
present participle blue·print·ing, 3rd person present singular
blue·prints)

1.  make
blueprint of: to make a blueprint of something,
especially a technical drawing

2.  make
plan for:
to make or be a plan for something

[1]



blueracer

blueracer
blue
rac·er
(plural blue rac·ers) noun

N American snake:
a blue-green subspecies of the blacksnake that is found in the United States
from Michigan to Texas. Latin name: Coluber constrictor flaviventris[1]



blueriband

blueriband
blue
rib·and
(plural blue rib·ands) noun

U.K.
See blue ribbon[1]



blueribbon

blueribbon
blue
rib·bon
(plural blue rib·bons) noun

1.  badge
made of blue ribbon: an emblem or badge made of
blue ribbon and awarded for first prize in a competition

2.  highest
distinction: the highest distinction or first prize
in a particular field.
U.K.
term
blue riband
—blue-rib·bon, adjective[1]



blue-ribbonjury

blue-ribbonjury
blue-rib·bon
ju·ry
(plural blue-rib·bon ju·ries) noun

special jury:
a jury of well-educated people chosen by the court for a case involving issues
that are difficult to follow.
Also called
special jury[1]



BlueRidge

BlueRidge
Blue
Ridge
or Blue Ridge Moun·tains

mountain range in the United
States, extending from northern Georgia across western North Carolina and into
West Virginia. It is the easternmost range of the Appalachian Mountains, with
its highest point at Mount Mitchell 2,037 m/6,684 ft .[1]



bluerunner

bluerunner
blue
run·ner
(plural blue run·ners) noun

ZOOLOGY
See runner  noun 17[1]



blues

blues

blues 
[blooz] noun (plural blues)
MUSIC piece
of music:
a song or instrumental piece of music in the style of a type of popular music
that developed from African American folk songs in the early 20th century,
consisting mainly of slow sad songs often performed over a repeating harmonic
pattern (takes a singular or plural verb)
plural
noun
feeling
of sadness:
a feeling of unhappiness or low spirits (informal)
[Mid-18th century. From blue
devils .][1]



blueshark

blueshark
blue
shark
noun

blue and white shark:
a shark that has a dark blue back and white underside and lives in tropical and
temperate seas. Latin name: Prionace glauca[1]



bluesheep

bluesheep
blue
sheep
noun

See
bharal[1]



blueshift

blueshift
blue·shift
[bl shìft] (plural blue·shifts)
noun

wavelength displacement
indicating decreasing distance: a
displacement in the wavelengths of spectral lines toward the blue end of the
visible spectrum, indicating that the radiation source and observer are
approaching each other.
See also
Doppler effect
See also
redshift[1]



blue-sky

blue-sky
blue-sky 
adjective (informal)

1.  creative
or impractical: idealistic or visionary and not
practical

2.  theoretical:
purely theoretical and having no concrete goal

3.  cheap
or worthless: not worth very much money • blue-sky
stocks
—blue-sky, intransitive
verb[1]



blue-skylaw

blue-skylaw
blue-sky
law
(plural blue-sky laws) noun

law regulating sale of
securities: a state law regulating the
sale of securities, designed to protect investors from being sold stocks or
bonds with no real value[1]



bluesman

bluesman
blues·man
[blzmən] (plural blues·men [blzmən]) noun

blues musician:
somebody who plays or sings the blues[1]



BlueSprings

BlueSprings
Blue
Springs

city in western Missouri,
southeast of Independence and Kansas City. Population: 44,667 (1996)[1]



bluespruce

bluespruce
blue
spruce
noun

evergreen tree with bluish
foliage: a common North American
evergreen tree of the Rocky Mountains with short sharp blue-gray needles. Latin
name: Picea pungens
Also called
Colorado blue spruce[1]



bluestem

bluestem
blue·stem 
[bl stèm] noun

bluish grass:
a North American grass that has smooth bluish leaf sheaths and slender spikes
in pairs or clusters, used for hay in the western United States. Big bluestem
and little bluestem are two different species. Latin name: Andropogon
gerardii Schizachyrium scoparium[1]



bluestocking

bluestocking
blue·stock·ing 
[bl stòking] (plural blue·stock·ings)
noun

intellectual
woman:
a woman who is highly educated or has scholarly or literary interests (offensive)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  At
  the literary gatherings held at the houses of fashionable mid-18th-century
  hostesses, it became the custom to wear casual rather than full formal dress.
  In the case of gentlemen’s stockings, this meant gray worsted (conventionally
  called “blue” at that time) rather than black silk. This lack of decorum was
  disapproved of in some quarters, and one Admiral Boscowan dubbed the
  participants the “Blue Stocking Society.” Women who attended their highbrow
  meetings thus became known as “Blue Stocking Ladies” (even though it was men
  who had originally worn the stockings).

[1]



bluestone

bluestone
blue·stone 
[bl stn] noun

BUILDING
blue-gray building stone:
a blue-gray sandstone used in the construction industry or for paving,
especially a sandstone quarried from near the Hudson River in North America[1]



bluestreak

bluestreak
blue
streak
(plural blue streaks) noun

somebody
or something fast: a fast-moving person or
thing (informal humorous)
talk
a blue streak

to talk very quickly and
without pausing (informal)[1]



bluesy

bluesy
blues·y
[blzee] (comparative blue·si·er,
superlative blue·si·est) adjective

done in blues style:
composed or performed in or like the style of the blues (informal) • a
bluesy ballad[1]



bluetongue

bluetongue
blue·tongue 
[bl tùng] (plural blue·tongues
or blue·tongue) noun

viral disease of livestock:
a viral disease of sheep, goats, and cattle transmitted by biting insects,
especially mosquitoes, that involves fever, inflammation, ulceration, and death
of tissue around the mouth and tongue[1]



bluets

bluets
blu·ets 
[bl əts] (plural blu·ets) noun

plant
with four-petaled flowers: a North American plant of
the madder family with small, pale blue to white, four-petaled flowers with
yellow centers. Genus: Hedyotis (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Early 18th century. Plural
of bluet, from French bl(e)uet, literally “small blue,” from bleu
“blue” (see blue ).][1]



bluevitriol

bluevitriol
blue
vit·ri·ol
noun

copper sulfate:
copper sulfate (archaic)[1]



blue-water

blue-water
blue-water
adjective

of oceans:
operating on or traveling over the oceans • a
blue-water sailor[1]



bluewater

bluewater
blue
wa·ter
noun

open sea:
the ocean far away from the shore (literary)[1]



blueweed

blueweed
blue·weed 
[bl wd] (plural blue·weeds or
blue·weed) noun

1.  See
viper’s bugloss

2.  sunflower
with blue-gray leaves: a weedy sunflower plant with
blue-gray leaves that grows in the southwestern United States. Latin name: Helianthus
ciliaris

[1]



bluewhale

bluewhale

blue whale
(plural blue whales or blue whale) noun
largest whale:
a slate-blue whale with grooves along the throat that migrates between polar
and equatorial seas. It is the world’s largest living animal. Latin name: Balaenoptera
musculus[1]



bluff

bluff2
bluff2 [bluf]
noun (plural bluffs)

cliff with broad face:
a high steep bank, cliff, or headland, especially one with a broad face
adjective

1.  steep
and broad:
having a broad, flattened, or rounded steep front

2.  blunt
but kind in manner: cheerful and friendly but
outspoken and often insensitive to others’ feelings
[Early
17th century. From Dutch blaf “flat.”]
—bluff·ly,
adverb

—bluff·ness, noun[1]



bluff

bluff1
bluff1 [bluf]
verb (past bluffed, past participle bluffed,
present participle bluff·ing, 3rd person present singular bluffs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pretend
to be confident: to pretend to have strength, confidence,
or the intention of doing something, in order to deceive somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES deceive players about cards:
to try to deceive other players in a card game about the true value of your
hand

3.  transitive
verb
Malaysia, Singapore deceive somebody in
minor way:
to try to mislead somebody about something relatively unimportant (informal)
noun
(plural bluffs)

1.  feigned
confidence:
a pretense of strength, confidence, or of the intention of doing something

2.  somebody
who bluffs:
somebody who pretends to be stronger or more confident than he or she really is
[Late
17th century. From Dutch bluffen “to brag” or bluf “bragging.”]
—bluff·a·ble,
adjective

—bluff·er, noun[1]



bluing

bluing
blu·ing 
[bl ing] or blue·ing [bl ing] noun

substance used in laundering:
a substance used in laundering to prevent white materials from turning yellow[1]



bluish

bluish
blu·ish 
[bl ish] or blue·ish [bl ish] adjective

of color near to blue:
of a color that is near to blue or contains some blue[1]



Blumberg,Baruch S.

Blumberg,Baruch S.
Blum·berg 
[blm burg], Baruch S. (1925– )

U.S.
biochemist His research led to the development of a vaccine against hepatitis B
and won him a shared Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1976).
Full name
Blumberg, Baruch Samuel[1]



Blumberg,Baruch S.

Blumberg,Baruch S.
Blum·berg 
[blm burg], Baruch S. (1925– )

U.S.
biochemist His research led to the development of a vaccine against hepatitis B
and won him a shared Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1976).
Full name
Blumberg, Baruch Samuel[1]



Blume,Judy

Blume,Judy
Blume
[bloom], Judy (1938– )

U.S. writer. Her fiction for
young people deals openly with contemporary issues such as divorce and has
attracted a large readership.[1]



blunder

blunder
blun·der 
[blúndər] noun (plural blun·ders)

stupid mistake:
a serious or embarrassing mistake, usually the result of carelessness or
ignorance
verb
(past blun·dered, past participle blun·dered, present
participle blun·der·ing, 3rd person present singular blun·ders)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a serious mistake: to make a serious or
embarrassing mistake as a result of carelessness or ignorance

2.  intransitive
verb
move
clumsily:
to stumble or move clumsily

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb act in
a confused way: to act in a manner that is clumsy,
ignorant, or thoughtless

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in clumsy manner: to say or write something in a clumsy or
thoughtless way
[14th
century. Via a Scandinavian language from, ultimately, an Indo-European base
that is also the ancestor of English blind
.]
—blun·der·er,
noun

—blun·der·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mistake

[1]



blunderbuss

blunderbuss
blun·der·buss 
[blúndər bùss] (plural blun·der·buss·es)
noun

1.  wide-mouthed
gun:
a short, wide-muzzled firearm of the 17th century, used to fire shot with a
scattering effect at close range

2.  blundering
person:
somebody who behaves or speaks clumsily (informal)
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of Dutch donderbus, from donder “thunder” + bus “gun.”][1]



blunge

blunge
blunge 
[blunj] (past blunged, past
participle blunged, present participle blung·ing, 3rd
person present singular blung·es) transitive verb

mix
clay with water for pottery: to mix clay with water and
chemicals to create the material for making pottery commercially
[Early 19th century. Blend of
plunge and other “bl-” words such as blow or blend
.][1]



blunger

blunger
blung·er
[blúnjər] (plural blung·ers) noun

machine for mixing clay and
water: a machine for mixing clay
with water and chemicals to create the material for making pottery commercially[1]



blunt

blunt
blunt 
[blunt] adjective (comparative
blunt·er, superlative blunt·est)

1.  not
sharp:
having a cutting edge or point that is not sharp

2.  frank
or honest without sensitivity: very frank or
straightforward and showing no delicacy or consideration
verb
(past blunt·ed, past participle blunt·ed, present
participle blunt·ing, 3rd person present singular blunts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something less sharp: to make the point or cutting
edge of something dull rather than sharp

2.  transitive
verb
lessen
or weaken:
to make something such as a sense or an emotion less effective or less intense
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Old Norse blundr “dozing.”
Ultimately from the same Indo-European base that is the ancestor of English blind and blunder
.]
—blunt·ly,
adverb

—blunt·ness, noun[1]



blur

blur
blur 
[blur] noun (plural blurs)

1.  fuzzy
or indistinct image: something that cannot be
seen clearly, for example, because it moves too quickly or because it is not
distinctly remembered

2.  smear
or smeared area: a mark on something that makes it
unclear, or an area of something that is unclear
intransitive
and transitive verb (past blurred,
past participle blurred, present participle blur·ring,
3rd person present singular blurs)

1.  make
or become vague: to become less clear or distinct, or to
make something such as an idea less clear or distinct

2.  make
or become fuzzy: to become fuzzy or unclear, or to make
something such as somebody’s vision or an image on paper fuzzy or unclear
adjective

Malaysia, Singapore
confused:
confused or uncertain about something (informal) • I
am very blur about linguistics.
[Mid-16th
century. Probably a variant of blear .]
—blur·ri·ness,
noun

—blur·ry, adjective[1]



blurb

blurb
blurb 
[blurb] (plural blurbs) noun

paragraph
promoting a product: a short piece of writing
that praises and promotes something, especially a paragraph on the cover of a
book (slang)
[Early
20th century. A slang term coined by Gelett Burgess, a U.S. humorist.]
—blurb, transitive
verb[1]



blurt

blurt
blurt 
[blurt] (past blurt·ed, past
participle blurt·ed, present participle blurt·ing, 3rd
person present singular blurts) intransitive and transitive verb

say
something impulsively: to say something suddenly or
impulsively, as if by accident • blurted
out an apology
[Late 16th century. Probably
an imitation of the sound of letting out breath suddenly, modeled on blow and squirt
.][1]



blush

blush
blush 
[blush] intransitive verb (past
blushed, past participle blushed, present participle
blush·ing, 3rd person present singular blush·es)

1.  become
red in face: to turn red in the face because of
emotion, especially embarrassment, shame, modesty, or pleasure

2.  become
embarrassed: to feel embarrassed or ashamed (formal)

3.  turn
red or pink: to become red or pink (literary)
noun
(plural blush·es)

1.  reddening
of face:
a reddening of the face caused by emotion, especially embarrassment, shame,
modesty, or pleasure

2.  red
or pink:
a red color or rosy glow

3.  COSMETICS pink
makeup for cheeks: a pink or reddish powder or
cream applied to the face, especially to accent the cheekbones.
Also
called
blusher
U.K.
term
blusher
[Old
English blyscan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English flame, blaze, and blue
.]
—blush·ful,
adjective

—blush·ing,
adjective

—blush·ing·ly, adverb[1]



blusher

blusher
blush·er 
[blúshər] (plural blush·ers) noun

See
blush[1]



blushwine

blushwine
blush
wine
(plural blush wines) noun

wine with pink tinge:
wine with a slight pink tinge.
Also called
blush noun 1[1]



bluster

bluster
blus·ter 
[blústər] verb (past blus·tered,
past participle blus·tered, present participle blus·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular blus·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
or utter loudly or arrogantly: to speak loudly,
boisterously, or arrogantly, or to say something in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb behave
in bullying way: to behave or do something in a bullying
or threatening way

3.  intransitive
verb
blow
loudly in gusts: to blow in loud gusts (refers to wind)
noun
(plural blus·ters)

1.  loud
bullying or bragging speech: loud arrogant or threatening
speech or behavior

2.  sudden
loud gust of wind: a loud gust of wind

3.  loud
fuss:
a loud or angry commotion
[Early
15th century. From Middle Low German blustern “to blow violently.”]
—blus·ter·er,
noun

—blus·ter·ing·ly,
adverb

—blus·ter·y, adjective[1]



Blvd.

Blvd.
Blvd.

Abbreviation of
Boulevard[1]



Bly,Nellie

Bly,Nellie
Bly 
[blī], Nellie (1867–1922)

U.S.
journalist. She used her platform as a New York World journalist to
campaign for social issues, and gained notoriety for her 72-day round-the-world
trip (1889–1890).
Pseudonym of
Seaman, Elizabeth Cochrane Born Cochrane, Elizabeth[1]



Blytheville

Blytheville
Blythe·ville 
[bl vìl]

city in northeastern
Arkansas, south of the Missouri border and west of the Mississippi River.
Population: 18,743 (1996)[1]



b.m.

b.m.
b.m.

1.  Abbreviation
of
board measure

2.  (plural
b.m.s) Abbreviation of bowel movement

[1]



BMEWS

BMEWS
BMEWS

Abbreviation of
ballistic missile early warning system[1]



BMI

BMI
BMI

Abbreviation of
body mass index[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B.M.O.C.

B.M.O.C.
B.M.O.C.
noun

well-respected student:
a student whom others respect or who holds an important position in a student
organization. Full form big man on campus[1]



Bmovie

Bmovie
B
mov·ie
(plural B mov·ie) noun

cheap
movie:
a low-budget movie that was formerly shown in addition to the main feature
[B
from its lesser importance than the main feature]
—B-mov·ie, adjective[1]



bmp

bmp
bmp
or BMP suffix

computerized image file:
used after the period in a DOS-based computer file to show that the file is an
image stored as a series of pixels[1]



B.Mus.

B.Mus.
B.Mus.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Music[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BMX

BMX
BMX
noun

rough
terrain bicycle riding: the riding of bicycles over
rough terrain and open country or a racing course. Full form bicycle motocross
[Representing an abbreviation
of bicycle motocross][1]



bn.

bn.
bn.

1.  Abbreviation
of
billion

2.  bn.
or Bn. Abbreviation of battalion

[1]



Bn.

Bn.
Bn.

1.  Abbreviation
of
baron

2.  Abbreviation
of
battalion

[1]



b.o.

b.o.
b.o.

1.  Abbreviation
of
branch office

2.  Abbreviation
of
broker’s order

3.  FINANCE Abbreviation of
buyer’s option

[1]



B/O

B/O
B/O

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of brought over[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BO

BO
BO
noun

bad smell from body:
an unpleasant smell that comes from a person because of sweat, lack of hygiene,
or physical disorder (informal) Full form body odor[1]



boa

boa

bo·a 
[bṓ ə] (plural boas) noun

1.  tropical
snake that squeezes prey: a nonvenomous, often large,
snake that kills by winding its body around its prey and suffocating it.
Family: Boidae

2.  long
fluffy scarf: a long fluffy scarf of feathers or fur
worn by women around the neck
[14th century. From Latin
“large water snake.”][1]



boaconstrictor

boaconstrictor

bo·a con·stric·tor
(plural bo·a con·stric·tors) noun
large snake that crushes its prey:
a large snake of the boa family that lives in tropical America and the West
Indies and kills by winding its body around its prey and crushing it. Latin
name: Boa constrictor[1]



boar

boar
boar 
[bawr, bōr]
(plural boars or boar) noun

1.  uncastrated
hog:
a male hog that has not been castrated

2.  male
mammal:
a male mammal, for example, a male badger, beaver, or raccoon

3.  wild
boar:
a wild boar
[Old English bār][1]



board

board
board 
[bawrd, bōrd]
noun (plural boards)

1.  flat
piece of wood: a piece of wood cut into a flat
rectangular shape, especially a long and narrow piece used for building

2.  flat
surface for particular purpose: a flat piece of wood,
plastic, or other rigid material, used for a particular purpose, for example,
chopping food

3.  BOARD GAMES flat
surface for game: a flat surface on which a game is
played, especially a piece of wood or cardboard marked with colored areas for a
particular game such as chess

4.  composite
material pressed into a sheet: a rigid sheet material
made by compressing layers of other materials, for example, plywood

5.  control
panel:
a panel on which the controls of a piece of electrical equipment are mounted

6.  EDUCATION See chalkboard

7.  notice
board:
a notice board

8.  NAUTICAL ship’s
side:
the side of a ship

9.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING circuit
board:
a printed circuit board

10. SWIMMING See diving board

11. SPORTS See surfboard

12. SPORTS See scoreboard

13. SPORTS snowboard:
a snowboard

14. BASKETBALL See backboard  noun 1

15. PUBLISHING book
cover:
either of the pair of pieces of stiff cardboard that together form the front
and back covers of a book

16. group
chosen to make decisions: a group of people chosen to
make executive or managerial decisions for an organization

17. daily
meals:
daily meals provided at the place where somebody lives, usually for money or in
return for work

18. table
with food:
a table used for meals, especially one spread with food (archaic)

19. SAILING distance
sailed into wind: the distance covered by a sailing vessel
in one period of sailing as near as possible into the wind
plural
noun
boards

SPORTS ice
hockey rink enclosure: the wooden wall that
surrounds an ice hockey rink
verb
(past board·ed, past participle board·ed, present
participle board·ing, 3rd person present singular boards)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
onto vehicle as passenger: to get onto a vehicle,
especially a ship, train, or aircraft, as a passenger

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
passengers on for journey: to take passengers onto a
ship, plane, or other vehicle • This
flight is now boarding.

3.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL attack
or inspect ship: to come alongside of a ship in order for
people to go from one ship to another for the purposes of attack or inspection

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
something with boards: to attach boards to
something, especially to cover any openings

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
provided with room and meals: to be provided with
accommodations and meals, for example, in a school or guest house, in return
for money or work, or to arrange for this to happen
[Old
English bord, from two related prehistoric Germanic words with the
meanings “board, plank” and “border, ship’s side”]
bring
or get or take somebody on board

to
bring or accept somebody, for example, a new employee, into an existing group
or project (informal)

go
by the board

to
be neglected, no longer used, cast aside, or destroyed

take
something on board

to understand or realize
something fully[1]



boardbridge

boardbridge
board
bridge
noun

BOARD
GAMES See duplicate bridge[1]



boardcertification

boardcertification
board
cer·ti·fi·ca·tion noun

official recognition of
expertise: official and documented
recognition from an official panel of experts in a particular field, for
example, medicine, that somebody is highly qualified in that field[1]



board-certified

board-certified
board-cer·ti·fied 
adjective

certified as expert:
officially certified as expert in a particular field after passing an exam and
meeting strict standards[1]



boarder

boarder
board·er
[báwrdər, bórdər]
(plural board·ers) noun

1.  somebody
paying for food and bed: somebody who pays for a
room, and usually for daily meals, in a private home or a boarding house

2.  NAUTICAL somebody
trying to capture ship: somebody who attempts to get
onto a ship in order to capture or inspect it

[1]



boardfoot

boardfoot
board
foot
(plural board feet) noun

unit of quantity of wood:
a unit of volume for measuring lumber, equal to the volume of a board that is
one foot square and one inch thick[1]



boardgame

boardgame
board
game
(plural board games) noun

game played on a board:
a game that involves moving pieces around on a board marked with colored areas
for a particular game, for example, chess or backgammon[1]



boardinghouse

boardinghouse
board·ing
house
[báwrdinghowss, bṓrdinghowss]
noun

house providing rooms and
meals: a private home that provides
a room and meals to paying guests who are usually long-term residents.
See also
bed and breakfast[1]



boardingpass

boardingpass
board·ing
pass
(plural board·ing pass·es) noun

additional ticket needed by
passenger: an additional ticket, or
part of a ticket, that somebody must have in order to be allowed onto an
aircraft or ship as a passenger[1]



boardingschool

boardingschool
board·ing
school
(plural board·ing schools) noun

school providing
accommodations for students: a school
that provides some or all students with a place to live and daily meals[1]



boardmeasure

boardmeasure
board
meas·ure
noun

system for measurement of
wood: a system for measuring
lumber volume based on the board foot[1]



boardof education

boardof education
board
of ed·u·ca·tion (plural boards of ed·u·ca·tion)
noun

local body overseeing
schools: a group of people elected or
appointed in each county or local school system in the United States to make
decisions about education in public schools.
Also called
school board[1]



boardof trade

boardof trade
board
of trade
(plural boards of trade) noun

trade association:
an organization of business and banks that have the goal of promoting
commercial interest in a state, city, or other area[1]



boardroom

boardroom
board·room 
[báwrd rm, báwrd
rm, bṓrd rm, bṓrd rm] (plural board·rooms) noun

room for board meetings:
a room where the members of a board meet[1]



boardsailing

boardsailing
board·sail·ing 
[báwrd sàyling, bṓrd
sàyling] noun

See
windsurfing
—board·sail·or, noun[1]



boardwalk

boardwalk
board·walk 
[báwrd wàwk, bṓrd
wàwk] (plural board·walks) noun

beach walkway made of boards:
a raised walkway made of boards, often built along beaches at beach resorts[1]



boarish

boarish
boar·ish
[báwrish, bṓrish]
adjective

brutal:
brutal or crude • boarish behavior
—boar·ish·ly,
adverb

—boar·ish·ness, noun[1]



Boas,Franz

Boas,Franz

Bo·as
[bṓ àz], Franz (1858–1942)
German-born U.S. anthropologist. He
helped establish anthropology as an academic discipline. He advocated a
scientific approach to anthropological investigation and supported the theory
of cultural relativism.[1]



boast

boast1
boast1 [bōst]
verb (past boast·ed, past participle boast·ed,
present participle boast·ing, 3rd person present singular boasts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
proudly about possessions or accomplishments: to
praise yourself, or speak arrogantly about things you possess or have achieved

2.  transitive
verb
possess
something desirable: to possess something,
especially something that is very desirable • Our
town boasts the world’s biggest roller coaster.
noun
(plural boasts)

1.  excessively
proud statement: something you say or write that praises
yourself, or arrogantly refers to your possessions or achievements

2.  desirable
possession:
something possessed that is very desirable
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman bost “boasting” from, ultimately, the
Scandinavian base that was also the source of German böse “wicked.”]
—boast·er,
noun

—boast·ful,
adjective

—boast·ful·ly,
adverb

—boast·ful·ness, noun[1]



boast

boast2
boast2 [bōst]
(past boast·ed, past participle boast·ed, present
participle boast·ing, 3rd person present singular boasts)
transitive verb

SCULPTURE shape
stone:
to shape stone roughly using a chisel
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



boat

boat
boat 
[bōt] noun (plural boats)

1.  small
vessel for traveling on water: a small, often open
vessel for traveling on water

2.  ship
or submarine: any water vessel, including a ship or
submarine

3.  something
shaped like a boat: an open container shaped
like a boat, for example, one for holding gravy or incense
verb
(past boat·ed, past participle boat·ed, present
participle boat·ing, 3rd person present singular boats)

1.  intransitive
verb
travel
by boat:
to travel by boat or ride in a boat for pleasure

2.  transitive
verb
carry
by boat:
to move or transport something by boat

3.  transitive
verb
ANGLING pull
fish to boat: to bring a caught fish to a boat
[Old
English bāt]
in
the same boat

in
the same situation or having the same problems as somebody else

miss
the boat

to
fail to seize an opportunity

rock
the boat

to cause trouble, especially
by questioning an accepted situation (informal)[1]



boatbill

boatbill

boat·bill
[bṓt bil] (plural boat·bills [bṓt bilz]) noun
tropical American heron:
a tropical American heron with a large, dark, heavy bill. Latin name: Cochlearius
cochlearius[1]



boatdeck

boatdeck
boat
deck
(plural boat decks) noun

ship’s deck for lifeboats:
a deck on a ship where the lifeboats are carried[1]



boatel

boatel
boa·tel 
[bō tél] (plural boa·tels) or
bo·tel [bō tél] (plural bo·tels)
noun

1.  hotel
for boat owners: a waterside hotel where people traveling
in boats can stay and moor their boats

2.  ship
used as hotel: a ship that functions as a hotel
[Mid-20th century. Blend of boat and hotel
.][1]



boater

boater
boat·er 
[bṓtər] (plural boat·ers) noun

1.  somebody
using boat:
somebody who travels by boat or rides in a boat for pleasure

2.  straw
hat with flat top: a straw hat with a flat
brim, a flat crown, and a hat band
[12th century. Formed from boat ; the hat was originally associated with
boating.][1]



boathook

boathook
boat
hook
(plural boat hooks) noun

pole for pushing boat:
a long pole with a hook on one end, used for pulling or pushing boats, rafts,
or logs[1]



boathouse

boathouse
boat·house 
[bṓt hòwss] (plural boat·hous·es
[bṓt hòwziz]) noun

building where boat is kept:
a small building beside water, in which boats are kept[1]



boatload

boatload
boat·load 
[bṓt ld] (plural boat·loads) noun

1.  amount
that fills boat: an amount of something or a number of
people that fills a boat

2.  large
amount or number: a large amount of something or a large
number of people (informal)

[1]



boatman

boatman
boat·man 
[bṓtmən] (plural boat·men [bṓtmən]) noun

somebody operating boat:
somebody who operates or works on a boat, especially a man who takes people for
rides on a boat or who rents boats out to others[1]



boatmanship

boatmanship
boat·man·ship 
[bṓtmən shìp] noun

sailing skill:
the skill of sailing a boat[1]



boatneck

boatneck
boat
neck
(plural boat necks) noun

wide shallow neckline:
a wide shallow neckline that runs from shoulder to shoulder and is equally deep
at the front and back, similar to the neckline of a traditional sailor’s blouse[1]



boatpeople

boatpeople
boat
peo·ple
plural noun

refugees escaping by boat:
refugees who leave their country by boat[1]



boatswain

boatswain
boat·swain 
[bṓss’n] (plural boat·swains) or
bo’s’n [bṓss’n] (plural bo’s’ns)
or bo·sun [bṓss’n] (plural
bo·suns) noun

noncommissioned
officer on ship: a noncommissioned officer or a warrant
officer on a ship in charge of the maintenance of the vessel, its boats, and
other equipment
[Old English bātswegen,
from bāt, an earlier form of boat +
Old Norse sveinn “boy” (see swain )][1]



boatswain’schair

boatswain’schair
boat·swain’s
chair 
(plural boat·swain’s chairs) noun

seat supported by ropes:
a board supported by ropes, slung over the side of a ship or up in the rigging
so that somebody can sit on it while working[1]



boattrain

boattrain
boat
train
(plural boat trains) noun

train between port and town:
a train that takes people between a dockside and a town, usually timed to
coincide with the arrival or departure of a ferry or liner[1]



bob

bob3
bob3 [bob]
(plural bob) noun

U.K.
shilling:
a shilling in the former British currency system (informal)
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bob

bob4
bob4 [bob]
noun (plural bobs)

polishing
wheel:
a small polishing wheel of felt or leather
transitive
verb
(past bobbed, past participle bobbed, present
participle bob·bing, 3rd person present singular bobs)

polish with bob:
to polish something with a small polishing wheel of felt or leather[1]



bob

bob2
bob2 [bob]
noun (plural bobs)

1.  woman’s
short haircut: a woman’s short haircut, especially a
straight cut at chin length

2.  something
cut short:
something that has been cut short, for example, a horse’s tail when docked, a
dog’s ears when clipped, or a short line of poetry at the end of a stanza

3.  operation
on nose:
a surgical shortening or reshaping of the nose (informal)

4.  (informal)
See bobsled
transitive
verb
(past bobbed, past participle bobbed, present
participle bob·bing, 3rd person present singular bobs)

cut hair short:
to cut a person’s hair or a horse’s tail short so that it is all one length
[14th century. From earlier bobbe
“bunch, cluster,” possibly from a Celtic language (compare Gaelic bab
“tassel, cluster”) The meaning “short haircut” arose in the early 20th
century.][1]



bob

bob1
bob1 [bob]
verb (past bobbed, past participle bobbed, present
participle bob·bing, 3rd person present singular bobs)

1.  intransitive
verb
bounce:
to bounce up and down quickly and repeatedly, especially in and out of the
water while floating

2.  intransitive
verb
make
curtsy, bow, or nod: to make a quick movement,
especially a curtsy, bow, or nod (archaic)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb tap or
cause to tap: to tap lightly and quickly or to cause
something to tap in this way (archaic)
noun
(plural bobs)

1.  small
hanging or bouncing object: a small hanging or bouncing
object, for example, a curl of hair, a weight on a plumb line, or a fishing
bobber

2.  curtsy,
bow, or nod: a quick movement such as a curtsy, bow,
or nod (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from earlier bobben “to strike, beat,” an imitation
of the sound. The meaning was extended to cover a variety of short, quick
movements.][1]



bobber

bobber
bob·ber
[bóbbər] (plural bob·bers) noun

object
attached to fishing line: a light object attached to a
fishing line that floats on the surface of the water to keep the bait at the
proper depth.
Also
called
float
[Late 18th century. Formed
from bob 1 .][1]



bobbin

bobbin
bob·bin 
[bóbbin] (plural bob·bins) noun

1.  cylinder
wound with thread or wire: a cylinder on which thread,
yarn, or wire is wound, to be unwound as it is used, especially for sewing,
spinning, weaving, knitting, or making lace.
See
also
spindle
See
also
reel

2.  cord
used as trim: a narrow cotton cord, often braided,
formerly used as a trimming or binding in dressmaking
[Mid-16th century. Via French
bobine “sewing instrument” from Old French balbiner, probably an
alteration of balbier “to stutter,” from, ultimately, Latin balbus
“stuttering.”][1]



bobbinet

bobbinet
bob·bi·net 
[bòbbə nét] noun

machine-made net fabric:
a machine-made net fabric with a hexagonal mesh[1]



bobbinlace

bobbinlace
bob·bin
lace
noun

lace made using bobbins:
a lace made by winding thread by hand around bobbins or pins stuck into a
pillow[1]



bobble

bobble
bob·ble 
[bóbb’l] noun (plural bob·bles)

mistake: a
mistake or blunder (informal)
verb
(past bob·bled, past participle bob·bled, present
participle bob·bling, 3rd person present singular bob·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
up and down: to move, or to cause something to move,
quickly and repeatedly up and down

2.  transitive
verb
handle
clumsily:
to handle something clumsily, such as a ball in a game, or to do something
ineptly (informal)
[Early 19th century. Probably
formed from bob 1 .][1]



bobby

bobby
bob·by 
[bóbbee] (plural bob·bies) noun

U.K.
policeman:
a policeman (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. From the
diminutive of the personal name “Robert,” after Sir Robert Peel, who introduced
the 1828 Police Act.][1]



bobbypin

bobbypin
bob·by
pin
(plural bob·by pins) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand hair
clip:
a hair clip made of a tightly folded piece of wire that slides into the hair
and holds it in place.
U.K.
term
hairgrip
[Probably from the use of bob 2 to denote a
hairstyle][1]



bobbysocks

bobbysocks
bob·by
socks
or bob·by sox plural noun

girls’
ankle socks: ankle socks that fold over at the top,
popular among teenage girls in the 1940s and 1950s
[Bobby “small, short,” of
uncertain origin: probably formed from bob 2][1]



bobbysoxer

bobbysoxer
bob·by·sox·er
[bóbbi sòksər] (plural bob·by·sox·ers)
noun

teenage
girl:
a teenage girl of the 1940s and 1950s (informal)
[Because they wore bobby socks][1]



bobcat

bobcat
bob·cat 
[bób kàt] (plural bob·cats) noun

N
American short-tailed wild cat: a medium-sized North
American wild cat that is related to the lynx and has reddish-brown fur with
black markings, tufted ears, and a short tail. Latin name: Lynx rufus
Also
called
bay lynx
[Late 19th century. Bob from bob 2, from its
short tail.][1]



Bobcat

Bobcat
Bob·cat
Trademark

a trademark for hydraulic
excavating machinery and loaders[1]



bobolink

bobolink


bob·o·link 
[bóbbə lìngk] (plural bob·o·links
or bob·o·link) noun
N
American songbird: a songbird with a
distinctive bubbly song that nests in North America and migrates to South
America. The male is white and yellow above and black underneath. Latin name: Dolichonyx
oryzivorus
Also
called
reedbird
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



bobskate

bobskate
bob
skate
(plural bob skates) noun

twin-bladed
ice skate:
an ice skate that has two parallel blades, usually used by children
[Bob from bob 2 in the
sense “short”][1]



bobsled

bobsled

bob·sled 
[bób slèd] intransitive verb (past
bob·sled·ded, past participle bob·sled·ded, present
participle bob·sled·ding, 3rd person present singular bob·sleds)

ride in bobsled:
to ride or race in a bobsled.
U.K.
term
bobsleigh
noun (plural
bob·sleds)

1.  racing
sled:
a long racing sled with steering, brakes, a seat for two or more, and two pairs
of runners, one in front and one in back.
Also
called
bob
U.K.
term
bobsleigh

2.  sled
made of two short sleds: a long sled made of two
short sleds attached one behind the other, used for recreation or for carrying
things over snow.
U.K.
term
bobsleigh
[Bob from bob 1 in the
sense “short”][1]



bobsleigh

bobsleigh
bob·sleigh 
[bób slày] noun (plural bob·sleighs)

U.K.
See bobsled
intransitive
verb
(past bob·sleighed, past participle bob·sleighed, present
participle bob·sleigh·ing, 3rd person present singular bob·sleighs)

U.K.
See bobsled
[Bob from bob 1 in the
sense “short”][1]



bobstay

bobstay
bob·stay 
[bób stày] (plural bob·stays) noun

rope
holding bowsprit down: a rope used to hold down a
ship’s bowsprit
[Bob of uncertain origin:
probably from bob 1 verb
1
.][1]



bobtail

bobtail
bob·tail 
[bób tàyl] (plural bob·tails) noun

1.  short
tail:
an animal’s tail that is naturally short or has been cut short

2.  animal
with short tail: an animal, especially a horse or dog,
that has a short or shortened tail
[Mid-16th
century. Bob of uncertain origin: probably from bob 2 .]
—bob·tailed, adjective[1]



bobwhite

bobwhite

bob·white 
[bób hwt, bób
wt] (plural bob·whites or bob·white) noun
N
American quail: a small brown mottled quail with white
markings on its head. It is native to eastern and central North America. Latin
name: Colinus virginianus
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



bocaccio

bocaccio
bo·cac·cio 
[bə k chō, bə
kchee ] (plural bo·cac·cio or bo·cac·cios)
noun

edible
rockfish:
a large brown rockfish that lives off the Pacific coast of North America and is
widely caught for food. Latin name: Sebastes paucispinis
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian bocaccio “ugly mouth” from, ultimately, Latin bucca
“mouth.”][1]



BocaRaton

BocaRaton
Bo·ca
Ra·ton 
[bōkə rə tṓn]

city and resort near Palm
Beach in southeastern Florida, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Population:
68,507 (1996)[1]



Boccaccio,Giovanni

Boccaccio,Giovanni

Boc·cac·cio 
[bō kchee , bō
kch], Giovanni (1313–1375)
Italian writer and humanist. He wrote the
Decameron (1348–1358), a collection of 100 tales told by refugees from
the Florentine plague of 1348. A classic of world literature, it profoundly
influenced English writers such as Shakespeare.[1]



bocce

bocce
boc·ce 
[bóchee] or boc·ci [bóchee] noun

Italian
lawn bowling: an Italian game similar to lawn bowling,
usually played on a long earth-floored court
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian bocce, the plural of boccia “ball,” from Vulgar Latin bottia
“boss.”][1]



Boccherini,Luigi

Boccherini,Luigi


Boc·che·ri·ni 
[bkə rnee, bòkə
rnee, báwke rnee], Luigi
(1743–1805)
Italian
composer and cellist. A prolific writer of chamber music, he composed for the
Spanish and Prussian courts.
Full name
Boccherini, Luigi Rodolfo[1]



Boche

Boche
Boche
[bosh, bawsh]
or boche [bosh, bawsh] noun (plural Boches or
Boche) (plural boches or boche)

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term for a German, especially a German soldier of World War I (slang
dated offensive)
plural
noun
Boche boche

U.K.
offensive
term for Germans: an offensive term used for the Germans
collectively, especially the German soldiers of World War I (dated offensive)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of French alboche, a blend of allemand “German” and caboche
“cabbage, blockhead.”][1]



bockbeer

bockbeer
bock
beer 
[bók br] (plural bock beers) noun

dark
beer:
a dark rich beer
[Mid-19th century. From
German Bockbier, an alteration of Einbecker Bier, named after Einbeck,
a German town.][1]



B.O.D.

B.O.D.
B.O.D.

Abbreviation of
biochemical oxygen demand[1]



bod

bod
bod 
[bod] (plural bods) noun
(slang)

1.  somebody’s
body:
somebody’s body or figure

2.  person:
a person
[Late 18th century.
Shortening.][1]



bodacious

bodacious
bo·da·cious
[bō dáyshəss] or bow·da·cious
[bō dáyshəss] adjective Southern
U.S. Midwestern U.S. (informal humorous)

1.  bold:
outrageously arrogant or uninhibited • a
bodacious lie

2.  impressive:
remarkable or excellent • That’s
one bodacious boat!
adverb

Southern U.S., Midwestern
U.S. very:
extremely (informal humorous) • I’m
bodacious hungry.
[Mid-19th
century. Possibly an alteration of dialect boldacious, a blend of bold and audacious
.]
—bo·da·cious·ly, adverb[1]



bode

bode1
bode1 [bōd]
(past bod·ed, past participle bod·ed, present
participle bod·ing, 3rd person present singular bodes)
intransitive and transitive verb

be
sign of something: to be an indication of
something particular that is about to happen • This
does not bode well for the future of the organization.
[Old English bodian
“to announce, foretell,” formed from boda “messenger”][1]



bode

bode2
bode2 verb

Past tense of
bide[1]



bodega

bodega
bo·de·ga 
[bō dáygə] (plural bo·de·gas) noun

1.  small
grocery store: a small grocery store, often selling
wine, in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood

2.  wine
shop:
a wine shop or warehouse for the storage of wine in a Spanish-speaking country
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin apotheca “storehouse.”][1]



Bodenheim,Maxwell

Bodenheim,Maxwell
Bod·en·heim 
[bṓd’n hm], Maxwell (1893–1954)

U.S.
writer. A bohemian in Greenwich Village, New York City, he published poems and
novels including a volume of Selected Poems ( 1946 ).
Born
Bodenheimer, Maxwell[1]



Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma
Bod·hid·harma
[bdi dúrmə] (lived 6th century)

Indian monk He was the
semilegendary founder of the Zen school of Buddhism.[1]



bodhisattva

bodhisattva
bo·dhi·satt·va 
[bdi sútvə] (plural bo·dhi·satt·vas)
noun

Buddhist
deity:
a deity or being that has attained enlightenment worthy of nirvana but remains
in the human world to help others
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit bodhi “perfect knowledge” (from the stem budh- “to
know”; see Buddha ) + sattva “being,
reality.”][1]



bodhrán

bodhrán
bod·hrán 
[bówraan] (plural bod·hráns) noun

Irish
drum:
a shallow drum used in Irish and sometimes Scottish folk music, covered on one
side with goatskin, held in one hand, and played with the other using a stick
[Late 20th century. From
Irish .][1]



bodice

bodice
bod·ice 
[bóddiss] (plural bod·ices) noun

1.  upper
part of dress: the part of a woman’s dress or
undergarment that covers the upper body

2.  laced-up
top:
a close-fitting, often laced-up top worn over a blouse in the past or as part
of some national costumes

3.  See
corset
[Mid-16th century. From bodies,
plural of body .][1]



bodiless

bodiless
bod·i·less 
[bóddeeliss] adjective

having no body:
having no body or physical substance[1]



bodily

bodily
bod·i·ly 
[bóddlee] adjective

physical:
relating to, involving, or typical of the body
adverb

1.  physically:
physically or in the flesh

2.  using
physical force: by taking hold of something with the
hands and using physical strength • bodily
removed him from the building

[1]



bodkin

bodkin
bod·kin 
[bódkin] (plural bod·kins) noun

1.  large
blunt needle: a long thick blunt needle with a large
eye for pulling tape or ribbon through a hem or a series of loops

2.  hole-punching
tool:
a small slender sharply pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather

3.  PRINTING typesetting
tool:
a long sharp tool for removing letters from set type when making a correction

4.  hairpin:
a long ornamental hairpin (archaic)

5.  dagger:
a small dagger (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “small dagger” formed from the Celtic ancestor of
Gaelic biodag “dagger.”][1]



body

body
bod·y 
[bóddee] noun (plural bod·ies)

1.  physical
form of human or animal: the complete material
structure or physical form of a human being or an animal

2.  dead
human or animal remains: the physical remains of a
dead person or animal.
See
also
corpse

3.  torso:
the main part of the physical structure of a human being or animal, not
including the head, arms, legs, or wings

4.  somebody’s
figure:
somebody’s figure or build, especially with regard to shape and muscle tone • a
great body

5.  group:
an organized group of individuals, such as lawmakers, students, or soldiers • a
legislative body

6.  collection:
a collection or amount of something, seen as a whole • a
body of evidence

7.  mass:
an individual mass of something, especially water or land • a
large body of water

8.  main
part:
the main or central part of something, for example, the majority of a quantity

9.  ARCHITECTURE nave:
the nave or central part of a church

10. main
part of vehicle: the main part of a vehicle, for example,
the fuselage of an aircraft or the outer shell of a car.
See
also
bodywork

11. MUSIC main
part of musical instrument: the largest part of a
musical instrument, especially the sound box of a stringed instrument

12. main
part of something written: the main part of a piece of
writing • in
the body of the text.

13. fullness
of flavor in wine: the extent to which a wine
seems full when tasted. Body increases with alcohol content and density. • a
French red with plenty of body

14. thickness
of liquid:
the thickness or opacity of a liquid such as paint or soup

15. fullness
of texture:
a fullness and bounciness in texture or appearance • designed
to give hair more body

16. firmness
of fabric:
the firmness or substantial feel of a type of cloth

17. U.K.
See body suit

18. upper
part of garment: the part of a garment that covers a
person’s torso

19. person:
used to refer to a person or yourself in an impersonal way (informal) • This
treatment could make a body feel unwelcome!

20. CERAMICS material
for making ceramics: the blend of clay and other
raw materials used in a ceramic piece

21. PHYSICS physical
object:
a distinguishable physical object

22. MATHEMATICS object
represented mathematically: a physical object
represented mathematically
transitive
verb
(past bod·ied, past participle bod·ied, present
participle bod·y·ing, 3rd person present singular bod·ies)

to give shape:
to give shape or substance to something (literary)
[Old English bodig][1]



bodyarmor

bodyarmor
bod·y
ar·mor
noun

body protection:
a protective covering for the upper part of the torso[1]



bodybag

bodybag
bod·y
bag
(plural bod·y bags) noun

bag for dead body:
a bag designed to hold a dead body, usually made of plastic and fitted with a
zipper[1]



bodyblow

bodyblow
bod·y
blow
(plural bod·y blows) noun

1.  serious
setback or disappointment: something that causes great
physical, financial, or emotional damage to somebody or something

2.  BOXING body
punch:
a punch that lands between the neck and the waist

[1]



bodyboard

bodyboard
bod·y
board
(plural bod·y boards) noun

surfboard for lying on:
a short polystyrene surfboard on which a surfer lies rather than stands[1]



bodybuilding

bodybuilding
bod·y·build·ing 
[bóddi bìlding] noun

practice
of muscle-developing: the practice of developing
the muscles of the body through weightlifting and diet
—bod·y·build·er, noun[1]



bodybunker

bodybunker
bod·y
bun·ker
(plural bod·y bun·kers) noun

small shield:
a small shield attached to the arm for fending off stones and other light
projectiles.
Also called
body shield[1]



bodycavity

bodycavity
bod·y
cav·i·ty
noun

1.  See
coelom

2.  opening
into the body: an opening into the body, for example,
the mouth, esophagus, vagina, rectum, or ear

[1]



bodycell

bodycell
bod·y
cell
(plural bod·y cells) noun

See
somatic cell[1]



body-centered

body-centered
bod·y-cen·tered
adjective

having atom in middle of
cell: used to describe crystals
that have an atom in the middle of each unit cell as well as at the corners.
See also
face-centered[1]



bodycheck

bodycheck
body·check
[bóddi chèk] noun (plural body·checks)

SPORTS unfair
obstruction of opponent: an illegal act of using the
body to obstruct an opposing player in a game, especially hockey or soccer
transitive
verb
(past body·checked, past participle body·checked, present
participle body·check·ing, 3rd person present singular body·checks)

SPORTS
unfairly obstruct opponent:
to use your body illegally to obstruct an opposing player in a game, especially
hockey or soccer[1]



bodyclock

bodyclock
bod·y
clock
(plural bod·y clocks) noun

See
biological clock[1]



bodycount

bodycount
bod·y
count
(plural bod·y counts) noun

count of dead bodies:
a count of the number of dead bodies, especially of soldiers killed after
combat[1]



bodydouble

bodydouble
bod·y
dou·ble
(plural bod·y dou·bles) noun

stand-in for actor:
somebody whose body is filmed instead of that of an actor, especially in a
scene involving nudity[1]



bodyEnglish

bodyEnglish
bod·y
Eng·lish
noun

ballplayer’s body language:
natural and unconscious body movements made as if to influence the movement of
a thrown ball or other moving object (informal)[1]



bodyfluid

bodyfluid
bod·y
flu·id
(plural bod·y flu·ids) noun

1.  liquid
produced by the body: a liquid produced by the
body, including blood, saliva, semen, vaginal secretions, milk, urine, sweat,
and tears

2.  water
in body:
the water content of the body

[1]



bodyguard

bodyguard
bod·y·guard 
[bóddi grd] (plural bod·y·guards)
noun

somebody hired to protect
another: a person or group of people
paid to protect somebody from physical attack[1]



bodyimage

bodyimage
bod·y
im·age
(plural bod·y im·ag·es) noun

self-image of body:
a person’s own impression of how his or her body looks[1]



bodylanguage

bodylanguage
bod·y
lan·guage
noun

nonverbal communication:
bodily mannerisms, postures, and facial expressions that can be interpreted as
unconsciously communicating a person’s feelings or psychological state[1]



bodyodor

bodyodor
bod·y
o·dor
noun

unpleasant bodily smell:
a rank, unpleasant smell associated with an unclean human being[1]



bodypacker

bodypacker
bod·y
pack·er
(plural bod·y pack·ers) noun

smuggler of illegal drugs:
somebody who smuggles illegal narcotics inside his or her body by swallowing
them (slang)[1]



bodypolitic

bodypolitic
bod·y
pol·i·tic
noun

people united as political
whole: the people of a nation or
any politically organized state, considered as a group[1]



bodypopping

bodypopping
bod·y
pop·ping 
noun

type
of dancing:
a type of dancing, popular especially in the 1980s, involving convulsive,
sinuous, or robotic movements (slang)
—bod·y pop·per, noun[1]



bodysearch

bodysearch
bod·y
search 
(plural bod·y search·es) noun

thorough search of person:
a detailed physical examination of somebody suspected of hiding something such
as weapons or narcotics on his or her person[1]



bodyshield

bodyshield
bod·y
shield
(plural bod·y shields) noun

See
body bunker[1]



bodyshirt

bodyshirt
bod·y
shirt
(plural bod·y shirts) noun

close-fitting shirt:
a shirt that fits closely to the body, often worn under other clothing and
sometimes with a snapped crotch[1]



bodyshop

bodyshop
bod·y
shop
(plural bod·y shops) noun

workshop for repairing car
body: a workshop where car bodies
are repaired (informal)[1]



bodysnatcher

bodysnatcher
bod·y
snatch·er
(plural bod·y snatch·ers) noun

corpse
stealer:
somebody who steals corpses from graves, usually to sell for medical study
—bod·y·snatch·ing, noun[1]



bodystocking

bodystocking
bod·y
stock·ing
(plural bod·y stock·ings) noun

close-fitting one-piece
garment: a close-fitting, usually
sheer, one-piece garment that covers the body and sometimes the arms and legs[1]



bodysuit

bodysuit
bod·y
suit
(plural bod·y suits) noun

tight-fitting shirt fastened
in crotch: a woman’s close-fitting,
one-piece garment that covers the torso and is fastened at the crotch by snaps.

U.K. term
body[1]



bodysurf

bodysurf
bod·y·surf 
[bóddi sùrf] (past bod·y·surfed,
past participle bod·y·surfed, present participle bod·y·surf·ing,
3rd person present singular bod·y·surfs) intransitive verb

ride
on wave without board: to surf without a board by
lying on a wave and using the body as a surfboard
—bod·y·surf·er, noun[1]



bodywall

bodywall
bod·y
wall
(plural bod·y walls) noun

outside surface of animal’s
body: the part of an animal’s body
that forms its external surface, encloses the body cavity, and consists of
layers of skin and muscle[1]



bodywork

bodywork
bod·y·work 
[bóddi wùrk] noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES auto
body:
the outer frame of a car or other motor vehicle

2.  repair
of motor vehicle body: the work of repairing the
outer frame of a car or other motor vehicle

3.  massage
or physical manipulation of body: physical manipulation
of the human body, including all types of massage, to improve general health or
posture or to treat injuries

[1]



boehmite

boehmite
boehm·ite 
[báy mt, bṓ mt]
noun

aluminum-containing
mineral:
a mineral found in bauxite and consisting of hydrous aluminum oxide that ranges
in color from light gray to dark reddish brown
[Early 20th century. Named
for Johann Böhm, a German chemist (1895–1952).][1]



Boer

Boer
Boer 
[bōr, bawr,
br] (plural Boers) noun

Dutch
South African: somebody of Dutch descent who settled in
South Africa
[Mid-19th
century. From Dutch boer “farmer.”]
—Boer, adjective[1]



BoerWar

BoerWar
Boer
War
noun

British war in South Africa:
a war fought in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 between the British and the
descendants of the Dutch, ending eventually in a British victory[1]



BOF

BOF
BOF

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of beginning of file[1]



boff

boff
boff 
[bof] noun (plural boffs)

1.  funny
joke:
a joke that gets a big laugh (informal dated)

2.  big
laugh:
a big hearty laugh (informal dated)

3.  success:
something that is a conspicuous success, especially a hit show (informal
dated)
Also
called
boffo
Also
called
boffola

4.  punch
or slap:
a blow with the fist or open hand (informal)

5.  intercourse:
sexual intercourse (slang, sometimes considered offensive)
verb
(past boffed, past participle boffed, present
participle boff·ing, 3rd person present singular boffs)

1.  transitive
verb
punch
or slap somebody: to hit somebody with the fist or open
hand (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang, sometimes considered
offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Probably a
blend of the first elements of the two words in box-office, indicating a
box-office success.][1]



boffin

boffin
bof·fin 
[bóffin] (plural bof·fins) noun

U.K.
scientific
expert:
a scientific expert, especially one involved in research and who appears
unconventional or absent-minded (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



boffo

boffo
bof·fo 
[bóffō] adjective

excellent:
excellent or extremely successful (informal dated)
noun
(plural bof·fos)

(informal
dated) See boff  noun 3
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of boffola (see boffola ) Formed from
boff “great commercial success, especially in the theater,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from box office .][1]



boffola

boffola
bof·fo·la 
[bo fṓlə] (plural bof·fo·las) noun

(informal
dated) See boff  noun 3
[Mid-20th century. Extension
of boff .][1]



Boforsgun

Boforsgun
Bo·fors
gun 
[bṓ fàwrz gùn, b
fàwrz gùn] (plural Bo·fors guns) noun

light
automatic antiaircraft gun: a 40 mm antiaircraft gun
with one or two barrels, developed in Sweden and used by U.S. and British
forces in World War II
[Mid-20th century][1]



bog

bog
bog 
[bawg, bog]
(plural bogs) noun

area
of marshy ground: an area of wet marshy ground, largely
consisting of accumulated decomposing plant material. It supports vegetation
such as cranberries and moss and may ultimately turn into peat.
[14th century. From Gaelic bognach
“marsh,” formed from bog “soft.”][1]



Bogalusa

Bogalusa
Bo·ga·lu·sa 
[bgə lssə]

city in eastern Louisiana,
just west of the Mississippi River, north of New Orleans. Population: 13,877
(1996)[1]



Bogan,Louise

Bogan,Louise
Bo·gan 
[bṓgən], Louise (1897–1970)

U.S. poet and critic. In
addition to publishing her own poetry and reviews, she was poetry editor of The
New Yorker ( 1931–1969 ).[1]



bogart

bogart
bo·gart
[bṓ gaart] (past bo·gart·ed, past
participle bo·gart·ed, present participle bo·gart·ing,
3rd person present singular bo·garts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
hog
something:
to take more than your share of something (slang dated) • Don’t
bogart the joystick!

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bully
or get something by bullying: to behave in a hostile
belligerent way, or to get something by intimidation (slang) • He’s
trying to bogart his way in.
[Mid-20th century. Probably
for the actor, Humphrey Bogart .][1]



Bogart,Humphrey

Bogart,Humphrey
Bo·gart 
[bṓ gaart], Humphrey (1899–1957)

U.S.
movie actor. The classic American “tough-but-tender” leading man, his many
movies include Casablanca ( 1942 ) and The African Queen ( 1951
).
Full name
Bogart, Humphrey DeForest[1]



bogasphodel

bogasphodel
bog
as·pho·del
noun

marsh plant with yellow
flowers: a plant of the lily family
that is common in boggy areas and has grassy leaves and clusters of small
yellow flowers. Latin name: Narthecium ossifragum Narthecium
americanum[1]



bogdown

bogdown
bog
down
(past bogged down, past participle bogged down, present
participle bogging down, 3rd person present singular bogs
down) transitive verb

slow somebody’s progress:
to slow somebody’s general progress (informal) • got
bogged down in unimportant details[1]



bogey

bogey
bo·gey 
[bṓgee] noun

1.  cause
of trouble:
something that troubles, annoys, or frightens somebody

2.  GOLF one
over par:
a golf score of one over par for a particular hole

3.  AIR FORCE unidentified
flying aircraft: an aircraft in flight that cannot be
identified, especially one assumed to be hostile (slang)

4.  See
bogeyman  noun 1

5.  U.K.
(slang) See booger  noun
2

6.  police
officer:
a police officer or detective (slang dated)
transitive
verb
(past bo·ged, past participle bo·geyed, present
participle bo·gey·ing, 3rd person present singular bo·geys)

GOLF score
one over par for hole: to score one over par for a
particular hole in golf
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of bogle .][1]



bogeyman

bogeyman
bog·ey·man
[bggi màn, bṓgee
màn, bgee màn] (plural bog·ey·men)
or bo·gy·man [bggi màn, bṓgee màn, bgee màn]
(plural bo·gy·men [bṓgi mèn]) or
boog·ey·man [bggi màn, bṓgee màn, bgee màn]
(plural boog·ey·men) noun

1.  fear-inducing
person:
a real or imaginary person or monster that causes fear or is invoked to cause
fear, especially in children.
Also
called
bogey
Also
called
booger noun 1

2.  somebody
believed to be evil: somebody considered to be
especially hateful, evil, or frightening • The
press treated him as a bogeyman.

[1]



boggle

boggle
bog·gle 
[bógg’l] (past bog·gled, past
participle bog·gled, present participle bog·gling, 3rd
person present singular bog·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb baffle
or become baffled: to astonish or confuse
somebody, or to become astonished or confused (informal)
See
also
mind-boggling

2.  intransitive
verb
hesitate
with second thoughts: to hesitate before doing
something, usually because of being overwhelmed, afraid, or concerned

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
trivial mistake: to make a trivial mistake or mismanage
something (informal)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably related to bogle .]
—bog·gler, noun[1]



boggy

boggy
bog·gy
[bóggee] (comparative bog·gi·er,
superlative bog·gi·est) adjective

wet or muddy:
used to describe an area of land that is always or is usually wet or muddy[1]



boghopper

boghopper
bog·hop·per
[báwg hòppər, bóg
hòppər] (plural bog·hop·pers) noun

(slang offensive) See
bogtrotter[1]



bogie

bogie
bo·gie
[bṓgee] (plural bo·gies) noun

framework
with wheels: a framework mounted on a set of wheels
on the undercarriage of a vehicle. Railroad vehicles have one at each end and
they swivel to allow the vehicle to go round a curve.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Bogor

Bogor
Bo·gor 
[bṓ gàwr]

city in Indonesia, near
Jakarta, on western Java island. It is known for its botanical gardens.
Population: 271,711 (1990)[1]



Bogotá




Back to definition

Bogotá

[1]



Bogotá

Bogotá

Bo·go·tá 
[bgə t]
capital of Colombia situated on a plateau
in the eastern Andes. It is Colombia’s largest city and its commercial,
cultural, and political center. Population: 5,237,635 (1995)[1]



bogrosemary

bogrosemary
bog
rose·mar·y
noun

evergreen bush:
an evergreen shrub of the heath family that has pink or white urn-shaped
flowers. Latin name: Andromeda polifolia[1]



bogspavin

bogspavin
bog
spav·in
noun

inflammation of horse’s
joint: a chronic puffy inflammation
of the soft tissue of the hock joint of horses[1]



bogtrotter

bogtrotter
bog·trot·ter 
[báwg tròtter, bóg
tròtter] (plural bog·trot·ters) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for an Irish or Irish-American person (slang
offensive)
Also called
boghopper[1]



bogue

bogue
bogue
[bōg] adjective

(slang)
See bogus  adjective 2
noun
(plural bogues)

cigarette:
a cigarette (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bogued, past
participle bogued, present participle bogu·ing, 3rd
person present singular bogues)

smoke:
to smoke a cigarette (slang)[1]



bogueout

bogueout
bogue
out
intransitive verb

become useless:
to become useless (slang) (refers to computer technology)[1]



bogus

bogus
bo·gus 
[bṓgəss] adjective

1.  fake
or deceitful: false, dishonest, or fraudulently
imitating something

2.  bad
or useless:
not good, pleasant, or acceptable (slang)
[Early
19th century. After bogus, a machine for producing counterfeit money.
The ultimate origin is uncertain.]
—bo·gus·ly,
adverb

—bo·gus·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  word bogus is first recorded in American
  usage in the 1820s, referring to a machine for producing counterfeit money;
  its modern uses seem to have developed from there. Its ultimate origins
  remain unclear, but one suggestion is that it comes from tantrabogus,
  a word reportedly in use in New England in the early 19th century for “a
  sinister-looking object” (which itself may have been based on bogy,
  meaning “devil”). Another theory is that it may be related to Hausa boko,
  meaning “deceit, fraud,” and have crossed the Atlantic with transported
  enslaved Africans.

[1]



bogyman

bogyman
bo·gy·man 
noun

See
bogeyman[1]



bohea

bohea
bo·hea 
[bō h] noun

black
Chinese tea: a low-quality black Chinese tea
[Early 18th century. From
Chinese dialect Bu-yi, a variant of Wu-yi, after the Wu-Yi hills
in southeastern China.][1]



bohemia

bohemia
bo·he·mi·a 
[bō hmee ə] (plural bo·he·mi·as)
noun

1.  unconventional
community:
a community of artists and other people who live unconventional lives

2.  unconventional
lifestyle:
the unconventional lifestyle characteristic of bohemians

[1]



Bohemia

Bohemia
Bo·he·mi·a 
[bō hmee ə]

historic region in the
western Czech Republic. A former kingdom, it was the westernmost province of
Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1939 and from 1945 to 1949, but it was then divided
into several new districts. Area: 52,060 sq km/20,100 sq mi.[1]



bohemian

bohemian
bo·he·mi·an 
[bō hmee ən] (plural bo·he·mi·ans)
noun

somebody
with unconventional lifestyle: somebody, often a
writer or an artist, who does not live according to the conventions of society
[Mid-19th
C. From the medieval association with members of the Romany people with
Bohemia.]
—bo·he·mi·an,
adjective

—bo·he·mi·an·ism, noun[1]



Bohemian

Bohemian
Bo·he·mi·an 
[bō hmee ən] noun (plural Bo·he·mi·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Bohemia: somebody who was born or raised in
Bohemia

2.  LANGUAGE Czech
language:
the Czech language (dated)
adjective

of Bohemia:
belonging to Bohemia, or its people or culture

[1]



BohemianBrethren

BohemianBrethren
Bo·he·mi·an
Breth·ren
plural noun

15thC group:
a Protestant Christian society founded by the Hussites in Bohemia in 1467. It
became the Moravian Church in 1722.[1]



boho

boho
bo·ho
[bṓhō] noun adjective

U.S.,
U.K., Canada bohemian:
bohemian (slang)[1]



Bohreffect

Bohreffect
Bohr
ef·fect 
noun

carbon
dioxide’s effect on blood oxygen: the effect that carbon
dioxide has on the oxygen equilibrium of hemoglobin. Increased carbon dioxide
concentrations reduce hemoglobin’s ability to bind to oxygen atoms.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Christian Bohr (1855–1911), Danish physiologist.][1]



Bohr,Niels

Bohr,Niels

Bohr 
[bawr, bōr],
Niels (1885–1962)
Danish
physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in physics (1922) for his work on quantum
theory. He participated in U.S. atomic bomb development during World War II,
and later worked for peaceful application of nuclear technology.
Full name
Bohr, Niels Henrik David[1]



Bohrtheory

Bohrtheory
Bohr
the·o·ry
noun

early
quantum theory of atomic structure: a
theory of atomic structure postulating that electrons move around a nucleus in
distinct orbits and a jump between orbits is accompanied by the absorption or
emission of a photon. It was the earliest important attempt to apply quantum
theory to atomic structure.
[Named for Niels Bohr][1]



bohunk

bohunk
bo·hunk 
[bṓ hungk] (plural bo·hunks) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a person from central or southeastern Europe (slang
offensive)
[Early 20th century. Blend of
Bohemian and “hunk,” a shortening of
“Hungarian.”][1]



boil

boil2
boil2 [boyl]
(plural boils) noun

MED pus-filled
abscess on skin: a painful pus-filled abscess on the skin
caused by bacterial infection of a hair follicle
[Old English byl
“inflammation”][1]



boil

boil1
boil1 [boyl]
verb (past boiled, past participle boiled, present
participle boil·ing, 3rd person present singular boils)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reach
boiling point: to cause a liquid to reach the
temperature at which it turns to gas, when bubbles may be seen to form, or to
reach this state

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb contain
or cause to contain boiling liquid: to
contain liquid that has reached boiling point, or to cause the liquid in a
container to boil

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING cook in boiling liquid:
to cook something by submerging it in boiling liquid for a certain amount of
time, or to be cooked in this way.
See
also
simmer

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb place
in boiling water: to put something such as clothing in
boiling water, for example, to clean or sterilize it, or to be put in boiling
water for these purposes

5.  intransitive
verb
get
very hot:
to be or become extremely hot (informal) • It’s
boiling in there!

6.  intransitive
verb
bubble
on surface:
to be stirred up and have bubbles breaking on the surface

7.  intransitive
verb
get
very angry:
to be or become very angry • boiling
with rage
noun
(plural boils)

1.  state
of bubbling at high temperature: the point at which a
liquid bubbles because of having reached the temperature at which it turns to
gas, or the state of bubbling at this temperature

2.  Southern
U.S.
outdoor
picnic:
an outdoor picnic at which shellfish, such as crabs, shrimp, oysters, or
crayfish, are boiled and eaten (informal) • a
Low Country crab boil
[13th century. Via Old French
boillir from Latin bullire “to bubble,” from bulla “a
bubble.”][1]



boilaway

boilaway
boil
away
intransitive and transitive verb

turn into steam:
to turn completely into steam, or turn all of a quantity of liquid into steam
by boiling it[1]



boildown

boildown
boil
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
liquid in mixture: to make a liquid mixture
thicker and reduce its volume by heating it rapidly until much of the liquid
turns to steam, or to be made thicker in this way

2.  transitive
verb
summarize:
to condense or summarize something such as information or text (informal)

[1]



boildown to

boildown to
boil
down to
transitive verb

amount to:
to mean or amount to something in essence (informal) • It
all boils down to the single question: Is he telling the truth?[1]



boiler

boiler
boil·er 
[bóylər] (plural boil·ers) noun

1.  water
heating tank: a large tank in which water is heated
and stored, either as hot water or as steam, and used for heating or generating
power

2.  COOKING cooking
chicken:
a chicken suitable for boiling • boilers,
fryers and roasters on sale today

[1]



boilermaker

boilermaker
boil·er·mak·er 
[bóylər màykər] (plural boil·er·mak·ers)
noun

1.  whiskey
with beer chaser: a drink of whiskey followed by a beer

2.  somebody
making boilers: somebody who works in heavy industry
making or repairing large metal objects, especially boilers

[1]



boilerplate

boilerplate
boil·er·plate 
[bóylər plàyt] (plural boil·er·plates)
noun

1.  plate
used for making boilers: steel plate used for making
boilers

2.  clichéd
writing:
writing that says nothing new, informative, or interesting

3.  formulaic
language:
stock or formulaic language, such as that used in legal forms and documents
like powers of attorney and authors’ contracts

[1]



boiler-room

boiler-room
boil·er-room 
adjective

1.  shady
telephone sales: used to describe high-pressure sales
tactics, usually by telephone and often illegal, to sell stock or real estate
of questionable value (slang)

2.  of
political campaign workers: relating to or being
political campaign workers who perform administrative support tasks and make
polling phone calls for the candidate

[1]



boilerroom

boilerroom
boil·er
room
(plural boil·er rooms) noun

room housing a boiler:
an area or room that houses one or more boilers[1]



boiling

boiling
boil·ing
[bóyling] adjective

1.  hot:
extremely hot

2.  furious:
extremely angry

[1]



boilingpoint

boilingpoint
boil·ing
point 
(plural boil·ing points) noun

1.  temperature
at which liquid boils: the temperature at which a
liquid turns to gas. Water turns to steam at 212°F or 100°C at sea level.

2.  crisis
point:
the point at which people lose their tempers or a situation becomes critical

[1]



boiloff

boiloff
boil
off
intransitive and transitive verb

remove something by rapid
boiling: to remove something from a
mixture by heating the mixture rapidly until it turns to steam, or to be
removed in this way[1]



boilover

boilover
boil
over
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb froth
up and overflow: to reach or to cause a liquid to reach
boiling point and be so full of bubbles that some of it spills from the
container

2.  intransitive
verb
overflow
with an emotion: to become too intense or out of control
• her
anger boiled over

[1]



boing

boing
boing
[boyng] (plural boings) noun

sound
of bounce:
the sound made by something that bounces
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Boise

Boise
Boi·se 
[bóyssee, bóyzee]

1.  capital
and largest city of Idaho, on the Boise River. Population: 152,737 (1996)

2.  river
in southwestern Idaho that rises in the Sawtooth Mountains and empties into the
Snake River. Length: 153 km/95 mi.

[1]



boisterous

boisterous
bois·ter·ous 
[bóystərəss, bóysstrəss]
adjective

1.  noisy,
energetic, and rowdy: full of noisy enthusiasm and
energy, and often roughness or wildness

2.  turbulent:
wild, rough, or stormy
[13th
century. Alteration of earlier boistous, which came via Old French boistos
“clumsy, rough” from Latin buxus “made from box-tree wood.”]
—bois·ter·ous·ly,
adverb

—bois·ter·ous·ness, noun[1]



bokchoy

bokchoy

bok
choy 
[bòk chóy] noun
Chinese
cabbage:
a Chinese cabbage with long white stalks and narrow green leaves. Latin name: Brassica
chinensis
U.K.
term
Chinese cabbage
Also
called
Chinese cabbage
Also
called
pak choi
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese Guangdang dialect baahk-choi, literally “white vegetable.”][1]



Bok,Edward

Bok,Edward
Bok 
[bok], Edward (1863–1930)

Dutch-born
U.S. editor. He edited The Ladies’ Home Journal ( 1889–1919 ) and won a
Pulitzer Prize for The Americanization of Edward Bok ( 1920 ).
Full name
Bok, Edward William[1]



Bol.

Bol.
Bol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bolivia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Bolivian

[1]



bola

bola
bo·la 
[bṓlə] (plural bo·las) or
bo·las [bṓləss] (plural bo·lases)
noun

weighted
cord for entangling cow’s legs: a strong cord with
weights attached to the ends, used for catching cows by South American cowhands
( gauchos ) who throw it to entangle the
cows’ legs
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish, “ball,” from, ultimately, Latin bulla “bubble.”][1]



bold

bold
bold 
[bōld] adjective (comparative bold·er,
superlative bold·est)

1.  fearless
and adventurous: willing and eager to face danger or
adventure with a sense of confidence and fearlessness

2.  requiring
or showing a daring personality: requiring or showing
fearlessness, daring, and often originality

3.  impudent
or presumptuous: lacking in modesty, or so assertive as
to be impolite

4.  clear
and conspicuous: standing out and therefore easily
noticed • bold
colors

5.  steep:
rising abruptly and steeply from the surroundings • a
bold cliff

6.  PRINTING darker
than standard: having darker thicker lines than
standard type, fonts, or lettering
noun

PRINTING type
darker than standard: type, fonts, or lettering
with darker thicker lines than is standard.
Also
called
boldface
Also
called
boldfaced
transitive
verb

to
set, print, or display text in boldface type
[Old
English bald . Ultimately from the Indo-European base that was also the
source of English fool, bull, boulder, and phallus .]
—bold·ly,
adverb

—bold·ness, noun[1]



boldface

boldface
bold·face 
[bṓld fàyss] adjective

PRINTING See bold  adjective 6
noun

See
bold
transitive
verb
(past bold·faced, past participle bold·faced, present
participle bold·fac·ing, 3rd person present singular bold·fac·es)

PRINTING
darken letters:
to make letters darker and thicker for emphasis[1]



bold-faced

bold-faced
bold-faced 
[bṓld fàyst] or bold·faced [bṓld fàyst] adjective

1.  brazen:
showing impudence or lack of shame or modesty

2.  PRINTING See bold  adjective 6

[1]



bole

bole2
bole2 [bōl]
noun

reddish-brown
clay:
a reddish brown clay used as a pigment
[14th century. From late
Latin bolus “clod of earth” (see bolus
).][1]



bole

bole1
bole1 [bōl]
(plural boles) noun

tree
trunk:
the trunk of a tree
[14th century. From Old Norse
bolr .][1]



bolection

bolection
bo·lec·tion 
[bō lékshən] (plural bo·lec·tions)
noun

projecting
molding:
a molding covering an architectural joint and projecting beyond it. A bolection
molding is usually S-shaped in cross section.
Also
called
bilection
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bolero

bolero
bo·le·ro 
[bō láirō, bə
láirō] (plural bo·le·ros) noun

1.  Spanish
dance:
a Spanish dance in triple time that involves much foot-stamping and dramatic
posing

2.  Spanish
dance music: a piece of music for a bolero, or
written in the rhythm of a bolero

3.  short
open jacket: a short jacket, with or without sleeves,
worn open over a blouse or shirt
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish, from bola “ball” (see bola
).][1]



boletus

boletus
bo·le·tus 
[bō ltəss] (plural bo·le·tus·es
or bo·le·ti [bō l t]) noun

fungus
with rounded cap: a fungus that has a rounded cap with
pores rather than gills on the underside. Cep mushrooms are an edible species
of boletus. Genus: Boletus
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, of uncertain origin.][1]



Boleyn,Anne

Boleyn,Anne

Bol·eyn 
[blin, b lín],
Anne, Queen of England and Ireland (1507?–1536)
She was the second wife of Henry VIII
(1533–1536) and the mother of Elizabeth I. Henry VIII accused her of adultery
and had her beheaded.[1]



bolide

bolide
bo·lide 
[bṓ līd, bṓ lid]
(plural bo·lides) noun

exploding
meteor:
a bright meteor that explodes
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek bolis “missile.”][1]



Bolingbrook

Bolingbrook
Bo·ling·brook 
[bṓling brk, bling
brk]

village in northeastern
Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Population: 51,312 (1996)[1]



bolivar

bolivar
bo·li·var 
[bōllvaar, bóllə
vər] (plural bo·li·vars) noun

1.  Venezuelan
unit of currency: the unit of currency of Venezuela

2.  coin
or bill worth one bolivar: a coin or bill worth one
bolivar
[Late 19th century. Named for
Simón Bolívar .][1]



Bolivia

Bolivia



Bo·liv·i·a 
[bə lívvee ə, bō
lívvee ə]
landlocked
republic in west central South America. Part of the Inca empire, it was
conquered by the Spanish in 1538 and became independent in 1825. Language:
Spanish. Currency: Boliviano. Capital: Sucre. Population: 7,669,868 (1997)
Area: 1,098,581 sq km/424,164 sq mi.
—Bo·liv·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Bolivia




Back to definition

Bolivia

[1]



boliviano

boliviano
bo·li·vi·a·no 
[bə lìvvee nō, bō
lìvvee nō] (plural bo·li·vi·a·nos) noun

Bolivian
unit of currency: the unit of currency of Bolivia
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, “Bolivian.”][1]



boll

boll
boll 
[bōl] (plural bolls) noun

seedpod:
a rounded seedpod or capsule, especially of cotton
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch bolle “round object.”][1]



bollard

bollard
bol·lard 
[bóllərd] (plural bol·lards) noun

1.  NAUTICAL post
for mooring ships: a strong post on a wharf, or
on the deck of a ship, used for securing ropes

2.  MOUNTAINEERING rock
suitable for securing rope: a spike of rock or a pillar
of ice around which a rope can be secured
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; probably formed from bole 1 .][1]



bollix

bollix
bol·lix 
[bólliks] noun

confused
situation:
a mess or muddle, especially one caused by bungling (slang)
transitive
verb
(past bol·lixed, past participle bol·lixed, present
participle bol·lix·ing, 3rd person present singular bol·lix·es)

spoil
or confuse something: to make a mess or muddle of
something (slang) • bollix
a job
• They
got my travel arrangements totally bollixed up.
[Mid-20th century.][1]



bollweevil

bollweevil
boll
wee·vil
(plural boll wee·vils) noun

weevil that infests cotton:
a weevil found in the southern United States and Mexico whose larvae infest and
destroy cotton bolls. Latin name: Anthonomus grandis[1]



bollworm

bollworm
boll·worm 
[bṓl wùrm] (plural boll·worms)
noun

destructive caterpillar:
a moth caterpillar, especially the corn earworm or pink bollworm, that feeds on
and destroys cotton and other crops[1]



bolo

bolo
bo·lo 
[bṓlō] (plural bo·los) noun

machete
with single-edged blade: a machete from the
Philippines with a single-edged blade
[Early 20th century. From
Philippine Spanish .][1]



bologna

bologna
bo·lo·gna 
[bə lṓnee, bə lṓnə,
bə lṓnyə] (plural bo·lo·gnas) noun

1.  FOOD smoked
sausage made of mixed meats: a large smoked sausage made
with a variety of finely ground seasoned meats, usually including beef and
pork.
Also
called
baloney

2.  chicken
or turkey sausage: a sausage similar to a
smoked beef or pork bologna, made with finely ground chicken or turkey
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Italian city of Bologna, where it was originally made.][1]



Bologna

Bologna
Bo·lo·gna 
[bə lṓnyə]

capital of Bologna Province
and Emilia-Romagna Region, in northern Italy. It was an important cultural
center in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Population: 404,378 (1991)[1]



bolognese

bolognese
bo·lo·gnese
[blə náyz] or Bo·lo·gnese [blə náyz] adjective

with
ground meat and tomato: used to describe an Italian
sauce for pasta, made with ground meat and tomato
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, “(in the style) of Bologna.”][1]



bolometer

bolometer
bo·lom·e·ter 
[bō lómmətər] (plural bo·lom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring radiant energy: an instrument for measuring
radiant energy by determining the changes of resistance in an electrical
conductor
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek bolē “ray” + -meter
.]
—bo·lo·met·ric
[blə méttrik], adjective

—bo·lom·e·try [bō lómmətree], noun[1]



bolopunch

bolopunch
bo·lo
punch
(plural bo·lo punch·es) noun

upward
punch:
in boxing, a long powerful swinging uppercut
[Origin unknown][1]



bolotie

bolotie
bo·lo
tie
(plural bo·lo ties) or bo·la tie (plural bo·la
ties) noun

cord
necktie:
a thin necktie of cord fastened in front by a clasp
[Alteration of bola, from its similarity to South American bolas][1]



Bolshevik

Bolshevik
Bol·she·vik 
[bṓlshəvìk, bólshəvìk]
(plural Bol·she·viks) noun

1.  Russian
Communist:
a member of the radical group within the Russian Socialist party that became
the Communist Party in 1918

2.  Bol·she·vik
or bol·she·vik (plural bol·she·viks) Communist
or Communist sympathizer: somebody who is a Communist
or is sympathetic to Communism (informal dated)

3.  Bol·she·vik
or bol·she·vik (plural bol·she·viks) political
radical:
any revolutionary or radical socialist (disapproving)
[Early 20th century. From
Russian bol’shevik, from bol’she “more”; from the fact that the
radicals were in the majority.][1]



Bolshevism

Bolshevism
Bol·she·vism 
[bṓlshə vìzzəm, bólshə
vìzzəm] or bol·she·vism [bṓlshə
vìzzəm, bólshə vìzzəm] noun

1.  Bolshevik
ideology:
the ideology and policies of the Bolsheviks, especially advocacy of the
forcible overthrow of capitalism

2.  Communism:
Communism or revolutionary socialism (dated)

[1]



bolshie

bolshie
bol·shie
[bṓlshee] or bol·shy [bṓlshee] noun (plural bol·shies)

Bolshevik: a
Bolshevik (informal dated)
adjective
(comparative bol·shi·er, superlative bol·shi·est) U.K.
Canada (informal)

1.  uncooperative:
tending to be argumentative or uncooperative

2.  politically
radical:
politically radical or subversive
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Bolshevik .][1]



bolson

bolson
bol·son 
[bōl sṓn] (plural bol·sons) noun

desert
valley:
in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico, a flat-bottomed
depression surrounded by mountains, typically containing a salt pan or lake
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish bolsón, literally “big purse” (from its shape), via
Spanish bolsa “purse, pouch” from late Latin bursa (see bursa ).][1]



bolster

bolster2
bol·ster2  [bṓlstər]
(plural bol·sters) noun

chisel
for cutting stone: a chisel with a wide cutting
edge, used for cutting stone
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of boaster, from boast “to cut with a chisel,” of
unknown origin.][1]



bolster

bolster1
bol·ster1  [bṓlstər]
transitive verb (past bol·stered, past participle bol·stered,
present participle bol·ster·ing, 3rd person present singular
bol·sters)

1.  encourage
through support: to strengthen something through support
or encouragement

2.  keep
raised:
to prop something up
noun
(plural bol·sters)

1.  long
cylindrical pillow: a long firm cylindrical
pillow placed under other pillows to support them

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING pad
preventing friction: a pad or cushion fitted to
machinery to prevent friction or give support

3.  BUILDING horizontal
supporting timber: a short horizontal timber
positioned between the top of a post and the beam it supports, to spread the
load of the post
[Old
English, “cushion.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to swell,”
which is also the ancestor of English bulge,
billow, belly,
and bellows .]
—bol·ster·er, noun[1]



bolt

bolt1

bolt1 [bōlt]
noun (plural bolts)

1.  bar
for fastening door: a sliding bar that fits into
a socket and secures a door or gate

2.  BUILDING short
screw:
a short cylindrical metal bar with a screw thread, used with a nut

3.  METEOROLOGY lightning
flash:
a flash of lightning

4.  TEXTILES roll
of fabric:
a rolled length of woven goods or wallpaper

5.  ARMS arrow
for crossbow: a short arrow for use with a crossbow

6.  ARMS part
of gun:
in a breech-loading firearm, a sliding rod, bar, or plate that ejects a used
cartridge and closes the breech

7.  POLITICS refusal
of support:
a refusal to support a political party, candidate, or policy

8.  MOUNTAINEERING metal
pin:
a nail-like metal shaft used to provide an anchor in rock faces
verb (past
bolt·ed, past participle bolt·ed, present participle
bolt·ing, 3rd person present singular bolts)

1.  transitive
verb
lock
with bolt:
to fasten a door by sliding a bolt into a socket

2.  intransitive
verb
rush
away:
to move suddenly and quickly, especially out of fright

3.  transitive
verb
expel
from hiding place: to flush out a wild animal
that is hidden or concealed

4.  transitive
verb
devour
hurriedly:
to swallow food hurriedly without chewing

5.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY prematurely
produce seeds: to flower and produce seeds earlier than
expected or wanted

6.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES roll
into bolt:
to roll fabric or wallpaper into a bolt

7.  transitive
verb
POLITICS refuse
to support:
to refuse to support a political party, candidate, or policy
[Old
English, “crossbow bolt”]
like a bolt from the blue

very
suddenly and unexpectedly

make a bolt for something

to make a sudden rush toward
something[1]



bolt

bolt2
bolt2 [bōlt]
(past bolt·ed, past participle bolt·ed, present
participle bolt·ing, 3rd person present singular bolts)
transitive verb

filter
through sieve: to filter a substance through a cloth or
sieve, especially flour
[12th century. From Old
French buleter, of Germanic origin.][1]



bolt-action

bolt-action
bolt-ac·tion 
adjective

using a bolt:
used to describe a gun with a sliding bolt that replaces the used cartridge and
closes the breech[1]



bolter

bolter
bolt·er
[bṓltər] noun (plural bolt·ers)

1.  horse
likely to bolt: a horse that is liable to frighten
easily and run

2.  POLITICS somebody
who abandons political party: somebody who refuses to
support a political party, candidate, or policy

3.  NAVY failed
carrier landing: a failed landing on an aircraft carrier
that results in the pilot to have to fly off and try again
intransitive
verb
(past bolt·ered, past participle bolt·ered, present
participle bolt·er·ing, 3rd person present singular bolt·ers)

NAVY abort
carrier landing: to be forced to fly off and try again
after failing to engage the arresting gear while landing an airplane on an
aircraft carrier

[1]



bolthole

bolthole
bolt·hole 
[bṓlt hl] (plural bolt·holes)
noun

place of refuge:
a place of escape, especially for an animal fleeing from danger • The
rabbit ran down a bolthole[1]



boltonia

boltonia
bol·to·ni·a 
[bōl tṓnee ə] (plural bol·to·ni·as
or bol·to·ni·a) noun

perennial
flower of daisy family: a perennial North American
flower of the daisy family, with white, pink, or violet-colored flowers. Genus:
Boltonia
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the 18th-century English botanist James Bolton
.][1]



boltrope

boltrope
bolt·rope 
[bṓlt rp] (plural bolt·ropes)
noun

rope protecting sail edge:
a rope sewn along the lower edge or leading edge of a sail to strengthen it[1]



Boltzmannconstant

Boltzmannconstant
Boltz·mann
con·stant
[bòltsmən kónstənt] noun

ratio
of universal gas constant: the ratio of the universal
gas constant to Avogadro’s number. Symbol k
[Named for the Austrian
physicist Ludwig Boltzmann ( 1844–1906 )][1]



bolus

bolus
bo·lus 
[bṓləss] (plural bo·lus·es) noun

1.  intravenous
injection of drug: a dose of a drug given
quickly by intravenous injection

2.  large
pill:
a very large pill

3.  round
mass:
a soft rounded ball, especially of chewed food
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek bōlos “clod of earth,” of unknown origin.][1]



Bolívar,Simón

Bolívar,Simón

Bo·lí·var
[bṓllə vr, bóllə
vr, bōll vaar], Simón (1783–1830)
South
American revolutionary. He was the leader of the independence movement that
drove the Spanish from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
(1812–1824).
Known as
the Liberator[1]



bomb

bomb

bomb 
[bom] noun (plural bombs)

1.  ARMS explosive
projectile:
a missile containing explosive or other destructive material

2.  ARMS specialized
explosive device: a device that contains explosive
material, especially one designed to explode after some time

3.  bomb
or Bomb ARMS atomic
bomb:
the atomic bomb considered as the absolute weapon of mass destruction • lived
in dread of the Bomb during the Cold War

4.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand ARTS
artistic
failure:
a performance that is a commercial or artistic failure (informal)

5.  FOOTBALL long
high pass:
a long high forward pass, especially one that results in a touchdown (informal)

6.  container
for aerosol: a container holding a compressed gas

7.  U.K.
lot
of money:
a great deal of money (informal) • it
cost a bomb

8.  MEDICINE device
for directing radiation: a device that contains
radioactive material and is used to beam therapeutic radiation at a patient

9.  GEOLOGY solidified
lava:
a solidified rounded or teardrop-shaped mass of lava from a volcano.
Also
called
volcanic bomb

10. something
or somebody good: something or somebody extremely good or
exciting (slang) • Their
lead singer is the bomb.
verb (past
bombed, past participle bombed, present participle bomb·ing,
3rd person present singular bombs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY attack people and places with
bombs:
to drop bombs on people or places, or attack or destroy them with bombs • bombing
enemy territory

2.  transitive
verb
ARMS damage
building with explosion: to destroy or damage a
building by placing an explosive device there (often used with “out”) • the
wreckage of bombed-out homes

3.  intransitive
verb
fail
miserably:
to fail badly as a performance (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
SPORTS defeat
overwhelmingly: to defeat somebody or something
overwhelmingly (informal)

5.  intransitive
verb
move
very fast:
to move exceptionally fast, especially in a vehicle (informal)

6.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING crash:
to fail suddenly (informal)
[Late 17th century. Via
French, Italian, and Latin from, ultimately, Greek bombos “booming
sound” (source of English bombard ),
ultimately an imitation of the sound.][1]



bombard

bombard
bom·bard 
[bom brd, bóm
brd] transitive verb (past bom·bard·ed, past
participle bom·bard·ed, present participle bom·bard·ing,
3rd person present singular bom·bards)

1.  MILITARY attack
with missiles: to attack an enemy or enemy territory
intensively with sustained artillery fire or bombs

2.  hit
repeatedly:
to attack somebody persistently and vigorously

3.  overwhelm:
to overwhelm somebody with something, for example, questions

4.  PHYSICS hit
with high-energy particles: to direct high-energy
particles against atoms or nuclei
noun
(plural bom·bards)

HISTORY ARMS medieval cannon:
a cannon used in medieval times to throw large stones
[15th
century. From French bombarder, from bombarde “cannon,” via
medieval Latin bombarda from Latin bombus, from Greek bombos
(see bomb ).]
—bom·bard·er, noun[1]



bombardier

bombardier
bom·bar·dier 
[bòmbər dr] (plural bom·bar·diers)
noun

1.  somebody
who releases bombs: a member of a military
aircraft crew who releases bombs

2.  artillery
soldier:
a member of the artillery (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From
French, from bombarde “cannon” (see bombard
).][1]



bombardierbeetle

bombardierbeetle
bom·bar·dier
bee·tle
(plural bom·bar·dier bee·tles) noun

beetle that squirts liquid:
a beetle that squirts volatile acrid liquid when attacked. Latin name: Brachinus
crepitans[1]



bombardment

bombardment
bom·bard·ment 
[bom brdmənt] (plural bom·bard·ments)
noun

1.  attack
by bombs or artillery: an intensive and sustained
attack by bombs or artillery fire

2.  constant
stream of something: a large number of things,
for example, questions, aggressively directed at somebody or something

[1]



bombardon

bombardon
bom·bar·don 
[bómbərdòn, bom
brd’n] (plural bom·bar·dons) noun

1.  bass
tuba:
a brass wind instrument of the tuba family

2.  reed
stop on organ: a bass reed stop on an organ
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian bombardone from, ultimately, medieval Latin bombarda
“bombard” (see bombard ).][1]



bombasine

bombasine
bom·ba·sine
noun

TEXTILES
See bombazine[1]



bombast

bombast
bom·bast 
[bóm bàst] noun

pompous
language:
language that is full of long or pretentious words, used to impress others
[Late
16th century. Alteration of Old French bombace “cotton stuffing,”which
came via medieval Latin bombax “cotton” from Greek bombux “silk,
silkworm.”]
—bom·bas·tic
[bom bástik], adjective

—bom·bas·ti·cal·ly [bom bástiklee], adverb[1]



Bombay

Bombay
Bom·bay 
[bom báy]

Former name for
Mumbai[1]



Bombayduck

Bombayduck
Bom·bay
duck
(plural Bom·bay ducks or Bom·bay duck) noun

1.  dried
fish:
a fish, especially the bummalo, dried, salted, grilled, and served as a pungent
accompaniment to Indian foods

2.  See
bummalo
[Mid-19th century. Marathi bombīla
“bummalo,” by folk etymology from “Bombay,” by association with Bombay, from where the fish were exported.][1]



bombazine

bombazine
bom·ba·zine 
[bòmbə zn] or bom·ba·sine [bòmbə zn] noun

twilled
material:
a twilled material made from silk or cotton and worsted, usually dyed black.
Black bombazine was used formerly to make mourning clothes.
[Late 16th century. Via
French bombasin from, ultimately, medieval Latin bombycinus
“silken,” from Latin bombyx “silk, silkworm,” from Greek bombux
(source of English bombast ).][1]



bombbay

bombbay
bomb
bay
(plural bomb bays) noun

bomb compartment:
the compartment on board a bomber aircraft in which the bombs are carried[1]



bombcalorimeter

bombcalorimeter
bomb
cal·o·rim·e·ter (plural bomb cal·o·rim·e·ters)
noun

device for measuring
calorific values: a device for measuring
calorific values in which substances are burned inside a sealed vessel[1]



bombdisposal

bombdisposal
bomb
dis·pos·al
noun

process of rendering
unexploded bombs harmless: the task or
process of rendering bombs harmless by defusing, removing, or detonating them
in a controlled explosion (hyphenated when used before a noun) • a
bomb-disposal expert[1]



bombe

bombe
bombe 
[bom, bawNb]
(plural bombes) noun

molded
dessert:
a dome-shaped frozen or set dessert
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “bomb,” from the shape of the metal mold it is made in.][1]



bombed

bombed
bombed 
[bomd] adjective

1.  damaged
by bombing:
severely damaged or destroyed by bombing

2.  intoxicated:
drunk, or intoxicated by drugs (slang)

[1]



bomber

bomber
bomb·er 
[bómmər] (plural bomb·ers) noun

1.  AIR FORCE aircraft
that drops bombs: an aircraft designed for carrying and
dropping bombs

2.  CRIMINOLOGY somebody
who plants bombs: somebody who hides, places, or sets
bombs

[1]



bomberjacket

bomberjacket
bomb·er
jack·et
(plural bomb·er jack·ets) noun

short
jacket with elastic waist: a short jacket, usually
leather, with an elastic waist and usually a zipper at the front
[From the wearing of such
jackets by the crew of U.S. bomber aircraft][1]



bombinate

bombinate
bom·bi·nate
[bómbə nàyt] (past bom·bi·nat·ed,
past participle bom·bi·nat·ed, present participle bom·bi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular bom·bi·nates) or bom·bi·late
[bómbə làyt] (past bom·bi·lat·ed,
past participle bom·bi·lat·ed, present participle bom·bi·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular bom·bi·lates) intransitive verb

hum:
to make a humming or buzzing noise
[Late
19th century. From medieval Latin bombinat-, the past participle stem of
bombinare, from Latin bombus “buzzing, booming,” from Greek bombos
(see bomb ).]
—bom·bi·na·tion [bòmbə náyshən], noun[1]



bombing

bombing
bomb·ing
[bómming] (plural bomb·ings) noun

AIR
FORCE drop
of bombs from aircraft: the act or
process of dropping bombs from aircraft[1]



bomblet

bomblet
bomb·let 
[bómlət] (plural bomb·lets) noun

small bomb within larger
bomb: a small bomb or explosive
device packed into a larger bomb[1]



bombproof

bombproof
bomb·proof 
[bóm prf] adjective

able to withstand bombs:
constructed to withstand the impact of bombs[1]



bombshell

bombshell
bomb·shell 
[bóm shèl] (plural bomb·shells)
noun

1.  ARMS artillery
shell or bomb: an artillery shell or a bomb

2.  surprising
news:
an unexpected and shocking piece of news (informal)

3.  stunning
woman:
a very good looking, glamorous woman (dated informal)

[1]



bombsight

bombsight
bomb·sight 
[bóm st] (plural bomb·sights)
noun

aiming device:
a device in an aircraft for aiming bombs[1]



bombsite

bombsite
bomb
site
(plural bomb sites) noun

area destroyed by bombs:
an area devastated by bombs[1]



bombycid

bombycid
bom·by·cid 
[bómbissid] adjective

belonging
to silkworm moths: belonging to the family of
moths that includes the silkworm moths. Family: Bombycidae
[From
modern Latin Bombycidae, family name, from Latin bombyx
“silkworm” (see bombazine )]
—bom·by·cid, noun[1]



bombé

bombé
bom·bé 
[bom báy] adjective

bulging
in shape:
used to describe furniture with a bulging convex shape. This style is typical
of French rococo furniture of the 18th century.
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “swollen.”][1]



bonafide

bonafide
bo·na
fide 
[bṓnə fd, bnə
fdee, bónə fd, bònə fdee] adjective

1.  authentic:
authentic and genuine in nature • a bona
fide offer

2.  sincere
and honest:
without any intention to deceive
[From Latin, literally “with
good faith”][1]



bonafides

bonafides
bo·na
fi·des 
[bṓne fdeez, bṓne
fīdz] plural noun

evidence of good faith:
a sincere statement or evidence of good intentions[1]



BonaireIsland

BonaireIsland
Bo·naire
Is·land
[baw náir lənd]

island in the Netherlands
Antilles off the coast of Venezuela. It is a popular tourist destination.
Population: 12,533 (1994) Area: 290 sq km/112 sq mi.[1]



Bona,Mount

Bona,Mount
Bo·na,
Mount
[bṓnə]

the highest peak in the
Wrangell Mountains, southern Alaska. Height: 5,032 m/16,500 ft.[1]



bonanza

bonanza
bo·nan·za 
[bə nánzə] (plural bo·nan·zas)
noun

1.  source
of wealth:
a source that yields great riches or success

2.  valuable
mineral deposit: an extremely valuable mineral deposit
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish from medieval Latin bonacia “calm seas,” an alteration of malacia,
“calm seas” influenced by Latin bonus “good.”][1]



Bonaparte

Bonaparte
Bo·na·parte

See
Napoleon I[1]



Bonapartism

Bonapartism
Bo·na·part·ism
[bṓnə pr tìzzəm] noun

1.  Napoleonic
rule:
government by or on the pattern of Napoleon I

2.  loyalty
to Napoleonic tradition: support for Napoleon I and
Napoleon III of France or their dynasty
[Early
19th century. Named for the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.]
—Bo·na·part·ist, noun[1]



Bonaventure,Saint

Bonaventure,Saint
Bon·a·ven·tu·re 
[bònnə ven chrə, bònnə
ven trə, bònnə ven tyrə] or Bon·a·ven·tu·ra
[bònnə ven chrə, bònnə
ven trə, bònnə ven tyrə], Saint
(1221?–1274)

Italian
monk and theologian. He was minister general of the Franciscan order (1257) and
wrote the official biography of St. Francis (1263).
Born
Fidanza, Giovanni di Known as the Seraphic Doctor[1]



bonbon

bonbon
bon·bon 
[bón bòn] (plural bon·bons) noun

1.  candy:
a candy confection

2.  something
sweet:
something that is sweet and unsubstantial
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “good-good,” from Latin bonus “good” (see bonus ).][1]



bonbonnière

bonbonnière
bon·bon·nière
[bònbon yáir] (plural bon·bon·nières)
noun

container
for candy:
an ornamental bowl or box for candy
[Early 19th century. From
French, from bonbon “ bonbon .”][1]



bond

bond
bond 
[bond] noun (plural bonds)

1.  adhesion:
the way in which one surface sticks to another

2.  adhesive
substance:
a substance that makes objects adhere

3.  link
binding people together: a link that binds people
together in a relationship

4.  restraint:
a situation that limits somebody socially, psychologically, or emotionally

5.  LAW solemn
promise:
a solemn agreement promising to do something

6.  FINANCE certificate
promising repayment of debt: a certificate issued by the
government or a company promising to pay back borrowed money at a fixed rate of
interest on a specified date

7.  LAW promise
to pay:
a document that legally obliges one party to pay money to another

8.  LAW payment
securing bail: a sum of money paid to secure the
release from prison of somebody awaiting trial, on the condition that the
person appears on the date of the trial

9.  something
that binds:
an object such as a rope, band, or chain that binds somebody or something

10. insurance
policy against financial losses: an insurance policy
held by an employer or contractor that protects clients’ or customers’ money as
a safeguard against unforeseen financial loss by a third party

11. CHEMISTRY attractive
force:
a fundamental attractive force that binds atoms and ions in a molecule. There
are different types of bond .
Also
called
chemical bond

12. COMMERCE secure
storage:
secure storage of goods before payment of duty

13. CONSTRUCTION technique
for overlapping bricks: an overlapping pattern in
which bricks or tiles can be laid

14. See
bond paper

15. See
bonded whiskey
plural
noun
bonds

imprisonment: the
state of imprisonment (archaic)
verb
(past bond·ed, past participle bond·ed, present
participle bond·ing, 3rd person present singular bonds)

1.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY link
with chemical bond: to link atoms or ions with a
chemical bond

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb adhere
or make adhere: to stick together or make two surfaces
stick together

3.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE store
securely:
store goods securely until duty is paid

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PSYCHOLOGY link emotionally:
to link together, or cause people to be linked together, emotionally or
psychologically

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE convert into debt under bond:
to convert something or be converted into a debt with a bond as security

6.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION overlap:
to lay bricks or tiles so that they overlap in a pattern

7.  transitive
verb
SEWING fuse
together:
to fuse two fabrics together
[13th
century. Variant of band 2 .]
—bond·a·ble,
adjective

—bond·er, noun[1]



bondage

bondage
bond·age 
[bóndij] noun

1.  slavery:
the condition of being enslaved or a serf

2.  physical
restraint:
the practice of being tied up or restrained physically during sexual
intercourse

3.  control
by something: the condition of being controlled by
something that limits freedom
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Old Norse bóndi “husbandman,” from the
present participle of búa “to dwell” (source of English husband ).][1]



bonded

bonded
bond·ed
[bóndəd] adjective

1.  protected
by insurance: protected by insurance against financial
losses caused by a third party

2.  COMMERCE stored
before taxation: stored securely until duty or tax is
paid

3.  INDUSTRY made
to adhere in layers: chemically attached or fused
together in layers

[1]



bondedwarehouse

bondedwarehouse
bond·ed
ware·house
(plural bond·ed ware·hous·es) noun

warehouse for goods before
taxation: a warehouse that holds goods
awaiting duty or tax to be paid on them[1]



bondedwhiskey

bondedwhiskey
bond·ed
whis·key
noun

whiskey aged in bonded
warehouse: a whiskey that has been aged
at least four years in a bonded warehouse before use.
Also called
bond[1]



bondholder

bondholder
bond·hold·er 
[bónd hldər] (plural bond·hold·ers)
noun

somebody who owns bonds:
somebody who owns bonds issued by a government or company[1]



bonding

bonding
bond·ing 
[bónding] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY formation
of emotional bonds: the formation of a close
emotional tie between people, for example, between a mother and her newly born
infant.
See
also
attachment

2.  DENTISTRY coating
a tooth:
the process of coating a tooth with a durable resinous substance

3.  process
of bonding something: the process by which
something is bonded

[1]



bondman

bondman
bond·man 
[bóndmən] (plural bond·men [bóndmən]) noun

serf:
a man who is enslaved or a serf.
Also
called
bondsman
[13th century. Coined from
earlier bond “bound in servitude” + man
.][1]



bondpaper

bondpaper
bond
pa·per
noun

strong paper:
a strong, white, high-quality paper.
Also called
bond[1]



bondservant

bondservant
bond·ser·vant 
[bónd sùrvənt] (plural bond·ser·vants)
noun

serf:
a serf or enslaved person
[15th century. Formed from
earlier bond “bound in servitude” + servant
.][1]



bondsman

bondsman
bonds·man 
[bóndzmən] (plural bonds·men [bóndzmən]) noun

1.  somebody
responsible for a legal bond: somebody who assumes
responsibility for a legal bond

2.  HISTORY See bondman

[1]



bondstone

bondstone
bond·stone
[bónd stn] (plural bond·stones)
noun

stone that strengthens wall:
a stone that extends into the interior of a wall in order to strengthen it.
Also called
header[1]



bone

bone
bone 
[bōn] noun (plural bones)

1.  ANATOMY section
of the skeleton: any one of the hard parts forming the
skeleton in vertebrate animals

2.  ANATOMY material
making up bones: the main material that makes up a
vertebrate skeleton, formed principally from collagen fibers and calcium
phosphate

3.  INDUSTRY substance
resembling bone: something hard that resembles the bone
of the vertebrate skeleton, for example, whalebone or ivory

4.  something
given as substitute: something intended solely to
soothe or placate somebody (slang) • Throw
him a bone in the form of a bonus and he’ll calm down

5.  COLORS ivory
color:
the ivory or off-white color of bone

6.  CLOTHES strip
used as stiffening: a flat strip of hard
material, for example, whalebone or plastic, used to stiffen a garment
plural
noun
bones

1.  living
body:
somebody’s living body (humorous) • I
must rest my weary bones.

2.  dead
body:
the skeleton or corpse of a dead person or animal

3.  MUSIC pair
of rhythmically clacking bars: a pair of bars or
strips of wood, metal, or bone, that are struck together sharply to make
musical rhythms

4.  structure
of something: the structure or framework of something

5.  dice:
a pair of dice (informal)
transitive
verb
(past boned, past participle boned, present
participle bon·ing, 3rd person present singular bones)

1.  COOKING remove
bones from:
to remove the bones from fish, meat, or poultry when preparing it for cooking
or eating

2.  CLOTHES stiffen:
to add flat strips to stiffen a garment

3.  offensive
term:
to have sexual intercourse (slang offensive)
adverb

very:
extremely or totally • bone
idle
[Old
English bān . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “long
bone.”]
have
a bone to pick with somebody

to
have cause for disagreement with somebody

in
your bones

without
having to think or reason

make
no bones about something

to say something openly and
frankly[1]



bonechina

bonechina
bone
chi·na
(plural bone chi·nas) noun

1.  fine
white porcelain: a fine white porcelain made from a
mixture of clay and bone ash

2.  articles
made of bone china: articles made of bone china

[1]



bonefish

bonefish
bone·fish 
[bṓn fìsh] (plural bone·fish or
bone·fish·es) noun

bony game fish:
a large game fish found in warm shallow waters. Latin name: Albula vulpes

Also called
ladyfish[1]



bonehead

bonehead
bone·head 
[bṓn hèd] (plural bone·heads) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (informal
offensive)
—bone·head·ed,
adjective

—bone·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



bonemarrow

bonemarrow
bone
mar·row
noun

soft substance inside bones:
a soft reddish substance inside some bones that is involved in the production
of blood cells. New white and red blood cells are formed only in the marrow of
the flat bones such as the ribs, breastbone, or pelvis in adults.[1]



bonemeal

bonemeal
bone
meal
noun

ground
bones:
ground animal bones, used as a fertilizer or in animal feed
[Meal from meal 2][1]



boneof contention

boneof contention
bone
of con·ten·tion (plural bones of con·ten·tion)
noun

subject
of constant disagreement: a subject of constant
argument or disagreement between people
[From the fighting of dogs
over possession of a bone][1]



boner

boner
bon·er 
[bṓnər] (plural bon·ers) noun

1.  embarrassing
mistake:
an embarrassing mistake (informal)

2.  erection:
an erect penis (slang, often considered offensive)

3.  device
that bones:
something that is designed for boning something, or somebody who bones
something • a
fish boner

[1]



boneset

boneset
bone·set 
[bṓn sèt] (plural bone·set or
bone·sets) noun

plant with healing
properties: a North American plant of
the daisy family believed to have healing properties. Genus: Eupatorium
Also called
thoroughwort[1]



boneshaker

boneshaker
bone·shak·er 
[bṓn shàykər] (plural bone·shak·ers)
noun

early bicycle:
an early type of bicycle with solid tires and no springs[1]



bonespavin

bonespavin
bone
spav·in
(plural bone spav·ins) noun

inflammation of horse’s hock:
an inflammation of the bones in a horse’s hock, resulting in swelling and
lameness[1]



boneup

boneup
bone
up
intransitive verb

study intensely:
to review or study something intensely (informal)[1]



Bonevardi,Marcelo

Bonevardi,Marcelo
Bon·e·var·di
[bnə vrdee], Marcelo (1929– )

Argentine artist. He is best
known for his geometric figures on relief constructions.[1]



boneyard

boneyard
bone·yard 
[bṓn yrd] (plural bone·yards)
noun (informal)

1.  cemetery:
a cemetery

2.  place
for discarded objects: a place where discarded
metal objects are collected before being recycled

[1]



bonfire

bonfire
bon·fire 
[bón fr] (plural bon·fires) noun

large
outdoor fire: a large fire built outside for burning
garbage, as part of a celebration, or as a signal
[14th
century. Formed from bone + fire, from the original use of burned bones as
fuel.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Bonfire
  of the Vanities, a novel by Tom Wolfe (1988). Using the story of the trial of
  wealthy New York bond trader Sherman McCoy for the accidental killing of a
  young Black man, Wolfe satirizes the U.S. media, legal system, and art world.
  It was made into a movie by Brian de Palma in 1990.

[1]



BonfireNight

BonfireNight
Bon·fire
Night
(plural Bon·fire Nights) noun

annual celebration with
bonfires: November 5, the anniversary
of the day on which Guy Fawkes’ plot to blow up the British parliament ( the Gunpowder Plot ) was discovered in 1605. In
the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries it is celebrated with
fireworks and bonfires.
Also called
Guy Fawkes Night[1]



bong

bong1

bong1 [bong,
bawng] noun (plural bongs)
interjection
reverberating
sound:
a deep resonant sound, especially from a bell
intransitive
verb
(past bonged, past participle bonged, present
participle bong·ing, 3rd person present singular bongs)
make
a reverberating sound: to make a deep resonant
sound
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bong

bong2
bong2 [bong,
bawng] (plural bongs) noun

1.  DRUGS drug-user’s
water pipe:
a water pipe for smoking marijuana or other drugs (slang)

2.  MOUNTAINEERING metal
device for protecting climbers: a large metal device
resembling a tube, used in providing protection for climbers
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Thai baung .][1]



bongo

bongo
bon·go
[bóng gō, báwng]
(plural bon·gos or bon·goes or bon·go)
noun

African
antelope:
a forest-dwelling antelope found in central Africa that has a reddish coat with
vertical white stripes and spiralling horns. Latin name: Boocercus euryceros
[Mid-19th century. From
Kikongo .][1]



bongodrums

bongodrums

bon·go
drums
or bon·gos plural noun
pair
of small drums: a set of two small deep-bodied drums
that are held between the knees and beaten with the fingers
[From American Spanish bongó][1]



bonhomie

bonhomie
bon·ho·mie 
[bònnə m] noun

easy
friendliness: easy good-humored friendliness
[Late
18th century. From French bonhomme, literally “good man.”]
—bon·ho·mous, adjective[1]



Boniface,Saint

Boniface,Saint
Bon·i·face 
[bónnə fàyss], Saint (675?–754?)

Saxon
missionary. Commissioned to preach to the German peoples in 718, he became a
bishop in 723. He was killed by non-Christians in Friesia.
Born
Wynfrith Known as the Apostle of Germany[1]



bonito

bonito
bo·ni·to 
[bə ntō] (plural bo·ni·tos or
bo·ni·to) noun

1.  fish
of mackerel family: a striped edible fish found
in Atlantic and Pacific waters. Genus: Sarda

2.  fish
resembling true bonito: a fish such as the skipjack
that resembles or is related to the bonito
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Spanish, literally “pretty,” from Latin bonus
“good” (see bonus ).][1]



bonk

bonk
bonk 
[bonk] transitive verb (past bonked,
past participle bonked, present participle bonk·ing,
3rd person present singular bonks)

bang:
to bang or hit something or somebody (informal)
noun
(plural bonks)

sharp
blow:
a sharp blow, typically on the head
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bonmot

bonmot
bon
mot 
[bàwN mṓ] (plural bons mots [bàwN mṓ, bàwN mṓz])
noun

witty
remark:
a witty comment
[From French, literally “good
word”][1]



Bonn

Bonn
Bonn 
[bon, bawn]

city on the Rhine in North
Rhine-Westphalia state, west central Germany. It was the capital of West
Germany from 1949 to 1990. Population: 297,400 (1992)[1]



bonnet

bonnet

bon·net 
[bónnət] (plural bon·nets) noun

1.  woman’s
hat:
a hat framing the face and usually tied under the chin, worn by a woman or girl

2.  U.K.,
Caribbean AUTOMOTIVE See
hood

3.  Native
N American headdress: a ceremonial feathered
headdress traditionally worn by some Native North Americans

4.  chimney
cowl:
a wire cover fitted over a chimney pot

5.  ENGINEERING protective
cover:
a protective cap or cover fitting over a machine part

6.  SAILING extra
piece of sail: an extra strip of canvas laced to the
base of a foresail, used to extend it when the wind is light
[14th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin abonnis “headgear,” possibly
of Germanic origin.]
—bon·net·ed, adjective[1]



bonnethead

bonnethead
bon·net·head
[bónnət hed] (plural bon·net·heads
or bon·net·head) or bon·net·head shark [bónnət hed] (plural bon·net·head sharks)
noun

ZOOLOGY
See shovelhead[1]



BonnevilleSalt Flats

BonnevilleSalt Flats
Bon·ne·ville
Salt Flats 
[bònnəvìl sáwlt flàts]

barren salt plain in
northwestern Utah, the bed of a prehistoric lake. It has been used for setting
world land speed records since the 1930s. Area: 260 sq km/100 sq mi.[1]



bonny

bonny
bon·ny
[bónnee] (comparative bon·ni·er,
superlative bon·ni·est) or bon·nie [bónnee] (comparative bon·ni·er, superlative
bon·ni·est) adjective Scotland Northern England

1.  attractive:
pleasing to look at

2.  substantial:
fairly large

3.  excellent:
extremely good
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via French bon “good” from Latin bonus
.]
—bon·ni·ly,
adverb

—bon·ni·ness, noun[1]



bonnyclabber

bonnyclabber
bon·ny·clab·ber 
[bónni klàbbər] noun

Ireland,
U.S. clotted
milk:
sour milk that has curdled (regional)
[Early
17th century. From Irish bainne clabair “thick milk for churning.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Though
  also used in Ireland, bonny clabber is a New England term that extends as far
  south as Maryland and as far west as Indiana. In the South, the term is
  replaced with such regionalisms as blinky, clabber milk, and sour
  milk.

[1]



bonsai

bonsai
bon·sai 
[bón s, bon s,
bon z] (plural bon·sai or
bon·sais) noun

1.  GARDENING art
of growing miniature trees: the art of growing
miniaturized forms of trees and shrubs by rigorous pruning of roots and
branches

2.  TREES miniaturized
tree:
a tree or shrub miniaturized using bonsai techniques
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “tray planting.”][1]



bonspiel

bonspiel
bon·spiel 
[bón spl, bón
shpl] (plural bon·spiels) noun

SPORTS curling
competition: a curling match or tournament
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch or Low German .][1]



bontebok

bontebok
bon·te·bok 
[bóntə bòk] (plural bon·te·boks
or bon·te·bok) noun

S
African antelope: a southern African antelope with a
reddish coat, white markings on the face and rump, and white legs. Latin name: Damaliscus
pygargus
[Late 18th century. From Afrikaans,
literally “pied buck.”][1]



bonton

bonton
bon
ton 
[bàwN táwN, bon
tón] noun (literary)

1.  good
taste:
good taste, style, or manners • People
thought it bon ton to be seen attending such an occasion.

2.  fashionable
society:
fashionable society
[From French, literally “good
tone”][1]



bonus

bonus
bo·nus 
[bṓnəss] (plural bo·nus·es) noun

1.  unexpected
extra:
an extra unexpected advantage

2.  extra
money:
an amount of money given in addition to normal pay, especially as a reward

3.  premium
paid to somebody: an extra dividend or premium paid to the
purchaser, holder, promoter, or vendor of a stock or insurance policy

4.  special
government payment to individuals: a special payment by a
government to an individual

5.  premium
paid for agreeing to something: a premium paid for
signing a contract or taking out a loan
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “good” (source of English bounty
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to show favor,” which is also
the ancestor of English benevolent, embellish, and beauty
.][1]



bonvivant

bonvivant
bon
vi·vant 
[bòN veevN] (plural bons vi·vants
[bòN veevN]) or bon vi·veur [bòN vee vúr] (plural bons vi·veurs [bòN vee vúrz]) noun

somebody
who lives luxuriously: somebody who enjoys the
luxuries in life, for example, good food and wine (literary)
[Bon vivant from French,
literally “one who lives well”; bon viveur formed in English on the model of bon
vivant and French viveur “living person”][1]



bonvoyage

bonvoyage
bon
voy·age 
[bòN vwaay] interjection

have
a good trip: used to wish somebody an enjoyable and
safe trip
[From French, literally “good
journey”][1]



bony

bony
bon·y
[bṓnee] (comparative bon·i·er,
superlative bon·i·est) adjective

1.  having
prominent bones: extremely thin and with prominent bones

2.  FOOD containing
many bones:
containing a lot of bones, and often difficult to eat

3.  ANATOMY of or
like bone:
consisting of or like bone

4.  ZOOLOGY with a
backbone:
used to describe fish that have a skeleton of bone, as distinct from
cartilaginous fish such as sharks. The great majority of fish are bony . Class:
Osteichthyes
—bon·i·ness, noun[1]



bonze

bonze
bonze 
[bonz] (plural bonzes) noun

Buddhist
monk:
a Buddhist monk in Southeast Asia, China, or Japan
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Japanese bonsō .][1]



boo

boo
boo
[boo] interjection

1.  expressing
disapproval: used to express dissatisfaction or
contempt, especially at a speaker or performer

2.  used
to startle somebody: used to surprise or startle
somebody
noun
(plural boos)

sound “ boo !”:
an utterance of “ boo !”
intransitive
and transitive verb (past booed, past
participle booed, present participle boo·ing, 3rd
person present singular boos)

express disapproval:
to shout “ boo! ” in order to express disapproval or contempt of somebody, especially
a speaker or performer
[Early
19th century. Originally an imitation of a cow’s lowing.]
not
say boo

to be silent or reticent (informal)[1]



boob

boob1
boob1 [boob]
(plural boobs) or boo·by [bbee]
(plural boo·bies) noun

woman’s
breast:
a woman’s breast (slang) (often considered offensive; commonly used
in the plural)
[Mid-20th century. From
earlier bubby, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Low German .][1]



boob

boob2
boob2 [boob]
noun (plural boobs)

1.  unintelligent
person:
somebody who is considered unintelligent or ignorant

2.  U.K.
unfortunate
mistake:
an unfortunate and embarrassing mistake (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past boobed, past participle boobed, present
participle boob·ing, 3rd person present singular boobs)

U.K., Canada
make
an unfortunate mistake: to make an unfortunate and
embarrassing mistake (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of booby 1 .][1]



boo-boo

boo-boo
boo-boo
(plural boo-boos) noun

1.  mistake:
a mistake or tactless remark (informal)

2.  slight
damage to somebody’s body: a cut, injury, or sore place
on the body (babytalk)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



boobook

boobook
boo·book
[b bk] (plural boo·books or
boo·book) noun

small
owl:
a small brown owl, native to Australia and New Zealand. Genus: Ninox
Also
called
mopoke
Also
called
morepork
[Early 19th century. From an
Australian Aboriginal language, ultimately an imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



boobtube

boobtube2
boob
tube2 noun

television:
television (informal)[1]



boobtube

boobtube1
boob
tube1 (plural boob tubes)
noun

U.K.
(slang) See tube top[1]



booby

booby1
boo·by1 [bbee]
(plural boo·bies) noun

1.  unintelligent
person:
somebody who is silly or unintelligent (dated informal)

2.  BIRDS large
tropical seabird: a large tropical seabird with white
plumage and dark markings, often with a brightly colored bill and feet. There
are many species, including pelicans and cormorants. Family: Sulidae
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus
“stammering.”][1]



booby

booby2
boo·by2 [bbee]
noun

See
boob 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








boobyhatch

boobyhatch
boo·by
hatch
(plural boo·by hatch·es) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a a mental health facility (slang offensive)

2.  hatchway
cover:
a cover for a small hatchway on a sailing ship
[Booby from booby
“bird,” because these hatches are a favorite haunt for these birds][1]



boobyprize

boobyprize
boo·by
prize
(plural boo·by priz·es) noun

loser’s prize:
a prize given as a joke to the person or team coming last in a competition[1]



boobytrap

boobytrap
boo·by
trap
(plural boo·by traps) noun

1.  hidden
explosive device: a bomb that is hidden or disguised and
is designed to explode when touched or moved

2.  trap
laid as joke: a trap set as a practical joke

[1]



booby-trap

booby-trap
boo·by-trap
(past boo·by-trapped, past participle boo·by-trapped,
present participle boo·by-trap·ping, 3rd person present
singular boo·by-traps) transitive verb

place booby trap in:
to place a booby trap in a place, or attach one to something (often passive)[1]



boodle

boodle
boo·dle 
[bd’l] noun

1.  dishonestly
acquired money: a large amount of money that has been
acquired or used in a corrupt way (slang)

2.  (informal)
See caboodle
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch boedel “estate, possessions.”][1]



booger

booger
boog·er 
[bggər] (plural boog·ers) noun

1.  (informal)
See bogeyman  noun 1

2.  nasal
mucus:
a lump of mucus in or from somebody’s nose (slang)
U.K.
term
bogey
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of bugger
.][1]



Boogie

Boogie
Boogie 
Trademark

a trademark for a short
flexible surfboard on which a surfer lies prone[1]



boogie

boogie
boog·ie 
[bggee] intransitive verb (past
boog·ied, past participle boog·ied, present participle
boog·ie·ing, 3rd person present singular boog·ies)

1.  DANCING dance
to rock music: to dance to fast rock music (informal)

2.  go
somewhere:
to go somewhere specified, on foot or by vehicle (slang) • Let’s
boogie along to the French Quarter • Get
your coat; it’s time to boogie out of here

3.  have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse (dated slang)
noun
(plural boog·ies)

MUSIC See boogie-woogie
[Mid-20th century. Of West
African origin see boogie-woogie .][1]



boogieon down

boogieon down
boogie
on down
intransitive verb

go off somewhere:
to go off somewhere (slang)[1]



boogie-woogie

boogie-woogie
boog·ie-woog·ie 
[bgi wggee] noun

jazz
piano style: a jazz piano style derived from the
blues.
Also
called
boogie
[Origin uncertain: perhaps an
alteration of black West African English bogi-bogi “to dance,” from
Hausa buga “to beat drums”][1]



boohoo

boohoo
boo·hoo
[boo h] noun interjection

sound
of copious weeping: used to represent the sound
of noisy weeping
intransitive
verb
(past boo·hooed, past participle boo·hooed, present
participle boo·hoo·ing, 3rd person present singular boo·hoos)

sob:
to cry noisily
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



book

book
book 
[bk] noun (plural books)

1.  bound
collection of pages: a collection of printed or
manuscript pages sewn or glued together along one side and bound between rigid
boards or flexible covers

2.  published
work:
a published work of literature, science, or reference, or one intended for
publication

3.  bound
set of blank sheets: a bound set of blank sheets
of paper, for example for writing in

4.  set
of things bound together: a set of objects, for
example, matches or fabric samples, that are bound or otherwise fixed together

5.  division
of literary work: each of several major divisions of a
literary work, or of the Bible

6.  set
of rules:
the body of rules or procedures relevant to a situation • likes
to do things by the book

7.  bookmaker’s
record:
a record kept by a bookmaker of the bets made and of the money paid out

8.  script
or libretto: the script of a play, or the libretto of
an opera

9.  CARD GAMES number
of tricks needed in scoring: the number of tricks that
need to be won by a player or side in order to be scored

10. imaginary
record:
any imaginary record, archive, or repository of knowledge

11. SPORTS record
about sports opponents: in sports, a record of facts
and information about the strengths and weaknesses of a player or team

12. See
promptbook

13. book
or Book Bible:
the Christian Bible or Hebrew Scripture
plural
noun
books

1.  ACCOUNTING financial
accounts:
the financial records and accounts of an organization

2.  learning:
academic study
verb
(past booked, past participle booked, present
participle book·ing, 3rd person present singular books)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
reservation: to arrange for somebody to keep a place
available at a specified time, for example, at the theater or in a restaurant

2.  transitive
verb
engage
to do something: to engage somebody in advance to do
something or be somewhere, especially as a performer (often passive)

3.  intransitive
verb
leave
a place:
to leave a place (slang) • Yo
man, let’s book!

4.  transitive
verb
U.K. SPORTS take
name of offending player: officially to take the name
of a player who has committed an offense (often passive)

5.  transitive
verb
LAW charge
with offense: to charge somebody with a criminal
offense, pending legal proceedings (often passive)
[Old
English bōc “written document.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “beech,” which is also the ancestor of English beech ; the early Germanic peoples carved
runic inscriptions on beechwood tablets.]
a
closed book

somebody
about whom or something about which little if anything is known or understood

an
open book

something
or somebody fully comprehended

bring
somebody to book

to
admonish somebody

cook
the books

to
alter records, especially financial accounts, to conceal irregularities or
wrongdoing (slang)

in
somebody’s book

in
somebody’s opinion

in
somebody’s good or bad books

in
or out of favor with somebody

make
book on something

to
accept bets on the likelihood of something happening

throw
the book at somebody

to charge somebody with all
the offenses he or she may be guilty of, or punish somebody with the maximum
penalty[1]



bookable

bookable
book·a·ble
[bkəb’l] adjective

able to be reserved:
able to be applied for in advance and reserved[1]



bookbinder

bookbinder
book·bind·er 
[bk bndər] (plural book·bind·ers)
noun

somebody
who binds books: somebody who binds books, especially as
a profession
—book·bind·er·y,
noun

—book·bind·ing, noun[1]



bookcase

bookcase
book·case 
[bk kàyss] (plural book·cases)
noun

cabinet for storing books:
a set of shelves, either fixed to a wall or free-standing, used for holding
books[1]



bookclub

bookclub
book
club
(plural book clubs) noun

1.  firm
selling books at reduced prices: an organization that
offers its members books at reduced prices

2.  discussion
group about books: a small informal group that
meets to discuss books and related topics

[1]



bookend

bookend
book·end 
[bk ènd] noun (plural book·ends)

1.  support
for row of books: either of a pair of supports placed at
each end of a row of books

2.  SPORTS defensive
player in football: in football, a player
positioned at one of the ends of the defensive line (informal)
transitive
verb

occur either side of:
to occur on both sides or at the beginning and end of something (informal)
• bookend
a speech with anecdotes

[1]



bookie

bookie
book·ie 
[bkee] (plural book·ies) noun

bookmaker:
a bookmaker (informal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from bookmaker .][1]



booking

booking
book·ing 
[bking] (plural book·ings) noun

1.  advance
reservation: an arrangement by which something such
as a theater seat or hotel room is kept for somebody’s use at a specified time

2.  arrangement
to perform:
a contract or arrangement for an entertainer to perform somewhere

[1]



bookish

bookish
book·ish 
[bkish] adjective

extremely
fond of reading: devoted to reading, especially to the
exclusion of other things
—book·ish·ly,
adverb

—book·ish·ness, noun[1]



bookkeeping

bookkeeping
book·keep·ing 
[bk kping] or book-keep·ing
[bk kping] noun

process
of recording financial transactions: the
activity or profession of recording the money received and spent by an
individual, business, or organization
—book·keep·er, noun[1]



booklearning

booklearning
book
learn·ing
noun

knowledge derived from books:
knowledge obtained from books rather than from experience[1]



booklet

booklet
book·let 
[bklət] (plural book·lets) noun

small paper-covered book:
a small book with a paper cover and few pages, usually containing information
about a particular subject[1]



booklouse

booklouse
book·louse
[bk lòwss] (plural book·lice
[bk lss]) noun

insect that feeds on
bookbinding paste: a small
wingless insect that destroys books by feeding on the paste used in the
binding. Order: Psocoptera[1]



booklung

booklung
book
lung
(plural book lungs) noun

breathing organ in spiders:
the breathing organ in spiders and other arachnids, with membranous tissue
arranged in folds that resemble the leaves of a book[1]



bookmaker

bookmaker
book·mak·er 
[bk màykər] (plural book·mak·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who receives bets: somebody who takes bets and
pays out money to people who win

2.  somebody
who makes books: somebody who designs, prints, or binds
books
—book·mak·ing, noun[1]



bookman

bookman
book·man
[bkmən] (plural book·men [bk mən]) noun

devotee of books:
somebody who is interested in and knowledgable about books, especially as
collector’s items[1]



bookmark

bookmark
book·mark 
[bk mrk] noun (plural book·marks)

1.  place
marker in book: a strip of leather or other material
inserted between the pages of a book to mark a place in it

2.  COMPUTING place
marker in electronic text: an electronic marker
inserted in a word processed document, identifying it for later reference or
retrieval

3.  COMPUTING address
of Internet site: the address of a user’s favorite
Internet site electronically listed for easy access
transitive
verb
(past book·marked, past participle book·marked, present
participle book·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular book·marks)

COMPUTING list
an Internet address: to list the address of an
Internet site

[1]



bookmobile

bookmobile
book·mo·bile 
[bk mō bl] (plural book·mo·biles)
noun

mobile lending library:
a large motor vehicle equipped as a small lending library, used for taking
books to people, especially in rural areas[1]



Bookof Changes

Bookof Changes
Book
of Chang·es
noun

See
I Ching[1]



Bookof Common Prayer

Bookof Common Prayer
Book
of Com·mon Prayer noun

official Episcopal service
book: the official book giving the
order and content of services in the Episcopal Church. Since 1980 the
Alternative Service Book has also been in use.[1]



bookof hours

bookof hours
book
of hours
noun

medieval service book:
a medieval service book, used especially in monasteries, containing the
offices, prayers, and services prescribed for the various canonical hours[1]



Bookof Kells

Bookof Kells
Book
of Kells
[bk əvkélz] noun

early Christian manuscript:
an illuminated manuscript of the Christian Gospels, produced at Kells in
Ireland in the 8th century and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin[1]



Bookof Life

Bookof Life
Book
of Life
noun

CHRISTIANITY
Bible:
the Bible[1]



Bookof Mormon

Bookof Mormon
Book
of Mor·mon
noun

sacred Mormon text:
a book believed by Latter-day saints to have been revealed by the prophet
Mormon to Joseph Smith. It contains the history of an ancient American people
to whom Jesus Christ appeared.[1]



bookplate

bookplate
book·plate 
[bk plàyt] (plural book·plates)
noun

label with name of book’s
owner: a label for sticking into
the front of a book, bearing the name of the owner and sometimes a coat of arms
or personal design[1]



bookrest

bookrest
book·rest
[bk rèst] (plural book·rests)
noun

support for open book:
a support, often angled, for an open book[1]



bookseller

bookseller
book·sell·er 
[bk sèllər] (plural book·sell·ers)
noun

dealer in books:
somebody who buys and sells books[1]



bookshelf

bookshelf
book·shelf 
[bk shèlf] (plural book·shelves
[bk shèlvz]) noun

shelf for holding books:
a shelf designed for holding books[1]



bookshop

bookshop
book·shop 
[bk shòp] (plural book·shops)
noun

store selling books:
a store, especially a small one, that specializes in selling books[1]



Booksof the Bible

Booksof the Bible
Books
of the Bible

There
is no straightforward explanation of the origin of either the Jewish or the
Christian canon of scripture. The Jewish scriptures listed represent the Hebrew
Bible as canonized probably at some time in the 2nd century ad. There existed,
however, an alternative version in Greek, known as the Septuagint, which
contained seven books that are now found in the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox canons. These are usually known collectively as the Apocrypha, though modern
biblical scholars prefer the term Deuterocanonical.

The
Bible was formally canonized for western Christians in the 16th century, when
Protestant denominations for the most part adopted the shorter Jewish canon.
Roman Catholicism formally embraced the Septuagint as the basis for its Bible
at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Orthodox Churches accepted effectively the
same canon as the Roman Catholic one in 1672 at the Synod of Jerusalem, though
the Russian Orthodox Church remiained ambivalent, and at least down to the
mid-20th century tended to omit the Deuterocanonical texts from its canon.



  Jewish Scripture


  Old Testament








  Roman
  Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy


  Protestant
  Churches




  The
  Law








  Genesis


  Genesis


  Genesis








  Exodus


  Exodus


  Exodus








  Leviticus


  Leviticus


  Leviticus








  Numbers


  Numbers


  Numbers








  Deuteronomy


  Deuteronomy


  Deuteronomy




  The
  Prophets








  Joshua


  Joshua


  Joshua








  Judges


  Judges


  Judges












  Ruth


  Ruth








  1
  Samuel


  1
  Samuel


  1
  Samuel








  2
  Samuel


  2
  Samuel


  2
  Samuel








  1
  Kings


  1
  Kings


  1
  Kings








  2
  Kings


  2
  Kings


  2
  Kings












  1
  Chronicles


  1
  Chronicles












  2
  Chronicles


  2
  Chronicles












  Ezra


  Ezra












  Nehemiah


  Nehemiah












  Tobit
  1















  Judith
  1















  Esther


  Esther












  1
  Maccabees 1















  2
  Maccabees 1















  Job


  Job












  Psalms


  Psalms












  Proverbs


  Proverbs












  Ecclesiastes


  Ecclesiaste












  Wisdom
  1















  Ecclesiasticus
  1















  Song
  of Songs


  Song
  of Solomon








  Isaiah


  Isaiah


  Isaiah








  Jeremiah


  Jeremiah


  Jeremiah












  Lamentations


  Lamentations












  Baruch
  1











  Ezekiel


  Ezekiel


  Ezekiel








  Hosea


  Daniel


  Daniel












  Hosea


  Hosea








  Joel


  Joel


  Joel








  Amos


  Amos


  Amos








  Obadiah


  Obadiah


  Obadiah








  Jonah


  Jonah


  Jonah








  Micah


  Micah


  Micah








  Nahum


  Nahum


  Nahum








  Habakkuk


  Habakkuk


  Habakkuk








  Zephaniah


  Zephaniah


  Zephaniah








  Haggai


  Haggai


  Haggai








  Zechariah


  Zechariah


  Zechariah








  Malachi


  Malachi


  Malachi




  The
  Writings








  Psalms








  Proverbs








  Job








  Song
  of Songs








  Ruth








  Lamentations








  Ecclesiastes








  Esther








  Daniel








  Ezra








  Nehemiah








  1
  Chronicles








  2
  Chronicles








  New
  Testament








  Mathew








  Mark








  Luke








  John








  Acts
  of the Apostles








  Romans








  1
  Corinthians








  2
  Corinthians








  Galatians








  Ephesians








  Philippians








  Colossians








  1
  Thessalonians








  2
  Thessalonians








  1
  Timothy








  2
  Timothy








  Titus








  Philemon








  Hebrews








  James








  1
  Peter








  2
  Peter








  1
  John








  2
  John








  3
  John








  Jude








  Revelation




  1)
  Indicates Deuterocanonical books




[1]



bookstall

bookstall
book·stall 
[bk stàwl] (plural book·stalls)
noun

stall selling books:
a stall where books are sold.
Also called
bookstand[1]



bookstand

bookstand
book·stand 
[bk stànd] (plural book·stands)
noun

1.  See
bookstall

2.  support
for open book: a support for an open book, often
adjustable and made of wood, metal, or plastic

[1]



bookstore

bookstore
book·store 
[bk stàwr, bk
str] (plural book·stores) noun

store selling books:
a store that sells books[1]



bookup

bookup
book
up
intransitive verb

sell out in advance:
to sell out something in advance (usually passive)[1]



bookvalue

bookvalue
book
val·ue
noun

1.  value
according to accounting records: the value of a
commodity or asset according to the accounting records of the firm owning it

2.  net
value of business enterprise: the net value of a business
after liabilities have been deducted from assets

[1]



bookworm

bookworm
book·worm 
[bk wùrm] (plural book·worms)
noun

1.  enthusiastic
reader:
somebody who reads a great deal (informal)

2.  insect
eating books: any insect whose larvae eat the binding
paste or paper in books

[1]



Boolean

Boolean
Bool·e·an 
[blee ən] adjective

using
combinatory system of symbolic logic: using
or characterized by a system of symbolic logic that uses combinations of such
logical operators as “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” to determine relationships between
entities. Boolean operations are extensively used in writing computer programs
and in computer searches using keywords.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the English mathematician George Boole ( 1815–1864 ), who devised the
system.][1]



Booleanalgebra

Booleanalgebra
Bool·e·an
al·ge·bra
noun

algebra concerned with binary
combinations: a form of algebra
concerned with the logical functions of variables that are restricted to two
values, true or false. Boolean algebra is fundamental to circuit design and to
the design, function, and operation of computers.[1]



boom

boom2

boom2 [boom]
(plural booms) noun

1.  CINEMA TV extendable overhead pole:
an extendable pole carrying overhead equipment, such as a camera, for
positioning over a television or movie set

2.  SAILING beam
holding sail at angle: a beam to which the bottom
edge of a sail is attached in order to hold the sail at an advantageous angle
to the wind

3.  MILITARY INDUSTRY floating barrier:
a floating barrier used to confine or restrict something, for example, a
barrier to protect a harbor from attack or to confine an oil spill

4.  SHIPPING pole
used to move cargo: a long pole extending from
the mast of a derrick to lift or lower cargo

5.  AIR connecting
spar for aircraft: a spar that connects the
tail and the fuselage in some aircraft
[Mid-16th
century. From Dutch, “beam, pole.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “tree,” which is also the ancestor of English beam and bumpkin
.]
lower the boom

to initiate action to prevent
something or punish somebody (informal)[1]



boom

boom1

boom1 [boom]
verb (past boomed, past participle boomed, present
participle boom·ing, 3rd person present singular booms)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a loud deep sound: to make a loud deep
reverberating sound

2.  transitive
verb
utter
with deep sound: to utter something, for example, a
warning, in a loud deep voice

3.  transitive
verb
campaign
for somebody: to campaign vigorously for somebody
noun (plural
booms)

1.  loud
deep sound:
a loud deep reverberating sound

2.  ECONOMICS significant
increase in trade: a significant expansion of
business and investment, either across an economy or in a specific market

3.  significant
increase:
a significant increase in the amount of something, for example, in a population
level or in the public interest in something

4.  ZOOLOGY deep
loud bird or animal noise: a deep loud cry made by some
birds and animals, for example, bitterns or grouse
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Dutch bommen “to hum, buzz”;
ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—boom·y, adjective[1]



boomand bust

boomand bust
boom
and bust
or boom or bust noun

alternation of economic
growth and recession: the
alternation in an economy or market between immoderate growth and collapse and
recession[1]



boombox

boombox
boom
box
(plural boom box·es) noun

See
ghetto blaster[1]



boomer

boomer
boom·er 
[bmər] (plural boom·ers) noun

1.  (informal)
See baby boomer

2.  somebody
who moves to prosperous place: somebody who moves to
a place that is undergoing an economic boom

3.  NAVY submarine:
a nuclear-powered submarine armed with ballistic missiles (slang)

[1]



boomerang

boomerang

boo·mer·ang 
[bmə ràng] noun (plural boo·mer·angs)

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCE ARMS curved
missile:
a flat bent or curved piece of wood used as a weapon by Australian Aborigines.
It is designed to return to the person who throws it.

2.  something
harmful to initiator: something that does harm to
its initiator
intransitive verb
(past boo·mer·anged, past participle boo·mer·anged,
present participle boo·mer·ang·ing, 3rd person present
singular boo·mer·angs)

backfire on initiator:
to backfire on an initiator of an action, causing harm
[Late 18th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



boomkin

boomkin
boom·kin 
noun

See
bumpkin 2[1]



boomlet

boomlet
boom·let
[bmlət] (plural boom·lets) noun

shortlived economic boom:
a short period of sudden and intense economic growth[1]



boomtown

boomtown
boom
town
(plural boom towns) noun

prosperous town:
a town that significantly increases in size and wealth, often as the result of
new and profitable industry[1]



boon

boon
boon
[boon] (plural boons) noun

1.  great
benefit:
something that functions as a blessing or benefit to somebody

2.  gift
or favor:
a gift or favor from somebody (archaic or literary)
[From Old Norse bón
“prayer, petition.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to speak,”
which is also the ancestor of English ban,
banish, and fame .][1]



booncompanion

booncompanion
boon
com·pan·ion
(plural boon com·pan·ions) noun

inseparable
friend:
an intimate and inseparable friend
[Boon via French bon
from Latin bonus “good” (see bonus )][1]



boondocks

boondocks
boon·docks 
[bn dòks] plural noun

place
remote from civilization: anywhere far from
civilization, used as an archetype of a provincial way of life and lack of
sophistication (informal)
Also
called
boonies
[Mid-20th century. From
Tagalog bundok “mountain.”][1]



boondoggle

boondoggle
boon·dog·gle 
[bn dàwgg’l, bn
dògg’l] noun (plural boon·dog·gles) (informal)

1.  insignificant
pursuit:
an activity or project that is trivial and wasteful of time or money

2.  politically
motivated government project: a government project of
little practical value funded to gain political favor
intransitive
verb
(past boon·dog·gled, past participle boon·dog·gled,
present participle boon·dog·gling, 3rd person present singular
boon·dog·gles) (informal)

1.  do
something impractical: to do something unimportant
or impractical

2.  deceive
or mislead somebody: to deceive or attempt to
deceive somebody
[Mid-20th
century. Coined by the U.S. scoutmaster R. H. Link for a braided leather cord
made by Scouts.]
—boon·dog·gler,
noun

—boon·dog·gling, noun[1]



Boone,Daniel

Boone,Daniel

Boone 
[boon], Daniel (1734–1820)
U.S. pioneer. He lived on the frontier
from age 16 and was instrumental in exploring and settling Kentucky in the
1770s. He founded Boonesboro (1775).[1]



boongary

boongary
boon·ga·ry 
[bng gər] (plural boon·ga·ries
or boon·ga·ry) noun

tree-dwelling
kangaroo:
a kangaroo, native to northern Australia, that lives in trees. Latin name: Dendrolagus
lumholtzi
[Late 19th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



boonies

boonies
boon·ies 
[bneez] plural noun

(informal)
See boondocks
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



boor

boor
boor 
[br] (plural boors) noun

ill-mannered
person:
somebody who behaves in a crass, insensitive, or ill-mannered way
[Mid-16th
century. From Dutch boer “peasant” (source of English Boer ). Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English neighbor
.]
—boor·ish,
adjective

—boor·ish·ly,
adverb

—boor·ish·ness, noun[1]



boost

boost
boost 
[boost] transitive verb (past boost·ed,
past participle boost·ed, present participle boost·ing,
3rd person present singular boosts)

1.  improve
something:
to improve or strengthen something

2.  increase
something:
to cause something to increase • measures
to boost productivity

3.  assist
by pushing or lifting: to assist somebody or
something to get up or over something by giving a push or lift from below

4.  ELECTRICITY raise
voltage in something: to increase the voltage in
an electrical circuit

5.  COMMERCE vigorously
promote something: to promote something widely
and intensively so that people will buy it

6.  shoplift:
to shoplift an article (informal)
noun
(plural boosts)

1.  encouragement:
something that helps to encourage or improve somebody or something in some way

2.  increase
in something: an increase in something • a
boost in income

3.  push
or lift from below: a push from below to help
somebody up or over something

4.  advertising
campaign:
a campaign advertising or promoting something
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



booster

booster
boost·er 
[bstər] (plural boost·ers) noun

1.  vigorous
promoter of something or somebody: an enthusiastic
promoter or supporter of something or somebody, for example, a team

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING radio-frequency
amplifier:
a radio-frequency amplifier that amplifies weak television or radio signals and
retransmits them so that they can be received by viewers or listeners

3.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY See
booster rocket

4.  somebody
or something that improves confidence:
somebody or something that encourages or improves something such as confidence
(usually used in combination) • a
morale-booster

5.  device
that assists something: a device used to increase
the effectiveness of some piece of equipment

6.  MEDICINE supplementary
dose of vaccine: a repeat dose of a vaccine given some
years after the initial course to maintain the level of immunity provided by
the previous dose

7.  shoplifter:
a shoplifter (slang)

[1]



boostercables

boostercables
boost·er
ca·bles
plural noun

ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING See jumper cables[1]



boosterism

boosterism
boost·er·ism 
[bstə rìzzəm] noun

vigorous promotion of
something: the practice or habit of
publicizing and promoting something, especially a place, product, or enterprise
(informal)[1]



boosterrocket

boosterrocket
boost·er
rock·et
(plural boost·er rock·ets) noun

engine that gives thrust:
an engine in a space vehicle that is used to give thrust during the launch and
extra thrust during another stage of the flight.
Also called
booster[1]



boosterseat

boosterseat
boost·er
seat
(plural boost·er seats) noun

extra seat to raise child:
a seat that can be placed over another seat in a motor vehicle or at a table to
raise a child into a higher position[1]



boot

boot3
boot3 [boot][Old
English bōt “remedy.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“good,” which is also the ancestor of English better
.]
to
boot

in addition[1]



boot

boot2
boot2 [boot]
noun (plural boots)

computer
startup procedure: the process of starting or
restarting a computer and loading the operating system
intransitive
verb
(past boot·ed, past participle boot·ing, present
participle boot·ing, 3rd person present singular boots)

COMPUTING start
up:
to start or become ready to start operating
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of bootstrap, from bootstrap
loader, a simple program that enables a computer to start up and load its
full operating system.][1]



boot

boot1
boot1  [boot]
noun (plural boots)

1.  strong
shoe extending up lower leg: a strong item of footwear
that covers part of the lower leg (often used in combination) • an
ankle boot

2.  hard
kick:
the act of kicking something hard

3.  Denver
boot:
a Denver boot

4.  dismissal
from job:
dismissal from employment or from a personal relationship (informal)

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING protective
covering:
a protective covering, for example, a rubber sheath for protecting a coupling
between two shafts

6.  EQUESTRIAN covering
for horse’s leg: a protective covering for the lower part
of a horse’s leg

7.  military
recruit:
a naval or marine corps recruit (informal)

8.  BASEBALL fumble
of infield ground ball: a fumble of a ground ball
hit to an infielder

9.  HISTORY instrument
of torture:
a bootlike instrument of torture that was used to enclose and crush the
victim’s foot

10. U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE See trunk
transitive
verb
(past boot·ed, past participle boot·ed, present
participle boot·ing, 3rd person present singular boots)

1.  make
error:
to make a fumble or error (informal)

2.  kick
a horse while riding it: to urge a horse on by
kicking or digging in with the heels while it is being ridden in a race

3.  kick
somebody or something hard: to kick somebody or
something hard

4.  put
boot on car: to fix a boot to the wheel of an
illegally parked car to prevent it being driven away.
U.K.
term
clamp
[14th
century. From Old French bote, of unknown origin. The sense “luggage
compartment” evolved from the meaning “outside step for attendants on a
coach.”]
get
too big for your boots

to
start to think too highly of yourself

lick
somebody’s boots

to be extremely obsequious to
somebody[1]



bootblack

bootblack
boot·black 
[bt blàk] (plural boot·blacks)
noun

somebody who cleans shoes:
a person who cleans people’s shoes in the street.
U.K. term
shoeblack[1]



bootcamp

bootcamp
boot
camp
(plural boot camps) noun

1.  MILITARY camp
for military recruits: a training camp for recruits
to the U.S. military (informal)

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES camp
for delinquents: a disciplinary camp in some
jurisdictions to which juvenile delinquents are sent
[Boot from boot 1 in the
sense of “navy or marine corps recruit”][1]



bootee

bootee
boo·tee
[b tee] (plural boo·tees) or
boo·tie [b tee] (plural boo·ties)
noun

1.  baby’s
knitted boot: a soft woolen boot for a baby

2.  ankle
boot:
an ankle boot for a woman or child

[1]



booth

booth
booth 
[booth] (plural booths [booz, booths])
noun

1.  small
partitioned enclosure: a partitioned enclosure or
small room shaped like a box that offers privacy, for example, when
telephoning, selling tickets, or voting

2.  small
tent or stall: a tent, stall, or other light structure
at a fair or exhibition, offering some form of entertainment or goods for sale

3.  restaurant
compartment: a small, partly enclosed area in a
restaurant with a table and highbacked seats

4.  small
room used in broadcasting: a small soundproof room used
for recording sound or for broadcasting
[12th century. Of
Scandinavian origin. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to live,
dwell,” which is also the ancestor of English bustle,
husband, build,
and neighbor .][1]



Booth,Edwin

Booth,Edwin
Booth 
[booth], Edwin (1833–1893)

U.S.
actor. A leading actor of tragic theatrical roles, he was best known for his
portrayal of Hamlet. He was the brother of John Wilkes Booth.
Full name
Booth, Edwin Thomas[1]



BoothiaPeninsula

BoothiaPeninsula
Boo·thi·a
Pen·in·su·la

the northernmost tip of
mainland North America, in Northwest Territories, Canada, directly west of
Baffin Island. Area: 32,331 sq km/12,483 sq mi.[1]



boothill

boothill
boot
hill
or Boot Hill (plural boot hills) noun

cemetery mainly for
gunfighters: a cemetery in a
settlement on the U.S. frontier, especially one for gunfighters killed in
action[1]



Booth,John Wilkes

Booth,John Wilkes

Booth 
[booth], John Wilkes (1838–1865)
U.S. actor and assassin of Abraham
Lincoln. He was the brother of Edwin Booth. A partisan of the Confederacy
during the Civil War, he shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.,
on April 14, 1865, and was himself killed soon afterward.[1]



Boothroyd,Betty

Boothroyd,Betty
Booth·royd
[bth ròyd], Betty (1929– )

British politician. She
became speaker of the House of Commons in 1992.[1]



Booth,Shirley

Booth,Shirley
Booth 
[booth], Shirley (1907–1992)

U.S. actor. She won an
Academy Award for Come Back Little Sheba ( 1952 ).[1]



bootie

bootie
boo·tie 
noun

See
bootee[1]



bootjack

bootjack
boot·jack 
[bt jàk] (plural boot·jacks) noun

device for gripping boot:
a device similar to a yoke, used for gripping the back of a boot when removing
it[1]



bootlace

bootlace
boot·lace
[bt làyss] (plural boot·laces)
noun

lace for tying boot:
a long shoelace, traditionally a narrow cord or a leather thong, for lacing up
boots[1]



bootleg

bootleg
boot·leg 
[bt lèg] verb (past boot·legged,
past participle boot·legged, present participle boot·leg·ging,
3rd person present singular boot·legs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb deal
in illegal goods: to make, transport, or sell illegal
goods, especially illegally copied or recorded material

2.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL fake
a pass:
in football, to pretend to pass the ball to another player while running with
the ball concealed against the hip
noun
(plural boot·legs)

1.  something
illegally made: an illegally made product, especially an
illegal recording

2.  illegal
alcohol:
alcohol or an alcoholic beverage that has been smuggled or illegally distilled

3.  FOOTBALL faked
pass:
in football, a move in which a player fakes a pass, but runs on with the ball
concealed next to the hip
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from bootlegger .][1]



bootlegger

bootlegger
boot·leg·ger 
[bt lèggər] (plural boot·leg·gers)
noun

dealer
in illegal goods: somebody who illegally sells smuggled or
pirated goods
[Late 19th century. From
liquor smugglers carrying bottles in their boots.][1]



bootless

bootless
boot·less 
[btləss] adjective

unsuccessful:
having little or no success
[Old
English bōtlēas “irremediable,” from boot 3]
—boot·less·ly,
adverb

—boot·less·ness, noun[1]



bootlick

bootlick
boot·lick 
[bt lìk] (past bootlicked, past
participle bootlicked, present participle boot·lick·ing,
3rd person present singular boot·licks) intransitive and
transitive verb

flatter
somebody:
to flatter somebody in a position of authority in order to gain an advantage (informal
disapproving)
—boot·lick·er,
noun

—boot·lick·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



bootout

bootout
boot
out
transitive verb

force somebody to leave:
to force somebody to leave a place, group of people, or job (informal)[1]



bootstrap

bootstrap
boot·strap 
[bt stràp] noun (plural boot·straps)

loop
attached to boot: a loop of leather or fabric attached to
the back or side of a boot to help pull it on
adjective

self-reliant
and self-sustaining: relying solely on somebody’s
or something’s own efforts and resources
transitive
verb
(past boot·strapped, past participle boot·strapped,
present participle boot·strap·ping, 3rd person present
singular boot·straps)

help
yourself:
to help yourself unaided
pull
yourself up by your (own) bootstraps

to improve your situation in
life by your own efforts[1]



boottree

boottree
boot
tree
(plural boot trees) noun

1.  device
for keeping boots in shape: a wooden or metal device
shaped like a foot and lower leg, placed inside a boot to preserve its shape

2.  device
for keeping boots in place: a foot-shaped support for
making or repairing boots

[1]



bootup

bootup
boot
up
transitive verb

start computer:
to start or restart a computer[1]



booty

booty
boo·ty 
[btee] noun

seized
or stolen valuables: money or valuables seized or
stolen, especially by soldiers in war
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French butin from Middle Low German būte “exchange.”][1]



booze

booze
booze 
[booz] intransitive verb (past
boozed, past participle boozed, present participle booz·ing,
3rd person present singular booz·es)

overindulge in alcohol:
to drink alcoholic beverages, especially to excess (slang)
noun
(slang)

1.  alcohol:
alcoholic drink

2.  session
of heavy drinking: a period of time spent
overindulging in alcohol
[13th century. From Middle
Dutch būsen “to drink to excess,” of unknown origin.][1]



boozehound

boozehound
booze·hound 
[bz hòwnd] (plural booze·hounds)
noun

excessive drinker:
somebody who drinks alcohol to excess (slang)[1]



boozer

boozer
booz·er
[bzər] (plural booz·ers) noun
(slang)

1.  U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand bar:
a public house or bar

2.  excessive
drinker:
somebody who drinks alcohol to excess

[1]



boozy

boozy
booz·y
[bzee] (comparative booz·i·er,
superlative booz·i·est) adjective (slang)

1.  with
excessive drinking: featuring the drinking of
alcohol to excess

2.  containing
alcohol:
containing or flavored with alcohol

3.  drinking
excessively: tending to drink alcohol excessively

4.  showing
effects of excessive drinking: showing the effects of
prolonged excessive drinking
—booz·i·ly, adverb[1]



bop

bop2
bop2 [bop]
transitive verb (past bopped, past participle bopped,
present participle bop·ping, 3rd person present singular bops)

hit:
to hit somebody, especially on the head (informal)
noun
(plural bops)

blow
delivered:
a blow, especially a hit on the head (informal)
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bop

bop1
bop1 [bop]
intransitive verb (past bopped, past participle bopped,
present participle bop·ping, 3rd person present singular bops)

1.  go
casually:
to go somewhere on the spur of the moment (informal)

2.  dance:
to dance to pop music, especially in a disco (dated informal)
noun
(plural bops)

1.  a
spell of dancing: a session of dancing to pop music (informal)
• We
had one quick bop and left.

2.  dance:
a social event organized for the purpose of dancing to pop music (dated
informal)

3.  MUSIC See bebop
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of bebop .][1]



bopper

bopper
bop·per 
[bóppər] (plural bop·pers) noun

1.  MUSIC jazz
musician:
a jazz musician who plays bebop

2.  (dated)
See teenybopper

[1]



BOQ

BOQ
BOQ

Abbreviation of
Bachelor Officers’ Quarters[1]



bora

bora
bo·ra 
[báwrə, bṓrə]
or Bo·ra [báwrə, bṓrə] noun

strong
European wind: a cold, dry, strong northeasterly wind
that blows down the mountains of Central Europe and along the shores of the
Adriatic
[Mid-19th century. From a
dialect variant of Italian borea, from Latin boreas “north
wind.”][1]



Bora-Bora

Bora-Bora
Bo·ra-Bo·ra
[bàwrə báwrə, brə
bṓrə]

island and tourist resort in
the southern Pacific. One of the Leeward Island of French Polynesia, it was
used as a U.S. air base in World War II. Population: 4,225 (1988) Area: 39 sq
km/15 sq mi.[1]



boracic

boracic
bo·rac·ic 
[bə rássik] adjective

See
boric
[Late 18th century. Formed
from medieval Latin borac-, stem of borax (see borax ).][1]



borage

borage
bor·age 
[báwrij, bórij]
noun

leafy
plant with blue flowers: a hairy Mediterranean plant
with large star-shaped blue flowers and thick oval leaves that taste of
cucumber and are sometimes used in salads. It also produces oil with
pharmaceutical uses. Latin name: Borago officinalis
[13th century. Via French bourrache
from Latin bor(r)ago, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Arabic abūḥurāš,
literally “father of roughness” (from its rough leaves).][1]



borane

borane
bo·rane 
[báw ràyn, bṓ
ràyn] (plural bo·ranes) noun

boron-hydrogen
compound:
a compound containing only boron and hydrogen. Some compounds are used in the
manufacture of fuels for rockets and jet engines.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from boron + -ane
.][1]



borate

borate
bo·rate 
[báw ràyt, bṓ
ràyt] (plural bo·rates) noun

boric
acid compound: a salt or ester of boric acid
[Late 18th century. Coined
from borax + -ate
.][1]



borax

borax
bo·rax
[báw ràks, báwrəks,
bṓr rəks] noun

boron
ore:
a white crystalline solid that occurs in alkaline soils and salt deposits and
is an ore of boron. It is used in cleaning products, as a water softener, and
as a preservative. Na2B4O7.10H2O
Also
called
tincal
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin and colloquial Arabic from Pahlavi būrak .][1]



borborygmus

borborygmus
bor·bo·ryg·mus 
[bàwrbə rígməss] noun

stomach
rumble:
the rumbling sounds made by the movement of gases in the stomach and intestine
(technical)
[Early
18th century. From Greek borborugmos, from borboruzein “to have a
rumbling in the bowels.”]
—bor·bo·ryg·mic, adjective[1]



Bordeaux

Bordeaux1
Bor·deaux1  [bawr
dṓ]

city on the Garonne River and
capital of Gironde Department in the Aquitaine Region, southwestern France. It
is an important center for the wine trade. Population: 213,274 (1990)[1]



Bordeaux

Bordeaux2
Bor·deaux2  [bawr
dṓ] (plural Bor·deaux) noun

wine from Bordeaux region:
red or white wine produced in the region around Bordeaux, France[1]



Bordeauxmixture

Bordeauxmixture
Bor·deaux
mix·ture
noun

fungicide:
a solution of copper sulfate and calcium hydroxide that is sprayed on trees and
other plants as a fungicide[1]



bordello

bordello
bor·del·lo 
[bawr déllō] (plural bor·del·los)
noun

brothel:
a house of prostitution (literary)
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from French bordel, literally “cabin, small hut,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps ultimately from Germanic.][1]



Borden,Robert

Borden,Robert

Bor·den
[báwrd’n], Sir Robert (1854–1937)
Canadian
statesman. He was prime minister of Canada (1911–1920), and campaigned for
dominion status.
Full name
Borden, Sir Robert Laird[1]



border

border
bor·der
[báwrdər] noun (plural bor·ders)

1.  strip
around edge: a band that runs along the edge of
something, for example, a printed page or a framed painting, often decorated or
itself added for decoration • a
handkerchief with a patterned border

2.  line
dividing two areas: the line that officially
separates two countries or regions, or the land on either side of it (often
used before a noun) • across
the border
• border
country

3.  land
at edge:
the edge of an area of land, or the ground near the edge • a
shy animal that rarely comes nearer than the border of the field

4.  narrow
flowerbed:
a narrow flowerbed along a wall or at the edge of a lawn or path
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bor·dered,
past participle bor·dered, present participle bor·der·ing,
3rd person present singular bor·ders)

1.  form
frontier with place: to form the frontier with
another country or the boundary between two regions • Italy
borders Austria in the Alps.

2.  be
next to something: to form a line along the
edge of something • a field bordered by
willow trees
[14th century. From Old
French bordeüre, ultimately from a Germanic word that is also one of the
ancestors of English board .][1]



Bordercollie

Bordercollie
Bor·der
col·lie 
noun

black-and-white
sheepdog:
a dog with a long silky black-and-white coat, belonging to a breed often kept
as sheepdogs
[So called because it was
originally bred in the Borders, between England and Scotland][1]



borderland

borderland
bor·der·land 
[báwrdər lànd] (plural bor·der·lands)
noun

1.  area
at territory’s edge: the area near the edge of a
country or region, especially a remote area

2.  point
where things overlap: the indeterminate area
between two conditions, categories, or activities that is hard to define
because it contains features or qualities of both

[1]



borderline

borderline
bor·der·line 
[báwrdər ln] noun (plural bor·der·lines)

separating line:
the notional line that separates one state or quality from another very similar
one • the
borderline between frankness and rudeness
adjective

1.  at
category’s edge: not clearly belonging to one or other of
two categories • Borderline applicants
will be reinterviewed.

2.  PSYCHOLOGY psychologically
unstable:
used to describe a psychological condition characterized by emotional
instability and marked by self-destructive, manipulative, and erratic behavior

3.  MEDICINE almost
developed:
used to describe a medical condition that a patient is likely to develop unless
preventive steps are taken • borderline
hypertension

[1]



borderon

borderon
border
on
transitive verb

be nearly something else:
to be almost the same as something • an
admissions policy bordering on the ridiculous[1]



Borderterrier

Borderterrier
Bor·der
ter·ri·er
(plural Bor·der ter·ri·ers) noun

small
dog with rough coat: a small short dog belonging
to a breed of terriers with rough coats that are kept as pets
[So called because it was
originally bred in the Borders, between England and Scotland][1]



Borduas,Paul Émile

Borduas,Paul Émile
Bor·du·as
[báwrdoo ], Paul Émile (1905–1960)

Canadian painter. His
exploration of spontaneous painting ( automism ) led to abstract works
such as L’Étoile noir ( 1957 ).[1]



bordure

bordure
bor·dure 
[báwrjər] (plural bor·dures) noun

border
around heraldic shield: the decorated edge running
around the edge of the shield on a coat of arms, signifying that the bearer is
not the chief of the family
[14th century. An earlier
spelling of border .][1]



bore

bore2
bore2 [bawr,
bōr] intransitive and transitive verb
(past bored, past participle bored, present
participle bor·ing, 3rd person present singular bores)

1.  make
hole in something: to make a deep hole in
something, such as that made by a drill, a bullet, or a boring insect

2.  penetrate:
to penetrate into the inner or hidden parts of somebody or something • questioning
that bores deep into their private affairs
noun
(plural bores)

size of pipe: the
internal diameter of a pipe, gun barrel, or any other hollow cylindrical part
[Old English borian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English perforate .][1]



bore

bore1
bore1 [bawr,
bōr] transitive verb (past bored,
past participle bored, present participle bor·ing, 3rd
person present singular bores)

make
somebody uninterested: to make somebody lose
interest and so feel tired and annoyed • He
bored us stiff with a detailed explanation of the itinerary for his vacation.
noun
(plural bores)

something
that bores:
somebody or something regarded as wholly uninteresting or tiresome • Peeling
potatoes is a bore!
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bore

bore4
bore4 [bawr,
bōr] verb

Past participle of
bear 2[1]



bore

bore3
bore3 [bawr,
bōr] (plural bores) noun

tidal
wave in river: a large powerful wave that the tide
causes to move up a river or narrow estuary.
Also
called
eagre
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse bára “wave.”][1]



boreal

boreal
bo·re·al 
[báwree əl, bōreeəl]
adjective

northern:
used to describe a region that has a northern temperate climate, with cold
winters and warm summers
[15th century. Directly or
via French from late Latin borealis, from Latin Boreas (see Boreas ).][1]



Boreas

Boreas
Bo·re·as 
[báwree əss, bōree
əss] noun

1.  god
of north wind: in Greek mythology, the god who
personifies the north wind.
See
also
Zephyrus

2.  Bo·re·as
or bo·re·as north wind:
a wind blowing from the north (literary)
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek .][1]



bored

bored
bored
[bawrd, bōrd]
adjective

tired and impatient:
feeling tired and irritable, either because of being exposed to something
uninteresting or because of having nothing to do[1]



boredom

boredom
bore·dom 
[báwrdəm, bṓrdəm]
noun

bored feeling:
the feeling of being bored • I
nearly died of boredom.[1]



borehole

borehole
bore·hole 
[báwr hl, bṓr
hl] (plural bore·holes) noun

hole drilled in earth:
a deep hole drilled into the ground to obtain samples for geological study or
to release or extract water or oil[1]



borer

borer
bor·er 
[báwrər, bṓrər]
(plural bor·ers) noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING tool
for boring holes: a machine or hand tool used for boring
holes

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
that bores:
an organism, especially an insect or a mollusk, that bores into a plant or into
wood or rock

[1]



Borg,Björn, Björn

Borg,Björn, Björn

Borg,
Björn 
[bawrg, bōrg],
Björn (1956– )
Swedish
tennis player. He was the Wimbledon men’s singles champion from 1976 to 1980
and won the French singles title six times.
Full name
Borg, Björn Rune[1]



Borges,Jacobo

Borges,Jacobo
Bor·ges
[báwr hess], Jacobo (1931– )

Venezuelan artist. He is
noted for his paintings portraying social themes.[1]



Borges,Jorge Luis

Borges,Jorge Luis

Bor·ges 
[báwr hess], Jorge Luis (1899–1986)
Argentine writer. An avant-garde poet and
essayist, he is famous for his short stories, of which Fictions ( 1945 )
and the Aleph ( 1949 ) are outstanding collections. He was director of
Venezuela’s National Library from 1955 to 1973.[1]



Borge,Victor

Borge,Victor
Bor·ge
[báwrgə, bṓrgə],
Victor (1909– )

Danish-born U.S. musician. He
became famous for his solo comedy shows performed at the piano.[1]



Borgia,Cesare

Borgia,Cesare
Bor·gia 
[báwrjə, báwrə],
Cesare, Duke of the Romagna (1476?–1507)

Italian soldier. The
illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI and the brother of Lucrezia Borgia, he
conquered several central Italian city-states in an attempt to found his own
kingdom.[1]



Borgia,Lucrezia

Borgia,Lucrezia
Bor·gia 
[báwrjə, báwrə],
Lucrezia (1480–1519)

Italian art patron. During
her third marriage to the Duke of Este, she attracted Italy’s foremost painters
and writers to her court in Ferrara. She was the sister of Cesare Borgia.[1]



Borglum,Gutzon

Borglum,Gutzon
Bor·glum 
[báwrgləm], Gutzon (1867–1941)

U.S.
sculptor. He spent his last fourteen years carving the giant sculptures of four
U.S. presidents into the rock face of Mount Rushmore.
Full name
Borglum, John Gutzon de la Mothe[1]



boric

boric
bo·ric 
[báwrik, bṓrik]
adjective

of
boron:
containing or relating to boron
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from boron + -ic .][1]



boricacid

boricacid
bo·ric
ac·id
noun

weak acid:
a weak acidic white crystalline solid used in the manufacture of glass and
porcelain, as a fire retardant, and as an antiseptic. H3BO3[1]



boring

boring1
bor·ing1  [báwring,
bṓring] adjective

uninteresting:
stimulating no interest or enthusiasm
—bor·ing·ly,
adverb

—bor·ing·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  boring, dull, monotonous,
  tedious, uninteresting
  CORE
  MEANING: causing
  a state of impatience and weariness boring;
  the most general term in this group, it can be used as a substitute for both
  “dull” and “monotonous” and simply indicates that somebody or something is
  lacking in interest, stimulation, or variety; dull;
  uninteresting because of a lack of liveliness, humor, or variety; monotonous; suggesting that the cause is too
  much uniformity and a lack of variation; tedious;
  suggesting weariness to the point of physical as well mental discomfort; uninteresting; suggesting simply that
  something is not engaging somebody’s interest rather than it is arousing
  actual impatience or weariness

[1]



boring

boring2
bor·ing2  [báwring,
bṓring] adjective

making holes:
used to describe animals or tools that make holes in things[1]



Borlaug,Norman

Borlaug,Norman
Bor·laug 
[báwr làwg], Norman (1914– )

U.S.
agronomist. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for developing the
high-yield wheat that launched the “green revolution” in the developing world.
Full name
Borlaug, Norman Ernest[1]



Bormann,Martin

Bormann,Martin
Bor·mann 
[báwr mn], Martin (1900–1945?)

German Nazi politician. A
close and loyal adviser of Adolf Hitler, he stayed with Hitler to the end of
World War II, when he is thought to have been killed by a sniper.[1]



born

born2
born2  [bawrn]

Past participle of
bear 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








born

born1
born1  [bawrn]
adjective

1.  brought
into life:
brought into existence as a baby from a mother’s womb • a
child born in Birmingham.
See
also
bear 2

2.  begun:
developed from a particular source or root cause • a
realization born of long experience

3.  naturally
predisposed: having the particular natural talent or
innate character trait • describes
the young Napoleon as a born leader

4.  with
specified original status: given a particular status or
condition by or at birth (often used in combination) • the
Canadian-born singer-songwriter
[Old
English boren, past participle of beran “bear” (see bear )]
born
and bred

coming
from a particular place or background and usually having the qualities or
character regarded as typical

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at born.

[1]



born-again

born-again
born-a·gain 
adjective

enthusiastic:
with all the enthusiasm of somebody who has been recently converted to a cause
or an idea
[Originally in born-again Christian][1]



born-againChristian

born-againChristian
born-a·gain
Chris·tian
noun

spiritually
changed Christian: somebody with a new and
passionately felt and expressed Christian faith
[From John 3:3 “Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (referring to a spiritual
rebirth)][1]



borne

borne
borne


Past
participle of bear 2

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  born
  or borne ?
  Borne is the primary past
  participle of the verb bear : • They
  had borne enough pain. • The
  following points should be borne in mind. • His
  account is simply not borne out by the facts. In
  meanings relating to birth, borne is used
  when the mother is the subject of the verb, or when the verb is passive
  followed by the preposition “by”: • Maria
  had already borne six children. • The
  twins were borne by an Italian mother. But
  when the subject is the child, born is the
  past participle of choice: • He
  was not born in a hospital . Born
  is also the adjective of choice, used in a combination, to indicate
  condition, location, or status of birth: • newly
  born pups
  and • a
  southern-born poet.

[1]



Borneo

Borneo
Bor·ne·o 
[báwrnee ]

island
of the Malay Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, near Southeast Asia and the
Philippines. Population: 12,500,000 1991 Area: 751,100 sq km/290,000 sq mi.
—Bor·ne·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Bornholmdisease

Bornholmdisease
Born·holm
dis·ease
[báwrn hm di zz, báwrn
hlm di zz] noun

viral
infection:
an acute epidemic viral infection whose symptoms include fever and pain around
the base of the chest
[Because the disease was
first identified on the Danish island of Bornholm][1]



bornite

bornite
born·ite 
[báwr nt] noun

ore
of copper:
a brown mineral with a metallic sheen that is an ore of copper
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Austrian mineralogist Ignatius von Born (1742–1791).][1]



boro-

boro-2
boro-2 prefix

boron
• borosilicate
[From boron][1]



boro-

boro-1
boro-1 prefix

(used before vowels)See
boro-[1]



Borodin,Aleksander Porfiryevich

Borodin,Aleksander Porfiryevich
Bo·ro·din 
[báwrədin], Aleksander Porfiryevich
(1833–1887)

Russian composer and chemist.
A professor of chemistry in St. Petersburg, he wrote the opera Prince Igor
and other orchestral works.[1]



Borodino

Borodino
Bo·ro·di·no 
[bàwrrə dnō]

village in Russia about 110
km70 mi west of Moscow. It was the site in 1812 of an important Napoleon
victory.[1]



boron

boron

bo·ron 
[báw ròn] noun
yellow-brown
metalloid element: a yellow-brown chemical
element that is hard and brittle, with properties intermediate between a metal
and nonmetal. It is used in alloys, glass, and ceramics, and in nuclear
reactors to absorb radiation. Symbol B
[Early 19th century. Formed
from borax, modeled on carbon, which it resembles in some respects.][1]



borosilicate

borosilicate
bo·ro·sil·i·cate 
[bàwrō síllikət, bàwrō
sílli kàyt] noun

chemical used in glassmaking:
a salt of boric and silicic acids. Borosilicates are used in the manufacture of
heat- and chemical-resistant glass.[1]



borough

borough
bor·ough 
[búrō, búrrō]
(plural bor·oughs) noun

1.  district
of city:
an administrative division of a large city, responsible for running local
services such as housing and education

2.  self-governing
town:
in some states, a town that has formed itself into a legal corporation and
governs itself

3.  English
town:
in England a town that once had special privileges granted to it by royal
charter
[Old English burg
“fortress, fortified town,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
protect,” which is also the ancestor of English bury,
barrow, belfry,
and borrow][1]



Borromini,Francesco

Borromini,Francesco
Bor·ro·mi·ni 
[bàwrə mnee], Francesco (1599–1667)

Italian
architect. He designed the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome
(1637–1641).
Born
Castelli, Francesco[1]



borrow

borrow
bor·row 
[báwrō, bórō]
verb (past bor·rowed, past participle bor·rowed,
present participle bor·row·ing, 3rd person present singular
bor·rows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb receive
money as loan: to arrange to be given money by somebody
or by a bank or other financial institution for a fixed period of time. The
money is normally paid back in installments, with interest. • We’ve
already borrowed heavily this year.

2.  transitive
verb
use
somebody else’s property: to get temporary possession
or use of something belonging to somebody else, usually after asking permission
• Dad,
can I borrow the car?

3.  transitive
verb
take
from library: to take out a book or other item from a
library

4.  transitive
verb
copy
from somebody’s work: to copy something from
somebody else’s work, especially a work of art of some kind • some
shots clearly borrowed from a famous director

5.  transitive
verb
LANGUAGE take
from another language: to adopt a word from another
language

6.  intransitive
verb
GOLF putt
allowing for slope: to putt to the left or right
of a straight line on a green to allow for the effect of the slope

7.  intransitive
verb
GOLF veer
left or right: to veer to the left or right as a result
of the slope on a green (refers to a golf ball)
noun

GOLF extent
of veering:
the degree to which a golf ball veers to the left or right as a result of the
slope of a green
[Old
English borgian “to borrow against security,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to protect”]
—bor·row·er, noun[1]



borrowing

borrowing
bor·row·ing 
[báwrō ing, bórō
ing] (plural bor·row·ings) noun

1.  loan
of money:
the borrowing of money or the amount of money borrowed, especially from a bank
or other financial institution

2.  LANGUAGE adopted
word:
a word that has been adopted from another language

3.  copied
idea:
an idea copied from somebody else’s work, especially a work of art of some kind

[1]



borrowpit

borrowpit
bor·row
pit
noun

excavated hole:
a hole left where stones or other materials have been dug up for use in
construction work elsewhere[1]



borscht

borscht
borscht 
[bawrsht] noun

beet
soup:
a Russian or Polish soup whose main ingredient is beets
[Early 19th century. From
Russian borshch .][1]



borschtbelt

borschtbelt
borscht
belt
noun

Jewish
resort area in the Catskills: a show business circuit
based on the many Jewish hotels formerly in the Catskill Mountains (informal)
[Early 20th century. From the
idea that borscht was a favorite dish of Jewish people, many of whom were
immigrants, or descended from immigrants, from Eastern Europe or Russia.][1]



bort

bort
bort 
[bawrt] (plural borts) noun

industrial
diamond:
a diamond of inferior quality that is used industrially on grinding wheels and
other abrasive devices
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch boort, or from Old French bort
“bastard.”][1]



borzoi

borzoi
bor·zoi 
[báwr zòy] (plural bor·zois) noun

large
dog with silky coat: a tall graceful domestic dog
with a long silky coat, belonging to a breed formerly used in Russia to hunt
wolves.
Also
called
Russian wolfhound
[Late 19th century. From
Russian, formed from borzy “swift.”][1]



Bosc

Bosc
Bosc 
[bosk] (plural Boscs) noun

type
of pear:
a variety of pear that has a long neck, a reddish-yellow skin, and juicy sweet
flesh
[Named for the 19th-century
Belgian horticulturalist Louis Bosc][1]



boscage

boscage
bos·cage 
[bóskij] noun

wooded
area:
densely growing trees and bushes (literary)
[14th century. From Old
French, ultimately from a Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English bush .][1]



boscage

boscage
bos·cage 
[bóskij] noun

wooded
area:
densely growing trees and bushes (literary)
[14th century. From Old
French, ultimately from a Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English bush .][1]



Bosch,Hieronymus

Bosch,Hieronymus
Bosch 
[bosh, bawsh],
Hieronymus (1450?–1516)

Dutch
painter. His allegorical paintings teeming with demons and monsters include The
Seven Deadly Sins and The Garden of Earthly Delights.
Real name
Aken, Jerome van[1]



Bosch,Juan Domingo

Bosch,Juan Domingo
Bosch
[bosh, bawsh],
Juan Domingo (1909– )

Dominican writer and
statesman. He lived in exile from 1937 to 1961 during the dictatorship of
Rafael Trujillo. He was elected president of the Dominican Republic (1962), but
was overthrown in 1963 and never regained office.[1]



bosh

bosh
bosh 
[bosh] interjection

rubbish:
used to dismiss as nonsense what has just been said (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Turkish boş “empty, worthless.”][1]



bosk

bosk
bosk 
[bosk] (plural bosks) or
bosque [bosk] (plural bosques)
noun

thicket:
a small forest made up of densely growing small trees or bushes (literary)
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from bosky .][1]



bosky

bosky
bosk·y 
[bóskee] (comparative bosk·i·er,
superlative bosk·i·est) adjective

densely
wooded:
covered with small trees or bushes growing densely (literary)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Middle English bosk, a variant of bush
.][1]



Bosnia

Bosnia
Bos·ni·a 
[bózneeə] noun

Balkan
region:
the northern region of Bosnia-Herzegovina
—Bos·ni·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Bosniaand Herzegovina

Bosniaand Herzegovina


Bos·ni·a and Her·ze·go·vi·na
[bóznee ə hèrtsə gōvnə] or Bos·ni·a
[bóznee ə hèrtsə gōvnə]
a republic in the former Federal People’s
Republic of Yugoslavia that declared its independence in 1992. In 1995,
following civil war between Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats, it was divided
into two self-governing provinces: a Muslim-Croat Federation and a Serb
Republic. Language: Serbo-Croatian. Currency: Dinar. Capital: Sarajevo.
Population: 3,222,584 (1997) Area: 51,129 sq km/19,745 sq mi. Official name
Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]



Bosniaand Herzegovina




Back to definition

Bosniaand Herzegovina

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bosom

bosom
bos·om 
[bzzəm, bzzəm]
noun (plural bos·oms)

1.  woman’s
breasts:
a woman’s breasts or chest

2.  clothes
covering breasts: a part of a garment, for example, a
dress, that covers the chest

3.  protective
place:
a familiar source of protection, security, or affection (literary) • back
in the bosom of her family

4.  seat
of emotion:
the place where emotions are felt (literary)
adjective

close in friendship:
used to describe a friend to whom somebody is very close (informal) • a
bosom buddy
[Old English bōsm, of
uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English bough and bow (of a ship)][1]



bosomy

bosomy
bo·som·y 
[bzzəmee] (comparative bo·som·i·er,
superlative bo·som·i·est) adjective

large-breasted:
with large breasts[1]



boson

boson
bo·son 
[bṓson] (plural bo·sons) noun

particle
with zero or integral spin: an elementary particle that
has zero or integral spin and obeys statistical rules that place no restriction
on the number of identical particles that may be in the same state. Photons and
alpha particles are bosons.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Indian physicist S. N. Bose (1894–1974), who, with Albert Einstein, stated
the statistical relations that describe the behavior of these particles.][1]



Bosporus

Bosporus
Bos·po·rus 
[bóspərəss] or Bos·pho·rus [bsfərəss]

strait linking the Black Sea
and the Sea of Marmara. It separates European and Asian Turkey. Length: 32
km/20 mi.[1]



bosque

bosque
bosque
noun

(literary) See bosk[1]



boss

boss2
boss2 [bawss,
boss] (plural boss·es) noun

1.  knob:
a round raised part that sticks out from a surface, for example, a stud at the
center of a shield

2.  ARCHITECTURE ceiling
decoration:
a decorative knob on a vaulted ceiling at points where the ribs meet

3.  BIOLOGY swelling:
a round swelling on a plant or the horn of an animal

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING shaft
part:
a thicker part of a shaft at a point where another part is attached to it

5.  GEOLOGY volcanic
rock mass:
a mass of volcanic rock with a roughly circular cross section and vertical
sides
[14th century. From Old
French boce, of unknown origin.][1]



boss

boss1
boss1 [bawss,
boss] noun (plural boss·es)

1.  somebody
in charge:
somebody who is in charge of others, especially in a work environment • asked
the boss for some time off

2.  dominant
person:
the person who is the dominant partner in a relationship or the dominant member
of a group, who tends to make decisions and give instructions (informal)
(often used ironically)

3.  powerful
politician:
a politician who exerts a controlling influence, for example, by applying
pressure on others to vote in a particular way (informal)
transitive
verb
(past bossed, past participle bossed, present
participle boss·ing, 3rd person present singular boss·es)

give orders: to
give others orders in a way that seeks to demonstrate or establish authority
and is often resisted or resented • You
find the big kids trying to boss the little kids around.
adjective

excellent: so
good as to dominate in a group (slang) • a
boss drummer
[Early
19th century. From Dutch baas “master,” of unknown origin.]
be
your own boss

1.  to
work under your own authority, for example, with freelance or self-employed
status

2.  to
make decisions relating to your own life, rather than have them dictated by
others

[1]



bossanova

bossanova
bos·sa
no·va 
[bòssə nṓvə, bàwssə
nṓvə] (plural bos·sa no·vas) noun

1.  dance:
a lively ballroom dance similar to the samba. It originated in Brazil in the
early 1960s.

2.  music
for dance:
a piece of music for the bossa nova
[Mid-20th century. From
Portuguese, literally “new trend.”][1]



bosset

bosset
bos·set 
[bóssit] (plural bos·sets) noun

undeveloped
antler:
a rudimentary antler that grows on each side of a young deer’s head
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “little boss knob.”][1]



BossierCity

BossierCity
Bos·sier
Cit·y 
[bzhər síttee]

city in northwestern
Louisiana on the Red River, on the northwestern outskirts of Shreveport.
Population: 55,686 (1996)[1]



bossism

bossism
boss·ism 
[báw sìzzəm, bó
sìzzəm] noun

patronage system in city
politics: political control,
especially the control of a big city’s political machine, by one person who is
usually not an officeholder and whose methods are usually corrupt[1]



bossy

bossy
boss·y
[báwssee, bóssee]
(comparative boss·i·er, superlative boss·i·est) adjective

with
domineering tendency: fond of giving people orders
• The
other children don’t like it when you’re bossy.
—boss·i·ly,
adverb

—boss·i·ness, noun[1]



boston

boston
bos·ton 
[báwstən, bóstən]
noun

kind
of whist:
a version of whist in which two decks of cards are used and players bid for the
right to name trumps
[Early 19th century. From
French, said to have been devised by French naval officers involved in the
Siege of Boston (Massachusetts) in the
American Revolution.][1]



Boston

Boston

Bos·ton 
[báwstən, bóstən]
capital
and largest city of Massachusetts. Situated at the mouth of the Charles River
on Boston Bay, it is home to Boston and Northeastern universities. Population:
558,394 (1996)
—Bos·to·ni·an [baw stṓnee ən, bos stṓnee
ən], noun, adjective[1]



Boston




Back to definition

Boston

[1]



Bostonbull

Bostonbull
Bos·ton
bull
or Bos·ton bull·dog noun

See
Boston terrier[1]



Bostoncrab

Bostoncrab
Bos·ton
crab
noun

wrestling hold:
a wrestling hold in which a wrestler is grabbed by the legs, turned face down,
and sat on[1]



Bostoncream pie

Bostoncream pie
Bos·ton
cream pie
noun

cream cake:
a round sandwich cake filled with cream or custard and covered with chocolate
sauce[1]



Bostonfern

Bostonfern
Bos·ton
fern
noun

delicate fern:
a fern with delicate, crested fronds. It is a popular houseplant. Latin name: Nephrolepis
exaltata bostoniensis[1]



Bostonivy

Bostonivy
Bos·ton
i·vy
(plural Bos·ton i·vies) noun

climbing plant with leaves
that turn red: a climbing plant with
leaves having three black lobes that turn red in the fall. It is a popular
garden plant. Latin name: Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Also called
Japanese ivy[1]



Bostonlettuce

Bostonlettuce
Bos·ton
let·tuce
noun

soft round-headed lettuce:
a variety of lettuce with a round head and soft, yellow and green leaves[1]



Bostonrocker

Bostonrocker
Bos·ton
rock·er
noun

high-backed rocking chair:
a rocking chair with a seat that curves up to meet a high back[1]



BostonTea Party

BostonTea Party
Bos·ton
Tea Par·ty
noun

American protest against
British taxes: a protest against
British taxes made by the citizens of Boston in 1773, leading to the American
Revolution. The protesters boarded three British ships and threw their cargoes
of tea overboard.[1]



Bostonterrier

Bostonterrier
Bos·ton
ter·ri·er
noun

cross between bulldog and
terrier: a stocky dog with a smooth,
brindled, or black coat with white markings, belonging to a breed that is a
cross between a bulldog and a terrier.
Also called
Boston bull
Also called
Boston bulldog[1]



bosun

bosun
bo·sun 
[bṓss’n] (plural bo·suns) noun

ship’s
maintenance officer: an officer on a ship whose
job is to supervise the maintenance of the ship and its equipment
[Mid-17th century.
Representing a pronunciation of boatswain .][1]



Boswell,James

Boswell,James
Bos·well 
[bóz wèl, bózwəl],
James (1740–1795)

Scottish lawyer and
biographer. He met the writer Samuel Johnson in 1763 and after two decades of
close association wrote Life of Samuel Johnson ( 1791 ), one of the
masterpieces of English biography.[1]



BosworthField

BosworthField
Bos·worth
Field 
[bòz wərth fld]

site of a decisive battle in
1485 when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III and claimed the English throne. It
is near the town of Market Bosworth, central Leicestershire.[1]



bot.

bot.
bot.

1.  Abbreviation
of
botanical

2.  Abbreviation
of
botany

[1]



bot

bot2
bot2 [bot]
(plural bots) noun

computer
program:
a computer program that performs routine or time-consuming tasks, for example,
searching Web site on the Internet, automatically or semi-independently (usually
used in combination)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of robot .][1]



BOT

BOT
BOT

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of beginning of tape[1]



bot

bot1
bot1 [bot]
(plural bots) noun

botfly
maggot:
a larva of the botfly. It lives as a parasite inside the human body and the
bodies of horses, sheep, and cattle.
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low Dutch .][1]



botanical

botanical
bo·tan·i·cal 
[bə tánnik’l] or bo·tan·ic [bə tánnik] adjective

of
plants:
relating to plants, especially to the scientific study of plants
noun
(plural bo·tan·i·cals) (plural bo·tan·ics)

plant-based
drug:
a drug or other medicinal or cosmetic product that is made from plants (often
used in the plural)
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French botanique from late Latin botanicus,
from Greek botanikos, from botanē “plant.”]
—bo·tan·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



botanicalgarden

botanicalgarden
bo·tan·i·cal
gar·den
or bo·tan·ic gar·den noun

garden for exotic plants:
an area, often open to the public, in which exotic, rare, or scientifically
interesting plants are grown and studied[1]



botanist

botanist
bot·a·nist 
[bótt’nist] (plural bot·a·nists)
noun

plant
scientist:
somebody with an expert scientific knowledge of, or a strong interest in,
plants
[Mid-17th century. From
French botaniste, from botanique (see botanical
.][1]



botanize

botanize
bot·a·nize 
[bótt’n z] (past bot·a·nized,
past participle bot·a·nized, present participle bot·a·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular bot·a·niz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

study
plants:
to collect or study plants (informal)
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin botanizare from Greek botanizein “to
gather plants,” from botanē “plant.”]
—bot·a·niz·er, noun[1]



botany

botany
bot·a·ny 
[bótt’nee] (plural bot·a·nies)
noun

1.  study
of plants:
the scientific study of plants

2.  plant
life of specific area: the plant life that exists
within a particular area

3.  biological
characteristics of plant: the biological description
of a single plant or group of plants
[Late 17th century. Formed
from botanic .][1]



BotanyBay

BotanyBay
Bot·a·ny
Bay


bay south of Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia. It was Captain Cook’s first landing site on the
continent in 1770.[1]



Botanywool

Botanywool
Bot·a·ny
wool
noun

fine
wool:
a fine grade of merino wool used in the manufacture of yarns and fabrics
[Named for Botany Bay][1]



botch

botch
botch 
[boch] transitive verb (past botched,
past participle botched, present participle botch·ing,
3rd person present singular botch·es)

do
something badly: to do something very badly out of
clumsiness or lack of care • managed
to botch a simple repair job • botched
the piano concerto up
noun
botch (plural botch·es)

badly
done job:
a job or task that has been done very badly (informal)
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—botch·er,
noun

—botch·i·ly,
adverb

—botch·i·ness,
noun

—botch·y, adjective[1]



botfly

botfly
bot·fly 
[bót fl] (plural bot·flies) noun

parasitic fly:
a two-winged hairy parasitic fly that lays its eggs under the skin or in the
digestive tract, sometimes causing serious illness. Botflies live as parasites
on people, horses, sheep, and cattle. Families: Oestridae Gasterophilidae[1]



both

both
both 
[bōth] adjective

two:
relating to or being two people or things considered together • For
the first time I find that I like both candidates. • There
are only two licensed check cashers in Monmouth and Ocean counties, and both
are in Asbury Park.
conjunction

not
just one:
used with two facts or alternatives joined by “and” to indicate that not just
one but also the other one is included • Truancy
is now treated as both a law-enforcement and an educational issue.
[13th
century. From Old Norse báðir . Ultimately from two Indo-European words
meaning “both the.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  A
  flexible word,
  both has many roles, as a pronoun ( • I
  like both
  ), adjective (or determiner) ( • I
  like both boys ), and adverb (or conjunction) ( • They
  are both pleasant and cheerful ). Its mobility in a
  sentence is so great that its meaning can become ambiguous. In the last
  example, it is not immediately clear whether both
  belongs with “they” or with the complement of the sentence, “pleasant and
  cheerful”; in speech, intonation will normally clarify the intention.
  However, when writing, you need to ensure that you are not leaving the reader
  in doubt. The principal restriction that applies to both
  is that it should refer to two people or things and no more; if three or more
  are meant it is necessary to use each,
  which behaves grammatically in ways quite similar to both
  . (However, each is regarded as singular
  while both is plural, and both alone allows the construction • I
  saw them both .) When pairing both with and,
  it is important to retain a balance between the two parts of the
  construction, with regard to the position of both
  and the types of words linked. Examples of poor balance are • She
  is both charming and an intellectual
  (better: • She
  is both charming and intelligent ) and • He
  is both a fine singer and likes to paint
  (better: • He
  both sings well and likes to paint ).
  In terms of possession, of + both
  is preferred, as in • the
  parents of both, as opposed to • both
  their parents and • both
  their responsibility or • both
  their responsibilities .

[1]



Botha,P. W.

Botha,P. W.
Bo·tha
[bṓtə, bṓ t],
P. W. (1916– )

South
African statesman. He was prime minister (1978–1984) and first state president
(1984–1989) of South Africa.
Full name
Botha, Pieter Willem[1]



bother

bother
both·er 
[bóər] verb (past both·ered,
past participle both·ered, present participle both·er·ing,
3rd person present singular both·ers)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
effort:
to take the time or trouble to do something (often used in negative statements)
• He
didn’t even bother to get out of the car.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb worry
somebody:
to make somebody feel worried, anxious, or upset • It
bothers me to think of you all on your own.

3.  transitive
verb
disturb
somebody:
to annoy or disturb somebody, for example, by interrupting or by making
unwelcome advances • Is the music bothering
you?

4.  transitive
verb
give
pain:
to make somebody feel physical discomfort or pain • My
back is bothering me again.
noun
(plural both·ers)

1.  effort:
trouble or effort to do something • Don’t
go to all that bother for me.

2.  source
of annoyance: somebody or something that causes
annoyance, for example, by making noise
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  bother, annoy, bug,
  disturb, irk, trouble,
  worry
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  interfere with somebody’s composure bother;
  suggesting a range of interference with composure, both mental and physical,
  from interrupting somebody’s concentration to causing discomfort or pain; annoy; to interfere with somebody’s
  composure in such a way as to affect the nerves and cause irritation or
  anger; bug; a slang word meaning
  much the same as annoy; disturb;
  either to interrupt somebody in the process of doing something or seriously
  to interfere with somebody’s peace of mind; irk;
  a less common word meaning much the same as annoy but sometimes
  suggesting a greater degree of intolerance; trouble;
  a more formal word for disturb in both its senses given above; worry; to cause anxiety in somebody and so
  interfere with his/her composure, the cause of the discomposure being often
  less clear-cut than in the case of disturb or trouble

[1]



botheration

botheration
both·er·a·tion 
[bòə ráysh’n] interjection

expressing mild annoyance:
used as an expression of mild annoyance (dated informal)[1]



bothersome

bothersome
both·er·some 
[bóərsəm] adjective

annoying:
causing annoyance and inconvenience[1]



botree

botree
bo
tree 
[bṓ tr] (plural bo trees) noun

sacred
tree:
an tree found in India that belongs to the fig family, regarded as sacred by
Buddhists. The Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment while sitting
under a bo tree. Latin name: Ficus religiosa
Also
called
peepul
Also
called
pipal
[Mid-19th century. Partial
translation of Sinhalese bōgaha, from bō (from Pali and Sanskrit bodhi
“perfect knowledge”) + gaha “tree.”][1]



botryoidal

botryoidal
bot·ry·oid·al 
[bòttree óyd’l] adjective

shaped
like bunch of grapes: used to describe minerals
and plant parts shaped like a bunch of grapes
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek botruoeidēs, from botrus “bunch of grapes.”][1]



bots

bots
bots
[bots] noun

disease of farm animals:
an intestinal disease of horses, sheep, and cattle, caused by infection with
botfly larvae (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



Botswana




Back to definition

Botswana

[1]



Botswana

Botswana



Bot·swa·na 
[bot swnə]
landlocked
country in southern Africa, that shares borders with Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
and South Africa. It became independent from Britain in 1966. Language:
English. Language: Setswana. Currency: Pula. Capital: Gaborone. Population:
1,431,981 (1997) Area: 581,730 sq km/224,607 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Botswana Former name Bechuanaland
until 1966
—Bot·swa·nan, noun,
adjective[1]



botte

botte
bot·te
[bōtə] (plural bot·tes) noun

fencing
move:
a thrust or hit in fencing
[14th century. From Old
French bot(te) “blow, hit.”][1]



Botticelli,Sandro

Botticelli,Sandro


Bot·ti·cel·li 
[bòtti chéllee], Sandro (1445–1510)
Italian
painter. He specialized in classical themes, exemplified in paintings such as The
Birth of Venus and Primavera.
Real name
Filipepi, Alessandro di Mariano[1]



bottle

bottle
bot·tle 
[bótt’l] noun (plural bot·tles)

1.  container
for liquids: a container for liquids, usually made of
glass or plastic, with a narrow neck and no handle

2.  amount
in bottle:
the amount of liquid contained in a bottle

3.  container
for baby’s milk: a plastic or glass container with a
rubber nipple used for feeding a baby, or an amount of milk given by using one
of these • Has
he had his bottle yet?
Also
called
baby bottle

4.  alcohol:
alcohol, or the habit of drinking it to excess (informal)
transitive
verb
(past bot·tled, past participle bot·tled, present
participle bot·tling, 3rd person present singular bot·tles)

1.  put
in bottle:
to put a liquid, for example, wine, beer, or milk, in a bottle for storage or
sale

2.  U.K.
preserve
in jars:
to store fruit or vegetables in a preserving liquid in a glass container
[14th century. Via Old French
boteille from medieval Latin butticula “little cask,” from late
Latin buttis “cask, barrel” (source of English butt ).][1]



bottlebank

bottlebank
bot·tle
bank
noun

U.K.
container for recyclable glass:
a large container or group of containers in which members of the public can
deposit used glass bottles and jars for recycling[1]



bottlebrush

bottlebrush
bot·tle·brush 
[bótt’l brùsh] (plural bot·tle·brush·es)
noun

Australian
tree:
an Australian shrub or small tree that has a mass of spiky red flowers with
large stamens. Genera: Callistemon Melaleuca
[From the plant’s resemblance
to a cylindrical brush for cleaning bottles][1]



bottled

bottled
bot·tled
[bótt’ld] adjective

in bottles:
stored or sold in bottles[1]



bottle-feed

bottle-feed
bot·tle-feed 
(past bot·tle-fed, past participle bot·tle-fed, present
participle bot·tle-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular bot·tle-feeds)
transitive verb

feed with formula milk:
to feed a baby or a young animal formula milk from a bottle, as distinct from
breast-feeding or suckling it[1]



bottlegourd

bottlegourd
bot·tle
gourd
noun

plant with bottle-shaped
fruit: a European climbing plant
that produces bottle-shaped fruits. The dried shells of the fruits can be used
as containers for liquids. Latin name: Lagenaria siceraria
Also called
calabash[1]



bottlegreen

bottlegreen
bot·tle
green
adjective

dark-green:
of a dark-green color, like certain types of wine bottles
—bot·tle green, noun[1]



bottleneck

bottleneck
bot·tle·neck 
[bótt’l nèk] (plural bot·tle·necks)
noun

1.  traffic
constriction: a junction or a narrow section of a road
that slows traffic or causes traffic jams

2.  delay
in progress: a delay caused when one part of a
process or activity is slower than the others and so hinders overall progress

[1]



bottle-noseddolphin

bottle-noseddolphin
bot·tle-nosed
dol·phin 
or bot·tlenose dol·phin noun

dolphin with long snout:
a dolphin with a long snout, found in warm waters. Latin name: Tursiops
truncatus[1]



bottler

bottler
bot·tler
[bótt’lər] (plural bot·tlers) noun

company bottling drinks:
a company that bottles beverages as part of a manufacturing process[1]



bottletree

bottletree
bot·tle
tree
noun

bottle-shaped tree:
an Australian tree that has a swollen bottle-shaped trunk and gives off an
unpleasant smell. Genus: Brachychiton[1]



bottleup

bottleup
bottle
up
transitive verb

1.  entrap:
to contain, hold, or entrap something or somebody, especially a group of people

2.  contain
feelings:
to conceal or repress strong feelings • all
the resentment she’s been bottling up for years

[1]



bottom

bottom
bot·tom 
[bóttəm] noun (plural bot·toms)

1.  lowest
part:
the lowest or deepest part of something • From
the bottom of the hill it seems a long way up.

2.  underside:
the underneath side or surface of something • rust
on the bottom of the boat

3.  farthest
point:
the part of something that is farthest away • ponies
grazing at the bottom of the field

4.  land
under water: the ground underneath a sea, lake, or
river • Can
you dive down and touch the bottom?

5.  end
of list:
the end of a list or series, especially the lowest level of excellence or
achievement • teams
at the bottom of the league

6.  root
cause:
the fundamental, often hidden, cause or origin of something • get
to the bottom of the problem

7.  lowest
rank:
the lowest level in a hierarchy • worked
her way up from the bottom

8.  buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks, or, particularly when speaking to children, any body part
in this general area (informal)

9.  part
covering lower body: the part of a two-piece
garment, for example, a tracksuit or bikini, that covers the lower body (often
used in the plural)

10. valley:
a dry valley or hollow (often used in place names) • Six
Mile Bottom
adjective

1.  lowest:
in the lower or lowest position • Look
on the bottom shelf.

2.  least
successful:
in the position of least excellence or achievement • the
bottom five teams
verb
(past bot·tomed, past participle bot·tomed, present
participle bot·tom·ing, 3rd person present singular bot·toms)

1.  intransitive
verb
hit
sea floor:
to scrape the underside against the floor of the sea or a river, because the
water is too shallow (refers to ships)

2.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING overload
transistor:
to overload a transistor to the point where additional input produces no additional
output

3.  transitive
verb
establish
nature of:
to discover the true nature, cause, or origin of something (archaic)
[Old
English botm . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English found and fundamental .]
at
bottom

in
reality, when external appearances are stripped away

bottoms
up

used
as a drinking toast

hit
(rock) bottom

to reach the lowest point in
your personal, professional, or emotional life[1]



bottomdrawer

bottomdrawer
bot·tom
drawer
noun

U.K.
See hope chest
[Because items were
traditionally kept in the bottom drawer of a young woman’s chest of drawers][1]



bottomfeeder

bottomfeeder
bot·tom
feed·er 
noun

1.  water
organism eating off bottom: a fresh- or saltwater
animal, especially a fish that feeds on material drifting to the bottom of a
body of water

2.  contemptible
person:
a person regarded with contempt (slang insult)

[1]



bottomland

bottomland
bot·tom·land 
[bóttəm lànd] noun

fertile land near river:
low-lying fertile land bordering a river[1]



bottomless

bottomless
bot·tom·less 
[bóttəmliss] adjective

1.  very
deep:
so deep that what is specified appears to have no bottom

2.  plentiful:
with unlimited or seemingly unlimited resources, especially of money • a
bottomless fund

3.  unfathomable:
too well hidden to be discovered or too mysterious to be understood

[1]



bottomline

bottomline
bot·tom
line
noun

1.  FINANCE profit
or loss:
the final profit or loss that a company makes at the end of a given period of
time

2.  unavoidable
factor:
the most important factor that must be accepted, however reluctantly • The
bottom line is that the sponsors want a French driver on the team.

3.  FINANCE lowest
acceptable amount: the least amount of money
regarded as acceptable, for example, in a business deal

[1]



bottommost

bottommost
bot·tom·most 
[bóttəm mst] adjective

lowest:
at the very lowest level • the
bottommost rung of the ladder[1]



bottomout

bottomout
bottom
out
intransitive verb

reach end of decline:
after a decline, to stop falling any lower and stabilize at a low level • After
plummeting 200 points, the stock market finally bottomed out[1]



bottomround

bottomround
bot·tom
round
noun

cut of meat:
a cut of beef from the outer part of a round[1]



bottoms

bottoms
bot·toms
[bóttəmz] noun

See
bottom  noun 9[1]



bottomsetbed

bottomsetbed
bot·tom·set
bed
[bóttəm set bèd] (plural bot·tom·set
beds) noun

lowest sedimentary layer:
a layer of sediment deposited by a river at the base of an accumulating delta[1]



botulin

botulin
bot·u·lin 
[bóchəlin] noun

toxin
causing food poisoning: a toxin produced by the
bacterium Clostridium botulinum that causes botulism
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin botulinus (see botulinum
).][1]



botulinum

botulinum
bot·u·li·num 
[bòchə lnəm] (plural bot·u·li·nums)
or bot·u·li·nus [bóchə lnəss]
(plural bot·u·li·nus·es) noun

poisonous
bacterium:
a bacterium that causes botulism when it is present in food. It is an anaerobic
bacterium, requiring the absence of free oxygen. Latin name: Clostridium
botulinum
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, neuter of botulinus, formed from Latin botulus
“sausage.”]
—bot·u·li·nal, adjective[1]



botulism

botulism
bot·u·lism 
[bóchə lìzzəm] noun

type
of food poisoning: a serious form of food
poisoning caused by eating preserved food that has been contaminated with
botulinum organisms
[Late 19th century. From
German Botulismus, literally “sausage poisoning,” formed from Latin botulus
“sausage.”][1]



boubou

boubou
bou·bou
[bboo] (plural bou·bous) noun

African
bird:
an African bird, a type of shrike, that is black with a white slash on each
wing. It is known for singing in pairs. Genus: Lanarius
[Late 20th century. From an
African language.][1]



Boucher,François

Boucher,François
Bou·cher
[boo sháy], François (1703–1770)

French painter. He worked at
the court of Louis XV, painting mythological and pastoral scenes in the Rococo
style.[1]



Boucher,Pierre

Boucher,Pierre
Bou·cher
[boo sháy], Pierre (1622?–1717)

French-born Canadian soldier
and landowner. He recorded his experiences of life in New France.[1]



bouchée

bouchée
bou·chée 
[boo sháy] (plural bou·chées) noun

pastry
case:
a small bite-sized pastry case filled with a savory mixture
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “mouthful,” formed from bouche “mouth,” from Latin bucca
“cheek.”][1]



bouclé

bouclé
bou·clé 
[boo kláy] (plural bou·clés) noun

uneven
yarn:
a yarn with loops or bumps along its length that give a bumpy effect when knit
or woven (often used before a noun)
[Late 19th century. From
French, past participle of boucler “to curl” (source of English buckle ), ultimately from Latin buccula
“cheek strap of a helmet,” from bucca “cheek.”][1]



boudin

boudin
bou·din 
[boo dán, boo
dáN] (plural bou·dins) noun

spicy
Creole sausage: a spicy sausage made of pork, pork
liver, and rice. It is a popular ingredient in Louisiana Creole cuisine.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Latin botellus “pudding, small intestine,”
diminutive of botulus “sausage” (source of English botulism and pudding
).][1]



boudoir

boudoir
bou·doir 
[b dwàwr] (plural bou·doirs) noun

woman’s
bedroom:
a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “a place to sulk in,” from bouder “to pout or sulk.”][1]



bouffant

bouffant
bouf·fant 
[boo fnt] adjective

backcombed
into full shape: used to describe a woman’s hairstyle in
which hair is backcombed or teased to give fullness and height
noun
(plural bouf·fants)

hairstyle:
a full, high hairstyle for women
[Early 19th century. From
French, present participle of bouffer “to swell or puff up,” ultimately
an imitation of the sound.][1]



bouffe

bouffe
bouffe 
[boof] noun

See
opéra bouffe
[Via French from Italian buffa,
feminine of buffo “comic” (see buffoon
)][1]



Bougainville

Bougainville1
Bou·gain·ville1 [bgən
vìl, boo gaN vl]

The largest island of the
Solomon Island group in eastern Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific
Ocean. approximatelyArea: 8,730 sq km./3,492 sq mi[1]



bougainvillea

bougainvillea
bou·gain·vil·le·a 
[bgən víllee ə, bgən
víllyə, bgən v ə, b ] (plural bou·gain·vil·le·as) or
bou·gain·vil·lae·a [bgən víllee ə, bgən víllyə, bgən v
ə, b ] (plural bou·gain·vil·lae·as)
noun

flowering
climbing plant: a climbing woody plant with
insignificant flowers that have attractive red, purple, or pink surrounding
leaves ( bracts ). It is native to South
America and is popular in warm climates elsewhere. Genus: Bougainvillea
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville,
who led the expedition on which the plant was discovered.][1]



Bougainville,Louis Antoine

Bougainville,Louis Antoine
Bou·gain·ville 
[bgən vìl, boo
gaN vl], Louis Antoine, comte de (1729–1811)

French navigator. He made the
first French circumnavigation of the world (1766–1769).[1]



bough

bough
bough 
[bow] (plural boughs) noun

large
branch:
a large main branch of a tree, from which smaller branches grow
[Old
English bōg “bough, shoulder.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “arm,” which is also the ancestor of English bow (of a ship).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Golden Bough, a book by Scottish anthropologist Sir James Frazer (1890). An
  encyclopedic, rationalistic survey of mythology and religion that suggests
  that civilizations generally progress from a belief in magic to faith in
  religion and thence to an acceptance of science. Hugely influential, it
  notably provided T. S. Eliot with several striking images for his poem The
  Waste Land ( 1922 ).

[1]



bought

bought1
bought1  verb

Past tense of
buy Past participle of buy[1]



bought

bought2
bought2 [bawt]
adjective

not homemade:
commercially made rather than homemade[1]



boughten

boughten
bought·en 
[báwt’n] adjective

not
homemade:
commercially made rather than homemade (regional) “Better to go down
dignified/ With boughten friendship at your side.” Robert Frost Provide,
Provide
[Late
18th century. Formed from bought on the
model of foughten, an archaic form of fought
.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Spreading
  westward out of New England, across the Northern states to the Pacific and
  virtually unused in the South Midland and Southern states, the term boughten endures as a Northern folk term,
  commonly still heard in the compound store-boughten, as in • I
  don’t like store-boughten bread.

[1]



bougie

bougie
bou·gie 
[bee, bjee]
(plural bou·gies) noun

medical
instrument:
a medical instrument in the form of a flexible tube, inserted into a body
passage such as the rectum to open it to allow medicines or instruments to be
introduced
[Mid-18th century. From
French, named for the town of Bougie ( Arabic Bijāya ) in Algeria, which traded
in wax. The word originally denoted a wax candle.][1]



bouillabaisse

bouillabaisse
bouil·la·baisse 
[byə báyss, blyə
bàyss] (plural bouil·la·baisses) noun

French
fish soup:
a rich soup made with fish, shellfish, vegetables, herbs, and saffron. It
originated in the south of France.
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from modern Provençal bouiabaisso .][1]



bouillon

bouillon
bouil·lon 
[bl yòn, b yən,
b yòn] (plural bouil·lons) noun

cooking
stock:
a clear liquid that is traditionally made by boiling meat, bones, and
vegetables together
[Mid-17th century. From
French, formed from bouillir (see boil
).][1]



bouilloncube

bouilloncube
bouil·lon
cube
noun

concentrated stock in solid
form: a small cube of dried and
concentrated food extracts that, when added to hot water, makes a stock for use
in soups, stews, and sauces.
U.K. term
stock cube[1]



Boul.

Boul.
Boul.

Abbreviation of
Boulevard[1]



Boulanger,Nadia

Boulanger,Nadia
Bou·lan·ger
[boo laaN áy], Nadia (1887–1979)

French
composer and music teacher. She composed noble and instrumental music until
1918. During many years of teaching in Paris, her students included Elliott
Carter, Aaron Copland, Walter Piston, and Virgil Thomson.
Full name
Boulanger, Nadia Juliette[1]



Boulder

Boulder
Boul·der 
[bṓldər]

resort city in northern
Colorado, northwest of Denver, southeast of Rocky Mountain National Park,
original home to University of Colorado, opened in 1877. Population: 90,928
(1996)[1]



boulder

boulder
boul·der 
[bṓldər] (plural boul·ders) noun

1.  large
rock:
a large round rock

2.  GEOLOGY rock
fragment:
a large fragment of rock greater than 200 mm8 in. in diameter
[15th century. Shortening of
boulderstone, a partial translation of a Scandinavian word.][1]



boulderclay

boulderclay
boul·der
clay
noun

GEOGRAPHY
See till 4 noun[1]



bouldering

bouldering
bould·er·ing 
[bṓldəring] noun

type
of rock climbing: rock climbing that involves climbing
short and extremely difficult slopes
—bould·er·er, noun[1]



Boulding,Kenneth

Boulding,Kenneth
Boul·ding
[bṓlding], Kenneth (1910–1993)

British-born
U.S. economist. His Meaning of the Twentieth Century ( 1964 ) concerns
ethical aspects of socio-economic issues during peacetime.
Full name
Boulding, Kenneth Ewart[1]



boule

boule
boule
[bool] (plural boules) noun

imitation
gemstone:
a pear-shaped imitation gemstone made in a furnace from synthetic aluminum
oxide ( corundum )
[Early 20th century. From
French (see bowl 2 ).][1]



boules

boules
boules
[boolz] noun

French
outdoor game: an outdoor game of French origin,
similar to bowling. It is traditionally played on open dusty ground in public
places with heavy metal balls that are tossed backhand. (takes a singular
verb)
Also
called
pétanque
[Early 20th century. From
French, plural of boule (see bowl 2 ).][1]



boulevard

boulevard
boul·e·vard 
[blə vrd, blə
vrd] (plural boul·e·vards) noun

1.  wide
street:
a wide street, especially one lined by trees (often used in place names)

2.  Midwestern
U.S.
median
strip:
a median strip, or a strip of planted ground between the lands of a divided
highway
[Mid-18th century. From
French (originally “rampart,” later a promenade on the site of one), from
Middle Low German and Middle Dutch bolwerk “bulwark” (see bulwark ).][1]



boulevardier

boulevardier
bou·le·vard·ier 
[blə vaard yáy, blə
vaard r] (plural bou·le·vard·iers) noun

man
of the world: a fashionable, sophisticated man who
treats life with light-hearted cynicism (dated)
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from boulevard (see boulevard
).][1]



boulevardstrip

boulevardstrip
boul·e·vard
strip
noun

Midwestern U.S.,
Canada median strip:
a median strip or a strip of planted ground between the lanes of a divided
highway, sometimes also denoting the strip of ground between a sidewalk and a
street[1]



bouleversement

bouleversement
bou·le·ver·se·ment 
[blə vèrsə mN] (plural bou·le·ver·se·ments)
noun

serious
uproar:
a scene of shouting and anger (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “upset, upheaval,” formed from bouleverser “to turn
over like a ball,” from boule (see bowl 2 ).][1]



Boulez,Pierre

Boulez,Pierre
Bou·lez 
[boo léz], Pierre (1925– )

French composer and
conductor. He conducted major orchestras in Europe and the United States and
championed new music.[1]



boulle

boulle
boulle 
[bool] noun

scroll-shaped
inlay:
elaborate inlay work on furniture, using tortoiseshell, ivory, or brass in
scroll shapes. It was popular in France in the 17th century. (often used
before a noun)
Also
called
buhl
[Early 19th century. From
French, named for the French cabinetmaker André Charles Boule (1642–1732), who
first used it.][1]



Boulogne-sur-Mer

Boulogne-sur-Mer
Bou·logne-sur-Mer
[boo lṓn sur mèr, boo
láwnyə sur mèr] or Bou·logne [boo
lṓn sur mèr, boo láwnyə sur mèr]

city and port on the English
Channel in Pas-de-Calais Department, northwestern France. Population: 44,244
(1990)[1]



bounce

bounce
bounce 
[bowns] verb (past bounced,
past participle bounced, present participle bounc·ing,
3rd person present singular bounc·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spring
away from surface: to move away quickly after
hitting a surface, or throw something so that it hits a surface and moves away
• bouncing
a tennis ball against a wall • Onlookers
saw the car bounce off a tree.

2.  intransitive
verb
jump
up and down: to jump up and down repeatedly on a soft
surface • children
bouncing on trampolines

3.  transitive
verb
lift
repeatedly on knee: to lift a baby or child up
and down on your knee for fun

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb reflect
from surface: to strike a surface, or cause something
to strike a surface, and be reflected back • the
use of a fixed orbiting satellite to bounce the transmission signal back to
earth

5.  intransitive
verb
move
swingingly:
to move in an up-and-down or swinging way • with
her long blonde hair bouncing as she walked

6.  intransitive
verb
go
energetically: to walk quickly and energetically • She
bounced up to the guests and breezily said hello.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb refuse
to pay:
to refuse payment of a check, or be refused by a bank, because there is
insufficient money in the account on which it is drawn

8.  transitive
verb
write
bad check:
to write a check that the bank will not honor

9.  transitive
verb
mention
in order to receive opinions: to mention something,
especially an idea or suggestion, to somebody in order to get reactions or
opinions (slang) • She
bounced a couple of theories off of the students.

10. transitive
verb
throw
out:
to eject somebody from a place or expel somebody from a club or other
organization (slang) • managed
to get themselves bounced out of the restaurant

11. intransitive
verb
COMPUTING come
back:
to be returned undelivered to a sender of an electronic mail message • My
last e-mail to you bounced.
noun
(plural bounc·es)

1.  act
of rebounding: a springing away from a surface after
hitting it • hit
the ball before the second bounce

2.  springiness:
the capacity of a ball or other object to bounce, or of a surface to cause
objects hitting it to bounce

3.  bobbing
movement:
swinging or bobbing movement, or the capacity to swing or bob up and down • a
conditioner guaranteed to give your hair added bounce

4.  energy:
lively energy

5.  POLITICS positive
rebound:
a positive rebound in the polls sustained by a party or candidate (informal)
• a
post-convention bounce
[13th century. Originally “to
beat, thump,” of uncertain origin: perhaps it suggests the action.][1]



bounceback

bounceback
bounce
back
intransitive verb

recover quickly:
to recover quickly and completely after a bad experience[1]



bouncer

bouncer
bounc·er 
[bównsər] (plural bounc·ers) noun

1.  guard
at nightclub: a security guard who usually stands at
the door of a nightclub or other place of entertainment and is responsible for
preventing undesirable people from entering and for ejecting troublemakers

2.  BASEBALL struck
ball that bounces: a ball that bounces along
the ground after being hit

[1]



bouncing

bouncing
bounc·ing 
[bównsing] adjective

healthy and lively:
used to describe a healthy active baby • the
proud parents of a beautiful bouncing baby boy[1]



bouncingBet

bouncingBet
bounc·ing
Bet 
noun

flowering
plant:
a low-growing perennial plant with pink or white flowers. In the past, its
leaves were used as a soap substitute. Latin name: Saponaria officinalis

Also
called
soapwort
U.K.
term
soapwort
[Bet is a nickname for
Elizabeth][1]



bouncy

bouncy
bounc·y 
[bównsee] (comparative bounc·i·er,
superlative bounc·i·est) adjective

1.  lively:
lively and energetic

2.  bouncing
well:
tending to bounce or capable of bouncing well • bouncy
material used in making tennis balls

3.  springy:
tending to bounce objects hitting it or resting on it
—bounc·i·ly,
adverb

—bounc·i·ness, noun[1]



bound

bound1
bound1 [bownd]
verb

Past participle of
bind Past tense of bind[1]



bound

bound5
bound5 [bownd]
transitive verb (past bound·ed, past participle bound·ed,
present participle bound·ing, 3rd person present singular bounds)

1.  surround:
to form the boundary to an area or site • grounds
bounded on three sides by the river

2.  restrict:
to impose limits on something • political
views not bounded by moral convictions
noun

MATHEMATICS limiting
number:
a number that represents the upper or lower end of a range of possible values
adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS not
able to be used alone: used to describe a unit of
meaning ( morpheme ) that cannot be used on
its own as a word.
See
also
free  adjective 20

2.  GRAMMAR not
able to be used alone: used to describe a
grammatical element such as a clause that can only be used with another element
[14th century. Originally
“boundary marker,” from Anglo-Norman bounde and Old French bodne,
ultimately from medieval Latin butina, of uncertain origin: probably
from Celtic .][1]



bound

bound4
bound4 [bownd]
adjective

1.  on
the way somewhere: traveling toward a
particular place (often used in combination) • a
Spanish trawler bound for the Irish Sea • homeward
bound

2.  destined:
certain to reach or achieve something • young
performers bound for international stardom
[Late 16th century.
Originally boun, from Old Norse búinn, past participle of búa “to
prepare”; probably influenced by bound 1 .][1]



bound

bound2
bound2 [bownd]
adjective

1.  certain
to do something: certain to happen or do something
because custom, experience, or common sense dictates it • If
you play music late at night, people are bound to complain.

2.  obligated:
obliged to do something or behave in a certain way, for example, for legal or
moral reasons

3.  determined:
firmly resolved • She was bound on
becoming the best in the business.
[14th
century. Shortening of bounden .]
bound
up with somebody or something

to be closely involved with
or connected to somebody or something[1]



bound

bound3
bound3 [bownd]
intransitive verb (past bound·ed, past participle bound·ed,
present participle bound·ing, 3rd person present singular bounds)

go
energetically: to move quickly and energetically, with
large strides or jumps • A
puppy came bounding across the lawn.
noun

energetic
leap:
an energetic long or high jump
[Early 16th century. Via
French bondir “to resound,” later “to rebound,” from, ultimately, Latin bombire
“to buzz,” from bombus “humming, booming” (source of English bomb ), from Greek .][1]



boundary

boundary
bound·a·ry 
[bówndəree, bówndree]
(plural bound·a·ries) noun

1.  border:
the official line that divides one area of land from another • Multinational
companies operate across national boundaries.

2.  limit:
the point at which something ends or beyond which it becomes something else • pushing
back the boundaries of human knowledge
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of bounder, from bound 4 .][1]



boundarycondition

boundarycondition
bound·a·ry
con·di·tion
noun

required mathematical
condition: the set of requirements that
must be met in order for the solution to a set of differential equations to be
found[1]



boundarylayer

boundarylayer
bound·a·ry
lay·er
noun

fluid region closest to
moving solid: the region of a viscous
fluid, for example, air or water, closest to the surface of a solid that is in
motion relative to the fluid[1]



bounded

bounded
bound·ed
[bówndəd] adjective

with limiting numbers:
used to describe a mathematical set that has an upper and lower limiting number
( bound 5 )[1]



bounden

bounden2
boun·den2 [bównd’n]
adjective

obligatory:
relating to that which binds somebody morally • It
is your bounden duty to consider the honor of the family.[1]



bounden

bounden1
bound·en1  [bównd’n]
verb

(archaic) Past
participle of bind[1]



bounder

bounder
bound·er 
[bówndər] (plural bound·ers) noun
(insult)

1.  dishonorable
person:
somebody, especially a man, who behaves in a dishonorable or morally
unacceptable way

2.  parvenu:
an ill-bred, social-climbing man
[16th century. Formed from bound 2 .][1]



boundform

boundform
bound
form
noun

dependent word part:
a linguistic unit that can only occur as part of a word and not as a separate
word itself, for example, “-ly” in “quickly”[1]



boundless

boundless
bound·less 
[bówndliss] adjective

limitless:
seeming to have no end or limit
—bound·less·ly,
adverb

—bound·less·ness, noun[1]



bounds

bounds
bounds
[bowndz] plural noun

limits:
limits, especially restrictions on what can happen or what can be done • a
joke that goes beyond the bounds of good taste
know
no bounds

to
be very great, strong, or intense • an ego
that knows no bounds

out
of bounds

1.  outside
the area where somebody is allowed to go • a
basketball that is out of bounds

2.  not
open or available • Discussion of the
candidate’s private life is out of bounds.

[1]



bounteous

bounteous
boun·te·ous 
[bówntee əss] adjective (literary)

1.  generous:
giving generously

2.  abundant:
given in generous measure
[14th
century. Alteration of Old French bontif (on the model of plenteous ), from bonté (see bounty ).]
—boun·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—boun·te·ous·ness, noun[1]



Bountiful

Bountiful
Boun·ti·ful 
[bówntəf’l]

city in northern Utah, north
of Salt Lake City. It was founded by a Mormon pioneer in 1847. Population:
39,595 (1996)[1]



bountiful

bountiful
boun·ti·ful 
[bówntəf’l] adjective (literary)

1.  generous:
giving generously

2.  abundant:
in plentiful supply
[Early
16th century. Formed from bounty, in the
sense “goodness, generosity.”]
—boun·ti·ful·ly,
adverb

—boun·ti·ful·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at generous

[1]



bounty

bounty
boun·ty 
[bówntee] (plural boun·ties) noun

1.  reward:
a reward of money offered for finding a criminal or other wanted person, or for
killing a person or a predator

2.  generosity:
generosity in giving (literary) “a trifling additional claim upon your
bounty and good nature” Sir Walter Scott Waverley 1814

3.  abundant
supply:
a plentiful or generous supply (literary) “As a grand mansion, “The
Broadway Estate” is home to a bounty of rooms, each with a distinct
personality.” Patti Martinhome Living Page Asbury Park Press 1997
[14th century. Via French bonté
from Latin bonitas “goodness,” from bonus “good” (source of
English bonus and bonanza ).][1]



Bounty

Bounty
Boun·ty 
[bówntee] noun

ship that was the scene of
mutiny: the British naval ship
commanded by Captain William Bligh on a scientific voyage to Tahiti in 1789.
Bligh’s cruelty provoked a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian.[1]



bountyhunter

bountyhunter
boun·ty
hunt·er
noun

1.  seeker
of rewards:
somebody who pursues wanted criminals or fugitives for financial reward

2.  hunter
of animals:
somebody who hunts animals whose capture attracts a reward, for example,
because they are dangerous or are pests

[1]



BountyIslands

BountyIslands
Boun·ty
Is·lands
[bòwntee ləndz]

group of 13 uninhabited
islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 668 km/415 mi east of New Zealand.
The islands are part of New Zealand. Area: 1.4 sq km/0.5 sq mi.[1]



bouquet

bouquet
bou·quet 
[bō káy, boo káy]
(plural bou·quets) noun

1.  bunch
of flowers:
a bunch of cut flowers that have been specially chosen or arranged

2.  scent
of wine:
a wine’s characteristic scent

3.  praise:
an expression of congratulation or praise (literary)
[Early
18th century. From French, “thicket,” literally “small forest,” from Old French
bois “forest,” ultimately from a Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English bush .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



bouquetgarni

bouquetgarni
bou·quet
gar·ni 
[boo kày gaar n] (plural bou·quets
gar·nis [boo kày gaar n]) noun

flavoring
of mixed herbs: a bunch of mixed herbs, or an equivalent
dried herb mixture in a small bag, that is used to add flavor to stews, soups,
sauces, and other dishes
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “garnished bouquet.”][1]



bouquetier

bouquetier
bou·quet·ier 
[bkə tyér, bkə
tr] (plural bou·quet·iers) noun

flower holder:
a small trumpet-shaped container used to hold the flowers in a bouquet[1]



Bourassa,Henri

Bourassa,Henri
Bou·ras·sa
[boo rssə], Henri (1868–1952)

Canadian politician and
journalist. A member of the Canadian House of Commons (1896–1899, 1900–1907,
1925–1935), he was a leading French Canadian nationalist. He was founding
editor of the nationalist daily Le Devoir (1910–1932).[1]



bourbon

bourbon
bour·bon 
[búrbən] (plural bour·bons) noun

type
of whiskey:
a type of whiskey distilled mainly in the United States from a fermented
mixture of hot water and grain ( mash )
containing at least 51 percent corn
[Mid-19th century. Named for Bourbon
County, Kentucky, where it was first distilled.][1]



bourdon

bourdon
bour·don 
[brd’n] (plural bour·dons) noun

1.  bagpipe
pipe or note: the bass pipe on a set of bagpipes, or
the bass note it produces

2.  organ
stop:
the bass stop on an organ, especially on a 16-foot pipe
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “drone.” An imitation of the sound.][1]



Bourdongauge

Bourdongauge
Bour·don
gauge
[brd’n gàyj] noun

pressure
gauge:
a pressure gauge with a flattened curved tube that straightens under pressure,
allowing the force to be measured
[Named for the French
hydraulic engineer Eugène Bourdon, who invented it][1]



bourg

bourg
bourg 
[brg] (plural bourgs)

town:
a town or village, especially a medieval French market town
[12th century. Via French
from Latin burgus “castle,” later “borough,” ultimately from a Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English borough
.][1]



bourgeois

bourgeois
bour·geois 
[br w, br
w] adjective

1.  POLITICS capitalist:
according to Marxist theory, relating to the social class that owns most of the
wealth and is regarded as exploiting the working class

2.  conventional:
typical of affluent middle-class people, who are often characterized as
conventional, conservative, or materialistic in outlook
noun
(plural bour·geois)

1.  POLITICS capitalist:
in Marxist analysis, a member of the bourgeois social class

2.  conventional
person:
somebody with a bourgeois outlook
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “citizen of a city or borough,” ultimately from Latin burgus
(see bourg ).][1]



bourgeoisie

bourgeoisie
bour·geoi·sie 
[br waa z] noun

1.  exploitative
middle class: the social class that, according to
Marxist theory, owns the means of producing wealth and exploits the working
class

2.  middle-class
people:
affluent middle-class people characterized as conventional, conservative, or
materialistic in outlook
[Early 18th century. From
French, formed from bourgeois (see bourgeois
).][1]



bourgeoisify

bourgeoisify
bour·geoi·si·fy 
[br wzə f] (past bour·geoi·si·fied,
past participle bour·geoi·si·fied, present participle bour·geoi·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular bour·geoi·si·fies) transitive verb

make
bourgeois:
to impose bourgeois values on somebody or something, or make somebody or
something bourgeois in character
—bour·geoi·si·fi·ca·tion
[boor zhwzifi káysh’n], noun[1]



Bourgeoys,Marguerite

Bourgeoys,Marguerite
Bour·geoys
[br w], Marguerite (1620–1700)

French-born Canadian nun. She
founded the Congregation de Nôtre-Dame de Montréal.[1]



bourguignonne

bourguignonne
bour·guig·nonne
[br geen yṓN] adjective

in
rich wine sauce: cooked in a red wine sauce with
mushrooms and small whole onions, in a style that originated in the Burgundy
region of France
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from Bourgogne “Burgundy.”][1]



Bourke-White,Margaret

Bourke-White,Margaret

Bourke-White 
[bùrk hwt, bùrk
wt], Margaret (1906–1971)
U.S. photographer and writer. She was a
leading photojournalist who was closely identified with Life . She was
the magazine’s staff photographer from 1936 to 1969.[1]



bourn

bourn1
bourn1 [bawrn,
bōrn] (plural bourns) or
bourne [bawrn, bōrn] (plural bournes) noun

small
stream:
a small stream that only flows in the winter months
[14th century. A southern
English variant of burn .][1]



bourn

bourn2
bourn2 [bawrn,
brn] (plural bourns) noun
(archaic)

1.  boundary:
a boundary between one place or one thing and another “I’ll set a bourn how far
to be beloved.” William Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra 1606

2.  goal:
something that is aimed for or aspired to
[Early 16th century. From
French borne, from Old French bodne (see bound 4 ).][1]



bourse

bourse
bourse 
[brs] (plural bours·es) or
Bourse [brs] (plural Bours·es)
noun

stock
exchange:
a European stock exchange, especially the one in Paris
[Late 16th century. Via
French from medieval Latin bursa “bag, purse” from, ultimately, Greek bursa
“leather” (source of English purse
).][1]



bouse

bouse
bouse 
[bowz] (past boused, past
participle boused, present participle bous·ing, 3rd
person present singular bous·es) transitive verb

raise
something:
to hoist something with a tackle
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



boustrophedon

boustrophedon
bou·stro·phe·don 
[bstrə fd’n, bstrə
f dòn] noun

ancient
writing method: an ancient method of inscribing and
writing in which lines are written alternately from right to left and from left
to right
[Early
17th century. From Greek, literally “as the ox turns in plowing,” from bous
“ox” + -strophos “turning,” from strephein “to turn.”]
—bou·stroph·e·don·ic [boo stròffi dónnik], adjective[1]



bout

bout
bout 
[bowt] (plural bouts) noun

1.  attack
of illness:
a temporary or short-lived attack of illness, usually a common and not very
serious illness • a recent bout of the
flu

2.  short
period of activity: a short time spent doing
something, often something considered distasteful

3.  fight:
a boxing or wrestling match
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
archaic bought “curve,” of uncertain origin: probably from Low German bucht
. The meaning developed via “turn of a plow” to “turn of work.”][1]



boutique

boutique
bou·tique 
[boo tk] (plural bou·tiques) noun

1.  small
clothes store: a small store that sells fashionable
clothes

2.  small
specialist store: a small store selling specialist goods
or services of any kind, for example, imported foods and wines (often used
before a noun)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek apothēkē “storehouse” (source of English apothecary ).][1]



boutiquebrewery

boutiquebrewery
bou·tique
brew·er·y
noun

See
microbrewery[1]



bouton

bouton
bou·ton 
[boo táwn] (plural bou·tons) noun

knob
on nerve fiber: the knob or swelling on a nerve-cell
extension ( axon ) at the point where it
forms a junction ( synapse ) with a neuron
[Mid-19th century. From
French (see button ).][1]



boutonniere

boutonniere
bou·ton·niere 
[bt’n r, bt’n
yáir] (plural bou·ton·nieres) or bou·ton·nière
[bt’n r, bt’n
yáir] (plural bou·ton·nières) noun

flower
in buttonhole: a small flower worn in a buttonhole (formal)

U.K.
term
buttonhole
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from bouton (see button
).][1]



Boutros-Ghali,Boutros

Boutros-Ghali,Boutros
Bou·tros-Gha·li
[btrōss glee], Boutros (1922– )

Egyptian diplomat He was the
sixth general secretary of the UN ( 1992–1996 ).[1]



bouvardia

bouvardia
bou·var·di·a 
[boo vr dee ə] (plural bou·var·di·as)
noun

flowering
plant:
a shrub with thin straight leaves and tubular flowers in various bright colors.
It is native to Mexico and Central America. Genus: Bouvardia
[Late 18th century. From modern
Latin, named for Charles Bouvard (1572–1658), superintendent of the Jardin du
Roi (King’s Garden), Paris.][1]



bouvier

bouvier
bou·vier 
[boo vyáy] (plural bou·viers) noun

large
powerful dog: a large powerful dog with a rough fawn
or black coat, originally bred in Belgium to herd cattle
[Early 20th century. From
French, shortened from bouvier des Flandres, literally “cowherd of
Flanders.”][1]



bouzouki

bouzouki

bou·zou·ki 
[b zkee, bə
zkee] (plural bou·zou·kis) noun
Greek
musical instrument: a long-necked stringed
musical instrument of Greek origin. It is similar in appearance and sound to a
mandolin.
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek mpouzouki, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Turkish bozuk
“spoiled” (used of roughly made instruments).][1]



bovid

bovid
bo·vid 
[bṓvid] (plural bo·vids) adjective

of
cattle family: relating or belonging to the family of
hollow-horned, hoofed, ruminant animals that includes cattle, sheep, and
antelopes. Family: Bovidae
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin bov- (see bovine
).]
—bo·vid, noun[1]



bovine

bovine
bo·vine 
[bṓ vn, bṓ vn]
adjective

1.  of
cattle genus: relating or belonging to the genus of
ruminant animals that includes cattle, oxen, and buffalo. Genus: Bos

2.  slow:
displaying the slowness regarded as typical of cattle and related animals (literary)
noun
(plural bo·vines)

bovine animal:
an animal belonging to the same genus as cattle
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin bovinus, from Latin bov-, stem of bos “ox” (source
of English beef ).][1]



bovinesomatotropin

bovinesomatotropin
bo·vine
so·mat·o·trop·in noun

hormone that controls milk
production: a hormone in cattle that
regulates growth and milk production. It can also be produced artificially by
genetic engineering and used to increase milk yields.
Also called
bovine growth hormone[1]



bovinespongiform encephalopathy

bovinespongiform encephalopathy
bo·vine
spon·gi·form en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy [spùnjəfawrm en sèffə lòpa thee] noun

Full form of
BSE[1]



bow

bow2
bow2 [bow]
verb (past bowed, past participle bowed, present
participle bow·ing, 3rd person present singular bows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
head or body forward: to bend the head forward, or
to bend forward from the waist, as a signal of respect, greeting, consent,
submission, or acknowledgment • bowing
her head in shame

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
something or droop: to bend something over so
that it droops, or to be bent in this way • branches
bowed down with fruit.

3.  intransitive
verb
yield
to something or somebody: to accept something and
yield to it, often unwillingly • bowed
to the demands of pressure groups
noun
(plural bows)

bending forward of upper body:
a bending forward of the upper part of the body to show respect,
acknowledgment, subservience, courtesy, or greeting
[Old
English būgan (source also of English buxom
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bend,” which is also the
ancestor of English bow 1 .]
bow
and scrape

to be excessively polite or
attentive in an attempt to ingratiate yourself with somebody[1]



bow

bow3
bow3 [bow]
(plural bows) noun

1.  SHIPPING front
part of vessel: the front section of a boat or other
vessel

2.  ROWING person
in bow:
the rower or oar closest to the front of a boat
[Early 17th century. From Low
German boog or Middle Dutch boeg .][1]



bow

bow1

bow1 [bō]
noun (plural bows)

1.  looped
knot:
a knot in which the loops remain visible, for example, in tied shoelaces or in
ribbons used for decorating gifts or hair.
See
also
bow tie

2.  SPORTS ARMS weapon for firing arrows:
a weapon used to fire arrows, consisting of a curved, flexible piece of wood
and a taut string fastened to the two ends

3.  MUSIC rod
for playing stringed instruments: a rod with horsehair
tightly stretched between the two ends, used for playing stringed instruments

4.  curved
shape or part: a rounded or semicircular shape, for
example, a part of a building or a loop in a river

5.  frame
of glasses:
the frame for a pair of glasses, or the part of the frame that curls around the
ear

6.  ARCHERY HISTORY (literary) See bowman 1

7.  See
rainbow
plural noun bows

ARCHERY HISTORY archers:
bowmen or archers considered as a group (literary)
verb (past
bowed, past participle bowed, present participle bow·ing,
3rd person present singular bows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
something into bow shape: to bend, or bend something,
into a rounded or bow shape

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC draw bow across stringed
instrument:
to draw a bow across the strings of a stringed instrument

3.  transitive
verb
MUSIC indicate
bowing for music: to mark a piece of music to indicate
which notes are to be played with the bow moving in one direction across the
strings and which are to be played with it moving in the opposite direction
[Old English boga .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to bend,” which is also
the ancestor of English bow 2, bight, and bagel
.][1]



Bow,Clara

Bow,Clara
Bow 
[bō], Clara (1905–1965)

U.S.
actor. She enjoyed a brief career in the late 1920s as the most popular female
movie star in the country, but spent her last three decades in retirement.
Known as
the It Girl[1]



bowdacious

bowdacious
bow·da·cious 
adjective adverb

Southern U.S.
See bodacious[1]



Bowditch,Nathaniel

Bowditch,Nathaniel
Bow·ditch 
[bówdich], Nathaniel (1773–1838)

U.S. mathematician and
astronomer. His New American Practical Navigator ( 1802 ) became the
standard sailors’ navigation guide.[1]



bowdlerize

bowdlerize
bowd·ler·ize 
[bódlə rz, bówdlə
rz] (past bowd·ler·ized, past participle bowd·ler·ized,
present participle bowd·ler·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular bowd·ler·iz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

remove
parts of literary works: to remove parts of a work of
literature that are considered indecent
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from the name of the English editor Thomas Bowdler (
1754–1825 ), who published an edition of Shakespeare omitting scenes that he
considered unsuitable.]
—bowd·ler·ism,
noun

—bowd·ler·i·za·tion
[bowdlə rī záyshən], noun

—bowd·ler·iz·er [bówdlə rīzər], noun[1]



bowel

bowel
bow·el 
[bów əl, bowl]
noun (plural bow·els)

1.  intestine:
the intestine

2.  part
of the intestine: a section or part of the intestines,
especially the part of the intestine that connects to the anus
plural
noun
bow·els

depths of something:
the deepest or innermost part of something • the
bowels of the ship
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman buel and Old French boël from Latin botellus,
literally “small sausage” (from its shape), from botulus “sausage”
(source of English botulism ).][1]



Bowell,Mackenzie

Bowell,Mackenzie
Bow·ell 
[bṓ əl], Sir Mackenzie (1823–1917)

British-born Canadian
politician. He was prime minister of Canada (1894–1896).[1]



bowelmovement

bowelmovement
bow·el
move·ment
(plural bow·el move·ments) noun

1.  expulsion
of feces:
the passing of feces out of the body through the anus

2.  feces:
feces passed through the anus

[1]



Bowentherapy

Bowentherapy
Bow·en
ther·a·py
[bən thérrəpee] noun

healing
technique using muscles: a technique that balances
the body and initiates healing and encourages emotional stability using gentle
manipulation of muscles and connective tissues
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Tom Bowen of Victoria, Australia (1916–1982), its originator.][1]



bower

bower1
bow·er1 [bówər]
(plural bow·ers) noun

1.  shady
shelter:
a shady, leafy shelter or recess, especially in a garden or wood

2.  woman’s
bedroom or apartments: a woman’s bedroom or private
apartments, especially in a medieval castle

3.  picturesque
cottage:
a picturesque country cottage, especially one that is used as a retreat (literary)
[Old
English būr “dwelling.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to be, live,” which is also the ancestor of English be .]
—bow·er·y, adjective[1]



bower

bower2
bow·er2 [bówər]
(plural bow·ers) noun

ship’s bow anchor:
the anchor at a ship’s bow[1]



bowerbird

bowerbird
bow·er·bird 
[bówər bùrd] (plural bow·er·birds)
noun

bird that builds elaborate
structures: a bird native to New Guinea
and Australia that is noted for the elaborate structures that the male builds
for courtship. Family: Ptilonorynchidae[1]



Bowery

Bowery
Bow·er·y 
[bówə ree, bówree]
noun

New York City district:
a street and area in lower Manhattan, New York City, that was a famous
theatrical district in the 19th century[1]



bowfin

bowfin
bow·fin 
[bṓ fìn] (plural bow·fins or
bow·fin) noun

N American primitive fish:
a freshwater fish of eastern North America, with a mottled greenish brown body
and a long dorsal fin. It is the only member of its family that survives from
the Paleocene epoch. Latin name: Amia calva
Also called
dogfish[1]



bowfront

bowfront
bow·front 
[bṓ frùnt] adjective

1.  curving
out:
used to describe a piece of furniture with a front that curves outward • a
bowfront desk

2.  ARCHITECTURE with
bow window:
designed or constructed with a bow window at the front

[1]



bowhead

bowhead
bow·head 
[bṓ hèd] (plural bow·heads or
bow·head) noun

arctic whale:
a baleen whale that lives in the Arctic seas and has an arched upper jaw. Latin
name: Balaena mysticetus
Also called
Greenland right whale[1]



Bowie

Bowie
Bow·ie 
[bee]

city in west central
Maryland, west of Annapolis and northeast of Washington, D.C. Population:
40,181 (1996)[1]



Bowie,David

Bowie,David
Bow·ie 
[bṓee, bówee],
David (1947– )

British
pop singer and actor. He pioneered glam rock in the 1970s. His albums include The
Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972).
Born
Jones, David Robert[1]



Bowie,Jim

Bowie,Jim
Bow·ie 
[bee, bee],
Jim (1796?–1836)

U.S.
pioneer. A colonel in the Texas army, he died at the Battle of the Alamo.
Full name
Bowie, James[1]



bowieknife

bowieknife

bow·ie
knife 
[bṓee nf, bee
nf] (plural bow·ie knives) noun
single-edged
hunting knife: a single-edged hunting knife, about 38
cm15 in. long and curved near the point, with a short hilt and a guard for the
hand
[Mid-19th century. Named
after James Bowie, who popularized it.][1]



bowing

bowing
bow·ing
[bṓing] noun

1.  playing
stringed instrument with bow: the use of a bow to play a
stringed instrument such as the violin or cello

2.  direction
of bow:
the way a specific piece should be played on a stringed instrument, with
respect to the direction in which the bow is moved for successive notes

[1]



bowknot

bowknot
bow·knot 
[bṓ nòt] (plural bow·knots) noun

decorative knot:
a decorative knot in the form of a bow[1]



bowl

bowl1
bowl1 [bōl]
(plural bowls) noun

1.  round
container:
an open container, usually round in shape and wider than it is deep, and
typically used for holding food and liquids

2.  amount
in bowl:
the amount a bowl can hold • two
bowls of cereal

3.  part
like bowl:
a bowl -shaped part of something • a
toilet bowl

4.  GEOGRAPHY depression
in ground:
a round depression in the surface of the land.
See
also
dust bowl

5.  bowl
or Bowl stadium:
a bowl -shaped stadium or amphitheater

6.  football
game:
a postseason game played between champion or high-ranking football teams. The
Super Bowl™ is the professional championship game, and the Rose Bowl™ is the
oldest college postseason game.

7.  mildly
alcoholic drink: a mildly alcoholic beverage or the type
of cup used for drinking it (literary)
[Old English bolla .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to swell, be round,” which is
also the ancestor of English ball .][1]



bowl

bowl2
bowl2 [bōl]
verb (past bowled, past participle bowled, present
participle bowl·ing, 3rd person present singular bowls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb roll
ball:
to throw or roll a ball in bowling or lawn bowling, or cause something to roll
smoothly

2.  intransitive
verb
go
bowling:
to take part in a game of bowling

3.  transitive
verb
score
points in bowling: to score a given number of
points in bowling • He bowled 250 last
night.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move smoothly and quickly • He
bowled down the highway on his motorcycle.
noun
(plural bowls)

1.  wooden
ball used in lawn bowling: a wooden ball used in the
game of lawn bowling, which has slightly flattened sides in order to make it
roll in a curve

2.  roll
of the ball: one roll of the ball in bowling or lawn
bowling

3.  TECHNOLOGY revolving
drum:
a rotating cylinder or drum in a machine
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bowled, past
participle bowled, present participle bowl·ing, 3rd
person present singular bowls)

CRICKET send
ball to batsman or batswoman: to send a ball, usually
overarm, to a batsman or batswoman
[15th century. Via French boule
from Latin bulla “bubble.”][1]



bowlegged

bowlegged
bow·leg·ged 
[b léggid, bō
lègd] adjective

with
outward-curving legs: having legs that curve
outward around or below the knee area
[Mid-16th century. From bow 1 .][1]



bowlegs

bowlegs
bow·legs
[bṓ lègz] noun

outward-curving
legs:
a condition in which the legs curve outward around the knee area (takes a
singular verb)
—bow·leg, noun[1]



bowler

bowler
bowl·er
[bṓlər] (plural bowl·ers) noun

1.  player
in bowling:
somebody who engages in the sport of bowling

2.  CRICKET somebody
who throws ball: the player who bowls the ball in cricket

[1]



bowlerhat

bowlerhat
bowl·er
hat
(plural bowl·er hats) or bowl·er (plural bowl·ers)
noun

See
derby
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the English hatter William Bowler, who designed it in 1850.][1]



Bowles,Paul

Bowles,Paul
Bowles
[bōlz], Paul (1910– )

U.S.
writer and composer. He lived in Tangier, Morocco, after 1952. He composed
music for movies and opera and wrote novels about U.S. expatriates such as The
Sheltering Sky ( 1949 ).
Full name
Bowles, Paul Frederick[1]



bowlful

bowlful
bowl·ful
[bṓl fl] (plural bowl·fuls) noun

amount that fills bowl:
the amount of something that fills or would fill a bowl • a
bowlful of soup[1]



bowline

bowline

bow·line 
[bṓ lin, bṓ ln]
(plural bow·lines) noun

1.  knot
forming tight loop: a knot used to form a loop
that will not slip at the end of a piece of rope

2.  SAILING line
for holding a sail steady: a line for controlling one
of the vertical edges of a square sail

3.  MOUNTAINEERING knot
in end of climbing rope: a fixed knot in the end of a
climbing rope
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: from Middle Low German bōlīne or Middle Dutch boechline,
literally “line from the ship’s bow.”][1]



bowling

bowling
bowl·ing 
[bṓling] noun

1.  rolling
ball at pins: a game played by rolling a ball so that
it knocks down pins.
Also
called
ten-pin bowling

2.  See
lawn bowling

3.  CRICKET throwing
ball to batsman or batswoman: the throwing of the ball,
usually overarm, to a batsman or batswoman in cricket

[1]



bowlingalley

bowlingalley
bowl·ing
al·ley
(plural bowl·ing al·leys) noun

1.  building
for bowling: a building where people go to bowl

2.  smooth
lane used in bowling: the long, narrow, smooth
expanse of floor down which a ball is rolled in bowling

[1]



bowlingball

bowlingball
bowl·ing
ball
(plural bowl·ing balls) noun

ball used in bowling:
the heavy ball used in the game of bowling, with holes in it for the bowler’s
thumb and two fingers[1]



bowlinggreen

bowlinggreen
bowl·ing
green
(plural bowl·ing greens) noun

grass where lawn bowling is
played: a piece of natural grass
outdoors or a piece of artificial grass indoors for playing lawn bowling[1]



BowlingGreen

BowlingGreen
Bowl·ing
Green


1.  city
in south central Kentucky, on the western bank of the Barren River, southwest
of Louisville. Population: 44,208 (1996)

2.  city
in northwestern Ohio, south of Toledo. Bowling Green State University was
founded here in 1910. Population: 23,307 (1996)

[1]



bowlover

bowlover
bowl
over
transitive verb

1.  astonish
somebody:
to amaze or delight somebody • I was
completely bowled over by their generous offer.

2.  knock
something or somebody down accidentally: to
knock something or somebody down, especially accidentally during a headlong
rush • The
dog bowled three chairs over in its excitement.

[1]



bowls

bowls
bowls
[bōlz] noun

U.K.
(takes a singular verb) See lawn
bowling[1]



bowman

bowman1
bow·man1 [bṓmən]
(plural bow·men [bṓmən]) noun

archer:
somebody who uses a bow and arrows, or a crossbow.
Also called
bow[1]



bowman

bowman2
bow·man2 [bówmən]
(plural bow·men [bówmən]) noun

male rower at bow:
a man or boy who rows at the bow of a boat[1]



Bowman’scapsule

Bowman’scapsule
Bow·man’s
cap·sule 
[bṓmənz kàps’l] (plural Bow·man’s
cap·sules) noun

filtering
unit in the kidney: a cup-shaped part of the
kidney that extracts waste and water from the blood and produces urine
[Late 19th century. Named for
the English surgeon Sir William Bowman ( 1816–1892 ), who discovered its
function.][1]



bowsaw

bowsaw
bow
saw 
[bṓ sàw] (plural bow saws) noun

bow-shaped saw:
a saw with a thin blade held in a bow-shaped frame with a narrow handle at each
end, used for cutting curves[1]



Bowser

Bowser
Bow·ser
[bówzər] Trademark

a trademark for a mobile
tanker with a pumping apparatus, containing fuel for aircraft or military
vehicles[1]



bowshot

bowshot
bow·shot 
[bṓ shòt] (plural bow·shots) noun

distance traveled by arrow:
the distance that an arrow travels when it has been shot from a bow[1]



bowsprit

bowsprit
bow·sprit 
[bów sprìt, bṓ
sprìt] (plural bow·sprits) noun

spar
projecting from front of ship: a spar that projects
forward from the stem of a ship, to which the stays of the foremast are
fastened
[14th century. From Low
German bōgsprēt or Middle Dutch boechspriet, literally “pole at
the bow.”][1]



bowstring

bowstring
bow·string 
[bṓ strìng] (plural bow·strings)
noun

string of bow:
the taut string on an archer’s bow, usually made of strands of hemp[1]



bowstringhemp

bowstringhemp
bow·string
hemp
(plural bow·string hemps or bow·string hemp) noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
plant:
a tropical African or Asian perennial plant with thick leaves that are grouped
in rosettes, cultivated for its fibers. Genus: Sansevieria

2.  (plural
bow·string hemps) INDUSTRY fibers
of hemp:
the fibers of bowstring hemp plants, used to make bowstrings, mats, and nets

[1]



bowtie

bowtie
bow
tie 
[bō t, bṓ t]
(plural bow ties) noun

tie tied in bow at neck:
a short tie, knotted in a bow at the neck[1]



bowweight

bowweight
bow
weight
[bṓ wàyt] noun

force needed to draw
bowstring fully: the amount of force
needed to pull a bowstring back to its fullest extent[1]



bowwindow

bowwindow
bow
win·dow 
[bṓ wìndō] (plural bow win·dows)
noun

type of bay window:
a bay window that is curved[1]



bow-wow

bow-wow
bow-wow
[bów wow] interjection

imitation
of barking:
used to imitate the bark of a dog
noun
(plural bow-wows)

noisy
public outcry: a public clamor about something or
somebody (slang) • All
the bow-wow over the trial eventually died down.
intransitive
verb
(past bow-wowed, past participle bow-wowed, present
participle bow-wow·ing, 3rd person present singular bow-wows)

bark
or imitate barking: to bark, or imitate the
sound of barking
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



bowyer

bowyer
bow·yer 
[bṓyər] (plural bow·yers) noun

1.  maker
or seller of bows: somebody who makes or sells
bows for archery

2.  archer:
an archer or bowman (archaic)
[13th century. From bow + -ier .][1]



box

box1
box1 [boks]
noun (plural box·es)

1.  container:
a container for objects or dry goods, often with a removable or hinged lid, and
usually square or rectangular

2.  amount
box holds:
the amount of something a box holds or could hold

3.  rectangular
shape:
a square or rectangular shape printed on paper, or on a computer screen,
usually containing information or requiring information to be entered in it • Check
the boxes if the following items apply to you.

4.  area
or structure with best seats: an enclosed area in a public
building or at a sports venue, especially a theater, stadium, or racetrack,
that contains the best and most luxurious seats.
See
also
skybox

5.  enclosed
area in courtroom: the enclosed area in a
courtroom that is reserved for certain specified participants in a court case

6.  small
building providing shelter: a small building that is
used as a shelter, especially by military personnel

7.  box
that houses equipment: a box, usually affixed to a
wall or on a stand, that houses equipment such as a fire extinguisher,
emergency telephone, or first-aid materials

8.  MAIL post
office box:
a post office box or similar private mailbox, used as a mailing address either
because it is convenient or in order to protect the privacy of the addressee.
See
also
box number

9.  BASEBALL batter’s
box:
the rectangular area on either side of home plate on a baseball diamond, in
which the batter stands

10. SPORTS part
of playing area: a marked-off part of the playing area in
certain sports, for example, baseball and soccer, used for a specific purpose,
or subject to special rules

11. driver’s
seat in horse-drawn coach: raised seat for the driver
in a horse-drawn coach

12. AGRICULTURE compartment
for livestock: a compartment for horses or other farm
animals, either in a building or in a vehicle.
See
also
box stall
See
also
horsebox

13. television:
the television set (slang) • What’s
on the box tonight?

14. coffin:
a casket for a corpse (informal)

15. Australia,
U.S. offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman’s vulva and vagina (taboo slang)

16. AGRICULTURE hole
in tree to collect sap: a hole or hollow cut into
the base of a tree in order to collect sap
transitive
verb
(past boxed, past participle boxed, present
participle box·ing, 3rd person present singular box·es)

1.  pack
in boxes:
to pack individual items into boxes • There
are 300 pieces waiting to be boxed before shipping.

2.  outline
something with box: to enclose something on a
page or on a computer screen in a box • Box
the title to make it stand out more.

3.  AGRICULTURE cut
hole in tree for sap: to cut a box in the base of
a tree to collect the sap
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin buxis from Greek puxis “wooden container,” from puxos
“boxwood” (source of English box 3 ).][1]



box

box3
box3 [boks]
(plural box or box·es) noun

1.  TREES evergreen
shrub:
a dense evergreen tree or shrub with shiny dark green oval leaves, often
cultivated as a hedge. Genus: Buxus

2.  INDUSTRY See boxwood
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin buxus
from Greek puxos (source of English box 1 ), of
unknown origin.][1]



box

box2
box2 [boks]
(past boxed, past participle boxed, present
participle box·ing, 3rd person present singular box·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

fight
using fists: to fight using the techniques of boxing,
or fight somebody in a boxing match • He boxed
in exhibition bouts to entertain the crowds.
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



box

box4
box4 [boks]
intransitive and transitive verb

SAILING See boxhaul
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Spanish bojar “to sail around,” from Middle Low
German bōgen “to bend.”][1]



boxbeam

boxbeam
box
beam
(plural box beams) noun

See
box girder[1]



boxbed

boxbed
box
bed
(plural box beds) noun

old-fashioned enclosed bed:
an old-fashioned bed, enclosed on three sides and the top by a wooden structure
resembling a box[1]



boxboard

boxboard
box·board 
[bóks bàwrd, bóks
brd] (plural box·boards) noun

tough cardboard:
a tough cardboard made from wood and wastepaper pulp, used for making boxes[1]



boxcalf

boxcalf
box
calf
noun

black
leather:
black calfskin leather that has been tanned with chromium salts
[Early 20th century. Named
for Joseph Box, a 19th-century London bootmaker.][1]



boxcamera

boxcamera
box
cam·er·a
(plural box cam·er·as) noun

simple box-shaped camera:
a camera shaped like a box, with a simple lens that has a fixed focus and a
single shutter speed[1]



boxcanyon

boxcanyon
box
can·yon
(plural box can·yons) noun

canyon with only one
entrance: a canyon with steep walls
that can be entered readily only from the downstream direction[1]



boxcar

boxcar
box·car 
[bóks kr] (plural box·cars) noun

enclosed railroad car:
a fully enclosed railroad car, usually with sliding doors, which is used to
transport freight[1]



boxcoat

boxcoat
box
coat
(plural box coats) noun

1.  loose
coat:
a coat that hangs loosely from the shoulders

2.  heavy
coat worn by coachmen: a heavy coat, worn in the
past by a coachman when sitting on the box, or by anyone riding outside a
carriage

[1]



boxelder

boxelder
box
el·der
(plural box el·ders or box el·der) noun

N
American maple tree: a fast-growing North
American maple tree. Latin name: Acer negundo
[From box 3][1]



boxer

boxer2
box·er2 [bóksər]
(plural box·ers) noun

somebody who packs boxes:
a person or machine whose task it is to pack things into boxes[1]



boxer

boxer3

box·er3 [bóksər]
(plural box·ers) noun
medium-sized
dog:
a medium-sized smooth-haired dog belonging to a breed developed in Germany. Its
characteristics are a flat face with a black mask and a short-brownish tan
coat.
[Early 20th century. Via
German from English boxer, so called because of its wide flattened
nose.][1]



boxer

boxer1
box·er1 [bóksər]
(plural box·ers) noun

fighter:
somebody who fights in boxing matches[1]



Boxer

Boxer
Box·er 
[bóksər] (plural Box·ers) noun

member
of Chinese secret society: a member of a secret society
in China that launched an unsuccessful rebellion in 1900 ( the Boxer Rebellion )
[Early 20th century.
Translation of Mandarin yì hé quán, literally “righteous harmonious
fists.”][1]



BoxerRebellion

BoxerRebellion
Box·er
Re·bel·lion
noun

rebellion in China in 1900:
an unsuccessful rebellion in China in 1900, the aim of which was to drive out
all foreigners, remove all foreign influence, and compel Christian Chinese
people to give up that religion[1]



boxershorts

boxershorts
box·er
shorts
or box·ers plural noun

loose
underpants:
underpants with a gathered waistband and loose-fitting short legs
[So called because they
resemble the trunks worn by boxers][1]



boxfish

boxfish
box·fish 
[bóks fìsh] (plural box·fish or
box·fish·es) noun

See
trunkfish[1]



boxful

boxful
box·ful
[bóks fl] (plural box·fuls) noun

amount in box:
the amount a box holds or can hold[1]



boxgirder

boxgirder
box
gird·er
(plural box gird·ers) noun

square or rectangular girder
or beam: a hollow girder or beam that
is square or rectangular in section.
Also called
box beam[1]



boxhaul

boxhaul
box·haul 
[bóks hàwl] (past box·hauled, past
participle box·hauled, present participle box·haul·ing,
3rd person present singular box·hauls) intransitive and
transitive verb

turn
ship around: to turn a square-rigged ship onto a new
tack by backwinding the foresails and steering hard around
[Mid-18th century. From box 1 + haul .][1]



boxin

boxin
box
in
transitive verb

surround and restrict in
movement: to surround somebody or
something by or with something else, so that it is impossible to move • My
car is complelely boxed in by those trucks.[1]



boxing

boxing
box·ing
[bóksing] noun

sport of fighting with fists:
the sport of fighting with the fists, with the aim of knocking out the opposing
boxer, or inflicting enough punishment to cause the other boxer to quit or be
judged defeated[1]



BoxingDay

BoxingDay
Box·ing
Day 
(plural Box·ing Days) noun

December
26:
December 26, the day after Christmas Day, observed as a public holiday in
England, Wales, and certain Commonwealth countries
[So called because it was the
day on which Christmas gifts were traditionally given to service workers][1]



boxingglove

boxingglove
box·ing
glove
(plural box·ing gloves) noun

boxer’s padded glove:
a thick padded glove tied at the wrist, worn by boxers for fighting[1]



boxingring

boxingring
box·ing
ring
(plural box·ing rings) noun

arena where boxers fight:
the square raised platform with roped-in sides, used as the fighting arena in
boxing matches. Each fighter has a corner diagonally opposite the other,
sometimes referred to as “the red and blue corners.”[1]



boxkite

boxkite

box kite
(plural box kites) noun
box-shaped kite without tail:
a kite without a tail, consisting of two open-ended boxes joined by thin sticks[1]



boxlunch

boxlunch
box
lunch
(plural box lunch·es) noun

1.  lunch
packed in small box: a lunch for one person,
packed in a small box.
U.K.
term
packed lunch

2.  See
obento

[1]



boxlyre

boxlyre
box
lyre
(plural box lyres) noun

plucked musical instrument:
a plucked stringed instrument, formed from a hollow wooden box with strings
running across the soundboard, which are attached to arms jutting out to form a
crossbar. Box lyres were known in ancient Sumer in 2800 B.C. and were widely played in Europe until A.D. 1000. One type of box lyre played
by professional musicians was a cithara.[1]



boxnumber

boxnumber
box
num·ber
(plural box num·bers) noun

number for anonymous address:
the number assigned to an anonymous address for mail, either at a post office
or as a reference for a reply to a newspaper advertisement[1]



boxoffice

boxoffice
box
of·fice
(plural box of·fices) noun

1.  place
where tickets are bought: the place where tickets are
bought for entertainments such as movies, plays, or concerts (often used
before a noun) • box office receipts

2.  money
from ticket sales: ticket sales for a piece of
theatrical and cinematic entertainment, or the income from these sales (informal)
(often used before a noun)

3.  audience
popularity:
drawing power to attract an audience to a theater (informal) • The
show makes great box office.
[So called because it was
originally where a box in the theater could be reserved][1]



boxon

boxon
box
on
intransitive verb

continue boxing:
to continue with a boxing match. It is usually a command, given by the referee
after a fight has been stopped, for example, for a count.[1]



boxpleat

boxpleat
box
pleat
(plural box pleats) noun

pleat with folds on both
sides: a pleat in which fabric is
folded under and then back again on both the right and left, and pressed so as
to lie flat[1]



boxscore

boxscore
box
score
(plural box scores) noun

tabular game summary:
a printed summary of a game, especially a baseball game, in table form, listing
the players and their positions and performance in the game[1]



boxseat

boxseat
box
seat
(plural box seats) noun

1.  THEATER SPORTS seat in theater or stadium
box:
a seat in a box in a theater or a sports stadium

2.  TRANSPORT box
where carriage driver sits: the box on a horse-drawn
carriage on which the driver sits

[1]



boxset

boxset
box
set
(plural box sets) noun

1.  THEATER traditional
stage set:
a stage set with a ceiling and three walls

2.  box
set
or boxed set set of similar items:
a set of similar items, for example, recordings of music, that are packaged
together in a box and sold as a single unit • a
four-CD box set

[1]



boxsocial

boxsocial
box
so·cial
(plural box so·cials) noun

event where box lunches are
auctioned: an event in which donated
box lunches are auctioned off to raise money[1]



boxspanner

boxspanner
box
span·ner
(plural box span·ners) noun

U.K.
See box wrench[1]



boxspring

boxspring
box
spring
(plural box springs) noun

coiled springs in box-shaped
frame: a set of coiled springs
contained in a frame, which is covered with fabric and used as a base for a
mattress[1]



boxstall

boxstall
box
stall
(plural box stalls) noun

large stall for single
animal: a large enclosed stall
within a building in which a large untethered farm animal, such as a bull or
stallion, may move around freely.
U.K. term
loosebox[1]



boxstep

boxstep
box
step
(plural box steps) noun

basic dance step:
the basic step in ballroom dancing, in which the feet are moved in a pattern
forming the shape of a square[1]



boxthorn

boxthorn
box·thorn 
[bóks thàwrn] (plural box·thorns
or box·thorns) noun

See
matrimony vine
[From box 3][1]



boxtortoise

boxtortoise
box
tor·toise
noun

See
box turtle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








boxtree

boxtree
box
tree
noun

See
box 3 noun
1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








boxturtle

boxturtle
box
tur·tle
(plural box tur·tles) noun

N American land turtle:
a North American land turtle that has the part of the shell over the abdomen
hinged so that the turtle can become completely enclosed within its shell.
Genus: Terrapene
Also called
box tortoise[1]



boxwood

boxwood
box·wood 
[bóks wd] (plural box·wood or
box·woods) noun

1.  TREES See box 3

2.  (plural
box·woods) INDUSTRY wood
of evergreen box: the hard close-grained yellow wood of
the evergreen box shrub.
Also
called
box 3

[1]



boxwrench

boxwrench
box
wrench
(plural box wrench·es) noun

wrench with round end:
a wrench whose ends are closed, rather than open, so that the end completely
surrounds the nut or bolt head.
U.K. term
box spanner[1]



boxy

boxy
box·y 
[bóksee] (comparative box·i·er,
superlative box·i·est) adjective

box-shaped:
shaped like a cube or rectangular box, or giving the impression of squareness
—box·i·ness, noun[1]



boy

boy
boy 
[boy] noun (plural boys)

1.  young
male:
a young male person • I’ve
had this hobby since I was a boy.

2.  son:
somebody’s male child • I’m
very proud of that boy of mine.

3.  immature
man:
a man who is regarded as immature or inexperienced, especially a young man • This
should separate the men from the boys.

4.  male
from certain area: a youth or man who comes
from or was raised in a particular area

5.  way
of addressing male animal: a way of addressing a male
animal, especially a dog or a horse • Get
down, boy!
plural
noun
boys

a group of male friends:
a group of men of any age who often socialize together • a
night out with the boys
interjection

exclamation of surprise:
used to express surprise, pleasure, or disgust • Oh
boy! Would you just take a look at that!
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from assumed Old French embuié “servant,” the past
participle of embuier “to fetter.”][1]



boyar

boyar
bo·yar 
[bō yr, bóyər]
(plural bo·yars) noun

member
of higher Russian nobility: from the 12th century to the
early 18th century, a member of a class of the higher Russian nobility ranking
below a prince
[Late 16th century. From
Russian boyarin “grandee.”][1]



boycott

boycott
boy·cott 
[bóy kòt] transitive verb (past
boy·cott·ed, past participle boy·cott·ed, present
participle boy·cott·ing, 3rd person present singular boy·cotts)

refuse
to deal with something: to cease or refuse to deal
with something such as an organization, a company, or a process, as a protest
against it and to force it to become more acceptable • Some
called for the elections to be boycotted, insisting they were rigged.
noun
(plural boy·cotts)

refusal
to deal with something: a refusal to deal with
something such as an organization, a company, or a process, as a protest
against it and to force it to become more acceptable
[Late
19th century. Named for Captain Charles Boycott ( 1832–1897 ), an estate
manager in Ireland, whom workers and tradesmen stopped dealing with after he
refused to reduce rents.]
—boy·cott·er, noun[1]



Boyer,Charles

Boyer,Charles
Boy·er
[boyáy], Charles (1897–1978)

French actor. He appeared in
many romantic roles, including Mayerling ( 1936 ), and received a
special Academy Award in 1943 for his work in promoting Franco-American
cultural relations.[1]



Boyer,Jean Pierre

Boyer,Jean Pierre
Boy·er
[boyáy], Jean Pierre (1776–1850)

Haitian politician. A
freeborn mulatto, he played a major role in gaining independence for Haiti, and
served as president of the new republic ( 1826–1843 ).[1]



boyfriend

boyfriend
boy·friend
[bóy fr`ènd] (plural boy·friends)
noun

intimate male friend:
a man with whom somebody has a romantic or sexual relationship[1]



boyhood

boyhood
boy·hood
[bóy hd] (plural boy·hoods) noun

time when somebody is a boy:
the time in a male person’s life when he is a boy[1]



boyish

boyish
boy·ish 
[bóy ish] adjective

like
a boy:
resembling a very young man’s fresh looks or youthful behavior in a way that is
pleasing or attractive
—boy·ish·ly,
adverb

—boy·ish·ness, noun[1]



Boyle’slaw

Boyle’slaw
Boyle’s
law 
[boylz law] noun

law
of volume and pressure: the principle that the
volume of a confined gas at constant temperature varies inversely with its
pressure
[Named for the Irish-born
scientist Robert Boyle ( 1627–1691 ), who formulated it][1]



boy-meets-girl

boy-meets-girl
boy-meets-girl
adjective

conventionally romantic in
treatment: based on a developing
romance between a young man and a young woman, and treated in a predictable or
hackneyed way in film or print • It’s
a typical boy-meets-girl story where they live happily ever after.[1]



BoyntonBeach

BoyntonBeach
Boyn·ton
Beach 
[bòyntən bch]

city and vacation spot in
southeastern Florida, north of Fort Lauderdale. Population: 50,742 (1996)[1]



boyo

boyo
boy·o 
[bóyō] (plural boy·os) noun

man
or boy:
used as a form of address for a boy or man, chiefly among Irish-Americans, one
to another (slang) • Relax,
boyo. This job is going to be a snap.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from boy .][1]



BoyScout

BoyScout
Boy
Scout 
(plural Boy Scouts) noun

1.  LEISURE member
of U.S. boys’ organization: a member of the Boy Scouts
of America, an organization whose objectives are to develop character, physical
fitness, and citizenship, often through community and outdoor activities

2.  boy
scout
(plural boy scout) or Boy Scout (plural Boy
Scout) a
naive or overzealous man: a man who is considered to
be naive or overzealous (insult)

[1]



boysenberry

boysenberry

boy·sen·ber·ry 
[bóyz’n bèrree] (plural boy·sen·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS type
of bramble:
a hybrid of the loganberry, blackberry, and raspberry. Genus: Rubus

2.  FOOD fruit
of the boysenberry: the large purplish black
fruit of the boysenberry, with a taste similar to a loganberry
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. botanist Rudolph Boysen ( 1895–1950 ), who developed it.][1]



boytoy

boytoy
boy
toy 
noun

flirtatious young woman:
a young woman who appears deliberately to try to attract and please men (informal
insult, sometimes considered offensive)[1]



boywonder

boywonder
boy
won·der
(plural boy won·ders) noun

accomplished young man:
a talented and bright young man[1]



Bozeman

Bozeman
Boze·man 
[bṓzmən]

city in southwestern Montana,
on the edge of Gallatin National Forest. It is home to Montana State
University. Population: 28,522 (1996)[1]



bozo

bozo
bo·zo 
[bṓzō] (plural bo·zos) noun

somebody
who does something unwise: a mildly insulting term for
somebody who has said or done something unwise (informal insult)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Boötes

Boötes

Bo·ö·tes 
[bō ṓ teez] noun
northern constellation near the Big
Dipper: a constellation of the
northern hemisphere lying between Ursa Major and Virgo. It is dominated by the
bright star Arcturus.
Also called
Herdsman[1]



bo’s’n

bo’s’n
bo’s’n
noun

See
boatswain[1]



B/P

B/P
B/P

Abbreviation of
bills payable[1]



bp.

bp.
bp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
baptized

2.  Abbreviation
of
base pair

3.  Abbreviation
of
bills payable

4.  Abbreviation
of
birthplace

5.  CHESS Abbreviation of bishop

[1]



BP

BP
BP
or B.P.

Abbreviation of
blood pressure[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B.Pharm.

B.Pharm.
B.Pharm.
[b frm] (plural B.Pharm.s)

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Pharmacy[1]



B.Phil.

B.Phil.
B.Phil.
(plural B.Phil.s)

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Philosophy[1]



Bpicture

Bpicture
B
pic·ture
(plural B pic·tures) noun

B movie:
a B movie (dated)[1]



bpl.

bpl.
bpl.
or bpl

Abbreviation of
birthplace[1]



B.P.O.E.

B.P.O.E.
B.P.O.E.
or BPOE

Abbreviation of
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks[1]



bps

bps
bps 
noun

measurement of data transfer
speed: a measurement of data
transfer speed, for example, in modems and serial ports. Abbreviation of
bits per second[1]



Bq

Bq
Bq

Symbol for
becquerel[1]



Br.

Br.
Br.

Abbreviation of
Britain


1.  Abbreviation
of
British

2.  Abbreviation
of
Brother

[1]



br.

br.
br.

1.  Abbreviation
of
branch

2.  Abbreviation
of
brass

3.  Abbreviation
of
brief

4.  Abbreviation
of
bronze

5.  Abbreviation
of
brother

6.  Abbreviation
of
brown

[1]



BR

BR
BR

1.  (plural
BRs) Abbreviation of bedroom

2.  BR
or B/R Abbreviation of bills receivable

[1]



Br

Br
Br

Symbol for
bromine[1]



bra

bra
bra 
[braa] (plural bras) noun

undergarment
for woman’s breasts: an undergarment designed to
support and shape a woman’s breasts.
Also
called
brassiere
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of brassiere, from French, “bodice,” from bras “arm,” from Latin brachium
(see brachium ).][1]



brabble

brabble
brab·ble 
[brább’l] intransitive verb (past
brab·bled, past participle brab·bled, present
participle brab·bling, 3rd person present singular brab·bles)

quarrel
noisily or squabble: to quarrel or squabble
noisily
noun
(plural brab·bles)

noisy
quarrel or squabble: a noisy quarrel or squabble
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Middle Dutch brabbelen “to
squabble.”]
—brab·bler [brábblər], noun[1]



braburner

braburner
bra
burn·er
(plural bra burn·ers) noun

militant
feminist:
a woman who is regarded as an aggressive, militant feminist (slang insult,
sometimes considered offensive)
[Mid-20th Century. From
public demonstrations in which feminists allegedly burned their bras in protest
against social restrictions on women.][1]



brace

brace2
brace2  [brayss]
(plural brac·es) noun

SAILING rope
controlling yard on sailing ship: on a square-rigged
ship, a rope used to control the spar that extends a sail
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of French bras de vergue, literally
“yard arm,” under the influence of “brace.”][1]



brace

brace1
brace1  [brayss]
noun (plural brac·es)

1.  MEDICINE support
for part of body: an orthopedic appliance that holds or
supports part of the body

2.  clamp:
a device that keeps something steady or holds two things together

3.  BUILDING a
support for something constructed: a device used in the
building trade to hold a structure or part steady or upright, for example, a
beam, or wooden framework

4.  brace
(plural brace) pair:
a pair of similar things, for example, wild game, hunting dogs, or pistols • two
brace of pheasants

5.  CONSTRUCTION tool
for holding drill bit: a tool with an adjustable
socket at one end for holding a drill bit, and a handle like a crank at the
other for turning the bit

6.  PRINTING  \par7.  MUSIC adjuster
for drum tension: a sliding loop on the cords of a drum,
used to change its tension

8.  MUSIC bracket
connecting lines of music: a thick line or bracket
connecting a group of the staves in a piece of music, for example, all the
choral parts, or the accompaniment

9.  MATHEMATICS symbol
of mathematical grouping: \par10.  MILITARY stiff
military posture: a very erect, stiff posture with the
chest thrust out, hands at the sides, feet together, and chin tucked in, taught
to military recruits and cadets

11. ARCHERY FENCING See bracer 2 noun
plural
noun
brac·es

DENTISTRY appliance
affixed to teeth: a dental appliance that is wired or
otherwise affixed to the teeth, and that can be tightened in order to
straighten them (sometimes used in the singular)
verb
(past braced, past participle braced, present
participle brac·ing, 3rd person present singular brac·es)

1.  transitive
verb
support
or strengthen something: to support or strengthen
something, especially part of a building, with a brace • Anchor
bolts cannot be used to brace these shelves.

2.  intransitive
verb
prepare
for something: to prepare, or prepare yourself, for
something dangerous or unpleasant that is likely to happen or about to happen,
especially some sort of impact or difficulty • Coastal
residents are bracing for the hurricane.
[From Old French, literally
“two outstretched arms, fathom,” from Latin bracchia, plural of brachium
“arm” (see brachium )][1]



bracelet

bracelet
brace·let 
[bráysslit] noun (plural brace·lets)

jewelry
worn around wrist or arm: a piece of jewelry, for
example, a chain or a bangle, that is worn around the wrist or arm
plural
noun
brace·lets

handcuffs:
a pair of handcuffs (slang)
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin bracchiale “armlet,” from brachium “arm”
(see brachium ).][1]



braceposition

braceposition
brace
po·si·tion
noun

emergency position:
a protective position that somebody adopts before impact in a crash, protecting
the head with the arms and bringing the legs up underneath the chest[1]



bracer

bracer2
bra·cer2 [bráyssər]
(plural bra·cers) or brace [brayss] (plural brac·es) noun

ARCHERY FENCING leather arm guard:
a leather guard worn by fencers and archers to protect the arm
[14th century. From Old
French bracière, from bras “arm,” from Latin brachium (see
brachium ).][1]



bracer

bracer1
brac·er1 [bráyssər]
(plural brac·ers) noun

1.  support:
somebody or something that braces

2.  BEVERAGES invigorating
drink:
an invigorating often alcoholic drink
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from brace 1 .][1]



bracero

bracero
bra·ce·ro 
[brə sáirō] (plural bra·ce·ros)
noun

temporary
Mexican laborer: a Mexican worker who is allowed entry
into the United States to work for a limited time, typically on a farm
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, “laborer,” from brazo “arm,” from Latin brachium (see brachium ).][1]



braceroot

braceroot
brace
root
(plural brace roots) noun

See
prop root[1]



braceup

braceup
brace
up
intransitive verb

be strong:
to be strong and resolute in facing difficulty • Brace
up and face the facts.[1]



brachia

brachia
bra·chi·a 
noun

Plural of
brachium[1]



brachial

brachial
bra·chi·al 
[bráykee əl, brákee
əl] adjective

relating
to limb:
relating to or situated in the arm, foreleg, or wing
[Late 16th century. From
Latin brachialis, from brachium (see brachium
).][1]



brachiate

brachiate
bra·chi·ate 
[bráykee it, bráykee
àyt, brák ee it] adjective

with
arms:
having arms or appendages like arms
intransitive
verb
(past bra·chi·at·ed, past participle bra·chi·at·ed,
present participle bra·chi·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
bra·chi·ates)

move
by swinging from arms: to move along by swinging
from one hold to the next with the arms (refers to tree-dwelling animals)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin brachiatus, from brachium (see brachium ).]
—bra·chi·a·tion
[bràykee áysh’n], noun

—bra·chi·a·tor, noun[1]



brachio-

brachio-
brachio-
prefix

arm
• brachiocephalic
[From Latin brachium
(see brachium )][1]



brachiocephalic

brachiocephalic
bra·chi·o·ce·phal·ic 
[bràykee ō sə fállik, bràkee ō sə fállik] adjective

of arms and head:
relating to or supplying the arms and the head[1]



brachiopod

brachiopod
bra·chi·o·pod 
[bráykee ə pòd, brákee
ə pòd] (plural bra·chi·o·pods) noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal with hinged
shells enclosing tentacles. Phylum: Brachiopoda
Also
called
lampshell
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Brachiopoda, phylum name, from Latin brachium
“arm” and -pod .]
—brach·i·o·pod, adjective[1]



brachiosaurus

brachiosaurus
bra·chi·o·sau·rus 
[bràykee ə sáwrəss, bràkee
ə sáwrəss] (plural bra·chi·o·sau·rus·es or bra·chi·o·sau·ri
[brákee ə sáw r]) or bra·chi·o·saur
[bràykee ə sáwr] (plural bra·chi·o·saurs)
noun

large
dinosaur:
a dinosaur with a massive sloping body up to 30 m/100 ft long. Genus: Brachiosaurus
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, which was coined from brachium
(from the unusual length of the animal’s humerus bones) + Greek sauros
“lizard.”][1]



brachium

brachium
bra·chi·um 
[bráykee əm] (plural bra·chi·a
[bráykee ə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY arm:
an arm, especially the upper arm (technical)

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
limb corresponding to arm: a structure, for example, a
wing, that corresponds to an arm
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from Greek brakhiōn “upper arm,” literally “shorter” from brakhus
“short” (see brachy- ).][1]



brachy-

brachy-
brachy-
prefix

short
• brachyodont
[From Greek brakhus .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “short,” which is also the
ancestor of English brief, abbreviate, and brace
.][1]



brachycephalic

brachycephalic
brach·y·ce·phal·ic 
[bràki səffállik] or brach·y·ceph·a·lous
[bràkee séffələss] adjective

with
a short, broad head: with a short, broad, and
almost spherical head
—brach·y·ceph·a·lism
[bràki séffə lìzzəm], noun

—brach·y·ceph·a·ly [bràki séffəlee], noun[1]



brachydactylic

brachydactylic
brach·y·dac·tyl·ic 
[bràki dak tíllik] or brach·y·dac·ty·lous
[bràki dáktələss] adjective

with
short fingers or toes: with abnormally short
fingers or toes
—brach·y·dac·tyl·i·a
[bràki dak tílleeə], noun

—brach·y·dac·ty·ly [bràki dáktəlee], noun[1]



brachylogy

brachylogy
bra·chyl·o·gy 
[bra kílləjee] (plural bra·chyl·o·gies)
noun

1.  brevity
in word use: brevity in speech or writing, or an
instance of such brevity

2.  shortened
form of term: a shortened form of an expression, used
in informal speech
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek brakhulogia, literally “shortness of
speech.”]
—bra·chyl·o·gous, adjective[1]



brachypterous

brachypterous
bra·chyp·ter·ous 
[bra kíptərəss] adjective

with
short or underdeveloped wings: used to describe
insects and some species of diving birds with short or not fully developed
wings
—bra·chyp·ter·ism [bra kíptə rìzzəm, brə
kíptə rìzzəm], noun[1]



bracing

bracing
brac·ing 
[bráyssing] adjective

refreshingly
invigorating: refreshing or invigorating • a
bracing cold shower
noun

braces
supporting something: a system of braces that are
used to support or strengthen a structure
—brac·ing·ly, adverb[1]



braciola

braciola
bra·ci·o·la 
[brchee ṓlə, braach
ṓlə] (plural bra·ci·o·las or bra·ci·ole [brchee ṓlay, brchee ṓlè])
noun

stuffed
meat cooked in wine: a thin slice of meat that is
usually wrapped around a stuffing and cooked in wine
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “something cooked over coals,” from brace “live
coals,” probably of Germanic origin.][1]



bracken

bracken
brack·en 
[brákən] (plural brack·en or
brack·ens) noun

large
fern:
a large fern, common in most temperate and tropical regions, with extensive
underground stems and large triangular fronds. Latin name: Pteridium
aquilinum
Also
called
brake
[14th century. From assumed
Old Norse brakni .][1]



bracket

bracket
brack·et 
[brákit] noun (plural brack·ets)

1.  L-shaped
structure on wall: an L-shaped structure that
is attached to a wall to hold up something, for example, a shelf or speaker

2.  type
of shelf:
a shelf that usually has an integral part that attaches to the wall as its
support and can sometimes be swiveled

3.  PRINTING either
of the symbols [ ]: either one of a pair of
symbols, [ ], used in keying or printing to indicate the insertion of special commentary,
such as that made by an editor.
Also
called
square bracket
U.K.
term
square bracket

4.  U.K.
PRINTING (often used in plural)
See parenthesis

5.  group
within certain limits: a section of a population or
group that falls within specific defined limits • taxpayers
in the $50,000 to $70,000 bracket
transitive
verb
(past brack·et·ed, past participle brack·et·ed, present
participle brack·et·ing, 3rd person present singular brack·ets)

1.  support
something with brackets: to attach brackets to
something, especially a wall, or to support something with brackets

2.  put
something inside brackets: to put something, especially
text or a mathematical equation, inside brackets

3.  group
things or people together: to group or class things or
people together, usually because they are similar in some way • Rail
and bus can be bracketed together under public transportation.
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly via French braguette “codpiece”
(because of its shape) from, ultimately, Latin bracae “breeches.”]
—brack·et·ing, noun[1]



bracketcreep

bracketcreep
brack·et
creep
noun

movement into higher tax
bracket: movement into a higher tax
bracket due to a slow increase in income, especially as a result of
cost-of-living pay increases[1]



bracketfungus

bracketfungus
brack·et
fun·gus
(plural brack·et fun·gi or brack·et fun·gus·es) noun

fungus with flat outgrowths:
a fungus that forms growths that look somewhat like shelves. The growths
generally appear on tree trunks and other wooden structures.[1]



brackish

brackish
brack·ish 
[brákish] adjective

salty:
somewhat salty, especially from being a mixture of fresh and salt water
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Dutch brak “salty water,” of unknown origin.]
—brack·ish·ness, noun[1]



braconid

braconid
brac·o·nid 
[brákənid] (plural brac·o·nids)
noun

parasitic
fly:
a fly whose larvae are parasitic on other insects. Family: Braconidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Braconidae, family name, from Greek brakhus “short”
(see brachy- ).][1]



bract

bract
bract 
[brakt] (plural bracts) noun

BOTANY plant
part from which flower grows: a modified leaf that arises
from the stem at the point where the flower or flower cluster develops
[Late
18th century. From Latin bractea “thin metal plate, gold leaf,” of
uncertain origin.]
—brac·te·al [bráktee əl], adjective[1]



bracteate

bracteate
brac·te·ate 
[bráktee it, bráktee
àyt] adjective

BOTANY with
bracts:
used to describe a plant that has bracts
noun
(plural brac·te·ates)

ARCHAEOLOGY decorated
dish:
a decorated dish or plate made of precious metal
[Early 19th century. From
Latin bracteatus, from bractea (see bract
).][1]



bracteole

bracteole
brac·te·ole 
[bráktee l] (plural brac·te·oles)
noun

small
plant organ: an organ resembling a leaf or scale that
arises from a branch of a flower cluster where the flowers develop, and where
the entire cluster itself develops above a bract
[Early
19th century. From Latin bracteola, literally “small bract,” from bractea
(see bract ).]
—brac·te·o·late [bráktee ə lit, bráktee
ə làyt], adjective[1]



brad

brad
brad 
[brad] (plural brads) noun

small
nail:
a thin tapered nail with a small head that is either symmetrical or formed on
one side only
[13th century. From Old Norse
broddr “spike.”][1]



bradawl

bradawl
brad·awl 
[brád àwl] (plural brad·awls) noun

tool for making holes:
a hand tool with a pointed tip, used for making holes in wood, leather, and
other materials, to allow screws and nails to be inserted[1]



Braddock,Edward

Braddock,Edward
Brad·dock 
[bráddək], Edward (1695–1755)

British general. He led
British forces in North America (1755) during the French and Indian War, and
was killed in an ambush at Fort Duquesne, near present-day Pittsburgh, from
which George Washington escaped.[1]



Bradenton

Bradenton
Bra·den·ton 
[bráyd’ntən]

city in western Florida,
northwest of Sarasota, on the south side of Tampa Bay. Population: 47,219
(1996)[1]



Bradford,William

Bradford,William
Brad·ford 
[brádfərd], William (1590–1657)

English-born Puritan leader
and New England colonist. He sailed to North America on the Mayflower
(1620) and was governor of Plymouth colony almost continuously from 1621
through 1656. He wrote the History of Plimouth Plantation ( 1620–1647 ),
published in 1856 and still a major historical source.[1]



Bradley,Bill

Bradley,Bill
Brad·ley
[brádlee], Bill (1943– )

U.S.
politician. He was a long-serving Democrat in the U.S. Senate (1979–1997) after
a ten-year career as a professional basketball star with the New York Knicks.
Full name
Bradley, William Warren[1]



Bradley,Omar

Bradley,Omar
Brad·ley
[brádlee], Omar (1893–1981)

U.S.
general. During World War II he was responsible for Allied campaigns in
Tunisia, Sicily, and France, where he commanded 1.4 million U.S. troops. He was
famous for his concern for the ordinary soldier.
Full name
Bradley, Omar Nelson Known as the GI General[1]



Bradley,Thomas

Bradley,Thomas
Brad·ley
[brádlee], Thomas (1917–1998)

U.S. politician . A former
police officer, he was elected the first African American mayor of Los Angeles
in 1973.[1]



Bradman,Don

Bradman,Don
Brad·man
[brádmən], Sir Don (1908– )

Australian
cricketer. He was Australian Test captain (1936–1948), and one of the
highest-scoring batsmen of all time, with a Test average of 99.94 runs.
Full name
Bradman, Sir Donald George[1]



Bradstreet,Anne

Bradstreet,Anne
Brad·street 
[brád strt], Anne (1612?–72)

English-born
American New England poet. An early settler (1630) and the wife of a governor
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, she is regarded as the first English poet in
America. Her verse was first published in England in 1650.
Born
Dudley, Ann[1]



brady-

brady-
brady-
[bráydee] prefix

slow
• bradycardia
[From Greek bradus, of
unknown origin][1]



bradycardia

bradycardia
brad·y·car·di·a 
[bràddi krdee ə] noun

slowness
of heart rate: slowness of the heart rate, usually
measured as fewer than 60 beats per minute in an adult human
[Late
19th century. Coined from brady- + Greek kardia
“heart” + -ia, literally “slow-heart
condition.”]
—brad·y·car·dic [bràddi krdik], adjective[1]



bradykinin

bradykinin
brad·y·ki·nin 
[bráddi knin, bràddi
kínin] noun

blood
chemical that dilates vessels: a chemical ( peptide ) derived from plasma protein that forms
at the site of injured tissue. It plays a role in producing inflammation,
dilates blood vessels, and contracts smooth muscle.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from brady- + Greek kinein “to move”
+ -in .][1]



Brady,Mathew B.

Brady,Mathew B.

Bra·dy
[bráydee], Mathew B. (1823?–1896)
U.S. photographer. His photographs of
prominent personalities, including Abraham Lincoln, and of the Civil War have
fixed the popular image of the United States in the mid-19th century.[1]



brae

brae
brae 
[bray] (plural braes) noun

Scotland
hillside:
in Scotland, a hill or slope (often used in place names)
[14th century. From Old Norse
brá “eyelash.” The underlying meaning is “brow of a hill.”][1]



brag

brag
brag 
[brag] intransitive verb (past
bragged, past participle bragged, present participle
brag·ging, 3rd person present singular brags)

talk with too much pride:
to talk shamelessly or with excessive pride about achievements or possessions • The
police arrested him after he bragged about the bank robbery to his friends.
noun
(plural brags)

1.  boastful
remark:
a boastful statement or display of arrogant behavior

2.  subject
of boast:
something bragged or boasted about

3.  somebody
who brags:
a boastful person

4.  CARD GAMES card
game:
a card game similar to poker
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—brag·ger,
noun

—brag·ging,
noun, adjective

—brag·ging·ly, adverb[1]



Brage

Brage
Brage
noun

See
Bragi[1]



braggadocio

braggadocio
brag·ga·do·ci·o 
[bràggə dṓsee , bràggə
dṓshee , bràggə dṓshō] (plural
brag·ga·do·ci·os) noun

1.  overblown,
empty boasting: empty boasting and swaggering
self-aggrandizement

2.  braggart:
somebody who makes overblown claims or empty boasts
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Braggadocchio, the personification of boastfulness in
Spenser’s Faerie Queen .][1]



braggart

braggart
brag·gart 
[brággərt] (plural brag·garts)
noun

somebody
who brags:
somebody who talks immodestly, shamelessly, or with excessive pride about his
or her achievements or possessions
[Late 16th century. From
French bragard, from braguer “to brag,” of uncertain origin:
possibly from English brag .][1]



Bragg,Braxton

Bragg,Braxton
Bragg
[brag], Braxton (1817–1876)

U.S. Confederate general. He
was defeated in the Civil War Chattanooga Campaign (1863).[1]



Bragg,Lawrence

Bragg,Lawrence
Bragg
[brag], Sir Lawrence (1890–1971)

Australian-born
British physicist. He collaborated with his father, Sir William Bragg, in
developing an X-ray technique for examining crystals. They shared the Nobel
Prize in physics in 1915.
Full name
Bragg, Sir William Lawrence[1]



Bragg’slaw

Bragg’slaw
Bragg’s
law 
[brágz law] noun

law
concerning X-rays reflected from crystals: a law
stating the directions in which X-rays reflected from a crystal are most
intense
[Early 20th century. Named
for Sir William Henry Bragg and his son, Sir
William Lawrence Bragg (1890–1971), English physicists.][1]



Bragi

Bragi
Bra·gi 
[brgee] or Bra·ge [brgə] noun

Norse god of poetry and
music: in Nordic mythology, the god
of poetry, eloquence, and music[1]



Brahe,Tycho

Brahe,Tycho

Bra·he 
[braa, brhee,
br ə], Tycho (1546–1601)
Danish astronomer. He employed extremely
precise observations of stars and planets to correct inaccuracies in existing
astronomical tables.[1]



Brahma

Brahma1
Brah·ma1 [brmə]
noun

1.  Hindu
god:
a Hindu god, the source of knowledge and understanding, regarded as the
protector of the world and in later tradition called the creator.
Also
called
Brahman

2.  See
Brahman  noun 1
[From Sanskrit brāhmaṅa-,
from brahman- (see Brahmin )][1]



Brahma

Brahma2
Brah·ma2 [brmə,
bráy mə] (plural Brah·mas) noun

BIRDS large
domestic fowl: a large domestic fowl with heavily
feathered legs and feet and a small tail and wings
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Brahmaputra fowl, so called because it was first imported from a town
on the Brahmaputra river in India.][1]



Brahman

Brahman
Brah·man 
[brmən] noun

1.  ultimate
power underlying the universe: in Hinduism, the
ultimate impersonal reality underlying everything in the universe, from which
everything comes and to which it returns.
Also
called
Brahma

2.  See
Brahma 1 noun 1

3.  See
Brahmin  noun 1
See Brahmin  noun 2
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit (see Brahmin ).]
—Brah·man·ic
[braamánik], adjective

—Brah·man·i·cal, adjective[1]



Brahmana

Brahmana
Brah·ma·na
[brmənə] (plural Brah·ma·nas)
noun

sacred
Hindu text:
a sacred Hindu text, belonging to a group of commentaries on the Vedas
[From Sanskrit brāhmaṅam,
from brāhmaṅa- (see Brahmin )][1]



Brahmani

Brahmani
Brah·ma·ni 
[brmənee] (plural Brah·ma·nis)
or brah·ma·ni [brmənee] (plural
brah·ma·nis) noun

woman
of Brahmin caste: a woman of the Brahmin caste
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit brāhmaṅī, feminine of brāhmaṅa- (see Brahmin ).][1]



Brahmanism

Brahmanism
Brah·man·ism 
or brah·man·ism noun

See
Brahminism
—Brah·man·ist, noun[1]



Brahmin

Brahmin
Brah·min 
[brmin] (plural Brah·mins or
Brah·min) or brah·min [brmin]
(plural brah·mins or brah·min) noun

1.  INDIAN RELIGION highest
Hindu caste: the first of the four Hindu castes, the
members of which are priests and scholars of Vedic literature.
Also
called
Brahman

2.  INDIAN RELIGION member
of Brahmin caste: a member of the Brahmin caste.
Also
called
Brahman

3.  member
of cultural elite: a member of a cultural,
social, or intellectual elite, especially formerly in New England
[15th
century. From Sanskrit brāhmaṅa-, from brahman- “priest.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “priest.”]
—Brah·min·ic
[braa mínik], adjective

—Brah·min·i·cal [braa mínnik’l], adjective[1]



Brahminism

Brahminism
Brah·min·ism 
[brmə nìzzəm] or brah·min·ism
[brmə nìzzəm] or Brah·man·ism
[brmə nìzzəm] or brah·man·ism
[brmə nìzzəm] noun

traditional
Hinduism:
the traditional social and religious system of Vedic Hinduism
—Brah·min·ist [brmənist], noun[1]



Brahms,Johannes

Brahms,Johannes


Brahms 
[braamz], Johannes (1833–1897)
German composer. His works includes four
symphonies, two piano concertos, and A German Requiem (1868).[1]



Brahui

Brahui
Bra·hu·i 
[braa h ee] (plural Bra·hu·is
or Bra·hu·i) noun

1.  Dravidian
language:
a Dravidian language spoken in southwestern Pakistan. Brahui is spoken by about
two million people, many of whom are bilingual in Baluchi or Sindhi.

2.  member
of Asian people: a member of an Asian Brahui-speaking
people who live in southwestern Pakistan
[Early
19th century. From Brahui .]
—Bra·hu·i, adjective[1]



braid

braid

braid 
[brayd] noun (plural braids)

1.  INDUSTRY CLOTHES decorative silky cord:
decorative and often silky cord or interwoven thread, used especially to trim
and bind, in decorating uniforms, and as edging for soft furnishings

2.  something
interwoven:
something that is made of three or more interwoven strands • wear
your hair in braids
transitive verb
(past braid·ed, past participle braid·ed, present
participle braid·ing, 3rd person present singular braids)

1.  interweave
strands:
to interweave three or more strands of something, especially hair

2.  make
something by braiding: to make something by
interweaving strands, strips, or other pieces

3.  combine
separate things: to combine or intermingle several
separate things into something complex • Elements
from several different cultures were braided into the performance piece.

4.  decorate
something with braid: to decorate uniforms or edge
furnishings with braid
[Old English bregdan
“to weave, lay hold of” (source also of English upbraid
)][1]



braided

braided
braid·ed 
[bráydid] adjective

1.  interwoven:
interwoven from three or more strands

2.  edged
with cord:
decorated or edged with silky, especially gold, cord

3.  consisting
of interconnected tracks or channels:
composed of several interconnected tracks or channels that divide and reunite • a
braided river

[1]



braiding

braiding
braid·ing 
[bráyding] noun

1.  INDUSTRY silky
thread or cord: decorative silky thread or cord, used
especially to decorate uniforms and furnishings

2.  SEWING embroidery:
embroidery worked in decorative silky thread

[1]



Braille

Braille

Braille
[brayl] noun
writing
system for visually impaired people: a
writing system for visually impaired or sightless people, consisting of
patterns of raised dots that are read by touch
[Mid-19th century. Named
after Louis Braille .][1]



Braille,Louis

Braille,Louis

Braille
[brayl], Louis (1809–1852)
French educator. He was blind from early
childhood and in 1829 he invented the Braille system of raised dots to enable
visually impaired people to read and write.[1]



Brailler

Brailler
Braill·er
[bráylər] (plural Braill·ers) or
Braille·writ·er [bráyl rtər] (plural
Braille·writ·ers) noun

machine that prints Braille:
a machine similar to a typewriter that prints Braille[1]



brain

brain

brain 
[brayn] noun (plural brains)

1.  ANATOMY organ
of thought and feeling: the controlling center of
the nervous system in vertebrates, connected to the spinal cord and enclosed in
the cranium. It consists of a mass of nerve tissue and nerve-supporting and
nourishing tissue ( neuroglia ), is the
center of thought and emotions, and regulates bodily activities.

2.  ZOOLOGY center
of nervous-system in invertebrates: a
nervous-system center in some invertebrates that is functionally similar to the
brain in vertebrates

3.  intellect:
somebody’s intellectual abilities or intellectual center • His
heart was beating violently and his brain was in a turmoil.

4.  brainy
person:
a very intelligent person, especially the most intelligent person in a certain
group (informal) • Lee’s
the brain of the family.
transitive verb
(past brained, past participle brained, present
participle brain·ing, 3rd person present singular brains)

hit somebody on head:
to hit somebody violently on the head (slang)
[Old
English brægen]
have something on the brain

to
be obsessed with something • She
has making money on the brain.

pick somebody’s brains

to
ask questions of somebody, in order to learn what he or she knows about
something • Let
me pick your brains about how to market this new book.

rack your brains

to try to remember something
or solve a problem by thinking very hard • I
racked my brains but still could not recall her address.[1]



braincase

braincase
brain·case 
[bráyn kàyss] (plural brain·cas·es)
noun

part of skull containing
brain: the part of the skull
enclosing the brain.
Also called
brainpan[1]



brainchild

brainchild
brain·child 
[bráyn chld] (plural brain·chil·dren)
noun

somebody’s original idea:
an original plan or idea attributed to a single person or to a group of people[1]



braincoral

braincoral
brain
cor·al
(plural brain cor·al or brain cor·als) noun

coral forming convex
colonies: coral that forms rounded
colonies resembling the convex folds of the human brain. Genus: Meandrina[1]



braindamage

braindamage
brain
dam·age
noun

injury to the brain:
injury to the brain tissue that can impair normal functioning[1]



brain-dead

brain-dead
brain-dead
adjective

1.  MEDICINE with
nonfunctioning brain: lacking functions of the
brain and central nervous system as measured by brainwave activity on an
electroencephalogram over a set period of time

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody considered to have extremely low intellectual
ability (slang offensive)

[1]



braindeath

braindeath
brain
death
(plural brain deaths) noun

end of brain function:
the end of all functions of the brain and central nervous system as measured by
brainwave activity on an electroencephalogram over a set period of time. There
are strict legal criteria for determining brain death, since its occurrence can
allow cessation of life support or removal of organs for transplantation.[1]



braindrain

braindrain
brain
drain
(plural brain drains) noun

emigration of scientists:
the movement of highly skilled people, especially scientists and technical
workers, to a country offering better opportunities[1]



Brainerd

Brainerd
Brain·erd
[bráynərd]

city in central Minnesota, on
the bank of the Mississippi River, north of St. Cloud. Population: 13,285
(1996)[1]



brainfever

brainfever
brain
fe·ver
noun

inflammation of the brain:
a term for inflammation of the brain or its covering membranes (archaic)[1]



brainless

brainless
brain·less 
[bráynliss] adjective

unintelligent:
lacking intelligence
—brain·less·ly,
adverb

—brain·less·ness, noun[1]



brainpan

brainpan
brain·pan 
[bráyn pàn] (plural brain·pans)
noun

See
braincase[1]



brainpower

brainpower
brain·pow·er 
[bráyn pòwər] noun

intellectual ability:
somebody’s intellectual capability[1]



brainscan

brainscan
brain
scan
(plural brain scans) noun

1.  image
of brain showing abnormalities: a series of
two-dimensional cross sections of the brain produced by means of computerized
imaging techniques and showing the presence of tumors or other abnormalities.
Information presented in three dimensions can be derived from the combined
cross sections.

2.  procedure
for scanning the brain: the procedure involved in
producing this image

[1]



brainstem

brainstem
brain·stem
[bráyn stèm] (plural brain·stems)
noun

part of brain joining spinal
column: the part of the brain
between the spinal column and the cerebral hemispheres. It consists of the
midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.[1]



brainstorm

brainstorm
brain·storm 
[bráyn stàwrm] noun (plural brain·storms)

1.  brilliant
idea:
a sudden, exciting idea (informal) • I
just had a brainstorm! I’ll tell you how we can do it.

Also
called
brain wave

2.  brief
psychological disturbance: a momentary psychological
disturbance
intransitive
and transitive verb (past brain·stormed,
past participle brain·stormed, present participle brain·storm·ing,
3rd person present singular brain·storms)

think quickly and creatively:
to generate creative ideas spontaneously, usually for problem-solving, and
especially in an intensive group discussion that does not allow time for
reflection
—brain·storm·er,
noun

—brain·storm·ing, noun[1]



brainsurgeon

brainsurgeon
brain
sur·geon
(plural brain sur·geons) noun

smart person:
a very intelligent person (informal) • It
doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand this software.[1]



brainteaser

brainteaser
brain·teas·er 
[bráyn tzər] (plural brain·teas·ers)
noun

difficult puzzle:
a difficult or complex problem that requires careful thought in order to solve
it, often done for amusement[1]



Braintree

Braintree
Brain·tree 
[bráyn tr]

town in eastern
Massachusetts. It is a southern suburb of Boston, and directly south of Quincy.
Population: 34,708 (1996)[1]



braintrust

braintrust
brain
trust
(plural brain trusts) noun

1.  high-level
advisers:
a group of high-level advisers, usually unofficial, to a government or
administration

2.  inept
people:
a group of people regarded as self-important, inept, and operating at a level
of authority beyond their competence (slang) • The
inventory control fiasco is the product of the brain trust called “Corporate
Operations.”

3.  brain
trust
or Brain Trust HISTORY
advisers
to Roosevelt: a group of high-level academics who
helped President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, especially prior to his taking
office, formulate the New Deal
—brain trust·er, noun[1]



brainwash

brainwash
brain·wash 
[bráyn wòsh, bráyn
wàwsh] (past brain·washed, past participle brain·washed,
present participle brain·wash·ing, 3rd person present singular
brain·wash·es) transitive verb

1.  impose
beliefs on somebody: to impose a set of usually
political or religious beliefs on somebody by the use of various coercive
methods of indoctrination, including destruction of the victim’s prior beliefs

2.  condition
somebody to behave differently: to induce somebody to
believe or do something, for example, to buy a new product, especially by
constant repetition or advertising

[1]



brainwashing

brainwashing
brain·wash·ing 
[bráyn wòshing, bráyn
wàwshing] noun

conditioning to different
behavior: inducing somebody to believe
or do something, such as buy a new product, especially by means of constant
repetition or advertising[1]



brainwave

brainwave
brain
wave
(plural brain waves) noun

1.  wave
of voltage in brain: one of the rhythmic waves of
voltage arising from electrical activity within brain tissue

2.  (informal)
See brainstorm  noun 1

[1]



brainwork

brainwork
brain·work 
[bráyn wùrk] noun

concentrated
intellectual activity: concentrated intellectual
activity, especially that required to do a job
—brain·work·er, noun[1]



brainy

brainy
brain·y 
[bráynee] (comparative brain·i·er,
superlative brain·i·est) adjective

smart:
extremely intelligent (informal)
—brain·i·ly,
adverb

—brain·i·ness, noun[1]



braise

braise
braise 
[brayz] (past braised, past
participle braised, present participle brais·ing, 3rd
person present singular brais·es) transitive verb

cook
food on low heat: to cook food, especially meat or
vegetables, by browning briefly in hot fat, adding a little liquid, and cooking
at a low temperature in a covered pot
[Mid-18th century. From
French braiser, from braise “live coals” (source of English brazier ).][1]



brake

brake4
brake4  [brayk]
(plural brakes) noun

1.  fiber-separating
machine:
a tool or machine for crushing and separating the fibers of flax or hemp

2.  metal-folding
machine:
a machine, frequently hydraulically powered, for precision bending and folding
of sheet metal.
Also
called
press brake
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch . Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to break.”][1]



brake

brake3
brake3  [brayk]
noun

dense
bushes:
an area of dense undergrowth, shrubs, and brush
[Old English bracu, of
uncertain origin][1]



brake

brake5
brake5  [brayk]
(plural brakes) noun

lever
or handle on a machine: a lever or handle on a pump
or other machine
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



brake

brake1
brake1  [brayk]
noun (plural brakes)

1.  device
that slows or stops machine: the part of a machine or
vehicle that slows it down or stops it (often used in the plural)

2.  restraint
on something: a slowing down or stopping of something
such as expenditure or development, or something that causes this • The
brake on investment is largely a result of political factors.
verb
(past braked, past participle braked, present
participle brak·ing, 3rd person present singular brakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb slow
or stop machine: to slow down or stop, or to make
something such as a vehicle or a machine go more slowly or stop • The
driver braked hard.

2.  transitive
verb
slow
or halt development: to slow down or halt the
progress of something or an increase in something
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from an earlier sense “bridle, curb,” from Middle Dutch or
Low German, “nose ring, flax brake” (see brake 4 ).][1]



brake

brake2
brake2  [brayk]
(plural brake or brakes) noun

1.  fern:
a fern with compound leaves resembling feathers, popular as a houseplant.
Genus: Pteris

2.  See
bracken
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a back-formation from bracken,
the “-en” being mistaken for a plural ending.][1]



brakechute

brakechute
brake
chute
(plural brake chutes) noun

See
brake parachute[1]



brakedrum

brakedrum
brake
drum
(plural brake drums) noun

cylinder that acts as vehicle
brake: the metal cylinder attached
to the wheel of a vehicle that slows the rotation of the wheel when pressure is
applied[1]



brakefade

brakefade
brake
fade
noun

decrease in braking
efficiency: a decrease in braking
efficiency of a motor vehicle, caused by the brakes overheating[1]



brakefluid

brakefluid
brake
flu·id
(plural brake flu·ids) noun

liquid in hydraulic brake:
the oily liquid used in hydraulic brake system to transmit pressure from the
brake pedal to the brakes[1]



brakehorsepower

brakehorsepower
brake
horse·pow·er noun

work produced by engine:
a measure of the work produced by an engine, calibrated in horsepower and
determined by the force exerted on a friction brake[1]



brakelight

brakelight
brake
light
(plural brake lights) noun

See
stoplight[1]



brakelining

brakelining
brake
lin·ing
(plural brake lin·ings) noun

replaceable lining for
brakes: the thin, replaceable strip
of material attached to a brake shoe[1]



brakeman

brakeman
brake·man 
[bráykmən] (plural brake·men [bráykmən]) noun

railroad worker who operates
brakes: a member of a train crew or
other railroad employee who operates, inspects, or repairs brakes[1]



brakepad

brakepad
brake
pad
(plural brake pads) noun

block that presses against
disk brake: a replaceable block of
material that presses against the surface of a disk brake[1]



brakeparachute

brakeparachute
brake
par·a·chute
(plural brake par·a·chutes) or brake chute (plural
brake chutes) noun

rear parachute acting as
brake: a parachute that is attached
to the back of a vehicle and acts as a brake.
Also called
drag chute
Also called
parabrake[1]



brakeshoe

brakeshoe
brake
shoe
(plural brake shoes) noun

block that presses against
wheel: a curved block that presses
against a wheel or brake drum to slow it down[1]



brakingdistance

brakingdistance
brak·ing
dis·tance 
[bráyking dìstəns] (plural brak·ing
dis·tanc·es) noun

stopping distance of vehicle:
the distance a vehicle needs to come to a complete stop when the brakes have
been applied[1]



braless

braless
bra·less 
[brliss] adjective

without bra:
not wearing a bra[1]



Bramante,Donato

Bramante,Donato
Bra·man·te 
[brə mn tay, braa
mn te], Donato (1444–1514)

Italian
architect and painter. He rebuilt and renovated the Vatican and St. Peter’s in
Rome (1505–1506).
Real name
d’Antonio, Donato di Pascuccio[1]



bramble

bramble
bram·ble 
[brámb’l] (past bram·bled, past
participle bram·bled, present participle bram·bling, 3rd
person present singular bram·bles, plural bram·bles) noun

1.  prickly
shrub with edible fruit: a prickly shrub of the rose
family, especially blackberry or raspberry canes. Genus: Rubus

2.  prickly
shrub:
a prickly shrub or bush similar to, or related to, the blackberry, for example,
a sweetbriar

3.  blackberry:
a blackberry
[Old English bræmbel .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “thorny bush,” which is
also the ancestor of English broom .][1]



brambling

brambling
bram·bling 
[brámbling] (plural bram·blings)
noun

Eurasian
finch:
a bird of northern Europe and Asia related to the chaffinch, with a speckled
head and back and rusty brown breast. Latin name: Fringilla montifringilla
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly formed from bramble and -ling .][1]



brambly

brambly
bram·bly
[brámblee] (comparative bram·bli·er,
superlative bram·bli·est) adjective

covered in brambles:
covered in or containing prickly shrubs, especially blackberries or wild roses
• a
brambly garden[1]



Brampton

Brampton
Bramp·ton 
[brámptən]

city and industrial center in
southeastern Ontario, Canada. Population: 268,251 (1996)[1]



Bran

Bran
Bran 
[bran] noun

Celtic giant:
in Celtic mythology, a giant god who ruled Britain and installed his son,
Gwern, as king of Ireland[1]



bran

bran
bran 
[bran] (plural brans) noun

husks
of cereal grain: the husks of cereal grain that are
partly or completely removed during the milling process and used as a
supplementary source of dietary fiber
[13th century. From French,
of unknown origin.][1]



Branagh,Kenneth

Branagh,Kenneth
Bran·agh
[bránnə], Kenneth (1960– )

Irish-born
U.K. actor and director. He directed and acted in movies including Henry V
(1989).
Full name
Branagh, Kenneth Charles[1]



branch

branch
branch 
[branch] noun (plural branch·es)

1.  BOTANY part
of tree growing from trunk: a woody limb of a tree that
grows out from a larger limb or from the trunk

2.  BOTANY part
of plant stem or root: a subdivision of the stem,
root, or flower cluster of a plant

3.  something
like tree branch: something that resembles a branch of a
tree in structure

4.  local
unit in organization: a store, bank, or another
organization that is part of a larger group and is located in a different part
of a geographical area from the parent organization • The
account is held at the bank’s Elm Street branch.

5.  distinct
part of large organization: a subdivision of a large
organization, usually with a specialized mission • Each
branch of the military has a distinctive history and reputation.

6.  part
of subject area: one part of a large area of study or
subject • Ethics
is a branch of philosophy.

7.  family
line:
one line of a family that is descended from a common ancestor • the
Peruvian branch of the family

8.  GEOGRAPHY tributary
stream:
a river or stream flowing into another river • a
branch of the Colorado River

9.  Southern
U.S.
GEOGRAPHY creek:
a small stream or a creek • A
branch runs through our lower pasture.

10. MATHEMATICS part
of curve:
a distinctive part of a curve that is separated from the rest of the curve, for
example, by discontinuities or extreme points

11. branch
or branch wa·ter Southern U.S. BEVERAGES drinking water:
drinking water, especially from a clean spring or stream, and used particularly
for mixing with bourbon

12. COMPUTING alternative
sequence of computer instructions: any one of several
alternative sequences of computer program instructions that are activated
according to certain specific conditions, for example, the value of a variable
verb
(past branched, past participle branched, present
participle branch·ing, 3rd person present singular branch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
into smaller parts: to divide or cause something
to divide into lesser parts • Part
of the path branches off toward the river.

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY have
branches:
to grow branches

3.  intransitive
verb
expand
activities or interests: to become involved in
something new, especially as a way of extending or expanding personal interests
or business activities • The
company has branched into the multimedia market.

4.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING jump
to alternate program path: to execute an alternative
sequence of computer program instructions as a result of the detection of a
specific condition
[13th century. Via French branche
from late Latin branca “paw,” possibly of Celtic origin. The underlying
meaning was “limb.”][1]



-branch

-branch
-branch
suffix

gills
• opisthobranch
[From Latin branchia
“gills” (see branchia )][1]



branchia

branchia
bran·chi·a 
[brángkee ə] (plural bran·chi·ae
[brángkee ee]) noun

gill:
a gill in aquatic animals or a similar structure found in the embryos of higher
animals, including humans
[Late
17th century. Via Latin from Greek bragkhia, “gills,” of unknown
origin.]
—bran·chi·al
[brángkee əl], adjective

—bran·chi·ate [bránkeeit], adjective[1]



branchialcleft

branchialcleft
bran·chi·al
cleft
(plural bran·chi·al clefts) or bran·chi·al groove (plural
bran·chi·al grooves) noun

gill slit:
a gill slit (technical)[1]



branchiopod

branchiopod
bran·chi·o·pod 
[brángkee ə pòd] (plural bran·chi·o·pods)
noun

small
crustacean:
a small, usually freshwater, crustacean with a segmented body and flat
gill-bearing appendages. Subclass: Branchiopoda
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin Branchiopoda, subclass name, coined from
Latin branchia “gills” + -pod .]
—bran·chi·o·pod,
adjective

—bran·chi·op·o·dous [brànkee pədəss], adjective[1]



branchlet

branchlet
branch·let 
[bránchlit] (plural branch·lets)
noun

part of branch:
a small branch, usually forming the outermost part of a larger branch[1]



branchline

branchline
branch
line
(plural branch lines) noun

railroad line routed to
smaller towns: part of a railroad
system that is routed to smaller towns and villages that are not served by a
main line, particularly in Europe.
See also
main line[1]



branchofficer

branchofficer
branch
of·fi·cer
(plural branch of·fi·cers) noun

somebody in charge of branch:
the person in charge of a branch of an organization, especially a bank[1]



branchout

branchout
branch
out
intransitive verb

do something different:
to do something different, often involving an element of risk[1]



branchplant

branchplant
branch
plant
noun

Canada
foreign-owned company:
a subsidiary business owned and controlled by a company based in another
country[1]



branchwater

branchwater
branch
wa·ter
noun

Southern U.S.
See branch  noun 11[1]



Brancusi,Constantin

Brancusi,Constantin
Bran·cu·si 
[bran kzee, braang
ksh], Constantin (1876–1957)

Romanian sculptor. He was a
pioneer of 20th-century European sculpture and was particularly concerned with
the inner form of his subject.[1]



brand

brand
brand 
[brand] noun (plural brands)

1.  COMMERCE product
or manufacturer: a name, usually a trademark, of a
manufacturer or product, or the product identified by this name • What
brand of shampoo do you use?

2.  particular
type of something: a distinctive type or kind
of something

3.  AGRICULTURE mark
burned on animal: a mark burned into the hide of a range
animal to identify it as the property of a particular ranch, farm, or owner • The
Triple S is the brand on all our steers.
See
also
branding iron

4.  HISTORY mark
on criminal or enslaved person: in the past, a mark
made on the skin of a criminal or an enslaved, especially to identify the owner

5.  sign
or mark of disgrace: a sign or mark of disgrace,
infamy, or notoriety • He
bore the brand of disloyalty.

6.  burned
or burning piece of wood: a piece of wood that is
burned or smoldering (archaic)

7.  torch:
a flaming torch (literary)
See
also
firebrand

8.  ARMS sword:
a sword (literary)

9.  FUNGI fungal
disease of plants: a fungal disease that affects
garden plants by causing brown spots to appear on leaves
transitive
verb
(past brand·ed, past participle brand·ed, present
participle brand·ing, 3rd person present singular brands)

1.  mark
skin or hide: to mark an animal’s skin or hide with a
hot iron, especially as a means of identification • All
the cattle have been branded.

2.  describe
somebody or something as bad: to class somebody or
something as bad, illegal, or undesirable, often arbitrarily • branded
as a cheat

3.  make
indelible mark on somebody: to make an indelible mark or
impression on somebody or something • The
words “Duty, Honor, Country” are branded into the hearts of all West Pointers.
[Old
English, “burning stick.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be
hot,” which was also the ancestor of English burn,
brimstone, brandish, and brandy
.]
—brand·er, noun[1]



branded

branded
brand·ed
[brándəd] adjective

bearing company name:
bearing a company name or trademark, usually considered a mark of prestige or
quality[1]



Brandeis,Louis

Brandeis,Louis

Bran·deis 
[brán dìss], Louis (1856–1941)
U.S.
supreme court justice He was an important legal theoretician and a liberal
member of the Supreme Court (1916–1939).
Full name
Brandeis, Louis Dembitz[1]



BrandenburgGate

BrandenburgGate
Bran·den·burg
Gate
noun Brandenburg Gate

ceremonial gate in Berlin:
a large neoclassical stone gateway in central Berlin, Germany, completed in
1791. It has long served as a symbol of the city and a focal point for public
gatherings.[1]



brandied

brandied
bran·died
[brándeed] adjective

made with brandy:
cooked or preserved in brandy[1]



brandingiron

brandingiron
brand·ing
i·ron 
(plural brand·ing i·rons) noun

tool for branding something:
an iron tool that is heated and pressed onto a surface, especially an animal’s
hide, in order to leave a permanent identifying mark.
See also
brand  noun 3[1]



brandish

brandish
bran·dish 
[brándish] (past bran·dished, past
participle bran·dished, present participle bran·dish·ing,
3rd person present singular bran·dish·es) transitive verb

wave
something about: to wave something about, especially a
weapon, in a menacing, theatrical, or triumphant way
[14th
century. From French brandiss-, the stem of brandir, from brand
“sword.” Ultimately of Germanic origin.]
—bran·dish·er, noun[1]



brandleader

brandleader
brand
lead·er
(plural brand lead·ers) noun

best-selling product:
the best-selling product in a particular category[1]



brandling

brandling
brand·ling 
[brándling] (plural brand·lings)
noun

reddish
brown earthworm: a small, reddish brown earthworm that is
often used as bait by anglers. Latin name: Eisenia foetida
[Mid-17th century. So called
because of its bright coloring, like a burning brand.][1]



brandloyalty

brandloyalty
brand
loy·al·ty
(plural brand loy·al·ties) noun

loyalty to a brand of goods:
the tendency to buy a particular brand of a product[1]



brandname

brandname
brand
name
(plural brand names) noun

name of goods or services:
a trade name for a product or service produced by a particular company. It may
or may not be a registered trademark. • A
computer with a brand name can cost 10 percent more.[1]



brand-new

brand-new
brand-new 
adjective

new:
completely new and unused
[From the idea of something
glowing as if newly made in a furnace][1]



Brando,Marlon

Brando,Marlon
Bran·do 
[brándō], Marlon (1924– )

U.S. actor. He has appeared
in numerous Hollywood movies, including The Wild One ( 1954 ) and The
Godfather ( 1972 ).[1]



Brandon

Brandon
Brand·on 
[brándən]

the second largest city in
Manitoba Province, Canada. Population: 39,175 (1996)[1]



Brandt,Willy

Brandt,Willy

Brandt 
[brant, braant],
Willy (1913–1992)
German
statesman. He was mayor of West Berlin (1957–1966) and was elected Chancellor
of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1969. His pursuit of reconciliation
between East and West earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.
Real name
Frahm, Herbert Ernst Karl[1]



brandy

brandy
bran·dy 
[brándee] (plural bran·dies) noun

liquor
distilled from fermented juice: a liquor that is
distilled from the fermented juice of grapes or other fruit
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of brandy-wine, from Dutch brandewijn, literally “burned
(i.e. distilled) wine.”][1]



brandyAlexander

brandyAlexander
bran·dy
Al·ex·an·der (plural bran·dy Al·ex·an·ders)
noun

brandy cocktail:
a cocktail with a base of brandy[1]



brandybutter

brandybutter
bran·dy
but·ter
noun

U.K.
See hard sauce[1]



brandysnifter

brandysnifter
bran·dy
snif·ter
(plural bran·dy snif·ters) noun

See
snifter  noun 1[1]



BrandywineCreek

BrandywineCreek
Bran·dy·wine
Creek
[brándi wn ] noun

site of Revolutionary War
battle: the site near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, of an important defeat of the Continental Army by the British
forces in 1777[1]



branks

branks
branks 
[brangks] plural noun

metal
restraint for head and tongue: a device consisting of
a metal frame for the head and a bit to restrain the tongue, used in the past
to restrain and punish women thought to be quarrelsome or nagging
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch branken “branches, legs,” from late Latin branca
“paw” (source of English branch ).][1]



brannigan

brannigan
bran·ni·gan 
[bránnigən] (plural bran·ni·gans)
noun

1.  squabble:
a loud quarrel or brawl

2.  binge:
a drinking binge
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the Irish surname Brannigan .][1]



Branson,Richard

Branson,Richard
Bran·son
[bránsən], Richard (1950– )

British
entrepreneur. He started a chain of record stores (1971), founded an airline
(1984), and launched a radio station (1993).
Full name
Branson, Richard Charles Nicholas[1]



brant

brant
brant 
[brant] (plural brants or
brant) noun

small
dark wild goose: a small, dark-colored wild goose found
in Arctic regions. Genus: Branta
U.K.
term
brent goose
[14th century. Variant of brent goose .][1]



Brantford

Brantford
Brant·ford
[brántfərd]

city in southeastern Ontario,
Canada, on the Grand River directly north of the Niagara Falls. Population:
84,764 (1996)[1]



Brant,Joseph

Brant,Joseph

Brant 
[brant], Joseph (1742–1807)
Native
American leader. He was a Mohawk chief who allied his people with the British
during the Revolutionary War.
Born
Thayendanega[1]



brash

brash1
brash1 [brash]
(comparative brash·er, superlative brash·est) adjective

1.  aggressively
self-assertive: self-assertive in an aggressive or rude
way

2.  hasty:
acting or made in a hasty or impulsive fashion • The
candidates are realistic about their chances on Tuesday and are not making any
brash predictions.
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of rash .]
—brash·ly,
adverb

—brash·ness, noun[1]



brash

brash3
brash3 [brash]
noun

loose
trash:
a pile of loose trash, for example, broken rocks or garden refuse
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French brèche “breach in a wall,
rubble,” from Italian breccia .][1]



brash

brash2
brash2 [brash]
(comparative brash·er, superlative brash·est) adjective

brittle:
easily cracked or broken
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



brashy

brashy
brash·y 
[bráshee] (comparative brash·i·er,
superlative brash·i·est) adjective

1.  in
pieces:
loosely broken or fragmented • soft,
brashy ice

2.  brittle:
easily cracked or broken

[1]



brass

brass
brass 
[brass] noun (plural brass·es)

1.  INDUSTRY yellow
alloy:
a hard yellow shiny metal that is an alloy of zinc and copper, frequently with
the addition of other metallic elements to impart specific properties

2.  items
made of brass: a collection of ornaments or items made
of brass • a
collection of brass

3.  item
made of brass: an individual ornament or item made of
brass (usually used in the plural)

4.  MUSIC brass
musical instruments: the musical instruments made
of brass, such as the trumpet and trombone

5.  MUSIC players
of brass instruments: the players of brass
instruments, especially when considered as one of the four main sections of an
orchestra

6.  MILITARY high-ranking
officers:
high-ranking officers, especially in the military (informal)
Also
called
top brass

7.  excessive
self-assurance: extreme, and usually excessive,
self-confidence (informal) • He had
the brass to lie about every aspect of his background.

8.  Northern
England
money:
money or cash (informal)

9.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING replaceable
brass liner for bearing: a replaceable brass or
bronze liner for a bearing
plural
noun
brass·es

MUSIC brass
musical instrument group or players: the
musical instruments made of brass, such as the trumpet and trombone, as a
group, or their players
[Old English bræs, of
unknown origin (source of English brazen
)][1]



brassband

brassband
brass
band
(plural brass bands) noun

band of brass instruments:
a band consisting of brass wind instruments and sometimes percussion
instruments[1]



brassbound

brassbound
brass·bound 
[bráss bòwnd] adjective

1.  trimmed
or banded with brass: trimmed or banded with brass
or similar metal

2.  unbending
and iron-willed: unreasonably inflexible in manner or
character

[1]



brass-collar

brass-collar
brass-col·lar 
adjective

loyal to political party:
never abandoning a particular political party and always voting a straight
ticket • brass-collar
Democrats[1]



brasserie

brasserie
bras·se·rie 
[bràssə r, brass
r] (plural bras·se·ries) noun

restaurant-cum-bar:
a type of restaurant that will serve customers drinks with or without food
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “brewery,” from Old French bracier “to brew,” via
Vulgar Latin from, ultimately, Latin brace “malt,” of Celtic origin.][1]



brasshat

brasshat
brass
hat
(plural brass hats) noun

high-ranking
officer:
a high-ranking military officer (slang) (often used in the plural)
[From the gold braid on
officers’ uniform caps][1]



brassica

brassica
bras·si·ca 
[brássikə] (plural bras·si·cas)
noun

plant
related to cabbage: a plant of the mustard
family. Cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, rutabaga, turnip, oilseed rape,
and mustard are brassicas . Genus: Brassica
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name from Latin, “cabbage.”][1]



brassie

brassie
brass·ie 
[brássee] (plural brass·ies) noun

type of golf club:
a former name for a golf club (a 2 wood), which had a brass-plated sole (archaic)[1]



brassiere

brassiere
bras·siere 
[brə zr] noun

See
bra
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



brassknuckles

brassknuckles
brass
knuck·les
plural noun

metal cover for fingers for
fighting: a metal chain or a set of
rings attached to a bar that can be put over the fingers to serve as a weapon.
Also called
knuckle-duster
U.K. term
knuckle-duster[1]



brassring

brassring
brass
ring
noun

opportunity
for success: the opportunity for success, or
hard-earned success (informal) • to
have a shot at the brass ring at last
[From the custom of giving a
free ride to any child who grabbed one of the rings hung around a carousel][1]



brassrubbing

brassrubbing
brass
rub·bing
(plural brass rub·bings) noun

copy of engraving:
a copy of an engraved plaque or tablet, especially one set into the floor or
wall of a church. It is made by putting a piece of paper over the engraving and
rubbing it with something soft such as chalk or graphite.[1]



brasstacks

brasstacks
brass
tacks
plural noun

the
basics:
the most basic or fundamental parts of a situation or issue
[Perhaps
from their use as a medium of exchange when even iron nails were unavailable]
get
down to brass tacks

to begin to deal with the
most basic or important issues of a situation • It’s
time we got down to brass tacks.[1]



brassware

brassware
brass·ware 
[bráss wàir] noun

brass items:
items such as plates and ornaments made from brass[1]



brassy

brassy
brass·y
[brássee] (comparative brass·i·er,
superlative brass·i·est) adjective

1.  flashy
and vulgar:
brightly dressed in a cheap and showy way, and behaving too confidently or
noisily (insult)

2.  sounding
like brass instruments: dominated by or resembling
the sounds of brass musical instruments, and therefore typically short, harsh,
and high-pitched • a brassy mixture of
reggae, funk, calypso, and jazz

3.  brazenly
overbearing: brazen or strident in style • Their
brassy management approach failed utterly.

4.  of
brass:
made of or containing brass

5.  of
golden yellow color: golden yellow in color or
hue
—brass·i·ly,
adverb

—brass·i·ness, noun[1]



Brasília

Brasília
Bra·sí·lia
[brə zíllyə]

city and capital of Brazil. A
relatively new city, laid out on an uninhabited site in 1957, it is in the
Federal District, east central Brazil. Population: 1,817,001 (1996)[1]



brat

brat
brat
[brat] (plural brats) noun

1.  demanding
and selfish person: somebody, either a child or
an adult, who is tiresomely demanding and selfish, like a spoiled child

2.  child
from military family: the son or daughter of a
serving member of the army or the air force (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from an obsolete word meaning “rag,” from
Old English bratt “cloak,” of Celtic origin.]
—brat·ty,
adjective

—brat·tish, adjective[1]



Bratislava

Bratislava
Bra·ti·sla·va 
[bràti slvə, brti
slvə]

capital and largest city of
Slovakia. It lies on the Danube River in the southwest of the country, about 56
km35 mi east of Vienna. Population: 441,453 (1994)[1]



bratpack

bratpack
brat
pack
(plural brat packs) noun

successful
young people: a group of successful or affluent young
people, especially actors
[Coined from brat, on the model of “rat pack”][1]



Bratsk

Bratsk
Bratsk 
[braatsk]

town in Siberia, eastern
Russia, developed as a home for employees of the Bratsk Dam hydroelectric plant
on the Angara River. Population: 257,000 (1995)[1]



Brattain,Walter H.

Brattain,Walter H.
Brat·tain 
[brátt’n], Walter H. (1902–1987)

Chinese-born
U.S. physicist. He shared a Nobel Prize in physics (1956) for his research on
transistors and semiconductors.
Full name
Brattain, Walter Houser[1]



brattice

brattice
brat·tice 
[bráttiss] (plural brat·tic·es)
noun

1.  MINING partition
for mine ventilation: a partition used to assist
ventilation in a mine

2.  MILITARY HISTORY temporary parapet:
in medieval times, a temporary wooden parapet or gallery erected on the
battlement of a fortress and used during a siege
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French bretesche from medieval Latin bretescha
turris “British tower,” from Old English brittisc (see British ).][1]



Brattleboro

Brattleboro
Brat·tle·bo·ro 
[brátt’lbərō]

city in southeastern Vermont,
on the western bank of the Connecticut River, east of Bennington. Population:
12,136 (1996)[1]



bratty

bratty
brat·ty 
[bráttee] (comparative brat·ti·er,
superlative brat·ti·est) adjective

tiresomely
demanding or selfish: tiresomely demanding or
selfish, like a spoiled child • a
bratty, know-it-all child.
—brat·ti·ness, noun[1]



bratwurst

bratwurst
brat·wurst 
[brát wùrst, brt
wùrst, brát vrst, brt vrst] (plural brat·wursts) noun

highly
seasoned fresh sausage: a highly seasoned fresh
German sausage made of pork or of pork and veal
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “frying sausage.”][1]



Braunschweiger

Braunschweiger
Braun·schwei·ger 
[brówn shwgər] (plural Braun·schwei·gers)
noun

spicy
liver sausage: a type of spicy smoked liver sausage
[Early 20th century. From
German, named for the city of Braunschweig (Brunswick).][1]



brava

brava
bra·va 
[br v, braa v]
interjection noun (plural bra·vas)

shout
of approval: a shout of approval for a woman or girl
performer.
See
also
bravo
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, feminine of bravo (see brave
).][1]



bravado

bravado
bra·va·do 
[brə v dō] noun

boldness
or courage:
a real or pretended display of courage or boldness • a
breathtaking act of bravado
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Spanish bravada, from bravo (see brave ).][1]



brave

brave
brave 
[brayv] adjective (comparative
brav·er, superlative brav·est)

having or showing courage:
having or showing courage, especially when facing danger, difficulty, or pain
noun
(plural braves)

1.  brave
people:
those people who are courageous

2.  Native
N American warrior: a Native North American
warrior
transitive
verb
(past braved, past participle braved, present
participle brav·ing, 3rd person present singular braves)

1.  face
onslaught of something: to face the onslaught of
something unpleasant with courage and resolution

2.  challenge
something:
to defy something despite there being only a small chance of being victorious
[15th
century. Via French from Italian bravo “bold” or Spanish bravo
“brave, savage,” both ultimately from Latin barbarus (see barbarous ).]
—brave·ly,
adverb

—brave·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bold

[1]



bravenew world

bravenew world
brave
new world
(plural brave new worlds) noun

ideal
or sinister future world: the world of the future,
usually either a technology-based utopia or a sinister totalitarian world
devoid of human values (often used ironically)
[Mid-20th
Century. From Brave New World (1932), a novel by Aldous Huxley . Huxley took the expression from
Shakespeare’s The Tempest : “O brave new world/ That has such people in
it!”.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Brave New World, a novel by English writer
  Aldous Huxley (1932). Written partly as a response to more utopian writers of
  the day, it depicts a bleak and sterile future civilization in which feelings
  are stimulated by drugs, and babies are bred in factories.

[1]



braveout

braveout
brave
out
transitive verb

survive difficulty:
to live through something that is difficult or unpleasant[1]



bravery

bravery
brav·er·y 
[bráyvəree, bráyvree]
noun

great
courage:
extreme courage in the face of danger or difficulty, or an example of extreme
courage
[Mid-16th
century. From French braverie or Italian braveria, both
ultimately from Italian bravo “bold” (source of English brave ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at courage

[1]



bravissimo

bravissimo
bra·vis·si·mo 
[braa víssəm] interjection

audience’s
shout of great approval: used as a cry of great and
enthusiastic approval by members of a theatre audience
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “most excellent,” the strongest form of bravo (see bravo ).][1]



Bravo

Bravo
Bra·vo
[brvō] noun

code word for letter “b”:
the code word for the letter “b” in the NATO phonetic alphabet, used in
international radio communications[1]



bravo

bravo
bra·vo
[brvō, braa vṓ]
interjection

audience’s shout of approval:
used as a cry of approval by members of a theatre audience
noun
(plural bra·vos)

1.  cry
of “bravo”:
a shout of “bravo” to express admiration

2.  hired
assassin:
a hired assassin (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “excellent” (source of English brave
). The underlying idea is an acknowledgment of showmanship.][1]



bravura

bravura
bra·vu·ra 
[brə vrə, brə
vyrə] noun

1.  dazzling
artistic flair: great skill that is shown when something
artistic is done in an exciting or innovative way • a
bravura performance

2.  showy
display:
showy style or behavior
adjective

with or requiring flair:
displaying or requiring great artistic skill and style • the
bravura vividness of her versatile performance
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “courage, spirit,” from bravo “bold” (source of English brave ).][1]



braw

braw
braw 
[braw] adjective

Scotland
fine:
attractive or pleasant
[Late 16th century. Variant
of brave .][1]



brawl

brawl
brawl 
[brawl] noun (plural brawls)

1.  noisy
fight:
a rough and noisy fight, usually in a public place and one involving a large
number of people

2.  loud
noise:
a loud deep noise, especially the noise of rushing water

3.  loud
party:
a noisy boisterous party (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past brawled, past participle brawled, present
participle brawl·ing, 3rd person present singular brawls)

1.  fight
noisily:
to fight or wrestle noisily, especially in a public place

2.  make
deep loud sound: to make a deep loud roaring sound,
especially the sound of rushing water
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—brawl·er,
noun

—brawl·ing, noun[1]



brawly

brawly
brawl·y 
[bráwlee] (comparative brawl·i·er,
superlative brawl·i·est) adjective

fighting
or ready to fight: involved in a fight, or
always ready to become involved in one (informal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from brawl .][1]



brawn

brawn
brawn 
[brawn] noun

1.  strong
muscles:
very strong muscles, especially on the arms and legs

2.  bodily
strength:
physical strength, especially as opposed to intellectual power

3.  FOOD See headcheese
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman braun “fleshy part of the leg,” from, ultimately,
prehistoric Germanic, and related to German Braten “roast meat.”][1]



brawny

brawny
brawn·y 
[bráwnee] (comparative brawn·i·er,
superlative brawn·i·est) adjective

1.  muscular:
muscular and strong-looking

2.  callused:
with the skin hardened by calluses
—brawn·i·ly,
adverb

—brawni·ness, noun[1]



bray

bray2
bray2 [bray]
(past brayed, past participle brayed, present
participle bray·ing, 3rd person present singular brays)
transitive verb

1.  grind
something finely: to crush something to a fine powder or
consistency

2.  PRINTING ink
thinly:
to spread ink in a thin layer on a surface
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman braier and Old French breier, ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that also produced English break .][1]



bray

bray1

bray1 [bray]
noun (plural brays)

1.  donkey’s
cry:
the sound a donkey makes

2.  harsh
voice or laugh: a harsh high-pitched rasping voice or
laugh
verb (past
brayed, past participle brayed, present participle bray·ing,
3rd person present singular brays)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
donkey’s sound: to make the sound a donkey makes

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
with harsh voice: to speak, laugh, or say something in a
harsh high-pitched rasping voice
[13th
century. From Old French braire “to cry,” which may, ultimately, be of
Celtic origin.]
—bray·er, noun[1]



Braz.

Braz.
Braz.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Brazil

2.  Abbreviation
of
Brazilian

[1]



braze

braze2
braze2 [brayz]
(past brazed, past participle brazed, present
participle braz·ing, 3rd person present singular braz·es)
transitive verb

join
metal with solder: to join two pieces of metal
together with a solder that has a high melting point
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French braser “to burn.”]
—braz·er, noun[1]



braze

braze1
braze1 [brayz]
(past brazed, past participle brazed, present
participle braz·ing, 3rd person present singular braz·es)
transitive verb

1.  make
something with brass: to make something out of
brass or decorate something with brass

2.  make
something hard like brass: to give something a hardness
like that of brass
[Old
English brasian . Formed from bræs “brass,” subsequently
reinforced by the parallel glass and glaze .]
—braz·er, noun[1]



brazen

brazen
bra·zen 
[bráyz’n] adjective

1.  bold
and unashamed: showing or expressing boldness and
complete lack of shame

2.  harsh-sounding:
with an unpleasantly loud and resonant sound

3.  of
or like brass: made of brass or resembling it,
especially in color or hardness (literary)
[Old
English bræsen “made of brass,” from bræs “brass.” The meaning
“bold” evolved from the idea of the hardness of brass.]
—bra·zen·ness, noun[1]



brazenfaced

brazenfaced
bra·zen·faced 
[bráyz’n fàyst] adjective

shameless:
shameless and audacious[1]



brazenly

brazenly
bra·zen·ly
[bráyz’nlee] adverb

shamelessly:
in a bold or shameless way[1]



brazenout

brazenout
brazen
out
or bra·zen through transitive verb

be unashamed in difficult
situation: to face a difficult
situation confidently, without showing shame or embarrassment[1]



brazier

brazier1
bra·zier1 [bráyər]
(plural bra·ziers) noun

brass
worker:
somebody who makes and repairs brass articles
[14th century. Probably from brass + -ier,
on the model of glass and glazier .][1]



brazier

brazier2
bra·zier2 [bráyər]
(plural bra·ziers) noun

metal
container for hot coals: a metal container used
outdoors for burning coal or charcoal, either for cooking or to keep people
warm
[Late 17th century. From
French brasier, from braise “hot coals” (source of English braise ).][1]



Brazil




Back to definition

Brazil

[1]



Brazil

Brazil



Bra·zil 
[brəzíl]
republic
and the largest country in South America. Colonized by the Portuguese from 1500
onward, it became an independent republic in 1889. Language: Portuguese.
Currency: real. Capital: Brasília. Population: 167,660,687 (1997) Area:
8,547,404 sq km/3,300,171 sq mi.
—Bra·zil·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



brazil

brazil
bra·zil
[brəzíl] noun

1.  See
brazilwood

2.  U.K.
See Brazil nut
[14th century. From medieval
Latin brasilium, of uncertain origin; perhaps from French braise
“hot coals” (source of English braise
), from the color of the wood.][1]



BrazilBasin

BrazilBasin
Bra·zil
Ba·sin

basin of the Atlantic Ocean
on the American side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Depth: 5,000 m/16,400 ft.[1]



Brazilnut

Brazilnut

Bra·zil
nut
(plural Bra·zil nuts) noun

1.  FOOD edible
seed with triangular shell: the long thick edible seed
of a tropical South American tree, with a hard shell that is nearly triangular
in cross-section

2.        TREES tropical
South American tree: the
tropical South American evergreen tree that bears Brazil nuts in clusters
inside large round capsules. Latin name: Bertholletia excelsa[1]



brazilwood

brazilwood
bra·zil·wood 
[brəzíl wd] or brazil [brəzíl wd] noun

red wood from American tree:
a kind of red wood obtained from various tropical and North American trees,
especially one native to Brazil. It is used in the manufacture of red dyes and
violin bows.[1]



Brazos

Brazos
Braz·os 
[brázzōss]

river that flows from
northern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico near Freeport. Length:
2,060 km/1,280 mi.[1]



Brazzaville

Brazzaville
Braz·za·ville 
[brázə vil]

capital city of the Republic
of Congo and a major port on the Congo River. It was founded in 1880 by the
French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (1852–1905). Population: 937,579
(1995)[1]



breach

breach
breach 
[breech] verb (past breached,
past participle breached, present participle breach·ing,
3rd person present singular breach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
make
opening through something: to break down an obstruction
to allow something to pass through it

2.  transitive
verb
surpass
limit:
to go beyond a target or limit

3.  transitive
verb
break
law or promise: to fail to obey, keep, or preserve
something, for example, a law or trust

4.  intransitive
verb
leap
out:
to leap above the surface of the water (refers to whales)
noun
(plural breach·es)

1.  hole:
a hole in something that is caused by something else forcing its way through

2.  gap:
a gap that results when something or somebody leaves

3.  failure
to maintain something: a failure to obey, keep, or
preserve something, for example, a law, a trust or a promise

4.  estrangement:
a breakdown in friendly relations

5.  whale’s
leap:
a leap out of the water by a whale
[13th century. From Old
French breche, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also
the ancestor of English break .][1]



breachof promise

breachof promise
breach
of prom·ise
(plural breach·es of prom·ise) noun

unfulfilled promise:
failure in fulfilling a promise, especially in former times the breaking of a
promise to marry somebody[1]



bread

bread
bread 
[bred] (plural breads) noun

1.  food
made from flour and water: a food typically made by
mixing flour, water, and yeast and allowing it to rise before baking it

2.  means
of survival: food, sustenance, or a means of survival
or support

3.  money:
money to live on (dated slang)
[Old
English brēad, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately “something
broken off,” and related to brittle]
cast
your bread upon the waters

to
spend time and effort, especially to help others, without expecting any immediate
advantage for yourself (formal)

know
which side your bread is buttered (on)

to know what is to your
advantage (informal)[1]



breadand butter

breadand butter
bread
and but·ter
noun

1.  sustaining
income:
a dependable source of income

2.  mainstay:
something that is the essential or sustaining part of something else

[1]



bread-and-butterletter

bread-and-butterletter
bread-and-but·ter
let·ter
(plural bread-and-but·ter let·ters) or bread-and-but·ter
note (plural bread-and-but·ter notes) noun

letter of thanks:
a letter or note expressing thanks for somebody’s hospitality[1]



bread-and-butterpudding

bread-and-butterpudding
bread-and-but·ter
pud·ding
(plural bread-and-but·ter pud·dings) noun

U.K.
See bread pudding[1]



breadand circuses

breadand circuses
bread
and cir·cus·es plural noun

something
to placate the masses: something done or given to
keep people happy, especially something provided or encouraged by governments
to win popular appeal or avert public unrest
[A translation of Latin panis
et circenses ( Juvenal, Satires ), referring to the food and
entertainment provided by the authorities in ancient Rome][1]



breadbasket

breadbasket
bread·bas·ket 
[bréd bàskit] (plural bread·bas·kets)
noun

1.  basket
for bread:
a basket in which bread is served

2.  cereal-growing
region:
a region that is an important grower of grain

3.  belly:
the stomach or abdomen (slang dated)

[1]



breadbin

breadbin
bread
bin
(plural bread bins) noun

U.K.
See breadbox[1]



breadboard

breadboard
bread·board 
[bréd bawrd] noun (plural bread·boards)

1.  board
for cutting bread on: a board for kneading or
cutting bread on

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING test
version of electrical circuit: a preliminary version
of an electrical or electronic circuit put together for test purposes
transitive
verb
(past bread·board·ed, past participle bread·board·ed,
present participle bread·board·ing, 3rd person present
singular bread·boards)

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING make
test version of circuit: to make a preliminary
version of an electrical or electronic circuit for test purposes
—bread·board·ing, noun[1]



breadbox

breadbox
bread·box 
[bréd bòks] noun

box for storing bread:
a box at home for storing bread in to keep it fresh.
U.K. term
bread bin[1]



breadcrumb

breadcrumb
bread·crumb
[bréd krùm] (plural bread·crumbs)
noun

crumb of bread:
a tiny piece of bread, either soft or hard (often used in the plural)[1]



breadfruit

breadfruit

bread·fruit 
[bréd froot] (plural bread·fruit
or bread·fruits) noun

1.  FOOD fruit
with bready texture when cooked: a large round seedless
tropical fruit that is usually eaten baked or roasted, when it takes on the
texture of bread

2.        TREES evergreen
Pacific tree: the evergreen tree that
bears breadfruit . It is native to the Pacific Islands, and belongs to the fig
family. Latin name: Artocarpus altilis[1]



breadline

breadline
bread·line
[bréd līn] (plural bread·lines)
noun

1.  people
waiting for food handouts: a line of people waiting for
handouts of free food

2.  U.K.
low
living standard: a very low standard of living, with only
just enough food and money to survive
[Late 19th century. From the
original sense, “line of needy people outside a bakery that was giving away
unsold bread.”][1]



breadmold

breadmold
bread
mold
noun

fungus growing on decaying
bread: a fungus that grows on
decaying bread and other foods, forming a dense cottony growth. Latin name: Rhizopus
nigricans[1]



breadnut

breadnut
bread·nut 
[bréd nut] (plural bread·nuts)
noun

1.  TREES large
tropical tree: a large tree native to Central America,
Mexico, and the West Indies, with yellow fruits containing edible seeds. Latin
name: Brosimum alicastrum

2.  FOOD seed
from tropical fruit: the edible seed of the
breadnut tree, sometimes ground into flour

[1]



breadpudding

breadpudding
bread
pud·ding
(plural bread pud·dings) noun

baked dessert with bread:
a dessert made with buttered bread that is layered in a dish, sometimes with
raisins, covered in a mixture of egg, sugar, milk, and spices and then baked.
U.K. term
bread-and-butter pudding[1]



breadroot

breadroot
bread·root 
[bréd rt, bréd
rt] (plural bread·roots) noun

N American plant with edible
root: a perennial plant of the pea
family that is native to North America and has a starchy edible root. It was
once an important source of food among the Native American population. Latin
name: Psoralea esculenta[1]



breadstuff

breadstuff
bread·stuff 
[bréd stùf] noun

bread, flour, or grain:
bread in any form, or the flour, meal, or grain used to make it[1]



breadth

breadth
breadth 
[bredth] (plural breadths) noun

1.  distance
from side to side: the distance or measurement
of something from one side to the other

2.  piece
of fabric in standard width: a standardized width that
something, especially fabric, is produced or available in, or a piece of fabric
in a standardized width

3.  great
extent:
the extent of something, especially when it is impressively great

4.  broad-mindedness:
an open and tolerant view of life and the world
[Early
16th century. Formed from obsolete English brede “breadth” (which came
from the same prehistoric Germanic base as English broad
), on the model of length .]
—breadth·wise, adjective,
adverb[1]



breadwinner

breadwinner
bread·win·ner 
[bréd wìnnər] (plural bread·win·ners)
noun

main earner in family:
somebody who earns money to support a family, especially somebody whose
earnings are the family’s main income[1]



break

break
break 
[brayk] verb (past broke
[brōk], past participle bro·ken
[brṓkən], present participle break·ing,
3rd person present singular breaks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
something into pieces: to become damaged or damage
something so that it separates into pieces • it
broke in two

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE damage
body:
to damage a body part, for example, a bone • She
broke her leg.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
part of machine: to damage a part of a tool or machine so
that it stops functioning properly, or become damaged and stop functioning
properly • The
washing machine is broken.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb tear
surface:
to become torn, or make a tear or hole in a surface or seal, allowing the
possibility of a leak or spill • Store
in the refrigerator after breaking the seal on the bottle.

5.  transitive
verb
disobey
rule:
to disobey a rule or law • He’s
broken the law.

6.  transitive
verb
go
back on word: to renege on a promise or agreement

7.  transitive
verb
end
bad situation: to end, change, or rectify a difficult
or disadvantageous situation • break
the deadlock between rival factions

8.  transitive
verb
end
silence:
to end a period of silence

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb finish
relationship: to end an involvement with an individual
or group • Divorce
broke my links with his friends.

10. transitive
verb
end
something:
to finish something, bring it to an end, or stop somebody doing it • break
the coffee-drinking habit

11. transitive
verb
interrupt
something:
to interrupt something temporarily • The
distraction broke her train of thought.

12. transitive
verb
ruin
somebody’s life: to destroy somebody’s career, resolve,
courage, or hope of success • The
media can make or break her.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb escape:
to escape from a restraint • break
free

14. intransitive
verb
take
period for rest: to take a period of leisure • break
for lunch

15. transitive
verb
stand
between person and something: to stand in the way of or
weaken the effect of something, for example, a fall or blow • He
tried to break her fall.

16. transitive
verb
beat
record:
to beat a previous record

17. transitive
verb
exceed
limit:
to exceed a limit or constraint • break the
speed limit

18. intransitive
and transitive verb reveal
or be revealed: to reveal something personally, or to be
revealed, particularly by the media • She
broke it to me gently. • Panic
ensued when the news broke.

19. intransitive
verb
become
deeper:
to settle into an adult man’s register (refers to a boy’s voice)

20. intransitive
verb
stop
speaking from emotion: to stop speaking and
hesitate when overcome with emotion • Her
voice broke and tears slid down her face.

21. intransitive
verb
MUSIC change
tone with register: to change in tone or quality
when changing register (refers to a voice or musical instrument)

22. intransitive
verb
become
daylight:
to become light at sunrise

23. intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY change
weather pattern: to change after a settled period

24. intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY suddenly
start:
to suddenly begin to rain, snow, or hail • The
storm broke.

25. intransitive
verb
OCEANOGRAPHY turn
to surf:
to start collapsing into surf when close to shore or hitting rocks or similar
objects (refers to a wave)

26. transitive
verb
interpret
a code:
to understand a code and be able to translate it accurately

27. transitive
verb
prove
untrue:
to prove that something is untrue or wrong

28. transitive
verb
LAW invalidate
will:
to use legal means to declare a will invalid

29. transitive
verb
blow
open safe:
to open a safe using explosives

30. transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN train
horse to accept harness: to train a horse to become
accustomed to a saddle, bit, and rider

31. transitive
verb
MONEY swap
note for change: to exchange a note of money for smaller
units of money, either coins or smaller notes and coins • break
a $20 bill

32. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE flow
out in childbirth: to flow out when the
amniotic sac around an unborn baby breaks during the first stage of labor (refers
to amniotic fluid) • Her
waters have broken.

33. intransitive
verb
turn
out:
to happen or turn out in a particular way • Things
are breaking well.

34. transitive
verb
reduce
to poverty:
to cause somebody to be extremely poor or bankrupt

35. intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY emerge out of water:
to emerge or erupt above the surface of a body of water

36. transitive
verb
MILITARY demote:
to demote somebody to a lower rank

37. transitive
verb
ELECTRICITY interrupt
flow of electric current: to interrupt the flow of
electricity in an electrical circuit

38. intransitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE fall
sharply:
to fall in price (refers to stock exchange quotations)

39. intransitive
and transitive verb TENNIS win game off opponent’s
service:
to win a game in tennis in which the other player is serving

40. intransitive
verb
BOXING WRESTLING separate from clinch:
to separate after being in a boxing or wrestling clinch

41. intransitive
verb
SPORTS speed
up in race:
to increase speed suddenly in a race

42. intransitive
verb
BASEBALL change
direction in air: to change direction while moving through
the air (refers to a baseball)

43. intransitive
verb
CRICKET change
direction on bouncing: to change direction after
bouncing (refers to a cricket ball)

44. transitive
verb
CRICKET knock
over wicket: to hit and knock over a bail from the
wicket when playing cricket

45. intransitive
verb
HORSERACING start
off in horse race: to start off at the start of
a race in horseracing

46. intransitive
verb
CUE GAMES scatter
balls:
to scatter the balls in billiards or snooker

47. intransitive
verb
PHONETICS become
diphthong:
to change in pronunciation, becoming a diphthong (refers to a vowel)
noun
(plural breaks)

1.  period
off from activity: a period taken away from an
activity for a rest, change, or meal • a
lunch break

2.  brief
vacation:
a short vacation away from home • a
weekend break

3.  period
off before continuing: a period away from something
before continuing it again • a
career break

4.  U.K.
See recess

5.  end
to relationship: the severance of links with a person or
group or an end to a relationship • He
wanted to make the break with his partner.

6.  end:
an end to something • a
break with tradition

7.  TV period
in program for commercials: a period during a television
program or between programs when commercials are shown.
Also
called
commercial break

8.  SPORTS interval
in match:
an interval in a sports match

9.  pause
in speech:
a pause when speaking • a
break in the conversation

10. MEDICINE fracture:
a fracture in a bone

11. crack:
a crack in something

12. METEOROLOGY change
in weather:
a change in the weather

13. lucky
opportunity for success: an unexpected opportunity
that allows somebody to achieve something or become successful (informal)
• He
got his first break when he was spotted playing for his college.

14. a
piece of good luck or bad luck • a
lucky break

15. FINANCE advantageous
financial situation: an advantageous financial
situation in which somebody is repaid or makes a reduced payment • a
tax break

16. escape
attempt:
a sudden attempt to escape • make a
break for it

17. discontinuity:
a discontinuity in something, by which it changes in quality or level

18. sunrise:
the time when the sun first rises (literary) • at
the break of day

19. TENNIS winning
of game off opponent’s service: the winning of a game
in tennis in which the other player is serving

20. HORSERACING start
of horse race: the start of a horse race

21. ELECTRICITY interruption
in flow of electricity: an interruption in the flow
of electricity in an electrical circuit

22. MUSIC instrumental
part in song: an instrumental part in a piece of pop
music

23. MUSIC improvised
jazz solo:
an improvised solo part in a piece of jazz music

24. MUSIC change
in register: a change in register in a voice or
musical instrument

25. POETRY See caesura

26. STOCK EXCHANGE fall
in prices:
a sudden fall in prices, particularly in a stock market

27. CUE GAMES series
of successful shots: a sequence of successful
shots in one player’s turn in billiards or snooker, or the points scored from
them

28. CUE GAMES first
shot that scatters balls: an opening shot in billiards
or snooker, which scatters the balls

29. BOWLING failure
to knock down all pins: a failure to knock down all
the pins in bowling after the second throw

30. RADIO access
to CB radio channel: access for a CB radio
operator to a radio channel
interjection

BOXING WRESTLING used to separate fighters:
used to command boxers or wrestlers to separate from a clinch
[Old
English brecan . Ultimately from an Indo-European root that also
produced Latin frangere “to break” (source of English fracture ).]
break
even

to
make neither a profit nor a loss from a venture

give
somebody a break

to
stop nagging or criticizing somebody or to start treating somebody fairly (informal)

make
a clean break

to
end a relationship or association completely and for good  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at holiday

[1]



breakable

breakable
break·a·ble 
[bráykəbəl] adjective

easily
broken:
likely to be broken if not handled carefully
noun
(plural break·a·bles)

fragile
object:
something that is easily broken if not handled carefully (usually used in
the plural)
—break·a·bil·i·ty
[bràykə bíllitee], noun

—break·a·ble·ness [bráykəbəlnəss], noun[1]



breakage

breakage
break·age 
[bráykij] (plural break·ages) noun

1.  something
broken:
something that has been broken, usually accidentally (usually used in the
plural) • All
breakages must be paid for.

2.  breaking:
the breaking of something

3.  damage:
damage as a result of breaking something

[1]



breakaway

breakaway
break
away
intransitive verb

1.  leave
or get away: to sever relations with or detach from a
person or group

2.  depart
from custom: to change or depart from established
customs or procedures

3.  pull
away quickly: to depart or pull away from somebody or
something, usually at high speed

[1]



breakaway

breakaway
break·a·way 
[bráykə wày] noun (plural break·a·ways)

1.  something
breaking off: somebody or something that breaks or has
broken away

2.  something
made to break off: something that is designed
to break away or break apart from the whole

3.  breaking
away:
the breaking away of somebody or something
adjective

1.  made
to break off: designed to break away or apart, either
as a safety mechanism or to create an illusion, for example, a theater prop

2.  having
severed ties with something: having broken ties or
connections to somebody or a group

[1]



breakbeat

breakbeat
break·beat
[bráyk bt] noun

popular music drum pattern:
a drum pattern with a syncopated beat that is electronically looped, used
mostly in jungle, drum and bass, and hard-core music[1]



breakbonefever

breakbonefever
break·bone
fe·ver 
[bràyk bōn fvər] noun

See
dengue
[From the pains in the joints
that are one of its symptoms][1]



breakdancing

breakdancing
break·danc·ing
[bráyk dànsing] noun

acrobatic
dancing to music: a highly energetic, fast, and acrobatic
style of solo dancing to rap music, typically involving spinning of the body on
the ground. Breakdancing started in the United States in the 1980s.
[Break
of uncertain meaning: perhaps related to breakdown
in the sense of “fast dance”]
—break·dance,
noun, intransitive verb

—break·danc·er, noun[1]



breakdown

breakdown
break·down 
[bráyk dòwn] (plural break·downs)
noun

1.  failure
to work:
a failure to operate or an interruption of the operation of a machine or
vehicle

2.  failure
to communicate: a disruption of the understanding and
interaction between people or groups • breakdown
in the talks

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING sudden
passage of current through insulator: the
sudden passage of electrical current through an insulator

4.  personal
health crisis: a sudden physical or psychological
collapse

5.  data
summary or explanation: a summary, explanation,
analysis, or outline of data items collected

6.  decomposition
into parts:
a breaking down of something into its essential components, parts, or elements

7.  DANCE folk
dance:
a fast energetic U.S. folk dance

[1]



breakdown

breakdown
break
down

tear down: to
destroy something or cause something to fall or collapse
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make emotional: to become upset emotionally,
or to cause somebody to become upset emotionally

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
or cause health collapse: to experience, or cause
somebody to experience, a physical or psychological collapse

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
resisting:
to yield or end any resistance, or to cause somebody to yield or somebody’s
resistance to end

4.  intransitive
verb
fail
to function properly: to stop working, or to stop
working properly, effectively, or usefully

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb weaken:
to become or cause somebody or something to become weak and ineffective

6.  transitive
verb
analyze
by dividing into parts: to analyze or examine
something by reducing it to its simplest terms or component parts

7.  intransitive
verb
be
divisible into elements: to divide into or be
reducible to separate parts when analyzed

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb decompose
chemically:
to decompose chemically, or to cause something to undergo chemical
decomposition

9.  intransitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING experience
electrical insulation failure: to experience a sudden
failure of an insulating material to halt the current flow

[1]



breakdownlorry

breakdownlorry
break·down
lor·ry
or break·down truck (plural break·down trucks) noun

U.K.
See wrecker[1]



breaker

breaker2
brea·ker2 [bráykər]
(plural brea·kers) noun

cask
with water:
a small cask for water, used especially on lifeboats
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish barrica “cask” (see barricade
).][1]



breaker

breaker1
break·er1 [bráykər]
noun (plural brea·kers)

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
circuit breaker

2.  large
white-capped wave: a large, usually
white-capped, wave that is cresting or breaking, especially onto the shore

3.  DANCE breakdancer:
somebody who does breakdancing (slang)

4.  breaking
machine:
something, for example, a machine, that is used to crush or break up rocks,
fibers, or other substances

5.  horse
trainer:
somebody who trains horses so that they can be ridden
interjection

RADIO opening
message:
used by CB radio operators to announce that they are beginning to transmit on a
channel

[1]



break-even

break-even
break-e·ven 
[bràyk vən] or break-e·ven point
[bràyk vən] noun

neither profit nor loss:
the point or level of financial activity at which expenditure equals income or
the value of an investment equals its cost, and the result is neither a profit
nor loss[1]



breakfast

breakfast
break·fast 
[brékfəst] noun (plural break·fasts)

day’s
first meal:
the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning (often used before a
noun)
intransitive
verb
(past break·fast·ed, past participle break·fast·ed,
present participle break·fast·ing, 3rd person present singular
break·fasts)

have
breakfast:
to eat breakfast, usually in the morning
[15th
century. From fast “period without food,”
from the idea of being without food while asleep.]
—break·fast·er, noun[1]



breakfront

breakfront
break·front 
[bráyk frùnt] adjective

with
middle section sticking out: used to describe a piece of
furniture, for example, a cabinet or bookcase, with a central section that juts
forward slightly
—break·front, noun[1]



breakin

breakin
break
in

begin using somebody or something new:
to begin to employ somebody new or use something new, supplying the training or
modifications needed for good performance
intransitive
verb

1.  enter
forcibly:
to enter a place or building forcibly and usually illegally

2.  start
talking:
to interrupt a conversation or discussion

[1]



break-in

break-in
break-in 
(plural break-ins) noun

1.  forced
entry:
an illegal forced entry into a building or place.
Also
called
housebreak

2.  initial
period of work or use: a trial run or an initial
period of employment or operation during which somebody’s or something’s
performance is evaluated and training or troubleshooting is done

[1]



breaking

breaking1
break·ing1  [bráyking]
noun

LINGUISTICS
vowel’s shift into diphthong:
the changing of a simple vowel into a diphthong when certain other speech
sounds come before or after it. For example, the vowel in “feet” becomes a
diphthong in “feel.”[1]



breaking

breaking2
break·ing2  [bráyking]
noun

DANCE
breakdancing:
breakdancing (slang)[1]



breakingand entering

breakingand entering
break·ing
and en·ter·ing  (plural break·ing and
en·ter·ings) noun

crime of forcibly entering
property: the crime of forcibly
entering property, usually in order to steal from it[1]



breakingpoint

breakingpoint
break·ing
point
noun

1.  point
when coping becomes impossible: the point at which
somebody loses the ability to deal physically, psychologically, or emotionally
with a stressful situation

2.  critical
moment:
the point at which a condition or situation reaches a crisis

[1]



breakinto

breakinto
break
into
transitive verb

1.  enter
building forcibly and illegally: to enter a building or
place forcibly and usually illegally

2.  begin
speaking:
to interrupt something that is being said or discussed

3.  do
something suddenly: to begin doing something
suddenly, for example, runnning or singing

4.  start
work in new field: to begin working in a
profession or field, often after having tried to do so for some time without
success

[1]



breakneck

breakneck
break·neck 
[bráyk nèk] adjective

dangerously fast:
so fast or quick as to be hazardous or reckless • at
breakneck speed[1]



breakof day

breakof day
break
of day
noun

dawn:
the time when the sun rises in the morning[1]



breakoff

breakoff
break
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
off piece of something: to separate a piece from a
solid mass or the main part of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
being or doing something together: to discontinue a
relationship or interaction with somebody or a group

3.  intransitive
verb
stop
speaking:
to stop talking, usually abruptly

[1]



breakoff

breakoff
break·off 
[bráyk àwf] (plural break·offs)
noun

abrupt discontinuation:
a discontinuation of something, especially when this is abrupt • the
breakoff of negotiations[1]



breakout

breakout
break
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
have
skin rash:
to develop a case of acne or a rash, especially suddenly

2.  intransitive
verb
begin
abruptly:
to happen or begin suddenly and strongly (refers to wars and violence)

3.  intransitive
verb
become
free from something: to escape or emerge from
something that confines, restrains, or traps, such as a prison cell

4.  transitive
verb
prepare
something for use: to open something or get
something ready for use or action

5.  transitive
verb
classify
data items:
to classify, summarize, outline, or separate data items in order to analyze,
explain, or identify something

[1]



breakout

breakout
break·out 
[bráyk owt] (plural break·outs)
noun

1.  forceful
escape:
a forceful escape or emergence from being confined, restrained, or trapped

2.  data
analysis:
a summary or breakdown of data that has been collected
[Early 19th century][1]



breakpoint

breakpoint
break·point 
[bráyk pòynt] (plural break·points)
noun

1.  COMPUTING pause
allowing review of computer program: a
pause inserted into a computer program under development or being serviced so
that the contents of registers and memory locations can be examined to correct
a programming logic error

2.  point
where stop or change occurs: a point where something
stops, pauses, changes, or breaks apart

[1]



breakpoint

breakpoint
break
point
noun

point to win off opponent’s
serve: a point in tennis which, if
won, results in the player who is not serving winning the game[1]



breakthrough

breakthrough
break·through 
[bráyk thr] noun (plural break·throughs)

1.  important
discovery:
an important new discovery, especially in science, medicine, or technology,
that has a dramatic and far-reaching effect

2.  removal
of barrier to progress: an event that causes or
marks the breaking down of a barrier to progress, for example, in negotiations

3.  MILITARY penetration
of enemy line: an attacking army’s advance through and
beyond an enemy’s line of defense
adjective

bringing public recognition:
bringing public attention and fame to a performer

[1]



breakthrough

breakthrough
break
through
intransitive and transitive verb

pierce through something:
to burst or advance quickly and suddenly through an obstruction or opposition,
for example, from an enemy[1]



breakthrough bleeding

breakthrough bleeding
break
through bleed·ing noun

bleeding from the womb that
occurs between menstrual periods[1]



breakup

breakup
break
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
divide
or interrupt something: to divide or separate
something into pieces or sections, or interrupt the continuity of something

2.  intransitive
verb
disperse:
to separate, or have members separate, and go in different directions

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb end:
to cause a relationship, interaction, or gathering to end, or to come to an end

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
emotional response: to cause somebody to burst
into tears or laughter

[1]



breakup

breakup
break·up 
[bráyk ùp] (plural break·ups) noun

1.  breaking
apart or up: a breaking into separate pieces or
sections that are not connected or continuous

2.  end
of relationship: the breaking off or discontinuation of a
personal relationship

3.  spring
thaw of lodged ice: the melting or breaking
apart of lodged ice in rivers and harbors in the spring

4.  emotional
breakdown:
a loss of control over the emotions

[1]



breakwater

breakwater
break·wa·ter 
[bráyk wàwtər, bráyk
wòtər] (plural break·wa·ters) noun

barrier protecting land from
waves: an offshore barrier that
protects a harbor or other coastal area from the full force of the sea[1]



breakwith

breakwith
break
with
transitive verb

change alliance or behavior:
to separate from somebody or from a tradition, rule, or trend[1]



bream

bream1
bream1 [breem,
brim] (plural bream or breams)
noun

1.  Eurasian
freshwater fish: a freshwater fish native to Europe and
Asia that has a deep thin body and is yellowish in color. Latin name: Abramis
brama

2.  freshwater
fish like bream: a freshwater fish that resembles the
bream, introduced into Europe and Asia from North America. Freshwater sunfishes
and bluegills are breams. Genus: Lepomis

3.  See
sea bream
[14th century. From Old
French bre(s)me, ultimately of Germanic origin.][1]



bream

bream2
bream2 [breem]
(past breamed, past participle breamed, present
participle bream·ing, 3rd person present singular breams)
transitive verb

clean
debris from boat hull: to clear the shells,
seaweed, and mud off the bottom of a ship by heating it to soften the pitch and
then scraping away the debris (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Probably
from Middle Dutch bremme “broom, furze”; from the burning of broom as
part of the process.][1]



breast

breast
breast 
[brest] noun (plural breasts)

1.  ANATOMY organ
on human chest: soft rounded organs on each side of the
chest in women and men. In women the organs are more prominent and produce milk
after childbirth.

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
milk gland:
a gland in mammals corresponding to the human breast

3.  somebody’s
chest:
the front of the human chest

4.  CLOTHES garment
section:
the part or section of clothing covering the front of the chest

5.  seat
of emotions: the chest regarded as the place where human
emotions reside (literary) • with
pride filling my breast

6.  animal’s
chest:
the chest of an animal, especially a mammal or bird

7.  meat
from animal’s chest: meat from the chest of an
animal, especially from a chicken or other poultry

8.  font
of nourishment: a source of sustenance or protection (literary)

9.  part
sticking out or up: a part that is rounded,
projects, or in some way resembles a breast
transitive
verb
(past breast·ed, past participle breast·ed, present
participle breast·ing, 3rd person present singular breasts)

1.  reach
hilltop:
to reach the summit of a hill

2.  face
something boldly: to confront a difficulty squarely and
boldly and deal with it in a determined way

3.  push
something with chest: to touch or push against
something with the chest • managed
to breast the tape ahead of her rival
[Old
English brēost . Ultimately, perhaps, from an Indo-European base
denoting swelling.]
make
a clean breast of something

to confess or admit to
something, especially something previously denied or withheld[1]



breastbone

breastbone
breast·bone 
[brést bn] (plural breast·bones)
noun

long bone in center of chest:
a long bone running down the front of the chest, flat in many animals but
ridged in most birds. In humans, the top seven pairs of ribs are connected to
it.
Also called
sternum[1]



breast-feed

breast-feed
breast-feed 
(past breast-fed, past participle breast-fed, present
participle breast-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular breast-feeds)
intransitive and transitive verb

feed baby with natural milk:
to feed a baby with milk from the breast[1]



breastplate

breastplate
breast·plate 
[brést plàyt] (plural breast·plates)
noun

1.  armor
covering chest: a piece of armor that covers the chest

2.  JUDAISM Jewish
priestly garment: a garment worn over the breast by Jewish
high priests in ancient times, set with twelve precious stones representing the
twelve tribes of Israel

[1]



breaststroke

breaststroke
breast·stroke 
[brést strk] noun

swimming
stroke:
a swimming stroke in which the arms are extended and pulled back together in a
circular motion while the legs are thrust out and pulled together
—breast·stroke,
intransitive verb

—breast·strok·er, noun[1]



breastwork

breastwork
breast·work 
[brést wùrk] (plural breast·works)
noun

low earth wall as
fortification: in former times, an
earth wall built at chest height as a temporary barrier for defense[1]



breath

breath
breath 
[breth] (plural breaths) noun

1.  air
breathed in and out: the air that a person or
animal inhales and exhales

2.  air
exhaled:
the air that somebody exhales, especially with reference to how it feels or
smells to somebody nearby

3.  breathing
of air:
an inhaling or exhaling of air, or the entire process of inhaling and exhaling
• take
a deep breath

4.  hint:
a faint hint of something • a
breath of scandal

5.  life:
the vital force or spirit of a living person or animal

6.  short
pause:
a momentary pause or respite

7.  waft:
a fleeting or slight fragrance or movement of air • not
a breath of wind

8.  soft
sound:
a sound or whispering that is soft and almost inaudible
[Old
English bræþ “odor, especially of something burning or cooking.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting heat. The modern meaning evolved
via the notion of exhalation.]
a
breath of fresh air

somebody
or something that is refreshingly new and exciting

catch
your breath

1.  to
stop breathing for an instant, for example, from shock or physical pain

2.  to
regain a normal breathing rhythm after exertion

don’t
hold your breath!

used
to indicate that it is extremely unlikely that something will happen (informal)

in
the same breath

at
almost the same moment or shortly afterward

out
of breath

breathing
heavily because of physical exertion

take
somebody’s breath away

to
astonish or greatly impress somebody

under
your breath

in
a whispering or muttering voice

with
bated breath

full
of anxious anticipation

[1]



breathable

breathable
breath·a·ble 
[brəb’l] adjective

1.  suitable
for breathing: suitable or possible for people to
breathe

2.  TEXTILES letting
air in and moisture out: allowing air in and body
moisture out, keeping the wearer cooler and drier than other fabrics or clothes
do (refers to fabric)
—breath·a·bil·i·ty [brə bíllətee], noun[1]



breathalyze

breathalyze
breath·a·lyze
[bréthə lz] (past breath·a·lyzed,
past participle breath·a·lyzed, present participle breath·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular breath·a·lyz·es) transitive verb

test
somebody for drunkenness: to test somebody, especially
a driver, for drunkenness by making him or her breathe into a Breathalyzer™
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from Breathalyzer™ .][1]



Breathalyzer

Breathalyzer
Breath·a·lyz·er
[bréthə lzər] Trademark

a trademark for an apparatus
that measures a subject’s blood alcohol concentration[1]



breathe

breathe
breathe 
[bree] (past breathed, past
participle breathed, present participle breath·ing, 3rd
person present singular breathes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
in air:
to repeatedly and alternately take in and blow out air in order to stay alive • breathe
in deeply

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb expel
substance with breath: to expel a substance, for
example, cigarette smoke, from the mouth or nose along with the breath, or to
be exhaled in this way

3.  transitive
verb
smell
something:
to take in the aroma of something

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
in air:
to take in air, for example, for combustion or in order to equalize internal
and external pressure (refers to machines)

5.  intransitive
verb
TEXTILES allow
air through: to allow air and moisture to pass
through fabric or clothing

6.  transitive
verb
say
something secretively: to say something in a soft
voice or secretively

7.  transitive
verb
give
somebody or something a quality: to instill a
particular quality in somebody or something • breathed
new life into the group

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb exude
quality:
to suggest a particular quality in abundance, or to be suggested or displayed
noticeably

9.  intransitive
verb
live:
to be alive

10. intransitive
verb
develop
flavor through exposure to air: to be exposed to air
in order to develop flavor (refers to wine)

11. intransitive
and transitive verb pause
to rest:
to allow a person or animal, for example, a horse, to pause to rest or catch a
breath

12. intransitive
verb
waft:
to blow softly or move gently
[13th
century. Formed from breath .]
breathe
easy or freely or easily

to
relax and stop worrying about something or things in general

breathe
your last

to die (literary)[1]



breathed

breathed
breathed 
[bretht, brd]
adjective

1.  PHONETICS unvoiced:
pronounced without vibrating the vocal cords

2.  breathing:
with a particular type of breathing (usually used in combination)

[1]



breather

breather
breath·er 
[brər] (plural breath·ers) noun

1.  breathing
person:
somebody who breathes in a particular way (used in combination) • a
heavy breather

2.  pause
to rest:
a short rest while in the middle of doing something (informal)

3.  vent:
a vent in an area or enclosure that is otherwise sealed
[Early 20th century. From the
idea of stopping for breath.][1]



breathing

breathing
breath·ing 
[bring] (plural breath·ings)
noun

1.  inhaling
and exhaling: the process of taking air into the lungs
and pushing it out again

2.  PHONETICS pronunciation
of vowels in ancient Greek: in ancient Greek, the
pronouncing of an initial vowel with an “h” sound before it ( rough breathing ), or without an “h”sound ( smooth breathing ), or either of the symbols
indicating these pronunciations

[1]



breathingspace

breathingspace
breath·ing
space
or breath·ing room noun

time to rest or think:
time to relax or sort out problems without pressures, constraints,
interruptions, or interference.
See also
breathing spell[1]



breathingspell

breathingspell
breath·ing
spell
(plural breath·ing spells) noun

chance to rest or think:
an opportunity to relax or sort out problems without pressures, constraints,
interruptions, or interference[1]



breathless

breathless
breath·less 
[bréthləss] adjective

1.  unable
to breathe properly: experiencing difficulty in
breathing, or breathing faster than normal, because of physical exertion or
illness

2.  with
shallow breathing: breathing very shallowly
because of intense emotion, for example, fear or excitement

3.  exciting
or intense:
capable of causing difficulties in breathing because of intense excitement,
emotion, or speed

4.  hot
and without breeze: lacking any air movement or
breeze

5.  not
alive:
dead and no longer breathing (literary)
—breath·less·ly,
adverb

—breath·less·ness, noun[1]



breathtaking

breathtaking
breath·tak·ing 
[bréth tàyking] adjective

overwhelming:
evoking strong emotions, especially excitement, awe, or shock
[Mid-20th
century]
—breath·tak·ing·ly, adverb[1]



breathtest

breathtest
breath
test
(plural breath tests) noun

test measuring alcohol level:
a test using a device that a person breathes into to determine the level of
alcohol in the breath, especially one conducted by police on the driver of a
road vehicle[1]



breathy

breathy
breath·y 
[bréthee] (comparative breath·i·er,
superlative breath·i·est) adjective

1.  with
sound of breathing: with a discernible sound of
breathing accompanying spoken words

2.  MUSIC lacking
good breath control: without proper control of
the breath, which creates an uneven or weak vocal or instrumental sound
—breath·i·ly,
adverb

—breath·i·ness, noun[1]



breccia

breccia
brec·ci·a 
[bréchee ə, bréchə,
bréshee ə, bréshə]
noun

rock
made of solidified rubble: a coarse-grained sedimentary
rock made of sharp fragments of rock and stone cemented together by finer
material. Breccia is produced by volcanic activity or erosion, including frost
shattering.
[Late
18th century. Via Italian, “gravel,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European base
that also produced English break .
The underlying sense is “broken rock.”]
—brec·ci·al,
adjective

—brec·ci·ate
[bréchee ayt, bréshee
ayt], intransitive and transitive verb

—brec·ci·a·tion [bréchee aysh’n], noun[1]



Brecht,Bertolt

Brecht,Bertolt

Brecht 
[brekt, brekht],
Bertolt (1898–1956)
German
playwright and director. One of the most influential dramatists of the 20th
century, he was the author of The Threepenny Opera (1928) in
collaboration with Kurt Weill, Mother Courage (1941), and The
Caucasian Chalk Circle (1945). After 1948 he worked with the Berliner
Ensemble in East Berlin.
Full name
Brecht, Eugene Bertolt Friedrich[1]



Breckinridge,John C.

Breckinridge,John C.
Breck·in·ridge 
[brékən rìj], John C. (1821–1875)

statesman
and vice president of the United States. He was James Buchanan’s vice president
(1857–1861). During the civil war he was a Confederate general and secretary of
war.
Full name
Breckinridge, John Cabell[1]



bred

bred2
bred2 [bred]
adjective

brought up:
raised in a particular manner (used in combination) • city-bred[1]



bred

bred1
bred1 [bred]

Past tense of
breed Past participle of breed[1]



brede

brede
brede 
[breed] noun

embroidery:
decorative embroidery or braiding (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. A variant
of braid .][1]



bred-in-the-bone

bred-in-the-bone
bred-in-the-bone 
adjective

1.  ingrained:
deeply instilled or firmly established

2.  habitual:
used to describe a habit, especially a bad habit, that has become deeply
ingrained over time

[1]



breech

breech
breech
[breech] noun

1.  ARMS back
of gun barrel: the rear part of the barrel of a rifle
or shotgun, near the stock

2.  part
of pulley:
the lower part of a pulley block, to which the rope, cable, or chain is fixed

3.  ANATOMY buttocks:
the back lower portion of the trunk of the body
[Old
English brēc, plural of brōc “garment covering the thighs and
lower trunk.” The modern meanings evolved from the notion of “lower part.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at breach.

[1]



breechbirth

breechbirth
breech
birth
(plural breech births) noun

MEDICINE
delivery with head uppermost or feet
first: the dekivery of a baby with
its buttocks or feet, rather than its head, emerging first.
Also called
breech delivery[1]



breechblock

breechblock
breech·block 
[brch blòk] (plural breech·blocks)
noun

gun part detached for
breechloading: the part of a
breechloading gun that is detached from the barrel to allow cartridges to be
loaded into the back of the barrel[1]



breechcloth

breechcloth
breech·cloth 
[brch klòth] (plural breech·cloths)
noun

See
loincloth[1]



breechdelivery

breechdelivery
breech
de·liv·er·y
noun

See
breech birth[1]



breeches

breeches
breech·es
[bríchiz, brchiz]
or britch·es [bríchiz] plural
noun

1.  knee-length
pants:
pants with legs that come down to the knee.
Also
called
knee breeches

2.  trousers:
trousers of any kind (informal)
[13th century. Plural of breech .][1]



breechesbuoy

breechesbuoy
breech·es
buoy 
(plural breech·es buoys) noun

harness carrying people
between ships: a piece of equipment
used for transferring people between moving ships, consisting of a canvas
harness suspended from a pulley and line that links both ships[1]



breeching

breeching
breech·ing 
[brching, bríching]
noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN strap
on horse’s harness: the strap of a harness that
passes behind the hindquarters of a horse or donkey

2.  ZOOLOGY hair
on animal’s hindquarters: the short hair or wool on
the rump and hind legs of an animal, for example, a sheep, goat, or dog

3.  ARMS gun’s
breech parts: parts of a gun that form or make up the
breech

4.  NAVY rope
securing ship’s gun: in former times, ropes used
to secure guns to the side of a ship to control the recoil

[1]



breechloader

breechloader
breech·load·er 
[brch ldər] (plural breech·load·ers)
noun

gun
loaded at back of barrel: a gun that is loaded by
inserting cartridges through the back of the barrel
—breech·load·ing, adjective[1]



breed

breed
breed 
[breed] noun (plural breeds)

1.  BIOLOGY distinct
animal or plant: a strain of an animal or plant with
identifiable characteristics that distinguish it from other members of its
species, especially one whose characteristics are preserved by controlled
mating or propagating

2.  somebody
or something of particular type: a particular type of
thing or person, especially one that can be easily distinguished from other
similar things or people • a new
breed of managers
verb
(past bred [bred], past
participle bred, present participle breed·ing, 3rd
person present singular breeds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY mate and produce young:
to mate and give birth to offspring

2.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE raise
animals or plants: to reproduce and raise
animals or plants, especially for commercial purposes or for shows and competitions

3.  transitive
verb
GENETICS select
animals or plants: to select animals or plants
as part of a process of improving or preserving their special characteristics

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
or be produced: to produce or create something, or be
produced or created • Experience
breeds confidence.

5.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS produce
nuclear fuel: to make fissionable substances using a
breeder reactor
[Old English brēdan
“to produce or nurture offspring.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
denoting “heat”; the underlying sense is “incubation.”][1]



breeder

breeder
breed·er 
[brdər] (plural breed·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who breeds animals or plants: somebody who raises animals
or propagates and grows plants, either to maintain an existing breed or produce
a new one

2.  animal
or plant used for breeding: an animal or plant kept to
produce offspring

3.  causal
factor:
a cause or a source of something

4.  insult
to heterosexual: an insulting term for somebody who is
heterosexual (slang insult)

5.  PHYSICS See breeder reactor

[1]



breederreactor

breederreactor
breed·er
re·ac·tor
(plural breed·er re·ac·tors) or breed·er (plural
breed·ers) noun

nuclear reactor with
production exceeding consumption: a
nuclear reactor that produces more fuel than it consumes. This kind of reactor
is used mainly to produce plutonium.
Also called
breeder[1]



breeding

breeding
breed·ing 
[brding] noun

1.  upbringing:
somebody’s upbringing, education, and training in manners and other social
skills, especially an upbringing that produces polished manners and
self-assurance

2.  ancestry:
somebody’s family or ancestry

3.  reproduction:
the mating and producing of young (often used before a noun) • prime
breeding stock

4.  GENETICS development
of improved animals and plants: the development of new
types of plants or animals with improved characteristics

5.  PHYSICS reactor’s
fuel production exceeding consumption:
production of fissionable material in a breeder reactor in quantities in excess
of the fuel it consumes

[1]



breedingground

breedingground
breed·ing
ground
(plural breed·ing grounds) noun

1.  animal’s
mating area: an area where animals mate and produce
young

2.  environment
encouraging something: an environment or situation
that is likely to produce or encourage a particular phenomenon • The
festival is a breeding ground for new comedy talent.

[1]



breeze

breeze
breeze
[breez] noun (plural breez·es)

1.  METEOROLOGY light
to moderate wind: a wind ranging in strength from light to
moderate, with a speed of 6 to 50 kph4 to 31 mph

2.  something
easy:
a task or object that is easily achieved (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past breezed, past participle breezed, present
participle breez·ing, 3rd person present singular breez·es)

1.  go
somewhere briskly: to move quickly and
confidently or cheerfully, for example, into a meeting

2.  accomplish
easily:
to progress through something easily and with little difficulty or effort • He
breezed through his certification test with no trouble.
[Mid-16th
century. Probably from Spanish brisa and Portuguese briza
“northeast wind,” of unknown origin.]
shoot
the breeze

to spend time chatting (slang)[1]



breezeblock

breezeblock
breeze
block
(plural breeze blocks) noun

U.K.
See cinder block
[Breeze from French braise
“hot coals” (source of English braise
and brazier )][1]



breezeway

breezeway
breeze·way 
[brz wày] (plural breeze·ways)
noun

open-sided roofed passageway:
a roofed passageway with open sides that connects two buildings, for example, a
house and garage[1]



breezily

breezily
breez·i·ly
[brzəlee] adverb

in cheerful manner:
in a lively, cheerful, and relaxed way[1]



breezy

breezy
breez·y 
[brzee] (comparative breez·i·er,
superlative breez·i·est) adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY slightly
windy:
with a light to moderate wind

2.  lively
and cheerful: lively, cheerful, and relaxed
—breez·i·ness, noun[1]



bregma

bregma
breg·ma 
[brégmə] (plural breg·ma·ta [brégmətə]) noun

point
on skull:
the place on the skull at the top of the forehead where the frontal bone and
the two parietal bones meet, used as a reference point when measuring skulls
[Late
16th century. From Greek, “front of the head.”]
—breg·mat·ic [breg máttik], adjective[1]



Bremen

Bremen
Bre·men 
[brémən]

city, major port, and capital
of the state of Bremen in northwestern Germany. It is situated on the Weser
River, about 69 km43 mi from the North Sea. Population: 551,000 (1994)[1]



bremsstrahlung

bremsstrahlung
brems·strah·lung 
[brémsshtrləng, brémz
shtrləng] noun

kind
of electromagnetic radiation: the electromagnetic
radiation that is produced by an electrically charged subatomic particle, such
as an electron, when it is suddenly slowed down by the electric field of an
atomic nucleus
[Mid-20th century. From
German, from bremsen “to brake” + Strahlung “radiation.”][1]



Brendan,Saint

Brendan,Saint
Bren·dan
[bréndən], Saint (484–577)

Irish
Saint and traveller. He founded the monastery of Clonfert in Co. Galway (561).
Known as
the Navigator[1]



Brennan,Walter

Brennan,Walter
Bren·nan
[brénnən], Walter (1894–1974)

U.S. actor. A three-time
Academy Award winner, he was a character actor best remembered as Amos McCoy on
television’s The Real McCoys ( 1957–1963 ).[1]



Brennan,William J., Jr.

Brennan,William J., Jr.
Bren·nan 
[brénnən], William J., Jr. (1906–1997)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
During his long Supreme Court Tenure (1956–1990) he was known for his
dedication to maintaining freedom of speech.[1]



BrennerPass

BrennerPass
Bren·ner
Pass 
[brénnər pàss]

Alpine mountain pass linking
Innsbruck, Austria and Bolzano, Italy. With a maximum elevation of 1,371
m/4,497 ft, it has been an important route between Austria and Italy since
antiquity.[1]



brentgoose

brentgoose
brent
goose
[brént gss] or brent [brént gss] (plural brents) noun

U.K.
See brant
[Origin unknown][1]



Brentwood

Brentwood
Brent·wood 
[brént wood]

community forming part of
Islip, a town situated on Long Island, New York. Population: 45,218 (1990)[1]



bresaola

bresaola
bre·sao·la 
[bre sṓlə, bri zṓlə]
noun

dried
beef served with oil dressing: slices of salt-cured
air-dried beef served with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and black
pepper
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, from brasare “to cook slowly.”][1]



Brest

Brest
Brest 
[brést]

port and largest city in
Finistère Department in the Bretagne Region, western France. Population:
153,099 (1990)[1]



brethren

brethren
breth·ren 
[brérən]

(archaic)
Plural of brother
plural
noun

1.  members
of same group: members of the same family, group,
class, or community (literary or humorous) • the
weaker brethren among us

2.  members
of church:
the members, especially men, of a particular church or other religious group,
especially a Protestant Christian denomination (archaic or literary)
[12th century. From brōeþre,
breþre, a plural of Old English brōþor “brother.” Brethren
remained the standard plural of brother until the 17th century, when it
was superseded by brothers .][1]



Breton

Breton
Bret·on 
[brét’n] (plural Bret·ons) noun

1.  somebody
from Brittany: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the region of Brittany in northwestern France

2.  Celtic
language of Brittany: a Celtic language spoken in
mostly rural areas of Brittany, and most closely related to Cornish. It is
spoken by a little over half a million people.
—Bret·on, adjective[1]



BrettonWoods

BrettonWoods
Bret·ton
Woods
[brétt’n wdz]

tourist resort in New
Hampshire. In 1944, it hosted the United Nations Bretton Woods Conference where
The International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development were set up. Area: 4,050 hectares/10,000 acres.[1]



Breuer,Marcel

Breuer,Marcel
Breu·er
[bróyər], Marcel (1902–1981)

Hungarian-born
U.S. architect. He designed the Whitney Museum of American Art ( 1966 ) and
other modernist buildings, and is regarded as the designer of the tubular
steel-framed chair.
Full name
Breuer, Marcel Lajos[1]



brev.

brev.
brev.

Abbreviation of
brevet[1]



breve

breve
breve 
[brev, breev]
(plural breves) noun

1.  PHONETICS mark
over short vowel: a mark ˘ placed over a vowel to show
that it has a short sound

2.  POETRY mark
over unstressed poetic syllable: a mark ˘ that is used
to show a short or unstressed syllable in poetry

3.  MUSIC long
musical note: a musical note that is equal in length
to two whole notes.
Also
called
double whole note
[14th century. A variant of brief .][1]



brevet

brevet
bre·vet 
[brə vét, brévit]
noun (plural bre·vets)

military
promotion:
a temporary promotion of a military officer without an increase in pay
transitive
verb
(past bre·vet·ed, past participle bre·vet·ed, present
participle bre·vet·ing, 3rd person present singular bre·vets)

promote
in rank but not pay: to promote a military
officer by brevet
[14th
century. From French, literally “little letter,” from Old French brief
“letter” (source of English brief ).
The modern meaning evolved from the earlier sense “official letter.”]
—bre·vet·cy, noun[1]



breviary

breviary
bre·vi·ar·y 
[brvee èree] (plural bre·vi·ar·ies)
noun

Roman
Catholic prayer book: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a book that contains the hymns, psalms, and prayers prescribed for each
day
[15th century. From Latin breviarium
“summary, abridgment,” from breviare “to shorten” (source of English abbreviate and abridge
). Originally an abridged version of the psalms.][1]



brevity

brevity
brev·i·ty 
[brévitee] noun

1.  briefness:
shortness in time

2.  use
of few words: the economical use of words in speech or
writing
[15th century. Via Old French
bríevete from the Latin stem brevitat-, from brevis
“short” (source of English brief ).][1]



brew

brew
brew 
[broo] intransitive and transitive verb
(past brewed, past participle brewed, present
participle brew·ing, 3rd person present singular brews)

1.  make
beer:
to make beer or similar alcoholic drinks by a process of steeping, boiling, and
fermenting grain with hops, sugar, and other ingredients

2.  make
tea or coffee: to prepare a drink of tea or coffee, or
to develop the full flavor that tea or coffee should have before being ready to
drink

3.  develop
threateningly: to form, concoct, or develop ominously
or threateningly • a scandal was brewing
noun
(plural brews)

1.  kind
of beer:
a type of beer, for example, a lager or ale

2.  brewed
beverage:
a drink such as coffee or tea or a serving of such a drink (informal)

3.  mixture:
a combination of ingredients or elements of any kind
[Old
English breowan]
—brew·er,
noun

—brew·ing, noun[1]



brewery

brewery
brew·er·y 
[br əree, brree]
(plural brew·er·ies) noun

company or place for brewing
beer: a company that brews beer or
a building where beer or a similar drink is brewed[1]



brewer’syeast

brewer’syeast
brew·er’s
yeast 
[bróoərz yeest] noun

yeast for brewing and
vitamins: the yeast that is used in
brewing beer, also used as a dietary source of vitamins, especially vitamin B.
Latin name: Saccharomyces cerevisiae[1]



brewis

brewis
brew·is 
[br iss, brooz]
noun

dish
of bread and broth mixed: broth thickened with bread,
or a dish of bread soaked in milk, broth, or gravy (regional)
[13th century. From Old
French bro(u)ez (plural) and bro(u)et (singular), from breu,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced English broth .][1]



brewpub

brewpub
brew·pub 
[brpùb] (plural brew·pubs) noun

restaurant that brews and
sells beer: a restaurant or bar where
the beer is made on the premises[1]



Brewster,William

Brewster,William
Brew·ster 
[broó stər], William (1567–1644)

English-born U.S. settler. He
led the pilgrims who reached America on the Mayflower ( 1620 ) and
established Plymouth Colony.[1]



Breyer,Stephen

Breyer,Stephen
Brey·er
[brər], Stephen (1938– )

U.S.
Supreme Court justice. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1994, he was known for
his carefully reasoned opinions.
Full name
Breyer, Stephen Gerald[1]



Brezhnev,Leonid Ilyich

Brezhnev,Leonid Ilyich

Brezh·nev 
[bré nef, bré
nyif], Leonid Ilyich (1906–1982)
Soviet statesman. Leader of the Soviet
Communist Party (1964–1982), he exerted strong control over Warsaw Pact
countries.[1]



briar

briar2
bri·ar2  [br
ər] noun

See
brier 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








briar

briar1
bri·ar1  [br
ər] (plural bri·ars or bri·ar) or bri·er
[br ər] (plural bri·ers or
bri·er) noun

1.  PLANTS shrub
of southern Europe: a shrub that belongs to the
heather family and is native to southern Europe. Its hard woody roots are used
to make tobacco pipes. Latin name: Erica arborea
Also
called
tree heath

2.  kind
of tobacco pipe: a tobacco pipe made from the wood of the
roots of the briar
[Mid-19th
century. From French bruyère “wild heather,” ultimately of Gaulish
origin. The English spelling was based on that of the unrelated briar 2, with which it is often
confused.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  English
  has two words briar . Both can also be
  spelled brier, and their meanings are similar, so they tend to get
  confused. One goes back to Old English, when it was applied to any prickly
  bush, especially the blackberry; in modern usage it is applied to a type of
  wild rose. The other is much more recent. It means “wild heather,” and it was
  borrowed from French bruyère . At first it was spelled bruyer
  in English, but because of its similarity to briar
  in the “wild rose” sense, it too came to be spelled briar
  . It is the root of this second type of briar that is used to make pipes.

[1]



briard

briard
bri·ard 
[bree r, bree
rd] (plural bri·ards) noun

sheep
dog:
a dog belonging to an ancient French breed of strong sheepdogs with stiff and
slightly wavy coats of a single color, usually black
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “of Brie,” an area of northern France where the dog
originated.][1]



briarwood

briarwood
bri·ar·wood 
[brər wd] noun

wood used for tobacco pipes:
wood from the root of the European briar, used for making tobacco pipes.
Also called
briarroot[1]



bribe

bribe
bribe 
[brīb] intransitive and transitive verb
(past bribed, past participle bribed, present
participle brib·ing, 3rd person present singular bribes)

persuade
somebody with enticement: to give somebody money or
some other incentive to do something, especially something illegal or dishonest
noun
(plural bribes)

incentive
to persuade somebody: money or some other
incentive that is given to persuade somebody to do something, especially something
illegal or dishonest
[14th
century. From Old French briber or brimber “to beg,” from bribe
“morsel of food given to a beggar,” of unknown origin.]
—brib·er,
noun

—brib·a·ble, adjective[1]



bribery

bribery
brib·er·y 
[brbəree] (plural brib·er·ies)
noun

offering bribes:
the offering of money or other incentives to persuade somebody to do something,
especially something dishonest or illegal[1]



bric-a-brac

bric-a-brac
bric-a-brac 
[bríkə bràk] noun

ornaments:
small, ornamental objects that are of interest or sentimental value but of
little monetary value
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from the obsolete phrase à bric et à brac “at random” (in which brac
is a fanciful alteration of bric “piece”).][1]



Brice,Fannie

Brice,Fannie

Brice 
[brīss], Fannie (1891–1951)
U.S.
entertainer. She appeared in various revues, movies and radio programs. Her
life inspired the musical Funny Girl ( 1964 ).
Real name
Borach, Fannie[1]



brick

brick
brick 
[brik] noun (plural bricks)

1.  BUILDING hard
block used for construction: a rectangular block of clay
or a similar material that is baked until it is hard and is used for building
houses, walls, and other large permanent structures

2.  INDUSTRY bricks
or their material: bricks collectively, or the
material they are made of

3.  child’s
building block: a child’s wooden or plastic block used
with others to make shapes or structures

4.  block
of something: a rectangular block of something, for
example, ice cream or coffee

5.  reliable
supportive person: somebody who is helpful or
supportive in times of difficulty (informal dated)
transitive
verb
(past bricked, past participle bricked, present
participle brick·ing, 3rd person present singular bricks)

1.  make
something with bricks: to use bricks to build
something or as a liner or paving material for something

2.  close
up with bricks: to close something up or wall something
off with bricks and mortar • the
window had been bricked up
[15th
century. From Middle Dutch bricke, later reinforced by French brique
(perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch). Ultimate origin uncertain: perhaps
literally “fragment.”]
hit
the bricks

1.  to
go out and actively look for something, for example, a job or housing (informal)

2.  to
go on strike (informal)

[1]



brickbat

brickbat
brick·bat 
[brík bàt] (plural brick·bats)
noun

1.  criticism:
harshly unfavorable criticism

2.  piece
of something hard: a broken fragment of
something hard, for example, a piece of a brick, used as a missile
[Mid-16th century. Bat
from bat “piece (of brick),” which is probably the same word as bat .][1]



bricklayer

bricklayer
brick·lay·er 
[brík lày ər] (plural brick·lay·ers)
noun

somebody
who builds with bricks: somebody trained to
construct houses, walls, and other large permanent structures by cementing
bricks together with mortar
—brick·lay·ing, noun[1]



brick-red

brick-red
brick-red
adjective

brownish-red:
of a warm brownish-red color similar to that of red clay bricks
—brick red, noun[1]



brickwork

brickwork
brick·work 
[brík wùrk] noun

1.  structure
built from brick: something, for example, a wall,
building, or walk that is made up of bricks

2.  bricklayer’s
technique:
the technique or skill of laying bricks

[1]



brickyard

brickyard
brick·yard 
[brík yrd] (plural brick·yards)
noun

place for making or selling
bricks: a place where bricks are
made, stored, or sold[1]



bricolage

bricolage
bri·co·lage 
[br kō l, brìkō
l] noun

something
constructed from materials at hand:
something that is made or put together with whatever materials happen to be
available
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from bricoler “to do odd jobs,” from bricole (see bricole ).][1]



bricole

bricole
bri·cole 
[bri kṓl, brík’l]
(plural bri·coles) noun

1.  CUE GAMES type
of billiards shot: in billiards, a shot where
the cue ball touches the cushion after hitting the target ball and before
hitting another ball

2.  ARMS ancient
military catapult: a catapult that ancient and
medieval soldiers used to launch stones

3.  MILITARY soldier’s
harness for hauling guns: in former times, a harness
worn by soldiers for hauling guns
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Provençal bricola or Italian briccola, of unknown
origin.][1]



bridal

bridal
bri·dal 
[brd’l] adjective

of
brides or weddings: for or associated with
brides or weddings
noun

wedding:
a wedding or marriage ceremony
[By folk etymology (from bride and -al )
from Old English bryd-ealu “wedding festival at which much ale is
drunk,” literally “bride-ale”][1]



bridalwreath

bridalwreath
bri·dal
wreath
(plural bri·dal wreaths) noun

shrub with white flowers:
a shrub with arching branches that produces a mass of small white flowers in
spring. Genus: Spiraea[1]



bride

bride
bride 
[brīd] (plural brides) noun

woman
at her wedding: a woman who is about to marry or has
just married
[Old English bryd][1]



bridegroom

bridegroom
bride·groom 
[brd grm, brd
grm] (plural bride·grooms) noun

man
at his wedding: a man who is about to marry or has just
married.
Also
called
groom
[By folk etymology (from groom ) from Old English brdguma,
literally “bride-man,” from guma “man,” ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “earth,” which also produced English hominid][1]



brideprice

brideprice
bride
price
noun

groom’s payment to bride:
in some societies, a payment in the form of money or property made by the groom
to the bride or her family[1]



bridesmaid

bridesmaid
brides·maid 
[brdz màyd] (plural brides·maids)
noun

bride’s attendant at wedding:
a girl or woman who helps the bride on her wedding day[1]



bridge

bridge1

bridge1 [brij]
noun (plural bridg·es)

1.  CIVIL ENGINEERING structure
allowing passage across obstacle: a structure that is
built above and across a river, road, or other obstacle to allow people or
vehicles to cross it

2.  link
or means of approach: something that provides a
link, connection, or means of coming together

3.  SHIPPING ship’s
control room or platform: the platform or room on a
ship or other vessel from which the captain controls its course

4.  DENTISTRY partial
false teeth: a set of one or more false teeth that
act as a replacement for missing natural teeth. It can be permanently anchored
to natural teeth fixed bridge, or set into a metal appliance and temporarily
clipped on to natural teeth removable bridge .
Also
called
bridgework

5.  ANATOMY top of
nose:
the top part of the nose between the eyes

6.  OPHTHALMOLOGY part
of eyeglasses: the part of a pair of eyeglasses that
connects the two lenses together at the front and rests on the nose

7.  MUSIC part
of stringed instrument: the part of a stringed
instrument that keeps the strings away from the body. It is high and curved on
a violin but shallow and straight on a guitar.

8.  MUSIC connecting
passage:
a transitional or connecting section in a musical work

9.  CUE GAMES cue
rest with high end: a long-handled support for a
player’s cue in billiards, with a high arching end

10. CUE GAMES hand
used as rest: the player’s hand used as a rest for the
cue in billiards

11. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING part
of electrical circuit: a part of an electrical
circuit fitted with a device that measures electrical resistance or capacitance
transitive verb
(past bridged, past participle bridged, present
participle bridg·ing, 3rd person present singular bridg·es)

1.  CIVIL ENGINEERING build
bridge across obstacle: to build a bridge across an
obstacle to allow people or vehicles to get across it

2.  create
understanding between people: to create a means of
communication or understanding between people or a means of reconciling their
differences
[Old
English brycg, perhaps literally “structure made of logs”]
—bridge·a·ble,
adjective

—bridge·less,
adjective
build bridges

to
try to make friends with somebody who has previously been an enemy

burn your bridges

to
do something that makes it difficult or impossible to return to your former
position

cross that bridge when you come to it

to think about or worry about
something only when it becomes a reality or a priority[1]



bridge

bridge2
bridge2 [brij]
noun

card
game for pairs of players: any of several card games
derived from whist and played with one deck of cards divided between four
players who play in two pairs. The term is generally used to refer to contract
bridge, which is the most popular form of the game.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from assumed Turkish bir-üç, literally “one three,”
since in the game of bridge one hand is exposed and three are hidden.][1]



bridgeboard

bridgeboard
bridge·board 
[bríj bàwrd, bríj
brd] (plural bridge·boards) noun

side of staircase:
a notched board at either side of a staircase, supporting the horizontal and
vertical boards that form the steps[1]



bridgehead

bridgehead
bridge·head 
[bríj hèd] (plural bridge·heads)
noun

1.  MILITARY army’s
position seized in enemy territory: a
forward position seized by advancing troops in enemy territory and serving as a
basis for further advances

2.  MILITARY defensive
military position: a fortified position from
which troops defend the end of a bridge that is nearest to the enemy

3.  pioneering
foothold:
any position from which further advancement can be attained

4.  end
of bridge:
the area immediately surrounding the end of a bridge

[1]



bridgeloan

bridgeloan
bridge
loan
(plural bridge loans) noun

short-term loan:
money borrowed to finance something until permanent financing can be obtained,
especially a loan to finance the purchase of a new building or property until
an old one is sold.
U.K. term
bridging loan[1]



Bridgeof Sighs

Bridgeof Sighs
Bridge
of Sighs
noun

bridge in Venice:
a covered canal bridge of carved stone in Venice, Italy, built in the late 16th
century between the Doge’s Palace and the prison. Its name is believed to come
from the sighs of prisoners crossing the bridge to be tried or executed.[1]



Bridgeport

Bridgeport
Bridge·port 
[bríj pàwrt, brídj
prt]

city in southwestern
Connecticut where the Pequonnock River empties into Long Island Sound.
Population: 137,990 (1996)[1]



Bridger,James

Bridger,James
Brid·ger 
[bríjjər], James (1804–1881)

U.S. pioneer. He guided many
expeditions in the American.[1]



Bridgetown

Bridgetown
Bridge·town 
[bríj tòwn]

capital, main port, and
tourist center of Barbados in the West Indies. Population: 6,720 (1990)[1]



bridgework

bridgework
bridge·work 
[bríj wùrk] noun

1.  work
of fitting false teeth: provision of false teeth to
replace missing or removed natural teeth

2.  See
bridge 1

[1]



bridgingloan

bridgingloan
bridg·ing
loan
[bríjjing ln] (plural bridg·ing
loans) noun

U.K.
See bridge loan[1]



Bridgman,P.W.

Bridgman,P.W.
Bridg·man 
[bríjmən], P.W. (1882–1961)

U.S.
physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1946 in recognition of his work
on thermodynamics.
Full name
Bridgman, Percy Williams[1]



bridle

bridle
bri·dle 
[brd’l] noun (plural bri·dles)

1.  EQUESTRIAN harness
for horse’s head: a set of leather straps fitted to a
horse’s head and incorporating the bit and the reins

2.  restraining
thing:
something that acts as a control or restraint
verb
(past bri·dled, past participle bri·dled, present
participle bri·dling, 3rd person present singular bri·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN put
bridle on horse: to provide a horse with a bridle

2.  intransitive
verb
show
anger or indignation: to react with slight anger
or indignation, sometimes by rearing the head

3.  transitive
verb
exercise
control or restraint: to show restraint in
expressing a feeling or control or in curbing something
[Old English brīdel,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to move jerkily from side
to side,” which is also the ancestor of English braid][1]



Brie

Brie
Brie 
[bree] (plural Bries) noun

soft cheese with whitish
rind: a type of soft cow’s-milk
cheese with a whitish rind, originally made in Brie in northeastern France. It
is similar to Camembert, but milder in flavor.[1]



brief

brief
brief 
[breef] adjective (comparative
brief·er, superlative brief·est)

1.  not
lengthy:
lasting for only a short time • a
brief conversation

2.  concise:
containing only the necessary information without any extra details

3.  CLOTHES scanty:
leaving much of the wearer’s body exposed

4.  curt:
curt or abrupt speech or conversation
noun
(plural briefs)

1.  synopsis
of documents: a digest or synopsis of a larger
document or group of documents

2.  briefing:
a briefing, or the information conveyed during one

3.  summary:
an outline or summary, for example, of a book

4.  LAW attorney’s
case submitted to court beforehand: an
outline of how a legal case will be argued, together with evidence and
supporting statements, submitted by an attorney to a court prior to a trial

5.  LAW outline
of legal case for attorney: an outline of one side of a
legal case for an attorney, containing the evidence and points of law pertinent
to the argument of the case

6.  CHRISTIANITY papal
letter:
a letter from the Pope, less formal than a papal bull
plural
noun
briefs

snug underwear for lower body:
men’s or women’s close-fitting underwear
transitive
verb
(past briefed, past participle briefed, present
participle brief·ing, 3rd person present singular briefs)

1.  give
information to prepare somebody: to give somebody all
the necessary information about something in preparation for a discussion or
decision.
See
also
debrief

2.  summarize
something:
to make a summary of something, especially a written summary
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin brevis “short” (source also of
English abbreviate, abridge, and brevity
).]
—brief·er,
noun

—brief·ly,
adverb

—brief·ness, noun[1]



briefcase

briefcase
brief·case 
[brf kàyss] (plural brief·cases)
noun

small case for carrying
papers: a small rectangular case
with a handle, used for carrying books and papers[1]



briefing

briefing
brief·ing 
[brfing] (plural brief·ings) noun

1.  meeting
to convey information: a meeting held to provide
information about the main facts of an issue or a situation

2.  information
from meeting: the information conveyed at a briefing

[1]



brier

brier1
bri·er1 noun

See
briar 1[1]



brier

brier2
bri·er2 [br
ər] (plural bri·ers) or bri·ar [br ər] (plural bri·ars) noun

thorny
wild plant:
a thorny wild plant, especially a trailing rose
[Old
English brēr, of unknown origin]
—bri·er·y, adjective[1]



Brig.

Brig.
Brig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
brigadier

2.  Abbreviation
of
brigade

[1]



brig

brig
brig 
[brig] (plural brigs) noun

1.  sailing
ship:
a two-masted sailing ship with square-rigged sails on both masts

2.  ship’s
prison:
a secure area in a ship of the U.S. Navy, which can be used as a prison while
the ship is at sea

3.  military
prison:
a building or part of a building that is used as a prison in a U.S. military
installation
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of brigantine .][1]



brigade

brigade
bri·gade 
[bri gáyd] noun (plural bri·gades)

1.  military
unit:
a military unit consisting of two or more combat battalions or regiments and
associated support units. It is smaller than a division and is commanded by a
brigadier general or a colonel.

2.  group
with common goal or characteristic: a
group of people organized to achieve a particular goal, or characterized by a
common trait such as attitude, background, appearance, or activities
transitive
verb
(past bri·gad·ed, past participle bri·gad·ed, present
participle bri·gad·ing, 3rd person present singular bri·gades)

organize into a task force:
to organize a group of people in order to achieve a particular goal
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian brigata “military company,” from brigare “to
contend, brawl,” from briga “strife,” of unknown origin.][1]



brigadiergeneral

brigadiergeneral
brig·a·dier
gen·er·al
[brìggə dr] (plural brig·a·diers
gen·er·al) or brig·a·dier [brìggə
dr] (plural brig·a·diers) noun

high-ranking military
officer: in the United States and
Canada, an officer in the Army, Air Force, or Marines who ranks above a colonel
and below a major general[1]



brigand

brigand
brig·and 
[bríggənd] (plural brig·ands) noun

bandit:
a bandit operating in wild or isolated terrain, usually as a member of a roving
band (dated)
[14th
century. Via Old French from Italian brigante, originally
“foot-soldier,” from the present participle of brigare (see brigade ).]
—brig·and·age,
noun

—brig·and·ism,
noun

—brig·and·ry, noun[1]



brigandine

brigandine
brig·an·dine 
[bríggən dn] (plural brig·and·ines)
noun

chain-mail
armor:
a coat of flexible medieval body armor consisting of metal links or sheets
attached to fabric or leather
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French from Italian brigantina, from brigante (see brigand ).][1]



brigantine

brigantine
brig·an·tine 
[bríggən tn] (plural brig·an·tines)
noun

sailing
ship:
a two-masted sailing ship with square-rigged sails on the foremast and
fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via Old French brigandine from Italian brigantino “fighting
ship,” from brigante (see brigand ).][1]



Brig.Gen.

Brig.Gen.
Brig.
Gen.

Abbreviation of
brigadier general[1]



bright

bright
bright 
[brīt] adjective (comparative bright·er,
superlative bright·est)

1.  showing
light:
reflecting or giving off strong light • It
was a bright moonlit night.

2.  illuminated:
illuminated with strong natural or artificial light

3.  intensely
colored:
intense in color, or decorated with intense colors • bright
blue

4.  intelligent:
showing an ability to think, learn, or respond quickly • she
was brighter than other children of her age.

5.  cheerful:
cheerful and lively • he
seems much brighter this morning

6.  promising
success:
promising a successful outcome

7.  admirable:
deserving admiration and glory • one of
the brightest stars of the theater

8.  clear
sounding:
used to describe sounds with a clear crisp quality and little harmonic
resonance

9.  beautiful:
remarkably beautiful or handsome (archaic)
adverb
(comparative bright·er, superlative bright·est)

with light: with
a great deal of light
plural
noun
brights

headlights: the
headlights on a motor vehicle when set to high beam
[Old
English beorht . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “shine.”]
—bright·ish,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



brighten

brighten
bright·en 
[brt’n] (past bright·ened, past
participle bright·ened, present participle bright·en·ing,
3rd person present singular bright·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
look
happy:
to become enthusiastic, lively, or happy • She
brightened visibly at the suggestion.

2.  transitive
verb
add
interest:
to add color or interest to something • their
visit brightened the day for us.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
clearer:
to become less overcast or rainy • It’s
going to brighten this afternoon.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb illuminate
or get lighter: to increase the amount of light emitted
or reflected, or to be filled with an increasing amount of light

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become more promising: to make something seem more
promising or to appear more likely to be successful
[Old English gebeorhtnan][1]



brightener

brightener
bright·en·er 
[brt’nər] (plural bright·en·ers)
noun

U.K.
chemical that enhances whiteness:
a chemical compound added to some soaps and detergents to make white and
light-colored fabrics appear brighter by converting some of the ultraviolet
radiation into visible light.
Also called
brightening agent[1]



brightenup

brightenup
brighten
up
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become brighter:
to make somebody or something that is dark, colorless, or gloomy become
brighter, or to become lighter, more colorful, or livelier[1]



brightlights

brightlights
bright
lights
plural noun

city life:
the entertainment and activities of a big city (informal)[1]



brightly

brightly
bright·ly
[brtlee] adverb

1.  with
a lot of light: in a way that reflects or gives out a
great deal of light

2.  cheerfully:
in a way that appears happy, alert, and animated • “Shall
we go?” said Sam brightly.

3.  vividly:
in vivid and intense colors

4.  with
a clear sound: with a clear and crisp sound quality
[Old English beorhtlice][1]



brightnebula

brightnebula
bright
neb·u·la
noun

starlit cloud of matter in
space: a cloud of material in space
that appears bright because it is illuminated by the stars around it[1]



brightness

brightness
bright·ness 
[brtnəss] noun

1.  strong
light:
the intensity of light reflected or given off by something

2.  smartness:
the ability to think, learn, or respond quickly

3.  cheerful
manner:
a happy or animated attitude or manner

4.  promise
of success:
the promise of a successful outcome

5.  clarity:
a clear crisp sound quality

6.  light
emitted in particular direction: the intensity of light
( luminance ) emitted by an object in a
particular direction, used by an observer to compare the luminance of other
visible objects

7.  PHYSICS attribute
of a color:
the attribute of a color that makes its appearance comparable to a standard
neutral, such as black, gray, or white
[Old English beorhtnes][1]



Brighton

Brighton
Brigh·ton 
[brtən]

seaside resort on the English
Channel in East Sussex, southern England. Population: 133,400 (1991)[1]



brightwork

brightwork
bright·work 
[brt wùrk] noun

shiny metalwork or woodwork:
fittings or trimmings of polished metal or varnished wood, for example, on a
vehicle or boat[1]



Bright’sdisease

Bright’sdisease
Bright’s
dis·ease
[brts di zz] noun

kidney
disease:
an inflammatory disease of the kidneys, such as glomerulonephritis (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the English physician Richard Bright (1789–1858), who first diagnosed
it.][1]



brill

brill
brill 
[bril] (plural brill or
brills) noun

flatfish:
an edible European flatfish that is closely related to the turbot. Latin name: Scophthalmus
rhombus
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Brill,Abraham Arden

Brill,Abraham Arden
Brill 
[bril], Abraham Arden (1874–1948)

Austrian-born U.S.
psychiatrist. He practiced Freudian psychology and advocated using
psychoanalysis to treat patients with psychiatric disorders.[1]



Brillat-Savarin,Anthelme

Brillat-Savarin,Anthelme
Bril·lat-Sa·va·rin 
[bree y saa vaa ráN], Anthelme (1755–1826)

French
politician and writer. His Physiology of Taste ( 1825 ) is a classic of
gastronomic literature.
Full name
Brillat-Savarin, Jean Anthelme[1]



brilliance

brilliance
bril·liance 
[bríllyəns] or bril·lian·cy [bríllyənsee] noun

1.  brightness:
dazzling brightness

2.  great
ability or skill: exceptional ability, skill, or success • the
technical brilliance of the pianist’s performance

3.  splendor:
imposing splendor

[1]



brilliant

brilliant
bril·liant 
[bríllyənt] adjective

1.  extremely
bright or radiant: extremely bright or radiant
• brilliant
sunshine

2.  vivid:
vividly colored • a brilliant shade of
green

3.  intelligent
or talented: showing exceptional intelligence, skill,
or talent • a
brilliant mathematician

4.  excellent:
distinguished by excellence

5.  magnificent:
imposing in splendor and magnificence
adjective
interjection

great: used
to express great satisfaction with somebody or something (informal)
noun
(plural bril·liants)

brilliant-cut gemstone:
a diamond or other gemstone cut with many facets to maximize brilliance
[Late
17th century. From French brillant, the present participle of briller
“to shine,” from Italian brillare, of uncertain origin: perhaps from,
ultimately, Latin berillus “precious stone” (source of English beryl ).]
—bril·liant·ly,
adverb

—bril·liant·ness, noun[1]



brilliant-cut

brilliant-cut
bril·liant-cut
adjective

cut into classic gemstone
shape: used to describe a gemstone
that is cut into a multifaceted shape intended to maximize brilliance while
minimizing loss of weight. A brilliant-cut gemstone is shaped like two
polygonal pyramids joined base to base, with the point of the upper pyramid cut
off to form a large flat facet. • a
brilliant-cut diamond[1]



brilliantine

brilliantine
bril·lian·tine 
[bríllyən tn] noun

1.  hair
oil:
an oily hair cream used by men to keep their hair in place and make it look
glossy

2.  fabric:
a lightweight fabric with a lustrous sheen, often made from cotton woven with
mohair or worsted
[Late 19th century. From
French brillantine, from brillant (see brilliant
).][1]



brim

brim
brim 
[brim] noun (plural brims)

1.  hat
edge:
the rim around the edge of a hat, shaped to stand out from the head

2.  top
edge:
the top edge of a container such as a cup or bowl
verb
(past brimmed, past participle brimmed, present
participle brim·ming, 3rd person present singular brims)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
full to the top: to fill something or to be full to the
top edge • The
cup was brimming with hot coffee.

2.  intransitive
verb
burst:
to have an apparently boundless supply of something • She
was brimming with ideas.

3.  intransitive
verb
overflow:
to be so full as to be overflowing • eyes
brimming with tears
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a prehistoric Germanic base that also
produced English bear “to carry.” It
originally meant “edge”; “hat edge” first appears in Shakespeare.]
—brim·less, adjective[1]



brimful

brimful
brim·ful 
[brím fl] adjective

1.  full
to the top:
full to the top edge of something

2.  fully
supplied with: with an apparently boundless supply of
something • brimful
of energy

[1]



brimstone

brimstone
brim·stone
[brím stn] noun

sulfur:
sulfur (archaic)
[12th century. Literally
“burning stone,” formed from Old English byrne “burning,” from birnan
(see burn ).][1]



brindle

brindle
brin·dle 
[brínd’l] adjective

See
brindled
noun
(plural brin·dles)

brindled
coloring:
brindled coloring
[Late 17th century.
Back-formation from brindled .][1]



brindled

brindled
brin·dled 
[brínd’ld] or brin·dle [brínd’l] adjective

streaked
with a darker color: tawny brown or gray marked
with darker streaks or patches
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier brinded (influenced by grizzled
or speckled ), of uncertain origin: probably
from a Scandinavian word meaning “marked as by burning.”][1]



brine

brine
brine 
[brīn] noun

1.  salt
water for preserving: water containing a
significant amount of salt, used for curing, preserving, and developing flavor
in food

2.  sea
water:
the salt water of the sea (literary)

3.  strong
salt solution: a strong salt solution
transitive
verb
(past brined, past participle brined, present
participle brin·ing, 3rd person present singular brines)

treat something with salt water:
to preserve, can, pickle, or soak something in salt water
[Old
English brīne, of unknown origin]
—brin·er,
noun

—brin·ish, adjective[1]



Brinellhardness

Brinellhardness
Bri·nell
hard·ness 
[bri nél hrdnəss] noun

hardness
of a metal:
the hardness of a metal or alloy, determined by pressing a steel ball into its
surface under standard pressure and measuring the surface area of the resulting
indentation
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Swedish engineer Johan A. Brinell (1849–1925), who devised the
method.][1]



Brinellhardness number

Brinellhardness number
Bri·nell
hard·ness num·ber (plural Brinell numbers) noun

measure of hardness:
a number expressing the hardness of a metal or alloy. It is the ratio of the
pressure applied to a steel ball forced into the surface of the metal to the
surface area of the resulting indentation.
Also called
Brinell number[1]



brineshrimp

brineshrimp
brine
shrimp
noun

small shellfish:
a small crustacean that lives in salt lakes and brine pools. Brine shrimp are
used as food for aquarium fish. Genus: Artemia[1]



bring

bring
bring 
[bring] (past brought, past
participle brought [brawt], present
participle bring·ing, 3rd person present singular brings)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
somebody or something along: to come from one place to
another with somebody or something • Please
bring me a glass of water.

2.  transitive
verb
attract
something:
to draw something to yourself or another person • This
charm is supposed to bring luck.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something happen: to cause something to take place • The
heavy rain brought flooding.

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to be in a particular state: to force something or
somebody to arrive at a particular situation or condition • The
scandal brought his career to a halt.

5.  transitive
verb
cause
to enter mind: to cause something to enter somebody’s
mind • Seeing
you brings memories of good times.

6.  reflexive
verb
make
yourself do something: to persuade or force
yourself to do something (usually with negatives or in questions) • She
still can’t bring herself to think about the tragedy.

7.  transitive
verb
sell
for particular price: to be sold for a particular
price

8.  transitive
verb
LAW begin
legal action: to begin a legal action

9.  transitive
verb
LAW present
evidence:
to present evidence before a court
[Old
English bringan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also
produced English bier, offer, and paraphernalia
.]
—bring·er, noun[1]



bringabout

bringabout
bring
about
transitive verb

make something happen:
to make something happen[1]



bringaround

bringaround
bring
around
or bring transitive verb

1.  alter
opinion:
to sway somebody’s opinion or thinking • We’ll
bring them around eventually

2.  revive:
to revive a person who has lost consciousness

[1]



bringback

bringback
bring
back
transitive verb

1.  evoke
memories:
to evoke memories of something forgotten

2.  restore:
to restore something that has been discontinued • widespread
support for bringing back on-the-spot fines

[1]



bringdown

bringdown
bring
down
transitive verb

1.  topple
something:
to cause the downfall of an authority or institution

2.  kill
or wound:
to make a person or animal fall by wounding or killing it

3.  Canada,
Australia, New Zealand POLITICS
present
a bill:
to present a bill or other piece of legislation in a parliament

[1]



bringforth

bringforth
bring
forth
transitive verb

1.  give
birth:
to bear young

2.  produce
fruit:
to produce fruit or flowers

[1]



bringforward

bringforward
bring
forward
transitive verb

1.  bring
closer in time: to move something, for example, an
appointment, to an earlier date or time

2.  suggest
for discussion or consideration: to offer something for
discussion or consideration

3.  ACCOUNTING carry
amount to next page: to carry a sum from one
column or page to the next

[1]



bringin

bringin
bring
in
transitive verb

1.  introduce
something:
to introduce something, for example, a new policy or law

2.  earn
or acquire something: to acquire money as profits,
pay, or interest • She barely brings in
enough to live on.

3.  LAW present
something in court: to present something in a
court of law

4.  get
oil well to produce: to cause an oil well to
begin producing oil

5.  introduce
for consideration: to introduce something for
consideration

[1]



bringoff

bringoff
bring
off
transitive verb

1.  complete
something:
to succeed in doing something difficult

2.  taboo
term for causing somebody to have an orgasm (slang taboo)

[1]



bringon

bringon
bring
on
transitive verb

1.  cause:
to be the cause of something happening or appearing • exhaustion
brought on by overwork

2.  encourage
development: to further the development of a quality,
or of the person having it

3.  make
somebody or something appear: to cause somebody or
something to appear

[1]



bringout

bringout
bring
out
transitive verb

1.  make
known:
to make something known

2.  call
attention to: to emphasize a quality in somebody or
something • That
outfit brings out the red in your hair.

3.  introduce
for sale:
to produce or issue something for sale to the public • The
company has just brought out a new version.

4.  introduce
to society:
to introduce a debutante to society

[1]



bringto

bringto
bring
to
transitive verb

1.  revive:
to restore somebody to consciousness

2.  NAUTICAL turn
ship into wind: to head a boat or ship into the wind in
order to slow it down or stop it

[1]



bringup

bringup
bring
up
transitive verb

1.  raise
subject:
to raise a subject for discussion

2.  rear
a child:
to provide care, training, and education for a child until maturity

3.  make
something stop suddenly: to cause somebody or
something to come to a standstill

4.  vomit:
to cough something up or to expel it from the stomach through the mouth

[1]



brink

brink
brink 
[bringk] noun

1.  verge
of something crucial: the crucial point in a
situation when something disastrous or momentous is about to happen • teetering
on the brink of bankruptcy

2.  edge
of something: the very edge of something, for example,
a steep drop or a riverbank
[13th century. From Old Norse
brekka, literally “slope.”][1]



brinkmanship

brinkmanship
brink·man·ship 
[bríngkmən shìp] or brinks·man·ship
[bríngksmən shìp] noun

strategic risk-taking:
the practice, especially in international relations, of taking a dispute to the
verge of conflict in the hope of forcing the opposition to make concessions[1]



briny

briny
brin·y 
[brnee] adjective (comparative
brin·i·er, superlative brin·i·est)

of
sea water:
relating to, containing, or tasting like sea water
noun

U.K.
sea:
the sea
—brin·i·ness, noun[1]



brio

brio
bri·o 
[br ō] noun

vigor:
energy or vigor (literary)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian .][1]



brioche

brioche
bri·oche 
[bree ósh] (plural bri·oches) noun

sweet
French bread: a sweet French bread roll made from a
dough enriched with eggs and butter
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from Old French brier “to knead.”][1]



briolette

briolette
bri·o·lette 
[br ə lét] (plural bri·o·lettes)
noun

teardrop-shaped
gem:
a gem in the shape of a teardrop or oval that is cut with long triangular
facets over its entire surface
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps, in allusion to its shape, an alteration
of brignolette “little dried plum,” named for the French city Brignoles,
where the plums are produced.][1]



briquette

briquette
bri·quette 
[bri két] (plural bri·quettes)
or bri·quet [bri két] (plural
bri·quets) noun

compressed
fuel block:
a small block of compressed material, for example, charcoal, sawdust, or coal
dust, that is burned as fuel for cooking or heating
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “little brick,” formed from brique (see brick ).][1]



bris

bris
bris
[briss] or brith [brith, brit] noun

circumcision
of Jewish boy: the religious circumcision ceremony for
Jewish boys
[Early 20th century. From
Hebrew berī (mīlāh), literally “covenant (of circumcision).”][1]



Brisbane

Brisbane
Bris·bane 
[brízbən]

city on the Brisbane River
and the capital of Queensland, eastern Australia. Population: 1,291,117 (1996)[1]



brisk

brisk
brisk 
[brisk] (comparative brisk·er,
superlative brisk·est) adjective

1.  quick:
done quickly and energetically • a
brisk walk

2.  hurried:
speaking or behaving in an abrupt way • a
brisk reply

3.  busy:
showing or experiencing much activity • business
was brisk

4.  invigorating:
refreshingly cool • brisk autumn days
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from French brusque (see brusque ).]
—brisk·ly,
adverb

—brisk·ness, noun[1]



brisket

brisket
bris·ket 
[brískit] (plural bris·kets) noun

1.  breast
of animal:
the breast of a four-legged animal

2.  breast
meat:
a cut of meat, especially of beef, taken from an animal’s breast
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Old Norse brjósk “cartilage, gristle.”][1]



brisling

brisling
bris·ling 
[brízzling, bríssling]
(plural bris·ling or bris·lings) noun

small
fish:
a small edible fish of the herring family that is smoked and canned in oil or
tomato sauce. Latin name: Clupea sprattus
[Early 20th century. From
Norwegian or Danish .][1]



bristle

bristle
bris·tle 
[bríss’l] noun (plural bris·tles)

1.  stiff
hair:
a short stiff hair on an animal or plant or a mass of short stiff hairs
growing, for example, on a hog’s back or a man’s face

2.  hair
on brush:
the short stiff natural or synthetic hair on a brush
verb
(past bris·tled, past participle bris·tled, present
participle bris·tling, 3rd person present singular bris·tles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or set hair on end: to make the hair or fur
stand upright in response to fear or anger, or to show such a response

2.  intransitive
verb
become
offended by something: to react somewhat angrily or
indignantly to something or somebody • He
bristled at the suggestion.

3.  intransitive
verb
have
large amount: to have an abundance of something • a
mighty battleship bristling with guns

4.  transitive
verb
give
something bristles: to provide or cover
something with bristles
[13th century. Formed from
Old English byrst “bristle.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that
also produced German Borste “bristle.”][1]



bristleconepine

bristleconepine
bris·tle·cone
pine 
[brìss’l kōn pn] noun

pine
tree with bristly cones: a small pine tree with
bristly cones, native to California. Bristlecone pines are the longest-living
trees in the world. Genus: Pinus
[Late 19th century. From the
prickles on its cones.][1]



bristletail

bristletail
bris·tle·tail 
[bríss’l tàyl] (plural bris·tle·tails
or bris·tle·tail) noun

insect with tail bristles:
a wingless insect that has a long segmented abdomen with two or three long
bristles at the end. Order: Thysanura[1]



bristling

bristling
bris·tling
[bríssling] adjective

1.  with
many bristles: thick with stiff hairs

2.  angry
or indignant: reacting with anger and indignation

[1]



bristly

bristly
bris·tly 
[brísslee] (comparative bris·tli·er,
superlative bris·tli·est) adjective

1.  rough
with bristles: prickly and rough with bristles

2.  easily
angered:
quick to anger
—bris·tli·ness, noun[1]



Bristol

Bristol
Bris·tol 
[bríst’l]

1.  city
in central Connecticut, northeast of Waterbury and southwest of Hartford.
Population: 59,619 (1996)

2.  town
and port in eastern Rhode Island, on a peninsula reaching into Narragansett
Bay. Population: 21,958 (1996)

3.  city
in northeastern Tennessee, on the Tennessee-Virginia border, northeast of
Johnson City. Population: 23,275 (1996)

4.  city
in Virginia, southwest of Abingdon, opposite Bristol, Tennessee. Population:
17,957 (1996)

5.  university
city and seaport on the Avon River in southwestern England. Population: 400,700
(1995)

[1]



Bristolboard

Bristolboard
Bris·tol
board 
(plural Bris·tol boards) noun

pasteboard
for drawing: a type of fine smooth lightweight
cardboard used in design and drawing
[Early 19th century. Named
after the English city and port Bristol, where it was first manufactured.][1]



Brit.

Brit.
Brit.

Abbreviation
of
Britain


Abbreviation of
British[1]



Brit

Brit
Brit 
[brit] (plural Brits) noun

British
person:
a British person (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



brit

brit
brit 
[brit] (plural brits or
brit) noun

1.  young
herring:
the young form of some fish including the herring and the sprat

2.  whale
food:
a mass of tiny marine organisms, especially crustaceans, that is a source of
food for whalebone whales and some fish
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Britain

Britain
Brit·ain 
[brítt’n]

1.  island
in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Europe, including England,
Scotland, and Wales. Area: 94,248 sq mi/244,101 sq km.

2.  See
Great Britain See United Kingdom

[1]



Britannia

Britannia
Bri·tan·nia 
[bri tánnyə] noun

1.  symbol
of Britain:
the personification and symbol of Britain, shown as a seated woman wearing a
helmet and holding a trident

2.  southern
ancient Britain: the name given by the Romans to the
southern part of Great Britain at the time of the Roman Empire

3.  Bri·tan·nia
or bri·tan·nia See Britannia
metal
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Brit(t)annia .][1]



Britanniametal

Britanniametal
Bri·tan·nia
met·al
or bri·tan·nia met·al noun

silver-colored tin alloy:
an alloy of tin, antimony, and copper that is similar to pewter and is used for
decorative items and for bearings.
Also called
Britannia
Also called
britannia[1]



Britannic

Britannic
Bri·tan·nic 
[bri tánnik] adjective

British:
belonging to Britain • Her
Britannic Majesty[1]



britches

britches
britch·es 
[bríchəz] plural noun

See
breeches
too
big for your britches

behaving in a self-important
manner[1]



brith

brith
brith
noun

JUDAISM
See bris[1]



Briticism

Briticism
Brit·i·cism 
[brítti sìzzəm] (plural Brit·i·cisms)
noun

something
typically British: something, for example, a
word or custom, that is characteristic of the British or of Britain
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from British, on the model of Scotticism or Gallicism
.][1]



British

British
Brit·ish 
[bríttish] noun

1.  people
of United Kingdom: the people of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2.  See
British English

3.  language
of ancient Britons: the language spoken by the
ancient Celtic people who lived in southern Britain
adjective

1.  of
United Kingdom: relating to the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, or its peoples or cultures

2.  relating
to ancient Britons: relating to the ancient
Britons or their culture
[Pre-12th century. Originally
Brettisc, from Bret “ancient Briton,” directly or via Latin Britto
from a Celtic word.][1]



BritishColumbia




Back to definition

BritishColumbia

[1]



BritishColumbia

BritishColumbia


Brit·ish Co·lum·bi·a

westernmost province of Canada, situated
on the Pacific coast, north of the U.S. border, west of Alberta, and south of
Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. Capital: Victoria. Population:
3,724,500 (1996) Area: 947,800 sq km/365,946 sq mi.[1]



BritishCommonwealth of Nations

BritishCommonwealth of Nations
Brit·ish
Com·mon·wealth of Na·tions noun

See
Commonwealth of Nations[1]



BritishEmpire

BritishEmpire
Brit·ish
Em·pire
noun

former British-controlled
territory: a group of colonies,
protectorates, and other territories brought under British rule after the late
16th century, and by the 19th century comprising more than one-quarter of the
world’s population. Most of Britain’s former colonies became independent after
World War II, and as sovereign states, many joined the Commonwealth.[1]



BritishEnglish

BritishEnglish
Brit·ish
Eng·lish
noun

English
used in Great Britain: the form of English used by
people in Great Britain, as opposed to the form used in other English-speaking
countries





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  British English is the English language as
  used in the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales)
  and Northern Ireland. With a population of over 57 million, the United
  Kingdom is the second largest primary English-speaking country after the
  United States, and it continues to have prestige as the place of origin of
  the English language. The term British English is not, however, precise,
  being variously used to refer to: all varieties of English in the U.K. as a
  whole; all varieties in Britain as a whole; all varieties in England alone;
  the forms of only the standard language in the U.K. as a whole; those forms
  in Britain as a whole; those forms in England alone; and, notably, that
  variety of the standard language based on upper- and middle-class usage (especially
  at the turn of the 20th century in southeastern England). See also American English, Australian
  English.

[1]



Britisher

Britisher
Brit·ish·er 
[bríttishər] (plural Brit·ish·ers)
noun

British person:
a British subject or a person from Britain (informal)[1]



BritishGuiana

BritishGuiana
Brit·ish
Gui·a·na

Former name for
Guyana[1]



BritishHonduras

BritishHonduras
Brit·ish
Hon·du·ras

Former name for
Belize[1]



BritishIndia

BritishIndia
Brit·ish
In·di·a 
noun

India under British rule:
The part of the Indian subcontinent under British administration from 1765 to
1947, when the independent states of India and Pakistan were created[1]



BritishIndian Ocean Territory

BritishIndian Ocean Territory
Brit·ish
In·di·an O·cean Ter·ri·to·ry

a British overseas territory
in the Indian Ocean, consisting of five uninhabited coral islands, the largest
of which is Diego Garcia. Area: 60 sq km/23 sq mi.[1]



BritishIsles

BritishIsles
Brit·ish
Isles

group of islands in the
northeastern Atlantic separated from mainland Europe by the North Sea and
English Channel. It consists of the large islands of Great Britain and Ireland
and almost 5,000 surrounding smaller islands and islets.[1]



BritishLibrary

BritishLibrary
Brit·ish
Li·brar·y
noun

British national library:
the United Kingdom’s national library in London that contains books, sound
recordings, and manuscripts brought together from various national collections,
for example, the British Museum[1]



BritishSomaliland

BritishSomaliland
Brit·ish
So·ma·li·land

former British protectorate
in East Africa from 1884 until 1960, when it united with Italian Somaliland to
form the republic of Somalia[1]



Britishthermal unit

Britishthermal unit
Brit·ish
ther·mal u·nit (plural Brit·ish ther·mal
u·nits) noun

heat measurement unit:
the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one
degree Fahrenheit, equal to approximately 1055 joules[1]



Briton

Briton
Brit·on 
[brítt’n] (plural Brit·ons) noun

1.  British
person:
somebody who was born or raised in Great Britain, or who is a citizen of Great
Britain

2.  inhabitant
of ancient Britain: a member of the ancient
Celtic people who once lived in southern Britain
[13th century. Via French Breton
from the Latin stem Britton-, ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



britska

britska
brit·ska
(plural brit·skas) noun

See
britzka[1]



Brittain,Vera

Brittain,Vera
Brit·tain
[brítt’n], Vera (1893–1970)

British
writer. Her World War I memoir Testament of Youth ( 1933 ) speaks for a
generation of young people whose lives were forever changed by the experience
of war.
Full name
Brittain, Vera Mary[1]



Brittany

Brittany
Brit·ta·ny 
[brítt’nee]

peninsular region in
northwestern France, between the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. The
region’s capital is Rennes. Population: 2,795,600 (1990) Area: 27,208 sq
km/10,505 sq mi.[1]



Britten,Benjamin

Britten,Benjamin
Brit·ten 
[brítt’n], Benjamin (1913–1976)

British
composer. Regarded as one of the finest of British composers of the 20th
century, he wrote major choral works including the operas Peter Grimes (
1945 ) and Billy Budd ( 1951 ) and the War Requiem ( 1962 ).
Full name
Britten, Edward Benjamin[1]



brittle

brittle
brit·tle 
[brítt’l] adjective

1.  hard
and breakable: hard and likely to break or crack • plastic
that has become brittle with age.

2.  sharp-sounding:
having a sharp, unnerving quality or tone

3.  not
lasting:
lacking durability or permanence

4.  not
friendly:
lacking personal warmth • a
brittle quality to her that I didn’t like

5.  irritable:
easily irritated or annoyed
noun

toffee nut candy:
a crunchy candy made from caramel and nuts
[14th
century. Formed from Old English gebryttan “to shatter.”]
—brit·tle·ly,
adverb

—brit·tle·ness, noun[1]



brittle-bonedisease

brittle-bonedisease
brit·tle-bone
dis·ease
noun U.K.

1.  See
osteoporosis

2.  See
osteogenesis imperfecta

[1]



brittlebush

brittlebush
brit·tle·bush 
[brítt’l bsh] (plural brit·tle·bush·es
or brit·tle·bush) noun

N American desert bush:
a shrub of North American deserts, with brittle gray leaves and yellow flowers.
Latin name: Encelia farinosa[1]



brittlestar

brittlestar
brit·tle
star
(plural brit·tle stars) noun

marine
animal like starfish: a marine animal similar to a
starfish but with thinner, longer, and more flexible arms that can be
regenerated if broken off. Class: Ophiuroidea
[From its brittle arms][1]



Brittonic

Brittonic
Brit·ton·ic 
adjective noun

See
Brythonic
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Latin stem Britton- (see Briton
).][1]



britzka

britzka
brit·zka 
[brítskə] (plural brit·zkas) or
brit·ska [brítskə] (plural brit·skas)
noun

large
carriage with folding top: a horse-drawn carriage with
a rear-facing front seat and a folding top over the back seat
[Early 19th century. From
Polish bryczka .][1]



Brixscale

Brixscale
Brix
scale 
[bríks skàyl] noun

measure
of sugar in solution: a scale used in a hydrometer
for measuring the sugar content of a solution at a particular temperature
[Late 19th century. Named for
its inventor, the German scientist Adolf S. Brix (1798–1890).][1]



bro.

bro.
bro. 
or Bro.

Abbreviation of
brother[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bro

bro
bro
[brō] noun

brother:
a brother (informal)[1]



broach

broach
broach
[brōch] verb (past broached,
past participle broached, present participle broach·ing,
3rd person present singular broach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
bring
up difficult subject: to introduce a subject for
discussion, usually one that is awkward • He
finally broached the question of the loan

2.  transitive
verb
open
something:
to open a container for the first time • broach
a bottle of wine

3.  transitive
verb
pierce
cask:
to make a hole in a cask to draw off liquid

4.  transitive
verb
bore
hole:
to make or enlarge a hole in something

5.  intransitive
verb
NAVY come
up through surface of water: to break the surface of
water from below without completely emerging (refers to a submarine)

6.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL turn
sideways to the wind: to be turned broadside to
the wind, for example, by heavy seas, with a risk of capsizing
noun
(plural broach·es)

1.  tool
for enlarging holes: a tool for enlarging holes

2.  roasting
spit:
a roasting spit

3.  tool
for piercing casks: a tool used for making holes
in casks

4.  See
brooch
[14th
century. From Old French brocher “to stitch,” from broche
“skewer, long needle.” The meaning “introduce a subject” evolved from “pierce”
via “tap a barrel.”]
—broach·er, noun[1]



broad

broad
broad 
[brawd] adjective (comparative
broad·er, superlative broad·est)

1.  very
wide:
large from one side to the other • a
broad forehead

2.  large
and spacious: extending a great distance in all
directions • the
broad steppes

3.  measured
across:
measured from side to side • as
broad as it is long

4.  full
and clear:
full and clear to see • a
broad grin
• broad
daylight

5.  covering
a wide range: comprehensive in content, knowledge,
experience, ability, or application • She
has very broad interests.

6.  not
detailed:
general, rather than detailed • I’ll
give you a broad outline of the project.

7.  widespread
or generalized: widespread or generalized throughout a
large and diverse group of people • a
broad feeling of disillusionment in the party

8.  obvious:
meant to be easily understood • dropping
broad hints about their plans

9.  unobstructed:
with nothing blocking the way

10. tolerant:
tending to tolerate or accept rather than to condemn the ideas and conduct of
other people • I
think I have fairly broad views on the whole.

11. potentially
offensive:
potentially offensive to accepted standards of propriety

12. LINGUISTICS strongly
regional:
used to describe a regional accent that is very strong or pronounced

13. PHONETICS used to describe a
phonetic transcription that gives only major differences

14. LINGUISTICS pronounced
with the tongue down: used to describe a vowel
pronounced with the tongue low and flat and the mouth open wide
noun
(plural broads)

1.  wide
part:
the wide part of something • He slapped
Jack across the broad of his back.

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman (slang offensive)
adverb

completely: to
the fullest extent
[Old
English brād . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German breit “broad.”]
—broad·ness,
noun
in
broad daylight

in open daylight for all to
see[1]



broadarrow

broadarrow
broad
ar·row
(plural broad ar·rows) noun

arrow with wide head:
an arrow with a wide barbed head[1]



broadax

broadax
broad·ax
[bráwd àks] (plural broad·ax·es)
noun

large broad-headed ax:
a heavy battleax with a wide blade[1]



broadband

broadband
broad·band 
[bráwd bànd] adjective

1.  PHYSICS covering
many frequencies: using a wide range of electromagnetic
frequencies

2.  COMPUTING transferring
data fast:
capable of transferring large amounts of data at high speed

[1]



broadbean

broadbean
broad
bean
(plural broad beans) noun

1.  bean
plant:
a plant grown worldwide for its large flat edible seeds. Latin name: Vicia
faba
Also
called
fava bean
Also
called
horse bean

2.  large
edible bean seed: the large green seed of the broad bean
plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Also
called
fava bean

[1]



broadbill

broadbill
broad·bill
[bráwd bìl] (plural broad·bills
or broad·bill) noun

tropical African or Asian
bird: a tropical African or Asian
bird with brightly colored feathers and a short broad bill. Family:
Eurylaemidae[1]



broad-brush

broad-brush
broad-brush 
adjective

inclusive:
attempting to cover all conditions and instances • a
broad-brush approach[1]



broadcast

broadcast
broad·cast 
[bráwd kàst] verb (past broad·cast
or broad·cast·ed, past participle broad·cast or
broad·cast·ed, present participle broad·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular broad·casts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb transmit
radio signals: to transmit a program or information on
television or radio

2.  intransitive
verb
be
on television or radio: to take part in a radio or
television program

3.  transitive
verb
make
something widely known: to make something widely
known • They
broadcast the rumors all over town.

4.  transitive
verb
scatter
seed:
to sow seed by scattering it
noun
(plural broad·casts)

1.  program:
a television or radio program

2.  transmission:
a transmission of radio or television signals

3.  scattering
seed:
a sowing of seed by scattering it
adjective

1.  for
broadcasting on television or radio:
relating to, suitable for, or transmitted by radio or television

2.  scattered
widely:
scattered widely
adverb

widely: over
a wide area
[Mid-18th
century. The meaning “to transmit” evolved from the idea of scattering seeds
widely.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at scatter

[1]



broadcaster

broadcaster
broad·cast·er
[bráwd kàstər] (plural broad·cast·ers)
noun

person on television or
radio: a person who regularly takes
part in television or radio programs, especially news or talk shows[1]



broadcasting

broadcasting
broad·cast·ing
[bráwd kàsting] noun

transmission of programs:
the making and transmission of television and radio programs[1]



broadcloth

broadcloth
broad·cloth 
[bráwd klàwth] noun

1.  fine
woven cloth: a fine, closely woven cloth of wool,
cotton, or silk with a shiny finish, used for clothing

2.  plain-weave
wool fabric: a woolen fabric with a plain weave,
smooth finish, and dense texture, originally of double width
[15th century. From the
specification of cloth 2 yds. (1.8 m) wide as “broad cloth” in an English Act
of Parliament of 1482.][1]



broaden

broaden
broad·en 
[bráwd’n] (past broad·ened, past
participle broad·ened, present participle broad·en·ing,
3rd person present singular broad·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  widen
something:
to make something wider or to become wider

2.  enlarge
range of something: to enlarge the range or
magnitude of something, or to become more wide-ranging

[1]



broad-gauge

broad-gauge
broad-gauge 
adjective

1.  for
broad gauge: relating to or designed for a railroad
using broad gauge

2.  wide-ranging:
wide in application or range

[1]



broadgauge

broadgauge
broad
gauge
(plural broad gaug·es) noun

wide track for railroads:
a railroad track that has a distance between the rails that is greater than the
standard 143.5 cm56.5 in. Broad gauge allows greater passenger comfort and
carrying capacity but increases the cost of construction.[1]



broadjump

broadjump
broad
jump
noun

long jump:
a long jump in track-and-field sports (dated)[1]



broadleaf

broadleaf
broad·leaf 
[bráwd lf] noun (plural broad·leaves
[bráwd lvz] or broad·leaf)

tobacco
plant with broad leaves: a tobacco plant that has
broad leaves suitable for making cigars
adjective

See
broad-leaved[1]



broad-leaved

broad-leaved
broad-leaved 
or broad·leaf or broad-leafed adjective

with wide leaves:
used to describe trees that have wide leaves rather than leaves that are like
pine needles. Broad-leaved plants can be evergreen, such as holly, or
deciduous, such as maple.[1]



broadloom

broadloom
broad·loom 
[bráwd lm] adjective

woven
on wide loom: used to describe carpet that is woven on
a wide loom
noun
(plural broad·looms)

wide seamless carpet:
a carpet woven on a wide loom that can be laid with few or no seams[1]



broadly

broadly
broad·ly
[bráwdlee] adverb

1.  generally:
in general terms, not allowing for exceptions • Broadly
speaking, there are two types of tourists.

2.  mostly:
for the most part • It is broadly based on
the German prototype.

3.  with
an enthusiastic smile: with a smile that shows
great enthusiasm or friendliness • smiling
broadly

[1]



broad-minded

broad-minded
broad-mind·ed 
adjective

tolerant
of others’ views: willing to tolerate a wide range of
ideas and behavior
—broad-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—broad-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



broadsheet

broadsheet
broad·sheet 
[bráwd sht] (plural broad·sheets)
noun

See
broadside  noun 5[1]



broadside

broadside
broad·side 
[bráwd sd] transitive verb (past
broad·sid·ed, past participle broad·sid·ed, present
participle broad·sid·ing, 3rd person present singular broad·sides)

hit side of something:
to collide with the side of something • The
car was broadsided by the train.
noun
(plural broad·sides)

1.  large
flat surface: a large flat and usually vertical
surface • the
broadside of the barn

2.  NAUTICAL ship’s
side:
the side of a ship above the water line from bow to quarter

3.  NAVY ship’s
guns and gunfire: all the guns on one side of a ship or
the simultaneous firing of them

4.  strong
verbal or written attack: a strong verbal or written
attack on somebody • a vicious broadside on
the President

5.  PRINTING large
paper for printing: a large sheet of paper that
is printed on one side, or something, such as an advertisement, that is printed
on one side of a large sheet of paper.
Also
called
broadsheet
U.K.
term
broadsheet
adverb

1.  from
the side:
with the side facing toward something • The
ship hit the rocks broadside on.

2.  with
no apparent objective: with no apparent objective • Her
proposals were attacked broadside.

[1]



broad-spectrum

broad-spectrum
broad-spec·trum 
adjective

destructive to many harmful
organisms: used to describe antibiotics
and other chemicals that destroy a wide range of organisms, for example,
bacteria and agricultural pests[1]



broadsword

broadsword
broad·sword 
[bráwd sàwrd] (plural broad·swords)
noun

wide
flat-bladed sword: a sword with a wide flat
blade designed for cutting rather than for thrusting
[Old English][1]



broadtail

broadtail
broad·tail 
[bráwd tàyl] (plural broad·tails)
noun

1.  black
wavy lambswool: the black wavy fur or pelt of a
prematurely born karakul lamb

2.  See
karakul  noun 1

[1]



Broadway

Broadway
Broad·way 
[bráwd wày] noun

1.  avenue
in New York City: a long avenue extending north and south
through the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Part of it is the main
thoroughfare of the city’s theater district.
Also
called
Great White Way

2.  U.S.
theater:
used to refer to the commercial theater business in the United States • This
is not Broadway material.

[1]



broad-wingedhawk

broad-wingedhawk
broad-winged
hawk 
(plural broad-winged hawks) noun

small N American woodland
hawk: a common woodland hawk of
eastern North America with broad wings that are white on the underside and a
broadly banded tail. Latin name: Buteo platypterus[1]



Brobdingnagian

Brobdingnagian
Brob·ding·nag·i·an 
[bròbding nággee ən] adjective

enormous:
extraordinarily large (literary)
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Brobdingnag, name of a fictitious land of giants in Jonathan
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726).][1]



brocade

brocade
bro·cade 
[brō káyd] noun (plural bro·cades)

fabric
with raised design: a heavy fabric of silk,
cotton, or wool woven with a raised design, often using metallic threads. A
true brocade is based on one or two basic colors with additional colored
threads brought from the back to the front to produce the raised design.
transitive
verb
(past bro·cad·ed, past participle bro·cad·ed, present
participle bro·cad·ing, 3rd person present singular bro·cades)

weave
fabric with raised design: to weave fabric with a
raised design
[Late
16th century. Via Spanish or Portuguese brocado from Italian broccato,
from brocco “twisted thread, shoot,” from, ultimately, Latin brocchus
(see broach ).]
—bro·cad·ed, adjective[1]



brocatel

brocatel
broc·a·tel 
[bròkə tél] (plural broc·a·tels)
noun

upholstery
fabric:
a heavy fabric with raised designs, used chiefly in upholstery
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian broccatello “gold tinsel,” literally “small brocade,” from broccato
(see brocade ).][1]



broccoli

broccoli

broc·co·li 
[brókəlee] noun

1.  plant
with edible flower head: a plant of the cabbage
family with green, purple, or white flower heads that are cooked and eaten as a
vegetable. Heading broccoli has green flower heads like cauliflowers and
sprouting broccoli has multiple small purple or white flowering shoots. Latin name:
Brassica oleracea italica

2.  edible
flower head: the flower head of the broccoli plant,
eaten as a vegetable before the flowers have opened
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, the plural of broccolo “cabbage sprout,” from brocco
“shoot,” from, ultimately, Latin brocchus (see broach
).][1]



brochette

brochette
bro·chette 
[brō shét] (plural bro·chettes)
noun

1.  kebab
skewer:
a small skewer on which chunks of food are broiled or roasted

2.  skewered
food:
food, for example, meat or fish, that has been cooked on a brochette
[15th century. From French,
literally “little skewer,” formed from broche (see broach ).][1]



brochure

brochure
bro·chure 
[brō shr] (plural bro·chures)
noun

promotional
booklet:
a booklet or pamphlet that contains descriptive information or advertising
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “something stitched together,” formed from brocher
(see broach ).][1]



broché

broché
bro·ché 
[brō sháy] adjective

with
raised design: woven with a raised pattern
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of brocher (see broach
).][1]



Brock,Isaac

Brock,Isaac
Brock
[brok], Sir Isaac (1769–1812)

British-born Canadian
soldier. He was a military commander during the War of 1812.[1]



Brockton

Brockton
Brock·ton 
[brktən]

city in southeastern
Massachusetts, a southern suburb of Boston, northeast of Taunton. Population:
92,234 (1996)[1]



broderieanglaise

broderieanglaise
bro·der·ie
ang·laise
[brdəree ong gláyz] noun

open
embroidery:
embroidery in the form of an ornamental pattern of small holes with stitched
edges
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “English embroidery.”][1]



Brodsky,Joseph

Brodsky,Joseph

Brod·sky
[bródskee], Joseph (1940–1996)
Soviet-born U.S. poet and essayist. He
won the Nobel Prize in literature (1987) and was U.S. poet laureate
(1991–1992).[1]



brogan

brogan
bro·gan 
[brṓgən] (plural bro·gans) noun

heavy
boot:
a heavy ankle-high work boot
[Mid-19th century. From Irish
or Scots Gaelic brōgan, literally “little shoe,” from brōg (see brogue 2 ).][1]



brogue

brogue1
brogue1 [brōg]
(plural brogues) noun

regional
accent:
a regional accent, especially the accent of Irish people speaking English
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from brogue 2, in
allusion to the footwear of Irish or Scottish speakers.][1]



brogue

brogue2
brogue2 [brōg]
(plural brogues) noun

1.  See
wing tip

2.  Irish
or Scottish shoe: a simple heavy untanned shoe formerly
worn in Ireland and Scotland
[Late 16th century. Via Irish
and Scots Gaelic brōg from Old Norse brók “leg covering.”][1]



broider

broider
broi·der 
[bróydər] (past broi·dered, past
participle broi·dered, present participle broi·der·ing,
3rd person present singular broi·ders) intransitive and
transitive verb

embroider:
to embroider (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French brosder ; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



broil

broil1
broil1 [broyl]
verb (past broiled, past participle broiled,
present participle broil·ing, 3rd person present singular broils)

1.  transitive
verb
cook
using direct heat: to cook food by using direct
heat.
U.K.
term
grill

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
very hot:
to make somebody or something extremely hot or to be extremely hot • We
had been broiling in the sun all morning.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
very angry:
to be extremely angry
noun
(plural broils)

1.  use
of direct heat: a use of direct heat to cook something

2.  broiled
food:
a food cooked using direct heat
[14th century. From Old
French bruler, of uncertain origin: perhaps based ultimately on Latin ustulare
“to burn up,” from the past participle of urere “to burn.”][1]



broil

broil2
broil2 [broyl]
noun (plural broils)

brawl:
a brawl (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past broiled, past participle broiled, present
participle broil·ing, 3rd person present singular broils)

take
part in brawl: to engage in a brawl (archaic)
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman broiller “to mix up, confuse” from Old French bröoillier,
from breu “broth.”][1]



broiler

broiler
broil·er 
[bróylər] (plural broil·ers) noun

1.  roasting
chicken:
a young chicken for roasting

2.  grate
for broiling food: a pan or grate on which to
broil food.
U.K.
term
grill
U.K.
term
grill pan

3.  stove
compartment for broiling: a part of a stove or oven in
which to broil food

4.  hot
day:
a very hot day (informal)

[1]



broke

broke1
broke1 

Past tense of
break[1]



broke

broke2
broke2  [brōk]
adjective (informal)

1.  having
no money:
without any money to spend

2.  bankrupt:
totally bankrupt
[Early
18th century. Alteration of broken .]
go
for broke

to risk everything to achieve
a goal (informal)[1]



broken

broken2
bro·ken2  [brṓkən]
adjective

1.  no
longer whole: in two or more pieces, for example,
after having been dropped or struck with something hard

2.  out
of order:
no longer in working condition • The CD
player is broken.

3.  not
kept:
not honored or fulfilled • a
broken promise

4.  not
continuous:
lacking continuity

5.  uneven:
having an uneven surface • We
traveled over broken terrain.

6.  weak:
physically weakened • his
health was broken

7.  destroyed
by adversity: destroyed or badly hurt by grief or
misfortune

8.  split
apart:
split apart by divorce, separation, or desertion

9.  incomplete:
lacking parts necessary to be complete • a
broken set of books

10. disorganized:
lacking order or harmony • escaping
in broken ranks

11. LANGUAGE imperfectly
spoken:
spoken in an imperfect or halting manner
[Old English brocen][1]



broken

broken1
bro·ken1 

Past participle of
break[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BrokenArrow

BrokenArrow
Bro·ken
Ar·row


city in northeastern
Oklahoma, a southeastern suburb of Tulsa. Population: 69,175 (1996)[1]



brokenchord

brokenchord
bro·ken
chord
(plural bro·ken chords) noun

chord played as separate
notes: a chord played as a quick
succession of notes ( arpeggio ) rather than
simultaneously[1]



brokenconsort

brokenconsort
bro·ken
con·sort
(plural bro·ken con·sorts) noun

instrumental group:
a musical ensemble made up of instruments of different types, used especially
in music of the Renaissance[1]



broken-down

broken-down
bro·ken-down 
adjective

1.  not
working:
damaged or not working • a
broken-down old machine

2.  dilapidated:
in very poor condition

[1]



broken-field

broken-field
bro·ken-field 
adjective

FOOTBALL changing
direction to avoid tacklers: making quick changes in
direction while carrying the ball downfield in order to avoid widely scattered
opposing players • broken-field running
[From the discontinuous defense
line][1]



brokenhearted

brokenhearted
bro·ken·heart·ed 
[brkən hrtəd] adjective

grief-stricken:
extremely sad, for example, after bereavement, great disappointment, or the end
of a love affair
—bro·ken·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—bro·ken·heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



broken-winded

broken-winded
bro·ken-wind·ed
adjective

suffering from lung disease:
used to describe a horse that is suffering from the lung disease COPD[1]



broker

broker
bro·ker 
[brṓkər] noun (plural bro·kers)

1.  commercial
agent:
a person who is paid to act as an agent for others, for example, in negotiating
contracts or buying and selling goods and services

2.  See
stockbroker

3.  See
power broker
transitive
verb
(past bro·kered, past participle bro·kered, present
participle bro·ker·ing, 3rd person present singular bro·kers)

arrange deal or sale:
to act as an agent in arranging a deal, sale, or contract
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman brocour “small trader,” of uncertain origin: perhaps via
Portuguese alborcar “to barter” from, ultimately, Arabic ;
alternatively, formed from Old French brocher (see broach ).][1]



brokerage

brokerage
bro·ker·age 
[brṓkərij] (plural bro·ker·ages)
noun

1.  payment
to a broker: a fee paid to somebody who acts as a
financial agent for somebody else

2.  broker’s
business:
the business of being a broker

3.  stockbroker’s
business:
a company whose business is buying and selling stocks and bonds for its clients

[1]



brom-

brom-
brom-
prefix

bromine,
bromic • bromate
[From bromine and bromide][1]



bromate

bromate
bro·mate 
[brṓ màyt] noun (plural bro·mates)

chemical
compound of bromic acid: a salt, ester, or ion of
bromic acid
transitive
verb
(past bro·mat·ed, past participle bro·mat·ed, present
participle bro·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular bro·mates)

See
brominate
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from bromic + -ate
.][1]



bromegrass

bromegrass
brome·grass 
[brṓm gràss] (plural brome·grass·es)
or brome [brṓm gràss] (plural
bromes) noun

grass with drooping flower
heads: a tall grass with small
drooping flower spikes that grows in temperate regions. Some types of
bromegrass are cultivated for hay, while others are weeds. Genus: Bromus[1]



bromeliad

bromeliad
bro·me·li·ad 
[brō mlee àd] (plural bro·me·li·ads)
noun

tropical
plant with fleshy leaves: a tropical American plant
with fleshy leaves forming a funnel that holds water. Many bromeliads grow on
other plants for physical support. Family: Bromeliaceae
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Swedish botanist Olaf Bromel (1639–1705).][1]



bromic

bromic
bro·mic 
[brṓmik] adjective

containing bromine:
relating to or containing bromine with a valence of five[1]



bromicacid

bromicacid
bro·mic
ac·id 
noun

oxidizing agent:
an unstable colorless acid that is a strong oxidizing agent and is used in the
manufacture of pharmaceuticals and dyes. HBrO3[1]



bromide

bromide
bro·mide 
[brṓ md] (plural bro·mides) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY bromine
compound:
a chemical compound that contains bromine and another element or group, for
example, silver bromide

2.  CHEMISTRY potassium
bromide:
potassium bromide, especially when used as a sedative

3.  unoriginal
saying:
a saying that lacks originality or significance (dated)

4.  uninteresting
person:
a tedious or uninteresting person

[1]



bromidepaper

bromidepaper
bro·mide
pa·per
noun

photographic paper:
a light-sensitive photographic paper that is coated with silver bromide
emulsion[1]



bromidic

bromidic
bro·mid·ic 
[brō míddik] adjective

unoriginal:
without originality or interest[1]



brominate

brominate
bro·mi·nate 
[brṓmi nàyt] (past bro·mi·nat·ed,
past participle bro·mi·nat·ed, present participle bro·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular bro·mi·nates) transitive verb

treat
something with bromine: to treat or combine a
substance with bromine or a bromine compound
—bro·mi·na·tion [brmi náysh’n], noun[1]



bromine

bromine

bro·mine 
[brṓ mn] noun
element
used in photography and drugs: a pungent dark red
volatile liquid that is a nonmetallic chemical element of the halogen series
and is used in sedatives and photographic materials. Symbol Br
[Early 19th century. Coined
from French brome (from Greek brōmos “stench”) + -ine .][1]



bromism

bromism
bro·mism 
[brṓ mìzzəm] noun

illness from bromide overuse:
a condition caused by overuse of bromide medications and marked by memory
problems, dullness, drowsiness, and loss of muscular coordination.
Also called
brominism[1]



bronc

bronc
bronc
[brongk] (plural broncs) noun

bronco:
a bronco (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



bronch-

bronch-
bronch-
prefix

See
broncho-[1]



bronchi

bronchi
bron·chi


Plural of
bronchus[1]



bronchial

bronchial
bron·chi·al 
[bróngkee əl] adjective

relating
to air passages: relating to or affecting the tubes ( bronchi ) that carry air from the windpipe into
the lungs • a
bronchial infection
—bron·chi·al·ly, adverb[1]



bronchialpneumonia

bronchialpneumonia
bron·chi·al
pneu·mo·nia
noun

See
bronchopneumonia[1]



bronchialtube

bronchialtube
bron·chi·al
tube
(plural bron·chi·al tubes) noun

airway to or within lungs:
a tubular passage forming part of a network of airways to and within the lungs.
Two main tubes ( bronchi ) lead from the
windpipe to each lung, dividing into smaller bronchi and subsequently
bronchioles.
Also called
bronchus[1]



bronchiectasis

bronchiectasis
bron·chi·ec·ta·sis 
[bròngkee éktəssiss] noun

overstretched
bronchial tubes: chronic dilation of the airways to and
within the lungs, causing coughing and excessive mucus production
[Late 19th century. Coined
from late Latin bronchia (see bronchiole
) + Greek ektasis “dilation.”][1]



bronchiole

bronchiole
bron·chi·ole 
[bróngki l] (plural bron·chi·oles)
noun

tube
inside lungs: a narrow tube inside the lungs that
branches off the main air passages ( bronchi
)
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin bronchiolus, literally “little bronchium,”
from late Latin bronchia, from, ultimately, Greek brogkhos (see bronchus ).]
—bron·chi·o·lar [bròngki ṓlər], adjective[1]



bronchitis

bronchitis
bron·chi·tis 
[brong ktiss] noun

inflammation
of lungs:
inflammation of the mucous membrane in the airways ( bronchial
tubes ) of the lungs, resulting from infection or irritation and causing
breathing problems and severe coughing
—bron·chit·ic [brong kíttik], adjective[1]



broncho-

broncho-
broncho-
prefix

bronchus,
bronchial • bronchoscope
[Via late Latin from,
ultimately, Greek brogkhos (see bronchus
)][1]



broncho

broncho
bron·cho
[bróngkō] (plural bron·chos) noun

See
bronco[1]



bronchodilator

bronchodilator
bron·cho·di·la·tor 
[bròngkō dī láytər, bròngkō
d làytər] (plural bron·cho·di·la·tors) noun

drug for asthma:
a drug, often used in the treatment of asthma, that eases breathing by widening
and relaxing the air passages to the lungs[1]



bronchopneumonia

bronchopneumonia
bron·cho·pneu·mon·ia 
[bròngkō noo mṓnee ə] noun

inflammation of lungs:
inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection in the air passages ( bronchioles ).
Also called
bronchial pneumonia[1]



bronchoscope

bronchoscope
bron·cho·scope 
[bróngkə skp] (plural bron·cho·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining airways: a thin instrument with a
light on the end, used for looking inside the air passages ( bronchi ) leading to the lungs
—bron·cho·scop·ic
[bròngkə skóppik], adjective

—bron·cho·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—bron·chos·co·pist
[bròng kóskəpist], noun

—bron·chos·co·py [brong kóskəpee], noun[1]



bronchus

bronchus
bron·chus 
[bróngkəss] (plural bron·chi [bróng k, bróng k])
noun

air
passage to lungs: a tube leading from the windpipe to a
lung, which provides for the passage of air. See bronchial tube
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek brogkhos “windpipe.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English devour and gorge
.][1]



bronco

bronco
bron·co 
[bróng k] (plural bron·cos) or
bron·cho [bróng k] (plural bron·chos)
noun

wild
horse:
a wild or partly broken horse of the western United States, used in rodeos
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “rough, wild,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin brocchus
(see broach ).][1]



broncobuster

broncobuster
bron·co·bust·er 
[bróngkō bùstər] (plural bron·co·bust·ers)
noun

horse tamer:
a person who breaks wild horses (informal)
Also called
buster[1]



Bronfman,Samuel Leonard

Bronfman,Samuel Leonard
Bronf·man
[brónfmən], Samuel Leonard (1891?–1971)

Canadian business executive.
He was the founder and chief operating officer of the distilling company
Seagrams.[1]



brontosaurus

brontosaurus
bron·to·sau·rus 
[bròntə sáwrəss] (plural bron·to·sau·rus·es)
or bron·to·saur [bróntə sàwr]
(plural bron·to·saurs) noun

large
plant-eating dinosaur: a large vegetarian dinosaur
that lived in North America during the Jurassic period and had a small head,
short front legs, and a long neck and tail. Genus: Apatosaurus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin brontosaurus, alternate genus name, which was coined from
Greek brontē “thunder” + sauros “lizard.”][1]



Brontë,Anne

Brontë,Anne
Bron·të
[bróntee], Anne (1820–1849)

British novelist and poet.
The sister of Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë, she wrote the novels Agnes
Grey (published in 1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (published
in 1848).[1]



Brontë,Charlotte

Brontë,Charlotte

Bron·të
[bróntee], Charlotte (1816–1855)
British novelist. Elder sister of Emily
Brontë and Anne Brontë, she wrote novels including Jane Eyre (1847).[1]



Brontë,Emily

Brontë,Emily
Bron·të
[bróntee], Emily (1818–1848)

British poet and novelist.
Sister of Charlotte Brontë and Anne Brontë, she wrote Wuthering Heights
(1847).[1]



Bronxcheer

Bronxcheer
Bronx
cheer 
(plural Bronx cheers) noun

rude
disapproving noise: a loud sound showing
disapproval that is made by sticking the tongue out between closed lips and
blowing (informal)
[Named for the Bronx][1]



Bronx,The

Bronx,The
Bronx,
The 
[brnks]

the northernmost of the five
boroughs of New York City, located on the mainland with the Harlem and Hudson
rivers to the west, Westchester County to the north, Long Island Sound to the
east, and the East River to the south. Population: 1,203,789 (1990)[1]



bronze

bronze
bronze 
[bronz] noun (plural bronz·es)

1.  copper
and tin alloy: a hard yellowish-brown alloy of copper
and tin, sometimes containing small amounts of other metals. Bronze is harder
than copper and is often cast to make statues.

2.  copper-based
alloy:
an alloy of copper with a substance other than tin, for example, aluminum or
silicon

3.  SCULPTURE bronze
work of art: an object that is made from bronze,
especially a statue or other piece of cast sculpture

4.  SPORTS bronze
medal:
a bronze medal • She was hoping for at
least a bronze.

5.  COLORS deep
yellowish brown color: a deep yellowish brown
color, like that of bronze
adjective

1.  made
of bronze:
made of bronze

2.  COLORS deep
yellowish brown: of a deep yellowish brown color, like
bronze
verb
(past bronzed, past participle bronzed, present
participle bronz·ing, 3rd person present singular bronz·es)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something look like bronze: to give something the
yellowish-brown sheen or weathered patina of bronze

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb tan
skin:
to make somebody’s skin suntanned or to become suntanned (informal) • bronzed
by the sun.
[Early
18th century. Via French from Italian bronzo, of uncertain origin:
probably from Persian birinj “brass”; alternatively, named for the
Italian city Brindisi, where in antiquity bronze mirrors were made.]
—bronz·er,
noun

—bronz·y, adjective[1]



BronzeAge

BronzeAge


Bronze Age 
noun
historical period of bronze tools:
a period of cultural history, approximately between 3500 and 1500 BC, that succeeded the Stone Age and was
characterized by the use of tools made of bronze[1]



bronzemedal

bronzemedal
bronze
med·al
(plural bronze med·als) noun

medal
for third prize: a medal that is awarded to a person who
places third in a competition, especially a sporting event
—bronze med·al·ist, noun[1]



BronzeStar

BronzeStar
Bronze
Star
(plural Bronze Stars) noun

decoration for combat:
a U.S. military award given for heroism or meritorious service in nonaerial
combat[1]



Bronzino,il

Bronzino,il
Bron·zi·no
[bron zno], il (1503–1572)

Italian
painter. Known as a portraitist of the Medici family, Dante, and Boccaccio, he
also painted religious pictures.
Real name
di Mariano, Agnoli Tori di Cosimo[1]



bronzite

bronzite
bronz·ite
[brón zt] noun

mineral with metallic sheen:
an iron-containing form of orthopyroxine with a metallic sheen[1]



brooch

brooch
brooch 
[brōch, brooch]
(plural brooch·es [brōch]) or
broach [brōch, brooch] (plural broach·es) noun

ornament
pinned to clothes: a piece of jewelry that is
fastened to a garment by a hinged pin and catch. Brooches are usually worn by
women, for example, on the upper part of a dress, on the lapel of a jacket, or
at the neck of a blouse.
[13th century. From Old
French broche (see broach ).][1]



brood

brood
brood 
[brood] noun (plural broods)

1.  young
of birds or animals: the young of an animal,
especially young birds, that are born and reared together

2.  family’s
children:
the children of one family (informal humorous) • that
brood of noisy brats

3.  group
of similar people: a group whose members share
a common origin or background • the
latest brood of avant-garde artists
adjective

kept for breeding:
used to describe a female farm animal that is kept for the purpose of producing
young
verb
(past brood·ed, past participle brood·ed, present
participle brood·ing, 3rd person present singular broods)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
worried:
to be preoccupied with a troublesome or unwelcome thought

2.  intransitive
verb
think
unpleasant thoughts: to think resentful, dark, or
miserable thoughts

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
eggs warm:
to sit on or hatch eggs, or to cover young birds for warmth

4.  intransitive
verb
be
heavy or ominous: to loom or hang heavily and ominously (literary)
• the
dark clouds brooding overhead
[Old English brōd .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “heat.” The underlying idea is of
nursing young (or emotions) by keeping them warm.][1]



brooder

brooder
brood·er 
[brdər] (plural brood·ers) noun

1.  heated
place for young animal: a heated area or enclosure
for raising young animals, especially young fowl, with or without the presence
of their mother. It provides an optimum environment in which heat, light, food,
and water can be carefully controlled.

2.  hen
that broods eggs: a hen that sits on eggs to keep them
warm before they hatch

3.  person
who worries: a person who worries persistently over
things

[1]



broodmare

broodmare
brood·mare
[brd màir] (plural brood·mares)
noun

breeding mare:
a mare that is kept specially for breeding[1]



broody

broody
brood·y 
[brdee] (comparative brood·i·er,
superlative brood·i·est) adjective

1.  ready
to incubate eggs: used to describe a hen that is ready to
sit on eggs to keep them warm before they hatch, especially a hen that is no
longer able to lay eggs

2.  thoughtful
or sullen:
showing deep thought, anxiety, or resentment • His
long broody silences were hard to bear.
—brood·i·ly,
adverb

—brood·i·ness, noun[1]



brook

brook1
brook1 [brk]
(plural brooks) noun

small
stream:
a small freshwater stream
[Old English brōc .
From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German Bruch
“marsh.”][1]



brook

brook2
brook2 [brk]
(past brooked, past participle brooked, present
participle brook·ing, 3rd person present singular brooks)
transitive verb

tolerate
something:
to put up with something (formal) (used in the negative) • I
will brook no interference in this matter.
[Old English brūcan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced English fruit . The meaning “to tolerate” evolved from
“to use (as food)” via “to stomach.”][1]



Brooker,Bertram

Brooker,Bertram
Brook·er
[brkər], Bertram (1888–1955)

British-born Canadian artist
and writer. He painted Sounds Assembling ( 1928 ) and wrote Think of
the Earth ( 1937 ).[1]



BrookFarm

BrookFarm
Brook
Farm
noun

19thC community in
Massachusetts: an experimental
cooperative community established by a group of writers and scholars on a farm
in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. It lasted from 1841 to 1846.[1]



Brookfield

Brookfield
Brook·field 
[brk feeld]

city
in southeastern Wisconsin, a northwestern suburb of Milwaukee, near the shore
of Lake Michigan. Population: 37,729 (1996)


suburb of Chicago, Illinois,
west of the Des Plaines River. The Brookfield Zoo, established in 1934, is a
major tourist attraction. Population: 18,876 (1990)[1]



brookite

brookite
brook·ite 
[br kt] noun

dark
mineral:
a translucent or reddish brown to black mineral composed of titanium dioxide in
the form of orthorhombic crystals. TiO2
[Early 19th century. Named
for the English mineralogist Henry J. Brook (1771–1857).][1]



Brookline

Brookline
Brook·line 
[brk līn]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, a southwestern suburb of Boston. It was the birthplace of
President John F. Kennedy. Population: 54,137 (1996)[1]



Brooklyn

Brooklyn
Brook·lyn 
[brklin]

one of the five boroughs of
New York City, located on the western tip of Long Island with Staten Island and
Manhattan to the west and Queens to the north and east. Population: 2,273,966
(1996)[1]



BrooklynCenter

BrooklynCenter
Brook·lyn
Cen·ter

city in southeastern
Minnesota, a northwestern suburb of Minneapolis. Population: 28,132 (1996)[1]



BrooklynPark

BrooklynPark
Brook·lyn
Park

city in southeastern
Minnesota, north of Minneapolis, on the Mississippi River. Population: 56,381
(1990)[1]



Brookner,Anita

Brookner,Anita
Brook·ner
[brknər], Anita (1928– )

British writer. Her novels
included the Booker Prize-winning Hotel du Lac ( 1984 ).[1]



BrookPark

BrookPark
Brook
Park


city in northeastern Ohio, a
southwestern suburb of Cleveland. Population: 22,646 (1996)[1]



Brook,Peter

Brook,Peter
Brook
[brk], Peter (1925– )

British-born
director. He was associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1962.
Full name
Brook, Peter Stephen Paul[1]



Brooks,Gwendolyn

Brooks,Gwendolyn

Brooks 
[brks], Gwendolyn (1917– )
U.S.
poet. Her Annie Allen ( 1949 ) won a Pulitzer Prize. Other works include
Children Coming Home ( 1992 ).
Full name
Brooks, Gwendolyn Elizabeth[1]



Brooks,Mel

Brooks,Mel
Brooks
[brks], Mel (1926– )

U.S.
movie actor and director. His films include The Producers ( 1968 ), Blazing
Saddles ( 1974 ), and Spaceballs ( 1987 ).
Born
Kaminsky, Melvin[1]



BrooksRange

BrooksRange
Brooks
Range

mountain range of northern
Alaska, stretching from Kotzebue Sound eastward to the Canadian border,
separating the North Slope from the Yukon Basin. Its highest point is Mount
Chamberlin 2,816 m/9,239 ft .[1]



Brooks,Van Wyck

Brooks,Van Wyck
Brooks
[brks], Van Wyck (1886–1963)

U.S. critic and biographer.
He wrote The Flowering of New England, 1815–1865 ( 1936 ).[1]



brooktrout

brooktrout
brook
trout
noun

freshwater fish:
a freshwater fish of the salmon family, originally from eastern North America
and introduced throughout North America and into Europe. It is a popular food
and game fish. Latin name: Salvelinus fontinalis
Also called
speckled trout
Also called
squaretail[1]



broom

broom
broom 
[broom] noun (plural brooms)

1.  brush
for sweeping: a brush with a head of twigs or bristles
attached to a long thin handle, used for sweeping indoors or outdoors

2.  PLANTS plant
with bright yellow flowers: a leguminous shrub that
grows wild in Europe and Asia and is widely cultivated for its bright yellow
flowers. Latin name: Cytisus scoparius

3.  PLANTS plant
resembling broom: a shrub with yellow flowers that
resembles broom and grows in Europe and Asia. Genera: Genista Spartium
transitive
verb
(past broomed, past participle broomed, present
participle broom·ing, 3rd person present singular brooms)

sweep something:
to sweep something with a broom or brush
[Old English brōm .
From a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced English bramble . Originally only a plant name, the
word acquired the meaning “brush” because brushes were made from broom twigs.][1]



broomcorn

broomcorn
broom·corn 
[brm kàwrn, brm
kàwrn] noun

plant used for brooms:
a variety of sorghum with long stiff stalks that are sometimes used for making
brooms. Latin name: Sorghum bicolor[1]



Broomfield

Broomfield
Broom·field 
[brm feeld]

city in northern Colorado,
southeast of Boulder and northwest of Denver. Population: 31,743 (1996)[1]



broomrape

broomrape
broom·rape 
[brm ràyp] noun

parasitic
plant:
a plant that has small flowers and tiny leaves resembling scales and lacking
chlorophyll. It lives on the roots of other plants, including crops. Genus: Orobanche
[Late 16th century. “Rape”
from medieval Latin rapum “tuber.”][1]



broomstick

broomstick
broom·stick 
[brm stìk] (plural broom·sticks)
noun

handle of broom:
the long handle of a broom[1]



Broonzy,Big Bill

Broonzy,Big Bill
Broonzy
[brnzee], Big Bill (1893–1953)

U.S.
musician. He incorporated a wide range of influences as a master composer and
performer of blues.
Born
Conley, William Lee[1]



bros.

bros.
bros.
or Bros.

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of brothers[1]



broth

broth
broth 
[brawth, broth]
noun

flavorful
soup base:
a liquid made by cooking vegetables, meat, seafood, or poultry in water for a
long time, used as a base for soups and sauces
[Old English broþ .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “heat, boil,” which also produced
English brew and fervent .][1]



brothel

brothel
broth·el 
[bróth’l] (plural broth·els) noun

house
of prostitution: a place where people pay to have sexual
intercourse with prostitutes
[14th century. Shortening of
earlier brothel-house, from Old English broþen “ruined,” which
was used for “worthless person,” and came to denote a prostitute in the 15th
century.][1]



brother

brother
broth·er 
[brúər] noun (plural broth·ers)

1.  male
sibling:
a boy or man who has the same father and mother as another person

2.  (plural
broth·ers or breth·ren) fellow
member:
a man who belongs to the same race, religion, profession, trade, or
organization as another man • fraternity
brothers

3.  close
male friend: used to address a close male friend

4.  (plural
broth·ers or breth·ren) CHRISTIANITY
lay
member:
a member of a religious order for men

5.  (plural
broth·ers or breth·ren) CHRISTIANITY
devoted
religious worker: a man who devotes himself to the work of
a men’s religious order without having been professed
interjection

expressing surprise or annoyance:
used to express surprise, annoyance, or disappointment (informal) • Oh
brother! What happened here today?
[Old English brōþor .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced Latin frater
“brother” (source of English fraternal
), Greek phratēr, Sanskrit bhrātṛ, and German Bruder .][1]



brotherhood

brotherhood
broth·er·hood 
[brúər hd] (plural broth·er·hoods)
noun

1.  having
same parents: the relationship of brothers

2.  group
of men:
an organization of men, for example, a labor union, that is united for a common
purpose

3.  all
the members: all the members of a particular
profession or trade

4.  goodwill:
a feeling of fellowship and sympathy for other people

[1]



brother-in-law

brother-in-law
broth·er-in-law 
(plural broth·ers-in-law) noun

1.  sister’s
husband:
the husband of somebody’s sister

2.  spouse’s
brother:
the brother of somebody’s husband or wife

3.  spouse’s
sister’s husband: the husband of the sister of somebody’s
husband or wife

[1]



brotherly

brotherly
broth·er·ly 
[brúərlee] adjective

showing
the affection a of brother: the showing feelings that a
brother might be expected to have toward his sister or brother
[Old English brōþorlic][1]



brougham

brougham
brougham 
[broom, br əm,
brōm, brṓ əm]
(plural broughams) noun

horse-drawn
passenger carriage: a one-horse carriage with an
open seat at the front for the driver and a closed compartment at the back for
passengers, used in the 19th century
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the English politician and educational reformer Henry Peter, Lord Brougham
(1778–1868), who designed the original brougham.][1]



brought

brought
brought
verb

Past tense of
bring Past participle of bring[1]



brouhaha

brouhaha
brou·ha·ha 
[br haa h] (plural brou·ha·has)
noun

noisy
commotion:
a noisy commotion or uproar (formal)
[Late 19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Hebrew bāru habbā, literally
“blessed is the comer, welcome!”; in allusion to the loud prayers at a
traditional Jewish synagogue.][1]



Broun,Heywood

Broun,Heywood

Broun 
[broon], Heywood (1888–1939)
U.S.
journalist and novelist. He was co-founder of the Newspaper Guild and a social
campaigner.
Full name
Broun, Heywood Campbell[1]



brow

brow
brow 
[brow] (plural brows) noun

1.  forehead:
the area on somebody’s face above the eyes and below the hairline

2.  See
eyebrow

3.  top
of hill:
the top edge of a hill
[Old English brū .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of German Braue
“eyebrow.” Originally in the meaning “eyelash.”][1]



browallia

browallia
bro·wal·li·a 
[brə wólee ə] (plural bro·wal·li·a
or bro·wal·li·as) noun

nightshade
plant grown for ornament: a tropical American plant of
the nightshade family cultivated for its blue, white, or violet flowers. Genus:
Browallia
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the Swedish botanist Johann Browall
(1707–1755).][1]



browband

browband
brow·band
[brów bànd] (plural brow·bands)
noun

bridle strap:
a strap that is part of a horse’s bridle and goes across its forehead[1]



browbeat

browbeat
brow·beat 
[brów bt] (past brow·beat, past
participle brow·beat·en [brów bt’n],
present participle brow·beat·ing, 3rd person present singular
brow·beats) transitive verb

domineer
somebody:
to bully or intimidate somebody sternly • His
friends tried to browbeat, but he made his own decision.
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps the underlying idea is of intimidating
somebody by furrowing the brows.]
—brow·beat·er, noun[1]



brown

brown
brown 
[brown] noun (plural browns)

1.  color
between red and yellow: a color that varies between
red and yellow and ranges from light to dark, such as the color of wood or soil

2.  brown
clothing:
fabric or clothing that is brown in color • We
had to wear brown for school.

3.  brown
pigment or dye: a pigment or dye that is formed from a
combination of red, yellow, and black and has or is near to the color of wood
or soil

4.  brown
object:
a brown object • She decided to take the
brown.

5.  flock
of game birds: a flock of game birds flying closely
together
adjective

1.  between
red and yellow in color: having a color that varies
between red and yellow, and can range from light to dark, such as that of wood
or soil • the
fruit was brown and rotten

2.  suntanned:
deeply suntanned or sunburned

3.  partially
or wholly unprocessed: used to describe foodstuffs
that are partially or wholly unprocessed so that their natural brown color
remains
intransitive
and transitive verb (past browned,
past participle browned, present participle brown·ing,
3rd person present singular browns)

make or become brown:
to make something brown or to become brown, for example, in cooking or
sunbathing
[Old
English brūn . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “bright, brown,”
which also produced English bear 1, bruin, beaver,
and burnish .]
—brown·ish,
adjective

—brown·ness, noun[1]



brownadipose tissue

brownadipose tissue
brown
ad·i·pose tis·sue noun

See
brown fat[1]



brownalga

brownalga
brown
al·ga
noun

seaweed with brown pigment:
a marine alga that has chlorophyll masked by brown pigment. The kelps and
wracks are brown algae . Division: Phaeophyta[1]



brown-bag

brown-bag
brown-bag
(past brown-bagged, past participle brown-bagged, present
participle brown-bag·ging, 3rd person present singular brown-bags)
intransitive and transitive verb

bring homemade lunch to work:
to bring a lunch to work from home, typically in a brown paper bag or other
similar container[1]



brownbagging

brownbagging
brown
bag·ging
noun

1.  taking
packed lunch to work: the practice of taking a
packed lunch from home to work, typically in a brown paper bag or other similar
container

2.  taking
alcoholic drink to public establishment: the
practice of taking your own alcoholic drink into a public establishment, such
as a restaurant or a club, that does not have a license to sell alcohol (informal)

[1]



brownbear

brownbear

brown bear
(plural brown bears) noun
bear with brown fur:
a bear that is mainly brown in color, found in western North America and
northern Europe and Asia. The most widely distributed of all bears, brown bears
vary in size from the small Syrian variety to the giant Kodiak bear and include
the North American grizzlies. Latin name: Ursus arctos[1]



BrownBetty

BrownBetty
Brown
Bet·ty 
[bròwn béttee] (plural Brown
Bet·ties) noun

apple dessert:
a baked apple dessert made from apples, breadcrumbs, sugar, spices, butter, and
sometimes raisins[1]



brownbread

brownbread
brown
bread
noun

1.  wholewheat
bread:
bread made using wholewheat flour

2.  traditional
molasses bread: an old-fashioned bread containing
molasses, risen with baking soda, and either steamed or baked

[1]



Brown,Capability

Brown,Capability
Brown 
[brown], Capability (1715–1783)

British
landscape gardener. He landscaped the grounds of many English country houses,
including Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and Chatsworth in Derbyshire, and
created a naturalistic style of landscape design.
Real name
Brown, Lancelot[1]



Brown,Charles Brockden

Brown,Charles Brockden
Brown 
[brown], Charles Brockden (1771–1810)

U.S. writer. Considered by
many to have been the first American novelist, he wrote the gothic novel Wieland
( 1798 ).[1]



browncoal

browncoal
brown
coal
noun

fossil fuel:
a soft, brown-black fossil fuel with visible plant remains and a high moisture
content.
Also called
lignite[1]



browndwarf

browndwarf
brown
dwarf
(plural brown dwarfs) noun

type of star:
a star that is smaller than a planet and has a mass equivalent to less than
one-tenth of the Sun’s mass[1]



brownearth

brownearth
brown
earth
noun

soil rich in organic
material: a type of soil formed in
temperate humid regions under deciduous forests and characterized by a dark
brown layer rich in organic material[1]



brownfat

brownfat
brown
fat
noun

fatty tissue:
a dark-colored fatty tissue in many mammals, especially hibernating animals and
human babies, that produces heat in order to control body temperature.
Also called
brown adipose tissue[1]



Brown,George

Brown,George
Brown
[brown], George (1818–1880)

Scottish-born Canadian
journalist and politician. He founded the Toronto Globe and was prime
minister for two days in 1858.[1]



Brownianmovement

Brownianmovement
Brown·i·an
move·ment 
[brównee ən ] or Brown·i·an
mo·tion [brównee ən ] noun

random
movement of particles: the random movement of
microscopic particles suspended in a liquid or gas that occurs as a result of
collisions with molecules of the surrounding medium
[Named for the English
botanist Robert Brown 1773–1858, who first described it in connection
with the motions of pollen grains][1]



Brownie

Brownie2
Brown·ie2 Trademark

a trademark for a make of box
camera[1]



brownie

brownie
brown·ie 
[brównee] (plural brown·ies) noun

1.  rich
flat chocolate cake: a piece of flat rich
chocolate cake baked in a square or rectangular pan and sometimes containing
chopped nuts

2.  helpful
elf or goblin: in folklore, a small supernatural being
believed to do helpful work at night
[Early 16th century, with the
sense “elf.” The term was first used of a chocolate cake in late 19th century.][1]



Brownie

Brownie1
Brown·ie1 (plural Brown·ies)
noun

youngest
Girl Scout:
a member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, aged from six to
eight years of age
[Early 20th century. So
called because of their brown uniform.][1]



browniepoint

browniepoint
brown·ie
point
(plural brown·ie points) or Brown·ie point (plural
Brown·ie points) noun

imaginary
good grade:
a credit earned for doing something helpful, especially in order to please (informal)
[From the points used by
Brownies for advancement][1]



Browningautomatic rifle

Browningautomatic rifle
Brown·ing
au·to·mat·ic ri·fle (plural Brown·ing
au·to·mat·ic ri·fles) noun

rifle:
an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle with a .30 caliber barrel,
capable of firing between 200 and 350 rounds per minute with an effective range
of 600 m/2,000 ft
[Named for the U.S. arms
designer John M. Browning 1855–1926 .][1]



Browning,Elizabeth Barrett

Browning,Elizabeth Barrett

Brown·ing 
[brówning], Elizabeth Barrett (1806–1861)
British
poet. Her works include Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850), Aurora
Leigh (1856), and Poems Before Congress (1860). She married Robert
Browning in 1846 and lived with him in Italy.
Born
Barrett, Elizabeth[1]



Browningmachine gun

Browningmachine gun
Brown·ing
ma·chine gun (plural Brown·ing ma·chine
guns) noun

machine
gun:
an air- or water-cooled, belt-fed, automatic machine gun with either a .30 or
.50 caliber barrel, capable of firing over 500 rounds per minute
[Named for the U.S. arms
designer John M. Browning 1855–1926 .][1]



Browning,Robert

Browning,Robert

Brown·ing
[brówning], Robert (1812–1889)
British poet. His works include Men
and Women (1855), Dramatis Personae (1864), and The Ring and the
Book (1868–1869). He married Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1846.[1]



Brown,Jim

Brown,Jim
Brown
[brown], Jim (1936– )

U.S.
football player. He was an outstanding fullback with the Cleveland Browns
(1966–1975) and later acted in movies including The Dirty Dozen ( 1967
).
Full name
Brown, James Nathaniel[1]



Brown,John

Brown,John

Brown
[brown], John (1800–1859)
U.S. abolitionist. Convicted of treason
after a failed attempt to launch a slave rebellion, he was hanged in Virginia.
The song “John Brown’s Body” commemorates his actions.[1]



brownlacewing

brownlacewing
brown
lace·wing
(plural brown lace·wings) noun

insect that eats agricultural
pests: an insect with brownish
wings that often feeds on agricultural pests. Family: Hemerobiidae[1]



brownlung disease

brownlung disease
brown
lung dis·ease or brown lung noun

See
byssinosis[1]



Brown,Moses

Brown,Moses
Brown
[brown], Moses (1738–1836)

U.S. philanthropist. He
helped eradicate slavery in Rhode Island and started the first U.S. cotton
factory (1789).[1]



brownmustard

brownmustard
brown
mus·tard
noun

1.  plant
of mustard family: an annual plant of the
mustard family with pale yellow flowers, irregularly lobed leaves, and dark
reddish brown oil-rich seeds used in cooking. Latin name: Brassica juncea

Also
called
Chinese mustard
Also
called
Indian mustard

2.  ground
seeds used in cooking: the ground seeds of the
brown mustard plant, used as a cooking spice

[1]



brownnose

brownnose
brown·nose 
[brówn nz] (past brown·nosed,
past participle brown·nosed, present participle brown·nos·ing,
3rd person present singular brown·noses, plural brown·noses)
intransitive and transitive verb

behave
obsequiously: to be unnaturally subservient or
obsequious to somebody in authority (slang) (considered offensive by
some speakers) • He brownnosed his way
to the top of the firm.
[So
called from an implied willingness to undertake stigmatized intimacy]
—brown·nose,
noun

—brown·nos·er, noun[1]



brownout

brownout
brown·out 
[brówn òwt] (plural brown·outs)
noun

1.  dimming
of lights:
a dimming or reduction in the use of electric lights in a city, town, or
region, especially as an economy measure

2.  power
reduction:
a temporary reduction in electrical power caused by high consumer demand or by
technical malfunction

3.  lapse
of concentration: a temporary lapse of concentration or
focus
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
“blackout.”][1]



brownowl

brownowl
brown
owl
(plural brown owls) noun

See
tawny owl[1]



brownpaper

brownpaper
brown
pa·per
noun

wrapping paper:
thick strong brown-colored paper used for wrapping packages and for making
paper bags[1]



brownpatch

brownpatch
brown
patch
noun

fungus disease of grass:
a soil-borne fungal disease of grass that produces round dead patches[1]



brownrat

brownrat
brown
rat
(plural brown rats) noun

common domestic rat:
an extremely destructive rat, originally from Europe and Asia, that is found
worldwide in populated areas. Latin name: Rattus norvegicus
Also called
Norway rat[1]



brownrecluse spider

brownrecluse spider
brown
re·cluse spi·der (plural brown re·cluse
spi·ders) noun

poisonous spider:
a pale brown poisonous spider found in the United States and South America that
has a violin-shaped mark on the head area. Latin name: Loxosceles reclusa[1]



brownrice

brownrice
brown
rice
noun

whole-grain rice:
unpolished rice in which the yellowish brown outer layer containing the bran
remains intact. This type of rice retains its B vitamins, thus making it more
nutritious than white rice.
See also
white rice[1]



brownrot

brownrot
brown
rot
noun

fungal disease of fruit:
a disease of ripe tree fruits such as apples and peaches, caused by fungi. The
infected fruit turns brown, and concentric yellow rings appear on the plant.
Genus: Rhizoctonia[1]



brownsauce

brownsauce
brown
sauce
noun

sauce made from meat stock:
a sauce made from a dark meat stock, thickened with flour that has been browned
in fat[1]



BrownShirt

BrownShirt
Brown
Shirt
(plural Brown Shirts) noun

Nazi:
a Nazi storm trooper
[Translation of German Braunhemd,
from the brown uniform shirts of the Nazi storm troopers][1]



brownstone

brownstone
brown·stone 
[brówn stn] (plural brown·stones)
noun

1.  sandstone:
a reddish brown sandstone used as a building material

2.  sandstone
building:
a house or building made from or faced with reddish brown sandstone, especially
an apartment building in New York City

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at house

[1]



brownstudy

brownstudy
brown
stud·y
noun

state
of deep thought: a state of deep thought or serious
absorption (dated)
[Origin uncertain: probably
from brown in the sense “gloomy”][1]



brownsugar

brownsugar
brown
sug·ar
noun

1.  refined
sugar with molasses: a soft refined sugar that is
light or dark brown in color. It is made from refined white sugar combined with
a mild refined molasses and is used in cooking.

2.  unrefined
sugar:
unrefined or partially refined sugar

3.  heroin:
the drug heroin (slang)

[1]



Brownsville

Brownsville
Browns·ville 
[brównzvil]

city and port in southern
Texas, on the bank of the Río Grande, opposite Matamoros, Mexico. Population:
132,091 (1996)[1]



BrownSwiss

BrownSwiss
Brown
Swiss
(plural Brown Swiss·es) noun

dairy cow:
a large brown dairy cow belonging to a hardy breed originating in Switzerland[1]



brown-tailmoth

brown-tailmoth
brown-tail
moth 
(plural brown-tail moths) noun

harmful moth:
a white and brown moth, native to Europe and also found in the eastern United
States, whose caterpillars destroy the leaves of trees and produce a poison
that causes breathing problems and a rash in humans. Latin name: Euproctis
chrysorrhoea
See also
tussock moth[1]



brownthrasher

brownthrasher
brown
thrash·er
(plural brown thrash·ers) noun

bird related to mockingbird:
a bird that is related to the mockingbird and has a long tail, long curving
beak, reddish brown back, and white breast with black spots. It is found in the
eastern and central United States and in the rain forests of Dominica and the
Lesser Antilles. Latin name: Toxostoma rufum[1]



browntrout

browntrout
brown
trout
noun

freshwater game fish:
a common freshwater fish that is brownish in color and is caught for food or
sport. It is native to Europe and also found in North America. Latin name: Salmo
trutta
Also called
lake trout[1]



browse

browse
browse 
[browz] verb (past browsed,
past participle browsed, present participle brows·ing,
3rd person present singular brows·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb read
casually:
to read through something quickly or superficially

2.  intransitive
verb
look
through or over casually: to look through or over
something, especially merchandise in a store, in a leisurely manner with the
hope of finding something of interest

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING scan computer files:
to scan and view files in a computer database or on the Internet, especially on
the World Wide Web

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY feed on vegetation:
to feed or graze on tender vegetation such as the shoots, leaves, or twigs of
shrubs or trees
noun
(plural brows·es)

1.  session
of browsing: a superficial read through something,
for example, a newspaper, or a leisurely look over something, for example, the
merchandise in a store

2.  ZOOLOGY feeding
period:
a session of feeding on tender shoots or twigs of shrubs and trees

3.  tender
vegetation used as food: the tender shoots, leaves,
or twigs of shrubs and trees used as food by animals such as deer and cattle
[Early 16th century. Via
obsolete French broust from Old French brost, of Germanic
origin.][1]



browser

browser
brows·er 
[brówzər] (plural brows·ers) noun

1.  COMPUTING software
for searching Internet: a piece of computer software
that allows an Internet user to search for information on the World Wide Web

2.  somebody
who browses: somebody who reads or looks over
something, for example, a reference book or the merchandise in a store, in a
leisurely or superficial manner
[Mid-16th century][1]



Brubeck,Dave

Brubeck,Dave

Bru·beck 
[br bèk], Dave (1920– )
U.S.
pianist and composer. He is known for his progressive jazz compositions such as
Blue Rondo a la Turk ( 1957 ).
Full name
Brubeck, David William[1]



brucellosis

brucellosis
bru·cel·lo·sis 
[brssi lṓssiss] noun

infectious
disease:
a chronic infectious disease of some domestic animals, for example, cattle,
dogs, goats, and pigs, that is caused by bacteria and may lead to spontaneous
abortion. It can be transmitted to human beings through contaminated milk,
causing symptoms such as fever, headache, painful joints, aches, and weakness.
Genus: Brucella
See
also
Bang’s disease
See
also
undulant fever
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Brucella (the name of the genus of bacteria that causes the disease), from
the name of Sir David Bruce (1855–1931), a Scottish physician.][1]



Bruce,Robert

Bruce,Robert
Bruce
[brooss], Robert, King of Scots (1274–1329)

Leader of the Scottish War of
Independence.[1]



brucine

brucine
bru·cine 
[br ssn] noun

poisonous
substance derived from seeds: a poisonous white
crystalline alkaloid derived from the seeds of the nux vomica tree and used to
render alcohol unfit for human consumption. C23H26N2O4
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin Brucea, name of a tree thought to bear the false angostura
bark the substance is derived from.][1]



brucite

brucite
bru·cite
[brss t] noun

magnesium
hydroxide mineral: a mineral form of magnesium
hydroxide that occurs in hydrothermal deposits and in metamorphosed limestone
[Early 19th century. Named
for the U.S. mineralogist Archibald Bruce (1777–1818).][1]



Bruckner,Anton

Bruckner,Anton
Bruck·ner 
[brknər], Anton (1824–1896)

Austrian composer. He wrote
nine symphonies and four masses. His music was influenced by Wagner and
Schubert.[1]



Brueghel,Jan

Brueghel,Jan
Brue·ghel
[broygəl, broo
g’l] or Brue·gel [broygəl,
broo g’l] or Breu·ghel [broygəl, broo g’l],
Jan (1568–1625)

Flemish painter. The son of
Pieter Brueghel the Elder, he produced still lifes and landscape paintings.[1]



Brueghel,Pieter

Brueghel,Pieter
Brue·ghel
[broygəl, broo
g’l] or Brue·gel or Breu·ghel, Pieter
(1520–1569)

Flemish
painter. He produced religious and moral allegories in contemporary landscapes,
depicting peasant life in works such as Peasant Wedding (1568).
Known as
Pieter Brueghel the Elder[1]



Bruges

Bruges
Bruges 
[broozh]

capital of West Flanders
Province, western Belgium. It is famous for its traditional lace industries.
Population: 115,815 (1996)[1]



bruin

bruin
bru·in 
[brin] (plural bru·ins) or
Bruin [brin] (plural Bru·ins)
noun

bear:
used as a name for a bear in folklore, fables, and children’s stories
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch, literally “brown.”][1]



bruise

bruise
bruise 
[brooz] noun (plural bruis·es)

1.  skin
discoloration caused by injury: a tender area of skin
discoloration caused by blood leaking from blood vessels damaged by pressure or
impact

2.  damage
to plant tissue: damage to underlying plant or fruit
tissue, visible as a soft discolored area on the unbroken surface and caused by
pressure or impact

3.  emotional
injury:
an injury that is not physical, for example, hurt feelings or damaged
self-esteem
verb
(past bruised, past participle bruised, present
participle bruis·ing, 3rd person present singular bruis·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb injure
causing skin discoloration: to injure, or sustain an
injury to, a part of the body resulting in discoloration caused by blood
leaking from damaged blood vessels

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
plant tissue: to damage plant tissue or to sustain
damage by pressure or impact, leaving a softened and discolored surface area

3.  transitive
verb
COOKING crush
food:
to crush or pound food, especially to extract juice from it or bring out its
flavor

4.  transitive
verb
upset
somebody:
to injure somebody’s feelings or harm somebody’s self-esteem • I
was bruised by the criticism
[Partly from Old English brsan
“to crush,” and partly from Anglo-Norman bruser “to break,” of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



bruiser

bruiser
bruis·er 
[brzər] (plural bruis·ers) noun

big strong man:
a large strong man or youth, for example, a boxer, bodyguard, bar bouncer, or
football player (informal)[1]



bruising

bruising
bruis·ing
[brzing] noun

discoloration
of skin surface: bruises or the dark patches left on the
surface of bruised skin
adjective

painful:
causing emotional, psychological, or physical pain[1]



bruit

bruit
bruit 
[broot] noun (plural bruits)

1.  MEDICINE significant
sound inside body: a medically significant
sound heard inside the body, usually with the aid of a stethoscope, and caused
by turbulent blood flow within the heart or blood vessels

2.  a
rumor or report: a story, true or untrue, that is passed
around among people (archaic)

3.  noise
or din:
loud sounds or the noise made by them (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past bruit·ed, past participle bruit·ed, present
participle bruit·ing, 3rd person present singular bruits)

spread story: to
circulate stories, whether true or untrue
[From Old French, from the
past participle of bruire “to roar,” from assumed Vulgar Latin brugire,
a blend of assumed brager and Latin rugire][1]



Brulé,Étienne

Brulé,Étienne
Bru·lé 
[broo lày], Étienne (1592?–1632)

French-born Canadian
explorer. He lived among Native Americans and was perhaps the first European to
see the Great Lakes.[1]



Brumaire

Brumaire
Bru·maire
[bri mér] (plural Bru·maires) noun

2nd
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
second month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
the period from October 23 to November 21 in the Gregorian calendar
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from brume “brume.”][1]



brume

brume
brume 
[broom] (plural brumes) noun

fog
or mist:
a weather condition in which fog or mist is present, or the fog or mist itself
(literary)
[Early
18th century. Via French, literally “fog,” from Latin bruma “winter”
(see brumal ).]
—bru·mous, adjective[1]



brummagem

brummagem
brum·ma·gem 
[brúmməjəm] or Brum·ma·gem [brúmməjəm] noun (plural brum·ma·gems)
(plural Brum·ma·gems)

something
cheap and showy: something, especially imitation jewelry,
that is cheap and gaudy
adjective

cheaply
showy:
cheap and shoddy
[Mid-17th century. From Brummagem,
alteration of Birmingham, England, originally referring to counterfeit coins
made there.][1]



Brummie

Brummie
Brum·mie
[brúmmee] (plural Brum·mies [brúmmee]) or Brum·my [brúmmee] (plural Brum·mies) adjective

of Birmingham, England:
relating to the English city of Birmingham (informal)[1]



brunch

brunch
brunch 
[brunch] (plural brunch·es) noun

large
mid-morning meal: a meal that combines breakfast and
lunch, eaten late in the morning
[Late 19th century. Blend of breakfast and lunch
.][1]



Brunei

Brunei



Bru·nei 
[broo n]
island sultanate bisected by Malaysia in
northwestern Borneo, eastern Asia. Language: Malay. Currency: Brunei dollar.
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan. Population: 307,612 (1997) Area: 5,765 sq
km/2,226 sq mi. Official name Negara Brunei Darussalam[1]



Brunei




Back to definition

Brunei

[1]



Brunel,Isambard Kingdom

Brunel,Isambard Kingdom
Bru·nel 
[broo nél], Isambard Kingdom (1806–1859)

British engineer. He designed
the Clifton Suspension Bridge and constructed the Great Western (1837),
the first steamship designed to cross the Atlantic.[1]



Brunelleschi,Filippo

Brunelleschi,Filippo

Bru·nel·le·schi 
[brnə léskee], Filippo (1377–1446)
Italian
architect and sculptor. One of the greatest Renaissance architects, he designed
the dome of the cathedral in Florence (1420–1461) and built several churches in
Florence.
Real name
di Ser Brunellesco, Filippo[1]



brunet

brunet
bru·net 
[broo nét] noun (plural bru·nets
[broo nét])

somebody
with dark hair: somebody with dark or brown hair
adjective

with
dark hair:
with dark or brown hair
[Mid-16th century. From
French, formed from brun, of Germanic origin.][1]



brunette

brunette
bru·nette 
[broo nét] noun (plural bru·nettes)

woman with dark-hair:
a girl or woman with dark brown hair
adjective

1.  dark
brown:
used to describe hair that is dark brown

2.  with
dark hair:
used to describe a girl or woman with dark brown hair
[Early 17th century. From
French, the feminine form of brunet “ brunet
.”][1]



Brunhild

Brunhild
Brun·hild 
[brn híld] or Brünn·hil·de [brn híldə] noun

mythical Icelandic queen:
in medieval Germanic mythology, the queen of Iceland who promises to marry
whoever can defeat her in battle. Siegfried does so on behalf of King Gunther.[1]



Bruno,Saint

Bruno,Saint
Bru·no
[brnō], Saint (1030?–1101)

German
monk in the French mountains at Chartreuse. He founded a monastery of hermit
monks (1084), which later became the Carthusian contemplative order.
Known as
Bruno the Carthusian[1]



Brunswick

Brunswick
Bruns·wick 
[brúnzwik]

1.  city
in southeastern Georgia, on the northern shore of St. Simons Sound, southwest
of Savannah. Population: 15,525 (1996)

2.  town
in southeastern Maine, on the Androscoggin River, southeast of Lewiston and
northeast of Portland. Population: 20,827 (1996)

3.  city
in northern Ohio, southwest of Cleveland. Population: 31,641 (1996)

[1]



Brunswickstew

Brunswickstew
Bruns·wick
stew
(plural Bruns·wick stews) noun

vegetable
and meat stew: a stew that contains vegetables and
usually wild game meat, such as squirrel or rabbit
[Named for Brunswick
County in southern Virginia, where it was supposedly first made][1]



brunt

brunt
brunt 
[brunt] (plural brunts) noun

1.  main
force of something: the main force or effect of
something, for example, a blow or an attack

2.  greater
burden of something: the greater part or the main
burden

3.  forceful
attack:
a forceful blow or attack (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



brush

brush1
brush1 [brush]
noun (plural brush·es)

1.  tool
with bristles attached to handle: an implement
consisting of bristles set into a handle, used especially for grooming the hair
or for painting, polishing, scrubbing, or sweeping

2.  use
of brush:
the use of a brush, for example, to groom the hair or to sweep a surface

3.  light
contact:
a light stroke or momentary contact

4.  short
unpleasant encounter: a brief unpleasant encounter
• a
brush with evil

5.  bushy
tail of fox: a bushy tail, especially the tail of a
fox as a hunting trophy

6.  ELECTRICITY electrical
conductor:
an electrical conductor that makes sliding contact between a stationary and a
moving part of a generator or motor while completing a circuit and conveying a
current

7.  See
brush discharge
verb
(past brushed, past participle brushed, present
participle brush·ing, 3rd person present singular brush·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
brush on something: to use a brush to clean,
groom, paint, polish, or scrub

2.  transitive
verb
apply
with brush:
to apply something such as paint or varnish to a surface using a brush

3.  transitive
verb
remove
something with brush: remove with a brush or
sweeping motion

4.  transitive
verb
reject
something:
to dismiss, ignore, or rebuff something or somebody in an abrupt or curt manner
• They
brushed aside the suggestion.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb graze
against something: to touch something lightly
and briefly in passing

6.  intransitive
verb
move
past something closely and quickly: to
move past something or somebody very fast so as to come into brief contact
[14th
century. From Old French broisse, probably a variant of broce
“brushwood” (see brush 2 ), suggesting that cut
branches were used to make brooms or brushes.]
—brush·er,
noun

—brush·y,
adjective
tar
somebody with the same brush

to attribute unfairly the
faults and deficits of somebody to another[1]



brush

brush2
brush2 [brush]
noun

1.  See
brushwood  noun 1

2.  twigs
and branches: cut or broken branches and twigs.
Also
called
brushwood

3.  backwoods:
wild and sparsely populated woodland
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman brousse, a variant of Old French broce “broken
branches”: possibly from Latin bruscum “knot on a maple tree.”][1]



brushborder

brushborder
brush
bor·der
(plural brush bor·ders) noun

lining layer in cells:
a dense layer of tiny protuberances that lines certain absorbing cells, for
example, in the intestine and kidney[1]



brushcut

brushcut
brush
cut
(plural brush cuts) noun

closely cropped hair:
a hairstyle with the hair cropped close to the head so that it stands up like a
brush[1]



brushdischarge

brushdischarge
brush
dis·charge
or brush noun

glowing
electric discharge: a luminous electric
discharge between two conductors, consisting of a flow of ionized particles
with less intensity than a spark
[Late 18th century. From its
brushlike appearance.][1]



brushed

brushed
brushed 
[brusht] adjective

1.  finished
with soft and fuzzy surface: used to describe a knitted
or woven fabric that has a nap produced by a brushing process during
manufacture

2.  nonreflective:
a metallic surface with a nonreflective sheen

[1]



brushfire

brushfire
brush·fire
noun (plural brush·fires)

1.  fire
in dry brush: a fire in dry brush and scrub that
usually spreads quickly

2.  small
crisis:
a minor crisis, often one of many

3.  a
small war:
a localized but often intensely fought war
adjective

involving local military:
involving only small-scale and local military mobilization

[1]



brushmark

brushmark
brush·mark
[brúsh mrk] (plural brush·marks)
noun

mark left by bristles of
brush: a mark or line left by the
bristles of a brush on a painted or varnished surface[1]



brushoff

brushoff
brush·off 
[brúsh òf] (plural brush·offs)
noun

abrupt dismissal:
an abrupt dismissal, rejection, or snub (informal)[1]



brushoff

brushoff
brush
off
transitive verb

dismiss somebody abruptly:
to dismiss or disregard somebody or something in an abrupt manner[1]



brushstroke

brushstroke
brush·stroke
[brúsh stròk] (plural brush·strokes)
noun

movement or mark of
paintbrush: a movement of a paintbrush
that produces a particular look or mark on a painted surface, or the mark
itself[1]



brushup

brushup
brush
up
transitive verb

refresh knowledge or skill:
to refresh or renew knowledge of or skill in something[1]



brushwood

brushwood
brush·wood 
[brúsh wd] noun

1.  thicket:
a dense undergrowth of small trees and bushes

2.  See
brush 2 noun 2

[1]



brushwork

brushwork
brush·work 
[brúsh wùrk] noun

1.  artist’s
characteristic way of applying paint: the
characteristic manner in which an artist applies paint with a brush

2.  work
done with brush: the product of an artist’s use of a
brush in painting

[1]



brusque

brusque
brusque 
[brusk] adjective

abrupt:
abrupt, blunt, or curt in manner or speech
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, late Latin bruscum “coarse,
rough,” of uncertain origin.]
—brusque·ly,
adverb

—brusque·ness, noun[1]



brusquerie

brusquerie
brus·que·rie 
[brskər, brskər]
noun

curtly
blunt manner: bluntness or abruptness of manner
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from brusque (see brusque
).][1]



Brussels

Brussels
Brus·sels 
[brúss’lz]

the largest city and capital
of Belgium. It is situated in the center of Belgium and is the headquarters of
the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Population: 948,122 (1996)[1]



Brusselscarpet

Brusselscarpet
Brus·sels
car·pet
(plural Brus·sels car·pets) noun

carpet with heavy pile:
a carpet with a heavy patterned pile formed by small woolen loops attached to a
linen base[1]



Brusselsgriffon

Brusselsgriffon
Brus·sels
grif·fon
(plural Brus·sels grif·fons) noun

See
griffon
[So called because the breed
originated in Belgium][1]



Brusselslace

Brusselslace
Brus·sels
lace
noun

1.  fine
lace:
a fine lace with a floral design, made with bobbins or with needle and thread,
that originated in or near Brussels

2.  machine-made
net lace:
a machine-made net lace with an appliqué design

[1]



Brusselssprout

Brusselssprout

Brus·sels
sprout
(plural Brus·sels sprouts) noun

1.  plant
producing edible green buds: a plant related to the
cabbage that has a thick stalk lined with edible swollen green buds resembling
small cabbages. Latin name: Brassica oleracea

2.  green
vegetable like tiny cabbage: a small green swollen bud
like a tiny cabbage that is produced by the Brussels sprout plant and is eaten
as a vegetable.
Also
called
sprout
[First grown near Brussels,
the capital of Belgium][1]



brut

brut
brut 
[broot] adjective

very
dry:
used to describe wine, especially sparkling white wine, that is extremely dry
in taste
[Late 19th century. Via
French, “unsweetened,” literally “rough, unrefined,” from Latin brutus
(see brute ).][1]



brutal

brutal
bru·tal 
[brtəl] adjective

1.  ruthless
and cruel:
extremely ruthless or cruel

2.  harsh
and severe:
unrelentingly harsh and severe • a
brutal regime

3.  direct
in manner:
direct or insensitive in manner or speech • with
brutal frankness

4.  like
an animal:
relating to or typical of beasts or lower animals (archaic)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin brutalis, from Latin
brutus (see brute ).]
—bru·tal·ness, noun[1]



brutalism

brutalism
bru·tal·ism 
[brtəlizzəm] noun

harsh
architectural style: a style of modern
architecture characterized by massiveness, a lack of exterior decoration, harsh
lines, and the use of structural materials such as exposed concrete and service
pipes
[Early
19th century. Ultimately from French beton brut “rough (concrete).”]
—bru·tal·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



brutality

brutality
bru·tal·i·ty 
[broo tálətee] (plural bru·tal·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
cruel:
cruel, harsh, or ruthless behavior or treatment

2.  act
of cruelty:
a cruel, harsh, or ruthless act

[1]



brutalize

brutalize
bru·tal·ize 
[brtə lz] (past bru·tal·ized,
past participle bru·tal·ized, present participle bru·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular bru·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody brutal: to make somebody brutal, inhuman, or
unfeeling

2.  treat
somebody cruelly: to treat somebody brutally, cruelly, or
harshly
—bru·tal·i·za·tion [brootələ záyshən], noun[1]



brutally

brutally
bru·tal·ly
[brtəlee] adverb

1.  cruelly
or harshly:
in a cruel or harsh manner

2.  very
frankly or callously: in an unpleasantly or
insensitively forthright or severe manner • brutally
honest

[1]



brute

brute
brute 
[broot] noun (plural brutes)

1.  somebody
brutal:
somebody who is very cruel, ruthless, or insensitive

2.  animal:
an animal other than a human being (literary)
adjective

1.  purely
physical:
purely physical or instinctive, rather than intellectual or reasoned

2.  cruel
or savage:
displaying extreme cruelty and savagery

3.  stark:
unremittingly harsh or severe

4.  crude
or barbaric: used to describe behavior, actions, or
instincts that are considered crude, especially those prompted by physical
desire and hunger

5.  of
beasts:
relating or belonging to lower animals, as opposed to human beings
[15th
century. Via French brut from Latin brutus “stupid, animal-like.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “heavy,” which is also the
ancestor of English gravity, baritone, and guru
.]
—brut·ism, noun[1]



brutish

brutish
brut·ish 
[brtish] adjective

1.  relating
to beasts:
relating to or characteristic of lower animals

2.  cruel:
cruel, ruthless, or insensitive

3.  coarsely
unintelligent: coarse, crude, unintelligent, or lacking
sensitivity

4.  carnal:
animalistically carnal or sensual
—brut·ish·ly,
adverb

—brut·ish·ness, noun[1]



Brutus,Marcus Junius

Brutus,Marcus Junius

Bru·tus 
[brtəss], Marcus Junius (85 BC ?–42 BC)
Roman general and politician. He sided
with Pompey against Caesar during the civil war (49 BC ), and was a principal conspirator in Caesar’s
assassination (44 BC ). He was
defeated by Mark Antony and Octavian at Philippi (42 BC ), and committed suicide.[1]



bruxism

bruxism
brux·ism 
[brksìzzəm] noun

grinding
of teeth:
the unconscious habit of grinding or gritting the teeth that occurs during
sleep or in stressful situations and can lead to excessive wear of the teeth
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek brukein “to gnash the teeth.”][1]



Bryan

Bryan
Bry·an 
[brən]

city in eastern Texas,
northeast of Austin and northwest of Houston. Population: 58,247 (1996)[1]



Bryant,William Cullen

Bryant,William Cullen

Bry·ant 
[br ənt], William Cullen (1794–1878)
U.S. poet, critic, and editor. His work
included the nature poems “Thanatopsis” ( 1817 ) and “To a Waterfowl”
( 1821 ).[1]



Bryan,William Jennings

Bryan,William Jennings

Bry·an 
[br ən], William Jennings (1860–1925)
U.S. reformer, orator, and lawyer. Three
times the losing Democratic candidate for president, he advocated bimetallism,
notably in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech (1896). As the winning prosecutor
in the Scopes trial (1925), he upheld the right of the states to ban the
teaching of evolution.[1]



BryceCanyon National Park

BryceCanyon National Park
Bryce
Can·yon Na·tion·al Park [brīs
kànyən násh’n’l paark]

national park in southwestern
Utah, established in 1928 and noted for its highly colored, unusually eroded
rock formations. Area: 14,502 hectares/35,835 acres.[1]



Brymner,William

Brymner,William
Brym·ner
[brímmnər], William (1855–1925)

Scottish-born Canadian
painter. He was an influential art teacher and painted Early Morning in
September ( 1899 ).[1]



Brynhild

Brynhild
Bryn·hild 
[brínhìld] noun

Valkyrie in Norse mythology:
in Norse mythology, a Valkyrie who is woken from an enchanted sleep by Sigurd
and later tricked into marrying his brother-in-law, Gunnar[1]



Brynner,Yul

Brynner,Yul
Bryn·ner
[brínnər], Yul (1915–1985)

Mongolian-Romani-born U.S.
actor. He came to the U.S. (1940) and made a career on stage, television and in
the movies. He was closely identified with his role as the king in The King
and I in both stage ( 1951 ) and movie ( 1956 ) versions.[1]



bryo-

bryo-
bryo-
prefix

moss
• bryophyte
[From Greek bruon ;
related to bruein “to teem” (source of English embryo )][1]



bryology

bryology
bry·ol·o·gy 
[brī ləjee] noun

study
of mosses:
the branch of botany concerned with the study of hornworts, mosses, and
liverworts
—bry·o·log·i·cal
[brīə ljikəl], adjective

—bry·ol·o·gist [brī ləjist], noun[1]



bryony

bryony
bry·o·ny 
[br ənee] (plural bry·o·nies)
noun

climbing
plant with berries: a climbing plant that
belongs to the marrow family, has large leaves, tendrils, and red or black
berries, and is found in Europe and North Africa. Genus: Bryonia
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek bruonia, from bruein “to teem” (source of English embryo ).][1]



bryophyte

bryophyte
bry·o·phyte 
[brə ft] (plural bry·o·phytes)
noun

nonflowering
simple plant: a nonflowering plant, often growing in
damp places, that has separate gamete-bearing and spore-bearing forms. Mosses
are bryophytes . Division: Bryophyta
—bry·o·phyt·ic [brīə fíttik], adjective[1]



bryophytelayer

bryophytelayer
bry·o·phyte
lay·er
noun

See
moss layer[1]



bryozoan

bryozoan
bry·o·zo·an 
[brə zṓən] (plural bry·o·zo·ans)
noun

aquatic
animal:
an aquatic invertebrate animal that reproduces by budding. Bryozoans often form
colonies on the sea bottom or attached to seaweed. Phylum: Bryozoa
Also
called
moss animal
Also
called
polyzoan
Also
called
sea mat
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Bryozoa, which was coined from Greek bruon
“moss” + zoion “animal.”]
—bry·o·zo·an, adjective[1]



Brython

Brython
Bryth·on 
[bríth’n, brithón]
(plural Bryth·ons) noun

Breton,
Welsh, or Cornish speaker: somebody who speaks Breton,
Welsh, or Cornish
[Late 19th century. From
Welsh .][1]



Brythonic

Brythonic
Bry·thon·ic 
[bri thónik] or Brit·ton·ic [bri tónik] noun

group
of Celtic languages: a group of languages,
comprising Breton, Welsh, and Cornish, that belongs to the Celtic branch of
Indo-European languages. About one million people speak a Brythonic language.
adjective

of
Brythons:
relating to the Brythons, or their language or culture
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Welsh Brython .][1]



Brébeuf,Jean de, Saint

Brébeuf,Jean de, Saint
Bré·beuf
[bráy bf], Jean de, Saint (1593–1649)

French-born Canadian
missionary. He worked as a Jesuit missionary among the Huron people in Canada
after 1625.[1]



Br’er

Br’er
Br’er
[brair, brur]
noun

Southern U.S.
Southern U.S. pronunciation of “brother”:
a written representation of the way African Americans in the Southern United
States supposedly once pronounced the word “brother” when using it as a form of
address[1]



B.S.

B.S.
B.S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Science

2.  Abbreviation
of
balance sheet

3.  Abbreviation
of
bill of sale

4.  (slang
taboo) Abbreviation of bullshit

[1]



BSA

BSA
BSA

Abbreviation of
Boy Scouts of America[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BSc.

BSc.
BSc.

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Science[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








BSE

BSE
BSE
noun

cattle disease:
a disease that affects the nervous system of cattle, believed to be caused by
an abnormal transmissible protein ( prion )
and related to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Full form bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Also called
mad cow disease[1]



bsh.

bsh.
bsh.

Abbreviation of
bushel[1]



Bshare

Bshare
B
share
(plural B shares) noun

type of unit trust:
a type of unit trust investment in which the main charges are levied toward the
end of the investment period[1]



Bs/L

Bs/L
Bs/L

Abbreviation of
bills of lading[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








B.S.N.

B.S.N.
B.S.N.
(plural B.S.N.s)

Abbreviation of
Bachelor of Science in Nursing[1]



BST

BST
BST

Abbreviation of
bovine somatotropin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Bt.

Bt.
Bt.

Abbreviation of
baronet[1]



btl.

btl.
btl.

Abbreviation of
bottle[1]



btry.

btry.
btry.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of battery[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








btu

btu
btu
or BTU

Abbreviation of
British thermal unit[1]



BTW

BTW
BTW
or btw

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of by the way[1]



bty.

bty.
bty.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of battery[1]



bu.

bu.
bu.

1.  Abbreviation
of
bureau

2.  Abbreviation
of
bushel

[1]



buaya

buaya
buaya
[bwá ya] (plural buayas) noun

Malaysia,
Singapore male flirt: a man
who tends to flirt (informal)
[From Malay, literally
“crocodile”][1]



bub

bub
bub 
[bub] (plural bubs) noun

unnamed
male person: used as a term of address to an unnamed
male person, especially one encountered and spoken to casually (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
and alteration of brother .][1]



bubal

bubal
bu·bal 
[by bəl] (plural bu·bal or
bu·bals) noun

northern
African antelope: a large hartebeest of northern Africa.
Latin name: Alcephalus boselaphus
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Latin bubalus from Greek boubalos “gazelle.”][1]



bubba

bubba
bub·ba
[búbbə] (plural bub·bas) noun
Southern U.S.

1.  brother:
a brother or friend who is close enough to regard as a brother (often used
as a term of address between friends or brothers)

2.  stereotyped
Southern man: a term referring to a stereotype of
rural Caucasian Southern men as uneducated and socially unadvanced (slang,
sometimes humorous, sometimes used as an insult)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of brother .][1]



bubble

bubble
bub·ble 
[búbbəl] noun (plural bub·bles)

1.  thin
globe-shaped film: a thin film of something,
usually spherical or dome-shaped and filled with air or a gas

2.  something
like a bubble: something spherical or dome-shaped like
a bubble

3.  globule
within liquid or solid: a globule of air or a gas
within a liquid or a solid, for example, in a soft drink or in glass

4.  gurgling
sound:
a gurgling sound made by a boiling or effervescent liquid

5.  sound
of many bubbles bursting: a sound produced by bubbles
forming and bursting

6.  dome:
a dome, usually made of transparent glass or plastic

7.  protected
area:
a protected, isolated, or exempted area

8.  false
confidence:
a false feeling of confidence or security • The
rocketing housing market is a bubble that will surely burst.

9.  risky
plan:
a risky or unreliable business enterprise or speculative plan, especially one
proving to be fraudulent or unsuccessful
verb
(past bub·bled, past participle bub·bled, present
participle bub·bling, 3rd person present singular bub·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
effervesce
or boil up:
to form or produce spherical or dome-shaped pockets of air or gas in a liquid

2.  intransitive
verb
gurgle:
to move or flow with a gurgling sound

3.  intransitive
verb
emerge
or appear:
to emerge or rise to the surface

4.  intransitive
verb
be
especially lively with emotion: to be animated with or
display an emotion such as excitement, happiness, or anger • bubbling
with mirth

5.  transitive
verb
express
something enthusiastically: to say something with great
animation and friendly enthusiasm

6.  transitive
verb
make
something bubble: to cause something to form bubbles or to
move in bubbles through a liquid
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of bubbling water.][1]



bubblebath

bubblebath
bub·ble
bath
(plural bub·ble baths) noun

1.  foam
bath preparation: a usually perfumed and colored
preparation in liquid or crystal form that is added to bath water in order to
make it foam

2.  bath
containing foam: a bath to which a preparation has been
added to make the bath water foam

[1]



bubblechamber

bubblechamber
bub·ble
cham·ber
(plural bub·ble cham·bers) noun

chamber showing particle
trail: a chamber containing a
liquid, usually liquid hydrogen just above its boiling point, in which the
trail of a particle can be observed as a line of bubbles created by the
particle.
See also
cloud chamber[1]



bubblegum

bubblegum
bub·ble
gum
noun

chewing gum that forms
bubbles: a type of chewing gum that
can be blown from the mouth into large bubbles[1]



bubblehead

bubblehead
bub·ble·head 
[búbbəl hèd] (plural bub·ble·heads)
noun

(slang insult) See
airhead 1 noun[1]



bubble-jetprinter

bubble-jetprinter
bub·ble-jet
print·er
(plural bub·ble-jet print·ers) noun

type of inkjet printer:
a printer in which ink is heated to form bubbles that burst onto the paper.
Also called
thermal inkjet printer[1]



bubblememory

bubblememory
bub·ble
mem·o·ry
noun

type of computer memory:
a type of computer memory in which data is stored in the form of binary digits
represented by the presence or absence of minute areas of magnetization in a
semiconductor[1]



bubblepack

bubblepack
bub·ble
pack
(plural bub·ble packs) noun

See
blister pack[1]



bubblepoint

bubblepoint
bub·ble
point
(plural bub·ble points) noun

temperature at which liquid
bubbles: the temperature at which
vapor bubbles start to appear when a liquid mixture is heated[1]



bubbler

bubbler
bub·bler 
[búbblər] (plural bub·blers) noun

1.  U.S.,
Australia drinking fountain:
a drinking fountain, especially one that spouts water from a vertical nozzle (regional)

2.  device
that bubbles gas through liquid: a device for bubbling
gas through a liquid

3.  something
that bubbles: something that emits bubbles, for
example, a mountain spring
[Early 18th century, when the
sense was usually “swindler”][1]



bubbletop

bubbletop
bub·ble
top
(plural bub·ble tops) noun

1.  transparent
dome:
a transparent glass or plastic dome used in building, for example, one forming
a roof over a swimming pool

2.  transparent
dome used as vehicle top: a transparent dome, usually
made of bulletproof plastic or glass, that forms the top or roof of a motor
vehicle, for example, one in which a head of state rides

3.  vehicle
with transparent dome as roof: a motor vehicle that
has a top or roof consisting of a transparent dome, usually made of bulletproof
plastic or glass
—bub·ble·top, adjective[1]



bubbly

bubbly
bub·bly 
[búblee] adjective (comparative
bub·bli·er, superlative bub·bli·est)

1.  foamy
or effervescent: full of or producing bubbles

2.  like
bubbles:
resembling a bubble or bubbles

3.  cheerfully
excited:
feeling and exhibiting cheerful excitement
noun

champagne:
sparkling wine, especially champagne (informal)
—bub·bli·ness, noun[1]



Buber,Martin

Buber,Martin
Bu·ber 
[bbər], Martin (1878–1965)

Austrian-born Israeli
theologian and philosopher. He was an intellectual leader of German Jews before
World War II and expounded his influential religious philosophy of dialogue in
his best-known work, I and Thou ( 1922 ).[1]



bubo

bubo
bu·bo 
[bybō] (plural bu·boes) noun

swelling
in armpit or groin: swelling and inflammation of
a lymph node, especially in the area of the armpit or groin
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek boubōn “swelling in the groin.”][1]



bubonic

bubonic
bu·bon·ic
[boo bónnik] adjective

swollen:
used to describe a swelling ( bubo ) of the
lymph nodes[1]



bubonicplague

bubonicplague
bu·bon·ic
plague 
noun

infectious
epidemic disease: an infectious fatal epidemic disease
caused by a bacterium transmitted by fleas that have bitten an infected host,
and characterized by fever, chills, and the formation of swellings ( buboes ). In the 14th century, an extensive
epidemic of it occurred known as the Black Death. In modern times, infection is
limited and sporadic and can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Latin
name: Yersinia pestis
[Formed from Latin bubon-,
the stem of bubo bubo][1]



bubonocele

bubonocele
bu·bon·o·cele 
[boo bónə sl] (plural bu·bon·o·celes)
noun

hernia
of groin:
an incomplete hernia of the groin accompanied by swelling
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek boubōnokēlē, literally “groin rupture.”][1]



buccal

buccal
buc·cal 
[bkəl] adjective

1.  of
cheeks:
relating to or forming part of the cheek • the
buccal surface of a tooth

2.  of
the mouth:
relating to the mouth
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin bucca “cheek” (source also of English buckle and embouchure
).][1]



buccaneer

buccaneer
buc·ca·neer 
[bùkə nr] noun (plural buc·ca·neers)

1.  pirate:
a pirate, especially one who preyed on Spanish colonies and shipping in the
West Indies in the 17th century

2.  unscrupulous
adventurer or businessperson: a ruthless or unscrupulous
adventurer, businessperson, or politician
intransitive
verb
(past buc·ca·neered, past participle buc·ca·neered,
present participle buc·ca·neer·ing, 3rd person present
singular buc·ca·neers)

act like buccaneer:
to be or behave like a buccaneer
[Mid-17th
century. From French boucanier, from boucaner “to cook over an
open fire.” The underlying meaning is “a hunter who cooks or cures meat
outdoors.”]
—buc·ca·neer·ish,
adjective

—buc·ca·neer·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



buccinator

buccinator
buc·ci·na·tor 
[bùksə náytər] (plural buc·ci·na·tors)
noun

cheek
muscle:
a flat thin muscle that compresses the cheek and is used in blowing and chewing
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, formed from buccinare “to blow the trumpet,” from buccina,
a kind of trumpet.][1]



Bucephalus

Bucephalus
Bu·ceph·a·lus 
[byoo sséffələss] noun

Alexander the Great’s horse:
the favorite war horse of Alexander the Great, which he tamed when still a boy[1]



Buchanan,James

Buchanan,James

Bu·chan·an 
[by kánnən, bə
kánnən], James (1791–1868)
U.S. statesman and 15th president of the
United States. A Federalist turned Democrat, he was a U.S. Representative
(1821–1823), Senator (1834–1845), and secretary of state (1845–1849). During
his presidency (1857–1861) he was unable to avert the Civil War (1861–1865).[1]



Bucharest

Bucharest
Bu·cha·rest 
[bkə rèst]

the largest city and capital
of Romania. It is situated on a plain in the southeastern part of the country,
north of the Danube River. Population: 2,339,156 (1994)[1]



Buchenwald

Buchenwald
Bu·chen·wald 
[bóokk ən wàwld, bkk
ən wàwld]

village near Weimar, central
Germany that was the site of a World War II Nazi concentration camp (1937–1945)[1]



Buchnerfunnel

Buchnerfunnel
Buch·ner
fun·nel
[búknər funn’l] (plural Buch·ner
fun·nels) or Büch·ner fun·nel [búknər
funn’l] noun

filter
funnel:
a cylindrical funnel, usually made of porcelain, with a flat perforated base
through which liquids are drawn and filtered under reduced pressure
[Named for the German chemist
Eduard Büchner 1860–1917][1]



buchu

buchu
bu·chu 
[b koo] (plural bu·chus or
bu·chu) or bu·cku [b koo]
(plural bu·ckus or bu·cku) noun

southern
African shrub: a southern African shrub with leaves
that are used as a mild diuretic and urinary antiseptic. Genus: Agathosma
[Mid-18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Nama .][1]



Buchwald,Art

Buchwald,Art
Buch·wald
[búk wàwld], Art (1925– )

U.S.
journalist. His popular column, first appearing in the International Herald
Tribune and later widely syndicated in the United States, offered a
satirical view of American life and politics.
Full name
Buchwald, Arthur[1]



buck

buck2
buck2 [buk]
verb (past bucked, past participle bucked, present
participle buck·ing, 3rd person present singular bucks)

1.  intransitive
verb
jump
upward:
to jump or rear upward with the back arched and the legs stiff

2.  transitive
verb
throw
rider:
to throw a rider by rearing or jumping upward on the hind legs or forelegs

3.  intransitive
verb
make
jolting motion: to move in a jerky or erratic manner

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb stand
in opposition: to oppose or resist something
obstinately (informal)

5.  intransitive
verb
strive
with determination for something: to use grit and
determination in striving for something, typically over the long term (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
gamble
against something: to take a risk against
something • buck
the odds

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb butt
with lowered head: to charge against somebody
or something with the head lowered

8.  transitive
verb
FOOTBALL charge
into somebody: to charge into an opposing teammate or
into an opposing line
noun
(plural bucks)

act of bucking:
the movement or action of bucking
[Mid-19th century. From buck 1 .
Originally, it referred to the motions of a copulating male rabbit.][1]



buck

buck3
buck3 [buk]
(plural bucks) noun U.S. Canada Australia,
New Zealand (informal)

1.  dollar:
a United States, Canadian, Australian, or New Zealand dollar

2.  amount
of money:
a specified or unspecified amount of money
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of buckskin, used as a unit of exchange on
the American frontier.][1]



buck

buck1
buck1 [buk]
noun (plural bucks)

1.  male
animal:
a male animal of some species, including antelope, deer, goat, kangaroo, and
rabbit

2.  (plural
buck or bucks) South Africa antelope
or deer:
an antelope or deer of either sex

3.  See
buckskin  noun 1

4.  article
made of buckskin: an article made of buckskin, for example
a shoe

5.  virile
young man:
a man, especially a strong, virile, impetuous, or spirited young man (informal
dated)

6.  dandy
or fop:
a young man who takes elaborate care to be neat and stylish (archaic)
adjective

of lowest grade:
of the lowest grade within a particular military category
[Old English buc “male
deer” and bucca “male goat”][1]



buck

buck5
buck5 [buk]
(past bucked, past participle bucked, present
participle buck·ing, 3rd person present singular bucks,
plural bucks) noun

marker
in poker:
a counter or marker formerly used in poker and passed from one player to
another to indicate some obligation, especially somebody’s turn to deal
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain.]
pass
the buck

to shift responsibility to
somebody else (informal)[1]



buck

buck4
buck4 [buk]
(plural bucks) noun

1.  vaulting
horse:
a covered block used as a vaulting horse

2.  See
sawhorse
[Early 19th century. From buck 1 .][1]



buckaroo

buckaroo
buck·a·roo 
[bùkə r] (plural buck·a·roos)
or buck·er·oo [bùkə r] (plural
buck·er·oos) noun

1.  cowboy:
a cowhand in the southwestern United States (informal)

2.  broncobuster:
a cowhand who breaks wild horses
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of Spanish vaquero “cowboy,” under the influence of buck 2 .][1]



buckbean

buckbean
buck·bean 
[búk bn] (plural buck·beans) noun

flowering
marsh plant: a marsh plant of the gentian family that
has white, pink, or purplish flowers and is native to the northern hemisphere.
Latin name: Menyanthes trifoliata
Also
called
bogbean
[Late 16th century.
Translation of Flemish boks boonen “goat’s beans.”][1]



buckboard

buckboard
buck·board 
[búk bàwrd] (plural buck·boards)
noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
an open four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with the seat or seats mounted on a
flexible board between the front and rear axles
[Late 17th century. Buck from
an obsolete word meaning “belly, body (of a wagon).”][1]



buckeroo

buckeroo
buck·er·oo 
noun

See
buckaroo[1]



bucket

bucket
buck·et 
[búkit] noun (plural buck·ets)

1.  cylindrical
container:
a container, usually cylindrical in shape with an open top and a semicircular
handle, used for catching or holding liquids or solids

2.  bucketful:
the contents of a bucket or the amount that a bucket will hold

3.  large
quantity:
a very large quantity or amount of something (informal) (often used
in the plural)

4.  something
like a bucket: something resembling or suggesting a
bucket in shape or function, for example, a compartment on the outer edge of a
water wheel

5.  machine
part:
any of various machine parts that resemble a bucket, for example, the scoop on
a front-end loader

6.  food
container:
a large plastic or paper container for food, for example, fried chicken or ice
cream

7.  TRANSPORT See bucket seat

8.  BASKETBALL See basket  noun 4
verb
(past buck·et·ed, past participle buck·et·ed, present
participle buck·et·ing, 3rd person present singular buck·ets)

1.  transitive
verb
carry
or put something in bucket: to carry, hold, lift, or put
something in a bucket

2.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move or drive fast, jerkily, haphazardly, or recklessly (informal) • We
went bucketing down the freeway.
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman buket, of Germanic origin.]
kick
the bucket

to die (slang)[1]



bucketbrigade

bucketbrigade
buck·et
bri·gade
(plural buck·et bri·gades) noun

line of people with buckets:
a line of people formed to pass buckets of water from hand to hand, especially
to put out a fire[1]



bucketful

bucketful
buck·et·ful
[búkitfl] (plural buck·et·fuls)
noun

1.  amount
in bucket:
the contents of a bucket or the amount that a bucket will hold

2.  huge
quantity:
a very large quantity or amount of something (usually plural)

[1]



bucketladder

bucketladder
buck·et
lad·der
(plural buck·et lad·ders) noun

chain of buckets:
a continuous chain of buckets used for excavating land or dredging riverbeds (hyphenated
when used before a noun) • bucket-ladder
dredger[1]



bucketseat

bucketseat
buck·et
seat
(plural buck·et seats) noun

low seat in vehicle:
an individual seat with a rounded back in a vehicle or aircraft.
Also called
bucket[1]



bucketshop

bucketshop
buck·et
shop
(plural buck·et shops) noun

dishonest
stockbrokerage: a dishonest unregistered stockbrokerage
that speculates and gambles on stocks and commodities using its client’s
capital
[Originally referring to
saloons selling small amounts of liquor in buckets][1]



buckeye

buckeye
buck·eye 
[búk ] (plural buck·eyes) noun

1.  (plural
buck·eyes or buck·eye) poisonous
horse-chestnut tree: a poisonous tree or shrub of
the horse-chestnut family that is native to North America and has large shiny
brown seeds encased in a prickly or smooth covering. Genus: Aesculus

2.  fruit
or poisonous seed of buckeye: a prickly or smooth fruit of
the buckeye tree or the large brown poisonous seed it contains
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from buck 1 + eye, because of the seed’s resemblance to a deer’s
eye.][1]



Buckeye

Buckeye
Buck·eye
[búk ] (plural Buck·eyes) noun

Ohioan:
a native or resident of Ohio (informal)[1]



buckfever

buckfever
buck
fe·ver
noun (informal)

1.  nervous
excitement of novice hunter: nervous excitement felt by
an inexperienced hunter at the sight of game

2.  nervous
excitement:
nervous excitement felt by somebody faced with a new situation, experience, or
responsibility

[1]



buckhorn

buckhorn
buck·horn 
[búk hàwrn] (plural buck·horns)
noun

1.  horn
of buck:
the horn of a male deer or antelope

2.  material
from a buck’s horn: the material from the horn
of a male deer or antelope, used to make handles for knives and tools

3.  (plural
buck·horns or buck·horn) plant
with leaves resembling animal’s horn: a
plant of Europe and Asia with leaves shaped like the horn of a deer or
antelope. Latin name: Plantago coronopus

[1]



buckhound

buckhound
buck·hound 
[búk hòwnd] (plural buck·hounds)
noun

hunting hound:
a hound used for chasing game, especially deer[1]



BuckinghamPalace

BuckinghamPalace
Buck·ing·ham
Pal·ace
[bùkingəm pálləss, búking
ham pàlless] noun

London residence of British
monarch: the official London
residence of the British monarch. It was built in 1703 for John Sheffield, Duke
of Buckingham and Normandy, and rebuilt by John Nash in the early 19th century.[1]



buckle

buckle
buck·le 
[búkəl] noun (plural buck·les)

1.  metal
fastener:
a clasp, typically consisting of a metal frame with a hinged prong, for
fastening two loose ends, especially of a belt, shoe, or strap

2.  ornament
resembling buckle: an ornament that resembles a
buckle, for example, on a shoe or a hat

3.  a
bulge, bend, or kink: a bend or kink in something,
for example, a rope, or a bulge in something, for example, a piece of wood
verb
(past buck·led, past participle buck·led, present
participle buck·ling, 3rd person present singular buck·les)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
something with buckle: to fasten something, for
example, a shoe or seat belt, with a buckle, or to be fastened with such a
device

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
or cause something to bend: to bend out of shape, warp,
or crumple, usually because of heat or pressure, or to distort something in
this way

3.  intransitive
verb
collapse:
to collapse or lose strength completely, sometimes as a result of a structural
defect or weakness

4.  intransitive
verb
give
in:
to succumb or yield to pressure, especially emotional strain or fear
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman bucle and Old French bocle from Latin buccula
“cheek strap of a helmet,” from bucca “cheek.”][1]



buckledown

buckledown
buckle
down
intransitive verb

start to work:
to set out to accomplish something with vigor or determination (informal)[1]



buckler

buckler
buck·ler 
[búklər] noun (plural buck·lers)

1.  shield:
a small round shield either worn on the forearm or held by a short handle at
arm’s length

2.  means
of protection: a defense or means of protection (literary)
transitive
verb
(past buck·lered, past participle buck·lered, present
participle buck·ler·ing, 3rd person present singular buck·lers)

protect somebody or something:
to shield or defend somebody or something with a buckler (archaic)
[13th century. From Old
French bocler, from bocle “boss of a shield” (see buckle ).][1]



bucklerfern

bucklerfern
buck·ler
fern
(plural buck·ler ferns) noun

fern:
a perennial deciduous or semi-evergreen fern that grows to about 1 m/3 ft in
height. There is a broad buckler fern and a narrow buckler fern. Genus: Dryopteris
[So called because of the kidney-shaped
flap of tissue covering the receptacle in which its spores are formed][1]



buckleunder

buckleunder
buckle
under
intransitive verb

give in:
to give in under pressure or stress[1]



buckleup

buckleup
buckle
up
intransitive and transitive verb

fasten seatbelt:
to fasten the buckle on a seatbelt, for example, in a motor vehicle or an
aircraft[1]



Buckley,William F. Jr.

Buckley,William F. Jr.

Buck·ley 
[búklee], William F. Jr. (1925– )
U.S.
writer and editor. A conservative political commentator, he was founding editor
of the National Review (1955) and host of the television program “Firing
Line” (1966). His books include The Culture of Liberty ( 1993 ).
Full name
Buckley, William Frank Jr.[1]



buckminsterfullerene

buckminsterfullerene
buck·min·ster·ful·ler·ene
[bùkminstər flərn] noun

form
of carbon found in minerals: a stable form of carbon
containing 60 carbon atoms
[Late 20th century. From the
molecule’s resemblance to the geodesic dome structure invented by the U.S.
architect R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983).][1]



buck-naked

buck-naked
buck-na·ked 
or buck na·ked adjective

nude:
wearing no clothes at all (regional)[1]



bucko

bucko
buck·o 
[búkō] (plural buck·os) noun

1.  swaggering
bully:
a swaggering bully or bossy person (slang)

2.  Ireland,
U.S. male
person:
a boy or man (informal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from buck 1 .][1]



buck-passing

buck-passing
buck-pass·ing 
noun

shifting
of responsibility: the shifting of blame or
responsibility to somebody else (informal)
[From
buck 5]
—buck-pass·er, noun[1]



Buck,Pearl S.

Buck,Pearl S.

Buck 
[buk], Pearl S. (1892–1973)
U.S.
writer. Best known for novels depicting Chinese life, such as the Pulitzer
Prize-winning The Good Earth ( 1931 ). She won the Nobel Prize in
literature in 1938.
Born
Sydenstricker, Pearl[1]



buckram

buckram
buck·ram 
[búkrəm] noun

stiff
fabric:
a coarse cotton or linen fabric that has been stiffened with starch, gum, or
latex. It is used in bookbinding and for stiffening garments.
adjective

like
buckram:
resembling buckram in rigidity
transitive
verb
(past buck·ramed, past participle buck·ramed, present
participle buck·ram·ing, 3rd person present singular buck·rams)

stiffen
something with buckram: to stiffen or strengthen
something with buckram
[14th century. From Old
French boquerant “cloth from Bukhara.”][1]



bucks

bucks
bucks
[buks] plural noun

buckskin breeches or shoes:
buckskin breeches or shoes, especially casual oxford shoes[1]



bucksaw

bucksaw
buck·saw 
[búk sò] (plural buck·saws) noun

woodcutting
saw:
a woodcutting saw in which the blade is set in an H-shaped frame
[Mid-19th century. From buck 4 .][1]



buckshot

buckshot
buck·shot 
[búk shòt] noun

lead shot:
a large size of lead shot used in shotgun shells, especially for hunting game[1]



buckskin

buckskin
buck·skin 
[búk skìn] noun (plural buck·skins)

1.  deerskin:
the skin of a male deer.
Also
called
buck

2.  soft
leather:
a soft pliable grayish yellow leather, usually with a suede finish, originally
made from deerskin and now usually from sheepskin

3.  somebody
wearing buckskin: somebody wearing clothes made of
buckskin, especially an early American living in the backwoods or an early
frontier soldier (archaic)

4.  grayish
yellow horse: a horse of a grayish yellow color
plural
noun
buck·skins

buckskin garments:
clothing made from buckskin leather, especially jackets, chaps, hats, and
moccasins
adjective

grayish yellow:
grayish yellow in color

[1]



buckthorn

buckthorn
buck·thorn 
[búk thàwrn] (plural buck·thorns
or buck·thorn) noun

thorny
shrub or small tree: a thorny shrub or small tree
with greenish flowers and black berries that were formerly used as a purgative.
Genus: Rhamnus
[Late 16th century.
Translation of modern Latin cervi spina “stag’s thorn.”][1]



bucktooth

bucktooth
buck·tooth 
[bùk tth] (plural buck·teeth)
noun

protruding
upper front tooth: a protruding upper front
tooth (informal)
—buck·toothed, adjective[1]



bucku

bucku
buck·u
noun

See
buchu[1]



buckup

buckup
buck
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become more cheerful: to raise the morale or
spirits of somebody or to become more cheerful, confident, or encouraged (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
hurry
up:
to hurry or act more quickly (informal dated)

[1]



buckwheat

buckwheat
buck·wheat 
[búk wt, búk
hwt] noun

1.  plant
with edible seed: an Asian plant grown for its edible
triangular seeds. Latin name: Fagopyrum esculentum

2.  edible
seed:
the seed produced by the buckwheat plant. It is cooked as a cereal, ground into
flour, or used as animal fodder.
[Mid-16th century.
Anglicization of Middle Dutch boecweite, literally “beech wheat,” so
called because its grains resemble beech nuts.][1]



buckyball

buckyball
buck·y·ball
[búki bàwl] (plural buck·y·balls)
noun

ball-shaped
carbon molecule: a ball-shaped carbon molecule found in
stable forms of carbon ( fullerenes ),
especially the molecule containing 60 carbon atoms ( buckminsterfullerene
). It sometimes occurs naturally but is usually synthesized. (informal)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Bucky, the nickname of R. Buckminster Fuller (see buckminsterfullerene ) + ball .][1]



bucolic

bucolic
bu·col·ic 
[byoo kólik] adjective

1.  of
the countryside: relating to or characteristic of the
countryside, country people, or country life • a
writer of bucolic poems

2.  of
shepherds:
relating to or characteristic of shepherds, herdsmen, or flocks
noun
(plural bu·col·ics)

1.  LITERATURE pastoral
poem:
a poem about the countryside or country life

2.  country
person:
a farmer, shepherd, or other person from the country
[Early
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek boukolos, literally
“cowherd.”]
—bu·col·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



bud

bud1
bud1 [bud]
noun (plural buds)

1.  outgrowth
on plant stem: an outgrowth on a stem or branch
consisting of a shortened stem and immature leaves or flowers, often enclosed
by protective scales

2.  unopened
flower:
a flower that has not yet opened

3.  ZOOLOGY reproductive
outgrowth of simple organism: an asexually produced
outgrowth of a simple organism, for example, an invertebrate or a yeast, that
breaks away from the parent and develops into a new individual

4.  something
resembling plant bud: something shaped like a
plant bud

5.  somebody
or something immature: somebody or something that
is small, immature, or not yet fully developed
verb
(past bud·ded, past participle bud·ded, present
participle bud·ding, 3rd person present singular buds)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
plant buds:
to produce outgrowths that develop into flowers or leaves

2.  intransitive
verb
start
to grow:
to start to develop or grow from a plant bud

3.  intransitive
verb
begin
to develop:
to begin to develop or grow from something small into another, usually larger,
thing • Seeds
of dissent are budding in the heartland.

4.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY reproduce
asexually:
to reproduce asexually by producing an outgrowth that eventually separates to
form a new individual, as occurs in invertebrates and yeasts

5.  transitive
verb
GARDENING graft
bud into another plant: to insert a bud from one
plant into the bark of another, usually one of a different variety, in order to
propagate a plant from the bud
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—bud·der,
noun

—bud·less,
adjective
nip
something in the bud

to put an end to a plan or
idea before it can be developed (informal)[1]



bud

bud2
bud2 [bud]
noun

(informal)
See buddy
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



Budapest




Back to definition

Budapest

[1]



Budapest

Budapest

Bu·da·pest 
[bdə pèst, bdə
pèsht]
capital and largest city of Hungary. It
is situated on the Danube River in northern Hungary near the Slovak border.
Population: 1,930,000 (1995)[1]



Budapest

Budapest

Bu·da·pest 
[bdə pèst, bdə
pèsht]
capital and largest city of Hungary. It
is situated on the Danube River in northern Hungary near the Slovak border.
Population: 1,930,000 (1995)[1]



buddha

buddha
bud·dha
[bddə] (plural bud·dhas) or
Bud·dha [bddə] (plural Bud·dhas)
noun

1.  somebody
enlightened: somebody who has achieved a state of
perfect enlightenment, in accord with the teachings of the Buddha

2.  image
of Buddha:
a statue, picture, or other representation of the Buddha
[Late 17th century. From
Sanskrit, the past participle of budh- “to wake up, be enlightened.”][1]



Buddha

Buddha

Bud·dha 
[bddə] (563? BC–483? BC)
Nepalese-born
Indian philosopher, he renounced his life as a prince. He attained
enlightenment about 528 BC and
developed and taught the doctrines of Buddhism.
Born
Gautama, Siddharta Known as Sakyamuni[1]



Buddhahood

Buddhahood
Bud·dha·hood 
[bddəhd] noun

enlightenment:
the state of spiritual enlightenment attained by the Buddha[1]



Buddhism

Buddhism
Bud·dhism 
[bddìzzəm] noun

Eastern religion:
a world religion or philosophy based on the teaching of the Buddha and holding
that a state of enlightenment can be attained by suppressing worldly desires[1]



Buddhist

Buddhist
Bud·dhist
[bddist] noun (plural Bud·dhists)

believer
in Buddhism: somebody who believes in and practices
Buddhism
adjective

of
Buddhism:
relating to, associated with, or practicing Buddhism
—Bud·dhis·tic [boo dístik], adjective[1]



budding

budding
bud·ding 
[búdding] adjective

promising:
beginning to show a particular talent • a
budding actor
noun

1.  BOTANY development
of buds:
the formation and growth of buds on a plant stem

2.  GARDENING grafting
a bud:
artificial propagation, especially of woody plants, by grafting a bud from one
variety onto the stem of another

3.  ZOOLOGY asexual
reproduction: a form of asexual reproduction in which
an outgrowth of the parent becomes constricted and eventually separates to form
a new individual, as occurs in invertebrates and yeasts

[1]



buddle

buddle
bud·dle 
[búddəl] (plural bud·dles) noun

trough
for washing ore: a sloping trough in which crushed ore is
separated from waste by washing with water
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



buddleia

buddleia
bud·dle·ia 
(plural bud·dle·ias or bud·dle·ia) noun

ornamental
shrub with purple flowers: a deciduous ornamental shrub
or small tree that is native to warm regions and has tapering heads of small,
scented, purple flowers that attract butterflies. Latin name: Buddleja
davidii
Also
called
butterfly bush
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, after the English botanist Adam Buddle (d.
1715).][1]



buddy

buddy
bud·dy 
[búddee] noun (plural bud·dies)

1.  friend:
a good friend, colleague, companion, or partner (informal)

2.  term
of address for male: a form of address to a man
or boy (informal) • Hey,
buddy!

3.  helper
to AIDS patient: a volunteer who gives help and support
to someone who has AIDS
intransitive
verb
(past bud·died, past participle bud·died, present
participle bud·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular bud·dies)

act as AIDS helper:
to act as a helper to someone with AIDS
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of brother
.][1]



buddy-buddy

buddy-buddy
bud·dy-bud·dy 
adjective

outwardly friendly:
appearing to enjoy a close friendship (informal)[1]



buddystores

buddystores
bud·dy
stores
plural noun

aircraft fuel tanks:
fuel tanks on a host aircraft from which fuel can be transferred to another
plane during flight[1]



buddysystem

buddysystem
bud·dy
sys·tem
noun

pairing for mutual safety or
assistance: an arrangement by which
individuals are paired for mutual safety, for example, in mountain climbing[1]



buddyup

buddyup
buddy
up
intransitive verb

team up with somebody:
to become friends with or work closely with somebody else (informal)[1]



budge

budge2
budge2 [buj]
noun

fur: a
type of fur, usually made of lambskin, worn with the wool outward and formerly
used as a trimming on academic or official gowns
adjective

1.  with
fur:
made from, trimmed with, or lined with budge

2.  formal
or stiff:
formal, pompous, solemn, or stiff (archaic)
[Origin uncertain][1]



budge

budge1
budge1 [buj]
(past budged, past participle budged, present
participle budg·ing, 3rd person present singular budg·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  move:
to move, or to alter the position of something by movement (usually with
negatives) • I tried moving the
machine, but it wouldn’t budge.

2.  change
opinion:
to change or make somebody change an attitude, decision, or opinion • Once
she’s made up her mind, no amount of persuasion will budge her.
[Late 16th century. Via
French bouger from assumed Vulgar Latin bullicare, literally “to
keep bubbling up,” from Latin bullire (see boil 1 ).][1]



Budge,Don

Budge,Don
Budge 
[buj], Don (1915– )

U.S.
tennis player. One of the greatest players of his generation, he was the first
tennis player ever to win a grand slam (1938).
Full name
Budge, John Donald[1]



budgerigar

budgerigar


budg·er·i·gar 
[bújəri ghr] (plural budg·er·i·gars)
noun
small
bird:
a small bright green parrot with a yellow head, found in flocks in arid areas
of central Australia. It is a popular domestic pet around the world and is bred
in captivity for its bright plumage. Latin name: Melopsittacus undulatus
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Yuwaalaraay gijirigaa .][1]



budget

budget
budg·et 
[bújət] noun (plural budg·ets)

1.  summary
of income and spending: an often itemized estimate
of income and spending, for example, of a country or company, during a
specified period. It sometimes includes systematic proposals as to how expenses
will be met.

2.  plan
for allocating resources: a plan specifying how
resources, for example, time or money, will be spent or allocated during a
particular period

3.  money
for specific purpose: the total amount of money
allocated or needed for a specific purpose or period of time

4.  quantity
or supply:
a specified quantity, stock, or supply

5.  bag
or pouch:
a bag, pouch, or wallet (regional)
adjective

cheap or economical:
suitable for people with a limited amount of money to spend
verb
(past budg·et·ed, past participle budg·et·ed, present
participle budg·et·ing, 3rd person present singular budg·ets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb plan
spending:
to plan the allocation, expenditure, or use of resources, especially money or
time

2.  transitive
verb
enter
in budget:
to make provision for something or enter something in a budget

3.  intransitive
verb
live
within spending limits: to live within a budget • Having
budgeted well all their lives, they can afford to retire early.
[15th century. Via Old French
bougette “leather pouch, purse” from, ultimately, Latin bulga
“leather sack” (see bulge ).][1]



budgetary

budgetary
budg·et·ar·y
[bújətèree] adjective

of budgets:
relating to budgets[1]



budgetdeficit

budgetdeficit
budg·et
def·i·cit
(plural budg·et def·i·cits) noun

government debt:
the amount of government expenditure that exceeds revenue[1]



budgeter

budgeter
budg·et·er
[bújətər] (plural budg·et·ers
[bujə tr]) noun

1.  maker
of budget:
somebody who draws up a budget

2.  somebody
confined by budget: somebody who is limited to a
budget

[1]



budgie

budgie
budg·ie 
[bújee] (plural budg·ies) noun

budgerigar:
a budgerigar, especially one kept as a domestic pet (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



budscale

budscale
bud
scale
(plural bud scales) noun

protective leaf:
any of the scaly leaves that form a protective sheath around a plant bud and
are sometimes hairy or resinous[1]



budworm

budworm
bud·worm 
[búd wùrm] (plural bud·worms) noun

larva of moth:
a moth larva that feeds on conifer buds and is one of the most destructive
pests in North America. Latin name: Harmolga fumiferana[1]



BuenaPark

BuenaPark
Bue·na
Park 
[bwàynə prk]

city in southern California,
southeast of Los Angeles. Population: 71,999 (1996)[1]



BuenaVista

BuenaVista
Bue·na
Vis·ta 
[bwàynə vístə, bwènaa
vstaa]

village in Coahuila State,
Mexico, the site of an American victory in the Mexican War in 1847[1]



Bueno,Maria

Bueno,Maria
Bue·no
[bwáynō], Maria (1940– )

Brazilian
tennis player. She won singles titles at the U.S. championships (1959, 1963,
1964, 1966) and at Wimbledon (1959, 1960, and 1964).
Full name
Bueno, Marie Ester Audion[1]



BuenosAires




Back to definition

BuenosAires

[1]



BuenosAires

BuenosAires

Bue·nos Ai·res 
[bwàynəss reez, bwreez]
capital and largest city of Argentina,
situated in the eastern part of the country. It is a port on the Río de la
Plata and the nation’s commercial and cultural center. Population: 2,988,006 (1995)[1]



buff

buff3
buff3 [buf]
transitive verb (past buffed, past participle buffed,
present participle buff·ing, 3rd person present singular buffs)

deaden
force of something: to deaden or reduce the
force of something
noun
(plural buffs)

blow
or slap:
a blow, buffet, or slap (archaic)
[15th century. From Old
French bufe (see buffet 2 ).][1]



buff

buff4
buff4 [buf]
adjective

handsome
or beautiful: having a handsome or beautiful face and
physique (slang)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from buff 1 .][1]



buff

buff1
buff1 [buf]
transitive verb (past buffed, past participle buffed,
present participle buff·ing, 3rd person present singular buffs)

1.  polish
something:
to clean or polish something with a piece of soft material

2.  make
surface soft: to make the surface of something,
especially of leather, soft and velvety like buff by raising a nap
noun
(plural buffs)

1.  COLORS pale
yellowish brown: a dull yellowish beige color

2.  INDUSTRY soft
leather:
a soft thick undyed leather that is made chiefly from the skins of buffalo,
elk, or oxen and has a light yellow color.
Also
called
buffer

3.  polishing
cloth:
a cloth of soft material such as leather or velvet, used for polishing, often
mounted on a block.
Also
called
buffer

4.  ENGINEERING polishing
disk:
a revolving disk consisting of layers of cloth coated with abrasive powders,
used for polishing metal or other hard bright surfaces.
Also
called
buffer

5.  CLOTHES leather
garment:
a garment made of buff leather, for example, a military uniform coat
adjective

1.  COLORS pale
yellowish brown: of a dull yellowish brown color

2.  of
buff leather: made of buff leather
[Late
16th century. Alteration of French buffle “buffalo,” from late Latin bufalus
(see buffalo ).]
in
the buff

naked (informal)[1]



buff

buff2
buff2 [buf]
(plural buffs) noun

enthusiast:
somebody who is enthusiastic about and has a wide knowledge of a particular
subject • a
movie buff
• an
opera buff
[Early 19th century. From the
overcoats made of buff leather formerly worn by volunteer firemen in New York
City, who were known as “fire buffs.”][1]



Buffalo

Buffalo
Buf·fa·lo 
[búffəlō]

city and port in northeastern
New York beside Lake Erie and on the Niagara River. Population: 310,548 (1996)[1]



buffalo

buffalo

buf·fa·lo 
[búffəl] noun (plural buf·fa·loes
or buf·fa·los or buf·fa·lo)

1.  type
of horned cattle: a type of horned cattle belonging to
various species, including the African buffalo and domesticated breeds of the
Asian water buffalo. Family: Bovidae

2.  N
American bison: the North American bison.
See
also
bison

3.  See
buffalo fish
transitive verb
(past buf·fa·loed, past participle buf·fa·loed, present
participle buf·fa·lo·ing, 3rd person present singular buf·fa·loes)
(informal)

1.  baffle
somebody:
to throw somebody into a state of confusion and puzzled bewilderment

2.  Canada
intimidate
somebody:
to coerce or inhibit somebody aggressively
[Mid-16th century. Via
Portuguese or Italian from late Latin bufalus, from Greek boubalos
“gazelle.”][1]



buffaloberry

buffaloberry
buf·fa·lo
ber·ry
noun

1.  shrub
with berries: a North American shrub of the oleaster
family with silvery foliage and edible berries. Genus: Shepherdia

2.  edible
berry:
the edible fruit of the buffalo berry shrub

[1]



BuffaloBill

BuffaloBill

Buf·fa·lo
Bill 
[bùffəlō bíl] (1846–1917)
U.S.
scout and statesman. He sometimes worked as an army scout in the western
territories, and earned his nickname by killing thousands of buffalo to feed
railway workers in the 1860s. From 1883 to 1913 he toured with his own “Wild
West Show.”
Real name
Cody, William Frederick[1]



buffalobug

buffalobug
buf·fa·lo
bug
(plural buf·fa·lo bugs) noun

See
carpet beetle[1]



buffalochips

buffalochips
buf·fa·lo
chips
plural noun

buffalo dung:
dried buffalo dung used as fuel (informal)[1]



buffalofish

buffalofish
buf·fa·lo
fish
noun

freshwater fish:
a large freshwater fish of the sucker family that resembles the carp. Buffalo
fish have a humped back and are found mostly in the Mississippi Valley. Genus: Ictiobus

Also called
buffalo[1]



buffalograss

buffalograss
buf·fa·lo
grass
noun

short gray-green N American
grass: a short gray-green grass of
the plains of central North America that is used as forage and for lawns. Latin
name: Buchloë dactyloides[1]



BuffaloGrove

BuffaloGrove
Buf·fa·lo
Grove

village in northeastern
Illinois, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Population: 41,169 (1996)[1]



buffalojump

buffalojump
buf·fa·lo
jump
(plural buf·fa·lo jumps) noun

killing place for buffalo:
a cliff over which buffalo were stampeded by the Native American peoples of the
North American plains in order to provide a source of food[1]



buffalorobe

buffalorobe
buf·fa·lo
robe
(plural buf·fa·lo robes) noun

bison skin:
the skin of the American bison, prepared with the hair left on and used as a
blanket, coat, or rug[1]



buffalosoldier

buffalosoldier
buf·fa·lo
sol·dier
(plural buf·fa·lo sol·diers) or Buf·fa·lo Sol·dier
(plural Buf·fa·lo Sol·diers) noun

African American soldier:
an African American soldier in the U.S. Army during the period between the
Civil War and World War I (informal)[1]



Buffalowings

Buffalowings
Buf·fa·lo
wings
plural noun

barbecued
chicken wings: chicken wings, typically in barbecue
sauce, served as an appetizer
[So called because they were
supposedly first served in a restaurant in or named for Buffalo, New York][1]



buffer

buffer2
buff·er2 [búffər]
(plural buff·ers) noun

1.  user
of buffer:
somebody who polishes something with a buffer

2.  See
buff 1 noun 2

3.
Also
called
buff 1 noun 3
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from buff 1 .][1]



buffer

buffer1
buff·er1 [búffər]
noun (plural buff·ers)

1.  protector
against impact: somebody or something that reduces shock
or impact or protects against other harm, usually by interception

2.  RAIL device
on train or track: either of a pair of
spring-loaded or hydraulic pads attached to both ends of rolling stock or at
the end of a railroad track. They stop the train running off the end of the
track and may also absorb impact.

3.  CHEMISTRY substance
maintaining pH: a substance that minimizes a change in
pH of a solution by neutralizing added acids and bases, or a solution
containing such a substance

4.  COMPUTING memory
area:
a temporary storage area used for data being transmitted between two devices to
compensate for differences in the rate at which each device functions or the
availability of the receiving device. A buffer enables the faster device, such
as a computer, to complete sending the data and begin another task without
waiting for the slower device, such as a printer.
transitive
verb
(past buff·ered, past participle buff·ered, present
participle buff·er·ing, 3rd person present singular buff·ers)

1.  cushion
something against shock: to protect something against
impact or reduce the shock of an impact on something

2.  CHEMISTRY add
buffer to solution: to add to a solution a
substance that will keep its pH constant
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from an obsolete word meaning “to hit something softly,” possibly from French
(see buffet 2 ).][1]



bufferstate

bufferstate
buff·er
state
(plural buff·er states) noun

state separating rivals:
a small neutral state that lies between two potentially hostile powers and
reduces the risk of conflict between them[1]



bufferstock

bufferstock
buff·er
stock
(plural buff·er stocks) noun

reserve stock:
a stock of a basic commodity accumulated by a government, for example, when
supplies are plentiful and prices low, and held for use when supplies are short
to stabilize the price[1]



bufferzone

bufferzone
buff·er
zone
(plural buff·er zones) noun

1.  neutral
territory:
a neutral area that lies between hostile forces and reduces the risk of
conflict between them

2.  separating
area:
any area designed to form a barrier that prevents potential conflict or harmful
contact

[1]



buffet

buffet2
buf·fet2 [búffət]
noun (plural buf·fets)

1.  blow
with hand:
a blow struck with the fist or hand

2.  repeated
blow:
a heavy or repeated blow or stroke

3.  AIR See buffeting
verb
(past buf·fet·ed, past participle buf·fet·ed, present
participle buf·fet·ing, 3rd person present singular buf·fets)

1.  transitive
verb
batter
something:
to knock or strike against something forcefully or repeatedly

2.  transitive
verb
hit
something sharply: to hit something sharply,
especially with the hand

3.  intransitive
verb
struggle
to progress: to proceed under difficult conditions
[Pre-12th
century. From Old French, literally “small blow,” from bufe “blow,”
originally an imitation of the sound.]
—buf·fet·er, noun[1]



buffet

buffet1
buf·fet1 [bə
fáy, boo fáy] (plural buf·fets)
noun

1.  self-service
meal:
a meal at which people serve themselves from various dishes set out on a table,
sideboard, or counter

2.  table
with refreshments: a serving counter or table
on which the meals or refreshments are displayed

3.  dining-room
serving table: a piece of dining-room furniture with
drawers for tableware, used for storing table items and for serving dishes.
Also
called
sideboard
[Early 18th century. From
French, “footstool, sideboard,” of unknown origin.][1]



buffeting

buffeting
buf·fet·ing
[búffəting] noun

shaking of aircraft:
an irregular shaking of a part or the whole of an aircraft during flight,
typically caused by strong winds.
Also called
buffet[1]



buffi

buffi
buf·fi


Plural of
buffo[1]



buffingwheel

buffingwheel
buff·ing
wheel 
(plural buff·ing wheels) noun

polishing wheel:
a wheel covered with a soft material such as lamb’s wool, leather, or velvet
and used to shine or polish something, especially metal.
Also called
buff wheel[1]



bufflehead

bufflehead
buf·fle·head 
[búffəl hèd] (plural buf·fle·heads
or buf·fle·head) noun

diving
duck:
a small North American diving duck, the male of which has black and white
plumage and a large fluffy head, while the female is dark brown. Latin name: Bucephala
albeola
Also
called
butterball
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from obsolete buffle “buffalo” (from French ; see buff 1 ), so
called because of its large head.][1]



buffo

buffo
buf·fo 
[bfō] noun (plural buf·fi
[bfee] or buf·fos)

male
opera singer: a male singer of comic roles in opera
adjective

funny:
comic in a manner that is characteristic of a buffo
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, formed from buffare “to puff, act the clown” (source of English
buffoon ).][1]



buffoon

buffoon
buf·foon 
[bə fn] (plural buf·foons) noun

1.  clown:
somebody who amuses others by clowning, by joking, or by ridiculous behavior

2.  bumbling
person:
somebody who is regarded as behaving in a mildly inappropriate way
[Mid-16th century. Via French
bouffon from, ultimately, Italian buffare “to clown,” literally
“to puff,” originally an imitation of the sound.][1]



buffoonery

buffoonery
buf·foon·er·y 
[bə fnəree] noun

clowning:
silly behavior[1]



buffwheel

buffwheel
buff
wheel
(plural buff wheels) noun

See
buffing wheel[1]



bug

bug
bug 
[bug] noun (plural bugs)

1.  INSECTS type
of insect:
an insect with thickened forewings and mouthparts adapted for piercing and
sucking. Order: Hemiptera
Also
called
true bug

2.  INSECTS any
insect:
any insect or similar organism, especially one considered to be a pest, for
example, an aphid, bed bug, or cockroach

3.  ailment
caused by germ: any mild ailment that is caused by an
unspecified microorganism (informal)

4.  craze
or obsession: a strong and often widespread enthusiasm
for or obsession with something (informal)

5.  devotee:
somebody who is a fan or devotee of something (informal dated) • a
classical music bug

6.  defect:
a defect, error, or flaw in a design, machine, or system (informal)

7.  COMPUTING programming
error:
an error in a computer program (informal)

8.  hidden
listening device: a concealed electronic device, usually a
small microphone, that is used for listening to or recording private
conversations (informal)
Also
called
wiretap
verb
(past bugged, past participle bugged, present
participle bug·ging, 3rd person present singular bugs)

1.  transitive
verb
pester
somebody:
to cause somebody persistent trouble and annoyance (informal) • Go
away and stop bugging me!

2.  transitive
verb
hide
listening device in something: to conceal an
electronic listening device in something • She
suspected her phone had been bugged.

3.  transitive
verb
listen
to something secretly: to listen to or eavesdrop on
a conversation using an electronic surveillance device • He
thinks someone is bugging his phone conversations.

4.  intransitive
verb
bulge
outward:
to grow large, especially in bulging outward, as the eyes do when somebody is
surprised or scared (informal)
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bother

[1]



bugaboo

bugaboo
bug·a·boo 
[búggəb] (plural bug·a·boos) noun

source
of fear or annoyance: something that causes fear,
annoyance, or trouble, especially an imagined threat or problem
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Buganda

Buganda
Bu·gan·da 
[boo gndə]

kingdom in the area north of
Lake Victoria, southern Uganda. It became part of Uganda in 1962 and the
kingdom was dissolved in 1967.[1]



Bugatti,Ettore

Bugatti,Ettore
Bu·gat·ti
[boo gtee], Ettore (1882–1947)

Italian
automobile designer and manufacturer. He is best known for the racing cars he
produced in the 1930s.
Full name
Bugatti, Ettore Arco Isidoro[1]



bugbane

bugbane
bug·bane 
[búg bàyn] (plural bug·banes) noun

plant in buttercup family:
a European plant whose small white flowers are reputed to repel insects. Latin
name: Cimicifuga foetida[1]



bugbear

bugbear
bug·bear 
[búg bàyr] (plural bug·bears) noun

1.  continuing
problem:
a continuing source of annoyance or difficulty

2.  source
of fear:
a source of obsessive or groundless fear

3.  monster:
a monster invented to frighten children, traditionally in the form of a bear
that eats those who misbehave
[Late 16th century. From an
obsolete word meaning “hobgoblin” + bear 1 .][1]



bug-eyed

bug-eyed
bug-eyed 
adjective (informal)

1.  with
bulging eyes: having protruding eyes

2.  agog:
wide-eyed with amazement or fear

[1]



bugger

bugger2
bug·ger2  [búggər]
(plural bug·gers) noun

somebody who plants
electronic bugs: somebody who conceals
listening devices in something, such as a room or telephone[1]



bugger

bugger1
bug·ger1  [búggər]
noun (plural bug·gers)

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who practices anal intercourse (slang
offensive)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bug·gered,
past participle bug·gered, present participle bug·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular bug·gers)

offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to practice anal intercourse (offensive)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
bougre “heretic” from Latin Bulgarus, literally “Bulgarian,” from
Western Christian association of heresy with anal intercourse.][1]



buggery

buggery
bug·ger·y 
[búggəree] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for anal intercourse (offensive)
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch buggerie (formed from bugger ) or Old French bougrerie,
formed from bougre (see bugger ).][1]



buggy

buggy1

bug·gy1 [búggee]
(plural bug·gies) noun

1.  horse-drawn
vehicle:
a lightweight horse-drawn carriage

2.  battery-powered
vehicle:
a small battery-powered vehicle used for a special purpose • a
golf buggy

3.  baby
carriage:
a light baby carriage

4.  U.K.
stroller:
a lightweight stroller for young children
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



buggy

buggy2
bug·gy2 [búggee]
(comparative bug·gi·er, superlative bug·gi·est) adjective

1.  insect-ridden:
infested with insects

2.  nutty:
eccentric (slang)
[Early
18th century. Formed from bug .]
—bug·gi·ness, noun[1]



bughouse

bughouse
bug·house 
[búg hòws] (plural bug·houses
[búg hòwzəz]) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a mental health facility (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century. From bug, in the sense “obsession, an obsessive
person.”][1]



bugjuice

bugjuice
bug
juice
noun (slang)

1.  sweet
drink:
any sugary brightly colored beverage

2.  insect
repellent:
a spray, liquid, or lotion used to repel insects
[From the unpleasant color
and flavor of the drink][1]



bugle

bugle2
bu·gle2 [byg’l]
noun

See
bugleweed
[13th century. Directly or
via Old French from late Latin bugula .][1]



bugle

bugle1


bu·gle1 [byg’l]
noun (plural bu·gles)
brass
instrument:
a brass instrument like a short trumpet without valves, used for military
signals
intransitive
verb
(past bu·gled, past participle bu·gled, present
participle bu·gling, 3rd person present singular bu·gles)
play
bugle:
to play the bugle
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin buculus, diminutive of bos
“ox.” The original term was “bugle horn,” denoting the horn of an ox used as a
hunting horn.]
—bu·gler, noun[1]



buglebead

buglebead
bu·gle
bead
(plural bu·gle beads) or bu·gle (plural bu·gles)
noun

bead:
a tube-shaped bead made of glass or plastic used in embroidery or bead
trimmings[1]



bugleweed

bugleweed
bu·gle·weed 
[byg’l wd] noun

aromatic plant:
an aromatic plant related to mint, with blue or white flowers. Genus: Lycopus
Ajuga
Also called
bugle[1]



bugloss

bugloss
bu·gloss 
[by glòs] noun

flowering
plant:
a hairy plant related to borage, with clusters of drooping blue flowers. Genus:
Lycopsis
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin buglossus, from Greek buglōssus, literally
“ox-tongued” (from the shape and roughness of the leaves).][1]



bugoff

bugoff
bug
off
intransitive verb

go away quickly:
to go away quickly, usually as a result of being ordered to do so (slang)
• We
just told him to bug off and leave us alone.[1]



bugout

bugout
bug
out
intransitive verb (slang)

1.  behave
in irrational way: suddenly to become very
angry or upset, or start behaving in an irrational way

2.  rush
off in fright: to hurry away, especially from a
military post, in fear or panic or to avoid duty • They
had contempt for certain soldiers who just wanted to bug out.

[1]



buhl

buhl
buhl 
noun

See
boulle
[Early 19th century. Via
German from French boule (see boule
).][1]



buhrstone

buhrstone
buhr·stone 
[búr stn] (plural buhr·stones)
or bur·stone [búr stn] (plural
bur·stones) or burr·stone [búr
stn] (plural burr·stones) noun

1.  rough
hard rock:
rough hard quartz rock, formerly used to make millstones and grindstones

2.  stone
for milling or grinding: a millstone or grindstone
made from buhrstone
[Mid-17th century. Buhr is a
variant of burr 1 (because of
the stone’s roughness).][1]



build

build
build 
[bild] verb (past participle built
[bilt], present participle build·ing,
3rd person present singular builds)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something by joining parts: to make a structure by
putting the parts of it together • to
build a wall

2.  transitive
verb
have
something built: to have a building or other structure
made • The
emperor built a number of these pavilions.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb to
form or develop: to form or develop an enterprise or
circumstance • building
a solid business relationship

4.  intransitive
verb
increase:
to increase or mount steadily • Tension
is starting to build.

5.  transitive
verb
collect
a set of playing cards: in card games, to form a set
by gathering related cards
noun
(plural builds)

1.  body
structure:
the physical structure, shape, and size of a person • the
wrestler’s heavy build

2.  COMPUT stage
of software development: a stage in the development
of computer software in which two or more independently developed software
components are linked so that they can be tested in conjunction with one
another • testing
the first build of the software

3.  standard
of construction: the standard of construction of
something, for example, a vehicle
[Old English byldan
“to construct a house,” from bold “dwelling,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to dwell,” which is also the source of English bower][1]



buildable

buildable
build·a·ble 
[bíldəb’l] adjective

good for building on:
used to describe land that is suitable for building on[1]



builder

builder
build·er 
[bíldər] (plural build·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who builds:
a person or company engaged in building or repairing houses or other large
structures

2.  detergent
additive:
a substance added to detergents to improve their cleaning properties





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Master Builder, a play by Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1845). Typical of
  Ibsen’s more symbolic later works, it is the story of a successful architect,
  Halvard Solness, who is disturbed by his continued good fortune and fearful
  that he will eventually have to pay a price for it. His search for redemption
  eventually leads to his own death.

[1]



buildin

buildin
build
in
transitive verb

1.  incorporate
in structure: to construct a piece of furniture so
that it becomes part of the structure of a room, or to add an object so that it
becomes part of another structure

2.  include:
to create or add something to a system or organization • They
built in the shelves.

[1]



building

building
build·ing 
[bílding] (plural build·ings) noun

1.  walled
roofed structure: a structure with walls and a roof, for
example, a house or factory

2.  making
large structures: the business or task of constructing
houses, factories, bridges, and other large structures (often used before a
noun)

[1]



buildingand loan association

buildingand loan association
build·ing
and loan as·so·ci·a·tion (plural build·ing
and loan as·so·ci·a·tions) noun

See
savings and loan association[1]



buildingblock

buildingblock
build·ing
block
(plural build·ing blocks) noun

1.  brick-shaped
construction block: a large block of concrete or
similar hard material, used for building houses and other large structures

2.  child’s
toy block:
one of a set of children’s wooden or plastic bricks.
Also
called
block

3.  component:
an element or component regarded as contributing to the growth of an
organization, plan, or system • He
acquired companies as building blocks for his financial empire.

[1]



buildingline

buildingline
build·ing
line
noun

building limit:
a line on a property beyond which no building is allowed[1]



buildingpaper

buildingpaper
build·ing
pa·per
noun

damp-proofing and insulating
material: a damp-proofing and
insulating material consisting of a bitumen and fiber mix sandwiched between
heavy-duty paper[1]



buildinto

buildinto
build
into
transitive verb

make something a permanent
part: to create or add something
as a permanent feature • These
safeguards will be built into the system.[1]



buildon

buildon
build
on
verb

1.  transitive
verb
develop
or improve further: to use something as a basis
for further development or improvement • hoping
to build on the success of their first CD

2.  intransitive
verb
attach
new part to building: to add something as an extra
part joined to an existing building • The
sun porch was built on about ten years later.

[1]



buildup

buildup
build·up 
[bíld ùp] (plural buildups) noun

1.  accumulation:
a large amount of something or a number of things gradually accumulated or
developed • prevents
the buildup of plaque

2.  impressive
description: a description that emphasizes or
exaggerates the good qualities of somebody or something

[1]



buildup

buildup
build
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb develop:
to increase or develop gradually • Traffic
is building up on the interstate.

2.  transitive
verb
praise
excessively: to emphasize or exaggerate the good
qualities of somebody or something • I
expected someone more impressive after the way she built him up.

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody stronger and healthier: to make somebody
stronger and healthier, especially by feeding

[1]



buildup to

buildup to
build
up to
transitive verb

approach climax:
to develop toward a point or climax[1]



built

built1
built1 

Past tense and past
participle of build[1]



built

built2
built2 [bilt]
adjective

well-proportioned:
attractively well-proportioned in body shape (informal) • Her
new boyfriend’s really built.[1]



built-in

built-in
built-in 
adjective

1.  integral:
designed or fitted as a fixed or permanent part

2.  natural:
forming a natural feature or characteristic • She
has a built-in optimism that she brings to each job.

[1]



built-inobsolescence

built-inobsolescence
built-in
ob·so·les·cence noun

See
planned obsolescence[1]



built-up

built-up
built-up 
adjective

1.  with
many buildings: used to describe an area that has many
buildings

2.  made
higher or thicker: having several layers or
added thickness • built-up heels

[1]



Bujold,Genevieve

Bujold,Genevieve
Bu·jold
[b ld], Genevieve (1942– )

French-Canadian-U.S. movie
actress. She played Anne Boleyn in the movie Anne of the Thousand Days (
1969 ).[1]



Bujumbura

Bujumbura
Bu·jum·bu·ra 
[bjəm brrə]

capital and largest city of
Burundi. It is situated in the western part of the country, on Lake Tanganyika.
Population: 300,000 (1996)[1]



Bukavu

Bukavu
Bu·ka·vu
[boo k v]

capital of Sud-Kivu Region in
the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is situated on Lake Kivu, close to
the border with Rwanda. Population: 201,569 (1994)[1]



Bukhari

Bukhari
Bu·kha·ri
[boo k ree] (810–870)

Arabian
scholar. He traveled throughout the Muslim world and compiled the oral
traditions of the Prophet Muhammad into the Sunni foundation text, al-Sahih
( “The Genuine”).
Full name
Bukhari, Muhammad Ibn-Ismail al-[1]



Bukhoro

Bukhoro
Bu·kho·ro 
[bookṓrō, bookhṓrō]
or Bu·kha·ra [boo krə, bookhrə]

city in southern Uzbekistan,
in the Amu Darya valley, west of Samarqand. Population: 236,000 (1994)[1]



bul.

bul.
bul.

Abbreviation of
bulletin[1]



Bulawayo

Bulawayo
Bu·la·wa·yo 
[bllə w yō]

industrial city on the
Matsheumlope River, southwestern Zimbabwe. Population: 620,936 (1992)[1]



bulb

bulb
bulb 
[bulb] (plural bulbs) noun

1.  See
light bulb

2.  underground
plant part:
any underground plant storage organ, for example, a corm, tuber, or rhizome,
from which a new plant grows every year

3.  plant
growing from bulb: a plant that develops from a
bulb or other underground storage organ, for example, a tulip or crocus

4.  rounded
part:
a rounded part of something, for example, the mercury reservoir of a
thermometer or the squeezable rubber ball on a dropper

5.  rounded
part of body organ: a rounded or enlarged
section of a cylindrical body part
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin bulbus
from Greek bolbos “bulbous root, onion.”][1]



bulbar

bulbar
bul·bar 
[búlbər] adjective

bulb-shaped:
used to describe any bulb-shaped organ of the body[1]



bulbel

bulbel
bul·bel 
(plural bul·bels) noun

See
bulbil[1]



bulbfly

bulbfly
bulb
fly
noun

fly that attacks bulbs:
a fly similar to a wasp, whose larvae live in and eat bulbs. Family: Syrphidae[1]



bulbiferous

bulbiferous
bul·bif·er·ous 
[bul bíffərəs] adjective

producing bulbs:
used to describe plants that produce bulbs[1]



bulbil

bulbil
bul·bil 
[búlb’l, búl bìl]
(plural bul·bils) or bul·bel [búlb’l, búl bèl]
(plural bul·bels) noun

small
bulb:
a new bulb growing like a bud on a plant or leaf stem.
Also
called
bulblet
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin bulbillus, diminutive of Latin bulbus (see bulb ).][1]



bulbourethralgland

bulbourethralgland
bul·bo·u·re·thral
gland 
[bùlbō y rthrəl gland] (plural bul·bo·u·re·thral
glands) noun

See
Cowper’s gland
[Bulbourethral from Latin bulbus
(see bulb ) + urethral][1]



bulbous

bulbous
bul·bous 
[búlbəss] adjective

1.  rounded:
rounded and swollen-looking

2.  BOTANY growing
from bulb:
growing from a plant bulb
[Late
16th century. From Latin bulbosus, from bulbus (see bulb ), or directly formed from bulb .]
—bul·bous·ly,
adverb

—bul·bous·ness, noun[1]



bulbul

bulbul
bul·bul 
[bl bl] (plural bul·buls) noun

1.  tropical
bird:
a grayish or brownish songbird of tropical Africa and Asia, also introduced
into Australia. Family: Pycnonotidae

2.  bird
in Persian poetry: a songbird frequently
mentioned in Persian poetry, taken to be the nightingale
[Mid-17th century. From
Persian, an imitation of its song.][1]



Bulgar

Bulgar
Bul·gar 
[búl gr] (plural Bul·gars) noun

member
of ancient Bulgarian people: a member of an ancient
Slavic people that settled in areas of present-day Bulgaria around the 7th
century AD
[Mid-18th century. From
medieval Latin Bulgarus, from Old Church Slavonic Blŭgary
(plural) “Bulgars.”][1]



Bulgaria




Back to definition

Bulgaria

[1]



Bulgaria

Bulgaria



Bul·gar·i·a 
[bul gáiree ə]
republic in southeastern Europe, on the
western shores of the Black Sea. Part of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to
the late 19th centuries, it gained independence in 1908. Language: Bulgarian.
Currency: Lev. Capital: Sofia. Population: 8,290,988 (1997) Area: 110,994 sq
km/42,855 sq mi. Official name People’s Republic of Bulgaria[1]



Bulgarian

Bulgarian
Bul·gar·i·an 
[bul gáireeən] (plural Bul·gar·i·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Bulgaria: somebody who was born or raised in, or
who is a citizen of, Bulgaria

2.  South
Slavic language: the official language of Bulgaria, one
of the South Slavic group of Indo-European languages. Bulgarian is spoken by
about nine million people.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from medieval Latin Bulgaria, from Bulgar
“Bulgar” (see Bulgar ).]
—Bul·gar·i·an, adjective[1]



bulge

bulge
bulge 
[bulj] intransitive verb (past
bulged, past participle bulged, present participle bulg·ing,
3rd person present singular bulg·es)

1.  swell:
to expand or swell

2.  be
overfilled:
to contain so much that the sides expand outward (informal)
noun
(plural bulg·es)

1.  part
that expands outward: an area or part that curves
or has expanded outward

2.  increase:
a sudden temporary increase • a
bulge in the population figures
[12th
century. Via Old French boulge “leather sack, bag,” from Latin bulga
(source of English budget ), from
Gaulish . Originally “bag, pouch,” hence “something rounded.”]
—bulg·ing,
adjective

—bulg·y, adjective[1]



bulgur

bulgur
bul·gur 
[búlgər, blgər]
or bul·ghar [búlgər, blgər] or bul·gar [búlgər, blgər]
or bul·gur wheat [búlgər, blgər] noun

dried
cracked wheat: wheat that has been parboiled, dried,
and broken or cracked into small pieces. It is a common ingredient in Middle
Eastern and vegetarian cooking.
[Mid-20th century. Via
Turkish from Persian bulġūr, literally “bruised grain.”][1]



bulimia

bulimia
bu·lim·i·a 
[by límmee ə] noun

eating
disorder:
a condition in which bouts of overeating are followed by undereating, use of
laxatives, or self-induced vomiting. It is associated with depression and
anxiety about putting on weight.
[14th
century. From modern Latin, from, ultimately, Greek boulimia, literally
“hunger of an ox,” from bous “ox” + limos “hunger.”]
—bu·lim·ic, adjective,
noun[1]



bulk

bulk
bulk 
[bulk] noun (plural bulks)

1.  large
size:
large size or mass

2.  large
body:
a large or overweight person’s body

3.  fiber
in food:
the indigestible fiber that is a constituent of some food

4.  the
greater part: the greater part of something

5.  cargo:
a ship’s cargo

6.  part
of ship:
the part of a ship where cargo is stored
adjective

in large quantity:
in or of a large quantity
[15th century. Partly from
Old Norse búlki “heap” (ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to swell,” which is also the ancestor of English bowl
); partly from Old English būc “belly.”][1]



bulkbuy

bulkbuy
bulk
buy
(plural bulk buys) noun

large
quantity:
a large amount or number of something bought at one time, usually at a reduced
rate
—bulk buy·ing, noun[1]



bulkcarrier

bulkcarrier
bulk
car·ri·er
(plural bulk car·ri·ers) noun

cargo ship:
a ship that carries loose unpackaged cargo, for example, coal or grain[1]



bulkhead

bulkhead
bulk·head 
[búlk hèd] (plural bulk·heads)
noun

1.  partition
inside vehicle: a partition inside a ship, aircraft, or
large vehicle

2.  retaining
wall:
a wall built to hold back something, for example, water or soil
[15th century. Bulk from Old
Norse bálkr “partition” (source of English balk
).][1]



bulking

bulking
bulk·ing
[búlking] noun

swelling of building
materials: the increase in the volume
of sand, cement, and other building materials when they become damp[1]



bulkmail

bulkmail
bulk
mail
noun

mailed advertising:
material, typically advertising, that is sent through the mail in very large
quantities at a reduced unit cost[1]



bulkup

bulkup
bulk
up
intransitive and transitive verb

increase:
to increase in size or volume (informal)[1]



bulky

bulky
bulk·y 
[búlkee] (comparative bulk·i·er,
superlative bulk·i·est) adjective

1.  awkwardly
large:
large and awkward to carry or move

2.  broad:
heavily built, or broad and muscular
—bulk·i·ly,
adverb

—bulk·i·ness, noun[1]



bull

bull1
bull1 [bl]
noun (plural bulls)

1.  male
of cattle:
an uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle or other bovine
animal

2.  male
mammal:
a sexually mature male of any of various large mammals, including whales,
seals, moose, and elephants

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for talk or writing dismissed as foolish or inaccurate (slang
offensive)

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE buyer
of rising securities: an investor who buys
securities in anticipation of rising prices, intending to resell them soon for
profit.
See
also
bear 1 noun 6

5.  big
man:
a hefty or aggressive man
verb
(past bulled, past participle bulled, present
participle bull·ing, 3rd person present singular bulls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb push:
to push forcefully or energetically • He
bulled his way into the reception.

2.  transitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE raise
prices with speculative buying: to attempt to raise
prices in a particular commodity or market by buying large quantities and thus
reducing availability and increasing demand
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse boli “bull.”]
shoot
the bull

to
chatter idly (slang)

take
the bull by the horns

to deal with a difficult
situation forcefully and decisively[1]



Bull

Bull
Bull 
[bl] noun

ASTRONOMY ZODIAC See Taurus
[Early 16th century.
Translation of Latin Taurus .][1]



bull

bull2
bull2 [bl]
(plural bulls) noun

pope’s
written statement: a written statement formally
issued by the pope and bearing an official seal
[13th century. Via French bulle
from Latin bulla “bubble,” later “seal,” hence “sealed document” (source
of English boil and budge ).][1]



bull.

bull.
bull.

Abbreviation of
bulletin[1]



bulla

bulla
bul·la 
[bllə] (plural bul·lae [bllee]) noun

1.  blister:
a blister (technical)

2.  bony
part:
any rounded, bony, and protruding part of the body

3.  pope’s
seal:
the pope’s official seal
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin (see bull 2 ).][1]



bullbaiting

bullbaiting
bull·bait·ing 
[bl bàyting] noun

attacking bull with dogs:
the former entertainment of setting fierce dogs to attack a bull, popular in
medieval times[1]



bullbars

bullbars
bull
bars
(plural bull bars) plural noun

bar on vehicle:
a metal framework mounted on the front of a vehicle to protect it against
impact[1]



bullbat

bullbat
bull·bat 
[bl bàt] (plural bull·bats) noun

See
nighthawk  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. From the
roaring sound the animal makes when flying.][1]



bulldog

bulldog
bull·dog 
[bl dòg] noun (plural bull·dogs)

1.  smooth-haired
dog:
a smooth-haired muscular dog belonging to a breed developed in England for
contests with bulls.
Also
called
English bulldog

2.  ARMS pistol:
a short-barreled revolver
transitive
verb
(past bull·dogged, past participle bull·dogged, present
participle bull·dog·ging, 3rd person present singular bull·dogs)

1.  attack:
to attack like an angry bulldog

2.  force
a steer to the ground: to force a steer to the
ground by pulling on its horns and twisting its neck
[15th
century. Formed from bull 1 .]
—bull·dog·ger, noun[1]



bulldoze

bulldoze
bull·doze 
[bl dz] (past bull·dozed, past
participle bull·dozed, present participle bull·doz·ing,
3rd person present singular bull·doz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
demolish
with bulldozers: to demolish a building or clear debris
using bulldozers

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb force
a way:
to force way past or through an obstruction (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
force
action:
to force somebody to do something or to insist on a course of action stubbornly
or ruthlessly (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps from bull + dose : “to give a ‘dose’ (treatment) fit for a
bull.”][1]



bulldozer

bulldozer
bull·doz·er 
[bl dzər] (plural bull·doz·ers)
noun

construction vehicle:
a construction vehicle with tracks or large wheels and a wide blade used for
moving earth or debris[1]



bulldyke

bulldyke
bull
dyke
(plural bull dykes) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a lesbian who chooses masculine dress and manners (slang
offensive)[1]



bullet

bullet
bul·let 
[bllət] (plural bul·lets) noun

1.  ammunition
used in firearm: a projectile fire from a handgun, rifle,
or other small firearm. It is usually pointed and cylindrical in shape, and
usually made of metal.

2.  bul·let
or bul·let point dot:
a large printed dot used to highlight items in a printed list

3.  SPORTS fast
ball:
a ball thrown or pitched with exceptional force, as in baseball or football

4.  repayment
of loan:
the repayment of a loan, representing the initial sum borrowed excluding interest
[Early
16th century. From French boulet “small ball,” from boule (see bowl 2 ).]
bite
the bullet

to
deal with a situation that is unpleasant but unavoidable

sweat
bullets

to make an extraordinary
effort, usually because of great anxiety[1]



bulleted

bulleted
bul·let·ed 
[bllətəd] adjective

marked by bullet:
used to describe a printed item marked by a bullet • a
bulleted list[1]



bulletin

bulletin
bul·le·tin 
[bllətən, bllət’n]
(plural bul·le·tins) noun

1.  news
broadcast:
a short broadcast containing a single item of news

2.  official
news:
an official announcement of public news

3.  newsletter:
a newsletter issued by an organization or institution
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian bulletino, literally “small papal bull,” from bulla
“papal bull,” from Latin (see bull 2 ).][1]



bulletinboard

bulletinboard
bul·le·tin
board
(plural bul·le·tin boards) noun

1.  board
for notices: a board for pinning notices on.
U.K.
term
notice board

2.  bul·le·tin
board
or bul·le·tin board sys·tem on-line
communication system: a computer-based forum used
by an interest group to allow members to exchange e-mails, chat online, and
access software.
Also
called
message board

[1]



bulletloan

bulletloan
bul·let
loan
(plural bul·let loans) noun

loan with one payment:
a loan that is repaid in full in a single payment on a set date[1]



bulletpoint

bulletpoint
bul·let
point
noun

PRINTING
See bullet  noun 2[1]



bulletproof

bulletproof
bul·let·proof 
[bllət prf] (past bul·let·proofed,
past participle bul·let·proofed, present participle bul·let·proof·ing,
3rd person present singular bul·let·proofs) adjective

1.  able
to resist bullets: able to resist the
penetration of bullets • bulletproof
glass

2.  invulnerable
to attack:
invulnerable to attack or criticism (informal) • Nobody’s
bulletproof in this company.

[1]



bullettrain

bullettrain
bul·let
train
(plural bul·let trains) noun

fast train in Japan:
a high-speed passenger train in Japan[1]



bulletwood

bulletwood
bul·let·wood
[bllət wd] noun

1.  tropical
American tree: a tropical American tree grown for its
tough durable wood. Latin name: Manilkara bidentata

2.  hard
wood:
the tough durable wood of the bulletwood tree

[1]



bullfiddle

bullfiddle
bull
fid·dle
(plural bull fid·dles) noun

double bass:
a double bass (informal)[1]



bullfight

bullfight
bull·fight 
[bl ft] (plural bull·fights)
noun

public
entertainment with bulls: a traditional public
entertainment, especially in Spain and Mexico, in which a bull is baited and
killed
—bull·fight·er,
noun

—bull·fight·ing, noun[1]



bullfinch

bullfinch
bull·finch 
[bl fìnch] (plural bull·finch·es)
noun

small
bird:
a small Eurasian bird with a short thick beak, a black head, and a pink to red
breast. Latin name: Pyrrhula pyrrhula
[Late 16th century. Said to
be from the bird’s thick “bull-like” neck.][1]



bullfrog

bullfrog
bull·frog 
[bl fràwg, bl
fròg] (plural bull·frogs) noun

large
frog:
a large frog of eastern North America with a deep croak. Genus: Rana
[Mid-18th century. So called
because of its strong croak, said to sound like a bull bellowing.][1]



bullhead

bullhead
bull·head 
[bl hèd] (plural bull·heads) noun

1.  N
American catfish: a common catfish found in North American
rivers and lakes. Genus: Ictalurus

2.  large-headed
freshwater fish: a large-headed fish such as the
freshwater sculpin. Genus: Cottus
[15th century. Originally
denoting a small freshwater fish with a large head.][1]



bullheaded

bullheaded
bull·head·ed 
[bl hèddəd] adjective

stubborn:
stubborn and uncooperative (informal)
—bull·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—bull·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



bullhorn

bullhorn
bull·horn 
[bl hàwrn] (plural bull·horns)
noun

amplifying device:
a device that consists of a hand-held microphone with a cone-shaped speaker
attached, used for amplifying the voice.
U.K. term
loudhailer[1]



bullion

bullion
bul·lion 
[bllyən] noun

1.  bars
of gold or silver: gold or silver in the form
of bars or ingots

2.  mass
of metal:
any metal in the form of an unshaped mass

3.  TEXTILES gold
or silver braid: ornamental fringing or braid made of
twisted gold or silver thread and used, for example, to edge curtains
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman, literally “mint,” ultimately from Latin bullire “to boil,”
from bulla (see bull 2 ). The
underlying idea is of metal being melted.][1]



bullish

bullish
bull·ish 
[bllish] adjective

1.  expecting
good stock market figures: expecting or producing good
results, especially rising stock market prices

2.  optimistic:
confident and optimistic (informal)

3.  brawny:
broad and strong
—bull·ish·ly,
adverb

—bull·ish·ness, noun[1]



bullmarket

bullmarket
bull
mar·ket
(plural bull mar·kets) noun

rising stock market:
a stock market in which prices are rising and are expected to continue rising.
See also
bear market[1]



bullmastiff

bullmastiff
bull
mas·tiff
(plural bull mas·tiffs) noun

large dog:
a dog belonging to a large muscular smooth-haired breed developed by crossing
the bulldog and the mastiff[1]



bullnecked

bullnecked
bull·necked 
[bl nèkt] adjective

with
short thick neck: having a short thick neck
[Middle English][1]



bullnose

bullnose
bull·nose
[bl nz] (plural bull·nos·es)
noun

hog disease:
a disease of hogs that causes the snout to swell[1]



bullnosed

bullnosed
bull·nosed
[bl nzd] adjective

rounded in front:
having a rounded protruding front part[1]



bullock

bullock
bul·lock 
[bllək] (plural bul·locks) noun

1.  young
bull:
a young domestic bull

2.  castrated
bull:
a castrated domestic bull
[Old English bulluc
“young bull,” diminutive of bula “bull”][1]



bullock’sheart

bullock’sheart
bul·lock’s
heart 
(plural bul·lock’s hearts) noun

See
custard apple[1]



bullpen

bullpen
bull·pen 
[bl pèn] (plural bull·pens) noun

1.  baseball
warm-up area: the part of a baseball field where the
relief pitchers warm up

2.  relief
pitchers:
a baseball team’s relief pitchers

3.  temporary
cell:
a cell for prisoners waiting to be brought into court (informal)

4.  area
for clerical workers: an area containing the desks
of many white-collar workers, often separated by movable partitions of limited
height
[Early 19th century.
Originally “pen for bulls,” hence “any enclosure.”][1]



bullring

bullring
bull·ring 
[bl rìng] (plural bull·rings)
noun

bullfight arena:
an arena where bullfights are held[1]



bullsession

bullsession
bull
ses·sion
(plural bull ses·sions) noun

informal discussion:
an informal discussion [1]



bullshit

bullshit
bull·shit 
[bl shìt] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for talk or writing dismissed as foolish or inaccurate (slang
offensive)
Also
called
bull
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bull·shit·ted,
past participle bull·shit·ted, present participle bull·shit·ting,
3rd person present singular bull·shits) (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to say things that are completely untrue or very
foolish

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to try to intimidate, deceive, or persuade somebody
with deceitful or foolish talk
—bull·shit·ter, noun[1]



bullsnake

bullsnake
bull
snake
(plural bull snakes) noun

nonpoisonous snake:
a large, burrowing, nonpoisonous snake of North America that has yellow and
brown markings and feeds mainly on rodents. Genus: Pituophis
Also called
gopher snake[1]



bullterrier

bullterrier
bull
ter·ri·er
(plural bull ter·ri·ers) noun

smooth-haired dog:
a smooth-haired muscular dog belonging to a breed developed in England by
crossing the bulldog with a breed of terrier[1]



bullthistle

bullthistle
bull
this·tle
(plural bull this·tles) noun

European thistle:
a European thistle, widely distributed in temperate areas, with a large
flowering head. Latin name: Cirsium vulgare[1]



bullwhip

bullwhip
bull·whip 
[bl wìp, bl
hwìp] noun (plural bull·whips)

large
whip:
a long heavy whip made of braided strips of hide, knotted at the end
transitive
verb
(past bull·whipped, past participle bull·whipped, present
participle bull·whip·ping, 3rd person present singular bull·whips)

beat:
to beat somebody with a bullwhip[1]



bully

bully2
bul·ly2 [bllee]
(plural bul·lies) noun

small
fish:
a small New Zealand river fish. Genera: Gobiomorphus Phylinodon
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably shortened from bullhead
.][1]



bully

bully1
bul·ly1 [bllee]
noun (plural bul·lies)

aggressive
person:
an aggressive person who intimidates or mistreats weaker people
transitive
verb
(past bul·lied, past participle bul·lied, present
participle bul·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular bul·lies)

intimidate:
to intimidate or mistreat weaker people
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain; probably from Middle Dutch boele “lover.” Originally
“sweetheart,” then “fine fellow,” “blusterer.”][1]



bullyboy

bullyboy
bul·ly·boy 
[blli bòy] (plural bul·ly·boys)
noun

thug:
an aggressive bully or thug[1]



bullypulpit

bullypulpit
bul·ly
pul·pit
(plural bul·ly pul·pits) noun

platform:
a position of prominent authority, such as political office, that gives the
holder a wide audience[1]



bullyrag

bullyrag
bul·ly·rag 
[blli ràg] (past bul·ly·ragged,
past participle bul·ly·ragged, present participle bul·ly·rag·ging,
3rd person present singular bul·ly·rags) or bal·ly·rag
[blli ràg] (past bal·ly·ragged,
past participle bal·ly·ragged, present participle bal·ly·rag·ging,
3rd person present singular bal·ly·rags) transitive verb

mistreat:
to persecute somebody with insults or cruel practical jokes (informal)
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of ballyrag, of unknown origin.][1]



bullytree

bullytree
bul·ly
tree
(plural bul·ly trees) noun

tree yielding gum similar to
rubber: a tropical American tree
that yields a sap from which a hard rubber substance ( balata
) is made. Latin name: Manilkara bidentata
U.K. term
balata[1]



bull’seye

bull’seye
bull’s
eye
noun (plural bull’s eyes)

1.  SPORTS middle
of target:
the center of a target, which usually carries the highest score • She
hit the the bull’s eye perfectly.
Also
called
bull

2.  SPORTS top-scoring
shot:
a shot that hits the center of a target.
Also
called
bull

3.  round
window:
a small round window, especially a disk of thick glass in a ship’s deck for
letting in light below deck

4.  hard
candy:
a hard round peppermint candy, usually striped

5.  thick
lens:
a small thick lens for intensifying light

6.  type
of lamp:
a lamp fitted with a bull’s-eye lens
noun
(plural bull’s eyes) interjection

precise achievement:
a precise or highly effective achievement (informal)

[1]



bulrush

bulrush
bul·rush 
[bl rùsh] (plural bul·rush·es)
noun

1.  waterside
plant:
a plant that grows in wet conditions, with leaves like grass and clusters of
drooping brown flowers. Genus: Scirpus

2.  U.K.
tall
marsh plant with brown heads: a tall marsh plant with
brown furry flower spikes. Genus: Typha

3.  See
papyrus
[Middle English. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of bull and rush .][1]



bulwark

bulwark
bul·wark 
[blwərk] noun (plural bul·warks)

1.  defensive
wall:
a wall-like structure built to keep out attackers

2.  protection:
a person or thing that gives protection or support

3.  harbor
wall:
a wall built in the sea to shelter a harbor
plural
noun
bul·warks

ship’s sides: the
sides of a ship projecting above the deck
transitive
verb
(past bul·warked, past participle bul·warked, present
participle bul·wark·ing, 3rd person present singular bul·warks)

1.  protect
with walls:
to fortify or protect a place by building walls around it

2.  safeguard:
to defend or support somebody or something strongly
[15th century. From Middle
Low German bolwerk “rampart made of tree trunks” (source of English boulevard ), from bole “tree trunk” + werk
“work.”][1]



bum

bum1
bum1 [bum]
noun (plural bums) (informal)

1.  good-for-nothing:
somebody considered to be irresponsible or worthless

2.  hobo:
a homeless person living on the street (informal, sometimes considered
offensive)

3.  devotee:
a person excessively devoted to a particular activity or place • a
ski bum
transitive
verb
(past bummed, past participle bummed, present
participle bum·ming, 3rd person present singular bums)

beg: to
get something by asking or begging (informal)
adjective

useless:
useless, worthless, or of poor quality (informal) • gave
me some pretty bum advice
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening of bummer, in the
earlier sense “lazy, irresponsible person.”]
give
somebody the bum’s rush

to order or force somebody abruptly
to leave a place (slang)[1]



bum

bum2
bum2 [bum]
(plural bums) noun

U.K.
buttocks:
the buttocks (informal)
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bumbag

bumbag
bum
bag
(plural bum bags) noun

U.K.
See fanny pack[1]



bumbershoot

bumbershoot
bum·ber·shoot 
[búmbər sht] (plural bum·ber·shoots)
noun

umbrella:
an umbrella (humorous)
[Late 19th century. From
bumber (alteration of umbre- in umbrella ) + shoot representing chute as in
parachute .][1]



bumble

bumble2
bum·ble2 [búmb’l]
(past bum·bled, past participle bum·bled, present
participle bum·bling, 3rd person present singular bum·bles)
intransitive verb

hum:
to make a humming sound
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



bumble

bumble1
bum·ble1 [búmb’l]
intransitive and transitive verb (past bum·bled, past
participle bum·bled, present participle bum·bling, 3rd
person present singular bum·bles)

speak
clumsily:
to speak in a hesitant or muddled way
noun
transitive verb (past bum·bled, past participle bum·bled,
present participle bum·bling, 3rd person present singular bum·bles)

move
clumsily:
to move or proceed clumsily
transitive
verb
(past bum·bled, past participle bum·bled, present
participle bum·bling, 3rd person present singular bum·bles)

(informal)
See bungle
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of bungle
and stumble .]
—bum·bler, noun[1]



bumblebee

bumblebee
bum·ble·bee 
[búmb’l b] (plural bum·ble·bees)
noun

large
bee:
a large hairy bee of North America and Eurasia that nests in burrows and makes
a loud droning noise in flight. Genus: Bombus
Also
called
humblebee
[Mid-16th century. From the droning
sound it makes when flying.][1]



bumbledom

bumbledom
bum·ble·dom 
[búmb’ldəm] noun

officiousness:
pompous self-importance and officiousness in a minor official (humorous)
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Mr. Bumble, an officious beadle in Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist .][1]



bumble-puppy

bumble-puppy
bum·ble-pup·py
noun

U.K.
See tetherball
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bumbling

bumbling
bum·bling 
[búmbling] adjective

clumsy:
speaking or behaving in a clumsy or confused way (informal)[1]



bumboat

bumboat
bum·boat 
[búm bt] (plural bum·boats) noun

boat
serving large ship: a small boat that is used
for selling goods to ships at anchor
[Late 17th century. Bum from bum 1 .
Originally “boat collecting rubbish and filth from moored ships.”][1]



bumfuzzle

bumfuzzle
bum·fuz·zle 
[búm fùzz’l, bùm
fúzz’l] (past bum·fuz·zled, past participle bum·fuz·zled,
present participle bum·fuz·zling, 3rd person present singular
bum·fuz·zles) transitive verb

Southern
U.S.
confuse:
to confuse somebody (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of bamboozle, in the sense of
confuse .][1]



bummalo

bummalo
bum·ma·lo 
[búmməlō] (plural bum·ma·lo) noun

edible
Indian fish: a small blunt-nosed edible fish found in
brackish Indian waters. Latin name: Harpadon nehereus
Also
called
Bombay duck
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Marathi bombīl .][1]



bummed

bummed
bummed
[bumd] adjective

unhappy:
unhappy as a result of an unpleasant experience (slang)[1]



bummer

bummer
bum·mer 
[búmmər] (plural bum·mers) noun
(slang)

1.  annoying
thing:
something annoying or unpleasant

2.  flop:
a failure

3.  bad
reaction to drug: a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from German Bummler “idler, layabout,” from bummeln
“to stroll or loaf around.”][1]



bump

bump
bump 
[bump] verb (past bumped,
past participle bumped, present participle bump·ing,
3rd person present singular bumps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb knock:
to hit or knock something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
unsteadily:
to move in a jolting or bouncing way • We
bumped along the dirt track.

3.  transitive
verb
turn
away a passenger: to turn away an airline passenger with a
reserved seat because the flight has been overbooked (informal)
noun
(plural bumps)

1.  accidental
knock:
a light blow or impact • that
bump dented the bodywork

2.  lump
on surface:
a raised area on a flat surface • a bump
in the road

3.  swelling
on body:
a swelling on the body caused by an impact • a
bump on the elbow

4.  sound
of impact:
the dull sound of one thing hitting another

5.  raised
area on skull: any of numerous raised areas on the
skull, formerly thought to indicate intelligence or personality type
[Mid-16th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
bump
and grind

to dance erotically,
thrusting and rotating the pelvis (slang)[1]



bumper

bumper
bump·er
[búmpər] noun (plural bump·ers)

protecting
bar on vehicle: a projecting rim or bar on the front or
back of a vehicle, designed to protect it from damage
adjective

large:
unusually large • a
bumper crop[1]



bumpercar

bumpercar
bump·er
car
(plural bump·er cars) noun

fairground car:
a small electric car used as part of a fairground entertainment. The cars are
designed to be bumped into each other in a raised enclosure.[1]



bumpersticker

bumpersticker
bump·er
stick·er
(plural bump·er stick·ers) noun

small sign:
a small adhesive sign, typically mounted on a car bumper or window[1]



bumper-to-bumper

bumper-to-bumper
bump·er-to-bump·er 
adjective adverb

moving slowly in line:
forming a line of close slow-moving vehicles • bumper-to-bumper
traffic • drive
bumper-to-bumper[1]



bumpinto

bumpinto
bump
into
transitive verb

1.  meet
by chance:
to meet somebody by chance

2.  collide
accidentally: to knock against or hit somebody or
something accidentally

[1]



bumpkin

bumpkin1
bump·kin1 [búmpkin,
búmkin] (plural bump·kins) noun

unsophisticated
person:
a country person regarded as unsophisticated (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch boomken or Middle Dutch bommekijn
“short rotund person,” literally “little tree.”][1]



bumpkin

bumpkin2
bump·kin2 [búmpkin,
búmkin] (plural bump·kins) or
bum·kin [búmkin] (plural bum·kins)
noun

pole
to secure sail in boats: a pole at the back of a ship
or boat to which a sail is attached by a rope
[Mid-17th century.
Anglicization of Dutch boomken .][1]



bumpoff

bumpoff
bump
off
transitive verb

murder:
to murder somebody (slang)[1]



bumptious

bumptious
bump·tious 
[búmpshəss] adjective

self-important:
stating opinions aggressively or self-importantly
[Early
19th century. A playful blend of bump and fractious .]
—bump·tious·ly,
adverb

—bump·tious·ness, noun[1]



bumpup

bumpup
bump
up
transitive verb

increase:
to increase prices suddenly and sharply (informal)[1]



bumpup against

bumpup against
bump
up against
transitive verb

1.  come
into contact with: to come into contact with
something, usually with a sound

2.  confront:
to come into conflict with somebody

[1]



bumpy

bumpy
bump·y 
[búmpee] (comparative bump·i·er,
superlative bump·i·est) adjective

1.  uneven:
having a rough or uneven surface • a
bumpy road

2.  bouncy:
uncomfortably bouncy or rough • a
bumpy ride

3.  difficult:
with setbacks from time to time (informal) • Things
seemed to be going well, but it looks like this project’s going to be bumpy
after all.
—bump·i·ly,
adverb

—bump·i·ness, noun[1]



bumrap

bumrap
bum
rap
(plural bum raps) noun

false accusation:
a false or fraudulent accusation or appraisal (slang)[1]



bumsteer

bumsteer
bum
steer
(plural bum steers) noun

bad advice:
a piece of misleading information or bad advice (slang)[1]



bun

bun
bun
[bun] noun (plural buns)

1.  round
bread roll:
a small round bread roll, sometimes sweetened and with added fruit or spice

2.  hair
coiled at back of head: hair gathered in a tight
round coil on the back or top of the head
plural
noun
buns

buttocks: the
buttocks (slang)
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bunch

bunch
bunch 
[bunch] noun (plural bunch·es)

1.  collection
of things:
a number of things grouped or joined together

2.  cluster
of fruits:
a cluster of fruits growing on a stem

3.  group
of people:
a group of people, especially friends or associates (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bunched,
past participle bunched, present participle bunch·ing,
3rd person present singular bunch·es)

gather: to
gather things or people into a cluster or close group
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—bunch·i·ness,
noun

—bunch·y, adjective[1]



bunchberry

bunchberry
bunch·ber·ry 
[búnch bèrree] (plural bunch·ber·ries)
noun

creeping plant:
a creeping plant of the dogwood family that bears red berries. Latin name: Cornus
canadensis
Also called
dwarf cornel[1]



Bunche,Ralph

Bunche,Ralph

Bunche 
[bunch], Ralph (1904–1971)
U.S.
diplomat. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for in his work as a U.N.
mediator resolving Arab-Israeli conflicts.
Full name
Bunche, Ralph Johnson[1]



bunchflower

bunchflower
bunch·flow·er 
[búnch flòwr] (plural bunch·flow·ers)
noun

flowering plant:
a perennial plant of the lilac family with leaves like grass and clusters of
pale green flowers, found in the eastern United States. Latin name: Melanthium
virginicum[1]



bunchgrass

bunchgrass
bunch
grass
(plural bunch grass·es) noun

tufty grass:
any grass that grows in clumps or tufts[1]



BunchoTani

BunchoTani
Bun·cho
Ta·ni
[bùnchō táanee] (1763–1840)

Japanese artist. A noted book
illustrator, he was responsible for introducing the Western style to Japanese
painting.[1]



bunco

bunco
bun·co 
[búngkō] or bun·ko [búngkō] noun (plural bun·coes)
(plural bun·koes)

swindle:
a trick or scheme that deceives people into parting with money (slang)
transitive
verb
(past bun·coed, past participle bun·coed, present
participle bun·co·ing, 3rd person present singular bun·cos)
(past bun·koed, past participle bun·koed, present
participle bun·ko·ing, 3rd person present singular bun·kos)

defraud:
to trick somebody into giving money (slang)
[Late 19th century. Of
uncertain origin; perhaps from Spanish banca, a kind of card game.][1]



bund

bund1
bund1 [bund]
(plural bunds) noun

South
Asia
embankment:
an embankment or dyke surrounding rice fields or acting as a breakwater to
prevent flooding.
See
also
levee
[Early 19th century. From
Urdu band, from Persian .][1]



bund

bund2
bund2 [bund]
(plural bunds) or Bund [bund]
(plural Bunds) noun

political
organization: a political organization, especially a
socialist Jewish labor movement in Tsarist Russia or a German-American group of
Nazi sympathizers in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “association.”][1]



bundle

bundle
bun·dle 
[búnd’l] noun (plural bun·dles)

1.  a
collection of things held together: a
number of things tied, wrapped, or held together

2.  a
lot of money: a large sum of money (slang)

3.  BIOLOGY band
of parallel tissues: a band of tissues running
parallel to each other, for example, muscle or nerve fibers, or vascular tissue
in plants

4.  COMPUTING set
of computer equipment:: computer hardware and
software supplied as a package at an inclusive price
transitive
verb
(past bun·dled, past participle bun·dled, present
participle bun·dling, 3rd person present singular bun·dles)

1.  COMPUTING supply
computer equipment: to package computer hardware
and software together at an inclusive price

2.  shove
somebody or something: to push somebody or
something roughly and hurriedly (informal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain, perhaps from Old English byndelle “binding”
or Dutch bundel, both related to English bind
.]
—bun·dler, noun[1]



bundleoff

bundleoff
bundle
off
transitive verb

hurry somebody away:
to send somebody away hurriedly (informal) • We
bundled the children off to school.[1]



bundleof nerves

bundleof nerves
bun·dle
of nerves
(plural bun·dles of nerves) noun

somebody who feels nervous:
somebody who is feeling nervous, especially before an event (informal)[1]



bundleup

bundleup
bundle
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
gather
into bundle: to gather things into a bundle

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dress
warmly:
to dress in warm clothes, or to dress somebody in warm clothes (informal)
• Bundle
up, it’s cold outside.

[1]



bung

bung
bung 
[bung] noun (plural bungs)

1.  stopper:
a stopper or plug, especially one made of cork or rubber

2.  U.K.
payoff:
an illicit fee paid to a soccer player, manager, or agent to facilitate a
player transfer (slang)
transitive
verb
(past bunged, past participle bunged, present
participle bung·ing, 3rd person present singular bungs)

stop something up:
to plug or seal a hole with a bung
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch bonghe, of uncertain origin, probably from late Latin puncta
“puncture,” from Latin pungere “to prick” (source of English pungent ).][1]



bungalow

bungalow
bun·ga·low 
[búng gəlō] noun (plural bun·ga·lows)

1.  single-story
house:
a single-story house

2.  lightweight
tropical house: a simply-built one-story house with a
veranda and a wide, gently sloping roof in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific


Malaysia, Singapore
house:
a house, usually of two or more stories
[Late 17th century. From
Hindi bańglā “of Bengal.”][1]



bungee

bungee
bun·gee 
[bún j] (plural bun·gees) noun

elastic
cord:
a cord or rope made from elastic material
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bungeejump

bungeejump
bun·gee
jump
(unmarked inflection bun·gee jumps) noun

dive
with safety rope: a dive from a high place using an
elastic cord tied to the ankles as a restraint
—bun·gee jump·ing, noun[1]



bunghole

bunghole
bung·hole 
[búng hl] (plural bung·holes)
noun

hole in barrel:
a hole in a barrel or vat, used for drawing off the contents and closed with a
bung[1]



bungle

bungle
bun·gle 
[búng g’l] transitive verb (past
bun·gled, past participle bun·gled, present participle
bun·gling, 3rd person present singular bun·gles)

spoil
something:
to cause something to fail through carelessness or incompetence (informal)
noun
(plural bun·gles)

mistake:
a careless or clumsy action or mistake (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Thought to suggest the action.]
—bun·gling,
adjective

—bun·gling·ly, adverb[1]



bungler

bungler
bun·gler 
[búng glər] (plural bun·glers)
noun

careless person:
a person whose carelessness or incompetence causes failure (informal)[1]



bunion

bunion
bun·ion 
[búnyən] (plural bun·ions) noun

joint
swelling:
inflammation of the sac ( bursa ) around the
first joint of the big toe, accompanied by swelling and sideways displacement
of the joint
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via English dialect bunny “lump, swelling” from Old French buigne
“bump on the head,” probably ultimately of Germanic origin.][1]



bunk

bunk1
bunk1 [bungk]
noun (plural bunks)

1.  simple
bed:
a simple narrow bed built on a shelf or in a recess

2.  See
bunk bed

3.  sleeping
place:
any bed or place to sleep (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past bunked, past participle bunked, present participle
bunk·ing, 3rd person present singular bunks)

sleep: to
sleep in a place away from home (informal) “You may as well bunk at the
YMCA and get in on their recreation programs.” Garrison Keillor We Are Still
Married 1989
[Mid-18th century. Origin uncertain,
perhaps shortened from bunker .][1]



bunk

bunk2
bunk2 [bungk]
noun

nonsense:
talk or writing dismissed as nonsensical or inaccurate (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortened from bunkum .][1]



bunkbed

bunkbed
bunk
bed
(plural bunk beds) noun

stacked bed:
either of a pair of single beds fitted one on top of the other.
Also called
bunk[1]



bunker

bunker
bun·ker 
[bùngkər] noun (plural bun·kers)

1.  underground
shelter:
an underground shelter, especially one built for troops, with a fortified gun
position above ground

2.  sand
hazard:
a sand-filled hollow on a golf course, built as a hazard

3.  fuel
storage container: a fuel-storage container on
a ship

4.  large
outdoor container: a large outdoor bin or chest
transitive
verb
(past bun·kered, past participle bun·kered, present
participle bun·ker·ing, 3rd person present singular bun·kers)

1.  send
golf ball into bunker: to hit a golf ball into a
bunker

2.  put
something in outdoor bin: to put or store something in
a large outdoor bin or chest
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



BunkerHill

BunkerHill
Bun·ker
Hill 
[búngkər hìll]

hill in Boston,
Massachusetts, near the site of the first large-scale battle of the American
Revolution in 1775. Height: 34 m/110 ft.[1]



bunkhouse

bunkhouse
bunk·house 
[búnk hòws] (plural bunk·hous·es
[búnk hòwziz]) noun

dormitory:
a building providing simple sleeping facilities[1]



bunko

bunko
bun·ko 
noun transitive verb

See
bunco[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








bunkum

bunkum
bun·kum 
[búngkəm] noun

nonsense:
talk or writing dismissed as nonsensical or inaccurate (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Buncombe County in North Carolina, whose congressman defended a dull and
irrelevant speech by saying he made it to impress the people of Buncombe.][1]



bunny

bunny
bun·ny 
[búnnee] (plural bun·nies) noun

rabbit:
a child’s word for a rabbit
[Early 17th century. From
English dialect bun “rabbit’s tail, rabbit,” from Gaelic bun “stump,
bottom.”][1]



bunnyhug

bunnyhug
bun·ny
hug
noun

ballroom dance:
a lively ballroom dance popular in the United States in the early 20th century[1]



bunnyslopes

bunnyslopes
bun·ny
slopes
plural noun

beginners’
ski slopes:
the gentlest slopes in a ski resort or complex, designed for beginners to use.
U.K.
term
nursery slopes
[Bunny of uncertain origin][1]



bunodont

bunodont
bun·o·dont 
[bynə dònt] adjective

with
ridged molars: having molars with separate rounded
ridges ( cusps ), typical of omnivores
[Late 19th century. From
Greek bounos “mound” + -odont .][1]



Bunraku

Bunraku
Bun·ra·ku 
[bn r k, bn
r k] noun

Japanese
puppetry:
traditional Japanese puppetry using large wooden puppets, each worked by
several puppeteers who are visible to the audience and with a separate narrator
offstage
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, named for the Bunraku-za theater, built in the early 19th century by
the puppeteer Bunraku-ken Oemurea (died 1810).][1]



Bunsenburner

Bunsenburner

Bun·sen
burn·er
[bùnsən búrnər] (plural Bun·sen
burn·ers) noun
laboratory
gas burner:
a portable tube-shaped gas burner with an adjustable hole to control air intake
and flame type, used in laboratories
[Late 19th century. Named for
Robert W. Bunsen, who popularized it.][1]



Bunsen,Robert Wilhelm

Bunsen,Robert Wilhelm

Bun·sen 
[búnsən], Robert Wilhelm (1811–1899)
German chemist and physicist. One of the
discoverers of spectrum analysis (1859), he also invented a galvanic battery.
He popularized the laboratory gas burner that bears his name.[1]



Bunshaft,Gordon

Bunshaft,Gordon
Bun·shaft
[bún shàft], Gordon (1909–1990)

U.S. architect. His
innovations in designing public and corporate buildings included the use of
sloping façades.[1]



bunt

bunt2
bunt2 [bunt]
noun

middle
part of sail: the baggy pouch-like middle part of a
sail
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Low German bunt “bundle.”][1]



bunt

bunt1
bunt1 [bunt]
transitive verb (past bunt·ed, past participle bunt·ed,
present participle bunt·ing, 3rd person present singular bunts)

hit
a ball gently: in baseball, to hit a pitched ball very
gently, holding the bat horizontally with both hands
noun
(plural bunts)

gentle
hit of ball: an instance of bunting a baseball
noun
(plural bunts) transitive verb (past bunt·ed,
past participle bunt·ed, present participle bunt·ing,
3rd person present singular bunts)

See
butt 1 verb 1
[Mid-18th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—bun·ter, noun[1]



buntal

buntal
bun·tal
[búnt’l] noun

straw
from palm tree: straw from the large leaves of the
talipot palm tree of Southeast Asia
[Early 20th century. From
Tagalog .][1]



bunting

bunting1
bunt·ing1  [búnting]
(plural bunt·ings) noun

small
bird:
a small seed-eating songbird related to the finch, with a short stout bill and
usually brown or gray feathers. Family: Emberizidae
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



bunting

bunting2
bunt·ing2  [búnting]
noun

outdoor
decorations: strings of cloth or paper decorations
for hanging outdoors
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from German bunt “colored.”][1]



buntline

buntline
bunt·line 
[búnt ln] (plural bunt·lines)
noun

rope on sail:
a rope attached to the bottom of a square sail, used to roll up the sail[1]



bunya

bunya
bun·ya 
[búnyə] (plural bun·yas) or
bun·ya-bun·ya [búnyə] (plural bun·ya-bun·yas)
or bun·ya pine [búnyə] (plural
bun·ya pines) noun

coniferous
tree:
a tall Australian tree with cones containing edible seeds that are eaten raw or
roasted and are ground into flour. Latin name: Araucaria bidwillii
[Mid-19th century. From
Yagara bunya-bunya .][1]



Bunyanesque

Bunyanesque
Bun·yan·esque 
[bùnyə nésk] adjective

1.  allegorical:
richly allegorical, like the writings of John Bunyan

2.  gigantic:
supernaturally large, like the legendary giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan

[1]



Bunyan,John

Bunyan,John

Bun·yan 
[búnnyən], John (1628–1688)
English preacher and writer. A Puritan
preacher, he was jailed for 12 years for his religious beliefs. He wrote the
autobiographical Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners ( 1666 ) and
the great spiritual allegory Pilgrim’s Progress ( 1678 ).[1]



Bunyan,Paul

Bunyan,Paul
Bun·yan,
Paul
[búnnyən] noun

LEGEND
legandary lumberjack:
In U.S. folklore, a giant lumberjack who performs superhuman feats with his
blue ox, Babe[1]



Buonarroti,Michelangelo

Buonarroti,Michelangelo
Buo·nar·ro·ti 
[bwàw naa rṓ tee], Michelangelo


See
Michelangelo[1]



buoy

buoy1

buoy1  [b
ee, boy] noun (plural buoys)

1.  floating
signal:
a large anchored float, often equipped with lights or bells, that serves as a
guide or warning to ships

2.  See
lifebuoy
transitive verb
(past buoyed, past participle buoyed, present participle
buoy·ing, 3rd person present singular buoys)

mark with buoy:
to use a buoy to mark the location of something in water, for example, a hazard
or channel
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch bo(e)ye or Old French boie
“chain” (with which a buoy is tethered), both ultimately from a Germanic word
meaning “signal.”][1]



buoy

buoy2
buoy2 [b
ee, boy] (past buoyed, past
participle buoyed, present participle buoy·ing, 3rd
person present singular buoys) transitive verb

keep
something up: to keep something from falling or
sinking • steps
to buoy the country’s currency
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish boyar “to float,” from boya “buoy.”][1]



buoyancy

buoyancy
buoy·an·cy 
[bóy ənsee] or buoy·ance [bóy əns] noun

1.  force
causing floating: the tendency of a liquid or gas to cause
less dense objects to float or rise to the surface

2.  tendency
to float:
the tendency of an object to float

3.  power
to recover emotionally: the ability to recover
quickly from a disappointment or failure

4.  cheerfulness:
cheerfulness or optimism

[1]



buoyant

buoyant
buoy·ant 
[bóy ənt] adjective

1.  pushing
upward:
causing immersed objects to float or rise to the surface of a liquid, or upward
in a gas

2.  able
to float:
tending to float or rise to the surface of a liquid, or upward in a gas

3.  quick
to recover emotionally: tending to recover quickly
from a disappointment or failure

4.  cheerful:
cheerful or optimistic
[Late
16th century. From Old French, or from Spanish boyante, present
participle of boyar “to float,” from boya (see buoy ).]
—buoy·ant·ly, adverb[1]



buoyup

buoyup
buoy
up
transitive verb

1.  keep
somebody’s spirits up: to keep somebody cheerful or
optimistic in spite of difficulties • The
arrival of the children has buoyed us all up.

2.  encourage:
to give support or encouragement to somebody • Buoyed
up by a few wise investments, the company went on to prosper the following
year.

[1]



bupivacaine

bupivacaine
bu·pi·va·caine
[byoo pívvə kayn] noun

anesthetic:
a powerful local anesthetic used especially in epidural anesthesia
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from butyl + pipecoloxylidide + -vacaine
(from procaine )][1]



buprestid

buprestid
bu·pres·tid 
[byoo préstid] (plural bu·pres·tids)
noun

tropical
beetle:
a metallic-colored tropical beetle found worldwide that bores into wood during
the larva stage. Family: Buprestidae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Buprestidae (plural), family name, ultimately from Greek bouprēstis,
literally “ox-sweller,” from bous “ox.”][1]



bur

bur1
bur1 [bur]
(plural burs) or burr [bur]
(plural burrs) noun

1.  BOTANY prickly
seed husk:
a prickly husk covering the seeds of plants such as burdock

2.  BOTANY tree
growth:
a lumpy outgrowth of wood on a tree

3.  SURGERY bone
drill:
an instrument for drilling holes in bone, especially into the skull
[14th century. Of uncertain
origin: probably from Scandinavian, related to Danish burre “burdock.”][1]



Bur.

Bur.
Bur.

Abbreviation
of
Burma


Abbreviation of
Burmese[1]



bur

bur2
bur2 noun

See
burr 1[1]



bur.

bur.
bur.

Abbreviation of
bureau[1]



Burakumin

Burakumin
Bu·ra·ku·min
[b rák mìn] plural noun

low
caste group: members of the lowest Japanese caste
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “hamlet people.”][1]



buran

buran
bu·ran 
[boo rn] noun

Asian
wind:
a strong wind in central Asia, bringing dust storms in summer and blizzards in
winter
[Mid-19th century. Via
Russian from Turkic boran .][1]



burb

burb
burb
[burb] (plural burbs) noun

suburb:
a suburb (slang)
[Shortening][1]



Burbank

Burbank
Bur·bank 
[búr bàngk]

1.  city
in southwestern California, in the San Fernando Valley, a northern suburb of
Los Angeles. Population: 96,579 (1996)

2.  city
in northeastern Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Population: 27,714 (1996)

[1]



Burbank,Luther

Burbank,Luther

Bur·bank 
[búr bàngk], Luther (1849–1926)
U.S. horticulturalist and botanist. He
developed many different varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.[1]



Burberry

Burberry
Bur·ber·ry
[búrbərree] Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
outerwear, especially waterproof cloth raincoats and accessories[1]



burble

burble

bur·ble 
[búrb’l] verb (past bur·bled,
past participle bur·bled, present participle bur·bling,
3rd person present singular bur·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
bubbling sound: to make a gentle bubbling sound, like
the sound of running water

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
excitedly:
to speak or say something in a fast excited way (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
become
turbulent:
to become turbulent (refers to the airflow around an aircraft’s wing)
noun (plural
bur·bles)

1.  gentle
sound:
a gentle bubbling or gurgling sound

2.  stream
of talk:
a flow of fast excited talking (informal)

3.  break
in airflow:
a break in the flow of air around an aircraft’s wing, which causes turbulence
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—bur·bler,
noun

—bur·bly, adverb[1]



burbot

burbot
bur·bot 
[búrbət] (plural bur·bot or
bur·bots) noun

freshwater
cod:
a freshwater fish of the cod family found in North America, northern Europe,
and Asia. Latin name: Lota lota
Also
called
eelpout
Also
called
cusk
[14th century. From Old
French borbette, of uncertain origin: probably formed from borbe
“mud, slime.”][1]



burden

burden2
bur·den2 [búrd’n]
(plural bur·dens) noun

1.  chorus:
a chorus in a song

2.  theme:
a main or recurring theme in music or literature (literary)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Middle English bourdon “bass part underlying a melody,” from
French, literally “bass, drone.”][1]



burden

burden1
bur·den1 [búrd’n]
noun (plural bur·dens)

1.  something
carried:
a load being carried • carrying
a heavy burden on his back

2.  worrying
responsibility: a difficult or worrying responsibility
or duty • the
burdens of parenthood

3.  ship’s
capacity:
the maximum weight of cargo that a ship can carry
transitive
verb
(past bur·dened, past participle bur·dened, present
participle bur·den·ing, 3rd person present singular bur·dens)

1.  give
responsibility to somebody: to give somebody a task that
is difficult to deal with or something worrying to think about

2.  impose
burden on somebody: to cause somebody or
something to carry a burden
[Old
English byrthen . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
bear,” which is also the ancestor of English birth,
fertile, and suffer .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at subject

[1]



burdenof proof

burdenof proof
bur·den
of proof
noun

responsibility to prove
something: the responsibility of
proving a case or argument, especially in a court of law[1]



burdensome

burdensome
bur·den·some 
[búrd’nsəm] adjective

difficult to bear:
difficult or worrying to bear or deal with[1]



burdock

burdock
bur·dock 
[búr dòk] noun

wild
plant with prickly flowers: a tall biennial plant found
wild in temperate areas, with a long taproot and small prickly purple flower
heads. Genus: Arctium
[Late 16th century. From burr + dock 1 .][1]



bureau

bureau
bu·reau 
[byrō] (plural bureaus or
bu·reaux) noun

1.  organization:
an organization, or one of its branches

2.  government
department:
a government department, or one of its branches

3.  chest
of drawers:
a chest of drawers, especially a low one

4.  writing
desk:
a narrow desk with a writing surface and drawers
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “baize” (used for desks), of uncertain origin: probably
formed from buire “dark brown,” from, ultimately, Greek purros
“red,” from pur “fire.”][1]



bureaucracy

bureaucracy
bu·reauc·ra·cy 
[byoo rókrəsee] (plural bu·reauc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  administrative
system:
an administrative system, especially in a government, that divides work into
specific categories carried out by special departments of nonelected officials

2.  officials
collectively: the nonelected officials of an
organization or department

3.  state
or organization: a state or organization operated by a
hierarchy of paid officials

4.  frustrating
rules:
complex rules and regulations applied rigidly
[Early 19th century. From
French bureaucratie, from bureau “office” + cracy “rule.”][1]



bureaucrat

bureaucrat
bu·reau·crat 
[byrə kràt] (plural bu·reau·crats)
noun

1.  administrative
official:
an administrative or government official

2.  inflexible
official:
an official who applies rules rigidly
—bu·reau·cra·tism [byoo rókrə tìzzəm], noun[1]



bureaucratese

bureaucratese
bu·reau·crat·ese 
[byoo ròkrətz] noun

style of language:
over-formal, jargon-filled language often used by earnest officials[1]



bureaucratic

bureaucratic
bu·reau·crat·ic 
[byrə kráttik] adjective

1.  administrative:
relating to the way administrative systems are organized • the
bureaucratic structure

2.  too
rigid:
used to describe an administrative system or official that applies rules
rigidly
—bu·reau·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



bureaucratize

bureaucratize
bu·reau·cra·tize 
[byoo rókrə tz] (past bu·reau·cra·tized,
past participle bu·reau·cra·tized, present participle bu·reau·cra·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular bu·reau·cra·tiz·es) transitive
verb

1.  make
something into bureaucracy: to change a system into a
bureaucracy

2.  make
something too rigid or complex: to make a system or
procedure rigid or complex
—bu·reau·cra·ti·za·tion
[byoo ròkrətə záyshən], noun[1]



bureaude change

bureaude change
bu·reau
de change
[byrō də shN] (plural bu·reaus
de change [byrō də shN] or bu·reaux
de change [byrō də shN]) noun

U.K.
place
for exchanging currency: an office or part of a bank
where foreign currency is exchanged
[From French, literally
“office of exchange”][1]



burette

burette
bu·rette 
[byoo rét] (plural bu·rettes) noun

tube
for measuring liquid: a glass tube with
measurements marked on the side and a stopcock at the bottom, used in
laboratories to release an accurately measured quantity of liquid
[Mid-19th century. From
French, diminutive of buire “jug,” probably ultimately of Germanic
origin.][1]



burg

burg
burg 
[burg] (plural burgs) noun

1.  town:
a city or town (informal)

2.  ancient
fortress:
an ancient fortress or walled town
[Mid-18th century. Enclosure
from late Latin burgus “town,” from German Burg ; both ultimately
from an ancient Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English borough .][1]



burgee

burgee
bur·gee 
[bùr j, búr j]
(plural bur·gees) noun

identification
flag:
a light identification flag flown from the top of a mast
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French bourgeois in the sense “master, owner,”
from late Latin burgus (see bourg ).][1]



burgeon

burgeon
bur·geon 
[búrjən] (past bur·geoned, past
participle bur·geoned, present participle bur·geon·ing,
3rd person present singular bur·geons) intransitive verb (literary)

1.  produce
new growth:
to produce new buds and leaves or to swell and develop into leaves and flowers

2.  flourish:
to flourish or develop rapidly
[14th century. From French bourgeonner,
from bourgeon “a shoot or bud,” from, ultimately, late Latin burra
“wool.”][1]



burgeoning

burgeoning
bur·geon·ing
[búrjəning] adjective

growing quickly:
growing or expanding rapidly • burgeoning
wealth[1]



burger

burger
burg·er 
[búrgər] (plural burg·ers) noun

1.  meat
snack:
a flat round patty of cooked ground meat, usually served in a bun

2.  savory
snack:
a round flat patty made of chicken, fish, vegetables, or nuts, usually served
in a bun
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from hamburger .][1]



-burger

-burger
-burger
[búrgər] suffix

Resembling
ground beef or a hamburger • veggieburger
[From hamburger][1]



Burger,Warren

Burger,Warren
Bur·ger 
[búrgər], Warren (1907–1995)

U.S.
chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Nixon on the
strength of his reputation as a judicial conservative, he sat on the U.S.
Supreme Court from 1969 to 1986.
Full name
Burger, Warren Earl[1]



burgess

burgess
bur·gess 
[búrjəss] (plural bur·gess·es)
noun

prerevolution legislator in
Maryland or Virginia: a member of
the lower legislative house in Maryland or Virginia before the American
Revolution[1]



Burgess,Anthony

Burgess,Anthony
Bur·gess 
[búrjəss], Anthony (1917–1993)

British
writer and critic. His books include A Clockwork Orange (1962) and A
Dead Man in Deptford (1993).
Born
Wilson, John Anthony Burgess[1]



Burgess,John William

Burgess,John William
Bur·gess
[búrjəss], John William (1844–1931)

U.S. political scientist and
educator. In addition to scholarly publications and teaching, he established
political science as an academic discipline and helped make Columbia a major university
by founding the School of Political Science there in 1880.[1]



burgher

burgher
burgh·er 
[búrgər] (plural burgh·ers) noun

1.  medieval
merchant:
a merchant in a medieval European town

2.  citizen:
a citizen, especially a prosperous or conservative member of the middle class (humorous)

3.  pre-19thC
parliamentary representative: a parliamentary
representative from a corporate town, borough, or university before
19th-century reforms
[Late 16th century. Partly
formed from burgh, partly from German or Dutch burger, from burg
(see burg ).][1]



burglar

burglar
bur·glar 
[búrglər] (plural bur·glars) noun

illegal
intruder:
somebody who enters or remains in a building to commit a felony, usually in
order to steal something
[Mid-16th century. From
obsolete legal French burgier, from the assumed Latin stem burg-
“to plunder.”][1]



burglaralarm

burglaralarm
bur·glar
a·larm
(plural bur·glar a·larms) noun

alarm warning of forced
entry: an electronic device
designed to make a loud noise when somebody enters a building in any way other
than that intended by the resident or owner[1]



burglarize

burglarize
bur·glar·ize 
[búrglə rz] (past bur·glar·ized,
past participle bur·glar·ized, present participle bur·glar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular bur·glar·iz·es) transitive verb

commit burglary:
to enter a building intending to commit a felony, usually to steal something (often
passive)
U.K. term
burgle[1]



burglarproof

burglarproof
bur·glar·proof 
[búrglər prf] adjective

protected against burglary:
secured with locks, alarms, or other devices so as to discourage or prevent
unauthorized entry[1]



burglary

burglary
bur·gla·ry 
[búrgləree] (plural bur·gla·ries)
noun

illegal
entry:
the crime of entering a building to commit a felony, usually theft, or an
instance of such a crime
—bur·glar·i·ous
[bur gláiree əss], adjective

—bur·glar·i·ous·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at theft

[1]



burgle

burgle
bur·gle 
[búrg’l] (past bur·gled, past
participle bur·gled, present participle bur·gling, 3rd
person present singular bur·gles) transitive verb

(often
passive)See burglarize
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from burglar .][1]



burgomaster

burgomaster
bur·go·mas·ter 
[búrgə màstər] (plural bur·go·mas·ters)
noun

European
mayor:
the mayor or chief magistrate in some northern European towns
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch burgomeester, literally “town master.”][1]



burgoo

burgoo
bur·goo 
[búr g, búr g]
(plural bur·goos) noun Southern U.S.

1.  stew:
a spicy meat stew cooked outdoors

2.  outdoor
party:
an outdoor party where burgoo is cooked and eaten
[Late 17th century. Via
Arabic burġul from Persian burġūl, variant of burġūr,
literally “bruised grain” (source of English bulgur
).][1]



Burgoyne,John

Burgoyne,John
Bur·goyne 
[bur góyn, búr
gòyn], John (1722–1792)

British general. His attempt
to lead a British invasion into New York from Canada was thwarted at Saratoga
(1777). He also wrote plays, including The Heiress ( 1786 ).[1]



burgundy

burgundy
bur·gun·dy
[búrgəndee] or Bur·gun·dy [búrgəndee] noun (plural bur·gun·dies)

1.  kind
of wine:
red or white wine produced in the Burgundy region of central France

2.  deep
red color:
a deep red color, like that of red Burgundy wine
adjective

of deep red color:
of a deep red color, like red Burgundy wine

[1]



burial

burial
bur·i·al 
[bérreeəl] (plural bur·i·als) noun

disposal
of body:
the act or ceremony of putting a dead body into the ground or into the sea
[Old English byrgels,
from byrgan (see bury )][1]



burialground

burialground
bur·i·al
ground
(plural bur·i·al grounds) noun

place of burial:
an area of land where dead bodies are buried, especially an ancient site[1]



Buriat

Buriat
Bur·i·at
noun

See
Buryat[1]



Buridan’sass

Buridan’sass
Bur·i·dan’s
ass 
[byrəd’nz àss] noun

impractical
reasoning:
a situation used to demonstrate the impracticality of making choices according
to a formal system of reasoning
[Named for Jean Buridan
(1300–1358), French philosopher who wrote of an ass that starves to death
because it cannot choose between two identical piles of food][1]



buriedtreasure

buriedtreasure
bur·ied
treas·ure
noun

underground riches:
valuable items buried or thought to be buried in the ground for safekeeping[1]



burin

burin
bu·rin 
[byrin] (plural bu·rins) noun

1.  chisel:
an engraver’s chisel for making grooves

2.  prehistoric
tool:
a prehistoric chisellike flint tool, used for cutting and engraving during the
Upper Paleolithic period
[Mid-17th century. From
French .][1]



burka

burka
bur·ka 
[búrkə] (plural bur·kas) noun

woman’s
garment:
an all-over garment with veiled eyeholes, worn by some Muslim women
[Mid-19th century. Via Urdu
or Persian bura’ from Arabic buru’ .][1]



burke

burke
burke 
[burk] (past burked, past
participle burked, present participle burk·ing, 3rd
person present singular burkes) transitive verb

1.  keep
something quiet: to prevent information from becoming
known

2.  keep
somebody quiet: to prevent somebody from revealing
information

3.  evade:
to evade an issue or question

4.  murder
discreetly:
to murder somebody silently and without leaving marks or wounds, especially by
suffocation
[Early 19th century. Named
for William Burke (1792–1829), hanged in Edinburgh for killing people in order
to sell their bodies for dissection.][1]



Burke,Edmund

Burke,Edmund

Burke
[burk], Edmund (1729–1797)
Irish-born British political philosopher
and statesman. As a Whig member of Parliament (1765–1794), he was one of the
greatest orators of the age. He played a leading role in the impeachment of
Warren Hastings (1788–1795). His Reflections on the Revolution in France
(1790) condemned the French Revolution and reached a wide European audience.[1]



BurkinaFaso

BurkinaFaso



Bur·ki·na Fa·so 
[bərknə fássō]
landlocked republic in western Africa. A
former French territory, it became independent in 1960. Language: French.
Currency: CFA franc. Capital: Ouagadougou. Population: 10,963,300 (1997) Area:
274,200 sq km/105,900 sq mi. Former name Upper
Volta until 1984[1]



BurkinaFaso




Back to definition

BurkinaFaso

[1]



Burkitt’slymphoma

Burkitt’slymphoma
Bur·kitt’s
lym·pho·ma 
[bùrkits lim fṓmə] noun

cancer
affecting white blood cells: a rare malignant tumor
attacking white blood cells, associated with a virus spread by insects. It is
found mainly in children in Central Africa.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the British surgeon Denis Burkitt (1911–1993), who mapped its geographical
distribution in Africa.][1]



burl

burl
burl 
[burl] noun (plural burls)

1.  knot
on tree:
a knotty growth on a tree trunk

2.  knotty
wood:
knotty wood or a decorative veneer made from it

3.  knot
in cloth:
a knot in thread or cloth
transitive
verb
(past burled, past participle burled, present
participle burl·ing, 3rd person present singular burls)

remove knots from cloth:
to pick knots off newly woven cloth
[15th
century. Via Old French bourle “tuft of wool” from, ultimately, late
Latin burra “wool” (source of English burgeon
).]
—burl·er, noun[1]



burlap

burlap
bur·lap 
[búr làp] noun

coarse
cloth:
coarse cloth woven from jute, hemp, or a similar rough thread
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



burlesque

burlesque
burlesque
[bur lésk] noun (plural burlesques)

1.  mockery
by ludicrous imitation: the mocking of a serious
matter or style by imitating it in an incongruous way

2.  work
using burlesque: a literary or dramatic work that uses
burlesque

3.  ludicrous
imitation:
an incongruous imitation of something

4.  variety
show:
a variety show of a type that often includes striptease
transitive
verb
(past burlesqued, past participle burlesqued, present
participle burlesquing, 3rd person present singular burlesques)

mock by ludicrous imitation:
to mock something serious by imitating it in an incongruous way
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Italian burlesco, from burla “mockery,
fun.”]
—burlesquer, noun[1]



burley

burley
bur·ley 
[búrlee] noun

tobacco
variety:
a light-colored, thin-leaved tobacco grown mainly in Kentucky
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from the personal name Burley .][1]



Burlingame

Burlingame
Bur·lin·game 
[búrling gàym]

city in western California,
on the San Mateo peninsula, a southern suburb of San Francisco. Population:
27,716 (1996)[1]



Burlington

Burlington
Bur·ling·ton 
[búrlingtən]

1.  city
and port in the southeastern corner of Iowa, southwest of Davenport, on the
western bank of the Mississippi River. Population: 26,853 (1996)

2.  city
in northwestern Vermont, on Lake Champlain. It is home to the University of
Vermont. Population: 39,004 (1996)

[1]



burly

burly
bur·ly 
[búrlee] (comparative bur·li·er,
superlative bur·li·est) adjective

1.  stout
and strong:
strong and with a broad sturdy frame • flanked
by two burly bodyguards

2.  robust:
rough and robust • a burly laugh
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English borlic
“excellent,” ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to carry,” which is
also the ancestor of English bear “to
carry.”]
—bur·li·ness, noun[1]



Burma

Burma
Bur·ma 
[búrmə]

Former name for
Myanmar until 1989[1]



burmarigold

burmarigold
bur
mar·i·gold
(plural bur mar·i·golds) noun

See
beggar’s lice[1]



Burmese

Burmese
Bur·mese 
[bur mz] plural noun

people
of Myanmar:
the people of Myanmar, formerly Burma
noun

Sino-Tibetan
language:
the official language of Myanmar, formerly Burma, one of the Tibeto-Burman
group of Sino-Tibetan languages. Burmese is spoken by between 20 and 27 million
people.
adjective

of Myanmar:
relating to Myanmar, its people, language, or culture[1]



Burmesecat

Burmesecat
Bur·mese
cat
(plural Bur·mese cats) noun

domestic cat:
a domestic cat with a chocolate-colored or silvery-brown coat and yellow eyes,
similar in build to the Siamese cat[1]



burn

burn
burn
[burn] verb (past burned
or burnt, past participle burned [burnd] or burnt [burnt], present participle burn·ing,
3rd person present singular burns)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
set on fire: to be on fire or cause something to be
on fire

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb destroy
something by fire: to destroy something or be
destroyed by fire • The house was burned to
the ground.

3.  transitive
verb
damage
something by fire: to injure, damage, or affect
somebody or something with fire or extreme heat • I
burned my hand on the iron.

4.  transitive
verb
overcook
something:
to spoil food or a cooking pan by subjecting it to too much heat

5.  intransitive
verb
be
overcooked:
to be spoiled because of being subjected to too intense a heat or being cooked
for too long

6.  transitive
verb
use
something up: to use up or consume something • You
won’t burn many calories watching TV.

7.  intransitive
verb
feel
feverish:
to feel or look extremely hot or feverish because of illness or embarrassment • Her
cheeks were burning.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb kill
or die by fire: to kill somebody with fire or die by
fire, usually as a form of execution

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause or
feel stinging: to feel an intense stinging or smarting
sensation or cause such a sensation in a part of the body • That
hot coffee will burn your throat

10. transitive
verb
make
mark:
to cause a mark, hole, or other sign of damage to appear in something because
of intense heat or fire • I
burned a hole in my shirt with the iron.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb sunburn:
to become sunburned or cause a person or part of the body to become sunburned • My
skin burns easily.

12. transitive
verb
use
something as fuel: to use something as fuel • burn
gas

13. intransitive
verb
impress
deeply:
to create a deep and lasting impression on somebody or something • His
words were burning in my brain.

14. transitive
verb
cheat
somebody:
to cheat or swindle somebody (informal) (usually passive) • We
really got burned on that deal.

15. intransitive
verb
suffer
pain:
to suffer pain through fire

16. intransitive
verb
emit
heat or light: to emit heat or light • A
light was burning outside the front porch.

17. intransitive
verb
contain
a fire:
to contain a fire or operate by means of fire • a
fireplace burning bright

18. intransitive
verb
feel
strong emotion: to feel an emotion such as anger or
shame very intensely • burning
with shame

19. intransitive
and transitive verb electrocute:
to electrocute somebody or be electrocuted (informal)

20. intransitive
verb
yearn:
to yearn to do or acquire something • burning
to succeed

21. intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY combust:
to undergo combustion, thus taking in oxygen, or to cause something to undergo
combustion
noun
(plural burns)

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY rocket
engine adjustment: a controlled firing of a
rocket’s engine for adjusting course and position

2.  stinging:
a stinging sensation or feeling of intense heat • the
burn of the iodine on my skin

3.  MEDICINE heat
injury:
an injury caused by fire, heat, radiation, chemical action, electricity, or
friction, resulting in redness and blistering of the skin and often causing
damage to underlying tissues.
See
also
first-degree burn
See
also
second-degree burn
See
also
third-degree burn

4.  fire
or heat mark: a mark or hole left on or in something
such as fabric, wood, or plastic as a result of burning

5.  state
of anger:
a state of anger • He’s been in a slow
burn all morning.

6.  skin
burn:
sunburn or windburn

7.  FITNESS sensation
of burning:
a sensation of burning that occurs during strenuous exercise, and the positive
psychological sensation associated with it • You
can feel the burn after an hour of aerobics
[Old English birnan
“to be on fire” and bærnan “to cause to burn,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English brand][1]



burnbag

burnbag
burn
bag
(plural burn bags) noun

bag for burning secret papers
in: a bag for putting secret or
politically sensitive documents in before burning them[1]



burndown

burndown
burn
down
intransitive and transitive verb

burn to the ground:
to catch fire and burn until virtually nothing remains, or to burn something
such as a building in order to destroy it[1]



burned-out

burned-out
burned-out 
or burnt-out adjective

1.  completely
exhausted:
exhausted physically or emotionally through too much hard work, stress, or
reckless living

2.  destroyed
by fire:
destroyed on the inside by fire

[1]



Burne-Jones,Edward

Burne-Jones,Edward
Burne-Jones 
[búrn jnz], Sir Edward (1833–1898)

British
designer. A leading member of the pre-Raphaelite school, he painted classical
and mythological subjects in a dreamlike style. His book illustrations and
designs for stained glass and tapestries showed the strong influence of
medieval art.
Born
Jones, Edward Coley[1]



burner

burner
burn·er 
[búrnər] (plural burn·ers) noun

1.  part
of stove or lamp: the part of a fuel-burning stove, lamp,
or heater that produces a flame when lit

2.  ring
on range:
one of the circular rings or plates on a gas or electric range that produces
heat or a flame

3.  furnace:
an incinerator or furnace that burns fuel, waste products, or trash

4.  large
graffiti:
a large, complex mural or graffiti painted by a graffiti artist, usually on the
outside wall of a building (slang)

[1]



burnet

burnet
bur·net 
[bər nét] (plural bur·nets or
bur·net) noun

plant
with flowers like wild rose: a plant of the rose family
with flowers of various colors. The most common variety, the salad burnet, is
cultivated and used in salads and herbal teas. Genus: Sanguisorba
[14th century. From Old
French brunet and brunete, literally “small brown,” which were
formed from brun “brown,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English brown .][1]



Burnett,Frances Hodgson

Burnett,Frances Hodgson
Bur·nett
[bər nét], Frances Hodgson (1849–1924)

British-born
U.S. writer. She wrote children’s books, including the classical novel The
Secret Garden ( 1911 ).
Born
Hodgson, Frances Eliza[1]



Burnham,Forbes

Burnham,Forbes
Burn·ham
[búrnəm], Forbes (1923–1985)

Guyanan
statesman. He was prime minister (1964–1980) and president (1980–1985) of
Guyana.
Full name
Burnham, Linden Forbes Sampson[1]



burnin

burnin
burn
in
transitive verb

1.  COMPUTING test
something by running it continuously: to
operate a semiconductor-based device or piece of software for a continuous
period as a test for defects or failure

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY expose
part of picture: to expose a specific part of an image on
photographic paper while masking other areas so that they are not exposed any
further

[1]



burn-in

burn-in
burn-in
(plural burn-ins) noun

COMPUTING
period of testing:
a final stage in the manufacture of semiconductor-based devices or software in
which they are operated for a prescribed period to test for defects or failures
and thus improve their reliability[1]



burning

burning
burn·ing 
[búrning] adjective

1.  very
hot:
extremely hot

2.  on
fire:
producing flames or on fire

3.  ardent:
emotionally intense or strong • he
spoke with a burning passion

4.  important:
of immediate or urgent importance • one of
the burning issues of the day
adverb

extremely:
extremely • a
burning hot day
[Old English][1]



burningbush

burningbush
burn·ing
bush 
(plural burn·ing bush·es) noun

1.  shrub
with red berries or foliage: a shrub that produces bright
red berries or foliage. Genus: Euonymus

2.  See
gas plant

3.  bushy
plant with red autumn color: a bushy annual plant with
narrow light green leaves that turn red in fall, such as the summer cypress
[Alludes to the burning bush
of Exodus 3. In the sense of “gas plant,” from its leaves’ secretion of
flammable oil.][1]



burningglass

burningglass
burn·ing
glass
(plural burn·ing glass·es) noun

lens to produce heat:
a convex lens that can concentrate the sun’s rays to produce an intense spot of
heat or fire at the focus[1]



burnish

burnish
bur·nish 
[búrnish] transitive verb (past
bur·nished, past participle bur·nished, present
participle bur·nish·ing, 3rd person present singular bur·nish·es)

1.  polish
something:
to polish metal until it shines

2.  make
something shiny: to produce a glossy finish on something
such as pottery or fabric by rubbing it with a smooth instrument
noun

shiny surface:
a smooth shiny finish • a bowl
with a bright burnish
[14th
century. From the Old French stem burniss- of burnir, variant of brunir
“to make bright or brown,” from brun (see burnet
).]
—bur·nish·er, noun[1]



burnished

burnished
bur·nished
[búrnisht] adjective

1.  shiny:
polished until shiny

2.  lustrous:
brown and lustrous or smooth (literary) • the
burnished coat of the chestnut mare

[1]



burnoff

burnoff
burn
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
get
rid of excess fat: to use up energy or get rid
of unwanted fat by exercising • burn
off a few extra calories

2.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE remove
vegetation:
to remove vegetation by fire or with chemicals, either to clear the land or in
preparation for harvesting a root crop

3.  transitive
verb
ENERGY get
rid of excess gas: to get rid of unwanted gas,
for example, at an oil-well head, by burning it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb METEOROLOGY dissipate:
to dissipate fog or clouds by the heat of the sun, or to be dissipated in this
way

[1]



burnoose

burnoose
bur·noose 
[bur ns] (plural bur·noos·es)
or bur·nous [bur ns] (plural
bur·nous·es) or burn·ouse [bur
ns] (plural burn·ouses) noun

hooded
cloak:
a long hooded cloak worn by some Arabs, or a fashionable imitation of this
[Late 16th century. Via
French burnous from Arabic burnus, from Greek birros
“hooded cloak.”][1]



burnout

burnout
burn·out 
[búrn òwt] (plural burn·outs) noun

1.  exhaustion:
psychological exhaustion and diminished efficiency resulting from overwork or
prolonged exposure to stress • reported
a high rate of burnout among nurses

2.  extremely
exhausted person: somebody affected by psychological
exhaustion (informal)

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine
failure through heat: failure of a machine or part
of a machine to work because of overuse or excessive heat or friction

4.  AEROSPACE rocket
failure:
failure of a rocket or jet engine to work because the fuel supply has been
exhausted or cut off

[1]



burnout

burnout
burn
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
finish
burning:
to stop burning when reduced to nothing

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb wear
out through heat: to stop working or to cause something to
stop working because of too much heat or friction • The
motor must have burned out

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
exhausted:
to become or make somebody exhausted or unwell through too much hard work,
stress, or reckless living (informal) • You’ll
burn yourself out if you don’t slow down.

[1]



Burns,George

Burns,George
Burns
[burnz], George (1896–1996)

U.S. comedian and actor. He
conducted one of the longest-running acts in show business, encompassing
vaudeville, radio, movies, and television, and won an Academy Award for The
Sunshine Boys (1975).[1]



Burnside,Ambrose

Burnside,Ambrose

Burn·side 
[búrn sd], Ambrose (1824–1881)
U.S.
general. He fought in campaigns against the Native Americans on the frontier
and served as a general in the Union Army in the Civil War. His spectacular
side whiskers inspired the creation of the term “sideburns.”
Full name
Burnside, Ambrose Everett[1]



burnsides

burnsides
burn·sides 
[búrn sdz] plural noun

facial
hair style:
heavy side whiskers and a mustache worn with a clean-shaven chin
[Late 19th century. Named for
Ambrose E. Burnside (1824–1881), a Union
general during the American Civil War who was known for his side whiskers.][1]



Burns,Robert

Burns,Robert

Burns
[burnz], Robert (1759–1796)
Scottish poet. The author of Poems,
Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786) and hundreds of songs, he is
regarded as Scotland’s national poet. His many songs include “Auld Lang Syne,”
“Scots Wha Hae” and the narrative poem “Tam O’Shanter.”[1]



Burns,Tommy

Burns,Tommy
Burns
[burnz], Tommy (1881–1955)

Canadian boxer. He was
Canada’s only world heavyweight boxing champion (1906–1908).[1]



burnt

burnt1
burnt1  [burnt]

Past tense of
burn Past participle of burn[1]



burnt

burnt2
burnt2 [burnt]
adjective

1.  affected
by burning:
affected or spoiled by burning, especially by overcooking

2.  PAINTING darkened
by heat:
used to describe a pigment or dye that has been darkened through a heating
process • burnt
umber

[1]



burntalmond

burntalmond
burnt
al·mond
(plural burnt al·monds) noun

almond candy:
candy with an almond in the center and a coating of burnt sugar[1]



burntoffering

burntoffering
burnt
of·fer·ing
(plural burnt of·fer·ings) noun

1.  sacrifice:
an animal or other offering that is burned on an altar as a sacrifice in some
religions

2.  burnt
food:
burnt or overcooked food that is nevertheless served up (humorous)

[1]



burnt-out

burnt-out
burnt-out
adjective

See
burned-out[1]



burntsienna

burntsienna
burnt
si·en·na
noun

1.  PAINTING brown
pigment:
a reddish brown pigment or dye originally obtained by roasting raw sienna

2.  COLORS dark
reddish brown: a dark reddish brown color

[1]



burntumber

burntumber
burnt
um·ber
noun

1.  PAINTING dark
brown pigment: a dark brown pigment or dye originally
obtained by roasting raw umber

2.  COLORS deep
brown:
a deep brown color

[1]



burnup

burnup
burn
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb destroy
by fire:
to destroy something or be destroyed by intense heat or fire

2.  intransitive
verb
be
very hot:
to be very hot or overheated • burning
up with fever

3.  transitive
verb
annoy:
to annoy somebody or make somebody angry (informal)

[1]



burp

burp
burp 
[burp] noun (plural burps)

noise made through mouth:
a noise made through the mouth when air is suddenly forced up through the
windpipe from the stomach
verb
(past burped, past participle burped, present
participle burp·ing, 3rd person present singular burps)

1.  intransitive
verb
belch:
to make a noise through the mouth when air is suddenly forced up through the
windpipe from the stomach

2.  transitive
verb
make
baby bring up gas: to make a baby expel air
from its stomach through its windpipe after feeding by rubbing or patting its
back
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



burpgun

burpgun
burp
gun
(plural burp guns) noun

submachine gun:
a lightweight submachine gun (informal)[1]



burr

burr1
burr1 [bur]
noun (plural burrs) burr bur ENGINEERING

1.  rough
edge:
a rough edge on material such as metal after it has been cut or drilled

2.  tool
for removing burrs: a tool used for removing the
rough edges from metal that has been cut or drilled
transitive
verb
(past burred, past participle burred, present
participle burr·ing, 3rd person present singular burrs)

1.  create
rough edge:
to create a rough edge on a piece of metal or other piece of work by cutting or
drilling

2.  remove
rough edge:
to remove a rough edge from a piece of metal or other workpiece
[Early 17th century. A
variant of bur .][1]



burr

burr2
burr2 [bur]
noun (plural burrs)

1.  whirring
sound:
a whirring or buzzing sound • the
steady burr of the machines downstairs

2.  rolled
“r”:
a way of speaking the letter “r” in some regional accents of English, in which
the sound is rolled or trilled
verb
(past burred, past participle burred, present
participle burr·ing, 3rd person present singular burrs)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
whirring sound: to make a whirring or buzzing sound • The
sewing machine burred away quietly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
with burr:
to speak with or pronounce words with a burr
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound, or from burr 1 in the
sense of a “rough” sound.][1]



burr

burr3
burr3 [bur]
(plural burrs) noun

washer
for rivet:
a washer that fits around the end of a rivet
[14th century. Shortening of
Old English burg “stronghold, fortified enclosure”; hence “circle,”
later “washer.”][1]



Burr,Aaron

Burr,Aaron

Burr 
[bur], Aaron (1756–1836)
U.S. statesman and Vice President of the
United States. He was Thomas Jefferson’s first vice president (1801–1805). He
killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel after a long public feud (1804).[1]



burrito

burrito
bur·ri·to 
[bə rtō] (plural bur·ri·tos) noun

filled
tortilla:
in Mexican cooking, a flour tortilla wrapped around a filling of meat, beans,
or cheese
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, literally “small burro,” from Spanish burro (see burro ).][1]



burro

burro
bur·ro 
[búrrō] (plural bur·ros) noun

donkey:
a small donkey, especially one that is used as a pack animal
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, a back-formation from borrico “donkey,” from late Latin burricus
“small horse,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Germanic.][1]



Burroughs,Edgar Rice

Burroughs,Edgar Rice
Bur·roughs
[búrrōz], Edgar Rice (1875–1950)

U.S. writer. He created the
character Tarzan in a series of popular novels starting in 1914.[1]



Burroughs,John

Burroughs,John

Bur·roughs
[búrrōz], John (1837–1921)
U.S. naturalist, essayist, and poet. He
wrote essays on nature and possessed extensive natural history collections.[1]



Burroughs,William S.

Burroughs,William S.
Bur·roughs
[búrrōz], William S. (1914–1997)

U.S.
writer. A leading figure of the Beat Generation, he wrote Naked Lunch
(1959) and The Soft Machine (1961).
Full name
Burroughs, William Seward[1]



burrow

burrow
bur·row 
[búrrō] noun (plural bur·rows)

1.  rabbit’s
home:
a hole or tunnel dug as a living space by a small animal such as a rabbit

2.  snug
place:
a small snug place created by digging or hollowing
verb
(past bur·rowed, past participle bur·rowed, present
participle bur·row·ing, 3rd person present singular bur·rows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig
hole or tunnel: to make a hole or tunnel by digging

2.  intransitive
verb
search
by digging:
to look for something by groping or digging • She
burrowed in her handbag for her lipstick

3.  intransitive
verb
move
by digging:
to move through something solid by digging or by creating a space • He
burrowed through the undergrowth.

4.  intransitive
verb
hide
or live in burrow: to hide or live in a burrow

5.  intransitive
verb
look
into thoroughly: to research or investigate something
very thoroughly • had spent years
burrowing into the history of the era
[13th
century. A variant of borough .]
—bur·row·er, noun[1]



burrowingowl

burrowingowl
bur·row·ing
owl 
(plural bur·row·ing owls) noun

prairie owl:
a small owl that lives in the prairies of North and South America and nests in
abandoned burrows of other animals such as prairie dogs or rabbits. Latin name:
Athene cunicularia[1]



burro’stail

burro’stail
bur·ro’s
tail
(plural bur·ro’s tails) noun

Mexican house plant:
a Mexican plant popular as a house plant for its hanging stems and thick,
succulent leaves that resemble tails. Latin name: Sedum morganianum
Also called
donkey’s tail[1]



burry

burry2
bur·ry2  [búree]
(comparative bur·ri·er, superlative bur·ri·est) adjective

with a burr:
characterized by or spoken with a burr[1]



burry

burry1
bur·ry1  [búree]
(comparative bur·ri·er, superlative bur·ri·est) adjective

1.  covered
in burrs:
covered in burrs

2.  like
a burr:
resembling a burr or burrs

[1]



Bursa

Bursa
Bur·sa 
[búr s]

city in northwestern Turkey,
south of the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, and west of Ankara. It was the
capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1402. Population: 996,600 (1994)[1]



bursa

bursa
bur·sa 
[búrssə] (plural bur·sas or
bur·sae [búr s]) noun

ANATOMY fluid-filled
sac:
a fluid-filled body sac that reduces friction around joints or between other
parts that rub against one another
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from medieval Latin, “bag, purse,” from Greek,
“wineskin” (source of English purse
).]
—bur·sal, adjective[1]



bursaof Fabricius

bursaof Fabricius
bur·sa
of Fa·bri·ci·us  [bùrsə əv fə
brshəss] noun

organ
in immature bird: an organ in immature birds that produces
B lymphocytes. It resembles a sac and is situated in part of the lower pelvic
region ( cloaca ).
[Named for Girolamo Fabrici
(Latinized form Fabricius ) (1533–1619), an Italian anatomist][1]



bursar

bursar
bur·sar 
[búrsər] (plural bur·sars) noun

treasurer:
an official who has charge of funds, particularly in a university, college,
school, or monastery
[13th
century. From either French boursier or medieval Latin bursarius,
ultimately from bursa (see bursa ).]
—bur·sar·ship, noun[1]



bursary

bursary
bur·sa·ry 
[búrsəree] (plural bur·sa·ries)
noun

1.  student’s
grant:
a grant or scholarship offered to a student at a school, college, or university
in some countries, for example, Canada and Scotland

2.  bursar’s
office:
the office or room where a bursar works
[Late
17th century. From medieval Latin bursaria “bursar’s office,” from bursa
(see bursa ).]
—bur·sar·i·al [bur sáirree əl], adjective[1]



burse

burse
burse 
[burs] (plural burses) noun

1.  container
used in church ritual: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a flat case that is used for carrying a special linen cloth ( corporal ) when celebrating Mass

2.  purse:
a purse (archaic)
[13th century. Directly or
via French bourse from medieval Latin bursa (see bursa ).][1]



bursicon

bursicon
bur·si·con
[búr sə kòn] noun

insect
hormone:
a hormone secreted in the brain of insects and released by ganglia in the
thorax and abdomen that affects processes that follow molting, such as the
hardening of the cuticle
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from bursa “sac, sac-like bodily cavity.”][1]



bursitis

bursitis
bur·si·tis 
[bur stiss] noun

inflammation of bursa:
inflammation of a fluid-filled sac ( bursa )
of the body, particularly at the elbow, knee, or shoulder joint[1]



burst

burst
burst 
[burst] verb (past burst,
past participle burst, present participle burst·ing,
3rd person present singular bursts)

1.  intransitive
verb
split
or break:
to split or break apart suddenly and violently because of excess internal
pressure • the
suitcase had burst open

2.  transitive
verb
make
something split: to cause something to split open
suddenly and disgorge its contents, for example, by piercing it or applying
external pressure

3.  intransitive
verb
be
very full:
to be so full as to appear close to splitting open or overflowing • Every
hotel in town was bursting with tourists.

4.  transitive
verb
rupture:
to rupture an internal organ or blood vessel

5.  transitive
verb
flow
over something: to overflow the normal limit of
containment • The
river burst its banks.

6.  intransitive
verb
move
suddenly:
to go, come, or move suddenly and with great energy and speed • He
burst into the room.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
overwhelmed: to feel an emotion so intensely that it
is almost overwhelming • I
thought I would burst with excitement.

8.  intransitive
verb
become
suddenly noticed: to appear suddenly and become noticed
and prominent at a particular time and in a particular situation • an
exciting new product about to burst onto the market

9.  transitive
verb
divide
paper:
to separate continuous stationery, for example, computer printout, into
individual sheets
noun
(plural bursts)

1.  explosion
or rupture:
a sudden and often noisy splitting or breaking open of something

2.  short,
intense period: a short, sudden, and intense period of
some activity or phenomenon • a
burst of publicity

3.  sustained
activity:
a period of sustained activity • I read
it in two short bursts. • a
burst of speed

4.  gunfire:
a short, sudden, and noisy volley of gunfire
[Old
English berstan, from prehistoric Germanic]
—burst·er, noun[1]



burstingdisk

burstingdisk
burst·ing
disk
(plural burst·ing disks) noun

mechanical safety device:
a disk, usually made of thin metal, that is designed to protect equipment by
rupturing under abnormal pressure to form a safe outlet for the process fluid[1]



burstinto

burstinto
burst
into
transitive verb

1.  change
state suddenly: to start to happen or appear suddenly
and often dramatically • The
truck crashed and burst into flames. • Spring
saw the landscape burst into life.

2.  start
to express something: to give sudden and full
expression to a strong emotion such as laughter or tears

[1]



burstout

burstout
burst
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
suddenly
start:
to start expressing something suddenly and fully • burst
out laughing

2.  transitive
verb
exclaim:
to say something suddenly, as if a suppressed emotion or opinion had been
welling up inside

[1]



burthen

burthen
bur·then 
[búrən] noun

burden:
a burden (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past bur·thened, past participle bur·thened, present
participle bur·then·ing, 3rd person present singular bur·thens)

burden:
to burden (archaic)
[Variant of burden][1]



burton

burton
bur·ton 
[búrt’n] (plural bur·tons) noun

ship’s
tackle:
a kind of light tackle with double or single blocks used for hoisting
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of obsolete Breton (tackle), of uncertain origin: probably so
called because it was characteristic of Brittany.][1]



Burton

Burton
Bur·ton 
[búrt’n]

city in eastern Michigan, on
the Thread River. It is a suburb of Flint. Population: 27,617 (1990)[1]



Burton,Harold

Burton,Harold
Bur·ton 
[búrt’n], Harold (1888–1964)

U.S.
Supreme Court justice. He was appointed by President Truman to the U.S. Supreme
Court (1945–1958).
Full name
Burton, Harold Hitz[1]



Burton,Richard

Burton,Richard
Bur·ton 
[búrt’n], Richard (1925–1984)

Welsh-born British actor. His
movies included Look Back in Anger (1959) and Cleopatra (1963).[1]



Burton,Tim

Burton,Tim
Bur·ton 
[búrt’n], Tim (1960– )

U.S. movie director. He
directed Batman (1989) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).[1]



Burundi

Burundi



Bu·run·di 
[b rndee]
landlocked
republic in east central Africa. It is surrounded by Rwanda to the north,
Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the
west. Formerly part of the Belgian territory of Ruanda-Urundi, it became
independent in 1962. Language: Kirundi. Language: French. Currency: Burundi
franc. Capital: Bujumbura. Population: 5,397,107 (1997) Area: 27,834 sq
km/10,747 sq mi. Official name Republic of Burundi Former name
Ruanda-Urundi until 1962
—Bu·run·di·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Burundi




Back to definition

Burundi

[1]



burweed

burweed
bur·weed
[búr wd] (plural bur·weed) noun

a weed with burs[1]



bury

bury
bur·y 
[bérree] (past bur·ied, past
participle bur·ied, present participle bur·y·ing, 3rd
person present singular bur·ies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
something in hole: to dig a hole, put something
in it, and replace the soil or other material removed • a
dog burying its bone

2.  transitive
verb
inter
dead body:
to put a dead body in a grave dug in the ground, or sometimes under water,
usually as part of a religious ritual • He
asked to be buried at sea.

3.  transitive
verb
lose
somebody through death: to lose somebody, for
example, a spouse or a close relative, through death • She
has buried four husbands.

4.  transitive
verb
hide
something by covering: to hide something by
covering it with a lot of things so it cannot be seen • He
buried the letter under a pile of books.

5.  transitive
verb
cover
something up: to cover something or somebody
completely with something • buried
alive under the rubble

6.  transitive
verb
obscure
something:
to make something difficult to find or distinguish • The
announcement was buried at the end of the program.

7.  transitive
verb
sink
something deeply: to sink deep into something so that it
is difficult to see or retrieve • The
splinter had buried itself under his nail.

8.  transitive
verb
hide
something from sight: to put the face or head
somewhere, usually on or under a soft and yielding surface • She
buried her face in her hands.

9.  transitive
verb
move
card:
to move a playing card from the top to another location in the deck

10. reflexive
verb
concentrate
intensely on something: to concentrate exclusively
and intensely on something • She
tended to bury herself in her work.

11. transitive
verb
suppress
or forget something: to suppress and forget
something unpleasant or undesirable • their
efforts to bury the past
[Old English byrgan,
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “protection, shelter” (hence “to
shelter a corpse”), which is also the ancestor of English borough and burrow][1]



Buryat

Buryat
Bur·y·at 
[br yt] (plural Bur·y·ats) or
Bur·i·at [br yt] (plural Bur·i·ats)
noun

1.  Mongol
from SE Russia: a member of a Mongoloid people living in
southeastern Russia

2.  Mongolian
language:
a language spoken by the Buryats. It is regarded as a dialect of Mongolian and
belongs to the Altaic language family. Buryat is spoken by about 300,000
people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Mongolian Buriyad .]
—Bur·y·at, adjective[1]



bus

bus
bus 
[bus] noun (plural bus·es
or bus·ses)

1.  large
passenger vehicle: a long motor vehicle with
many seats, usually divided by a central aisle. Buses transport fare-paying
passengers along a specific route.

2.  old
car or plane: a vehicle, especially a car or plane (informal)
• I
can’t get this old bus to start!

3.  COMPUTING data
channel:
a channel or path for transferring data electronically in a computer system,
particularly the path between the central processing unit and a peripheral
device

4.  hand
truck:
a four-wheeled cart or hand truck used for carrying things such as dishes in
restaurants

5.  ARMS rocket
warhead:
the final stage of a multistage rocket, containing the warhead

6.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY spacecraft
component:
the part of a space exploration vehicle that contains the atmospheric re-entry
probes
verb
(past bused or bussed, past participle bused
or bussed, present participle bus·ing or bus·sing,
3rd person present singular bus·es or bus·ses)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
or carry passengers by bus: to travel or transport
passengers to a particular destination by bus

2.  intransitive
verb
transport
schoolchildren: to transport schoolchildren by bus to
another school distant from their homes, especially in an effort to achieve
racial balance in the school population

3.  intransitive
verb
work
as busboy:
to work as a busboy

4.  transitive
verb
remove
dishes:
to remove dirty dishes and other meal debris from tables in a public restaurant
or café • a
fast food place where they expect you to bus your own dishes
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of omnibus .][1]



bus.

bus.
bus.

Abbreviation of
business[1]



busboy

busboy
bus·boy 
[búss bòy] (plural bus·boys) noun

server’s assistant:
somebody employed in a restaurant or café to clear away dishes, set tables, and
assist the servers[1]



busby

busby
bus·by 
[búzbee] (plural bus·bies) noun

soldier’s
fur hat:
a tall fur helmet worn by some soldiers, including some British guards
regiments
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the surname Busby .][1]



bush

bush2
bush2 [bsh]
(plural bush·es) noun

See
bushing
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Dutch busse “bush of a wheel,” via prehistoric Germanic from
Latin pyxis “box, cap,” from late Greek puxis “box.”][1]



bush

bush1
bush1 [bsh]
noun (plural bush·es)

1.  woody
branched plant: a woody plant that is smaller than a
tree and has many branches growing up from the lower part of the main stem

2.  thicket:
a thick clump of bushes

3.  uncultivated
and unsettled land: wild, uncultivated, and
sparsely populated areas of land covered with natural vegetation, especially in
Africa and Australia • living
in the bush

4.  dense
mass:
a dense large mass of something, especially hair or beard • a
great bush of black hair

5.  Canada
See wood lot

6.  bushy
tail:
a bushy tail, especially of a fox

7.  vintner’s
sign:
a bunch of ivy hung outside a tavern to show that wine is sold inside (archaic)

8.  tavern:
a tavern (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past bushed, past participle bushed, present
participle bush·ing, 3rd person present singular bush·es)

branch out: to
branch out, spread, or grow thick like a bush • hair
bushing out around her head
[From
assumed Old English bysc and Old Norse buski, from a prehistoric
Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English ambush
and bouquet]
beat
around or about the bush

to discuss a subject without
coming to the point[1]



bushbaby

bushbaby
bush
ba·by
noun

big-eyed tree animal:
a small nocturnal primate that lives in trees in Africa and has big round eyes,
large ears, and a long tail. Family: Galagidae
Also called
galago[1]



Bush,Barbara

Bush,Barbara
Bush 
[bsh], Barbara (1925– )

U.S. first lady. She founded
the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy (1989) to promote literacy in
the United States.[1]



bushbean

bushbean
bush
bean
(plural bush beans) noun

low-growing bean:
a bean that grows in bush form and does not require support for climbing. Latin
name: Phaseolus vulgaris
U.K. term
dwarf bean[1]



bushbuck

bushbuck
bush·buck 
[bsh bùk] (plural bush·bucks or
bush·buck) noun

African
antelope:
a small African antelope that has a reddish-brown coat, usually with white
stripes, and twisted horns. It lives in the bush in sub-Saharan Africa. Latin
name: Tragelaphus scriptus
[Mid-19th century.
Translation of Afrikaans bosbok, from Dutch bosch “bush” + bok
“buck.”][1]



bushclover

bushclover
bush
clo·ver
noun

three-leafed plant:
a plant with three-leafed compound leaves and small flowers, typically grown
for forage, erosion control, or decoration. Genus: Lespedeza[1]



bushdog

bushdog
bush
dog
(plural bush dogs) noun

S American dog:
a wild dog of South America that lives in dense undergrowth, usually near
rivers. It is sometimes kept as a pet. Latin name: Speothos venaticus[1]



bushed

bushed
bushed 
[bsht] adjective

exhausted:
exhausted from overwork or lack of sleep (informal)
[Late 19th century. From the
state typical of one who wanders in the bush.][1]



bushel

bushel1
bush·el1 [bsh’l]
(plural bush·els) noun

1.  U.S.
unit of volume: a unit of measure in the U.S. Customary
system used for measuring dry goods, equal to 64 U.S. pints ( 35.24 liters )

2.  former
U.K. unit of volume: a unit of dry or liquid
measure in the British Imperial system, equal to 8 imperial gallons ( 36.37
liters ), formerly used for measuring items such as wheat, fruit, and liquids

3.  container:
a container that has a capacity of one bushel

4.  large
amount:
a large amount (dated informal)
[15th century. From Old
French boisell, of uncertain origin: probably formed from assumed boisse
“measure of grain,” from assumed Gallo-Romance bostia “handful,” from
Gaulish .][1]



bushel

bushel2
bush·el2 [bsh’l]
(past bush·eled, past participle bush·eled, present
participle bush·el·ing, 3rd person present singular bush·els)
transitive verb

mend
clothing:
to mend or alter an article of clothing (archaic) (regional)
—bush·el·er
[bsh’lər], noun

—bush·el·man [bsh’lmən, bsh’l màn],
noun[1]



bushfire

bushfire
bush·fire
[bsh fər] (plural bush·fires)
noun

fast-spreading fire:
a fire in the bush or in a forest area that spreads quickly and easily goes out
of control[1]



Bush,George

Bush,George

Bush
[bsh], George (1924– )
U.S.
statesman and 41st President of the United States. A Republican, he was Ronald
Reagan’s vice president (1981–1988) before his own election to the presidency
(1989–1993). His presidency was notable for the passage of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (1990) and, in foreign policy, the end of the Cold War and the
fighting of the Gulf War (1990).
Full name
Bush, George Herbert Walker[1]



Bush,George, Jr.

Bush,George, Jr.
Bush
[bsh], George, Jr. (1946– )

U.S.
politician. The son of President George Bush, he was elected Republican
governor of Texas in 1996.
Full name
Bush, George Herbert Walker[1]



bushgrass

bushgrass
bush
grass
noun

grass of damp places:
a type of grass with leaves that grow tall like reeds in the damp clay soils of
Europe and Asia. Latin name: Calamagrostis epigejos[1]



bushhammer

bushhammer
bush·ham·mer 
[bsh hàmmər] (plural bush·ham·mers)
noun

masonry
hammer:
a powered hammer with small pyramidal points cut into the working surface, used
to form a rough surface on stonework
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a translation of German Boszhammer ; Bosz-
from boszen “to beat.”][1]



bushhoneysuckle

bushhoneysuckle
bush
hon·ey·suck·le noun

N American shrub:
a shrub of eastern North America with deciduous leaves and small clusters of
yellow flowers. Genus: Diervilla[1]



Bushido

Bushido
Bu·shi·do 
[bshi d, bshí
dō] noun

samurai
code of honor: the code of honor and behavior of the
Japanese warrior class ( samurai ),
emphasizing self-discipline, courage, and loyalty
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “military knight’s way, warrior’s doctrine.”][1]



bushing

bushing
bush·ing 
[bshing] (plural bush·ings) noun

1.  metal
sleeve:
a cylindrical metal sleeve used to prevent abrasion, as a bearing, or as a
guide for certain tool parts such as valve rods.
Also
called
bush
U.K.
term
bush 2

2.  insulation:
a layer of electrical insulation that allows a live conductor to pass through a
grounded wall

3.  pipe
adaptor:
an adaptor or screw-piece for connecting two different sizes of pipe
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from bush 2 .][1]



Bushire

Bushire
Bu·shire
[boo shr]

See
Bushehr[1]



Bush,Jack

Bush,Jack
Bush
[bsh], Jack (1909–1977)

Canadian painter. A radical
abstract artist, he painted the series Flags and Sashes (
1962–1963 ).[1]



bushjacket

bushjacket
bush
jack·et
(plural bush jack·ets) noun

light shirt-jacket:
a lightweight cotton jacket resembling a shirt, with patch pockets and a belt[1]



bushleague

bushleague
bush
league
(plural bush leagues) noun

1.  BASEBALL baseball
minor league: a minor league in baseball

2.  second-rate
activity:
a sphere of activity for those who cannot compete with the best • a
lawyer in the bush leagues
—bush-league,
adjective

—bush-leagu·er, noun[1]



bushline

bushline
bush
line
noun

Canada
a small airline that serves remote settlements, especially in the north of
Canada[1]



bushlot

bushlot
bush
lot
noun

Canada
See wood lot[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Bushman

Bushman
Bush·man 
[bshmən] (plural Bush·men [bshmən]) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the San people
[Late 18th century. Modeled
on Dutch boschjesman .][1]



bushman

bushman
bush·man
[bshmən] (plural bush·men [bshmən]) noun

Australia, New Zealand
bush inhabitant or traveler:
somebody who has long experience of living, working, or traveling in remote
country areas[1]



bushmaster

bushmaster
bush·mas·ter 
[bsh màstər] (plural bush·mas·ters)
noun

poisonous snake:
a large venomous snake with grayish-brown markings, the longest snake found in
Central and South America, growing up to 3.6 m/12 ft in length. Latin name: Lachesis
mutus[1]



Bushnell,David

Bushnell,David
Bush·nell 
[bshnəl], David (1742–1824)

U.S. inventor. He is credited
with the invention of the Turtle, an early submarine (1775).[1]



Bushnell,Horace

Bushnell,Horace
Bush·nell
[bshnəl], Horace (1802–1876)

U.S. minister. His liberal
religious writings included God in Christ ( 1849 ).[1]



bushpig

bushpig
bush
pig
(plural bush pigs) noun

wild African pig:
a black or brown wild pig of southern Africa that has small tusks and long
tufts of hair on the face and ears. Latin name: Potamochoerus porcus[1]



bushpilot

bushpilot
bush
pi·lot
(plural bush pi·lots) noun

rural pilot:
a pilot who flies a small plane into and out of areas that are difficult to
reach with other means of transportation[1]



bushranger

bushranger
bush·rang·er 
[bsh ràynjər] (plural bush·rang·ers)
noun

1.  backwoodsman:
somebody who lives an isolated life in the wilderness

2.  Australia,
New Zealand
escaped
convict:
in former times, an escaped convict living on the run in the bush

[1]



bushshrike

bushshrike
bush
shrike
noun

predatory African bird:
a bird of the shrike family, typically olive-backed with a bright yellow or red
breast. It chases its prey on foot in the forests of Africa. Genus: Malaconotus[1]



bushtelegraph

bushtelegraph
bush
tel·e·graph
noun

1.  method
of spreading gossip swiftly: a method of communicating
information or rumors swiftly and unofficially by word of mouth or other means
(informal) See grapevine

2.  primitive
method of communication: a method of communicating
over distances, for example, with drumbeats

[1]



bushtit

bushtit
bush·tit 
[bsh tìt] (plural bush·tits) noun

small N American songbird:
a small gray North American bird of the titmouse family, known for building
hanging nests. Genus: Psaltriparus[1]



Bush,Vannevar

Bush,Vannevar
Bush
[bsh], Vannevar (1890–1974)

U.S. inventor and engineer.
He invented a differential analyzer (1930), the forerunner of the analog
computer.[1]



bushwhack

bushwhack
bush·whack 
[bsh wàk, bsh
hwàk] (past bush·whacked, past participle bush·whacked,
present participle bush·whack·ing, 3rd person present singular
bush·whacks) verb

1.  transitive
verb
ambush
somebody:
to ambush somebody (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
U.S., Canada, Australia cut
through woods: to cut a way through thick woods or
forest

3.  intransitive
verb
U.S., Canada, Australia travel
through woods: to travel through woods, forest, or the
bush

4.  intransitive
verb
fight
as guerrilla: to fight as a guerrilla
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from bushwhacker .][1]



bushwhacker

bushwhacker
bush·whack·er 
[bsh hwàkər] (plural bush·whack·ers)
noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia somebody who lives in
the bush:
somebody who travels around or lives in the bush or in wooded, isolated regions

2.  clearer
of bush:
somebody who clears away bush or undergrowth

3.  HISTORY confederate
guerrilla in Civil War: a confederate guerrilla in
the Civil War

4.  rural
guerrilla:
a guerrilla who fights in remote or rural areas

5.  clearing
tool:
a tool for clearing or cutting a way through bush, trees, or undergrowth
[Early 19th century. From bush + whacker ; possibly modeled on Dutch boschwachter
“forest keeper.”][1]



bushy

bushy
bush·y 
[bshee] (comparative bush·i·er,
superlative bush·i·est) adjective

1.  thick
and full:
very thick and full

2.  dense
and woody:
with many branches growing up together, producing a rounded shape like a bush

3.  covered
with bushes: covered or overgrown with bushes
—bush·i·ly,
adverb

—bush·i·ness, noun[1]



busily

busily
bus·i·ly
[bízzilee] adverb

in busy way:
in an active, energetic, and concentrated way • busily
cleaning the house[1]



business

business
busi·ness 
[bíznəss] noun (plural busi·ness·es)

1.  line
of work:
a particular trade or profession • the
retail business

2.  commercial
organization: a company or other organization that
buys and sells goods, makes products, or provides services • take
over an ailing business

3.  commercial
activity:
commercial activity involving the exchange of money for goods or services • a
good person to do business with

4.  level
of commerce: the amount of commercial activity or
patronage that exists at a particular time • Business
is poor right now.

5.  commercial
practice:
commercial practice or procedure • It’s
bad business to neglect smaller clients.

6.  patronage:
the commercial dealings that a person or organization has with another company
or individual • If this goes on, I
shall take my business elsewhere!

7.  important
matters:
tasks or important things that a person has to do or deal with • We
have important business to discuss.

8.  private
matters:
personal responsibilities and concerns • What
business is it of yours?

9.  affair:
a situation or event that is characterized by difficulty, fuss, or
unpleasantness • that business about the
tickets

10. unspecified
activities:
activities or things that are not clearly described or defined • designing,
measuring, and all that kind of business

11. THEATER actor’s
small actions: an action or series of actions performed
by an actor for dramatic or comic effect, or to fill in a pause when little is
happening on stage.
Also
called
stage business

12. something
excellent:
something very impressive or excellent (informal) • He
thinks his new car is really the business.
adjective

of commerce:
relating to, belonging to, or involving commerce and the world of professional
workers • good
business practice
[Old
English bisignis “anxiety, distress,” from bisig “anxious, busy”]
do
your business

to
defecate (informal) (used euphemistically)

get
down to business

to
deal with important matters, leaving extraneous ones behind

have
no business doing something

to
have no right to do something

like
nobody’s business

very
hard or strongly

mean
business

to
have sincere and forthright intentions

not
be in the business of doing something

to consider something
inappropriate or outside the usual area of responsibility[1]



businessadministration

businessadministration
busi·ness
ad·min·is·tra·tion noun

business studies:
a course of study at a university, college, or other institute of higher
education that teaches the basic principles of business and business practices[1]



businesscard

businesscard
busi·ness
card
(plural busi·ness cards) noun

visiting card:
a small card printed with a person’s name, job title, business address, and
contact numbers[1]



businessclass

businessclass
busi·ness
class
noun

air-travel
category:
a superior level of service in air travel that is less expensive than first
class and caters for business travelers (hyphenated when used before a noun)
adverb

in business-class section:
in the business-class section of an airplane[1]



businesscycle

businesscycle
busi·ness
cy·cle
(plural busi·ness cy·cles) noun

economic boom and bust:
a recurrent cycle of growth, decline, recession, and recovery in the economic
activity of a capitalist country.
U.K. term
trade cycle[1]



businessdistrict

businessdistrict
busi·ness
dis·trict
(plural busi·ness dis·tricts) noun

area for businesses:
an area reserved for, or composed mainly of, retail businesses or offices[1]



businessend

businessend
busi·ness
end
noun

functional part of something:
the part of a tool or device that does the work, as opposed to the body or
handle (informal) • the
business end of a gun[1]



businessenvelope

businessenvelope
busi·ness
en·ve·lope
(plural busi·ness en·ve·lopes) noun

standard envelope size:
a standard envelope used for business mail that holds letter-size paper folded
in thirds[1]



businesshours

businesshours
busi·ness
hours
plural noun

1.  hours
of operation: the hours during which business is
conducted

2.  normal
office hours: the normal hours that most offices are
open, usually between about 9 AM
and 5:30 PM

[1]



businesslike

businesslike
busi·ness·like 
[bíznəss lk] adjective

1.  efficient
and practical: showing qualities or attributes that are
useful and desirable in a business context, for example, efficiency,
practicality, and methodicalness • a very
businesslike operation

2.  unemotional:
practical and unemotional

[1]



businessman

businessman
busi·ness·man 
[bíznəss màn] (plural busi·ness·men
[bíznəss mèn]) noun

man in business:
a man who works in business, especially at a senior level[1]



businessperson

businessperson
busi·ness·per·son 
[bíznəss pùrs’n] (plural busi·ness·peo·ple
[bíznəss pp’l]) noun

person in business:
a person who works in business, especially at a senior level[1]



businessplan

businessplan
busi·ness
plan
(plural busi·ness plans) noun

plan of future strategy:
a plan that sets out the future strategy and financial development of a
business, usually covering a period of several years[1]



businessschool

businessschool
busi·ness
school
(plural busi·ness schools) noun

graduate school in business:
a graduate school that offers MBAs and related courses of study[1]



businesssuit

businesssuit
busi·ness
suit
(plural busi·ness suits) noun

suit of matching coat and
pants: a suit consisting of a coat
and pants, or a coat and skirt, made from the same cloth[1]



businesswoman

businesswoman
busi·ness·wom·an 
[bíznəss wmən] (plural busi·ness·wom·en
[bíznəsswìmmin]) noun

woman in business:
a woman who works in business, especially at a senior level[1]



busing

busing
bus·ing
[bússing] or bus·sing [bússing] noun

bus transport to school:
the transportation of children by bus to another school distant from their
homes in an effort to achieve racial balance in school populations[1]



busk

busk
busk
[busk] noun

stiffening
device:
a strip of wood, steel, or whalebone used to stiffen the front of a corset
[Late 16th century. Via
French busc from Italian busco “splinter,” from Germanic.][1]



busker

busker
busk·er 
[búskər] (plural busk·ers) noun

U.K.
street entertainer:
somebody who entertains in the street or a public place in the hope of
receiving money from passers-by[1]



buskin

buskin
bus·kin 
[búskin] (plural bus·kins) noun

1.  Athenian
actor’s boot: a thick-soled laced boot worn by tragic
actors in ancient Greece to give them extra height

2.  Greek
drama:
tragic drama, particularly in the ancient Greek style (archaic)

3.  medieval
sandal:
a calf-length laced boot worn in the Middle Ages
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French bousequin (a variant of brousequin
) from Middle Dutch broseken, of unknown origin.][1]



buslane

buslane
bus
lane
(plural bus lanes) noun

special lane for buses:
a lane on a road in some cities or towns that during certain hours of the day
can only be used by buses[1]



busload

busload
bus·load 
[bús ld] (plural bus·loads) noun

capacity of bus:
the number of passengers that a bus carries or can carry • demonstrators
arriving in busloads[1]



busman

busman
bus·man 
[búsmən] (plural bus·men [búsmən]) noun

bus driver:
somebody who drives a bus (archaic)[1]



busman’sholiday

busman’sholiday
bus·man’s
hol·i·day 
(plural bus·man’s hol·i·days) noun

vacation
like normal work: a vacation or leisure activity that is
similar to the work somebody normally engages in (informal)
[Origin uncertain: probably
from drivers of horse-drawn buses taking a vacation being driven around on
their own bus, perhaps so as to check on the treatment of their horses][1]



Buson

Buson
Bu·son
[b sàwn] (1716–1784)

Japanese poet and artist. He
is noted for his haiku and was regarded as one of the finest painters of his
time.[1]



buss

buss
buss 
[bus] noun (plural buss·es)

kiss:
a kiss (dated) (regional)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past bussed, past
participle bussed, present participle bus·sing, 3rd
person present singular buss·es)

kiss
somebody:
to kiss somebody or something (dated) (regional)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of obsolete bass “to kiss,” via French
baiser from Latin basiare .][1]



bussing

bussing
bus·sing 
[bússing] noun

See
busing[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








busstop

busstop
bus
stop
(plural bus stops) noun

place to catch bus:
a designated place along a specific route where a bus stops to pick up or let
off passengers[1]



bust

bust2
bust2 [bust]
verb (past bust·ed or bust, past
participle bust·ed or bust, present participle bust·ing,
3rd person present singular busts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become useless: to break something
mechanical or electrical, or to cease operating properly (informal) • Your
brother just busted our TV!

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
or get broken: to break or damage something by hitting
it or by subjecting it to a powerful impact, or to break in this way (informal)
• I
busted my leg skiing.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb burst:
to burst something or to undergo bursting

4.  transitive
verb
raid
place or arrest person: to mount a police raid,
especially in connection with illegal drugs (slang)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE make or become bankrupt:
to make somebody bankrupt or to become bankrupt (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
MILITARY demote
somebody:
to demote a member of the armed forces (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
RIDING break
in horse:
to break in a horse (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
break
up organization: to break up an organization when it has
become too powerful (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody:
to hit or punch somebody (informal) • He
busted the villain over the head.

10. intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES go
over limit:
in blackjack, to have cards totaling more than 21 points

11. intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES fail
to complete hand: in poker, to fail to complete a flush or
straight
noun
(plural busts)

1.  police
raid:
a police raid or arrest, especially in connection with illegal drugs (slang)

2.  failure:
somebody or something that fails completely (informal) • The
plan seemed perfect in theory, but it was a bust in reality.

3.  FINANCE bankruptcy:
bankruptcy or financial failure (informal) • periods
of boom and bust

4.  punch:
a punch or blow (informal)

5.  party:
a disorganized party or celebration (informal)
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of burst .][1]



bust

bust1
bust1 [bust]
(plural busts) noun

1.  woman’s
breasts:
a woman’s breasts, or the measurement around this part of her upper body

2.  SCULPTURE sculpture
of head and shoulders: a sculpture of the head and
shoulders of a person
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian busto, of uncertain origin: probably from Latin bustum
“tomb,” from, ultimately, ambuere, literally “to burn around,” from urere
“to burn.”][1]



Bustamante,Alexander

Bustamante,Alexander
Bus·ta·man·te 
[bstə mn tày], Sir Alexander (1884–1977)

Jamaican
statesman. He served as independent Jamaica’s first prime minister (1962–1967).
Born
Clarke, Sir William Alexander[1]



bustard

bustard

bus·tard 
[bústərd] (plural bus·tards or
bus·tard) noun
large
bird:
a bird with long legs, a rotund body, and a long neck that lives on open grassy
land in southern Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Family: Otididae
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Anglo-Norman bustarde, blend of bistarde
and oustarde, both from Latin avis tarda “slow bird”; from its
slow walk.][1]



buster

buster
bust·er 
[bústər] (plural bust·ers) noun

1.  form
of address:
used as a jocular or mildly threatening term of address, usually for a man or
boy (informal)

2.  See
broncobuster

3.  breaker:
somebody or something that breaks up or destroys something (informal) (usually
in combination)
[Mid-19th century. Either
formed from bust 1, or an
alteration of burster, in which sense (“person or thing that bursts”)
the word is first attested.][1]



bustier

bustier
bus·tier 
[boos tyáy] (plural bus·tiers)
noun

strapless
bodice:
a close-fitting sleeveless and usually strapless bodice worn by women as
lingerie or evening wear
[Late 20th century. From
French, where it was formed from buste (see bust 1 ).][1]



bustle

bustle2
bus·tle2 [búss’l]
(plural bus·tles) noun

underskirt
padding:
a pad or frame worn in the 19th century under the top of a woman’s long skirt
to fill it out at the back
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps a use of the noun bustle
in the sense “something that makes a stir.”][1]



bustle

bustle1
bus·tle1 [búss’l]
intransitive verb (past bus·tled, past participle bus·tled,
present participle bus·tling, 3rd person present singular bus·tles)

go
hurriedly and showily: to work or do something in
an ostentatiously hurried and energetic way • He
bustled around in preparation for their arrival.
noun

energetic
activity:
energetic, busy, and noisy activity • a
great bustle surrounding the arriving guests
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of obsolete buskle,
from dialect busk, from Old Norse búask “to prepare yourself.”]
—bus·tler, noun[1]



bustling

bustling
bus·tling
[búss’ling, bússling]
adjective

busy:
full of or characterized by energetic and noisy activity
—bus·tling·ly, adverb[1]



busty

busty
bust·y 
[bústee] (comparative bust·i·er,
superlative bust·i·est) adjective

with
large breasts: used to describe a woman with large
breasts (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from bust 1 .][1]



busulfan

busulfan
bu·sul·fan 
[byoo súlfən] noun

antileukemia
drug:
a drug used to treat certain kinds of chronic leukemia. C6H14O6S2 See busulphan
[Mid-20th century. Blend of butane and sulfonyl
.][1]



busulphan

busulphan
bu·sul·phan
noun

See
busulfan[1]



busy

busy
bus·y 
[bízzee] adjective (comparative
bus·i·er, superlative bus·i·est)

1.  occupied:
fully occupied in a particular activity, especially work • She
seemed too busy even to talk to me. • He
was busy writing letters all morning.

2.  full
of bustle:
full of activity, with a large number of people moving around • the
busy city streets

3.  not
free:
committed to something that has previously been planned or arranged and so
unable to undertake another activity • I’m
sorry but I’m busy tomorrow night.

4.  UTILITIES unavailable
to use:
used to describe a telephone line that is in use and so unavailable • The
line’s busy, will you hold?
U.K.
term
engaged

5.  active:
engaged in or characterized by constant, and usually purposeful, activity • busy
people who lead busy lives

6.  elaborate:
characterized by overcomplex detail, colors, or patterns • a
very busy painting
verb
(past bus·ied, past participle bus·ied, present
participle bus·y·ing, 3rd person present singular bus·ies)

1.  reflexive
verb
occupy
yourself:
to start doing something that will keep you occupied and working for a period
of time

2.  transitive
verb
occupy
somebody:
to occupy somebody • The work busied him all
afternoon.
[Old
English bisig “busy, anxious”]
—bus·y·ness, noun[1]



busybody

busybody
bus·y·bod·y 
[bízzi bòddee] (plural bus·y·bod·ies)
noun

prying person:
somebody who tends to meddle with other people’s business (informal)[1]



BusyLizzie

BusyLizzie
Bus·y
Liz·zie
[bìzzi lízzee] (plural Bus·y
Liz·zie or Bus·y Liz·zies) noun

U.K.
See impatiens
[Origin uncertain: probably a
rhyming phrase modeled on the plant’s Latin name impatiens “impatient”][1]



busysignal

busysignal
bus·y
sig·nal
(plural bus·y sig·nals) noun

sound indicating use:
a repeating burst of sound on a telephone line that indicates the line is in
use.
U.K. term
engaged tone[1]



busywork

busywork
bus·y·work 
[bízzi wurk] noun

work to occupy time:
activities assigned or undertaken that take up time but do not necessarily
yield productive results[1]



but-

but-
but-
prefix

Containing
a group of four carbon atoms • butene
[From butyric][1]



but

but
but 
[but] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used in the middle of or at the beginning of a sentence to
introduce something that is true in spite of either being or seeming contrary
to what has just been said • I
thought it was late, but it was only 9 o’clock. • Not
one, but two offers were received. • Yes,
but not now. • It’s
true her name is Spanish, but she’s actually Greek. • I’m
a blond, but both my mother and father have dark hair.

1.
conjunction introducing an opposing
proposition: used to introduce a statement that
disagrees with something just said, or that expresses an emotion such as
surprise or disbelief at what was just said • “I
don’t think you’re suitable for the job.”-“But I have all the right
qualifications!”

2.
conjunction introducing further
information: used to introduce a clause or a new
sentence that adds information such as background or reasoning • Jeff
isn’t coming with us. But he doesn’t like horror movies anyway.

3.
conjunction except that:
used to introduce a dependent clause, for example, a reason for doing or not
doing something • I would have called,
but I couldn’t find a phone.

4.
conjunction without something happening:
used to indicate that something does not happen without something else
happening or being the case (formal) (usually used after a negative)
• She
never leaves home but she forgets her keys.

5.
conjunction that:
used to introduce a subordinate clause (regional) • It’s
not so difficult, but I can’t understand it.

6.
conjunction when:
than or when (informal)

7.
conjunction preposition except:
used to indicate the exception to a statement just made • He
could do nothing but stand and watch her leave. • There
was nothing but a lump of moldy bread in the cupboard.

8.
adverb only, just, or merely:
used to indicate that something happens or is true just to the extent mentioned
and not more • This
is but one of the breadmaking techniques used. • He
arrived but a minute ago. • We
can but try.

9.
adverb for emphasis: used to
emphasize a statement (slang) • Man,
but he’s fast!

10.
noun objections:
objections to something (informal) • Allow
time to consider all the if’s and but’s from the children.
[Old
English būtan “outside, without, except, but,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English by
and without]
all
but

almost
• I
was all but asleep when the phone rang.

but
for

if
not for, or if it had not been for

but
that

1.  except
that • Nothing
is important but that I see you again.

2.  used
as a subordinating conjunction equivalent to “that” following negative words
such as “doubt” and “deny” (archaic) (follows a negative)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Can
  but begin a sentence?
  Some
  people object to the use of but, like and, at the beginning of a sentence, regarding
  it as a joining word that has to have words on either side of it. However,
  this is a mistaken notion that has no foundation in English structure and
  usage. It is, however, advisable to reserve this use for occasions when the
  special effect that initial position affords is needed, otherwise it can
  become an awkward affectation.
  But is usually not followed by a comma; a
  comma may or may not precede but,
  depending on the individual sentence structure and context; thus, • I
  wanted to leave early [,] • but
  the rest of the group did not, not • I
  wanted to leave early, but, the rest of the group did not
  .
  Avoid
  unnecessary redundancy in using but and
  other terms such as however together. Write • However,
  [or • but
  ] • the
  State Department has lodged a formal protest not
  • But
  the State Department has, however, lodged a formal protest
  .
  When
  but is used to indicate an exception, as
  in • No
  one but me (or • I
  ) • has
  (or • have
  ) • seen
  the document, either wording can be used, based on
  your interpretation of the function of but
  : is it a preposition, as in the first variation, or is it a conjunction, as
  in the second, parenthetic, variation? Though strong cases have been made for
  both wordings, the prepositional wording does carry slightly more weight, as
  you can recast the sentence to • No
  one has seen the document but me, placing the but phrase at the end, where its prepositional
  function is quite clear.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Usage note at help.

[1]



butadiene

butadiene
bu·ta·di·ene 
[bytə d n] noun

flammable
gas:
a colorless flammable gas that is important in the manufacture of polymers. It
is used in the production of synthetic rubber, nylon, and latex paints. CH2=CHCH=CH2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from butane + di-
.][1]



butanal

butanal
bu·ta·nal
[byt’nəl] noun

CHEMISTRY flammable
liquid:
a colorless, flammable liquid that has two different molecular structures ( isomers ). It is used in the manufacture of
solvents, resins, and plasticizers. C4H8O
[Late 20th century. Coined
from butanol .][1]



butane

butane
bu·tane 
[by tàyn] noun

flammable
gas used as fuel: a colorless, highly flammable gas that
is compressed for use in lighter fluids and for household and industrial
purposes. It is found in natural gas and has two different molecular structures
( isomers ). C4H10
[Late 19th century. Coined
from butyl + -ane
.][1]



butanoicacid

butanoicacid
bu·ta·no·ic
ac·id 
[bytənō ik ássid] noun

liquid
causing smell in rancid butter: a thick colorless
liquid that is the cause of the smell in rancid butter. The ester produced from
it is used in flavorings and scents. C3H7COOH
Also
called
butyric acid
[Butanoic formed from butane][1]



butanol

butanol
bu·ta·nol 
[bytə nòl, byt’n
òl] noun

toxic liquid:
a colorless toxic liquid with four different molecular structures ( isomers ). It is used as a solvent in such items
as paint remover, and also in the manufacture of other organic substances. C4H9OH
Also called
butyl alcohol[1]



butch

butch
butch 
[bch] adjective (comparative butch·er,
superlative butch·est)

1.  masculine
and strong:
used to describe a man who is extremely masculine and strong

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term insulting a woman’s appearance and sexuality (slang offensive)
noun
(plural butch·es)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that insults a woman’s appearance and sexuality (slang
offensive)

2.  HAIRDRESSING See crew cut
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain; probably from the nickname Butch .][1]



butcher

butcher
butch·er 
[bchər] noun (plural butch·ers)

1.  meat
seller:
somebody who cuts up, prepares, and sells meat at retail

2.  slaughterer:
somebody who slaughters animals in preparation for selling their meat as food

3.  brutal
killer:
somebody who kills, or is responsible for the killing of, large numbers of
people in a brutal manner

4.  botcher:
somebody who does something badly and produces unattractive results • a
butcher of the sonnet form
transitive
verb
(past butch·ered, past participle butch·ered, present
participle butch·er·ing, 3rd person present singular butch·ers)

1.  kill
animal for food: to slaughter and prepare the meat of an
animal for food

2.  kill
people brutally: to kill people in a brutal way

3.  botch
something:
to do, perform, or make something very incompetently (informal) • The
original script had been butchered.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Old French bo(u)chier “slaughterer of
he-goats,” from boc “he-goat,” of uncertain origin: probably from Celtic
.]
—butch·er·er, noun[1]



butcherbird

butcherbird
butch·er·bird 
[bchər bùrd] (plural butch·er·birds)
noun

1.  Australasian
songbird:
an Australasian songbird of the magpie family, usually with black or
black-and-white plumage. It impales insects and other prey on thorns. Genus: Cracticus

2.  bird
of shrike family: a bird of the shrike family that impales
its prey on thorns and barbed wire. Genus: Lanius

[1]



butcher-block

butcher-block
butch·er-block 
adjective

hardwood:
made from or resembling blocks or strips of wood glued together and planed,
similar to a block that a butcher chops meat on • butcher-block
countertops[1]



butcherknife

butcherknife
butch·er
knife
noun

knife for cutting meat:
a large heavy-duty knife for use in the kitchen or for butchering[1]



butchery

butchery
butch·er·y 
[bchəree] (plural butch·er·ies)
noun

1.  mass
killing:
brutal, senseless, and cruel slaughter of people, usually in large numbers • an
act of appalling butchery

2.  use
of knives on carcass: the use of knives or other
tools to remove meat from an animal’s carcass “The tools are often found in
association with broken animal bones, which sometimes show signs of butchery.”
“Ape at the Brink,” Discover Magazine 1994

3.  butcher’s
work or trade: the work or trade of a butcher

4.  incompetence:
an incompetent attempt at a job, performance, or activity (informal) • the
singer’s butchery of the melody
[14th century. From French boucherie,
ultimately from Old French bo(u)chier (see butcher
).][1]



butcher’sbroom

butcher’sbroom
butch·er’s
broom 
noun

shrub with stiff stems:
an evergreen Mediterranean shrub with stiff stems that were formerly used for
making brooms. Latin name: Ruscus aculeatus[1]



butcher’sknife

butcher’sknife
butch·er’s
knife
noun

U.K. =
butcher knife[1]



butchhaircut

butchhaircut
butch
hair·cut
(plural butch hair·cuts) noun

See
crew cut[1]



butene

butene
bu·tene 
[by tn] (plural bu·tenes) noun

flammable
gas:
a colorless, flammable, and easily liquefiable gas with three different
molecular structures ( isomers ). The
butenes provide the basic molecule for manufacturing a variety of polymers. C4H8 
Also
called
butylene
[Late 19th century. Coined
from butyl + -ene
.][1]



buteo

buteo
bu·te·o 
[bytee ] (plural bu·te·os) noun

large
hawk:
a large, broad-winged, soaring hawk or buzzard from North America and Eurasia.
Genus: Buteo
U.K.
term
buzzard
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin (genus name) from Latin “(kind of) hawk or falcon.”][1]



Buthelezi,Mangosuthu Gatsha

Buthelezi,Mangosuthu Gatsha

Bu·the·le·zi
[btə láyzee], Mangosuthu Gatsha (1928– )
South
African political leader. He was chief minister of KwaZulu, a black South
African homeland (1976–1994), and founded Inkatha, a Zulu nationalist
organization.
Known as
Chief Buthelezi[1]



butler

butler
but·ler 
[búttlər] (plural but·lers) noun

chief
servant:
the male head servant in a large or important household, with responsibilities
that include overseeing the other staff, taking care of the wine and
silverware, and sometimes receiving guests
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman buteler and French bouteillier “cup-bearer,” formed
from bouteille “wine vessel, bottle” (see bottle
).][1]



Butler

Butler
But·ler 
[búttlər]

city and manufacturing center
in western Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. Population: 17,026 (1991)[1]



Butler,Nicholas Murray

Butler,Nicholas Murray
But·ler 
[búttlər], Nicholas Murray (1862–1947)

U.S. educator. President of
Columbia College (1902–1912) and the newly formed Columbia University
(1912–1945), he shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for his role as president
of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1925–1945).[1]



Butler,Samuel

Butler,Samuel
But·ler 
[búttlər], Samuel (1612–1680)

English satirist. He wrote
“Hudibras,” a poetic satire on the Puritans (1663–1678).[1]



butler’spantry

butler’spantry
but·ler’s
pan·try 
[bútləree] or but·ler·y [bútləree] noun

food-storage room:
a room situated between a kitchen and dining room, used for serving food and
for storage[1]



butt

butt2
butt2 [but]
noun (plural butts)

1.  object
of ridicule or contempt: somebody or something that
is an object of ridicule or contempt for other people • He
became the butt of their satire.

2.  goal:
a goal or aim (archaic)

3.  hinge:
a butt hinge, or either of its two parts

4.  See
butt joint
plural
noun
butts

1.  ARCHERY RIFLE SHOOTING mound behind target:
in archery and rifle shooting, a mound of earth behind the target, designed to
stop any stray bullets or arrows

2.  ARCHERY target
range:
a target range

3.  ARCHERY RIFLE SHOOTING target:
a target at a shooting or archery range
intransitive
and transitive verb (past butt·ed,
past participle butt·ed, present participle butt·ing,
3rd person present singular butts)

abut: to
lie with one flat end against the flat end of something else, or to place
something in such a position • The
beam butts against the wall.
[14th century. From French but
“goal,” of uncertain origin: probably from prehistoric Germanic; perhaps
influenced by French butte “rising ground, target.”][1]



butt

butt1
butt1 [but]
verb (past butt·ed, past participle butt·ed,
present participle butt·ing, 3rd person present singular butts)

1.  transitive
verb
ram
somebody or something: to hit or push against
somebody or something with the head or horns

2.  intransitive
verb
stick
out:
to project or jut out
noun
(plural butts)

a push: a
push with the head or horns
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman buter and Old French bo(u)ter from,
ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English button .]
—but·ter, noun[1]



butt

butt3
butt3 [but]
(plural butts) noun

1.  buttocks:
a person’s or animal’s buttocks (informal) (sometimes considered
offensive)

2.  thick
end:
the thicker or larger end of something, such as the part of a rifle held
against the shoulder

3.  cigarette
end:
the part of a cigarette that remains after the rest has been smoked
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



butt

butt4
butt4 [but]
(plural butts) noun

1.  cask:
a large cask for holding wine or ale

2.  unit
for measuring liquid volume: a unit for measuring liquid
volume equal to 126 U.S. gallons ( approximately 477 liters )
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman but and Old French bot from late Latin buttis
(source of English butler ).][1]



butte

butte
butte 
[byoot] (plural buttes) noun

flat-topped
hill:
in the western United States and Canada, a hill that rises abruptly from a flat
area of land, with steep sides and a flat top.
See
also
mesa
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “mound, hillock” (possible source of English butt 2 ).][1]



Butte

Butte
Butte 
[byoot]

city in southwestern Montana,
situated more than 1.7 km/1 mi above sea level in the Rocky Mountains. It was
settled by gold prospectors in the 1860s and is still a mining center.
Population: 34,051 (1996) Full name Butte-Silver Bow[1]



butter

butter
but·ter 
[búttər] noun (plural but·ters)

1.  soft
creamy spread: a soft, pale yellow, fatty food made by
churning cream and used for cooking or spreading on food • butter
sauce

2.  substance
resembling butter: any substance that is
similar to butter in consistency or appearance • apple
butter
transitive
verb
(past but·tered, past participle but·tered, present
participle but·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular but·ters)

put butter on something:
to spread butter on something or add butter to something
[Old
English butere, via prehistoric Germanic from Latin butyrum, from
Greek bouturon, of uncertain origin: perhaps originally “cow’s milk
curds,” formed from bous “ox”]
look
as if butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth

to look more innocent than
you really are[1]



butter-and-eggs

butter-and-eggs
but·ter-and-eggs 
noun

(used with a singular or
plural verb)See toadflax[1]



butterball

butterball
but·ter·ball 
[búttər bàwl] (plural but·ter·balls)
noun

1.  chubby
person:
somebody who is chubby (informal insult, sometimes considered offensive)

2.  BIRDS See bufflehead

[1]



butterbean

butterbean
but·ter
bean
(plural but·ter beans) noun (regional)

1.  dried
lima bean:
a lima bean that is cream-colored because it is cooked from the dried form

2.  See
wax bean

[1]



butterbur

butterbur
but·ter·bur 
[búttər bùr] (plural but·ter·burs
or but·ter·bur) noun

plant with large leaves:
a waterside plant that has purple flowers and large soft leaves in which butter
was formerly wrapped. Genus: Petasites[1]



butterclam

butterclam
but·ter
clam
(plural but·ter clams) noun

delicately flavored N
American clam: a large clam found off
the Pacific coast of North America with a delicate flavor and a shell that was
formerly used for barter by Native Americans. Genus: Saxidomus[1]



buttercup

buttercup

but·ter·cup 
[búttər kùp] (plural but·ter·cups)
noun
wild
plant with yellow flowers: a plant with yellow
cup-shaped flowers that grows in grassland in cold or temperate regions. Genus:
Ranunculus
[Early 16th century. From the
color and shape of its flowers.][1]



buttercupsquash

buttercupsquash
but·ter·cup
squash
noun

winter squash with
yellow-orange flesh: a small
winter squash with a flattish top, dark green skin, and yellow-orange flesh.
Latin name: Cucurbita maxima[1]



butterfat

butterfat
but·ter·fat 
[búttər fàt] noun

fat in dairy products:
the natural fats found in dairy products[1]



butterfingers

butterfingers
but·ter·fin·gers 
[búttər fìngərz] (plural but·ter·fin·gers)
noun

clumsy
person:
somebody who has a tendency to drop things accidentally out of clumsiness or
poor coordination (informal) (takes a singular verb)
[Early
17th century. From butter’s slippery smoothness, as if the person’s hands were
greased with butter.]
—but·ter·fin·gered, adjective[1]



butterfish

butterfish
but·ter·fish 
[búttər fìsh] (plural but·ter·fish
or but·ter·fish·es) noun

fish
with high oil content: a small inshore fish, found
worldwide, that is a popular food because of its high lipid content and fine
flavor. Family: Stromateidae
Also
called
pompano
[Late 17th century. From the
slipperiness of its mucous coating, likened to butter.][1]



butterflies

butterflies
but·ter·flies
[búttər flz] plural noun

nerves:
a fluttering feeling in the stomach caused by nervousness (informal)[1]



butterfly

butterfly

but·ter·fly 
[búttər fl] noun (plural but·ter·flies)

1.  insect
with big colorful wings: an insect with two pairs of
often brightly colored wings and knobbed antennae. It develops from a
caterpillar and lives for only a short time. Order: Lepidoptera

2.  butterfly
or butterfly stroke swimming stroke:
a swimming stroke in which both arms are lifted simultaneously above and over
the head while both the feet are kicked up and down

3.  swimming
competition: a race in which swimmers do the
butterfly stroke

4.  person
lacking concentration: somebody who is unable to
concentrate on any one activity or occupation for very long

5.  STOCK EXCHANGE type
of deal on stock market: the buying and selling of
options on the stock market on the same day but at different prices or with
different expiry dates
transitive verb
(past but·ter·flied, past participle but·ter·flied,
present participle but·ter·fly·ing, 3rd person present
singular but·ter·flies)

COOKING split
food:
to split a piece of food, such as meat or fish, along its length, separating it
into halves
[Old
English buttorflēoge : buttor- “butter” perhaps from the color of
some butterflies’ wings or excrement, or from the belief that butterflies
consume butter]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Madame
  Butterfly, an opera by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1904). Set in
  Nagasaki, Japan, it tells of the love of a young Japanese woman, Cio-Cio San,
  for a U.S. naval officer, Pinkerton, who half-heartedly agrees to an arranged
  marriage with her. When Pinkerton later returns from a three-year sojourn in
  the United States with another wife, a heartbroken San commits suicide.

[1]



butterflybush

butterflybush
but·ter·fly
bush
(plural but·ter·fly bush·es) noun

See
buddleia
[From the butterflies
attracted to its flowers][1]



butterflychair

butterflychair
but·ter·fly
chair
(plural but·ter·fly chairs) noun

metal frame chair:
a chair made from a continuous folded metal rod with four upward-pointing
corners on which a fitted canvas seat rests[1]



butterflydiagram

butterflydiagram
but·ter·fly
di·a·gram
(plural but·ter·fly di·a·grams) noun

sunspot
diagram:
a graphical representation of the appearance of sunspots over an 11-year cycle
[From its butterfly shape][1]



butterflyeffect

butterflyeffect
but·ter·fly
ef·fect
noun

large
output from small input: the supposed influence
exerted on a dynamic system by a small change in initial conditions.
See
also
chaos theory
[Named for a 1979 paper by
the U.S. meterologist Edward N. Lorenz, (b. 1917), entitled “Does the flap of a
butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?”.][1]



butterflyfish

butterflyfish
but·ter·fly
fish
noun

fish
with flat body: a small boldly patterned tropical fish
with a flattish body and a tapered snout. Family: Chaetodontidae
[From its shape or color,
likened to a butterfly][1]



butterflynut

butterflynut
but·ter·fly
nut
(plural but·ter·fly nuts) noun

See
wing nut
[From its winglike
projections, likened to a butterfly’s wings][1]



butterflystroke

butterflystroke
but·ter·fly
stroke
noun

See
butterfly  noun 2[1]



butterflyvalve

butterflyvalve

but·ter·fly
valve
(plural but·ter·fly valves) noun

1.  valve
in pipe:
a valve consisting of a disk that turns inside a pipe, especially one used as a
throttle valve in a carburetor

2.  one-way
valve:
a valve consisting of two semicircular plates that are hinged around a central
spindle, used to allow flow in one direction only
[From its shape, likened to a
butterfly’s wings][1]



butterflyweed

butterflyweed
but·ter·fly
weed
noun

N
American weed with orange flowers: a North American plant
that has clusters of bright orange flowers and a root that was once used in the
treatment of pleurisy. Latin name: Asclepias tuberosa
Also
called
orange milkweed
[From the fact that it is
attractive to butterflies][1]



butterknife

butterknife
but·ter
knife
noun

knife for butter:
a small knife with a broad blunt blade used for spreading butter[1]



buttermilk

buttermilk
but·ter·milk 
[búttər mìlk] noun

1.  cultured
milk:
a sour-tasting drink that is made by adding certain microorganisms to milk

2.  by-product
of churning: the sour-tasting liquid that is left
over after milk or cream has been churned to make butter. It is used in baking.

[1]



buttermilksky

buttermilksky
but·ter·milk
sky
noun

(regional)
See mackerel sky
[From its appearance, likened
to the texture of cultured buttermilk][1]



butternut

butternut
but·ter·nut 
[búttər nùt] noun (plural but·ter·nuts)

1.  N
American walnut tree: a North American walnut tree
that has hard light-brown wood and edible nuts enclosed in a sticky husk. Latin
name: Juglans cinerea
Also
called
white walnut

2.  nut
of butternut tree: the oily edible nut of the
butternut tree, similar in appearance to a walnut and with a sweetish taste.
Also
called
white walnut

3.  wood
of butternut tree: the hard light-brown wood of
the butternut tree, used for making furniture.
Also
called
white walnut

4.  butternut
bark:
the bark of the butternut tree, formerly used as a laxative

5.  brown
dye:
a brown dye obtained from the husks of the nuts of the butternut tree

6.  Confederate
soldier:
a Confederate soldier in the Civil War (informal)
plural
noun
but·ter·nuts

Confederate soldiers’ uniforms:
clothes that have been dyed with butternut dye, especially the clothes of
Confederate soldiers in the Civil War

[1]



butternutsquash

butternutsquash
but·ter·nut
squash
noun

bell-shaped squash:
a beige-colored winter squash shaped like a club with a bulbous end and with
firm yellow-orange flesh[1]



butterscotch

butterscotch
but·ter·scotch 
[búttər skòch] noun

1.  brittle
sugar candy: a brittle brown-colored candy made from
butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, water, and flavorings, with a taste similar to
that of toffee

2.  butterscotch
flavoring:
a kind of flavoring made from the ingredients used in butterscotch

3.  COLORS light
brown:
a light brown color
adjective

1.  flavored
with butterscotch: flavored with butterscotch • butterscotch
ice cream

2.  COLORS light-brown:
light-brown in color
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from butter + Scotch “having been first made in Scotland”; or
perhaps an alteration of dialect butterscot .][1]



buttertart

buttertart
but·ter
tart
noun

Canada
filled dessert:
a tart filled with butter, sugar or syrup, and usually raisins[1]



butterup

butterup
butter
up
transitive verb

flatter somebody:
to flatter somebody in the hope of winning favor or cooperation (informal)[1]



butterweed

butterweed
but·ter·weed 
[búttər wd] noun

yellow-flowered
weed:
a wild plant with yellow flowers. Family: Compositae
[Mid-19th century. Butter
from its yellow flowers or smooth foliage, likened to butter.][1]



butterwort

butterwort
but·ter·wort 
[búttər wùrt, búttər
wàwrt] (plural but·ter·worts or but·ter·wort)
noun

carnivorous bog plant:
a carnivorous bog plant with violet flowers and a rosette of sticky fleshy
leaves that trap and digest insects. Genus: Pinguicula[1]



buttery

buttery2
but·ter·y2 [búttəree]
(plural but·ter·ies) noun

storeroom
for food or drinks: a room in which food or
drinks are stored
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman boterie, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from but
“cask” (see butt 4 ), or
ultimately from Old French botele “bottle” (see bottle
).][1]



buttery

buttery1
but·ter·y1 [búttəree]
(comparative but·ter·i·er, superlative but·ter·i·est)
adjective

1.  like
or of butter: resembling, tasting like, or containing
butter • a
smooth, buttery taste

2.  adulatory:
tending or serving to flatter and praise
—but·ter·i·ness, noun[1]



butthinge

butthinge
butt
hinge
(plural butt hing·es) noun

door
hinge:
a hinge consisting of two parts, one of which is attached to a door jamb, the
other to the door itself, allowing the door to swing open and shut
[From butt 2][1]



buttin

buttin
butt
in
intransitive verb

interrupt:
to interrupt and attempt to join in a conversation or activity without being
invited[1]



buttinsky

buttinsky
butt·in·sky 
[but ínskee] (plural butt·in·skies)
noun

meddler:
somebody who has a tendency to intrude on other people’s affairs or
conversations or to meddle and pry (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from butt in + -sky (common Slavic
noun ending).][1]



buttjoint

buttjoint

butt
joint
(plural butt joints) or butt (plural butts)
noun
abutting
parts forming joint: a joint consisting of two
parts of wood or other material that are placed squarely together rather than
overlapping or interlocking
[From butt 2][1]



buttock

buttock
but·tock 
[búttək] (plural but·tocks) noun

1.  part
of bottom:
in humans, either of the two fleshy mounds above the legs and below the hollow
of the back (often used in the plural)

2.  animal
rump:
the rump of an animal
[Old English buttuc
“end ridge of land” (literally “small butt”), from assumed butt “ridge,”
of uncertain origin][1]



button

button
but·ton 
[bútt’n] noun (plural but·tons)

1.  disk
for holding clothes together: a flat and usually round
piece of plastic or other material on a piece of clothing that fits into a slit
or loop on another part and holds the two parts together

2.  ELECTRICITY electrical
switch:
a small disk fitted in an electrical appliance or attached to a surface that
activates an electrical connection when pressed

3.  small
round object: a small round object that resembles a
button

4.  U.S.,
Australia small sign worn on clothes:
a small round flat metal or plastic object with an image or words printed on
it, worn attached to clothes

5.  BIOLOGY rounded
part:
a rounded knob-shaped part or organ, such as the head of an unripe mushroom

6.  COMPUTING small
activating icon on computer screen: a
small oblong image in a dialog box of a computer-screen display, activated to
perform a task by clicking with the mouse or pressing the “Enter” key

7.  COMPUTING activating
part of computer mouse: the part of a computer mouse
that when pressed or clicked performs a function, for example, inserting the
cursor at a specific point

8.  FENCING protective
covering on foil: a small rounded plastic or rubber
covering placed on the tip of a fencing foil to protect participants from
injury

9.  ZOOLOGY end of
rattlesnake’s tail: the terminal section of a
rattlesnake’s tail
verb
(past but·toned, past participle but·toned, present
participle but·ton·ing, 3rd person present singular but·tons)

1.  transitive
verb
fasten
with buttons: to fasten something with a button or
buttons

2.  intransitive
verb
to have buttons that can be fastened on a particular side of a garment opening
or in a particular place on the garment • The
dress buttons at the back.

3.  transitive
verb
put
button in hole: to put a button through a slit or loop
designed to receive it • I
never button the top button of my shirt.

4.  transitive
verb
shut
mouth:
to close the mouth or lips and be quiet (informal) • Just
button your mouth.
[14th
century. Via French bouton “bud, knob,” from assumed Vulgar Latin bottare,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English buttress .]
—but·ton·er,
noun
on
the button

exactly
right (informal)

push
somebody’s buttons

to provoke a reaction in
somebody deliberately[1]



buttonball

buttonball
but·ton·ball 
[bútt’n bàwl] (plural but·ton·balls)
noun

1.  See
sycamore

2.  See
buttonbush
[Early 19th century. From the
shape of its fruit, likened to buttons.][1]



buttonblanket

buttonblanket
but·ton
blan·ket
(plural but·ton blan·kets) noun

Canada
aboriginal blanket:
a blanket decorated with buttons and usually bearing a family crest that is
part of the traditional regalia of some Pacific Coast aboriginal peoples[1]



buttonbush

buttonbush
but·ton·bush 
[bútt’n bsh] (plural but·ton·bush·es)
noun

N
American shrub: a North American deciduous shrub with
clusters of small white flowers and leaves that grow in pairs on either side of
the stem. Latin name: Cephalanthus occidentalis
Also
called
buttonball
[Mid-18th century. From its
globular flower heads, likened to buttons.][1]



button-down

button-down
but·ton-down 
adjective

1.  fastened
down at ends with buttons: used to describe a collar
that has a buttonhole at the end of each flap to fasten it to the front of a
shirt

2.  See
buttoned-down

[1]



buttoned-down

buttoned-down
but·toned-down 
or but·ton-down adjective

conservative:
conservative and traditional (informal)[1]



buttonhole

buttonhole
but·ton·hole 
[bútt’n hl] noun (plural but·ton·holes)

1.  hole
for button:
a slit in a garment or other article of clothing through which a button is
passed to fasten two pieces of material together

2.  U.K.
See boutonniere
transitive
verb
(past but·ton·holed, past participle but·ton·holed,
present participle but·ton·hol·ing, 3rd person present
singular but·ton·holes)

1.  accost
somebody:
to compel somebody to listen, allowing no avenue of escape (informal) • He
buttonholed me outside my office.

2.  give
something buttonholes: to make buttonholes in
something

3.  sew
with buttonhole stitch: to sew something with
buttonhole stitch
—but·ton·hol·er, noun[1]



buttonholestitch

buttonholestitch
but·ton·hole
stitch
(plural but·ton·hole stitch·es) noun

stitch used around
buttonholes: a tightly worked looped
stitch used for reinforcing buttonholes[1]



buttonhook

buttonhook
but·ton·hook 
[bútt’n hk] (plural but·ton·hooks)
noun

1.  CLOTHES hook
for pulling buttons: a small hook formerly used
for pulling small buttons through buttonholes on tight boots or gloves

2.  SPORTS offensive
play:
in football, an offensive play in which the pass receiver approaches the goal
and then cuts back toward the line of scrimmage

[1]



buttonmold

buttonmold
but·ton·mold 
[bútt’n mld] (plural but·ton·molds)
noun

base for covered button:
a small piece of plastic, metal, or wood that forms the base of a button
covered in fabric or leather[1]



buttonmushroom

buttonmushroom
but·ton
mush·room
(plural but·ton mush·rooms) noun

1.  unopened
mushroom:
an immature unopened mushroom, typically sold canned or bottled

2.  small
edible mushroom: a small mushroom cultivated for food.
Latin name: Agaricus bisporus
[See button][1]



buttonquail

buttonquail
but·ton
quail
noun

small bird resembling quail:
a small terrestrial bird of South Eurasia, Africa, and Australia that has no
hind toes. It resembles a quail, but is related to the crane. Family:
Turnicidae[1]



buttonsnakeroot

buttonsnakeroot
but·ton
snake·root
noun

1.  See
blazing star  noun 2

2.  plant
used to treat snakebite: a wild plant of the
southeastern United States with whitish flowers that is sometimes used to treat
snakebite. Latin name: Eryngium yuccifolium
Also
called
rattlesnake master
[So called from its small
discoid flower heads][1]



buttontow

buttontow
but·ton
tow
(plural but·ton tows) noun

U.K.
one-person ski lift:
a ski lift in which the occupant straddles a disk attached to a metal pole
suspended from a moving cable[1]



buttonup

buttonup
button
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
do
up buttons:
to fasten something with buttons

2.  intransitive
verb
stop
talking:
to stop talking or refuse to talk (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
close
something tightly: to close or seal something
tightly

[1]



buttonwood

buttonwood
but·ton·wood 
[bútt’n wd] (plural but·ton·woods)
noun

1.  (regional)
See sycamore

2.  mangrove
tree:
a mangrove tree of the American and African tropics. Latin name: Conocarpus
erectus

3.  wood
from buttonwood: the wood of a buttonwood tree





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Buttonwood in the sense of “sycamore”
  is used chiefly in the northeast, from Massachusetts and Vermont to
  Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Canada included as well. The term is virtually
  unknown west of the Mississippi River.

[1]



buttout

buttout
butt
out
intransitive verb

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand leave others
alone: to keep out of other
people’s business or conversation (slang)[1]



buttress

buttress
but·tress 
[búttrəss] noun (plural but·tress·es)

1.  support
for wall:
a solid structure, usually made of brick or stone, that is built against a wall
to support it

2.  somebody
or something that gives support: somebody or something
that acts as a source of support, help, and reinforcement • The
constitution is a buttress of our civil rights.

3.  projecting
rock:
a large projecting rock mass that appears to support the rock above it

4.  hoof
part:
the pointed horny rear part of a horse’s hoof
transitive
verb
(past but·tressed, past participle but·tressed, present
participle but·tress·ing, 3rd person present singular but·tress·es)

1.  support
wall:
to support a wall with a buttress

2.  support
or reinforce something: to support or reinforce
something, especially an argument, piece of analysis, or point of view • He
buttressed his views with lengthy quotations from the scriptures.
[14th century. From Old
French (ars) bouterez “thrusting (arch),” from bouter “to butt,
thrust against” (see butt 1 ).][1]



buttshaft

buttshaft
butt
shaft
(plural butt shafts) noun

blunt
arrow:
a blunt-headed arrow used for archery practice
[From butt 3][1]



butt-weld

butt-weld
butt-weld 
(past butt-weld·ed, past participle butt-weld·ed, present
participle butt-weld·ing, 3rd person present singular butt-welds)
transitive verb

weld
with butt joint: to weld a joint in which the two pieces
are placed end to end rather than overlapped
—butt weld, noun[1]



butut

butut
bu·tut 
[b tt] (plural bu·tuts) noun

1.  subunit
of Gambian currency: a subunit of currency in
Gambia, 100 of which are worth one dalasi

2.  Gambian
coin:
a coin worth one butut
[Late 20th century. From
Wolof .][1]



butyl

butyl
bu·tyl 
[byt’l, by tìl]
noun

chemical
group:
a carbon and hydrogen group that can exist with any of four molecular
structures ( isomers ). C4H9-
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from butyric + -yl
.][1]



butylacetate

butylacetate
bu·tyl
ac·e·tate
noun

See
butyl ethanoate[1]



butylalcohol

butylalcohol
bu·tyl
al·co·hol
noun

See
butanol[1]



butylate

butylate
bu·tyl·ate 
[byt’l àyt] (past bu·tyl·at·ed,
past participle bu·tyl·at·ed, present participle bu·tyl·at·ing,
3rd person present singular bu·tyl·ates) transitive verb

introduce
butyl into chemical compound: to introduce a butyl group
or groups into a chemical compound
—bu·tyl·a·tion [byt’l áysh’n], noun[1]



butylatedhydroxytoluene

butylatedhydroxytoluene
bu·tyl·at·ed
hy·drox·y·tol·u·ene  noun

crystalline
substance used as antioxidant: a crystalline solid
that is used in petroleum products and as an antioxidant for food. [(CH3)3C]2C6H2OH(CH3)
[Mid-20th century.
“Hydroxytoluene” coined from hydroxy- + toluene
.][1]



butylene

butylene
bu·tyl·ene 
[byt’l n] noun

See
butene[1]



butylethanoate

butylethanoate
bu·tyl
eth·a·no·ate noun

colorless, flammable liquid:
a colorless flammable toxic liquid with a fruity odor that has three different
molecular structures ( isomers ). It is used as a solvent for lacquers. CH3COOC4H9 
Also called
butyl acetate[1]



butylrubber

butylrubber
bu·tyl
rub·ber
noun

synthetic rubber:
a synthetic rubber that is extremely resistant to abrasion, tearing, sunlight,
and chemical attack. Butyl rubber is produced by a reaction between isobutylene
and a small amount of isoprene. It is used in inner tubes and hose, for
insulation, and as seals for food jars.[1]



butyraceous

butyraceous
bu·ty·ra·ceous 
[bytə ráyshəss] adjective

relating
to butter:
containing, resembling, or producing butter (technical)
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from butyric + -aceous
.][1]



butyraldehyde

butyraldehyde
bu·tyr·al·de·hyde 
[bytə ráldə hd] noun

flammable liquid:
a clear colorless flammable liquid used in manufacturing solvents, resins, and
plasticizers. C4H8O[1]



butyrate

butyrate
bu·ty·rate 
[bytə ràyt] (plural bu·ty·rates)
noun

compound
derived from butanoic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of butanoic acid
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from butyric + -ate
.][1]



butyric

butyric
bu·tyr·ic 
[byoo trik] adjective

1.  relating
to butyric acid: relating to or containing butyric acid

2.  relating
to butter:
relating to or containing butter (technical)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin butyrum (see butter ) +
-ic .][1]



butyricacid

butyricacid
bu·tyr·ic
ac·id
noun

See
butanoic acid[1]



butyrin

butyrin
bu·ty·rin 
[bytərin] noun

liquid
oil:
a colorless liquid or oil found in butter and formed from butanoic acid and
glycerol. It can exist with any one of three molecular structures ( isomers ).
[Early 19th century. From butyric + glycerin
.][1]



butyrophenone

butyrophenone
bu·ty·ro·phe·none 
[byoo tìrrō fə nṓn, bytərō
fə nṓn] (plural bu·ty·ro·phe·nones) noun

antipsychotic
drug:
a drug belonging a class of drugs similar to the phenothiazines, used to treat
severe psychiatric disorders
[Early 20th century. From butyric + pheno-
.][1]



buxom

buxom
bux·om 
[búksəm] adjective

1.  full-figured:
used to describe a woman with a full figure (dated)

2.  plump
and healthy-looking: used to describe a woman who
is plump, attractive, and healthy-looking (archaic)
[Assumed
Old English (ge)būhsum, literally “pliable” (hence “compliant,”
“lively,” “comely,” “large-breasted”), from (ge)būgan “to bend” (source
of English bow )]
—bux·om·ly,
adverb

—bux·om·ness, noun[1]



buy

buy
buy 
[bī] verb (past bought
[bawt], past participle bought,
present participle buy·ing, 3rd person present singular buys)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb acquire
something by payment: to pay money for something
in order to obtain it • They bought
me a bike for my birthday • People
just aren’t buying at the moment.

2.  transitive
verb
use
money to obtain something intangible: to
obtain something intangible with money • Money
won’t buy you happiness.

3.  transitive
verb
believe
something:
to accept or believe something proposed as true (informal) • I
don’t buy the part about an international conspiracy.

4.  transitive
verb
bribe
somebody:
to obtain information, help, or loyalty from somebody in exchange for money

5.  transitive
verb
obtain
time:
to obtain more time to reach a desired end by taking strategic action • a
maneuver that should buy us another week

6.  transitive
verb
obtain
something by sacrifice: to obtain something by
sacrificing a thing of equivalent value • buy
peace with land

7.  intransitive
verb
be
buyer for company or individual: to purchase goods on
behalf of a company or another individual • She
buys for Macy’s.
noun
(plural buys)

1.  something
bought:
something that you pay money for, considered relative to its worth • a
good buy

2.  exchange
of money for goods: an exchange of money for
goods or services
[Old
English bycgan “to buy, pay for,” from a prehistoric Germanic base]
—buy·a·ble, adjective[1]



buy-back

buy-back
buy-back
(plural buy-backs) noun

repurchase:
the repurchase by a company or an individual of something, for example, stock
or goods, according to a previously made contractual agreement[1]



buyer

buyer
buy·er 
[br] (plural buy·ers) noun

1.  somebody
buying something: somebody who is in the process of buying
something or who intends to buy something

2.  somebody
who buys goods for company: a person whose job is to
choose and buy goods or merchandise for a company, factory, or store

[1]



buyer’smarket

buyer’smarket
buy·er’s
mar·ket
(plural buy·er’s mar·kets) noun

situation favoring buyer:
a situation in which supply exceeds demand, prices are relatively low, and
buyers therefore have an advantage.
See also
seller’s market[1]



buyin

buyin
buy
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
pay
to take part in something: to pay in order to take part
in or have a share of something

2.  intransitive
verb
buy
stock in company: to buy stock in a company as the
controlling interest

3.  transitive
verb
withdraw
item from auction: to withdraw an item from
sale at an auction because it has failed to reach its upset price

[1]



buyinto

buyinto
buy
into
transitive verb

1.  accept
something:
to accept or believe in a proposition or idea (informal) • I
don’t buy into that “greed is good” attitude.

2.  pay
to participate in something: to pay money in order to
take part in something • buy into
a timeshare

3.  buy
stock in company: to buy stock in a company

[1]



buyoff

buyoff
buy
off
transitive verb

bribe somebody to ensure
cooperation: to bribe somebody in
order to prevent something happening or ensure cooperation • They
tried to buy off the entire jury.[1]



buyout

buyout
buy
out
transitive verb

1.  pay
somebody to relinquish interest: to pay somebody to
relinquish interest in a property or other enterprise • She
was bought out by her partners.

2.  COMMERCE purchase
entire stock of company: to purchase the entire stock
of or controlling financial interest in a company or business

3.  MILITARY release
somebody from military service: to pay money to
release somebody from military service

[1]



buyout

buyout
buy·out 
[b òwt] (plural buy·outs) noun

1.  buying
entire amount of something: the purchase of an entire
amount or quantity of something

2.  purchase
of controlling interest in company: the
purchase of a controlling interest in a company • a
management buyout

[1]



buyup

buyup
buy
up
transitive verb

1.  buy
all of a commodity: to buy everything, or
everything that is available, of a commodity • They’ve
been buying up property in the area.

2.  buy
something in quantity: to buy something in great
quantity without regard to expense • buying
up modern paintings

[1]



buzz

buzz

buzz 
[buz] noun (plural buzz·es)

1.  steady
humming sound: a steady low humming sound like that of
a bee • the
low buzz of insects flitting over the flowers

2.  hum
of talk:
a low murmur of conversation made by a group of people, especially when they
are excited or interested in something • a
buzz of voices emerging from the living room

3.  sound:
the sound made by a buzzer

4.  feeling
of excitement: a feeling of excitement or satisfaction
often linked with a sense of achievement (informal) • It
gives me a tremendous buzz to hear someone saying the lines that I’ve written.

5.  intoxication:
a feeling of intoxication (slang)

6.  telephone
call:
a telephone call (informal)

7.  latest
gossip:
the latest gossip or information within a particular industry or locale (informal)
• The
buzz at the festival was that he’d pick up an award for best director.

8.  fad:
a short-lived interest or enthusiasm (informal)

9.  publicity,
or interest generated by publicity (informal)
verb (past
buzzed, past participle buzzed, present participle buzz·ing,
3rd person present singular buzz·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
steady humming sound: to make a steady low humming
sound like that of a bee

2.  intransitive
verb
be
animated by something: to be animated by the talk
or activity of people • The
room was buzzing with excitement.

3.  intransitive
verb
move
speedily:
to move around speedily and busily • buzzing
around in small cars that dodged through traffic

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
buzzer:
to activate a buzzer

5.  transitive
verb
let
somebody into building electronically: to
admit somebody to a building by activating an electronic system that controls a
door • waiting
for them to buzz me in

6.  intransitive
verb
making
electronic humming sound: to make an electronic
humming noise when activated • When
the timer buzzes, turn the oven down.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
excited:
to be filled with anxious or excited thoughts • My
head was buzzing with all the things I’d heard that night.

8.  intransitive
verb
be
ringing:
to be filled with a continuous ringing sound, for example, after being exposed
to loud noise • My ears were buzzing
after the concert.

9.  transitive
verb
telephone
somebody:
to call somebody on the telephone (informal)

10. transitive
verb
fly
low over people or place: to fly an aircraft low over
people or buildings, or across the path of other aircraft (informal)
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



buzzard

buzzard
buz·zard 
[búzzərd] (plural buz·zards or
buz·zard) noun

1.  vulture:
any North American vulture, for example, the turkey vulture

2.  U.K.
See buteo

3.  (plural
buz·zards) bad-tempered person:
a mean, bad-tempered, or unpleasant person (dated)
[14th century. From Old
French busard, of uncertain origin: probably formed from Latin buteo(n-)
“(kind of) falcon or hawk,” of unknown origin.][1]



buzzbomb

buzzbomb
buzz
bomb
(plural buzz bombs) noun

See
robot bomb[1]



buzzcut

buzzcut
buzz
cut
(plural buzz cuts) noun

very short, razor-cut
hairstyle: a hairstyle in which the
hair is cut very close to the skull with a razor[1]



buzzer

buzzer
buzz·er 
[búzzər] (plural buzz·ers) noun

electronic
buzzing device: an electronic device that makes a
humming or buzzing sound when activated
[Early 17th century. An early
sense of the word is “buzzing insect.”][1]



buzzoff

buzzoff
buzz
off
intransitive verb

go away:
to go away (informal)[1]



buzzsaw

buzzsaw
buzz
saw
(plural buzz saws) noun

See
circular saw[1]



buzzword

buzzword
buzz·word 
[búz wùrd] (plural buzz·words)
noun

fashionable word:
a fashionable word or concept, often associated with a particular group of
people and not understood by outsiders (informal) • the
latest media buzzword[1]



Buñuel,Luis

Buñuel,Luis
Bu·ñu·el
[bnyoo él], Luis (1900–1983)

Spanish movie director. One
of the greatest masters of filmmaking, he incorporated uncompromising social
criticisms in works such as The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
(1972).[1]



b.v.

b.v.
b.v.

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of book value[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Bvitamin

Bvitamin
B
vi·ta·min
(plural B vi·ta·mins) noun

water-soluble vitamin:
a water-soluble vitamin that acts as a coenzyme in biochemical reactions,
including those concerned with the production of energy from foods. The B
vitamins are B1 thiamine, B2 riboflavin, B6 pyridoxine, B12 cobalamine, B5
pantothenic acid, folic acid, and biotin.[1]



BVM

BVM
BVM

Abbreviation
of
Blessed Virgin Mary
[Latin, Beata Virgo Maria][1]



bvt

bvt
bvt

1.  Abbreviation
of
brevet

2.  Abbreviation
of
breveted

[1]



BW

BW
BW

1.  Abbreviation
of
biological warfare

2.  Abbreviation
of
bacteriological warfare

3.  BW
or B/W or b/w Abbreviation of black-and-white

[1]



bwana

bwana
bwa·na 
[bwnə] (plural bwa·nas) noun

term
of address:
used as a respectful term of address for a man in East Africa
[Late 19th century. From
Kiswahili .][1]



B.W.I.

B.W.I.
B.W.I.

Abbreviation of
British West Indies[1]



BWR

BWR
BWR
(plural BWRs)

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of boiling-water reactor[1]



BWV

BWV
BWV

(used before a number to
indicate one of the works by J. S. Bach in the catalog compiled by Wolfgang
Schmieder)Abbreviation of Bach Werke-Verzeichnis[1]



bx.

bx.
bx.

Abbreviation of
box[1]



BX

BX
BX

Abbreviation of
Base Exchange[1]



by

by1
by1 [bī]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word expressing a spatial relationship, indicating that somebody
or something is beside or close to somebody or something else • (preposition)
standing by the window • (adverb)
A large crowd of shoppers stood by watching.

1.
preposition adverb past somebody or
something in space: indicates movement past
somebody or something, sometimes including a brief stop (used following a
verb expressing movement) • He
drove by his apartment building. • The
server came by, pouring us some more coffee.

2.
preposition adverb at that place:
at the place specified or understood, usually for a short visit • We
stopped by Jan’s place. • Drop
by any time.

3.
preposition through:
passing through something • entering
by the back door

4.
preposition before that time:
happening or required at or before the time stated • reservations
required by Sunday

5.
preposition during:
happening during a particular time period • By
day he worked in a canning factory.

6.
preposition in measures of:
at a rate based on a particular measure, such as time, weight, or volume • These
vegetables are sold by weight.

7.
preposition ARITHMETIC indicating
factor or divisor: used in multiplication and
division to indicate any number or quantity being multiplied, or to indicate
the number or quantity that divides another • What
is 144 divided by 12?

8.
preposition MEASUREMENTS indicates
dimensions:
used between the measurements of the dimensions of an object, expressing area
or volume

9.
preposition MEASUREMENTS differing
in the amount of: used to indicate an amount, extent, or
rate at which something increases, decreases, or differs • Tax
rates are to be cut by 0.25 percent.

10.
preposition MEASUREMENTS
used to indicate a direction • north
by northwest

11.
preposition in amounts of particular
size:
in groups or amounts of a particular size • Visitors
arrived by the truckload.

12.
preposition gradually:
used to link two identical words to indicate a progression or sequence • One
by one we told our stories. • You
can see an improvement day by day.

13.
preposition indicates cause:
used to indicate the person or thing causing an action, situation, or reaction
(used following a passive verb) • He
was hit by a ball.

14.
preposition indicates creator, author, or
artist:
used to indicate the person who wrote or created something such as a written
piece or work of art • written
by A.A. Milne

15.
preposition using a method or medium:
used to indicate the particular mode, method, or action through which something
occurs or is done • traveling by ocean
liner
• She
earns a living by playing the harp.

16.
preposition indicating means:
indicating the action used to achieve something (followed by a gerund) • The
key to attracting banks back to inner cities is by attracting business.

17.
preposition through a particular manner:
with, in, or through a particular manner of doing something • used
by permission of the author

18.
preposition according to an unchanging
quality:
in terms of a particular attribute or function • a
teacher by profession and a learner by nature

19.
preposition in compliance with:
in order to comply with something, especially the law • By
law, patients must have access to their records.

20.
preposition at a particular part:
at a particular part of something, such as a hand or corner • held
the dancer by the waist

21.
adverb in the name of something sacred:
used to indicate something considered holy when making a solemn oath or promise
• By
all that is sacred, I ask you to stop.

22.
adverb past in time:
indicates the passage of the stated amount of time (when following a verb
expressing movement) • as
time goes by

23.
adverb away or aside:
in a place for safekeeping for use later • I
spent some of the money and put some by for hard times.
[Old
English bī, from a prehistoric Germanic word (also the ancestor of
English be- ) of uncertain origin:
ultimately probably from an Indo-European word meaning “near”]
by
and by

after
a while (literary)

by
the by

or
by the byeincidentally or by the way[1]



by-

by-
by-
prefix

1.  secondary
• byroad
• byproduct

2.  past
• bygone
[From by][1]



b.y.

b.y.
b.y.

Abbreviation of
billion years[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








by

by2
by2 noun

See
bye 2[1]



by-bidder

by-bidder
by-bid·der 
(plural by-bid·ders) noun

friendly
bidder at auction: somebody who bids at an
auction in order to raise the price for a seller
—by-bidding, noun[1]



Byblos

Byblos
Byb·los
[bíbbləss]

an ancient Phoenician city,
near modern-day Beirut, Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea. It was the principal
city of Phoenicia in the second millennium B.C.,
and an important source of papyrus.[1]



by-blow

by-blow
by-blow 
(plural by-blows) noun

1.  chance
blow:
a blow that hits somebody or something by chance or in passing

2.  illegitimate
child:
an illegitimate child (archaic)

[1]



by-catch

by-catch
by-catch
noun

ANGLING
surplus fish caught unintentionally:
fish that are caught unintentionally in addition to the required species.
See also
rough fish[1]



bye-

bye-
bye-
prefix

See
by-[1]



bye

bye2
bye2 [bī]
interjection

goodbye:
used to say goodbye (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of goodbye .][1]



bye

bye1
bye1 [bī]
(plural byes) noun

SPORTS automatic
advance to next round: the right to proceed to the
next round of a competition without contesting the present round, often through
nonappearance of an opponent
[Mid-16th century. From by
.][1]



bye-bye

bye-bye
bye-bye 
interjection

goodbye:
used to say goodbye (informal)
adverb

out:
out somewhere, for example, for a walk (babytalk) • points
to the buggy when he wants to go bye-bye
noun

bed
or sleep:
bed or sleep (babytalk)
U.K.
term
bye-byes
[Child’s variation of goodbye][1]



bye-byes

bye-byes
bye-byes
noun

U.K.
(babytalk) See bye-bye
[From a refrain used in
lullabies][1]



by-election

by-election
by-e·lec·tion
(plural by-e·lec·tions) or bye-e·lec·tion (plural
bye-e·lec·tions) noun

mid-term election:
an election held between official general or local elections to fill a vacant
seat, for example, to replace a member of parliament or local councilor who has
died or resigned[1]



Byelorussia

Byelorussia
Bye·lo·rus·sia 
[byèllō rúshə] noun

Former
name for
Belarus
—Bye·lo·rus·sian, noun,
adjective[1]



bygone

bygone
by·gone 
[b gòn] adjective

past:
existing or having happened a long time ago • reminders
of a bygone age
noun
(plural by·gones)

something
from long ago: something that happened, existed, or was
manufactured a long time ago (often used in the plural)
let
bygones be bygones

to forgive past offenses or
resentments[1]



bylaw

bylaw
by·law 
[b làw] (plural by·laws) noun

1.  internal
rule:
a law or regulation that governs the internal affairs of a company or other
organization

2.  LAW secondary
law:
a secondary law
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse býlagu “town law” from býr
“town” + lagu “law.”][1]



byline

byline
by·line
[b ln] noun (plural by·lines)

1.  reporter’s
name:
the name of the author of an article in a newspaper or magazine, printed at the
head of the article

2.  SOCCER See goal line
transitive
verb
(past by·lined, past participle by·lined, present
participle by·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular by·lines)

write article:
to write an article that will include a byline
[Early 20th century. Because
the article would be headed with the word by,
followed by the author’s name.][1]



by-name

by-name
by-name 
[b nàym] (plural by-names) noun

1.  nickname:
somebody’s nickname

2.  surname:
somebody’s surname
[Late 16th century][1]



BYOB

BYOB
BYOB

(used on party invitations)Abbreviation
of bring your own bottle[1]



bypass

bypass
by·pass
[b pàss] noun (plural by·pass·es)

1.  TRANSPORT road
around town: a road built around a town or city to
keep through traffic away from the center

2.  MEDICINE operation
to reroute blood: a surgical operation to redirect the
blood, usually via a grafted blood vessel, carried out when the existing blood
vessel has become blocked • a
heart bypass

3.  MEDICINE new
route for blood: a new route for the blood, created by a
bypass operation

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
shunt  noun 3

5.  emergency
channel:
a channel, for example, a pipe carrying gas or water, brought into use when the
main channel is blocked
transitive
verb
(past by·passed, past participle by·passed, present
participle by·pass·ing, 3rd person present singular by·pass·es)

1.  go
around a place: to avoid a place by traveling around it

2.  TRANSPORT build
bypass:
to build a bypass around a place

3.  avoid
something:
to avoid an obstacle, obstruction, or problem by using an alternative route or
method

4.  avoid
standard procedure: to ignore or avoid a
standard procedure for doing something, or ignore somebody who is usually
consulted

[1]



bypath

bypath
by·path
[b pàth] (plural by·paths [b pàths, b pàz])
noun

side path:
a rarely used path, especially in the country[1]



by-play

by-play
by-play 
noun

subsidiary action:
matters of subsidiary importance or interest that take place while the main
action is going on, for example, in a stage play[1]



byproduct

byproduct
by·prod·uct
[b pròddəkt] (plural by·prod·ucts)
noun

1.  incidental
product:
something produced as a secondary result of the manufacture or production of
something else, often something useful or commercially valuable

2.  secondary
result:
something that happens as an incidental result of something else

[1]



Byrd,Richard

Byrd,Richard

Byrd 
[burd], Richard (1888–1957)
U.S.
explorer. He was the first person to fly over the North Pole (1926) and led
five expeditions to Antarctica (1928–1956).
Full name
Byrd, Richard Evelyn[1]



Byrnes,James Francis

Byrnes,James Francis
Byrnes 
[burnz], James Francis (1879–1972)

U.S. statesman. He held
various legal and government positions (1911–1955), including secretary of
state (1945–1947).[1]



byroad

byroad
by·road 
[b rd] (plural by·roads) noun

side road:
a side road carrying a small volume of traffic[1]



Byron,George Gordon Noel

Byron,George Gordon Noel
By·ron 
[brən], George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron
(1788–1824)

British poet. An influential
figure of the romantic movement, his major works include “Childe Harold’s
Pilgrimage” (1812–1818) and the long satirical poem “Don Juan” (1819–1824).
After scandalizing London with his promiscuity, Lord Byron lived abroad,
largely in Italy, and died aiding the Greeks in their revolt against the Turks.[1]



Byronic

Byronic
Byronic
[bī rónnik] adjective

1.  LITERATURE of
Byron:
relating to or characteristic of Lord Byron or his poetry

2.  moody:
used to describe a brooding and solitary man who seems capable of great passion
and suffering

[1]



byssinosis

byssinosis
bys·si·no·sis 
[bìssi nṓssiss] noun

lung
disease:
a respiratory disease caused by prolonged inhalation of dust from textile
fibers, marked by coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and permanent lung
damage.
Also
called
brown lung disease
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin byssinus “of fine linen,” from byssus (see byssus ) + -osis
.][1]



byssus

byssus
bys·sus 
[bíssəss] (plural bys·sus·es or
bys·si [bí s]) noun

1.  mussel’s
means of clinging: a mass of strong silky
threads that mollusks such as mussels use to attach themselves to rocks and
other hard surfaces

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY cloth
for wrapping mummy: a type of fine linen used by
the ancient Egyptians to wrap mummies
[14th century. Via Latin,
“fine linen,” from Greek bussos, of, ultimately, Semitic origin.][1]



bystander

bystander
by·stand·er 
[b stàndər] (plural by·stand·ers)
noun

somebody nearby but not
involved: somebody who observes an
activity but is not involved in it[1]



bystandereffect

bystandereffect
by·stand·er
ef·fect
noun

reluctance to intervene:
the reluctance of members of a crowd to intervene in an incident they are
witnessing[1]



bystreet

bystreet
by·street 
[b strt] (plural by·streets)
noun

side street:
a side street that is not regularly used by people or traffic.
U.K. term
byroad[1]



byte

byte
byte 
[bīt] (plural bytes) noun

1.  unit
of computer information: a set of adjacent bits, now
commonly a group of eight, used in computing to represent a unit of data such
as a number or letter

2.  computer
storage unit: a unit of computer memory equal to that
needed to store a single character
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of bit
“unit of computer information” by association with bite
“morsel,” or an acronym formed from “binary digit eight.”][1]



byway

byway
by·way 
[b wày] (plural by·ways) noun

1.  side
road:
a small side road not regularly used by people or traffic

2.  minor
aspects:
the less important aspects of a particular pursuit or field of knowledge • the
byways of numismatics

[1]



byword

byword
by·word
[b wùrd] (plural by·words) noun

1.  well-known
example:
somebody or something that is well known for a particular quality • The
magazine became a byword for cutting-edge style.

2.  catch
phrase:
a word or phrase that is in common use at a particular time

3.  proverb:
a proverb common to a particular place, group, or time

4.  something
scorned:
an object of notoriety or scorn
[Old English bīwyrde
“proverb,” a translation of Latin proverbium (source of English proverb )][1]



Byzantine

Byzantine

Byz·an·tine 
[bízz’n tn, bízz’n
tn, bi zántin] adjective

1.  HISTORY of
Byzantium:
relating to the ancient city of Byzantium, or its people or culture

2.  HISTORY of
Byzantine Empire: relating to the Byzantine Empire, the
eastern part of the late Roman Empire

3.  ARTS ARCHITECTURE of Byzantine art or
architecture: relating to the colorful style of
religious art or the ornate style of architecture developed under the Byzantine
Empire, which was characterized by great use of marble and mosaic

4.  CHRISTIANITY of
Eastern Orthodox Church: relating to the Eastern
Orthodox Church and its traditions

5.  Byz·an·tine
or byz·an·tine very complex:
extremely complex or intricate

6.  Byz·an·tine
or byz·an·tine devious:
marked by deviousness or scheming
noun (plural
Byz·an·tines)

HISTORY somebody
from Byzantium: somebody who lived in the ancient city
of Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire
[Late 16th century. From
Latin Byzantinus, from Byzantium, from Greek Buzantion .][1]



ByzantineChurch

ByzantineChurch
Byz·an·tine
Church
noun

See
Orthodox Church[1]



ByzantineEmpire

ByzantineEmpire
Byz·an·tine
Em·pire
noun

late Roman Empire:
the eastern part of the late Roman Empire, dating from A.D. 330, when Constantine I rebuilt Byzantium and renamed
it Constantinople, to 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. It was the
center of Orthodox Christianity.[1]



Byzantium

Byzantium
By·zan·ti·um 
[bi zánshee əm, bi
zántee əm] noun

capital of Byzantine Empire:
an ancient Greek city on the site of modern-day Istanbul, conquered by the
Romans in A.D. 196, and rebuilt in
A.D. 330 by Constantine I, who
renamed it Constantinople. As the capital of the Byzantine Empire (until 1453),
it was the largest city in the Christian world.[1]



bâtonde commandement

bâtonde commandement
bâ·ton
de com·man·de·ment [ba
tàwn də kə mnd mn] (plural bâ·tons de com·man·de·ment [ba tàwn də kə mnd mn]) noun

antler
fragment:
an antler fragment from prehistoric times, often marked with carving and
thought to have been used as a tool
[From French, literally
“baton of command,” which was originally thought to be its purpose][1]



béarnaisesauce

béarnaisesauce
bé·ar·naise
sauce 
[bàir nayz sáwss, bày
aar nayz sáwss] (plural bé·ar·naise sauc·es) noun

egg-based
sauce for meat: a savory sauce served with steak,
chicken, or fish, made from egg yolks, butter, shallots, tarragon, and
sometimes other herbs, and vinegar or lemon juice
[Late 19th century. Béarnaise
from French, formed from Béarn, name of a district in southwestern France.][1]



béchamelsauce

béchamelsauce
bé·cha·mel
sauce 
[bàyshə mel sáwss] noun

milk-based
sauce for meat and fish: a sauce made from milk
thickened and made rich with butter and flour, flavored with onion, bay, and
mace, and served hot with meat or fish
[Late 18th century. Named for
its inventor, Louis, Marquis de Béchamel (1630–1703), steward to Louis
XIV of France.][1]



Béjart,Maurice

Béjart,Maurice
Bé·jart
[bay r], Maurice (1928– )

French
dancer and choreographer. He founded the Ballet of the 20th Century and was
known for his expressionist fusion of modern dance, ballet, and acrobatics.
Real name
Berger, Maurice Jean de[1]



Béranger,Pierre Jean de

Béranger,Pierre Jean de

Bé·ran·ger 
[bày raaN zháy], Pierre Jean de (1780–1857)
French poet. His witty political poems
were very popular, though they earned him several spells in jail.[1]



bêche-de-mer

bêche-de-mer
bêche-de-mer
[bèsh də máir] (plural bêches-de-mer
[bèsh də máir] or bêche-de-mer)
noun

ZOOLOGY See trepang
[Early 19th century. A
pseudo-French word based on Portuguese bicho do mar (see Beach-la-Mar ).][1]



bêtise

bêtise
bê·tise
[bay tz] (plural bê·tis·es [bay tz]) noun

something
mildly ridiculous: a mildly ridiculous action
or remark (literary)
[Early 19th century. From
French, from bête “foolish,” from Old French beste “beast.”][1]



B’naiB’rith

B’naiB’rith
B’nai
B’rith 
[bə này bríth] noun

Jewish
social service organization: an international Jewish
social service organization founded in New York in 1843
[From Hebrew, “Sons of the
Covenant”][1]



c.

c.
c.

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
capacity

2.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
cape

3.  Abbreviation
of
carton

4.  Abbreviation
of
case

5.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of catcher

6.  MONEY Abbreviation of cent

7.  MONEY Abbreviation of centavo

8.  MONEY Abbreviation of centime

9.  Abbreviation
of
century

10. Abbreviation
of
chapter

11. RELIGION Abbreviation of church

12.
(used before dates) Abbreviation of circa

13. Abbreviation
of
consul

14. Abbreviation
of
copy

15. PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
copyright

16. MILITARY Abbreviation of corps

17. SPORTS Abbreviation of cup

18. MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
gallon

[1]



C.

C.
C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
capacity

2.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
cape

3.  Abbreviation
of
carton

4.  Abbreviation
of
case

5.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of catcher

6.  Abbreviation
of
Catholic

7.  Abbreviation
of
Celtic

8.  MONEY Abbreviation of cent

9.  MONEY Abbreviation of centavo

10. MONEY Abbreviation of centime

11. Abbreviation
of
century

12. Abbreviation
of
chancellor

13. Abbreviation
of
chapter

14. Abbreviation
of
chief

15. RELIGION Abbreviation of church

16. Abbreviation
of
circa

17. Abbreviation
of
city

18. Abbreviation
of
companion

19. Abbreviation
of
congress

20. Abbreviation
of
conservative

21. Abbreviation
of
consul

22. Abbreviation
of
copy

23. PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
copyright

24. MILITARY Abbreviation of corps

25. Abbreviation
of
court

26. SPORTS Abbreviation of cup

[1]



C++

C++
C++ 
[s pluss plúss] noun

COMPUTING
object-oriented programming language:
an object-oriented version of the programming language C, developed in the
1980s[1]



c

c2

c2 

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for speed of
light in a vacuum

2.        Symbol
for concentration[1]



c

c1

c1  [see]
(plural c’s) or C [see]
(plural C’s or Cs) noun

1.  3rd
letter in English alphabet: the third letter and second
consonant of the alphabet in modern English, and in other languages that also
use the Latin alphabet

2.  sound
of “c”:
any speech sound represented by the letter “c”

3.        letter
“c” written: a written
representation of the letter “c”[1]



C

C3
C3 

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
Celsius

2.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
centigrade

3.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of charm

4.  DRUGS (slang) Abbreviation
of cocaine

5.  Abbreviation
of
College

6.  POLITICS Abbreviation of Congress

7.  ELECTRICITY Abbreviation of
coulomb

[1]



c

c3
c3 

1.  Abbreviation
of
canceled

2.  Abbreviation
of
candle

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
carat

4.  Abbreviation
of
concentration

5.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
constant

6.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
cubic

[1]



C

C2
C2 

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for carbon

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Symbol
for capacitance

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY Symbol for cytosine

4.  Symbol
for
heat capacity

[1]



C

C1
C1  (plural Cs or
C’s) noun

1.  EDUCATION 3rd
highest grade: the third highest grade in a series, for
example, an average grade for academic work

2.  MUSIC 1st
note of scale in C: the first note of a scale in
C major

3.  MUSIC something
that produces a C: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note C

4.  MUSIC scale
beginning on C: a scale or key that starts on the note C

5.  MUSIC written
symbol of C: a graphic representation of the tone of
C

6.  COMPUTING programming
language:
a high-level computer programming language

7.  C
or c Roman numeral for 100:
the Roman numeral for 100
the
big C

cancer (informal)[1]



C3I

C3I
C3I
[s three ] noun

command, control,
communications, and intelligence:
command, control, communications, and intelligence, which are the operational
aspects of military science, as opposed to training or logistics[1]



C.A.

C.A.
C.A.

Abbreviation of
Central America


1.  Abbreviation
of
Central American

2.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
chartered accountant

3.  Abbreviation
of
chronological age

[1]



c.a.

c.a.
c.a.

Abbreviation of
chartered accountant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








C/A

C/A
C/A
FINANCE

1.  Abbreviation
of
capital account

2.  Abbreviation
of
credit account

[1]



ca.

ca.
ca.

(used before dates)Abbreviation
of circa[1]



CA

CA
CA

1.  Abbreviation
of
California

2.  Abbreviation
of
chronological age

[1]



Ca

Ca
Ca

Symbol for
calcium[1]



CAA

CAA
CAA
or C.A.A.

Abbreviation of
Civil Aeronautics Administration[1]



CAB

CAB
CAB

Abbreviation of
Civil Aeronautics Board[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cab

cab
cab
[kab] noun (plural cabs)

1.  See
taxi

2.  driver’s
compartment: the part of a large vehicle, for
example, a truck, a locomotive, or a large crane, where the driver or operator
sits.
Also
called
cabin

3.  horse-drawn
vehicle for hire: a lightweight horse-drawn carriage
formerly used for public hire
verb
(past cab·bed, past participle cab·bed, present
participle cab·bing, 3rd person present singular cabs)

1.  intransitive
verb
drive
taxi:
to drive a taxi as a job

2.  intransitive
verb
ride
in taxi:
to go somewhere by taxi

3.  transitive
verb
take
something by taxi: to transport something or
somebody by taxi • cab a package downtown
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of cabriolet .][1]



cabal

cabal
ca·bal 
[kə bál] noun (plural ca·bals)

1.  group
of plotters: a group of conspirators or plotters,
particularly one formed for political purposes

2.  secret
plot:
a secret plot or conspiracy, especially a political one

3.  clique:
an exclusive group of people
intransitive
verb
(past ca·balled, past participle ca·balled, present
participle ca·bal·ling, 3rd person present singular ca·bals)

conspire as group:
to form a group and plot together against somebody or something
[Early 17th century. Via
French cabale from medieval Latin cab(b)ala “secret teaching”
(see cabala ).][1]



cabala

cabala
cab·a·la 
[kábbələ, kə blə]
(plural cab·a·las) or kab·ba·lah [kábbələ, kə blə]
(plural kab·ba·lahs) or cab·ba·la [kábbələ, kə blə]
(plural cab·ba·las) or kab·a·la [kábbələ, kə blə]
(plural kab·a·las) or kab·ba·la [kábbələ, kə blə]
(plural kab·ba·las) noun

1.  mystical
Jewish teachings: a body of mystical Jewish teachings
based on an interpretation of hidden meanings in the Hebrew Scriptures

2.  set
of mystical beliefs: a set of secret or mystical
beliefs
[Early
16th century. Via medieval Latin from, ultimately, rabbinical Hebrew qabbalah
“tradition,” from qibbel “to receive, accept.” The underlying idea is
“something received or handed down.”]
—cab·a·lism
[kábbə lìzzəm], noun

—cab·a·list,
noun

—cab·a·lis·tic
[kàbbə lístik], adjective

—cab·ba·lis·ti·cal·ly
[kàbbə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



cabaletta

cabaletta
ca·bal·et·ta 
[kàbbə léttə, kbə
léttə] (plural ca·bal·et·tas) noun

1.  simple
aria:
a short simple aria of 19th-century Italian opera, usually found in conjunction
with a preceding cavatina

2.  last
section of aria: the final section of an aria or duet,
which typically has a lively rhythm
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “little stanza,” ultimately from Latin copula “link”
(see copula ).][1]



cabalistic

cabalistic
cab·a·lis·tic 
[kàbbə lístik] or cab·ba·lis·tic
[kàbbə lístik] or ka·ba·lis·tic
[kàbbə lístik] or kab·ba·lis·tic
[kàbbə lístik] adjective

1.  of
the cabala:
relating to the teachings of the cabala

2.  mysterious:
mysterious or esoteric • the cabalistic
teachings of the alchemists
—cab·a·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



caballero

caballero
cab·al·le·ro 
[kàbbə láirō, kbb’l
yáirō] (plural cab·al·le·ros) noun

1.  Spanish
knight or gentleman: a Spanish knight, cavalier,
or gentleman

2.  Southwestern
U.S.
horseman:
a horseman, especially of Spanish-speaking regions
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from late Latin caballarius, from Latin caballus “horse”
(source of English cavalier and chivalry ).][1]



cabana

cabana
ca·ban·a 
[kə bánnə, kə
bánnyə] (plural ca·ban·as) noun

changing
room:
a shelter in which swimmers or sunbathers can change their clothes, on a beach
or by a swimming pool
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish from late Latin capanna (see cabin
).][1]



cabaret

cabaret
cab·a·ret 
[kàbbə ráy] (plural cab·a·rets)
noun

1.  floor
show:
a floor show consisting of singing, dancing, and comic acts performed in a
restaurant, club, or bar

2.  restaurant
or bar with cabaret: a restaurant, club, or bar
offering a cabaret
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Old French dialect camberet “little room,” ultimately
from Latin camera “room” (see camera
).][1]



cabbage

cabbage
cab·bage 
[kábbij] (plural cab·bag·es) noun

1.  leafy
vegetable:
a plant with a short stem and a roundish head of closely layered green, white,
or red leaves that is eaten as a vegetable. Latin name: Brassica oleracea
capitata

2.  leaves
of cabbage as food: the leaves or head of a
cabbage prepared as food, either raw or cooked

3.  plant
related to cabbage: a plant related to cabbage
proper, for example, Chinese cabbage

4.  edible
palm bud:
the bud of a number of species of palm, eaten as a vegetable

5.  paper
money:
money, especially in the form of banknotes (dated slang)
[15th
century. From Old French caboche (source of Boche
), a variant of caboce “head,” perhaps ultimately from Latin caput
(see capital ).]
—cab·bag·y, adjective[1]



cabbagebutterfly

cabbagebutterfly
cab·bage
but·ter·fly
noun

butterfly with destructive
larvae: any light-colored butterfly
whose larvae ( cabbageworms ) feed on the leaves of cabbages and related
plants. Family: Pieridae
U.K. term
cabbage white[1]



cabbagelettuce

cabbagelettuce
cab·bage
let·tuce
(plural cab·bage let·tuces) noun

lettuce with rounded head:
a variety of lettuce that has a rounded head like a cabbage[1]



cabbagepalm

cabbagepalm
cab·bage
palm
noun

1.  palm
with edible buds: a palm tree whose leaf buds resemble
cabbages and are eaten as a vegetable. Latin name: Roystonea oleracea

2.  plant
resembling cabbage: any palm or similar plant
resembling a cabbage

[1]



cabbagepalmetto

cabbagepalmetto
cab·bage
pal·met·to
noun

palm with fan-shaped leaves:
a tropical palm tree native to the southeastern United States and the Bahamas,
with edible leaf buds and fan-shaped leaves that are used in Christian
celebrations on Palm Sunday. Latin name: Sabal palmetto[1]



cabbagerose

cabbagerose
cab·bage
rose
noun

rose with double-petaled
flowers: a shrub rose of hybrid
origin that is grown in gardens for its fragrant double flowers. Latin name: Rosa
centifolia[1]



cabbagesalad

cabbagesalad
cab·bage
salad
noun

coleslaw:
a salad of shredded raw cabbage and carrots in mayonnaise (regional)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Cabbage salad is essentially a Northern
  term, belonging especially to New York state, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It is
  rare in the Middle, Southern, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific states.

[1]



cabbagewhite

cabbagewhite
cab·bage
white
(plural cab·bage whites) noun

U.K.
See cabbage butterfly[1]



cabbageworm

cabbageworm
cab·bage·worm 
[kábbij wùrm] (plural cab·bage·worms)
noun

larva feeding on cabbages:
a larva that feeds on cabbage and related plants, especially the larva of the
cabbage butterfly[1]



cabbala

cabbala
cab·ba·la 
noun

See
cabala[1]



cabby

cabby
cab·by
[kábbee] (plural cab·bies) or
cab·bie [kábbee] (plural cab·bies)
noun

taxi driver:
a taxi driver (informal)[1]



cabdriver

cabdriver
cab·driv·er
[káb drvər] (plural cab·driv·ers)
noun

taxi driver:
a taxi driver[1]



Cabell,James Branch

Cabell,James Branch
Cab·ell 
[kább’l], James Branch (1879–1958)

U.S. writer and essayist.
Known for his satirical and controversial novel Jurgen, or Comedy of Justice
( 1919 ), which was temporarily suppressed as immoral, he became popular in the
1920s.[1]



caber

caber
ca·ber 
[káybər] (plural ca·bers) noun

thick
pole:
a long thick wooden pole used in Scottish Highland Games in an event known as
“tossing the caber,” in which contestants have to throw a caber end over end
[Early 16th century. From
Gaelic cabar “pole.”][1]



cabernetsauvignon

cabernetsauvignon
cab·er·net
sau·vig·non 
[kàbbər náy sōveen yṓn] noun

1.  black
grape used for red wine: a variety of black grape
that is used to make red wine

2.  WINE dry
red wine:
dry red wine made from the cabernet sauvignon grape
[From French][1]



Cabezade Vaca, Álvar Núñez

Cabezade Vaca, Álvar Núñez
Ca·be·za
de Va·ca 
[kə bàyzə də vkə], Álvar Núñez
(1490?–1557?)

Spanish explorer. He led
European expeditions to various regions in the Americas.[1]



cabezon

cabezon
cab·e·zon
[kábbə zn, kàbbə
zṓn] (plural cab·e·zons or cab·e·zon) noun

spiny food fish:
a spiny striped and mottled fish found in northern Pacific waters, popular as a
food fish. Latin name: Scorpaenichthys marmoratus[1]



cabin

cabin
cab·in 
[kábbin] noun (plural cab·ins)

1.  BUILDING wooden
hut:
a small, simple house, especially one made of wood in forest or mountain areas

2.  NAUTICAL small
room on ship: a small room on a boat or ship, where
people live or sleep

3.  NAUTICAL shelter
on small boat: a covered compartment that houses the
wheel on a small boat, used for shelter in bad weather and often as a living
space

4.  AIR airplane
interior:
the part of a passenger airplane where the passengers sit, or the part of a
cargo airplane where the cargo is carried

5.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY crew
quarters on spacecraft: the part of a spacecraft
where the crew work, live, or sleep

6.  NAVY room
on ship:
the commanding officer’s room on a warship
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cab·ined,
past participle cab·ined, present participle cab·in·ing,
3rd person present singular cab·ins)

keep somebody or self confined:
to confine somebody, or live confined, in a small enclosed space (literary)
(usually passive)
[14th
century. Via Old French cabane from, ultimately, late Latin capanna,
cavanna “hut.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Uncle
  Tom’s Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe ( 1852 ). Set in the American
  South, it is the story of a black slave, Uncle Tom, who is sold by his kindly
  owners and eventually dies at the hands of a vicious Yankee master. Such was
  this antislavery abolitionist novel’s influence that it was described as one
  of the causes of the Civil War.

[1]



cabinboy

cabinboy
cab·in
boy
noun

boy employed as ship’s
servant: a boy who acted as a servant
on board a sailing ship, waiting on officers and passengers[1]



cabinclass

cabinclass
cab·in
class
noun

intermediate
class on passenger ships: a class of accommodation on
some passenger ships that is lower than first class and higher than tourist
class
adjective
adverb

in cabin class:
in cabin class on a passenger ship[1]



cabincruiser

cabincruiser
cab·in
cruis·er
noun

luxurious boat:
a large, powerful, and luxurious motorboat with generous living space.
Also called
cruiser[1]



cabinet

cabinet
cab·i·net 
[kábbinət] noun (plural cab·i·nets)

1.  FURNITURE piece
of furniture: an upright piece of furniture usually
made of wood and consisting of drawers, shelves, and compartments for storing
or displaying objects

2.  TV
or radio covering: the outer casing of a
television or hi-fi system, especially the wooden casing of an old-fashioned
model

3.  cab·i·net
or Cab·i·net (plural Cab·i·nets) government
leader’s advisers: a group of senior officials
appointed by a president, prime minister, or other government leader to advise
on policy

4.  private
room:
a small private room (archaic)
adjective

for display in cabinet:
small or decorative enough to be displayed in a cabinet
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “small room” (the original sense in English ), from Old
Picard cabine “room for gambling.”][1]



cabinetmaker

cabinetmaker
cab·i·net·mak·er 
[kábbinət màykər] (plural cab·i·net·mak·ers)
noun

furniture
maker:
a skilled woodworker who specializes in making furniture
—cab·i·net·mak·ing, noun[1]



cabinetry

cabinetry
cab·i·net·ry 
[kábbinətree] or cab·i·net·work
[kábbinət wùrk] noun

handmade wooden articles:
articles, especially fine furniture, made by a skilled woodworker[1]



cabinfever

cabinfever
cab·in
fe·ver
noun

stress from confinement or
isolation: an emotional condition,
marked by irritability, distress, or depression, caused by prolonged isolation
or confined living quarters[1]



cable

cable
ca·ble 
[káyb’l] noun (plural ca·bles)

1.  strong
rope or wire: a strong thick rope or steel wire used
for lifting, pulling, towing, or securing things

2.  ELECTRICITY bundle
of electrical wires: a group of wires for
transmitting electrical signals that are bound together and usually have shared
or common insulation.
See
also
coaxial cable

3.  NAUTICAL mooring
rope or chain: a rope or chain attached to an anchor or
used for mooring a ship

4.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS overseas
telegram:
a telegram, originally sent by underseas cable, now usually by telephone,
radio, or satellite.
Also
called
cablegram

5.  TV See cable television

6.  KNITTING See cable stitch
verb
(past ca·bled, past participle ca·bled, present
participle ca·bling, 3rd person present singular ca·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
telegram:
to send somebody a telegram

2.  transitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS send
something via telegram: to send something, for
example, money or information, to somebody in a distant place by sending a
telegram

3.  transitive
verb
fasten
or fit something with cables: to fasten something with
cables, or fit cables to something

4.  transitive
verb
TV supply
place with cable TV: to connect a building or
area to a cable television network
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French dialect from late Latin capulum “halter,” from
Latin capere “to seize” (see capture
).]
—ca·bler,
noun

—ca·bling, noun[1]



cable-access

cable-access
ca·ble-ac·cess 
adjective

TV
locally produced:
showing programs that are made locally, often of local interest only, as
opposed to commercially produced material • cable-access
television[1]



cablecar

cablecar

ca·ble
car
(plural ca·ble cars) noun

1.  car
suspended from overhead cable: a car suspended from
an overhead cable, used to transport passengers up and down steep hills or
across valleys

2.        cable
railroad car: a car on a cable
railroad[1]



cablecast

cablecast
ca·ble·cast 
[káyb’l kàst] (plural ca·ble·casts)
noun

cable
TV broadcast: a broadcast over a cable television
network
[Late
20th century. Coined from cable + “-cast”
from broadcast .]
—ca·ble·cast·er,
noun

—ca·ble·cast·ing, noun[1]



Cable,George Washington

Cable,George Washington
Ca·ble 
[káyb’l], George Washington (1844–1925)

U.S. writer, known for his
novels and short stories set in New Orleans.[1]



cablegram

cablegram
ca·ble·gram 
[káyb’l gràm] (plural ca·ble·grams)
noun

See
cable[1]



cable-laid

cable-laid
ca·ble-laid 
adjective

consisting of thinner ropes
twisted together: used to describe thick
ropes made of three thinner ropes, each with three strands, twisted together
counterclockwise[1]



cablemodem

cablemodem
ca·ble
mo·dem
noun

fast modem:
a modem that connects a computer with the cable television network for
high-speed data communications[1]



cablerailway

cablerailway
ca·ble
rail·way
noun

hillside railway:
a hillside railway consisting of a track along which cars are pulled by a
moving cable that is operated by a stationary engine[1]



cablerelease

cablerelease
ca·ble
re·lease
noun

camera shutter control:
a cable fitted with a control button and attached to a camera in order to take
photographs without shaking the camera, for example, during long exposures[1]



cable-stayedbridge

cable-stayedbridge
ca·ble-stayed
bridge
noun

suspension bridge:
a suspension bridge with the cables that support the deck connected directly to
the bridge’s piers rather than to suspenders[1]



cablestitch

cablestitch

ca·ble stitch
noun
knitting stitch:
a knitting stitch that produces a pattern resembling twisted rope.
Also called
cable[1]



cablet

cablet
ca·blet 
[káyblət] (plural ca·blets) noun

thick rope:
a cable-laid rope that has a circumference of less than 25 cm10 in[1]



cabletelevision

cabletelevision
ca·ble
tel·e·vi·sion [kàyb’l
télevizh’n] or ca·ble·vi·sion [káyb’l
vìzh’n] or ca·ble TV [káyb’l
vìzh’n] noun

television system:
a television system in which signals are sent to a central antenna and then
transmitted by cable to subscribers.
Also called
cable
Also called
community antenna television[1]



cableway

cableway
ca·ble·way 
[káyb’l wày] (plural ca·ble·ways)
noun

overhead cable system:
any transportation system consisting of an overhead cable used for transporting
suspended cars or containers[1]



cabochon

cabochon
cab·o·chon 
[kábbə shòn] noun (plural cab·o·chons)

1.  round
gem:
a highly polished rounded unfaceted gem

2.  rounded
gem-cutting: the gem-cutting style that results in a
cabochon
adjective
adverb

round: in
the cabochon style
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “little head,” from Old French caboche “head” (source
of English cabbage ); from the size
and shape of such gems.][1]



Caboclo

Caboclo
Ca·bo·clo 
[kə bó kl, kə
bó kl] (plural Ca·bo·clos) or ca·bo·clo [kə bó kl, kə bó kl]
(plural ca·bo·clos) noun

Brazilian
aboriginal:
somebody, especially a Brazilian, who is partially or entirely descended from
the peoples who were the original inhabitants of Brazil
[Early 19th century. Via
Brazilian Portuguese from, perhaps, Tupi Kaa-boc “copper-colored one.”][1]



cabomba

cabomba
ca·bom·ba 
[kə bómbə] (plural ca·bom·bas)
noun

See
fanwort[1]



caboodle

caboodle
ca·boo·dle 
[kə bd’l] noun

lot
of things:
a lot of things, or a group of things or people (informal) • the
whole kit and caboodle
[Late 19th century. Probably
an arbitrary alteration of boodle from Dutch
boedel “goods, property.”][1]



caboose

caboose
ca·boose 
[kə bss] (plural ca·booses) noun

1.  RAIL last
train car:
the last car on a freight train, with eating and sleeping facilities for the
train crew. Most freight trains no longer have a caboose.

2.  Canada
bunkhouse:
a mobile bunkhouse used by lumberjacks

3.  NAUTICAL ship’s
galley:
the galley of a ship (archaic)

4.  U.K.
galley
housing:
the structure on a ship’s deck that houses the galley (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From Dutch
cabuyse, of unknown origin.][1]



cabotage

cabotage
cab·o·tage 
[kábbə tzh] noun

1.  SHIPPING national
shipping:
trade, shipping, or navigation that takes place in coastal waters within the
boundaries of a single country

2.  AIR internal
air traffic: the right of a country to operate
internal traffic, especially air traffic, using its own carriers and not those
of other countries
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from caboter “to coast along,” from Spanish cabo “cape,
headland,” from, ultimately, Latin caput “head” (source of English cape ).][1]



Cabot,George

Cabot,George
Ca·bot
[kábbət], George (1752–1823)

U.S. politician. He was a
U.S. senator (1791–1796) and headed the Hartford Convention (1814).[1]



Cabot,John

Cabot,John
Ca·bot 
[kábbət], John (1450?–1499?)

Italian
explorer. He made the first recorded contact (1497) with North America after
the Vikings.
Born
Giovanni Caboto[1]



Cabot,Sebastian

Cabot,Sebastian
Ca·bot
[kábbət], Sebastian (1476?–1557)

Italian-born British
navigator and cartographer. He made expeditions to North and South America
(1508–1509, 1525–1528) for Spain and England and published a world map (1544).[1]



Cabral,Pedro Álvares

Cabral,Pedro Álvares
Ca·bral 
[kə brl], Pedro Álvares (1460?–1526?)

Portuguese explorer. He was
the first European to visit Bahia, Brazil, and declared it a Portuguese
territory.[1]



cabretta

cabretta
ca·bret·ta 
[kə bréttə] noun

soft
sheepskin:
a type of soft leather obtained from the skins of certain South American and
African sheep and used mainly for making gloves and shoes
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Spanish cabra “female goat” (from Latin capra ) + Italian -etta
“little.”][1]



cabrilla

cabrilla
ca·bril·la 
[kə bryə, kə
bríllə] (plural ca·bril·las or ca·bril·la) noun

sea
bass:
a sea bass that lives in warm coastal waters, especially in the Mediterranean
and off the California coast. Genera: Epinephelus Paralabrax
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “little female goat,” from cabra (see cabretta ).][1]



Cabrillo,Juan Rodríguez

Cabrillo,Juan Rodríguez
Ca·bril·lo 
[kə br lō, kə
br yō], Juan Rodríguez

Portuguese-born Spanish
explorer. He joined forces with Cortés in Mexico from 1520 and explored the
western coast of North America (1542), reaching northern California.[1]



Cabrini,Frances Xavier St.

Cabrini,Frances Xavier St.

Ca·bri·ni 
[kə brnee], Frances Xavier St. (1850–1917)
Italian-born
U.S. social-welfare worker. She was the first Roman Catholic American saint
(1946).
Known as
Saint of the Immigrants Known as Mother Cabrini[1]



cabriole

cabriole
cab·ri·ole 
[kábbree l] (plural cab·ri·oles)
noun

1.  FURNITURE furniture
leg:
a curving furniture leg tapering into a decorative foot that is often carved to
look like an animal’s paw, popular in the early 18th century

2.  BALLET ballet
movement:
a ballet movement in which the dancer leaps into the air with one leg
outstretched sideways and the other beating against it
[Late 18th century. From
French “leap,” from cabrioler, a variant of caprioler “to
caper.”][1]



cabriolet

cabriolet

cab·ri·o·let 
[kàbbree ə láy] (plural cab·ri·o·lets)
noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES convertible
automobile:
a two-door convertible automobile • She
brought a new red cabriolet last week.

2.  TRANSPORT two-seater
carriage:
a two-wheeled, two-seater, horse-drawn carriage with a folding roof
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from cabrioler (see cabriole
), because of the bouncing motion of a horse-drawn vehicle.][1]



cabstand

cabstand
cab·stand 
[káb stànd] (plural cab·stands)
noun

See
taxi stand
U.K. term
taxi stand[1]



cac-

cac-
cac-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
caco-[1]



cacao

cacao
ca·ca·o 
[kə ków, kə káy
ō, kə k ō] (plural ca·ca·os
or ca·ca·o) noun

1.  cocoa
tree:
a tropical American evergreen tree with small yellowish flowers and fleshy pods
containing seeds that are the source of cocoa and chocolate. Latin name: Theobroma
cacao
Also
called
chocolate tree

2.  seeds
of cacao tree: the dried fatty seeds of the cacao tree,
from which cocoa, chocolate, and other foods and products are derived

3.  See
cocoa bean

4.  ca·ca·o
or ca·ca·o but·ter See cocoa
butter
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish from Nahuatl cacauatl, from uatl “tree.”][1]



cacaobean

cacaobean
ca·ca·o
bean
(plural ca·ca·o beans) noun

See
cocoa bean[1]



cacciatore

cacciatore
cac·cia·tore 
[kchə táwree] adjective

with
mushrooms and tomatoes: cooked with mushrooms,
tomatoes, and herbs (usually used after a noun) • chicken
cacciatore
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “hunter”; from its original use as a sauce for game.][1]



cachaca

cachaca
ca·cha·ca 
[kə shssə] (plural ca·cha·cas)
noun

Brazilian rum:
a Brazilian rum made from sugar cane[1]



cachalot

cachalot
cach·a·lot 
[káshə lòt, káshə
l] (plural cach·a·lots) noun

See
sperm whale
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Spanish or Portuguese cachalote, perhaps from cachola “big
head.”][1]



cache

cache
cache 
[kash] noun (plural cach·es)

1.  hidden
supply:
a hidden store of things, especially weapons or valuables

2.  secret
place for hiding things: a secret place where a store
of things is kept hidden

3.  COMPUTING memory
for frequently used data: an area of high-speed
computer memory used for the temporary storage of frequently used data to allow
faster access.
Also
called
cache memory
transitive
verb
(past cached, past participle cached, present
participle cach·ing, 3rd person present singular cach·es)

1.  hide
supply of things: to store a hidden supply of things,
especially weapons or valuables, in a secret place

2.  COMPUTING hold
data in cache: to store data in a cache
[Late 18th century. From
French, from cacher (see cachet ).][1]



cachectic

cachectic
ca·chec·tic 
[kə kéktik] adjective

MEDICINE relating
to cachexia: affected by or relating to cachexia
[Early 17th century. Via
French cachectique or Latin cachecticus from Greek kakhektikos
(see cachexia ).][1]



cachememory

cachememory
cache
mem·o·ry
noun

See
cache[1]



cachepot

cachepot
cache·pot 
[kásh pòt, kásh
p] (plural cache·pots) noun

decorative
container for flowerpot: a decorative container for a
flowerpot
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “hide pot.”][1]



cachet

cachet
ca·chet 
[ka sháy] (plural ca·chets) noun

1.  quality
that attracts admiration: a quality of distinction and
style that people admire and approve of

2.  official
mark:
an official seal or stamp on a letter or other document

3.  STAMPS commemorative
postmark:
a commemorative mark stamped on mail to mark a particular event

4.  STAMPS collector’s
mark:
a small mark made on the back of a postage stamp by a stamp collector

5.  PHARMACOLOGY edible
medicine capsule: an edible hollow case formerly used by
pharmacists to enclose unpleasant-tasting medicine in order to make it more
palatable
[Early 17th century. From
French, “stamp, distinguishing mark,” from Old French cacher “to press”
(see cache ).][1]



cachexia

cachexia
ca·chex·i·a 
[kə kéksee ə] noun

general
weakness:
a condition marked by loss of appetite, weight loss, muscular wasting, and
general mental and physical debilitation, caused by chronic disease
[Mid-16th century. Via French
cachexie or late Latin cachexia from Greek kakhexia, from kakos
“bad” + hexis “habit.”][1]



cachinnate

cachinnate
cach·in·nate 
[kákə nàyt] (past cach·in·nat·ed,
past participle cach·in·nat·ed, present participle cach·in·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular cach·in·nates) intransitive verb

laugh
hard:
to laugh convulsively and loudly (literary)
[Early
19th century. From Latin cacchinat-, past participle stem of cachinnare,
an imitation of the sound.]
—cach·in·na·tion,
noun

—cach·in·na·tor, noun[1]



cachou

cachou
ca·chou 
[ka sh, ká sh]
(plural ca·chous) noun

1.  breath
lozenge:
a perfumed pastille or lozenge taken to sweeten the breath

2.  See
catechu
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Malayalam kaccu .][1]



cachucha

cachucha
ca·chu·cha 
[kə chchə] (plural ca·chu·chas)
noun

1.  DANCE castanet
dance:
a lively Andalusian dance for a solo dancer with castanets

2.  MUSIC music
for cachucha: a piece of music that accompanies the
cachucha, in 3/4 time
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



cacique

cacique
ca·cique 
[kə sk] (plural ca·ciques) noun

1.  HISTORY Native
American chief: a Native American chief in Latin America
during colonial times

2.  POLITICS political
leader:
a local political boss, especially in Latin America or Spain

3.  BIRDS tropical
American songbird: a boldly colored tropical
blackbird of Central and South America that feeds on fruit and insects. It is
gregarious and nests, roosts, and feeds in colonies. Genus: Cacicus
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish or French from Taino .][1]



cack-handed

cack-handed
cack-hand·ed 
[kak hándəd] adjective U.K.

1.  clumsy:
clumsy (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term for naturally left-handed (offensive)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse keikr “bent
backwards.”]
—cack-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



cackle

cackle
cack·le 
[kák’l] verb (past cack·led,
past participle cack·led, present participle cack·ling,
3rd person present singular cack·les)

1.  intransitive
verb
laugh
harshly and shrilly: to laugh a harsh
high-pitched malicious laugh, often suggesting pleasure at others’ misfortune
or glee in your own good fortune

2.  transitive
verb
say
something with harsh shrill laugh: to say something with
a malicious high-pitched laugh

3.  intransitive
verb
make
squawking noise: to squawk shrilly, especially after
laying an egg (refers to hens)
noun
(plural cack·les)

malicious laugh:
a high-pitched malicious laugh or tone of voice
[12th
century. From Middle Low German or Middle Dutch kākel(e)n, of imitative
origin.]
—cack·ler, noun[1]



caco-

caco-
caco-
prefix

bad
• cacology
[From Greek kakos
(source of English cacophony )][1]



cacodemon

cacodemon
cac·o·de·mon 
[kàkə dmən] (plural cac·o·de·mons)
or cac·o·dae·mon [kàkə dmən]
(plural cac·o·dae·mons) noun

evil
spirit:
an evil spirit (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
Greek kakodaimōn .][1]



cacodyl

cacodyl
cac·o·dyl 
[kákə dìl] noun

poisonous
oily liquid: a poisonous oily flammable liquid that
contains arsenic and has an unpleasant garlicky smell. C4H12As2
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek kakodes, literally “bad smelling” + -yl .]
—cac·o·dyl·ic [kàkə díllik], adjective[1]



cacography

cacography
ca·cog·ra·phy 
[kə kóggrəfee] noun (formal)

1.  bad
handwriting: poor handwriting

2.  misspelling:
incorrect spelling
—ca·co·graph·ic
[kàkə gráffik], adjective

—ca·co·graph·i·cal [kàkə gráffik’l], adjective[1]



cacomistle

cacomistle
cac·o·mis·tle 
[kákə mìss’l] (plural cac·o·mis·tles)
or cac·o·mix·le [kákə mìks’l]
(plural cac·o·mix·les) noun

mammal
resembling cat: a carnivorous mammal resembling the cat,
found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with brown fur and a long
black-banded tail. It is related to but smaller than the raccoon. Latin name: Bassariscus
astutus
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish cacomixtle from Nahuatl tlacomiztli, literally
“half mountain lion.”][1]



caconym

caconym
cac·o·nym 
[kákənim] (plural cac·o·nyms) noun

incorrect
name:
the wrong name for something, especially in the classification of plants and
animals (formal)
[Late
19th century. Coined from caco- “bad” + -onym “name.”]
—ca·con·y·my [kə kónnəmee], noun[1]



cacophonous

cacophonous
ca·coph·o·nous 
[kə kóffənəss] adjective

unpleasant-sounding:
sounding loud, jarring, and unpleasant
[Late
18th century. Formed from Greek kakophōnos “bad-sounding.”]
—ca·coph·o·nous·ly, adverb[1]



cacophony

cacophony
ca·coph·o·ny 
[kə kóffənee] (plural ca·coph·o·nies)
noun

1.  unpleasant
noise:
an unpleasant combination of loud, often jarring, sounds

2.  use
of jarring sounds: the use of harsh unpleasant
sounds in language, for example, for literary effect
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Greek kakophōnia, from kakophōnos (see cacophonous ).][1]



cactus

cactus

cac·tus 
[káktəss] (plural cac·ti [kák t] or cac·tus·es or cac·tus)
noun
spiky
desert plant: a plant belonging to a large family of
spiny leafless plants with fleshy stems and branches, found in dry desert
regions of the Americas. Many varieties produce brightly colored flowers.
Family: Cactaceae
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin,
“cardoon,” from Greek kaktos, of unknown origin.][1]



cacuminal

cacuminal
ca·cu·mi·nal 
[kə kymən’l] noun (plural cacumi·nals)
adjective

See
retroflex
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin cacuminare “to make pointed,” from cacumen “point,
summit.”][1]



CAD

CAD
CAD
[kad]

Abbreviation of
computer-aided design[1]



cad

cad
cad 
[kad] (plural cads) noun

ungentlemanly
man:
a man who does not behave as a gentleman should, especially toward a woman (dated)
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening of caddie “errand-boy.”
The meaning apparently evolved from the word’s use at Oxford University for
“townsperson,” via “a man of inferior social and moral stature.”]
—cad·dish,
adjective

—cad·dish·ly,
adverb

—cad·dish·ness, noun[1]



cadastre

cadastre
ca·das·tre 
[kə dástər] (plural ca·das·tres)
or ca·das·ter [kə dástər] (plural
ca·das·ters) noun

land
tax register: an official register containing
information on the value, extent, and ownership of land for the purposes of
taxation
[Late
18th century. Via French from, ultimately, Italian catastico, from Greek
katastikhon “list,” from kata stikhan “line by line.”]
—ca·das·tral [kə dástrəl], adjective[1]



cadaver

cadaver
ca·dav·er 
[kə dávvər] (plural ca·dav·ers)
noun

corpse:
a dead body, especially one that is to be dissected
[14th
century. From Latin, from cadere “to fall, die” (source of English cadence and accident
).]
—ca·dav·er·ic, adjective[1]



cadaverine

cadaverine
ca·dav·er·ine 
[kə dávvə rn] noun

by-product of decaying flesh:
a thick toxic colorless liquid with an extremely unpleasant smell, produced
when flesh rots[1]



cadaverous

cadaverous
ca·dav·er·ous 
[kə dávvərəss] adjective

1.  of
corpses:
suggesting death or corpses (formal or literary)

2.  pale:
deathly pale (literary)

3.  extremely
thin:
thin to the point of resembling a skeleton or corpse
—ca·dav·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—ca·dav·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



CAD/CAM

CAD/CAM
CAD/CAM
[kád kàm]

Abbreviation of
computer-aided design and manufacturing[1]



caddice

caddice
cad·dice 
noun

TEXTILES
See caddis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








caddicefly

caddicefly
cad·dice
fly
noun

See
caddis fly[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








caddiceworm

caddiceworm
cad·dice
worm
noun

See
caddis worm[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








caddie

caddie
cad·die 
[káddee] or cad·dy [káddee] noun (plural cad·dies)
(plural cad·dies)

golfer’s
assistant:
somebody who carries a golfer’s bag of clubs and assists in other ways, for
example, in judging distances and choosing clubs
intransitive
verb
(past cad·died, past participle cad·died, present
participle cad·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular cad·dies)

be
golfer’s caddie: to act as a caddie for a golfer
[Late 18th century.
Originally a Scots form of cadet . The main
modern meaning “golfer’s porter” evolved from “young member of the gentry who
joins the army” via “messenger boy.”][1]



caddis

caddis
cad·dis 
[káddiss] or cad·dice [káddiss] noun

coarse
fabric:
a type of coarse woolen fabric, braid, or yarn
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from Provençal, of unknown origin.][1]



caddisfly

caddisfly
cad·dis
fly
(plural cad·dis flies) or cad·dice fly (plural
cad·dice flies) noun

winged
insect:
an insect with four membranous wings, multijointed antennae, and larvae ( caddis worms ) that live in water. Order:
Trichoptera
Also
called
trichopteran
[Caddis perhaps after caddis “fabric,” because the larva makes a
protective case from coarse silken material][1]



caddisworm

caddisworm
cad·dis
worm
(plural cad·dis worms) or cad·dice worm (plural
cad·dice worms) noun

caddis
fly larva:
a larva of a caddis fly. It lives in water inside a protective silken case that
is covered with sand and debris.
Also
called
caseworm
Also
called
strawworm
[See caddis fly][1]



Caddo

Caddo
Cad·do 
[káddō] (plural Cad·do or
Cad·dos) noun

member
of Native American confederacy: a member of a
confederacy of Native Americans in central Oklahoma who formerly lived in the
Red River area of Arkansas, Louisiana, and East Texas
[Via
American French from Caddo kaduhdā·čuʔ]
—Cad·do, adjective[1]



caddy

caddy2
cad·dy2 [káddee]
(plural cad·dies) noun

box
for tea:
a small box or tin used for storing something, especially tea
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of catty, from Malay kati, a standard measure for tea set by
the East India Company.][1]



caddy

caddy1
cad·dy1 noun intransitive
verb

See
caddie[1]



-cade

-cade
-cade
suffix

procession
• motorcade
[From cavalcade][1]



cadelle

cadelle
ca·delle 
[kə dél] (plural ca·delles) noun

beetle
feeding on stored foods: a small black beetle that
feeds on grain and other stored foods, found throughout the world. Latin name: Tenebroides
mauritanicus
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin cadellus “little dog.”][1]



cadence

cadence
ca·dence 
[káyd’ns] (plural ca·denc·es) noun

1.  rhythm:
the beat or measure of something that follows a set rhythm, for example, a
dance or a march

2.  falling
tone:
a drop in the pitch of the voice, for example, at the end of a sentence

3.  intonation:
the way in which the voice rises and falls in pitch when somebody is speaking

4.  rhythm
in language: the way in which poetry or prose flows
according to a rhythm

5.  MUSIC musical
sequence:
a short sequence of notes that marks the end of a piece or passage of music. In
tonal music, a cadence brings about a harmonic resolution.
Also
called
close
[14th
century. Via Old French, “rhythm” from Italian cadenza, literally
“falling away.” Ultimately from Latin cadent-, the present participle
stem of cadere “to fall” accident,
cadaver, and case ).]
—ca·denced,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word cadere, from which cadence
  is derived, meaning “to fall,” is also the source of English accident, cadaver,
  case, cheat,
  coincide, decay, deciduous,
  incident, occasion, and Occident.

[1]



cadent

cadent
ca·dent 
[káyd’nt] adjective

rhythmic:
with a noticeable rhythm or cadence (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin cadent- ; “falling,” the present participle stem of cadere
(see cadence ).][1]



cadential

cadential
ca·den·tial 
[kə dénsh’l] adjective

1.  of
rhythm:
relating to rhythm or a rhythmical cadence

2.  MUSIC of
cadenzas:
relating to cadenzas or a musical cadence

[1]



cadenza

cadenza
ca·den·za 
[kə dénzə] (plural ca·den·zas)
noun

virtuoso
musical passage: an elaborate solo passage of virtuoso
singing or playing near the end of a section or piece of music, sometimes
improvised by the soloist
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian (see cadence ).][1]



cadet

cadet
ca·det 
[kə dét] (plural ca·dets) noun

1.  military
trainee:
a young man or woman who is training to become a full member of the armed
forces or the police force, especially a student at a military or naval academy

2.  young
person in uniformed organization: somebody of school age
who attends a military school or is a member of a uniformed organization with a
military theme

3.  younger
son:
a younger son or brother (dated)

4.  pimp:
a pimp (slang)
[Early
17th century. From French, originally Gascon dialect capdet “younger
son” (because noble Gascon families traditionally sent these into the army),
literally “chief,” from, ultimately, Latin caput “head” (see capital ).]
—ca·det·ship, noun[1]



Cadette

Cadette
Ca·dette
[kə dét] (plural Ca·dettes) noun

Girl
Scout:
a member of a division of the Girl Scouts of America for girls between 11 and
14 years
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from cadet .][1]



cadge

cadge
cadge 
[kaj] (past cadged, past
participle cadged, present participle cadg·ing, 3rd
person present singular cadg·es) intransitive and transitive verb

beg
something from somebody: to scrounge or beg something
from somebody (informal)
[Early
17th century. Back-formation from cadger .]
—cadg·er, noun[1]



cadger

cadger
cadg·er
[kájjər] (plural cadg·ers) noun

scrounger:
somebody who habitually takes or borrows things or asks for favors from people
(informal)
[15th century. Origin
unknown. Originally in the sense “itinerant peddler,” the modern meaning
evolved via “beggar, opportunist.”][1]



cadi

cadi
ca·di
[kdee] (plural ca·dis) or
qa·di [kdee] (plural qa·dis)
noun

Islamic
magistrate:
a minor judge in a Muslim community where Islamic law is followed
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic āḍi .][1]



Cadillac

Cadillac
Cad·il·lac
[kádd’l àk]

city in Michigan, southeast
of Traverse City, situated on Lake Cadillac in a forested region. Population:
10,498 (1996)[1]



cadmium

cadmium

cad·mi·um 
[kádmee əm] noun
metallic
chemical element: a soft malleable toxic bluish-white
metallic chemical element found in zinc, copper, and lead ores. The metal is
used in alloys, in electroplating, in nuclear reactors, and in dental amalgams,
and its compounds are used as pigments and in electronics. Symbol Cd
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin cadmia “calamine, zinc ore” (source of English calamine ), from Greek kadm(e)ia gē
“earth of Cadmus” see cadmus, so-called because the substance came originally
from Thebes.][1]



cadmiumsulfide

cadmiumsulfide
cad·mi·um
sul·fide
noun

poisonous salt:
an orange or yellowish-brown poisonous salt used in paints as a pigment, in
medicine, and in electronic parts. CdS[1]



cadmiumyellow

cadmiumyellow
cad·mi·um
yel·low
noun

bright yellow:
an bright yellow pigment that contains cadmium sulfide, or paint prepared with
this pigment[1]



Cadmus

Cadmus
Cad·mus 
[kádməss] noun

mythological founder of
Thebes: in Greek mythology, a prince
who slew a dragon and planted its teeth in the ground, from which armed men
sprouted and fought each other. With the five survivors Cadmus founded Thebes.[1]



cadre

cadre
cad·re 
[káddree, k
drày] (plural cad·res) noun

1.  MILITARY military
unit:
a group of experienced professionals at the core of a military organization who
are able to train new recruits and expand the operations of the unit

2.  POLITICS core
of activists: a core group of political activists or
revolutionaries

3.  core
group:
a controlling or representative group at the center of an organization

4.  small
group of team-spirited people: a tightly knit, highly
trained group of people

5.  member
of cadre:
a member of a cadre
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, “frame” from Italian quadro “framework,” from Latin quadrum
“square.”][1]



caduceus

caduceus

ca·du·ce·us 
[kə dssee əss, kə
dshəss] (plural ca·du·ce·i [kə
dssi ]) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Hermes’
staff:
in classical mythology, a winged staff entwined with two serpents, the symbol
of Hermes or Mercury. It is also associated with the Greek god of healing,
Asclepius.

2.  MEDICINE medical
insignia:
a symbol of the U.S. Army Medical Corps and various other medical organizations
that is modeled on Hermes’ caduceus.
See
also
staff of Aesculapius
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Doric Greek karuk(e)ion, from kērux
“herald.”]
—ca·du·ce·an, adjective[1]



caducity

caducity
ca·du·ci·ty 
[kə dssətee] noun (literary)

1.  infirmity:
frailty or senility

2.  perishableness:
the quality of being perishable or impermanent
[Mid-18th century. From
French caducité, from caduc “transitory,” from Latin caducus
(see caducous ).][1]



caducous

caducous
ca·du·cous 
[kə dkəss] adjective

falling
off in early stages: used to describe a plant or
animal part that drops off or is shed in the early stages of development, as
certain leaves or flower parts do
[Late-18th century. Formed
from Latin caducus “liable to fall”(see caducity
).][1]



CAE

CAE
CAE

Abbreviation of
computer-aided engineering[1]



caecilian

caecilian
cae·cil·ian 
[sə síllyən, sə
síllee ən] (plural cae·cil·ians) noun

burrowing
amphibian:
a limbless tropical amphibian that looks like an earthworm, has small or no
eyes, and burrows in the soil. Order: Gymnophiona
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Caecilia, genus name, from Latin caecilia
“slow-worm.”][1]



caecum

caecum
cae·cum 
[skəm] noun

See
cecum[1]



Caelum

Caelum
Cae·lum 
[sləm] noun

constellation
in southern hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the southern hemisphere near Columba and Eridanus
[From Latin caelum
“chisel,” from its shape][1]



Caen

Caen
Caen 
[kaaN]

capital of Calvados
Department in the Basse-Normandie Region, in northwestern France. It was
largely rebuilt after World War II. Population: 115,624 (1990)[1]



caenogenesis

caenogenesis
cae·no·gen·e·sis
[snō jénnəssiss] noun

embryonic growths lost in
adult form: the development by an
embryo, fetus, or larva of organs or body parts that are later lost in adult
life.
U.K. term
cenogenesis[1]



Caenozoic

Caenozoic
Cae·no·zo·ic
[snō zṓ ik] adjective noun

U.K. =
Cenozoic[1]



caerphilly

caerphilly
caer·phil·ly 
[kaar fíllee] noun

crumbly
cheese:
a pale crumbly cheese made in Wales
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Welsh town of Caerphilly, where it was originally made.][1]



caeruloplasmin

caeruloplasmin
cae·ru·lo·plas·min
noun

See
ceruloplasmin[1]



Caesar

Caesar
Cae·sar
[szər] (plural Cae·sars) noun

1.  title
of Roman emperors: the title given to a Roman
emperor, especially from the reign of Augustus to that of Hadrian

2.  Cae·sar
or cae·sar (plural cae·sars) tyrant:
somebody such as a ruler or leader who acts like a dictator
[Old English casere .
From a prehistoric Germanic word (source also of German Kaiser and
Russian tsar ), ultimately from Latin Caesar, the family name of
Julius Caesar, of Etruscan origin.][1]



Caesarea

Caesarea
Cae·sa·rea 
[szə r ə]

ancient seaport on the coast
of Samaria, and the Roman capital of Palestine, situated approximately 35 km/22
mi south of present-day Haifa, Israel[1]



caesarean

caesarean
cae·sar·e·an 
adjective noun

See
cesarean[1]



Caesar,Gaius Julius

Caesar,Gaius Julius

Cae·sar
[szər], Gaius Julius (100 BC–44 BC)
Roman
general and statesman who emerged from civil war as dictator of Rome and was
assassinated by republican conspirators.
Full name
Gaius Julius Caesar[1]



Caesarism

Caesarism
Cae·sar·ism 
[szə rìzzəm] noun

tyranny:
dictatorial or tyrannical government
—Cae·sar·ist,
noun

—Cae·sar·is·tic [szə rístik], adjective[1]



caesarsalad

caesarsalad
cae·sar
sal·ad
(plural cae·sar sal·ads) noun

mixed
salad:
a salad made with lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and anchovies, with an
egg-based dressing
[Named for Caesar
Gardini, a restaurant proprietor in Tijuana, Mexico, who is said to have
invented it][1]



caesium

caesium
cae·si·um 
noun

See
cesium[1]



caespitose

caespitose
caes·pi·tose 
[sésspi tss] adjective

growing
in tufts:
used to describe a plant that grows in tufts or clumps. U.K. = cespitose
[Late 18th century. Formed
from the Latin stem caespit- “turf.”][1]



caesura

caesura
cae·su·ra 
[si zrə, si
zhrə] (plural cae·su·ras or cae·su·rae [si zree]) or ce·su·ra [si zrə, si zhrə]
(plural ce·su·ras or ce·su·rae) noun

1.  POETRY pause
in line of verse: a pause in a line of poetry, especially
to allow its sense to be made clear or to follow the rhythms of natural speech,
often near the middle of the line.
Also
called
pause
Also
called
rest

2.  POETRY break
in line of verse: in classical poetry, especially Greek, a
break between two words that are part of the same unit of rhythm ( foot ), usually near the middle of the line

3.  MUSIC musical
interruption: a brief interruption in a musical phrase

4.  pause:
a pause or break in speech or conversation (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “cut,” from caedere “to cut” (source of English concise ). The underlying idea is of cutting
the line in two.]
—cae·su·ral,
adjective

—cae·su·ric,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word caedere, meaning “to cut,” from which caesura is derived, is also the source of
  English chisel, concise, excise,
  incise, and scissors.

[1]



C.A.F.

C.A.F.
C.A.F.

Abbreviation of
cost and freight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CAFE

CAFE
CAFE
[ká fày] noun

fuel consumption rate for
cars: a federally mandated average
fuel-consumption rate for the vehicles produced by a manufacturer. Full form
corporate average fuel economy[1]



cafeteria

cafeteria
caf·e·te·ri·a 
[kàffə tree ə] (plural caf·e·te·ri·as)
noun

self-service
restaurant:
a self-service restaurant or coffee shop, especially one in a workplace or
school
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish, formed from café “coffee.”][1]



cafeteriabenefit

cafeteriabenefit
caf·e·te·ri·a
ben·e·fit
noun

type of employee benefit:
an employee benefit, such as health insurance coverage, that is selected from a
range of choices that are designed to meet different needs[1]



cafeteria-style

cafeteria-style
caf·e·te·ri·a-style 
adjective

allowing choice:
allowing people to choose from a variety of different things[1]



cafetière

cafetière
ca·fe·tière
[kàffə tyáir, kàffə
tr] (plural ca·fe·tières) noun

U.K.
See French press pot
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from café (see café
).][1]



cafetorium

cafetorium
caf·e·to·ri·um 
[kàffə táwree əm] (plural caf·e·to·ri·ums
[kàffə táwree ə] or caf·e·to·ria)
noun

hybrid
room:
a large room, usually in school, that doubles as a cafeteria and an auditorium
[Mid-20th century. Blend of cafeteria and auditorium
.][1]



caffeinated

caffeinated
caf·fein·at·ed 
[káffə nàytəd] adjective

with caffeine:
containing caffeine[1]



caffeine

caffeine
caf·feine 
[ka fn, ká fn]
or caf·fein [ka fn, ká fn] noun

stimulant
in coffee and tea: a stimulant found in coffee,
tea, the cola nuts used to make soft drinks, and cocoa. It is widely used in
medicine, for example, in tonic medicines and painkillers.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from café “coffee.”][1]



caffeinism

caffeinism
caf·fein·ism 
[káffi nìzzəm, káffee
ə nìzzəm] noun

excessive caffeine in body:
a condition caused by an excessive amount of caffeine in the body, resulting in
symptoms of high blood pressure, diarrhea, palpitations, accelerated breathing,
and insomnia[1]



caffélatte

caffélatte
caf·fé
lat·te
[k fe l tè, ká
fay l tè] (plural caf·fé lat·tes) noun

See
latte[1]



caftan

caftan
caf·tan 
[káf tàn, káftən,
kaf tán] (plural caf·tans) or
kaf·tan [káf tàn, káftən, kaf tán]
(plural kaf·tans) noun

1.  men’s
tunic:
a full-length tunic or robe for men, usually made of rich fabric, worn chiefly
in eastern Mediterranean countries

2.  western
garment:
a western imitation of the caftan, often brightly colored and worn by men and
women. It was popular in the 1970s and is still associated with hippy culture.
[Late 16th century. Via
Turkish kaftan from Persian kaftān .][1]



café

café
ca·fé
[ka fáy, kə fáy]
(plural ca·fés) noun

informal
restaurant:
a small informal restaurant serving drinks, snacks, and often light meals
[Early 19th century. Via
French, “coffee(-house),” from, ultimately, Turkish kahveh “coffee” or
Arabic qahwah “coffee, wine” (source of English coffee ).][1]



caféau lait

caféau lait
ca·fé
au lait 
[ka fày ō láy] noun (plural ca·fé
au laits [ka fày ō láy] or ca·fés
au lait)

1.  coffee
with milk:
strong coffee with hot milk

2.  COLORS pale
brown color: a pale brown color, like that of milky
coffee
adjective

COLORS of
pale brown color: of a pale brown color, like milky coffee
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “coffee with milk.”][1]



cafélatte

cafélatte
ca·fé
lat·te
[k fe l tè, kà
fay l tè] (plural ca·fé lat·tes) noun

See
latte[1]



cafénoir

cafénoir
ca·fé
noir 
[ka fày nwr] (plural ca·fés noirs
[ka fày nwr]) noun

black
coffee:
coffee without milk or cream
[From French, literally
“black coffee”][1]



cafésociety

cafésociety
ca·fé
so·ci·e·ty
noun

fashionable people:
people such as celebrities and media people who attend fashionable events and
visit fashionable restaurants, clubs, and resorts[1]



cage

cage
cage 
[kayj] noun (plural cag·es)

1.  animal
enclosure:
an enclosure, usually made from bars or wire, in which to keep animals or birds

2.  enclosing
or protecting wire-mesh structure: a wire-mesh structure
used to protect or enclose something

3.  elevator
platform:
the part of an elevator that people stand in, particularly one in an elevator
that goes down a mine shaft

4.  BASEBALL screen
to stop balls: in baseball, a screen behind home plate
that stops thrown or fouled balls

5.  BASKETBALL basket:
the basket in the game of basketball (informal)

6.  HOCKEY hockey
goal:
the goal in ice hockey (informal)

7.  temporary
prison cell: a barred room or strong mesh enclosure
for confining prisoners temporarily, for example, in a police station
transitive
verb
(past caged, past participle caged, present
participle cag·ing, 3rd person present singular cag·es)

1.  put
person or animal in cage: to place or keep a person or
animal in a cage

2.  put
in confining conditions: to confine a person or
animal in conditions resembling those of a cage
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin cavea “enclosure, dungeon” (source
also of English jail ).]
—caged,
adjective
rattle
somebody’s cage

to annoy or upset somebody
deliberately “We kept after him and kept after him and finally rattled his cage
a little bit, he said.” Cincinnati Post 1997[1]



Cage,John

Cage,John
Cage 
[kayj], John (1912–1992)

U.S.
composer. His avant-garde music includes 4’33" ( 1952 ), in which
musicians sit silently with their instruments.
Full name
Cage, John Milton, Jr.[1]



cageling

cageling
cage·ling 
[káyjling] (plural cage·lings)
noun

caged bird:
a bird that is kept as a pet in a cage (archaic or literary)[1]



Cage,Nicholas

Cage,Nicholas
Cage
[kayj], Nicholas (1964– )

U.S. actor. He frequently
plays offbeat movie characters such as his Academy Award-winning role in Leaving
Las Vegas ( 1995 ).[1]



cagey

cagey
ca·gey
[káyjee] (comparative ca·gi·er,
superlative ca·gi·est) or ca·gy [káyjee] (comparative ca·gi·er, superlative
ca·gi·est) adjective

cautious
and secretive: cautious and secretive rather than open,
honest, or direct (informal)
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from cage,
the underlying idea being of keeping your intentions “locked away” in secret.]
—ca·gi·ly,
adverb

—ca·gi·ness, noun[1]



Cagney,James

Cagney,James
Cag·ney 
[kágnee], James (1904–1986)

U.S.
movie actor, known for both comic and tough gangster roles.
Full name
Cagney, James Francis[1]



Caguas

Caguas
Ca·guas 
[k gwss]

city in eastern Puerto Rico,
south of San Juan and southeast of Bayamon. Population: 140,114 (1996)[1]



CahokiaMounds

CahokiaMounds
Ca·ho·kia
Mounds
[kə hkee ə mòwndz]

group of prehistoric Native
American mounds, including the largest prehistoric earthwork in the United
States, situated 13 km/8 mi northeast of East St. Louis, Illinois.[1]



cahow

cahow
ca·how 
[kə hów] (plural ca·hows) noun

burrowing
bird:
a large brown-and-white bird that burrows into the ground. It was formerly
abundant in Bermuda, where it is still found, now near extinction. Latin name: Pterodroma
cahow
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound of its call.][1]



CAI

CAI
CAI

Abbreviation of
computer-aided instruction[1]



Caiaphas

Caiaphas
Cai·a·phas 
[káy əfəss, k əfəss]
(lived AD 18–37)

Jewish high priest. He
presided over the trial of Jesus Christ.[1]



CaicosIslands

CaicosIslands
Cai·cos
Is·lands 
[kkōss lənds]

See
Turks and Caicos Islands[1]



caiman

caiman

cai·man
[káymən] (plural cai·mans or
cai·man) or cay·man [káymən]
(plural cay·mans or cay·man) noun
alligatorlike
reptile:
a tropical American reptile related to the alligator. It looks like a much
smaller, slimmer version of the alligator with a proportionally longer tail.
Genus: Caiman
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish caimán from Carib caymán .][1]



Cain

Cain
Cain 
[kayn] noun

son
of Adam and Eve: in the Bible, the elder son of Adam and
Eve, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4)
raise
Cain

to cause a noisy disturbance[1]



-caine

-caine
-caine
suffix

a
synthetic alkaloid anesthetic • phenacaine
[From cocaine][1]



Caine,Michael

Caine,Michael
Caine
[kayn], Michael (1933– )

British
actor. His films include Zulu ( 1963 ) and Hannah and her Sisters
( 1986 ), for which he won an Academy Award.
Real name
Micklewhite, Maurice Joseph[1]



caird

caird
caird 
[kaird] (plural cairds) noun

Scotland
tinker:
a vagrant or a traveling tinker (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From
Gaelic ceard “metal-worker.”][1]



cairn

cairn

cairn 
[kairn] (plural cairns) noun

1.  pile
of stones used as marker: a pile of stones set on a
hill or mountain to mark a spot for walkers and climbers, or as a memorial to
somebody who died there

2.  See
Cairn terrier
[Mid-16th
century. From Gaelic carn “heap of stones.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English cornet and horn
.]
—cairned, adjective[1]



cairngorm

cairngorm
cairn·gorm 
[káirn gàwrm] or cairn·gorm stone
[káirn gàwrm] noun

a
variety of quartz, usually smoky yellow, gray, or brown in color, found in
Scotland and used in making jewelry.
Also
called
smoky quartz
[Late 18th century. Named for
the Cairngorm Mountains, in northeastern Scotland, where it is found.][1]



Cairnterrier

Cairnterrier
Cairn
ter·ri·er 
[káirn tèrree ər] (plural Cairn
ter·ri·ers) noun

small Scottish terrier:
a small terrier with a shaggy coat of rough hair, originally bred in Scotland.
Also called
cairn[1]



Cairo

Cairo

Cai·ro 
[k r]
capital of Egypt and Africa’s largest
city. It is situated on the Nile River, at the southern end of the Nile delta.
Population: 6,800,000 (1992)[1]



Cairo




Back to definition

Cairo

[1]



caissepopulaire

caissepopulaire
caisse
pop·u·laire
[kèss poppy láir] (plural caisses
pop·u·laires [kèss poppy láir]) noun

Quebec
credit
union in Quebec: in Quebec and other French-speaking
parts of Canada, a financial institution resembling a credit union
[From French][1]



caisson

caisson
cais·son 
[káy sòn, káyss’n]
(plural cais·sons) noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION underwater
work chamber: a bottomless watertight chamber filled
with compressed air, used as a base from which construction work is carried out
underwater

2.  INSURANCE float
to raise ships: a hollow structure attached to a sunken
object, for example, a wrecked ship, then pumped full of air until it acts as a
float, raising the object to the surface

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING INSURANCE water
block:
a floating watertight structure used to keep water from entering a dry dock,
canal lock, or basin

4.  ARMS ammunition
box:
a large container for ammunition

5.  MILITARY horse-drawn
vehicle:
a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, formerly used to carry ammunition but now
often used to carry coffins at state or military funerals

6.  ARCHITECTURE See coffer
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Italian cassone “large box,” from cassa
“box,” from Latin capsa (source of English case
and capsule ).][1]



caissondisease

caissondisease
cais·son
dis·ease
noun

See
decompression sickness[1]



caitiff

caitiff
cai·tiff 
[káytif] noun (plural cai·tiffs)

coward:
a coward (archaic)
adjective

cowardly:
cowardly and despicable (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
caitif “captive, wretched person” from Latin captivus (source of
English captive ) from, ultimately, capere
“to take.”][1]



cajeput

cajeput
ca·je·put 
[kájjə pt] (plural ca·je·puts)
noun

1.  TREES flowering
tree:
a small flowering tree or shrub of the myrtle family, native to the East Indies
and Australia but now also naturalized in Florida. It yields a valuable oil.
Latin name: Melaleuca leucadendron

2.  PHARMACOLOGY medicinal
oil:
a greenish oil obtained from the cajeput tree, with various medicinal uses
[Late 18th century. From
Malay kayuputih, literally “white tree.”][1]



cajole

cajole
ca·jole 
[kə jṓl] (past ca·joled, past
participle ca·joled, present participle ca·jol·ing, 3rd
person present singular ca·joles) intransitive and transitive
verb

persuade
somebody gently: to persuade somebody to do something by
flattery or gentle but persistent argument
[Mid-17th
century. From French cajoler, of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend of
Old French cageoler “to chatter like a jay” and gaioler “to lure
into a cage.”]
—ca·jole·ment,
noun

—ca·jol·er,
noun

—ca·jol·er·y, noun[1]



Cajun

Cajun
Ca·jun 
[káyjən] (plural Ca·juns) noun

1.  PEOPLES Louisianan
of French descent: a native of Louisiana who is
descended from the French colonists exiled from Acadia, Canada, in the 18th
century

2.  LANGUAGE French
dialect:
a dialect of French spoken in Louisiana that developed from the French spoken
by 18th-century settlers who were expelled from Acadia, Canada
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of Acadian “(inhabitant) of Acadia,” a former French
colony in North America.]
—Ca·jun, adjective[1]



cake

cake
cake 
[kayk] noun (plural cakes)

1.  baked
sweet flour-based food: a baked sweet food usually
made from flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients

2.  shaped
portion of savory food: an individual portion of
savory food, shaped into a small round piece and cooked, often by frying or
broiling

3.  block
of something: a solid block of something, for example,
soap, ice, or chocolate

4.  thick
layer:
a thick layer of something that has collected over a period of time

5.  thing
divided up:
something, for example, an amount of money, that is to be shared or divided up
• Everyone
wants a slice of the cake.
verb
(past caked, past participle caked, present
participle cak·ing, 3rd person present singular cakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
crust on something: to form, or cover an object
with, a thick layer of something, especially dirt, grease, or grime • My
boots were caked with mud after I walked through the field.

2.  intransitive
verb
form
into a cake: to form into a solid mass
[12th
century. From Old Norse kaka “flat round loaf.”]
—cak·ey,
adjective
have
your cake and eat it (too)

to
try to enjoy the advantages of two things, each of which tends to make the
other impossible

take
the cake

1.  to
be even worse than all the other bad or annoying things that went before (informal)

2.  to
be outstandingly good or successful (informal)

[1]



cakewalk

cakewalk
cake·walk 
[káyk wàwk] noun (plural cake·walks)

1.  competition
based on walking: an informal contest to music, with a
cake as a prize for executing the most elaborate or amusing walking steps,
popular among African Americans in the United States in the 19th century

2.  something
very easy:
something that is very easy to do or to achieve (informal)

3.  DANCE strutting
dance:
any kind of popular dancing with exaggeratedly elaborate or strutting steps

4.  MUSIC music
for cakewalk: a piece of music suitable for any kind
of elaborate strutting dance
intransitive
verb
(past cake·walked, past participle cake·walked, present
participle cake·walk·ing, 3rd person present singular cake·walks)

DANCE dance
with strutting steps: to dance with exaggeratedly
fancy strutting steps
—cake·walk·er, noun[1]



CAL

CAL1
CAL1

1.  TIME Abbreviation of calendar

2.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
caliber

[1]



Cal.

Cal.
Cal.

Abbreviation of
California[1]



CAL

CAL2
CAL2

Abbreviation of
computer-assisted learning[1]



Calabarbean

Calabarbean
Cal·a·bar
bean 
[kállə baar bn] (plural Cal·a·bar
beans) noun

poisonous
seed:
the dark brown poisonous seed, used as a source of the drug physostigmine, of a
tropical African climbing plant. Latin name: Physostigma venenosum
Also
called
ordeal bean
[Named for Calabar, a
town and province in Nigeria][1]



Calabash

Calabash
Cal·a·bash 
[kállə bàsh] noun

spicy
seafood mix: a way of preparing food in the
southeastern United States that involves deep-frying seafood and piling it up
on serving plates
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from Calabash, name of a town in North Carolina where the style was
developed][1]



calabash

calabash
cal·a·bash 
[kállə bàsh] (plural cal·a·bash·es)
noun

1.  tropical
American evergreen tree: a tropical American
evergreen tree with bell-shaped flowers and large round fruit. Latin name: Crescentia
cujete

2.  See
bottle gourd

3.  fruit
of calabash plant: the large ball-shaped fruit
of the calabash tree, or of the bottle gourd or some other gourd

4.  gourd
used as container: the hollowed-out dried shell
of the calabash fruit or of the bottle gourd or some other gourd, used as a
container
[Mid-17th century. Via French
calabasse from, ultimately, Persian karbuz “melon.”][1]



calaboose

calaboose
cal·a·boose 
[kállə bss] (plural cal·a·booses)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
jail:
a jail (informal)
[Late
18th century. From Louisiana French calabouse, via Spanish calabozo
“dungeon” from assumed Vulgar Latin calafodium, from assumed cala
“protected place” + Latin fodere “to dig.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Calaboose in the sense of a local
  jail is common across the South and West, with a few instances in the
  Northeast.

[1]



calabrese

calabrese
cal·a·bre·se
[kàllə bráyzee] noun

type
of broccoli: a variety of green broccoli
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, “of Calabria,” where it was developed.][1]



Calabria

Calabria
Ca·la·bri·a 
[kə láybree ə, kə
lbree ə]

region in southern Italy
forming the “toe” of the Italian peninsula. It includes the provinces of
Cataranzo, Cosenza, and Reggio di Calabria. Capital: Catanzaro. Population:
2,076,128 (1995) Area: 15,080 sq km/5,822 sq mi.[1]



caladium

caladium
ca·la·di·um 
[kə láydee əm] (plural ca·la·di·ums)
noun

plant
with colored leaves: tropical American plant with
white, green, red, or pink variegated leaves, widely grown as a potted plant.
Genus: Caladium
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Malay keladi .][1]



Calais

Calais
Ca·lais 
[ká lày, ka láy]

seaport on the English
Channel in the Pas-de-Calais Department, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, in
northwestern France. The Calais-Dover route is the shortest crossing between
France and the United Kingdom. Population: 101,768 (1990)[1]



calalu

calalu
ca·la·lu
[kállə l] or ca·la·loo [kállə l] noun

Caribbean
Caribbean
greens:
the leaves of various plants when used as salad, in soups, or cooked as greens
[Mid-18th century. From
American Spanish calalú, perhaps from, ultimately, an African source.][1]



calamanco

calamanco
cal·a·man·co 
[kàllə mángkō] (plural cala·man·cos)
noun

woolen
fabric:
a glossy woolen fabric with a checked pattern on one side
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



calamander

calamander
cal·a·man·der 
[kállə màndər] noun

hard
wood used for furniture: the hard black-and-brown
striped wood of a number of Asian trees, used for making furniture.
Also
called
coromandel
[Early 19th century. From
Sinhalese kalumādirriya, perhaps from kalu “black” + English coromandel
“ebony.”][1]



calamari

calamari
ca·la·ma·ri 
[klə mree, kàllə
mree] plural noun

squid:
squid served as food, especially in Mediterranean cuisine
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, plural of calamaro “squid,” via medieval Latin calamarium
“pen-case” (so called from the shape of the squid’s internal shell) from Latin calamus
“reed pen” (see calamus ).][1]



calami

calami
cal·a·mi


Plural of
calamus[1]



calamine

calamine
cal·a·mine 
[kállə mn, kálləmin]
noun

1.  soothing
pink powder: a pink powder made from zinc oxide and
ferric oxide, used medicinally in lotions and creams to soothe irritated skin

2.  See
smithsonite
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French from medieval Latin calamina, an alteration of Latin cadmia
“zinc ore” (see cadmium ).][1]



calamint

calamint
cal·a·mint 
[kállə mìnt] (plural cal·a·mints
or cal·a·mint) noun

flowering
mint:
a mint plant grown for its drooping white, pink, or purple flowers. Genera: Satureja
Calamintha
[14th century. Via Old French
calament (perhaps influenced by English mint ) from, ultimately,
Greek kalaminthē .][1]



calamite

calamite
cal·a·mite 
[kállə mt] (plural cal·a·mites)
noun

prehistoric
plant like a tree: a prehistoric plant that
grew in the Paleozoic era, related to the horsetail. Genus: Calamites
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin calamites, genus name, from Latin calamus (see calamus ).][1]



calamitous

calamitous
ca·lam·i·tous 
[kə lámmitəss] adjective

extremely
unfortunate: causing great trouble, tragedy, or
disaster
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French calamiteux from Latin calamitosus,
from calamitas (see calamity ).]
—ca·lam·i·tous·ly, adverb[1]



calamity

calamity
ca·lam·i·ty 
[kə lámmitee] (plural ca·lam·i·ties)
noun

1.  disaster:
a disastrous situation or event (often used ironically)

2.  distress:
misery or distress resulting from a disastrous event (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
calamité from Latin calamitas “disaster, defeat.” Originally used
in English with the meaning “adversity.”][1]



CalamityJane

CalamityJane
Ca·lam·i·ty
Jane 
[kə làmmiti jáyn] (1852?–1903)

U.S.
frontierswoman. She worked as a scout in the American West.
Real name
Canary, Martha Jane[1]



calamondin

calamondin
cal·a·mon·din 
[kàllə móndin] (plural cal·a·mon·dins)
noun

1.  small
citrus tree of Philippines: a hybrid citrus tree native
to the Philippines. Latin name: Citrofortunella mitis

2.  fruit
of calamondin: the small tart orange-yellow fruit of a
calamondin tree
[Early 20th century. From
Tagalog kalamundíng .][1]



calamus

calamus
cal·a·mus 
[kálləməss] (plural cal·a·mi [kállə m]) noun

1.  Asian
palm:
a tropical Asian palm tree, some species of which are used for rattan. Genus: Calamus

2.  See
sweet flag

3.  root
of sweet flag: the aromatic root of the sweet flag
plant, the source of an aromatic oil used in perfumery

4.  feather
shaft:
the hollow shaft of a feather
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kalamos “reed, pen.”][1]



calando

calando
ca·lan·do 
[kə lndō] adverb adjective

decreasing
in volume and tempo: played with gradually
decreasing volume and slowing tempo (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “slackening.”][1]



calandria

calandria
ca·lan·dri·a
[kə lándree ə] (plural ca·lan·dri·as)
noun

nuclear
core:
the cylindrical core of a nuclear reactor with vertical holes
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, formed from Greek kylindros “cylinder” (source of English cylinder ).][1]



calathea

calathea
cal·a·the·a 
[kàllə th ə] (plural cal·a·the·as)
noun

tropical
American plant: a tropical South American evergreen
plant with showy variegated leaves, widely grown as a greenhouse and potted
plant. Genus: Calathea
[From modern Latin, formed
from Greek kalathos (see calathus )][1]



calathus

calathus
cal·a·thus 
[kálləthəss] (plural cal·a·thi
[kállə th]) noun

fruit
basket as symbol in art: a vase-shaped basket full of
fruit that often appears in ancient Greek and Egyptian art as a symbol of
fruitfulness
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from Greek kalathos “basket.”][1]



calaverite

calaverite
cal·a·ver·ite
[kàllə vé rt] noun

silvery
white mineral: a silvery white or yellowish mineral
that is an ore of gold
[Mid-19th century. Named for Calaveras
County, California, where it was found.][1]



calc.

calc.
calc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
calculation

2.  Abbreviation
of
calculus

[1]



calc-

calc-
calc-
prefix

See
calci-[1]



calcaneus

calcaneus
cal·ca·ne·us 
[kal káynee əss] (plural cal·ca·ne·i
[kal káyni ]) noun

heel
bone:
the heel bone (technical)
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin, “heel,” from the Latin stem calc- “heel”
(source of English caulk ).]
—cal·ca·ne·al, adjective[1]



calcar

calcar1
cal·car1 [kál
kr] (plural cal·car·i·a [kal
káiree ə]) noun

natural
spur:
a spur on a plant or animal part, for example, on a bird’s leg or at the base
of a petal
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “spur,” from the stem calc- “heel.”][1]



calcar

calcar2
cal·car2 [kál
kr] (plural cal·cars) noun

glass
furnace:
a furnace formerly used in glassmaking for burning materials to make frit, the
viscous substance from which glass is subsequently made
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian calcara .][1]



calcareous

calcareous
cal·car·e·ous 
[kal káiree əss] adjective

1.  of
calcium carbonate: containing or characteristic
of calcium carbonate

2.  BOTANY growing
in limestone conditions: growing on limestone or in
earth containing limestone • calcareous
algae
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin calcarius “of lime,” from the stem calc-
“lime” (source of English chalk ).]
—cal·car·e·ous·ly, adverb[1]



calcaria

calcaria
cal·car·i·a


Plural of
calcar[1]



calcariferous

calcariferous
cal·car·if·er·ous
[kàlkə ríffərəss] adjective

having
spur:
used to describe a plant or animal part that has a spur on it
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin calcar (see calcar 1 ) +
-iferous .][1]



calceolaria

calceolaria

cal·ce·o·lar·i·a 
[kàlsee ə láiree ə] (plural cal·ce·o·lar·i·as)
noun
tropical
American plant: a tropical American plant with speckled
slipper-shaped flowers. Genus: Calceolaria
Also
called
slipperwort
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin calceolus “little shoe.”][1]



Calchas

Calchas
Cal·chas 
[kál kàss] noun

Greek diviner:
in Greek mythology, a soothsayer who accompanied the Greeks during the Trojan
War, advising them, among other things, to build the Trojan Horse[1]



calci-

calci-
calci-
prefix

CHEMISTRY calcium, calcium salt,
lime • calcific
[From Latin calc-, the
stem of calx “lime” (see calx )][1]



calcic

calcic
cal·cic 
[kálsik] adjective

relating to calcium or lime:
containing, derived from, or relating to calcium or lime[1]



calciferol

calciferol
cal·cif·er·ol 
[kal síffə rl, kal
síffə ròl] noun

See
vitamin D 2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from calciferous + -ol
.][1]



calciferous

calciferous
cal·cif·er·ous 
[kal síffərəss] adjective

producing
calcium carbonate: producing or containing
calcium carbonate or other calcium salts
[Late 18th century. Coined
from calci- + -ferous
.][1]



calcific

calcific
cal·cif·ic 
[kal síffik] adjective

making
lime:
producing lime salts, or involved in their production
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from calci- + -fic
.][1]



calcification

calcification
cal·ci·fi·ca·tion 
[kàlsəfi káysh’n] (plural cal·ci·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY conversion
into lime:
the conversion of a substance into lime

2.  MEDICINE abnormal
hardening:
the abnormal hardening or stiffening of a body part caused by deposits of
calcium salts

3.  MEDICINE hard
body part:
a body part that has become hardened or stiffened by calcification

4.  lack
of change:
a condition in which improvement, change, or progress ceases (formal)

[1]



calcifuge

calcifuge
cal·ci·fuge 
[kálsə fyj] (plural cal·ci·fuges)
noun

acid-preferring
plant:
plant that prefers an acidic soil, or will not grow in chalky soil
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from calci- + -fuge .]
—cal·cif·u·gal
[kal síffyəg’l], adjective

—cal·cif·u·gous [kal síffyəgəss], adjective[1]



calcify

calcify
cal·ci·fy 
[kálsə f] (past cal·ci·fied, past
participle cal·ci·fied, present participle cal·ci·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cal·ci·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  CHEMISTRY turn
into lime:
to convert a substance into lime, or be converted into lime

2.  MEDICINE turn
hard with calcium: to become, or cause a body
part to become, abnormally hard or stiff as a result of the deposit of calcium
salts

3.  become
rigid and unchanging: to become, or cause
something to become, rigid and unchanging (formal)

[1]



calcimine

calcimine
cal·ci·mine
[kálsə mn] noun

coating
for interior walls: a mixture of zinc oxide,
water, and glue, sometimes with a coloring added, brushed onto interior walls
as a decorative and sealing finish
transitive
verb
(past cal·ci·mined, past participle cal·ci·mined, present
participle cal·ci·min·ing, 3rd person present singular cal·ci·mines)

coat
wall with calcimine: to cover a wall with
calcimine
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of kalsomine, influenced by calci- .][1]



calcine

calcine
cal·cine 
[kal sn, kál
sn] (past cal·cined, past participle cal·cined,
present participle cal·cin·ing, 3rd person present singular
cal·cines) intransitive and transitive verb

convert
to powder by heating: to heat a solid to a high
temperature, converting it to a powdery residue by drying, decomposing, or
oxidizing it, or to undergo this process
[14th
century. From medieval Latin calcinare “to burn until like lime,” from,
ultimately, the Latin stem calc- “lime” (see calcium
).]
—cal·ci·na·tion [kàlsə náysh’n], noun[1]



calcinosis

calcinosis
cal·ci·no·sis 
[kàlsə nṓssiss] noun

accumulation of calcium in
body: a medical condition in which
nodules of calcium are deposited in soft body tissues[1]



calcite

calcite
cal·cite 
[kál st] noun

calcium
carbonate:
a colorless or white crystalline mineral that is a form of calcium carbonate.
It is the main constituent of limestone, marble, and chalk and is used in
cement, plaster, glass, and paints. CaCO3 
Also
called
calcspar
—cal·cit·ic [kal síttik], adjective[1]



calcitonin

calcitonin
cal·ci·to·nin 
[kàlsi tṓnin] noun

calcium-controlling hormone:
a hormone, produced by the thyroid and parathyroid glands, that increases the
deposition of calcium in bones.
Also called
thyrocalcitonin[1]



calcitriol

calcitriol1
cal·cit·ri·ol1 [kàlsə
tr òl] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY active
form of Vitamin D: the active form of Vitamin D
that functions as a steroid hormone
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain; probably formed from calcium + triol .][1]



calcitriol

calcitriol2
cal·cit·ri·ol2 [kàlsə
tr òl] noun

PHARMACOLOGY
synthetic form of Vitamin D:
a drug used to control or reverse bone loss from diseases such as rickets and
kidney dysfunction[1]



calcium

calcium

cal·ci·um 
[kálsee əm] noun
silver-white
metallic element: a soft silver-white element that is an
alkaline earth metal constituting about three percent of the earth’s crust. It
is essential to the formation of bones and teeth. Symbol Ca
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin calc-, the stem of calx “lime” (see calx ) + -ium
.][1]



calciumacetylide

calciumacetylide
cal·ci·um
a·cet·y·lide noun

See
calcium carbide[1]



calciumantagonist

calciumantagonist
cal·ci·um
an·tag·o·nist (plural cal·ci·um
an·tag·o·nists) noun

heart drug:
a drug used to treat angina by widening the arteries and slowing the heart. The
drug restricts the normal movement of calcium ions through the muscle tissue of
the artery walls and heart.
Also called
calcium channel blocker[1]



calciumcarbide

calciumcarbide
cal·ci·um
car·bide
noun

compound used in making
acetylene: a colorless or grayish-black
powdery compound used in the generation of acetylene gas for welding. CaC2 
Also called
calcium acetylide
Also called
carbide
Also called
calcium carbide[1]



calciumcarbonate

calciumcarbonate
cal·ci·um
car·bon·ate
noun

compound forming limestone:
a white crystalline solid that is one of the most common natural substances,
forming chalk, limestone, and marble, and occurs in animal shells and bones. It
is a constituent of antacids for indigestion, paint, cement, and toothpaste.
CaCO3[1]



calciumchannel blocker

calciumchannel blocker
cal·ci·um
chan·nel block·er (plural cal·ci·um chan·nel
block·ers) noun

See
calcium antagonist[1]



calciumchloride

calciumchloride
cal·ci·um
chlo·ride
noun

compound for deicing roads:
a white salt that absorbs moisture easily and quickly, and is used for drying
gases, deicing roads, and also in pulp and paper treatment. CaCl2[1]



calciumcyanamide

calciumcyanamide
cal·ci·um
cy·an·am·ide noun

nitrogen fixer and
fertilizer: a white or grayish-black
crystalline compound that releases ammonia slowly in the presence of water and
is used as a fertilizer. CaCN2 
Also called
cyanamide[1]



calciumcyanide

calciumcyanide
cal·ci·um
cy·a·nide
noun

rat poison:
a white or grayish-black powder that decomposes in humid conditions to give off
hydrogen cyanide and was formerly used as an insecticide and rodent poison and
in fumigation. Ca(CN)2[1]



calciumcyclamate

calciumcyclamate
cal·ci·um
cy·cla·mate
noun

artificial sweetener:
a sweet-tasting salt of cyclamic acid formerly used as a sugar substitute. Ca(C6H11NHSO3)2.2H2O[1]



calciumfluoride

calciumfluoride
cal·ci·um
fluo·ride
noun

chemical in fluorite:
a colorless or white substance occurring naturally as fluorite. CaF2[1]



calciumgluconate

calciumgluconate
cal·ci·um
glu·co·nate
noun

food supplement:
a calcium salt used as a medication in cases of calcium deficiency and
osteoporosis and as a mineral supplement. CaC12H22O14[1]



calciumhydroxide

calciumhydroxide
cal·ci·um
hy·drox·ide
noun

water softener:
a white alkaline powder derived from the action of water on calcium oxide, used
to treat acid soil and in the manufacture of cement, plaster, and glass. Ca(OH)2 
Also called
slaked lime[1]



calciumhypochlorite

calciumhypochlorite
cal·ci·um
hy·po·chlo·rite noun

disinfectant and bactericide:
a white crystalline solid, soluble in water, that is a stable chlorine carrier
used as a bleaching agent, disinfectant, and bactericide. Ca(OCl)2[1]



calciumlight

calciumlight
cal·ci·um
light
noun

See
limelight[1]



calciumnitrate

calciumnitrate
cal·ci·um
ni·trate
noun

chemical used in fertilizers
and explosives: a white solid that
absorbs moisture very quickly, is a strong oxidizer, and is used as a
fertilizer and in some explosives. Ca(NO3)2.4H2O[1]



calciumoxide

calciumoxide
cal·ci·um
ox·ide
noun

white powder used in
manufacturing: a white crystalline
powder used in the manufacture of steel and glass, the refining of aluminum,
copper, and zinc, and sewage treatment. CaO[1]



calciumphosphate

calciumphosphate
cal·ci·um
phos·phate
(plural cal·ci·um phos·phates) noun

compound in bone ash:
any of several phosphates of calcium that occur naturally in rocks and animal
bones and are used, in the form of bone ash, as a fertilizer[1]



calcrete

calcrete
cal·crete
[kál krt] noun

alkaline
accumulation in soil: an accumulation in the soil
of a layer of calcium carbonate and other alkaline minerals just below the
surface.
Also
called
caliche
[Early 20th century. Coined
from calc- + (con)crete .][1]



calcspar

calcspar
calc·spar 
[kálk spr] (plural calc·spars)
noun

See
calcite
[Early 19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem calc- “lime” (see calcium
) + spar .][1]



calc-tufa

calc-tufa
calc-tu·fa 
noun

See
tufa
[Early 19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem calc- “lime” (see calcium
) + tufa .][1]



calculable

calculable
cal·cu·la·ble 
[kálkyələb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be calculated: able to be worked out or estimated,
using mathematics

2.  predictable:
likely to behave in the way that is expected
—cal·cu·la·bil·i·ty [kàlkyələ bíllətee], noun[1]



calculate

calculate
cal·cu·late 
[kálkyə làyt] (past cal·cu·lat·ed,
past participle cal·cu·lat·ed, present participle cal·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cal·cu·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS work out
mathematically: to figure out or estimate a figure using
mathematics

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb decide:
to consider a situation carefully and decide what is likely to happen

3.  transitive
verb
think
or suppose something: to think or suppose that a
particular thing is the case (regional) • I
calculate he’ll never make a farmer.

4.  intransitive
verb
intend:
to be planning or intending to do a particular thing (regional) • We
were calculating on going home around midnight.
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin calculat- “to calculate,” past participle stem of calulare
from, ultimately, Latin calculus “pebble” (see calculus
).][1]



calculated

calculated
cal·cu·lat·ed 
[kálkyə làytəd] adjective

1.  carefully
considered:
done or accepted after careful consideration of the possible results

2.  deliberate:
planned or deliberate
—cal·cu·lat·ed·ly,
adverb

—cal·cu·lat·ed·ness, noun[1]



calculating

calculating
cal·cu·lat·ing 
[kálkyə làyting] adjective

1.  scheming:
determined to gain the greatest personal advantage

2.  showing
somebody’s scheming nature: indicative of somebody’s
scheming nature

3.  making
careful assessments before acting • a calculating
candidate who carefully preplanned all statements to the media
—cal·cu·lat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



calculation

calculation
cal·cu·la·tion 
[kàlkyə láysh’n] (plural cal·cu·la·tions)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS process
of calculating something: the process, or a step in
the process, of working out the answer to a mathematical problem

2.  estimate:
an estimate or answer obtained by calculating

3.  deliberateness:
consideration of something, especially when thinking of personal advantage
—cal·cu·la·tion·al,
adjective

—cal·cu·la·tive, adjective[1]



calculator

calculator
cal·cu·la·tor 
[kálkyə làytər] (plural cal·cu·la·tors)
noun

calculating device:
a device used to compute arithmetic operations, especially a small hand-held
electronic device[1]



calculous

calculous
cal·cu·lous 
[kálkyələss] adjective

relating to calculi:
relating to abnormal hard formations of minerals ( calculi ) in the body[1]



calculus

calculus
cal·cu·lus 
[kálkyələss] (plural cal·cu·li
[kálkyə l] or cal·cu·lus·es) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS branch
of mathematics: a branch of mathematics dealing with the
way that relations between certain sets ( functions
) are affected by very small changes in one of their variables ( independent variable ) as they approach zero. It
is used to find slopes of curves, rates of change, and volumes of curved
figures.
Also
called
infinitesimal calculus
See
also
differential calculus
See
also
integral calculus

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC method
of calculation: a method or system of calculation using
symbols or symbolic logic

3.  MEDICINE stone:
a stone or concretion, especially one in the kidney, gallbladder, or urinary
bladder (technical)

4.  DENTISTRY See tartar

5.  nonmathematical
decision-making criteria: a nonmathematical
evaluation, estimation, or computation, for example, in short- or long-term
decision-making or strategy formulation “Democrats win points in this
calculus.” U.S. News and World Report 1998
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “pebble,” a diminutive of calx “lime, limestone” (see calx ).][1]



Calcutta

Calcutta

Cal·cut·ta 
[kal kúttə]
capital of West Bengal state and one of
India’s largest cities. It is a major commercial and industrial city and port,
situated on the Hoogly River, an arm of the Ganges about 100 km/60 mi from its
mouth at the Bay of Bengal. Population: 11,021,915 (metropolitan area) (1991)[1]



Calcutta




Back to definition

Calcutta

[1]



caldarium

caldarium
cal·da·ri·um
[kal dáiree əm] (plural cal·da·ri·a
[kal dáiree ə]) noun

Roman
hot bath:
the hot room in an ancient Roman bathhouse
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, calere “to be warm” (source of English calorie ).][1]



caldera

caldera
cal·de·ra 
[kal dáirə] (plural cal·de·ras)
noun

large
crater at top of volcano: a large crater in a volcano,
caused by a major eruption followed by the collapse of the volcanic pipe walls
that form the volcano’s cone. It may later contain a lake.
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish from late Latin caldaria “cooking pot,” formed from Latin caldus
“warm.”][1]



Calder,Alexander Young

Calder,Alexander Young

Cal·der 
[káwldər], Alexander Young (1898–1976)
U.S. painter and sculptor, known for his
abstract sculptures, especially mobiles and stabiles.[1]



Calderdale

Calderdale
Cal·der·dale
[káwldər dàyl]

local government unitary
authority in northern England, established 1997. Capital: Halifax is the
administrative center. Population: 193,200 (1995)[1]



CaldeyIsland

CaldeyIsland
Cal·dey
Is·land
[káwldi lənd]

island off the coast of
Pembrokeshire, Wales, and location of a Cistercian monastery. Welsh Ynys
Pyr[1]



caldron

caldron
cal·dron 
[káwldrən] (plural caldrons) or
caul·dron [káwldrən] (plural caul·drons)
noun

1.  pot
for boiling: a large metal pot in which liquids are
boiled

2.  dangerous
and tense situation: a situation of great
tension, unrest, and stressfulness “He is heading into a caldron in the House
of Representatives.” U.S. News & World Report 1998
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old Norman French caudron from late Latin calderia
“cooking pot,” from, ultimately, Latin calidus “hot.”][1]



Caldwell

Caldwell
Cald·well
[káwld wèl, káwld
wəl]

city in southwestern Idaho,
on the southern bank of the Boise River, west of Boise. Population: 21,089
(1996)[1]



Caldwell,Erskine

Caldwell,Erskine

Cald·well 
[káwld wèl, káwld
wəl], Erskine (1903–1987)
U.S.
writer. His novels about rural poverty include Tobacco Road ( 1932 ).
Full name
Caldwell, Erskine Preston[1]



Caldwell,Janet Taylor

Caldwell,Janet Taylor
Cald·well
[káwld wèl, káwld
wəl], Janet Taylor (1900–1985)

British-born U.S. writer. She
is known for her novels about family dynasties, including Dynasty of Death
( 1938 ).[1]



Caldwell,Sarah

Caldwell,Sarah
Cald·well
[káwld wèl, káwld
wəl], Sarah (1928– )

U.S. conductor and opera
producer, associated with the Boston Opera Company, and known for unusual opera
productions.[1]



Caledonia

Caledonia
Cal·e·do·ni·a
[kàllə dṓnee ə]

Roman name for the northern
part of Britain and poetic name for Scotland[1]



Caledonian

Caledonian
Cal·e·do·ni·an
[kàllə dṓnee ən] adjective

1.  of
Scotland:
relating to Scotland or its people or culture (literary)

2.  of
Paleozoic Europe: relating to the Paleozoic era in
northwestern Europe, when many mountains were formed
noun
(plural Cal·e·do·ni·ans)

Scot: a
Scottish person (literary)

[1]



calendar

calendar
cal·en·dar 
[kálləndər] noun (plural cal·en·dars)

1.  system
of calculating year: a system of calculating the
days and months of the year and when the year begins and ends

2.  chart
of year:
a chart showing the days and months of the year, especially a particular year

3.  timetable:
a timetable of events, usually covering a period of a year

4.  list:
an official list of things to be done or considered
transitive
verb
(past cal·en·dared, past participle cal·en·dared, present
participle cal·en·dar·ing, 3rd person present singular cal·en·dars)

schedule: to
enter something in a calendar or diary
See
also
electromagnetic spectrum
See
also
Table of Calendars
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman calender from Latin calendarium
“moneylender’s account book,” from calendae “first day of the month.”]
—ca·len·dri·cal [kə léndrik’l], adjective[1]



calendarday

calendarday
cal·en·dar
day
(plural cal·en·dar days) noun

24 hours:
the period of 24 hours from midnight to midnight.
Also called
civil day[1]



calendarmonth

calendarmonth
cal·en·dar
month
(plural cal·en·dar months) noun

1.  See
month  noun 1

2.  See
month  noun 3

[1]



calendars

calendars
calendars

Month
Equivalents for Gregorian, Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu Calendars.

The
Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, replacing the
Julian calendar, and is based on a solar year of 365 days plus an extra day every
four years (the leap year) and in centenary years evenly divisible by 400. The
other calendars shown are based on lunar months. Each HIndu month is divided in
two equal parts: krsna-paksa and sukla-paksa. Both the Hindu and the Jewish
calendars are adjusted at intervals to the solar year. The Islamic calendar is
not adjusted to the solar year so advances through the  solar year on a 32.5
year cycle. The first month of each calendar is marked with a 1.



  Gregorian
  calendar


  Jewish
  calendar


  Hindu
  calendar


  Islamic
  calendar




  1
  January 31 days


  Tevet
  29 days


  Pausa


  1
  Muharram 30 days




  February
  28 days 1


  Shevat
  30 days


  Magha


  Safar
  29 days




  March
  31 days


  Adar
  29 days 2


  1
  Phalguna


  Rabi
  I 30 days




  April
  30 days


  Nisan
  30 days


  Caitra


  Rabi
  II 29 days




  May
  31 days


  Iyar
  29 days


  Vaisakha


  Jumada
  I 30 days




  June
  30 days


  Sivan
  30 days


  Jyaistha


  Jumada
  II 29 days




  July
  31 days


  Tammuz
  29 days


  Asadha


  Rajab
  30 days




  August
  31 days


  Av
  30 days


  Sravana


  Shaban
  29 days




  September
  30 days


  1
  Elul 29 days


  Bhadrapada


  Ramadan
  30 days




  October
  31 days


  Tishri
  30 days


  Asvina


  Shawwal
  29 days




  November
  30 days


  Heshvan
  29 days 3


  Kartika


  Dhu'l-Qadah
  30 days




  December
  31 days


  Kislev
  29 days 4


  Margasirsa


  Dhu'l-Hijjah
  29 days 5








  First
  Sunday after Pentecost


  Pausa











  Tevet











  1)
  February has 29 days in a leap year.




  2) The intercalary month Adar Sheni (29 days) is added every 3
  years to adjust the Jewish calendar to the solar year.




  3) The month Heshvan has 30 days in some years.




  4) The month Kislev has 30 days in some years.




  5) The month Dhu'l-Hijjah has 30 days in some years.




[1]



calendaryear

calendaryear
cal·en·dar
year
(plural cal·en·dar years) noun

1.  January
1 to December 31: the period of 365 or 366 days from
January 1 to December 31.
Also
called
civil year

2.  until
same date next year: the period of time between a
date in one year and the same date in the next

[1]



calender

calender
cal·en·der 
[kálləndər] noun (plural cal·en·ders)

rollers
for treating paper, cloth, etc: a machine with rollers
used to form thin sheets from paper, plastic, or other material, or to impart a
desired surface finish
transitive
verb
(past cal·en·dered, past participle cal·en·dered, present
participle cal·en·der·ing, 3rd person present singular cal·en·ders)

pass
through calender: to give the required thickness or
surface finish to a material by pulling it through a calender
[Early
16th century. Via French calendre from assumed Vulgar Latin colondra,
an alteration (influenced by Latin columna “column”) of Latin cylindrus
“roller” (source of English cylinder
).]
—cal·en·der·er, noun[1]



calendrical

calendrical
ca·len·dri·cal 
[kə léndrik’l] adjective

relating to calendar:
relating to a calendar, or to calendars[1]



calends

calends
cal·ends
[kálləndz, káyləndz]
or kal·ends [kálləndz, káyləndz] plural noun

first
day of Roman month: the first day of the month
in the ancient Roman calendar
[14th century. Via French calendes
from Latin calendae “first day of the month.”][1]



calendula

calendula

ca·len·du·la 
[kə lénjələ] (plural ca·len·du·las
or ca·len·du·la) noun
plant
with yellow flowers: a garden plant of the daisy
family with bright orange or yellow flowers that have traditionally been used
in cooking or for medical purposes. Latin name: Calendula officinalis
Also
called
marigold
U.K.
term
pot marigold
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin calendae “first day of the month” (see calends ). From its use in treating menstrual
disorders.][1]



calenture

calenture
cal·en·ture 
[kállən chr] (plural cal·en·tures)
noun

tropical
fever:
a fever occurring in tropical regions, formerly believed to be caused by heat
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Spanish calentura, from, ultimately, Latin calere “to
be warm” (source of English calorie
).][1]



calf

calf1
calf1 [kaf]
(plural calves [kavz]) noun

1.  young
cow or bull: a very young cow or bull of domestic
cattle

2.  young
animal:
the young of some other animals besides the cow, including the elephant, whale,
giraffe, and buffalo

3.  See
calfskin

4.  piece
of iceberg:
a large piece of ice that has broken away from an iceberg
[Old
English cælf . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German Kalb and Old Norse kalfr .]
kill
the fatted calf

to have a great celebration in
honor of somebody, usually a family member who has been absent for some time[1]



calf

calf2
calf2 [kaf]
(plural calves [kavz]) noun

part
of leg:
the fleshy part at the back of the leg below the knee
[14th century. From Old Norse
kálfi, of uncertain origin.][1]



calfskin

calfskin
calf·skin 
[káf skìn] (plural calf·skins)
noun

1.  leather:
fine leather made from the skin of calves.
Also
called
calf

2.  skin
of calf:
the skin of a calf

[1]



Calgary

Calgary
Cal·ga·ry 
[kálgəree]

city in southern Alberta,
Canada. It is an important center for transportation, finance, and the
petroleum industry. Population: 821,628 (1996)[1]



Calhoun,John Caldwell

Calhoun,John Caldwell

Cal·houn 
[kal hn], John Caldwell (1782–1850)
U.S. Vice President. He served
(1825–1832) under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.[1]



Cali

Cali
Ca·li 
[klee]

capital of Valle de Cauca
Department and second largest city in Colombia. It is situated on the Cali
River in western Colombia. Population: 1,718,871 (1995)[1]



caliber

caliber
cal·i·ber 
[kállibər] (plural cal·i·bers)
noun

1.  ability:
a person’s ability, intelligence, or character • We
don’t often get candidates of her caliber.

2.  ARMS bore
of firearm:
the inner diameter of a pipe or cylinder, especially the barrel of a firearm

3.  ARMS size
of bullet:
the external diameter of a projectile, for example, a bullet or a shell
[Mid-16th century. Via French
calibre from, ultimately, Arabic ālib “mold,” which is in turn
ultimately from Greek kalapous “shoemaker’s last.”][1]



calibrate

calibrate
cal·i·brate 
[kálli bràyt] (past cal·i·brat·ed,
past participle cal·i·brat·ed, present participle cal·i·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular cal·i·brates) transitive verb

1.  MEASUREMENTS mark
scale on something: to establish and mark the
units shown on a measuring instrument

2.  MEASUREMENTS ensure
accuracy of something: to test and adjust the
accuracy of a measuring instrument or process

3.  ARMS measure
bore of something: to measure the internal
diameter of a gun or cylinder
—cal·i·bra·tor, noun[1]



calibration

calibration
cal·i·bra·tion 
[kàlli bráysh’n] (plural cal·i·bra·tions)
noun

1.  standardization
of measuring instrument: the checking of a measuring
instrument against an accurate standard to determine any deviation and correct
for errors

2.  mark
on scale:
a mark showing one of the units of measurement on a measuring instrument

[1]



calibre

calibre
cal·i·bre 
noun

U.K. =
caliber[1]



calices

calices
ca·li·ces


Plural of
calix[1]



caliche

caliche
ca·li·che 
[kə lchee] (plural ca·li·ches)
noun

1.  layer
of clay or sand: a layer of clay or sand containing
minerals, for example, sodium nitrate and sodium chloride, found in arid
regions of South America

2.  See
calcrete
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish .][1]



calico

calico
cal·i·co 
[kálli kō] (plural cal·i·coes)
noun

1.  bright
cotton cloth: a coarse cotton cloth with a bright
printed pattern

2.  U.K.
white
cotton cloth: a white or unbleached cotton cloth

3.  animal
with blotched coat: an animal with a blotched
coat, usually white with black and reddish patches
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Calicut, former name of a city and port on the southwestern coast of
India (now Kozhikode), from which such cloth was exported.][1]



calicobass

calicobass
cal·i·co
bass
noun

See
black crappie[1]



calicobush

calicobush
cal·i·co
bush
noun

See
mountain laurel[1]



calicomoth

calicomoth
cal·i·co
moth
noun

orange-and-white moth:
a with orange and white markings, sometimes seen migrating in large swarms.
Genus: Utetheisa[1]



Calif.

Calif.
Calif.

Abbreviation of
California[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








calif

calif
ca·lif 
noun

See
caliph[1]



califate

califate
ca·lif·ate
noun

See
caliphate[1]



California

California


Cal·i·for·nia 
[kàlli fáwrnyə]
the
most populous U.S. state, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada,
Arizona, and Mexico. Capital: Sacramento. Population: 32,268,301 (1997) Area:
411,469 sq km/158,869 sq mi.
—Cal·i·for·nian, noun,
adjective[1]



California




Back to definition

California

[1]



Californiabay

Californiabay
Cal·i·for·nia
bay
noun

See
California laurel[1]



Californiacondor

Californiacondor
Cal·i·for·nia
con·dor
noun

large vulture:
a large dark gray or brown vulture of the southeastern United States, with a
wingspan of about 3 m10 ft and a naked head and neck. It is being rescued from
extinction by a captive breeding program. Latin name: Gymnogyps
californianus
Also called
condor[1]



CaliforniaCurrent

CaliforniaCurrent
Cal·i·for·ni·a
Cur·rent

current in northern Pacific
Ocean. It flows from north to south along the western coast of North America
before turning west.[1]



California,Gulf of

California,Gulf of
Cal·i·for·ni·a,
Gulf of

arm of the Pacific Ocean that
extends northward between mainland Mexico and Baja California. Area: 152,810 sq
km/59,000 sq mi. Alternate name Sea of Cortes[1]



Californialaurel

Californialaurel
Cal·i·for·nia
lau·rel
noun

U.S. evergreen tree:
an evergreen tree of the laurel family native to the West Coast of the United
States, with clusters of small greenish flowers and small green or purple
fruits. Latin name: Umbellularia californica
Also called
California bay
Also called
Oregon myrtle[1]



Californiapoppy

Californiapoppy
Cal·i·for·nia
pop·py
or Cal·i·for·nian pop·py noun

ornamental poppy:
an annual plant with bluish divided leaves, commonly cultivated for its bright
red to yellow flowers. It is the California state flower. Latin name: Eschscholzia
californica[1]



californite

californite
cal·i·for·nite 
[kàlli fáwr nt] noun

green ornamental stone:
a compact form of green vesuvianite found in California, that resembles jade
and is used as an ornamental stone[1]



californium

californium

cal·i·for·ni·um 
[kàlli fáwrnee əm] noun
synthetic
metallic element: a synthetic radioactive metallic
chemical element produced by bombarding curium or americium with neutrons. It
is used as a neutron source. Symbol Cf
[Mid-20th century. The
element is so named because it was first synthesized at the University of
California.][1]



Caligula

Caligula
Ca·lig·u·la 
[kə líggyələ] (AD 12–AD 41)

Roman
emperor. A despotic ruler (37–41), he bankrupted the state with his
extravagance and was assassinated.
Full name
Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus[1]



calipash

calipash
cal·i·pash 
[kállə pàsh, kàllə
pásh] noun

green
fat from turtles: a thick green fat obtained from beneath
the upper shell of turtles
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Spanish carapacho “carapace” (source
of English carapace ), or perhaps
from a Caribbean language.][1]



calipee

calipee
cal·i·pee 
[kállə p, kállə
p] noun

yellow
fat from turtles: a thick yellow fat obtained from beneath
the lower shells of turtles, considered to be a delicacy
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Caribbean language.][1]



caliper

caliper

cal·i·per
[kállipər] noun (plural cal·i·pers)

1.  MEASUREMENTS measuring
instrument:
an instrument used to measure the internal or external dimensions of objects
and consisting of two curved hinged legs joined at one end

2.  measuring
instrument for large objects: a measuring instrument with
a fixed arm and an arm that moves along a graduated scale, used for measuring
the diameter of large cylindrical objects such as logs

3.  U.K.
MEDICINE leg
brace:
a leg splint consisting of metal rods and straps, that enables the hip bone,
rather than the foot, to support weight when walking
transitive verb
(past cal·i·pered, past participle cal·i·pered, present
participle cal·i·per·ing, 3rd person present singular cal·i·pers)

MEASUREMENTS measure
with calipers: to measure something using a caliper
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of caliber
.][1]



calipers

calipers
cal·i·pers
[kállipərz] plural noun

TECHNOLOGY
device for measuring diameters:
a measuring instrument with two hinged legs and an attached scale that measures
the distance between the tips of the legs, used particularly for measuring
diameters[1]



caliph

caliph
ca·liph 
[káylif, kállif]
(plural ca·liphs) or ca·lif [káylif, kállif]
(plural ca·lifs) or ka·lif [káylif, kállif] (plural
ka·lifs) or kha·lif [káylif,
kállif] (plural kha·lifs) noun

Muslim
ruler:
a title taken by Muslim rulers, for example, the Turkish sultans, that asserts
religious authority to rule derived from that of Muhammad
[14th century. Via French caliphe
from Arabic alīfa “successor, deputy,” from alafa “to
succeed.”][1]



caliphate

caliphate
ca·liph·ate 
[káyli fàyt, kálli
fàyt] (plural ca·liph·ates) or ca·lif·ate [káyli fàyt, kálli fàyt]
(plural ca·lif·ates) or ka·lif·ate [káyli fàyt, kálli fàyt]
(plural ka·lif·ates) or kha·lif·ate [káyli fàyt, kálli fàyt]
(plural kha·lif·ates) noun

caliph’s territory or reign:
the territory over which a caliph’s rule extends, or the time for which it
lasts[1]



calisthenics

calisthenics
cal·is·then·ics 
[kàlliss thénniks] noun

performance
of calisthenics: the practice of performing calisthenics
(takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

physical
exercise routine: vigorous physical exercises for
improving fitness and muscle tone, including pushups, sit-ups, and jumping
jacks (takes a plural verb)
[Early
19th century. Coined from the Greek stem kalli- “beauty” + Greek sthenos
“strength” + -ics .]
—cal·is·then·ic, adjective[1]



calix

calix
ca·lix 
[káyliks, kálliks]
(plural ca·li·ces [káyli sz])
noun

1.  cup:
a chalice or cup

2.  ANATOMY See calyx
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “cup” (see chalice ).][1]



calk

calk2
calk2 transitive verb

See
caulk[1]



calk

calk1
calk1 [kawk]
noun (plural calks)

1.  horseshoe
spike:
a metal spike on a horseshoe to prevent slipping

2.  spiked
plate protecting soles: a spiked plate attached to
the bottom of a boot or shoe to prevent slipping and preserve the sole
transitive
verb
(past calked, past participle calked, present
participle calk·ing, 3rd person present singular calks)

fit calk on something:
to put a calk on a horseshoe, boot, or shoe
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin calcaneum “heel.”][1]



call

call
call 
[kawl] verb (past called,
past participle called, present participle call·ing,
3rd person present singular calls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
loudly:
to say something in a loud voice • “Supper’s
ready,” he called from the kitchen.

2.  transitive
verb
describe
as something: to describe or think of somebody or
something in a particular way • I’d
call him a fool.

3.  transitive
verb
refer
to:
to use a particular term to address or refer to somebody • He
always called his father “Sir.”

4.  transitive
verb
summon:
to summon or alert somebody or something by means of a formal request • I’ll
call a cab.

5.  transitive
verb
read
out:
to read names or numbers from a list

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb telephone:
to contact somebody by telephone or radio

7.  transitive
verb
name
somebody or something: to give somebody or
something a name • What are you going to
call the baby?

8.  intransitive
verb
cry:
to give a cry (refers to birds or animals)

9.  intransitive
verb
visit
somebody:
to visit somebody, or the place where somebody lives or works • I
called to see her yesterday.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb request
something to happen: to make an official order or
request for something, for example, a meeting • An
emergency meeting has been called for July 15th.

11. transitive
verb
predict:
to predict what is going to happen, especially in politics • It’s
a very hard result to call.

12. intransitive
and transitive verb DANCE instruct dancers:
to give directions to people who are dancing, for example, in a square dance

13. transitive
verb
FINANCE demand
repayment of something: to demand payment of a loan
or bond issue

14. transitive
verb
challenge
somebody:
to challenge somebody to prove something, especially to demand to see
somebody’s hand in a game of poker

15. intransitive
and transitive verb declare
choice in game: to make a declaration in a game, for
example, to choose heads or tails, or choose trumps in a card game • I’ll
toss, you call.

16. transitive
verb
SPORTS officially
decide in game: to make an official decision in a sports
event or a game

17. transitive
verb
postpone
a game:
to postpone or stop a sports event due to bad weather or other unsuitable
conditions • The
game was called when it got too dark to play anymore.
noun
(plural calls)

1.  shout:
a shout or cry

2.  bird
or animal cry: the sound made by a bird or animal

3.  signal:
a signal given by a sound, for example, on a horn or whistle

4.  telephone
message:
a telephone conversation, or an attempt to get in touch with somebody by
telephone

5.  request
to come:
a request for somebody to come • The
rescue squads answer thousands of calls a year.

6.  expressed
wish:
a demand or request for something to be done • There
have been calls for him to resign.

7.  feeling
of duty:
a feeling that a particular job or way of life is a personal duty

8.  strong
appeal of place or lifestyle: the feeling of strong
attraction exerted by a particular place or way of life • the
call of the wild

9.  visit:
a short visit to somebody at his or her house or place of work • made
a few calls on the way home.

10. SPORTS referee’s
decision:
a decision made by a referee

11. GAME declaration
in game:
a declaration made during a game, for example, the choice of heads or tails
when a coin is tossed • It’s
your call.

12. prediction:
a prediction of what is about to happen, especially in politics • In
terms of changing policy at election time, it’s a difficult call to make.

13. demand
or obligation: a demand or obligation that somebody has
to fulfill • I’d
like to help, but I have a great many calls on my time.

14. reminder:
a reminder, given electronically, by telephone, or in person, that somebody should
wake up or that something is about to happen

15. hunter’s
device to attract game: a device that imitates the
cry of a bird or other animal, used as a lure in hunting
[12th
century. From Old Norse kalla .]
there’s
no call for something or to do something

1.  used
to say that a particular remark or action is not welcome or necessary • There’s
no call to get angry.

2.  people
do not want something, especially a specified commercial product • There’s
no call for bathing suits at this time of year.

it’s
somebody’s call

a
decision is entirely up to somebody • It’s
your call whether we drive or fly.

be
on call

to
be on duty away from the workplace, available to be summoned





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  The
  Call of the Wild, a novel by Jack London ( 1903 ). Noted for its
  unsentimental portrayal of pioneer life, it is the tale of a dog, “Buck,” who
  is sent to the Yukon to work as a sled dog. After demonstrating his strength
  and courage in the service of humans, he takes to the wild with a pack of
  wolves.

[1]



calla

calla

cal·la 
[kállə] (plural cal·las) noun
See
calla lily[1]



callable

callable
call·a·ble
[káwləb’l] adjective

1.  repayable
on demand:
used to describe a loan that is repayable on demand

2.  convertible
before maturing: used to describe a stock or bond that is
convertible before reaching maturity

[1]



Callaghan,Morley Edward

Callaghan,Morley Edward
Cal·la·ghan
[kálləhən, kállə
hàn], Morley Edward (1903–1990)

Canadian writer. His novels,
known for their hard-hitting realism, include They Shall Inherit the Earth
( 1935 ) and The Loved and the Lost ( 1955 ).[1]



callais

callais
cal·lais 
[kállee iss] noun

ornamental
green stone: a green stone used by Stone Age and
Bronze Age people of Europe to make beads and ornaments
[Late 19th century. From
Greek kallais .][1]



callalily

callalily

cal·la
lil·y
[kállə lìllee] or cal·la [kállə lìllee] (plural cal·las) noun

1.  white
ornamental lily: an ornamental lily, originally from
southern Africa, that has a white funnel-shaped cone around a long yellow spike
bearing the flowers themselves. Latin name: Zantedeschia aethiopica
Also
called
arum lily
U.K.
term
arum lily

2.        ornamental
lily: an ornamental lily of the
arum type, with a large, brightly colored, funnel-shaped cone around a long
flower spike. Genus: Zantedeschia[1]



callaloo

callaloo
cal·la·loo 
[kàllə l, kàllə
l] (plural cal·la·loos) noun Caribbean

1.  Caribbean
soup:
a thick soup like sauce made of the leaves of the dasheen plant callaloo bush,
with okra, a hot pepper, coconut milk, onions, herbs, and often crabs

2.  a
complex mixture or confusion
[Mid-18th century. From
American Spanish calalu .][1]



Callao

Callao
Ca·llao
[kaa yów]

city and chief seaport of
Peru, situated on Callao Bay 13 km/8 mi west of Lima. Population: 637,755
(1993)[1]



Callas,Maria

Callas,Maria

Cal·las 
[kálləss, kál
ass], Maria (1923–1977)
U.S.-born
opera soprano. One of the leading opera singers of the mid-20th century, she
was known for her incisive portrayals of such characters as Norma and Tosca.
Born
Kalogeropoulos, Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia[1]



callback

callback
call
back
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb telephone
somebody again: to contact somebody by telephone again

2.  transitive
verb
ask
to return:
to recall somebody, for example, for a second audition or to return to a job

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. visit
somebody again: to visit somebody again

[1]



callback

callback
call·back 
[káwl bàk] (plural call·backs)
noun

1.  return
call:
a telephone call made back to somebody who has recently phoned

2.  recalling
of somebody: an act of asking somebody to return

3.  product
recall:
the recalling of a faulty product by a manufacturer

[1]



callboard

callboard
call·board 
[káwl bàwrd] (plural call·boards)
noun

actors’ bulletin board:
a board backstage in a theater, giving information to actors and other people
involved in a production[1]



callbox

callbox
call
box
(plural call box·es) noun

U.K.
telephone box:
a telephone box[1]



callboy

callboy
call·boy 
[káwl bòy] (plural call·boys) noun

1.  giver
of actors’ get-ready call: somebody in a theater who
tells the actors when the time for them to go on stage is approaching

2.  See
bellhop

3.  man
prostitute contacted by phone: a man prostitute who
makes appointments with clients by telephone

[1]



callcenter

callcenter
call
cen·ter
noun

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BUSINESS business
dealing with customer phone calls: a
place that handles high-volume incoming telephone calls on behalf of a large
organization[1]



calldown

calldown
call
down
transitive verb

1.  invoke
something:
to pray or appeal for good or bad things to happen to somebody

2.  reprimand:
to rebuke somebody who has done something wrong • The
judge called the lawyers down for their unseemly courtroom antics.

[1]



caller

caller
call·er
[káwlər] (plural call·ers) noun

1.  somebody
phoning or visiting: somebody who makes a
telephone call or who visits somebody

2.  announcer:
somebody who announces something, for example, the moves in a square dance or
the numbers in a game of bingo

[1]



callerID

callerID
call·er
ID
noun

device for identifying
callers: an electronic device
attached to a telephone that, on a small screen, shows the name and telephone
number of somebody who is calling or has called[1]



Calles,Plutarco Elías

Calles,Plutarco Elías
Cal·les 
[k yèss], Plutarco Elías (1877–1945)

Mexican statesman. He was
secretary of the interior (1920–1923) and president of Mexico (1924–1928).[1]



callfor

callfor
call
for
transitive verb

1.  request
for something to happen: to make a demand or request
for some action to take place

2.  need:
to need or require a particular thing or quality

3.  arrive
and pick up: to arrive and pick up somebody

4.  suggest
as likely:
to suggest that something is likely to happen (refers to a weather forecast)
• The
weathercasters are calling for thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

[1]



callforth

callforth
call
forth
transitive verb

elicit particular feeling:
to inspire an emotion, energy, or courage[1]



callgirl

callgirl
call
girl
(plural call girls) noun

prostitute contacted by
phone: a prostitute who makes
appointments with clients by telephone[1]



calli-

calli-
calli-
prefix

beautiful
• callipygian
[From Greek kallos
“beauty”][1]



calligraphy

calligraphy
cal·lig·ra·phy 
[kə líggrəfee] noun

1.  skill
of handwriting: the art or skill of producing beautiful
handwriting.
Also
called
chirography

2.  handwriting:
beautiful or artistic handwriting
[Early
17th century. From Greek kalligraphia, literally “beautiful writing,”
from kallos “beauty” + graphein “to write.”]
—cal·lig·ra·pher,
noun

—cal·li·graph·ic
[kàlli gráffik], adjective

—cal·li·graph·i·cal·ly
[kàlli gráffikəlee], adverb

—cal·lig·ra·phist [kəlíggrəfist], noun[1]



call-in

call-in
call-in 
(plural call-ins) noun

1.  show
where audience phones in opinions: a radio or television
show in which the listeners or viewers phone and express their opinions.
U.K.
term
phone-in

2.  listener
or viewer’s call: a telephone call from a radio listener
or a television viewer to a talk show • You
will be interviewed live for 30 minutes on a show with call-ins.

[1]



callin

callin
call
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
ask
help from:
to ask somebody to come and give advice or help

2.  intransitive
verb
telephone
place of work: to telephone a place of work in order to
get or leave a message

3.  transitive
verb
ask
for something to be repaid: to ask for a debt or loan to
be repaid

4.  transitive
verb
arrange
return of something: to arrange or request for
something to be returned, for example outdated currency or defective goods

[1]



calling

calling
call·ing 
[káwling] (plural call·ings) noun

1.  impulse
to follow particular job: a strong urge to follow a
particular career or do a particular type of work

2.  job:
a job or profession

[1]



callingcard

callingcard
call·ing
card
(plural call·ing cards) noun

card with name on it:
a small card with information such as name, address, and telephone number on
it, that can be given to people met socially or in business.
U.K. term
visiting card[1]



Calliope

Calliope
Cal·li·o·pe 
[kə l əpee] noun

Muse
of epic poetry: the Muse of epic poetry, one of the nine
Muses believed to inspire and nurture the arts in Greek mythology.
See
also
Muse
[Via Latin from Greek Kalliopē,
literally “beautiful-voiced”][1]



calliope

calliope
cal·li·o·pe 
[kə l əpee, kálli
p] (plural cal·li·o·pes) noun

steam
organ:
an organ that generates sound by the release of steam or compressed air through
pipes, with tunes often played mechanically, as on a player piano. They are
usually found in fairgrounds or circuses.
U.K.
term
steam organ
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin Calliope “ Calliope .”][1]



calliper

calliper
cal·li·per 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
caliper[1]



callipers

callipers
cal·li·pers
plural noun

U.K. =
calipers[1]



callipygian

callipygian
cal·li·pyg·i·an 
[kàllə píjjee ən] or cal·li·py·gous
[kàllə pgəss] adjective

having
well-shaped buttocks: having well-shaped buttocks
(literary)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek kallipūgos, literally “beautiful buttocks,” a term applied to
a statue of the goddess Aphrodite, from kalli- “ beauty- ” + pūgē
“buttocks.”][1]



Callisto

Callisto
Cal·lis·to 
[kə lístō] noun

1.  Greek
nymph:
in Greek mythology, a nymph who was changed into a bear by Hera and later
became the constellation of the Great Bear

2.  large
satellite of Jupiter: a large satellite of Jupiter
that was discovered in 1610
[Via Latin from Greek Kallistô
from, ultimately, kalos “beautiful”][1]



callletters

callletters
call
let·ters
plural noun

radio station’s identifying
signal: a signal, usually a group of
letters and numbers, used for identification by a radio transmitting station or
a unit or operator in radio communication with others.
U.K. term
call sign
Also called
call sign[1]



callloan

callloan
call
loan
(plural call loans) noun

loan repayable on demand:
a loan that must be repaid on demand.
Also called
demand loan[1]



callmoney

callmoney
call
mon·ey
noun

money repayable on demand:
money that has been borrowed and that is repayable on demand[1]



callnumber

callnumber
call
num·ber
(plural call num·bers) noun

library book’s identification
number: a number that identifies a
library book and its position in a library classification system[1]



calloff

calloff
call
off
transitive verb

1.  cancel
event:
to cancel or stop an event

2.  stop
from attacking: to order a dog or a person to stop
attacking somebody

[1]



callof nature

callof nature
call
of na·ture
(plural calls of na·ture) noun

need to use toilet:
a need to urinate or defecate (humorous)[1]



callon

callon
call
on
transitive verb

1.  ask
to do something: to ask or tell somebody to do something

2.  visit:
to visit somebody, often in a formal manner

[1]



callose

callose
cal·lose 
[ká lss] noun

substance
in plant cells: an insoluble substance found in plant
cell walls and formed in flowering plants in response to injury. It consists of
chains of linked glucose units.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin callosus “callous” (see callous
).][1]



callosity

callosity
cal·los·i·ty 
[kə lóssətee] (plural cal·los·i·ties)
noun

thickening of skin:
a local thickening of the outer layer of the skin caused by repeated friction
or pressure[1]



callous

callous
cal·lous 
[kálləss] adjective

hardhearted:
showing no concern if other people are hurt or upset
[14th
century. Either via French calleux or directly from its source Latin callosus,
from callus “hard skin.”]
—cal·lous·ly,
adverb

—cal·lous·ness, noun[1]



calloused

calloused
cal·loused
[kálləst] adjective

having thick hardened skin:
having an area of hard thickened skin[1]



callout

callout
call
out
transitive verb

1.  summon
people to help: to summon somebody or an organization to
come and help

2.  order
to strike:
to tell workers to stop work and go on strike

3.  challenge
to a fight:
to challenge somebody to a duel or fight

[1]



callow

callow
cal·low 
[kállō] (comparative cal·lower,
superlative cal·low·est) adjective

young
and inexperienced: young or immature, and
lacking the experience of life that comes with adulthood
[Old
English calu, from a prehistoric Germanic base of uncertain origin:
possibly from Latin calvus “bald” (source of English Calvary )]
—cal·low·ness, noun[1]



Calloway,Cab

Calloway,Cab
Cal·lo·way 
[kállə wày], Cab (1907–1994)

U.S.
jazz musician, known for his exuberant performances, catchphrase “hi-de-ho,”
and scat singing.
Full name
Calloway, Cabel[1]



callsign

callsign
call
sign
(plural call signs) noun

See
call letters[1]



callslip

callslip
call
slip
(plural call slips) noun

library request form:
a form for requesting a library book that is not kept on the shelves used by
the public[1]



callto quarters

callto quarters
call
to quar·ters (plural calls to quar·ters)
noun

1.  signal
to return to barracks: a signal requiring army
personnel to return to barracks

2.  time
of confinement to barracks: a period of time during
which army personnel must remain in barracks

[1]



call-up

call-up
call-up 
(plural call-ups) noun

U.K.
MILITARY See draft[1]



callup

callup
call
up
transitive verb

1.  See
draft

2.  summon:
to summon somebody who or something that is available in reserve • The
governor called up the National Guard.

3.  COMPUTING display
on computer screen: to instruct a computer to
find and display a particular piece of information • call
up last month’s sales figures

4.  evoke:
to bring back memories of something

[1]



callupon

callupon
call
upon
transitive verb

1.  ask
formally:
to ask somebody in a formal way to do something

2.  make
demands on:
to make demands on somebody or on somebody’s abilities

[1]



callus

callus
cal·lus 
[kálləss] (plural cal·lus·es) noun

1.  patch
of thickened skin: a hard thickened area of
skin, especially on the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot, caused by
repeated pressure or friction

2.  MEDICINE mass
formed in healing bone: a mass of fibrous tissue,
calcium, cartilage, and bone that forms progressively during the healing of a
bone fracture

3.  BOTANY plant
tissue:
plant tissue that forms at the site of a wound, or that develops during tissue
culture of plant parts, giving rise to new plantlets
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “hard” that is also the
ancestor of English Excalibur .][1]



calm

calm
calm 
[kaam] adjective (comparative calm·er,
superlative calm·est)

1.  not
anxious:
without anxiety or strong emotion

2.  not
windy:
without wind or storms

3.  at
lowest point of Beaufort scale: relating to or having
a wind speed of not more than 1.6 km1 mi per hour

4.  not
stormy:
smooth and without any large waves • smooth
sailing on calm seas
noun

1.  peace
and quiet:
a situation of complete peace and quiet, with no noise, trouble, or anxiety

2.  absence
of wind:
still weather, without wind or waves caused by wind
transitive
verb
(past calmed, past participle calmed, present
participle calm·ing, 3rd person present singular calms)

make less tense:
to make somebody less anxious or upset
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via French calme or directly from
late Latin cauma from Greek kauma “heat of the day.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  calm, unruffled, serene, peaceful,
  tranquil, placid, composed,
  still
  CORE
  MEANING: free
  from agitation or disturbance calm;
  the most general term; unruffled;
  an informal term for “calm”; serene;
  a term describing a state of total calmness, often with a spiritual or
  philosophical quality; peaceful;
  quiet and undisturbed; tranquil; a
  slightly formal or literary term suggesting a lasting calmness; placid; a term suggesting that somebody is
  not temperamentally excitable; still;
  calm by an effort of will; composed;
  a term suggesting an absence of movement and noise

[1]



calmative

calmative
calm·a·tive 
[kmətiv, kálmətiv]
adjective

calming:
having a calming or quieting effect
noun
(plural calm·a·tives)

calming drug:
a drug or treatment that has a calming or quieting effect[1]



calmdown

calmdown
calm
down
intransitive and transitive verb

become or make somebody less
tense: to become or make somebody
become less excited, anxious, or upset[1]



calmly

calmly
calm·ly
adverb

unemotionally:
in a relaxed, unemotional way without any excitement or anxiety • She
took the bad news calmly enough.[1]



calmness

calmness
calm·ness
[kmnəs] noun

stillness and tranquility,
without wind • the
exceptional calmness of the weather[1]



calmodulin

calmodulin
cal·mod·u·lin 
[kal mójjəlin] noun

cell
protein:
a protein found in the cells of most living organisms that plays a crucial role
in maintaining stable calcium concentration in the cell cytoplasm
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of calcium + modulate + -in
.][1]



calomel

calomel
cal·o·mel 
[kállə mèl, kálləmèl]
noun

fungicide
and insecticide: a white or colorless tasteless compound
used as a fungicide and insecticide and, formerly, in medicine as a purgative.
Hg2Cl2
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin, of uncertain origin: probably formed from Greek kalos
“beautiful” + melas “black.”][1]



caloric

caloric
ca·lor·ic 
[kə láwrik] adjective

relating
to calories: relating to calories or heat transfer
—ca·lor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



calorie

calorie
cal·o·rie 
[kálləree] (plural cal·o·ries)
noun

1.  unit
of energy:
a unit of energy equal to 4.1855 joules, originally defined as the quantity of
heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure water by 1º C. It has now
been superseded by the joule in scientific usage.
Also
called
gram calorie
Also
called
small calorie

2.  larger
unit of energy: a unit of energy equal to the heat
required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of pure water by 1º C.
Also
called
kilocalorie
Also
called
large calorie

3.  unit
of food energy: a unit of energy-producing potential in
food, equal to one large calorie
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from Latin calor “heat,” from calere “to be warm
or hot.”][1]



calorific

calorific
cal·o·rif·ic 
[kàllə ríffik] adjective

of heat:
relating to or generating heat or calories[1]



calorificvalue

calorificvalue
cal·o·rif·ic
val·ue
(plural cal·o·rif·ic val·ues) noun

amount of heat generated by
combustion: the amount of heat released
by the combustion of a specified mass of fuel[1]



calorimeter

calorimeter
cal·o·rim·e·ter 
[kàllə rímmitər] (plural cal·o·rim·e·ters)
noun

heat-measuring
device:
an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat given out or taken in during a
process such as combustion or change of state. The measurements are often made
by observing the amount of solid liquefied, or liquid vaporized, under set
conditions.
—ca·lor·i·met·ric
[kàlləri méttrik, kə
làwrə méttrik], adjective

—ca·lor·i·met·ri·cal·ly
[kàlləri méttrikəlee], adverb

—cal·o·rim·e·try [kàllə rímmətree], noun[1]



calorize

calorize
cal·o·rize 
[kállə rz] (past cal·o·rized,
past participle cal·o·rized, present participle cal·o·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular cal·o·riz·es) verb

treat
steel to prevent rusting: to treat the surface of
steel or iron with aluminum powder and heat to 800–1,000º C to prevent or
reduce rusting
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin calor “heat” (source of English calorie
).][1]



calotype

calotype
ca·lo·type 
[kállə tp] (plural ca·lo·types)
noun

1.  early
photographic process: a 19th-century photographic
process producing a negative on a plate that was wetted with silver iodide

2.  early
photograph:
a photograph produced by the calotype process
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kalos “beautiful” + -type .][1]



calque

calque
calque 
[kalk] noun

See
loan translation
[Mid-20th century. Via
French, “copy,” from, ultimately, Latin calcare “to tread” (see calk 1 ).][1]



caltrop

caltrop
cal·trop 
[káltrəp, káwltrəp]
(plural cal·trops) noun

1.  (plural
cal·trops or cal·trop) spiny
plant:
a spiny European plant formally naturalized in California as a serious weed,
harmful to livestock. Latin name: Tribulus terrestris

2.  See
water chestnut

3.  See
star thistle

4.  MILITARY spikes
to catch hooves or tires: a military device with four
spikes arranged so that one will always point upward, scattered on the ground
to lame horses or puncture tires
[Pre-12th century. Variant of
obsolete calcatrippe “thistle,” from medieval Latin calcatrippa,
of uncertain origin: probably formed from Latin calcare “to tread” (see calk 1 ).][1]



calumet

calumet
cal·u·met 
[kállyə mèt, kállyəmət]
(plural cal·u·mets) noun

ceremonial
pipe:
a long-stemmed ceremonial pipe used by some Native American peoples
[Late 17th century. Via
French, “pipe,” a dialect variant of chalumeau, from, ultimately, Latin calamus
“reed.”][1]



CalumetCity

CalumetCity
Cal·u·met
Cit·y

city in northeastern
Illinois, situated 32 km/20 mi south of Chicago, on the Illinois-Indiana
border. Population: 37,242 (1996)[1]



calumniate

calumniate
ca·lum·ni·ate 
[kə lúmnee àyt] (past ca·lum·ni·at·ed,
past participle ca·lum·ni·at·ed, present participle ca·lum·ni·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·lum·ni·ates) transitive verb

falsely
accuse:
to accuse somebody falsely or slander somebody (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Via the Latin stem calumniat- from, ultimately, calumnia
“false accusation” (see calumny ).]
—ca·lum·ni·a·ble,
adjective

—ca·lum·ni·a·tion,
noun

—ca·lum·ni·a·tor, noun[1]



calumny

calumny
cal·um·ny 
[kálləmnee] (plural cal·um·nies)
noun (formal)

1.  defamation:
the making of false statements about somebody with malicious intent

2.  defamatory
statement:
a slanderous statement or false accusation
[15th
century. From Latin calumnia “false accusation” (also the source of
English challenge ), from calvi
“to deceive.”]
—ca·lum·ni·ous
[kə lúmnee əss], adjective

—ca·lum·ni·ous·ly [kə lúmni əsslee], adverb[1]



calvados

calvados
cal·va·dos 
[kàlvə dṓss, kálvə
dss] (plural cal·va·dos·es) noun

apple
brandy:
apple brandy distilled from cider, made in the Normandy Region of France
[Early 20th century. Named
for Calvados, a department of Normandy, France, where the drink is
made.][1]



calvarium

calvarium
cal·var·i·um 
[kal váiree əm] (plural cal·var·i·a
[kal váiree ə]) noun

the
upper domed portion of the skull (technical)
Also
called
skullcap
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of Latin calvaria “skull” from, ultimately, calvus
“bald.”][1]



calvary

calvary
cal·va·ry
[kálvəree] (plural cal·va·ries)
noun

1.  a
time of great suffering (literary)

2.  sculpture
of crucifixion: a sculpture representing Jesus Christ’s
crucifixion

[1]



Calvary

Calvary
Cal·va·ry 
[kálvəree, kálvree]
noun

site
of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion: the hill just outside
the city walls of ancient Jerusalem where the crucifixion of Jesus Christ took
place.
Also
called
Golgotha
[Pre-12th century. Formed
from Latin calvaria “skull” (see calvarium
), a translation of Greek golgotha, from Aramaic gōgolā ; so
called from the shape of the hill.][1]



Calvarycross

Calvarycross

Cal·va·ry cross
noun
cross with steps below:
a Christian cross mounted on three symmetrical steps[1]



calve

calve
calve 
[kav, kaav]
(past calved, past participle calved, present
participle calv·ing, 3rd person present singular calves)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  ZOOLOGY give
birth to calf: to give birth to a calf

2.  GEOGRAPHY split:
to release a mass of ice that breaks away
[Old English calfian .
Formed from cælf “calf.”][1]



Calvert,Cecelius

Calvert,Cecelius
Cal·vert
[kálvərt], Cecelius, 2nd Baron Baltimore
(1605–1675)

British-born U.S. colonial
administrator. He inherited Maryland (1632), settled the colony, and
implemented the policies written into its charter.[1]



Calvert,Charles

Calvert,Charles
Cal·vert
[kálvərt], Charles, 3rd Baron Baltimore
(1637–1715)

British-born U.S. colonial
administrator. He governed the Maryland colony (1661–1689).[1]



Calvert,George

Calvert,George
Cal·vert
[kálvərt], George, 1st Baron Baltimore
(1580?–1632)

British-born U.S. absentee
colonial administrator. He governed present-day Maryland (1632) and advocated
religious tolerance.[1]



calves

calves
calves


Plural of
calf 1 Plural
of calf 2[1]



Calvincycle

Calvincycle
Cal·vin
cy·cle
noun

series
of reactions in photosynthesis: a series of chemical
reactions, occurring in all photosynthesizing plants, by which carbon dioxide
is converted to glucose
[Named for Melvin Calvin
( 1911–1997 ), U.S. chemist who discovered it][1]



Calvinism

Calvinism
Cal·vin·ism 
[kálvi nìzzəm] noun

doctrine
of faith and predestination: the religious doctrine of
John Calvin, which emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in God, and
also that God has already chosen those who will believe and be saved
—Cal·vin·ist,
noun, adjective

—Cal·vin·is·ti·cal·ly
[kàlvi nístiklee], adverb[1]



Calvin,John

Calvin,John

Cal·vin 
[kálvin], John (1509–1564)
French-born Swiss Protestant reformer. He
founded a Presbyterian government in Switzerland and developed the doctrine of
the Protestant Reformation in Institutes of the Christian Religion
(1536).[1]



calvities

calvities
cal·vi·ties
[kal víshee z, kal
víshiz] noun

baldness:
baldness (technical)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, formed from calvus “bald.”][1]



Calvo,Carlos

Calvo,Carlos
Cal·vo
[kálvō, klvō],
Carlos (1824–1906)

Argentine statesman and
lawyer. He formulated the Calvo Doctrine (1869), which set new guidelines
regarding national debt.[1]



calx

calx
calx 
[kalks] (plural calx·es or
cal·ces [kál sz]) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY metal
oxide:
the powdery oxide of a metal formed when an ore or a mineral is roasted

2.  ANATOMY back
of heel:
the rounded part at the back of the heel
[15th century. From Latin,
“lime, limestone” (source of English calcium
and chalk ), from Greek khalix
“pebble.”][1]



calyces

calyces
ca·ly·ces


Plural of
calyx[1]



calyculus

calyculus
ca·lyc·u·lus 
[kə líkyələss] (plural ca·lyc·u·li
[kə líkyə l]) or ca·ly·cle [káylik’l, kállik’l]
(plural ca·ly·cles) or cal·i·cle [káylik’l, kállik’l]
(plural cal·i·cles) noun

small
cup-shaped structure: a small cup-shaped
structure, for example, the depression at the top of a coral skeleton
[Late
19th century. From Latin, “calyx of a flower,” a diminutive of calyx
“husk” (see calyx ).]
—ca·lyc·u·lar,
adjective

—ca·lyc·u·late [kə líkyə làyt, kə líkyələt],
adjective[1]



Calydonianboar

Calydonianboar
Ca·ly·do·ni·an
boar 
[kalli dnee ən báwr] noun

wild boar of Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, a gigantic wild boar sent by the goddess Artemis to destroy
the city of Calydon, that is killed by Meleager, the son of the city’s king[1]



calypso

calypso
ca·lyp·so 
[kə lípsō] (plural ca·lyp·sos)
noun

1.  Caribbean
song:
a Caribbean, especially Trinidadian, ballad with a lively dance rhythm, that
deals satirically with social and political topics

2.  Caribbean
dance music: Caribbean dance music that has
syncopated rhythms, is usually improvised, and is often played by a steel band
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Calypso

Calypso2
Ca·lyp·so2 [kə
lípso] noun

a small moon of Saturn:
a small irregularly-shaped natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980[1]



Calypso

Calypso1
Ca·lyp·so1 [kə
lípsō] noun

Greek nymph:
in Greek mythology, a nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years[1]



calyx

calyx
ca·lyx 
[káyliks, kálliks]
(plural ca·lyx·es or cal·y·ces [káyli sz]) noun

1.  flower
sepals:
the group of sepals, usually green, around the outside of a flower that
encloses and protects the flower bud

2.  ANATOMY part
of kidney:
one of the funnel-shaped hollows in the pelvis of the kidney, through which
urine passes to the ureter.
Also
called
calix
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek kalux “husk, shell,” from kaluptein “to conceal.”][1]



calzone

calzone
cal·zo·ne 
[kal zṓnee] (plural cal·zo·nes
[kal zṓneez] or cal·zo·ni [kal zṓnee]) noun

Italian
turnover:
a semicircular Italian turnover made from pizza dough with a savory filling
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, literally “trouser leg” from, ultimately, Latin calceus “shoe,”
from calx “heel.”][1]



CAM

CAM
CAM
[kam]

Abbreviation of
computer-aided manufacturing[1]



cam

cam
cam 
[kam] (plural cams) noun

machine
part that transfers motion: an irregularly-shaped
projection on a rotating shaft that changes rotary motion into a reciprocating
up-and-down motion in another machine part ( cam follower ) that touches it
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch kam “comb.”][1]



CamagüeyArchipelago

CamagüeyArchipelago
Ca·ma·güey
Ar·chi·pel·a·go [kámmə gwày ]

group of coral islands
situated off east central Cuba, including the islands of Romano, Sabinal, and
Coco, and extending approximately 241 km/150 mi from northwest to southeast[1]



camaraderie

camaraderie
ca·ma·ra·der·ie 
[kmə rdəree, kàmmə
ráddəree] noun

friendship:
a feeling of close friendship and trust among a particular group of people
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from camarade “comrade” (see comrade
).][1]



camarilla

camarilla
cam·a·ril·la 
[kàmmə ríllə, kàmmə
ryə] (plural cam·a·ril·las) noun

group
of advisers: a group of advisers, especially a
secretive group advising an important person
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “small room,” formed from camara “room.”][1]



Camarillo

Camarillo
Cam·a·ril·lo 
[kàmmə ríllō]

city in southwestern
California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Los Angeles. Population:
57,090 (1996)[1]



camas

camas
cam·as
[kámməss] (plural ca·mass·es or
cam·as) or cam·ass [kámməss]
(plural ca·mass·es or cam·ass) noun

1.  plant
with edible bulb: a North American plant with grassy
leaves, a cluster of blue and white flowers, and an edible bulb. Latin name: Camassia
quamash
Also
called
quamash
Also
called
camassia

2.  See
death camas
[Early 19th century. From
Chinook Jargon qamaš .][1]



camber

camber
cam·ber 
[kámbər] noun (plural cam·bers)

1.  upward
curve in road: a slight upward curve in a structure,
especially the curve in the surface of a road

2.  slant
of vehicle’s wheels: a slant in the steerable
wheels on a vehicle that makes them slightly closer together at the bottom than
at the top
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cam·bered,
past participle cam·bered, present participle cam·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular cam·bers)

make curved shape:
to form something or be formed with a camber
[Early
17th century. Via French cambre “arched” from Latin camur “curved
inwards,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Greek kamara “vault.”]
—cam·bered, adjective[1]



cambist

cambist
cam·bist 
[kámbist] (plural cam·bists) noun

foreign
exchange dealer: a dealer in foreign exchange
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Italian cambista, from medieval Latin cambium
“exchange” (see cambium ).][1]



cambium

cambium
cam·bi·um 
[kámbee əm] (plural cam·bi·ums
or cam·b·ia [kámbee ə]) noun

plant
tissue:
a cylindrical layer of cells in plant roots and stems that produces the new
tissue responsible for increased girth, particularly sap-conducting tissues,
xylem and phloem, and bark
[Late
17th century. From medieval Latin cambium “exchange,” from Latin cambire
“to exchange” (source of English change
).]
—cam·bi·al, adjective[1]



Cambodia

Cambodia



Cam·bo·di·a
[kam bṓdee ə]
republic in southeastern Asia, in the
southern part of Indochina, bordered by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf
of Thailand. Language: Khmer and French. Currency: riel. Capital: Phnom Penh.
Population: 11,163,861 (1997) Area: 181,035 sq km/69,898 sq mi. Official
name Kingdom of Cambodia Former name Khmer
Republic Former name Kampuchea[1]



Cambodia




Back to definition

Cambodia

[1]



Cambodian

Cambodian
Cam·bo·di·an
[kam bṓdee ən] noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Cambodia: somebody who was born in or who lives in
Cambodia

2.  LANGUAGE Khmer:
the Khmer language (dated)
—Cam·bo·di·an, adjective[1]



cambogia

cambogia
cam·bo·gia 
[kam bṓjə] noun

See
gamboge[1]



Cambrian

Cambrian
Cam·bri·an 
[kámbree ən] (plural Cam·bri·ans)
adjective

1.  relating
to prehistoric era: relating to the earliest
part of the Paleozoic era, in which invertebrate animal life, including
trilobites, appeared, and marine algae developed

2.  Welsh:
relating to or from Wales
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Cambria “Wales,” from Welsh Cymry .][1]



cambric

cambric
cam·bric 
[káymbrik] (plural cam·brics) noun

thin
cotton fabric: a thin white linen or cotton fabric
[14th century. Named for Kamerijk
“Cambrai,” where the fabric was originally made.][1]



cambrictea

cambrictea
cam·bric
tea
noun

weak, milky tea:
a hot drink of very weak, sweet tea, made with a lot of milk. Cambric tea is
typically a children’s drink.[1]



Cambridge

Cambridge
Cam·bridge 
[káym brìj]

1.  university
city in eastern England. It lies on the Cam River, and is the administrative
headquarters of Cambridgeshire and a local government district. Population:
city, 95,682 (1991) Population: district, 114,800 (1995)

2.  city
in Massachusetts. It is home to Harvard University, Radcliffe College, and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Population: 93,707 (1996)

[1]



CambysesI

CambysesI
Cam·by·ses
I 
[kam b sz] (lived 6th century BC)

Persian king. The son of
Cyrus, he reigned as king of the Achaemenid dynasty around 600–559 BC.[1]



CambysesII

CambysesII
Cam·by·ses
II 
[kam b sz]

Persian king. He reigned from
529 BC to 522 BC, and conquered Egypt (525 BC ) to expand the Persian Empire.[1]



camcorder

camcorder
cam·cord·er 
[kám kàwrdər] (plural cam·cord·ers)
noun

portable
video camera: a portable video camera and recorder
[Late 20th century. A blend
of camera + recorder
.][1]



Camden

Camden
Cam·den 
[kámdən]

1.  city
and port in southwestern New Jersey, on the eastern bank of the Delaware River.
Population: 84,844 (1996)

2.  borough
in North London, England. Population: 184,900 (1995)

[1]



came

came
came

Past tense of
come[1]



camel

camel


cam·el 
[kámm’l] noun (plural cam·els)

1.  (plural
cam·els or cam·el) desert
animal:
a ruminant animal of southern Eurasia that has either one or two humps on its
back and is adapted to an arid climate. The Arabian camel or dromedary has one
hump, the Bactrian camel has two. Genus: Camelus

2.  See
caisson
adjective

COLORS light
brown:
a light sandy brown
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin.][1]



camelback

camelback
cam·el·back 
[kámm’l bàk] (plural cam·el·backs)
adjective

arched:
shaped like an arch or a camel’s hump[1]



cameleer

cameleer
cam·el·eer 
[kàmm’l r] (plural cam·el·eers)
noun

camel-driver:
somebody who controls or rides a camel (dated)[1]



camelhair

camelhair
cam·el
hair
(plural cam·el hairs) or cam·el’s hair (plural
cam·el’s hairs) noun

1.  hair
of camel:
hair from the camel, used in making clothing and rugs

2.  TEXTILES fabric:
soft fabric containing camel hair or a similar fiber, often used for making
coats

3.  PAINTING paintbrush:
a paintbrush used primarily for watercolors, normally made of squirrel hair

[1]



camelid

camelid
cam·e·lid
[kámm’lid, kə
méllid] (plural cam·e·lids) noun

member of camel and llama
family: a member of the family that
includes camels, llamas, and their relatives, all of which have feet with two
toes and thick leathery soles. Family: Camelidae[1]



camellia

camellia

ca·mel·lia 
[kə mlyə, kə
mlee ə] (plural ca·mel·lias or ca·mel·lia) noun

1.  shrub
with rose-shaped flowers: a shrub of the tea family,
often grown as an ornamental for its glossy evergreen leaves and rose-shaped
flowers. Latin name: Camellia japonica
Also
called
japonica

2.  tree
or shrub resembling camellia: any tree or shrub of the tea
family that resembles the camellia. Genus: Camellia
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Camellus, the Latinized name of Joseph Kamel
( 1661–1706 ), Moravian Jesuit missionary and botanist who first described the
plant.][1]



camelopard

camelopard
ca·mel·o·pard 
[kə méllə prd] (plural ca·mel·o·pards)
noun

1.  giraffe:
a giraffe (archaic) See giraffe

2.  ASTRONOMY See Camelopardalis
[14th century. Formed from
Latin from Greek kamēlopardalis, from kamēlos “camel” + pardalis
“pard” (as the animal has a camel-like head with spots like a leopard).][1]



Camelopardalis

Camelopardalis
Ca·mel·o·par·da·lis 
[kə mèllə prd’liss, kə mèllō prd’liss] or Ca·mel·o·par·dus [kə mèllə prdəss] noun

constellation:
a large and faint constellation in the northern hemisphere, known as the
Giraffe.
Also
called
camelopard
[From Latin (see camelopard )][1]



Camelot

Camelot
Cam·e·lot 
[kámmə lòt] noun

1.  Arthurian
city:
the legendary city of King Arthur

2.  idealized
place or situation: a place or situation
regarded as very enlightened, cultured, beautiful, and peaceful





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Camelot, the 1960 musical by Alan
  Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, takes its title from the site of King
  Arthur’s legendary sixth-century English court, and its tragic yet lavishly
  produced story centers on Arthur, his queen, Guinevere, and Lancelot. The
  word “Camelot” soon came to be associated in the U.S. public mind with the
  youthful stylishness, sophistication, and optimism of the John F. Kennedy
  administration ( 1961-1963 ), chiefly because the musical’s popularity
  coincided in time with the period of John and Jacqueline Kennedy’s occupation
  of the White House. Further, the media reported that the First Couple enjoyed
  listening to recordings of this musical. As a result “Camelot” eventually
  took on the generic meaning of “a period, time, or place regarded as idyllic,
  peaceful, idealistic, youthful, enlightened, and optimistic.” And so the
  mythology enveloping a sixth-century English king was conferred via the
  theater and politics to the grandson of Irish immigrants - a 20th-century
  U.S. president - whose “one brief shining moment” was cut short by
  assassination on November 22, 1963.

[1]



camel’shair

camel’shair
cam·el’s
hair 
noun

See
camel hair[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Camembert

Camembert
Cam·em·bert 
[kámməm bàir] (plural Cam·em·berts)
noun

soft
cheese:
a small round soft French cheese with an edible white rind that becomes more
intense in flavor and softer in the center as it ripens
[Late 19th century. Named for
Camembert, a town in Normandy, France, where the cheese was first made.][1]



cameo

cameo

cam·e·o 
[kámmi ] (plural cam·e·os) noun

1.  carved
stone:
a semiprecious stone carved to give a raised design in one color against a
background of another, especially a pale head against a darker background

2.  brief
appearance by famous actor: a single brief appearance by
a distinguished actor in a movie or play
[15th century. From Italian,
of unknown origin.][1]



cameoware

cameoware
cam·e·o
ware
noun

chinaware with relief
figures: chinaware that has pale
figures in relief on a colored background[1]



camera

camera
cam·er·a 
[kámmərə, kámmrə]
(plural cam·er·as) noun

1.  device
for taking photographs: a device for taking
photographs by letting light from an image fall briefly onto sensitized film,
usually by means of a lens and shutter mechanism.
See
also
movie camera

2.  device
for making pictures: a device that converts
images into electrical signals for television transmission, video recording, or
digital storage
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin, “vault” (source of English chamber
), from Greek kamara .][1]



cameralucida

cameralucida
cam·er·a
lu·ci·da 
[kàmmərə lssidə, kàmmrə
lssidə] (plural cam·er·a lu·ci·das) noun

device
for projecting image: a box or chamber that allows
images to be projected onto a surface so they can be traced
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “bright chamber.”][1]



cameraman

cameraman
cam·er·a·man 
[kámmrə màn, kámmərə
màn, kámmrəmən] (plural cam·er·a·men
[kámmrə mèn, kámmrəmən])
noun

camera operator:
somebody who operates a movie or television camera, especially, but not always,
a man[1]



cameraobscura

cameraobscura
cam·er·a
ob·scu·ra 
[kàmmərə əb skyrə, kàmmərə
ob skyrə] (plural cam·er·a ob·scu·ras) noun

room
for projecting images from outside: a box
or small darkened room into which an image of what is outside is projected
using a small hole, and sometimes a simple lens, in one of the sides of the box
or room
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “dark chamber,” because the room is darkened.][1]



cameraperson

cameraperson
cam·er·a·per·son 
[kámmrə pùrs’n, kámmərə
pùrs’n] (plural cam·er·a·per·sons) noun

camera operator:
somebody who operates a movie or television camera[1]



camera-ready

camera-ready
cam·er·a-read·y 
adjective

ready for printing:
used to describe or relating to material in its final publishable format, ready
to be photographed or electronically scanned for the purpose of preparing
printing plates[1]



camera-shy

camera-shy
cam·er·a-shy
adjective

shunning photographers:
with a dislike of being photographed or filmed[1]



camerawoman

camerawoman
cam·er·a·wo·man 
[kámmrə wmmən, kámmərə
wmmən] (plural cam·er·a·wo·men [kámmrə
wìmmin]) noun

woman camera operator:
a woman who operates a movie or television camera[1]



camerawork

camerawork
cam·er·a·work
[kámmrə wùrk, kámmərə
wùrk] noun

use of cameras:
the ways in which cameras are used in movies and television, especially their
positioning and movement[1]



camerlingo

camerlingo
cam·er·lin·go 
[kàmmər líng gō] (plural cam·er·lin·gos)
or cam·er·len·go [kàmmər léng gō]
(plural cam·er·len·gos) noun

cardinal
administering secular matters: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a cardinal who deals with the pope’s financial and other secular
affairs
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from a Frankish word that is also the source of English chamberlain .][1]



Cameroon

Cameroon1



Cam·e·roon1  [kàmmə rn]
country in west central Africa. It became
a German protectorate in 1884. After World War I it was divided into French and
British Cameroon. French Cameroon became independent in 1960. In 1961, part of
British Cameroon joined Nigeria, while the rest joined French Cameroon in a
federal republic. Cameroon became a unitary state in 1972. Language: French.
Language: English. Currency: CFA franc. Capital: Yaoundé. Population:
14,611,357 (1997) Area: 475,442 sq km/183,569 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Cameroon[1]



Cameroon

Cameroon2
Cam·e·roon2 [kàmmə
rn]

active volcano in
southwestern Cameroon that had a major eruption in 1982. It is also the highest
mountain in West Africa. Height: 4,095 m/13,435 ft.[1]



Cameroon




Back to definition

Cameroon1

[1]



cami

cami
cam·i 
[kámmee] (plural camis) noun

camisole:
a camisole (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



camiknickers

camiknickers
cam·i·knick·ers
[kámmi nìkərz] plural noun

loose knickers:
loose knee-length knickers for women, usually made of silky fabric and
decorated with ruffles[1]



camisado

camisado
cam·i·sa·do 
[kàmmə sáydō, kàmmə
sdō] (plural cam·i·sa·does) noun

surprise
attack:
a surprise attack at night
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish camisada, literally “attack in your shirt” (because attackers
wore shirts over their armor in order to recognize each other), from camisa
“shirt.”][1]



camise

camise
ca·mise 
[kə mz, kə mss]
(plural ca·mises) noun

shirt:
a style of loose shirt or tunic worn in former times
[Early 19th century. Via
Arabic amīṣ from, perhaps, late Latin camisia “linen shirt,
nightgown” (source of English camisole
and chemise ).][1]



camisole

camisole
cam·i·sole 
[kámmi sl] (plural cam·i·soles)
noun

1.  woman’s
top garment: a woman’s sleeveless top with thin
shoulder straps and a straight neckline • a
camisole top

2.  woman’s
undergarment: a woman’s sleeveless undergarment
covering the upper torso
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, late Latin camisia “linen shirt, nightgown”
(source of English chemise ).][1]



Camlan

Camlan
Cam·lan 
[kámlən] noun

Arthurian battlefield:
in Arthurian legend, the battlefield in southwestern England where King Arthur
was mortally wounded by his traitorous nephew Mordred before being carried away
to Avalon[1]



camlet

camlet
cam·let 
[kámlət] (plural cam·lets) noun

1.  TEXTILES medieval
cloth:
a luxurious cloth of Asian origin used in the Middle Ages. It was a blend of
goat’s hair and silk, possibly originally camel hair and silk.

2.  CLOTHES garment
made from camlet: a piece of clothing made from camlet
[14th century. Via Old French
chamelot from, ultimately, Arabic amla(t) “nap, pile, fibers,”
and popularly associated with camel, hence
the possibly erroneous belief that the cloth was made from camel hair.][1]



camo

camo
cam·o 
[kámmō] noun

camouflage:
camouflage clothes or material used by military personnel (slang)
[Shortening of camouflage][1]



camogie

camogie
cam·o·gie 
[kə mṓgee] noun

women’s
hurling:
an Irish stick-and-ball game that is a form of hurling played by women. Camogie
was developed in 1900 by women in Dublin, Ireland, and the game has become
increasingly popular with more than 400 clubs affiliated with the Camogie
League.
[Early 20th century. From
Irish Gaelic camógaíocht, from camóg “crooked stick.”][1]



camomile

camomile
cam·o·mile 
noun

See
chamomile[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








camoodi

camoodi
ca·moo·di
[kə mdee] (plural ca·moo·dis)
noun

See
anaconda
[Early 19th century. From
Arawak kamudu .][1]



Camorra

Camorra
Ca·mor·ra 
[kə máwrə] noun

secret
criminal Italian society: a secret society formed in
Italy in the early 1800s that was involved in criminal and terrorist
activities. The Camorra allied itself with Garibaldi and helped to eject the
ruling Bourbons, then declined in the early 20th century and was suppressed in
1922 by Mussolini’s Fascist government.
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian from, possibly, Spanish camorra “dispute.”][1]



camouflage

camouflage
cam·ou·flage 
[kámmə flzh, kámmə
flj] noun

1.  concealing
of things:
the concealing of things, especially troops and military equipment, by
disguising them to look like their surroundings, for example, by covering them
with branches or leaf-clad netting

2.  concealing
devices:
devices designed to conceal by imitating the colors and textures of the
surrounding environment, for example, battle dress made from fabric in
irregular patches of browns and greens • a
camouflage jacket

3.  protective
coloration in animals: the devices that animals use
to blend into their environment in order to avoid being seen by predators or
prey, especially coloration

4.  disguise:
something that is intended to hide, disguise, or mislead
transitive
verb
(past cam·ou·flaged, past participle cam·ou·flaged,
present participle cam·ou·flag·ing, 3rd person present
singular cam·ou·flag·es)

1.  hide
something:
to conceal something by making it match its surroundings, especially in
appearance

2.  disguise
something:
to disguise something in order to mislead somebody, often somebody perceived as
a threat
[Early
20th century. From French, from camoufler “to disguise,” from Italian camuffare
“to disguise, deceive.”]
—cam·ou·flag·er, noun[1]



camp

camp1
camp1 [kamp]
noun (plural camps)

1.  place
with removable accommodations: a place where
short-term accommodations have been temporarily erected or sited, in the form,
for example, of tents or camper vehicles for vacationers

2.  place
for temporary stay: a set of buildings where
people are housed temporarily, for example, as prisoners, refugees, or troops

3.  rustic
shack:
a small, very rustic house in an isolated place, used for weekend fishing or
hunting trips (regional) • a
fishing camp on one of the Great Lakes

4.  group:
a group of people who share the same ideas, beliefs, or aims, or who form one
of the sides in a debate • the
President’s camp • members
of the environmentalist camp
intransitive
verb
(past camped, past participle camped, present participle
camp·ing, 3rd person present singular camps)

1.  stay
temporarily: to stay in temporary accommodations,
especially in a tent • We
camped by a stream.

2.  take
temporary position: to take up a temporary
position somewhere, for example, as a protester or in alternative
accommodations • We will camp on his
doorstep until we get some action.
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin campus “level field, site for military
exercises or sports” (source of English campagna, campaign, champaign,
and champion ).][1]



camp

camp2
camp2 [kamp]
adjective (comparative camp·er, superlative campest)

1.  affecting
conventional femininity: exaggeratedly or affectedly
feminine, especially in a man

2.  amusingly
brash:
deliberately and exaggeratedly brash or vulgar in an amusing, often
self-parodying way
noun

1.  affecting
conventional femininity: exaggeratedly or affectedly
feminine behavior, especially in men

2.  deliberate
outrageousness: deliberate outrageousness for humorous
effect • The
performance is high camp.
intransitive
verb
(past camped, past participle camped, present
participle camp·ing, 3rd person present singular camps)

behave in camp way:
to behave in an outrageously exaggerated, dramatic, or conventionally feminine
way
[Early
20th century. Origin unknown, though derivation from French camper “to
pose” or English dialect kemp “uncouth” has been suggested.]
camp
it up

1.  to
behave in a deliberately outrageous way for humorous effect (informal)

2.  to
behave in an exaggeratedly or affectedly feminine way, especially as a
flaunting of male gayness (informal)

3.  to
overact in a stage or musical production (informal)

[1]



campaign

campaign
cam·paign 
[kam páyn] noun (plural cam·paigns)

1.  planned
actions:
a planned and organized series of actions intended to achieve a specific goal,
especially fighting for or against something or raising people’s awareness of
something • a
national TV advertising campaign

2.  POLITICS vote-seeking
activities:
a series of events, including rallies and speeches, that are intended to
persuade voters to vote for a particular politician or party • kept
her campaign promises to the electorate • ran
an expensive nationwide campaign

3.  MILITARY military
operations:
a series of military or terrorist operations taking place in one area over a
particular period, intended to achieve a specific objective
intransitive
verb
(past cam·paigned, past participle cam·paigned, present
participle cam·paign·ing, 3rd person present singular cam·paigns)

1.  participate
in campaign: to take part in a campaign to achieve a
specific aim • parents
campaigning to get the school re-opened

2.  participate
in political campaign: to take part in a political
campaign • We
campaigned particularly strongly in the south.
[Early 17th century. Via
French campagne “open country” from, ultimately, Latin campus
“field” (source of English camp );
the modern sense “military operations” derives from the fighting of battles in
open countryside.][1]



campaigner

campaigner
cam·paign·er
[kam páynər] (plural cam·paign·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who campaigns: somebody involved in a campaign for
social or political change • human
rights campaigners

2.  POLITICS politician
or political worker: a politician working to be
elected, or a worker in an election campaign

3.  veteran:
somebody with experience of many conflicts or struggles • They
left the floor debate to their most seasoned campaigner.

[1]



campanile

campanile

cam·pa·ni·le 
[kàmpə nlee] (plural cam·pa·ni·les
or cam·pa·ni·li) noun
bell
tower:
a bell tower, especially a freestanding bell tower of the kind found in Italy
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian campanile, from campana “bell,” from late Latin campana
(see campanology ).][1]



campanology

campanology
cam·pa·nol·o·gy 
[kàmpə nólləjee] noun

bell-ringing:
the study or practice of bell ringing
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin campanologia, from late Latin campana
“bell” (source of English campanile
), from Latin campanus “of Campania” (southern Italy), a former source
of bronze for making bells.]
—cam·pa·nol·o·gist [kàmpə nólləjist], noun[1]



campanula

campanula
cam·pan·u·la 
[kam pánnyələ] (plural cam·pan·u·las)
noun

plant
with bell-shaped flowers: an annual or perennial
plant, native to northern temperate regions, that bears bell-shaped blue,
white, or pink flowers. Some species are widely grown as garden plants. Genus: Campanula

Also
called
bellflower
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “little bell,” from late Latin campana (see campanology ).][1]



campbed

campbed
camp
bed
(plural camp beds) noun

See
cot[1]



Campbell

Campbell
Camp·bell 
[kámb’l]

city in western California,
southeast of San Francisco and southwest of San Jose. Population: 38,380 (1996)[1]



Campbell,Wilfred

Campbell,Wilfred
Camp·bell 
[kámb’l], Wilfred (1858?–1918)

Canadian writer. His works
include the poetry collection Lake Lyrics ( 1889 ) and the novel Ian
of the Orcades ( 1906 ).[1]



Campbell,William Wallace

Campbell,William Wallace
Camp·bell 
[kámb’l], William Wallace (1862–1938)

U.S. astronomer. He was a
pioneer in using spectroscopy to determine the velocity of stars. His published
works include Stellar Motions ( 1913 ).[1]



Campeche

Campeche
Cam·pe·che
[kam pchee]

capital of Campeche state, on
the western coast of the Yucatan peninsula in southeastern Mexico. Population:
172,200 (1990)[1]



camper

camper
camp·er 
[kámpər] (plural camp·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who camps:
somebody who goes camping • accessories
for campers and hikers

2.  recreational
vehicle:
a motor vehicle equipped as a self-contained traveling home, smaller than a
motor home. It has basic facilities for cooking, washing, and sleeping.

3.  trailer
for living in: a trailer equipped as a self-contained
traveling home, hauled by a car

[1]



campesino

campesino
cam·pe·si·no 
[kàmpə snō, kmpə
snō] (plural cam·pe·si·nos) noun

Latin
American farmer: a farmer or agricultural worker in Latin
American countries
[Mid-20th century. Via
Spanish, from, ultimately, Latin campus (see campus
).][1]



campfire

campfire
camp·fire 
[kámp fr] (plural camp·fires)
noun

fire outdoors:
a wood fire built outside by campers, for cooking on or for warmth[1]



campfollower

campfollower
camp
fol·low·er
(plural camp fol·low·ers) noun

1.  somebody
unofficially supplying the military: a
civilian who follows a military unit from place to place in order to earn money
by supplying products or services, for example, services as a prostitute

2.  uncommitted
or temporary supporter: somebody who supports a
group or an organization but does not belong to it, often somebody who becomes
temporarily associated with a political party for selfish reasons

[1]



campground

campground
camp·ground 
[kámp gròwnd] (plural camp·grounds)
noun

area for camping:
an outdoor area designed for camping, usually providing campers with some
facilities, for example, showers, toilets, and a store.
U.K. term
campsite[1]



camphor

camphor
cam·phor 
[kámfər] noun

chemical
compound with antiseptic properties: a
strong-smelling compound, used in medicinal creams for its mild antiseptic and
anti-itching properties, and to make celluloid, plastics, and explosives
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French camphore from medieval Latin camphora,
which came via Arabic and Malay from Sanskrit karpūra .]
—cam·phor·ic [kam fáwrik], adjective[1]



camphorate

camphorate
cam·phor·ate 
[kámfə ràyt] (past cam·phor·at·ed,
past participle cam·phor·at·ed, present participle cam·phor·at·ing,
3rd person present singular cam·phor·ates) transitive verb

soak with camphor:
to treat or impregnate something with camphor[1]



camphorice

camphorice
cam·phor
ice
noun

ointment containing camphor:
an ointment used to relieve minor skin ailments, made of camphor mixed with
white wax and castor oil[1]



camphoroil

camphoroil
cam·phor
oil
noun

oil from camphor tree:
the oil that is distilled from the steamed bark and wood of the camphor tree[1]



camphortree

camphortree
cam·phor
tree
(plural cam·phor trees) noun

evergreen tree producing
camphor: an evergreen tree, native to
eastern Asia, whose wood and bark are a source of camphor. The tree is also
cultivated in the southern United States as an ornamental. Latin name: Cinnamomum
camphora[1]



camphorweed

camphorweed
cam·phor·weed 
[kámfər wd] noun

N American flowering plant:
either of two North American flowering plants, with clusters of small flower
heads. Latin name: Heterotheca subaxillaris Pluchea camphorata[1]



c& i

c& i
c
& i

Abbreviation of
cost and insurance[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








campimetry

campimetry
cam·pim·e·try 
[kam pímmətree] noun

measuring
field of vision: the measuring of the field of vision or
the sensitivity of the retina to color and space
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin campus “field” + -metry .][1]



camping

camping
camp·ing
[kámping] noun

living in tents:
living outdoors in a tent or trailer while on vacation or as a recreational
activity • camping
equipment[1]



campion

campion
cam·pi·on 
[kámpee ən] (plural cam·pi·ons)
noun

flowering
plant:
a flowering plant of the pink family, native to the northern hemisphere, and
producing pink, red, or white flowers. Genera: Lychnis Silene
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally a variant of champion,
from the former use of a type of campion for making garlands for athletics
champions.][1]



Campion,Jane

Campion,Jane
Cam·pi·on 
[kámpee ən], Jane (1954– )

New Zealand movie director.
She directed the Academy Award-winning The Piano ( 1993 ).[1]



campmeeting

campmeeting
camp
meet·ing
(plural camp meet·ings) noun

religious gathering:
a religious rally held outdoors, especially one lasting several days with
participants camping nearby[1]



campo

campo
cam·po 
[kámpō, kmpō]
(plural cam·pos) noun

S
American plain: a large grassy plain in South America,
with scattered bushes and small stunted trees
[Mid-19th century. Via either
American Spanish or Portuguese, “field,” from Latin campus (source of
English camp and scamper ).][1]



Campobello

Campobello
Cam·po·bel·lo
[kàmpə béllō]

island off the southwestern
coast of New Brunswick, Canada, a favorite summer vacation spot of Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Area: 70 sq km/27 sq mi. Population: 1,317 (1991)[1]



camporee

camporee
camp·o·ree 
[kàmpə r] (plural camp·o·rees)
noun

Scout
gathering:
a gathering of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts from a particular area
[Early 20th century. Probably
a blend of camp and jamboree
.][1]



campout

campout
camp
out
intransitive verb

1.  live
outdoors:
to live or sleep outdoors, with or without a tent • We
would be camping out under the stars for the next three nights.

2.  stay
somewhere temporarily: to take up a temporary
position somewhere, for example, as a protester or in alternative
accommodations • Hordes of journalists
camped out in the palace grounds.

[1]



camprobber

camprobber
camp
rob·ber
(plural camp rob·bers) noun

bird
that steals food from campgrounds: a bird, especially the
gray jay, that visits campgrounds to steal food (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Camp robber is common in the Upper
  Rocky Mountain states and the Pacific Northwest. The bird is also called camp
  robin, camp thief, Rock Mountain magpie, and Canadian
  camp robber.

[1]



campsite

campsite
camp·site 
[kámp st] (plural camp·sites)
noun

1.  U.K.
See campground

2.  individual
camping area: a single unit of land within a
campground, for a camper to pitch a tent on or park a trailer or camper on

[1]



campstool

campstool
camp·stool 
[kámp stl] (plural camp·stools)
noun

portable folding stool:
a stool that folds up for easy storage and carriage, designed for use when
camping[1]



campus

campus
cam·pus 
[kámpəss] (plural cam·pus·es) noun

1.  college
or university site: an area of land that
contains the main buildings and grounds of a university or college, or one of
the sites on which such buildings are located • accommodations
on campus

2.  school
site:
an area of land that contains the buildings and grounds of a public school

3.  site:
a site on which the buildings of an organization or institution are located • a
dormitory for nursing students on the hospital campus
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “level field, plain” (source of English camp
and champion ).][1]



campusnovel

campusnovel
cam·pus
nov·el
(plural cam·pus nov·els) noun

kind of satirical novel:
a novel that satirizes university life. The genre appeared in Britain in the
late 1970s and early 1980s.[1]



C&W

C&W
C&W

MUSIC
Abbreviation of country and western[1]



Camp,Walter Chauncey

Camp,Walter Chauncey
Camp 
[kamp], Walter Chauncey (1859–1925)

U.S. football coach. He
invented many of the current rules of the game at Yale University (1888–1892).[1]



campy

campy
camp·y
[kámpee] (comparative camp·i·er,
superlative camp·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  affecting
conventional femininity: exaggeratedly or affectedly
feminine, especially in a man

2.  deliberately
outrageous:
deliberately and humorously outrageous
—camp·i·ly,
adverb

—camp·i·ness, noun[1]



campylobacter

campylobacter
cam·py·lo·bac·ter
[kámpəlō bàktər] (plural cam·py·lo·bac·ters)
noun

bacterium:
a rod- or spiral-shaped bacterium that is a common cause of food poisoning in
humans and of spontaneous abortion in farm animals
[Late 20th century. Coined
from campylo- (from Greek kampulos “bent”) + -bacter (from
bacterium ), literally “bent bacterium”; so called because of the genus
Campylobacter ’s curved and spiral-shaped bacteria.][1]



CamRanh Bay

CamRanh Bay
Cam
Ranh Bay
[kàm raan báy]

inlet of the South China Sea,
situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam between Phan Rang and Nha Trang[1]



Camrose

Camrose
Cam·rose
[kám rz]

city in east central Alberta,
Canada. Population: 13,728 (1996)[1]



camshaft

camshaft
cam·shaft 
[kám shàft] (plural cam·shafts)
noun

engine shaft:
a shaft that has one or more cams attached, especially one that operates the
valves in a vehicle’s internal combustion engine[1]



Camus,Albert

Camus,Albert

Ca·mus 
[ká m], Albert (1913–1960)
Algerian-born French novelist, essayist,
and dramatist. Author of The Stranger ( 1942 ) and The Plague (
1947 ), he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature (1957).[1]



camwheel

camwheel
cam
wheel
(plural cam wheels) noun

wheel working as cam:
a wheel that functions as a cam[1]



camwood

camwood
cam·wood
[kám wd] (plural cam·woods) noun

1.  W
African tree: a West African tree that produces hard
red wood. Latin name: Baphia nitida

2.  hard
red wood:
the hard red wood of the camwood tree, formerly used in cabinetmaking and as
the source of a red dye
[Late 17th century. Cam
probably from Temne k’am .][1]



can

can1
can1 [kan]
noun (plural cans)

1.  food
container:
a sealed metal container, usually cylindrical, in which food or drink is
preserved or packaged and sold

2.  metal
container:
any metal container with a removable lid or cap, especially one for storing or
packaging liquids, for example, chemicals and paint

3.  contents
of can:
the contents of a metal container • I
drank two cans of soda pop. • We
used up three cans of paint.

4.  pressurized
container:
a metal container that holds liquid under pressure so that it can be released
as a spray • a
can of hairspray

5.  prison:
prison (slang) • in the
can

6.  toilet:
a toilet (slang)

7.  buttocks:
the buttocks (slang) • When a
guy falls on his can, everybody laughs.

8.  NAVY ship:
a ship (slang)

9.  SHIPPING See can buoy
transitive
verb
(past canned, past participle canned, present
participle can·ning, 3rd person present singular cans)

1.  put
in metal containers: to package or preserve food
or drink by putting it in sealed metal containers

2.  dismiss
from job:
to dismiss somebody from a job (slang)

3.  stop
something:
to stop something regarded as inappropriate under the circumstances, for
example, laughter, tears, or jokes (slang) • Just
can the giggling, please.
[Old
English canne . Either from a prehistoric Germanic word or from late
Latin canna .]
—can·ful,
noun

—can·ner,
noun
in
the can

1.  in
the final edited form ready for broadcasting or distribution (informal)
• There’s
a lot more to do before the movie’s in the can.

2.  having
been successfully completed or negotiated (informal) • At
last, after three weeks of tough negotiations, the contract was in the can.

[1]



can.

can.
can.

1.  Abbreviation
of
canceled

2.  Abbreviation
of
cancellation

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of cannon

4.  MUSIC Abbreviation of canon

5.  POETRY Abbreviation of canto

[1]



Can.

Can.
Can.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Canada

2.  Abbreviation
of
Canadian

[1]



can

can2
can2 [(stressed) kan, (unstressed) kən]
CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb used to indicate that it is possible for something to be done or
made use of in the way mentioned • Loans
can be made over the phone. intransitive verb

1.  able
to:
having the ability, knowledge, or the opportunity to do something • If
you can keep a secret, so can I.

2.  be
likely:
be likely to be true or the case • Truancy
can also signal more severe, isolated problems.

3.  be
allowed to:
be allowed to do something, either by legal or moral right or by permission • In
Britain, you can get married at 16.

4.  be
acceptable:
used to make polite requests, suggestions, and offers • Can
I get anybody any more coffee?

5.  be
possible:
used in questions to emphasize strong feelings about something • How
can you say that? • What
on earth can be the matter?
[Old
English cunnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English know and Latin gnoscere
“to know.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  can
  or may ?
  Purists
  often insist on a distinction between can,
  meaning “be able to,” and may, meaning “be
  allowed to,” but the distinction is hard to maintain in practice and the
  meanings often overlap. In everyday conversation • Can
  I go?
  is as likely to be used as • May
  I go?,
  and the context together with voice intonation usually makes it clear what is
  meant. In more formal situations it is wise to maintain the distinction, if
  only because many people expect it. Note that may
  has ambiguities of its own. • He
  may go
  can mean either “he is allowed to go” or “it is possible that he will go”;
  again, intonation and context clarify the matter. The negative contraction mayn’t is awkward, and for this reason can’t is often used instead: • Can’t
  we come too?

[1]



Canaanite

Canaanite
Ca·naan·ite 
[káynə nt] noun (plural Ca·naan·ites)

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Semitic people: a member of a Semitic people
who lived in Canaan from around 3000 BC
until the time of the Israelites’ conquest around 1000 BC

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
Middle Eastern language: an extinct language once
spoken in a region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It
belongs to the Semitic group of Afro-Asiatic languages.
adjective

of Canaan:
relating to Canaan, its people, or its culture
—Ca·naan·ite, adjective[1]



Canad.

Canad.
Canad.

Abbreviation of
Canadian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Canada

Canada



Ca·na·da 
[kánnədə]
federation occupying the northern half of
North America and the second largest country in the world. Language: English.
Language: French. Currency: Canadian dollar. Capital: Ottawa. Population:
31,000,000 (1997) Area: 9,970,610 sq km/3,849,674 sq mi.[1]



Canada




Back to definition

Canada

[1]



Canadabalsam

Canadabalsam
Can·a·da
bal·sam
noun

resin:
thick resin secreted from the bark of the balsam fir. The resin is yellowish
when liquid but becomes transparent when it dries. It is used for mounting
specimens on microscopic slides.[1]



CanadaDay

CanadaDay
Can·a·da
Day
(plural Can·a·da Days) noun

Canadian holiday:
in Canada, an annual holiday held on July 1 to commemorate the day in 1867 when
Canada was the first British colony to become a dominion. Former name Dominion Day[1]



CanadaEast

CanadaEast
Ca·na·da
East

Former name for
Quebec 1841–1867[1]



Canadagoose

Canadagoose

Can·a·da goose
(plural Can·a·da geese) noun
N American goose:
a large North American goose with a brownish body, a black head and neck, and a
white patch on its throat, also introduced into Europe. Latin name: Branta
canadensis[1]



Canadajay

Canadajay
Can·a·da
jay
(plural Can·a·da jays) noun

See
gray jay[1]



Canadalily

Canadalily
Can·a·da
lil·y
noun

N American lily:
a North American lily with small orange funnel-shaped flowers. Latin name: Lilium
canadense[1]



Canadalynx

Canadalynx
Can·a·da
lynx
noun

N American lynx:
a dark gray lynx that is native to Canada and the northern United States. Latin
name: Lynx canadensis
Also called
Canadian lynx[1]



Canadathistle

Canadathistle
Can·a·da
this·tle
(plural Can·a·da this·tles) noun

kind of thistle:
a lilac- or white-flowered variety of thistle native to Europe and Asia, now
also found in North America, where it has become a fast-spreading weed. Latin
name: Cirsium arvense
U.K. term
creeping thistle[1]



CanadaWest

CanadaWest
Ca·na·da
West

Former name for
Ontario 1841–1867[1]



Canadian

Canadian1
Ca·na·di·an1  [kə
náydee ən] adjective

of
Canada:
relating to Canada, or its people or culture
noun
(plural Ca·na·di·ans)

somebody from Canada:
somebody who was born in or is a citizen of Canada[1]



Canadian

Canadian2
Ca·na·di·an2  [kə
náydee ən]

river in the southwestern
United States that flows from southern Colorado across New Mexico and Texas
into Oklahoma. Length: 1,458 km/906 mi.[1]



Canadianbacon

Canadianbacon
Ca·na·di·an
ba·con
noun

lean bacon:
relatively fat-free bacon from the loin or rib end of a hog[1]



CanadianEnglish

CanadianEnglish
Ca·na·di·an
Eng·lish
noun

English
spoken in Canada: the variety of English spoken in Canada





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Canadian English is the English language as
  it is used in the federation of Canada, which is geographically the largest
  English-speaking country in the world. However, in demographic terms (with a
  population of over 29 million, of which over 7 million are French-speaking,
  mainly in the province of Quebec), it is third equal with Australia. Canadian English has coexisted for about 230
  years with Canadian French, which predates it by a century, as the French
  were Canada’s first main European settlers. English and French are co-official
  languages in a nation whose linguistic mosaic includes indigenous languages
  (including Cree, Inuktitut, Iroquois, and Ojibwa) and immigrant languages
  (including Cantonese, Italian, and Ukrainian). There are at least three
  regional varieties of spoken Canadian English
  : (1) the Atlantic provinces, in which the Newfoundland dialect is the most
  distinctive; (2) Quebec, whose English-speakers are influenced by French, and
  whose French-speakers, when using English, range from native-speaker fluency
  to varying mixtures of the two languages; (3) the rest of Canada, whose
  educated variety (focused on Ontario) is generally taken as the national
  norm. Written and printed Canadian English
  blends, to an increasing degree, the conventions of the United Kingdom
  (decreasingly influential) and, increasingly, those of the United States.
  U.S. spelling now predominates. Official federal bilingualism often leads to
  hybrid formulas such as Jeux Canada Games (blending French Jeux
  Canada and English Canada Games ). Canadian
  English is “rhotic,” i.e., r is pronounced in such words as art,
  door, worker . A feature of Canadian
  English is the use of the particle eh with a rising tone at the
  end of a sentence, as in It’s nice, eh? Distinctively Canadian English vocabulary includes: (1)
  adoptions from indigenous languages, as in anorak and kayak
  (both international), mackinaw (a bush jacket), muskeg (mossy,
  swampy land); (2) adoptions from French, as in anglophone and francophone
  (both in the French style, without a capital), caboteur (a coastal
  trading vessel; (3) British English usages adapted for local purposes include
  riding (originally one of three divisions of Yorkshire, England, which
  in Canada means a political constituency), and prime minister (the
  federal first minister) contrasted with premier (the first minister of
  a provincial government).

[1]



Canadianfootball

Canadianfootball
Ca·na·di·an
foot·ball
noun

game resembling U.S.
football: a form of football that is
similar to U.S. football but takes place on a larger field, has 12 players on
each team, and uses three rather than four plays to advance at least ten yards
or score[1]



Canadianhemlock

Canadianhemlock
Ca·na·di·an
hem·lock
(plural Ca·na·di·an hem·locks) noun

coniferous evergreen tree:
a coniferous evergreen tree that is native to Canada and is a valuable source
of lumber and pulpwood. Latin name: Tsuga canadensis[1]



Canadianism

Canadianism
Cana·di·an·ism
[kə náydee ə nìzzəm] (plural Cana·di·anisms)
noun

Canadian phrase:
a word or other expression originating in or restricted in use to Canada[1]



Canadianize

Canadianize
Ca·na·di·an·ize
[kə náydee ə nz] (past Ca·na·di·an·ized,
past participle Ca·na·di·an·ized, present participle Ca·na·di·an·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Ca·na·di·an·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

make
or become Canadian: to make something Canadian
in form, content, or status, or become Canadian
—Ca·na·di·an·iza·tion
[kə nàydee ənə záysh’n], noun[1]



Canadianjay

Canadianjay
Ca·na·di·an
jay
(plural Ca·na·di·an jays) noun

See
gray jay[1]



Canadianlynx

Canadianlynx
Ca·na·di·an
lynx
noun

See
Canada lynx[1]



CanadianShield

CanadianShield
Ca·na·di·an
Shield

plateau region of eastern
Canada extending southward and eastward from Hudson Bay. Area: 4,600,000 sq
km/1,775,000 sq mi.[1]



Canadianwhiskey

Canadianwhiskey
Ca·na·di·an
whis·key
noun

Canada
rye whiskey:
blended whiskey made mainly from rye[1]



canaille

canaille
ca·naille 
[kə náyl, kə n]
noun

rabble:
the lowest class of people (literary disapproving)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian canaglia “pack of dogs,” from, ultimately, Latin canis
“dog” (source of English canine and canary ).][1]



canal

canal
ca·nal 
[kə nál] (plural ca·nals) noun

1.  waterway:
an artificial waterway constructed for use by shipping, for irrigation, or for
recreational use. It may take in parts of natural rivers along its course.

2.  ANATOMY tube
in body:
a tube-shaped passage in the body, carrying air, liquids, or semisolid material

3.  ASTRONOMY feature
on surface of Mars: an apparent surface marking
on Mars, formerly thought to be part of a system of water channels, a view
discredited by more recent data
[15th century. From French,
an alteration (based on Italian canale or Latin canalis ) of
earlier chanel (source of English channel
), from Latin canalis “pipe, canal,” from canna (see cane ).][1]



canalboat

canalboat
ca·nal
boat
(plural ca·nal boats) noun

long boat for canals:
a long boat that is used on canals to carry freight or for recreational boating[1]



Canaletto,Antonio

Canaletto,Antonio
Ca·na·let·to 
[kànnə léttō], Antonio (1697–1768)

Italian
artist, known especially for his views of Venice and London.
Real name
Canal, Giovanni Antonio[1]



canaliculate

canaliculate
can·a·lic·u·late 
[kànnə líkyələt, kànnə
líkyə làyt] adjective

with grooves:
with one or more grooves or hollows running lengthwise[1]



canaliculus

canaliculus
can·a·lic·u·lus 
[kànnə líkyələss] (plural can·a·lic·u·li
[kànnə líkyə l]) noun

tiny
duct in body: a minute canal or duct in the body,
especially one of the four narrow tubes that carry tears from behind the
eyelids to the lacrimal sac
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, literally “little pipe,” from canalis (see canal ).]
—can·a·lic·u·lar, adjective[1]



canalization

canalization
can·a·li·za·tion 
[kànn’lə záysh’n] noun

1.  canal
building:
the building of canals, either from scratch or by converting existing waterways
into canals

2.  (plural
can·a·li·za·tions) system of canals:
a system of artificial waterways

3.  directing
of something: the directing or focusing of something,
for example, energy, in a particular direction (formal)

[1]



canalize

canalize
can·a·lize 
[kánn’l z] (past can·a·lized,
past participle can·a·lized, present participle can·a·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular can·a·liz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
build
canals:
to provide an area with canals, or convert existing waterways into canals

2.  transitive
verb
direct
something:
to direct or focus something, for example, energy or enthusiasm, in a
particular direction (formal)

3.  intransitive
verb
flow
into channel: to flow into or form a new channel

4.  transitive
verb
MILITARY push
enemy forces: to drive enemy forces into a narrow
space, either by firing on them or by erecting obstacles in their way

[1]



Canandaigua

Canandaigua
Can·an·dai·gua
[kànnən dáygwə]

city in northwestern New
York, at the northern end of Lake Canandaigua. Population: 10,736 (1996)[1]



canapé

canapé
can·a·pé 
[kánnə pày, kánnəpee]
(plural can·a·pés) noun

tasty
bite-sized appetizer: a bite-sized base of bread,
cracker, or pastry with a topping, usually highly garnished, and served as an
appetizer or to accompany drinks
[Late 19th century. Via
French, literally “sofa,” from medieval Latin canopeum “mosquito net
(over a bed)” (see canopy ); the underlying
idea is of a seat on which the topping sits.][1]



canard

canard
ca·nard 
[kə nrd] (plural ca·nards) noun

1.  hoax:
a deliberately false report or rumor, especially something silly intended as a
joke (literary)

2.  aircraft
part like wing: a small projection like a wing near the
nose of an aircraft, attached in order to create extra horizontal stability

3.  aircraft:
an aircraft fitted with a canard
[Mid-19th century. From
French “duck,” ultimately of imitative origin.][1]



canary

canary
ca·nar·y 
[kə náiree] (plural ca·nar·ies)
noun

1.  BIRDS yellow
finch:
a small yellow finch, native to the Canaries and adjacent islands, that has
been domesticated as a songbird pet and as a show bird. In the past, these
birds were used to detect gas in coal mines. Latin name: Serinus canarius

2.  WINE wine:
a sweet wine from the Canary Islands, similar to Madeira

3.  COLORS See canary yellow

4.  DANCE HISTORY dance:
a lively court dance popular in the 16th century

5.  woman
singer:
a female singer, especially in a dance band (dated slang)

6.  police
informer:
a police informer (dated slang)
[Late 16th century. Via
French Canarie, the chief island of the Canary Islands, from,
ultimately, Latin Canaria Insula “Isle of Dogs,” from the large dogs
that inhabited it in Roman times.][1]



canarycreeper

canarycreeper
ca·nar·y
creep·er
(plural ca·nar·y creep·ers) noun

yellow-flowered climbing
plant: a climbing plant with small
yellow flowers, native to Peru. Latin name: Tropaeolum peregrinum[1]



CanaryCurrent

CanaryCurrent
Ca·nar·y
Cur·rent

cold current of the Atlantic
Ocean, flowing south from Spain down the western coast of northern Africa,
joining the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current west of
Mauritania-Senegal[1]



canarygrass

canarygrass
ca·nar·y
grass
(plural ca·nar·y grass·es) noun

grass cultivated for
birdseed: an annual grass plant native
to northwestern Africa and the Canary Islands, and cultivated for its seeds
that are sold as birdseed. Latin name: Phalaris canariensis[1]



CanaryIslands

CanaryIslands
Ca·nar·y
Is·lands 
or Ca·nar·ies

autonomous region of Spain,
comprising the provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Situated off
the northwestern coast of Africa, they consist of seven large islands and
various islets. The climate is subtropical and tourism is important, especially
on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Population: 1,631,498 (1995) Area:
7,273 sq km/2,808 sq mi. Spanish Islas Canarias[1]



canaryyellow

canaryyellow
ca·nar·y
yel·low 
or ca·nar·y adjective

of
bright yellow color: of a bright yellow color,
like the plumage of certain varieties of canary
—ca·nar·y yel·low, noun[1]



canasta

canasta
ca·nas·ta 
[kə nástə] (plural ca·nas·tas)
noun

1.  variant
of rummy:
a variant of the card game rummy played with two 52-card packs. Players are
dealt 15 cards, the goal being to collect groups of seven similar cards.

2.  set
of cards:
a point-scoring set of cards in canasta
[Mid-20th century. Via
Spanish, literally “basket,” from Latin canistrum (source of English canister ), because two packs of cards (a
“basketful”) are used.][1]



Canberra

Canberra
Can·ber·ra
[kán bèrrə, kán
bərə]

capital city of Australia,
located in the Australian Capital Territory in southeastern Australia.
Construction of this purpose-built capital began in 1912. Population: 322,723
(1996)[1]



canbuoy

canbuoy
can
buoy
(plural can buoys) noun

marker buoy:
an unlighted marker buoy for shipping, cylindrical or cone-shaped above the
water.
Also called
can[1]



canc.

canc.
canc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
canceled

2.  Abbreviation
of
cancellation

[1]



cancan

cancan
can·can 
[kán kàn] (plural can·cans) noun

high-kicking
dance:
a dance danced by a chorus line of women who perform high kicks to reveal their
underwear. It originated in the 1840s in the music halls in Paris.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, possibly from canard “duck,” originally “noise, uproar.”][1]



cancanskirt

cancanskirt
can·can
skirt
(plural can·can skirts) noun

dancer’s frilly skirt:
a skirt with layers of ruffles and attached underwear that is shown by cancan
dancers when the skirt is lifted during the dance[1]



cancel

cancel
can·cel 
[kánss’l] verb (past can·celed,
past participle can·celed, present participle can·cel·ing,
3rd person present singular can·cels)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
something from happening: to stop a previously
arranged event from happening • We had
to cancel five classes because nobody showed up. • The
guest speaker is ill and has had to cancel.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
contract:
to withdraw officially or legally from a contract • Members
are free to cancel at any time.

3.  transitive
verb
mark
as used:
to invalidate a legal or official document to show that it has been used and
cannot be reused • machines that cancel
postage stamps

4.  transitive
verb
reverse
instruction: to reverse an instruction to a machine,
especially a computer, or bring a machine’s operation to an end • Cancel
the download from the Internet.

5.  transitive
verb
delete:
to mark something for deletion, usually by drawing a line through it

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS remove common factor:
to remove a common factor from the numerator and denominator of a fraction or
the common terms from the two sides of an equation • The
twelves cancel and you end up with 8 by 6 again.
noun
(plural can·cels)

1.  PRINTING inserted
page:
a new page or section of a book inserted to replace a missing original or an
original that contained errors

2.  PRINTING page
to be replaced: a faulty page or section of a book
replaced by another

3.  See
cancellation
[14th
century. Via French canceller from Latin cancellare “to cross out
(writing)” (literally “to make like a lattice”), from cancelli “lattice”
(source of English chancel ), from cancer
“grating, lattice.”]
—can·cel·a·ble,
adjective

—can·cel·er, noun[1]



cancelation

cancelation
can·ce·la·tion 
noun

See
cancellation[1]



cancelbot

cancelbot
can·cel·bot
[kánss’l bòt] (plural can·cel·bots)
noun

deletion
program:
a computer program that finds and cancels unwanted articles sent to an Internet
newsgroup by a specific user
[Late 20th century. Blend of cancel and robot
.][1]



cancellate

cancellate
can·cel·late 
[kánss’l àyt, kánss’lət]
or can·cel·lat·ed [kánss’l àytəd]
adjective

1.  ANATOMY See cancellous

2.  BOTANY forming
a mesh:
forming a mesh or network

[1]



cancellation

cancellation
can·cel·la·tion
[kànss’l áysh’n] (plural can·cel·la·tions)
or can·ce·la·tion [kànss’l áysh’n]
(plural can·ce·la·tions) noun

1.  canceling
of something: the canceling of something, for example,
an appointment or order • We had
one cancellation for two o’clock, so we can fit you in then.
• There
is a cancellation charge if you withdraw your order at the last minute.

2.  thing
made available: something, for example, a seat in a
theater, that has become available because the person who reserved it has
canceled

3.  canceling
mark:
a mark that officially or legally invalidates something, especially a postage
stamp
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin cancellat-, the past participle stem of cancellare
(see cancel ).][1]



cancellous

cancellous
can·cel·lous 
[kánss’ləss, kan
ssélləss] adjective

ANATOMY not
solid:
used to describe bone that has a mesh of hollows on the inside, as opposed to
being compact or dense
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin cancelli (see cancel ).][1]



cancelout

cancelout
cancel
out
transitive verb

neutralize effect:
to combine two opposite or equally powerful things with the result that their
strengths, qualities, or effects are neutralized[1]



cancer

cancer
can·cer 
[kánssər] (plural can·cers) noun

1.  malignant
tumor:
a malignant tumor or growth caused when cells multiply uncontrollably,
destroying healthy tissue. The different forms are sarcomas, carcinomas,
leukemias, and lymphomas.

2.  illness
caused by tumor: the illness or condition that is caused
by the presence of a malignant tumor

3.  fast-spreading
bad phenomenon: something, usually something negative,
that develops or spreads quickly and usually destructively
[Pre-12th century. From Latin,
literally “crab” (source of English canker
), translated from Greek karkinos (source of English carcinoma ); the sense “tumor” evolved because
of the swollen veins, thought to resemble crabs.][1]



Cancer

Cancer

Can·cer 
[kánssər] (plural Can·cers) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY constellation
between Gemini and Leo: a constellation in the
northern hemisphere between Gemini and Leo

2.  ZODIAC 4th
sign of the zodiac: the fourth sign of the
zodiac, represented by a crab and lasting from approximately June 21 to July
22. Cancer is classified as a water sign, and its ruling planet is the Moon.
Also
called
Crab

3.  ZODIAC somebody
born under Cancer sign: somebody whose birthday
falls between June 21 and July 22.
Also
called
Cancerian
Also
called
Crab
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
(see cancer ); from the constellation’s
sideways movement across the sky.][1]



Cancerian

Cancerian
Can·cer·i·an 
[kan sáiree ən] noun (plural Can·cer·i·ans)
adjective

See
Cancer  noun 3[1]



cancerophobia

cancerophobia
can·cer·o·pho·bi·a
[kànsərə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of developing cancer:
an obsessive fear of developing cancer[1]



cancerous

cancerous
can·cer·ous 
[kánssərəss] adjective

1.  affected
by cancer:
used to describe a body part affected by cancer, or a malignant tumor • cancerous
cells that were detected early

2.  causing
harm:
developing rapidly to cause widespread harm

[1]



cancerstick

cancerstick
can·cer
stick
(plural can·cer sticks) noun

cigarette:
a cigarette (slang)[1]



cancroid

cancroid
can·croid 
[káng kròyd] adjective

crablike:
like a crab in shape, structure, or movement
noun
(plural can·croids)

See
squamous cell carcinoma
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin cancr-, the stem of cancer “crab, cancer” (see cancer ).][1]



Cancún

Cancún
Can·cún
[kàn kn]

island resort on the
northeastern coast of Quintana Roo state, Mexico. Population: 27,500 (1980)[1]



candela

candela
can·del·a 
[kan déllə] (plural can·del·as)
noun

unit
of light intensity: the basic SI unit of
luminous intensity.
Also
called
standard candle Symbol cd
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, “candle, taper” (see candle ).][1]



candelabrum

candelabrum

can·de·la·brum 
[kànd’l brəm, kànd’l
ábbrəm] (plural can·de·la·bra [kànd’l
brə, kànd’l ábbrə] or can·de·la·brums)
noun
branching
light fixture: a large decorative candleholder with
several arms or branches, or a similarly shaped electric light fixture
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, the plural of candelabrum “candlestick,” from candela
“candle, taper” (see candle ).][1]



candescence

candescence
can·des·cence 
[kan déss’nss] noun

brightness:
the brightness or dazzle of white light or white heat (literary) • the
candescence of snow on a cloudless morning
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin candescere “to begin to glow,” from candere (see candescent ).][1]



candescent

candescent
can·des·cent 
[kan déss’nt] adjective

bright:
shining or glowing with an intense white light (literary)
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin candere “to be white, glow” (source of
English candid, candle, and incense
).]
—can·des·cence,
noun

—can·des·cent·ly, adverb[1]



candid

candid
can·did 
[kándid] adjective

1.  honest:
honest or direct in a way that people find either refreshing or distasteful • a
surprisingly candid admission

2.  photographed
informally:
photographed or filmed without the subject knowing or having the opportunity to
prepare or pose • a candid documentary

3.  unbiased:
free from prejudice or bias (archaic) • with
candid hearts and minds

4.  kind:
with innocence or purity of heart untainted by malicious thoughts and feelings
(archaic)

5.  white:
white, especially with the whiteness of innocence or purity (archaic)
“kissing her candid brow, and feeling that heaven had vouchsafed him a
blessing” George Eliot Middlemarch 1872
noun
(plural can·dids)

unposed photograph:
a photograph that is taken, unposed and informally, of a person or group • hired
a professional photographer to do the wedding candids
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French candide “guileless” from Latin candidus
“white, shining,” from candere “to be white, glisten”; the current sense
evolved via “pure” and “impartial.”]
—can·did·ly,
adverb

—can·did·ness, noun[1]



candida

candida
can·di·da 
[kándidə] (plural can·di·das) noun

MEDICINE fungus
that causes yeast infection: a fungus that can cause
yeast infection, especially in the mouth and vagina. Latin name: Candida
albicans
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, feminine of candidus “white” (see candid
), because of its color.][1]



candidacy

candidacy
can·di·da·cy 
[kándidəssee] noun

candidate status:
somebody’s offering of himself or herself as a candidate • She
isn’t expected to declare her candidacy for re-election.[1]



candidate

candidate
can·di·date 
[kándi dàyt, kándidət]
(plural can·di·dates) noun

1.  applicant
for office:
somebody who runs for election to a political office or an official position • names
of candidates for the leadership of the party

2.  applicant
for job:
somebody who applies for a new job or is being considered for a new job • The
successful candidate will have had experience with market research.

3.  likely
or suitable person: somebody who seems suitable
for something, for example, a surgical operation or a new treatment protocol,
or who seems likely to be affected by a particular disease • Men
in this group are prime candidates for a heart attack.

4.  exam
taker:
somebody who sits for an exam, especially somebody who is scheduled to receive
a degree upon passing exams • She is
a candidate for a juris doctor degree in May.

5.  competitor:
somebody competing with others for a prize or award • Candidates
for Oscars include two Canadians and two Americans.
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French candidat from Latin candidatus,
literally “clothed in white”; from the white togas worn by candidates for
election in ancient Rome.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  candidate, contender, contestant, aspirant,
  applicant, entrant
  CORE
  MEANING: somebody
  who is seeking to be chosen for something or to win something candidate; the most general term for
  somebody who is being considered for a job, grant, or prize, running for
  election to a position, or taking part in an examination; contender; somebody who competes with others
  to win something such as a sporting title or a high honor; contestant; somebody who takes part in a
  contest or competitive event; aspirant;
  somebody aspiring to distinction or advancement; applicant;
  somebody who has asked or applied to be a candidate for something; entrant; a term similar to “contestant,”
  often used of somebody who enters an examination or contest

[1]



candidcamera

candidcamera
can·did
cam·er·a
noun

hidden camera:
the use of hidden cameras to film subjects unawares, often in stage-managed
situations intended to elicit amusing responses (hyphenated when used before
a noun)[1]



candidiasis

candidiasis
can·di·di·a·sis 
[kàndə d əssiss] (plural can·didi·as·es
[kàndə d ə sz]) noun

yeast
infection:
yeast infection (technical)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from candida + -iasis
.][1]



candidly

candidly
can·did·ly
[kándidlee] adverb

1.  frankly:
in an honest or direct way that people might find either refreshing or
distasteful • She
spoke candidly on television about her private life.

2.  in
truth:
frankly stated, used to introduce a baldly stated idea or opinion • Candidly,
I’m not happy with any of them.

[1]



Candiot

Candiot
Can·di·ot
[kándee ət, kándi
òt] or Can·di·ote [kándi t,
kándee ət] adjective

of
Crete:
relating to the Greek island of Crete, especially the capital, Iráklion, or its
people or culture.
See
also
Cretan
—Can·di·ot, noun[1]



candle

candle

can·dle 
[kánd’l] noun (plural can·dles)

1.  wax
cylinder providing light: a molded piece of wax,
tallow, or other fatty substance, usually cylindrical in shape, with a wick
running through it. The encased wick burns slowly, giving light or providing
decoration.

2.  candela:
a candela (archaic)
transitive verb
(past can·dled, past participle can·dled, present
participle can·dling, 3rd person present singular can·dles)

test egg: to
test an egg for freshness by looking at it against a bright light
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin candella, earlier candela (source of English candela and candelabra ), from candere
“to be white, glisten” (source of English candid,
incendiary, and incense ).]
burn the candle at both ends

to
get up very early and go to bed very late, allowing for very little rest

not hold a candle to somebody

to be not nearly as good at
something as somebody • As
a writer, he does not hold a candle to his mother.[1]



candleberry

candleberry
can·dle·ber·ry 
[kánd’l bèrree] (plural can·dle·ber·ries)
noun

shrub yielding wax:
any shrub or tree that has berries that can be used for making candles[1]



candlefish

candlefish
can·dle·fish 
[kánd’l fìsh] (plural can·dle·fish·es
or can·dle·fish) noun

oily
fish:
an oily saltwater fish found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Latin name: Thaleichthys
pacificus
Also
called
eulachon
[From the former use of the
dried fish as a lamp by pushing a piece of bark through it as a wick][1]



candleholder

candleholder
can·dle·hold·er 
[kánd’l hldər] (plural can·dle·hold·ers)
noun

holder for candle:
a holder for a candle, often a decorative one. Candleholders can be of many
shapes but are not necessarily tall and thin like candlesticks.[1]



candlelight

candlelight
can·dle·light 
[kánd’l lt] noun

1.  light
from candles: the light that a burning candle provides
• reading
by candlelight

2.  dusk:
twilight, the time when candles are lit (literary)

[1]



candlelit

candlelit
can·dle·lit
[kánd’l lìt] adjective

lit by candles:
lit by candles, or done by candlelight • a
silent, candlelit march through the streets[1]



Candlemas

Candlemas
Can·dle·mas 
[kánd’lməss] (plural Can·dle·mas·es)
noun

Christian
feast day:
a Christian feast held on February 2, commemorating the purification of the
Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus Christ in the Temple. This
is also the time when church candles are blessed.
[Pre-12th century. -Mas from
ecclesiastical Latin missa “the mass” (source of English mass ).][1]



candlenut

candlenut
can·dle·nut 
[kánd’l nùt] (plural can·dle·nuts)
noun

1.  tropical
tree:
a tropical tree of the spurge family, native to Asia and Polynesia. Latin name:
Aleurites moluccana

2.  oily
nut:
the seed of the candlenut tree, used as a source of oil in paints and
varnishes, and, in Asia and Polynesia, threaded with a wick for use as a candle

[1]



candlepin

candlepin
can·dle·pin
[kánd’l pìn] (plural can·dle·pins)
noun

pin
in bowling game: a slim pin used in the bowling game
candlepins
[Candle from its shape and
comparative slenderness][1]



candlepins

candlepins
can·dle·pins
[kánd’l pìnz] noun

bowling game:
a bowling game using slender pins and a ball smaller than that used in tenpins
(takes a singular verb)[1]



candlepower

candlepower
can·dle·pow·er 
[kánd’l pòwr] noun

light intensity:
luminous intensity measured in candelas[1]



candlesnuffer

candlesnuffer
can·dle·snuff·er 
[kánd’l snùffər] (plural can·dle·snuff·ers)
noun

candle extinguisher:
a device, usually made of metal, consisting of a small cone on the end of a
long thin handle, placed over the flame of a candle to put it out[1]



candlestick

candlestick
can·dle·stick 
[kánd’l stìk] (plural can·dle·sticks)
noun

sticklike candleholder:
a tall thin holder for a candle[1]



candlewick

candlewick
can·dle·wick 
[kánd’l wìk] noun

1.  thick
string:
thick string used for candle wicks

2.  cotton
fabric:
tufted cotton fabric used for bedcovers, dressing gowns, and other garments

3.  embroidery
yarn:
soft cotton yarn used for embroidery

[1]



candlewood

candlewood
can·dle·wood 
[kánd’l wd] (plural can·dle·woods)
noun

1.  resinous
tree:
any tree or shrub that produces resinous wood that can be burned for light and
fuel

2.  resinous
wood:
the resinous wood of a candlewood tree

[1]



Cand M

Cand M
C
and M
or C&M

Abbreviation of
care and maintenance[1]



can-do

can-do
can-do 
adjective

eager and confident:
eager to take on a job or challenge and confident of success (informal)
• We’re
only looking at can-do executives with proven track records.[1]



candor

candor
can·dor 
[kándər] noun

1.  candid
quality:
honesty or directness, whether refreshing or distasteful • He
spoke of their conspicuous candor and bravery.

2.  freedom
from prejudice: freedom from prejudice or bias (archaic)

3.  kindness:
innocence or purity of heart arising from a complete absence of malicious
thoughts and feelings (archaic) “But the gentleness and candor of
Rebecca’s nature imputed no fault to Ivanhoe for sharing in the universal
prejudices of his age and religion.” Walter Scott Ivanhoe 1819

4.  whiteness:
whiteness, especially the whiteness of innocence or purity (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin candor
“glossy whiteness, sincerity,” from cand-, the base candidus
“dazzling white” (source of English candid
) and candere “to be white, glisten” (source of English candle ).][1]



candour

candour
can·dour
noun

U.K. =
candor[1]



CANDUreactor

CANDUreactor
CAN·DU
re·ac·tor
[kán doo ree àktər, kan
d ree àktər] (plural CAN·DU re·ac·tors) noun

Canadian
type of nuclear reactor: a form of nuclear reactor
designed and built in Canada that uses replaceable fuel bundles and heavy water
to moderate fission and cool the reactor core
[CANDU from the first letters
of Canada + deuterium
+ uranium][1]



candy

candy
can·dy 
[kándee] noun (plural can·dies)

1.  small
confection:
small sweet food items such as chocolate bars, mints, and toffee, usually eaten
for pleasure and not as part of a meal

2.  piece
of confectionery: a small hard, chewy, or soft piece of
food made from sugar and other ingredients or flavorings such as chocolate,
nuts, fruit, or peppermint • Our
store sells the finest chocolate candy in the country.

U.K.
term
sweet

3.  hard
drugs:
heroin, cocaine, or any other hard drug (slang)
verb
(past can·died, past participle can·died, present
participle can·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular can·dies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
sugar solution into crystals: to turn a sugar solution
into crystals, especially by boiling it, or be converted into sugar crystals

2.  transitive
verb
steep
in sugar:
to dress a food by impregnating it with sugar, in order either to preserve it
or to make it more pleasant to eat

3.  transitive
verb
coat
with sugar syrup: to coat food with sugar or sugar syrup,
or be coated with sugar or sugar syrup
[13th century. Via Old French
candi from Arabic qandī “crystalized into sugar,” from qand
“cane sugar.”][1]



candyapple

candyapple
can·dy
ap·ple
(plural can·dy ap·ples) noun

toffee-coated apple:
an apple on a stick coated with a mixture of toffee or melted cinnamon candy.
U.K. term
toffee apple[1]



candy-ass

candy-ass
can·dy-ass
(plural can·dy-ass·es) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a weak or cowardly person, especially a man (slang
offensive)
—can·dy-ass, adjective[1]



candyfloss

candyfloss
can·dy·floss
[kándi flòss] noun

U.K.
See cotton candy[1]



candyman

candyman
can·dy
man
noun

1.  candy
seller:
in former times, a roving seller of candy

2.  drug
pusher:
somebody who sells drugs, especially heroin, cocaine, and other hard drugs (slang)

[1]



candystore

candystore
can·dy
store
(plural can·dy stores) noun

store selling candy:
a store where candy is sold.
U.K. term
sweet shop[1]



candy-striped

candy-striped
can·dy-striped
adjective

with thin stripes:
with a pattern of narrow stripes in a single color, usually red or pink, on a
white background[1]



candystriper

candystriper
can·dy
strip·er
(plural can·dy strip·ers) noun

volunteer
worker:
a volunteer worker in a hospital, especially a young person
[From the volunteers’
red-and-white striped uniform][1]



candytuft

candytuft
can·dy·tuft 
[kándi tùft] (plural can·dy·tufts)
noun

flowering
plant:
a flowering plant with thin leaves and clusters of white, red, or purple
flowers. There are annual and perennial types, and the genus is native to
Europe and the Mediterranean. Genus: Iberis
[Early 17th century. Candy
an obsolete form of Candia, a former name for Crete.][1]



cane

cane
cane 
[kayn] noun (plural canes)

1.  walking
stick:
a stick that people use to help them walk

2.  stick
for punishment beatings: a long flexible stick for
administering beatings, especially one formerly used to punish schoolchildren

3.  bamboo
stem:
a hollow lightweight stem of a tropical plant, especially bamboo, used in
various ways in the house and garden, for example, as a growing support for
plants

4.  woven
stems:
the stems of various palms and grass plants, for example, rattan, woven
together to make furniture, baskets, and other household items

5.  stem
of fruit plant: the long woody stem of various
fruit-bearing plants such as the raspberry or blackberry

6.  long-stemmed
plant:
a coarse grass or reed with long stiff stems, for example, sugar cane or
sorghum
transitive
verb
(past caned, past participle caned, present
participle can·ing, 3rd person present singular canes)

beat somebody:
to beat somebody, especially, formerly, a schoolchild, with a cane
[14th century. Via Old French
cane and Latin canna from Greek kanna “reed” (source also
of English canal and cannon ), ultimately of Semitic origin.][1]



canebrake

canebrake
cane·brake 
[káyn bràyk] (plural cane·brakes)
noun

cane-covered land:
an area of land planted or overgrown with cane[1]



canephora

canephora
ca·ne·pho·ra 
[kə néffərə] (plural ca·ne·pho·rae
[kə néffə r, kə
néffə r]) noun

Greek
sculpture:
an ancient Greek sculpture representing a human figure carrying a basket on its
head
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek kanēphoros, literally “basket-carrying.”][1]



canepiece

canepiece
cane
piece
(plural cane piec·es) noun

field of sugar cane:
in the Caribbean, a field of sugar cane, especially one that is isolated and
belongs to a small farmer[1]



caner

caner
can·er
[káynər] (plural can·ers) noun

maker of cane items:
somebody who makes or repairs furniture and other items made of cane[1]



canerat

canerat
cane
rat
(plural cane rats) noun

large
African rat: a large rat native to sub-Saharan areas
of Africa, measuring up to 60 cm/2 ft without the tail, and eaten locally as a
delicacy. Genus: Thryonomys
[Because it eats sugarcane][1]



canescent

canescent
ca·nes·cent 
[kə néss’nt] adjective

1.  white
and hairy:
used to describe plant parts that have a white or whitish-gray covering of fine
hairs

2.  becoming
white or grayish: becoming white or grayish
[Mid-19th
century. From the present participle stem of Latin canescere “to grow
white,” from canus “white, hoary.”]
—ca·nes·cence, noun[1]



canesugar

canesugar
cane
sug·ar
noun

sucrose:
sucrose obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets[1]



CanesVenatici

CanesVenatici
Ca·nes
Ve·nat·i·ci 
[kàyneez və náttə s] noun

constellation:
a constellation of stars visible in the northern hemisphere near Ursa Major and
Boötes, under the handle of the Big Dipper
[From Latin, literally
“hunting dogs”][1]



canetoad

canetoad
cane
toad
(plural cane toads) noun

toad native to S America:
a large South American toad introduced into Australia to control pests in sugar
cane. A spectacular failure as a pest control, it has now become a major pest
itself. Latin name: Bufo marinus[1]



canfield

canfield
can·field 
[kán fld] noun

card
game:
a gambling game developed from the card game solitaire
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. gambler Richard Albert Canfield (1855–1914), who devised
the game and turned it into a form of gambling.][1]



cangue

cangue
cangue 
[kang] (plural cangues) or
cang [kang] (plural cangs)
noun

Chinese
version of the stocks: a heavy wooden yoke worn on
the shoulders and enclosing the neck and arms, formerly used in China for
punishing petty criminals
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Portuguese canga “yoke,” from Vietnamese gong .][1]



Canicula

Canicula
Ca·nic·u·la
[kə níkyələ] noun

See
Sirius
[12th century. From Latin,
literally “little dog” (see canicular ).][1]



canicular

canicular
ca·nic·u·lar 
[kə níkyələr] adjective

of
Sirius:
relating to the star Sirius
[14th century. From late
Latin canicularis, from canicula, literally “little dog”
(denoting the “dog star”), from canis “dog” (source of English canine and kennel
).][1]



canid

canid
can·id 
[kánnid, káynid]
(plural can·ids) noun

mammal
of dog family: any carnivorous mammal of the dog
family, which includes the foxes, wolves, jackals, dingos, coyotes, and
domestic breeds
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Canidae, the family name, from Latin canis “dog”
(source of English canine, canary, and kennel
).][1]



canine

canine
ca·nine 
[káy nn] adjective

of dogs:
relating to dogs • a canine trainer
• members
of the canine family
noun
(plural ca·nines)

1.  DENTISTRY pointed
tooth:
a pointed tooth between the incisors and the first bicuspids. Most mammals have
two in each jaw.
Also
called
canine tooth
Also
called
cuspid

2.  dog:
a dog (often used humorously)
[15th century. Directly or
via French canin(e) from Latin caninus, from canis “dog”
(source of English kennel ).][1]



caninedistemper

caninedistemper
ca·nine
dis·tem·per
noun

See
distemper[1]



caninetooth

caninetooth
ca·nine
tooth
noun

See
canine  noun 1[1]



caning

caning
can·ing
[káyning] (plural can·ings) noun

beating with cane:
a punishment beating with a cane, especially the beatings formerly administered
to schoolchildren[1]



CanisMajor

CanisMajor

Ca·nis
Ma·jor 
[kàyniss máyjər, kànniss
máyjər] noun
constellation:
a constellation of stars containing the star Sirius, situated southeast of
Orion. Canis Major and Canis Minor represent dogs following at the heels of
Orion the Hunter.
Also
called
great dog
See
also
Canis Minor
[From Latin, literally
“greater dog”][1]



CanisMinor

CanisMinor

Ca·nis
Mi·nor 
[kàyniss mnər, kànniss
mnər] noun
constellation:
a constellation of stars containing the star Procyon, situated east of Orion.
See
also
Canis Major
[From Latin, literally
“lesser dog”][1]



canistel

canistel
can·is·tel 
[kánni stèl, kánni
stél] (plural can·is·tels) noun

1.  subtropical
tree:
a tree that bears a sweet egg-shaped fruit with a strong musky smell. It is
native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Latin name: Pouteria campechiana

2.  fruit
of canistel tree: the fruit of the canistel tree
[From American Spanish][1]



canister

canister
can·is·ter 
[kánnistər] (plural can·is·ters)
noun

1.  pressurized
container:
a pressurized metal container holding a substance released as a spray

2.  sealed
container:
a strong sealed metal container for hazardous chemicals

3.  food
container:
a metal container with a lid, for storing tea, coffee, or other dry foods

4.  ARMS explosive:
a weapon used in former times consisting of a metal shell filled with gas and
shot or shrapnel, designed to explode when thrown or fired from a cannon
[Late 15th century. Via Latin
canistrum (source of English canasta
) from Greek kanastron “wicker basket,” from kanna “reed” (source
of English cane ).][1]



canker

canker
can·ker 
[kángkər] noun (plural can·kers)

1.  BOTANY plant
disease:
any disease that creates open wounds on the trunks and branches of woody
plants. Cankers can be caused by bacteria, fungi, or pests.

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE animal
disease:
any of several diseases of animals, for example, a disease of horses that makes
their hooves become soft and spongy, a disease that can cause ulcers in the
outer ears of some animals, or a throat infection of some birds

3.  evil:
an evil or corrupting influence that spreads and is difficult to wipe out “This
canker that eats up Love’s tender spring” William Shakespeare Venus and Adonis
1593
intransitive
and transitive verb (past can·kered,
past participle can·kered, present participle can·ker·ing,
3rd person present singular can·kers)

1.  BOTANY develop
canker:
to develop canker, or cause the trunks and branches of woody plants to develop
canker

2.  make
or become corrupt: to become a source of
spreading corruption or evil, or cause something to decay as a result of
spreading corruption or evil
[14th
century. Via Old Northern French cancre from the Latin stem cancr-
“crab, cancer” (see cancer ).]
—can·ker·ous, adjective[1]



cankerbrake

cankerbrake
can·ker
brake
(plural can·ker brakes) noun

See
Christmas fern
[Brake perhaps a shortening
of bracken][1]



cankerroot

cankerroot
can·ker·root 
[kángkər rt, kángkər
rt] noun

See
goldthread[1]



cankersore

cankersore
can·ker
sore
(plural can·ker sores) noun

mouth ulcer:
an ulcer on the lips or inside the mouth[1]



cankerworm

cankerworm
can·ker·worm 
[kángkər wòrm] (plural can·ker·worms)
noun

moth larva:
the larva of either of two types of moth that destroys the leaves and fruit of
trees in North America. Latin name: Paleacrita vernata Alsophila
pometaria[1]



canna

canna
can·na 
[kánnə] (plural can·nas) noun

tall
tropical plant with striking flowers: a
perennial tropical plant native to the West Indies and Central America that is
cultivated for its clusters of red or yellow flowers and luxuriant foliage.
Genus: Canna
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin Canna, genus name, from Latin canna “reed, cane” (see cane ).][1]



cannabidiol

cannabidiol
can·na·bi·di·ol 
[kànnəbi d òl, kànnəbi
d òl] noun

constituent
of cannabis: one of the chemical constituents of
cannabis. C21H28(OH)2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cannabis + di-
+ -ol .][1]



cannabis

cannabis
can·na·bis 
[kánnəbiss] noun

1.  drug:
a drug produced in various forms from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp
plant, smoked or chewed. Its recreational use is illegal in most countries.

2.  hemp
plant:
the hemp plant, especially when grown as a source of cannabis. Latin name: Cannabis
sativa
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin (source of English canvas )
from Greek kannabis .][1]



cannabisresin

cannabisresin
can·na·bis
res·in
noun

cannabis in resin form:
the drug cannabis in the form of a greenish-black resin[1]



canned

canned
canned 
[kand] adjective

1.  preserved
in a can:
preserved by being sealed into airtight metal containers.
U.K.
term
tinned

2.  prerecorded:
prerecorded in a standardized form for general use, rather than recorded for a
specific broadcast or performance • The
actors learn to leave pauses where the canned laughter is to be inserted.

3.  unvarying:
used repeatedly with little or no variation, and therefore lacking freshness or
originality • the
familiar canned claim to know about the problem already

4.  drunk:
extremely inebriated (slang)

[1]



CannedHeat

CannedHeat
Canned
Heat 
Trademark

a trademark for fuel
consisting of solid alcohol or paraffin packed into small cans and used to heat
food[1]



cannel

cannel
can·nel 
[kánn’l] or can·nel coal [kánn’l] noun

coal
that burns brightly: a bituminous coal that burns
brightly and creates a lot of smoke
[Mid-16th century. From
northern English dialect cannel “candle,” from its bright flame.][1]



cannelloni

cannelloni
can·nel·lo·ni 
[kànn’l ṓnee] noun

stuffed
pasta tubes: wide tubes or rolls of pasta that are
stuffed with a filling, for example, meat or cheese, topped with sauce, often
tomato, then baked
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, the plural of cannellone “tubular noodle,” from, ultimately,
Latin canna “cane, reed” (see cane
).][1]



cannelure

cannelure
can·ne·lure 
[kánn’l r] (plural can·ne·lures)
noun

bullet
groove:
a groove around the cylindrical part of a bullet
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from canneler “to make a groove in,” from canne “reed”
(see cane ).][1]



cannery

cannery
can·ner·y 
[kánnəree] (plural can·ner·ies)
noun

food-canning factory:
a factory where food is packaged into cans[1]



Cannes

Cannes
Cannes
[kan, kanz]

resort and seaport on the
French Riviera that is the site of an annual international film festival. It is
situated in the Alpes-Maritimes Department in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d’Azur
administrative region of southern France. Population: 335,647 (1990)[1]



cannibal

cannibal
can·ni·bal 
[kánnib’l] (plural can·ni·bals)
noun

1.  somebody
who eats human flesh: somebody who eats human
flesh, whether as food or as part of a religious ritual

2.  animal
that eats its own species: an animal that eats the
flesh of other animals of the same species
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish Canibales, a variant (used by the explorer Columbus) of Caribes,
the name of a cannibalistic people of Cuba and Haiti (see Carib ).][1]



cannibalism

cannibalism
can·ni·bal·ism 
[kánnib’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  humans
eating humans: the eating of human flesh by other human
beings, whether for food or as a religious ritual

2.  animals
eating own species: the eating of animal flesh
by animals of the same species

[1]



cannibalistic

cannibalistic
can·ni·bal·is·tic
[kànnib’l ístik] adjective

relating
to cannibalism: relating to, involving, or practicing
cannibalism
—can·ni·bal·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



cannibalize

cannibalize
can·ni·bal·ize 
[kánnib’l z] (past can·ni·bal·ized,
past participle can·ni·bal·ized, present participle can·ni·bal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular can·ni·bal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  steal
parts:
to take parts from something, especially a machine, in order to use them
elsewhere • The
troops, hard-pressed for spare parts, cannibalized the tracks from a wrecked
tank to repair their own damaged vehicle.

2.  eat
member of own species: to eat the flesh of another
human being or of an animal of the same species
—can·ni·bal·i·za·tion
[kànnib’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



cannikin

cannikin
can·ni·kin 
[kánnikin] (plural can·ni·kins)
noun

small
can:
a small can, especially one used for drinking from
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch kanneken, literally “little can,” from Middle Dutch canne
“can.”][1]



cannoli

cannoli
can·no·li 
[kə nṓlee] (plural can·no·li) noun

fried
pastry dish: a deep-fried sweet Italian pastry with a
soft cheese and candied fruit filling. It originated in Sicily.
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian, the plural of cannolo, literally “little tube,” from,
ultimately, Latin canna “reed, pipe” (see cane
).][1]



cannon

cannon

can·non 
[kánnən] noun (plural can·nons)

1.  (plural
can·nons or can·non) former
weapon:
a weapon used in former times, now used only ceremonially, consisting of a
simple iron tube mounted on wheels. It fires heavy iron balls and other
projectiles. • The
cannon fired a 21-gun salute.

2.  modern
weapon:
a modern heavy artillery weapon large enough to need to be mounted for firing,
for example, one mounted on a warship or on a tracked vehicle

3.  aircraft
gun:
a rapid-firing gun mounted on an aircraft

4.  U.K.
CUE GAMES See carom

5.  bell
loop:
the loop at the top of a bell from which it is suspended
verb (past
can·noned, past participle can·noned, present
participle can·non·ing, 3rd person present singular can·nons)

1.  transitive
verb
See cannonade

2.  intransitive
verb
collide:
to collide with something or bounce off it at great speed and with a lot of
force • The
car, out of control on the icy road, cannoned into the bridge abutment and
burst into flames.

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. CUE GAMES make
a carom:
in cue games, to make a carom
[14th century. Via French canon
from Italian cannone, literally “large tube,” from, ultimately, Latin canna
“reed, tube” (see cane ).][1]



cannonade

cannonade
can·non·ade 
[kànnə náyd] noun (plural can·non·ades)

1.  MILITARY bombardment:
a sustained bombardment with heavy artillery

2.  something
like a bombardment: something that sounds or
feels like an artillery bombardment “The deep cannonade of roaring thunder
belched forth its fearsome challenge.” Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan of the Apes
1914
verb
(past can·non·ad·ed, past participle can·non·ad·ed,
present participle can·non·ad·ing, 3rd person present singular
can·non·ades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bombard:
to subject an enemy to a cannonade

2.  transitive
verb
attack
somebody:
to subject somebody to a sustained attack, for example, with words of criticism
or reproach
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian cannonata, from cannone (see cannon ).][1]



cannonball

cannonball
can·non·ball 
[kánnən bàwl] noun (plural can·non·balls)

1.  ball
fired from cannon: a heavy metal or stone ball
fired from an old-fashioned cannon

2.  jump
into water:
a jump into water with the body tucked into a ball, usually with head down and
knees drawn up to the chest
intransitive
verb
(past can·non·balled, past participle can·non·balled,
present participle can·non·ball·ing, 3rd person present
singular can·non·balls)

travel quickly:
to travel at great speed (informal) • The
fast freight train cannonballed through the dark tunnel.

[1]



cannonballtree

cannonballtree
can·non·ball
tree
(plural can·non·ball trees) noun

tree that produces round
fruit: a South American tree that
produces round fruits with woody husks that are used to make containers and
utensils. Latin name: Couroupita guianensis[1]



cannonbone

cannonbone
can·non
bone
(plural can·non bones) noun

animal’s
leg bone:
a bone in the lower limbs of some hoofed animals, evolved from the fusing of
the metatarsals or metacarpals
[Cannon because of the bone’s
tubular shape][1]



cannoneer

cannoneer
can·non·eer 
[kànnə nr] (plural can·non·eers)
noun

cannonfirer:
in former times, a soldier who fired a cannon
[Mid-16th century. Via French
canonnier from Italian cannoniere, from cannone (see cannon ).][1]



cannonfodder

cannonfodder
can·non
fod·der
noun (informal)

1.  low-ranking
military personnel: members of the lowest ranks
of the military, regarded as an expendable resource in wartime

2.  expendable
person:
any person or group regarded as a resource to be exploited or sacrificed • Our
team ended up as cannon fodder for the opponents in the first championship
game.

[1]



Cannon,Joseph Gurney

Cannon,Joseph Gurney
Can·non 
[kánnən], Joseph Gurney (1836–1926)

U.S.
political leader. He was a powerful Republican Speaker of the House of
Representatives (1903–1911) during a long congressional career (1873–1923).
Known as
Uncle Joe[1]



cannonry

cannonry
can·non·ry 
[kánnənree] (plural can·non·ries)
noun

1.  burst
of artillery fire: a burst of artillery fire

2.  artillery:
artillery in general

[1]



cannot

cannot
can·not 
[ká nòt, kə nót]
verb

can
not:
an alternative way of writing “can not”

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at help.

[1]



cannula

cannula
can·nu·la 
[kánnyələ] (plural can·nu·las or
can·nu·lae [kánnyə l]) or can·u·la
[kánnyələ] (plural can·u·las or
can·u·lae) noun

medical
tube:
a flexible tube with a sharp-pointed part at one end that is inserted into a
duct, vein, or cavity in order to drain away fluid or to administer drugs
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “little tube,” from canna “reed, pipe” (see cane ).][1]



cannulate

cannulate
can·nu·late 
[kánnyə làyt] or can·u·late [kánnyə làyt] transitive verb (past can·nu·lat·ed,
past participle can·nu·lat·ed, present participle can·nu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular can·nu·lates) (past can·u·lat·ed,
past participle can·u·lat·ed, present participle can·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular can·u·lates)

insert
tube into body: to insert a tube ( cannula ) into a vein or cavity in order to drain
away fluid or to administer drugs
adjective

tubular:
tubular in shape (technical)
—can·nu·la·tion [kànnyə láysh’n], noun[1]



canny

canny
can·ny 
[kánnee] (comparative can·ni·er,
superlative can·ni·est) adjective

shrewdly
knowing:
shrewd enough not to be easily deceived • a
canny negotiator
[Late
16th century. Originally a Scots dialect form of can
in its original meaning “to know, come to know” (hence “to be able”).]
—can·ni·ly,
adverb

—can·ni·ness, noun[1]



canoe

canoe
ca·noe 
[kə n] noun (plural ca·noes)

light
narrow pointed boat: a lightweight boat
identically pointed at each end. It can be paddled by one or two people and
sometimes can carry other people as passengers. Canoes were originally made
from natural materials, but modern canoes are made of aluminum or of molded
plastic and fiberglass.
intransitive
verb
(past ca·noed, past participle ca·noed, present
participle ca·noe·ing, 3rd person present singular ca·noes)

travel
in canoe:
to travel or paddle in a canoe, often as a sport or hobby
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration (influenced by French canoë ) of Spanish canoa
from, ultimately, Carib canaoua .]
—ca·noe·a·ble,
adjective
paddle
your own canoe

to take control of and
responsibility for your own life and affairs (informal)[1]



canoebirch

canoebirch
ca·noe
birch
(plural ca·noe birch·es) noun

See
paper birch[1]



canoeing

canoeing
ca·noe·ing
[kə n ing] noun

going by canoe:
the sport, hobby, or activity of paddling a canoe[1]



canoeist

canoeist
ca·noe·ist
[kə n ist] (plural ca·noe·ists)
noun

somebody who canoes:
somebody who canoes, especially as a hobby or a sport[1]



canof worms

canof worms
can
of worms
(plural cans of worms) noun

complex problem:
a complicated situation that results from unforeseen problems, especially an
issue that seems likely to create conflicts (informal)[1]



canola

canola
ca·no·la 
[kə nṓlə] (plural ca·no·las) noun

1.  PLANTS type
of rapeseed plant: a type of rapeseed plant
that yields oil with high nutritional quality

2.  FOOD See canola oil
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Canada + -ola (influenced by Latin oleum
“oil”).][1]



canolaoil

canolaoil
ca·no·la
oil
noun

rapeseed oil:
a kind of rapeseed oil that has a high level of monounsaturated fatty acids,
used as a cooking oil.
Also called
canola[1]



canon

canon2
can·on2  [kánnən]
(plural can·ons) noun

1.  member
of clergy attached to cathedral: a member of the
Christian clergy who is on the permanent staff of a cathedral and has specific
duties in relation to the running of it

2.  See
canon regular
[12th century. Via Old French
canonie from ecclesiastical Latin canonicus “(somebody living)
according to a rule,” from Latin canon “rule” (see canon 1 ).][1]



canon

canon1

can·on1  [kánnən]
(plural can·ons) noun

1.  general
rule:
a general rule, principle, or standard • one
of the fundamental canons of free-market economics

2.  religious
decree:
a decree issued by a religious authority, especially one ruling on religious
practices

3.  body
of religious writings: a set of religious writings
regarded as authentic and definitive and forming a religion’s body of scripture

4.  list
of saints:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the complete list of all the saints

5.  part
of Mass:
in the Roman Catholic Mass, the prayer during which the bread and wine are
consecrated

6.  set
of artistic works: a set of artistic works
established as genuine and complete, for example, the works of a particular
writer, painter, or moviemaker • It’s
not one of the best-known pictures in the Welles canon.

7.  MUSIC staggered
singing or playing: a musical technique in which
different instruments or voices enter one after the other, each playing or
singing exactly the same sequence of notes, resulting in often complex
counterpoint
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek kanōn “rule.”][1]



canoness

canoness
can·on·ess 
[kánnənəss] (plural can·on·ess·es)
noun

woman member of religious
order: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a woman who belongs to one of several religious orders in which members
live under a rule, not a vow[1]



canonic

canonic
ca·non·ic 
adjective

See
canonical
[15th century. Directly or
via French canonique from Latin canonicus, from, ultimately,
Greek kanōn “rule” (source also of canon 1 ).][1]



canonical

canonical
ca·non·i·cal 
[kə nónnik’l] or ca·non·i·c [kə nónnik’l] adjective

1.  of
a canon of works: relating or belonging to the biblical
canon or a canon of artistic works established as genuine and complete

2.  following
canon law:
conforming to or authorized by canon law

3.  conforming
to general principles: conforming to accepted
principles or standard practice

4.  of
cathedral or regular canons: relating to members of the
clergy who are canons

5.  MUSIC of
musical canon: relating to musical canons, or sung or
played in a canon
[15th
century. From medieval Latin canonicalis, from Greek kanōn “rule”
(source also of canon 1 ).]
—ca·non·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



canonicalhour

canonicalhour
ca·non·i·cal
hour
(plural ca·non·i·cal hours) noun

1.  prayer
time:
in the Roman Catholic Church, any of the daily prayer times when specific
prayers are said. These times are the matins with lauds, prime, terce, sext,
nones, vespers, and compline.

2.  time
for marriage: in the Church of England, any time
between 8 A:M and 6 P:M when marriages can be officially
celebrated

[1]



canonicals

canonicals
ca·non·i·cals 
[kə nónnik’lz] plural noun

religious robes:
ceremonial robes worn by members of the clergy during a religious ceremony[1]



canonicity

canonicity
can·on·ic·i·ty
[kànnə níssətee] noun

canonical quality:
inclusion in a religious or secular canon, or status as an included item[1]



canonist

canonist
can·on·ist 
[kánnənist] (plural can·on·ists)
noun

See
canon lawyer
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French canoniste from medieval Latin canonista,
from, ultimately, Greek kanōn “rule” (source also of canon 1 ).]
—can·on·is·tic
[kànnə nístik], adjective

—can·on·is·ti·cal, adjective[1]



canonization

canonization
can·on·i·za·tion 
[kànnəni záysh’n] (plural can·on·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  nomination
as a saint:
the formal process or decree by which a deceased person is declared by the
Roman Catholic Church to be a saint

2.  religious
approval:
the official sanctioning of something by a religious authority

3.  idolization:
the idolizing of somebody, or the glorifying of somebody or something • the
canonization of a young president who was merely human like the rest of us
[14th century. From the medieval
Latin stem canonization-, from canonizare (see canonize ).][1]



canonize

canonize
can·on·ize 
[kánnə nz] (past can·on·ized,
past participle can·on·ized, present participle can·on·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular can·on·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  declare
as saint:
in the Roman Catholic Church, to declare a deceased person to be a saint

2.  give
religious approval to: to declare something to be
acceptable or valid according to canon law

3.  glorify:
to idolize somebody or glorify something “And fame in time to come canonize us”
William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida 1601
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin canonizare, from, ultimately, Greek kanōn
“rule” (source also of canon 1 ).]
—can·on·iz·er, noun[1]



canonlaw

canonlaw
can·on
law
noun

Christian religious law:
the body of laws that governs the affairs of the Christian church or a
particular branch of it[1]



canonlawyer

canonlawyer
can·on
law·yer
(plural can·on law·yers) noun

expert in canon law:
a specialist in or practitioner of canon law.
Also called
canonist[1]



canonregular

canonregular
can·on
reg·u·lar
(plural can·ons reg·u·lar) noun

Roman Catholic monk:
a member of any of several Roman Catholic orders of monks living in communities
that follow Augustinian rules.
Also called
canon[1]



canonry

canonry
can·on·ry 
[kánnənree] (plural can·on·ries)
noun

1.  canon’s
status:
the status or position of a religious canon

2.  canon’s
salary:
the salary that a religious canon receives

[1]



canoodle

canoodle
ca·noo·dle 
[kə nd’l] (past ca·noo·dled, past
participle ca·noo·dled, present participle ca·nood·ling,
3rd person present singular ca·noo·dles) intransitive and
transitive verb

kiss
and cuddle:
to kiss and cuddle somebody in a mildly romantic or sexual way (informal)
• couples
canoodling on the back row of the dark theater
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



canopener

canopener
can
o·pen·er
(plural can o·pen·ers) noun

device for opening cans:
a device, either electric-powered or operated by hand, used for opening cans,
especially cans of food.
U.K. term
tin opener[1]



canopicjar

canopicjar
ca·no·pic
jar 
[kə nòppik jr] (plural ca·no·pic
jars) or Ca·no·pic jar [kə nòppik
jr] (plural Ca·no·pic jars) noun

jar
for mummy’s entrails: a jar used in ancient Egypt
to hold the embalmed entrails of a mummy
[Late 19th century. Canopic
from Latin Canopicus, from Canopus, port in ancient Egypt and
site of ancient monuments.][1]



Canopus

Canopus
Ca·no·pus 
[kə nṓpəss, kə
nóppəss] noun

second brightest star:
the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius, 98 light-years away from
Earth and situated in the Argo constellation. Because it is so bright,
spacecraft often take Canopus as a reference point for orientation.[1]



canopy

canopy
can·o·py 
[kánnəpee] (plural can·o·pies)
noun

1.  covering
for shelter: a covering put above something else to
provide shelter or for decoration, especially a fabric covering designed to be
removed or folded away

2.  BOTANY treetops:
the uppermost layer of vegetation in a forest, consisting of the tops of trees
forming a kind of ceiling.
Also
called
crown canopy

3.  sky:
the sky as a covering or ceiling (literary) • the
vast canopy of stars

4.  ARCHITECTURE roofed
structure:
a roofed structure that covers an area, especially one that shelters a
passageway between two buildings

5.  AIR part
of parachute: the part of a parachute that opens and
fills with air

6.  AIR cockpit
cover:
the transparent cover of an aircraft’s cockpit
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin canopeum “canopy above an altar” from,
ultimately, Greek kōnōpeion “bed with a mosquito net,” from kōnōps
“mosquito.”]
—can·o·pied, adjective[1]



Canova,Antonio

Canova,Antonio
Ca·no·va 
[kə nṓvə], Antonio, Marquis of Ischia
(1757–1822)

Italian sculptor. His
neoclassical works include figures of Napoleon I and George Washington.[1]



canst

canst
canst 
[(stressed) kanst, (unstressed)
kənst] verb

can:
an archaic form of the verb “can” used with “thou”[1]



Cant.

Cant.
Cant.

Abbreviation of
Canticle of Canticles[1]



cant

cant1
cant1 [kant]
noun

1.  clichéd
talk:
boring talk filled with clichés and platitudes

2.  hypocritical
talk:
insincere talk, especially where morals and religion are concerned

3.  jargon:
the special language or vocabulary of a particular group, especially a group
whom some people look down on
intransitive
verb
(past cant·ed, past participle cant·ed, present
participle cant·ing, 3rd person present singular cants)

speak cant: to
use cant, especially to speak or lecture others hypocritically on matters of
religion or morals
[Mid-16th
century. Probably from Latin cantare “to sing”; perhaps from an ironic
comparison between a church choir’s singing and the speech of beggars and criminals.]
—can·ter,
noun

—cant·ing,
adjective

—cant·ing·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word cantare, meaning “to sing,” from which cant is derived, is also the source of English accent, cantabile,
  cantata, canto, cantor,
  and chant.

[1]



cant

cant2
cant2 [kant]
noun

1.  slope:
slope, degree of slope, or a sloping surface

2.  jolt:
a jolt that knocks something out of its straight or level position

3.  sloping
edge:
a sloping edge, for example, the bevel on the blade of a cutting tool
verb
(past cant·ed, past participle cant·ed, present
participle cant·ing, 3rd person present singular cants)

1.  transitive
verb
jolt
something:
to knock something out of its straight or level position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb put at
an angle:
to lie, or set something, at an angle
[14th century. Via Middle Low
German kante or Middle Dutch cant “edge” from assumed Vulgar
Latin canto (source of English decant
), from Latin cantus “wheel rim, tire,” probably of Celtic origin.][1]



cantabile

cantabile
can·ta·bi·le 
[kaan tbi lày] adverb

flowing:
in a smooth, flowing, and melodious style (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural can·ta·bi·les)

cantabile
piece:
a cantabile passage or piece of music
[Early
18th century. Via Italian, “that can be sung.”]
—can·ta·bi·le, adjective[1]



Cantabrigian

Cantabrigian
Can·ta·brig·i·an 
[kàntə bríjjee ən] (plural Can·ta·brig·i·ans)
noun

1.  Cambridge
student:
a student or graduate of the University of Cambridge in England

2.  somebody
from Cambridge: somebody from Cambridge in England or
Cambridge in Massachusetts
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin Cantabrigia “Cambridge (England).”]
—Can·ta·brig·i·an, adjective[1]



cantala

cantala
can·ta·la 
[kan tlə] (plural can·ta·las)
noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
plant grown for fiber: a tropical American plant
that is a species of agave. It is grown for its leaf fibers. Latin name: Agave
cantala

2.  tough
plant fiber: a coarse strong fiber from the leaves of
the cantala plant, used to make nets, rope, and twine
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cantaloupe

cantaloupe

can·ta·loupe 
[kánt’l p] (plural can·ta·loupes)
or can·ta·loup [kánt’l p] (plural
can·ta·loups) noun

1.  orange-fleshed
melon:
a round melon with a netted, often ridged rind and aromatic orange flesh. Latin
name: Cucumis melo reticulatus

2.  any
orange melon: any orange-fleshed melon
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Italian Cantaluppi, a papal villa near Rome where a similar
melon was introduced from Armenia.][1]



cantankerous

cantankerous
can·tan·ker·ous 
[kan tángkərəss] adjective

1.  grouchy:
easily angered and difficult to get along with

2.  awkward
to use:
difficult to work with or use (informal)
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a blend of rancorous and an unknown element
(or perhaps via Middle English contekour “brawler” from assumed
Anglo-Norman contek “strife”).]
—can·tan·ker·ous·ly,
adverb

—can·tan·ker·ous·ness,
noun[1]



cantata

cantata
can·ta·ta 
[kən ttə] (plural can·ta·tas)
noun

vocal
musical work: a musical composition for voices and
instruments, usually on a religious theme, containing arias, choruses, and
recitatives
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin, the feminine past participle of cantare “to
sing”(source of English cant, chant, and incantation
), from canere “to sing.”][1]



cantatrice

cantatrice
can·ta·trice 
[kntə tr chày, kntə
trss] (plural can·ta·tri·ces) noun

female
singer:
a female singer, especially of opera
[Early 19th century. Directly
or via Italian from French, from Latin cantatrix, from cantare
(see cantata ).][1]



cantdog

cantdog
cant
dog
(plural cant dogs) noun

See
cant hook
[From cant 2 + dog in the sense of “mechanical device”][1]



canteen

canteen

can·teen 
[kan tn] (plural can·teens) noun

1.  cafeteria:
a place where food is served, especially at a military base or workplace

2.  portable
drinking flask: a small container used by campers or
soldiers for carrying liquids such as drinking water

3.  U.K.
soldiers’
shop:
a store selling food, toiletries, and other items on a military base

4.  temporary
food stand:
a mobile or temporary food stand

5.  recreation
center:
a recreation center or social club, especially for soldiers or teenagers (dated)

6.  portable
bowls and eating utensils: a portable set of cooking
and eating utensils used by soldiers or campers (dated)

7.  U.K.
flatware
box:
a box or chest with compartments for storing flatware
[Mid-18th century. Via French
cantine from Italian cantina “cellar,” perhaps via canto
“corner (for storage)” from assumed Vulgar Latin canthus “corner, edge,”
from Latin, “iron tire.”][1]



canter

canter
can·ter 
[kántər] noun (plural can·ters)

1.  horse’s
medium pace: a smooth easy gait of a horse or donkey,
slower than a gallop but faster than a trot

2.  horse
ride at canter: a horse ride at a canter
verb
(past can·tered, past participle can·tered, present
participle can·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular can·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
at canter:
to move or ride at a canter

2.  transitive
verb
make
horse canter: to make a horse go at a canter
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of Canterbury gallop, referring to the pace of medieval
pilgrims who rode to the shrine of St. Thomas à Becket in Canterbury, England.][1]



Canterbury

Canterbury
Can·ter·bur·y
[kántər bèrree]

city in Kent, England. Its
cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England. Population: 36,464
(1991)[1]



Canterburybells

Canterburybells
Can·ter·bur·y
bells
noun

plant
with bell-shaped flowers: a European plant cultivated
for its bell-shaped flowers. Latin name: Campanula medium (takes a
singular or plural verb)
[Perhaps from a fanciful
association of the bell-shaped flowers with the bells worn by pilgrims’ horses,
referring to the pilgrimage destination of Canterbury, England (see canter )][1]



cantharis

cantharis
can·tha·ris 
[kánthəriss] (plural can·thar·i·des
[kan thérri dz]) noun

See
Spanish fly
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kantharis, of unknown origin.][1]



canthi

canthi
can·thi


Plural of
canthus[1]



canthook

canthook
cant
hook
(plural cant hooks) noun

pole
for moving logs: a wooden pole with a pivoting metal hook
at one end, used in forestry for handling logs.
Also
called
cant dog
[From cant 2][1]



canthus

canthus
can·thus 
[kánthəss] (plural can·thi [kán th]) noun

corner
of eye:
the corner or angle at either side of the eye
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek kanthos (source of English decant
).][1]



canticle

canticle
can·ti·cle 
[kántik’l] (plural can·ti·cles)
noun

Christian
hymn or chant: a song or chant, especially a hymn
containing words derived from the Bible, used in the Christian liturgy
[13th century. From Latin canticulum,
literally “little song,” from canticum “song,” from cantus “song”
(see canto ).][1]



Canticleof Canticles

Canticleof Canticles
Can·ti·cle
of Can·ti·cles  noun

See
Song of Solomon[1]



cantilena

cantilena
can·ti·le·na 
[kànt’l nə] (plural can·ti·le·nas)
noun

melodious
musical line: a smooth-flowing melodious line in vocal
or instrumental music
[Mid-18th century. Directly
or via Italian from Latin, “song,” from cantus “song” (see canto ).][1]



cantilever

cantilever
can·ti·le·ver 
[kánt’l vər] noun (plural can·ti·le·vers)

1.  CIVIL ENGINEERING projection
supported at one end: a projecting structure that
is attached or supported at only one end

2.  BUILDING supporting
bracket:
a bracket that supports a balcony or a cornice

3.  AEROSPACE wing
with no external brace: an aircraft wing constructed
without external braces
verb
(past can·ti·le·vered, past participle can·ti·le·vered,
present participle can·ti·le·ver·ing, 3rd person present
singular can·ti·le·vers)

1.  transitive
verb
CIVIL ENGINEERING attach
something at one end: to construct something in
such a way that it is attached or supported at only one end

2.  intransitive
verb
extend
like cantilever: to project outward like a cantilever
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cantileverbridge

cantileverbridge

can·ti·le·ver bridge
(plural can·ti·le·ver bridges) noun
bridge constructed from cantilevers:
a bridge consisting of arms projecting outward from supporting piers and
meeting in the middle of each span[1]



cantillate

cantillate
can·til·late 
[kánt’l àyt] (past can·til·lat·ed,
past participle can·til·lat·ed, present participle can·til·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular can·til·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

chant
religious text: to chant or intone something, especially
passages of the Hebrew Scriptures
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin cantillat-, the past participle stem of cantillare
“to sing low, hum,” from cantare (see cantata
).]
—can·til·la·tion [kànt’l áysh’n], noun[1]



cantina

cantina
can·ti·na 
[kan tnə] (plural can·ti·nas)
noun

Spanish
bar:
a bar or wine shop, especially in a Spanish-speaking country or region
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, “bar, wine cellar,” from Italian, “(wine)cellar” (see canteen ).][1]



Cantinflas

Cantinflas
Can·tin·flas
[kántin flàss] (1911–1993)

Mexican
movie actor. He was known for his comic characters and, off-screen, for his
campaigning for social justice.
Real name
Moreno, Mario[1]



cantle

cantle
can·tle 
[kánt’l] (plural can·tles) noun

1.  back
of saddle:
the raised back part of a saddle for a horse

2.  piece:
a corner, portion, segment, or broken-off piece of something (archaic)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman cantel from medieval Latin cantellus “small corner,”
from assumed Vulgar Latin cant(h)us (see canteen
).][1]



canto

canto
can·to 
[kántō] (plural can·tos) noun

POETRY part
of poem:
any of the main divisions of a long poem
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from Latin cantus “song” (source of English accent and descant
), from cantare (see cantata ).][1]



Canton

Canton
Can·ton
[kántən, kán tòn]

1.  See
Guangzhou

2.  city
in Mississippi, northeast of Jackson, between the Big Black River and the Pearl
River. Population: 10,328 (1996)

3.  city
in northeastern Ohio, southeast of Akron; home of the Football Hall of Fame.
Population: 81,079 (1996)

[1]



canton

canton
can·ton 
[kántən, kán tòn]
(plural can·tons) noun

1.  part
of country:
division of a country, especially one of the states into which Switzerland is
divided

2.  part
of French arrondissement: a division of a French
arrondissement

3.  part
of flag:
a rectangular division in the top corner of a flag, next to the staff

4.  HERALDRY part
of shield:
a small square or oblong division of a shield, usually in the top left corner
[Early
16th century. Via French from Italian dialect cantone, literally “large
corner, large part,” from canto “corner” (see canteen
).]
—can·ton·al [kántən’l, kan tónn’l],
adjective[1]



Cantoncrêpe

Cantoncrêpe
Can·ton
crêpe
noun

fine
dress fabric: a fine soft crinkled dress fabric of
silk or rayon, slightly heavier than crêpe de Chine
[Mid-19th century. Named for Canton, where it was first made.][1]



Cantonese

Cantonese
Can·ton·ese 
[kàntə nz, kántə
nss] noun (plural Can·ton·ese)

1.  LANGUAGE Chinese
language:
a regional language of Guangzhou (Canton) and the province of Guangdong, China.
It is a Chinese language of the Sino-Tibetan family, and the most widely spoken
language in Chinese communities elsewhere in the world. It is spoken by about
70 million people.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Guangdong: somebody who was born or lives in the
Chinese city of Guangzhou or the surrounding province of Guangdong
adjective

1.  of
Guangdong:
relating to Guangzhou, Guangdong, or their people or culture

2.  of
a Chinese language: relating to the Cantonese
language

3.  COOKING type
of Chinese cuisine: typical of or constituting
the style and food of the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and the
surrounding province of Guangdong

[1]



cantonment

cantonment
can·ton·ment 
[kan tṓnmənt, kan
tónmənt] (plural can·ton·ments) noun

1.  temporary
troop accommodations: temporary accommodations for
troops, especially the winter quarters of an army

2.  assignment
to quarters: the assignment of troops to temporary
quarters

3.  military
camp in British India: a permanent military station
in India during the time of British imperial rule
[Mid-18th century. From
French cantonnement, from cantonner “to quarter, billet,” from canton
(see canton ).][1]



Cantonware

Cantonware
Can·ton
ware
noun

Chinese
ceramics:
Chinese porcelain and other ceramic ware of types exported during the 18th and
19th centuries
[Early 20th century. So named
because, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, such pottery was
exported from China by way of Canton .][1]



cantor

cantor
can·tor 
[kántər] (plural can·tors) noun

1.  JUDAISM chief
singer in synagogue: a Jewish religious official
who is the chief singer of the liturgy in a synagogue.
Also
called
chazan
Also
called
hazan

2.  CHRISTIANITY lead
singer in choir: somebody who leads the singing in a
church choir or congregation
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “singer,” from cantere (see cantata ).]
—can·to·ri·al [kan táwree əl], adjective[1]



Cantor,Eddie

Cantor,Eddie
Can·tor 
[kántər], Eddie (1892–1964)

U.S. stage performer. He was
known for his song “Banjo Eyes” and energetic performances in vaudeville
and on Broadway.[1]



cantus

cantus
can·tus
[kántəss] (plural can·tus) noun

1.  MUSIC See cantus firmus

2.  medieval
ecclesiastical chant: a melody or style of singing
used in the medieval church
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “song” (see canto ).][1]



cantusfirmus

cantusfirmus
can·tus
fir·mus
[kàntəss fúrməss] (plural can·tus
fir·mi) noun

main
melody:
a melody, often derived from chant, that forms the basis of a composition to
which other melodic lines are added.
Also
called
cantus
[From Latin, literally “firm
song, fixed song”][1]



canty

canty
can·ty
[kántee] (comparative can·ti·er,
superlative can·ti·est) adjective

Northern
England,
Scotland lively:
cheerful, lively, or sprightly
[Early
18th century. From Scottish (formerly) and northern English dialect cant
“bold, brisk,” perhaps from Dutch kant “side, edge.”]
—can·ti·ly,
adverb

—can·ti·ness, noun[1]



Canuck

Canuck
Ca·nuck 
[kə núk] (plural Ca·nucks) noun

1.  Canadian:
somebody from Canada (slang)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a French-Canadian person (slang offensive)
[Mid-19th century. Probably
from (a Native American pronunciation of) Canada
.][1]



canula

canula
can·u·la 
noun

See
cannula[1]



canular

canular
can·u·lar 
adjective

See
cannular[1]



canulate

canulate
can·u·late 
verb

See
cannulate[1]



canvas

canvas
can·vas 
[kánvəss] noun (plural can·vas·es)

1.  TEXTILES heavy
fabric:
a strong heavy closely woven fabric of cotton, hemp, or jute

2.  PAINTING fabric
for painting on: a piece of canvas on which a painting is
done, especially in oils

3.  PAINTING painting:
a painting that has been done on a canvas

4.  background:
the background against which events happen

5.  SEWING cloth
for needlework: a fabric with a coarse loose weave, used
for embroidery or tapestry

6.  NAUTICAL fabric
for sails:
any fabric used to make sails

7.  NAUTICAL sail:
a vessel’s sail or sails

8.  tent:
a tent or group of tents

9.  BOXING WRESTLING floor of ring:
the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring when covered with canvas
transitive
verb
(past can·vased, past participle can·vased, present
participle can·vas·ing, 3rd person present singular can·vas·es)

cover something with canvas:
to cover or line something with canvas
[14th
century. Via Old Northern French canevas from, ultimately, Latin cannabis
“cannabis, hemp” (source of English cannabis
), canvas being originally a cloth made from hemp.]
under
canvas

living in a tent[1]



canvasback

canvasback


can·vas·back 
[kánvəss bàk] (plural can·vas·backs)
noun
diving
duck:
a North American wild duck, the male of which has a white back and a
reddish-brown head and neck. Latin name: Aythya valisineria
[So called on account of the
male’s white back][1]



canvass

canvass
can·vass 
[kánvəss] or can·vas [kánvəss] verb (past can·vassed,
past participle can·vassed, present participle can·vass·ing,
3rd person present singular can·vass·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb visit
somebody to solicit something: to travel around an
area asking people for something, for example, sale orders, opinions, or votes

2.  transitive
verb
debate
something:
to debate or discuss something thoroughly

3.  transitive
verb
look
at something carefully: to examine something in
detail • The
ballots were thoroughly canvassed to confirm their authenticity.
noun
(plural can·vass·es) (plural can·vas·es)

1.  opinion
poll:
a survey of public opinion, especially before an election

2.  sale
offer to members of group: an offer of something,
especially something for sale, to people in a particular area or group

3.  careful
inspection:
a close inspection or examination
[Early 16th century. From canvas ; possibly the original sense “to toss in a
canvas sheet (in sport or punishment)” evolved via “to criticize roughly” into
“to debate,” then “to solicit votes.”][1]



canvasser

canvasser
can·vass·er
[kánvəssər] (plural can·vass·ers)
noun

somebody who canvasses:
somebody who canvasses, especially for a political party[1]



canyon

canyon

can·yon 
[kányən] (plural can·yons) or
ca·ñon [kányən] (plural ca·ñons)
noun
deep
valley:
a deep narrow valley with steep sides, often with a stream running through it
[Mid-19th
century. Via Mexican Spanish cañón from Spanish, literally “large tube,
pipe, or conduit,” from caña “pipe,” from Latin canna “reed,
pipe” (see cane ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Canyon is a Western term,
  originally from Texas and extending through the Rocky Mountain states to the
  Pacific coast. It is rare in the East and Midwest and absent from the
  Midlands and the South.

[1]



CanyonlandsNational Park

CanyonlandsNational Park
Can·yon·lands
Na·tion·al Park [kànyən
làndz náshən’l prk]

U.S. National Park in
southeastern Utah, established in 1964 and noted for its rock formations. Area:
136,610 hectares/337,570 acres.[1]



canzona

canzona
can·zo·na 
[kan zṓnə, kaant
sṓnə] (plural can·zo·nas) noun

1.  MUSIC songlike
madrigal:
a song resembling a madrigal but simpler and less serious in form and content.
Also
called
canzone

2.  MUSIC instrumental
piece:
an instrumental piece in the style of a canzona.
Also
called
canzone

3.  POETRY See canzone  noun 1
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, formed from canzone “song” (see canzone
).][1]



canzone

canzone
can·zo·ne 
[kan zṓnee, kaant
sṓ này] (plural can·zo·nes or can·zo·ni [kan zṓnee, kaant sṓnee])
noun

1.  POETRY medieval
love poem:
a love poem written by the troubadours of medieval Italy and Provence.
Also
called
canzona

2.  MUSIC See canzona  noun 1
See canzona  noun 2
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin cant-, the past participle stem of canere
“to sing” (source of English cantata
and shanty ).][1]



canzonet

canzonet
can·zo·net 
[kànzə nét] (plural can·zo·nets)
or can·zo·net·ta [kànzə néttə]
(plural can·zo·net·tas) noun

1.  light
English song: a short light English song of the 17th
or 18th century, originally intended for a group of singers or for a soloist
with accompaniment

2.  song
resembling madrigal: a Renaissance song with
different parts for different singers, similar to the madrigal
[Late 16th century. From
Italian canzonetta, literally “small canzone,” from canzone (see canzone ).][1]



canzoni

canzoni
can·zo·ni

Plural of
canzone[1]



can’t

can’t
can’t 
[kant] contraction

cannot:
cannot[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








C.A.P.

C.A.P.
C.A.P.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Civil Air Patrol

2.  Abbreviation
of
computer-aided production

[1]



cap.

cap.
cap.

1.  Abbreviation
of
capacity

2.  Abbreviation
of
capital

3.  Abbreviation
of
capitalize

4.  Abbreviation
of
capital letter

5.  ANATOMY Abbreviation of caput

[1]



cap

cap
cap
[kap] noun (plural caps)

1.  CLOTHES hat:
a covering for the head, usually soft and close-fitting and often with a visor
and no brim

2.  CLOTHES uniform
hat:
a head covering, usually part of a uniform, worn to identify the wearer’s
occupation or rank

3.  CLOTHES protective
covering for hair: a head covering worn to
protect the hair, usually close-fitting or elasticized around the edge

4.  CLOTHES hat
worn at graduation: an academic mortarboard,
worn with a gown on a ceremonial occasion

5.  cover:
a removable cover or lid that closes the end of something when it is not in use

6.  covering
at tip:
something that covers the top or tip of something, especially as protection

7.  top
part:
the top part of something, for example, a hill or mountain

8.  upper
limit:
an upper limit on something, for example, the amount that may be spent on an
item

9.  ARMS See percussion cap

10. explosive
for toy gun: a small quantity of explosive enclosed
in paper for use in a toy gun

11. DENTISTRY covering
for tooth:
a covering to preserve or replace the crown of a tooth

12. ARCHITECTURE top
of column:
the upper part of a column or pedestal

13. FUNGI top of
mushroom:
the dome-shaped upper part of certain fungi, for example mushrooms.
Also
called
pileus

14. BOTANY spore-capsule
covering:
the hood that covers the spore-bearing capsule of mosses and liverworts

15. BIRDS patch
on bird’s head: a patch of feathers of a different color
on the top of a bird’s head

16. GEOLOGY See cap rock

17. PAPER paper
size:
any of various sizes of paper (dated)

18. AUTOMOTIVE new
surface for tire: a new layer of rubber applied to the
surface of a worn tire

19. CELL BIOLOGY molecule
cluster:
an aggregation of molecules at one end of something such as a cell or virus

20. MATHEMATICS set
intersection symbol: a mathematical symbol (∩)
representing the intersection of two sets
verb
(past capped, past participle capped, present
participle cap·ping, 3rd person present singular caps)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something with cap: to put a cap over something

2.  transitive
verb
lie
on top of something: to cover the top or tip of
something

3.  transitive
verb
surpass
something:
to improve on something that has already happened or been done

4.  transitive
verb
complete
something:
to add the finishing touch to something, for example, an effort or a process

5.  transitive
verb
impose
limit on something: to put an upper limit on
something, for example, the amount of money to be charged or spent

6.  transitive
verb
award
special hat: to give somebody a special cap as a
symbol of achievement or as an honor

7.  transitive
verb
New Zealand, Scotland EDUC
give
somebody degree: to award an academic degree to somebody

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY form cluster of molecules:
to form a cluster of molecules on something
[Pre-12th
century. From late Latin cappa “hood, hooded cloak” (source of English cape and Italian cappuccino ).]
cap
in hand

with
a humble or apologetic attitude

set
your cap for or at somebody

to try to attract somebody,
especially with a view to marriage (dated)[1]



capability

capability
ca·pa·bil·i·ty 
[kàypə bíllətee] (plural ca·pa·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  competency:
the ability necessary to do something

2.  talent
that could be developed: an ability or characteristic
that has potential for development • a man
of immense capabilities

3.  potential
for use:
the potential to be used for a particular purpose or treated in a particular
manner

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ability

[1]



Capablanca,José Raúl

Capablanca,José Raúl
Ca·pa·blan·ca
[kàppə blángkə], José Raúl (1888–1942)

Cuban chess grandmaster. He
was the world champion between 1921 and 1927.[1]



capable

capable
ca·pa·ble 
[káypəb’l] adjective

1.  doing
something well: good at a particular task or job or at a
number of different things • a very
capable hotel manager

2.  able
to do particular thing: possessing the qualities
needed to do a particular thing

3.  liable
to:
permitting or susceptible to something • an
action capable of being misinterpreted

4.  LAW legally
competent:
the ability or the legal power to do something
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from late Latin capabilis, from Latin capere
“to take.” Originally “able to take in.”]
—ca·pa·ble·ness, noun[1]



capably

capably
ca·pa·bly
[káypəblee] adverb

competently:
in a competent or efficient way[1]



capacious

capacious
ca·pa·cious 
[kə páyshəss] adjective

able
to hold a lot: big enough to contain a large quantity
[Early
17th century. From Latin capac-, stem of capax “able to hold,”
from capere (see capable ).]
—ca·pa·cious·ly,
adverb

—ca·pa·cious·ness, noun[1]



capacitance

capacitance
ca·pac·i·tance 
[kə pássitəns] (plural ca·pac·i·tanc·es)
noun

1.  ability
to store electric charge: the ability of a substance
to store electric charge

2.  measure
of electric charge storage: a measure of the capacitance
of a substance, equal to the surface charge divided by the electric potential. Symbol
C

3.  part
of electric circuit: the part of an electric
circuit that has capacitance

[1]



capacitate

capacitate
ca·pac·i·tate 
[kə pássi tàyt] (past ca·pac·i·tat·ed,
past participle ca·pac·i·tat·ed, present participle ca·pac·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·pac·i·tates) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody capable: to make somebody able, fit, or qualified
to do something (formal)

2.  LAW give
somebody legal power: to make somebody legally
able to do something

3.  BIOLOGY cause
change in sperm coating: to cause the coatings on a
sperm to be able to interact with proteins on the ovum

[1]



capacitation

capacitation
ca·pac·i·ta·tion
[kə pàssi táysh’n] noun

changes in sperm coating:
physical changes in the coatings of a sperm to permit penetration and
fertilization of an egg[1]



capacitive

capacitive
ca·pac·i·tive
[kə pássitiv] adjective

of
electrical capacitance: relating to electrical
capacitance
—ca·pac·i·tive·ly, adverb[1]



capacitor

capacitor
ca·pac·i·tor 
[kə pássitər] (plural ca·pac·i·tors)
noun

electrical storage component:
an electrical component, used to store a charge temporarily, consisting of two
conducting surfaces separated by a nonconductor ( dielectric
).
Also called
condenser[1]



capacity

capacity
ca·pac·i·ty 
[kə pássitee] (plural ca·pac·i·ties)
noun

1.  volume:
a measure of the amount that can be held or contained

2.  mental
or physical ability: the ability to do or
experience something

3.  maximum
volume:
the maximum amount that can be held or taken in • The
theater was filled to capacity.

4.  maximum
productivity: the maximum amount of output or
productivity • a
factory operating at less than full capacity

5.  official
role:
an official function or position that somebody has

6.  ELECTRICITY measure
of electrical output: a measure of the electric
output of a battery or generator

7.  COMPUTING computer
storage space: the amount of data that can be stored by
a specific computer device

8.  LAW legal
competence:
the legal ability or qualification to do something, for example, make an arrest
or a will
[15th
century. Via French capacité from, ultimately, Latin capac- (see capacious ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ability

[1]



capand bells

capand bells
cap
and bells
plural noun

jester’s hat or clothing:
a cap with bells attached to it, traditionally worn by a court jester, or the
outfit of a court jester[1]



cap-a-pie

cap-a-pie
cap-a-pie 
[kàppə p] or cap-à-pie [kàppə p] adverb

from
head to foot: from head to foot (archaic)
[From Old French cap a pie
“from head to foot”][1]



caparison

caparison

ca·par·i·son 
[kə pérris’n] noun (plural ca·par·i·sons)

1.  fancy
covering for horse: an ornamental covering for a
horse, especially for a warhorse in former times

2.  harness
or saddle decorations: a decorative harness for a
horse or decorations for its saddle or other fittings

3.  elaborate
clothing or ornaments: elaborate or rich clothing
and ornaments
transitive verb
(past ca·par·i·soned, past participle ca·par·i·soned,
present participle ca·par·i·son·ing, 3rd person present
singular ca·par·i·sons)

1.  put
caparison on horse: to provide a horse with a
caparison

2.  dress
somebody elaborately: to dress somebody or
yourself in finery
[Early 16th century. Via
obsolete French caparasson from, ultimately, perhaps late Latin cappa
(see cap ).][1]



Capa,Robert

Capa,Robert
Ca·pa
[káppə], Robert (1913–1954)

Hungarian-born U.S.
photographer. He covered combat from the Spanish Civil War to Vietnam, where he
was killed by a land mine.[1]



cape

cape2
cape2 [kayp]
(plural capes) noun

land
jutting into water: a point of land that juts
out into water, especially a headland significant for navigation
[14th century. Via French cap
from, ultimately, Latin caput “head.”][1]



cape

cape1
cape1 [kayp]
(plural capes) noun

1.  loose
outer garment: a sleeveless outer garment that is
fastened at the neck and hangs loosely from the shoulders

2.  coat
part like cape: a piece of material like a cape that
forms part of a coat or other garment

3.  BIRDS feathers
on bird’s shoulder: a covering of short feathers
on the shoulders of certain birds, especially fowl
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, late Latin cappa (see cap
).][1]



CapeBreton Highlands National Park

CapeBreton Highlands National Park
Cape
Bret·on High·lands Na·tion·al Park

Canadian National Park,
situated on northern Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and established in 1936.
Area: 95,126 hectares/234,880 acres.[1]



CapeBreton Island

CapeBreton Island
Cape
Bret·on Is·land

northern island in Nova
Scotia, Canada, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Canso. Area:
10,311 sq km/3,980 sq mi.[1]



Capebuffalo

Capebuffalo

Cape
buf·fa·lo
noun
See
African buffalo
[Cape from the Cape of Good Hope][1]



CapeCanaveral

CapeCanaveral
Cape
Ca·nav·er·al [kàyp kə
návvərəl]

cape in Brevard County,
Florida, situated on the eastern coast of the Canaveral peninsula. Also
known as Cape Kennedy[1]



CapeCod

CapeCod2

Cape Cod2
peninsula in southeastern Massachusetts[1]



CapeCod

CapeCod1
Cape
Cod1 (plural Cape Cods)
or Cape Cod cot·tage (plural Cape Cod cot·tag·es) noun

style
of house:
a colonial style of house usually one and a half stories high, with clapboard
siding, a compact rectangular floor plan, central chimney, steep gable roof,
and dormer windows
[Early 20th century. So
called because such houses are characteristic of Cape
Cod, Massachusetts.][1]



CapeCod National Seashore

CapeCod National Seashore
Cape
Cod Na·tion·al Sea·shore

park on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts, authorized in 1961 and noted for its beaches, sand dunes, and
marshes. Area: 17,632 hectares/43,569 acres.[1]



CapeColored

CapeColored
Cape
Col·ored
(plural Cape Col·ored or Cape Col·oreds) noun

former
S African racial classification: somebody of mixed
ethnic descent in the Western Cape Province speaking Afrikaans or English
[Cape from the Cape of Good
Hope][1]



CapeCoral

CapeCoral
Cape
Cor·al

city in southwestern Florida,
on the Caloosahatchee River near the Gulf of Mexico. Population: 88,053 (1996)[1]



CapeDutch

CapeDutch
Cape
Dutch
noun

LANGUAGE Dutch
forerunner of Afrikaans: the form of Dutch that
developed into Afrikaans.
Also
called
South African Dutch
[Cape from the Cape of Good
Hope; Dutch from the early Dutch settlers or from the viewing of Afrikaans as a
dialect of its parent language, Dutch][1]



CapeFear

CapeFear
Cape
Fear

river in North Carolina,
flows southeast from confluence of Haw and Deep rivers to the Atlantic Ocean
below Wilmington. about Length: 325 km/202 mi.[1]



CapeGirardeau

CapeGirardeau
Cape
Gi·rar·deau
[kàyp jə rrdō]

city in southeastern
Missouri, on the Mississippi River, southeast of St. Louis. Population: 35,464
(1996)[1]



Capegooseberry

Capegooseberry
Cape
goose·ber·ry noun

BOTANY plant
bearing yellow berries: a tropical plant of the
nightshade family that is native to the Americas and bears edible yellow
berries. Latin name: Physalis peruviana
U.K.
term
physalis
[Cape from its cultivation in
the Cape of Good Hope][1]



CapeHatteras National Seashore

CapeHatteras National Seashore
Cape
Hat·ter·as Na·tion·al Sea·shore [kayp háttərəss nàshən’l s shawr]

park in eastern North
Carolina, authorized in 1937 and noted for its beaches and wildlife. It
includes Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Area: 12,270 hectares/30,319
acres.[1]



CapeHorn

CapeHorn
Cape
Horn

cape at the southern
extremity of South America. Height: 424 m/1,391 ft. Spanish Cabo de
Hornos[1]



Capejasmine

Capejasmine
Cape
jas·mine
(plural Cape jas·mines) noun

See
gardenia[1]



capelin

capelin
cap·e·lin 
[káppəlin, kápplin]
(plural cap·e·lins) or cap·lin [kápplin] (plural cap·lins) noun

edible
ocean fish:
a small edible marine fish of the smelt family, found in the northern and
Arctic seas. Latin name: Mallotus villosus
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, medieval Latin cappellanus “custodian of St.
Martin’s cloak,” from late Latin cappa “hooded cloak” (see cap ).][1]



Capella

Capella
Ca·pel·la 
[kə péllə] noun

bright star:
a double star that is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga,
approximately 46 light-years from Earth[1]



capellini

capellini
cap·el·li·ni 
[kàppə lnee] noun

type
of pasta:
long and fine noodles, resembling thin spaghetti
[From Italian, literally
“little hairs”][1]



capellmeister

capellmeister
ca·pell·meis·ter
noun

See
kapellmeister[1]



CapeLookout National Seashore

CapeLookout National Seashore
Cape
Look·out Na·tion·al Sea·shore

park on eastern North
Carolina’s Outer Banks. Authorized in 1966, it was named a Biosphere Reserve in
1986. Area: 11,430 hectares/28,243 acres.[1]



Capeof Good Hope

Capeof Good Hope
Cape
of Good Hope

tip of the Cape Peninsula,
South Africa. It is situated about 48 km/30 mi south of Cape Town and was
rounded by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.[1]



Capeprimrose

Capeprimrose
Cape
prim·rose
(plural Cape prim·ros·es) noun

BOTANY See streptocarpus
[Origin uncertain: probably
named for the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Province][1]



CapeProvince

CapeProvince
Cape
Prov·ince

former province of South
Africa that was abolished in 1994. The region is now divided into the three
provinces of Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.[1]



caper

caper1
ca·per1 [káypər]
noun (plural ca·pers)

1.  playful
jump:
a playful leap or dancing step

2.  playful
act or trick: a light-hearted adventurous act or prank

3.  questionable
activity:
a dangerous or illegal activity, especially one involving robbery (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past ca·pered, past participle ca·pered, present
participle ca·per·ing, 3rd person present singular ca·pers)

prance happily:
to leap or dance around in a happy playful manner
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of capriole .][1]



caper

caper2
ca·per2 [káypər]
(plural ca·pers) noun

1.  pickled
flower bud:
an edible flower bud of a Mediterranean shrub, pickled or salted and used as a
flavoring or garnish (often used in the plural)

2.  plant
with edible buds: a Mediterranean shrub with spiny
trailing stems, cultivated for its edible buds. Latin name: Capparis spinosa

3.  plant
related to caper: any of various plants in the same family
as the caper. Family: Capparidaceae
[14th century. Back-formation
from earlier caperis (taken as plural), directly or via French câpres
from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis, of unknown origin.][1]



capercaillie

capercaillie
cap·er·cail·lie 
[kàppər káylee, kàppər
káylyee] (plural cap·er·cail·lie or cap·er·cail·lies)
or cap·er·cail·zie [kàppər káylzee]
(plural cap·er·cail·zie or cap·er·cail·zies) noun

large
Eurasian grouse: a large woodland bird of the grouse
family, native to Europe and Asia, with dark gray plumage. Latin name: Tetrao
urogallus
Also
called
wood grouse
[Mid-16th century. From
Gaelic capull coille, literally “horse of the wood.”][1]



Capernaum

Capernaum
Ca·per·naum
[kə púrnee əm]

city of ancient Palestine,
situated on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee[1]



caperspurge

caperspurge
cap·er
spurge
noun

ornamental
plant:
a European plant of the spurge family that produces a milky fluid ( latex ). Latin name: Euphorbia lathyris
[From caper 2][1]



capeskin

capeskin
cape·skin 
[káyp skìn] noun

sheepskin
leather:
a soft light leather made from South African sheepskin
[Cape from the Cape of Good
Hope][1]



Capetian

Capetian
Ca·pe·tian 
[kə psh’n] noun (plural Ca·pe·tians)

medieval
French ruler: a member of the royal dynasty founded by
Hugh Capet that ruled France from A.D.
987 to 1328
adjective

of the Capetians:
relating to the Capetians or the period of their rule[1]



CapeTown

CapeTown
Cape
Town


legislative capital of South
Africa and capital of Western Cape Province. It is situated at the northern end
of the Cape Peninsula at the foot of Table Mountain. Population: 854,616 (1991)
Afrikaans Kaapstad[1]



CapeVerde

CapeVerde



Cape Verd·e 
[kayp vúrd]
island republic lying about 644 km/400 mi
off the coast of Senegal in West Africa. A former Portuguese colony, it became
independent in 1975. Language: Portuguese. Currency: escudo. Capital: Praia.
Population: 393,843 (1997) Area: 4,033 sq km/1,557 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Cape Verde Portuguese Cabo Verde[1]



CapeVerde




Back to definition

CapeVerde

[1]



capework

capework
cape·work
[káyp wùrk] noun

bullfighter’s use of cape:
the skill of a bullfighter in using a cape to control the movements of a bull[1]



capful

capful
cap·ful 
[káp fl] (plural cap·fuls) noun

quantity in a cap:
the amount held by the cap of a container when used to measure the contents[1]



capgun

capgun
cap
gun
(plural cap guns) noun

toy gun firing caps:
a toy gun that can be loaded with a small quantity of explosive enclosed in
paper ( cap ).
Also called
cap pistol[1]



Cap-Haitien

Cap-Haitien
Cap-Hai·tien
[kàp háyshən]

seaport in northern Haiti.
Population: 68,000 (1994)[1]



capias

capias
ca·pi·as 
[káypee əss] (plural ca·pi·as·es)
noun

LAW arrest
warrant:
a warrant authorizing an officer of the law to arrest a named person
[From Latin, “you are to
seize,” part of capere “to take” (source of English capable, capacious,
capture, and chase )][1]



capillaceous

capillaceous
cap·il·la·ceous 
[kàppə láyshəss] adjective

1.  like
a hair:
resembling a hair

2.  BIOLOGY with
many filaments: having many filaments that resemble a
hair or thread
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin capillaceus, from capillus “hair” (see capillary ).][1]



capillarity

capillarity
cap·il·lar·i·ty 
[kàppə lérrətee] noun

1.  PHYSICS See capillary action

2.  BIOLOGY PHYSICS capillary state:
the state of being capillary
[Mid-19th century. Via French
capillarité from, ultimately, Latin capillus “hair” (see capillary ).][1]



capillary

capillary
cap·il·lar·y 
[káppə lèrree] noun (plural cap·il·lar·ies)

1.  ANATOMY thin
blood vessel: an extremely narrow thin-walled blood
vessel that connects small arteries ( arterioles
) with small veins ( venules ) to form a
network throughout the body

2.  See
capillary tube
adjective

1.  PHYSICS relating
to capillary action: involving or relating to
capillary action

2.  ANATOMY of
blood capillaries: relating to the capillaries
of the blood system

3.  resembling
hair:
as fine and slender as a hair

4.  small
in diameter: with a very small internal diameter
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
capillaris, from capillus “hair” (source of English disheveled ); modeled on French capillaire
“capillary.”][1]



capillaryaction

capillaryaction
cap·il·lar·y
ac·tion
noun

attraction of liquid surface
to solid: a phenomenon in which a
liquid’s surface rises, falls, or becomes distorted in shape where it is in
contact with a solid. It is caused by the difference between the relative
attraction of the molecules of the liquid for each other and for those of the solid.

Also called
capillarity[1]



capillarybed

capillarybed
cap·il·lar·y
bed
(plural cap·il·lar·y beds) noun

mass of capillaries:
the collective mass of capillaries in the body or in any particular site[1]



capillarytube

capillarytube
cap·il·lar·y
tube
(plural cap·il·lar·y tubes) or cap·il·lar·y noun

extremely narrow tube:
a tube with a very small internal diameter, especially a glass tube with a fine
bore and thick walls used in thermometers and similar pieces of equipment[1]



capita

capita
cap·i·ta

1.  Plural
of
caput

2.
See
also
per capita

[1]



capital

capital2

cap·i·tal2 [káppit’l]
(plural cap·i·tals) noun
top
of architectural column: the upper part of an
architectural pillar or column, on top of the shaft and supporting the
entablature.
Also
called
chapiter
[Via Old French capitel
from late Latin capitellum, literally “little head” (see capitellum )][1]



capital

capital1
cap·i·tal1 [káppit’l]
noun (plural cap·i·tals)

1.  GEOGRAPHY POLITICS seat
of government: a city that is the seat of government of
a country, state, or province

2.  center
of activity: a city that is the center of a specified
activity

3.  ECONOMICS material
wealth:
material wealth in the form of money or property

4.  FINANCE cash
for investment: money that can be used to produce
further wealth

5.  advantage:
advantage derived from or useful in a particular situation • a
powerful senator’s seemingly endless political capital

6.  ECONOMICS economic
resource:
any resource or resources that can be used to generate economic wealth • a
waste of human capital

7.  wealthy
people:
the capitalist class considered as a group • capital’s
influence on government policy

8.  ACCOUNTING net
worth:
the assets of a business that remain after its debts and other liabilities are
paid or deducted

9.  LINGUISTICS (often used in the
plural) See capital letter
adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS uppercase:
used to describe the form of letters used at the beginning of sentences and
names, for example, A, B, and C as distinct from a, b, and c

2.  CRIMINOLOGY relating
to death penalty: involving or incurring punishment by
death

3.  GEOGRAPHY POLITICS government:
functioning as or relating to a seat of government

4.  FINANCE of
financial capital: involving or relating to
financial capital

5.  grave:
having extremely serious consequences • a
capital blunder that sealed their fate

6.  principal:
constituting the highest category, or among those in the highest category • a
national issue of capital importance

7.  U.K.
excellent:
used to indicate that somebody thinks something is excellent (dated)
[12th
century. Via French from Latin capitalis “of the head,” from caput
“head.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  capital
  or capitol ?
  A
  capital is a town or city that is a seat
  of government; a capitol is the building in which the legislature meets. Thus
  • During
  their two-day visit to the capital, the class toured the capitol and met
  their district’s representative.

[1]



capitalaccount

capitalaccount
cap·i·tal
ac·count
(plural cap·i·tal ac·counts) noun

1.  record
of capital invested: a business account that
records how much the owners or stockholders have invested in a company

2.  ACCOUNTING statement
about net worth: a statement of a company’s or
individual’s net worth at a given time

[1]



capitalallowance

capitalallowance
cap·i·tal
al·low·ance
(plural cap·i·tal al·low·anc·es) noun

untaxed expenditure:
money spent by a company on fixed assets and deducted from its profits before
taxes are calculated[1]



capitalasset

capitalasset
cap·i·tal
as·set
(plural cap·i·tal as·sets) noun

See
fixed asset[1]



capitalexpenditure

capitalexpenditure
cap·i·tal
ex·pen·di·ture (plural cap·i·tal
ex·pen·di·tures) noun

fixed asset costs:
an expenditure on long-term business assets ( fixed
assets ) such as buildings[1]



capitalgain

capitalgain
cap·i·tal
gain
(plural cap·i·tal gains) noun

profit from selling assets:
a profit made from the sale of a financial asset such as stock or a house (often
used in the plural)[1]



capitalgains tax

capitalgains tax
cap·i·tal
gains tax
(plural cap·i·tal gains tax·es) noun

tax on sale of assets:
a tax on profit above a fixed level made from the sale of financial assets[1]



capitalgoods

capitalgoods
cap·i·tal
goods
plural noun

goods used in production:
goods that are used in the production of other goods rather than being sold to
consumers.
See also
consumer goods[1]



capital-intensive

capital-intensive
cap·i·tal-in·ten·sive 
adjective

having high financial cost:
using or requiring a proportionately large financial expenditure relative to
the amount of labor involved[1]



capitalism

capitalism
cap·i·tal·ism 
[káppit’l ìzzəm] noun

free-market system:
an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production
and distribution of goods, characterized by a free competitive market and
motivation by profit[1]



capitalist

capitalist
cap·i·tal·ist 
[káppit’list] noun (plural cap·i·tal·ists)

1.  investor:
somebody who invests money in a business

2.  believer
in capitalism: a supporter of capitalism or a
participant in a capitalist economy

3.  rich
person:
a wealthy person, especially somebody made rich by capitalism and considered to
be greedy (informal)
adjective
cap·i·tal·ist cap·i·tal·is·tic

1.  of
capitalism:
involving or relating to capitalism or capitalists

2.  favoring
capitalism:
practicing or supporting capitalism
—cap·i·tal·is·ti·cal·ly
[kàppit’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



capitalization

capitalization
cap·i·tal·i·za·tion 
[kàppit’li záysh’n] noun

1.  raising
of capital:
the supplying of financial capital to a business

2.  LINGUISTICS use
of capital letters: the use of or conversion to
capital letters

3.  capital
in company:
the money that is invested in a business or the value of a company’s stocks and
bonds

4.  ACCOUNTING treating
something as capital: the treatment of debt or an
expenditure as capital

[1]



capitalize

capitalize
cap·i·tal·ize 
[káppit’l z] (past cap·i·tal·ized,
past participle cap·i·tal·ized, present participle cap·i·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cap·i·tal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LINGUISTICS use capital letters:
to write or print something with capital letters or an initial capital letter

2.  intransitive
verb
benefit
from something: to profit by or take advantage of
something • to
capitalize on an opponent’s mistake

3.  transitive
verb
use
something as capital: to use debt or budgeted
expenditure as capital for development

4.  transitive
verb
authorize
issue of capital stock: to authorize a business
enterprise to issue a specified amount of capital stock

5.  transitive
verb
finance
something:
to supply capital for a business enterprise

6.  transitive
verb
exchange
debt for stock: to convert a corporation’s debt into
shares of stock

7.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING treat
expenses as assets: to treat an expenditure as
an asset in a business account instead of as an expense

8.  transitive
verb
value
future income: to determine the current value of a
future cash flow, earnings, or other income
—cap·i·tal·iz·a·ble, adjective[1]



capitalletter

capitalletter
cap·i·tal
let·ter
(plural cap·i·tal let·ters) noun

uppercase letter:
a letter of the alphabet in the form used at the beginning of sentences and
names, for example, A, B, and C as distinct from a, b, and c[1]



capitallevy

capitallevy
cap·i·tal
lev·y
noun

tax on assets:
a tax on fixed assets or property[1]



capitally

capitally
cap·i·tal·ly 
[káppitəlee] adverb

excellently:
in a way that arouses admiration (dated)[1]



capitalmarket

capitalmarket
cap·i·tal
mar·ket
(plural cap·i·tal mar·kets) noun

longer-term investment and
lending: a financial market involving
institutions that deal with securities with a life of more than one year[1]



capitalpunishment

capitalpunishment
cap·i·tal
pun·ish·ment noun

death penalty:
execution as a punishment for a person convicted of committing a crime.
Also called
death penalty[1]



capitalship

capitalship
cap·i·tal
ship
(plural cap·i·tal ships) noun

large warship:
a ship that belongs to the largest and most heavily armed class of warships[1]



capitalstock

capitalstock
cap·i·tal
stock
noun

stock issued by company:
the amount of stock that a company issues or the value of that stock.
U.K. term
stock[1]



capitate

capitate
cap·i·tate 
[káppi tàyt] adjective

1.  BOTANY densely
clustered:
used to describe a flower head composed of small flowers arranged in a dense
cluster

2.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY enlarged at end:
used to describe a body part that is enlarged and rounded
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
capitatus “having a head,” from caput “head.”][1]



capitated

capitated
cap·i·tat·ed 
[káppi tàytəd] adjective

per
person:
based on the number of individuals involved, or per person • capitated
payments
[Late 20th century. Formed
from capitation .][1]



capitation

capitation
cap·i·ta·tion 
[kàppi táysh’n] (plural cap·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  fixed
tax per person: a form of taxation in which each person
pays the same fixed amount

2.  fixed
fee per person: a payment or fee charged at an equal
amount per person

3.  counting
heads:
a method of assessing the number of individuals by counting heads (formal)
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem capitation-
“poll tax,” ultimately from the Latin stem capit- of caput
“head.”]
—cap·i·ta·tive [káppi tàytiv], adjective[1]



capitellum

capitellum
cap·i·tel·lum 
[kàppi télləm] (plural cap·i·tel·la
[kàppi téllə]) noun

rounded
end of bone: a rounded enlarged part at the end of a
bone, especially that of the upper arm bone ( humerus
) that forms the elbow joint with one of the lower bones ( radius )
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “little head,” from caput “head.”][1]



Capitol

Capitol
Cap·i·tol
[káppit’l] noun

U.S. Congress building:
the white marble domed building in Washington, D.C., where the United States
Congress meets[1]



capitol

capitol
cap·i·tol 
[káppit’l] (plural cap·i·tols)
noun

building
for law-making body: a building or group of
buildings in which a state legislature meets and where other state government
offices may be housed
[14th
century. From Old French capitolie, later remodeled on its source, Latin
Capitolium, the temple of Jupiter in Rome, from caput “head.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at capital.

[1]



CapitolHill

CapitolHill
Cap·i·tol
Hill
noun

U.S. Congress:
the United States Congress (informal)[1]



CapitolReef National Park

CapitolReef National Park
Cap·i·tol
Reef Na·tion·al Park

U.S. National Park in south
central Utah. Established as a national monument in 1937, it became a national
park in 1971. Area: 97,895 hectares/241,904 acres.[1]



capitula

capitula
ca·pit·u·la


Plural of
capitulum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








capitular

capitular
ca·pit·u·lar 
[kə píchələr] adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY of
an ecclesiastical chapter: belonging or relating to a
cathedral or other ecclesiastical chapter

2.  BOTANY densely
clustered:
used to describe a flower head ( capitulum )
consisting of many small flowers

3.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY rounded:
used to describe the rounded end ( capitulum
) of a bone
[Early
16th century. From late Latin capitularis, from capitulum,
literally “little head” (see capitulum ).]
—ca·pit·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



capitulary

capitulary
ca·pit·u·lar·y 
[kə píchə lèrree] (plural ca·pit·u·lar·ies)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY member
of ecclesiastical chapter: somebody who belongs to an
ecclesiastical chapter

2.  civil
or ecclesiastical decree: a civil or ecclesiastical
decree or set of decrees
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin capitularius, from Latin capitulum, literally “little head”
(see capitulum ).][1]



capitulate

capitulate
ca·pit·u·late 
[kə píchə làyt] (past ca·pit·u·lat·ed,
past participle ca·pit·u·lat·ed, present participle ca·pit·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·pit·u·lates) intransitive verb

1.  surrender:
to surrender, especially under specified conditions

2.  consent
or yield:
to give in to an argument, request, pressure, or something unavoidable
[Late
17th century. Directly and via French capituler “to come to terms” from
Latin capitulare “to draw up under distinct heads,” from capitulum
“chapter” (see capitulum ).]
—ca·pit·u·la·to·ry
[kə píchələ tàwree], adjective

—ca·pit·u·lant
[kə píchələnt], noun

—ca·pit·u·la·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at yield

[1]



capitulation

capitulation
ca·pit·u·la·tion 
[kə pìchə láysh’n] (plural ca·pit·u·la·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  giving
up:
surrender or a giving up of resistance

2.  terms
of surrender: a document that sets out the agreed
terms of surrender

3.  summary:
an outline or summary in document form

[1]



capitulum

capitulum
ca·pit·u·lum 
[kə píchələm] (plural ca·pit·u·la
[kə píchələ]) noun

1.  BOTANY type
of flower head: a flower head that looks like a large
single flower but consists of numerous tiny flowers clustered together on a
disk.
Also
called
anthodium

2.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY rounded part:
a rounded enlarged body part, for example, at the end of a bone or at the tips
of an insect’s antennae
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “little head,” from caput “head.”][1]



capiz

capiz
ca·piz 
[kəpízz, káppiz]
(plural ca·piz·es) noun

1.  mollusk
with hinged shell: a small mollusk with a
hinged shell that is chiefly found in the Philippines. Latin name: Placuna
placenta

2.  capiz
(plural capizes) or capiz shell (plural capiz
shells) shell:
the shell of the capiz . It has a shiny translucent lining and is used in
making jewelry, lampshades, and ornaments.
[From a language in the
Philippines][1]



caplet

caplet
cap·let
[kápplət] (plural cap·lets) noun

oval medicinal tablet:
a small smooth oval medicinal tablet for oral use[1]



caplin

caplin
cap·lin 
noun

See
capelin[1]



capo

capo1
ca·po1 [káypō]
(plural ca·pos) noun

bar
across guitar strings: a small movable bar fitted
across all the strings of a guitar or similar instrument to raise the pitch
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of capo tasto, from Italian, literally “head stop.”][1]



capo

capo2
ca·po2 [kpō,
káppō] (plural ca·pos) noun

Mafia
leader:
the title of a leader in the Mafia or a similar criminal organization
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian from Latin caput “head.”][1]



capoeira

capoeira
ca·po·ei·ra
[kàpoo áyrə] noun

form
of martial art: a martial art and dance form, originally
from Brazil, that is used to promote physical fitness and grace of movement
[Late 20th century. From
Portuguese .][1]



capon

capon
ca·pon 
[káy pòn, káypən]
(plural ca·pons) noun

castrated
chicken:
a male chicken castrated to improve its growth and the quality of its flesh for
eating
[Pre-12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman capun from, ultimately, the Latin stem capon
“capon.”][1]



caponata

caponata
ca·po·na·ta 
[kpə ntə] (plural ca·po·na·tas)
noun

eggplant
dish:
a dish made from chopped eggplant and other vegetables
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, the Latin stem capon- “capon.”][1]



Capone,Al

Capone,Al
Ca·pone 
[kə pṓn], Al (1899–1947)

Italian-born
U.S. gangster and racketeer. Active in Chicago during the Prohibition era, he
was imprisoned in 1931 for tax evasion.
Full name
Capone, Alphonse Known as Scarface[1]



caporal

caporal
cap·o·ral 
[káppərəl, kàppə
rál] noun

type
of strong tobacco: a strong dark coarse tobacco
[Mid-19th century. From
French tabac du caporal “corporal’s tobacco” (being superior to tabac
du soldat “soldier’s tobacco”).][1]



capote

capote
ca·pote
[kə pṓtee] (plural ca·potes) noun

hooded
cloak:
a long coat or cloak, usually with a hood
[Early 19th century. From
French capote, “little cape,” from cape “cape, cloak,” from late
Latin cappa (see cap ).][1]



Capote,Truman

Capote,Truman
Ca·po·te 
[kə pṓtee], Truman (1924–1984)

U.S. writer. He was known for
technically complex novels such as Other Voices, Other Rooms ( 1948 ).[1]



Capp,Al

Capp,Al
Capp 
[kap], Al (1909–1979)

U.S.
cartoonist, known for his comic strip L’il Abner ( 1934–1977 ).
Full name
Alfred Gerald Chaplin[1]



cappelletti

cappelletti
cap·pel·let·ti
[kàppə léttee] noun

hat-shaped
pasta:
small pieces of pasta shaped like pointed hats, filled with a seasoned mixture
of cheese or meat (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “little hats,” from capella “hat,” from medieval
Latin capellus, literally “little hat,” from Latin cappa (see cap ).][1]



capper

capper
cap·per 
[káppər] (plural cap·pers) noun

1.  cap-fitting
machine:
a machine that fits caps on bottles

2.  finishing
touch or final straw: something good or bad that
is the last in a string of such events (informal)

3.  capmaker:
somebody who or something that makes caps (archaic)

4.  decoy
for crime:
a decoy or lure, especially somebody who acts as a shill in a con game (archaic
slang)
[13th century. Originally
“somebody who makes caps as headwear.” The present-day meanings did not appear
before the late 16th century.][1]



cappistol

cappistol
cap
pis·tol
(plural cap pis·tols) noun

See
cap gun[1]



cappuccino

cappuccino
cap·puc·ci·no 
[kàppə ch n, pə
ch n] (plural cap·puc·ci·nos) noun

frothy
milky coffee: a drink made with espresso coffee and
frothed hot milk, sometimes topped with powdered chocolate or cinnamon
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, originally “Capuchin (friar),” from cappuccio “hood, cowl,”
ultimately from late Latin cappa (see cap
) ; from the resemblance in color to a Capuchin friar’s habit.][1]



Capri

Capri
Ca·pri 
[káa pr, ká pr,
kə pr]

island resort in Napoli
Province, Campania Region, southern Italy. It is situated near the southern
entrance to the Bay of Naples. Population: 7,400 (1990) Area: 10.4 sq km/4 sq
mi.[1]



capricacid

capricacid
cap·ric
ac·id 
[kàpprik ássid] noun

acid
used in artificial flavors: an acid obtained from animal
fats and oils and used in the manufacture of artificial fruit flavors,
perfumes, plasticizers, and resins. C10H20O2 
Also
called
decanoic acid
[Capric from the Latin stem capr-
“goat”; (see caprine, because of the acid’s
smell][1]



capriccio

capriccio
ca·pric·cio 
[kə prchō, kə
prchi ] (plural ca·pric·ci·os) noun

1.  MUSIC lively
instrumental work: a piece of instrumental
music with a free form, an improvisatory style, and usually a lively tempo.
Also
called
caprice

2.  prank:
a lighthearted act or prank

3.  whim:
a sudden idea, impulsive decision, or change of mind
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, literally “head with hair standing on end” (see caprice ).][1]



capriccioso

capriccioso
ca·pric·cio·so 
[kə prchi ṓssō, kpri
chṓssō] adverb

in
a fanciful way: in a lively and fanciful manner (used
as a musical direction)
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, from capriccio, literally “head with hair
standing on end” (see caprice ).]
—ca·pric·ci·o·so, adjective[1]



caprice

caprice
ca·price 
[kə prss] (plural ca·pric·es)
noun

1.  impulsive
tendency:
a tendency to sudden impulsive decisions or changes of mind

2.  sudden
change or action: a sudden unexpected action or change of
mind

3.  whim:
a sudden idea, impulsive decision, or change of mind

4.  MUSIC See capriccio
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian capriccio, literally “head with hair standing on end,” from
capo “head” (from Latin caput ) and riccio “hedgehog”
(from Latin (h)ericius) ; influenced by Italian capra “goat.”][1]



capricious

capricious
ca·pri·cious 
[kə príshəss, kə
prshəss] adjective

given
to sudden changes: tending to make sudden and
unpredictable changes
—ca·pri·cious·ly,
adverb

—ca·pri·cious·ness, noun[1]



Capricorn

Capricorn

Cap·ri·corn 
[káppri kàwrn] (plural Cap·ri·corns)
noun

1.  ASTROL tenth
sign of zodiac: the tenth sign of the zodiac,
represented by a goat with a fish’s tail and extending from December 22 to
January 19. Capricorn is classified as an earth sign, and its ruling planet is
Saturn.
Also
called
Goat

2.  Cap·ri·corn
or Cap·ri·corn·i·an (plural Cap·ri·corn·i·ans) or
Cap·ri·corn·e·an (plural Cap·ri·corn·e·ans) ASTROL somebody
born in Capricorn: somebody whose birthday
falls between December 22 and January 19

3.  ASTRONOMY constellation:
a faint zodiacal constellation in the equatorial region of the southern
hemisphere, lying between Aquarius and Sagittarius.
Also
called
Capricornus

4.  GEOGRAPHY See tropic of Capricorn
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin capricornus, literally “goat’s horn,” from caper
“goat” (source of English caper 1 ) + cornu
“horn” (source of English cornet ).]
—Cap·ri·corn, adjective[1]



caprifig

caprifig
cap·ri·fig 
[kápprə fìg] (plural cap·ri·figs)
noun

1.  wild
fig tree:
a wild fig tree of southern Europe and Asia Minor used in the pollination of
certain edible figs. Latin name: Ficus carica sylvestris

2.  fig:
the fig borne by the caprifig tree
[15th century. A partial
translation of Latin caprificus .][1]



caprine

caprine
cap·rine 
[ká prn] adjective

of
goats:
relating to or resembling a goat
[15th century. From Latin caprinus,
from caper “goat” (source of English cab,
cabriole, caper 1, and capriole ).][1]



capriole

capriole
cap·ri·ole 
[káppri l] noun (plural cap·ri·oles)

1.  DRESSAGE vertical
leap by horse: in dressage, a vertical leap in which
all four of the horse’s feet leave the ground and then its hind legs are kicked
out

2.  BALLET ballet
leap:
a playful leap or jump performed in ballet
intransitive
verb
(past cap·ri·oled, past participle cap·ri·oled, present
participle cap·ri·ol·ing, 3rd person present singular cap·ri·oles)

BALLET DRESSAGE perform capriole:
to perform a capriole
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin capreolus, literally “little goat,” from caper
(see caprine ).][1]



capripants

capripants
ca·pri
pants 
[kə pr pànts] or Ca·pri pants
[kə pr pànts] or ca·pris [kə prz] or Ca·pris [kə prz] plural noun

women’s
tapered pants: close-fitting women’s pants that end
above the ankle
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the island of Capri .][1]



capris

capris
ca·pris 
[kə prz] or Ca·pris [kə prz] plural noun

See
capri pants[1]



caprock

caprock
cap
rock
noun GEOLOGY
Also
called
cap

1.  rock
covering salt: a layer of rock that lies above a salt
dome and consists of anhydrite, gypsum, or limestone

2.  rock
covering fossil fuel: an impermeable layer of rock
that lies above a deposit of gas or oil and prevents it from percolating upward

[1]



caproicacid

caproicacid
ca·pro·ic
ac·id 
[kə pr ik ássid] noun

fatty
acid:
a liquid fatty acid that occurs in fats and oils or is made synthetically, used
in flavorings and in medicine. C6H12O2
[Caproic from the Latin stem capr-
“goat” (see caprine ), because of the acid’s
smell][1]



caprylicacid

caprylicacid
ca·pryl·ic
ac·id 
[kə prìllik ássid] noun

acid
used in dyes: an oily fatty acid with an unpleasant
taste and smell, found in animal fats and used in dyes and perfumes. C8H16O2
[Caprylic from the Latin stem
capr- “goat” (see caprine ), because
of the acid’s smell][1]



caps.

caps.
caps.

1.  Abbreviation
of
capsule

2.  Abbreviation
of
capital letters

[1]



capsaicin

capsaicin
cap·sa·i·cin 
[kap sáy əssin] noun

chemical
from peppers: a colorless compound obtained from hot
peppers, used medicinally and as a flavoring. C18H27NO3
[Late 19th century. An
alteration of capsicine, from capsicum .][1]



capscrew

capscrew
cap
screw
(plural cap screws) noun

headed bolt:
a long-threaded bolt with a head that may be square, hexagonal, slotted, or
socketed[1]



Capsian

Capsian
Cap·si·an 
[kápsee ən] adjective

of
late Paleolithic culture: belonging to a late
Paleolithic culture of northern Africa and southern Europe, characterized by
the use of geometrically shaped tools and distinctive art forms such as
engraved limestone slabs
[Early 20th century. From
French capsien, from Latin Capsa “Gafsa,” a town in central
Tunisia where Paleolithic remains were found.][1]



capsicum

capsicum
cap·si·cum 
[kápsikəm] (plural cap·si·cums)
noun

1.  See
pepper  noun 4

See
also
chili

2.  fruit:
the fruit of the capsicum plant, especially a dried hot red pepper
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin capsicum, perhaps from Latin capsa “repository, box”
(source of English capsule, case, and chassis
) because, of the podlike fruit.][1]



capsid

capsid
cap·sid 
[kápsid] (plural cap·sids) noun

virus
shell:
the outer coat of protein that surrounds a virus particle
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin capsa “repository, box” (source of English capsule, case,
and chassis ).][1]



capsize

capsize
cap·size 
[káp sz, kap
sz] (past cap·sized, past participle cap·sized,
present participle cap·siz·ing, 3rd person present singular
cap·siz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

overturn
in water:
to overturn on the surface of the water or cause a boat to overturn
[Late
18th century. Of uncertain origin: perhaps, ultimately, from Spanish capuzar
“to sink a ship by the head.”]
—cap·siz·al, noun[1]



capsleeve

capsleeve
cap
sleeve
(plural cap sleeves) noun

very short sleeve:
a very short sleeve that hangs over the shoulder but does not extend beyond the
armhole on the underside[1]



capslock

capslock
caps
lock
(plural caps locks) noun

key for typing all capitals:
a key on a computer keyboard or typewriter that, if pressed once, causes all
subsequent letters to be typed as capital letters[1]



capsomere

capsomere
cap·so·mere 
[kápsə mr] (plural cap·so·meres)
noun

protein
in virus shell: any of the individual protein units that
make up the outer coat ( capsid ) of a virus
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from capsid + -mere,
probably modeled on French capsomère .][1]



capstan

capstan

cap·stan 
[kápstən] (plural cap·stans) noun

1.  NAUTICAL rotating
cylinder:
a device consisting of a vertical rotatable drum around which a cable is wound,
used to move heavy weights or to haul in ropes on a ship

2.  HOUSEHOLD rotating
shaft in tape recorder: a rotating shaft in a tape
recorder, used to pull the magnetic tape past the head
[14th century. Via Provençal cabestan
from, ultimately, Latin capistrum “halter,” from capere “to
seize” (see capable ).][1]



capstanbar

capstanbar
cap·stan
bar
(plural cap·stan bars) noun

NAUTICAL
lever for capstan:
a long lever used to turn a capstan by hand[1]



capstone

capstone
cap·stone 
[káp stn] (plural cap·stones)
noun

1.  BUILDING top
stone:
a stone used at the top of a wall or another structure.
Also
called
copestone

2.  high
point:
something considered the highest achievement or most important action in a
series of actions

[1]



capsular

capsular
cap·su·lar 
[kápsələr, kápsyələr]
adjective

1.  of
or like capsule: relating to or resembling a capsule

2.  in
or as capsule: enclosed in or in the form of a capsule

[1]



capsulate

capsulate
cap·su·late 
[kápsə làyt, kápsyə
làyt] or cap·su·lat·ed [kápsə
làytəd, kápsyə làytəd] adjective

in
capsule form: enclosed in or made into a capsule (formal)
—cap·su·la·tion [kàpsə láysh’n, kàpsyə
láysh’n], noun[1]



capsule

capsule
cap·sule 
[káps’l, káp sl]
or cap·sule [káps’l, káp sl] noun (plural cap·sules)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY pill
or casing:
a pill consisting of a small cylindrical container made of a soluble substance
such as gelatin, enclosing a dose of medicine or a nutritional supplement, or
the container itself

2.  BOTANY seed
case:
a fruit containing seeds that it releases by splitting open when it is dry and
mature

3.  BOTANY spore
sac:
a sac containing the spores of a moss or a liverwort

4.  MICROBIOLOGY gelatinous
covering of microorganism: a gelatinous covering that
surrounds certain microorganisms

5.  ANATOMY membrane
surrounding body part: a membrane or sac enclosing
an organ or body part

6.  ANATOMY white
matter in brain: a layer of white fibers in the forebrain

7.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY See
space capsule

8.  AIR ejectable
cockpit:
a sealed cockpit in an aircraft that can be ejected in an emergency

9.  seal
on container: a protective seal such as the metal,
plastic, or wax covering that protects the cork of a wine bottle

10. short
summary:
a very brief summary
adjective

1.  very
brief:
expressed in an extremely brief or highly condensed way

2.  compact:
very small or compact
transitive
verb
(past cap·suled, past participle cap·suled, present
participle cap·sul·ing, 3rd person present singular cap·sules)

See capsulize
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin capsula, literally “little box,” from capsa
“repository, box” (source of English case
), from capere “to take” (see capable
).][1]



capsulize

capsulize
cap·sul·ize 
[kápsə lz, kápsyə
lz] (past cap·sul·ized, past participle cap·sul·ized,
present participle cap·sul·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
cap·sul·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  put
something concisely: to express something in a
very brief or condensed way

2.  make
a capsule with something: to put something into a
capsule or into the form of a capsule

[1]



capsulotomy

capsulotomy
cap·su·lot·o·my 
[kàpsə lóttəmee] (plural cap·su·lot·o·mies)
noun

incision into capsule:
a surgical procedure involving cutting into the capsule surrounding a body
part, for example, that of the lens of the eye in the removal of a cataract[1]



Capt.

Capt.
Capt.

Abbreviation of
Captain[1]



captain

captain
cap·tain 
[káptən] noun (plural cap·tains)

1.  NAUTICAL commander
of boat:
somebody who has formal command of a boat, ship, or other vessel

2.  AEROSPACE pilot
in command:
somebody who has formal command of an aircraft or spacecraft

3.  NAVY officer
in navy or coast guard: an officer in the U.S. Navy
or Coast Guard or the Canadian navy ranking next above a commander

4.  officer
in other armed forces: an officer in the U.S. Army,
Air Force, or Marine Corps ranking above a first lieutenant and below a major

5.  senior
police or fire officer: a police officer in charge
of a precinct or an officer in a fire department, usually ranking between a
lieutenant and a chief

6.  MILITARY officer
in Canadian forces: a commissioned officer in
the Canadian army or air force, ranking above a lieutenant and below a major

7.  MILITARY rank:
the rank of captain

8.  SPORTS team
leader:
a leader of a team in a sport or game

9.  important
person:
an influential leader in a field or organization

10. supervisor:
a title sometimes given to somebody who supervises others, such as somebody in
charge of bellhops or waiters or a local division of a political party
transitive
verb
(past cap·tained, past participle cap·tained, present
participle cap·tain·ing, 3rd person present singular cap·tains)

command something:
to be the captain of something
[14th century. Via late Old
French capitain from late Latin capitaneus “chief,” from caput
“head,” from the captain’s position as the “head” of a team or other group.][1]



captaincy

captaincy
cap·tain·cy
[káptənsee] (plural cap·tain·cies
or cap·tain·ships) noun

1.  captain’s
rank:
the position or rank that a captain holds

2.  term
as captain:
the period or time that a captain holds that rank or position

3.  captain’s
responsibility: an area of authority belonging to a
captain

4.  captain’s
qualities:
the ability or leadership of a captain

[1]



captain’schair

captain’schair
cap·tain’s
chair 
(plural cap·tain’s chairs) noun

type of wooden chair:
a wooden chair with a saddle seat and a low curved back and arms supported on
vertical spindles[1]



captain’smast

captain’smast
cap·tain’s
mast
(plural cap·tain’s masts) noun

naval disciplinary hearing:
a disciplinary hearing at which a captain or commanding officer of a navy ship
or force hears and acts on cases against enlisted personnel.
Also called
mast 1 noun
4[1]



captan

captan
cap·tan 
[káptən, káp tàn]
noun

fungicide:
an agricultural fungicide in the form of a white powder, used on fruits,
flowers, and vegetables. C9H8Cl3NO2S
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of mercaptan .][1]



caption

caption
cap·tion 
[kápshən] noun (plural cap·tions)

1.  comment
with illustration: a short description or title
accompanying an illustration in a printed text

2.  PRINTING PUBLISHING heading or subheading:
a heading or subheading in a document or article

3.  CINEMA movie
or television subtitle: a printed explanation in a
motion picture or on television, especially a translation of dialogue
accompanying a scene or an explanation preceding a scene

4.  LAW heading
of legal document: an attachment to or heading of
a legal document that identifies the circumstances of its production and the
sources of its authority
transitive
verb
(past cap·tioned, past participle cap·tioned, present
participle cap·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular cap·tions)

give something caption:
to provide something with a caption
[14th
century. From the Latin stem caption- “act of taking,” from capt-,
the past participle stem of capere “to take” (see capable ); influenced by Latin caput
“head.”]
—cap·tion·less, adjective[1]



captious

captious
cap·tious 
[kápshəss] adjective

1.  overly
critical:
tending to find fault and make trivial and excessive criticisms

2.  entrapping:
intended to confuse or entrap an opponent in an argument
[Directly
or via French captieux from Latin captiosus, from the Latin stem caption-
“act of taking (in), deceptive argument” (see caption
)]
—cap·tious·ly,
adverb

—cap·tious·ness, noun[1]



captivate

captivate
cap·ti·vate 
[káptə vàyt] (past cap·ti·vat·ed,
past participle cap·ti·vat·ed, present participle cap·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular cap·ti·vates) transitive verb

1.  enchant
somebody:
to attract and hold somebody’s attention by charm or other pleasing or
irresistible features

2.  capture
somebody:
to take somebody or something captive (archaic)
[Early
16th century. From late Latin captivat-, the past participle stem of captivare
“to capture,” from Latin captivus (see captive
).]
—cap·ti·va·tion
[kàptə váysh’n], noun

—cap·ti·va·tor [káptə vàytər], noun[1]



captivating

captivating
cap·ti·vat·ing 
[káptə vàyting] adjective

enchanting
or irresistible: attracting and holding somebody’s
attention by charm or other pleasing or irresistible features
—cap·ti·vat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



captive

captive
cap·tive 
[káptiv] noun (plural cap·tives)

1.  prisoner:
a person or animal that is forcibly confined or restrained, especially somebody
held prisoner

2.  somebody
dominated by emotion: somebody who is enslaved by
a strong emotion such as love or anger
adjective

1.  unable
to escape:
prevented from escaping

2.  very
attracted:
irresistibly attracted to somebody or something

3.  forced
to use or accept something: forced by circumstances to buy,
accept, or pay attention to something, usually because there is other option or
no means of escape
[15th century. From Latin captivus,
from Latin capt-, the past participle stem of capere “to seize,
take” (see capable ).][1]



captivity

captivity
cap·tiv·i·ty 
[kap tívvətee] noun

state or period of being
captive: the state of being a
prisoner or a period of time that somebody is held prisoner[1]



captopril

captopril
cap·to·pril 
[káptə prìl] noun

drug
for blood pressure: a drug used in the treatment
of high blood pressure that blocks the action of a substance ( angiotensin ) that causes blood vessels to
constrict. C9H15NO3S
[Late 20th century. Coined
from mercaptan + -o- + proline + -il (an alteration of -yl ).][1]



captor

captor
cap·tor 
[káptər, káp
tàwr] (plural cap·tors) noun

somebody
holding captives: a person who or animal that takes or
holds another person or animal prisoner
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from the stem capt- (see captive
).][1]



capture

capture
cap·ture 
[kápchər] transitive verb (past
cap·tured, past participle cap·tured, present
participle cap·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular cap·tures)

1.  take
somebody prisoner: to catch and then forcibly
lock up or restrain a person or animal

2.  seize
place:
to seize or gain control over a place

3.  take
something in game: to win control or gain
possession of something in a game or contest

4.  dominate
somebody’s thoughts: to enchant or dominate
somebody’s mind, especially somebody’s imagination, or hold somebody’s
attention

5.  win
somebody’s love: to win the love or affection of
somebody, especially by being charming or attractive

6.  represent
something accurately: to describe or represent
something, especially something fleeting or intangible, in a lasting medium
such as painting, writing, filmmaking, or sculpture

7.  PHYSICS gain
particle:
to gain an additional elementary particle

8.  COMPUTING record
data on computer: to record data being processed or
displayed and store it in the memory of a computer or as a file in a computer
noun
(plural cap·tures)

1.  being
taken or taking prisoner: the act of being captured or
of capturing somebody or something

2.  somebody
or something captured: somebody or something that
has been captured and held in captivity

3.  PHYSICS gain
of particle: a process in which an atom, ion,
molecule, or nucleus gains an additional elementary particle, often followed by
an emission of radiation

4.  COMPUTING recording
of data:
the recording of data being processed or displayed and storage of it in the
memory of a computer or as a file in a computer

5.  GEOGRAPHY diversion
of river over time: the diversion of the
headwaters of one river into the channel of another, brought about by erosion
over a long period of time
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin captura “seizure,” from the stem capt-
(see captive ).]
—cap·tur·er, noun[1]



capuche

capuche
ca·puche 
[kə pch, kə
psh] (plural ca·puches) noun

hood
on monk’s cape: a large hood on a cloak, especially the
cowl worn by a Capuchin monk
[Late 16th century. Via
French (now capuce ) from Italian cappuccio (see capuchin ).][1]



capuche

capuche
ca·puche 
[kə pch, kə
psh] (plural ca·puches) noun

hood
on monk’s cape: a large hood on a cloak, especially the
cowl worn by a Capuchin monk
[Late 16th century. Via
French (now capuce ) from Italian cappuccio (see capuchin ).][1]



Capuchin

Capuchin
Cap·u·chin
[káppyəchin, kə
pychin, káppyəshin, kə pyshin] (plural Cap·u·chins) noun

type
of Franciscan monk: a member of an independent
order of Franciscan friars founded in 1525 in Italy
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian cappuccino (see cappuccino
).][1]



capuchin

capuchin
cap·u·chin 
[káppyəchin, kə
pychin, káppyəshin, kə pyshin] (plural cap·u·chins) noun

1.  cap·u·chin
or cap·u·chin mon·key long-tailed
monkey:
an agile and intelligent long-tailed monkey with a tuft of hair on its head
that resembles a monk’s cowl, found in the forests of Central and South
America. Latin name: Cebus capucinus
Also
called
sapajou

2.  cloak
with hood:
a hooded cloak worn by women (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From Capuchin .][1]



capuchinmonkey

capuchinmonkey
cap·u·chin
mon·key
noun

ZOOLOGY
See capuchin  noun 1[1]



caput

caput
ca·put
[káypət, káppət]
(plural ca·pi·ta [káppitə]) noun
ANATOMY

1.  head:
the head (technical)

2.  prominent
part:
the most prominent part of something such as a bodily organ
[From Latin][1]



capybara

capybara

cap·y·ba·ra 
[kàppi brə, kàppi
bérrə] (plural cap·y·ba·ras or cap·y·ba·ra) noun
large
rodent:
the largest living rodent, resembling a large guinea pig. It lives along rivers
in Central and South America and can grow to a length of more than 1.2 m/4 ft .
Latin name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
[Early 17th century. Via
either Spanish capibara or Portuguese capivara from Tupi capiuára,
from capī “grass” + uára “eater.”][1]



car

car
car 
[kaar] (plural cars) noun

1.  passenger-carrying
road vehicle: a road vehicle, usually with four wheels
and powered by an internal-combustion engine, designed to carry a small number
of passengers

2.  vehicle
on rails:
a vehicle designed to run on rails, for example, a streetcar or a railroad car

3.  traveling
compartment for people or things: the part of an
airship, balloon, or cable car for carrying passengers and cargo

4.  elevator:
the box-shaped container of an elevator in which people or goods are carried up
or down

5.  chariot:
a chariot (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French carre from, ultimately, Latin carrum
(source of English career and chariot ), from Celtic, the underlying meaning
being “to move swiftly.”][1]



car.

car.
car.

Abbreviation of
carat[1]



carabao

carabao
car·a·bao 
[kérrə bòw, krə
bòw] (plural car·a·bao or car·a·baos) noun

ZOOLOGY See water buffalo
[Early 20th century. Via
Spanish from Visayan karabáw, from Malay kêrbau .][1]



carabid

carabid
car·a·bid 
[kérrəbid, kə
rábbid] (plural car·a·bids) noun

beetle
living in soil: a beetle that lives in the soil. Many
species feed on other insects. Family: Carabidae
Also
called
ground beetle
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Carabidae (family name), from Latin carabus “(a kind
of) seacrab,” from Greek karabos “horned beetle.”][1]



carabineer

carabineer
car·a·bi·neer 
[kèrrəbi nr] (plural car·a·bi·neers)
or car·a·bi·nier [kèrrəbi nr]
(plural car·a·bi·niers) noun

soldier
with carbine: a soldier armed with a lightweight
short-barreled rifle ( carbine ).
Also
called
carbineer
[Mid-17th century. From
French carabinier, from carabine “carbine,” see carbine .][1]



carabiner

carabiner

car·a·bi·ner 
[kèrrə bnər] (plural car·a·bin·ers)
or kar·a·bi·ner [kèrrə bnər]
(plural kar·a·bi·ners) noun
ring
used in climbing: an oblong metal ring with an openable
spring-hinged side, used in rock and mountain climbing for such purposes as
clipping a freely running rope to a piton.
Also
called
snap ring
[Mid-20th century. From
German Karabiner-haken “spring-hook,” from its use for attaching a
carbine rifle to a belt.][1]



carabinero

carabinero
car·a·bin·e·ro 
[kèrrəbi nérrō] (plural car·a·bin·e·ros)
noun

1.  Spanish
police officer: a member of the national police force of
Spain

2.  Filipino
customs or coast guard officer: a customs, coast
guard, or revenue officer in the Philippines
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from carabina “carbine,” from French carabine (source of
English carbine ).][1]



carabinier

carabinier
car·a·bi·nier 
noun

See
carabineer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








carabiniere

carabiniere
ca·ra·bi·nie·re 
[kèrrəbi nyáiree, krəbi
nyáir e] (plural cara·binieri [kèrrəbi
nyáiree]) noun

Italian
police officer: a member of the national police force of
Italy
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian from French carabinier (source of English carabineer ).][1]



caracal

caracal
car·a·cal 
[kérrə kàl] (plural car·a·cals
or car·a·cal) noun

1.  wildcat
of Africa and Asia: a medium-sized wildcat with
long legs, a smooth reddish-brown coat, a short tail, and long tufted ears,
found in the dry savannas of Africa and southern Asia. Latin name: Lynx
caracal
Also
called
desert lynx

2.  caracal
’s fur:
the fur of the caracal
[Mid-18th century. Via either
French or Spanish from Turkish karakulak, literally “black ear,” from kara
“black” + kulak “ear.”][1]



caracara

caracara


car·a·car·a 
[kèrrə kérrə, kèrrə
kə r] (plural car·a·car·as) noun
large
hawk:
a large long-legged carrion-eating or predatory bird of the falcon family,
native to Central, and South America. Genus: Polyborus
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish or Portuguese caracará from Tupi-Guarani ; ultimately an
imitation of the sound the bird makes.][1]



Caracas

Caracas
Ca·ra·cas
[kə rákəss]

city and capital of
Venezuela, situated at an altitude of approximately 900 m/3,000 ft. Population:
1,964,846 (1992)[1]



caracole

caracole
car·a·cole 
[kérrə kl] or car·a·col [kérrə kl] noun (plural car·a·coles)
(plural car·a·cols)

half
turn:
in dressage, a half turn to the left or right performed by a horse and rider
intransitive
and transitive verb (past car·a·coled,
past participle car·a·coled, present participle car·a·col·ing,
3rd person present singular car·a·coles) (past car·a·coled,
past participle car·a·coled, present participle car·a·col·ing,
3rd person present singular car·a·cols)

make
caracole:
to perform or cause a horse to perform a caracole
[Early 17th century. From
French caracoler, from caracol(e) “snail’s shell, spiral.”][1]



Caractacus

Caractacus
Ca·rac·ta·cus
[kə ráktəkəss] (lived AD 50)

British tribal ruler. He was
defeated by the Romans.[1]



caracul

caracul
car·a·cul 
noun

See
karakul[1]



carafe

carafe
ca·rafe 
[kə ráf] (plural ca·rafes) noun

1.  container
for serving drinks: a container with a wide
cylindrical base, a narrow neck, and a flared open top, usually made of glass
and used to serve liquids, especially wine or water at the table

2.  container
for coffee:
a glass pot with a lip molded to form a spout and a handle, used especially
with a drip coffeemaker to brew and serve coffee

3.  quantity
in carafe:
the contents or capacity of a carafe
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Italian caraffa, of unknown origin.][1]



caralarm

caralarm
car
a·larm
(plural car a·larms) noun

theft alarm for car:
an electronically operated device fitted to a car, designed to make a loud
noise if somebody attempts to break into or tamper with the vehicle[1]



caramba

caramba
ca·ram·ba
interjection

expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise, amazement, or dismay (slang)
[Spanish][1]



carambola

carambola
car·am·bo·la 
[kèrrəm bṓlə] (plural car·am·bo·las)
noun

1.  tropical
fruit tree:
an evergreen tree cultivated in tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia,
for its edible fruit. Latin name: Averrhoa carambola

2.  star-shaped
fruit:
the smooth-skinned yellow fruit of the carambola tree, with lengthwise ridges
that give it a star-shaped cross section. The thin skin is edible, and the
juicy, slightly crisp fruit has a delicate flavor.
Also
called
star fruit
[Late 16th century. Via Portuguese
from, probably, Marathi karambal .][1]



caramel

caramel
car·a·mel 
[kérrəməl, kérrə
mèl, krməl] noun (plural
car·a·mels)

1.  burnt
sugar:
sugar melted or dissolved in a small amount of water and heated until it turns
golden or dark brown. It is used as a flavoring and coloring.

2.  chewy
candy:
a chewy candy that can be soft or firm, made with butter, milk, and sugar
adjective
(comparative car·a·mel·er, superlative car·a·mel·est)

of yellowish-brown color:
yellowish-brown in color
noun
(plural car·a·mels)

yellowish-brown color:
a yellowish-brown color
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Spanish caramelo, an alteration of Provençal canamel
“sugar cane,” ultimately from Latin canna “cane” + mel “honey.”][1]



caramelize

caramelize
car·a·mel·ize 
[kérrəmə lz, krmə
lz] (past car·a·mel·ized, past participle car·a·mel·ized,
present participle car·a·mel·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular car·a·mel·iz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

change
into caramel: to heat sugar or boil dissolved sugar
until it turns dark brown, as when broiling dry sugar on top of a dessert or to
undergo this process
[Mid-19th
century. From French caraméliser, from caramel “burned sugar,
caramel” (see caramel ).]
—car·a·mel·i·za·tion [kèrrəməli záysh’n, krməli
záysh’n], noun[1]



carangid

carangid
ca·ran·gid 
[kə ránjid, kə
ráng gid] (plural ca·ran·gids) noun

sea
fish:
any spiny-finned marine fish of a family that includes the jack and pompano.
Family: Carangidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Carangidae, family name, from Caranx, genus name,
which came, ultimately, from Spanish caranga “shad, horse mackerel,” of
unknown origin.][1]



carapace

carapace
car·a·pace 
[kérrə pàyss] (plural car·a·pac·es)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY animal
shell:
a thick hard case or shell made of bone or chitin that covers part of the body,
especially the back, of an animal such as a crab or turtle

2.  self-protectiveness:
self-protection or a disguise that shelters somebody as a shell does a turtle,
for example, shy or arrogant behavior
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Spanish carapacho, of unknown origin.][1]



carat

carat
car·at 
[kérrət] (plural car·ats) noun

1.  weight
used for gems: a standard unit of mass used for
precious stones, especially diamonds, equal to 200 milligrams

2.  See
karat
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek keration “fruit of the carob,” from keras
“horn”; because carob beans were used as standard weights for small
quantities.][1]



Caravaggio,Michelangelo Merisi da

Caravaggio,Michelangelo Merisi da
Ca·ra·vag·gi·o 
[kèrrə vjee ō, kèrrə
vjō], Michelangelo Merisi da (1573–1610)

Italian painter. He was an
exponent of the Baroque style, and his tempestuous life is reflected in his
realistic and dramatically lit works.[1]



caravan

caravan
car·a·van 
[kérrə vàn] noun (plural car·a·vans)

1.  group
of desert merchants with camels: a group of traders,
especially in Africa and Asia, crossing the desert together for safety, usually
with a train of camels.
Also
called
caravanserai

2.  group
of travelers: a group of people, vehicles, or
supervised animals that are traveling together for security.
Also
called
caravanserai

3.  Romany
people’s van: a large covered vehicle or van used as a
traveling home, particularly by Romany people or circus performers

4.  U.K.
See trailer
intransitive
verb
(past car·a·vanned or car·a·vaned, past
participle car·a·vanned or car·a·vaned, present
participle car·a·van·ning or car·a·van·ing, 3rd
person present singular car·a·vans)

1.  to
travel in a group

2.  U.K.
spend
time in camper: to vacation or travel around in a camper
[Late 16th century. Via
French caravane from Persian kārvān “group of desert travelers”
(source of English van ).][1]



caravanner

caravanner
car·a·van·ner
[kérrə vànnər] (plural car·a·van·ners)
or car·a·van·er [kérrə vànnər]
(plural car·a·van·ers) noun

1.  somebody
traveling in group: somebody traveling in a
group for security

2.  U.K.
somebody
spending time in camper: somebody who vacations in or
travels around with a camper

[1]



caravanserai

caravanserai
car·a·van·se·rai
[kàrrə vánsə rày, kàrrə
vánsə r] (plural car·a·van·se·rais) or car·a·van·sa·ry
[kàrrə vánsə rày, kàrrə
vánsə r] noun

1.  desert
inn for traveling caravans: a large inn with a central
courtyard, found in some eastern countries and used by caravans crossing the
desert.
Also
called
serai

2.  See
caravan  noun 1
[Late 16th century. From
Persian kārwānsarāī, from kārwān (see caravan
) + sarāī “inn” (see serai ).][1]



caravel

caravel
car·a·vel 
[kérrə vèl] (plural car·a·vels)
or car·a·velle [kérrə vèl] (plural
car·a·velles) or car·vel [krv’l,
kr vèl] (plural car·vels) noun

sailing
ship:
a light sailing ship with two or three masts, used in the Mediterranean from
the 14th to 17th century
[Early 16th century. From
French caravelle .][1]



caraway

caraway
car·a·way 
[kérrə wày] noun

1.  annual
herb:
a European and Asian plant with finely divided leaves, clusters of small white
or pinkish flowers, and aromatic fruits that look like seeds and are used to
flavor food. Latin name: Carum carvi

2.  See
caraway seed  noun
[13th century. Directly or
via Old French carvi from medieval Latin carui, of uncertain
origin: probably ultimately from Greek karon “cumin” (which has similar
seeds).][1]



carawayseed

carawayseed
car·a·way
seed
(plural car·a·way seeds) noun

fruit of caraway plant:
the aromatic dried ripe fruit of the caraway plant, used as a spice for
flavoring a variety of foods.
Also called
caraway[1]



carb

carb1
carb1 [kaarb]
(plural carbs) noun

carburetor:
a carburetor (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
shortening.][1]



carb

carb2
carb2 [kaarb]
(plural carbs) noun

a
carbohydrate or a high-carbohydrate food (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of carbohydrate .][1]



carb-

carb-
carb-
prefix

CHEMISTRY
(used before vowels) See carbo-[1]



carbamate

carbamate
car·ba·mate 
[krbə màyt, kaar
bá màyt] (plural car·ba·mates) noun

chemical
used as pesticide: any salt or ester of
carbamic acid, used especially as a pesticide
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbo- + amide
+ -ate .][1]



carbamazepine

carbamazepine
car·ba·maz·e·pine 
[krbə mázzə pn] noun

anticonvulsant
drug:
an analgesic and anticonvulsant drug used to treat epilepsy, pain, and
manic-depressive psychosis
[Rearrangement of
dibenzazepinecarboxamide, chemical name][1]



carbamicacid

carbamicacid
car·bam·ic
ac·id 
[kaar bàmmik ássid] noun

acid
occurring in salts and esters: an acid that exists
only in the form of its salt or ester. NH2COOH
[Carbamic coined from carbo- + amide
+ -ic][1]



carbamide

carbamide
car·ba·mide 
[krbə md, kaar
bámmid] noun

See
urea
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbo- + amide
.][1]



carbanion

carbanion
car·ban·i·on 
[kaar bá n ən, kr
bánnī òn] (plural car·ban·i·ons) noun

negatively
charged ion: an organic ion that has a carbon atom
with a negative charge
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from carb- + anion
.][1]



carbarn

carbarn
car·barn
[kr brn] (plural car·barns) noun

building for buses:
a building where buses or streetcars are stored[1]



carbaryl

carbaryl
car·ba·ryl 
[krbə rìl] noun

broad-range
insecticide: an insecticide used as a substitute for
DDT in a broad range of applications
[Mid-20th century. Blend of carbamate and aryl
.][1]



carbene

carbene
car·bene
[kr bn] noun

molecule with three-bonded
carbon atom: any molecule containing
a carbon atom with only three bonds. Carbenes are highly reactive and only
exist fleetingly in certain chemical reactions.[1]



carbide

carbide
car·bide 
[kr bd] (plural car·bides) noun

1.  compound
containing carbon and another element: a
compound containing carbon and one other element, especially a metal

2.  See
calcium carbide
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbon + -ide
.][1]



carbine

carbine
car·bine 
[kr bn, kr
bn] (plural car·bines) noun

short
rifle:
a lightweight rifle with a short barrel
[Early 17th century. From
French carabine, from carabin “mounted musketeer,” of unknown
origin.][1]



carbineer

carbineer
car·bi·neer 
[krbi nr] (plural car·bi·neers)
noun

See
carabineer[1]



carbinol

carbinol
car·bi·nol 
[krbə nòl, krbə
nàwl] noun

See
methanol
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbon + -ine
+ -ol .][1]



carbo-

carbo-
carbo-
prefix

CHEMISTRY carbon, carbonic • carbocyclic
[From French, from carbone
(see carbon )][1]



carbo

carbo
car·bo
[krbō] (plural car·bos) noun

carbohydrate:
a carbohydrate (slang) • pasta
is a good source of carbo
[Shortening][1]



carbocyclic

carbocyclic
car·bo·cy·clic 
[krbō sklik, krbō
síklik] adjective

with closed ring of carbon
atoms: used to describe a chemical
compound containing a closed ring of carbon atoms[1]



carbohydrase

carbohydrase
car·bo·hy·drase 
[krbō h drayss, krbō
h drayz] (plural car·bo·hy·dras·es) noun

enzyme:
any enzyme that aids the breakdown of a carbohydrate. Amylase is a
carbohydrase.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from carbohydrate + -ase
.][1]



carbohydrate

carbohydrate
car·bo·hy·drate 
[krbō h dràyt] (plural car·bo·hy·drates)
noun

1.  energy
component of diet: an organic compound derived
from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that is an important source of food and
energy for humans and animals. Sugar, starch, and cellulose are carbohydrates.

2.  food
containing carbohydrates: any food containing
carbohydrates, for example, bread, pasta, or potatoes
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbo- + hydrate
.][1]



carbohydrateloading

carbohydrateloading
car·bo·hy·drate
load·ing
noun

eating much high-carbohydrate
food: a controversial practice of
first starving the body of carbohydrates, then following a high-carbohydrate
diet just before an athletic event in an attempt to increase performance[1]



carbolic

carbolic
car·bol·ic 
[kaar bóllik] noun

See
phenol
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from carbo- + -ol
+ -ic .][1]



carbolicacid

carbolicacid
car·bol·ic
ac·id 
noun

See
phenol[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








carbo-loading

carbo-loading
car·bo-load·ing 
noun

carbohydrate loading:
carbohydrate loading (slang)[1]



carbomb

carbomb
car
bomb
(plural car bombs) noun

bomb concealed in car:
an explosive device concealed inside or under a vehicle and detonated by remote
control or when the engine is started[1]



car-bomb

car-bomb
car-bomb
(past car-bombed, past participle car-bombed, present
participle car-bomb·ing, 3rd person present singular car-bombs)
transitive verb

put bomb in or under car:
to place a car bomb in or under a vehicle, or use such an explosive-laden
vehicle against a target[1]



carbon

carbon

car·bon 
[krbən] (plural car·bons) noun

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS nonmetallic
chemical element: a nonmetallic chemical element that
exists in two main forms, diamond and graphite. Its ability to form large
numbers of organic compounds allowed living organisms to evolve. Symbol
C

2.  carbon
copy:
a carbon copy of a document (informal)

3.  carbon
paper:
carbon paper (informal)

4.  electrical
component made of carbon: something made of carbon,
especially an electrode or a lamp filament
[Late
18th century. Via French carbone from the Latin stem carbon-
“coal” (source of English carbuncle
), of uncertain origin; perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“fire.”]
—car·bon·ous, adjective[1]



carbon12

carbon12
car·bon
12
[krbən twélv] noun

carbon isotope:
an isotope of carbon with relative atomic mass of 12. It is used as the
standard in determining the relative atomic mass of other elements.[1]



carbon14

carbon14
car·bon
14
[krbən fawr tn] noun

carbon isotope:
a naturally radioactive isotope of carbon with atomic mass of 14 and a
half-life of 5,780 years, used as a tracer element and in carbon dating[1]



carbon-14dating

carbon-14dating
car·bon-14
dat·ing 
or car·bon-14 method noun

See
carbon dating[1]



carbonaceous

carbonaceous
car·bo·na·ceous 
[krbə náyshəss] adjective

relating to carbon:
relating to, containing, or resembling carbon[1]



carbonado

carbonado1
car·bo·na·do1 [krbə
náydō, krbə ndō] noun (plural
car·bo·na·dos)

scored and grilled meat or fish:
a piece of scored and grilled meat or fish (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past car·bo·na·doed, past participle car·bo·na·doed,
present participle car·bo·na·do·ing, 3rd person present
singular car·bo·na·does) (archaic)

1.  score
and grill meat or fish: to prepare meat or fish by
scoring and grilling it

2.  cut
or slash:
to cut or slash somebody or something
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish carbonada from, ultimately, the Latin stem carbon- “coal”
(source of English carbon ), because
it is broiled on coals.][1]



carbonado

carbonado2
car·bo·na·do2 [krbə
náydō, krbə ndō] (plural car·bo·na·dos
or car·bo·na·does) noun

diamond
used industrially: a dark-colored diamond or an
aggregate of diamond particles that is extremely hard and is used industrially,
for example, for drilling and polishing.
Also
called
black diamond
[Mid-19th century. From
Portuguese .][1]



carbonara

carbonara
car·bo·na·ra 
[krbə nrə] noun

pasta
dish:
a hot pasta dish prepared with eggs, chopped ham or bacon, and cheese • spaghetti
carbonara
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian (alla) carbonara, literally “on the charcoal grill,” from carbone
“charcoal,” from Latin carbon- (see carbon
).][1]



carbonarc

carbonarc
car·bon
arc
(plural car·bon arcs) noun

discharge between electrodes:
an electric discharge between two carbon electrodes or between an electrode and
a metal to be welded, characterized by bright light and intense heat[1]



Carbonari

Carbonari
Car·bo·na·ri 
[kbə nree] plural noun

members
of Italian political group: members of a secret society
in early 19th-century Italy that aimed to establish a unified liberal
republican government
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, plural of carbonaro “charcoal burner,” from, ultimately, Latin carbon-
(see carbon ); from their use of symbols
from the charcoal-burning trade.][1]



carbonate

carbonate
car·bon·ate 
noun [krbə nàyt, krbənət] (plural car·bon·ates)

1.  salt
or ester of carbonic acid: any salt or ester of
carbonic acid

2.  mineral
composed of crystallized carbonates: a
mineral composed of calcium, magnesium, and other carbonates in various crystal
forms
transitive
verb
[krbə nàyt] (past car·bon·at·ed,
past participle car·bon·at·ed, present participle car·bon·at·ing,
3rd person present singular car·bon·ates)

1.  convert
to carbonate: to convert a chemical compound into a
carbonate

2.  make
liquid bubbly and gaseous: to make a liquid bubbly and
gaseous by introducing carbon dioxide into it

3.  See
carbonize
—car·bon·a·tor, noun[1]



carbonatedwater

carbonatedwater
car·bon·at·ed
wa·ter 
noun

See
soda water[1]



carbonation

carbonation
car·bon·a·tion 
[krbə náysh’n] noun

1.  reaction
with carbon dioxide: permeation or reaction with
carbon dioxide

2.  See
carbonization

[1]



carbonatite

carbonatite
car·bon·a·tite 
[kaar bónnə tt] noun

E
African igneous rock: an unusual alkaline igneous
rock high in carbonate materials, found in eastern Africa and thought to derive
from the Earth’s mantle
[Early 20th century. Coined
from carbonate + -ite
.][1]



carbonbisulfide

carbonbisulfide
car·bon
bi·sul·fide
noun

See
carbon disulfide[1]



carbonblack

carbonblack
car·bon
black
noun

carbon as black powder:
any form of finely divided carbon produced by partial combustion of petroleum
or natural gas, used in making pigment, ink, and rubber[1]



carbonbrush

carbonbrush
car·bon
brush
(plural car·bon brush·es) noun

carbon in engine:
a block of carbon in an engine or generator that conveys current between the
moving and the stationary parts[1]



carboncopy

carboncopy
car·bon
cop·y 
noun

1.  duplicate
made with carbon paper: a duplicate of written or
drawn material that is made by using carbon paper

2.  somebody
or something identical: somebody or something that
is identical to or very much like somebody or something else (informal)
• This
situation is a carbon copy of last year’s crisis.

[1]



carboncycle

carboncycle
car·bon
cy·cle
(plural car·bon cy·cles) noun

1.  carbon
flow between organisms and environment: the
series of interlinked processes, including photosynthesis and respiration,
through which carbon, mainly in the form of carbon compounds, is exchanged
between living organisms and the nonliving environment. Carbon dioxide is taken
from the atmosphere by photosynthesizing plants and returned by the respiration
of plants and animals and by the combustion of fossil fuels.

2.  source
of energy in stars: a chain reaction believed to
generate significant energy in some stars, in which carbon is used as a catalyst
to fuse four hydrogen nuclei into one helium nucleus.
Also
called
carbon-nitrogen cycle

[1]



Carbondale

Carbondale
Car·bon·dale 
[krbən dàyl]

1.  city
in southwestern Illinois, southeast of Belleville. Population: 26,676 (1996)

2.  city
in northeastern Pennsylvania, northeast of Scranton, once an important
coal-mining center. Population: 9,953 (1996)

[1]



carbondating

carbondating
car·bon
dat·ing
noun

method for dating organic
remains: a method of dating organic
remains based on their content of carbon-14.
Also called
radiocarbon dating
Also called
carbon-14 dating
Also called
carbon-14 method[1]



carbondioxide

carbondioxide
car·bon
di·ox·ide
noun

colorless odorless gas:
a heavy colorless odorless atmospheric gas produced during respiration and used
by plants during photosynthesis. It is also formed by combustion, and
increasing atmospheric levels may alter the Earth’s climate. It is used in
refrigeration, carbonated drinks, and fire extinguishers. CO2[1]



carbondisulfide

carbondisulfide
car·bon
di·sul·fide
noun

poisonous flammable liquid
with industrial uses: a colorless
poisonous flammable liquid containing impurities that give it a rotten-egg
smell. It is used in making cellophane and rayon and as a solvent and fumigant.

Also called
carbon bisulfide[1]



carbonfiber

carbonfiber
car·bon
fi·ber
noun

strong synthetic fiber:
a very strong light thread manufactured from carbonized acrylic, used to
reinforce resins, metal, and ceramics. Articles made with carbon fiber include
turbine blades and poles for pole vaulting.[1]



carbonfixation

carbonfixation
car·bon
fix·a·tion
noun

incorporation of carbon
dioxide: the process by which plants
synthesize carbon dioxide into organic compounds[1]



carbonic

carbonic
car·bon·ic
[kaar bónnik] adjective

with carbon:
containing carbon[1]



carbonicacid

carbonicacid
car·bon·ic
ac·id 
noun

weak acid:
a weak acid formed when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water. H2CO3[1]



carbonicanhydrase

carbonicanhydrase
car·bon·ic
an·hy·drase
[kaar bònnikan hdràyss, kaar bònnik an hdràyz] noun

blood enzyme:
an enzyme in living tissue, for example, blood cells, that contains zinc and
aids the transfer of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs[1]



carboniferous

carboniferous
car·bon·if·er·ous
[krbə níffərəss] adjective

with carbon:
containing or yielding coal or carbon[1]



Carboniferous

Carboniferous
Car·bon·if·er·ous 
noun

geologic
period:
the period of geologic time when true reptiles first appeared and when much of
the Earth’s surface was covered by forests, 362.5 million to 290 million years
ago
[Because
numerous coal deposits were formed during this time]
—Car·bon·if·er·ous, adjective[1]



carboniumion

carboniumion
car·bo·ni·um
i·on
(plural car·bo·ni·um i·ons) noun

organic ion:
an organic ion that has a carbon atom bearing a positive charge[1]



carbonization

carbonization
car·bon·i·za·tion 
[krbəni záysh’n] noun

1.  treatment
to turn something into carbon: the burning,
fossilization, or chemical treatment of something that turns it into carbon.
Also
called
carbonation

2.  coating
with carbon: the process of covering or coating
something with carbon

3.  See
destructive distillation

[1]



carbonize

carbonize
car·bon·ize 
[krbə nz] (past car·bon·ized,
past participle car·bon·ized, present participle car·bon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular car·bon·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
into carbon: to turn into carbon, or turn something
into carbon, by partial burning, by fossilization, or through chemical
treatment

2.  transitive
verb
cover
or coat with carbon: to cover or coat the surface
of something with carbon
—car·bon·iz·er, noun[1]



carbonless

carbonless
car·bon·less
[krbənləss] adjective

chemically treated to create
duplicates: chemically treated to make
duplicate copies without the use of carbon paper[1]



carbonmicrophone

carbonmicrophone
car·bon
mi·cro·phone (plural car·bon mi·cro·phones)
noun

microphone containing carbon
granules: a microphone containing
carbon granules that change resistance according to the vibrating pressure of
sound waves, thereby modulating the frequency of the sound waves[1]



carbonmonoxide

carbonmonoxide
car·bon
mon·ox·ide
noun

colorless odorless toxic gas:
a colorless odorless toxic gas formed when carbon-containing compounds or fuels
are burned with insufficient air. CO[1]



carbonnade

carbonnade
car·bon·nade 
[krbə nàyd] or car·bonade [krbə nàyd] noun

beef
stew with beer: a stew made with beef and onions cooked
in beer
[Mid-17th century. From
French, from carbone (see carbon ).][1]



carbon-nitrogencycle

carbon-nitrogencycle
car·bon-ni·tro·gen
cy·cle 
(plural car·bon-ni·tro·gen cy·cles) noun

See
carbon cycle  noun 2[1]



carbonpaper

carbonpaper
car·bon
pa·per
noun

paper for making copies of
documents: paper used for making
copies, coated on one side with a waxy pigment that often contains carbon[1]



carbonprocess

carbonprocess
car·bon
proc·ess
or car·bon print·ing noun

process producing positive
prints: a printing process that uses
sensitized carbon tissue to produce positive prints[1]



carbonstar

carbonstar
car·bon
star
(plural car·bon stars) noun

star with high carbon
content: a star that has a lower
temperature and proportionately more carbon in relation to nitrogen than other
stars[1]



carbonsteel

carbonsteel
car·bon
steel
noun

hard steel containing carbon:
steel containing carbon with properties that vary according to the carbon
content[1]



carbonvalue

carbonvalue
car·bon
val·ue
(plural car·bon val·ues) noun

measurement of carbon formed
by lubricant: a measurement of the
extent to which a lubricant forms carbon when in use[1]



carbonyl

carbonyl
car·bon·yl 
[krbənil, krbə
nl] adjective

relating
to or containing the group of atoms found in certain organic and inorganic
compounds. =C=O
noun
(plural car·bon·yls)

metal
compound:
a compound that has a metal bound to a carbonyl group
—car·bon·yl·ic [krbə níllik], adjective[1]



carbonylchloride

carbonylchloride
car·bon·yl
chlo·ride
noun

See
phosgene[1]



carboot sale

carboot sale
car
boot sale
(plural car boot sales) noun

U.K.
open sale of people’s things:
a sale of second-hand and new merchandise from the trunks of people’s cars,
usually taking place on an open-air site rented for the purpose[1]



carborne

carborne
car·borne
[kr bàwrn] adjective

by
auto:
in a car or traveling by automobile • roads
jammed with carborne commuters
[Late 20th century][1]



Carborundum

Carborundum
Car·bo·run·dum
[krbə rúndəm] Trademark

a trademark for abrasives
composed of silicon carbide[1]



carboxy-

carboxy-
carboxy-
prefix

CHEMISTRY carboxyl • carboxypeptidase
[From carboxyl][1]



carboxyhemoglobin

carboxyhemoglobin
car·box·y·he·mo·glo·bin 
[kaar bòksi heemə glṓbin] noun

hemoglobin with carbon
monoxide: a stable compound formed in
the blood when inhaled carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin, thus preventing
it from binding with oxygen[1]



carboxylase

carboxylase
car·box·yl·ase 
[kaar bóksə làyss, kaar
bóksə làyz] (plural car·box·yl·as·es) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that aids the absorption or release of carbon dioxide from, for
example, certain acids[1]



carboxylate

carboxylate
car·box·y·late
noun [kaar bóksə làyt, kaar bóksələt] (plural car·box·y·lates)

salt
or ester of carboxylic acid: any salt or ester of a
carboxylic acid
transitive
verb
[kaar bóksə làyt] (past car·box·y·lat·ed,
past participle car·box·y·lat·ed, present participle car·box·y·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular car·box·y·lates)

form
carboxylic acid: to form carboxylic acid by introducing a
carboxyl group or carbon dioxide into a compound
—car·box·yl·a·tion [kaar bòksə láysh’n], noun[1]



carboxylicacid

carboxylicacid
car·box·yl·ic
ac·id 
[kaar bok sillik ássid] (plural car·box·yl·ic
ac·ids) noun

organic acid:
any organic acid that contains the carboxyl group[1]



carboxymethylcellulose

carboxymethylcellulose
car·box·y·meth·yl·cel·lu·lose 
[kaar bòksi meth’l séllyə lss] noun

stabilizer and additive:
a derivative of cellulose used in paper production, as a stabilizer and
emulsifier in foods, as an antacid, and as bulk in laxatives[1]



carboxypeptidase

carboxypeptidase
car·box·y·pep·ti·dase 
[kaar bòksi pépti dàyss, kaar bòksi pépti dàyz] (plural car·boxypep·ti·dases)
noun

enzyme in pancreatic juice:
a protein-digesting enzyme secreted into the duodenum as a component of
pancreatic juice[1]



carboy

carboy
car·boy 
[kr bòy] (plural car·boys) noun

large
bottle for corrosive liquid: a large container made of
plastic or glass, usually protected by a wooden casing, used to hold corrosive
liquids such as acids
[Mid-18th century. Ultimately
from Persian karāba “large glass flagon.”][1]



carbra

carbra
car
bra
noun

protective cover for a car:
a cover fastened around the front of an automobile to protect the grille (informal)[1]



carbuncle

carbuncle
car·bun·cle 
[kr bùngk’l] (plural car·bun·cles)
noun

1.  MEDICINE inflamed
swelling:
a multiple-headed boil

2.  rounded
red gemstone: a red gemstone, especially a garnet,
that is smoothly rounded and polished
[13th
century. Via Old French charbu(n)cle from Latin carbunculus “red
gemstone, inflamed spot” (literally “small coal”), from carbon- (see carbon ).]
—car·bun·cled,
adjective

—car·bun·cu·lar [kaar búngkyələr], adjective[1]



carburation

carburation
car·bu·ra·tion
[krbə ráysh’n] or car·bu·re·tion
[krbə ráysh’n] noun

mixing
fuel with air for combustion: the process of mixing the
correct proportions of liquid fuel with air to achieve combustion
[Late 19th century. Formed
from carburet .][1]



carburet

carburet
car·bu·ret 
[karbə ráyt, krbə
rèt] (past car·bu·ret·ed, past participle car·bu·ret·ed,
present participle car·bu·ret·ing, 3rd person present singular
car·bu·rets) transitive verb

mix
gas with hydrocarbons: to mix a gas with
hydrocarbons in order to increase fuel energy
[Early 19th century. From
obsolete carburet “carbide.”][1]



carbureted

carbureted
car·bu·ret·ed
[krbə ràytəd, krbə
rèttəd] adjective

equipped with a carburetor[1]



carburetion

carburetion
car·bu·re·tion
noun

See
carburation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








carburetor

carburetor
car·bu·re·tor 
[krbə ràytər] (plural car·bu·re·tors)
noun

part
of internal combustion engine: a device in an
internal combustion engine that mixes liquid fuel and air in the correct
proportions, vaporizes them, and transfers the mixture to the cylinders
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from carburet .][1]



carburettor

carburettor
car·bu·ret·tor
noun

U.K. =
carburetor[1]



carburize

carburize
car·bu·rize 
[krbə rz] (past car·bu·rized,
past participle car·bu·rized, present participle car·bu·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular car·bu·riz·es) transitive verb

See
carbonize
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from carburet .]
—car·bu·ri·za·tion [krbəri záysh’n], noun[1]



carcajou

carcajou
car·ca·jou 
[krkə j, krkə
zh] (plural car·ca·jous or car·ca·jou) noun

See
wolverine
[Early 18th century. Via
Canadian French from Montagnais kwa:hkwa:če:w .][1]



carcass

carcass
car·cass 
[krkəss] (plural car·cass·es)
noun

1.  dead
body of animal: the dead body of an animal, especially
one slaughtered and prepared for use as meat

2.  person:
a living person’s body (humorous) • Move
your carcass!

3.  remains
of something: the remains of something decayed or
almost totally destroyed

4.  basic
structure:
the basic structure or framework of something
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman carcois and French carcasse ; ultimately of unknown
origin.][1]



Carcassonne

Carcassonne
Car·cas·sonne
[krkə són]

city and capital of Aude
Department, southern France, situated on the Aude River 92 km57 mi southeast of
Toulouse. Population: 44,991 (1990)[1]



Carchemish

Carchemish
Car·che·mish
[kr kə mìsh]

ancient city on the Euphrates
River, northeast of Aleppo in present-day northern Syria[1]



carcin-

carcin-
carcin-
prefix

MEDICINE
(used before vowels) See carcino-[1]



carcino-

carcino-
carcino-
prefix

MEDICINE cancer • carcinogenic
[From Greek karkinos
“crab, cancer”; ultimately related to Latin cancer (source of English cancer and canker
)][1]



carcinogen

carcinogen
car·cin·o·gen 
[kaar sínnəjən, krs’nə
jèn] (plural car·cin·o·gens) noun

cancer-causing
substance or agent: a substance or agent that
can cause cancer. Radiation and some chemicals and viruses are carcinogens.
[Mid-19th century. Blend of carcinoma and -gen
.][1]



carcinogenesis

carcinogenesis
car·ci·no·gen·e·sis
[krs’nə jénnəssiss] noun

cancer
production:
the production of cancerous cells
[Early 20th century. Blend of
carcinoma and genesis
.][1]



carcinogenic

carcinogenic
car·cin·o·gen·ic 
[krs’nə jénnik] adjective

cancer
causing:
capable of causing cancer
[Early
20th century. Blend of carcinoma and -genic
.]
—car·ci·no·ge·nic·i·ty
[krs’nōjə níssətee], noun[1]



carcinoid

carcinoid
car·ci·noid 
[krs’n òyd] (plural car·ci·noids)
noun

small
tumor:
a small benign or malignant tumor on the walls of the small intestine that
sometimes produces physiologically active compounds such as serotonin or
prostaglandins that are normally deactivated by the liver. In carcinoid
syndrome excessive amounts of such compounds are released from the infected
liver into the circulation and cause flushing, headache, diarrhea, and asthma.
[Early 20th century. Blend of
carcinoma and -oid
.][1]



carcinoma

carcinoma
car·ci·no·ma 
[krs’n ṓmə] (plural car·ci·no·mas)
noun

1.  malignant
tumor:
a malignant tumor that starts in the surface layer ( epithelium
) of an organ or body part and may spread to other parts of the body

2.  See
cancer
[Early
18th century. Via Latin from Greek karkinōma (stem karkinōmat- ),
from karkinos “crab” (source of English cancer
); from the crablike pattern of the surrounding swollen blood vessels.]
—car·ci·no·ma·toid,
adjective

—car·ci·nom·a·tous [krs’n ómmətəss], adjective[1]



carcinomatosis

carcinomatosis
car·ci·no·ma·to·sis 
[krs’n ōmə tṓssiss] noun

widespread cancer in the
body: a condition in which cancer
has spread widely throughout the body.
Also called
carcinosis[1]



carcinosarcoma

carcinosarcoma
car·ci·no·sar·co·ma 
[krs’nō saar kṓmə] (plural car·ci·no·sar·co·mas
or car·ci·no·sar·co·ma·ta [krs’nō
saar kṓmətə]) noun

type of malignant tumor:
a malignant tumor containing elements of both a carcinoma and a sarcoma[1]



carcinosis

carcinosis
car·ci·no·sis 
[krs’n ṓssiss] noun

See
carcinomatosis[1]



carcoat

carcoat
car
coat
(plural car coats) noun

short overcoat:
an overcoat that ends at mid-thigh[1]



card

card2
card2 [kaard]
transitive verb (past card·ed, past participle card·ed,
present participle card·ing, 3rd person present singular cards)

comb and clean wool or cotton:
to comb out and clean wool, cotton, or other fibers before spinning
noun
(plural cards)

1.  tool
or machine for carding: a tool or machine with wire
teeth used to comb out or clean wool, cotton, or other fibers before spinning

2.  device
to make cloth napped: a device for raising the nap
on cloth
[14th
century. Via French from late Latin cardus “thistle,” from Latin carduus
“thistle, artichoke” (source of English chard
and cardoon ).]
—card·er, noun[1]



card-

card-
card-
prefix

MEDICINE
See cardio-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Card.

Card.
Card.

Abbreviation of
Cardinal[1]



card

card1
card1 [kaard]
noun (plural cards)

1.  paper
with pictures and greetings: a piece of stiff paper,
usually folded in half and with designs or illustrations, used to send
greetings of various kinds, especially on birthdays and holidays

2.  GAME printed
stiff paper for games: a small piece of stiff
paper, part of a set, that is printed with symbols or figures and used to play
games or tell fortunes

3.  stiff
paper showing identity: a small piece of stiff paper
or plastic that shows somebody’s identity, business position, or membership in
a club or organization

4.  plastic
card holding information: a small piece of plastic
that holds information in a magnetic strip or microprocessor, used in financial
activities such as getting cash from ATMs or making phone calls

5.  See
postcard

6.  SPORTS See racecard

7.  See
index card

8.  amusing
person:
an amusing or eccentric person (dated informal)

9.  collectable
stiff paper with picture: a piece of stiff paper with
a picture on one side, collected as part of a set of such items

10. colored
card shown to soccer player: a small piece of red or
yellow stiff paper that is shown to a soccer player who has violated the rules
during a game

11. COMPUTING punch
card:
a punch card. See punchcard

12. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING printed
circuit board: a printed circuit board

13. NAVIGATION See compass card

14. COMPUT See expansion card

15. wine
list:
a wine list in a restaurant

16. menu:
a restaurant menu • We ate our way through
the entire card.

17. portion
of drugs:
a portion of a narcotic, especially heroin (slang)

18. cards
game
using cards: any game played using playing cards
transitive
verb
(past card·ed, past participle card·ed, present
participle card·ing, 3rd person present singular cards)
(informal)

1.  ask
for identification: to ask somebody to show
identification, usually to check that the person is of legal age to drink
alcohol or be admitted somewhere

2.  GOLF record
a golf score: to record a score after playing a hole
or round of golf
[15th
century. Via French carte from Latin c(h)arta “papyrus leaf,
paper,” from Greek khartēs “papyrus leaf” (source of English chart and cartoon
), of uncertain origin: probably from Egyptian .]
have
or keep a card up your sleeve

to
have a secret plan or tactic ready to be used if necessary (informal)

a
few cards short of a (full) deck

not
very intelligent (informal)

have
the cards stacked against you

to
be in a situation that is extremely disadvantageous to you and that may prevent
you from achieving your goals (informal)

hold
all the cards

to
be in complete control of a situation (informal)

in
the cards

likely
to happen (informal) • The
stock market took the collapse of the banking giant in its stride, as it had
been in the cards for some time.

play
your cards right

to
take the fullest possible advantage of your chances of success (informal)

put
or lay your cards on the table

to reveal openly what your
intentions and plans are (informal)[1]



cardamom

cardamom
car·da·mom 
[krdəməm] (plural car·da·moms)
or car·da·mon [krdəmən] (plural
car·da·mons) or car·da·mum [krdəməm]
(plural car·da·mums) noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
plant:
a perennial tropical plant that has large hairy leaves, clusters of small white
flowers, and aromatic pods and seeds. Latin name: Elettaria cardamomum

2.  COOKING spice
from cardamom plant: the pods and seeds of the
cardamom plant, used whole or crushed as a spice or flavoring
[14th century. Directly or
via French cardamome from Latin cardamomum, from Greek kardamōmon,
from kardamon “cress” + amōmon “amomum.”][1]



cardanjoint

cardanjoint
car·dan
joint
[krd’n jòynt] (plural car·dan
joints) noun

type
of universal joint: a type of universal joint
that can rotate when out of alignment
[Early 20th century. Named
for Gerolamo Cardano ( 1501–1576 ), Italian mathematician who invented
it.][1]



cardanshaft

cardanshaft
car·dan
shaft
noun

part
of gear system in vehicle: part of the transmission
system in some vehicles
[See cardan
joint][1]



cardboard

cardboard
card·board 
[krd bàwrd] noun

lightweight
paper board: a stiff light material made from
wastepaper pulp, often used for making containers or packaging for goods
adjective

two-dimensional or lacking in
depth • gave
a cardboard rendition of the sonata[1]



card-carrying

card-carrying
card-car·ry·ing 
adjective

1.  being
official member of organization: officially listed as
belonging to an organization and subscribing to its beliefs

2.  committed
to cause:
deeply committed to a cause or movement (informal)
[From the membership card
typically held by such members; first applied to members of the Communist
Party][1]



cardcatalog

cardcatalog
card
cat·a·log
(plural card cat·a·logs) noun

alphabetical listing on
separate cards: an alphabetical listing
of items such as names and addresses or books in a library, with each item
formerly on a separate card now most often computerized.
U.K. term
card index[1]



carded

carded
card·ed
[krdəd] adjective

1.  shown
card in soccer: shown a red or yellow card as a warning
that a player has violated a rule in soccer

2.  Canada
SPORTS used to describe an amateur
athlete who is being funded by a government grant to enable him or her to
pursue training

[1]



cardholder

cardholder
card·hold·er 
[krd hldər] (plural card·hold·ers)
noun

somebody owning credit card:
somebody who possesses a card that carries information, especially a credit,
debit, bank, or phone card[1]



cardi-

cardi-
cardi-
prefix

MEDICINE
See cardio-[1]



cardia

cardia
car·di·a 
[krdee ə] (plural car·di·ae [krdi ] or car·di·as) noun

opening
of esophagus into stomach: the opening of the esophagus
into the stomach, or the upper part of the stomach where it is connected to the
esophagus
[Late 18th century. From
Greek kardia (see cardiac ).][1]



cardiac

cardiac
car·di·ac 
[krdee àk] (plural car·di·acs)
adjective

1.  heart-related:
relating to or affecting the heart

2.  of
the upper part of stomach: relating to the upper part
of the stomach, where it is connected to the esophagus
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin cardiacus, from Greek kardia “heart, cardia.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English courage, concord,
and heart .][1]



cardiacarrest

cardiacarrest
car·di·ac
ar·rest
(plural car·di·ac ar·rests) noun

heart attack:
the sudden stopping of the heartbeat and therefore of the pumping action of the
heart. Cardiac arrest requires immediate treatment to prevent brain damage and
death.[1]



cardiaccompression

cardiaccompression
car·di·ac
com·pres·sion (plural car·di·ac
com·pres·sions) or car·di·ac mass·age noun

heart massage for
resuscitation: rhythmic compression of
somebody’s heart in order to restore or maintain blood circulation after the
person has had a heart attack.
See also
CPR[1]



cardialgia

cardialgia
car·di·al·gia 
[krdee áljə, krdee
áljee ə] noun

1.  heartburn:
heartburn (technical)

2.  heart
pain:
pain in or near the heart
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek kardialgia, from kardia (see cardiac ).][1]



Cardiff

Cardiff
Car·diff 
[krdif]

capital and largest city of
Wales. It is the home of the Welsh Assembly and is an important industrial
center. Population: 315,000 (1996) Welsh Caerdydd[1]



cardigan

cardigan
car·di·gan 
[krdigən] (plural car·di·gans)
noun

long-sleeved
sweater:
a long-sleeved sweater that fastens up the front
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the 7th Earl of Cardigan, James Thomas Brudenell (1797–1868), who led
the charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War (1854).][1]



CardiganWelsh corgi

CardiganWelsh corgi
Car·di·gan
Welsh cor·gi (plural Car·di·gan Welsh
cor·gis) noun

corgi
with long tail: a dog belonging to the larger of two
breeds of corgi with a long tail
[Named for Cardiganshire,
former county in Wales][1]



cardin

cardin
card
in
intransitive verb

use card to sign in:
to sign into a place, usually the place of work, by using a magnetic card[1]



cardinal

cardinal


car·di·nal 
[krd’nəl] noun (plural car·di·nals)

1.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic dignitary: in the Roman Catholic
Church, one of the group of clergy, next in rank to the pope, who elect the
pope from their own number and act as his advisers

2.  COLORS deep
red:
a deep strong red color, the same as that of the robes worn by a cardinal

3.  BIRDS bright
red bird:
a North American crested finch, the male of which has bright red plumage with a
black face. Latin name: Cardinalis cardinalis
Also
called
redbird

4.  MATHEMATICS See cardinal number

5.  CLOTHES woman’s
hooded cape: a woman’s short cape with a hood,
originally scarlet in color, that was worn in the 17th and 18th centuries
adjective

1.  important:
fundamentally important

2.  COLORS bright
red:
bright red in color
[12th
century. Via French from medieval Latin cardinalis, from the Latin stem cardin-
“hinge.” The underlying idea is of a hinge upon which everything hangs.]
—car·di·nal·ly, adverb[1]



cardinalate

cardinalate
car·di·nal·ate 
[krd’nələt, krd’nə
làyt] (plural car·di·nal·ates) or car·di·nal·ship
[krd’nəl shìp] (plural car·di·nal·ships)
noun

1.  all
cardinals:
the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church regarded collectively

2.  term
of office of cardinal: the term of office of a
Roman Catholic cardinal

3.  office
of cardinal: the rank or office of a Roman Catholic
cardinal

[1]



cardinalfish

cardinalfish
car·di·nal
fish
noun

small tropical fish:
a small tropical marine fish, usually red or brown, often abundant on coral
reefs. Family: Apogonidae[1]



cardinalflower

cardinalflower
car·di·nal
flow·er
(plural car·di·nal flow·ers) noun

red flower:
a perennial lobelia native to central and eastern North America that has a
cluster of brilliantly colored, usually red, flowers. Latin name: Lobelia
cardinalis[1]



cardinalnumber

cardinalnumber
car·di·nal
num·ber
(plural car·di·nal num·bers) noun

number denoting quantity:
a number, such as 4 or 42, used to denote quantity but not order.
Also called
cardinal[1]



cardinalpoint

cardinalpoint
car·di·nal
point
(plural car·di·nal points) noun

North, South, East, or West:
any of the four principal points of the compass, North, South, East, or West[1]



cardinalship

cardinalship
car·di·nal·ship
noun

See
cardinalate[1]



cardinalvirtue

cardinalvirtue
car·di·nal
vir·tue
(plural car·di·nal vir·tues) noun

traditionally important human
virtue: any one of the principal
virtues in the classical or Christian traditions. In the classical tradition
they are justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude, and in the Christian
tradition they are justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude together with
faith, hope, and charity.[1]



cardinalvowels

cardinalvowels
car·di·nal
vow·els
plural noun

phonetic reference points for
vowels: a fixed set of vowel sounds,
based on the position of the tongue and the shape of the mouth cavity, and
spaced at approximately equal acoustic intervals. They are used in describing
the vowel sounds of a language.[1]



cardindex

cardindex
card
in·dex
noun

U.K.
See card catalog[1]



cardio-

cardio-
cardio-
prefix

MEDICINE heart • cardiopulmonary
[From Greek kardia
(see cardiac )][1]



cardioaccelerator

cardioaccelerator
car·di·o·ac·cel·er·a·tor 
[krdi ō ək séllə ràytər] (plural car·di·o·ac·cel·er·a·tors)
noun

drug
that increases heart rate: a drug or other agent that
increases the heart rate
[Late
20th century]
—car·di·o·ac·cel·er·a·tion
[krdi ō ək sellə ráysh’n], noun[1]



cardiogenic

cardiogenic
car·di·o·gen·ic 
[krdi ō jénnik] adjective

relating to heart:
resulting from activity or disease of the heart[1]



cardiogram

cardiogram
car·di·o·gram 
[krdee ə gràm] (plural car·di·o·grams)
noun

record of heartbeats:
a graphic record made by a cardiograph, especially an electrocardiogram[1]



cardiograph

cardiograph
car·di·o·graph 
[krdee ə gràf] (plural car·di·o·graphs)
noun

1.  instrument
for recording heart activity: an instrument for recording
heart activity, used in the diagnosis of heart disorders

2.  See
electrocardiograph
—car·di·o·graph·ic
[krdee ə gráffik], adjective

—car·di·o·graph·i·cal
[krdee ə gráffik’l], adjective

—car·di·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[krdee ə gráffikəlee], adverb

—car·di·og·ra·phy [krdee óggrəfee], noun[1]



cardiographer

cardiographer
car·di·og·raph·er
[krdee óggrəfər] (plural car·di·og·raph·ers)
noun

cardiograph operator:
a medical technician trained in using a cardiograph, especially an
electrocardiograph[1]



cardiologist

cardiologist
car·di·ol·o·gist 
[krdee ólləjist] (plural car·di·ol·o·gists)
noun

heart specialist:
a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disorders and
related conditions[1]



cardiology

cardiology
car·di·ol·o·gy 
[krdee ólləjee] noun

medical
study of heart: a branch of medicine dealing with the
diagnosis and treatment of heart disorders and related conditions
—car·di·o·log·i·cal, adjective[1]



cardiomyopathy

cardiomyopathy
car·di·o·my·op·a·thy 
[krdi ō mī óppəthee] (plural car·di·o·my·op·a·thies)
noun

heart disease:
a disease of the heart muscle, usually chronic and with an unknown or obscure
cause[1]



cardiopathy

cardiopathy
car·di·op·a·thy 
[krdee óppəthee] (plural car·di·op·a·thies)
noun

heart disorder:
a heart disease or disorder[1]



cardiopulmonary

cardiopulmonary
car·di·o·pul·mo·nar·y 
[krdi ō plmə nèrree, krdi ō púlmə nèrree] adjective

relating to heart and lungs:
relating to both the heart and the lungs[1]



cardiopulmonarybypass

cardiopulmonarybypass
car·di·o·pul·mo·nar·y
by·pass
(plural car·di·o·pul·mo·nar·y by·pass·es) noun

surgical procedure during
heart operation: a procedure by which
the blood is artificially circulated and oxygenated by a heart-lung machine so
that surgery may be carried out on the heart[1]



cardiopulmonaryresuscitation

cardiopulmonaryresuscitation
car·di·o·pul·mo·nar·y
re·sus·ci·ta·tion noun

emergency technique to revive
somebody: an emergency technique to
revive somebody whose heart has stopped beating that involves clearing the
person’s airways and then alternating heart compression with mouth-to-mouth
respiration[1]



cardiorespiratory

cardiorespiratory
car·di·o·res·pi·ra·to·ry 
[krdi ō réspərə tàwree, krdi ō ri sprə tàwree] adjective

relating to heart and
respiratory system: relating to
both the heart and the respiratory system[1]



cardiothoracic

cardiothoracic
car·di·o·tho·rac·ic 
[krdi ō thə rássik] adjective

relating to heart and chest:
relating to both the heart and the chest[1]



cardiovascular

cardiovascular
car·di·o·vas·cu·lar 
[krdi ō váskyələr] adjective

relating to heart and blood
vessels: relating to both the heart
and the blood vessels[1]



carditis

carditis
car·di·tis 
[kaar dtiss] noun

heart
inflammation: inflammation of the heart
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek kardia (see cardiac ).][1]



-cardium

-cardium
-cardium
suffix

MEDICINE part of the heart • endocardium
[Via modern Latin from Greek kardia
“heart” (see cardiac )][1]



cardoon

cardoon
car·doon 
[kaar dn] (plural car·doon or
car·doons) noun

spiny
plant with edible parts: a large southern European
perennial plant related to the artichoke that has spiny leaves and edible roots
and leafstalks. Latin name: Cynara cardunculus
[Early 17th century. Via
French cardon from, ultimately, Latin carduus “thistle,
artichoke” (see card 2 ).][1]



Cardoso,Fernando Henrique

Cardoso,Fernando Henrique
Car·do·so
[kaar dṓssō], Fernando Henrique (1931– )

Brazilian sociologist and
political leader. He was elected president in 1995 after serving in various
government posts.[1]



cardout

cardout
card
out
intransitive verb

sign out with magnetic card:
to sign out of a place, usually from the place of work, by using a magnetic
card.
See also
clock out[1]



Cardozo,Benjamin Nathan

Cardozo,Benjamin Nathan
Car·do·zo 
[kaar dṓzō], Benjamin Nathan (1870–1938)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
He served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1932 until his death.[1]



cardphone

cardphone
card·phone
[krd fn] (plural card·phones)
noun

U.K.
type of payphone:
a payphone operated by a phonecard[1]



cardsharp

cardsharp
card·sharp 
[krd shrp] (plural card·sharps)
or card·sharp·er [krd shrpər]
(plural card·sharp·ers) noun

habitual
cheat at cards: somebody who regularly cheats when
playing cards
—card·sharp·ing, noun[1]



cardtable

cardtable
card
ta·ble
(plural card ta·bles) noun

table for playing cards:
a small table, usually folding, used for playing card games[1]



care

care
care 
[kair] verb (past cared,
past participle cared, present participle car·ing, 3rd
person present singular cares)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
concerned:
to be interested or concerned • I said
I couldn’t care less if he did leave.

2.  intransitive
verb
feel
affection and concern: to feel affection or love
and concern for somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
tend
somebody or something: to tend or supervise
somebody or something

4.  intransitive
verb
like
or want something: to like or be in favor of
something (formal) • Would
you care for dessert, sir?
noun
(plural cares)

1.  upkeep:
the process of maintaining something in good condition • a
skin care treatment

2.  careful
attention:
careful attention to avoid damage or error • take
care crossing the road

3.  worry:
a worry or cause for anxiety • without
a care in the world

4.  attentive
treatment of somebody: the providing of whatever is
needed for somebody’s well-being, for example, somebody dependent or physically
or mentally challenged • responsible
for the 20 children in her care • residential
care

5.  legal
oversight of somebody: legal oversight of and responsibility
for somebody such as a minor • was
put into the care of temporary foster parents
[Old
English caru “sorrow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English chary, slogan, and garrulous
.]
in
care of

into
the temporary possession of an addressee who will ensure that the specified
item will be delivered to the intended recipient • sent
the letter to her in care of her parents

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  could
  care less
  or couldn’t care less ?
  In
  informal English I could care less is all but synonymous with I couldn’t care
  less, except that it carries overtones of irony. However it should be pointed
  out that many people strongly oppose this usage.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at worry

[1]



CARE

CARE
CARE
[kair]

Abbreviation of
Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere[1]



careen

careen
ca·reen 
[kə rn] (past ca·reened, past
participle ca·reened, present participle ca·reen·ing, 3rd
person present singular ca·reens) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
sway
or swerve while moving: to move forward at high
speed, swaying, lurching, or swerving from one side to the other • a
motorcycle careening around sharp curves

2.  intransitive
verb
rush:
to rush pell-mell • He seemed to careen
through life in a happy-go-lucky manner.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SHIPPING turn boat on side:
to turn over onto the side, or turn a boat over on its side, especially for
repairs or cleaning

4.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL heel
in the wind: to heel over to one side while sailing
[Late
16th century. Via French carène from, ultimately, Latin carina
“keel,” originally “nutshell” (source of English carina
).]
—ca·reen·er, noun[1]



career

career
ca·reer 
[kə rr] noun (plural ca·reers)

1.  long-term
or lifelong job: a job or occupation regarded as a
long-term or lifelong activity

2.  professional
progress:
somebody’s progress in a chosen profession or during that person’s working life

3.  general
progress:
the general path or progress taken by somebody or something • a
piece of legislation whose career is rich with conflicting amendments

4.  rapid
forward lurching motion: a rushing onward while
lurching or swaying
adjective

1.  professional
for life:
trained for and expecting to work in a particular occupation for an entire
working life rather than briefly • a
career diplomat

2.  doing
illegal acts through lifetime: committing illegal
acts throughout a lifetime, without apparent remorse or desire for
self-improvement • a career criminal, who,
after 25 years of armed robbery, was imprisoned
intransitive
verb
(past ca·reered, past participle ca·reered, present
participle ca·reer·ing, 3rd person present singular ca·reers)

lurch rapidly onward:
to rush forward while lurching or swaying
[Mid-16th
century. Via French carrière from, ultimately, Latin carrus
“two-wheeled wagon” (see car ). Originally
“racecourse,” then “swift course.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  My
  Brilliant Career, a novel by Australian writer Miles Franklin ( 1901 ). It is
  an account of a young girl’s struggle to choose between an independent career
  and a comfortable life as the wife of a wealthy landowner. It was made into a
  movie directed by Gillian Armstrong in 1979.

[1]



careercounselor

careercounselor
ca·reer
coun·sel·or
(plural ca·reer coun·sel·ors) noun

advisor on students’ careers:
somebody whose job is to advise high-school students on possible careers and
jobs as they approach graduation.
U.K. term
careers officer[1]



careerism

careerism
ca·reer·ism 
[kə rr ìzzəm] noun

behavior
to advance a career: the behavior of somebody
whose principal motivation is career advancement
—ca·reer·ist, noun[1]



careerwoman

careerwoman
ca·reer
wom·an
noun

woman who takes career
seriously: a woman who has a career or
who takes her working life seriously[1]



carefree

carefree
care·free 
[káir fr] adjective

without
worries:
having no worries or responsibilities
—care·free·ness, noun[1]



careful

careful
care·ful 
[káirf’l] adjective

1.  cautious:
acting with caution and attention

2.  painstaking:
showing close attention to accuracy and detail

3.  U.K.
not
overspending or being wasteful: making sure that money
or resources are not spent or used wastefully or without thought

4.  watchful:
watchful and protective about something

5.  anxious:
full of anxious cares (archaic)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  careful, conscientious, scrupulous, thorough, meticulous,
  painstaking, assiduous, punctilious, finicky,
  fussy
  CORE
  MEANING: exercising
  care and attention in doing something careful;
  a wide-ranging term, suggesting attention to detail and implying cautiousness
  in avoiding errors or inaccuracies; conscientious;
  a term suggesting great care, attention, and industriousness toward work,
  especially as part of somebody’s personal ethic; scrupulous;
  conscientious, particularly with respect to ethical or moral behavior; thorough; attentive to detail; meticulous; a formal term suggesting a high
  degree of thoroughness; painstaking;
  a term emphasizing that somebody is expending unusual effort; assiduous; a formal term implying that
  somebody is working very hard or doggedly; punctilious;
  a formal term suggesting a rigorous, sometimes excessive attention to fine
  detail, especially in the observance of rules; finicky;
  an informal word suggesting an irritating and unnecessary degree of
  carefulness; fussy; a disapproving
  term similar to “finicky”

[1]



carefully

carefully
care·ful·ly
[káirfəlee] adverb

1.  painstakingly:
with painstaking attention to detail

2.  with
caution and attention: with caution and attention
so as to avoid damage or potential problems

[1]



carefulness

carefulness
care·ful·ness
[káirf’lnəss] noun

1.  caution
and attention given to something: caution and attention
given to something so as to avoid damage or potential problems

2.  attention
to detail:
painstaking attention to detail

[1]



caregiver

caregiver
care·giv·er 
[káir gìvvər] (plural care·giv·ers)
noun

1.  individual
who looks after somebody: the individual who has the
principal responsibility for caring for a child or dependent adult, especially
in the home.
Also
called
caretaker
U.K.
term
carer

2.  somebody
assisting in management of illness: a
medical or other professional who assists in the management of an illness or
disability
—care·giv·ing, noun[1]



carelabel

carelabel
care
la·bel
(plural care la·bels) noun

label with cleaning
instructions: a label, sewn onto a
piece of clothing or other item, that gives cleaning instructions for the item[1]



careless

careless
care·less 
[káirləss] adjective

1.  not
giving careful attention: not giving enough careful
attention to the details of something

2.  showing
no concern:
disregarding or showing no concern about something

3.  not
carefully worked on: not carefully worked on or
practiced, but done or assumed easily and naturally

4.  without
anxieties:
without cares or worries

5.  not
giving or receiving any care
—care·less·ly, adverb[1]



carelessness

carelessness
care·less·ness
[káirləssnəss] (plural care·less·ness·es)
noun

1.  lack
of attention: lack of careful attention to the details
of something

2.  example
of negligence: an example of negligence or of a failure
to take enough trouble with something

3.  lack
of concern:
lack of concern about something

[1]



carepackage

carepackage
care
pack·age
noun

package from home for
somebody: a package of food or
personal items for somebody far from home, for example, a member of the armed
forces or a student boarding at a school (informal)[1]



carer

carer
car·er
[káirər] (plural car·ers) noun

U.K.
See caregiver[1]



caress

caress
ca·ress 
[kə réss] transitive verb (past
ca·ressed, past participle ca·ressed, present
participle ca·ress·ing, 3rd person present singular ca·ress·es)

1.  touch
or stroke affectionately: to touch or stroke somebody
or something affectionately

2.  affect
in soothing way: to touch, pass over, or affect somebody
in a soothing or pleasant way
noun
(plural ca·ress·es)

gentle touch: a
gentle affectionate touch or embrace
[Mid-17th
century. Via French caresse from, ultimately, Latin carus “dear”
(source of English charity and cherish ).]
—ca·ress·er,
noun

—ca·res·sive,
adjective

—ca·res·sive·ly, adverb[1]



caressing

caressing
ca·ress·ing
[kə réssing] adjective

gentle:
gentle and soothing
—ca·ress·ing·ly, adverb[1]



caret

caret
car·et 
[kérrət] (plural car·ets) noun

mark
to show missing text: a mark made on printed or
manuscript material to show where something such as a letter or word should be
inserted
[Late 17th century. From
Latin caret, literally “there is lacking,” a form of carere “to
be without, lack.”][1]



caretaker

caretaker
care·tak·er 
[káir tàykər] (plural care·tak·ers)
noun

1.  temporary
officeholder: somebody who holds an office
temporarily, especially when it has unexpectedly been vacated

2.  See
caregiver

3.  somebody
offering emotional support: somebody giving care or
emotional support to another

4.  U.K.
See janitor

[1]



caretakergovernment

caretakergovernment
care·tak·er
gov·ern·ment (plural care·tak·er
gov·ern·ments) noun

government in temporary
power: a government that is in
power temporarily, for example, until an election is held[1]



caretaking

caretaking
care·tak·ing
[káir tàyking] noun

job of looking after
building: the occupation of looking
after a property such as an office building or a school and supervising its
maintenance and cleaning[1]



careworker

careworker
care
work·er
(plural care work·ers) noun

worker looking after people
with challenges: somebody employed to
look after people who are physically or mentally challenged and who live in
residential accommodations[1]



careworn

careworn
care·worn 
[káir wàwrn] adjective

tired out from worry:
exhausted or otherwise badly affected by anxiety or worry[1]



carfare

carfare
car·fare 
[kr fàir] (plural car·fares) noun

amount charged for bus ride:
the amount charged for a ride on a bus or streetcar or in a taxicab[1]



carful

carful
car·ful
[kr fl] (plural car·fuls) noun

See
carload  noun 1[1]



cargo

cargo
car·go 
[krgō] (plural car·goes or
car·gos) noun

1.  goods
carried as freight: goods carried as freight by
sea, road, or air

2.  load:
a load of something
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish, from, ultimately, late Latin car(ri)care “to load,” from Latin carrus
“two-wheeled wagon” (see car ).][1]



cargocult

cargocult
car·go
cult
(plural car·go cults) noun

Melanesian religion:
a religion in some southwestern Pacific islands whose devotees believe that
ancestral spirits will return to the island bringing modern consumer goods and
wealth[1]



cargopocket

cargopocket
car·go
pock·et
(plural car·go pock·ets) noun

large pocket:
a large pocket with a pleat and a flap[1]



carhop

carhop
car·hop 
[kr hòp] (plural car·hops) noun

1.  server
at drive-in restaurant: somebody who serves food to
people in parked cars at a drive-in restaurant

2.  somebody
who looks after customers’ cars: somebody who takes
care of the vehicles of guests staying at a resort or large hotel (dated)
[Mid-20th century. From car + hop (from bellhop
.][1]



Carib

Carib
Car·ib 
[kérrib] (plural Car·ibs or
Car·ib) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
American:
a member of a group of Native American people who inhabit part of Central
America, northeastern South America, and the Lesser Antilles.
Also
called
Cariban

2.  LANGUAGE S
American language: a language of the Cariban
family spoken in Venezuela and neighboring countries. Carib is spoken by 20,000
people.
[Mid-16th
century. Via Spanish caribe from Arawak carib (source of English cannibal ).]
—Car·ib, adjective[1]



Carib.

Carib.
Carib.

Abbreviation of
Caribbean[1]



Cariban

Cariban
Car·i·ban 
[kérrəbən, kə
rbən] (plural Car·i·bans or Car·i·ban) noun

1.  PEOPLES LANGUAGE See Carib

2.  LANGUAGE PEOPLES group of S American
languages:
a group of about 30 languages spoken in northern South America. About 40,000
people speak a Cariban language.
—Car·i·ban, adjective[1]



Caribbean

Caribbean
Car·ib·be·an 
[kèrrə b ən, kə
ríbbee ən] noun

1.  region
including the West Indies: region comprising the states
and islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the West Indies

2.  somebody
from Caribbean: somebody who was born in or is a citizen
of any of the Caribbean islands
adjective

1.  of
Caribbean:
relating to any of the countries of the Caribbean or their people or culture

2.  of
the Caribs:
relating to the Caribs or their culture

[1]



CaribbeanEnglish

CaribbeanEnglish
Car·ib·be·an
Eng·lish
noun

English
of the Caribbean: the variety of English spoken in the
Caribbean islands





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Caribbean English is the English
  language as used in the Caribbean region, which is also called West Indian
  English . The islands and coasts of the Caribbean, since their discovery
  by Columbus in 1492, have, since that time, been claimed, disputed, settled,
  and governed by the Spanish, Portuguese, French, British, Dutch, Danish, and
  Americans with obvious, long-term, varied effects on the languages spoken
  there. In the second half of the 20th century, most of the Caribbean region
  is independent, but previous colonization has created a complex inheritance.
  In such mainland areas as Belize and Guyana, indigenous languages survive,
  but not on the islands, and in all regions there is a complex continuum
  between the standard forms of English (American and British), Dutch, French,
  and Spanish on the one side and their creole varieties on the other. In general
  terms, the creoles mix European lexical items with varying degrees of African
  structural features. Although school-based standard English is the official
  language in most Anglo-Caribbean areas, it is a minority form, and, in states
  like Belize and Guyana, English mixes with a range of other languages. Except
  in Barbados and Guyana, Caribbean English
  is usually non-rhotic (i.e., r is not pronounced in such words as art, door,
  worker).

[1]



CaribbeanSea

CaribbeanSea
Ca·rib·be·an
Sea

arm of the Atlantic Ocean,
surrounded by the West Indies, northern South America, and eastern Central
America. Area: 1,940,000 sq km/750,000 sq mi. Cayman Trench Depth: 7,535
m/24,720 ft.[1]



caribe

caribe
ca·ri·be 
[kə rbee] (plural ca·ri·bes) noun

ZOOLOGY See piranha
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish (see Carib ).][1]



CaribooMountains

CaribooMountains
Car·i·boo
Moun·tains

section of Canada’s Rocky
Mountains. The highest peak is Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Height: 3,505
m/11,499 ft.[1]



caribou

caribou

car·i·bou 
[kérrə b] (plural car·i·bou or
car·i·bous) noun
large
deer:
a large deer that lives in large herds in northern regions and is characterized
by large branched antlers present on both sexes. Reindeer are domesticated
caribou. Genus: Rangifer
[Mid-17th century. Via
Canadian French from Micmac ğalipu, literally “snow shoveler,” from the
animal’s removal of snow to find grass.][1]



CaribouInuit

CaribouInuit
Car·i·bou
In·u·it
noun

northern Canada Inuit:
somebody belonging to any of the Inuit peoples who inhabit the Barren Grounds
in northern Canada. They depend upon caribou for survival.[1]



caricature

caricature
car·i·ca·ture 
[kérrəkə chr, kérrəkəchər]
noun (plural car·i·ca·tures)

1.  comic
exaggeration: a drawing, description, or performance
that exaggerates somebody’s or something’s characteristics, for example,
somebody’s physical features, for humorous or satirical effect

2.  travesty:
a ridiculously inappropriate or unsuccessful version of or attempt at something

3.  of
caricatures: the art of creating caricatures
transitive
verb
(past car·i·ca·tured, past participle car·i·ca·tured,
present participle car·i·ca·tur·ing, 3rd person present
singular car·i·ca·tures)

represent with comic exaggeration:
to represent somebody or something with a caricature
[Mid-18th
century. From, ultimately, Italian caricatura, from caricare “to
exaggerate, load,” from late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus
“wagon” (see car ).]
—car·i·ca·tur·al, adjective[1]



caricaturist

caricaturist
car·i·ca·tur·ist 
[kérrəkə christ] (plural car·i·ca·tur·ists)
noun

somebody who creates
caricatures: somebody who creates
caricatures, especially an artist[1]



CARICOM

CARICOM
CARI·COM
[kérrə kòm]

Abbreviation of
Caribbean Community and Common Market[1]



caries

caries
car·ies 
[káiriz] noun

decay:
progressive decay of a tooth or, less commonly, a bone
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



CARIFTA

CARIFTA
CAR·IF·TA 
[ka ríftə]

Abbreviation of
Caribbean Free Trade Association[1]



carillon

carillon
car·il·lon 
[kérrə lòn, kérrələn]
noun (plural car·il·lons)

1.  set
of stationary bells: a set of chromatically tuned
stationary bells, usually hung in a tower and played from a keyboard

2.  tune
played on set of bells: a tune played on a keyboard
connected to a set of stationary bells

3.  organ
stop imitating bells: an organ stop that imitates
the sound of a carillon
intransitive
verb
(past car·il·onned, past participle car·il·onned, present
participle car·il·lon·ning, 3rd person present singular car·il·lons)

play stationary bells:
to play a set of stationary bells, using a keyboard
[Late 18th century. Via
French from an assumed Proto-Romance word meaning “peal of four bells.”][1]



carillonneur

carillonneur
car·il·lon·neur 
[kèrrələ núr] (plural car·il·lon·neurs)
noun

carillon
player:
somebody who plays a carillon
[Late 18th century. From
French .][1]



Carina

Carina
Ca·ri·na 
[kə rnə, kə rnə]
noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the southern hemisphere near the Southern Cross that contains Canopus, the
second brightest star in the sky[1]



carina

carina
ca·ri·na 
[kə rnə, kə rnə]
(plural ca·ri·nas) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY projecting
part of bird’s breastbone: the prominent keel-shaped
projection of the breastbone of a bird to which the flight muscles are anchored

2.  BOTANY boat-shaped
fused petals: the boat-shaped part of a pea flower,
formed by the two fused lower petals

3.  ANATOMY keel-shaped
body part:
a keel-shaped body part, for example, the ridge at the base of the windpipe
where it divides to form the bronchi
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “keel” (source of English careen
).]
—ca·ri·nate [kérrə nàyt], adjective[1]



caring

caring
car·ing 
[káiring] adjective

1.  showing
concern:
compassionate or showing concern for others

2.  relating
to profession looking after people:
belonging or relating to a profession such as nursing or social work that
involves looking after people’s physical, medical, or general welfare
noun

provision of medical or similar care:
provision of medical or other types of care, either professionally or in
general
—car·ingly, adverb[1]



carioca

carioca
car·i·o·ca
[kèrri ṓkə] (plural car·i·o·cas)
noun

1.  Brazilian
dance:
a Brazilian dance similar to the samba

2.  music
for carioca: a piece of music or a tune to which the
carioca is danced
[Mid-20th century. From
Portuguese, ultimately from Tupian .][1]



Cariocan

Cariocan
Car·i·o·can 
[kèrri ṓkən] or Car·i·o·ca [kèrri ṓkə] noun (plural Car·i·o·cans)
(plural Car·i·o·cas)

somebody
from Rio de Janeiro: somebody who was born in or
lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
adjective

of Rio de Janeiro:
relating to Rio de Janeiro or its people or culture[1]



cariogenic

cariogenic
car·i·o·gen·ic 
[kàiri ō jénnik, kàiree
ə jénnik] adjective

causing
caries:
causing caries in the teeth
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from caries + -genic .][1]



cariole

cariole
car·i·ole 
[káiri l] (plural car·i·oles)
or car·ri·ole [káiri l] (plural
car·ri·oles) noun

small
carriage or cart: a small open carriage or covered cart,
the former drawn by one horse
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Italian carriuola, literally “little car,” from carro “car,”
from Latin carrus “wagon” (see car
).][1]



carious

carious
car·i·ous 
[kérree əss] or car·i·ose [káiriss] adjective

having
caries:
having caries in the teeth or bone
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin cariosus, from caries .]
—car·i·os·i·ty
[kèrree óssətee], noun

—car·i·ous·ness [káiree əssnəss], noun[1]



carjacking

carjacking
car·jack·ing
[kr jàking] (plural car·jack·ings)
noun

hijacking
a car:
the crime of holding up a car and either stealing it, robbing the driver, or
forcing the driver to drive somewhere for criminal purposes
[Late
20th century. Blend of car and hijacker .]
—car·jack,
intransitive and transitive verb

—car·jack·er, noun[1]



Carleton,Guy

Carleton,Guy
Carle·ton 
[krltən], Guy, 1st Baron Dorchester
(1724–1808)

Irish-born Canadian soldier
and governor of Quebec. He advocated French-Canadian culture and opposed
elected assemblies.[1]



carline

carline
car·line
[krlin, kr ln]
(plural car·line or car·lines) noun

Eurasian
plant resembling thistle: a plant of Europe and Asia
that resembles a thistle in appearance, with spiny leaves and yellow flower
heads. Latin name: Carlina vulgaris
[Late 16th century, via
French, from medieval Latin carlina, of uncertain origin: perhaps
ultimately from Latin carduus “thistle” (see card 2 ), by folk
etymology from Carolus Magnus (Charlemagne)][1]



carling

carling
car·ling 
[krling, krlin]
(plural car·lings) noun

beam
supporting boat’s deck: a fore-and-aft wooden beam
that supports a boat’s deck, especially around an opening in the deck such as a
hatchway
[14th century. From Old Norse
.][1]



Carlisle

Carlisle
Car·lisle 
[kaar ll, kr
ll]

borough in southern
Pennsylvania, southwest of Harrisburg. Population: 18,039 (1996)[1]



Carlist

Carlist
Car·list 
[krlist] (plural Car·lists) noun

supporter
of Don Carlos: a supporter of Don Carlos or his
descendants as rightful monarchs of Spain during the 19th century
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish carlista, from the name of Don Carlos .][1]



carload

carload
car·load 
[kr ld] (plural car·loads) noun

1.  full
complement of passengers: a full complement of people
able to get into and ride in an automobile.
Also
called
carful

2.  minimum
weight for sending freight: the minimum weight at which
freight qualifies for a reduced rate

[1]



carloadrate

carloadrate
car·load
rate
(plural car·load rates) noun

cheap-rate shipping:
a reduced rate for shipping freight[1]



Carlovingian

Carlovingian
Car·lo·vin·gi·an
[krlə vínjən, krlə
vínjee ən] adjective

See
Carolingian[1]



Carlsbad

Carlsbad
Carls·bad
[krlz bàd]

1.  city
in southeastern New Mexico on the Pecos River, southeast of Roswell and
southwest of Hobbs. Population: 26,535 (1996)

2.  city
and resort in southwestern California, north of San Diego, on the Pacific
Ocean. Population: 69,069 (1996)

[1]



CarlsbadCaverns National Park

CarlsbadCaverns National Park
Carls·bad
Cav·erns Na·tion·al Park

park in southeastern New
Mexico, established in 1930, and noted for its chain of caverns with unusual
geologic formations. Area: 18,926 hectares/46,766 acres.[1]



Carlson,Chester Floyd

Carlson,Chester Floyd
Carl·son 
[krlsən], Chester Floyd (1906–1968)

U.S. inventor. He patented
the process that led to the introduction in 1959 of the first photocopying
machine.[1]



CarlXVI Gustaf

CarlXVI Gustaf
Carl
XVI Gus·taf 
[krl gústàf], King of Sweden (1946– )

Swedish monarch. He succeeded
his grandfather, Gustaf VI, in 1973.[1]



carmagnole

carmagnole
car·mag·nole 
[krmən yṓl, krmən
yl] (plural car·mag·noles) noun

1.  French
revolutionary tune and dance: a dance and a popular song
of the French Revolution

2.  French
Revolutionary’s clothing: the typical costume of many
of the French Revolutionaries, consisting of a short jacket with a broad
collar, black trousers with a tricolored sash, and a red liberty cap
[Late 18th century. From
French ; of uncertain origin: ultimately probably from Carmagnola, town
in Piedmont, northwestern Italy.][1]



carmaker

carmaker
car·mak·er 
[kr màykər] (plural car·mak·ers)
noun

manufacturer of road
vehicles: a manufacturer of motor
vehicles, specifically automobiles[1]



carman

carman
car·man
[krmən] (plural car·men) noun

a streetcar or subway driver
(dated)[1]



Carman,Bliss

Carman,Bliss

Car·man 
[krmən], Bliss (1861–1929)
Canadian
poet and essayist. He became poet laureate of Canada in 1928.
Full name
Carman, William Bliss[1]



Carme

Carme
Car·me 
[krmee] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
nymph:
in Greek mythology, a nymph and mother of the Cretan goddess Britomaris

2.  ASTRONOMY satellite
of Jupiter:
a small satellite of Jupiter that was discovered in 1938

[1]



Carmel

Carmel
Car·mel
[krm’l]

city and artists’ colony in
western California, southwest of San Jose, on the Pacific Ocean. Population:
4,084 (1996)[1]



Carmelite

Carmelite
Car·mel·ite 
[krmə lt] noun (plural Car·mel·ites)

1.  member
of order of friars: a member of an order of
mendicant friars, founded around 1155 and called Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2.  member
of order of nuns: a member of the order of nuns of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel, founded in 1452 and noted for the strictness of its rule
adjective

belonging to order of Carmelites:
belonging or relating to either of the orders of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
[15th century. Directly or
via French carmélite from medieval Latin Carmelita, named for
Mount Carmel, where the order was founded.][1]



Carmel,Mount

Carmel,Mount
Car·mel,
Mount
[krm’l mownt]

mountain in northern Israel,
near the Mediterranean Sea, with many biblical associations. Height: 545
m/1,789 ft.[1]



Carmichael

Carmichael
Car·mi·chael
[kr mk’l]

unincorporated settlement in
Sacramento County, central California, near Sacramento. Population: 48,702
(1990)[1]



Carmichael,Hoagy

Carmichael,Hoagy
Car·mi·chael 
[kr mk’l], Hoagy (1899–1981)

U.S.
singer and songwriter. He wrote the music for the song Stardust ( 1929
).
Full name
Carmichael, Hoagland Howard[1]



carmine

carmine
car·mine 
[krmin, kr mn]
noun

1.  deep
red color:
a deep red color tinged with purple

2.  red
pigment:
a bright red pigment made from cochineal
adjective

deep red: of a
deep red tinged with purple
[Early 18th century. Via
French carmin from, ultimately, Arabic irmiz “kermes” (source of
English crimson and kermes ).][1]



CarnabyStreet

CarnabyStreet
Car·na·by
Street
[krnəbi strt]

London street fashionable in
1960s: a street in Soho in central
London notable in the 1960s as the heart of the new youth-centered fashion
trade[1]



Carnac

Carnac
Car·nac 
[kr nàk]

village in Morbihan
Department, Bretagne Region, in western France. It is famous for its
prehistoric stone monuments, which number more than 3,000.[1]



carnage

carnage
car·nage 
[krnij] noun

widespread
slaughter of people: widespread and
indiscriminate slaughter or massacre, especially of human beings
[Early 17th century. From,
ultimately, medieval Latin carnaticum “flesh (especially as tribute to a
feudal lord),” from the Latin stem carn- “flesh.”][1]



carnal

carnal
car·nal 
[krn’l] adjective

1.  relating
to physical needs: relating to somebody’s
physical needs or appetites, especially as contrasted with spiritual or
intellectual qualities (formal)

2.  sensual:
sensual or sexual

3.  relating
to body:
relating to or consisting of the body (formal)
[15th
century. From Christian Latin carnalis, from the Latin stem carn-
“flesh” (source of English carnage, carnival, and charnel
).]
—car·nal·ist,
noun

—car·nal·i·ty
[kaar nállətee], noun

—car·nal·ly [krn’lee], adverb[1]



carnalknowledge

carnalknowledge
car·nal
knowl·edge
noun

sexual intercourse:
sexual intercourse (formal)[1]



carnallite

carnallite
car·nall·ite 
[krn’l t] noun

light-colored
mineral:
a white or light-colored mineral that is a hydrous chloride of magnesium and
potassium and an important source of potassium used in fertilizers
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Rudolf von Carnall, a German mining engineer ( 1804–1874 ).][1]



carnapper

carnapper
car·nap·per
[kr nàppər] (plural car·nap·pers)
or car·naper [kr nàppər] (plural
car·napers) noun

car
thief:
somebody who steals a car (informal)
[Late 20th century. Blend of car and kidnapper .][1]



Carnap,Rudolf

Carnap,Rudolf
Car·nap
[kr nàp], Rudolf (1891–1970)

German-born U.S. philosopher
and logician. He used mathematics and probability statistics to arrive at a
system of inductive logic.[1]



carnassial

carnassial
car·nas·si·al 
[kaar nássee əl] (plural car·nas·si·als)
adjective

describing
carnivore’s sharp tooth: used to describe the larger
sharp cheek teeth in the upper and lower jaw of a carnivore that are adapted
for cutting flesh
[Mid-19th century. Via French
carnassier “carnivorous,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem carn-
(see carnal ).][1]



Carnatic

Carnatic
Car·nat·ic
[kaar náttik]

linguistic region in south
central India between the Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel coast. It is now
part of Madras state.[1]



carnation

carnation
car·na·tion 
[kaar náysh’n] noun (plural car·na·tions)

1.  PLANTS flower
with clove scent: a perennial plant of the Pink family
with fringed petals, widely grown for its fragrant white, pink, or red flowers
often smelling of cloves. Latin name: Dianthus caryophyllus
Also
called
clove pink

2.  pinkish
color:
a pale reddish-pink color
adjective

of
the color carnation
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from the late Latin stem carnation- “fleshiness,” from Latin carn-
(see carnal ), because of its color.][1]



carnauba

carnauba
car·nau·ba 
[kaar náwbə, kaar
nówbə] (plural car·nau·ba or car·nau·bas) noun

1.  palm
tree:
a fan palm native to Brazil with an edible root and leaves that yield a hard
wax used, for example, in polish and floor wax. Latin name: Copernica prunifera

Also
called
wax palm

2.  See
carnauba wax
[Mid-19th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi .][1]



carnaubawax

carnaubawax
car·nau·ba
wax
noun

wax from carnauba tree:
wax obtained from the young leaves of the carnauba tree and used in the
manufacture of polish and candles.
Also called
carnauba[1]



Carnegie,Andrew

Carnegie,Andrew

Car·ne·gie 
[krnəgee, kaar
náygee, kaar néggee, kaar ngee], Andrew (1835–1919)
Scottish-born U.S. industrialist and
philanthropist who made a fortune in the steel industry. His philanthropic
gifts endowed numerous public libraries in the United States.[1]



Carnegie,Dale

Carnegie,Dale
Car·ne·gie 
[krnəgee, kaar
náygee, kaar néggee, kaar ngee], Dale (1888–1955)

U.S.
writer. His works on public speaking and self-esteem include How to Win
Friends and Influence People ( 1936 ).
Real name
Dale Carnegey[1]



carnelian

carnelian
car·nel·ian 
[kaar nlyən] (plural car·nel·ians)
or cor·nel·ian [kaar nlyən] (plural
cor·nel·ians) noun

reddish
translucent gemstone: a hard reddish translucent
mineral, a form of chalcedony, used as a gemstone
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of cornelian (influenced by the Latin stem carn-
“flesh”), from obsolete French corneline, of uncertain origin: perhaps
from Latin cornu “horn” or cornum “cornelian cherry.”][1]



carnet

carnet
car·net 
[kaar náy] (plural car·nets) noun

1.  book
of travel tickets: a book of travel tickets or
coupons costing less than the individual tickets purchased separately

2.  customs
document for car: a customs document for a car that allows
it to be taken across national borders without payment of duty
[Early 19th century. From
French .][1]



carney

carney
car·ney 
or carnie noun

See
carny 1[1]



carnitine

carnitine
car·ni·tine 
[krni tn] noun

chemical
in muscle:
a chemical compound found in muscle and the liver that aids in the transport of
fatty acids across cell membranes. C7H15NO3
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Latin stem carn- (see carnal
).][1]



carnival

carnival
car·ni·val 
[krnəvəl] (plural car·ni·vals)
noun

1.  public
celebration: a public festive occasion or period,
often with street processions, costumes, music, and dancing

2.  outdoor
show:
a traveling outdoor amusement show with rides and sideshows.
U.K.
term
fair

3.  entertainment
with games and prizes: an organized event with a
program of games, competitions, and prizes

4.  carnival
before Lent: the period just before Lent begins,
celebrated with a carnival in some Roman Catholic areas, for example, Mardi
Gras in New Orleans
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian carnevale from medieval Latin carnelevamen “Shrovetide”
(literally “cessation of meat eating”), from Latin carn- (see carnal ).][1]



carnivore

carnivore
car·ni·vore 
[krnə vàwr] (plural car·ni·vores)
noun

1.  flesh-eating
animal:
an animal that eats other animals.
See
also
herbivore
See
also
omnivore

2.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY a carnivorous plant

3.  somebody
who enjoys meat: somebody who is not a vegetarian and
likes eating meat (humorous)
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin carnivorus “carnivorous” (see carnivorous
).][1]



carnivorous

carnivorous
car·niv·o·rous 
[kaar nívvərəss] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY meat-eating:
feeding mainly on the flesh of other animals

2.  BOTANY able
to digest animals as food: able to catch and digest
animals such as insects and small invertebrates • a
carnivorous plant
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin carnivorus, literally “meat-eating,”
from the stem carn- (see carnal ).]
—car·niv·o·rous·ly,
adverb

—car·niv·o·rous·ness, noun[1]



Carnotcycle

Carnotcycle
Car·not
cy·cle
[kaar nṓ sk’l] (plural Car·not
cy·cles) noun

heat-engine cycle:
a theoretical reversible heat-engine cycle that gives maximum efficiency[1]



carnotite

carnotite
car·no·tite 
[krnə tt] noun

radioactive
mineral:
a yellow radioactive mineral that is a source of radium and uranium
[Late 19th century. Named for
Marie Adolphe Carnot ( 1839–1920 ), a French inspector of mines.][1]



Carnotprinciple

Carnotprinciple
Car·not
prin·ci·ple
noun

principle on efficiency of
heat engine: the principle that the
efficiency of a reversible heat engine depends on the maximum and minimum
temperatures of the working fluid during the operating cycle[1]



carny

carny2
car·ny2  [krnee]
(past car·nied, past participle car·nied, present
participle car·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular car·nies)
transitive verb

U.K.
wheedle
or coax:
to try to persuade or coax somebody into doing something (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



carny

carny1
car·ny1  [krnee]
(plural car·nies) or car·nie [krnee] (plural car·nies) or car·ney
[krnee] (plural car·neys) noun
(informal)

1.  carnival:
a carnival

2.  somebody
who works in carnival: somebody who works in a
fairground or carnival, or a member of that person’s family
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of carnival .][1]



carob

carob
car·ob 
[kérrəb] (plural car·obs or
car·ob) noun

1.  evergreen
tree with edible pods: an evergreen tree that is
native to the Mediterranean and has red flowers and edible pods. Latin name: Ceratonia
siliqua
Also
called
algarroba

2.  pod
of carob tree: the long dark-colored edible pod of the
carob tree that contains a sweet-tasting pulp.
Also
called
algarroba
Also
called
Saint John’s bread

3.  edible
powder like chocolate: an edible powder with a
taste similar to that of chocolate, made from the seeds and pods of the carob
tree
[Mid-16th century. Via
obsolete French car(r)obe from, ultimately, Arabic karrūb(a)
(source of English algarroba ).][1]



caroche

caroche
ca·roche 
[kə rṓch, kə rṓsh]
(plural ca·roch·es) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a grand horse-drawn carriage used on ceremonial occasions
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French carroche from Italian carraccio “large chariot,”
from, ultimately, Latin carrum (see car
).][1]



carol

carol
car·ol 
[kérrəl] noun (plural car·ols)

1.  joyful
hymn:
a joyful religious song or hymn, especially a Christian song celebrating
Christmas

2.  dance:
a dance in a circle, or the music accompanying it (archaic)
verb
(past car·oled, past participle car·oled, present
participle car·ol·ing, 3rd person present singular car·ols)

1.  intransitive
verb
sing
Christmas songs: to sing hymns that celebrate Christmas,
especially as a group going from house to house

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb sing:
to sing or call out something in a joyful and lively way (literary) • The
sun shone, and the birds were caroling.

3.  transitive
verb
celebrate:
to celebrate something, originally in song (literary) • All
the children caroled the good tidings.
[13th
century. From Old French carole, of uncertain origin: probably via late
Latin choraula “choral song” from Greek khoraulēs, literally
“flute player who accompanies the chorus.”]
—car·ol·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Christmas Carol, a novella by Charles Dickens ( 1843 ). It recounts the story
  of an avaricious merchant, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghosts of
  Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. Confronted by the
  effects of his miserly behavior on others, Scrooge resolves to become a more
  generous and charitable person. Over time, the name Scrooge has come
  to mean a petty malicious miser.

[1]



Carolean

Carolean
Car·o·le·an 
[kèrrə l ən] adjective

See
Caroline[1]



caroli

caroli
ca·ro·li
[kérrə l]

Plural of
carolus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Carolina

Carolina
Ca·ro·li·na
[kèrrə lnə]

city in northeastern Puerto
Rico. It is a southeastern suburb of San Juan. Population: 188,427 (1996)[1]



Carolinaallspice

Carolinaallspice
Ca·ro·li·na
all·spice
(plural Ca·ro·li·na all·spices) noun

shrub
with fragrant flowers: a deciduous shrub of the
southeastern United States, with large fragrant flowers. Latin name: Calycanthus
floridus
Also
called
strawberry shrub
[Named for the former British
colony of Carolina (now North Carolina and South Carolina)][1]



Carolinajasmine

Carolinajasmine
Ca·ro·li·na
jas·mine
(plural Ca·ro·li·na jas·mines) or Ca·ro·li·na yel·low
jas·mine (plural Ca·ro·li·na yel·low jas·mines) noun

poisonous
climbing plant: a poisonous evergreen climbing plant of
the southeastern United States, with fragrant yellow trumpet-shaped flowers.
Latin name: Gelsemium sempervirens
Also
called
evening trumpet flower
Also
called
jasmine
Also
called
yellow jessamine
[See Carolina
allspice][1]



Caroline

Caroline
Car·o·line 
[kérrə ln, kérrlin]
adjective

1.  of
Charles I and II: relating to the English kings Charles I
and Charles II or their reigns

2.  of
monarch named Charles: relating to any king or
emperor called Charles
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin Carolinus, from Carolus “Charles.”][1]



CarolineIslands

CarolineIslands
Car·o·line
Is·lands

archipelago consisting of
more than 600 islands, north of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean. Area:
1,165 sq km/450 sq mi.[1]



Carolingian

Carolingian
Car·o·lin·gi·an 
[kèrrə línjee ən, kèrrə
línjən] adjective

relating
to early European kings: relating to the dynasty of
Frankish kings descended from the emperor Charlemagne that ruled France and
Germany from the 8th to the 10th century
noun
(plural Car·o·lin·gi·ans)

Frankish king:
any of the Frankish kings who ruled France and Germany from the 8th to the 10th
century.
Also called
Carlovingian
Also called
Carolinian[1]



Carolinian

Carolinian
Car·o·lin·i·an 
[kèrrə línnyən] (plural Car·o·lin·i·ans)
adjective

1.  of
North, or South Carolina: relating to North or South
Carolina, or their inhabitants or culture

2.  HISTORY See Caroline

3.  HISTORY See Carolingian

[1]



carolus

carolus
car·o·lus 
[kérrələss] (plural car·o·lus·es
or ca·ro·li [kérrə l]) noun

gold
coin:
a gold coin named for any of the kings or emperors called Charles who issued
it, especially one issued by Charles I of England
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin Carolus “Charles.”][1]



carom

carom
car·om 
[kérrəm] noun (plural car·oms)

U.K.
term
cannon

1.  CUE GAMES billiards
shot:
a shot in billiards in which the cue ball hits one object ball and rebounds to
hit another

2.  CUE GAMES pool
shot:
a shot in pool in which the object ball is rebounded off another ball and into
a pocket

3.  a
rebound following a collision: a collision that is
followed by one of the objects rebounding off at an angle
intransitive
verb
(past car·omed, past participle car·omed, present
participle car·om·ing, 3rd person present singular car·oms)

U.K.
term
cannon

1.  rebound
off a ball:
to rebound off another ball in pool or billiards

2.  rebound
off something or cause rebound: to rebound off another
object or series of objects or cause this to happen • The
car swerved and caromed off the railing.
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of carambole .][1]



carombilliards

carombilliards
car·om
bil·liards
noun

billiards without pockets:
a type of billiards played on a table with no pockets[1]



Caro,Miguel Antonio

Caro,Miguel Antonio
Car·o
[krō], Miguel Antonio (1843–1909)

Colombian politician, writer,
and poet. President of Colombia (1894–1898), he was also a noted writer.[1]



carotene

carotene
car·o·tene 
[kérrə tn] (plural car·o·tenes)
or car·o·tin [kérrət’n] (plural
car·o·tins) noun

orange
pigment in plants: an organic chemical compound
occurring in several forms in plants and producing an orange or red color.
Carotene is a source of vitamin A.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin carota (see carrot ).][1]



carotenoid

carotenoid
ca·rot·e·noid 
[kə rótt’n òyd] (plural ca·rot·e·noids)
or ca·rot·i·noid [kə rótt’n òyd]
(plural ca·rot·i·noids) noun

yellow,
orange, or red plant pigment: an organic chemical compound
belonging to a group including the carotenes that gives a yellow, orange, or
red color to plants
—ca·rot·e·noid, adjective[1]



Carothers,Wallace Hume

Carothers,Wallace Hume
Ca·roth·ers 
[kə róərz], Wallace Hume (1896–1937)

U.S. chemist. He invented the
synthetic fibers neoprene and nylon while working for the DuPont Company.[1]



carotid

carotid
ca·rot·id 
[kə róttid] (plural ca·rot·ids)
or ca·rot·id ar·ter·y [kə róttid]
noun

artery
in neck:
a large artery on either side of the neck that supplies blood to the head. Each
carotid branches into an internal and an external carotid.
[Early 17th century. Via
French carotide or modern Latin carotides from Greek karōtides,
from, ultimately, karoun “to stupefy.” From the belief that pressure on
the arteries causes stupor.][1]



carotidbody

carotidbody
ca·rot·id
bod·y
(plural ca·rot·id bod·ies) noun

oxygen sensor in carotid
artery: a cluster of cells and nerve
fibers in each carotid artery that is sensitive to oxygen and acidity levels in
the blood and is part of the system that regulates them[1]



carotidsinus

carotidsinus
ca·rot·id
si·nus
(plural ca·rot·id si·nus·es) noun

blood pressure sensor in
carotid artery: a slight bulge in each
carotid artery that contains pressure-sensitive nerve endings and forms part of
the system that monitors and controls blood pressure[1]



carotin

carotin
car·o·tin 
noun

See
carotene[1]



carotinoid

carotinoid
ca·rot·i·noid 
noun

See
carotenoid[1]



carousal

carousal
ca·rous·al 
[kə rówz’l] (plural ca·rous·als)
noun

noisy party:
a noisy and boisterous drinking party (literary)[1]



carouse

carouse
ca·rouse
[kə rówz] intransitive verb (past
ca·roused, past participle ca·roused, present
participle ca·rous·ing, 3rd person present singular ca·rous·es)

drink
and become noisy: to drink and become noisy, especially in
a group (literary)
noun
(plural ca·rous·es)

noisy
party:
a noisy and boisterous drinking party (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From German gar aus (trinken), literally “(to drink) right
up.”]
—ca·rous·er, noun[1]



carousel

carousel
car·ou·sel 
[kèrrə sél, kérrə
sèl] (plural car·ou·sels) noun

1.  See
merry-go-round  noun 1

2.  conveyor
belt:
a circular conveyor belt, especially one at an airport displaying baggage for
arriving passengers to pick up

3.  holder
for photographic slides: a circular rotating holder
that loads photographic slides into a projector one at a time
[Mid-17th century. Via French
carrousel from Italian carosello “tilting match.”][1]



carp

carp1
carp1 [kaarp]
(past carped, past participle carped, present
participle carp·ing, 3rd person present singular carps)
intransitive verb

complain:
to keep complaining or finding fault • I wish
you’d stop carping, I’m doing my best.
[13th
century. From Old Norse karpa “to brag.” The current meaning evolved
from “to talk” under the influence of Latin carpere “to pluck,” also “to
slander” (source of English carpet
).]
—carp·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



carp

carp2

carp2 [kaarp]
(plural carp or carps) noun

1.  large
freshwater fish: a large fish with a single fin on its
back, originally from Asia and now found worldwide in lakes and slow-moving
rivers. It is widely bred for food. Latin name: Cyprinus carpio

2.  fish
of carp family: any fish of the carp family, which
includes goldfish and koi. Family: Cyprinidae
[14th century. Via French carpe
from, ultimately, late Latin carpa .][1]



-carp

-carp
-carp
suffix

part
of a fruit • pericarp
[Via
modern Latin -carpium from, ultimately, Greek karpos “fruit” (see
carpo-]
—-carpous, suffix[1]



carpaccio

carpaccio
car·pac·cio 
[kaar pchō, kaar
pchi ō] noun

beef
or fish dish: a dish of raw beef or tuna sliced
thinly, moistened with olive oil and lemon juice, and seasoned
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Italian painter Vittore Carpaccio circa 1460–1525, who favored red
pigments. From its red color.][1]



carpal

carpal
car·pal 
[krp’l] adjective

of
the wrist:
relating to the bones in the wrist
noun
(plural car·pals)

wrist
bone:
a bone in the wrist
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from carpus .][1]



carpaltunnel syndrome

carpaltunnel syndrome
car·pal
tun·nel syn·drome noun

pain and weakness of the
hand: a condition of pain and
weakness in the hand caused by repetitive compression of a nerve that passes
through the wrist into the hand[1]



carpark

carpark
car
park
(plural car parks) noun

U.K.
place to leave car:
an enclosure or building where cars can be parked temporarily[1]



CarpathianMountains

CarpathianMountains
Car·pa·thi·an
Moun·tains
[kaar pàythee ən mównt’nz]

mountain system in eastern
Europe, situated along the border between Slovakia and Poland and extending
southward through the Ukraine and eastern Romania. Its highest peak is Gerlachovka
2,655 m/8,711 ft .[1]



carpediem

carpediem
car·pe
di·em 
[krpə d èm] interjection

live
in the present: used as an invocation to enjoy the
present and not worry about the future
noun

act
of living for the present: the act of living for the
moment and enjoying the present
[From Latin, literally “seize
the day”][1]



carpel

carpel
car·pel 
[krp’l] (plural car·pels) noun

female
part of a flower: a female reproductive organ in a flower,
enclosing the fertilized ovules that are developing into seeds. It consists of
the stigma and usually a style.
[Mid-19th
century. From French carpelle or modern Latin carpellum,
literally “little fruit,” both formed from Greek karpos “fruit.”]
—car·pel·lar·y [krp’l èrree], adjective[1]



carpellate

carpellate
car·pel·late 
[krp’l àyt, krp’lət]
adjective

with carpels:
used to describe a flower or plant that has carpels[1]



carpenter

carpenter
car·pen·ter 
[krpəntər] noun (plural car·pen·ters)

builder of wooden structures or objects:
somebody who builds and repairs wooden structures, for example, houses and
boats, or the wooden parts of them
verb
(past car·pen·tered, past participle car·pen·tered,
present participle car·pen·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular car·pen·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
build
wooden structures: to build and repair wooden
structures, or the wooden parts of them (technical)

2.  transitive
verb
make
something wooden: to make something by cutting and joining
pieces of wood • He had carpentered a
series of perfectly fitting dovetail joints.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something in efficient way: to make or devise something
efficiently and systematically • They
met every day, in the vain attempt to carpenter an agreement that would be
acceptable to both sides.
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French carpentier from late Latin carpentarius
(artifex) “carriage(maker),” from carpentum “two-wheeled carriage.”][1]



carpenterant

carpenterant
car·pen·ter
ant
(plural car·pen·ter ants) noun

large wood-boring ant:
a large ant that bores into wood to make its nest. It usually bores into old or
rotten wood, but it can also attack lumber in homes and cause much damage.
Genus: Camponotus[1]



carpenterbee

carpenterbee
car·pen·ter
bee
(plural car·pen·ter bees) noun

wood-boring bee:
a bee that bores tunnels into wood to lay its eggs. Families: Xylocopidae
Ceratinidae[1]



Carpentersville

Carpentersville
Car·pen·ters·ville 
[krpəntərz vìl]

village in northeastern
Illinois, southeast of Rockford, on the western bank of the Fox River.
Population: 24,629 (1996)[1]



carpentry

carpentry
car·pen·try 
[krpəntree] noun

1.  the
building of wooden structures: the work or occupation
of building and repairing things made of wood, for example, houses and boats,
or the wooden parts of them • a
career in carpentry

2.  things
made out of wood: the work or objects produced by a
carpenter • fine
carpentry for sale

[1]



carpet

carpet
car·pet 
[krpət] noun (plural car·pets)

1.  floor
covering:
thick fabric for covering a floor

2.  piece
of floor covering: a piece of thick, heavy
fabric covering the floor of a room or area

3.  layer
or covering: a layer or covering (literary) • a
carpet of snow
transitive
verb
(past car·pet·ed, past participle car·pet·ed, present
participle car·pet·ing, 3rd person present singular car·pets)

1.  cover
floor with carpet: to cover a floor, or the
floor of a room, with a carpet • We
could carpet every room in the house with the money she spent on that rug.

2.  cover:
to cover something in a layer (literary) • The
valley was carpeted with flowers.
[14th
century. Via Old French carpite or medieval Latin carpita from,
ultimately, Latin carpere “to pluck.” The underlying idea is of a cloth
made from plucked or unraveled fabric.]
roll
out the red carpet

to
give a special welcome to a distinguished visitor

sweep
something under the carpet

to conceal or ignore
something that needs attention[1]



carpetbag

carpetbag
car·pet·bag 
[krpət bàg] noun (plural car·pet·bags)

traveling
bag:
a medium-sized traveling bag originally made of a thick fabric such as carpet
adjective

relating to or consisting of
carpetbaggers[1]



carpetbagger

carpetbagger
car·pet·bag·ger 
[krpət bàggər] (plural car·pet·bag·gers)
noun

1.  post-Civil
War opportunist: a Northerner who moved to the southern
United States after the Civil War, especially one seeking political or
commercial advantage

2.  POLITICS outsider
seeking local vote: an outsider whose only
interest in coming to a place is to win it as a political seat
—car·pet·bag·ger·y, noun[1]



carpetbeetle

carpetbeetle
car·pet
bee·tle
(plural car·pet bee·tles) noun

beetle with fabric-eating
larvae: a small beetle whose larvae
feed on fabric, furs, or animal remains. Genera: Anthrenus Attagenus[1]



carpet-bomb

carpet-bomb
car·pet-bomb 
transitive verb (past car·pet-bombed, past participle
car·pet-bombed, present participle car·pet-bomb·ing, 3rd
person present singular car·pet-bombs)

destroy
area with intensive bombing: to bomb an area intensively
noun

campaign
to influence public opinion: to conduct an intensive
campaign, especially in the media, to sway public opinion or to destroy
somebody’s reputation
[Carpet from the idea that
the bombing covers an area as completely as a carpet covers a floor][1]



carpetgrass

carpetgrass
car·pet
grass
(plural car·pet grass·es) noun

close-growing grass:
a coarse grass that forms a tight matted growth and is widely used in warm
humid areas for turf and pasture. Genus: Axonopus[1]



carpeting

carpeting
car·pet·ing 
[krpəting] noun

1.  fabric
for floors:
thick fabric used for covering floors

2.  carpets:
carpets regarded collectively • How
much do you want to spend on carpeting?

[1]



carpetlayer

carpetlayer
car·pet·lay·er
[krpət làyr] (plural car·pet·lay·ers)
noun

installer of wall-to-wall
carpet: a person who cuts and fits
wall-to-wall carpet[1]



carpetshark

carpetshark
car·pet
shark
(plural car·pet sharks) noun

shark with patterned back:
a shark with a mottled back resembling the pattern of a carpet. Family:
Larentidae[1]



carpetslipper

carpetslipper
car·pet
slip·per
(plural car·pet slip·pers) noun

slipper of fabric like
carpet: a slipper with an upper side
made of a thick fabric that resembles carpet[1]



carpetsnake

carpetsnake
car·pet
snake
(plural car·pet snakes) noun

large snake with patterned
back: a large python found
throughout southern Australia with a pattern of scales on its back resembling a
traditional carpet. Latin name: Morelia variegata[1]



carpetsweeper

carpetsweeper
car·pet·sweep·er 
[krpət swpər] (plural car·pet·sweep·ers)
noun

carpet-cleaning tool:
a device for lifting dirt off carpets, with a long handle and revolving brushes
in a wheeled casing[1]



carpettile

carpettile
car·pet
tile
noun

small square of carpet:
a square of carpeting laid together with others to cover a floor[1]



carpetweed

carpetweed
car·pet·weed 
[krpət wd] noun

mat-forming weed:
a low, close-growing North American weed with tiny greenish-white flowers.
Latin name: Mollugo verticillata[1]



carphone

carphone
car
phone
(plural car phones) noun

mobile phone for car:
a mobile phone designed for use in a car[1]



carpi

carpi
car·pi


Plural of
carpus[1]



carping

carping
carp·ing 
[krping] adjective

complaining:
complaining or finding fault, or tending to • his
usual carping comments
—carp·ing·ly, adverb[1]



carpo-

carpo-
carpo-
prefix

fruit
• carpophagous
[From Greek karpos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to gather, pick,” which is also
the ancestor of English harvest and excerpt .][1]



carpology

carpology
car·pol·o·gy
[kaar pólləjee] noun

study
of fruits and seeds: the branch of botany that
deals with the study of fruits and seeds
[Early
19th century]
—car·po·log·i·cal
[krpə lójjik’l], adjective

—car·pol·o·gist [kaar pólləjist], noun[1]



carpool

carpool
car
pool
(plural car pools) noun

1.  group
using own cars in turn: a group of associated people
sharing the use of their cars, each in turn driving the others

2.  shared
driving arrangements: the actual arrangement made
by a group of people, such as coworkers or parents, to share the duty of
driving to and from somewhere

3.  See
motor pool

[1]



car-pool

car-pool
car-pool 
(past car-pooled, past participle car-pooled, present
participle car-pool·ing, 3rd person present singular car-pools)
intransitive verb

share driving
responsibilities with group: to drive or
be driven regularly from one place to another as a small group, with each
member sharing driving responsibilities[1]



carpophagous

carpophagous
car·poph·a·gous 
[kaar póffəgəss] adjective

ZOOLOGY
See frugivorous[1]



carpophore

carpophore
car·po·phore 
[krpə fàwr] (plural car·po·phores)
noun

1.  stamen-bearing
part of flower: the part of a flower that bears the
carpels and stamens

2.  spore-bearing
part of fungus: the part of some fungi that contains the
spores or supports the part that contains them

[1]



carport

carport
car·port 
[kr pàwrt] (plural car·ports)
noun

open shelter for car:
an open-sided shelter for a parked car, attached to a house or other building[1]



carpospore

carpospore
car·po·spore 
[krpə spàwr] (plural car·po·spores)
noun

spore in red algae:
a spore that forms in some red algae after fertilization[1]



carpus

carpus

car·pus 
[krpəss] (plural car·pi [kr p]) noun

1.  bone
in wrist joint: any bone in the set of eight that form
the wrist joint

2.  bone
in animal’s front leg joint: any bone in the set that
form the joint between the forelimb of a vertebrate animal and its foot or paw,
corresponding to the wrist
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek karpos .][1]



carrack

carrack
car·rack
[kérrək] (plural car·racks) or
car·ack [kérrək] (plural car·acks)
noun

old
sailing ship: a large Mediterranean trading ship of
the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries
[14th century. From French caraque,
of uncertain origin: probably via Spanish carraca from, ultimately,
Arabic urūra “large merchant ship.”][1]



carrageen

carrageen
car·ra·geen 
[kèrrə gn, kérrə
gn] or car·ra·gheen [kèrrə
gn, kérrə gn] noun

1.  See
Irish moss

2.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY See
carrageenan
[Early 19th century. From
Irish carraigín .][1]



carrageenan

carrageenan
car·ra·geen·an 
[kèrrə gnən, kérrə
gnən] or car·ra·geen·in [kèrrə
gnən, kérrə gnən] noun

food
from seaweed: a complex carbohydrate obtained from
edible red seaweeds, especially the seaweed Irish moss, used in the commercial
preparation of several kinds of food and drink.
Also
called
carrageen
Also
called
carragheen
[Late 19th century. From carrageen .][1]



carragheen

carragheen
car·ra·gheen 
noun

See
carrageen[1]



Carranza,Venustiano

Carranza,Venustiano
Car·ran·za 
[kə ránzə, kə
rnzə], Venustiano (1859–1920)

Mexican revolutionary and
politician. He was the Mexican Republic’s first president ( 1914–1920 ).[1]



Carrara

Carrara
Car·ra·ra 
[kə rrə]

city in Massa-Carrara
Province, Tuscany Region, in north central Italy. It is famous for its quarry,
which produces some of the world’s finest marble. Population: 68,480 (1991)[1]



carrefour

carrefour
car·re·four
[kérrə fàwr] (plural car·re·fours)
noun (archaic)

1.  crossroads:
a crossroads

2.  public
square:
a public square at a place where several roads meet
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin quadrifurcus “four-forked.”][1]



carrel

carrel
car·rel
[kə rél, kérrəl]
(plural car·rels) or car·rell [kə rél, kérrəl]
(plural car·rells) noun

private
space for individual study: a bay, cubicle, or small
room where one person can study in private, for example, in a library
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of carol (from its earlier use
for “circle”).][1]



Carrel,Alexis

Carrel,Alexis
Car·rel 
[kə rél, kérrəl],
Alexis (1873–1944)

French biologist and surgeon.
He won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1912 for developing the vascular surgical
technique that led to organ transplants.[1]



Carr,Emily

Carr,Emily
Carr
[kaar], Emily (1871–1945)

Canadian painter and writer.
She was noted for painting Native Americans and wrote Klee Wyck ( 1941
).[1]



Carrera,Andrade Jorge

Carrera,Andrade Jorge
Car·re·ra
[kə rérrə], Andrade Jorge (1903–1978)

Ecuadorian poet. Often
considered one of the greatest Spanish-language poets of the 20th century, he
was also a diplomat.[1]



Carrera,Rafael

Carrera,Rafael
Car·re·ra
[kə rérrə], Rafael (1814–1865)

Guatemalan
revolutionary and politician. He served as elected president of Guatemala
(1844–1848) and was declared president for life (1851).
Full name
Carrera, José Rafael[1]



Carreras,José

Carreras,José
Car·rer·as
[kə rérrəz], José (1946– )

Spanish singer. An operatic
tenor, he became an international star in the 1970s.[1]



Carrey,Jim

Carrey,Jim
Car·rey
[káiree], Jim (1962– )

Canadian-born U.S. actor and
comedian, known for his comic and serious performances in movies including The
Truman Show ( 1998 ).[1]



carriage

carriage
car·riage 
[kérrij] (plural car·riages) noun

1.  horse-drawn
vehicle:
a four-wheeled horse-drawn private passenger vehicle, especially one that is
large and comfortable

2.  wheeled
platform:
a wheeled platform on which something is carried or supported

3.  way
of holding the body: the way somebody holds his
or her head and body when walking (formal) • She
was a tall woman with a beautiful upright carriage.

4.  taking
and delivering goods: the transporting and
delivering of goods

5.  charge
for taking and delivering goods: a charge made for
transporting and delivering goods

6.  U.K.
railroad
coach:
a railroad passenger coach

7.  moving
part of machine: a part of a machine that holds and moves
another part, for example, the rotating and sliding paper holder on a
typewriter

8.  See
baby carriage

[1]



carriagebolt

carriagebolt
car·riage
bolt
(plural car·riage bolts) noun

a large bolt:
a large square-necked threaded bolt that has a snap head and is used in
building.
U.K. term
coach bolt[1]



carriageclock

carriageclock
car·riage
clock
(plural car·riage clocks) noun

clock with handle on top:
a small clock set in a case with a handle on top, originally used as travel
clocks but now ornamental[1]



carriagedog

carriagedog
car·riage
dog
(plural car·riage dogs) noun

dalmatian:
a dalmatian (archaic)
[So called because it was
trained to run behind a carriage as an ornamental guard dog][1]



carriagehorse

carriagehorse
car·riage
horse
(plural car·riage hors·es) noun

horse pulling carriages:
a horse used to pull carriages[1]



carriagereturn

carriagereturn
car·riage
re·turn
noun

return key on typewriter:
the key or lever on a typewriter that sends the paper-holding carriage back and
rotates it to move the paper upward, ready to begin a new line[1]



carriagetrade

carriagetrade
car·riage
trade
noun

wealthy customers:
the most wealthy and prestigious of possible customers • They
carry only the highest quality goods, catering to the carriage trade.[1]



carriageway

carriageway
car·riage·way 
[kérrij wày] (plural car·riage·ways)
noun

U.K.
part of road used for vehicles:
the part of a main road used for vehicles, especially one side of a major
two-way road, carrying traffic in one direction only[1]



carrickbend

carrickbend
car·rick
bend 
[kàrrik bénd] (plural car·rick
bends) noun

knot
for joining ropes: an intertwining knot similar
to a granny knot, used for tying ropes together
[Carrick probably an earlier
variant of carrack][1]



carrickbitt

carrickbitt
car·rick
bitt
(plural car·rick bitts) noun

post
supporting windlass: one of the two posts that
support a ship’s windlass
[See carrick
bend][1]



carrier

carrier
car·ri·er 
[kérree ər] (plural car·ri·ers)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT transporter
of people or goods: a person or company whose
function or business is to transport things or people from one place to another
• These
airlines are among the world’s most popular carriers.

2.  MEDICINE transmitter
of disease:
a living creature that is infected with a disease and can pass it to others but
does not itself display any of the symptoms

3.  GENETICS transmitter
of genetic defect: an individual carrying a
gene for a particular genetic trait or disorder without being affected by it,
because two copies of the gene, one from each parent, are usually necessary for
the disorder to show itself

4.  ENGINEERING part
of machine conveying motion: a part of a machine that
carries and moves something or transmits motion to another part

5.  luggage
rack:
a metal frame on which luggage can be tied to a road vehicle or bicycle

6.  NAVY aircraft
carrier:
an aircraft carrier

7.  CHEMISTRY means
of transmitting active substance: a neutral substance to
which an active ingredient or agent is added as a way of applying or
transferring the ingredient or agent • Mix
the dye and the carrier in equal proportions.

8.  PHYSICS bearer
of electric charge: something that carries
electric current, for example, an electron or ion

9.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS radio
wave carrying information: an electromagnetic wave that
is modulated to carry a signal in radio or television transmission.
Also
called
carrier wave

10. somebody
who delivers mail: somebody who is employed by
the Postal Service to deliver and pick up mail

11. communications
company:
a telephone, television, or radio company

12. insurance
company:
a company that provides insurance

[1]



carrierair wing

carrierair wing
car·ri·er
air wing
(plural car·ri·er air wings) noun

air squadron on aircraft
carrier: a squadron of aircraft
operating from an aircraft carrier[1]



carrierbag

carrierbag
car·ri·er
bag
(plural car·ri·er bags) noun

U.K.
bag for carrying shopping:
a large plastic or paper shopping bag with handles, especially one supplied by
a store[1]



carrierpigeon

carrierpigeon
car·ri·er
pi·geon
(plural car·ri·er pi·geons) noun

1.  pigeon
taking messages: a domestic pigeon trained to deliver
messages and return home

2.  show
pigeon:
a large domestic pigeon bred for showing

[1]



carrierwave

carrierwave
car·ri·er
wave
(plural car·ri·er waves) noun

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
See carrier  noun 9[1]



carriole

carriole
car·ri·ole 
noun

See
cariole[1]



carrion

carrion
car·ri·on 
[kérree ən] noun (plural car·ri·ons)

1.  rotting
animal flesh: the rotting flesh of a dead animal

2.  something
decaying:
something that is decaying or disgusting (literary)
adjective

of decomposing flesh:
relating to rotting flesh or the eating of such an item
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French caroi(g)ne from, ultimately, Latin caro
“flesh” (source of English carnal ).][1]



carrioncrow

carrioncrow
car·ri·on
crow
(plural car·ri·on crows) noun

European crow:
a medium-sized European crow, similar to the rook but with a greenish tinge to
its black plumage. Latin name: Corvus corone[1]



carrionflower

carrionflower
car·ri·on
flow·er
(plural car·ri·on flow·ers) noun

1.  climbing
plant with foul-smelling flowers: a North American
climbing plant with small greenish flowers that smell like rotting flesh.
Genus: Smilax

2.  tropical
plant with foul-smelling flowers: a tropical succulent
plant with foul-smelling star-shaped flowers. Genus: Stapelia
Also
called
starfish flower

[1]



Carroll,Charles

Carroll,Charles
Car·roll
[kérrəl], Charles (1737–1832)

U.S.
political leader. A leader of the Revolution, he signed the Declaration of
Independence (1776) and was a U.S. senator (1789–1792) from South Carolina.
Known as
Carroll of Carrollton, Charles[1]



Carroll,Lewis

Carroll,Lewis

Car·roll
[kérrəl], Lewis (1832–1898)
British
writer. Author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ( 1865 ) and other
children’s books. Under his real name, he was also a distinguished geometrician
and photographer.
Pseudonym of
Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge[1]



Carrollton

Carrollton
Car·roll·ton 
[kárrəltən]

city in northeastern Texas.
Population: 96,757 (1996)[1]



carronade

carronade
car·ron·ade 
[kérrə nàyd, kèrrə
náyd] (plural car·ron·ades) noun

old
naval cannon: a lightweight iron cannon formerly used
on ships
[Late 18th century. Named for
Carron, a district in Falkirk, Scotland, where they were made.][1]



carronoil

carronoil
car·ron
oil
noun

ointment
for burns:
a mixture of limewater and linseed oil formerly used to soothe burns
[Named for Carron (see
carronade ). From its use at the ironworks
there.][1]



carrot

carrot

car·rot 
[kérrət] (plural car·rots) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with edible orange-colored root: a biennial plant of
the parsley family with delicate green feathery leaves that is grown for its
edible orange roots. Latin name: Daucus carota

2.  FOOD thin
orange root vegetable: the thin, tapering
orange-colored root of the carrot plant that is eaten raw or cooked as a
vegetable

3.  See
Queen Anne’s lace

4.  incentive:
something tempting, offered in order to persuade somebody to do something • They
offered us the carrot of a year’s free gasoline if we’d buy the sports car
right then.
[15th century. Via French carotte
and Latin carota from Greek karōton .][1]



carrot-and-stick

carrot-and-stick
car·rot-and-stick 
adjective

of reward-and-punishment
manipulation: relating to or
characterized by the use of persuasion involving a combination of rewards and
punishments • During
the fast-paced negotiations, the diplomats employed a carrot-and-stick
strategy.[1]



carrotcake

carrotcake
car·rot
cake
(plural car·rot cakes) noun

cake made with carrots:
a cake made with finely grated carrots that give it a moist texture and
delicate flavor[1]



carroty

carroty
car·rot·y 
[kérrətee] adjective

1.  tasting
like carrots: like carrots in taste

2.  red:
used to describe hair that is red or auburn

3.  of
bright orange color: of a bright reddish-orange
color

[1]



carry

carry
car·ry 
[kérree] verb (past car·ried,
past participle car·ried, present participle car·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular car·ries)

1.  transitive
verb
hold
and transport somebody or something: to
take somebody or something that you are holding or supporting to another place
• The
suitcase was too heavy for her to carry.

2.  transitive
verb
be
channel or route for something: to be the means by
which something passes or is transmitted from one place to another • The
pipeline will carry oil to the coast.

3.  transitive
verb
tell
or contain:
to communicate or convey information, an idea, or a feeling by way of content
or in an indirect manner • The
article carries wider implications than you may think.

4.  transitive
verb
take
to another place: to take somebody or something to another
place • a
truck carrying farm produce

5.  transitive
verb
move
somebody, something along: to take and move somebody or
something by a flow or impetus • The
current carried them swiftly downstream. • She
could hear children’s voices, carried on the light breeze.

6.  transitive
verb
have
transmissible disease: to be infected with a
disease and capable of infecting others • You
may be carrying a virus without knowing it.

7.  transitive
verb
have
something with you: to have something with you,
for example, in your pocket or in a purse • Staff
should carry identification at all times.

8.  transitive
verb
to hold, contain, or support something • How
much does the tanker carry? • a
high roof carried on slender pillars

9.  transitive
verb
Southern U.S. drive somebody in vehicle:
to transport somebody in a motor vehicle from one location to another • Call
me when you arrive; I’ll carry you home from the airport.

10. transitive
verb
hold
up under vehicular traffic: to be able to withstand a
particular degree or amount of vehicular traffic • a
freeway that can carry hundreds of thousands of vehicles a day

11. transitive
verb
yield
enough forage: to yield enough forage or grazing crops for
animals to survive • fields that can carry
llamas as well as cattle

12. transitive
verb
be
responsible for: to bear the responsibility for something
• The
president carries heavy duties.

13. transitive
verb
make
somebody succeed or endure: to give somebody the
incentive, impetus, or encouragement to achieve or deal with something • Their
exhilaration at this success may carry them further up in the league standings.
• The
audience cheered, carried along on a wave of enthusiasm.

14. transitive
verb
publish,
broadcast, or display: to feature or include an
article, picture, item of news, or piece of information • That
evening, all the major networks carried the story. • Every
pack carries a government health warning.

15. transitive
verb
include
or result in something: to have something as a
quality, feature, or consequence • Reckless
driving carries a heavy penalty.

16. intransitive
and transitive verb be
pregnant:
to be pregnant with a child • She
carried the child to term, and it was born on Saturday.

17. transitive
verb
develop
an idea:
to develop an idea in discussion or action • If
you carry that argument to its logical conclusion, no one should get married at
all.

18. transitive
verb
move
or behave:
to move or behave in a particular way, especially with confidence or dignity • He
was a handsome man who carried himself with dignity.
• She
carried her head high, and looked her accusers in the eye.

19. transitive
verb
COMMERCE keep
something for sale: to keep something as stock
in a store • We
don’t carry household goods.

20. intransitive
verb
be
heard at a distance: to be audible at a distance
• Sound
carries a long way over water.

21. transitive
verb
support
weaker element: to support or compensate for a weaker
element or participant • The
rest of the department has to carry him.

22. intransitive
and transitive verb vote
for something: to accept a proposal by voting for it • The
nomination was carried, 40–29.

23. transitive
verb
gain
somebody’s support: to win the support or
sympathy of a person or group, especially by making a speech or appeal • It
looked for a moment as if he would carry the crowd.

24. transitive
verb
POLITICS win
votes of area: to win support from somebody • Because
the incumbent senator carried all the cities in her district, she won the
election.

25. transitive
verb
MILITARY capture
a place:
to capture a place in battle • Their
charge carried the hill.

26. transitive
verb
MUSIC stay
in tune when singing: to be able to sing and stay
in tune • Can
you carry a tune?

27. transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING transfer
item in account or calculation: to transfer a figure
from one group or column to another in accounts or in a calculation

28. transitive
verb
list
someone as a debtor: to continue to keep somebody
as a debtor in the records • We’ve
carried him for two quarters; enough is enough.

29. intransitive
verb
SPORTS be hit
a certain distance: to reach a certain distance
after being struck • Her approach shot
didn’t carry to the green.

30. transitive
verb
SPORTS move
with ball in sport: to bring a ball forward a
certain distance in a sport such as football • Their
first rush carried the ball well into the defenders’ half.

31. transitive
verb
ARMS have
firepower range: to have a particular range of fire • an
artillery shell that carried for miles

32. intransitive
verb
have
weapon:
to have a weapon, especially a gun, in your possession (slang) • We
knew his goons would be carrying too.

33. transitive
verb
palm
ball in basketball: to keep a hand in illegal
contact with the ball in basketball
noun
(plural car·ries)

1.  picking
up, holding, and transporting something: the
act of carrying something or how it is done • It
was a long, hard carry of all that luggage from the parking lot to the
departures terminal.

2.  distance
covered:
the distance covered by something struck, thrown, launched, or fired, or the
reach of something, for example, a voice

3.  act
of running with ball: a sprint with the ball in
football • a
50-yard carry that won the game

4.  place
where boat is carried: the land over which a canoe
must be carried at a portage
[14th century. Directly or
via Anglo-Norman from Old North French carier, from car (see car ).][1]



carryall

carryall
car·ry·all 
[kérree àwl] (plural car·ry·alls)
noun

1.  large
soft travel bag: a container or soft-sided bag for
carrying belongings.
U.K.
term
holdall

2.  passenger
vehicle with facing benches: a large passenger vehicle
with two facing benches

3.  horse-drawn
carriage:
a covered horse-drawn carriage for four people
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of cariole, by association with carry
all .][1]



carryaway

carryaway
carry
away
transitive verb

make somebody emotional,
excited, or interested: to make
somebody become less controlled, reasonable, or attentive by arousing his or
her emotion or interest (usually passive) • I
was completely carried away by the beauty of it.[1]



carryback

carryback
car·ry·back
[kérri bàk] (plural car·ry·backs)
noun

money or allowance
transferred back: an amount of money, for
example, a tax credit, that is transferred to the accounts for the previous
year[1]



carryback

carryback
carry
back
transitive verb

make tax adjustment:
to transfer something such as a tax credit so that it is calculated against the
previous year’s income[1]



carrycot

carrycot
car·ry·cot
[kérri kòt] (plural car·ry·cots)
noun

U.K.
portable bed for baby:
a lightweight portable bed for a baby, often detachable from a wheeled base[1]



carryforward

carryforward
carry
forward
transitive verb

1.  transfer
item in account or calculation: to transfer an item to
the next section or column in accounts or in a calculation

2.  transfer
something to next year: to transfer something, such
as a tax credit or liability, so that it is calculated against the next year’s
income

[1]



carryingcapacity

carryingcapacity
car·ry·ing
ca·pac·i·ty 
(plural car·ry·ing ca·pac·i·ties) noun

1.  number
of things or people allowed: the amount of things or
people a vehicle or container can hold

2.  number
of animals land supports: the number of animals a
region can support

3.  number
of people area supports: the number of individuals a
region can support in terms of its resources

[1]



carryingcharge

carryingcharge
car·ry·ing
charge
(plural car·ry·ing charg·es) noun

1.  cost
of holding assets: the cost to a business of
holding or storing assets from which it currently earns no income

2.  interest
on unpaid balance: interest charged on the
unpaid balance of a sum of borrowed money, especially the price of something
that is being paid for in installments

[1]



carrying-on

carrying-on
car·ry·ing-on
(plural car·ry·ings-on) noun

unwise or improper behavior:
behavior regarded as immature or improper (informal) • I
won’t have that kind of carrying-on in my house.[1]



carryoff

carryoff
carry
off
transitive verb

1.  remove
somebody or something: to take something or
somebody away with determination or purpose, or by force • carried
him off, kicking and screaming, to his crib

2.  win:
to win a prize (informal) • She
carried off the award for best newcomer.

3.  do
something successfully or well: to succeed in doing
something well or producing a good effect • He
was nervous about chairing the meeting, but carried it off in style.
• It’s
a very sophisticated outfit, but she can’t quite carry it off.

4.  kill
somebody:
to kill somebody (usually passive) • Half
the settlers were carried off by smallpox.

[1]



carryon

carryon
carry
on
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
doing something: to continue to do something • Please
just carry on with your work and pretend we’re not here.
• She
carried on the business after her father retired.

2.  transitive
verb
be
involved in something: to engage in or be engaged
in something • They
were carrying on an intense conversation in a corner of the bar.

3.  intransitive
verb
behave
foolishly or improperly: to behave or talk in a way
that is socially awkward or improper (informal) • I’m
ashamed of the way he’s been carrying on in public.

4.  intransitive
verb
have
an affair:
to have a casual affair with somebody (informal disapproving)

[1]



carryon

carryon
car·ry·on 
[kérri òn] noun (plural car·ry·ons)

passenger’s
hand luggage: a piece of luggage suitable for taking
in the cabin of an aircraft
adjective

carried aboard an aircraft:
used to describe or relating to luggage small enough to be carried and stowed
aboard the cabin of an aircraft[1]



carryout

carryout
car·ry·out 
[kérri òwt] (plural car·ry·outs)
noun

U.S.,
Scotland food eaten off the
premises: an item of ready-to-eat food
bought in a store or restaurant and taken elsewhere to eat (often used as a
modifier) • a
carryout pizza[1]



carryout

carryout
carry
out
transitive verb

1.  do
or perform:
to perform or accomplish something • carry
out research

2.  do
what was ordered or planned: to do something that has
been ordered, planned, or stated as a goal • We
will carry out your instructions to the letter.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at perform

[1]



carryover

carryover
carry
over
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave
something to be finished later: to leave the last part
of something to be done at a later date • There
were so many candidates that the ceremonies were carried over to the next morning.

2.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING ARITHMETIC transfer item in account or
calculation: to transfer an item to the next group or
column in accounts or in a calculation

3.  transitive
verb
transfer
something to next year: to transfer an allowance or
entitlement from one year or part of a year to the next

4.  intransitive
verb
continue
to exist:
to continue to exist or produce an effect in changed circumstances • The
dislike he always felt for me has obviously carried over into our relationship
at work.

[1]



carryover

carryover
car·ry·o·ver 
[kérri vər] (plural car·ry·o·vers)
noun

1.  something
continued into the next period: something left over
that is continued on, extended, or transferred to the next period • This
policy is a carryover from the previous administration.

2.  ACCOUNTING ARITHMETIC item
transferred in account or calculation: an
item transferred to the next group or column in accounts or in a calculation

[1]



carrythrough

carrythrough
carry
through
verb

1.  transitive
verb
do
what was planned: to complete or accomplish something
planned • We
outlined our policy before the election, and we are determined to carry it
through.

2.  transitive
verb
help
somebody survive: to give somebody the support or strength
needed to overcome a difficulty • It was
my family’s support that carried me through. • Only
his determination not to be humiliated carried him through the next five hours.

3.  intransitive
verb
survive:
to continue to exist • It is
an old tradition that has carried through into the information age.

[1]



carseat

carseat
car
seat
(plural car seats) noun

1.  child’s
seat in car: a small seat for children, strapped
inside a car

2.  seat
in car:
a driver’s or passenger’s seat in a car

[1]



carsick

carsick
car·sick 
[kr sìk] adjective

feeling
sick because of vehicle’s movement: made
nauseated from the motion of a vehicle you are traveling in
—car·sick·ness, noun[1]



CarsonCity

CarsonCity
Car·son
Cit·y

capital of Nevada, in western
Nevada just east of Lake Tahoe and south of Reno. Population: 47,237 (1996)[1]



Carson,Johnny

Carson,Johnny
Car·son
[krsən], Johnny (1925– )

U.S. entertainer. He hosted The
Tonight Show ( 1962–1992 ).[1]



Carson,Kit

Carson,Kit
Car·son
[krsən], Kit (1809–1868)

U.S.
hunter and scout. He accompanied the western expeditions of John Charles
Frémont (1842–1846) and helped Union forces in the Civil War.
Full name
Carson, Christopher[1]



Carson,Rachel

Carson,Rachel
Car·son 
[krsən], Rachel (1907–1964)

U.S. ecologist. In Silent
Spring ( 1962 ) she argued that agricultural pesticides damage the food
chain.[1]



cart

cart
cart 
[kaart] noun (plural carts)

1.  horse-drawn
vehicle carrying goods: an open horse-drawn vehicle,
especially one with only two wheels, used for carrying goods or as a farm
vehicle

2.  vehicle
pushed by hand: a light vehicle or barrow pushed by hand

3.  wheeled
carrier for merchandise or baggage: a
container or platform on small wheels on which things are pushed along, for
example, supermarket items or airport baggage

4.  horse-drawn
carriage:
a light horse-drawn carriage with two wheels

5.  small
motorized vehicle: a lightweight motorized
vehicle, for example, one ridden by golfers on a course

6.  wheeled
table:
a small table on wheels, used for taking food and drinks to the table
transitive
verb
(past cart·ed, past participle cart·ed, present
participle cart·ing, 3rd person present singular carts)

1.  carry
something roughly: to take or pull somebody or
something roughly or with difficulty (informal) • I
had to cart the Christmas tree home myself. • Do
you have to cart all those books around?

2.  carry
or transport something or somebody: to
carry or transport something or somebody, especially in a cart • carting
the produce to market • We
seem to spend half of Saturday carting the kids everywhere.
[12th
century. From Old Norse kartr .]
—cart·a·ble,
adjective
put
the cart before the horse

to do or say things in the
wrong order[1]



cartage

cartage
cart·age 
[krtij] noun

transport or delivery
charges: the cost of transporting or
delivering goods by cart[1]



Cartagena

Cartagena
Car·ta·ge·na 
[krtə gáynə, krtə
jnə, krtə háynə]

capital of Bolívar Department
in northwestern Colombia, a port on the Caribbean Sea’s Bay of Cartagena.
Population: 745,689 (1995)[1]



carte

carte
carte
noun

See
quarte[1]



carteblanche

carteblanche
carte
blanche 
[kaart blnch, krt
blNsh] noun

freedom
to act:
permission or authority given to somebody to act with freedom or discretion • She’s
been given carte blanche to make whatever changes she thinks necessary.
[From French, literally
“white card.” The underlying idea is of signing a blank sheet of paper on which
anything might then be written.][1]



cartel

cartel
car·tel 
[kaar tél] (plural car·tels) noun

1.  group
of businesses controlling market: an alliance of
business companies, formed to control production, competition, and prices

2.  alliance
of like-minded political groups: a political alliance
among parties or groups having common goals
[Mid-16th century. Via German
Kartell and French cartel from Italian cartello “placard,”
from, ultimately, Latin c(h)arta (see card 1 ). The
underlying idea is of a written agreement.][1]



cartelize

cartelize
car·tel·ize
[krt’l z] (past car·tel·ized,
past participle car·tel·ized, present participle car·tel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular car·tel·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

form a cartel:
to form a cartel of business companies or political groups • The
market leaders had every incentive to cartelize.[1]



carter

carter
car·ter
[krtər] (plural cart·ers) noun

somebody operating cart:
somebody who uses a cart for transporting goods or for farm work[1]



Carter,Angela

Carter,Angela
Car·ter
[krtər], Angela (1940–1992)

English writer. Her novels
include The Magic Toyshop ( 1967 ), Nights at the Circus ( 1984
), and Wise Children ( 1991 ).[1]



Carteret,George

Carteret,George
Car·ter·et 
[krtərət], Sir George (1610?–1680)

British-born U.S. absentee
colonial administrator. He was granted part of present-day New Jersey (1664) by
King Charles II.[1]



Carter,Jimmy

Carter,Jimmy

Car·ter
[krtər], Jimmy (1924– )
U.S.
statesman and 39th president of the United States. As president (1977–1981) he
negotiated the Panama Canal Treaty (1978) and the Camp David accords between
Israel and Egypt (1978–1979).
Full name
James Earl Carter, Jr.[1]



Cartesian

Cartesian
Car·te·sian 
[kaar tzh’n] adjective

relating
to Descartes: relating to the 17th-century French
philosopher René Descartes, or his philosophical or mathematical writings or
theories
noun
(plural Carte·sians)

believer
in Descartes’s work: a supporter of Descartes’s
philosophical or mathematical theories and systems
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin Cartesianus, from Cartesius, the Latinized form of Descartes .][1]



Cartesiancoordinate

Cartesiancoordinate
Car·te·sian
co·or·di·nate (plural Car·te·sian
co·or·di·nates) noun

1.  number
showing position of point on plane: one
of a pair of coordinates giving the location of a point on a plane, relative to
an origin and two perpendicular axes

2.  number
showing position of point in space: one
of three coordinates giving the location of a point in space, relative to an
origin and three mutually perpendicular planes

[1]



Cartesianism

Cartesianism
Car·te·sian·ism
[kaar tzh’n ìzzəm] noun

Descartes’s philosophy:
the philosophy of René Descartes, especially his belief in a distinction
between the observing mind and the observed world[1]



Cartesianplane

Cartesianplane
Car·te·sian
plane
(plural Car·te·sian planes) noun

plane defined by Cartesian
coordinates: a plane having all
points defined by Cartesian coordinates[1]



Cartesianproduct

Cartesianproduct
Car·te·sian
prod·uct
(plural Car·te·sian prod·ucts) noun

product of elements from two
sets: a set of all the pairs of
elements from two sets that have their first element from the first set and the
second from the second set[1]



Carthage

Carthage
Car·thage 
[krthij]

site
of an ancient city, founded by the Phoenicians on the northern coast of Africa
in 814 BC . The site is now in a
suburb of Tunis, capital of Tunisia.
—Car·tha·gin·i·an [krthə jínnee ən] (plural Car·tha·gin·i·ans),
noun, adjective[1]



Carthusian

Carthusian
Car·thu·sian 
[kaar thzh’n] noun (plural Car·thu·sians)

member
of austere religious order: a member of a Catholic order
of monks and nuns founded in Roman France early in the 11th century, who live
by strict rules and in great austerity
adjective

of
Carthusians: relating to the order of Carthusian s
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin Carthusianus, from Carthusia, the Latin name of Chartreuse
in southern France, where the order’s first monastery was built.][1]



Cartier,George-Étienne

Cartier,George-Étienne
Car·tier 
[krt yáy, krtee
ày], Sir George-Étienne (1814–1873)

Canadian politician and
railway magnate. He was prime minister of Canada (1858–1862).[1]



CartierIsland

CartierIsland
Car·tier
Is·land
[krtee áy lənd]

small uninhabited island off
the northern coast of Western Australia[1]



Cartier,Jacques

Cartier,Jacques

Car·tier
[krt yáy, krtee
ày], Jacques (1491–1557)
French navigator. He was the first
European to explore and chart the St. Lawrence River (1534).[1]



cartilage

cartilage
car·ti·lage 
[krt’lij] (plural car·ti·lag·es)
noun

strong
elastic tissue in body: the tough elastic tissue
that is found in the nose, throat, and ear and in other parts of the body and
forms most of the skeleton in infancy, changing to bone during growth.
Also
called
gristle
[15th century. Via French
from Latin cartilago .][1]



cartilageof Santorini

cartilageof Santorini
car·ti·lage
of San·tor·i·ni noun

See
corniculate cartilage[1]



cartilaginous

cartilaginous
car·ti·lag·i·nous 
[krt’l ájjinəss] adjective

1.  of
or like cartilage: resembling, made of, or
relating to cartilage

2.  with
more cartilage than bone: having a skeleton composed
mostly of cartilage

[1]



cartilaginousfish

cartilaginousfish
car·ti·lag·i·nous
fish
(plural car·ti·lag·i·nous fish or car·ti·lag·i·nous
fish·es) noun

fish with skeleton of
cartilage: a fish with a skeleton made
entirely of cartilage. Shark, rays, and ratfish are cartilaginous fish. Class:
Chondrichthyes[1]



Cartland,Dame Barbara

Cartland,Dame Barbara
Cart·land
[krtlənd], Dame Barbara (1901– )

English
novelist. She has written more than 400 books, mostly popular romances.
Born
Hamilton, Mary Barbara[1]



cartload

cartload
cart·load 
[krt ld] (plural cart·loads)
noun

transportable contents of
cart: the amount that a cart can
carry[1]



cartogram

cartogram
car·to·gram 
[krtə gràm] (plural car·to·grams)
noun

map
showing statistics: a diagrammatic map showing
the population and other statistics of a region
[Late 19th century. From
French cartogramme, from carte “map.”][1]



cartographer

cartographer
car·tog·ra·pher 
[kaar tóggrəfər] (plural car·tog·ra·phers)
noun

mapmaker:
somebody who makes maps[1]



cartographic

cartographic
car·to·graph·ic
[krtə gráffik] or car·to·graph·i·cal
[krtə gráffik’l] adjective

1.  of
maps:
relating to maps • cartographic design

2.  in
map form:
in the form of a map • cartographic
representation
—car·to·graph·i·cal·ly
[krtə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



cartography

cartography
car·tog·ra·phy 
[kaar tóggrəfee] noun

mapmaking:
the science, skill, or work of making maps
[Mid-19th century. From
French cartographie, from carte “map.”][1]



cartomancy

cartomancy
car·to·man·cy
[krtə mànsee] noun

fortune
telling with cards: fortune telling by using
playing cards
[Late 19th century. From
French cartomancie, from carte “card” (see card 1 ).][1]



carton

carton
car·ton 
[krt’n] noun (plural car·tons)

1.  cardboard
box:
a cardboard box in which something, for example, merchandise, movable property,
or mail, is packaged

2.  plastic
or cardboard container: a container made of plastic
or waxed cardboard in which food or drink is sold

3.  contents
of container: the various contents, for example, juice
or milk, contained in a carton
transitive
verb
(past car·toned, past participle car·toned, present
participle car·ton·ing, 3rd person present singular car·tons)

put something in carton:
to put something in a carton • Most
of our milk is sold cartoned.
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Italian cartone (see cartoon
).][1]



cartoon

cartoon
car·toon 
[kaar tn] (plural car·toons) noun

1.  animated
film from drawings: an animated film made up of
drawings that are photographed and projected in sequence so that the figures in
them appear to move, especially a humorous film intended primarily for children

2.  sequence
of drawings: a sequence of drawings that tell a short
story, published in a newspaper or magazine

3.  satirical
drawing:
a humorous drawing published in a newspaper or magazine and commenting on a
topical event or theme

4.  humorous
drawing:
a humorous drawing published in a newspaper or magazine, intended to entertain
and often accompanied by a caption

5.  preparatory
drawing:
a drawing done, often in great detail, as a preliminary version of a painting
or other art
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian cartone, literally “pasteboard”(on which artists’ preparatory
drawings were made), from, ultimately, Latin c(h)arta (see card 1 ).][1]



cartoonish

cartoonish
car·toon·ish 
[kaar tnish] or car·toon·y [kaar tnee] adjective

like
a cartoon:
resembling a humorous or animated cartoon
—car·toon·ish·ly, adverb[1]



cartoonist

cartoonist
car·toon·ist 
[kaar tnist] (plural car·toon·ists)
noun

somebody who draws cartoons:
somebody who draws cartoons for animated films or for newspapers or magazines[1]



cartoony

cartoony
car·toon·y
adjective

See
cartoonish[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cartop

cartop
car·top 
[kr tòp] adjective

fitting on car’s roof:
attached to or designed to be carried on a car’s roof[1]



cartophily

cartophily
car·toph·i·ly 
[kaar tóffilee] noun

collecting
cigarette cards: collecting cigarette cards as a hobby
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from French carte “card” or Italian carta +
-phily .]
—car·toph·i·list, noun[1]



cartouche

cartouche

car·touche 
[kaar tsh] (plural car·touch·es)
noun

1.  casing
for gunpowder: the paper casing of a firework or
cartridge

2.  decorative
panel:
a decorative panel in the form of a frame or unrolled scroll, sometimes
containing writing forming an artistic or architectural feature

3.  frame
for name:
an oval or oblong shape containing writing, especially one containing a king’s
name in Egyptian hieroglyphics
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Italian cartoccio “paper cornet,” from carta
“paper.”][1]



cartridge

cartridge
car·tridge 
[krtrij] (plural car·tridg·es)
noun

1.  bullet’s
case:
a cylindrical case holding an explosive charge and a bullet or shot, which is
put into a gun

2.  container
with high explosives: a container used in blasting
that contains high explosives

3.  container
for liquid or powder: a container of liquid or
powder that is loaded into a device, for example, a removable ink container for
a pen or printer • toner cartridges

4.  case
for loading something into machine: a
plastic case containing something that is loaded into a device, for example,
photographic film, a typewriter ribbon, a cassette, or a set of computer disks

5.  part
of hi-fi pickup: the part of the arm of a record player
that holds the needle
[Late 16th century.
Anglicization of French cartouche (see cartouche
).][1]



cartridgebelt

cartridgebelt
car·tridge
belt
(plural car·tridge belts) noun

bullet-holding belt:
a belt that holds gun cartridges or cartridge clips[1]



cartridgecase

cartridgecase
car·tridge
case
(plural car·tridge cas·es) noun

gun cartridge casing:
the casing of a gun cartridge[1]



cartridgeclip

cartridgeclip
car·tridge
clip
(plural car·tridge clips) noun

automatic gun’s
bullet-holder: a container for
bullets, loaded directly into an automatic weapon[1]



cartridgepen

cartridgepen
car·tridge
pen
(plural car·tridge pens) noun

pen with removable ink
cartridge: a pen that holds a
replaceable ink cartridge[1]



carttrack

carttrack
cart
track
(plural cart tracks) noun

U.K.
farm road:
a rough track or narrow unsurfaced road used by farm vehicles[1]



cartulary

cartulary
car·tu·lar·y 
[krchə lèrree] (plural car·tu·lar·ies)
noun

1.  set
of official records: a collection of official
records, especially those relating to a large estate or a religious community

2.  place
for records: a room or building where official
records are kept
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin c(h)artularium, from Latin c(h)artula “document,”
from c(h)arta (see card 1 ).][1]



cartwheel

cartwheel
cart·wheel 
[krt hwl] noun (plural cart·wheels)

1.  acrobatic
movement:
an acrobatic movement in which the body is turned sideways onto the hands, then
over onto the feet again

2.  U.K.
wooden
wheel of cart: a large wooden spoked wheel for a cart

3.  large
coin:
a large coin, especially a silver dollar (dated)
intransitive
verb
(past cartwheeled, past participle cartwheeled, present
participle cartwheel·ing, 3rd person present singular cart·wheels)

do cartwheel: to
perform a cartwheel • The
motorcycle, struck from behind, cartwheeled into the median strip.

[1]



cartwright

cartwright
cart·wright
[krt rt] (plural cart·wrights)
noun

maker of carts:
somebody who makes carts[1]



Cartwright,John

Cartwright,John
Cart·wright
[krt rt], John (1740–1824)

British politician and
reformer. He campaigned for the abolition of slavery and against British
taxation in North America.[1]



Cartwright,Peter

Cartwright,Peter
Cart·wright
[krt rt], Peter (1785–1872)

U.S. preacher. A Methodist
Episcopal clergyman, he delivered lively sermons throughout the Midwest.[1]



caruncle

caruncle
ca·run·cle 
[kə rúngk’l] (plural ca·run·cles)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fleshy
growth:
a fleshy growth on the head or body, for example, a rooster’s comb

2.  BOTANY growth
on plant:
a colored outgrowth of tissue in some types of seed near the point of
attachment to the plant
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete French from Latin caruncula “small piece of
flesh,” from caro (see carrion ).]
—ca·run·cu·lar,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·late,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·lat·ed,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·lous, adjective[1]



caruncle

caruncle
ca·run·cle 
[kə rúngk’l] (plural ca·run·cles)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fleshy
growth:
a fleshy growth on the head or body, for example, a rooster’s comb

2.  BOTANY growth
on plant:
a colored outgrowth of tissue in some types of seed near the point of
attachment to the plant
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete French from Latin caruncula “small piece of
flesh,” from caro (see carrion ).]
—ca·run·cu·lar,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·late,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·lat·ed,
adjective

—ca·run·cu·lous, adjective[1]



Caruso,Enrico

Caruso,Enrico


Ca·ru·so 
[kə rssō], Enrico (1873–1921)
Italian operatic tenor. A powerful singer
and actor, he appeared in the operas of Verdi and Puccini.[1]



carvacrol

carvacrol
car·va·crol 
[krvə kròl] noun

minty
plant extract used in flavorings: an oily liquid with
the smell of mint obtained from herbs such as savory, oregano, and thyme, used
in flavorings, perfumes, and as a disinfectant
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from modern Latin (Carum) carvi “caraway” + Latin acer “sharp” + -ol .][1]



carve

carve
carve 
[kaarv] (past carved, past
participle carved, present participle carv·ing, 3rd
person present singular carves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something by cutting and shaping: to make an object or
design by cutting and shaping a hard material such as wood or stone • statues
carved from marble • I
remembered carving her name on a tree, years ago.

2.  transitive
verb
cut
substance to make something: to cut and shape a material
such as wood or stone in order to make an object or design

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
meat:
to cut cooked meat into slices

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
shape by natural force: to make a shape by an
eroding action • dunes carved into strange
shapes by the wind
[Old English ceorfan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to scratch.”][1]



carvel

carvel
car·vel
noun

See
caravel[1]



carvel-built

carvel-built
car·vel-built 
[krv’l bìlt, kr
vel bìlt] adjective

with
planks not overlapping: used to describe a boat or
ship made of planks of wood with their edges flush, not overlapping
[Late 18th century. Via
French caravelle and Portuguese caravela “small ship” from,
ultimately, Greek karabos “light ship, crayfish.”][1]



carven

carven
carv·en 
[krv’n] adjective

carved:
carved (archaic or literary) • thrones
of carven onyx • Let
the decree be carven in stone.
[14th century. Old past
participle of carve, revived in the 19th
century.][1]



carveout

carveout
carve
out
transitive verb

make something by working
hard: to make or achieve something
through sustained hard work • With
unrelenting energy and ambition she had carved out a niche for herself in the
world of investigative journalism.[1]



carver

carver
carv·er
[krvər] (plural carv·ers) noun

1.  meat
knife:
a knife for slicing cooked meat

2.  somebody
or something that carves: a person or device that
carves meat

3.  FURNITURE dining
chair with arms: a dining chair with arms designed to
stand at the head of the table

[1]



Carver,George Washington

Carver,George Washington

Car·ver 
[krvər], George Washington (1864–1943)
U.S. botanist. He was noted for his
research into the industrial uses of the peanut, soybean, and sweet potato. He
invented “Carver’s hybrid” cotton.[1]



carvers

carvers
carv·ers
[krvər] plural noun

meat-cutting implements:
a large knife and fork for carving meat[1]



carveup

carveup
carve
up
transitive verb

1.  divide
something up: to divide something, or ownership of
something, into rough or crude parts (informal) • Their
intention was to invade and carve up the kingdom among themselves.

2.  injure
somebody with knife: to wound somebody with a
blade (slang)

[1]



carving

carving
carv·ing 
[krving] (plural carv·ings) noun

1.  something
made by cutting wood: an object or design formed
by cutting and shaping a material, for example, wood or stone • The
walls were covered with carvings depicting gods and heroes.

2.  act
of carving something: the work or act of carving
something • The
carving of the panels was exquisite.

[1]



carvingknife

carvingknife
carv·ing
knife
noun

large knife for meat:
a large knife for slicing meat[1]



carwash

carwash
car
wash
(plural car washes) noun

1.  place
where vehicles are washed: a site, often a tunnel-like
building with drive-through conveyors, where motor vehicles are washed
automatically by machine or can be washed manually

2.  equipment
for washing vehicles: a shed or structure for
washing motor vehicles automatically with revolving brushes and jets of water

[1]



caryatid

caryatid
car·y·at·id 
[kèrree áttid, kérree
ə tìd] (plural car·y·at·ids or car·y·at·i·des
[kèrri átti dz]) noun

female-shaped
supporting pillar: a column in the shape of a
draped female figure supporting a structure such as the frieze or porch of a
classical Greek temple
[Mid-16th
century. Via French caryatide and Latin caryatides from Greek karuatides,
literally “maidens of Karuai”(now Caryae in southern Greece), the name given to
the priestesses of Artemis there.]
—car·y·at·i·dal,
adjective

—car·y·at·i·de·an
[kèrri atti d ən, kèrri
ə tíddee ən], adjective

—car·y·a·tid·ic [kèrri ə tíddik], adjective[1]



caryopsis

caryopsis
car·y·op·sis 
[kèrree ópsiss] (plural car·y·op·ses
[kèrree óp sz] or car·y·op·si·des
[kèrree ópsi dz]) noun

seed
of grass:
a dry fruit that looks like a seed, borne by grasses and cereal crops such as
wheat
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek karuon “nut” + opsis
“appearance.”][1]



CAS

CAS
CAS

Abbreviation of
Certificate of Advanced Study[1]



CASA

CASA
CASA

Abbreviation of
Court-Appointed Special Advocate[1]



casaba

casaba

ca·sa·ba 
[kə sbə] (plural ca·sa·bas) noun
white-fleshed
melon:
a winter melon similar to the honeydew and cantaloupe, with whitish flesh.
Latin name: Cucumis melo inodorus
[Late 19th century. Named
after Kasaba (now Turgutlu), a city in western Turkey.][1]



Casablanca

Casablanca
Cas·a·blan·ca 
[kàssə blángkə, kssə
blngkə]

largest city and chief port
in Morocco. It is situated on the Atlantic coast, about 80 km/50 mi southwest
of Rabat. Population: 2,943,000 (1993) Arabic Dar el-Beida[1]



CasaGrande

CasaGrande
Ca·sa
Gran·de
[kssə grndee, kssə
grnday, kàssə grándee]

city in southern Arizona,
south of Mesa, near the Santa Cruz River. Population: 21,314 (1996)[1]



Casals,Pablo

Casals,Pablo

Ca·sals 
[kə sálz], Pablo (1876–1973)
Spanish cellist and composer. He was
widely regarded as the greatest cellist of his generation.[1]



Casanova

Casanova
Cas·a·no·va 
[kàssə nṓvə] (plural Cas·a·no·vas)
noun

promiscuous
or predatory man: a charming seducer of women who moves
quickly from one casual relationship to another, or who constantly pesters
women in his pursuits
[Early 20th century. Named
after the Italian adventurer Giovanni Jacopo Casanova
.][1]



Casanova,Giovanni Jacopo

Casanova,Giovanni Jacopo

Ca·sa·no·va 
[kàssə nṓvə], Giovanni Jacopo, Chevalier de
Seingalt (1725–1798)
Italian adventurer and author. He was a
soldier, diplomat, and spy whose amorous reputation rests on his 12-volume History
of My Life ( 1826–1838 ).[1]



casbah

casbah
cas·bah 
[káz b] (plural cas·bahs) or
kas·bah [káz b] (plural kas·bahs)
noun

1.  n
African fortress: a fortress or palace in any of various N
African cities or towns

2.  older
district:
the older part of a city or town in North Africa or the Middle East, which is
often where the markets are situated
[Via French casbah,
from Arabic qaṣbah “fortress”][1]



cascade

cascade
cas·cade 
[ka skáyd] noun (plural cas·cades)

1.  waterfall:
a small waterfall or series of waterfalls

2.  flowing
liquid:
a fast downward flow of liquid or small objects

3.  hanging
mass:
a flowing mass of something that hangs down or lies along a surface • The
bride carried a cascade of roses and baby’s breath.

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING PHYSICS succession:
a succession of things, for example, chemical reactions or elements in an
electrical circuit, each of which activates, affects, or determines the next
verb
(past cas·cad·ed, past participle cas·cad·ed, present
participle cas·cad·ing, 3rd person present singular cas·cades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow:
to flow fast and in large amounts, or to cause something to flow this way

2.  intransitive
verb
hang
or lie:
to hang or lie in a flowing mass (literary) • Fine
lace ruffles cascaded from his throat and sleeves.

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING arrange
windows to overlap: to arrange the windows on a
computer screen so that they overlap, with the title bar of each visible
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian cascata, from, ultimately, Latin cadere (see case 1 ).][1]



CascadeRange

CascadeRange
Cas·cade
Range

range of mountains in the
western United States, and the northern continuation of the Sierra Nevada
range. Its highest peak is Mount Rainier. Height: 4,392 m/14,410 ft. Length:
1,130 km/700 mi.[1]



cascadingmenu

cascadingmenu
cas·cad·ing
men·u
(plural cas·cad·ing menus) noun

COMPUTING
submenu in program:
a menu in a computer program that opens when you select a choice from another
menu[1]



cascadura

cascadura
cas·ca·du·ra 
[kàskə drə] (plural cas·ca·du·ras
or cas·ca·du·ra) or cas·ca·doo [kàskə d] (plural cas·ca·doos or
cas·ca·doo) noun

Caribbean
small
bony fish:
a small bony edible freshwater fish with thick scales that is considered a
delicacy. According to a local legend, those who eat the cascadura will always
return to Trinidad.
[From Spanish casca
“shell” + Spanish dura “hard”][1]



cascara

cascara
cas·car·a 
[ka skérrə] (plural cas·car·as)
or cas·car·a buck·thorn [ka skérrə]
(plural cas·car·a buck·thorns) noun

1.  N
American shrub: a shrub or small tree of the
northwestern United States. Latin name: Rhamnus purshiana

2.  See
cascara sagrada
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of cascara sagrada .][1]



cascarasagrada

cascarasagrada
cas·car·a
sa·gra·da 
[ka skèrrə sə grdə] noun

dried
bark:
the dried bark of the cascara shrub or tree, formerly used as a strong laxative
but no longer prescribed medically.
Also
called
cascara
[From Spanish, literally
“sacred bark”][1]



cascarilla

cascarilla
cas·ca·ril·la 
[kàskə ríllə, kàskə
r ə] (plural cas·ca·ril·las) noun

1.  aromatic
bark:
an aromatic bark formerly used in medicine

2.  W
Indian shrub: a West Indian shrub from which
cascarilla is obtained. Latin name: Croton eluteria
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, literally “small cascara” (see cascara
sagrada ).][1]



CASE

CASE
CASE
[kayss]

1.  Abbreviation
of
computer-aided software engineering

2.  Abbreviation
of
computer-aided systems engineering

[1]



case

case1
case1 [kayss]
noun (plural cas·es)

1.  circumstance:
a situation or set of circumstances • I
don’t think the usual rules apply in this case. • Sometimes
anxiety causes weight loss, but that’s not the case here.

2.  instance:
an instance or example of something • This
is nothing more than a case of mistaken identity.

3.  something
examined or investigated: a subject of investigation
or scrutiny by a professional person, for example, a doctor or police officer

4.  actual
fact:
what happens in reality or fact • The
case is that the witness has lied under oath.

5.  problem:
a matter in question or a problem • The
case here is simply a matter of excessive expenditures, isn’t it?

6.  LAW something
examined in law court: a matter examined or judged
in a court of law • It’ll be some weeks
before your case comes to trial.

7.  LAW arguments:
a set of arguments and evidence that supports a legal claim in court • He
presented his case calmly and with skill.

8.  argument
for or against: an argument for or against something • You
can make a good case for holding a referendum.

9.  GRAMMAR grammatical
form of word: a form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective
that indicates its syntactical relation to surrounding words

10. kind
of person:
somebody of a particular kind or in a particular condition, especially an
unfortunate one (informal) • He’s a
hopeless case.

11. odd
person:
an odd or eccentric person (informal)
transitive
verb
(past cased, past participle cased, present
participle cas·ing, 3rd person present singular cas·es)

inspect place:
to assess or survey a place with a view to robbing it (slang)
[13th
century. Via Old French cas “event” from Latin casus, from cadere
“to fall” (source also of English cadence
and cascade ).]
a
case in point

a
relevant example • A case in point for our
discussion is the steady drop in unit sales.

be
on somebody’s case

to
persist in pestering somebody to do something (slang)

get
off somebody’s case

to
stop pestering somebody to do something (slang) • Please
get off my case! I’ll finish mowing the lawn later.

in
any case

1.  taking
into account everything said or done before

2.  regardless
of that

in
case of something

if
something happens • In case of fire, leave
by the nearest exit.

(just)
in case

1.  in
preparation for an event that may possibly happen • Take
your umbrella, just in case.

2.  used
to introduce a piece of information and to explain your reason for giving it • In
case you’re unaware of the fact, this is a nonsmoking area.

[1]



case

case2
case2 [kayss]
noun (plural cas·es)

1.  holder
or outer covering: something that serves as a
container or covering

2.  container:
a container with its contents • bought
a case of soft drinks

3.  piece
of baggage:
an item of baggage, especially a suitcase

4.  PRINTING kind
of printed character: the function of a printed
character as a capital or small letter

5.  ARCHITECTURE See casing  noun 2

6.  PRINTING tray
holding printing type: in hot-metal printing, a
tray with compartments into which individual printing blocks are slotted

7.  pair:
a pair, especially of pistols

8.  See
casing  noun 3
transitive
verb
(past cased, past participle cased, present
participle cas·ing, 3rd person present singular cas·es)

put covering around something:
to enclose something in a covering
[13th century. Via Old French
dialect casse from Latin capsa “box,” from capere “to
hold” (source of English capacious, capable, and occupy
).][1]



casease

casease
ca·se·ase
[káyssee àyss, káyssi
àyz] noun

enzyme
in dairy products: an enzyme formed by certain
bacteria that aids the breakdown of casein and is used in cheese ripening
[20th century. From casein + -ase
.][1]



caseate

caseate
ca·se·ate 
[káyssee àyt] (past ca·se·at·ed,
past participle ca·se·at·ed, present participle ca·se·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·se·ates) intransitive verb

undergo
caseation:
to undergo caseation
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from caseation .][1]



caseation

caseation
ca·se·a·tion 
[kàyssee áysh’n] noun

degeneration
of dead tissue: the process by which dead tissue decays
into a firm and dry mass, characteristic of tuberculosis
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin caseatio, from Latin caseus “cheese.”][1]



casebearer

casebearer
case·bear·er
[káyss bàirər] (plural case·bear·ers)
noun

insect with encased larvae:
an insect whose larvae form a protective case around themselves[1]



casebook

casebook
case·book 
[káyss bk] (plural case·books)
noun

1.  record
of cases dealt with: a record of legal or medical
cases and their conduct

2.  scholarly
collection:
a collection of academic writings on a subject

[1]



casedglass

casedglass
cased
glass
or case glass noun

colored layered glass:
decorative glass consisting of several colored layers with some areas cut away
in different patterns[1]



casefy

casefy
ca·se·fy
[káyssi f] (past ca·se·fied, past
participle ca·se·fied, present participle ca·se·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·se·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

develop
the consistency of cheese: to develop, or cause
something to develop, a soft consistency like that of cheese
[20th century. Formed from
Latin caseus “cheese.”][1]



caseglass

caseglass
case
glass
noun

See
cased glass[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








casegoods

casegoods
case
goods
plural noun

1.  merchandise
sold in bulk: merchandise often sold in multiple
packs, for example, beer or fruit juice

2.  boxlike
furniture:
types of furniture that have a boxlike structure, for example, bureaus, and
that provide storage space
noun

furniture sold as sets:
bedroom or dining-room furniture that is sold as sets

[1]



casegrammar

casegrammar
case
gram·mar
noun

grammatical system:
a system of grammar that analyzes sentences in terms of the semantic relation
of the noun or noun phrase and other elements to the main verb[1]



caseharden

caseharden
case·hard·en 
[káyss hrd’n] (past case·hard·ened,
past participle case·hard·ened, present participle case·hard·en·ing,
3rd person present singular case·hard·ens) transitive verb

1.  harden
iron:
to harden the surface of an iron alloy by heating and then cooling in water

2.  harden
somebody’s attitude: to make somebody
unsympathetic or unfeeling as a result of extended dealing with difficult and
distressing problems

[1]



casehistory

casehistory
case
his·to·ry
noun

1.  record
of treatment: a record of somebody’s medical or social
history kept by a doctor or social worker

2.  record
of what happened: a record of how an issue or problem has
been dealt with, consulted as a guide to how to handle it or similar events in
the future • He
researched the case histories of earlier attempts at farming on that river.

[1]



casein

casein
ca·sein 
[kay sn, káysee
in] noun

protein
from which cheese is made: a protein formed in milk by
the action of rennin or another agent, which is the main constituent of cheese.
It is also used in plastics, adhesives, and paints.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin caseus “cheese.”][1]



caseinate

caseinate
ca·sein·ate
[kay s nàyt, káyssee
ə nàyt] (plural ca·sein·ates) noun

casein salt:
a casein salt formed by compounding casein with a metal such as calcium or
sodium[1]



caseinogen

caseinogen
ca·sein·o·gen
[kay snəjən, kàyssee
ínnəjən] (plural ca·sein·o·gens) noun

main protein in milk:
the main protein in milk, from which casein is formed[1]



caseknife

caseknife
case
knife
noun

1.  table
knife:
a table knife

2.  sheath
knife:
a sheath knife (archaic)

[1]



caselaw

caselaw
case
law
noun

law decided by precedent:
law established on the basis of previous verdicts, rather than law established
by legislation[1]



caseload

caseload
case·load 
[káyss ld] (plural case·loads)
noun

number of cases handled:
the number of cases to be dealt with, for example, by a doctor or a lawyer, at
a particular time[1]



casemate

casemate
case·mate 
[káyss màyt] (plural case·mates)
noun

fortified
artillery compartment: a fortified compartment on
an old sailing ship or a rampart, where a cannon was mounted
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Italian casamatta, of unknown origin.][1]



casement

casement

case·ment 
[káyssmənt] (plural case·ments)
noun

1.  hinged
window:
a window that opens on hinges, as distinct from one that slides up and down

2.  an
encasement or covering
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Latin cassimentum, from, ultimately, Latin capsa (see case 2 ).
Originally in the meaning “hollow molding.”][1]



caseose

caseose
ca·se·ose 
[káyssi ss] (plural ca·se·os·es)
noun

digestive
chemical:
a chemical produced in the digestion of cheese
[20th century. Formed from
Latin caseus “cheese.”][1]



caseous

caseous
ca·se·ous 
[káyssee əss] adjective

dry
and diseased: used to describe firm, dry diseased
tissue that has undergone caseation
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin caseus “cheese.”][1]



casern

casern
ca·sern
[kə zúrn] (plural ca·serns) or
ca·serne [kə zúrn] (plural ca·sernes)
noun

barracks:
a barracks, especially a temporary one
[Late 17th century. Via
French caserne from, ultimately, Latin quarterna “hut for four.”][1]



caseshot

caseshot
case
shot
(plural case shots) noun

shrapnel shell:
an old kind of cannon shell containing shrapnel[1]



casestudy

casestudy
case
stud·y
noun

1.  study
of situation: an analysis of a particular case or
situation used as a basis for drawing conclusions in similar situations

2.  record
of treatment: a record of somebody’s problems and how
they were dealt with, especially by a doctor or social worker

[1]



casesystem

casesystem
case
sys·tem
noun

law taught with concentration
on cases: the teaching of law through
the study of important and representative cases rather than by studying theory[1]



casework

casework
case·work 
[káyss wùrk] noun

assigning of clients to
social workers: a system of making a
social worker responsible for particular clients on a long-term basis[1]



caseworker

caseworker
case·work·er
[káyss wùrkər] (plural case·work·ers)
noun

social worker:
a professional social worker who is assigned a number of clients on a long-term
basis[1]



cash

cash1
cash1 [kash]
noun

1.  coins
and bills:
money in the form of coins and bills as distinct from money orders or credit

2.  currency
or checks:
money used as immediate payment in any form, for example, currency or checks (informal)
transitive
verb
(past cashed, past participle cashed, present
participle cash·ing, 3rd person present singular cash·es)

exchange something for currency:
to exchange a check or money order for coins and bills • You
can cash your paycheck at the bank.
[Late
16th century. Directly or via obsolete French casse from Italian cassa
“money-box, money,” from Latin capsa (see case 2 ).]
—cash·able,
adjective
cash
on the barrelhead or barrel

money paid at the time
something is purchased • You
could buy the furniture on credit but it would be cheaper to pay cash on the
barrelhead.[1]



cash

cash2
cash2 [kash]
(plural cash) noun

small
Asian coin:
any of several former small Asian coins of low value
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese caixa from Tamil kācu .][1]



cash-and-carry

cash-and-carry
cash-and-car·ry
noun (plural cash-and-car·ries)

1.  inexpensive
store:
a store selling inexpensive goods that are paid for in cash and taken away by
the buyer

2.  policy
of selling without delivery service: a
policy of selling items for cash with no delivery service to customers
adjective

cash-only and without delivery:
sold, or operating, on a basis of cash-only payments by buyers who take their
goods away at the time of purchase

[1]



cashbar

cashbar
cash
bar
(plural cash bars) noun

bar selling drinks at social
function: a bar at a large party or
reception at which drinks have to be paid for individually[1]



cashbook

cashbook
cash·book 
[kásh bk] (plural cash·books)
noun

financial record:
a book for keeping a record of money spent and received[1]



cashbox

cashbox
cash
box
(plural cash box·es) noun

box in which money is kept:
a lockable box for cash, especially one holding the daily takings of a small
business[1]



cashcow

cashcow
cash
cow
(plural cash cows) noun

source of steady profit:
a profitable business or product with low overheads often used to fund other
businesses or investments (slang) • The
grocery chain has been their cash cow for years.[1]



cashcrop

cashcrop
cash
crop
(plural cash crops) noun

crop grown to sell:
a crop grown for direct sale rather than personal consumption[1]



cashdiscount

cashdiscount
cash
dis·count
(plural cash dis·counts) noun

price cut for cash payment:
a reduction in price offered to a buyer who can pay in cash or pay immediately[1]



cashew

cashew

cash·ew 
[ká sh] (plural cash·ews) noun

1.  TREES tropical
tree bearing edible nuts: a tropical American
evergreen tree grown for its edible nuts. Latin name: Anacardium occidentale

2.  FOOD See cashew nut
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi acajú .][1]



cashewapple

cashewapple
cash·ew
ap·ple
(plural cash·ew ap·ples) noun

fleshy stalk of nut:
the edible swollen stalk by which a cashew nut is attached to its stem, used to
make preserves[1]



cashewnut

cashewnut
cash·ew
nut
(plural cash·ew nuts) noun

kidney-shaped nut:
a kidney-shaped nut that grows on the tropical American cashew tree and is
edible when roasted.
Also called
cashew[1]



cashflow

cashflow
cash
flow
(plural cash flows) noun

1.  movement
of money received and spent: the pattern of income and
expenses, and its consequences for how much money is available at a given time

2.  company’s
money received and spent: the prediction or assessment
of a company’s income and expenditure over a period of time

[1]



cashier

cashier2
cash·ier2 [ka
shr] (past cash·iered, past participle cash·iered,
present participle cash·ier·ing, 3rd person present singular
cash·iers) transitive verb

dismiss
somebody from armed forces: to dismiss somebody from the
armed forces because of misconduct
[Early 16th century. Via
Middle Dutch kasseren “to disband (soldiers)” and French casser
“to break, dismiss” from Latin quassare (see quash
).][1]



cashier

cashier1
cashier1 [ka
shr] noun (plural cash·iers)

1.  bank
worker taking and paying money: somebody in a bank who
deals directly with customers and handles routine account transactions

2.  somebody
responsible for financial transactions: an
official in an organization who is responsible for receiving and paying out
money and keeping financial records
intransitive
verb
(past cashiered, past participle cashiered, present
participle cashier·ing, 3rd person present singular cash·iers)

work as cashier:
to work as a cashier, especially in a place of business such as a restaurant or
bar • Who’s
cashiering tonight? See checker
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via Dutch cassier from French caissier, from casse (see
cash 1 ).][1]



cashier’scheck

cashier’scheck
cash·ier’s
check 
(plural cash·ier’s checks) noun

cleared check issued by bank:
a guaranteed check issued by a bank against money taken from a customer’s
account or against cash provided for this purpose[1]



cashin

cashin
cash
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
what is owed: to withdraw from a business investment
such as an insurance policy and take the money that is due

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a lot of money: to make large amounts of money (slang)
• When
the stock was sold, she really cashed in.
cash
in your chips

1.  to
exit a gambling game (slang)

2.  to
stop what you are doing, for example, a task, and leave the site (slang)
• It’s
almost midnight; I’m cashing in my chips and going to bed.

3.  to
die (slang)

4.  to
commit suicide (slang)

[1]



cashin on

cashin on
cash
in on
transitive verb

profit from a situation:
to exploit a situation in order to get personal benefit, especially money • It
seemed that everyone who knew him wanted to cash in on his rise to fame.[1]



cashless

cashless
cash·less
[káshləss] adjective

not using cash:
using an electronic means of exchanging money instead of dealing in cash[1]



cashmachine

cashmachine
cash
ma·chine
(plural cash ma·chines) noun

U.K.
See ATM[1]



cashmere

cashmere
cash·mere 
[kázh mr, kásh
mr] noun

1.  goat’s
soft wool:
the soft wool from a Himalayan goat

2.  fabric
made from goat’s wool: a woolen fabric made from
cashmere

3.  imitation
of goat’s wool fabric: a soft woolen fabric
resembling the fabric made from cashmere
[Late 17th century. An early
spelling of Kashmir .][1]



cashmeregoat

cashmeregoat

cash·mere goat
(plural cash·mere goats) noun
goat reared for wool:
a Himalayan goat reared for the soft wool that grows under its coarse outer
coat[1]



cashon delivery

cashon delivery
cash
on de·liv·er·y adverb

requiring payment on delivery
of merchandise: with full payment for
ordered merchandise to be made by the buyer to the one delivering the goods • bought
the coat cash on delivery[1]



cashout

cashout
cash
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
asset to profit: to sell off an asset that has been held
for a long time, for example, land, in order to profit • He
finally decided to cash out and sell the land that had been in his family for
three generations.

2.  intransitive
verb
commit
suicide:
to commit suicide (slang)

[1]



cash-poor

cash-poor
cash-poor
adjective

not having money immediately
available: financially sound but having
little readily available cash[1]



cashratio

cashratio
cash
ra·tio
noun

bank’s ratio of cash to
deposits: the ratio that a bank must
maintain between available cash and total deposits[1]



cashregister

cashregister
cash
reg·is·ter
(plural cash reg·is·ters) noun

machine recording sales and
holding money: a machine in a store
that records sales, calculates totals, and has a drawer for money.
Also called
register[1]



cash-starved

cash-starved
cash-starved
adjective

having very little money:
having very little money or financial support[1]



cash-strapped

cash-strapped
cash-strapped
adjective

short of money:
having insufficient money (informal)[1]



casimere

casimere
cas·i·mere 
noun

See
cassimere[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CasimirIII, the Great

CasimirIII, the Great
Ca·si·mir
III
[kázzi meer], the Great, King of Poland
(1310–1370)

His reign (1333–1370) as the
“Peasants’ King” saw the introduction of fairer laws and peace through
diplomacy. He founded Cracow University (1354).[1]



casing

casing
cas·ing 
[káyssing] (plural cas·ings) noun

1.  outer
covering:
an outer covering, for example, the sheath of an electrical cable or the skin
of a sausage

2.  frame
for door or window: a frame containing a door,
window, or stairway.
Also
called
case

3.  liner
pipe in well: a liner pipe or tube in water, oil, or
gas wells.
Also
called
case

[1]



casino

casino
ca·si·no 
[kə snō] (plural ca·si·nos) noun

1.  gambling
establishment: a private club, or a room in a club,
hotel, or other establishment, where gambling takes place

2.  ca·si·no
or cas·si·no CARD GAMES
point-scoring
card game:
a point-scoring card game in which players combine cards exposed on the table
with cards in their hands, with the 10 of diamonds being the highest-valued
card
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “small house,” from, ultimately, Latin casa “house.”][1]



cask

cask
cask 
[kask] (plural casks) noun

1.  barrel
containing alcohol: a wooden barrel containing
alcoholic drink

2.  container
like a barrel: any barrel-like container, whether or
not of wood

3.  contents
of barrel:
the contents of a barrel or similar container

4.  See
flask  noun 6
[Early 16th century. Via
French casque or Spanish casco “helmet, skull” from, ultimately,
Latin quassare (see quash ).][1]



casket

casket
cas·ket 
[káskət] (plural cas·kets) noun

1.  alternative
for coffin

2.  fancy
box:
a decorative box for valuables
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French cassette (see cassette ).][1]



Casper

Casper
Cas·per 
[káspər]

city in east central Wyoming,
on the northern bank of the North Platte river. Population: 48,800 (1996)[1]



CaspianSea

CaspianSea
Cas·pi·an
Sea 
[kàspee ən s]

large landlocked salt lake
lying between southeastern Europe and Asia. It is the world’s largest inland
body of water. Area: 370,000 sq km/143,000 sq mi.[1]



casque

casque
casque 
[kask] (plural casques) noun

1.  knight’s
helmet:
a helmet from a suit of armor (archaic)

2.  ZOOLOGY growth
on animal’s head: a horny growth on the head of a bird,
fish or reptile, resembling a helmet
[Late
17th century. Via French from Spanish casco (see cask ).]
—casqued, adjective[1]



Cassandra

Cassandra
Cas·san·dra 
[kə sándrə] (plural Cas·san·dras)
noun

ignored
prophet of doom: somebody whose warnings of impending
disaster are ignored
[Early 17th century. Named
after Cassandra, the daughter of Priam, king of Troy, who was granted
the gift of prophecy by Apollo but was condemned never to be believed.][1]



cassata

cassata
cas·sa·ta
[kə stə] noun

1.  ice
cream with candied fruit: brightly colored Italian ice
cream containing nuts and candied fruit and layers or streaks of different
flavors

2.  Sicilian
cake with soft cheese: a Sicilian sponge cake,
layered and coated with sweet ricotta, flavored with candied fruit and chopped
chocolate, decorated with candied fruit, and eaten as a celebration cake or
dessert
[Early 20th century. From
Italian .][1]



cassation

cassation
cas·sa·tion 
[kə sáysh’n, ka
sáysh’n] (plural cas·sa·tions) noun

1.  court
of appeal:
a court of appeal in countries that follow the Napoleonic code of civil law

2.  MUSIC serenade
for instruments: an 18th-century instrumental work
similar in form to a divertimento
[15th century. Formed from
Latin cassare “to annul.”][1]



Cassatt,Mary

Cassatt,Mary

Cas·satt 
[kə sát], Mary (1844–1926)
U.S. artist. She is known for intimate
impressionist portraits of mothers with their children, such as The Bath
( 1891–1892 ).[1]



cassava

cassava

cas·sa·va 
[kə svə] noun
Also
called
manioc

1.  tropical
plant with edible root: a tropical plant with roots
that are edible after processing. Latin name: Manihot esculenta

2.  edible
root of plant: the root of the cassava plant, a large
thick-skinned tuber like the potato when boiled, that is eaten in many tropical
countries and is the source of tapioca. It is poisonous when raw and untreated.
[Mid-16th century. From Taino
casávi .][1]



Cassegrainiantelescope

Cassegrainiantelescope
Cas·se·grain·ian
tel·e·scope
[kassə gràynee ən téllə skp] (plural
Cas·se·grain·ian tel·e·scopes) noun

astronomical
telescope:
an astronomical telescope that uses a large concave mirror and a small convex
mirror to form an image
[Late 19th century. Named for
its inventor, the French astronomer Giovanni Cassegrain (1625–1712).][1]



casserole

casserole
cas·se·role 
[kássə rl] noun (plural cas·se·roles)

1.  cooked
dish:
a stew or other moist food dish, cooked slowly at a low heat in a covered pot
or dish

2.  cooking
pot:
a deep, heavy cooking pot suitable for use in an oven

3.  SCIENCE laboratory
container:
a porcelain container used for heating substances in a laboratory
transitive
verb
(past cas·se·roled, past participle cas·se·roled, present
participle cas·se·rol·ing, 3rd person present singular cas·se·roles)

cook food in liquid:
to cook food slowly at a low heat with liquid in a covered pot
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “small pan,” from casse “pan,” from, ultimately, Greek
kuathos “cup.”][1]



cassette

cassette
cas·sette 
[kə sét] (plural cas·settes) noun

1.  case
containing magnetic tape: a sealed plastic case
containing a length of audio or video tape wound around spools ready for use

2.  sealed
plastic case: a sealed plastic case containing
material for use in a machine, for example, photographic film or ribbon for a
printer
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “small box,” from casse (see cash 1 ).][1]



cassettedeck

cassettedeck
cas·sette
deck
(plural cas·sette decks) noun

audio-cassette-playing unit:
a tape deck that plays or records audio cassettes[1]



cassetteplayer

cassetteplayer
cas·sette
play·er
(plural cas·sette play·ers) noun

machine that only plays audio
cassettes: a machine that plays
cassettes, but does not record audio[1]



cassetterecorder

cassetterecorder
cas·sette
re·cord·er
(plural cas·sette re·cord·ers) noun

machine recording and playing
audio cassettes: a machine, especially a
portable one, that plays and records audio cassettes[1]



cassia

cassia
cas·sia 
[káshə] (plural cas·sias) noun

1.  tree
with scented bark: an evergreen Asian tree with
an aromatic bark. Latin name: Cinnamomum aromaticum

2.  aromatic
bark:
the bark of the cassia tree
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Hebrew qěṣī’āh .][1]



cassimere

cassimere
cas·si·mere
[kázzə mr, kássə
mr] or cas·i·mere [kázzə mr,
kássə mr] noun

suit
fabric:
a plain or twill woolen fabric used for making suits
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of cashmere .][1]



Cassinidivision

Cassinidivision
Cas·si·ni
di·vi·sion
[kə sni di vìzh’n, kaa
sni di vìzh’n] or Cas·si·ni’s di·vi·sion [kə sni di vìzh’n, kaa
sni di vìzh’n] noun

dark
area between Saturn’s rings: the dark area between the
two brightest rings, the middle and outermost, of Saturn
[Early 20th century. Named
for its discoverer Giovanni Domenico Cassini (1625–1712), Italian-born
French astronomer.][1]



cassino

cassino
cas·si·no
noun

See
casino  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia

Cas·si·o·pe·ia 
[kàssee ə p ə] noun
constellation in northern hemisphere:
a constellation shaped like the letter “W” in the sky of the northern
hemisphere near Polaris[1]



cassis

cassis
cas·sis 
[kə sss, ka
sss] noun

black
currant drink: a syrupy, usually alcoholic, cordial
made in France from black currants, often mixed with white wine to make kir
[Late 19th century. Via
French, “black currant,” from, probably, Latin cassia cassia .][1]



cassiterite

cassiterite
cas·sit·er·ite 
[kə síttə rt] noun

ore
of tin:
a dark-colored mineral found in igneous rocks that is an important ore of tin.
SnO2 
Also
called
tinstone
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kassiteros “tin” + -ite .][1]



Cass,Lewis

Cass,Lewis
Cass 
[kass], Lewis (1782–1866)

U.S. politician. He was
secretary of war (1831–1836) during the Seminole and Black Hawk wars and ran
unsuccessfully for U.S. president (1848).[1]



cassock

cassock

cas·sock 
[kássək] (plural cas·socks) noun
priest’s
robe:
a full-length, usually black, robe worn by priests, their assistants, and
singers in church choirs
[Mid-16th
century. Via French casaque “long coat” from Italian casacca
“riding coat,” perhaps from, ultimately, Turkic kazak “vagabond,
adventurer” (source of English Cossack
).]
—cas·socked, adjective[1]



cassoulet

cassoulet
cas·sou·let 
[kàssə láy] (plural cas·sou·lets)
noun

French
bean and mixed-meat stew: a French stew consisting of
white beans cooked in a casserole with pork, ham, sausage, or other meats and
topped with a browned crust of breadcrumbs
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “small stew pan, tureen,” from, ultimately, Greek kuathos
“cup, ladle” (source of English casserole
).][1]



cassowary

cassowary

cas·so·war·y 
[kássoo èrree] (plural cas·so·war·ies)
noun
flightless
bird:
a large black flightless bird of northeastern Australia and New Guinea that
resembles an ostrich or emu. It has colorful wattles and a large bony head
shield. Genus: Casuarius
[Early 17th century. From
Malay kesuari .][1]



cast

cast
cast 
[kast] verb (past cast,
past participle cast, present participle cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular casts)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
something or somebody: to throw something or
somebody, especially something that or somebody who is light in weight

2.  transitive
verb
throw
something ashore: to throw something up on the seashore • pieces
of driftwood that had been cast up by the incoming tide

3.  transitive
verb
fling
something down or away: to throw something away from
yourself, usually with force

4.  transitive
verb
ANGLING throw
bait, hook, or line: to throw a line, baited
hook, or fishing net into the water

5.  transitive
verb
cause
something to appear somewhere: to make something, for
example, light or shadow, appear in a place • The
bulb cast an eerie green glow over everything.

6.  transitive
verb
have
dispiriting effect: to introduce something that
reduces the enthusiasm, joy, or happiness of somebody or something • Her
mother’s absence cast a shadow over the wedding plans.

7.  transitive
verb
create
mistrust:
to generate a sense of uncertainty, distrust, or suspicion about something • an
accident that has cast doubt over the whole future of the project

8.  transitive
verb
direct
a look:
to direct the eyes or a look toward somebody or something, often in a
surreptitious, disapproving, or anxious manner • casting
a discreet glance at his watch

9.  transitive
verb
dismiss
something from the mind: to remove or banish
something from your mind deliberately, decisively, and often with difficulty (formal)

10. transitive
verb
put
somebody somewhere roughly: to put or throw somebody or
something somewhere, especially in a rough or brutal way (formal) • cast
into the dungeon

11. intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS select participants for
performance: to choose somebody for a particular role
in a drama, dance, or other performance, or choose people for all the roles in
a production • He
was badly cast as Othello.

12. transitive
verb
describe
somebody:
to classify or describe somebody in a particular way • I
seem to have been cast as the villain in this affair.

13. transitive
verb
MANUFACTURING form
something using mold: to pour something such as
molten metal or plaster into a mold and allow it to solidify, or make an object
in this way

14. transitive
verb
shed
something:
to shed something, for example, a skin • a
snake that had cast its skin

15. transitive
verb
drop
something:
to drop or lose something

16. transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING calculate
something:
to add something up or calculate something
noun
(plural casts)

1.  act
of throwing: the flinging, hurling, or throwing of
something, or an instance of that

2.  length
of throw:
the distance that something is thrown • a
20-yard cast of a harpoon

3.  ARTS performers:
the actors or other performers who play the parts in a drama, dance, or other
production

4.  MANUFACTURING molded
object:
an object that is made by pouring a molten substance, especially metal, into a
mold and leaving it to solidify so that it takes on the shape of the mold

5.  MANUFACTURING mold:
a container of a particular shape into which a molten substance, especially
metal, is poured and left to solidify

6.  MEDICINE support
for broken bone: a stiff casing made from plaster of
Paris or fiberglass that is used to hold a broken bone in place while it is
healing • He
came back with his leg in a cast.
See
also
plaster cast

7.  MANUFACTURING ARTS molten
impression:
an impression formed by pressing soft or molten material over or inside
something and letting it harden or dry • a
cast of the pianist’s hands

8.  GEOLOGY PALEONTOLOGY preserved sediment:
preserved sediment made by the infilling of an impression such as a footprint

9.  emotional
or psychological type: the nature or quality of
somebody’s character or mind

10. physical
type:
the nature or quality of somebody’s appearance • I
did not trust the sly cast of his face.

11. strabismus:
a defect that causes one eye to look permanently sideways

12. overspreading
of one thing onto another: the overspreading of
something, especially an added color, that results in modification of the hue
or general appearance of something else

13. tinge:
a general suggestion of something, for example, a color • The
mud gave a brown cast to the water.

14. ANGLING throw
of line or net: the throwing of a fishing line or net
into the water

15. ANGLING thrown
line or net: a fishing line or net that is thrown
into the water

16. GAMBLING GAME dice throw:
a throw of a die, or the number that has been thrown

17. BIOLOGY something
shed by organism: a part of an organism, for example, an
insect casing, a snake skin, or worm feces, that has been shed in a natural
recurring process
[12th
century. From Old Norse kasta “to throw,” of unknown origin. The
theatrical senses are 17th-century developments, apparently based on the
earlier meanings “a plan, design” and “to arrange, shape.”]
—cas·ta·bil·i·ty
[kàstə bíllətee], noun

—cast·a·ble
[kástəb’l], adjective  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



castanet

castanet


cas·ta·net 
[kàstə nét] (plural cas·ta·nets)
noun
rhythm
instrument held in hand: either of a pair of small
curved pieces of hard wood or plastic that are joined at the top and used to
make a rhythmic clicking sound. They are held in the palm of the hand and
tapped together, traditionally by Spanish flamenco dancers and musicians.
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish castañeta, literally “small chestnut,” from castaña
“chestnut” from Latin castanea (source of English chestnut ); from their likeness to chestnut
shells.][1]



castaround

castaround
cast
around
or cast a·bout intransitive verb

seek or devise:
to search for something or try to devise a solution to a problem[1]



castaside

castaside
cast
aside
transitive verb

1.  abandon
somebody or something: to reject and abandon
somebody or something regarded as no longer interesting or useful • You
can’t just cast him aside like that!

2.  reject
thought:
to abandon something, for example, a feeling or belief (formal) • You
must cast your doubts aside and trust in me.

[1]



castaway

castaway
cast·a·way 
[kástə wày] noun (plural cast·a·ways)

shipwrecked
person:
somebody who has been shipwrecked
adjective

shipwrecked:
shipwrecked or set adrift[1]



caste

caste
caste 
[kast] (plural castes) noun

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES Hindu
social class: any of the four main hereditary classes
( varnas ) into which Hindu society is divided and that dictate the social
position and status of people according to their professions

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES Hindu
class system: the Hindu system of organizing society into
hereditary classes

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES class
system:
any system that divides people into classes according to their rank, wealth, or
profession, or that of the family into which they were born

4.  social
class:
the class and rank or position of somebody in a society, based on birth,
occupation, or some other criterion

5.  INSECTS insect
rank:
a rank within a colony or hive of social insects such as ants or bees. Members
of a caste have a specialized role, for example, as a soldier or worker.
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese casta “unmixed,” from Latin castus “pure,
chaste” (source of English chaste and
incest )][1]



CastelGandolfo

CastelGandolfo
Cas·tel
Gan·dol·fo


village in Rome province,
Lazio Region, just south of Rome, Italy. It contains a palace that is the
summer residence of the Pope. Population: 6,952 (1993)[1]



castellan

castellan
cas·tel·lan 
[kástələn] (plural cas·tel·lans)
noun

castle
governor:
in former times, somebody who governed or managed a castle.
Also
called
chatelain
[14th century. Via Old
Northern French castelain from medieval Latin castellanus, from
Latin castellum (see castle ).][1]



castellated

castellated
cas·tel·lat·ed 
[kástə làytəd] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE with
battlements or serrated top edge: with battlements or a
serrated top edge like the walls of a castle

2.  indented
or serrated like battlements: with indented or serrated
edges resembling the top of a castle wall • an
ornate tablecloth with a castellated edge

3.  with
castle or castles: with a castle or castles as
part of the surroundings or landscape (literary) • the
castellated French countryside
[Late 17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin castellatus “having a castle,” from Latin castellum
(see castle ).][1]



CasteloBranco, Humberto

CasteloBranco, Humberto
Cas·tel·o
Bran·co
[kə stèllō brángkō], Humberto (1900–1967)

Brazilian soldier and
statesman. He established himself as dictator of Brazil (1964) until his death.[1]



castemark

castemark
caste
mark
(plural caste marks) noun

indication of class:
a mark, usually a painted dot on the forehead, that shows a Hindu person’s
caste[1]



caster

caster
cast·er 
[kástər] (plural cast·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who casts:
somebody or something that casts something else

2.  cast·er
or cas·tor (plural cas·tors) COOKING small
condiment container: a small container with a
perforated top or open mouth for sprinkling sugar, salt, or other condiments

3.  cast·er
or cas·tor (plural cas·tors) FURNITURE small
wheel under furniture: a small wheel on a mount
that allows it to turn in all directions, attached under the corners of
furniture and other heavy objects to make them easier to move

4.  cast·er
or cas·tor (plural cas·tors) COOKING condiment
stand:
a small stand that holds condiment containers

[1]



castigate

castigate
cas·ti·gate 
[kásti gàyt] (past cas·ti·gat·ed,
past participle cas·ti·gat·ed, present participle cas·ti·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular cas·ti·gates) transitive verb

criticize
or punish somebody: to criticize, rebuke, or
punish somebody severely (formal) (often passive) • They
were strongly castigated for their refusal to act.
[Early
17th century. From Latin castigat-, the past participle stem of castigare
“to correct, chastise,” from castus “chaste, pure” (source of English chaste and incest
).]
—cas·ti·ga·tion
[kàsti gáysh’n], noun

—cas·ti·ga·tor
[kásti gàytər], noun

—cas·ti·ga·tor·y
[kástigə tàwree], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at criticize

[1]



Castile

Castile
Cas·tile 
[kas tl]

central region of Spain that
formed the core of the Kingdom of Castile, under which Spain was united in the
15th and 16th centuries[1]



Castilesoap

Castilesoap
Cas·tile
soap
noun

olive-oil
soap:
a type of hard white unperfumed soap made from olive oil and lye
[Named for Castile, where it was first made][1]



Castilian

Castilian
Cas·til·ian 
[ka stíllyən] (plural Cas·til·ians)
or Cas·til·lian [ka stíllyən]
(plural Cas·til·lians) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Spanish
dialect:
the dialect of the Spanish language that is spoken in the province of Castile

2.  LANGUAGE Spanish
language:
official, standard, and literary Spanish, based on the dialect spoken in the
province of Castile

3.  PEOPLES somebody
from Castile: somebody who lives or was born or raised
in the province of Castile in Spain
—Cas·til·ian, adjective[1]



Castilla,Ramón

Castilla,Ramón
Cas·til·la
[kə stíllə], Ramón (1797–1867)

Peruvian army officer and
statesman. He was the president of Peru (1845–1851 and 1855–1862) and abolished
slavery in his country.[1]



casting

casting
cast·ing 
[kásting] (plural cast·ings) noun

1.  MANUFACTURING ARTS making
of objects using molds: the making of a solid object
by pouring molten metal, glass, or plastic into a mold and allowing it to cool

2.  MANUFACTURING ARTS object
made with mold: an object made using a mold

3.  ANGLING throw
of fishing line: the throwing out of a fishing line or
net

4.  something
thrown:
something that is thrown out or thrown off

5.  ARTS selection
process for performers: the choosing of actors or
other performers for a drama, dance, or other production, usually by audition,
interview, or screen test

6.  ARTS choice
of performers: the choice of actors or other performers
for roles in a drama, dance, or other production • The
script was very sharp but the casting was terrible.

[1]



castingcouch

castingcouch
cast·ing
couch
noun

favors
in exchange for acting role: the granting of usually
sexual favors in return for work in a film, television, or other production (informal)
[From the idea of the sexual
activity taking place on a couch in the office of somebody with power over
casting][1]



castingvote

castingvote
cast·ing
vote
(plural cast·ing votes) noun

deciding vote:
the deciding vote in a ballot or debate, cast by the chairperson or presiding
officer when votes for and against something are equally divided[1]



cast-iron

cast-iron
cast-i·ron 
adjective

1.  METALLURGY of
cast iron:
made from cast iron

2.  very
strong:
extremely strong or resistant

3.  allowing
no change:
not permitting any alteration of its terms • a
cast-iron agreement

[1]



castiron

castiron
cast
i·ron
noun

hard brittle iron:
iron with a high carbon content, making it hard but brittle, so that it must be
shaped by casting rather than hammering or beating[1]



castle

castle

cas·tle 
[káss’l] noun (plural cas·tles)

1.  ARCHITECTURE fortress:
a large fortified building or complex of buildings, usually with tall solid
walls, battlements, and a permanent garrison, built especially during the
Middle Ages

2.  ARCHITECTURE manor
house:
a large magnificent house built, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, to
resemble the fortified castles of the past

3.  private
refuge:
the building, property, or place to which somebody, especially the owner, turns
for privacy or refuge

4.  CHESS See rook
intransitive and transitive verb
(past cas·tled, past participle cas·tled, present
participle cas·tling, 3rd person present singular cas·tles)

CHESS move
king and rook: in chess, to move the king two squares
to the left or right and move the nearest rook over the king to the adjacent
square on the opposite side
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin castellum “fortified village” (source of English castellated and chateau
), from castrum “fortified place.” Later reborrowed from Anglo-Norman castel
“fortress” (also from Latin castellum ).]
build castles in the air

to have dreams or plans that
are extremely unlikely to succeed or be realized[1]



castled

castled
cas·tled 
[káss’ld] adjective

ARCHITECTURE
See castellated  adjective 1[1]



Castle,Irene Foote

Castle,Irene Foote
Cas·tle
[káss’l], Irene Foote (1893–1969)

U.S. dancer. She and her
husband, Vernon Castle, were innovators in ballroom dance.[1]



CastlePeak

CastlePeak
Cast·le
Peak

1.  mountain
in the Sierra Nevada range, eastern Fresno County, central California. Height:
3,252 m/10,668 ft.

2.  mountain
in Gunnison and Pitkin counties, central Colorado. Height: 4,348 m/14,265 ft.

3.  mountain
in southwestern Custer County, central Idaho. Height: 3,603 m/11,820 ft.

[1]



castoff

castoff
cast
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
get
rid of somebody or something: to reject or abandon
something or somebody regarded as no longer useful or attractive • cast
off that old coat years ago.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL untie mooring lines:
to untie the ropes securing a boat to its mooring so that it can move away

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb finish
knitting:
to make the last row of stitches in a piece of knitting by looping each stitch
over the next and removing it from the needle

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PUBLISHING fit text:
to calculate the amount of space a piece of text will take up when it has been
typeset

[1]



castoff

castoff
cast·off 
[kást òf, kást
àwf] (plural cast·offs) noun

1.  rejected
thing or person: something that or somebody who has been
rejected or abandoned because no longer considered useful or attractive (often
used in the plural) • I
don’t want your old castoffs!

2.  PUBLISHING calculation
of text length: a calculation of the length of a piece
of text made before fitting copy into available space

[1]



caston

caston
cast
on
intransitive and transitive verb

begin knitting:
to make the first row of stitches in a piece of knitting[1]



Castor

Castor
Cas·tor 
[kástər] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY bright
star in constellation Gemini: the second brightest star in
the constellation Gemini

2.  MYTHOLOGY See Castor and Pollux

[1]



castor

castor
cas·tor
[kástər] (plural cas·tors) noun

1.  INDUSTRY beaver
oil:
a brown oily aromatic substance secreted from glands in a beaver’s groin and
used in medicine and perfumes

2.  INDUSTRY beaver
fur:
the fur of a beaver

3.  CLOTHES beaver
hat:
a hat made of beaver fur or imitation beaver fur

4.  TEXTILES heavy
fabric:
a heavy cloth made of wool
[14th century. Via French or
Latin from Greek kastōr “beaver.”][1]



Castorand Pollux

Castorand Pollux
Cas·tor
and Pol·lux
plural noun

twins in classical mythology:
in classical mythology, the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy
and Clytemnestra.
Also called
Dioscuri[1]



castorbean

castorbean
cas·tor
bean
(plural cas·tor beans) noun

1.  See
castor-oil plant

2.  castor-oil
plant seed:
the poisonous seed of the castor-oil plant, from which castor oil is produced

[1]



castoroil

castoroil
cas·tor
oil
noun

laxative
oil:
a thin yellowish oil obtained from the seeds of the castor-oil plant, used
medicinally as a laxative and industrially as a lubricant
[Castor of uncertain origin:
perhaps the same word as castor, possibly because
the oil has medical properties and a bitter taste similar to that of the
beaver’s secretion][1]



castor-oilplant

castor-oilplant
cas·tor-oil
plant 
(plural cas·tor-oil plants) noun

plant with oil-rich seeds:
a tall tropical plant with large lobed leaves that is cultivated for ornament
and for its seeds, from which castor oil is produced. Latin name: Ricinus communis[1]



castout

castout
cast
out
transitive verb

eject somebody:
to reject, abandon, or eject somebody or something (formal)[1]



castramentation

castramentation
cas·tra·men·ta·tion
[kàstrəmə táysh’n] (plural cas·tra·men·ta·tions)
noun

laying
out of military camp: the creation and laying out
of a military encampment
[Late 17th century. From
French castramétation, from Latin castra metari “to measure or
mark out a camp.”][1]



castrate

castrate
cas·trate 
[ká stràyt] (past cas·trat·ed,
past participle cas·trat·ed, present participle cas·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular cas·trates) transitive verb

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE MEDICINE remove
testicles from male: to remove the testicles of a
man or male animal, making reproduction impossible. Animals are sometimes
castrated to make them more docile and to prevent disease.

2.  weaken
somebody or something: to take away the strength,
power, force, or vigor of somebody or something • The
department was castrated through heavy budget cuts.

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE MEDICINE remove
ovaries from female: to remove the ovaries of a
woman or female animal, making reproduction impossible
[15th
century. From Latin castrat-, the past participle stem of castrare
“to cut off, castrate,” from, perhaps, assumed castrum “knife.”]
—cas·trat·er,
noun

—cas·tra·tion [ka stráysh’n], noun[1]



castrato

castrato
ca·stra·to 
[ka strtō, kə
strtō] (plural cas·tra·ti [ka
strtee] or cas·tra·tos) noun

male
soprano:
a male singer who was castrated before puberty in order to retain a soprano or
alto voice, a practice that ceased when it became illegal in the 19th century
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “castrated one,” from the past participle of Latin castrare
(see castrate ).][1]



Castries

Castries
Cas·tries
[k strz, k
strss]

capital city of St. Lucia in
the West Indies. Population: 11,147 (1991)[1]



Castro,Cipriano

Castro,Cipriano
Cas·tro 
[kástrō], Cipriano (1858–1924)

Venezuelan military leader.
He served as president after a coup until he himself was deposed (1899–1908).[1]



Castro,Fidel

Castro,Fidel

Cas·tro
[kástrō], Fidel (1926– )
Cuban statesman. He led the revolution
that overthrew Fulgencio Batista and headed a Communist government as prime
minister (1959–1976) and president (from 1976).[1]



Castroism

Castroism
Cas·tro·ism 
[kástrō ìzzəm] noun

policies
and beliefs of Fidel Castro: the Communist political,
social, and economic policies of Fidel Castro and his supporters
[Mid-20th
century. Named for Fidel Castro .]
—Cas·tro·ist,
noun, adjective

—Cas·tro·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



CastroValley

CastroValley
Cas·tro
Val·ley

town in Alameda County,
western California, situated north of Hayward. Population: 48,619 (1990)[1]



casual

casual
ca·su·al 
[kázhoo əl] adjective

1.  chance
or unpremeditated: happening or done by chance
or without prior thought or planning

2.  occasional
or temporary: relating to or taking on work that is
available at irregular intervals or seasonally, with no security, benefits, or
prospects of permanent employment

3.  known
only slightly: relating to somebody or something known
only slightly • a casual acquaintance
whom I had met at work

4.  superficial:
not involving emotional commitment or promises of loyalty, or lacking in
thoroughness or seriousness

5.  lenient:
possessing a permissive or lenient approach to things • very
casual about enforcing the rules

6.  indifferent:
showing little interest or enthusiasm

7.  nonchalant:
cool, calm, or nonchalant in manner

8.  not
formal:
informal and relaxed

9.  CLOTHES comfortable:
comfortable and suitable for wearing on informal occasions

10. BIOLOGY See adventive
noun
(plural ca·su·als)

1.  temporary
worker:
somebody who is employed on a temporary or seasonal basis to do a job

2.  MILITARY soldier
on temporary assignment: a soldier who is temporarily
attached to a unit while waiting to be assigned to a permanent unit

3.  BIOLOGY See adventive
[14th
century. Directly or via French casuel from Latin casualis, from casus
“chance, event, accident” (source of English case
and casuist ).]
—ca·su·al·ly,
adverb

—ca·su·al·ness, noun[1]



casualty

casualty
ca·su·al·ty 
[kázhoo əltee] (plural ca·su·al·ties)
noun

1.  accident
victim:
somebody who is seriously injured or killed in an accident

2.  MILITARY injured
or dead soldier: a member of the armed forces who is
killed or injured during combat

3.  victim:
something or somebody destroyed or suffering as an indirect result of a
particular event or circumstances

4.  U.K.
(informal) (often used before a noun) • rushed
to casualty with multiple fractures. See
emergency room
[15th century. Alteration (on
the model of words like penalty ) of
medieval Latin casualitas “chance,” from casualis (see casual ); the underlying idea is “somebody killed
by accident.”][1]



casuarina

casuarina
ca·su·a·ri·na 
[kàzhoo ə rnə, kàzhoo
ə rnə] (plural ca·su·a·ri·nas or ca·su·a·ri·na)
noun

Australian
tree:
a tree found mainly in Australia and some parts of Asia with needle-shaped
leaves that form whorls at the end of short branches. Genus: Casuarina
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from casuarius “cassowary” from the similarity of
its branches to the bird’s feathers.][1]



casuist

casuist
ca·su·ist 
[kázhoo ist] (plural ca·su·ists)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY RELIGION somebody
considering ethics and morals: somebody, especially a
theologian, who tries to settle questions of ethics and morals by applying
general rules and principles to them

2.  somebody
using misleadingly subtle reasoning:
somebody who uses subtle and sophisticated reasoning, especially on moral
issues, in order to justify something or to mislead somebody (disapproving)
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, modern Latin, formed from Latin casus
“chance, event” (source of English case
and casual ).]
—ca·su·is·tic
[kàzhoo ístik], adjective

—ca·su·is·ti·cal,
adjective

—ca·su·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



casuistry

casuistry
ca·su·ist·ry 
[kázhoo istree] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY RELIGION application
of principles to moral questions: the application of
general rules and principles to questions of ethics and morals in order to
resolve them

2.  misleadingly
subtle reasoning: the use of sophisticated and subtle
argument and reasoning, especially on moral issues, in order to justify
something or mislead somebody (disapproving)

[1]



casusbelli

casusbelli
ca·sus
bel·li 
[kàssəss béllī, káyssəss
bé l] (plural ca·sus bel·li) noun

cause
of war:
a situation or event that causes, or is the pretext for starting, a war or
other conflict (formal)
[From modern Latin, literally
“occasion of war”][1]



cat

cat

cat 
[kat] noun (plural cats)

1.  ZOOLOGY furry
animal that purrs and meows: a small domesticated mammal
that has soft fur, sharp claws, pointed ears, and, usually, a long furry tail.
Cats are widely kept as pets or to catch mice. Latin name: Felis catus

2.  ZOOLOGY See big cat

3.  offensive
term:
offensive term that insults a woman’s character and attitude toward others (offensive)

4.  man:
a man (dated slang) • He’s a
real cool cat.

5.  MUSIC jazz
player:
a musician who plays jazz (dated slang)

6.  NAUTICAL anchor
tackle or cathead: a set of heavy tackle used
for raising an anchor to the cathead, or the cathead itself

7.  See
cat-o’-nine-tails

8.  ZOOLOGY See catfish

9.  SAILING catamaran:
a catamaran (informal)

10. SAILING catboat:
a catboat (informal)

11. AUTOMOTIVE catalytic
converter:
a catalytic converter (informal)
verb (past
cat·ted, past participle cat·ted, present participle
cat·ting, 3rd person present singular cats)

1.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL raise
anchor:
to raise the anchor to the cathead

2.  intransitive
verb
search
for partner: to travel or wander around in search of
a sexual partner (slang)
[Old
English catt, catte, from prehistoric Germanic, perhaps
ultimately from Egyptian ; later reinforced by Anglo-Norman cat
(probably ultimately from the same ancestor)]
be raining cats and dogs

to
be raining very heavily

has the cat got your tongue?

used,
often to a child, to prompt somebody to speak and to ask the reason for his or
her silence

let the cat out of the bag

to
disclose secret or confidential information

like a cat on a hot tin roof or
hot bricks

extremely
nervous or agitated

play cat and mouse with somebody

to
treat somebody who is in your power in such a way that he or she does not know
what you are going to do next

think that you are the cat’s pajamas or
whiskers

to
have an extremely high opinion of yourself

when the cat’s away the mice will play

when somebody in authority is
absent, those he or she is in charge of will misbehave[1]



cat.

cat.
cat.

Abbreviation of
catalog[1]



CAT

CAT
CAT


1.  AIR Abbreviation of
clear-air turbulence

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of computerized axial tomography

3.  STOCK EXCHANGE Abbreviation
of computer-aided trading

[1]



cata-

cata-
cata-
prefix

down,
apart • catabolism
• catalysis
[From Greek kata
“down, back, apart”][1]



catabolism

catabolism
ca·tab·o·lism 
[kə tábbə lìzzəm] noun

metabolism:
a metabolic process in which energy is released through the conversion of
complex molecules into simpler ones.
Also
called
katabolism
[Late
19th century. Formed (probably on the model of metabolism
) from Greek katabolē “throwing down,” from ballein “to throw.”]
—cat·a·bol·ic
[kàttə bóllik], adjective

—cat·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



catabolite

catabolite
ca·tab·o·lite 
[kə tábbə lt] (plural ca·tab·o·lites)
noun

waste product:
a product of catabolism, especially a waste product[1]



catachresis

catachresis
cat·a·chre·sis 
[kàttə krssiss] (plural cat·a·chre·ses
[kàttə kr sz]) noun

misuse
of words:
the incorrect use of words, for example, by mixing metaphors or applying
terminology wrongly
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek katakhrēsis, from katakhrēsthai “to
misuse.”]
—cat·a·chres·tic
[kàttə kréstik], adjective

—cat·a·chres·ti·cal,
adjective

—cat·a·chres·ti·cal·ly
[kàttə kréstikəlee], adverb[1]



cataclysm

cataclysm
cat·a·clysm 
[káttə klìzzəm] (plural cat·a·clysms)
noun

1.  disaster:
a sudden and violent upheaval or disaster that causes great changes in society,
for example, a war, earthquake, or drought • one
of the greatest cataclysms of the 20th century

2.  flood:
a terrible and devastating flood

3.  GEOLOGY See catastrophe
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek kataklusmos “deluge,”
from kluzein “to wash.”]
—cat·a·clys·mal
[kàttə klízməl], adjective

—cat·a·clys·mic
[kàttə klízmik], adjective

—cat·a·clys·mi·cal·ly
[kàttə klízmikəlee], adverb[1]



catacomb

catacomb
cat·a·comb 
[káttə km] (plural cat·a·combs)
noun (often used in the plural)

1.  underground
cemetery:
an underground cemetery consisting of passages or tunnels with rooms and
recesses leading off them for burial chambers. In ancient Rome, Christians used
catacombs for burial.

2.  network
of tunnels below ground: any underground network of
passages or tunnels
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French from late Latin catacumbas, the name of the subterranean cemetery
of St. Sebastian in Rome, which reputedly housed the bodies of St. Peter and
St. Paul.][1]



catadromous

catadromous
ca·tad·ro·mous 
[kə táddrəməss] adjective

freshwater
but breeding in salt water: used to describe fish that
spend most of their lives in fresh water but migrate to salt water to breed, as
eels do.
See
also
anadromous
[Late 19th century. Coined
(on the model of anadromous ) from cata- “down” + -dromous
“running,” in reference to migration from upper to lower water.][1]



catafalque

catafalque
cat·a·falque 
[káttə fàlk, káttə
fàwlk] (plural cat·a·falques) noun

1.  platform
for coffin:
a raised and decorated platform on which the coffin of a distinguished person
lies in state before or during a funeral

2.  representation
of coffin:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a structure resembling a coffin that is used to
represent a dead person at a requiem mass given after the person’s funeral
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian catafalco, probably from assumed Vulgar Latin catafal(i)cum
(source of English scaffold ),
perhaps formed from cata- “down” + fala “scaffolding.”][1]



Catalan

Catalan
Cat·a·lan 
[kátt’l àn, kàtt’l
án] (plural Cat·a·lans) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Romance
language:
the regional language of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, Spain, also spoken
in Andorra and the French region of Roussillon. It belongs to the Romance group
of Indo-European languages and is spoken by about seven million people.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Catalonia: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the autonomous region of Catalonia, Spain
—Cat·a·lan, adjective[1]



catalase

catalase
cat·a·lase 
[kátt’l àyss, kátt’l
àyz] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme in living cells that aids the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to
oxygen and water
[Early
20th century. Coined from catalysis + -ase .]
—cat·a·lat·ic [kàtt’l áttik], adjective[1]



catalepsy

catalepsy
cat·a·lep·sy 
[kátt’l èpsee] noun

state
resembling trance: actual or apparent
unconsciousness while muscles become rigid and remain in any position in which
they are placed. The condition occurs naturally in diseases such as
schizophrenia or epilepsy and can be induced by hypnosis or drugs.
[14th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin, from Greek katalēpsis
“seizure,” from katalambanein, literally “to seize upon,” from lambanein
“to seize.”]
—cat·a·lep·tic
[kàtt’l éptik], adjective

—cat·a·lep·ti·cal·ly [kàtt’l éptikəlee], adverb[1]



catalexis

catalexis
cat·a·lex·is 
[kàtt’l éksiss] noun

absence
of syllable in last foot: the lack of one syllable in
the final foot of a line of verse
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek katalēxis “termination,” from katalēgein,
literally “to leave off,” from legein “to cease.”]
—cat·a·lec·tic [kàtt’l éktik], adjective[1]



catalog

catalog
cat·a·log
[kátt’l òg] or cat·a·logue [kátt’l òg] noun (plural cat·a·logs)
(plural cat·a·logues)

1.  COMMERCE list
of goods for sale: a list of goods for sale,
with prices and illustrations, presented in book form or sometimes in other
formats including CD-ROM or video, and often used for mail order

2.  ARTS exhibition
guide:
a booklet that lists and often illustrates the objects on show at an exhibition

3.  LIBRARIES list
of books:
a list of the books and periodicals in a library, usually arranged according to
subject, title, or author

4.  series
of things:
a long list of different things or events that all relate to a particular issue
or person, especially things or events that are unpleasant or undesirable • a
catalog of disorders

5.  A-Z
card file:
an alphabetical card file

6.  EDUC course
list:
a list of all the courses offered at a college or university, together with
other information about the faculty or campus.
U.K.
term
prospectus
verb
(past cat·a·loged, past participle cat·a·loged, present
participle cat·a·log·ing, 3rd person present singular cat·a·logs)
(past cat·a·logued, past participle cat·a·logued, present
participle cat·a·logu·ing, 3rd person present singular cat·a·logues)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
catalog:
to classify and list items to form a catalog

2.  transitive
verb
enter
something in catalog: to enter something in a
catalog • I
have cataloged all the new additions to the collection.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
listed:
to be listed in a catalog, especially with a price or value specified • a
diamond ring that catalogs at a vastly inflated price

4.  transitive
verb
list
series of things or events: to list or describe a series
of related events, items, or characteristics • a
history of the twentieth century that catalogs many examples of human ingenuity
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek katalogos “list,” from katalegein,
literally “to pick out,” from legein “to choose.”]
—cat·a·log·er, noun[1]



catalogueraisonné

catalogueraisonné
cat·a·logue
rai·son·né 
[kàtt’l og rayzə náy, kàtt’l og rezzə náy] (plural cat·a·logues
rai·son·nés) noun

detailed
catalog:
a detailed list of works by a particular artist, especially one produced to
accompany an exhibition or collection
[From French, literally
“reasoned catalog”][1]



Catalonia

Catalonia
Cat·a·lo·nia 
[kàtt’l ṓnyə]

autonomous
region in northeastern Spain. It contains the provinces of Barcelona, Girona,
Lléida, and Tarragona. Capital: Barcelona. Population: 6,226,869 (1995) Area:
31,930 sq km/12,328 sq mi. Catalan Catalunya Spanish Cataluña
—Cat·al·o·nian, adjective,
noun[1]



catalpa

catalpa

ca·tal·pa
tree with heart-shaped leaves:
a North American or Asian tree with large heart-shaped leaves, clusters of
creamy bell-shaped flowers, and long thin pods. Genus: Catalpa.[1]



catalysis

catalysis
ca·tal·y·sis 
[kə tálləssiss] (plural ca·tal·y·ses
[kə tállə sz]) noun

speeding
up of chemical reaction: the increase in the rate of
a chemical reaction by the introduction of a catalyst
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin, “dissolution” (the original sense in English ), from Greek katalusis,
from kataluein “to dissolve,” from luein “to set free.”][1]



catalyst

catalyst
cat·a·lyst 
[kátt’list] (plural cat·a·lysts)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
that accelerates chemical reaction: a
substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself
undergoing any change

2.  stimulus
to change:
somebody or something that makes a change happen or brings about an event • The
quarrel acted as a catalyst for the breakup of their partnership.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from catalysis, on the model of analyst .][1]



catalytic

catalytic
cat·a·lyt·ic 
[kàtt’l íttik] adjective

increasing
reaction rate: involving or causing an increase in the
rate of a chemical reaction by the use of a catalyst
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek katalutikos “able to dissolve,” from katalusis
(see catalysis ).]
—cat·a·lyt·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



catalyticconverter

catalyticconverter
cat·a·lyt·ic
con·vert·er
(plural cat·a·lyt·ic con·vert·ers) noun

chamber making exhaust fumes
less harmful: in the exhaust system
of a motor vehicle, a chamber in which gases mix with air so that pollutants
such as carbon monoxide can be oxidized. The chamber contains a
platinum-iridium catalyst.[1]



catalyticcracker

catalyticcracker
cat·a·lyt·ic
crack·er
(plural cat·a·lyt·ic crack·ers) noun

oil-refining equipment:
an oil-refinery device that breaks down large molecules from crude oil into
smaller ones that are useful as fuel, using heat and a catalyst to lower the
required temperature[1]



catalyze

catalyze
cat·a·lyze 
[kátt’l z] (past cat·a·lyzed,
past participle cat·a·lyzed, present participle cat·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular cat·a·lyz·es) transitive verb

1.  CHEMISTRY increase
chemical reaction rate: to increase the rate of a
chemical reaction by the action or use of a catalyst

2.  bring
something about: to cause a particular thing to happen or
bring about a particular state of affairs • The
hearings have catalyzed the passage of financial reforms.

3.  transform
something:
to cause something to undergo basic change • Passage
of the new anticrime bill has catalyzed local law-enforcement.
[Late
19th century. Formed from catalysis, on the
model of analyze .]
—cat·a·lyz·er, noun[1]



catamaran

catamaran
cat·a·ma·ran 
[kàttəmə rán] (plural cat·a·ma·rans)
noun

1.  double-hulled
craft:
a sailboat or engine-powered boat that has two identical hulls fixed together
by a rigid framework

2.  log
raft:
a simple raft made from logs or floats tied together
[Early 17th century. From
Tamil kaumaram, literally “tied wood.”][1]



catamite

catamite
cat·a·mite 
[káttə mt] (plural cat·a·mites)
noun

young
partner of gay man: a boy or youth with whom a
man has homosexual intercourse (literary)
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
catamitus from Greek Ganumēdēs Ganymede,
a handsome youth in Greek mythology.][1]



catamount

catamount
cat·a·mount 
[káttə mòwnt] (plural cat·a·mounts)
or cat·a·moun·tain [kàttə mównt’n]
(plural cat·a·moun·tains) noun

See
mountain lion
[Mid-17th century. From cat
of the mountain .][1]



catand mouse

catand mouse
cat
and mouse
noun

tick-tack-toe:
the game of tick-tack-toe (regional) (takes a singular verb)
[From German Katz und Maus][1]



cat-and-mouse

cat-and-mouse
cat-and-mouse 
adjective

cruel:
cruel or sadistic, especially in exploiting, compounding, and enjoying somebody
else’s suffering or fear[1]



cataphora

cataphora
ca·taph·o·ra 
[kə táffərə] noun

using
word referring to something following: the
use of a word or phrase, usually a pronoun, that refers to something mentioned
later, as does “it” in “It’s easy to make mistakes”
[Late
20th century. Coined from cata- + anaphora .]
—cat·a·phor·ic [kàttə fáwrik], adjective[1]



cataphoresis

cataphoresis
cat·a·pho·re·sis 
[kàttəfə rssiss] (plural cat·a·pho·re·ses
[kàttəfə r sz]) noun

See
electrophoresis
[Late
19th century. Coined from cata- + Greek phorēsis
“being carried.”]
—cat·a·pho·ret·ic
[kàttəfə réttik], adjective

—cat·a·pho·ret·i·cal·ly
[kàttəfə réttikəlee], adverb[1]



cataplasia

cataplasia
cat·a·pla·sia 
[kàttə pláyzhə, kàttə
pláyzhee ə] noun

cell
degeneration: the degeneration of cells or tissue to a
more primitive or embryonic form
—cat·a·plas·tic [kàttə plástik], adjective[1]



cataplasm

cataplasm
cat·a·plasm 
[káttə plàzzəm] (plural cat·a·plasms)
noun

poultice:
a poultice (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
cataplasme from, ultimately, Greek kataplasma, from kataplassein,
literally “to plaster over,” from plassein “to plaster, mold.”][1]



cataplexy

cataplexy
cat·a·plex·y 
[káttə plèksee] noun

sudden
inability to move: sudden temporary inability
to move, caused by shock, fear, or ecstasy
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek kataplēxis “stupefaction,” from kataplēssein,
literally “to strike down,” from plēssein “to strike.”]
—cat·a·plec·tic [kàttə pléktik], adjective[1]



catapult

catapult

cat·a·pult 
[káttə pùlt, káttə
plt] noun (plural cat·a·pults)

1.  ARMS HISTORY medieval launching weapon:
a large heavy war machine consisting of a wooden frame and a throwing device
operated by levers, used in medieval times to hurl large stones at an enemy

2.  MILITARY plane
or missile launcher: a launching mechanism on an
aircraft carrier or warship, used to propel planes or missiles at a speed
sufficient for them to take off

3.  U.K.
See slingshot
verb (past
cat·a·pult·ed, past participle cat·a·pult·ed, present
participle cat·a·pult·ing, 3rd person present singular cat·a·pults)

1.  transitive
verb
hurl
something:
to throw something with great force from a catapult (often passive) • The
fighters were catapulted from the carrier at 30-second intervals.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fling
or be flung: to throw somebody or something violently
into the air by collision, impact, or a force that has an effect like a
catapult, or be thrown in this way • They
were catapulted out of their seats by the force of the impact.

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody famous suddenly: to thrust somebody
unexpectedly and suddenly into a particular situation • the
hit that catapulted her to fame at the tender age of fifteen
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin catapulta, from Greek katapeltēs, from,
ultimately, pallein “to hurl.”][1]



cataract

cataract
cat·a·ract 
[káttə ràkt] (plural cat·a·racts)
noun

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY eye
disease:
an eye disease in which the lens becomes covered in an opaque film that affects
sight, eventually causing total blindness. The condition usually affects older
people and is generally found in both eyes to varying degrees. It can be
treated surgically by replacing the lens with an artificial implant.

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY film
over eye lens: the lens of the eye or the membrane
surrounding it ( capsule ) that has become
opaque as a result of disease

3.  GEOGRAPHY waterfall:
a series of river rapids and small waterfalls with only moderate vertical drop
(literary)

4.  flood:
a heavy downpour of rain or a great flood (literary) • Spring
cataracts have flooded the low-lying farmlands.
[15th century. Via Latin cataracta
“waterfall, portcullis” (hence, “something that obstructs”), from Greek kataraktēs
“down-dashing,” from katarassein, literally “to dash down,” from arassein
“to strike.”][1]



catarrh

catarrh
ca·tarrh 
[kə tr] noun

runny
nose:
inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially in the nose and throat, causing
an increase in the production of mucus, as happens in the common cold
[15th
century. Via French catarrhe from, ultimately, Greek katarrhous,
from katarrhein, literally “to flow down,” from rhein “to flow”
(see rheum ).]
—ca·tarrh·al,
adjective

—ca·tarrh·ous, adjective[1]



catarrhine

catarrhine
ca·tarrh·ine 
[káttə rn] adjective

with
closely-set nostrils: used to describe animals
that have nostrils set close together and directed downward. Humans, apes, and
some monkeys are catarrhine.
noun
(plural ca·tarrh·ines)

primate
with closely-set nostrils: an animal with a catarrhine
nose structure, for example, a human or ape. Suborder: Catarrhini
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cata- + Greek rhinos “nose” (see
rhino- ).][1]



catastasis

catastasis
ca·tas·ta·sis 
[kə tástəssiss] noun

action
in tragic drama: the intense part of the action in a
classical tragedy, immediately preceding the tragic climax
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
katastasis “settling, appointment,” from stasis “ stasis .”][1]



catastrophe

catastrophe
ca·tas·tro·phe 
[kə tástrəfee] (plural ca·tas·tro·phes)
noun

1.  disaster:
a terrible disaster or accident, especially one that leads to great loss of
life

2.  humiliating
total failure: an absolute failure, often in
humiliating or embarrassing circumstances

3.  THEATER resolution
of plot:
the concluding part of the action in a drama, especially a classical tragedy,
when the plot is resolved

4.  GEOLOGY violent
seismic change: a sudden and violent change in the
earth’s crust caused by an earthquake, flood, or any other natural process.
Also
called
cataclysm
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin catastropha
from Greek katastrophē “overturning, sudden turn,” from katastrephein,
literally “to overturn,” from strephein “to turn.”][1]



catastrophic

catastrophic
cat·a·stroph·ic 
[kàttə stróffik] adjective

1.  disastrous:
causing or liable to cause widespread damage or death • the
uncontrolled spread of an infection that has had a catastrophic effect on
livestock

2.  awful:
completely unsuccessful or very bad • The
party was a catastrophic affair, ending in a riot.

3.  MEDICINE life-threatening
and requiring expensive treatment: so serious in nature
as to require extensive, long-term, and expensive medical treatment • cancer,
AIDS, and other catastrophic illnesses requiring excellent insurance coverage

4.  INSURANCE providing
extensive coverage for high expenses: used
to describe insurance plans, policies, or coverage appropriate to protect the
insured party against expenses incurred in the event of a life-threatening
condition requiring extensive medical intervention
—cat·a·stroph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



catastrophism

catastrophism
ca·tas·tro·phism 
[kə tástrə fìzzəm] noun

1.  GEOLOGY theory
of geological violence: a theory, now discredited,
that the geological features of the earth were formed by a series of sudden
violent catastrophes rather than a gradual evolutionary process. A more recent
version of this theory holds that the evolutionary process of geological development
has on occasions been supplemented by such catastrophes.

2.  pessimism:
an outlook or attitude that foresees disaster as the only possible outcome of
any action or situation
—ca·tas·tro·phist, noun[1]



catatonia

catatonia
cat·a·to·ni·a 
[kàttə tṓnee ə] noun

state
resembling trance: a condition, often
associated with schizophrenia, characterized by periods of inertia or apparent
stupor and rigidity of the muscles
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cata- + Greek tonos “tone,
tension” (source of English tone ) + -ia .][1]



catatonic

catatonic
cat·a·ton·ic 
[kàttə tónnik] adjective

1.  in
state resembling trance: in a state of inertia or
apparent stupor often associated with schizophrenia and characterized by
rigidity of the muscles

2.  in
drunken stupor: in a stupefied or unconscious state,
especially one caused by drunkenness (informal)
—cat·a·ton·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Catawba

Catawba
Ca·taw·ba
[kə táwbə] (plural Ca·taw·ba or
Ca·taw·bas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied lands along the Carolinian Catawba and
Wateree Rivers and whose few surviving members now live mainly in South
Carolina

2.  PLANTS FOOD variety of black grape:
a reddish-colored variety of the North American fox grape

3.  WINE red
wine:
a red wine made from the Catawba grape
[Early 18th century. Named
for the Catawba river in the Carolinas.][1]



catbird

catbird
cat·bird 
[kát bùrd] (plural cat·birds) noun

N American songbird:
a North American songbird of the mockingbird family with a call resembling the
cry of a cat. It has dark-gray plumage and a black cap. Latin name: Dumetella
carolinensis[1]



catbirdseat

catbirdseat
cat·bird
seat
(plural cat·bird seats) noun

position
of power:
a position or situation that gives somebody power and an edge over others,
especially competitors or opponents (informal)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the perception of catbirds as clever and masterful or from the fact that
they sit on high perches][1]



catboat

catboat
cat·boat 
[kát bt] (plural cat·boats) noun

sailboat
with single sail: a sailboat that is broad across the beam
and has a single sail on a forward-stepped mast
[Late 19th century. Cat
of uncertain origin: perhaps from obsolete cat “merchant sailing
vessel,” from medieval Latin catta “ship” or Old French chat
“merchant ship.”][1]



catbrier

catbrier
cat·bri·er 
[kát brr] (plural cat·bri·ers)
noun

See
greenbrier[1]



catburglar

catburglar
cat
bur·glar
(plural cat bur·glars) noun

stealthy
agile burglar: a burglar who, using stealth and
agility, breaks into properties, especially through high windows or small
openings
[From the burglar’s catlike
agility][1]



catcall

catcall
cat·call 
[kát kàwl] noun (plural cat·calls)

jeer:
a whistle or shout expressing disapproval or dislike, especially at a sporting
event or live performance
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cat·called,
past participle cat·called, present participle cat·call·ing,
3rd person present singular cat·calls)

utter
jeers:
to shout or whistle at somebody as an expression of disapproval or dislike
[Mid-17th century. From the
resemblance to cats’ nocturnal cries.][1]



catch

catch
catch 
[kach, kech]
verb (past participle caught, present participle catch·ing,
3rd person present singular catch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
something with the hands: to take hold of or stop
something that is traveling through the air

2.  transitive
verb
collect
falling objects from below: to collect something
falling, for example, rain, from below

3.  transitive
verb
grasp
somebody or something: to take tight hold of somebody
or something suddenly • He
caught me by the shoulder.

4.  transitive
verb
HUNTING capture
animal:
to capture or trap an animal, bird, fish, or other living thing

5.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY capture
criminal:
to capture somebody, especially a criminal or somebody suspected of wrongdoing,
after a search or chase • Have
they caught the culprit?

6.  transitive
verb
reach
somebody or something: to reach or get alongside a
person or vehicle moving ahead, usually while moving quickly • trying
to catch the car in front

7.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT get
on board public transportation: to arrive in time to
board a bus, train, or other form of public transportation • I
have a plane to catch.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MED get disease:
to become infected with a disease

9.  transitive
verb
surprise
somebody doing wrong: to surprise or stop somebody
who is in the act of doing something illegal or forbidden • He
caught her taking money from the till.

10. transitive
verb
surprise
somebody doing something embarrassing: to
surprise or observe somebody who is doing something considered embarrassing,
impolite, or private • I
caught him gazing at himself in the mirror.

11. transitive
verb
attract
somebody’s attention: to attract the interest or
attention of others • a
campaign that had caught the nation’s imagination

12. intransitive
and transitive verb manage
to hear something: to manage to hear what is
being said • I’m
sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.

13. transitive
verb
understand
something:
to understand the right meaning of something

14. transitive
verb
notice
something subtle or fleeting: to notice something subtle
or fleeting, for example, something in the way somebody is speaking that tells
you how that person really feels • I
caught a note of sarcasm in his voice.

15. transitive
verb
ARTS see
performer or production: to see a particular
television program, a movie, or a play, or see a particular person performing
in something (informal) • If you
get the chance, try and catch the new production of “Hamlet.”

16. transitive
verb
manage
to meet somebody: to manage to meet or talk to somebody,
especially somebody who is very busy (informal) • I
was hoping to catch the doctor before she left.

17. transitive
verb
get
something you need: to get food, drink, or rest
only hurriedly or in small amounts (informal) • We
can stop and catch a bite to eat.

18. transitive
verb
strike
somebody:
to strike somebody with a blow • a blow
that caught him on the side of the head

19. transitive
verb
take
impact of something: to receive the impact or
force from something such as a blow or the force of somebody’s anger or
emotions • He
caught the full impact of the blast.

20. intransitive
and transitive verb entangle
something:
to entangle or hook something such as clothing on something sharp, or become
entangled or hooked, sometimes resulting in damage • She
caught her blouse on a nail.

21. intransitive
and transitive verb trap
something:
to trap something in an opening or door, or become trapped • I
caught my fingers in the mailbox.

22. transitive
verb
delay
somebody:
to delay somebody or hold somebody up (usually passive)

23. reflexive
verb
stop
yourself from doing something: to stop yourself from
saying or doing something • He was
about to make a sarcastic remark but caught himself just in time.

24. transitive
verb
surprise
somebody:
to take somebody by surprise (usually passive) • She
got caught in the rain and was absolutely soaked.

25. transitive
verb
trick
somebody:
to trick or deceive somebody

26. transitive
verb
reproduce
aspects of something or somebody: to reproduce
successfully the most typical aspects of somebody or something • a
novel that catches the mood of prewar Berlin

27. transitive
verb
CINEMA TV RECORDING record
something on film: to record somebody or
something on film or tape • the
very first time this elusive bird has been caught on film

28. intransitive
and transitive verb be
carried by emotion: to be eager to do something,
or get caught up in the emotion of the moment

29. intransitive
verb
begin
to burn:
to ignite, become alight, or begin to burn

30. intransitive
verb
BASEBALL play
as catcher:
to act as catcher on a team • Clevenger
will be catching again in the second game of the season.
noun
(plural catch·es)

1.  act
of catching something: the catching of something,
such as a ball

2.  somebody
who can catch: somebody who has a particular ability to
catch things • He
missed the ball again! He’s such a lousy catch!

3.  SPORTS ball
game:
a game in which people throw a ball to each other and catch it

4.  SPORTS move
in ball games: a move in which a player in baseball,
basketball, or football catches the ball

5.  number
of things caught: the amount or number of things caught,
for example, when fishing • Not
much of a catch today, I’m afraid.

6.  ideal
or desirable person: somebody or something
regarded as ideal or particularly desirable, especially as a marriage partner (informal)
• Her
friends regarded Tom as quite a catch.

7.  device
that closes or fastens: a device for fastening something,
for example, a door, window, or piece of jewelry

8.  snag:
a hidden or unexpected problem, especially one suspected to exist because
everything seems too good to be true (informal) • Okay,
it sounds great: where’s the catch?

9.  break
in voice:
a brief moment when somebody’s voice becomes husky or unclear because of
intense emotion • There was a slight
catch in his voice as he read the letter out loud.

10. MUSIC humorous
song:
a type of round or canon with humorous, often risqué, words, popular in the
17th and 18th centuries
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman or Old French cachier “to chase,” variant of chacier,
from, ultimately, Latin captare “to try to catch,” from capere
“to take.”]
—catch·a·ble,
adjective
catch
it

to
get into trouble (informal)

catch
somebody with his or her pants down

1.  to
expose somebody in a very embarrassing situation, especially one that suggests
hypocrisy or incompetence

2.  to
surprise somebody in a state of unpreparedness at a time when alertness is
required

[1]



Catch-22

Catch-22
Catch-22
(plural Catch-22’s or Catch-22s) or catch-22
noun

absurd
situation or its cause: a situation in which
whatever outcome somebody desires is impossible to attain because the rules
always work against it
[Named
for the 1955 novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, in which the “catch” was
that an airman wishing to stop flying missions on grounds of mental breakdown
must be sane and therefore must continue.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Catch-22, a novel by Joseph Heller
  ( 1961 ). The title of this dark satire relates to the skewed military logic
  that entraps the protagonist, Yossarian, a pilot serving in Italy during
  World War II. Although he has flown sufficient missions to be sent home, he is
  also obliged to obey orders, and his orders are to keep flying. The term Catch-22 eventually took on the following
  meanings of its own: “a situation or problem from which extrication is
  impossible because of built-in illogical rules and regulations,” “an absurd
  situation,” “a snag or catch,” and “a self-defeating course of action.” .

[1]



catchall

catchall
catch·all 
[kách àwl, kéch
àwl] (plural catch·alls) noun

1.  something
encompassing range of possibilities:
something that covers a wide range of possibilities, meanings, ideas, or
situations (often used before a noun) • one
of those catchall phrases that doesn’t really mean very much at all

2.  storage
container:
a container or storage area for holding a wide variety of miscellaneous items

[1]



catchand release

catchand release
catch
and re·lease noun

fishing conservation policy:
a conservation policy adopted by some anglers whereby they release some or all
of the fish they catch in order to sustain fish populations[1]



catch-as-catch-can

catch-as-catch-can
catch-as-catch-can 
noun

no-holds-barred
wrestling:
a style of wrestling in which most holds are permitted, including many that are
not allowed in other wrestling styles
adjective

making
do:
making do with whatever is available • We took
a catch-as-catch-can approach to our summer vacation.
adverb

using what comes to hand:
using whatever happens to be available • The
press conference was arranged catch-as-catch-can at very short notice.[1]



catchbasin

catchbasin
catch
ba·sin
(plural catch ba·sins) noun

1.  sewer
filter:
a device or receptacle at the entrance of a sewer designed to prevent
obstructive material from entering and blocking the sewer.
U.K.
term
catch pit

2.  drainage
collection area or reservoir: an area or reservoir for
catching drainage water or runoff

[1]



catchcolt

catchcolt
catch
colt
(plural catch colts) noun

Midwestern U.S.
See old-field colt[1]



catchcrop

catchcrop
catch
crop
(plural catch crops) noun

quick-growing
crop:
a fast-growing crop grown between harvest and planting of two main crops,
between the rows of a main crop, or as a substitute after a crop failure
[From the idea of catching an
opportunity to grow it][1]



catcher

catcher
catch·er 
[káchər, kéchər]
(plural catch·ers) noun

1.  BASEBALL player
positioned behind batter: the baseball player who
stands behind home plate, signals for pitches, and catches pitched balls that
have not been hit by the batter.
Also
called
backstop

2.  something
or somebody that catches: a person, animal, or device
that catches things

[1]



catchfly

catchfly
catch·fly 
[kách fl, kéch
fl] (plural catch·flies or catch·fly) noun

plant exuding sticky
substance: a plant related to the
campion and ragged robin that exudes a sticky substance on the stem beneath
each pair of leaves. Genus: Silene Lychnis[1]



catching

catching
catch·ing 
[káching, kéching]
adjective

1.  MED infectious:
used to describe an illness that can be transmitted to other people because it
is contagious or infectious • Don’t
worry: it’s not catching!

2.  attractive:
so attractive as to be memorable

3.  affecting
one person after another: passed from one person to
another like an infection • a
pessimism that seemed to be catching

[1]



catchment

catchment
catch·ment 
[káchmənt, kéchmənt]
(plural catch·ments) noun

1.  rainwater
receptacle:
a structure, reservoir, or container for collecting rainwater

2.  collected
rainwater:
the rainwater that collects in a catchment

3.  collecting
of rainwater: the collecting or catching of rainwater

[1]



catchmentarea

catchmentarea
catch·ment
ar·e·a
(plural catch·ment ar·e·as) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY drainage
area:
the area of land that drains rainfall into a river or lake.
Also
called
drainage basin

2.  EDUCATION HEALTH area
covered by service: the area from which a
particular school or hospital will accept pupils or patients

[1]



catchon

catchon
catch
on
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  become
popular or widespread: to become popular or widely
used

2.  get
the idea:
to understand a new idea, task, or process • pretty
slow to catch on

[1]



catchout

catchout
catch
out
transitive verb

1.  devise
way to show somebody’s mistakes: to find ways of
exposing errors or ignorance in order to embarrass somebody or show superiority
(informal) • He would try to catch
me out by asking awkward questions during safety inspections.

2.  expose
wrongdoer:
to catch somebody doing something wrong or illegal, especially when
deliberately setting out to do so (informal)

3.  BASEBALL catch
ball hit by somebody: to catch a ball hit by a
player in baseball while it is still in the air, forcing the player or the
player’s team to retire

[1]



catchpenny

catchpenny
catch·pen·ny 
[kách pènnee, kéch
pènnee] adjective

fast-selling
and shoddy:
cheap and made to be sold quickly and easily without much regard for quality (dated)
noun
(plural catch·pen·nies)

fast-selling shoddy item:
a cheap shoddy item made to be sold quickly and easily (dated)[1]



catchphrase

catchphrase
catch
phrase
(plural catch phras·es) noun

somebody’s popular saying:
a phrase that is used so frequently by a particular person or group that it
becomes identified with it[1]



catchpole

catchpole
catch·pole
[kách pl, kéch
pl] (plural catch·poles) noun

debt
collector:
in England in former times, a sheriff’s officer who collected money from
debtors
[Pre-12th century. From
either assumed Anglo-Norman or Old French cachepol or Anglo-Latin cacepollus,
both literally “chicken-catcher.”][1]



catchup

catchup
catch·up 
[kách ùp, kéch
ùp] noun

See
ketchup[1]



catch-up

catch-up
catch-up 
(plural catch-ups) noun

increase in amount or
quality: an increase in the amount or
quality of something to bring it up to a desired or established standard • a
budgetary catch-up that managed at the last minute to fund the agency through
the fourth quarter[1]



catchup

catchup
catch
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reach
somebody or something traveling ahead: to
reach or get alongside a person who or vehicle that was moving or had gone
ahead

2.  transitive
verb
pick
something up: to quickly pick something or somebody up
in the hands or arms • He
caught up all the papers and strode off.

3.  intransitive
verb
get
up to date:
to make up for lost time by working harder, to bring something closer to a
completion, or to be brought up to date or briefed on current conditions • I
really must make time to catch up on my reading.

4.  transitive
verb
engross
somebody:
to absorb somebody’s attention completely (usually passive) • I
was so caught up in my work that I didn’t have time for lunch.

5.  transitive
verb
become
involved unhappily: to become involved in
something undesirable (usually passive) • They
were caught up in the whole messy affair even though they tried to stay out of
it.

[1]



catchup with

catchup with
catch
up with
transitive verb

1.  find
wrongdoer:
to find somebody who has committed a crime or done something wrong, especially
after a search or chase • By the
time the police caught up with him, he had changed his name and moved to Brazil.

2.  finally
affect somebody: to finally have an effect after a period
during which somebody seemed free from the usual consequences of a particular
way of behaving • All those late nights
will catch up with you eventually.

[1]



catchwaterdrain

catchwaterdrain
catch·wa·ter
drain
[kách wottər dràyn, kéch
wottər dràyn] (plural catch·wa·ter drains) noun

type of high-ground drain:
a drain cut along the edge of high ground to catch water from it and divert it
so that it does not fall onto low-lying ground[1]



catchweight

catchweight
catch·weight
[kách wàyt, kéch
wàyt] adjective

with
no participant weight restrictions: used
to describe a a sports contest, for example, in wrestling or horse-racing, that
has no weight restrictions
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the idea of catching whichever weight you could.][1]



catchword

catchword
catch·word 
[kách wùrd, kéch
wùrd] (plural catch·words) noun

1.  popular
word:
a word or phrase that is so frequently used, often over a short period of time,
that it comes to be identified with a particular feeling, quality, or idea • catchwords
of the 1980s such as “upwardly mobile” and “yuppie”

2.  U.K.
PUBLISHING See guideword

3.  PRINTING binder’s
cue:
the first word of a page of printed text repeated at the bottom right-hand
corner of the previous page, originally placed there to draw the binder’s
attention to it

4.  THEATER actor’s
cue:
a cue for an actor to come on stage or to speak

[1]



catchy

catchy
catch·y 
[káchee, kéchee]
(comparative catch·i·er, superlative catch·i·est) adjective

1.  memorable:
easy to remember because of having a simple and effective melody or wording

2.  attracting
attention:
tending to attract interest or attention because of a notable, unique, or
pleasing character or quality • an
attempt to come up with a catchy name for a new soft drink

3.  tricky:
designed to catch people out or trip them up • There
were some catchy questions on the English test.

4.  fitful:
coming in spasmodic or irregular bursts • light
rain with catchy squalls of wind
—catch·i·ness, noun[1]



catechesis

catechesis
cat·e·che·sis 
[kàttə kssiss] (plural cat·e·che·ses
[kàttə k sz]) noun

oral
religious instruction: oral religious instruction
given in advance of baptism or confirmation
[Early
17th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek katēkhēsis
“instruction by word of mouth,” from katēkhein (see catechize ).]
—cat·e·chet·i·cal [kàttə kéttik’l], adjective[1]



catechin

catechin
cat·e·chin 
[kátti kìn] noun

dyeing
agent:
a yellow crystalline substance used in tanning and dyeing
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from catechu + -in
.][1]



catechism

catechism
cat·e·chism 
[káttə kìzzəm] (plural cat·e·chisms)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY question-and-answer
teaching:
instruction in the principles of Christianity using set questions and answers

2.  CHRISTIANITY religious
questions and answers: the series of questions and
answers that are used to test people’s religious knowledge in advance of
Christian baptism or confirmation

3.  CHRISTIANITY question-and-answer
book:
a book containing questions and answers used to test the religious knowledge of
people preparing for Christian baptism or confirmation

4.  book
for rote learning: a handbook that teaches the
basic principles of a subject, especially by repetition

5.  body
of principles followed unthinkingly: a
body of basic beliefs and principles followed slavishly or unthinkingly

6.  interrogation:
a close and intense session of questioning on a particular subject, especially
forming part of an examination or an interrogation
[Early
16th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin catechismus from ecclesiastical
Greek, from katēkhizein (see catechize
).]
—cat·e·chis·mal [kàttə kízm’l], adjective[1]



catechist

catechist
cat·e·chist 
[káttəkist] (plural cat·e·chists)
noun

religious
instructor:
somebody who instructs people in the basic principles of the Christian
religion, especially people preparing for baptism or confirmation
—cat·e·chis·tic
[kàttə kístik], adjective

—cat·e·chis·ti·cal [kàttə kístik’l], adjective[1]



catechize

catechize
cat·e·chize 
[káttə kz] (past cat·e·chized,
past participle cat·e·chized, present participle cat·e·chiz·ing,
3rd person present singular cat·e·chiz·es) transitive verb

1.  CHRISTIANITY teach
somebody about Christianity: to instruct somebody in the
basic principles of the Christian religion using questions and answers

2.  interrogate
somebody:
to question somebody closely, for example, in an examination or interrogation
[15th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin catechizare from ecclesiastical Greek katēkhizein,
from katēkhein “to instruct orally” (literally “to sound through”),
from, ultimately, ēkhē “sound.”]
—cat·e·chi·za·tion
[kàttəki záysh’n], noun

—cat·e·chiz·er [kàttə kzər], noun[1]



catechol

catechol
cat·e·chol 
[káttə kòl, káttə
kàwl] noun

chemical
used in photography: a colorless crystalline
solid used as a photographic developer, as an antioxidant, and in the
manufacture of dyes and pharmaceuticals. C6H6O2 
Also
called
pyrocatechol
[Late 19th century. Coined
from catechu + -ol
.][1]



catecholamine

catecholamine
cat·e·cho·la·mine 
[kàttə kṓlə mn, kàttə
káwlə mn] noun

type of organic compound:
an organic compound ( amine ) that affects
the sympathetic nervous system. Dopamine and epinephrine are catecholamines .[1]



catechu

catechu
cat·e·chu 
[káttə ch] noun

astringent
water-soluble substance: an astringent water-soluble
substance obtained especially from an Asian acacia tree and used in medicine
and dyeing.
Also
called
cutch
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Malay kacu (source of English cachou ).][1]



catechumen

catechumen
cat·e·chu·men 
[kàttə kymən] (plural cat·e·chu·mens)
noun

religious
pupil:
somebody who is receiving religious instruction in preparation for Christian
baptism or confirmation
[14th
century. Directly or via French catéchumène from ecclesiastical Latin catechumenus,
from Greek katēkhoumenos “being instructed,” the present participle
passive of katēkhein (see catechize
).]
—cat·e·chu·men·ism [kàttə kymə nìzzəm], noun[1]



categorical

categorical
cat·e·gor·i·cal 
[kàttə gáwrik’l] or cat·e·gor·ic
[kàttə gáwrik] adjective

1.  absolute
and explicit: absolute, certain, and unconditional,
with no room for doubt, question, or contradiction • The
press office has issued a categorical denial of these allegations.

2.  involving
categories:
involving or relating to the use of categories or categorization
—cat·e·gor·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cat·e·gor·i·cal·ness,
noun[1]



categoricalimperative

categoricalimperative
cat·e·gor·i·cal
im·per·a·tive (plural cat·e·gor·i·cal
im·per·a·tives) noun

Kantian moral law:
according to the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, an unconditional moral law
applying to all rational beings. It is also independent of all personal desires
and motives.[1]



categorization

categorization
cat·e·go·ri·za·tion
[kàttəgəri záysh’n] noun

1.  sorting
into categories: the defining and grouping of people or
things into categories

2.  category:
a group of people or things regarded as being in or forming a particular
category

[1]



categorize

categorize
cat·e·go·rize 
[káttəgə rz] (past cat·e·go·rized,
past participle cat·e·go·rized, present participle cat·e·go·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular cat·e·go·riz·es) transitive verb

put
somebody or something into category: to
place somebody or something in a particular category and define or judge the
person or thing accordingly • It was
originally categorized as a cactus, but it’s actually a succulent.
—cat·e·go·riz·a·ble, adjective[1]



category

category
cat·e·go·ry 
[káttə gàwree] (plural cat·e·go·ries)
noun

division:
a group or set of things, people, or actions that are classified together
because of common characteristics • There
are choices available in the following categories: leisure, fitness, health.
[15th
century. Ultimately via late Latin from Greek katēgoria “statement,
accusation,” from katēgorein “to speak against”; the meaning developed
from “accusation” via “assertion, naming” to “list.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



catena

catena
ca·te·na 
[kə tnə] (plural ca·te·nae [kə t n] or ca·te·nas) noun

series
of excerpts: a series of connected commentaries on or
excerpts of writings, especially comments on the Bible written by early
Christian theologians
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “chain” (source also of English concatenation
).][1]



catenaccio

catenaccio
cat·e·nac·ci·o 
[kàttə náchi ] (plural cat·e·nac·ci·os)
noun

defensive
formation:
a strongly defensive formation in soccer, involving one free defender
positioned behind his or her team-mates
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, “door bolt” from, ultimately, Latin catena (see catena ).][1]



catenary

catenary
cat·e·nar·y 
[kátt’n èrree, kə
tnəree] (plural cat·e·nar·ies) noun

curve
of cable:
the curve adopted by a length of heavy cable, rope, or chain of uniform
density, hanging between two points, or something with this shape
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin catenaria, from Latin catena (see catena ).]
—cat·e·nar·y, adjective[1]



catenate

catenate
cat·e·nate 
[kátt’n àyt] (past cat·e·nat·ed,
past participle cat·e·nat·ed, present participle cat·e·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular cat·e·nates) transitive verb

1.  make
something into chain: to form something into a
chain or a series of chains

2.  CHEMISTRY form
chain of atoms: to form a chain of atoms of the same
element held together by chemical bonds
[Early 17th century. From
Latin catenat-, the past participle stem of catenare “to chain, bind
together,” from catena (see catena
).][1]



cater

cater
ca·ter 
[káytər] (past ca·tered, past
participle ca·tered, present participle ca·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular ca·ters) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  provide
what is wanted: to provide what is wanted or needed in a
particular situation or by a particular group of people • We
try to cater to all tastes in our bookshop.

2.  supply
food:
to provide food and drink for a number of people, for example, at a party or
meeting • We
can cater up to a hundred people here.
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of obsolete acater “caterer” (the original sense in English
), from Anglo-Norman acateor, from ac(h)ater “to buy” from,
ultimately, Latin capere “to take.”][1]



cater-cornered

cater-cornered
cat·er-cor·nered 
or cat·er-cor·ner or cat·ty-cor·nered or cat·ty-cor·ner
adjective

diagonal:
positioned or arranged diagonally
adverb

1.  diagonally:
in a diagonal position or arrangement • He
sits cater-cornered from me in history class.

2.  opposite:
diagonally opposite something or somebody else • Their
office is cater-cornered from the bank.
[Mid-19th century. Cater
originally a dialect adverb meaning “diagonally,” from French quatre
“four.”][1]



caterer

caterer
ca·ter·er 
[káytərər] (plural ca·ter·ers)
noun

professional
provider of food service: a person who or company that
provides and sometimes serves the food and drink for a social or business
function, for example, a wedding, party, or meeting
—ca·ter·ing, noun[1]



caterpillar

caterpillar
cat·er·pil·lar 
[káttər pìllər] (plural cat·er·pil·lars)
noun

butterfly
larva:
the larva of a butterfly or moth. It has a long soft body, many short legs, and
often brightly colored or spiny skin.
[15th century. Alteration
(probably influenced by obsolete piller “plunderer”) of assumed Old
Northern French catepelose, from assumed late Latin catta pilosa
“hairy cat.”][1]



Caterpillar

Caterpillar
Cat·er·pil·lar
Trademark

a trademark for tractors that
have continuous treads composed of chain[1]



caterwaul

caterwaul
cat·er·waul 
[káttər wàwl] intransitive verb (past
cat·er·wauled, past participle cat·er·wauled, present
participle cat·er·waul·ing, 3rd person present singular cat·er·wauls)

yowl
or argue loudly: to make a loud howling noise like a cat
in heat, or have a noisy argument • a
street musician caterwauling in the background while we tried to talk
noun
(plural cat·er·wauls)

yowl:
a loud howl or cry that sounds like a cat in heat
[14th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps from Low German katerwaulen, or from an earlier form of cat + a Middle English word meaning “to yowl” of
imitative origin.][1]



catfight

catfight
cat·fight 
[kát ft] (plural cat·fights) noun

1.  fight
among cats:
a fight that takes place among cats

2.  fight
especially between women: a vicious argument or fight,
especially between women (informal)

[1]



catfish

catfish
cat·fish 
[kát fìsh] (plural cat·fish or
cat·fish·es) noun

fish
with whiskers: a scaleless, usually freshwater, fish
with long whiskers ( barbels ) around its
mouth that are sensitive to touch, taste, and smell. Order: Siluriformes
Also
called
cat
[From its barbels, likened to
a cat’s whiskers][1]



catgut

catgut
cat·gut 
[kát gùt] noun

string
for violins and tennis rackets: a tough thin cord made
from the dried intestines of sheep and other animals, used for stringing tennis
rackets and musical instruments, and as surgical thread.
Also
called
gut
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from cat (for unknown
reasons), or perhaps a contraction of “cattle-gut.”][1]



cath.

cath.
cath.

Abbreviation of
cathode[1]



Cath.

Cath.
Cath.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Cathedral

2.  Abbreviation
of
Catholic

[1]



Cathar

Cathar
Cath·ar 
[ká thr] (plural Cath·ars or
Cath·a·ri [káthəree]) noun

member
of medieval sect: a member of a 12th- and 13th-century
European heretical sect who believed the earth was ruled by Satan. They also
believed that salvation lay in the renunciation of materialism and the adoption
of a spiritual way of life.
[Late
16th century. Via medieval Latin Cathari “Cathars,” from Greek katharoi
“the pure,” from katharos “pure” (see catharsis
).]
—Cath·a·rism
[káthə rìzzəm], noun

—Cath·a·rist
[káthərist], noun

—Cath·a·rist·ic [kàthə rístik], adjective[1]



catharsis

catharsis
ca·thar·sis 
[kə thrsiss] (plural ca·thar·ses
[kə thr sz]) noun

1.  emotional
release:
an experience or feeling of spiritual release and purification brought about by
an intense emotional experience

2.  THEATER emotional
purging through Greek tragedy: according to
Aristotle, a purifying of the emotions that is brought about in the audience of
a tragic drama through the evocation of intense fear and pity

3.  PSYCHIATRY purging
of complexes: the process of bringing to the surface
repressed emotions, complexes, and feelings in an effort to identify and
relieve them, or the result of this process

4.  MEDICINE purging
of bowels:
cleansing or purging of the bowels
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek katharsis, from kathairein “to purge, cleanse,”
from katharos “pure, clean.”][1]



cathartic

cathartic
ca·thar·tic 
[kə thrtik] adjective

1.  purifying:
producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or
psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic
technique • a
film that had a truly cathartic effect on me

2.  MEDICINE having
purgative effect on bowels: used to describe a medicine
that causes emptying of the bowels
noun
(plural ca·thar·tics)

PHARMACOLOGY purgative
medicine:
a medicine that causes emptying of the bowels
—ca·thar·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Cathay

Cathay
Ca·thay 
[ka tháy] noun

China:
a medieval name for China (archaic or literary)[1]



cathead

cathead
cat·head 
[kát hèd] (plural cat·heads) noun

anchor
support:
a horizontal wooden or iron beam projecting from a ship’s bow, where the anchor
is carried and hoisted
[From cat “to raise the anchor”][1]



cathect

cathect
ca·thect 
[kə thékt, ka
thékt] (past ca·thect·ed, past participle ca·thect·ed,
present participle ca·thect·ing, 3rd person present singular
ca·thects) transitive verb

PSYCHOANALYSIS focus
energy on something: to concentrate emotional or
psychic energy on something, for example, an object, a person, or an idea
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from cathectic, formed from cathexis
.]
—ca·thec·tic, adjective[1]



cathedra

cathedra
ca·the·dra 
[kə thdrə] (plural ca·the·dras
or ca·the·drae [kə thdree]) noun

1.  bishop’s
throne:
a bishop’s official seat or throne.
See
also
ex cathedra

2.  bishop’s
rank or office: the official rank, office, or
jurisdiction of a bishop

3.  official
chair:
an official chair of an office or position, used by an authority figure
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek kathedra, from kata “down” + hedra “seat.”][1]



cathedral

cathedral
ca·the·dral 
[kə thdr’l] noun (plural ca·the·drals)

1.  bishop’s
church:
a church that contains a bishop’s throne and is the most important church in
the bishop’s diocese

2.  large
church:
a large, important church
adjective

1.  of
bishop or cathedral: relating to, belonging to,
or having a bishop or cathedral

2.  by
chair of authority: related to or coming from a
chair of authority

3.  like
a cathedral: resembling or appropriate to a cathedral

4.  made
by bishop:
used to describe an official religious announcement made by a bishop or pope
[13th century. Via Old French
from late Latin cathedralis, from Latin cathedra “bishop’s
throne” (source of English chair ;
see cathedra ).][1]



cathedralceiling

cathedralceiling
ca·the·dral
ceil·ing
noun

sloping ceiling:
a high ceiling that is slanted toward a central ridge or point, or that takes
in two levels, for example, in a living room with an overhanging balcony[1]



CathedralCity

CathedralCity
Ca·the·dral
Cit·y

city in southern California,
southeast of Palm Springs, southwest of Joshua Tree National Park. Population:
36,327 (1996)[1]



cathepsin

cathepsin
ca·thep·sin 
[kə thépsən] noun

destructive
enzyme:
an enzyme that breaks down proteins after cell death or in some diseased
conditions
[Early 20th century. From
German Kathepsin, from Greek kathepsein “to digest,” literally
“to boil down,” from hepsein “to boil.”][1]



Catherinede Médicis

Catherinede Médicis
Cath·er·ine
de Méd·i·cis  [kàthərin də
méddi ch, káthrin də méddi ch, kaatrn də maydeessss] or Cath·er·ine
de Med·i·ci [kàthərin də méddi ch, káthrin də méddi ch, kaatrn
də maydeessss], Queen of France (1519–1589)

Italian-born widow of the
French king Henry II. She was regent of France (1560–1563) and may have
instigated the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572).[1]



Catherine(of Aragon)

Catherine(of Aragon)

Cath·er·ine (of Ar·a·gon) 
[káthrin] or Cath·er·ine (of
Ar·a·gón) (1485–1536)
Spanish-born English queen consort. The
annulment of her marriage to King Henry VIII in 1533 precipitated the English
Reformation.[1]



Catherine(the Great)

Catherine(the Great)

Cath·er·ine (the Great)
[káthrin] (1729–1796)
German-born Russian monarch. Empress from
1762 after deposing her husband, she extended and consolidated Russian power
and culture.[1]



Catherinewheel

Catherinewheel
Cath·er·ine
wheel
noun

1.  U.K.
See pinwheel

2.  ARCHITECTURE circular
window:
a circular window divided by ribs radiating from the center
[Late 16th century. Named for
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, who was sentenced to be executed on a
spiked wheel.][1]



Cather,Willa

Cather,Willa

Cath·er 
[káər], Willa (1873–1947)
U.S.
writer. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning One of Ours ( 1922
).
Full name
Cather, Willa Sibert[1]



catheter

catheter
cath·e·ter 
[káthətər] (plural cath·e·ters)
noun

thin
tube used in medicine: a thin flexible tube that is
inserted into a part of the body to inject or drain away fluid, or to keep a
passage open. Catheters also have many diagnostic and surgical applications.
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek kathetēr, from kathienai “to send down,” from hienai
“to send.”][1]



catheterize

catheterize
cath·e·ter·ize 
[káthətə rz] (past cath·e·ter·ized,
past participle cath·e·ter·ized, present participle cath·e·ter·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cath·e·ter·iz·es) transitive verb

put
catheter into somebody: to insert a catheter into a
patient or a specific part of the body
—cath·e·ter·i·za·tion
[kàthətəri záysh’n], noun[1]



cathexis

cathexis
ca·thex·is 
[kə théksiss, ka
théksiss] (plural ca·thex·es [kə
thék sz, ka thék sz]) noun

PSYCHOANALYSIS investment
of energy:
the concentration of a great deal of psychological and emotional energy on one
particular person, thing, or idea
[Early 20th century. From
Greek kathexis “holding” from katekhein “to hold fast,” from ekhein
“to hold.” Translation of German Besetzung .][1]



cathiodermie

cathiodermie
ca·thi·o·der·mie
[kàthee ō dúrmee] noun

beauty
treatment:
a beauty treatment in which an electric current is passed over the skin,
through a special gel with which the skin is covered
[Late 20th century. From cation + French -dermie “-dermy.”][1]



cathode

cathode
cath·ode 
[ká thd] (plural cath·odes) noun

1.  negative
electrode:
the negative electrode of an electrolytic cell

2.  electron
source:
the negatively charged source of electrons in an electron tube

3.  positive
terminal:
the positive terminal of a cell that is producing electrical energy by a
chemical process that cannot be reversed
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek kathodos, literally “way down,” from kata
“down” + hodos “way.”]
—ca·tho·dal
[ka thṓd’l], adjective

—ca·tho·dal·ly [ka thṓdəlee], adverb[1]



cathoderay

cathoderay
cath·ode
ray
noun

stream of electrons:
a stream of electrons that is emitted from a cathode in a vacuum tube[1]



cathode-raytube

cathode-raytube
cath·ode-ray
tube 
noun

TV tube:
a vacuum tube in which a stream of electrons is produced and directed onto a
fluorescent screen, for example, in a television or visual display unit,
creating images and text[1]



cathodic

cathodic
ca·thod·ic
[ka thóddik] adjective

of
cathode:
relating to or involving a cathode
—ca·thod·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cathodicprotection

cathodicprotection
ca·thod·ic
pro·tec·tion noun

corrosion protection:
the prevention of electrolytic corrosion in something metallic, for example, an
underground pipe or a ship, by making it the cathode in an electrolytic cell[1]



cathole

cathole
cat
hole
noun

hole for rope on ship:
either of two holes at the stern of a ship through which large ropes are passed[1]



Catholic

Catholic
Cath·o·lic
adjective

1.  Roman
Catholic:
belonging to or characteristic of the Roman Catholic Church

2.  Christian:
belonging to the community of all Christian churches

3.  of
the historical united church: belonging to the united
Christian church that existed before its separation into different churches, or
to any church that regards itself as continuing the traditions of that united
church
noun
(plural Cath·o·lics)

church member:
a member of the Roman Catholic Church
[14th century. Via Christian
Latin from Greek katholikē (ekklēsia) “universal church,” from katholikos
(see catholic ).][1]



catholic

catholic
cath·o·lic 
[káthlik, káthəlik]
adjective

1.  all-inclusive:
including or concerned with all people

2.  useful
to all:
useful or interesting to a wide range of people

3.  all-embracing:
interested in or sympathetic to a wide range of things
[14th
century. Via Latin catholicus from, ultimately, Greek katholikos
“universal,” from katholou “in general,” from kata “in regard to”
+ holos “whole.”]
—ca·thol·i·cal·ly [kə thóllikəlee], adverb[1]



CatholicChurch

CatholicChurch
Cath·o·lic
Church
noun

1.  See
Roman Catholic Church

2.  church
descended from ancient Christian church: any
church that regards itself as continuing the traditions of the Christian church
before it was divided into separate churches

[1]



CatholicEpistles

CatholicEpistles
Cath·o·lic
E·pis·tles
plural noun

epistles to all churches:
the New Testament Epistles of James I and II, Peter, John, and Jude, addressed
to the Christian churches as a whole rather than to a local church[1]



Catholicism

Catholicism
Ca·thol·i·cism 
[kə thóllə sìzzəm] noun
Also
called
Catholicity

1.  Catholic
beliefs:
the beliefs, doctrines, and rituals of a Catholic church, especially those of
the Roman Catholic Church

2.  membership
of Catholic Church: membership of a Catholic
church, especially of the Roman Catholic Church

[1]



catholicity

catholicity
cath·o·lic·i·ty 
[kàthə líssətee] noun

1.  wideness
of range:
wideness of range of tastes or interests

2.  inclusiveness:
the quality of including or applying to everyone or everything

[1]



Catholicity

Catholicity
Cath·o·lic·i·ty
noun

See
Catholicism[1]



catholicize

catholicize
ca·thol·i·cize 
[kə thóllə sz] (past ca·thol·i·cized,
past participle ca·thol·i·cized, present participle ca·thol·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·thol·i·ciz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become catholic:
to broaden something, for example, an idea, classification, or range of things,
to include or apply to many or all things or people, or become broader in this
way[1]



Catholicize

Catholicize
Ca·thol·i·cize 
(past Ca·thol·i·cized, past participle Ca·thol·i·cized,
present participle Ca·thol·i·ciz·ing, 3rd person present
singular Ca·thol·i·ciz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

convert to Catholicism:
to convert somebody to Catholicism, or be converted to Catholicism[1]



catholicon

catholicon
ca·thol·i·con 
[kə thólli kòn] (plural ca·thol·i·cons)
noun

cure-all:
a remedy that is supposed to cure every ailment (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Via
French from modern Latin catholicum (remedium) “universal (remedy),”
from Greek katholikos (see catholic
).][1]



cathouse

cathouse
cat·house 
[kát hòwss] (plural cat·houses
[kát hòwzəz]) noun

brothel:
a brothel (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From cat in the obsolete sense “prostitute.”][1]



Catiline

Catiline
Cat·i·line 
[káttə ln] (108 BC ?–62 BC)

Roman
conspirator. His plan to foment revolution by assassinating Marcus Cicero
failed, and he was killed in battle with republican forces.
Full name
Lucius Sergius Catilina[1]



cation

cation
cat·i·on 
[kát  ən] (plural cat·i·ons) noun

positive
ion:
an ion that has a positive electric charge and is attracted toward the cathode
in electrolysis
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek kata “down” + ion
.]
—cat·i·on·ic [kàt ī ónnik], adjective[1]



catkin

catkin
cat·kin 
[kátkən] (plural cat·kins) noun

furry
flower cluster: a long hanging furry cluster of tiny
leaves and petalless flowers, produced by trees such as willows, birches,
alders, and poplars.
Also
called
ament
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete Dutch katteken “kitten.”][1]



Catlin,George

Catlin,George
Cat·lin 
[káttlin], George (1796–1872)

U.S. artist and writer. His
paintings are records of Native American life. His books include My Life
Among the Indians ( 1867 ).[1]



catmint

catmint
cat·mint 
[kátmint] noun

See
catnip[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








catnap

catnap
cat·nap 
[kát nàp] intransitive verb (past
cat·napped, past participle cat·napped, present
participle cat·nap·ping, 3rd person present singular cat·naps)

take
a short sleep: to take a short, light sleep, or several
short light sleeps
noun
(plural cat·naps)

short
sleep:
a short, light sleep
[From
the cat’s habit of sleeping lightly during the day]
—cat·nap·per, noun[1]



catnip

catnip
cat·nip 
[kátnip] noun

plant
that cats like: a plant of the mint family that has
grayish leaves, blue or white flowers, and a strong smell that attracts cats.
Genus: Nepeta
Also
called
catmint
U.K.
term
catmint
[Early 18th century. Nip,
variant of obsolete nep “catmint,” via Old English nepta from
Latin nepeta, of uncertain origin.][1]



Catonsville

Catonsville
Ca·tons·ville

village in Baltimore County,
Maryland, situated southwest of the city of Baltimore. Population: 35,233
(1990)[1]



catoptric

catoptric
ca·top·tric 
[kə tóptrik] or ca·top·tri·cal
[kə tóptrik’l] adjective

of
mirror:
relating to or involving a mirror or reflection
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
katoptrikos, from katoptron “mirror,” literally “something that
looks back”; related to optos “seen” (see optic
).][1]



catoptrics

catoptrics
ca·top·trics
[kə tóptriks] noun

study of reflection:
the branch of optics that deals with mirrors and reflection (takes a
singular verb)[1]



Catothe Elder, Marcus Portius

Catothe Elder, Marcus Portius
Ca·to
the El·der 
[kày tō ə éldər], Marcus Portius (234 BC–149 BC)

Roman
general and statesman. As censor he fought against Greek cultural influence and
against the luxury and immorality of Rome.
Known as
the Censor[1]



cat-o’-nine-tails

cat-o’-nine-tails
cat-o’-nine-tails 
(plural cat-o’-nine-tails) noun

nine-corded whip:
a whip with several, usually nine, strands of knotted rope, used in the past
for flogging in the navy.
Also called
cat[1]



catrig

catrig
cat
rig
noun

rig of catboat:
the rig of a catboat, usually with a gaff[1]



CATscan

CATscan
CAT
scan 
noun

1.  diagnostic
X-ray scan:
a diagnostic, medical, radiological scan in which cross-sectional images of a
part of the body are formed through computerized axial tomography and shown on
a computer screen.
Also
called
CT scan
U.K.
term
CT scan

2.  See
CAT scanner

[1]



CATscanner

CATscanner
CAT
scan·ner
noun

diagnostic X-ray scanner:
the radiological, diagnostic scanning equipment used to make a CAT scan.
Also called
CT scanner
Also called
CAT scan
U.K. term
CT scanner[1]



catscratch disease

catscratch disease
cat
scratch dis·ease or cat scratch fe·ver noun

feverish illness from cat’s
scratch: an illness marked by fever
and swollen lymph glands, thought to be caused by a bacterium transmitted to
humans by the scratch of a cat[1]



CatskillMountains

CatskillMountains
Cats·kill
Moun·tains
[káts kil mòwnt’nz]

group of mountains in the
Appalachian system, southeastern New York, situated along the western bank of
the Hudson River. Its highest peak is Slide Mountain, 1,281 m/4,204 ft .[1]



catsquirrel

catsquirrel
cat
squir·rel
(plural cat squir·rels) noun

gray
squirrel:
the eastern gray squirrel (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Cat squirrel is used to refer to the
  gray squirrel in an area that extends from South Carolina, south and west, to
  Texas. It is also common in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas, but is
  primarily a Gulf States term.

[1]



catsuit

catsuit
cat·suit
[kát st] (plural cat·suits) noun

tight
one-piece pantsuit: a close-fitting one-piece
pantsuit
[So called because it gives a
sleek outline][1]



catsup

catsup
cat·sup 
noun

See
ketchup[1]



cattalo

cattalo
cat·ta·lo 
[káttəlō] (plural cat·ta·loes or
cat·ta·los) noun

See
beefalo
[Late 19th century. Blend of cattle and buffalo
.][1]



Catt,Carrie Chapman

Catt,Carrie Chapman

Catt 
[kat], Carrie Chapman (1859–1947)
U.S.
suffragist. She was president of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance
(1904–1923).
Born
Chapman, Carrie Lane[1]



cattery

cattery
cat·ter·y
[káttəree] (plural cat·ter·ies)
noun

place where cats are raised:
a place where cats are bred or cared for[1]



cattish

cattish
cat·tish
[káttish] adjective

See
catty
—cat·tish·ly,
adverb

—cat·tish·ness, noun[1]



cattle

cattle
cat·tle 
[kátt’l] plural noun (takes a
plural verb)

1.  farm
animals of the ox family: large domesticated mammals
kept for the production of milk, meat, and hides, and also as draft animals.
Cows and oxen are common types of cattle. Genus: Bos

2.  people
regarded as animals: people who are regarded as
belonging to a low order, especially a crowd of people regarded as an
unthinking mass (disapproving)
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman catel from, ultimately, Latin capitale “funds.”][1]



cattlecall

cattlecall
cat·tle
call
noun

mass audition:
an audition in which large numbers of often inexperienced actors try for
various minor parts[1]



cattleegret

cattleegret
cat·tle
e·gret
noun

small white bird found among
cattle: a small, white,
yellow-billed egret that often feeds on insects stirred up by cattle, native to
Africa, southern Europe, and Asia and now widespread in the southeastern United
States. Latin name: Bubulus ibis[1]



cattlegrid

cattlegrid
cat·tle
grid
noun

U.K.
See cattle guard[1]



cattlegrub

cattlegrub
cat·tle
grub
noun

parasite on cattle and
horses: a parasitic larva of the
warble fly, which causes a swelling under the skin of cattle and horses[1]



cattleguard

cattleguard
cat·tle
guard
noun

barrier for cattle:
a grid of metal bars over a shallow pit in a road, designed to stop animals,
but not people or vehicles, from leaving an enclosed area.
U.K. term
cattle grid[1]



cattleman

cattleman
cat·tle·man 
[kátt’lmən, kátt’l
màn] (plural cat·tle·men [kátt’lmèn,
kátt’l mèn]) noun

somebody working with cattle:
somebody who works with cattle, or who owns and raises cattle[1]



cattleplague

cattleplague
cat·tle
plague
noun

See
rinderpest[1]



cattleprod

cattleprod
cat·tle
prod
noun

electrified rod:
an electrified rod designed for driving and controlling cattle by giving them
mild shocks[1]



cattletick

cattletick
cat·tle
tick
noun

tick that spreads disease:
a brown tick that transmits the protozoan that causes Texas fever in cattle,
found especially in the southern United States and South America. Genus: Boophilus[1]



cattletruck

cattletruck
cat·tle
truck
noun

U.K.
See stock car[1]



cattleya

cattleya
cat·tle·ya 
[káttlee ə, kat
láy ə, kat l ə] (plural cat·tle·yas)
noun

ornamental
orchid:
an orchid with decorative purple, pink, or white flowers that grows mainly as
an epiphyte in tropical America and is also a popular greenhouse plant. Genus: Cattleya
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for William Cattley ( died 1832 ),
English patron of botany.][1]



Catton,Bruce

Catton,Bruce
Cat·ton 
[kátt’n], Bruce (1899–1978)

U.S.
historian. He wrote many books on the Civil War.
Full name
Catton, Charles Bruce[1]



cattrain

cattrain
cat
train
(plural cat trains) noun

Canadian
series of linked sleds:
in northern regions of Canada, a series of linked sled s mounted on runners
that is pulled over snow by a tractor with Caterpillar™ treads[1]



catty

catty
cat·ty
[káttee] (comparative cat·ti·er,
superlative cat·ti·est) adjective

1.  slyly
mean:
spiteful or malicious, especially in a subtle way

2.  resembling
cat:
like a cat, especially in being cautious or secretive
—cat·ti·ly,
adverb

—cat·ti·ness, noun[1]



catty-cornered

catty-cornered
cat·ty-corn·ered 
or cat·ty-corn·er adjective

See
cater-cornered[1]



Catullus,Gaius Valerius

Catullus,Gaius Valerius
Ca·tul·lus 
[kə túlləss], Gaius Valerius (84? BC–54? BC)

Roman
poet. He wrote love poems addressed to “Lesbia” and satirical attacks on Julius
Caesar.

—Ca·tul·lan, adjective[1]



CATV

CATV
CATV

Abbreviation of
community antenna television[1]



catwalk

catwalk
cat·walk 
[kát wàwk] (plural cat·walks) noun

1.  raised
platform:
a long narrow raised platform along which the models walk in a fashion show

2.  high
walkway:
a narrow walkway high above the ground, for example, along the side of a
building or behind the stage in a theater
[So named because cats can
walk safely along something narrow][1]



cat’scradle

cat’scradle
cat’s
cra·dle 
noun

game
with string: a children’s game in which a loop of
string is threaded between the fingers of both hands in variable complex
patterns
[Origin uncertain: perhaps an
alteration of “cratch cradle,” the manger in which the infant Jesus Christ was
laid, from an alteration of French crèche “ crèche
”][1]



cat’s-eye

cat’s-eye
cat’s-eye
(plural cat’s-eyes) noun

1.  semiprecious
stone:
any of various gemstones, especially chrysoberyl and chalcedony, that when cut
in a rounded shape reflect a narrow silvery band of light that seems to come
from within

2.  reflective
road marker: a small reflecting device that is set
into a road surface, curb, or post to assist drivers at night in staying on the
road or within lanes

3.  glass
marble:
a clear glass marble with a core or swirl of color at the center

[1]



cat’smeow

cat’smeow
cat’s
me·ow
noun

(dated slang) See
cat’s pajamas[1]



cat’spajamas

cat’spajamas
cat’s
pa·ja·mas
noun

somebody or something
special: an excellent or special
person or thing (dated slang)
Also called
cat’s meow[1]



cat’s-paw

cat’s-paw
cat’s-paw
noun

1.  somebody
used as a tool: somebody who is tricked or manipulated
into doing something for another person, without understanding what is
happening, as in the fable of the fox and the cat

2.  looped
knot:
a knot with two loops, for attaching a rope to a hook

[1]



Caucasia

Caucasia
Cau·ca·sia
[kaw káyzhə]

region of southeastern Europe
and southwestern Asia, divided by the Caucasian Mountains and containing
Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and southern Russia. Area: 400,000 sq km/150,000
sq mi.[1]



Caucasian

Caucasian
Cau·ca·sian 
[kaw káyzh’n] adjective

1.  ETHNOLOGY of
former ethnic group: belonging to the
light-skinned peoples of Europe, North Africa, western Asia, and India,
formerly considered as a distinct ethnic group (no longer in technical use)

2.  white-skinned:
relating to people who are white or of European origin

3.  of
Caucasia:
belonging to or from Caucasia

4.  LANGUAGE of
languages of Caucasia: belonging or relating to
either of two unrelated languages spoken in the area around the Caucasus Mountains
noun
(plural Cau·ca·sians)

1.  ETHNOLOGY member
of former ethnic group: a member of the former
Caucasian ethnic group (no longer in technical use)

2.  white
person:
somebody white or of European origin

3.  PEOPLES somebody
from Caucasia: somebody who lives in or comes from
Caucasia

4.  LANGUAGE languages
of Caucasia: either of two unrelated language
families spoken in the area around the Caucasus Mountains, Kartvelian or South
Caucasian, and North Caucasian
[Early 17th century. Named
for Caucasia, where the group of people was
mistakenly thought to have originated.][1]



Caucasoid

Caucasoid
Cau·ca·soid 
[káwkə zòyd, káwkə
sòyd] adjective noun

See
Caucasian  adjective 1
noun

See
Caucasian  noun 1[1]



CaucasusMountains

CaucasusMountains
Cau·ca·sus
Moun·tains
[káwkəssəss mòwnt’nz]

mountain range that is
considered a boundary between Europe and Asia, extending through Georgia,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and southwestern Russia. Its highest peak is El’brus 5,642
m/18,510 ft .[1]



caucus

caucus
cau·cus 
[káwkəss] noun (plural cau·cus·es)

1.  political
meeting:
a closed meeting of people from one political party, especially a local meeting
to select delegates or candidates

2.  special-interest
group:
a group of people, often within a larger group, for example, a legislative
assembly, who unite to promote a particular policy or particular interests • the
Congressional Black Caucus
intransitive
verb
(past cau·cused, past participle cau·cused, present
participle cau·cus·ing, 3rd person present singular cau·cus·es)

form a caucus:
to hold or meet in a caucus
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Algonquian cau’-cau’-as’u “elder, adviser.”][1]



caudal

caudal
cau·dal 
[káwd’l] adjective

1.  of
a tail:
relating to, involving, typical of, or like a tail

2.  in
hind part of body: situated in or extending
toward the hind part of the body
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin caudalis, from Latin cauda “tail.”]
—cau·dal·ly, adverb[1]



caudate

caudate
cau·date 
[káw dàyt] or cau·dat·ed [káw dàytəd] adjective

with
tail:
with a tail or an appendage like a tail
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin caudatus, from Latin cauda
“tail.”]
—cau·da·tion [kaw dáysh’n], noun[1]



caudex

caudex
cau·dex 
[káw dèks] (plural cau·di·ces
[káwdi sz] or cau·dex·es) noun

1.  stem:
a trunk of a tree that bears leaves only at its apex, as in a palm or tree fern

2.  stem
base:
the swollen stem base of certain nonwoody perennial plants that survives over
the winter and from which new growth is produced
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “tree trunk,” a variant of codex (source of English codex ), of unknown origin.][1]



caudillismo

caudillismo
cau·dil·lis·mo 
[kòwdeel yzmō, kòwdi
yzmō] noun

government
by a caudillo: government by a dictator or caudillo
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, formed from caudillo “ caudillo
.”][1]



caudillo

caudillo
cau·dil·lo 
[kow d yō, kow
dl yō] (plural cau·dil·los) noun

Spanish
or Latin American dictator: a military or political
leader, especially a dictator, in a Spanish-speaking country
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, “leader,” from late Latin capitellum “little head,” from caput
“head.”][1]



caudle

caudle
cau·dle 
[káwd’l] (plural cau·dles) noun

hot
drink:
a drink made of hot ale or wine, with bread or oatmeal, sugar, and spices
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French from, ultimately, Latin caldum “hot drink,” from calidus
“hot.”][1]



caught

caught
caught


Past tense of
catch Past participle of catch[1]



caul

caul
caul 
[kawl] (plural cauls) noun

1.  membrane
in the womb: the membrane surrounding the amniotic
fluid, a part of which sometimes covers a baby’s head when it is born.
Also
called
veil

2.  See
omentum
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



cauldron

cauldron
caul·dron 
[káwldrən] noun

See
caldron[1]



cauliflower

cauliflower

cau·li·flow·er 
[káwli flòwr] (plural cau·li·flow·ers)
noun

1.  PLANTS vegetable
plant:
a plant that is related to the cabbage and has green leaves surrounding a large
solid head of edible white or light-green flowers. Latin name: Brassica oleracea
botrytis

2.  FOOD flower
head eaten as vegetable: the flower head of the
cauliflower plant, eaten as a vegetable
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of modern Latin cauliflora, from Latin caulis “stem” +
flor-, the stem of flos “flower.”][1]



cauliflowerear

cauliflowerear
cau·li·flow·er
ear
noun

deformed ear:
an ear that is permanently swollen and deformed as a result of bleeding into
the ear tissues after being repeatedly struck, usually in boxing[1]



caulk

caulk
caulk 
[kawk] or calk [kawk] transitive verb (past caulked,
past participle caulked, present participle caulk·ing,
3rd person present singular caulks) (past calked, past
participle calked, present participle calk·ing, 3rd
person present singular calks)

1.  make
boat watertight: to make a boat or the seams between its
planks watertight by filling the seams with waterproof material, for example,
pitch

2.  fill
something in: to fill in the cracks or gaps in
something, for example, a pipe or a window frame, with a waterproof material
noun

See caulking
[15th
century. Via Old Northern French cauquer “to tread, stamp down” from
Latin calcare, from calc-, the stem of calx “heel” (source
of English inculcate ).]
—caulk·er, noun[1]



caulking

caulking
caulk·ing 
[káwking] noun

something used to fill gaps:
material used to make a boat watertight by filling in its seams or to stop up
the cracks or gaps in something.
Also called
caulk[1]



caus.

caus.
caus.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of causative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








causal

causal
caus·al 
[káwz’l] adjective

1.  being
or involving the cause: involving or being the cause
of something else or the relationship of cause and effect

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
a cause:
expressing or indicating a cause or the relationship of cause and effect
noun
(plural caus·als)

GRAMMAR word
expressing cause: a word or other grammatical element that
expresses the reason or cause of something, or a relationship of cause and
effect
—caus·al·ly, adverb[1]



causalgia

causalgia
cau·sal·gia
[kaw záljə, kaw
záljee ə] noun

burning
sensation:
a persistent burning sensation of the skin, caused usually by injury to a
peripheral nerve
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek kausos “burning” + -algia
.]
—cau·sal·gic, adjective[1]



causality

causality
cau·sal·i·ty 
[kaw zállətee] noun

1.  See
causation  noun 2

2.  principle
of cause and effect: the principle that
everything that happens must have a cause

3.  quality
of causing effect: the action that causes an
effect, or the ability to cause an effect

[1]



causation

causation
cau·sa·tion 
[kaw záysh’n] noun

1.  cause
or act of causing: the fact that something
causes an effect, or the action of causing an effect

2.  cause-and-effect
relationship: the relationship between a cause and its
effect.
Also
called
causality

[1]



causative

causative
caus·a·tive 
[káwzətiv] adjective

1.  involving
cause and effect: involving being the cause of something
or the relationship of the cause and effect

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
cause:
used to describe verbs that express the action of something causing something
else
noun

GRAMMAR causative
verb:
a causative verb, or a form or class of causative verbs
—caus·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—caus·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



cause

cause
cause 
[kawz] noun (plural caus·es)

1.  what
makes something happen: something that or somebody
who makes something happen or exist or is responsible for a certain result • the
cause of all the uproar

2.  reason:
a reason or grounds for doing or feeling something • no
cause for complaint

3.  principle:
a principle or idea that people believe in and work for

4.  interest:
the interests and goals of a group of people

5.  LAW legal
case:
a lawsuit, or the reason that a suit is brought in a court of law

6.  discussion
subject:
something under discussion or to be decided
transitive
verb
(past caused, past participle caused, present
participle caus·ing, 3rd person present singular caus·es)

be the reason for something:
to make something happen or exist or be the reason that somebody does something
or something happens
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin causa “reason, motive, lawsuit”
(source of English accuse and excuse ), of unknown origin.]
—caus·a·bil·i·ty
[kàwzə bíllətee], noun

—caus·a·ble
[káwzəb’l], adjective

—cause·less
[káwzləss], adjective

—caus·er
[káwzər], noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Cause is derived from the Latin
  word causa, meaning “reason,” “motive,” or “lawsuit,” which is also
  the source of English accuse and excuse.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Rebel
  Without a Cause, a movie by U.S. director Nicholas Ray ( 1955 ). The movie
  that made actor James Dean a symbol of an alienated generation, it is the
  story of Jim, a youth who seems unable to stay out of trouble. His attempts
  to win the affections of a local girl, Judy, lead to conflict with her
  boyfriend and, ultimately, tragedy.

[1]



causecélèbre

causecélèbre
cause
cé·lè·bre
[kàwz sə lébbrə] (plural caus·es
cé·lè·bres) noun

famous
case or controversy: a legal case or public
controversy that arouses great interest and becomes famous, because of the
issues or the people involved
[From French, literally
“celebrated case”][1]



causerie

causerie
cau·se·rie 
[kṓzəree, kṓzree]
(plural cau·se·ries) noun

1.  chat:
an informal conversation (literary)

2.  LITERATURE informal
piece of writing: a short piece of writing in a light
informal style
[Early 19th century. From
French, via causer “to chat” from Latin causari “to discuss,”
from causa “case, subject.”][1]



causeway

causeway
cause·way 
[káwz wày] (plural cause·ways)
noun

1.  raised
path:
a raised path or road over a marsh or water or across land that is sometimes
covered by water

2.  paved
road:
a road or path with a paved or cobbled surface
[15th century. Formed from causey + way .][1]



causey

causey
caus·ey
[káwzee] (plural caus·eys) noun

causeway:
a causeway (archaic)
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman caucie from medieval Latin calciata (via) “paved
(road),” from Latin calx “limestone.”][1]



caustic

caustic
caus·tic 
[káwstik] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY corroding:
corrosive or burning by chemical action

2.  sarcastic:
very sarcastic, in a way that is particularly bitter or cutting or causes
intensely bad emotions
noun
(plural caus·tics)

1.  CHEMISTRY substance
that corrodes: a substance that can corrode or burn
away other substances by chemical action, especially a strong alkali

2.  OPTICS curve
formed by reflections: a peaked curve formed on a
plane by parallel light rays reflected or refracted from a cylindrical or
spherical surface. Caustics can sometimes be seen on the surface of drinks in
glazed mugs or cups, or on the base of the mug or cup when empty.
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos
“combustible,” from kaiein “to burn” (see cautery
).]
—caus·ti·cal,
adjective

—caus·ti·cal·ly
[káwstikəlee], adverb

—caus·tic·ness
[káwstiknəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at sarcastic

[1]



causticpotash

causticpotash
caus·tic
pot·ash
noun

See
potassium hydroxide[1]



causticsoda

causticsoda
caus·tic
so·da
noun

See
sodium hydroxide[1]



cauterize

cauterize
cau·ter·ize 
[káwtə rz] (past cau·ter·ized,
past participle cau·ter·ized, present participle cau·ter·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cau·ter·iz·es) transitive verb

burn
tissue to stop bleeding: to seal a wound, or destroy
abnormal or infected tissue, with a heated instrument, a laser, an electric
current, or a caustic substance
[14th
century. Via French cautériser from, ultimately, late Latin cauterium
(see cautery ).]
—cau·ter·i·za·tion [kàwtəri záysh’n], noun[1]



cautery

cautery
cau·ter·y 
[káwtəree] (plural cau·ter·ies)
noun

1.  something
used to cauterize tissue: an instrument or substance
used to seal a wound or to destroy abnormal or infected tissue by burning

2.  cauterization:
the process or action of sealing a wound or destroying abnormal or infected
tissue by burning
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kautrion “branding iron,” from kaiein “to burn” (source of
English caustic, holocaust, and calm
).][1]



caution

caution
cau·tion 
[káwsh’n] noun (plural cau·tions)

1.  carefulness:
care, thoughtfulness, lack of haste, and close attention that enable somebody
to avoid any risks involved in a task or procedure

2.  warning:
a warning to somebody to be careful about something or in doing something

3.  unusual
person:
a surprising or amusing person or thing (dated)
transitive
verb
(past cau·tioned, past participle cau·tioned, present
participle cau·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular cau·tions)

1.  warn:
to warn or advise somebody that something is risky or dangerous

2.  U.K.
LAW give
warning about evidence: to give a formal warning to
somebody who has been arrested that anything he or she says may be used in
evidence
[Late
16th century. Via French from the Latin stem caution-, from caut-,
the past participle stem of cavere “to take heed” (source also of
English caveat ).]
—cau·tion·er,
noun
throw
caution to the wind(s)

to be reckless[1]



cautionary

cautionary
cau·tion·ar·y 
[káwsh’n èrree] adjective

providing a warning:
involving, giving, or being a warning[1]



cautious

cautious
cau·tious 
[káwshəss] adjective

careful:
having or showing care, thoughtfulness, restraint, and lack of haste
[Mid-17th
century. From caution, on the model of ambitious
.]
—cau·tious·ly,
adverb

—cau·tious·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  cautious, careful, chary,
  circumspect, prudent, vigilant,
  wary, guarded, cagey
  CORE
  MEANING: attentive
  to risk or danger cautious; a
  general term for being aware of potential risk and modifying your behavior
  accordingly; careful; taking
  reasonable care to avoid risks; chary;
  extremely cautious, often to the extent of being reluctant to act; circumspect; taking into consideration all
  possible circumstances and consequences before acting; prudent; a term suggesting cautiousness arising
  from good judgment or shrewdness; vigilant;
  extremely alert and conscious of possible dangers; wary; combining vigilance with feelings of suspicion; guarded; cautious about sharing information
  with others; cagey; an informal
  term for “guarded,” suggesting an element of craftiness

[1]



Cav.

Cav.
Cav.
or cav.

Abbreviation of
cavalry[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cavalcade

cavalcade
cav·al·cade 
[kàvv’l káyd, kávv’l
kàyd] (plural cav·al·cades) noun

1.  procession:
a procession, especially one of people on horses, in carriages, or in cars

2.  series:
a series or procession of things or people, especially a spectacular or
dramatic one
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare “to ride on
horseback,” via medieval Latin caballicare from Latin caballus
“horse.”][1]



Cavalier

Cavalier
Cav·a·lier
(plural Cav·a·liers) noun

supporter of King Charles I:
a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.
See also
Roundhead[1]



cavalier

cavalier
cav·a·lier 
[kàvv’l r] adjective

careless:
showing an arrogant or jaunty disregard or lack of respect for something or
somebody
noun
(plural cav·a·liers)

1.  gentleman:
a gallant or chivalrous gentleman, especially one escorting a lady (formal)

2.  mounted
soldier:
a knight or soldier who fought on horseback (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Italian cavaliere “knight” from medieval Latin caballarius
“horseman,” from Latin caballus “horse,” of unknown origin.]
—cav·a·lier·ly, adverb[1]



cavalla

cavalla
ca·val·la 
[kə vállə] (plural ca·val·la or
ca·val·las) noun

1.  tropical
fish:
a tropical marine fish with a flattened body and forked tail. Family:
Carangidae

2.  See
king mackerel
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish caballa “horse mackerel,” via late Latin from Latin caballus
“horse.”][1]



cavalry

cavalry
cav·al·ry 
[kávv’lree] (plural cav·al·ries)
noun

1.  soldiers
on horseback: the part of an army made up of soldiers
trained to fight on horseback

2.  mobile
troops:
the more mobile part of a modern army, using armored vehicles and helicopters
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian cavalleria “mounted militia,” from cavallo “horse,”
from Latin caballus, of unknown origin.][1]



cavalryman

cavalryman
cav·al·ry·man 
[kávv’lrimən] (plural cav·al·ry·men
[kávv’lrimən]) noun

soldier in cavalry:
a soldier belonging to a regiment of cavalry[1]



cavatina

cavatina
ca·va·ti·na 
[kàvvə tnə, kvə
tnə] (plural ca·va·ti·nas or ca·va·ti·ne [kàvvə tnee]) noun

simple
song:
a short and simple operatic song, especially a slow aria of 18th- and
19th-century Italian opera, usually followed by a livelier cabaletta
[Early 19th century. From
Italian .][1]



cave

cave
cave 
[kayv] noun

large
underground hollow: a large, naturally
hollowed-out place in the ground, or in rock above ground, that can be reached
from the surface or from water
transitive
verb
(past caved, past participle caved, present
participle cav·ing, 3rd person present singular caves)

hollow
something out: to hollow out or undermine something
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin cavus “hollow” (source also of English cavern, cavity,
concave, and excavate ).][1]



caveat

caveat
ca·ve·at 
[káyvee àt, kàvvee
àt] (plural ca·ve·ats) noun

1.  warning
or proviso:
something said as a warning, caution, or qualification

2.  LAW request
to a court:
an official request to a court not to proceed with a case without notice to the
person making the request
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “let him or her beware,” from cavere “to heed” (source
of English caution ).][1]



caveatemptor

caveatemptor
ca·ve·at
emp·tor 
[kàvvee aat émp tawr] noun

buyer’s
risk:
the commercial principle that the buyer is responsible for making sure that
goods bought are of a reasonable quality, unless the seller is offering a
guarantee of their quality
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, “let the buyer beware.”][1]



cavefish

cavefish
cave·fish 
[káyv fìsh] (plural cave·fish or
cave·fish·es) noun

blindfish:
a small North American freshwater fish that lives in subterranean waters and
has underdeveloped eyes. Family: Amblyopsidae[1]



cavein

cavein
cave
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb collapse:
to collapse or cause something to collapse because of pressure or because of
being undermined

2.  intransitive
verb
yield:
to yield to persuasion or threats, after trying to resist

[1]



cave-in

cave-in
cave-in 
(plural cave-ins) noun

1.  collapse:
a collapse of something caused by pressure or undermining

2.  roof
fall:
a place where something has collapsed because of pressure or being undermined

3.  yielding:
a yielding to persuasion or threats, after trying to resist

[1]



caveman

caveman
cave·man
[káyv màn] (plural cave·men [káyv mèn]) noun

1.  Stone
Age man:
somebody living in a cave, especially a prehistoric human being of the
Paleolithic period

2.  brute:
a man who behaves in a brutish or uncivilized way (informal)

[1]



cavepainting

cavepainting
cave
paint·ing
noun

Stone Age painting:
any of the paintings made on the walls of caves by Paleolithic peoples in
different parts of the world[1]



caver

caver
cav·er
[káyvər] (plural cav·ers) noun

explorer of caves:
somebody who explores and climbs in underground caves and passages for sport[1]



cavern

cavern
cav·ern 
[kávvərn] noun (plural cav·erns)

large cave: a
large underground cave, or a large chamber in an underground series of caves
transitive
verb
(past cav·erned, past participle cav·erned, present
participle cav·ern·ing, 3rd person present singular cav·erns)

1.  make
something hollow: to make a mountain, cliff, or area of
ground hollow

2.  enclose:
to enclose something in a cave or cavern (literary)
[14th century. Directly or
via French caverne from Latin caverna, from cavus “hollow”
(see cave ).][1]



cavernous

cavernous
cav·ern·ous 
[kávvərnəss] adjective

1.  like
cavern:
like or suggestive of a cavern, especially in being large, dark, deep, and
hollow

2.  hollow-sounding:
with a hollow, resonating sound
—cav·ern·ous·ly, adverb[1]



cavesson

cavesson
caves·son
[kávvəssən] (plural caves·sons)
noun

noseband:
a stiff noseband used in breaking horses
[Late 16th century. Via
French caveçon from, ultimately, medieval Latin capitium “head
covering,” from Latin capit-, the stem of caput “head.”][1]



cavetto

cavetto
ca·vet·to 
[kə véttō] (plural ca·vet·ti [kə véttee]) noun

hollow
molding:
a concave architectural molding with a curve that is roughly a quarter circle
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, a diminutive of cavo “hollow,” from Latin cavus (see cave ).][1]



caviar

caviar
cav·i·ar 
[kávvee r, kvee
r] or cav·i·are [kávvee r,
kvee r] noun

fish
roe:
the salted roe of a large fish, particularly the sturgeon, eaten as a delicacy
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian caviaro from Turkish havyar, from Persian dialect khāvyār
.][1]



cavil

cavil
cav·il 
[kávv’l] intransitive verb (past
cav·iled or cav·illed, past participle cav·iled
or cav·illed, present participle cav·il·ing or
cav·il·ling, 3rd person present singular cav·ils)

object
for no good reason: to make objections about
something on small and unimportant points
noun
(plural cav·ils)

carping
criticism:
a trivial and unreasonable objection
[Mid-16th
century. Via French caviller from Latin cavillari, from cavilla
“scoffing, mockery.”]
—cav·il·er, noun[1]



caving

caving
cav·ing
[káyving] noun

exploring caves:
the activity of exploring and climbing in underground caves and passages for
sport[1]



cavitand

cavitand
ca·vi·tand 
[kávvitənd] noun

CHEMISTRY a molecule, especially
a synthetic receptor, that is hollow and has one open end
[Late 20th century. Formed
from cavity .][1]



cavitate

cavitate
cav·i·tate 
[kávvi tàyt] (past cav·i·tat·ed,
past participle cav·i·tat·ed, present participle cav·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular cav·i·tates) transitive verb

fill
something with cavities: to form bubbles or cavities
in a substance
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from cavitation .][1]



cavitation

cavitation
cav·i·ta·tion 
[kàvvi táysh’n] noun

1.  PHYSICS disturbance
of liquid:
the rapid formation and collapse of bubbles in a liquid, caused by the movement
of something in the liquid, for example, a propeller, or by waves of
high-frequency sound

2.  pitting
of surface:
the pitting of a solid surface as a result of the forces of repeated cavitation
in a surrounding liquid

3.  MEDICINE formation
of cavities in tissue: the formation of cavities in
body tissue caused by a disease, for example, as an effect of tuberculosis on
the lungs
[Late 19th century. From cavity + -ation
.][1]



cavity

cavity
cav·i·ty 
[kávvitee] (plural cav·i·ties)
noun

1.  hollow
place:
a hole or hollow space in something

2.  DENTISTRY hole
in tooth:
a hole in a tooth, caused by decay

3.  ANATOMY hollow
within the body: a hollow area inside the body
[Mid-16th century. Via French
cavité from late Latin cavitas, from Latin cavus “hollow”
(see cave ).][1]



cavo-relievo

cavo-relievo
ca·vo-re·lie·vo
[kvō ri lvō, kàyvō
ri lvō] (plural ca·vo-re·lie·vos or ca·vo-re·lie·vi
[kvō ri lvee, káyvō
ri lvee]) noun

deep-carved
relief:
a relief sculpture in which even the highest part lies below the level of the
original surface, or this style of relief sculpture
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “hollow relief.”][1]



cavort

cavort
ca·vort 
[kə váwrt] (past ca·vort·ed, past
participle ca·vort·ed, present participle ca·vort·ing,
3rd person present singular ca·vorts) intransitive verb

leap
around:
to behave in a physically lively and uninhibited way
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of curvet
.][1]



Cavour,Camillo Benso

Cavour,Camillo Benso

Ca·vour 
[kə vr], Camillo Benso, Conte di
(1810–1861)
Italian
statesman. He was prime minister of Piedmont (1852–1859, 1860–1861) and chief
architect of the unification of Italy (1861).
Full name
Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour[1]



cavy

cavy
ca·vy 
[káyvee] (plural ca·vies) noun

S
American rodent: a short-tailed ground-living South
American rodent of the family that includes the guinea pig. Family: Caviidae
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin Cavia, genus name, from Galibi cabiai .][1]



caw

caw

caw 
[kaw] intransitive verb (past cawed,
past participle cawed, present participle caw·ing, 3rd
person present singular caws)
make
bird call:
to make the loud harsh cry of a crow or a related bird, or make a sound like
this
noun
(plural caws)
bird’s
cry:
the loud harsh cry of a crow or a related bird, or a sound like this
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Caxton,William

Caxton,William
Cax·ton 
[kákstən], William (1422?–1491)

English printer. He
established the first printing press in England (1477) and printed over 100
books, including The Canterbury Tales.[1]



cay

cay
cay 
[kee, kay]
(plural cays) noun

small
island:
a small low island or reef in the sea, made of coral or sand, especially in the
Caribbean
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish cayo “shoal,” of uncertain origin: probably from Taino .][1]



Cayenne

Cayenne
Cay·enne
[kī én, kay én]

city and capital of French
Guiana, situated in the northern coast of Cayenne Island. Population: 41,667
(1990)[1]



cayennepepper

cayennepepper
cay·enne
pep·per 
or cay·enne noun

hot
red pepper:
a very hot-tasting red powder made of the dried and ground fruit and seeds of
several kinds of chili. It is used in cooking and as a gastric astringent.
Also
called
red pepper
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of earlier kian (from Tupi kyynha ), by association
with Cayenne .][1]



CaymanIslands

CaymanIslands
Cay·man
Is·lands
[káymən ləndz]

group of three islands,
situated in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately 320 km/200 mi
northwest of Jamaica. Capital: George Town. Population: 25,355 (1990) Area: 306
sq km/118 sq mi.[1]



Cayuga

Cayuga
Ca·yu·ga 
[kay ygə, kī
ygə] (plural Ca·yu·ga or Ca·yu·gas) noun

member
of Iroquois people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied lands along Cayuga Lake, and whose
members now live mainly in western New York State, Wisconsin, Ontario, and
Oklahoma. The Cayuga were one of the five peoples who formed the Iroquois
Confederacy, later known as the Six Nations.
[Mid-18th
century. From the Cayuga language, literally “the place where locusts were
taken out.”]
—Ca·yu·ga, adjective[1]



CayugaLake

CayugaLake
Ca·yu·ga
Lake

one of the Finger Lakes,
situated in Cayuga and Seneca counties, central New York State. Area: 171 sq
km/66 sq mi.[1]



cayuse

cayuse
cay·use 
[kī yss, k
yss] (plural cay·us·es) noun

Northwestern
U.S.
pony:
a small pony of a western North American breed
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Cayuse pony, named for the Cayuse, a Native American people of
the Pacific Northwest.][1]



caïque

caïque
ca·ïque 
[kaa k, kīk]
(plural ca·ïques) noun

1.  Turkish
rowboat:
a long narrow rowboat used in the waters around Turkey

2.  small
Greek boat:
any small rowboat, sailboat, or motorboat used in the Greek Islands and the
eastern Mediterranean
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Turkish kayik .][1]



cañon

cañon
cañ·on
noun

See
canyon[1]



CB

CB
CB


RADIO
Abbreviation of Citizens Band[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CBA

CBA
CBA

Abbreviation of
cost-benefit analysis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CBC

CBC
CBC

Abbreviation of
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation[1]



C.B.D.

C.B.D.
C.B.D.

1.  C.B.D.
or cbd Abbreviation of cash before delivery

2.  Abbreviation
of
central business district

[1]



CBer

CBer
CB·er 
[si b ər] (plural CB·ers) noun

user of CB radio:
somebody who communicates by radio on the Citizens Band[1]



CBI

CBI
CBI

(plural CBIs) Abbreviation
of computer-based instruction[1]



CBO

CBO
CBO

Abbreviation of
Congressional Budget Office[1]



CBR

CBR
CBR

ARMS
MILITARY Abbreviation of
chemical, bacteriological, and radiation[1]



CBS

CBS
CBS

Abbreviation of
Columbia Broadcasting System[1]



CBT

CBT
CBT

Abbreviation of
computer-based training[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CBW

CBW
CBW

Abbreviation of
chemical and biological warfare[1]



cc

cc
cc
or c.c.

1.  BUSINESS Abbreviation of
(carbon) copy

2.  Abbreviation
of
cubic centimeter

3.  AUTOMOTIVE MEASUREMENTS (used after a number to
indicate the power of an internal-combustion engine) Abbreviation of
cubic capacity

[1]



CC

CC
CC

1.  Abbreviation
of
City Council

2.
(used in television guides to indicate that a program is available with
captions for hearing-impaired people) Abbreviation of closed caption

[1]



cc.

cc.
cc.

Abbreviation of
chapters[1]



CCA

CCA
CCA

Abbreviation of
current-cost accounting[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CCC

CCC
CCC

Abbreviation of
Civilian Conservation Corps[1]



CCD

CCD
CCD

1.  Abbreviation
of
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine

2.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
charge-coupled device

[1]



CCK

CCK
CCK

Abbreviation of
cholecystokinin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cckw.

cckw.
cckw.

Abbreviation of
counterclockwise[1]



C-clamp

C-clamp
C-clamp
noun

curved clamp:
a metal clamp shaped like a letter C, with horizontal flat pieces at the ends,
that can be adjusted by a screw[1]



Cclef

Cclef
C
clef
noun

symbol of middle C:
a symbol on a musical staff that shows the position of middle C. The alto and
tenor clefs are the only commonly used C clefs today, and are used mostly in
viola, cello, and bassoon music.[1]



CCS

CCS
CCS

Abbreviation of
Combined Chiefs of Staff[1]



CCTV

CCTV
CCTV

Abbreviation of
closed-circuit television[1]



CCU

CCU
CCU

Abbreviation of
coronary care unit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








C/D

C/D
C/D

Abbreviation of
certificate of deposit[1]



c/d

c/d
c/d

1.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
carried down

2.  Abbreviation
of
cum dividend

[1]



c.d.

c.d.
c.d.

Abbreviation of
cash discount[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Cd

Cd
Cd


Symbol for
cadmium[1]



CD

CD
CD


1.  Abbreviation
of
compact disk

2.  Abbreviation
of
certificate of deposit

3.  Abbreviation
of
Civil Defense

4.
(often displayed on the backs of cars that belong to embassies) Abbreviation
of Corps Diplomatique

[1]



cd.

cd.
cd.

Abbreviation of
cord[1]



cd

cd
cd


Symbol for
candela[1]



CDC

CDC
CDC

Abbreviation of
Centers for Disease Control[1]



CDD

CDD
CDD

MILITARY
Abbreviation of certificate of disability for discharge[1]



CDE

CDE
CDE
noun

reusable compact disk:
a compact disk that can have its contents erased and something else recorded
onto it. Full form compact disk erasable
See also
CDR[1]



cdf

cdf
cdf

STATISTICS
Abbreviation of cumulative distribution
function[1]



CDI

CDI
CDI
or CD-I noun

interactive compact disk:
an interactive compact disk containing text, video, and audio and accessed
using a self-contained player plugged into a television set. Full form
compact disk interactive[1]



Cdn.

Cdn.
Cdn.

Abbreviation of
Canadian[1]



CDN

CDN
CDN

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Canada[1]



cDNA

cDNA
cDNA

Abbreviation of
complementary DNA[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Cdr.

Cdr.
Cdr.
or CDR.

Abbreviation of
Commander[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CDR

CDR
CDR
noun

compact disk able to record
once: a compact disk that can be
used to record something but cannot be erased. Full form compact disk
recordable
See also
CDE[1]



CD-ROM

CD-ROM
CD-ROM 
[s dee róm] (plural CD-ROMs) noun

compact disk with fixed
content: a compact disk containing a
large amount of data, including text and images, that can be viewed using a
computer but cannot be altered or erased. Full form compact disk
read-only memory[1]



CDT

CDT
CDT

Abbreviation of
Central Daylight Time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CDV

CDV
CDV

1.  Abbreviation
of
CD-video

2.  Abbreviation
of
compact video disk

[1]



CD-video

CD-video
CD-vid·e·o
noun

1.  compact
disk with video images: a compact disk used to store
and play back video images

2.  player
for CD-videos: a player for compact disks that stores
and plays back video images

[1]



CDW

CDW
CDW

INSURANCE
Abbreviation of collision damage waiver[1]



C.E.

C.E.
C.E.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chemical engineer

2.  Abbreviation
of
chief engineer

3.  Abbreviation
of
civil engineer

4.  Abbreviation
of
Common Era

[1]



CE

CE
CE

1.  Abbreviation
of
Common Era

2.  Abbreviation
of
civil engineer

[1]



Ce

Ce

Ce
Symbol for
cerium[1]



CEA

CEA
CEA

Abbreviation of
Council of Economic Advisors[1]



ceanothus

ceanothus
ce·a·no·thus 
[s ə nṓthəss] (plural ce·a·no·thus·es)
noun

N
American shrub: a North American shrub that has dark
green leaves and tiny clusters of blue, white, or pink flowers. Genus: Ceanothus

Also
called
redroot
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek keanōthos, a kind of thistle.][1]



cease

cease
cease 
[seess] verb (past ceased,
past participle ceased, present participle ceas·ing,
3rd person present singular ceas·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
happening:
to come to an end

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb end:
to bring something to an end
noun

ending: an
end or pause (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French cesser from Latin cessare, from cedere
(see cede ).]
without
cease

without stopping, or without
a break[1]



ceasefire

ceasefire
cease·fire 
[sss fr] (plural cease·fires)
noun

1.  agreement
to stop fighting: an agreement between opposing sides in a
conflict that they will stop fighting, usually for a limited time during which
they will try to reach a more permanent peace agreement

2.  order
to stop firing: a military order to stop firing

[1]



ceaseless

ceaseless
cease·less 
[sssləss] adjective

unending:
without pause or end
—cease·less·ly,
adverb

—cease·less·ness, noun[1]



Ceauşescu,Nicolae

Ceauşescu,Nicolae

Ceau·şes·cu 
[chow shéskoo], Nicolae (1918–1989)
Romanian former head of state. The
Communist president of Romania (1967–1989), he was overthrown and executed in a
popular revolution.[1]



Cebu

Cebu
Ce·bu 
[say b]

island of the Philippines, in
the Pacific Ocean, near the islands of Negros and Mindanao. Population:
2,646,000 (1990) Area: 4,422 sq km/1,707 sq mi.[1]



Cecilia,Saint

Cecilia,Saint
Ce·cil·ia 
[sə slyə], Saint (?–230?)

Roman Christian martyr. She
is regarded as the patron saint of music.[1]



cecropiamoth

cecropiamoth
ce·cro·pi·a
moth 
[si krṓpee ə màwth] (plural ce·cro·pi·a
moths) noun

large
N American moth: a large North American moth with red,
white, and black wings that has a silkworm caterpillar. Latin name: Hyalophora
cecropia
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, species name, named for Cecrops .][1]



Cecrops

Cecrops
Ce·crops
[s kròps] noun

1st king of Attica:
in Greek mythology, the first king of Attica and founder of Athens[1]



cecum

cecum
ce·cum 
[skəm] (plural ce·ca) or
cae·cum [skəm] (plural cae·ca
[skə]) noun

1st
part of large intestine: the pouch in which the large
intestine begins, which is open at one end.
Also
called
blind gut
[Early
18th century. From Latin (intestinum) caecum “blind (gut),” from caecus
“blind.”]
—ce·cal,
adjective

—ce·cal·ly, adverb[1]



CED

CED
CED

Abbreviation of
Committee for Economic Development[1]



cedar

cedar

ce·dar 
[sdər] (plural ce·dars) noun

1.  tall
evergreen tree: a tall evergreen tree of Europe, Asia,
and Africa, with spreading branches, needles, and large rounded upright cones.
Genus: Cedrus

2.  tree
like true cedar: an evergreen tree that resembles a true
cedar, for example, a red cedar

3.  wood
from cedar:
the durable fragrant wood of a cedar tree
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French cedre from, ultimately, Greek kedros “cedar, juniper,” of
unknown origin.][1]



Cedar

Cedar
Ce·dar

river that flows
southeastward from southeastern Minnesota to southeastern Iowa, where it joins
the Iowa River. Length: 483 km/300 mi.[1]



cedar-applerust

cedar-applerust
ce·dar-ap·ple
rust 
noun

apple rust:
a disease that develops first on red cedars and then on apple trees in its
progress through its life cycle and is caused by a rust fungus. Latin name: Gymnosporangium
juniperi-virginianae[1]



CedarCity

CedarCity
Ce·dar
Cit·y

city in southwestern Utah,
north of Zion National Park and northeast of Saint George. Population: 17,811
(1996)[1]



CedarFalls

CedarFalls
Ce·dar
Falls

city in northeastern Iowa, on
the Cedar River, northwest of Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. Population: 34,884
(1996)[1]



cedarof Lebanon

cedarof Lebanon
ce·dar
of Leb·a·non (plural ce·dars of Leb·a·non)
noun

Lebanese cedar:
a tall long-lived cedar with horizontally spreading branches that grows in
Lebanon and Turkey. Latin name: Cedrus libari[1]



CedarRapids

CedarRapids
Ce·dar
Rap·ids

city in eastern Iowa, on the
Cedar River, northwest of Davenport. Population: 113,482 (1996)[1]



cedarwaxwing

cedarwaxwing
ce·dar
wax·wing 
noun

brown N American bird:
a brown North American bird that has a crested head, bright red waxy drops at
the end of some wing feathers, and a yellow-tipped tail. It eats the berries of
red cedar trees. Latin name: Bombycilla cedrorum[1]



cede

cede
cede 
[seed] (past ced·ed, past
participle ced·ed, present participle ced·ing, 3rd
person present singular cedes) transitive verb

surrender
something:
to surrender or give up something, for example, land, rights, or power, to
another country, group, or person (formal)
[Early
16th century. Via French céder from Latin cedere “to give way”
(source of English concede, precede, excess,
and ancestor ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Cede is derived from the Latin word cedere,
  meaning “to give way,” which is also the source of English abscess, accede,
  ancestor, concede, decease,
  exceed, precede,
  predecessor, proceed, procession,
  recede, and succeed.

[1]



cedi

cedi
ce·di 
[sáydee] (plural ce·di) noun

1.  unit
of Ghanaian currency: the main unit of currency in
Ghana, worth 100 pesewas

2.  coin
or bill worth a cedi: a coin or bill worth one
cedi
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Akan (Fanti) sedī “small shell, cowrie.”][1]



cedilla

cedilla
ce·dil·la 
[sə díllə] (plural ce·dil·las)
noun

pronunciation
mark:
a mark placed beneath the letters c (ç) and s (ş) in some languages. In French
and Portuguese, it shows that c is pronounced like s, not k. In modern Turkish
it shows whether c and s are voiced or voiceless.
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete Spanish, literally “little z,” from Latin zeta .][1]



CEEB

CEEB
CEEB

Abbreviation of
College Entry Examination Board[1]



CEGEP

CEGEP
CEGEP
[sáy zhèp] or cegep [sáy zhèp] noun

educational institution:
in Quebec, a post-secondary institution offering two-year programs leading to
university and three-year programs qualifying students in a variety of
professions and trades. Full form Collège d’Enseignement Général et
Professionel[1]



ceiba

ceiba
cei·ba 
[sáybə] (plural cei·bas) noun

See
silk-cotton tree
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Arawak, literally “giant tree.”][1]



ceil

ceil
ceil
[seel] (past ceiled, past
participle ceiled, present participle ceil·ing, 3rd
person present singular ceils) transitive verb

1.  provide
with ceiling: to construct a ceiling for a room

2.  line
a ceiling:
to line a ceiling with a material, for example, plaster or wood
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French, “canopy,” from Latin caelum “heaven”;
or via assumed Old French celer from Latin caelare “to carve,”
from caelum “chisel.”][1]



ceilidh

ceilidh
cei·lidh 
[káylee] noun

folk
music and storytelling party: a social event with singing
and dancing to Scottish or Irish traditional music and storytelling
[Late 19th century. Via Irish
céilidhe and Scots Gaelic ceilidh from Old Irish célide
“visit,” from céle “companion.”][1]



ceiling

ceiling
ceil·ing 
[sling] (plural ceil·ings) noun

1.  BUILDING inside
top of room: the overhead surface of a room, or the
material used to line this surface

2.  upper
limit:
a level above which something is not allowed to rise, for example, prices,
rents, or wages

3.  AIR flying
height:
the maximum height at which an aircraft can fly

4.  METEOROLOGY cloud
level:
the highest point, usually the base of a layer of clouds, from which the
surface of the Earth can be seen
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from ceil .]
—ceil·inged,
adjective
hit
the ceiling

to become very angry[1]



ceilometer

ceilometer
ceil·om·e·ter 
[see lómmətər] (plural ceil·om·e·ters)
noun

cloud-height
measurer:
an instrument for measuring the height of a cloud ceiling
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from ceiling .][1]



celadon

celadon
cel·a·don 
[séllədòn, sélləd’n]
noun

1.  COLORS pale
green color: a pale green color tinged with gray

2.  CERAMICS gray-green
porcelain:
a type of Chinese porcelain with a grayish-green glaze
[Mid-18th
century. From French céladon, from the name of a character in D’Urfé’s
romance L’Astrée .]
—cel·a·don, adjective[1]



Celaeno

Celaeno
Ce·lae·no 
[se lnō] noun

one of Pleiades:
in Greek mythology, one of the Pleiades[1]



celandine

celandine
cel·an·dine 
[séllən dn, séllən
dn] (plural cel·an·dines) noun

1.  yellow
flower:
a tall plant of the poppy family that has yellow flowers in summer and bright
orange, poisonous sap. Latin name: Cheladonium majus
Also
called
greater celandine
Also
called
swallowort
U.K.
term
greater celandine

2.  See
lesser celandine
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French celidoine from, ultimately, Greek khelidonion, from khelidōn
“swallow”; so called because the plant flowered in spring, when swallows
returned from migration.][1]



celandinepoppy

celandinepoppy
cel·an·dine
pop·py
noun

N. American plant:
a North American plant that resembles the greater celandine. Latin name: Stylophorum
diphyllum[1]



-cele

-cele
-cele
suffix

tumor,
swelling • varicocele
[From Greek kēlē, of
unknown origin][1]



celeb

celeb
ce·leb 
[sə léb] (plural ce·lebs) noun

celebrity:
somebody who is a celebrity (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



CelebesSea

CelebesSea
Cel·e·bes
Sea

part of the Pacific Ocean,
surrounded by the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, the Sulu Archipelago, and the
Sangihe Islands. Area: 427,000 km/165,000 sq mi.[1]



celebrant

celebrant
cel·e·brant 
[sélləbrənt] (plural cel·e·brants)
noun

1.  officiating
priest:
a priest who is officiating at Holy Communion

2.  worshiper:
somebody who takes part in a religious ceremony

3.  somebody
celebrating: somebody who takes part in a celebration
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
celebrare (see celebrate ).][1]



celebrate

celebrate
cel·e·brate 
[séllə bràyt] (past cel·e·brat·ed,
past participle cel·e·brat·ed, present participle cel·e·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular cel·e·brates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb show
happiness:
to show happiness that something good or special has happened, by doing such
things as eating and drinking together or playing music • I
told them about my promotion, and we went out to celebrate.
• a
noisy crowd of fans celebrating the victory

2.  transitive
verb
mark
an occasion: to mark a special occasion or day by
ceremonies or festivities

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb perform
a religious ceremony: to perform a religious
ceremony according to the prescribed forms

4.  transitive
verb
praise
something:
to praise something publicly or make it famous
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin celebrare “to attend a festival,” from celeber
“frequented, famous” (source of English celebrity
).]
—cel·e·bra·tion
[sèllə bráysh’n], noun

—cel·e·bra·tive
[séllə bràytiv, sélləbrətiv],
adjective

—cel·e·bra·tor
[séllə bràytər], noun

—cel·e·bra·to·ry [sélləbrə tàwree, sə
lébbrə tàwree], adjective[1]



celebrated

celebrated
cel·e·brat·ed 
[séllə bràytəd] adjective

famous:
famous and admired[1]



celebrity

celebrity
ce·leb·ri·ty 
[sə lébbritee] (plural ce·leb·ri·ties)
noun

1.  famous
person:
somebody who is famous during his or her own lifetime

2.  fame:
the state of being famous
[14th century. Directly or
via French célébrité from Latin celebritas, from celeber
“frequented, famous” (source of English celebrate
).][1]



celeriac

celeriac
ce·le·ri·ac 
[sə lérree àk] noun

root
vegetable:
a vegetable that is a type of celery with an edible root that looks like an
irregularly shaped turnip and is eaten cooked or raw. Latin name: Apium
graveolens rapaceum
Also
called
celery root
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of celery .][1]



celerity

celerity
ce·ler·i·ty 
[sə lérrətee] noun

quickness:
quickness in movement or in doing something (formal)
[15th century. Via French célérité
from Latin celeritas, from celer “swift” (source of English accelerate ).][1]



celery

celery

cel·er·y 
[sélləree] noun

1.  long-stemmed
vegetable:
a vegetable plant with long, crisp flattish stems that are eaten raw or cooked.
Latin name: Apium graveolens dulce

2.  celery
stalks:
celery stalks eaten as a vegetable

3.  seasoning:
the seeds of the celery plant, which are used as a seasoning
[Mid-17th century. Via French
céleri from, ultimately, Greek selinon “parsley.”][1]



celerycabbage

celerycabbage
cel·er·y
cab·bage
noun

See
Chinese cabbage
[So called because the long
stalks topped with leaves resemble celery][1]



celerypine

celerypine
cel·er·y
pine
noun

New Zealand tree:
a New Zealand tree that has shoots resembling celery and yields timber. Latin
name: Phyllocladus trichomanoides[1]



celeryroot

celeryroot
cel·er·y
root
noun

See
celeriac[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








celesta

celesta

ce·les·ta 
[sə léstə] (plural ce·les·tas)
or ce·leste [sə léstə] (plural
ce·lestes) noun
keyboard
instrument:
a musical instrument with keys that are played to make hammers strike metal
plates, making a soft tinkling sound
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of French céleste, literally “celestial,” from Latin caelestis
(see celestial ).][1]



celestial

celestial
ce·les·tial 
[sə léschəl] adjective

1.  heavenly:
belonging to, suitable for, in, or typical of heaven

2.  of
the sky:
relating to, involving, or observed in the sky or outer space
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin caelestis, from caelum
“sky, heaven.”]
—ce·les·tial·ly, adverb[1]



celestialbody

celestialbody
ce·les·tial
bod·y
noun

permanent object in sky:
any of the objects that are permanently present in the sky, for example, a star
or a planet.
Also called
heavenly body[1]



CelestialEmpire

CelestialEmpire
Ce·les·tial
Em·pire
noun

Chinese
Empire:
a name for the former Chinese Empire (archaic or literary)
[Translation of a Chinese
term that stresses the divinity of the emperor and his importance in the
universal scheme of things][1]



celestialequator

celestialequator
ce·les·tial
e·qua·tor
noun

equator in the sky:
the great circle in which the plane of the Earth’s equator intersects the
celestial sphere.
Also called
equator[1]



celestialglobe

celestialglobe
ce·les·tial
globe
noun

globe of the sky:
a globe showing the positions of the celestial bodies[1]



celestialhorizon

celestialhorizon
ce·les·tial
ho·ri·zon
noun

See
horizon  noun 3[1]



celestialmechanics

celestialmechanics
ce·les·tial
me·chan·ics 
noun

mechanics of bodies in orbit:
the branch of astronomy concerned with the motions and positions of celestial
bodies in gravitational fields (takes a singular verb)[1]



celestialnavigation

celestialnavigation
ce·les·tial
nav·i·ga·tion noun

navigation by stars:
the steering of a ship or aircraft by observing the positions of the stars by
means of triangulation.
Also called
astronavigation[1]



celestialpole

celestialpole
ce·les·tial
pole
noun

point above N Pole or S Pole:
either of the two points where a line in continuation of the earth’s axis
intersects the celestial sphere[1]



celestialsphere

celestialsphere
ce·les·tial
sphere
noun

the heavens:
the imaginary sphere around the Earth on which the Sun, Moon, stars, and
planets appear to be placed[1]



celestite

celestite
cel·es·tite 
[séllə stt, sə
lé stt] or cel·es·tine [séllə
stn, séllə stn] noun

strontium
ore:
a mineral, consisting of strontium sulfate, that is the chief ore of strontium.
It is usually white but occasionally brown, orange, red, or blue. SrSO4
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin caelestis “of the sky” (see celestial
).][1]



celiac

celiac
ce·li·ac 
[slee àk] or coe·li·ac [slee àk] adjective

of
the abdomen: relating to, involving, or contained in
the abdomen
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek koiliakos, from koilia “abdomen,” from koilos
“hollow.”][1]



celiacdisease

celiacdisease
ce·li·ac
dis·ease
noun

inability to absorb fat:
a disorder caused by a sensitivity to gluten that makes the digestive system
unable to deal with fat. Symptoms include diarrhea and anemia.[1]



celibacy

celibacy
cel·i·ba·cy 
[séllibəssee] noun

1.  sexual
abstinence:
a state of sexual abstinence for religious reasons or as a personal choice

2.  life
without marriage: the condition of being unmarried
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin caelibatus (see celibate
).][1]



celibate

celibate
cel·i·bate 
[sélləbət] adjective

1.  abstaining:
abstaining from sex

2.  unmarried:
unmarried, especially because of a religious vow
noun
(plural cel·i·bates)

1.  somebody
who abstains from sex: an adult who abstains from
sex for religious reasons or as a personal choice

2.  somebody
unmarried:
an unmarried person, especially one who has taken a vow of celibacy
[Early
19th century. From Latin caelibatus, from caelebs “unmarried,” of
unknown origin.]
—cel·i·bate·ly, adverb[1]



cell

cell

cell 
[sel] (plural cells) noun

1.  room
for holding prisoner: a room in a prison, in which
one or more prisoners are confined, or a small room in a police station, used
to confine somebody who has been arrested

2.  small
room:
a very small and simple room, especially in a monastery or convent

3.  BIOLOGY basic
unit of living thing: the smallest independently
functioning unit in the structure of an organism, usually consisting of one or
more nuclei surrounded by cytoplasm and enclosed by a membrane. Cells also
contain organelles, for example, mitochondria, lysosomes, and ribosomes.

4.  small
enclosed structure: a small contained or hollow
unit in a structure, for example, a compartment in a honeycomb or the
reproductive organs of a plant, or an area on an insect’s wing

5.  ELECTRICITY ENGINEERING something
that produces electricity: a device that produces
electrical energy by the chemical action of electrodes in an electrolyte

6.  See
solar cell

7.  POLITICS activist
group:
a small group of people who work together and are part of a larger
organization, especially members of a political organization who work in secret

8.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS range
of mobile phone transmitter: the area covered by one of
the transmitters in a mobile telephone system that automatically switches a
traveling user between short-range radio stations

9.  COMPUTING space
in table:
a space for information in a table, for example, in a computer spreadsheet,
formed where a row and a column intersect

10. CHRISTIANITY dependent
religious house: a small religious house that is
dependent on a larger religious community
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French celle from Latin cella “small chamber” (see cella ).][1]



cella

cella
cel·la 
[séllə] (plural cel·lae [séllee]) noun

inner
part of temple: the inner room of a classical Greek or
Roman temple, which contained the shrine or statue of the god.
Also
called
naos
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “small chamber.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
cover, conceal,” which is also the ancestor of hole,
hell, helmet,
and conceal .][1]



cellar

cellar
cel·lar 
[séllər] noun (plural cel·lars)

1.  underground
room:
a room wholly or partly below ground level that is not suitable as living space
and is usually used for storage

2.  basement:
a room on the lowest level of a building, usually underground, that can be used
for storage but can also be living, working, or recreational space

3.  See
storm cellar

4.  place
for storing wine: a room where wine is stored

5.  stock
of wine:
a stock of wine

6.  lowest
standing:
the lowest standing, grade, or rank, for example, for an athlete
transitive
verb
(past cel·lared, past participle cel·lared, present
participle cel·lar·ing, 3rd person present singular cel·lars)

store wine: to
store something, especially wine, in a cellar
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman celer from late Latin cellarium “group of storage
chambers,” from Latin cella (see cella
).][1]



cellarage

cellarage
cel·lar·age 
[séllərij] noun

1.  storage
charge:
a fee charged for storing something in a cellar

2.  cellar
space:
a cellar or cellars, or the amount of space in a cellar

[1]



cellardweller

cellardweller
cel·lar
dwel·ler
(plural cel·lar dwel·lers) noun

SPORTS
losing team in league:
a team habitually at the bottom of its league[1]



cellarer

cellarer
cel·lar·er 
[séllərər] (plural cel·lar·ers)
noun

somebody responsible for
provisions: somebody who is in charge of
stores of food and drink, especially in a monastery[1]



cellarette

cellarette
cel·lar·ette 
[sèllə rét] (plural cel·lar·ettes)
or cel·lar·et [sèllə rét] (plural
cel·lar·ets) noun

wine cabinet:
a cabinet or sideboard for storing bottles of wine and glasses[1]



cellarman

cellarman
cel·lar·man
[séllərmən] (plural cel·lar·men
[séllərmən]) noun

somebody in charge of wine
cellar: a man who is in charge of
the cellar in a bar or restaurant and is responsible for maintaining good
storage conditions[1]



cellblock

cellblock
cell·block 
[sél blòk] (plural cell·blocks)
noun

group of prison cells:
a group of cells forming a unit in a prison[1]



celldivision

celldivision
cell
di·vi·sion
noun

formation of cells by
dividing: the process by which a cell
divides to form two new cells, either to produce identical cells ( mitosis ) or to produce cells with half the number
of chromosomes ( meiosis )[1]



Cellini,Benvenuto

Cellini,Benvenuto
Cel·li·ni 
[che lnee], Benvenuto (1500–1571)

Italian sculptor and
goldsmith. He wrote an autobiography considered a classic work of Renaissance
literature.[1]



cellist

cellist
cel·list 
[chéllist] (plural cel·lists) noun

cello player:
a musician who plays the cello[1]



cellmate

cellmate
cell·mate 
[sél màyt] (plural cell·mates)
noun

somebody sharing cell:
a prisoner who shares a cell with another[1]



cellmembrane

cellmembrane
cell
mem·brane
noun

membrane around a cell:
the membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm, through which substances pass in and
out of the cell.
Also called
plasmalemma
Also called
plasma membrane[1]



cello

cello


cel·lo
[chéllō] (plural cel·los) noun
large
stringed instrument: a large stringed instrument
of the violin family that is held upright between a seated player’s knees and
played with a bow. The cello has a full deep sound.
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of violoncello .][1]



cellobiose

cellobiose
cel·lo·bi·ose 
[sèllə b ōss, sèllə
b ōz] noun

derivative
of cellulose: a sugar obtained by the breakdown of
cellulose. C12H22O11
[Early 20th century. Coined
from cellulose + bi-
+ -ose .][1]



cellophane

cellophane
cel·lo·phane 
[séllə fàyn] noun

wrapping
material:
a thin, transparent waterproof material made from wood pulp and used for
wrapping and covering
[Early 20th century. A blend
of cellulose and -phane
.][1]



cellphone

cellphone
cell·phone 
[sél fòn] (plural cell·phones)
noun

mobile
phone:
a mobile telephone operated through a cellular radio network.
Also
called
cellular phone
Also
called
cellular telephone
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of cellular telephone .][1]



cellular

cellular
cel·lu·lar 
[séllyələr] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY involving
living cells: relating to or consisting of living
cells

2.  containing
small parts or groups: relating to small parts or
groups making up a whole

3.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS organized
into cells:
organized as a system of cells, especially for radio communication

4.  INDUSTRY GEOLOGY porous:
porous in texture and containing many small cavities

5.  TEXTILES open-textured:
woven or knitted in a way that gives thickness of cloth and openness of texture
[Mid-18th
century. Via French cellulaire from modern Latin cellularis, from
Latin cellula (see cellule ).]
—cel·lu·lar·i·ty
[sèllyə lérrətee], noun

—cel·lu·lar·ly [séllyələrlee], adverb[1]



cellularphone

cellularphone
cel·lu·lar
phone
noun

See
cellphone[1]



cellularradio

cellularradio
cel·lu·lar
ra·di·o
noun

radio phone system:
the type of radio communication used for mobile phones that consists of a
network of transmitters, each covering a small area. The traveling user is
automatically switched between radio stations.[1]



cellulartelephone

cellulartelephone
cel·lu·lar
tel·e·phone
(plural cel·lu·lar tel·e·phones) noun

See
cellphone[1]



cellulase

cellulase
cel·lu·lase 
[séllyə làys, séllyə
làyz] noun

enzyme
that breaks down cellulose: an enzyme found in certain
microorganisms that converts cellulose to cellobiose
[Early 20th century. Formed
from cellulose .][1]



cellule

cellule
cel·lule 
[sél yl] (plural cel·lules) noun

small
cell:
a small cell in a living organism
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin cellula, literally “small cell,” from cella (see cella ).][1]



cellulite

cellulite
cel·lu·lite 
[séllyə lt] noun

fatty
deposits just beneath skin: fatty deposits beneath the
skin of the body that give a lumpy or grainy appearance to the skin surface,
for example, on the thighs and buttocks
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from cellule “ cellule .”][1]



cellulitis

cellulitis
cel·lu·li·tis 
[sèllyə ltiss] noun

inflammation of tissues
beneath skin: infection and
inflammation of the tissues beneath the skin[1]



celluloid

celluloid
cel·lu·loid 
[séllyə lòyd] noun (plural cel·lu·loids)

1.  INDUSTRY colorless
plastic:
a type of flammable transparent plastic, made from nitrocellulose and a
plasticizer such as camphor

2.  CINEMA film:
the photographic film used for making movies

3.  CINEMA movies:
the movies as a medium or art form
adjective

INDUSTRY of or
with celluloid: made of or treated with celluloid
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cellulose + -oid
.][1]



cellulolytic

cellulolytic
cel·lu·lo·lyt·ic 
[sèllyəlō líttik] adjective

able
to hydrolyze cellulose: used to describe a process
or an organism that breaks down the plant material cellulose, for example, in
the stomachs of cows and other ruminants
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cellulose and -lytic .][1]



cellulose

cellulose
cel·lu·lose 
[séllyə lss, séllyə
lz] noun

component
of plant cell walls: the main constituent of the
cell walls of plants and algae. Its derivatives are used for making plastics,
lacquers, explosives, and synthetic fibers.
[Mid-19th
century. From French, from Latin cellula, literally “small cell,” from cella
“cell” (see cell ).]
—cel·lu·lo·sic [sèllyə lóssik], adjective[1]



celluloseacetate

celluloseacetate
cel·lu·lose
ac·e·tate
noun

chemical used in photographic
film: a chemical compound produced
by the reaction of acetic or sulfuric acid on cellulose, used for making
photographic film, plastics, textile fibers, and varnishes[1]



cellulosenitrate

cellulosenitrate
cel·lu·lose
ni·trate
noun

nitrocellulose:
nitrocellulose (dated)[1]



cellwall

cellwall
cell
wall
(plural cell walls) noun

outermost layer of cell:
the outermost layer of a cell in plants and certain fungi, algae, and bacteria,
providing a supporting framework[1]



celom

celom
ce·lom 
(plural ce·loms) noun

See
coelom[1]



celosia

celosia
ce·lo·sia 
[si lṓzhə] (plural ce·lo·sias or
ce·lo·sia) noun

plant
with feathery flowers: a plant with feathery yellow
to purplish-red flowers belonging to a genus that includes cockscomb. Genus: Celosia
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek kēlos “burnt, dry,” from the
appearance of the flowers of some species.][1]



Celsius

Celsius
Cel·si·us 
[sélsee əss, sélshəss]
adjective

on
metric temperature scale: using or measured on an
international metric temperature scale on which water freezes at 0°C and boils
at 100°C under normal atmospheric conditions. The term “Celsius” is usually
preferred to “centigrade,” especially in technical contexts. (generally not used
in scientific contexts apart from meteorology)
See
also
Fahrenheit
See
also
kelvin Symbol C
[Mid-19th century. Named for
its inventor Anders Celsius ( 1701–1744 ), a Swedish astronomer.][1]



celt

celt
celt 
[selt] (plural celts) noun

prehistoric
cutting tool: a prehistoric chisel or ax that has a
metal or stone head with a beveled edge
[Early 18th century. From
medieval Latin celtis “chisel.”][1]



Celt

Celt
Celt 
[selt, kelt]
(plural Celts) or Kelt [selt,
kelt] (plural Kelts) noun

1.  somebody
who speaks Celtic language: somebody who speaks or whose
ancestors spoke a Celtic language

2.  member
of ancient people: somebody who belonged to an
ancient Indo-European people who, in pre-Roman times, lived in central and
western Europe. They were driven to the western fringes of the continent by the
Romans and certain Germanic peoples, especially the Angles and Saxons.
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin Celtae
“Celts” from Greek Keltoi . “Descendant of ancient Celts, speaker of
Celtic” came from French Celte “Breton” (presumed representative of the
ancient Gauls).][1]



Celt.

Celt.
Celt.

Abbreviation of
Celtic[1]



Celtiberian

Celtiberian
Celt·i·ber·i·an 
[sèlti bérree ən, kèlti
bérree ən] (plural Celt·i·ber·i·ans) noun

member
of ancient Iberian people: somebody who belonged to a
Celtic people who inhabited the Iberian peninsula during classical times
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin Celtiberia “ancient province of Iberia,”
from Celtae “Celts” (see Celt ) + Iberia
(see Iberian ).]
—Celt·i·ber·i·an, adjective[1]



Celtic

Celtic
Celt·ic 
[kéltik, séltik]
adjective

of
Celts:
relating to the Celts or their cultures or languages
noun

Indo-European language group:
a group of languages that includes Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton.
Part of the Indo-European family of languages, it has Brythonic and Goidelic
subgroups. About one and a half million people speak a Celtic language.[1]



Celticcross

Celticcross

Celt·ic cross
(plural Celt·ic cross·es) noun
cross with ring at intersection:
a cross that has a broad ring around the intersection of the upright and
crossbar[1]



Celticism

Celticism
Celt·i·cism 
[sélti sìzzəm, kélti
sìzzəm] (plural Celt·i·cisms) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Celtic
word:
a word or idiom of Celtic origin that has become naturalized in another
language. In English, examples include “plaid” from Scottish Gaelic and
“leprechaun” from Irish Gaelic.

2.  Celtic
tradition:
a custom or belief of Celtic origin

[1]



Celticist

Celticist
Celt·i·cist 
[séltissist, kéltissist]
(plural Celt·i·cists) or Kelt·i·cist [kéltissist] (plural Kelt·i·cists) noun

specialist in Celtic culture:
somebody who studies the Celts or their languages[1]



cembalo

cembalo
cem·ba·lo 
[chémbə l] (plural cem·ba·li
[chémbə l] or cem·ba·los) noun

See
harpsichord
[Mid-19th
century. From Italian, contraction of clavicembalo, from medieval Latin clavicymbalum,
from Latin clavis “key” (see clavicle
) + cymbalum “cymbal” (see cymbal ).]
—cem·ba·list, noun[1]



cement

cement
ce·ment 
[sə mént] noun (plural ce·ments)

1.  powder
for concrete: a fine gray powder of calcined limestone
and clay. It is mixed with water and sand to make mortar, or with water, sand,
and aggregate to make concrete.

2.  concrete:
a building material that sets hard, made by mixing cement with water, sand, and
aggregate

3.  glue:
a glue or similar bonding substance

4.  human
bond:
something that unites people or groups

5.  DENTISTRY substance
used in dentistry: a substance used in dentistry
for filling cavities and anchoring bridgework or crowns.
See
also
amalgam

6.  ANATOMY See cementum

7.  GEOLOGY material
binding rock: a substance that binds together the
particles in sedimentary rocks and fills the spaces
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ce·ment·ed,
past participle ce·ment·ed, present participle ce·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular ce·ments)

1.  fix
or become fixed with cement: to fix something in place
with cement or a similar substance, or become fixed in this way

2.  apply
cement to something: to cover or fill something
with cement or a similar substance

3.  make
or become close friends: to make a relationship
between people very strong or permanent, or become very strong or permanent
[14th
century. Via French ciment from Latin caementum “quarry stone,”
(in plural) “stone chips (for making mortar),” from assumed caedmentum,
from caedere “to hew” (see chisel ).]
—ce·ment·er,
noun
set
in cement

firmly established and
without any likelihood of change[1]



cementation

cementation
ce·men·ta·tion 
[s men táysh’n] noun

1.  cementing:
the application of cement or a similar substance to something, or the result of
this

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING cementing
of rocks:
the injecting of cement into holes or fissures in rocks to make them watertight
or strong

3.  METALLURGY heating
metal with powder: the modification of a solid,
especially a metal, by heating it with one or more other substances that will
diffuse into the surface, for example, the production of steel by heating it
with charcoal

4.  GEOLOGY sedimentary
rock formation: the process in which percolating
groundwater deposits a cementing material to form a sedimentary rock

[1]



cementite

cementite
ce·ment·ite 
[sə mén tt] noun

iron carbide:
a hard brittle compound of iron and carbon that forms in some types of cast
iron, in carbon steels, and in alloys of carbon and iron. Fe3C[1]



cementmixer

cementmixer
ce·ment
mix·er
(plural ce·ment mix·ers) noun

1.  machine
for making concrete: a transportable machine with
a revolving drum in which cement powder, water, sand, and other materials can
be mixed to make concrete, mortar, or stucco

2.  concrete
truck:
a truck with a large revolving drum for mixing, transporting, and pouring
concrete

[1]



cementum

cementum
ce·men·tum 
[sə méntəm] noun

tissue
surrounding tooth root: the thin layer of bony
tissue that covers the dentin of the roots and neck of a tooth.
Also
called
cement
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
caementum (see cement ).][1]



cemetery

cemetery
cem·e·ter·y 
[sémmə tèrree] (plural cem·e·ter·ies)
noun

burial
place:
an area of ground in which the dead are buried
[14th century. Via late Latin
coemeterium from Greek koimētērion “dormitory,” from koiman
“to put to sleep.” Originally “Roman catacombs.”][1]



CEMF

CEMF
CEMF

Abbreviation of
counter-electromotive force[1]



cen.

cen.
cen.

1.  Abbreviation
of
central

2.  Abbreviation
of
century

[1]



-cene

-cene
-cene
suffix

HISTORY recent • Pliocene
[From Greek kainos
“new.” Ultimately related to Latin recens, the source of English recent .][1]



ceno-

ceno-
ceno-
prefix

See
coeno-[1]



cenobite

cenobite
cen·o·bite 
[sénnə bt] (plural cen·o·bites)
or coen·o·bite [sénnə bt] (plural
coen·o·bites) noun

member
of religious community: somebody who belongs to a
convent, monastery, or other religious community
[15th century. Via French cénobite
or ecclesiastical Latin coenobita, from, ultimately, Greek koinobion,
literally “common life.”][1]



cenogenesis

cenogenesis
ce·no·gen·e·sis
[snə jénnəssiss, sènnə
jénnəssiss] or coen·o·gen·e·sis [snə
jénnəssiss, sènnə jénnəssiss] or
caen·o·gen·e·sis [snə jénnəssiss, sènnə jénnəssiss] noun

BIOLOGY
embryonic growths lost in adult form:
the development by an embryo, fetus, or larva of organs or body parts that are
lost in adult life[1]



cenotaph

cenotaph
cen·o·taph 
[sénnə tàf] (plural cen·o·taphs)
noun

monument
to dead:
a monument erected as a memorial to a dead person or dead people buried
elsewhere, especially people killed fighting a war
[Early
17th century. From, ultimately, Greek kenotaphion, literally “empty
tomb,” from kenos “empty” (see kenosis
) + taphos “tomb” (see epitaph ).]
—cen·o·taph·ic [sènnə táffik], adjective[1]



cenote

cenote
ce·no·te 
[si nṓtee] (plural ce·no·tes) noun

deep
well in limestone: a deep natural hole found in
limestone, especially in Yucatán, Mexico. Cenotes were holy for the Maya, who
used them as places of sacrifice.
[Mid-19th century. Via
Yucatán Spanish from Maya tzonot .][1]



Cenozoic

Cenozoic
Ce·no·zo·ic 
[snə zṓ ik, sènnə
zṓ ik] adjective

of
most recent geological era: belonging or relating to the
most recent era of geological time, covering the period from the present to
about 65 million years ago, during which modern plants and animals evolved
noun

most
recent geological era: the era of geological time
that covers the period from the present day to about 65 million years ago
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kainos (source of English -cene
) + -zoic .][1]



cense

cense
cense 
[sens] (past censed, past
participle censed, present participle cens·ing, 3rd
person present singular cens·es) transitive verb

1.  burn
incense to deity: to burn incense to a deity at an altar
or shrine

2.  perfume
something with incense: to perfume a place or
worshipers with incense
[14th century. Shortening of
French encenser, ultimately from Latin incendere “to set fire
to,” from candere “to glow” (source of English candle ).][1]



censer

censer
cen·ser 
[sénsər] (plural cen·sers) noun

container
for burning incense: a container used for burning
incense, especially one that is swung in a religious procession or ceremony.
Also
called
thurible
Also
called
incensory
[13th century. From,
ultimately, Old French censier, shortening of encensier, from encens
“incense,” from ecclesiastical Latin incensum, from the past participle
of Latin incendere (see cense ).][1]



censor

censor
cen·sor 
[sénsər] noun (plural cen·sors)

1.  official
removing objectionable material: an official who
examines plays, films, letters, and publications with a view to removing or
banning content considered to be offensive or a threat to security

2.  somebody
that suppresses something: somebody or something that
exercises suppressive control

3.  HISTORY ancient
Roman official: either of two elected magistrates of
ancient Rome who were responsible for holding the census, overseeing public
morals, and controlling aspects of finance and taxation

4.  PSYCHIATRY inhibiting
force in mind: a mechanism believed to be responsible
for what can and cannot emerge from the subconscious to the conscious mind. It
is thought to prevent harmful memories, ideas, and desires from reaching the
conscious level.
transitive
verb
(past cen·sored, past participle cen·sored, present
participle cen·sor·ing, 3rd person present singular cen·sors)

1.  remove
offensive parts from something: to remove or change
any part of a publication, play, or film considered offensive or a threat to
security

2.  exercise
control over something: to suppress or control
something that may offend or harm others
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin censere (see census
).]
—cen·sor·a·ble,
adjective

—cen·so·ri·al [sen sáwree əl], adjective[1]



censorious

censorious
cen·so·ri·ous 
[sen sáwree əss] adjective

1.  highly
critical:
inclined or eager to criticize people or things

2.  conveying
criticism:
expressing strong disapproval or harsh criticism
—cen·so·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—cen·so·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



censorship

censorship
cen·sor·ship 
[sénsər shìp] noun

1.  suppression
of published or broadcast material: the
suppression of all or part of a publication, play, or film considered offensive
or a threat to security

2.  any
suppression: the suppression or attempted suppression
of something regarded as objectionable

3.  HISTORY ancient
Roman office: the office, authority, or term of an
ancient Roman censor

4.  PSYCHIATRY suppression
of memories: the suppression of potentially harmful
memories, ideas, or desires from the conscious mind

[1]



censurable

censurable
cen·sur·a·ble 
[sénshərəb’l] adjective

subject
to censure:
deserving severe criticism, or likely to be severely criticized
—cen·sur·a·bil·i·ty
[sènshərə bíllətee], noun

—cen·sur·a·ble·ness
[sénshərəb’lnəss], noun

—cen·sur·a·bly [sénshərəblee], adverb[1]



censure

censure
cen·sure 
[sénshər] noun

1.  disapproval:
severe criticism

2.  official
condemnation: official expression of disapproval or
condemnation, for example, of a legislator by the legislature
transitive
verb
(past cen·sured, past participle cen·sured, present
participle cen·sur·ing, 3rd person present singular cen·sures)

1.  criticize
somebody or something: to subject somebody or
something to severe criticism

2.  condemn
somebody or something: to express official
disapproval or condemnation of somebody or something, for example, by a vote of
a legislature
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin censura “judgment,” from censere
(see census ).]
—cen·sur·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at criticize See Synonyms at disapprove

[1]



census

census
cen·sus 
[sénsəss] (plural cen·sus·es) noun

1.  count
of population: an official count of a population
carried out at set intervals

2.  any
count:
any systematic count or survey

3.  HISTORY registration
of Romans for taxation: in ancient Rome, a
registration of the population and their property that was used for assessing
taxes
[Early 17th century. From
Latin censere “to appraise, assess” (source of English censor and censure
). Originally “tax.”][1]



cent

cent
cent 
[sent] (plural cents) noun

1.  unit
of currency in the U.S., etc.: a subunit of currency
in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South
Africa where the main currency is the dollar or, in the case of the
Netherlands, the guilder. It is worth one hundredth of the main unit.

2.  coin
worth one cent: a coin worth one cent
[14th
century. Directly or via French, cent “hundred,” or Italian cento,
“hundred,” from Latin centum “hundred” (source of English century ). Originally “hundred” (still in percent ).]
not
worth a red cent

worthless[1]



cent-

cent-
cent-
prefix

See
centi- Symbol c[1]



cent.

cent.
cent.

1.  Abbreviation
of
centigrade

2.  Abbreviation
of
central

3.  Abbreviation
of
century

[1]



centas

centas
cen·tas
[sén tss] (plural cen·tas) noun

1.  Lithuanian
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Lithuania

2.  coin
worth one centas: a coin worth one centas

[1]



centaur

centaur

cen·taur 
[sén tàwr] (plural cen·taurs) noun
half
man, half horse: in Greek mythology, a wild creature with
the head, arms, and torso of a man joined to the body of a horse at its neck
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin centaurus, from Greek kentauros, of unknown
origin. Originally, in Greek, “a wild people of Thessaly,” supposedly very fine
horse riders.][1]



Centaurus

Centaurus

Cen·tau·rus 
[sen táwrəss] noun
group of stars:
a large conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere. It contains Alpha
Centauri and Beta Centauri, two very bright stars.[1]



centaury

centaury
cen·tau·ry 
[sén tàwree] (plural cen·tau·ries)
noun

medicinal
herb:
a plant of the gentian family, with pink or purple flowers. It has been used in
herbal medicine for centuries. Latin name: Centaurium erythaea
[14th century. From late
Latin centaurea, from its having been, according to legend, discovered
by the centaur Chiron.][1]



centavo

centavo
cen·ta·vo 
[sen tvō] (plural cen·ta·vos)
noun

1.  currency
unit in Brazil, etc.: a subunit of currency in
Mexico and Brazil, and in various other countries, especially in Central and
South America, worth one hundredth of the country’s main unit of currency

2.  coin
worth a centavo: a coin worth one centavo
[Late 19th century. From Spanish
and Portuguese, literally “hundredth,” both formed from Latin centum
(see cent ).][1]



centenarian

centenarian
cen·te·nar·i·an 
[sènt’n áiree ən] noun (plural
cen·te·nar·i·ans)

100-year-old person:
somebody who has reached or passed the age of a hundred
adjective

1.  100
years old:
at least a hundred years of age

2.  of
centenarians: relating to or characteristic of a
100-year-old person

[1]



centenary

centenary
cen·ten·a·ry 
[sen tènnəri, sént’n
èrree] adjective

1.  of
a century:
relating to or involving a period of one hundred years

2.  once-a-century:
occurring every 100 years

3.  U.K.
See centennial
noun
(plural cen·ten·a·ries)

1.  century:
a period of one hundred years

2.  U.K.
See centennial
[Early 17th century. From
Latin centenarius “containing a hundred,” from centeni “hundred
each,” from centum (see cent ).][1]



centennial

centennial
cen·ten·ni·al 
[sen ténnee əl] adjective

of century:
relating to or involving a period of a hundred years
noun
(plural cen·ten·ni·als)

100th anniversary:
the hundredth anniversary of something, or a celebration held to mark the
anniversary.
Also
called
centenary
U.K.
term
centenary
adjective

1.  once
a century:
occurring every hundred years

2.  of
100th anniversary: marking an anniversary of
one hundred years.
U.K.
term
centenary
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin centum (see cent
); modeled on biennial .]
—cen·ten·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



CentennialState

CentennialState
Cen·ten·ni·al
State
noun

Colorado (informal)[1]



center

center
cen·ter 
[séntər] noun (plural cen·ters)

1.  middle
point or area: the middle point, area, or part of
something that is the same distance from all edges or opposite sides

2.  MATHEMATICS middle
of circle or sphere: the interior point that is
the same distance from all points on the circumference of a circle or the
surface of a sphere or the vertices of a polygon

3.  MATHEMATICS middle
of line:
the point on a line that is the same distance from both ends

4.  FOOD food filling:
the filling of a chocolate, doughnut, or other food

5.  main
part of town: the part of a town or city where the
main stores, offices, and other facilities are situated

6.  place
for particular activity: a place where a particular
activity is carried on • a
sports center

7.  focus
of attention: the point that is the focus of attention
or interest • the
issue at the center of the controversy

8.  influential
place or organization: a place, area, or group of
people exerting control or influence over something or somebody else • a
center of design innovation

9.  cluster
or concentration: a place or part where something is
concentrated or focused • a
population center

10. cen·ter
or Cen·ter POLITICS political
moderates:
those political parties or the section of a party holding views that are
neither left-wing nor right-wing

11. SPORTS middle
player or position: a player or position in the
middle of the field or court, usually responsible for initiating play

12. pivotal
point or axis: the point or line around which something
rotates

13. BASEBALL See center field

14. PHYSICS point
where force acts: the point at or through which a force is
considered to act

15. ANATOMY group
of nerve cells regulating function: a
group of nerve cells, especially within the central nervous system, that
controls a particular function of the body

16. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING conical
part of lathe: a part of a lathe that supports the work
to be turned

17. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mark
to guide drill: a dimple made in metal with a pointed
tool ( center punch ) to mark the center of
a larger hole to be drilled
verb
(past cen·tered, past participle cen·tered, present
participle cen·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular cen·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something in middle: to position something in the
middle of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb focus
on theme:
to have, or cause something to have its focus on a theme or topic • the
debate centers on the possible health risks involved

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb concentrate
or focus:
to be concentrated, or cause something to be concentrated, in a particular
place or on a particular thing

4.  transitive
verb
FOOTBALL pass
ball back between legs: to pass the football back
between the legs at the beginning of a down

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS pass
ball toward middle: to pass, hit, or kick a ball
or puck from the edge of the playing area toward the middle
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Greek kentron “point,” from kentein “to prick”
(source of English eccentric ).
“Middle” came from “stationary point of a compass.”][1]



centerback

centerback
cen·ter
back
(plural cen·ter backs) noun

player in middle of back
line: a player or position in the
middle of the back line in various sports[1]



centerbit

centerbit
cen·ter
bit
(plural cen·ter bits) noun

drill bit with central
projection: a drill attachment or tool
for boring or cutting with a pointed projection in the middle and cutters at
the sides[1]



centerboard

centerboard

cen·ter·board 
[séntər bàwrd] (plural cen·ter·boards)
noun
retractable keel:
a keel in a sailboat that can be retracted upward in shallow water[1]



Centereach

Centereach
Cen·te·reach
[séntər reech]

town in Suffolk County, New
York, situated on Long Island southeast of Stony Brook. Population: 26,720
(1990)[1]



centered

centered
cen·tered 
[séntərd] adjective

1.  placed
in the middle: positioned at the same distance from all
edges or opposite sides

2.  well-balanced:
exhibiting confidence, self-awareness, and often a sense of determination
—cen·tered·ness, noun[1]



centerfield

centerfield
cen·ter
field
or cen·ter noun

1.  middle
third of outfield: in baseball, the part of the
outfield behind second base

2.  position
of center fielder: the position of the baseball
player who plays center field
—cen·ter field·er, noun[1]



centerfold

centerfold
cen·ter·fold 
[séntər fld] (plural cen·ter·folds)
noun

1.  picture
or feature on center spread: a single illustration,
advertisement, or feature that covers the two facing pages in the middle of a
magazine or newspaper, especially a photograph of a nude model

2.  somebody
posing in centerfold: somebody who is
photographed, especially naked or nearly naked, for a centerfold

3.  See
center spread

[1]



centerforward

centerforward
cen·ter
for·ward
(plural cen·ter for·wards) noun

player in middle of attacking
line: the player or position in
the middle of the forward attacking line in games such as soccer and hockey[1]



centerhalfback

centerhalfback
cen·ter
half·back
(plural cen·ter half·backs) noun

player in middle of
halfback-line: the player or position
in the middle of the halfback-line in soccer and field hockey[1]



centerline

centerline
cen·ter·line 
[séntər ln] (plural cen·ter·lines)
noun

1.  line
down middle of road: a solid or dashed line on a
road that marks where traffic should flow, either separating lanes going in
opposite directions or multiple lanes going the same way

2.  line
down middle: a real or imaginary line through or
along the middle of something

[1]



centerof curvature

centerof curvature
cen·ter
of cur·va·ture noun

center of circle:
the center of a circle whose radius is perpendicular to a line tangent to any
point on the concave side of a smooth curve.
See also
radius of curvature[1]



centerof excellence

centerof excellence
cen·ter
of ex·cel·lence (plural cen·ters of
ex·cel·lence) noun

place seeking highest
standards: a place where the highest
standards of achievement are aimed for in a given sphere of activity[1]



centerof gravity

centerof gravity
cen·ter
of grav·i·ty (plural cen·ters of grav·i·ty)
noun

1.  focus
of gravitational forces: the point through which the
sum of gravitational forces on a body can be considered to act

2.  See
center of mass

[1]



centerof mass

centerof mass
cen·ter
of mass
(plural cen·ters of mass) noun

central point of total mass:
the point at which the total mass of a body or system is assumed to be centered
and upon which the sum of external forces can be considered to act.
Also called
center of gravity
Also called
centroid[1]



centerpiece

centerpiece
cen·ter·piece 
[séntər pss] (plural cen·ter·pieces)
noun

1.  something
in central position: an object placed in the
middle of something as decoration or to attract attention

2.  main
feature:
the most important part or feature

[1]



centerpunch

centerpunch
cen·ter
punch
(plural cen·ter punch·es) noun

tool used to make guiding
hole: a pointed tool used in
metalworking for making a dimple to guide a drill bit prior to drilling a hole[1]



centerspread

centerspread
cen·ter
spread
(plural cen·ter spreads) noun

1.  facing
middle pages: the two pages that face each other in
the middle of a magazine or newspaper.
Also
called
centerfold

2.  article
on middle pages: a magazine or newspaper article featured
in the middle to give it prominence.
See
also
centerfold  noun 1

[1]



centerstage

centerstage
cen·ter
stage
noun

1.  middle
of stage:
the middle area of a theater stage

2.  focus
of interest: the center of people’s attention or
interest
adverb

1.  in
middle of stage: in or to the middle area of a theater
stage

2.  to
center of attention: at or to the center of
people’s attention or interest

[1]



Centerville

Centerville
Cen·ter·ville 
[séntər vìl]

1.  city
in northern Utah east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City.
Population: 14,382 (1996)

2.  city
in southwestern Ohio, a southeastern suburb of Dayton. Population: 22,456
(1996)

[1]



centesimal

centesimal
cen·tes·i·mal 
[sen téssəməl] adjective

1.  in
100ths:
divided into hundredths

2.  100th:
constituting one-hundredth of something

3.  using
base of 100: used to describe a number system that
uses a base of 100
noun
(plural cen·tes·i·mals)

100th part: one
hundredth of something
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin centesimus “hundredth,” from centum
“hundred” (see cent ).]
—cen·tes·i·mal·ly [sen téssəməlee], adverb[1]



centesimo

centesimo
cen·tes·i·mo
[sen téssəmō] (plural cen·tes·i·mos
or cen·tes·i·mi [sen téssəmee])
noun

1.  currency
unit in Chile, Italy, etc.: a subunit of currency in
various countries such as Chile, Uruguay, Panama, and Italy, worth one
hundredth of the country’s main unit of currency

2.  coin
worth one centesimo: a coin worth one centesimo
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, from Latin centesimus (see centesimal
).][1]



centi-

centi-
centi-
prefix

1.  hundredth
• centipoise

2.  hundred
• centipede
[Via French from, ultimately,
Latin centum “one hundred” (see cent
)][1]



centigrade

centigrade
cen·ti·grade 
[sénti gràyd] adjective

(generally
not used in scientific contexts apart from meteorology)See Celsius Symbol C
[Early 19th century. From
French, from earlier forms of centi- +
-grade .][1]



centigram

centigram
cen·ti·gram 
[sénti gràm] (plural cen·ti·grams)
noun

metric unit of mass:
a metric unit of mass equal to one hundredth of a gram. Symbol cg[1]



centiliter

centiliter
cen·ti·li·ter 
[sénti ltər] (plural cen·ti·li·ters)
noun

metric unit of volume:
a metric unit of volume equal to one hundredth of a liter. Symbol cl[1]



centillion

centillion
cen·til·lion 
[sen tíllee ən] (plural cen·til·lions
or cen·til·lion) noun

1.  one
followed by 303 zeros: in the United States,
Canada, and France, the number represented by the figure 1 followed by 303
zeros

2.  U.K.
one
followed by 600 zeros: in the United Kingdom and
Germany, the number represented by the figure 1 followed by 600 zeros
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from centi-, the second element being
modeled on words such as million and billion .][1]



centime

centime
cen·time 
[sn tm, saan
tm] (plural cen·times) noun

1.  unit
of currency in France, etc.: a subunit of currency in
France, Belgium, Switzerland, and various other mainly French-speaking
countries, worth one hundredth of the main unit of currency

2.  coin
worth one centime: a coin worth one centime
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin centesimus (see centesimal
).][1]



centimeter

centimeter
cen·ti·me·ter 
[sénti mtər] (plural cen·ti·me·ters)
noun

metric unit of length:
a metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter. Symbol cm[1]



centimeter-gram-second

centimeter-gram-second
cen·ti·me·ter-gram-sec·ond
adjective

relating to old metric
measurement system: using or
relating to an old metric measurement system that uses the centimeter as the
basic unit for length, the gram for mass, and the second for time (In
scientific contexts the centimeter-gram-second system has been largely replaced
by the SI system)[1]



centimo

centimo
cen·ti·mo 
[séntəmō] (plural cen·ti·mos) noun

1.  unit
of currency in Peru, etc.: a subunit of currency in
Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, and Spain, worth one hundredth of the
main unit of currency

2.  coin
worth one centimo: a coin worth one centimo
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish from French centime, ultimately from Latin centesimus
(see centesimal ).][1]



centimorgan

centimorgan
cen·ti·mor·gan
[sénti màwrgən] (plural cen·ti·mor·gans)
noun

unit
indicating relative position of genes: a
unit of measurement used to indicate how closely genes are linked together on
the same chromosome
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from centi- + Morgan,
from the geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan .][1]



centipede

centipede

cen·ti·pede 
[séntə pd] (plural cen·ti·pedes)
noun
many-legged
arthropod:
a small, fast-moving invertebrate animal with a long slender body divided into
many segments, most of which bear one pair of legs. Centipedes eat other
arthropods, for example, small insects. Class: Chilopoda
[Mid-17th century. From,
ultimately, Latin centipeda, literally “with a hundred feet,” from
earlier forms of centi- + -pede, from its
many legs.][1]



centipedegrass

centipedegrass
cen·ti·pede
grass
noun

grass used for lawns:
a low-growing grass of Asian origin that grows in dense mats. It is used in the
southern states of the United States as a lawn grass. Latin name: Eremochloa
ophiuroides[1]



centipoise

centipoise
cen·ti·poise 
[sénti pòyz] (plural cen·ti·poises)
noun

older
unit of viscosity: a unit of measurement for
viscosity in the centimeter-gram-second system that is equal to one hundredth
of a poise
[Early 20th century. From centi- and poise
.][1]



centr-

centr-
centr-
prefix

(used before a vowel)See
centro-[1]



centra

centra
cen·tra


Plural of
centrum[1]



central

central
cen·tral 
[séntrəl] adjective

1.  in
the middle:
in, near, or forming the middle of something

2.  equidistant
from other points: at approximately the same
distance from a number of different points or places

3.  in
main part of town: in the part of a town or
city where the main stores, offices, and other facilities are situated

4.  having
control over parts: controlling the activities
of connected, subordinate, or subsidiary parts • a
central authority

5.  having
linked components: used to describe a system of
linked devices controlled by a single unit or at a single point

6.  crucial:
of critical importance or great influence • the
notion is central to their thinking on the subject

7.  dominant:
with a major or the principal role

8.  ANATOMY relating
to centrum:
relating to the centrum of a vertebra

9.  PHONETICS said
with tongue in middle position: used to describe a
vowel articulated with the tongue at or near the middle of the hard palate, as
is the final vowel in “cola”
noun

1.  UTILITIES telephone
operator:
a telephone exchange or an operator working there (dated) • Hello,
central. Get me the police!

2.  supervisory
office:
a main office or location that coordinates the work of several branches or a
group of individuals • fundraising
central for the pledge drive
[Mid-17th
century. From, ultimately, Latin centralis, from centrum (see center ).]
—cen·tral·ly, adverb[1]



CentralAfrican Federation

CentralAfrican Federation
Cen·tral
Af·ri·can Fed·er·a·tion

federation from 1953 to 1963
of Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, and Southern Rhodesia, present-day Malawi,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe[1]



CentralAfrican Republic

CentralAfrican Republic



Cen·tral Af·ri·can Re·pub·lic

landlocked country in central Africa.
Formerly part of French Equatorial Africa, it became independent in 1960. It is
bordered on the north by Chad, on the east by Sudan, on the south by the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and on the west by Cameroon. Language: French.
Currency: C.F.A. franc. Capital: Bangui. Population: 3,308,198 (1997) Area:
622,436 sq km/240,324 sq mi. Former name Ubangi-Shari
until 1958[1]



CentralAfrican Republic




Back to definition

CentralAfrican Republic

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CentralAmerica




Back to definition

CentralAmerica

[1]



CentralAmerica

CentralAmerica

Cen·tral A·mer·i·ca
the southern part of North America,
extending from the southern border of Mexico to northwestern Colombia, South
America. It includes the countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Population: 31,300,000 (1993) Area: 523,000
sq km/201,930 sq mi.[1]



centralangle

centralangle
cen·tral
an·gle
(plural cen·tral an·gles) noun

angle at center of circle:
an angle formed in the center of a circle by the meeting of two radii[1]



centralbank

centralbank
cen·tral
bank
(plural cen·tral banks) noun

main
bank of nation: a financial institution, for example,
the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, whose function is to regulate state fiscal and
monetary activities. It is responsible for the issue of bills and for
controlling the flow of currency.
—cen·tral bank·er, noun[1]



centralcasting

centralcasting
cen·tral
cast·ing
noun

casting department:
the department in a film or theater production company whose function is to
select appropriate actors to audition for specified parts[1]



centralcity

centralcity
cen·tral
city
noun

city within metropolitan
area: a densely populated city at
the heart of a metropolitan area[1]



CentralCommittee

CentralCommittee
Cen·tral
Com·mit·tee
noun

policy-making body in
Communist party: in a Communist party,
the part of the bureaucracy responsible for party policy.
See also
Politburo[1]



CentralDaylight Time

CentralDaylight Time
Cen·tral
Day·light Time noun

summer variation of Central
Standard Time: a variation of Central
Standard Time from early April to late October, when clocks are set an hour
ahead[1]



CentralEuropean Time

CentralEuropean Time
Cen·tral
Eur·o·pe·an Time noun

standard time in Europe:
the standard time adopted by most Western European countries, one hour ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time[1]



centralgovernment

centralgovernment
cen·tral
gov·ern·ment noun

government concerned with
national issues: the area of government
that is concerned with national issues such as taxation, defense, international
relations, and trade[1]



centralheating

centralheating
cen·tral
heat·ing
noun

system
for heating whole building: a system designed to heat a
whole building from a single source of heat by pumping hot water or air to room
radiators or vents
—cen·tral·ly heat·ed, adjective[1]



Centralia

Centralia
Cen·tral·ia 
[sen tráylyə]

city in southwestern
Washington, south of Olympia, in a major lumbering area. Population: 13,281
(1996)[1]



CentralIntelligence Agency

CentralIntelligence Agency
Cen·tral
In·tel·li·gence Agency noun

Full form of
CIA[1]



CentralIslip

CentralIslip
Cen·tral
Is·lip

town in Suffolk County, New
York, situated on Long Island just east of Brentwood. Population: 26,028 (1990)[1]



centralism

centralism
cen·tral·ism 
[séntrə lìzzəm] noun

concentrating
political power in few hands: the concentration of
control, especially political control, in a single authority
—cen·tral·ist,
noun, adjective

—cen·tral·is·tic [sèntrə lístik], adjective[1]



centrality

centrality
cen·tral·i·ty 
[sen trállətee] noun

1.  critical
role:
the crucial importance of somebody or something

2.  position
in middle:
the location of somebody or something in or near the middle of something

3.  location
in main part of town: the location of something in
the part of a town or city where the main shops, offices, and other facilities
are situated

[1]



centralization

centralization
cen·tral·i·za·tion
[sèntrəli záysh’n] noun

1.  concentration
of power in few hands: the concentration of
political or administrative power in a central authority with a resulting lack
of power at local or subordinate levels

2.  approaching
middle of something: the coming or bringing of
something to or toward the middle of something

[1]



centralize

centralize
cen·tral·ize 
[séntrə lz] (past cen·tral·ized,
past participle cen·tral·ized, present participle cen·tral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cen·tral·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  move
power to a few hands: to remove political or
administrative power from local or subordinate levels and concentrate it in a
central authority

2.  concentrate
at single place: to concentrate or collect something at a
single point
—cen·tral·iz·er, noun[1]



CentralMount Stuart

CentralMount Stuart
Cen·tral
Mount Stu·art

mountain in central
Australia, considered the geographical center of the continent. Height: 845
m/2,772 ft.[1]



centralnervous system

centralnervous system
cen·tral
nerv·ous sys·tem (plural cen·tral nerv·ous
sys·tems) noun

nervous system excluding
peripheral nerves: the part of
the nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, that controls and
coordinates most functions of the body and mind. Impulses from sense organs
travel to the central nervous system and impulses to muscles and glands travel
from it.
See also
spinal cord
See also
brain[1]



CentralPark

CentralPark
Cen·tral
Park
noun

park in New York City:
a large park in Manhattan in New York City. It was the first urban park to be
developed in the United States and served as a model for subsequent city parks.[1]



centralprocessing unit

centralprocessing unit
cen·tral
pro·cess·ing u·nit  (plural cen·tral
pro·cess·ing u·nits) noun

main part of computer:
the part of a computer that performs operations and executes software commands[1]



centralreservation

centralreservation
cen·tral
res·er·va·tion (plural cen·tral
res·er·va·tions) noun

U.K.
See median strip[1]



CentralStandard Time

CentralStandard Time
Cen·tral
Stan·dard Time or Cen·tral Time noun

1.  standard
time in central North America: the standard time in
the zone that includes the central states of the United States and the central
provinces of Canada. Central Standard Time is six hours behind Greenwich Mean
Time.

2.  standard
time in central Australia: the standard time in the
time zone centered on longitude 135° E, which includes the central part of
Australia. It is nine-and-a-half hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

[1]



centralsulcus

centralsulcus
cen·tral
sul·cus
(plural cen·tral sul·cuses) noun

cleft across brain:
a deep groove in each of the hemispheres of the brain, separating the frontal
and parietal lobes[1]



CentralTime

CentralTime
Cen·tral
Time
noun

See
Central Standard Time[1]



CentralValley

CentralValley
Cen·tral
Val·ley

irrigated valley situated
between the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in California, and between the
Sierra Nevada and Coastal mountain ranges[1]



centre

centre
cen·tre 
[séntər] noun (plural cen·tres)
intransitive and transitive verb (past cen·tred, past
participle cen·tred, present participle cen·tring, 3rd
person present singular cen·tres)

U.K. =
center[1]



centri-

centri-
centri-
prefix

See
centro-[1]



centric

centric
cen·tric 
[séntrik] or cen·tri·cal [séntrik’l] adjective

1.  at
or as the middle: at or constituting the middle of
something

2.  ANATOMY of or
from nerve center: issuing from or relating to
a nerve center

3.  BOTANY with
concentric layers of tissue: used to describe a plant’s
vascular bundles in which one type of sap-conducting tissue is surrounded by
another

4.  BOTANY tapering
and cylindrical: used to describe leaves that are
tapering and cylindrical.
See
also
terete

5.  BIOLOGY of a
class of diatoms: relating to a class of diatoms that have
radial symmetry. Class: Centrales
—cen·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—cen·tric·i·ty [sen tríssətee], noun[1]



-centric

-centric
-centric 
suffix

1.  having
a particular number or kind of centers • hexcentric
• acentric

2.  having
as its center • egocentric
[From medieval Latin -centricus,
from Latin centrum (see center )][1]



centrifugal

centrifugal
cen·trif·u·gal 
[sen tríffyəg’l, sen
tríffəg’l] adjective

1.  PHYSICS away
from center: acting, moving, or pulling away from a
center or axis.
See
also
centripetal

2.  TECHNOLOGY employing
centrifugal force: using or operated by
centrifugal force

3.  PHYSIOLOGY See efferent

4.  BOTANY developing
outward:
used to describe a plant part or tissue that develops from the center outward

5.  POLITICS decentralizing
power:
tending to disperse political or administrative power away from a central
authority
noun
(plural cen·trifu·gals)

TECHNOLOGY apparatus
using centrifugal force: an apparatus that uses
centrifugal force, or a rotating drum in such an apparatus
—cen·trif·u·gal·ism,
noun

—cen·trif·u·gal·ly, adverb[1]



centrifugalforce

centrifugalforce
cen·trif·u·gal
force
(plural cen·trif·u·gal forc·es) noun

force pulling away from
center: an apparent force that seems
to pull a rotating or spinning object away from a center[1]



centrifuge

centrifuge
cen·tri·fuge 
[séntrə fyj] noun (plural cen·tri·fug·es)

1.  separation
equipment:
a device that rotates rapidly and uses centrifugal force to separate substances
of different densities

2.  rotating
device:
a rotating apparatus used to simulate the effects of gravity or acceleration on
humans or animals
transitive
verb
(past cen·tri·fuged, past participle cen·tri·fuged,
present participle cen·tri·fug·ing, 3rd person present
singular cen·tri·fug·es)

subject something to centrifugal action:
to subject something to the force of a centrifuge, especially in order to
separate different substances
[Early
18th century. From, ultimately, Latin centrifugus “centrifugal,”
literally “fleeing the center,” from fugere “to flee” (see fugitive ).]
—cen·trif·u·ga·tion [sàntrəfyə gáysh’n], noun[1]



centriole

centriole
cen·tri·ole 
[séntri l] (plural cen·tri·oles)
noun

BIOLOGY a
rod-shaped structure in cell: a two-part rod-shaped
structure with the parts lying at right angles to each other, located in pairs
near the nucleus of an animal cell. During cell division, centrioles move to
opposite ends of the cell and form the poles of the spindle fibers that pull the
chromosomes apart.
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin centriolum, literally “small center,” from centrum
“center” (see center ).][1]



centripetal

centripetal
cen·trip·e·tal 
[sen tríppət’l] adjective

1.  PHYSICS toward
center:
acting, moving, or pulling toward a center or axis.
See
also
centrifugal

2.  TECHNOLOGY employing
centripetal force: using or operated by
centripetal force

3.  PHYSIOLOGY See afferent

4.  BOTANY developing
inward:
used to describe a plant part or tissue that develops from the perimeter inward

5.  centralizing
power:
tending to concentrate political or administrative power in a central authority
[Early
18th century. Formed from modern Latin centripetus, literally “seeking
the center,” from Latin petere “to seek” (see petition
).]
—cen·trip·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



centripetalforce

centripetalforce
cen·trip·e·tal
force
(plural cen·trip·e·tal forc·es) noun

force pulling toward center:
a force that pulls a rotating or spinning object toward a center or axis[1]



centrism

centrism
cen·trism 
[sén trìzzəm] noun

moderate
views:
the holding or advocating of moderate political or other views
—cen·trist, noun,
adjective[1]



centro-

centro-
centro-
prefix

center
• centrosome
[From Latin centrum
and Greek kentron (see center )][1]



centrobaric

centrobaric
cen·tro·bar·ic 
[sàntrə bérrik] adjective

of
center of gravity: relating to a center of
gravity
[Early 18th century. From
Greek kentrobarikē, literally “center-weight,” from baros
“weight” (see baro- ).][1]



centroid

centroid
cen·troid 
[sén tròyd] (plural cen·troids)
noun

PHYSICS See center of mass
[Late 19th century. Coined
from centro- + -oid
.][1]



centrolecithal

centrolecithal
cen·tro·lec·i·thal 
[sèntrə léssəthəl] adjective

with
yolk in middle: used to describe an egg with the yolk in
the middle.
See
also
isolecithal
[Late 19th century. Coined
from centro- + lecithin
+ -al .][1]



centromere

centromere
cen·tro·mere 
[séntrə mr] (plural cen·tro·meres)
noun

BIOLOGY region
joining two parts of chromosome: the point at which two
parts ( chromatids ) of a chromosome join
and at which the spindle fibers are attached during cell division ( mitosis )
—cen·tro·mer·ic [sèntrə mérrik, sèntrə
mrik], adjective[1]



centrosome

centrosome
cen·tro·some 
[séntrə sm] (plural cen·tro·somes)
noun

BIOLOGY part
of cell:
a small region of cytoplasm near the nucleus of a cell, containing rod-shaped
structures ( centrioles )
—cen·tro·so·mic [sèntrə sómmik], adjective[1]



centrum

centrum
cen·trum 
[séntrəm] (plural cen·trums or
cen·tra [séntrə]) noun

part
of vertebra: a thick mass of bone in a vertebra that
is the point of attachment to the vertebrae above and below
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see center ).][1]



centum

centum
cen·tum 
[kéntəm] adjective

with
unchanged /k/ sound: used to describe those
ancient Indo-European language groups in which the /k/ sound, when preceding a
front vowel, did not palatalize.
See
also
satem
[Early 20th century. From
Latin “hundred” (see cent ). The Latin and
Sanskrit words for “hundred,” centum /k-/ and satem /s-/,
exemplify the division and have given their names to the groupings.][1]



centurion

centurion
cen·tu·ri·on 
[sen tree ən, sen
chree ən] (plural cen·tu·ri·ons) noun

ancient
Roman army officer: in ancient Rome, an officer
in charge of a unit of foot soldiers ( century
)
[14th
century. From the Latin stem centurion-, from centuria “century,”
from centum “hundred” (see cent ).]
—cen·tu·ri·al, adjective[1]



century

century
cen·tu·ry 
[sénchəree] (plural cen·tu·ries)
noun

1.  100
years:
any period of a hundred years

2.  TIME 100-year
period in dating system: a period of a hundred years
in a dating system, from a year numbered 1 or 00, for example, 1901 or 2000, to
one ending in 00 or 99, for example, 2000 or 2099. Centuries are counted
forward or backward from a significant event, for example, the birth of Jesus
Christ.

3.  100
things:
any group or total of a hundred similar things

4.  long
time:
a very long time (informal) (usually used in the plural)

5.  HISTORY unit
of Roman soldiers: a group of foot soldiers in
ancient Rome, originally comprising a hundred men but later between sixty and
eighty.
See
also
maniple

6.  HISTORY group
of Roman voters: a division of citizens in ancient Rome
for voting purposes
[14th century. From Latin centuria,
literally “group of a hundred,” from centum (see cent ).][1]



centuryplant

centuryplant
cen·tu·ry
plant
(plural cen·tu·ry plants) noun

slow-maturing
agave:
a plant found in Mexico and the southern United States, with grayish-green
leaves and flowers on a tall stalk. It takes ten to thirty years to mature and
flowers just once before dying. Latin name: Agave americana
Also
called
American aloe
[From the length of its
maturation, likened to a hundred years][1]



C.E.O.

C.E.O.
C.E.O.
(plural C.E.O’.s)

Abbreviation of
chief executive officer[1]



ceorl

ceorl
ce·orl 
[churl] (plural ce·orls) or
churl [churl] (plural churls)
noun

low-ranking
Anglo-Saxon: in Anglo-Saxon England, a freeman of the
lowest class
[Old English, from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English carl][1]



cep

cep
cep
[sep] (plural ceps) or cèpe
[sep, seep]
(plural cèpes) noun

edible
mushroom:
an edible woodland mushroom with a shiny brown cap and a creamy-colored
underside. It has a rich nutty flavor. Latin name: Boletus edulis
[Mid-19th century. Via French
cèpe from Gascon cep “tree trunk, mushroom,” from Latin cippus
“stake.”][1]



cephal-

cephal-
cephal-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cephalo-[1]



cephalic

cephalic
ce·phal·ic 
[sə fállik] adjective

of
the head:
relating to the head, or in the region of the head
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Greek kephalikos, from kephalē (see cephalo- ).]
—ce·phal·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



-cephalic

-cephalic
-cephalic
suffix

having
a particular number or kind of heads • monocephalic
• brachycephalic
[Via Latin cephalicus
from, ultimately, Greek kephalē “head” (see cephalo-
)][1]



cephalicindex

cephalicindex
ce·phal·ic
in·dex
noun

size ratio of human skull:
the ratio of the width to the length of a human skull, measured at the widest
and longest points, and multiplied by 100.
Also called
cranial index[1]



cephalin

cephalin
ceph·a·lin 
[séffəlin] (plural ceph·a·lins)
or keph·a·lin [kéffə lin] (plural
keph·a·lins) noun

brain chemical:
a chemical found especially in the nervous tissue of the brain and spinal
column and involved in controlling bleeding.
Also called
phosphatidylethanolamine[1]



cephalization

cephalization
ceph·a·li·za·tion 
[sèffəli záysh’n] noun

evolutionary development of
head: the tendency for sensory,
neural, and feeding organs to be concentrated at the front end of the body,
leading to the development of a head in many organisms[1]



cephalo-

cephalo-
cephalo-
prefix

head,
skull • cephalometry
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek kephalē . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that
is also the ancestor of English gable
.][1]



cephalometer

cephalometer
ceph·a·lo·me·ter 
[sèffə lómmətər] (plural ceph·a·lo·me·ters)
noun

instrument for measuring
head: an instrument used to
measure the size of the human head[1]



cephalometry

cephalometry
ceph·a·lom·e·try 
[sèffə lómmətree] noun

measurement
of human head: the measurement of human heads,
especially using X-rays or ultrasound. It is practiced in dentistry to
determine if the mouth can accommodate new teeth and in obstetrics to gauge if
a fetal head can pass through the birth canal.
—ceph·a·lo·met·ric [sèffəlō méttrik], adjective[1]



cephalopod

cephalopod
ceph·a·lo·pod 
[séffələ pòd] (plural ceph·a·lo·pods)
noun

octopus
or similar marine animal: a marine animal with a large
head and tentacles. Octopus, squid, and cuttlefish are cephalopods . Class:
Cephalopoda
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, class name, from, ultimately, earlier forms of
cephalo- + -pod
.]
—ceph·a·lo·pod,
adjective

—ceph·a·lop·o·dan
[sèffə lóppəd’n], adjective, noun

—ceph·a·lo·pod·ic
[sèffələ póddik], adjective

—ceph·a·lo·po·dous [sèffə lóppədəss], adjective[1]



cephalosporin

cephalosporin
ceph·a·lo·spo·rin 
[sèffələ spáwrin] (plural ceph·a·lo·spo·rins)
noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic derived from fungi, effective against a wide range of bacteria.
See
also
penicillin
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Cephalosporium, from earlier forms of cephalo- + spore
.][1]



cephalothorax

cephalothorax
ceph·a·lo·tho·rax 
[sèffələ tháw ràks] (plural ceph·a·lo·tho·rax·es
or ceph·a·lo·tho·rac·es [sèffələ
tháwrə sz]) noun

front body part:
the fused head and thorax typical of spiders and other arachnids and many
crustaceans[1]



-cephalous

-cephalous
-cephalous
suffix

having
a particular number or kind of heads • dicephalous
• autocephalous
[Formed from Greek -kephalos,
from kephalē “head” (see cephalo- )][1]



-cephaly

-cephaly
-cephaly
suffix

a
particular condition of the head or skull • microcephaly
[Formed from Greek kephalē
“head”][1]



Cepheid

Cepheid
Ce·phe·id 
[sfee id, séffee
id] (plural Ce·phe·ids) or Ce·phe·id var·i·a·ble
[sfee id, séffee
id] (plural Ce·phe·id vari·ables) noun

star
varying in brightness: a star that has regular
periods of varying brightness, usually lasting from one to fifty days
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Cepheus + -id
.][1]



Cepheus

Cepheus

Ce·pheus 
[sfee əss] noun
northern star group:
a constellation located in the northern hemisphere close to Draco and
Cassiopeia[1]



ceraceous

ceraceous
ce·ra·ceous 
[sə ráyshəss] adjective

waxy:
like wax in appearance or texture (technical)
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin cera “wax” (see cere ).][1]



ceramal

ceramal
ce·ram·al 
[sə rámm’l] (plural ce·ram·als)
noun

See
cermet
[Mid-20th century. Blend of ceramic and alloy
.][1]



ceramic

ceramic
ce·ram·ic 
[sə rámmik] noun (plural ce·ram·ics)

1.  hard
fired clay:
a hard brittle heat-resistant material made by firing a mixture of clay and
chemicals at high temperature

2.  fired
clay object: an object made from ceramic
adjective

1.  of
ceramic:
made of ceramic

2.  relating
to production of ceramics: relating to or involving the
production of ceramic objects
[Early 19th century. From
Greek keramikos “of pottery,” from keramos “potter’s earth,
pottery.”][1]



ceramicist

ceramicist
ce·ram·i·cist
[sə rámməssist] (plural ce·ram·i·cists)
noun

See
ceramist[1]



ceramics

ceramics
ce·ram·ics
[sə rámmiks] noun

making things from ceramic:
the art, technology, or process of making ceramic objects (takes a singular
verb)[1]



ceramist

ceramist
ce·ram·ist 
[sə rámmist] (plural ce·ram·ists)
or ce·ram·i·cist [sə rámməssist]
(plural ce·ram·i·cists) noun

maker of ceramic objects:
somebody who makes ceramic objects[1]



CeramSea

CeramSea
Ce·ram
Sea
[sáy raam s]

sea in the western Pacific
Ocean, in central Moluccas, Indonesia, west of New Guinea. Area: 51,800 sq
km/20,000 sq mi.[1]



cerastes

cerastes
ce·ras·tes 
[sə ráss tz] (plural ce·ras·tes)
noun

poisonous
snake:
a poisonous snake of northern Africa and southwestern Asia that has a
projection like a horn above each eye. Genus: Cerastes
See
also
horned viper
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Greek kerastēs, literally “horned,” from keras “horn”
(source of English keratin ).][1]



ceratoid

ceratoid
cer·a·toid 
[sérrə toyd] adjective

resembling
a horn:
resembling the horn of an animal in appearance or substance
[From Greek keratoeidēs
“hornlike,” from earlier forms of cerat- + -oid][1]



Cerberus

Cerberus
Cer·ber·us 
[súrbərəss] noun

mythical
dog:
in Greek mythology, the fierce dog that guards the entrance to Hades, usually
represented as having three heads
—Cer·ber·e·an [sùrbə r ən], adjective[1]



-cercal

-cercal
-cercal
suffix

having
a particular kind of tail • diphycercal
[Formed from French -cerque,
from Greek kerkos “tail”][1]



cercaria

cercaria
cer·car·i·a 
[sər káiree ə] (plural cer·car·i·ae
[sər káiri ] or cer·car·i·as)
noun

worm
larva:
the tadpole-shaped larva of various parasitic worms ( flukes
)
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek kerkos “tail” (see cercus ).]
—cer·car·i·al, adjective[1]



cercus

cercus
cer·cus 
[súrkəss] (plural cer·ci [súrsee]) noun

appendage
on insect’s abdomen: either of two sensory
appendages at the end of the abdomen of the female mosquito and other insects
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek kerkos “tail.”]
—cer·cal, adjective[1]



cere

cere
cere
[seer] (plural ceres) noun

part
of beak:
the thick skin at the base of the upper beak of some birds, for example,
parrots. The cere contains the bird’s nostrils.
[15th century. From Latin cera
“wax” (source of English cerumen ),
of uncertain origin: probably from Greek kēros .][1]



cereal

cereal
ce·re·al 
[sree əl] (plural ce·re·als) noun

1.  crop
plant with edible grain: a plant belonging to the
grass family that is cultivated for its nutritious grains. Cereals include
oats, barley, rye, wheat, rice, and corn.

2.  grain:
the grain produced by a cereal plant

3.  breakfast
food:
food made from cereal grain and eaten especially at breakfast, usually with
milk
[Early 19th century. Directly
or via French céréale from Latin cerealis “relating to the
cultivation of grain,” from Ceres, the name
of the Roman goddess of agriculture.][1]



cerealleaf beetle

cerealleaf beetle
ce·re·al
leaf bee·tle (plural ce·re·al leaf bee·tles)
noun

pest of cereal crops:
a small reddish-brown beetle that feeds on the leaves of cereal plants, causing
a significant problem for farmers. Latin name: Oulema melanopus[1]



cerebellum

cerebellum
cer·e·bel·lum 
[sèrrə bélləm] (plural cer·e·bel·lums
or cer·e·bel·la [sèrrə béllə])
noun

rear
part of brain: the part of the brain located directly
behind the front part ( cerebrum ),
typically consisting of two hemispheres connected by a thin central region. Its
main function is to control and coordinate muscular activity and maintain
balance.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, literally “small brain,” from cerebrum (see cerebrum ).]
—cer·e·bel·lar, adjective[1]



cerebra

cerebra
cer·e·bra 
noun

Plural of
cerebrum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cerebral

cerebral
cer·e·bral 
[sə rbrəl, sérrəbrəl]
adjective

1.  of
the front of brain: relating to or located in
the front part of the brain ( cerebrum )

2.  of
the brain:
relating to or involving the brain or any part of it

3.  intellectual:
involving the psychological processes of thinking and reasoning rather than the
emotions
—cer·e·bral·ly, adverb[1]



cerebralcortex

cerebralcortex
cer·e·bral
cor·tex
noun

outer layer of front of
brain: the wrinkled outer layer of
the front parts of the brain ( the cerebral
hemispheres ). Its functions include the perception of sensations,
learning, reasoning, and memory. Technical name pallium[1]



cerebraldominance

cerebraldominance
cer·e·bral
dom·i·nance
noun

dominance of one side of
brain: the normal tendency for one
of the two sides of the brain ( cerebral
hemispheres ) to have stronger control over some functions of the mind
and body. When the left hemisphere is dominant somebody is likely to be
right-handed, and vice versa.[1]



cerebralhemisphere

cerebralhemisphere
cer·e·bral
hem·i·sphere (plural cer·e·bral
hem·i·spheres) noun

half of front part of brain:
either of the two symmetrical halves of the front part of the brain ( cerebrum ).
Also called
hemisphere[1]



cerebralpalsy

cerebralpalsy
cer·e·bral
pal·sy
noun

brain
disorder:
a condition caused by brain damage around the time of birth and marked by lack
of muscle control, especially in the limbs.
Also
called
spastic paralysis
—cer·e·bral-pal·sied, adjective[1]



cerebrate

cerebrate
cer·e·brate 
[sérrə bràyt] (past cer·e·brat·ed,
past participle cer·e·brat·ed, present participle cer·e·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular cer·e·brates) intransitive verb

think
or ponder:
to use the mind to think or reason (formal)
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: either formed directly from Latin cerebrum
“brain” (see cerebrum ), or a back-formation
from cerebration .]
—cer·e·bra·tion [sèrrə bráysh’n], noun[1]



cerebro-

cerebro-
cerebro-
prefix

brain,
cerebrum • cerebrovascular
[From cerebrum][1]



cerebroside

cerebroside
cer·e·bro·side 
[sérrəbrō sd] (plural cer·e·bro·sides)
noun

chemical
found in brain: a chemical substance ( lipid ) found in the brain and the covering ( myelin sheath ) of some nerves
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cerebro- + -ose
+ -ide .][1]



cerebrospinal

cerebrospinal
cer·e·bro·spi·nal 
[sèrrəbrō spn’l, sə
rbrə spn’l] adjective

of the brain and spinal cord:
relating to or involving the brain and spinal cord[1]



cerebrospinalfluid

cerebrospinalfluid
cer·e·bro·spi·nal
flu·id
noun

fluid of the brain:
the colorless fluid in and around the brain and spinal cord that absorbs shocks
and maintains uniform pressure[1]



cerebrospinalmeningitis

cerebrospinalmeningitis
cer·e·bro·spi·nal
men·in·gi·tis noun

brain inflammation:
inflammation of the membranes ( meninges )
surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing high fever and sometimes
unconsciousness[1]



cerebrovascular

cerebrovascular
cer·e·bro·vas·cu·lar 
[sèrrəbrō váskyələr, sə rbrə váskyələr] adjective

of the brain’s blood vessels:
relating to or involving the blood vessels that supply the brain[1]



cerebrovascularaccident

cerebrovascularaccident
cer·e·bro·vas·cu·lar
ac·ci·dent
(plural cer·e·bro·vas·cu·lar ac·ci·dents) noun

cause of stroke:
any physical event, for example, cerebral hemorrhage, that may lead to a stroke
(technical)[1]



cerebrum

cerebrum
cer·e·brum 
[sə rbrəm, sérrəbrəm]
(plural cer·e·brums or cer·e·bra [sə rbrə]) noun

front
of brain:
the front part of the brain, divided into two symmetrical halves ( cerebral hemispheres ). In humans, it is where
activities including reasoning, learning, sensory perception, and emotional
responses take place.
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “brain” (source of English cerebellum,
cerebral, and cerebrate ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “head.”][1]



cerecloth

cerecloth
cere·cloth 
[sr klàwth] (plural cere·cloths)
noun

waxed
cloth:
fabric that has been coated with melted wax to make it waterproof.
Also
called
cerement
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of cered cloth, literally “waxed cloth,” cered the past
participle of cere “to wax,” from Latin cerare, from cera
“wax” (see cere ).][1]



cerement

cerement
cer·e·ment 
[sérrəmənt, srmənt]
noun

See
cerecloth
plural
noun
cer·e·ments

burial
garments:
a burial shroud or clothes
[Early 17th century. Formed
from cere “to wax” (see cerecloth ).][1]



ceremonial

ceremonial
cer·e·mo·ni·al 
[sèrrə mṓnee əl] adjective

1.  relating
to formal occasions: used on a formal occasion or
at a ceremony

2.  involving
ceremony:
involving or done as part of a ceremony
noun
(plural cer·e·mo·ni·als)

1.  formal
etiquette:
the correct way to behave on formal occasions

2.  ritual:
a ceremony or set of ceremonies for an occasion

3.  CHRISTIANITY order
of service:
the set order of rites or ceremonies in a Christian church, or a book
containing this
—cer·e·mo·ni·al·ism,
noun

—cer·e·mo·ni·al·ist,
noun

—cer·e·mo·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



ceremonious

ceremonious
cer·e·mo·ni·ous 
[sèrrə mṓnee əss] adjective

1.  very
formal:
excessively polite or formal

2.  adhering
to convention: always careful to observe formalities
and behave correctly

3.  involving
ceremony:
involving ceremony or consisting of ceremony
—cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  ceremonial
  or ceremonious ?
  Ceremonial is the more neutral word,
  describing things that have to do with ceremony or are a part of it, e.g., • ceremonial
  occasions
  . It is not now used of people. Ceremonious
  is more judgmental, and is used of people: a • ceremonious
  person,
  or somebody with a • ceremonious
  manner,
  is somebody who likes and adheres to formalities, perhaps even overly so.

[1]



ceremony

ceremony
cer·e·mo·ny 
[sérrə mnee] (plural cer·e·mo·nies)
noun

1.  ritual
for formal occasion: a formal event to celebrate
or solemnize something such as a wedding, an official opening, or an
anniversary

2.  formal
etiquette:
the forms of behavior that are expected or observed on a formal occasion

3.  social
gesture:
a polite social gesture or ritual performed for the sake of convention
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin caerimonia “sacred rite, religious
worship, ceremony,” of unknown origin.]
stand
on ceremony

to behave in a formal manner
or insist on formality[1]



Cerenkoveffect

Cerenkoveffect
Ce·ren·kov
ef·fect
[chə réng kof i fèkt, chə réng kawv i fèkt] or Che·ren·kov
ef·fect [chə réng kof i fèkt, chə réng kawv i fèkt] noun

emission
of light:
the emission of light by a charged particle as it passes through a transparent
medium at a speed greater than that of light in the same medium
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Pavel A. Cherenkov ( 1904–1990 ), a Soviet physicist.][1]



Cerenkovradiation

Cerenkovradiation
Ce·ren·kov
ra·di·a·tion [chə réng
kof raydee àysh’n, chə réng kawv raydee
àysh’n] or Che·ren·kov ra·di·a·tion [chə réng kof raydee àysh’n, chə réng kawv raydee àysh’n] noun

light
resulting from Cerenkov effect: light emitted by a
charged particle as it passes through a transparent medium at a speed greater
than that of light in the same medium
[Mid-20th century. See Cerenkov effect .][1]



Ceres

Ceres1
Cer·es1  [sr
eez] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY goddess
of agriculture: the Roman goddess of agriculture. Greek
equivalent Demeter

2.  ASTRONOMY largest
asteroid:
the largest asteroid and the first to be discovered, in 1801, orbiting between
Mars and Saturn
[From Latin][1]



Ceres

Ceres2
Ce·res2

city in central California,
south of Stockton and northeast of San Jose. Population: 31,146 (1996)[1]



cereus

cereus
ce·re·us 
[sree əss] (plural ce·re·us·es)
noun

1.  spiny
ribbed cactus: any of several cacti with spiny ribbed
stems, especially a Brazilian species that can reach a height of 13 m/40 ft.
Genus: Cereus

2.  cactus
related to cereus: any of several cacti related
to the true cereus, for example, the night-blooming cereus
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, “wax taper, candle,” from cera
“wax” (see cere ); from its shape, likened
to a candle.][1]



ceria

ceria
ce·ri·a
[sree ə] noun

See
ceric oxide
[From modern Latin, plural of
cerium (see cerium )][1]



ceric

ceric
ce·ric 
[srik, sérrik]
adjective

containing
cerium:
relating to or containing cerium with a valence of 4
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cerium + -ic .][1]



cericoxide

cericoxide
ce·ric
ox·ide
noun

compound used in ceramics:
a white crystalline powder used in the manufacture of ceramics and to polish
glass. CeO2 
Also called
ceria[1]



ceriph

ceriph
cer·iph 
(plural cer·iphs) noun

See
serif[1]



cerise

cerise
ce·rise 
[sə rs, sə rz]
noun

vivid
pinkish red: a deep, vivid red color with a tinge of
pink
[Mid-19th
century. Via French, “cherry,” from assumed Vulgar Latin ceresia,
ultimately from Greek kerasos “cherry tree” (source of English cherry ).]
—ce·rise, adjective[1]



cerium

cerium

ce·ri·um 
[sree əm] noun
gray
metallic element: a gray malleable metallic chemical
element that is the most abundant of the rare-earth group. Cerium is utilized
in metallurgy, in the manufacture of glass and ceramics, and to make
cigarette-lighter flints. Symbol Ce
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Ceres (the asteroid that was discovered just before
this element; see Ceres ).][1]



cermet

cermet
cer·met 
[súr mèt] (plural cer·mets) noun

ceramic
and metal substance: a durable substance that can
withstand high temperatures, formed by bonding ceramic particles with metal.
Also
called
ceramal
[Mid-20th century. Blend of ceramic and metal
.][1]



cernuous

cernuous
cer·nu·ous 
[súrnyoo əss] adjective

naturally
drooping:
used to describe flowers and buds that droop naturally
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin cernuus “inclined forward.”][1]



cero

cero
ce·ro 
[srō, sérrō]
(plural ce·ro or ce·ros) noun

edible
marine fish: a large edible marine fish found in warm
western Atlantic waters that has silvery sides and large spiny fins. Latin
name: Scomberomorus regalis
See
also
sierra
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of Spanish sierra “saw, sawfish,” from Latin serra
“saw.”][1]



ceroticacid

ceroticacid
ce·ro·tic
ac·id 
[sə rttik ássid, sə
ròttik ássid] noun

white
fatty acid:
a white fatty acid found in natural waxes such as beeswax and carnauba wax. CH3(CH2)24COOH
[Mid-19th century. Cerotic
formed from Latin cerotum “wax salve,” from Greek kērōton
“waxed.”][1]



cerous

cerous
ce·rous 
[srəss] adjective

containing
cerium:
relating to or containing cerium with a valence of 3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cerium + -ous
.][1]



Cerritos

Cerritos
Cer·ri·tos 
[sə rtəs]

city in southwestern
California, a southeastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 53,645 (1996)[1]



cert.

cert.
cert.
[surt]

1.  Abbreviation
of
certificate

2.  Abbreviation
of
certification

3.  Abbreviation
of
certified

[1]



certain

certain
cer·tain 
[súrt’n] adjective

1.  without
doubt:
having no doubts about something • I’m
certain he’s the man I saw.

2.  known
or set:
definitely known, fixed, or settled

3.  inevitable:
guaranteed to happen or to do something • they’re
certain to lose

4.  reliable:
able to be relied on

5.  not
defined:
undeniable but difficult to define, quantify, or express • a
certain hesitation in his manner

6.  not
named:
able to be identified but not named • A
certain selfish person has used up all the milk.

7.  unknown
or unfamiliar: used to indicate that only the name of
the person, thing, or place mentioned is known • A
certain Mr. Esposito was involved.
pronoun

some: of an
imprecise but limited number (formal)
[13th
century. From, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin certanus, from Latin certus
“determined,” originally a past participle of cernere “to separate,
decide.”]
certain
of

some
but not all of (formal)

for
certain

without
any doubt

make
certain

1.  to
check that something has been done or is the case

2.  to
take action to achieve something





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Certain is derived from the Latin
  word cernere, meaning “to separate” or “to decide,” which is also the
  source of English crime, decree, discern,
  discrete, discriminate, excrement,
  secret, and secretary.

[1]



certainly

certainly
cer·tain·ly 
[súrt’nlee] adverb

1.  definitely:
without any doubt or qualification on the part of the speaker • It’s
certainly a big problem.

2.  used
to concede point: used to concede a point that has been
made • That’s
certainly an area we could improve upon.

3.  yes:
used to indicate unreserved assent
certainly
not

used to indicate emphatic
denial or refusal[1]



certainty

certainty
cer·tain·ty 
[súrt’ntee] (plural cer·tain·ties)
noun

1.  something
inevitable:
a conclusion or outcome that is beyond doubt

2.  somebody
or something certain of success: somebody who or
something that is strongly expected to win or achieve something

3.  confidence:
a complete lack of doubt about something
for
a certainty

without any doubt[1]



certif.

certif.
certif.
noun

Abbreviation of
certificate[1]



certifiable

certifiable
cer·ti·fi·a·ble 
[súrtə f əb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of certification: capable of being certified, for example,
as authentic, valid, or qualified

2.  requiring
psychiatric treatment: legally or medically
declared to be affected by a psychiatric disorder (dated)
—cer·ti·fi·a·bly, adverb[1]



certificate

certificate
cer·tif·i·cate 
noun [sər tíffikət] (plural cer·tif·i·cates)

1.  document
providing official evidence: an official document that
gives proof and details of something, for example, personal status, educational
achievements, ownership, or authenticity

2.  document
showing conformity to standard: an official document
awarded to somebody who or something that has passed a test or examination or
conforms to a required standard

3.  document
showing qualification: an official document awarded
to somebody who has completed a course of study or training
transitive
verb
[sər tíffi kàyt] (past cer·tif·i·cat·ed,
past participle cer·tif·i·cat·ed, present participle cer·tif·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular cer·tif·i·cates)

1.  give
certificate to somebody or something: to
award a certificate to somebody or something

2.  authorize
or prove something with certificate: to
authorize or provide evidence of something with a certificate
[15th
century. From, ultimately, medieval Latin certificatum, from the past
participle of late Latin certificare “to certify” (see certify ). The underlying idea is of a document
that makes something certain.]
—cer·ti·fi·ca·tion,
noun

—cer·tif·i·ca·to·ry [sər tíffikə tàwree], adjective[1]



certificateof origin

certificateof origin
cer·tif·i·cate
of or·i·gin
(plural cer·tif·i·cates of or·i·gin) noun

document stating source of
goods: an official document stating
what country a consignment of goods has come from[1]



certifiedcheck

certifiedcheck
cer·ti·fied
check 
(plural cer·ti·fied checks) noun

a bank-guaranteed check:
a check that the issuing bank guarantees to honor because sufficient funds have
been set aside to cover the check[1]



certifiedmail

certifiedmail
cer·ti·fied
mail
noun

mail with proof of delivery:
mail that must be signed for on delivery but that carries no insurance to cover
the value of the contents.
U.K. term
recorded delivery
See also
registered mail[1]



certifiedpublic accountant

certifiedpublic accountant
cer·ti·fied
pub·lic ac·count·ant (plural cer·ti·fied
pub·lic ac·count·ants) noun

accountant allowed to
practice in state: a public
accountant who has met the requirements of a particular U.S. state and is
therefore allowed to practice there[1]



certify

certify
cer·ti·fy 
[súrtə f] (past cer·ti·fied, past
participle cer·ti·fied, present participle cer·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cer·ti·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb confirm
truth or accuracy of something: to state or confirm
that something is true or correct

2.  transitive
verb
prove
quality of somebody or something: to declare that
somebody or something has passed a test or achieved a certain standard

3.  transitive
verb
BANKING guarantee
payment of check: to indicate on a check that there are
sufficient funds to guarantee payment

4.  transitive
verb
issue
with a certificate: to award a certificate to
somebody or something

5.  transitive
verb
declare
somebody to have psychiatric disorder: to
declare somebody officially or legally to have a psychiatric disorder and
require confinement in a mental health facility (dated)
[14th
century. Via French certifier from late Latin certificare,
literally “to make certain,” from Latin certus (see certain ).]
—cer·ti·fi·er, noun[1]



certiorari

certiorari
cer·ti·o·rar·i 
[sùrshee ə ráiree, sùrshee
ə rree] (plural cer·ti·o·rar·is) noun

LAW writ
from higher to lower court: a writ issued by a higher
court to obtain records on a case from a lower court so that the case can be
reviewed.
See
also
mandamus
[15th century. From late
Latin, literally “to be informed,” the passive of Latin certiorare “to
inform,” from, ultimately, certus “sure”; the word occurs in the Latin
version of the writ.][1]



certitude

certitude
cer·ti·tude 
[súrti td] (plural cer·ti·tudes)
noun

1.  feeling
of certainty: the feeling of conviction about
something, especially an opinion or religious faith

2.  something
that is certain: something that is certain to happen or
about which somebody can feel sure
[15th century. From late
Latin certitudo, from Latin certus (see certain
).][1]



cerulean

cerulean
ce·ru·le·an 
[sə rlee ən] adjective

of
deep blue:
of a deep blue color, like the sky on a clear day (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin caeruleus “sky-blue, sea-blue,” from caelum
“sky” (source of English celestial ),
of unknown origin.]
—ce·ru·le·an, noun[1]



ceruloplasmin

ceruloplasmin
ce·ru·lo·plas·min 
[sə rlō plázmin] noun

blood
protein:
a protein that helps the blood to store and transport copper
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin cerulo- (from Latin caeruleus ; see cerulean ) + plasma
+ -in . From its blue color.][1]



cerumen

cerumen
ce·ru·men 
[sə rmən] noun

earwax:
the waxy secretion of glands lining the canal of the external ear (technical)
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin cera “wax.”]
—ce·ru·mi·nous [sə rmənəss], adjective[1]



ceruse

ceruse
ce·ruse 
[sə rss, sr
ss] noun

1.  white
lead used as pigment: white lead used as a pigment
and formerly in cosmetics

2.  cosmetic
containing white lead: a cosmetic containing white
lead. Lead is now known to damage the skin and is no longer used in cosmetics.
[14th century. Via French
from Latin cerussa, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Greek kēros
“wax.”][1]



cerussite

cerussite
ce·rus·site 
[sə rú st] noun

mineral
source of lead: a brittle colorless mineral, occurring
mainly as crystals or granular aggregates in white to yellow and brown to black
transparent or translucent forms. It is composed of lead carbonate and is used
as a lead ore.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin cerussa (see ceruse ) + -ite .][1]



Cervantes,Miguel de

Cervantes,Miguel de

Cer·van·tes 
[sur ván tz], Miguel de (1547–1616)
Spanish
novelist and dramatist. His novel Don Quixote ( 1605–1615 ) greatly
influenced the development of the novel.
Full name
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de[1]



cervelat

cervelat
cer·ve·lat 
[súrvə làt, súrvə
l] noun

smoked
pork and beef sausage: a German cured sausage made
from pork and beef, usually smoked, with a mild flavor and a fine texture
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Italian cervellata, from cervello “brain,” from Latin
cerebellum (see cerebellum ); from
the fact that the sausage was originally made from brains.][1]



cervical

cervical
cer·vi·cal 
[súrvik’l] adjective

of
the neck or cervix: relating or belonging to the
neck or any part of the body that resembles a neck, for example, the cervix of
the womb
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin cervic-, the stem of cervix “neck.”][1]



cervicalcap

cervicalcap
cer·vi·cal
cap
(plural cer·vi·cal caps) noun

GYNECOLOGY
small dome-shaped contraceptive:
a small, dome-shaped rubber or plastic contraceptive device for women, placed
inside the vagina and fitted tightly over the entrance to the cervix[1]



cervicalsmear

cervicalsmear
cer·vi·cal
smear
(plural cer·vi·cal smears) noun

U.K.
See Pap smear[1]



cervices

cervices
cer·vi·ces 
[súrvi sz]

Plural of
cervix[1]



cervicitis

cervicitis
cer·vi·ci·tis 
[sùrvi stiss] noun

inflammation
of cervix:
inflammation of the cervix of the womb
[Late 19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem cervic- (see cervix
) + -itis .][1]



cervid

cervid
cer·vid 
[súrvid] (plural cer·vids) noun

antler-bearing
animal:
any ruminant mammal, for example, a deer, elk, or reindeer, characterized by
the presence of antlers in the male or sometimes in both sexes. Family:
Cervidae
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Cervidae (plural), family name, from
Latin cervus (see cervine ).]
—cer·vid, adjective[1]



cervine

cervine
cer·vine 
[súr vn] adjective

characteristic
of deer:
relating to, resembling, or typical of a deer
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
cervinus, from cervus “deer.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “horn, head.”][1]



cervix

cervix
cer·vix 
[súrviks] (plural cer·vix·es or
cer·vi·ces [súrvi sz]) noun

1.  neck
of womb:
the neck of the womb, consisting of a narrow passage leading to the vagina. The
cervix widens greatly during childbirth to permit delivery of the baby.

2.  neck:
the neck (technical)

3.  part
resembling neck: any part of the body that resembles a
neck in shape or function
[15th century. From Latin,
“neck.”][1]



cesarean

cesarean
ce·sar·e·an 
or ce·sar·e·an sec·tion noun

surgical
delivery of baby: an operation to deliver a baby by
cuttting through the mother’s abdomen and womb
[From the belief that Julius Caesar was born this way][1]



cesium

cesium

ce·si·um
[szi əm] noun
silver-white
metallic element: a rare ductile silver-white chemical
element of the alkali metals group that is the most reactive of the elements
and is used in photoelectric cells. Symbol Cs
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin caesius “bluish-gray,” from its blue
spectral lines.][1]



cesiumclock

cesiumclock
ce·si·um
clock
(plural ce·si·um clocks) noun

TIME
clock determining time with cesium atoms:
a type of clock in which cesium atoms are stimulated by an alternating magnetic
field. A precise time is determined when the frequencies of atoms and the field
match.[1]



cessation

cessation
ces·sa·tion 
[se sáysh’n] (plural ces·sa·tions)
noun

stop:
a stop, pause, or interruption, especially a permanent discontinuation
[15th century. From the Latin
stem cessation-, from cessat-, the past participle stem of cessare
“to hold back, stop.”][1]



cession

cession
ces·sion 
[sésh’n] (plural ces·sions) noun
(formal)

1.  giving
up or yielding: the ceding or giving up of something,
especially land, property, or a right

2.  something
given up:
something ceded or given up, especially land, property, or a right
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem cession-, from cess-, the past
participle stem of cedere “to yield” (see cede
).][1]



cesspit

cesspit
cess·pit 
[séss pìt] (plural cess·pits) noun

pit
for waste matter: a pit for the collection of waste matter
and water, especially sewage
[Mid-19th century. Cess
from cesspool .][1]



cesspool

cesspool
cess·pool 
[sess pl] (plural cess·pools)
noun

1.  underground
container for waste matter: a covered underground tank
or well for the collection of waste matter and water, especially sewage.
See
also
sink
Also
called
sump

2.  filthy
or immoral place: a foul and putrid place or situation,
especially one linked with moral depravity
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably by folk etymology (from pool
) from earlier cesperalle, variant of suspiral “cesspool,”
earlier “drainpipe,” from Old French suspirail “breathing hole,” from souspirer
“to breathe.”][1]



cesta

cesta
ces·ta 
[sésstə] (plural ces·tas) noun

basket
used in ball game: a curved wicker basket for
catching and throwing the ball in the game of jai alai
[Early 20th century. Via
Spanish, literally “basket,” from Latin cista “chest” (see chest ).][1]



cestode

cestode
ces·tode 
[séss td] (plural ces·todes) noun

tapeworm:
a tapeworm (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Cestoda (plural), class name, from Latin cestus
“belt,” from Greek kestos, originally “stitched.”][1]



cestus

cestus
ces·tus
[séstəss] (plural ces·ti [sés t]) noun

woman’s
belt:
a girdle or belt, especially one worn by women in ancient Greece
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek kestos “belt,” originally “stitched.”][1]



cesura

cesura
ce·su·ra 
noun

See
caesura[1]



C.E.T.

C.E.T.
C.E.T.

Abbreviation of
Central European Time[1]



cetacean

cetacean
ce·ta·cean 
[si táysh’n] (plural ce·ta·ceans)
noun

large
aquatic mammal: a large aquatic mammal, for example, a
whale or a dolphin, that has a streamlined body with forelimbs modified as
flippers, no hind limbs, and a blowhole on the back. Order: Cetacea
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Cetacea (plural), order name, from
Latin cetus “whale,” from Greek kētos “sea-monster, huge fish,
whale,” of unknown origin.]
—ce·ta·ceous, adjective[1]



cetane

cetane
ce·tane 
[s tàyn] noun

colorless
oily hydrocarbon: a colorless oily hydrocarbon found in
petroleum. It is used in measuring the ignition quality of diesel fuels and as
a solvent. C16H34
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cetyl (see cetyl alcohol ) + -ane .][1]



cetanenumber

cetanenumber
ce·tane
num·ber
(plural ce·tane num·bers) or ce·tane rat·ing (plural
ce·tane rat·ings) noun

measurement of diesel fuel
ignition quality: the performance rating
of a diesel fuel expressed as the percentage of cetane in a mixture with
1-methylnaphthalene that shows the same ignition properties. The higher the
cetane number, the better the performance.[1]



cete

cete
cete 
[seet] (plural cetes) noun

group
of badgers:
a group or company of badgers
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin coetus “assembly, company,” a variant of coitus
“combination.”][1]



ceterisparibus

ceterisparibus
ce·ter·is
par·i·bus 
[kàytəriss pribəss, sèttəriss pérrəbəss] adverb

other
things being equal: used to indicate that
something would be the case if everything else under consideration remains the
same
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “other things being equal.”][1]



cetology

cetology
ce·tol·o·gy 
[si tólləjee] noun

study
of whales and dolphins: the branch of zoology
concerned with the study of whales, dolphins, and related mammals
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin cetus “whale” + -ology .]
—ce·to·log·i·cal
[st’l ójjik’l], adjective

—ce·tol·o·gist [si tólləjist], noun[1]



Cetus

Cetus

Ce·tus 
[stəss] noun
constellation in southern hemisphere:
a constellation in the sky of the southern hemisphere near Aquarius and
Eridanus that contains the bright star Mira[1]



cetylalcohol

cetylalcohol
ce·tyl
al·co·hol 
[st’l álkə hòl] noun

white
solid:
a white waxy crystalline solid used in making cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and
detergents. C16H34O
Also
called
hexadecanol
[Cetyl coined from Latin cetus
“whale” + -yl . From the fact that the first
compounds were isolated from spermaceti.][1]



ceviche

ceviche
ce·vi·che 
[se v chày] or se·vi·che [se v chày] noun

dish
of marinated raw fish: a Latin American dish of raw
fish marinated in lemon or lime juice and served as a type of salad with
chopped onions and tomatoes
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish seviche, ceviche, from, apparently, Spanish cebo
“fodder, fish pieces used for bait,” from Latin cibus “food.”][1]



Ceylon

Ceylon
Cey·lon 
[sə lón, say lón]

Former
name for
Sri Lanka until 1972
—Cey·lo·nese, adjective,
noun[1]



Ceylonmoss

Ceylonmoss
Cey·lon
moss
noun

seaweed
source of agar: a red seaweed of the East Indian Ocean
that is a source of the gelatinous material agar. Latin name: Gracilaria
lichenoides
[Because it grows in Ceylon][1]



Ceyx

Ceyx
Ce·yx 
[s iks] noun

king of Trachis:
In Greek mythology, a king of Trachis in Thessaly who died in a shipwreck and
whose wife, Alcyone, drowned herself in grief[1]



C/F

C/F
C/F

Abbreviation of
carried forward[1]



C.F.

C.F.
C.F.
or c.f.

Abbreviation of
cost and freight[1]



CF

CF
CF

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of center field

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of
center fielder

3.  Abbreviation
of
cystic fibrosis

[1]



cf.

cf.
cf.

1.  Abbreviation
of
compare

2.  Abbreviation
of
calfskin

[1]



Cf

Cf
Cf

Symbol for
californium[1]



CFAfranc

CFAfranc
CFA
franc
(plural CFA francs) noun

African
unit of currency: the unit of currency used in some
African countries
[CFA abbreviation of French Communauté
financière africaine “African financial community”][1]



CFB

CFB
CFB

Abbreviation of
Canadian Forces Base[1]



CFC

CFC
CFC
(plural CFCs) noun

gas used in refrigerant and
aerosols: a gas containing carbon,
hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine, used as a refrigerant and aerosol propellant.
Some forms of CFC damage the ozone layer in the Earth’s atmosphere. Full
form chlorofluorocarbon[1]



CFE

CFE
CFE
(plural CFEs)

Abbreviation of
Conventional Forces in Europe[1]



C.F.I.

C.F.I.
C.F.I.
or c.f.i.

Abbreviation of
cost, freight, and insurance
See also
c.i.f.[1]



CFL

CFL
CFL

Abbreviation of
Canadian Football League[1]



cfm

cfm
cfm
or c.f.m.

Abbreviation of
cubic feet per minute[1]



CFO

CFO
CFO

Abbreviation of
chief financial officer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cfs

cfs
cfs
or c.f.s.

Abbreviation of
cubic feet per second[1]



CFTC

CFTC
CFTC

Abbreviation of
Commodity Futures Trading Commission[1]



C.G.

C.G.
C.G.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Coast Guard

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
commanding general

3.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Abbreviation
of consul general

[1]



c.g.

c.g.
c.g.

Abbreviation of
center of gravity[1]



CG

CG
CG

Abbreviation of
captain general[1]



cge.

cge.
cge.

1.  BANKING Abbreviation of charge

2.  FREIGHT Abbreviation of carriage

[1]



cgm

cgm
cgm

Abbreviation of
centigram[1]



CGS

CGS
CGS

Abbreviation of
centimeter-gram-second system[1]



C.H.

C.H.
C.H.
or c.h.

1.  Abbreviation
of
courthouse

2.  BANKING Abbreviation of
clearing house

3.  Abbreviation
of
customhouse

[1]



ch.

ch.
ch.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chapter

2.  Abbreviation
of
church

3.  Abbreviation
of
children

4.  Abbreviation
of
child

5.  BANKING Abbreviation of check

6.  ch.
or Ch. Abbreviation of chief

7.  ch.
or Ch. Abbreviation of chaplain

[1]



Ch.

Ch.
Ch.

1.  Abbreviation
of
China

2.  BROADCASTING Abbreviation of
channel

[1]



chabazite

chabazite
cha·ba·zite
[kábbə zt] noun

mineral
found in hot springs: a pink, yellow, white, or
colorless mineral of the zeolite group, found in cavities in igneous rocks and
as a deposit in hot springs. Chabazite is a hydrated silicate of calcium and
aluminum.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from earlier chabazie, from Greek khabazie, a misspelling of khalazie,
from, ultimately, khalaza “hail” (see chalaza
), from its form and color.][1]



Chablis

Chablis
Cha·blis 
[sha bl, shə
bl, shábblee] or cha·blis
[sha bl, shə
bl, shábblee] noun

1.  white
wine from central France: a very dry white Burgundy
wine made in the region around Chablis in central France

2.  white
wine like Chablis: a semidry white wine,
similar to French Chablis, that is made in California or elsewhere

[1]



cha-cha

cha-cha
cha-cha 
[ch ch] or cha-cha-cha [ch ch] noun

1.  rhythmic
Latin American dance: a fast rhythmic ballroom
dance of Latin American origin consisting of three steps and a hip-swaying
shuffle

2.  dance
music:
music written for the cha-cha
intransitive
verb
(past cha-chaed, past participle cha-chaed, present
participle cha-cha·ing, 3rd person present singular cha-chas)
(past cha-cha-chaed, past participle cha-cha-chaed,
present participle cha-cha-cha·ing, 3rd person present
singular cha-cha-chas [ch chaa ch])

dance: to
dance the cha-cha
[From American Spanish
(Cuban) cha-cha-cha, probably an imitation of the musical accompaniment][1]



chachka

chachka
chach·ka 
[chchkə] (plural chach·kas) noun

trinket:
a inexpensive trinket or souvenir.
Also
called
tchotchke
Also
called
tsatske
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish tshatshke from Polish czaczko .][1]



chacma

chacma
chac·ma 
[chákmə] (plural chac·mas) noun

African
baboon found on savannas: a ground-dwelling baboon of
southern Africa that has a dark-gray coat and naked face with a long muzzle.
Some authorities regard the chacma as a variety of savanna baboon rather than a
distinct species. Latin name: Papio ursinus
[Mid-19th century. From Khoikhoi
.][1]



Chaco

Chaco
Cha·co
[chkō]

province of northern
Argentina. Capital: Resistencia. Population: 799,302 (1991) Area: 99,632 sq
km/38,468 sq mi.[1]



chaconia

chaconia
cha·co·ni·a
[chə kṓnee ə] (plural cha·co·ni·as
or cha·co·ni·a) noun

red flower:
a red flower with large, conspicuous sepals that is the national flower of
Trinidad and Tobago. Latin name: Warszewiczia coccinea[1]



chaconne

chaconne
cha·conne 
[sha kón, shaa
kón] (plural cha·connes) noun

1.  DANCE ancient
dance:
an ancient, moderately slow dance that probably originated in Spain

2.  MUSIC musical
form:
a musical composition consisting of variations on a fixed bass line continually
repeated ( ground bass )
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Spanish chacona, probably from Basque chucun
“pretty.”][1]



chacunà son gout

chacunà son gout
cha·cun
à son gout 
[shaa kö naa son g]

people
have their own tastes or preferences: used
to express the individuality or peculiarity of somebody’s taste or choice
[From French, literally “each
to his or her own taste”][1]



Chad

Chad



Chad 
[chad]
landlocked
republic in north central Africa, bordered on the north by Libya, on the east
by Sudan, on the south by the Central African Republic, and on the west by
Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. A former French territory, it became independent
in 1960. Language: French. Currency: C.F.A. franc. Capital: Ndjamena.
Population: 7,166,023 (1997) Area: 1,284,000 sq km/495,800 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Chad
—Chad·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Chad




Back to definition

Chad

[1]



chadar

chadar
cha·dar
[chdər] noun

See
chador[1]



Chadic

Chadic
Chad·ic 
[cháddik] noun

group
of Central African languages: a group of more than 100
languages spoken in west-central Africa. It is a branch of the Afro-Asiatic
family of languages. There are about 25 million native speakers of Chadic
languages, the most widespread being Hausa.
—Chadic, adjective[1]



Chad,Lake

Chad,Lake
Chad,
Lake
[chad]

lake in central Africa,
situated at the junction of Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. approximately Area:
10,360 to 25,900 sq km/4,000 to 10,000 sq mi.[1]



chador

chador
cha·dor 
[chúddər] (plural cha·dors) or
cha·dar [chúddər] (plural cha·dars)
or chud·dar [chúddər] (plural
chud·dars) noun

1.  dark
robe worn by Muslims: a dark traditional garment
worn by Muslim and sometimes by Hindu women that covers almost all of the head
and body

2.  cloth
for Muslim tomb: a cloth that is used to cover a Muslim
tomb
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Urdu from Persian čādar, literally “sheet, veil.”][1]



chaeta

chaeta
chae·ta 
[ktə] (plural chae·tae [kt]) noun

bristle
of worm:
a bristle that occurs singly or in clusters in certain worms, for example,
earthworms and ragworms, and helps them to move
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek khaitē “long hair.”][1]



chaetognath

chaetognath
chae·tog·nath 
[k tog nàth, ktəg
nàth] (plural chae·tog·naths) noun

invertebrate
marine animal: a torpedo-shaped invertebrate marine
animal with an almost transparent body and fins running horizontally down both
sides of the trunk and tail. Phylum: Chaetognatha
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Chaetognatha, phylum name, from Greek khaitē
(see chaeta ) + gnathos “jaw”; from
the spines on its head.]
—chae·tog·na·thous [kee tógnəthəss], adjective[1]



chafe

chafe
chafe 
[chayf] verb (past chafed,
past participle chafed, present participle chaf·ing,
3rd person present singular chafes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
worn or make something worn: to become sore or worn by
rubbing or make something sore or worn in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
cause
friction:
to rub something, causing friction

3.  transitive
verb
rub
something to warm it: to warm something,
especially the hands or other parts of the body, by rubbing

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
annoyed or annoy somebody: to be or make somebody
irritated, annoyed, or impatient
noun

1.  soreness
or wear:
soreness or wear caused by rubbing

2.  feeling
of irritation: a feeling of irritation, annoyance, or
impatience
[13th century. Via Old French
chaufer from Latin calefacere “to make warm,” from calere
“to be warm” (source of English nonchalant
) + facere “to make.”][1]



chafer

chafer
cha·fer 
[cháyfər] (plural cha·fers) noun

flying
scarab beetle: a large slow-moving scarab beetle, for
example, the cockchafer
[Old English ceafor .
Probably ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “jaw, mouth.” Related to
German Käfer “beetle.”][1]



chaff

chaff2
chaff2 [chaf]
verb (past chaffed, past participle chaffed,
present participle chaff·ing, 3rd person present singular chaffs)

1.  transitive
verb
tease
somebody lightheartedly: to tease somebody in fun

2.  intransitive
verb
banter:
to exchange light-hearted teasing or joking remarks
noun

joking:
light-hearted joking or teasing
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of chafe .]
—chaff·er, noun[1]



chaff

chaff1
chaff1 [chaf]
noun

1.  seed
coverings removed by threshing: the dry coverings ( bracts ) of grains and other grass seeds, which
are separated by the process of threshing. When cereal crops are harvested
mechanically, chaff is removed by the combine harvester and deposited with the
straw in the field.

2.  MILITARY strips
of metal to obstruct radar: glass fibers or silvered
nylon filaments dispersed into the air as an antiradar measure.
Also
called
window noun 11

3.  worthless
thing:
something that is worthless or irrelevant
[Old
English ceaf, of uncertain origin: probably from a prehistoric Germanic
base meaning “chew”]
—chaf·fy, adjective[1]



chaffer

chaffer
chaf·fer
[cháffər] intransitive verb (past
chaf·fered, past participle chaf·fered, present
participle chaf·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular chaf·fers)

1.  haggle:
to haggle or bargain about something

2.  bandy
words:
to chatter idly
noun

bargaining or haggling:
bargaining or haggling about something
[12th
century. From Old English ceap “bargain, sale” + faru “faring,
going,” perhaps modeled on Old Norse kaupför “trading-journey.”]
—chaf·fer·er, noun[1]



chaffinch

chaffinch
chaf·finch 
[chá fìnch] (plural chaf·finch·es)
noun

European
songbird:
a finch, common in gardens and farmland of Europe and western Asia, that has
white wing bars and a bluish hood, the males being more colorful. Latin name: Fringilla
coelebs
[Old English ceaffinc
. Because it pecks among farmyard chaff.][1]



chafingdish

chafingdish
chaf·ing
dish 
noun

cooking pan used as hotplate:
a shallow pan with a source of heat beneath it, used for cooking food or
keeping food warm at the table[1]



Chagall,Marc

Chagall,Marc

Cha·gall 
[shaa gl], Marc (1887–1985)
Russian-born French painter and designer.
His colorful fantasies, anticipating surrealism, stem largely from eastern
European Jewish folklore.[1]



Chagas’disease

Chagas’disease
Cha·gas’
dis·ease 
[shgəss di zz] or Cha·gas’s
dis·ease [shgəss di zz] noun

parasitic
disease:
an often fatal disease, occurring in South and Central America, that affects
the heart and nervous system and is caused by a protozoan parasite transmitted
by blood-sucking insects.
Also
called
South American trypanosomiasis
See
also
sleeping sickness
[Early 20th century. Named
for Carlos Chagas (1879–1934), Brazilian physician, who first described
it.][1]



chagrin

chagrin
cha·grin 
[shə grín] noun

anger
at being let down: a feeling of vexation or
humiliation due to disappointment about something
transitive
verb
(past cha·grined, past participle cha·grined, present
participle cha·grin·ing, 3rd person present singular cha·grins)

vex
through frustration: to frustrate or annoy
somebody through disappointed hopes
[Early 18th century. From
French, “sad, vexed,” the original sense in English .][1]



chagrined

chagrined
cha·grined
adjective

vexed through frustration:
frustrated, annoyed, or embarrassed through disappointed hopes[1]



chain

chain

chain 
[chayn] noun (plural chains)

1.  series
of joined metal rings: a flexible interlinked
series of usually metal links that may be used to support or restrain
something, as an ornament or decoration, or to drive or move something

2.  ACCESSORIES series
of links used as accessory: a series of rings, links, or
disks used as a necklace, bracelet, or other piece of jewelry

3.  COMMERCE businesses
under one management or ownership: a number of stores,
hotels, restaurants, or other businesses that are owned by the same company and
offer similar goods or services but are found in different locations

4.  GEOGRAPHY series
of geographical formations: a series of associated
geographical features or formations, for example, mountains, lakes, or islands

5.  something
resembling a chain: a series of things or people
linked or joined together for some purpose • They
stood hand in hand to form a human chain round the perimeter.

6.  sequence
of related events or facts: a sequence of facts or
events that happen one after the other and are connected in some way

7.  CHEMISTRY series
of atoms:
a series of atoms, usually of a single element such as carbon, that are joined
in a line or ring within a molecule

8.  badge
of office:
a chain worn round the neck as a badge of office

9.  unit
of length equal to 66 ft.: a unit of length that is now
rarely used, equal to 66 ft . (about 20 m ). (dated)
Also
called
surveyor’s chain
plural noun chains

restraining circumstances:
feelings or circumstances that restrain or confine somebody (literary)
transitive verb
(past chained, past participle chained, present
participle chain·ing, 3rd person present singular chains)

1.  fasten
something with a chain: to fasten, tie, or restrain
something or somebody with a chain or chains

2.  restrict
somebody’s mobility: to restrict or confine
somebody’s freedom of movement or action • She
was chained to the computer all day.

3.  measure
with a chain: to use a chain or tape to measure
something
[13th
century. Via Old French chaeine from Latin catena (source of
English concatenate ), of unknown
origin.]
—chain·less,
adjective
yank somebody’s chain

to say something that is
untrue in order to tease or annoy somebody (informal)[1]



chaindrive

chaindrive
chain
drive
(plural chain drives) noun

mechanism
using chain: an endless linked chain that meshes with
the teeth of two sprocket wheels to transfer energy and motion from one to the
other
—chain-driv·en, adjective[1]



chained

chained
chained
[chaynd] adjective

1.  fastened
with chain:
tied up or fastened with a chain

2.  linked:
forming a chain

[1]



chaingang

chaingang
chain
gang
(plural chain gangs) noun

prisoners who work shackled
together: a group of prisoners who
work away from the prison and are shackled together, usually with leg irons and
a series of chains[1]



chaingrate

chaingrate
chain
grate
(plural chain grates) or chain grate stoker (plural
chain grate stokers) noun

mechanism supplying fuel for
furnace: a mechanism that stokes a
large industrial furnace mechanically by supplying fuel on a conveyor that is
driven by a chain[1]



chainlet

chainlet
chain·let
[cháynlət] (plural chain·lets)
noun

small chain:
a small chain[1]



chainletter

chainletter
chain
let·ter
(plural chain let·ters) noun

letter requesting copies
forwarded: a letter sent to a number of
people, each of whom is asked to send copies to the same number of new people,
sometimes requesting and promising money to recipients[1]



chainlightning

chainlightning
chain
light·ning
noun

lightning with angles:
lightning that appears as a jagged line of light splitting into two or more
branches near the ground.
Also called
forked lightning[1]



chainlinkfence

chainlinkfence
chain·link
fence 
[chàynlingk fénss] (plural chain·link
fenc·es) noun

fence
of diamond mesh: a fence formed from lengths of strong
wire that are interwoven in a diamond pattern
—chain·link fenc·ing, noun[1]



chainmail

chainmail
chain
mail
noun

armor for knight:
interlinked rings of metal forming a flexible piece of armor, worn by knights
in medieval times[1]



chainof command

chainof command
chain
of com·mand
(plural chains of com·mand) noun

hierarchy of authority:
a hierarchy of officials in the armed forces or in business, each reporting to
and taking orders from the next most senior person[1]



chainpickerel

chainpickerel
chain
pick·er·el
noun

freshwater fish with
chain-shaped markings: a large
slender greenish black freshwater fish of eastern North America that resembles
a young pike and has chain-shaped markings along each flank. Latin name: Esox
niger[1]



chainreaction

chainreaction
chain
re·ac·tion
(plural chain re·ac·tions) noun

1.  connected
sequence of events: a series of events following
quickly from each other, each of which causes the next one

2.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS self-sustaining
nuclear fission: a self-sustaining nuclear reaction in
which each fission of an atomic nucleus causes neutrons and energy to be
emitted, each collision of neutrons with other nuclei causing a further fission

3.  CHEMISTRY series
of chemical reactions: a series of chemical reactions
in which the product from one reaction helps to create the next one
—chain-re·act, intransitive
verb[1]



chainsaw

chainsaw
chain
saw
(plural chain saws) noun

portable motor-driven saw
with circular chain: a portable
motor-driven saw with cutting teeth made of links that form a continuous chain,
used for cutting wood[1]



chainshot

chainshot
chain
shot
noun

shot made of chained
cannonballs: two cannonballs or
half-balls connected by a chain, formerly used to destroy a ship’s rigging[1]



chain-smoke

chain-smoke
chain-smoke 
(past chain-smoked, past participle chain-smoked, present
participle chain-smok·ing, 3rd person present singular chain-smokes)
intransitive and transitive verb

continuously
smoke cigarettes: to smoke cigarettes continuously, often
lighting the next from the previous one as it is finished
—chain-smok·er, noun[1]



chainstitch

chainstitch
chain
stitch
(plural chain stitch·es) noun

looped
stitch resembling chain: a hand, machine, or crochet
stitch in which each stitch forms a loop through the forward end of the
previous one to resemble the links of a chain
—chain-stitch, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



chainstore

chainstore
chain
store
(plural chain stores) noun

one of a series of stores:
one of a series of retail stores, especially department stores or supermarkets,
owned by the same company[1]



chair

chair
chair 
[chair] noun (plural chairs)

1.  seat
with back and sometimes armrests: a seat with a back
support, usually for one person. Most chairs have four legs or feet and some
have rests for the arms.

2.  electric
chair:
the electric chair (informal)

3.  chairperson:
somebody presiding over something such as a committee, board, or meeting, or
the position of such a person

4.  EDUC somebody
who holds an endowed professorship:
somebody who holds an endowed professorship at a university

5.  MUSIC ranked
position of orchestral musician: the ranked position of
a musician in an orchestra

6.  BUILDING supporting
device during pouring of concrete: a device to keep
reinforcing rods in place during the pouring of concrete

7.  sedan
chair:
a sedan chair (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past chaired, past participle chaired, present
participle chair·ing, 3rd person present singular chairs)

1.  preside
over something: to preside over something such as a
committee, board, or meeting

2.  U.K.
carry
winner on shoulders: to carry a victor or
champion on the shoulders in triumph
[13th
century. Via Old French chaiere from Latin cathedra “seat.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Chair has long been used to mean
  “the authority or position of chairman,” and has been extended to mean, more
  concretely, “somebody presiding over a meeting or committee,”in order to
  avoid having to use the gender-specific terms chairman and chairwoman
  . An alternative is chairperson .

[1]



chairborne

chairborne
chair·borne
[cháir bàwrn] adjective

holding sedentary military
job: working at a desk in an
office job in the armed forces, especially the air force, rather than having
combat or field duties (informal)[1]



chaircar

chaircar
chair
car
(plural chair cars) noun

1.  railroad
car with chairs: a railroad car with individual
adjustable chairs instead of compartments with long seats

2.  See
parlor car

[1]



chairlift

chairlift
chair
lift
(plural chair lifts) noun

seats suspended from moving
cable: a series of seats suspended
from a moving cable, used to carry passengers up or down a mountain or other
slope[1]



chairman

chairman
chair·man 
[cháirmən] (plural chair·men) noun

1.  somebody
who presides over something: the presiding officer of
something such as a committee or meeting

2.  chair·man
or chair·man of the board chief
presiding officer of a company: the chief presiding
officer of a business corporation, elected by its board of directors and
responsible for corporate policy and supervision of upper management
—chair·man·ship,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at chair.

[1]



chairperson

chairperson
chair·per·son 
[cháir pùrs’n] (plural chair·per·sons)
noun

somebody
who presides over something: the presiding officer of
something such as a committee, board, or meeting

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at chair.

[1]



chairwoman

chairwoman
chair·wom·an 
[cháir wmmən] (plural chair·wom·en
[cháir wìmmin]) noun

woman
who presides over something: a woman who is the presiding
officer of something such as a committee, board, or meeting

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at chair.

[1]



chaise

chaise
chaise 
[shayz] (plural chaises [shayz]) noun

1.  See
chaise longue

2.  small
open horse-drawn carriage: a light open two-wheeled
carriage for one or more people, usually hooded and drawn by one horse

3.  See
post chaise
[Mid-17th century. From
French, a variant of chaire .][1]



chaiselongue

chaiselongue
chaise
longue 
[shayz láwng] (plural chaise
longues or chaises longues [shayz
láwng]) noun

1.  foldable
chair with adjustable back: a long low foldable chair
with an adjustable back, used on a patio or beach.
Also
called
chaise
Also
called
chaise lounge

2.  chair
for lying on: a chair with an elongated seat, one
armrest, and sometimes an adjustable back, designed for lying on.
Also
called
chaise
[From French, literally “long
chair”][1]



chakra

chakra
chak·ra 
[chkrə, chúkrə]
(plural chak·ras) noun

center
of spiritual power in body: in yoga, any one of the
centers of spiritual power in the body. Each chakra is associated with a
different god in Hinduism.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit cakra, literally “wheel.”][1]



chalaza

chalaza
cha·la·za 
[kə láyzə, kə
lázzə] (plural cha·la·zas or cha·la·zae [kə láyzee]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY strand
holding egg yolk in place: a spiral chord of albumen
that is attached at each end of the yolk to the lining membrane inside a bird’s
egg, holding it in position

2.  BOTANY base
of immature seed: the base of the immature seed of a plant
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek khalaza “hail, small lump or
knot like a hailstone” (source of English chabazite
).]
—cha·la·zal, adjective[1]



chalazion

chalazion
cha·la·zi·on 
[kə láyzee ən] (plural cha·la·zi·ons)
noun

See
meibomian cyst
[Early 18th century. From
Greek khalazion, literally “small lump,” formed from khalaza (see
chalaza ).][1]



Chalcedon

Chalcedon
Chal·ce·don 
[kálsə dòn, kal
sédd’n] noun

ancient
Greek city:
an ancient Greek city on the Bosporus near modern-day Istanbul that was founded
in 685 BC
—Chal·ce·do·ni·an [kàlsə dṓnyən, kàlsə dṓnee
ən], adjective, noun[1]



chalcedony

chalcedony
chal·ced·o·ny 
[kal sédd’nee] noun

form
of quartz:
a translucent or grayish form of quartz in which the microscopic crystals are
packed together in parallel bands, used as a gemstone and in ornaments. SiO2
[13th
century. Via Latin c(h)alcedonius from Greek khalkēdōn, a
mystical stone, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Khalkēdōn (see Chalcedon ).]
—chal·ce·don·ic [kàlsə dónnik], adjective[1]



chalcid

chalcid
chal·cid 
[kálsid] (plural chal·cids) noun

small
parasitic wasp: a small wasp with bright metallic
coloration whose larvae are often parasites of other insects in various stages
of life. Superfamily: Chalcidoidea
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Chalcid-, the stem of Chalcis, genus name, from
Greek khalkos “copper,” from its metallic color and sheen.][1]



chalco-

chalco-
chalco-
prefix

copper
• chalcopyrite
[From Greek khalkos][1]



chalcocite

chalcocite
chal·co·cite 
[kálkə st] noun

copper ore:
a gray to black brittle copper sulfide that is an important ore of copper. Cu2S[1]



chalcography

chalcography
chal·cog·ra·phy
[kal kóggrəfee] noun

copper
or brass engraving: engraving on copper or brass
—chal·cog·ra·pher,
noun

—chal·cog·ra·phist,
noun

—chal·co·graph·ic
[kàlkə gráffik], adjective

—chal·co·graph·i·cal [kàlkə gráffik’l], adjective[1]



chalcolithic

chalcolithic
chal·co·lith·ic 
[kàlkə líthik] adjective

between Neolithic and Bronze
ages: belonging or relating to the
transitional period between the Neolithic and Bronze ages, beginning around 400
BC, when the use of copper became
more prevalent[1]



chalcopyrite

chalcopyrite
chal·co·py·rite 
[kàlkə p rt] noun

yellow ore of copper:
a brassy yellow sulfide of copper and iron that is the commonest ore of copper.
CuFeS2 
Also called
copper pyrites[1]



Chaldea

Chaldea
Chal·de·a
[kal d ə]

ancient region of
Mesopotamia, between the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf, in modern-day southern
Iraq[1]



Chaldean

Chaldean
Chal·de·an 
[kal d ən] (plural Chal·de·ans)
or Chal·dae·an [kal d ən] (plural
Chal·daeans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Semitic people: a member of an ancient
Semitic people who lived in Chaldea in southern Babylonia, where they were the
dominant ethnic group during the 8th and 7th centuries BC.
Also
called
Chaldee

2.  LANGUAGE Aramaic
dialect:
a dialect of the modern Aramaic language, spoken in Iraq and by communities now
settled in the United States

3.  soothsayer:
an astrologer, fortune-teller, or enchanter (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin Chaldaeus, from, ultimately, Assyrian kaldū
.]
—Chal·da·ic
[kal dáy ik], noun, adjective

—Chal·de·an [kal d ən], adjective[1]



Chaldee

Chaldee
Chal·dee
[káldee, kal d]
(plural Chal·dees) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Aramaic:
the Aramaic language (dated)

2.  PEOPLES See Chaldean  noun 1
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin Chaldaeus (see Chaldean
).][1]



chaldron

chaldron
chal·dron 
[cháwldrən] (plural chal·drons)
noun

former
unit of capacity: a former unit of capacity, especially a
U.S. unit equivalent to 1.268 m 3 used to measure solids or a
British unit equivalent to 1.309 m 3 used to measure solids and
liquids
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French chauderon “kettle,” from, ultimately, Latin caldarium
“vessel containing warm water for bathing.”][1]



chalet

chalet
cha·let 
[sha láy, shá
lày] (plural cha·lets) noun

wooden
house of Swiss origin: a house or cottage
traditionally made of wood with wide overhanging eaves, originally built in
Switzerland
[Late 18th century. From
Swiss French, of uncertain origin: possibly formed from Old French chasel
“farmstead,” from, ultimately, Latin casa “hut, cottage.”][1]



chalice

chalice
chal·ice 
[chálliss] (plural chal·ices) noun

1.  metal
cup:
a metal drinking cup or goblet (literary)

2.  CHRISTIANITY cup
used at Communion or Mass: a gold or silver cup used in
a church for serving the wine at Communion or Mass
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin calic-, the stem of calix “cup” (source of
English calix ).][1]



chalicothere

chalicothere
chal·i·co·there 
[kállikə thr] (plural chal·i·co·theres)
noun

extinct
animal resembling horse: an extinct mammal resembling
a horse with clawed feet and forelimbs slightly longer than the hind limbs. It
lived from about 55 million to about 10,000 years ago. Suborder:
Chalicotheriidae
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Chalicotherium, genus name, literally “animal found in
gravel,” from the Greek stem khalik- “pebble, gravel” + thērion,
literally “small animal,” from thēr “animal.”][1]



chalk

chalk
chalk 
[chawk] noun

1.  GEOLOGY powdery
white rock:
a soft white or gray fine-grained sedimentary rock consisting of nearly pure
calcium carbonate that contains minute fossil fragments of marine organisms

2.  soft
marker made from chalk: a piece of chalk or a
similar substance, sometimes colored, used for writing or drawing, for example,
on a blackboard

3.  CUE GAMES cube
of chalk for rubbing cue: a small cube of chalk or
similar substance used for rubbing the tip of a pool or billiard cue to
increase friction between the cue and the ball
verb
(past chalked, past participle chalked, present
participle chalk·ing, 3rd person present singular chalks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb draw
or mark something with chalk: to draw, write, or mark
something with chalk

2.  intransitive
verb
become
powdery:
to become powdery

3.  transitive
verb
CUE GAMES rub
chalk on a cue: to treat a pool or billiard cue with
chalk
[Old English cealc
“lime(stone), chalk,” via prehistoric Germanic from the Latin stem calc-
“lime(stone),” from Greek khalix “small stone, pebble” (source of
English calcium and calculate )][1]



chalkboard

chalkboard
chalk·board 
[cháwk b`awrd] (plural chalk·boards)
noun

See
blackboard[1]



chalkstone

chalkstone
chalk·stone 
[cháwk stn] (plural chalk·stones)
noun

natural chalk:
a piece of chalk taken straight from the ground[1]



chalktalk

chalktalk
chalk
talk
(plural chalk talks) noun

informal lecture using
blackboard: an informal lecture during
which illustrations or examples are given on a blackboard[1]



chalkup

chalkup
chalk
up
transitive verb

1.  score
or keep score of something: to score or achieve
something, or record a score or victory

2.  U.K.
charge
something to somebody: to record the cost of
something and charge it to somebody or somebody’s account

3.  attribute
to something: to credit or ascribe something to
something or somebody
[From the British custom at
pubs or bars of writing up with chalk an account of credit given][1]



chalky

chalky
chalk·y 
[cháwkee] (comparative chalk·i·er,
superlative chalk·i·est) adjective

containing
or resembling chalk: containing chalk, or
resembling chalk in color or texture
—chalk·i·ness, noun[1]



challah

challah
chal·lah 
[khlə, hlə]
(plural chal·lahs or chal·loth) or hal·lah
[khlə, hlə]
(plural hal·lahs or hal·loth) noun

bread
for the Sabbath: white bread enriched with eggs, usually
in a braided loaf, traditionally eaten by Jews on Friday evening at the Sabbath
meal
[Early 20th century. From
Hebrew ḥallāh, from, probably, ḥll “to pierce,” from its original
shape.][1]



challenge

challenge
chal·lenge 
[chállənj] transitive verb (past
chal·lenged, past participle chal·lenged, present
participle chal·leng·ing, 3rd person present singular chal·leng·es)

1.  invite
somebody to contest something: to invite somebody to
participate in a fight, contest, or competition

2.  dare:
to dare somebody to do something

3.  call
something into question: to call something into
question by demanding an explanation, justification, or proof

4.  stimulate:
to stimulate somebody by making demands on the intellect

5.  order
somebody to produce identification: to
order somebody to stop and produce identification or a password

6.  LAW object
to inclusion of juror: to make a formal objection
against the inclusion of a prospective juror on a jury

7.  IMMUNOLOGY test
whether something produces allergy: to
expose a person or animal to a substance in order to determine whether an
allergy or other adverse reaction will occur
noun
(plural chal·leng·es)

1.  invitation
to take part in contest: an invitation to somebody to
compete in a fight, contest, or competition

2.  stimulating
test of abilities: a test of somebody’s
abilities or a situation that tests somebody’s abilities in a stimulating way

3.  questioning
of something: a questioning of something by demanding
an explanation, justification, or proof

4.  demand
for identification: an order to somebody to stop
and produce identification or a password

5.  LAW objection
against juror: an objection against the inclusion of
somebody on a jury

6.  claim
against voting eligibility: a claim that somebody is not
entitled to a vote, or that a vote is invalid

7.  IMMUNOLOGY testing
for allergy: exposure of a person or animal to a
substance in order to determine whether an allergy or other adverse reaction
will occur
[13th
century. Via Old French c(h)alengier “to accuse” from Latin calumniare
“to accuse falsely,” from calumnia “false accusation” (source of English
calumny ).]
—chal·lenge·a·ble, adjective[1]



challenged

challenged
chal·lenged
[chállənjd] adjective

1.  with
specified impairment: having a specified
impairment

2.  lacking
in something: lacking in a specified quality or
characteristic (humorous; offensive in some contexts) • judgmentally
challenged

[1]



challenger

challenger
chal·leng·er 
[chállənjər] (plural chal·leng·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who seeks a fight: somebody who issues an
invitation to a fight, contest, or competition

2.  somebody
who opposes champion: somebody who competes for a
championship against the champion, especially in boxing

[1]



challenging

challenging
chal·leng·ing 
[chállənjing] adjective

demanding
physical or psychological effort: demanding physical or
psychological effort of a stimulating kind
—chal·leng·ing·ly, adverb[1]



challis

challis
chal·lis 
[shállee] or chal·lie [shállee] noun

soft
lightweight fabric: a soft lightweight fabric
for clothes, often patterned with a small print and made of wool, cotton, or
synthetic fibers
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the surname Challis .][1]



Chalmette

Chalmette
Chal·mette
[shal mét]

unincorporated settlement and
county seat of St. Bernard parish, southeastern Louisiana, situated on the
Mississippi River downstream from New Orleans. Population: 31,860 (1990)[1]



chalone

chalone
cha·lone 
[káy ln, ká ln]
(plural cha·lones) noun

cell
division inhibitor: a substance produced by
cells that inhibits the division of cells of a similar type. Chalones are
usually glycoproteins.
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek khalōn, the present participle of khalan
“to slacken,” on the model of hormone .]
—cha·lon·ic [ka lṓnik, kay lṓnik],
adjective[1]



chalumeau

chalumeau
chal·u·meau 
[shàllə mṓ] (plural chal·u·meaux
[shàllə mṓ]) noun

1.  early
musical instrument: a woodwind instrument of the
17th and 18th centuries that developed into the clarinet

2.  lowest
register of clarinet: the lowest register of a
clarinet, or its warm tone quality
[Early 18th century. Via
French from late Latin calamellus, literally “small reed,” from calamus
“reed,” from Greek kalamos (source of English calamus, caramel,
and shawm ).][1]



chalutz

chalutz
cha·lutz
[khaa lts] (plural cha·lutz·im)
or ha·lutz [khaa lts] (plural
ha·lutz·im) noun

earlyJewish
immigrant to Palestine: a member of a group of
Jewish immigrants to Palestine after 1917 who began or worked in agricultural
or forestry projects
[Early 20th century. From
Hebrew ḥaluṣ, literally “pioneer.”][1]



chalybeate

chalybeate
cha·lyb·e·ate 
[kə líbbee ət, kə
lbee àyt] (plural cha·lyb·e·ates) adjective

1.  containing
iron salts:
containing iron salts

2.  tasting
of iron:
having a taste like iron
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin chalybeatus, from Latin chalybs “steel,” from Greek khalups
.][1]



chalybite

chalybite
cha·ly·bite
[kálli bt] noun

See
siderite
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek khalyb-, the stem of khalyps “steel” + -ite .][1]



Cham

Cham
Cham
[kam] (plural Chams or Cham)
noun

1.  member
of Vietnamese people: a member of a people who
originally lived in Champa, a former kingdom in present-day Vietnam. After the
Annamese invaded in the 17th century, many Chams fled to Cambodia.

2.  LANGUAGE Austronesian
language:
a language spoken in parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. It belongs to the
Austronesian family of languages. Cham is spoken by about 230,000 people.
—Cham, adjective[1]



cham

cham
cham 
[kam] (plural chams) noun

khan:
a Tartar or Mogul khan (archaic)
[15th century. Via French
from Turkic kān “lord, prince.”][1]



Chamaeleon

Chamaeleon
Cha·mae·leon
[kə mlee ən, kə
mlyən] or Cha·me·leon [kə
mlee ən, kə mlyən] noun

constellation in southern
polar region: a faint constellation
lying near the south celestial pole[1]



chamaephyte

chamaephyte
cham·ae·phyte 
[kámmi ft] (plural cham·ae·phytes)
noun

plant
with buds close to ground: a perennial plant that
produces buds on or close to the ground. The buds remain dormant during the
winter.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek khamai “low, on the ground” (see chameleon
) + -phyte .][1]



chamber

chamber
cham·ber 
[cháymbər] noun (plural cham·bers)

1.  room
for specific purpose: a room used for a designated
purpose

2.  ARMS place
in gun for ammunition: the compartment for a
cartridge in a revolver or rifle, or for a shell in a cannon

3.  official
assembly or meeting place: a legislative or judicial
assembly, or the place where such a body meets

4.  organized
body of people: a body of people organized into a group
for a specific purpose

5.  compartment
in something: an enclosed space, compartment, or cavity,
for example, one inside a machine, the body, or a plant

6.  bedroom:
a bedroom or other room in somebody’s home (archaic or literary)

7.  official
reception room: a reception room in an official
residence or a palace

8.  See
chamber pot

9.  FINANCE treasury:
a treasury, especially for government funds (archaic)
plural
noun
cham·bers

judge’s private office:
a judge’s private office for discussing cases or legal matters not taken up in
open court
adjective

of chamber music:
relating to, written as, or performing chamber music
transitive
verb
(past cham·bered, past participle cham·bered, present
participle cham·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular cham·bers)

1.  ARMS put
ammunition in weapon: to insert a round of
ammunition in the breech of a weapon

2.  enclose
in or provide with chambers: to put something in or
provide something with a chamber or chambers
[12th century. Via French chambre
from Latin camera “vault, arch, room” (source of English camera ), from Greek kamara “vault,
something with an arched cover.”][1]



chambered

chambered
cham·bered
[cháymbərd] adjective

1.  with
cavities:
containing a chamber or chambers

2.  enclosed:
enclosed or confined in a chamber or something similar

[1]



chamberednautilus

chamberednautilus
cham·bered
nau·ti·lus 
noun

See
pearly nautilus[1]



chamberlain

chamberlain
cham·ber·lain 
[cháymbərlin] (plural cham·ber·lains)
noun

1.  manager
of royal or noble household: an official who manages the
household of a monarch or member of the nobility

2.  treasurer
of municipality: the treasurer of a municipality

3.  CHRISTIANITY priest
who is papal attendant: a priest who is an attendant
to the Pope, often an honorary position
[12th century. Via Old French
from assumed Frankish kamarling, literally “little room,” from,
ultimately, Greek, “vaulted room, vault.” The underlying meaning is “bedchamber
attendant.”][1]



Chamberlain,Owen

Chamberlain,Owen
Cham·ber·lain 
[cháymbərlin], Owen (1920– )

U.S. physicist. He shared a
Nobel Prize in physics (1959) for his research into atomic nuclei, and
discovered the antiproton.[1]



Chamberlain,Wilt

Chamberlain,Wilt
Cham·ber·lain 
[cháymbərlin], Wilt (1936– )

U.S.
basketball player. He dominated the National Basketball Association during his
career (1960–1973), winning seven scoring titles.
Full name
Chamberlain, Wilton Norman[1]



chambermaid

chambermaid
cham·ber·maid 
[cháymbər màyd] (plural cham·ber·maids)
noun

woman who cleans hotel rooms:
a woman employed to tidy and clean bedrooms in hotels or guest houses[1]



chambermusic

chambermusic
cham·ber
mu·sic
noun

classical music performed by
small group: classical instrumental
music written for a small group for example, a quartet or trio, and often
originally intended for performance in a large room or a small concert hall[1]



chamberof commerce

chamberof commerce
cham·ber
of com·merce (plural cham·bers of com·merce)
noun

association of business
people: an organization of local
business people who work together to promote and protect common interests in
trade[1]



chamberof horrors

chamberof horrors
cham·ber
of hor·rors
(plural cham·bers of hor·rors) noun

exhibition
depicting gruesome objects or events: an
exhibition depicting macabre or gruesome objects and incidents
[From the name given to a
room in Madame Tussaud’s waxwork exhibition in London, England, containing
effigies of noted criminals][1]



chamberorchestra

chamberorchestra
cham·ber
or·ches·tra
(plural cham·ber or·ches·tras) noun

small classical music
orchestra: a small orchestra, usually
of fewer than 40 players, that performs classical music. A chamber orchestra
can play at more modest-sized venues than a full symphony orchestra.[1]



chamberpot

chamberpot
cham·ber
pot
(plural cham·ber pots) noun

container used as toilet:
a large bowl used in a bedroom for urination and defecation[1]



Chambersburg

Chambersburg
Cham·bers·burg 
[cháymbərz bùrg]

borough in Pennsylvania,
southwest of Harrisburg. It was burned down by Confederate troops during the
Civil War. Population: 17,202 (1996)[1]



chambray

chambray
cham·bray 
[shám brày] noun

light
cotton or linen fabric: a fine lightweight cotton or
linen fabric with colored lengthwise fibers interlaced with white
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of the name of Cambrai, a city in northern France where the
cloth was originally made.][1]



Chameleon

Chameleon

Cha·me·leon 
noun
ASTRONOMY
See Chamaeleon[1]



chameleon

chameleon
cha·me·leon 
[kə mlee ən, kə
mlyən] (plural cha·me·leons) noun

1.  lizard
that changes color: a tree-dwelling lizard found
chiefly in Africa and Madagascar, with long thin legs, a strong curled tail, a
long sticky tongue, and the ability to change color. Family: Chamaeleonidae

2.  See
anole

3.  somebody
who is changeable: somebody who easily and frequently
changes personality or appearance
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek khamaileōn, literally “ground lion,” from khamai
“low, on the ground” + leōn “lion.”]
—cha·me·le·on·ic [kə mlee ónnik], adjective[1]



chametz

chametz
cha·metz 
[khaa méts, kháwməts]
or cho·metz [khaa méts, kháwməts] or ha·metz [khaa méts, kháwməts]
or ho·metz [khaa méts, kháwməts] noun

food
forbidden for consumption during Passover:
leavened bread or other food that may not be eaten by Jews during Passover
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew ḥāmēṣ .][1]



chamfer

chamfer
cham·fer 
[chámfər] noun (plural cham·fers)

shallow
angled cut:
a shallow cut, edge, or groove made in wood, usually at an angle of 45 degrees
to a corner
transitive
verb
(past cham·fered, past participle cham·fered, present
participle cham·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular cham·fers)

make
shallow cut in wood: to make a shallow cut, edge,
or groove in wood, usually at an angle of 45 degrees to a corner
[Mid-16th
century. Back-formation from chamfering “grooving,” from French chanfrein
“beveled edge,” variant of chanfreint, past participle of chanfraindre
“to bevel,” from chant “edge” (from Latin canthus “iron tire”) + fraindre
“to break.”]
—cham·fered, adjective[1]



chamfron

chamfron
cham·fron 
[chámfrən] (plural cham·frons)
noun

armor
protecting horse’s head: a piece of armor used in
medieval times to protect a horse’s head in battle
[15th century. From French chanfrain,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old French chafrener “to harness a
horse,” literally “to put a bridle on,” from chief “head” + frener
“to bridle.”][1]



chamiso

chamiso
cha·mi·so
[chə msō] or cha·mi·se [chə mz] noun

evergreen
shrub with white flowers: an evergreen shrub of the
rose family that is native to southern California and has small needle-shaped
leaves and small white flowers. Latin name: Adenostoma fasciculatum
[Mid-19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Spanish chamizo “burned stick,” from, ultimately,
Latin flamma “flame”; from its dry appearance.][1]



chamois

chamois
cham·ois 
[shámmee] noun (plural cham·ois
[shámmee] or cham·oix)

1.  Eurasian
goat antelope: an agile goat antelope found in
mountainous regions of Europe and southwestern Asia that has slender
backward-curving horns and a tawny coat that darkens in winter. Latin name: Rupicapra
rupicapra

2.  cham·ois
or cham·ois leather soft pliable leather:
soft pliable leather used for cleaning and polishing. Originally made from the
hide of the chamois, it is now usually made from that of sheep or goats.
Also
called
shammy

3.  chamois
leather cloth for polishing: a piece of chamois leather,
or a natural or synthetic substitute, used for cleaning and polishing

4.  COLORS grayish
yellow:
a grayish-yellow color, like that of chamois leather
adjective

COLORS grayish-yellow:
of a grayish-yellow color
transitive
verb
(past cham·oised, past participle cham·oised, present
participle cham·ois·ing, 3rd person present singular cham·ois·es)

clean or polish something with chamois:
to clean or polish something with a chamois
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from late Latin camox, of uncertain origin: probably from a language
spoken in the Alps before the Romans penetrated northward.][1]



Chamorro,Violeta Barrios de

Chamorro,Violeta Barrios de
Cha·mor·ro
[chaa máwrō], Violeta Barrios de (1929– )

Nicaraguan political leader.
DEFINITION:         The
manager of the opposition newspaper La Prensa, she became president of
Nicaragua (1990–1997).[1]



champ

champ2
champ2 [champ]
(plural champs) noun

champion:
a champion (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



champ

champ1
champ1 [champ]
noun

biting, chewing, or grinding something:
the process of biting, chewing, or grinding something vigorously, noisily, or
impatiently, or the sound that this makes
verb
(past champed, past participle champed, present
participle champ·ing, 3rd person present singular champs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bite
something vigorously: to bite, chew, or grind
something vigorously, noisily, or impatiently

2.  transitive
verb
Scotland mash food: to
mash something, for example, potatoes (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.]
—cham·per, noun[1]



champac

champac
cham·pac
noun

See
champak[1]



champagne

champagne
cham·pagne 
[sham páyn] noun (plural cham·pagnes)

1.  WINE dry
white sparkling wine from Champagne: a dry
white sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of northeastern France,
often drunk at special occasions

2.  WINE white
wine resembling champagne: any dry or semisweet white
wine resembling champagne and made by a similar process

3.  COLORS pale
brownish gold: a very pale brownish-gold color
adjective

1.  extravagant:
involving luxury and indulgence • a
champagne lifestyle

2.  pale
brownish-gold: of a very pale brownish-gold color
[Mid-17th century][1]



Champaign

Champaign
Cham·paign 
[sham páyn]

city in eastern Illinois,
west of Urbana. It shares the University of Illinois with Urbana. Population:
64,002 (1996)[1]



champaign

champaign
cham·paign 
[sham páyn] noun

countryside:
a wide expanse of open countryside (literary)
[14th century. Via French champagne
from late Latin campania “level country,” from Latin, Campania, a
province in Middle Italy (source of English campaign
).][1]



champak

champak
cham·pak
[chám pàk, chúm
pùk] (plural cham·paks or cham·pak) or
cham·pac [chám pàk, chúm pùk] (plural cham·pacs or
cham·pac) noun

Asian
evergreen tree with fragrant oil: an Asian evergreen
tree whose wood is used for furniture. It has fragrant orange-yellow flowers
whose oil is used in perfumery and is sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Latin
name: Michelia champaca
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
from Sanskrit chāmpākā, from Dravidian (a non-Indo-European language
family).][1]



champerty

champerty
cham·per·ty 
[chámpərtee] (plural cham·per·ties)
noun

LAW agreement
to finance or aid litigation: an agreement between a
litigant and somebody who aids or finances litigation in return for a share of
the proceeds following a successful outcome
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman champartie, from Old French champart
“field rent (a portion received by a feudal lord of the produce from land
leased),” from champ “field” + part “portion.”]
—cham·per·tous, adjective[1]



champignon

champignon
cham·pi·gnon 
[sham pínnyən, shNpin
yáwN] (plural cham·pi·gnons) noun

mushroom:
a mushroom, especially one cultivated for eating
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “little country,” formed from champagne, from late
Latin campania “level country.” The underlying idea is of something that
grows in the countryside.][1]



champion

champion
cham·pi·on 
[chámpee ən] noun (plural cham·pi·ons)

1.  supreme
victor in contest: a person who or team that
competes in and wins a contest, competition, or tournament

2.  show
winner:
something, for example, an animal or plant, that wins first place in a show

3.  defender:
somebody who defends, supports, or promotes a person or cause

4.  remarkable
person:
somebody who exemplifies excellence or achievement

5.  hero
or warrior:
a hero or warrior, especially a knight who fights in behalf or or in defense of
a monarch (archaic or literary)
transitive
verb
(past cham·pi·oned, past participle cham·pi·oned, present
participle cham·pi·on·ing, 3rd person present singular cham·pi·ons)

defend: to
defend, support, or promote a cause or person
[12th century. Via Old
French, “combatant,” from the late Latin stem campion- “combatant in the
arena or athletic field,” from Latin campus “field.”][1]



championship

championship
cham·pi·on·ship 
[chámpee ən shìp] (plural cham·pi·on·ships)
noun

1.  contest
to decide a champion: a contest, competition, or
tournament that is held to decide who will be the overall winner

2.  title
or time of being champion: the designation or period of
being a champion

3.  defending
or supporting somebody or something: the
defense, support, or promotion of a person or cause

[1]



Champlain,Lake

Champlain,Lake
Cham·plain,
Lake
[sham pláyn]

lake situated between Vermont
and New York, extending approximately 10 km/6 mi into Canada. Area: 1,100 sq
km/430 s. mi. Depth: 122 m/399 ft.[1]



Champlain,Samuel de

Champlain,Samuel de

Cham·plain 
[sham pláyn, shaaN
pláN], Samuel de (1567?–1635)
French explorer. His North American
expeditions (1603–1608) led to the establishment of New France (Canada). He was
later governor of the colony (1633–1635).[1]



champlevé

champlevé
champ·le·vé 
[shNlə váy] noun

enamel
work in incised metal: enamel work in which colored
enamels are used to fill channels cut into a metal base
[Mid-19th
century. From French, literally “raised field,” from champ “field” + levé
“raised.”]
—champ·le·vé, adjective[1]



Chanc.

Chanc.
Chanc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chancellor

2.  Abbreviation
of
chancery

[1]



chance

chance
chance 
[chanss] noun (plural chanc·es)

1.  likelihood
that something will happen: the degree of probability
that something will happen (often used in the plural) • There’s
a strong chance we’ll win.

2.  opportunity
or opportune time for something: an opportunity or a
set of circumstances that makes it possible for something to happen • I
was given no chance to explain.

3.  supposed
force that makes things happen: the supposed force
that makes things happen in a particular way without any apparent cause

4.  BASEBALL opportunity
to make putout or assist: in baseball, an opportunity
to field a ball and make a putout or assist

5.  raffle
or lottery ticket: a ticket in a raffle or
lottery

6.  unexpected
happening:
an unexpected event

7.  something
caused by luck: something caused by luck or fortune
verb
(past chanced, past participle chanced, present
participle chanc·ing, 3rd person present singular chanc·es)

1.  transitive
verb
do
something risky: to do something knowing that it is risky

2.  intransitive
verb
do
something unplanned: to do something or happen
without a cause or plan
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, late Latin cadentia
“falling,” from the present participle of Latin cadere “to fall.”]
—chance·less,
adjective
by
any chance

used
to inquire if there is any possibility of something • Is
there a copy you could lend me, by any chance?

by
chance

unexpectedly
or without plan

fat
chance

something that is highly
unlikely (informal)[1]



Chance,Frank

Chance,Frank
Chance
[chanss], Frank (1877–1924)

U.S. baseball player. Playing
for the Chicago Cubs, he formed a double-play combination with Joseph Tinker
and John Evers.[1]



chancel

chancel
chan·cel 
[chánss’l] (plural chan·cels) noun

area
of church near altar: an area of a church near the
altar for the use of clergy and choir, often separated from the nave by a
screen or steps
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin cancelli, literally “little lattices” (source also of chancellor ), from cancer “lattice.”
The underlying idea is of a place enclosed by a grating.][1]



chancellery

chancellery
chan·cel·ler·y
[chánsələree, chánsləree]
(plural chan·cel·ler·ies) or chan·cel·lor·y [chánsələree, chánsləree]
(plural chan·cel·lor·ies) noun

1.  chancellor’s
residence:
the official residence of a chancellor.
Also
called
chancery

2.  chancellor’s
rank:
the position or rank of a chancellor.
Also
called
chancery

3.  offices
of embassy or consulate: the offices of an embassy or
a consulate.
Also
called
chancery
U.K.
term
chancery

[1]



chancellor

chancellor
chan·cel·lor 
[chánsələr, chánsslər]
(plural chan·cel·lors) or Chan·cel·lor [chánsələr, chánsslər]
(plural Chan·cel·lors) noun

1.  head
of government in parliamentary democracy: the
chief minister of government in some parliamentary democracies

2.  chief
administrative officer of university: the
chief administrative officer of some universities

3.  U.K.,
Canada honorary head of university:
the honorary head of a university

4.  judge
in some U.S. courts: in some U.S. states, the
presiding judge of a court of equity or chancery

5.  secretary
to monarch or noble: a secretary to a monarch or
noble (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman c(h)anceler from Latin cancellarius
“court secretary” (originally the attendant at the grating that separated the
public from the judges), from cancelli “grating” (see chancel ).]
—chan·cel·lor·ship, noun[1]



Chancellorof the Exchequer

Chancellorof the Exchequer
Chan·cel·lor
of the Ex·che·quer  noun

British finance minister:
a member of the British government who is the chief minister of finance.
Also called
Chancellor[1]



chancellory

chancellory
chan·cel·lor·y 
noun

See
chancellery[1]



chance-medley

chance-medley
chance-med·ley 
noun

1.  LAW killing
in self-defense: the killing of an assailant in
self-defense during an unexpected brawl

2.  something
happening by chance: a haphazard event or action,
or the randomness of chance
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman chance medlee, literally “mixed chance”; from the idea of
being only partly accidental.][1]



chanceon

chanceon
chance
on
or chance u·pon transitive verb

come across unexpectedly:
to find or encounter somebody or something unexpectedly[1]



chancery

chancery
chan·cer·y 
[chánsəree] (plural chan·cer·ies)
or Chan·cer·y [chánsəree] (plural
Chan·cer·ies) noun

1.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS See
chancellery

2.  See
chancellery

3.  LAW See court of chancery

4.  LAW Lord
Chancellor’s court: the Lord Chancellor’s court,
one of the five divisions of the High Court of Justice in England
[14th century. Contraction of
chancellery .][1]



chancre

chancre
chan·cre 
[shángkər] (plural chan·cres) noun

1.  ulcer
indicating syphilis and other diseases: a
small painless highly infectious ulcer or sore that is the first sign of
syphilis and certain other infectious diseases.
Also
called
hard chancre

2.  ulcer:
a sore or ulcer at the point where a disease-causing organism ( pathogen ) enters the body
[Late
16th century. Via French from Latin cancer “ulcer.”]
—chan·crous, adjective[1]



chancroid

chancroid
chan·croid 
[sháng kròyd] (plural chan·croids)
noun

1.  sexually
transmitted disease: a sexually transmitted
disease that causes a painful ragged ulcer at the site of infection and is
treated with antibiotics. It is caused by infection with a bacterium Haemophilus
ducreyi.
Also
called
softsore

2.  ulcer:
a painful ragged ulcer that is characteristic of the sexually transmitted
disease chancroid.
Also
called
soft chancre
—chan·croid·al [shang króyd’l], adjective[1]



chancy

chancy
chanc·y 
[chánsee] (comparative chanc·i·er,
superlative chanc·i·est) adjective

1.  risky:
involving risks or danger

2.  random
or haphazard: occurring in a random or haphazard way
—chanc·i·ly,
adverb

—chanc·i·ness, noun[1]



chandelier

chandelier
chan·de·lier 
[shànd’l r] (plural chan·de·liers)
noun

hanging
light with branches: a decorative hanging light
with several branches and holders for candles or light bulbs
[Mid-18th
century. From French, formed from chandelle “candle” (originally the
light in a chandelier), from Latin candela “candle.”]
—chan·de·liered, adjective[1]



chandelle

chandelle
chan·delle 
[shan dél, shaaN
dél] noun (plural chan·delles)

steep
climbing turn of aircraft: a steep climbing turn in
which an aircraft almost stalls as it uses momentum to increase the rate of
climb
intransitive
verb
(past chan·delled, past participle chan·delled, present
participle chan·del·ling, 3rd person present singular chan·delles)

execute
chandelle:
to climb steeply in an aircraft, turning at the same time and almost stalling
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “candle.”][1]



chandler

chandler
chan·dler 
[chándlər] (plural chan·dlers)
noun

1.  seller
of specified goods: a seller of specified
supplies and goods • a ship’s chandler

2.  candle
maker and seller: a seller or maker of candles

3.  grocer:
somebody who sells groceries and provisions (archaic)
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman chaundeler, Old French chandelier, formed from Old
French c(h)andelle “candle,” from Latin candela .][1]



Chandler,Raymond

Chandler,Raymond
Chan·dler
[chándlər], Raymond (1888–1959)

U.S.
writer. He wrote gritty mystery and crime novels such as The Big Sleep (
1939 ) and The Long Goodbye ( 1953 ).
Full name
Chandler, Raymond Thornton[1]



chandlery

chandlery
chan·dler·y 
[chándləree] (plural chan·dler·ies)
noun

chandler’s goods or shop:
the goods that a chandler deals in, or the place where they are stored or sold[1]



Chandrasekharlimit

Chandrasekharlimit
Chan·dra·sek·har
lim·it
[shàndrə say kaar límmit] noun

upper
limit of star’s mass: the upper limit for the mass
of a white dwarf star. A star above the limit, having exhausted its nuclear
energy, would collapse to a neutron star or a black hole.
[Named for Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
(b. 1910), Pakistan astrophysicist, who formulated it][1]



Chanel,Coco

Chanel,Coco

Cha·nel
[shə nél], Coco (1883–1971)
French
couturier. Her name became synonymous with a distinctively elegant style of
women’s suit.
Full name
Chanel, Gabrielle Bonheur[1]



Chaney,Lon

Chaney,Lon
Cha·ney 
[cháynee], Lon (1883–1930)

U.S.
silent movie actor. He specialized in horror roles, especially in The
Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1923 ) and The Phantom of the Opera ( 1925
).
Full name
Chaney, Alonso[1]



Changchun

Changchun
Chang·chun 
[chng chn]

transportation center and
capital city of Jilin province in northeastern China. Population: 2,110,000
(1991)[1]



change

change
change 
[chaynj] verb (past changed,
past participle changed, present participle chang·ing,
3rd person present singular chang·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something different: to become different, or make
something or somebody different

2.  transitive
verb
substitute
or replace something: to exchange, substitute, or
replace something • We changed the
batteries regularly.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
from one state to another: to pass or make something
pass from one state or stage to another • Water
changes to ice when it freezes.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
clothes and put on others: to remove one or more
articles of clothing and replace them with something else • Are
you going to change for dinner?

5.  transitive
verb
FINANCE exchange
money for smaller units: to exchange a unit of money
for an equal amount of money in lower denominations • Can
you change a $10 bill for two fives?

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
from one vehicle to another: to get out of one vehicle or
means of transportation and continue the journey in another

7.  transitive
verb
remove
and replace something: to remove something dirty or
used and replace it with another that is clean or unused

8.  intransitive
verb
become
deeper:
to become deeper in register (refers to a boy’s voice)

9.  transitive
verb
FINANCE convert
one currency into another: to replace money of one
currency with an equivalent amount in another currency, calculated according to
an exchange rate

10. intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. operate
gears of vehicle: to put a car or other vehicle into a
different gear
noun
(plural chang·es)

1.  making
or becoming different: alteration, variation, or
modification, or the result of this • There’s
been a change of plan.

2.  coins:
coins collectively, especially coins of small denomination

3.  FINANCE money
given back:
the balance of money given back to a customer who has handed over a larger sum
than the cost of the goods or services purchased

4.  fresh
set of something: a different, clean, or fresh set of
something, especially clothes

5.  variance
from routine: a variance from a routine or pattern,
especially a welcome one • She
could do with a change.

6.  transition
from something: a shift from one state, stage, or phase
to another • a
change in attitude

7.  menopause:
the menopause (dated informal)

8.  exchange
or replacement: an exchange, substitution, or
replacement of something or somebody

9.  FINANCE money
exchanged for higher denomination: a sum of money given
or received as an equivalent of a higher denomination

10. MUSIC procedure
for ringing bells: the order in which a set of
tuned bells are rung.
See
also
change ringing
[12th
century. Via Old French changer from late Latin cambiare, from
Latin cambire “to exchange, barter,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Celtic.]
—chang·er,
noun
ring
the changes

to
repeat something with variations  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  change, alter, modify,
  convert, vary, shift,
  transform, transmute
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  make or become different change;
  the most general term; alter; a
  narrower term, often suggesting a change in an aspect of something rather
  than in its entirety; modify; to
  make minor changes or alterations, especially in order to improve something; convert; to change something concrete such
  as a building from one form or function to another; vary; to change within a range of
  possibilities, or in connection with something else, with a suggestion of
  instability; shift; to change from
  one position or direction to another; transform;
  to make a radical and often very obvious change into a different form; transmute; a more formal term for
  “transform”

[1]



changeable

changeable
change·a·ble 
[cháynjəbəl] adjective

1.  liable
to change:
capable of or liable to change • his
mood was changeable

2.  variable
in color:
variable in color according to viewpoint or lighting
—change·a·bil·i·ty
[chàynjə bíllətee], noun

—change·a·ble·ness
[cháynjəb’lnəss], noun

—change·a·bly [cháynjəblee], adverb[1]



changedown

changedown
change
down
intransitive verb

U.K.
See downshift[1]



changeful

changeful
change·ful 
[cháynjfəl] adjective

varying
often:
changing frequently
—change·ful·ly,
adverb

—change·ful·ness, noun[1]



changeless

changeless
change·less 
[cháynjləss] adjective

unchanging:
not liable to change
—change·less·ly,
adverb

—change·less·ness, noun[1]



changeling

changeling
change·ling 
[cháynjling] (plural change·lings)
noun

child exchanged for another
by fairies: in folklore, a child who is
secretly substituted for another one by fairies[1]



changeoff

changeoff
change
off
intransitive verb

alternate tasks:
to alternate tasks, or tasks and work breaks, especially with somebody else[1]



changeof heart

changeof heart
change
of heart
(plural chang·es of heart) noun

significantly altered
attitude or view: a profound change of
attitude or opinion[1]



changeof life

changeof life
change
of life
noun

menopause:
the menopause (dated informal)[1]



changeof pace

changeof pace
change
of pace
(plural chang·es of pace) noun

1.  temporary
change in routine: a temporary change in
pattern or routine

2.  BASEBALL See changeup

[1]



changeof venue

changeof venue
change
of ven·ue
(plural chang·es of ven·ue) noun

1.  LAW move
of trial to another location: the movement of a trial to
another jurisdiction

2.  move
of event to another place: a relocation of a public
event, especially a play or concert

[1]



changeover

changeover
change·o·ver 
[cháynj vər] (plural change·o·vers)
noun

1.  complete
change from something: a conversion, reversal, or
complete change from one position, situation, or system to another

2.  SPORTS exchange
of ends in playing field: in team sports, the switch
of teams to opposite ends of a playing field

[1]



changeover

changeover
change
over
intransitive verb

1.  substitute
something for something else: to replace one system,
method, or product with another

2.  U.K.
SPORTS exchange
ends of playing field: in team sports, to switch to
opposite ends of a playing field, usually halfway through a game

[1]



changepurse

changepurse
change
purse
(plural change purs·es) noun

small coin receptacle:
a small receptacle for coins, often carried inside a larger purse.
U.K. term
purse[1]



changeringing

changeringing
change
ring·ing 
noun

ringing bells in changing
order: the ordered ringing of a
peal of bells in various combinations so that none of the combinations is
repeated and all possible permutations are rung[1]



changeup

changeup
change·up 
[cháynj ùp] (plural change·ups)
or change-up [cháynj ùp] (plural
change-ups) noun

1.  change
of pitch’s speed: in baseball, a ball thrown by a pitcher
that resembles a fastball but moves more slowly, adversely affecting the
batter’s timing.
Also
called
change of pace

2.  change
of pace or mood: an unexpected shift in pace, rhythm, or
feeling (informal)

[1]



changingof the guard

changingof the guard
chang·ing
of the guard noun

change of guards’ shifts:
the action or ceremony in which one shift of guards takes up duty while another
leaves, especially outside Buckingham Palace in London, England[1]



changingroom

changingroom
chang·ing
room
(plural chang·ing rooms) noun

U.K.
area for changing in sports center:
an area in a sports or leisure center where clothes can be changed and showers
taken[1]



ChangJiang

ChangJiang
Chang
Jiang 
[chng jee ng]

See
Yangtze[1]



Changsha

Changsha
Chang·sha
[cháng sh]

capital of the Hunan
Province, situated north of Guangzhou, in southeastern China. Population:
1,330,000 (1991)[1]



Changzhou

Changzhou
Chang·zhou
[chng jṓ]

city situated in the center
of the Yangtze River Delta, 162 km100 mi west of Shanghai. Population: 800,000
(1996)[1]



channel

channel1
chan·nel1 [chánn’l]
noun (plural chan·nels)

1.  BROADCASTING frequency
spectrum used in transmission: the portion of a
frequency spectrum that is set aside for a specific purpose, for example, the
broadcasting of a television or radio signal

2.  BROADCASTING TV
or radio station: a television or radio station
broadcasting on a specified band of the frequency spectrum

3.  GEOGRAPHY strip
of water separating land: a wide passage of water
between an island and a larger body of land

4.  NAUTICAL navigable
passage:
a navigable route through a river or harbor, especially one that has been
deepened by dredging

5.  means
of communication: a course or means of communication or
expression (often used in the plural) • the
proper channels

6.  GEOGRAPHY route
of waterway: the course of a stream, river, canal, or
other waterway

7.  PARANORMAL supposed
spirit medium as guide: in spiritualism, somebody
supposed to act as a medium for receiving messages from the spirit world

8.  COMPUTING path
for computer electronic signals: a path for electronic
signals within a computer or between a computer and a peripheral device

9.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING path
for electrical current: a path for an electrical
current or signal

10. tubular
passage for liquid: a long narrow passage or
tube along which a liquid can flow • a
drainage channel

11. groove
or trench:
a long narrow groove or furrow, for example, in architecture or sculpture
verb
(past chan·neled, past participle chan·neled, present
participle chan·neling, 3rd person present singular chan·nels)

1.  transitive
verb
direct
something along specific route: to direct, guide, or
convey something, for example, money or information, through or along a
specific route • They channeled all
their energies into the game.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PARANORMAL speak with a supposed spirit:
in spiritualism, to act as a medium for a supposed spirit

3.  transitive
verb
make
channel in land or water: to make a channel in land or
water

4.  transitive
verb
make
groove or furrow in something: to cut a long narrow
groove or furrow in a surface
[14th
century. Via Old French chanel from Latin canalis “groove,
waterpipe, canal,” from canna “pipe, reed,” from Greek kanna
“reed” (source of English cane, cannister,
and canyon ).]
—chan·nel·er, noun[1]



channel

channel2
chan·nel2 [chánn’l]
(plural chan·nels) noun

ledge
projecting from side of ship: a flat piece of wood or
metal projecting horizontally from the side of a ship to increase the spread of
the ropes or cables ( shrouds ) supporting
the mast
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of chainwale, from chain + wale .][1]



channelbass

channelbass
chan·nel
bass
noun

reddish fish of drum family:
a large reddish edible fish of the drum family that lives in the waters off the
Atlantic coast of the U.S. Latin name: Sciaenops ocellata
Also called
red drum
Also called
redfish[1]



channel-hopping

channel-hopping
chan·nel-hop·ping
noun

U.K.
See channel-surfing
—chan·nel-hop,
intransitive verb

—chan·nel-hop·per, noun[1]



channeling

channeling
chan·nel·ing 
[chánnəling] noun

1.  PARANORMAL supposed
spiritual communication through a medium: in
spiritualism, the practice of acting as a medium for receiving supposed
messages from the spirit world

2.  creation
of channel:
the making of a channel in or on something

3.  tubing
that protects wires: a protective casing or
container that carries one or more cables or wires inside or outside a building

[1]



channeliron

channeliron
chan·nel
i·ron
(plural chan·nel i·rons) noun

bar with U-shaped cross
section: an iron or steel bar with a
U-shaped cross section[1]



ChannelIslands

ChannelIslands
Chan·nel
Is·lands
[chànn’l ləndz]

group of islands in the
English Channel, near the French coast. The islands Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
and Sark are self-governing Crown dependencies. Language: English;
Norman-French. Population: 143,534 (1991) Area: 195 sq km/75 sq mi.[1]



ChannelIslands National Park

ChannelIslands National Park
Chan·nel
Is·lands Na·tion·al Park

park made up of five islands
off the coast of southern California, a national park since 1980. Area: 100,914
hectares/249,354 acres.[1]



channelize

channelize
chan·nel·ize 
[chánn’l z] (past chan·nel·ized,
past participle chan·nel·ized, present participle chan·nel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular chan·nel·iz·es) transitive verb

make
channel for something: to make a channel for
something, or direct something through a channel
—chan·nel·i·za·tion [chànn’li záysh’n], noun[1]



channelling

channelling
chan·nel·ling
noun

U.K. =
channeling[1]



channel-surf

channel-surf
chan·nel-surf
intransitive verb

switch
rapidly between TV channels: to use of a remote control
device to move rapidly through many different television channels, either to
see whether there is anything worth watching or without searching for anything
in particular.
U.K.
term
channel hopping
—chan·nel-surf·er, noun[1]



ChannelTunnel

ChannelTunnel
Chan·nel
Tun·nel
noun

railroad tunnel under English
Channel: a railroad tunnel, opened in
1994, that runs underneath the English Channel and links Folkestone in England
with Coquelles near Calais in France.
See also
Chunnel[1]



Channing,Edward

Channing,Edward
Chan·ning 
[chánning], Edward (1856–1931)

U.S. historian. A professor
of history at Harvard (1883–1929), he wrote the six-volume History of the
United States ( 1905–1925 ).[1]



Channing,William Ellery

Channing,William Ellery
Chan·ning
[chánning], William Ellery (1780–1842)

U.S. minister. His writings,
sermons, and influence on transcendentalism helped to spread Unitarianism
throughout New England.[1]



chanoyu

chanoyu
cha·no·yu 
[ch naw y] noun

Japanese
tea ceremony: a Japanese ceremony in which tea is
ritually prepared, served, and consumed
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “hot water for tea.”][1]



chanson

chanson
chan·son 
[shaaN sáwN] (plural chan·sons)
noun

French
cabaret or classical song: a French song, for example,
a satirical cabaret song of the 20th century or a Renaissance song similar to
the madrigal
[15th century. Via French,
“song,” from the Latin stem cantion-, from cantare “to sing.”][1]



chansonde geste

chansonde geste
chan·son
de geste
[shaaN sàwN də ést] (plural chan·sons
de geste [shaaN sàwN də ést]) noun

French
epic poem:
a French epic poem written between the 11th and 14th centuries, usually
celebrating the exploits of legendary events and figures
[From French, literally “song
of heroic deeds”][1]



chansonnier

chansonnier
chan·son·nier 
[shNsən yáy] (plural chan·son·niers)
noun

performer
or writer of chansons: a cabaret performer or
writer of chansons
[Late 19th century. From
French, from chanson (see chanson ).][1]



chant

chant
chant 
[chant] noun (plural chants)

1.  phrase
spoken repeatedly by crowd: a phrase or slogan
repeatedly and rhythmically spoken, often with a simple singsong intonation,
especially in unison by a crowd or group

2.  MUSIC music
for religious passage: a musical passage in which
words or syllables are sung on the same note, or a single word or syllable is
sung on a series of notes. Chants are used in psalms, canticles, and other
parts of a religious service.

3.  CHRISTIANITY hymn
or prayer sung to chant: a psalm, hymn, or prayer
sung to a chant

4.  something
spoken monotonously or repetitiously: a
monotonous or repetitive song or intonation of the voice
intransitive
and transitive verb (past chant·ed,
past participle chant·ed, present participle chant·ing,
3rd person present singular chants)

1.  repeat
slogan continually: to speak a slogan repeatedly
and rhythmically with a simple singsong intonation

2.  CHRISTIANITY sing
hymn or prayer as chant: to sing or intone part of a
religious service as a chant

3.  utter
monotonously: to speak or sing something monotonously
[14th
century. Via French, “song,” from Latin cantus, from the past participle
of canere “to sing” (source of English accent
and incentive ).]
—chant·ing·ly, adverb[1]



chantecler

chantecler
chan·te·cler
(plural chan·te·clers) noun

See
chanticleer[1]



chanter

chanter
chant·er 
[chántər] (plural chant·ers) noun

1.  somebody
chanting slogan: somebody who chants a slogan

2.  MUSIC CHRISTIANITY somebody who chants
psalm or hymn: somebody who chants a musical passage,
for example, a priest or chorister

3.  MUSIC pipe
with finger holes on bagpipe: on a bagpipe, a pipe with
finger holes on which the melody is played

4.  MUSIC pipe
for practicing bagpipe fingering: a pipe used to learn
or practice bagpipe fingering

[1]



chanterelle

chanterelle
chan·te·relle 
[shàntə rél, shntə
rél] noun

edible
trumpet-shaped mushroom: an edible mushroom found in
temperate woodlands that has a yellow-to-orange trumpet-shaped cap. Latin name:
Cantharellus cibarius
[Late 18th century. Via
French from modern Latin cantharellus, literally “little cup,” from
Latin cantharus “drinking vessel,” from Greek kantharos, of
unknown origin.][1]



chanteuse

chanteuse
chan·teuse
[shaan töz] (plural chan·teuses
[shaan töz]) noun

woman
singer:
a woman singer, especially in a nightclub or cabaret
[Mid-19th century. From
French .][1]



chantey

chantey
chan·tey
[chántee, shántee]
(plural chan·teys) or chan·ty [chántee, shántee]
(plural chan·ties) or shan·ty [chántee, shántee]
(plural shan·ties) or shan·tey [chántee, shántee]
(plural shan·teys) noun

rhythmic
sailors’ song: a song chanted by sailors as they work
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an anglicization of French chantez “sing!”.][1]



chanticleer

chanticleer
chan·ti·cleer 
[chánti klr, shánti
klr] (plural chan·ti·cleers) or chan·te·cler
[chánti klr, shánti
klr] (plural chan·te·clers) noun

male
domestic fowl: a rooster, especially in fairy tales (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French Chantecler, from chanter “to sing” + cler “clear.”][1]



Chantilly

Chantilly
Chan·til·ly 
[shàn tíllee, shNti
y] noun

1.  Chan·tilly
or Chan·tilly lace TEXTILES
delicate
lace often used for gowns: a delicate ornamental lace
in black or white with an outlined design, often used for bridal and evening
gowns

2.  Chan·til·ly
or Chan·til·ly cream FOOD
type
of whipped cream: whipped cream, sweetened and often
flavored with vanilla

[1]



chantry

chantry
chan·try 
[chántree] (plural chan·tries)
noun

1.  endowment
for performance of mass: an endowment to pay for the
saying of masses for the soul of the founder or somebody named by the founder

2.  chantry
or chantry chapel endowed chapel for chantries:
a chapel or altar endowed for the performance of chantries
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman chaunterie, Old French chanterie, formed from Old
French chanter “to sing.”][1]



Chanukah

Chanukah
Cha·nu·kah 
or Cha·nuk·kah noun

See
Hanukkah[1]



chaology

chaology
cha·ol·o·gy 
[kay ólləjee] noun

study
of chaos theory: the study of chaos theory and chaotic
systems
—cha·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



chaos

chaos
cha·os 
[káy òss] noun

1.  disorder:
a state of complete disorder and confusion

2.  cha·os
or Cha·os earliest condition of
universe:
the unbounded space and formless matter supposed to have existed before the
creation of the universe

3.  PHYSICS apparent
disorder:
the unpredictability inherent in a system such as the weather, in which
apparently random changes occur as a result of the system’s extreme sensitivity
to small differences in initial conditions
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin, from Greek khaos “void, abyss,” the original
sense in English (source of English gas
).][1]



chaostheory

chaostheory
cha·os
the·o·ry
noun

theory of apparent
randomness: a theory that complex
natural systems obey certain rules but are so sensitive that small initial
changes can cause unexpected final effects, thus giving an impression of
randomness.
See also
butterfly effect[1]



chaotic

chaotic
cha·ot·ic 
[kay óttik] adjective

1.  disordered:
completely disordered and out of control

2.  PHYSICS inherently
unpredictable: used to describe the state of a system
according to chaos theory
[Early
18th century. Formed from chaos, modeled on
words such as erotic and hypnotic .]
—cha·ot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



chap

chap1
chap1 [chap]
intransitive and transitive verb (past chapped, past
participle chapped, present participle chap·ping, 3rd
person present singular chaps)

become sore and roughened:
to become or make skin sore and cracked by exposure to wind or cold
noun
(plural chaps)

1.  area
of sore skin: a sore cracked area of skin, caused by
exposure to wind or cold

2.  GEOLOGY crack
in ground:
a crack or fissure in dry ground
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—chapped, adjective[1]



chap

chap3
chap3 [chap]
(plural chaps) noun

lower
jaw:
the lower exterior half of the jaw, especially the cheek
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



chap

chap2
chap2 [chap]
(plural chaps) noun

U.K.
man:
a man or youth, especially somebody whose name is not known or not relevant (informal)
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of chapman . The word originally denoted a buyer or customer; the
current meaning dates from the early 18th century.][1]



chap.

chap.
chap.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chapter

2.  Abbreviation
of
chaplain

[1]



chaparral

chaparral
chap·ar·ral 
[shàppə rál] (plural chap·ar·rals)
noun

dense
shrubland:
a dense thicket of shrubs or small trees, especially of evergreen oaks in
southern California
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, formed from chaparra “dwarf evergreen oak” (source of English chaps ).][1]



chaparralbird

chaparralbird
chap·ar·ral
bird
(plural chap·ar·ral birds) noun

See
roadrunner
[So called because it lives
among dry brush and chaparral][1]



chapati

chapati
cha·pa·ti 
[chə ptee] (plural cha·pa·tis
or cha·pa·ties) or cha·pat·ti [chə ptee] (plural cha·pat·tis or
cha·pat·ties) noun

Indian
flat bread:
a thin round unleavened bread used in Indian cooking
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi capātī, from capānā “to flatten, roll out.”][1]



chapbook

chapbook
chap·book 
[cháp bk] (plural chap·books)
noun

literary
pamphlet:
a small booklet of poems, ballads, or stories, originally sold by traveling
peddlers
[Early 19th century. Blend of
chapman and book .][1]



chape

chape
chape 
[chayp, chap]
(plural chapes) noun

1.  tip
of scabbard: the metal tip of a scabbard

2.  tongue
of buckle:
the tongue of a buckle
[14th century. Via French,
“cape, hood,” from late Latin cappa (see cap
).][1]



chapeau

chapeau
cha·peau 
[sha pṓ] (plural cha·peaux [sha pṓ, sha pṓz]
or cha·peaus [sha pṓ, sha pṓz]) noun

hat:
a hat as an item of high fashion or ceremonial dress (formal)
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin cappellum, literally “small hooded cloak,” from cappa
(see cap ).][1]



chapel

chapel
chap·el 
[chápp’l] (plural chap·els) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY room
for worship: a place in a hospital, prison, or other
institution, or in a large house, consecrated for Christian worship

2.  RELIGION separate
area of church: a separate area in a church, having its
own altar and intended for private prayer

3.  CHRISTIANITY Protestant
church:
a place of worship used by a nonestablished Protestant denomination such as the
Methodists or Baptists in the United Kingdom

4.  CHRISTIANITY service
in chapel:
a service held in a chapel, especially in a nonestablished church

5.  place
for funerals: a funeral home, or a room in a funeral
home where funeral services are held

6.  PUBLISHING labor
union branch: a branch of a labor union in printing
and journalism

7.  PUBLISHING meeting
of printers’ chapel: a meeting of a printers’ or
journalists’ chapel
[12th century. Via Old French
chapele from medieval Latin cappella, literally “small hooded
cloak,” from late Latin cappa (see cap
).][1]



ChapelHill

ChapelHill
Chap·el
Hill
[chàpp’l híl]

town in north central North
Carolina, home to the main campus of the University of North Carolina.
Population: 44,244 (1996)[1]



chapelof ease

chapelof ease
chap·el
of ease
(plural chap·els of ease) noun

church for remote worshipers:
a church built for people who live a long distance from a parish church[1]



chaperon

chaperon
chap·er·on 
[sháppə rn] or chap·er·one [sháppə rn] noun (plural chap·er·ons)
(plural chap·er·ones)

1.  supervisor
of young woman: somebody, especially an older or married
woman, who accompanies and supervises a young single woman at social events

2.  group
supervisor:
somebody who accompanies and supervises a group of young people
intransitive
and transitive verb (past chap·er·oned,
past participle chap·er·oned, present participle chap·er·on·ing,
3rd person present singular chap·er·ons) (past chap·er·oned,
past participle chap·er·oned, present participle chap·er·on·ing,
3rd person present singular chap·er·ones)

act as a chaperon:
to accompany a person or a group as a chaperon
[12th
century. Via French from late Latin cappa (see cap
). The word originally denoted a hood or cap.]
—chap·er·on·age, noun[1]



chapiter

chapiter
chap·i·ter 
[cháppitər] (plural chap·i·ters)
noun

See
capital 2
[13th century. From French chapitre
(see chapter ).][1]



chaplain

chaplain
chap·lain 
[chápplin] (plural chap·lains)
noun

guide
in religion: a member of the clergy employed to give
religious guidance, for example, to members of the armed services,
schoolchildren, or prisoners
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French chapelain, from medieval Latin cappellanus,
originally “guardian of the cloak of St. Martin of Tours,” from cappella
(see chapel ).]
—chap·lain·ship, noun[1]



chaplaincy

chaplaincy
chap·lain·cy
[chápplinsee] (plural chap·lain·cies)
noun

1.  job
as chaplain: a post or position as chaplain

2.  chaplain’s
place of work: the place or building where a chaplain
works

[1]



chaplet

chaplet
chap·let 
[chápplət] (plural chap·lets) noun

1.  head
decoration:
a decorative circle of beads or flowers worn on the head

2.  CHRISTIANITY prayer
beads:
a string of beads used by Roman Catholics for counting prayers. A chaplet has
55 beads, one third of the number on a rosary.

3.  ARCHITECTURE beaded
molding:
a small molding resembling a string of beads
[14th
century. Via French chapelet from, ultimately, late Latin cappa
(see cap ).]
—chap·let·ed, adjective[1]



Chaplin,Charlie

Chaplin,Charlie
Chap·lin 
[chápplin], Charlie (1889–1977)

British-born
U.S. actor, director, and producer who is best known for the tramp character
that he played in over seventy films.
Full name
Chaplin, Sir Charles Spencer[1]



chapman

chapman
chap·man
[chápmən] (plural chap·men) noun

U.K.
peddler:
a wandering peddler (archaic)
[Old English cēapman,
from cēap (see cheap )][1]



chaps

chaps

chaps 
[chaps, shaps]
plural noun
protective
leather leggings: protective leather leggings, like a pair
of pants with no seat or crotch, worn on horseback over ordinary pants by ranch
workers, rodeo contestants, and cowboys
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of chaparejos, an alteration (probably influenced by Spanish aparejo
“equipment”) of chaparreras, from chaparra (see chaparral ); because chaps were worn when riding
through chaparral.][1]



ChapStick

ChapStick
Chap
Stick
Trademark

a trademark for a lip balm in
the form of a stick, applied to the lips to prevent or relieve chapping[1]



chaptalize

chaptalize
chap·tal·ize 
[cháptə lz] (past chap·tal·ized,
past participle chap·tal·ized, present participle chap·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular chap·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

add
sugar to wine: to increase the alcohol content of wine
by adding sugar before or during fermentation
[Late
19th century. Named for the inventor of the process, the French chemist J. A. Chaptal
(1756–1832).]
—chap·tal·i·za·tion [chàptəli záysh’n], noun[1]



chapter

chapter
chap·ter 
[cháptər] (plural chap·ters) noun

1.  section
of book:
one of the main sections of a text, usually having a title or number as a
heading

2.  period
of development: an identifiable period in the history or
development of something • Their
move to France began a new chapter in their lives.

3.  series
of events:
a series of events having a common characteristic • a
turbulent chapter in the movements of history

4.  CHRISTIANITY group
of canons:
the body of canons of a cathedral or collegiate church, or the body of members
of an order of knighthood

5.  branch
of a group:
a branch of a society or organization

6.  RELIGION assembly
of a chapter: a meeting of a cathedral or church
chapter
[12th
century. Via French chapitre from Latin capitulum, literally
“small head,” from caput “head” (source of English capital ).]
give
or quote chapter and verse

to give exact information and
detailed references on a topic[1]



Chapter11

Chapter11
Chap·ter
11
noun

law dealing with company
bankruptcies: a section of the U.S.
Federal Bankruptcy Code that allows an insolvent company to be reorganized,
sometimes providing for repayment of debts or the creation of a new corporate
entity[1]



chapterhouse

chapterhouse
chap·ter
house
(plural chap·ter hous·es) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY building
where chapter meets: a building used for meetings
by a religious chapter

2.  college
meeting place: a building used by a fraternity or
sorority

[1]



Chapultepec

Chapultepec
Cha·pul·te·pec
[chə pltə pèk]

rocky hill in Mexico,
fortified by Aztec rulers, situated 5 km3 mi southwest of Mexico City[1]



char

char2
char2 [chaar]
(plural char or chars) or charr [chaar] (plural charr or charrs)
noun

trout:
a trout that has light-colored spots, found in northern waters
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Celtic .][1]



char

char1
char1 [chaar]
(past charred, past participle charred, present
participle char·ring, 3rd person present singular chars)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb blacken
by burning:
to blacken something or become blackened by burning or scorching

2.  transitive
verb
make
into charcoal: to turn wood into charcoal by partial
burning
[Late 17th century.
Back-formation from charcoal .][1]



characin

characin
char·a·cin 
[kérrəssin] (plural char·a·cin
or char·a·cins) or char·a·cid [kérrəssid] (plural char·a·cid or
char·a·cids) noun

small
tropical fish: a small brightly colored freshwater fish
of Africa and South America, often kept in aquariums. Family: Characidae
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Characinus, genus name, from Greek kharax (see character ), used to denote a kind of fish.][1]



character

character
char·ac·ter 
[kérrəktər] noun (plural char·ac·ters)

1.  distinctive
qualities:
the set of qualities that make somebody or something distinctive, especially
somebody’s qualities of mind and feeling • It’s
just not in my character to behave like that.

2.  positive
qualities:
qualities that make somebody or something interesting or attractive • an
old house full of character

3.  reputation:
somebody’s public reputation • an
attack on his good character that ended in court

4.  LITERATURE CINEMA somebody
in book or movie: one of the people portrayed in a book,
play, or movie • None of the central
characters are particularly important.

5.  unusual
person:
somebody who has an unusual or eccentric personality

6.  individual:
somebody considered in terms of personality, behavior, or appearance • he
was a flamboyant character

7.  letter
or symbol:
any written or printed letter, number, or other symbol

8.  COMPUTING computer
unit of data: a single letter, number, or symbol that
can be displayed on a computer screen or printer and represents one byte of
data

9.  GENETICS genetically
controlled characteristic: a genetically controlled
characteristic of an organism

10. written
testimonial: a written summary of somebody’s
abilities and personality, written by an employer or other person who knows the
person well

11. capacity
or position: a particular role, position, or function
that somebody has in society or in an organization (formal) • speaking
in her character as chairperson

12. style
of writing or printing: style of handwriting or
printing
transitive
verb
(past char·ac·tered, past participle char·ac·tered,
present participle char·ac·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular char·ac·ters)

write: to
write or carve words carefully and skillfully on paper, stone, or metal (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French caractère from, ultimately, Greek kharaktēr
“tool for marking,” from kharassein “to engrave,” from kharax
“pointed stake.”]
in
character or out of character

1.  typical
(or untypical) of the behavior of a particular person or thing

2.  involved
(or not involved) in the psychological preparations for acting out a particular
role in a play, movie, or other dramatic work

[1]



characteractor

characteractor
char·ac·ter
ac·tor
(plural char·ac·ter ac·tors) noun

actor who plays eccentric
roles: an actor who specializes in
playing the roles of unusual or distinctive characters[1]



characterassassination

characterassassination
char·ac·ter
as·sas·si·na·tion noun

attack on somebody’s
reputation: a deliberate and sustained
attack on somebody’s reputation[1]



characteristic

characteristic
char·ac·ter·is·tic 
[kèrrəktə rístik] noun (plural
char·ac·ter·is·tics)

1.  defining
feature:
a feature or quality that makes somebody or something recognizable

2.  MATHEMATICS whole
number in logarithm: the whole number ( integer ) found to the left of the decimal point
in a common logarithm, for example, the characteristic of 5.4321 is 5
adjective

typical:
distinguishing or typical of a particular person or thing
—char·ac·ter·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



characterization

characterization
char·ac·ter·i·za·tion 
[kèrrəktəri záysh’n] (plural char·ac·ter·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  portrayal
of fictional character: the way in which the writer
portrays the characters in a book, play, or movie

2.  description:
a description of the character or nature or somebody or something

[1]



characterize

characterize
char·ac·ter·ize 
[kérrəktə rz] (past char·ac·ter·ized,
past participle char·ac·ter·ized, present participle char·ac·ter·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular char·ac·ter·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  describe
somebody or something: to describe the character or
characteristics of somebody or something

2.  be
typical of somebody or something: to be typical of the
way a particular person or thing behaves or looks
—char·ac·ter·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—char·ac·ter·iz·er, noun[1]



characterless

characterless
char·ac·ter·less
[kérrəktərləss] adjective

not
interesting: without any interesting or distinctive
features • a
characterless view
—char·ac·ter·less·ly,
adverb

—char·ac·ter·less·ness,
noun[1]



characterrecognition

characterrecognition
char·ac·ter
rec·og·ni·tion  noun

computer recognition of
symbols: a magnetic or optical
process, by which written or printed letters, numbers, or symbols can be
recognized and digitized for use in a computer[1]



characterset

characterset
char·ac·ter
set
(plural char·ac·ter sets) noun

set of letters, numbers, and
symbols: a set of letters, numbers,
and symbols that can be coded for use by a computer or printer[1]



charactersketch

charactersketch
char·ac·ter
sketch
(plural char·ac·ter sketch·es) noun

short descriptive piece about
somebody: a short description of
somebody’s character and behavior[1]



characterwitness

characterwitness
char·ac·ter
wit·ness
(plural char·ac·ter wit·ness·es) noun

witness who describes
somebody favorably: a witness
who gives evidence of somebody’s good character in a court of law[1]



charade

charade
cha·rade 
[shə ráyd] (plural cha·rades) noun

1.  ridiculous
pretense:
an absurdly false or pointless act or situation

2.  clue
in charades: a clue in the game of charades
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, modern Provençal charra “to chatter,” perhaps
an imitation of the sound.][1]



charades

charades
cha·rades
[shə ráydz] noun

guessing game:
a game in which somebody provides a visual or acted clue for a word or phrase,
often the title of a book, play, or movie, for others to guess (takes a
singular verb)[1]



charbroil

charbroil
char·broil 
[chr bròyl] (past char·broiled,
past participle char·broiled, present participle char·broil·ing,
3rd person present singular char·broils) transitive verb

barbecue
food:
to broil food over charcoal on a barbecue or on a ridged pan that produces a
similar visual effect
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of charcoal and broil .]
—char·broil·er, noun[1]



charcoal

charcoal
char·coal 
[chr kl] noun (plural char·coals)

1.  CHEMISTRY carbon:
a black or dark gray form of carbon, produced by heating wood or another
organic substance in an enclosed space without air. Charcoal is used as a fuel,
as an absorbent, in smelting, in explosives, and by artists for drawing.
Also
called
coal

2.  DRAWING drawing
implement:
sticks of charcoal used for drawing

3.  DRAWING drawing
using charcoal: a drawing done with charcoal
noun
(plural char·coals) adjective

See
charcoal gray
[14th century. Origin of char
uncertain: possibly from Old French charbon “charcoal”; or literally
“turned (into charcoal),” from Old English cierran “to turn.” Coal in
the obsolete sense “charcoal.”][1]



charcoal-gray

charcoal-gray
char·coal-gray
adjective

dark
gray:
of a dark gray color
—char·coal gray, noun[1]



charcuterie

charcuterie
char·cu·ter·ie 
[shaar ktə r, shaar
ktəree] (plural char·cu·ter·ies) noun

1.  cold
cooked meats: cold cooked, cured, or processed meat
and meat products

2.  store
selling charcuterie: a store that specializes in
charcuterie
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from obsolete char cuite “cooked flesh.”][1]



chard

chard

chard 
[chaard] noun
PLANTS See Swiss chard
[Mid-17th century. Via French
carde (possibly by association with chardon “thistle”) from,
ultimately, Latin cardu(u)s “thistle, artichoke” (source of English cardoon ).][1]



Chardin,Jean Baptiste Siméon

Chardin,Jean Baptiste Siméon
Char·din
[shaar dáN], Jean Baptiste Siméon
(1699–1779)

French painter. He was a
master of lower-middle-class domestic and genre scenes, for example, The
Benediction ( 1740 ), now in the Louvre, Paris, France.[1]



chardonnay

chardonnay
char·don·nay 
(plural char·don·nays) or Char·don·nay (plural
Char·don·nays) noun

1.  white
grape:
a white grape used for making wine

2.  white
wine:
a dry white wine made from the chardonnay grape
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



charge

charge
charge 
[chaarj] verb (past charged,
past participle charged, present participle charg·ing,
3rd person present singular charg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE ask money for something:
to ask somebody for an amount as a price or fee

2.  transitive
verb
impose
a fee or penalty: to hold a person or organization
financially liable for something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE debit:
to allow, and enter a record of, a deferred payment for something

4.  transitive
verb
LAW accuse
somebody of crime: to accuse somebody formally
of having committed a crime

5.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize somebody for doing something wrong • Her
boss charged her with being lazy and incompetent.

6.  transitive
verb
order
to do something: to order or instruct somebody formally
to do something • The judge charged the
jury to consider all the facts.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb attack
in a rush:
to attack somebody or something by rushing forward, especially in a battle • Police
in riot gear charged the lines of demonstrators.

8.  intransitive
verb
U.K. rush:
to run somewhere carelessly or clumsily • He
came charging in from the back yard.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRICITY restore power in
battery:
to restore the power in a battery by connecting it to a supply of electricity

10. transitive
verb
load
or fill something: to load or fill something,
for example, a gun with explosive, or a glass with drink (formal)

11. transitive
verb
pervade
a place:
to give an atmosphere of intense interest, excitement, or other strong emotion
to a place (usually passive) • The
concert hall was charged with anticipation.

12. transitive
verb
HERALDRY put
heraldic device on something: to put a heraldic device on
something such as a shield or banner
noun
(plural charg·es)

1.  COMMERCE amount
of money asked: the price of something that is for sale,
or the fee asked for a service or in payment of a financial liability such as a
tax • We
had to pay several extra charges before getting the vehicle back.

2.  responsibility:
the responsibility or duty of looking after somebody or something • He
took on the children’s welfare as an extra charge.

3.  somebody
being taken care of: somebody, especially a child
or a member of a minister’s congregation, for whom somebody else is responsible
(formal) • The nanny was keeping a
close watch on her little charges.

4.  LAW accusation:
an accusation of wrongdoing, especially an official statement accusing somebody
of committing a crime

5.  rush
to attack:
a rush forward to attack, especially in a battle, or the signal for this

6.  ELECTRICITY power
in battery:
the power stored in a battery

7.  PHYSICS electric
property of matter: a fundamental characteristic
of matter, responsible for all electric and electromotive forces, expressed in
two forms known as positive and negative

8.  PHYSICS excess
or lack of electrons: a quantity of electricity
caused by an excess or lack of electrons

9.  enough
explosive for detonation: the amount of explosive used
to detonate a shell or cartridge

10. enough
to fill something: the amount required to fill
a container or to make a mechanism work

11. an
order to do something: a formal order or
instruction to do something, for example, a judge’s instructions to a jury

12. sudden
burst of excitement: a sudden burst of excitement
or interest

13. HERALDRY heraldic
design:
a design or image used as part of a coat of arms
[12th century. Via French charger
“to load, charge” from late Latin car(ri)care, from Latin carrus
“carriage.” The underlying idea is of “loading, burdening.”][1]



chargeable

chargeable
charge·a·ble 
[chrjəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be charged: liable or able to be charged

2.  LAW subject
to a charge: used to describe property or land
capable of being subject to a charge
—charge·a·bil·i·ty [chrjə billətee], noun[1]



chargeaccount

chargeaccount
charge
ac·count
(plural charge ac·counts) noun

COMMERCE
account giving credit:
a system of accounts by which customers can buy goods or services and pay at a
later date.
U.K. term
credit account[1]



chargecard

chargecard
charge
card
(plural charge cards) noun

deferred payment card:
a card issued to customers by a store, bank, or other organization, used to
charge purchases to an account for later payment[1]



charge-coupleddevice

charge-coupleddevice
charge-coup·led
de·vice 
(plural charge-coup·led de·vic·es) noun

device with linked
semiconductors: a semiconductor device
that converts light patterns into digital signals that can be read by a
computer, used especially in digital cameras and optical scanners[1]



chargedensity

chargedensity
charge
den·si·ty
noun

electric charge per unit:
the amount of electric charge per unit of area or volume.
Also called
density Symbol ρ[1]



chargeof quarters

chargeof quarters
charge
of quar·ters noun

administrator of military
unit: an enlisted person who
administers a military unit, especially at night or during holidays[1]



charger

charger1
charg·er1 [chjər]
(plural charg·ers) noun

1.  large
horse:
a large strong cavalry horse

2.  ELECTRICITY See battery charger

3.  somebody
or something that charges: somebody or something that
charges

[1]



charger

charger2
charg·er2 [chrjər]
(plural charg·ers) noun

large
dish:
a large flat serving dish of a kind now mainly collected for display
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman chargeour, literally “something that loads,” from Old
French charger (see charge ).][1]



chargrill

chargrill
char·grill
[chr grìl] (past char·grilled,
past participle char·grilled, present participle char·gril·ling,
3rd person present singular char·grills) transitive verb

See
charbroil
[From char(coal) + grill,
modeled on charbroil][1]



chargéd’affaires

chargéd’affaires
chargé
d’af·faires 
[shr zhay də fáir] (plural chargés
d’af·faires [shr zhay də fáir]) noun

diplomat
ranking below ambassador: a diplomat ranking
immediately below an ambassador who deputizes in the ambassador’s absence, or a
diplomat who heads a minor diplomatic mission
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “somebody in charge of affairs.”][1]



chariot

chariot

char·i·ot 
[chérriət] (plural char·i·ots)
noun

1.  ancient
2-wheeled vehicle: a two-wheeled horse-drawn
vehicle used in ancient times in races, warfare, or processions

2.  ceremonial
carriage:
a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with rear seats only, used especially on
ceremonial occasions
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin carrus “carriage.”][1]



charioteer

charioteer
char·i·o·teer 
[chèrriə tr] (plural char·i·o·teers)
noun

chariot driver:
a driver of a chariot[1]



charisma

charisma
cha·ris·ma 
[kə rízmə] noun

1.  magnetic
personality: the ability to inspire enthusiasm,
interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence

2.  cha·ris·ma
(plural cha·ris·ma·ta) CHRISTIANITY
divine
gift:
a gift or power believed to be divinely bestowed
[Mid-17th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek kharisma, from kharis
“favor, grace.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Charisma
  meaning “personal magnetism.”
  In
  their generalized meanings, charisma and charismatic have moved a long way from their
  original meanings in theology, where they referred to supernatural gifts of
  speaking, healing, and so on. The modern meanings have developed from a use
  in sociology, in which the sense is “a power of leadership or authority,”
  first used in translations of the German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920).

[1]



charismatic

charismatic
char·is·mat·ic 
[kèrriz máttik] adjective

1.  having
charisma:
possessing great powers of charm or influence

2.  CHRISTIANITY seeking
direct spiritual experience: used to describe Christian
groups or worship characterized by a quest for inspired and ecstatic
experiences such as healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues
noun
(plural char·is·mat·ics)

CHRISTIANITY member
of a charismatic group: a member of a charismatic
group

[1]



charitable

charitable
char·i·ta·ble 
[chérritəb’l] adjective

1.  generous:
generous to people in need

2.  sympathetic:
sympathetic, favorable, or tolerant in judging

3.  collectively
dispensing help: dispensing assistance to needy people by
means of a group or organization
—char·i·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—char·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



charity

charity
char·i·ty 
[chérritee] (plural char·i·ties)
noun

1.  provision
of help:
the voluntary provision of money, materials, or help to people in need

2.  material
help:
money, materials, or help voluntarily given to people in need

3.  organization
providing charity: an organization that
collects money and other voluntary contributions of help for people in need

4.  tolerant
attitude:
the willingness to judge people in a tolerant or favorable way

5.  impartial
love:
the impartial love of other people
[12th century. Via French charité
from Latin caritas, from carus “dear” (source of English cherish ).][1]



charivari

charivari
cha·ri·va·ri 
[shìvvə r, shívvə
r] (plural cha·ri·va·ris) noun

See
shivaree
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



charkha

charkha
char·kha 
[chúr k] (plural char·khas) or
char·ka [chúr k] (plural char·kas)
noun

Indian
spinning wheel: a spinning wheel, especially for cotton,
which is used in the Indian subcontinent
[Late 19th century. Via Urdu chara
from Persian car(a) .][1]



charlady

charlady
char·la·dy 
[chr làydee] (plural char·la·dies)
noun

See
charwoman
[Late 19th century. From the
first element of charwoman + lady .][1]



charlatan

charlatan
char·la·tan 
[shrlət’n] (plural char·la·tans)
noun

false
expert:
somebody who falsely claims a special skill or expertise
[Early
17th century. Via French from Italian ciarlatano, from ciarlare
“to babble, patter,” an imitation of the sound of empty talk.]
—char·la·tan·ism,
noun

—char·la·tan·ry, noun[1]



Charlemagne

Charlemagne
Charle·magne 
[shrlə màyn] (742–814)

Frankish king and emperor. As
emperor of the West (800–814), he inspired the “Carolingian Renaissance” of
European culture.[1]



Charles

Charles
Charles 
[chaarlz], Prince of Wales (1948– )

British heir apparent and son
of Elizabeth II. He was married to Diana, Princess of Wales, from 1981 to 1996.[1]



CharlesI

CharlesI
Charles
I 
[chaarlz], King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1600–1649)

He succeeded James I in 1625.
His determination to rule without Parliament’s authority led to the English
Civil War (1642–1648), which culminated in his execution.[1]



CharlesII

CharlesII
Charles
II 
[chaarlz], King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1630–1685)

He was exiled during Oliver
Cromwell’s Protectorate (1653–1659), but returned to England and formally
ascended the throne after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.[1]



Charles,Ray

Charles,Ray

Charles
[chaarlz], Ray (1932– )
U.S.
singer and pianist whose rhythm-and-blues style took its roots from country and
western and gospel music.
Real name
Robinson, Ray Charles[1]



Charleston

Charleston2

Charles·ton2  [chrlstən]

1.  city
and port in southeastern South Carolina where the Ashley, Cooper, and Wando
rivers meet. Population: 71,052 (1996)

2.        capital
of West Virginia and the largest city in the state. Population: 56,098 (1996)[1]



Charleston

Charleston1
Charles·ton1  [chrlstən]
noun

vigorous
1920s dance: a lively North American dance, popular
in the 1920s, characterized by kicking the feet out sideways while keeping the
knees together
[Early 20th century. Named
for Charleston in South Carolina.][1]



CharlesV

CharlesV
Charles
V 
[chaarlz] (1500–1558)

Belgian-born Holy Roman
Emperor and, as Charles I, King of Spain. During his reign as Holy Roman
Emperor (1519–1558), he struggled to keep his Roman Catholic empire together
and was finally forced to recognize Protestantism.[1]



Charles’slaw

Charles’slaw
Charles’s
law 
[chrlzəz làw] noun

gas
law:
a law that holds that there is a direct relationship between the volume of a
gas and its temperature, where its pressure is constant
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physicist J. A. C. Charles (1746–1823), who discovered it.][1]



charleyhorse

charleyhorse
char·ley
horse 
[chrli hàwrs] noun

muscular
cramp:
a severe muscular cramp, especially in the upper leg (informal)
[Origin unknown][1]



charlie

charlie
char·lie
[chrlee] noun

cocaine:
cocaine used as an illicit drug (slang)[1]



Charlie

Charlie
Char·lie
[chrlee] noun

1.  code
word for letter “C”: a code word for the letter
“C,” used in international radio communications

2.  Char·lie
or Char·ley U.S., Australia Viet
Cong:
used to refer to a member of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, or the Viet
Cong collectively (slang dated)

[1]



charlock

charlock
char·lock 
[chr lòk] (plural char·lock or
char·locks) noun

wild
mustard plant: a yellow-flowered Eurasian mustard plant
that has hairy stems and leaves and is a common weed. Latin name: Brassica
kaber
Also
called
wild mustard
[Old English cerlic,
of unknown origin][1]



charlotte

charlotte
char·lotte 
[shrlət] (plural char·lottes)
noun

layered
dessert:
a sweet, cold or baked dish prepared in a deep straight-sided container and
containing fruit surrounded by sponge cake, biscuits, or bread
[Late 18th century. From
French, probably from the name Charlotte (for unknown reasons).][1]



Charlotte

Charlotte
Char·lotte 
[shrlət]

city in southern North
Carolina, southwest of Winston-Salem and east of the Catawba River. Population:
441,297 (1996)[1]



CharlotteAmalie

CharlotteAmalie
Char·lotte
Am·a·lie
[shrlət ə mlyə]

seaport and capital of St.
Thomas Island and of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Population: 12,331 (1990)[1]



charlotterusse

charlotterusse
char·lotte
russe 
[shrlət rss] (plural char·lottes
russes [shrlət rss]) noun

cold
molded dessert: a cold set dessert made with cream or
custard surrounded by sponge fingers
[From French, literally
“Russian charlotte”][1]



Charlottesville

Charlottesville
Char·lottes·ville 
[shrləts vìl]

city in central Virginia on
the western bank of the Rivanna River, northwest of Richmond. Population:
40,767 (1996)[1]



Charlottetown

Charlottetown
Char·lotte·town 
[shrlət tòwn]

capital city of Prince Edward
Island, Canada, situated in the center of the island, on Hillsborough Bay.
Population: 57,224 (1996)[1]



charm

charm
charm 
[chaarm] noun (plural charms)

1.  attractiveness:
the power to delight or attract people

2.  attractive
feature:
a feature or quality that delights or attracts (often used in the plural)

3.  something
supposed to bring luck: something carried or worn
because it is believed to bring good luck or ward off evil

4.  trinket:
a miniature metal animal, musical instrument, or similar trinket worn on a
bracelet or around the neck

5.  magic
spell:
a special phrase or rhyme believed to have magical powers

6.  PHYSICS characteristic
of elementary particles: a quantum characteristic of
elementary particles that accounts for the long lifetime of the J particle,
lack of symmetry in hadron interactions, and failure of certain particles to
react. Symbol C
verb
(past charmed, past participle charmed, present
participle charm·ing, 3rd person present singular charms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb delight:
to delight or attract people

2.  transitive
verb
influence
people:
to influence somebody or obtain something from somebody by using powers of
persuasion and attraction

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cast a
spell:
to affect somebody or something by, or as if by, the use of a supposed magic
spell
[13th
century. Via French charme “charm, song” from Latin carmen “song,
incantation,” from canere “to sing, chant” (source of English chant and incantation
).]
—charm·er, noun[1]



charmed

charmed
charmed
[chaarmd] adjective

1.  lucky:
so pleasant or lucky as to suggest protection by a magic spell

2.  PHYSICS having
charm:
used to describe an elementary particle that has the property of charm

[1]



charmedcircle

charmedcircle
charmed
cir·cle
(plural charmed cir·cles) noun

privileged group:
a privileged group or elite[1]



charming

charming
charm·ing
[chrming] adjective

delightful
or fascinating: having the power to delight or attract
people • a
charming village • a
charming young man
interjection

expressing
displeasure: used ironically to express disapproval
or distaste at something just done or said (informal)
—charm·ing·ly, adverb[1]



charmoffensive

charmoffensive
charm
of·fen·sive
(plural charm of·fen·sives) noun

campaign to be liked:
a campaign, for example, by a politician, to appear more pleasant, attractive,
or reasonable, in order to gain popularity (informal)[1]



charnel

charnel
char·nel 
[chrn’l] noun (plural char·nels)

See
charnel house
adjective

of
death:
suggestive of death or a tomb
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin carnale, from the Latin stem carn- “flesh”
(source of English carnage ).][1]



charnelhouse

charnelhouse
char·nel
house
(plural char·nel hous·es) noun

tomb or tomblike building:
a building or vault in which bones or dead bodies are placed.
Also called
charnel[1]



Charolais

Charolais
Cha·ro·lais
[shèrrə láy] (plural Cha·ro·lais)
or Cha·rol·lais [shèrrə láy] (plural
Cha·rol·lais) noun

beef
cattle:
a large white cow belonging to a breed originating in France and bred for beef
[Late 19th century. Named for
Monts du Charollais in eastern France.][1]



Charon

Charon
Char·on 
[káirən] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY ferryman
in Greek underworld: in Greek mythology, a
ferryman who took the souls of the dead across the River Styx to Hades

2.  ASTRONOMY satellite
of Pluto:
the only known satellite of Pluto, discovered in 1978

[1]



charpoy

charpoy
char·poy 
[chr pòy] (plural char·poys) noun

bedstead:
a light bedstead of webbing stretched across a frame, commonly used in the
Indian subcontinent
[Mid-17th century. Via Urdu chārpāī
from Persian .][1]



charqui

charqui
char·qui 
[chrkee] noun

See
jerky
[Early 17th century. Via
American Spanish (source of English jerk
) from Quechua cc’arki .][1]



charr

charr
charr 
noun

See
char 2[1]



chart

chart
chart 
[chaart] noun (plural charts)

1.  diagram
or table:
a diagram or table displaying detailed information

2.  NAVIGATION map
to navigate by: a map for navigation by sea or air

3.  METEOROLOGY weather
map:
an outline map that shows weather patterns

4.  ASTROL basis
for horoscope: a map that shows the relative positions
of the planets at the time of somebody’s birth on which his or her horoscope is
based

5.  MUSIC musical
score:
a musical score (technical)

6.  SEWING stitching
plan:
a squared grid marked with symbols indicating the placement of stitches in
embroidery
plural
noun
charts

list of popular records:
a list of the musical recordings that have sold most copies during a specific
period
verb
(past chart·ed, past participle chart·ed, present
participle chart·ing, 3rd person present singular charts)

1.  transitive
verb
make
a chart of something: to make a map, graph, or
diagram of something

2.  transitive
verb
make
a plan:
to record or describe a plan

3.  intransitive
verb
be
in the charts: to appear in the music charts
[Late
16th century. Via French charte from Latin charta “paper,
papyrus-leaf, card, map” (source of English card
). The verb dates from the 19th century.]
—chart·a·ble, adjective[1]



charter

charter
char·ter 
[chrtər] noun (plural char·ters)

1.  statement
of rights and responsibilities: a formal written
statement describing the rights and responsibilities of a state and its
citizens

2.  LAW formal
document of incorporation: a formal document
incorporating an organization, company, or educational institution

3.  LAW constitution:
a formal written statement of the aims, principles, and procedures of an
organization

4.  LAW document
of authorization: a document from an organization or
society that authorizes the setting up of a new branch

5.  LAW special
privilege:
a special privilege, immunity, or exemption, granted to a particular person or
group

6.  TRANSPORT rent
or lease of transport: the renting or leasing of
transport vehicles for personal or special use, or a contract or agreement for
this purpose

7.  TRANSPORT rented
or leased transport: a vehicle chartered for
personal or special use

8.  LAW See charter party
transitive
verb
(past char·tered, past participle char·tered, present
participle char·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular char·ters)

1.  TRANSPORT rent
or lease transport: to rent or lease a vehicle
for a personal or special purpose

2.  LAW grant
a charter:
to grant a charter of incorporation to a group or organization
[12th
century. Via French chartre from, ultimately, Latin charta (see chart ).]
—char·ter·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hire

[1]



chartered

chartered
char·tered
[chrtərd] adjective

1.  granted
a charter:
that has been granted a charter

2.  U.K.
fully
qualified as a professional: having membership of a
professional body that has been granted a royal charter

[1]



charteredaccountant

charteredaccountant
char·tered
ac·count·ant  (plural char·tered
ac·count·ants) noun

U.K.
fully qualified accountant:
an accountant who has passed the examinations of one of the governing
professional bodies and has been granted a royal charter[1]



charterflight

charterflight
char·ter
flight
(plural char·ter flights) noun

nonscheduled flight:
a flight that has been chartered for a specific trip, especially as part of a
vacation package[1]



Charterhouse

Charterhouse
Char·ter·house
[chrtər hòwss] (plural Char·ter·hous·es
[chrtər hòwzəz]) noun

monastery:
a Carthusian monastery
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by house ) of Anglo-Norman Chartrous
or French Chartreuse from, ultimately, medieval Latin Cart(h)usia
“La Grande Chartreuse,” a monastery near Grenoble, France.][1]



chartermember

chartermember
char·ter
mem·ber
(plural char·ter mem·bers) noun

founding member:
a founding or original member of a society or organization[1]



Charterof Rights

Charterof Rights
Char·ter
of Rights
noun

element of Canadian
Constitution: a section of the
Canadian Constitution stating the rights conferred by Canadian citizenship[1]



charterparty

charterparty
char·ter
par·ty
noun

contract
for renting a ship: a contractual arrangement by
which the owner of a ship permits another person to use it to carry goods.
Also
called
charter
[Via French from medieval
Latin charta partita, literally “divided charter”][1]



CharterSchool

CharterSchool
Char·ter
School
(plural Char·ter Schools) noun

privately run, publicly
financed school: a publicly financed
school run by parents, educators, and companies[1]



Chartism

Chartism
Chart·ism 
[chr tìzzəm] noun

principles
of English political movement: the principles and
practices of the movement advocating political and social reform in England
between 1838 and 1848
[Mid-19th
century. Named for the People’s Charter .]
—Chart·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



Chartres

Chartres

Char·tres 
[shaart, shrtrə]
capital of the Eure-et-Loire Department
in northwestern France. It is situated about 80 km50 mi southwest of Paris and
is famous for its large Gothic cathedral. Population: 44,850 (1990)[1]



chartreuse

chartreuse
char·treuse 
[shaar trz] adjective

yellowish-green:
having a bright yellowish-green color
noun
(plural char·treus·es)

yellowish-green
color:
a bright yellowish-green color
[Early 19th century. From
French (see Charterhouse ).][1]



Chartreuse

Chartreuse
Char·treuse
[shaar trz] Trademark

a trademark for a yellow or
green aromatic liqueur, flavored with herbs and flowers[1]



charwoman

charwoman
char·wom·an 
[chr wmmən] (plural char·wom·en
[chr wìmmin]) noun

cleaner:
a woman employed to clean a house or office
[Late 16th century. Char
ultimately from Old English c(i)err “turn,” later “turn of work,
chore.”][1]



chary

chary
char·y 
[chérree] (comparative char·i·er,
superlative char·i·est) adjective

1.  wary:
cautiously reluctant to do something

2.  sparing:
reluctant to share, give, or use something

3.  concerned:
fussily concerned

4.  shy:
showing or characterized by shyness or modesty
[Old
English cearig “sorrowful, anxious.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English care
.]
—char·i·ly,
adverb

—char·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



Charybdis

Charybdis
Cha·ryb·dis 
noun

See
Scylla and Charybdis[1]



chase

chase1
chase1 [chayss]
verb (past chased, past participle chased, present
participle chas·ing, 3rd person present singular chas·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pursue
somebody or something: to try to catch or overtake
somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody run away: to force a person or animal
to run away • The
kids chased a black cat out of the garden.

3.  intransitive
verb
rush
around:
to rush around • They chased around all
day.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay persistent
attention to somebody: to seek the company of
somebody for romantic or sexual purposes, especially in an obvious or unsubtle
way
noun
(plural chas·es)

1.  pursuit:
an act or situation in which something or somebody is being pursued

2.  HORSERACING See steeplechase

3.  something
pursued:
somebody who or something, especially an animal, that is being pursued

4.  MUSIC jazz
duet:
a jazz duet in which the players play alternate phrases and try to outdo each
other in virtuosity and invention
[13th
century. Via Old French chacier “to catch, seize” from, ultimately,
Latin captare “to try to seize, chase,” from capere “to seize,
take.”]
cut
to the chase

to
stop wasting time and get on with what needs to be dealt with (informal)

give
chase

to
pursue something or somebody forcefully (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



chase

chase2
chase2 [chayss]
noun (plural chas·es)

1.  part
of gun barrel: the external part of a gun barrel just
behind the muzzle

2.  groove:
a channel, groove, or trench for something such as a pipe to lie in or fit into
transitive
verb
(past chased, past participle chased, present
participle chas·ing, 3rd person present singular chas·es)

1.  cut
groove in something: to cut or grind a channel,
groove, or trench in something

2.  cut
thread in screw: to cut a metal screw thread with a
machine tool ( chaser )
[Late 16th century. Via
French châsse from Latin capsa “box, case” (source of English capsule and case
). Early 17th century. Via French chas “enclosed space” from,
ultimately, Latin capsum “thorax, church nave.”][1]



chase

chase4
chase4 [chayss]
(plural chases) noun

PRINTING frame
for type:
a rectangular frame into which metal type or blocks are fitted so that a page
or plate can be printed or made
[Late 16th century. Via
French châsse from Latin capsa “box, case” (source of English capsule and case
).][1]



chase

chase3
chase3 [chayss]
(past chased, past participle chased, present
participle chas·ing, 3rd person present singular chas·es)
transitive verb

engrave
something with decoration: to decorate metal or glass
by engraving or embossing
[15th century. Shortening of enchase .][1]



chaseplane

chaseplane
chase
plane 
noun

accompanying plane:
an airplane that follows another aircraft carrying an important person such as
a head of state[1]



chaser

chaser2
chaser2 [cháyssər]
(plural chasers) noun

1.  engraver:
somebody who engraves metal or glass or who embosses metal

2.  machine
tool:
a machine tool for cutting screw threads

[1]



chaser

chaser1
chas·er1 [cháyssər]
(plural chas·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that chases: somebody or something that
forcefully pursues another person or thing

2.  BEVERAGES different
drink:
a second drink, taken with or after one of a different kind, for example,
whiskey taken after beer

3.  ARMS naval
cannon:
a cannon located at the bow or stern of a vessel and used in pursuing an enemy

[1]



Chase,Salmon Portland

Chase,Salmon Portland

Chase 
[chayss], Salmon Portland (1808–1873)
U.S. politician and jurist. He held
various government posts including Chief Justice of the United States
(1864–1873).[1]



Chase,Samuel

Chase,Samuel
Chase
[chayss], Samuel (1741–1811)

U.S. jurist. He was an
associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1796–1811).[1]



chasm

chasm
chasm 
[kázzəm] (plural chasms) noun

1.  deep
hole in the earth: a deep crack or hole in the
ground

2.  wide
difference:
a wide difference in feelings, ideas, or interests

3.  gap
or break:
a gap or break in the progress or continuity of something
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
chasma from Greek khasma “gaping hollow, gulf.”][1]



chasmogamous

chasmogamous
chas·mog·a·mous 
[kaz móggəməss] adjective

with flowers that open:
used to describe flowers that open to allow pollination[1]



chasmogamy

chasmogamy
chas·mog·a·my 
[kaz móggəmee] noun

opening
of pollen-bearing flowers: the process by which a
flower opens before it is pollinated
[Early 20th century. Coined
from chasm and -gamy
.][1]



chasseur

chasseur
chas·seur 
[sha súr] adjective

COOKING in
wine and mushroom sauce: cooked in a rich white-wine
and mushroom sauce
noun
(plural chas·seurs)

MILITARY French
soldier:
a soldier in a French special unit equipped and trained for rapid deployment
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “hunter.”][1]



Chassid

Chassid
Chas·sid 
noun

JUDAISM See Hasid
—Chas·si·dism, noun[1]



chassis

chassis
chas·sis 
[shássee, chássee]
(plural chas·sis [shásseez, chásseez]) noun

1.  main
frame of vehicle: the frame and wheels that support the
engine and body of a motor vehicle, or the frame and wheels of a carriage or
wagon

2.  ELECTRICITY mounting
for electronic device: the mounting or supporting
structure for the components of an electronic device, such as a television

3.  AIR aircraft
landing gear: the landing gear of an aircraft

4.  ARMS mounting
for gun carriage: a frame on which a gun carriage can move
back and forth
[Mid-17th century. Via French
châssis from, ultimately, Latin capsa “box, case” (source of
English capsule and case ).][1]



chassé

chassé
chas·sé 
[sha sáy] noun (plural chas·sés)

gliding
step:
a gliding step in dancing, especially in ballet or square dancing
intransitive
verb
(past chas·séd, past participle chas·séd, present
participle chas·sé·ing, 3rd person present singular chas·sés)

make
a chassé:
to make a chassé
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “chasing, chase.”][1]



chaste

chaste
chaste 
[chayst] adjective

1.  abstaining
from sex:
abstaining from sex on moral grounds

2.  sexually
faithful:
not having extramarital sexual relations

3.  pure
in thought and deed: behaving in a pure way, with
no immoral thoughts

4.  plain:
plain, simple, and unadorned in style
[13th
century. Via French from Latin castus “pure” (source of English caste, castigate,
and incest ).]
—chaste·ly,
adverb

—chaste·ness, noun[1]



chasten

chasten
chas·ten 
[cháyss’n] (past chas·tened, past
participle chas·tened, present participle chas·ten·ing,
3rd person present singular chas·tens) transitive verb

1.  discipline
somebody:
to subject somebody to discipline

2.  make
somebody subdued: to make somebody less self-satisfied or
self-assertive and more subdued

3.  moderate
intensity of something: to moderate the intensity of
something
[Early
16th century. Formed from obsolete chaste (see chastise
).]
—chas·tened,
adjective

—chas·ten·er,
noun

—chas·ten·ing, adjective[1]



chastetree

chastetree
chaste
tree
(plural chaste trees) noun

ornamental
tree:
a small ornamental Eurasian tree that has aromatic hairy leaves and fragrant
clusters of light purplish flowers. Latin name: Vitex agnus-castus
[Translation of Latin agnus
castus “chaste agnus,” reputedly because certain ancient Greek women
maintaining their state of chastity spread its leaves on the ground at the
feast of Ceres][1]



chastise

chastise
chas·tise 
[chá stz] (past chas·tised, past
participle chas·tised, present participle chas·tis·ing,
3rd person present singular chas·tis·es) transitive verb

punish:
to punish or scold somebody (formal)
[14th
century. Formed from obsolete English chaste “to chasten, reprove”
(source of English chasten ), via Old
French chastier from Latin castigare (see castigate ).]
—chas·tis·a·ble,
adjective

—chas·tise·ment,
noun

—chas·tis·er, noun[1]



chastity

chastity
chas·ti·ty 
[chástətee] noun

1.  sexual
abstinence:
the condition or practice of abstaining from sex on moral grounds

2.  plainness:
plainness or simplicity of style

[1]



chastitybelt

chastitybelt
chas·ti·ty
belt
(plural chas·ti·ty belts) noun

device to prevent sexual
intercourse: a locking device
passing around the waist and between the legs, used in medieval times to
prevent a woman from having sexual intercourse[1]



chasuble

chasuble
chas·u·ble 
[cházzəb’l, chássəb’l]
(plural chas·u·bles) noun

priest’s
garment:
a loose sleeveless outer garment worn by a priest when celebrating Mass or Holy
Communion
[13th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin casula “hooded cloak,” literally “little house,”
from casa “house, hut.”][1]



chat

chat
chat 
[chat] intransitive verb (past
chat·ted, past participle chat·ted, present participle
chat·ting, 3rd person present singular chats)

1.  talk
informally:
to talk with somebody in a relaxed informal way

2.  COMPUT exchange
messages by computer: to exchange messages in real
time with one or more other computer users
noun
(plural chats)

1.  informal
talk:
a relaxed informal conversation with somebody

2.  COMPUT exchange
of messages by computer: an informal exchange of
messages in real time with one or more other computer users

3.  BIRDS songbird:
a small songbird related to the thrush with a harsh chattering cry. Subfamily:
Turdinae

4.  BIRDS See yellow-breasted chat

5.  BIRDS Australian
wren:
any of several Australian wrens. Genus: Ephthianura
[15th century. Shortening of chatter .][1]



chateau

chateau
cha·teau 
[sha tṓ] (plural cha·teaux [sha tṓ, sha tṓz]
or cha·teaus [sha tṓ, sha tṓz]) or châ·teau [sha tṓ] (plural châ·teaux) noun

French
castle:
a castle or large house in France, often one that has a vineyard attached and
gives its name to wine produced there
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Latin castellum (see castle ).][1]



Chateaubriand

Chateaubriand
Cha·teau·bri·and 
[shàttōbr aaN] noun

thick
beefsteak:
a thick beefsteak cut from the widest middle part of the filet
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French writer and statesman François René, Vicomte de Chateaubriand
(1768–1848), whose chef is credited with creating a dish using the cut.][1]



chatelain

chatelain
chat·e·lain 
[shátt’l àyn] (plural chat·e·lains)
noun

master
of large house: in former times, a man who owned or
controlled a castle or other large house
[15th century. Via Old French
chastelain (modern châtelain ) from medieval Latin castellanus
(see castellan ).][1]



chatelaine

chatelaine
chat·e·laine 
[shátt’l àyn] (plural chat·e·laines)
noun

1.  mistress
of large house: in former times, a woman who owned or
controlled a castle or other large house

2.  woman’s
chain key:
a chain and clasp formerly worn at the waist by a woman to hold keys and other
small items
[Mid-19th century. From
French châtelaine, the feminine of châtelain (see chatelain ).][1]



chatgroup

chatgroup
chat
group 
noun

COMPUT
online conversation group:
a group of people who exchange messages online, especially people who share a
common interest[1]



chatoyant

chatoyant
cha·toy·ant 
[shə tóyənt] adjective

iridescent:
having a changeable iridescent luster
noun
(plural cha·toy·ants)

iridescent
gemstone:
a chatoyant gemstone, for example, a cat’s eye
[Late
18th century. From French, literally “shining like a cat’s eyes.”]
—cha·toy·an·cy [shə tóyənsee], noun[1]



chatroom

chatroom
chat
room
(plural chat rooms) noun

area in computer network for
conversations: a facility in a
computer network, for example, the Internet, in which participants exchange
comments or information in real time[1]



chatshow

chatshow
chat
show
(plural chat shows) noun

U.K.
See talk show[1]



Chattahoochee

Chattahoochee
Chat·ta·hoo·chee 
[chàttə hchee]

river that rises in
northeastern Georgia and flows southwest and then southward to the Flint River.
Length: 702 km/436 mi.[1]



Chattanooga

Chattanooga
Chat·ta·noo·ga 
[chàttə ngə, chàtt’n
gə]

city and port in southeastern
Tennessee, on the Tennessee River, near the Tennessee-Georgia border.
Population: 150,425 (1996)[1]



chattel

chattel
chat·tel 
[chátt’l] (plural chat·tels) noun

movable
property:
an item of personal property that is not freehold land and that is not
intangible. Chattels are typically movable property chattels personal, such as
furniture or cars, but may also be interests in property chattels real, such as
leases.
[13th century. Via Old French
chatel “property” (source of English cattle
) from, ultimately, Latin capitalis (see capital
).][1]



chattelmortgage

chattelmortgage
chat·tel
mort·gage
(plural chat·tel mort·gag·es) noun

mortgage on personal
possessions: a mortgage on personal
possessions[1]



chatter

chatter

chat·ter 
[cháttər] intransitive verb (past
chat·tered, past participle chat·tered, present
participle chat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular chat·ters)

1.  talk
rapidly:
to talk or converse rapidly and informally about unimportant things

2.  make
high-pitched sounds: to make a rapid series of
short high-pitched sounds that seem to resemble speech (refers to animals or
machinery)

3.  click
together:
to click together rapidly because of movement of the jaw caused by fear or cold
(refers to teeth)

4.  vibrate
during cutting: to vibrate while cutting or being cut by
a tool or machine, causing surface flaws (refers to a sawblade or surface)
noun

1.  trivial
conversation: rapid and informal talk or conversation,
especially about unimportant things

2.  high-pitched
animal sounds: rapid short high-pitched sounds made by
a bird, animal, or machine, that resemble human speech

3.  surface
flaws produced in machining: imperfections in a surface,
caused by vibration while being cut by a tool or machine
[13th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



chatterbox

chatterbox
chat·ter·box 
[cháttər bòks] (plural chat·ter·box·es)
noun

talkative person:
somebody who talks a lot, especially about unimportant things (informal)[1]



chatterer

chatterer
chat·ter·er
[cháttərər] (plural chat·ter·ers)
noun

1.  very
talkative person: somebody who talks a lot, especially
about unimportant matters

2.  BIRDS See cotinga

[1]



chattermark

chattermark
chat·ter
mark
(plural chat·ter marks) noun

1.  GEOLOGY mark
on rock:
a crack or groove on the surface of rock, caused by the abrasive action of a
glacier on bedrock or by the collision of fragments in water

2.  ENGINEERING vibration
mark:
a mark left on something that has been machined, caused by vibration

[1]



chatty

chatty
chat·ty 
[cháttee] (comparative chat·ti·er,
superlative chat·ti·est) adjective

1.  fond
of chatting: fond of chatting about unimportant
things

2.  friendly:
friendly and informal in tone
—chat·ti·ly,
adverb

—chat·ti·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talkative

[1]



chatup

chatup
chat
up
transitive verb

U.K.
talk flirtatiously to somebody:
to talk to somebody flirtatiously or flatteringly (informal)[1]



Chaucer,Geoffrey

Chaucer,Geoffrey

Chau·cer 
[cháwssər], Geoffrey (1343?–1400)
English
poet and author of The Canterbury Tales (1387–1400), one of the finest
early works in English.

—Chau·cer·i·an [chaw sree ən] (plural Chau·cer·i·ans),
noun, adjective[1]



chaudfroid

chaudfroid
chaud·froid 
[shō frw] noun

glaze
for food:
a hot béchamel sauce with aspic that sets when cold and is used to coat cold
cooked savory foods
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “hot-cold.”][1]



chauffeur

chauffeur
chauf·feur 
[shṓfər, shō fúr]
noun (plural chauf·feurs)

hired
driver:
somebody employed to drive a car
intransitive
and transitive verb (past chauf·feured,
past participle chauf·feured, present participle chauf·feur·ing,
3rd person present singular chauf·feurs)

drive
somebody:
to drive somebody from place to place in a car, or be employed to drive a car
for somebody
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “stoker, fireman,” (used to denote the stoker and sometimes
the driver of an early steam car), from chauffer “to heat.”][1]



chaulmoogra

chaulmoogra
chaul·moo·gra 
[chawl mgrə] (plural chaul·moo·gras)
noun

tropical
Asian tree:
a tropical tree of Southeast Asia with seeds that yield an oil once used to
treat leprosy. Latin name: Hydnocarpus kurzii
[Early 19th century. From
Bengali cāul-mugrā .][1]



chautauqua

chautauqua
chau·tau·qua
[shə táwkwə] (plural chau·tau·quas)
noun

summer
school:
an annual summer school or educational gathering, often held outdoors and
offering lectures, concerts, and theatrical performances
[Late 19th century. Named for
Chautauqua, the southwestern New York State county and lake where such
summer schools originated.][1]



Chautauqua,Lake

Chautauqua,Lake
Chau·tau·qua,
Lake
[shə táwk wə]

lake in southwestern New
York, near Lake Erie. Length: 29 km/18 mi.[1]



chauvinism

chauvinism
chau·vin·ism 
[shṓvə nìzzəm] noun

1.  aggressive
patriotism:
unreasoning, overenthusiastic, and aggressive patriotism

2.  sense
of superiority: an excessive or prejudiced loyalty to a
particular gender, group, or cause
[Late 19th century. From
French chauvinisme, which was coined from the name of Nicolas Chauvin,
a French veteran of the Napoleonic wars.][1]



chauvinist

chauvinist
chau·vin·ist 
[shṓvənist] (plural chau·vin·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
with sense of superiority: somebody with an excessive
or prejudiced loyalty to a particular gender, group, or cause

2.  unreasoning
patriot:
an unreasoning, overenthusiastic, and aggressive patriot
—chau·vin·is·tic
[shvə nístik], adjective

—chau·vin·is·ti·cal·ly
[shvə nístikəlee], adverb[1]



chaw

chaw
chaw 
[chaw] intransitive and transitive verb
(past chawed, past participle chawed, present
participle chaw·ing, 3rd person present singular chaws)

chew
tobacco:
to chew tobacco (regional)
noun
(plural chaws)

wad
of chewing tobacco: a wad of chewing tobacco (regional)
[Early 16th century. Variant
of chew .][1]



Chayefsky,Paddy

Chayefsky,Paddy
Cha·yef·sky 
[chī éfskee], Paddy (1923–1981)

U.S.
playwright and screenwriter. He is known for his realist dramas, such as the
movie Marty ( 1955 ).
Real name
Chayefsky, Sidney[1]



chayote

chayote
cha·yo·te 
[chaa yṓ tày] (plural cha·yo·tes)
noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
climbing plant: a tropical American climbing plant of
the gourd family. Latin name: Sechium edule

2.  FOOD fruit
of chayote:
the pear-shaped, furrowed green or white fruit of the chayote that is cooked
and eaten as a vegetable
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish from Nahuatl chayotli .][1]



chazan

chazan
cha·zan 
[khzən] (plural cha·zan·im or
cha·zans) or haz·zan [khzən]
(plural haz·zan·im [khə znim]
or haz·zans) or chaz·zen [khzən]
(plural chaz·zens or chaz·zen·im) noun

cantor:
somebody who leads services in a synagogue, especially professionally[1]



chazerai

chazerai
cha·ze·rai
noun

stuff:
unattractive or unappetizing food or articles[1]



chazzen

chazzen
chaz·zen
noun

See
chazan[1]



chaîné

chaîné
chaî·né
[shə náy] (plural chaî·nés [shə náy]) noun

sequence
of turns made by dancer: a series of short, usually
fast turns made by a ballet dancer moving in a straight line across a floor or
stage
[Mid-20th century. From
French chaîné, literally “chained, linked,” the past participle of chaîner
“to chain,” from, ultimately, Old French chaeine (see chain ).][1]



Ch.B.

Ch.B.
Ch.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Surgery
[Latin, Chirurgiae
Baccalaureus][1]



cheap

cheap
cheap 
[cheep] adjective (comparative
cheap·er, superlative cheap·est)

1.  costing
little:
low in price or cost, or lower in price than might reasonably be expected

2.  charging
little:
charging low prices but offering good value

3.  poor
quality:
inexpensive and of poor quality

4.  worth
little:
worth little, or accorded little value • In
times of war, life is cheap.

5.  undeserving
of respect:
not deserving of respect

6.  offensive:
dishonorable, offensive, or unfair, especially in a way that seems obvious or
calculated • a
cheap trick

7.  stingy:
stingy or unwilling to give freely
adverb
(comparative cheap·er, superlative cheap·est)

inexpensively:
at low cost
[Old
English cēap “trade, bargaining, a (good) bargain.” Ultimately via a
prehistoric Germanic word from Latin caupo “petty tradesman,”
“innkeeper.”]
—cheap·ly,
adverb

—cheap·ness,
noun
on
the cheap

at very low cost (informal)[1]



cheapen

cheapen
cheap·en 
[chpən] (past cheap·ened, past
participle cheap·ened, present participle cheap·en·ing,
3rd person present singular cheap·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
something cost less: to make something less
expensive, or become less expensive, especially in order to save money or
increase profits, rather than to give better value

2.  degrade
somebody or something: to lower the quality or
reputation of somebody or something, or become lower in quality or reputation

[1]



cheapie

cheapie
cheap·ie 
[chpee] (plural cheap·ies) or
cheap·y [chpee] (plural cheap·ies)
noun (informal)

1.  something
cheap:
something that is cheap

2.  stingy
person:
somebody who is stingy or ungenerous

[1]



cheapjack

cheapjack
cheap·jack 
[chp jàk] noun (plural cheap·jacks)

seller
of inferior goods: somebody who sells inferior
goods
adjective

inferior:
inferior in value or quality
[From the name Jack,
used as a general term for a man][1]



cheapo

cheapo
cheap·o 
[chpō] adjective

inexpensive:
cheap in price or cost (informal)[1]



cheapshot

cheapshot
cheap
shot
(plural cheap shots) noun

unfair attack:
an unfair or malicious attack on somebody or something, either in print or in
speech[1]



cheapskate

cheapskate
cheap·skate 
[chp skàyt] (plural cheap·skates)
noun

stingy person:
somebody who is stingy or ungenerous (informal)[1]



cheapy

cheapy
cheap·y
noun

See
cheapie[1]



cheat

cheat
cheat 
[cheet] verb (past cheat·ed,
past participle cheat·ed, present participle cheat·ing,
3rd person present singular cheats)

1.  transitive
verb
deceive
somebody:
to deceive or mislead somebody, especially for personal advantage

2.  intransitive
verb
break
rules to gain advantage: to break the rules in a
game, examination, or contest, in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage

3.  intransitive
verb
be
unfaithful to somebody: to have a sexual
relationship with somebody other than a spouse or regular sexual partner

4.  transitive
verb
escape
harm:
to avoid harm or injury by luck or cunning
noun
(plural cheats)

1.  deceitful
person:
somebody who uses deceit or trickery to gain an unfair advantage

2.  dishonest
trick:
a dishonest or unfair trick

3.  LAW dishonestly
obtaining property: the obtaining of somebody
else’s property by dishonest means

4.  BOTANY See chess 3 noun
[14th
century. Shortening of escheat . The sense
development seems to have been from “to confiscate (land and property) legally”
via “to deprive of something dishonestly” to “to deceive.”]
—cheat·er (plural
cheat·ers), noun[1]



Chechen

Chechen
Che·chen
[chéchən] (plural Che·chens) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Chechnya: somebody who was born in or lives in
Chechnya

2.  LANGUAGE majority
language in Chechnya: the majority language in
Chechnya, belonging to the Nakh group of North Caucasian languages. Chechen is
spoken by about one million people.
—Che·chen, adjective[1]



Chechnya

Chechnya
Chech·ny·a
[chech ny, chéchnee
ə]

republic in southwestern
Russia that formally separated from Ingushetia in 1992. In 1994, Russia refused
to recognize Chechnya’s independence, resulting in a conflict that ended
formally in 1997. Capital: Grozny. Population: 1,500,000 (1994) Area: 15,000 sq
km/5,800 sq mi.[1]



check

check
check 
[chek] verb (past checked,
past participle checked, present participle check·ing,
3rd person present singular checks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb examine
something:
to examine something in order to establish its state or condition • Check
the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb confirm
truth or accuracy of something: to confirm or
establish that something is true or accurate • We
need to check with the insurance company to find out whether we’re covered.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
consistent with something else: to be the same as, or
consistent with something else • What
you’re telling me now doesn’t check with what you told me last week.

4.  transitive
verb
halt
or slow something: to stop or reduce the
progress of some unwelcome process

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
suddenly:
to stop or pause suddenly, or make somebody or something stop suddenly • In
mid-sentence, he checked himself abruptly, looking terribly embarrassed.

6.  transitive
verb
prevent
something being expressed: to prevent something from
being expressed, or control the urge to express something • Checking
the urge to laugh out loud, I buried my head in the newspaper.

7.  transitive
verb
mark
something with check mark: to mark something with a
check mark • Check
your preference. • Check
here if the billing address is different from the shipping address.

U.K.
term
tick

8.  transitive
verb
reprimand
somebody:
to criticize somebody for a fault or bad behavior

9.  transitive
verb
SPORTS block
opponent:
in sports such as ice hockey, to move directly into the path of an opponent,
usually making physical contact, in order to block his or her progress

10. transitive
verb
hand
over baggage: to hand over something, especially
baggage, so that it can be transported separately from passengers, usually in
the same aircraft or vehicle • You
must check your luggage, sir.

11. transitive
verb
hand
something over for temporary keeping: to
hand over something such as a coat in a restaurant, store, or museum, so that
it can be looked after • Do you
want to check your coat, ma’am?

12. transitive
verb
CHESS put
opponent’s king in threatening situation: to
put an opponent’s king in a situation in which one of your pieces directly
threatens it
noun
(plural checks)

1.  examination:
an examination or investigation of something, especially to verify its state or
condition • Routine
checks should have revealed the cracks in the engine housing.

2.  something
that tests accuracy: something that can be used
or referred to in order to test the accuracy, truth, or safety of something
else • Keep
this list as a check for the things you have to do.

3.  means
of controlling or restraining somebody: a
means of controlling or restraining somebody or something • The
United Nations was formed to act as a check on aggressive nations.

4.  paper
money substitute: a small printed form that, when filled
out and signed, instructs a bank to pay a specified sum of money to the person
named on it.
U.K.
term
cheque

5.  restaurant
bill:
the bill in a restaurant or bar.
U.K.
term
bill 1 noun 2

6.  numbered
ticket for deposited item: a numbered ticket or token
given out when an item is left at a checkroom

7.  See
checkroom

8.  symbol
like a V:
a symbol like a V with a short left side and a long right side, used to
indicate approval or preference • Click
on the left mouse button. A check will appear next to the category selected.

Also
called
check mark
U.K.
term
tick 1 noun 4

9.  pattern
of squares:
a pattern made up entirely of squares in at least two different colors that are
arranged alternately.
Also
called
checker

10. square
in check pattern: a square in a pattern, in which at least
two different colors are arranged alternately • Every
third check is red.
Also
called
checker

11. CHESS move
attacking king: a move in chess by which a piece
directly threatens the opposing king, or the position resulting from this move.
The king must escape from this position to avoid checkmate. • If
you move your king there, you’ll be in check.

12. SPORTS blocking
move:
in sports, a move directly into the path of an attacking opponent
adjective

See checked
interjection

CHESS warning
that king is in check: used to announce that an
opponent’s king is in check
[14th
century. Via Old French eschec “check in chess,” a warning that an
opponent’s king is under attack, from, ultimately, Persian šāh “king”
(see shah ).]
—check·a·ble,
adjective
in
check

restrained and under control
• managing
to keep her anger in check[1]



checkbook

checkbook
check·book 
[chék bk] noun

book of bank checks:
a book of detachable checks[1]



checkbookjournalism

checkbookjournalism
check·book
jour·nal·ism noun

payment for news stories:
the payment of large sums of money to people connected with an often
sensational news event in order to obtain exclusive information for a newspaper[1]



checkbox

checkbox
check
box
(plural check box·es) noun

square clicked on to select
option: a small square on a computer
screen that, when clicked on with a mouse, displays a small cross or check to
show that an item has been selected[1]



checkdigit

checkdigit
check
dig·it
(plural check digits) noun

digit used for validation:
in computing, a digit derived from and added to the other digits in a sequence,
used to ensure that the sequence is correct[1]



checked

checked
checked 
[chekt] adjective

patterned with squares:
having a pattern of small squares • a
red-and-white checked tablecloth[1]



checker

checker
check·er 
[chékər] (plural check·ers) noun

1.  somebody
checking something: somebody who carries out a
check on something

2.  cashier:
a cashier in a supermarket or large store

3.  BOARD GAMES piece
used in game of checkers: any one of the 24 pieces
used in the game of checkers.
U.K.
term
draught

[1]



checker

checker
check·er 
[chékər] noun (plural check·ers)

1.  See
check  noun 9
See check  noun 10

2.  piece
used in checkers: a round flat piece used in the game of
checkers.
U.K.
term
draughtsman
transitive
verb
(past check·ered, past participle check·ered, present
participle check·er·ing, 3rd person present singular check·ers)

1.  mark
something with checker pattern: to mark something with
a checker pattern or with alternating areas of light and shade

2.  disrupt
continuous success of something: to affect something
adversely from time to time • regrettable
incidents that will checker his career
[12th century. Shortening of exchequer, which originally denoted the checked
chessboard in English.][1]



checkerbloom

checkerbloom
check·er·bloom 
[chékər blm] (plural check·er·blooms)
noun

Californian
perennial mallow: a wild perennial mallow found in
California with reddish-pink or purple flowers. Latin name: Sidalcea
malvaeflora
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from checker + bloom .][1]



checkerboard

checkerboard
check·er·board 
[chékər bàwrd] noun

game board:
a game board patterned with two colors of squares, usually black and red,
arranged alternately, that can be used for playing a variety of games including
checkers.
Also called
chessboard
U.K. term
chequerboard[1]



checkered

checkered
check·ered 
[chékərd] adjective

1.  See
checked

2.  uneven
or inconsistent: uneven or inconsistent, and
characterized by periods of trouble or controversy as well as periods of
success

[1]



checkeredflag

checkeredflag
check·ered
flag
(plural check·ered flags) noun

flag at finish of car race:
a flag patterned with black and white squares that is waved as each participant
in a car race crosses the finish line[1]



checkers

checkers
check·ers
[chékərz] noun

BOARD
GAMES board
game: a board game played by two
people, each using 12 pieces ( checkers ).
The object is to jump over the opponent’s pieces and remove them from the
board. (takes a singular verb)
U.K. term
draughts[1]



Checkersspeech

Checkersspeech
Check·ers
speech 
[chékərz spch] noun

POLITICS political
speech deflecting criticism: a political speech dedicated
to saving a politician’s career by diverting attention from criticism rather
than refuting it
[From Checkers, the
name of the family dog that U.S. vice-presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon
referred to in a speech in 1952, defending himself against charges of campaign
fund abuse.][1]



check-in

check-in
check-in
(plural check-ins) noun

1.  checking
in at hotel or airport: the process of registering
on arrival at a hotel or airport

2.  registration
desk:
a place where people check in at a hotel or airport

3.  somebody
checking in: somebody who is checking in, for
example, a traveler at an airport, or a guest at a hotel • Since
the flight was overbooked, the five late check-ins had to wait.

[1]



checkin

checkin
check
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb register
at hotel:
to register as a guest, or register a guest, on arrival at a hotel • Has
my colleague checked in yet?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb arrive
for trip:
to register and go through the necessary formalities before beginning a trip,
especially by air • All passengers should
check in at least one hour before departure.

3.  intransitive
verb
make
contact:
to make routine contact with a person or organization to exchange information • The
patrols are supposed to check in by radio at half-hourly intervals.

[1]



checkingaccount

checkingaccount
check·ing
ac·count 
(plural check·ing ac·counts) noun

FINANCE
bank account:
a bank account that enables you to make withdrawals or payments to other people
using checks.
U.K. term
current account[1]



checkinto

checkinto
check
into
transitive verb

investigate something:
to investigate something in order to get more information about it, or to
establish its truth or accuracy • When
we checked into his background, we found that he had several convictions for fraud.[1]



checklist

checklist
check·list 
[chék lìst] (plural check·lists)
noun

list of items:
a list of names, items, or points for consideration or action[1]



checkmark

checkmark
check
mark
(plural check marks) noun

See
check  noun 8[1]



checkmate

checkmate
check·mate 
[chék màyt] noun (plural check·mates)

1.  winning
position in chess: a move or position in chess,
in which a player’s king cannot escape check and the other player wins the
game.
Also
called
mate

2.  move
that produces checkmate: a move in chess that
produces checkmate, or a game that ends in checkmate • The
series was declared a draw with three checkmates apiece.

3.  complete
defeat:
a situation of defeat or deadlock
transitive
verb
(past check·mat·ed, past participle check·mat·ed, present
participle check·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular check·mates)

1.  put
king in checkmate: in chess, to put an
opponent’s king in checkmate

2.  thwart
somebody:
to make it impossible for somebody to succeed or proceed further
interjection

announcement of checkmate:
used in chess to announce that an opponent’s king is in checkmate
[15th century. Via Old French
eschec mat from, ultimately, Persian šāh māt “the king is dead.”][1]



checkoff

checkoff
check
off
transitive verb

go through items on list:
to mark items on a list to show that they have been dealt with.
U.K. term
tick off[1]



checkoff

checkoff
check·off 
[chék òf] noun

authorized deduction of union
dues: direct authorized deduction
of union dues from the wages of employees[1]



checkout

checkout
check
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
hotel:
to pay the bill and leave a hotel or other place • We’ll
be checking out later this morning.

2.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to leave a particular place or a person (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
die:
to die (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
investigate
something:
to establish that something is correct or valid • The
date is probably 1961. Check it out, will you?

5.  transitive
verb
evaluate
and qualify pilot: to instruct, evaluate the
performance of, and then qualify a pilot to fly a certain type of aircraft • She’s
been checked out to fly helicopters.

6.  transitive
verb
take
a look at something: to visit a place briefly to
get information about it (informal) • Let’s
check out the new pizza place on 44th Street.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
proved true: to prove after investigation to be
correct or valid • If the DNA checks out,
he’s our man.

8.  transitive
verb
withdraw:
to withdraw an item from a place and register its withdrawal, especially to
take a book or other item out of a library on loan • A
maximum of three books may be checked out.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay in
supermarket: to pay for something in a supermarket • When
I went to check out, I realized I’d left my purse in the car.

10. transitive
verb
take
money for goods at supermarket: to calculate and take
payment from a customer in a supermarket • This
person’s in a hurry, so do you mind if I check her out first?

[1]



checkout

checkout
check·out 
[chék òwt] (plural check·outs)
noun

1.  departure
from a hotel: the procedure involved in paying a hotel
bill and leaving • We’d like to arrange
for a later checkout.

2.  supermarket
pay point:
a point in a supermarket at which shoppers pay for their purchases and have
them bagged • Only
three checkouts were open.

3.  somebody
checking out: somebody who is checking out, for
example, a traveler at an airport, or a guest at a hotel • Apart
from a couple of late checkouts, everyone seemed to be ready.

4.  inspection
or test:
an inspection or test carried out to make sure that something is working
properly or is suitable for its purpose • a
preflight checkout of the plane

[1]



checkover

checkover
check
over
transitive verb

1.  examine
something:
to examine something to make sure that it is correct or satisfactory • Could
you check over my essay to make sure there are no errors, please?

2.  examine
somebody for health and fitness: to examine somebody
carefully to establish his or her state of health • I’ve
checked her over, and there are no broken bones.

[1]



checkpoint

checkpoint
check·point 
[chék pòynt] (plural check·points)
noun

place where check is carried
out: a place where police or
other officials stop and check vehicles[1]



CheckpointCharlie

CheckpointCharlie
Check·point
Char·lie
noun

Cold War security point in
Berlin: a border crossing between
East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Once situated on the
Friedrichstrasse, it has now been demolished.[1]



checkrail

checkrail
check·rail
[chék ràyl] (plural check·rails)
noun

U.K.
See guardrail  noun 2[1]



checkrein

checkrein
check·rein 
[chék ràyn] (plural check·reins)
noun

1.  RIDING short
rein for a horse: a short rein designed to prevent a horse
from lowering its head.
U.K.
term
bearing rein

2.  rein
between two horses: a rein used when driving a
pair of horses, connecting the driving rein of one horse to the mouthpiece of
the other

[1]



checkroom

checkroom
check·room 
[chék rm, chék
rm] (plural check·rooms) noun

place for depositing
belongings: a room in a public building,
for example, a theater, restaurant, train or bus station where customers can
leave belongings[1]



checksum

checksum
check·sum 
[chék sùm] (plural check·sums)
noun

COMPUT
value used to check transmitted data:
a value transmitted with a data stream, derived from the other elements in the
data stream and used to check for transmission errors in the data. If the
transmitted checksum differs from the one derived by the receiving computer, a
transmission error has probably occurred and the transmission is repeated.[1]



checkthrough

checkthrough
check
through
transitive verb

1.  examine
something:
to examine or review systematically all the parts of something to make sure
that it is satisfactory

2.  hand
in baggage for transportation: to arrange for your
baggage to be transferred automatically at interim stops on a trip or flight so
that you do not get it back until you reach your destination • Our
bags are checked through to New Delhi.

[1]



checkup

checkup
check·up 
[chék ùp] (plural check·ups) noun

medical or dental
examination: a routine examination
or inspection, especially one carried out by a doctor or dentist • Regular
checkups are required for all pilots.[1]



checkup

checkup
check
up
intransitive verb

investigate:
to make inquiries to establish a point • I
checked up: no one by that name lives at that address.[1]



checkup on

checkup on
check
up on
transitive verb

make inquiries:
to make inquiries or obtain information about somebody or something, often
secretly and usually because of suspicion or worry[1]



checkvalve

checkvalve
check
valve
(plural check valves) noun

valve allowing one-way flow:
a valve designed to allow liquids to flow in one direction only.
Also called
nonreturn valve[1]



chedarim

chedarim
ched·ar·im
[kə drim, khə
drim]

Plural of
cheder[1]



cheddar

cheddar
ched·dar 
[chéddər] (plural ched·dars) noun

type
of hard cheese: a hard pale yellow or orange-red cheese
with a flavor that ranges from mild to very sharp, depending on its maturity
[Mid-17th century. Named for
the village of Cheddar, England, where it was originally made.][1]



cheder

cheder
ched·er 
[káydər, kháydər]
(plural ched·ar·im [kə drim, khə drim] or ched·ers) noun

Jewish
religious education classes: classes in Hebrew language
and religious knowledge for younger Jewish children
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew ḥēḏer “room.”][1]



cheechako

cheechako
chee·cha·ko 
[chi chkō, chee
chákō] (plural chee·cha·kos) noun

Northwestern
U.S.,
Canada new immigrant in mining area:
in the late 19th century and early 20th century, an immigrant newly arrived in
the mining areas of northwestern North America, including Alaska and the Yukon
(dated slang)
[Late 19th century. From
Chinook jargon, literally “newcomer.”][1]



cheek

cheek
cheek 
[cheek] (plural cheeks) noun

1.  soft
part of face: the soft side area of the face between
the nose and ear

2.  buttock:
either side of the buttocks (informal)

3.  bad
manners:
impertinent or precocious words or behavior showing, or appearing to show,
disregard for good manners or the feelings of others (informal) • He
had the cheek to ask me for a ride!
[Old
English cēoce related to English choke
and cackle]
cheek
by jowl

side
by side or very close together • Antique
dolls were crammed cheek by jowl onto the shelves.

turn
the other cheek

to accept injury or insults
without resisting or retaliating[1]



cheekbone

cheekbone
cheek·bone 
[chk bn] (plural cheek·bones)
noun

bone in face over cheeks:
an arch of bone in the face, below the eyes and above the cheeks[1]



cheekpiece

cheekpiece
cheek·piece
[chk pss] (plural cheek·piec·es)
noun

strap on bridle:
either of the two straps on a bridle that lie along the cheeks of a horse and
join the bit to the crownpiece[1]



cheekpouch

cheekpouch
cheek
pouch
(plural cheek pouch·es) noun

pouch inside mouth for
storing food: a fold of skin in the
mouth of some rodents and other mammals, for example, squirrels and some
monkeys, that acts as a pouch for storing food[1]



cheektooth

cheektooth
cheek
tooth
noun

mammal tooth behind canines:
a premolar or molar of a mammal, or any one of the teeth behind the canines[1]



Cheektowaga

Cheektowaga
Cheek·to·wa·ga 
[chktə wgə]

city in northwestern New
York; an eastern suburb of Buffalo. Population: 99,561 (1996)[1]



cheeky

cheeky
cheek·y 
[chkee] (comparative cheek·i·er,
superlative cheek·i·est) adjective

U.K.
rude
and impertinent: insolently or playfully rude or
disrespectful (informal)
—cheek·i·ly,
adverb

—cheek·i·ness, noun[1]



cheep

cheep

cheep 
[cheep] noun (plural cheeps)
sound
made by young bird: the high shrill sound made
by a young bird
intransitive
verb
(past cheeped, past participle cheeped, present
participle cheep·ing, 3rd person present singular cheeps)
to
make a high shrill sound: to make a high shrill sound
characteristic of young birds
[Early 16th century.
Originally from Scots dialect, as an imitation of the sound.][1]



cheer

cheer
cheer 
[cheer] noun (plural cheers)

1.  shout
of approval: a shout that expresses happiness,
excitement, encouragement, or praise • A huge
cheer went up as the band walked onto the stage.

2.  well-being
and optimism: a sense of general well-being and
optimism • The
latest sales figures will bring little cheer.
verb
(past cheered, past participle cheered, present
participle cheer·ing, 3rd person present singular cheers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout encouragement
or support:
to shout encouragement, support, or appreciation, especially to people who are
performing or competing

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody feel cheerful: to make somebody feel more
cheerful, confident, or optimistic (often passive) • very
cheering news
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman chere “face, expression” from Latin cara,
ultimately from Greek kara “head.” The underlying meaning is “mood, as
shown in the face.”]
—cheer·er,
noun

—cheer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



cheerful

cheerful
cheer·ful 
[chrfəl] adjective

1.  happy
and optimistic: in a happy and optimistic mood, or happy
and optimistic by nature • She
remained her usual cheerful self despite recent setbacks.

2.  bright
and pleasant: causing people to feel cheerful • a
cheerful light blue

3.  willing
and unresentful: showing willingness or good humor in
complying • They
set to work cleaning up the mess with cheerful determination.
—cheer·ful·ly,
adverb

—cheer·ful·ness, noun[1]



cheerio

cheerio
cheer·i·o 
[chri ṓ] interjection

U.K.
farewell:
used to say good-bye (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of cheer .][1]



cheerleader

cheerleader
cheer·lead·er 
[chr ldər] (plural cheer·lead·ers)
noun

1.  performer
who makes crowd cheer: any of a group of uniformed
performers who encourage the crowd to support a team at sports events

2.  uncritical
enthusiast:
an uncritically enthusiastic supporter (disapproving)

[1]



cheerless

cheerless
cheer·less 
[chrləss] adjective

depressing:
lacking anything bright, pleasant, or encouraging • a
gloomy cheerless day
—cheer·less·ly,
adverb

—cheer·less·ness, noun[1]



cheeron

cheeron
cheer
on
transitive verb

support and encourage
somebody: to give active or vocal
support, especially at a sports event • We
went to cheer our team on in the championships.[1]



cheers

cheers
cheers 
[cheerz] interjection

1.  good
health:
used to express good wishes just before drinking an alcoholic drink (informal)

2.  U.K.
good
bye:
good-bye or farewell

3.  U.K.
thanks:
thank you • Cheers,
you’ve been a big help!

[1]



cheerup

cheerup
cheer
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
somebody feel less sad: to become, or make somebody
feel, less sad • She cheered up a little
when I suggested lunch.

2.  make
place brighter or more attractive: to become, or make
something, brighter or more attractive and welcoming in appearance • A
coat of bright yellow paint will cheer up the dingiest of kitchens.

[1]



cheery

cheery
cheer·y 
[chree] (comparative cheer·i·er,
superlative cheer·i·est) adjective

cheerful:
happy or in good spirits
—cheer·i·ly,
adverb

—cheer·i·ness, noun[1]



cheese

cheese
cheese
[cheez] (plural chees·es) noun

1.  solid
food made from milk: a food made from the milk of
cows, sheep, goats, and some other animals. Cheese ranges in texture from hard
to semisoft, and in flavor from mildly acidic to sharp.

2.  block
of cheese:
an individual block of cheese
[Old English cēse .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was borrowed from Latin caseus,
of unknown origin.][1]



cheeseburger

cheeseburger
cheese·burg·er 
[chz bùrgər] (plural cheese·burg·ers)
noun

hamburger covered with melted
cheese: a hamburger covered with
melted cheese, served on a bun[1]



cheesecake

cheesecake
cheese·cake 
[chz kàyk] (plural cheese·cakes)
noun

1.  dessert
made with sweetened soft cheese: a dessert consisting
of a layer of sweetened soft cheese mixed with cream and eggs on a
cracker-crumb or pastry base

2.  photographs
of attractive women: photographs of women that
highlight their physical appearance, especially in a stereotypical way (slang)

See
also
beefcake

[1]



cheesecloth

cheesecloth
cheese·cloth 
[chz klàwth, chz
klòth] (plural cheese·cloths) noun

light woven cotton material:
a light woven cotton material, originally used for wrapping or straining cheese
and now used as a material for lightweight clothes[1]



cheesecutter

cheesecutter
cheese
cut·ter
(plural cheese cut·ters) noun

board with wire for cutting
cheese: a board to which a piece of
wire is attached for cutting cheese[1]



cheeseparing

cheeseparing
cheese·par·ing
[chz pàiring] adjective

stingy:
reluctant to spend money
noun

stinginess:
reluctance to spend money
[The word originally referred
to “a paring of cheese rind,” something only the most miserly would save][1]



cheesestraw

cheesestraw
cheese
straw
(plural cheese straws) noun

cheese-flavored cracker:
a long thin cracker of cheese-flavored pastry, served as a snack[1]



cheesy

cheesy
chees·y 
[chzee] (comparative chees·i·er,
superlative chees·i·est) adjective

1.  like
cheese:
having the flavor or smell of cheese

2.  tacky:
cheap and tawdry (informal)

[1]



cheetah

cheetah
chee·tah 
[chtə] (plural chee·tahs or
chee·tah) noun

fast
African wild cat: a large member of the cat family with a
yellowish-brown, black-spotted coat, small head, slender body, and long legs,
found mainly in Africa and southwestern Asia. It is the fastest land mammal,
can reach speeds of up to 110km/h 68 mph while hunting, and is an endangered
species. Latin name: Acinonyx jubatus
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
cītā from Sanskrit citraka “leopard, tiger” (literally “spotted,
variegated”), from citra- “spotted.”][1]



Cheever,John

Cheever,John
Chee·ver 
[chvər], John (1912–1982)

U.S. writer. His novels and
short stories were frequently comedies of manners satirizing suburban life.[1]



chef

chef
chef 
[shef] (plural chefs) noun

professional
cook:
a professional cook, especially the principal cook in a hotel or restaurant
[Early 19th century. From
French, shortening of chef de cuisine “head of the kitchen.”][1]



chef-d’oeuvre

chef-d’oeuvre
chef-d’oeu·vre 
[shày d/’ovrə, shay
dúrv] (plural chefs-d’oeu·vre [shày
d/’ovrə, shay dúrv]) noun

masterpiece:
a masterpiece, especially one produced by a musician, writer, or artist (formal)
• He
regarded that particular speech as his chef-d’oeuvre.
[From French, literally
“chief piece of work”][1]



chef’ssalad

chef’ssalad
chef’s
sal·ad 
(plural chef’s sal·ads) noun

green salad with various
additions: a tossed green salad with
added tomatoes, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and thin strips of meat and cheese[1]



Chekhov,Anton Pavlovich

Chekhov,Anton Pavlovich

Che·khov
[ché kawf, ché
kawv], Anton Pavlovich (1860–1904)
Russian
writer. His plays and short stories reveal the emotional depth of ordinary
lives and include The Seagull ( 1896 ) and The Cherry Orchard (
1904 ).

—Chek·ho·vi·an [che kṓvee ən], noun, adjective[1]



chela

chela1
che·la1  [klə]
(plural che·lae [kl]) noun

claw-forming
joint on lobster: the opposable end joint that forms a
claw on a limb of a lobster, crab, scorpion, or similar animal ( arthropod )
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek khēlē “claw,” of unknown origin.][1]



chela

chela2
che·la2  [cháy
l] (plural che·las) noun

pupil
of Hindu teacher: the pupil or disciple of a Hindu
religious teacher
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
celā .][1]



chelate

chelate2
che·late2  [k
làyt] adjective

ZOOLOGY
having chelae:
having chelae, or shaped like chelae[1]



chelate

chelate1
che·late1  [k
làyt] noun (plural che·lates)

compound of metal and nonmetal:
a chemical compound in which metallic and nonmetallic, usually organic, atoms
are combined. These compounds are characterized by a ring structure in which a
metal ion is attached to two nonmetal ions by covalent bonds.
adjective

relating to chelate s:
in the form of or typical of a chelate
verb
(past che·lat·ed, past participle che·lat·ed, present
participle che·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular che·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY combine to form chelate:
to combine, or combine something, with a metal to form a chelate

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE treat
somebody with chelating agent: to treat somebody with
a chelating agent in order to remove a heavy metal, such as lead, from the
bloodstream
—che·lat·a·ble,
adjective

—che·la·tion,
noun

—che·la·tor, noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








chelatingagent

chelatingagent
che·lat·ing
a·gent
(plural che·lat·ing a·gents) noun

substance that forms a
chelate: a chemical that combines
with a metal to form a chelate. Chelating agents are often used to remove
unwanted heavy metal ions from the body, for example, in cases of metal
poisoning.[1]



chelicera

chelicera
che·lic·er·a 
[kə líssərə] (plural che·lic·er·ae
[kə líssəree]) noun

mouthpart
of arachnid: either of the first mouthparts of
horseshoe crabs and spiders, resembling fangs or pincers and used to grab or
poison prey
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, coined from chela “ chela 1 ” + Greek keras
“horn.”][1]



chelicerate

chelicerate
che·lic·er·ate
[kə líssərət, kə
líssə ràyt] (plural che·lic·er·ates) noun

invertebrate
with pincer-shaped mouthparts: an invertebrate with
feeding appendages shaped like pincers. Spiders and crabs are chelicerates .
Phylum: Chelicerata
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin chelicerata, phylum name, formed from chelicera (see
chelicera ).][1]



cheliform

cheliform
che·li·form 
[klə fàwrm] adjective

pincer-shaped:
used to describe an appendage shaped like a pincer or chela
[Late 18th century. Coined
from modern Latin chela “ chela 1 ” + -form .][1]



Chelmsford

Chelmsford
Chelms·ford
[chélmzfərd]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, southwest of Lowell and west of Billerica. Population: 33,484
(1996)[1]



chelonian

chelonian
che·lo·ni·an 
[ki lṓnee ən] (plural che·lo·ni·ans)
noun

reptile
with shell:
a reptile, such as a turtle or tortoise, that has most of its body enclosed in
a hard bony shell. Order: Chelonia
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin Chelonia, order name, from Greek khelōnē
“tortoise.”]
—che·lo·ni·an, adjective[1]



Chelsea

Chelsea
Chel·sea 
[chélsee]

city in eastern
Massachusetts, just northeast of Boston, on the Mystic River. Population:
27,608 (1996)[1]



Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk
Che·lya·binsk
[chel ybinsk]

city and capital of
Chelyabinsk Oblast, in western Russia, situated 201 km/125 mi south of
Yekaterinburg. Population: 1,143,000 (1992)[1]



chem-

chem-
chem-
prefix

See
chemo-[1]



chem.

chem.
chem.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chemical

2.  Abbreviation
of
chemist

3.  Abbreviation
of
chemistry

[1]



chemi-

chemi-
chemi-
prefix

See
chemo-[1]



chemical

chemical
chem·i·cal 
[kémmik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to chemistry: produced by or involved in the processes
of chemistry

2.  composed
of chemical s: composed of or involving the use of
chemical s
noun
(plural chem·i·cals)

substance used or made by chemistry:
a substance used in or produced by the processes of chemistry. A chemical has a
defined atomic or molecular structure that results from, or takes part in,
reactions involving changes in its structure, composition, and properties.
[Late
16th century. Formed from modern Latin chimicus “alchemist,” a
shortening of medieval Latin alchimicus, from alchimia (see alchemy ).]
—chem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



chemicalabuse

chemicalabuse
chem·i·cal
a·buse
noun

See
substance abuse[1]



chemicalbond

chemicalbond
chem·i·cal
bond
(plural chem·i·cal bonds) noun

force binding atoms into
molecules: a force resulting from the
redistribution of energy contained by orbiting electrons, which tends to bind
atoms together to form molecules[1]



chemicaldependency

chemicaldependency
chem·i·cal
de·pend·en·cy noun

drug addiction:
addiction to a chemical substance or drug[1]



chemicalengineering

chemicalengineering
chem·i·cal
en·gi·neer·ing noun

industrial
chemistry:
a branch of engineering that deals with the industrial applications of
chemistry and chemical processes
—chem·i·cal en·gi·neer,
noun[1]



chemicalequation

chemicalequation
chem·i·cal
e·qua·tion
(plural chem·i·cal e·qua·tions) noun

representation of chemical
reaction in equation: a
representation, using chemical symbols in a form resembling a mathematical
equation, of the process involved in a chemical reaction[1]



chemicalfree

chemicalfree
chem·i·cal
free 
adjective

off drugs:
not addicted to drugs or refraining from the use of drugs (informal)[1]



ChemicalMace

ChemicalMace
Chem·i·cal
Mace
Trademark

a trademark for an aerosol
used to immobilize an attacker for a brief time[1]



chemicalreaction

chemicalreaction
chem·i·cal
re·ac·tion
(plural chem·i·cal re·ac·tions) noun

process involving changes to
substances: a process that changes the
molecular composition of a substance by redistributing atoms or groups of atoms
without altering the structure of the nuclei of the atoms[1]



chemicaltoilet

chemicaltoilet
chem·i·cal
toi·let
(plural chem·i·cal toi·lets) noun

portable toilet containing
chemicals: a portable toilet containing
chemicals to neutralize human waste[1]



chemicalwarfare

chemicalwarfare
chem·i·cal
war·fare
noun

warfare using chemical
weapons: military operations
involving the use of weapons containing substances such as nerve gas or poison[1]



chemicalweapon

chemicalweapon
chem·i·cal
weap·on
(plural chem·i·cal weap·ons) noun

weapon containing harmful
chemicals: a weapon containing a
substance such as nerve gas or poison[1]



chemiluminescence

chemiluminescence
chem·i·lu·mi·nes·cence 
[kèmmi loomi néss’ns] noun

emission
of light by chemical reaction: emission of light as a
result of a chemical reaction, without producing heat
—chem·i·lu·mi·nes·cent,
adjective[1]



cheminde fer

cheminde fer
che·min
de fer 
[shə màN də fáir] noun

card
game:
a gambling card game, similar to and derived from baccarat
[From French, “railroad,” in
reference to the speed at which the game is played][1]



chemise

chemise
che·mise 
[shə mz] (plural che·mises) noun

1.  long
loose dress: a type of long loose dress, sometimes
loosely belted at the waist or hip

2.  long
loose undergarment: a long loose undergarment
shaped like a dress
[13th century. Via Old French
from late Latin camisia “shirt, nightgown” (source of English camisado ).][1]



chemisette

chemisette
chem·i·sette 
[shèmmi zét] (plural chem·i·settes)
noun

decorative
undergarment: a decorative undergarment made of lace
or other fine material, worn to fill space left at the neckline of a low-cut
dress
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “small chemise,” from chemise (see chemise ).][1]



chemisorb

chemisorb
chem·i·sorb 
[kémmi sàwrb] (past chem·i·sorbed,
past participle chem·i·sorbed, present participle chem·i·sorb·ing,
3rd person present singular chem·i·sorbs) or chem·o·sorb
[kémmə sàwrb] (past chem·o·sorbed,
past participle chem·o·sorbed, present participle chem·o·sorb·ing,
3rd person present singular chem·o·sorbs) transitive verb

take
up substance by chemisorption: to take up a substance
by chemisorption
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from chemisorption .][1]



chemisorption

chemisorption
chem·i·sorp·tion
[kemi sáwrpshən] noun

coating
and chemical bonding: the process of coating the
surface of a substance rather than being absorbed by it, accompanied by
chemical bonding between the surface of the material and the adsorbed substance
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of chemi- and adsorption .]
—chem·i·sorp·tive, adjective[1]



chemist

chemist
chem·ist 
[kémmist] (plural chem·ists) noun

1.  scientist
specializing in chemistry: a scientist who works in the
field of chemistry

2.  U.K.
See pharmacist

3.  U.K.
See drugstore
[Mid-16th century. Via French
chimiste from modern Latin chimista, a shortening of medieval
Latin alchimista “alchemist,” from alchimia (see alchemy ).][1]



chemistry

chemistry
chem·is·try 
[kémmistree] noun

1.  study
of transformation of matter: a branch of science dealing
with the structure, composition, properties, and reactive characteristics of
substances, especially at the atomic and molecular levels.
See
also
inorganic chemistry
See
also
organic chemistry
See
also
physical chemistry

2.  chemical
properties of something: the chemical composition,
structure, and properties of a substance, or the chemical aspects of an
activity • the
chemistry of wine-making

3.  reaction
between two people: the spontaneous reaction of
individuals to each other, especially a mutual sense of attraction or
understanding

[1]



chemo

chemo
che·mo 
[kmō] noun

chemotherapy:
chemotherapy (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



chemo-

chemo-
chemo- 
prefix

chemical,
chemistry • chemoreceptor
[From chemical][1]



chemokinesis

chemokinesis
che·mo·ki·ne·sis
[kmō ki nssiss, kmō
kī nssiss] noun

chemically stimulated cell
activity: increased activity of cells
or organisms caused by the presence of a chemical agent[1]



chemolithotroph

chemolithotroph
che·mo·lith·o·troph 
[kmō líthə tròf] noun

bacterium
living off inorganic compounds: a bacterium that
obtains its energy from inorganic compounds containing iron, nitrogen, or
sulfur, and not from living on decaying organisms
[Late
20th century]
—chem·o·lith·o·troph·ic
[kmō lithə tróffik], adjective[1]



chemoprophylaxis

chemoprophylaxis
che·mo·pro·phy·lax·is 
[kmō prōfə láksiss] noun

prevention
of disease using drugs: the use of chemical agents
to prevent disease
—che·mo·pro·phy·lac·tic,
adjective[1]



chemoreception

chemoreception
che·mo·re·cep·tion 
[kmō ri sépsh’n] noun

physiological
response to chemical stimulus: the physiological
response of an organism or sense organ to a chemical stimulus
—che·mo·re·cep·tive,
adjective

—che·mo·re·cep·tiv·i·ty
[kmō ri sep tívvətee], noun[1]



chemoreceptor

chemoreceptor
che·mo·re·cep·tor 
[kmō ri séptər] (plural che·mo·re·cep·tors)
noun

organ responsive to chemical
stimulus: a sense organ, for example,
a taste bud, that responds to a chemical stimulus[1]



chemosensory

chemosensory
che·mo·sen·so·ry 
[kmō sénsəree] adjective

relating to perception of
chemical agents: involved in or relating
to the perception of chemical agents, especially in the sense of smell[1]



chemosorb

chemosorb
chem·o·sorb 
transitive verb

See
chemisorb[1]



chemosphere

chemosphere
che·mo·sphere 
[kmə sfr] noun

region
of Earth’s atmosphere: a variable region of the
atmosphere, approximately 30 to 190 km20 to 120 mi above the Earth’s surface,
where photochemical reactions take place
—che·mo·spher·ic [kmə sférrik], adjective[1]



chemostat

chemostat
che·mo·stat
[kmō stàt] (plural che·mo·stats)
noun

bacterial
culturing device: an apparatus designed to permit the
growth of bacterial cultures at controlled rates
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chemo-, on the model of thermostat
.][1]



chemosurgery

chemosurgery
che·mo·sur·ger·y 
[kmō sùrjəree] noun

chemical
removal of tissue: surgical removal of dead or
diseased tissue by chemical means
—che·mo·sur·gi·cal, adjective[1]



chemosynthesis

chemosynthesis
che·mo·syn·the·sis 
[kmō sínthəssiss] noun

making
of organic compounds: the synthesis of organic
molecules by an organism using energy derived from chemical reactions, for
example, the synthesis of carbohydrates by bacteria
—che·mo·syn·thet·ic
[kmō sin théttik], adjective

—che·mo·syn·thet·i·cal·ly
[kmō sin théttikəlee], adverb[1]



chemotaxis

chemotaxis
che·mo·tax·is 
[kmō táksiss] noun

cell
movement caused by chemical stimulus:
movement or change in the position of a cell or organism in response to the
presence of a chemical agent
—che·mo·tac·tic,
adjective

—che·mo·tac·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



chemotaxonomy

chemotaxonomy
che·mo·tax·on·o·my 
[kmō tak sónnəmee] noun

classification
by biochemical composition: the identification and
classification of plants and animals based on their biochemical composition
—che·mo·tax·o·nom·ic
[kmō taksə nómmik], adjective

—chemo·tax·o·nom·i·cal·ly
[kmō táksə nómmikəlee], adverb

—che·mo·tax·on·o·mist
[kmō tak sónnəmist], noun[1]



chemotherapy

chemotherapy
che·mo·ther·a·py 
[kmō thérrəpee] (plural che·mo·ther·a·pies)
noun

treatment
using chemicals: the use of chemical agents to treat
diseases, infections, or other disorders, especially cancer
—che·mo·ther·a·peu·tic
[kmō therrə pytik], adjective

—che·mo·ther·a·peu·ti·cal·ly
[kmō thérrə pytikəlee], adverb

—che·mo·ther·a·pist [kmō thérrəpist], noun[1]



chemotropism

chemotropism
che·mot·ro·pism 
[ki móttrə pìzzəm] noun

reaction
of organism to chemical stimulus: the movement or growth
of an organism or part of an organism in response to a chemical stimulus
—che·mo·trop·ic
[kmō tróppik], adjective

—che·mo·trop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



chemurgy

chemurgy
chem·ur·gy 
[kémmərjee] noun

chemistry
using agricultural materials: a branch of applied
chemistry dealing with the industrial application of organic substances,
especially of agricultural origin
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from chemical, on the model
of “metallurgy.”]
—che·mur·gic
[kə múrjik], adjective

—che·mur·gi·cal, adjective[1]



chemzyme

chemzyme
chem·zyme 
[kém zm] noun

chemical
functioning like enzyme: a substance that is a
chemical but acts like an enzyme, often used to increase the effectiveness of a
drug by accelerating its action
[Late 20th century. Blend of chemo- and enzyme
.][1]



Chen

Chen
Chen
[chen] noun

Chinese dynasty:
a Chinese dynasty that ruled from AD
557 to 589[1]



Chengde

Chengde
Cheng·de
[chùng dú] or Ch’eng-te [chùng dú]

city and capital of the
former Jehol Province, now Hebei Province, in northeastern China, situated on
the Luan River, approximately 177 km110 mi northeast of Beijing. Population:
365,519 (1990)[1]



Chengdu

Chengdu
Cheng·du 
[chùng d]

provincial capital, situated
northwest of Chongqing, in Sichuan, China. Population: 2,810,000 (1991)[1]



chenille

chenille
che·nille 
[shə nl] (plural che·nilles) noun

1.  soft
thick cotton or silk fabric: a soft thick fabric, usually
made of cotton or silk with a raised pile, that is used to make furnishings and
clothes

2.  thick
silk, cotton, or worsted cord: a thick cord or yarn
of silk, cotton, or worsted cord, used in embroidery and for fringes and
trimmings
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, literally “hairy caterpillar,” from Latin canicula, literally
“little dog,” from canis “dog” (see canine
).][1]



CheninBlanc

CheninBlanc
Che·nin
Blanc 
[shènnin blngk] noun

variety
of grape:
a variety of white grape used for making light dry wine, especially in the
Loire region of France
[From French][1]



Chennault,Claire Lee

Chennault,Claire Lee
Chen·nault 
[shə náwlt], Claire Lee (1890–1958)

U.S. air force general. He
retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1937 and formed the Flying Tigers.[1]



cheongsam

cheongsam
che·ong·sam 
[chòng sm] (plural che·ong·sams)
noun

Chinese
dress:
a straight dress with a small stand-up collar and a slit in the skirt, worn by
Chinese women
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) (equivalent to Mandarin chángshān ), literally “long
gown.”][1]



cheque

cheque
cheque 
[chek] (plural cheques) noun

U.K.
See check  noun 4
[Early 18th century. Variant
of check, under the influence of exchequer
.][1]



chequebook

chequebook
cheque·book
noun

U.K. =
checkbook[1]



chequerboard

chequerboard
che·quer·board
(plural che·quer·boards) noun

U.K.
See checkerboard[1]



Chequers

Chequers
Cheq·uers
[chékərz] noun

British Prime Minister’s
country house: a country house in
Buckinghamshire, in central southern England, that is the official country
residence of the British Prime Minister[1]



Cher

Cher
Cher 
[shair] (1946– )

U.S.
entertainer. She turned to acting after a successful singing career and won an
Academy Award for Moonstruck ( 1987 ).
Full name
LaPierre, Cherilyn[1]



Cherbourg

Cherbourg
Cher·bourg 
[sháir brg]

city and port on the English
Channel in the Manche Department of the Basse-Normandie Region, in northwestern
France. Population: 28,773 (1990)[1]



cherem

cherem
che·rem
[khérrəm, kháyrəm]
or he·rem [khérrəm, kháyrəm] noun

type
of Jewish excommunication: in former times, a form of
Jewish excommunication involving the separation of an individual from the rest
of the Jewish community for a limited period of time
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew ḥērem, from ḥāram “to curse.”][1]



Cheremis

Cheremis
Cher·em·is
[chèrrə míss, chérrəmiss]
noun adjective

LANGUAGE
See Mari[1]



cherimoya

cherimoya
cher·i·moy·a 
[chèrri móyə] (plural cher·i·moy·as
or cher·i·moy·a) noun

1.  TREES tropical
tree with heart-shaped fruit: a tropical American tree of
the custard apple family that has aromatic leaves, fragrant flowers, and edible
fruit. Latin name: Annona cherimola

2.  FOOD fruit
of cherimoya tree: the heart-shaped fruit of
the cherimoya tree, which has green skin turning purple-black when ripe and
creamy-white scented flesh
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua chirimuya, from chiri “cold, refreshing” + muya
“circle.”][1]



cherish

cherish
cher·ish 
[chérrish] (past cher·ished, past
participle cher·ished, present participle cher·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular cher·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  love
and care for somebody: to feel or show great love
or care for somebody • He cherishes
that girl.

2.  value
something highly: to value something highly, for example,
as a right, freedom, or privilege • I
cherish my independence.

3.  retain
in the mind: to retain a memory or wish in the mind
as a source of pleasure or as an ambition
[14th
century. From French chériss-, the stem of chérir “to hold dear,”
from cher “dear,” from Latin carus (see charity
).]
—cher·ish·a·ble,
adjective

—cher·ish·er,
noun

—cher·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Chernenko,Konstantin

Chernenko,Konstantin
Cher·nen·ko
[chər nyéngkō], Konstantin (1911–1985)

Soviet political leader. A
long-time political ally of Leonid Brezhnev, he became general secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1984–1985).[1]



Chernobyl

Chernobyl
Cher·no·byl 
[chər nṓb’l] (plural Cher·no·byls)
noun

site of nuclear power plant
disaster: the site of a nuclear power
plant near Kiev, in Ukraine, where there was a catastrophic accident in 1986[1]



chernozem

chernozem
cher·no·zem 
[chùrnə zém] noun

black
topsoil:
fertile black or brown topsoil that is rich in humus and can support crops for
long periods of time without the addition of fertilizers. It covers a large
proportion of the Eurasian steppe, as well as a belt of land stretching from
Saskatchewan in Canada through North Dakota into Texas.
[Mid-19th
century. From Russian, literally “black earth.”]
—cher·no·zem·ic, adjective[1]



Cherokee

Cherokee
Cher·o·kee 
[chérrəkee] (plural Cher·o·kee
or Cher·o·kees) noun

1.  member
of Native American people of South: a
member of a Native American people who originally occupied lands in
southeastern parts of the United States and now live mainly in Oklahoma and
North Carolina. The Cherokee were one of the Five Civilized Nations who, under
the Removal Act of 1830, were sent to live on reservations in Oklahoma.

2.  Cherokee
language:
the Iroquoian language of the Cherokee people. Cherokee is spoken by about
10,000 people.
[Late
17th century. From Cherokee tsalaki (earlier tsaraki ).]
—Cher·o·kee, adjective[1]



Cherokeerose

Cherokeerose
Cher·o·kee
rose
(plural Cher·o·kee roses) noun

climbing rose:
a climbing evergreen rose with white flowers that is native to China and grows
in the southeastern United States. Latin name: Rosa laevigata[1]



CherokeeStrip

CherokeeStrip
Cher·o·kee
Strip
noun

former Cherokee land in
northern Oklahoma: an area of
land in northern Oklahoma, purchased from the Cherokee people by the U.S.
government in 1891 and made available for settlement in 1893[1]



cheroot

cheroot
che·root 
[shə rt] (plural che·roots) noun

type
of cigar:
a cigar with two square-cut ends
[Late 17th century. Via
French cheroute from Tamil curuu “roll of tobacco.”][1]



cherry

cherry

cher·ry 
[chérree] noun (plural cher·ries)

1.  TREES fruit
tree:
a common fruit tree or shrub that bears a small edible fruit in clusters with
long thin stalks. Varieties include the sweet cherry, sour cherry, and
chokecherry. Genus: Prunus

2.  FOOD fruit
of cherry tree: the small round fruit of the cherry
tree, which has a single hard pit and varies in color from bright red or yellow
to dark purplish black

3.  INDUSTRY wood
of cherry tree: the wood of the cherry tree, much valued
as material for furniture and musical instruments.
Also
called
cherrywood

4.  taboo
term:
taboo term for somebody’s virginity, or the hymen as a symbol of a woman’s
virginity (slang taboo)
adjective

1.  Midwestern
U.S.
excellent:
used to describe something that is an excellent example of its kind (slang)
• a
totally cherry motorcycle

2.  See
cherry red
[14th century. Via Old
Northern French cherise (mistaken for a plural) from medieval Latin ceresia,
ultimately from Greek kerasos “cherry tree.”][1]



cherrybomb

cherrybomb
cher·ry
bomb
(plural cher·ry bombs) noun

powerful firecracker:
a powerful round red firecracker that explodes with a loud bang[1]



CherryHill

CherryHill
Cher·ry
Hill
[chèrree híl]

town in southwestern New
Jersey, east of Camden and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Population: 68,982
(1996)[1]



cherrylaurel

cherrylaurel
cher·ry
lau·rel
noun

evergreen shrub:
an evergreen Eurasian shrub cultivated for its white flowers and shiny leaves.
Latin name: Prunus laurocerasus[1]



cherry-pick

cherry-pick
cher·ry-pick
(past cher·ry-picked, past participle cher·ry-picked,
present participle cher·ry-pick·ing, 3rd person present
singular cher·ry-picks) intransitive and transitive verb

select only the best:
to select only the most lucrative or profitable opportunities, especially in
business (disapproving)[1]



cherrypicker

cherrypicker
cher·ry
pick·er
(plural cher·ry pick·ers) noun

mobile crane:
a mobile crane with an enclosed platform that can be raised to allow somebody
to work off the ground, for example, on an overhead streetlight or wire[1]



cherryplum

cherryplum
cher·ry
plum
noun

plum tree with small fruits:
a deciduous Eurasian plum tree that produces red or yellow fruit resembling
cherries. Latin name: Prunus cerasifera
Also called
myrobalan[1]



cherryred

cherryred
cher·ry
red
adjective

of
deep red hue: of a deep vivid red color tinged with
pink
—cher·ry red, noun[1]



cherrystone

cherrystone
cher·ry·stone 
[chérri stn] (plural cher·ry·stones)
noun

young quahog clam:
a half-grown quahog clam[1]



cherrytomato

cherrytomato
cher·ry
to·ma·to
noun

small
tomato:
a small tomato with a strong sweet flavor. Latin name: Lycopersicon
esculentum
[So called because of its
size and sweetness][1]



cherrywood

cherrywood
cher·ry·wood
[chérri wd] noun

See
cherry  noun 3[1]



chersonese

chersonese
cher·so·nese 
[kùrsə nz, kùrsə
nss] (plural cher·so·neses) noun

peninsula:
a peninsula (literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin chersonesus from Greek khersonēsos, from khersos
“dry land” + nēsos “island.”][1]



chert

chert
chert 
[churt] noun

type
of silica:
a granular type of silica, usually found as bands of pebbles in sedimentary
rock. It consists of microcrystalline quartz similar to flint, but more
brittle. SiO2
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—chert·y, adjective[1]



cherub

cherub
cher·ub 
[chérrəb] (plural cher·ubs) noun

1.  (plural
cher·u·bim or cher·ubs) CHRISTIANITY
angel
of second order: an angel, specifically one belonging to
the second order of angels in the celestial hierarchy whose distinctive
attribute is knowledge

2.  ARTS depiction
of angel:
an angel depicted as a chubby-faced child with wings, sometimes simply as a
child’s head above a pair of wings
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin cherub
and Greek kheroub from Hebrew kěrū probably of Akkadian origin,
but later mistakenly connected with Aramaic kě-rayā “like a child.”][1]



cherubic

cherubic
che·ru·bic 
[chə rbik] adjective

angelic:
like a cherub in appearance or demeanor, especially in being sweet, innocent,
often chubby-cheeked, and extremely well-behaved
—che·ru·bi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



chervil

chervil
cher·vil 
[chúrvəl] noun

1.  leafy
herb:
an herb cultivated for its leaves, which have a mild flavor of aniseed and
resemble parsley. It is used to season and garnish food. Latin name: Anthriscus
cerefolium

2.  plant
related to chervil: any plant related or similar
to true chervil. Genera: Anthriscus Chaerophyllum
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin chaerephyllum
from Greek khairephullon, perhaps from khairein “to delight in” +
phullon “leaf.”][1]



Chesapeake

Chesapeake
Ches·a·peake 
[chéssa pk]

city in Virginia, south of
Norfolk and Hampton, and east of the Great Dismal Swamp. Population: 192,342
(1996)[1]



ChesapeakeBay

ChesapeakeBay
Ches·a·peake
Bay

largest inlet of the Atlantic
Ocean on the East Coast of the United States, bounded by Virginia and Maryland.
Area: 8,365 sq km/3,320 sq mi.[1]



ChesapeakeBay retriever

ChesapeakeBay retriever
Ches·a·peake
Bay re·triev·er (plural Ches·a·peake Bay
re·triev·ers) noun

hunting
dog:
a hunting dog belonging to a breed developed in the United States that has a
thick short wavy coat from dark brown to tan in color. It is trained to
retrieve game from water.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Chesapeake Bay, where the breed was
developed.][1]



Cheshire

Cheshire1
Chesh·ire1  [chéshər]
(plural Chesh·ires) noun

crumbly cheese:
a mild crumbly cheese that is usually white but sometimes red, originally made
in Cheshire, England[1]



Cheshire

Cheshire2
Chesh·ire2 [chéshər]

city in southern Connecticut,
southeast of Waterbury. Population: 26,067 (1996)[1]



Cheshirecat

Cheshirecat
Chesh·ire
cat
noun

cat from Alice in Wonderland:
the cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, whose broad
grin remained suspended in the air after the cat itself had disappeared[1]



Cheshvan

Cheshvan
Chesh·van 
[késhvən, khéshvən]
(plural Chesh·vans) or Hesh·van [késhvən, khéshvən]
(plural Hesh·vans) noun

8th month of Jewish calendar:
in the Jewish calendar, the eighth month of the year, consisting of 29 or 30
days and roughly corresponding to the Gregorian October to November[1]



chess

chess3
chess3 [chess]
noun

bromegrass:
any one of several types of weedy bromegrass, especially an annual plant. Latin
name: Bromus secanilus
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



chess

chess1

chess1 [chess]
noun
board
game:
a game played on a checkered board by two players, each with 16 pieces
representing a king and his attendants. The object is to capture ( checkmate ) the opponent’s king. Each player
begins with a king, a queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks or castles,
and eight pawns.
[12th century. Shortening of
Old French esches, plural of eschec “check!” (see check ).][1]



chess

chess2
chess2 [chess]
(plural chess·es) noun

floorboard
of pontoon bridge: a deck board or floorboard
of a pontoon bridge
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French chasse “frame” from Latin capsa
“box” (see capsule ).][1]



chessboard

chessboard
chess·board 
[chéss bàwrd] (plural chess·boards)
noun

board used for chess or
checkers: a square board divided into
64 alternate light and dark squares, used for playing chess or checkers. The
eight vertical rows of squares are called files, the eight horizontal rows are
called ranks, and the squares that stretch diagonally across the board are
called diagonals.[1]



chessman

chessman
chess·man 
[chéss màn] (plural chess·men
[chéss mèn]) noun

piece used in chess:
any of the 32 pieces used in a game of chess.
Also called
chesspiece[1]



chesspie

chesspie
chess
pie
(plural chess pies) noun

rich
pie:
a pie filled with a rich mixture of eggs, butter, and sugar, often further
flavored and baked
[Chess is perhaps an
alteration of chest][1]



chesspiece

chesspiece
chess·piece
[chéss pss] (plural chess·pieces)
noun

See
chessman[1]



chessylite

chessylite
ches·sy·lite 
[chéssi lt] noun

MINERALS See azurite
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Chessy, near Lyons in France.][1]



chest

chest
chest 
[chest] (plural chests) noun

1.  upper
part of body: the upper part of the body below the
neck and above the stomach, covering the ribs and the organs that the ribs
enclose

2.  front
part of body: the front part of the body of a person
or animal extending from the neck to the stomach • the
dog had a deep chest

3.  strong
rectangular box: a strong rectangular box, usually with a
lid and sometimes a lock, used for storage or transport
[Old
English cest (related to Dutch kist “coffin” and German Kiste
“box”). From a prehistoric West Germanic word borrowed from Latin cista,
from Greek kistē “basket.”]
—chest·ful
[chéstfəl], noun
get
something off your chest

to talk openly about
something that has been making you feel guilty, embarrassed, worried, or angry,
especially when talking about it helps to reduce or remove those feelings[1]



Chester

Chester
Ches·ter 
[chéstər]

city and port in southeastern
Pennsylvania, south of Philadelphia, on the Delaware River. Population: 40,660
(1996)[1]



Chesterfield

Chesterfield
Ches·ter·field 
[chéstər fld]

city in eastern Missouri, on
the Missouri River; a western suburb of St. Louis. Population: 45,490 (1996)[1]



chesterfield

chesterfield
ches·ter·field 
[chéstər fld] (plural ches·ter·fields)
noun

1.  Northwestern
U.S.
sofa:
a large sofa with upright armrests at the same height as the back, usually
upholstered in leather and with a rolled-over outward curve along the top

2.  Canada
couch:
any upholstered couch or sofa with back and arms

3.  overcoat:
a style of overcoat, usually with concealed buttons and a velvet collar
[Mid-19th century. Named for
a 19th century earl of Chesterfield .][1]



ChesterWhite

ChesterWhite
Ches·ter
White
(plural Ches·ter Whites) noun

droop-eared
hog:
a large white droop-eared hog belonging to a breed developed in Pennsylvania
[Mid-19th century. Named for Chester
County, Pennsylvania.][1]



chestnut

chestnut

chest·nut 
[chés nùt] noun (plural chest·nuts)

1.  (plural
chest·nuts or chest·nut) TREES
tree
with prickly fruit: a tree or shrub with long
toothed leaves, which bears edible nuts in a prickly burr and is found in North
America, Europe, Japan, and China. Genus: Castanea
Also
called
Spanish chestnut
See
also
water chestnut
See
also
American chestnut

2.  FOOD edible
nut:
the edible nut of the chestnut tree, which grows inside a prickly burr and has
a glossy brown skin.
Also
called
Spanish chestnut

3.  INDUSTRY wood:
the coarse-grained durable wood of a chestnut tree

4.  reddish-brown
horse:
a horse with a reddish-brown color

5.  ANATOMY callus
on horse’s leg: a small hard callus found in several
places on the inner surface of a horse’s leg. Chestnuts are thought to be
vestigial toes.

6.  deep
brown color: a deep reddish-brown color

7.  stale
joke or story: a joke or story that has lost its impact
through overuse (informal)
adjective

COLORS of
deep brown color: of a deep reddish brown color
[Early 16th century. Formed
from earlier chesten, via Old French chastaine from Latin castanea
(see castanet ).][1]



chestnutblight

chestnutblight
chest·nut
blight
noun

fungal disease that kills
chestnut trees: a disease with no known
cure that kills chestnut trees and is especially destructive to North American
chestnuts. It is caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica and was
probably imported from Asia into the United States in the early 20th century.[1]



chestnutoak

chestnutoak
chest·nut
oak
noun

1.  N
American oak tree: any North American deciduous
oak tree whose leaves resemble those of the chestnut, especially one found in
eastern North America that has shiny yellow leaves. Latin name: Quercus
prinus

2.  See
chinquapin oak

[1]



chestof drawers

chestof drawers
chest
of draw·ers
(plural chests of draw·ers) noun

cabinet containing drawers:
a piece of furniture consisting of a set of drawers in a wooden frame with a
flat top, used for storing clothes[1]



chestvoice

chestvoice
chest
voice
(plural chest voic·es) noun

lowest register of voice:
the lowest register of somebody’s speaking or singing voice[1]



chesty

chesty
chest·y 
[chéstee] (comparative chest·i·er,
superlative chest·i·est) adjective

1.  with
large chest: having a well-developed chest (informal)

2.  conceited:
extremely arrogant and conceited (informal)

3.  U.K.
having
phlegm in the lungs: showing the effects of a
chest complaint, such as phlegm in the lungs
—chest·i·ness, noun[1]



Chetnik

Chetnik
Chet·nik
[chétnik] (plural Chet·niks or
Cet·niks) noun

Serbian
nationalist: a Serbian nationalist who was part of a
group who fought the Turks before World War I, and was involved in guerrilla
warfare in World War I and World War II
[Early 20th century. From
Serbo-Croat četnik, from četa “band, troop.”][1]



chetrum

chetrum
chet·rum 
[chét rm] (plural chet·rum or
chet·rums) noun

1.  unit
of currency in Bhutan: a subunit of currency in
Bhutan

2.  coin
worth one chetrum: a coin worth one chetrum
[Late 20th century. From
Tibetan .][1]



cheval-de-frise

cheval-de-frise
che·val-de-frise 
[shə vàl də frz] (plural che·vaux-de-frise
[shə v də frz]) noun

1.  obstacle
made of barbed wire: an obstacle consisting of
barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame, used to block an advancing
enemy force

2.  glass
or spikes topping wall: a line of jagged glass,
nails, or spikes set into masonry on top of a wall to deter intruders
[From French, literally
“horse of Friesland,” in ironic reference to its use by the Friesians, who
lacked cavalry, during the siege of Groningen in 1594][1]



chevalet

chevalet
che·val·et 
[shə vá lày, shèvvə
láy] (plural che·val·ets) noun

bridge
of instrument: the bridge of a bowed musical instrument
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “small horse,” from cheval “horse,” from Latin caballus
(source of English cavalier and chivalry ).][1]



chevalglass

chevalglass
che·val
glass 
[shə vál glàss] (plural che·val
glass·es) noun

long
mirror:
a long mirror that is mounted in a frame so that it can be tilted
[From French cheval
“frame,” literally “horse”][1]



chevalier

chevalier
chev·a·lier
[shə vállee ày] (plural chev·a·liers)
noun

1.  French
title of honor: used as the title of members of the
French Legion of Honor and of other orders

2.  French
knight or nobleman: a French knight or nobleman
of the lowest rank
[14th century. Via French
from medieval Latin caballarius, from Latin caballus “horse”
(source of English cavalcade, cavalier, and cavalry
).][1]



chevaux-de-frise

chevaux-de-frise
che·vaux-de-frise


Plural of
cheval-de-frise[1]



chevet

chevet
che·vet 
[chə váy] (plural che·vets) noun

structures
at eastern end of church: a complex of elaborate
architectural structures at the eastern end of a church, especially a French
Gothic church, usually consisting of a semicircular or polygonal apse with
radiating chapels and many buttresses
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “pillow.”][1]



chevron

chevron

chev·ron 
[shévvrən] (plural chev·rons) noun

1.  V-shaped
symbol:
a V-shaped symbol, especially one used as a sign of rank on military or police
uniforms

2.  HERALDRY heraldic
ornament:
a heraldic ornament in the form of a wide inverted V-shape
[14th century. Via French,
“rafter,” from, ultimately, Latin caper “goat” (source of English caper 2 and chèvre ).][1]



chevrotain

chevrotain
chev·ro·tain 
[shévvrə tàyn] (plural chev·ro·tains
or chev·ro·tain) noun

small
hornless animal like a deer: a small ruminant animal
similar to a deer, native to the rain forests of west central Africa and
Southeast Asia. It is hornless and the male has projecting canine teeth.
Family: Tragulidae
Also
called
mouse deer
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “small goat, kid,” from chèvre (see chèvre ).][1]



chevy

chevy
chev·y
[chévvee] verb

See
chivvy[1]



ChevyChase

ChevyChase
Chev·y
Chase 
[chèvvi cháyss]

town in Maryland, west of
Washington, D.C., on the eastern bank of the Potomac River. Population: 2,218
(1996)[1]



chew

chew
chew 
[choo] verb (past chewed,
past participle chewed, present participle chew·ing,
3rd person present singular chews)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grind
up food before swallowing: to grind up food or other
material with the action of the teeth and jaws

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
something by biting: to gnaw at something
repeatedly, usually causing damage • chewing
her nails

3.  intransitive
verb
chew
tobacco:
to bite into and chew tobacco
noun
(plural chews)

1.  candy:
a candy with a firm texture, which must be chewed before being swallowed • chocolate
chews

2.  piece
of chewing tobacco: a piece of dried tobacco for
chewing
[Old
English cēowan, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—chew·a·ble,
adjective

—chew·er, noun[1]



Chewa

Chewa
Che·wa 
[cháy w] noun

Bantu
language:
a language spoken in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, and belonging to the Bantu
group of Niger-Congo languages. There are over eight million Chewa speakers.
Also
called
Chichewa
Also
called
Nyanja
—Che·wa, adjective[1]



chewinggum

chewinggum
chew·ing
gum 
(plural hew·ing gums) noun

substance for chewing:
a sweet flavored substance that is chewed but not swallowed. The elastic
ingredient in chewing gum used to be chicle from the sapodilla tree, but
synthetic equivalents are now commonly used. • a
stick of chewing gum.
See also
bubble gum[1]



chewinglouse

chewinglouse
chew·ing
louse
noun

See
biting louse[1]



chewout

chewout
chew
out
transitive verb

tell somebody off:
to tell somebody off for doing something wrong (informal) • Dad
chewed me out because I forgot to take out the garbage.[1]



chewover

chewover
chew
over
transitive verb

think about or discuss
something: to think about or discuss
something over a period of time • We
chewed the problem over for a couple of days before coming to a decision.[1]



chewup

chewup
chew
up
transitive verb

1.  damage
or destroy something: to damage or destroy
something, especially by passing it through machinery (informal) • I’m
afraid the machine chewed up your tape.

2.  destroy
something by biting: to destroy something by
biting or chewing it

[1]



chewy

chewy
chew·y 
[chee] (comparative chew·i·er,
superlative chew·i·est) adjective

requiring
chewing:
having a consistency or texture that requires chewing
—chewi·ness, noun[1]



Cheyenne

Cheyenne1
Chey·enne1  [shī
án] (plural Chey·enne or Chey·ennes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied lands in western parts of the Great
Plains and now live mainly in Oklahoma and Montana. The Cheyenne, along with
the Sioux, were instrumental in the defeat of Custer and his forces at the Battle
of Little Bighorn.

2.  LANGUAGE Cheyenne
language:
the Algonquian language of the Cheyenne people. Cheyenne is spoken by about
2,000 people.
[Late
18th century. Via Canadian French from Dakota šahíyena .]
—Chey·enne, adjective[1]



Cheyenne

Cheyenne2
Chey·enne2  [shī
án]

1.  river
that rises in eastern Wyoming and flows eastward into South Dakota, where it
joins the Missouri River. Length: 848 km/527 mi.

2.  city,
capital of Wyoming, and county seat of Laramie County, situated in southeastern
Wyoming 16 km/10 mi north of the border with Colorado. Population: 53,729
(1996)

[1]



Cheyne-Stokesrespiration

Cheyne-Stokesrespiration
Cheyne-Stokes
res·pi·ra·tion  [chàyn stṓks
respə ràysh’n] noun

abnormal
shallow and heavy breathing: an abnormal breathing
pattern marked by shallow breathing alternating with periods of rapid heavy
breathing, observed especially in comatose patients and often indicating
impending death
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Scottish physician, John Cheyne ( 1777–1836 ) and the Irish
physician, William Stokes ( 1804–1878 ).][1]



chez

chez
chez 
[shay] preposition

at
somebody’s house or work: at somebody’s home or
business premises, especially a restaurant
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin casa “cottage” (source of casino, and chasuble
).][1]



chg.

chg.
chg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
change

2.  Abbreviation
of
charge

[1]



chi

chi1
chi1  [kī]
(plural chis) noun

22nd
letter of Greek alphabet: the 22nd letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in English as “ch” or “kh”
[15th century. From Greek khi
.][1]



chi

chi2
chi2  [chee]
or ch’i [chee] or Chi
[chee] or Ch’i [chee] or qi [chee] or Qi [chee]
noun

energy
of life:
in Chinese medicine and philosophy, the energy or life force of the universe,
believed to flow round the body and to be present in all living things. The
manipulation of chi is the basis of acupuncture and Chinese martial arts.
[From Chinese qì,
“air, breath”][1]



ChiangChing-kuo

ChiangChing-kuo
Chiang
Ching-kuo
[chàng ching kwṓ] (1910–1988)

Taiwanese political leader.
He was president of Taiwan (1978–1988) and initiated many economic, social, and
political reforms.[1]



ChiangKai-shek

ChiangKai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek 
[chàng kī shék] (1887–1975)
Chinese military leader and statesman. He
helped to overthrow the imperial government (1912) and developed Taiwan’s
economy as its president (1949–1975).[1]



Chianti

Chianti
Chi·an·ti 
[kee ntee] or chi·an·ti [kee ntee] noun

light
Italian red wine: a light Italian red wine produced mainly
from the Sangiovese grape in Tuscany in northwestern Italy
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Chianti Mountains in Tuscany.][1]



Chiapas

Chiapas
Chi·a·pas
[chee pəss]

state in southeastern Mexico.
Capital: Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Population: 3,654,000 (1993) Area: 73,887 sq
km/28,528 sq mi.[1]



chiaroscuro

chiaroscuro
chi·a·ro·scu·ro 
[kee rə skr ō] noun

artistic
use of light and shade: the use of light and shade
in paintings and drawings, or the effect produced by this.
Also
called
claire-obscure
[Mid-17th
century. From Italian, literally “bright-dark,” from chiaro “bright,
clear” + oscuro “dark.”]
—chi·a·ro·scu·rism,
noun

—chi·a·ro·scu·rist, noun[1]



chiasma

chiasma
chi·as·ma 
[kī ázmə] (plural chi·as·mas or
chi·as·ma·ta [kī ázmətə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY crossing
over of body parts: any crossing over of
biological tissue, for example, the intersection of the optic nerves

2.  GENETICS crossing
point of chromosome parts: the point at which two
chromatids join during the fusion and exchange of genetic material (
crossing-over ) in cell division
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek khiasma “crosspiece,” from khiazein
“to mark with an X,” from khi “the letter chi.”]
—chi·as·mal,
adjective

—chi·as·mic, adjective[1]



chiasmus

chiasmus
chi·as·mus 
[kī ázməss] (plural chi·as·mi
[kī áz m]) noun

inverted
word order in phrase: a rhetorical construction in
which the order of the words in the second of two paired phrases is the reverse
of the order in the first. An example is “gray was the morn, all things were
gray.”
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek khiasmos, from khiazein (see chiasma ).][1]



chiastolite

chiastolite
chi·as·to·lite 
[kī ástə lt] noun

variety
of andalusite: a variety of the mineral andalusite that
contains carbon impurities arranged in an X-shape.
Also
called
macle
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek khiastos “marked with an X” (the past participle of khiazein
; see chiasma ) + -lite
.][1]



Chiba

Chiba
Chi·ba 
[ch b]

capital city of Chiba
Prefecture, situated on the eastern shore of Tokyo Bay in Honshu, Japan.
Population: 839,000 (1994)[1]



Chibcha

Chibcha
Chib·cha 
[chíbchə] (plural Chib·cha or
Chib·chas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of extinct S American people: a member of an extinct
Native South American people who lived in the Andes Mountains in the center of
Colombia. The Chibcha died out following their defeat by the Spanish
conquistador, Gonzalo Jeménez de Quesada, in the 1530s.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Chibcha:
the extinct Chibchan language of the Chibcha
[Early 19th century. Via
American Spanish from Chibcha zipa “chief, hereditary leader.”][1]



Chibchan

Chibchan
Chib·chan 
[chíbchən] (plural Chib·chan or
Chib·chans) noun

1.  group
of Native Central American languages: a
group of Native Central American languages spoken in Colombia and Panama. About
100,000 people speak a Chibchan language.

2.  somebody
who speaks Chibchan language: a member of any of the
peoples who speak a language belonging to the Chibchan group
—Chib·chan, adjective[1]



Chibougamau

Chibougamau
Chi·bou·gam·au
[shi bgə m]

town in Abitibi County,
southwestern Quebec, Canada, situated 241 km150 mi northwest of Roberval.
Population: 8,855 (1991)[1]



chic

chic
chic 
[sheek] adjective

stylish:
stylish and elegant
noun

style:
fashionable style or elegance
[Mid-19th
century. From French, of uncertain origin: probably from German Schick
“skill, elegance.”]
—chic·ness, noun[1]



Chicago

Chicago

Chi·ca·go 
[shi kgō]

1.  city
and port in northeastern Illinois, situated on Lake Michigan. It is the third
largest city in the United States. Population: 2,731,743 (1994)

2.  short
river in Chicago, Illinois, formed in the city by the confluence of the South
Branch. Length: 16 km/10 mi.
—Chi·ca·go·an (plural
Chi·ca·go·ans), noun, adjective[1]



Chicago




Back to definition

Chicago

[1]



ChicagoBoard of Trade

ChicagoBoard of Trade
Chi·ca·go
Board of Trade noun

futures exchange:
a major commodities exchange in Chicago that deals in grain and metal futures[1]



ChicagoHeights

ChicagoHeights
Chi·ca·go
Heights

city in northeastern
Illinois; a southern suburb of Chicago. Population: 31,899 (1996)[1]



Chicana

Chicana
Chi·ca·na 
[chi knə] (plural Chi·ca·nas)
noun

Mexican-American
woman:
a North American woman or girl of Mexican descent
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, feminine of Chicano (see Chicano
).][1]



chicane

chicane2
chi·cane2  [shi
káyn] (past chi·caned, past participle chi·caned,
present participle chi·can·ing, 3rd person present singular
chi·canes) intransitive verb

cheat
somebody:
to practice chicanery
[Late
17th century. From French chicaner “to quibble, pursue at law,” of
unknown origin.]
—chi·can·er, noun[1]



chicane

chicane1
chi·cane1  [shi
káyn] (plural chi·canes) noun

1.  MOTOR SPORTS sharp
bend on car racing circuit: in car racing, a sharp
double bend created by placing barriers on the circuit

2.  CARD GAMES hand
with no trumps: a bridge or whist hand without trumps or
without cards of one suit
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from chicaner see chicane 2 .][1]



chicanery

chicanery
chi·can·er·y 
[shi káynəree] (plural chi·can·er·ies)
noun

cheating or deception:
deception or trickery, especially by the clever manipulation of language[1]



Chicano

Chicano
Chi·ca·no 
[chi knō] (plural Chi·ca·nos)
noun

Mexican-American
man:
a North American man or boy of Mexican descent
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, a variant of Spanish mexicano “Mexican,” from México
“Mexico.”][1]



Chichewa

Chichewa
Chi·che·wa
[chi cháywə] noun adjective

See
Chewa[1]



chichi

chichi
chi·chi 
[shshee] adjective

self-consciously
stylish:
trying too hard or too obviously to be chic or modish (disapproving) • All
this designer furniture –isn’t it just a bit chichi?
[Mid-20th century. From
French .][1]



chick

chick
chick 
[chik] (plural chicks) noun

1.  baby
bird:
a young bird, especially a young chicken

2.  young
woman:
an attractive girl or young woman (slang) (sometimes considered
offensive)
[14th century. Shortening of chicken .][1]



chickadee

chickadee
chick·a·dee 
[chíkə d] (plural chick·a·dees
or chick·a·dee) noun

N
American titmouse: a small North American
titmouse with a distinctive call. It has gray plumage and a darker-colored
crown on its head. Genus: Parus
[Mid-19th century. An imitation
of the bird’s call.][1]



Chickahominy

Chickahominy
Chick·a·hom·i·ny
[chìkə hómmənee]

river in east central
Virginia, rising northwest of Richmond. Length: 145 km/90 mi.[1]



chickaree

chickaree
chick·a·ree 
[chíkə r] (plural chick·a·rees
or chick·a·ree) noun

western
N American squirrel: a squirrel of western North
America, related to the red squirrel. Latin name: Tamiascurus douglasi
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the animal’s cry.][1]



Chickasaw

Chickasaw
Chick·a·saw 
[chíkə sàw] (plural Chick·a·saw
or Chick·a·saws) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied lands in northeastern Mississippi and
northwestern Alabama, and now live mainly in southern and central Oklahoma. The
Chickasaw were one of the Five Civilized Nations who were sent to live on reservations
in Oklahoma under the Removal Act of 1830.

2.  LANGUAGE Chickasaw
language:
the Muskogean language of the Chickasaw people. Chickasaw is spoken by
approximately 10,000 people.
[Late
17th century. From Chickasaw čikaša .]
—Chick·a·saw, adjective[1]



chicken

chicken


chick·en 
[chíkən] noun (plural chick·ens)

1.  common
domestic fowl: a domestic fowl, usually with brown or
black feathers and a fleshy crest on its head, raised for its meat and eggs.
Latin name: Gallus domesticus
See
also
spring chicken

2.  meat
from chickens: meat obtained from chickens

3.  coward:
a cowardly or timid person (informal) • You’ll
never do it –you’re a chicken!
adjective

cowardly:
showing a lack of courage (informal) • Are
you too chicken to do a high dive?
[Old
English cīcen (related to Dutch kuiken ). Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word related to the ancestor of English cock .]
a chicken-and-egg situation

a
situation in which it is impossible to know which of two related circumstances
occurred first and caused the other • Stress
causes mistakes, and mistakes cause stress: it’s a chicken-and-egg situation.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



chickenbreast

chickenbreast
chick·en
breast
(plural chick·en breasts) noun

See
pigeon breast
—chick·en-breasted, adjective[1]



chickenfeed

chickenfeed
chick·en
feed
noun

1.  food
for poultry: food for poultry

2.  insignificant
amount:
an insignificant amount, especially an insignificant sum of money (informal)

[1]



chicken-friedsteak

chicken-friedsteak
chick·en-fried
steak
(plural chick·en-fried steaks) noun

fried steak:
a cut of beef, usually round steak, that has been tenderized, dredged in flour,
and then pan-fried[1]



chickenhawk

chickenhawk
chick·en
hawk
(plural chick·en hawks) noun

1.  hawk:
a hawk that preys or is believed to prey on poultry

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an older man who seeks young boys as sexual partners (slang
taboo)

[1]



chickenhead

chickenhead
chick·en·head
noun

handhold in rock climbing:
a protrusion from a rock face useful in providing a handhold for rock climbing[1]



chicken-hearted

chicken-hearted
chick·en-heart·ed 
adjective

cowardly:
easily frightened or lacking sufficient courage, boldness, or confidence (insult)
—chick·en-heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



ChickenLittle

ChickenLittle
Chick·en
Lit·tle 
(plural Chick·en Lit·tles) noun

alarmist:
somebody who constantly warns of impending danger that does not exist • We
won’t get anywhere if we listen to the Chicken Littles among us.
[From the hen in the
traditional story that told everyone the sky was falling, when she had been hit
on the head by a falling acorn][1]



chicken-livered

chicken-livered
chick·en-liv·ered 
adjective

See
chicken-hearted[1]



chickenout

chickenout
chicken
out
(past chickened out, past participle chickened out,
present participle chickening out, 3rd person present singular
chickens out) intransitive verb

lack nerve to act:
to fail in or withdraw from something because of a lack of nerve (slang)[1]



chickenpox

chickenpox
chick·en·pox 
[chíkən pòks] noun

viral
disease:
a highly infectious viral disease, especially affecting children, characterized
by a rash of small itching blisters on the skin and mild fever. Technical
name varicella
[Mid-18th century. Possibly
so called because it is so much weaker than smallpox
.][1]



chickensnake

chickensnake
chick·en
snake
(plural chick·en snakes) noun

See
rat snake[1]



chickenwire

chickenwire
chick·en
wire
noun

wire
fencing:
a lightweight flexible galvanized wire fencing, usually made with a hexagonal
mesh
[From the use of the wire as
a fence for enclosing chickens][1]



chickpea

chickpea
chick·pea 
[chík p] (plural chick·peas) noun

1.  yellow
edible seed: an edible pale yellow seed about the
size of a large pea. Chickpeas are the main ingredient of hummus.
Also
called
garbanzo

2.  chickpea
plant:
an annual plant on which chickpeas grow, cultivated in Asia and Mediterranean
regions. Latin name: Cicer arietinum
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of earlier chich pease, via French chiche from Latin cicer,
still the botanical Latin name for the plant.][1]



chickweed

chickweed
chick·weed 
[chík wd] noun

common
weed with small white flowers: a common European weed
of cultivated land that produces small white flowers all year round. Latin
name: Stellaria media
[Chick from the fact that
chickens eat the plant][1]



chicle

chicle
chic·le 
[chík’l] noun

main
ingredient of chewing gum: a gummy substance from the
latex of the sapodilla tree, used as the main ingredient of chewing gum
[Late
19th century. Via American Spanish from Nahuatl tzictli .]
—chic·ly, adjective[1]



Chico

Chico
Chi·co 
[chkō]

city in northern California,
northwest of Sacramento, in the valley of the Sacramento River. Population:
45,965 (1996)[1]



Chicopee

Chicopee
Chi·co·pee 
[chíkə p]

city in southwestern
Massachusetts, at the junction of the Chicopee River and the Connecticut River.
Population: 54,532 (1996)[1]



chicory

chicory
chic·o·ry 
[chíkəree] (plural chic·o·ries)
noun

1.  plant
cultivated for leaves and roots: a perennial plant with
blue flowers, native to Europe and northern Africa and naturalized in North
America. It is cultivated for its leaves and roots. Latin name: Cichorium
intybus
Also
called
succory

2.  See
endive

3.  ground
roasted root of chicory: the dried, roasted, and
ground root of the chicory plant, used as a coffee additive or substitute
[15th century. Via obsolete
French cicoré “endive.”][1]



Chicoutimi

Chicoutimi
Chi·cou·ti·mi 
[shə ktə m]

river in Quebec, Canada,
flowing from Laurentides Provincial Park to Lake Kenogami and the Saguenay.
Length: 160 km/100 mi.[1]



chide

chide
chide 
[chīd] (past chid [chid] or chid·ed, past participle
chid [chid] or chid·den
[chídd’n] or chid·ed, present
participle chid·ing, 3rd person present singular chides)
intransitive and transitive verb

scold:
to reproach or scold somebody gently (dated or literary)
[Old
English cidan, of unknown origin]
—chid·er,
noun

—chid·ing·ly, adverb[1]



chief

chief
chief 
[cheef] noun (plural chiefs)

1.  leader:
the person with the most authority or highest rank in a group or an
organization, who ultimately controls or commands all the others

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY chieftain:
the leader or titular head of a people or group

3.  boss:
a supervisor, manager, or other person in authority, especially in the
workplace (informal)

4.  NAUTICAL chief
petty officer: a chief petty officer (informal)

5.  NAUTICAL ship’s
principal engineer: the principal engineer on a
ship

6.  HERALDRY top
section of heraldic shield: the upper third of the
surface area of a heraldic shield
adjective

1.  most
important:
most important, basic, or common

2.  highest
in authority: highest in authority, position, or rank
[13th
century. Via French chef from, ultimately, Latin caput “head”
(source of English achieve, capital and captain
).]
—chief·ship, noun[1]



chiefconstable

chiefconstable
chief
con·sta·ble
(plural chief con·sta·bles) noun

U.K.
police chief:
in Britain, the police officer in overall command of a regional police force[1]



chiefdom

chiefdom
chief·dom
[chfdəm] (plural chief·doms) noun

1.  state
of being chief: the position, rank, or status of a chief

2.  chief’s
people or territory: the people or territory over
which a chief rules

3.  political
system:
a centralized political system with authority vested in formal, often
hereditary, offices or titles

[1]



chiefexecutive

chiefexecutive
chief
ex·ec·u·tive (plural chief ex·ec·u·tives)
noun

1.  head
of executive body: the principal and
highest-ranking member of an executive body, for example, the head of a
government or the governor of a U.S. state

2.  highest-ranking
executive:
the executive director of a business or similar organization who holds the
highest rank and has overall responsibility for its day-to-day management

3.  U.S.
President:
the president of the United States

[1]



chiefexecutive officer

chiefexecutive officer
chief
ex·ec·u·tive of·fi·cer (plural chief
ex·ec·u·tive of·fi·cers) noun

managing director:
the highest-ranking executive officer within a company or corporation, who has
responsibility for overall management of its day-to-day affairs under the
supervision of the board of directors[1]



chiefjustice

chiefjustice
chief
jus·tice
(plural chief jus·tic·es) noun

1.  presiding
judge:
a judge who presides over a court that has several judges, especially the
Supreme Court of the United States

2.  senior
judge:
the senior judge in the High Courts of Australia and other Commonwealth
countries

[1]



chiefly

chiefly
chief·ly 
[chflee] adverb

1.  above
all:
above all, especially, or most importantly • We
moved to this area of the city chiefly because it’s convenient for getting to
work.

2.  in
the main:
for the most part • The human body consists
chiefly of water.
adjective

relating to chiefs:
belonging or relating to chiefs, or befitting a chief

[1]



chiefmaster sergeant

chiefmaster sergeant
chief
mas·ter ser·geant (plural chief mas·ter
ser·geants) noun

U.S. Air Force officer:
a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force ranking below a chief warrant
officer and above a senior master sergeant[1]



chiefof naval operations

chiefof naval operations
chief
of na·val op·er·a·tions noun

naval officer:
a senior officer in the U.S. Navy who serves as the representative of that
military organization to the Joint Chiefs of Staff[1]



Chiefof Smoke

Chiefof Smoke
Chief
of Smoke
(plural Chiefs of Smoke) noun

somebody in charge of firing
guns: a noncommissioned officer in
charge of laying and firing the guns in an artillery battery[1]



chiefof staff

chiefof staff
chief
of staff
(plural chiefs of staff) noun

1.  senior
ranking officer: a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Army
or Air Force who is a member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

2.  senior
staff officer: the senior officer serving on a military
staff, who has responsibility for managing it and for advising the commander

[1]



chiefof state

chiefof state
chief
of state
(plural chiefs of state) noun

head of nation:
somebody who is the formal head of a nation, such as a president or monarch, as
distinct from the head of a government[1]



chiefpetty officer

chiefpetty officer
chief
pet·ty of·fi·cer (plural chief pet·ty
of·fi·cers) noun

1.  noncommissioned
officer in U.S. Navy: a noncommissioned officer
ranking below senior chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard

2.  noncommissioned
officer in Canadian Navy: the highest-ranking
noncommissioned officer in the navy of Canada. The first class of chief petty
officer is equivalent in rank to a chief warrant officer in the army or air
force, the second class to a master warrant officer.

[1]



ChiefRabbi

ChiefRabbi
Chief
Rab·bi
(plural Chief Rab·bis) noun

religious leader in some
Jewish communities: the senior
religious leader of the Jewish community in Great Britain and in some other
countries[1]



chieftain

chieftain
chief·tain 
[chftən] (plural chief·tains)
noun

leader
of people:
the leader or titular head of a people or similar group
[13th
century. From Old French chevetaine, alteration (influenced by chef
“leader”) of late Latin capitaneus, from Latin capt-, stem of caput
“head” (see captain ).]
—chief·tain·cy,
noun

—chief·tain·ship, noun[1]



chiefwarrant officer

chiefwarrant officer
chief
war·rant of·fi·cer (plural chief
war·rant of·fi·cers) noun

1.  U.S.
Navy officer: a commissioned officer ranking
immediately below an ensign or second lieutenant in the U.S. Navy or Coast
Guard

2.  Canadian
officer:
the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in the army or air force of Canada,
equivalent in rank to a chief petty officer, first class, in the navy

[1]



chiffchaff

chiffchaff
chiff·chaff 
[chíf chàf] (plural chiff·chaffs)
noun

European
songbird:
a small grayish yellow Eurasian bird that has a characteristic repetitive song.
Latin name: Phylloscopus collybita
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



chiffon

chiffon
chif·fon 
[shi fón, shí
fòn] noun (plural chif·fons)

1.  TEXTILES fabric:
a very light thin sheer plain-woven fabric of nylon, rayon, or silk

2.  ACCESSORIES clothing
accessories: decorative accessories for women, for
example, laces or ribbons (often used in the plural)
adjective

1.  TEXTILES made
of chiffon:
made of chiffon, or resembling it in lightness and fineness

2.  COOKING having
a fluffy texture: having a light fluffy texture, usually
created by adding whipped egg whites or gelatin
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from chiffe “rag, flimsy stuff.”][1]



chiffonade

chiffonade
chif·fon·ade
[shìffə náyd, sh`iffə
nd] noun

garnish
for food:
vegetables that have been shredded or finely chopped, often used as a garnish
for other foods
[Late 19th century. From
French .][1]



chiffonier

chiffonier
chif·fo·nier 
[shìffə nr] (plural chif·fo·niers)
noun

chest
of drawers:
a relatively tall narrow chest of drawers that often has a mirror attached to
the back
[Mid-18th century. From
French . Originally “rag-picker, collector of scraps,” later “piece of
furniture for storing sewing and offcuts of fabric.”][1]



chifforobe

chifforobe
chif·fo·robe 
[shíffə rb] (plural chif·fo·robes)
or chif·fe·robe [shíff rb] (plural
chif·fe·robes) or chiff·robe [shíff
rb] (plural chiff·robes) noun

wardrobe:
a tall piece of furniture with drawers and a hanging space for clothes (dated)
[Early 20th century. Blend of
chiffonier and wardrobe
.][1]



chigetai

chigetai
chi·ge·tai 
[chíggə t] (plural chi·ge·tais)
or dzig·ge·tai [zíggə t] (plural
dzig·ge·tais) noun

wild
ass:
a wild ass related to the onager and native to Mongolia. Latin name: Equus
hemionus
[Late 18th century. From
Mongolian chikitei, literally “having ears,” from chiki “ear.”][1]



chigger

chigger
chig·ger 
[chíggər] (plural chig·gers) noun

1.  parasitic
larva:
a parasitic larva of a mite that sucks the blood of humans and other
vertebrates, causing severe itching of the skin. It is widely known in the
southern United States. Family: Trombiculidae
Also
called
chigoe
Also
called
harvest mite
Also
called
red bug
U.K.
term
harvest mite

2.  See
chigoe  noun 1
[Mid-18th century. From
earlier chigoe .][1]



chignon

chignon
chi·gnon 
[shn yòn, sheen
yón] (plural chi·gnons) noun

knot
of hair:
a knot or roll of hair, especially when worn at the nape of the neck
[Late 18th century. From
French, “nape of the neck, chain,” from, ultimately, Latin catena
“chain” (source of English concatenation
).][1]



chigoe

chigoe
chig·oe 
[chíggō, chgō]
(plural chig·oes) noun

1.  tropical
flea that burrows into skin: a small tropical flea, the
fertilized female of which burrows under the skin causing painful itching sores
that easily become infected. Latin name: Tunga penetrans
Also
called
chigger
Also
called
jigger
Also
called
sand flea

2.  See
chigger  noun 1
[Mid-17th century. Via French
chique from a West African language .][1]



chihuahua

chihuahua
chi·hua·hua
[chə w w, chə
wwə] (plural chi·hua·huas) noun

small
dog:
a very small dog belonging to a breed originally from Mexico that has pointed
ears, protruding eyes, and a tiny body with a disproportionately large head
[Early 19th century. Named
for Chihuahua .][1]



Chihuahua

Chihuahua
Chi·hua·hua
[chə w waa, shə
w waa] noun

1.  state
in northern Mexico. Capital: Chihuahua. Population: 2,792,989 (1995) Area:
247,087 sq km/95,401 sq mi.

2.  city
and capital of Chihuahua State in northern Mexico. Population: 530,487 (1990)

[1]



ChihuahuanDesert

ChihuahuanDesert
Chi·hua·huan
Des·ert
[chə w wən dézzərt, shəw wən dézzərt]

the largest desert in North
America, extending into parts of New Mexico, Texas, and sections of
southeastern Arizona. Area: 518,000 sq km/200,000 sq mi.[1]



Chikamatsu,Monzemon

Chikamatsu,Monzemon
Chi·ka·ma·tsu
[chkə mt s], Monzemon (1653–1724)

Japanese playwright. He is
known for his historical romances and domestic tragedies written for the kabuki
theater and bunraku puppet theater.[1]



chilblain

chilblain
chil·blain 
[chíl blàyn] (plural chil·blains)
noun

swelling:
a red itchy swelling on the ears, fingers, or toes, caused by exposure to damp
and cold (often used in the plural)
[Mid-16th
century. From chill + blain .]
—chil·blained, adjective[1]



child

child
child 
[chīld] (plural chil·dren [chíldrən]) noun

1.  young
human being: a young human being between birth and
puberty

2.  human
offspring:
a son or daughter of human parents

3.  somebody
not yet of age: somebody under a legally specified age
who is considered not to be legally responsible for his or her actions

4.  baby:
a baby or infant

5.  unborn
baby:
an unborn baby

6.  immature
person:
an adult who behaves in a childish or childlike way

7.  product
or result:
somebody or something considered to be either produced or strongly influenced
by a particular environment, period, or historical figure • a
child of nature • a
child of the 1960s

8.  descendant
or member of a people: a descendant of somebody, or
a member of a people founded by somebody (often used in the plural)
[Old
English cild, of uncertain origin]
with
child

pregnant
(archaic or literary)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at youth

[1]



childabuse

childabuse
child
a·buse
noun

mistreatment
of child:
severe mistreatment of a child by a parent, guardian, or other adult
responsible for his or her welfare, including physical violence, neglect,
sexual assault, or emotional cruelty
—child a·bus·er, noun[1]



childbearing

childbearing
child·bear·ing 
[chld bàiring] noun

giving birth:
the process of carrying a child in the womb and giving birth to it • Her
childbearing years are over.[1]



childbed

childbed
child·bed 
[chld bèd] noun

childbirth:
the state of a woman in the process of giving birth to a child (archaic)[1]



childbedfever

childbedfever
child·bed
fe·ver
noun

MED
puerperal sepsis:
puerperal sepsis (archaic)[1]



childbenefit

childbenefit
child
ben·e·fit
noun

U.K.
state payment for child:
in the U.K. and New Zealand, a regular payment made by the state to parents
toward the maintenance of each child in a family below a certain age[1]



childbirth

childbirth
child·birth 
[chld bùrth] noun

giving birth to child:
the act or process of giving birth to a child • natural
childbirth methods[1]



childcare

childcare
child·care 
[chld kàir] noun

supervision of children:
the care and supervision of children by an adult, inside or outside the home
and usually for pay, during times when the parents or guardians are at work[1]



child-centered

child-centered
child-cen·tered
adjective

concentrated on children:
adapted to the needs and concerns of children as opposed to adults[1]



childe

childe
childe 
[chīld] (plural childes) noun

youth
of noble birth: a young person of noble birth (archaic)
[Variant of child][1]



Childermas

Childermas
Chil·der·mas
[chíldərmass] noun

Holy
Innocents’ Day: the religious holiday of Holy Innocents’
Day (archaic)
[Old English cildramæsse,
from childra “of children” + mæsse “mass”][1]



childhood

childhood
child·hood 
[chld hd] (plural child·hoods)
noun

1.  somebody’s
earliest years: the state of being a child, or the
period of somebody’s life when he or she is a child • heard
wonderful stories about her childhood.

2.  early
stage:
an early period or stage in the development or existence of something • Interplanetary
travel is still in its childhood.

[1]



childish

childish
child·ish 
[chldish] adjective

1.  immature:
showing a lack of emotional restraint, seriousness, good sense, maturity, or
similar adult qualities • I
don’t have time for your childish tantrums.

2.  somewhat
like a child: like that of a child, or suitable for a
child • a
childish voice
—child·ish·ly,
adverb

—child·ish·ness, noun[1]



childlabor

childlabor
child
la·bor
noun

employment of children:
the full-time employment of children, especially of those who are legally too
young to work[1]



childless

childless
child·less
[chldləss] adjective

having
no children: not having had a child or children
—child·less·ness, noun[1]



childlike

childlike
child·like 
[chld lk] adjective

having
the good qualities of a child: like a child,
especially in having a sweet innocent unspoiled quality • childlike
innocence

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  childish
  or childlike ?
  Both
  words are used to describe people or behavior that have qualities associated
  with children. The difference is that childlike
  is complimentary and even affectionate, whereas childish is a
  dismissive and disapproving term. • She
  spoke with a childlike directness about her holiday.
  • His
  reaction to the criticism was childish and resentful.

[1]



Child,Lydia Maria

Child,Lydia Maria
Child 
[chīld], Lydia Maria (1802–1880)

U.S. abolitionist, suffrage
campaigner, and writer. She wrote The History of the Condition of Women in
Various Ages and Nations (1835) and edited the National Anti-Slavery
Standard (1840–1849).[1]



childminder

childminder
child
mind·er
(plural child mind·ers) noun

U.K.
somebody
who looks after children: somebody who is employed to
look after other people’s children, especially when the parents or guardians
are working
—child mind·ing, noun[1]



childprodigy

childprodigy
child
prod·i·gy
noun

exceptionally talented child:
a child who possesses extraordinary abilities or talents, often equal to those
of adults[1]



childproof

childproof
child·proof 
[chld prf] adjective

1.  hard
for a child to open: designed to be difficult for
children to open, tamper with, damage, or break

2.  made
safe for children: made safe for young children
to use or be in, for example, through the removal of potential dangers and
addition of extra safety devices • Parents
with toddlers should have at least one childproof room.
transitive
verb
(past child·proofed, past participle child·proofed,
present participle child·proof·ing, 3rd person present
singular child·proofs)

make something safe for children:
to make something safe for children to use, or safe against damage or tampering
by children • You’ll
need to childproof your house before the baby is born.

[1]



childprotective services

childprotective services
child
pro·tec·tive serv·ic·es plural noun

government agency protecting
children at risk: a government agency
charged with the supervision and protection of children at risk, specifically
from abuse and neglect, or the supervision and protection administered by it[1]



children

children
chil·dren


Plural
of
child





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Man Who Loved Children, a novel by Australian writer, Christina Stead ( 1891
  ). Through the story of the stormy domestic life of Sam and Henny Pollitt and
  their six children, Stead examines the ways in which human beings attempt,
  and often fail, to communicate with one other.

[1]



childrestraint

childrestraint
child
re·straint
(plural child re·straints) noun

child’s safety seat:
a seat belt or detachable seat designed to protect a child traveling in a
vehicle or a plane[1]



childseat

childseat
child
seat
(plural child seats) noun

child’s car seat:
a legally mandated detachable seat with a harness, attached to a car seat, used
to protect a child too small to wear an adult seat belt[1]



childsupport

childsupport
child
sup·port
noun

money paid to support
children: a sum of money paid
regularly or in a lump sum by a divorced person to maintain the normal standard
of living of his or her children[1]



childtax benefit

childtax benefit
child
tax ben·e·fit noun

Canadian benefit paid for
children: in Canada, an allowance or
tax-free benefit given by the federal government or the province of Quebec to
assist parents in the expense of rearing children below a specified age.
Also called
baby bonus
Also called
family allowance[1]



child’splay

child’splay
child’s
play 
noun

straightforward task:
something that is very straightforward for somebody to do • Skiing
these slopes will be child’s play for her.[1]



Chile




Back to definition

Chile

[1]



chile

chile
chil·e
[chíllee] (plural chil·es) noun

chili
pepper:
a chili pepper (regional)
[Variant of chili][1]



Chile

Chile



Chil·e
[chíllee, ch
lày]
republic
in southwestern South America bordered by Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, the Drake
Passage, and the Pacific Ocean. Language: Spanish. Currency: peso. Capital:
Santiago. Population: 14,508,131 (1997) Area: 756,626 sq km/292,135 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Chile
—Chil·e·an [chíllee ən] (plural Chil·e·ans), noun,
adjective[1]



Chileniter

Chileniter
Chil·e
ni·ter
noun

CHEMISTRY
See Chile saltpeter[1]



Chilepine

Chilepine
Chil·e
pine
(plural Chil·e pines) noun

TREES
See monkey-puzzle[1]



Chilesaltpeter

Chilesaltpeter
Chil·e
salt·pe·ter 
noun

sodium nitrate:
a form of sodium nitrate that occurs naturally in arid regions, especially in
Chile and Peru. NaNO3 
Also called
Chile niter
Also called
soda niter
Also called
saltpeter[1]



chili

chili
chil·i 
[chíllee] (plural chil·ies) noun

1.  pod
with strong flavor: a narrow, tapering, usually
red or green pod, produced by various types of capsicum pepper plant. Chilies
have a very hot taste and are used for flavoring sauces and relishes.
Also
called
chili pepper

2.  See
chili powder

3.  See
chili sauce

4.  See
chili con carne
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish chile and chili from Nahuatl chilli .][1]



chiliasm

chiliasm
chil·i·asm 
[kíllee àzzəm] noun

See
millenarianism
[Early
17th century. From Greek khiliasmos, from khilias (stem khiliad-
), from khilioi “one thousand.”]
—chil·i·ast,
noun

—chil·i·as·tic [kìllee ástik], adjective[1]



chiliburger

chiliburger
chil·i·bur·ger 
[chílli bùrgər] (plural chil·i·bur·gers)
noun

hamburger with chili con
carne: a hamburger served topped
with chili con carne[1]



chilicon carne

chilicon carne
chil·i
con car·ne 
noun

spicy
Texan dish:
a highly spiced dish, originally a trail meal for Texas cowboys, made of chunks
of meat, seasoned with chilies or chili powder.
Also
called
chili
[From American Spanish,
literally “chili with meat”][1]



chilidog

chilidog
chil·i·dog 
[chílli dòg] (plural chil·i·dogs)
noun

chili-topped hot dog:
a hot dog topped with chili[1]



chilipepper

chilipepper
chil·i
pep·per
(plural chil·i pep·pers) noun

See
chili  noun 1[1]



chilipowder

chilipowder
chil·i
pow·der
noun

hot-tasting spice:
a seasoning consisting of ground chilies blended with several other seasonings,
such as cumin, garlic, and oregano, often added to a dish to give it a hot
taste.
Also called
chili[1]



chilisauce

chilisauce
chil·i
sauce
(plural chil·i sauc·es) noun

spicy sauce:
a highly spiced sauce made with tomatoes, ground dried chilies, and other
seasonings.
Also called
chili[1]



Chilkatblanket

Chilkatblanket
Chil·kat
blan·ket
[chíl kat blàngkət] (plural Chil·kat
blan·kets) noun

Northwestern
U.S.,
Canada ceremonial blanket:
among Native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America,
a blanket woven from mountain goat hair with a warp of shredded cedar bark,
worn on ceremonial occasions
[Chilkat from the name of an
aboriginal people of Canada][1]



ChilkootPass

ChilkootPass
Chil·koot
Pass
[chìlkoot pss]

pass in the coastal range of
the northern Rocky Mountains, Canada. Height: 1,067 m/3,502 ft.[1]



chill

chill
chill 
[chil] noun (plural chills)

1.  moderate
coldness:
a moderate but often unpleasant degree of coldness • a
chill in the air

2.  MED sudden
short fever: a sudden short fever with shivering and
a sensation of coldness

3.  coldness
caused by fear: a sudden shuddering feeling of coldness
caused by fear, anxiety, or excitement • felt
a chill run down my spine

4.  depressing
effect:
a depressing or dampening effect on people or on an occasion • The
news cast a chill over the party.

5.  lack
of warmth:
an emotional coldness or unfriendliness in the atmosphere or in somebody’s
manner

6.  METALLURGY mold
used in casting metal: a mold made of a highly
conductive material such as iron, used to achieve a rapid even cooling of the
material being cast. The chill may be water-cooled to accelerate the cooling.
plural
noun
chills

feeling of attraction:
a feeling of attraction to somebody • That
movie star just gives me chills!
adjective

1.  moderately
cold:
moderately cold, but usually cold enough to be unpleasant

2.  emotionally
cold:
showing no friendliness or emotional warmth
verb
(past chilled, past participle chilled, present
participle chill·ing, 3rd person present singular chills)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something cold: to make somebody or something
become cold, usually unpleasantly cold • I
was sitting in a freezing draft that chilled me to the bone.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cool
or freeze food: to cool food or drink, or be left to
cool, in a refrigerator

3.  transitive
verb
be
discouraging to somebody or something: to
have a discouraging or dampening effect on somebody or something

4.  intransitive
verb
(slang) See chill out

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb METALLURGY harden metal or become hard:
to harden a metal surface, or become hard, by rapid cooling
[Old
English ciele, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English cold]
—chill·ness, noun[1]



chiller

chiller
chill·er 
[chíllər] (plural chill·ers) noun

1.  refrigerated
compartment: a refrigerated cooling or storage
compartment

2.  frightening
movie or story: a frightening movie or story (slang)

[1]



chillfactor

chillfactor
chill
fac·tor
(plural chill fac·tors) noun

METEOROLOGY
See windchill factor[1]



chilli

chilli
chil·li
noun

U.K. =
chili[1]



Chillicothe

Chillicothe
Chil·li·cothe 
[chìllə kóthee, chìllə
káwthee]

city in southern Ohio,
directly south of Columbus, on the banks of the Scioto River. Population:
21,954 (1996)[1]



chilling

chilling
chill·ing
[chílling] adjective

frightening:
causing a feeling of dread or horror • a
chilling account of his capture
—chill·ing·ly, adverb[1]



chillout

chillout
chill
out
intransitive verb (slang)

1.  calm
down:
to stop being angry or tense

2.  relax:
to spend time relaxing

[1]



chillum

chillum
chil·lum
[chílləm] (plural chil·lums) noun

1.  hashish
pipe:
a short straight pipe, usually made of clay, for smoking hashish, marijuana, or
tobacco

2.  quantity
of marijuana or tobacco: a quantity of marijuana,
hashish, or tobacco to be smoked
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi chilam .][1]



chilly

chilly
chill·y 
[chíllee] (comparative chill·i·er,
superlative chill·i·est) adjective

1.  moderately
cold:
moderately or noticeably cold, usually enough to cause discomfort • Bring
a sweater to the park; it’ll be chilly later.

2.  feeling
cold:
feeling cold enough to be uncomfortable

3.  unfriendly:
unfriendly or hostile • a
chilly reception
—chill·i·ly,
adverb

—chill·i·ness, noun[1]



Chillán

Chillán
Chil·lán
[chī yn]

city in the Bío-Bío Region of
central Chile, situated 90 km/56 mi northeast of Concepción. Population:
145,759 (1992)[1]



chilopod

chilopod
chi·lo·pod 
[klə pòd] (plural chi·lo·pods)
noun

centipede:
any of a group of arthropods that includes the centipedes (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Chilopoda, from Greek kheilos “lip” + -pod .][1]



Chilung

Chilung
Chi·lung
[kee lng] or Kee·lung [j lng]

seaport in northern Taiwan,
one of the two ports of Taipei, the major city in Taiwan. Population: 356,501
(1992)[1]



chimaera

chimaera
chi·mae·ra 
[kī mrə, ki mrə]
(plural chi·mae·ras) noun

1.  (plural
chi·mae·ras or chi·mae·ra) deep-sea
fish:
a deep-sea fish with a skeleton of cartilage, a smooth-skinned tapering body,
and a tail that resembles a whip. Family: Chimaeridae

2.  GENETICS See chimera
[Early 19th century. From
Latin (see Chimera ).][1]



Chimaera

Chimaera
Chi·mae·ra 
[kī mrə, ki mrə]
noun

See
Chimera[1]



Chimborazo

Chimborazo
Chim·bo·ra·zo
[chìmbə rzō]

mountain peak in central
Ecuador, and the highest point in the Cordillera Real. Height: 6,310 m/20,702
ft.[1]



chime

chime1

chime1 [chīm]
noun (plural chimes)

1.  sound
of bell:
the musical ringing sound made by a bell or bells, or a similar sound made by
some other object such as a doorbell

2.  device
for striking bell: a device for striking a bell
or a set of bells in order to make a musical sound or play a tune (often
used in the plural)

3.  MUSIC percussion
instrument:
one of a set of hanging bells, metal bars, or tubes tuned to a scale, used to
produce a musical sound when struck

4.  notes
sounded by a clock: a series of musical notes
sounded by a clock before striking

5.  See
wind chime

6.  harmony:
an agreement or harmony among people or things (literary)
verb (past
chimed, past participle chimed, present participle chim·ing,
3rd person present singular chimes)

1.  intransitive
verb
ring
harmoniously: to make a harmonious ringing sound • Did
you hear the bells chiming?

2.  transitive
verb
indicate
something by chiming: to indicate something,
especially the time, by chiming • The
clock chimed three o’clock.

3.  transitive
verb
produce
musical sound: to strike a bell or bells so as to
produce a musical sound

4.  intransitive
verb
harmonize:
to harmonize or be in agreement with something else • It
was nice to find that her opinion chimed so perfectly with my own.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in musical way: to say or read something aloud in a
rhythmical or musical way
[13th
century. Of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old French chimbe, from,
ultimately, Latin cymbalum (see cymbal
).]
—chim·er, noun[1]



chime

chime2
chime2 [chīm]
(plural chimes) noun

rim
of barrel:
an edge or lip around the rim of a barrel or cask
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Old English cim .][1]



chimein

chimein
chime
in
intransitive verb

1.  interrupt
other people’s conversation: to interrupt or join in a
conversation between other people, especially in order to voice an opinion

2.  combine
harmoniously: to agree or combine harmoniously with
something else

[1]



chimera

chimera
chi·me·ra
[kī mrə, ki mrə]
(plural chi·me·ras) or chi·mae·ra [kī mrə, ki mrə]
(plural chi·mae·ras) noun

1.  something
totally unrealistic or impractical: a
figment of the imagination, for example, a wildly unrealistic idea or hope or a
completely impractical plan

2.  GENETICS organism
with genetically different tissues: an
organism, or part of one, with at least two genetically different tissues
resulting from mutation, the grafting of plants, or the insertion of foreign
cells into an embryo.
Also
called
mosaic

3.  EMBRYOLOGY organism
with DNA from different sources: an organism that has
genetic material from a variety of sources as a result of the insertion of
unspecialized cells ( stem cells ) from
other species into an embryo
[See
Chimera]
—chi·mer·ism, noun[1]



Chimera

Chimera

Chi·me·ra 
[kī mrə, ki mrə]
noun

1.  fire-breathing
monster:
a female fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology, typically represented as a
combination of a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail

2.  imaginary
monster:
any imaginary monster whose body is a grotesque combination of mismatched
animal parts
[14th century. Via Latin chimaera
from Greek khimaira “she-goat.”][1]



chimeric

chimeric
chi·mer·ic
[kī mérrik, ki
mérrik] adjective

composed of genetically
different tissues: used to
describe an organism that is composed of genetically different tissues, either
naturally or as a result of a laboratory procedure[1]



chimerical

chimerical
chi·mer·i·cal 
[kī mrik’l, ki
mrik’l] adjective

1.  imaginary:
nonexistent, existing only in somebody’s imagination, or wildly improbable or
unrealistic

2.  prone
to fantasizing: having a tendency to indulge in
unrealistic fantasies (literary)
—chi·mer·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—chi·mer·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



chimichanga

chimichanga
chim·i·chan·ga 
[chìmmee chng gə] (plural chim·i·chan·gas)
noun

filled
tortilla:
a dish of the southwestern United States that consists of a deep-fried burrito
containing a spicy filling of meat
[Late 20th century. From
Mexican Spanish, “trinket,” of unknown origin.][1]



chimney

chimney
chim·ney 
[chímnee] (plural chim·neys) noun

1.  structure
for venting gas or smoke: a hollow vertical structure,
usually made of brick or steel, that allows gas, smoke, or steam from a fire or
furnace to escape into the atmosphere

2.  part
of structure rising above roof: the part of a chimney
that rises above a roof

3.  smoke-venting
passage inside chimney: a passage or pipe inside a
chimney through which smoke or steam escapes

4.  glass
tube protecting lantern flame: a tube, usually made
of glass, used to enclose the flame of a lantern in order to promote burning
and exclude drafts

5.  volcanic
vent:
a part of a volcano or an oceanic ridge through which magma percolates, adding
to the precipitated mineral matter that has accumulated

6.  MOUNTAINEERING cleft
in rock face: a narrow vertical cleft in a rock face
that is large enough for a climber to get inside and use as a means of
ascending

7.  U.K.
ENGINEERING See smokestack
[13th century. From Old
French cheminée, from late Latin caminata, from Latin camera
caminata “room with a fireplace,” from, ultimately, Greek kaminos
“oven, furnace.”][1]



chimneypot

chimneypot
chim·ney
pot
(plural chim·ney pots) noun

pipe on top of chimney:
a short earthenware or metal pipe placed on the top of a chimney in order to
increase the draft[1]



chimneystack

chimneystack
chim·ney
stack
(plural chim·ney stacks) noun U.K.

1.  See
chimney  noun 2

2.  tall
industrial chimney: a tall, often cylindrical
chimney attached to a factory or other large industrial building

[1]



chimneysweep

chimneysweep
chim·ney
sweep
(plural chim·ney sweeps) noun

chimney cleaner:
somebody whose job is removing soot from chimneys.
Also called
sweep[1]



chimneyswift

chimneyswift
chim·ney
swift
(plural chim·ney swifts) noun

N American swift:
a small dark North American swift that nests in chimneys. Latin name: Chaetura
pelagica[1]



chimp

chimp
chimp 
[chimp] (plural chimps) noun

chimpanzee:
a chimpanzee (informal)[1]



chimpanzee

chimpanzee
chim·pan·zee 
[chìmpan z, chim
pánzee] (plural chim·pan·zees) noun

intelligent
ape:
a medium-sized ape from the forests of equatorial Africa that has long
dark-brown hair covering its body except for its naked face and ears.
Chimpanzees are sociable and intelligent and are considered to be the closest
living relatives of human beings. Latin name: Pan troglodytes Pan
paniscus
[Mid-18th century. Via French
chimpanzé from Kikongo .][1]



chin

chin
chin 
[chin] noun (plural chins)

part of face: the
part of the face below the lips, including the usually protruding front portion
of the lower jaw
verb
(past chinned, past participle chinned, present
participle chin·ning, 3rd person present singular chins)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
conversation: to talk casually with somebody about
unimportant matters (slang)

2.  transitive
verb
place
violin under chin: to hold or place a violin
under your chin • He chinned his violin
in readiness to begin playing.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb raise
chin to high bar: to pull yourself up by the arms until
your chin is level with the horizontal bar you are holding
[Old
English cin, from prehistoric Germanic]
keep
your chin up

to
remain cheerful and hopeful in spite of difficulties or hardships

take
it on the chin

to accept misfortune
staunchly, without flinching[1]



Chin.

Chin.
Chin.

Abbreviation of
Chinese[1]



Chin

Chin
Chin
[chin] (plural Chin or Chins)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people of SW Myanmar: a member of a people living
in southwestern Myanmar and neighboring parts of India and Bangladesh

2.  LANGUAGE group
of Sino-Tibetan languages: a group of Sino-Tibetan
languages spoken in southwestern Myanmar. About 800,000 people speak a Chin
language.
[Late
19th century. From Burmese, literally “hill-man.”]
—Chin, adjective[1]



china

china
chi·na 
[chnə] noun

1.  porcelain:
porcelain or a similar high-quality translucent or white ceramic material

2.  articles
made of china: articles made of china, especially
dishes and decorative objects
[Late 16th century. From
Persian čīnī “porcelain from China.”][1]



China




Back to definition

China

[1]



China

China



Chi·na
[chnə]
republic in eastern and central Asia.
Language: Mandarin (official). Currency: renminbi (yuan). Capital: Beijing.
Population: 1,226,274,731 (1997) approximately Area: 9,571,300 sq km/3,695,500
sq mi. Official name People’s Republic of China
See also
Taiwan[1]



chinaberry

chinaberry
chi·na·ber·ry 
[chnə bèrree] (plural chi·na·ber·ries)
noun

1.  tree
grown for shade: a deciduous Asian tree of the mahogany
family, widely grown in the United States for shade and its clusters of white
or purple flowers. Latin name: Melia azedarach
Also
called
China tree

2.  See
soapberry

3.  fruit
from chinaberry or soapberry tree: a fruit produced by
either the chinaberry or soapberry tree

[1]



chinaclay

chinaclay
chi·na
clay
noun

See
kaolin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








chinacloset

chinacloset
chi·na
clos·et
(plural chi·na clos·ets) noun

cabinet for china:
a cabinet or cupboard used for storing or displaying china[1]



Chinajute

Chinajute
Chi·na
jute
(plural Chi·na jutes) noun

See
velvetleaf[1]



Chinaman

Chinaman
Chi·na·man 
[chnəmən] (plural Chi·na·men
[chnəmən]) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a man who was born in or who lives in China (dated
offensive)[1]



Chinarose

Chinarose
Chi·na
rose
(plural Chi·na roses) noun

Chinese rose:
a rose that is native to China, has fragrant pink, red, or white flowers, and
is the ancestor of many cultivated varieties. Latin name: Rosa chinensis[1]



ChinaSea

ChinaSea
Chi·na
Sea

part of the Pacific Ocean
extending from Japan to the southern end of the Malay Peninsula. East China Sea
Area: 752,000 sq km/290,000 sq mi. Depth: 2,717 m/8,913 ft.[1]



Chinasyndrome

Chinasyndrome
Chi·na
syn·drome
noun

catastrophic
nuclear accident: a hypothetical accident in which the
core of a nuclear reactor melts, allowing the radioactive fuel to burn through
the floor of its container and straight down into the earth
[From the idea of the molten
core sinking through the earth and reaching China][1]



Chinatown

Chinatown
Chi·na·town 
[chnə tòwn] (plural Chi·na·towns)
noun

city area where many Chinese
live: an area of a city inhabited
mainly by Chinese people, and containing businesses owned by them or selling
Chinese products[1]



Chinatree

Chinatree
Chi·na
tree
(plural Chi·na trees) noun

See
chinaberry  noun 1[1]



chinaware

chinaware
chi·na·ware 
[chnə wàir] noun

ceramic tableware:
plates, dishes, and other tableware made of china[1]



chinch

chinch
chinch 
[chinch] (plural chinch·es) noun

Southern
U.S.
bedbug:
a bedbug
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish chince from the Latin stem cimic- .][1]



chinchbug

chinchbug
chinch
bug
(plural chinch bugs) or cinch bug (plural cinch
bugs) noun

1.  small
insect that destroys grain: a small black-and-white
insect with short wings that causes serious damage to grain crops and grasses
by sucking juices from them. Latin name: Blissus leucopterus

2.  Southern
U.S.
See chinch

[1]



chincherinchee

chincherinchee
chin·che·rin·chee 
[chìnchə rínchee] (plural chin·che·rin·chees)
noun

S
African lily with large head: a South African plant of the
lily family, with large fragrant flower heads that make it popular for use in
flower arrangements. Latin name: Ornithogalum thyrsoides
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound created when stalks are rubbed together.][1]



chinchilla

chinchilla

chin·chil·la 
[chin chíllə] (plural chin·chil·las)
noun

1.  (plural
chin·chil·las or chin·chil·la) small
rodent:
a South American rodent that is the size of a squirrel, with a bushy tail and
large round ears. It is bred in captivity for its soft silvery-gray fur. Latin
name: Chinchilla laniger

2.  fur
of chinchilla: the fur of the chinchilla

3.  woolen
cloth:
a thick woolen fabric used to make overcoats
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Aymara or Quechua .][1]



chinchy

chinchy
chinch·y 
[chínchee] (comparative chinch·i·er,
superlative chinch·i·est) adjective

Southern
U.S.
miserly:
cheap or miserly (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from obsolete chinch “miser,” earlier “miserly,” from French chiche
.][1]



Chincoteaguepony

Chincoteaguepony
Chin·co·teague
po·ny 
[shìngkə teeg pṓnee, chìngkə teeg pṓnee] noun

N American horse:
a small wild North American horse found on some islands off the Virginia coast[1]



chine

chine1
chine1  [chīn]
noun (plural chines)

1.  FOOD joint
of meat:
a cut of meat that includes part of the backbone

2.  NAUTICAL bottom
corner of boat: the join between the bottom and sides of
some boats, especially those with a flat or V-shaped bottom
transitive
verb
(past chined, past participle chined, present
participle chin·ing, 3rd person present singular chines)

cut meat from backbone:
to cut meat along or across the backbone of the carcass
[14th century. From Old
French eschine, from a blend of the prehistoric Germanic ancestor of
English shin and Latin spina
“spine.”][1]



chine

chine2
chine2  (plural chines)
noun

See
chime 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Chinese

Chinese
Chi·nese 
[chī nz, chī
nss] plural noun

PEOPLES people
of China:
people born or living in China, or whose family came from China
noun
(plural Chi·nese)

1.  group
of languages spoken in China: a group of related languages
spoken across most of China, and by large communities in many other countries.
They constitute a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Also
called
Sinitic

2.  official
language of China: the standard language of
China and an official language of Singapore. It belongs to the Chinese group of
Sino-Tibetan languages. Chinese has about 800 million native speakers, which is
more than any other language.
Also
called
Mandarin
Also
called
Mandarin Chinese
Also
called
Putonghua’

3.  food,
meal, or restaurant: a restaurant or takeout run
by Chinese people and cooking food in styles from China, or food or a meal from
one (informal)
adjective

1.  of
China:
relating to China, its people, or culture

2.  of
the Chinese language: relating to the language or
language group Chinese

[1]



Chineseanise

Chineseanise
Chi·nese
an·ise
(plural Chi·nese an·ises) noun

BOTANY
See star anise[1]



Chineseboxes

Chineseboxes
Chi·nese
box·es
plural noun

matching boxes:
a set of matching boxes graduated in size so that each fits inside the next
larger one, and as each opens it reveals another waiting to be opened[1]



Chinesecabbage

Chinesecabbage
Chi·nese
cab·bage
(plural Chi·nese cab·bag·es) noun PLANTS

1.  vegetable
with wrinkled leaves: a plant with a long head of
overlapping wrinkled leaves and broad stalks, popular as a vegetable in Asian
cooking. Latin name: Brassica pekinensis
Also
called
celery cabbage
Also
called
Chinese leaves

2.  See
bok choy

[1]



Chinesecalendar

Chinesecalendar
Chi·nese
cal·en·dar
(plural Chi·nese cal·en·dars) noun

time measure:
the traditional calendar used in China that divides the year into 24
fifteen-day periods and is based on both the lunar and solar cycles. It has
five months containing 29 days, six months of 30 days, and one month of 20 or
30 days.[1]



Chinesecheckers

Chinesecheckers
Chi·nese
check·ers
noun

marble-moving board game:
a game played on a board marked with a six-pointed star studded with small
holes. Players move or jump marbles hole by hole toward an opposite point of
the star. (takes a singular verb)[1]



Chinesechestnut

Chinesechestnut
Chi·nese
chest·nut
(plural Chi·nese chest·nuts) noun

chestnut tree:
a chestnut, originally native to China and Korea, that is resistant to a blight
that affects other chestnuts. Latin name: Castanea mollissima[1]



Chinesecopy

Chinesecopy
Chi·nese
cop·y
noun

exact copy:
an absolutely exact copy of an original, including any mistakes or defects it
happens to contain[1]



ChineseEmpire

ChineseEmpire
Chi·nese
Em·pire
noun

period when emperors ruled
China: China as a political entity
and its form of government during the rule of the emperors. The Empire began
with the Qin dynasty in the 5th century BC
and lasted until the republic was established in the years 1911–1912.[1]



Chinesegooseberry

Chinesegooseberry
Chi·nese
goose·ber·ry noun

(plural Chi·nese
goose·ber·ries) See kiwi fruit[1]



Chineselantern

Chineselantern
Chi·nese
lan·tern
(plural Chi·nese lan·terns) noun

1.  paper
covering for a light: a collapsible covering for a
light made of thin brightly colored paper supported by thin wires

2.  U.K.
See winter cherry

[1]



Chineseleaves

Chineseleaves
Chi·nese
leaves
plural noun

See
Chinese cabbage  noun 1[1]



ChineseNew Year

ChineseNew Year
Chi·nese
New Year
(plural Chi·nese New Years) noun

important Chinese festival:
the first day of the Chinese month of Safar that falls between January 21 and
February 19 and marks the start of two weeks of celebrations.
Also called
Hsien Nien[1]



Chineseparsley

Chineseparsley
Chi·nese
pars·ley
noun

See
coriander[1]



Chinesepuzzle

Chinesepuzzle
Chi·nese
puz·zle
(plural Chi·nese puz·zles) noun

extremely intricate and
difficult puzzle: a puzzle, either in the
form of a game or a problem, that is extremely intricate, ingenious, and
difficult to solve[1]



Chineseradish

Chineseradish
Chi·nese
rad·ish
(plural Chi·nese rad·ish·es) noun

See
daikon[1]



Chinesered

Chinesered
Chi·nese
red
noun adjective

See
vermilion[1]



Chineserestaurant syndrome

Chineserestaurant syndrome
Chi·nese
res·tau·rant syn·drome noun

symptoms caused by flavor
enhancer: a group of symptoms,
including dizziness, headache, palpitations, and sweating, experienced by some
people after eating food containing monosodium glutamate, an ingredient often
used in preparing Chinese dishes[1]



Chineseshar-pei

Chineseshar-pei
Chi·nese
shar-pei
noun

ZOOLOGY
See shar-pei[1]



Chinesewall

Chinesewall
Chi·nese
wall
(plural Chi·nese walls) noun

1.  insurmountable
barrier, especially to communication: a
strong or insurmountable barrier, especially one that obstructs the exchange of
information

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE confidentiality
bar in stock exchange business: a set of strict rules
preventing the exchange of confidential information between different
departments of a stock exchange business, which might lead to its illegal use
for gain

[1]



Chinesewater torture

Chinesewater torture
Chi·nese
wa·ter tor·ture noun

torture by dripping water on
head: a method of psychological
torture in which water is persistently dripped onto the victim’s forehead[1]



Chinesewhispers

Chinesewhispers
Chi·nese
whis·pers
plural noun

U.K.
whispering game:
a game in which people in a circle pass a message by whispering it into the ear
of the person next to them, the message becoming increasingly distorted on the
way[1]



Chinesewindlass

Chinesewindlass
Chi·nese
wind·lass
(plural Chi·nese wind·lasses) noun

ENGINEERING
See differential windlass[1]



Chinesewood block

Chinesewood block
Chi·nese
wood block
(plural Chi·nese wood blocks) noun

percussion instrument:
a hollow slotted wooden block that, when struck, makes a sound similar to that
of horses’ hooves striking the ground[1]



Chinesewood oil

Chinesewood oil
Chi·nese
wood oil
noun

See
tung oil[1]



chink

chink2
chink2 [chingk]
noun (plural chinks)

sharp
ringing sound: a short sharp ringing sound such as that
made when coins or glasses knock against each other
intransitive
and transitive verb (past chinked,
past participle chinked, present participle chink·ing,
3rd person present singular chinks)

make
or cause metallic sound: to make, or cause glass or
metallic objects to make, a short sharp ringing sound • We
chinked glasses and said a toast.
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Chink

Chink
Chink 
[chingk] (plural Chinks) or
Chink·y [chíngkee] (plural Chink·ies)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a Chinese person (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from China .][1]



chink

chink1
chink1 [chingk]
noun (plural chinks)

narrow opening:
a small narrow crack or slit • Sunlight
was coming through a chink in the curtains.
transitive
verb
(past chinked, past participle chinked, present
participle chink·ing, 3rd person present singular chinks)

1.  fill
cracks in something: to fill up cracks or holes
in something

2.  fill
something with caulk: to fill a gap or hole with
caulk

3.  make
cracks in something: to make cracks in something
• A
flying pebble chinked my car’s windshield.
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—chink·y, adjective[1]



chinless

chinless
chin·less
[chínləss] adjective

1.  lacking
a projecting chin: having a lower jaw that
recedes under the mouth instead of projecting in front of it

2.  weak:
lacking strength of character

[1]



chinlesswonder

chinlesswonder
chin·less
won·der
(plural chin·less won·ders) noun

ineffectual upper-class
person: somebody, especially an
upper-class British man, who is considered weak or inadequate (informal
insult)[1]



chino

chino
chi·no 
[chnō] noun

cotton
twill fabric: a durable coarse cotton twill fabric,
often khaki-colored, that is used to make military uniforms, but is also
popular for making casual pants
plural
noun
chi·nos

clothing
made of chino: men’s trousers or women’s pants made of
chino
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, literally “toasted,” from the original color of the cloth.][1]



Chino

Chino
Chi·no 
[chnō]

city in southwestern
California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 64,723 (1996)[1]



ChinoHills

ChinoHills
Chi·no
Hills

city in southwestern
California, an eastern suburb of Los Angeles, situated southwest of Chino.
Population: 42,071 (1996)[1]



chinoiserie

chinoiserie
chi·noi·se·rie 
[shn waazə r, sheen
wzəree] (plural chi·noi·se·ries) noun

1.  art
style with Chinese influence: a style of art and interior
design that reflects Chinese influence

2.  object
in chinoiserie style: an object or decoration in a
style reflecting Chinese influence, or such objects and decorations
collectively
[Late 19th century. From
French, from chinois “Chinese.”][1]



Chino-Latino

Chino-Latino
Chi·no-La·ti·no 
[chnō la tnō] adjective

Chinese and Latin in style:
combining elements of both Chinese and Latin culture, for example, in cooking[1]



Chinook

Chinook
Chi·nook 
[shi nk, chi
nk] (plural Chi·nook or Chi·nooks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied coastal lands around the estuary of the
Columbia River in Oregon, but who now live in western Washington State

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Chinook people: the extinct language of the
Chinook people that was possibly a separate branch of the Penutian group of
languages
[Early
19th century. From Salish tsinúk .]
—Chi·nook, adjective[1]



chinook

chinook
chi·nook
[shi nk, chi
nk] (plural chi·nooks) noun

1.  wind
blowing on NW U.S. coast: a moist warm wind from the
sea that affects weather along the northwestern coast of the United States

2.  wind
off Rocky Mountains: a dry warm wind that blows
down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

[1]



ChinookJargon

ChinookJargon
Chi·nook
Jar·gon
noun

pidgin of N American Pacific
coast: a pidgin language, once used
for trading along the western coast of North America, made up of words borrowed
from Chinook, Nootka, various Salishan languages, French, and English[1]



Chinooksalmon

Chinooksalmon
Chi·nook
salm·on
noun

large Pacific salmon:
a large salmon found in the northern Pacific Ocean that spawns in northern
rivers of North America and North Asia. Its reddish flesh is highly prized.
Latin name: Oncorhyncus tshawytscha
Also called
king salmon
Also called
quinnat salmon[1]



chinquapin

chinquapin
chin·qua·pin 
[chíngkəpin] (plural chin·qua·pins)
or chin·ca·pin [chíngkəpin] (plural
chin·ca·pins) or chin·ka·pin [chíngkəpin]
(plural chin·ka·pins) noun

1.  small
tree of eastern U.S.: a small deciduous tree found
in the eastern United States. Latin name: Castanea pumila
Also
called
dwarf chestnut

2.  large
evergreen tree: a large evergreen tree found in western
North America. Latin name: Castanopsis chrysophylla

3.  edible
nut:
the edible nut of either of the chinquapin trees
[Early 17th century. From
Virginian Algonquian .][1]



chinquapinoak

chinquapinoak
chin·qua·pin
oak
(plural chin·qua·pin oaks) noun

chestnut oak:
an oak tree with toothed leaves belonging to either of two species found in the
eastern and central United States. Latin name: Quercus prinoides Quercus
muhlenbergii
Also called
chestnut oak[1]



chinstrap

chinstrap
chin·strap
[chín stràp] (plural chin·straps)
noun

strap to secure hat:
a strap attached to a helmet or a hat that passes under the chin and is
intended to keep the helmet or hat from falling off[1]



chintz

chintz
chintz 
[chints] noun

1.  brightly
colored glazed fabric: a glazed fabric made of
cotton and usually printed with a brightly colored pattern

2.  printed
cotton fabric from India: a printed or stained calico
fabric made in India
[Early 17th century. Earlier chints,
from chint “calico cloth,” from Hindi chī “stain,” from Sanskrit
citra “variegated.”][1]



chintzy

chintzy
chintz·y 
[chíntsee] (comparative chintz·i·er,
superlative chintz·i·est) adjective

1.  penny-pinching:
mean and miserly • He’s so chintzy about
money.

2.  trashy:
cheap and gaudy • Don’t buy that chintzy
suit; it’ll fall apart the first time you have it cleaned.

3.  U.K.
fussy
or quaint:
used to describe a fussy, quaint, or would-be genteel style of decor (informal
disapproving)

[1]



chin-up

chin-up
chin-up 
(plural chin-ups) noun

pull-up on horizontal bar:
an exercise performed by hanging from a horizontal bar and pulling the body up
until the chin has been raised above the bar.
Also called
pull-up[1]



chinwag

chinwag
chin·wag
[chín wàg] (past chin·wagged, past
participle chin·wagged, present participle chin·wag·ging,
3rd person present singular chin·wags, plural chin·wags)
intransitive verb

gossip:
to engage in casual conversation about events or other people’s lives
—chin·wag·ger,
noun

—chin·wag·ging, noun[1]



chionodoxa

chionodoxa
chi·on·o·dox·a 
[k ənō dóksə, kī
ònnə dóksə] (plural ) noun

(plural
chion·o·dox·as or chion·o·dox·a) flowering
bulb:
a hardy plant, native to Europe and Asia, that grows from a bulb and flowers in
early spring. Genus: Chionodoxa
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek khiōn “snow” + doxa “glory.”][1]



chip

chip
chip
[chip] noun (plural chips)

1.  small
piece broken or cut off: a small piece that has been
broken, chopped, or cut off something hard or brittle.
Also
called
chipping

2.  crack:
a space or crack left in something hard or brittle after a small piece has been
broken off or out of it • This
cup has a chip in it.

3.  FOOD piece
of thin crisp snack food: a very thin crunchy slice
made from a starchy food, usually potato or corn, that has been fried until it
is crisp • corn
chips

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING wafer
of semiconductor material: a small wafer of
semiconductor material, usually silicon, forming the base on which an
integrated circuit is laid out, or such a wafer together with its integrated
circuit.
Also
called
microchip
Also
called
wafer

5.  GAMBLING token
used as money: a token, often a small round plastic
disk, used to represent money in poker and other gambling games

6.  dried
dung:
a piece of dried animal dung, sometimes used for fuel

7.  U.K.
FOOD long
piece of fried potato: a long finger-shaped wedge
of potato traditionally fried in deep fat • fish
and chips

8.  CRAFT wood
cut as weaving material: wood, straw, or other
material that has been dried and cut for use in weaving
verb
(past chipped, past participle chipped, present
participle chip·ping, 3rd person present singular chips)

1.  transitive
verb
break
off small piece from something: to break one or more
small pieces from something hard or brittle

2.  intransitive
verb
lose
small pieces: to become damaged by having a small
piece or small pieces break off • paint
that will not chip easily

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
something in high arc: to hit or kick a ball or
puck so that it travels a short distance in a high arc • The
batter chipped the ball over the first baseman’s head into right field.

4.  intransitive
verb
GOLF play a
chip shot:
in golf, to play a chip shot

5.  transitive
verb
carve
something by removing small pieces: to
carve or shape something by cutting small pieces off or out of it

6.  transitive
verb
chop
something into chips: to chop or cut up something,
for example, a potato, to form chips • Will
you chip the ice for drinks?
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin cippus “stake.”]
—chip·per,
noun
cash
in your chips

to
die (informal)

a
chip off the old block

somebody
who looks and behaves very like one of his or her parents (informal)

have
a chip on your shoulder

to
feel inferior or badly treated and so act in an oversensitive and resentful
manner (informal)

let
the chips fall where they may

used
to say that you are ready for whatever may be about to happen (informal)

when
the chips are down

at a time of crisis or when
vital matters are at stake (informal)[1]



chipboard

chipboard
chip·board
[chíp bàwrd] noun

board made of wood chips:
a construction material made from compressed wood chips held together by a
synthetic resin and produced in the form of hard flat boards[1]



Chipewyan

Chipewyan
Chip·e·wy·an 
[chìppə w ən] (plural Chip·e·wy·an
or Chip·e·wy·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people in Canada whose traditional territories are in northern
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories. In the 18th century,
they abandoned their nomadic life to settle and become fur traders.

2.  LANGUAGE Chipewyan
language:
the Athabaskan language of the Chipewyan people. Chipewyan is spoken by about
8,000 people.
[Late
18th century. From Cree cīpwayāṇ, literally “(wearing) pointed-skin
(clothes).”]
—Chip·e·wy·an, adjective[1]



chiphead

chiphead
chip·head 
[chíp hèd] noun

computer enthusiast:
somebody who is very interested in, and highly skilled at, computer use (slang)[1]



chipin

chipin
chip
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb contribute:
to contribute something to a common fund or resource (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
interrupt:
to interrupt a conversation in order to make a comment (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
put
money into pool in poker: in poker and other games, to
put chips or money into the pool in order to play

[1]



chipmunk

chipmunk
chip·munk 
[chíp mùngk] (plural chip·munks
or chip·munk) noun

small
striped rodent: a striped rodent of the squirrel family,
native to North America and Asia. It lives on the ground, collects nuts and
fruit, and stores food in cheek pouches. Genera: Tamias Eutamias
[Mid-19th century. From
Ojibwa ajidamoonʔ “squirrel,” literally “one that comes down trees
headlong.”][1]



chipolata

chipolata
chip·o·lata
[chìppə ltə] (plural chip·o·latas)
noun

U.K.
thin
sausage:
a small thin sausage, usually made of finely ground pork
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Italian cipollata, literally “with onions,” from cipolla
“onion,” from Latin cepa (source of English chive
).][1]



chippedbeef

chippedbeef
chipped
beef 
noun

dried beef slices:
thin slices of dried smoked beef, often served in a cream sauce over rice or
toast[1]



Chippendale

Chippendale
Chip·pen·dale 
[chíppən dàyl] adjective

18thC
English furniture style: used to describe furniture
made by, or in the style of, Thomas Chippendale, characterized by graceful
flowing lines, cabriole legs, and elaborate ornamentation
noun
(plural Chip·pen·dales)

piece
of furniture in Chippendale style: a piece of furniture
in the Chippendale style
[Named for Thomas Chippendale][1]



Chippendale,Thomas

Chippendale,Thomas
Chip·pen·dale 
[chíppən dàyl], Thomas (1718–1779)

British furniture designer.
The influence of his neoclassical, increasingly eclectic style was spread
through The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director ( 1754 ).[1]



chipper

chipper2
chip·per2 (past chip·pered,
past participle chip·pered, present participle chip·per·ing,
3rd person present singular chip·pers) intransitive verb

1.  chirp
like bird:
to chirp or twitter like a bird

2.  babble
or chatter:
to babble or chatter
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound, influenced by chirrup .][1]



chipper

chipper1
chip·per1 [chíppər]
adjective

cheerful:
cheerful and full of vitality (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of dialect kipper and chipper,
alteration of chirrup .][1]



Chippewa

Chippewa
Chip·pe·wa 
[chíppə w, chíppəwə]
(plural Chip·pe·was or Chip·pe·wa) adjective

See
Ojibwa
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of Ojibwa .][1]



ChippewaFalls

ChippewaFalls
Chip·pe·wa
Falls

city in western Wisconsin on
the west bank of the Chippewa River, northeast of Eau Claire. Population:
12,784 (1996)[1]



chipping

chipping
chip·ping
[chípping] (plural chip·pings)
noun

See
chip  noun 1[1]



chippingsparrow

chippingsparrow
chip·ping
spar·row 
(plural chip·ping spar·rows) noun

small
N American sparrow: a small North American
sparrow with a gray breast, reddish-brown crown, and black-and-white stripes
near its eyes. Latin name: Spizella passerina
[Chipping from chipper,
alteration of chirrup][1]



chippy

chippy1
chip·py1  [chíppee]
(plural chip·pies) or chip·pie [chíppee] (plural chip·pies) noun

promiscuous
woman:
a promiscuous woman or prostitute (dated slang, sometimes considered
offensive)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from chip “to cheep like a bird,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



chippy

chippy2
chip·py2  [chíppee]
(comparative chip·pier, superlative chip·pi·est) adjective

Canada
hostile:
behaving in an aggressive or belligerent way
[From have a chip on your
shoulder][1]



chippy

chippy1
chip·py1  [chíppee]
(plural chip·pies) or chip·pie [chíppee] (plural chip·pies) noun

promiscuous
woman:
a promiscuous woman or prostitute (dated slang, sometimes considered
offensive)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from chip “to cheep like a bird,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



CHIPS

CHIPS
CHIPS
[chips]

Abbreviation of
Clearing House Interbank Payments System[1]



chipset

chipset
chip·set
[chíp sèt] (plural chip·sets) or
chip set [chíp sèt] (plural chip
sets) noun

set of microchips:
a group of microchips designed to perform one or more related functions as a
unit, for example, to update a computer screen display[1]



chipshot

chipshot
chip
shot
(plural chip shots) noun

1.  short
high hit or kick: a short-range kick or shot in which the
ball or puck rises sharply into the air

2.  approach
shot:
a short approach shot in golf, used to loft the ball onto the green

[1]



Chirac,Jacques

Chirac,Jacques

Chi·rac
[shr ak], Jacques (1932– )
French
politician. He was prime minister (1974–1976 and 1986–1988) and, after two
unsuccessful attempts, was elected president in 1995.
Full name
Chirac, Jacques René[1]



chiral

chiral
chi·ral 
[krəl] adjective

not
superimposable on its mirror image: used
to describe a molecule whose arrangement of atoms is such that it cannot be
superimposed on its mirror image
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek kheir “hand.”]
—chi·ral·i·ty [kī rállətee], noun[1]



Chi-Rho

Chi-Rho
Chi-Rho 
[k rṓ] (plural Chi-Rhos) noun

Christian
symbol:
a monogram and symbol for Jesus Christ, formed by superimposing the Greek
letters chi (X) and rho (P).
Also
called
Christogram
[From the first two letters
of Jesus Christ’s name in Greek][1]



Chiricahua

Chiricahua
Chir·i·ca·hua 
[chri kwə] (plural Chir·i·ca·hua
or Chir·i·ca·huas) noun

member of formerly nomadic
Apache people: a member of an Apache
people that formerly roamed the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona and
the northern region of Mexico, and now primarily live in Oklahoma and New
Mexico[1]



ChiricahuaNational Monument

ChiricahuaNational Monument
Chir·i·ca·hua
Na·tion·al Mon·u·ment

park in southeastern Arizona,
established in 1924 and noted for its unusual rock formations. Area: 4,850
hectares/11,985 acres.[1]



chiro-

chiro-
chiro-
prefix

hand
• chiromancy
[Via Latin from Greek kheir
(source also of English surgery )][1]



chirography

chirography
chi·rog·ra·phy 
[kī róggrəfee] noun

1.  handwriting:
the art of handwriting (technical)

2.  See
calligraphy

[1]



chiromancy

chiromancy
chi·ro·man·cy 
[krə mànsee] noun

See
palmistry[1]



Chiron

Chiron
Chi·ron 
[k ròn] noun

wise centaur of Greek
mythology: in Greek mythology, the
centaur, known for his great wisdom, who was the tutor of Greek heroes such as
Hercules, Achilles, and Jason[1]



chironomid

chironomid
chi·ron·o·mid 
[kī rónnəmid] (plural chi·ron·o·mids)
noun

midge:
a small nonbiting midge that gathers in large breeding swarms, especially near
water. Family: Chironomidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Chironomidae, from the genus name Chironomus, from
Greek kheironomos “pantomime dancer.”][1]



chiropody

chiropody
chi·rop·o·dy 
[ki róppədee] noun

U.K.
See podiatry
—chi·rop·o·dist, noun[1]



chiropractic

chiropractic
chi·ro·prac·tic 
[krə práktik] noun

system
of healing:
a medical system based on the theory that disease and disorders are caused by a
misalignment of the bones, especially in the spine, that obstructs proper nerve
functions
[Late
19th century. Formed from chiro- and Greek praktikos
“effective.”]
—chi·ro·prac·tor [krə pràktər], noun[1]



chiropteran

chiropteran
chi·rop·ter·an 
[kī róptərən] (plural chi·rop·ter·ans)
or chi·rop·ter [kī róptər] (plural
chi·rop·ters) noun

ZOOLOGY bat:
a flying mammal, such as the bat, with forelimbs that have evolved as
membranous wings (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Chiroptera, from chiro-
+ Greek pteron “wing.”][1]



chirp

chirp

chirp 
[churp] noun (plural chirps)

short high-pitched sound:
a short high-pitched sound, especially as made by a bird
verb (past
chirped, past participle chirped, present participle
chirp·ing, 3rd person present singular chirps)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a chirp:
to make a short high-pitched sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in cheerful manner: to speak, or say something,
in a cheerful, lively, or pert voice
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



chirpy

chirpy
chirp·y 
[chúrpee] (comparative chirp·i·er,
superlative chirp·i·est) adjective

cheerful:
cheerful and lively (informal)
—chirp·i·ly,
adverb

—chirp·i·ness, noun[1]



chirr

chirr
chirr 
[chur] noun (plural chirrs)

shrill
insect sound: a shrill harsh trilled sound made by
some insects, for example, grasshoppers
intransitive
verb
(past chirred, past participle chirred, present
participle chir·ring, 3rd person present singular chirrs)

make
a chirr:
to make a harsh trilled sound
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



chirrup

chirrup

chir·rup 
[chúrrəp, chrəp]
verb (past chir·ruped, past participle chir·ruped,
present participle chir·rup·ing, 3rd person present singular
chir·rups)

1.  intransitive
verb
twitter:
to utter a series of chirps

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in high cheerful voice: to speak or say something in
a high-pitched voice, and in a cheerful and lively fashion

3.  intransitive
verb
make
clucking sound with lips: to make a clucking sound
with the lips, for example, when encouraging a horse to move faster
noun (plural
chir·rups)

chirp: a
repeated series of chirping or clucking sounds
[Late
16th century. Alteration of chirp .]
—chir·rup·y, adjective[1]



chisel

chisel

chis·el 
[chízz’l] noun (plural chis·els)

tool with flat beveled blade:
a tool for cutting and shaping wood or stone, consisting of a straight flat
beveled blade with a sharp square-cut bottom edge inserted in a handle. The
chisel is often held in one hand and struck with a hammer or mallet, but is
also used freehand.
verb (past
chis·eled, past participle chis·eled, present
participle chis·el·ing, 3rd person present singular chis·els)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb carve
something with chisel: to carve, cut, or work wood
or stone using a chisel

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cheat
somebody:
to cheat or swindle somebody (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
obtain
by cheating: to obtain something by cheating or
deception (informal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin caes-, stem of caedere “to cut” (source
of English scissors ).][1]



chiseled

chiseled
chis·eled 
[chízz’ld] adjective

clear-cut:
clear-cut or sharply defined in shape or profile • a
finely chiseled face[1]



chiseler

chiseler
chis·el·er
[chízzlər] (plural chis·el·ers)
noun

swindler:
a cheat or swindler (informal)[1]



Chisholm,Shirley Anita

Chisholm,Shirley Anita

Chis·holm 
[chízzəm], Shirley Anita (1924– )
U.S. politician. She was the first
African American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives
(1969–1983).[1]



ChisholmTrail

ChisholmTrail
Chis·holm
Trail
noun

cattle
trail:
an important trail formerly used to drive cattle to market, running from San
Antonio, Texas to Abilene, Kansas
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Jesse Chisholm, a Cherokee Native American.][1]



chi-square

chi-square
chi-square 
(plural chi-squares) noun

statistical calculation:
a statistical calculation used to test how well the distribution of a set of
observed data matches a theoretical probability distribution. The calculated
value is equal to the sum of the squares of the differences divided by the
expected values.[1]



chi-squaredistribution

chi-squaredistribution
chi-square
dis·tri·bu·tion (plural chi-square
dis·tri·bu·tions) noun

statistical probability test:
a probability function widely used in testing a statistical hypothesis, for
example, the likelihood that a given statistical distribution of results might
be reached in an experiment[1]



chit

chit1
chit1 [chit]
(plural chits) noun

slip
of paper:
a note, bill, or any small slip of paper with writing on it, especially a
statement of money owed for food and drink (dated)
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of chitty, via Hindi cihī, from Sanskrit citra
“spot, mark,” referring to the writing.][1]



chit

chit2
chit2 [chit]
(plural chits) noun

impudent girl:
a child, girl, or young woman, especially one whose physical slightness seems
to be at odds with an impertinent, forceful, or self-confident manner[1]



chital

chital
chi·tal
[cht’l] (plural chi·tal or
chi·tals) noun

See
axis deer
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi cittal, from Sanskrit citrala “spotted.”][1]



chitchat

chitchat
chit·chat 
[chít chàt] noun (plural chit·chats)

small
talk:
casual conversation or small talk, or a casual conversation with somebody (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past chit·chat·ted, past participle chit·chat·ted,
present participle chit·chat·ting, 3rd person present singular
chit·chats)

make
small talk:
to engage in casual conversation or small talk (informal) • What
are you chitchatting about now?
[Late 17th century. A playful
elaboration of chat .][1]



chitin

chitin
chi·tin 
[ktin] noun

protective
outer covering: a tough semitransparent substance that
forms part of the protective outer casing ( cuticle
) of some insects and other arthropods, and the cell walls of some fungi
[Mid-19th
century. From French chitine, from Greek khitōn “tunic, coat of
mail.”]
—chi·ti·noid,
adjective

—chi·tin·ous, adjective[1]



chitlins

chitlins
chit·lins
[chíttlinz] or chit·lings [chíttlinz] plural noun

Southern
U.S.
See chitterlings
[Mid-19th century.
Contraction of chitterlings .][1]



chiton

chiton

chi·ton 
[kt’n, k tòn]
(plural chi·tons) noun

1.  small
marine mollusk: a small primitive marine mollusk that
lives on rocks and has an elongated body protected by a shell consisting of
eight overlapping plates. Class: Polyplacophora

2.  tunic
of ancient Greece and Rome: a loose knee-length woolen
tunic worn by women and men in ancient Greece
[Early 19th century. From
Greek khiton “tunic, coat of mail.”][1]



Chittagong

Chittagong
Chit·ta·gong 
[chíttə gòng]

chief port of Bangladesh and
an important industrial city. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the
country. Population: 1,364,000 (1991)[1]



chitter

chitter
chit·ter 
[chíttər] (past chit·tered, past
participle chit·tered, present participle chit·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular chit·ters) intransitive verb

chirp
or twitter:
to chirp or twitter
[12th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



chitterlings

chitterlings
chit·ter·lings
[chíttlinz] plural noun

pig
intestines:
the small intestines of pigs, especially when prepared as food.
Also
called
chitlins
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



chiv

chiv
chiv
[chiv, shiv]
or chive [chiv, shiv] or shiv [shiv] noun (plural chivs) (plural
chives) (plural shivs)

knife:
a pocketknife, often a switchblade, or razor (slang)
transitive
verb
(past chivved, past participle chivved, present
participle chiv·ving, 3rd person present singular chivs)
(past chived, past participle chived, present
participle chiv·ving, 3rd person present singular chives)
(past shivved, past participle shivved, present
participle shiv·ving, 3rd person present singular shivs)

slash
somebody with knife: to slash or stab somebody
with a switchblade or razor (slang)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Romany, “blade.”][1]



chivalric

chivalric
chi·val·ric 
[shi vállrik, shívvəlrik]
adjective

relating to knights and
knight’s code: relating to knights,
knighthood, and the knightly code of honor[1]



chivalrous

chivalrous
chiv·al·rous 
[shívvəlrəss] adjective

1.  relating
to knighthood code: relating to, or reflecting
the values of, the medieval code of knighthood, especially courtesy,
self-sacrifice, and a sense of fair play

2.  considerate
and courteous: considerate and courteous, especially
toward women
—chiv·al·rous·ly,
adverb

—chiv·al·rous·ness, noun[1]



chivalry

chivalry
chiv·al·ry 
[shívvəlree] (plural chiv·al·ries)
noun

1.  qualities
of ideal knight: the combination of qualities expected of
the ideal medieval knight, especially courage, honor, loyalty, and
consideration for others, especially women

2.  chivalrous
behavior:
courteous and considerate behavior, especially toward women

3.  medieval
knighthood:
the medieval concept of knighthood, and the customs, practices, social system,
and religious and personal ideals associated with knights and their way of life

4.  group
of knights:
knights, noblemen, or armed mounted soldiers, collectively or in a group (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
chevalerie from medieval Latin caballerius, from Latin caballus
“horse” (source of English cavalier
).][1]



chive

chive

chive 
[chīv] (plural chives) noun
plant
with onion flavor: a plant with long fine
hollow leaves that has a strong onion flavor and purple ball-shaped flowers.
Its leaves are used to season food. Latin name: Allium schoenoprasum
[14th century. From French
dialect, variant of cive, from Latin cepa “onion” (source of
English chipolata ).][1]



Chişinǎu

Chişinǎu
Chi·şi·nǎu
[kshi nów]

city and capital of Moldova,
situated on a tributary of the Dniester, 145 km90 mi northwest of Odessa,
Ukraine. Population: 753,500 (1991) Former name Kishinev 1940–1991[1]



chlamydes

chlamydes
chla·myd·es

Plural of
chlamys[1]



chlamydia

chlamydia
chla·myd·i·a 
[klə míddee ə] (plural chla·myd·i·as)
noun

1.  MICROBIOLOGY pathogenic
bacterium:
a spherical bacterium that causes several eye and urogenital diseases in humans
and other animals, and psittacosis in pet birds. Genus: Chlamydia

2.  MED sexually
transmitted disease: a sexually transmitted
disease, the most common in developed countries, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia
trachomatis. Often producing no symptoms, it can cause infertility, chronic
pain, or a tubal pregnancy if left untreated.
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek khlamyd-, stem of khlamus “mantle, chlamys.”][1]



chlamydial

chlamydial
chla·myd·i·al
[klə míddee əl] adjective

caused by bacteria:
used to describe infections that are caused by a bacterium of the genus Chlamydia,
for example, trachoma and sexually transmitted infections such as urethritis[1]



chlamydospore

chlamydospore
chla·myd·o·spore 
[klə míddə spàwr] (plural chla·myd·o·spores)
noun

spore
of fungi:
an asexual thick-walled spore produced by some fungi. It is capable of
remaining dormant for long periods and surviving adverse conditions.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem khlamyd- “mantle” + spore
.][1]



chlamys

chlamys
chlam·ys 
[klámmiss, kláymiss]
(plural chlam·ys·es or chlam·y·des [klámmi dz]) noun

cloak
of ancient Greece: a short cloak gathered and
fastened at the shoulder, worn by men in ancient Greece
[Late 17th century. From
Greek khlamus “mantle.”][1]



chloasma

chloasma
chlo·as·ma 
[klō ázmə] (plural chlo·as·ma·ta
[klō ázmətə]) noun

brown
patches on face: dark coloration on the skin of the face
caused by hormonal changes related to pregnancy, liver disease, or the use of
birth control pills. It is made worse by sunlight.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek khloazein “to become green.”][1]



chlor-

chlor-
chlor-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
chloro-[1]



chloral

chloral
chlo·ral 
[kláwrəl] noun

toxic
chemical used in DDT: a colorless oily toxic
liquid with a strong odor, used in making chloral hydrate and DDT. CCl3CHO
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chlor- + -al
.][1]



chloralhydrate

chloralhydrate
chlo·ral
hy·drate
noun

chemical used in
tranquilizers: a colorless crystalline
solid that is soluble in water and is used as a sedative and hypnotic. C2H3Cl3O2[1]



chloramine

chloramine
chlo·ra·mine 
[kláwrə mn] (plural chlo·ra·mines)
noun

unstable chemical:
an unstable colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is used to make hydrazine.
NH2Cl[1]



chloramphenicol

chloramphenicol
chlo·ram·phen·i·col 
[klàw ram fénni kòl] noun

antibiotic:
a powerful antibiotic derived from a soil bacterium, the use of which is
limited by its tendency to cause the failure of blood cell production ( aplastic anemia ). C11H12Cl2N2O5
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chlor- + amide
+ phen- + nitro-
+ glycol .][1]



chlorate

chlorate
chlo·rate 
[kláw ràyt] (plural chlo·rates)
noun

salt
of chloric acid: any salt of chloric acid
[Early 19th century. Formed
from chloric .][1]



chlordane

chlordane
chlor·dane 
[kláwr dàyn] or chlor·dan [kláwr dàyn] noun

toxic
chemical used as pesticide: a thick, toxic, colorless to
amber-colored liquid that can exist with several different molecular structures
( isomers ) and is used as an insecticide
and a fumigant. Chlordane has been found to be so highly toxic to humans that
it has been outlawed in some U.S. states. C10H6Cl8
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chlor- + indene
+ -ane .][1]



chlordiazepoxide

chlordiazepoxide
chlor·di·az·e·pox·ide 
[klàwrdī azzə pók sd] noun

chemical
used as tranquilizer: a yellow crystalline powder
that is used as a tranquilizer and as a treatment for alcoholism. C16H14ClN3O
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chlor- + di-
+ azo- + epi-
+ oxide .][1]



chlorella

chlorella
chlo·rel·la 
[klə réllə] (plural chlo·rel·las)
noun

alga
used in research: a single-celled green alga that is often
used in research. Genus: Chlorella
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “little green (thing),” from Greek khlōros
“green.”][1]



chlorenchyma

chlorenchyma
chlo·ren·chy·ma 
[klə réngkəmə] noun

plant
tissue containing chloroplasts: plant tissue that
contains chloroplasts, found mainly in leaves
[Late 19th century. Coined
from chlorophyll + -enchyma
.][1]



chloric

chloric
chlo·ric 
[kláwrik] adjective

containing
chlorine:
containing chlorine, especially with a valence of 5
[Early 19th century. Formed
from chlorine .][1]



chloricacid

chloricacid
chlo·ric
ac·id
noun

highly toxic acid:
a toxic unstable acid, known only in solution and as chlorate salts. HClO3·7H2O[1]



chloride

chloride
chlo·ride 
[kláw rd] (plural chlo·rides)
noun

chemical
containing chlorine: a compound containing
chlorine and one other element
[Early
19th century. Formed from chlorine .]
—chlo·rid·ic [klə ríddik], adjective[1]



chlorideof lime

chlorideof lime
chlo·ride
of lime
noun

bleaching powder:
a powder used as a bleach (technical)[1]



chlorinate

chlorinate
chlo·ri·nate 
[kláwri nayt] (past chlo·ri·nat·ed,
past participle chlo·ri·nat·ed, present participle chlo·ri·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular chlo·ri·nates) transitive verb

combine
or treat something with chlorine: to combine or treat
something with chlorine, especially in order to kill harmful organisms
—chlo·ri·nat·ed,
adjective

—chlo·ri·na·tion
[klàwri náysh’n], noun

—chlo·ri·na·tor [kláwri nàytər], noun[1]



chlorine

chlorine

chlo·rine 
[kláw rn] noun
chemical
used to kill germs: a gaseous, poisonous,
corrosive, greenish-yellow chemical element of the halogen group that combines
with nearly every other element. It is widely used to purify water and as a
disinfectant. Symbol Cl
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek khlōros “green,” from the color of the gas.][1]



chlorite

chlorite1
chlo·rite1 [kláw
rt] (plural chlo·rites) noun

soft
metamorphic green mineral: a group of soft black or
green aluminosilicate minerals found in metamorphic rocks. (Mg,Fe,Al)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH)8
[Late 18th century. Via Latin
chloritis from Greek khlōritis, a green precious stone.][1]



chlorite

chlorite2
chlo·rite2 [kláw
rt] noun

salt
of chlorous acid: any salt of chlorous acid
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from chlorine .][1]



chloro-

chloro-
chloro-
prefix

1.  green
• chlorophyll

2.  chlorine
• chlorobenzene
[From Greek khlōros
“green”][1]



chlorobenzene

chlorobenzene
chlo·ro·ben·zene 
[klàwrō bén zn] noun

toxic chemical used as
pesticide: a combination of chlorine
and benzene that produces a colorless flammable liquid with an almond smell,
used especially in the production of solvents and DDT. C6H5Cl[1]



chlorofluorocarbon

chlorofluorocarbon
chlo·ro·fluor·o·car·bon 
[klàw rō flrō krbən, klàw rō flawrō krbən] (plural chlo·ro·fluor·o·car·bons)
noun

Full
form of
CFC
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chloro- + fluoro-
+ carbon .][1]



chloroform

chloroform
chlo·ro·form 
[kláwrə fàwrm] noun

liquid
causing unconsciousness: a colorless sweet-smelling
toxic liquid that rapidly changes to a vapor and causes unconsciousness if
inhaled, used as a solvent and cleaning agent. It was formerly used as an
anesthetic for surgical operations and is still sometimes used as such in veterinary
medicine. CHCl3
transitive
verb

render
unconscious with chloroform: to make a person or animal
breathe in chloroform in order to cause unconsciousness
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chloro- + formic
.][1]



chloromethane

chloromethane
chlo·ro·me·thane
noun

See
methyl chloride[1]



Chloromycetin

Chloromycetin
Chlo·ro·my·ce·tin
[klàwrō mī st’n] Trademark

a trademark for the
antibiotic chloramphenicol[1]



chlorophyll

chlorophyll
chlo·ro·phyll 
[kláwrəfil] or chlo·ro·phyl [kláwrəfil] noun

green
plant pigment used in photosynthesis: the
green or purple pigment found in plants, algae, and some bacteria that is
responsible for capturing the light energy needed for photosynthesis. In plants
and algae, chlorophyll is contained within numerous minute membranous sacs (
chloroplasts ) within cells of the stems and leaves.
[Early
19th century. From French chlorophylle, from Greek khlōros (see chloro- ) + phullon “leaf.”]
—chlo·ro·phyl·lose [kláwrəfi lss, klàwrə
fí lss], adjective[1]



chloropicrin

chloropicrin
chlo·ro·pic·rin 
[klàwrə píkrin] noun

toxic
liquid used as tear gas: a colorless toxic liquid
that causes tears and vomiting and is used as a tear gas. It also has
industrial uses as an insecticide, a disinfectant, and in dyes. CCl3NO2 
Also
called
nitrochloroform
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chloro- + picro-
+ -in .][1]



chloroplast

chloroplast
chlo·ro·plast 
[kláwrə plàst] (plural chlo·ro·plasts)
noun

part
of plant cell containing chlorophyll: a
membranous sac ( plastid ) that contains
chlorophyll and other pigments and is the place where photosynthesis occurs
within the cells of plants and algae. Plant cells contain numerous
chloroplasts, algal cells often have just one. Each consists of interconnected
stacks of disk-shaped membranes in fluid, surrounded by a double membrane.
[Late
19th century. Coined from chloro- + -plast .]
—chlo·ro·plas·tic [klàwrə plástik], adjective[1]



chloroprene

chloroprene
chlo·ro·prene 
[kláwrə prn] noun

chemical
used in synthetic rubber manufacture: a
colorless liquid used in the manufacture of the synthetic rubber, neoprene. C4H5Cl
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chloro- + isoprene
.][1]



chloroquine

chloroquine
chlo·ro·quine 
[kláwrə kwn, kláwrə
kwn] noun

anti-malaria
drug:
a synthetic drug that is taken orally and is used to treat malaria and
amebiasis. C18H26ClN3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chloro- + quinoline,
from which it is derived.][1]



chlorosis

chlorosis
chlo·ro·sis 
[klə rṓsiss] noun

1.  loss
of greenness through chlorophyll deficiency: a
yellowing or whitening of a plant’s leaves and stems caused by a lack of the
green pigment chlorophyll

2.  iron-deficiency
anemia:
severe iron-deficiency anemia, formerly common in adolescent girls, that
produces a greenish tint in the skin.
Also
called
greensickness
[Late
17th century. Coined from chloro- + -osis .]
—chlo·rot·ic
[klə róttik], adjective

—chlo·rot·i·cal·ly [klə róttikəlee], adverb[1]



chlorothiazide

chlorothiazide
chlo·ro·thi·a·zide 
[klàw rō th ə zd] noun

drug used to relieve fluid
retention: a water-soluble powder used
in the treatment of high blood pressure, swelling, and heart failure to relieve
fluid retention in the body[1]



chlorous

chlorous
chlor·ous
[kláwrəss] adjective

containing
chlorine:
relating to or containing chlorine with a valence of 3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chlorine + -ous
.][1]



chlorpromazine

chlorpromazine
chlor·prom·a·zine 
[klawr prómmə zn, klawr
prṓmə zn] noun

sedative
drug:
a drug used as a sedative and tranquilizer in the treatment of psychiatric
disorders such as schizophrenia
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chlor- + promethazine
.][1]



chlorpropamide

chlorpropamide
chlor·prop·a·mide
[klawr próppə md] noun

antidiabetes
drug:
a drug that lowers blood sugar, used in the treatment of diabetes. C10H13ClN2O3S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chlor- + propane
+ amide .][1]



chlortetracycline

chlortetracycline
chlor·tet·ra·cy·cline 
[klawr tèttrə sklin, klawr téttrə s kln] noun

antibiotic drug:
an antibiotic drug, derived from a soil bacterium, that is used to treat a wide
range of infections in humans and to stimulate growth in livestock. C22H23ClN2O8[1]



ChM

ChM
ChM

Abbreviation
of
Master of Surgery
[Latin Chirurgiae Magister][1]



chm.

chm.
chm.
or Chm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chairman

2.  Abbreviation
of
checkmate

[1]



chocaholic

chocaholic
choc·a·hol·ic
(plural choc·a·hol·ics) noun

See
chocoholic[1]



chock

chock
chock 
[chok] noun

1.  block
to stop something moving: a block of wood or metal
used to prevent a wheel from turning, an object from moving, or to support
something when it is raised off the ground

2.  SHIPPING ship’s
horn-shaped fitment for securing cables: a
heavy metal fitment attached to the deck of a ship that has two inward-curving
horn-shaped projections around which a cable can be secured

3.  MOUNTAINEERING metal
anchor for climbing: a metal device used to
provide anchoring systems for climbing or caving
transitive
verb

use chock for brace:
to keep something from turning, moving, or falling by using a chock to block or
brace it • chock
the plane’s wheels
[14th century. Probably from
an assumed Old Norman French variant of Old French ço(u)che “log,” of
unknown origin.][1]



chock-a-block

chock-a-block
chock-a-block 
adjective

1.  packed
full:
so crammed with things or crowded with people as to make it virtually
impossible to get anything or anybody else in or to move around (informal)

2.  NAUTICAL having
blocks in tightest position: having the two blocks in a
block and tackle tight up against each other
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of an earlier nautical term block and block, “with pulleys drawn close
together,” influenced by chock-full .][1]



chock-full

chock-full
chock-full
adjective

completely
full:
completely full, or containing an enormous number of things (informal)
[14th century. Chock
perhaps from chock “wooden block,” hence,
originally, “stuffed with blocks of wood,” or an alteration of cheek, hence, originally, “full up to the
cheeks.”][1]



chocoholic

chocoholic
choc·o·hol·ic 
[chòkə hóllik] (plural choc·o·hol·ics)
or choc·a·hol·ic [chòkə hóllik]
(plural choc·a·hol·ics) noun

chocolate
lover:
somebody who is extremely fond of or apparently addicted to chocolate, and who
craves it or eats it in large quantities (humorous)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from chocolate + -aholic
.][1]



chocolate

chocolate
choc·o·late 
[chóklət] noun (plural choc·o·lates)

1.  FOOD smooth
sweet brown food: a food or flavoring, typically a smooth
sweet brown and sometimes brittle solid, made from roasted and ground cacao
seeds usually sweetened and mixed with cocoa butter and dried milk. Chocolate
is made into bars or candy, or used to flavor other foods, especially cakes,
desserts, sauces, and cookies. (often used before a noun) • a
bar of chocolate • chocolate
cake

2.  FOOD candy
covered in chocolate: a small piece of chocolate
-coated candy with a hard or soft center

3.  BEVERAGES chocolate
drink:
a drink, usually served hot or warm, made from sweetened powdered chocolate
mixed with water or milk

4.  COLORS brown
color:
a deep warm brown color
adjective

brown-colored:
of a deep warm brown color
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French chocolat “drinking chocolate,” from
Spanish chocolate, from Nahuatl chocolatl, literally “bitter
water.”]
—choc·o·lat·ey, adjective[1]



chocolate-box

chocolate-box
choc·o·late-box
adjective

stereotypically pretty:
depicting pretty scenes or pretty people in a stereotyped and usually
sentimental or romanticized way • chocolate-box
portraits[1]



chocolatechip

chocolatechip
choc·o·late
chip
(plural choc·o·late chips) noun

piece of chocolate:
a small piece of chocolate, used especially in making cookies and desserts • chocolate
chip cookies[1]



chocolatetree

chocolatetree
choc·o·late
tree
(plural choc·o·late trees) noun

See
cacao  noun 1[1]



chocolatier

chocolatier
choc·o·la·tier
[chókə làttee ər] (plural choc·o·la·tiers)
noun

chocolate maker:
a maker or seller of chocolates[1]



Choctaw

Choctaw
Choc·taw 
[chók tàw] (plural Choc·taw or
Choc·taws) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally occupied lands in central and southern parts of
Mississippi, and whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma and southern
Mississippi. The Choctaw were one of the Five Civilized Nations who, under the
Removal Act of 1830, were sent to live on reservations in Oklahoma.

2.  LANGUAGE Choctaw
language:
the Muskogean language of the Choctaw people. Choctaw is spoken by about 10,000
people.
[Early
18th century. From Choctaw čahta .]
—Choc·taw, adjective[1]



choice

choice
choice 
[choyss] noun (plural choices)

1.  act
of choosing something or somebody: a decision to choose
one thing, person, or course of action in preference to others • Think
very carefully before you make a choice.

2.  power
to choose:
the chance or ability to choose between different things • They
gave us no choice

3.  selection
of things:
a variety of things, people, or possibilities from which to choose • a
wide choice of styles and colors

4.  chosen
object:
a person, thing, or course of action chosen by somebody from among a range of
possibilities • Red would not have been
my choice.

5.  best
part:
the best or most desirable part
adjective
(comparative choic·er, superlative choic·est)

1.  high-quality:
being of particularly good quality

2.  rude
or emphatic: carefully chosen for effectiveness and
usually expressing displeasure or dislike in a sufficiently emphatic way (used
euphemistically) • a few
choice words
[13th
century. From Old French chois, from choisir “to choose,”
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English choose .]
—choice·ness,
noun
of
choice

chosen from among several as
being the best or most suitable • the
newspaper of choice[1]



choir

choir
choir 
[kwīr] (plural choirs) noun

1.  group
of singers:
an organized group of singers who perform together, especially in church,
typically combining smaller groups of singers who sing different parts at
different pitches

2.  area
where choir sings: the part of a church where
the choir performs

3.  instrument
group:
a group of instruments of the same type

4.  See
choir organ
[13th century. Via Old French
quer, from Latin chorus “choral dance” (source of English chorus ), on which the English spelling was
modeled, from Greek khoros “group of singers and dancers.”][1]



choirboy

choirboy
choir·boy 
[kwr bòy] (plural choir·boys)
noun

boy singer in church choir:
a boy who sings in a church choir[1]



choirgirl

choirgirl
choir·girl 
[kwr gùrl] (plural choir·girls)
noun

girl singer in church choir:
a girl who sings in a church choir[1]



choirloft

choirloft
choir
loft
(plural choir lofts) noun

upstairs space in church for
choir: a raised gallery or part of
the upper story in a church, where the choir performs during services[1]



choirmaster

choirmaster
choir·mas·ter 
[kwr màstər] (plural choir·mas·ters)
noun

director of choir:
somebody who instructs, trains, and conducts a choir[1]



choirorgan

choirorgan
choir
or·gan
noun

organ manual for accompanying
choir: a manual or section of a
large organ with sets of soft-toned pipes suitable for accompanying a choir.
Also called
choir
See also
great organ[1]



choirschool

choirschool
choir
school
(plural choir schools) noun

school for choir members:
a school where the members of a cathedral or church choir are educated and
attend regular lessons as well as receiving special musical training[1]



choke

choke2
choke2  [chōk]
(plural chokes) noun

1.  inedible
central part of artichoke: the bristly inner inedible
part of an artichoke

2.  artichoke:
an artichoke (informal)
[Shortening][1]



choke

choke1
choke1  [chōk]
verb (past choked, past participle choked, present
participle chok·ing, 3rd person present singular chokes)

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
breathing through blockage of throat: to
stop breathing, or breathe with great difficulty, because of a blockage or
restriction of the throat

2.  transitive
verb
prevent
breathing by constricting throat: to prevent somebody
from breathing by blocking or squeezing the throat

3.  transitive
verb
block
passage or channel: to form an obstruction in a
passage, channel, pipe, or roadway and prevent anything from passing along it

4.  transitive
verb
prevent
plants from growing: to prevent plants from
developing by growing over them and depriving them of light and air • the
bed was choked with weeds

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be too
moved to speak: to be overcome with emotion and unable
to speak, or make somebody feel so much emotion that he or she cannot speak (informal)

6.  intransitive
verb
lose
nerve and falter: to lose nerve or confidence and falter
in the middle of saying or doing something (informal) • He
gets ahead, two sets to one, and then he chokes!

7.  intransitive
verb
refuse
to cooperate: to refuse to cooperate when presented
with something unacceptable (informal) • We
choked on their last demand.
noun
(plural chokes)

1.  noise
of choking:
a sound or movement made by somebody choking, or indicative of somebody choking

2.  fuel
mixture regulator for engine: a device that controls the
ratio of air to fuel in the mixture supplied to an internal-combustion engine • pull
the choke out
[Old
English ācēocian from, ultimately, cēoce “cheek.” The underlying
idea is of cutting off the air supply by constricting the cheeks.]
—chok·ing,
adjective

—chok·ing·ly, adverb[1]



chokeback

chokeback
choke
back
transitive verb

not let emotion out:
to stop the expression of an emotional response to something by a deliberate
effort of self-control • I
couldn`t choke back my tears any longer.[1]



chokeberry

chokeberry
choke·ber·ry 
[chṓk bèrree] (plural choke·ber·ries)
noun

1.  (plural
choke·ber·ries or choke·ber·ry) N.
American shrub with sour fruits: a North American shrub
of the rose family that bears small red or purplish sour fruits and small white
or pink flowers. Genus: Aronia

2.  bitter
fruit of chokeberry: the small bitter fruit of
the chokeberry
[Late 18th century. From its
bitter fruit.][1]



chokebore

chokebore
choke·bore 
[chṓk bàwr] (plural choke·bores)
noun

1.  tapering
bore:
a shotgun bore that tapers toward the muzzle to prevent wide scattering of the
shot

2.  shotgun
with chokebore: a shotgun with a bore that tapers toward
the muzzle

[1]



chokechain

chokechain
choke
chain
(plural choke chains) noun

chain collar for training
dog: a chain serving as a collar
and short leash that fits in a sliding loop around an animal’s neck, so that
when the animal pulls away the chain gets tighter. Choke chains are used in
obedience training for dogs and to restrain powerful animals.
Also called
choke collar[1]



chokecherry

chokecherry

choke·cher·ry 
[chṓk chèrree] (plural choke·cher·ries)
noun

1.  (plural
choke·cher·ries or choke·cher·ry) N
American wild cherry: a North American wild cherry
that produces long clusters of small white flowers, followed by dark red or
black bitter fruit. Latin name: Prunus virginiana

2.        fruit
of chokecherry: the fruit of the
chokecherry[1]



chokecoil

chokecoil
choke
coil
(plural choke coils) noun

device for controlling
current: a type of induction coil
used to limit or suppress the flow of alternating current without stopping the
flow of direct current[1]



chokecollar

chokecollar
choke
col·lar
(plural choke col·lars) noun

See
choke chain[1]



choked

choked
choked
[chōkt] adjective

U.K.
(informal) See choked up[1]



chokedamp

chokedamp
choke·damp 
[chṓk dàmp] noun

MINING
See blackdamp[1]



chokedup

chokedup
choked
up
adjective

very distressed or
disappointed: overcome by emotion,
usually unhappiness, disappointment, or resentment (informal)
U.K. term
choked[1]



chokehold

chokehold
choke·hold 
[chṓk hōld] (plural choke·holds)
noun

See
stranglehold[1]



chokeoff

chokeoff
choke
off
transitive verb

stop something abruptly:
to stop the flow, supply, or development of something, usually abruptly[1]



chokepoint

chokepoint
choke·point 
[chṓk pòynt] (plural choke·points)
noun

1.  area
of blockage: a congested or narrow part where a
blockage can occur

2.  NAVY narrow
shallow sea corridor: a place at sea where
geography and water depth combine to create a narrow shallow corridor for
submarines and surface ships

3.  sticking
point:
a point or situation that is an obstacle to an agreement or results in an
impasse • amnesty
being the choke point in the political settlement

[1]



choker

choker
chok·er 
[chōkər] (plural chok·ers) noun

1.  neck
ornament:
a short length of cloth or ribbon, or a short necklace, that fastens closely
around the neck and is worn as an ornament

2.  high
close-fitting collar: a high close-fitting collar,
for example, a clerical collar

[1]



cholangiography

cholangiography
cho·lan·gi·og·ra·phy 
[kō lànjee óggrəfee] noun

X-ray
examination of bile ducts: X-ray examination of the
bile ducts to check for obstructions, carried out after the patient has
swallowed a substance that shows up on an X-ray
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from chole- + angiography .]
—cho·lan·gi·o·gram
[kō lánjee ə gràm], noun

—cho·lan·gi·o·graph·ic
[kō lànjee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



chole-

chole-
chole-
prefix

bile,
bile ducts, gall bladder • cholelithiasis
[From Greek kholē .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “yellow-colored, bile,” which is
also the ancestor of English bile, gall, and yellow
.][1]



cholecalciferol

cholecalciferol
cho·le·cal·cif·er·ol 
[kləkal síffə ròl, kləkal
síffə ràwl] noun

See
vitamin D 3[1]



cholecyst

cholecyst
cho·le·cyst 
[kṓlə sìst] (plural cho·le·cysts)
noun

gallbladder:
the gallbladder (technical)[1]



cholecystectomy

cholecystectomy
cho·le·cys·tec·to·my 
[klə sis téktəmee] (plural cho·le·cys·tec·to·mies)
noun

surgical
removal of gallbladder: a surgical operation to
remove the gallbladder
—cho·le·cys·tec·to·mize
[klə sis téktə mīz], transitive verb[1]



cholecystitis

cholecystitis
cho·le·cys·ti·tis 
[klə si st tiss] noun

inflammation of gallbladder:
inflammation of the gallbladder, usually caused by a bacterial infection or
gallstones[1]



cholecystoduodenostomy

cholecystoduodenostomy
cho·le·cys·to·du·o·de·nos·to·my
[klə sistō doo odd’n óstəmee, kóllə sistō doo odd’n óstəmee] (plural cho·le·cys·to·du·o·de·nos·to·mies)
noun

operation connecting
gallbladder to intestine: a surgical
procedure in which the gallbladder is connected directly to the first part of
the small intestine ( duodenum )[1]



cholecystography

cholecystography
cho·le·cys·tog·ra·phy
[klə sis tóggrəfee, kóllə sis tóggrəfee] (plural cho·le·cys·tog·ra·phies)
noun

X-ray examination of
gallbladder: X-ray examination of
the gallbladder after the patient has swallowed a substance that shows up on an
X-ray[1]



cholecystokinin

cholecystokinin
cho·le·cys·to·ki·nin 
[klə sístə knin] noun

hormone
that stimulates gallbladder: a hormone secreted by cells
at the top of the small intestine that stimulates the gallbladder, making it
contract and release bile.
Also
called
pancreozymin
[Early 20th century. Coined
from cholecyst + kinin
.][1]



cholelithiasis

cholelithiasis
cho·le·li·thi·a·sis 
[klə li th əsiss] noun

presence of gallstones:
the formation or presence of gallstones in the gallbladder or bile ducts[1]



choler

choler
chol·er 
[kóllər] noun

1.  bad
temper:
anger or bad temper (archaic or literary)

2.  bodily
fluid causing bad temper: one of the four basic fluids
( humors ) of the body according to medieval
medicine, thought to make somebody whose body contained too much of it prone to
anger and irritability (archaic)
Also
called
yellow bile
[14th century. Via French colère
from Latin cholera “bile” (see cholera
), believed to cause bad temper.][1]



cholera

cholera
chol·er·a 
[kóllərə] noun

acute
intestinal disease: an acute and often fatal
intestinal disease that produces severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and
gastric pain, and is usually caused by swallowing food or water contaminated
with a bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Also
called
Asiatic cholera
[14th
century. Via Latin, “bile,” originally “illness caused by bile,” from Greek kholera,
from kholē “bile.” Revived in its modern sense in the 17th century.]
—chol·e·ra·ic
[kòllə ráy ik], adjective

—chol·e·roid [kóllə ròyd], adjective[1]



choleric

choleric
chol·er·ic 
[kóllərik, kə
lérrik] adjective

bad-tempered:
liable to become angry or irritated, or showing anger or irritation (literary)
[14th
century. Directly and via French cholérique from Latin cholericus
“bilious,” from, ultimately, Greek kholera (see cholera
).]
—chol·er·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cholestasis

cholestasis
cho·le·sta·sis 
[kli stáyssiss, kli
stássiss] noun

bile
stoppage:
a stoppage or slowing of the flow of bile
—cho·le·stat·ic [kli státtik], adjective[1]



cholesteatoma

cholesteatoma
cho·les·te·a·to·ma
[kə lèstee ə tṓmə, kləstee
ə tṓmə] (plural cho·les·te·a·to·mas) noun

(plural cholesteatomas)
ear condition caused by cholesterol mass:
a potentially dangerous condition of the middle ear in which a mass of
cholesterol and skin scales forms, grows, and invades the local structures,
including bone[1]



cholesterol

cholesterol
cho·les·ter·ol 
[kə léstə ràwl] noun

solid
compound in blood: a steroid alcohol ( sterol ) found in animal tissue, bile, blood,
eggs, and fats, high levels of which in the blood are linked to
atherosclerosis, heart disease, and gallstones. Cholesterol is important to the
body as a constituent of cell membranes, and is involved in the formation of
bile acid and some hormones. C27H45OH
[Late 19th century. Coined
from chole- + Greek stereos “stiff” +
-ol .][1]



cholestyramine

cholestyramine
cho·le·styr·a·mine 
[kli strə mn, kō
léstər á mn] noun

cholesterol-lowering
agent:
a synthetic resin used to lower cholesterol in the blood by binding it with
bile acids
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chole- + styrene
+ -amine .][1]



choli

choli
cho·li 
[chṓlee] (plural cho·lis) noun

blouse
worn under sari: a short fitted top with short sleeves,
worn underneath a sari
[Early 20th century. From
Hindi colī .][1]



choline

choline
cho·line 
[kṓ ln] noun

ammonia
compound:
a soluble ammonia derivative ( amine ) that
is found in animal and plant tissue and helps to prevent fat from being
deposited in the liver. Choline is also involved in the formation of
acetylcholine. C5H15NO2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chole- + -ine
.][1]



cholinergic

cholinergic
cho·lin·er·gic 
[klə núrjik] adjective

1.  activated
by or releasing acetylcholine: used to describe nerve
cells or fibers that are activated by acetylcholine or that release it

2.  resembling
acetylcholine: used to describe drugs that resemble
acetylcholine in the way they work or the effect they have
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from choline + Greek ergon
“work.”]
—cho·lin·er·gi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



cholinesterase

cholinesterase
cho·lin·es·ter·ase 
[kli néstə ràyss, kli
néstə ràyz] noun

1.  enzyme:
an enzyme of the blood, brain, and heart that decomposes acetylcholine into
acetic acid and choline, suppressing its stimulatory effect on nerves

2.  See
acetylcholinesterase
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from choline + esterase
.][1]



cholla

cholla
chol·la 
[chóy ə] (plural chol·las or
chol·la) noun

cylindrical
cactus:
a cactus of the southwestern United States and Mexico that has cylindrical stem
segments and yellow spines. Some cultivated types have vividly colored flowers.
Genus: Opuntia
[Mid-19th century. From
Mexican Spanish, from obsolete Spanish, “top of the head,” perhaps from Old
French cholle “round lump.”][1]



Cholula

Cholula
Cho·lu·la

town in Puebla State, central
Mexico, situated 13 km/8 mi west of the city of Puebla. Population: 77,923
(1990) Official name Cholula de Rivadavia[1]



chomp

chomp
chomp 
[chomp] or chump [chump] intransitive and transitive verb (past
chomped, past participle chomped, present participle
chomp·ing, 3rd person present singular chomps) (past
chumped, past participle chumped, present participle
chump·ing, 3rd person present singular chumps)

chew noisily: to
take big bites of food and chew steadily, noisily, and with obvious
satisfaction (informal)
noun
(plural chomps) (informal)

1.  noisy
bite:
a big noisy bite into something

2.  sound
of bite:
the sound made by noisy energetic biting or chewing
[Mid-17th century. Variant of
champ, and imitative of the sound.][1]



Chomsky,Noam

Chomsky,Noam

Chom·sky 
[chómskee], Noam (1928– )
U.S.
linguist. He is known for his transformational-generative grammar, which
revolutionized linguistics, and for his political writings.
Full name
Chomsky, Avram Noam[1]



chon

chon
chon 
[chōn] (plural chon) noun

1.  Korean
unit of currency: a subunit of currency in North and South
Korea

2.  coin
or bill worth one chon: a coin bill worth one chon
[Mid-20th century. From
Korean .][1]



chondr-

chondr-
chondr-
prefix

See
chondro-[1]



chondral

chondral
chon·dral
[kóndrəl] adjective

relating to cartilage:
relating to or consisting of cartilage[1]



chondri-

chondri-
chondri-
prefix

See
chondro-[1]



chondrify

chondrify
chon·dri·fy 
[kóndrə f] (past chon·dri·fied,
past participle chon·dri·fied, present participle chon·dri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular chon·dri·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
into cartilage: to change tissue into cartilage, or be
changed into cartilage
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek khondros “cartilage.”]
—chon·dri·fi·ca·tion [kòndrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



chondrite

chondrite
chon·drite 
[kón drt] (plural chon·drites)
noun

stony
meteorite:
a stony meteorite that contains spherical masses ( chondrules
) of mainly silicate minerals
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek khondros “granule, cartilage” + -ite .]
—chon·drit·ic [kon dríttik], adjective[1]



chondro-

chondro-
chondro-
prefix

1.  cartilage
• chondrocranium

2.  granule
• chondrule
[From Greek khondros][1]



chondroblast

chondroblast
chon·dro·blast
(plural chon·dro·blasts) noun

cartilage cell:
a cell that secretes chondrin for the formation of cartilage[1]



chondrocranium

chondrocranium
chon·dro·cra·ni·um 
[kòn drō kráy nee əm] (plural chon·dro·cra·ni·ums
or chon·dro·cra·ni·a [kòn drō kráy
nee ə]) noun

part of embryo’s skull:
the part of an embryo’s skull that consists of cartilage that later hardens
into bone[1]



chondroma

chondroma
chon·dro·ma 
[kon drṓmə] (plural chon·dro·mas
or chon·dro·ma·ta [kon drṓmətə])
noun

abnormal cartilage growth:
a benign abnormal growth of cartilage[1]



chondrule

chondrule
chon·drule 
[kón drl] (plural chon·drules)
noun

spherical
mass of mineral in meteorite: a small spherical mass of
mineral matter from outer space, sometimes found in meteorites. Chondrules
usually consist of olivine or pyroxene.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from chondrite + -ule
.][1]



Chongqing

Chongqing
Chong·qing 
[chng chíng] or Chungking or
Ch’ung-ch’ing

city on the Yangtze River in
southern Sichuan Province, south central China. It was China’s capital from
1937 to 1946. Population: 2,980,000 (1991)[1]



Chong,Son

Chong,Son
Chong
[chong], Son (1676–1759)

Korean artist. He was the
first Korean to paint in a non-Chinese style, and was noted for his landscapes.[1]



Chonju

Chonju
Chon·ju
[jng j] or Chǒn·ju [jng j]

town and capital of North
Cholla Province, South Korea, situated 193 km/120 mi south of Seoul.
Population: 563,406 (1995)[1]



choo-choo

choo-choo
choo-choo
[ch ch] or choo-choo train [ch ch] (plural choo-choo trains) noun

railroad
train or locomotive: a railroad train or
locomotive (babytalk)
[Early 20th century.
Imitation of the sound of a steam train.][1]



choose

choose
choose 
[chooz] (past chose [chōz], past participle cho·sen [chōz’n], present participle choos·ing,
3rd person present singular choos·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  decide
from among range of options: to decide which of a number
of different things or people is best or most suitable

2.  make
a deliberate decision: to make a deliberate
decision to do something
[Old
English cēosan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin gustus “taste” (source of English gusto ).]
—choos·er, noun[1]



chooseup

chooseup
choose
up
intransitive and transitive verb

form into teams:
to pick the players wanted on a team for a game[1]



choosy

choosy
choos·y 
[chzee] (comparative choos·i·er,
superlative choos·i·est) or choos·ey [chzee] (comparative choos·i·er, superlative
choos·i·est) adjective

hard
to please:
very precise or discriminating in preferences (informal)
—choos·i·ness, noun[1]



ChoOyu

ChoOyu
Cho
O·yu
[ch ṓ yoo]

mountain in the Himalaya
range, one of the world’s highest peaks. Height: 8,201 m/26,906 ft.[1]



chop

chop2
chop2 [chop]
(past chopped, past participle chopped, present
participle chop·ping, 3rd person present singular chops)
intransitive verb

move
in different direction: to change direction or have
a change of mind, especially suddenly or frequently
[15th century. Variant of chap “jaw.”][1]



chop

chop3
chop3 [chop]
noun

trademark in Far East:
a trademark, official stamp, or mark of quality, especially in the Far East[1]



chop

chop1
chop1 [chop]
verb (past chopped, past participle chopped,
present participle chop·ping, 3rd person present singular chops)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
up something with sharp tool: to cut something into pieces
with downward strokes of an ax, knife, or other sharp-bladed tool • a
dish of chopped liver

2.  transitive
verb
cut
off something: to use a quick sharp blow or blows to
sever or fell something • chopped
down the tree

3.  intransitive
verb
make
chopping movements: to make downward cutting
movements with a tool or with the hand

4.  transitive
verb
form
by chopping: to make something such as a hole or path
by chopping with an ax or other tool • He
chopped his way through the undergrowth.

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
ball with sharp downward movement: to hit a ball with a
quick sharp downward movement of the racket or bat, often in order to give the
ball backspin

6.  transitive
verb
hit
sharply downward: to hit somebody or something with a
sharp downward motion
noun
(plural chops)

1.  FOOD slice
of meat with bone: a small piece of red meat
cut from the ribs, loin, or shoulder, and usually with the bone still attached
• pork
chops

2.  sharp
stroke downward: a sudden strong downward blow with the
hand or a cutting tool • a
karate chop

3.  U.K.
dismissal:
dismissal from a job (informal) • was
given the chop

4.  irregular
wave motion: turbulent irregular motion in waves or
water

5.  disturbed
sea:
a stretch of choppy water, especially on the sea
[14th century. Variant of chap “to crack open.”][1]



chop-chop

chop-chop
chop-chop 
interjection

quickly:
used to indicate, often in a bossy or arrogant way, that somebody should hurry
or do something quickly or right away (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Repetition of Pidgin English chop, an alteration of Cantonese
Chinese gap “urgent.”]
—chop-chop, adverb[1]



chophouse

chophouse
chop·house 
[chóp hòwss] (plural chop·hous·es
[chóp hòwzəz]) noun

restaurant serving meat:
a restaurant serving grilled meat, for example, chops and steaks, as its
specialty, especially formerly[1]



chopine

chopine
cho·pine 
[chō pn, chóppin]
(plural cho·pines) or cho·pin [chō pn, chóppin]
(plural cho·pins) noun

platform
shoe:
a type of high shoe with a very thick sole worn by European women in the 16th
and 17th centuries
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish chapín from Old French chapin .][1]



Chopin,Frédéric François

Chopin,Frédéric François


Chop·in 
[shō pán, shō
páN], Frédéric François (1810–1849)
Polish composer and pianist. His piano
compositions include mazurkas, études, preludes, nocturnes, waltzes,
polonaises, sonatas, and two concertos.[1]



Chopin,Kate

Chopin,Kate
Chop·in 
[shō pán, shō
páN], Kate (1850–1904)

U.S. novelist, short-story
writer, and poet. She wrote The Awakening (1899), a pioneering novel of
female sexual discovery.[1]



choplogic

choplogic
chop·log·ic 
[chóp lòjjik] noun

false
reasoning:
the presentation of an argument in a way that is either illogical or pedantic
and over-complicated
[Early 16th century. Chop
in the obsolete sense “an exchange.”][1]



chopper

chopper
chop·per 
[chóppər] noun

1.  helicopter:
a helicopter (informal)

2.  bike
with high handlebars: a motorcycle or bicycle with
a lowered seat, raised handlebars, and lengthened forks holding the front wheel

3.  cleaver:
a cutting tool with a handle and a sharp broad blade, used especially for
chopping up meat or wood

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING interrupting
device:
a device that regularly interrupts an electric current, a beam of light, or
some other stream of radiation in order to produce a pulsing flow or beam
plural
noun
chop·pers

teeth:
teeth, especially large or false ones (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb

go by helicopter:
to transport something or somebody by helicopter, or travel by helicopter (informal)

[1]



choppingboard

choppingboard
chop·ping
board
(plural chop·ping boards) noun

U.K.
See cutting board[1]



choppy

choppy
chop·py
[chóppee] (comparative chop·pi·er,
superlative chop·pi·est) adjective

rough,
with many small waves: rough, with the surface of
the water broken up into many small waves made by strong winds
—chop·pi·ly,
adverb

—chop·pi·ness, noun[1]



chops

chops
chops 
[chops] plural noun

1.  jaws:
the jaws, or the skin covering the jaws (informal)

2.  MUSIC musical
talent:
technique or virtuosity in playing an instrument, especially a wind instrument
(slang)

[1]



chopshop

chopshop
chop
shop
(plural chop shops) noun

illicit car-remodeling
workshop: a workshop or garage where
stolen vehicles are disguised or broken up for spare parts (slang)[1]



chopsocky

chopsocky
chop·sock·y 
[chóp sòkee] noun

Chinese
martial arts movies: the genre of movies in which
martial arts, for example, kung fu, feature prominently • his
latest chopsocky extravaganza
[Formed from chop + sock][1]



chopstick

chopstick
chop·stick 
[chóp stìk] (plural chop·sticks)
noun

Chinese
eating implement: either of a pair of narrow sticks that
are held together in one hand and used when eating or preparing East Asian food
[Late 17th century. Chop
from Pidgin English, (see chop-chop ).
Translation of Chinese dialect kuaizi, literally “nimble ones.”][1]



chopsuey

chopsuey
chop
su·ey 
[chop s ee] noun

Chinese
dish with bean sprouts and meat: a Chinese-style dish
made typically of shredded meat and mixed vegetables. It is Chinese-American
rather than Chinese in origin.
[Late 19th century. From
Cantonese Chinese tsaâp suì literally, “mixed bits.”][1]



choragus

choragus
cho·ra·gus 
[kə ráygəss] (plural cho·ra·gi
[kə ráy jī] or cho·ra·gus·es) noun

chorus
leader:
the leader of the chorus in ancient Greek drama
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek khoragos, literally “to lead a
chorus.”]
—cho·rag·ic [kaw rájjik], adjective[1]



choral

choral
cho·ral 
[káwrəl] adjective

1.  performed
by choir:
arranged for or performed by a chorus or choir • choral
singing

2.  relating
to chorus or choir: concerned with choral
singing, choruses, or choirs • a
choral society
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin choralis, from Latin chorus
(see chorus ).]
—cho·ral·ly, adverb[1]



chorale

chorale
cho·rale 
[kə rál, kaw rl]
(plural cho·rales) noun

1.  group
of singers:
a group of singers specializing in a particular style of music, especially
church music

2.  Lutheran
hymn tune:
a hymn tune, especially a slow and stately one, originally intended for
congregational singing in the Lutheran church

3.  piece
of music based on chorale: a piece of music, especially
a choral work, based on a chorale tune or in a style reminiscent of traditional
Lutheran church music
[Mid-19th century. From
German Choral(gesang), a translation of Medieval Latin (cantus)
choralis “choral song.”][1]



choraleprelude

choraleprelude
cho·rale
prel·ude
(plural cho·rale prel·udes) noun

organ prelude based on
chorale tune: an organ prelude based
on a chorale tune, used to introduce congregational singing of the chorale on
which it is based or performed as a separate piece[1]



chord

chord1

chord1 [kawrd]
noun
notes
struck together: two or more musical notes played or sung
simultaneously • an F minor chord
transitive
verb
supply
chords for something: to play or produce chords to
harmonize and embellish a melody
[15th
century. Shortening and alteration of accord
on the model of Latin chorda .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  chord
  or cord ?
  In
  musical and mathematical contexts the spelling is chord,
  and this form is also used in figurative meanings that have to do with
  feelings: • They
  struck the right chord. In anatomical contexts ( • spinal
  cord,
  • umbilical
  cord,
  • vocal
  cords
  ), cord is more usual. Cord has to be used when referring to a
  kind of thick string.

[1]



chord

chord2
chord2 [kawrd]
noun

1.  GEOMETRY line
through arc: a straight line connecting two points on
an arc or circle

2.  BUILDING horizontal
connecting part: the horizontal part of a truss designed
to absorb tension, for example, in a roof

3.  AIR airfoil
measure:
the shortest distance between the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil

4.  ANATOMY See cord
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of cord, on the model of
Latin chorda .]
strike
or touch a chord

to produce an emotional,
especially a sympathetic, response in somebody, or jog somebody’s memory[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








chordal

chordal
chord·al 
[káwrd’l] adjective

1.  relating
to chords:
consisting of chords, or played as a chord

2.  based
on chords:
based principally on musical chords rather than linear melody

[1]



chordate

chordate
chor·date 
[káwr dàyt] (plural chor·dates)
noun

animal
of class including vertebrates: any animal that at
some stage in its development has a main dorsal nerve cord, a skeletal rod ( notochord ), and gill slits. The chordates include
all vertebrates and some primitive invertebrate marine animals. Phylum:
Chordata
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin chordata, from chorda
“cord.”]
—chor·date, adjective[1]



chordophone

chordophone
chor·do·phone
[káwrdə fn] (plural chor·do·phones)
noun

stringed
instrument:
a stringed instrument (technical)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chord + -phone
.][1]



chordorgan

chordorgan
chord
or·gan
(plural chord or·gans) noun

electric organ:
a small electronic organ with special keys to produce chords for accompanying a
melody[1]



chore

chore
chore 
[chawr] (plural chores) noun

1.  routine
task:
a task, especially an ordinary household task, that has to be done regularly (often
used in the plural)

2.  unenjoyable
task:
something that is unpleasant, difficult, awkward, or boring to do
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of char .][1]



-chore

-chore
-chore
suffix

a
plant distributed by a particular means • anemochore
[From Greek khōrein
“to spread” (source also of English anchorite
)][1]



chorea

chorea
cho·re·a 
[kaw r ə] noun

jerky
movement caused by disease: jerky spasmodic movements of
the limbs, trunk, and facial muscles, common to various diseases of the central
nervous system
[Late
17th century. Via Latin from Greek khoreia “dance.” Probably a
shortening of the Latin phrase chorea sancti Viti “St. Vitus’s dance,” a
disease with this symptom.]
—cho·re·al,
adjective

—cho·re·ic, adjective[1]



choreograph

choreograph
cho·re·o·graph 
[káwree ə gràf] verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb plan
out dance routine: to plan out the movements
that dancers are to make to a piece of music

2.  transitive
verb
organize:
to plan, coordinate, and supervise an event or activity • His
job is to choreograph royal weddings and other state occasions.
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from choreography .]
—cho·re·og·ra·pher [kàwree óggrəfər], noun[1]



choreography

choreography
cho·re·og·ra·phy 
[kàwree óggrəfee] (plural cho·re·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  composing
dances:
the work or skill of planning dance movements to accompany music

2.  dance
movements for piece: the steps and movements
planned for a ballet or dance routine, or a written record of them

3.  planned
movement:
the carefully planned or executed organization of an event, or the maneuvering
of people or things
[Late
18th century. From French choreographie, literally “dance writing,” from
choreo- “dance” (modeled on Greek khoreia ) + -graphie
“writing.”]
—cho·re·o·graph·ic
[kàwree ə gráffik], adjective

—cho·re·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[kàwree ə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



choriamb

choriamb
cho·ri·amb 
[káwree àmb, káwree
àm] (plural cho·ri·ambs) noun

4-syllable
poetic foot: a poetic foot consisting of two short
syllables between two long ones, or two unstressed syllables between two
stressed ones
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin choriambus from Greek khoriambos,
literally “iamb of a chorus.”]
—cho·ri·am·bic [kàwree ámbik], adjective[1]



choric

choric
cho·ric 
[káwrik] adjective

for
a chorus:
performed by or written for a chorus, especially a chorus in classical Greek
theater
[Early 19th century. Via late
Latin choricus from, ultimately, Greek khoros .][1]



chorine

chorine
cho·rine 
[káw rn] (plural cho·rines) noun

chorus
girl:
a chorus girl (dated)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from chorus + -ine
.][1]



chorioallantois

chorioallantois
cho·ri·o·al·lan·to·is 
[kàwri ō ə lán tō iss] noun

membrane
surrounding bird or reptile embryo: a
membrane surrounding the embryo and lying next to the shell in a bird’s or
reptile’s egg. It is a fusion of the chorion and allantois membranes. In
mammals, the chorioallantois of the egg forms a major part of the placenta.
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from chorion + allantois .]
—cho·ri·o·al·lan·to·ic
[kàwri ō allən tṓ ik], adjective[1]



chorion

chorion
cho·ri·on 
[káwri òn] (plural cho·ri·ons)
noun

outer
membrane surrounding embryo: the outer membrane enclosing
the embryo of mammals, reptiles, and birds. It has a dense concentration of
blood vessels and aids in the formation of the placenta in mammals.
See
also
amnion
[Mid-16th
century. From Greek khorion .]
—cho·ri·on·ic [kàwree ónnik], adjective[1]



chorionicgonadotropin

chorionicgonadotropin
cho·ri·on·ic
go·nad·o·tro·pin noun

pregnancy hormone:
a hormone that stimulates the production of the estrogen and progesterone
needed for the maintenance of pregnancy[1]



chorionicvillus

chorionicvillus
cho·ri·on·ic
vil·lus
noun

outgrowth from embryo
membrane forming placenta: any of the
tiny outgrowths from the outer membrane ( chorion
) surrounding an embryo that move into the womb wall to form the placenta (often
used in the plural)[1]



chorionicvillus sampling

chorionicvillus sampling
cho·ri·on·ic
vil·lus sam·pling noun

prenatal test for birth
defects: a prenatal test for birth
defects carried out by examining cells from the tiny hairy outgrowths ( villi ) of the outer membrane ( chorion ) surrounding an embryo, which have the
same DNA as the fetus[1]



chorister

chorister
cho·ris·ter 
[káwristər] (plural cho·ris·ters)
noun

singer
in chorus or choir: a member of a chorus, choir,
or other group of singers
[14th century. Via an
Anglo-Norman form of Old French cuerist from, ultimately, Latin chorus
(see chorus ). The spelling was changed in
the 16th century on the model of choir .][1]



chorizo

chorizo
cho·ri·zo 
[chə r zō] (plural cho·ri·zos)
noun

spicy
sausage:
a very spicy Mexican or Spanish pork sausage
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



C-horizon

C-horizon
C-ho·ri·zon 
or C ho·ri·zon noun

earth layer above bedrock:
the lowermost layer of soil immediately above bedrock[1]



chorography

chorography
cho·rog·ra·phy 
[kə róggrəfee] noun

mapping
by regions:
the preparation of maps in which specific areas or regions are delineated and
often highlighted in some way, for example, by color-coding
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin chorographia, from Greek khōrographia,
literally “place writing.”]
—cho·rog·ra·pher,
noun

—cho·ro·graph·ic
[kàwrə gráffik], adjective

—cho·ro·graph·i·cal·ly
[kàwrə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



choroid

choroid
cho·roid 
[káw ròyd] noun (plural cho·roids)
choroid choroid coat

membrane
of the eye:
a brownish membrane between the retina and the white of the eye in vertebrates
that contains blood vessels and large pigmented cells
adjective

like
the chorion: resembling the chorion in being vascular
or membranous
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
khoroeidēs, from khorion “chorion.”][1]



choroidplexus

choroidplexus
cho·roid
plex·us
noun

brain membrane:
a membrane with many small blood vessels in the fluid spaces of the brain that
secrets cerebrospinal fluid[1]



chortle

chortle
chor·tle 
[cháwrt’l] noun (plural chor·tles)

gleeful
laugh:
a noisy gleeful laugh
intransitive
verb
(past chor·tled, past participle chor·tled, present
participle chor·tling, 3rd person present singular chor·tles)

give
a chortle:
to laugh in a noisy gleeful way
[Late
19th century. Blend of chuckle and snort, originated by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass (1872).]
—chor·tler, noun[1]



chorus

chorus
cho·rus 
[káwrəss] noun (plural cho·rus·es)

1.  MUSIC repeated
part of a song: a set of lines that are sung at least
twice in the course of a song, usually being repeated after each verse.
Also
called
reprise

2.  THEATER ARTS group of performers:
a group of people who appear, sing, and sometimes dance together as a unit in a
performance, usually providing backing for the principal performers

3.  THEATER group
of actors in Greek drama: a group of actors in ancient
Greek drama who sing or speak in unison, generally commenting on the
significance of the events that take place in the play

4.  THEATER verse
passage for Greek drama chorus: any of the verse
passages in an ancient Greek drama intended to be sung or spoken by the chorus

5.  THEATER drama
role:
a role in some Elizabethan and historical dramas for a solo actor, who speaks
the introductory prologue, comments on the action, and delivers the epilogue

6.  MUSIC music
for group:
a musical composition written for a large group of singers, usually with different
parts for the different voice types • the
Hallelujah Chorus

7.  many
voices together: the words spoken or feelings expressed
by a group of people all giving voice at the same time • a
chorus of complaints

8.  group
speaking or making noise together: a group of people or
animals all speaking or making a noise together
transitive
verb
(past cho·rused, past participle cho·rused, present
participle cho·rus·ing, 3rd person present singular cho·rus·es)

say together: to
speak at the same time, saying the same thing or expressing the same feeling or
opinion
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek khoros .]
in
chorus

all speaking or making a
noise together[1]



chorusboy

chorusboy
cho·rus
boy
(plural cho·rus boys) noun

male performer:
a man or boy who sings and dances as one of the supporting group of performers
in a stage or movie production[1]



chorusgirl

chorusgirl
cho·rus
girl
(plural cho·rus girls) noun

woman performer:
a woman or girl who sings and dances as one of the supporting group of
performers in a stage or movie production[1]



chorusline

chorusline
cho·rus
line
(plural cho·rus lines) noun

chorus of musical:
the chorus of supporting singers and dancers in a musical or variety show[1]



chorusmaster

chorusmaster
cho·rus·mas·ter
[káwrəss màstər] (plural cho·rus·mas·ters)
noun

chorus trainer and director:
somebody who trains, rehearses, and directs a chorus[1]



-chory

-chory
-chory
suffix

See
-chore[1]



chose

chose
chose

Past tense of
choose[1]



chosen

chosen
cho·sen


Past
participle of choose
adjective

selected:
picked out from or preferred to the rest • one
of the chosen few
plural
noun

RELIGION
See elect[1]



chosenpeople

chosenpeople
cho·sen
peo·ple
plural noun

the Jews:
the Jews, who, according to the Bible and their own belief, were selected by
God to play a unique role in world history[1]



chott

chott
chott
(plural chotts) noun

GEOGRAPHY
See shott[1]



chou

chou
chou
[shoo] (plural choux [shoo]) noun

1.  See
choux pastry

2.  U.K.
filled
sweet pastry: a small pastry with a fruit or cream
filling
[Early 18th century. From
French, “cabbage.”][1]



chouette

chouette
chouette
[shoo ét] noun

variation
of backgammon: a variation of backgammon in which one
player plays against two or more opponents in one game
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “barn owl.”][1]



chough

chough
chough 
[chuf] (plural choughs) noun

bird
of crow family: a Eurasian bird of the crow family,
roughly the size of a pigeon, that has glossy black plumage, red legs and feet,
and a red or yellow bill. Genus: Pyrrhocorax
[12th century. Probably an
imitation of its call.][1]



chouse

chouse
chouse 
[chowss] transitive verb

herd
livestock:
to herd livestock roughly (regional)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Chouteau,René Auguste

Chouteau,René Auguste
Chou·teau
[shoo tṓ], René Auguste (1749–1829)

U.S. pioneer. He founded St.
Louis, Missouri (1764), and was an important figure in the local fur trade.[1]



chouxpastry

chouxpastry
choux
pas·try 
noun

light pastry:
a soft glossy egg-rich pastry that puffs up into a hollow case when baked. It
is used in making filled pastries such as cream puffs and éclairs.
Also called
chou[1]



chow

chow1

chow1 [chow]
(plural chows) noun
food:
food (slang)
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow “food, mixture,” perhaps
from Chinese cha “mixed.”][1]



chow

chow2
chow2 [chow]
(plural chows) or chow chow [chow] (plural chow chow) noun

thick-coated
dog with purplish tongue: a stocky thick-coated dog
belonging to a breed originally from China, with a tail that curls over its
back and a large dark purplish tongue
[Late 19th century. From
Pidgin English, possibly from Cantonese Chinese gǒu “dog.”][1]



chow

chow3
chow3 [chow]
noun

FOOD
See chow-chow[1]



chowchow

chowchow
chow
chow
noun

ZOOLOGY
See chow 2[1]



chow-chow

chow-chow
chow-chow 
(plural chow-chows) or chow (plural chows)
noun

1.  Chinese
mixed vegetable pickle: a Chinese mixed vegetable
pickle in a yellow sauce, similar to piccalilli

2.  tangy
sweet mixture in syrup: a Chinese mixture of fruit
and candied peel in syrup, with stem ginger

[1]



chowder

chowder
chow·der 
[chówdər] (plural chow·ders) noun

thick
soup:
a thick soup, especially one made with seafood or fish
[Mid-18th century. Probably
via French chaudière “stew pot,” from, ultimately, Latin calidarium
“hot bath,” source of English caldron
).][1]



chowderhead

chowderhead
chow·der·head
[chówdər hèd] (plural chow·der·heads)
noun

unintelligent
person:
an unintelligent or irrational person (insult)
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of English dialect jolter-head, by association with chowder .]
—chow·der·head·ed, adjective[1]



chowdown

chowdown
chow
down
intransitive verb

eat enthusiastically:
to eat food enthusiastically (informal)[1]



chowhound

chowhound
chow·hound 
[chów hòwnd] (plural chow·hounds)
noun

somebody who enjoys eating:
somebody who especially enjoys eating (informal)[1]



chowline

chowline
chow
line
(plural chow lines) noun

line for food:
a line of people waiting for a meal (informal)[1]



chowmein

chowmein
chow
mein 
[chòw máyn] (plural chow meins)
noun

Chinese
noodle dish: a Chinese-style dish of soft fried
noodles, usually cooked with chopped meat and vegetables
[From Mandarin Chinese chǎo
miàn “fried noodles”][1]



Chr

Chr
Chr

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Chronicles[1]



Chr.

Chr.
Chr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Christ

2.  Abbreviation
of
Christian

[1]



chrestomathy

chrestomathy
chres·tom·a·thy 
[kre stómməthee] (plural chres·tom·a·thies)
noun

literary
passages for language study: a collection of literary
passages, especially one assembled for language study
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or via French chrestomathie from Greek khrēstomatheia,
literally “useful learning.”]
—chres·to·math·ic [krèstə máthik], adjective[1]



chrism

chrism
chrism 
[krízzəm] noun

1.  anointing
oil:
consecrated oil, or a consecrated mixture of balsam and oil, used for anointing
people at some ceremonies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox
churches

2.  anointing
with holy oil: a ceremonial anointing with holy oil,
especially at confirmation in the Eastern Orthodox churches
[Pre-12th
century. Via medieval Latin crisma from Greek khrisma “an
anointing,” from khriein “to anoint” (source of English Christ and cream
).]
—chris·mal [krízm’l], adjective[1]



chrismation

chrismation
chris·ma·tion
[kriz máysh’n] noun

putting
holy oil on somebody: in the Eastern Orthodox
tradition, the act of anointing somebody, or being anointed, with holy oil in a
religious ceremony such as confirmation.
Also
called
unction
[Mid-16th century. From the
medieval Latin stem chrismation-, from crisma (see chrism ).][1]



chrisom

chrisom
chris·om 
[krízzəm] (plural chris·oms) noun

christening
gown:
a white robe or shawl worn by an infant for his or her baptism (formal)
[13th century. Alteration of chrism, which was popularly pronounced with two
syllables.][1]



chrisomchild

chrisomchild
chris·om
child
noun

baby that dies:
a baby that dies within a month of its baptism (archaic)[1]



Christ

Christ
Christ 
[krīst] noun (plural Christs)

1.  CHRISTIANITY See Jesus
Christ

2.  RELIGION the
Messiah:
according to the Bible, a savior who will come to deliver God’s chosen people

3.  RELIGION painting
of Jesus Christ: an artistic representation of Jesus
Christ
interjection

swearword: used
to express surprise, annoyance, exasperation, or alarm (taboo)
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin Christus from Greek Khristos, literally
“anointed,” from khriein “to anoint” (source of English chrism ), a translation of Hebrew māšīǎh
“Messiah.”]
—Christ·hood,
noun

—Christ·ly, adjective[1]



Christadelphian

Christadelphian
Chris·ta·del·phi·an 
[krìstə délfee ən] (plural Chris·ta·del·phi·ans)
noun

member
of U.S. religious group: a member of a religious
group founded by John Thomas in the United States around 1848. Christadelphians
reject the doctrine of the Trinity as not in the Bible and believe in the dead
being resurrected with the Second Coming of Christ.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from late Greek Khristadelphos, literally “in
brotherhood with Christ.”]
—Chris·ta·del·phi·an, adjective[1]



Christchurch

Christchurch
Christ·church 
[kríst chùrch]

city situated near the
eastern coast of South Island, New Zealand, 13 km8 mi northwest of Lyttelton.
Population: 331,443 (1996)[1]



christen

christen
chris·ten 
[kríss’n] transitive verb

1.  baptize
and name:
to make somebody, especially a baby, a member of the Christian church in a
ceremony that includes a form of baptism and, usually, the giving of a
Christian name or names

2.  give
name to something or somebody: to give a name to
something or somebody, with or without an accompanying ceremony • christen
a ship

3.  use
for first time: to use or wear something for the first
time (informal) • Shall
we christen our new coffee pot?
[Pre-12th
century. Formed from Old English crīsten “Christian,” from Latin christianus
.]
—chris·ten·er, noun[1]



Christendom

Christendom
Chris·ten·dom 
[kríss’ndəm] noun

1.  Christian
countries:
all the areas of the world where Christianity is accepted as the main religion

2.  Christians
as a group:
all Christian people considered as a group (archaic or formal)
See
also
Christianity  noun 3
[Old English cristendom,
literally “condition of being Christian,” from crīsten][1]



christening

christening
chris·ten·ing 
[kríssəning] (plural chris·ten·ings)
noun

ceremony to baptize baby:
a ceremony in a Christian church in which somebody, especially a baby, is
baptized and usually given a Christian name or names[1]



Christian

Christian
Chris·tian 
[kríschən] noun (plural Chris·tians)

believer in Jesus Christ as savior:
somebody who believes that Jesus Christ was sent to the world by God to save
humanity, and who tries to follow his teachings and example
adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY from
the teachings of Jesus Christ: based on or relating
to a belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God and Messiah, and acceptance of
his teachings, contained in the Gospels

2.  relating
to Christianity: relating to Christianity, or belonging to
or maintained by a Christian organization, especially a church • Christian
theology
• a
Christian school

3.  kind
and unselfish: showing qualities such as kindness,
helpfulness, and concern for others (dated)
[13th
century. From Latin Christianus, from Christus (see Christ ).]
—Chris·tian·ly, adverb[1]



ChristianEra

ChristianEra
Chris·tian
E·ra
noun

period since the birth of
Jesus Christ: the period of history
dating from the year in which Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. Dates
in the early Christian Era are often indicated by AD, and dates before the Christian Era by BC.
Also called
Common Era[1]



Christianity

Christianity
Chris·ti·an·i·ty 
[krìschee ánnətee, krìsstee
ánnətee] noun

1.  religion
that follows Jesus Christ’s teachings: the
religion based on the life, teachings, and example of Jesus Christ

2.  holding
Christian beliefs: the fact of holding
Christian beliefs or being a Christian

3.  Christians
as a group:
all Christian people considered as a group.
See
also
Christendom

[1]



Christianize

Christianize
Chris·tian·ize 
[kríschə nz] (past Chris·tian·ized,
past participle Chris·tian·ized, present participle Chris·tian·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Chris·tian·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  change
beliefs to Christian ones: to change the religious
beliefs and practices of a person or group of people from another religion to
Christianity

2.  make
Christian:
to make somebody or something Christian by imbuing him, her, or it with
Christian principles or a Christian spirit
—Chris·tian·i·za·tion
[krìschəni záysh’n], noun

—Chris·tian·iz·er [kríschə nzər], noun[1]



Christianname

Christianname
Chris·tian
name
(plural Chris·tian names) noun

given name:
a given name, especially one given at christening[1]



ChristianScience

ChristianScience
Chris·tian
Sci·ence
noun

religious group:
a religious group whose members believe that illness should be overcome or
managed through religious faith and practice alone. It is based on the
teachings and writings of Mary Baker Eddy.[1]



ChristianScientist

ChristianScientist
Chris·tian
Sci·en·tist
(plural Chris·tian Sci·en·tists) noun

believer in Christian
Science: a member of the Church of
Christ, Scientist, and a believer in the principles of Christian Science[1]



ChristianScriptures

ChristianScriptures
Chris·tian
Scrip·tures
plural noun

New Testament:
the New Testament of the Bible as distinct from the Hebrew
Scriptures[1]



Christiansted

Christiansted
Chris·tian·sted
[kríschən stèd]

town situated on the
northeastern coast of St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, in the West
Indies. Population: 2,555 (1990)[1]



ChristianVIII

ChristianVIII
Chris·tian
VIII 
[kríschən] (1786–1848)

Danish ruler who was elected
to the Norwegian throne in 1814 but ousted the same year. During his Danish
reign (1839–1848), his Schleswig-Holstein policy precipitated war with Prussia
(1848).[1]



christie

christie
chris·tie
[krístee] (plural chris·ties) or
chris·ty [krístee] (plural chris·ties)
noun

turning
movement with parallel skis: in skiing, a type of turn
used for stopping or rapidly changing direction, in which the skier twists
sharply aside while keeping the skis parallel
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of Christiania, the former name of Norway’s capital city,
Oslo.][1]



Christie,Dame Agatha

Christie,Dame Agatha

Chris·tie 
[krístee], Dame Agatha (1891–1976)
British novelist and playwright. She
wrote over seventy detective novels featuring the sleuths Hercule Poirot and
Miss Marple.[1]



Christina

Christina

Chris·ti·na 
[kriss tnə] (1626–1689)
Swedish monarch who, in 1644, negotiated
the Peace of Westphalia, bringing to an end the Thirty Years’ War.[1]



Christmas

Christmas
Christ·mas 
[krísməss] (plural Christ·mas·es)
noun

1.  Christmas
Christian
festival celebrating birth of Jesus Christ: an
annual Christian festival on December 25, celebrating the birth of Jesus
Christ.
Also
called
Christmas Day

2.  secular
holiday on December 25: a secular holiday on
December 25 when people traditionally exchange presents and greetings. It is a
public holiday in many countries.
Also
called
Christmas Day

3.  Christmas
period:
the period around December 25, or the church season extending from December 24
to January 6.
Also
called
Christmastime

4.  quarter
day:
in England, Wales, and Ireland, one of the four quarter days, falling on
December 25
[Old English Cristes mæsse,
literally “mass of Christ”][1]



Christmascactus

Christmascactus
Christ·mas
cac·tus
noun

ornamental cactus:
a branching Brazilian cactus that is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its
red, pink, white, or purplish-red flowers that appear in winter. Latin name: Schlumbergera
truncata
Also called
crab cactus[1]



Christmascarol

Christmascarol
Christ·mas
car·ol
(plural Christ·mas car·ols) noun

Christmas song:
a Christian song celebrating Christmas[1]



Christmasdisease

Christmasdisease
Christ·mas
dis·ease
noun

form
of hemophilia: a form of hemophilia caused by lack of a
protein needed for blood clotting
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Stephen Christmas, a 20th-century Englishman who had the disease.][1]



ChristmasEve

ChristmasEve
Christ·mas
Eve
(plural Christ·mas Eves) noun

day before Christmas:
the day or evening of December 24[1]



Christmasfern

Christmasfern
Christ·mas
fern
(plural Christ·mas ferns) noun

evergreen fern:
a North American evergreen fern with dense clusters of thin fronds. Latin name:
Polystichum acrostichoides
Also called
canker brake[1]



Christmasrose

Christmasrose

Christ·mas rose
(plural Christ·mas roses) noun
winter-flowering plant:
an evergreen flowering plant, native to Europe and Asia, that has drooping
white flowers during the winter. Latin name: Helleborus niger[1]



Christmasstocking

Christmasstocking
Christ·mas
stock·ing
(plural Christ·mas stock·ings) noun

stocking filled with
presents: a stocking or large sock
hung up on Christmas Eve by children, in the belief that it will be filled with
presents by Santa Claus during the night[1]



Christmassy

Christmassy
Christ·mas·sy
adjective

suggesting the Christmas
period or suitable for Christmas • The
decorations look really Christmassy.[1]



Christmastime

Christmastime
Christ·mas·time 
[krísməss tm] noun

See
Christmas  noun 3[1]



Christmastree

Christmastree
Christ·mas
tree
(plural Christ·mas trees) noun

tree decorated with lights at
Christmas: an evergreen tree,
especially a conifer or an artificial version of one, that is decorated with
lights and ornaments at Christmas[1]



Christo

Christo
Chris·to
[krístō] (1935– )

Bulgarian-born
U.S. artist. He is known for his modern conceptual art, in particular
“wrapping” monuments and buildings.
Full name
Javacheff, Christo[1]



Christocentric

Christocentric
Chris·to·cen·tric
[krìstə séntrik] adjective

1.  assuming
Christianity: assuming, implying, or based on
Christian values and beliefs

2.  centered
on Jesus Christ: concentrating or based strongly on Jesus
Christ and his teachings

[1]



Christogram

Christogram
Chris·to·gram 
[krístə gràm] (plural Chris·to·grams)
noun

See
Chi-Rho[1]



Christology

Christology
Chris·tol·o·gy 
[kri stólləjee] noun

academic
study of Jesus Christ: the branch of theology
concerned with the study of the nature, character, and actions of Jesus Christ
—Chris·to·log·i·cal
[krìstə lójjik’l], adjective

—Chris·tol·o·gist [kri stólləjist], noun[1]



Christophe,Henri

Christophe,Henri
Chris·tophe 
[krees tóff], Henri (1767–1820)

Haitian politician. He was
president of Haiti from 1807 to 1811, when he became self-declared king
(1811–1820).[1]



Christopher,St.

Christopher,St.
Chris·toph·er 
[krístəfər], St. (lived 3rd century)

According to legend, he
carried Jesus Christ as a child across a river. He is the patron saint of
travelers.[1]



Christopher,Warren

Christopher,Warren
Chris·toph·er
[krístəfər], Warren (1925– )

U.S. diplomat. He served as
secretary of state under President Bill Clinton (1993–1997).[1]



christy

christy
christy
[krístee] noun

SKIING
See christie[1]



Christy,Edwin Pearce

Christy,Edwin Pearce
Chris·ty 
[krístee], Edwin Pearce (1815–1862)

U.S. entertainer. He is known
for his minstrel troupe The Christy Minstrels, whose members were white
singers performing in blackface ( 1840s-50s ).[1]



Christ’sthorn

Christ’sthorn
Christ’s
thorn 
(plural Christ’s thorns) or Christ thorn (plural
Christ thorns) noun

thorny Asian shrub:
a thorny Asian shrub or tree, especially a jujube or a Jerusalem thorn, whose
branches are popularly believed to have been used for Jesus Christ’s crown of
thorns[1]



chrom-

chrom-
chrom-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
chromo-[1]



chroma

chroma
chro·ma 
[krṓmə] noun

See
saturation
[Late 19th century. From
Greek khrōma “color.”][1]



chromaffin

chromaffin
chro·maf·fin 
[krṓməfin] adjective

showing
stain:
used to describe cell components that can be easily and deeply stained with
chromium salts, thereby indicating the presence of epinephrine or
norepinephrine
[Early 20th century. Coined
from chromo- + Latin affinis
“related.”][1]



chromat-

chromat-
chromat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
chromato-[1]



chromate

chromate
chro·mate 
[krṓ màyt] (plural chro·mates)
noun

salt
or ester of chromic acid: any salt or ester of chromic
acid
[Early 20th century. Formed
from chromic .][1]



chromatic

chromatic
chro·mat·ic 
[krō máttik] adjective

1.  MUSIC relating
to chromatic scales: used to describe a musical
scale that runs through all the semitones in an octave, for example, using all
the keys, black and white, on a keyboard

2.  MUSIC having
frequent accidentals: used to describe music that
is based on the chromatic scale or that makes frequent use of notes that are
outside the key in which it is written

3.  relating
to color:
relating to color and phenomena connected with it
[15th
century. Directly or via French chromatique from, ultimately, Greek chrōmatikos,
from khrōma “color.”]
—chro·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



chromaticaberration

chromaticaberration
chro·mat·ic
ab·er·ra·tion (plural chro·mat·ic
ab·er·ra·tions) noun

color distortion caused by
lens defect: an optical aberration
in a lens, caused by a defect and leading to different colored light being
refracted differently[1]



chromaticism

chromaticism
chro·mat·i·cism
[krō mátti sìzzəm] noun

chromatic style:
the use in music of the chromatic scale, or of many notes and harmonies that
are foreign to the basic key[1]



chromaticity

chromaticity
chro·ma·tic·i·ty 
[krmə tíssətee] noun

color quality:
the color quality of light precisely and uniquely defined in terms of three
factors chromaticity coordinates[1]



chromatics

chromatics
chro·mat·ics 
[krō máttiks] noun

science
of color:
the science or study of color (takes a singular verb)
—chro·ma·tist [krṓmətist], noun[1]



chromaticscale

chromaticscale
chro·mat·ic
scale
(plural chro·mat·ic scales) noun

musical scale:
a scale whose octave consists of twelve notes in which every member is a
semitone apart from the next[1]



chromatid

chromatid
chro·ma·tid 
[krṓmətid] (plural chro·ma·tids)
noun

chromosome
strand:
either of the two strands into which a chromosome divides in the process of
duplicating itself in cell division
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Greek stem khrōmat-, from khrōma “color.”][1]



chromatin

chromatin
chro·ma·tin 
[krṓmətin] noun

substance
forming chromosomes: the substance that forms
chromosomes and contains DNA, RNA, and various proteins
[Late
19th century. Formed from the Greek stem khrōmat-, from khrōma
“color.”]
—chro·ma·tin·ic [krmə tínnik], adjective[1]



chromato-

chromato-
chromato-
prefix

1.  color
• chromatography

2.  chromatin
• chromatolysis
[From Greek khrōmat-,
the stem of khrōma “color”][1]



chromatogram

chromatogram
chro·mat·o·gram 
[krō máttə gràm] (plural chro·mat·o·grams)
noun

separation pattern:
a pattern formed by substances that have been separated by chromatography[1]



chromatography

chromatography
chro·ma·tog·ra·phy 
[krmə tóggrəfee] noun

analytic
technique to discover chemical components: a
method of finding out which components a gaseous or liquid mixture contains
that involves passing it through or over something that absorbs the different
components at different rates
—chro·mat·o·graph
[krō máttə gràf], noun

—chro·ma·tog·ra·pher
[krmə tóggrəfər], noun

—chro·mat·o·graph·ic
[krō màttə gráffik], adjective

—chro·mat·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[krō màttə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



chromatolysis

chromatolysis
chro·ma·tol·y·sis 
[krōmə tóllississ] noun

chromatin
breakdown:
the breakdown of the substance that forms chromosomes ( chromatin ) within an injured cell nucleus
[Late 19th century. Coined
from chromato- + -lysis
.][1]



chromatophore

chromatophore
chro·mat·o·phore 
[krō máttə fàwr] (plural chro·mat·o·phores)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY pigment-containing
cell:
a pigment-containing cell in many animals that, when it expands or contracts,
causes a change in the animal’s skin coloring. Octopus, squid, and some frogs
and lizards contain these cells.

2.  BOTANY See chromoplast
—chro·mat·o·phor·ic [krō màttə fáwrik], adjective[1]



chrome

chrome
chrome 
[krōm] noun

1.  chromium-plated
metal:
shiny chromium-plated metal, for example, that used formerly to trim cars

2.  compound
containing chromium: an alloy, dye, or pigment
containing chromium

3.  CHEMISTRY See chromium
transitive
verb
(past chromed, past participle chromed, present
participle chrom·ing, 3rd person present singular chromes)

1.  coat
with chromium: to electroplate a metal with chromium in
order to make it shiny and protect it against corrosion

2.  treat
with chromium compound: to treat a substance with a
chromium compound, usually when dyeing or tanning it
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Greek khrōma “color,”; because compounds containing it are
often brightly colored.][1]



-chrome

-chrome
-chrome
suffix

color,
pigment • phytochrome
[From Greek khrōma
“color”][1]



chromealum

chromealum
chrome
al·um
noun

fixing agent:
a red-violet crystalline solid used as a fixing agent in dyeing, tanning, and
photography. CrK(SO4)2.12H2O[1]



chromegreen

chromegreen
chrome
green
noun

green pigment:
a brilliant green pigment containing chrome yellow and iron blue, used to dye
fabrics[1]



chromered

chromered
chrome
red
noun

red pigment:
a bright red-orange pigment containing lead chromate and lead oxide, used in
paints and dyes[1]



chrometape

chrometape
chrome
tape
(plural chrome tapes) noun

recording tape:
magnetic recording tape that is coated with chromium dioxide[1]



chromeyellow

chromeyellow
chrome
yel·low
noun

yellow pigment:
a yellow pigment containing lead chromate and lead sulfate[1]



chromic

chromic
chro·mic 
[krṓmik] adjective

relating to chromium:
relating to or containing chromium with a valence of 3[1]



chromicacid

chromicacid
chro·mic
ac·id
noun

unstable acid:
an unstable oxidizing acid existing only in solution or in the form of a salt.
H2CrO4[1]



chromite

chromite
chro·mite 
[krṓ mt] noun

brownish-black mineral:
a brownish-black mineral ore consisting of an oxide of iron and chromium. It is
the only commercial source of chromium. FeCr2O4[1]



chromium

chromium

chro·mi·um 
[krṓmee əm] noun
hard metallic element:
a bluish-white metallic element used in alloys and electroplating to increase
hardness and resistance to corrosion. Its compounds are used as pigments, as
catalysts, and in tanning. Symbol Cr
Also called
chrome[1]



chromiumdioxide

chromiumdioxide
chro·mi·um
di·ox·ide
noun

chromium compound:
a black crystalline solid used to coat recording tape because of its magnetic
properties. CrO2[1]



chromo-

chromo-
chromo-
prefix

1.  color,
pigment • chromolithograph
• chromogen

2.  chromium
• chromite
[From Greek khrōma
“color”][1]



chromo

chromo
chro·mo
[krṓ mō] (plural chro·mos) noun

chromolithograph:
a chromolithograph
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



chromodynamics

chromodynamics
chro·mo·dy·nam·ics 
[kr mō dī námmiks] noun

See
quantum chromodynamics[1]



chromogen

chromogen
chro·mo·gen 
[krṓməjən] (plural chro·mo·gens)
noun

1.  potential
pigment:
any substance that is capable of being converted into a biological pigment or a
dye, for example, through oxidation

2.  pigment-producing
microorganism: any microorganism that produces a
pigment
—chro·mo·gen·ic [krmə jénnik], adjective[1]



chromolithograph

chromolithograph
chro·mo·lith·o·graph 
[krmə líthə gràf] (plural chro·mo·lith·o·graphs)
noun

colored
picture:
a colored picture produced by making and superimposing multiple lithographs,
each of which adds a different color
—chro·mo·li·thog·ra·pher
[krməli thóggrəfər], noun

—chro·mo·lith·o·graph·ic
[krmə lithə gráffik], adjective

—chro·mo·li·thog·ra·phy
[krməli thóggrəfee], noun[1]



chromomere

chromomere
chro·mo·mere 
[krṓmə mr] (plural chro·mo·meres)
noun

granule
of chromatin: a small, dense, bead-shaped granule of
chromatin, found at intervals along a chromosome during cell division
—chro·mo·mer·ic [krmə mrik, krmə
mérrik], adjective[1]



chromonema

chromonema
chro·mo·ne·ma 
[krmə nmə] (plural chro·mo·ne·ma·ta
[krmə nmətə]) noun

chromatid
core:
the coiled central filament that forms the core of a chromosome strand ( chromatid )
[Early
20th century. Coined from chromo- + Greek nēma
“thread.”]
—chro·mo·ne·mal, adjective[1]



chromophore

chromophore
chro·mo·phore 
[krṓmə fàwr] (plural chro·mo·phores)
noun

color-producing
group of atoms: a group of atoms in a molecule that
produces color in dyes and other compounds through selective absorption of
light, for example, the azo group
—chro·mo·phor·ic [krmə fáwrik], adjective[1]



chromoplast

chromoplast
chro·mo·plast 
[krṓmə plàst] (plural chro·mo·plasts)
noun

pigment-containing part of
plant cell: a membrane-surrounded
structure ( plastid ) in a plant cell that
contains pigment. Red, yellow, or orange chromoplasts contain carotenoid
pigments, and green chromoplasts ( chloroplasts
) contain chlorophyll.
Also called
chromatophore[1]



chromoprotein

chromoprotein
chro·mo·pro·tein 
[krmə prṓ tn] (plural chro·mo·pro·teins)
noun

pigmented protein:
any protein that contains a pigmented, nonprotein, metal-containing chemical
group. Hemoglobins and carotenoids are chromoproteins.[1]



chromosome

chromosome
chro·mo·some 
[krṓmə sm] (plural chro·mo·somes)
noun

rod-shaped
structure carrying genes: a rod-shaped structure in a
cell nucleus carrying the genes that determine sex and the characteristics an
organism inherits from its parents. A normal human body cell contains 46
chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs.
[Late
19th century. From German Chromosom, formed from Greek khrōma
“color” + sōma “body,”; because chromosomes readily take up dye.]
—chro·mo·so·mal [krmə sṓm’l], adjective[1]



chromosomeband

chromosomeband
chro·mo·some
band
(plural chro·mo·some bands) noun

identifiable pattern in
chromosome: a pattern produced in a
chromosome by using a stain, making the chromosome identifiable from other
chromosomes[1]



chromosomemap

chromosomemap
chro·mo·some
map
(plural chro·mo·some maps) noun

See
genetic map[1]



chromosomenumber

chromosomenumber
chro·mo·some
num·ber
(plural chro·mo·some num·bers) noun

number of chromosomes in a
species: the number of chromosomes
present in the cell nucleus of a species of plant or animal. A normal human
body has a chromosome number of 46.[1]



chromosphere

chromosphere
chro·mo·sphere 
[krṓmə sfr] (plural chro·mo·spheres)
noun

1.  lower
region of Sun’s atmosphere: the lower region of the
Sun’s atmosphere, between the photosphere and the corona

2.  lower
atmosphere of star: the lower region of the
atmosphere of any star
—chro·mo·spher·ic [krmə sférrik, krmə
sfrik], adjective[1]



chromous

chromous
chro·mous 
[krṓməss] adjective

relating
to chromium: relating to or containing chromium,
especially chromium in its divalent state
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from chromium .][1]



chron-

chron-
chron-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
chrono-[1]



chron.

chron.
chron.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chronicle

2.  Abbreviation
of
chronological

3.  Abbreviation
of
chronology

[1]



Chron.

Chron.
Chron.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Chronicles[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








chronic

chronic
chron·ic 
[krónnik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE long-lasting:
used of an illness or medical condition that lasts over a long period and
sometimes causes a long-term change in the body

2.  MEDICINE with
long-term illness: having a particular
long-term illness or condition

3.  always
present:
always present or recurring

4.  habitual:
repeatedly doing something or behaving compulsively • a
chronic liar
[15th
century. Via French chronique from, ultimately, Greek khronikos
“to do with time,” from khronos “time.”]
—chron·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—chro·nic·i·ty [krə níssətee], noun[1]



chronicfatigue syndrome

chronicfatigue syndrome
chronic
fatigue syndrome noun

illness involving exhaustion
and weakness: an illness without a
known cause that is characterized by long-term exhaustion, muscle weakness,
depression, and sleep disturbances, possibly as a reaction to a viral infection
in somebody already debilitated[1]



chronicle

chronicle
chron·i·cle 
[krónnik’l] noun (plural chron·i·cles)

1.  historical
account:
an account of events presented in chronological order

2.  narrative:
a narrative or fictional account
transitive
verb
(past chron·i·cled, past participle chron·i·cled, present
participle chron·i·cling, 3rd person present singular chron·i·cles)

make record of:
to record an event or series of events in chronological order
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman cronicle from, ultimately, Greek khronika
(plural) “annals,” from khronos “time.”]
—chron·i·cler (plural
chron·i·clers), noun[1]



chronicleplay

chronicleplay
chron·i·cle
play
(plural chron·i·cle plays) noun

play with historical basis:
a play based on historical events, especially one from the Elizabethan period[1]



Chronicles

Chronicles
Chron·i·cles
noun

book of Bible:
either of two books of the Bible that tell the story of the Israelites from the
creation of Adam to the middle of the 6th century BC (takes a singular verb)[1]



chrono-

chrono-
chrono-
prefix

TIME time • chronograph
[From Greek khronos
“time”][1]



chronobiology

chronobiology
chron·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[krònnə bī ólləjee] noun

study
of natural world’s recurring events: the
study of recurring cycles of events in the natural world
—chron·o·bi·o·log·ic
[krònnə b ə lójjik], adjective

—chron·o·bi·ol·o·gist
[krònnə bī ólləjist], noun[1]



chronogram

chronogram
chron·o·gram 
[krónnə gràm, krṓnə
gràm] (plural chron·o·grams) noun

inscription
with hidden date: a phrase or inscription containing
letters indicating a date. Roman numerals are often used in this way.
—chron·o·gram·mat·ic
[krònnə grə máttik, krnə
grə máttik], adjective

—chron·o·gram·mat·i·cal·ly
[krònnə grə máttiklee], adverb[1]



chronograph

chronograph
chron·o·graph 
[krónnə graf, krṓnə
graf] (plural chron·o·graphs) noun

instrument
recording time: an instrument, for example, a stopwatch,
that records time with great accuracy
—chron·o·graph·ic
[krònnə gráffik, krnə
gráffik], adjective

—chron·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[krònnə gráffiklee], adverb[1]



chronol.

chronol.
chronol.
or chron.

1.  Abbreviation
of
chronological

2.  Abbreviation
of
chronology

[1]



chronological

chronological
chron·o·log·i·cal 
[krònnə lójjik’l, krnə
lójjik’l] adjective

1.  in
order of time: presented or arranged in the order in
which events occur or occurred

2.  of
chronology:
relating to chronology
—chron·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



chronologicalage

chronologicalage
chron·o·log·i·cal
age
(plural chron·o·log·i·cal ag·es) noun

physical age:
somebody’s real age, as opposed to the age suggested by mental or physical
development[1]



chronologist

chronologist
chro·nol·o·gist
[krə nólləjist] (plural chro·nol·o·gists)
noun

expert in time sequences:
somebody who studies, or is an expert in applying, the methods used for
determining the correct sequence of events[1]



chronology

chronology
chro·nol·o·gy 
[krə nólləjee] (plural chro·nol·o·gies)
noun

1.  order
of events:
the order in which events occur, or their arrangement according to this order

2.  list
of events:
a list or table of events arranged in order of occurrence

3.  study
of order in time: the study of, or the science of
determining, the order in which things occur
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin chronologia, formed from Greek khronos “time.”][1]



chronometer

chronometer
chro·nom·e·ter 
[krə nómmətər] (plural chro·nom·e·ters)
noun

precision time-measuring
instrument: any instrument designed to
measure time accurately[1]



chronometric

chronometric
chron·o·met·ric
[krònnə méttrik, krnə
méttrik] or chron·o·met·ri·cal [krònnə
méttrik’l, krnə méttrik’l] adjective

relating
to chronometry or chronometers: relating to or
designed for the accurate measurement of time
—chron·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



chronometry

chronometry
chro·nom·e·try 
[krə nómmətree] noun

study of time measurement:
the study or science of the accurate measurement of time[1]



chronon

chronon
chron·on 
[krṓ nòn] (plural chron·ons) noun

very
small unit of time: a unit of time equal to the
time that it would take for a photon to cross the diameter of an electron,
taken as approximately 10 –24 seconds
[Coined from chrono- + -on][1]



chronoscope

chronoscope
chron·o·scope 
[krònnə skṓp, krnə
skṓp] (plural chron·o·scopes) noun

instrument
measuring short times very accurately: an
electronic instrument that is designed to measure very small intervals of time
with extreme precision
—chron·o·scop·ic [krònnə skóppik, krnə
skóppik], adjective[1]



chrysalid

chrysalid
chrys·a·lid 
[kríssəlid] adjective

at
the chrysalis stage: used to describe the stage
between larva and adult in an insect and the protective covering formed at this
time
noun
(plural chrys·a·lids or chry·sal·i·des)

See
chrysalis
[Late 18th century. From
Latin chrysa(l)lid-, the stem of chrysa(l)lis (see chrysalis ).][1]



chrysalis

chrysalis
chrys·a·lis 
[kríssəliss] (plural chrys·a·lis·es)
noun

1.  insect
between larva and adult: an insect at the stage of
changing from larva to adult, during which it is inactive and encased in a hard
cocoon

2.  insect
cocoon:
the hard cocoon that protects a butterfly, moth, or other pupa during its
change from larva to adult

3.  thing
developing:
anything in an early or intermediate stage of development (literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin chrysal(l)is from Greek khrūsalis, from khrūsos
“gold,” from the gold color or metallic sheen of the pupae of some species.][1]



chrysanthemum

chrysanthemum

chry·san·the·mum 
[kri sánthəməm, kri
zánthəməm] (plural chry·san·the·mums) noun
flower
with petal clusters: a plant with brightly
colored globe-shaped flowers and small densely clustered petals. Genus: Chrysanthemum
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
khrūsanthemon, literally “gold flower,” from the color of the corn
marigold, a member of the species, to which the name was originally applied.][1]



Chryse

Chryse
Chryse
[krssee] noun

plain on Mars where Viking 1
landed: a lowland plain in the
northern equatorial region of Mars where Viking 1 landed in 1976[1]



chryselephantine

chryselephantine
chrys·el·e·phan·tine 
[krìss ellə fán n, krìss
ellə fán tn] adjective

made
of gold and ivory: used to describe classical
Greek sculptures that are made of or overlaid with gold and ivory
[Early 19th century. From
Greek khrūselephantinos, from khrūsos “gold” + elephas
“elephant, ivory.”][1]



Chrysler,Walter Percy

Chrysler,Walter Percy
Chrys·ler 
[krsslər], Walter Percy (1875–1940)

U.S. automobile manufacturer.
He introduced the Chrysler automobile (1924) and founded the Chrysler
Corporation (1925).[1]



chryso-

chryso-
chryso-
prefix

gold,
golden • chrysophyte
[From Greek khrusos
“gold,” of Semitic origin][1]



chrysoberyl

chrysoberyl
chrys·o·ber·yl 
[kríssə bèrrəl] noun

mineral
used as gemstone: a green, yellow, or brown mineral used
as a gemstone
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
chrysoberyllus, from Greek khrūsos “gold” + bērullos
“beryl.”][1]



chrysolite

chrysolite
chrys·o·lite 
[kríssə lt] noun

olivine:
the mineral olivine (no longer used technically)
[Middle English. Via Old
French from, ultimately, Greek khrūsolithos, literally “gold stone.”][1]



chrysomelid

chrysomelid
chrys·o·mel·id 
[krìssə méllid, krìssə
mlid] (plural chrys·o·mel·ids) noun

brightly
colored beetle: a small, brightly colored, leaf-eating
beetle. Colorado potato beetles are chrysomelids. Family: Chrysomelidae
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Chrysomelidae (plural) from Chrysomela, from Greek khrusomēlon
“quince” (literally “golden apple”), influenced by Greek khrusomēlolonthion,
literally “little golden chafer.”][1]



chrysoprase

chrysoprase
chrys·o·prase 
[kríssə pràyz] (plural chrys·o·prases)
noun

bright
green quartz: a bright green variety of chalcedony,
used as a gemstone
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek khrūsoprasos, literally “golden leek.” The word originally
denoted a golden-green variety of beryl.][1]



chrysotile

chrysotile
chrys·o·tile 
[kríssə tl] noun

mineral
source of asbestos: a green, gray, or white
variety of the mineral serpentine. It is an important source of asbestos.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from chryso- + Greek tilos “fiber,”
from tillein “to pluck.”][1]



Chrétiende Troyes

Chrétiende Troyes
Chré·ti·en
de Troyes 
[krày tyaN də trw] (lived 1170)

French poet. His epics were
the first to incorporate Arthurian legends and the quest for the Holy Grail.[1]



Chrétien,Jean

Chrétien,Jean

Chré·ti·en
[krày tyáN], Jean (1934– )
Canadian
politician. He became leader of the Liberal party and prime minister of Canada
in 1990.
Full name
Chrétien,  Joseph Jacques Jean[1]



chthonic

chthonic
chthon·ic 
[thónnik] or chtho·ni·an [thṓnee ən] adjective

of
the underworld: relating to the underworld as described
in Greek mythology
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek khthōn “earth.”][1]



chub

chub
chub 
[chub] (plural chubs or
chub) noun

fish
of carp family: a minnow with a stout rounded body
belonging to a family that includes some North American sea and river fishes
and the European carp. Family: Cyprinidae
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



chubby

chubby
chub·by 
[chúbbee] (comparative chub·bi·er,
superlative chub·bi·est) adjective

plump:
pleasantly or charmingly plump, especially in the way that healthy babies and
toddlers often are
—chub·bi·ly,
adverb

—chub·bi·ness, noun[1]



chuck

chuck2
chuck2 [chuk]
(plural chucks) noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY clamp
on lathe or drill: a clamping device with three
or four adjustable jaws, used to hold a piece of woodwork or metalwork in a
lathe or a bit in a drill

2.  FOOD cut of
beef:
a cut of beef that extends from the neck to the shoulder blade

3.  food:
food (regional)
[Late 17th century. A variant
of chock .][1]



chuck

chuck3
chuck3 [chuk]
intransitive verb (past chucked, past participle chucked,
present participle chuck·ing, 3rd person present singular chucks)

See
cluck
noun
(plural chucks)

(archaic)
See cluck
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



chuck

chuck1
chuck1 [chuk]
transitive verb (past chucked, past participle chucked,
present participle chuck·ing, 3rd person present singular chucks)

1.  throw
carelessly:
to throw something, especially in a careless or casual way (informal)

2.  get
rid of:
to get rid of something unwanted (informal)

3.  force
to leave:
to force somebody to leave a place, or take away somebody’s membership of an
organization (informal)

4.  give
up:
to give something up, especially a job (informal)

5.  tickle
affectionately under chin: to give somebody an
affectionate pat or tickle under the chin
noun
(plural chucks)

1.  careless
throw:
a throw, especially a careless or casual throw (informal)

2.  affectionate
tickle under the chin: an affectionate pat or
tickle under somebody’s chin
[Early
16th century. Perhaps from Old French chuquer “to knock, bump.”
Originally in the sense “to pat under the chin,” hence “to use a similar small
movement to throw something.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



chuck-a-luck

chuck-a-luck
chuck-a-luck 
noun

dice game with betting:
a game in which players bet on the possible combinations of three dice when
thrown[1]



chuckhole

chuckhole
chuck·hole 
[chúk hl] (plural chuck·holes)
noun

Midwestern
U.S.
a pothole
[Mid-19th century. From chuck 1 .][1]



chuckle

chuckle
chuck·le 
[chúk’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past chuck·led, past participle chuck·led, present
participle chuck·ling, 3rd person present singular chuck·les)

laugh
quietly:
to laugh quietly or to yourself
noun
(plural chuck·les)

quiet
laugh:
a quiet or inward laugh
[Late
16th century. Formed from chuck 3 . The word originally meant
“to laugh heartily.”]
—chuck·ler,
noun

—chuck·ling·ly, adverb[1]



chuckwagon

chuckwagon
chuck
wag·on
(plural chuck wag·ons) noun

food
wagon:
a vehicle carrying food and cooking supplies, originally a horse-drawn wagon
for transients such as cowboys (informal)
[Chuck of uncertain origin:
perhaps from chuck 2][1]



chuckwalla

chuckwalla
chuck·wal·la 
[chúk wàwlə] (plural chuck·wal·las
or chuck·wal·la) noun

large
desert lizard: a large lizard with a dark body and a
blunt yellow tail, found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and
Mexico. Latin name: Sauromalus obesus
[Late 19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish chachuala from Cahuilla tcàxxwal .][1]



chuck-will’s-widow

chuck-will’s-widow
chuck-will’s-wid·ow 
(plural chuck-will’s-wid·ows) noun

bird
with call sounding like name: a large nightjar of the east
central and southern United States with mottled brown markings and a call that
sounds like its name. Latin name: Caprimulgus carolinensis
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of its call.][1]



chufa

chufa
chu·fa 
[chfə] (plural chu·fas) noun

plant
with edible tuber: an African plant of the
sedge family with an edible tuber that looks like a nut. Latin name: Cyperus
esculentus
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “fluff, nonsense.”][1]



chuffed

chuffed
chuffed 
[chuft] adjective

U.K.
pleased:
very pleased or satisfied (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from northern English dialect chuff “chubby, happy,” of unknown origin.][1]



chug

chug1

chug1  [chug]
intransitive verb (past chugged, past participle chugged,
present participle chug·ging, 3rd person present singular chugs)

1.  make
repeated thudding sound: to make a repetitive
thudding sound like that of a small engine

2.  move
with chugging sound: to move along slowly with a
chugging sound under the power of an engine

3.  continue
in steady fashion: to continue steadily doing
the usual things (informal)
noun (plural
chugs)

chugging noise:
the chugging noise that an engine makes
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



chug

chug2
chug2  [chug]
(past chugged, past participle chugged, present
participle chug·ging, 3rd person present singular chugs)
transitive verb

drink something down quickly:
to drink something, especially beer, quickly and without pausing (slang)[1]



ChugachMountains

ChugachMountains
Chugach
Mountains 
[ch gach mòwnt’nz]

mountain range in southern
Alaska, stretching 480 km/300 mi from St. Elias Mountains in the east to Cook
Inlet in the west. The highest point is Mount Marcus Baker 4,016 m/13,176 ft .[1]



chugalug

chugalug
chug·a·lug 
[chúggə lùg] (past chug·a·lugged,
past participle chug·a·lugged, present participle chug·a·lug·ging,
3rd person present singular chug·a·lugs) transitive verb

(informal)
See chug
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound of somebody swallowing.][1]



chukar

chukar
chu·kar 
[chúkər] (plural chu·kars) noun

Indian
partridge:
a grayish-brown South Asian partridge with red legs and bill, introduced into
the western United States as a game bird. Latin name: Alectoris chukar
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi cakor ; probably ultimately an imitation of the sound it makes.][1]



Chukchi

Chukchi
Chuk·chi 
[chkchee] (plural Chuk·chi or
Chuk·chis) or Chuk·chee [chkchee]
(plural Chuk·chee or Chuk·chees) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Siberian people: a member of a people who
live in the far northeastern corner of Siberia. The Chukchi were the first to
breed huskies as working dogs.

2.  LANGUAGE Siberian
language:
a language spoken in the Chukchi Peninsula of northeastern Siberia. Chukchi is
spoken by about 12,000 people.
[Early
18th century. From Russian .]
—Chuk·chi, adjective[1]



ChukchiSea

ChukchiSea
Chuk·chi
Sea

part of the Arctic Ocean,
situated north of the Bering Strait between Asia and North America[1]



chukka

chukka
chuk·ka 
[chúkə] (plural chuk·kas) noun

1.  chuk·ka
or chuk·ka boot CLOTHES
ankle-length
boot:
a casual ankle-high lace-up boot, typically made of suede

2.  SPORTS See chukker

[1]



chukker

chukker
chuk·ker
[chúkər] (plural chuk·kers or
chuk·kas) noun

period
of play in polo: any of the six periods of continuous
play in a polo match, each lasting approximately 7.5 minutes.
Also
called
chukka
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi cak(k)ar “circular course, turn,” ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English cycle
and wheel .][1]



Chulalongkorn

Chulalongkorn
Chu·la·long·korn
[chlə láwng kàwrn], Rama V (1853–1910)

Siamese monarch who ruled
from 1868 until 1910, and was noted for his modernization programs.[1]



ChulaVista

ChulaVista
Chu·la
Vis·ta 
[chlə vístə]

city in southwest California,
a southern suburb of San Diego, close to the U.S.-Mexico border. Population:
151,963 (1996)[1]



chum

chum1
chum1 [chum]
noun (plural chums)

1.  friend:
a close friend (informal)

2.  way
of addressing man: used as a term of address
for a man (dated informal)
verb
(past chummed, past participle chummed, present
participle chum·ming, 3rd person present singular chums)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
friends:
to be friends with somebody, or behave in a friendly way toward somebody

2.  intransitive
verb
share
room with somebody: to share a room with
somebody, for example, in a school dormitory (dated)

3.  transitive
verb
Scotland go with: to
accompany somebody somewhere (regional)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably short for chamber-fellow . Originally the slang word
for a roommate at Oxford University.][1]



chum

chum3
chum3 [chum]
(plural chums or chum) noun

See
chum salmon
[Early 20th century. From
Chinook Jargon tzum (samun), literally “spotted (salmon).”][1]



chum

chum2
chum2 [chum]
noun

1.  fish
bait:
an angler’s bait, especially chopped fish, scattered on the water

2.  cheap
trinkets:
inexpensive trinkets such as cuff links and pins bearing, for example, the U.S.
Presidential seal (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past chummed,
past participle chummed, present participle chum·ming,
3rd person present singular chums)

use fish chum:
to fish using chum on the water
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Chumash

Chumash
Chu·mash 
[ch màsh] (plural Chu·mash or
Chu·mash·es) noun

member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who used to live in the coastal regions of southwestern
California. A small population remains in the Santa Barbara area.
—Chu·mash, adjective[1]



chummy

chummy
chum·my 
[chúmmee] (comparative chum·mi·er,
superlative chum·mi·est) adjective

friendly:
friendly or close (informal)
—chum·mi·ly,
adverb

—chum·mi·ness, noun[1]



chump

chump1
chump1 [chump]
(plural chumps) noun

unwise
person or dupe: somebody who is unwise or easily
deceived (informal)
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of chunk and lump or stump .
The word originally denoted a thick piece of wood; the sense “fool” developed
from this.][1]



chump

chump2
chump2 intransitive and
transitive verb noun

See
chomp[1]



chumpchange

chumpchange
chump
change
noun

trivial amount of money:
a small amount of change or an insignificant amount of money (slang)[1]



chumsalmon

chumsalmon
chum
salm·on
noun

Pacific salmon:
a salmon with wavy vertical green streaks and blotches, found in northern
Pacific waters. Latin name: Oncorhynchus keta
Also called
chum[1]



chunk

chunk1
chunk1  [chungk]
(plural chunks) noun

1.  piece:
a thick squarish piece of something, for example, bread, wood, or meat

2.  large
portion:
a large amount or part of something
[Late 17th century. An
alteration of chuck 2 .][1]



chunk

chunk2
chunk2  [chungk]
intransitive verb (past chun·ked, past participle chun·ked,
present participle chunk·ing, 3rd person present singular chunks)
noun (plural chunks)

See
clunk
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



chunky

chunky
chunk·y 
[chúngkee] (comparative chunk·i·er,
superlative chunk·i·est) adjective

1.  with
lumps:
containing lumps or small pieces

2.  square
and solid:
solid and square-shaped • a
chunky table

3.  short
and broad:
short, broad, and sometimes overweight (informal)
—chunk·i·ly,
adverb

—chunk·i·ness, noun[1]



Chunnel

Chunnel
Chun·nel
[chúnn’l] noun

Channel
Tunnel:
a nickname for the Channel Tunnel (informal)
[Early 20th century. Blend of
channel and tunnel
.][1]



chuppah

chuppah
chup·pah 
noun

JUDAISM
See huppah[1]



church

church
church 
[church] noun (plural church·es)

1.  religious
building:
a building for public worship, especially in the Christian religion

2.  religious
services:
the religious services that take place in a church

3.  clergy:
the clergy as distinct from lay people

4.  church
or Church religious authority:
religious authority as opposed to the authority of the state

5.  church
or Church religion’s followers as
group:
all the followers of a religion, especially the Christian religion, considered
collectively

6.  church
or Church branch of Christian religion:
any of several denominations of the Christian religion
transitive
verb
(past churched, past participle churched, present
participle church·ing, 3rd person present singular church·es)

give church blessing to:
to give somebody, especially a woman who has recently given birth, a blessing
in church (archaic) (often passive)
[Old
English cir(i)ce, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of German Kirche ; ultimately from Greek kuriakon doma
“house of the lord,” from kurios “lord”]
right
church, wrong pew

used to indicate that
somebody is correct in a general way, but wrong in a particular way[1]



churchfather

churchfather
church
fa·ther
(plural church fa·thers) noun

early writer of Christian
doctrine: any of the pre-8th century
Christian scholars who set down the doctrines and practices of Christianity.
Also called
Father[1]



Church,Frederick Edwin

Church,Frederick Edwin
Church 
[church], Frederick Edwin (1826–1900)

U.S. painter. A leader of the
Hudson River school, he painted landscapes such as Niagara Falls ( 1857
).[1]



churchgoer

churchgoer
church·go·er 
[chúrch gōər] (plural church·go·ers)
noun

regular
at church:
somebody who is attending a church service or who attends church services
regularly
—church·go·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



Churchill

Churchill
Chur·chill
[chúrchil]

1.  seaport
in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, situated on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the
Churchill River. Population: 1,143 (1991)

2.  river
that flows across south-central Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada, from Ashuanipi Lake,
emptying into Lake Melville. The river provides hydroelectric power. Length:
856 km/532 mi.

3.  river
that flows through numerous lakes from Lac la Loche in Saskatchewan through
Manitoba, into Hudson Bay. Length: 1,609 km/1,000 mi.

[1]



ChurchillFalls

ChurchillFalls
Chur·chill
Falls

falls on the Churchill River,
western Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada, situated 362 km/225 mi from Lake
Melville. Height: 90 m/300 ft.[1]



Churchill,Winston

Churchill,Winston

Chur·chill
[chúrchil], Sir Winston (1874–1965)
British
statesman and writer. As Prime Minister (1940–1945, 1951–1955) he led Britain
through World War II. He wrote The Second World War ( 1948–1954 ) and
won the Nobel Prize in literature (1953).
Full name
Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer[1]



churchkey

churchkey
church
key
noun

combination bottle and can
opener: a metal tool with a
sharp-pointed triangular head for opening cans at one end and a bottle opener
at the other end[1]



churchly

churchly
church·ly 
[chúrchlee] adjective

like
or for a church: similar to, suitable for, or typical of
a church
—church·li·ness, noun[1]



churchman

churchman
church·man 
[chúrchmən] (plural church·men)
noun

1.  clergyman:
a male member of the clergy

2.  church
member:
a man who is a practicing member of a church
—church·man·ship, noun[1]



churchmode

churchmode
church
mode
(plural church modes) noun

scale for medieval church
music: any of the eight scales used
for church music in the Middle Ages, for example, the Dorian, Phrygian, or
Lydian modes[1]



Churchof Christ, Scientist

Churchof Christ, Scientist
Church
of Christ, Sci·en·tist noun

Christian Scientists’
official name: the official name of
the Christian Science Church[1]



Churchof England

Churchof England
Church
of Eng·land
noun

England’s official religion:
the established church of England, ruled by a system of government by bishops
and with the reigning monarch as its titular head[1]



Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Church
of Je·sus Christ of Lat·ter-Day Saints noun

church based on Book of
Mormon: a church founded by Joseph
Smith in 1830, based on the teachings in the Book of Mormon, and centered in
Salt Lake City, Utah.[1]



Churchof Rome

Churchof Rome
Church
of Rome
noun

See
Roman Catholic Church[1]



Churchof the Brethren

Churchof the Brethren
Church
of the Breth·ren noun

U.S. Protestant denomination:
a conservative Protestant church active mainly in the Midwest and
Middle-Atlantic states[1]



churchschool

churchschool
church
school
(plural church schools) noun

regular school run by church:
a private school affiliated with a church that provides children with a general
education as well as religious instruction[1]



ChurchSlavonic

ChurchSlavonic
Church
Sla·von·ic
noun

See
Old Church Slavonic[1]



churchwarden

churchwarden
church·war·den 
[chúrch wàwrd’n] (plural church·war·dens)
noun

1.  lay
person with church duties: a lay person who manages
secular matters in an Anglican church.
Also
called
warden

2.  pipe
with long stem: a long-stemmed clay tobacco pipe

[1]



churchwoman

churchwoman
church·wom·an 
[chúrch wmmən] (plural church·wom·en
[chúrch wìmmin]) noun

1.  clergywoman:
a woman member of the clergy

2.  woman
member of church: a woman who is a practicing member of a
church

[1]



churchy

churchy
church·y 
[chúrchee] (comparative church·i·er,
superlative church·i·est) adjective

1.  extremely
religious:
zealously, even intolerantly religious

2.  like
a church:
resembling or suggesting a church

[1]



churchyard

churchyard
church·yard 
[chúrch yrd] (plural church·yards)
noun

church cemetery:
an area surrounding a church that is sometimes used as a graveyard[1]



churl

churl
churl 
[churl] (plural churls) noun

1.  bad-mannered
person:
somebody who has no manners

2.  HISTORY See ceorl
[Old English ceorl
“man,” specifically “freeman of the lowest rank” (as opposed to a nobleman),
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German Kerl
“fellow”][1]



churlish

churlish
churl·ish 
[chúrlish] adjective

1.  crass:
characteristic of somebody who is ill-bred

2.  unkind
and grumpy:
surly, sullen, or miserly
—churl·ish·ly,
adverb

—churl·ish·ness, noun[1]



churn

churn
churn 
[churn] noun (plural churns)

butter maker: a
container or device in which milk or cream is stirred vigorously to produce
butter
verb
(past churned, past participle churned, present
participle churn·ing, 3rd person present singular churns)

1.  transitive
verb
stir
to make butter: to stir or beat milk or cream vigorously
to make butter

2.  transitive
verb
make
butter:
to make butter by beating milk or cream

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb splash
violently:
to move violently, or cause a liquid or soft solid to move violently

4.  intransitive
verb
feel
unsettled:
to move unpleasantly, as if in a churn • my
stomach was churning

5.  transitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE trade
frequently for commission: to buy and sell stocks and
bonds on a frequent basis in order to earn brokerage commissions
[Old
English cyrin, of uncertain origin; perhaps from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English corn,
from the “grainy” appearance of stirred cream]
—churn·er, noun[1]



churnout

churnout
churn
out
transitive verb

produce quantities of things:
to produce or issue something quickly or regularly and in large quantities[1]



churr

churr
churr 
[chur] or chirr [chur] intransitive verb (past churred,
past participle churred, present participle churr·ing,
3rd person present singular churrs) (past chirred, past
participle chirred, present participle chirr·ing, 3rd
person present singular chirrs)

make
birds’ and insects’ vibrating noise: to
make the high-pitched vibrating sound typical of some birds, for example, the
nightjar, and some insects, for example, the cicada
noun
(plural churrs) (plural chirrs)

churring
sound:
a high-pitched vibrating sound
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



churro

churro
chur·ro 
[chr ō] (plural chur·ros) noun

fritter
in coil shape: a thick fritter made from a coil of
dough
[From Spanish, perhaps from
dialect xurro “dirty”][1]



chute

chute1
chute1  [shoot]
noun (plural chutes)

1.  slope
to drop things down: an inclined channel or
passage that something can slide down

2.  LEISURE children’s
slide:
a children’s slide in a park or swimming pool

3.  SPORTS snow-covered
slope:
a snow- or ice-covered slope or channel for sports such as tobogganing or
bobsledding

4.  AGRICULTURE sloping
passage for animals: a narrow passageway through
which animals are driven to be branded, sheared, loaded, dipped, or sprayed

5.  SPORTS slope
or drop on watercourse: a waterfall, rapids, or
steep descent in a river or stream
transitive
verb
(past chuted, past participle chuted, present
participle chut·ing, 3rd person present singular chutes)

drop something down chute:
to convey something, for example, coal or dirty laundry, down a chute
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “fall,” ultimately from Latin cadere “to fall.”][1]



chute

chute2
chute2  [shoot]
(plural chutes) noun

parachute:
a parachute (informal)
[Early
20th century. Shortening.]
—chut·ist, noun[1]



chutney

chutney
chut·ney 
[chútnee] (plural chut·neys) noun

1.  FOOD spicy
relish:
a sweet and spicy relish made from fruit, spices, sugar, and vinegar

2.  Caribbean
MUSIC rhythmic
Caribbean song: a popular Caribbean form of song with a
quick beat, much influenced by calypso in rhythm and choice of subjects
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi canī .][1]



chutzpah

chutzpah
chutz·pah 
[khtspə, htspə]
or hutz·pah [htspə, khtspə] or chutz·pa [htspə, khtspə]
noun (informal)

1.  self-confidence:
boldness coupled with supreme self-confidence

2.  rudeness:
impudent rudeness or lack of respect
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish from Aramaic ḥuṣpā .][1]



Chuvash

Chuvash
Chu·vash 
[ch vsh, choo
vsh] noun

Turkic
language of central Russia: a language spoken west of
the Urals in central Russia, belonging to the Turkic family of Altaic
languages. Chuvash is spoken by about two million people.
[Via
Russian from Chuvash čăvaš]
—Chu·vash, adjective[1]



chyle

chyle
chyle 
[kīl] noun

fluid
in small intestine: a milky fluid consisting of
lymph and emulsified fat that forms in the small intestine during digestion
[15th
century. Via late Latin from Greek khūlos “animal or plant juice.”]
—chy·la·ceous
[kī láyshəss], adjective

—chy·lous [kləss], adjective[1]



chylomicron

chylomicron
chy·lo·mi·cron 
[klə m kròn] (plural chy·lo·mi·crons)
noun

fatty particle in digestive
system: a microscopic particle,
containing fats, cholesterol, phospholipids and protein, formed in the small
intestine and absorbed into the blood during digestion[1]



chyme

chyme
chyme 
[kīm] noun

partially
digested food: a thick fluid mass of partially digested
food and gastric secretions passed from the stomach to the small intestine
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek khūmos “animal or plant juice,”
ultimately “tube through which something flows,” from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English funnel
.]
—chy·mous, adjective[1]



chymopapain

chymopapain
chy·mo·pa·pa·in 
[kmō pə páy in, kmō
pə p in] noun

enzyme
from papaya: an enzyme found in papaya juice that
aids the breakdown of proteins and is used in medical procedures and as a meat
tenderizer
[Late 20th century. Formed
from chyme + papain
.][1]



chymotrypsin

chymotrypsin
chy·mo·tryp·sin 
[kmō trípsin] noun

digestive
enzyme:
a digestive enzyme produced in the pancreas
—chy·mo·tryp·tic, adjective[1]



chymotrypsinogen

chymotrypsinogen
chy·mo·tryp·sin·o·gen 
[kmō trip sínnəjən] noun

inactive form of
chymotrypsin: the inactive form of
chymotrypsin that is converted into chymotrypsin by the enzyme trypsin[1]



chypre

chypre
chy·pre 
[sheeprə] noun

sandalwood
perfume:
perfume made from sandalwood
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “Cyprus,” perhaps where the perfume was originally made.][1]



Chávez,César

Chávez,César

Chá·vez
[ch vèz, sh
vèz], César (1927–1993)
U.S. labor leader. He founded the
National Farm Workers Association (1962) to help migrant farm workers.[1]



chèvre

chèvre
chèv·re
[shévvrə] (plural chèv·res) noun

goat’s
milk cheese: any soft cheese made from goat’s milk
[Mid-20th century. Via
French, “goat” from, ultimately, Latin capra, feminine of caper
“goat” (source of English caper 2, cabriolet, and chevron
).][1]



ci

ci
ci

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of cubic inch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ci

Ci1
Ci1

METEOROLOGY
Abbreviation of cirrus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CI

CI
CI

1.  INSURANCE Abbreviation of
certificate of insurance

2.  FREIGHT Abbreviation of cost
and insurance

3.  Abbreviation
of
Cayman Islands

[1]



Ci

Ci2
Ci2

MEASUREMENTS
PHYSICS Symbol for curie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CIA

CIA
CIA
noun

U.S. intelligence
organization: a U.S. federal bureau
responsible for intelligence and counterintelligence activities outside the
United States. In conjunction with the FBI, it is also involved in domestic
counterintelligence. Full form Central
Intelligence Agency[1]



CIAA

CIAA
CIAA

Abbreviation of
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association[1]



ciabatta

ciabatta
cia·bat·ta 
[chə báttə] (plural cia·bat·tas
or cia·bat·te) noun

Italian
bread:
a flat white Italian bread made with olive oil
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, literally “slipper,” from the shape of the loaf.][1]



ciao

ciao
ciao 
[chow] interjection

used
as greeting: used to say hello or goodbye (informal)
[Early 20th century. From
Italian dialect, literally “(I am your) slave.”][1]



Ciardi,John

Ciardi,John
Ciar·di 
[chrdee], John (1916–1986)

U.S. poet and critic. In
addition to poems and translations he wrote accessible critical works such as How
Does a Poem Mean? ( 1950 ).[1]



ciborium

ciborium
ci·bo·ri·um 
[si báwree əm] (plural ci·bo·ri·a
[si báwree ə]) noun

1.  altar
canopy:
a canopy that stands on four pillars over the altar in some Christian churches

2.  holy
wafer box:
a small container with a lid, used to hold the consecrated wafers for Holy
Communion
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin from Greek kibōrion, denoting the cup-shaped seed vessel
of a species of water lily.][1]



CIC

CIC
CIC

Abbreviation of
Counterintelligence Corps[1]



cicada

cicada
ci·ca·da 
[si káydə, si
kdə] (plural ci·ca·das or ci·ca·dae [si kdee]) noun

large
insect making shrill sound: a large winged insect that
lives in trees and tall grass, the male of which makes a shrill sound. Family:
Cicadidae
Also
called
cicala
[15th century. From Latin, of
uncertain ultimate origin.][1]



cicadakiller

cicadakiller
ci·ca·da
kill·er
(plural ci·ca·da kill·ers) noun

wasp preying on cicadas:
a large hunting wasp that feeds on adult cicadas. Latin name: Sphecius
speciosus[1]



cicala

cicala
ci·ca·la 
[si klə] (plural ci·ca·las or
ci·ca·le [si klay]) noun

See
cicada
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian or directly from Latin, variant of cicada . The irregular plural
comes from Italian.][1]



cicatrix

cicatrix
cic·a·trix 
[síkə triks] (plural cic·a·tri·ces)
noun

1.  MEDICINE scar:
a scar (technical)

2.  BOTANY mark
of leaf attachment: a scar left on a stem where
a leaf used to be attached
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “scar.”]
—cic·a·tri·cial
[sìkə trísh’l], adjective

—ci·cat·ri·cose [si káttri kss], adjective[1]



cicatrize

cicatrize
cic·a·trize 
[síkə trz] (past cic·a·trized,
past participle cic·a·trized, present participle cic·a·triz·ing,
3rd person present singular cic·a·triz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

heal
and form scar: to heal, or cause a wound to heal, and
form a scar (technical)
[15th
century. From French cicatriser, from cicatrice “scar.”]
—cic·a·tri·za·tion [sìkətri záysh’n], noun[1]



cicely

cicely
cic·e·ly
[síssəlee] noun

See
sweet cicely[1]



Cicero

Cicero
Cic·e·ro
[síssə r]

town in northeastern
Illinois; a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Population: 70,915 (1996)[1]



cicero

cicero
cic·e·ro
[síssər] noun

typeface
size:
a size of printed character slightly larger than the pica
[From its first use (1458)
for an edition of the works of Cicero][1]



Cicero,Marcus Tullius

Cicero,Marcus Tullius
Cic·e·ro 
[síssə r], Marcus Tullius (106 BC–43 BC)

Roman
philosopher, writer, and statesman. He was Rome’s greatest orator during a long
political career. His letters and essays are known for their rich prose style.

—Cic·e·ro·ni·an [sìssə rṓnee ən], adjective[1]



cicerone

cicerone
cic·e·ro·ne 
[sìssə rṓnee, chìchə
rṓnee] (plural cic·e·ro·nes or cic·e·ro·ni [sìssə rṓnee]) noun

tour
guide:
somebody who guides and informs tourists
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, named for Cicero, because of the
guide’s knowledge and eloquence.][1]



cichlid

cichlid
cich·lid 
[síklid] (plural cich·lids) noun

tropical
freshwater fish: a tropical freshwater fish with spiny
fins, popular as an aquarium fish. Family: Cichlidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Cichlidae, family name, from Greek kikhlē, denoting
a kind of fish.][1]



CID

CID
CID
or C.I.D. noun

detective branch of police:
the detective branch of the U.K. police force. Full form Criminal
Investigation Department[1]



-cide

-cide
-cide
suffix

1.  killer
• fungicide

2.  killing
• tyrannicide
[Via
Old French from Latin -cida “killer,” and from Latin -cidium
“killing,” both from Latin caedere “to strike, kill” (source also of
English chisel, scissor, incise,
and decide )]
—-cidal, suffix[1]



Cid,El

Cid,El
Cid
[síd], El (1040?–1099)

Spanish
military leader. Legend obscures the true nature of “The Lord Champion” who
fought both for and against Spain’s Moorish rulers, and was virtual dictator of
Valencia from 1094 to 1099.
Born
Vivar, Rodrigo Díaz de[1]



cider

cider
ci·der 
[sdər] (plural ci·ders) noun

1.  nonalcoholic
fresh apple drink: a nonalcoholic drink made
from freshly-pressed apples.
Also
called
sweet cider

2.  fermented
apple juice: an alcoholic drink made from fermented
apple juice.
Also
called
hard cider
[13th century. Via Old French
sidre from, ultimately, Hebrew šēār “alcoholic drink.”][1]



cidervinegar

cidervinegar
ci·der
vin·e·gar
(plural ci·der vin·e·gars) noun

vinegar made from apple
juice: a light vinegar made from
cider[1]



ci-devant

ci-devant
ci-de·vant 
[si də vN] adjective adverb

formerly
named or titled: used to indicate that what follows was
somebody’s former name, office, or title (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “before this.”][1]



c.i.f.

c.i.f.
c.i.f.
or C.I.F.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cost, insurance, and freight
See
also
C.F.I.

2.  Abbreviation
of
central information file

[1]



c.i.f.c.i.

c.i.f.c.i.
c.i.f.c.i.

(used in quotes to
indicate what is included in the price)Abbreviation of cost,
insurance, freight, commission, and interest[1]



cig

cig
cig
[sig] (plural cigs) noun

cigarette:
a cigarette (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



cigar

cigar
ci·gar 
[si gr] (plural ci·gars) noun

roll
of tobacco leaves for smoking: a cylindrical roll of
tobacco leaves for smoking, with thin brown paper or a single tobacco leaf as
an outer covering
[Early
18th century. Directly or via French cigare from Spanish cigarro,
probably from Mayan sik’ar “smoking.”]
close
but no cigar

the answer, response, or
result is not good enough (informal)[1]



Cigarette

Cigarette
Cig·a·rette
Trademark

a trademark for a long,
sleek, high-performance, high-powered motorboat[1]



cigarette

cigarette
cig·a·rette
[síggə rèt] (plural cig·a·rettes)
noun

1.  roll
of shredded tobacco: a cylindrical roll of
shredded tobacco leaves for smoking, with an outer covering of thin, usually
white, paper

2.  roll
of any leaves for smoking: a roll of shredded leaves of
any kind for smoking, for example, marijuana leaves or leaves of herbs
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “small cigar,” from cigare (see cigar ).][1]



cigaretteholder

cigaretteholder
cig·a·rette
hold·er
(plural cig·a·rette hold·ers) noun

device for holding cigarette
in mouth: a hollow cylindrical device
for holding a smoking cigarette. Some cigarette holders include filters.[1]



cigarettelighter

cigarettelighter
cig·a·rette
light·er
(plural cig·a·rette light·ers) noun

See
lighter[1]



cigarettepaper

cigarettepaper
cig·a·rette
pa·per
(plural cig·a·rette pa·pers) noun

paper used for cigarettes:
a sheet of thin paper with gum on one edge, used with loose tobacco to roll
cigarettes[1]



cigarillo

cigarillo
cig·a·ril·lo 
[sìggə ríllō] (plural cig·a·ril·los)
noun

cigarette-sized
cigar:
a slender cigar about the same size as a cigarette
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish cigarillo, literally “small cigar,” from cigarro (see cigar ).][1]



cigar-storeIndian

cigar-storeIndian
ci·gar-store
In·di·an 
(plural ci·gar-store In·di·ans) noun

tobacconist’s symbol:
a wooden figure of a Native American man holding a bunch of cigars in his
hands, formerly used as a sign indicating that a store sold tobacco products[1]



ciggy

ciggy
cig·gy 
[síggee] (plural cig·gies) noun

cigarette:
a cigarette (informal)[1]



cilantro

cilantro
ci·lan·tro 
[si lntrō, si
lántrō] noun

coriander
leaves:
the leaves of the coriander plant, used as a flavorful herb, especially in
Latin American and Southwestern U.S. cooking.
U.K.
term
coriander
[Early 20th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin coriandrum “coriander,” source of
English coriander .][1]



cilia

cilia
cil·i·a


Plural of
cilium[1]



ciliary

ciliary
cil·i·ar·y 
[síllee èrree] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY used to describe the short
threads ( cilia ) projecting from some cells
and the beating movement they make

2.  ANATOMY used to describe the tissue
and muscle that surrounds the lens of the eye
[Late 17th century. Formed
from cilium .][1]



ciliarybody

ciliarybody
cil·i·ar·y
bod·y
noun

connecting part in eye:
the ring-shaped part at the front of eye that connects the pigmented layer ( choroid ) of the eyeball with the iris diaphragm.
It also contains the ciliary muscle, which alters the curvature of the lens.[1]



ciliate

ciliate
cil·i·ate 
[síllee àyt, síllee
ət] noun (plural cil·i·ates)

organism
propelled by thrashing threads: a simple microscopic
organism with projecting threads that thrash to help it to move along. Phylum:
Ciliophora
adjective

See
ciliated
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from cilium .][1]



ciliated

ciliated
cil·i·a·ted 
[síllee àytəd] or cil·i·ate [síllee àytəd] adjective

with
projecting threads: used to describe cells with
projecting threads ( cilia ) or organisms
with cells of this type
—cil·i·a·tion [sìllee áysh’n], noun[1]



cilice

cilice
cil·ice 
[síllis] (plural cil·ices) noun

1.  TEXTILES See haircloth

2.  CLOTHES haircloth
garment:
a garment made of haircloth
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek Kilikia, Cilicia (an ancient district of
Anatolia, now in southern Turkey), because the cloth was originally made of
Cilician goats’ hair.][1]



cilium

cilium
cil·i·um 
[síllee əm] (plural cil·i·a [síllee ə]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY microscopic
projection on cell: a tiny projecting thread,
found with many others on a cell or microscopic organism, that beats
rhythmically to aid the movement of a fluid past the cell or movement of the
organism through liquid

2.  eyelash:
an eyelash (technical)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “eyelash.”][1]



Cimarron

Cimarron
Cim·ar·ron 
[símmə ròn]

river rising in northeastern
New Mexico and flowing across Kansas and Oklahoma to the Arkansas River near
Tulsa. Length: 970 km/600 mi.[1]



cimbalom

cimbalom
cim·bal·om 
[símbələm, tsímbələm]
(plural cim·bal·oms) noun

Hungarian
hammered dulcimer: a musical instrument similar
to the hammered dulcimer. It is used especially in Hungarian folk and gypsy
music.
[Late 19th century. Via
Hungarian from Italian cimbalo “dulcimer.”][1]



Cimbri

Cimbri
Cim·bri
[sím br, kímbree]
plural noun

ancient
Germanic people: a Germanic people who lived in parts of
Jutland and the Rhine valley during the second century BC. They began to spread southward, but were routed by the
Romans in 101 BC.
[From Latin][1]



cimetidine

cimetidine
ci·met·i·dine 
[sī méttə dn] noun

drug
for treating stomach acid: a drug that limits the
production of acid in the stomach and is used to treat peptic ulcers. C10H16NS
[Late 20th century. Coined
from cyano- + methyl
+ -idine .][1]



cimex

cimex
ci·mex 
[s mèks] (plural cim·i·ces [smi seez]) noun

bedbug:
a bedbug or related insect that feeds on birds, humans, and other mammals.
Genus: Cimex
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “bedbug.”][1]



Cimmerian

Cimmerian
Cim·me·ri·an 
[sə mree ən] adjective

dark:
dark and gloomy (literary)
noun
(plural Cim·me·ri·ans)

MYTHOLOGY inhabitant
of dark land: according to Greek mythology, a member
of a people who lived in a land of perpetual darkness
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin Cimmerius, from Greek Kimmerios .][1]



CINC

CINC
CINC
or C in C

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Commander in Chief[1]



cinch

cinch
cinch 
[sinch] noun (plural cinch·es)

1.  something
easily done: something that can be done or achieved
with very little effort (informal)

2.  something
certain:
something that is absolutely certain to happen (informal)

3.  RIDING strong
girth:
a girth for a saddle, consisting of a thick strap secured by passing the end
through two metal rings

4.  firm
grip:
a firm grip (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past cinched, past participle cinched, present
participle cinch·ing, 3rd person present singular cinch·es)

1.  tighten:
to tighten something by constricting it

2.  RIDING put
cinch on horse: to put a cinch on a horse

3.  grasp
something around middle: to grasp something around
the middle, as a belt does (informal)

4.  make
certain of:
to make certain of something (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish cincha “girth,” ultimately from Latin cingere “to gird”
(see cincture ).][1]



cinchbelt

cinchbelt
cinch
belt
(plural cinch belts) noun

women’s belt worn tightly:
a waist belt fashionable for women in the 1950s that was worn tight to make the
waist appear smaller[1]



cinchbug

cinchbug
cinch
bug 
(plural cinch bugs) noun

(regional) See chinch bug[1]



cinchona

cinchona
cin·cho·na 
[sing kṓnə, sin
chṓnə] (plural cin·cho·nas) noun

1.  tree
with bark producing quinine: a South American evergreen
tree or shrub whose bark is used to produce quinine and some other drugs.
Genus: Cinchona

2.  cin·cho·na
or cin·cho·na bark dried bark of the
cinchona:
the dried bark of a cinchona tree, used to produce quinine and some other drugs
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin, named for the Countess of Chinchón
(1576–1641), vicereine of Peru, who was cured of a fever by the drug and who
introduced it into Spain.]
—cin·chon·ic [sing kónnik, sin
chónnik], adjective[1]



cinchonine

cinchonine
cin·cho·nine 
[síngkə nn, sínchə
nn] noun

medicinal plant extract:
a colorless crystalline solid obtained from the dried bark of the cinchona
tree, which has been used in treating malaria. C19H22N20[1]



cinchonism

cinchonism
cin·cho·nism 
[síngkə nìzzəm, sínchə
nìzzəm] noun

illness from cinchona drugs:
a condition resulting from the excessive use of quinine and other drugs derived
from cinchona bark. The symptoms are headache, ringing in the ears, temporary
deafness, and dizziness.[1]



Cincinnati

Cincinnati
Cin·cin·na·ti 
[sìnsə náttee, sìnssənáttə]

city in southwestern Ohio on
the Ohio-Kentucky border, on the Ohio River, southwest of Dayton. Population:
345,818 (1996)[1]



Cincode Mayo

Cincode Mayo
Cin·co
de May·o 
[sng kō də myō] noun

Mexican
commemorative festival: a celebration on May 5,
among Mexican communities in Mexico and North America, of the Mexican defeat of
French troops at the Battle of Puebla in 1862
[From Spanish, literally “5th
of May”][1]



cincture

cincture
cinc·ture 
[síngkchər] (plural cinc·tures)
noun

1.  belt:
a girdle or belt, especially a cord or sash tied around a priest’s, monk’s, or
nun’s habit

2.  encompassing:
the act of encircling something, or something that encircles (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
cinctura “girdle” from, ultimately, cingere “to gird,” source of
English cinch, precinct, and succinct
.][1]



cinder

cinder
cin·der 
[síndər] noun (plural cin·ders)

burned wood or fuel:
a small piece of charred wood or coal, especially one that continues to glow
plural
noun
cin·ders

1.  ashes:
the ashes that remain after a fire has burned out

2.  INDUSTRY slag:
waste material produced by smelting

3.  GEOLOGY See scoria
[Old
English sinder “slag,” from prehistoric Germanic. The modern spelling
arose by association with French cendre “cinders, ash” (not related to
the English word).]
—cin·der·y, adjective[1]



cinderblock

cinderblock
cin·der
block
(plural cin·der blocks) noun

concrete building block:
a light usually hollow block made from coal ashes mixed with cement that is
used in building and construction work.
U.K. term
breeze block[1]



Cinderella

Cinderella
Cin·der·el·la 
[sìndə réllə] noun (plural Cin·der·el·las)

neglected
person or thing: somebody who or something that suffers
undeserved neglect
adjective

rags-to-riches:
achieving sudden recognition or success, or relating to somebody who, or
something that, achieves this
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the fairy-tale character Cinderella, who is neglected by her sisters but
enabled by her fairy godmother to attend a ball and meet a prince.][1]



cine-

cine-
cine-
prefix

CINEMA film, motion picture • cinephile
[From cinema][1]



cineaste

cineaste
cin·e·aste 
[sínnee àst] (plural cin·e·astes)
noun

1.  film
buff:
somebody who is very interested in movies and movie-making

2.  filmmaker:
somebody who makes movies
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from ciné (shortening of cinématographe ), modeled
on enthusiaste “enthusiast.”][1]



cinecamera

cinecamera
cine
cam·er·a
(plural cine cam·er·as) noun

U.K.
See movie camera
[Cine is a shortening of
cinematographic][1]



cinefilm

cinefilm
cine
film
(plural cine films) noun

U.K.
See movie film
[Cine is a shortening of
cinematographic][1]



cinema

cinema
cin·e·ma 
[sínnəmə] noun

1.  U.K.
movie
industry:
the movie industry or the business of making movies

2.  movies
collectively: movies considered collectively (formal)

3.  U.K.
movie
theater:
a movie theater
[Early 20th century. From
French cinéma, shortening of cinématographe, from Greek kinēma
“movement.”][1]



cinemagoer

cinemagoer
cin·e·ma·go·er 
[sínnəmə g ər] (plural cin·e·ma·go·ers)
noun

U.K.
See moviegoer[1]



cinematic

cinematic
cin·e·mat·ic 
[sìnnə máttik] adjective

1.  appropriate
to movies:
typical of the style in which movies are made

2.  of
movies:
relating to movies or movie-making
—cin·e·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cinematographer

cinematographer
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·pher 
[sìnnəmə tóggrəfər] (plural cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phers)
noun

manager of camerawork and
lighting: somebody responsible for the
lighting and camera work for a motion picture and the general look of the
motion picture[1]



cinematography

cinematography
cin·e·ma·tog·ra·phy 
[sìnnəmə tóggrəfee] noun

photographing
of motion pictures: the art or technique of
photographing and lighting motion pictures
—cin·e·mat·o·graph·ic
[sìnnə mattə gráffik], adjective

—cin·e·mat·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[sìnnə matə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



cinephile

cinephile
cin·e·phile 
[sínnə fl] (plural cin·e·philes)
noun

movie enthusiast:
somebody who is very interested in movies and moviemaking[1]



cineraria

cineraria
cin·e·rar·i·a
[sìnnə ráiree ə] noun (plural cin·e·rar·i·as)

plant
with daisylike flowers: a plant native to the Canary
Islands, cultivated for its mass of blue, purple, or red flowers resembling
daisies. Latin name: Senecio hybridus


Plural
of
cinerarium
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin, formed from the Latin stem ciner- “ashes,” from the fluffy
gray leaves of the silver ragwort, the plant originally designated.][1]



cinerarium

cinerarium
cin·e·rar·i·um 
[sìnnə ráiree əm] (plural cin·e·rar·i·a
[sinə ráiri ə]) noun

storage
place for human ashes: a place where the ashes of a
corpse are stored
[Mid-18th century. From late
Latin, formed from the Latin stem ciner- “ashes.”][1]



cinerary

cinerary
cin·er·ar·y
[sínnə rèrree] adjective

of
ashes:
relating to ashes, especially human ashes
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
cinerarius, formed from the stem ciner- “ashes.”][1]



cinereous

cinereous
ci·ne·re·ous 
[sə nree əss] adjective (literary)

1.  like
or of ashes: resembling or consisting of ashes

2.  ash-gray:
of an ash-gray color like ashes
noun

ash-gray: an
ash-gray color (literary)
[15th century. Formed from
Latin cinereus, from the stem ciner- “ashes.”][1]



cinerin

cinerin
cin·er·in 
[sínnərən] noun

liquid
insecticide: an oily liquid compound extracted from
pyrethrum and used in insecticides
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from the Latin stem ciner- “ashes.”][1]



cingulum

cingulum
cin·gu·lum 
[síng gyələm] (plural cin·gu·la
[síng gyələ]) noun

1.  ANATOMY body
part encircling another: any part of the body that
surrounds or encircles another part

2.  BIOLOGY stripe
around plant or animal: a band or stripe that
encircles a plant or animal
[Early
19th century. From Latin, literally “girdle,” from cingere “to gird”
(see cincture ).]
—cin·gu·late [síng gyələt], adjective[1]



cinnabar

cinnabar
cin·na·bar 
[sínnə br] noun

1.  MINERALS mineral
source of mercury: a reddish-brown mineral that
is the principal source of mercury and is found near areas of volcanic activity

2.  CHEMISTRY red
pigment:
red mercuric sulfide used as a pigment

3.  COLORS bright
red:
a bright red color tinged with orange
adjective

of a bright red color:
of a bright red color tinged with orange
[Middle
English. Via Latin from Greek kinnabari, ultimately from an Asian
language.]
—cin·na·bar·ine [sínnəbə rn, sínnəbərin],
adjective[1]



cinnabarmoth

cinnabarmoth
cin·na·bar
moth
(plural cin·na·bar moths) noun

large orange-red moth:
a large European moth that has orange-red wings. It was introduced into the
western United States in an attempt to control ragwort, the main food of its
orange- and black-striped caterpillars. Latin name: Hypocrita jacobaeae[1]



cinnamicacid

cinnamicacid
cin·nam·ic
ac·id
[sə nàmmik ássid] noun

acid
used in perfumery: a white odorless acid that
is insoluble in water, used in the perfume industry. C9H8O2
[From its presence in
cinnamon oil][1]



cinnamon

cinnamon
cin·na·mon 
[sínnəmən] noun (plural cin·na·mons)

1.  FOOD spice
obtained from bark: the dried bark of any of
several Asian trees, used to spice foods and drinks

2.  TREES Asian
tree with cinnamon bark: a small evergreen tree found
in tropical regions of Asia whose dried bark is the source of cinnamon. Genus: Cinnamomum

3.  COLORS reddish-brown
color:
a warm reddish-brown color
adjective

of a reddish brown color:
of a warm reddish-brown color
[14th
century. From French cinnamome, ultimately perhaps via Greek kinnamon
from Malay .]
—cin·nam·ic [sə námmik], adjective[1]



cinnamonbear

cinnamonbear
cin·na·mon
bear
(plural cin·na·mon bears) noun

red-brown variety of black
bear: a variety of the North
American black bear that has reddish-brown fur[1]



cinnamonstone

cinnamonstone
cin·na·mon
stone
noun

See
essonite
[From its color][1]



cinquain

cinquain
cin·quain 
[sing káyn, síng
kàyn] (plural cin·quains) noun

five-line
stanza:
a stanza of poetry that consists of five lines
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “set of five,” formed from cinq “five.”][1]



cinquecento

cinquecento
cin·que·cen·to 
[chìngkwə chéntō] noun

16thC
in Italy:
the 16th century, especially with reference to Italian art and architecture
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “500,” shortened from milcinquecento “1500,” used to
refer to the years 1500–1599.][1]



cinquefoil

cinquefoil

cinque·foil 
[síngk fòyl, sángk
fòyl] (plural cinque·foils or cinque·foil) noun

1.  PLANTS See potentilla

2.  ARCHITECTURE five-arc
design:
an architectural design in the form of five arcs joined together
[13th century. From Latin quinquefolium,
literally “five leaves.”][1]



cinémavérité

cinémavérité
ci·né·ma
vé·ri·té 
[sìnnəmə verri táy, seenay
m verri táy] noun

documentary
filmmaking style: a style of filmmaking characterized by a
search for an authentic documentary feel. The term was first applied to a
series of French documentary films in the 1960s.
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “cinema of truth.”][1]



CIO

CIO
CIO
or C.I.O.

Abbreviation of
Congress of Industrial Organizations[1]



cioppino

cioppino
ciop·pi·no 
[chə pnō] (plural ciop·pi·nos)
noun

seafood
dish:
a thick seafood soup or stew with tomatoes, spices, and herbs
[Mid-20th century. Perhaps
from Italian dialect .][1]



Cipango

Cipango
Ci·pan·go 
[si páng gō] noun

Asian island in medieval
mythology: in medieval mythology, an
island off the eastern coast of Asia, perhaps modern-day Japan[1]



cipher

cipher
ci·pher 
[sfər] or cy·pher [sfər] noun (plural ci·phers)
(plural cy·phers)

1.  written
code:
a written code in which the letters of a text are substituted according to a
system

2.  cipher
key:
the key to a cipher

3.  text
in cipher:
a text written in cipher

4.  DESIGN design
of interlacing initials: a decorative design
consisting of a set of interlaced initials

5.  MUSIC fault
in organ valve: a fault in an organ valve that causes a
pipe to sound continuously without the key having been pressed
verb
(past ci·phered, past participle ci·phered, present
participle ci·pher·ing, 3rd person present singular ci·phers)
(past cy·phered, past participle cy·phered, present
participle cy·pher·ing, 3rd person present singular cy·phers)

1.  transitive
verb
write
in code:
to write a text or message in cipher

2.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC sound
owing to fault: to sound continuously because of a
faulty valve (refers to an organ or organ pipe)
[14th century. Via Old French
cif(f)re from, ultimately, Arabic ṣifr “zero,” source of English zero .][1]



cipolin

cipolin
ci·pol·in 
[síppəlin] noun

green
and white Italian marble: a type of Italian marble
with green and white streaks
[Late 18th century. Directly
or via French from Italian cipollino, literally “small onion,” from cipolla
“onion,” because the streaked structure resembles the layers of an onion.][1]



cir.

cir.
cir.

1.  Abbreviation
of
circle

2.  Abbreviation
of
circa

3.  Abbreviation
of
circuit

4.  Abbreviation
of
circulation

5.  Abbreviation
of
circumference

[1]



circa

circa
cir·ca 
[súrkə] preposition

approximately:
used before a date to indicate that it is approximate or estimated
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, ultimately from circus “circle” (see circus
).][1]



circadian

circadian
cir·ca·di·an 
[sər káydee ən] adjective

relating
to 24-hour cycle: used to describe a pattern repeated
approximately every 24 hours
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin circa “about, in” + dies “day.”][1]



Circassian

Circassian
Cir·cas·sian 
[sər kásh’n, sər
káshee ən] noun

Caucasian
language group: a group of languages spoken in southern
Russia, northern Georgia, and by many émigré communities in Turkey. It belongs
to the Abkhaz-Adyghean branch of North Caucasian languages. Circassian is
spoken by about 1,500,000 people and its dialects include Adyghe and Kabardian.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Circassia, Latinized form of Russian Cherkes
.]
—Cir·cas·sian, adjective[1]



Circe

Circe
Cir·ce 
[súrsee] noun

Greek
enchantress: in Greek mythology, the daughter of
Hecate and the Sun, who lured sailors to her island where she made love with
them and then turned them into pigs
[12th
century. Via Latin from Greek Kirkē .]
—Cir·ce·an [súrsee ən, sur s ən],
adjective[1]



circinate

circinate
cir·ci·nate 
[súrsə nàyt] adjective

coiled:
used to describe leaves or fronds that are coiled with the tip in the center,
as in most ferns
[Early
19th century. From Latin circinatus, past participle of circinare
“to make round,” from circinus “pair of compasses,” from circus
“circle” (see circus ).]
—cir·ci·nate·ly, adverb[1]



Circinus

Circinus
Cir·ci·nus 
[súrsinəss] noun

constellation:
a small inconspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere near Centaurus.
Also
called
Compasses the
[Early 19th century. From
Latin circinus “pair of compasses.”][1]



circle

circle

cir·cle 
[súrk’l] noun (plural cir·cles)

1.  GEOMETRY shape
of perfect hollow ring: a curved line surrounding a
center point, every point of the line being an equal distance from the center
point

2.  area
inside circle: the area enclosed by a circle

3.  circle
-shaped thing: an area or object in the shape of a
circle

4.  circle
-shaped pattern: an arrangement or pattern in the shape
of a circle

5.  group
of people:
a group of people who share a common interest, profession, activity, or social
background

6.  curved
route:
a course or route that follows a curved path

7.  THEATER raised
theater seating: a section of tiered seating in a theater
that is above ground level

8.  cycle:
a process or series of events that ends at the point at which it began, or that
repeats itself continuously
verb (past
cir·cled, past participle cir·cled, present participle
cir·cling, 3rd person present singular cir·cles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
along curving route: to move or move around
something, following a curving route or path that ends where it began and
usually repeats its cycle

2.  transitive
verb
make
mark around: to draw a ring around something in order
to mark it or draw attention to it

3.  transitive
verb
surround:
to surround a place or an area with people
[Pre-12th
century. Via French from Latin circulus, literally “small circle,” from circus
“circle” (see circus ).]
—cir·cler,
noun
come full circle

to
return to an earlier or first position or situation after leaving it

go or run around in circles

to be very busy without
actually achieving anything[1]



circlegraph

circlegraph
cir·cle
graph
(plural cir·cle graphs) noun

See
pie chart[1]



circlet

circlet
cir·clet 
[súrklət] (plural cir·clets) noun

1.  ringlike
decoration:
a circular decoration, especially a decorative band worn on the head

2.  small
circle:
a small circle (literary)

[1]



circuit

circuit

cir·cuit 
[súrkit] noun (plural cir·cuits)

1.  circular
path:
a route or path that follows a curved course and finishes at the point at which
it began

2.  area
bounded by circular path: an area that lies inside a
circular route or path

3.  single
journey around circular path: a single complete journey
around a circular route or path

4.  regular
journey:
a journey that somebody, for example, a salesperson or circuit court judge,
regularly makes around an area

5.  LAW stops
on journey:
the places visited by somebody on a regular circuit, especially those where a
circuit court judge sits periodically

6.  round
of events:
a series of events or places regularly attended or visited by the same group of
people

7.  SPORTS ongoing
series of competitions: an ongoing series of
competitions or tournaments regularly attended by the same group of people

8.  ELECTRICITY route
for electricity: a route around which an electrical
current can flow, beginning and ending at the same point

9.  ARTS chain
of arts locations: a group of theaters,
cinemas, or clubs, under the same management or showing the same performances
or movies in rotation

10. SPORTS set of
exercises:
a complete round of exercises in circuit training

11. CHRISTIANITY local
group of Methodist churches: a group of Methodist
churches that form a local division of the Church’s national administration
intransitive and transitive verb
(past cir·cuit·ed, past participle cir·cuit·ed, present
participle cir·cuit·ing, 3rd person present singular cir·cuits)

move around along circular path:
to follow a circuit around something (formal)
[14th century. Via French
from Latin circuitus, from circuire “to go around,” from ire
“to go.”][1]



circuitboard

circuitboard
cir·cuit
board
(plural cir·cuit boards) noun

COMPUTING
See printed circuit board[1]



circuitbreaker

circuitbreaker
cir·cuit
break·er
(plural cir·cuit brea·kers) noun

safety shut-off in electric
circuit: a device that can
automatically stop the flow of electricity in a circuit if there is too much
current to operate safely. Circuit breakers are easier to use than fuses
because they just need to be reset instead of replaced.[1]



circuitcourt

circuitcourt
cir·cuit
court
(plural cir·cuit courts) noun

traveling court:
a court that moves from place to place within a particular judicial district[1]



circuitous

circuitous
cir·cu·i·tous 
[sər ky itəss] adjective

indirect:
lengthy because very indirect
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin circuitosus, from Latin circuire
(see circuit ).]
—cir·cu·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—cir·cu·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



circuitrider

circuitrider
cir·cuit
rid·er
(plural cir·cuit rid·ers) noun

traveling preacher:
formerly, a clergyman who traveled from church to church preaching, especially
in rural areas[1]



circuitry

circuitry
cir·cuit·ry 
[súrkətree] noun

1.  circuit
components:
the components of an electric circuit

2.  electrical
system:
the system of circuits in an electrical or electronic device

3.  electric
circuit’s layout: the design or layout of an electric
circuit

[1]



circuittraining

circuittraining
cir·cuit
train·ing
noun

different exercises in
rotation: a form of sports training
that involves performing different exercises in rotation[1]



circuity

circuity
cir·cu·i·ty
[sər ky itee] (plural cir·cu·i·ties)
noun

indirectness
of speech:
the indirect and lengthy nature of something, especially the way somebody
speaks, argues, or reasons
[Mid-16th century. From
French circuité, ultimately from Latin circuire (see circuit ).][1]



circular

circular
cir·cu·lar 
[súrkyələr] adjective

1.  like
a circle:
shaped like, or resembling a circle

2.  ending
where beginning: following a curved route or path that
ends at the point where it began

3.  LOGIC not
logical:
used to describe an argument that does not move logically to a satisfactory
conclusion because it assumes as true something that needs to be proved or
demonstrated

4.  circuitous:
indirect and complicated

5.  widely
distributed: intended for distribution to a large
number of people
noun
(plural cir·cu·lars)

widely distributed notice:
a letter, advertisement, or other notice distributed to a large number of
people
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, late Latin circularis, from
Latin circulus (see circle ).]
—cir·cu·lar·ly, adverb[1]



circularbreathing

circularbreathing
cir·cu·lar
breath·ing
noun

breathing technique for
holding notes: the technique of using
the cheeks to force air out of the mouth while breathing in through the nose,
used by woodwind and brass players to hold long notes[1]



circularfile

circularfile
cir·cu·lar
file
(plural cir·cu·lar files) noun

waste basket:
a waste basket (informal humorous)[1]



circularfunction

circularfunction
cir·cu·lar
func·tion
(plural cir·cu·lar func·tions) noun

GEOMETRY
See trigonometric function[1]



circularity

circularity
cir·cu·lar·i·ty 
[sùrkyə lérrətee] noun

1.  circular
shape:
the quality or fact of being circular in shape

2.  LOGIC illogical
nature:
the illogical nature of something such as an argument or piece of reasoning

3.  complexity
and indirectness: the indirect and complicated nature of
something such as a method or route
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin circularitas, from circularis (see circular ).][1]



circularize

circularize
cir·cu·lar·ize 
[súrkyələ rz] (past cir·cu·lar·ized,
past participle cir·cu·lar·ized, present participle cir·cu·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cu·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  publicize:
to publicize something by distributing leaflets or notices widely

2.  canvass
or poll:
to ask people for support or to survey public opinion by sending out
questionnaires, letters, or leaflets
—cir·cu·lar·i·za·tion
[sùrkyələri záysh’n], noun[1]



circularmeasure

circularmeasure
cir·cu·lar
meas·ure
(plural cir·cu·lar meas·ures) noun

unit of measurement of
angles: the measurement of an angle
by relating it to the angle formed in the center of a circle by a sector, in
units called radians[1]



circularsaw

circularsaw
cir·cu·lar
saw
(plural cir·cu·lar saws) noun

power saw with rotating
blade: an electrically powered saw
with a circular toothed blade that rotates at high speed.
Also called
buzz saw[1]



circulate

circulate
cir·cu·late 
[súrkyə làyt] (past cir·cu·lat·ed,
past participle cir·cu·lat·ed, present participle cir·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cu·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
move
around circular system: to move freely through a
circuit or to follow a circular route

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
around:
to distribute or pass something from person to person or from place to place,
or be passed in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
flow:
to move or flow freely in an enclosed space or defined area

4.  intransitive
verb
mingle:
to move from person to person or group to group at a social gathering in order
to talk with different people (informal)
[15th
century. From Latin circulat-, past participle stem of circulare,
from circulus, literally “small circle.”]
—cir·cu·lat·a·ble,
adjective

—cir·cu·la·tor, noun[1]



circulatingdecimal

circulatingdecimal
cir·cu·lat·ing
dec·i·mal 
(plural cir·cu·lat·ing dec·i·mals) noun

MATHEMATICS
See repeating decimal[1]



circulatinglibrary

circulatinglibrary
cir·cu·lat·ing
li·brar·y
noun

See
lending library See bookmobile[1]



circulatingmedium

circulatingmedium
cir·cu·lat·ing
me·di·um
noun

something used as money:
anything used as money, for example, a valuable commodity, paper money, or
illegal drugs[1]



circulation

circulation
cir·cu·la·tion 
[sùrkyə láysh’n] (plural cir·cu·la·tions)
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY movement
of blood around body: the movement of blood
through the body

2.  flow:
the free movement of something, for example, air or water

3.  distribution
or communication: the passing or communication of
something, for example, news, information, or money, from place to place or
from person to person

4.  PUBLISHING number
distributed of publication: the number of copies of a
publication that are sold or distributed to readers in a given period

5.  FINANCE use as
money:
valid use as currency

6.  LIBRARIES library
department:
the department of a lending library that oversees the lending and retrieval of
books and other items

[1]



circulatory

circulatory
cir·cu·la·tor·y 
[súrkyələ tàwree] adjective

of blood circulation:
relating to the circulation of the blood[1]



circulatorysystem

circulatorysystem
cir·cu·la·tor·y
sys·tem
(plural cir·cu·la·tor·y sys·tems) noun

body’s blood-pumping system:
the system consisting of the heart, blood vessels, and lymph vessels that pumps
blood and lymph around the body[1]



circum-

circum-
circum-
prefix

around
• circumlunar
[From Latin, formed from circus
(see circle )][1]



circum.

circum.
circum.

Abbreviation of
circumference[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








circumambient

circumambient
cir·cum·am·bi·ent 
[sùrkəm ámbee ənt] adjective

surrounding:
surrounding (literary)
—cir·cum·am·bi·ent·ly,
adverb[1]



circumambulate

circumambulate
cir·cum·am·bu·late 
(past cir·cum·am·bu·lated, past participle cir·cum·am·bu·lated,
present participle cir·cum·am·bu·lat·ing, 3rd person present
singular cir·cum·am·bu·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
around:
to walk around something, for example, around the dead, a tomb, or a sacred
site, as part of a ritual (formal or humorous)

2.  intransitive
verb
evade
the issue:
to avoid the point of a subject or discussion (literary)
—cir·cum·am·bu·la·tion
[sùrkəm ambyə láysh’n], noun[1]



circumcise

circumcise
cir·cum·cise 
[súrkəm sz] (past cir·cum·cised,
past participle cir·cum·cised, present participle cir·cum·cis·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·cis·es) transitive verb

1.  remove
male’s foreskin: to remove all or part of the foreskin
from the penis, either for hygiene reasons or as part of a religious ritual

2.  remove
female’s clitoris or prepuce: to cut away the skin ( prepuce ) covering the clitoris, or remove the
clitoris, usually as part of a religious ritual
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin circumcidere “to cut around” (a
literal translation of Greek peritemnein ), from caedere “to
cut.”]
—cir·cum·cis·er, noun[1]



Circumcision

Circumcision
Cir·cum·ci·sion
noun

Roman Catholic celebration of
Jesus Christ’s circumcision: a Roman
Catholic festival on January 1 to commemorate the circumcision of Jesus Christ[1]



circumcision

circumcision
cir·cum·ci·sion 
[sùrkəm sízh’n] (plural cir·cum·ci·sions)
noun

1.  removal
of male’s foreskin: the removal of all or part
of the foreskin from the penis

2.  removal
of clitoris or its prepuce: the cutting away of the skin
( prepuce ) covering the clitoris, or the
removal of the clitoris.
Also
called
female circumcision

3.  religious
ceremony with circumcision: a religious ceremony during
which a circumcision is performed, especially in Judaism or Islam

[1]



circumference

circumference
cir·cum·fer·ence 
[sər kúmfərəns, sər
kúmfrəns] (plural cir·cum·fer·enc·es) noun

1.  GEOMETRY distance
around circle: the distance around the edge of a circle

2.  distance
around something: the distance around the edge of an
object or a place that is roughly circular

3.  edge:
the edge of a round object or area
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin circumferentia, from circumferens,
the present participle of circumferre, literally “to carry around,” from
ferre “to carry.”]
—cir·cum·fer·en·tial
[sər kùmfə rénsh’l], adjective

—cir·cum·fer·en·tial·ly
[sər kùmfə rénshəlee], adverb[1]



circumflex

circumflex
cir·cum·flex 
[súrkəm flèks] (plural cir·cum·flex·es)
or cir·cum·flex ac·cent [súrkəm flèks]
(plural cir·cum·flex ac·cents) noun

accent
over letter: a mark ^ placed above a letter to
indicate a specific pronunciation or a contraction, usually different from that
of the unaccented letter. Circumflexes may be written over vowels as in French,
or over consonants as in Esperanto.
[Late 16th century. From
Latin circumflexus, the past participle of circumflectere,
literally “to bend around,” from flectere “to bend.”][1]



circumfluent

circumfluent
cir·cum·flu·ent 
[sər kúmfloo ənt] or cir·cum·flu·ous
[sər kúmfloo əss] adjective

flowing around:
flowing all around a thing or place (literary)[1]



circumfuse

circumfuse
cir·cum·fuse 
[súrkəm fyz] (past cir·cum·fused,
past participle cir·cum·fused, present participle cir·cum·fus·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·fus·es) transitive verb

surround
with liquid: to surround or cover something,
especially with liquid (formal or literary)
—cir·cum·fu·sion [sùrkəm fyzh’n], noun[1]



circumlocution

circumlocution
cir·cum·lo·cu·tion 
[sùrkəm lō kysh’n] (plural cir·cum·lo·cu·tions)
noun

1.  indirect
way of saying something: the use of more words than
necessary to express something, especially to avoid saying it directly

2.  indirect
expression:
something said using more words than necessary, especially to avoid expressing
it directly
[15th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem circumlocution-,
literally “speaking around,” from the stem locution- “speaking” (see locution ).]
—cir·cum·loc·u·to·ry [sùrkəm lókyə tàwree], adjective[1]



circumlunar

circumlunar
cir·cum·lu·nar 
[sùrkəm lnər] adjective

around moon:
around or surrounding the moon[1]



circumnavigate

circumnavigate
cir·cum·nav·i·gate 
[sùrkəm návvi gàyt] (past cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ed,
past participle cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ed, present participle cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·nav·i·gates) transitive
verb

go
around something: to sail or fly around something, for
example, an island (formal)
—cir·cum·nav·i·ga·ble,
adjective

—cir·cum·nav·i·ga·tion,
noun

—cir·cum·nav·i·ga·tor,
noun[1]



circumpolar

circumpolar
cir·cum·po·lar 
[sùrkəm pṓlər] adjective

in polar regions:
located or living near one or both poles of the Earth or some other planet (technical)[1]



circumpolarstar

circumpolarstar
cir·cum·po·lar
star
(plural cir·cum·po·lar stars) noun

permanently visible star:
a star that is always visible above the horizon at a given latitude[1]



circumscribe

circumscribe
cir·cum·scribe 
[súrkəm skrb] (past cir·cum·scribed,
past participle cir·cum·scribed, present participle cir·cum·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·scribes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
restrict:
to limit the power of something or somebody to act independently (formal)
(often passive)

2.  GEOMETRY enclose
within geometrical shape: to draw one geometrical
figure around another so that they touch at every corner ( vertex ) of the enclosed figure or at every side
of the enclosing figure without cutting across each other
[14th
century. From Latin circumscribere, literally “to write around,” from scribere
“to write.”]
—cir·cum·scrib·a·ble
[sùrkəm skrbəb’l], adjective

—cir·cum·scrib·er [súrkəm skrbər], noun[1]



circumscription

circumscription
cir·cum·scrip·tion 
[sùrkəm skrípshən] (plural cir·cum·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  restriction
of power:
the limiting of the power of something or somebody to act independently (formal)

2.  GEOMETRY enclosing
of something within geometrical shape: the
act of drawing one geometrical figure around another so that they touch at
every corner ( vertex ) of the enclosed
figure or at every side of the enclosing figure without cutting across each
other

3.  GEOMETRY drawn
shape:
a shape drawn or enclosed by circumscription

4.  COINS inscription
round circular edge: a circular inscription
around the edge of a coin or medal
—cir·cum·scrip·tive,
adjective

—cir·cum·scrip·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



circumsolar

circumsolar
cir·cum·so·lar 
[sùrkəm sṓlər] adjective

around sun:
around or surrounding the sun[1]



circumspect

circumspect
cir·cum·spect 
[súrkəm spèkt] adjective

prudent:
showing unwillingness to act without first weighing the risks or consequences
[15th
century. From, ultimately, the Latin stem circumspect-, the past
participle of circumspicere, literally “to look around,” from specere
“to look.”]
—cir·cum·spec·tive
[sùrkəm spéktiv], adjective

—cir·cum·spect·ly
[súrkəm spèktlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



circumstance

circumstance
cir·cum·stance 
[súrkəm stàns] noun (plural cir·cum·stanc·es)

1.  condition
affecting situation: a condition that affects
what happens or how somebody reacts in a particular situation (usually used
in the plural) • Under the
circumstances, the team played well.

2.  uncontrollable
conditions:
the conditions that affect somebody’s life and that are beyond his or her
control

3.  event:
an event or occurrence (formal)

4.  way
something happens: the way an event happens or
develops
plural
noun
cir·cum·stanc·es

conditions: the
social, financial, material, or spiritual conditions that somebody lives in
[12th century. Via French or
directly from Latin circumstantia, from circumstant-, the present
participle stem of circumstare, literally “to stand around,” from stare
“to stand.”][1]



circumstanced

circumstanced
cir·cum·stanced
[súrkəm stànst] adjective

in particular conditions:
living in a particular state or set of conditions (formal)[1]



circumstantial

circumstantial
cir·cum·stan·tial 
[sùrkəm stánsh’l] adjective

1.  LAW based
on inference: containing or based on facts that allow
a court to deduce that somebody is guilty without conclusive proof • circumstantial
evidence

2.  special:
related to particular circumstances

3.  formal:
with a great deal of formality and ceremony

4.  detailed:
thorough and very detailed (formal)
—cir·cum·stan·ti·al·i·ty
[sùrkəm stanshee állətee], noun

—cir·cum·stan·tial·ly
[sùrkəm stánshəlee], adverb[1]



circumstantiate

circumstantiate
cir·cum·stan·ti·ate 
[sùrkəm stánshee àyt] (past cir·cum·stan·ti·at·ed,
past participle cir·cum·stan·ti·at·ed, present participle cir·cum·stan·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·stan·ti·ates) transitive
verb

give
evidence:
to provide evidence to support an argument or allegation (formal)
—cir·cum·stan·ti·a·tion
[sùrkəm stanshee áysh’n], noun[1]



circumstellar

circumstellar
cir·cum·stel·lar 
[sùrkəm stéllər] adjective

around star:
around or surrounding a star[1]



circumterrestrial

circumterrestrial
cir·cum·ter·res·tri·al 
[sùrkəm tə réstree əl] adjective

around the Earth:
around or surrounding the Earth[1]



circumvallate

circumvallate
cir·cum·val·late 
[sùrkəm vá làyt] (past cir·cum·val·lat·ed,
past participle cir·cum·val·lat·ed, present participle cir·cum·val·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cir·cum·val·lates) transitive verb

enclose
with rampart: to protect a town or camp by surrounding
it with a rampart or a defensive wall (archaic or formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin circumvallare, literally “to fortify with a rampart
around,” from, ultimately, vallum “rampart,” from vallus
“stake.”]
—cir·cum·val·la·tion [sùrkəm va láysh’n], noun[1]



circumvent

circumvent
cir·cum·vent 
[sùrkəm vént, súrkəm
vènt] (past cir·cum·vent·ed, past participle cir·cum·vent·ed,
present participle cir·cum·vent·ing, 3rd person present
singular cir·cum·vents) transitive verb

1.  get
around restriction: to find a way of avoiding
restrictions imposed by a rule or law without actually breaking it • an
attempt to circumvent the ban

2.  outwit
somebody:
to anticipate and counter somebody’s plans
[15th
century. From Latin circumvent-, the present participle stem of circumvenire,
literally “to come around,” from venire “to come” (source of English convene ).]
—cir·cum·vent·er,
noun

—cir·cum·ven·tion,
noun

—cir·cum·ven·tive, adjective[1]



circumvolution

circumvolution
cir·cum·vo·lu·tion 
[sùrkəm və lsh’n] (plural cir·cum·vo·lu·tions)
noun

movement
around axis: a turning or winding movement around a
central axis (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin circumvolut-, the past participle stem of circumvolvere,
literally “to turn around,” from volvere “to turn.”]
—cir·cum·vo·lu·to·ry [sùrkəm vóllyə tàwree], adjective[1]



circus

circus
cir·cus 
[súrkəss] (plural cir·cus·es) noun

1.  traveling
show:
a group of traveling entertainers, including clowns, acrobats and sometimes
animal trainers and their animals

2.  show:
a performance given by circus entertainers, or the place where they perform

3.  self-important
event:
a confused, noisy, or overwhelming event or situation, especially one that
seems full of self-importance (informal) • a
media circus

4.  ARCHITECTURE Roman
stadium:
an open stadium built by the ancient Romans to stage chariot races or fights
between gladiators

5.  Roman
show:
a performance staged in a Roman stadium

6.  U.K.
place
where streets meet: a round or roundish open
space where several streets meet • Piccadilly
Circus
[14th
century. From Latin, literally “ring, circle” (source of English circle and search
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bend,” which is also the
ancestor of English curve .]
—cir·cus·y,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Circus is derived from the Latin
  word circus, meaning “ring” or “circle,” which is also the source of
  English circle, circuit, circulate,
  and search.

[1]



circuscatch

circuscatch
cir·cus
catch
(plural cir·cus catch·es) noun

spectacular
catch:
a catch in baseball or football involving a leap, a dive, or a roll (informal)
[From baseball, presumably
alluding to acrobats’ feats at the circus][1]



CircusMaximus

CircusMaximus
Cir·cus
Max·i·mus
[sùrkəss máksiməss] noun

ancient
Roman stadium: a stadium in Rome used to stage chariot
races and fights between gladiators
[From Latin, literally
“biggest racetrack”][1]



cireperdue

cireperdue
ci·re
per·due
[sr pur d] noun

(technical)
See lost wax
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “lost wax.”][1]



cirque

cirque
cirque 
[surk] (plural cirques) noun

semicircular
hollow on mountainside: a semicircular hollow with
steep walls formed by glacial erosion on mountains. It often forms the head of
a valley.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Latin circus (see circus
).][1]



cirrate

cirrate
cir·rate 
[sr àyt, srət]
adjective

1.  BIOLOGY with
tentacles:
bearing structures resembling tentacles or tendrils ( cirri
)

2.  shaped
like tentacle: like a tentacle or tendril in shape
[Early 19th century. From the
Latin stem cirrat- “curled,” from cirrus “curl.”][1]



cirrhosis

cirrhosis
cir·rho·sis 
[si rṓssiss] noun

liver
disease:
a chronic progressive disease of the liver characterized by the replacement of
healthy cells with scar tissue
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek kirrhos
“orange-colored.” From the presence of yellowish granules.]
—cir·rhot·ic [si róttik], adjective[1]



cirri

cirri
cir·ri


Plural of
cirrus[1]



cirriform

cirriform
cir·ri·form 
[srə fàwrm] adjective

shaped
like tendril: shaped like a long slender tendril or
tentacle
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin cirrus (see cirrus ) + -form .][1]



cirriped

cirriped
cir·ri·ped 
[srə pèd] (plural cir·ri·peds)
or cir·ri·pede [srə pd] (plural
cir·ri·pedes) noun

barnacle:
a marine crustacean that lives fixed in one spot and draws food by means of
slender hairs ( cirri ). Subclass:
Cirripedia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Cirripedia, literally “with curly legs,” subclass name,
from Latin cirrus “curl.”][1]



cirrocumulus

cirrocumulus
cir·ro·cu·mu·lus 
[srō kymyələss] (plural cir·ro·cu·mu·li
[srō kymyəl]) noun

high-altitude cloud:
a high-altitude cloud formed of icy particles that occurs in lines of small
rounded clouds. Cirrocumulus clouds often make a pattern resembling fish
scales, called a mackerel sky, indicating unsettled weather.[1]



cirrose

cirrose
cir·rose 
[srōss] adjective

wispy:
consisting of thin wisps, as formed by cirrus clouds[1]



cirrostratus

cirrostratus
cir·ro·stra·tus 
[srō stráttəss, srō
stráytəss] (plural cir·ro·stra·ti [srō strát]) noun

high-altitude thin cloud:
a cirrus cloud resembling a transparent white veil high in the sky. It
indicates wet weather.[1]



cirrus

cirrus
cir·rus 
[srəss] (plural cir·ri [sr ]) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY high-altitude
wispy cloud: a thin wispy cloud, occurring as narrow
bands of tiny ice particles, that forms at the highest and coldest point of the
cloud region

2.  ZOOLOGY slender
tentacle:
a slender tentacle with sensory or locomotive function, or a part resembling
one
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “curl, fringe.”][1]



ciré

ciré
ci·ré
[sə ráy] adjective

shiny: used
to describe fabric with a shiny highly glazed finish
noun

1.  shiny
finish:
a very shiny highly glazed finish achieved by treating a fabric with wax or
with a heat process

2.  shiny
fabric:
a fabric with a shiny finish
[Early 20th century. From
French, from the past participle of cirer “to wax,” from cire
“wax,” from Latin cera .][1]



cis-

cis-
cis-
prefix

GEOGRAPHY on the near side of • cisatlantic
[From Latin cis .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “this,” which is also the
ancestor of English here, hither, and he
.][1]



cis

cis
cis
[siss] adjective

having
two atoms on same side: having two atoms or groups
on the same side of a double bond between carbon atoms
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see cis- ).][1]



CIS

CIS
CIS

Abbreviation of
Commonwealth of Independent States[1]



cisalpine

cisalpine
cis·al·pine 
[siss ál pn] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY south
of Alps:
situated south of the Alps

2.  CHRISTIANITY limiting
papal power: relating to a movement in the Roman
Catholic Church to limit papal power and encourage the independence of local
churches
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
cisalpinus “on this side of the Alps” (as viewed from Rome), from alpinus
“alpine.”][1]



cisatlantic

cisatlantic
cis·at·lan·tic 
[sìss ət lántik] adjective

on this side of Atlantic:
situated on the same side of the Atlantic Ocean as the writer or speaker[1]



CISC

CISC
CISC


Abbreviation of
complex instruction set computer[1]



cisco

cisco
cis·co 
[sískō] (plural cis·coes or
cis·cos) noun

N
American fish: a silvery freshwater whitefish, found in
deep lakes in North America. Genus: Coregonus
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from Canadian French ciscoette, alteration (influenced by
-ette “small”) of Ojibwa bemidewiskawed, literally “that which
has oily skin.”][1]



cislunar

cislunar
cis·lu·nar 
[siss lnər] adjective

between Earth and Moon:
situated between the Earth and the Moon[1]



cismontane

cismontane
cis·mon·tane 
[siss món tàyn] adjective

on this side of mountains:
on the same side of the mountains as the writer or speaker[1]



cispadane

cispadane
cis·pa·dane
[sìspə dáyn] adjective

south
of Po:
situated on the southern side of the River Po
[Late 18th century. Formed
from cis- + Latin Padus “the Po.”][1]



cissing

cissing
ciss·ing
[síssing] noun

blemishes
in paintwork: the appearance of marks such as bubbles
or pits in paintwork. This is a result of the paint’s not adhering properly to
the surface.
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cissus

cissus
cis·sus
[síssəss] (plural cis·suses) noun

climbing
plant:
an evergreen woody climbing plant, grown for its green foliage. Genus: Cissus
[Late 20th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek kissos “ivy,” of uncertain origin; perhaps
formed from iskhein “to hold.”][1]



cist

cist
cist
[sist] (plural cists) or
kist [kist] (plural kists)
noun

Stone-Age
coffin:
a wood or stone coffin, dating from the latter part of the Stone Age
[Early 19th century. From
Welsh, literally “chest,” from cist faen “stone chest.”][1]



Cistercian

Cistercian
Cis·ter·cian 
[si stúrshən] adjective

relating
to a religious group: relating to an austere
contemplative Christian order of monks and nuns founded by reformist
Benedictines in 1098
noun
(plural Cis·ter·cians)

monk
or nun:
a member of the Cistercian order of monks and nuns
[15th century. Via French
from Latin Cistercium “Cîteaux,” near Dijon, France.][1]



cistern

cistern
cis·tern 
[sístərn] (plural cis·terns) noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION water
tank:
a tank for storing water, especially one connected to a toilet

2.  underground
tank:
an underground tank for storing rainwater

3.  ANATOMY See cisterna
[13th century. Via French
from Latin cisterna, from cista “chest,” from Greek kistē
(source of English chest ).][1]



cisterna

cisterna
cis·ter·na 
[si stúrnə] (plural cis·ter·nae
[si stúr n]) noun

pouch
in body:
a pouch or cavity that contains a body fluid.
Also
called
cistern
Also
called
reservoir
[Late
19th century. From, ultimately, Latin cisterna (see cistern ).]
—cis·ter·nal, adjective[1]



cistron

cistron
cis·tron 
[síssa tròn] (plural cis·trons)
noun

DNA
section coding for protein subunit: a
section of DNA containing the genetic code for a short chain of amino acids ( polypeptide ), the smallest functional unit
carrying genetic information
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from cis- + trans- + -on .]
—cis·tron·ic [siss trónnik], adjective[1]



cistus

cistus
cis·tus
[sístəss] (plural cis·tuses) noun

U.K.
flowering
shrub:
an evergreen shrub grown for its white, red, or yellow flowers. Genus: Cistus

See
also
rockrose
[Mid-16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek kistos “red-flowered shrub.”][1]



cit.

cit.
cit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cited

2.  Abbreviation
of
citizen

[1]



Citadel

Citadel
Cit·a·del
noun

military academy:
a military academy in Marion Square, South Carolina, named for the building in
which it was first housed, a 19th-century fortress[1]



citadel

citadel
cit·a·del 
[síttəd’l, síttə
dèl] (plural cit·a·dels) noun

1.  fortress:
a fortress or strongly fortified building in or near a city, used as a place of
refuge

2.  defender:
a strong defender of a particular way of life or principle
[Mid-16th century. Via French
or directly from Italian cittadella, literally “little city,” from cittade
“city,” variant of città, from Latin civitas (see city ).][1]



citation

citation
ci·ta·tion 
[sī táysh’n] (plural ci·ta·tions)
noun

1.  official
acknowledgment of merit: an official document or
speech that praises somebody’s actions, accomplishments, or character

2.  extract
from work:
a quotation from an authoritative source, used, for example, to support an idea
or argument

3.  act
of citing something: the act or process of citing
something

4.  LAW order
to appear in court: a writ for somebody to
appear in a court of law

5.  LAW reference
to previous decision: a reference to a previous
decision by a court or legal authority, specifying precisely where it is
documented

6.  LAW use of
precedent:
the legal practice or process of referring to precedent
—ci·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—ci·ta·to·ry [stə tàwree], adjective[1]



cite

cite
cite 
[sīt] transitive verb (past cit·ed,
past participle cit·ed, present participle cit·ing,
3rd person present singular cites)

1.  quote
something or somebody: to mention something or
somebody as an example to support an argument or help explain what is being
said (formal)

2.  LAW name
somebody:
to name somebody officially in a court case

3.  LAW order
to appear in court: to order somebody officially
to appear in court

4.  MILITARY officially
praise somebody: to praise the actions of a member of the
armed services in an official document (often passive)
noun
(plural cites)

citation: a
citation (informal)
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin citare, literally “to summon
repeatedly,” from citus, past participle of ciere “to summon”
(source of English excite ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Cite is derived from the Latin word ciere,
  meaning “to summon,” which is also the source of English excite, incite,
  recite, and solicit.

[1]



cithara

cithara

cith·a·ra 
[síthərə, síthrə]
(plural cith·a·ras) or kith·a·ra [kíthərə, kíthrə]
(plural kith·a·ras) noun
stringed
instrument:
a stringed musical instrument similar to a lyre, played in ancient Greece
[Late 18th century. Via Latin
from Greek kithara (source of English guitar
and zither ).][1]



citied

citied
cit·ied 
[síttid] adjective

having cities:
having a city or cities[1]



citified

citified
cit·i·fied 
[sítti fd] adjective

too sophisticated:
oversophisticated, in a way often associated with those who live in cities by
those who do not (disapproving)[1]



citify

citify
cit·i·fy 
[sítti f] (past cit·i·fied, past
participle cit·i·fied, present participle cit·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cit·i·fies) transitive verb (disapproving)

1.  turn
place into city: to develop an area and make it more
urban

2.  make
somebody too sophisticated: to make somebody adopt the
customs, behavior, or dress of those who live in cities
—cit·i·fi·ca·tion [sìtti fi káysh’n], noun[1]



citizen

citizen
cit·i·zen 
[síttiz’n] (plural cit·i·zens)
noun

1.  legal
resident:
somebody who has the right to live in a country because he or she was born
there or because he or she has been legally accepted by that country

2.  somebody
who lives in a city: somebody who lives in a city
or town rather than in a rural area

3.  civilian:
a civilian, rather than a member of the armed forces, a police officer, or a
public official
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman citezein, from Old French citeain,
from the Latin stem civitat- “city.”]
—cit·i·zen·ly,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Citizen
  Kane, a movie by U.S. director Orson Welles ( 1941 ). Repeatedly nominated as
  one of the greatest movies of all time, it is the story of the rise and the
  tormented private life of a fictional media baron, Charles Foster Kane
  (supposedly based on the life of the billionaire publisher William Randolph
  Hearst). The film’s many stylistic innovations include the use of
  mock-newsreel footage and striking deep-focus photography. The term Citizen
  Kane is often used as a description of real people and situations, for
  example, in • a private life
  reminiscent of Citizen Kane.

[1]



citizenry

citizenry
cit·i·zen·ry 
[síttiz’nree] (plural cit·i·zen·ries)
noun

citizens:
the citizens of a place or area collectively[1]



citizensband

citizensband
cit·i·zens
band 
noun

private radio frequencies:
radio frequencies used by the general public to talk to one another over short
distances[1]



citizenship

citizenship
cit·i·zen·ship 
[síttiz’n shìp] noun

1.  legal
status of citizen: the legal status of being a
citizen of a country

2.  social
conduct:
the duties and responsibilities that come with being a member of a community

[1]



citizen’sarrest

citizen’sarrest
cit·i·zen’s
ar·rest 
(plural cit·i·zen’s ar·rests) noun

arrest by citizen:
an arrest made by an ordinary citizen rather than by a police officer[1]



Citlaltépetl

Citlaltépetl
Ci·tlal·té·petl
[s tlaal táy pètt’l]

volcanic peak in central
Veracruz state, eastern Mexico, and the highest point in Mexico. Height: 5,700
m/18,700 ft.[1]



citole

citole
ci·tole
[síttōl] (plural ci·toles) noun

MUSIC See cittern
[14th century. From French,
of uncertain origin; probably literally “little cithara,” formed from Latin cithara
“cithara” (see cithara ).][1]



citral

citral
cit·ral 
[sítrəl] noun

yellow liquid with pleasant
smell: a volatile pale yellow
liquid with a pleasant odor found in lemon grass oil. C10H16O[1]



citrate

citrate
cit·rate 
[sít ràyt] (plural cit·rates) noun

citric acid derivative:
a salt or ester of citric acid[1]



citric

citric
cit·ric 
[síttrik] adjective

relating to citrus fruit:
relating to citrus fruit[1]



citricacid

citricacid
cit·ric
ac·id
noun

acid from citrus fruits:
a weak colorless acid present in citrus and other fruit. It is obtained
commercially mainly from lemon, lime, or pineapple juice or from fermentation
of sugars, and is used in flavorings.[1]



citricacid cycle

citricacid cycle
cit·ric
ac·id cy·cle noun

See
Krebs cycle[1]



citriculture

citriculture
cit·ri·cul·ture 
[síttri kùlchər] noun

citrus
fruit growing: the cultivation of citrus fruits
[Early
20th century. From citrus + culture .]
—cit·ri·cul·tur·ist, noun[1]



citrine

citrine
ci·trine 
noun [si trn, sí trn] (plural ci·trines)

1.  MINERALS yellow
quartz:
a brownish-yellow semiprecious variety of quartz.
Also
called
false topaz

2.  COLORS greenish-yellow
color:
a greenish-yellow color, like that of a lemon.
Also
called
citron
adjective
[si trn]

COLORS greenish-yellow:
of a greenish-yellow color, like that of a lemon
[Late 16th century. From the
color of the citron or lemon.][1]



citron

citron
cit·ron 
[síttrən] (plural cit·rons) noun

1.  TREES thorny
citrus tree: a small thorny evergreen citrus tree
with edible fruit. Latin name: Citrus medica

2.  FOOD citrus
fruit like large lemon: the fruit of the citron
tree, resembling a large lemon with a thick aromatic rind

3.  FOOD candied
rind:
the candied rind of a fruit from a citron tree, used to decorate and flavor
food

4.  PLANTS watermelon:
a small watermelon that has inedible white flesh and a hard rind. Latin name: Citrullus
lanatus citroides

5.  COLORS See citrine  noun 2
[Early 16th century. From
French, alteration (influenced by limon “lemon”) of Latin citrus
(see citrus ).][1]



citronella

citronella
cit·ro·nel·la 
[sìttrə néllə] noun

1.  cit·ro·nel·la
or cit·ro·nel·la grass PLANTS
lemon-scented
grass:
a tropical Asian grass that has bluish green lemon-scented leaves and contains
an aromatic oil. Latin name: Cymbopogon nardus

2.  cit·ro·nel·la
or cit·ro·nel·la oil CHEMISTRY
aromatic
oil:
a pale yellow aromatic oil obtained from citronella and used in perfumes and as
an insect repellent
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from French citronnelle “lemon oil,” literally “little citron,”
from citron “citron,” from Latin citrus (see citrus ).][1]



citronellal

citronellal
cit·ro·nel·lal 
[sìttrə nélləl] noun

lemony liquid:
a colorless liquid, smelling like lemons, that is the main component of
citronella oil. It is used in making perfumes and flavorings. C10H18O
Also called
rhodinal[1]



citronellol

citronellol
cit·ro·nel·lol 
[sìttrə né lawl, sìttrə
né lòl] noun

aromatic alcohol:
an alcohol derived from citronellal. C10H20O[1]



citronwood

citronwood
cit·ron
wood
noun

wood of citron or sandarac:
the wood of the citron tree or of the sandarac tree[1]



citrulline

citrulline
cit·rul·line 
[síttrə ln, síttrəlin]
noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid found in watermelon and also formed in the liver as part of the
process of urea production. C6H13N3O3
[Mid-20th century. From
medieval Latin citrullus “watermelon,” literally “little citron tree,”
from Latin citrus (see citrus ).][1]



citrus

citrus
cit·rus 
[síttrəss] (plural cit·rus·es)
noun

1.  fruit
tree with edible fruit: a spiny evergreen tree with
edible fruit of a genus that includes the orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and
pomelo. Though native to southern and southeastern Asia, citrus species are now
grown throughout the world. Genus: Citrus

2.  FOOD fruit:
the fruit of citrus trees collectively (often used before a noun) • citrus
flavor
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “citron tree, citrus tree,” of uncertain origin.][1]



CitrusHeights

CitrusHeights
Cit·rus
Heights
[sìttrəss hts]

city in Sacramento County,
central California, situated northeast of Sacramento. Population: 107,439
(1990)[1]



cittern

cittern
cit·tern 
[sítturn] (plural cit·terns) noun

stringed
instrument:
a medieval stringed instrument similar to a lute but with wire strings and a
flat back.
Also
called
citole
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of Latin cithara and gittern, both
ultimately from Greek kithara “cithara.”][1]



City

City
Cit·y
[síttee] noun

See
City of London[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








city

city
cit·y 
[síttee] (plural cit·ies) noun

1.  very
large town:
an extensive built-up area where large numbers of people live and work

2.  people
in a city:
the inhabitants of a city collectively

3.  extreme
thing:
a thing, place, or situation that is a good or extreme example of its type (slang)
(used in combination) • It was
panic city outside.

4.  U.S.
urban center of government: an incorporated urban center
in the United States that has self-government, boundaries, and legal rights
established by state charter

5.  Canada
Canadian
urban area:
a Canadian town or urban area that has been incorporated and given the title of
city by the provincial government

6.  U.K.
large
British town: a large town in Britain that has
received the title of city from the Crown. It is usually the seat of a bishop,
and so often has a cathedral.
[12th
century. Via Old French cité from Latin civitas “citizenship,
community,” from civis “citizen” (source of English civil ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  city, conurbation, metropolis, town, municipality
  CORE
  MEANING: an
  urban area where a large number of people live city;
  in the United States, a large municipal center governed under a charter
  granted by the state; in Canada, a large municipal unit incorporated by the
  provincial government, but now used generally for any large urban area; conurbation; an urban region formed or
  enlarged by the merging of adjacent cities and towns through expansion or
  development; metropolis; a large or
  important city, sometimes the capital of a country, state, or region, often
  used ironically to indicate a fairly small town; town;
  a populated area smaller than a city and larger than a village; municipality; a city, town, or area with
  some degree of self-government

[1]



citycouncil

citycouncil
cit·y
coun·cil 
(plural cit·y coun·cils) noun

city governing body:
a group of elected officials responsible for the government of a city or other
municipality[1]



citydesk

citydesk
cit·y
desk
(plural cit·y desks) noun

local news department:
a newspaper department that deals with local news[1]



cityeditor

cityeditor
cit·y
ed·i·tor
(plural cit·y ed·i·tors) noun

local news editor:
the newspaper editor in charge of local news[1]



cityhall

cityhall
cit·y
hall
(plural cit·y halls) noun

1.  city
administrators: the administrators and elected officials
who run a city

2.  bureaucracy:
the bureaucracy that runs a city, especially when regarded as insensitive or
inflexible

3.  city
hall
(plural city halls) or City Hall (plural City
Halls) city
council building: the building where a city council has
its main administrative offices

[1]



citymanager

citymanager
cit·y
man·ag·er
(plural cit·y man·ag·ers) noun

city official:
an administrator appointed by a municipal council to run its affairs[1]



Cityof London

Cityof London
Cit·y
of Lon·don

the oldest part of London,
England, and its business and financial heart. Its head of government is the
Lord Mayor. Population: 4,142 (1991) Area: 2.6 sq km/1 sq mi.[1]



cityroom

cityroom
cit·y
room
(plural cit·y rooms) noun

newspaper department:
the department of a newspaper that deals with local news[1]



cityscape

cityscape
cit·y·scape 
[sítti skàyp] (plural cit·y·scapes)
noun

1.  view
of city:
a view of a city or town landscape

2.  PAINTING PHOTOGRAPHY photograph or painting
of city:
a photograph or painting of a view of part of a city or town

[1]



cityslicker

cityslicker
cit·y
slick·er
(plural cit·y slick·ers) noun

oversophisticated person from
city: somebody who lives in a city
and is extremely or excessively sophisticated (informal disapproving)[1]



city-state

city-state
cit·y-state 
(plural cit·y-states) noun

independent city and
dependencies: a independent state
consisting of a sovereign city and its surrounding territory[1]



citywide

citywide
cit·y·wide 
[sítti wd] adjective

involving
an entire city: involving the whole of a particular city
adverb

all over a city:
so as to involve the whole of a particular city[1]



CiudadBolívar

CiudadBolívar
Ci·u·dad
Bo·lí·var
[see  dd bə l vr]

river port and capital of
Bolívar State, eastern Venezuela, situated on the Orinoco River. Population:
258,112 (1992)[1]



CiudadJuárez

CiudadJuárez
Ci·u·dad
Juá·rez
[see  dd hw rèss, see  dd w rèss]

city in Chihuahua State,
northern Mexico, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. Population: 797,679
(1990)[1]



CiudadVictoria

CiudadVictoria
Ci·u·dad
Vic·to·ri·a
[see  dd vik táwree ə]

town and capital of
Tamaulipas State, northeastern Mexico, situated 241 km150 mi southeast of
Monterrey[1]



civet

civet

civ·et 
[sívvət] (plural civ·ets) noun

1.  civ·et
or civ·et cat (plural civ·et cats) ZOOLOGY wild
animal like cat: a small carnivorous African or Asian
mammal that looks like a cat. It secretes from its anal glands a greasy
substance that smells like musk. Family: Viverridae

2.  COSMETICS substance
used in perfume: a yellow or brown substance of the
consistency of butter and smelling strongly of musk, secreted by the civet. It
is used in the manufacture of perfume.

3.  fur:
the fur of a civet
[Mid-16th century. Via French
civette from Italian zivetto, from medieval Latin zibethum,
from Arabic zabād “civet perfume.”][1]



civic

civic
civ·ic 
[sívvik] adjective

1.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION connected
with city administration: related to the government of
a town or city • civic reception

2.  relating
to community: connected with the duties and
obligations of belonging to a community • civic
pride
[Mid-17th
century. From, ultimately, Latin civicus, from civis “citizen”
(see city ).]
—civ·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



civiccenter

civiccenter
civ·ic
cen·ter
(plural civ·ic cen·ters) noun

municipal entertainment
center: a municipal entertainment
complex containing an indoor arena that can be used for sports, concerts, and
trade shows[1]



civic-minded

civic-minded
civ·ic-mind·ed
adjective

actively
interested in community needs: taking an active
interest in the community needs and affairs of a town or city
—civ·ic-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



civics

civics
civ·ics 
[sívviks] noun

study of citizenship:
the study of the rights and duties of citizens (takes a singular verb)[1]



civil

civil
civ·il 
[sívv’l] adjective

1.  relating
to citizens: relating to what happens within the
state or between different citizens or groups of citizens • civil
war

2.  not
military:
connected with ordinary citizens and organizations as opposed to the armed
forces • the
civil authorities

3.  not
religious:
performed by a state official such as a registrar rather than a member of the
clergy • civil
marriage

4.  LAW between
individuals: involving individual people or groups in
legal action other than criminal proceedings • a
civil action

5.  polite:
polite, but in a way that is cold and formal

6.  See
civic  adjective 2
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin civilis, from civis “citizen” (see city ).][1]



civilcode

civilcode
civil
code
noun

legal code in Quebec:
the codified body of statutes in Quebec that derives from Roman and Napoleonic
civil law[1]



civilday

civilday
civ·il
day
(plural civ·il days) noun

See
calendar day
[Civil as in “legally
recognized” (as opposed to “natural,” “astronomical,” etc.)][1]



civildefense

civildefense
civ·il
de·fense
noun

1.  organizing
of civilian volunteers: the organization and
training of civilian volunteers to help the armed forces, police, and emergency
services in the event of a war, a national emergency, or a natural disaster

2.  volunteer
group:
civilian volunteers who take part in civil defence

[1]



civildisobedience

civildisobedience
civ·il
dis·o·be·di·ence  noun

nonviolent protest:
the deliberate breaking of a law by ordinary citizens, carried out as
nonviolent protest or passive resistance[1]



civilengineering

civilengineering
civ·il
en·gi·neer·ing noun

building
of roads, bridges, etc.: the branch of engineering
concerned with the planning, design, and construction of such things as roads,
bridges, and dams
—civ·il en·gi·neer, noun[1]



civilian

civilian
ci·vil·ian 
[si víllyən] noun (plural ci·vil·ians)

nonsoldier:
somebody who is an ordinary citizen rather than a member of the armed forces
adjective

relating
to civilians: relating to ordinary citizens as opposed
to members of the armed forces
[Early 14th century. From Old
French civilien “of civil law,” from civil “civil,” from Latin civilis
(see civil ). Originally referring to “civil
law”; the modern sense dates from the early 19th century.][1]



civilianize

civilianize
ci·vil·ian·ize 
[si víllyə nz] (past ci·vil·ian·ized,
past participle ci·vil·ian·ized, present participle ci·vil·ian·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ci·vil·ian·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something civilian: to change something from
military to civilian use
—ci·vil·ian·i·za·tion
[si vìllyəni záysh’n], noun[1]



civility

civility
ci·vil·i·ty 
[si víllətee] (plural ci·vil·i·ties)
noun

1.  politeness:
the formal politeness that results from observing social conventions

2.  polite
act:
something said or done in a formally polite way

[1]



civilization

civilization
civ·i·li·za·tion 
[sìvv’li záysh’n] (plural civ·i·li·za·tions)
noun

1.  highly
developed society: a society that has a high
level of culture and social organization

2.  advanced
development of society: an advanced level of
development in society that is marked by complex social and political
organization, and material, scientific, and artistic progress

3.  advanced
society in general: all the societies at an
advanced level of development considered collectively

4.  populated
areas:
places where people live, rather than uninhabited areas

5.  comfort:
the level of material comfort that somebody is used to

6.  civilizing
process:
the process of creating a high level of culture in a particular society or
region

[1]



civilize

civilize
civ·i·lize 
[sívv’l z] (past civ·i·lized,
past participle civ·i·lized, present participle civ·i·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular civ·i·liz·es) transitive verb

1.  teach
about society: to create a high level of culture

2.  make
more refined: to teach somebody to behave in a more
socially and culturally acceptable way
—civ·i·liz·a·ble,
adjective

—civ·i·liz·er, noun[1]



civilized

civilized
civ·i·lized 
[sívv’l zd] adjective

1.  culturally
advanced:
having advanced cultural and social development

2.  refined:
refined in tastes

[1]



civillaw

civillaw
civ·il
law
noun

1.  law
of citizens’ rights: the law of a state dealing
with the rights of private citizens

2.  ancient
Roman law:
the law of ancient Rome, especially the part concerned with private citizens

3.  law
based on Roman law: a system of law based on
Roman law rather than common law or canon law.
Also
called
Roman law

[1]



civilliberties

civilliberties
civ·il
lib·er·ties 
plural noun

rights
to freedom:
the basic rights guaranteed to individual citizens by law, for example, freedom
of speech and action
—civ·il lib·er·tar·i·an,
noun[1]



civillist

civillist
civ·il
list
noun

royal
income:
in the United Kingdom, the money paid each year by the state to support the
royal family
[Originally “list of the
charges for the civil or administrative government of the state.” Most of the
charges on that list have been moved to other accounts.][1]



civilly

civilly
civ·il·ly
[sívv’lee] adverb

politely:
showing politeness in a cold formal way[1]



civilrights

civilrights
civ·il
rights
plural noun

basic rights:
rights that all citizens of a society are supposed to have, for example, the
right to vote or to receive fair treatment from the law. These rights as
conceived in U.S. law are set forth in the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution and in some congressional acts.[1]



civilservant

civilservant
civ·il
ser·vant
(plural civ·il ser·vants) noun

government employee:
somebody who works in a state or federal government department[1]



civilservice

civilservice
civ·il
serv·ice
noun

government workforce:
all the government departments of a state and the people who work in them[1]



civilwar

civilwar
civ·il
war
(plural civ·il wars) noun

war within country:
a war between opposing groups within a country[1]



CivilWar

CivilWar
Civ·il
War
noun

1.  19C
U.S. war:
the civil war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865 between the North
and the slave-owning states of the South.
Also
called
War between the States

2.  17C
English war: the civil war fought between the
Royalist supporters of Charles I and the Parliamentarians led by Oliver
Cromwell, between 1642 and 1648

[1]



civilyear

civilyear
civ·il
year
(plural civ·il years) noun

See
calendar year
[See civil
day][1]



civvies

civvies
civ·vies 
[sívviz] plural noun

ordinary
clothes:
ordinary clothes as opposed to a military uniform (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening and alteration of civilian, in
the plural probably because it is modeled on clothes
.][1]



civvy

civvy
civ·vy
[sívvee] (plural civ·vies) noun

MILITARY civilian:
a civilian (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening and alteration.][1]



C.J.

C.J.
C.J.

1.  U.K.
Abbreviation of Chief Justice

2.  Abbreviation
of
Chief Judge

[1]



CJD

CJD
CJD

Abbreviation of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease[1]



ck.

ck.
ck.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cask

2.  BANKING Abbreviation of check

[1]



CL

CL
CL

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Sri Lanka[1]



cl

cl
cl

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
centiliter

2.  Abbreviation
of
class

3.  Abbreviation
of
classification

4.  RELIGION Abbreviation of clergy

5.  FURNITURE Abbreviation of
closet

6.  CLOTHES Abbreviation of cloth

7.  TRANSPORT Abbreviation of
carload

[1]



Cl

Cl

Cl
Symbol for
chlorine[1]



clabber

clabber
clab·ber 
[klábbər] noun

curdled
milk:
sour milk that has curdled (regional)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of bonny-clabber, from Irish bainne clabair, from bainne
“milk” + clabair, of uncertain origin: probably “of the agitator of a
churn.”][1]



clack

clack

clack 
[klak] verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
noise:
to cause or make a short hard loud noise, or cause something to make such a
noise

2.  intransitive
verb
chatter:
to chatter constantly or rapidly (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
See cluck
noun (plural
clacks)

sharp noise: a
short hard noise made by two things hitting each other
[13th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



clacker

clacker
clack·er 
[klákər] (plural clack·ers) noun

rattle:
a rattle or toy that makes a clacking noise[1]



clackvalve

clackvalve
clack
valve
(plural clack valves) noun

valve with hinged flap:
a valve with a hinged flap that swings open[1]



Clactonian

Clactonian
Clac·to·ni·an 
[klak tṓnee ən] noun

Stone-Age
culture:
a Lower Paleolithic culture of northwestern Europe that made stone chopping
tools
[Named
for Clacton-on-Sea]
—Clac·to·ni·an, adjective[1]



Clacton-on-Sea

Clacton-on-Sea
Clac·ton-on-Sea
[klàktən on s]

popular seaside resort on the
North Sea coast of Essex, England. Population: 45,065 (1991)[1]



clad

clad1
clad1 [klad]
adjective

1.  dressed:
wearing particular clothes • clad
in blue

2.  covered:
covered in a particular thing (literary) (often used in combination)
• iron-clad
[13th century. From Old
English clāðed, the past participle of clāðian, an earlier form
of clothe .][1]



clad

clad2
clad2 [klad]
(past clad, past participle clad, present
participle clad·ding, 3rd person present singular clads)
transitive verb

1.  BUILDING cover
with cladding: to cover a wall or building with
cladding

2.  TECHNOLOGY cover
metal with metal: to cover or plate a metal with a layer
of another metal, especially to make armor plating
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from clad 1 .][1]



clad-

clad-
clad-
prefix

See
clado-[1]



Claddaghring

Claddaghring
Clad·dagh
ring
[klá dàk rìng] (plural Clad·dagh
rings) noun

elaborate
ring:
an elaborate ring originally given in Ireland as a token of affection. The most
common design is of two hands clasping a heart surmounted by a crown.
[Late 20th century. From Claddagh,
fishing village in Galway, Ireland, where the first Claddagh ring is said to
have been made in the late 17th century.][1]



cladding

cladding
clad·ding 
[kládding] noun

1.  BUILDING outer
layer on building: a layer of stone, tiles, or
wood added to the outside of a building to protect it or improve its insulation
or appearance

2.  TECHNOLOGY metal
coating:
a protective metal coating bonded onto another metal

[1]



clade

clade
clade 
[klayd] (plural clades) noun

organisms
with common ancestor: a group of organisms, for
example, a species, that are considered to share a common ancestor
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
klados “branch.”][1]



cladist

cladist
clad·ist 
[kláy dist] (plural clad·ists)
noun

classifying
biologist:
a biologist who classifies organisms according to the principles of cladistics
—clad·ism, noun[1]



cladistics

cladistics
cla·dis·tics 
[klə dístiks] noun

classification
based on common ancestry: a system of biological
classification that groups organisms on the basis of their observed shared
characteristics in order to deduce the common ancestors (takes a singular
verb)
—cla·dis·tic,
adjective

—cla·dis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



clado-

clado-
clado-
prefix

branch,
shoot • cladogram
[From Greek klados .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to strike, cut,” which is also
the ancestor of English holt, hilt, and gladiator
.][1]



cladoceran

cladoceran
cla·doc·er·an 
[klə dóssərən] noun (plural cla·doc·er·ans)

freshwater
crustacean:
a tiny freshwater crustacean. Water fleas are cladocerans. Order: Cladocera
adjective

relating
to cladocerans: belonging to or relating to the
cladocerans
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Cladocera, order name, from Greek klados
“branch” + keras “horn.”][1]



cladode

cladode
clad·ode 
[klá dd] (plural clad·odes) noun

BOTANY See cladophyll
—cla·do·di·al [klə dṓdee əl], adjective[1]



cladogenesis

cladogenesis
clad·o·gen·e·sis 
[klàddō jénnəssiss, klàydō
jénnəssiss] noun

evolutionary
development: evolutionary change regarded as taking
place by the splitting of an ancestral species into two or more different
descendant species
—clad·o·ge·net·ic
[klàddō jə néttik, klàydō
jə néttik], adjective

—clad·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[klàddō jə néttikəlee, klàydō jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



cladogram

cladogram
clad·o·gram 
[kláydə gràm] (plural clad·o·grams)
noun

evolutionary diagram:
a tree-shaped evolutionary diagram in which the end of each branch represents
one species. It shows evolutionary relationships and the points where species
appear to have diverged from common ancestors.[1]



cladophyll

cladophyll
clad·o·phyll 
[kláydəfil] (plural clad·o·phylls)
noun

stem resembling leaf:
a flattened stem similar to a leaf.
Also called
cladode
Also called
phylloclade[1]



clafouti

clafouti
cla·fou·ti 
[kl foo t] (plural cla·fou·tis)
noun

fruit
pastry:
a fruit and batter pastry, typically made with cherries
[Late 20th century. From
French clafoutis, from dialect clafir “to stuff,” originally “to
attach with nails” (from Latin clavo figere, from clavus “nail” +
figere “to attach”) + French foutre “to stuff.”][1]



claim

claim
claim 
[klaym] transitive verb

1.  maintain
something is true: to say, without proof or
evidence, that something is true • He
claims we’ve already met.

2.  demand
something as entitlement: to demand something
officially that somebody has a right to or owns

3.  end
somebody’s life: to cause the loss of somebody’s life

4.  win
title:
to take a title, prize, or record

5.  demand
attention:
to force somebody to give attention
noun
(plural claims)

1.  something
that may be true: an assertion that something is true,
unsupported by evidence or proof

2.  basis
for getting something: the basis for demanding or
getting something

3.  demand:
a demand for something somebody has a right to or owns

4.  INSURANCE SOCIAL WELFARE official
request for money: an official request for
money or other benefits from the state or an organization

5.  money
requested:
the amount of money requested in a claim

6.  LAW legal
right to land: the legal right to own a piece of land
and to mine it for minerals

7.  LAW piece
of land:
the piece of land to which somebody claims a legal right
[14th
century. From Old French clamer “to call,” from Latin clamare
(source of English clamor ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English éclair .]
—claim·a·ble,
adjective

—claim·er,
noun
lay
claim to something

to
say that you have a right to something, or take what you think you have a right
to





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Claim is derived from the Latin
  word clamare, meaning “to call,” which is also the source of English acclaim, clamor,
  exclaim, and proclaim.

[1]



claimant

claimant
claim·ant 
[kláymənt] (plural claim·ants)
noun

somebody making claim:
somebody who is claiming or receiving something, for example, benefits or an
inheritance[1]



clairde lune

clairde lune
clair
de lune 
[klàir də ln] noun

1.  CERAMICS type
of glaze:
a pale blue or grayish-blue glaze used on porcelain

2.  COLORS pale
bluish-gray: a pale bluish-gray color
adjective

COLORS of a
pale bluish-gray: of a pale bluish-gray color
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “light of the moon.”][1]



claire-obscure

claire-obscure
claire-ob·scure 
[klaìr əb skyr] noun

See
chiaroscuro
[Early 18th century. From
French clair-obscur, literally “light-dark,” a translation of Italian chiaroscuro
.][1]



clairvoyance

clairvoyance
clair·voy·ance 
[klair vóyəns] or clair·voy·an·cy
[klair vóyənsee] noun

seeing
what is not normally seen: the supposed ability to see
things beyond the range of normal human vision
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from clairvoyant “clear-sighted,” from voyant, the
present participle of voir “to see.”][1]



clairvoyant

clairvoyant
clair·voy·ant 
[klair vóyənt] noun (plural clair·voy·ants)

psychic
person:
somebody supposedly able to see things beyond the range of normal human vision
adjective

psychic:
supposedly able to see things beyond the range of normal human vision
[Mid-19th
century. See clairvoyance .]
—clair·voy·ant·ly, adverb[1]



clam

clam

clam
[klam] noun (plural clams)

1.  burrowing
shellfish:
a freshwater or marine mollusk that has a muscular foot with which it can
burrow into sand. Many are edible and the largest is nearly 1.5 m/ 5 ft long.
Class: Pelecypoda

2.  FOOD clam
flesh:
the soft edible flesh of the clam

3.  secretive
person:
somebody who is shy or secretive, especially somebody who can keep a secret (informal)

4.  dollar:
a dollar (slang)
intransitive verb
(past clammed, past participle clammed, present
participle clam·ming, 3rd person present singular clams)

FOOD collect
clams:
to gather clams
[Early 16th century. From
obsolete clam-shell, literally “clamp-shell,” from Old English clamm
“bond, grip”; ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to form into a ball.”][1]



clamant

clamant
cla·mant 
[kláymənt] adjective

1.  loud:
loud or noisy (archaic)

2.  urgent:
demanding attention (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin clamant-, the present participle stem of clamare
(see claim ).]
—cla·mant·ly, adverb[1]



clambake

clambake
clam·bake 
[klám bàyk] (plural clam·bakes)
noun

1.  seafood
picnic:
a picnic in which seafood such as clams and other foods are cooked and eaten

2.  party:
a relaxed party or other gathering (informal)

[1]



clamber

clamber
clam·ber 
[klámbər] intransitive verb

climb
awkwardly:
to climb quickly but awkwardly, using hands and feet
noun

awkward
climb:
a climb that involves clambering
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “to climb repeatedly,” from clamb,
former past tense of climb .]
—clam·ber·er, noun[1]



clamchowder

clamchowder
clam
chow·der
(plural clam chow·ders) noun

clam soup:
a thick soup made from clams and potatoes[1]



clamdiggers

clamdiggers
clam·dig·gers
plural noun

pants:
casual pants reaching to the middle of the wearer’s calf
[From the fact that they were
originally worn for digging clams][1]



clam-flat

clam-flat
clam-flat 
(plural clam-flats) noun

clam habitat:
a bank of mud left exposed by the tide where clams are plentiful (regional)[1]



clammer

clammer
clam·mer
[klámmər] (plural clam·mers) noun

clam harvester:
somebody who digs or dredges for clams[1]



clammy

clammy
clam·my 
[klámmee] (comparative clam·mi·er,
superlative clam·mi·est) adjective

1.  cold
and damp:
slightly damp and unpleasantly cold

2.  humid:
warm and damp
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from clam “to smear,” a
back-formation from clamde, past tense of Old English clman,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “clay.”]
—clam·mi·ly,
adverb

—clam·mi·ness, noun[1]



clamor

clamor
clam·or 
[klámmər] intransitive verb

1.  demand
noisily:
to demand something noisily or desperately

2.  shout:
to shout at the same time as other people, and make a lot of noise
noun
(plural clam·ors)

1.  persistent
demand:
a persistent demand for something, made in an excited or angry way

2.  loud
noise:
a loud noise, especially one made by people shouting together
[14th
century. The verb came from the noun, from Old French clamor, from the
Latin stem clamor-, from clamare (see claim
).]
—clam·or·er, noun[1]



clamorous

clamorous
clam·or·ous 
[klámmərəss] adjective

1.  demanding
attention:
demanding attention loudly and insistently

2.  loud:
loud and excited or angry

3.  noisy:
making a loud noise
—clam·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—clam·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



clamour

clamour
clam·our 
intransitive verb noun

U.K. =
clamor[1]



clamp

clamp

clamp 
[klamp] noun (plural clamps)

1.  holding
device:
a mechanical device with movable jaws used to hold two things firmly together
or one object firmly in position

2.  U.K.
AUTOMOBILES wheel
clamp:
a wheel clamp
transitive verb
(past clamped, past participle clamped, present
participle clamp·ing, 3rd person present singular clamps)

1.  fasten
things together: to fasten two or more things firmly
together using a clamp

2.  hold
firmly:
to hold something firmly and tightly in position

3.  U.K.
AUTOMOBILES See boot
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Middle Dutch or Middle Low German klampe
.][1]



clampdown

clampdown
clamp
down
intransitive verb

take steps to control
something: to take firm action to
control or limit something bad or somebody doing something bad • police
have clamped down on illegal parking in the area[1]



clampdown

clampdown
clamp·down
[klámp dòwn] (plural clamp·downs)
noun

firm control:
firm official action taken to control or limit something bad or somebody doing
something bad[1]



clamper

clamper
clamp·er 
[klámpər] (plural clamp·ers) noun

spikes to prevent slipping:
a spiked metal frame fastened under a shoe to avoid slipping on ice or snow[1]



clamshell

clamshell
clam·shell 
[klám shèl] (plural clam·shells)
noun

1.  shell:
the shell of a clam

2.  dredging
bucket:
a dredging bucket that has two hinged jaws (informal)

[1]



clamup

clamup
clam
up
intransitive verb

refuse to talk:
to become suddenly secretive or unwilling to talk (informal)[1]



clamworm

clamworm
clam·worm 
[klám wùrm] (plural clam·worms)
noun

marine
worm:
any segmented marine worm that burrows into sand or mud. They are dug up and
used by fishermen as bait. Genus: Nereis
U.K.
term
ragworm
[Clam from the fact that
clams live buried in sand or mud][1]



clan

clan
clan 
[klan] (plural clans) noun

1.  ETHNOLOGY group
of families: a group of families related through a
common ancestor or marriage

2.  large
family:
a group of people who are all members of a particular family (informal)

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES related
Scottish families: a group of Scottish families
with common ancestors and surname and a single chief

4.  group
with shared aim: a group of people who act together
because they have the same interests or aims (informal)
[15th century. From Gaelic clann
“offspring,” from Old Irish cland, from Latin planta “sprout.”][1]



Clancy,Tom

Clancy,Tom
Clan·cy
[klánsee], Tom (1947– )

U.S.
writer. His thriller novels include The Hunt for Red October ( 1984 ).
Full name
Clancy, Thomas L., Jr.[1]



clandestine

clandestine
clan·des·tine 
[klan déstin] adjective

secret:
secret or furtive, and usually illegal
[Mid-16th
century. From, ultimately, Latin clandestinus, from clam
“secretly.”]
—clan·des·tine·ly,
adverb

—clan·des·tine·ness,
noun

—clan·des·tin·i·ty
[klàndə stínnətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at secret

[1]



clang

clang

clang 
[klang] intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
loud ringing noise: to make the ringing sound of
two metal objects hitting each other

2.  move
making clanging sound: to move or operate with a
clanging sound
noun (plural
clangs)

loud ringing noise:
a ringing sound made by two metal objects hitting each other
[Late 16th century. From
Latin clangere “to emit a ringing sound.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to cry,” an imitation of sounds made by people and
animals.][1]



clanger

clanger
clang·er 
[klángər] (plural clang·ers) noun

U.K.
mistake:
an unwise or embarrassing mistake (informal) • drop
a clanger[1]



clangor

clangor
clan·gor 
[kláng gər] noun

1.  clanging:
a clang, or a repeated loud clanging

2.  noise:
a din or uproar
—clan·gor·ous,
adjective

—clan·gor·ous·ly, adverb[1]



clank

clank

clank 
[klangk] intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
metallic noise: to make the short loud sound of two
heavy metal objects hitting each other

2.  move
making clanking sound: to move or operate with a
clanking sound
noun (plural
clanks)

metallic noise:
a short loud noise made by two heavy metal objects hitting each other
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound, with influence
from clang and clink
.]
—clank·ing·ly,
adverb

—clank·y, adjective[1]



clannish

clannish
clan·nish 
[klánnish] adjective

keeping
within group: inclined to stick together as a group
and exclude outsiders
—clan·nish·ly,
adverb

—clan·nish·ness, noun[1]



clansman

clansman
clans·man 
[klánz mən] (plural clans·men
[klánzmən]) noun

male clan member:
a male member of a Scottish clan[1]



clap

clap2
clap2 [klap]
noun

gonorrhea:
gonorrhea (slang)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French clapoir “bubo,” from Old French clapiore
“brothel.”][1]



clap

clap1
clap1 [klap]
verb (past clapped, past participle clapped,
present participle clap·ping, 3rd person present singular claps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb applaud:
to hit the hands together repeatedly to express approval

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
hands together: to hit the hands together quickly and
loudly

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
hands in rhythm: to hit the hands together repeatedly in
time with a beat

4.  transitive
verb
put
quickly:
to move something to or against something quickly
noun
(plural claps)

1.  sudden
loud sound:
the sound made by striking the palms together once, or any sudden loud sharp
sound

2.  expression
of approval through applause: an expression of approval by
loud continuous clapping

3.  clapping
rhythmically: a session of rhythmic clapping
[Old English clæppan,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that was an imitation of the sound][1]



clapboard

clapboard
clap·board 
[kláp bàwrd, klábərd]
(plural clap·boards) noun

wooden
board for building: a long narrow wooden board
that has one edge thicker than the other, used to clad buildings. Boards are
nailed to a wooden frame and overlap to form a wall or roof.
Also
called
weatherboard
[Mid-17th century. Partial
translation of earlier clapholt, from Low German klappholt, from klappen
“to clap, split” + holt “wood.”][1]



clapon

clapon
clap
on
transitive verb

put something on:
to put clothing or equipment on hastily (dated)[1]



clapped-out

clapped-out
clapped-out
adjective

U.K.
worn out:
worn out and in very poor condition (informal) (not hyphenated after
a verb)[1]



clapper

clapper
clap·per 
[kláppər] noun (plural clap·pers)

1.  part
making bell ring: a piece of metal inside a bell that
strikes its side, making it ring

2.  somebody
who claps:
somebody who claps his or her hands
plural
noun
clap·pers

MUSIC musical
instrument:
a musical instrument consisting of two flat pieces of wood that are held
between the thumb and forefinger and clapped together

[1]



clapperboard

clapperboard
clap·per·board 
[kláppər bàwrd] (plural clap·per·boards)
noun

hinged boards used in films:
a pair of hinged boards filmed at the start of each take in a movie and clapped
together to help to synchronize the soundtrack with the movie[1]



claptrap

claptrap
clap·trap 
[kláp tràp] noun

nonsense:
pompous or important-sounding nonsense (informal)
[Late 18th century.
Originally, in the theater, a device or line to elicit applause; that is, a
trap to catch a clap.][1]



claque

claque
claque 
[klak] (plural claques) noun

1.  paid
audience:
a group of people hired to applaud a performance

2.  entourage:
a group of people around a rich or famous person whom they praise and support
uncritically
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from claquer “to clap,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



claqueur

claqueur
cla·queur
[klákər] (plural cla·queurs) noun

supporter:
somebody who goes around with a rich or famous person and gives him or her
praise and uncritical support
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “clapper,” from claquer (see claque
).][1]



clarabella

clarabella
cla·ra·bel·la 
[klèrrə béllə] (plural cla·ra·bel·las)
or cla·ri·bel·la [klèrrə béllə]
(plural cla·ri·bel·las) noun

organ
stop:
an eight-foot flute stop on an organ.
Also
called
claribel flute
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
clara bella, literally “clear and beautiful.”][1]



Clare

Clare
Clare
[klair]

city in Clare County, central
Michigan, situated 24 km15 mi north of Mount Pleasant. Population: 3,021 (1990)[1]



Claremont

Claremont
Clare·mont 
[klármont, kláirmont]

city in southwestern
California; an eastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 33,507 (1996)[1]



clarence

clarence
clar·ence 
[klérrəns] (plural clar·ences)
noun

carriage:
an enclosed four-wheeled carriage that seats four and has a glass front
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Duke of Clarence, later William IV.][1]



Clarendon

Clarendon
Clar·en·don
[klérrəndən] noun

typeface:
a style of boldface roman type
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; probably named for the Clarendon Press in Oxford, England.][1]



claret

claret
clar·et 
[klérrət] noun (plural clar·ets)

1.  WINE red
wine:
a red wine from the Bordeaux region of France

2.  COLORS deep
red:
a deep purplish-red color, like that of claret
adjective

COLORS of a
deep red color: of a deep purplish-red color, like
claret
[Early 18th century. From Old
French (vin) claret “light-colored (wine),” from Latin vinum claratum
“clarified wine,” claratum a form of clarare “to clarify,” from clarus
“clear.”][1]



claretcup

claretcup
clar·et
cup
(plural clar·et cups) noun

iced drink:
an iced summer drink made from claret, brandy, lemon, and sugar, sometimes with
sherry or curaçao added[1]



claribelflute

claribelflute
cla·ri·bel
flute
noun

See
clarabella[1]



claribella

claribella
cla·ri·bel·la
noun

See
clarabella[1]



clarification

clarification
clar·i·fi·ca·tion 
[klèrrəfi káysh’n] (plural clar·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  explanation:
a detailed explanation needed because something is unclear

2.  COOKING purifying
of fat:
the process of making butter or fat become clear by heating it gently and
removing impurities

3.  purifying
of liquid:
the process of making a liquid clear and pure

[1]



clarifier

clarifier
clar·i·fi·er
[klérrə fr] (plural clar·i·fi·ers)
noun

impurity remover:
a device for removing impurities, for example, from water[1]



clarify

clarify
clar·i·fy 
[klérrə f] (past clar·i·fied,
past participle clar·i·fied, present participle clar·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular clar·i·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something clearer: to make something clearer by
explaining it in greater detail

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING make butter clear:
to make butter or fat clear, or become clear, by gently heating it and removing
any impurities

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOD TECHNOLOGY make a liquid clear:
to make a liquid clear and pure, or become clear and pure, usually by filtering
[14th century. Via Old French
from late Latin clarificare, literally “to make clear,” from Latin clarus
“clear” (see clarity ).][1]



clarinet

clarinet


clar·i·net 
[klérrə nèt] (plural clar·i·nets)
noun

1.  woodwind
instrument:
a musical instrument of the woodwind family, with a straight body and a single
reed

2.  clarinet
player:
somebody who plays the clarinet, especially in an orchestra or group
[Mid-18th century. From
French clarinette, literally “little clarion,” from clarine
“clarion,” from, ultimately, Latin clarus “clear” (see clarity ).][1]



clarinettist

clarinettist
clar·i·net·tist 
[klèrrə néttist] (plural clar·i·net·tists)
or clar·i·net·ist [klèrrə néttist]
(plural clar·i·net·ists) noun

clarinet player:
somebody who plays the clarinet[1]



clarion

clarion
clar·i·on 
[klérree ən] (plural clar·i·ons)
noun

1.  organ
stop:
a four-foot organ stop that sounds like a trumpet

2.  medieval
trumpet:
a medieval trumpet with a clear high-pitched tone
[14th century. From the
medieval Latin stem clarion-, from Latin clarus “clear” (see clarity ).][1]



clarioncall

clarioncall
clar·i·on
call
(plural clar·i·on calls) noun

call
to action:
an urgent or inspiring appeal to people to do something
[From the use of the clarion
as a signal in war][1]



clarity

clarity
clar·i·ty 
[klérrətee] noun

1.  clearness
of expression: the quality of being clearly expressed

2.  clearness
of thought:
clearness in what somebody is thinking

3.  clearness
of reproduction: the quality of being clear in sound or
image

4.  transparent
quality:
the quality of being clear, pure, or transparent • wine
of great clarity
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem claritat-, from clarus “clear” (source of English declare and chiaroscuro
).][1]



Clarkcell

Clarkcell
Clark
cell
(plural Clark cells) noun

battery
cell:
a standard battery cell with a mercury anode surrounded by a paste of mercury
sulfate, and a zinc cathode immersed in saturated zinc sulfate solution
[Late 19th century. Named for
the English engineer Josiah Latimer Clark ( 1822–1898 ), who invented
it.][1]



Clark,George Rogers

Clark,George Rogers
Clark
[klaark], George Rogers (1752–1818)

U.S. soldier. He led troops
against British forces in the American War of Independence (1775–1783).[1]



Clark,Mark Wayne

Clark,Mark Wayne
Clark
[klaark], Mark Wayne (1896–1984)

U.S. army general. He led the
Allied armies in Italy (1943–1945) and commanded UN forces in Korea
(1952–1953).[1]



Clarksburg

Clarksburg
Clarks·burg 
[klrks bùrg]

city in northern West
Virginia, on the West Fork River, northeast of Charleston. Population: 17,410
(1996)[1]



Clarksdale

Clarksdale
Clarks·dale 
[klrks dàyl]

city in northwestern
Mississippi on the Sunflower River, southwest of Oxford. Population: 19,381
(1996)[1]



Clarksville

Clarksville
Clarks·ville 
[klrks vìl]

city in northwestern
Tennessee, northwest of Nashville, where the Red and Cumberland rivers meet.
Population: 94,879 (1996)[1]



Clark,Tom Campbell

Clark,Tom Campbell
Clark
[klaark], Tom Campbell (1899–1977)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
He was appointed in 1949 by President Truman after serving as his attorney
general (1945–1949).[1]



Clark,William

Clark,William
Clark
[klaark], William (1770–1838)

U.S. explorer. He was
co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that explored the Far West
(1804–1806).[1]



claro

claro
cla·ro 
[klrō] (plural cla·ros) noun

mild
cigar:
a mild light-colored cigar
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “clear, light,” from Latin clarus .][1]



clarsach

clarsach
clar·sach 
[klr sàkh, klrsəkh]
(plural clar·sachs) noun

small
Celtic harp: a small harp of ancient Scotland and
Ireland
[15th century. From Irish cláirseach
and Gaelic clársach .][1]



clary

clary
clar·y 
[kláiree] (plural clar·ies) noun

European
plant with fragrant leaves: a perennial plant of the
mint family native to southern Europe. Some are cultivated for their violet,
pink, or white flowers, or for an aromatic oil used in liquors and toiletries.
Genus: Salvia
[14th century. Via obsolete
French clarie from medieval Latin sclarea .][1]



clash

clash

clash 
[klash] verb (past clashed,
past participle clashed, present participle clash·ing,
3rd person present singular clash·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
fight
or argue:
to come into verbal or physical conflict with somebody

2.  intransitive
verb
be
at odds with something: to be incompatible • The
conclusions clash with the evidence.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
loud noise:
to make a loud harsh metallic noise, or hit things together to make such a
noise

4.  intransitive
verb
not
harmonize:
to look unpleasant or inharmonious when together • The
orange of the upholstery clashes with the pink of the paintwork.
noun (plural
clash·es)

1.  fight
or argument: verbal or physical conflict with another
person or group

2.  loud
metallic sound: a loud harsh metallic noise

3.  lack
of harmony:
a jarring or unpleasant juxtaposition of incompatible colors

4.  conflict
caused by difference: a difference of opinions or
qualities that causes conflict • a
clash of personalities
[Early
16th century. An imitation of the sound.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fight

[1]



clasp

clasp
clasp 
[klasp] transitive verb (past clasped,
past participle clasped, present participle clasp·ing,
3rd person present singular clasps)

1.  hold
with hands or arms: to hold somebody or
something tightly with the hands or arms • She
clasped the baby tightly to herself in the surging crowd.
• I
clasped the handrail as the boat lurched.

2.  fasten:
to fasten or hold two things together with a device designed for this purpose
noun
(plural clasps)

1.  small
buckle or fastening: a small fastening for
holding things, for example, bags or jewelry, closed or together

2.  tight
arm or hand hold: a firm tight hold with the arms, a hand,
or a device for fastening or holding things together

3.  MILITARY identifying
attachment on military medal: a small metal bar on the
ribbon of a medal that identifies the military action or service for which the
honor was awarded
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



clasper

clasper
clasp·er 
[kláspər] (plural clasp·ers) noun

1.  grasping
organ of insects: either of a pair of structures located
in the anal region of particular male insects and crustaceans and used to grasp
a female during copulation

2.  reproductive
organ on fin: either of a pair of elongated
reproductive organs on the pelvic fins of male sharks and rays

[1]



claspknife

claspknife
clasp
knife
noun

pocket knife:
a pocket knife with one or more blades and sometimes other devices that can be
folded back into the handle[1]



class

class
class 
[klass] noun (plural clas·ses)

1.  group
taught together: a group of students or pupils who are
taught or study together

2.  period
of teaching: a period when students meet to be taught
a particular subject • When’s
our next biology class?

3.  specific
subject taught: a specific course of instruction

4.  students
who graduate together: the group of students who
graduate from an institution in the same year

5.  group
within a society: a group of people within a society who
share the same social and economic status

6.  structure
of society:
the structure of divisions in a society determined by the social or economic
grouping of its members

7.  elegance
in style:
elegance in appearance, behavior, or lifestyle (informal) • a
First Lady of real class

8.  excellence:
admirable skill or excellence in performance (informal) • a
player of real class

9.  division
according to quality: a categorization of services
or goods according to quality • This
airline has several classes of seating.

10. U.K.
EDUC university
honors degree grade: a grade assigned to
university honors degrees in the U.K.

11. group
of similar items: a group of things with at least one
common characteristic

12. BIOLOGY set of
related organisms: a major category in the
taxonomic classification of related organisms, comprising a group of orders • Elephants
and dolphins both belong to the class Mammalia.

13. ETHNOLOGY social
group with similar opportunities: a category of people
who have a similar level of opportunity to obtain economic resources and
prestige

14. MATHEMATICS LOGIC See set
transitive
verb
(past classed, past participle classed, present
participle class·ing, 3rd person present singular clas·ses)

assign to a group:
to assign somebody or something to a particular category or group • if
you’re classed as eligible to vote
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin classis “political class.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



class.

class.
class.

1.  Abbreviation
of
classic

2.  Abbreviation
of
classical

3.  Abbreviation
of
classification

4.  Abbreviation
of
classified

[1]



classact

classact
class
act
(plural class acts) noun

excellent person or thing:
a person or thing regarded as an example of excellence (informal)[1]



classaction

classaction
class
ac·tion
(plural class ac·tions) noun

multiple-plaintiff
litigation: an action brought by one or
a number of litigants representing others sharing the same legal problem and
seeking remedy or relief for all[1]



class-conscious

class-conscious
class-con·scious 
adjective

1.  aware
of own social class: aware of your position in a
social class system in relation to members of other classes

2.  believing
in class struggle: used to describe a person or
political party that believes in class struggle
—class-con·scious·ness,
noun[1]



classes

classes
clas·ses 
[klássəz]

Plural of
classis[1]



classic

classic
clas·sic 
[klássik] adjective

1.  top
quality:
generally considered to be of the highest quality or lasting value, especially
in the arts

2.  definitive:
authoritative and perfect as a standard of its kind • a
classic example of mixed metaphor English

3.  exhibiting
stylistic restraint and refinement:
simple, restrained, and refined in style • The
new sports car, with its classic lines, was the hit of the auto show.

4.  always
fashionable: always fashionable and elegant, usually
because of simplicity and restraint in style • the
classic “little black dress”

5.  generally
accepted:
conforming to generally accepted principles or methods

6.  extremely
and usually comically apropos: apropos to an extreme
degree, usually with a comical or ironic twist (informal)
noun
(plural clas·sics)

1.  work
of the highest quality: something created or made,
especially a work of art, music, or literature, that is generally considered to
be of the highest quality and of enduring value • the
novel has become a 20th-century classic

2.  simple
elegant garment: a piece of clothing of a simple and
enduring style

3.  top
quality artist or writer: a creator of works of art or
literature that have enduring excellence • As
a children’s book illustrator she’s a classic.

4.  major
sporting event: a major sporting event, for example, a
horserace or golf tournament

5.  something
comically apropos: something that is comically
or ironically apropos (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  classic
  or classical ?
  There
  is some overlap in the meanings of these words, but essentially classic is a judgmental or evaluative word that
  describes the value or status of something ( • a
  classic example of Art Deco ), whereas classical, although often implying a judgment of
  value or worth, is a more factual reference to the literature, art, and
  culture of the ancient world or to the high period of an art form ( • a
  classical education, • classical
  music,
  • classical
  ballet
  ). A classic is something notable of its
  kind, and the classics are the study of the language and culture of
  ancient Greece and Rome.

[1]



classical

classical
clas·si·cal 
[klássik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to ancient Greece or Rome: relating to or belonging to
the ancient Greeks and Romans or their culture

2.  in
ancient Greek or Roman style: in the style of ancient
Greece or Rome, especially in architecture

3.  of
music considered to be serious: used to describe music
that is considered serious or intellectual and is usually written in a
traditional or formal style, as opposed to such genres as pop, rock, and folk
music

4.  of
18thC and 19thC music: used to describe the style
of music composed in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries

5.  studying
Latin and Greek: consisting of or involving the study of
the ancient Greek and Latin languages and literature • a
classical education

6.  knowledgeable
about ancient Greece and Rome: highly knowledgeable
about ancient Greek and Roman culture and art • a
classical scholar

7.  orthodox
or conservative: considered as the traditional or
authoritative form of something • a
classical Freudianism

8.  See
classic  adjective 2
See classic  adjective 3

9.  PHYSICS excluding
quantum theory and relativity: not taking into
account quantum theoretical or relativistic effects
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin classicus “of the first class” (source
of English classic ).]
—clas·si·cal·i·ty
[klàssi kállətee], noun

—clas·si·cal·ness
[klássik’lnəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at classic.

[1]



classicalconditioning

classicalconditioning
clas·si·cal
con·di·tion·ing noun

creation of response to
stimulus: the teaching of a response
to a new stimulus by pairing it repeatedly with a stimulus for which there is a
biological reflex. The best-known example is Pavlov’s experiment in which dogs
heard a bell ring every time food appeared and eventually started salivating at
the sound of the bell alone.
Also called
Pavlovian conditioning
See also
operant conditioning[1]



classicalism

classicalism
clas·si·cal·ism
noun

See
classicism[1]



classically

classically
clas·si·cal·ly
[klássikəlee] adverb

1.  simply
styled:
in a simple and elegant style

2.  as
traditionally accepted or done: in a manner that is
traditionally accepted and belongs in the mainstream of the relevant art

3.  in
manner of Greco-Roman culture: in the manner or style
of ancient Greece or Rome

4.  as
usually occurs: used to indicate what usually or
typically happens • Classically, cases like
this are solved through painstaking investigation.

5.  as
typical example: as a classic example of something

6.  in
classic way: in a classic or classical manner

[1]



classicism

classicism
clas·si·cism 
[klássi sìzzəm] (plural clas·si·cisms)
or clas·si·cal·ism [klássik’l ìzzəm]
(plural clas·si·calisms) noun

1.  restrained
style in the arts: a style of art and
architecture based on Greek and Roman models or principles, characterized by
regularity of form and restraint of expression

2.  Greek
or Latin idiom: a Greek or Latin phrase or expression

3.  study
of Greco-Roman culture: the study or knowledge of
ancient Greece and Rome

[1]



classicist

classicist
clas·si·cist 
[klássissist] (plural clas·si·cists)
noun

1.  scholar
of ancient Greek and Latin: somebody who studies ancient
Greek and Latin

2.  advocate
of artistic classicism: a supporter of classicism in
the arts

[1]



classicize

classicize
clas·si·cize 
[klássi sz] (past clas·si·cized,
past participle clas·si·cized, present participle clas·si·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular clas·si·ciz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something classic or classical: to imbue something
with classical traits, qualities, or characteristics • classicized
the design of the windows

2.  intransitive
verb
be
stylistically classic or classical: to be
in a classic or classical style

[1]



classics

classics2
clas·sics2 [klássiks]
plural noun

ancient Greek and Latin
languages: the languages of ancient
Greece and Rome • expanding
the classics curriculum[1]



classics

classics1
clas·sics1 [klássiks]
noun clas·sics Clas·sics

study
of ancient Greece and Rome: the academic study of the
language, literature, and history of ancient Greece and Rome (takes a
singular verb)
plural
noun

collection
of ancient Greco-Roman literature: a body of ancient
Greek and Roman literature (takes a plural verb)
[So called because Greek and
Roman culture was considered to be of the highest quality][1]



classifiable

classifiable
clas·si·fi·a·ble
[klássi f əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be classed: being such that the one designated can
be easily put into a particular category or classification • classifiable
insect specimens • remarks
not easily classifiable as threats, yet disconcerting and ominous

2.  deserving
treatment as sensitive information: being
of such content and nature as to be deemed sensitive and therefore restricted
for reasons of national security • classifiable
information, such as the number of aircraft in the region

[1]



classification

classification
clas·si·fi·ca·tion 
[klàssifi káysh’n] (plural clas·si·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  organization
into groups: the allocation of items to groups
according to type • classification of
members according to abilities and interests

2.  category:
a group or category within a system • the
classification “history” can be further subdivided.

3.  BIOLOGY categorization
of living things: the categorization of organisms into
defined groups on the basis of identified characteristics. The Linnaean
classification groups organisms into species, genera, families, and higher
taxonomic groups on the basis of visible resemblances, while other systems may
determine, for example, the molecular relationships among the groups.

4.  BIOLOGY category
for living things: each of several categories
into which biologists organize living things based on structural resemblance or
evolutionary relationships • genus
and species classifications

5.  designation
as sensitive information: the restriction of sensitive
government or military information to authorized individuals
[Late
18th century. From French, formed from classe “class,” which came from
Latin classis (see class ).]
—clas·si·fi·ca·tion·al,
adjective

—clas·si·fi·ca·to·ry [klássifikə tàwree, kla
síffikə tàwree], adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








classificationschedule

classificationschedule
clas·si·fi·ca·tion
sched·ule
(plural clas·si·fi·ca·tion sched·ules) noun

library catalog:
the complete plan and content of a library’s cataloging system[1]



classified

classified
clas·si·fied 
[klássi fd] adjective

1.  secret
or sensitive: available only to authorized people for
reasons of national security. The basic categories of classified information
are confidential, secret, and top secret.

2.  grouped
by type:
arranged in groups according to a classification system
plural
noun
clas·si·fieds

group of advertisements:
classified advertisements printed together in a newspaper or magazine (informal)

[1]



classifiedadvertisement

classifiedadvertisement
clas·si·fied
ad·ver·tise·ment (plural clas·si·fied
ad·ver·tise·ments) or clas·si·fied ad (plural clas·si·fied
ads) noun

small advertisement in
newspaper: a small advertisement
positioned with others of similar content in a newspaper or magazine[1]



classifier

classifier
clas·si·fi·er 
[klássi fr] (plural clas·si·fi·ers)
noun

1.  assigner
to classifications: somebody who assigns things
to classes

2.  official
who determines what is secret: an official who
decides if particular information is secret and thus available only to
authorized people

[1]



classify

classify
clas·si·fy 
[klássi f] (past clas·si·fied,
past participle clas·si·fied, present participle clas·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular clas·si·fies) transitive verb

1.  categorize
things or people: to assign things or people to classes or
groups

2.  declare
information sensitive and thus restricted: to
designate information as being available only to authorized people for reasons
of security
[Late 18th century.
Back-formation from classification .][1]



classinterval

classinterval
class
in·ter·val
(plural class in·ter·vals) noun

interval for dividing
variable’s values: any of the
intervals into which adjacent discrete values of a variable are divided[1]



classis

classis
clas·sis 
[klássiss] (plural clas·ses [klá sz]) noun

1.  church
governing body: in some Reformed churches, a governing
body composed of elders and pastors

2.  group
of governed churches: a district or group of
churches governed by a classis
[Late 16th century. From
Latin classis “political class.”][1]



classism

classism
class·ism 
[klá sìzzəm] noun

discrimination
because of class: discrimination or prejudice based on
social or economic class
—class·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



classless

classless
class·less 
[klássləss] adjective

1.  lacking
social classes: not having social or economic classes

2.  not
having a social class: not belonging to or
associated with a particular social or economic class
—class·less·ness, noun[1]



classmate

classmate
class·mate 
[kláss màyt] (plural class·mates)
noun

somebody in same class at
school: somebody who is or was in
the same class as another at school[1]



classroom

classroom
class·room 
[kláss rm, kláss
rm] (plural class·rooms) noun

room where people are taught:
a room, especially in a school or college, where classes are held[1]



classstruggle

classstruggle
class
strug·gle
(plural class strug·gles) noun

struggle for power between
classes: the Marxist principle of a
continuous struggle for political and economic power between the ruling and
working classes[1]



classy

classy
class·y 
[klássee] (comparative class·i·er,
superlative class·i·est) adjective

very
stylish and elegant (informal)
—class·i·ly,
adverb

—class·i·ness, noun[1]



clast

clast
clast 
[klast] (plural clasts) noun

small
piece of rock: a fragment of rock produced by the
breaking down of larger rocks
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from clastic .][1]



clastic

clastic
clas·tic 
[klástik] adjective

1.  able
to be taken apart: able to be separated into
parts or have parts removed to enable better study • Clastic
models are often used to teach anatomy.

2.  GEOLOGY made
from rock fragments: used to describe rock that
is composed of fragments of other rocks
[Late 19th century. Via
French clastique from Greek klastos “broken in pieces.”][1]



clathrate

clathrate
clath·rate 
[kláth ràyt] noun (plural clath·rates)

crystal with embedded substance:
a solid compound with a physical structure in which molecules of one substance
are fully enclosed within the crystal structure of another
adjective

1.  with
crystal-embedded substance: having molecules of one
substance enclosed fully within the crystal structure of another substance

2.  like
a lattice:
resembling a lattice in structure or appearance
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
clathrare “to fit with bars,” from clathri “lattice,” from Greek klēthra
“bars.”][1]



clatter

clatter

clat·ter 
[kláttər] verb (past clat·tered,
past participle clat·tered, present participle clat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular clat·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
rattling noise: to make a loud rattling noise, or cause
something to make a rattling noise • a
clattering old truck

2.  intransitive
verb
chatter
noisily:
to chatter or prattle, especially noisily
noun (plural
clat·ters)

1.  banging
metallic sound: a loud metallic banging or rattling
noise • the
clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen

2.  noisy
chatter:
noisy chatter and prattling talk

3.  loud
commotion:
a noisy disturbance
[Assumed
Old English clatrian . Ultimately from an ancient Germanic word thought
to be an imitation of the sound.]
—clat·ter·er,
noun

—clat·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



claudication

claudication
clau·di·ca·tion 
[klàwdi káysh’n] noun

1.  limping:
limping or impaired gait, especially as a result of reduced blood supply to the
leg muscles

2.  See
intermittent claudication
[15th century. From the Latin
stem claudication-, from claudicare “to limp,” from claudus
“gait-impaired.”][1]



clause

clause
clause 
[klawz] (plural clauses) noun

1.  GRAMMAR group
of words:
a group of words consisting of a subject and its predicate. A clause usually
contains a verb and may or may not be a sentence in its own right. The sentence
“she left before he arrived” contains two clauses, “she left” and “before he
arrived.”

2.  LAW section
of legal document: a distinct section of a
document, especially a legal document, that is usually separately numbered
[13th
century. Via French and assumed Latin clausa “close of a rhetorical
period or legal argument” from, ultimately, claudere “to close” (source
of English close and cloister ).]
—claus·al, adjective[1]



claustrophobe

claustrophobe
claus·tro·phobe
[kláwstrə fb] (plural claus·tro·phobes)
noun

See
claustrophobic
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from claustrophobia .][1]



claustrophobia

claustrophobia
claus·tro·pho·bi·a 
[klàwstrə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of being confined: an irrational fear of being
in a confined or enclosed space
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, coined from claustrum (see cloister
) + -phobia .][1]



claustrophobic

claustrophobic
claus·tro·pho·bic 
[klàwstrə fṓbik] adjective

1.  confined
or cramped:
unpleasantly or uncomfortably confined • The
room is claustrophobic but painting the walls a light color might help.

2.  of
or having claustrophobia: having, or having to do with
claustrophobia
noun
(plural claus·tro·pho·bics)

somebody who fears enclosed spaces:
somebody who is affected by claustrophobia.
Also
called
claustrophobe
—claus·tro·pho·bi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



clavate

clavate
cla·vate 
[kláy vàyt] adjective

club-shaped:
with one end thicker than the other • Some
protozoa have clavate cilia.
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin clavatus, from Latin clava
“club.”]
—cla·vate·ly, adverb[1]



clave

clave
clave
[kl vày] (plural claves) noun

stick
used to make musical sound: either of a pair of hardwood
sticks that are hit together to make a clicking sound
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish from Spanish, “keystone,” from Latin clavis “key.”][1]



clavicembalo

clavicembalo
clav·i·cem·ba·lo 
[klàvvi chémbəlō] (plural clav·i·cem·ba·los)
noun

MUSIC See harpsichord
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from medieval Latin clavicymbalum, literally “key cymbal.”][1]



clavichord

clavichord
clav·i·chord 
[klávvi kàwrd] (plural clav·i·chords)
noun

early
keyboard instrument: a keyboard instrument of the
15th to 19th centuries, a precursor of the modern piano, in which small wedges
strike horizontal strings to produce a soft sound
[15th
century. From medieval Latin clavichordium, formed from Latin clavis
“key” + chorda “string.”]
—clav·i·chord·ist, noun[1]



clavicle

clavicle

clav·i·cle 
[klávvik’l] (plural clav·i·cles)
noun

1.  ANATOMY bone
at front of human shoulder: the long curved bone that
connects the upper part of the breastbone with the shoulder blade at the top of
each shoulder in humans.
Also
called
collarbone

2.  ZOOLOGY bone
in animals:
a bone or structure with a function similar to that of the human clavicle in
some other animals. It is reduced or absent in many mammals.
[Early
17th century. From Latin clavicula, literally “small key,” from clavis
“key.” From its shape.]
—cla·vic·u·lar [klə víkyələr, kla víkyələr],
adjective[1]



clavier

clavier
cla·vier 
[klə vr, klávvee
ər] (plural cla·viers) noun

1.  stringed
keyboard instrument: any stringed keyboard
musical instrument

2.  musical
keyboard:
the keyboard of a musical instrument
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via German Klavier from French, from medieval Latin claviarius
“key-bearer,” from Latin clavis “key.”][1]



clavius

clavius
cla·vi·us
[klaávvee əss] noun

large lunar crater near south
pole: a large walled plain on the
Moon near the south pole, approximately 225 km140 mi in diameter[1]



claw

claw
claw 
[klaw] noun (plural claws)

1.  animal’s
sharp nail:
a pointed curved nail on the end of each toe in birds, some reptiles, and some
mammals

2.  pincer:
an appendage used for grasping in crabs and other invertebrates

3.  appendage
resembling claw: something resembling a claw in shape or
function, for example, a mechanical grabbing device
verb
(past clawed, past participle clawed, present
participle claw·ing, 3rd person present singular claws)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb attack
with claws:
to scratch or dig at something or somebody with claws, fingernails, or
something similar • The dogs had clawed at
the door

2.  transitive
verb
form
something by scratching: to form something by digging
or scratching with claws or something similar • Using
our bare hands we clawed a hole in the sand
[Old
English clawu . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German Klaue “claw.”]
—claw·less, adjective[1]



clawed

clawed
clawed
[klawd] adjective

with claws:
having claws or similar projections for scratching or grasping[1]



clawhammer

clawhammer
claw
ham·mer
(plural claw ham·mers) noun

1.  hammer
with fork at head: a hammer with a tapered fork
at one end of its head for removing nails

2.  (informal)
See swallow-tailed coat

[1]



clawhatchet

clawhatchet
claw
hatch·et
(plural claw hatch·ets) noun

hatchet with fork at head:
a hatchet with a fork at one end of its head[1]



clawoff

clawoff
claw
off
intransitive verb

avoid hazard by manner of
sailing: to avoid the dangers of a
lee shore or other hazard by sailing as close to the wind as possible on
alternate tacks[1]



clay

clay
clay 
[klay] noun (plural clays)

1.  type
of fine soil or rock: a fine-grained material
consisting mainly of hydrated aluminum silicates that occurs naturally in soil
and sedimentary rock. It is soft when wet and hardens when dried or heated, and
is used in making bricks, ceramics, and cement.

2.  modeling
substance:
a clay-like substance used for modeling

3.  dirt
or soil:
soil, especially heavy sticky wet soil

4.  human
body and its basic constituents: the physical body of a
human being, particularly the matter of which it is composed (literary)
• From
clay we are made

5.  See
clay court

6.  See
clay pigeon  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past clayed, past participle clayed, present
participle clay·ing, 3rd person present singular clays)

cover with clay:
to cover something with clay
[Old
English clg . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English clammy, climb, and glue
.]
—clay·ey, adjective[1]



Clay,Cassius

Clay,Cassius
Clay
[klay], Cassius


See
Muhammad Ali[1]



claycourt

claycourt
clay
court
(plural clay courts) noun

type of tennis court:
a tennis court with a hard surface made of crushed clay or shale[1]



Clay,Henry

Clay,Henry
Clay
[klay], Henry (1777–1852)

U.S. statesman. He long
served in Congress and was the architect of the Missouri Compromise (1820–1821)
and the Compromise of 1850 that temporarily averted civil war.[1]



claymineral

claymineral
clay
min·er·al
(plural clay min·er·als) noun

component of clay:
any of several hydrated aluminum silicates that constitute one of the main
components of clay[1]



claymore

claymore
clay·more 
[kláy màwr] (plural clay·mores)
noun

1.  large
sword:
a large double-edged broadsword formerly used by Scottish Highlanders

2.  See
claymore mine
[Early 18th century. From
Gaelic claidheamh mor, literally “great sword.”][1]



claymoremine

claymoremine
clay·more
mine
(plural clay·more mines) noun

antipersonnel mine:
a land mine in the shape of a convex disk that is placed above ground and
detonates horizontally. It is designed to kill or maim approaching personnel.
Also called
claymore[1]



claypan

claypan
clay·pan
[kláy pàn] (plural clay·pans) noun

clay hardpan:
hardpan that is composed mainly of clay[1]



claypigeon

claypigeon
clay
pig·eon
(plural clay pig·eons) noun

1.  moving
target for shooting: a clay disk hurled into the
air from a machine and used as a target for shooting.
Also
called
bird
Also
called
clay
Also
called
pigeon

2.  defenseless
person:
somebody who is vulnerable to attack (slang)

[1]



claystone

claystone
clay·stone
[kláy stn] (plural clay·stones)
noun

fine rock composed of clay
particles: a compact fine-grained rock
containing primarily clay particles[1]



cld.

cld.
cld.

STOCK
EXCHANGE Abbreviation of
called[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








clean

clean
clean 
[kleen] adjective (comparative
clean·er, superlative clean·est)

1.  not
dirty:
free from dirt or impurities • clean
hands

2.  unadulterated:
containing no foreign matter or pollutants • a
clean water supply

3.  free
of disease or infection: not infected or diseased • a
clean wound

4.  washed:
freshly laundered or washed after use • fetch
some clean shirts

5.  taking
pains over personal hygiene or grooming • he
is very clean in his habits

6.  empty:
containing nothing at all (informal) • The
apartment was stripped clean by the previous tenants

7.  morally
upright:
morally pure and upright

8.  honestly
fair:
just and fair • a clean verdict

9.  not
rude:
not rude or obscene

10. blank:
without anything on it, especially anything written • a
clean sheet of paper

11. with
no police record: having or showing no record of
convictions or penalties, for example, for driving offenses • Don’s
record is clean

12. free
of problems: without problems or difficulties • The
doctor gave me a clean bill of health.

13. smooth-edged:
without rough or jagged edges • a
clean blow of the ax

14. streamlined:
simple and flowing in design, without projections or additions • the
aircraft’s clean silhouette

15. complete:
complete and unqualified • made a
clean break with the past

16. with
no flaws:
used to describe a gemstone that is free of flaws

17. AGRICULTURE free
of weeds:
cleared of weeds and unwanted undergrowth

18. PRINTING not
heavily corrected: containing relatively few
mistakes or corrections

19. SPORTS performed
precisely:
precisely performed and in accordance with the best technique • a
clean jump

20. SPORTS with
no fouls or rule-breaking: played, fought, or won by
strict compliance with the rules • a
clean victory for our team

21. not
polluting:
producing the least possible pollution • a
clean source of energy

22. minimally
radioactive: producing the least possible radioactive
fallout or contamination

23. with
no concealed arms: not carrying concealed
weapons (slang) • A body
search revealed that the suspect was clean.

24. with
no illegal drugs: not containing or possessing illegal
drugs (slang)

25. unaddicted:
free from addiction to narcotic drugs or other substances (slang)

26. innocent:
not guilty of a particular crime (slang)

27. JUDAISM ritually
undefiled:
used to describe somebody who is ritually undefiled according to Jewish law

28. JUDAISM able
to be lawfully eaten: used to describe food that
may be eaten according to Jewish law

29. CHRISTIANITY pure
in spirit:
spiritually pure or purified
verb
(past cleaned, past participle cleaned, present
participle clean·ing, 3rd person present singular cleans)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rid
something of dirt: to rid something of dirt or
impurities

2.  transitive
verb
eradicate
unwanted dirt: to remove or eradicate unwanted dirt,
stains, or marks • Use this cloth to clean
the dust off those books.

3.  intransitive
verb
get
free of dirt: to become free of dirt, chiefly because
of a content or structure that easily repels it • This
acrylic rug cleans easily.

4.  transitive
verb
rid
of corruption: to free something of dishonest practices
• bent
on cleaning the system of corruption.

5.  transitive
verb
prepare
dead animal for cooking: to prepare a dead animal for
cooking by removing its entrails

6.  transitive
verb
remove
contents:
to use up the contents of something • The
children cleaned their plates and asked for more.
noun
(plural cleans)

session of cleaning:
a spell of removing unwanted dirt or marks
adverb
(comparative clean·er, superlative clean·est)

1.  in
order to free of dirt: so as to make something free
from dirt

2.  in
order to rid of evidence: so as to rid something of
incriminating evidence

3.  with
no obstruction: directly, especially without having any
obstruction

4.  cleanly:
in a clean way • Does this type of gas
burn clean?
• We
wanted to play the game clean.

5.  entirely:
completely or utterly (informal) • I
clean forgot to call.
[Old
English clne . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“clear, pure.”]
—clean·a·bil·i·ty
[klnə bíllətee], noun

—clean·a·ble
[klnəb’l], adjective

—clean·ness
[kln nəss], noun
come
clean

to confess or tell the truth
about something (informal)[1]



cleanand jerk

cleanand jerk
clean
and jerk
noun

lift in weightlifting:
a movement in weightlifting in which the weight is lifted to shoulder height,
held there briefly, and then quickly pushed above the head[1]



clean-cut

clean-cut
clean-cut 
adjective

1.  neat-looking:
neat in dress or appearance • a
clean-cut young officer in a spotless uniform

2.  with
sharp outline: distinctly outlined or designed

3.  See
clear-cut  adjective 1

[1]



cleaner

cleaner
clean·er 
[klnər] noun (plural clean·ers)

1.  somebody
employed to clean inside places: somebody whose job is
to clean the interior of a building

2.  something
used in cleaning: a chemical or machine used for cleaning
plural
noun
clean·ers

shop providing dry-cleaning service:
a shop where clothes and other items are taken to be dry-cleaned • My
best suit is at the cleaners.
take
somebody to the cleaners

to deprive somebody of his or
her money or possessions by honest or dishonest means (slang)[1]



clean-limbed

clean-limbed
clean-limbed 
adjective

youthfully well-proportioned:
having a well-proportioned and youthful-looking body[1]



cleanliness

cleanliness
clean·li·ness 
[klénlinəss] noun

degree of cleanness:
the degree to which somebody keeps clean or a place is kept clean • a
small hotel noted for its cleanliness[1]



cleanly

cleanly2
clean·ly2  [klénnlee]
adjective

with clean habits:
habitually or fastidiously clean and neat (archaic)[1]



cleanly

cleanly1
clean·ly1  [klnlee]
adverb

1.  easily
or efficiently: with ease or efficiency • a
cleanly executed triple jump on the ice

2.  without
jagged edges: in a manner that does not leave rough
edges • the
saw cut cleanly

3.  fairly:
in a fair manner

4.  in
clean way:
in a way that is clean • work
cleanly in the kitchen, avoiding spills

[1]



cleanout

cleanout
clean
out
transitive verb

take all money or belongings:
to use up or steal all of somebody’s money or belongings (informal) • Buying
the new bike cleaned me out.[1]



cleanroom

cleanroom
clean
room
(plural clean rooms) noun

dirt-free room for special
purposes: a room maintained with
minimal contamination from dust or bacteria. Such rooms are used in the
aerospace and electronics industries and in various kinds of scientific
research.
Also called
white room[1]



cleanse

cleanse
cleanse 
[klenz] (past cleansed, past
participle cleansed, present participle cleans·ing, 3rd
person present singular cleans·es) transitive verb

1.  make
thoroughly clean: to remove dirt from somebody or
something, especially by washing thoroughly

2.  make
free from unpleasantness: to free a place, person, or
society from something wrong or unwelcome • to
cleanse the government of corrupt influences

3.  make
free from sin: to free somebody or something from sin
or guilt
[Old
English clnsian, from clne (see clean
)]
—cleans·ing, noun[1]



cleanser

cleanser
cleans·er 
[klénzər] (plural cleans·ers) noun

1.  cleaning
product:
a substance for cleaning something thoroughly

2.  a
cosmetic product for cleaning the face

[1]



clean-shaven

clean-shaven
clean-shav·en 
adjective

having shaved or been shaved:
with the facial hair shaved off[1]



cleanup

cleanup
clean
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
clean or neat: to make somebody or something clean or
neat • Can
you just give me a minute to clean up in here?

2.  transitive
verb
eradicate
something unpleasant: to rid a place of something
unpleasant, for example, pollution or crime

3.  intransitive
verb
make
money:
to acquire a large amount of money (slang) • They
really cleaned up on the stock market last year.
clean
up your act

to improve your behavior or
the way you conduct your life (slang)[1]



cleanup

cleanup
clean·up 
[kln ùp] (plural clean·ups) noun

1.  thorough
cleaning:
a thorough cleaning • This
garage needs a good cleanup.

2.  elimination
of something bad: an elimination of something unpleasant
or unwanted

3.  large
gain:
a large and often illicit acquisition of assets (slang)

4.  batting
position in baseball: in baseball, the fourth
position in the batting order, usually held out for a known heavy hitter who
can drive in runs

[1]



clear

clear
clear 
[kleer] adjective (comparative
clear·er, superlative clear·est)

1.  free
from what dims: free from anything that darkens or
obscures • a
clear stream

2.  transparent:
able to be seen through • clear
glass

3.  free
from clouds: free from clouds, mist, or airborne
particles • a
clear blue sky

4.  pure
in hue:
pure in color or hue • a
clear red

5.  perfect
and unblemished: free from any defect or impurity • a
clear complexion

6.  easily
heard or seen: easily heard or seen • clear
outlines

7.  sounding
pleasant:
having a pleasant sound • a
clear singing voice

8.  out-and-out:
completely certain, allowing for no doubt • clear
evidence of collusion

9.  unambiguous:
easy to understand and without ambiguity • clear
instructions

10. understood
precisely:
understood without confusion or uncertainty • Is
it clear what you have to do when the bell rings?

11. evident:
so obvious as to need no further explanation or guidance • After
half an hour of trying it was clear that the engine would not work properly.

12. mentally
sharp and discerning: able to think without
confusion • You’ll
do better in the exam if you keep your mind clear.

13. without
guilt:
free from feelings of guilt or blame • a
clear conscience

14. unobstructed:
free from obstructions or hindrances • keep
aisles clear

15. empty:
empty, with all movable items removed

16. not
attached to or touching something: free of, or freed
from, connection or contact • must
be clear of any moving parts

17. net:
net of deductions or charges • I earn
a clear $500 a week.

18. not
financially obligated: not having any debt or
financial obligation

19. SHOWJUMPING unpenalized:
without any penalties being incurred • jumped
a clear round
adverb

1.  out
of the way:
completely away from something • Please
stand clear of the doors until the vehicle has stopped.

2.  all
the way:
totally or completely • they
moved clear across the country
verb
(past cleared, past participle cleared, present
participle clear·ing, 3rd person present singular clears)

1.  intransitive
verb
dissipate
and disperse: to undergo the process of dissolving or
dispersing, thereby disappearing • By
noon the fog had finally cleared.

2.  intransitive
verb
no
longer be foggy or dull: to brighten and become free
of adverse conditions • There
will be rain in the morning but the skies will clear by the early afternoon.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become transparent: to become or make something
transparent or translucent • The
water cleared as the particles sank to the bottom.

4.  transitive
verb
rid
something of extraneous matter: to free something of
impurities or unwanted matter • clear
a drain of blockages

5.  transitive
verb
rid
throat of obstructions: to rid the throat of phlegm
or other obstructions by coughing

6.  transitive
verb
clarify
thoughts:
to remove confusion or misunderstanding from the mind • I’d
like a few minutes to clear my head before going into the meeting.

7.  intransitive
verb
return
to senses:
to become or make the mind free from the dulling effects of alcohol, drugs,
illness, or a blow to the head • After
my head had cleared I was able to stand up again.

8.  transitive
verb
prove
somebody innocent: to free somebody from
suspicion or blame • anxious to clear her
name

9.  transitive
verb
remove
objects or obstructions from something: to
empty a space of objects or obstructions • the
room had been cleared

10. transitive
verb
form
space for somebody or something: to form a route for
somebody or something to pass by removing obstructions

11. transitive
verb
remove
people from a place: to empty a building or place
of people, for example, for security reasons • police
had to clear the area

12. transitive
verb
disentangle:
to straighten out something that is snarled or otherwise in disarray or
disorder • Hurry
up and clear that anchor line!

13. transitive
verb
move
past without touching: to move past or over
something and without touching it • If we
stay on this course we should clear the buoy.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb allow
to unload or depart: to be allowed to unload or
depart, or allow a vehicle or cargo to unload or passengers to depart, after
customs and other formalities have been dealt with

15. transitive
verb
authorize
somebody to do or go: to authorize somebody to do
something or go somewhere • You
are now cleared to enter the restricted area.

16. transitive
verb
give
or get authorization: to give or obtain
authorization for an action

17. transitive
verb
gain
money as profit: to earn or acquire something as profit (informal)
• We
cleared $5000 on the deal.

18. transitive
verb
pay
off debt:
to settle a debt

19. intransitive
verb
BANKING move
between accounts: to be authorized and credited to the
account of the payee • Checks
take three days to clear.

20. intransitive
and transitive verb BANKING settle banking accounts:
to settle the accounts of a banking transaction through a clearinghouse

21. transitive
verb
SPORTS get
ball out of defense area: to get the ball or puck out
of the defense area

22. transitive
verb
COMPUTING delete
data:
to delete data from a computer display or storage device
noun

open space: an
empty or open area or space • The
deer were standing in the clear.
[13th
century. Via Old French cler from Latin clarus “clear, bright.”]
—clear·a·ble,
adjective

—clear·er,
noun

—clear·ness,
noun
in
the clear

free
from suspicion or blame





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  Clear is derived from the Latin
  word clarus, meaning “clear” or “bright,” which is also the source of
  English claret, clarify, clarion,
  clerestory, and declare.

[1]



clearance

clearance
clear·ance 
[klrəns] (plural clear·ances)
noun

1.  removing
unwanted objects: the removal of obstructions or unwanted
objects, for example, dilapidated buildings or overgrown bushes, before
building or cultivating

2.  permission
for something to happen: permission to do something
or for something to take place • several
aircraft awaiting clearance to take off

3.  width
or height of opening: the width or height of an
opening or passage • Clearance on these
freeway overpasses is limited, so big trucks must detour.

4.  cheap
sale of merchandise: a sale of goods at reduced
prices in order to clear stock

5.  BANKING passage
of commercial documents: the passage of commercial
documents through a clearing house

6.  SPORTS getting
ball out of defense area: in games, the process of
clearing the ball or puck from the defense area

7.  removal
of people from land: the forcible removal from an
area of land of the people who have traditionally lived there

8.  See
security clearance

9.  FORESTRY See clearing

[1]



clearaway

clearaway
clear
away
transitive verb

remove objects and straighten
up: to remove objects and
straighten up, for example, by removing papers and other materials from a desk[1]



clear-cut

clear-cut
clear-cut 
adjective

1.  unambiguous:
so definite as to leave no possibility of ambiguity

2.  distinctly
outlined:
with a distinct outline or form • a
clear-cut silhouette of a naval frigate on the horizon
transitive
verb
(past clear-cut, past participle clear-cut, present
participle clear-cut·ting, 3rd person present singular clear-cuts)

remove all trees from area:
to cut down and remove all of the trees from a forest or other land area
noun
(plural clear-cuts)

land with all trees removed:
land from which all the trees and undergrowth have been cut and removed

[1]



clear-eyed

clear-eyed
clear-eyed 
adjective

1.  discerningly
perceptive:
able to discern things clearly

2.  sharp-eyed:
having sharp sight

3.  bright-eyed:
having bright eyes

[1]



Clearfield

Clearfield
Clear·field 
[klr fld]

city in northern Utah, east
of the Great Salt Lake and northwest of Salt Lake City. Population: 22,153
(1996)[1]



clear-headed

clear-headed
clear-head·ed 
adjective

able
to think properly: able to think clearly and
decisively, especially in difficult circumstances
—clear-head·ed·ly,
adverb

—clear-head·ed·ness, noun[1]



clearing

clearing
clear·ing 
[klring] (plural clear·ings) noun

1.  FORESTRY open
space in forest: a space without trees in an area of land
that is wooded or overgrown.
Also
called
clearance

2.  BANKING movement
of checks between accounts: exchange between banks of
checks, drafts, and notes, and the settlement of consequent differences

[1]



clearingbank

clearingbank
clear·ing
bank
(plural clear·ing banks) noun

U.K.
bank using central clearinghouse:
any bank that uses a central clearinghouse for transferring credits and checks
between itself and other banks[1]



clearinghouse

clearinghouse
clear·ing·house
(plural clear·ing·hous·es) noun

1.  BANKING institution
coordinating financial dealings between banks: an
institution at which financial transactions between member banks are canceled
against each other, leaving only balances to be paid

2.  institution
coordinating information interchanges: an
agency that collects and distributes information

[1]



ClearLake

ClearLake
Clear
Lake

lake in northwestern
California, the largest freshwater lake within the state, popular for leisure
activities. Length: 40 km/25 mi.[1]



clearly

clearly
clear·ly
[klrlee] adverb

1.  without
any problem in hearing: in a way that is easy to
hear

2.  without
any problem in seeing: in a way that is easy to see

3.  without
any problem in understanding: in a way that is easy to
understand • a
clearly phrased piece of legislation

4.  logically:
in a logical and unconfused manner • a
clearly written legal brief

5.  obviously:
used to acknowledge that a statement is undeniably true • Clearly,
we must take immediate action.

[1]



clearoff

clearoff
clear
off
intransitive verb

U.K.
go away:
to go away (dated informal) • Clear
off and don’t come back![1]



clear-out

clear-out
clear-out
(plural clear-outs) noun

U.K.
act of removing contents:
a session of removing the contents of something, for example, a room, or of
straightening it by removing some of its contents • We
had a great clear-out at the weekend and now we’ve got room for the new table.[1]



clearout

clearout
clear
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
fast:
to leave a place quickly or urgently (informal) • We
cleared out as fast as we could.

2.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove the contents of something, for example, a room or closet, or to
neaten something by removing some of its contents • clearing
out the attic

[1]



clear-sighted

clear-sighted
clear-sight·ed 
adjective

1.  having
good perception or judgment: having or showing good
perception or judgment

2.  with
keen vision: having sharp vision
—clear-sight·ed·ly,
adverb

—clear-sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



clearstory

clearstory
clear·sto·ry 
noun

ARCHITECTURE
See clerestory[1]



clearup

clearup
clear
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
brighter:
to become brighter, for example, after rain

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get or
make better: to alleviate or cure something, or be
alleviated or cured

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
something in order: to straighten something by
removing or arranging disorganized contents • Will
you please clear up all this mess before you leave?


solve mystery or explain
misunderstanding: to solve a mystery or explain a
misunderstanding • Here is a big problem
that has never been fully cleared up.

[1]



Clearwater

Clearwater
Clear·wa·ter 
[klr wàwtər]

city in western Florida on
the Gulf of Mexico, directly west of Tampa. Population: 100,132 (1996)[1]



clearway

clearway
clear·way
[klr wày] (plural clear·ways)
noun

U.K.
road where stopping is usually forbidden:
a section of road where drivers may not normally stop[1]



clearwing

clearwing
clear·wing 
[klr wìng] (plural clear·wings)
noun

moth with transparent wings:
a moth with scaleless transparent wings that is active during the daytime.
Family: Sesiidae
Also called
wasp moth[1]



cleat

cleat
cleat 
[kleet] noun (plural cleats)

1.  hard
piece attached under shoe: a small piece of metal or
hard plastic attached onto the sole of a shoe to improve its grip

2.  device
for tying boat to: a device with two
projections pointing in opposite directions to which a rope can be tied to
secure a boat

3.  device
on boot for climbing trees: a device with a blade or set
of sharp projections that is attached to a boot to assist in climbing trees or
poles

4.  wedge-shaped
support:
wooden or other wedge attached to a structure in order to support it
plural
noun
cleats

pair of sports shoes:
a pair of shoes with small projections on the soles used for playing sports on
soft surfaces
transitive
verb
(past cleat·ed, past participle cleat·ed, present
participle cleat·ing, 3rd person present singular cleats)

1.  provide
with cleats: to fix a cleat or cleats to something

2.  secure
rope to cleat: to tie a rope to a cleat

3.  support
with cleat:
to support something using a cleat or cleats
[14th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “firm lump,” which is also the
ancestor of English clot .][1]



cleavable

cleavable
cleav·a·ble 
[klvəb’l] adjective

splittable:
able to be split or divided[1]



cleavage

cleavage
cleav·age 
[klvij] (plural cleav·ages) noun

1.  act
of splitting: division or splitting

2.  split
in something: a split, division, or separation of
something

3.  crease
visible between breasts: the hollow visible between a
woman’s breasts when a low-cut garment is worn

4.  GEOLOGY MINERALS rock or mineral fracture:
the splitting of minerals or rocks along natural planes of weakness. The angle
of cleavage is one of the features used to identify minerals.

5.  EMBRYOLOGY repeated
division of fertilized egg: the repeated division of a
fertilized ovum ( zygote ) before formation
of the early embryo ( blastula ). The zygote
does not increase in size during this process because the cells become
progressively smaller after each division.
Also
called
segmentation

6.  CHEMISTRY splitting
of a molecule: the splitting of a molecule into simpler
molecules through the breaking of a chemical bond

[1]



cleave

cleave1
cleave1 [kleev]
(past cleaved or cleft or clove [klōv], past participle cleaved or
cleft or clo·ven [klṓv’n],
present participle cleav·ing, 3rd person present singular cleaves)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  split:
to split, or make something split, especially along a plane of natural weakness

2.  cut
a path through: to make a way through something (literary)
• We
watched the bows of the tall ships cleave through the waves

3.  penetrate:
to penetrate or pierce something deep or dense such as water or heavy
undergrowth
[Old English clēofan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Greek gluphein
“to carve” (source of English hieroglyphics
).][1]



cleave

cleave2
cleave2 [kleev]
(past cleaved or clove [klōv]
or clave [klayv], past
participle cleaved, present participle cleav·ing, 3rd
person present singular cleaves) intransitive verb

cling
faithfully to something: to cling closely,
steadfastly, or faithfully to something or somebody (literary) • Is
it wrong to cleave to such fond memories?
[Old English cleofian
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English clay, climb,
and glue .][1]



cleaver

cleaver

cleav·er 
[klvər] (plural cleav·ers) noun
heavy knife used by butchers:
a heavy knife with a broad blade, used by butchers[1]



cleavers

cleavers
cleav·ers 
[klvər] noun

plant
with clinging fruit: an annual plant of Europe
and Asia with slender sprawling stems, narrow leaves, and tiny white flowers.
Its spiny round fruits cling to animals and clothing. Latin name: Galium
aparine (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
goosegrass
U.K.
term
goosegrass
[Old English . From cleave 2, because
its bristles stick to whatever they come in contact with.][1]



Cleburne

Cleburne
Cle·burne 
[klbərn]

city in northern Texas, south
of Fort Worth and north of Waco. Population: 23,904 (1996)[1]



cleek

cleek
cleek 
[kleek] (plural cleeks) noun

type
of golf club: a hickory-shafted iron golf club similar
to the modern number 2 iron (dated)
[15th century. Originally a
northern English dialect verb meaning “to clutch,” of uncertain origin.][1]



clef

clef
clef 
[klef] (plural clefs) noun

musical
symbol showing pitch of notes: in written or printed
music, a symbol placed at the beginning of each staff to indicate the pitch
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin clavis “key.”][1]



cleft

cleft2
cleft2  [kleft]
intransitive and transitive verb

Past
tense of
cleave Past participle of cleave
adjective

split:
having been separated into two or more sections by division[1]



cleft

cleft1
cleft1  [kleft]
(plural clefts) noun

1.  small
indentation: a small indentation in a surface, for
example, skin or land

2.  gap
or split:
a substantial gap or division separating two things (formal) • the
ever widening cleft between the liberals and the conservatives in their
approaches to welfare reform
[Old English geclyft .
Ultimately from an ancient Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English cleave .][1]



cleftpalate

cleftpalate
cleft
pal·ate
(plural cleft pal·ates) noun

gap in roof of mouth:
a congenital fissure along the midline of the roof of the mouth. It is caused
by a failure of the two sides of the hard palate to meet and fuse during fetal
development and is often associated with a cleft lip.[1]



cleg

cleg
cleg 
[kleg] (plural clegs) noun

Northern
England,
Scotland horsefly: a
horsefly of northern Europe and Asia. Genus: Haemotopota
[15th century. From Old Norse
kleggi .][1]



cleistogamous

cleistogamous
cleis·tog·a·mous 
[klī stóggəməss] adjective

small
and self-pollinating: relating to or bearing small
flowers that do not open, are self-pollinated in the bud, and appear in
addition to brighter flowers on the same plant
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek kleistos “closed” (from kleiein
“to close”) + -gamy .]
—cleis·tog·a·mous·ly,
adverb

—cleis·tog·a·my, noun[1]



clematis

clematis

clem·a·tis 
[klémmətiss, klə
máttiss] (plural clem·a·tis·es or clem·a·tis)
noun
climbing
plant:
a climbing plant, native chiefly to northern temperate regions, with fluffy
seed heads. Some types have large flat colorful flowers, typically blue,
purple, pink or white. Genus: Clematis
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
“clematis, periwinkle,” from Greek klēmatis, from klēma “vine
branch.”][1]



clemency

clemency
clem·en·cy 
[klémmənsee] noun

1.  showing
mercy:
an instance of showing mercy or leniency, or the tendency to do this

2.  act
of mercy:
an act that bestows or shows mercy toward another person over whom somebody has
ultimate power • the governor’s clemency
toward the convicted murderer

3.  mildness
in weather:
mildness or temperateness, especially in the weather • the
clemency of areas affected by the Gulf Stream

[1]



Clemens,Samuel Langhorne

Clemens,Samuel Langhorne
Clem·ens 
[klémmənz], Samuel Langhorne


See
Mark Twain[1]



clement

clement
clem·ent 
[klémmənt] adjective

1.  mild
weatherwise: showing or experiencing no extremes in
weather conditions

2.  merciful:
showing mercy or leniency
[15th
century. From the stem of Latin clemens “mild, gentle.”]
—clem·ent·ly, adverb[1]



Clemente,Roberto

Clemente,Roberto

Cle·men·te
[klə méntee], Roberto (1934–1972)
Puerto Rican-born U.S. baseball player.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1954–1972), he won 12 Gold Gloves for
fielding and was also an outstanding batter.[1]



clementine

clementine
cle·men·tine 
[klémmən tn, klémmən
tn] (plural cle·men·tines) noun

small
orange citrus fruit: an orange-colored citrus
fruit, bred by crossing a tangerine with a Seville orange
[Early 20th century. From
French clémentine, of uncertain origin: perhaps named for Père Clément,
a French missionary to Africa.][1]



Clemson

Clemson
Clem·son
[klémss’n]

city in northwestern South
Carolina, on the northeastern shore of Hartwell Lake, northwest of Anderson.
Population: 12,174 (1996)[1]



clench

clench
clench 
[klench] verb (past clenched,
past participle clenched, present participle clench·ing,
3rd person present singular clench·es)

1.  transitive
verb
hold
teeth or fist tightly together: to close your teeth or
fist tightly, for example, when angry

2.  transitive
verb
clutch
something:
to hold or grip something tightly • He
clenched the rope in his teeth

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb to contract suddenly, often
as a result of sudden tension or emotion (refers to muscles) • his
jaw clenched as he waited
noun
(plural clench·es)

1.  tight
hold:
a tight grasp or hold • She
held the steering wheel in a tight clench.

2.  device
that grips tightly: a mechanical device that
holds or grips something firmly
transitive
verb
(past clenched, past participle clenched, present
participle clench·ing, 3rd person present singular clench·es)
noun (plural clench·es)

NAUTICAL See clinch  verb 4
[Old English beclencan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to stick,” which is also
the ancestor of English cling .][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.








clenched

clenched
clenched
[klencht] adjective

firmly held together:
held tightly or firmly together • clenched
fists[1]



cleome

cleome
cle·o·me 
[kli ṓmee] (plural cle·o·mes) noun

tropical
plant:
an aromatic plant native to warm regions, often cultivated for its clusters of
white or purplish flowers. Genus: Cleome
Also
called
spider flower
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, where it denoted a different plant.][1]



Cleopatra

Cleopatra
Cle·o·pat·ra 
[kl ə páttrə] (69 BC–30 BC)

Egyptian monarch. A queen
(51–30 BC ) of legendary beauty,
she and her lover Mark Antony were defeated by Octavian’s forces at Actium (31 BC ).[1]



Cleopatra’sNeedle

Cleopatra’sNeedle
Cle·o·pat·ra’s
Nee·dle
noun

Egyptian obelisk:
either of two Egyptian obelisks originally erected at Heliopolis about 1500 BC. One was moved to the Thames
Embankment, London, in 1878, the other to Central Park, New York, in 1880.[1]



CLEP

CLEP
CLEP

Abbreviation of
College Level Examination Program[1]



clepsydra

clepsydra
clep·sy·dra 
[klépsədrə] (plural clep·sy·dras
or clep·sy·drae [klépsə dr]) noun

ancient
device for time measurement: an ancient device used for
measuring time by noting the amount of water or mercury that passes through a
small aperture over a particular period.
Also
called
water clock
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek klepsudra, from kleptein “to steal” + hudor
“water.”][1]



clerestory

clerestory
clere·sto·ry 
[klr stàwree] (plural clere·sto·ries)
or clear·sto·ry [klr stàwree]
(plural clear·sto·ries) noun

top
of wall with windows: the upper part of the wall
of a church nave that contains windows, or the upper part of a wall in other
buildings that contains windows
[Clere from an earlier
spelling of clear][1]



clerestorycoach

clerestorycoach
clere·sto·ry
coach
(plural clere·sto·ry coach·es) noun

carriage with raised central
section: a railroad carriage or coach
with a raised central section along its roof, containing small windows[1]



clergy

clergy
cler·gy 
[klúrjee] (plural cler·gies) noun

those
ordained in church: the body of people ordained
for religious service, especially in the Christian Church (takes a singular
or plural verb)
[13th century. Partly from
Old French clergie (from clerc “cleric”) and partly from clergé
“body of clerks,” both from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Latin clericus
(see clerk ).][1]



clergyman

clergyman
cler·gy·man 
[klúrjimən] (plural cler·gy·men
[klúrjimən]) noun

ordained churchman:
a man who is a member of the clergy[1]



clergywoman

clergywoman
cler·gy·wom·an 
[klúrji wmmən] (plural cler·gy·wom·en
[klúrji wìmmin]) noun

ordained churchwoman:
a woman who is a member of the clergy[1]



cleric

cleric
cler·ic 
[klérrik] (plural cler·ics) noun

member
of clergy:
an ordained priest, minister, or rabbi
[Early 17th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin clericus (see clerk
).][1]



clerical

clerical
cler·i·cal 
[klérrik’l] adjective

1.  of
office work: relating or belonging to office work,
especially of a routine administrative kind

2.  of
the clergy:
relating or belonging to the clergy

3.  promoting
clericalism: advocating or supporting clericalism
—cler·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



clericalcollar

clericalcollar
cler·i·cal
col·lar
(plural cler·i·cal col·lars) noun

white collar worn by some
clerics: a stiff white collar,
continuous at the front, worn by some members of the clergy.
Also called
Roman collar[1]



clericalism

clericalism
cler·i·cal·ism 
[klérrik’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  support
for clergy:
a policy of supporting the power or views of the clergy

2.  power
of clergy:
the power or influence of the clergy
—cler·i·cal·ist, noun[1]



clericals

clericals
cler·i·cals
[klérrik’lz] plural noun

clothes worn by clergy:
the characteristic clothing worn by some members of the clergy[1]



clerihew

clerihew
cler·i·hew 
[klérrə hy] (plural cler·i·hews)
noun

humorous
verse about named person: a humorous or satirical
verse consisting of two rhyming couplets in lines of irregular meter about
somebody who is named in the verse, usually in the first or second line.
[Early 20th century. Named
for the English writer Edmund Clerihew Bentley 1875–1956, who invented
it.][1]



clerk

clerk
clerk 
[klurk] noun (plural clerks)

1.  general
office worker: a worker who performs general office
duties, such as keeping records or sending out correspondence

2.  See
sales clerk

3.  service
desk worker: somebody at a service desk who helps and
advises other people.
See
also
desk clerk

4.  government
worker who keeps records: somebody who keeps official
transcripts and other records of a legislative or other official body

5.  LAW administrator
in court of law: somebody who administers the business of
a court

6.  LAW lawyer
who works for judge: a lawyer, typically one just
recently graduated from law school, who is employed to perform research,
prepare draft opinions, and perform other such tasks for a sitting judge.
Also
called
law clerk

7.  U.K.
LAW court
legal adviser: somebody with legal qualifications who
advises lay magistrates on points of law in court

8.  CHRISTIANITY cleric:
a member of the clergy (formal)

9.  scholar:
a scholar or learned person (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past clerked, past participle clerked, present
participle clerk·ing, 3rd person present singular clerks)

work as clerk:
to work as a clerk
[Pre-12th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin clericus “of the clergy” from Greek klērikos,
from klēros “heritage.” From the role of the clergy as scribes and
record-keepers in the Middle Ages.]
—clerk·dom,
noun

—clerk·ish,
adjective

—clerk·ship, noun[1]



clerkly

clerkly
clerk·ly 
[klúrklee] adjective

like
a clerk:
behaving or looking like a clerk • a
clerkly attention to detail in the midst of a crisis
—clerk·li·ness, noun[1]



cleruch

cleruch
cler·uch 
[klí rk] (plural cler·uchs) noun

Athenian
settler:
in ancient Athens, a citizen who received a land allotment in foreign territory
and lived there without losing citizenship
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
klēroūkhos, literally “lot-holder.”][1]



cleruchy

cleruchy
cler·uch·y 
[kl rkee, klrəkee]
(plural cler·uch·ies) noun

type
of Athenian colony: an ancient Athenian colony
in foreign territory that remained dependent on Athens and whose settlers
retained Athenian citizenship
—cler·uch·ial [kli rkee əl], adjective[1]



cleveite

cleveite
cle·veite 
[kl vt] noun

crystalline
uraninite:
a crystalline form of uraninite
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Swedish chemist Per T. Cleve ( 1840–1905 ).][1]



Cleveland

Cleveland
Cleve·land
[klvlənd]

1.  city
and port in northeastern Ohio on the southeastern shore of Lake Erie.
Population: 498,246 (1996)

2.  city
in southeastern Tennessee, northeast of Chattanooga and southwest of Athens.
Population: 33,503 (1996)

[1]



Cleveland,Grover

Cleveland,Grover
Cleve·land 
[klvlənd], Grover (1837–1908)

U.S.
statesman and 22nd and 24th president of the United States. As president
(1885–1889, 1893–1897) he opposed special interests and the political spoils
system.
Full name
Cleveland, Stephen Grover[1]



ClevelandHeights

ClevelandHeights
Cleve·land
Heights

city in northeastern Ohio, an
eastern suburb of Cleveland. Population: 54,293 (1996)[1]



clever

clever
clev·er 
[klévvər] (comparative clev·er·er,
superlative clever·est) adjective

1.  intelligent:
having sharp mental abilities

2.  showing
intelligence: demonstrating mental agility and
creativity

3.  glibly
facile:
showing highly capable mental abilities in a showy or superficial way • Don’t
give me one of your clever answers.

4.  dexterous:
highly skilled in using the hands

5.  New
England
easily
managed:
used to describe an animal that is easily managed and controlled

6.  New
England
easygoing
but not bright: friendly, easygoing, and affable in
manner and personality but not particularly smart

7.  Southern
U.S.
having
pleasant disposition: having a pleasant
disposition and personality

8.  U.K.
well:
in a state of good health (regional)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain. The present-day meaning evolved from “deft” via
“sprightly” and “agile.”]
—clev·er·ly,
adverb

—clev·er·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



clevis

clevis
clev·is 
[klévviss] (plural clev·is·es)
noun

U-shaped
device for holding rod: a U-shaped device with a
hole at the end of each prong through which a pin or bolt can be pushed to
secure another part in place
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



clew

clew
clew
[kloo] noun (plural clews)

1.  ball
of thread or yarn: a wound ball of thread or
yarn

2.  SAILING corner
of fore-and-aft sail: the rear lower corner of a
triangular or four-sided sail set along the length of a boat

3.  SAILING corner
of sail set across boat: either of the two lower
corners of a sail set parallel to the width of a boat, for example, a square
sail or a spinnaker
plural
noun
clews

NAUTICAL hammock
cords:
the cords by which a hammock is suspended
transitive
verb
(past clewed, past participle clewed, present
participle clew·ing, 3rd person present singular clews)

roll yarn into ball:
to roll thread or yarn into a ball
[Old English cliwen,
probably related to claw][1]



clewup

clewup
clew
up
transitive verb

furl square sail:
to furl a square sail by pulling on lines attached to its lower corners[1]



CLI

CLI
CLI

Abbreviation of
cost-of-living index[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








clianthus

clianthus
cli·an·thus 
[klī ánthəss] (plural cli·an·thus·es
or cli·an·thus) noun

plant
with red flowers: a plant of Australia or New Zealand with
drooping clusters of slender scarlet flowers. Genus: Clianthus
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek kleos “glory” + anthus “flower.”][1]



cliché

cliché
cli·ché 
[kli sháy] (plural cli·chés) noun

1.  overused
expression:
a phrase or word that has lost its original effectiveness or power from overuse

2.  overused
idea:
an overused activity or notion
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of clicher “to stereotype,” imitative of the
sound made when a mold is dropped into molten metal to produce a stereotype
plate.][1]



clichéd

clichéd
cli·chéd 
[kli sháyd] adjective

full of clichés:
full of clichés[1]



click

click1

click1  [klik]
noun (plural clicks)

1.  short
sharp sound: a short sharp sound, often metallic but
not resonant

2.  COMPUTING press
of computer mouse button: a single action of pressing
and releasing a button on a computer mouse

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
component for locking position: a component of a
mechanical device that holds a part in a locking position, or the movement of
the part between adjacent positions

4.  PHONETICS sound
produced by sucking in air: a consonant sound produced
by sucking in air by movements of the tongue against the soft palate. It is
part of the phonemic system of some African languages, for example, Xhosa, but
in English is used only for the sound represented by “tut-tut” and the sound
used for encouraging horses. Technical name suction
stop
Also
called
ingressive
verb (past
clicked, past participle clicked, present participle
click·ing, 3rd person present singular clicks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or cause short sharp sound: to make a short sharp sound,
or cause something to make a short sharp sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING press computer mouse button:
to press and release a button of a computer mouse • Click
on “yes.”

3.  intransitive
verb
become
clear fast:
to be understood suddenly (informal) • The
whole thing clicked: they had decided not to hire me.

4.  intransitive
verb
easily
communicate or work together: to communicate or work
together easily and readily (informal) • It’s
too bad that the two venture partners in the deal just never clicked.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
a success:
to be successful or popular (informal) • The
new show clicked from the very first performance.
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



click

click2
click2  [klik]
(plural clicks) noun

kilometer:
a kilometer (slang) • about
twenty clicks from here
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of kilometer
and tick .][1]



clickbeetle

clickbeetle
click
bee·tle
(plural click bee·tles) noun

beetle that makes a clicking
sound: a beetle that can right
itself when inverted by springing into the air with a clicking sound. Family:
Elateridae
Also called
snapping beetle
Also called
skipjack[1]



clicker

clicker
click·er
[klíkər] (plural click·ers) noun

somebody or something that
clicks: a person who or device that
clicks[1]



clickstream

clickstream
click·stream 
[klík strm] (plural click·streams)
noun

path through World Wide Web:
the path of mouse clicks that a computer user adopts to navigate the World Wide
Web. Some Web site trace and record their visitors’ clickstreams as part of
their marketing research.[1]



client

client
cli·ent
[kl ənt] (plural cli·ents) noun

1.  somebody
using professional service: a person or organization
taking advice from an attorney, accountant, or other professional person

2.  customer:
a person or organization to whom goods or services are provided and sold

3.  user
of social service agency: somebody who uses the
services of a social services agency

4.  person
or entity helped by another: a person or entity dependent
on the protection or patronage of another person or entity • the
former Soviet Union and its clients in the Middle East

5.  COMPUTING computer
program that requests data: a computer program used to
contact and obtain data from a program on another computer, often one linked on
a network. A World Wide Web browser is a specific kind of client.
[14th
century. Via Latin cliens “client, dependent” from, ultimately, cluere
“to listen, obey.”]
—cli·en·tal,
adjective

—cli·ent·less, adjective[1]



clientage

clientage
cli·ent·age
[kl əntij] (plural cli·ent·ages)
noun

class system based on
patronage: a social system in which
free commoners receive the patronage of wealthy or influential aristocrats. It
was common in ancient Rome and has become a feature of some modern societies.[1]



client-centeredtherapy

client-centeredtherapy
cli·ent-cen·tered
ther·a·py
noun

type of psychotherapy:
a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist seeks to elicit solutions to
problems by gaining the trust of the patient through careful questioning. It
was founded by Carl Rogers in the 1940s and is still used widely as a
counseling method.[1]



clientele

clientele
cli·en·tele 
[kl ən tél, kl
ən tél] (plural cli·en·teles) noun

group
of clients or customers: the clients or customers of
a professional organization or business, considered as a group • The
clientele of our family law firm consists mostly of big corporations.
[Mid-16th century. Directly,
or later via French clientèle, from Latin clientela, from cliens
(see client ).][1]



client-server

client-server
cli·ent-serv·er 
(plural cli·ent-serv·ers) or cli·ent/serv·er (plural
cli·ent/serv·ers) adjective

servicing requests from
others: designed for use on a
computer network in which processing is divided between a client program
running on a user’s machine and a network server program. One server can
provide data to, or perform storage-intensive processing tasks in conjunction
with, one or more clients.[1]



clientstate

clientstate
cli·ent
state
(plural cli·ent states) noun

country depending on another:
a country that depends on another for economic, political, or military support[1]



cliff

cliff
cliff 
[klif] (plural cliffs) noun

high
steep rock face: a high steep rock or ice face,
especially a rock face extending along a coastline
[Old
English clif . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German Klippe .]
—cliff·y, adjective[1]



cliffbrake

cliffbrake
cliff
brake
(plural cliff brakes) noun

type
of fern:
a fern that typically grows in relatively dry rocky areas or on cliffs and has
compound, often leathery, leaves. Genus: Pellaea
[“Brake,” back-formation from
bracken (taken to be a plural in Middle
English)][1]



cliffdweller

cliffdweller
cliff
dwell·er
(plural cliff dwell·ers) noun

person who lived in cliff
building: a member of any
cliff-dwelling people, specifically of any of the Anasazi groups who
constructed buildings on large ledges found in cliffs in the southwestern
United States[1]



cliffdwelling

cliffdwelling
cliff
dwell·ing
(plural cliff dwell·ings) noun

a building or group of
buildings lived in by cliff dwellers[1]



cliffhanger

cliffhanger
cliff·hang·er 
[klíf hàngər] (plural cliff·hang·ers)
noun

1.  ARTS LITERATURE ending left teasingly
unresolved:
an unresolved ending in a serialized drama or book that leaves the audience or
reader desperate to know what will happen in the next part

2.  ARTS drama
serial with suspenseful endings: a drama serial that
has episodes that often end in suspenseful unresolved endings

3.  tense
situation:
a situation full of tension or suspense because it is not clear what will
happen next
[From
early serial films in which characters were left hanging off the edge of a
cliff, their fate unresolved until the next episode]
—cliff·hang·ing, adjective[1]



CliffsidePark

CliffsidePark
Cliff·side
Park 
[klìfsīd prk]

borough in northeastern New
Jersey, northeast of Jersey City and opposite New York City. Population: 20,917
(1996)[1]



cliffswallow

cliffswallow
cliff
swal·low
(plural cliff swal·lows) noun

N American swallow:
a North American swallow with a dark throat patch. It builds its nest of mud on
cliff faces or under eaves. Latin name: Hyrundo pyrrhonota[1]



Clifton

Clifton
Clif·ton 
[klíftən]

city in northeastern New
Jersey, northwest of Newark and Jersey City, near the Passaic River.
Population: 71,305 (1996)[1]



CliftonPark

CliftonPark
Clif·ton
Park

town in eastern New York,
northeast of Schenectady. Population: 32,689 (1996)[1]



climacteric

climacteric
cli·mac·ter·ic 
[klī máktərik, kl
mak térrik] noun (plural cli·mac·ter·ics)

1.  period
of important change: a period in which critically
important changes take place

2.  PHYSIOLOGY See menopause

3.  PHYSIOLOGY See male menopause

4.  BOTANY ripening
stage in fruits: a stage in the ripening of some fruits,
for example, apples, when the rate of respiration increases
adjective

1.  important:
crucially important

2.  PHYSIOLOGY BOTANY relating
to climacteric: relating to a physiological or botanical
climacteric
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek klimaktēr “rung of a
ladder,” from klimax “ladder” (see climax
).]
—cli·mac·ter·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



climactic

climactic
cli·mac·tic 
[klī máktik] adjective

1.  exciting:
extremely exciting or decisive

2.  relating
to a climax: forming or relating to a climax
[Late
19th century. Formed from climax, probably
under the influence of climacteric .]
—cli·mac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



climate

climate
cli·mate 
[klmət] (plural cli·mates) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY typical
weather in region: the average weather or the
regular variations in weather in a region over a period of years

2.  place
with particular weather: a place with a particular
kind of weather • I prefer a warm climate

3.  situation:
the situation or atmosphere that prevails at a particular time or place

4.  indoor
environment: the prevailing conditions or environment
in an indoor setting such as an office
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek klimat-, the stem of klima
“slope, region of the earth.”]
—cli·mat·ic
[klī máttik], adjective

—cli·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



climaticzone

climaticzone
cli·mat·ic
zone
(plural cli·mat·ic zones) noun

area with distinct climate:
an area of the earth’s surface that possesses a distinct type of climate. There
are eight major climatic zones, roughly demarcated by lines of latitude.[1]



climatology

climatology
cli·ma·tol·o·gy 
[klmə tólləjee] noun

study
of climates: the scientific study of climates
—cli·ma·to·log·ic
[klmətə lójjik], adjective

—cli·ma·to·log·i·cal,
adjective

—cli·ma·to·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cli·ma·tol·o·gist [klmə tólləjist], noun[1]



climax

climax
cli·max 
[kl màks] noun (plural cli·max·es)

1.  key
moment:
the most exciting or important moment or point

2.  PHYSIOLOGY orgasm:
a sexual orgasm

3.  LINGUISTICS ever-intensifying
sequence of phrases: a sequence of phrases or
sentences, each more forceful or intense than the last, or the conclusion of
such a sequence

4.  ECOLOGY final
stage in ecological community’s development: a
late or final stage in the development of an ecological community in which the
composition of plants and animals is relatively stable and well matched to
environmental conditions
verb
(past cli·maxed, past participle cli·maxed, present
participle cli·max·ing, 3rd person present singular cli·max·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reach
the key point: to reach the most important or exciting
point in something such as an event or a story, or bring something to its most
important or exciting point

2.  intransitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY have
an orgasm:
to have a sexual orgasm
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek klimax “ladder, progression.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to lean,” which is also the ancestor of English lean, incline,
and ladder .][1]



climb

climb
climb 
[klīm] verb (past climbs,
past participle climbed, present participle climb·ing,
3rd person present singular climbs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go up
using hands and feet: to move toward the top of
something using the hands and feet • climb
a ladder

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
upward:
to move upward, or move toward the top of something, by any means, and
typically through continual or gradual effort • climb
the stairs

3.  intransitive
verb
move
with effort: to maneuver the body somewhere with
effort or difficulty • I
managed to climb out of bed.

4.  intransitive
verb
rise
steeply in amount: to rise sharply in value or
amount

5.  intransitive
verb
CLIMBING be
a mountaineer: to go up mountains or rocks on foot or
using hands and feet as a sport

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
higher socially: to move to a higher social or
professional position

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY grow clingingly upward:
to grow upward by using plants or objects as a support, for example, by
producing shoots or tendrils that cling to them
noun
(plural climbs)

1.  act
of climbing: the process of moving to the top of
something • It
was a steep climb to the top.

2.  CLIMBING hill
or mountain: a route used to go up a hill, mountain,
or rock, or the hill, mountain, or rock itself

3.  rise
in value or amount: a rise in the value or
amount of something
[Old
English climban . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic verb meaning
“to adhere,” from assumed West Germanic klimban, a nasalized variant, that is,
one introducing m or n, of an assumed word meaning “to adhere” (source of
English cleave “to adhere” and cleavers ).]
—climb·a·ble, adjective[1]



climber

climber
climb·er 
[klmər] (plural climb·ers) noun

1.  CLIMBING somebody
who climbs mountains: somebody who climbs rocks or
mountains as a sport

2.  BOTANY plant
that clings: a plant that attaches itself to other
plants or objects such as posts and walls as it grows

3.  somebody
advancing socially: somebody who rises to a
higher social or professional position, especially an unscrupulous person
obsessed with advancement (usually used in combination)

[1]



climbing

climbing
climb·ing
[klming] noun

activity of climbing
mountains: the sport of climbing
mountains or rocks[1]



climbingfern

climbingfern
climb·ing
fern 
(plural climb·ing ferns) noun

fern with twining fronds:
a fern, belonging to a large genus of tropical and warm-temperate fern, that
climbs and grows as pairs of twining fronds. They are used to make baskets,
fish traps, and mats. Genus: Lygodium[1]



climbingfish

climbingfish
climb·ing
fish
noun

fish able to crawl on land:
a tropical freshwater fish found in Asia that can breathe out of water and that
uses its gill plates and lower fins to pull itself along the ground. Latin
name: Anabas testudineus
Also called
climbing perch[1]



climbingframe

climbingframe
climb·ing
frame
(plural climb·ing frames) noun

U.K.
See jungle gym[1]



climbingiron

climbingiron
climb·ing
iron
(plural climb·ing i·rons) noun

spikes attached to boots:
a spike-covered metal frame that attaches to the sole of a boot to help
somebody climb up ice or trees[1]



climbingperch

climbingperch
climb·ing
perch
noun

See
climbing fish[1]



climbingrat

climbingrat
climb·ing
rat
(plural climb·ing rats) noun

See
black rat[1]



climbingwall

climbingwall
climb·ing
wall
(plural climb·ing walls) noun

wall for climbing practice:
a wall with handholds and footholds, often located indoors, that is designed to
provide practice at rock-climbing[1]



climbinto

climbinto
climb
into
transitive verb

put on clothing:
to put on clothes, usually easy-to-wear ones (informal)[1]



climbout of

climbout of
climb
out of
transitive verb

remove clothing:
to take off clothes, usually easy-to-wear ones (informal)[1]



clime

clime
clime 
[klīm] (plural climes) noun

place
with particular type of climate: a place with a
particular type of climate (literary) (often plural) • off
to sunnier climes
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek klima (see climate ).][1]



-clinal

-clinal
-clinal
suffix

sloping,
slanting • isoclinal
[Formed from Greek klinein
“to lean” (see cline )][1]



clinandrium

clinandrium
cli·nan·dri·um 
[kli nándree əm] (plural cli·nan·dri·a
[kli nándree ə]) noun

part
of an orchid: a hollow in the upper column of the
flower of an orchid, containing the anther
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “stamen bed,” coined from Greek klinē “couch” +
the modern Latin stem -andrium “stamen.”][1]



clinch

clinch
clinch 
[klinch] verb (past clinched,
past participle clinched, present participle clinch·ing,
3rd person present singular clinch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
resolve
something decisively: to settle the outcome of
something that was uncertain, for example, a business deal or an argument, in a
positive way

2.  transitive
verb
HOME MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION flatten
nail’s end:
to bend or flatten the protruding end of a nail or rivet, or attach two or more
things together using nails or rivets in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS put
arms around opponent: in boxing or wrestling, to
put your arms around an opponent’s body so as to pin the arms and prevent an
exchange of blows

4.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL fasten
with a particular knot: to fasten or secure
something with a knot in a rope that is created by making a half hitch, the
rope’s end being fastened by seizing it
noun
(plural clinch·es)

1.  passionate
embrace:
a tight passionate embrace between lovers

2.  SPORTS tactic
of pinning opponent’s arms: a tactic in boxing and
wrestling designed to prevent an exchange of blows by putting your arms around
an opponent’s body, pinning the arms to the sides

3.  HOME MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION bent
end of nail: a nail or rivet with its protruding end
bent over, or a fastening made in this way

4.  NAUTICAL knot
in rope:
a knot in a rope that is created by making a half hitch, the rope’s end being
fastened by seizing it
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of clench and its
dialectal (northern English and Scottish) variant clink .][1]



clincher

clincher
clinch·er 
[klínchər] (plural clinch·ers)
noun

1.  deciding
factor:
the factor that decides the outcome of something, for example, an argument or a
contest (informal)

2.  HOME MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION nail
with end bent: a nail or rivet that has its protruding
end bent over

3.  HOME MAINTENANCE CONSTRUCTION tool
for bending nail: a tool for bending the ends of a nail or
rivet

[1]



cline

cline
cline 
[klīn] (plural clines) noun

1.  continuum:
a continuum between two extremes

2.  variation
in characteristics of a species: a gradual variation in
the characteristics of a plant or animal species that occurs when it is
distributed over an area with differing environmental or geographic conditions
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek klinein “to lean.”]
—clin·al,
adjective

—cli·nal·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  ultimate Indo-European source of cline is
  also the ancestor of English client,
  clinic, decline,
  incline, ladder, lean,
  and recline.

[1]



-cline

-cline
-cline
suffix

slope
• syncline
[Back-formation from -clinal][1]



Cline,Patsy

Cline,Patsy
Cline
[klīn], Patsy (1932–1963)

U.S.
singer. Her slick, sentimental country songs such as “Crazy” (1961) attracted
huge popular audiences. She died in a plane crash at the peak of her career.
Born
Hensley, Virginia Patterson[1]



cling

cling
cling 
[kling] intransitive verb (past
clung [klung], past participle
clung [klung], present participle
cling·ing, 3rd person present singular clings)

1.  hold
tightly:
to hold onto somebody or something tightly with the hands or arms

2.  stick
to something: to adhere to something by sticking to it
or staying very close to it

3.  retain
ideas or customs: to refuse to give up something, for
example, a belief or tradition, that you have grown fond of or used to

4.  need
somebody emotionally: to have a strong emotional
attachment to somebody

5.  hover
over and suffuse: to linger, usually in the air, resisting
dispersion or dissipation
noun
(plural clings)

1.  sticking
quality:
the tendency of something to stick to surfaces

2.  BOTANY See clingstone
[Old
English clingan “to adhere.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
that also produced English clench .]
—cling·ing·ly, adverb[1]



clinger

clinger
cling·er
[klíngər] (plural cling·ers) noun

dependent personality:
somebody who depends upon others for reassurance and a sense of security (informal)[1]



clingfish

clingfish
cling·fish 
[klíng fìsh] (plural cling·fish
or cling·fish·es) noun

fish with sucker:
a small fish whose pelvic fins have been modified into a sucking disk that it
uses to attach itself to rocks or other objects. Family: Gobiesocidae[1]



clingingvine

clingingvine
cling·ing
vine
(plural cling·ing vines) noun

emotionally dependent person:
a person who clings emotionally to another, and who wants to be with or near
that person all or most of the time (dated, often considered offensive)[1]



ClingmansDome

ClingmansDome
Cling·mans
Dome 
[klìngmənz dṓm]

peak in the Great Smoky
Mountains southeast of Knoxville. Height: 2,025 m/6,643 ft.[1]



clingstone

clingstone
cling·stone 
[klíng stn] (plural cling·stones)
noun

fruit with flesh sticking to
pit: a fruit with flesh that
sticks to the pit. Some varieties of peach, nectarine, and plum have fruit of
this type.
Also called
cling[1]



clingy

clingy
cling·y 
[klíngee] (comparative cling·i·er,
superlative cling·i·est) adjective

1.  emotionally
dependent:
too dependent on the company or emotional support of other people

2.  sticking
to the body: sticking closely to the body (informal)
• a
clingy fabric
—cling·i·ness, noun[1]



clinic

clinic
clin·ic 
[klínnik] (plural clin·ics) noun

1.  MEDICINE medical
center:
a medical center for outpatients, which may be attached to a hospital or form
part of it

2.  MEDICINE specialized
medical center: a medical center that specializes in a
particular condition or area of medicine

3.  MEDICINE group
medical practice: a suite of offices or an office where a
number of doctors practice general medicine as a partnership

4.  U.K.
MEDICINE private
hospital:
a hospital that charges patients directly for their treatment, rather than one
providing state-funded treatment

5.  MEDICINE medicine
taught at the bedside: a teaching session during
which student doctors are allowed to examine patients in hospital wards, or the
teaching of medicine by this method

6.  MEDICINE session
attended by patients: a session in a hospital that
patients attend for specialized treatment or advice

7.  SPORTS session
of practical sports instruction: a teaching session in
which experts in specific sports give practical instruction and advice on
improving technique and solving problems
[Mid-19th century. Via French
clinique from Greek klinikē (tekhnē) “(method of treating) the
bedridden,” from klinikos “of a bed,” from klinē “bed,” from klinein
“to lean, lie down” (see cline ).][1]



-clinic

-clinic
-clinic
suffix

having
a particular number of obliquely intersecting axes • triclinic
[From Greek klinein
“to lean” (see cline )][1]



clinical

clinical
clin·i·cal 
[klínnik’l] adjective

1.  MEDICINE based
on medical treatment or observation: based
on or involving medical treatment, practice, observation, or diagnosis

2.  unemotional:
practical and unemotional

3.  severe
in decor or design: plain and severe in design,
usually with the implication of lack of comfort
—clin·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



clinicalecology

clinicalecology
clin·i·cal
e·col·o·gy 
noun

MEDICINE
medical treatment of disorder caused by
environment: the branch of medicine
dealing with the supposed effects of the modern technological environment on
human health, especially the relationship of allergies to the increase in
chemicals in the environment[1]



clinicalpsychology

clinicalpsychology
clin·i·cal
psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychology
of observed behavioral problems: a branch of psychology
that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological and behavioral
problems
—clin·i·cal
psy·chol·o·gist, noun[1]



clinicalthermometer

clinicalthermometer
clin·i·cal
ther·mom·e·ter (plural clin·i·cal
ther·mom·e·ters) noun

medical thermometer:
a thermometer used for measuring the temperature of somebody’s body, which
continues to register the observed temperature until reset[1]



clinician

clinician
cli·ni·cian 
[kli nísh’n] (plural cli·ni·cians)
noun

1.  medical
professional doing practical work: a medical professional
who works directly with patients, as distinct from one working in research

2.  doctor
who conducts clinic: a medical professional who
conducts or teaches in a clinic

[1]



clink

clink2
clink2 [klingk]
(plural clinks) noun

correctional
institution: a correctional institution, especially a
prison (dated slang)
[Early 16th century. From the
Clink, a noted former prison in Southwark, a borough of London.][1]



clink

clink1

clink1 [klingk]
intransitive and transitive verb (past clinked, past
participle clinked, present participle clink·ing, 3rd
person present singular clinks)
make
ringing sound: to make or cause something to make the
short high-pitched slightly ringing sound that metal or glass objects make when
they knock against each other
noun
(plural clinks)
ringing
sound:
the short high-pitched slightly ringing sound that metal or glass objects make
when they knock against each other
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound, or perhaps from Middle Dutch klinken
.][1]



clinker

clinker1
clink·er1  [klíngkər]
noun (plural clink·ers)

1.  ball
of coal residue: a hard mass of ash and partially fused
coal that remains after coal is burned in a fire or furnace

2.  hard
brick:
a very hard brick, or an overhard brick that has been fired in a kiln for too
long
intransitive
verb
(past clink·ered, past participle clink·ered, present
participle clink·er·ing, 3rd person present singular clink·ers)

form lumpy burned residue:
to form hard lumps of partially fused coal and ash after burning
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of obsolete clincard, from obsolete Dutch klinckaerd “brick,”
from klinken “to sound, ring”; from the sound made by a brick when
struck.][1]



clinker

clinker2
clink·er2  [klíngkər]
(plural clink·ers) noun (informal)

1.  something
of poor quality: a failure or something of very poor
quality

2.  MUSIC wrong
note:
a wrong note in a piece of music
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from clink .][1]



clinker-built

clinker-built
clink·er-built 
adjective

having
hull of overlapping planks: used to describe a boat that
has a hull made of overlapping planks
[From clinker
“clinched nail,” from clink “to secure a nail,” a variant of clench][1]



clinkety-clank

clinkety-clank
clink·et·y-clank
noun

repeated
dull metallic sound: the dull short ringing
sounds produced when something metallic hits a surface repeatedly
[Early 20th century. From clink and clank,
an imitation of the sound.][1]



clinkstone

clinkstone
clink·stone 
[klínk stn] noun

See
phonolite
[Translation of German Klingstein,
literally “ringing stone”; from its metallic resonance when struck][1]



clino-

clino-
clino-
prefix

slope,
slant • clinometer
[Formed from Greek klinein
“to lean, slope” (see cline )][1]



clinometer

clinometer
cli·nom·e·ter 
[klī nómmətər] (plural cli·nom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring angle of slope: any instrument used in
surveying or geology to measure the angle of a slope or incline
—cli·no·met·ric
[klnə méttrik], adjective

—cli·no·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—cli·nom·e·try [klī nómmətree], noun[1]



clinopyroxene

clinopyroxene
clin·o·py·rox·ene
[klnō pī rók sn] (plural clin·o·py·rox·enes)
noun

silicate in pyroxene group:
a silicate mineral of the pyroxene group, containing calcium, iron, and
magnesium and forming monoclinic crystals, for example, augite[1]



clinostat

clinostat
cli·no·stat
[klnə stàt] (plural cli·no·stats)
noun

equipment for rotating
plants: a piece of laboratory
equipment with a turntable that allows a plant placed on it to be exposed to a
stimulus, for example, light, equally on all sides[1]



-clinous

-clinous
-clinous
suffix

1.  having
stamens and pistils in a particular number of flowers • diclinous

2.  descending
from a particular line • matriclinous
[Origin uncertain: ultimately
from Greek klinein “to lean, decline” (see cline
)][1]



Clinton

Clinton
Clin·ton
[klíntən]

1.  city
in Iowa, on the western bank of the Mississippi River, southeast of Cedar
Rapids. Population: 28,323 (1996)

2.  city
in central Mississippi, west of Jackson and east of Vicksburg. Population:
21,992 (1996)

[1]



Clinton,Bill

Clinton,Bill

Clin·ton
[klíntən], Bill (1946– )
U.S.
statesman and 42nd president of the United States (1993-). Before his election
to the White House he was Democratic Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981,
1983–1992). In 1999 he was impeached and acquitted by the senate for perjury
and obstruction of justice.
Full name
Clinton, William Jefferson[1]



Clinton,De Witt

Clinton,De Witt
Clin·ton
[klíntən], De Witt (1769–1828)

U.S. statesman. He was
governor of New York State (1817–1823), and ran for the U.S. presidency in
1812.[1]



Clinton,George

Clinton,George
Clin·ton
[klíntən], George (1739–1812)

U.S. statesman. He was
governor of New York State (1777–1795 and 1801–1804) and the 4th U.S. vice
president (1805–1812).[1]



Clinton,Hillary Rodham

Clinton,Hillary Rodham

Clin·ton 
[klíntən], Hillary Rodham (1947– )
U.S. lawyer and first lady. In 1994, her
proposals for the first national health care program were blocked by Congress.[1]



clintonia

clintonia
clin·to·ni·a 
[klin tṓnee ə] (plural clin·to·ni·as)
noun

perennial
flowering plant: a broad-leafed perennial plant of the
lily family with white, yellow, or purplish flowers and blue or purple berries.
Genus: Clintonia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for De Witt Clinton
.][1]



Clio

Clio
Cli·o 
[kl ] (plural Cli·os) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
muse:
in Greek mythology, the muse of history

2.  advertising
award:
an annual award for excellence in television or radio advertising

[1]



cliometrics

cliometrics
cli·o·met·rics 
[kl ō méttriks] noun

study
of history using computational methods: the
study of economic history using statistics, advanced methods of data
processing, analysis of mathematical data, and economic modeling (takes a
singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Clio + -metrics,
modeled on such words as econometrics .]
—cli·o·met·ric,
adjective

—cli·o·me·tri·cian [kl ō me trísh’n], noun[1]



clip

clip1
clip1 [klip]
verb (past clipped, past participle clipped,
present participle clipping, 3rd person present singular clips)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
or trim something: to cut or trim something, or
cut it off, for example, with scissors or shears

2.  transitive
verb
cut
something out: to remove something from something else
by cutting

3.  transitive
verb
shorten
time taken for something: to reduce the time taken to
complete something, especially traveling time

4.  transitive
verb
sideswipe:
to make physical contact with somebody or something else with a light glancing
slapping blow (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS truncate
speech sound: to shorten a speech sound

6.  transitive
verb
LINGUISTICS abbreviate
word:
to shorten a word or other expression by abbreviating it or dropping a syllable

7.  transitive
verb
curtail:
to reduce or diminish power or influence

8.  intransitive
verb
go
fast:
to move at a brisk pace (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
swindle
somebody:
to cheat or swindle somebody, especially by overcharging (slang)
noun
(plural clips)

1.  CINEMA TV film or TV extract:
an extract, especially a short piece from movie or television footage

2.  PRESS extract
from print media: a news story or other article cut out of
a print publication and used, for example, as a sample of work

3.  glancing
blow:
a sideswiping blow

4.  rate
of motion:
the speed at which somebody or something moves (informal)

5.  single
occasion:
a single time or occasion (informal)

6.  thing
or amount cut: something cut or removed, especially the
amount of wool cut from a flock of sheep at one shearing
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse klippa “to cut short,” which may be
an imitation of the sound.][1]



clip

clip2
clip2 [klip]
noun

1.  gripping
device:
any of numerous devices that grip or clasp loose things together or that hold
things firmly (often used in combination)

2.  ACCESSORIES piece
of jewelry:
a piece of jewelry with a gripping device that attaches to clothing

3.  ARMS bullet
holder:
a container for bullets, slotted directly into an automatic firearm

4.  FOOTBALL illegal
blocking:
the act or an instance of illegally blocking a player on an opposing team by
hitting that player with the body from behind.
Also
called
clipping
verb
(past clipped, past participle clipped, present
participle clip·ping, 3rd person present singular clips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hold
something with gripping device: to hold loose things
together, or attach one thing to another, using a clip, or be attached in this
way

2.  transitive
verb
FOOTBALL block
player illegally: to block an opposing player illegally by
hitting that person from behind
[Old English clyppan
“to embrace, fasten,” of prehistoric West Germanic origin. The noun evolved
from the verb in the 15th century. Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to form into a ball.” See cling .][1]



clipart

clipart
clip
art
noun

prepackaged
artwork in computing: prepackaged artwork,
available on graphics or desktop publishing software, for use in documents
produced on computer
[So called because it
originally came in the form of clip sheets, pages of drawings that graphic
designers could cut out and paste into layouts][1]



clipboard

clipboard
clip·board 
[klíp bàwrd] (plural clip·boards)
noun

board with clip for securing
papers: a small portable board with
a clip attached at the top, used for securing papers and providing a hard
writing surface for somebody on the move[1]



clip-clop

clip-clop
clip-clop
[klip klóp] noun interjection

sound
of hooves:
used to represent or imitate the rhythmic sound made by a walking horse’s
hooves as they strike hard ground
intransitive
verb
(past clip-clopped, past participle clip-clopped, present
participle clip-clop·ping, 3rd person present singular clip-clops)

go
clip-clop:
to make the sound of hooves striking hard ground
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



clipjoint

clipjoint
clip
joint
(plural clip joints) noun

place
that overcharges customers: a shop or club that
habitually overcharges its customers (slang)
[From clip 1 “to
swindle”][1]



clip-on

clip-on
clip-on 
adjective

attaching
by gripping: used to describe something, especially
an item of clothing, that is attached by means of a clip
noun
(plural clip-ons)

accessory that attaches with
clip: an accessory, for example,
an earring or a tie, that is attached with a clip[1]



clipped

clipped
clipped
[klipt] adjective

1.  neatly
trimmed:
trimmed or cut back neatly

2.  with
each word spoken clearly: spoken with each word
pronounced separately and distinctly

[1]



clipper

clipper
clip·per 
[klíppər] noun (plural clip·pers)

1.  NAUTICAL fast
sailing ship: a mid-19th-century tall ship with a
sharp bow, designed for fast speeds

2.  METEOROLOGY weather
front:
a fast-moving weather front, usually one bringing cold air into a region

3.  somebody
who uses cutting tool: somebody who uses a cutting
or shearing tool

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See
limiter
plural
noun
clip·pers

tool for clipping something:
a hand tool for cutting or clipping something. Clippers include the tool for
trimming very short hair, that for trimming fingernails, and that for shearing
sheep.

[1]



clipping

clipping
clip·ping 
[klípping] noun (plural clip·pings)

1.  newspaper
item cut out: an article cut out of a newspaper or
magazine.
Also
called
cutting
U.K.
term
cutting  noun 2

2.  FOOTBALL See clip
plural
noun
clip·pings

trimmed-off hair or grass:
pieces of grass or hair that have been cut or clipped off

[1]



clipsheet

clipsheet
clip·sheet 
[klíp sht] (plural clip·sheets)
noun

one-side-only reprint:
an item or items from a newspaper or magazine reprinted on one side of the
paper only, used for distribution to interested parties[1]



clique

clique
clique 
[kleek, klik]
(plural cliques) noun

exclusive
group:
a close group of friends or colleagues having similar interests and goals, and
whom outsiders regard as excluding them
[Early
18th century. From French, formed from cliquer “to click, clap,” an
imitation of the sound. The underlying meaning is apparently “a group of people
who applaud one another.”]
—cliqu·ey,
adjective

—cliqu·ish,
adjective

—cliqu·ish·ly,
adverb

—cliqu·ish·ness, noun[1]



clitellum

clitellum
cli·tel·lum 
[klī télləm] (plural cli·tel·la
[klī téllə]) noun

part
of worm’s body wall: a glandular section, similar
in shape to a saddle, in the body wall of some worms, for example, earthworms
and leeches, that secretes a sticky substance during copulation. The substance
is later used to form a sac in which the eggs are deposited.
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin clitellae “packsaddle” (from its shape), literally
“little litters.”][1]



clitic

clitic
cli·tic
[klíttik] adjective

pronounced
as part of another word: used to describe a word that
cannot be stressed and is pronounced as part of the word that follows or
precedes it, for example, in “ve” in “I’ve”
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from enclitic and proclitic .]
—cli·tic, noun[1]



clitoridectomy

clitoridectomy
cli·tor·i·dec·to·my 
[klìttəri déktəmee] (plural cli·tor·i·dec·to·mies)
noun

female circumcision:
the cutting off of all or part of a woman’s or girl’s clitoris, practised in
some societies as a social or cultural rite of passage[1]



clitoris

clitoris
clit·o·ris 
[klíttəriss] (plural clit·o·ris·es
or cli·tor·i·des [kli táwri dz])
noun

sensitive
female organ: a highly sensitive erectile organ
visible at the front junction of the labia minora in the vulva
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek kleitoris, literally “little
hill.”]
—clit·o·ral, adjective[1]



Clive,Robert

Clive,Robert

Clive 
[klv], Robert, Baron Clive of Plassey
(1725–1774)
British
soldier and colonial administrator who was instrumental in establishing British
rule in India. He served as governor of Bengal from 1765 to 1767 but became
embroiled in scandal and committed suicide.
Known as
Clive of India[1]



clk.

clk.
clk.

Abbreviation of
clerk[1]



clm.

clm.
clm.

Abbreviation of
column[1]



cloaca

cloaca
clo·a·ca 
[klō áykə] (plural clo·a·cae [klō áy s]) noun

terminal
part of gut: the terminal region of the gut in
reptiles, amphibians, birds, and many fish as well as in some invertebrates.
The intestinal, urinary, and genital canals open into it.
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “sewer, canal.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to flush out,” which is also the ancestor of English cataclysm and clyster
).]
—clo·a·cal, adjective[1]



cloak

cloak
cloak 
[klōk] noun (plural cloaks)

1.  CLOTHES outer
garment:
a loose sleeveless outer garment that fastens at the neck

2.  enshrouding
object or force: something that covers or conceals things
(literary)
transitive
verb
(past cloaked, past participle cloaked, present
participle cloak·ing, 3rd person present singular cloaks)

enshroud something:
to cover or conceal something (often passive)
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French cloke, cloque, variants of Old French cloche,
from medieval Latin clocca “bell, cape worn by travelers” (see clock ); from its bell-like shape.][1]



cloak-and-dagger

cloak-and-dagger
cloak-and-dag·ger 
adjective

full
of secrecy:
involving secrecy or intrigue, often as part of an espionage operation
[Translation of French de
cape et d’épée and Spanish de capa y espada, literally “of cape and
sword,” symbols of the rank of the chief characters in dramas of domestic
intrigue][1]



cloakfern

cloakfern
cloak
fern
(plural cloak ferns) noun

decorative dry-climate fern:
a fern of tropical and temperate America that is adapted to dry conditions and
is often used as an ornamental plant. Genus: Notholaena[1]



cloakroom

cloakroom
cloak·room 
[klṓk rm, klṓk
rm] (plural cloak·rooms) noun

1.  See
coat check

2.  legislators’
lounge:
a lounge for members of a legislature, near or connected to their chamber
itself

3.  closet
for coats:
a walk-in closet in a house, where coats and other outdoor items are stored

4.  U.K.
(informal) See restroom

[1]



clobber

clobber
clob·ber 
[klóbbər] (past clob·bered, past
participle clob·bered, present participle clob·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular clob·bers) transitive verb (informal)

1.  hit
somebody or something: to hit somebody or something
with great force

2.  utterly
defeat somebody: to defeat somebody heavily

3.  criticize
severely:
to criticize something or somebody severely • The
proposal has been clobbered in the national media.
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cloche

cloche
cloche 
[klōsh] (plural cloches) noun

1.  CLOTHES woman’s
hat:
a woman’s or girl’s close-fitting hat with a very narrow brim, or no brim at
all, especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s

2.  GARDENING protective
cover for plants: a small structure made of glass or clear
plastic, placed over cold-sensitive garden plants in cold weather
[Late 19th century. Via
French, literally “bell,” from medieval Latin clocca (see clock ); from the shape.][1]



clock

clock2
clock2  [klok]
(plural clocks) noun

design
on stocking or sock: a design on the ankle or
side of a stocking or sock
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps the pattern originally consisted of bell-shaped ornaments
(see clock 1 ).][1]



clock

clock1

clock1 [klok]
noun (plural clocks)

1.  TIME device
displaying the time: a freestanding device that
measures and records time, which it displays by a pointer on a dial or by a
digital readout

2.  TECHNOLOGY measuring
instrument with display: a measuring instrument with
a dial or a digital display, for example, any of a vehicle’s control gauges,
especially the odometer

3.  BUSINESS See time clock

4.  BOTANY seed
head of dandelion: the fluffy white seed head
of a dandelion

5.  COMPUTING electronic
circuit that synchronizes computer processes: an
electronic circuit that generates pulses at a constant rate in order to
synchronize the internal operations in a computer
transitive verb
(past clocked, past participle clocked, present
participle clock·ing, 3rd person present singular clocks)

1.  record
somebody’s or something’s time: to measure or record
the time somebody or something takes, using a stopwatch or an electronic timing
device

2.  punch
somebody:
to punch somebody (slang)
[14th
century. Via Middle Dutch and Middle Low German klocke from, ultimately,
medieval Latin clocca “bell” (source of English cloak ).]
against the clock

with
limited time to finish something

around the clock

or round
the clockday and night, without stopping

turn the clock(s) back

or
put the clock(s) backto return to the conditions of an earlier time[1]



clockgolf

clockgolf
clock
golf
noun

putting game:
a putting game in which the ball is played from each of several points on the
edge of a circular lawn toward a single hole in the center[1]



clockin

clockin
clock
in
intransitive verb

register arrival for work:
to arrive for work, or record arrival for work by inserting a personalized card
into a time clock[1]



clockmaker

clockmaker
clock·mak·er
[klók màykər] (plural clock·mak·ers)
noun

maker of clocks:
somebody who makes and repairs clocks and watches for a living[1]



clockout

clockout
clock
out
intransitive verb

register leaving work:
to leave work, or record departure from work by inserting a personalized card
into a time clock[1]



clockradio

clockradio
clock
ra·di·o
noun

combination clock and radio:
an electronic device that incorporates a digital clock, an alarm clock, and a
radio[1]



clockspeed

clockspeed
clock
speed
(plural clock speeds) noun

speed of microprocessor’s
clock: the speed of a
microprocessor’s internal clock that controls how fast a computer can make
calculations, usually measured in megahertz (MHz)[1]



clockup

clockup
clock
up
transitive verb

accumulate:
to reach a particular total[1]



clock-watcher

clock-watcher
clock-watch·er 
(plural clock-watch·ers) noun

somebody
too eager to stop work: somebody who is more
interested in going home or to lunch on time than getting a job done
—clock-watch·ing, noun[1]



clockwise

clockwise
clock·wise 
[klók wz] adverb adjective

in direction of a clock’s
hands: in the same direction that
the hands of a clock move around a clock face[1]



clockwork

clockwork
clock·work 
[klók wùrk] noun

1.  mechanical
powering system: a mechanism consisting of cogs and a
wound spring, used to drive a traditional clock or a moving toy

2.  unvarying
regularity:
precise unvarying regularity

[1]



clod

clod
clod 
[klod] (plural clods) noun

1.  lump
of earth:
a large lump of earth or clay

2.  unintelligent
person:
somebody who is unintelligent and stupid (insult)
[14th
century. Variant form of clot .]
—clod·dish,
adjective

—clod·dish·ly,
adverb

—clod·dish·ness,
noun

—clod·dy, adjective[1]



clodhopper

clodhopper
clod·hop·per 
[klód hòppər] noun (plural clod·hop·pers)

awkward
unsophisticated person: somebody who is awkward and
unsophisticated and behaves insensitively or clumsily (insult)
plural
noun
clod·hop·pers

CLOTHES big
heavy shoes or boots: a pair of large heavy shoes
or boots (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Originally “a plowman or other agricultural worker,” from the idea of somebody
who “hops” or walks over plowed land with clods of earth.][1]



clofibrate

clofibrate
clo·fi·brate 
[klō f bràyt, klō
fí bràyt] (plural clo·fi·brates) noun

anticholesterol
drug:
a drug used to reduce plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric
acid. C12 H15 Cl O3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from clofibric acid (from, perhaps, chloro-
+ fibr- + -ate ).][1]



clog

clog

clog 
[klog] verb (past clogged,
past participle clogged, present participle clog·ging,
3rd person present singular clogs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb block
gradually:
to block a tube or opening gradually with dirt or dust, or become gradually
blocked with dirt or dust

2.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT hinder
movement in something: to block something such as a
road or tunnel, making movement difficult
noun (plural
clogs)

1.  CLOTHES heavy
shoe:
a heavy shoe traditionally made of wood, or a shoe with a heavy, traditionally
wooden, sole

2.  obstruction:
something that works against somebody as an obstacle or hindrance

3.  weight
restricting animal’s movement: a wooden block fastened
to an animal’s leg to restrict its movement
[14th century. Origin
unknown. The original meaning of the word was “block, lump.” The verb developed
from the idea of impeding an animal with a wooden block.][1]



clogdance

clogdance
clog
dance
(plural clog danc·es) noun

dance performed wearing
clogs: a dance performed by dancers
wearing clogs, who tap or stamp in time to the music[1]



cloggy

cloggy
clog·gy
[klóggee] adjective

sticky
or lumpy:
sticky, or lumpy in texture
—clog·gi·ness, noun[1]



clogup

clogup
clog
up
intransitive and transitive verb

See
clog[1]



cloisonné

cloisonné
cloi·son·né 
[klòyz’n áy] adjective

decorated
with pattern of enamel: decorated with a pattern
formed by pieces of enamel in various colors separated by strips of flattened
wire
noun

cloisonné
work:
decorative work with a cloisonné pattern
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “partitioned,” the past participle of cloisonner, from
Old French cloison “partition,” from, ultimately, Latin claudere
(see close ).][1]



cloister

cloister
clois·ter 
[klóystər] noun (plural clois·ters)

1.  RELIGION monastery
or convent:
a place where people live a life of religious seclusion and contemplation, for
example, a monastery or convent

2.  RELIGION part
of monastery where monks live: an area within a
monastery or convent where monks or nuns live. Some orders do not allow
laypeople access to this area.

3.  RELIGION life
of religious seclusion: the life of religious
seclusion lived by a monk or nun • He
chose the cloister rather than the secular world.

4.  place
of seclusion: a place where people can be private or
secluded

5.  ARCHITECTURE covered
walkway around courtyard: a continuous covered outdoor
walkway built against buildings surrounding a central courtyard or quadrangle,
especially in a monastery or college. The inner side of the walkway may be open
or colonnaded.
reflexive
verb
(past clois·tered, past participle clois·tered, present
participle clois·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular clois·ters)

find private place:
to find a quiet private place where you can remain undisturbed
[13th century. Via Old French
cloistre from medieval Latin claustrum, from Latin, “bar, bolt,”
formed from claudere (see close ).
The underlying idea is of an enclosed place.][1]



cloistered

cloistered
clois·tered
[klóystərd] adjective

1.  secluded:
secluded, or sheltered from the harsh realities of life • had
led a cloistered life

2.  RELIGION in a
monastery:
living or occurring in a monastery or convent

3.  ARCHITECTURE with
a cloister:
having a cloister for walking in

[1]



cloistral

cloistral
clois·tral 
[klóystrəl] adjective

1.  RELIGION of
religious seclusion: relating to a life of
religious seclusion

2.  leading
a sheltered life: sheltered from the harsh realities of
life

[1]



clomiphene

clomiphene
clom·i·phene 
[klómmə fn, klṓmə
fn] noun

infertility
drug:
a synthetic drug used to induce ovulation and treat infertility. C26H28ClNO
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from chloro- + amine
+ phenyl .][1]



clomp

clomp
clomp 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

See
clump 2[1]



clone

clone
clone 
[klōn] noun (plural clones)

1.  GENETICS genetically
identical organism: a plant, animal, or other
organism that is genetically identical to its parent, having developed by
vegetative reproduction, for example from a bulb or a cutting, or
experimentally from a single cell

2.  GENETICS group
of genetically identical progeny: a collection of
organisms, cells, or molecular segments that are genetically identical direct
descendants of a single parent by asexual reproduction, for example, plant
cuttings or grafts. Some plant varieties are clones.

3.  COMPUTING near
copy of hardware or software: a hardware device, for
example, a PC, or a piece of software that is a functional copy of another,
popular, more expensive product developed by another manufacturer
verb
(past cloned, past participle cloned, present
participle clon·ing, 3rd person present singular clones)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb GENETICS produce genetically identical
organisms:
to produce an organism that is genetically identical to its parent, by
vegetative reproduction or a laboratory technique, or be produced in this way

2.  transitive
verb
make
copy of something: to produce an exact or near
copy of an object or product
[Early
20th century. From Greek klōn “twig.”]
—clon·al,
adjective

—clon·al·ly,
adverb

—clon·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at copy

[1]



clonk

clonk
clonk
[klongk] noun (plural clonks)
interjection

dull hollow sound:
used to represent or imitate the dull hollow sound of something heavy, usually
metal, ceramic, or glass, hitting a surface hard
verb
(past clonked, past participle clonked, present
participle clonk·ing, 3rd person present singular clonks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
thudding noise: to make a heavy hollow thud, or make
something produce such a noise

2.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody heavily: to hit somebody with a heavy blow,
usually on a particular part of the body (informal)
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



clonus

clonus
clo·nus 
[klṓnəss] noun

rapid
muscle contraction and relaxation: a series of rapid
repetitive contractions and relaxations in a muscle during movement, which is
characteristic of certain nervous disorders. Spontaneous clonus is a principal
feature of grand-mal epilepsy seizures but is otherwise uncommon.
[Early
19th century. Via Latin from Greek klonos “turmoil, agitation.”]
—clo·nic
[klónnik, klṓnik],
adjective

—clo·nic·i·ty [klō níssətee, klo níssətee],
noun[1]



Clooney,George

Clooney,George
Cloo·ney
[klnee], George (1961– )

U.S. movie and television
actor. He played Dr. Douglas Ross television series ER in the 1990s.[1]



clop

clop

clop 
[klop] noun interjection
sound
of hooves:
used to represent or imitate the sound that a walking horse’s hooves make when
they strike hard ground
intransitive
verb
(past clopped, past participle clopped, present
participle clop·ping, 3rd person present singular clops)
make
sound of hooves: to make the sound of a walking horse’s
hooves striking hard ground
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



cloque

cloque
clo·que 
[klō káy] or clo·qué [klō káy] noun

fabric
with raised pattern: fabric with a raised woven
or embossed pattern that gives it a quilted look
[Early 20th century. Via
French cloqué, literally “blistered,” from dialectal cloque
“blister,” from medieval Latin clocca “bell.”][1]



close

close3
close3  [klōss]
(plural clos·es) noun

LAW parcel
of land:
an individual parcel of land, whether marked off by fencing or only having
invisible boundaries
[13th century. Via French clos
from Latin clausum “closed place, enclosure,” from the neuter form of clausus
(see close 1 ).][1]



close

close1
close1  [klōss]
adjective (comparative clos·er, superlative clos·est)

1.  near:
near in space or time • The
deadline was getting closer all the time.

2.  about
to happen:
about to happen, or about to do something • close
to collapse

3.  knowing
and liking somebody: knowing somebody very well
and liking him or her very much • close
friends

4.  closely
related:
being a member of somebody’s immediate family

5.  involving
regular contact: involving or having regular contact
because of a shared interest in something

6.  thorough:
involving great care and thoroughness • give
it close inspection.

7.  decided
by a small margin: decided by, or likely to be
decided by, a small margin • a
close contest

8.  TEXTILES allowing
little space between: so densely packed or woven
as to allow only little spaces between

9.  very
similar:
very similar to an original • a
close copy

10. nearly
correct:
nearly correct or exact • You’re
not quite right, but you’re pretty close.

11. nearly
a number or quantity: approximately the same as a
particular number or quantity

12. secretively
silent:
unwilling to talk about something or to reveal feelings

13. cut
very short:
cut so as to be very short

14. stingy:
unwilling to spend or give money

15. hard
to get:
difficult to obtain

16. closely
guarded:
kept closely guarded

17. stuffy:
oppressively hot and airless

18. SPORTS defensive,
with short passes: involving short passes only,
so as to retain possession

19. PHONETICS produced
with tongue near palate: used to describe a vowel
sound that is produced with the tongue near the palate, for example, the “ee”
in “tee”
adverb
(comparative clos·er, superlative clos·est)

1.  near
to something: near in space or time

2.  tightly:
in a snug tight way
[13th century. Via French clos
from Latin clausus, the past participle of claudere “to close.”
The sense “near” developed from the idea of the closing off of the gap between
two things if they are brought together.][1]



close

close2
close2  [klōz]
verb (past closed, past participle closed, present
participle clos·ing, 3rd person present singular clos·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
an opening:
to move or move something so that an opening or hole is covered or blocked

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
or bring together: to come together, or bring
the edges or ends of something together, for example, the eyelids

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shut
down business for short time: to stop working or
operating, or shut a store or business, for a short period of time or overnight

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb See close down

5.  transitive
verb
See close off

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb terminate:
to come to an end, or bring something to an end, for example, an activity,
period of time, or spoken or written text

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
the distance: to reduce the distance between two
people or things, especially in a race or chase

8.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE bring
deal to closure: to complete a transaction successfully,
for example, a business deal or a house purchase

9.  intransitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE have
an end-of-day value: to have a particular value at
the end of a day’s trading on a stock exchange

10. transitive
verb
COMPUTING deactivate
and store file or program: to perform the series of
operations necessary to deactivate a file or program and store it for later use

11. transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING complete
an electrical circuit: to complete an electrical
circuit
noun

1.  end
of an activity: the end of an activity, period of time,
or spoken or written text • The
meeting drew to a close.

2.  MUSIC See cadence
[13th
century. From French clos-, the stem of clore “to close,” from
Latin claudere (see close 1 ).]
—clos·a·ble,
adjective

—clos·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Close is derived from the Latin
  word claudere, meaning “to close,” which is also the source of English
  clause, cloister,
  closet, conclude,
  include, preclude, recluse,
  and seclude.

[1]



closecall

closecall
close
call 
(plural close calls) noun

narrow escape:
a dangerous situation that could have resulted in death or injury, but from
which somebody just manages to escape.
Also called
close shave[1]



closecorporation

closecorporation
close
cor·po·ra·tion  (plural close cor·po·ra·tions)
or closed cor·po·ra·tion (plural closed cor·po·ra·tions)
noun

privately held company:
a company, the stock of which is closely held by a limited number of
shareholders, usually directors or managers, and not publicly traded[1]



close-cropped

close-cropped
close-cropped
adjective

cut short:
cut very short[1]



closed

closed
closed 
[klōzd] adjective

1.  where
work has stopped: where work, operation, or trading has
temporarily or permanently stopped

2.  denying
access:
where access or passage is denied

3.  no
longer to be discussed: about which there is to be
no further discussion or investigation • The
subject is closed.

4.  rigidly
excluding others’ ideas: rigidly rejecting ideas,
beliefs, opinions, and influence from or by others • He
has a closed mind to all arguments.

5.  not
admitting outsiders: allowing no outsiders in, or
tending not to meet with outsiders

6.  confidential
and private: carried on or conducted in the strictest
confidentiality or secrecy

7.  MATHEMATICS fully
enclosing an area or volume: used to describe a curve,
especially a circle, that fully encloses an area, or to describe a solid every
surface of which is such a curve

8.  LINGUISTICS having
limited number of members: used to describe a word
class that has a limited number of members, for example, pronouns or
conjunctions

9.  PHONETICS ending
in consonant: used to describe a syllable that ends in
a consonant

[1]



closed-captioned

closed-captioned
closed-cap·tioned 
adjective

broadcast with subtitles:
broadcast with captions, for example, subtitles for the hard of hearing, that
can be received on an adapted television set[1]



closedcircuit

closedcircuit
closed
cir·cuit
(plural closed cir·cuits) noun

uninterrupted electrical
circuit: an electrical circuit in
which there is an uninterrupted endless path for current to flow when voltage
is applied[1]



closed-circuittelevision

closed-circuittelevision
closed-cir·cuit
tel·e·vi·sion or closed-cir·cuit TV noun

circuit of TV cameras and
monitors: a television transmission
system in which cameras transmit pictures by cable to connected monitors.
Surveillance systems are based on this type of transmission.[1]



closedcorporation

closedcorporation
closed
cor·po·ra·tion noun

See
close corporation[1]



closedcouplet

closedcouplet
closed
cou·plet
(plural closed cou·plets) noun

couplet of poetry complete in
sense: a pair of rhymed lines that
form a complete sentence or unit of meaning[1]



closed-door

closed-door
closed-door 
adjective

not open to public or media:
restricted to members or those directly involved, and not open to the general
public or the news media[1]



closed-endfund

closed-endfund
closed-end
fund
(plural closed-end funds) noun

investment company with
limited trading: an investment company
with a fixed number of shares trading on the stock exchange[1]



closed-endinvestment company

closed-endinvestment company
closed-end
in·vest·ment com·pa·ny  noun

type of investment company:
a corporation whose capitalization is fixed, whose capital is invested in other
companies, and whose own shares are traded by outside investors[1]



closedinterval

closedinterval
closed
in·ter·val
(plural closed in·ter·vals) noun

set of numbers including
first and last: a set consisting of all
the numbers between two given numbers ( end points ), including the given
numbers. All the whole numbers greater than or equal to 5 and less than or
equal to 10 constitute a closed interval.
Also called
interval[1]



closedloop

closedloop
closed
loop
(plural closed loops) noun

self-adjusting controlled
system: a system, usually
computer-controlled, that adjusts itself to varying conditions by feeding
output information back as input[1]



closed-minded

closed-minded
closed-mind·ed 
or close-mind·ed adjective

closed
to new ideas or opinions: rigidly and obstinately
averse to the consideration of new ideas or other people’s arguments
—closed-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



closedown

closedown
close·down 
[klṓz dòwn] (plural close·downs)
noun

stoppage of work:
a temporary or permanent stopping of work or operations[1]



closedown

closedown
close
down
intransitive and transitive verb

stop operating permanently:
to stop operating or trading permanently, or shut a factory, business, or
school so that it stops operating permanently[1]



closedscholarship

closedscholarship
closed
schol·ar·ship (plural closed schol·ar·ships)
noun

scholarship limited to
certain students: a scholarship for which
only certain people may apply, for example, students from a particular school
or college[1]



closedseason

closedseason
closed
sea·son
noun

1.  period
of no hunting: the time of the year when it is illegal
to hunt and kill certain animals, birds, or fish

2.  period
between seasonal sports competitions: the
period between the end of one annual seasonal sports competition, for example,
a soccer season, and the start of the next one

[1]



closedset

closedset
closed
set
(plural closed sets) noun

set containing all limiting
points: a set that includes the
limits by which the set is defined, for example, all the points within and on a
circle[1]



closedshop

closedshop
closed
shop
(plural closed shops) noun

employment for union members
only: a place of work in which the
employer has agreed to employ only members of a particular labor union.
See also
open shop
See also
union shop[1]



closedstance

closedstance
closed
stance
(plural closed stances) noun

standing sideways onto ball:
a stance, for example, in baseball or golf, in which the front foot is closer
to the line of play than the rear foot[1]



close-fisted

close-fisted
close-fist·ed 
[klss fistəd] adjective

stingy:
reluctant to spend money (informal)
—close-fist·ed·ness, noun[1]



close-fitting

close-fitting
close-fit·ting
[klss fitting] adjective

fitting tightly:
fitting tightly on the body[1]



Close,Glenn

Close,Glenn
Close 
[klōss], Glenn (1947– )

U.S. stage and movie actor.
She won an Academy Award for her role in The World According to Garp (
1982 ).[1]



close-grained

close-grained
close-grained 
[klss gráyn’d] adjective

smooth and closely compacted:
used to describe wood that has dense fibers and as a result a smooth texture[1]



closeharmony

closeharmony
close
har·mo·ny
noun

composition technique
involving close chord tones: the
arrangement of chord tones so that they are as close together as possible, used
especially in music for vocal ensembles[1]



close-hauled

close-hauled
close-hauled 
[klss ] adjective adverb

sailing toward the wind:
with the sails set for sailing toward the direction from which the wind is
blowing[1]



closein

closein
close
in
intransitive verb

1.  approach
and surround something: to move closer and
eventually surround somebody or something

2.  have
shorter daylight period: to become progressively
shorter, with fewer hours of daylight

[1]



close-in

close-in
close-in
[klss ] adjective

1.  near
hub of action: being very near to a center of action or
activity, for example, the inlying suburbs of a metropolis

2.  close-range:
taking place at close range

[1]



close-knit

close-knit
close-knit 
[klss ] adjective

mutually supportive:
supportive and loyal to the other members of a community or group[1]



close-lipped

close-lipped
close-lipped
[klss ] adjective

reticent:
unwilling to talk or to reveal anything[1]



closely

closely
close·ly
[klṓsslee] adverb

1.  carefully
and thoroughly: in a careful and thorough way • listening
closely

2.  in
a very similar way: in a way that is very
similar or strongly linked to something • She
closely resembles you.

3.  so
as to be near: in a way that is near something in space
or time • We
heard a bang, closely followed by another.

4.  secretly:
in a secret or clandestine manner

5.  intimately:
in an intimate manner • worked
closely with her

[1]



close-minded

close-minded
close-mind·ed 
[klss ] adjective

See
closed-minded[1]



closemouthed

closemouthed
close·mouthed 
[klōz mówd] adjective

reticent:
unwilling to talk or to reveal anything[1]



closeness

closeness
close·ness
[klṓssnəss] noun

1.  nearness:
the quality or state of being close to somebody or something in space, time,
relationship, or intimacy

2.  stuffy
airlessness: stuffy airlessness

[1]



closeoff

closeoff
close
off
transitive verb

block road:
to prevent people from reaching a place or using a route by blocking access to
it (often passive)[1]



close-orderdrill

close-orderdrill
close-or·der
drill 
[klss ] (plural close-or·der
drills) noun

drill executed at close
intervals: a formation or movement that
is conducted with soldiers at close intervals[1]



closeout

closeout
close
out
transitive verb

1.  keep
out with barrier: to keep something out by blocking or
obstructing it

2.  COMMERCE sell
off:
to get rid of old merchandise by selling it at reduced prices

3.  COMMERCE end
business operations: to terminate business
operations by selling the business to another party

[1]



closeout

closeout
close·out 
[klṓz òwt] (plural close·outs)
noun

sale of remaining
merchandise: a sale of all remaining
merchandise, at very low prices[1]



closepunctuation

closepunctuation
close
punc·tu·a·tion noun

heavy use of punctuation:
punctuation in which a large number of commas, semicolons, and colons are used[1]



close-run

close-run
close-run
[klss ] adjective

decided by small margin:
having a very close result[1]



closeseason

closeseason
close
sea·son
[klss ] noun

U.K. =
closed season[1]



closeshave

closeshave
close
shave 
[klss ] noun

See
close call[1]



closet

closet
clos·et 
[klózzət] noun (plural clos·ets)

1.  storage
place:
a large cabinet or recessed area with a door, in which clothes or linens are
stored

2.  small
private room: a small private room (archaic)

3.  toilet:
a water closet (archaic)
adjective

1.  secret:
having beliefs or behavior that is not openly acknowledged but kept secret

2.  in
theory only: regarded as something, or considering
yourself as something, in theory or in your imagination but in not reality • This
game appeals to closet baseball managers.
transitive
verb
(past clos·et·ed, past participle clos·et·ed, present
participle clos·et·ing, 3rd person present singular clos·ets)

put somebody in private place:
to put people in a small room where they can have privacy (often passive)
[14th
century. From Old French, literally “small enclosure,” formed from clos
“enclosure” (see close 3 ).]
—clos·et·ful,
noun
come
out of the closet

to acknowledge openly
something previously kept secret, especially the fact of being gay or lesbian[1]



closetdrama

closetdrama
clos·et
dra·ma
(plural clos·et dra·mas) noun

drama for reading not
performance: a play or plays written
to be read rather than performed[1]



closetqueen

closetqueen
clos·et
queen
(plural clos·et queens) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a gay man who does not reveal his sexual preference
openly, or who actively conceals or denies it (slang offensive)[1]



closeup

closeup
close
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lock
building:
to lock the doors of a building at the end of a working or trading session

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
closer together: to move closer together, or make people
or things move closer together

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
together:
to come together, or bring the ends or edges of something together

4.  intransitive
verb
hide
emotions:
to hide your true emotions deliberately because you do not want somebody to
know or understand you

[1]



close-up

close-up
close-up 
[klss ] noun (plural close-ups)

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY CINEMA TV
close-range
photo or shot: a photograph, movie, or television shot
taken from a position very close to the subject

2.  detailed
look at something: a detailed view or
examination of something
adjective

at close range:
seen from a position very near somebody or something else

[1]



closewith

closewith
close
with
transitive verb

engage somebody in conflict:
to enter into physical conflict or a fight with somebody • The
two boxers closed with one another.[1]



closing

closing
clos·ing
[klṓzing] adjective

final:
forming or connected with the final part of an activity or period of time
noun
(plural clos·ings)

1.  something
that closes: something that closes, for example, a
fastening on clothes

2.  COMMERCE LAW transfer of property
ownership:
a meeting among principals in a real estate transaction, during which legal
papers related to the sale and purchase are signed and financial arrangements
are made final and binding

3.  LAW See closing argument

[1]



closingargument

closingargument
clos·ing
ar·gu·ment
(plural clos·ing ar·gu·ments) or clos·ing state·ment
(plural clos·ing state·ments) noun

attorney’s final speech to
court: an attorney’s final summing
up of a case before a judge or jury or both, during which he or she advocates
the position of the state or of the individual client.
Also called
closing[1]



closingprice

closingprice
clos·ing
price
(plural clos·ing pric·es) noun

share price at close of
trading: the price of a share or bond
on a stock exchange recorded at the official close of trading[1]



closingstatement

closingstatement
clos·ing
state·ment
noun

See
closing argument[1]



closingtime

closingtime
clos·ing
time
(plural clos·ing times) noun

end of day’s work:
the time that an establishment such as a store, library, or bar closes and
people have to leave[1]



clostridium

clostridium
clos·trid·i·um 
[klo stríddee əm] (plural clos·trid·i·ums
or clos·trid·i·a [klo stríddee ə])
noun

bacterium
causing illness: a rod-shaped, usually motile,
Gram-positive bacterium that can cause serious illnesses including botulism,
tetanus, and gas gangrene. Genus: Clostridium
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, genus name, literally “little spindle,” coined
from Greek klōstēr “spindle.”]
—clos·trid·i·al, adjective[1]



closure

closure
clo·sure 
[klṓzhər] noun (plural clo·sures)

1.  permanent
end of business: the permanent ending of a business or
activity

2.  barring
of access:
blocking the access to a place or blocking a route

3.  something
that closes an opening: a device for closing an
opening, for example, a zipper or a cap on a bottle, or the place where the
opening closes

4.  closing
something:
an act or process of closing something, for example, closing an opening or
terminating an activity

5.  POLITICS See cloture

6.  PSYCHOLOGY sense
of finality: the sense of finality and coming to
terms with an experience, felt or experienced over time

7.  GEOLOGY vertical
distance of rock formation: the distance measured
vertically between the top of a rock formation ( anticline
) and the lowest contour

8.  PHONETICS contact
between vocal organs producing sound: a
contact made between vocal organs, for example, the tongue and the soft palate,
that produces a speech sound

9.  MATHEMATICS being
a closed set in mathematics: the characteristic of a set
in which the application of a given mathematical operation to any member of the
set always results in another member of that set
transitive verb
(past clo·sured, past participle clo·sured, present
participle clo·sur·ing, 3rd person present singular clo·sures)[1]



clot

clot
clot 
[klot] noun (plural clots)

1.  sticky
lump:
a mass of thickened liquid, especially blood

2.  any
sticky mass: a sticky mass of any substance, for
example, clay

3.  cluster:
a cluster of people or things
intransitive
and transitive verb (past clot·ted,
past participle clot·ted, present participle clot·ting,
3rd person present singular clots)

thicken and form lumps:
to thicken, or make a liquid thicken, and form lumps
[Old
English clott . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to form into
a ball.”]
—clot·tish, adjective[1]



cloth

cloth
cloth 
[klawth] (plural cloths) noun

1.  fabric:
fabric made by weaving, knitting, or felting thread or fibers

2.  piece
of fabric:
a piece of fabric used for a particular purpose, for example, a dishcloth (often
used in combination)

3.  CHRISTIANITY clergy:
the clergy, or the clothes worn by its members

4.  SAILING sail:
a sail of a boat

5.  THEATER piece
of fabric scenery: a painted piece of fabric
used as scenery
[Old English clāþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word (related to Danish klæde
“cloth” and German Kleid “garment”).][1]



clothbound

clothbound
cloth·bound 
[kláwth bòwnd] adjective

with cloth-covered cover:
used to describe a book that has a cloth-covered hardback cover[1]



clothcap

clothcap
cloth
cap
(plural cloth caps) noun

U.K.
flat cap:
a man’s unstiffened woolen cap with a visor, regarded as a symbol of the
working class[1]



clothe

clothe
clothe 
[klō] (past clothed or
clad (literary or archaic), past participle clothed
or clad (literary or archaic), present participle cloth·ing,
3rd person present singular clothes) transitive verb

1.  dress
somebody:
to put clothes on somebody (often passive)

2.  provide
clothing for somebody: to provide somebody with
clothes

3.  cover
something:
to completely cover an area • The
hills were clothed in mist.

4.  cover
something up: to obscure or conceal something as if
wrapping something around it

5.  endow
somebody or something: to endow or invest somebody
or something with some quality (usually passive)
[Old English clāþian,
from clāþ “cloth”(see cloth )][1]



clothes

clothes
clothes 
[klōz, klōz]
plural noun

1.  things
worn on the body: garments that cover the body

2.  washing:
all the garments, bed linen, and other articles that are washed when doing the
laundry
[Old English clāþas,
the plural of clāþ “cloth” (see cloth
)][1]



clotheshorse

clotheshorse
clothes·horse 
[klṓz hàwrs, klṓz
hàwrs] (plural clothes·horses) noun

1.  somebody
who dresses fashionably: somebody who insists on
wearing the latest fashions or who wears conspicuously fashionable clothing (informal)

2.  frame
for clothes: a frame on which clothes are hung to dry
indoors

[1]



clothesline

clothesline
clothes·line 
[klṓz ln, klṓz
ln] noun

line
for hanging laundry: a cord or wire on which
clean laundry is hung to dry
transitive
verb

catch football player by
neck: in football, to knock down
an opposing player by catching the player around the neck with an outstretched
arm (informal)[1]



clothesmoth

clothesmoth
clothes
moth
(plural clothes moths) noun

moth that feeds on clothing:
any of the small moths whose larvae feed on wool and fur. Family: Tineidae[1]



clothespeg

clothespeg
clothes
peg
(plural clothes pegs) noun

U.K.
See clothespin[1]



clothespin

clothespin

clothes·pin 
[klṓz pìn, klṓz
pìn] (plural clothes·pins) noun
clip securing laundry to line:
a small clip of plastic or wood, used to secure laundry to a clothesline.
U.K. term
clothes peg[1]



clothespress

clothespress
clothes
press
(plural clothes press·es) noun

furniture for clothes
storage: a piece of furniture for
storing clothes, with hanging space and sometimes drawers or shelves[1]



clothier

clothier
cloth·ier 
[klṓyər] (plural cloth·iers) noun

retailer
of clothes or cloth: somebody who sells clothes
or cloth at retail
[14th century. Alteration of
obsolete clother, from cloth .][1]



clothing

clothing
cloth·ing 
[klṓing] noun

1.  clothes:
clothes collectively

2.  covering:
a covering for something

[1]



Clotho

Clotho
Clo·tho 
[klṓ thō] noun

one
of three Fates: one of the three Fates of classical
mythology. She holds the distaff and spins the thread of life.
See
also
Lachesis
See
also
Atropos
[From Greek Klōthō,
literally “I spin”][1]



clothof gold

clothof gold
cloth
of gold
noun

fabric containing gold
thread: a luxury fabric of the
Middle Ages woven from silk, or sometimes wool, intermixed with gold thread[1]



clotrimazole

clotrimazole
clo·tri·ma·zole
[kltrməzol] noun

antifungal
drug:
an antifungal drug, used to treat yeast and fungal infections
[Late 20th century][1]



clottedcream

clottedcream
clot·ted
cream 
noun

U.K.
thick cream from heated milk:
a thick cream made by removing the cream from the top of heated milk.
Also called
Devonshire cream[1]



clottingfactor

clottingfactor
clot·ting
fac·tor
(plural clot·ting fac·tors) noun

substance aiding blood
coagulation: any substance in the
blood that is essential for blood to coagulate.
Also called
coagulation factor[1]



cloture

cloture
clo·ture 
[klṓchər] noun (plural clo·tures)

closing
of debate in Senate: the process of closing a
debate in the Senate by calling for a vote
transitive
verb
(past clo·tured, past participle clo·tured, present
participle clo·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular clo·tures)

close
debate in Senate: to close a debate in the Senate by
calling for a vote
[Late 19th century. From
French clôture, literally “closing.”][1]



cloud

cloud

cloud 
[klowd] noun (plural clouds)

1.  mass
of water in sky: a visible mass of water or ice particles
in the atmosphere from which rain and other forms of precipitation fall

2.  mass
of particles in air: a mass of particles in the
air, for example, dust or smoke • a
cloud of smoke

3.  flying
mass:
an airborne mass of insects or birds

4.  darker
part:
a dark or dim area on something such as jewelry

5.  something
worrying:
something that causes anxiety or fear • Lack
of financial independence was a cloud hanging over our future.

6.  gloomy
condition:
a condition of gloom or despondency • a
cloud of despair
verb (past
cloud·ed, past participle cloud·ed, present participle
cloud·ing, 3rd person present singular clouds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
cloudy:
to become covered with cloud or mist, or make something cloudy

2.  transitive
verb
confuse
something:
to make something more confusing • cloud
the issue

3.  transitive
verb
detract
from something: to make something appear less good • It
clouded their reputation.

4.  transitive
verb
impair
something:
to diminish a mental faculty

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb look
troubled:
to become or cause something to become troubled or gloomy • His
face clouded with disappointment.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something opaque: to become or cause something
to become opaque or murky • The
water was clouded with particles.
[Old
English clūd “mass of rock, hill.” The modern meaning (13th century)
probably came from the supposed resemblance between cumulus clouds and lumps of
rock.]
on cloud nine

extremely
happy (informal)

under a cloud

in disgrace[1]



cloudberry

cloudberry
cloud·ber·ry 
[klówd bèrree] (plural cloud·ber·ries)
noun

plant
with edible yellow fruit: a creeping perennial plant
of the rose family found in Europe, North America, and Asia. It has white
flowers and yellowish edible berries. Latin name: Rubus chamaemorus
[From cloud + berry, but the
reason for the name is unknown][1]



cloudburst

cloudburst
cloud·burst 
[klówd bùrst] (plural cloud·bursts)
noun

sudden shower:
a sudden heavy rain shower[1]



cloudchamber

cloudchamber
cloud
cham·ber
(plural cloud cham·bers) noun

particle detector:
a device in which the movement of high-energy particles is detected as they
pass through a chamber of supersaturated vapor. Observable tracks are formed
when droplets condense on the ionized molecules left by the high-energy
particle.[1]



cloud-cuckoo-land

cloud-cuckoo-land
cloud-cuck·oo-land
noun

imaginary
problem-free place: an imaginary place in which
problems do not exist
[Translation of Greek Nephelokokkygia,
an imaginary city in the air built by the birds in the comedy Birds by
Aristophanes][1]



clouded

clouded
cloud·ed
[klówdəd] adjective

1.  troubled:
appearing troubled

2.  opaque:
opaque or murky

[1]



cloudedleopard

cloudedleopard
cloud·ed
leop·ard 
noun

wild Asian cat:
a rare medium-sized cat that lives in forests from Nepal to Borneo and has
short legs and a grayish to yellowish coat with darker irregular markings. It
hunts by jumping from trees as well as by stalking. Latin name: Neofelis
nebulosa[1]



cloudforest

cloudforest
cloud
for·est
(plural cloud for·ests) noun

tropical high-altitude
forest: a high-altitude tropical
forest that is usually covered by cloud. Clinging plants ( epiphytes ), especially mosses and ferns, grow on
the trees in profusion, encouraged by the moisture.[1]



cloudless

cloudless
cloud·less
[klówdləss] adjective

1.  bright
and clear:
bright and sunny without clouds • a
cloudless sky

2.  without
problems:
free of trouble
—cloud·less·ly,
adverb

—cloud·less·ness, noun[1]



cloudover

cloudover
cloud
over
or cloud up intransitive verb

1.  become
cloudy:
to become covered with cloud or mist

2.  grow
troubled:
to become troubled

[1]



cloudrack

cloudrack
cloud
rack
(plural cloud racks) noun

moving group of clouds:
a group of clouds moving across the sky[1]



cloudscape

cloudscape
cloud·scape 
[klówd skàyp] (plural cloud·scapes)
noun

clouds in scene:
a view or depiction of clouds[1]



cloudseeding

cloudseeding
cloud
seed·ing
noun

rainmaking technique:
the technique or process of scattering substances such as silver iodide into
clouds from an aircraft in order to precipitate rain[1]



cloudy

cloudy
cloud·y 
[klówdee] (comparative cloud·i·er,
superlative cloud·i·est) adjective

1.  with
clouds:
covered with some clouds, usually a great deal

2.  opaque:
opaque or murky • a cloudy liquid

3.  resembling
clouds:
having the appearance of clouds

4.  troubled:
seeming troubled or gloomy

5.  not
clear:
obscure or difficult to understand
—cloud·i·ly,
adverb

—cloud·i·ness, noun[1]



clout

clout
clout 
[klowt] noun (plural clouts)

1.  power
and influence: the power to direct, shape, or otherwise
influence things (informal)

2.  punch:
a blow with the hand or fist

3.  archery
target:
in archery, a mark or target, especially at a long distance
transitive
verb
(past clout·ed, past participle clout·ed, present
participle clout·ing, 3rd person present singular clouts)

hit somebody with hand:
to hit somebody or something hard with the hand
[Old
English clūt “patch made of cloth, plate of metal.” The reason behind
the meaning “to hit,” which dates from the 14th century, is unknown, and this
group of senses may represent a different word.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  use of clout to mean “influence,”
  especially political influence, originated in Chicago, and has spread
  throughout Illinois and the United States since the 1960s and the
  administration of Mayor Richard J. Daley.

[1]



clove

clove1

clove1 [klṓv]
(plural cloves) noun

1.  aromatic
spice:
a strongly aromatic spice that is the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used
in both spicy and sweet dishes

2.  spice-yielding
tropical tree: an evergreen tree of the myrtle family,
native to the Moluccas but grown in other tropical regions, with flower buds
that are used dried as a spice. The buds, stalks, and leaves also yield
aromatic oil of cloves. Latin name: Syzgium aromaticum
[12th century. From Old
French clou (de girofle), literally “nail (of the clove-tree),” from
Latin clavus “nail” from the resemblance of a single clove-tree bud,
with its stalk, to a nail.][1]



clove

clove3
clove3

Past tense of
cleave[1]



clove

clove2
clove2 (plural cloves)
noun

segment
of compound bulb: one of the segments of a compound bulb • a
clove of garlic
[Old English clufu,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English cleave “to cut”][1]



clovehitch

clovehitch
clove
hitch 
(plural clove hitch·es) noun

knot
made with two half-hitches: a knot made of two
half-hitches, used to attach a rope to a post or to another, thicker, rope
[Clove is an old past
participle of cleave 1][1]



cloven

cloven
clo·ven 
[klṓv’n] verb

Past
participle of cleave
adjective

split in two:
split or divided into two parts (archaic or literary)[1]



clovenhoof

clovenhoof
clo·ven
hoof
or cloven foot noun

1.  split
hoof of animal: the divided hoof of such animals as
cattle, sheep, and pigs. Order: Artiodactyla

2.  mark
of Devil:
an indication of the presence of the Devil, traditionally represented in
Christianity with a cloven hoof
—clo·ven-hoofed, adjective[1]



cloveoil

cloveoil
clove
oil
noun

See
oil of cloves[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








clovepink

clovepink
clove
pink
(plural clove pinks) noun

See
carnation
[From clove 1 ; from the
fact that the flower smells like the spice][1]



clover

clover
clo·ver 
[klṓvər] (plural clo·ver or
clo·vers) noun

1.  plant
with three-lobed leaves: a plant with three-lobed
leaves and small rounded flower heads. Clover is often cultivated as a forage
plant, for erosion control, and to provide nectar for bees. Genus: Trifolium

2.  forage
plant:
any forage plant similar to clover. Genera: Meliotus Lespedeza Medicago
[Old
English clāfre, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic compound whose
first part is also the ancestor of German Klee “clover”]
in
clover

financially well off[1]



cloverleaf

cloverleaf
clo·ver·leaf 
[klṓvər lf] (plural clover·leaves
[klṓvər lvz]) noun

1.  three-lobed
leaf:
the three-lobed leaf of a clover plant (often used before a noun) • a
cloverleaf motif

2.  highway
interchange: an arrangement of highways resembling a
four-leaf clover, with entrance and exit ramps enabling traffic to change
direction rapidly without intersections

[1]



Clovis

Clovis1
Clo·vis1  [klṓviss]
adjective

of
prehistoric N American culture: used to describe a
prehistoric North American culture characterized by leaf-shaped flint points
that were used as parts of weapons to hunt game
[Mid-20th century. Named for Clovis in New Mexico, where remains were first
found.][1]



Clovis

Clovis2
Clo·vis2 [klṓviss]

1.  city
in central California; an eastern suburb of Fresno. Population: 63,246 (1996)

2.  city
in eastern New Mexico, near New Mexico’s border with Texas, southeast of Santa
Fe. Population: 34,663 (1996)

[1]



clown

clown

clown 
[klown] noun (plural clowns)

1.  ARTS comic
circus performer: a comic performer, usually in a circus,
who does not speak and wears an outlandish costume and heavy makeup

2.  somebody
funny:
somebody who behaves comically

3.  prankster:
somebody who plays practical jokes

4.  ill-mannered
person:
an ill-mannered or ineffectual person (informal)
intransitive verb
(past clowned, past participle clowned, present
participle clown·ing, 3rd person present singular clowns)

1.  behave
comically:
to behave in a silly or funny way

2.  play
pranks:
to play practical jokes

3.  ARTS perform
as clown:
to perform as a circus clown
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain. Originally “peasant.”]
—clown·er·y, noun[1]



clownanemone

clownanemone
clown
a·nem·o·ne
(plural clown a·nem·o·nes) noun

See
anemone fish[1]



clownfish

clownfish
clown
fish
noun

See
anemone fish[1]



clownish

clownish
clown·ish
[klównish] adjective

typical
of clown:
resembling or characteristic of a clown
—clown·ish·ly,
adverb

—clown·ish·ness, noun[1]



cloy

cloy
cloy 
[kloy] (past cloyed, past
participle cloyed, present participle cloy·ing, 3rd
person present singular cloys) intransitive and transitive verb

weary
with excess: to sicken somebody or become sickened
with too much sweetness or sensation from something initially pleasing
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of obsolete accloy, via French encloer “to
drive in a nail” from medieval Latin inclavare, from, ultimately, Latin clavus
“nail.”]
—cloy·ing·ly,
adverb

—cloy·ing·ness, noun[1]



clozapine

clozapine
clo·za·pine 
[klṓzə pn] noun

PHARMACOLOGY antipsychotic
drug:
an antipsychotic drug used especially to alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of chloro- + benzodiazepine .][1]



clozetest

clozetest
cloze
test
[klṓz tèst] (plural cloze tests)
noun

language
comprehension test: a test of comprehension and
grammar in which a language student supplies appropriate missing words omitted
from a text
[Cloze shortening and
alteration of closure][1]



CLU

CLU
CLU

Abbreviation of
Chartered Life Underwriter[1]



club

club
club 
[klub] noun (plural clubs)

1.  thick
stick used as weapon: a stout stick used as a
weapon

2.  SPORTS stick
for hitting ball: a stick or bat used in certain sports,
especially golf, to hit a ball • a golf
club

3.  association
for participating in interest: an association of
people with a common interest • a
gardening club

4.  SPORTS organization
for a sport: an organization formed for the pursuit
of a sport on an amateur or a professional basis • a
football club

5.  premises
of club:
the premises where the activities of a club are pursued • See
you at the club tonight!

6.  building
providing facilities to members: a building that offers
facilities and refreshments to members of the organization that owns or
occupies it • a
gentlemen’s club

7.  COMMERCE organization
giving discounts: a plan or organization in which members
receive price reductions in return for regular purchases • a
book club

8.  SPORTS See Indian club

9.  nations
sharing something: a group of nations or people
who have a particular thing in common • the
nuclear club

10. See
nightclub

11. CARD GAMES black
symbol on playing card: a black symbol shaped like a
three-leaved clover on a playing card
verb
(past clubbed, past participle clubbed, present
participle club·bing, 3rd person present singular clubs)

1.  transitive
verb
hit
with club:
to hit a somebody or something with club • She
clubbed the ball over the fence.

2.  intransitive
verb
form
club:
to join or form a club for social purposes or to pursue a common interest

3.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL drift
with anchor lowered: to drift with an anchor that
drags to reduce the speed of the vessel
[12th
century. From Old Norse klubba “heavy stick,” alteration of klumpa
. With reference to cards, a translation of Spanish basto or Italian baston,
from the stick on Spanish cards.]
join
the club!

used to tell somebody that
you are in the same position as he or she is[1]



clubbable

clubbable
club·ba·ble
[klúbbə b’l] or club·a·ble [klúbbə b’l] adjective

sociable:
sociable, and enjoying belonging to clubs
—club·ba·bil·i·ty, noun[1]



clubbed

clubbed
clubbed 
[klubd] adjective

swollen at one end:
used to describe an appendage with a swelling at one end, like a club • clubbed
antennae[1]



clubber

clubber
club·ber 
[klúbbər] (plural club·bers) noun

1.  member
of club:
somebody who belongs to a club

2.  club
wielder:
somebody who uses a club

[1]



clubbing

clubbing
club·bing
[klúbbing] noun

1.  going
to nightclubs: the activity of going to nightclubs.
Also
called
nightclubbing

2.  MED thickening
of fingers and toes: a medical condition in which
the tips of the fingers and toes become thickened, especially at the base of
the nail. It may be associated with certain lung or heart diseases.

[1]



clubby

clubby
club·by 
[klúbee] (comparative club·bi·er,
superlative club·bi·est) adjective

1.  sociable:
enjoying the friendliness associated with clubs

2.  typical
of club:
typical of a social club

3.  snobbish:
socially exclusive and snobbish
—club·bi·ly,
adverb

—club·bi·ness, noun[1]



clubchair

clubchair
club
chair
(plural club chairs) noun

solid
armchair:
a heavily upholstered chair with a low back and thick arms
[From its use in gentlemen’s
clubs][1]



clubclass

clubclass
club
class
noun

U.K.
intermediate class for airline
passengers: a class of travel on an
aircraft between first class and economy class[1]



clubface

clubface
club·face 
[klúb fàyss] (plural club·faces)
noun

front surface of golf club:
the surface of the head of a golf club with which the player strikes the ball[1]



clubfoot

clubfoot
club·foot 
[klúb ft] (plural club·feet) noun

1.  deformity
of foot:
a congenital deformity of the foot, especially one in which the foot is twisted
and turned inward. Technical name talipes

2.  deformed
foot:
a foot that is deformed by clubfoot
—club·foot·ed, adjective[1]



clubhand

clubhand
club·hand
(plural club·hand) noun

1.  deformity
of hand:
a congenital deformity in which the hand is twisted and turned inward or
outward

2.  deformed
hand:
a hand deformed by clubhand
—club·handed, adjective[1]



clubhaul

clubhaul
club·haul
[klúb hàwl] (past club·hauled,
past participle club·hauled, present participle club·haul·ing,
3rd person present singular club·hauls) intransitive and
transitive verb

tack vessel by manipulating
anchor: to force a sailing vessel to
change tack by dropping the lee-anchor and hauling in the anchor cable to swing
the stern to windward[1]



clubhouse

clubhouse
club·house 
[klúb hòws] (plural club·houses
[klúb hòwzəz]) noun

1.  building
used by club: the premises of a club, especially a
sports club

2.  locker
room:
a sports team’s locker room

[1]



clubman

clubman
club·man 
[klúbmən] (plural club·men [klúbmən]) noun

man belonging to clubs:
a man who belongs to one or more exclusive social clubs[1]



clubmoss

clubmoss
club
moss
noun

moss with creeping stems:
a nonflowering plant that typically has creeping stems with small overlapping
leaves and reproduces by spores, often borne in club-shaped organs ( strobili
). Order: Lycopodiales[1]



clubroom

clubroom
club·room 
[klúb rm, klúb
rm] (plural club·rooms) noun

meeting room for club:
a room in which members of a club meet[1]



clubroot

clubroot
club·root
noun

disease affecting plant
roots: a disease affecting plants
of the cabbage family, in which the roots become swollen and distorted. Latin
name: Plasmodiophora brassicae[1]



clubs

clubs
clubs
[klubs] noun

suit of cards with club
symbol: one of the four suits used
in cards, with a black shape similar to a three-leaved clover as its symbol (takes
a singular or plural verb)[1]



clubsandwich

clubsandwich
club
sand·wich
(plural club sand·wich·es) noun

sandwich
with two fillings: a sandwich consisting of two
layers of fillings between three slices of bread.
Also
called
three-decker
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the variety of ingredients combined into one mass][1]



clubsoda

clubsoda
club
so·da
(plural club so·das) noun

See
soda water  noun 1
[Originally a proprietary
name][1]



clubsteak

clubsteak
club
steak
(plural club steaks) noun

See
Delmonico steak[1]



clubtogether

clubtogether
club
together
intransitive verb

1.  contribute
to group fund: to contribute money collectively for
some purpose

2.  join
in a group:
to collaborate as a group

[1]



clubwoman

clubwoman
club·wom·an 
[klúb wmmən] (plural club·wom·en
[klúb wìmmin]) noun

woman belonging to clubs:
a woman who belongs to many clubs, especially social or civic organizations[1]



cluck

cluck

cluck 
[kluk] interjection

used to represent hen’s call:
used to imitate the short low clicking sound made by a hen
verb (past
clucked, past participle clucked, present participle
cluck·ing, 3rd person present singular clucks)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
hen’s sound: to make natural short low clicking
sounds (refers to hens)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
something with clicking sound: to show disapproval or
concern by making short clicking sounds
noun (plural
clucks)

1.  hen’s
call:
a hen’s short low clicking call.
Also
called
chuck

2.  unintelligent
person:
a person who is considered mildly unintelligent (informal)
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



clue

clue
clue
[kloo] noun (plural clues)

1.  aid
in solving mystery: something that helps to
solve a mystery or crime

2.  aid
in solving crossword: one of the numbered items of
information used to solve a crossword puzzle

3.  explanation
for behavior: an explanation or reason for something
that is difficult to understand
transitive
verb
(past clued, past participle clued, present
participle clu·ing, 3rd person present singular clues)

give somebody information:
to supply somebody with useful information
[Late
16th century. Alteration of clew . From the
Greek myth of Theseus, who used a clew (“ball”) of thread to escape from the
Minotaur’s labyrinth.]
not
have a clue about something

1.  to
know nothing about something (informal)

2.  to
be very bad at something (informal)

[1]



cluein

cluein
clue
in
transitive verb

give somebody information:
to provide somebody with useful information • She
clued me in about office politics.[1]



clueless

clueless
clue·less 
[klləss] adjective

incompetent:
incompetent or ignorant (informal)[1]



Cluj-Napoca

Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Na·po·ca 
[kl nə pṓkə]

industrial city and capital
of Cluj County in Transylvania, northwestern Romania. Population: 326,017
(1994)[1]



clumberspaniel

clumberspaniel
clum·ber
span·iel
[klúmbər] (plural clum·ber
span·iels) or clum·ber [klúmbər]
(plural clum·bers) noun

thickset
silky-coated spaniel: a thickset short-legged
spaniel with a dense silky coat belonging to an English breed
[Named for Clumber
Park in Nottinghamshire, England][1]



clump

clump1
clump1  [klump]
noun (plural clumps)

1.  cluster
of things:
a compact cluster or group of growing things • a
clump of moss

2.  mass
of similar things: an undifferentiated mass of
something

3.  IMMUNOLOGY cluster
of cells:
a cluster of cells, for example, bacteria or red blood cells, especially one
formed during an immune response or when blood of incompatible blood groups is
mixed
verb
(past clumped, past participle clumped, present
participle clump·ing, 3rd person present singular clumps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
things into mass: to be gathered or gather things into a
mass

2.  IMMUNOLOGY cause
massing of cells: to cause cells, for example, bacteria or
red blood cells, to combine into a mass, especially as part of an immune
response
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low German klump .][1]



clump

clump2
clump2  [klump]
or clomp [klump] noun (plural
clumps) (plural clomps)

thumping
sound:
a heavy thumping sound
intransitive
verb
(past clumped, past participle clumped, present
participle clump·ing, 3rd person present singular clumps)
(past clomped, past participle clomped, present
participle clomp·ing, 3rd person present singular clomps)

move
with clump:
to walk or move with a heavy thumping sound
[Mid-17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



clumpy

clumpy
clump·y
[klúmpee] (comparative clump·i·er,
superlative clump·i·est) adjective

1.  large
and ungainly: large, heavy, and ungainly

2.  characterized
by clumps:
composed of or growing in clumps
—clump·i·ly,
adverb

—clump·i·ness, noun[1]



clumsy

clumsy
clum·sy 
[klúmzee] (comparative clum·si·er,
superlative clum·si·est) adjective

1.  moving
awkwardly:
poorly coordinated physically

2.  said
or done awkwardly: said or done in an awkward
or insensitive way • a clumsy remark
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from obsolete clumse “to
be numb with cold,” perhaps from Scandinavian.]
—clum·si·ly,
adverb

—clum·si·ness, noun[1]



clunk

clunk

clunk 
[klungk] noun (plural clunks)

1.  dull
sound:
a dull sound like that of a heavy piece of metal hitting something

2.  blow
or sound it makes: a blow, or the sound made by
a blow (informal)

3.  unintelligent
person:
somebody who is considered unintelligent or slow-witted (informal)
intransitive and transitive verb
(past clunked, past participle clunked, present
participle clunk·ing, 3rd person present singular clunks)

make dull sound:
to make a dull heavy sound
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



clunker

clunker
clunk·er 
[klúngkər] (plural clunk·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  dilapidated
machine or automobile: a dilapidated old motor
vehicle or piece of machinery

2.  something
worthless:
something that is worthless, inferior, or unsuccessful

[1]



clunky

clunky
clunk·y 
[klúngkee] (comparative clunk·i·er,
superlative clunk·i·est) adjective

awkwardly designed:
awkwardly designed or made (informal)[1]



Clunylace

Clunylace
Clu·ny
lace
[klnee làyss] noun

strong
white lace:
a strong white lace made of silk, linen, or cotton
[Late 19th century. Named for
Cluny, a town in the Saône-et-Loire Department of France.][1]



clupeid

clupeid
clu·pe·id 
[klpee id] (plural clu·pe·ids)
noun

oily
bony fish:
a soft-finned bony fish that has oily flesh, a narrow body, and a forked tail.
Herrings, sardines, menhadens, and shad are clupeids . Family: Clupeidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Clupeidae, family name, from, ultimately, Latin clupea,
a small river fish.][1]



cluster

cluster
clus·ter 
[klústər] noun (plural clus·ters)

1.  dense
bunch:
a small group of people or things that are closely packed together • a
cluster of diamonds • a
little cluster of onlookers

2.  ASTRONOMY stars
that appear near each other: a group of galaxies or stars
that are gravitationally interacting in space and appear to an observer on
earth to be close together

3.  PHONETICS group
of consonants: a group of consecutive consonants in the
same syllable

4.  STATISTICS subset
in statistical sample: a statistically significant
subset within a population, used in sampling

5.  MUSIC chord
of three or more notes: a chord consisting of three
or more notes spaced a semitone apart

6.  ARMY design
indicating military awards: in the U.S. Army, a small
metal design indicating that a medal has been awarded before to the same
individual

7.  MILITARY group
of bombs:
a group of bombs dropped together

8.  MILITARY set of
mines:
a basic unit of mines used in laying a minefield

9.  COMPUTING network
of small computers: a network of computers under
the control of a larger, more powerful computer
intransitive
and transitive verb (past clus·tered,
past participle clus·tered, present participle clus·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular clus·ters)

form into cluster:
to gather something into or form a small group
[Old
English clyster, of uncertain origin: probably from the same prehistoric
Germanic source as English clot]
—clus·tered,
adjective

—clus·ter·y, adjective[1]



clusteranalysis

clusteranalysis
clus·ter
a·nal·y·sis
noun

statistical determination of
groups: a statistical technique that
compares multiple characteristics of a population to determine whether
individuals fall into different groups[1]



clusterbomb

clusterbomb
clus·ter
bomb
(plural clus·ter bombs) noun

bomb dispersing smaller
bombs: a canister dropped from an
aircraft to release a number of small bombs over a wide area[1]



clustercontroller

clustercontroller
clus·ter
con·trol·ler  noun

COMPUTING
central computer in network:
a computer that sorts and files data transmitted by other smaller computers in
a network[1]



clusterheadache

clusterheadache
clus·ter
head·ache
(plural clus·ter head·aches) noun

recurring headache:
a severe recurring headache associated with the release of histamine in the
bloodstream, and marked by sudden sharp pain behind one eye or nostril[1]



clutch

clutch2
clutch2 noun

1.  BIRDS group
of eggs hatched together: the number of eggs hatched
by a bird or a pair of birds at one time

2.  BIRDS group
of chickens hatched together: all the chickens hatched
together from one clutch of eggs

3.  group
of similar things: a number of similar people
or things (informal)
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of dialectal cletch, from cleck “to
hatch,” from Old Norse klekja .][1]



clutch

clutch1
clutch1 [kluch]
verb (past clutched, past participle clutched,
present participle clutch·ing, 3rd person present singular
clutch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
hold
something tightly: to grip something tightly

2.  intransitive
verb
make
grabbing movement: to try to grab hold of
something

3.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOTIVE operate
clutch:
to engage the clutch of a motor vehicle
noun
(plural clutch·es)

1.  ENGINEERING mechanism
that connects shafts: a device that enables two
rotating shafts to be connected and disconnected smoothly, especially one in a
motor vehicle that transmits power from the engine to the gearbox

2.  AUTOMOTIVE pedal
activating clutch: the pedal that activates the
clutch in a motor vehicle

3.  controlling
power:
control and influence (often used in the plural) • We
were plainly in his clutches.

4.  crucial
moment:
a crucial moment in a critical situation (informal) • The
clutch came in the seventh inning.

5.  grip
on something: a tight grip on something
adjective

dependable:
dependable or accomplished at precisely the right moment
[14th
century. Variant of obsolete clitch “to bend, grasp,” from Old English clyccan
“to grasp,” of uncertain origin.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



clutchpurse

clutchpurse
clutch
purse
(plural clutch purs·es) noun

bag held in hand:
a purse that has no strap or handle and is carried under the arm or in the hand[1]



clutter

clutter
clut·ter 
[klúttər] noun

1.  untidy
stuff:
an untidy collection of objects

2.  disorganized
mess:
a condition of disorderliness or overcrowding

3.  MILITARY confusing
radar images: images on a radar screen that hinder
observation
transitive
verb
(past clut·tered, past participle clut·tered, present
participle clut·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular clut·ters)

fill something with clutter:
to make a place untidy or overfilled with objects
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of obsolete clotter, literally “to clot
repeatedly,” from clot .][1]



Clydesdale

Clydesdale
Clydes·dale 
[kldz dàyl] (plural Clydes·dales)
noun

Scottish
carthorse:
a strong heavy horse belonging to a breed originally developed in Scotland as
draft animals
[Late 18th century. Named for
Clydesdale, the area of the river Clyde in Scotland where the horses
originally were bred.][1]



clyster

clyster
clys·ter 
[klístər] (plural clys·ters) noun

enema:
an enema (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin clyster, from Greek klustēr “syringe,” from
kluzein “to wash out” (source of English cataclysm
).][1]



c.m.

c.m.
c.m.

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of center of mass

2.  Abbreviation
of
court-martial

[1]



Cm

Cm
Cm

Symbol for
curium[1]



cm

cm
cm

Symbol for
centimeter[1]



CMA

CMA
CMA
or C.M.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Canadian Medical Association

2.  Abbreviation
of
certified medical assistant

[1]



CMC

CMC
CMC

Abbreviation of
certified management consultant[1]



Cmd.

Cmd.
Cmd.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Commander[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cmdg.

cmdg.
cmdg.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of commanding[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Cmdr.

Cmdr.
Cmdr.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Commander[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CMEA

CMEA
CMEA

Abbreviation of
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance[1]



cml.

cml.
cml.

Abbreviation of
commercial[1]



CMOS

CMOS
CMOS 
[s mòss]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of complementary metal oxide semi-conductor[1]



CMSGT

CMSGT
CMSGT

Abbreviation of
Chief Master Sergeant[1]



CMV

CMV
CMV

Abbreviation of
cytomegalovirus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cnidarian

cnidarian
cni·dar·i·an 
[ni dáiree ən] (plural cni·dar··i·ans)
noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY marine
animal with tentacles: any marine invertebrate
animal that has tentacles surrounding the mouth. Sea anemones, corals, and
jellyfish are cnidarians . Phylum: Cnidaria

2.  ZOOLOGY See coelenterate
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin Cnidaria, phylum name, from Greek knidē
“nettle,” from knizein “to cause to itch.”]
—cni·dar·i·an, adjective[1]



CNN

CNN
CNN

Abbreviation of
Cable News Network[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CNS

CNS
CNS

Abbreviation of
central nervous system[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CNTower

CNTower
CN
Tower
noun

a tall tower in downtown
Toronto, Canada. It is more than 553 m/1800 ft high and was the world’s tallest
free-standing structure when it was built in 1976.[1]



c/o

c/o
c/o

1.  Abbreviation
of
care of

2.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
carried over

[1]



c.o.

c.o.1
c.o.1

1.  Abbreviation
of
cash order

2.  Abbreviation
of
care of

3.  ACCOUNTING Abbreviation of
carried over

[1]



c.o.

c.o.2
c.o.2 prefix

1.  together,
jointly • coauthor

2.  associate,
alternate • copilot

3.  to
the same degree • coeternal

4.  complement
of an angle • cotangent

[1]



CO

CO1
CO1

1.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Colombia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Colorado

[1]



CO

CO2
CO2 or C.O.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Commanding Officer

2.  Abbreviation
of
conscientious objector

[1]



Co

Co
Co

Symbol for
cobalt[1]



Co.

Co.
Co.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Colorado

2.
(used in names of businesses) Abbreviation of Company

3.
(used in place names) Abbreviation of County

[1]



CoA

CoA
CoA

Abbreviation of
coenzyme A[1]



coach

coach
coach 
[kōch] noun (plural coach·es)

1.  TRANSPORT horse-drawn
carriage:
a large enclosed horse-drawn carriage

2.  TRANSPORT inexpensive
travel category: an inexpensive class of passenger
accommodations on a bus, train, or aircraft

3.  SPORTS somebody
who trains sports players: somebody who trains sports
players and athletes

4.  RAIL railroad
car:
a railroad car

5.  TRANSPORT long-distance
bus:
a bus designed for long-distance travel or sightseeing

6.  AUTOMOBILES cheap
small automobile: any inexpensive, usually two-doored
automobile

7.  ARTS somebody
who trains performer: somebody who trains people
in acting or singing

8.  EDUCATION tutor:
somebody who instructs an individual in a specified subject
verb
(past coached, past participle coached, present
participle coach·ing, 3rd person present singular coach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
SPORTS train
athlete:
to train somebody in a sport

2.  transitive
verb
ARTS train
performer:
to train somebody in acting or singing

3.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION train
student:
to give somebody private tuition in a particular subject or toward examinations

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb transport
people in coach: to carry passengers in a horse-drawn
coach, or travel by coach
[Mid-16th
century. Via French coche from German Kutsche, Kotsche,
from Hungarian kocsi (szekér), literally “(wagon) of Kocs,” named for Kocs,
a village in Hungary where carriages, carts, and suchlike were made.]
—coach·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



coachbolt

coachbolt
coach
bolt
(plural coach bolts) noun

U.K.
See carriage bolt[1]



coachbox

coachbox
coach
box
(plural coach box·es) noun

driver’s seat on horse-drawn
coach: the driver’s seat on a
horse-drawn carriage[1]



coachdog

coachdog
coach
dog
(plural coach dogs) noun

Dalmatian:
a Dalmatian dog (archaic)
[From the former practice of
the dogs being kept to run in attendance on a carriage][1]



coaching

coaching
coach·ing
[kṓching] noun

training in overcoming
emotional problems: training in
how to deal with emotional problems and interpersonal relationships[1]



coachload

coachload
coach·load
[kṓch ld] (plural coach·loads)
noun

total of coach passengers:
the total number of people who are traveling in or who fill a coach • coachloads
of tourists[1]



coachman

coachman
coach·man 
[kṓchmən] (plural coach·men [kṓchmən]) noun

driver of horse-drawn coach:
the driver of a horse-drawn coach or carriage[1]



coachwork

coachwork
coach·work
[kṓch wùrk] noun

painted bodywork of vehicle:
the painted bodywork of a road vehicle or railroad car[1]



coaction

coaction
co·ac·tion 
[kō ákshən] noun

joint
action:
joint or reciprocal action
[Early
17th century. Via French from the Latin stem coaction-, from coact-,
the past participle stem of coagere, literally “to drive together,” from
agere “to drive.”]
—co·ac·tive,
adjective

—co·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

—co·ac·tiv·i·ty [kō ak tívvətee], noun[1]



coadaptation

coadaptation
co·ad·ap·ta·tion
[k addap táysh’n] noun

mutually
advantageous development: the mutually advantageous
development of characteristics in two or more species of organisms
—co·a·dapt·ed, adjective[1]



coadjutant

coadjutant
co·ad·ju·tant 
[kō ájjoot’nt] (plural co·ad·ju·tants)
noun

cooperative helper:
somebody who helps another[1]



coadjutor

coadjutor
co·ad·ju·tor 
[kō ájjootər] (plural co·ad·ju·tors)
noun

1.  assistant:
a helper for somebody (formal)

2.  CHRISTIANITY bishop
who helps another: a bishop who assists a
diocesan bishop
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin, literally “helper with,” formed from Latin adjutor
“helper,” from adjuvare “to help.”][1]



coagula

coagula
co·ag·u·la

Plural of
coagulum[1]



coagulant

coagulant
co·ag·u·lant 
[kō ággyələnt] (plural co·ag·u·lants)
noun

substance
aiding blood coagulation: a substance that causes or
assists coagulation of the blood, for example, a natural clotting factor or a
drug
—co·ag·u·lant, adjective[1]



coagulase

coagulase
co·ag·u·lase 
[kō ággyə làyss, kō
ággyə làyz] (plural co·ag·u·las·es) noun

enzyme
causing coagulation: an enzyme, especially one
produced by some bacteria, that causes coagulation of the blood
[Early 20th century. Coined
from coagulate + -ase
.][1]



coagulate

coagulate
co·ag·u·late 
[kō ággyə làyt] intransitive and
transitive verb (past co·ag·u·lat·ed, past participle co·ag·u·lat·ed,
present participle co·ag·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present
singular co·ag·u·lates)

1.  make
or become semisolid: to thicken, or cause liquid
to thicken, into a soft semisolid mass

2.  CHEMISTRY group
together in larger mass: to group together as a mass,
or cause the particles in a colloid to group together, as, for example, egg
white does when heated
noun
(plural co·ag·u·lates)

CHEMISTRY coagulated
mass:
a soft semisolid mass produced by coagulation of a colloid
[15th
century. From Latin coagulat-, the past participle stem of coagulare
“to coagulate,” from, ultimately, coagere “to drive together.”]
—co·ag·u·la·bil·i·ty
[kō àggyələ bíllətee], noun

—co·ag·u·la·ble
[kō ággyələb’l], adjective

—co·ag·u·la·tor [kō ággyə làytər], noun[1]



coagulation

coagulation
co·ag·u·la·tion 
[kō àggyə láysh’n] (plural co·ag·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  becoming
semisolid:
the thickening of a fluid into a soft semisolid mass

2.  clot:
a clot or coagulum

3.  CHEMISTRY chemical
formation of mass: grouping together of the
particles of a colloid to form a larger mass

[1]



coagulationfactor

coagulationfactor
co·ag·u·la·tion
fac·tor
(plural co·ag·u·la·tion fac·tors) noun

See
clotting factor[1]



coagulum

coagulum
co·ag·u·lum 
[kō ággyələm] (plural co·ag·u·la
[kō ággyələ]) noun

clotted
mass:
a clot or coagulated mass of something, especially blood
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, formed from coagere (see coagulate
).][1]



coal

coal
coal 
[kōl] noun (plural coals)

1.  black
rock used as fuel: a hard black or dark brown
sedimentary rock formed by the decomposition of plant material, widely used as
a fuel

2.  piece
of coal:
a piece of coal

3.  small
piece of burnable material: any small piece of
combustible material

4.  See
charcoal
verb
(past coaled, past participle coaled, present
participle coal·ing, 3rd person present singular coals)

1.  transitive
verb
convert
something into charcoal: to burn something
combustible and convert it into charcoal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
or take on coal: to supply something with coal or take on
coal
[Old
English col . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “glowing
ember.” The modern meaning “black fossil fuel” dates from the 13th century.]
—coal·y, adjective[1]



coalblack

coalblack
coal
black
adjective

1.  very
black:
completely black

2.  very
dark:
very dark black in color

[1]



coaler

coaler
coal·er 
[kṓlər] noun

transport for coal:
a ship or train that transports coal[1]



coalesce

coalesce
co·a·lesce 
[k ə léss] (past co·a·lesced,
past participle co·a·lesced, present participle co·a·lesc·ing,
3rd person present singular co·a·lesc·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

merge
or unite things: to merge or cause things to merge into a
single body or group
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin coalescere, literally “to grow up together,” from alescere
“to grow up,” from alere “to nourish” (source of English adolescent and alumnus
).]
—co·a·les·cence,
noun

—co·a·les·cent, adjective[1]



coalface

coalface
coal·face 
[kṓl fàyss] (plural coal·faces)
noun

seam of coal being worked:
the newly exposed rock surface in a mine, from which coal is being cut[1]



coalfield

coalfield
coal·field 
[kṓl fld] (plural coal·fields)
noun

area with coal:
an area with coal deposits[1]



coalfish

coalfish
coal·fish 
[kṓl fìsh] (plural coal·fish or
coal·fish·es) noun

dark-colored fish:
a black-backed or dark-colored edible fish, for example, sablefish or pollack[1]



coalgas

coalgas
coal
gas
noun

1.  methane
and hydrogen mixture: a flammable mixture of gases
obtained by distilling coal, consisting mainly of methane and hydrogen. It is
sometimes used as a fuel.

2.  gas
burned off coal: the gas produced when coal is burned

[1]



coalification

coalification
coal·i·fi·ca·tion 
[kləfi káysh’n] noun

creation of coal:
the process in which coal is formed by the action of pressure and heat on
buried plant material. The moisture content of the plants is progressively
removed and the material remaining is solidified.[1]



coalition

coalition
co·a·li·tion 
[k ə lísh’n] (plural co·a·li·tions)
noun

1.  political
alliance:
a temporary union between two or more groups, especially political parties

2.  merging
into single entity: the merging of things into
one body or mass
[Early
17th century. From the medieval Latin stem coalition-, from Latin coalit-,
the past participle stem of coalescere “to grow together” (see coalesce ).]
—co·a·li·tion·ist, noun[1]



coalmeasures

coalmeasures
coal
meas·ures
plural noun

strata of coal deposits:
a series of strata containing economically workable coal deposits, for example,
the upper Carboniferous rocks of northwestern Europe[1]



coalmine

coalmine
coal·mine
[kṓl mn] (plural coal·mines) noun

mine
where coal is dug: a mine where coal is dug
from the ground.
Also
called
coal pit
—coal·min·er, noun[1]



coalminer’slung

coalminer’slung
coalmin·er’s
lung
noun

See
anthracosis
[From the fact that the
disease frequently affects coalminers][1]



coalpit

coalpit
coal
pit
(plural coal pits) noun

See
coal mine[1]



Coalport

Coalport
Coal·port
[kṓl pàwrt] noun

white patterned porcelain:
a variety of white, strongly patterned bone china made in Coalport, near
Shrewsbury, England, in the 19th century[1]



Coalsack

Coalsack
Coal·sack 
[kṓl sak] noun

1.  interstellar
cloud seen in southern hemisphere: a dark cloud of
interstellar dust ( nebula ) that is part of
the Crux constellation and is visible in the southern hemisphere in front of
the Milky Way

2.  interstellar
cloud seen in northern hemisphere: a dark interstellar
cloud ( nebula ) visible in the northern
hemisphere near the constellation Cygnus

[1]



coalscuttle

coalscuttle
coal
scut·tle
(plural coal scut·tles) noun

container for coal:
a metal container for holding and pouring coal for a domestic fire.
Also called
hod[1]



coaltar

coaltar
coal
tar
noun

by-product from coal:
a thick black liquid obtained as a by-product in the production of coke. It
yields chemicals that are used in making dyes, drugs, and soap.[1]



coaming

coaming
coam·ing 
[kṓming] noun

raised
border on deck of boat: a raised edging around the
cockpit or hatchway of a boat for keeping out water
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



co-anchor

co-anchor
co-an·chor 
[kō ángkər, kṓ
àngkər] noun (plural co-an·chors)

joint
broadcaster of news: either of two broadcasters
who jointly present a television program
intransitive
and transitive verb (past co-an·chored,
past participle co-an·chored, present participle co-an·chor·ing,
3rd person present singular co-an·chors)

be co-anchor:
to be co-anchor of a television program, especially a news program[1]



coapt

coapt
co·apt
[kō ápt] (past co·apt·ed, past
participle co·apt·ed, present participle co·apt·ing, 3rd
person present singular co·apts) verb

join
edges of damaged part: to join or bring displaced
parts close together in their correct alignment, for example, the edges of a
wound or broken bone
[Late
16th century. From late Latin coaptare, literally “to fit together,”
from, ultimately, Latin aptus “fastened, suitable.”]
—co·ap·ta·tion [k ap táysh’n], noun[1]



coarctate

coarctate
co·arc·tate 
[kō rk tàyt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE constricted:
used to describe any vessel or canal in the body that has become constricted,
narrowed, or pressed together

2.  ZOOLOGY in
hard shell:
used to describe a pupa that is enclosed in a horny oval case
intransitive
verb
(past co·arc·tat·ed, past participle co·arc·tat·ed,
present participle co·arc·tat·ing, 3rd person present singular
co·arc·tates)

constrict: to
become narrow, constricted, or pressed together (refers to blood vessels or
other body passages)
[15th
century. From Latin coar(c)tatus, the past participle of coar(c)tare,
literally “to press close together,” from artare “to press close,” from artus
“confined, narrow.”]
—co·arc·ta·tion [k aark táysh’n], noun[1]



coarse

coarse
coarse 
[kawrs] (comparative coars·er,
superlative coars·est) adjective

1.  rough:
harsh or rough to the touch

2.  with
thick grains or strands: consisting of large grains
or thick strands

3.  indelicate
or tasteless: lacking taste or refinement

4.  vulgar:
vulgar or obscene

5.  unrefined:
not refined • coarse
metal

6.  inferior:
of inferior quality
[14th
century. Originally corse, course, meaning “ordinary” (used of
cloth); of uncertain origin: perhaps from course
(as in “of course” or “matter of course”).]
—coarse·ly,
adverb

—coarse·ness, noun[1]



coarse-grained

coarse-grained
coarse-grained 
adjective

1.  with
rough grain: having a large or rough grain

2.  vulgar:
coarse or vulgar in speech or manner

[1]



coarsen

coarsen
coars·en 
[káwrs’n] (past coars·ened, past
participle coars·ened, present participle coars·en·ing,
3rd person present singular coars·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become coarse:
to become or make something coarse or coarser[1]



Coast

Coast
Coast
noun

North American coast on
Pacific Ocean: the North American
coast bordering the Pacific Ocean[1]



coast

coast
coast 
[kōst] noun (plural coasts)

1.  land
next to sea: land beside the sea • sailed
along the coast

2.  slope
for sledding: a slope suitable for sledding

3.  sledding
down slope:
the action of sliding down a slope on a sled

4.  frontier:
a frontier (archaic)
verb
(past coast·ed, past participle coast·ed, present
participle coast·ing, 3rd person present singular coasts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
by momentum: to move forward by momentum, without
applying power or cause something to move in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
succeed
effortlessly: to progress with very little effort

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL travel along shore:
to sail along a shore
[14th century. Via Old French
coste from Latin costa “rib, side” (source of English accost and cutlet
).][1]



coastal

coastal
coast·al
[kṓst’l] adjective

of
coasts:
along, near, or relating to a coast
—coast·al·ly, adverb[1]



coaster

coaster
coast·er 
[kṓstər] (plural coast·ers) noun

1.  mat
for glass:
a mat placed under a glass in order to protect a surface

2.  See
roller coaster

3.  something
that coasts: something that coasts of its own
momentum

4.  SHIPPING ship
trading along coast: a ship that sails along a
coast to trade

5.  tray
for passing bottle: a small tray, sometimes on
wheels, for passing a bottle or decanter round a table

[1]



coasterbrake

coasterbrake
coast·er
brake
(plural coast·er brakes) noun

bicycle brake:
a bicycle brake operated by back-pedaling[1]



CoastGuard

CoastGuard
Coast
Guard
noun

U.S. military coastal
service: a U.S. military service that
enforces maritime laws, acts in marine emergencies, and maintains navigational
aids, in wartime supplementing the navy[1]



coastguard

coastguard
coast
guard
(plural coast guards) noun

1.  service
dealing with coastal matters: an emergency service that
rescues people in difficulties at sea and acts against smuggling

2.  member
of coast guard: a member of the coast guard

[1]



coastland

coastland
coast·land 
[kṓst lànd] (plural coast·lands)
noun

land along coast:
the land along a coast (often used in the plural)[1]



coastline

coastline
coast·line 
[kṓst ln] (plural coast·lines)
noun

outline of coast:
the outline of a coast as viewed from the sea or on a map[1]



CoastMountains

CoastMountains
Coast
Moun·tains

Canadian range following the
Pacific Coast from Vancouver into Yukon Territory. The highest peak is Mount
Waddington, 3,994 m/13,104 ft . Length: 1,200 km/745 mi.[1]



CoastRanges

CoastRanges
Coast
Rang·es

long narrow mountain ranges
on the west coast of North America, along the Pacific coast from southern
Alaska to northwestern Mexico. HP: 5,959 m/19,551 ft.[1]



CoastSalish

CoastSalish
Coast
Sa·lish
plural noun

Pacific coast Salish-speaking
people: a Salish-speaking indigenous
people who inhabit the northwestern Pacific coast from southwestern British
Columbia to southwestern Washington state[1]



coast-to-coast

coast-to-coast
coast-to-coast
adjective

across a whole continent:
from one coast to another of a continent, or a nation that is an island • The
debate had coast-to-coast coverage on the news media.[1]



coastwise

coastwise
coast·wise 
[kṓst wz] adverb

along
coast:
along the coast
adjective

following the coast:
following the direction of the coast[1]



coat

coat
coat 
[kōt] noun (plural coats)

1.  warm
outer garment: an item of clothing with long sleeves
that is usually at least knee-length and is worn outdoors over other clothes

2.  U.S.,
New Zealand suit jacket:
a jacket worn as part of a suit, with a skirt or trousers (dated)

3.  covering
on animal:
the fur, wool, or hair that covers an animal

4.  thin
covering:
any thin layer that covers something
transitive
verb
(past coat·ed, past participle coat·ed, present
participle coat·ing, 3rd person present singular coats)

1.  INDUSTRY cover
surface:
to cover a surface with a thin layer of something (often passive)

2.  provide
somebody with coat: to provide somebody with a
coat (usually used in the passive)
[14th
century. From Old French cote, from prehistoric Germanic.]
—coat·er, noun[1]



coatcheck

coatcheck
coat
check
(plural coat checks) or coat·room (plural coat·rooms)
noun

place for depositing
belongings: a room in a public building,
such as a theater, club, or restaurant, where customers can leave coats,
umbrellas, and other belongings during their stay.
U.K. term
cloakroom[1]



coatdress

coatdress
coat·dress 
(plural coat·dress·es) noun

dress styled like coat:
a tailored dress that is shaped like a coat and fastened in front from the neck
to the hem, usually with buttons[1]



coated

coated
coat·ed
[kṓtəd] adjective

1.  with
outer layer: covered with a layer of something

2.  PAPER prepared
for writing or printing on: treated with a fine layer of
a mineral to make paper suitable for writing or printing on

3.  TEXTILES treated
against moisture: with a treated surface or plastic
coating that resists moisture • coated
fabric

[1]



coatee

coatee
coa·tee
[kō t] (plural coa·tees) noun

coat with short coat-tails:
a military cutaway coat with shortened coat-tails[1]



Coatesville

Coatesville
Coates·ville
[kṓts vìl]

city in southeastern
Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia and east of Lancaster. Population: 10,827
(1996)[1]



coathanger

coathanger
coat
hang·er
(plural coat hang·ers) noun

frame for article of
clothing: a curved frame with a hook,
used to drape and hang clothes[1]



coati

coati
co·a·ti 
[kō tee] (plural co·a·tis or
co·a·ti) or co·a·ti·mun·di [kō
tee] (plural co·a·ti·mun·dis or co·a·ti·mun·di)
noun

mammal
related to raccoon: a South or Central American
omnivorous mammal related to the raccoon, that has a narrow flexible snout and
a striped tail. Genus: Nasua
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi kua’ti .][1]



coating

coating
coat·ing 
[kṓting] (plural coat·ings) noun

1.  thin
layer:
a thin layer that covers something • a
coating of dust

2.  cloth
for coats:
cloth used in making coats

[1]



coatof arms

coatof arms

coat
of arms
(plural coats of arms) noun

1.  design
on shield:
a design on a shield that signifies a particular family, university, or city

2.  garment
with coat of arms: a garment that is decorated
with a coat of arms
[Translation of French cote
d’armes][1]



coatof mail

coatof mail
coat
of mail
(plural coats of mail) noun

medieval body armor:
a protective garment of armor worn in medieval times, consisting of linked
metal rings[1]



coatrack

coatrack
coat·rack
[kṓt ràk] (plural coat·racks) noun

rack for hanging clothes:
a stand or rack fitted with hooks, used for hanging clothes on[1]



coatroom

coatroom
coat·room 
[kṓt rm, kṓt
rm] noun

See
coat check[1]



coatstand

coatstand
coat
stand
(plural coat stands) noun

U.K.
See coat tree[1]



coattail

coattail
coat·tail 
[kṓt tàyl] (plural coat·tails)
noun

lower
part of coat: the part below the waist at the back of
a coat, especially one of the parts when it is divided into two (usually
used in the plural)
on
somebody’s coattails

helped by somebody else
rather than succeeding alone[1]



coattree

coattree
coat
tree
(plural coat trees) noun

stand for hanging clothes:
a stand with hooks, used to hang coats on.
U.K. term
coat stand[1]



coauthor

coauthor
co·au·thor 
[kō áwthər] noun (plural co·au·thors)

joint
author:
somebody who writes something jointly with one or more other authors
transitive
verb
(past co·au·thored, past participle co·au·thored, present
participle co·au·thor·ing, 3rd person present singular co·au·thors)

write something jointly:
to write something jointly with one or more other authors[1]



coax

coax
coax
[kōks] (past coaxed, past
participle coaxed, present participle coax·ing, 3rd
person present singular coax·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb persuade
gently:
to persuade somebody gently to do something

2.  transitive
verb
obtain
something by gentle persuasion: to get something from
somebody by gentle persuasion

3.  transitive
verb
gently
make something work: to manipulate something
patiently until it moves or works • I
finally coaxed the sticky drawers open.
[Late
16th century. Alteration of cokes, from obsolete cokes
“simpleton,” of uncertain origin. “To persuade gently” developed via “to treat
as a simpleton or pet” and “to fondle.”]
—coax·ing·ly [kṓksinglee], adverb[1]



coaxcable

coaxcable
co·ax
ca·ble
[k aks káyb’l] (plural co·ax
ca·bles) noun

See
coaxial cable
[Coax shortening of coaxial][1]



coaxial

coaxial
co·ax·i·al 
[kō áksee əl] adjective

1.  sharing
axis:
having a common axis

2.  ELECTRICITY of
coaxial cable: belonging or relating to a coaxial cable
—co·ax·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



coaxialcable

coaxialcable
co·ax·i·al
ca·ble
(plural co·ax·i·al ca·bles) noun

high-speed transmission
cable: a cable consisting of an
inner core and outer flexible braided tube, both of conductive material
separated by an insulator, used to transmit high-frequency signals at high
speeds.
Also called
coax cable[1]



cob

cob2
cob2 [kob]
(plural cobs) noun

old
Spanish-American coin: a crude often irregularly
shaped gold or silver coin that circulated in Spanish colonies in the Americas
between the 16th and 18th centuries
[From Spanish cabo de
barra, literally “end of bar” from the crudely cut silver or gold
coin-sized planchets that were sliced from the cast bar][1]



cob

cob1
cob1  [kob]
(plural cobs) noun

1.  core
of corn ear: the hard core to which individual
kernels of corn are attached

2.  ZOOLOGY male
swan:
a male swan

3.  RIDING short-legged
riding horse: a sturdy short-legged riding horse
[15th century. Partly
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “round, lumpy object,” and
partly a variant of dialect cop “head, top.”][1]



cobalamin

cobalamin
co·bal·a·min 
[kə báwləmin] noun

See
vitamin B 12
[Mid-20th century. Blend of cobalt and vitamin
.][1]



cobalt

cobalt

co·balt 
[kṓ bàwlt] noun
silvery
white chemical element: a tough brittle
silvery-white metallic chemical element found in iron, nickel, and copper ores.
It is used to color ceramics and in alloys. Symbol Co
[Late 17th century. From
German Kobalt, variant of Kobold “harmful goblin,” from the
belief of miners that the cobalt ore was harmful to neighboring silver ores.][1]



cobalt60

cobalt60
co·balt
60
noun

radioactive cobalt isotope:
a naturally radioactive isotope of cobalt that has a mass number of 60,
spontaneously emits strong gamma radiation, and is used in radiotherapy and in
industry[1]



cobaltbloom

cobaltbloom
co·balt
bloom
noun

See
erythrite
[Translation of German Kobaltblüte][1]



cobaltblue

cobaltblue
co·balt
blue 
(plural co·balt blues) adjective

deep
blue:
of a deep blue color with a tinge of green
—co·balt blue, noun[1]



cobaltbomb

cobaltbomb
co·balt
bomb
(plural co·balt bombs) noun

irradiating device:
a device containing cobalt 60, used in radiotherapy[1]



cobaltic

cobaltic
co·balt·ic 
[kō báwltik] adjective

containing cobalt:
relating to or containing cobalt, especially with a valence of 3[1]



cobaltite

cobaltite
co·balt·ite 
[kō báwl tt] noun

rare silvery mineral:
a rare silvery-white or grayish mineral consisting of cobalt sulfide and
arsenide. It is used in ceramics.[1]



cobaltous

cobaltous
co·balt·ous 
[kō báwltəss] adjective

containing cobalt:
relating to or containing cobalt, especially with a valence of 2[1]



Cobb,Irvin Shrewsbury

Cobb,Irvin Shrewsbury

Cobb 
[kob], Irvin Shrewsbury (1876–1944)
U.S. humorist. He was known for his
unpretentious Judge Priest stories.[1]



cobble

cobble2
cob·ble2 [kóbb’l]
(past cob·bled, past participle cob·bling, present
participle cob·bling, 3rd person present singular cob·bles)
transitive verb

make
or repair shoes: to make, repair, or patch footwear
[15th century. Back-formation
from cobbler .][1]



cobble

cobble1
cob·ble1 [kóbb’l]
noun (plural cob·bles)

1.  TRANSPORT See cobblestone

2.  GEOLOGY rock
fragment:
a naturally rounded rock fragment between 64 and 256 mm in diameter (2.5 and 10
in.)
transitive
verb
(past cob·bled, past participle cob·bled, present
participle cob·bling, 3rd person present singular cob·bles)

TRANSPORT pave
road with cobblestones: to pave a road with
cobblestones
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of earlier cobelstone, from assumed cobel (perhaps
literally “little lump,” formed from cob 1 (+ stone ).][1]



cobbled

cobbled
cob·bled
[kóbb’ld] adjective

with cobblestones:
paved with cobblestones[1]



cobbler

cobbler1
cob·bler1  [kóbblər]
(plural cob·blers) noun

shoemaker:
somebody who makes, repairs, or patches footwear
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cobbler

cobbler2
cob·bler2  [kóbblər]
(plural cob·blers) noun

1.  dessert
with crust:
a baked fruit dessert with a soft thick crust

2.  iced
alcoholic drink: an iced drink made of wine, rum or
whiskey, and sugar, often garnished with fruit and mint
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably representing uses of cobbler
.][1]



cobbler’swax

cobbler’swax
cob·bler’s
wax
noun

wax for thread:
a resin used to wax thread[1]



cobblestone

cobblestone
cob·ble·stone 
[kóbb’l stn] (plural cob·ble·stones)
noun

small
rounded paving stone: a small rounded stone used
for paving streets.
Also
called
cobble
[15th
century. See cobble 1 .]
—cob·ble·stoned, adjective[1]



cobbletogether

cobbletogether
cobble
together
transitive verb

make something roughly:
to assemble or make something roughly and quickly[1]



Cobb,Ty

Cobb,Ty

Cobb 
[kob], Ty (1886–1961)
U.S.
baseball player. Considered one of the game’s most outstanding players of all
time, he retired from the Detroit Tigers (1905–1928) with a career batting
average of .367.
Full name
Cobb, Tyrus Raymond Nickname Georgia Peach[1]



cobelligerent

cobelligerent
co·bel·lig·er·ent 
[k bə líjjərənt] (plural co·bel·lig·er·ents)
noun

ally in fight:
a country that or individual who is an ally in a fight or war[1]



cobia

cobia
co·bi·a 
[kṓbee ə] (plural co·bi·a or
co·bi·as) noun

large
bony tropical or subtropical fish: a large bony
dark-striped fish found in tropical and subtropical seas that is related to the
perch and sea bass. Latin name: Rachycentron canadum
Also
called
sergeant fish
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



COBOL

COBOL
CO·BOL 
[kṓ bawl] or Co·bol [kṓ bawl] noun

programming
language for commerce: a high-level computer
programming language, widely adopted for corporate business applications
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from common business-oriented language .][1]



cobra

cobra

co·bra 
[kṓbrə] (plural co·bras) noun
venomous
snake:
a venomous snake found in tropical Asia and Africa that, when excited, rears up
and spreads the skin behind its head to form a hood. Genus: Naja Ophiophagus
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of cobra de capello, literally “snake with a hood”; cobra
ultimately from Latin cubra “snake.”][1]



coburg

coburg
co·burg
[kṓ bùrg] (plural co·burgs) noun

TEXTILES thin
twilled fabric: a thin fabric made of wool and cotton or
silk, twilled on one surface and used as a dress fabric or lining cloth
[Early 19th century. Named
for Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria of
England.][1]



cobweb

cobweb
cob·web 
[kób wèb] noun (plural cob·webs)

1.  dusty
spider’s web: a fine thread or web of fine threads
spun by spiders, especially when covered with dust

2.  something
resembling cobweb: something that resembles a
cobweb in being flimsy and insubstantial or in acting as a trap or snare
plural
noun
cob·webs

sluggish mental state:
mental sluggishness and tiredness • I need
to blow the cobwebs away.
[14th
century. Cob from obsolete coppe “spider,” ultimately from Old English ātorcoppe,
probably literally “poison-head,” from the idea that spiders are venomous.]
—cob·webbed,
adjective

—cob·web·by, adjective[1]



coca

coca
co·ca 
[kṓkə] (plural co·ca) noun

1.  PLANTS shrub
yielding cocaine: a shrub, native to the Andes, that has
yellow flowers and whose leaves yield cocaine and other alkaloids. Latin name: Erythroxylum
coca

2.  dried
leaves of coca: the dried leaves of coca, chewed as a
stimulant or processed for cocaine and other alkaloids
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from Aymara kuka or Quechua koka .][1]



Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola
Co·ca-Co·la
[kkə kṓlə] Trademark

a trademark for a
cola-flavored soft drink[1]



cocaine

cocaine
co·caine 
[kō káyn, kṓ
kàyn] noun

addictive
drug:
an addictive narcotic drug obtained from the leaves of the coca plant, taken
illegally as a stimulant. It is now only used medicinally as a surface
anesthetic. C17H21NO4
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from coca + -ine
.][1]



cocainism

cocainism
co·cain·ism 
[kō káy nìzzəm, kṓ
kay nìzzəm] noun

cocaine addiction:
an addiction to or overuse of cocaine, resulting in physical or mental
impairment (dated)[1]



cocainize

cocainize
co·cain·ize 
[kō káy nz, kṓ
kay nz] (past co·cain·ized, past participle co·cain·ized,
present participle co·cain·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
co·cain·iz·es) transitive verb

anesthetize
somebody using cocaine: to anesthetize somebody
using cocaine as a surface ( topical )
application in paste form in the nose. Cocaine is no longer used in this way,
having been succeeded by synthetic analogues.
—co·cain·i·za·tion [kō kàyni záysh’n, k
kayni záysh’n], noun[1]



cocarcinogen

cocarcinogen
co·car·cin·o·gen 
[kō krs’nəjèn, k
kaar sínnəjən] (plural co·car·cin·o·gens) noun

something
that increases effect of carcinogens: a
substance that does not cause cancer on its own but can increase the effect of
carcinogenic factors or substances when acting together with them
—co·car·cin·o·gen·ic [kō krs’nə jénnik, k
kaar sínnə jénnik], adjective[1]



cocci

cocci
coc·ci


Plural of
coccus[1]



coccid

coccid
coc·cid 
[kóksid] (plural coc·cids) noun

insect
that stays still on plants: any insect that folds its
wings over its back when not flying. Scale insects and mealy bugs are coccids .
Family: Coccidae
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Coccus, genus name (see coccus ).]
—coc·cid, adjective[1]



coccidia

coccidia
coc·cid·i·a

Plural of
coccidium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








coccidioidomycosis

coccidioidomycosis
coc·cid·i·oi·do·my·co·sis 
[kok sìddə óydō mī kṓssiss] noun

respiratory disease:
a respiratory disease of humans and domestic animals in North America, marked
by flu-like symptoms, that is caused by inhalation of spores from a fungus.
Latin name: Coccidioides immitis
Also called
valley fever[1]



coccidiosis

coccidiosis
coc·cid·i·o·sis 
[kok sìddi ṓsis] noun

disease causing diarrhea:
a disease of domestic animals and birds, and occasionally humans, caused by
coccidia in the intestines, and causing diarrhea[1]



coccidium

coccidium
coc·cid·i·um 
[kok síddee əm] (plural coc·cid·i·a
[kok síddee ə]) noun

sporozoan
causing disease in gut: a parasitic sporozoan that
can cause disease in the gut of humans and animals. Order: Coccidia
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from the Greek stem kokkid-, literally
“little berry,” from kokkos “berry.”]
—coc·cid·i·al, adjective[1]



coccolith

coccolith
coc·co·lith 
[kókə lìth] (plural coc·col·iths)
noun

microscopic
platelet forming shells: a microscopic calcareous
platelet that forms the covering for some marine plankton, one form of which
makes up chalk deposits
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Coccolithus, genus name, coined from Greek kokkos
“grain” + lithos “stone.”][1]



coccus

coccus
coc·cus 
[kókəss] (plural coc·ci [kók s, kó k])
noun

1.  MICROBIOLOGY type
of bacterium: a spherical or nearly spherical
microorganism, especially a bacterium

2.  BOTANY part
of fruit containing seed: a subdivision of a fruit
that contains a single seed and resembles a berry
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek kokkos “grain, berry.”]
—coc·cal,
adjective

—coc·coid,
adjective

—coc·cous, adjective[1]



-coccus

-coccus
-coccus
suffix

a
spherical microorganism • pneumococcus
[From coccus][1]



coccyx

coccyx
coc·cyx 
[kók siks] (plural coc·cy·ges
[kok sí jz] or coc·cy·xes) noun

small
bone at base of spine: a small triangular bone at
the base of the spinal column.
Also
called
tailbone
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek kokkux, originally “cuckoo”; from its
resemblance to a cuckoo’s beak.]
—coc·cyg·e·al [kok síjjee əl], adjective[1]



co-channel

co-channel
co-chan·nel
[kō chánn’l, k
chànn’l] adjective

transmitting on same
frequency: relating to a transmission
occupying the same frequency band as another[1]



Cochin

Cochin
Co·chin 
[kṓ chìn]

major port and town in Kerala
State, southwestern India. Population: 564,000 (1991)[1]



cochineal

cochineal
coch·i·neal 
[kòchə nl, kóchə
nl] (plural coch·i·neals) noun

red
dye:
a red dye obtained from the crushed dried bodies of female cochineal insects,
used to color food and drinks and to dye fabrics
[Late 16th century. Via
French cochenille or Spanish cochinilla from Latin coccinus
“scarlet,” from, ultimately, Greek >kokkos “berry,” because the dried
body of the insect was believed to be a berry.][1]



cochinealinsect

cochinealinsect
coch·i·neal
in·sect
(plural coch·i·neal in·sects) noun

insect yielding red dye:
a small red scale insect found in Mexico and the West Indies that feeds on
cacti. The dye cochineal is derived from the crushed bodies of cochineal
insects. Latin name: Coccus cacti[1]



Cochise

Cochise
Co·chise 
[k chss, k
chz] (1815?–1874)

U.S. Native American leader.
The chief of the Chiricahua Apache, he led fighting against European settlers
in Arizona Territory (1862–1871).[1]



cochlea

cochlea
coch·le·a 
[kóklee ə, kṓklee
ə] (plural coch·le·ae [kókli,
kókli] or coch·le·as) noun

spiral
hearing organ: a spiral structure in the inner ear that
looks like a snail shell and contains over 10,000 tiny hair cells that move in
response to sound waves. These movements stimulate nerve cells to send messages
to the brain, which the brain interprets as sound.
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin coc(h)lea “snail shell, screw” from Greek kokhlias
“snail.”]
—coch·le·ar [kóklee ər, kṓklee ər],
adjective[1]



cochlearimplant

cochlearimplant
coch·le·ar
im·plant
noun

implanted hearing aid:
a device implanted under the skin that picks up sounds and converts them to
impulses transmitted to electrodes placed in the cochlea, restoring some
hearing to people with a hearing impairment[1]



cochleate

cochleate
coch·le·ate 
[kóklee ət, kóklee
àyt] adjective

spiral-shaped:
shaped in a spiral like the shell of a snail[1]



Cochran,Jacqueline

Cochran,Jacqueline
Coch·ran 
[kókrən], Jacqueline (1910–1980)

U.S. aviator. She was the
first woman pilot to break the sound barrier (1953).[1]



cock

cock2
cock2 [kok]
(past cocked, past participle cocked, present
participle cock·ing, 3rd person present singular cocks,
plural cocks) noun

cone-shaped
pile of grain: straw, hay, or grain piled in the shape
of a cone (dated)
[14th century. From Scandinavian.][1]



cock

cock1
cock1 [kok]
noun (plural cocks)

1.  adult
male chicken: an adult male of a domestic fowl,
normally only kept for breeding

2.  male
bird:
the adult male of a bird

3.  U.K.
male
animal:
an adult male salmon, crab, or lobster

4.  weathervane
shaped like rooster: a weathervane shaped like a
rooster

5.  ARMS part
of gun:
the hammer of a gun that, when released by the action of the trigger, makes the
gun fire

6.  ARMS raised
position of hammer of gun: the raised position of the
hammer of a gun when it is ready to fire

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man’s penis (slang taboo)

8.  stopcock:
a stopcock

9.  tilted
position:
the tilt or angle in the position of somebody’s head or hat, often suggesting
that he or she is in a good mood
transitive
verb
(past cocked, past participle cocked, present
participle cock·ing, 3rd person present singular cocks)

1.  ARMS prepare
gun for firing: to pull back the hammer of a gun so that
it is ready to be fired when the trigger is pulled

2.  turn
ears or eyes: to turn one or both ears or eyes in a
particular direction to listen for or look out for somebody or something

3.  tilt
back or angle something: to tilt or raise something,
often as a way of expressing that you are full of confidence or in good humor

4.  raise
limb in air: to lift or raise a part of the body

5.  set
something to operate: to set a device or mechanism
so that it will release something, for example, a camera shutter
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain, probably from medieval Latin coccus, ultimately an imitation
of a rooster’s crow.][1]



cockade

cockade
cock·ade 
[ko káyd] (plural cock·ades) noun

ornamental
ribbon on headwear: a rosette, ribbon, or other
ornament worn, usually on a hat, as an identifying badge or as part of a livery
[Mid-17th
century. From French bonnet à la coquarde, literally “bonnet worn
proudly,” from obsolete coquard “proud, saucy,” from coq “cock.”]
—cock·ad·ed, adjective[1]



cock-a-doodle-doo

cock-a-doodle-doo
cock-a-doo·dle-doo
noun (plural cock-doo·dle-doos) interjection

rooster’s
call:
used as a description or imitation of the sound a rooster makes when it crows
—cock-a-doo·dle-doo, intransitive
verb[1]



cock-a-hoop

cock-a-hoop
cock-a-hoop 
adjective

1.  elated:
extremely happy or excited about something

2.  very
proud of something: boastful about something
that has been achieved
[From set the cock on the
hoop “to celebrate,” of uncertain origin: perhaps referring to a wine-barrel
tap, or a rooster eating hoop “grain”][1]



cock-a-leekie

cock-a-leekie
cock-a-leek·ie 
noun

chicken and leek soup:
a Scottish soup made from a whole chicken and leeks and sometimes containing
prunes[1]



cockamamie

cockamamie
cock·a·ma·mie 
[kòkə máymee] or cock·a·ma·my
[kòkə máymee] adjective (informal)

1.  trivial:
having very little importance or meaning

2.  ridiculous:
having little or nothing to do with reality • cockamamie
excuse
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of decalcomania
.][1]



cock-and-bullstory

cock-and-bullstory
cock-and-bull
sto·ry 
(plural cock-and-bull sto·ries) or cock-and-bull (plural
cock-and-bulls) noun

absurd
tale:
a ridiculous and scarcely credible story that somebody tries to convince people
is true, usually either to impress them or as an excuse for something
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the popularity of fables with animal characters. The theory involving stories
exchanged by travelers near the Bull Inn and Cock Inn is folk etymology.][1]



cockapoo

cockapoo
cock·a·poo 
[kókə p] (plural cock·a·poos)
noun

crossbred
dog:
a dog that is a cross between a cocker spaniel and a small poodle
[Late 20th century. Blend.][1]



cockatiel

cockatiel
cock·a·tiel 
[kòkə tl] (plural cock·a·tiels)
or cock·a·teel [kòkə tl] (plural
cock·a·teels) noun

small
Australian parrot: a small gray Australian
parrot with a white patch on its wing and a prominent crest that is yellow in
males. Latin name: Nymphicus hollandicus
[Late 19th century. From
Dutch kaktielje, of uncertain origin: probably a diminutive of kaketoe
(see cockatoo ).][1]



cockatoo

cockatoo


cock·a·too 
[kókə t] (plural cock·a·toos)
noun
Australasian
parrot:
a parrot with a prominent crest, found in Australia, New Guinea, the East
Indies, and the Philippines. Many have white or light-colored plumage. Genera: Cacatua
Callocephalon Calyptorhynchus
[Mid-17th century. Via Dutch kaketoe
from Malay kakatua ; influenced by cock
.][1]



cockatrice

cockatrice
cock·a·trice 
[kókətriss] (plural cock·a·tric·es)
noun

mythological
deadly serpent: a mythological serpent that was supposed
to have hatched from a cock’s egg, and to be able to kill with its stare
[14th century. Via Old French
cocatris from medieval Latin calcatrix “tracker,” from Latin calcare
“to track,” from calx “heel” (see caulk
).][1]



cockboat

cockboat
cock·boat 
[kók bt] (plural cock·boats) noun

small
rowboat:
a small rowboat, especially one that belongs to a larger ship. Cockboats are
often used to ferry stores and provisions between ship and shore.
Also
called
cockleboat
[15th century. Cock via Old
French coque from, ultimately, Latin codex “block of wood”
(source of English code ).][1]



cockchafer

cockchafer
cock·chaf·er 
[kók chàyfər] (plural cock·chaf·ers)
noun

INSECTS
destructive European beetle:
a large European beetle with larvae that destroy trees and other plants.
Family: Scarabaeidae[1]



cockcrow

cockcrow
cock·crow 
[kók kr] noun

daybreak:
the time of day when the sun begins to show above the horizon (archaic or
literary)[1]



cockedhat

cockedhat
cocked
hat 
(plural cocked hats) noun

old
two- or three-cornered hat: a two- or three-cornered hat
with a wide turned up brim, popular in the 18th century. A cocked hat was
especially worn as part of a uniform or livery.
knock
somebody or something into a cocked hat

1.  U.K.
to be much better than somebody or something else (informal)

2.  to
ruin or damage something utterly

[1]



cocker

cocker2
cock·er2 [kókər]
(past cock·ered, past participle cock·ered, present
participle cock·er·ing, 3rd person present singular cock·ers)
transitive verb

pamper
or coddle somebody: to treat somebody in an
over-protective or indulgent way
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cocker

cocker1
cock·er1 [kókər]
(plural cock·ers) noun

1.  See
cocker spaniel

2.  trainer
of gamecocks: somebody who raises and trains roosters
for fighting

3.  somebody
involved in cockfighting: somebody who is involved in
cockfighting either as a breeder or as a trainer of cocks, or as a regular
spectator

[1]



cockerel

cockerel
cock·er·el 
[kókərəl] (plural cock·er·els)
noun

young
domestic rooster: a young male chicken, usually one that
is less than a year old
[15th century. Literally
“small rooster,” formed from cock .][1]



cockerspaniel

cockerspaniel
cock·er
span·iel
(plural cock·er span·iels) noun

ZOOLOGY small
dog:
a small dog with long floppy ears and a soft wavy coat, belonging to a breed of
spaniels originally bred for flushing out game.
Also
called
cocker
[So called because the breed
was developed for rousing woodcock for shooting][1]



cockeye

cockeye
cock·eye 
[kók ] (plural cock·eyes) noun

misaligned eye:
an eye that is turned inward or outward from the nose, making parallel vision
impossible (informal offensive)[1]



cockeyed

cockeyed
cock·eyed 
[kók d] adjective

1.  foolish:
not sensible or properly thought out (informal)

2.  not
aligned:
positioned at an awkward or crooked angle

3.  very
drunk:
so drunk that it is impossible to see straight (informal) • He’s
very unattractive when he gets cockeyed.

4.  affected
by a squint: having one eye that turns inward or
outward from the nose (informal offensive)

[1]



cockfeather

cockfeather
cock
feath·er
(plural cock feath·ers) noun

arrow
feather:
the feather on an arrow positioned at right angles to the notch into which the
bow string fits
[Cock from cock in the sense “to stick up”][1]



cockfight

cockfight
cock·fight 
[kók ft] (plural cock·fights)
noun

staged fight between
roosters: an organized fight between
two roosters, each of which is equipped with sharp metal spurs[1]



cockfighting

cockfighting
cock·fight·ing
[kók fting] noun

sport of making two cocks
fight: the practice of setting two
cocks to fight each other in front of spectators who often make bets on the
outcome. The cocks are equipped with metal spurs designed to inflict the
maximum harm on the opposing bird, and the sport is illegal in many countries.[1]



cockhorse

cockhorse
cock·horse 
[kók hàwrs] noun

toy horse for riding:
a rocking horse or a stick with an imitation horse’s head on one end[1]



cockle

cockle1
cock·le1 [kók’l]
noun (plural cock·led)

1.  mollusk
with heart-shaped shell: a small mollusk that has a
rounded or heart-shaped ridged shell in two parts. Family: Cardiidae

2.  See
cockleshell  noun 1

3.  See
cockleshell  noun 2

4.  wrinkle:
a crease or pucker in a piece of material such as paper or cloth
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cock·led,
past participle cock·led, present participle cock·ling,
3rd person present singular cock·les)

become or make wrinkled:
to become wrinkled or puckered or make something such as a piece of material
wrinkled or puckered
[14th
century. Via French coquille “shell” from, ultimately, Greek kogkhē
“conch” (source of English conch ).]
warm
the cockles of somebody’s heart

to give somebody a feeling of
well-being or sentimental contentment[1]



cockle

cockle2
cock·le2 [kók’l]
(plural cock·les) noun

weed:
a weedy plant that belongs to the pink family, especially the corn cockle,
which grows in cornfields
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from assumed medieval Latin cocculus, literally
“small berry,” from Latin coccus (see cocoon
).][1]



cockleboat

cockleboat
cock·le·boat 
[kók’l bt] (plural cock·le·boats)
noun

NAUTICAL See cockboat
[Early 17th century. Cockle
from cockle 1 .][1]



cocklebur

cocklebur
cock·le·bur 
[kók’l bùr] (plural cock·le·burs)
noun

plant
with prickly seed husks: a coarse annual plant with
prickly seed husks that attach easily to people’s clothes or animals’ fur.
Genus: Xanthium
[Mid-19th century. Cockle
from cockle 2 .][1]



cockleshell

cockleshell
cock·le·shell 
[kók’l shèl] (plural cock·le·shells)
noun
Also
called
cockle

1.  shell
of cockle:
a shell of a marine cockle, or any similar mollusk

2.  NAUTICAL small
boat:
a small, light shallow boat

[1]



cockney

cockney
cock·ney 
[kóknee] (plural cock·neys) noun

1.  cock·ney
or Cock·ney (plural Cock·neys) somebody
from London’s East End: somebody born in London,
traditionally within a two-mile radius of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow church
in London’s East End. Cockneys are considered to be the “true” Londoners.

2.  cock·ney
or Cock·ney London dialect:
the accent or dialect of native Londoners from the East End
[14th
century. Middle English coken generative plural of cok (see cock 1 ) + obsolete ey
“egg,” from Old English g . Originally “small or misshapen egg”
(supposedly laid by a rooster), “pampered child”; hence “town-dweller”
(originally pejorative).]
—cock·ney·ism, noun[1]



cock-of-the-rock

cock-of-the-rock
cock-of-the-rock 
(plural cocks-of-the-rock) noun

tropical
S. American bird: a tropical South American bird, the
males of which have bright orange or red plumage and crests that extend over
the bill. Genus: Rupicola
[From the bird’s practice of
nesting on rocks][1]



cockpit

cockpit
cock·pit 
[kók pìt] (plural cock·pits) noun

1.  AEROSPACE pilot’s
part of aircraft: the compartment in an aircraft or
spacecraft where the pilot and other crew members sit

2.  MOTOR SPORTS area
for driver in racing car: a space for the driver in a
racing car

3.  SPORTS place
for cockfighting: an enclosed place where cockfights are
held

4.  NAUTICAL enclosure
for wheel or tiller: an enclosure at the stern of
a ship for the wheel or tiller

5.  MILITARY frequent
battleground: a place where many battles have been
fought
[Late 16th century.
Originally “pit for cockfighting,” later “place for treating wounded below
decks in warship” (from the association of blood and noise), later “well at
yacht stern where helm is.”][1]



cockroach

cockroach

cock·roach 
[kók rch] (plural cock·roach·es)
noun
household
pest:
a nocturnal insect with a flat oval body, long antennae, and chewing
mouthparts, some species of which are household pests. Order: Blattodea
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish cucaracha, changed by assimilation with cock
and roach .][1]



cockscomb

cockscomb
cocks·comb 
[kóks km] (plural cocks·combs)
noun

1.  crest
of rooster:
the red fleshy crest that grows on the top of a rooster’s head

2.  plant
with crest of red flowers: a tropical plant with a
broad crest or plume of orange or red flowers resembling a cockscomb, often
grown as a houseplant. Latin name: Celosia cristata

3.  See
coxcomb  noun 1

[1]



cockshot

cockshot
cock·shot
[kók shòt] (plural cock·shots)
noun

See
cockshy  noun[1]



cockshy

cockshy
cock·shy
[kók sh] (plural cock·shies) noun

U.K.
throw
at target:
a throw at a cockshy (dated)
Also
called
cockshot
[Early 19th century. So
called because originally a cock was the target and prize; contestants had to
catch the cock or break a pot containing the bird.][1]



cockspur

cockspur
cock·spur 
[kók spur] (plural cock·spurs)
noun

spur behind bird’s foot:
a spur on the foot of some male birds[1]



cocksucker

cocksucker
cock·suck·er 
[kók sùkər] (plural cock·suck·ers)
noun (taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term of abuse for a man

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who performs fellatio

[1]



cocksure

cocksure
cock·sure 
[kok shr, kók
shr] adjective

1.  certain
about something: absolutely sure of being correct about
something or succeeding in some effort

2.  overconfident:
arrogantly confident and self-assured
[Early
16th century. From cock as a euphemism for “God.” Originally “absolutely sure,
safe”; later associated with the bird, regarded as swaggering in front of the
hens.]
—cock·sure·ly,
adverb

—cock·sure·ness, noun[1]



cocktail

cocktail
cock·tail 
[kók tàyl] noun (plural cock·tails)

1.  mixed
beverage:
a drink that is made up of a mixture of different beverages, for example, fruit
juice or soda and usually alcohol, and served iced or chilled

2.  light
snack:
a light appetizer before a main meal, consisting usually of seafood or fruit
served with a sauce (usually used in combination) • a
shrimp cocktail

3.  mixture
of things:
a mixture of different things or elements combined together • a
malicious cocktail of lies and gossip

4.  MEDICINE combination
treatment:
a combination of two or more drugs or therapeutic agents given as a single
treatment
plural
noun
cock·tails

gathering to consume alcoholic beverages:
a gathering where alcoholic beverages are consumed, sometimes with light
snacks, often taking place early in the evening before another planned event
adjective

small: extra
small, designed to be eaten as a snack with the fingers or on a cocktail stick
• cocktail
sausage
[Early 17th century.
Originally “having a tail like a cock,” later “horse with docked tail (that
sticks up)” (used for carthorses), hence “non-thoroughbred racehorse,” hence
“mixture.”][1]



cocktaillounge

cocktaillounge
cock·tail
lounge
(plural cock·tail loung·es) noun

bar:
a bar, sometimes a room in a hotelor restaurant, where cocktails and other
drinks are served[1]



cocktailparty

cocktailparty
cock·tail
party
noun

early evening party:
a party where cocktails and light snacks are served, often taking place early
in the evening before another social event[1]



cocktailstick

cocktailstick
cock·tail
stick
(plural cock·tail sticks) noun

stick for hors d’oeuvres:
a small pointed wooden or plastic stick on which olives or cherries are placed
in cocktails, or small items of food, for example, sausages or cubes of cheese,
are served[1]



cocktailtable

cocktailtable
cock·tail
ta·ble
(plural cock·tail ta·bles) noun

See
coffee table[1]



cock-teaser

cock-teaser
cock-teas·er
(plural cock-teas·ers) or cock-tease (plural
cock-teases) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody who makes sexual advances toward a
man (slang offensive)
Also called
prick-teaser[1]



cocky

cocky
cock·y 
[kókee] (comparative cock·i·er,
superlative cock·i·est) adjective

over-confident:
confident and sure of yourself to the point of being arrogant (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. From the image of a rooster strutting about, apparently showing off to
his hens.]
—cock·i·ly,
adverb

—cock·i·ness, noun[1]



coco

coco
co·co 
[kṓkō] (plural co·cos) noun

See
coconut
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish and Portuguese, literally “grinning face” (because of the appearance of
the base of the shell).][1]



cocoa

cocoa
co·coa 
[kṓkō] (plural co·coas) noun

1.  chocolate
base:
an unsweetened brown powder made from roasted and ground cocoa beans, used in
making chocolate, in cooking, and as the base for a hot drink

2.  hot
drink made with cocoa powder: a hot drink made with milk
or water, cocoa powder, and sugar

3.  light
to medium brown color: a light to medium brown
color
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of cacao .][1]



CocoaBeach

CocoaBeach
Co·coa
Beach
[kkō bch]

city in eastern Florida,
southeast of Orlando and just south of Cape Canaveral. Population: 12,635
(1996)[1]



cocoabean

cocoabean
co·coa
bean
(plural co·coa beans) noun

seed chocolate is made from:
the bean-shaped seed of the cacao tree, used to make cocoa powder and
chocolate.
Also called
cacao
Also called
cacao bean[1]



cocoabutter

cocoabutter
co·coa
but·ter
noun

fatty substance in cocoa
beans: a thick oily solid obtained
from cocoa beans and used in making chocolate, cosmetics, and suntan oils.
Also called
cacao[1]



cocoa-payol

cocoa-payol
co·coa-pay·ol
(plural co·coa-pay·ols) noun

Caribbean
somebody
of Spanish ancestry: somebody of Spanish, usually
Venezuelan, ancestry (informal)
[Early 19th century. Payol
from Spanish español “Spanish.”][1]



coco-de-mer

coco-de-mer
co·co-de-mer 
[kkō də máir] (plural co·cos-de-mer)
noun
Also
called
double coconut

1.  large
fan palm:
a fan palm, now found only in nature reserves in the Seychelles, that produces
the largest seed in the world. Latin name: Lodoicea maldivica

2.  coco-de-mer
nut:
the edible two-lobed fruit of the coco-de-mer palm
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “coco from the sea” (because it was first known from nuts
found floating in the sea).][1]



coconut

coconut

co·co·nut 
[kṓkə nùt] (plural co·co·nut or
co·co·nuts) or co·co [kṓkə nùt]
(plural co·cos) noun

1.  hard-shelled
fruit containing sweet juice: the fruit of the coconut
palm, consisting of a hard fibrous husk surrounding a single-seeded nut with
firm white flesh and a hollow core containing sweet-tasting liquid ( coconut milk ). The flesh is eaten raw or is dried
to make copra, and the husk fibers are used for matting and compost.

2.  white
flesh of coconut fruit: the sweet white flesh of the
coconut fruit, used widely in cooking and confectionery in the form of small
dried flakes

3.        TREES See coconut palm[1]



coconutbutter

coconutbutter
co·co·nut
but·ter
noun

solidified coconut oil:
solidified coconut oil used in the manufacture of soap and candles[1]



coconutcrab

coconutcrab
co·co·nut
crab
(plural co·co·nut crabs) noun

large land crab:
a large hermit crab that lives on islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It
burrows in the ground, can climb trees, and feeds on coconuts and other
vegetation as well as carrion. Latin name: Birgus latro[1]



coconutmatting

coconutmatting
co·co·nut
mat·ting
noun

matting made from coconut
fibers: coarse floor matting made
from the fibers that grow on coconut shells[1]



coconutmilk

coconutmilk
co·co·nut
milk
noun

sweet juice of coconut:
the sweet watery juice that is contained within a coconut and is used in drinks
and cooking[1]



coconutoil

coconutoil
co·co·nut
oil
noun

oil obtained from flesh of
coconut: a thick sweet-smelling oil
extracted from the flesh of the coconut and used widely in food and cosmetics[1]



coconutpalm

coconutpalm
co·co·nut
palm
(plural co·co·nut palms) noun

tropical palm tree:
a tall palm tree widely cultivated in tropical countries for its large fruit
and from which beverages, oil, fiber, utensils, and thatch are produced. Latin
name: Cocos nucifera
Also called
coco
Also called
coconut[1]



cocoon

cocoon
co·coon 
[kə kn] noun (plural co·coons)

1.  ZOOLOGY sheath
for caterpillar: the silky covering with which a
caterpillar or other insect larva encloses itself during its transition to an
adult state

2.  ZOOLOGY egg
covering:
a protective covering on the eggs of spiders, leeches, and other invertebrates

3.  ZOOLOGY sheath
for spider’s prey: a sheath in which spiders
wrap their prey

4.  TECHNOLOGY covering
that protects something from water: a
cover or protective spray used to seal machinery and make it waterproof,
especially military equipment for storage or transport

5.  something
similar to cocoon: something that resembles a
cocoon in the way that it provides protection or a sense of safety
verb
(past co·cooned, past participle co·cooned, present
participle co·coon·ing, 3rd person present singular co·coons)

1.  transitive
verb
wrap
something or somebody safely: to cover or envelop
something or somebody for warmth or protection • cocooned
in a pile of bedclothes

2.  transitive
verb
keep
safe from something: to protect somebody from
unpleasantness or danger

3.  intransitive
verb
withdraw
into privacy: to withdraw into a state of personal
privacy in order to escape stressful everyday life (informal)
[Late
17th century. Via French cocon from, ultimately, Latin coccus
“berry,” from Greek kokkos (source of English cochineal ).]
—co·cooned, adjective[1]



cocoplum

cocoplum
co·co
plum
(plural co·co plums) noun

tropical tree providing fruit
and oil: a tropical American and
African tree, cultivated for its edible fruit that is usually eaten preserved
and, in West Africa, for an oil obtained from its seeds. Latin name: Chrysobalanus
icaco[1]



cocoswood

cocoswood
co·cos
wood
noun

See
cocuswood  noun 2[1]



cocotte

cocotte
co·cotte 
[kō kót, kə kót]
(plural co·cottes) noun

1.  prostitute:
a promiscuous woman or prostitute (literary)

2.  small
heatproof dish for cooking food: a heatproof dish in
which food can be cooked and served in small portions
[Early 20th century. Via
French cocasse from Latin cucuma “cooking pot.”][1]



cocounseling

cocounseling
co·coun·sel·ing
noun

form of mutual counseling:
a form of counseling in which participants receive training as counselors and
work alternately as counselor and client[1]



Cocteau,Jean

Cocteau,Jean
Coc·teau 
[kok tṓ, kawk tṓ],
Jean (1889–1963)

French writer and movie
director. His works include the novel Les enfants terribles ( 1929 ) and
the film La belle et la bête ( 1945 ).[1]



cocurricular

cocurricular
co·cur·ric·u·lar 
[k kə ríkyələr] adjective

not on official curriculum:
something that is not part of the official curriculum but that complements it[1]



cocuswood

cocuswood
co·cus·wood
[kṓkəss wd] (plural co·cus·wood)
noun

1.  West
Indian hardwood tree: a West Indian tree that
yields a hard wood. Latin name: Brya ebenus
Also
called
West Indian ebony

2.  wood
of cocuswood tree: the hard wood of the
cocuswood tree, which turns black with age and is used to make musical
instruments, backs of brushes, and inlays.
Also
called
cocos wood
Also
called
Jamaica ebony
Also
called
West Indian ebony
[Mid-17th century. Cocus of
unknown origin.][1]



Cocytus

Cocytus
Co·cy·tus 
[kō ktəss, kō
stəss] noun

mythological
Greek river of underworld: one of the tributaries of
the river Styx that, in Greek mythology, flowed through the underworld
[From Greek Kōkutos,
literally “wailing”][1]



COD

COD
COD
or C.O.D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cash on delivery

2.  Abbreviation
of
collect on delivery

[1]



cod.

cod.
cod.
or Cod.

Abbreviation of
codex[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cod

cod1
cod1 [kod]
(plural cod or cods) noun

marine
food fish:
a saltwater food fish that has three dorsal fins and slender feelers like
whiskers ( barbels ) on its jaw and lives
close to the seabed. Family: Gadidae
Also
called
codfish
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cod

cod2
cod2 [kod]
(plural cods) noun (archaic)

1.  bag:
a bag

2.  sac
containing testes: a sac of skin that contains
the testes of male mammals
[Old English cod(d),
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English cuttlefish][1]



coda

coda
co·da 
[kṓdə] noun

1.  final
section of musical piece: in some pieces of music, a
final section that adds dramatic energy to the work as a whole, usually through
intensified rhythmic activity

2.  extra
text:
an additional section at the end of a text, for example, a literary work or
speech, that is not necessary to its structure but gives additional information
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Latin cauda “tail” (source of English cue and queue
).][1]



coddle

coddle
cod·dle 
[kódd’l] (past cod·dled, past
participle cod·dled, present participle cod·dling, 3rd
person present singular cod·dles) transitive verb

1.  be
overprotective of somebody: to treat somebody in an
overprotective and indulgent way

2.  cook
egg gently:
to cook an egg in water just below the boiling point
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of caudle
.]
—cod·dler, noun[1]



code

code
code 
[kōd] noun (plural codes)

1.  system
of letters, numbers, or symbols: a system of letters,
numbers, or symbols into which normal language is converted to allow
information to be communicated secretly, briefly, or electronically

2.  information
system of letters or numbers: a system of letters or
numbers that gives information about something, for example, postal or
telephone areas

3.  COMPUT computer
information: a system of symbols, numbers, or signals
that conveys information to a computer

4.  LAW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION rules
and regulations: a system of accepted laws and
regulations that govern procedure or behavior in particular circumstances or
within a particular profession

5.  way
of behaving: a set of unwritten rules concerning
acceptable standards of behavior

6.  MEDICINE patient
with no heartbeat or breathing: a patient whose heart
has stopped beating or who has stopped breathing (slang)
verb
(past cod·ed, past participle cod·ed, present
participle cod·ing, 3rd person present singular codes)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something in code: to put a message or text
into code

2.  intransitive
verb
GENETICS provide
genetic information: to act as or provide the
genetic information that enables a polypeptide, RNA molecule, or one of their
constituent groups to be produced (refers to codons or genes)

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE undergo
heart or breathing stoppage: to go into a state in which
the heart has stopped beating or the lungs have ceased to function (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING write
computer program: to write a computer program that
provides instructions to a computer
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Latin codex “block of wood, block split into waxed tablets
for writing on, book,” hence “set of statutes.”][1]



codeblue

codeblue
code
blue
(plural code blues) or Code blue (plural Code
blues) noun

medical emergency:
a medical emergency, for example, in a hospital, when a patient’s heart stops
beating or lungs stop functioning[1]



codebook

codebook
code·book 
[kṓd bk] (plural code·books) noun

book of codes:
a book containing a key to a code or codes[1]



codeine

codeine
co·deine 
[kṓ dn] noun

painkiller:
a white crystalline drug derived from opium, but milder in action, used as a
painkiller and to relieve coughing
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kōdeia “poppy head” + -ine
.][1]



codename

codename
code
name
(plural code names) noun

secret
name:
a name used to disguise the identity or nature of somebody or something, for
example a military operation
—code-name, transitive
verb[1]



CodeNapoléon

CodeNapoléon
Code
Na·po·lé·on
noun

French legal code:
the codification of French laws drawn up under Napoleon between 1804 and 1810
and forming the basis of modern French civil law.
Also called
Napoleonic Code[1]



codeof conduct

codeof conduct
code
of con·duct
(plural codes of con·duct) noun

way of behaving:
a set of unwritten rules according to which people in a particular group,
class, or situation are supposed to behave[1]



codeof practice

codeof practice
code
of prac·tice (plural codes of prac·tice)
noun

profession’s rules:
a set of rules according to which people of a particular profession are
expected to behave[1]



codependency

codependency
co·de·pen·den·cy 
[k di péndənsee] or co·de·pen·dence
[k di péndəns] noun

1.  mutual
need:
the dependence of two people, groups, or organisms on each other, especially
when this reinforces mutually harmful behavior patterns

2.  COUNSELLING relationship
of mutual need: a situation in which one person feels a
need to be needed by another person, for example, the partner of an alcoholic
or a parent of a drug-addicted child
—co·de·pen·dent, noun,
adjective[1]



coder

coder
cod·er
[kṓdər] (plural cod·ers) noun

1.  converter
of something into code: somebody or something that
converts texts, messages, or symbols into code

2.  device
transforming signals into code: an electronic device
that transforms signals into coded form

[1]



codetermination

codetermination
co·de·ter·mi·na·tion 
[k di turmi náysh’n] noun

joint decision-making:
cooperation between management and employees in making decisions[1]



codeword

codeword
code
word
(plural code words) noun

1.  secret
word identifying somebody or something: a
secret word or phrase that is used to identify a person, operation, or
organization whose true identity is to be kept hidden, or is used as a password
in a secret operation

2.  euphemism:
a word or phrase used to describe something in a euphemistic way • corporate
reengineering is often just a code word for layoffs

[1]



codex

codex
co·dex 
[kṓ dèks] (plural co·di·ces [kṓdisz]) noun

old
manuscripts in book form: a collection of ancient
manuscript texts, especially of the Scriptures, in book form
[Late 16th century. From
Latin (see code ).][1]



CodexJuris Canonici

CodexJuris Canonici
Co·dex
Ju·ris Ca·non·i·ci [k
deks jooriss kə nónni s] noun

Roman
Catholic law code: the official code of canon
law of the Roman Catholic Church since 1918, when it replaced the Corpus Juris
Canonici. It was revised in 1983.
[From ecclesiastical Latin,
“Code of Canon Law”][1]



codfish

codfish
cod·fish 
[kód fìsh] (plural cod·fish or
cod·fish·es) noun

See
cod 1 noun[1]



codger

codger
codg·er 
[kójjər] (plural codg·ers) noun

fellow:
a man, especially a man of advanced years who is seen as slightly eccentric or
amusing (informal)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of cadger .][1]



codices

codices
co·di·ces


Plural of
codex[1]



codicil

codicil
cod·i·cil 
[kóddəssil] (plural cod·i·cils)
noun

1.  extra
part of will: an additional part of a will that either
modifies it or revokes part of it

2.  appendix
to text:
an appendix or supplement to a text (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin codicillus, diminutive of codex (see code ).]
—cod·i·cil·la·ry [kòddə sílləree], adjective[1]



codicology

codicology
cod·i·col·o·gy 
[kòddə kólləjee] noun

study
of manuscripts: the study of manuscripts
[Mid-20th
century. From French codicologie, literally “science of books,” from
Latin codic-, stem of codex (see code
).]
—cod·i·co·log·i·cal [kòddəkə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



codification

codification
cod·i·fi·ca·tion 
[kòddifi káysh’n] (plural cod·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

organized arrangement of
rules or laws: the act of arranging
laws, rules, or codes of behavior into organized systems, or any arrangement of
these[1]



codify

codify
cod·i·fy 
[kóddi f] (past cod·i·fied, past
participle cod·i·fied, present participle cod·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cod·i·fies) transitive verb

sort
something into organized system: to arrange things,
especially laws, rules, or principles, into an organized system or code
—cod·i·fi·er, noun[1]



codling

codling
cod·ling
[kóddling] (plural cod·lings or
cod·ling) noun

small codfish:
a small or young codfish[1]



codlingmoth

codlingmoth
cod·ling
moth
(plural cod·ling moths) or cod·lin moth (plural
cod·lin moths) noun

moth whose larvae eat fruit:
a small stout-bodied moth whose larvae feed on apples, pears, and other fruit.
Latin name: Laspeyresia pomonella[1]



cod-liveroil

cod-liveroil
cod-liv·er
oil 
noun

fish oil:
an oil rich in vitamins A and D that is extracted from the liver of the codfish
and is often used as a food supplement[1]



codominant

codominant
co·dom·i·nant 
[kō dómminənt] adjective

1.  GENETICS with
equal genetic effect: used to describe genes that
each have equal effect in making the character they control appear in
offspring. The genes for A and B blood groups are codominant and give rise to
the AB blood group if they are both inherited.

2.  ECOLOGY influencing
which species are present: determining the kinds of
species that exist in an ecological community
—co·dom·i·nance, noun[1]



codon

codon
co·don 
[kṓ dòn] (plural co·dons) noun

basic
unit of genetic code: a unit in messenger RNA
consisting of a set of three consecutive nucleotides, which specifies a
particular amino acid in protein synthesis.
Also
called
triplet
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from code + -on
.][1]



codpiece

codpiece
cod·piece 
[kód pss] (plural cod·piec·es)
noun

cover
for male genitals: a decorative pouch attached
to the crotch of breeches or hose worn by men in the 15th and 16th centuries
[15th century. Cod from cod 2 .][1]



codriver

codriver
co·driv·er
(plural co·driv·ers) noun

somebody sharing driving with
somebody else: somebody who does a
share of the driving on a car trip or in a rally[1]



coed

coed
co·ed
or co-ed noun (plural co·eds) (plural
co-eds)

woman
at two-gender college: a woman student who attends
a college or university where men and women are educated together (dated)
adjective

educating
men and women together: with both male and female
students (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of coeducational .][1]



co-edition

co-edition
co-e·di·tion
noun

jointly published book:
a book published by two or more publishers jointly[1]



coeducation

coeducation
co·ed·u·ca·tion 
[k éjjə káysh’n] noun

education
for both sexes: the education of both sexes together
—co·ed·u·ca·tion·al,
adjective

—co·ed·u·ca·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



coef.

coef.
coef.

Abbreviation of
coefficient[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








coefficient

coefficient
co·ef·fi·cient 
[k ə físhənt] (plural co·ef·fi·cients)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS numerical
part of algebraic term: the number placed before a
letter that represents a variable in algebra, for example, the “3” of “3x” in
the equation “3x = 6”

2.  PHYSICS figure
measuring property of substance: a constant that is a
measure of a property of a substance
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin coefficient-, stem of coefficiens “combining to
produce a result,” from Latin efficiens .][1]



coefficientof correlation

coefficientof correlation
co·ef·fi·cient
of cor·re·la·tion (plural co·ef·fi·cients of
cor·re·la·tion) noun

See
correlation coefficient[1]



coefficientof expansion

coefficientof expansion
co·ef·fi·cient
of ex·pan·sion (plural co·ef·fi·cients of
ex·pan·sion) noun

PHYSICS
size change according to temperature:
the change in length or area of a material per unit length or unit area that
accompanies a change in temperature of one degree[1]



coefficientof friction

coefficientof friction
co·ef·fi·cient
of fric·tion (plural co·ef·fi·cients of
fric·tions) noun

PHYSICS
measurement of friction between two
things: the ratio of the force
needed to make two surfaces slide over each other to the force that holds them
together. Symbol µ[1]



-coel

-coel
-coel
suffix

cavity,
chamber • pseudocoel
[Via modern Latin -coela
from Greek koilos “hollow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that
is also the ancestor of English cave
and concave .][1]



coelacanth

coelacanth
coe·la·canth 
[slə k`anth] (plural coe·la·canths)
noun

primitive
crawling fish: a fish found off the east coast of
Africa that crawls on the sea bottom using its fins to move. Coelacanths,
ancient forms of which are believed to be ancestors of the vertebrates, were
considered to have been extinct for 70 million years until a living species was
discovered in 1938. Latin name: Latimeria chalumnae
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Coelacanthus, genus name, from Greek koilos
“hollow” + akantha “spine” (because the fins of the fish have hollow
spines).]
—coe·la·can·thine
[slə kán thīn, slə
kánthin], adjective

—coe·la·can·thous [slə kánthəss], adjective[1]



-coele

-coele
-coele
suffix

See
-coel[1]



coelentera

coelentera
coe·len·te·ra


Plural of
coelenteron[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








coelenterate

coelenterate
coe·len·ter·ate 
[si léntə ràyt, si
léntərət] (plural coe·len·ter·ates) noun

marine
invertebrate with body cavity: a marine invertebrate
animal that has an internal body cavity ( coelenteron
), for example, sea anemones, corals, jellyfish, or comb jellies. Phyla: Cnidaria
Ctenophora Now called cnidarian
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Coelenterata, from Greek koilos
“hollow” + enteron “intestine.”]
—coe·len·ter·ic [slən térrik], adjective[1]



coelenteron

coelenteron
coe·len·ter·on 
[si léntə ròn] (plural coe·len·te·ra
[si léntərə]) noun

invertebrate body cavity:
the internal body cavity of a marine invertebrate animal ( coelenterate )[1]



coeliac

coeliac
coe·li·ac 
[slee àk] adjective

See
celiac[1]



coelom

coelom
coe·lom 
[sləm] (plural coe·loms or
coe·lo·ma·ta [si lṓmətə, si lómmətə]) or ce·lom [sləm] (plural ce·loms or ce·lo·ma·ta
[si lṓmətə, si
lómmətə]) or coe·lome [sləm]
(plural coe·lomes) noun

body
cavity:
the cavity between the body wall and the gut of many animals, formed when the
embryonic mesoderm is divided into two layers.
Also
called
body cavity
[Late
19th century. Via German Koelom from Greek koilōma “a hollow.”]
—coe·lom·ic [si lómmik, si lṓmik],
adjective[1]



coelomate

coelomate
coe·lo·mate 
[slə màyt] adjective

with
a body cavity: having a cavity between the body wall
and the digestive tract
—coe·lo·mate, noun[1]



coelostat

coelostat
coe·lo·stat 
[slə stàt] (plural coe·lo·stats)
noun

instrument
for reflecting light to telescope: an instrument with a
mirror that rotates parallel to the Earth’s axis in order to reflect light from
a celestial body onto a second mirror aimed at a fixed telescope
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin caelum “sky” + -stat .][1]



coemption

coemption
co·emp·tion
[kō émpshən] noun

buying
up all of something: the purchase of all
available supplies of a particular commodity
[14th century. From the Latin
stem coemption-, literally “buying up,” from, ultimately, emere
“to take or buy” (source of English exempt
).][1]



coen-

coen-
coen-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
coeno-[1]



Coen,Jan Pieterszoon

Coen,Jan Pieterszoon
Co·en
[koon], Jan Pieterszoon (1587–1629)

Dutch colonial administrator.
He secured the East Indies for Holland and founded its capital in Batavia,
present-day Jakarta (1618).[1]



coeno-

coeno-
coeno-
prefix

general,
common • coenocyte
[From Greek koinos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “together,” which is also the
ancestor of English com- and contra- .][1]



coenobite

coenobite
coen·o·bite 
[sénnə bt] noun

See
cenobite
—cen·o·bit·i·cal [sènnə bíttik’l], adjective[1]



coenocyte

coenocyte
coe·no·cyte 
[sénnə st] (plural coe·no·cytes)
noun

biological
unit containing many nuclei: a cell, part, or organism
that contains many nuclei not separated by cell walls, for example, the threads
( hyphae ) of many fungi or the bodies of
some algae
—coe·no·cyt·ic [sènnə ssíttik], adjective[1]



coenosarc

coenosarc
coe·no·sarc 
[sénnə srk] noun

material
linking polyps in colony: material linking the stems
of individuals within a colony of polyps that contains a highly branched canal
system with digestive and circulatory functions
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from coeno- + the Greek stem sark-
“flesh.”][1]



coenzyme

coenzyme
co·en·zyme 
[kō én zm] (plural co·en·zymes)
noun

nonprotein part of enzyme:
a nonprotein compound or molecule that combines with a protein ( apoenzyme ) to form an active enzyme[1]



coenzymeA

coenzymeA
co·en·zyme
A
noun

compound involved in
metabolism: a complex compound derived
from vitamin B 5 that
acts together with specific enzymes in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats[1]



coenzymeQ

coenzymeQ
co·en·zyme
Q
noun

See
ubiquinone[1]



coequal

coequal
co·e·qual 
[kō kwəl] adjective

equal
to somebody or something: of the same size or
belonging to the same rank or status
noun
(plural co·e·quals)

somebody
of same status: somebody who belongs to the same rank or
status as another
[14th
century. From Latin coaequalis “of the same age,” from aequalis
(see equal ).]
—co·e·qual·i·ty
[k i kwáwlətee], noun

—co·e·qual·ly
[kō kwəlee], adverb

—co·equal·ness [kō kwəlnəss], noun[1]



coerce

coerce
co·erce 
[kō úrss] (past co·erced, past
participle co·erced, present participle co·erc·ing, 3rd
person present singular co·erc·es) transitive verb

force:
to force somebody to do something that he or she does not want to do
[15th
century. From Latin coercere, literally “to shut in together,” from arcere
“to shut in” (source of English arcane
and exercise ).]
—co·erc·er,
noun

—co·erc·i·ble, adjective[1]



coercion

coercion
co·er·cion 
[kō úrsh’n] noun

1.  forcing
somebody to do something: the use of force or threats
to make people do things against their will

2.  force
used to compel somebody: force used to make somebody
do something against his or her will
—co·er·cion·ar·y
[kō úrsh’n èrree], adjective

—co·er·cion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



coercive

coercive
co·er·cive 
[kō úrssiv] adjective

using
force:
using force, or having the power to use force, to make people do things against
their will
—co·er·cive·ly,
adverb

—co·er·cive·ness, noun[1]



coerciveforce

coerciveforce
co·er·cive
force
noun

demagnetizing force:
the magnetic force necessary to demagnetize a substance.
Also called
coercivity[1]



coercivity

coercivity
co·er·civ·i·ty 
[k ur sívvətee] noun

See
coercive force[1]



coessential

coessential
co·es·sen·tial 
[k i sénshəl] adjective

with
same essence: with the same essence or nature
[Late
15th century. From ecclesiastical Latin coessentialis “of the same
substance” (used as an attribute of the persons of the Trinity), from late
Latin essentialis (see essential ).]
—co·es·sen·ti·al·i·ty
[k i senshee állətee], noun

—co·es·sen·tial·ly
[k i sénshəlee], adverb

—co·es·sen·tial·ness [k i sénshəlnəss], noun[1]



coetaneous

coetaneous
co·e·ta·ne·ous 
[k i táynee əss] adjective

equal
in age or duration: having the same age,
duration, or period (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin coaetaneus, literally “of the same age,” from aetas
“age.”]
—co·e·ta·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—co·e·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun[1]



coeternal

coeternal
co·e·ter·nal 
[k i túrn’l] adjective

jointly
existing forever: existing together throughout eternity (formal)
[14th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin coaeturnus, from Latin aeternus
(see eternal ).]
—co·e·ter·nal·ly, adverb[1]



coeternity

coeternity
co·e·ter·ni·ty 
[k i túrnətee] noun

existing
eternally together: eternal existence with
somebody or something else
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin coaeternitas, from Latin aeternitas (see eternity ).][1]



Coeurd’Alene

Coeurd’Alene
Coeur
d’A·lene
[kàwrd’l áyn]

city and resort in
northeastern Idaho, on the northern shore of Coeur D’Alene Lake. Population:
31,076 (1996)[1]



coeval

coeval
co·e·val 
[kō vəl] adjective

equal
in age or duration: having the same age,
duration, or date of origin (formal)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin coaevus, from Latin aevum “age,”
from Greek aion (source of English eon
and age ).]
—co·e·val·i·ty
[k i vállitee], noun

—co·e·val·ly [kō vəlee], adverb[1]



coevolution

coevolution
co·ev·o·lu·tion 
[k evvə lsh’n] noun

developing
of species together: the joint development of two
or more interdependent species, for example, parasites and the animals they
live on, such that they adapt to external changes together
—co·ev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
[k evə lsh’n èrree], adjective[1]



coevolve

coevolve
co·e·volve
[k i vólv] (past co·e·volved,
past participle co·e·volved, present participle co·e·volv·ing,
3rd person present singular co·e·volves) intransitive verb

evolve together:
to evolve and adapt together, for example, in the way that parasites and host
organisms do (refers to two different species)[1]



coexist

coexist
co·ex·ist 
[k ig zíst] (past co·ex·ist·ed,
past participle co·ex·ist·ed, present participle co·ex·ist·ing,
3rd person present singular co·ex·ists) intransitive verb

1.  be
in existence together: to exist together at the
same time and in the same place

2.  live
together peacefully: to occupy the same place in
a peaceful way
—co·ex·is·tence,
noun

—co·ex·is·tent, adjective[1]



coextend

coextend
co·ex·tend 
[k ik sténd] (past co·ex·tend·ed,
past participle co·ex·tend·ed, present participle co·ex·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular co·ex·tends) intransitive and
transitive verb

extend
in same space or time: to extend or make things
extend in or through the same space or length of time
—co·ex·ten·sion [k ik sténshən], noun[1]



coextensive

coextensive
co·ex·ten·sive 
[k ik sténsiv] adjective

with
the same range or limits: sharing the same limits,
boundaries, or scope
—co·ex·ten·sive·ly, adverb[1]



cofactor

cofactor
co·fac·tor 
[kō fáktər] (plural co·fac·tors)
noun

enzyme partner:
a substance, for example, a coenzyme or metal ion, that acts with and is
essential to the activity of an enzyme[1]



C.of C.

C.of C.
C.
of C.

Abbreviation of
chamber of commerce[1]



C.of E.

C.of E.
C.
of E.

Abbreviation of
Church of England[1]



coffee

coffee

cof·fee 
[kóffee] (plural cof·fees) noun

1.  strong
caffeine-rich drink: a drink made from ground or
processed coffee beans that contains caffeine and has a mildly stimulating
effect. Coffee may be drunk hot, often with cream or milk and sweetened with
sugar, or iced.

2.  beans
for making coffee: the beans used to make
coffee . They are either roasted and ground, or made into powder or granules
that dissolve in hot water.

3.  bush
yielding coffee beans: a bush cultivated as a
source of the beans used in making coffee. Genus: Coffea

4.  pale
brown color: a pale brown color, like that of milky
coffee
[Late 16th century. Via
Turkish kahve from, ultimately, Arabic ahwa .][1]



coffeebag

coffeebag
cof·fee
bag
(plural cof·fee bags) noun

small bag of coffee powder:
a small porous bag containing ground coffee powder that is steeped in boiling
water to make coffee[1]



coffeebean

coffeebean
cof·fee
bean
(plural cof·fee beans) noun

seed of coffee tree:
a seed of the coffee tree that is roasted and ground, or processed in other
ways, to make coffee[1]



coffeebreak

coffeebreak
cof·fee
break
(plural cof·fee breaks) noun

pause from work:
a short break for coffee or other refreshment[1]



coffeecake

coffeecake
cof·fee·cake 
[kóffi kàyk] (plural cof·fee·cakes)
noun

1.  cake
eaten with coffee: a sweet cake or roll, often
containing nuts and raisins, that is eaten with coffee

2.  U.K.
coffee-flavored
cake:
a cake flavored with coffee

[1]



coffeecup

coffeecup
cof·fee
cup
(plural cof·fee cups) noun

cup for drinking coffee:
a cup intended for drinking coffee, generally with a saucer underneath[1]



coffeegrinder

coffeegrinder
cof·fee
grind·er
(plural cof·fee grind·ers) noun

device for grinding coffee
beans: an electric or hand-operated
device for grinding roasted coffee beans.
Also called
coffee mill[1]



coffeehouse

coffeehouse
cof·fee·house
(plural cof·fee·hous·es) noun

place to drink coffee:
a place where coffee, and other refreshments are served[1]



coffeeklatch

coffeeklatch
cof·fee
klatch 
(plural cof·fee klatch·es) or cof·fee klatsch (plural
cof·fee klatsch·es) noun

informal
social gathering: a small social gathering where people
share coffee and casual conversation (informal)
Also
called
kaffeeklatsch
[Late 19th century.
Anglicization of kaffeeklatsch .][1]



coffeemaker

coffeemaker
cof·fee·mak·er
[kóffi màykər] (plural cof·fee·mak·ers)
noun

coffee-making machine:
an apparatus for brewing coffee, usually an electric device[1]



coffeemill

coffeemill
cof·fee
mill
(plural cof·fee mills) noun

See
coffee grinder[1]



coffeepot

coffeepot
cof·fee·pot 
[kóffi pòt] (plural cof·fee·pots)
noun

pot for coffee:
a pot with a spout and lid designed for brewing or serving coffee[1]



coffeeroom

coffeeroom
cof·fee
room
(plural cof·fee rooms) noun

area for relaxation:
a place provided in a business or academic department where coworkers or
colleagues gather to relax while they drink coffee or other drinks[1]



coffeeroyal

coffeeroyal
cof·fee
roy·al
(plural cof·fee roy·als or cof·fee roy·al) noun

black coffee with liqueur
added: a cup of coffee to which a
liqueur has been added, sometimes served topped with whipped cream[1]



coffeeshop

coffeeshop
cof·fee
shop
(plural cof·fee shops) noun

1.  informal
restaurant:
an informal restaurant serving anything from a snack to a full meal

2.  café
and coffee-seller: a place where coffee and
snacks are served and coffee beans are sold

[1]



coffeetable

coffeetable
cof·fee
ta·ble
(plural cof·fee ta·bles) noun

low living-room table:
a low table, for use in a living room.
Also called
cocktail table[1]



coffee-tablebook

coffee-tablebook
cof·fee-ta·ble
book 
(plural cof·fee-ta·ble books) noun

expensive picture book for
display: a large, typically expensive
book with lavish illustrations, usually used for display or casual perusal
rather than reading[1]



coffer

coffer

cof·fer 
[kóffər] noun (plural cof·fers)

1.  strongbox:
a strong chest or box used for keeping valuables or money safe

2.  ARCHITECTURE ceiling
panel:
an ornamental sunken panel in a ceiling or dome.
Also
called
caisson

3.  CONSTRUCTION See cofferdam  noun 1
plural noun cof·fers

funds: a
supply or store of money, often belonging to an organization
transitive verb
(past cof·fered, past participle cof·fered, present
participle cof·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular cof·fers)

1.  store
something valuable in strongbox: to put money or
valuables in a coffer

2.  decorate
ceiling with coffers: to decorate something,
especially a ceiling, with coffers
[13th century. Via French coffre
from Latin cophinus (see coffin ).][1]



cofferdam

cofferdam
cof·fer·dam 
[kóffər dàm] (plural cof·fer·dams)
noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION underwater
construction area: a temporary watertight
structure that is pumped dry to enclose an area underwater and allow
construction work on a ship, bridge, or rig to be carried out.
Also
called
coffer

2.  buffer
on ship:
an empty space that acts as a protective barrier between two floors or
bulkheads on a ship

[1]



coffin

coffin
cof·fin 
[kóffin] noun (plural cof·fins)

1.  box
for corpse:
a long oblong container, usually made of wood, in which a dead body is placed
for burial or cremation

2.  PRINTING type
of printing frame: a frame that holds
electrotype or stereotype printing plates.
Also
called
coffin block
transitive
verb
(past cof·fined, past participle cof·fined, present
participle cof·fin·ing, 3rd person present singular cof·fins)

put something in a coffin:
to place somebody or something in a coffin or in something resembling a coffin
[14th century. From Old
French cof(f)in “little basket or case,” from Latin cophinus
“basket,” from Greek kophinos .][1]



coffinblock

coffinblock
cof·fin
block
(plural cof·fin blocks) noun

See
coffin  noun 2[1]



coffinbone

coffinbone
cof·fin
bone
(plural cof·fin bones) noun

bone in horse’s hoof:
the main bone in a horse’s hoof[1]



coffincorner

coffincorner
cof·fin
cor·ner
(plural cof·fin cor·ners) noun

corner near defenders’ goal
line: in football, a corner of the
field within ten yards of the goal line of the defending team. Kickers try to
kick the ball so that it will bounce out of bounds from this area, forcing the
defending team to start their downs close to their own goal.[1]



coffinnail

coffinnail
cof·fin
nail
(plural cof·fin nails) noun

cigarette:
a cigarette (dated slang)[1]



C.of S.

C.of S.
C.
of S.

Abbreviation of
chief of staff[1]



cog

cog2
cog2 [kog]
(past cogged, past participle cogged, present
participle cog·ging, 3rd person present singular cogs)
intransitive and transitive verb

cheat
at dice:
to cheat in a gambling game by loading the dice (slang)
[Mid-16th century. Origin unknown.][1]



cog

cog1

cog1 [kog]
(plural cogs) noun

1.  tooth
engaging with wheel for motion: a projection on the
edge of a gearwheel that engages with corresponding parts on another wheel to
transfer motion from one wheel to the other

2.  See
cogwheel
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably of Scandinavian origin.]
—cogged, adjective[1]



cog

cog3
cog3 [kog]
noun (plural cogs)

timber
beam joint:
a piece that projects from the end of a timber beam and is designed to fit into
an opening in another beam to form a joint
transitive
verb
(past cogged, past participle cogged, present
participle cog·ging, 3rd person present singular cogs)

join
timber beams: to join two timber beams with a cog
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of cock “to pamper,” shortening of cocker 2 .][1]



cog.

cog.
cog.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of cognate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cogency

cogency
co·gen·cy
[kṓjənsee] noun

cogent force:
the power of an argument or piece of reasoning to convince somebody on an
intellectual and rational level (formal)[1]



cogeneration

cogeneration
co·gen·er·a·tion 
[kō jènnə ráysh’n] noun

producing
of two forms of energy simultaneously: the
production of two types of energy, such as heat or electricity, from one source
in such a way that both are usable rather than one being treated as waste
energy
—co·gen·er·a·tor [kō jénnə ràytər], noun[1]



cogent

cogent
co·gent 
[kṓjənt] adjective

rationally
persuasive:
forceful and convincing to the intellect and reason • a
cogent argument
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin cogent-, present participle stem of cogere
“to drive together,” from agere “to drive” (source of English agent ).]
—co·gent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at valid

[1]



cogitate

cogitate
cog·i·tate 
[kójji tàyt] (past cog·i·tat·ed,
past participle cog·i·tat·ed, present participle cog·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular cog·i·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

ponder
something:
to think deeply and carefully about something (formal)
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Latin cogitare, literally “to disturb together,” from agitare
“to disturb” (see agitate ).][1]



cogitation

cogitation
cog·i·ta·tion 
[kòjji táysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  deep
thought:
deep thought or consideration that somebody gives to a particular problem or
subject

2.  act
of deep thought: an act of thinking deeply about
something

[1]



cogitative

cogitative
cog·i·ta·tive 
[kójji tàytiv] adjective

thinking
deeply:
thinking deeply about or seriously considering something (formal)
—cog·i·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—cog·i·ta·tive·ness, noun[1]



cognac

cognac
co·gnac 
[kṓn yàk] (plural co·gnacs) noun

brandy:
a high-quality brandy distilled from white grapes in Cognac, western France[1]



cognate

cognate
cog·nate 
[kóg nàyt] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS derived
from same root or origin: having the same linguistic
root or origin

2.  with
same ancestor: related by blood or having an ancestor
in common (formal)
noun
(plural cog·nates)

1.  LINGUISTICS word
with same origin as another: one of two or more words
that have the same root or origin

2.  somebody
in same family: somebody who is related by blood to
somebody else or shares a common ancestor with somebody else
[14th
century. From Latin cognatus, literally “born together,” from gnatus,
past participle of (g)nasci “to be born” (source of English native ).]
—cog·na·tion [kog náysh’n], noun[1]



cognateobject

cognateobject
cog·nate
ob·ject
(plural cog·nate ob·jects) noun

object of verb with same
root: a noun that functions as the
object of a verb that is from the same etymological root, as in “to dream a
dream” or “to think a thought”[1]



cognition

cognition
cog·ni·tion 
[kog nísh’n] noun

1.  ability
to acquire knowledge: the mental faculty or
process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition or perception

2.  knowledge
acquired:
knowledge that is acquired through processes such as reasoning, intuition or
perception
[15th
century. From the Latin stem cognition-, from cognoscere “to get
to know,” from (g)noscere “to know” (see notion
).]
—cog·ni·tion·al, adjective[1]



cognitive

cognitive
cog·ni·tive 
[kógnitiv] adjective

1.  concerned
with acquisition of knowledge: relating to the
process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or
perception

2.  relating
to thought:
relating to thought processes
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin cognitivus, from Latin cognoscere
(see cognition ).]
—cog·ni·tive·ly, adverb[1]



cognitivedissonance

cognitivedissonance
cog·ni·tive
dis·so·nance noun

contradictory mental state:
a state of psychological conflict or anxiety resulting from a contradiction
between a person’s simultaneously held beliefs or attitudes[1]



cognitivemap

cognitivemap
cog·ni·tive
map
(plural cog·ni·tive maps) noun

brain’s map of
three-dimensional space: a map of
three-dimensional space maintained in the brain[1]



cognitivepsychology

cognitivepsychology
cog·ni·tive
psy·chol·o·gy noun

study of mental states:
the branch of psychology concerned with the study of mental states[1]



cognitivescience

cognitivescience
cog·ni·tive
sci·ence
noun

science of knowledge:
the scientific study of knowledge and how it is acquired, combining elements of
philosophy, psychology, linguistics, anthropology, and artificial intelligence[1]



cognitivetherapy

cognitivetherapy
cog·ni·tive
ther·a·py
noun

psychiatric treatment by
changing a way of thinking: a treatment
of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression that encourages patients
to confront and challenge the distorted way of thinking that characterizes
their disorder[1]



cognitivism

cognitivism
cog·ni·tiv·ism
[kógniti vìzzəm] noun

theory that moral judgments
are facts: the theory that moral
judgments are statements of fact and can therefore be classed as true or false[1]



cognizable

cognizable
cog·ni·za·ble 
[kógnizəb’l, kog
nzəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be known: able to be known or perceived by the
human mind (formal)

2.  LAW within
law court’s jurisdiction: falling within the
jurisdiction of a particular court of law and therefore able to be tried by
that court
—cog·ni·za·bly, adverb[1]



cognizance

cognizance
cog·ni·zance 
[kógnizəns] (plural cog·ni·zances)
noun

1.  knowledge:
knowledge or awareness of something (formal)

2.  somebody’s
scope of knowledge: the extent or range of what
somebody can know and understand (formal)

3.  court’s
right to deal with something: the right of a court of law
to deal with a particular matter

4.  taking
notice of a fact: notice of a fact or facts taken by a
court of law

5.  HERALDRY distinguishing
sign:
a badge or other sign that is worn to distinguish the wearer
[14th century. Via Old French
conis(s)aunce from, ultimately, Latin cognoscere (see cognition ).][1]



cognizant

cognizant
cog·ni·zant 
[kógnizənt] adjective

knowing
about something: being fully aware or having knowledge of
something (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at aware

[1]



cognize

cognize
cog·nize 
[kóg nz] (past cog·nized, past
participle cog·nized, present participle cog·niz·ing, 3rd
person present singular cog·niz·es) transitive verb

know
something:
to become aware of or know something (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Back-formation from cognizance,
modeled on recognizance, recognize .]
—cog·niz·er, noun[1]



cognomen

cognomen
cog·no·men 
[kog nṓmən] (plural cog·no·mens
or cog·nom·i·na [kog nómmənə])
noun

1.  nickname:
a nickname or name that describes somebody, for example, “Billy the Kid” (formal)

2.  HISTORY Roman
surname:
a surname or family name, especially the third name given to a citizen of
ancient Rome, for example, “Cicero” in “Marcus Tullius Cicero”
[Early
17th century. From Latin, literally “added name,” from (g)nomen “name”
(source of English noun ).]
—cog·nom·i·nal [kog nómmin’l], adjective[1]



cognoscenti

cognoscenti
cog·no·scen·ti
[kògnə shéntee, kònnyə
shéntee] (singular cog·no·scen·te [kògnə shéntay]) plural noun

connoisseurs
or experts:
people who have a refined and superior knowledge of a subject, especially the
arts
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “person who knows,” a Latinized form of conoscente,
from Latin cognoscent-, present participle stem of cognoscere
(see cognition ).][1]



cogon

cogon
co·gon 
[kō gṓn] (plural co·gons) noun

grass
used in thatching: a coarse tall grass used,
especially in the Philippines, as thatching. Genus: Imperata
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish from Tagalog kúgon .][1]



cograilway

cograilway
cog
rail·way
(plural cog rail·ways) noun

railroad for steep slopes:
a railroad designed for use on steep slopes that has a central cogwheel beneath
the engine that engages with a toothed track to pull the train upward.
Also called
rack railway
U.K. term
rack railway[1]



Cogswellchair

Cogswellchair
Cogs·well
chair 
[kógzwel chàir] (plural Cogs·well
chairs) noun

armchair
with open sides: an upholstered armchair with an open
part under the armrests and cabriole legs
[Cogswell of uncertain
origin: probably from the name Cogswell][1]



cogwheel

cogwheel

cog·wheel 
[kóg wl, kóg
hwl] (plural cog·wheels) noun
toothed wheel:
a wheel with a series of projections around the rim that enable it to engage
with projections on another wheel or rack to create traction and so produce
motion.
Also called
cog
Also called
gear[1]



cohabit

cohabit
co·hab·it 
[kō hábbit] (past co·hab·it·ed,
past participle co·hab·it·ed, present participle co·hab·it·ing,
3rd person present singular co·hab·its) intransitive verb

live
together:
to live together, especially without being formally married (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Late Latin cohabitare, from habitare “to dwell,”
literally “to have usually” (see inhabit ).]
—co·hab·i·tant,
noun

—co·hab·it·ee
[k habbi t], noun

—co·hab·it·er [kō hábbitər], noun[1]



cohabitation

cohabitation
co·hab·i·ta·tion 
[kō hàbbi táysh’n] noun

living
together:
the state or practice of living with another person, especially without being
formally married (formal)
—co·hab·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



Cohan,George M.

Cohan,George M.
Co·han 
[kṓ hàn], George M. (1878–1942)

U.S.
actor, songwriter, and playwright. He wrote twenty plays and musicals and
numerous songs such as “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” ( 1904 ).
Full name
Cohan, George Michael[1]



cohen

cohen
co·hen
[kṓ ən] (plural co·hens or
co·han·im [kṓ ənim]) noun

descendant of Aaron:
in Judaism, a person recognized as a descendant of Aaron. The cohens were
priests in the Temple in ancient Jerusalem, and a man identified as a cohen
still retains certain obligations in Orthodox Judaism today.[1]



Cohen,Leonard

Cohen,Leonard
Co·hen
[kṓ ən], Leonard (1934– )

Canadian poet, novelist,
singer, and songwriter. His albums include The Songs of Leonard Cohen
(1967) and I’m Your Man (1988).[1]



Cohen,Morris Raphael

Cohen,Morris Raphael
Co·hen 
[kṓ ən], Morris Raphael (1880–1947)

Russian-born U.S.
philosopher. His philosophy was a combination of logic, pragmatism, and
linguistic analysis.[1]



cohere

cohere
co·here 
[kō hr] (past co·hered, past
participle co·hered, present participle co·her·ing, 3rd
person present singular co·heres) intransitive verb

1.  stick
together:
to stick or hold together in a mass that is not easily separated (formal)

2.  be
logically consistent: to be logically consistent
so that all the separate parts fit together and add up to a harmonious or
believable whole (formal)

3.  PHYSICS be
held together by molecular forces: to be held together by
the molecular forces of cohesion
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
cohaerere, from haerere “to stick” (source of English adhere ).][1]



coherence

coherence
co·her·ence 
[kō hrəns] or co·her·en·cy [kō hrənsee] noun

1.  logical
or aesthetic consistency: the quality of being
logically or aesthetically consistent, with all separate parts fitting together
to form a harmonious or credible whole

2.  PHYSICS See cohesion  noun 2

[1]



coherent

coherent
co·her·ent 
[kō hrənt] adjective

1.  logically
or aesthetically consistent: logically or aesthetically
consistent and holding together as a harmonious or credible whole

2.  speaking
logically:
able to speak clearly and logically • He was
so confused and dazed he was barely coherent.

3.  sticking
together:
being able to hold together to form an inseparable mass (formal)

4.  PHYSICS describing
electromagnetic waves: used to describe
electromagnetic waves that have the same wavelength and a fixed phase
relationship. Coherent light is produced by lasers.

5.  forming
units without introducing constants:
forming a system of units, such as the International System, in which the
product or quotient of two units gives the unit of the derived quantity
—co·her·ent·ly, adverb[1]



cohesion

cohesion
co·he·sion 
[kō hzh’n] noun

1.  sticking
or working together: the state or condition of
joining or working together to form a united whole, or the tendency to do this

2.  PHYSICS molecular
attraction:
the force of attraction by which the molecules of a solid or liquid tend to
remain together.
Also
called
coherence
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin cohaes-, past participle stem of cohaerere
(see cohere ).]
—co·he·sion·less, adjective[1]



cohesive

cohesive
co·he·sive 
[kō hssiv] adjective

unified:
sticking, holding, or working together to form a united whole • She
had welded the team into a cohesive unit.
[Early
18th century. From Latin cohaes-, present participle stem of cohaerere
(see cohere ).]
—co·he·sive·ly,
adverb

—co·he·sive·ness, noun[1]



coho

coho
co·ho 
[kṓhō] (plural co·hos or
co·ho) noun

See
coho salmon
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cohort

cohort
co·hort 
[kṓ hàwrt] (plural co·horts) noun

1.  group
of people:
a united group of people

2.  supporter:
a supporter, accomplice, or associate of a leader, especially one to whom
special treatment and preference is given (disapproving)

3.  STATISTICS group
with statistical similarities: a group of people
sharing a common factor, for example, the same age or the same income bracket,
especially in a statistical survey

4.  HISTORY unit
of Roman army: an ancient Roman military unit that
formed one tenth of a legion and that consisted of 300 to 600 men

5.  soldiers:
a group of soldiers or warriors
[15th century. From,
ultimately, the Latin stem cohort-, literally “enclosure,” thus “people
within an enclosure,” hence “company of infantry,” variant of cort- .][1]



cohosalmon

cohosalmon
co·ho
salm·on
noun

Pacific food fish:
a small Pacific salmon with light-colored flesh. The coho salmon has been
successfully introduced in the Great Lakes of North America and other inland
waters. Latin name: Oncorhynchus kisutch
Also called
coho
Also called
silver salmon[1]



cohosh

cohosh
co·hosh 
[kṓ hòsh] (plural co·hosh·es) noun

N
American plant: a North American plant such as black
cohosh or blue cohosh. Latin name: Cimicifuga racemosa Caulophyllum
thalictroides
[Late 18th century. From
Eastern Abenaki kkwàhas .][1]



cohune

cohune
co·hune 
[kō hn] (plural co·hunes) noun

tropical
palm:
a Central American palm with feathery leaves that produces a nut yielding an
oil similar to coconut oil, often used in soaps and cosmetics. Latin name: Orbignya
cohune
[Mid-18th century. From
Miskito .][1]



coif

coif
coif 
[koyf] noun (plural coifs)

1.  type
of skullcap for women: a close-fitting linen cap
worn by women in the Middle Ages, and now worn by some nuns under their veils

2.  (informal)
See coiffure

3.  lawyer’s
skullcap:
a close-fitting white cap worn in the past by English sergeants-at-law (archaic)

4.  leather
skullcap:
a thick, close-fitting leather cap formerly worn under a hood of chain mail
transitive
verb
(past coifed, past participle coifed, present
participle coif·ing, 3rd person present singular coifs)

1.  cover
head with coif: to cover somebody’s head with a coif or
with something like a coif

2.  arrange
hair:
to arrange or style somebody’s hair (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
coife “headdress” from late Latin cofia “helmet,” ultimately from
prehistoric Germanic.][1]



coiffeur

coiffeur
coif·feur 
[kwaa fúr] (plural coif·feurs
[kwaafúr]) noun

male
hair stylist: a male hairdresser (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, ultimately from Old French coife (see coif
).][1]



coiffeuse

coiffeuse
coif·feuse 
[kwaa fz] (plural coif·feus·es)
noun

female
hair stylist: a female hairdresser (formal)
[Late 18th century. From
French, feminine of coiffeur .][1]



coiffure

coiffure
coif·fure 
[kwaa fyr] noun (plural coif·fures)

somebody’s
hairstyle:
the way somebody wears his or her hair (formal)
transitive
verb
(past coif·fured, past participle coif·fured, present
participle coif·fur·ing, 3rd person present singular coif·fures)

style
somebody’s hair: to style or arrange somebody’s hair (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From French, where it was formed from coiffer “to arrange the
hair,” ultimately from Old French coife (see coif
).]
—coif·fured, adjective[1]



coign

coign
coign 
(plural coigns) noun

See
quoin[1]



coignof vantage

coignof vantage
coign
of van·tage
(plural coigns of van·tage) noun

vantage
point:
a good position from which to be able to observe somebody or something or to
take action (literary)
[Coign is a variant of coin or quoin][1]



coil

coil2
coil2 [koyl]
noun

a
commotion or disturbance (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



coil

coil1
coil1 [koyl]
noun (plural coils)

1.  series
of loops:
a series of connected loops into which something has been wound or gathered

2.  loop:
one of a series of loops into which something has been wound or gathered

3.  spiral:
something that curls or is curled into a spiral shape

4.  pipes
arranged in rows or spiral: a series of pipes arranged
in rows or in a spiral, for example, in a radiator or condenser

5.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING wire
spiral for electric current: a spiral of wire through
which an electric current is passed to create a magnetic field or to function
as an inductor

6.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
supplying electricity to spark plugs: a
device that supplies a high voltage to the spark plugs in an internal-combustion
engine

7.  MEDICINE contraceptive
device:
a coil-shaped device made of plastic or metal that is placed inside the womb to
prevent a woman from becoming pregnant

8.  roll
of stamps:
a roll of postage stamps dispensed by a vending machine
verb
(past coiled, past participle coiled, present
participle coil·ing, 3rd person present singular coils)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wind
something into loops: to wind something into a
series of connected loops or form a series of connected loops • The
rope had coiled itself around the propeller.

2.  intransitive
verb
curve
or bend:
to move in a curving, sinuous way
[Early
16th century. Via Old French coillir “to gather” from Latin colligere
(see collect ).]
—coil·er, noun[1]



coilpot

coilpot
coil
pot
(plural coil pots) noun

pot made with spiral of clay:
a pot formed from a structure of coils or ropes of clay laid one on top of the
other in a spiral[1]



coin

coin
coin 
[koyn] noun (plural coins)

1.  piece
of metal money: a usually circular flat piece of metal
stamped with its value as money

2.  metal
money:
money in the form of coins rather than bills or checks

3.  paper
or metal money: money in whatever form, as opposed to
such things as checks

4.  alternate
but equivalent form of expression: something considered
acceptable as an alternative form of expression • Honesty
is her coin of choice.
transitive
verb
(past coined, past participle coined, present
participle coin·ing, 3rd person present singular coins)

1.  mint
coins:
to make a coin or coins

2.  make
metal into coins: to make a metal, for example, gold or
silver, into coins

3.  create
expression:
to invent or devise a word or phrase
adjective

coin -operated:
requiring a coin or coins to be inserted to make it operate (usually used in
combination)
[14th
century. From Old French coin(g), literally “wedge, cornerstone,” later
“die (usually wedge-shaped) for stamping coins,” from Latin cuneus
“wedge.”]
—coin·a·ble,
adjective

—coin·er,
noun
the
other side of the coin

the contrasting or contrary
aspect of something[1]



coinage

coinage
coin·age 
[kóynij] (plural coin·ag·es) noun

1.  coins:
currency in the form of coins

2.  currency:
a system or type of coins in use as currency • decimal
coinage

3.  making
of metal money: the act or process of minting coins

4.  invention
of new word or phrase: the invention of a new word
or phrase

5.  new
word or phrase: a newly used word or phrase • “Cyberspace”
was a popular coinage of the 1980s.

[1]



coinbox

coinbox
coin
box
(plural coin box·es) noun

box in machine for coins:
a box into which coins are inserted to get something from a coin-operated
machine[1]



coincide

coincide
co·in·cide 
[kō in sd] (past co·in·cid·ed,
past participle co·in·cid·ed, present participle co·in·cid·ing,
3rd person present singular co·in·cides) intransitive verb

1.  happen
at same time: to happen at or around the same time

2.  be
same in position or form: to occupy the same place or
be exactly alike in position or form

3.  agree:
to agree exactly
[Early 18th century. From
medieval Latin coincidere, literally “to fall upon together,” from Latin
incidere “fall upon,” from cadere “to fall” (see cadence ).][1]



coincidence

coincidence
co·in·ci·dence 
[kō ínsidəns] (plural co·in·ci·dences)
noun

1.  chance
happening:
something that happens by chance in a surprising or remarkable way

2.  happening
without planning: the fact of happening by chance • It
was pure coincidence that we met.

3.  having
identical features: the fact or condition of
happening at the same time or place or being identical (formal)

[1]



coincident

coincident
co·in·ci·dent 
[kō ínsidənt] adjective (formal)

1.  sharing
same place or time: happening at the same time
or occupying the same position in space

2.  agreeing
exactly:
being in exact agreement or matching
—co·in·ci·dent·ly, adverb[1]



coincidental

coincidental
co·in·ci·den·tal 
[k insi dént’l] adjective

1.  happening
by chance:
happening by chance rather than intentionally

2.  occurring
at same time: happening or existing at the same time
—co·in·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb[1]



Cointreau

Cointreau
Coin·treau 
[kwaan trṓ] Trademark

a trademark for a colorless
orange-flavored liqueur[1]



coir

coir
coir 
[kóyr] noun

coconut
fiber:
a kind of coarse fiber that comes from the husk of the coconut and is used to
make matting and rope
[Late 16th century. From
Malayalam kayaṟu “cord, coir.”][1]



coition

coition
co·i·tion
[kō ísh’n] noun

See
coitus
[Mid-16th century. From the
Latin stem coition-, from coire (see coitus
).][1]



coitus

coitus
co·i·tus 
[kṓ itəss] noun

sexual
intercourse: sexual intercourse (formal or
technical)
Also
called
coition
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, past participle of coire, literally “to go
together,” from ire “to go.”]
—co·i·tal,
adjective

—co·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



coitusinterruptus

coitusinterruptus
co·i·tus
in·ter·rup·tus  [k itəss
intə rúptəss] noun

withdrawal
before ejaculation: during sexual intercourse,
the deliberate withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before semen is
ejaculated, attempted as method of contraception
[From modern Latin,
“interrupted coitus”][1]



cojones

cojones
co·jones 
[kə hṓneez] plural noun (slang)

1.  testicles:
testicles

2.  courage:
courage or nerve
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, plural of cojón “testicle.”][1]



coke

coke2
coke2 [kōk]
noun

cocaine:
cocaine used as an illicit drug (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Contraction.][1]



Coke

Coke
Coke
Trademark

a trademark for a
cola-flavored soft drink[1]



coke

coke1
coke1 [kōk]
noun

carbon
fuel:
a solid residue consisting mainly of carbon, left after the volatile elements
have been driven from bituminous coal or other petroleum material. Coke is used
as a fuel and in steelmaking.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coked, past
participle coked, present participle cok·ing, 3rd
person present singular cokes)

change
into coke:
to change something, for example, bituminous coal, into coke, or to become coke
or like coke
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cokehead

cokehead
coke·head 
[kṓk hèd] (plural coke·heads) noun

cocaine addict:
somebody who takes cocaine frequently or is addicted to it (slang)[1]



col

col
col 
[kol] (plural cols) noun

1.  low
point of mountain ridge: a low point in a ridge of
mountains, often forming a pass between two peaks.
Also
called
saddle

2.  region
of low atmospheric pressure: a pattern of atmospheric
pressure distribution that develops between two anticyclones and two
depressions arranged alternately, characterized by light variable winds and
often thundery weather in summer or foggy conditions in winter
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin collum “neck.”][1]



COL

COL
COL

1.  Abbreviation
of
cost of living

2.  Abbreviation
of
computer-oriented language

[1]



Col

Col
Col

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Colossians[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








col-

col-2
col-2 prefix

(used before l)See
com-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








col.

col.
col.

1.  Abbreviation
of
collect

2.  Abbreviation
of
college

3.  Abbreviation
of
colony

4.  Abbreviation
of
color

5.  Abbreviation
of
column

[1]



Col.

Col.
Col.
or Col

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Colossians

2.  Abbreviation
of
Columbia

3.  Abbreviation
of
Columbian

4.  Abbreviation
of
Colonel

5.  Col.
or Colo. Abbreviation of Colorado

[1]



col-

col-1
col-1 prefix

(used before vowels)See
colo-[1]



COLA

COLA
COLA

Abbreviation of
cost-of-living adjustment[1]



cola

cola1
co·la1 [kōlə]
(plural co·las) or ko·la [kōlə]
(plural ko·las) noun

1.  type
of soda:
a sweet carbonated drink that is flavored with cola nuts

2.  co·la
or ko·la tropical tree bearing cola
nuts:
a tropical evergreen tree cultivated for its reddish seeds ( cola nuts ). Genus: Cola
[Early 17th century. From
Temni k’ola “cola nut.”][1]



cola

cola2
co·la2

Plural of
colon[1]



colander

colander
col·an·der 
[kúlləndə, kólləndər]
(plural col·an·ders) noun

strainer
for draining water from food: a bowl-shaped dish with
holes in it, used for draining food that has been cooked in water or for
washing vegetables or fruit
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old Provençal colador from, ultimately, Latin colare
“to strain,” from colum “sieve” (source of English percolate ).][1]



colanut

colanut
co·la
nut
(plural co·la nuts) or ko·la nut (plural ko·la
nuts) noun

seed of cola tree:
the small hard seed of the cola tree, which contains caffeine and theobromine
and is used in carbonated drinks and medicines[1]



colatitude

colatitude
co·lat·i·tude
[kō láttə td] (plural co·lat·i·tudes)
noun

difference between latitude
and 90°: the difference between a
latitude and 90°[1]



Colbert,Claudette

Colbert,Claudette
Col·bert
[kawl báir], Claudette (1905–1996)

French-born U.S. movie actor.
She acted in Hollywood movies and won an Academy Award for It Happened One
Night ( 1934 ).[1]



colcannon

colcannon
col·can·non 
[kol kánnən] (plural col·can·nons)
noun

mashed
cabbage and potatoes: an Irish dish made of
cabbage and potatoes boiled and mashed together and served with butter or cream
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from cole, or Irish cál
ceannan, literally “white-headed cabbage.”][1]



Colchester

Colchester
Col·ches·ter 
[kṓlchəstər]

city in northwestern Vermont,
east of Lake Champlain and northeast of Burlington. Population: 16,092 (1996)[1]



colchicine

colchicine
col·chi·cine 
[kólchi sn, kólki
sn] noun

poisonous plant extract:
a poisonous pale yellow extract obtained from autumn crocus plants, used in
plant breeding to inhibit cell division and cause chromosome doubling, and in
medicine to treat gout. C22H25NO6[1]



cold

cold
cold 
[kōld] adjective (comparative colder,
superlative coldest)

1.  at
low temperature: at or with a low, relatively low,
uncomfortably low, or unusually low temperature • The
weather turned colder. • a
cold drink

2.  making
place seem cooler: giving a place a feeling of
coolness rather than warmth • blue
is a cold color

3.  COOKING cooked
hot then cooled: cooked or prepared as a hot food and
then cooled • Serve
the pie cold, with ice cream.

4.  taciturn
and emotionless: showing no emotion, sympathy, or
kindness

5.  unfriendly
and uncaring: feeling or exhibiting no friendship or
sense of caring

6.  strong
but controlled: intense but expressed or shown in a
controlled way • cold fury

7.  sexually
frigid:
giving or feeling no sexual response

8.  hard
to follow:
no longer recent or fresh and so difficult to track or follow • The
trail had gone cold.

9.  not
near object of search: not close to the correct
answer or to something being searched for (informal)

10. dead:
dead, especially from a long time before

11. METALLURGY processed
at low temperature: processed at a temperature
below that at which recrystallization takes place
noun
(plural colds)

1.  MED viral
infection of nose and throat: a viral infection of the
nose, throat, and bronchial tubes, characterized by coughing, sneezing,
headaches, and nasal congestion.
Also
called
common cold

2.  cold
weather:
low-temperature weather or conditions • The
cold made me shiver.

3.  condition
caused by low temperature: the state of being subjected
to low temperatures, or the condition caused by being subjected to low
temperatures
adverb
(comparative colder, superlative coldest)

1.  extemporaneously:
without any preparation • sang
the part cold

2.  completely:
completely and without any possibility of a change of mind • turned
the proposal down cold
[Old
English cald, ceald . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that
is also the ancestor of English chill
and cool . Perhaps originally a past
participle meaning “cooled.”]
—cold·ness,
noun
left
out in the cold

ignored
or denied benefits that other people are getting

out
cold

unconscious
or in a deep sleep

blow
hot and cold

to
have wide extremes of attitude or mood

the
cold light of day

conditions
when things are seen for what they really are rather than being seen in an
unrealistically favorable light

come
or be brought in from the cold

to
be allowed to take part in something after being previously excluded

leave
somebody cold

to fail to impress or excite
somebody[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cold-blooded

cold-blooded
cold-blood·ed 
[kōld blúddəd] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY with
varying body temperature: used to describe an animal
with an internal body temperature that varies according to the temperature of
the surroundings

2.  lacking
in pity or warmth: showing a total lack of
kindness, pity, or care for somebody’s suffering
—cold-blood·ed·ly,
adverb

—cold-blood·ed·ness, noun[1]



coldboot

coldboot
cold·boot
(past cold·boot·ed, past participle cold·boot·ed, present
participle cold·boot·ing, 3rd person present singular cold·boots)
transitive verb

restart computer:
to restart a computer by switching it off and on.
See also
warmboot[1]



coldcall

coldcall
cold
call 
(plural cold calls) noun

call
to sell something: a telephone call or personal
visit made to somebody not known to the caller or visitor, in order to try to
sell that person goods or services
[From
the fact that the call is unsolicited and comes cold]
—cold-call, transitive
verb[1]



coldcash

coldcash
cold
cash
noun

ready money:
money that is immediately available[1]



coldchisel

coldchisel
cold
chis·el
(plural cold chis·els) noun

chisel
for metal:
a tool consisting of a solid metal shaft with a sharply beveled point or edge
that is struck with a hammer or mallet to break up or shape hard materials such
as metal or stone
[From the chisel’s being so
tempered as to be able to cut cold metal when struck with a hammer][1]



coldcock

coldcock
cold·cock 
[kṓld kòk] (past cold·cocked, past
participle cold·cocked, present participle cold·cock·ing,
3rd person present singular cold·cocks) transitive verb

knock
somebody out: to knock somebody unconscious, usually
by surprise (slang)
[Early 20th century. Probably
from the idea of knocking somebody cold with a blunt instrument such as a cock “faucet, valve.”][1]



coldcomfort

coldcomfort
cold
com·fort
noun

something that does not help:
something intended as encouraging or reassuring that does not help in practice[1]



coldcream

coldcream
cold
cream
(plural cold creams) noun

cream for face:
a thick cream used for cleaning and softening the skin, especially on the face[1]



coldcuts

coldcuts
cold
cuts
plural noun

slices of cold cooked meat:
slices of cooked meat that are served cold[1]



colddrink

colddrink
cold
drink
(plural cold drinks) noun

1.  chilled
drink:
a chilled drink of water, juice, or something similar

2.  Southern
U.S.,
South Africa soft drink:
a nonalcoholic drink

[1]



coldduck

coldduck
cold
duck
(plural cold ducks) noun

sparkling
burgundy mixed with champagne: a cocktail made with
sparkling burgundy and champagne
[Translation of German kalte
Ente, by folk etymology from kaltes Ende “cold end,” supposedly
because leftover champagne and burgundy were poured by servers into a single
bottle][1]



coldfeet

coldfeet
cold
feet
plural noun

loss
of nerve:
a loss of nerve about something planned, causing a person not to go ahead as
originally intended
[From the fact that a soldier
with cold or frozen feet is prevented from fighting][1]



coldfish

coldfish
cold
fish
noun

unfriendly person:
somebody who shows no warmth or friendship[1]



coldframe

coldframe
cold
frame
(plural cold frames) noun

glass structure for
protecting plants: a box with
glass or clear plastic sides and an opening roof, used in gardens for
protecting seedlings and other plants from cold weather.
Also called
frame[1]



coldfront

coldfront
cold
front
(plural cold fronts) noun

edge of cold-air mass:
the boundary zone of an advancing cold-air mass as it replaces warmer air[1]



coldfusion

coldfusion
cold
fu·sion
noun

hypothetical nuclear fusion:
a hypothetical form of nuclear fusion held to take place at room temperature[1]



cold-hearted

cold-hearted
cold-heart·ed 
adjective

lacking
in sympathy: showing no sympathy or warmth to other
people
—cold-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—cold-heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



Colditz

Colditz
Col·ditz
[kṓldits]

site of Colditz Castle, a
German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, from which many prisoners made
daring escapes. It is situated about 48 km/30 mi southwest of Leipzig.[1]



coldlight

coldlight
cold
light
noun

light from a cool source:
light produced from a low-temperature source, for example, phosphorescence,
containing no infrared wavelengths and therefore having no heating effects[1]



coldly

coldly
cold·ly
[kṓldlee] adverb

unemotionally:
without emotion, affection, friendliness, or sympathy[1]



coldpack

coldpack
cold
pack
(plural cold packs) noun

1.  MEDICINE something
cold pressed on body: a bag, cloth, or sheet that
is soaked with water or filled with something cold and applied to the body to
relieve pain or inflammation

2.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY canning
process:
the packing and sterilization of uncooked food in jars or cans

[1]



cold-pressed

cold-pressed
cold-pressed
adjective

used to describe high-grade
olive oil produced from the first pressing of the raw olives. The pressed
olives are subsequently heated to extract further amounts of oil.[1]



cold-rolled

cold-rolled
cold-rolled
adjective

rolled
into sheets: used to describe metal that is rolled
into sheets under pressure at room temperature in order to retain the
crystalline structure of the metal and produce a smooth surface
—cold-rol·ling, noun[1]



coldrubber

coldrubber
cold
rub·ber
noun

type of synthetic rubber:
a durable synthetic rubber made through polymerization at low temperature and
used for retreading tires[1]



coldshoulder

coldshoulder
cold·shoul·der 
[kld shṓldər] (past cold·shoul·dered,
past participle cold·shoul·dered, present participle cold·shoul·der·ing,
3rd person present singular cold·shoul·ders) transitive verb

ignore somebody:
to ignore somebody or behave in an unfriendly way toward somebody[1]



coldshoulder

coldshoulder
cold
shoul·der 
noun

unfriendliness:
a refusal to behave in a friendly or pleasant way toward somebody • He
gave me the cold shoulder.
[From the former practice of
giving only a cold shoulder of mutton to an unwelcome guest][1]



coldsnap

coldsnap
cold
snap
(plural cold snaps) noun

cold weather:
a sudden short period of very cold weather[1]



coldsore

coldsore
cold
sore
(plural cold sores) noun

blister
near lips:
a small painful blister on or near the lips, or sometimes the nose, caused by a
virus Herpes simplex.
Also
called
fever blister
[From the fact that the sores
often accompany colds][1]



coldstorage

coldstorage
cold
stor·age
noun

chilled
storage to preserve things: chilled or refrigerated
conditions in which perishable objects, especially food items, are kept to
preserve them
in
cold storage

ready to be put into action
at some later date, but not being currently being acted on[1]



coldstore

coldstore
cold
store
(plural cold stores) noun

refrigerated area for cold
storage: a refrigerated building or
area for keeping goods, especially food or furs, in cold conditions to preserve
them[1]



coldsweat

coldsweat
cold
sweat
(plural cold sweats) noun

nervous or frightened state:
a very nervous, anxious, or frightened state, often with sweating and cold
clammy skin[1]



coldturkey

coldturkey
cold
turk·ey
noun

1.  abrupt
withdrawal of addictive drugs: a method of stopping
drug addiction by not taking any further drugs and not having any other
treatment to protect the addict from the withdrawal symptoms

2.  withdrawal
symptoms:
the unpleasant symptoms, usually including nausea and shivering, that accompany
a sudden withdrawal from an addictive drug
adverb

bluntly and undiplomatically:
so as to convey the meaning to somebody in a way that cannot be misunderstood (slang)
[Origin uncertain; perhaps
from the goose bumps, suggesting turkey flesh, experienced by addicts
withdrawing from drugs][1]



coldtype

coldtype
cold
type
noun

method of typesetting:
typesetting that is done without casting metal[1]



ColdWar

ColdWar
Cold
War
noun

hostile but nonviolent
Communist-Western relations: the hostile
yet nonviolent relations between the former Soviet Union and the United States,
and their respective allies, from around 1946 to 1989[1]



coldwar

coldwar
cold
war
(plural cold wars) noun

state
of enmity without hostilities: a relationship between
two people or groups that is unfriendly or hostile but does not involve actual
fighting or military combat.
See
also
hot war
[From the fact that the antagonism
stops short of military conflict and so never heats up into an actual war][1]



cold-water

cold-water
cold-wa·ter 
adjective

without hot water or heating:
with cold running water provided but no heating[1]



coldwave

coldwave
cold
wave
(plural cold waves) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY cold
period:
a sudden fall in temperature associated with the passage of air of continental
polar origin

2.  HAIRDRESSING permanent
wave in hair: a permanent wave in hair that is
produced using chemicals, rather than heat (dated)

[1]



cold-weld

cold-weld
cold-weld 
(past cold-weld·ed, past participle cold-weld·ed, present
participle cold-weld·ing, 3rd person present singular cold-welds)
transitive verb

weld
surfaces under pressure: to join two metal surfaces
using pressure rather than heat
—cold-weld·ing, noun[1]



cole

cole
cole 
[kōl] noun

See
kale
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
caulis “stem, stalk, cabbage” (source of English cauliflower and kohlrabi
).][1]



colectomy

colectomy
co·lec·to·my 
[kə léktəmee] (plural co·lec·to·mies)
noun

operation
to remove colon: an operation in which part or all of the
colon is removed
[Late 19th century. Coined
from colon + -ectomy
.][1]



colemanite

colemanite
cole·man·ite 
[kṓlmə nt] noun

mineral
source of borax: a milky white or colorless crystalline
mineral consisting of hydrous calcium borate. It is a source of borax.
[Late 19th century. Named for
William T. Coleman (1824–1893), U.S. mine owner.][1]



coleopteran

coleopteran
co·le·op·ter·an 
[klee óptərən, kòllee
óptərən] (plural co·le·op·ter·ans) noun

winged
insect:
an insect with modified forewings that function as tough covers for the
membranous hind wings. Beetles, fireflies, and weevils are coleopterans .
Order: Coleoptera
—co·le·op·ter·ous, adjective[1]



coleoptile

coleoptile
co·le·op·tile 
[klee ópt’l, kòllee
ópt’l] (plural co·le·op·tiles) noun

BOTANY first
leaf in grasses: the first leaf in some grasses that
forms a protective sheath around the stem tip ( plumule
)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek koleos “sheath” (see coleus
) + ptilon “feather, down.”][1]



coleorhiza

coleorhiza
co·le·o·rhi·za 
[kli ō rzə, kòlli
ō rzə] (plural co·le·o·rhi·zae [kli
ō r z, kòlli ō r z]) noun

BOTANY protective
root sheath: a protective sheath surrounding the
young root of a germinating grass seed
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek koleos “sheath” (see coleus
) + rhiza “root.”][1]



Coleridge,Samuel Taylor

Coleridge,Samuel Taylor

Col·e·ridge 
[kṓlərij], Samuel Taylor (1772–1834)
British poet. His collection Lyrical
Ballads ( 1798 ), published with William Wordsworth, launched romanticism
in English poetry.[1]



coleslaw

coleslaw
cole·slaw 
[kṓl slàw] noun

cabbage
and carrot salad: a salad made with shredded raw cabbage
and carrots in a mayonnaise dressing.
Also
called
slaw
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch koolsla, literally “cabbage salad,” from kool “cabbage” + sla
“salad.”][1]



Cole,Thomas

Cole,Thomas

Cole
[kōl], Thomas (1801–1848)
British-born U.S. artist. He painted
North American landscapes and is often considered the forerunner of the Hudson
River School.[1]



coletit

coletit
cole·tit 
[kṓl tìt] (plural cole·tits) noun

See
coal tit[1]



Colette

Colette

Co·lette
[ko lét, kaw lét]
(1873–1954)
French
novelist. Among the best known of her many novels are Chéri ( 1926 ) and
Gigi ( 1945 ).
Full name
Colette, Sidonie Gabrielle Claudine[1]



coleus

coleus

co·le·us 
[kṓlee əss] (plural co·le·us·es)
noun
plant
with brightly colored leaves: a plant grown for its
brightly colored variegated leaves. Genus: Coleus
Also
called
flame nettle
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek koleos “sheath,” from the way the plant’s filaments are
joined.][1]



coleus

coleus

co·le·us 
[kṓlee əss] (plural co·le·us·es)
noun
plant
with brightly colored leaves: a plant grown for its
brightly colored variegated leaves. Genus: Coleus
Also
called
flame nettle
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek koleos “sheath,” from the way the plant’s filaments are
joined.][1]



colewort

colewort
cole·wort 
[kṓl wùrt, kṓl
wàwrt] noun

See
kale[1]



Colfax,Schuyler

Colfax,Schuyler
Col·fax 
[kṓl fàks], Schuyler (1823–1885)

U.S. statesman and vice
president of the United States . He was a Republican U.S. representative
(1855–1869), and Ulysses S. Grant’s vice president (1869–1873).[1]



coli-

coli-
coli-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
colo-[1]



colic

colic
col·ic 
[kóllik] noun (plural col·ics)

1.  MED pain
in abdomen:
a sudden attack of abdominal pain, often caused by spasm, inflammation, or
obstruction

2.  MED crying
in babies:
excessive crying and irritability in infants from a variety of causes,
especially stomach or intestinal discomfort

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE serious
digestive disease in horses: a serious disease of the
digestive system in horses, sometimes leading to fatal intestinal blockage
adjective

MED of
intermittent abdominal pain: relating to spasmodic sharp
pain in the abdomen
[15th century. Via French
from Latin colicus, from Greek kolikos “suffering in the large
intestine,” from kolon “large intestine” (source of English colon 2 ), of
unknown origin.][1]



colicky

colicky
col·ick·y
[kóllikee] adjective

having colic:
experiencing bouts of abdominal pain ( colic
)[1]



coliform

coliform
co·li·form 
[kṓlə fàwrm, kóllə
fàwrm] adjective

of
colon bacteria: used to describe rod-shaped bacteria
that are normally found in the colons of humans and animals and become a
serious contaminant when found in the food or water supply.
See
also
E coli
[Early 20th century. Coined
from modern Latin coli, species name, literally “of the large intestine”
(a form of Latin colon, colum “large intestine”) + -form .][1]



colinear

colinear
co·lin·e·ar 
[kō línnee ər] adjective

1.  arranged
in linear order: with corresponding parts arranged in a
regular linear order

2.  MATHEMATICS See collinear
[Early
20th century. Coined from co- + linear .]
—co·lin·e·ar·i·ty [klinnee érrətee], noun[1]



coliseum

coliseum

col·i·se·um
[kòllə s əm] (plural col·i·se·ums)
noun
large
theater or sports building: a large building used as a
theater or for sports events.
Also
called
colosseum
[Early 16th century. Via
medieval Latin coliseum, literally “something colossal,” from Latin colosseus
“colossal,” from colossus “colossus” (source of English colossal ).][1]



colistin

colistin
co·lis·tin 
[kə lístin] noun

antibiotic
for intestinal infections: an antibiotic effective
against a wide range of organisms and used to treat gastrointestinal
infections. It is obtained from a soil bacterium.
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin (Bacillus) colistinus, scientific name for the bacterium
that produces it, from coli (see coliform
).][1]



colitis

colitis
co·li·tis 
[kə ltiss] noun

inflammation
of colon:
inflammation of the colon, characterized by lower-bowel spasms and upper
abdominal cramps.
Also
called
colonitis
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from colon 2 + -itis
.]
—co·lit·ic [kə líttik], adjective[1]



coll-

coll-
coll-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
collo-[1]



coll.

coll.
coll.

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of collateral

2.  Abbreviation
of
colleague

3.  MAIL Abbreviation of collect

4.  MAIL Abbreviation of collection

5.  MAIL Abbreviation of collector

6.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
college

7.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
collegiate

8.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of colloquial

[1]



collaborate

collaborate
col·lab·o·rate 
[kə lábbə ràyt] (past col·lab·o·rat·ed,
past participle col·lab·o·rat·ed, present participle col·lab·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lab·o·rates) intransitive verb

1.  work
with others: to work with another person or group in
order to achieve something

2.  MILITARY work
with enemy:
to betray others by working with an enemy, especially an occupying force
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin collaborat-, the past participle stem of collaborare,
literally “to work together,” ultimately from Latin labor “toil” (see labor ).][1]



collaboration

collaboration
col·lab·o·ra·tion 
[kə làbbə ráysh’n] (plural col·lab·o·ra·tions)
noun

1.  a
working together: the act of working together with one or
more people in order to achieve something

2.  MILITARY a
working with enemy: the betrayal of others by
working with an enemy, especially an occupying force
—col·lab·o·ra·tion·ist,
noun, adjective

—col·lab·o·ra·tion·ism,
noun[1]



collaborative

collaborative
col·lab·o·ra·tive
[kə lábbə ràytiv, kə
lábbərətiv] adjective

working
together:
achieved by working together or with others
—col·lab·o·ra·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



collaborator

collaborator
col·lab·o·ra·tor 
[kə lábbə ràytər] (plural col·lab·o·ra·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
working with others: somebody working with one or
more other people to achieve something

2.  MILITARY somebody
working with enemy: somebody who betrays others
by working with an enemy, especially an occupying force

[1]



collage

collage
col·lage 
[kə lzh] noun (plural col·lages)

1.  CRAFT picture
with pieces stuck on surface: a picture made by sticking
cloth, pieces of paper, photographs, and other objects onto a surface

2.  CRAFT art of
making collages: the art of making pictures by sticking
cloth, pieces of paper, photographs, and other objects onto a surface

3.  combination
of different things: a combination of different
things
intransitive
and transitive verb (past col·laged,
past participle col·laged, present participle col·lag·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lages)

CRAFT make
collage:
to make a picture by sticking cloth, pieces of paper, photographs, and other
objects onto a surface
[Early
20th century. From French, from coller “to glue,” from colle
“glue,” from, ultimately, Greek kolla (see collo-
).]
—col·lag·ist, noun[1]



collagen

collagen
col·la·gen 
[kólləjən] noun

connective
protein:
a fibrous protein found in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective
tissue that yields gelatin when boiled in water
[Mid-19th
century. From French collagène, from Greek kolla “glue” (see collo- ).]
—col·la·gen·ic
[kòllə jénnik], adjective

—col·lag·e·nous [kə lájjənəss], adjective[1]



collagenase

collagenase
col·lag·e·nase 
[kólləjə nàyss, kólləjə
nàyz] noun

enzyme:
any enzyme that assists in the breakdown of collagen and gelatin[1]



collapsar

collapsar
col·lap·sar
[kə láp sr] (plural col·lap·sars)
noun

ASTRONOMY See black hole
[Late 20th century. Coined
from collapse (verb), on the model of pulsar and quasar
.][1]



collapse

collapse
col·lapse 
[kə láps] verb (past col·lapsed,
past participle col·lapsed, present participle col·laps·ing,
3rd person present singular col·laps·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
fall
down:
to fall down suddenly, generally as a result of damage, structural weakness, or
lack of support • A section of cliff had
collapsed into the sea.

2.  intransitive
verb
fail
abruptly:
to fail or come to an end suddenly • Their
partnership nearly collapsed under the strain.

3.  intransitive
verb
MED fall
suddenly:
to fall or faint because of illness, exhaustion, or weakness • He
collapsed from overwork.

4.  intransitive
verb
suddenly
sit or lie down: to sit or lie down suddenly and relax
completely or give way to emotion • I
collapsed into an armchair.

5.  intransitive
verb
bend
double with emotion: to bend over double or
otherwise contort the body, typically in the throes of emotion such as laughter
or crying

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb deflate:
to fold up or become flat from lack of pressure or loss of air, or to cause
something such as a parachute to do this • The
left lung had collapsed.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb fold
something to make smaller: to fold something up so that
it is smaller or takes up less space, or to fold up in this way
noun
(plural col·laps·es)

1.  failure
or end:
a failure or sudden end to something • The
abrupt collapse of the campaign.

2.  a
falling down: the act of falling down suddenly,
generally as a result of damage, structural weakness, or lack of support • The
roof was in danger of collapse.

3.  decrease
in value:
a sudden reduction or decrease in value • the
threatened collapse of the yen

4.  MED sudden
illness:
a sudden onset of severe illness, resulting in hospitalization or bed rest • in
a state of nervous collapse
[Mid-18th century.
Back-formation from collapsed, from Latin collapsus, the past
participle of collabi, literally “to fall together,” from labi
“to fall.”][1]



collapsible

collapsible
col·laps·i·ble 
[kə lápsəb’l] adjective

designed
to fold up:
designed to fold up so as to take up less space
—col·laps·i·bil·i·ty [kə làpsə bíllətee], noun[1]



collar

collar
col·lar 
[kóllər] noun (plural col·lars)

1.  CLOTHES garment’s
neckband:
the upright or turned-over neckband of a coat, jacket, dress, shirt, or blouse

2.  band
around neck of an animal: a stiff band of leather,
plastic, strong fabric, or metal placed around the neck of an animal to
identify it or attach it to a lead or leash

3.  area
resembling a collar: an area round the neck of a
bird or animal that has a color or marking different from the rest

4.  AGRICULTURE part
of a harness: the cushioned ring or other part of a
harness that presses against a draft animal’s shoulders

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ring-shaped
device or part: a ring-shaped device or part on a shaft
that guides, seats, or restricts another mechanical part

6.  ACCESSORIES necklace:
a close-fitting necklace or one that lies flat over the shoulders

7.  FOOD meat
from neck:
a cut of meat, especially bacon, taken from an animal’s neck

8.  police
arrest:
an arrest made by a police officer (slang)
transitive
verb
(past col·lared, past participle col·lared, present
participle col·lar·ing, 3rd person present singular col·lars)

1.  find
or stop somebody: to find or stop somebody you want to
talk to (informal)

2.  catch
somebody:
to catch somebody and hold him or her to prevent escape (slang)

3.  make
a police arrest: to arrest a criminal suspect in your
capacity as a police officer (slang)

4.  put
a collar on something: to put a collar on
something, for example, an animal, a garment, or a machine part
[14th
century. Via Old French colier from Latin collare, from collum
“neck.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn around,” which
is also the ancestor of English cycle,
wheel, and palindrome .]
—col·lared,
adjective

—col·lar·less,
adjective
hot
under the collar

angry, irritated, or
generally agitated (informal)[1]



collarbone

collarbone
col·lar·bone 
[kóllər bōn] (plural col·lar·bones)
noun

See
clavicle  noun 1[1]



collard

collard
col·lard 
[kóllərd] noun (plural col·lards)

kale:
a variety of kale with a crown of smooth edible leaves
plural
noun
collards

See
collard greens
[Mid-18th century. An
alteration of colewort .][1]



collardgreens

collardgreens
col·lard
greens
plural noun

cooked kale leaves:
the leaves of the kale plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Also called
collards[1]



collaredpeccary

collaredpeccary
col·lared
pec·ca·ry
noun

See
peccary[1]



collat.

collat.
collat.

Abbreviation of
collateral[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








collate

collate
col·late 
[kṓ làyt, kə
láyt] (past col·lat·ed, past participle col·lat·ed,
present participle col·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
col·lates) transitive verb

1.  COMMERCE put
pages in order: to assemble pages in the correct order

2.  compare
information: to bring together pieces of information
and compare them in detail

3.  PRINTING examine
sheets or pages: to examine sheets or pages so as to put
them into the proper sequence prior to binding

4.  PRINTING verify
page sequencing: to verify the correct sequencing and
completeness of the pages in a book

5.  CHRISTIANITY admit
cleric to benefice: to admit a member of the
clergy to a benefice
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
collat-, used as the past participle stem of conferre, literally
“to bring together,” from ferre “to bring” (source of English confer ).][1]



collateral

collateral
col·lat·er·al 
[kə láttərəl] noun (plural col·lat·er·als)

1.  FINANCE property
as security against loan: property or goods used as
security against a loan and forfeited if the loan is not repaid

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES descendant
from different line: a relative descended from
the same ancestor as another person but through a different set of parents,
grandparents, and other forebears
adjective

1.  parallel:
running side by side in parallel or corresponding in some way, for example, in
size

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES descended
from same ancestor: having the same ancestor but
descended through a different set of parents, grandparents, and other forebears

3.  additional:
additional to and in support of something

4.  accompanying:
accompanying or additional but secondary

5.  FINANCE with
property as security: obtained by putting up
property or goods as security, to be forfeited if the loan cannot be paid
[14th
century. From medieval Latin collateralis, literally “side by side
with,” from Latin lateralis “on the side” (see lateral
).]
—col·lat·er·al·i·ty
[kə làttə rállətee], noun

—col·lat·er·al·ly [kə láttərəlee], adverb[1]



collateraldamage

collateraldamage
col·lat·er·al
dam·age
noun

unintended military damage:
unintended damage to civilian life or property during a military operation[1]



collateralize

collateralize
col·lat·er·al·ize 
[kə láttərə lz] (past col·lat·er·al·ized,
past participle col·lat·er·al·ized, present participle col·lat·er·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lat·er·al·izes) transitive
verb

1.  pledge
as collateral: to pledge property or goods as security
for getting a loan

2.  secure
loan:
to secure a loan by use of property or goods as security

[1]



collation

collation
col·la·tion 
[kə láysh’n, kō
láysh’n] (plural col·la·tions) noun

1.  comparison
of information: a detailed comparison between different
items or forms of information

2.  PRINTING assembly
of pages in order: the assembling of pieces of
paper in the right order, particularly the sections of a book prior to binding

3.  PRINTING technical
description of book: the technical description of
a book, including its bibliographical details and information about its physical
construction, or the act of compiling a description

4.  COOKING light
meal:
a light meal or refreshment • a cold
collation

5.  CHRISTIANITY appointment
of clergy:
the appointment of clergy to a benefice

6.  CHRISTIANITY reading
of religious text: the reading of a religious
text to a gathering of monks
[14th century. From medieval
Latin and Latin collation - “a bringing together” from collat -
(see collate ).][1]



collative

collative
col·la·tive 
[kə láytiv, kō
láytiv] adjective

CHRISTIANITY by
collation:
used to describe an ecclesiastical benefice to which a member of the clergy is
appointed
[Early 17th century][1]



collator

collator
col·la·tor
[kṓ làytər, kə
láytər] (plural col·la·tors) noun

somebody
or something comparing texts: a person or machine that
reads, compares, and sorts pages, for example, of a book
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin collator, from Latin, “contributor,”
literally “one who brings together,” from the stem collat- “brought
together” (see collate ).][1]



colleague

colleague
col·league 
[kó lg] (plural col·leagues) noun

fellow
worker:
a person somebody works with, especially in a professional or skilled job
[Early
16th century. Via French from Latin collega, literally “someone one
commissions with,” from legare “to commission, entrust,” from lex
“law” (source of English privilege
).]
—col·league·ship, noun[1]



collect

collect2
col·lect2 [kóllikt,
kó lèkt] noun

short
formal prayer: a short formal prayer that can vary
according to the day, said before the reading of the epistle in certain
Christian church services
[13th century. Via Old French
from late Latin collecta “assembly,” from Latin, a form of collectus
“gathered together” (see collect 1 ).][1]



collect

collect1
col·lect1 [kə
lékt] verb (past col·lect·ed, past participle
col·lect·ed, present participle col·lect·ing, 3rd
person present singular col·lects)

1.  transitive
verb
bring
things together: to gather things and bring them together
• I
collected my belongings and left.

2.  transitive
verb
keep
things of same type: to obtain and keep objects
of a similar type because of their interest, value, or beauty

3.  transitive
verb
fetch
and bring somebody or something: to fetch people or
objects and bring them somewhere • They
collected me from the airport.

4.  transitive
verb
take
money or prize: to take the money or prize to which a
person is entitled

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask
for donations: to ask for money from people for a
particular purpose

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb accumulate
somewhere:
to gather and gradually accumulate in a place

7.  intransitive
verb
gradually
assemble:
to come together gradually in a place and form a group or crowd of people • By
now an angry crowd had collected.

8.  reflexive
verb
get
control of yourself: to gain or regain control of
yourself and deliberately calm yourself or prepare yourself psychologically

9.  intransitive
verb
get
money from something: to obtain money that is due,
for example, from an insurance policy
adverb

TELECOMMUNICATIONS so
that call recipient pays: so as to be charged to the
receiver of a call that is placed.
U.K.
term
reverse charges
adjective

TELECOMMUNICATIONS payable
by receiver: charged by the caller to the receiver.
U.K.
term
reverse-charge
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin collectare, from
Latin >collect-, past participle stem of colligere, literally
“to gather together,” from legere “to gather, read” (source of English lecture ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  collect, accumulate, gather, amass,
  assemble, stockpile, hoard
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  bring dispersed things together in a group or mass collect; a general term, with the additional sense that
  the things brought together have been selected or arranged in an orderly way,
  especially as a hobby; accumulate;
  to collect over a period of time; gather;
  to collect or accumulate, with the suggestion of bringing together things
  from various locations; amass; to
  accumulate, with the suggestion of a large amount; assemble; to bring things together in an orderly way for
  a specific purpose; stockpile; to
  collect and keep for future use, or permanently; hoard;
  a term similar to “stockpile,” often suggesting greed or secrecy

[1]



collectable

collectable
col·lect·a·ble 
(plural col·lecta·bles) noun

See
collectible[1]



collectanea

collectanea
col·lec·ta·ne·a 
[kò lek táynee ə] plural noun

anthology:
a selection of pieces of writing by an author or by several authors
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “things collected,” a form of collectaneus “collected,”
from collectus “gathered together” (see collect 1 ).][1]



collected

collected
col·lect·ed 
[kə léktəd] adjective

1.  calm
and composed: calm and in control of yourself

2.  LITERATURE brought
together as whole: gathered together in one
book or set of volumes as the whole of an author’s work or work of a particular
type

3.  EQUESTRIAN controlled
in gait:
moving with a controlled gait
[Early
17th century. The underlying idea is of having pulled yourself together.]
—col·lect·ed·ly,
adverb

—col·lect·ed·ness, noun[1]



collectible

collectible
col·lect·i·ble 
[kə léktəb’l] or col·lect·a·ble
[kə léktəb’l] noun (plural col·lectibles)
(plural col·lecta·bles)

COLLECTING object
valued by collectors: an object of a type that is
valued or sought after by collectors
adjective

popular with collectors:
good for collecting or popular with collectors and much sought after[1]



collection

collection
col·lec·tion 
[kə léksh’n] (plural col·lec·tions)
noun

1.  group
of things or people: a group of things or people
together in one place

2.  several
different works together: a number of different pieces
of writing or music together in one book, CD, or record

3.  objects
held by collector: a set of objects collected
for their interest, value, or beauty

4.  paintings
or objects in museum: all the paintings or objects
of one kind held by an art gallery or museum

5.  taking
of donations: the act of taking money due or given • They
took up a collection for him when he was in the hospital.

6.  CHRISTIANITY taking
of money in Christian church: the act of accepting money
from worshipers in a Christian church service, or the money so collected

7.  FASHION range
of new clothes: a range of newly designed clothes for a
particular season • the spring collection

8.  MAIL taking
of something: the taking of something on a regular
basis, for example, letters from mailboxes by the Postal Service, or garbage
from buildings

9.  gathering
together:
the act of gathering things together (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem collection-, from the stem collect- “gathered
together” (see collect 1 ).][1]



collective

collective
col·lec·tive 
[kə léktiv] adjective

1.  shared
by all:
made or shared by everyone in a group

2.  collected
to form whole: collected together to form a whole or
added up to form a total from different sources or groups

3.  applying
to many:
applying to a number of individuals taken together • staff
training was the collective responsibility of the three personnel officers

4.  BUSINESS POLITICS worker-run under state
supervision: used to describe a business or other
enterprise run by the people who work in it but under the jurisdiction of the
state
noun
(plural col·lec·tives)

1.  BUSINESS POLITICS worker-run enterprise:
an enterprise, such as a farm or factory, that is run by its workers under
state control

2.  BUSINESS POLITICS members of collective:
the members of a collective who work in and run the business

3.  GRAMMAR See collective noun
—col·lec·tive·ly,
adverb

—col·lec·tive·ness, noun[1]



collectiveagreement

collectiveagreement
col·lec·tive
a·gree·ment
(plural col·lec·tive a·gree·ments) noun

management-union agreement:
a contract of employment negotiated between a management and union[1]



collectivebargaining

collectivebargaining
col·lec·tive
bar·gain·ing  noun

negotiations
between union and management: negotiations between a
management and union about pay and conditions of employment on behalf of all
the workers in the union
[Coined by Beatrice Webb of the
Fabians][1]



collectivefarm

collectivefarm
col·lec·tive
farm
(plural col·lec·tive farms) noun

state-supervised labor-run
farm: a farm that is
state-supervised but operated by its laborers[1]



collectivenoun

collectivenoun
col·lec·tive
noun
(plural col·lec·tive nouns) noun

noun
representing group as unit: a noun that refers to a
group of people or things considered as a single unit. “Committee” and
“government” are collective nouns.
Also
called
collective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Collective
  nouns
  :
  Examples
  of collective nouns are audience, clergy, committee, crowd,
  flock, government, jury, and orchestra, all of
  which are singular in form but plural in the sense of being made up of a
  number of individuals or individual things. Such nouns take singular verbs
  when they are regarded as units: • The
  jury has handed down a unanimous verdict. But
  they take plural verbs when emphasis is placed on the individuals making up
  the unit: • The
  jury have been arguing among themselves for 12 hours, and no verdict is
  expected.
  Nouns that denote a class of objects, for example, furniture and luggage,
  are always singular: • My
  luggage is missing. It is important to avoid
  inconsistency in your choice of verb and pronoun number when using collective
  nouns. For instance, this example contains inconsistencies: • The
  committee has [ singular ] decided to reject the proposal and will give their
  [ plural ] reasons in writing tomorrow.

[1]



collectivesecurity

collectivesecurity
col·lec·tive
se·cu·ri·ty
noun

united action for security:
the maintenance of peace and security through the united action of nations[1]



collectiveunconscious

collectiveunconscious
col·lec·tive
un·con·scious noun

inherited unconscious:
the inherited part of unconscious thought, memories, and instinct, which,
according to Jungian principles, is common to members of a people and is
observable through dreams and behavior[1]



collectivism

collectivism
col·lec·tiv·ism 
[kə léktə vìzzəm] noun

people’s
ownership and management: the system of control and
ownership of factories and farms and of the means of production and
distribution of products by a nation’s people
[Mid-19th
century. From collective, on the model of
French collectivisme .]
—col·lec·tiv·ist,
noun

—col·lec·tiv·is·tic
[kə lèktə vístik], adjective

—col·lec·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly
[kə lèktəvístiklee], adverb[1]



collectivity

collectivity
col·lec·tiv·i·ty 
[kò lek tívvətee] (plural col·lec·tiv·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being together: a state or situation in
which people or things are together or work together to form a whole

2.  POLITICS aggregate:
a group regarded as an aggregate, especially a people
[Mid-19th century][1]



collectivize

collectivize
col·lec·tiv·ize 
[kə léktə vz] (past col·lec·tiv·ized,
past participle col·lec·tiv·ized, present participle col·lec·tiv·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lec·tiv·iz·es) transitive verb

organize
enterprise on collective principles: to
run or organize something such as a farm according to principles of collective
control
—col·lec·tiv·i·za·tion
[kə lèktəvi záysh’n], noun[1]



collector

collector
col·lec·tor 
[kə léktər] (plural col·lec·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who collects objects: somebody who collects
objects of a particular type for their interest, value, or beauty • a
stamp collector

2.  somebody
who collects something: somebody whose job is to
collect something, for example, money owed, tickets, or garbage

3.  container
where things collect: something in which things
are collected intentionally or where unwanted things collect

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING transistor
region:
the region of a transistor toward or through which charge carriers flow
[14th
century]
—col·lec·tor·ship, noun[1]



collector’sitem

collector’sitem
col·lec·tor’s
i·tem
noun

object desired by collectors:
an object that is sought after or valued highly by collectors[1]



colleen

colleen
col·leen 
[kə ln, kólleen]
(plural col·leens) noun

1.  Ireland
girl:
a girl, especially a young girl

2.  Irish
girl:
a girl living or born in Ireland or a girl of Irish descent
[Early 19th century. From
Irish cailín, literally “little girl,” from caile “girl.”][1]



college

college
col·lege 
[kóllij] (plural col·leges) noun

1.  institution
of higher learning: an institution of higher
learning that provides education to undergraduates and awards bachelor’s and
sometimes master’s degrees

2.  university
school or division: a school or a division of a
university that usually has its own dean and other administrators and whose
faculty teaches and confers degrees in specific academic fields

3.  faculty
and students of college: the faculty and students of
a college

4.  U.K.
part
of British university: a division of some British
universities, for example, Oxford or Cambridge

5.  professional
body:
a group of people, usually of the same profession, who have agreed duties and
rights

6.  college
building or buildings: the building or buildings of
a college

7.  U.K.
British
school:
used as part of the name of some British private schools

8.  CHRISTIANITY body
of clergy:
a group or body of clergy who live together
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin collegium “association, corporation,” from collega
“colleague” (see colleague ).][1]



CollegeBoard

CollegeBoard
Col·lege
Board


a service mark for
administration of aptitude and achievement tests, used by some U.S. colleges
and universities in their admittance and placement of prospective students[1]



Collegeof Arms

Collegeof Arms
Col·lege
of Arms
(plural Col·leges of Arms) noun

heraldic institution:
a British institution that specializes in matters relating to heraldry, the
granting of arms, and tracing genealogies.
Also called
Heralds’ College
Also called
College of Heralds[1]



Collegeof Cardinals

Collegeof Cardinals
Col·lege
of Car·di·nals (plural Col·leges of
Car·di·nals) noun

governing
body of cardinals: the body of cardinals who
elect popes, assist the pope in church governance, and manage the Holy See in
the absence of a living or elected pope.
Also
called
collegium
[Shortening of Sacred College
of Cardinals, its official name][1]



CollegePark

CollegePark
Col·lege
Park
[kòllij prk]

city in western Maryland, and
home to the University of Maryland. Population: 24,987 (1996)[1]



CollegeStation

CollegeStation
Col·lege
Sta·tion

city in eastern Texas,
southwest of Huntsville, that is home to Texas A&M University. Population:
58,757 (1996)[1]



collegetry

collegetry
col·lege
try
noun

energetic effort:
an all-out effort to achieve something (informal) • I’ll
give it the old college try.[1]



collegial

collegial
col·le·gi·al 
[kə ljee əl, kə
ljəl] adjective

1.  power-sharing:
with power shared equally between colleagues

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
power-sharing by bishops: relating to a situation or
system in the Roman Catholic Church in which the bishops share equal power

3.  of
college or university: involving, typical of, or
belonging to a college or university
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from late Latin collegialis, from
Latin collegium (see college ).]
—col·le·gi·al·i·ty
[kə ljee állətee], noun

—col·le·gi·al·ly [kə ljee əlee, kə ljəlee],
adverb[1]



collegian

collegian
col·le·gian 
[kə ljee ən] (plural col·le·gians)
noun

college
student or new graduate: a college undergraduate,
graduate student, or recent graduate
[15th century. From medieval
Latin collegianus, from Latin collegium “association,
corporation” (see college ).][1]



collegiate

collegiate
col·le·giate 
[kə ljət, kə
ljee ət] adjective

1.  of
college:
involving, belonging to, appropriate to, or being a college, including its
students and their pursuits

2.  with
separate colleges: consisting of separate
university colleges
noun
(plural col·le·giates)

Canada See
collegiate institute
[15th
century. From medieval Latin collegiatus “(member) of a college,” from
Latin collegium (see college ).]
—col·le·gi·ate·ly, adverb[1]



collegiatechurch

collegiatechurch
col·le·giate
church
(plural col·le·giate church·es) noun

1.  church
with canons: a Roman Catholic or Anglican church that
has a chapter of canons but is not a cathedral

2.  group
of churches: a group or association of churches that
have pastors in common

[1]



collegiateinstitute

collegiateinstitute
col·le·giate
in·sti·tute
(plural col·le·giate in·sti·tutes) noun

Canadian high school:
in some Canadian provinces, a high school that offers a high level of courses
and facilities.
Also called
collegiate[1]



collegno

collegno
col
leg·no 
[kō láy nō] adverb

played
by tapping strings with bow: to be played by tapping the
strings of a stringed instrument with the back of the bow (used as a musical
direction)
[20th century. From Italian,
literally “with the wood.”][1]



collembolan

collembolan
col·lem·bo·lan 
[kə lémbələn] (plural col·lem·bo·lans)
noun

INSECTS See springtail
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Collembola, order name, from Greek kolla
“glue” + embolon “peg, stopper.” From its ventral tube, which can
secrete an adhesive substance.]
—collem·bo·lous, adjective[1]



collenchyma

collenchyma
col·len·chy·ma 
[kə léngkimə] noun

layer
of plant tissue: a layer of supportive plant tissue that
consists of elongated living cells that have walls unevenly thickened with
cellulose and pectin
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from collo- + -enchyma .]
—col·len·chym·a·tous [kòllən kímmətəss], adjective[1]



Colles’fracture

Colles’fracture
Colles’
frac·ture
[kólliz fràkchər] (plural Colles’
frac·tures) noun

fracture
below base of thumb: a fracture of the radius
bone in which a piece broken off at the end is displaced toward the back of the
wrist. The fracture is commonly caused by falling on the palm of the hand.
[Late 19th century. Named for
Abraham Colles (1773–1843), Irish surgeon.][1]



collet

collet
col·let 
[kóllət] (plural col·lets) noun

1.  cone-shaped
mechanical piece: a slotted cone-shaped piece that
encloses and grips a rod or shaft when inserted into the sleeve of a lathe or
other machine

2.  setting
for gemstone: a band or claw that holds a gemstone

3.  band
attached to spring in watch: a ring that holds the
hairspring in a watch
[16th century. From French collet,
literally “little collar,” from col “collar,” from Latin collum
“neck” (see collar ).][1]



colleterialgland

colleterialgland
col·le·te·ri·al
gland
(plural col·le·te·ri·al glands) noun

adhesive-producing
insect gland: a reproductive gland in female insects
that secretes a sticky material that binds eggs together or to a surface
[Late 19th century.
Colleterial from modern Latin colleterium, from Greek kollan “to
glue” (see collo- ).][1]



collide

collide
col·lide 
[kə ld] (past col·lid·ed, past
participle col·lid·ed, present participle col·lid·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lides) intransitive verb

1.  crash
into something: to hit a person or object moving toward
you or a person or object you are moving toward • I
collided with her in the corridor.

2.  come
into conflict with somebody: to come into conflict with
somebody else or another group
[Early 17th century. From
Latin collidere “to shatter,” literally “to strike together,” from laedere
“to strike, injure” (source of English elide
and lesion ).][1]



collider

collider
col·lid·er 
[kə ldər] (plural col·lid·ers)
noun

particle accelerator:
a particle accelerator in which two oppositely moving particle beams are made
to collide. This allows the particles to use more of their energy to create new
particles than when they collide with a fixed target.
Also called
colliding-beam machine[1]



collie

collie
col·lie 
[kóllee] (plural col·lies) noun

ZOOLOGY sheep-herding
dog:
a dog with a long narrow muzzle, originally bred to herd sheep. There are
short-haired (smooth) and long-haired (rough) collies.
See
also
Border collie
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps formed from coal, from
its color.][1]



collier

collier
col·lier 
[kóllyər] (plural col·liers) noun

1.  MINING coal
miner:
a coal miner (dated)

2.  SHIPPING coal-transport
vessel:
a ship designed to transport coal
[13th century. Formed from coal . Originally in the meaning of “charcoal
burner.”][1]



colliery

colliery
col·lier·y 
[kóllyəree] (plural col·lier·ies)
noun

coal mine:
a coal mine and the buildings associated with it[1]



collinear

collinear
col·lin·e·ar 
[kō línnee ər] or co·lin·e·ar
[kō línnee ər] adjective

MATHEMATICS passing
through single line: lying on or passing through
a single straight line
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from col- + linear .]
—col·lin·e·ar·i·ty [k linnee érrətee], noun[1]



collins

collins
col·lins 
[kóllinz] (plural col·lins·es)
noun

alcoholic
drink:
an iced drink made with spirits such as gin or vodka and fruit juice such as
lemon or lime
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; possibly from the name of the bartender who originally dispensed
it.][1]



collinsia

collinsia
col·lin·si·a 
[kə línzee ə, kə
línsee ə] (plural col·lin·si·as) noun

N
American plant: a North American plant with blue, white,
or purple flowers. Genus: Collinsia
[Early 19th century. Named
for Zaccheus Collins (1764–1831), U.S. botanist.][1]



Collins,Jackie

Collins,Jackie
Col·lins 
[kóllinz], Jackie (1939– )

British novelist. Her popular
novels include The Bitch ( 1978 ).[1]



Collins,Michael

Collins,Michael
Col·lins 
[kóllinz], Michael (1890–1922)

Irish politician. A creator
of the Irish Free State (1922), he was shot by Republicans who opposed the
Anglo-Irish Treaty.[1]



Collinsville

Collinsville
Col·lins·ville 
[kóllinz vìl]

city in southwestern
Illinois, northeast of East St. Louis. Population: 23,057 (1996)[1]



Collip,James Bertram

Collip,James Bertram
Col·lip
[kóllip], James Bertram (1892–1965)

Canadian biochemist. He
perfected a technique for producing pure insulin (1921) and researched other
endocrine glands and hormones.[1]



collision

collision
col·li·sion 
[kə lízh’n] (plural col·li·sions)
noun

1.  crash:
the action of two moving vehicles, ships, aircraft, or other objects hitting
each other

2.  INSURANCE automobile
insurance coverage: automobile insurance that
covers damages done to the insured’s motor vehicle in the event that it
collides with another vehicle or with some other object

3.  conflict
between ideas: a conflict between people or their ideas
or beliefs

4.  PHYSICS exchange
of energy between particles: an encounter between two or
more particles that come together or close to each other, and exchange or
transfer energy
[15th
century. From the late Latin stem collision-, from Latin collis-,
the past participle stem of collidere “to smash together” (see collide ).]
—col·li·sion·al,
adjective

—col·li·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



collisioncourse

collisioncourse
col·li·sion
course
(plural col·li·sion cours·es) noun

path leading to certain
conflict: a path or course of action
that inevitably leads to conflict • The
two of them were clearly headed on a collision course.[1]



collisionzone

collisionzone
col·li·sion
zone
(plural col·li·sion zones) noun

area where continental plates
collide: an extensive linear feature
marking the collision of two continental plates, characterized by young fold
mountains and earthquakes[1]



collo-

collo-
collo-
prefix

glutinous,
gelatinous • collotype
[Via modern Latin from Greek kolla
“glue” (source of English collage and
protocol )][1]



collocate

collocate
col·lo·cate 
[kóllə kàyt] verb (past col·lo·cat·ed,
past participle col·lo·cat·ed, present participle col·lo·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular col·lo·cates)

1.  intransitive
verb
LINGUISTICS occur
frequently with another word: to occur frequently in
conjunction with another word

2.  transitive
verb
put
something next to something: to arrange something so that
it is next to or close to something else (formal)
noun
(plural col·lo·cates)

LINGUISTICS word
that occurs with another: a word that is frequently or
typically used with another word
[Early 16th century. From
Latin collocat-, the past participle stem of collocare, literally
“to place together,” from locare “to place.”][1]



collocation

collocation
col·lo·ca·tion 
[kòllə káysh’n] (plural col·lo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  LINGUISTICS co-occurrence
of words:
the association between two words that are typically or frequently used
together

2.  closeness
of things:
an arrangement in which things are placed next to each other or close together
[Early
17th century]
—col·lo·ca·tion·al, adjective[1]



collodion

collodion
col·lo·di·on 
[kə lṓdee ən] noun

syrupy
solution for treating wounds: a thick colorless solution
of pyroxylin, ether, and alcohol. It is used in medicine to treat wounds and
hold surgical dressings, and formerly in photography to make plates.
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
kollōdēs “gluelike,” from kolla “glue” (see collo- ).][1]



colloid

colloid
col·loid 
[kó lòyd] noun (plural col·loids)

1.  CHEMISTRY suspension
of small particles: a suspension of small
particles dispersed in another substance

2.  CHEMISTRY particles
in colloid:
the particles that are suspended in a colloid solution

3.  PHYSIOLOGY substance
in thyroid gland: a thick gelatinous substance that is
produced in the thyroid gland and stores hormones
adjective

CHEMISTRY of
colloid:
relating to or resembling a colloid
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek kolla “glue” (see collo-
) + -oid ).]
—col·loid·al [kə lóyd’l, ko lóyd’l],
adjective[1]



collop

collop
col·lop 
[kólləp] (plural col·lops) noun

1.  FOOD slice
of meat:
a slice of meat, especially fried bacon

2.  U.S.,
Scotland fat flesh: a
small roll of fat on the body

3.  piece:
a small piece of something
[14th century. From
Scandinavian.][1]



colloq.

colloq.
colloq.

Abbreviation of
colloquial[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








colloquia

colloquia
col·lo·qui·a


Plural of
colloquium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








colloquial

colloquial
col·lo·qui·al 
[kə lṓkwee əl] adjective

1.  informal:
appropriate to, used in, or characteristic of spoken language or of writing
that is used to create the effect of conversation

2.  by
way of conversation: expressed by way of
conversation (archaic)
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from Latin colloquium (see colloquium
).]
—col·lo·qui·al·i·ty
[kə lkwee állətee], noun

—col·lo·qui·al·ly
[kə lṓkwee əlee], adverb

—col·lo·qui·al·ness [kə lṓkwee əlnəss], noun[1]



colloquialism

colloquialism
col·lo·qui·al·ism 
[kə lṓkwee ə lìzzəm] (plural col·lo·qui·al·isms)
noun

informal expression:
an informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal
speech or writing[1]



colloquium

colloquium
col·lo·qui·um 
[kə lṓkwee əm] (plural col·lo·qui·ums
or col·lo·qui·a [kə lṓkwee ə])
noun

1.  EDUC academic
seminar:
an academic conference or seminar in which a particular topic is discussed,
often with guest speakers

2.  discussion
meeting:
an informal meeting to discuss something
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “conversation,” formed from colloqui, literally “to speak with,”
from loqui “to speak” (source of English eloquent
).][1]



colloquy

colloquy
col·lo·quy 
[kólləkwee] (plural col·lo·quies)
noun

1.  discussion:
a formal conversation or discussion (formal)

2.  LITERATURE written
dialogue:
a literary or other written work in the form of a dialogue
[15th century. Formed from
Latin colloquium (see colloquium ).][1]



collotype

collotype
col·lo·type 
[kóllə tp] (plural col·lo·types)
noun

1.  printing
process:
a process for making lithographic prints.
Also
called
photogelatin process

2.  print
made by collotype: a print that is made by use
of the collotype process
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek kolla “glue” (see collo- )
+ -type .][1]



collude

collude
col·lude 
[kə ld] (past col·lud·ed, past
participle col·lud·ed, present participle col·lud·ing,
3rd person present singular col·ludes) intransitive verb

work
secretly with somebody: to cooperate with somebody
secretly in order to do something illegal or undesirable
[Early
16th century. From Latin colludere, literally “to play with,” from ludere
“to play,” from ludus “game, play” (source of English ludicrous ).]
—col·lud·er, noun[1]



collusion

collusion
col·lu·sion 
[kə lzh’n] noun

secret
cooperation: secret cooperation between people in
order to do something illegal or underhanded
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from the Latin stem collusion-, from collus-, past
participle stem of colludere (see collude
).][1]



collusive

collusive
col·lu·sive 
[kə lssiv] adjective

involving
secret cooperation: secretly cooperating or
involving secret cooperation in order to do something illegal or underhanded
[Late
17th century. From Latin collus-, past participle stem of colludere
(see collude ).]
—col·lu·sive·ly,
adverb

—col·lu·sive·ness, noun[1]



colluvium

colluvium
col·lu·vi·um 
[kə lvee əm] (plural col·lu·vi·a
[kə lvee ə] or col·lu·vi·ums)
noun

loose
rock and soil: loose rock and soil at the base of a
cliff or steep slope
[Mid-20th
century. From Latin, formed from colluvies, from colluere,
literally “to wash thoroughly,” from lavere “to wash” (source of English
lotion ).]
—col·lu·vi·al [kə lvee əl], adjective[1]



collywobbles

collywobbles
col·ly·wob·bles 
[kólli wòbb’lz] plural noun (informal)

1.  stomach
pains:
pains or cramps, or both, in the stomach or bowels (takes a singular or
plural verb)

2.  U.K.
nervousness:
a feeling of nervousness about something
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from colic and wobble, the underlying idea being of intestines
wobbling.][1]



colo-

colo-
colo-
prefix

intestine
• colorectal
[From colon][1]



Colo.

Colo.
Colo.

Abbreviation of
Colorado[1]



coloboma

coloboma
col·o·bo·ma 
[kòllə bṓmə] (plural colobo·mas)
noun

defect
in eye:
a structural defect in the retina, iris, or other tissue of the eye, usually
present at birth
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek koloboma “part removed in
mutilation,” from kolobos (see colobus
).]
—col·o·bo·ma·tous, adjective[1]



colobus

colobus
col·o·bus
[kólləbəss] (plural col·o·bus·es
or col·o·bi [kóllə b]) or
col·o·bus mon·key [kólləbəss] noun

African
monkey:
a large slender monkey native to Africa that has a long tail and long silky fur
but lacks developed thumbs. Genus: Colobus
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek kolobos “docked, maimed.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to cut,” which is also the ancestor of English calamity .][1]



colocynth

colocynth
col·o·cynth 
[kólləsinth] (plural col·o·cynths)
noun

1.  PLANTS vine
with bitter fruit: a European vine related to
the pumpkin and squash that bears bitter yellow fruit about the size of a lemon
but speckled with green. Latin name: Citrulus colocynthis

2.  PLANTS PHARMACOLOGY fruit of colocynth:
the spongy bitter fruit of the colocynth that yields a powerful laxative or
purgative.
Also
called
bitter apple
Also
called
coloquintida
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek kolokunthis, from kolokunthē “pumpkin, round gourd.”][1]



cologne

cologne
co·logne 
[kə lṓn] (plural co·lognes) noun

scented
liquid:
a scented liquid that is lighter than perfume.
Also
called
eau de cologne
[Early 19th century. Named
for the city of Cologne, Germany, where it was first made.][1]



Cologne

Cologne
Co·logne
[kə lṓn]

river port and largest city
in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany. Population: 958,600 (1992)[1]



Colombia




Back to definition

Colombia

[1]



Colombia

Colombia



Co·lom·bi·a
[kə lúmbee ə, kəlṓmbee
ə]
republic
in northwestern South America surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, Venezuela,
Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and the Pacific Ocean. Language: Spanish.
Currency: peso. Capital: Bogotá. Population: 37,852,050 (1997) Area: 1,141,748
sq km/440,831 sq mi. Official name Republic of Colombia
—Co·lom·bi·an (plural
Co·lom·bi·ans), noun, adjective[1]



Colombo

Colombo
Co·lom·bo 
[kə lúmbō]

commercial capital of Sri
Lanka, situated on the west coast. It is also a port with a large artificially
created harbor. Population: 615,000 (1990)[1]



colon

colon1
co·lon1 [kṓlən]
(plural co·lons) noun

1.  LANGUAGE punctuation
mark:
the punctuation mark (:) used to divide distinct but related elements, for
example, clauses in which the second elaborates on the first, or to introduce a
list, quotation, or speech

2.  mark
(:) used in phonetics: a mark (:) after a vowel in
a system of phonetic writing that shows that the vowel is lengthened

3.  (plural
cola) LITERATURE unit
of classical poetry: in Greek or Roman verse, a
rhythmic unit consisting of two to six metrical feet with one main accent
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek kōlon, originally “limb,” hence “unit of verse,” hence
“clause.”][1]



colon

colon2
co·lon2 [kṓlən]
(plural co·lons or co·la [kṓlə])
noun

part
of intestine: the section of the large intestine that
runs from the cecum to the rectum
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kolon “large intestine, food, meat,” of unknown origin.][1]



colonbacillus

colonbacillus
co·lon
ba·cil·lus 
noun

bacterium in colon:
a bacterium found in the colon of humans and animals that becomes a serious
contaminant when found in the food or water supply. Latin name: Escherichia
coli
Also called
E. coli[1]



colonel

colonel
colo·nel 
[kúrn’l] (plural colo·nels) noun

1.  military
rank in United States: an officer whose rank in the
U.S. Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force is between a brigadier general and a
lieutenant colonel

2.  U.K.
military
rank in U.K.: an officer whose rank in the British
Army or Royal Marines is between a brigadier and a lieutenant colonel

3.  military
rank in Canada: a high-ranking commissioned officer in
the army or air force of Canada, ranking above lieutenant colonel and below
brigadier general, equivalent in rank to a commander in the navy

4.  honorary
title:
an honorary title in an official state militia, given to respected citizens by
the governor in some southern and central states. This practice is most closely
associated with Kentucky, but also occurs in the states of Louisiana and
Tennessee.
[Mid-16th
century. Via obsolete French coronel from Italian colonnella,
literally “little column,” from colonna “column,” from Latin columna
(see column ).]
—colo·nel·ship, noun[1]



colonelcy

colonelcy
colo·nel·cy 
[kúrn’lsee] (plural colo·nel·cies)
noun

rank of colonel:
the rank or commission of a colonel in the armed forces[1]



colonia

colonia
co·lo·ni·a 
[kòllə n ə] noun

Hispanic-American
community on Mexican border: a poor Hispanic-American
community, especially along the border between the United States and Mexico
[Late 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “colony.”][1]



colonial

colonial
co·lo·ni·al 
[kə lṓnee əl] adjective

1.  relating
to colony:
possessing, ruling over, living in, or relating to a colony

2.  co·lo·ni·al
or Co·lo·ni·al HISTORY
relating
to British colonies in America: relating to the 13
original British colonies in North America before their independence in 1776

3.  co·lo·ni·al
or Co·lo·ni·al HISTORY
of
the British Empire: relating to the colonies of
the former British Empire, or to the Empire as a whole

4.  ARCHITECTURE FURNITURE in
style of North American colonies: dating from or in a
style typical of British North America from the late 17th through the early
19th centuries

5.  ZOOLOGY living
in colonies: used to describe animals that live in
groups or colonies and are dependent on each other. Some, for example, corals,
are physically joined, while others, for example, insects, show social
organization and specialized functions.
noun
(plural co·lo·ni·als)

1.  somebody
who lives in colony: somebody who lives in a
colony but who is a national of the colonizing country

2.  somebody
from a colony: somebody whose native country is a
colony

3.  ARCHITECTURE colonial
-style house: a house built in the neoclassical style
popular in the 17th and 18th centuries in the British colonies in America
[Late
18th century. From colony, perhaps on the
model of French colonial .]
—co·lo·ni·al·ly,
adverb

—co·lo·ni·al·ness, noun[1]



colonialism

colonialism
co·lo·ni·al·ism 
[kə lṓnee ə lìzzəm] noun

practice
of ruling nations as colonies: a policy in which a
country rules other nations and develops trade for its own benefit
—co·lo·ni·al·ist,
noun

—co·lo·ni·al·is·tic [kə lnee ə lístik], adjective[1]



colonialize

colonialize
co·lo·ni·al·ize
[kə lṓnee ə lz] (past co·lo·ni·al·ized,
past participle co·lo·ni·al·ized, present participle co·lo·ni·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular co·lo·ni·al·iz·es) transitive verb

make
into a colony: to enter a nation or other landmass and
try to restructure it into a colony
—co·lo·ni·al·i·za·tion
[kə lnee ələ záysh’n], noun[1]



colonic

colonic
co·lon·ic
[kō lónnik, kə
lónnik] adjective

MEDICINE ANATOMY of colon:
relating to or situated in the colon
noun
(plural colonics)

MEDICINE
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE cleansing
of colon: a medical treatment in which
fluids are injected through the anus into the colon to clean it out.
Also called
colonic irrigation[1]



colonist

colonist
col·o·nist 
[kóllənist] (plural col·o·nists)
noun

1.  somebody
living in new colony: somebody who goes to live in
a new colony or is among the founders of a colony

2.  col·o·nist
or Col·o·nist HISTORY
European
settler of North America: one of the early European
settlers of North America before it became the United States

3.  BIOLOGY organism
moving into new ecosystem: an organism, including a
plant such as a weed, that moves into and establishes itself in a new ecosystem

[1]



colonitis

colonitis
co·lon·i·tis 
[klə ntiss] noun

See
colitis[1]



colonize

colonize
col·o·nize 
[kóllə nz] (past col·o·nized,
past participle col·o·nized, present participle col·o·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular col·o·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb establish
colony:
to establish a colony in another country or place

2.  transitive
verb
go
to new land: to go to and live in a colony or other
civilized setting established in a foreign, hitherto sparsely inhabited or
virtually unsettled land

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY become established in new
ecosystem:
to establish plants or animals, or become established, in a biological colony
in a new ecosystem
—col·o·niz·a·ble,
adjective

—col·o·ni·za·tion,
noun

—col·o·ni·za·tion·ist
[kòllənə záysh’nist], noun

—col·o·niz·er [kóllə nzər], noun[1]



colonnade

colonnade
col·on·nade 
[kòllə náyd, kóllə
nàyd] (plural col·on·nades) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE row
of supporting columns: a row of columns, usually
supporting a roof or arches

2.  GARDENING row
of trees:
a row of evenly spaced trees
[Early
18th century. From French, formed on the model of Italian colonnato from
French colonne “column,” from Latin columna (see column ).]
—col·on·nad·ed, adjective[1]



colonoscope

colonoscope
co·lon·o·scope 
[kə lónnə skp] (plural co·lon·o·scopes)
noun

instrument used for colon
examination: a long flexible
instrument ( endoscope ) used by a physician
for viewing the interior of the colon, and often equipped with a device that
can remove tissue for biopsy[1]



colonoscopy

colonoscopy
co·lon·os·co·py 
[klə nóskəpee] (plural co·lon·os·co·pies)
noun

examination
of colon:
a medical examination of the colon by a physician using a colonoscope
[Coined
from colon 2 + -scopy]
—co·lon·o·scop·ic [klənə skóppik], adjective[1]



colony

colony
col·o·ny 
[kóllənee] (plural col·o·nies)
noun

1.  country
ruled by another: a country or area that is ruled by
another country

2.  HISTORY settlement
in North America: one of the early settlements in North
America that formed the 13 founding states of the United States after
independence (often used in the plural)

3.  group
of colonists: the group of people who have gone to
live in a colony

4.  group
of similar people: a group of people of the
same nationality or ethnic group, doing the same work, or living in the same
circumstances, who reside together or near one another • a
colony of artists

5.  area
where group lives: the area, for example, in a
city, where a group of people of the same or similar ethnicity or interests or
jobs lives

6.  BIOLOGY group
of animals or plants: a group of animals, insects,
or organisms of the same kind that are living together and dependent on each
other, or a group of plants growing in the same place

7.  MICROBIOLOGY mass
of organisms: a localized mass or growth of organisms,
for example, bacteria, in or on a nutrient medium
[14th century. From Latin colonia
“farm, settlement,” from colonus “tiller, settler,” from colere
“to cultivate, dwell.”][1]



colophon

colophon

col·o·phon 
[kóllə fòn] (plural col·o·phons)
noun

1.  publisher’s
emblem on book: the symbol or emblem that is printed on
a book and represents a publisher or publisher’s imprint

2.  publication
details in books: the details of the title, printer,
publisher, and publication date given at the end of a book. Colophons are
commonly found in early printed books and in modern private press editions.
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek kolophōn “summit, finishing touch.”][1]



colophony

colophony
co·lo·phon·y
[kóllə fnee, kə
lóffənee] (plural co·lo·phon·ies) noun

See
rosin
[14th century. From Latin colophonia,
from Colophonia resina “resin of Colophon,” named for a city in the
ancient kingdom of Lydia, in what is now Turkey.][1]



color

color
col·or 
[kúllər] noun (plural col·ors)

1.  property
causing visual sensation: the property of objects that
depends on the light that they reflect and that is perceived as red, blue,
green, or other shades

2.  PAINTING pigment:
a pigment used in painting

3.  not
black or white: a color such as red or green, as opposed
to black, white, or gray

4.  something
that adds color: something such as paint, cosmetics, or
dye that is used to add color to something

5.  natural
shade of complexion: the natural shade or color
of somebody’s skin as characteristic of race, especially of somebody who is not
Caucasian • a
person of color

6.  non-Caucasian:
a skin color other than that normally described as white

7.  healthy
look to skin: the normal look of a person’s skin,
especially in the face, when healthy

8.  extra
facial redness: an extra redness in somebody’s face, for
example, caused by embarrassment or exposure to cold wind

9.  variety
of colors:
brightness and variety in the colors something such as a room or picture has

10. interest
or vividness: a quality in something that gives it
interest or immediacy

11. PAINTING use of
color in painting: the use of color in
painting, as distinct from line, form, or composition • liked
her handling of color

12. MUSIC sound
quality:
the quality of a particular sound

13. LAW claim
of legality: a claim or appearance of legal right • by
color of law

14. PHYSICS hypothetical
quantum characteristic: a hypothetical property of
quarks that takes three forms designated red, blue, and green

15. PHYSICS hue
and saturation: the property or aspect of something that
involves hue, lightness, and saturation or, in the case of light, hue,
brightness, and saturation

16. OPTICS ability
to see colors: the aspect of visual perception by which
an observer recognizes colors

17. PRINTING type
of printing ink: the type and amount of inks used in a
printing job • a
four-color brochure

18. MINING gold
found in gravel: a particle of gold found in gravel or
sand
plural
noun
col·ors

1.  national,
state, or military flag: the flag of a nation, state,
or military unit, or all of these combined, especially when on parade

2.  colors
representing team or group: the colors that are used to
represent a team, school, or other group

3.  clothing
worn in sport: the clothing worn by a jockey or an
athlete that indicates the horse’s owner or the team to which the athlete
belongs

4.  HERALDRY heraldic
color:
the main heraldic colors ( tinctures ) of
azure, vert, sable, gules, and purpure

5.  U.K.
SPORTS team
members’ badge: a badge or other symbol given to members
of a sports team • In her second year she
got her rowing colors.

6.  somebody’s
real self:
somebody’s real beliefs, opinions, ethics, and principles • It
showed her up in her true colors.
verb
(past col·ored, past participle col·ored, present
participle col·or·ing, 3rd person present singular col·ors)

1.  transitive
verb
change
or add to something’s color: to change or add to the
color of something using paint, dye, cosmetics, or a similar agent

2.  intransitive
verb
take
on color:
to take on a particular color or change color

3.  intransitive
verb
blush:
to get more red in the cheeks or face than normal, generally because of
embarrassment

4.  transitive
verb
skew
opinion or judgment: to skew the way somebody
thinks about something, making an opinion or judgment less objective
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin color . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to cover,” which is also the ancestor of English holster and calypso
.]
with
flying colors

with
the greatest of ease and to an excellent standard

nail
your colors to the mast

to make it obvious what your
opinions or intentions are • They’ve
nailed their colors to the mast and announced that they will not sell their
property for redevelopment.[1]



colorable

colorable
col·or·a·ble 
[kúllərəb’l] adjective

1.  looking
reasonable but not so: appearing to be reasonable
or true, but in fact being neither • a
colorable explanation

2.  feigning
validity:
pretending to be true or valid
[14th
century. From Old French colorable “brightly colored,” from color
(see color ).]
—col·or·a·bil·i·ty
[kùllərə bíllətee], noun

—col·or·a·ble·ness
[kúllərəb’lnəss], noun

—col·or·a·bly [kúllərəblee], adverb[1]



Colorado




Back to definition

Colorado

[1]



Colorado

Colorado


Col·o·ra·do 
[kòllə ráddō, kòllə
rdō]

1.  state
in the western United States bordering on seven other states, including Utah to
the west. Capital: Denver. Population: 3,892,644 (1997) Area: 269,618 sq
km/104,100 sq mi.

2.  major
North American river, rising in northern Colorado and flowing southwest through
the Grand Canyon. Length: 2,330 km/1,450 mi.

3.        river
in Texas, the longest entirely within the state. It rises in northwestern Texas
and flows southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. Length: 965 km/600 mi.[1]



Coloradobeetle

Coloradobeetle
Col·o·ra·do
bee·tle
(plural Col·o·ra·do bee·tles) noun

See
Colorado potato beetle[1]



Coloradoblue spruce

Coloradoblue spruce
Col·o·ra·do
blue spruce
(plural Col·o·ra·do blue spruc·es) noun

See
blue spruce[1]



ColoradoDesert

ColoradoDesert
Col·o·ra·do
Des·ert

desert area of southeastern
California west of the Colorado River. It includes the Salton Sea and the
Imperial Valley.[1]



ColoradoPlateau

ColoradoPlateau
Col·o·ra·do
Pla·teau

high, arid region covering
parts of southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, and
northern Arizona. Area: 130,000 sq km/50,000 sq mi.[1]



Coloradopotato beetle

Coloradopotato beetle
Col·o·ra·do
po·ta·to bee·tle (plural Col·o·ra·do po·ta·to
bee·tles) noun

beetle
feeding on potato leaves: a small black-and-yellow
striped beetle that feeds on the leaves of potato plants and is a serious
agricultural pest. Latin name: Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Also
called
potato beetle
U.K.
term
Colorado beetle
[From the fact that the
beetle is native to the state of Colorado][1]



Coloradoruby

Coloradoruby
Col·o·ra·do
ru·by
noun

type of garnet found in
Colorado: a type of red garnet crystal
found in the state of Colorado[1]



ColoradoSprings

ColoradoSprings
Col·o·ra·do
Springs

city in central Colorado,
south of Denver and east of Pikes Peak. Population: 345,127 (1996)[1]



Coloradotopaz

Coloradotopaz
Col·o·ra·do
to·paz
(plural Col·o·ra·do to·paz·es) noun

1.  topaz
found in Colorado: a brownish-yellow topaz
found in the state of Colorado

2.  brownish-yellow
quartz:
a type of brownish-yellow quartz that resembles true Colorado topaz

[1]



colorant

colorant
col·or·ant 
[kúllərənt] (plural col·or·ants)
noun

coloring agent:
a dye, pigment, ink, or similar agent that is used to add or change color[1]



coloration

coloration
col·or·a·tion 
[kùllə ráyshən] noun

1.  color
appearance:
the appearance or pattern of color on an object

2.  coloring
of an organism: the pattern of colors naturally
occurring on an insect, bird, animal, or plant
[Early 17th century][1]



coloratura

coloratura
col·or·a·tu·ra 
[kùllərə trə, kòllərə
trə] (plural col·or·a·tu·ras) noun

ornamented
vocal music: a passage or piece of vocal music
characterized by florid and demanding ornamentation, usually consisting of a
rapid succession of notes. Coloratura passages are frequent in 18th- and
19th-century arias.
[Mid-18th century. From
obsolete Italian, literally “coloring.”][1]



coloraturasoprano

coloraturasoprano
col·or·a·tu·ra
so·pran·o
noun

soprano with light versatile
voice: a soprano with a light
versatile voice capable of performing coloratura roles[1]



colorbar

colorbar
col·or
bar
(plural col·or bars) noun

See
color line[1]



colorblind

colorblind
col·or·blind
adjective

1.  unable
to distinguish between certain colors:
partially or completely unable to see or to distinguish between certain colors
because of a defect in vision

2.  not
discriminating: not discriminating between people on the
grounds of their ethnic group or the color of their skin
[Mid-19th
century. Coined by Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), the inventor of the
kaleidoscope.]
—col·or·blind·ness, noun[1]



colorbreed

colorbreed
col·or·breed 
[kúllər brd] (past col·or·bred,
past participle col·or·bred, present participle col·or·breed·ing,
3rd person present singular col·or·breeds) transitive verb

breed living things for
color: to breed plants or animals
selectively so that the offspring are of the desired color[1]



colorcast

colorcast
col·or·cast 
[kúllər kàst] (past col·or·cast
or col·or·cast·ed, past participle col·or·cast or
col·or·cast·ed, present participle col·or·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular col·or·casts, plural colorcasts)
noun

TV
broadcast in color: a television program
broadcast in color
[Mid-20th
century. From color + broadcast .]
—col·or·cast·er, noun[1]



color-code

color-code
col·or-code 
(past col·or-cod·ed, past participle col·or-cod·ed,
present participle col·or-cod·ing, 3rd person present singular
col·or-codes) transitive verb

identify something using
colors: to classify different types
of things by different colors[1]



colorcontrast

colorcontrast
col·or
con·trast
(plural color con·trasts) noun

perceived color difference:
the perceived difference in a color that occurs when it is surrounded by
another color[1]



colorectal

colorectal
col·o·rec·tal 
[klō rékt’l] adjective

relating
to the colon and rectum: relating to both the colon
and rectum
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from colo- + rectal
.][1]



colored

colored
col·ored 
[kúllərd] adjective

1.  having
color:
having a particular color or colors (often used in combination) • dark
colored
• honey
colored

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning belonging to an ethnic group whose members have
dark-colored skin (dated offensive)

3.  Col·ored
or col·ored South Africa of
mixed ethnic origin: belonging to a group of
mixed ethnic origin (dated)
See
also
Cape Colored

4.  distorted
or biased:
biased or sensationalized • a
highly colored account
noun
(plural col·oreds)

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody who belongs to an ethnic group that is
predominantly dark-skinned (dated offensive)

[1]



colorfast

colorfast
col·or·fast 
[kúllər fàst] adjective

not
losing color: containing a dye that will not fade or
wash out
[Early
20th century. From fast “firm.”]
—col·or·fast·ness, noun[1]



colorfilter

colorfilter
col·or
fil·ter
(plural col·or fil·ters) noun

colored filter for camera:
a filter made of colored glass or gelatin that absorbs light of a given color
before it reaches the camera lens. It is used to achieve artistic effects or to
compensate for weather conditions.[1]



colorful

colorful
col·or·ful 
[kúllərfəl] adjective

1.  with
bright colors: having bright or varied colors • colorful
costumes

2.  interesting:
interesting and exciting • She
has a colorful past.

3.  not
ordinary or predictable: likely to behave in unusual
and unexpected ways

4.  full
of swearwords: characterized by coarse words or
obscenities (informal) (used euphemistically) • colorful
language
—col·or·ful·ly,
adverb

—col·or·ful·ness, noun[1]



colorific

colorific
col·or·if·ic 
[kùllə ríffik] adjective

producing color:
producing or giving color to something[1]



colorimeter

colorimeter
col·or·im·e·ter 
[kùllə rímmətər] (plural col·or·im·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
that measures color: an instrument for measuring
and specifying colors by comparison with an established set of standard colors

2.  instrument
for measuring colored solution concentration: an
instrument that determines the concentration of a solution of a colored
substance by reference to standard solutions or standard color slides
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin color (see color
) + -meter .]
—col·or·i·met·ric
[kùlləri méttrik], adjective

—col·or·i·met·ri·cal·ly
[kùlləri méttrikəlee], adverb

—col·or·im·e·try [kùllə rímmətree], noun[1]



coloring

coloring
col·or·ing 
[kúlləring] (plural col·or·ings)
noun

1.  act
of giving color: the act of giving color to something

2.  coloring
substance:
a substance that gives color to something, for example, a food dye

3.  type
of complexion: the shade of somebody’s skin or hair
color

4.  characteristic
colors:
the characteristic colors of a bird’s plumage or an animal’s coat

[1]



coloringbook

coloringbook
col·or·ing
book
(plural col·or·ing books) noun

book with pictures to color:
a book with drawings for a child to color[1]



colorist

colorist
col·or·ist 
[kúllərist] (plural col·or·ists)
noun

1.  artist
known for use of colors: a painter whose technique
involves special use of color

2.  colorer:
somebody whose work involves coloring things

3.  hair
stylist:
a hair stylist who is professionally qualified to dye hair
[Late
17th century. Formed from color, on the
model of Italian colorista .]
—col·or·is·tic
[kùllə rístik], adjective

—col·or·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



colorize

colorize
col·or·ize
[kúllə rz] (past col·or·ized,
past participle col·or·ized, present participle col·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular col·or·izes) transitive verb

provide color for
black-and-white film: to add
color to a black and white movie, for example, by using computer techniques[1]



colorless

colorless
col·or·less 
[kúllərləss] adjective

1.  without
color:
lacking color

2.  characterless:
not interesting or exciting • a
colorless personality

3.  pale:
pale or lacking distinct color
—col·or·less·ly,
adverb

—col·or·less·ness, noun[1]



colorline

colorline
col·or
line
(plural col·or lines) noun

barriers between ethnic
groups: a separation of ethnic
groups, physically or socially, either in law or as the result of
discrimination.
U.K. term
color bar[1]



colorphase

colorphase
col·or
phase
(plural col·or phas·es) noun

1.  seasonal
variation in color: a seasonal variation in the
colors of a bird’s plumage or an animal’s coat

2.  permanent
variation in color: a distinct and permanent
color variation shown by a group of animals within a species

[1]



colorpointshorthair

colorpointshorthair
col·or·point
short·hair
(plural col·or·point short·hairs) noun

type of cat:
a domestic cat belonging to a breed with a light-colored coat and darker
markings on the face, ears, feet, and tail[1]



colorscheme

colorscheme
col·or
scheme
(plural col·or schemes) noun

planned use of colors:
a combination of colors used in interior decoration[1]



colorsubcarrier

colorsubcarrier
col·or
sub·car·ri·er (plural col·or sub·car·ri·ers)
noun

part of television signal
carrying color: the component of a
television signal that transmits color information to the receiver[1]



colorway

colorway
col·or·way
noun

one of a set of colors:
one of range of possible colors available • The
shirt comes in three exciting colorways, taupe, red, and navy.[1]



colorwheel

colorwheel
col·or
wheel
(plural col·or wheels) noun

spectrum circle diagram:
the spectrum represented as a circular diagram that shows how colors are
related to one another[1]



colossal

colossal
co·los·sal 
[kə lóssəl] adjective

1.  very
large:
unusually or impressively large

2.  very
great:
very great or impressive • Our
opponents made a colossal blunder. • a
colossal increase in consumer spending

3.  SCULPTURE twice
life size:
used to describe sculptures that are twice life size
—co·los·sal·ly, adverb[1]



colosseum

colosseum
col·os·se·um 
(plural col·os·se·ums) noun

See
coliseum[1]



Colosseum

Colosseum
Colosseum
[kòllə s əm] noun

a large amphitheater in Rome,
Italy, built in the 1st century AD
for sports and entertainment[1]



Colossians

Colossians
Co·los·sians 
[kə lósh’nz] noun

12th
book of New Testament: the twelfth book of the New
Testament, a letter from St. Paul to the church in the Phrygian city of
Colossae written between 55 and 63 AD
.
[Early 16th century][1]



colossus

colossus
co·los·sus 
[kə lóssəss] (plural co·los·si)
noun

1.  SCULPTURE huge
statue:
a statue that is several times larger than life size

2.  something
enormously large or powerful: an enormously large or
powerful person or thing • a
colossus among contemporary fashion designers
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kolossos, of uncertain origin: possibly from a non-Indo-European
Mediterranean language.][1]



colostomy

colostomy
co·los·to·my 
[kə lóstəmee] (plural co·los·to·mies)
noun

1.  operation
creating an artificial anus: a surgical operation that
creates an artificial anus through an opening made in the abdomen from the
colon

2.  artificial
anus:
an opening surgically created in the abdomen that functions as an anus
[Late 19th century. Coined
from colo- + -stomy
.][1]



colostrum

colostrum
co·los·trum 
[kə lóstrəm] noun

first
secretion from mammary glands: a yellowish fluid rich
in antibodies and minerals that a mother’s breasts produce after giving birth
and before the production of true milk. It provides newborns with immunity to
infections.
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



colour

colour
col·our 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

U.K. =
color[1]



colourpointcat

colourpointcat
col·our·point
cat
noun

U.K.
See Himalayan cat[1]



coloursupplement

coloursupplement
col·our
sup·ple·ment (plural col·our sup·ple·ments)
noun

U.K.
magazine with color photographs
accompanying newspaper: a magazine
printed in color and forming a section of a newspaper[1]



colpitis

colpitis
col·pi·tis 
[kol ptiss] noun

MEDICINE
(technical) See vaginitis[1]



colpo-

colpo-
colpo-
prefix

vagina
• colposcope
[From Greek kolpos
(source also of English gulf )][1]



colposcope

colposcope
col·po·scope 
[kóllpə skp] (plural col·po·scopes)
noun

medical
instrument to examine the vagina: a magnifying and
photographic instrument used to examine the vagina
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek kolpos “womb.”]
—col·po·scop·ic
[kòlpə skóppik], adjective

—col·pos·co·py [kol póskəpee], noun[1]



Colt

Colt
Colt
Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
firearm[1]



colt

colt
colt 
[kōlt] (plural colts) noun

1.  young
male horse:
a young uncastrated male horse, usually under four years of age

2.  inexperienced
young person: somebody who is young and inexperienced
(literary)
[Old English. Origin
unknown.][1]



colter

colter
col·ter
noun

See
coulter[1]



coltish

coltish
colt·ish 
[kṓltish] adjective

lively
and energetic: energetic and playful in nature
[14th
century. From the wild behavior of a colt.]
—colt·ish·ly,
adverb

—colt·ish·ness, noun[1]



Colton

Colton
Col·ton 
[kṓlt’n]

city in southern California,
a southern suburb of San Bernardino. Population: 43,309 (1996)[1]



Coltrane,John

Coltrane,John

Col·trane 
[kṓl tràyn], John (1926–1967)
U.S. saxophonist and composer. He was a
leading proponent of free-form jazz in the 1960s. His compositions include “Giant
Steps.”[1]



Colt,Samuel

Colt,Samuel
Colt 
[kōlt], Samuel (1814–1862)

U.S. inventor. He patented a
pistol with a revolving cylinder (1836) that was used in the Mexican War
(1846–1848).[1]



coltsfoot

coltsfoot
colts·foot 
[kṓlts ft] (plural colts·foots
or colts·foot) noun

plant
of the daisy family: a plant of the daisy family
found in Europe, Asia, and North America, with yellow flower heads and large
hoof-shaped leaves. The dried leaves and flowers are used in herbal medicine to
treat coughs. Latin name: Tussilago farfara
[Mid-16th century. From the
shape of the leaves.][1]



colubrid

colubrid
col·u·brid 
[kólləbrid] (plural col·u·brid
or col·u·brids) noun

type
of snake:
a snake belonging to a family of mostly nonvenomous snakes. King snakes, garter
snakes, and water snakes are colubrids . Family: Colubridae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Colubridae, family name, which was coined from Latin colubrid-,
the stem of coluber “snake” (see cobra
).][1]



colubrine

colubrine
col·u·brine 
[kóllə brn, kólləbrin]
adjective

1.  looking
like a snake: resembling a snake

2.  relating
to colubrids: belonging or relating to the colubrid
snakes
[Early 16th century. From
Latin colubrinus, from coluber “snake” (see colubrid ).][1]



colugo

colugo
co·lu·go
[kə l gō] (plural co·lu·gos or
co·lu·go) noun

See
flying lemur
[Early 18th century. From
Malay.][1]



Columba

Columba
Co·lum·ba
[kə lúmbə] noun

small constellation of
southern hemisphere: a small
faint constellation of the southern hemisphere between Canis Major and Pictor[1]



columbarium

columbarium
col·um·bar·i·um 
[kòlləm báiree əm] (plural col·um·bar·i·a
[kòlləm báiri ə]) or col·um·bar·y
[kólləm bèrree] (plural col·um·bar·ies)
noun

1.  place
for storing funeral urns: a chamber or wall in which
urns containing the ashes of the dead are stored

2.  niche
for funeral urn: one of the niches in a building used to
store funeral ashes
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, formed from columba “dove” (see columbine 1 .][1]



Columbia

Columbia
Co·lum·bi·a 
[kə lúmbee ə]

1.  river
that flows through southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States and
empties into the Pacific Ocean below Portland, Oregon. Length: 2,000 km/1,240
mi.

2.  city
in central Missouri, northwest of Jefferson City, that is home to the
University of Missouri. Population: 76,756 (1996)

3.  city
in central Tennessee, on the south bank of the Duck River, south of Nashville.
Population: 32,043 (1996)

4.  capital
of South Carolina, on the east bank of the Congaree River, northwest of
Charleston. Population: 112,773 (1996)

[1]



ColumbiaHeights

ColumbiaHeights
Co·lum·bi·a
Heights

city in southeastern
Minnesota, on the Mississippi River, a northern suburb of Minneapolis.
Population: 18,368 (1996)[1]



Columbian

Columbian
Co·lum·bi·an 
[kə lúmbee ən] adjective

of or about the United
States: relating to the United
States, or its people or culture.
See also
pre-Columbian[1]



ColumbiaPlateau

ColumbiaPlateau
Co·lum·bi·a
Pla·teau

region of the western United
States, including parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Area: 520,000 sq
km/200,000 sq mi.[1]



columbine

columbine1

col·um·bine1  [kólləm
bn] (plural col·um·bines or col·um·bine) noun
plant
with spurred flowers: a plant native to northern
temperate zones that has five-petaled flowers with long spurs. Genus: Aquilegia

Also
called
aquilegia
U.K.
term
aquilegia
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin columbina (herba), literally “dovelike (plant),”
from Latin columbinus (see columbine 2 ); from the
resemblance of the flower to a cluster of pigeons.][1]



columbine

columbine2
col·um·bine2  adjective

relating
to doves:
resembling or relating to doves
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin columbinus “dovelike,” which was formed from columba
“dove, pigeon.”][1]



columbite

columbite
co·lum·bite 
[kə lúm bt] noun

ore
of niobium:
a black, reddish-brown, or transparent mineral that is an ore of niobium and is
made up of iron and manganese. (Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 
Also
called
niobite
[Early 19th century. Coined
from columbium + -ite
.][1]



columbium

columbium
co·lum·bi·um 
[kə lúmbee əm] noun

niobium:
the element niobium (no longer in technical use) Symbol Cb
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Columbia “America,” named for
Christopher Columbus (from the fact that the element was discovered in
ore from Massachusetts).]
—co·lum·bic,
adjective

—co·lum·bous, adjective[1]



Columbus

Columbus1
Co·lum·bus1 [kə
lúmbəss]

1.  capital
of Ohio, and its largest city. It is home to Ohio State University. Population:
657,053 (1996)

2.  city
in western Georgia, on the Chattahoochee River, east of Phoenix City, Alabama.
Population: 182,828 (1996)

3.  city
in Indiana, southwest of Indianapolis, where the Big Blue River and Flatrock
Creek meet. Population: 32,963 (1996)

[1]



Columbus,Christopher

Columbus,Christopher

Co·lum·bus 
[kə lúmbəss], Christopher (1451–1506)
Italian explorer. He reached the West
Indies in 1492, thereby opening the Americas to European trade and
colonization.[1]



ColumbusDay

ColumbusDay
Co·lum·bus
Day
(plural Co·lum·bus Days) noun

U.S. holiday:
a U.S. holiday, falling on October 12, that celebrates Christopher Columbus’s
first voyage to the Americas in 1492[1]



columella

columella
col·u·mel·la 
[kòllə méllə] (plural col·u·mel·lae)
noun

tiny
bone in middle ear: a tiny bone in the middle
ear of all land vertebrates that transmits sound waves from the eardrum to the
inner ear and corresponds to the stapes in mammals
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “little column,” formed from columna
“column” (see column ).]
—col·u·mel·lar,
adjective

—col·u·mel·late [kòllə méllət, kòllə mé
làyt], adjective[1]



column

column

col·umn 
[kólləm] (plural col·umns) noun

1.  round
pillar:
an upright support shaped like a long cylinder • a
Corinthian column • the
white columns of Mount Vernon

2.  something
shaped like a column: something compared to a
column in form • a column of smoke

3.  regular
article:
an item in a newspaper or magazine that is always written by the same person,
or is always about the same subject

4.  vertical
arrangement of numbers: a vertical arrangement of
figures or mathematical terms

5.  section
of page:
one of two or more vertical sections of printed material on a page

6.  line
of people or things: a long line of people or
vehicles

7.  ANATOMY BOTANY part shaped like column:
any long part of a plant or animal • spinal
column
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin columna (source of
English colonel ), of uncertain
origin; probably formed from columen, culmen “top, summit”
(source of English culminate ).]
—col·umned, adjective[1]



columnea

columnea
col·um·ne·a 
[kə lúmnee ə] (plural col·um·ne·as
or col·um·ne·a) noun

tropical
American plant: a tropical American bushy or trailing
plant grown as a houseplant for its colorful tubular flowers. Genus: Columnea
[Mid to late 18th century.
From modern Latin columna, the Latinized form of the name of Fabio Colonna
(1567–1640), Italian writer on plants.][1]



columninch

columninch
col·umn
inch
(plural col·umn inch·es) noun

measurement of space in
newspaper: an area on a page one column
wide and one inch deep, used to measure the amount of type that would fill that
space[1]



columnist

columnist
col·um·nist 
[kólləmnist] (plural col·um·nists)
noun

somebody who writes a column:
somebody who writes a regular column for a newspaper or magazine • a
gossip columnist[1]



colure

colure
col·ure 
[kə lr] (plural col·ures) noun

imaginary
circle in space: either of two great circles on the
celestial sphere that intersect at the celestial poles, one of which connects
the equinoctial points on the ecliptic while the other connects the solstitial
points
[14th century. Via late Latin
coluri from Greek kolourai (grammai) “truncated (lines),” from kolouros,
from kolos “docked” + oura “tail.”][1]



coly

coly
col·y
[kṓlee] (plural col·ies or
col·y) noun

gregarious
African bird: a gregarious African bird that has soft
hairy plumage, a crest on its head, and a very long tail. Family: Coliidae
Also
called
mousebird
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Colius, genus name, from Greek kolios “green woodpecker,”
of uncertain origin; from the bird’s pecking.][1]



colón

colón
co·lón
[kə lṓn] (plural co·lóns or
co·lo·nes [kə lṓ nàyss]) noun

1.  currency
unit in Costa Rica, etc.: a unit of currency in Costa
Rica and El Salvador

2.  coin
or bill worth one colón: a coin or bill worth one
colón
[Late 19th century. Named for
Cristóbal Colón, Spanish name of Christopher Columbus.][1]



Colón

Colón
Co·lón
[kə lṓn]

city and capital of Colón
Province, central Panama, situated on Limón Bay at the entrance to the Panama
Canal. Population: 54,654 (1990)[1]



colónes

colónes
co·ló·nes


Plural of
colón[1]



com-

com-
com-
prefix

together,
with, jointly (used before b, n, or p) • commix
[From Latin com .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “together,” which is also the
ancestor of English contra- and coeno- .][1]



com.

com.
com.

1.  Abbreviation
of
comedy

2.  Abbreviation
of
comic

3.  Abbreviation
of
commerce

4.  Abbreviation
of
commercial

5.  Abbreviation
of
committee

6.  Abbreviation
of
commune

[1]



COM

COM
COM 
[kom] noun

a process of converting
computer output directly to microfilm. Full form computer output on
microfilm[1]



com

com
com
[kom]

(used in e-mail addresses)Abbreviation
of company[1]



Com.

Com.
Com.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Commander

2.  Abbreviation
of
Commodore

3.  Abbreviation
of
Communist

[1]



coma

coma2
co·ma2 [kṓmə]
(plural co·mae [kṓmee]) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY cloud
around head of comet: a luminous cloud of gas and
dust surrounding the head of a comet

2.  OPTICS distortion
of image:
a lens defect that produces a blurred, comet-shaped image of a point, or the
image produced
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek komē “hair of the head,” of unknown
origin.]
—co·mal, adjective[1]



coma

coma1
co·ma1 [kṓmə]
(plural co·mas) noun

long
period of unconsciousness: a prolonged state of deep
unconsciousness
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek kōma “deep sleep,” of uncertain origin: perhaps related
to Greek koiman “to put to sleep” (source of English cemetery ).][1]



ComaBerenices

ComaBerenices
Co·ma
Ber·e·ni·ces  [kmə berrə
n sz] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a faint constellation in the
sky of the northern hemisphere between Virgo and the Big Dipper[1]



comal

comal
comal
[kō ml] (plural comals) noun

Southwestern U.S.
griddle:
a griddle[1]



Comanche

Comanche
Co·man·che 
[kə mánchee] (plural Co·man·che
or Co·man·ches) noun

1.  member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who formerly led a nomadic life in areas of Kansas, Oklahoma,
and Texas and who now live mainly in Oklahoma

2.  Comanche
language:
the Shoshonean language of the Comanche people. Comanche is spoken by about 500
people.
[Early
19th century. Via Spanish from Southern Paiute or another Numic language.]
—Co·man·che, adjective[1]



Comanchean

Comanchean
Co·man·che·an
[kə mánchee ən] noun

early
Cretaceous period: a part of the early
Cretaceous period in North America, which lasted from 140 to 100 million years
ago
[Named
for Comanche, a county in Texas where limestone rocks of this period were
first found]
—Co·man·che·an, adjective[1]



Comaneci,Nadia

Comaneci,Nadia

Co·ma·ne·ci
[kòmmə néchee, kòmmə
nch], Nadia (1961– )
Romanian-born U.S. gymnast. At the age of
14 she was the youngest person to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics and
the first to attain a perfect 10 mark (1976).[1]



comatose

comatose
co·ma·tose 
[kṓmətōss] adjective

1.  in
a coma:
in a coma

2.  unable
to function: in a very tired or drunken state (informal)
• After
driving 14 hours in a snowstorm, I was comatose the entire next day.
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek kōmat-, the stem of kōma “deep
sleep” (see coma 1 ).]
—co·ma·tose·ly, adverb[1]



comatulid

comatulid
co·mat·u·lid 
[kə máchəlid] (plural co·mat·u·lids
or co·mat·u·lid) or co·mat·u·la [kə máchələ] (plural co·mat·u·lae [kə máchəlee] or co·mat·u·la) noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal that is
free-swimming when it reaches maturity. Feather stars are comatulids . Order:
Comatulida
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Comatulidae, family name, from late Latin comatulus
“with neatly curled hair,” from Latin comatus “having hair.”][1]



comb.

comb.
comb.

1.  Abbreviation
of
combination

2.  Abbreviation
of
combining

3.  Abbreviation
of
combustion

[1]



comb

comb
comb 
[kōm] noun (plural combs)

1.  instrument
for arranging hair: an instrument with a row of
long thin teeth, used to arrange hair

2.  fastening
for hair:
a piece of plastic or wood with long thin teeth, used to fasten back the hair

3.  TEXTILES tool
for cleaning wool: a tool or part of a machine
with long slender teeth, used for cleaning wool or other materials

4.  EQUESTRIAN See currycomb

5.  ZOOLOGY crest
of rooster:
the fleshy red growth on the head of a rooster or other bird

6.  ZOOLOGY honeycomb:
a honeycomb
transitive
verb
(past combed, past participle combed, present
participle comb·ing, 3rd person present singular combs)

1.  arrange
hair with comb: to arrange hair or fur with a comb

2.  TEXTILES clean
or arrange fibers: to clean or arrange the
fibers of wool or other materials using a comb

3.  search
place thoroughly: to search an area thoroughly • We
combed the house for his keys.
[Old
English camb, comb . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “tooth, nail,” which is also the ancestor of English gem .]
go
over something with a fine-tooth(ed) comb

or
go through something with a fine-tooth(ed) combto study or search
something extremely carefully[1]



combat

combat
com·bat 
noun [kóm bàt] (plural com·bats)

1.  fighting:
fighting between groups or individuals, especially between armies (often
used before a noun) • He had
never seen combat. • combat
troops

2.  fight
or struggle: a struggle between opposing individuals
or forces • combat
between good and evil
transitive
verb
[kəm bát, kóm
bàt] (past com·bat·ed or com·bat·ted, past
participle com·bat·ed or com·bat·ted, present
participle com·bat·ing or com·bat·ting, 3rd person present
singular com·bats)

1.  try
to destroy something dangerous: to attempt to destroy
or control something harmful • measures
to combat pollution

2.  resist
something:
to resist somebody or something actively
[Mid-16th
century. Via French combattre “to fight” from assumed late Latin combattere,
literally “to fight with,” from, ultimately, Latin battuere “to beat”
(see batter ).]
—com·bat·a·ble
[kəm báttəb’l], adjective

—com·bat·er [kəm báttər], noun[1]



combatant

combatant
com·bat·ant 
[kəm bátt’nt] (plural com·bat·ants)
noun

1.  somebody
taking part in war: a person or group taking
part in a war

2.  somebody
involved in argument: somebody who is involved in
a struggle or argument

[1]



CombatArms

CombatArms
Com·bat
Arms
plural noun

units engaged in combat:
in the U.S. Army, the units that actually engage the enemy in combat, for
example, the infantry, armor, or field artillery[1]



combatfatigue

combatfatigue
com·bat
fa·tigue
noun

psychological disorder
resulting from combat: a
psychological disorder resulting from the stress of being involved in a battle
and characterized by acute anxiety, depression, and loss of motivation.
U.K. term
battle fatigue[1]



combative

combative
com·bat·ive 
[kəm báttiv] adjective

eager
to fight:
eager to fight or argue
—com·bat·ive·ly,
adverb

—com·bat·ive·ness, noun[1]



comber

comber
comb·er 
[kṓmər] (plural comb·ers) noun

1.  TEXTILES somebody
or something that combs yarn: a person or machine that
combs wool or other materials

2.  big
wave hitting beach: a long high wave that
crashes onto a beach.
U.K.
term
beachcomber

[1]



combination

combination
com·bi·na·tion 
[kòmbi náysh’n] (plural com·bi·na·tions)
noun

1.  mixture:
a mixture of different things or factors, or the act of mixing them • We
were saved by a combination of skill and good luck.

2.  combined
set:
two or more things or people that are combined to form a set • The
red shirt and navy vest make a striking color combination.

3.  numbers
that open a lock: a series of numbers or letters needed to
open a combination lock

4.  BOXING series
of punches:
in boxing, two or more punches quickly delivered one after the other

5.  alliance:
an association between groups or individuals established in order to accomplish
something

6.  MATHEMATICS arrangement
of numbers in subsets: an arrangement of the
numbers or symbols in a mathematical set into smaller subsets without regard to
the order in which those numbers or symbols appear

7.  MATHEMATICS subset:
a subset containing a specified number of the elements of a given set, selected
without regard to the order in which they were chosen

8.  CHESS sequence
of moves involving multiple pieces: a
series of tactical moves involving two or more chess pieces

9.  CHEMISTRY formation
of a compound: the union of substances in the formation
of a chemical compound
—com·bi·na·tion·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mixture

[1]



combinationlock

combinationlock
com·bi·na·tion
lock
(plural com·bi·na·tion locks) noun

lock opened by specific
numbers: a lock that operates by
means of a set of wheels, each having a sequence of numbers from 0 to 9. It
opens only when the wheels are aligned to give a specific sequence of numbers.[1]



combinationtone

combinationtone
com·bi·na·tion
tone
(plural com·bi·na·tion tones) noun

MUSIC
See resultant tone[1]



combinatorialanalysis

combinatorialanalysis
com·bi·na·to·ri·al
a·nal·y·sis
noun

mathematics of combinations:
a branch of mathematics dealing with combinations and permutations, especially
those relating to probability and statistics[1]



combine

combine
com·bine 
verb [kəm bn] (past com·bined,
past participle com·bined, present participle com·bin·ing,
3rd person present singular com·bines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
or mix together: to join or mix together, or join or mix
people or things together • Combine
the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. • All
these factors combine to make for a truly successful product.

2.  transitive
verb
do
things simultaneously: to undertake two or more activities
at the same time • She has successfully
combined a career as an attorney and a state senator.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY unite chemically:
to join together or to make substances join together to form a chemical
compound

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE harvest crops with
machine:
to harvest crops using a combine harvester
noun
[kóm bn] (plural com·bines)

1.  association:
an illegal association of business organizations

2.  AGRICULTURE See combine harvester
[15th
century. From late Latin combinare, literally “to put two things
together,” from Latin bini “two at a time,” from bi- “twice” (see
bi- ).]
—com·bin·a·ble,
adjective

—com·bi·na·tive
[kómbi nàytiv], adjective

—com·bin·er [kəm bnər], noun[1]



combined

combined
com·bined 
[kəm bnd] noun

SKIING
downhill and slalom skiing event:
a skiing event involving competition in downhill and slalom runs that are
slightly less arduous than either run as a single event[1]



combineharvester

combineharvester
com·bine
har·vest·er 
(plural com·bine har·vest·ers) noun

machine that reaps and
threshes grain: a large farm machine
that is used to harvest crops.
Also called
combine[1]



combings

combings
comb·ings
[kṓmingz] plural noun

loose fibers:
small loose pieces of hair, wool, or other fiber that are collected during
combing[1]



combo

combo
com·bo 
[kóm bō] (plural com·bos) noun

1.  jazz
group:
a small jazz or dance band

2.  somebody
or something joined: a combination of several
people or elements (informal) • a
burger, fries, and shake combo
[Early 20th century. Formed
from combination .][1]



combust

combust
com·bust 
[kəm búst] (past com·bust·ed, past
participle com·bust·ed, present participle com·bust·ing,
3rd person present singular com·busts) intransitive and
transitive verb

burn:
to react vigorously with oxygen to produce heat and light, seen as a flame
[15th century. Partly from
obsolete combust “burned,” from Latin combustus (see combustion ); partly a back-formation from combustion .][1]



combustible

combustible
com·bus·ti·ble 
[kəm bústəb’l] (plural com·bus·ti·bles)
adjective

1.  likely
to catch fire: able or likely to catch fire and burn

2.  CHEMISTRY reacting
with oxygen to produce flame: able to react vigorously
with oxygen to produce heat and light, seen as a flame
—com·bus·ti·bil·i·ty
[kəm bùstə bíllətee], noun

—com·bus·ti·bly
[kəm bústiblee], adverb

—com·bus·ti·ble [kəm bústib’l], noun[1]



combustion

combustion
com·bus·tion 
[kəm búschən] noun

1.  ignition:
the burning of fuel in an engine to provide power

2.  chemical
reaction:
a chemical process in which a substance reacts vigorously with oxygen to
produce heat and light, seen as a flame

3.  extreme
agitation:
a state of extreme discontent and agitation
[15th
century. From Latin combustos, the past participle of comburere
“burn up,” from, ultimately, urere “burn.”]
—com·bus·tive, adjective[1]



combustionchamber

combustionchamber
com·bus·tion
cham·ber
(plural com·bus·tion cham·bers) noun

place where combustion takes
place: an enclosed space in which
combustion takes place, for example, in a jet engine or internal-combustion
engine[1]



combustor

combustor
com·bus·tor 
[kəm bústər] (plural com·bus·tors)
noun

combustion system:
a combustion system in a jet engine or gas turbine, consisting of the fuel
injection system, the igniter, and the combustion chamber[1]



comd.

comd.
comd.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of command[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








comdg.

comdg.
comdg.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of commanding[1]



Comdr.

Comdr.
Comdr.

Abbreviation of
Commander[1]



Comdt.

Comdt.
Comdt.

Abbreviation of
Commandant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








come

come
come 
(past came, past participle come, present
participle coming, 3rd person present singular comes) CORE
MEANING:
a basic intransitive verb expressing movement toward a specified place or
person. This verb often expresses the concept of movement coupled with the
arrival at a place where an activity will take place. • Come
and sit by me. • Come
to my house tomorrow.

1.
intransitive verb originate from:
to originate from a place or thing • The
meat came from Canadian herds.

2.
intransitive verb arrive or happen:
to happen or exist at a particular point or time • I
never thought this day would come.

3.
intransitive verb result from:
to result from something • We
hoped some good would come of it.

4.
intransitive verb be produced:
to be produced in a particular size, color, or style • This
model also comes in red.

5.
intransitive verb reach:
to reach or extend to a particular point or place • Her
hair came down to her waist.

6.
verb intransitive and transitive verb occur
in the mind: to occur in the mind • An
afterthought came to me while I was shaving.

7.
intransitive verb reach a state:
to reach or be brought into a particular state or situation • It
just came apart in my hands.

8.
intransitive verb have an orgasm:
to reach sexual climax (slang) (sometimes considered offensive)

9.
intransitive verb amount to:
to add up to a particular total • That
comes to $14.50.

10.
preposition by a particular time in the future • Come
July there will be an extra fifty cases to deal with.

11.
noun offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man’s semen (slang offensive)
come
again?

used
to ask someone to repeat or explain something (informal)

come
to pass

to happen (archaic or
literary)[1]



comeabout

comeabout
come
about
intransitive verb

happen:
to take place or occur[1]



comeacross

comeacross
come
across
verb

1.  transitive
verb
find
somebody or something: to find something or meet
somebody by chance • I came across a
reference to her in the newspaper.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
communicated: to be clearly communicated • The
point came across loud and clear: cutbacks are inevitable.

3.  intransitive
verb
give
an impression: to give a particular impression • She
came across as very positive.

[1]



comealong

comealong
come
along
intransitive verb

1.  appear:
to appear or arrive • We’ll
deal with whatever comes along.

2.  progress:
to progress or develop (only used in continuous tenses, usually in questions
or with an adverb) • How’s
the new recruit coming along?

3.  accompany
somebody else: to go somewhere with somebody

4.  U.K.
hurry
up:
to move or act more quickly • Come
along or we’ll be late for dinner.

[1]



comeapart

comeapart
come
apart
intransitive verb

tear or fragment:
to tear or disintegrate • The
dress just came apart when I washed it.[1]



comearound

comearound
come
around
intransitive verb

1.  change
your opinion: to change your opinion to that of
somebody else • They soon came around
to our way of thinking.

2.  regain
consciousness: to regain consciousness after being
knocked out, for example • He finally
came around after being unconscious for nearly three hours.

3.  recur:
to happen again at the expected time • There’s
excitement in the air when the first football game comes around every year.

4.  visit:
to visit somebody • Why don’t you all come
around to my place and have some coffee?

[1]



comeat

comeat
come
at
transitive verb

1.  attack
somebody:
to set upon and attack somebody • He
came at his opponent on a dark side street.

2.  U.K.
arrive
at something: to reach or discover something with
difficulty • The
only way to come at the facts is to ask pertinent questions.

[1]



comeaway

comeaway
come
away
intransitive verb

U.K.
break off:
to become detached from something • The
handle came away in my hand.[1]



comeback

comeback
come
back
intransitive verb

1.  be
popular again: to become popular again • Seventies
fashions came back briefly during the mid-nineties.

2.  come
into somebody’s mind: to appear or become clear
again from somebody’s memory • I
can’t remember the address, but give me a moment and it’ll come back to me.

3.  retort:
to reply energetically or aggressively to somebody • She
came back at him immediately with a counterblast.

[1]



comeback

comeback
come·back 
[kúm bàk] (plural come·backs) noun

1.  return
to success:
a return to a successful position or activity • Rumor
has it that she’s planning a comeback.

2.  sharp
reply:
a sharp or witty reply • He’s
always been one for the quick comeback.

[1]



comeback to

comeback to
come
back to
transitive verb

1.  consider
something again: to reconsider or refer to something
again (informal) • I’ll
come back to that question in a moment.

2.  reply
after interval: to speak to somebody again about
something at a later time • Do you
mind if I come back to you on that one?

[1]



comebefore

comebefore
come
before
transitive verb

appear:
be submitted for consideration or judgment before a group of people with
authority • The
report is due to come before the committee.[1]



comebetween

comebetween
come
between
transitive verb

1.  interfere
in somebody’s relationship: to disrupt a relationship • I
won’t let anything come between us.

2.  stop
somebody getting or doing something: to
prevent somebody from having or doing something • He
won’t let anything come between him and his Saturday football.

[1]



comeby

comeby
come
by
transitive verb

obtain something:
to manage to acquire something • Jobs
are not so easy to come by nowadays.[1]



Comecon

Comecon
Come·con
[kómmə kòn] or COME·CON [kómmə kòn] noun

an
organization of the former U.S.S.R and satellite Communist countries aimed at
encouraging economic development. It existed between 1949 and 1991. Full
form Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
[Mid-20th century][1]



comedian

comedian
co·me·di·an 
[kə mdee ən] (plural co·me·di·ans)
noun

1.  comic
entertainer: a humorous entertainer

2.  comic
actor:
an actor who plays comic roles

3.  amusing
person:
somebody who is or tries to be amusing (often used ironically) • Some
comedian put salt in the sugar bowl.

[1]



comedienne

comedienne
co·me·di·enne 
[kə mdee én] (plural co·me·di·ennes)
noun

1.  female
comic entertainer: a female entertainer who
tells jokes

2.  comic
actress:
a female actor who takes comic roles

3.  amusing
woman:
a woman who is, or tries to be amusing (often used ironically)

[1]



comedo

comedo
com·e·do 
[kómmə d] (plural com·e·do·nes
[kòmmə dṓ nz]) noun

MEDICINE blackhead:
a blackhead
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “glutton, worm that devours the body,” formed from comedere “to
devour” (see comestible ). From the shape of
the contents when squeezed out.][1]



comedown

comedown
come
down
intransitive verb

1.  decrease:
to decrease in value or amount • Prices
are coming down.

2.  reach
a decision:
to make a decision or judgment • The
judge came down in favor of the plaintiff’s motion.

3.  be
handed down: to be passed down from one generation to
another • written
records that have come down to us from that period

4.  return
to normal consciousness: to return to a normal state
of consciousness after being affected by drugs (informal)

5.  happen:
to be happening in the present (slang) • Hey,
dude! What’s coming down?
come
down in the world

to
have less money or power than previously

come
down to earth

to come back to reality after
a period of happiness or unrealistic hopes[1]



comedown

comedown
come·down 
[kúm dòwn] (plural come·downs)
noun

decline in status:
a decline in status or position (informal)[1]



comedown on

comedown on
come
down on
transitive verb

punish somebody severely:
to punish or criticize somebody severely[1]



comedown to

comedown to
come
down to
transitive verb

amount to something:
to mean or represent something fundamentally, when all nonessential detail has
been disregarded[1]



comedown with

comedown with
come
down with
transitive verb

catch illness:
to catch a cold, the flu, or another minor illness[1]



comedy

comedy
com·e·dy 
[kómmədee] (plural com·e·dies)
noun

1.  funny
play, movie, or book: a play, movie, or book
depicting amusing events

2.  comic
genre:
comic works, especially plays, considered as a literary genre

3.  comic
entertainment: entertainment that is amusing

4.  comic
element:
the humorous elements of a situation or work of art
[14th
century. Via French comédie from, ultimately, Greek kōmōidia,
from kōmōidos “comic actor, comic poet,” from kōmos “revel” (see comic ) + aoidos “singer,” from aeidein
“to sing.”]
—co·me·dic
[kə mdik], adjective

—co·med·i·cal·ly [kə mdikəlee], adverb[1]



comefor

comefor
come
for
transitive verb

pick somebody up:
to arrive at a place to pick somebody or something up[1]



comeforward

comeforward
come
forward
intransitive verb

call attention to yourself:
to present yourself and show that you are willing to undertake something[1]



comefrom

comefrom
come
from
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb originate
or arise:
to have a particular place as your original home or a particular source of
something • She
came from Ohio.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
descended from: be descended from a particular line,
family, or stock

[1]



comefrom away

comefrom away
come
from a·way
noun

Canada
newcomer:
somebody who is a newcomer to the Atlantic region of Canada (informal)[1]



comein

comein
come
in
intransitive verb

1.  finish
in a particular position: to finish a race in a
particular position • The
American yacht came in fifth.

2.  arrive:
to arrive or be received and become available for use, sale, or communication • The
spring fashions will be coming in next month.

3.  become
fashionable: to become fashionable • Long
hair for men came in during the 1960s.

4.  participate:
to become involved in something • There
are three other venture capitalists interested in coming in on the deal.

5.  RADIO begin
speaking:
to begin speaking during a discussion or in reply to a radio signal • Senator,
do you want to come in on that point? We’ve only 60 seconds left.

6.  prove:
to turn out to have a particular level of usefulness • That
little knife came in very handy when we went camping.

7.  TRANSPORT approach
destination: to approach or arrive at a destination

8.  become
higher:
to become higher, driving water up over the shore (refers to the tide)

9.  substitute:
to enter a game as a substitute for somebody else • It
looks like a new defensive lineman has just come in.

[1]



comein for

comein for
come
in for
transitive verb

be subjected to:
to be the object of criticism or scrutiny • The
policy has come in for scathing attacks by the media.[1]



comeinto

comeinto
come
into
transitive verb

inherit money:
to inherit money or property • When
her uncle died, she came into a great deal of money.[1]



comely

comely
come·ly 
[kúmmlee] (comparative come·li·er,
superlative come·li·est) adjective

physically
good-looking: physically good-looking (archaic or
literary) (refers to women)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably shortening of obsolete becomely
“becoming, fitting,” from become “to be
suitable to.”]
—come·li·ness, noun[1]



comeof

comeof
come
of
transitive verb

result:
to be the result of something • Did
anything ever come of your lawsuit?[1]



comeoff

comeoff
come
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
come
loose:
to become detached or to be detachable from something • The
top comes off easily.

2.  intransitive
verb
happen:
to take place as planned or predicted (informal) • Let’s
hope the trip comes off.

3.  transitive
verb
stop
taking medicine: to stop taking a drug or a medicine • When
I came off the prescription painkillers, the doctor put me on aspirin.

4.  transitive
verb
be
deducted from something: to be deducted from
something

[1]



come-on

come-on
come-on 
(plural come-ons) noun

1.  enticement:
something that arouses interest or desire, for example, a free gift intended to
encourage purchasers (informal)

2.  comment
or action:
a comment or action intended to indicate somebody’s sexual interest in another
person

[1]



comeon

comeon
come
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
start
to operate:
to become available for use or to begin to function (refers to a power
source or machine) • The
street lights come on at dusk.

2.  intransitive
verb
hurry:
to hurry up (usually used in the imperative) • Come
on, I haven’t got all day!

3.  intransitive
verb
used
to encourage somebody: used to encourage somebody
who is tired or unwilling (usually used in the imperative) • Come
on, you can do it if you try.

4.  intransitive
verb
used
to show disbelief: used to tell somebody to
stop exaggerating or lying • Come
on! You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?

5.  intransitive
verb
to
tell somebody to stop pretending: used to tell somebody
to drop a pretense or stop behaving in a superior way (usually used in the
imperative) • Come on! You know you
can’t afford that car.

6.  transitive
verb
appear
or speak on broadcast medium: to appear or speak on
television or radio • I
noticed her voice when she came on the phone.

7.  intransitive
verb
begin
at scheduled time: to begin at a particular
time (refers to radio or television programs or a stage performer) • Her
favorite show is coming on in an hour, and she never misses it.

8.  intransitive
verb
develop
gradually:
to develop gradually • It
grew chilly as night came on.

9.  intransitive
verb
THEATER enter
during play: to go onto the stage as part of the
action • The
villain doesn’t come on until Act 2.

10. intransitive
verb
advance:
to move forward, especially in battle • Our
cannon fire tore huge holes in their ranks, but still they came on.

[1]



comeon to

comeon to
come
on to
transitive verb

make sexual advances:
to make sexual advances to somebody (slang)[1]



comeout

comeout
come
out
intransitive verb

1.  reveal
or be revealed: to reveal something or be revealed • The
facts only came out when journalists began to dig a little deeper.

2.  PUBLISHING be
published:
to be published • Her new novel is coming
out next month.

3.  declare
something:
to state something openly • The
majority came out in favor of raising the age limit.

4.  acknowledge
sexuality:
to declare openly that one is gay or lesbian

5.  reveal
something secret about yourself: to reveal to other
people something about yourself that you have kept secret

6.  become
active in same-sex relationships: to become active in
sexual relationships with others of the same sex for the first time • I
didn't know he had come out until you told me.

7.  make
debut in society: to make a first appearance in society

8.  be
uttered:
to be uttered involuntarily or with an unintended effect • We
had no intention of revealing the story; it came out by accident.

9.  become
visible in sky: to become visible in the sky • The
sun came out from behind a cloud.

10. be
removable:
to disappear after cleaning • Even
the toughest stains come out with this new detergent.

11. U.K.
strike:
to begin a strike • The train drivers came
out in sympathy.

[1]



comeout in

comeout in
come
out in
transitive verb

U.K.
break out in:
to have something such as spots or a rash appear on the skin[1]



comeout of

comeout of
come
out of
transitive verb

1.  survive
hazard or illness: to survive a hazard or
illness • I’d
say she came out of the ordeal in pretty good shape.

2.  be
deducted:
to be deducted from an amount of money • The
new window will have to come out of your allowance.

[1]



comeout with

comeout with
come
out with
transitive verb

say something:
to say something surprising • never
know what children will come out with[1]



comeover

comeover
come
over
intransitive verb

U.K.
change sides:
to change an opinion or allegiance • She
says she’ll come over if we guarantee her a seat on the board.[1]



comer

comer
com·er 
[kúmmər] (plural com·ers) noun

potential success:
somebody or something that is likely to succeed (informal) • In
party power circles he’s regarded as a real comer.[1]



comeround

comeround
come
round
intransitive verb

U.K. =
come around[1]



comestible

comestible
co·mes·ti·ble 
[kə méstəb’l] noun (plural co·mes·ti·bles)

food:
something edible, usually a cooked food (formal)
adjective

edible:
fit for eating (formal)
[15th century. Via French
from medieval Latin comestibilis, from Latin comestus, past
participle of comedere, literally “to eat completely,” from edere
“to eat” (see edible ).][1]



comet

comet
com·et 
[kómmət] (plural com·ets) noun

astronomical
object with long tail: an astronomical object that
is composed of a mass of ice and dust and has a long luminous tail produced by
vaporization when its orbit passes close to the Sun
[12th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin (stella) cometa
“long-haired (star),” from Greek (astēr) komētēs, from, ultimately, komē
“hair of the head.”]
—com·et·ar·y
[kómmə tèrree], adjective

—co·met·ic [kə méttik], adjective[1]



comethrough

comethrough
come
through
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
perform
well when most needed: to supply something
desperately needed at a critical moment (informal) • They
could always count on him to come through for them in difficult times.

2.  intransitive
verb
survive:
to survive a dangerous or unpleasant experience

3.  intransitive
verb
be
received:
to be received or heard, usually through a telecommunications medium

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
through a place: to move between one place and another • The
porch was so crowded, we had to come through the kitchen.
• Coming
through! Coming through! These plates are hot!

[1]



cometo

cometo
come
to
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
regain
consciousness: to regain consciousness or wake up • The
patient came to in the recovery room.

2.  transitive
verb
total:
to amount to a particular total

3.  intransitive
verb
NAUT slow
down or stop: to slow down or stop (refers to a
ship)

[1]



comeunder

comeunder
come
under
transitive verb

1.  undergo
something:
to be subjected to something • She
came under attack from members of her own party.

2.  be
classified:
to be classified under a particular heading • Hawthorne
comes under American authors.

[1]



comeup

comeup
come
up
intransitive verb

1.  emerge
from water:
to rise to the surface of water • She’ll
have to come up for air in a minute.

2.  appear
above horizon: to appear above the horizon • I
enjoy watching the sun come up.

3.  be
mentioned:
to be mentioned or discussed • a
topic that came up in conversation

4.  occur
unexpectedly: to happen unexpectedly • I
won’t be able to make lunch; something’s come up at work.

5.  be
happening soon: to be going to happen in the near future
• Coming
up next, the news.

6.  appear
in court:
to be tried by a court of law • Her
case comes up next week.

7.  be
selected as winner: to win a prize in a game
involving luck • if my numbers come up

[1]



comeup against

comeup against
come
up against
transitive verb

encounter something:
to meet with something that has to be faced or dealt with • He
has come up against fierce criticism.[1]



comeup for

comeup for
come
up for
transitive verb

become due for something:
to become due for something • The
case is coming up for review.[1]



comeupon

comeupon
come
upon
transitive verb

find something accidentally:
to find something or meet somebody by chance[1]



comeuppance

comeuppance
come·up·pance 
[kum úppəns] noun

deserved
fate:
something unpleasant, regarded as a just punishment for somebody (informal)
• He
got his comeuppance in the end.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from come up, probably in the sense “to be
tried before a court.”][1]



comeup to

comeup to
come
up to
transitive verb

equal something:
to be as good as somebody’s expectations[1]



comeup with

comeup with
come
up with
transitive verb

produce something:
to produce or discover something, in response to a need or challenge • She’s
come up with a brilliant solution.[1]



comfit

comfit
com·fit 
[kúmfit, kómfit]
(plural com·fits) noun

sugar-coated
nut or seed: a candy consisting of a piece of fruit,
a seed, or a nut in a sugar coating
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin confectum, confecta, from confectus “prepared,
made ready” (see confect ).][1]



comfort

comfort
com·fort 
[kúmfərt] noun (plural com·forts)

1.  state
of being comfortable: conditions in which somebody
feels physically relaxed • Enjoy
the comfort of your own home.

2.  comfortable
thing:
something that makes you feel physically relaxed (often used in the plural)
• the
comforts of home

3.  relief
from pain:
relief from pain or anxiety • They
brought comfort to the wounded.

4.  something
providing relief: somebody or something that provides
relief from pain or anxiety • The
family has been such a comfort to me since my wife died.
transitive
verb
(past com·fort·ed, past participle com·fort·ed, present
participle com·fort·ing, 3rd person present singular com·forts)

1.  cheer
somebody:
to bring somebody relief from distress or anxiety • The
victim’s parents were being comforted at home by relatives.

2.  make
somebody comfortable: to make somebody feel
pleasantly relaxed • She was comforted by
the warmth.
[12th century. Via Old French
confort from, ultimately, late Latin confortare, literally “to
strengthen completely,” from Latin fortis “strong” (see force ). Originally “to encourage, support.”][1]



comfortable

comfortable
com·fort·a·ble 
[kúmftəb’l, kúmfərtəb’l]
adjective

1.  relaxed:
feeling comfort or ease • Sit
down and make yourselves comfortable.

2.  making
somebody relaxed: making somebody feel physically relaxed
• I
changed into something more comfortable.

3.  not
anxious:
free from stress or anxiety • I
don’t feel comfortable with that idea.

4.  with
adequate income: having enough income • They’re
not what you’d call well-off, but they’re certainly comfortable.

5.  adequate
or large:
large enough to prevent anxiety or risk • The
candidate won by a comfortable majority.

6.  U.K.
MEDICINE stable
physically:
in a stable physical condition
—com·fort·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



comfortably

comfortably
com·fort·a·bly
[kúmftəblee, kúmfərtəblee]
adverb

1.  at
ease:
with a feeling of comfort or ease • Are
you sitting comfortably?

2.  having
no problems: having enough of something to stave off
worry, especially enough money to live on without worrying about providing
essentials • We
can manage comfortably on what we earn together.

[1]



comforter

comforter
com·fort·er 
[kúmfərtər] (plural com·fort·ers)
noun

1.  a
warm quilt used as a bed covering.
Also
called
duvet
U.K.
term
duvet

2.  somebody
who comforts: somebody who relieves other people’s
grief or anxieties

[1]



Comforter

Comforter
Com·fort·er
noun

Holy
Spirit:
the Holy Spirit
[14th century. From Old
French confortere, translation of Latin consolator, translation
in turn of Greek paraklētos “advocate, intercessor” (see Paraclete ). The proper Latin translation would
have been advocatus .][1]



comfortfood

comfortfood
com·fort
food 
(plural com·fort foods) noun

FOOD
simply prepared digestible food:
easily prepared unsophisticated food that is psychologically comforting,
especially food that is high in carbohydrates (informal)[1]



comforting

comforting
com·fort·ing
[kúmfərting] adjective

providing
solace:
relieving anxiety or pain
—com·fort·ing·ly, adverb[1]



comfortless

comfortless
com·fort·less
[kúmfərtləss] adjective

without
comforts:
affording no comfort • a
sterile, comfortless room
—com·fort·less·ly,
adverb

—com·fort·less·ness, noun[1]



comfortlevel

comfortlevel
com·fort
lev·el 
or com·fort zone noun

condition or degree of
comfort: the set of physical or
psychological circumstances in which somebody feels most at ease and free from
physical discomfort or stress (informal) • He
said that the task was outside his workplace comfort zone.[1]



comfortstation

comfortstation
com·fort
sta·tion
(plural com·fort sta·tions) noun

bathroom:
a public toilet (used euphemistically)[1]



comfrey

comfrey
com·frey 
[kúmfree] (plural com·frey or
com·freys) noun

healing
herb:
a plant native to Europe and Asia, with hairy leaves and stems and clusters of
pink, white, or blue flowers. Herbalists used its grated roots in poultices to
heal broken bones, or in linctuses for back pain and coughs. Genus: Symphytum
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French from, ultimately, Latin conferva, from confervere
“to heal,” literally “to boil together,” from fervere “to boil” (see fervent ).][1]



comfy

comfy
com·fy 
[kúmfee] (comparative com·fi·er,
superlative com·fi·est) adjective

comfortable:
comfortable (informal)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from a shortening of comfortable .][1]



comic

comic
com·ic 
[kómmik] adjective

1.  funny:
so amusing that it induces smiles or laughter

2.  THEATER relating
to comedy:
appearing in or characteristic of comedy • a
great comic routine
noun
(plural com·ics)

1.  THEATER comedian:
a comedian or comedienne

2.  PUBLISHING See comic book
plural
noun
com·ics

comic strip section:
the part of a newspaper that consists of comic strips
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek kōmikos, from kōmos “revel”
(source of English comedy ), of
unknown origin.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  comic
  or comical ?
  The
  two words are close in meaning, but comic
  generally denotes intention ( • a
  comic act,
  • a
  comic poet ) whereas comical
  denotes effect or result, whether intentional or not ( • a
  comical performance ; • his
  attempts at skiing were comical ).

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



comical

comical
com·i·cal 
[kómmik’l] adjective

funny:
so amusing that it elicits smiles or laughter • comical
facial expressions
—com·i·cal·i·ty
[kòmmi kállətee], noun

—com·i·cal·ness
[kómik’lnəss], noun

—com·i·cal·ly
[kómmiklee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at comic.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



comicbook

comicbook
com·ic
book
(plural com·ic books) noun

magazine of cartoons:
a magazine that consists almost entirely of stories told in a series of colored
panels in which balloons over the characters’ heads provide dialogue and the
thoughts of the characters.
Also called
comic
U.K. term
comic[1]



comicopera

comicopera
com·ic
o·pe·ra
(plural com·ic o·pe·ras) noun

1.  opera
with comic libretto: an opera with a humorous
plot and a happy ending

2.  musical
genre:
comic operas considered as a musical genre

[1]



comicstrip

comicstrip
com·ic
strip
(plural com·ic strips) noun

cartoon panel:
a series of cartoons that tell a story or a joke.
Also called
strip[1]



coming

coming
com·ing 
[kúmming] adjective

1.  happening
soon:
about to happen or start • In the
coming election campaign you can expect a media barrage on TV.

2.  probably
successful:
likely to be successful in the near future • She’s
the coming power in this company.
noun
(plural com·ings)

arrival: the
arrival of a person or an event

[1]



comingof age

comingof age
com·ing
of age
noun

1.  reaching
adulthood:
the reaching of the official age of adulthood and legal responsibility

2.  advanced
development: the reaching of an advanced stage of
development • the
coming of age of the computer

[1]



comingsand goings

comingsand goings
com·ings
and go·ings
plural noun

busy activity:
busy activity in which people arrive and depart frequently[1]



Comintern

Comintern
Com·in·tern 
[kómmintərn] noun

former
international Communist organization: an
international organization of Communist parties set up by Lenin in 1919 and
abolished in 1943
[Early 20th century. From
Russian Komintern, which was coined from kommunisticheskii
internatsional’nyi “communist international.”][1]



comitia

comitia
co·mi·ti·a 
[kō míshə] (plural co·mi·ti·a)
noun

ancient
Roman assembly: a legislative assembly of citizens in
ancient Rome
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, the plural of comitium “assembly,” literally “going together,”
from itus, the past participle of ire “to go” (see itinerary ).][1]



comityof nations

comityof nations
com·i·ty
of nations
noun

mutual respect among nations:
the mutual recognition among nations of one another’s laws, customs, and
institutions[1]



comix

comix
com·ix 
[kómmiks] plural noun

adult
comic books: comic books and comic strips for an
adult audience, especially those containing nudity and obscenity
[Late 20th century.
Representation of the pronunciation of comics .][1]



coml.

coml.
coml.

Abbreviation of
commercial[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








comm.

comm.
comm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
commerce

2.  Abbreviation
of
commercial

3.  Abbreviation
of
commission

4.  Abbreviation
of
committee

5.  Abbreviation
of
commonwealth

[1]



comma

comma
com·ma 
[kómmə] (plural com·mas) noun

1.  GRAMMAR punctuation
mark:
a punctuation mark (,) that represents a slight pause in a sentence or is used
to separate words and figures in a list

2.  MUSIC brief
pause or interval: a short pause or interval in
a piece of music

3.  ZOOLOGY See comma butterfly
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek komma “piece cut off, short clause,” from koptein “to
cut.” The original English meaning was “short clause.”][1]



Commack

Commack
Com·mack
[kṓ màk, kó màk]

town in Suffolk County, New
York, situated on central Long Island southeast of Huntington. Population:
36,124 (1990)[1]



command

command
com·mand 
[kə mánd] noun (plural com·mands)

1.  order:
an order or instruction given by somebody in authority • On
the command to mount up, the crews scrambled into their tanks.

2.  control:
control over somebody or something that is gained by personal power or
authority • She
sized up the situation and took command.

3.  thorough
knowledge:
thorough knowledge of something, especially a language • a
fluent command of French

4.  COMPUTING operating
instruction to computer: an instruction to a computer
to carry out an operation

5.  authority:
the authority to control and direct the actions of a group of people,
especially a military unit • A new
officer arrived to take command of the regiment.

6.  military
control:
the ability to control an area militarily • Our
primary objective is to gain command of the high ground.

7.  something
under officer’s jurisdiction: troops or a particular area
that are controlled by an officer • My new
command consists of a mechanized unit.

8.  group
of officers in control: a group of officers who
control part of an army • the
enemy command

9.  military
group with specific function: a unit or units, an
organization, or an entire area under the control of one individual
verb
(past com·mand·ed, past participle com·mand·ed, present
participle com·mand·ing, 3rd person present singular com·mands)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb order
somebody:
to give somebody an order or instruction • I
command you to let these men go.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
authority over something: to control a military unit
or a specific area • an officer who commands
a special operations battalion

3.  transitive
verb
control
or dominate area: to control an area using military force
• a
fort that commanded the single pass through steep mountains

4.  transitive
verb
be
able to obtain something: to deserve or be entitled to
something • With
your qualifications you can command a high salary.

5.  transitive
verb
look
over something: to be in a position that has a wide view
over something • The observation deck
commands a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French from assumed late Latin commandare,
literally “to enjoin strongly,” from Latin mandare “to entrust, order”
(see mandate ).]
—com·mand·a·ble, adjective[1]



commandand control

commandand control
com·mand
and con·trol noun

1.  system
directing a missile: a system that directs the
course of a missile

2.  commander’s
exercise of authority and direction: a
military commander’s exercise of authority and direction of operations

[1]



commandant

commandant
com·man·dant 
[kòmmən dánt, kòmmən
dnt] (plural com·man·dants) noun

officer in charge:
an officer in command of a military establishment[1]



Commandantof the Marine Corps

Commandantof the Marine Corps
Com·man·dant
of the Ma·rine Corps noun

member of Joint Chiefs of
Staff: the highest-ranking officer
of the Marine Corps and its representative on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (formal)[1]



commandcar

commandcar
com·mand
car
(plural com·mand cars) noun

reconnaissance vehicle:
an armored vehicle that can travel over rough terrain[1]



commandeconomy

commandeconomy
com·mand
e·con·o·my
noun

government-controlled
economy: an economy in which
resources and business activity are controlled by the government[1]



commandeer

commandeer
com·man·deer 
[kòmmən dr] (past com·man·deered,
past participle com·man·deered, present participle com·man·deer·ing,
3rd person present singular com·man·deers) transitive verb

1.  seize
something for military purposes: to take something from
its owner for official or military purposes

2.  take
something over: to take or use something, sometimes
using force (disapproving)

3.  force
somebody into military service: to force somebody to
serve in the armed forces
[Early 19th century. Via
Afrikaans kommandeer from Dutch kommanderen “to command,” from
French commander (see command ).][1]



commander

commander
com·man·der 
[kə mándər] (plural com·mand·ers)
noun

1.  military
officer:
an officer in command of a military unit

2.  naval
or Coast Guard rank: a naval or Coast Guard rank
next below captain and above lieutenant commander, or an officer holding this
rank

3.  a
police officer in charge of a shift, a precinct, or a unit

4.  member
with high rank: a high-ranking member of some knightly
and fraternal orders

[1]



Commanderin Chief

Commanderin Chief
Com·mand·er
in Chief
noun

President of United States:
used as an honorific title to denote the President of the United States, as
commander of the nation’s armed forces[1]



commanderin chief

commanderin chief
com·man·der
in chief
(plural com·mand·ers in chief) noun

supreme commander:
an officer who has supreme command of military forces, in the United States the
president[1]



commanding

commanding
com·mand·ing 
[kə mánding] adjective

1.  impressive:
able to control or dominate • a
commanding presence

2.  being
higher in position: dominating a landscape or
view

3.  dominating:
demonstrating clear superiority • a
commanding lead
—com·mand·ing·ly, adverb[1]



commandingofficer

commandingofficer
com·mand·ing
of·fi·cer
(plural com·mand·ing of·fi·cers) noun

officer in command:
an officer in command of a military unit or establishment[1]



command-line

command-line
com·mand-line
adjective

COMPUTING giving
instructions in letters or words: using letters or words
instead of codes to instruct a computer to perform a task
[From the fact that such
instructions are entered all on a single line after a prompt character called
the “command prompt”][1]



commandment

commandment
com·mand·ment 
[kə mándmənt] (plural com·mand·ments)
noun

divine proscription:
a command from God, especially one of the Ten Commandments[1]



commandmodule

commandmodule
com·mand
mod·ule
(plural com·mand mod·ules) noun

spacecraft’s control area:
the part of a spacecraft that houses the controls and the crew’s living
quarters[1]



commando

commando
com·man·do 
[kə mán dō] (plural com·man·dos
or com·man·does) noun

1.  specially
trained soldier: a member of a military force specially
trained to make dangerous raids

2.  unit:
a military unit made up of commandos

3.  Boer
fighting unit: a force of Boer troops during the Boer
War
[Late 18th century. From
Portuguese, “raiding party,” literally “commanded (squad),” from commandar
“to command.”][1]



commandperformance

commandperformance
com·mand
per·form·ance (plural com·mand
per·form·ances) noun

obligatory performance:
a performance of a play or film given by command of a ruler or state[1]



commandpost

commandpost
com·mand
post
(plural com·mand posts) noun

1.  field
headquarters: a military headquarters for a command
group and its officers during an operation

2.  temporary
communications center: a temporary headquarters for
a team of people involved in an operation

[1]



commandsergeant major

commandsergeant major
com·mand
ser·geant ma·jor (plural com·mand ser·geant
ma·jors or com·mand ser·geants ma·jor) noun

senior noncommissioned
officer: a noncommissioned officer
who ranks above a sergeant major[1]



commediadell’arte

commediadell’arte

com·me·dia
dell’arte 
[kə màydee ə də lrtee] noun
type
of 17thC comedy: an Italian form of popular comedy
developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, characterized by the use of stock
characters and familiar plots
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “comedy of art.”][1]



commemorate

commemorate
com·mem·o·rate 
[kə mémmə ràyt] (past com·mem·o·rat·ed,
past participle com·mem·o·rat·ed, present participle com·mem·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mem·o·rates) transitive verb

1.  remember
something ceremonially: to honor the memory of
somebody or something in a ceremony • a
service held to commemorate the dead

2.  be
memorial to something: to serve as a memorial to
something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin commemoratus, the past participle of commemorare
“to call to mind clearly,” from memorare “to remind, speak of,” from memor
“mindful” (see memory ).]
—com·mem·o·ra·tor,
noun

—com·mem·o·ra·to·ry [kə mémmərə tàwree], adjective[1]



commemoration

commemoration
com·mem·o·ra·tion 
[kə mèmmə ráysh’n] (plural com·mem·o·ra·tions)
noun

1.  ceremony
honoring somebody or something: a ceremony or
religious service to commemorate a person or an event

2.  act
of honoring: the act of honoring the memory of a
person or an event
—com·mem·o·ra·tion·al,
adjective[1]



commemorative

commemorative
com·mem·o·ra·tive 
[kə mémmərətiv, kə
mémmə ràytiv] adjective

intended
to honor:
honoring the memory of a person or an event
—com·mem·o·ra·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



commence

commence
com·mence 
[kə méns] (past com·menced, past
participle com·menced, present participle com·menc·ing,
3rd person present singular com·menc·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

begin:
to begin happening or to begin something (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French com(m)encier from assumed Vulgar Latin cominitiare,
from Latin initiare “to begin” (see initiate
).]
—com·menc·er, noun[1]



commencement

commencement
com·mence·ment 
[kə ménsmənt] (plural com·mence·ments)
noun

1.  the
beginning of something: the beginning of something (formal)
• the
commencement of open hostilities

2.  graduation
ceremony:
a ceremony during which degrees and diplomas are conferred at high schools,
colleges, and universities, or the day on which this ceremony takes place

[1]



commend

commend
com·mend 
[kə ménd] (past com·mend·ed, past
participle com·mend·ed, present participle com·mend·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mends) transitive verb

1.  praise
somebody or something: to praise somebody or
something in a formal way • She was
commended for her bravery.

2.  prove
something worthwhile: to prove something to
possess worthwhile qualities • The
plan has much to commend it.

3.  surrender
soul for safekeeping: to entrust somebody,
yourself, or your soul to somebody’s safekeeping
[14th
century. From Latin commendare, literally “to entrust completely,” from mandare
“to entrust, commit” (see mandate ).]
—com·mend·er, noun[1]



commendable

commendable
com·mend·a·ble 
[kə méndəb’l] adjective

praiseworthy:
worthy of praise
—com·mend·a·ble·ness,
noun

—com·mend·a·bly, adverb[1]



commendation

commendation
com·men·da·tion 
[kòmmən dáysh’n] (plural com·men·da·tions)
noun

1.  act
of commending: praise of somebody’s abilities

2.  recognition
of accomplishment: an award or citation given
to somebody in recognition of an outstanding achievement

[1]



commendatory

commendatory
com·men·da·to·ry 
[kə méndə tàwree] adjective

praising:
expressing praise[1]



commensal

commensal
com·men·sal 
[kə méns’l] adjective

beneficial
to one party: used to describe a relationship between
organisms of two different species in which one derives food or other benefits
from the association while the other remains unharmed and unaffected
[Late
19th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin commensalis,
literally “at table together,” from Latin mensa “table.”]
—com·men·sal,
noun

—com·men·sal·i·ty
[kò men sállətee], noun

—com·men·sal·ly [kə ménsəlee], adverb[1]



commensurable

commensurable
com·men·su·ra·ble 
[kə ménsərəb’l, kə
ménshərəb’l] adjective

1.  related
by measurement: related by virtue of sharing the same
system of measurement or by being measurable using the same units

2.  commensurate:
equal in terms of something else (formal) • His
salary is commensurable to his ability.

3.  MATHEMATICS describing
two quantities: divisible by the same unit an even
number of times
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin commensurabilis, literally “completely
measurable,” from mensurabilis “measurable” (see mensurable ).]
—com·men·su·ra·bil·i·ty
[kə mènsərə bíllətee, kə mènshərə bíllətee], noun

—com·men·su·ra·bly [kə ménsərəblee, kə
ménshərəblee], adverb[1]



commensurate

commensurate
com·men·su·rate 
[kə ménsərət, kə
ménshərət] adjective

1.  equal
in size:
of the same size or extent

2.  in
proportion:
properly or appropriately proportionate • The
rewards will be commensurate with the efforts made.

3.  measured
using compatible units: measured in or related by
units that are compatible measured in or related by units that are compatible
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin commensuratus, literally “measured with,” from,
ultimately, Latin mensura “measure” (source of English measure ).]
—com·men·su·rate·ly,
adverb

—com·men·su·rate·ness,
noun

—com·men·su·ra·tion [kə mensə ráysh’n, kə
menshə ráysh’n], noun[1]



comment

comment
com·ment 
[kómmènt] noun (plural com·ments)

1.  remark:
a remark that states a fact or expresses an opinion • Comments
are invited from all participants.

2.  observation:
an implied or indirect judgment • The
incident attracted a great deal of press comment.

3.  explanatory
note:
a note that explains a passage in a text

4.  COMPUTING note
explaining program code: a note embedded in a
computer program that describes how the programming code that follows works.
Also
called
remark
verb
(past com·ment·ed, past participle com·ment·ed, present
participle com·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular com·ments)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
comment:
to state a fact or give an opinion

2.  transitive
verb
mention
something:
to make a reference to or discuss something
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin commentum “invention, fiction,” from the past
participle stem comment- of comminisci “to invent,” literally “to
think together.”][1]



commentary

commentary
com·men·tar·y 
[kómmən tèrree] noun (plural com·men·tar·ies)

1.  series
of explanatory notes: a series of notes explaining
or interpreting a written text

2.  explanatory
essay:
an essay or book that explains a text

3.  clarification
of a situation: an example illustrating a situation

4.  U.K.
SPORTS See play-by-play
plural
noun
com·men·tar·ies

record of events:
a record of events, usually written by somebody who participated in them
—com·men·tar·i·al [kòmmən térree əl], adjective[1]



commentate

commentate
com·men·tate 
[kómmən tàyt] (past com·men·tat·ed,
past participle com·men·tat·ed, present participle com·men·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular com·men·tates) intransitive verb

1.  report
or interpret: to act as a commentator, either in radio
or television broadcasting or on texts

2.  explain
something:
to comment on something in a way that explains or interprets it
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from commentator .][1]



commentator

commentator
com·men·ta·tor 
[kómmən tàyter] (plural com·men·ta·tors)
noun

reporter
analyzing events: somebody who reports on and analyzes
events in the news for radio, television, or a newspaper
[14th century. From Latin,
formed from commentari “to comment,” from comminisci (see comment ).][1]



commerce

commerce
com·merce 
[kómmərs] noun

1.  trade
in goods and services: the large-scale buying and
selling of goods and services

2.  study
of commerce: the study of the principles and
practices of commerce
[Mid-16th century. From,
ultimately, Latin commercium, literally “mutual trade.”][1]



commercial

commercial
com·mer·cial 
[kə múrsh’l] adjective

1.  relating
to commerce: relating to the buying and selling of
goods or services

2.  suitable
for trading: appropriate or sufficient for the
purposes of trade

3.  for
industrial use: produced in bulk for industrial use and
often unrefined

4.  done
for profit:
done with the primary aim of making money

5.  paid
for with advertising: supported by revenue from
advertising
noun
(plural com·mer·cials)

advertisement on radio or television:
an advertisement broadcast on radio or television
[Late
16th century. The noun first meant “commercial traveler,” the current sense
being a mid-20th-century development.]
—com·mer·ci·al·i·ty [kə mùrshee állətee], noun[1]



commercialart

commercialart
com·mer·cial
art
noun

art
in advertising: graphic art produced for purposes such
as advertising and packaging
—com·mer·cial art·ist,
noun[1]



commercialbank

commercialbank
com·mer·cial
bank
(plural com·mer·cial banks) noun

bank dealing with businesses:
a bank whose primary business is providing financial services to companies[1]



commercialbreak

commercialbreak
com·mer·cial
break
(plural com·mer·cial breaks) noun

interruption of program for
advertisements: an interval during a
radio or television program for the purpose of broadcasting advertisements[1]



commercialcollege

commercialcollege
com·mer·cial
col·lege
(plural com·mer·cial col·leges) noun

school that teaches business:
a college that teaches primarily business-related subjects[1]



commercialism

commercialism
com·mer·cial·ism 
[kə múrsh’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  commercial
principles:
the principles and methods of commerce

2.  acting
for profit:
excessive emphasis on profit-making
—com·mer·cial·ist,
noun

—com·mer·cial·is·tic [kə mùrsh’l ístik], adjective[1]



commercialize

commercialize
com·mer·cial·ize 
[kə múrsh’l z] (past com·mer·cial·ized,
past participle com·mer·cial·ized, present participle com·mer·cial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mer·cial·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  apply
commercial principles to something: to
apply business principles to something or run it as a business

2.  use
for profit only: to exploit something for financial gain
—com·mer·cial·i·za·tion
[kə mùrsh’li záysh’n], noun[1]



commercially

commercially
com·mer·cial·ly
[kə múrsh’lee] adverb

in business terms:
in commercial terms or from a profit-making point of view[1]



commercialpaper

commercialpaper
com·mer·cial
pa·per
noun

short-term securities:
very short-term debt obligations backed only by the good name of the company[1]



commercialtraveler

commercialtraveler
com·mer·cial
trav·e·ler
(plural com·mer·cial trav·el·ers) noun

traveling salesperson:
a traveling company sales representative (dated)[1]



commesse

commesse
com·messe
[kómmess] noun

Caribbean
bad behavior:
in Trinidad, any kind of scandal, conflict, or illegal behavior (informal)[1]



commie

commie
com·mie
[kómmee] or com·my [kómmee] noun (plural com·mies)

Communist:
somebody who is a Communist (informal disapproving)
adjective

supporting
Communism:
holding or advocating Communist views (informal disapproving)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from communist + -ie
.][1]



commination

commination
com·mi·na·tion 
[kòmmi náysh’n] (plural com·mi·na·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  act
of denouncing: a formal denunciation of somebody or
something

2.  threat
of punishment: a warning of punishment or vengeance,
especially punishment by God
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin comminat-, past participle stem of comminari,
literally “to threaten with,” from minari “to threaten” (see menace ).]
—com·min·a·to·ry [kə mínnə tàwree], adjective[1]



commingle

commingle
com·min·gle 
[kə míng’l] (past com·min·gled,
past participle com·min·gled, present participle com·min·gling,
3rd person present singular com·min·gles) intransitive and
transitive verb

mix something or become
mixed: to blend or mix two or more
things, or become mixed or blended (literary)[1]



comminute

comminute
com·mi·nute 
[kómmə nt] (past com·mi·nut·ed,
past participle com·mi·nut·ed, present participle com·mi·nut·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mi·nutes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE break bone into fragments:
to break, or cause a bone to break, into small parts

2.  transitive
verb
pulverize
something:
to crush or grind something into a powder
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin comminuere, literally “to lessen
greatly,” from minuere “to lessen.”]
—com·mi·nut·ed,
adjective

—com·mi·nu·tion [kòmmə nsh’n], noun[1]



comminutedfracture

comminutedfracture
com·mi·nut·ed
frac·ture
(plural com·mi·nut·ed frac·tures) noun

fragmented bone:
a fracture in which the bone is broken into fragments[1]



commiserate

commiserate
com·mis·er·ate 
[kə mízzə ràyt] (past com·mis·er·at·ed,
past participle com·mis·er·at·ed, present participle com·mis·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mis·er·ates) intransitive verb

sympathize
with somebody: to express sympathy or sorrow
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin commiserari, literally “to lament
with, be miserable with,” from, ultimately, miser “miserable.”]
—com·mis·er·a·tive,
adjective

—com·mis·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



commiseration

commiseration
com·mis·er·a·tion 
[kə mìzzə ráysh’n] noun

sympathy:
feelings of sympathy or compassion
plural
noun
com·mis·er·a·tions

sympathetic words:
expressions of sympathy or sorrow[1]



commissar

commissar
com·mis·sar 
[kómmi sr] (plural com·mis·sars)
noun

1.  former
Soviet department head: in the former Soviet Union,
the chief minister in a government department

2.  Communist
Party official: in the former Soviet Union, a Communist
Party official, often attached to a military unit, responsible for providing
political education
[Early
20th century. From Russian komissar, from, ultimately, medieval Latin commissarius
“officer in charge,” from Latin commiss-, past participle stem of committere
“to entrust” (see commit ).]
—com·mis·sar·i·al [kòmmi sáiree əl], adjective[1]



commissariat

commissariat
com·mis·sar·i·at 
[kòmmi sáiree ət] (plural com·mis·sar·i·ats)
noun

1.  ARMY army
supply department: an army department
responsible for organizing food and supplies

2.  ARMY army
supplies:
food and other supplies given to soldiers

3.  former
Soviet government department: a government department in
the former Soviet Union. The term was used until 1946, after which it was
called a ministry.
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, assumed medieval Latin commissariatus, from commissarius
(see commissar ).][1]



commissary

commissary
com·mis·sar·y 
[kómmi sèrree] (plural com·mis·sar·ies)
noun

1.  supermarket
on a military base: a store that sells groceries
and household supplies, especially one located on a military base

2.  representative:
a deputy or representative

3.  FOOD restaurant:
a cafeteria or restaurant, especially in a motion-picture or television studio
[14th century. From medieval
Latin commissarius (see commissar ).][1]



commission

commission
com·mis·sion 
[kə mísh’n] noun (plural com·mis·sions)

1.  COMMERCE fee
paid to agent: a fee paid to an agent for providing a
service, especially a percentage of the total amount earned by the client

2.  task:
a job or task given to an individual or group, especially an order to produce a
particular product or piece of work

3.  POLITICS government
group:
a government agency that has judicial or legislative powers

4.  group
with task:
a group of people authorized or directed to carry out a duty or task

5.  MILITARY appointment
as military officer: an appointment to the rank
of officer in the armed forces, or a document conferring such a rank

6.  authority
to act as agent: the authority granted to an individual
or organization to act as an agent for another

7.  authority
or instruction: the authority to do something, or an
instruction to do it (formal)

8.  act
of committing something: the committing of something,
especially a crime or other offense
transitive
verb
(past com·mis·sioned, past participle com·mis·sioned,
present participle com·mis·sion·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·mis·sions)

1.  assign:
to assign a duty or task to somebody

2.  order
something special: place an order for something
that must be specially made or created • have
commissioned a new architectural firm to design the building

3.  MILITARY make
somebody officer: to confer the rank of officer on
somebody in the armed forces

4.  SHIPPING equip
ship:
to bring a ship into active service

5.  start
operating:
to bring a new project or facility such as a nuclear facility into operation
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin commiss- (see commissar
).]
—com·mis·sion·al,
adjective

—com·mis·sion·ar·y,
adjective
on
commission

with
a percentage of the value of sales being full or partial payment for the work
of selling

in
commission

1.  in
operational use or in working order

2.  in
active service, especially as a ship

out
of commission

1.  not
in operational use or not in working order

2.  not
in active service, especially as a ship

[1]



commissionaire

commissionaire
com·mis·sion·aire 
[kə mìshə náir] (plural com·mis·sion·aires)
noun

1.  U.K.
uniformed
worker:
in the U.K., a uniformed attendant or usher at a hotel or theater

2.  member
of Canadian veterans’ organization: in
Canada, a veteran of the armed forces who belongs to the Corps of
Commissionaires, an organization whose uniformed members can be hired to watch
or protect buildings and property
[Mid-17th century. From,
ultimately, medieval Latin commissionarius, from the Latin stem commission-
“commission,” from commiss- (see commissar
).][1]



commissionedofficer

commissionedofficer
com·mis·sioned
of·fi·cer 
(plural com·mis·sioned of·fi·cers) noun

appointed military officer:
a military officer who holds rank by appointment at or above the rank of second
lieutenant or ensign[1]



commissioner

commissioner
com·mis·sion·er 
[kə mísh’nər] (plural com·mis·sion·ers)
noun

1.  commission
member:
a member of a commission

2.  somebody
working for commission: somebody authorized by a
commission to carry out prescribed duties or tasks

3.  government
official:
a government representative in an administrative area

4.  department
head:
the head of a public service, such as the police or fire department, in a town
or city

5.  SPORTS sport
executive:
the administrative head of a sport
—com·mis·sion·er·ship,
noun[1]



commissionmerchant

commissionmerchant
com·mis·sion
mer·chant
(plural com·mis·sion mer·chants) noun

agent working on commission:
an agent who buys and sells goods for others and is paid on a commission-only
basis[1]



commissionplan

commissionplan
com·mis·sion
plan
noun

local government headed by
commission: a system of local government
in which an elected commission supervises the workings of a municipality’s
departments instead of the more common mayor or city council[1]



commissure

commissure

com·mis·sure 
[kómmi shr] (plural com·mis·sures)
noun

1.  ANATOMY place
where cells or organs meet: a line or point where two
cells, organs, or body parts meet or connect

2.  ANATOMY linking
band of nerve tissue: a band of nerve tissue that
connects opposite sides of the central nervous system, for example, the tissue
connecting the left and right sides of the brain

3.  BOTANY place
where plant parts join: a junction or seam between
two organs or parts, such as that between the carpels of a flower
[15th
century. From Latin commissura “juncture,” from commiss- (see commissar ).]
—com·mis·su·ral [kə míshərəl], adjective[1]



commit

commit
com·mit 
[kə mít] (past com·mit·ted, past
participle com·mit·ted, present participle com·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular com·mits) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
promise
devotion:
to pledge devotion or dedication to somebody or something • he
wasn’t yet ready to commit to the relationship

2.  transitive
verb
promise
resources:
to devote or pledge something, for example, time or money, to an undertaking

3.  transitive
verb
do
wrong:
to do something wrong or illegal • commit
a felony

4.  transitive
verb
entrust
to:
to entrust something or somebody to somebody else for protection

5.  transitive
verb
record
for the future: to consign or record something in order
to preserve it

6.  transitive
verb
assign
for destruction: to give something over for destruction
or disposal

7.  transitive
verb
institutionalize:
to legally confine somebody to an institution, for example, to prison or a
mental health facility

8.  transitive
verb
POLITICS refer
proposed law for review: to refer a bill to a
legislative committee for review
[14th
century. From Latin committere, literally “to put together,” from mittere
“to put, send” (source of English missile
).]
—com·mit·ta·ble,
adjective

—com·mit·ter, noun[1]



commitment

commitment
com·mit·ment 
[kə mítmənt] (plural com·mit·ments)
noun

1.  responsibility:
something that takes up time or energy, especially an obligation

2.  loyalty:
devotion or dedication, for example, to a cause, person or relationship

3.  previously
planned engagement: a planned arrangement or
activity that cannot be avoided

4.  referral
of bill for review: a referral of a bill to a
legislative committee for review

5.  institutionalizing
somebody:
an act of legally confining somebody to prison or a mental health facility.
Also
called
committal

6.  court
order:
a written court order confining somebody to prison

[1]



committal

committal
com·mit·tal 
[kə mítt’l] (plural com·mit·tals)
noun

See
commitment  noun 5[1]



committed

committed
com·mit·ted 
[kə míttəd] adjective

devoted:
devoted to somebody or something such as a cause or relationship
—com·mit·ted·ly, adverb[1]



committee

committee
com·mit·tee 
[kə míttee] (plural com·mit·tees)
noun

group
chosen to do task: a group of people appointed
or chosen to perform a function on behalf of a larger group
[15th century. Originally
“person to whom something is committed.”][1]



committeeman

committeeman
com·mit·tee·man 
[kə míttimən] (plural com·mit·tee·men
[kə míttimən]) noun

man serving on a committee:
a man who is a member of one or more committees[1]



committeeof the whole

committeeof the whole
com·mit·tee
of the whole (plural com·mit·tees of the
whole) noun

whole group sitting as
committee: the entire membership of a
legislative body gathering as a whole to consider a matter informally[1]



committeewoman

committeewoman
com·mit·tee·wom·an 
[kə mítti wmmən] (plural com·mit·tee·wom·en
[kə mítti wìmmin]) noun

woman serving on a committee:
a woman who is a member of one or more committees[1]



commode

commode
com·mode 
[kə mṓd] (plural com·modes) noun

1.  chair
with chamber pot: a chair or box-shaped piece of furniture
holding a chamber pot covered by a lid

2.  portable
washstand:
a movable washstand with a cupboard underneath containing a chamber pot or
washbasin

3.  decorated
cabinet:
a low cabinet or chest of drawers, usually elaborately decorated
[Late 17th century. From
French, originally “suitable,” from Latin commodus, literally
“conforming with due measure, quite fit,” from modus “measure” (see mode ).][1]



commodious

commodious
com·mo·di·ous 
[kə mṓdee əss] adjective

roomy:
pleasantly spacious
—com·mo·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—com·mo·di·ous·ness, noun[1]



commodity

commodity
com·mod·i·ty 
[kə móddətee] (plural com·mod·i·ties)
noun

1.  FINANCE traded
item:
an item that is bought and sold, especially an unprocessed material

2.  useful
thing:
something that people value or find useful
[15th century. From,
ultimately, Latin commodus “useful” (see commode
).][1]



commodityart

commodityart
com·mod·i·ty
art 
(plural com·mod·i·ty arts) noun

ARTS
art targeting specific buyers:
art that is marketable because its subject matter and style are tailored to
appeal to a specific kind of buyer, and not purely an expression of the
artist’s ideas[1]



commodore

commodore
com·mo·dore 
[kómmə dàwr] (plural com·mo·dores)
noun

1.  NAVY naval
officer:
an officer in the navy ranked above a captain and below a rear admiral

2.  SHIPPING merchant
navy captain: a senior captain in charge of a fleet of
merchant ships

3.  SAILING president
of yacht club: the head of a yacht or boat club
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Dutch komandeur “commander,” from
French commandeur, ultimately from Old French comander “to
command” (see command ).][1]



common

common
com·mon 
[kómmən] adjective (comparative
com·mon·est)

1.  shared:
belonging to or shared by two or more people or groups • they
shared a common goal

2.  of
or for all:
relating or belonging to the community as a whole • the
common good

3.  everyday:
often occurring or frequently seen • a
common sight in cities

4.  widely
found:
used to describe a widely found species of plant or animal

5.  nonspecialist:
used by ordinary people who have no specialist knowledge • The
common name for “Viscum album” is “mistletoe.”

6.  general:
done, used, or held by most people • common
practice

7.  ordinary:
without special privilege, rank, or status • the
common man

8.  of
an expected standard: of the standard that most
people expect • common courtesy

9.  vulgar:
considered to be ill-bred or vulgar • common
behavior

10. MATHEMATICS with
equal mathematical relationship: having an equal
relationship to two or more mathematical entities

11. POETRY of
varying stress or length: used to describe a syllable
that, in a line of poetry, can be either long or short, or stressed or
unstressed

12. CHRISTIANITY useful
for several religious festivals: capable of being used
as a service for any of a number of similar religious festivals
noun
(plural com·mons)

1.  piece
of public land: an area of land available for anybody to
use, for example, as a public recreation area or as pasture for cattle

2.  LAW right
to use somebody’s land: the legal right to use
somebody else’s land or waters in a particular way, usually for grazing or
fishing

3.  CHRISTIANITY service
for several religious festivals: a religious service
that can be used for any of a number of similar festivals

4.  FINANCE See common stock
plural
noun

COMPUTING shared
data store:
data stored in the memory of one computer that is available to all computers
linked to it by a network
[13th
century. From, ultimately, Latin communis, literally “duties together,”
from munia (plural) “duties.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “exchange,” which is also the ancestor of English immune .]
—com·mon·ness
[kmən nəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at mutual.

[1]



commonage

commonage
com·mon·age 
[kómmənij] noun

1.  right
to use jointly: the legal right to use something,
especially a pasture, in common with other people, or the use that is made of
it

2.  public
ownership of land: the status of something,
usually land, that is publicly owned and available

3.  land
for all to use: land that is publicly owned and
available

4.  See
commonalty

[1]



commonality

commonality
com·mon·al·i·ty 
[kòmmə nállətee] (plural com·mon·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  possession
of common attributes: the sharing of
characteristics or qualities with other individuals

2.  common
attribute:
a shared characteristic or quality

3.  See
commonalty
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of commonalty .][1]



commonalty

commonalty
com·mon·al·ty 
[kómmən’ltee] noun

1.  common
people:
the ordinary people as distinct from the upper classes, especially when
considered as a political class.
Also
called
commonality
Also
called
commonage

2.  group:
a group or society or its membership (takes a singular or plural verb)
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin communalitas, from Latin communis (see common ).][1]



commonbile duct

commonbile duct
com·mon
bile duct
(plural com·mon bile ducts) noun

liver and gall bladder duct:
the duct formed by the joining of the duct from the liver and and that from the
gall bladder[1]



commonblue

commonblue
com·mon
blue
(plural com·mon blues) noun

European butterfly:
a common European butterfly, the male of which is blue and the female usually
brown with orange markings. Latin name: Polyommatus icarus[1]



commoncarrier

commoncarrier
com·mon
car·ri·er
(plural com·mon car·ri·ers) noun

1.  transportation
company:
an individual or company in the business of transporting goods or passengers

2.  telecommunications
company:
a company that provides telecommunications services to the general public, for
example, a telephone company

[1]



commonchord

commonchord
com·mon
chord
(plural com·mon chords) noun

major or minor triad:
a major or minor musical chord of three notes ( triad
) that contains a perfect fifth[1]



commoncold

commoncold
com·mon
cold
noun

See
cold  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








commondenominator

commondenominator
com·mon
de·nom·i·na·tor (plural com·mon
de·nom·i·na·tors) noun

1.  number
divisible by bottom fraction part: a whole number that
can be divided exactly by the lower numbers ( denominators
) of two or more fractions. For example, 8 is a common denominator of ¼ and ½.

2.  something
in common:
a shared belief or characteristic

[1]



commondifference

commondifference
com·mon
dif·fer·ence (plural com·mon dif·fer·enc·es)
noun

difference between terms in
arithmetic series: the
difference between successive terms in an arithmetic series. For example, 3 is
the common difference in the series 2, 5, 8, 11.[1]



commondivisor

commondivisor
com·mon
di·vi·sor
(plural com·mon di·vi·sors) noun

number dividing exactly into
others: a number that two or more
other numbers can be divided by exactly. For example, 4 is a common divisor of
8, 12, and 20.
Also called
common measure
U.K. term
common factor[1]



commoner

commoner
com·mon·er 
[kómmənər] (plural com·mon·ers)
noun

ordinary person:
an ordinary member of society who does not belong to the nobility[1]



CommonEra

CommonEra
Com·mon
E·ra 
noun

Christian Era:
the Christian Era, especially as used in reckoning dates.
See also
Christian Era[1]



commonfraction

commonfraction
com·mon
frac·tion
(plural com·mon frac·tions) noun

See
simple fraction[1]



commongender

commongender
com·mon
gen·der
noun

1.  gender
of noun for both sexes: in English, the gender of a
noun that can refer to a person or animal of either sex, for example, “leader”
and “fox”

2.  gender
that excludes neuter: in some languages, the
gender of those nouns that can be either masculine or feminine but not neuter

[1]



commongood

commongood
com·mon
good
noun

good for all:
the advantage or benefit of everyone[1]



commonground

commonground
com·mon
ground
noun

area of agreement:
something mutually agreed upon especially as a basis for negotiation[1]



commonknowledge

commonknowledge
com·mon
knowl·edge
noun

generally known information:
something that is generally known[1]



commonlaw

commonlaw
com·mon
law
noun

evolved
law:
the body of law developed as a result of custom and judicial decisions, as
distinct from the law laid down by legislative assemblies. Common law forms the
basis of all law that is applied in England and most of the United States.
[A translation of Latin jus
commune][1]



common-law

common-law
com·mon-law
adjective

1.  LAW without
official ceremony: used to describe a partner
in a marriage that is recognized in some jurisdictions when both parties
declare themselves married without an official ceremony

2.  of
unmarried couple living together: used to describe a
partner in a marriage so called because of the length of time the two unmarried
people have lived together as husband and wife

3.  of
common law:
based on or relating to common law

[1]



commonlogarithm

commonlogarithm
com·mon
log·a·rithm
(plural com·mon log·a·rithms) noun

logarithm with base number of
ten: a logarithm with ten as its
base number[1]



commonloon

commonloon
com·mon
loon
(plural com·mon loons) noun

N American diving bird:
a large black-and-white diving bird found especially in North America. Latin
name: Gavia immer
U.K. term
great northern diver[1]



commonly

commonly
com·mon·ly
[kómmənlee] adverb

ordinarily:
by most people or in most circumstances • The
measure was commonly held to be a success.[1]



CommonMarket

CommonMarket
Com·mon
Mar·ket
noun

western European economic
association: a term used in the
1960s and 1970s to refer to both the European Community and the European
Economic Community[1]



commonmarket

commonmarket
com·mon
mar·ket
(plural com·mon mar·kets) noun

economic association:
any economic association established, typically between nations, with the aim
of removing or reducing trade barriers[1]



commonmeasure

commonmeasure
com·mon
meas·ure
noun

1.  MUSIC See common time

2.  POETRY 4-line
stanza form for ballads: the stanza form used for
ballads, with four iambic lines rhymed “abab” or “abac.”
Also
called
common meter

3.  (plural
com·mon meas·ures) MATHEMATICS
See common divisor

[1]



commonmeter

commonmeter
com·mon
me·ter
noun

1.  POETRY See common measure

2.  MUSIC 4-line
verse form for hymns: the verse form used in many
hymns, consisting of four-line verses that alternate lines of eight and six
syllables

[1]



commonmultiple

commonmultiple
com·mon
mul·ti·ple
(plural com·mon mul·ti·ples) noun

number exactly divisible by
several others: a number that can be
divided exactly by two or more other numbers. For example, 12 is a common
multiple of 2, 3, and 4.[1]



commonnoun

commonnoun
com·mon
noun
(plural com·mon nouns) noun

noun designating member of a
class: a noun that refers to any of
a class of people or things, for example, “singer” and “place,” as distinct
from a proper noun, for example, “Lennon” or “Washington.” Common nouns can be
preceded by words that modify their meaning, such as “some” and “any.”[1]



commonplace

commonplace
com·mon·place 
[kómmən plàyss] adjective

1.  everyday:
encountered or happening often

2.  dull:
uninteresting as a result of being unoriginal
noun
(plural com·mon·places)

1.  dull
remark:
an unoriginal remark

2.  something
ordinary:
something that is encountered or seen often, or that happens often
[Mid-16th
century. Originally two words; a translation of Latin locus communis, a
translation of Greek koinos topos “general theme.”]
—com·mon·place·ness, noun[1]



commonplacebook

commonplacebook
com·mon·place
book
(plural com·mon·place books) noun

personal notebook of literary
excerpts: a personal notebook used for
copying down quotations and memorable passages from other books[1]



commonpleas

commonpleas
com·mon
pleas 
noun

LAW
(takes a singular verb) See court of
common pleas[1]



commonroom

commonroom
com·mon
room
(plural com·mon rooms) noun

1.  room
for the relaxation of residents: a lounge available to
everyone living in a residential community or institution

2.  EDUCATION lounge
in college:
a sitting room in a college or university where staff or students can relax

[1]



Commons

Commons
Com·mons
plural noun (takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  parliamentary
representatives: the politicians who are elected to the
lower house of the U.K. and Canadian parliament and represent all the people

2.  lower
parliamentary house: the House of Commons in the
parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada

[1]



commons

commons
com·mons
[kómmənz] plural noun

1.  college
dining hall: a dining hall in a college or university
(takes a singular verb)

2.  com·mons
or Com·mons masses:
the common people as distinct from the ruling classes (takes a singular or
plural verb)

[1]



commonsalt

commonsalt
com·mon
salt
noun

See
salt  noun 1[1]



commonschool

commonschool
com·mon
school
(plural com·mon schools) noun

public grade school:
a public elementary school[1]



commonseal

commonseal
com·mon
seal
(plural com·mon seals) noun

gray seal:
a gray seal with dark blotches on its skin that lives in northern Atlantic and
Pacific waters. Latin name: Phoca vitulina[1]



commonsense

commonsense
com·mon·sense 
[kòmmən séns] adjective

sound
in judgment: based on common sense
—com·mon·sen·si·cal,
adjective

—com·mon·sen·si·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



commonsense

commonsense
com·mon
sense
noun

good judgment:
sound practical judgment derived from experience rather than study[1]



commonstock

commonstock
com·mon
stock
noun

ordinary shares of stock:
a stock that pays the holder a fluctuating dividend after the holders of
preferred stock have been paid.
Also called
common[1]



commontime

commontime
com·mon
time
noun

musical meter:
a musical meter with four quarter notes to the measure, commonly referred to as
four-four time.
Also called
common measure[1]



commontouch

commontouch
com·mon
touch
noun

appeal to ordinary people:
the ability of a celebrity or somebody in public life to behave toward members
of the general public in a naturally friendly, informal, and uncondescending
way[1]



Commonwealth

Commonwealth
Com·mon·wealth
[kómmən wèlth] noun

1.  territory
associated with United States: a self-governing
territory voluntarily associated with the United States. Puerto Rico and the
Northern Mariana Islands are Commonwealths .

2.  title
for some states: an official title used by the states of
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

3.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS See
Commonwealth of Nations

4.  POLITICS federated
states of Australia: the official designation of
the federated states of Australia, often used to refer to the federal
government as opposed to the state governments

5.  HISTORY republic
in 17C England: the state and republican government in
England from the death of Charles I in 1649 until the restoration of the
monarchy in 1660

[1]



commonwealth

commonwealth
com·mon·wealth 
[kómmən wèlth] (plural com·mon·wealths)
noun

1.  nation
or its people: a nation or its people considered as a
political entity

2.  republic:
a nation or state in which the people govern

3.  association
of states:
a group of states that have formed an association for the political and
economic benefit of all members

4.  people
with common interest: a group of people linked by
something that they all have in common

[1]



CommonwealthDay

CommonwealthDay
Com·mon·wealth
Day
noun

anniversary of Queen
Victoria’s birth: a holiday observed in
some countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly on the anniversary of
Queen Victoria’s birth on May 24 but now on the second Monday in March. It was
formerly known as Empire Day.[1]



Commonwealthof Independent States

Commonwealthof Independent States
Com·mon·wealth
of In·de·pen·dent States noun

former Soviet republics:
an association formed in 1991 by most of the republics of the former Soviet
Union, with ceremonial headquarters in Minsk, Belarus[1]



Commonwealthof Nations

Commonwealthof Nations
Com·mon·wealth
of Na·tions 
noun

association of Britain and
sovereign states: an association
consisting of Britain and sovereign states that were formerly British colonies
or are ruled by Britain. The British monarch is acknowledged by member states
as its head.
Also called
British Commonwealth of Nations
Also called
Commonwealth[1]



commonyear

commonyear
com·mon
year
(plural com·mon years) noun

365-day year:
an ordinary year of 365 days, as distinct from a leap year[1]



commotion

commotion
com·mo·tion 
[kə mṓsh’n] noun

ruckus:
a scene of noisy confusion or activity
[14th
century. From the Latin stem commotion-, literally “intensive motion,”
from the stem motion- “motion” (see motion
).]
—com·mo·tion·al, adjective[1]



communal

communal
com·mu·nal 
[kə myn’l] adjective

1.  shared:
used or owned by all members of a group or community

2.  of
communities: relating to communities or to living in
communities

3.  of
a commune:
belonging or relating to a commune

4.  relating
to different social groups: relating to or involving
different groups within a society
[Early
19th century. From, ultimately, late Latin communalis, from Latin communis
(see common ).]
—com·mu·nal·ly, adverb[1]



communalism

communalism
com·mu·nal·ism 
[kə myn’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  communal
living:
the principles and practices of communal living or ownership or support for a
communal society.
Also
called
communism

2.  allegiance
to an ethnic group: a greater loyalty to an
ethnic or religious group than to society in general
—com·mu·nal·ist,
noun

—com·mu·nal·is·tic [kə myoon’l ístik], adjective[1]



communality

communality
com·mu·nal·i·ty
[kòmmyə nállətee] noun

1.  sharing:
shared use or ownership

2.  spirit
of togetherness: the spirit of cooperation and solidarity
that exists among members of a community or commune

[1]



communalize

communalize
com·mu·nal·ize 
[kə myn’l z, kómmyən’l
z] (past com·mu·nal·ized, past participle com·mu·nal·ized,
present participle com·mu·nal·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·mu·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

change to shared ownership:
to put something into joint ownership among the members of a community[1]



communard

communard
com·mu·nard
[kómmyə nrd] (plural com·mu·nards)
noun

commune member:
somebody living in a commune[1]



Communard

Communard
Com·mu·nard 
[kómmyə nrd] (plural Com·mu·nards)
noun

supporter
of Paris Commune: a member or supporter of the Paris
Commune of 1871
[Late 19th century. From
French, from commune “group of citizens, Commune,” from medieval Latin communia,
the neuter plural of Latin communis “common” (see common ).][1]



commune

commune2
com·mune2 [kə
myn] (past com·muned, past participle com·muned,
present participle com·mun·ing, 3rd person present singular
com·munes) intransitive verb

relate
spiritually to something: to experience a deep
emotional or spiritual relationship with something
[14th century. From Old
French comuner “to share,” from comun “common,” from Latin communis
(see common ).][1]



commune

commune1
com·mune1 [kóm
yn] (plural com·munes) noun

1.  communal
group:
a mutually supportive community in which possessions and responsibilities are
shared

2.  people
living in commune: a group of families or
individuals living in a commune

3.  smallest
administrative district of various countries: the
smallest administrative district of some countries, for example, France, Italy,
and Switzerland, governed by a mayor and a council
[Late 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin communia, from Latin communis (see common ).][1]



communicable

communicable
com·mu·ni·ca·ble 
[kə mynikəb’l] adjective

1.  readily
transmittable: able to be passed from one person,
animal, or organism to another • a
communicable disease

2.  easily
explained:
easily communicated or capable of being communicated
[14th
century. From, ultimately, late Latin communicabilis, from Latin communicare
(see communicate ).]
—com·mu·ni·ca·bil·i·ty
[kə mynikə bíllətee], noun

—com·mu·ni·ca·bly [kə mynikkəblee], adverb[1]



communicant

communicant
com·mu·ni·cant 
[kə mynikənt] (plural com·mu·ni·cants)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
who receives Communion: somebody who receives the
Christian sacrament of Communion

2.  somebody
or something that informs: somebody or something such
as a service that provides information
[15th century. From the Latin
present participle stem communicant- of communicare (see communicate ).][1]



communicate

communicate
com·mu·ni·cate 
[kə myni kàyt] (past com·mu·ni·cat·ed,
past participle com·mu·ni·cat·ed, present participle com·mu·ni·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mu·ni·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb exchange
information: to give or exchange information, for
example, by speech or writing • We
communicate by e-mail.

2.  transitive
verb
convey:
to transmit or reveal a feeling or thought by speech, writing, or gesture so
that it is clearly understood

3.  intransitive
verb
understand
one another: to share a good personal understanding

4.  intransitive
verb
have
common access: to be connected or provide access to
each other

5.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE transmit
disease:
to pass a disease or infection on to somebody

6.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY give
or receive Communion: to give or receive the
Christian sacrament of Communion
[Early
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin communicare “to share,” from communis
(see common ).]
—com·mu·ni·ca·tor·y [kə mynikə tàwree], adjective[1]



communication

communication
com·mu·ni·ca·tion 
[kə myni káysh’n] (plural com·mu·ni·ca·tions)
noun

1.  exchange
of information: the exchange of information between
individuals, for example, by means of speaking, writing, or using a common
system of signs or behavior

2.  message:
a spoken or written message

3.  act
of communicating: the communicating of information

4.  rapport:
a sense of mutual understanding and sympathy

5.  access:
a means of access or communication, for example, a connecting door
—com·mu·ni·ca·tion·al,
adjective[1]



communicationcord

communicationcord
com·mu·ni·ca·tion
cord
(plural com·mu·ni·ca·tion cords) noun

U.K.
See emergency cord[1]



communications

communications
com·mu·ni·ca·tions
[kəmyooni káysh’nz] noun

1.  systems
for communicating: the technology and systems
used for sending and receiving messages, for example, postal and telephone
networks

2.  effective
verbal expression: the effective use of words
to convey ideas or information (takes a singular or plural verb)

3.  transportation
of troops:
a system of routes and transportation for moving troops and supplies

4.  study
of human communication: the study of the different
means people use to communicate with each other, for example, by gesture,
speech, telecommunications, and writing (takes a singular or plural verb)

[1]



communicationssatellite

communicationssatellite
com·mu·ni·ca·tions
sat·el·lite 
(plural com·mu·ni·ca·tions sat·el·lites) noun

artificial satellite to aid
telecommunications: an
artificial satellite used to relay data such as radio, telephone, and
television signals around the world. Signals may be reflected, but more often
they are strengthened using a solar-powered transponder. Satellites often
follow a geostationary orbit, remaining in the same position relative to Earth.[1]



communicationstheory

communicationstheory
com·mu·ni·ca·tions
the·o·ry
noun

See
communication theory[1]



communicationtheory

communicationtheory
com·mu·ni·ca·tion
the·o·ry
or com·mu·ni·ca·tions the·o·ry noun

study of human communication:
the study of all forms of human communication, including branches of
linguistics such as semantics, as well as telecommunications and other
nonlinguistic forms[1]



communicative

communicative
com·mu·ni·ca·tive 
[kə myni kàytiv] adjective

1.  talkative:
inclined or ready to talk

2.  of
communication: relating to communication or to systems
for communication

3.  stressing
practical communication: in foreign language
teaching, stressing the importance of language as a tool for communicating
information and ideas
—com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ly,
adverb

—com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ness,
noun[1]



communicator

communicator
com·mu·ni·ca·tor 
[kə myni kàytər] (plural com·mu·ni·ca·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
communicating: somebody or something that communicates

2.  somebody
who can make something clear: somebody who has a
particular ability to express things effectively • She’s
a highly effective communicator.

[1]



Communion

Communion
Com·mu·nion
[kə mynyən] noun

1.  Christian
sacrament:
a Christian sacrament that commemorates Jesus Christ’s Last Supper, with the
priest or minister consecrating bread and wine that is consumed by the
congregation.
Also
called
Eucharist
Also
called
Holy Communion

2.  part
of the Communion service: the celebration of the
sacrament of Communion.
Also
called
Holy Communion

3.  consecrated
bread and wine: the consecrated bread and wine received
by worshipers at a Communion service.
Also
called
Holy Communion
Also
called
Eucharist

[1]



communion

communion
com·mun·ion 
[kə mynyən] (plural com·mun·ions)
noun

1.  intimacy:
a feeling of emotional or spiritual closeness

2.  connection:
an association or relationship

3.  CHRISTIANITY religious
group with common faith: a religious group with its
own set of beliefs and practices, especially a Christian denomination

4.  CHRISTIANITY fellowship
between religious groups: a sense of shared religious
identity and fellowship, especially between members of different Christian denominations
[14th
century. From the Latin stem communion-, from communis (see common ).]
—com·mu·nion·al,
adjective

—com·mu·nion·al·ly, adverb[1]



communiqué

communiqué
com·mu·ni·qué 
[kə myni káy, kə
myni kày] (plural com·mu·ni·qués) noun

official
announcement: an official announcement, especially to
the press or public
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from the past participle of communiquer “to communicate,” from
Latin communicare (see communicate
).][1]



Communism

Communism
Com·mu·nism
[kómmyə nìzzəm] noun

1.  Com·mu·nism
or com·mu·nism Marxist-Leninist system:
the Marxist-Leninist version of a classless society in which capitalism is
overthrown by a working-class revolution that gives ownership and control of
wealth and property to the state

2.  one-party
state:
any system of government in which a single, usually totalitarian, party holds
power, and the state controls the economy

[1]



communism

communism
com·mu·nism 
[kómmyə nìzzəm] noun

classless
political system: the political theory or system in which
all property and wealth is owned in a classless society by all the members of a
community.
See
also
Communism
[Mid-19th century. From
French communisme, from commun “common,” from Latin communis
(see common ).][1]



communist

communist
com·mu·nist
[kómmyənist] noun (plural com·mu·nists)

1.  supporter
of communism: an advocate or supporter of any type of
communism

2.  practicer
of communal living: somebody who practices
communal living
adjective

of communism:
relating to communism or its supporters
[Mid-19th
century. From French communiste, from commun “common,” from Latin
communis (see common ).]
—com·mu·nist·ic [kòmmyə nístik], adjective[1]



Communist

Communist
Com·mu·nist
[kómmyənist] or com·mu·nist [kómmyənist] noun

advocate
of Communism: a supporter of Communism or a member of
an organization that supports or practices Communism
—Com·mu·nist, adjective[1]



communitarian

communitarian
com·mu·ni·tar·i·an 
[kə myni táiree ən] noun (plural
com·mu·ni·tar·i·ans)

advocate
of collective way of living: a member or supporter of a
collectivist or cooperative community or system
adjective

of
communitarians: relating to communitarians or a
collectivist or cooperative way of life
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from community + -arian,
modeled on words such as unitarian .]
—com·mu·ni·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



community

community
com·mu·ni·ty 
[kə mynitee] (plural com·mu·ni·ties)
noun

1.  people
in area:
a group of people who live in the same area, or the area in which they live • a
close-knit fishing community

2.  people
with common background: a group of people with a
common background or with shared interests within society • the
financial community

3.  nations
with common history: a group of nations with a
common history or common economic or political interests • the
international community

4.  society:
the public or society in general • a
useful member of the community

5.  interacting
plants and animals: all the plants and animals
that live in the same area and interact with one another
[14th century. Via Old French
communeté from the Latin stem communitat-, from communis
(see common ).][1]



communityantenna television

communityantenna television
com·mu·ni·ty
an·ten·na tel·e·vi·sion noun

See
cable television[1]



communitycenter

communitycenter
com·mu·ni·ty
cen·ter
(plural com·mu·ni·ty cen·ters) noun

building used for community
activities: a building used for a range
of community activities[1]



communitychest

communitychest
com·mu·ni·ty
chest
(plural com·mu·ni·ty chests) noun

fund raised for local
charities: a fund raised by voluntary
contributions for local charities and social welfare activities (dated)[1]



communitycollege

communitycollege
com·mu·ni·ty
col·lege
(plural com·mu·ni·ty col·leg·es) noun

2-year nonresidential
college: in Canada or the United
States, a nonresidential college usually supported by the government offering
two-year or three-year courses and awarding diplomas or associate degrees[1]



communitymedicine

communitymedicine
com·mu·ni·ty
med·i·cine
noun

public health care:
the branch of medicine devoted to the care of public health provision[1]



communitypolicing

communitypolicing
com·mu·ni·ty
po·lic·ing
noun

policing by local officers:
policing that seeks to integrate officers into the local community in order to
reduce crime and foster good community relations[1]



communityproperty

communityproperty
com·mu·ni·ty
prop·er·ty
noun

property belonging jointly to
spouses: property regarded by law as
being jointly owned by husband and wife[1]



communityrelations

communityrelations
com·mu·ni·ty
re·la·tions
plural noun

1.  relationships
between groups in area: the relationships between
different cultural, ethnic, political, or religious groups who live in an area
and may come into conflict

2.  mediation
between groups: mediation between different cultural,
ethnic, political, or religious groups living in an area

[1]



communityservice

communityservice
com·mu·ni·ty
ser·vice
noun

community work as criminal
penalty: a penalty requiring that an
offender convicted of a relatively minor crime do unpaid work that is
beneficial to the community as an alternative to imprisonment[1]



communize

communize
com·mu·nize 
[kómmyə nz] (past com·mu·nized,
past participle com·mu·nized, present participle com·mu·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mu·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
publicly owned: to transfer something, for example, land
or property, from private to public ownership

2.  run
on communist principles: to apply communist
principles of organization to a government or people
[Late
19th century. From Latin communis “common” (see common
) + -ize .]
—com·mu·ni·za·tion, noun[1]



commutable

commutable
com·mut·a·ble 
[kə mytəb’l] adjective

1.  LAW capable
of being reduced: capable of being shortened or made less
severe • a
commutable sentence

2.  exchangeable
for money:
able to be converted or exchanged, especially into or for money

3.  TRANSPORT within
commuting distance: close enough to make a daily
journey to and from work practical
—com·mut·a·bil·i·ty [kə mytə bíllətee], noun[1]



commutate

commutate
com·mu·tate 
[kómmyə tàyt] (past com·mu·tat·ed,
past participle com·mu·tat·ed, present participle com·mu·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mu·tates) transitive verb

convert electric current:
to convert alternating electric current to direct current or vice versa[1]



commutation

commutation
com·mu·ta·tion 
[kòmmyə táysh’n] (plural com·mu·ta·tions)
noun

1.  LAW reduction
in severity of legal penalty: the reduction of a prison
sentence or other legal penalty to a less severe one

2.  TRANSPORT the traveling
undertaken by a commuter

3.  ELECTRICITY conversion
of electric current: the converting of an
electric current from alternating to direct current or vice versa

4.  conversion:
any exchange or substitution, for example, the substituting of one kind of
payment for another (formal)

[1]



commutationticket

commutationticket
com·mu·ta·tion
tick·et
(plural com·mu·ta·tion tick·ets) noun

reduced ticket for multiple
trips: a passenger ticket valid for
multiple trips over a given route during a limited period, sold for less than
the total cost of tickets purchased separately for each trip.
U.K. term
season ticket[1]



commutative

commutative
com·mu·ta·tive 
[kómmyə tàytiv] adjective

1.  of
substitution: involving or relating to exchanges or
substitutions

2.  MATHEMATICS not
dependent on order: giving the same result in
mathematics or logic irrespective of the order in which two or more terms or
quantities are placed. For example, addition and multiplication are commutative
processes, while subtraction and division are not.
—com·mu·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—com·mu·ta·tiv·i·ty [kə mytə tívvətee], noun[1]



commutator

commutator
com·mu·ta·tor 
[kómmyə tàytər] (plural com·mu·ta·tors)
noun

control for electric current
flow: a device that maintains the
direction of flow of electric current in a generator or reverses it in an
electric motor[1]



commute

commute
com·mute 
[kə myt] (past com·mut·ed, past
participle com·mut·ed, present participle com·mut·ing,
3rd person present singular com·mutes, plural com·mutes)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT travel
regularly between places: to travel regularly from one
place to another, especially between home and work

2.  transitive
verb
LAW reduce
severity of penalty: to reduce a legal sentence
to a less severe one

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb replace
with something else: to be changed or substituted
or to change or substitute one thing for another, for example, one form of
payment for another

4.  intransitive
verb
be
replacement: to compensate or act as a substitute

5.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICITY See commutate

6.  intransitive
verb
MATHEMATICS give
same result with different order: to give the same
mathematical result irrespective of the order in which two or more quantities
are placed, for example, as in addition but not subtraction
[15th century. From Latin commutare,
literally “to change altogether,” from mutare “to change” (source of
English mutant ). First used of
traveling in the 19th century.][1]



commuter

commuter
com·mut·er 
[kə mytər] (plural com·mut·ers)
noun

1.  regular
traveler from home to work: somebody who travels
regularly from one place to another, especially between home and work and
usually between a suburb and a city

2.  intercity
airline:
an airline that provides short flights between major cities

[1]



commy

commy
com·my
noun

See
commie[1]



Comoros

Comoros



Com·o·ros 
[kómmə rz, kə
máw rz]
an independent state consisting of a
group of islands in the Indian Ocean, 290 km/180 mi from Mozambique and 320
km/200 mi from Madagascar. Language: French. Language: Arabic. Currency:
Comorian Franc. Capital: Moroni. Population: 528,893 (1997) Area: 1,862 sq
km/719 sq mi. Official name Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros[1]



Comoros




Back to definition

Comoros

[1]



comp.

comp.
comp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
companion

2.  Abbreviation
of
comparative

3.  Abbreviation
of
compare

4.  Abbreviation
of
compensation

5.  Abbreviation
of
compilation

6.  Abbreviation
of
compiled

7.  Abbreviation
of
complete

8.  Abbreviation
of
composer

9.  Abbreviation
of
composite

10. Abbreviation
of
composition

11. Abbreviation
of
compound

12. Abbreviation
of
comprehensive

13. Abbreviation
of
comprising

[1]



comp

comp3
comp3 [komp]
noun

compensation
(informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



comp

comp2
comp2 [komp]
noun (plural comps)

jazz
accompaniment: an accompaniment, especially a jazz
accompaniment played on piano or guitar (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past comped, past
participle comped, present participle comp·ing, 3rd
person present singular comps)

play
jazz accompaniment: to play a musical
accompaniment, often improvised, especially in jazz (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



comp

comp1
comp1 [komp]
noun (plural comps)

something
free:
something supplied free of charge for example, a complimentary theater ticket (informal)
adjective

free:
complimentary or free of charge (informal)
transitive
verb
(past comped, past participle comped, present
participle comp·ing, 3rd person present singular comps)

give
somebody a comp: to supply somebody with something that
is complimentary or free (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of complimentary .][1]



compact

compact1
com·pact1 adjective [kəm pákt, kóm pàkt]

1.  packed
tightly:
closely clustered or packed together • a
compact bundle of papers

2.  small
and efficiently arranged: small, with efficient use of
available space

3.  short
and sturdy:
short and stocky

4.  concise:
brief and concise
intransitive
and transitive verb [kəm
pákt] (past com·pact·ed, past participle com·pact·ed
or com·pact, present participle com·pact·ing, 3rd
person present singular com·pacts)

pack something tightly:
to become, or make something, more dense or firmly packed
noun
[kóm pàkt] (plural com·pacts)

1.  COSMETICS case
for makeup:
a small flat case containing makeup, usually face powder, with a mirror inside
the lid.
Also
called
powder compact

2.  smallish
car:
a medium-sized car that is economical to run
[14th
century. From Latin compactus, the past participle of compingere,
literally “to fasten together,” from pangere “to fasten.”]
—com·pact·i·ble,
adjective

—com·pact·ly,
adverb

—com·pact·ness, noun[1]



compact

compact2
com·pact2 [kóm
pàkt] (plural com·pacts) noun

agreement:
an agreement between two or more individuals or entities
[Late 16th century. From
Latin compactum, from the past participle of compacisci,
literally “to make an agreement together,” from pacisci “to make an
agreement” (see pact ).][1]



compactdisc

compactdisc
com·pact
disc 
(plural com·pact discs) or com·pact disk (plural
com·pact disks) noun

plastic disk for digital
recording: a hard plastic disk
approximately 12 cm4¾ in. in diameter on which information, for example, music
or computer data, is digitally encoded in a format readable by laser beam[1]



compactdisc player

compactdisc player
com·pact
disc play·er (plural com·pact disc play·ers)
or com·pact disk play·er (plural com·pact disk play·ers)
noun

machine playing compact
disks: a machine for playing
compact disks[1]



compacter

compacter
com·pact·er 
[kəm páktər] noun

See
compactor[1]



compaction

compaction
com·pac·tion 
[kəm pákshən] noun

1.  compressing:
the pressing together of particles to make a denser mass, or the compressed
state of the resulting mass

2.  GEOLOGY process
of rock formation: a process in the formation
of sedimentary rock in which pressure from overlying sediment forces water from
unconsolidated sediment, reducing its volume and yielding solid rock

[1]



compactor

compactor
com·pac·tor 
[kəm páktər, kóm
pàktər] (plural com·pac·tors) or com·pact·er
[kəm páktər, kóm
pàktər] (plural com·pact·ers) noun

machine that compresses
garbage: a machine used in the home
to compress garbage into small bundles for easy disposal[1]



companion

companion1
com·pan·ion1 [kəm
pánnyən] noun (plural com·pan·ions)

1.  somebody
to be with:
somebody who accompanies you, spends time with you, or is a friend

2.  somebody
whose job is accompanying another: somebody employed to
live with another

3.  match
for something: an article that goes with another to
make a pair

4.  PUBLISHING handbook:
a guide or handbook on a particular subject

5.  ASTRONOMY fainter
of two stars: the fainter of the stars that make up a
double-star or multiple-star system
transitive
verb
(past com·pan·ioned, past participle com·pan·ioned,
present participle com·pan·ion·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·pan·ions)

accompany somebody:
to be a companion to somebody
[13th
century. From, ultimately, the late Latin stem companion-, literally
“one who shares bread,” from Latin panis “bread” (source of English pantry ).]
—com·pan·ion·less, adjective[1]



companion

companion2
com·pan·ion2 [kəm
pánnyən] (plural com·pan·ions) noun

companionway:
a companionway, or a covering above a companionway
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of obsolete Dutch kompanje “quarterdeck,” from, ultimately, Italian compagna
“(storeroom for) provisions,” literally “(eaten) with bread,” from, ultimately,
Latin panis “bread” (see pantry ).][1]



Companion

Companion
Com·pan·ion
[kəm pánnyən] or com·pan·ion [kəm pánnyən] noun

lowest rank of order of
knighthood: a member of the lowest rank
in a British order of knighthood[1]



companionable

companionable
com·pan·ion·a·ble 
[kəm pánnyənəb’l] adjective

providing
pleasant company: friendly, sociable, and good company • They
sat in a companionable silence.
—com·pan·ion·a·bil·i·ty
[kəm pànnyənə bíllətee], noun

—com·pan·ion·a·ble·ness
[kəm pánnyənəb’lnəss], noun

—com·pan·ion·a·bly [kəm pánnyənəblee], adverb[1]



companionate

companionate
com·pan·ion·ate 
[kəm pánnyənət] adjective

1.  fitting
for a companion: appropriate for a companion

2.  well
suited:
right for each other

[1]



companionatemarriage

companionatemarriage
com·pan·ion·ate
mar·riage
(plural com·pan·ion·ate mar·riages) noun

SOCIOLOGY
marriage based on love:
marriage based on mutual affection and shared interests as opposed to purely
economic or dynastic considerations[1]



companioncell

companioncell
com·pan·ion
cell
(plural com·pan·ion cells) noun

cell associated with sieve
tube: a type of cell found in
flowering plants that lies alongside a sap-conducting sieve-tube element, whose
function it is thought to influence. Companion cells have a prominent nucleus
and dense cytoplasm, and form fine cytoplasmic connections ( plasmodesmata )
with the adjacent sieve-tube element.[1]



companionpiece

companionpiece
com·pan·ion
piece
(plural com·pan·ion piec·es) noun

work that goes with another:
a work, especially of music or literature, that is closely related to another,
often by the same composer or author[1]



companionship

companionship
com·pan·ion·ship 
[kəm pánnyən shìp] (plural com·pan·ion·ships)
noun

1.  relationship
of friends:
the company of friends and the relationship that exists between them

2.  group:
an organized group of people

[1]



companionway

companionway
com·pan·ion·way 
[kəm pánnyən wày] (plural com·pan·ion·ways)
noun

stairway on boat:
a stairway or ladder between decks on a boat or ship[1]



company

company
com·pa·ny 
[kúmpənee] noun (plural com·pa·nies)

1.  BUSINESS business:
a business enterprise

2.  being
with somebody: being together with others • He
didn’t feel at ease in company.

3.  group:
a gathering of people

4.  companions:
the people that somebody associates with

5.  particular
type of companion: somebody seen as providing a
particular type of companionship • he can
be very good company

6.  guest:
a guest or visitor, especially for a meal or overnight stay • We’re
having company this weekend.

7.  BUSINESS business
partners:
the partners of a business enterprise whose names are not included in the
firm’s title

8.  THEATER troupe:
a group of performing artists, for example, actors

9.  MILITARY group
of troops:
a unit of soldiers, usually consisting of two or more platoons

10. NAVY ship’s
crew:
the crew and officers of a ship

11. firefighters:
a unit of firefighters

12. BUSINESS HISTORY trade guild:
a medieval trade guild
intransitive
verb
(past com·pa·nied, past participle com·pa·nied, present
participle com·pa·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular com·pa·nies)

join: to
associate with somebody (archaic)
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman compainie, ultimately from the late Latin companion-
(see companion ).][1]



companycar

companycar
com·pa·ny
car
(plural com·pa·ny cars) noun

car provided for an employee:
a car owned or leased by a business for use by an employee, often as a fringe
benefit of a job or position[1]



company-gradeofficer

company-gradeofficer
com·pa·ny-grade
of·fi·cer 
(plural com·pa·ny-grade of·fi·cers) noun

See
company officer[1]



companyman

companyman
com·pa·ny
man
noun

worker dedicated to company:
an employee who puts loyalty to an employer before friendship or personal
beliefs (disapproving)[1]



companyofficer

companyofficer
com·pa·ny
of·fi·cer
(plural com·pa·ny of·fi·cers) noun

commissioned officer:
a commissioned officer who holds the rank of captain or below.
Also called
company-grade officer[1]



companytown

companytown
com·pa·ny
town
(plural com·pa·ny towns) noun

town with one employer:
a town whose residents depend on a single business for employment, housing, and
shops[1]



companyunion

companyunion
com·pa·ny
un·ion
(plural com·pa·ny un·ions) noun

one-company labor union:
a labor union established within a company, not affiliated with any national
union, and often dominated by the company’s management rather than by its
membership[1]



compar.

compar.
compar.

Abbreviation of
comparative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








comparable

comparable
com·pa·ra·ble 
[kómpərəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being compared: similar enough for a fair
comparison to be made • We ate
a meal comparable to that of the finest restaurant.

2.  similar:
as good as another or each other • They
both have comparable skills.
—com·pa·ra·bil·i·ty
[kòmpərə bíllətee], noun

—com·pa·ra·ble·ness
[kómpərəb’lnəss], noun

—com·pa·ra·bly
[kómpərəblee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  comparable
  to
  or comparable with ?
  Comparable mimics the verb compare
  in being followed either by to or with, depending on whether a
  likening to or a contrasting with is intended: • The
  agency provides a service comparable to that of a good library.
  • The
  hurricane was comparable with the ones that recently hit Florida and Louisiana.
  See Usage note at compare .

[1]



comparableworth

comparableworth
com·pa·ra·ble
worth
noun

recognition of equal worth:
the belief that men and women should receive equal pay for jobs requiring
comparable responsibility and skills[1]



comparatist

comparatist
com·par·a·tist 
[kəm pérrətist] (plural com·par·a·tists)
noun

somebody
using comparisons: somebody who uses a
comparative method, for example, in the study of linguistics
[Mid-20th century. From
French, formed from comparatif “comparative.”][1]



comparative

comparative
com·par·a·tive 
[kəm pérrətiv] adjective

1.  involving
comparisons: based on or using comparisons of
different elements or types in the investigation of something • comparative
linguistics

2.  compared
to others:
considered relative to something known, mentioned, or expected • He
passed the test with comparative ease.

3.  GRAMMAR in a
form expressing increase: used to describe the form of
an adjective or adverb that expresses an increase in quality, quantity, or degree
for example, “quicker” and “more importantly”
noun
(plural com·par·a·tives)

GRAMMAR comparative
form of word: a comparative form of an adjective or
adverb
[15th
century. Formed from Latin comparat-, the past participle stem of comparare
(see compare ).]
—com·par·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—com·par·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



comparatively

comparatively
com·par·a·tive·ly
[kəm pérrətivlee] adverb

relatively:
in comparison to something else • the
costs were comparatively high[1]



compare

compare
com·pare 
[kəm páir] verb (past com·pared,
past participle com·pared, present participle com·par·ing,
3rd person present singular com·pares)

1.  transitive
verb
examine
for similarities: to examine two or more people or things
in order to discover similarities and differences between them

2.  transitive
verb
liken:
to consider or represent somebody or something as similar to another “Shall I
compare thee to a summer’s day?” William Shakespeare Sonnet 1564–1616

3.  intransitive
verb
be
as good as:
to be equal or similar in quality or standing, especially to be as good as
another • As
an athlete she can compare with the best in the sport.

4.  intransitive
verb
contrast:
to have a particular relationship with something or somebody else • Its
performance compares badly with that of rival engines.

5.  intransitive
verb
make
comparison:
to make a comparison

6.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR give
all adjective’s or adverb’s forms: to give the positive,
comparative, and superlative forms of an adjective or adverb
noun

comparison:
comparison (literary) • a
painting beautiful beyond compare
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin comparare, from compar,
literally “equal with,” from par “equal.”]
—com·par·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Compare
  to
  or compare with ?
  Compare
  to is used when things are being likened in general ways: • He
  compared her skin to ivory. Compare with is used when
  the comparison is more specific and implies differences as well as
  similarities: • Tourists find our
  hotels good compared with those of European capitals.
  When compare is used intransitively (i.e.,
  without an object), • with
  should always be used: • The
  new model compares well with others in the same price range.

[1]



comparison

comparison
com·par·i·son
[kəm párrissən] (plural com·par·i·sons)
noun

1.  finding
similarities and differences: the act or process of
examining two or more people or things in order to discover similarities and
differences between them • Journalists
continue to draw comparisons between the two systems.
• The
initial outlay seems insignificant in comparison with the potential profits.

2.  similarity:
the quality of being similar • There’s
no comparison between them.
[From compare . See compare .][1]



comparison-shop

comparison-shop
com·par·i·son-shop
intransitive verb

compare
prices and features: to compare the prices and
features of the same or similar items, especially in different stores, to find
the best deal
—com·par·i·son shop·per,
noun[1]



compartment

compartment
com·part·ment 
[kəm prtmənt] noun

1.  partitioned
space:
one of the areas into which an enclosed space is divided

2.  train
car section: a subdivision of a passenger train car,
with a door and features such as two facing rows of seats or sleeping
accommodation

3.  smaller
part:
a separate part of something larger • He
liked to divide his life into different compartments.
[Mid-16th
century. Via French compartiment from, ultimately, late Latin compartiri,
literally “to divide up,” from Latin partiri “to divide,” from pars
.]
—com·part·ment·al
[kəm prt mént’l], adjective

—com·part·men·tal·ly [kəm prt mént’lee], adverb[1]



compartmentalize

compartmentalize
com·part·men·tal·ize 
[kəm prt mént’l z] (past com·part·men·tal·ized,
past participle com·part·men·tal·ized, present participle com·part·men·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular com·part·men·tal·iz·es) transitive
verb

divide
something:
to divide something into separate areas, categories, or compartments • She
had to compartmentalize her home life and work.
—com·part·men·tal·i·za·tion
[kəm prt ment’li záysh’n], noun[1]



compass

compass

com·pass 
[kúmpəss, kómpəss]
noun (plural com·pass·es)

1.  direction
finder:
a device for finding directions, usually with a magnetized needle that
automatically swings to magnetic north

2.  personal
direction:
a sense of personal direction • a leader
who was devoid of moral compass

3.  scope:
the scope of something such as a subject or area • beyond
the compass of the inquiry
transitive verb
(past com·passed, past participle com·passed, present
participle com·pass·ing, 3rd person present singular com·pass·es)

1.  understand
something:
to understand something fully and completely (formal) • far
more than the average mind can compass

2.  See
encompass

3.  achieve
something:
to achieve or attain something (literary)
[14th
century. Via French compas “scope, circle” and compasser “to
measure” from assumed Vulgar Latin compassare, literally “to step off,”
from Latin passus “step” (see pace
).]
—com·pass·a·ble, adjective[1]



compasscard

compasscard
com·pass
card
(plural com·pass cards) noun

printed diagram for compass:
the circular diagram in a direction-finding compass over which the needle
rotates.
Also called
rose 1 noun
9[1]



compasses

compasses
com·pass·es
[kúmpəssəz, kómpəssəz]
plural noun

drawing
device:
a device for drawing circles or measuring distances, for example, on a map that
consists of two rods, one pointed, the other often holding a pencil, joined by
an adjustable hinge.
Also
called
pair of compasses
[Mid-16th century][1]



compassion

compassion
com·pas·sion 
[kəm pásh’n] noun

sympathy:
sympathy for the suffering of others, often including a desire to help
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin compass-, the past
participle stem of compati (see compatible
).]
—com·pas·sion·less, adjective[1]



compassionate

compassionate
com·pas·sion·ate 
[kəm pásh’nət] adjective

showing
sympathy:
showing feelings of sympathy for the suffering of others, often with a desire
to help
—com·pas·sion·ate·ly,
adverb

—com·pas·sion·ate·ness,
noun[1]



compassionateleave

compassionateleave
com·pas·sion·ate
leave
noun

emergency time off:
emergency leave in exceptional circumstances granted to somebody for personal
reasons, for example, the death of a close relative[1]



compassionfatigue

compassionfatigue
com·pas·sion
fa·tigue
noun

loss of sympathy:
a loss or lessening of sympathy for the misfortune of others because too many
demands have been made on your feelings[1]



compassplant

compassplant
com·pass
plant
(plural com·pass plants) noun

yellow flowering plant:
a plant found in prairie regions of the central United States, with yellow
flowers similar to daisies and leaves that tend to point north and south. Latin
name: Silphium laciniatum[1]



compassrose

compassrose
com·pass
rose
(plural com·pass roses) noun

diagram
of directions: a circular diagram printed on a chart or
map to show the direction of north and other main points of the compass
[So called because its
many-pointed design was thought to resemble a rose][1]



compasssaw

compasssaw
com·pass
saw
(plural com·pass saws) noun

small saw:
a handsaw with a tapering blade, used for cutting curved shapes[1]



compatible

compatible
com·pat·i·ble 
[kəm páttəb’l] adjective

1.  harmonious:
able to exist, live, or work together without conflict • a
highly compatible couple

2.  consistent:
consistent or in keeping with something else • an
observation not compatible with the facts

3.  COMPUTING able
to be used with something: able to be used together
with or substituted for another piece of hardware or software • The
software isn’t PC-compatible

4.  BOTANY able
to cross-pollinate: used to describe plant
varieties that are able to cross-pollinate successfully

5.  BOTANY able
to be grafted: used to describe plants that are able to
be grafted onto each other successfully

6.  FUNGI able
to mate:
used to describe fungal strains that are able to mate successfully

7.  MEDICINE acceptable
to the body: used to describe blood, organs, or
tissue that can be transplanted or transfused into a person’s body without
being rejected
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin compati, literally “to
suffer together,” from pati (see patient
).]
—com·pat·i·bil·i·ty
[kəm pàttə bíllətee], noun

—com·pat·i·ble·ness
[kəm páttəb’lnəs], noun

—com·pat·i·bly [kəm páttəblee], adverb[1]



compatriot

compatriot
com·pa·tri·ot 
[kəm páytree ət] (plural com·pa·tri·ots)
noun

1.  fellow
citizen or subject: somebody from the same
country as another

2.  a
fellow worker or colleague
[Late 16th century. Via
French from late Latin compatriota, literally “fellow countryman,” from patriota
(see patriot ).][1]



compd.

compd.
compd.

Abbreviation of
compound[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








compeer

compeer
com·peer 
[kóm pr, kəm
pr] (plural com·peers) noun (formal)

1.  equal:
somebody who is the equal or peer of somebody else

2.  companion:
a person who is a close companion or associate of somebody else
[Via Old French comper
from Latin compar “equal with” (see compare
)][1]



compel

compel
com·pel 
[kəm pél] (past com·pelled, past
participle com·pelled, present participle com·pel·ling,
3rd person present singular com·pels) transitive verb

1.  force
somebody:
to force somebody to do something • I felt
compelled to listen.

2.  force
something to happen: to make something happen by
force
[14th
century. From Latin compellere, literally “to drive together,” from pellere
(see pulse 1 ).]
—com·pel·la·ble,
adjective

—com·pel·la·bly,
adverb

—com·pel·ler, noun[1]



compelling

compelling
com·pel·ling 
[kəm pélling] adjective

1.  holding
the attention: attracting strong interest and attention
• a
compelling account of a major scientific discovery

2.  making
somebody do something: tending to make somebody do
something, make something happen, or be necessary • I
felt a compelling need to explain my actions.
—com·pel·ling·ly, adverb[1]



compend

compend
com·pend 
[kóm pènd] (plural com·pends) noun

See
compendium  noun 1
[Late 16th century.
Anglicization of Latin compendium (see compendium
).][1]



compendious

compendious
com·pen·di·ous 
[kəm péndee əss] adjective

full
and concise: containing a wide range of information
in a concise form
—com·pen·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—com·pen·di·ous·ness, noun[1]



compendium

compendium
com·pen·di·um 
[kəm péndee əm] (plural com·pen·di·ums
or com·pen·di·a [kəm péndee ə])
noun

1.  short
account:
a comprehensive but brief account of a subject, especially in book form.
Also
called
compend

2.  list
of items:
a list or compilation of various items • Her
letter was a compendium of complaints.
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from compendere, literally “to weigh together,” from pendere
(see pensive ).][1]



compensable

compensable
com·pen·sa·ble 
[kəm pénssəb’l] adjective

qualifying
for compensation: qualifying for compensation
—com·pen·sa·bil·i·ty [kəm pènsə bíllətee], noun[1]



compensate

compensate
com·pen·sate 
[kómpən sàyt] (past com·pen·sat·ed,
past participle com·pen·sat·ed, present participle com·pen·sat·ing,
3rd person present singular com·pen·sates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
pay
somebody for loss: to pay somebody for work
done or for something lost • adequately
compensated for their efforts

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb counterbalance:
to counterbalance a force or quality

3.  intransitive
verb
make
amends:
to make amends or make up for something • Nothing
can compensate for the loss of one’s home.

4.  intransitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY stress
something to make up deficiency: to stress the
development of one aspect of your personality to make up for deficiency in
another.
See
also
overcompensate
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin compensat-, the past participle stem of compensare,
literally “to weigh together,” from pensare (see pensive ).]
—com·pen·sa·tive
[kómpən sàytiv, kəm
pénsətiv], adjective

—com·pen·sa·tor [kómpən sàytər], noun[1]



compensation

compensation
com·pen·sa·tion 
[kòmpən sáysh’n] (plural com·pen·sa·tions)
noun

1.  money
paid to repair a loss: an amount of money or
something else given to pay for loss, damage, or work done • claimed
compensation for loss of earnings

2.  payment
of money to cover loss: the giving of something to
somebody to pay for work done, loss, or damage

3.  amends:
something that makes amends or makes up for something else • one
of the compensations of living abroad

4.  PSYCHOLOGY stressing
a quality:
the stressing of one aspect of the personality to make up for deficiency in
another
—com·pen·sa·tion·al, adjective[1]



compensatory

compensatory
com·pen·sa·to·ry 
[kəm pénsə tàwree] adjective

serving to offset:
serving to offset the negative effects or results of something else[1]



compensatorydamages

compensatorydamages
com·pen·sa·to·ry
dam·ag·es
plural noun

recoverable damages for loss
or injury: damages that are awarded in
order to compensate a plaintiff for personal injury or injury to property
caused by the defendant’s wrongful act[1]



compensatorygrowth

compensatorygrowth
com·pen·sa·to·ry
growth
noun

counterbalancing growth:
the growth in size of one part or organ of the body to make up for the failure
or loss of another[1]



compere

compere
com·pere 
[kóm pàir] noun (plural com·peres)

U.K.
host:
a host of an entertainment show, especially on television
intransitive
and transitive verb (past com·pered,
past participle com·pered, present participle com·per·ing,
3rd person present singular com·peres)

U.K.
act
as compere:
to act as a compere
[Mid-18th century. Via French
compère, literally “godfather,” from medieval Latin compater,
from Latin pater “father.”][1]



compete

compete
com·pete 
[kəm pt] (past com·pet·ed, past
participle com·pet·ed, present participle com·pet·ing,
3rd person present singular com·petes) intransitive verb

1.  try
to win:
to do something with the goal of outperforming others or of winning something

2.  put
up reasonable contest: to be able to put up a
contest against somebody or something else and have a chance of winning • This
product just can’t compete.
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin competere, literally “to strive together,” from Latin petere
(see petition ).][1]



competence

competence
com·pe·tence 
[kómpət’ns] or com·pe·ten·cy [kómpətənsee] noun

1.  ability:
the ability to do something well or to a required standard • I
don’t doubt his competence for a moment.

2.  sufficient
income:
an income that is enough to live on (formal)

3.  LAW being
legally qualified: the condition of being
accepted by a court as legally qualified to be a party or witness

4.  LINGUISTICS language
knowledge:
a person’s internalized knowledge of the rules of a language that enables them
to speak and understand it.
See
also
performance
See
also
parole

5.  EMBRYOLOGY ability
of cell to specialize: the ability of embryonic
cells to respond to an outside stimulus in a way that affects their development
into specialized tissue

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ability

[1]



competent

competent
com·pe·tent 
[kómpət’nt] adjective

1.  able:
having enough skill or ability to do something

2.  adequate:
good enough or suitable for something

3.  LAW legally
capable:
accepted by a court as credible, legally qualified, or within somebody’s
capacity

4.  MEDICINE BIOLOGY functioning normally:
able to carry out its normal functions effectively • a
competent cervix
[14th
century. Via French from Latin competent-, the present participle stem
of competere (see compete ). The
underlying sense is “adequate for the purpose.”]
—com·pe·tent·ly, adverb[1]



competition

competition
com·pe·ti·tion 
[kòmpə tísh’n] (plural com·pe·ti·tions)
noun

1.  trying
to beat others: the activity of doing something with the
goal of outperforming others or winning something • several
firms are in competition for the contract

2.  contest:
an activity in which people try to do something better than others or win
something

3.  opposition:
those against whom one is competing, or the level of opposition they give • keep
one step ahead of the competition

4.  ECOLOGY struggle
for resources: the struggle between organisms of the
same or different species for limited resources such as food or light
[Early 17th century. From the
late Latin stem competition-, from Latin competit-, the past
participle stem of competere (see compete
).][1]



competitive

competitive
com·pet·i·tive 
[kəm péttitiv] adjective

1.  involving
beating others: involving or decided by trying to do
something better than others or win something • a
highly competitive sport

2.  wanting
to beat others: inclined toward wanting to do something
better than others

3.  attractive:
more attractive than others because of being good value or worth more • competitive
prices
—com·pet·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



competitiveexclusion

competitiveexclusion
com·pet·i·tive
ex·clu·sion
noun

ECOLOGY
principle governing ecological
competition: the concept that two or
more species with identical requirements cannot coexist on the same limited
resources because one will compete more successfully than the other.
Also called
Gause’s principle[1]



competitively

competitively
com·pet·i·tive·ly
[kəm péttitivlee] adverb

1.  so
as to beat others: in a way that involves
trying to do something better than others or win something • You
will have to play competitively to win.

2.  attractively:
in an attractive way because of being good value or worth more than something
else • competitively
priced

[1]



competitor

competitor
com·pet·i·tor 
[kəm péttitər] (plural com·pet·i·tors)
noun

1.  participant
in competition: a person, animal, or group taking part
in a competition

2.  marketplace
opponent:
an opponent that somebody is competing against in a commercial market
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, formed from competere (see compete
).][1]



compilation

compilation
com·pi·la·tion 
[kòmpə láysh’n] (plural com·pi·la·tions)
noun

1.  gathering:
the activity of gathering things together from various places

2.  something
created by gathering: something created by
gathering things together from various places • a
compilation of new poems

[1]



compile

compile
com·pile 
[kəm pl] (past com·piled, past
participle com·piled, present participle com·pil·ing, 3rd
person present singular com·piles) transitive verb

1.  put
things together: to gather things together from various
places to form a whole

2.  create
something by gathering things: to create something by
gathering things together

3.  COMPUTING translate
computer language: to convert a computer
program written in a high-level language into an intermediate language ( machine language ) using a special program ( compiler )
[14th century. From French compiler,
of uncertain origin: probably from Latin compilare “to plunder,
plagiarize,” literally “to heap together,” from pila (see pile 1 ).][1]



compiler

compiler
com·pil·er 
[kəm plər] (plural com·pil·ers)
noun

1.  gatherer:
a person or group that gathers things together, especially to create a whole

2.  COMPUTING program:
a computer program that converts another program from a high-level language
into an intermediate language ( machine language
)

[1]



complacent

complacent
com·pla·cent 
[kəm pláyss’nt] adjective

1.  satisfied:
self-satisfied, usually in an unreflective way and without being aware of
possible dangers

2.  eager
to please:
eager to please
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin complacent-, the present participle stem of complacere,
literally “to please very much,” from placere (see placid ). The word’s original sense was
“pleasing.”]
—com·pla·cen·cy,
noun

—com·pla·cent·ly, adverb[1]



complain

complain
com·plain 
[kəm pláyn] (past com·plained,
past participle com·plained, present participle com·plain·ing,
3rd person present singular com·plains) intransitive verb

1.  express
unhappiness about something: to express unhappiness about
something

2.  describe
symptoms of something: to say that you are
experiencing something, especially pain or an illness • complaining
of chest pains

3.  accuse:
to accuse somebody of doing something illegal or undesirable, or make a protest
about something • The neighbors
complained to the police about the noise.
[14th
century. Via French complaign-, the stem of complaindre, from
assumed Vulgar Latin complangere, from Latin plangere (see plaint ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  complain, object, protest,
  grumble, grouse, carp,
  gripe, whine, nag
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  indicate dissatisfaction with something complain;
  a general and neutral term; object;
  to indicate dissatisfaction with and opposition to something; protest; a more forceful term for object;
  grumble; a term suggesting a
  moderate degree of dissatisfaction, and suggesting that the complaint is
  repeated or continual; grouse; to
  complain regularly and continually, often in a way that is not constructive; carp; to complain continually, especially
  about unimportant things; gripe; an
  informal term for complain; whine;
  to complain in an unreasonable, repeated, or irritating way; nag; to find fault with somebody regularly
  and repeatedly

[1]



complainant

complainant
com·plain·ant 
[kəm pláynənt] (plural com·plain·ants)
noun

bringer of a complaint:
a person or organization that takes legal action against another[1]



complainer

complainer
com·plain·er 
[kəm pláynər] (plural com·plain·ers)
noun

somebody expressing
unhappiness: somebody who is unhappy
about something and expresses this, especially habitually[1]



complaint

complaint
com·plaint 
[kəm pláynt] (plural com·plaints)
noun

1.  statement
of unhappiness: a statement expressing dissatisfaction
with something • If you have any
complaints, talk to the manager.

2.  something
making somebody unhappy: something that makes
somebody unhappy or dissatisfied

3.  expressing
of dissatisfaction: the act of expressing
dissatisfaction with something • has
cause for complaint

4.  ailment:
a physical disorder, usually something minor

5.  LAW statement:
a statement setting out the reasons for a legal action

6.  LAW formal
charge:
a formal charge that somebody has committed a crime • swore
out a complaint against him
[14th century. From French complainte,
the feminine past participle of complaindre (see complain ).][1]



complaisant

complaisant
com·plai·sant 
[kəm pláyss’nt, kəm
pláyz’nt] adjective

seeking
to please:
showing a willingness to please others by carrying out, or allowing them to
carry out, their wishes
[Mid-17th
century. Via French, the present participle of complaire “to agree in
order to please,” from Latin complacere (see complacent
).]
—com·plai·sance,
noun

—com·plai·sant·ly, adverb[1]



compleat

compleat
com·pleat 
[kəm plt] adjective

with
full information: having or exhibiting full knowledge of a
particular field or skill (literary)
[14th century. Variant of complete .][1]



complected

complected
com·plect·ed 
[kəm pléktəd] adjective

having
a complexion: having a particular kind of complexion (informal)
(usually used in combination)
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from complexion .][1]



complement

complement
com·ple·ment 
[kómpləmənt] noun (plural com·ple·ments)

1.  completing
part:
something that completes or perfects something else

2.  one
of two:
either of two things that form a unit

3.  full
quantity:
a quantity of things or people that is considered complete • the
full complement of warships and replenishing vessels

4.  LINGUISTICS sentence
part:
the predicate part of a sentence that refers to the subject, not counting the
verb

5.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC items
excluded from a subset: the elements of a set that
are not included in a particular subset of that set

6.  GEOMETRY See complementary angle

7.  IMMUNOLOGY group
of blood proteins: a set of proteins in the
bloodstream that, together with antibodies, recognize and attack foreign cells
such as bacteria

8.  MUSIC note
interval:
an interval that, when added to a given interval, equals an octave
transitive
verb
(past com·ple·ment·ed, past participle com·ple·ment·ed,
present participle com·ple·ment·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·ple·ments)

complete something:
to complete, perfect, or accompany something else pleasingly • a
light dessert that complements a rich meal
[14th
century. From Latin complementum, literally “something that fills up”
from complere (see complete ).]
—com·ple·men·tal
[kòmplə mént’l], adjective

—com·ple·men·tal·ly
[kòmplə mént’lee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  complement
  or compliment ?
  The
  two words are close in spelling but their meanings are quite different. A complement is something added to enhance a thing
  and make it complete, whereas a compliment
  is an expression of praise. • A
  fine wine is the perfect complement to good cooking.
  • The
  cook received many compliments from the guests that evening.
  Both words are also used as verbs, and both have adjectival forms: complementary and complimentary
  . Complimentary has the special meaning
  “given free of charge”; and so a complimentary
  copy of a book is one given without charge, whereas a complementary copy is one that completes a set of books.

[1]



complementarity

complementarity
com·ple·men·tar·i·ty 
[kòmplə men térrətee] (plural com·ple·men·tar·i·ties)
noun

1.  relation
of parts:
the condition of things that complement one another

2.  PHYSICS principle
governing explanation of atomic systems: the
concept that two different models may be necessary to describe an atomic or
subatomic system, for example, electrons may be regarded as particles or waves
in different circumstances

[1]



complementary

complementary
com·ple·men·ta·ry 
[kòmplə méntəree, kòmplə
méntree] adjective

1.  completing:
completing something else

2.  making
a whole:
making a pair or whole • At
this camp, we regard indoor and outdoor activities as complementary.

3.  GENETICS interdependent:
used to describe genes that are interdependent and produce their effect only
when present together

4.  MATHEMATICS not
in subset:
used to describe the elements of a mathematical set that are not included in a
particular subset of that set

5.  GEOMETRY See complementary angle

6.  MEDICINE relating
to complementary medicine: used in or using
complementary medicine
—com·ple·men·ta·ri·ly,
adverb

—com·ple·men·ta·ri·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at complement.

[1]



complementaryangle

complementaryangle

com·ple·men·ta·ry an·gle
(plural com·ple·men·ta·ry an·gles) noun
GEOMETRY
part of right angle:
either of two angles that together make up a right angle.
Also called
complement
Also called
complementary[1]



complementarycolor

complementarycolor
com·ple·men·ta·ry
col·or
(plural com·ple·men·ta·ry col·ors) noun

PHYSICS
color that neutralizes another:
a color or colored light that, when combined with another, produces white or
gray[1]



complementaryDNA

complementaryDNA
com·ple·men·ta·ry
DNA
noun

synthetic DNA:
single-stranded DNA made in a laboratory so that its base sequence is
complementary to a messenger RNA template. It is assembled by the enzyme
reverse transcriptase, and may be used in gene cloning or as a gene probe.[1]



complementarygene

complementarygene
com·ple·men·ta·ry
gene
(plural com·ple·men·ta·ry genes) noun

gene operating in pair:
a gene that produces an observable effect in an organism only in conjunction
with another gene[1]



complementarymedicine

complementarymedicine
com·ple·men·ta·ry
med·i·cine
noun

nonmainstream medical
treatments: a range of therapies based
on the holistic treatment of physical disorders, generally addressing the
causes of diseases rather than their symptoms and also taking steps in the
prevention of disease. The term embraces therapies such as acupuncture, herbalism,
and homeopathy.
See also
alternative medicine[1]



complementfixation

complementfixation
com·ple·ment
fix·a·tion
noun

binding of blood proteins to
antibody-antigen: the process in which a
group of blood proteins ( complement ) is
bound to a specific combined antibody-antigen pair as part of the immune
reaction to foreign cells[1]



complementizer

complementizer
com·ple·men·tiz·er
[kómpləmən tzər] (plural com·ple·men·tiz·ers)
noun

word introducing complement
clause: a word introducing a clause
that acts as a complement • “For”
in “for Sam to be late is unusual” is a complementizer.[1]



complete

complete
com·plete 
[kəm plt] adjective

1.  whole:
having every necessary part or everything that is wanted • a
complete set of Dickens

2.  finished:
having reached the normal or expected end • The
washer stops when the last spin cycle is complete.

3.  absolute:
being the greatest degree of something • a
complete waste of time

4.  accomplished:
having all the necessary qualities or abilities for a particular role • She
is the complete diplomat.

5.  FOOTBALL successfully
caught:
used to describe a forward pass in football that has been successfully caught

6.  BOTANY having
all principal flower parts: used to describe flowers
that have all the principal flower parts, that is, carpels, petals, sepals, and
stamens.
See
also
incomplete
verb
(past com·plet·ed, past participle com·plet·ed, present
participle com·plet·ing, 3rd person present singular com·pletes)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something whole: to make something whole by including
every necessary part or everything that is wanted • one
more goblet to complete the set

2.  transitive
verb
finish
something:
to finish something or bring something to an end • You
have 20 minutes to complete the quiz.

3.  transitive
verb
accomplish
something:
to carry out or accomplish something • The
terms of the sale have been completed.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOTBALL to throw a successful forward pass • The
starting quarterback completed six passes in a row, gaining a total of 45
yards.
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin completus, the past participle
of complere, literally “to fill up,” from plere “to fill” (source
also of English supply ).]
—com·plete·ly,
adverb

—com·plete·ness,
noun

—com·ple·tive,
adjective
complete
with

including
a particular thing as a feature





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Complete comes from the Latin word plere,
  meaning “to fill,” which is also the source of English accomplish, complement, compliment, comply,
  deplete, expletive, implement,
  replete, supplement, and supply.

[1]



completeblood count

completeblood count
com·plete
blood count
(plural com·plete blood counts) noun

diagnostic blood test:
a diagnostic test used to identify the levels of all blood-cell types in a
quantity of blood.
Also called
blood profile[1]



completely

completely
com·plete·ly
[kəm pltlee] adverb

thoroughly:
used to emphasize the extent of something • completely
wrong • I
completely forgot about it[1]



completemetamorphosis

completemetamorphosis
com·plete
met·a·mor·pho·sis noun

metamorphosis through all
stages: metamorphosis that involves
the four stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult in insects such as butterflies,
beetles, flies, and bees[1]



completer

completer
com·plet·er
[kəm pltər] (plural com·plet·ers)
noun

completing item:
an item that serves to make a larger item, especially a set, whole • an
eight-piece completer set of china[1]



completion

completion
com·ple·tion 
[kəm plsh’n] (plural com·ple·tions)
noun

1.  finishing:
the finishing of something or making something whole

2.  state
of being finished: the state of being finished
or brought to an end • the
building is nearing completion

3.  U.K.
LAW final
stage of sale: the final stage of the sale of real
estate, when ownership changes hands

4.  FOOTBALL caught
pass:
a forward pass that has been successfully caught

[1]



complex

complex
com·plex 
adjective [kəm pléks, kóm plèks]

1.  complicated:
difficult to analyze, understand, or solve

2.  having
many parts:
made up of many interrelated parts
noun
[kóm plèks] (plural com·plex·es)

1.  interconnected
whole:
a whole composed of various interrelated parts • a
building complex

2.  influence
on behavior: a set of related feelings, ideas, or
impulses that may be repressed but that continues to influence thoughts and
behavior • a
guilt complex

3.  exaggerated
feelings:
an exaggerated or obsessive set of feelings about something (informal) • He
has a complex about eating in restaurants.

4.  CHEMISTRY compound
of nonmetal and metal atoms: a compound in which nonmetal
molecules or ions form weak bonds ( coordinate bonds ) with a central metal
atom
[Mid-17th
century. Directly and via French from Latin complexus, the past
participle of complecti, literally “to weave together,” from plectere
“to plait”(see plexus ).]
—com·plex·ly,
adverb

—com·plex·ness, noun[1]



complexconjugate

complexconjugate
com·plex
con·ju·gate
(plural com·plex con·ju·gates) noun

MATHEMATICS
complex number in pair:
a complex number in a pair that have the same real components but opposite
imaginary components. The complex conjugate of a + ib is a –ib .[1]



complexfraction

complexfraction
com·plex
frac·tion
(plural com·plex frac·tions) noun

MATHEMATICS
fraction made up of fractions:
a fraction with a mixed number or fraction in its numerator or denominator, or
in both.
Also called
compound fraction[1]



complexion

complexion
com·plex·ion 
[kəm plékshən] (plural com·plex·ions)
noun

1.  skin
type:
the quality and color of the skin, especially of the face

2.  character:
the character of something or the way it appears • This
development puts an entirely new complexion on the matter.
[14th
century. Via French, “bodily constitution,” from, ultimately, Latin complecti
“to entwine” (see complex ). The original
underlying sense was the “combination” of a person’s bodily humors.]
—com·plex·ion·al, adjective[1]



complexioned

complexioned
com·plex·ioned 
[kəm plékshənd] adjective

having a particular skin
type: having a particular type of
skin, especially on the face (usually used in combination) • fair-complexioned[1]



complexity

complexity
com·plex·i·ty 
[kəm pléksitee] (plural com·plex·i·ties)
noun

1.  complicated
nature:
the condition of being difficult to understand, or being made up of many
interrelated things • the
increasing complexity of computing systems

2.  complicated
thing:
any one of the interrelated problems or difficulties involved in a complicated
matter (often used in the plural)

[1]



complexnumber

complexnumber
com·plex
num·ber 
(plural com·plex num·bers) noun

number with multiple
elements: a number in the form a
+ i b, where i = Á–1,
that may be either real or imaginary[1]



complexplane

complexplane
com·plex
plane
(plural com·plex planes) noun

MATHEMATICS
plane with complex numbers as
coordinates: a plane whose
coordinates are expressed as single complex numbers[1]



complexsentence

complexsentence
com·plex
sen·tence
(plural com·plex sen·tenc·es) noun

sentence with subordinate
clause: a sentence containing one or
more subordinate clauses[1]



compliance

compliance
com·pli·ance 
[kəm pl əns] or com·pli·an·cy
[kəm pl ənsee] noun

1.  conformity:
the state or act of conforming with or agreeing to do something • in
compliance with the court order

2.  readiness
to comply:
readiness to conform or agree to do something

[1]



compliancy

compliancy
com·pli·an·cy 
[kəm pl ənsee] noun

See
compliance[1]



compliant

compliant
com·pli·ant 
[kəm pl ənt] adjective

1.  ready
to conform:
ready to conform or agree to do something

2.  conforming
to requirements: made or done according to requirements
or instructions (often used in combination) • compliant
with the general statutes • Y2K-compliant
—com·pli·ant·ly, adverb[1]



complicacy

complicacy
com·pli·ca·cy 
[kómplikəssee] (plural com·pli·ca·cies)
noun

something complicated:
a complicated matter or situation (formal)[1]



complicate

complicate
com·pli·cate 
[kómpli kàyt] transitive verb (past
com·pli·cat·ed, past participle com·pli·cat·ed, present
participle com·pli·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular com·pli·cates)

make something more complex:
to make something complex or difficult • Further
delay will only complicate matters. • a
complicating factor
adjective

1.  folded:
used to describe things that are folded lengthwise, for example, leaves or
insect wings

2.  See
complicated
[Early 17th century. From
Latin complicat-, the past participle stem of complicare,
literally “to fold together,” from plicare (see ply 2 ).][1]



complicated

complicated
com·pli·cat·ed 
[kómpli kàytəd] or com·pli·cate
[kómpli kàytəd] adjective

1.  having
many interrelated parts: composed of many
interrelated parts and so difficult to understand or deal with • a
complicated diagram

2.  difficult:
difficult to deal with because of the need to take different relationships or
points of view into consideration • Life
is complicated enough as it is.
—com·pli·cat·ed·ly,
adverb

—com·pli·cat·ed·ness, noun[1]



complication

complication
com·pli·ca·tion 
[kòmpli káysh’n] (plural com·pli·ca·tions)
noun

1.  difficult
state:
a difficult or confused state caused by many interrelated factors

2.  difficulty:
something that makes something else more difficult or complex • Far
from being helpful, this is just a further complication.

3.  plot
device:
an event or character whose introduction into a story causes difficulty

4.  medical
problem:
a disease or problem that arises in addition to the initial condition or during
a surgical operation

5.  introduction
of difficulty: the act of making something complex or
difficult

[1]



complice

complice
com·plice 
[kómpliss] (plural com·plices)
noun

accomplice:
somebody who helps another, especially in doing something illegal (archaic)
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin complic-, the stem of complex “close associate,”
from plicare (see ply 2 ). The
underlying meaning is “somebody who is bound together with you.”][1]



complicit

complicit
com·plic·it 
[kəm plíssit] adjective

involved
in something illegal: involved in something
illegal or wrong • It was clear that some
of the staff were complicit in the attempt to cover up the scandal.
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from complicity .][1]



complicity

complicity
com·plic·i·ty 
[kəm plíssitee] noun

involvement
in wrongdoing: involvement with another in doing
something illegal or wrong
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from complice .][1]



compliment

compliment
com·pli·ment 
[kómpləmənt] noun (plural com·pli·ments)

1.  statement
of praise:
something said to express praise and approval

2.  act
or gesture:
something done to show respect and honor

3.  com·pli·ments
respect:
expressions of respect and good wishes • My
compliments to the chef.
transitive
verb
(past com·pli·ment·ed, past participle com·pli·ment·ed,
present participle com·pli·ment·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·pli·ments)

1.  say
something nice to somebody: to say something that
expresses praise and approval to somebody

2.  give
something to somebody: to give somebody a gift as a
sign of respect or affection

3.  congratulate
somebody:
to congratulate somebody
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin complere (see complete ). The underlying sense is “to fulfill
the demands of courtesy.”]
return
the compliment

to
respond to a gesture somebody has made toward you with a similar gesture

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at complement.

[1]



complimentary

complimentary
com·pli·men·ta·ry 
[kòmplə méntəree, kòmplə
méntree] adjective

1.  admiring:
expressing praise or approval • a
complimentary glance

2.  free:
given free as a courtesy or favor • complimentary
seats
—com·pli·men·ta·ri·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at complement.

[1]



complimentaryclose

complimentaryclose
com·pli·men·ta·ry
close 
(plural com·pli·men·ta·ry clos·es) noun

end of letter:
the part of a letter, e-mail, or similar communication immediately before the
signature, expressing the sender’s sentiments, for example, “Sincerely yours”[1]



compline

compline
com·pline
[kómplin, kómp
ln] or com·plin [kómplin]
noun

prayer
time:
the last of the seven separate hours ( canonical hours ) that are set aside for
prayer each day in the Roman Catholic Church
[12th century. An alteration
(probably influenced by “matins”) of Old French complie, from medieval
Latin (hora) completa “final (hour),” from Latin completus (see complete ).][1]



comply

comply
com·ply 
[kəm pl] (past com·plied, past
participle com·plied, present participle com·ply·ing, 3rd
person present singular com·plies) intransitive verb

obey:
to obey or conform to something, for example, a rule, law, wish, or regulation
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete French complire from Latin complere
(see complete ). The underlying sense is “to
carry out completely, fulfill.”]
—com·pli·er, noun[1]



compo

compo
com·po 
[kómpō] noun

mixture:
a material mixed from various ingredients, especially a mix of cement mortar (slang)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of composition .][1]



component

component

com·po·nent 
[kəm pṓnənt] noun (plural com·po·nents)

1.  part:
a part of something, usually of something bigger • a
manufacturer of vehicle components • one
of several major components of our research

2.  ELECTRICITY electric
part:
a device, for example, a resistor or transistor, that is part of an electronic
circuit

3.  MATHEMATICS vector:
any one of a set of vectors whose combination ( resultant
) is another vector

4.  CHEMISTRY constituent
substance:
any one of the substances necessary to describe each phase of a chemical system
adjective

forming part:
forming part of a whole
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin component-, the present participle stem of componere,
literally “to put together,” from ponere (see post
).]
—com·po·nen·tial [kòmpə nénsh’l], adjective[1]



comport

comport
com·port 
[kəm páwrt] (past com·port·ed,
past participle com·port·ed, present participle com·port·ing,
3rd person present singular com·ports) verb (formal)

1.  reflexive
verb
behave:
to behave in a particular way

2.  intransitive
verb
be
consistent:
to agree or be consistent with something • This
does not comport with the established facts.
[14th century. From Latin comportare,
literally “to bring together,” from portare (see port 5 ). The
underlying meaning is “to collect yourself.”][1]



comportment

comportment
com·port·ment 
[kəm pórtmənt] noun

behavior:
the way in which somebody behaves (formal)[1]



compose

compose
com·pose 
[kəm pṓz] (past com·posed, past
participle com·posed, present participle com·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular com·pos·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
the parts of something: to make something by
combining together • fertilizer composed of
organic compounds

2.  transitive
verb
put
elements together: to put things together to
form a whole • compose
a light lunch, using cold cuts and salads

3.  transitive
verb
arrange
items:
to arrange things in order to achieve an effect • compose
objects for a still life in oils

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb create:
to create something, especially a piece of music or writing • She
is trying to compose a rather difficult letter to her client.

5.  transitive
verb
calm:
to make somebody become calm • please
compose yourself

6.  transitive
verb
reconcile
argument:
to settle a quarrel or dispute (archaic)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb set
type:
to set type in preparation for printing
[14th
century. From French composer, an alteration (influenced by poser
“to place”) of Latin componere (see component
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at comprise.

[1]



composed

composed
com·posed 
[kəm pṓzd] adjective

calm:
not agitated or distracted
—com·pos·ed·ly
[kəm pṓzədlee], adverb

—com·pos·ed·ness
[kəm pṓzədnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



composer

composer
com·pos·er 
[kəm pṓzər] (plural com·pos·ers)
noun

somebody who composes:
somebody who composes, especially a writer of music[1]



composite

composite
com·pos·ite 
[kəm pózzit] adjective

1.  compound:
made up of different parts

2.  BOTANY belonging
to daisy family: used to describe any plant belonging to
a large family that has flower heads resembling a single flower but composed of
many smaller flowers. Dandelions and daisies are composite plants. Family:
Compositae
noun
(plural com·pos·ites)

1.  something
made of parts: something made from different parts • The
new law is a composite of previous suggested legislation.

2.  CRIMINOLOGY image
of suspect:
an image of a suspect’s face that is created by a police artist or
photographer, based on input from witnesses (informal)

3.  BOTANY plant
of daisy family: a composite plant

4.  BUILDING building
material:
any building material made up of different ingredients
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin compositus, the past
participle of componere (see component
).]
—com·pos·ite·ly,
adverb

—com·pos·ite·ness, noun[1]



Composite

Composite
Com·pos·ite
adjective

in
Classical style: belonging to a Classical order of
architecture that combines elements of the Ionic and Corinthian orders
[Mid-16th century][1]



compositeconstruction

compositeconstruction
com·pos·ite
con·struc·tion  noun

use of steel and concrete
combined: a building technique that
combines the use of steel and concrete to make supporting columns, resulting in
stronger, lighter, and less costly supports[1]



compositephotograph

compositephotograph
com·pos·ite
pho·to·graph (plural com·pos·ite
pho·to·graphs) noun

photographic montage:
an image or scene made up of two or more original images placed side by side,
overlapped, or superimposed[1]



compositeschool

compositeschool
com·pos·ite
school
(plural com·pos·ite schools) noun

academic and vocational
school: in some Canadian provinces,
a secondary school in which academic, business, and vocational programs are
offered[1]



composition

composition
com·po·si·tion 
[kòmpə zísh’n] (plural com·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  constituents:
the way in which something is made, especially in terms of its different parts

2.  arrangement:
the way in which the parts of something are arranged, especially the elements
in a visual image • the artist’s masterly
composition of a group portrait

3.  putting
together:
the act or process of combining things to form a whole, or of creating
something such as a piece of music or writing

4.  ARTS artistic
creation:
something created as a work of art, especially a piece of music

5.  piece
of writing:
a short piece of writing, especially a school exercise

6.  product:
a thing created by combining separate parts

7.  LAW settlement:
a settlement whereby creditors agree to accept partial payment of debts by a
bankrupt party, typically in return for a consideration such as immediate
payment of a lesser amount

8.  LINGUISTICS word
formation:
the formation of compound words from separate words

9.  PRINTING typesetting:
the setting of type in preparation for printing
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin composit-, the past
participle stem of componere (see component
).]
—com·po·si·tion·al,
adjective

—com·po·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



compositor

compositor
com·pos·i·tor 
[kəm pózzitər] (plural com·pos·i·tors)
noun

typesetter:
somebody who sets text in type
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “compiler,” formed from composit-, the past participle stem of componere
(see component ).][1]



composmentis

composmentis
com·pos
men·tis 
adjective

sane:
sane or of sound mind
[From Latin, literally “in
control of one’s mind”][1]



compost

compost
com·post 
[kóm pst] noun (plural com·posts)

1.  decayed
plant matter: a mixture of decayed plants and other
organic matter used by gardeners for enriching soil

2.  compound:
a compound or composition of several elements
verb
(past com·post·ed, past participle com·post·ed, present
participle com·post·ing, 3rd person present singular com·posts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb decay:
to convert organic matter to compost, or to be converted to compost

2.  transitive
verb
treat
soil:
to treat soil or an area of ground by adding compost
[14th
century. Via Old French composte “mixture” (source of English compote ) from Latin composita, from composit-,
the past participle stem of componere (see component
).]
—com·post·a·ble, adjective[1]



composter

composter
com·post·er
[kóm pstər] (plural com·post·ers)
noun

device for composting:
a device, often shaped like a box or barrel, used to collect organic materials
to be used later in composting[1]



composure

composure
com·po·sure 
[kəm pṓzhər] noun

emotional control:
calm and steady control over the emotions[1]



compote

compote
com·pote 
[kóm pt] (plural com·potes) noun

1.  stewed
fruit:
fruit cooked in sugar or syrup, served as a hot or cold dessert

2.  dish:
a glass dish with a long stem, used for serving fruit, nuts, or candy
[Late 17th century. Via
French, literally “mixture,” from Old French composte (see compost ).][1]



compound

compound1
com·pound1 noun [kóm pòwnd] (plural com·pounds)

1.  mixture:
something made by the combination of two or more different things

2.  GRAMMAR word
made up of other words: a word that is formed from
two or more identifiable words, for example, “blackbird,” “cookbook,” or
“bullheaded,” or, in some analyses, “mother-in-law” or “fire drill”
adjective
[kóm pòwnd, kom
pównd, kəm pównd]

1.  having
parts:
made by the combination of two or more different things

2.  GRAMMAR made
from two or more words: used to describe a word that
is made up of two or more words or word parts

3.  BOTANY divided
into parts:
used to describe a leaf that is divided into two or more parts ( leaflets )
attached to a single stalk.
See
also
simple
verb
[kom pównd, kəm
pównd] (past com·pound·ed, past participle com·pound·ed,
present participle com·pound·ing, 3rd person present singular
com·pounds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb add
together:
to add together, or add one thing to another or others, to form a whole • hatred
that was compounded with fear and revulsion

2.  transitive
verb
make
something by combining parts: to make something by the
adding together of different parts • a
medication compounded from several constituent elements

3.  transitive
verb
intensify
something:
to make something more extreme or intense by adding something to it • Further
financial reverses compounded his despair.

4.  transitive
verb
LAW take
bribe to ignore crime: to accept a bribe in return
for not prosecuting or informing about a crime

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb settle
debt:
to settle a debt by paying a lesser amount owed, typically right away in a lump
sum

6.  transitive
verb
FINANCE add
interest:
to calculate or pay interest based on both the principal and the interest that
has previously accrued on it • 6
percent interest, compounded monthly
[14th
century. Originally the past participle of earlier compoune “to put
together,” via Old French compoun-, the stem of compondre, from
Latin componere (see compose ).]
—com·pound·a·ble
[kəm pówndəb’l], adjective

—com·pound·er
[kəm pówndər], noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mixture

[1]



compound

compound2
com·pound2 [kóm
pownd] (plural com·pounds) noun

group
of buildings: an enclosed group of buildings for the
segregation or restraint of a particular group of people
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Malay kampong “enclosure, village.”][1]



compoundeye

compoundeye
com·pound
eye
(plural com·pound eyes) noun

insect eye:
the eye that most insects and some crustaceans have, made up of several
separate light-sensitive parts[1]



compoundfault

compoundfault
com·pound
fault
(plural com·pound faults) noun

GEOLOGY
series of faults:
a series of faults that lie closely together, following the same general
direction[1]



compoundfraction

compoundfraction
com·pound
frac·tion
(plural com·pound frac·tions) noun

MATHEMATICS
See complex fraction[1]



compoundfracture

compoundfracture
com·pound
frac·ture
(plural com·pound frac·tures) noun

broken bone:
a bone fracture in which a broken bone pierces the skin or comes into contact
with an open wound[1]



compoundinterest

compoundinterest
com·pound
in·ter·est
noun

interest on borrowing and
accrued interest: interest that is
calculated on the combined total of the original sum borrowed ( principal ) and the interest it has already
accrued[1]



compoundmeter

compoundmeter
com·pound
me·ter
noun

MUSIC
meter with triple parts:
a meter in which the beats of the measure are grouped in threes.
U.K. term
compound time[1]



compoundmicroscope

compoundmicroscope
com·pound
mi·cro·scope (plural com·pound
mi·cro·scopes) noun

microscope with two lenses:
a microscope consisting of two lenses or lens systems and an eyepiece, mounted
in a tube[1]



compoundsentence

compoundsentence
com·pound
sen·tence
(plural com·pound sen·tenc·es) noun

sentence with multiple
clauses: a sentence containing two or
more clauses that can stand independently. The clauses are often linked by a
conjunction that is sometimes preceded by a comma, as in “We waited for over an
hour, but she didn’t show up.”[1]



compoundtime

compoundtime
com·pound
time
noun

U.K.
MUSIC See compound meter[1]



comprehend

comprehend
com·pre·hend 
[kòmprə hénd] (past com·pre·hend·ed,
past participle com·pre·hend·ed, present participle com·pre·hend·ing,
3rd person present singular com·pre·hends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb understand:
to grasp the meaning or nature of something • It
was hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the problem.

2.  transitive
verb
include
something:
to include something as a part of something else (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin comprehendere, literally “to grasp fully,” from prehendere
“to seize.”]
—com·pre·hend·i·ble, adjective[1]



comprehensible

comprehensible
com·pre·hen·si·ble 
[kòmprə hénsəb’l] adjective

intelligible:
capable of being understood
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin comprehensibilis, from comprehens-,
the past participle stem of comprehendere (see comprehend
).]
—com·pre·hen·si·bil·i·ty
[kòmprə hensə bíllətee], noun

—com·pre·hen·si·ble·ness
[kòmprə hénsəb’lnəss], noun

—com·pre·hen·si·bly [kòmprə hénsəblee], adverb[1]



comprehension

comprehension
com·pre·hen·sion 
[kòprə hénsh’n] noun

1.  understanding:
the grasping of the meaning of something

2.  intellectual
ability:
the ability to grasp the meaning of something • It’s
beyond my comprehension.

3.  EDUCATION set
of questions on text: an exercise consisting of a
set of questions on a short text, designed to test students’ understanding of
it
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem comprehension-, from comprehens-,
the past participle stem of comprehendere (see comprehend
).][1]



comprehensive

comprehensive
com·pre·hen·sive 
[kòmprə hénsiv] adjective

1.  inclusive:
covering many things or a wide area • a
comprehensive survey of public opinion

2.  including
all:
including everything, so as to be complete • comprehensive
knowledge of the subject

3.  covering
many eventualities: used to describe insurance
policies that provide coverage or benefit in most areas

4.  able
to understand: able to understand, or using the power
of understanding (archaic) • an
unusually comprehensive mind
noun
(plural com·pre·hen·sives) comprehensive comprehensive
examination

EDUCATION examination:
a final graduate or undergraduate examination in a major field of study (often
used in the plural)
[17th
century. Directly or via French from Latin comprehensivus, from comprehens-,
the past participle stem of comprehendere (see comprehend
).]
—com·pre·hen·sive·ly,
adverb

—com·pre·hen·sive·ness,
noun[1]



compress

compress
com·press 
verb [kəm préss] (past com·pressed,
past participle com·pressed, present participle com·press·ing,
3rd person present singular com·press·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shrink:
to make something smaller by applying pressure or by some analogous process

2.  transitive
verb
press
things together: to press things, for example, the lips,
together

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING make
files shorter: to reduce the size of computer files or
transmissions by means of algorithms
noun
[kóm prèss] (plural com·press·es)

1.  MEDICINE treatment
pad:
a cloth pad, often moistened or medicated, pressed firmly against a part of the
body as a treatment, for example, to stop bleeding

2.  machine:
a machine for compressing material, especially cotton that is being packed
[14th
century. Via Old French from late Latin compressare, literally “to keep
pressing together,” from Latin comprimere, from premere (see press ).]
—com·press·i·ble,
adjective

—com·press·i·bil·i·ty
[kəm prèssə bíllətee], noun

—com·press·i·ble·ness
[kəm préssəb’lnəss], noun

—com·press·i·bly [kəm préssəblee], adverb[1]



compressed

compressed
com·pressed 
[kəm prést] adjective

squeezed:
squeezed or condensed and made smaller or shorter[1]



compressedair

compressedair
com·pressed
air
noun

air under pressure:
air that is kept in a container under pressure, often used to power machines[1]



compression

compression
com·pres·sion 
[kəm présh’n] (plural com·pres·sions)
noun

1.  reduction
in size:
the reduction of the volume or mass of something by applying pressure, or the
state of having been treated in this way

2.  phase
in engine:
a phase in the working of an internal-combustion engine in which a combination
of fuel and air is compressed in a cylinder before being ignited
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin compress-, the past
participle stem of comprimere (see compress
).]
—com·pres·sion·al, adjective[1]



compressionratio

compressionratio
com·pres·sion
ra·tio
noun

volume ratio in engine:
the ratio between the largest and smallest possible volumes in the cylinder of
an internal-combustion engine that contains a combination of fuel and air being
compressed[1]



compressionwave

compressionwave
com·pres·sion
wave
(plural com·pres·sion waves) noun

wave in fluid:
a longitudinal wave created in a fluid by a compressing force, for example, a
sound wave in air[1]



compressive

compressive
com·pres·sive 
[kəm préssiv] adjective

compressing:
having the power or tendency to compress
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin compress-, the past
participle stem of comprimere (see compress
).]
—com·pres·sive·ly, adverb[1]



compressor

compressor
com·pres·sor 
[kəm préssər] (plural com·pres·sors)
noun

1.  machine
that compresses gas: a machine that compresses
gas so that the power produced when the gas is released can be used to power
another machine, for example, a pneumatic drill

2.  ANATOMY muscle:
a muscle that compresses or flattens a part of the body

[1]



comprimario

comprimario
com·pri·mar·i·o 
[kòmpri máiriee ō, kòmpri
mree ō] (plural com·pri·mar·i·os) noun

secondary
role:
a secondary role in an opera or ballet, or somebody who performs such a role
[From Italian, literally
“co-primary”][1]



comprise

comprise
com·prise 
[kəm prz] (past com·prised, past
participle com·prised, present participle com·pris·ing,
3rd person present singular com·pris·es) transitive verb

1.  include
something:
to incorporate or contain something

2.  consist
of something: to be made up of something

3.  constitute
something:
to make up the whole of something
[15th
century. Formed from French compris, the past participle of comprendre
“to include,” from Latin comprehendere (see comprehend
).]
—com·pris·a·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  comprise,
  consist of, include, compose, or constitute ?
  Comprise and consist of are
  concerned with a whole having a number of parts. They are used in the active
  voice, with the whole as their subject and the parts as their object: • the
  house comprises three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.
  • The
  meal consisted of several small dishes that everybody dipped into and shared.
  If some rather than all the parts are mentioned, include
  may be used instead: • the
  house includes a kitchen and a living room on the first floor.
  Compose and constitute
  are concerned with parts making up a whole. Compose
  is normally used in the passive and constitute
  in the active: • The team is composed
  of several experts in the field. • The
  following commodities constitute the average household diet.

[1]



compromise

compromise
com·pro·mise 
[kómprə mz] noun (plural com·pro·mis·es)

1.  agreement:
a settlement of a dispute in which two or more sides agree to accept less than
they originally wanted • After
hours of negotiations a compromise was reached.

2.  something
accepted rather than wanted: something that somebody
accepts because what was wanted is unattainable

3.  potential
danger or disgrace: exposure to danger or
disgrace
verb
(past com·pro·mised, past participle com·pro·mised,
present participle com·pro·mis·ing, 3rd person present
singular com·pro·mis·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
agree
by conceding: to settle a dispute by agreeing to
accept less than what was originally wanted

2.  transitive
verb
lessen
value of something: to undermine or devalue
something or somebody by making concessions • Don’t
compromise your integrity by telling half-truths.

3.  transitive
verb
expose
to danger:
to expose somebody or something to danger or risk • This
scandal could compromise his chances for reelection.
• drugs
that can compromise the immune system
[15th
century. Via French compromis from Latin compromissum “mutual
agreement,” from the past participle of compromittere, literally “to
make mutual promises,” from promittere (see promise
).]
—com·pro·mis·er, noun[1]



compromising

compromising
com·pro·mis·ing 
[kómprə mzing] adjective

potentially
leading to disgrace: liable to expose somebody to
disgrace or humiliation
—com·pro·mis·ing·ly, adverb[1]



compt.

compt.
compt.

Abbreviation of
compartment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Compton

Compton1
Comp·ton1 [kómptən]

city in southwestern
California, a southern suburb of Los Angeles situated northeast of Torrance.
Population: 91,700 (1996)[1]



Compton,Arthur Holly

Compton,Arthur Holly
Comp·ton 
[kómptən], Arthur Holly (1892–1962)

U.S. physicist. He discovered
the Compton effect (1922), for which he received the 1927 Nobel Prize in
Physics.[1]



Comptoneffect

Comptoneffect
Comp·ton
ef·fect
noun

decrease
in photon energy: the decrease in energy and increase in
wavelength experienced by a photon after colliding or interacting with an
electron
[Early 20th century. Named
for A. H. Compton .][1]



comptroller

comptroller
comp·trol·ler 
[kən trṓlər] (plural comp·trol·lers)
noun

FINANCE See controller  noun 2
[15th
century. Variant of controller, by
association with compt, an older spelling of count .]
—comp·trol·ler·ship, noun[1]



compulsion

compulsion
com·pul·sion 
[kəm púlshən] (plural com·pul·sions)
noun

1.  force:
a force that makes somebody do something

2.  compelling:
an act of compelling or the state of being compelled • You
are under no compulsion to leave.

3.  PSYCHOLOGY psychological
force:
a psychological and usually irrational force that makes somebody do something,
often unwillingly • felt an irresistible
compulsion
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin compuls-, the past participle stem of compellere
(see compel ).][1]



compulsive

compulsive
com·pul·sive 
[kəm púlsiv] adjective

1.  driven:
driven by an irresistible inner force to do something • a
compulsive liar

2.  powerfully
interesting: exerting a powerful attraction or
interest
noun
(plural com·pul·sives)

somebody under psychological compulsion:
somebody whose actions are driven by a usually irrational psychological force
—com·pul·sive·ly,
adverb

—com·pul·sive·ness,
noun

—com·pul·siv·i·ty [kòm pul sívvətee], noun[1]



compulsory

compulsory
com·pul·so·ry 
[kəm púlsəree] adjective

1.  necessary:
required by law or an authority • attendance
at the lecture is compulsory

2.  forced:
caused by force, or using force to make somebody do something
noun
(plural com·pul·so·ries)

required routine:
an exercise or routine that participants in a sport such as gymnastics or
figure skating must perform as part of a competition (often used in the
plural)
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin compulsorius, from Latin compuls-,
the past participle stem of compellere (see compel
).]
—com·pul·so·ri·ly,
adverb

—com·pul·so·ri·ness, noun[1]



compunction

compunction
com·punc·tion 
[kəm púngkshən] noun

shame:
feelings of shame and regret about doing something wrong
[14th
century. Via French componction from, ultimately, Latin compunct-,
the past participle stem of compungere, literally “to sting strongly,”
from pungere (see pungent ).]
—com·punc·tious,
adjective

—com·punc·tious·ly, adverb[1]



computable

computable
com·put·a·ble
[kómpyətəb’l] adjective

calculable:
capable of being worked out by calculation, especially using a computer
—com·put·a·bil·i·ty [kòmpyətə bíllətee], noun[1]



computation

computation
com·pu·ta·tion 
[kòmpyə táysh’n] (plural com·pu·ta·tions)
noun

1.  use
of computer: the use of a computer, especially for
calculation, or something calculated using a computer

2.  calculation:
the calculating of something, or the result of a calculation
—com·pu·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



computational

computational
com·pu·ta·tion·al
[kòmpyətáyshənəl] adjective

of
computers:
relating to or involving the use of computers • computational
linguistics
—com·pu·ta·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



compute

compute
com·pute 
[kəm pyt] (past com·put·ed, past
participle com·put·ed, present participle com·put·ing,
3rd person present singular com·putes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
calculate
something:
to calculate an answer or result, especially using a computer

2.  intransitive
verb
use
computer or calculator: to use a computer or
calculator

3.  intransitive
verb
yield
result:
to yield a result, especially a correct result, from calculation • These
numbers just don’t compute.
[Early 17th century. From
Latin computare, literally “to reckon together” source of count 1 .][1]



computedtomography

computedtomography
com·put·ed
to·mog·ra·phy noun

MEDICINE
technique for producing images of body:
a technique for producing images of cross-sections of the body. A computer
processes data from X-rays penetrating the body from many directions and
projects the results on a screen. This is the technology used when conducting a
CT scan.
Also called
computerized tomography
Also called
computerized axial tomography
Also called
cat scanning[1]



computer

computer

com·put·er 
[kəm pytər] (plural com·put·ers)
noun

1.  electronic
data processor and storer: an electronic device that
accepts, processes, stores, and outputs data at high speeds according to
programmed instructions

2.  somebody
who computes: a person who calculates numbers or
amounts using a machine
—com·put·er·less, adjective[1]



computerconferencing

computerconferencing
com·put·er
con·fer·enc·ing noun

holding meeting by means of
computers: the use of computers to
allow people at distant sites to exchange text and graphic messages as they
would at a meeting[1]



computercrime

computercrime
com·put·er
crime
noun

crime using computers:
illegal activities carried out on or by means of a computer. Computer crime
includes criminal trespass into another’s computer system, theft of
computerized data, and the use of an on-line system to commit or aid in the
commission of fraud.[1]



computerdating

computerdating
com·put·er
dat·ing
noun

finding partners by computer:
the business or practice of putting people’s personal information and
preferences into a computer that then matches apparently compatible couples[1]



computerese

computerese
com·put·er·ese 
[kəm pytə rz, kəm
pytə rss] noun

computer jargon:
the technical language used by people involved with computers (humorous)[1]



computergame

computergame
com·put·er
game
(plural com·put·er games) noun

game played on computer:
a game in the form of computer software, run on a personal computer or games
machine and played by one or more people using a keyboard, mouse, control pad,
or joystick. Computer games usually combine sound and graphics and range from
traditional games such as chess to fast-moving action games or complex puzzles.[1]



computergraphics

computergraphics
com·put·er
graph·ics 
noun

generation
of pictures on computer: the use of a computer and
specialized software to produce and manipulate pictorial images for purposes of
animation, business presentations, and scientific research. The graphic images
may be stored as mathematical representations called “vector graphics,” which
may be sized and scaled as desired, or as “bit-mapped graphics,” which are
patterns on the screen ( pixels ). (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
graphics
plural
noun

computer-generated images:
the images produced by computer graphics.
Also called
graphics[1]



computerize

computerize
com·put·er·ize 
[kəm pytə rz] (past com·put·er·ized,
past participle com·put·er·ized, present participle com·put·er·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular com·put·er·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  convert
to computer-based system: to install or start using a
computer system to organize, control, or automate something, such as a
mechanical process or calculations

2.  put
details of something on computer: to store information
in a computer system or process it by computer
—com·put·er·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—com·put·er·i·za·tion
[kəm pytəri záysh’n], noun[1]



computerized

computerized
com·put·er·ized 
[kəm pytə rzd] adjective

1.  run
by computer: operated, organized, controlled, or
performed by computer

2.  kept
on computer: processed by or stored in a computer or
computer system

[1]



computerizedaxial tomography

computerizedaxial tomography
com·put·er·ized
ax·i·al to·mog·ra·phy noun

See
computed tomography[1]



computerizedtomography

computerizedtomography
com·put·er·ized
to·mog·ra·phy noun

See
computed tomography[1]



computerlanguage

computerlanguage
com·put·er
lan·guage
(plural com·put·er lan·guages) noun

See
programming language[1]



computerliteracy

computerliteracy
com·put·er
lit·er·a·cy 
noun

knowing about computers:
the ability to use computers competently and to understand computer terminology[1]



computerliterate

computerliterate
com·put·er
lit·er·ate
adjective

able to use computers:
having a good understanding and experience of working with a computer or
computer system[1]



computerphobe

computerphobe
com·put·er·phobe
[kəm pytər fb] (plural com·put·er·phobes)
noun

somebody
who dislikes or fears computers: somebody who dislikes,
avoids, or worries about using computers (informal)
—com·put·er·pho·bi·a
[kəm pytər fṓbee ə], noun

—com·put·er·pho·bic, adjective[1]



computerscience

computerscience
com·put·er
sci·ence
noun

study of computers:
the study of the mathematics and technology of computers and their applications[1]



computervirus

computervirus
com·put·er
vi·rus 
(plural com·put·er vi·rus·es) noun

See
virus  noun 3[1]



computing

computing
com·put·ing
[kəm pyting] noun

use of computers:
the use of computers or computing systems[1]



Comr.

Comr.
Comr.

Abbreviation of
Commissioner[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








comrade

comrade
com·rade 
[kóm ràd, kómrəd]
(plural com·rades) noun

1.  friend
or companion: somebody who is either a close friend or
a companion, often resulting from shared experiences

2.  com·rade
or Com·rade fellow soldier, member, or
coworker:
a fellow member of a group, especially a fellow soldier or a fellow supporter
of a Communist or Socialist party
[Mid-16th
century. Via French camerade from Spanish camarada “barracks
mate,” from camara “room,” from Latin camera (see camera ).]
—com·rade·ly,
adjective

—com·rade·ship, noun[1]



comrade-in-arms

comrade-in-arms
com·rade-in-arms
(plural com·rades-in-arms) noun

fellow soldier:
somebody who is fighting on the same side in a war, battle, or other armed
struggle (formal)[1]



Comstockery

Comstockery
Com·stock·er·y 
[kóm stòkəree, kúm
stòkəree] noun

excessive
censorship:
the removal of, or strong opposition to, anything that could be seen as immoral
or obscene in literary, artistic, or broadcast material
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. moral crusader Anthony Comstock 1844–1915, who founded the
New York Society for the Suppression of Vice.][1]



Comte,Auguste

Comte,Auguste
Comte 
[koNt], Auguste (1798–1857)

French
philosopher. He was a pioneer of “positivism” who, through his theories of
social evolution, both named and established the science of sociology.
Full
name
Comte, Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier
—Com·ti·an
(plural Com·ti·ans), noun, adjective

—Com·tism, noun[1]



Comus

Comus
Co·mus
[kṓməss] noun

Roman god of revelry:
the Roman god of revelry[1]



con

con2
con2 [kon]
(plural cons) noun

1.  reason
not to do something: an argument against doing
something, or evidence or an opinion stating that something should not be done
• the
pros and cons

2.  person
not in favor: somebody who opposes or votes against
something
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of Latin contra “against.”][1]



con

con3
con3 [kon]
(plural cons) noun

convict:
a convict (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



con.

con.
con.

1.  MUSIC Abbreviation of concerto

2.  LAW Abbreviation of conclusion

3.  Abbreviation
of
connection

4.  Abbreviation
of
consolidated

5.  Abbreviation
of
continued

6.  Abbreviation
of
contra

[1]



con

con6
con6 [kon]
preposition

“with”
in music:
used to mean “with” in a musical direction
[From Italian, “with”][1]



Con.

Con.
Con.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Consul

2.  Abbreviation
of
Conservative

[1]



con-

con-
con-
prefix

(used before sounds other
than b, l, m, or p.)See com-[1]



con

con1
con1 [kon]
transitive verb (past conned, past participle conned,
present participle con·ning, 3rd person present singular cons)

1.  trick
somebody:
to cheat somebody, usually out of money or property, by first convincing the
victim of something that is untrue

2.  lie:
to tell somebody something untrue or misleading

3.  persuade
somebody:
to get somebody to agree to something (informal) • See
if you can con him into a game of basketball!
noun
(plural cons)

dishonest trick:
a trick or dishonest business ploy that takes advantage of somebody’s trust,
such as telling lies in order to get money or property unfairly
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of confidence trick .][1]



con

con5
con5 [kon]
or conn [kon] transitive
verb (past conned, past participle conned, present
participle con·ning, 3rd person present singular cons)
(past conned, past participle conned, present
participle con·ning, 3rd person present singular conns)

direct
steering of ship: to control or direct the steering of a
ship
noun
(plural cons)

directing
of ship’s steering: control of the steering of a
ship, or the controls so used
[Early 17th century.
Shortened from French conduire, from Latin conducere “conduct.”][1]



con

con4
con4 [kon]
(past conned, past participle conned, present
participle con·ning, 3rd person present singular cons)
transitive verb (archaic)

1.  examine
something:
to study something with great care and attention

2.  learn
or memorize: to learn or memorize something
[Partly from Old English cunnan
“to know how” (source of English can
); partly from Old English cunnian “to explore.” Both ultimately from an
Indo-European word that also produced English know
.][1]



Conakry

Conakry
Con·a·kry 
[kónnə kr, kònnə
kr]

capital, largest city, and
chief Atlantic port of Guinea, in western Africa. Population: 705,280 (1983)[1]



conamore

conamore
con
a·mo·re 
[kòn ə máwree, kàwn
aa máw rày] adverb

tenderly:
with tender feeling (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian, literally
“with love”][1]



Conant,James Bryant

Conant,James Bryant
Co·nant 
[kṓnənt], James Bryant (1893–1978)

U.S. educator and chemist. He
campaigned for national educational reform and was president of Harvard
University (1933–1953).[1]



conation

conation
co·na·tion 
[kō náysh’n] noun

mental
process of action: in psychology, a mental
process involving the will, such as impulse, desire, or resolve
[Mid-19th
century. From the Latin stem conation-, from conat-, the past
participle stem of conari “to try.”]
—co·na·tion·al,
adjective

—co·na·tive [kṓnətiv, kónnətiv],
adjective[1]



conbrio

conbrio
con
bri·o 
[kon br ō, kōn
br ō] adverb

in
a lively manner: with spirit or vigor (used as a
musical direction)
[From Italian, literally
“with vigor”][1]



conc.

conc.
conc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
concentrated

2.  Abbreviation
of
concentration

3.  Abbreviation
of
concerning

4.  Abbreviation
of
concerto

5.  Abbreviation
of
concrete

[1]



concatenate

concatenate
con·cat·e·nate 
transitive verb [kon kátt’n àyt, kən kátt’n àyt] (past con·cat·e·nat·ed,
past participle con·cat·e·nat·ed, present participle con·cat·e·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cat·e·nates)

1.  bring
together:
to connect separate units or items into a linked system

2.  COMPUTING link
units together: to link two or more information units,
such as character strings or files, so that they form a single unit
adjective
[kon kátt’nət, kon
kátt’n àyt, kən kátt’n àyt]

COMPUTING linked
together:
linked together in a sequence or chain
[15th century. From late
Latin concatenat-, the past participle stem of concatenare,
literally “to chain together,” from catena “chain” (source of English chain and catenary
).][1]



concatenation

concatenation
con·cat·e·na·tion
[kon kàtt’n áysh’n, kən
kàtt’n áysh’n] (plural con·cat·e·na·tions) noun

1.  process
or state of being linked: the linking of things
together or the state of being interconnected

2.  COMPUTING linking
of units:
the linking of characters, strings, or files in a specified order to form a
single entity equal to the sum of the lengths of the original entities

[1]



concave

concave
con·cave 
[kon káyv, kón
kayv] (past con·caved, past participle con·caved,
present participle con·cav·ing, 3rd person present singular
con·caves, plural con·caves) adjective

1.  curved
inward:
curved inward like the inner surface of a bowl or sphere

2.  MATHEMATICS containing
an angle greater than 180°: used to describe a polygon
with an interior angle greater than 180°
[From
Latin concavus, literally “hollowed out,” from cavus (see cave )]
—con·cave·ly,
adverb

—con·cave·ness, noun[1]



concavity

concavity
con·cav·i·ty 
[kon kávvətee] (plural con·cav·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being concave: the state of being concave

2.  concave
part or surface: a concave part or surface

[1]



concavo-concave

concavo-concave
con·cav·o-con·cave 
[kon kàyvō kon káyv] adjective

OPTICS
doubly concave:
used to describe a lens that is concave on both surfaces[1]



concavo-convex

concavo-convex
con·cav·o-con·vex 
[kon kàyvō kon véks] adjective

OPTICS
concave and convex:
used to describe a lens that is concave on one surface and convex on the other[1]



conceal

conceal
con·ceal 
[kən sl] (past con·cealed, past
participle con·cealed, present participle con·ceal·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ceals) transitive verb

1.  hide
person or thing: to put or keep something or somebody out
of sight or prevent the person or thing from being found • The
evidence was carefully concealed

2.  hide
fact or feeling: to keep something secret or prevent it
from being known
[13th
century. Via Old French conceler from Latin concelare “to hide
well,” from celare “to hide.”]
—con·ceal·a·ble,
adjective

—con·ceal·er, noun[1]



concealer

concealer
con·ceal·er
[kən slər] (plural con·ceal·ers)
noun

1.  makeup
for hiding blemishes: flesh-colored makeup that
can be applied to the skin to hide blemishes

2.  somebody
or something that conceals: somebody or something that
conceals

[1]



concealment

concealment
con·ceal·ment
[kən slmənt] noun

1.  hiding
something or secrecy: secrecy, or the act of
hiding somebody or something

2.  MILITARY military
cover:
the protection of troops from observation in combat, or something that provides
such protection

[1]



concede

concede
con·cede 
[kən sd] (past con·ced·ed, past
participle con·ced·ed, present participle con·ced·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cedes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
reluctantly
accept something to be true: to admit or acknowledge
something, often grudgingly or with reluctance

2.  transitive
verb
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS grant
rights to:
to allow or yield something such as a right or privilege to another person or
country

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb POLITICS admit failure before end:
to accept and acknowledge defeat in a contest, debate, election, or fight,
often without waiting for the final result

4.  transitive
verb
U.K. SPORTS give
something away: to allow your opponent or opposing team
to gain something valuable, usually a goal or points
[15th
century. Via French from Latin concedere, literally “to yield
completely,” from cedere (see cede
).]
—con·ced·er, noun[1]



conceit

conceit
con·ceit 
[kən st] noun

1.  too
much pride in yourself: a high opinion of your own
qualities or abilities, especially one that is not justified.
Also
called
conceitedness

2.  LITERATURE exaggerated
comparison in literature: an imaginative poetic image,
or writing that contains such an image, especially a comparison that is extreme
or far-fetched

3.  whimsical
object:
an object created from the imagination

4.  imaginative
idea:
an idea, opinion, or theme, especially one that is fanciful or unusual in some
way

5.  witty
expression:
a witty, inventive, or amusing expression (archaic)
transitive
verb
(3rd person present singular con·ceited)

1.  apprehend
mentally:
to think of, to consider, to imagine, or to understand something (archaic)

2.  Northern
England
like
something:
to like or tolerate something
[14th century. Formed from conceive, on the model of “deceit.” The underlying
sense is “something conceived in the mind.”][1]



conceited

conceited
con·ceit·ed 
[kən stəd] adjective

1.  too
proud:
having or showing an excessively high opinion of your own qualities or
abilities

2.  creatively
witty:
imaginative, fanciful, witty, or ingenious (archaic)
—con·ceit·ed·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at proud

[1]



conceitedness

conceitedness
con·ceit·ed·ness
[kən stədnəss] noun

See
conceit  noun 1[1]



conceivable

conceivable
con·ceiv·a·ble
[kən svəb’l] adjective

believable:
possible to imagine, understand, or believe • we
tried every means conceivable to contact her
—con·ceiv·a·bil·i·ty
[kən svə bíllətee], noun

—con·ceiv·a·ble·ness [kən svəb’lnəss], noun[1]



conceivably

conceivably
con·ceiv·a·bly
[kən svəblee] adverb

possibly:
possibly, even if only a remote possibility • you
could just conceivably be wrong[1]



conceive

conceive
con·ceive 
[kən sv] (past con·ceived, past
participle con·ceived, present participle con·ceiv·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ceives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb think
of or imagine something: to form an idea or concept
of something in your mind

2.  transitive
verb
invent,
devise, or originate something: to think up something
that could be put into action such as a plan or an invention • Conceived
and written by John Sander

3.  start
to experience: to produce something from the mind such
as an emotion

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
pregnant:
to become pregnant with a child or with young

5.  transitive
verb
understand:
to understand something
[13th
century. Via Old French conceiv-, the stem of concevoir, from
Latin concipere, literally “to take in,” from capere (see capture ).]
—con·ceiv·er, noun[1]



concelebrant

concelebrant
con·cel·e·brant
[kən sélləbrənt] (plural con·cel·e·brants)
noun

Christian priest officiating
jointly at Mass: a priest who celebrates
the Christian Mass or Holy Communion together with one or more other priests[1]



concelebrate

concelebrate
con·cel·e·brate 
[kən séllə bràyt] (past con·cel·e·brat·ed,
past participle con·cel·e·brat·ed, present participle con·cel·e·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cel·e·brates) intransitive and
transitive verb

officiate
jointly at Christian Mass: to celebrate the Christian
Mass or Holy Communion jointly with one or more other priests
[Late
16th century. From Latin concelebrat-, the past participle stem of concelebrare,
literally “to celebrate together,” from celebrare (see celebrate ).]
—con·cel·e·bra·tion [kən sèllə bráysh’n], noun[1]



concenter

concenter
con·cen·ter 
[kən séntər, kon
séntər] (past con·cen·tered, past participle con·cen·tered,
present participle con·cen·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular con·cen·ters) intransitive and transitive verb

MATHEMATICS come
or bring to common center: to direct things to a common
center or to converge at a common center
[Late 16th century. From
French concentrer, from con- “together” and centre
“center.”][1]



concentrate

concentrate
con·cen·trate 
[kóns’n tràyt] verb (past con·cen·trat·ed,
past participle con·cen·trat·ed, present participle con·cen·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cen·trates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb silently
and intensely think about something: to
focus all of your thoughts or mental activity on one subject or activity,
usually in silence • I found myself unable
to concentrate on my work

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb devote
efforts to one thing: to direct attention, time, and
resources to one particular area or activity, usually over a period of time

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cluster
together:
to bring things to a common center or close together in the same area, or to
come together in the same place

4.  transitive
verb
make
purer:
to make a substance purer by the removal of another substance, especially by
removing a liquid

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING make thicker or stronger:
to remove water from a substance, usually a liquid, leaving a smaller quantity
that is thicker in consistency and stronger in flavor

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY accumulate in tissue:
to accumulate or be stored, or to cause to accumulate or be stored, in
biological tissue over a period of time

7.  transitive
verb
MINERALS purify
ore:
to remove rock and other material from ore to purify it
noun
(plural con·cen·trates)

1.  pure
substance:
a substance made purer by the removal of another, especially a liquid

2.  FOOD thick
food substance: a food substance, especially a liquid,
made thicker or stronger in flavor by the removal of liquid
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from concenter .]
—con·cen·tra·tive,
adjective

—con·cen·tra·tive·ly, adverb[1]



concentrated

concentrated
con·cen·trat·ed
[kóns’n tràytəd] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY FOOD strong:
used to describe a substance, especially a liquid, made thicker or stronger by
the removal of water

2.  focused:
involving or characterized by the focusing or intensifying of an activity or
process
—con·cen·trat·edly, adverb[1]



concentration

concentration
con·cen·tra·tion 
[kòns’n tráysh’n] (plural con·cen·tra·tions)
noun

1.  focus
of mind or resources: the direction of all thought
or effort toward one particular task, idea, or subject

2.  cluster
or number:
a large number of things or amount of something collected together in one area
• the
concentration of computing talent in one part of the country

3.  CHEMISTRY strength
of solution: the amount of a substance dissolved in
another. Symbol c

4.  CHEMISTRY COOKING making
a liquid thicker or stronger: the removal of water from
something, usually a liquid, to make it thicker or stronger

5.  EDUCATION focus
of major in college: the main area of study
within a student’s major in college

[1]



concentrationcamp

concentrationcamp
con·cen·tra·tion
camp
(plural con·cen·tra·tion camps) noun

1.  HISTORY Nazi
camp for exterminating prisoners: one of the prison
camps used for exterminating prisoners under the rule of Hitler in Nazi Germany

2.  prison
camp for civilians in war: a prison camp used in war
for the incarceration of political prisoners or civilians
[Originally used in the Boer
War to denote camps into which civilians were “concentrated” so that they did
not hinder military operations][1]



concentrator

concentrator
con·cen·tra·tor
[kóns’n tràytər] (plural con·cen·tra·tors)
noun

1.  COMPUTING telecommunications
device:
a telecommunications device that combines outgoing messages into one message,
or extracts individual messages from one transmission into which they have been
combined

2.  MINERALS factory
that processes mineral ore: an industrial plant that
produces purified or concentrated mineral ore

3.  ENERGY mirror
system for producing solar energy: a set of mirrors used
to concentrate sunlight in the collection of energy from the sun

[1]



concentric

concentric
con·cen·tric 
[kən séntrik, kon
séntrik] adjective

1.  with
common middle point: used to describe circles and
spheres of different sizes with the same middle point

2.  with
common axis: with a common axis, as when rotating
elements are mounted on shafts that have a common center line
[14th
century. From Medieval Latin concentricus, literally “having the same
center,” formed from Latin centrum (see center
).]
—con·cen·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—con·cen·tric·i·ty [kòns’n tríssətee], noun[1]



Concepción

Concepción
Con·cep·ción
[kàwn sep syáwn, kən
sèpsi ṓn]

city and capital of Bío-Bío
Region, central Chile, situated on the Bío-Bío River, 418 km/260 mi southwest
of Santiago. Population: 326,784 (1992)[1]



concept

concept
con·cept 
[kón sèpt] (plural con·cepts) noun

1.  something
thought or imagined: something that somebody has
thought up, or that somebody might be able to imagine.
Also
called
conception

2.  broad
principle affecting perception and behavior: a
broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle, such as one that determines
how a person or culture behaves, or how nature, reality, or events are
perceived • the
concept of time

3.  understanding
or grasp:
the most basic understanding of something

4.  way
of doing or perceiving something: a method, plan, or
type of product or design
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin conceptus, from the past participle of Latin concipere (see
conceive ).][1]



conceptart

conceptart
con·cept
art
noun

See
conceptual art[1]



conception

conception
con·cep·tion 
[kən sépshən] (plural con·cep·tions)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY conceiving
of young:
the fertilization of an egg by a sperm at the beginning of pregnancy

2.  See
concept  noun 1

3.  broad
understanding: a general understanding of something

4.  formulation
of idea:
the process of arriving at an abstract idea or belief or the moment at which
such an idea starts to take shape or emerge

5.  origin
or beginnings: the beginnings or origin of something

6.  something
conceived in the mind: a result of thought, such as
an idea, invention, or plan

7.  BIOLOGY embryo
or fetus:
an embryo or fetus (technical)
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin concipere (see conceive ).]
—con·cep·tion·al,
adjective

—con·cep·tive,
adjective

—con·cep·tive·ly, adverb[1]



conceptual

conceptual
con·cep·tu·al 
[kən sépchoo əl] adjective

to
do with basic principles: coming from or belonging to
the concepts, ideas, or principles something is based on
—con·cep·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



conceptualart

conceptualart
con·cep·tu·al
art
or con·cept art noun

art conveying concepts:
art designed to present an idea rather than to be appreciated for its creative
skill or beauty, and that often makes use of unconventional media instead of
painting or sculpture[1]



conceptualartist

conceptualartist
con·cep·tu·al
art·ist
(plural con·cep·tu·al art·ists) noun

person who produces
conceptual art: an artist specializing
in conceptual art.
Also called
conceptualist noun 2[1]



conceptualism

conceptualism
con·cep·tu·al·ism 
[kən sépchoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
that mental concepts determine reality: the
philosophical theory that the existence of something is dependent on our having
a mental concept of it

2.  ARTS theory
of art focusing on ideas: a school of art concerned
primarily with the ideas behind a work of art rather than the artwork itself
—con·cep·tu·al·is·tic
[kən sèpchoo ə lístik], adjective

—con·cep·tu·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[kən sèpchoo ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



conceptualist

conceptualist
con·cep·tu·al·ist
[kən sépchoo əlist] (plural con·cep·tu·al·ists)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY believer
in conceptualism: a person who believes in conceptualism

2.  ARTS See conceptual artist

[1]



conceptualize

conceptualize
con·cep·tu·al·ize 
[kən sépchoo ə lz] (past con·cep·tu·al·ized,
past participle con·cep·tu·al·ized, present participle con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cep·tu·al·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

1.  interpret
observations with a concept: to arrive at a concept or
generalization as a result of things seen, experienced, or believed

2.  imagine:
picture, imagine, or perceive something
—con·cep·tu·al·i·za·tion
[kən sèpchoo əli záysh’n], noun

—con·cep·tu·al·iz·er, noun[1]



conceptus

conceptus
con·cep·tus 
[kən séptəss] (plural con·cep·tus·es)
noun

embryo
or fetus with surrounding tissues: an embryo or fetus
along with all the tissues that surround it throughout pregnancy, including the
placenta, amniotic sac and fluid, and the umbilical cord
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “something conceived,” from the past participle of concipere
(see conceive ).][1]



concern

concern
con·cern 
[kən súrn] noun (plural con·cerns)

1.  worry
or something causing it: a reason to worry, or
something that causes worry • His
condition is giving rise to concern

2.  caring
feelings:
emotions such as worry, compassion, sympathy, or regard for somebody or
something

3.  affair
that should involve somebody: a matter that affects
somebody, or that somebody has the right to be involved with • it’s
no concern of yours

4.  business:
a commercial enterprise

5.  object:
a gadget or trivial object (dated)
transitive
verb
(past con·cerned, past participle con·cerned, present
participle con·cern·ing, 3rd person present singular con·cerns)

1.  make
somebody worried: to give somebody an uneasy or anxious
feeling

2.  be
interesting or important to somebody: to
have a direct effect on, or be a matter of significance to, somebody or
something

3.  involve
somebody or get involved: to require somebody to be
involved with something, or to get involved with or interested in something

4.  be
on the subject of: to be about a particular
topic
[Late 14th century. Via
French from late Latin concernere, literally “to sift together,” from Latin
cernere (see certain ). The meaning
evolved from “to sort out” through “decide” to “relate to.”][1]



concerned

concerned
con·cerned 
[kən súrnd] adjective

1.  anxious
or worried:
worried or apprehensive, particularly about something such as a situation that
is developing or that has newly arisen

2.  interested:
caring and interested in general, or giving care and attention to a particular
thing or area

3.  involved:
having an active role in something, or anything to do with something • a
message was conveyed to the families concerned

[1]



concerning

concerning
con·cern·ing 
[kən súrning] preposition

about:
to do with or involving something or somebody[1]



concert

concert
con·cert 
noun [kón sùrt, kónsərt] (plural con·certs)

1.  MUSIC public
musical performance: an event where an individual
musician or a group of musicians, such as a choir or an orchestra, performs in
front of an audience

2.  agreement:
harmony or accord, for example, in purpose or action

3.  unified
pair or group: a combination of people or things in
agreement or harmony, especially one resulting from a consensus of opinions and
ideas
verb
[kən súrt] (past con·cert·ed, past
participle con·cert·ed, present participle con·cert·ing,
3rd person present singular con·certs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb act in
agreement or unity: to do or plan something in
cooperation or in harmony with another person or group

2.  transitive
verb
reach
a consensus: to settle or adjust something, such as a
contract or disagreement, by discussion and mutual consent
[Late
16th century. Via French from Italian concerto “harmony, agreement” (see
concerto ).]
in
concert

1.  MUSIC playing music or singing at
a live concert

2.  working
or acting together, especially in a united or harmonious way

[1]



concertante

concertante
con·cer·tan·te
[kònsər tntee, kònchər
tntee, kónchər tn tày] adjective

1.  relating
to Baroque concerto: relating to or resembling a
concerto, especially one in the Baroque style

2.  with
solo passages: relating to a symphonic work that
highlights individual instruments within the orchestra
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, the present participle of concertare “to be in harmony,” from concerto
(see concerto ).][1]



concerted

concerted
con·cert·ed 
[kən súrtəd] adjective

1.  achieved
or performed together: planned or carried out by
two or more people working together or with the same goal

2.  MUSIC arranged
for orchestra or chamber ensemble: written for several
soloists to perform together in an ensemble, or within the context of a
larger-scale work
—con·cert·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·cert·ed·ness, noun[1]



concertgoer

concertgoer
con·cert·go·er 
[kónsərt g ər] (plural con·cert·go·ers)
noun

somebody
attending a concert: somebody who is or will be
attending a concert, or who often goes to concerts
—con·cert·go·ing, adjective[1]



concertgrand

concertgrand
con·cert
grand
(plural con·cert grands) noun

largest grand piano:
the largest size of grand piano, between 2.74 m/9 ft and 3.66 m/12 ft long,
designed for use in a concert hall[1]



concertina

concertina
con·cer·ti·na 
[kònsər tnə] (past con·cer·ti·naed,
past participle con·cer·ti·naed, present participle con·cer·ti·na·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cer·ti·nas, plural con·cer·ti·nas)
noun

musical
instrument resembling accordion: a small octagonal
accordion with button keys
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from concert + the Italian
suffix -ina .]
—con·cer·tin·ist, noun[1]



concertino

concertino
con·cer·ti·no 
[kòn chər tnō] (plural con·cer·ti·nos
or con·cer·ti·ni [kòn chər tnee])
noun

1.  soloist
group:
the solo instrumental group in a piece of music played by a small group of
soloists and a larger ensemble ( concerto grosso
)

2.  small-scale
concerto:
a small-scale concerto for a single solo instrument
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “little concerto,” from concerto “ concerto .”][1]



concertize

concertize
con·cer·tize 
[kónsər tz] (past con·cer·tized,
past participle con·cer·tized, present participle con·cer·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cer·tiz·es) intransitive verb

MUSIC
perform in concerts:
to perform in concerts (refers to a soloist or conductor)[1]



concertmaster

concertmaster
con·cert·mas·ter 
[kónsərt màstər] (plural con·cert·mas·ters)
noun

MUSIC violinist
leading orchestra: the leader of the first
violin section of an orchestra, usually next in rank below the conductor
[Late 19th century.
Translation of German Konzertmeister .][1]



concertmistress

concertmistress
con·cert·mis·tress 
[kónsərt mìstrəss] noun

woman concertmaster:
a woman who is the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra, usually
next in rank below the conductor[1]



concerto

concerto
con·cer·to 
[kən cháirtō] (plural con·cer·tos
or con·cer·ti [kən cháirtee]) noun

1.  musical
composition for soloist and orchestra: an
instrumental work for orchestra that highlights a soloist or group of soloists

2.  organ-accompanied
voices:
in music before 1650, a work for voices with organ or continuo
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, of uncertain immediate origin: possibly from Latin concertus,
the past participle of concernere (see concern
).][1]



concertogrosso

concertogrosso
con·cer·to
gros·so 
[kən chàirtō grṓssō] (plural con·cer·ti
gros·si [kən chàirti grṓssee] or con·cer·to
gros·sos) noun

Baroque
orchestral genre: a genre of orchestral composition,
popular in the 17th century, that contrasts a small group of soloists ( concertino ) with a larger ensemble ( ripieno )
[From Italian, literally “big
concerto”][1]



concertoverture

concertoverture
con·cert
o·ver·ture
(plural con·cert o·ver·tures) noun

freestanding orchestral work
resembling an overture: a short
orchestral composition similar to an opera overture but intended for concert
performance on its own[1]



concertpitch

concertpitch
con·cert
pitch
noun

1.  MUSIC standard
pitch to which instruments tuned: the internationally
agreed standard pitch to which orchestral instruments are tuned, typically
using the A above middle C as a reference. In an instrument tuned to concert
pitch, the A above middle C is at a pitch of 440 cycles per second.

2.  MUSIC pitch of
note in transposed music: the sounding pitch of a note
played by an instrument when transposing a piece of written music to a
different key, as opposed to the written pitch

3.  readiness:
a state of readiness for action

[1]



concertstück

concertstück
con·cert·stück 
[kən súrt shtk] (plural con·cert·stücks)
noun

short
concert piece: a short character piece, usually for
piano
[From German Konzertstück,
literally “concert piece”][1]



concession

concession
con·ces·sion 
[kən sésh’n] (plural con·ces·sions)
noun

1.  reluctant
yielding:
an act or an example of conceding, yielding, or compromising in some way, often
grudgingly or unwillingly

2.  special
privilege:
something such as a particular privilege, right, or kindness, that is allowed
or granted to a individual or group, usually in view of special circumstances

3.  something
unwillingly admitted: something acknowledged or
admitted, even if unwillingly or grudgingly

4.  COMMERCE small
business outlet inside another establishment: a
branch of a business set up and operating in a place belonging to another
commercial enterprise, or a business agreement that grants the right to do this

5.  right
to use land: an official license granted by a
landowner or government that allows work such as drilling for oil to be carried
out in a specified area of land

6.  U.K.
cheap
ticket:
a special reduced price at which tickets for travel or entertainment are sold
to some groups of people, such as senior citizens, students, or the unemployed

7.  Canada
land
subdivision: a subdivision of land in a township
survey, mainly in Ontario and Quebec, that was formerly one of the rows of 32
200-acre lots into which each new township was divided

8.  Canada
See concession road
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin concess-,
the past participle stem of concedere (see concede
).]
—con·ces·si·ble
[kən séssəb’l], adjective

—con·ces·sion·al, adjective[1]



concessionaire

concessionaire
con·ces·sion·aire 
[kən sèsh’n áir] (plural con·ces·sion·aires)
or con·ces·sion·er [kən sésh’nər]
(plural con·ces·sion·ers) noun

holder
or operator of concession: somebody who has been given
land by a government concession or who has a concession to operate a business
or sell a product in a specific place (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from concession (see concession
).][1]



concessionary

concessionary
con·ces·sion·ar·y 
[kən sésh’n èrree] adjective

created as compromise:
created or executed as a compromise or goodwill gesture, especially within a
negotiating process[1]



concessioner

concessioner
con·ces·sion·er 
(plural con·ces·sion·ers) noun

See
concessionaire[1]



concessionroad

concessionroad
con·ces·sion
road
(plural con·ces·sion roads) or con·ces·sion line (plural
con·ces·sion lines) noun

Canada
road between Canadian provinces:
in Canada, particularly Quebec and Ontario, a rural road running along the line
of the survey of Canada that divided farmland into lots called concessions[1]



concessive

concessive
con·ces·sive 
[kən séssiv] adjective

1.  GRAMMAR showing
willingness to concede something: relating to a word or
part of a sentence that expresses concession, for example, the word “although”

2.  with
concession:
relating to or containing a concession
[Early
18th century. From late Latin concessivus, from Latin concess-,
the past participle stem of concedere (see concede
).]
—con·ces·sive·ly, adverb[1]



conch-

conch-
conch-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
concho-[1]



conch

conch

conch 
[kongk, konch]
(plural conch·es or conchs) noun

1.  tropical
sea animal with shell: a tropical marine mollusk
with a large, often brightly colored, spiral shell

2.  large
spiral shell: the large spiral shell of a conch, often
used as a horn or trumpet, as an ornament, or to make jewelry

3.  ANATOMY See concha  noun 1
[14th century. Via Latin concha
from Greek kogkhē “shell, shellfish” (source of English cockle ).][1]



concha

concha
con·cha 
[kóngkə] (plural con·chae [kóngkee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY shell-shaped
part of body: a part of the body shaped like a conch
shell, such as the external ear or the central cavity of the ear.
Also
called
conch

2.  ARCHITECTURE apse
or part of it: an apse, or the plain partial dome of
one
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “shell” (see conch
).]
—con·chal [kóngk’l], adjective[1]



conchi-

conchi-
conchi-
prefix

See
concho-[1]



conchiglie

conchiglie
con·chi·glie
[kən klee] noun

FOOD pasta
shells:
pasta formed into small shell shapes
[Via Italian, literally
“little shells,” from, ultimately, Latin concha “shell” (see conch )][1]



conchiolin

conchiolin
con·chi·o·lin 
[kong k əlin, kon
k əlin] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY protein
forming a mollusk shell: a fibrous protein that makes
up the inner part of the shell of a mollusk
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin conchiola, literally “little shell,” from Latin concha
(see conch ).][1]



concho-

concho-
concho-
prefix

shell
• conchology
[From Latin concha
“shell” (see conch )][1]



conchology

conchology
con·chol·o·gy 
[kong kólləjee] noun

study
of mollusks and shells: a branch of zoology dealing
with the study of sea shells and the animals that inhabit them
—con·cho·log·i·cal
[kòngkə lójjik’l], adjective

—con·chol·o·gist [kong kólləjist], noun[1]



concierge

concierge
con·cierge 
[kōn syáirzh] (plural con·cierges)
noun

1.  chief
assistant in hotel: a person employed at a hotel
or apartment building to help the guests or residents, for example, by dealing
with luggage, making travel arrangements, or delivering messages

2.  caretaker
of apartment building: especially in France,
somebody whose job is to staff or watch the entrance to a large residential
building, and who usually also lives on the premises (dated)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin conservus “fellow slave,” from servus
“slave” (source also of English serve,
serf, and sergeant
).][1]



conciliar

conciliar
con·cil·i·ar 
[kən síllee ər] adjective

of
a council:
belonging to, issued by, or relating to a council
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin concilium (see council
).]
—con·cil·i·ar·ly, adverb[1]



conciliate

conciliate
con·cil·i·ate 
[kən síllee àyt] (past con·cil·i·at·ed,
past participle con·cil·i·at·ed, present participle con·cil·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cil·i·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  bring
disputing sides together: to work with opposing
parties with the goal of bringing them to an agreement or reconciliation

2.  get
somebody’s support or friendship back: to
bring a disagreement with somebody to an end, or to overcome somebody’s anger,
suspicion, or hostility

3.  be
charming to gain something: to gain something,
especially somebody’s friendship, goodwill, or respect, by behaving pleasantly
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin conciliat-, the past participle stem of conciliare,
from concilium (see council ).]
—con·cil·i·a·ble,
adjective

—con·cil·i·a·tive, adjective[1]



conciliation

conciliation
con·cil·i·a·tion
[kən sìllee áysh’n] noun

getting people to trust or
agree: action taken to reach
agreement or restore trust, friendship, or goodwill that has been lost,
especially as a deliberate process used in a dispute[1]



conciliator

conciliator
con·cil·i·a·tor 
[kən síllee àytər] (plural con·cil·i·a·tors)
noun

negotiator trying to make
peace: somebody who works to
overcome disagreement between other parties, or who tries to overcome
somebody’s anger or distrust with friendly actions and discussion[1]



conciliatory

conciliatory
con·cil·i·a·to·ry 
[kən síllee ə tàwree] adjective

used
or meant to make peace: done or said to appease
somebody, to bring about agreement, or to restore trust or goodwill
—con·cil·i·a·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—con·cil·i·a·to·ri·ness,
noun[1]



concinnity

concinnity
con·cin·ni·ty 
[kən sínnətee] (plural con·cin·ni·ties)
noun

1.  LITERATURE pleasing
stylistic artistic harmony: a balanced, graceful,
polished quality, particularly in a literary work

2.  generally
harmonious structure: a harmonious structuring of
all parts of something in terms of the whole
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin concinnitas, from concinnus
“skillfully put together.”]
—con·cin·nous, adjective[1]



concise

concise
con·cise 
[kən sss] adjective

short
and clearly written or stated: using as few words as
possible to give the necessary information, or compressed in order to be brief
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin concisus, the past
participle of concidere, literally “to cut down,” from caedere
(see caesura ).]
—con·cise·ly,
adverb

—con·cise·ness,
noun

—con·ci·sion, noun[1]



conclave

conclave
con·clave 
[kón klàyv, kóng
klàyv] (plural con·claves) noun

1.  secret
meeting:
a private gathering of a select group of people, where discussions are kept
secret

2.  CHRISTIANITY meeting
to select Roman Catholic pope: the secret meeting at
which Roman Catholic cardinals elect a new pope

3.  CHRISTIANITY rooms
where pope is elected: the private rooms in which
the college of Roman Catholic cardinals assembles to elect a new pope
[14th
century. Via French from Latin “locked room,” formed from clavis “key”
(see clef ).]
—con·clav·ist, noun[1]



conclude

conclude
con·clude 
[kən kld] (past con·clud·ed, past
participle con·clud·ed, present participle con·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cludes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
come
to a conclusion: to form an opinion or make a logical
judgment about something after considering everything known about it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb finish:
to come to an end or bring something to an end

3.  transitive
verb
settle
something:
to make a formal agreement complete and fixed, especially after detailed or
prolonged discussions or arrangements

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide:
to reach a decision about something (dated)
[13th
century. From Latin concludere, literally “to close completely,” from claudere
(see close ).]
—con·clud·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



conclusion

conclusion
con·clu·sion 
[kən klzh’n] (plural con·clu·sions)
noun

1.  decision
based on facts: a decision made or an opinion formed
after considering the relevant facts or evidence

2.  final
part of something: an ending or the part that
brings something to a close (formal)

3.  final
settlement of something: the completion of a formal
agreement or deal, especially after long or detailed discussions and
arrangements

4.  LAW closing
argument in trial: the summation or closing
argument at the end of case being tried

5.  LOGIC part
of argument deduced from evidence: the portion of an
argument for which evidence is presented
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin conclus-, the past participle stem of concludere
(see conclude ).][1]



conclusive

conclusive
con·clu·sive 
[kən klssiv] adjective

proving
without doubt: being such that what is specified proves
a matter beyond all doubt
[Late
16th century. From late Latin conclusivus, from Latin conclus-,
the past participle stem of concludere (see conclude
).]
—con·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—con·clu·sive·ness, noun[1]



conclusory

conclusory
con·clu·so·ry 
[kən klssəree] adjective

LAW
convincing, but not definitive:
convincing, but not to the extent that it cannot be contradicted[1]



concoct

concoct
con·coct 
[kən kókt] (past con·coct·ed, past
participle con·coct·ed, present participle con·coct·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cocts) transitive verb

1.  mix
ingredients to make something new: to create something by
mixing or combining various ingredients in a new way, especially in cooking

2.  make
something up: to think up a story or plan, especially
something ingenious or imaginative
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin concoct-, the past participle stem of concoquere,
literally “to cook together,” from coquere (see cook
).]
—con·coc·ter,
noun

—con·coc·tive, adjective[1]



concoction

concoction
con·coc·tion 
[kən kókshən] (plural con·coc·tions)
noun

1.  new
and unusual mixture: something that has been
concocted, especially a drink or dish created by mixing together ingredients

2.  concocting
a mixture:
the act or process of mixing or combining ingredients to create something new
and unusual

3.  lie
or trick:
something such as a story or plan devised to be deceitful

[1]



concomitance

concomitance
con·com·i·tance 
[kən kómmitəns] (plural con·com·i·tances)
noun

1.  existence
or occurrence together: the existence or occurrence
of something at the same time as, or in connection with, something else

2.  something
connected with something else: something that exists
at the same time, or in connection with, something else

3.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
belief regarding Communion: the Christian doctrine that
the body and blood of Jesus Christ are embodied in the elements of the
Communion

[1]



concomitant

concomitant
con·com·i·tant 
[kən kómməitənt] adjective

happening
at the same time: happening or existing along with or at
the same time as something else • parenthood
and all its concomitant responsibilities
noun
(plural con·com·i·tants)

something
that accompanies something else: something that happens
or exists along with or at the same time as something else
[Early
17th century. From late Latin concomitant-, the present participle stem
of concomitari “to accompany,” from comit-, the stem of comes
“companion,” source of English count 2 .]
—con·com·i·tant·ly, adverb[1]



concord

concord
con·cord 
[kón kàwrd, kóng
kàwrd] noun

1.  peaceful
coexistence: agreement, friendly relations, or peace

2.  peace
treaty:
a peace treaty

3.  MUSIC pleasing
combination of sounds: a pleasing sound made when
two or more notes are played together

4.  GRAMMAR See agreement
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin concord-, the stem of concors, literally
“of one heart,” from cor “heart” (see cordial
).][1]



Concord

Concord
Con·cord 
[kóng kàwrd]

1.  city
in western California, a northern suburb of the Oakland-San Francisco area,
northeast of Berkeley. Population: 114,850 (1996)

2.  town
in northeastern Massachusetts, west of Boston, on the Concord River.
Population: 17,792 (1996)

3.  capital
of New Hampshire, in the south of the state, on the Merrimack River.
Population: 37,021 (1996)

4.  city
in southwestern North Carolina, northeast of Charlotte. It was a gold-mining
town in the 18th century. Population: 32,944 (1996)

[1]



concordance

concordance
con·cor·dance 
[kən káwrd’ns] (plural con·cor·dances)
noun

1.  similarity
or agreement: similarity or agreement between two or
more things

2.  LITERATURE index
of words used by author: an index of words, for
example, of all the words contained in a single work, or in the combined works
of an author, or in any body or bank of text, arranged in alphabetical order. A
concordance often gives information about the meaning and context of a listed
word.
[14th century. Via French
from medieval Latin concordantia, from Latin concordant-, the
stem of concordare (see concordant
).][1]



concordant

concordant
con·cor·dant 
[kən káwrd’nt] adjective

harmonious:
showing harmony, unity, or agreement
[15th
century. Via French from Latin concordant-, the present participle stem
of concordare, literally “to bring into harmony,” from concord-,
the stem of concors (see concord ).]
—con·cor·dant·ly, adverb[1]



concordat

concordat
con·cor·dat 
[kən káwr dàt] (plural con·cor·dats)
noun

formal
agreement:
an official agreement, especially a formal contract between the Pope and a
national government concerning the religious affairs of a country
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin concordatum, the past participle of concordare
(see concordant ).][1]



Concorde

Concorde
Con·corde
[kóng kàwrd] Trademark

a trademark for a supersonic
commercial passenger aircraft developed jointly by the British and French
governments[1]



Concordgrape

Concordgrape
Con·cord
grape 
(plural Con·cord grapes) noun

black
grape variety: a blue-black sweet grape with a
distinctive foxy aroma, produced by a variety of the native North American
grapevine. It is used for sparkling and dessert wines, jellies, and grape
juice. Latin name: Vitis labrusca
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Concord, Massachusetts, where it was developed.][1]



concours

concours
con·cours
[kóN koor] or con·cours
d’é·lé·gance [kòN koordaylay gáNss] noun

a meeting at which classic or
vintage automobiles are exhibited and prizes awarded[1]



concourse

concourse
con·course 
[kón kàwrs, kóng
kàwrs] (plural con·courses) noun

1.  large
open space:
a large space where people can gather in a public place or building, for
example, at an airport or train station

2.  crowd:
a large number of people who have gathered for a special event

3.  gathering
together:
coming or moving together, or an example of this
[14th century. Via French
from Latin concursus “assembly,” from concurs-, the past
participle stem of concurrere (see concur
).][1]



concrescence

concrescence
con·cres·cence 
[kən kréss’ns] (plural con·cres·cences)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY growing
together of parts: the growing or coming
together of body parts or organs, especially in the normal early formation of
an embryo

2.  MEDICINE See concretion
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin concrescent-, the present participle
stem of concrescere (see concrete ).]
—con·cres·cent, adjective[1]



concrete

concrete
con·crete 
noun [kón krt, kon krt, kóng krt,
kong krt]

1.  CONSTRUCTION hard
construction material: a mixture of cement, sand,
aggregate, and water in specific proportions that hardens to a strong stony
consistency over varying lengths of time

2.  PHYSICS mass
formed when particles coalesce: a mass formed when
particles coalesce
adjective
[kon krt, kong
krt]

1.  solid
and real, not imaginary: able to be seen or touched
because it exists in reality, not just as an idea

2.  definite:
certain and specific rather than vague or general • concrete
proposals for reform

3.  PHYSICS solidified:
made solid by coalescence
transitive
verb
[kón krt, kon
krt, kóng krt, kong krt] (past con·cret·ed, past
participle con·cret·ed, present participle con·cret·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cretes)

cover with concrete:
to cover an area with concrete
[14th
century. Via French from Latin concretus, the past participle of concrescere,
literally “to grow together,” from crescere (see crescent ).]
—con·crete·ly,
adverb

—con·crete·ness, noun[1]



concretejungle

concretejungle
con·crete
jun·gle
noun

place full of colorless
buildings: an urban area completely
covered with walkways, roads, and buildings, and perceived as a hostile
environment[1]



concretemusic

concretemusic
con·crete
mu·sic
noun

electronic
composition using natural sounds: electronic music
assembled from recordings of live sounds, usually including natural and
mechanical sources, manipulated for effect.
Also
called
musique concrète
[Translation of French musique
concrète, literally “real music,” so called because it is created from
real-life sounds][1]



concretenoun

concretenoun
con·crete
noun
noun

word for a solid thing:
a noun that refers to a physical, and usually visible or touchable, object or
substance, for example, “clock” or “elephant”[1]



concretepoetry

concretepoetry
con·crete
po·et·ry
noun

poems written as pattern on
page: verse that uses physical
arrangement of the words on the page to add to its meaning and effect[1]



concretion

concretion
con·cre·tion 
[kən krsh’n] (plural con·cre·tions)
noun

1.  formation
of whole from parts: the act or process of
separate parts or particles coming together into a solid mass

2.  solid
formed by unification of parts: a hard solid mass
formed by parts uniting into a whole

3.  GEOLOGY rounded
mass:
a rounded mass of compact concentric layers within a sediment, built up around
a nucleus such as a fossil

4.  MEDICINE inorganic
mass in body: a mass of inorganic material in a body
organ or tissue, usually caused by disease.
Also
called
concrescence
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin concret-, the past
participle stem of concrescere (see concrete
).]
—con·cre·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



concretism

concretism
con·cret·ism 
[kon krt ìzzəm] noun

solidification
of something abstract through art: the creation of
physical things to represent abstract ideas, especially by the use of concrete
poetry
—con·cret·ist, noun[1]



concretize

concretize
con·cre·tize 
[kóngkrə tz] (past con·cre·tized,
past participle con·cre·tized, present participle con·cre·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cre·tiz·es) transitive verb

give
physical form to something: to make something solid,
real, or specific
—con·cre·ti·za·tion [kòngkrəti záysh’n], noun[1]



concubinage

concubinage
con·cu·bi·nage 
[kon kybinij, kən
kybinij] noun

being or having a concubine:
the state of being or keeping a concubine[1]



concubine

concubine
con·cu·bine 
[kóngkyə bn, kónkyə
bn] (plural con·cu·bines) noun

1.  HISTORY official
mistress in some cultures: a woman who is the lover of
a wealthy married man but with the social status of a subordinate form of wife,
often kept in a separate home. The term usually refers to such a woman in
imperial China.

2.  man’s
woman live-in lover: a woman who lives with a man
and has a sexual relationship with him but is not married to him
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin concubina, literally “bedmate,” from cubare
“to lie down” (see cubicle ).]
—con·cu·bi·na·ry [kon kybi nèrree], adjective[1]



concupiscence

concupiscence
con·cu·pis·cence 
[kon kypiss’nss] noun

lust
or strong desire: powerful feelings of physical desire (literary)
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, late Latin concupiscere, literally
“to start longing for,” from cupere (see covet
).]
—con·cu·pis·cent, adjective[1]



concur

concur
con·cur 
[kən kúr] (past con·curred, past
participle con·curred, present participle con·cur·ring,
3rd person present singular con·curs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb agree:
to have the same opinion or reach agreement on a specified point

2.  intransitive
verb
coincide:
to happen at the same time
[14th
century. From Latin concurrere, literally “to run together,” from currere
(see current ).]
—con·cur·ring·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at agree

[1]



concurrent

concurrent
con·cur·rent 
[kən kúrənt] adjective

1.  happening
together:
taking place or existing at the same time, or running parallel

2.  GEOMETRY See convergent
[14th
century. From Latin concurrent-, the present participle stem of concurrere
(see concur ).]
—con·cur·rent·ly,
adverb

—con·cur·rence, noun[1]



concuss

concuss
con·cuss 
[kən kúss] (past con·cussed, past
participle con·cussed, present participle con·cuss·ing,
3rd person present singular con·cuss·es) transitive verb

cause
concussion:
to cause concussion, usually by a blow to the head or a jarring fall or jolt
[Late 16th century. From
Latin concuss-, the past participle stem of concutere, literally
“to strike together,” from quatere “to strike” (source of English discuss, percussion,
and rescue ).][1]



concussion

concussion
con·cus·sion 
[kən kúsh’n] (plural con·cus·sions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE mild
to moderate brain injury: an injury to the brain,
often resulting from a blow to the head, that can cause temporary
disorientation, memory loss, or unconsciousness

2.  MEDICINE injury
to a bodily organ: an injury to an organ of the
body, usually caused by a violent blow or shaking

3.  sudden
jolt or shock: any sudden violent jolting or shaking
—con·cus·sive [kən kússiv], adjective[1]



condemn

condemn
con·demn 
[kən dém] (past con·demned, past
participle con·demned, present participle con·demn·ing,
3rd person present singular con·demns) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody a legal sentence: to make a judicial
pronouncement stating what punishment has been imposed on a person found guilty
of a crime, especially in the case of a heavy penalty or a death sentence

2.  consider
somebody guilty: to judge that a person or thing is to
blame for something

3.  pronounce
something or somebody as bad: to state that something or
somebody is in some way wrong or unacceptable

4.  make
somebody experience something: to force or oblige
somebody to experience something very unpleasant, especially something permanent
or long-lasting

5.  ban
use or consumption of something: to issue an official
order saying that something such as a building is unfit to be used

6.  prove
guilty:
to serve as proof of guilt

7.  LAW appropriate
property:
to take property under eminent domain for public use
[14th
century. Via French condemner from Latin condemnare, literally
“to pass final sentence,” from damnare “to sentence” (see damn ).]
—con·dem·na·ble,
adjective

—con·dem·na·tion
[kn dem náysh’n, kòndəm
náysh’n] (plural con·dem·na·tions), noun

—con·dem·na·to·ry
[kən démnə tàwree], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at criticize

[1]



condemnedcell

condemnedcell
con·demned
cell
(plural con·demned cells) noun

U.K.
See death row cell[1]



condensate

condensate
con·den·sate 
[kóndən sàyt, kən
dén sàyt] (plural con·den·sates) noun

product of condensation:
a substance resulting from condensation, especially a liquid from a vapor[1]



condensation

condensation
con·den·sa·tion 
[kòn den sáysh’n, kòndən
sáysh’n] noun

1.  film
of water droplets: tiny drops of water that
form on a cold surface such as a window when warmer air comes into contact with
it

2.  making
something shorter: the state of being
compressed or made briefer, or the act or result of summarizing or compressing
something

3.  PHYSICS conversion
of gas to liquid: the process by which a vapor loses heat
and changes into a liquid

4.  CHEMISTRY formation
of denser molecules: the bonding of molecules of
a substance to form a larger denser molecule, usually with the release of
simpler substances, such as water
—con·den·sa·tion·al, adjective[1]



condensationtrail

condensationtrail
con·den·sa·tion
trail
(plural con·den·sa·tion trails) noun

AIR
See vapor trail[1]



condense

condense
con·dense 
[kən déns] (past con·densed, past
participle con·densed, present participle con·dens·ing,
3rd person present singular con·dens·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS change from gas to liquid:
to lose heat and change from a vapor into a liquid, or to make a vapor change
to a liquid

2.  transitive
verb
make
something shorter: to reduce the length of a
text by removing unnecessary words or passages or by expressing the content
more concisely

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING thicken by removing water:
to make something, especially a food, denser by removing water, or to become
denser in this way

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY form denser molecules:
to bond together to form a larger denser molecule, or to make molecules undergo
this process
[15th
century. Via French from Latin condensare “to thicken,” from condensus
“very dense,” from Latin densus (see dense
).]
—con·dens·a·bil·i·ty
[kən dènsə bíllətee], noun

—con·dens·a·ble, adjective[1]



condensedmilk

condensedmilk
con·densed
milk 
noun

thickened sweetened milk:
milk thickened by evaporating most of the water content and then sweetened.
See also
evaporated milk[1]



condenser

condenser
con·dens·er 
[kən dénsər] (plural con·dens·ers)
noun

1.  PHYSICS converter
of gas to liquid: a device that converts a gas to a liquid
to obtain either the substance or the released heat

2.  OPTICS lens
or mirror for concentrating light: a lens or mirror used
to concentrate light onto, for example, a transparency or specimen

3.  ELECTRICITY See capacitor

[1]



condescend

condescend
con·de·scend 
[kòndə sénd] (past con·de·scend·ed,
past participle con·de·scend·ed, present participle con·de·scend·ing,
3rd person present singular con·de·scends) intransitive verb

1.  act
in a superior way: to behave toward other
people as though they are less important or less intelligent than you are

2.  make
concessions for others: to do something that you
would normally consider yourself too important or dignified to do
[14th
century. Via French condescendre from ecclesiastical Latin condescendere
“to lower oneself,” from Latin descendere (see descend
).]
—con·de·scend·er, noun[1]



condescending

condescending
con·de·scend·ing 
[kòndə sénding] adjective

snobby:
behaving toward other people in a way that shows you consider yourself socially
or intellectually superior to them, especially when explaining or giving
something
—con·de·scend·ing·ly, adverb[1]



condescension

condescension
con·de·scen·sion 
[kòndə sénshən] noun

snobby and pretentiously kind
manner: behavior or an example of
behavior that implies that somebody is graciously lowering himself or herself
to the level of people less important or intelligent[1]



condign

condign
con·dign 
[kən dn] adjective

fitting:
well deserved and completely appropriate (formal)
[14th
century. Via French from Latin condignus, literally “wholly worthy,”
from dignus (see dignity ).]
—con·dign·ly, adverb[1]



condiment

condiment
con·di·ment 
[kóndimənt] (plural con·di·ments)
noun

food
seasoning used at the table: salt, pepper, mustard,
relish, or a similar substance added to food to improve or adjust its flavor.
Condiments are usually served at the table and added according to individual
taste.
[15th century. Via French
from Latin condimentum, from condire “to preserve, pickle.”][1]



condition

condition
con·di·tion 
[kən dísh’n] noun (plural con·di·tions)

1.  state
of repair:
the particular state of repair or ability to function of an object or piece of
equipment • The
meter is still in good condition.

2.  state
of health:
a state of physical fitness or general health • out
of condition

3.  disorder:
a physical disorder

4.  way
of being:
a general state or mode of existence, especially one characterized by hardship
or suffering

5.  status:
position, rank, or social status (formal)

6.  something
stated as necessary for agreement: something that is
necessary for something else to happen, for example, to bring a situation about
or make a contract valid
plural
noun
conditions

factors affecting people:
the factors or circumstances that affect the situation somebody is living or
working in • poor
working conditions
transitive
verb
(past con·di·tioned, past participle con·di·tioned,
present participle con·di·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular con·di·tions)

1.  PSYCHOLOGY train
somebody:
to make people or animals act or react in a certain way by gradually getting
them used to a certain pattern of events

2.  make
strong, healthy, or ready: to give somebody or
something a treatment to improve general health, soundness, readiness for use,
appearance, or performance

3.  HAIRDRESSING improve
hair’s condition: to put conditioner or a similar
substance on the hair in order to improve its appearance and texture

4.  specify
a requirement or prerequisite: to state a requirement
that must be fulfilled, or to make something dependent on a requirement,
especially in a legal contract (formal)

5.  adapt
to something: to become accustomed to specific
conditions or activities, or to make yourself adapt to these

6.  cool:
to make air cooler • Heat pumps condition
the air on the first floor.
[13th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem condition- “agreement,
stipulation,” from condicere, literally “to talk together,” from dicere
(see dictate ).]
—con·di·tion·a·ble, adjective[1]



conditional

conditional
con·di·tion·al 
[kən díshən’l, kən
díshnəl] adjective

1.  dependent
on something else being done: used to describe something
that will be done or will happen only if and when another thing is done or
happens

2.  GRAMMAR stating
a condition or limitation: used to describe a clause,
conjunction, verb form, or sentence that expresses a condition or limitation

3.  MATHEMATICS true
only for certain mathematical values: true
only for certain values of one or more variables in a mathematical equation

4.  MATHEMATICS describing
series of numbers: used to describe a
convergent series of numbers that becomes a divergent series when its terms are
converted to their absolute values
noun
(plural con·di·tion·als)

GRAMMAR conditional
clause, conjunction, or verb form: a conditional clause,
conjunction, verb form, or sentence
—con·di·tion·a·ble,
adjective

—con·di·tion·al·i·ty [kən dìsh’n állətee], noun[1]



conditionalization

conditionalization
con·di·tion·al·i·za·tion
[kən dìshən’li záysh’n, kən dìshnəli záysh’n] noun

making statement into
conditional statement: the process
of turning a statement into a conditional statement, for example, changing “It
will rain” into “If it is cloudy, then it will rain”[1]



conditionally

conditionally
con·di·tion·al·ly
[kən díshənəlee, kən
díshnəlee] adverb

providing conditions are met:
with the proviso that all valid conditions be met[1]



conditionalprobability

conditionalprobability
con·di·tion·al
prob·a·bil·i·ty noun

probability linked to another
event: the probability that one
event will occur, given that another event has occurred or is certain to occur[1]



conditioned

conditioned
con·di·tioned 
[kən dísh’nd] adjective

1.  at
specified performance or quality level:
having reached or been brought to a specified or high level of fitness,
quality, or performance

2.  PSYCHOLOGY involuntarily
produced as learned response: brought on unconsciously by
a stimulus that triggers a reaction because of a learned association with
something else

[1]



conditionedresponse

conditionedresponse
con·di·tioned
re·sponse
(plural con·di·tioned re·sponses) or con·di·tioned
re·flex noun

PSYCHOLOGY
learned response to stimulus:
a response to a new second stimulus as a result of association with a prior
stimulus. The classic example is Pavlov’s experiment in which dogs began to
salivate at the sound of a bell, having previously been fed when the bell was
rung.[1]



conditionedstimulus

conditionedstimulus
con·di·tioned
stim·u·lus
noun

stimulus used to provoke
conditioned response: in
classical psychological conditioning, an otherwise ineffective stimulus that,
when paired with an unconditioned stimulus, is able to evoke a conditioned
response[1]



conditioner

conditioner
con·di·tion·er 
[kən dísh’nər] (plural con·di·tion·ers)
noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING product
for improving hair texture: a liquid or cream applied to
hair, either after or with shampoo and usually while the hair is still wet, to
make it more manageable or healthier

2.  See
fabric conditioner

3.  something
that conditions: a substance that makes something, for
example, bread dough or soil, easier to manage

[1]



conditioning

conditioning
con·di·tion·ing 
[kən dísh’ning] noun

PSYCHOLOGY
gradual training process:
a method of controlling or influencing the way people or animals behave or
think by using a gradual training process[1]



condo

condo
con·do 
[kón dō] (plural con·dos) noun

condominium:
a condominium (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



condole

condole
con·dole 
[kən dṓl] (past con·doled, past
participle con·doled, present participle con·dol·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·doles) intransitive verb

express
sympathy about somebody’s pain: to express sympathy to
somebody who is experiencing grief, loss, or pain, especially over a death (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Christian Latin condolere, literally “to grieve
together,” from dolere “to suffer” (source of English doleful and indolent
).]
—con·do·la·to·ry,
adjective

—con·dol·er,
noun

—con·dol·ing·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  condole
  or console ?
  These
  words are easy to confuse because they are both connected with reassuring
  people in distress. The more common word is console,
  which takes an object and means “to comfort.” • He
  tried to console his father when his mother died. Condole means “to express sympathy,” and does
  not take an object but uses with instead. • He
  condoled with his father over the death of his mother.

[1]



condolence

condolence
con·do·lence 
[kən dṓləns] (plural con·do·lences)
noun

sympathetic
word, card, or message: an expression of sorrow and
sympathy, usually to somebody who is grieving over a death (often used in
the plural)
—con·do·lent,
adjective

—con·do·lent·ly, adverb[1]



condolore

condolore
con
do·lo·re 
[kòn də láwree, kàwn
də láw rày] adverb

sorrowfully:
in a sad or sorrowful way (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian, literally “with sorrow”]
—con do·lo·re, adjective[1]



condom

condom
con·dom 
[kóndəm, kúndəm]
(plural con·doms) noun

contraceptive
for man:
a close-fitting rubber covering worn by a man over the penis during sexual
intercourse to prevent pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted disease.
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



condominium

condominium
con·do·min·i·um 
[kòndə mínnee əm] (plural con·do·min·i·ums)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE individually
owned apartment: an individually owned unit of real
estate, especially an apartment or town house, in a building or on land that is
owned in common by the owners of the units

2.  ARCHITECTURE building
containing condominiums: a building or complex
containing condominium apartments or town houses

3.  POLITICS state
ruled by foreign countries: a country governed by two or
more different countries with joint responsibility

4.  POLITICS joint
government of territory: the system under which a
country or state is ruled by two or more other nations
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin, literally “joint right of ownership,” from
Latin dominium “property” (see dominion
).]
—con·do·min·i·al, adjective[1]



condone

condone
con·done 
[kən dṓn] (past con·doned, past
participle con·doned, present participle con·don·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·dones) transitive verb

be
willing to overlook something: to regard something
that is considered immoral or wrong in a tolerant way, without criticizing it
or feeling strongly about it
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin condonare, literally “to give up,” from donare
(see donate ). The underlying meaning is “to
give up your objections.”]
—con·don·a·ble,
adjective

—con·do·na·tion
[kòndə náysh’n, kòn
dō náysh’n], noun

—con·don·er, noun[1]



condor

condor

con·dor 
[kón dàwr, kóndər]
(plural con·dors) noun

1.  large
Andean vulture: a large vulture of the Andes that has
dull black plumage with white around the neck. Latin name: Vultur gryphus

2.  See
California condor
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish cóndor from Quechua kuntur .][1]



condottiere

condottiere
con·dot·tie·re 
[kon dòttee érree, kóndə
tyé rày] (plural con·dot·tie·ri [kon
dòttee érree]) noun

1.  captain
of mercenary soldiers during Renaissance: a man
who led a group of hired soldiers, or one of the hired soldiers in such a
group, especially during the period of the Italian Renaissance, between the
13th and 16th centuries

2.  mercenary:
a hired soldier
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “contractor.”][1]



conduce

conduce
con·duce 
[kən dss] (past con·duced, past
participle con·duced, present participle con·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·duc·es) intransitive verb

contribute
toward bringing something about: to help, contribute,
or lead to bringing about an action or event (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin conducere, literally “to bring together,” from ducere
(see duct ).]
—con·duc·er,
noun

—con·duc·i·ble,
adjective

—con·duc·ing·ly, adverb[1]



conducive

conducive
con·du·cive 
[kən dssiv] adjective

helping something to happen:
tending to encourage or bring about a good or intended result[1]



conduct

conduct
con·duct 
verb [kən dúkt] (past con·duct·ed,
past participle con·duct·ed, present participle con·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ducts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lead
instrumental or vocal group: to lead a group of musicians
or a musical performance by signaling the beat with a baton or hand gestures,
giving cues, and offering suggestions for interpretation or expression

2.  PHYSICS ELECTRICITY transmit energy:
to transmit energy, for example, heat, light, sound, or electricity

3.  transitive
verb
guide
somebody along: to lead a person or group of people by
going along with them

4.  transitive
verb
do
or run something: to carry out, manage, or control
something

5.  reflexive
verb
behave:
to behave in a specified way • He
conducted himself with great dignity.
noun
[kón dùkt] (plural con·ducts)

1.  behavior:
the way a person behaves, especially in public

2.  how
somebody does or handles something: the
management or execution of matters such as work or official affairs

3.  leader
or guide:
somebody who leads, guides, or escorts another or others (archaic)
[15th
century. Directly and via conduit from Latin conduct-, the past
participle stem of conducere (see conduce
).]
—con·duct·i·bil·i·ty
[kən dùktə bíllətee], noun

—con·duct·i·ble
[kən dúktəb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at guide

[1]



conductance

conductance
con·duc·tance 
[kən dúktəns] (plural con·duc·tances)
noun

ability of object to transmit
electricity: a measure of the
ability of an object to transmit electricity.
See also
conductivity  noun 1
Symbol G[1]



conduction

conduction
con·duc·tion 
[kən dúkshən] noun

1.  PHYSICS transmission
of energy:
the passage of energy through something, particularly heat or electricity

2.  transmission
through a nerve fiber: the transmission of
biochemical or electrical energy through a nerve fiber

3.  conveyance
through passage: the passage of something through or
along something, for example, water through a pipe

[1]



conductive

conductive
con·duc·tive 
[kən dúktiv] adjective

1.  PHYSICS conducting
energy:
transmitting or able to transmit energy, particularly heat or electricity

2.  BIOLOGY transmitting
nerve impulse: used to describe a cell that allows a
physiological disturbance, for example, a nerve impulse, to pass through it

[1]



conductivity

conductivity
con·duc·tiv·i·ty 
[kòn duk tívvətee] noun

1.  ELECTRICITY ability
to transmit electricity: a mathematical relationship
between the dimensions of an object and its ability to transmit electricity.
See
also
conductance Symbol σ

2.  BIOLOGY transmission
of nerve impulses: the ability of tissue to
transmit nerve impulses

[1]



conductor

conductor
con·duc·tor 
[kən dúktər] (plural con·duc·tors)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT somebody
who collects fares on bus: somebody who takes tickets
or money for the fare on a bus or streetcar

2.  TRANSPORT railroad
employee in charge of passengers: a railroad employee
who is in charge of a train and whose job is to check tickets, announce stops,
and attend to passengers’ needs and safety.
U.K.
term
guard

3.  MUSIC director
of orchestra or choir: somebody in charge of an
orchestra or choir who marks time and signals musicians or singers when and how
to play or sing

4.  PHYSICS something
that conveys heat or electricity: a substance, body, or
medium that allows heat, electricity, light, or sound to pass along it or
through it. Metals are good conductors of heat because of the high
concentration of free electrons they contain.

5.  ENGINEERING See lightning rod
—con·duc·to·ri·al
[kòn duk táwree əl], adjective

—con·duc·tor·ship [kən dúktər shìp], noun[1]



conduit

conduit
con·duit 
[kón d it, kóndwit]
(plural con·duits) noun

1.  UTILITIES channel
for liquid:
a pipe or channel that carries liquid to or from a place

2.  CONSTRUCTION protective
cover for cable: a pipe or tube that covers and protects
electrical cables

3.  conveyer
of information: somebody or something that conveys
information, especially if in secret
[14th century. Via French conduit
from, ultimately, Latin conduct-, stem of conducere, literally
“to lead with” (source of English conduct
).][1]



condyle

condyle
con·dyle 
[kón dl, kónd’l]
(plural con·dyles) noun

rounded
end of bone: a rounded part at the end of a bone that
forms a moving joint with a cup-shaped cavity in another bone. The ball part of
a ball-and-socket joint, such as the hip or shoulder joint, is a condyle.
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek kondulos “knuckle.”]
—con·dy·lar [kónd’lər], adjective[1]



condyloid

condyloid
con·dy·loid 
[kónd’l òyd] adjective

rounded:
rounded like the protruding surface at the end of a bone[1]



condyloma

condyloma
con·dy·lo·ma 
[kònd’l ṓmə] (plural con·dy·lo·mas
or con·dy·lo·ma·ta [kònd’l ṓmətə])
noun

wartlike
growth on genitals or anus: a growth resembling a wart
on the skin or a mucous membrane, usually of the genitals or anus
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek kondulōma “callous knob or lump,” from kondulos “knuckle.”][1]



cone

cone

cone 
[kōn] noun (plural cones)

1.  pointed
object with round base: any object or shape that has
a circular base and tapers to a point at the top, or has a circular top and
tapers to a point at the bottom

2.  GEOMETRY pointed
figure with curved flat base: a three-dimensional
geometric figure formed by straight lines through a fixed point ( vertex ) to the points of a fixed curve ( directrix ). A circular cone has a directrix that
is a circle.
Also
called
right circular cone

3.  FOOD cone
-shaped wafer for ice cream: a cone -shaped or cup-shaped
wafer used for serving ice cream, or such a wafer with ice cream in it

4.  TRANSPORT plastic
cone -shaped road marker: a plastic cone -shaped
object used as a temporary road marker or barrier, for example, to close off
part or all of a road during repairs or after an accident

5.  BOTANY seed-bearing
structure of pines and firs: a tightly packed cluster of
scales that bears the reproductive organs of coniferous plants such as pines
and firs. Male cones produce pollen, and female cones bear seeds. Technical
name strobilus

6.  BOTANY reproductive
part of nonflowering plants: a club-shaped,
umbrella-shaped, or poker-shaped cluster of fertile leaves that bears the
spore-producing organs of a club moss or horsetail.
Also
called
strobilus

7.  ANATOMY light
receptor cell in eye: a cone -shaped cell
sensitive to light and color in the retina of the eye of a human being or any
other vertebrate animal. There are three different types of cone cells,
responding to blue, green, or red light.

8.  MARINE BIOLOGY sea
snail with cone -shaped shell: a sea snail found in
the South Pacific and Indian oceans that has a cone -shaped, vividly marked
shell and a poisonous, sometimes fatal, sting. Family: Conidae
Also
called
cone shell

9.  GEOGRAPHY volcano:
a cone -shaped mountain, especially a volcano
transitive verb
(past coned, past participle coned, present
participle con·ing, 3rd person present singular cones)

make something into cone shape:
to shape something into the form of a cone
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek kōnos “pine cone, cone.”][1]



coneflower

coneflower
cone·flow·er 
[kṓn flòwr] (plural cone·flow·ers)
noun

N American flower with
cone-shaped center: a plant,
originally from North America, with variously colored flowers that have a brown
or black cone-shaped center. Genera: Echinacea Rudbeckia Ratibida

Also called
echinacea[1]



conenose

conenose
cone·nose 
[kṓn nz] (plural cone·noses) or
cone-nosed bug [kṓn nz] (plural
cone-nosed bugs) noun

American bloodsucking insect:
a bloodsucking insect found in Mexico and the southern and western United
States that feeds on other insects, inflicts painful bites on humans, and
transmits diseases. Family: Reduviidae
Also called
kissing bug[1]



coneshell

coneshell
cone
shell
(plural cone shells) noun

See
cone  noun 8[1]



conespressione

conespressione
con
es·pres·si·o·ne [kòn ə
spressi ṓ này, káwn ə spressi ṓ này] adverb

expressively:
with feeling and expression (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian, literally
“with expression”][1]



Conestogawagon

Conestogawagon
Con·es·to·ga
wag·on
[kònnə stṓgə wàggən] (plural Con·es·to·ga
wag·ons) noun

pioneer
wagon:
a heavy covered wagon used by U.S. pioneers in the 19th century to travel west
[Early 18th century. Named
for Conestoga, Pennsylvania, where it was first made.][1]



coney

coney
co·ney
[kṓnee] (plural co·neys) or
co·ny [kṓnee] (plural co·nies)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY European
rabbit:
a rabbit, especially the common domesticated European rabbit

2.  INDUSTRY rabbit
fur:
rabbit fur used for coats and other articles of clothing

3.  ZOOLOGY See hyrax

4.  ZOOLOGY See pika

5.  Southeastern
U.S.,
Caribbean ZOOLOGY Caribbean
fish:
a fish with varying color phases that lives along reefs of the Caribbean Sea
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin cuniculus “rabbit, burrow,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps from cunus “female pudenda.”][1]



ConeyIsland

ConeyIsland
Co·ney
Is·land

formerly a resort, now an
amusement area in southern Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It was an island,
but has become part of Long Island since the silting up of Coney Island Creek.[1]



conf

conf
conf
or conf.

1.  Abbreviation
of
confer

2.  conf.
Abbreviation of conference

3.  conf.
LAW Abbreviation of confessor

4.  conf.
Abbreviation of confidential

[1]



confab

confab
con·fab 
[kón fàb] noun (plural con·fabs)
(informal)

1.  talk:
a chat or casual discussion

2.  gathering
of people:
a gathering of people for discussion or decision-making
intransitive
verb
(past con·fabbed, past participle con·fabbed, present
participle con·fab·bing, 3rd person present singular con·fabs)

talk about something:
to have a chat or discussion about something (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of confabulation .][1]



confabulate

confabulate
con·fab·u·late 
[kən fábbyə làyt] (past con·fab·u·lat·ed,
past participle con·fab·u·lat·ed, present participle con·fab·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·fab·u·lates) intransitive verb

1.  confer
about something: to discuss or have a chat about
something (formal)

2.  PSYCHOLOGY create
memory of supposed past events: to give fictitious
accounts of past events, believing they are true, in order to cover a gap in
the memory caused by a medical condition such as dementia or Korsakoff’s
syndrome
[Early
17th century. From Latin confabulat-, stem of confabulari,
literally “to talk together,” from, ultimately, fabula “story” (see fable ).]
—con·fab·u·la·tion
[kən fàbbyə láysh’n], noun

—con·fab·u·la·tor
[kən fábbyə làytər], noun

—con·fab·u·la·to·ry [kən fábbyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



confect

confect
con·fect 
[kən fékt] transitive verb (past
con·fect·ed, past participle con·fect·ed, present
participle con·fect·ing, 3rd person present singular con·fects)

1.  COOKING make
candy or preserves: to make candy by combining
ingredients such as sugar, fruit, and nuts, or make preserves (formal)

2.  make:
to create something by combining different materials or items • Using
scrap lumber, they succeeded in confecting a house of sorts.
noun
(plural con·fects)

sweet confection:
something, for example, candy, that is a sweet confection (formal)
[14th century. From Latin confect-,
stem of conficere, literally “to put or make together,” from facere
“to make.”][1]



confection

confection
con·fec·tion 
[kən fékshən] (plural con·fec·tions)
noun

1.  FOOD something
sweet:
a sweet food made by combining ingredients such as fruit, nuts, and sugar

2.  combination:
a combining of elements or materials or its result • a
confection of lies and half-truths

3.  elaborate
creation:
an often elaborate piece of craftsmanship and skill, for example, an ornate
piece of women’s clothing • Her
gown was a marvelous confection of lace and tulle.

4.  PHARMACOLOGY sweet
medicine:
a medicine that has been sweetened with honey or sugar (archaic)

[1]



confectionary

confectionary
con·fec·tion·ar·y 
[kən fékshən èrree] noun (plural
con·fec·tion·ar·ies)

FOOD See confectionery  noun 1
See confectionery  noun 3
adjective

relating to confectionery:
relating to confectionery and confectioners (formal)[1]



confectioner

confectioner
con·fec·tion·er 
[kən fékshənər] (plural con·fec·tion·ers)
noun

maker of candies:
somebody who makes or sells candies[1]



confectioners’sugar

confectioners’sugar
con·fec·tion·ers’
sug·ar 
noun

finely powdered sugar:
finely powdered sugar with cornstarch added, used for making cake icing or for
dusting pastries and some types of bread.
U.K. term
icing sugar[1]



confectionery

confectionery
con·fec·tion·er·y 
[kən fékshə nèrree] (plural con·fec·tion·er·ies)
noun

1.  FOOD confections:
candies, considered collectively.
Also
called
confectionary

2.  COOKING candy-making:
the skill, technique, or practice of making candy

3.  COMMERCE confectioner’s
store:
a store where candy is sold.
Also
called
confectionary

[1]



confed.

confed.
confed.
or Confed. POLITICS

1.  Abbreviation
of
confederation

2.  Abbreviation
of
confederate Abbreviation of Confederate

[1]



confederacy

confederacy
con·fed·er·a·cy
[kən féddərəssee] noun

1.  political
union:
an alliance of people, states, or parties for some common purpose, or the
people, states, or parties in an alliance

2.  group
doing something unlawful together: a group of people who
have joined together to do something unlawful

[1]



Confederacy

Confederacy
Con·fed·er·a·cy 
noun

See
Confederate States of America[1]



confederal

confederal
con·fed·er·al 
[kən féddərəl] adjective

1.  of
a confederation: relating to a confederation

2.  concerning
two or more nations: relating to the activities
of two or more nations
—con·fed·er·al·ist, noun[1]



confederate

confederate
con·fed·er·ate 
noun [kən féddərət] (plural con·fed·er·ates)

1.  ally:
one of two or more people, groups, or nations that have formed an alliance for
some common purpose

2.  accomplice:
somebody who is part of a plot or conspiracy
adjective
[kən féddərət]

associated:
joined in common purpose
intransitive
and transitive verb [kən
féddə ràyt] (past con·fed·er·at·ed, past participle
con·fed·er·at·ed, present participle con·fed·er·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·fed·er·ates)

unite people or things:
to form people, groups, or nations into a confederacy, or become part of a
confederacy
[14th
century. From late Latin confoederat-, the past participle stem of confoederare,
literally “to league together,” from, ultimately, the stem foeder-
“league” (see federal ).]
—con·fed·er·a·tive [kən féddə ràytiv], adjective[1]



Confederate

Confederate
Con·fed·er·ate
[kən féddərət] noun (plural Con·fed·er·ates)

supporter
of Confederate States of America: a supporter or soldier
of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War
adjective

relating to Confederate
States of America: relating to
the Confederate States of America during the Civil War[1]



ConfederateMemorial Day

ConfederateMemorial Day
Con·fed·er·ate
Me·mo·ri·al Day noun

day honoring Civil War dead:
a holiday remembering Civil War dead and observed by descendants of Confederate
soldiers. It is celebrated on various days in the spring in most former
Confederate states. Though still an official holiday in several states, it is
often only observed by memorial organizations.[1]



ConfederateStates of America

ConfederateStates of America
Con·fed·er·ate
States of A·mer·i·ca noun

southern states that seceded:
the confederation of the 11 southern states that seceded from the United States
in 1861, an act that started the Civil War. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, and Virginia were the states that seceded.
Also called
the Confederacy[1]



Confederation

Confederation
Con·fed·er·a·tion
noun

1.  original
United States: the union of the original 13 states of
the United States under the Articles of Confederation from 1781 to 1789

2.  Canada
in 1867:
the original union of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia in 1867
into the federation of Canada, afterward joined by the six other provinces

[1]



confederation

confederation
con·fed·er·a·tion 
[kən fèddə ráysh’n] (plural con·fed·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  group
of loosely allied states: a group of states that are
allied together to form a political unit in which they keep most of their
independence but act together for certain purposes such as defense

2.  body
representing independent organizations: a
body comprising representatives of independent organizations that wish to
cooperate for some common beneficial purpose

3.  Canada
federation:
a federation

4.  confederating:
the formation of or state of being a confederation
—con·fed·er·a·tion·ism
[kən fèddə ráysh’n ìzzəm], noun

—con·fed·er·a·tion·ist,
noun[1]



confer

confer
con·fer 
[kən fúr] (past con·ferred, past
participle con·ferred, present participle con·fer·ring,
3rd person present singular con·fers) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
discuss
something with somebody: to talk with somebody in
order to compare opinions or make a decision

2.  transitive
verb
give
honor or title to somebody: to give something such as a
title, honor, or favor to somebody (formal) • The
university conferred an honorary Doctor of Arts degree on the president.

3.  transitive
verb
give
somebody or something some characteristic: to
give somebody or something a certain status or characteristic • His
demeanor conferred a sense of dignity on the whole affair.
[15th
century. From Latin conferre, literally “to bring together,” from ferre
“to bring.”]
—con·fer·ment,
noun

—con·fer·ra·ble,
adjective

—con·fer·ral,
noun

—con·fer·rer,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at give

[1]



conferee

conferee
con·fer·ee 
[kònfə r] (plural con·fer·ees)
or con·fer·ree [kònfə r] (plural
con·fer·rees) noun

1.  participant
at conference: somebody who takes part in a conference

2.  somebody
honored:
somebody who is given a title, honor, or favor

[1]



conference

conference
con·fer·ence 
[kónfərəns] (plural con·fer·ences)
noun

1.  meeting
for lectures and discussion: a meeting, sometimes lasting
for several days, in which people with a common interest participate in
discussions or listen to lectures to obtain information

2.  meeting
for serious discussion: a meeting to discuss serious
matters, for example, policy or business

3.  meeting
of representatives of organization: a
usually annual gathering of local representatives of an organization, such as a
political party, trade union, or church, where policy matters and other issues
are discussed or decided • the
Democratic Party Conference

4.  POLITICS meeting
of two legislative committees: a meeting of select
members or committees from two legislative bodies, for the purpose of settling
differences in bills they have passed

5.  CHRISTIANITY area
organization of churches: in some Protestant churches,
a regional or national body to which a number of local churches belong • the
Friends General Conference

6.  SPORTS sports
league:
an association or league of athletic teams that compete with each other

7.  conferring
of something: the conferring of something such as a
degree or honor on somebody (archaic)

[1]



conferencecall

conferencecall
con·fer·ence
call
(plural con·fer·ence calls) noun

group telephone conversation:
a conversation involving three or more people linked together by telephone[1]



conferencing

conferencing
con·fer·enc·ing
[kónfərənssing] noun

holding of conference using
information technology: the holding
of a conference, meeting, or discussion in which the participants are linked by
telephone ( audioconferencing ), by telephone and video equipment ( videoconferencing ), or by computer ( computer conferencing )[1]



conferree

conferree
con·fer·ree
noun

See
conferee[1]



confess

confess
con·fess 
[kən féss] (past con·fessed, past
participle con·fessed, present participle con·fess·ing,
3rd person present singular con·fess·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb admit
having done something wrong: to admit openly a
wrongdoing, crime, or error • She
confessed to having taken the watch. • I
eventually confessed that I had made the call that night.

2.  transitive
verb
acknowledge
to be true:
to admit the truth of something, for example, something that might reflect
badly or be embarrassing • I
confess I didn’t really want to come here tonight. • I
confess myself unworthy of the honor you are bestowing on me.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHRISTIANITY admit sins:
to reveal sins to a priest or to God and ask for forgiveness • It
had been some months since I had confessed.

4.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY hear
somebody’s confession: to listen to somebody’s
confession of sins • A priest visited her to
confess her every day.

5.  transitive
verb
acknowledge
faith in:
to declare faith or belief in something or somebody (archaic) • prayer
that confesses the strength of the Lord.
[14th
century. Via French confesser from Latin confess-, past
participle stem of confiteri “to acknowledge,” literally “to declare
utterly,” from fateri “to declare.”]
—con·fess·a·ble, adjective[1]



confessed

confessed
con·fessed
[kən fést] adjective

acknowledged:
openly admitted • a
confessed admirer of your films[1]



confessedly

confessedly
con·fess·ed·ly
[kən féssədlee] adverb

admittedly:
used to indicate that something is admitted to be the case[1]



confession

confession
con·fes·sion 
[kən fésh’n] (plural con·fes·sions)
noun

1.  admission
of wrongdoing: an admission of having done something
wrong or embarrassing

2.  LAW admission
of guilt:
a voluntary written or verbal statement admitting the commission of a crime

3.  open
acknowledgment of feelings: a profession of emotions or
beliefs such as love, loyalty, or faith

4.  CHRISTIANITY declaration
of sins:
a formal declaration of sins confidentially to a priest or to God

5.  something
admitted:
something that is confessed or disclosed

6.  RELIGION declaration
of beliefs or doctrines: a declaration of the beliefs
or doctrines of a religious body

7.  CHRISTIANITY religious
group sharing beliefs: a religious group that has a
specific set of beliefs and practices

[1]



confessional

confessional
con·fes·sion·al 
[kən féshən’l, kən
féshnəl] adjective

1.  resembling
confession:
suited to, typical of, or resembling an act of confession

2.  being
of an intimate nature: relating to or being
something intimately autobiographical in nature or content
noun
(plural con·fes·sion·als)

CHRISTIANITY place
for confession in church: a small wooden stall in a
Roman Catholic church with a partition behind which a priest sits to hear
confession

[1]



confessor

confessor
con·fes·sor 
[kən féssər] (plural con·fes·sors)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY priest:
a priest who hears confessions and sometimes acts as a spiritual adviser

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
not deterred by persecution: somebody who demonstrates
Christian faith by living a holy life, especially in the face of persecution
but without being a martyr (archaic)

3.  somebody
who confesses: somebody who makes a confession

[1]



confetti

confetti
con·fet·ti 
[kən féttee] noun

colored
paper pieces for throwing: small pieces of colored
paper or dried flowers thrown over people at festive occasions, for example,
the bride and groom at a wedding
adjective

resembling
confetti:
similar to confetti in shape or color
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, plural of confetto “small sweet thrown at carnivals,” from,
ultimately, Latin conficere (see confect
).][1]



confidant

confidant
con·fi·dant 
[kónfi dànt, kònfi
dnt] (plural con·fi·dants) noun

somebody
to whom secrets are told: a trusted person with whom
personal matters and problems are discussed
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of confident .][1]



confidante

confidante
con·fi·dante 
[kónfi dànt, kònfi
dnt] (plural con·fi·dantes) noun

woman
to whom secrets are told: a trusted woman with whom
personal matters and problems are discussed
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of confident .][1]



confide

confide
con·fide 
[kən fd] (past con·fid·ed, past
participle con·fid·ed, present participle con·fid·ing,
3rd person present singular con·fides) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tell
something secret to somebody: to tell somebody something
that is to remain secret or private • He
later confided to me that he had not wanted the position at all.

2.  transitive
verb
give
something over to somebody’s care: to entrust somebody
with something such as a valuable object or an important task (archaic)
• He
had been confided with the task of taking the message to the king.

3.  intransitive
verb
trust
in somebody: to have trust or confidence in somebody
(archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin confidere “to put your trust in,” from fidere
“to trust,” from fides “trust” (source of English faith ).]
—con·fid·er, noun[1]



confidence

confidence
con·fi·dence 
[kónfidənss] (plural con·fi·dences)
noun

1.  belief
in own abilities: a belief or self-assurance in your
ability to succeed

2.  faith
in somebody to do right: belief or assurance in
somebody or something or the ability of somebody or something to act in a
proper, trustworthy, or reliable manner

3.  secret:
something told to somebody that is to be kept private

4.  trusting
relationship: a relationship based on trust and
intimacy • He
took me into his confidence.

[1]



confidencegame

confidencegame
con·fi·dence
game
(plural con·fi·dence games) noun

swindle:
a fraud in which somebody obtains something of value by first gaining the trust
of the victim, then betraying that person.
U.K. term
confidence trick[1]



confidenceinterval

confidenceinterval
con·fi·dence
in·ter·val
(plural con·fi·dence in·ter·vals) noun

expected range of outcome:
a range of statistical values within which a result is expected to fall with a
specific probability[1]



confidencelimit

confidencelimit
con·fi·dence
lim·it
(plural con·fi·dence lim·its) noun

highest and lowest limits:
the highest and lowest values of a confidence interval[1]



confidencetrick

confidencetrick
con·fi·dence
trick
noun

U.K.
=
confidence game
—con·fi·dence trick·ster,
noun[1]



confident

confident
con·fi·dent 
[kónfidənt] adjective

1.  self-assured:
certain of having the ability, judgment, and resources needed to succeed

2.  convinced:
sure about the nature or facts of something • We
are confident that the market for our products is expanding.

3.  excessively
forward:
bold and presumptuous in manner
[Late
16th century. Via French from confidere (see confide
).]
—con·fi·dent·ly, adverb[1]



confidential

confidential
con·fi·den·tial 
[kònfi dénsh’l] adjective

1.  private
and secret:
carried out or revealed in the expectation that anything done or revealed will
be kept private

2.  for
a select group: not available to the public, for
example, because it is commercially or industrially sensitive or concerns
matters of national security

3.  dealing
with private affairs: entrusted with somebody’s
personal or private matters

4.  suggesting
a close relationship: suggesting familiarity or
intimacy that may not exist • a
confidential whisper
—con·fi·den·ti·al·i·ty
[kònfi denshee állətee], noun

—con·fi·den·tial·ly [kònfi dénsh’lee], adverb[1]



confidentialcommunication

confidentialcommunication
con·fi·den·tial
com·mu·ni·ca·tion (plural con·fi·den·tial
com·mu·ni·ca·tions) noun

undisclosable information:
privileged communication with somebody such as a doctor, priest, lawyer, or
spouse that a court cannot legally order to be disclosed[1]



confiding

confiding
con·fid·ing 
[kən fding] adjective

trusting:
willing to trust others with the knowledge of private or personal matters
—con·fid·ing·ly, adverb[1]



configuration

configuration
con·fig·u·ra·tion 
[kən fìggyə ráysh’n] (plural con·fig·u·ra·tions)
noun

1.  arrangement
of parts:
the way the parts or elements of something are arranged and fit together • I
don’t quite grasp the configuration of this engine.

2.  shape
or outline:
the shape or outline of something, determined by the way its parts or elements
are arranged • Geese
fly in a V-shaped configuration.

3.  CHEMISTRY PHYSICS arrangement
of atoms in molecule: the fixed stable spatial
arrangement of atoms within a molecule

4.  PSYCHOLOGY See gestalt

5.  COMPUTING computer
system’s setup: the manner in which the software and
internal and external hardware components of a computer system are arranged and
interconnected, so that the system functions correctly
—con·fig·u·ra·tive
[kən fíggyə ràytiv], adjective

—con·fig·u·ra·tion·al
[kən fìggyə ráyshən’l, kən fìggyə ráyshnəl], adjective

—con·fig·u·ra·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



configure

configure
con·fig·ure 
[kən fíggyər] (past con·fig·ured,
past participle con·fig·ured, present participle con·fig·ur·ing,
3rd person present singular con·fig·ures) transitive verb

arrange
parts for particular use: to set up, design, or
arrange the parts of something for a specific purpose
[14th century. From Latin configurare
“to fashion after a pattern,” literally “to form together,” from figura
“shape” (source of English figure ).][1]



confine

confine
con·fine 
transitive verb [kən fn] (past
con·fined, past participle con·fined, present
participle con·fin·ing, 3rd person present singular con·fines)

1.  keep
somebody or something within limits: to
keep within certain limits or boundaries • Please
confine your comments to the matters at hand.

2.  keep
in some place: to keep somebody or something from
leaving an enclosed or limited space such as a prison, room, or bed
noun
[kón fn]

1.  limitation:
restriction within limits (archaic literary)

2.  prison:
a place of confinement (archaic)
plural
noun
confines

boundaries or scope:
the boundaries, limits, or scope that restricts somebody or something • Their
goals were determined by the confines of the project.
[15th
century. From French confiner, from confins (plural)
“boundaries,” from, ultimately, Latin confinis “ending with,” from finis
“end” (see final ).]
—con·fin·a·ble,
adjective

—con·fin·er, noun[1]



confined

confined
con·fined
[kən fnd] adjective

1.  limited:
restricted in scope or application • a
problem that is not confined to the inner cities

2.  constricted:
small, cramped, and completely enclosed

3.  MEDICINE in
process of giving birth: giving birth, or about to
give birth, to a child (dated)
—con·fined·ness [kən fnədnəss], noun[1]



confinement

confinement
con·fine·ment 
[kən fnmənt] (plural con·fine·ments)
noun

1.  MEDICINE process
or time of giving birth: the period of time or the
process of giving birth, beginning when a woman goes into labor and ending when
a child is born (dated)

2.  restraint:
restriction or limitation within the boundaries or scope of something

[1]



confirm

confirm
con·firm 
[kən fúrm] (past con·firmed, past
participle con·firmed, present participle con·firm·ing,
3rd person present singular con·firms) verb

1.  transitive
verb
prove
to be true:
to verify the truth or validity of something thought to be true or valid

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something definite: to make certain that a
tentative arrangement or one made earlier is firm • call
to confirm the reservation

3.  transitive
verb
legally
approve:
to ratify or make something valid with a formal or legal act • confirmed
his appointment to the post with a unanimous vote

4.  transitive
verb
JUDEO-CHRISTIAN admit
into religious body: in Judaism and Christianity,
to admit somebody into full membership of a religious body or community

5.  transitive
verb
strengthen:
to make something stronger (formal)
[13th
century. Via Old French confermer from Latin confirmare,
literally “to strengthen together,” from firmare “to strengthen.”]
—con·firm·a·bil·i·ty
[kən fùrmə bíllətee], noun

—con·firm·a·ble
[kən fúrməb’l], adjective

—con·firm·a·to·ry
[kən fúrmə tàwree], adjective

—con·firm·er, noun[1]



confirmand

confirmand
con·fir·mand 
[kən fúrmənd] (plural con·fir·mands)
noun

somebody
receiving confirmation: somebody who is being
confirmed in a religious ceremony (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
confirmandus “fit to be confirmed,” from confirmare (see confirm ).][1]



confirmation

confirmation
con·fir·ma·tion 
[kònfər máysh’n] (plural con·fir·ma·tions)
noun

1.  confirming
something:
verification that something has been or will be done

2.  something
that confirms something else: something that supports,
validates, or verifies something • a
confirmation of my worst fears

3.  CHRISTIANITY acceptance
into church: a religious ceremony that marks
somebody’s formal acceptance into a Christian church

4.  JUDAISM ceremony
marking beginning of responsible adulthood: in
Reform Judaism, a ceremony that marks the completion of somebody’s religious
training and entry into full adult membership of the community
—con·fir·ma·tion·al, adjective[1]



confirmed

confirmed
con·firmed 
[kən fúrmd] adjective

1.  settled
and unlikely to change: firmly settled in a
particular habit and unlikely to change

2.  established
as true:
having been found or shown to be true or definite • confirmed
cases of infection

3.  CHRISTIANITY made
member of church: received into a Christian church as a
full member

[1]



confirmedly

confirmedly
con·firm·ed·ly
[kənfúrmədlee] adverb

unchangeably:
to an extent or in a way that is unlikely to change[1]



confiscable

confiscable
con·fis·ca·ble 
[kən fískəb’l] adjective

subject to confiscation:
at risk of being confiscated (formal) • confiscable
goods[1]



confiscate

confiscate
con·fis·cate 
transitive verb [kónfi skàyt] (past
con·fis·cat·ed, past participle con·fis·cat·ed, present
participle con·fis·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular con·fis·cates)

1.  take
away from somebody: to take somebody’s property
with authority, or appropriate it for personal use as if with authority • I’ll
confiscate that ruler if you don’t stop playing with it.

2.  take
property as legal penalty: to seize property legally
forfeited to the public treasury as a penalty • The
goods were confiscated by customs.
adjective
[kónfi skàyt, kónfiskət]
(formal)

1.  taken
by authority: taken legally or forfeited

2.  having
forfeited property: having had property taken
away legally or by forfeiture
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin confiscare “to appropriate for the public treasury,”
from fiscus (see fiscal ).]
—con·fis·cat·a·ble,
adjective

—con·fis·ca·tor,
noun

—con·fis·ca·to·ry [kən fískə tàwree], adjective[1]



confit

confit
con·fit
[kon f, kōn f]
(plural con·fits) noun

meat
cooked and preserved in fat: meat cooked and preserved in
its own fat, for example, goose, duck, or pork
[Mid-20th century. From
French, originally the past participle of Old French confire “to
prepare,” from Latin conficere “to put together” (see confect ).][1]



Confiteor

Confiteor
Con·fi·te·or 
[kən ftee ər, kən
fti àwr] (plural Con·fi·te·ors) noun

prayer
of confession: a Roman Catholic prayer of confession
and plea for forgiveness
[13th century. From Latin, “I
confess,” from the opening words Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti… “I confess to
Almighty God….”][1]



confiture

confiture
con·fi·ture 
[kónfi chr] (plural con·fi·tures)
noun

jam:
fruit jam or preserve
[Mid-16th century. From
French, where it was formed from confit (see confit
).][1]



conflagrant

conflagrant
con·fla·grant 
[kən fláygrənt] adjective

blazing:
burning intensely (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
conflagrant-, present participle stem of conflagrare (see conflagration ).][1]



conflagration

conflagration
con·fla·gra·tion 
[kònflə gráysh’n] (plural con·fla·gra·tions)
noun

large
destructive fire: a large fire that causes a great deal of
damage
[15th
century. From the Latin stem conflagration-, ultimately from conflagrare
“to burn up,” from flagrare “to blaze” (source of English flagrant ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fire

[1]



conflate

conflate
con·flate 
[kən fláyt] (past con·flat·ed,
past participle con·flat·ed, present participle con·flat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·flates) verb (formal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
things:
to join or merge two or more things into a unified whole

2.  transitive
verb
mix
things:
to fuse or bring things together • I’m
afraid you’ve mistakenly conflated two separate sets of facts.
[15th
century. From Latin conflat-, past participle stem of conflare
“to melt together,” from flare “to blow” (source of English flavor and soufflé
).]
—con·fla·tion [kən fláysh’n], noun[1]



conflict

conflict
con·flict 
noun [kón flìkt] (plural con·flicts)

1.  MILITARY war:
a continued struggle or battle, especially open warfare between opposing forces
• news
that the conflict had reached the outskirts of the capital

2.  difference:
a disagreement or clash between ideas, principles, or people • The
two sides came into conflict over the proposed contract.

3.  PSYCHOLOGY mental
struggle:
a psychological state resulting from the often unconscious opposition between
simultaneous but incompatible desires, needs, drives, or impulses

4.  LITERATURE plot
tension:
opposition between or among characters or forces in a literary work that shapes
or motivates the action of a plot
intransitive
verb
[kən flíkt] (past con·flict·ed,
past participle con·flict·ed, present participle con·flict·ing,
3rd person present singular con·flicts)

differ: to be
incompatible, in opposition, or in disagreement • The
latest findings conflict with those of the original report.
[15th
century. From Latin conflictus, past participle of confligere “to
strike together, fight,” from fligere, to strike (source of English profligate and inflict
).]
—con·flic·tion
[kən flíkshən], noun

—con·flic·tive
[kən flíktiv], adjective

—con·flic·to·ry
[kən flíktəree], adjective

—con·flic·tu·al
[kən flíkchoo əl], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fight

[1]



conflicted

conflicted
con·flict·ed 
[kən flíktəd] adjective

ambivalent:
confused or ambivalent because of conflicting desires, possibilities, or
impulses (informal) • I
haven’t known him when he wasn’t conflicted about one thing or another.[1]



conflicting

conflicting
con·flict·ing
[kən flíkting] adjective

1.  different
and incompatible: inconsistent or contradictory and unable
to be reconciled • We’ve been receiving
conflicting reports about the whereabouts of the kidnappers.

2.  requiring
different and incompatible actions: not
able to be followed or acted on, because each requires different and
incompatible actions • In the
confusion, the men were ordered to do conflicting and impossible things.
—con·flict·ing·ly, adverb[1]



conflictof interest

conflictof interest
con·flict
of in·ter·est (plural con·flicts of
in·ter·est) noun

clash between requirements or
implications: a conflict between the
public and private interests of somebody in an official position or conflicts
between a number of public positions[1]



confluence

confluence
con·flu·ence 
[kón floo ənss] (plural con·flu·ences)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY meeting
of streams:
a flowing together of two or more streams, a point at which streams combine, or
a stream formed by their combining.
Also
called
conflux

2.  meeting
of two or more things: a meeting or gathering
together of two or more things, or the place where two or more things meet or
join

[1]



confluent

confluent
con·flu·ent 
[kón floo ənt] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY merging
into one:
used to describe streams that blend or flow into one

2.  MED merging
together:
used to describe skin eruptions that merge or spread into one another
noun
(plural con·flu·ents)

GEOGRAPHY stream:
one of two or more streams that flow together
[15th century. From Latin confluent-,
present participle stem of confluere “to flow together,” from fluere
“to flow” (see fluid ).][1]



conflux

conflux
con·flux 
[kón flùks] (plural con·flux·es)
noun

(formal)
See confluence  noun 1
[Early 17th century. From
Latin confluxus “flowed together,” from confluere (see confluent ).][1]



confocal

confocal
con·fo·cal 
[kon fṓk’l] adjective

with
the same focus: having the same focus or foci
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin con- “with” + focal
.]
—con·fo·cal·ly, adverb[1]



conform

conform
con·form 
[kən fáwrm] (past con·formed, past
participle con·formed, present participle con·form·ing,
3rd person present singular con·forms) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
behave
acceptably:
to behave or think in a socially acceptable or expected way • the
constant pressure to conform

2.  intransitive
verb
follow
a standard:
to comply with a fixed standard, regulation, or requirement • a
transformer that doesn’t conform to U.K. standards

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
make similar: to be the same as or very similar to
something or somebody, or make something similar • The
Assyrian account of the great flood conforms closely with the biblical account.
[14th
century. Via French conformer from Latin conformare “to shape
after,” from forma “shape” (source of English form ).]
—con·form·er, noun[1]



conformable

conformable
con·form·a·ble 
[kən fáwrməb’l] adjective

1.  in
agreement:
consistent with something • This
gradual increase in the number of species in a group is conformable with the
theory.

2.  similar:
similar in form or shape • I
think this software is comformable with what you already have on your system.

3.  compliant:
eager to obey or comply with the wishes of others • I’ve
always found him a conformable sort of person.

4.  GEOLOGY lying
above layer deposited immediately before: used
to describe a layer of rock that lies on the stratum that was deposited
immediately before it, so there is no break in stratigraphic sequence or
intervening erosion
—con·form·a·bil·i·ty
[kən fàwrmə bíllətee], noun

—con·form·a·ble·ness,
noun

—con·form·a·bly, adverb[1]



conformal

conformal
con·for·mal 
[kən fáwrm’l] adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS maintaining
the same angles: used to describe a mathematical
transformation that leaves the angles between intersecting curves unchanged

2.  MAPS with
accurate shape and scale: used to describe a map that
shows the correct shape and scale of a small area
[Late 19th century. Formed
from German conform, literally “of the same shape,” ultimately from
Latin forma “shape” (see form ).][1]



conformance

conformance
con·for·mance 
[kən fáwrmənss] noun

conforming:
the act of conforming or bringing about accord or compliance[1]



conformation

conformation
con·for·ma·tion 
[kòn fawr máysh’n] (plural con·for·ma·tions)
noun

1.  something’s
structure:
the shape, outline, or form of something, determined by the way in which its
parts are arranged • He attempted to
discover whether different conformations of bodily organs caused alterations to
the state of the mind.

2.  symmetry:
the symmetrical arrangement of parts or elements of something • That
sculpture shows excellent conformation.

3.  CHEMISTRY molecular
arrangement: any of the arrangements of a molecule
that result from atoms being rotated about a single bond

4.  creation
of conformity: a bringing of one thing into accord with
another
—con·for·ma·tion·al,
adjective

—con·for·ma·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



conformist

conformist
con·form·ist 
[kən fáwrmist] noun (plural con·form·ists)

somebody
who follows customs and rules: somebody who behaves
or thinks in a socially acceptable or expected way
adjective

socially
acceptable:
characterized by adherence to accepted norms of behavior or thought
—con·form·ism, noun[1]



conformity

conformity
con·form·i·ty 
[kən fáwrmətee] noun

1.  doing
and thinking as others: behaving or thinking in a
socially acceptable or expected way • a
certain lack of conformity in his attitudes

2.  following
a standard:
compliance with a fixed standard, regulation, or requirement

3.  agreement
in form:
agreement, correspondence, or similarity in structure, manner, or character

[1]



confound

confound
con·found 
[kən fównd] (past con·found·ed,
past participle con·found·ed, present participle con·found·ing,
3rd person present singular con·founds) transitive verb

1.  bewilder:
to puzzle or confuse somebody

2.  make
situation worse: to cause a confused situation to become
even more confused • Shouting at her like
that only confounded the problem.

3.  get
things mixed up: to fail to distinguish between two or
more things • He
often confounds fact and opinion.

4.  refute:
to prove somebody or something to be wrong

5.  expressing
anger:
a word used to express anger at something or somebody • Confound
his insolence!

6.  put
to shame:
to cause somebody to feel ashamed or embarrassed • Her
presentation confounded everyone who had criticized her.

7.  frustrate
somebody or something: to prevent somebody or
something from succeeding • The
lack of progress confounded him and he left in disgust.

8.  bring
to ruin:
to ruin or destroy somebody or something (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman conf(o)undre from, ultimately, Latin confundere,
literally “to pour together,” hence “to mix up,” from fundere, “to melt,
pour” (see found ).]
—con·found·er,
noun

—con·found·ing·ly, adverb[1]



confounded

confounded
con·found·ed 
[kən fówndəd] adjective

1.  expressing
annoyance:
used to express annoyance or irritation (dated informal)

2.  bewildered:
puzzled or confused by something • “I
don’t know what’s happened,” he sputtered, completely confounded.
—con·found·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·found·ed·ness, noun[1]



confraternity

confraternity
con·fra·ter·ni·ty 
[kònfrə túrnətee] (plural con·fra·ter·ni·ties)
noun

brotherhood:
a group of people united in a common profession or for some purpose, often a
group of Christians who have joined together to perform charitable acts
[15th century. Via French confraternité
from, ultimately, Latin confrater, literally “brother with,” hence
“colleague.”][1]



confront

confront
con·front 
[kən frúnt] (past con·front·ed,
past participle con·front·ed, present participle con·front·ing,
3rd person present singular con·fronts) transitive verb

1.  challenge
face to face: to come face to face with somebody,
especially in a challenge, and usually with hostility, criticism, or defiance

2.  make
aware of something: to bring somebody face to
face with something such as contradictory facts or evidence

3.  encounter
difficulty:
to meet something face to face, especially an obstacle that must be overcome • This
is just one of the difficulties students confront these days.

4.  be
met by difficulty: to be met face to face by
something that must be overcome • The
hardships that would confront the settlers were blissfully unknown when they
started out.
[Mid-16th
century. Via French confronter from medieval Latin confrontare,
from Latin front-, stem of frons “forehead, face, front.”]
—con·front·er, noun[1]



confrontation

confrontation
con·fron·ta·tion 
[kònfrən táysh’n] (plural con·fron·ta·tions)
noun

1.  encounter:
a face-to-face meeting or encounter with somebody or something

2.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS hostility
without warfare: hostility between nations often
involving armed forces, yet stopping short of actual warfare

3.  conflict
between ideas or people: conflict between ideas,
beliefs, or opinions, or between the people who hold them • This
country is headed for a confrontation over natural resources and whether
exploiting them is a right or a privilege.

4.  comparison
or opposition: a comparison or contrast between
elements that have been brought together into a whole • Her
sculpture is a superb confrontation of traditional and modern elements.
—con·fron·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—con·fron·ta·tion·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



confrère

confrère
con·frère
[kón fràir] (plural con·frères)
noun

colleague:
a fellow member of a professional, charitable, or other group (formal)
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin confrater (see confraternity
).][1]



Confucian

Confucian
Con·fu·cian 
[kən fysh’n] adjective

relating
to Confucius’s teachings: relating to the teachings of
Confucius or his followers, emphasizing self-control, adherence to a social
hierarchy, and social and political order
noun
(plural Con·fu·cians)

follower
of Confucius’s teachings: somebody who follows the
teachings of Confucius
—Con·fu·cian·ism,
noun

—Con·fu·cian·ist, noun[1]



Confucius

Confucius

Con·fu·cius 
[kən fyshəss] (551? BC–479? BC)
Chinese philosopher, administrator, and
moralist. His social and moral teachings, collected in the Analects,
tried to replace former religious observances.[1]



confuoco

confuoco
con
fuo·co
[kòn foo ṓkō, kn
foo ṓkō] adverb

with
passion and energy: to be played with energy,
passion, and fire (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian, literally “with fire”]
—con fuo·co, adjective[1]



confuse

confuse
con·fuse 
[kən fyz] (past con·fused, past
participle con·fused, present participle con·fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·fus·es) transitive verb

1.  make
unable to think intelligently: to make somebody
unable to think or reason clearly or act sensibly

2.  make
hard to understand: to make something hard or
harder to understand

3.  get
things mixed up: to mistake one person or thing for
another

4.  embarrass:
to make somebody feel embarrassed or ill at ease

5.  upset
the order of: to cause disorder in something or
somebody • The
dense fog utterly confused traffic on the highway.
[14th
century. Via French confus “perplexed” from Latin confusus “mixed
up,” from confundere “to mix together” (see confound
).]
—con·fus·a·bil·i·ty
[kən fyzə bíllətee], noun

—con·fus·a·ble, adjective[1]



confused

confused
con·fused 
[kən fyzd] adjective

1.  unable
to think intelligently: unable to think or reason
clearly or to act sensibly

2.  disordered:
in no logical or sensible order

3.  embarrassed:
embarrassed and not knowing what to say or how to act

4.  not
differentiated: mistaken for each other

5.  disoriented:
having impaired psychological capacity to the extent of being forgetful and no
longer able to carry out simple everyday tasks
—con·fus·ed·ly
[kən fyzədlee], adverb

—con·fus·ed·ness, noun[1]



confusing

confusing
con·fus·ing
[kən fyzing] adjective

not
understandable: unclear and difficult to understand
—con·fus·ing·ly, adverb[1]



confusion

confusion
con·fu·sion 
[kən fyzh’n] (plural con·fu·sions)
noun

1.  bewilderment:
the act of confusing somebody or something, or the state of being confused or
perplexed

2.  lack
of clarity:
misunderstanding of a situation or the facts

3.  mistaking
one for another: a failure to distinguish between people
or things

4.  disorder:
a chaotic or disordered state

5.  embarrassment:
self-consciousness or embarrassment

6.  disoriented
state of mind: a psychological state in which somebody
is disoriented and unable to think clearly
—con·fu·sion·al, adjective[1]



confutation

confutation
con·fu·ta·tion 
[kònfyə táysh’n] (plural con·fu·ta·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  proving
something wrong: proving that somebody is wrong or that
something is false, invalid, or faulty • The
lawyer’s confutation of the witness’s testimony was decisive.

2.  something
that refutes something else: a fact, observation, or
piece of evidence proving that somebody is wrong or that something is false,
invalid, or faulty (often used in the plural)
—con·fu·ta·tive [kən fytətiv], adjective[1]



confute

confute
con·fute 
[kən fyt] (past con·fut·ed, past
participle con·fut·ed, present participle con·fut·ing,
3rd person present singular con·futes) transitive verb

prove
wrong:
to prove conclusively that somebody is wrong or that something is false,
invalid, or faulty (formal)
[Early
16th century. From Latin confutare “to restrain, answer conclusively.”]
—con·fut·a·ble,
adjective

—con·fut·er, noun[1]



Cong.

Cong.
Cong.

1.  POLITICS Abbreviation of Congress

2.  POLITICS Abbreviation of Congressional

3.  RELIGION Abbreviation of Congregational

[1]



cong.

cong.
cong.

1.  POLITICS Abbreviation of congress

2.  POLITICS Abbreviation of congressional

3.  RELIGION Abbreviation of congregational

[1]



conga

conga
con·ga 
[kóng gə] noun (plural con·gas)

1.  dance
done in a line: a Latin American dance in which people
form a line and, holding the waist of the person ahead, move three steps
forward rhythmically, then kick out a leg

2.  music
for conga:
a piece of music to which people dance the conga

3.  See
conga drum
intransitive
verb
(past con·gaed, past participle con·gaed, present
participle con·ga·ing, 3rd person present singular con·gas)

dance: to
dance the conga
[Mid-20th century. Via
American Spanish (danza) Conga “dance from the Congo” from Spanish Congo
.][1]



congadrum

congadrum

con·ga drum
(plural con·ga drums) noun
tall drum:
a tall tapering drum, played with both hands and used in Latin American and
African music.
Also called
conga[1]



congame

congame
con
game
noun

confidence game:
a confidence game (informal)[1]



congeal

congeal
con·geal 
[kən jl] (past con·gealed, past
participle con·gealed, present participle con·geal·ing,
3rd person present singular con·geals) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  become
or make liquid thick: to become thick and solid or
cause a liquid to thicken and solidify

2.  become
or make firm: to become, or cause to become, firm and
strong • Let’s
act before opposition to our plan congeals.
[14th
century. Via French congeler from Latin congelare, literally “to
freeze together,” from gelu “frost” (see gel
).]
—con·geal·er,
noun

—con·geal·ment, noun[1]



congealedsalad

congealedsalad
con·gealed
sal·ad 
(plural con·gealed sal·ads) noun

Southern U.S.
fruit or vegetables in gelatin:
a dish made of flavored gelatin and chopped fruit or vegetables and sometimes
nuts, cottage cheese, or marshmallows that is set in a mold and served cold[1]



congee

congee
con·gee 
noun

See
congé[1]



congelation

congelation
con·ge·la·tion 
[kònjə láysh’n] (plural con·ge·la·tions)
noun

1.  solidifying
or solidified state: the process of turning from
a liquid into a solid, or the state of being solid as a result of congealing (formal)

2.  congealed
liquid:
a liquid that has solidified
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem congelation-, from congelare (see congeal ).][1]



congener

congener
con·ge·ner 
[kónjənər, kən
jnər] (plural con·ge·ners) noun

something
of same type: somebody or something that belongs to
the same class, group, or type, for example, an animal or plant of the same
genus as another animal or plant, or two elements belonging to the same group
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin congenus “of the same race,” from genus “race” (see genus ).][1]



congeneric

congeneric
con·ge·ner·ic
[kònjə nérrik] adjective

of
same type, group, or genus: used to describe organisms
belonging to the same class, group, or type
—con·gen·er·ous [kən jénnərəss, kon
jénnərəss], adjective[1]



congenial

congenial
con·gen·ial 
[kən jnyəl, kən
jnee əl] adjective

1.  agreeable:
pleasant and suitable to somebody’s character or taste or to a situation • a
very congenial atmosphere

2.  kindred
or similar:
compatible in tastes, interests, attitudes, or backgrounds

3.  friendly:
having an outgoing pleasant character • Her
congenial nature makes her well-loved in the town.
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin con- + genial
.]
—con·ge·ni·al·i·ty
[kən jnee állətee], noun

—con·gen·ial·ly
[kən jnyəlee, kən
jnee əlee], adverb

—con·gen·ial·ness, noun[1]



congenic

congenic
con·gen·ic 
[kən jénnik] adjective

nearly identical genetically:
used to describe animal cells that are genetically identical except for the
arrangement of genes in a single restricted chromosome region ( locus )[1]



congenital

congenital
con·gen·i·tal 
[kən jénnit’l] adjective

1.  MEDICINE existing
at birth:
used to describe an unusual condition present at birth

2.  ingrained
in somebody’s character: firmly established as part
of somebody’s character or beliefs
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin congenitus, literally “born with,” from genitus
“born” (see genital ).]
—con·gen·i·tal·ly,
adverb

—con·gen·i·tal·ness, noun[1]



congenitalanomaly

congenitalanomaly
con·gen·i·tal
a·nom·a·ly
noun

medical condition at birth:
a medically significant condition present at birth and resulting from
developmental processes (technical)[1]



congereel

congereel
con·ger
eel
[kóng gər l] (plural con·ger eels)
or con·ger [kóng gər l] (plural
con·gers) noun

large
sea eel:
a large scaleless eel found in temperate and tropical coastal waters of the
Atlantic Ocean. Latin name: Conger oceanicus
[14th century. Via French congre
from, ultimately, Greek gongros .][1]



congeries

congeries
con·ge·ries 
[kən jr z, kónjə
rz] (plural con·ge·ries) noun

miscellany:
a collection or assortment of things (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “heap, pile,” from congerere (see congest
).][1]



congest

congest
con·gest 
[kən jést] (past con·gest·ed, past
participle con·gest·ed, present participle con·gest·ing,
3rd person present singular con·gests) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  block
or become blocked: to overcrowd a street or
area, or become overcrowded so that movement is slow or difficult

2.  MEDICINE have
too much fluid: to accumulate an abnormal amount of
blood or fluid in an organ or body part, as a result of disease or infection
[15th
century. From Latin congest-, past participle stem of congerere
“to collect, heap up,” literally “to carry together,” from gerere “to
carry” (see gesture ).]
—con·gest·i·ble,
adjective

—con·ges·tive, adjective[1]



congested

congested
con·gest·ed 
[kən jéstəd] adjective

1.  packed
with traffic or people: overcrowded with traffic or
people, making movement slow and difficult

2.  MEDICINE containing
too much fluid: having an abnormal amount of blood or
other fluid in a vessel or organ, as a result of disease or infection

[1]



congestion

congestion
con·ges·tion 
[kən jéschən] noun

1.  excessive
traffic or people: a state of overcrowding in a
street or other area, making movement slow or difficult

2.  MEDICINE abnormal
accumulation of fluid: the condition of having an
abnormal amount of blood or fluid accumulate in an organ or body part, as a
result of disease or infection

3.  COMPUTING having
too much information to transfer: in computing, a
situation that arises when the amount of information to be transferred is
greater than the data communication path can carry

[1]



congestiveheart failure

congestiveheart failure
con·ges·tive
heart fail·ure noun

congestion in the veins:
a form of heart failure in which the heart is unable to pump away the blood
returning to it fast enough, causing congestion in the veins[1]



conglobate

conglobate
con·glo·bate 
[kən glṓ bàyt, kóng
gl bayt] intransitive and transitive verb (past con·glo·bat·ed,
past participle con·glo·bat·ed, present participle con·glo·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·glo·bates)

make
or become ball-shaped: to form or be formed into a
globe or ball (formal)
adjective

ball-shaped:
shaped like a ball (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin conglobat-, past participle stem of conglobare
“to make into a ball,” from globus “ball” (source of English globe ).]
—con·glo·ba·tion [kòng glō báysh’n], noun[1]



conglobe

conglobe
con·globe 
[kon glṓb] (past con·globed, past
participle con·globed, present participle con·glob·ing,
3rd person present singular con·globes) intransitive and
transitive verb

(formal) See conglobate  verb[1]



conglomerate

conglomerate
con·glom·er·ate 
noun [kən glómmərət] (plural con·glom·er·ates)

1.  BUSINESS business
organization involved in many areas: a
large business organization that consists of a number of companies that deal
with a variety of different business, manufacturing, or commercial activities

2.  something
made by combining things: something formed by
gathering together a number of dissimilar materials or elements

3.  GEOLOGY rock
comprising pieces of other rocks: coarse-grained
sedimentary rock containing fragments of other rock larger than 2 mm0.08 in. in
diameter, held together with another material such as clay
adjective
[kən glómmərət]

formed by combining different things:
consisting of a mass or accumulation of dissimilar materials or elements
intransitive
and transitive verb [kən
glómmə ràyt] (past con·glom·er·at·ed, past participle
con·glom·er·at·ed, present participle con·glom·er·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·glom·er·ates)

bring things together to form mass:
to gather together materials or elements, or to be gathered together into a
mass
[Late
16th century. From Latin conglomeratus “wound into a ball,” from glomer-,
stem of glomus “ball.”]
—con·glom·er·at·ic
[kən glòmmə ráttik], adjective

—con·glom·er·it·ic
[kən glòmmə ríttik], adjective

—con·glom·er·a·tor [kən glómmə ràytər], noun[1]



conglomerated

conglomerated
con·glom·er·at·ed 
[kən glómmə ràytəd] adjective

made up of different
businesses: made up of and controlling
many parts of an industry • a
conglomerated corporation[1]



conglomeration

conglomeration
con·glom·er·a·tion 
[kən glòmmə ráysh’n] (plural con·glom·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  mass
of different things: an accumulation or mass of
dissimilar materials or elements

2.  formation
of a mass:
the gathering together of different materials or elements, or the state of
being gathered together into a mass
—con·glom·er·a·tive [kən glómmərətiv, kən
glómmə ràytiv], adjective[1]



conglutinate

conglutinate
con·glu·ti·nate 
[kən glt’n àyt, kon
glt’n àyt] (past con·glu·ti·nat·ed, past participle
con·glu·ti·nat·ed, present participle con·glu·ti·nat·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·glu·ti·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

stick
together:
to become stuck together, or cause two or more things to become stuck together
(formal)
[15th
century. From Latin conglutinat-, past participle stem of conglutinare
“to glue together,” from gluten “glue” (source of English glue ).]
—con·glu·ti·na·tive, adjective[1]



Congo

Congo
Con·go 
[kóng gō]

Africa’s second longest
river, which provides a major transportation network. It rises in the north of
the Democratic Republic of Congo and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Length:
4,374 km/2,710 mi. Former name Zaire River[1]



Congo,Democratic Republic of the

Congo,Democratic Republic of the


Con·go,
Dem·o·crat·ic Re·pub·lic of the [kóng gō]
large
equatorial country of Central Africa with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
Language: French. Currency: new zaïre. Capital: Kinshasa. Population:
447,589,551 (1997) Area: 2,344,885 sq km/905,365 sq mi. Official name
Democratic Republic of the Congo Former name Congo
Free State 1880s-1908 Former name Belgian Congo 1908–1960 Former
name Zaire 1971–1997
—Con·go·lese [kòng gə lz, kòng gə
lss], adjective, noun[1]



Congo,Democratic Republic of the




Back to definition

Congo,Democratic Republic of the

[1]



congodye

congodye
con·go
dye 
(plural con·go dyes) noun

dye
containing nitrogen: any of a number of dyes
containing nitrogen, usually derived from benzidine
[Congo from the perception
that it is associated either with the region of the Congo, or with African Americans
from this region][1]



Congoeel

Congoeel
Con·go
eel
(plural Con·go eels) noun

eel-like
amphibian with rudimentary legs: an amphibian of the
southeastern United States that has a long body with gill slits and two pairs
of rudimentary limbs that enable it to travel on land. Latin name: Amphiuma
means
Also
called
Congo snake
[As congo
dye][1]



CongoFree State

CongoFree State
Con·go
Free State

Former name for
Congo [Democratic Republic of][1]



Congored

Congored
Con·go
red
noun

red
or blue dye: a dye that is red in alkaline solutions
and blue in acid solutions. It is used as a chemical indicator, a biological
stain, and a dye for cotton and wool.
[As congo
dye][1]



Congo,Republic of the




Back to definition

Congo,Republic of the

[1]



Congo,Republic of the

Congo,Republic of the



Con·go,
Re·pub·lic of the [kóng gō]
republic
in West Africa, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Language: French. Currency:
CFA franc. Capital: Brazzaville. Population: 2,599,713 (1997) Area: 342,000 sq
km/132,000 sq mi. Former name People’s Republic of the Congo
—Con·go·lese, adjective,
noun[1]



Congosnake

Congosnake
Con·go
snake
(plural Con·go snakes) noun

See
Congo eel[1]



congou

congou
con·gou 
[kóng gō, kóng
g] noun

fine
grade of Chinese black tea: a fine grade of Chinese
black tea, made from the largest leaf gathered from the tip of a shoot on a tea
plant
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of Cantonese Chinese kungfüch’a and Mandarin gōngfu chá
“tea made for refined tastes,” literally “effort tea.”][1]



congrats

congrats
con·grats 
[kən gráts] plural noun interjection

congratulations:
an expression of congratulations (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



congratulate

congratulate
con·grat·u·late 
[kən gráchə làyt] (past con·grat·u·lat·ed,
past participle con·grat·u·lat·ed, present participle con·grat·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·grat·u·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
express
pleasure at somebody’s good fortune: to
express pleasure or approval to somebody for an achievement or good fortune or
on a special occasion

2.  reflexive
verb
feel
pleased with something: to feel self-satisfied in
having success or good fortune • I was
congratulating myself on my driving skills, when I skidded into a snow bank.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin congratulat-, past participle stem of congratulari
“to rejoice with,” from gratus “pleasing, thankful” (source of English grateful ).]
—con·grat·u·la·tor
[kən gráchə làytər], noun

—con·grat·u·la·to·ry [kən gráchələ tàwree], adjective[1]



congratulation

congratulation
con·grat·u·la·tion 
[kən gràchə láysh’n] noun

act
of congratulating somebody: the expressing of pleasure
to somebody for an achievement or good fortune or on a special occasion • The
bride’s father made a short speech of congratulation to the newly married
couple.
plural
noun
interjection con·grat·u·la·tions

expression of joy for
somebody’s achievement: an
expression of pleasure or acknowledgment of somebody’s success or good fortune
or on a special occasion[1]



congregant

congregant
con·gre·gant 
[kóng grəgənt] (plural con·gre·gants)
noun

member
of congregation: a member of a religious congregation
[Late 19th century. From
Latin congregant-, present participle stem of congregare (see congregate ).][1]



congregate

congregate
con·gre·gate 
intransitive and transitive verb [kóng grə
gàyt] (past con·gre·gat·ed, past participle con·gre·gat·ed,
present participle con·gre·gat·ing, 3rd person present
singular con·gre·gates)

assemble people or animals:
to come together in a group, or gather people or animals together in a group
adjective
[kóng grəgət] (formal)

1.  having
come together: gathered or assembled in a group

2.  relating
to a gathering: relating to an assembled group
[15th
century. From Latin congregat-, past participle stem of congregare
“to collect together,” from greg-, stem of grex “flock” (source
of English egregious ).]
—con·gre·ga·tive,
adjective

—con·gre·ga·tor, noun[1]



congregation

congregation
con·gre·ga·tion 
[kòng grə gáysh’n] (plural con·gre·ga·tions)
noun

1.  RELIGION group
of worshipers: a group of people who have gathered
together for a religious service

2.  RELIGION members
of same church: the members of a particular church

3.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic religious body: a Roman Catholic religious
body whose members follow a common rule of life and are bound by simple vows (formal)

4.  CHRISTIANITY division
of Roman Catholic central administration: a
section of the central administrative organization ( Curia ) of the Roman
Catholic Church

5.  CHRISTIANITY committee
of Roman Catholic bishops: a committee of Roman
Catholic bishops responsible for handling the business of a general council (formal)

6.  gathering:
a group of people or things gathered together • A
congregation of reporters waited outside the courthouse.

7.  coming
together:
the act of gathering together or assembling (formal) • Congregation
in the halls is not allowed.

[1]



congregational

congregational
con·gre·ga·tion·al 
[kòng grə gáyshən’l, kng grə gáyshnəl] adjective

of congregations:
relating to a congregation[1]



Congregational

Congregational
Con·gre·ga·tion·al
adjective

of Congregationalism:
relating to Congregationalism or its followers[1]



CongregationalChurch

CongregationalChurch
Con·gre·ga·tion·al
Church
noun

Protestant denomination:
a Protestant denomination in which each church is self-governing[1]



congregationalism

congregationalism
con·gre·ga·tion·al·ism 
[kòng grə gáyshən’l ìzzəm, kóng grə gáyshnə lìzzəm] noun

church
self-government: a system of church organization in which
each church is self-governing
—con·gre·ga·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



Congregationalism

Congregationalism
Con·gre·ga·tion·al·ism
noun

Protestant
denomination of independent churches: a
Protestant denomination with a system of government in which each local church
governs itself
—Con·gre·ga·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



Congress

Congress
Con·gress 
[kóng grəss] (plural con·gress·es)
noun

1.  U.S.
legislature: the national legislative body of the
United States, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate

2.  session
of Congress or its members: a two-year term of Congress,
or the members of Congress during such a term • the
22nd Congress

3.  governing
and law-making body: the governing and law-making
body in some countries • the
National People’s Congress

4.  name
of certain political parties: shortened name of a number
of political parties whose name includes the word “Congress,” for example, the
African National Congress or the Indian Congress Party

[1]



congress

congress
con·gress 
[kóng grəss] (plural Con·gress·es)
noun

1.  conference
or meeting of representatives: a conference or formal
meeting of delegates or representatives, such as the representatives of a group
of nations, to discuss matters of interest or concern

2.  organized
group:
a society or organization of people with common interests and concerns

3.  gathering
for a meeting: the act of meeting, especially a single
occurrence for a special purpose (dated formal)

4.  sexual
intercourse: sexual intercourse (dated formal)
[15th century. From Latin congressus,
past participle of congredi “to go together,” from gradi “to
proceed, step” (source of English aggressive
).][1]



congressional

congressional
con·gres·sion·al
[kən gréshən’l, kən
gréshnəl] adjective

of
a congress:
relating to a congress
—con·gres·sion·al·ist,
noun

—con·gres·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



Congressional

Congressional
Con·gres·sion·al
adjective

of Congress:
relating to the U.S. Congress or its members[1]



congressionaldistrict

congressionaldistrict
con·gres·sion·al
dis·trict
(plural con·gres·sion·al dis·tricts) noun

U.S. electoral area:
a district within a U.S. state that is entitled to elect one representative to
the House of Representatives[1]



CongressionalMedal of Honor

CongressionalMedal of Honor
Con·gres·sion·al
Med·al of Hon·or noun

highest U.S. military
decoration: the highest military
decoration in the United States, awarded by Congress for outstanding bravery in
action.
Also called
Medal of Honor[1]



CongressionalRecord

CongressionalRecord
Con·gres·sion·al
Rec·ord
(plural Con·gres·sion·al Rec·ords) noun

published proceedings of
Congress: a government journal in the
United States that records and publishes the proceedings of Congress[1]



congressman

congressman
con·gress·man 
[kóng grəssmən] (plural con·gress·men
[mən]) noun

member of U.S. Congress:
a man who is a member of the U.S. Congress, especially of the House of
Representatives[1]



Congressof Industrial Organizations

Congressof Industrial Organizations
Con·gress
of In·dus·tri·al Or·ga·ni·za·tions noun

U.S. union federation:
a federation of industrial trade unions formed in the United States in 1935 and
merged with the American Federation of Labor in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO[1]



Congressof Vienna

Congressof Vienna
Con·gress
of Vi·en·na
noun

conference discussing
territory after Napoleonic Wars: a
congress held in Vienna between 1814 and 1815 to deal with the territorial and
jurisdictional problems remaining after the defeat of Napoleon in the
Napoleonic Wars[1]



congressperson

congressperson
con·gress·per·son 
[kóng grəss pùrs’n] (plural con·gress·peo·ple
[kóng grəss pp’l]) noun

member of U.S. Congress:
a member of the U.S. Congress, especially of the House of Representatives[1]



congresswoman

congresswoman
con·gress·wom·an 
[kóng grəss wmmən] (plural con·gress·wom·en
[kóng grəss wìmmin]) noun

woman member of U.S.
Congress: a woman who is a member of
the U.S. Congress, especially of the House of Representatives[1]



congruence

congruence
con·gru·ence 
[kóng groo əns, kən
gr əns] noun

1.  agreement:
a coinciding, agreeing, or being in harmony

2.  MATHEMATICS statement
about numbers or geometrical shapes: a
statement that two quantities or geometrical structures are congruent

[1]



congruent

congruent
con·gru·ent 
[kóng groo ənt, kən
gr ənt] adjective

1.  in
agreement:
corresponding to or consistent with each other or something else (formal)
• We
receive congruent sensations from the world around us.

2.  GEOMETRY with
the same shape: with identical geometric shapes

3.  MATHEMATICS differing
by exactly divisible amount: used to describe two numbers
whose difference is exactly divisible by a third number ( modulus )
[15th
century. From Latin congruent-, present participle stem of congruere
“to meet together, agree,” from ruere “to fall.”]
—con·gru·ent·ly, adverb[1]



congruity

congruity
con·gru·i·ty 
[kən gr ətee] noun (formal)

1.  agreement
or consistency: the state or fact of agreeing or being
consistent with each other or with something else

2.  appropriateness:
the quality or fact of being suitable or appropriate for something

3.  something
agreed upon: a point on which there is agreement

[1]



congruous

congruous
con·gru·ous 
[kóng groo əss] adjective

1.  appropriate:
appropriate to or suitable for a particular thing or situation (formal)

2.  corresponding
or consistent: corresponding to or consistent with each
other or something else
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin congruus “agreeing, suitable,” from congruere
(see congruent ).]
—con·gru·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·gru·ous·ness, noun[1]



congé

congé
con·gé 
[kón jày, kawN
zháy] (plural con·gés) or con·gee [kónjee, kən j]
(plural con·gees) noun

1.  permission:
formal permission for somebody to leave (formal)

2.  dismissal:
a dismissal, especially an abrupt one (formal)

3.  leave-taking:
a departure (formal)

4.  bow:
a formal bow (formal)

5.  ARCHITECTURE concave
molding:
an architectural molding that is concave in shape
[14th century. Via French congié
from, ultimately, Latin commeare “to come and go.”][1]



conic

conic
con·ic 
[kónnik] adjective

See
conical
noun
(plural con·ics)

See
conic section
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin conicus from Greek kōniko, from kōnos (see cone ).][1]



conical

conical
con·i·cal 
[kónnik’l] adjective

1.  cone-shaped:
shaped like a cone

2.  GEOMETRY of a
cone:
relating to or having the form of a geometrical cone

[1]



conicprojection

conicprojection

con·ic pro·jec·tion
(plural con·ic pro·jec·tions) noun
map projection on flattened cone:
a method of making a map by projecting the globe onto a surrounding cone whose
point is above one of the poles and then flattening the cone, or a map so made.
On a conic projection, the parallels of latitude appear as concentric circles,
and the lines of longitude radiate from the center as equal radii.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








conics

conics
con·ics
[kónniks] noun

study of conic sections:
the branch of geometry involving the study of conic sections[1]



conicsection

conicsection

con·ic sec·tion
(plural con·ic sec·tions) noun
geometric curve formed by cutting cone:
a curve produced by the intersection of a plane with a circular cone, for
example, a circle, ellipse, hyperbola, or parabola.
Also called
conic[1]



conidia

conidia
co·nid·i·a


Plural of
conidium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








conidiophore

conidiophore
co·nid·i·o·phore 
[kə níddee ə fàwr] (plural co·nid·i·o·phores)
noun

spore-bearing
part of fungus: a simple or branched part ( hypha ) of a fungus that produces spores asexually
[Late
19th century. Coined from conidium + -phore .]
—co·nid·i·oph·or·ous [kə nìddee óffərəss], adjective[1]



conidium

conidium
co·nid·i·um 
[kə níddee əm] (plural co·nid·i·a
[kə níddi ə]) noun

spore
of fungus:
an asexually produced spore of certain types of fungi
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek konis “dust.”]
—co·nid·i·al, adjective[1]



conifer

conifer
con·i·fer 
[kónnəfər] (plural con·i·fers)
noun

cone-bearing
tree:
any tree that has thin leaves ( needles )
and produces cones. Many types are evergreen. Pines, firs, junipers, larches,
spruces, and yews are conifers . Order: Coniferales
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, literally “cone-bearing,” from Greek kōnos “cone.”]
—co·nif·er·ous [kə níffərəss], adjective[1]



coniine

coniine
co·ni·ine 
[kṓnee n] noun

poisonous
substance in poison hemlock: a colorless substance with
poisonous properties found in poison hemlock. C8H17N
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from conium “hemlock” from Latin+ -ine .][1]



conj.

conj.
conj.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of conjugation

2.  conj.
ASTRONOMY GRAMMAR Abbreviation of conjunction

3.  conj.
GRAMMAR Abbreviation of conjunctive

[1]



conjectural

conjectural
con·jec·tur·al 
[kən jékchərəl] adjective

1.  based
on guesswork: based on or involving conjecture

2.  inclined
to speculate: inclined to make guesses or speculations
—con·jec·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



conjecture

conjecture
con·jec·ture 
[kən jékchər] noun (plural con·jec·tures)

1.  guesswork:
the formation of judgments or opinions on the basis of incomplete or
inconclusive information

2.  something
based on guesswork: a conclusion, judgment, or
statement based on incomplete or inconclusive information
intransitive
and transitive verb (past con·jec·tured,
past participle con·jec·tured, present participle con·jec·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular con·jec·tures)

guess: to
form an opinion or judgment based on incomplete or inconclusive information
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin conjectura, from, ultimately,
conjicere, literally “to throw together,” from jacere “to
throw.”]
—con·jec·tur·a·ble,
adjective

—con·jec·tur·a·bly,
adverb

—con·jec·tur·er, noun[1]



conjoin

conjoin
con·join 
[kən jóyn] (past con·joined, past
participle con·joined, present participle con·join·ing,
3rd person present singular con·joins) intransitive and
transitive verb

link
things:
to join two or more things together, or become joined together (formal)
[14th
century. Via French conjoindre from Latin conjungere, literally
“to join together,” from jungere “to join” (see join
).]
—con·join·er, noun[1]



conjoint

conjoint
con·joint 
[kən jóynt] adjective

1.  by
two combined things: done by, involving, or
relating to two or more combined entities • a
conjoint project

2.  linked:
joined together or combined
—con·joint·ly, adverb[1]



conjugal

conjugal
con·ju·gal 
[kónjəg’l] adjective

relating
to marriage: relating to marriage or to husbands and
wives
[Early
16th century. From Latin conjugalis, from conjugare (see conjugate ).]
—con·ju·gal·i·ty
[kònjə gállətee], noun

—con·ju·gal·ly [kónjəgəlee], adverb[1]



conjugalrights

conjugalrights
con·ju·gal
rights
plural noun

right of spouses to sexual
intercourse: the rights that
husbands or wives are entitled to in a marriage, especially the right to have
sexual relations with their spouse[1]



conjugalvisit

conjugalvisit
con·ju·gal
vis·it
(plural con·ju·gal vis·its) noun

private visit of prisoner’s
spouse: a visit to a jail by the
husband or wife of a prisoner, during which the couple is allowed some privacy,
for example, to allow them to have sexual relations[1]



conjugant

conjugant
con·ju·gant 
[kónjəgənt] (plural con·ju·gants)
noun

organism,
cell, or gamete during reproduction:
either of a pair of organisms, cells, or gametes in the process of reproducing
[Early 20th century. From
Latin conjugant-, present participle stem of conjugare (see conjugate ).][1]



conjugate

conjugate
con·ju·gate 
verb [kónjə gàyt] (past con·ju·gat·ed,
past participle con·ju·gat·ed, present participle con·ju·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ju·gates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb GRAMMAR state different grammatical
forms of verb: to state systematically the different
forms a verb has according to tense, mood, person, and number

2.  intransitive
verb
GRAMMAR have
different grammatical forms: to have different
grammatical forms according to tense, mood, number, and person (refers to
verbs)

3.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY join
substances:
to join two substances together in such a way that they can easily be separated
again, especially in chemical reactions

4.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY reproduce:
to reproduce by physically joining in order to transfer genetic information (refers
to organisms that normally reproduce by division)
adjective
[kónjəgət, kónjə
gàyt]

1.  paired:
joined together in pairs (formal)

2.  MATHEMATICS adding
up to 360 degrees: used to describe a pair of
angles that together add up to 360 degrees

3.  CHEMISTRY differing
by one proton: used to describe substances that have
such similar molecular structures that one becomes the other through the gain
or loss of a proton

4.  CHEMISTRY existing
together in state of equilibrium: used to describe a
state of chemical equilibrium in which two liquids coexist in separate forms,
one being the solute and the other the solvent
noun
[kónjəgət, kónjə
gàyt] (plural con·ju·gates)

1.  GRAMMAR verb form:
one of the different forms of a verb according to tense, mood, person, or
number

2.  result
of joining two things: a product of joining or
union

3.  MATHEMATICS See conjugate complex number
[15th
century. From Latin conjugatus, past participle of conjugare,
literally “to yoke together,” hence “to marry.” The grammatical sense comes
from the idea of a set of verbs belonging together.]
—con·jug·a·ble
[kónjəgəb’l], adjective

—con·ju·gate·ly
[kónjəgətlee, kónjə
gàytlee], adverb

—con·ju·gate·ness,
noun

—con·ju·ga·tive,
adjective

—con·ju·ga·tor, noun[1]



conjugatecomplex number

conjugatecomplex number
con·ju·gate
com·plex num·ber (plural con·ju·gate com·plex
num·bers) noun

one of pair of complex
numbers: either of a pair of complex
numbers that are symmetrically located on either side of an x-axis, differing
only in the sign of the imaginary component.
Also called
conjugate[1]



conjugated

conjugated
con·ju·gat·ed
[kónjə gàytəd] adjective

1.  containing
alternating chemical bonds: containing two or more
double or triple bonds in alternation with single bonds

2.  separated
by single chemical bond: used to describe a double
chemical bond separated by a single bond

[1]



conjugatedprotein

conjugatedprotein
con·ju·gat·ed
pro·tein 
(plural con·ju·gat·ed pro·teins) noun

protein and nonprotein
combination: a compound containing a
series of amino acids that form a simple protein attached to a nonprotein, for
example, a carbohydrate or lipid group[1]



conjugation

conjugation
con·ju·ga·tion 
[kònjə gáysh’n] (plural con·ju·ga·tions)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR inflection
of verb:
the different patterns of inflection of a given verb

2.  GRAMMAR group
of verbs with same inflections: a group of verbs that
use the same patterns of inflection

3.  GRAMMAR set of
verb inflections: the complete set of inflections for a
given verb

4.  act
of joining together: the act of joining together
or uniting, or the state of being joined together

5.  BIOLOGY reproduction
in simple organisms: the simplest form of
reproduction, in which two single-celled organisms, for example, bacteria or
protozoans, link together, exchange genetic information, and then separate

6.  BIOLOGY fusion
of nuclei:
the fusion of the nuclei of a male and a female gamete in algae and fungi.
Also
called
zygosis

7.  GENETICS pairing
of chromosomes: the distribution of pairs of chromosomes
into the four nuclei produced by the division of a parent nucleus

8.  CHEMISTRY alternation
of number of bonds: the occurrence of two or
more double or triple bonds in alternation with single bonds in a molecule
—con·ju·ga·tion·al,
adjective

—con·ju·ga·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



conjunct

conjunct
con·junct 
adjective [kən júngkt, kón jùngkt]

1.  attached
or joined:
attached or joined very close to something

2.  LINGUISTICS adjacent
to consonant: used to describe consonants that are
next to each other within a word without a vowel or vowels between

3.  MUSIC consisting
of single steps in scale: relating to or consisting of
adjacent notes in a musical scale
noun
[kón jùngkt] (plural con·juncts)

LOGIC either
proposition in conjunction: either of the two
propositions or formulas in a conjunction in logic
[15th
century. From Latin conjunctus, the past participle of conjungere
(see conjoin ).]
—con·junct·ly [kən júngktlee], adverb[1]



conjunction

conjunction
con·junc·tion 
[kən júngkshən] (plural con·junc·tions)
noun

1.  combining
of several things: the joining together or
combining of two or more things

2.  simultaneous
occurrence:
a simultaneous occurrence of events or circumstances

3.  GRAMMAR connecting
word:
a word that is used to link sentences, clauses, phrases, or words, for example,
“and,” “but,” or “if”

4.  ASTRONOMY alignment
with sun:
the position of a planet or the Moon when aligned with the Sun, as seen from
Earth

5.  ASTRONOMY close
proximity of planets: the appearance of two
planets very close to each other or in the same place on the celestial sphere

6.  ASTROL aspect
of 0° between planets: in astrology, an aspect of
0° between two planets

7.  LOGIC type
of compound statement: a proposition in logic of
the form “A and B” that is true only if both A and B are true
[14th
century. From the Latin stem conjunction-, from conjunct-, the
past participle stem of conjungere (see conjoin
).]
—con·junc·tion·al,
adjective

—con·junc·tion·al·ly,
adverb
in
conjunction with

together with or combined
with something[1]



conjunctiva

conjunctiva
con·junc·ti·va 
[kòn jungk tvə] (plural con·junc·ti·vas
or con·junc·ti·vae [kón jungk tvee])
noun

membrane
under eyelid: a delicate mucous membrane that covers
the internal part of the eyelid and is attached to the cornea
[14th
century. From medieval Latin (tunica) conjunctiva “connective
(membrane),” from Latin conjunct-, the past participle stem of conjungere
(see conjoin ).]
—con·junc·ti·val, adjective[1]



conjunctive

conjunctive
con·junc·tive 
[kən júngktiv] adjective

1.  connective:
serving to join things together

2.  combined:
joined together or combined with something else

3.  GRAMMAR of
grammatical conjunctions: relating to conjunctions or
their grammatical function, or consisting of conjunctions
noun
(plural con·junc·tives)

GRAMMAR conjunction:
a conjunction (archaic)
[15th
century. From late Latin conjunctivus, from Latin conjunct-, the
past participle stem of conjungere (see conjoin
).]
—con·junc·tive·ly, adverb[1]



conjunctiveadverb

conjunctiveadverb
con·junc·tive
ad·verb
(plural con·junc·tive ad·verbs) noun

connecting adverb:
an adverb or adverbial phrase that is used to connect parts or clauses of a
sentence[1]



conjunctiveeye movement

conjunctiveeye movement
con·junc·tive
eye move·ment (plural con·junc·tive eye
move·ments) noun

both eyes moving together:
a simultaneous movement of both eyes in the same direction[1]



conjunctivitis

conjunctivitis
con·junc·ti·vi·tis 
[kən jùngkti vtiss] noun

eye infection:
inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by infection, injury, or allergy[1]



conjuration

conjuration
con·ju·ra·tion 
[kònjə ráysh’n] (plural con·ju·ra·tions)
noun

1.  magic
spell:
a word or phrase that a magician says when casting a spell (literary)

2.  invocation
of supernatural force: a summoning or invoking,
usually of a supposed supposed supernatural force, by pronouncing a sacred name
(literary)

3.  magic
trick:
a supposed magic or supernatural occurrence achieved by pronouncing a spell or
chanting

4.  performance
of tricks:
the performance of illusions or tricks (archaic)

5.  begging:
pleading or begging (archaic)

[1]



conjure

conjure
con·jure 
[kónjər] (past con·jured, past
participle con·jured, present participle con·jur·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·jures) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
perform
magic tricks: to perform illusions and magic tricks
that require agile hand movements, usually for entertainment

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb invoke
supposed supernatural forces: to call upon or order a
supposed supernatural force or being by reciting a spell • They
tried to conjure spirits of the dead to speak with them, but nothing happened.

3.  transitive
verb
influence
with spell:
to change or influence something by reciting a spell or invocation

4.  transitive
verb
command
solemnly:
to command somebody solemnly to do something (archaic)

5.  transitive
verb
implore:
to implore somebody to do something (archaic) • I
conjure you to show me mercy.
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin conjurare “to bind with an oath,” literally “to
swear together,” from jurare (see jury
).][1]



conjurer

conjurer
con·jur·er 
[kónjərər] (plural con·jur·ers)
or con·jur·or [kónjərər] (plural
con·jur·ors) noun

1.  entertainer
who performs tricks: somebody who performs tricks
involving manual agility and the illusion of magic, as an entertainment

2.  sorcerer:
somebody who is believed to practice magic or conjure supposed supernatural
forces or beings

[1]



conjureup

conjureup
conjure
up
transitive verb

1.  evoke:
to create something in the mind • This
music conjures up images of rural scenes.

2.  produce
as if by magic: to produce or create something difficult
or unexpected as if by magic • She
conjured up a delicious meal from the most basic ingredients.

3.  summon
supposed supernatural being: to call upon a supposed
supernatural force or being by reciting a spell or chanting magic words

[1]



conk

conk1
conk1 [kongk]
noun (plural conks)

blow
to the head: a blow, especially on the head (slang)
transitive
verb
(past conked, past participle conked, present
participle conk·ing, 3rd person present singular conks)

hit
on head:
to hit somebody, especially on the head (slang)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of conch
.][1]



conk

conk2
conk2 [kongk]
(plural conks) noun

fruiting
body of fungus: the hard fruiting body, shaped like a
shelf, of certain fungi that grow on trees or decaying wood
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of conch
.][1]



conk

conk3
conk3 [kongk]
noun (plural conks)

straight
hairstyle:
a hairstyle in which very curly hair is straightened by applying a chemical
treatment.
Also
called
process
transitive
verb
(past conked, past participle conked, present
participle conk·ing, 3rd person present singular conks)

straighten
hair:
to straighten very curly hair by applying a chemical treatment
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a shortening of congolene, a substance for
straightening hair.][1]



conker

conker
conk·er
[kónkər] (plural conk·ers) noun

U.K.
horse
chestnut:
a horse chestnut, without its spiny outer casing, used in the game of conkers
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: apparently a blend of conch, conk, and conquer
.][1]



conkers

conkers
conk·ers
[kónkərz] noun

U.K.
game played with horse chestnuts:
a game, usually for two people, each with a conker threaded onto a string, in
which players try to smash the opponent’s conker by hitting it with their own.
The game used to be played with snail shells instead of horse chestnuts. (takes
a singular verb)[1]



Conkling,Roscoe

Conkling,Roscoe
Conk·ling 
[kóngkling], Roscoe (1829–1888)

U.S. political leader. He was
a Republican and served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1859–1863 and
1865–1867) and Senate (1867–1881).[1]



conkout

conkout
conk
out
[kongk] (past conked out, past
participle conked out, present participle conk·ing out,
3rd person present singular conks out) intransitive verb (informal)

1.  fail:
to stop operating or break down suddenly • The
TV conked out five minutes before the end of the program.

2.  collapse:
to collapse or fall asleep, usually through exhaustion • I
conked out the minute I got home.
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



conman

conman
con
man
(plural con men) noun

swindler:
somebody who uses deception and persuasive speech to get people to part with
their money (informal)
[Con shortening of confidence, shortening of confidence man][1]



conmoto

conmoto
con
mo·to 
[kon mṓtō] adverb

briskly:
to be performed in a lively or brisk way (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “with movement.”][1]



conn

conn
conn 
transitive verb noun

See
con[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








connate

connate
con·nate 
[kó nàyt, kə
náyt] adjective

1.  BOTANY united
by growth:
used to describe parts that have grown closely joined to a single structure in
a plant or animal

2.  GEOLOGY formed
simultaneously with surrounding rock: used
to describe water, usually very saline, that has been trapped in sedimentary
rock since the original deposits were laid down
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin connatus, the past participle of connasci,
literally “to be born with,” from Latin nasci (see native ).]
—con·nate·ly,
adverb

—con·nate·ness, noun[1]



connect

connect
con·nect 
[kə nékt] (past con·nect·ed, past
participle con·nect·ed, present participle con·nect·ing,
3rd person present singular con·nects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb link
two things:
to link or join two or more parts, things, or people • All
you have to do is connect these two wires, and it should work.
• A
flagstone walk connected the main house with the tool shed.

2.  transitive
verb
associate
with something else: to make a psychological or
emotional association between people, things, or events • She
always connected that house with family celebrations.
• There
was no evidence to connect them to the robbery.

3.  transitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS establish
telecommunication: to set up a communication
link between people, organizations, or places • All
my friends are connected to the Internet.

4.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING link
up to utility: to link people or equipment to a source
of electricity, water, or gas • Have
they connected your cable yet? • After
we paid the fee, they finally connected our gas line.

5.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT allow
time for passengers to transfer: to arrive shortly
before another vehicle or vessel departs, or shortly after another arrives, so
as to allow passengers to change from one to the other • The
local train connects with the express twice a day.

6.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT make
transportation connection: to change from one vehicle
or vessel to another • those
wishing to connect with the overseas flight

7.  intransitive
verb
hit
something firmly: to strike, punch, or kick firmly, with
good contact between the striking surface and the object struck (informal)
• The
punch connected, and he sank to the ground.

8.  intransitive
verb
get
along well with somebody: to have a good rapport with
somebody • The
interview was a disaster –we never really connected.
[15th
century. From Latin connectere, literally “to tie together,” from nectere
(see nexus ).]
—con·nect·i·ble, adjective[1]



connected

connected
con·nect·ed 
[kə néktəd] adjective

1.  joined
together:
joined or linked firmly together

2.  with
beneficial social connections: with useful business
or social connections (often used in combination)

3.  U.K.
with
wealthy relatives: with upper-class or wealthy
relatives (often used in combination) • Her
husband is well connected.

4.  logical
and intelligible: ordered in a logical and intelligible
way

5.  MATHEMATICS describing
mathematical relation: used to describe a
mathematical relation for which either the relation or its converse is true for
any two members in a set
—con·nect·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·nect·ed·ness, noun[1]



connecter

connecter
con·nect·er
noun

See
connector[1]



Connecticut

Connecticut


Con·nect·i·cut 
[kə néttikət]

1.  southernmost
state in New England. It is bordered on the north by Massachusetts, on the east
by Rhode Island, on the south by the Long Island Sound, and on the west by New
York State. Population: 3,287,116 (1990) Area: 14,359 sq km/5,544 sq mi.

2.        longest
river of New England, flowing southward from Massachusetts to enter Long Island
Sound. Length: 655 km/407 mi.[1]



Connecticut




Back to definition

Connecticut

[1]



connectingrod

connectingrod
con·nect·ing
rod 
(plural con·nect·ing rods) noun

engine part that transmits
motion: a rod that transmits motion,
especially the rod that connects the crankshaft to the piston in an internal
combustion engine[1]



connection

connection
con·nec·tion 
[kə nékshən] (plural con·nec·tions)
noun

1.  linking
things together: the linking or joining of two or more
parts, things, or people

2.  physical
link:
something that links two or more things • check
for a loose connection

3.  logical
link:
a linking association between people, things, or events

4.  transportation
link:
an opportunity for passengers to use any of a variety of transportation
options, or to change from one form of transportation to another • If
we don’t hurry, we’ll miss our connection in Boston.

5.  vehicle
scheduled to permit transfer: a particular bus, train,
ferry, or plane that is scheduled to arrive at such a time as to allow
passengers to transfer onto it from another scheduled form of transport • Your
connection will arrive on platform ten at 9:15.

6.  communication
link:
a communication link, especially between telephones

7.  context:
the relationship of something with its context • In
this connection, we need to tighten up all the safety procedures.

8.  influential
contact:
a friend, relative, or associate who either has or has access to influence or
power (often used in the plural) • She
used her connections to finagle an interview with the lead singer.

9.  relation:
somebody who is related to another person, usually distantly or by marriage (often
used in the plural)

10. supplier
of illegal substances: a supplier of illegal
substances, usually drugs (slang)
[14th
century. From the Latin stem connexion-, from connex-, the past
participle stem of connectere (see connect
). The spelling was influenced by connect .]
—con·nec·tion·al, adjective[1]



connectionism

connectionism
con·nec·tion·ism
[kə néksh’ə nìzzəm] noun

theory of behavior:
the theory that thoughts and behavior are based on patterns of stimulus and
response that have either been inherited or learned[1]



connective

connective
con·nec·tive 
[kə néktiv] adjective

linking:
linking or joining two or more parts, things, or people
noun
(plural con·nec·tives)

1.  link:
something that links or joins two or more parts, things, or people

2.  LINGUISTICS linking
word:
a word that links sentences, phrases, clauses, or words

3.  BOTANY stamen
tissue:
the tissue that joins the two lobes of an anther in the stamen of a plant
—con·nec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



connectivetissue

connectivetissue
con·nec·tive
tis·sue
noun

type of animal tissue:
animal tissue that supports, connects, and surrounds organs and other body
parts. It may consist mainly of collagen, elastic and reticular fibers, fatty
tissue, cartilage, or bone.[1]



connectivity

connectivity
con·nec·tiv·i·ty 
[kò nek tívvətee] noun

ability to communicate with
another device: the ability to connect
with something, especially to communicate with another machine, for example, a
computer or computer system[1]



connector

connector
con·nect·or 
[kə néktər] (plural con·nect·ors)
or con·nect·er [kə néktər] (plural
con·nect·ers) noun

something that links devices
or components: something that connects
things, especially two pieces of equipment, or components of a single device or
structure[1]



connect-the-dots

connect-the-dots
con·nect-the-dots 
adjective (slang)

1.  BUSINESS skillfully
assembled:
gathering information or facts from different sources to make a coherent whole
• The
article was a model of connect-the-dots journalism.

2.  easy
to do:
straightforward or obvious • It’s a
connect-the-dots problem, easily solvable.
[From the method of producing
a picture by connecting printed dots in order to form its outline][1]



connecttime

connecttime
con·nect
time
noun

time computer user is logged
on: the period of time a user is
logged on to a remote computer, for example, when browsing the Internet[1]



connectup

connectup
connect
up
intransitive and transitive verb

See
connect[1]



Connelly,Marc

Connelly,Marc
Con·nel·ly 
[kónnəlee], Marc (1890–1980)

U.S.
playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. His works include the Pulitzer
Prize-winning play The Green Pastures ( 1930 ).
Full name
Cook Connelly, Marcus[1]



Connery,Sean

Connery,Sean
Con·ne·ry
[kónnəree], Sean (1930– )

Scottish
movie actor. He played the starring role in several James Bond movies and won
an Academy Award for best supporting actor for The Untouchables ( 1987
).
Full name
Connery, Thomas Sean[1]



connexion

connexion
con·nex·ion
noun

U.K.
See connection[1]



conningtower

conningtower
con·ning
tow·er 
(plural con·ning tow·ers) noun

1.  submarine
control deck: a structure on the top of a submarine
that is used as the navigation bridge and main point of entrance

2.  armored
pilothouse:
the armored pilothouse in the shape of a low dome found on the deck of a
warship
[Formed from conn][1]



conniption

conniption
con·nip·tion 
[kə nípshən] (plural con·nip·tions)
noun

hysterical
fit:
a hysterical fit caused by extreme excitement or anger (informal) (often
used in the plural)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



connivance

connivance
con·niv·ance 
[kə nvəns] or con·niv·ence [kə nvəns] noun

1.  secret
plotting:
secret joint conspiracy or plotting

2.  tacit
encouragement of wrongdoing: unspoken encouragement of,
or consent to, somebody else’s wrongdoing

[1]



connive

connive
con·nive 
[kə nv] (past con·nived, past
participle con·nived, present participle con·niv·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·nives) intransitive verb

1.  plot:
to plan secretly to do something, usually something wrong or illegal

2.  give
tacit consent to something wrong: to pretend not to know
about or do nothing to stop a wrongful or illegal act, thus showing
encouragement of or consent to the act • He
connived at his brother’s shoplifting with the understanding that he would
share the loot.
[Early
17th century. Via French from Latin connivere “to close your eyes,”
(related to nictare “to wink,” the source of English nictitate ).]
—con·niv·er,
noun

—con·niv·er·y, noun[1]



connivence

connivence
con·niv·ence 
noun

See
connivance[1]



connivent

connivent
con·ni·vent 
[kə nvənt] adjective

touching but not attached:
used to describe insect wings and flower petals or stamens that converge and
touch but remain separate and not fused[1]



conniving

conniving
con·niv·ing 
[kə nving] adjective

devious:
devious and scheming
—con·niv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



connoisseur

connoisseur
con·nois·seur 
[kònnə súr] (plural con·nois·seurs)
noun

expert:
somebody who has specialist knowledge of or training in a particular field of
the fine or domestic arts, or whose taste in such a field is considered to be
discriminating
[Early
18th century. From French, formed from connoistre “to know,” from Latin cognoscere
(see cognition ).]
—con·nois·seur·ship, noun[1]



Connolly,Maureen

Connolly,Maureen
Con·nol·ly 
[kónn’lee], Maureen (1934–1969)

U.S.
tennis player. She was the first woman to win all four grand slam tournaments
in one year (1953).
Full name
Connolly, Maureen Catherine Known as Little Mo[1]



Connors,Jimmy

Connors,Jimmy

Con·nors 
[kónnərs], Jimmy (1952– )
U.S.
tennis player. He won 109 professional singles titles, including eight grand
slam tournaments, during the 1970s and 1980s.
Full name
Connors, James Scott Known as Jimbo[1]



connotation

connotation
con·no·ta·tion 
[kònnə táysh’n] (plural con·no·ta·tions)
noun

1.  implied
additional meaning: an additional sense or
senses associated with or suggested by a word or phrase. Connotations are
sometimes, but not always, fixed, and are often subjective. • Patriotism
has different connotations for different people.

2.  suggesting
meaning for word: the implying or suggesting of an
additional meaning for a word or phrase apart from the explicit meaning

3.  defining
characteristic: in logic, the characteristic or set of
characteristics that makes up the meaning of a term and thus defines the
objects to which a term can be applied
—con·no·ta·tive
[kónnə tàytiv], adjective

—con·no·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



connote

connote
con·note 
[kə nṓt] (past con·not·ed, past
participle con·not·ed, present participle con·not·ing,
3rd person present singular con·notes) transitive verb

1.  have
as additional implied meaning: to imply or suggest
something in addition to the main or literal meaning • The
word “hearth” often connotes coziness and warmth.

2.  imply
something else: to mean that something else is
necessarily either a condition or a consequence • His
reluctance to act connotes cowardice.
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin connotare, literally “to mark along with,” from Latin notare
“to mark,” from nota “sign” (source of English note and annotate
).][1]



connubial

connubial
con·nu·bi·al 
[kə nbee əl] adjective

of
marriage:
dealing with or relating to marriage (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin connubialis “concerning marriage,” from connubium
“marriage,” from nubere “to marry” (source of English nubile and nuptial
).]
—con·nu·bi·al·ly, adverb[1]



conodont

conodont
co·no·dont 
[kṓnə dònt, kónnə
dònt] (plural co·no·donts) noun

tooth-shaped
microfossil: a very small tooth-shaped fossil thought
to be the remains of a marine organism. Conodonts are commonly found in marine
limestone beds from the Paleozoic era and are used by geologists to date rock
layers.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kōnos “cone” + -dont .][1]



conquer

conquer
con·quer 
[kóngkər] (past con·quered, past
participle con·quered, present participle con·quer·ing,
3rd person present singular con·quers) verb

1.  transitive
verb
seize
area by military force: to take control of a place
by force of arms

2.  transitive
verb
defeat
people in war: to win a victory over a people in war

3.  transitive
verb
master
something difficult: to overcome or gain control
of something that is difficult to overcome • the
first woman to conquer Everest • conquered
inflation by controlling public expenditure

4.  transitive
verb
win
somebody’s admiration: to win somebody’s love,
affection, or admiration, often through strength of character or seduction, and
sometimes somewhat against the person’s will • By
the end of the last song, she had conquered their hearts.

5.  intransitive
verb
win:
to be victorious
[13th
century. Via Old French conquerre from assumed Vulgar Latin conquaerere,
literally “to seek diligently,” from quaerere (see query ).]
—con·quer·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



conqueror

conqueror
con·quer·or 
[kóngkərər] (plural con·quer·ors)
noun

1.  victor
over enemy:
somebody who has enjoyed great success in war and has defeated an enemy or
enemies

2.  victor
in contest:
somebody who has beaten an opponent in a contest

[1]



conquest

conquest
con·quest 
[kón kwèst, kóng
kwèst] (plural con·quests) noun

1.  subjugation
of enemy after fighting: taking control of a place or
people by force of arms

2.  something
acquired by conquering: something that has been
acquired through force of arms, for example, land, people, or goods

3.  admirer
gained by persistent attention: somebody whose love,
affection, or admiration has been won, often through strength of character or
seduction, and sometimes somewhat against the person’s will • boasting
about his conquests
[13th century. Via Old French
from assumed Vulgar Latin conquaesita, the feminine past participle of conquaerere
(see conquer ).][1]



conquian

conquian
con·qui·an 
[kóngkee ən] noun

CARD
GAMES See cooncan[1]



conquistador

conquistador
con·quis·ta·dor 
[kon kstə dàwr, kəng
kstə dàwr, kon kwstə dàwr] (plural
con·quis·ta·dors or con·quis·ta·dor·es [kon kstə dáw ràyz]) noun

Spanish
conqueror:
a Spanish conqueror or adventurer, especially one of those who conquered
Mexico, Peru, and Central America in the 16th century
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin conquirere “to conquer.”][1]



Conrad,Joseph

Conrad,Joseph

Con·rad 
[kón ràd], Joseph (1857–1924)
Polish-born British writer. His novels
and stories include Nostromo ( 1904 ), Lord Jim ( 1900 ), and Heart
of Darkness ( 1902 ).[1]



Conroe

Conroe
Con·roe 
[kón rō]

city in eastern Texas,
northwest of Houston. Population: 33,748 (1996)[1]



cons.

cons.
cons.

1.  Abbreviation
of
consigned

2.  Abbreviation
of
consignment

3.  Abbreviation
of
consecrated

4.  Abbreviation
of
consonant

5.  cons.
or cons Abbreviation of constitution

6.  Abbreviation
of
constitutional

7.  Abbreviation
of
construction

[1]



Cons.

Cons.
Cons.

1.  Cons
or Cons. Abbreviation of Constitution

2.  Abbreviation
of
Constable

3.  Abbreviation
of
Consul

[1]



consanguineous

consanguineous
con·san·guin·e·ous 
[kòn san gwínnee əss, kòn sang gwínnee əss] or con·san·guine
[kon sángwin] adjective

related
by blood:
descended from the same family or ancestors
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin consanguineus, literally “of the same
blood,” from sanguineus (see sanguine
).]
—con·san·guin·e·ous·ly,
adverb[1]



consanguinity

consanguinity
con·san·guin·i·ty 
[kòn san gwínnətee] noun

1.  relationship
by blood:
relationship by descent from the same ancestor, rather than by marriage or
affinity

2.  close
connection:
a close relationship or connection

[1]



conscience

conscience
con·science 
[kónshəns] (plural con·sciences)
noun

1.  sense
of right and wrong: the internal sense of what
is right and wrong that governs somebody’s thoughts and actions, urging him or
her to do right rather than wrong • Let
your conscience be your guide.

2.  obedience
to conscience: behavior in compliance with what your
internal sense of right and wrong tells you is right • a
person of strict conscience

3.  shared
moral viewpoint: a shared concern for moral issues • a
social conscience

4.  PSYCHOANALYSIS part
of superego: the part of the superego that passes
judgment on thought and behavior to the ego for further consideration
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin conscientia “consciousness,” from conscire
“to be conscious,” literally “to know thoroughly,” from scire (see science ).]
—con·science·less,
adjective
in
(all) (good) conscience

1.  while
being fair and reasonable

2.  used
to emphasize that what you are saying is truly the case

on
somebody’s conscience

causing
somebody to feel guilty or anxious about something

[1]



conscienceclause

conscienceclause
con·science
clause
(plural con·science clauses) noun

exemption clause for matters
of conscience: a clause in an act,
law, or contract that exempts those who have moral or religious objections to
complying[1]



consciencemoney

consciencemoney
con·science
mon·ey
noun

money paid in recompense for
wrongdoing: money paid voluntarily in
compensation for a previous act of wrongdoing by which somebody has been harmed[1]



conscience-stricken

conscience-stricken
con·science-strick·en
or con·science-smit·ten adjective

feeling guilty:
feeling guilty or anxious about having done something wrong[1]



conscientious

conscientious
con·sci·en·tious 
[kònshee énshəss] adjective

1.  painstaking:
thorough and diligent in performing a task

2.  in
accordance with somebody’s conscience:
governed by or done according to somebody’s sense of right and wrong • a
conscientious decision to dedicate an hour a week to volunteer work
[Early
17th century. Via French consciencieux from, ultimately, Latin conscientia
(see conscience ).]
—con·sci·en·tious·ly,
adverb

—con·sci·en·tious·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



conscientiousobjector

conscientiousobjector
con·sci·en·tious
ob·jec·tor
(plural con·sci·en·tious ob·jec·tors) noun

somebody whose conscience
forbids military service: somebody
who, for moral or religious reasons, believes it is wrong to wage war and
therefore refuses to join or serve in any branch of the armed services[1]



conscionable

conscionable
con·scio·na·ble 
[kónshənəb’l] adjective

acceptable
to conscience: acceptable according to somebody’s
conscience (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from conscions, a variant of conscience
.]
—con·scio·na·ble·ness,
noun

—con·scio·na·bly, adverb[1]



conscious

conscious
con·scious 
[kónshəss] adjective

1.  awake:
awake and responsive to stimuli • He’s
been seriously injured but he’s still conscious.

2.  keenly
aware of something: aware of something, and
attaching importance to it • I’m
conscious of all you’ve done for us.

3.  considered
and deliberate: considered and deliberate, or done with
critical awareness • a conscious effort not
to lose her temper

4.  aware
and well-informed: aware of issues relating to
a particular topic of serious significance (often used in combination with
adverbs) • environmentally
conscious

5.  concerned
with something: aware of and interested in a specified
topic (used hyphenated in combination with nouns) • fashion-conscious

6.  PSYCHOLOGY functioning
with individual’s knowledge: concerned with or relating
to a part of the mind that is capable of thinking, choosing, or perceiving
noun

PSYCHOLOGY area
of mind aware of surroundings: the part of the human
mind that is aware of the feelings, thoughts, and surroundings
[Late
16th century. From Latin conscius “knowing,” from scire (see science ).]
—con·scious·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at aware

[1]



consciousness

consciousness
con·scious·ness 
[kónshəssnəss] noun

1.  being
awake and aware of surroundings: the state of being
awake and aware of what is going on around you

2.  somebody’s
mind:
somebody’s mind and thoughts • In
time, this experience will fade from your consciousness.

3.  shared
feelings and beliefs: the set of opinions,
feelings, and beliefs of a group

4.  being
aware of specific issues: awareness of or sensitivity
to issues in a particular field

5.  awareness
of thoughts and feelings: the part of the human mind
that is aware of the feelings, thoughts, and surroundings

[1]



consciousness-raising

consciousness-raising
con·scious·ness-rais·ing 
noun

1.  improving
group understanding of issue: the aim of increasing
people’s awareness of a moral or social issue with a view to encouraging them
to take action

2.  increasing
self-awareness: increasing self-awareness, usually
through group therapy
—con·scious·ness-rais·er,
noun[1]



conscript

conscript
con·script 
transitive verb [kən skrípt] (past
con·script·ed, past participle con·script·ed, present
participle con·script·ing, 3rd person present singular con·scripts)

compel
to do military service: to enroll somebody
compulsorily in the armed forces or for military service
noun
[kón skrìpt] (plural con·scripts)

military
recruit:
somebody who has been enrolled compulsorily for service, usually in the armed
forces
[15th century. From Latin conscript-,
the past participle stem of conscribere “to enroll,” literally “to write
down,” from scribere (see scribe ).][1]



conscription

conscription
con·scrip·tion 
[kən skrípshən] noun

1.  compulsory
enrollment for national service: obligatory enrollment
of citizens for a period of service, usually in the armed forces

2.  compulsory
wartime levy of money: a compulsory monetary
contribution levied by a government in wartime (archaic)

[1]



consecrate

consecrate
con·se·crate 
[kónsə kràyt] (past con·se·crat·ed,
past participle con·se·crat·ed, present participle con·se·crat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·se·crates) transitive verb

1.  declare
place holy:
to declare or set apart a building, area of ground, or specific spot as holy or
sacred • The
cathedral was consecrated in the 12th century.

2.  dedicate
to specific purpose: to dedicate something or
somebody to a specific purpose

3.  bless
Communion bread and wine: to sanctify the bread and
wine for use in the Communion service, as symbols of the body and blood of
Jesus Christ

4.  ordain
as bishop:
to ordain a priest as a bishop

5.  make
custom revered: to cause a custom to be revered
[14th
century. From Latin consecrat-, the past participle stem of consecrare,
literally “to make sacred,” from sacer (see sacred
).]
—con·se·cra·tive,
adjective

—con·se·cra·tor,
noun

—con·se·cra·to·ry [kónsəkrə tàwree], adjective[1]



consecration

consecration
con·se·cra·tion 
[kònsə kráysh’n] noun

1.  consecrating
ceremony:
the ceremony in which somebody or something is consecrated

2.  Con·se·cra·tion
sanctification
of Communion bread and wine: the process or ceremony of
sanctifying the bread and wine during Communion

[1]



consecutive

consecutive
con·sec·u·tive 
[kən sékyətiv] adjective

1.  successive:
following one after another without interruption or break • He
hasn’t shown up for work for three consecutive days.

2.  following
logical sequence: following a logical or chronological
sequence
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin consecut-, the past
participle stem of consequi (see consequent
).]
—con·sec·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·sec·u·tive·ness, noun[1]



consensual

consensual
con·sen·su·al 
[kən sénshoo əl] adjective

1.  by
mutual consent: involving the agreement of all involved

2.  LAW requiring
consent only: requiring only the consent of the
parties involved to make it binding

3.  PHYSIOLOGY responding
involuntarily to indirect stimulus: used
to describe an involuntary response to a voluntary movement from another body
part, for example, the pupil of one eye constricting when the other eye is
exposed to light
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from Latin consens-, the past participle stem of consentire
(see consent ).]
—con·sen·su·al·ly, adverb[1]



consensus

consensus
con·sen·sus 
[kən sénsəss] noun

1.  broad
unanimity:
general or widespread agreement among all the members of a group • The
consensus of opinion among journalists was that the vote could make or break
this administration.

2.  view
of society in equilibrium: a concept of society in
which the absence of conflict is seen as the equilibrium state of society
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, from the past participle of consentire (see consent ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Tautology
  trap:
  Since
  consensus already means “a view or opinion
  that is generally shared,” expressions such as general consensus and consensus
  of opinion are, strictly speaking, tautologies (i.e., they say the same
  thing twice), in which “general” and “of opinion” are redundant. However,
  occasionally a modifier such as “of opinion” can be justified, as in • There
  was a consensus of feeling, but no consensus of opinion.
  It is always best to begin by considering whether or not the word without
  modifiers expresses what you mean.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  word consensus is often misspelled concensus,
  probably from the erroneous influence of the word census.

[1]



consent

consent
con·sent 
[kən sént] intransitive verb (past
con·sent·ed, past participle con·sent·ed, present
participle con·sent·ing, 3rd person present singular con·sents)

1.  give
permission for something: to give permission or
approval for something to happen • As
soon as they met Robert, her parents consented to the marriage.
• I
will never consent to do that.

2.  agree
about something: to be of the same opinion (archaic)
noun

1.  permission
for something: acceptance of or agreement to something
proposed or desired by another

2.  consensus:
agreement on an opinion or course of action • It
was by common consent the best.
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin consentire, literally “to feel with,”
from sentire (see sentient ). The
underlying meaning is “to feel the same.”]
—con·sent·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at agree

[1]



consentdecree

consentdecree
con·sent
de·cree
noun

decree marking agreement in
dispute: a judicial decree expressing
voluntary agreement between parties to a dispute[1]



consentingadult

consentingadult
con·sent·ing
a·dult
(plural con·sent·ing a·dults) noun

adult willing to do something
permitted: somebody who is no longer a
minor, or is above the legal permitted age for any specific activity, who is
willing to participate in that activity, especially sexual activities[1]



consequence

consequence
con·se·quence 
[kónsəkwəns] noun (plural con·se·quen·ces)

1.  result:
something that follows as a result • This
is a direct consequence of your negligence.

2.  relation
between result and cause: the relation between a
result and its cause

3.  importance:
importance or significance (formal) (often used in negative
statements) • Your opinion is of no
consequence whatsoever to me.

4.  logical
conclusion:
a conclusion reached through valid deductive reasoning
plural
noun
con·se·quen·ces

negative results:
the unpleasant or difficult results of a previous action
[14th
century. Via French from Latin consequentia, from consequi (see consequent ).]
in
consequence

as a result of something (formal)[1]



consequent

consequent
con·se·quent 
[kónsəkwənt] adjective

1.  following
as result:
following as a result or effect • weeks
of rain and the consequent flooding

2.  LOGIC as
logical conclusion: following as a logical
conclusion
noun
(plural con·se·quents)

1.  LOGIC result
of something: something that follows as a result

2.  LOGIC second
half of conditional sentence: the part of a conditional
sentence that expresses the result and is the q clause in a proposition of the
form “if p then q”

3.  MATHEMATICS second
term of ratio: the second term in a mathematical ratio
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin consequent-, the present participle stem of consequi,
literally “to follow along with,” from sequi (see sequence .][1]



consequential

consequential
con·se·quen·tial 
[kònsə kwénsh’l] adjective

1.  INSURANCE arising
as indirect cost: used to describe costs, loss, or damage
beyond the market value of the object lost or damaged, including other indirect
costs arising

2.  important:
of considerable importance, significance, or value • a
consequential figure on the classical music circuit

3.  too
self-important: having an exaggerated opinion of your
own importance
—con·se·quen·ti·al·i·ty
[kònsə kwenshee állətee], noun

—con·se·quen·tial·ly
[kònsə kwénshəlee], adverb

—con·se·quen·tial·ness,
noun[1]



consequentialism

consequentialism
con·se·quen·tial·ism
[kònsə kwénshə lìzzəm] noun

doctrine in ethics:
the tenet by which an action is considered right or wrong depending on whether
its outcome is good or bad[1]



consequently

consequently
con·se·quent·ly 
[kónsəkwəntlee] adverb

because of this:
as a result or in view of this (formal) • The
joke backfired and the relationship consequently deteriorated.[1]



conservancy

conservancy
con·ser·van·cy 
[kən súrvənsee] (plural con·ser·van·cies)
noun

area for land and wildlife
protection: an area designated for the
protection both of the land and of its wildlife and their habitat[1]



conservation

conservation
con·ser·va·tion 
[kònsər váysh’n] noun

1.  protection
of valued resources: the preservation,
management, and care of natural and cultural resources

2.  protection
from change: the keeping or protecting of something
from change, loss, or damage
—con·ser·va·tion·al, adjective[1]



conservationist

conservationist
con·ser·va·tion·ist 
[kònsər váysh’nist] (plural con·ser·va·tion·ists)
noun

supporter of environmental
conservation: somebody who campaigns
for, supports, or works toward the preservation, management, and care of the
environment, especially of natural resources in the countryside[1]



conservationof charge

conservationof charge
con·ser·va·tion
of charge
noun

electric charge remaining
constant: the principle that the total
electric charge of an isolated system remains constant no matter what internal
changes take place[1]



conservationof energy

conservationof energy
con·ser·va·tion
of en·er·gy
noun

energy remaining constant:
the principle that the amount of energy in an isolated system remains the same,
even though the form of energy may change[1]



conservationof mass

conservationof mass
con·ser·va·tion
of mass
or con·ser·va·tion of mat·ter noun

mass remaining constant:
the principle that the total mass of an isolated system remains constant, no
matter what physical or chemical changes take place[1]



conservationof momentum

conservationof momentum
con·ser·va·tion
of mo·men·tum noun

momentum remaining constant:
the principle that the total linear or angular momentum of an isolated system
remains the same[1]



Conservatism

Conservatism
Con·ser·va·tism
noun

Conservative political
principles and policies: the
principles and practice of Conservative politicians or supporters, for example,
in the United Kingdom or Canada[1]



conservatism

conservatism
con·ser·va·tism 
[kən súrvə tìzzəm] noun

1.  reluctance
to accept change: unwillingness or slowness to accept
change or new ideas

2.  right-wing
political viewpoint: a right-of-center political
philosophy based on a tendency to support gradual rather than abrupt change and
to preserve the status quo

3.  desire
to preserve current societal structure: an
ideology that views the existing form of society as worthy of preservation

[1]



conservative

conservative
con·ser·va·tive 
[kən súrvətiv] adjective

1.  reluctant
to accept change: in favor of preserving the status quo
and traditional values and customs, and against abrupt change

2.  of
conservatism: associated with, characteristic of, or
displaying conservatism

3.  cautious
and on the low side: cautiously moderate and
therefore often less than the final outcome • Several
hundred dollars is probably a very conservative estimate.

4.  conventional
in appearance: conventional or restrained in style and
avoiding showiness • a conservative suit

5.  using
minimum medical intervention: designed to help relieve
symptoms or preserve health with a minimum of medical intervention
noun
(plural con·ser·va·tives)

1.  traditionalist
person:
somebody who is reluctant to consider new ideas or accept change

2.  supporter
of conservatism: somebody who supports the doctrine or
beliefs of conservatism
—con·ser·va·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·ser·va·tive·ness,
noun[1]



Conservative

Conservative
Con·ser·va·tive
adjective

1.  of
Conservative Party: supporting, belonging to, or
associated with a Conservative Party, for example, in the United Kingdom or
Canada

2.  of
Conservative Judaism: relating to, associated
with, or characteristic of Conservative Judaism
noun
(plural Con·ser·va·tives)

supporter of Conservative Party:
somebody who is a member of or supports a Conservative Party, for example, in
the United Kingdom or Canada

[1]



ConservativeJudaism

ConservativeJudaism
Con·ser·va·tive
Ju·da·ism
noun

branch of Judaism:
a form of Judaism that accepts most of the principles and practices of
traditional Judaism but supports the modification and relaxing of certain laws.
The movement arose around the turn of the 20th century as a reaction against
the more liberal Reform Judaism.[1]



ConservativeParty

ConservativeParty
Con·ser·va·tive
Par·ty
noun

1.  main
U.K. right-wing political party: in the United Kingdom,
the principal right-of-center political party. It supports low personal
taxation, home ownership, and the maintenance of the present form of
government. It was founded in the early 1830s as a successor to the Tory Party.

2.  Canadian
right-wing political party: in Canada, the Progressive
Conservative Party, which originally derived its political principles from
British Toryism. It added Progressive to its name in 1942.

3.  political
party opposed to change: in countries other than the United
Kingdom and Canada, a political party that is opposed to change (takes a
singular or plural verb)

[1]



conservatize

conservatize
con·ser·va·tize 
[kən súrvə tz] (past con·ser·va·tized,
past participle con·ser·va·tized, present participle con·ser·va·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ser·va·tiz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

become or make conservative:
to become, or make an organization or person become, conservative or
increasingly conservative[1]



conservatoire

conservatoire
con·ser·va·toire
[kən sùrvə twr] (plural con·ser·va·toires)
noun

See
conservatory  noun 2
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Italian conservatorio, originally a home for orphans that
provided an education in music, from late Latin conservatorium (see conservatory ).][1]



conservator

conservator
con·ser·va·tor 
[kən súrvətər] (plural con·ser·va·tors)
noun

1.  restorer
of works of art: somebody who is responsible for looking
after or restoring exhibits in a museum or collection, or other works of art

2.  protector
of interests of incompetent person: a
person or institution responsible for protecting the interests of an
incompetent
—con·ser·va·to·ri·al
[kən sùrvə táwree əl], adjective

—con·ser·va·tor·ship [kən súrvətər shìp], noun[1]



conservatory

conservatory
con·ser·va·to·ry 
[kən súrvə tàwree] (plural con·ser·va·to·ries)
noun

1.  greenhouse:
a room with glass walls and roof where plants are grown or displayed, often
built onto the side of a house

2.  advanced
music or drama school: an institution or school
where students are taught one of the arts, most commonly music or drama, to a
professional standard.
Also
called
conservatoire
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin conservatorium, from Latin conservare (see conserve ).][1]



conserve

conserve
con·serve 
transitive verb [kən súrv] (past
con·served, past participle con·served, present
participle con·serv·ing, 3rd person present singular con·serves)

1.  protect
from harm or decay: to keep something,
especially an important environmental or cultural resource, from harm, loss,
change, or decay • the importance of
conserving our national heritage

2.  use
sparingly:
to use something sparingly so as not to exhaust supplies • some
drastic measures to conserve water

3.  preserve
food in sugar: to preserve food, especially fruit, in
sugar

4.  keep
matter or energy constant: to keep something constant
through physical changes or chemical reactions
noun
[kn sùrv, kən
súrv] (plural con·serves)

fruit in syrup:
a food consisting of fruit in a thick sugar syrup, like jam but less firmly set
and usually containing larger pieces of fruit
[14th
century. Via French from Latin conservare, literally “to preserve well,”
from servare (see serve ).]
—con·serv·a·ble,
adjective

—con·serv·er, noun[1]



consider

consider
con·sid·er 
[kən síddər] (past con·sid·ered,
past participle con·sid·ered, present participle con·sid·er·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sid·ers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb think
carefully:
to think carefully about something • You
should consider your next move carefully. • time
to consider whether this is what you really want

2.  transitive
verb
judge:
to have something as an opinion or point of view • He
considers himself lucky to be alive. • I
consider it unlikely that they’ll accept your proposal.

3.  transitive
verb
respect:
to show respect for or be thoughtful of somebody’s feelings or position • They
never seem to consider the feelings of others.

4.  transitive
verb
weigh
possibilities before deciding: to weigh the pros and
cons of the situation before making a decision on a course of action • I’m
considering my options. • They’re
considering buying a new house.

5.  transitive
verb
examine:
to examine a problem and discuss it in detail • On
this week’s show, we’re going to consider the following question.

6.  transitive
verb
take
into account: to take something into account, often in
a sympathetic way • We’ve done very well,
all things considered.

7.  transitive
verb
look
carefully at: to look at something carefully and with
concentration (formal)
[14th
century. Via French considérer from Latin considerare, of
uncertain origin: probably formed from sidus “star,” the underlying idea
being one of examining the stars carefully to divine the future.]
—con·sid·er·er, noun[1]



considerable

considerable
con·sid·er·a·ble 
[kən síddərəb’l] adjective

1.  large:
large enough to be important • needs
a considerable income to afford this apartment

2.  much:
with a far from negligible amount of something • a
woman of considerable influence

3.  significant:
worthy of consideration or respect • a
considerable figure in the art world
noun

great amount: a
great deal or amount (informal)

[1]



considerably

considerably
con·sid·er·a·bly
[kən síddərəblee] adverb

significantly:
to a significant degree • He’s
considerably older than I am.[1]



considerate

considerate
con·sid·er·ate 
[kən síddərət] adjective

solicitous:
mindful of the needs, wishes, and feelings of others
—con·sid·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—con·sid·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



consideration

consideration
con·sid·er·a·tion 
[kən sìddə ráysh’n] (plural con·sid·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  careful
thought:
careful thought or deliberation (formal) • Your
application will be given the fullest consideration.

2.  respect:
thoughtful concern for or sensitivity toward the feelings of others

3.  relevant
factor in assessing something: something to be taken
into account when weighing up the pros and cons before making a decision • Value
for money is one of the most important considerations for our customers.

4.  detailed
examination: detailed discussion or scrutiny • The
issue for consideration on today’s show is cosmetic surgery.

5.  opinion:
a carefully thought-out opinion • It is
my consideration that you are not suitable for this position.

6.  payment:
a payment or fee in return for a service (formal)

7.  high
regard:
high regard or esteem (formal) • She
has always been held in great consideration by this congregation.

8.  something
making contract binding: something done by one of the
parties as part of a contractual arrangement that makes it binding, for
example, the payment of the price in a sales agreement
take
something into consideration

to
take account of special circumstances, often in a sympathetic way

of
little consideration

or of
no considerationnot important or significant (formal)

in
consideration of

1.  because
of (formal)

2.  as
payment for (formal)

[1]



considered

considered
con·sid·ered 
[kən síddərd] adjective

1.  thought
out:
carefully thought out • my
considered opinion

2.  regarded:
regarded in a particular way (formal) (usually used in combination)
• highly
considered

[1]



considering

considering
con·sid·er·ing 
[kən síddəring] preposition conjunction

taking
into account: taking something into account • It’s
a tremendous bargain, considering the price and how much we need one.
adverb

all in all:
taking everything into account, often in a sympathetic way (usually used at
the end of a phrase or sentence) • We’ve
done a really good job, considering.[1]



consigliere

consigliere
con·si·glie·re 
[kòn seel yérrə] (plural con·sig·lie·ri
[kòn seel yérree]) noun

adviser
to organized-crime boss: somebody who advises the
leader of a crime syndicate
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin consilium (see counsel
).][1]



consign

consign
con·sign 
[kən sn] (past con·signed, past
participle con·signed, present participle con·sign·ing,
3rd person present singular con·signs) transitive verb

1.  entrust:
to hand somebody or something over to the care of another • The
children were consigned to the care of the nanny.

2.  get
rid of:
to dispose of something or somebody, usually for a very long time if not
permanently, and often to somewhere unpleasant or difficult • Before
fleeing, they consigned the documents to the flames.

3.  deliver:
to address, deliver, or hand over for later delivery something for sale,
safekeeping, or disposal
[15th
century. Via French from Latin consignare “to certify with a seal,” from
signum (see sign ).]
—con·sign·a·ble, adjective[1]



consignee

consignee
con·sign·ee 
[kòn sī n] (plural con·sign·ees)
noun

recipient:
the person, people, or organization to whom something is delivered or addressed
(formal)[1]



consigner

consigner
con·sign·er
noun

See
consignor[1]



consignment

consignment
con·sign·ment 
[kən snmənt] (plural con·sign·ments)
noun

1.  delivery:
a quantity or package of goods delivered or to be delivered

2.  disposal
to somewhere disagreeable: the disposing of somebody or
something, or being disposed, to an unpleasant or difficult place or task,
usually for a very long time if not forever

3.  entrusting
of somebody to another’s care: the handing over of
somebody or something to the care of another
on
consignment

on the understanding that
payment will be made only when the goods have been sold and that any remaining
unsold articles can be returned[1]



consignmentstore

consignmentstore
con·sign·ment
store
(plural con·sign·ment stores) noun

special retail outlet:
a retail outlet that stocks and sells goods on a sale-or-return basis, or as an
agent selling on behalf of others and receiving a percentage[1]



consignor

consignor
con·sign·or 
[kən snər] (plural con·sign·ors)
or con·sign·er [kən snər] (plural
con·sign·ers) noun

deliverer of goods:
a person who or organization that delivers goods[1]



consist

consist
con·sist 
[kən síst] (past con·sist·ed, past
participle con·sist·ed, present participle con·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sists) intransitive verb

1.  be
made up of something: to be made up of diverse
elements • This
dressing consists of oil, lemon juice, and mustard.

2.  be
based on something: to be based on or defined by
something • Her
talent consists in her superb musicianship.
[Early
16th century. From Latin consistere “to be made of,” literally “to stand
together,” from sistere “to make stand,” from stare “to stand”
(see station ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at comprise.

[1]



consistency

consistency
con·sis·ten·cy 
[kən sístənsee] (plural con·sis·ten·cies)
or con·sis·tence [kən sístəns]
(plural con·sis·ten·ces) noun

1.  constancy:
the ability to maintain a particular standard or repeat a particular task with
minimal variation • Consistency is
important in performing this job. “A foolish consistency
is the hobgoblin of small minds.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Reliance 1841

2.  coherence:
reasonable or logical harmony between parts • The
plot lacked consistency.

3.  level
of thickness or smoothness: level of thickness or
smoothness of a mixture • Blend
the mixture until it reaches the consistency of thick cream.

[1]



consistent

consistent
con·sis·tent 
[kən sístənt] adjective

1.  coherent:
reasonably or logically harmonious • The
evidence is consistent with the defendant’s statement.
• Their
accounts of the incident just aren’t consistent.

2.  reliable:
able to maintain a particular standard or repeat a particular task with minimal
variation • He’s
one of the most consistent hitters in the league.

3.  with
common solutions: with a set of solutions in common,
especially for two or more equations or inequalities

4.  free
of contradiction: containing no provable contradiction
[Late
16th century. From Latin consistent-, the present participle stem of consistere
(see consist ).]
—con·sis·tent·ly, adverb[1]



consistory

consistory
con·sis·to·ry 
[kən sístəree] (plural con·sis·to·ries)
noun

1.  RELIGION assembly
of cardinals and Pope: in the Roman Catholic
Church, an assembly of cardinals convoked and led by the Pope

2.  U.K.
RELIGION Anglican
diocesan court: in the Anglican Church, the court of any
diocese except Canterbury

3.  RELIGION congregational
governing body: in certain Reformed churches, the
governing body of a congregation

4.  RELIGION regulatory
court in Lutheran churches: in Lutheran state churches,
a court appointed to regulate ecclesiastical affairs

5.  HISTORY historical
council or assembly: a council or assembly, for
example, in the Roman Empire
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from late Latin consistorium “place of
assembly,” from Latin consistere “to stand together” (see consist ).]
—con·sis·to·ri·al [kònsi stáwree əl], adjective[1]



consociate

consociate
con·so·ci·ate 
intransitive and transitive verb [kən sṓshee
àyt] (past con·so·ci·at·ed, past participle con·so·ci·at·ed,
present participle con·so·ci·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular con·so·ci·ates)

join
or welcome association: to enter or welcome somebody
into a friendly association (formal)
adjective
[kən sṓshee ət]

associated:
associated or united (formal)
noun
[kən sṓshee ət] (plural con·so·ci·ates)

partner:
an associate or partner (formal)
[15th century. From Latin consociat-,
the past participle stem of consociare “to associate,” from socius
“companion” (see social ).][1]



consociation

consociation
con·so·ci·a·tion 
[kən sshee áysh’n] (plural con·so·ci·a·tions)
noun

1.  friendly
association: a friendly association or alliance (formal)

2.  ECOLOGY ecological
community with one main species: an ecological
community that has one dominant species, for example, a wood consisting
predominantly of beech trees

3.  POLITICS political
coalition:
a grouping of political parties or pressure groups within a region or country
that work together to share power

4.  CHRISTIANITY association
of Reformed churches: an association of churches
or religious societies, especially Congregational churches in New England and
Presbyterian churches
—con·so·ci·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



consolation

consolation
con·so·la·tion 
[kònsə láysh’n] (plural con·so·la·tions)
noun

1.  source
of comfort:
a source of comfort to somebody who is upset or disappointed • The
fortune she left was little consolation for him.

2.  comfort
to somebody in distress: comfort to somebody who is
distressed or disappointed • Most
of those at the funeral murmured some words of consolation as they left.

3.  game
for earlier losers: a game or contest held for
people or teams who have lost earlier in a tournament

[1]



consolationprize

consolationprize
con·so·la·tion
prize
(plural con·so·la·tion priz·es) noun

prize for the loser:
a prize given to comfort the loser or losers in a game or competition[1]



console

console1
con·sole1 [kən
sṓl] (past con·soled, past participle con·soled,
present participle con·sol·ing, 3rd person present singular
con·soles) transitive verb

comfort:
to be or provide a source of comfort to somebody who is distressed or
disappointed
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Latin consolare, from solari “to soothe”
(see solace ).]
—con·sol·a·ble,
adjective

—con·so·la·to·ry,
adjective

—con·sol·er,
noun

—con·sol·ing·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at condole.

[1]



console

console2
con·sole2 [kón
sl] (plural con·soles) noun

1.  cabinet
for television or hi-fi: a free-standing cabinet,
especially one used to house a television or hi-fi system

2.  control
panel:
a desk, table, display, or keyboard onto which the controls of an electronic
system or some other machine are fixed

3.  storage
compartment in automobile: a small storage compartment
in an automobile, fixed between individual seats

4.  organ
controls:
the part of an organ that houses the keyboards or manuals, pedals, and stops

5.  ornamental
bracket:
an ornamental bracket, often in the shape of a scroll, used for decoration and
for supporting wall fixtures

6.  See
console table
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps a shortening of consolider “to
consolidate.”][1]



consoletable

consoletable
con·sole
ta·ble 
(plural con·sole ta·bles) noun

small table for standing
against wall: a small table with
curved legs designed to stand against a wall.
Also called
console[1]



consolidate

consolidate
con·sol·i·date 
[kən sólli dàyt] (past con·sol·i·dat·ed,
past participle con·sol·i·dat·ed, present participle con·sol·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sol·i·dates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  unite
business activities: to bring businesses or
business activities together, or come together, into a single unit

2.  strengthen
your position: to increase the strength, stability, or
depth of your success or position • This
excellent performance has enabled her to consolidate her lead.

3.  combine
into single mass: to combine separate items or scattered
material into a single mass
[Early
16th century. From Latin consolidat-, the past participle stem of consolidare,
literally “to make solid,” from solidus (see solid
).]
—con·sol·i·da·tor, noun[1]



consolidatedschool

consolidatedschool
con·sol·i·dat·ed
school 
(plural con·sol·i·dat·ed schools) noun

public school with wide
catchment: a public school for students
from several neighboring, often rural, districts[1]



consolidation

consolidation
con·sol·i·da·tion 
[kən sòlli dáysh’n] (plural con·sol·i·da·tions)
noun

1.  combining
of business activities: the bringing together of two
or more businesses or business activities into a single unit

2.  strengthening:
increasing of the strength, stability, or depth of a person’s or group’s
success • The
final six weeks saw a consolidation of their position at the top of the league.

3.  combination
into single mass: the combination of separate items or
scattered material into a single mass

4.  GEOLOGY compaction
into rock:
any process by which a loose deposit is compacted into hard rock

5.  PSYCHOLOGY psychological
process that retains memory: the process in the brain
that enables somebody to have a lasting memory of a particular event

[1]



consommé

consommé
con·som·mé 
[kònsə máy] (plural con·som·més)
noun

thin
clear soup:
a thin clear soup made from meat or chicken stock. It can be eaten hot, or cold
in jellied form.
[Early 19th century. From
French, from the past participle of consommer “to use up,” from Latin consummare
(see consummate ).][1]



consonance

consonance
con·so·nance 
[kónsənəns] (plural con·so·nan·ces)
or con·so·nan·cy [kónsənənsee]
(plural con·so·nan·cies) noun

1.  agreement:
agreement or harmony (formal)

2.  similarity
between consonants: a close similarity between
consonants or groups of consonants, especially at the ends of words, for
example, between “strong” and “ring”

3.  pleasant
combination of musical notes: a combination of notes that
sounds pleasing when played simultaneously

[1]



consonant

consonant
con·so·nant 
[kónsənənt] noun (plural con·so·nants)

speech sound other than vowel:
a speech sound produced by partly or totally blocking the path of air through
the mouth, or the corresponding letter of the alphabet
adjective

1.  in
agreement with something: in agreement or harmony with
something (formal) • I was
delighted to learn that their views were consonant with my own.

2.  pleasing
in harmony:
containing chords or harmonies that are pleasing to hear

3.  having
similar sounds: having similar sounds or showing
consonance
[14th
century. Via French from Latin consonant-, the stem of consonans,
literally “sounding together,” from sonare (see sonant
).]
—con·so·nant·ly, adverb[1]



consonantal

consonantal
con·so·nan·tal 
[kònsə nánt’l] adjective

1.  of
consonant:
consisting of, relating to, or functioning like a consonant

2.  containing
consonants:
containing consonants or nothing but consonants
—con·so·nan·tal·ly, adverb[1]



consordino

consordino
con
sor·di·no
[kòn sawr dnō] adverb

with
a mute:
to be played with a mute or the mute pedal (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “with a mute.”][1]



consort

consort
con·sort 
intransitive verb [kən sáwrt] (past
con·sort·ed, past participle con·sort·ed, present
participle con·sort·ing, 3rd person present singular con·sorts)

associate with undesirables:
to associate with or spend time in the company of undesirable people (formal)
• consorting
with known criminals
noun
[kón sàwrt] (plural con·sorts)

1.  con·sort
or Con·sort (plural Con·sorts) spouse
of reigning monarch: the husband or wife of a
reigning monarch

2.  partner:
a partner or companion (formal)

3.  ship
that escorts another: a ship that accompanies or
escorts another on a journey

4.  chamber
group specializing in early music: a small group of
musical instruments, often of the baroque or other early period, or a group of
players of such instruments
[15th
century. Via French from Latin consort-, the stem of consors,
literally “having the same fate,” from sors “fortune” (see sort ).]
in
consort with

in association or together
with others (archaic or formal)[1]



consortium

consortium
con·sor·ti·um 
[kən sáwrtee əm, kən
sáwrshəm, kən sáwrshee əm] (plural
con·sor·ti·a [kən sáwrtee ə, kən sáwrshə, kən
sáwrshee ə]) noun

1.  combination
of organizations for common purpose: an
association or grouping of institutions, businesses, or financial
organizations, usually set up for a common purpose that would be beyond the
capabilities of a single member of the group

2.  right
to marital company and affection: the right of husbands or
wives to the company, affection, and help of their spouses (archaic)
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “fellowship,” from consors “fellow” (see consort ).]
—con·sor·ti·al, adjective[1]



conspecific

conspecific
con·spe·cif·ic 
[kònspə síffik] adjective

of
same species: of the same species as another organism
noun

organism of same species:
an organism of the same species as another[1]



conspectus

conspectus
con·spec·tus 
[kən spéktəss] (plural con·spec·tus·es)
noun

1.  mental
overview of something: a general mental survey or
overview of something

2.  synopsis
of something: an overview of something in outline or
synopsis (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, formed from conspect-, the past participle stem of conspicere
(see conspicuous ).][1]



conspicuous

conspicuous
con·spic·u·ous 
[kən spíkyoo əss] adjective

1.  easily
visible:
easily or clearly visible • The
building’s most conspicuous feature is its dome-shaped roof.

2.  attracting
attention:
attracting attention through being unusual or remarkable • He
felt uncomfortably conspicuous, since he was the only man in evening dress.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin conspicuus, from conspicere, literally
“to observe carefully,” from specere (see spectacle
).]
—con·spic·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·spic·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



conspicuousconsumption

conspicuousconsumption
con·spic·u·ous
con·sump·tion noun

extravagant
spending to impress others: spending large quantities of
money, often extravagantly, to impress others
[The term was introduced by
Thorstein Veblen in his Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899][1]



conspiracist

conspiracist
con·spir·a·cist 
[kən spírrəssist] (plural con·spir·a·cists)
noun

somebody with conspiracy
theory: somebody who believes in a
conspiracy theory about some event[1]



conspiracy

conspiracy
con·spir·a·cy 
[kən spírrəssee] (plural con·spir·a·cies)
noun

1.  plan
to commit illegal act together: a plan or agreement
between two or more people to commit an illegal or subversive action

2.  agreement
among conspirators: the making of an agreement
or plot to commit an illegal or subversive action

3.  group
of conspirators: a group of conspirators
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman conspiracie from, ultimately, Latin conspirat-, the
past participle stem of conspirare (see conspire
).][1]



conspiracyof silence

conspiracyof silence
con·spir·a·cy
of si·lence
(plural con·spir·a·cies of si·lence) noun

all keeping silent for own
ends: an agreement among a group
of people to say nothing in public about something of public interest or
importance, in order to protect or promote selfish interests[1]



conspiracytheory

conspiracytheory
con·spir·a·cy
the·o·ry
noun

belief
that event is plot: a belief that a particular
event is the result of a secret plot rather than the actions of an individual
or chance
—con·spir·a·cy the·o·rist,
noun[1]



conspirator

conspirator
con·spir·a·tor 
[kən spírrətər] (plural con·spir·a·tors)
noun

member of group planning
illegal act: a member of a group of
people planning or agreeing to commit an illegal or subversive act[1]



conspiratorial

conspiratorial
con·spir·a·to·ri·al 
[kən spìrrə táwree əl] adjective

betraying
involvement in secret plot: indicating or betraying
knowledge of or involvement in a secret plot
—con·spir·a·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



conspire

conspire
con·spire 
[kən spr] (past con·spired, past
participle con·spired, present participle con·spir·ing,
3rd person present singular con·spires) intransitive verb

1.  plan
secretly to act illegally: to plan or agree in secret
with others to commit an illegal or subversive act • In
court, the three defendants admitted to conspiring against the government.

2.  work
together:
to combine so as to cause a result, often of harm, inconvenience, or difficulty
• Rain
and tears conspired to smudge her carefully applied mascara.
[14th
century. Via French from Latin conspirare “to agree,” literally “to
breathe or whisper together,” from spirare (see spirit
).]
—con·spir·ing·ly [kən springlee], adverb[1]



conspiriologist

conspiriologist
con·spi·ri·ol·o·gist
[kən spìrree ólləjist] (plural con·spi·ri·ol·o·gists)
noun

POLITICS
conspiracy theorist:
somebody who engages in conspiracy theories[1]



conspirito

conspirito
con
spi·ri·to 
[kòn spírritō] adverb

in
lively style: to be performed in a lively or spirited
way (used as a musical direction)
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “with spirit.”][1]



const.

const.
const.

1.  Abbreviation
of
constant

2.  const.
or const Abbreviation of constitution

3.  Abbreviation
of
constitutional

[1]



Const.

Const.
Const.

1.  Const
or Const. Abbreviation of Constitution

2.  Const
or Const. or const or const. Abbreviation
of Constable

[1]



constable

constable
con·sta·ble 
[kónstəb’l, kúnstəb’l]
(plural con·sta·bles) noun

1.  LAW officer
below sheriff: a low-ranking law officer in some towns
or townships

2.  LAW British
police officer: in Great Britain, a police officer of
the lowest rank.
Also
called
police constable

3.  castle
warden:
the warden of a royal castle or fortress

4.  royal
household official in Middle Ages: the chief
administrative and military officer in a royal household, especially in
medieval France and England
[12th
century. From Old French conestable, from late Latin comes stabilis,
literally “count of the stable,” later “chief household officer of the Frankish
kings.”]
—con·sta·ble·ship, noun[1]



constabulary

constabulary
con·stab·u·lar·y 
[kən stábbyə lèrree] (plural con·stab·u·lar·ies)
noun

1.  force
of constables: an organized force of constables
operating in a city or district

2.  MILITARY military
style police force: an armed police force that
has been organized according to a military model but is separate from the army

3.  LAW British
police force: in Great Britain, a police force for a
city or a district
—con·stab·u·lar, adjective[1]



constancy

constancy
con·stan·cy 
[kón stənsee] noun

1.  loyalty:
the quality of remaining faithful to a person, belief, or decision, especially
in the face of difficulties • The
church would never have been finished if not for the constancy of a few
citizens over the past six years.

2.  unchanging
quality:
the quality or fact of remaining the same despite change or variation in other
things

[1]



constant

constant
con·stant 
[kón stənt] adjective

1.  ever
present:
always present or available • constant
whining

2.  happening
or done repeatedly: occurring or made again and
again • constant
visits to the doctor

3.  not
changing or varying: remaining the same and not
varying with change in other things • kept
at a constant pressure

4.  faithful:
faithful and loyal, especially to a husband, wife, or loved one
noun
(plural con·stants)

1.  something
unchanging:
an object, quality, or fact that is invariable • This
preoccupation has become a constant in our daily lives.

2.  MATHEMATICS quantity
with fixed value: a quantity that retains a fixed value in
any circumstances or throughout a particular set of calculations. Pi, the ratio
of the circumference to the radius of any circle, is a constant.

3.  PHYSICS unvarying
property:
a property, condition, or quantity that is assumed not to vary for the purposes
of a theory or experiment, for example, the speed of light
[14th century. Via French
from Latin constant-, present participle stem of constare “to
stand together,” from stare “to stand” (see stage
).][1]



constantan

constantan
con·stan·tan 
[kónstən tàn] noun

copper
nickel alloy: an alloy of copper and nickel whose
electrical resistance is unaffected by changes in temperature. It is used
mainly in resistors and thermocouples.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from constant .][1]



constantdollars

constantdollars
con·stant
dol·lars
plural noun

FINANCE
dollars at value on previous date:
dollars valued not at the current rate but at the rate that applied on a
particular date in the past[1]



ConstantineII

ConstantineII
Con·stan·tine
II 
[kónstən tn, kónstən
tn], King of the Hellenes (1940– )

Succeeding in 1964, he was
exiled in 1967 by a military junta and deposed in 1973. A referendum abolished
the Greek monarchy in 1974.[1]



Constantine(the Great)

Constantine(the Great)
Con·stan·tine
(the Great) 
[kónstən tn, kónstən
tn], Emperor of Rome (274–337)

He
converted to Christianity in 312 and made it a state religion in 324. He moved
his capital to Byzantium, renamed Constantinople in 330.
Real name
Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1]



Constantinople

Constantinople
Con·stan·ti·no·ple
[kòn stant’n ṓp’l]

Former name for
Istanbul[1]



constantly

constantly
con·stant·ly
[kón stəntlee] adverb

always or repetitively:
always and without interruption, or again and again without end • She’s
been on my mind constantly since I heard the news.[1]



constative

constative
con·sta·tive
[kónstətiv] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY of
true or false statement: relating to a statement,
question, or command that can be considered true or false

2.  GRAMMAR of
past verb forms: relating to verb forms indicating that
something has been completed in the past
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin constat-, past participle stem of constare (see constant ).][1]



constellate

constellate
con·stel·late 
[kónstə làyt] (past con·stel·lat·ed,
past participle con·stel·lat·ed, present participle con·stel·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·stel·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

form
cluster:
to form clusters, in or as if in constellations (formal)
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin constellatus, literally “stars together,” from, ultimately, Latin stella
“star.”][1]



constellation

constellation

con·stel·la·tion 
[kònstə láysh’n] (plural con·stel·la·tions)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY group
of stars forming shape: a group of stars visible
from Earth that forms a distinctive pattern and has a name linked to its shape,
often derived from Greek mythology. There are 88 constellations and the
groupings are historical rather than scientific.

2.  ASTRONOMY area
of sky containing constellation: the area of the sky
within and around a constellation

3.  gathering
of celebrities: a gathering of famous or important
people • a
glittering constellation of Hollywood stars

4.  group
of related things: a group of things or
circumstances felt to be related to each other in some way • Problems
tend to occur not singly, but in constellations.

5.  ZODIAC astrological
arrangement of planets: the arrangement of the
planets in the zodiac at a particular time, believed by astrologers to
influence human character or events on earth
—con·stel·la·tion·al,
adjective

—con·stel·la·to·ry [kən stéllə tàwree], adjective[1]



consternate

consternate
con·ster·nate 
[kónstər nàyt] (past con·ster·nat·ed,
past participle con·ster·nat·ed, present participle con·ster·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ster·nates) transitive verb

cause
anxiety in somebody: to fill somebody with alarm,
confusion, or dismay (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
consternat-, past participle stem of consternare, literally “to
make prostrate with fear,” from sternare “to lay low.”][1]



consternation

consternation
con·ster·na·tion 
[kònstər náysh’n] noun

shocked dismay:
a feeling of bewilderment and dismay, often caused by something unexpected • The
news caused worldwide consternation and a panic on the stock exchange.[1]



constipate

constipate
con·sti·pate 
[kónsti pàyt] (past con·sti·pat·ed,
past participle con·sti·pat·ed, present participle con·sti·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sti·pates) transitive verb

cause
constipation: to cause somebody or something to become
constipated
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
constipat-, past participle stem of constipare “to cram
together,” from stipare “to press.”][1]



constipated

constipated
con·sti·pat·ed
[kónsti pàytəd] adjective

1.  having
difficulty with defecation: having difficulty in
eliminating solid waste from the body with feces being hard and dry

2.  blocked
or obstructed: unable to flow or produce at the normal
rate because of blockage or obstruction

[1]



constipation

constipation
con·sti·pa·tion 
[kònsti páysh’n] noun

1.  difficulty
in defecation: a condition in which a person or animal
has difficulty in eliminating solid waste from the body and the feces are hard
and dry

2.  blockage
or obstruction: a state in which the normal flow of
something is blocked or obstructed

[1]



constituency

constituency
con·stit·u·en·cy 
[kən stíchoo ənsee] (plural con·stit·u·en·cies)
noun

1.  POLITICS electoral
district:
one of the areas into which a country is divided for election purposes, from
which a representative is elected to serve in a legislative body • Members
of Congress returned to their constituencies this week.

2.  POLITICS voters
in a constituency: the voters or residents in a
particular electoral district

3.  group
with common outlook: a group of people thought to
have common aims or views, and therefore sometimes appealed to for support • people
outside his usual constituency of young married couples

4.  customers
considered as a group: a group of people served by
an organization, especially a business • enlarging
its constituency via a Web site

[1]



constituent

constituent
con·stit·u·ent 
[kən stíchoo ənt] noun (plural
con·stit·u·ents)

1.  POLITICS resident
of constituency: a person living in an electoral
district, especially one having the right to vote

2.  ingredient:
one of the materials or elements that make up something • one
of the constituents of cement

3.  GRAMMAR word,
phrase, or clause: a word, phrase, or clause in
a larger construction such as a sentence.
See
also
immediate constituent
See
also
ultimate constituent

4.  LAW client:
somebody who appoints another person to act on his or her behalf (formal)
adjective

1.  forming
a part:
forming a part of something (formal) • a
constituent part of sth

2.  POLITICS with
power to draw up constitution: having the power to
draw up or alter a constitution
[15th
century. Directly or via French constituant, from Latin constituent-,
present participle stem of constituere (see constitute
).]
—con·stit·u·ent·ly, adverb[1]



constitute

constitute
con·sti·tute 
[kónsti tt] (past con·sti·tut·ed,
past participle con·sti·tut·ed, present participle con·sti·tut·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sti·tutes) transitive verb

1.  be:
to be, amount to, or have the status of a particular thing • This
letter does not constitute an offer of employment.

2.  be
ingredient of: to make up the whole or a stated part of
something • a
panel constituted of four individuals

3.  formally
establish:
to create and establish something formally, especially an official body (formal)
• constitute
an assembly

4.  formally
appoint:
to appoint somebody formally to a position (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin constitut-, past participle stem of constituere
“to establish, appoint,” from statuere “to set up.”]
—con·sti·tut·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at comprise.

[1]



Constitution

Constitution
Con·sti·tu·tion
noun

POLITICS
U.S. Constitution:
the Constitution of the United States, containing seven articles and 26
amendments, that has been in effect since its adoption in 1789[1]



constitution

constitution
con·sti·tu·tion 
[knstə tsh’n] (plural con·sti·tu·tions)
noun

1.  POLITICS statement
of fundamental laws: a written statement
outlining the basic laws or principles by which a country or organization is
governed

2.  POLITICS document
containing fundamental laws: the document or statute
setting out the fundamental laws or bylaws of a country or organization

3.  somebody’s
health:
somebody’s general condition of health, especially the body’s ability to remain
healthy and withstand disease or hardship

4.  composition
of something: the parts or members of something, or
the way in which they combine to form it • challenge
the constitution of the jury

5.  act
or process of establishing something: the
formal creation or establishment of something

[1]



ConstitutionAct

ConstitutionAct
Con·sti·tu·tion
Act
noun

act embodying Canadian
constitution: the constitution of
Canada, embodied in 1982 and including the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms as well as provisions of the British North America Act[1]



constitutional

constitutional
con·sti·tu·tion·al 
[kònstə tshən’l, kònstə
tshnəl] adjective

1.  POLITICS in
accordance with a constitution: authorized by a
constitution, especially the Constitution of the United States • The
Supreme Court has to decide whether such punishments are constitutional.

2.  POLITICS involving
constitution: involving the constitution of a country
or an organization

3.  POLITICS governed
by constitution: governed or regulated by a constitution

4.  relating
to body and health: being part of, or a
consequence of, a person’s physical and sometimes psychological makeup

5.  health-giving:
beneficial to a person’s health (dated)

6.  relating
to something’s structure and makeup: used
to describe or relate to the way something is composed • a
constitutional analysis of the substance
noun
(plural con·sti·tu·tion·als)

walk: a
short walk, taken regularly for health reasons

[1]



constitutionalism

constitutionalism
con·sti·tu·tion·al·ism 
[kònstə tshən’l ìzzəm, kónstə tshnə lìzzəm] noun

1.  government
by constitution: the principles or practice of government
regulated by a constitution, especially a written one

2.  belief
in idea of constitution: belief in constitutional
government
—con·sti·tu·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



constitutionality

constitutionality
con·sti·tu·tion·al·i·ty 
[kònstə toosh’n állətee] noun

accordance with a
constitution: validity or
permissibility in terms of the provisions or principles of a constitution,
especially the Constitution of the United States[1]



constitutionalize

constitutionalize
con·sti·tu·tion·al·ize 
[kònstə tshən’l z, kònstə tshnə lz] (past con·sti·tu·tion·al·ized,
past participle con·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, present participle
con·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular con·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·es)
transitive verb

1.  incorporate
into constitution: to incorporate a piece of
legislation into a constitution, or to authorize a practice through a
constitution

2.  subject
to constitution: to make a form of government, a country,
or an organization subject to a constitution
—con·sti·tu·tion·al·i·za·tion
[kònstətooshən’lə záysh’n, kònstətooshnələ záysh’n], noun[1]



constitutionally

constitutionally
con·sti·tu·tion·al·ly
[kònstə tshən’lee, kònstə
tshnəlee] adverb

POLITICS
in keeping with constitution:
in accordance with a political constitution[1]



constitutionalmonarchy

constitutionalmonarchy
con·sti·tu·tion·al
mon·ar·chy
(plural con·sti·tu·tion·al mon·ar·chies) noun

1.  political
system:
a political system in which the head of state is a king or queen ruling to the
extent allowed by a constitution

2.  royal-ruled
country:
a country with a constitutional monarchy
—con·sti·tu·tion·al
mon·arch, noun[1]



ConstitutionState

ConstitutionState
Con·sti·tu·tion
State
noun

Connecticut:
the state of Connecticut (informal)[1]



constitutive

constitutive
con·sti·tu·tive 
[kónstə ttiv] adjective

1.  forming
a part:
forming a part of something

2.  essential:
essential to the particular nature or character of something

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY formed
continuously: used to describe enzymes that are formed
continuously and at a constant rate within the body regardless of the
physiological demands of the cell

4.  POLITICS having
power to establish institution: having the power to
create or establish a system of government, legislative body, or other
institution, or to appoint members of official bodies
—con·sti·tu·tive·ly, adverb[1]



constr.

constr.
constr.

Abbreviation of
construction[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








constrain

constrain
con·strain 
[kən stráyn] (past con·strained,
past participle con·strained, present participle con·strain·ing,
3rd person present singular con·strains) transitive verb

1.  force
to act:
to force somebody to do something, especially through pressure of circumstances
or a sense of obligation • Many
companies have been constrained to lay off workers.

2.  limit:
to limit or restrict somebody or something, especially to prevent the free
expression of something • We
felt constrained by the presence of the others.

3.  restrain:
to hold somebody or something back from an action
[14th
century. Via Old French constraindre from Latin constringere “to
bind tightly together,” from stringere “draw tight.”]
—con·strain·a·ble,
adjective

—con·strain·er, noun[1]



constrained

constrained
con·strained 
[kən stráynd] adjective

not
natural or spontaneous: lacking naturalness or
spontaneity because of self-consciousness, reserve, or inhibiting circumstances
—con·strain·ed·ly [kən stráynədlee], adverb[1]



constraint

constraint
con·straint 
[kən stráynt] (plural con·straints)
noun

1.  limiting
factor:
something that limits the freedom to act spontaneously • Even
in a free society individual liberty must be subject to certain constraints.

2.  lack
of spontaneity: a lack of warmth and spontaneity in
somebody’s manner, or in the atmosphere on a particular occasion

3.  state
of restriction: a state in which freedom of action is
severely restricted

4.  force
or compulsion: physical, moral, or other force that
compels somebody to do something or that limits somebody’s freedom of action • Constraint
was needed to get the parties to agree to negotiate.
[14th century. From French costreinte,
feminine past participle of constraindre (see constrain
).][1]



constrict

constrict
con·strict 
[kən stríkt] (past con·strict·ed,
past participle con·strict·ed, present participle con·strict·ing,
3rd person present singular con·stricts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb narrow:
to make something, especially a blood vessel, narrower, or to become narrower

2.  transitive
verb
limit
or restrict: to limit the movement of a person or
part of the body in an uncomfortable way

3.  transitive
verb
restrict
flow:
to stop or slow down the flow of something, for example, air, liquid, or blood

4.  transitive
verb
squeeze:
to squeeze something with great force “For a moment I felt my chest constricted
as with a band of iron.” George van Schaick A Top-Floor Idyl 1917

5.  transitive
verb
suffocate
prey by squeezing: to squeeze prey animals
until they suffocate, as many snakes do
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin constrict-, past participle stem of constringere
(see constrain ).]
—con·stric·tive,
adjective

—con·stric·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·stric·tive·ness, noun[1]



constriction

constriction
con·stric·tion 
[kən stríkshən] (plural con·stric·tions)
noun

1.  becoming
constricted: the process of becoming narrower, or of
making something narrower, for example, blood vessels

2.  compression
by squeezing: the process of squeezing or compressing
something, for example, the prey of a snake

3.  narrow
place:
a narrow place or part • A
constriction in the tube prevents the mercury from returning to the bulb.

4.  feeling
of tightness: a feeling of tightness or pressure,
especially in the chest or throat

5.  restriction:
something that severely restricts a person’s freedom of movement, action, or
expression

6.  constricting
thing:
something that constricts somebody or something

[1]



constrictor

constrictor
con·stric·tor 
[kən stríktər] (plural con·stric·tors)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY snake
that squeezes prey to death: a large nonvenomous snake,
such as an anaconda, boa, or python, that coils itself around its prey and
crushes it to death

2.  ANATOMY muscle:
a muscle that tightens to make a part of the body narrower

3.  something
that constricts: something that constricts

[1]



constringe

constringe
con·stringe 
[kən strínj] (past con·stringed,
past participle con·stringed, present participle con·string·ing,
3rd person present singular con·string·es) transitive verb

constrict
or shrink:
to cause something to contract or grow narrower (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From Latin constringere (see constrain
).]
—con·strin·gen·cy,
noun

—con·strin·gent, adjective[1]



construct

construct
con·struct 
transitive verb [kən strúkt] (past
con·struct·ed, past participle con·struct·ed, present
participle con·struct·ing, 3rd person present singular con·structs)

1.  build:
to build or assemble something by putting together separate parts in an ordered
way

2.  create
in the mind: to create something, such as a theory,
as a result of systematic thought

3.  GEOMETRY draw
accurately:
to draw something accurately using given measurements
noun
[kón strùkt] (plural con·structs)

constructed thing or concept:
something that has been systematically put together, usually in the mind,
especially a complex theory or concept
[15th
century. From Latin construct-, past participle stem of construere,
literally “to pile together,” from struere “to pile, build.”]
—con·struct·i·ble,
adjective

—con·struc·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at build

[1]



construction

construction
con·struc·tion 
[kən strúkshən] (plural con·struc·tions)
noun

1.  BUILDING act or
process of constructing: the building of something,
especially a large structure such as a house, road, or bridge

2.  BUILDING built
structure:
a structure or thing that has been built

3.  workmanship
and materials: the way in which something has been
built, especially with regard to the type and quality of the structure,
materials, and workmanship

4.  BUILDING building
industry:
the building industry regarded as a whole

5.  creation
of something: the creation of something such as a
system or concept from a number of different elements

6.  GRAMMAR combination
of words:
a group of words governed by particular grammatical rules

7.  GEOMETRY geometric
shape:
a geometric figure drawn accurately in accordance with given measurements

8.  ARTS work
of art:
a visual work of art that is put together from a variety of different
materials, abstract in design, and usually three-dimensional
—con·struc·tion·al,
adjective

—con·struc·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



constructionist

constructionist
con·struc·tion·ist 
[kən strúkshənist] (plural con·struc·tion·ists)
noun

LAW
somebody putting specified construction
on text: somebody who construes the
meaning of a legal text or document in a particular way[1]



constructionpaper

constructionpaper
con·struc·tion
pa·per
(plural con·struc·tion pa·pers) noun

ARTS
thick colored paper for school artwork:
thick paper produced in a variety of colors and used especially for school
artwork[1]



constructive

constructive
con·struc·tive 
[kən strúktiv] adjective

1.  useful:
carefully considered and meant to be helpful • constructive
criticism

2.  LAW based
on inference: based on what somebody infers from other
statements or circumstances

3.  BUILDING structural:
involved in construction, especially forming part of the basic structure of a
building
—con·struc·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·struc·tive·ness, noun[1]



constructivemargin

constructivemargin
con·struc·tive
mar·gin
(plural con·struc·tive mar·gins) noun

tectonic plate boundary:
a boundary between two tectonic plates at which new crust is formed, for
example, the mid-ocean ridges[1]



constructivism

constructivism
con·struc·tiv·ism 
[kən strúkti vìzzəm] noun

ARTS Russian
artistic movement: a modern art movement
originating in Moscow in the 1920s that produced large nonrepresentational
structures made of industrial materials such as plastic, glass, and sheet
metal. Its leading figures were Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner.
[Early
20th century. Formed from constructive,
modeled on Russian konstruktivism .]
—con·struc·tiv·ist, noun[1]



construe

construe
con·strue 
[kən str] (past con·strued, past
participle con·strued, present participle con·stru·ing,
3rd person present singular con·strues, plural con·strues)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
interpret:
to interpret or understand the meaning of a word, gesture, or action in a
particular way • His silence could be
construed as an admission of guilt.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GRAMMAR analyze syntax:
to analyze the grammar of a piece of text, such as text that is to be
translated

3.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR use
word in particular way: to use a word in a
grammatical structure, for example, by making it singular or plural • “Folk”
is construed as plural, except when it means “folk music.”

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb EDUCATION translate aloud:
to translate something aloud, often word for word and especially from Latin or
Greek (dated)
[14th
century. From Latin construere (see construct
), used in late Latin to mean “to parse.”]
—con·stru·a·ble,
adjective

—con·stru·a·bil·i·ty
[kən str ə bíllətee], noun

—con·stru·er [kən str ər], noun[1]



consubstantial

consubstantial
con·sub·stan·tial 
[kòn səb stánsh’l] adjective

CHRISTIANITY having
same substance: having the same substance as something
else, for example, another member of the Holy Trinity
[14th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin consubstantialis, literally
“substance together,” from Latin substantia “substance.”]
—con·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty
[kònsəb stanshee állətee], noun[1]



consubstantiate

consubstantiate
con·sub·stan·ti·ate 
[kònsəb stánshee àyt] (past con·sub·stan·ti·at·ed,
past participle con·sub·stan·ti·at·ed, present participle con·sub·stan·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sub·stan·ti·ates) intransitive
and transitive verb

CHRISTIANITY join
or be joined through something: to become united, or
to unite two things, in one single substance, as the body and blood of Jesus
Christ are believed to become one with bread and wine in the Christian doctrine
of transubstantiation
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin consubstantiatus “united in one substance,” from substantiat-,
past participle stem of substantiare (see substantiate
).][1]



consubstantiation

consubstantiation
con·sub·stan·ti·a·tion 
[kònsəb stanshee áysh’n] noun

1.  Christian
Eucharistic doctrine: the Christian belief that
the body and blood of Jesus Christ coexist in the bread and wine consecrated at
Holy Communion with the natural elements of which bread and wine are made.
See
also
transubstantiation

2.  process
in Christian Communion service: the process by which
the body and blood of Jesus Christ are believed by some Christians to become
present in the bread and wine consecrated at Holy Communion

[1]



consuetude

consuetude
con·sue·tude 
[kónswi td] noun

established
usage:
established custom or usage (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin consuetudo, literally “complete accustomedness,”
from, ultimately, suescere “to become accustomed.”][1]



consul

consul
con·sul 
[kóns’l] (plural con·suls) noun

1.  POLITICS government
official working abroad: a government official living
in a foreign city to promote the commerce of the official’s own state and
protect its citizens

2.  HISTORY ancient
Roman magistrate: one of the two chief magistrates who
were elected annually to govern ancient Rome

3.  HISTORY former
French official: one of the three chief magistrates of
the first French Republic between 1799 and 1804
[14th
century. From Latin, from or related to consultive “to seek advice.”]
—con·su·lar
[kónsələr], adjective

—con·sul·ship, noun[1]



consulate

consulate
con·su·late 
[kónsələt] (plural con·su·lates)
noun

1.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS consul’s
office:
a consul’s office or official residence

2.  scope
of consul’s responsibilities: the political office or
period of office of a consul, or the jurisdiction of a consul.
Also
called
consulship

3.  HISTORY ancient
Roman government: the ancient Roman government
administered by consuls

[1]



Consulate

Consulate
Con·su·late
[kónsələt] noun HISTORY

1.  former
French government: the government, consisting
of three consuls, that ruled France from 1799 to 1804

2.  period
in French history: the period from 1799 to 1804
during which France was ruled by three consuls

[1]



consulategeneral

consulategeneral
con·su·late
gen·er·al
(plural con·su·late gen·er·als or con·su·lates
gen·er·al) noun

consul general’s office or
residence: the building where a consul
general lives or works[1]



consulgeneral

consulgeneral
con·sul
gen·er·al
(plural con·sul gen·er·als or con·suls gen·er·al) noun

chief consul:
a consul of the highest rank, usually based in a major foreign city that is
important for trade[1]



consult

consult
con·sult 
[kən súlt] verb (past con·sult·ed,
past participle con·sult·ed, present participle con·sult·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sults)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask
for specialist advice: to ask for specialist advice
or information, especially from a professional • If
symptoms persist, consult a doctor.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb discuss:
to ask for somebody’s opinion or permission before taking action • You’d
be wise to consult the boss before you make any major changes.

3.  transitive
verb
refer
to for information: to look at something, such
as a reference book, in order to get information

4.  intransitive
verb
give
professional advice: to provide specialist advice
for a fee • After
15 years in computer programming, I now consult from home.
noun
(plural con·sults)

consultation: a
consultation or discussion about something (informal)
[Early
16th century. Via French consulter, from Latin consultare “to
confer,” from consulere “to seek advice.”]
—con·sult·a·ble,
adjective

—con·sult·er, noun[1]



consultancy

consultancy
con·sul·tan·cy 
[kən súltənsee] (plural con·sul·tan·cies)
noun

1.  work
of being a consultant: the work or business of
offering expert advice or services in a particular field • We
charge $50 per hour for consultancy.
Also
called
consultation

2.  company
providing specialist advice: a business or professional
practice that provides expert advice in a particular field

3.  consultant’s
position:
a position as a consultant

[1]



consultant

consultant
con·sult·ant 
[kən súltənt] (plural con·sult·ants)
noun

1.  professional
adviser:
an expert who charges a fee for providing advice or services in a particular
field

2.  U.K.
MEDICINE senior
doctor:
a senior doctor who is fully qualified in a particular branch of medicine
—con·sult·ant·ship, noun[1]



consultation

consultation
con·sul·ta·tion 
[kòns’l táysh’n] (plural con·sul·ta·tions)
noun

1.  exchange
of opinions: a discussion, especially in order to
ascertain opinions or reach an agreement • After
a quick consultation with his wife, he signed the paper.

2.  meeting:
a meeting with an expert in a particular field to obtain advice • an
appointment for a consultation with the heart surgeon

3.  discussion
for advice:
the process of discussing something either with experts or with other
participants and asking for their opinions or advice • Insufficient
time was allowed for consultation before the project began.

4.  reference
to something: the act of referring to a book or person
for information or advice • Consultation
of the manual confirmed the problem was the gearbox.

5.  See
consultancy  noun 1

[1]



consultative

consultative
con·sul·ta·tive 
[kən súltətiv] adjective

involving
consultation: available for consultation or involved
in consultation
—con·sul·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



consulting

consulting
con·sult·ing
[kən súlting] adjective

1.  providing
specialist advice: providing specialist advice
to other people who work in the same field

2.  of
consultants or consultation: relating to a consultant or
consultation • a
consulting fee
noun

business of consultation:
the business of being a consultant

[1]



consultor

consultor
con·sul·tor 
[kən súltər] (plural con·sul·tors)
noun

adviser to Roman Catholic
bishop: somebody, usually a priest,
who advises a Roman Catholic bishop or the Curia[1]



consumable

consumable
con·sum·a·ble 
[kən sməb’l] adjective

able
to be consumed: able or intended to be used up or
discarded after use rather than saved
plural
noun
con·sum·a·bles

consumable goods:
goods that have to be bought regularly because they wear out or are used up,
such as food and clothing[1]



consume

consume
con·sume 
[kən sm] (past con·sumed, past
participle con·sumed, present participle con·sum·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·sumes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
eat
or drink:
to eat or drink something, especially in large amounts

2.  transitive
verb
use
up:
to use something in such a way that it cannot be reused or recovered afterward
• The
newer models consume less gasoline.

3.  transitive
verb
engross
or overcome: to fill somebody’s mind or attention
fully (usually passive) • consumed
by a desire for new experiences

4.  transitive
verb
destroy
completely:
to destroy something or somebody completely, especially by fire or disease

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb buy
from others: to buy goods or services produced by
other people
[14th century. Directly or
via French consumer from Latin consumere “to take up completely,
devour,” from sumere “to take.”][1]



consumer

consumer
con·sum·er 
[kən smər] (plural con·sum·ers)
noun

1.  buyer:
somebody who buys goods or services

2.  somebody
or something that consumes something:
somebody or something that consumes something, by eating it, drinking it, or
using it up • The
country is one of the largest consumers of paper products.

3.  ECOLOGY organism
that feeds on others: in an ecological community
or food chain, an organism that feeds on other organisms, or on material
derived from them. Consumers include herbivorous and carnivorous animals, which
feed on plants and other animals respectively, and also organisms such as
worms, fungi, and bacteria, which feed on nonliving organic material.
—con·sum·er·ship, noun[1]



consumercredit

consumercredit
con·sum·er
cred·it
noun

money lent to consumers:
money lent by financial institutions to enable members of the public to buy
consumer goods or services. Buying items with monthly payments, credit cards,
and charge accounts are all forms of consumer credit.[1]



consumerdurables

consumerdurables
con·sum·er
du·ra·bles
plural noun

long-lasting household items:
items such as computers or washing machines, that last a relatively long time
and are purchased infrequently[1]



consumergoods

consumergoods
con·sum·er
goods
plural noun

items bought by consumers:
goods that are bought by consumers and are not used to produce other goods[1]



consumerism

consumerism
con·sum·er·ism 
[kən smə rìzzəm] noun

1.  protection
of consumers’ rights: the protection of the rights
and interests of consumers, especially with regard to price, quality, and
safety

2.  materialistic
attitude:
an attitude that values the acquisition of material goods (disapproving)

3.  ECONOMICS belief
in benefits of consumption: the belief that the buying
and selling of large quantities of consumer goods is beneficial to an economy
or a sign of economic strength
—con·sum·er·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



consumerprice index

consumerprice index
con·sum·er
price in·dex noun

index of current retail
prices: a government-issued index of
the retail prices of basic household goods and services.
Also called
cost-of-living index[1]



consumersociety

consumersociety
con·sum·er
so·ci·e·ty
noun

society that consumes
mass-produced goods: a society
in which the consumption of mass-produced goods is encouraged through mass
communication[1]



consuming

consuming
con·sum·ing
[kən sming] adjective

extremely
intense:
so intense as to take up all of somebody’s attention, time, and energy • a
consuming interest in horses
—con·sum·ing·ly, adverb[1]



consummate

consummate
con·sum·mate 
verb [kónsə màyt] (past con·sum·mat·ed,
past participle con·sum·mat·ed, present participle con·sum·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·sum·mates)

1.  transitive
verb
complete
marriage:
to make a marriage legally complete and fully valid by having sexual
intercourse

2.  transitive
verb
fulfill
relationship through sex: to bring a relationship to
completion or to gratify desire, especially by having sexual intercourse (often
passive)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb conclude:
to bring something such as a business deal to a conclusion, or to be brought to
a conclusion (formal) • Leaving
her business partner to consummate the deal, she boarded a flight for New York.

4.  transitive
verb
achieve:
to achieve or fulfill something, especially something long sought (formal)
(often passive) • Twelve
years of effort and struggle were consummated when the foundation stone for the
new theater was laid.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
to perfection: to develop a skill to the point of
perfection, or to be brought to the point of perfection (literary)
adjective
[kónsəmət, kən
súmmət]

1.  supreme
or perfect:
excellent, skillful, or accomplished • with
consummate ease

2.  utter
or total:
possessing or showing a bad quality to an extreme degree • consummate
arrogance
[15th
century. From Latin consummat-, past participle stem of consummare
“to accomplish, to finish,” from summa “the highest thing.”]
—con·sum·mate·ly,
adverb

—con·sum·ma·tive
[kónsə màytiv], adjective

—con·sum·ma·tor
[kónsə màytər], noun

—con·sum·ma·to·ry [kən súmmə tàwree], adjective[1]



consummation

consummation
con·sum·ma·tion 
[kòn sə máysh’n] noun

1.  perfect
ending:
the bringing of something to a satisfying conclusion, or the final satisfying
completion or achievement of something • The
publication of her book was a consummation of her whole life’s work.

2.  legal
completion of marriage by sex: the legal completion
of a marriage by an act of sexual intercourse between the spouses

3.  completion
of deal:
the completion of something, such as a business deal

[1]



consumption

consumption
con·sump·tion 
[kən súmpshən] noun

1.  act
of eating or drinking: the eating or drinking of
something, or the amount that a person eats or drinks • unfit
for human consumption

2.  act
of using something up: the use of natural resources
or fuels or the amount of resources or fuels used • consumption
of fossil fuels

3.  consumer
expenditure: the purchase and use of goods and
services by consumers, or the quantity of goods and services purchased

4.  wasting
disease:
any condition that causes progressive wasting of the tissues, especially
tuberculosis of the lungs (dated)
[14th century. Via French consomption
from the Latin stem consumption-, from consumere (see consume ).][1]



consumptive

consumptive
con·sump·tive 
[kən súmptiv] adjective

1.  affected
by tuberculosis: affected by a wasting disease,
especially tuberculosis of the lungs, or connected with such a disease (dated)

2.  engaged
in or causing consumption: engaged in, causing, or
encouraging the consumption of food, materials, or goods, especially in a
wasteful or destructive way
noun
(plural con·sump·tives)

somebody with tuberculosis:
somebody affected by a wasting disease, particularly tuberculosis of the lungs
(dated) • a chronic consumptive
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin consumptivus, from Latin consumere
(see consume ).]
—con·sump·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·sump·tive·ness, noun[1]



cont.

cont.
cont.

1.  Abbreviation
of
containing

2.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
contents

3.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
continent

4.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
continental

5.  Abbreviation
of
continued

6.  MEDICINE GRAMMAR Abbreviation of contraction

7.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of continuous

8.  Abbreviation
of
control

[1]



contact

contact
con·tact 
[kón tàkt] noun (plural con·tacts)

1.  state
of communication: a state or relationship in which
communication happens or is possible • Our
only means of contact with the base was a small radio receiver.

2.  act
of communicating: an act of communicating with somebody • All
my contacts with him to date have been about business.

3.  physical
connection:
a situation or state in which two or more things or people actually touch or
strike against one another • White
phosphorus ignites on contact with the air.

4.  interaction:
a state in which somebody has access to, and can be affected or influenced by,
people, situations, ideas, or information • You’ll
come into contact with a number of people.

5.  somebody
who can help: somebody who may be useful either
professionally or socially by providing a connection to a professional field or
social circle

6.  MED infectious
person:
somebody associated with and seen as a possible carrier of an infectious
disease

7.  ELECTRICITY device
making electrical connection: a movable part, such as a
component of a switch, that can be made to touch another conductive part in
order to enable an electrical current to pass

8.  ELECTRICITY electrical
connection:
a connection between, or the connection of, two or more electrical conductors
so that current flows between them
plural
noun
con·tacts

contact lenses:
a set of contact lenses (informal)
verb
(past con·tact·ed, past participle con·tact·ed, present
participle con·tact·ing, 3rd person present singular con·tacts)

1.  transitive
verb
reach
in order to communicate: to send a message to
somebody, or reach somebody, for example, by telephone or letter, in order to
communicate • You
can contact me at this number.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb touch:
to touch or strike against something
adjective

1.  used
for communicating with somebody: used as a means to
contact somebody • a contact address

2.  working
by touching: working or happening by touching or
being touched by something or somebody

3.  caused
by touch:
caused by touching something that irritates • contact
dermatitis
[Early
17th century. From Latin contactus, past participle of contingere,
literally “to touch with,” from tangere “to touch.”]
—con·tac·tu·al
[kən tákchoo əl], adjective

—con·tac·tu·al·ly [kən tákchoo əlee], adverb[1]



contactable

contactable
con·tact·a·ble
[kən táktəb’l] adjective

able to be contacted:
able to be contacted by somebody wishing to send a message or communicate[1]



contactbinary

contactbinary
con·tact
bi·na·ry
noun

ASTRONOMY
binary stars in close contact:
a binary star system in which one of the components is transferring matter to
its companion star[1]



contactflight

contactflight
con·tact
flight
or con·tact fly·ing noun

flight without navigation
aids: navigation of an aircraft by
observing landmarks and other visible guides without the use of navigational
aids[1]



contactgroup

contactgroup
con·tact
group 
noun

mediating group:
a group of people who are neutral in a dispute and meet both sides to try to
resolve disagreements through discussion[1]



contactinhibition

contactinhibition
con·tact
in·hi·bi·tion noun

halting of cell reproduction
and growth: the normal cessation of cell
division and growth caused by physical contact with other cells. This normal
end to cell division does not function when cancer is present, resulting in
uncontrolled reproduction of cells.[1]



contactlanguage

contactlanguage
con·tact
lan·guage
(plural con·tact lan·guag·es) noun

simplified language in
multilanguage region: a
simplified language variety retaining features of other languages contributing
to it, used as a means of communication in regions where the majority of
speakers share no common language[1]



contactlens

contactlens
con·tact
lens
(plural con·tact lens·es) noun

lens worn in eye:
a small plastic or glass lens placed directly onto the front of the eye to
correct defective vision or make the iris appear a different color[1]



contactor

contactor
con·tac·tor 
[kón tàktər] (plural con·tac·tors)
noun

device for controlling flow
of current: a switch that controls the
flow of electric current by repeatedly opening and closing a circuit[1]



contactprint

contactprint
con·tact
print
(plural con·tact prints) noun

unenlarged photograph:
a photographic print made by placing a negative directly on top of
photosensitive paper and exposing it to light. This is usually done to check
the images on a roll of film before making enlargements from individual
negatives.
Also called
contact[1]



contactsport

contactsport
con·tact
sport
(plural con·tact sports) noun

sport that involves physical
contact: a sport such as boxing or
hockey in which physical contact between players is an integral part of the
game[1]



contagion

contagion
con·ta·gion 
[kən táyjən] (plural con·ta·gions)
noun

1.  spread
of disease by physical contact: the transmission of
disease, especially by physical contact between persons or contact with
infected objects such as bedding or clothing

2.  disease
spread by physical contact: an illness that spreads from
one person to another, especially by physical contact between persons or
contact with infected objects

3.  harmful
influence:
a harmful or corrupting influence with a tendency to spread

4.  spread
of feeling:
the spreading of an attitude or emotion from person to person among a number of
people (literary) • the
contagion of happiness
[14th century. From the Latin
stem contagion-, from contingere (see contact
).][1]



contagious

contagious
con·ta·gious 
[kən táyjəss] adjective

1.  able
to be passed by contact: transmitted from one person
to another either by direct contact, such as touching an infected person, or
indirect contact

2.  capable
of transmitting disease: affected by or carrying a
disease that can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact

3.  likely
to affect others: quickly spread from one person to
another • Laughter
is contagious.
[14th
century. From late Latin contagiosus, from Latin contingere (see contact ).]
—con·ta·gious·ly,
adverb

—con·ta·gious·ness, noun[1]



contagiousabortion

contagiousabortion
con·ta·gious
a·bor·tion
noun

VETERINARY
MEDICINE farm
animal disease causing abortion: a
contagious or infectious disease of farm animals, for example, brucellosis,
that is characterized by abortion[1]



contain

contain
con·tain 
[kən táyn] (past con·tained, past
participle con·tained, present participle con·tain·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tains) transitive verb

1.  have
within:
to have something inside, or to hold something

2.  be
capable of holding particular amount: to be
capable of holding something within, especially a particular amount

3.  include
or consist of: to include something as part of its
contents or makeup

4.  control
emotion:
to keep an emotion under control • I
couldn’t contain myself any longer.

5.  hold
back or restrict: to restrict the movement, spread, or
influence of a strong enemy, force, disease, or idea

6.  MATHEMATICS be
divisible by: to be divisible by a number, leaving no
remainder

7.  GEOMETRY form
sides of angle: to form the boundaries that define an
angle
[13th
century. Via French contenir from Latin continere “to hold
together,” from tenere “to hold.”]
—con·tain·a·ble, adjective[1]



container

container
con·tain·er 
[kən táynər] (plural con·tain·ers)
noun

1.  object
used to hold something: an object such as a box,
jar, or bottle that is used to hold something, especially when it is being
stored or transported

2.  FREIGHT box
for cargo:
a large box of a standard size into which goods are packed so that they can be
transported securely and efficiently from departure point to destination by
road, ship, or rail, without having to be repacked in any way

[1]



containerboard

containerboard
con·tain·er·board 
[kən táynər bàwrd] noun

heavy cardboard:
heavy corrugated or solid cardboard used to make containers[1]



containerize

containerize
con·tain·er·ize 
[kən táynə rz] (past con·tain·er·ized,
past participle con·tain·er·ized, present participle con·tain·er·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tain·er·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  move
cargo in large containers: to pack something in freight
containers for transportation by sea, road, or rail, especially commercially

2.  modernize
to accept containers: to convert a port, transport
system, or industry so that it can use or handle standard-sized cargo
containers
—con·tain·er·i·za·tion
[kən tàynəri záysh’n], noun[1]



containerport

containerport
con·tain·er·port 
[kən táynər pàwrt] (plural con·tain·er·ports)
noun

containerized port:
a port capable of handling containerized cargo[1]



containership

containership
con·tain·er
ship
(plural con·tain·er ships) noun

ship designed to carry
containers: a ship specially designed to
carry cargo that is packed in freight containers[1]



containment

containment
con·tain·ment 
[kən táynmənt] noun

1.  attempt
to stop spread of something: action taken to restrict the
spread of something hostile such as an enemy, or something undesirable such as
a disease

2.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS control
measure in nuclear reactions: the use of magnetic fields
to prevent the reacting particles from touching the containing vessel’s walls
in a reactor

3.  act
or process of containing something: the
act or process of being contained or of containing something

[1]



contaminant

contaminant
con·tam·i·nant 
[kən támminənt] (plural con·tam·i·nants)
noun

contaminating substance:
a substance, such as a toxin in food, that contaminates something else[1]



contaminate

contaminate
con·tam·i·nate 
[kən támmi nàyt] (past con·tam·i·nat·ed,
past participle con·tam·i·nat·ed, present participle con·tam·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tam·i·nates) transitive verb

1.  make
dirty or impure: to make something impure, unclean, or
polluted, especially by mixing harmful impurities into it or by putting it in
contact with something harmful

2.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS make
radioactive: to make something radioactive by mixing
it or putting it in contact with a radioactive substance
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin contaminare, from contamen
“contact, pollution,” literally “touching with,” from tangere “to
touch.”]
—con·tam·i·na·ble,
adjective

—con·tam·i·na·tive,
adjective

—con·tam·i·na·tor, noun[1]



contamination

contamination
con·tam·i·na·tion 
[kən tàmmi náysh’n] noun

1.  act
of contaminating something: the act or process of
contaminating something or becoming contaminated, or the unclean or impure
state that results from this

2.  something
that contaminates: something that physically
contaminates a substance or that corrupts a person morally • The
investigators found considerable contamination in the rivers.

3.  LINGUISTICS alteration
of word or phrase: the process by which a word
or phrase changes as a result of mistaken association with another word or
phrase

[1]



contango

contango
con·tan·go 
[kən táng gō] noun (plural con·tan·gos)

1.  FINANCE basic
pricing system in futures trading: in futures and options
trading, a system of pricing whereby longer-term contracts are priced higher
than near-term contracts. The higher price on the longer-term contracts is a
result of the cost of carrying those commodities for future delivery.

2.  U.K.
postponement
of stock delivery: formerly on the London Stock
Exchange, the postponement of the delivery of stock to a broker and payment for
it, from one account day to the next

3.  U.K.
interest
payable on contango: interest payable by a broker
when the delivery of and payment for stock is postponed
transitive
verb

U.K. arrange
a contango:
to arrange for delivery and payment to be postponed when transferring stock in
a stock exchange
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of continue,
or of Latin contingo, first person singular present tense of contingere
(see contact ).][1]



contd.

contd.
contd.

Abbreviation of
continued[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








conte

conte
conte 
[kawNt] (plural contes) noun

1.  short
story:
a short story (literary)

2.  LITERATURE medieval
narrative:
a narrative tale from the Middle Ages
[Late 19th century. From
French, where it was formed from Old French counter (see count 1 ).][1]



contemn

contemn
con·temn 
[kən tém] (past con·temned, past
participle con·temned, present participle con·temn·ing,
3rd person present singular con·temns) transitive verb

look
down on:
to view or treat somebody with contempt (literary)
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French contemner from Latin contemnere
(see contempt ).]
—con·temn·er,
noun

—con·tem·ni·ble,
adjective

—con·tem·ni·bly, adverb[1]



contemp.

contemp.
contemp.

Abbreviation of
contemporary[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








contemplate

contemplate
con·tem·plate 
[kón təm plàyt] (past con·tem·plat·ed,
past participle con·tem·plat·ed, present participle con·tem·plat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tem·plates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
look
at thoughtfully: to look at something thoughtfully and
steadily

2.  transitive
verb
consider:
to think about something seriously and at length, especially in order to
understand it more fully • I sat
there, contemplating what she’d said.

3.  transitive
verb
have
as possible intention: to think about something as
a possible course of action • contemplating
moving house

4.  intransitive
verb
think
about spiritual matters: to think calmly and at
length, especially as a religious or spiritual exercise
[Late
16th century. From Latin contemplat-, past participle stem of contemplari
“to observe carefully,” from templum “space for observing omens.”]
—con·tem·pla·tor, noun[1]



contemplation

contemplation
con·tem·pla·tion 
[kòntəm pláysh’n] noun

1.  thought
about something: long and attentive consideration or
observation of something

2.  deep
spiritual thought or meditation: concentration of the
mind on spiritual matters such as achieving closer unity with God

[1]



contemplative

contemplative
con·tem·pla·tive 
[kən témplətiv] adjective

meditative:
calm and thoughtful, or inclined to be this way
noun
(plural con·tem·pla·tives)

somebody
who practices contemplation: somebody who practices
contemplation as a spiritual exercise, especially a member of a Christian
monastic order
—con·tem·pla·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·tem·pla·tive·ness,
noun[1]



contemporaneous

contemporaneous
con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous 
[kən tèmpə ráynee əss] adjective

happening
or existing at same time: existing, occurring, or
beginning at the same time or during the same period of time as something else
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin contemporaneus, literally “time together,”
from tempor- (see contemporary ).]
—con·tem·po·ra·ne·i·ty
[kən tèmpərə n itee, kən tèmpərə náy itee], noun

—con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ly
[kən tèmpə ráynee əsslee], adverb

—con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ness
[kən tèmpə ráynee əssnəss], noun[1]



contemporary

contemporary
con·tem·po·rar·y 
[kən témpə ràiree] adjective

1.  of
the same time: existing or occurring at, or dating
from, the same period of time as something or somebody else

2.  existing:
in existence now

3.  modern
in style:
distinctively modern in style • a
variety of favorite contemporary styles

4.  of
the same age: of the same, or approximately the same,
age as somebody else • She
and I are more or less contemporary.
noun
(plural con·tem·po·rar·ies)

1.  somebody
or something of same time: somebody who lived or
something that existed during the same general span of time as somebody or
something else • This 18th-century table
is a contemporary of the Shaker furniture in the other room.

2.  somebody
of same age: somebody who is approximately the same
age as somebody else • It was
nice to spend time with my Dad’s contemporaries.

3.  modern
person or thing: somebody or something in existence at
the present time

4.  U.K.
PRESS PUBLISHING rival newspaper or magazine:
a newspaper or magazine that is regarded as a rival or competition by another
paper or periodical
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin contemporarius, from Latin tempor-,
stem of tempus “time” (source of English tempo,
temporary, and tense ).]
—con·tem·po·rar·i·ly,
adverb

—con·tem·po·rar·i·ness,
noun[1]



contemporize

contemporize
con·tem·po·rize 
[kən tém pərz] (past con·tem·po·rized,
past participle con·tem·po·rized, present participle con·tem·po·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tem·po·riz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
modern:
to make something modern or fashionable

2.  date
things from same period: to place somebody or
something in the same period as somebody or something else
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin contemporare “to make contemporary,”
from Latin tempor- (see contemporary
).]
—con·tem·po·ri·za·tion
[kən tèmpəri záysh’n], noun[1]



contempt

contempt
con·tempt 
[kən témpt] noun

1.  attitude
of utter disgust or hatred: a powerful feeling of
dislike toward somebody or something considered to be worthless, inferior, or
undeserving of respect

2.  LAW See contempt of court
[14th century. From Latin contemptus
“scorn,” from contemnere “to despise utterly,” from temnere “to
scorn.”][1]



contemptible

contemptible
con·tempt·i·ble 
[kən témptəb’l] adjective

deserving
contempt:
deserving to be treated with contempt
—con·tempt·i·bil·i·ty
[kən tèmptə bíllətee], noun

—con·tempt·i·ble·ness
[kən témptəb’lnəss], noun

—con·tempt·i·bly [kən témptəblee], adverb[1]



contemptof court

contemptof court
con·tempt
of court
noun

willful disobedience or
disrespect of court: the crime
of deliberately failing to obey or respect the authority of a court of law or
legislative body.
Also called
contempt[1]



contemptuous

contemptuous
con·temp·tu·ous 
[kən témpchoo əss] adjective

showing
or feeling contempt: feeling, expressing, or
demonstrating a strong dislike or utter lack of respect for somebody or
something
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin contemptuosus, from Latin contemnere
(see contempt ).]
—con·temp·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·temp·tu·ous·ness,
noun[1]



contend

contend
con·tend 
[kən ténd] (past con·tend·ed, past
participle con·tend·ed, present participle con·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tends) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
state
something:
to argue or claim that something is true

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb compete:
to compete for something, especially a prize or trophy • the
teams contending for the cup

3.  intransitive
verb
struggle
or deal with something: to fight with, struggle
against, or deal with somebody or something • Their
lawyers have a number of awkward issues to contend with.

4.  intransitive
verb
debate
with somebody: to debate or dispute with somebody (literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via French contendre from Latin contendere “to strive together,”
from tendere “to strive, stretch.”][1]



contender

contender
con·tend·er 
[kən téndər] (plural con·tend·ers)
noun

1.  competitor:
a competitor, especially somebody who has a good chance of winning

2.  any
competitor:
any competitor in a contest for a prize or title

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



content

content1
con·tent1 [kón
tènt] noun (plural con·tents)

1.  amount
of something in something else: the amount of
something contained in something else

2.  subject
matter:
the various issues, topics, or questions dealt with in speech, discussion, or a
piece of writing

3.  LITERATURE meaning
or message:
the meaning or message contained in a creative work as distinct from its
appearance, form, or style

4.  COMPUTING information
available electronically: information made available
by an electronic medium or product

5.  intellectually
interesting material: material or ideas that are
considered to be interesting, challenging, or worthwhile

6.  capacity:
the capacity of a container
plural
noun
con·tents

1.  something
contained:
everything that is inside a particular container • picked
up the file and emptied its contents onto the desk

2.  subject
of text:
the subject matter of a publication

3.  list
of subject or chapter headings: a list at the front of
a publication that gives the title and number of the first page of each new
chapter, article, or part
[15th century. From medieval
Latin contentum “something contained,” a form of Latin contentus,
past participle of continere (see contain
).][1]



content

content2
con·tent2 [kən
tént] adjective

1.  quietly
satisfied and happy: reasonably happy and
satisfied with the way things are

2.  ready
to accept something: willing to accept or comply
with a situation or course of action
verb
(past con·tent·ed, past participle con·tent·ed, present
participle con·tent·ing, 3rd person present singular con·tents)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
to feel content: to make somebody feel happy or satisfied
with something

2.  reflexive
verb
accept
or make do with something: to accept or make do with
something, rather than taking further action or making more demands • He
contented himself with a few cutting remarks about lack of discipline and did
not take the matter further.
noun

See contentment  noun 1
[15th
century. Via French from Latin contentus, past participle of continere
(see contain ). The underlying sense is of
having your desires limited to what you have.]
—con·tent·ly, adverb[1]



contented

contented
con·tent·ed 
[kən téntəd] adjective

quietly
happy and satisfied: peacefully happy and
satisfied with the way things are, or with what you have done or achieved
—con·tent·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·tent·ed·ness, noun[1]



contention

contention
con·ten·tion 
[kən ténshən] (plural con·ten·tions)
noun

1.  assertion
in an argument: an opinion or claim stated in the course
of an argument • It is my contention
that the plan was bound to fail.

2.  disagreement:
angry disagreement between people • a lot
of contention over the quality of the goods

3.  rivalry:
competition between rivals or opponents • fierce
contention for the title
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem contention-, from contendere (see contend ).][1]



contentious

contentious
con·ten·tious 
[kən ténshəss] adjective

1.  creating
disagreement: causing or likely to cause disagreement
and disputes between people with differing views • It
should have been possible to word the statement in a less contentious way.

2.  argumentative:
frequently engaging in and seeming to enjoy arguments and disputes

3.  LAW subject
to litigation: contested by another interested party • a
contentious will
[15th
century. Via French contentieux from Latin contentiosus, from contendere
(see contend ).]
—con·ten·tious·ly,
adverb

—con·ten·tious·ness, noun[1]



contentment

contentment
con·tent·ment 
[kən téntmənt] (plural con·tent·ments)
noun

1.  satisfaction:
a feeling of calm satisfaction.
Also
called
content

2.  something
that makes somebody contented: a circumstance, or a
feature or characteristic of something, that gives rise to satisfaction (formal
or literary)

[1]



contentword

contentword
con·tent
word
(plural con·tent words) noun

LINGUISTICS
word referring to real-world object:
a word, such as a noun, verb, or adjective, that primarily conveys meaning
rather than grammatical function.
See also
function word[1]



conterminous

conterminous
con·ter·mi·nous 
[kən túrminəss] or co·ter·mi·nous
[kō túrminəss] adjective

1.  inside
same boundary: enclosed inside a common boundary

2.  adjacent:
next to and sharing a common boundary with something

3.  meeting
in time or place: meeting end to end, so that where or
when one finishes the next begins

4.  of
equal extent or scope: equal in length or extent,
either in space or time, or having the same range of meaning as another term (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin conterminus, literally “boundary with,” from terminus
“boundary.”]
—con·ter·mi·nous·ly,
adverb

—con·ter·mi·nous·ness,
noun[1]



contessa

contessa
con·tes·sa 
[kən téssə, kon
téssə] (plural con·tes·sas) noun

Italian
countess:
an Italian countess
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from medieval Latin comitissa, feminine of comes (see count 2 ).][1]



contest

contest
con·test 
noun [kón tèst] (plural con·tests)

1.  competition
to find the best: an organized competition for a prize or
title, especially one in which the entrants appear or demonstrate their skills
individually and the winner is chosen by a group of judges

2.  struggle
for control: a struggle between rival or opposing
individuals, organizations, or forces for victory or control
transitive
verb
[kən tést] (past con·test·ed, past
participle con·test·ed, present participle con·test·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tests)

1.  challenge:
to challenge or question something

2.  take
part in contest: to take part in a contest or competition
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin contestari “to begin a
lawsuit by calling witnesses together,” from testari “to be a witness.”]
—con·test·a·ble
[kən téstəb’l], adjective

—con·test·a·bly
[kən téstəblee], adverb

—con·test·er [kən téstər], noun[1]



contestant

contestant
con·tes·tant 
[kən téstənt] (plural con·tes·tants)
noun

1.  somebody
competing in contest: somebody who takes part in a
competition

2.  LAW formal
challenger:
somebody who enters a formal challenge to something such as a will, verdict, or
decision

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



context

context
con·text 
[kón tèkst] (plural con·texts)
noun

1.  text
surrounding a word or passage: the words, phrases, or
passages that come before and after a particular word or passage in a speech or
piece of writing and help to explain its full meaning

2.  surrounding
conditions:
the circumstances or events that form the environment within which something
exists or takes place
[15th century. From Latin contextus
“cohering, connected,” from contexere “to weave together,” from texere
“to weave.”][1]



contextual

contextual
con·tex·tu·al 
[kən tékschoo əl] adjective

relating
to context:
forming, relating to, or contained in the context of a word or event
—con·tex·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



contextualize

contextualize
con·tex·tu·al·ize 
[kən tékschoo ə lz] (past participle
con·tex·tu·al·ized, present participle con·tex·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tex·tu·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

place
in context:
to place a word, phrase, or idea within a suitable context
—con·tex·tu·al·i·za·tion
[kən tèkschoo əli záysh’n], noun[1]



contexture

contexture
con·tex·ture 
[kən tékschər] (plural con·tex·tures)
noun

1.  weaving
together:
the process of weaving together separate strands, for example, of an argument,
to form a complex but coherent whole

2.  interwoven
structure:
a structure resulting from the complex interweaving of separate strands or
parts
[Early
17th century. From French, literally “weaving together,” from, ultimately,
Latin textura “weaving.”]
—con·tex·tur·al, adjective[1]



contiguity

contiguity
con·ti·gu·i·ty 
[kòntə gy ətee] (plural con·ti·gu·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  closeness
or contact:
closeness in space or time to something, or actual contact with it along one
side

2.  something
continuous:
a continuous line, mass, or series • a
contiguity of roofs

[1]



contiguous

contiguous
con·tig·u·ous 
[kən tíggyoo əss] adjective (formal)

1.  adjoining:
sharing a boundary or touching each other physically

2.  neighboring:
situated next to something else or to each other

3.  continuous:
connected together so as to form an unbroken sequence in time or an
uninterrupted expanse in space
[Early
16th century. Formed from Latin contiguus “touching together,” from contingere
(see contact ).]
—con·tig·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·tig·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



continence

continence
con·ti·nence 
[kóntinəns] noun

1.  control
over urination and bowels: the ability to prevent
involuntary urination and bowel movements

2.  self-restraint:
control over physical, especially sexual, impulses leading to self-restraint,
moderation, or abstinence
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin continentia, from continere (see contain ).][1]



Continent

Continent
Con·ti·nent
[kóntinənt] noun

mainland Europe:
the mainland of Europe, not including the British Isles[1]



continent

continent2
con·ti·nent2 [kóntinənt]
adjective

1.  able
to control urination and bowels: able to exercise
control over urination and bowel movements

2.  moderate
or celibate: restrained, especially abstaining from
sexual activity
[14th century. From Latin continent-,
present participle stem of continere (see contain
).][1]



continent

continent1
con·ti·nent1 [kóntinənt]
(plural con·ti·nents) noun

1.  land
mass:
any one of the seven large continuous land masses that constitute most of the
dry land on the surface of the earth. They are Africa, Antarctica, Asia,
Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

2.  GEOGRAPHY land
above sea level: the part of the earth’s crust that rises
above the oceans
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
terra continens “continuous land,” from the present participle of continere
(see contain ).][1]



continental

continental
con·ti·nen·tal 
[kònti nént’l] adjective

1.  relating
to earth’s continents: relating to, typical of, or
belonging to the continents of the earth

2.  FOOD of
classic European cuisine: relating to the traditional
food and dishes of western European countries, especially France
noun
(plural con·ti·nen·tals)

1.  whit:
something small and worthless • I
wouldn’t give a dime for that cheap merchandise, and I don’t care a continental
what the manufacturer thinks.

2.  HISTORY banknote:
a banknote issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution
—con·ti·nen·tal·ism,
noun

—con·ti·nen·tal·ist,
noun

—con·ti·nen·tal·ly, adverb[1]



Continental

Continental
Con·ti·nen·tal
adjective

1.  Con·ti·nen·tal
or con·ti·nen·tal of mainland Europe:
from or relating to mainland Europe

2.  HISTORY of the
original 13 American colonies: from or relating to
the 13 colonies that later became the United States.
See
also
Continental Congress
noun

1.  Con·ti·nen·tal
or con·ti·nen·tal mainland European:
somebody from mainland Europe (informal)

2.  HISTORY American
soldier during Revolution: a soldier in the American
army during the Revolution

[1]



continentalbreakfast

continentalbreakfast
con·ti·nen·tal
break·fast
(plural con·ti·nen·tal break·fasts) noun

bread
and coffee:
a light breakfast usually consisting of fruit juice, a roll, croissant, or
pastry with jam and butter, and coffee or tea
[Continental from the fact
that this kind of breakfast is common on the Continent][1]



ContinentalCongress

ContinentalCongress
Con·ti·nen·tal
Con·gress
noun

HISTORY
assembly of American colonies:
the congress of delegates from the American colonies held before, during, and
after the American Revolution. It issued the Declaration of Independence (1776)
and drafted the Articles of Confederation (1777).[1]



continentalcrust

continentalcrust
con·ti·nen·tal
crust
noun

GEOGRAPHY
part of earth’s crust underlying
continents: the part of the outer shell
of the solid earth that constitutes the continents and the rocks beneath them
as deep as the mantle. It is approximately 35 km 22 mi thick in most areas and
is composed of sedimentary rocks near the surface and metamorphic rocks at a
lower depth.[1]



ContinentalDivide

ContinentalDivide
Con·ti·nen·tal
Di·vide
noun

N American watershed:
the series of mountain ridges running from Alaska to Mexico and including the
Rocky Mountains that forms the main watershed of North America.
Also called
Great Divide[1]



continentaldivide

continentaldivide
con·ti·nen·tal
di·vide
(plural con·ti·nen·tal di·vides) noun

GEOGRAPHY
source of continent’s rivers:
a massive area of high ground in the interior of a continent, from either side
of which a continent’s river systems flow in different directions[1]



continentaldrift

continentaldrift
con·ti·nen·tal
drift
noun

theory governing movement of
continents: a theory that explains the
formation, alteration, and extremely slow movement of the continents across the
earth’s crust. The continents are thought to have been formed from one large
landmass that split, drifted apart, and in places collided again.
See also
plate tectonics[1]



continentalshelf

continentalshelf
con·ti·nen·tal
shelf
noun

ocean floor around a
continent: the gently sloping undersea
area surrounding a continent at depths of up to 200 m/656 ft, at the edge of
which the continental slope drops steeply to the ocean floor[1]



continentalslope

continentalslope
con·ti·nen·tal
slope
(plural con·ti·nen·tal slopes) noun

slope to ocean floor:
the steep slope from the continental shelf down to the ocean floor[1]



continentalUnited States

continentalUnited States
con·ti·nen·tal
U·nit·ed States noun

U.S. minus outlying parts:
the United States excluding its island possessions and the state of Hawaii[1]



contingence

contingence
con·tin·gence 
[kən tínjəns] (plural con·tin·gences)
noun

1.  contact:
physical contact between objects

2.  See
contingency  noun 1

[1]



contingency

contingency
con·tin·gen·cy 
[kən tínjənsee] (plural con·tin·gen·cies)
noun

1.  something
that may happen: an event that may occur in the future,
especially a problem, emergency, or expense that might arise unexpectedly,
needs to be dealt with, and therefore must be prepared for.
Also
called
contingence
Also
called
contingent

2.  something
incidental or dependent: something that occurs or
exists only as a result of something else or that depends on something else

3.  dependence
upon chance: dependence upon chance or factors and
circumstances that are presently unknown

4.  GRAMMAR change
in meaning produced by clause: in systemic grammar, a
change in the meaning of the main clause brought about by the addition of a
dependent clause introduced by “if,” “when,” “though,” or “since”

[1]



contingencyfee

contingencyfee
con·tin·gen·cy
fee
(plural con·tin·gen·cy fees) noun

payment conditional upon
success: a payment for professional
services, such as those of a lawyer, that is made only if the client receives a
satisfactory result.
Also called
contingent fee[1]



contingencyforce

contingencyforce
con·tin·gen·cy
force
(plural con·tin·gen·cy forc·es) noun

MILITARY
See rapid-deployment force[1]



contingencyplan

contingencyplan
con·tin·gen·cy
plan
(plural con·tin·gen·cy plans) noun

plan to deal with possible
problem: a plan designed to deal with
a particular problem, emergency, or state of affairs if it should occur[1]



contingent

contingent
con·tin·gent 
[kən tínjənt] adjective

1.  dependent
on what may happen: dependent on or resulting
from a future and as yet unknown event or circumstance • Payment
is contingent upon winning the case.

2.  possible
but not certain: possible, but not certain to happen
“…all the advantages of a long slow ramble with Elfride, without the contingent
possibility of the enjoyment being spoilt by her becoming weary.” Thomas Hardy
A Pair of Blue Eyes 1889

3.  chance:
happening by chance

4.  LOGIC true
only under certain conditions: true only under
certain conditions or under existing conditions, and therefore not universally
true or valid
noun
(plural con·tin·gents)

1.  group
of people:
a group of people representing a particular organization or belief, or from a
particular region or country, and forming part of a larger group

2.  MILITARY group
of military personnel: a group, particularly of
soldiers, forming part of a larger force

3.  See
contingency  noun 1
[14th
century. From Latin contingent-, present participle stem of contingere
“to happen, have contact with.” The underlying idea is of being affected by
things happening.]
—con·tin·gent·ly, adverb[1]



contingentfee

contingentfee
con·tin·gent
fee
(plural con·tin·gent fees) noun

See
contingency fee[1]



contingentworker

contingentworker
con·tin·gent
work·er 
noun

temporary employee:
a temporary employee, often employed for a specific task.
Also called
assignment worker[1]



continual

continual
con·tin·u·al 
[kən tínnyoo əl] adjective

1.  recurring
very frequently: happening again and again, especially
regularly

2.  uninterrupted:
continuing without interruption or ending
[14th
century. From French continuel, from continuer (see continue ).]
—con·tin·u·al·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  continual
  or continuous ?
  Something
  continual stops from time to time but
  continues intermittently over a long period, whereas something continuous goes on without a break. So a continual noise is one that is constantly
  repeated, like a dog’s barking, and a continuous
  noise is one that continues unbroken, like the roar of a waterfall. The same
  distinction applies to the adverbs continually and continuously
  : • The
  speaker was continually interrupted by hecklers. • She
  drove continuously for ten hours.

[1]



continually

continually
con·tin·u·al·ly
[kən tínnyoo əlee] adverb

1.  regularly
or frequently: with great frequency or regularity

2.  without
interruption: all the time, without stopping or
without interruption • hard
to think with the kids continually screaming

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at continual.

[1]



continuance

continuance
con·tin·u·ance 
[kən tínnyoo əns] (plural con·tin·u·ances)
noun

1.  continuation
of something: the fact or quality of continuing to be
in a particular situation, to exist, or to occur beyond the present time into
the future

2.  length
of time something lasts: the period of time that
something lasts or continues

3.  LAW adjournment:
a postponement of legal proceedings until a later date

[1]



continuant

continuant
con·tin·u·ant 
[kən tínnyoo ənt] (plural con·tin·u·ants)
noun

continuous consonant:
a consonant, such as “l,” “f,” or “s,” made with the vocal passage partly open
for breath to pass through, thus enabling the sound to be prolonged at will.
See also
stop[1]



continuation

continuation
con·tin·u·a·tion 
[kən tìnnyoo áysh’n] (plural con·tin·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  process
of continuing: the process of continuing something
without interruption

2.  addition
or extension: an additional part that extends
something that already exists or has already begun

3.  starting
again after interruption: the renewal of an action,
event, or process after it has been interrupted

[1]



continuative

continuative
con·tin·u·a·tive 
[kən tínnyoo ətiv, kən
tínnyoo àytiv] adjective

1.  aiding
continuity:
causing or helping something to continue (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
continuation: expressing the continuation of an action
noun
(plural con·tin·u·a·tives)

GRAMMAR word
expressing continuation: a continuative clause,
phrase, or word
—con·tin·u·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



continuator

continuator
con·tin·u·a·tor 
[kən tínnyoo àytər] (plural con·tin·u·a·tors)
noun

somebody or something that
continues something: somebody
who continues something, especially work started by another person[1]



continue

continue
con·tin·ue 
[kən tínnyoo] (past con·tin·ued,
past participle con·tin·ued, present participle con·tin·u·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tin·ues) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
going:
to last, or to make something last, beyond the present

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb last:
to last or to make something last throughout a particular period of time

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
stop:
to keep up an activity or state already begun

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
something again: to start, or to start doing something
again after an interruption or pause

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb utter
or begin speaking again: to begin speaking again, or
to say something, after an interruption or pause

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something longer: to extend, or to extend something,
beyond a particular point or beyond its original length

7.  intransitive
verb
move
further:
to move or travel further in a particular direction

8.  transitive
verb
U.S., Scotland LAW postpone
case:
to postpone legal proceedings
[14th
century. Via French continuer from Latin continuare “to make or
be continuous,” from, ultimately, continere (see contain ).]
—con·tin·u·a·ble,
adjective

—con·tin·u·er, noun[1]



continued

continued
con·tin·ued
[kən tínnyood] adjective

1.  uninterrupted:
uninterrupted or unchanged from its beginning up to the present time

2.  begun
again:
begun again after a break or interruption

[1]



continuedfraction

continuedfraction
con·tin·ued
frac·tion 
(plural con·tin·ued frac·tions) noun

number over number plus a
fraction: a fraction with a whole
number as numerator, a number plus a fraction as denominator, which in turn has
a number plus a fraction as its denominator. If there is a finite number of
terms, it is said to be terminating, otherwise it is nonterminating.[1]



continuing

continuing
con·tin·u·ing
[kən tínnyoo ing] adjective

existing
and likely to continue existing: having existed for
some time, currently in existence, and likely to remain so in the future
—con·tin·u·ing·ly, adverb[1]



continuingeducation

continuingeducation
con·tin·u·ing
ed·u·ca·tion  noun

1.  lifelong
adult education: adult education, usually in the form of
short or part-time courses, continuing throughout an individual’s life

2.  specialist
courses to update professionals: regular courses or
training designed to bring professionals up to date with the latest
developments in their particular field

[1]



continuity

continuity
con·ti·nu·i·ty 
[kònti n ətee] (plural con·ti·nu·i·ties)
noun

1.  unchanging
quality:
the fact of staying the same, of being consistent throughout, or of not
stopping or being interrupted • measures
to ensure continuity of care

2.  consistent
whole:
something that remains consistent or uninterrupted throughout • This
program has benefited from two important continuities, in staffing and
leadership.

3.  CINEMA BROADCASTING consistency between
film or broadcast parts: consistency in the details
from one part of a film or broadcast to another • discrepancies
in continuity

4.  CINEMA BROADCASTING seamlessness of
narrative:
smoothness in the narrative flow in a film or broadcast

5.  CINEMA detailed
script:
a comprehensive script that includes full details of the contents of each shot
or scene, including such items as camera positions and settings and costume
features

6.  BROADCASTING spoken
link in broadcasting: things said by a television
or radio announcer to fill the time between the end of one program and the
beginning of the next, or between parts of programs

[1]



continuo

continuo
con·tin·u·o 
[kən tínnyoo ] (plural con·tin·u·os)
noun

bass
accompaniment: an instrumental bass accompaniment,
usually played on a keyboard, with numbers written beneath the notes so that
musicians can improvise and provide harmony.
Also
called
basso continuo
Also
called
thoroughbass
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “continuous,” from Latin continuus (see continuous ).][1]



continuous

continuous
con·tin·u·ous 
[kən tínnyoo əss] adjective

1.  unchanged
or uninterrupted: continuing without changing, stopping,
or being interrupted in space or time • three
days of continuous rain

2.  unbroken:
having no gaps, holes, or breaks • a continuous
line

3.  GRAMMAR See progressive

4.  MATHEMATICS relating
to difference of function values: relating to a line or
curve along which the difference between function values at any two points
within a given interval will approach zero if the interval is decreased
sufficiently

5.  relating
to uninterrupted chemical manufacturing:
relating to chemical manufacturing in which material is processed in an
uninterrupted stream. Continuous processes are usually advantageous for
large-scale chemical production.
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin continuus “uninterrupted,” from continere
(see contain ).]
—con·tin·u·ous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at continual.

[1]



continuouscreation theory

continuouscreation theory
con·tin·u·ous
cre·a·tion the·o·ry noun

ASTRONOMY
See steady-state theory[1]



continuously

continuously
con·tin·u·ous·ly
[kən tínnyoo əsslee] adverb

1.  without
interruption: without any break or interruption • It
had rained continuously for three days. See
Usage note at continual

2.  recurrently:
frequently or regularly

[1]



continuousspectrum

continuousspectrum
con·tin·u·ous
spec·trum
noun

uninterrupted band of
wavelengths: a sequence of
frequencies that is without breaks over a relatively wide range of wavelengths[1]



continuouswave

continuouswave
con·tin·u·ous
wave
(plural con·tin·u·ous waves) noun

unbroken train of waves:
an electromagnetic wave generated as an unbroken train of constant frequency
and amplitude, rather than in pulses[1]



continuum

continuum
con·tin·u·um 
[kən tínnyoo əm] (plural con·tin·u·a
[kən tínnyoo ə] or con·tin·u·ums)
noun

1.  continuous
seamless series: a link between two things, or a
continuous series of things, that blend into each other so gradually and
seamlessly that it is impossible to say where one becomes the next • A
rainbow forms a continuum of color.

2.  MATHEMATICS set
of numbers:
a set of real numbers between any two of which a third can always be found, and
in which there are no gaps
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, a form of continuus (see continuous
).][1]



Conti,Tom

Conti,Tom
Con·ti
[kóntee], Tom (1942– )

Scottish-born British stage
and movie actor. He is a versatile character actor whose success dates from his
Tony award for the Broadway production of Whose Life Is It Anyway? (
1974 ).[1]



contort

contort
con·tort 
[kən táwrt] (past con·tort·ed,
past participle con·tort·ed, present participle con·tort·ing,
3rd person present singular con·torts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb twist
out of natural shape: to become so twisted as to
take on an unnatural or grotesque shape or to twist something, especially a
part of the body, in this way • Fear
had contorted their faces.

2.  transitive
verb
make
unrecognizable: to change something so greatly that it
becomes unrecognizable • to
contort the truth
[15th
century. From Latin contort-, past participle stem of contorquere
“to twist violently,” from torquere “to twist.”]
—con·tor·tive, adjective[1]



contorted

contorted
con·tort·ed 
[kən táwrtəd] adjective

1.  very
twisted:
greatly or violently twisted out of shape

2.  overlapping:
used to describe plant parts such as sepals or leaves whose margins overlap in
the bud like playing cards in a hand, so that they appear to be twisted
—con·tort·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·tort·ed·ness, noun[1]



contortion

contortion
con·tor·tion 
[kən táwrsh’n] (plural con·tor·tions)
noun

1.  twisted
shape or position: a twisting of something,
especially a part of the body, out of its natural shape

2.  complex
maneuver:
a bewilderingly complex maneuvering or manipulation of something • verbal
contortions

[1]



contortionist

contortionist
con·tor·tion·ist 
[kən táwrshənist] (plural con·tor·tion·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
who performs bending feats: somebody who bends his or
her body into unnatural shapes, especially as entertainment • You’d
have to be a contortionist to get into those jeans.

2.  skillful
manipulator or maneuverer: somebody who twists or
distorts things, for example, things people say, or who wriggles out of things,
for example, difficult situations • a
debater skilled as a logical contortionist
—con·tor·tion·is·tic [kən tàwrshə nístik], adjective[1]



contour

contour
con·tour 
[kòn tr] noun (plural con·tours)

1.  outline:
an outline, especially of something curved or irregular (often used in the
plural) • The
contours of the hills were characteristically rounded.

2.  general
nature:
the general character or nature of something • scenes
that establish the contour of the play

3.  See
contour line
adjective

1.  shaped
or fitted:
shaped to fit something, especially the shape of somebody’s body • contour
furniture

2.  following
land’s shape: following the lay of the land, rather
than cutting through or across it • contour
farming
transitive
verb
(past con·toured, past participle con·toured, present
participle con·tour·ing, 3rd person present singular con·tours)

1.  shape
to fit:
to shape one thing so that it fits the outlines of another • furniture
that is contoured to the human body

2.  put
contour lines on: to mark contour lines on something such
as a map

3.  cause
to fit land’s shape: to build or operate
something so that it follows the natural shape of the land • roads
that are sensitively contoured
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Italian contornare “to draw in outline,” literally “to
turn with,” from Latin tornare “to turn (in a lathe)” (see turn ).][1]



contourfeather

contourfeather
con·tour
feath·er
(plural con·tour feath·ers) noun

medium-sized external
feather: a medium-sized feather of a
bird, excluding those on the wings and tail, that makes up its external
covering and determines its shape[1]



contourinterval

contourinterval
con·tour
in·ter·val
(plural con·tour in·ter·vals) noun

space between contour lines:
the interval between contour lines on a map, or the altitude the interval
represents • at
contour intervals of 50 to 100 feet[1]



contourline

contourline
con·tour
line
(plural con·tour lines) noun

map line showing land height:
a line on a map connecting points on a land surface that are the same elevation
above sea level • On
this map, contour lines show you where the mountains are.

Also called
contour[1]



contourmap

contourmap

con·tour map
(plural con·tour maps) noun
map with contour lines:
a map that uses contour lines to show the shapes and elevations of land
surfaces[1]



contr.

contr.
contr.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of contraction

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of contralto

3.  Abbreviation
of
control

[1]



contra

contra
contra
[kóntrə] (plural contras) noun

Nicaraguan
counterrevolutionary: a member of the United
States-backed counterrevolutionary force whose aim was to bring down the
Nicaraguan government in the 1980s
[From Spanish contrarevolucionario
“counterrevolutionary”][1]



contra-

contra-
contra-
prefix

1.  against,
opposite, contrasting • contraindicate

2.  lower
in pitch • contrabass
[From Latin contra
“against.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “together,” which is
also the ancestor of English com- .][1]



contraband

contraband
con·tra·band 
[kóntrə bànd] noun

1.  illegal
imports and exports: goods that are illegally
imported or exported, for example, goods that evade duty or are prohibited by
law from being taken into or out of a country • dealers
in contraband

2.  illegal
trade:
illegal trade, especially the illegal importing or exporting of goods

3.  supplies
forbidden to warring sides: goods that a neutral country
must not supply to either side in a war

4.  (plural
con·tra·bands) enslaved person entering
Union territory: an enslaved person who escaped to, or
was taken behind, Union lines during the Civil War
adjective

1.  illegally
traded:
bought or sold, especially imported or exported, illegally • truckloads
of contraband cigarettes

2.  forbidden
from being imported or exported: forbidden by law from
being traded, especially as an import or export
[Late
16th century. Via Spanish contrabanda from Italian contrabbando,
literally “against proclamation,” from bando “proclamation,” ultimately
from prehistoric Germanic.]
—con·tra·band·age,
noun

—con·tra·band·ist, noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








contrabass

contrabass
con·tra·bass 
[kóntrə bàyss] noun (plural con·tra·bass·es)

1.  double
bass:
a double bass

2.  instrument
pitched lowest of its family: an instrument pitched an
octave below the usual range for that family of instruments

3.  contrabassist:
an instrumentalist in an orchestra or band who plays the contrabass
adjective

pitched an octave below:
pitched an octave below the usual range of that instrument • contrabass
clarinet
[Early
19th century. From Italian contrabbasso, from basso “bass.”]
—con·tra·bass·ist [kòntrə báyssist], noun[1]



contrabassoon

contrabassoon

con·tra·bas·soon 
[kòntrə bə sn] (plural con·tra·bas·soons)
noun

1.  largest
instrument of oboe family: a U-shaped woodwind
instrument that is the largest in the oboe family and has a pitch an octave
below the bassoon.
Also
called
double bassoon

2.  contrabassoonist:
an instrumentalist in an orchestra or chamber group who plays the contrabassoon
—con·tra·bas·soon·ist,
noun[1]



contraception

contraception
con·tra·cep·tion 
[kòntrə sépshən] noun

prevention
of fertilization: a way of avoiding pregnancy, using
either artificial methods such as condoms and birth-control pills or natural
methods such as avoiding sex during the woman’s known fertile periods
[Late 19th century. Coined
from contra- + conception
.][1]



contraceptive

contraceptive
con·tra·cep·tive 
[kòntrə séptiv] noun (plural con·tra·cep·tives)

device
preventing fertilization: a device used to prevent
fertilization of an egg, for example, a condom worn by a man during intercourse
or a pill taken regularly by a woman
adjective

preventing insemination:
designed to prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg • various
contraceptive methods and devices[1]



contract

contract
con·tract 
noun [kón tràkt] (plural con·tracts)

1.  formal
agreement:
a formal or legally binding agreement, such as one for the sale of something,
or one setting out terms of employment • Such
actions would be in breach of contract.

2.  document
recording agreement: a document that records a
formal or legally binding agreement • sign a
contract

3.  agreement
to marry:
a formal agreement to marry (dated)

4.  paid
assassin’s assignment: a hiring of an assassin to
kill somebody (informal)

5.  agreement
between client and therapist: a verbal or written
agreement drawn up between a client and therapist in a first session describing
the conditions for future counseling or therapy sessions. It may include
agreements on the number, duration, and cost of sessions, and procedures for
nonattendance and confidentiality.

6.  BRIDGE highest
bridge bid in one hand: a winning bid in a single
hand of bridge, in which partners agree regarding the number of tricks they can
take

7.  BRIDGE number
and suit of contract: the number and suit of the
tricks agreed on by the highest bidders

8.  BRIDGE See contract bridge

9.  con·tracts
LAW branch
of law:
the branch or category of law and legal education that deals with contracts • She
made a career in contracts.
verb
[kən trákt, kón
tràkt] (past con·tract·ed, past participle con·tract·ed,
present participle con·tract·ing, 3rd person present singular
con·tracts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shrink
or lessen:
to shrink or become smaller, or make something shrink or become smaller • metals
expanding and contracting as temperatures change

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb tighten
or draw together: to become tighter or draw together, or
make something tighter or draw something together • see
the muscles contracting under the skin

3.  intransitive
verb
formally
or legally agree: to make a formal or legally binding
agreement to do something, especially work (often passive) • I’m
not contracted to work on Sundays.

4.  transitive
verb
get
illness:
to catch or develop an illness or disease

5.  transitive
verb
shorten
word or phrase: to shorten a word by leaving out letters
or syllables, or a phrase by leaving out words

6.  transitive
verb
arrange
marriage:
to arrange a marriage formally (dated)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin contractus, past participle
of contrahere “to draw together,” from trahere “to draw” (see tractor ).]
—con·tract·i·bil·i·ty
[kən tràktə bíllətee], noun

—con·tract·i·ble
[kən tráktəb’l], adjective

—con·tract·i·ble·ness,
noun

—con·tract·i·bly, adverb[1]



contractbridge

contractbridge
con·tract
bridge
noun

version of bridge:
the most common variety of bridge, in which points are awarded only for tricks
bid as well as won.
Also called
contract[1]



contractile

contractile
con·trac·tile 
[kən trákt’l] adjective

able
to contract: able or tending to shrink, tighten, or
become narrower
—con·trac·til·i·ty [kòn trak tíllətee], noun[1]



contractilevacuole

contractilevacuole
con·trac·tile
vac·u·ole
(plural con·trac·tile vac·u·oles) noun

BIOLOGY
cell cavity that can contract:
a membrane-surrounded cavity within a cell that regulates the water content of
the cell by absorbing water and then contracting to expel it[1]



contraction

contraction
con·trac·tion 
[kən trákshən] (plural con·trac·tions)
noun

1.  reduction
in size:
a shrinking or reducing • alternate
expansion and contraction

2.  contracting
of body part: a tightening or narrowing of a muscle,
organ, or other body part

3.  tightening
of womb muscles effecting childbirth: a
tightening of the muscles of the womb that occurs at increasingly frequent
intervals immediately before childbirth and eventually pushes the baby out of
the womb.
Also
called
birth pang

4.  shortened
word:
a shortened form or shortening of a word or phrase, for example, “he’ll” for
“he will,” or “Dr.” for “Doctor.” In English the omitted letter or letters are
usually marked with an apostrophe or a period, depending on the type of
contraction.
—con·trac·tion·al,
adjective

—con·trac·tion·ar·y,
adjective

—con·trac·tive [kən tráktiv], adjective[1]



contractor

contractor
con·trac·tor 
[kón tràktər] (plural con·trac·tors)
noun

1.  company
or person under contract: a company or individual with
a formal contract to do a specific job, supplying labor and materials and
providing and overseeing staff if needed • a
building contractor • The
contractors are handling the electrical wiring.

2.  thing
that contracts: something that contracts, for example, a
muscle

3.  somebody
who makes a contract: one of the parties to a
contract

[1]



contractout

contractout
contract
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
work to outsiders: to offer work to outside
companies or individuals

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. withdraw
formally:
to withdraw from something by making a formal or legally binding declaration • employees
contracting out of the state pension scheme

[1]



contractual

contractual
con·trac·tu·al 
[kən trákchoo əl] adjective

involving
formal agreement: contained in, arising from, or in the
form of a formal or legally binding agreement • fulfilling
your contractual obligations
—con·trac·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



contracture

contracture
con·trac·ture 
[kən trákchər] (plural con·trac·tures)
noun

muscle tightening:
a permanent abnormal tightening or shortening of a body part, such as a muscle,
a tendon, or the skin, often resulting in deformity[1]



contradance

contradance
con·tra·dance 
(plural con·tra·danc·es) or con·tra·danse (plural
con·tra·dans·es) noun

See
contredanse[1]



contradict

contradict
con·tra·dict 
[kòntrə díkt] (past con·tra·dict·ed,
past participle con·tra·dict·ed, present participle con·tra·dict·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tra·dicts) transitive verb

1.  disagree
with:
to argue against the truth or correctness of somebody’s statement or claim

2.  show
to be wrong: to show that something is not true, or
show that the opposite is true • The
results contradicted all previously held theories.
[Late
16th century. From Latin contradict-, past participle stem of contradicere
“to speak against,” from dicere “to speak” (source of English dictate and diction
).]
—con·tra·dict·a·ble,
adjective

—con·tra·dict·er,
noun

—con·tra·dic·tive,
adjective

—con·tra·dic·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·tra·dic·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disagree

[1]



contradiction

contradiction
con·tra·dic·tion 
[kòntrə díksh’n] (plural con·tra·dic·tions)
noun

1.  something
illogical:
something that contains parts or elements that are illogical or inconsistent
with each other • a contradiction in
terms

2.  opposing
statement:
a statement or the making of a statement that opposes or disagrees with
somebody or something • I can
say without fear of contradiction that she is our best worker.

[1]



contradictory

contradictory
con·tra·dic·to·ry 
[kòntrə díktəree] adjective

1.  inconsistent:
inconsistent either within itself or in relation to one or more others

2.  opposing:
holding or consisting of an opposite view in relation to something

3.  argumentative:
fond of or given to taking opposite views
—con·tra·dic·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—con·tra·dic·to·ri·ness,
noun[1]



contradistinction

contradistinction
con·tra·dis·tinc·tion 
[kòntrə di stínkshən] (plural con·tra·dis·tinc·tions)
noun

marked
differentiation: differentiation between two things by
identifying their contrasting qualities
—con·tra·dis·tinc·tive,
adjective

—con·tra·dis·tinc·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



contrail

contrail
con·trail 
[kón tràyl] (plural con·trails)
noun

See
vapor trail
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of condensation trail.][1]



contraindicate

contraindicate
con·tra·in·di·cate 
[kòntrə índi kàyt] (past con·tra·in·di·cat·ed,
past participle con·tra·in·di·cat·ed, present participle con·tra·in·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tra·in·di·cates) transitive
verb

state
to be inadvisable: to state something to be
inadvisable while taking certain medication because of a likely adverse
reaction • Taking
aspirin with this drug is contraindicated.
—con·tra·in·di·cant,
noun

—con·tra·in·di·ca·tion
[kntrə indi káysh’n], noun

—con·tra·in·dic·a·tive
[kòntrə in díkətiv], adjective[1]



contralateral

contralateral
con·tra·lat·er·al 
[kòntrə láttərəl] adjective

oppositely positioned in the
body: used to describe a body part
on the opposite side of the body or that acts in conjunction with such a part[1]



contralto

contralto
con·tral·to 
[kən tráltō] (plural con·tral·tos)
noun

1.  lowest
female vocal range: the lowest vocal range for
women’s voices, below soprano and mezzo-soprano.
Also
called
alto

2.  somebody
with contralto singing voice: a singer, usually a woman,
with a contralto voice

3.  part
for contralto: a singing part for a contralto

4.  low
speaking voice: a naturally low speaking voice in a
woman • warm
contralto tones
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “below alto.”][1]



contraposition

contraposition
con·tra·po·si·tion 
[kòntrəpə zísh’n] noun

1.  position
opposite:
a position opposite to or against something • took
up a stand in contraposition to government policy

2.  LOGIC antithesis:
the relation of a proposition to its contrapositive
[Mid-16th century. From the
late Latin stem contraposition-, from Latin contraponere “to
place opposite,” from ponere “to place” (see pose
).][1]



contrapositive

contrapositive
con·tra·pos·i·tive 
[kòntrə pózzətiv] (plural con·tra·pos·i·tives)
noun

LOGIC
type of conditional proposition:
a conditional proposition that negates another conditional proposition and also
reverses its clauses. The proposition “if not q then not p” is the
contrapositive of the proposition “if p then q.”[1]



contrapposto

contrapposto
con·trap·pos·to 
[kntrə pó stō] (plural con·trap·pos·tos)
noun

asymmetrical
pose in sculpture: a relaxed asymmetrical pose
of the human body in art, especially sculpture, in which the shoulders and hips
are turned in different planes
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, past participle of contrapporre, from Latin contraponere
(see contraposition ).][1]



contraption

contraption
con·trap·tion 
[kən trápshən] (plural con·trap·tions)
noun

device
or machine:
a device or machine, especially one that appears strange or improvised • They’d
rigged up a contraption for opening the door.
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of contrive and trap .][1]



contrapuntal

contrapuntal
con·tra·pun·tal 
[kòntrə púntəl] adjective

displaying
counterpoint: used to describe polyphonic music with
very active and strongly differentiated parts
[Mid-19th
century. From Italian contrapunto “counterpoint,” from punto
“point, note,” from Latin punctum (see point
).]
—con·tra·pun·tal·ly, adverb[1]



contrapuntist

contrapuntist
con·tra·pun·tist 
[kòntrə púntist] (plural con·tra·pun·tists)
noun

MUSIC somebody
who writes counterpoint: somebody who writes
counterpoint or who composes in a contrapuntal style
[Late 18th century. From
Italian contrapuntista, from contrapunto “counterpoint.”][1]



contrarian

contrarian
con·trar·i·an 
[kən tráiree ən] (plural con·trar·i·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
disposed to taking opposite position:
somebody who is prone to opposing policies, opinions, or accepted wisdom • a
thoroughgoing contrarian, accepting nothing anyone says

2.  FINANCE maverick
investor:
an investor who goes against current market trends, for example, by buying
stocks that most other investors are selling

[1]



contrariety

contrariety
con·tra·ri·e·ty 
[kòntrə r ətee] (plural con·tra·ri·e·ties)
noun

1.  oppositeness:
the state or quality of opposing or being contrary

2.  point
of difference: a point of difference or inconsistency

[1]



contrarious

contrarious
con·trar·i·ous 
[kən tráiree əss] adjective

1.  uncooperative:
willfully disobedient or uncooperative

2.  obstructive:
obstructing or hindering progress • beset
by contrarious circumstances
—con·trar·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·trar·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



contrariwise

contrariwise
con·trar·i·wise 
[kón trerri wz, kən
trérri wz] adverb

1.  in
the opposite way: in the opposite way or direction or on
the opposite side

2.  on
the other hand: used to introduce a statement in direct
opposition to what has already been said

3.  unhelpfully:
in a way that obstructs or hinders progress • Unfortunately,
things turned out contrariwise, and we had to give up the idea.

[1]



contrary

contrary
con·trar·y 
[kón trèrree] adjective

1.  conflicting:
not at all in agreement with something • Such
arrangements were contrary to his moral code.

2.  opposite:
opposite in direction

3.  obstructing
or hindering progress: making forward motion
extremely hard • slowed by contrary
winds

4.  deliberately
disobedient: willfully disobedient or uncooperative • a
contrary child

5.  LOGIC unable
to be true at once: used to describe a pair of
propositions that cannot both be true, though they may both be false
noun

the opposite: the
opposite of something • Actually,
the contrary is true.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman contrarie from Latin contrarius, from contra
“against.”]
—con·trar·i·ly
[kón trèrrilee], adverb

—con·trar·i·ness
[kón trèrrinəss], noun
contrary
to

differently
from

on
or to the contrary

quite the reverse is true[1]



contrast

contrast
con·trast 
noun [kón tràst] (plural con·trasts)

1.  marked
difference:
a difference, or something that is different, compared with something else • in
stark contrast to the luxury they formerly enjoyed

2.  juxtaposition
of different things: an effect created by placing
or arranging very different things, for example, colors, shades, or textures,
next to each other

3.  degree
of lightness and darkness: the difference or the use of
differences between the lightest and the darkest parts of something, for
example, to create a special effect in a painting, photograph, or television
image
intransitive
and transitive verb [kən
trást, kón tràst] (past con·trast·ed,
past participle con·trast·ed, present participle con·trast·ing,
3rd person present singular con·trasts)

be or show to be different:
to compare different things or arrange them in a way that highlights their
differences, or to be markedly different when compared with something • These
poems have a mature voice when contrasted with her earlier work.
[15th
century. Via French from Italian contrastare “to stand against,” from
Latin stare “to stand” (source of English statue
).]
—con·trast·a·ble
[kən trástəb’l], adjective

—con·trast·a·bly
[kən trástəblee], adverb

—con·trast·ing
[kən trásting], adjective

—con·trast·ing·ly [kən trástinglee], adverb[1]



contrastive

contrastive
con·trast·ive 
[kən trástiv] adjective

containing
contrasts:
forming a contrast, or using contrasting colors, tones, or textures
—con·trast·ive·ly,
adverb

—con·trast·ive·ness, noun[1]



contrastmedium

contrastmedium
con·trast
me·di·um
noun

substance that sharpens X-ray
image: a substance opaque to X-rays
that is used to fill a body cavity, making the outline of the body part easier
to see on an X-ray photograph. Barium is frequently used as a contrast medium.[1]



contrasty

contrasty
con·trast·y 
[kón tràstee] adjective

having light and dark at
extremes: showing sharp contrast
between the lightest and darkest areas in a photograph or television or motion
picture image[1]



contravene

contravene
con·tra·vene 
[kòntrə vn] (past con·tra·vened,
past participle con·tra·vened, present participle con·tra·ven·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tra·venes) transitive verb

1.  violate
rule or law: to break a rule or law • outdated
equipment that contravenes the safety regulations

2.  contradict
something:
to disagree with or oppose a statement or decision • There
was no question of contravening the committee’s findings.
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin contravenire, literally “to come against,” from
Latin venire “to come.”]
—con·tra·ven·er,
noun

—con·tra·ven·tion [kòntrə vénshən], noun[1]



contrecoup

contrecoup
con·tre·coup 
[kóntrə k] (plural con·tre·coups)
noun

injury
to one side of organ: an injury to one side of an
organ, especially the brain, as a result of a blow that causes it to swing
inside the retaining cavity
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “a blow opposite,” from coup (see coup ).][1]



contredanse

contredanse
con·tre·danse
[kóntrə dàns, kóntrə
dns] (plural con·tre·dans·es) or con·tra·dance
[kóntrə dàns, kóntrə
dns] (plural con·tra·danc·es) or con·tra·danse
[kóntrə dàns, kóntrə
dns] (plural con·tra·dans·es) noun

1.  kind
of folk dance: a folk dance for pairs of dancers who
face each other in groups of two pairs

2.  music
for contredanse: music that is written for or in the
rhythm of contredanse
[Early 19th century. From
French, by folk etymology (by association with contre “against”) from
English country dance .][1]



contretemps

contretemps
con·tre·temps 
[kóntrə tN, káwntrə
tN] (plural con·tre·temps) noun

mishap:
an unfortunate occurrence, especially an awkward or embarrassing one
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “against the time.”][1]



contrib.

contrib.
contrib.

1.  Abbreviation
of
contribution

2.  Abbreviation
of
contributor

[1]



contribute

contribute
con·trib·ute 
[kən tríbbyoot] (past con·trib·ut·ed,
past participle con·trib·ut·ed, present participle con·trib·ut·ing,
3rd person present singular con·trib·utes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
money for specific purpose: to give money to something,
such as a fund or charity, for a specific purpose, especially along with others
• Some
organizations contribute thousands to political parties.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do or
give something with others: to do or give something,
especially along with others, that helps to achieve a specific purpose or goal
• I
felt I had nothing to contribute to the discussion.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
partial cause of something: to be one of the factors
that causes something • a
heart condition that contributed to his early death

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
works for publication: to supply material for a
publication or broadcast
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin contribut-, past participle stem of contribuere
“to bring in together,” from tribuere “to grant” (source of English tribute ).]
—con·trib·u·tive,
adjective

—con·trib·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·trib·u·tive·ness,
noun

—con·trib·u·tor, noun[1]



contribute

contribute
con·trib·ute 
[kən tríbbyoot] (past con·trib·ut·ed,
past participle con·trib·ut·ed, present participle con·trib·ut·ing,
3rd person present singular con·trib·utes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
money for specific purpose: to give money to something,
such as a fund or charity, for a specific purpose, especially along with others
• Some
organizations contribute thousands to political parties.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do or
give something with others: to do or give something,
especially along with others, that helps to achieve a specific purpose or goal
• I
felt I had nothing to contribute to the discussion.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
partial cause of something: to be one of the factors
that causes something • a
heart condition that contributed to his early death

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
works for publication: to supply material for a
publication or broadcast
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin contribut-, past participle stem of contribuere
“to bring in together,” from tribuere “to grant” (source of English tribute ).]
—con·trib·u·tive,
adjective

—con·trib·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—con·trib·u·tive·ness,
noun

—con·trib·u·tor, noun[1]



contribution

contribution
con·tri·bu·tion 
[kòntri bysh’n] (plural con·tri·bu·tions)
noun

1.  something
given:
something given, such as money or time, especially to a common fund or for a
specific purpose • My grandparents sent
money as a contribution to my college education.

2.  material
supplied for publication or broadcast: a
piece of material that forms part of a publication or broadcast

3.  regular
payment:
a regular fixed amount paid, for example, to a retirement fund, often deducted
from somebody’s wages

[1]



contributory

contributory
con·trib·u·to·ry 
[kən tríbbyə tàwree] adjective

1.  helping
something happen: partly responsible for something • Poor
diet is often a contributory factor.

2.  given
along with others: given with others to a
common fund or project

3.  requiring
employee to pay in part: requiring that premiums be
paid by the employee as well as by the employer, usually referring to health
insurance or retirement plans
noun
(plural con·trib·u·to·ries)

giver of money or time:
somebody who donates money or effort

[1]



contributorynegligence

contributorynegligence
con·trib·u·to·ry
neg·li·gence noun

victim’s partial
responsibility: a victim’s share in the
responsibility for an accident, when care to prevent it could have been taken
by the victim as well as the other party[1]



contrite

contrite
con·trite 
[kən trt] adjective

1.  very
sorry:
genuinely and deeply sorry about something • She
was suitably contrite.

2.  arising
from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense
of guilt or remorse • full
of contrite promises

3.  ashamed
of own sin:
deeply ashamed of past sins and determined not to sin in the future
[13th
century. Via French contrit from Latin contritus, past participle
of contrerere “to rub together,” from terere “to rub or grind”
(source of English trite ).]
—con·trite·ly,
adverb

—con·trite·ness, noun[1]



contrition

contrition
con·tri·tion 
[kən tríshən] noun

1.  repentance:
deep and genuine feelings of guilt and remorse

2.  shame
over past sins: a deep sense of shame over past sins and
a firm resolve not to sin in the future • acts
of contrition

[1]



contrivance

contrivance
con·tri·vance 
[kən trvəns] (plural con·tri·vanc·es)
noun

1.  gadget:
a cleverly made device or machine, especially one that is unusual • a
clumsy-looking contrivance for keeping your back straight

2.  creative
solution:
something clever done to accomplish something • a
contrivance to fool the enemy

3.  devious
plot:
a plan intended to deceive

4.  scheming:
the making of cunning or deceitful plans

[1]



contrive

contrive
con·trive 
[kən trv] (past con·trived, past
participle con·trived, present participle con·triv·ing,
3rd person present singular con·trives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
something creatively: to accomplish something by
being clever and creative • She
contrived a meeting between the warring factions.

2.  transitive
verb
make
something ingenious: to make or invent something
clever, especially from whatever materials are available • A
tree house had been contrived from bits of scrap.

3.  transitive
verb
do
cleverly:
to accomplish something with cleverness and skill • She
somehow contrived to be both an effective and a well-liked teacher.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb plot:
to formulate clever or deceitful schemes • The
gang contrived a way to hack into the main computer system.
[13th
century. Via Old French contro(u)ver “to invent” from medieval Latin contropare
“to compare,” from Latin tropus “turn, manner,” from Greek tropos
(source of English trope ).]
—con·triv·a·ble,
adjective

—con·triv·er, noun[1]



contrived

contrived
con·trived 
[kən trvd] adjective

1.  not
spontaneous: intended to appear spontaneous or
genuine but really planned or affected • Her
apology was very contrived.

2.  unlike
reality:
unrealistic and unconvincing • a
movie with a contrived ending
—con·triv·ed·ly [kən trvədlee], adverb[1]



control

control
con·trol 
[kən trṓl] transitive verb (past
con·trolled, past participle con·trolled, present
participle con·trol·ling, 3rd person present singular con·trols)

1.  operate
machine:
to work or operate something such as a vehicle or machine • Computers
control many of the safety features on board.

2.  restrain
or limit:
to limit or restrict the occurrence or expression of somebody or something,
especially to keep it from appearing, increasing, or spreading • The
last administration set out to control inflation.

3.  manage:
to exercise power or authority over something such as a business or nation • The
company is controlled largely by foreign interests.

4.  oversee
financial affairs: to regulate the financial
affairs of a business or other large organization

5.  verify
accounts:
to examine financial accounts and verify them as correct
noun
(plural con·trols)

1.  ability
to run something: ability or authority to manage or direct
something • circumstances
beyond our control

2.  operating
switch:
a mechanical or electronic device used to operate a vehicle or machine • a
pilot at the controls of a plane

3.  skill:
skill in using something or in performing (often used in combination) • players
with excellent ball control

4.  limits
and restrictions: the limiting or restricting of
something, or the methods used in restricting something • an
era of price and wage controls

5.  place
of inspection or direction: a place where something is
checked or inspected, or from which something is directed (usually used in
combination) • passengers filing
through passport control

6.  comparative
standard in experiment: a subject taking part in an
experiment or survey who is not involved in the procedures affecting the rest
of the experiment, thus acting as the standard against which the results are
compared • We
have sixteen mice, of which the eight controls have been matched for age and
weight.

7.  supervising
person or group: somebody or a group that supervises or
monitors operations or operatives • Their
intelligence agents report to control twice a week

8.  COMPUTING special
computer key: a computer key pressed in conjunction
with others to perform any of a set of functions

9.  spirit
that supposedly guides seance: a spirit that is
believed to help a medium gain access to other spirits being called up in a
seance

10. BASEBALL pitcher’s
precision:
the ability of a pitcher to place a pitch precisely, especially in the strike
zone • The
pitcher had great control in the top of the seventh.
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman contreroller from medieval Latin contrarotulare
“to check against a duplicate register” (the original sense in English), from rotulus
“roll” (see roll ).]
—con·trol·la·bil·i·ty
[kən trlə bíllətee], noun

—con·trol·la·ble
[kən trṓləb’l], adjective

—con·trol·la·bly [kən trṓləblee], adverb[1]



controlfreak

controlfreak
con·trol
freak
(plural con·trol freaks) noun

somebody dominating:
somebody who feels an excessive need to exert control over people and over his
or her own life (slang)[1]



controlgene

controlgene
con·trol
gene 
noun

gene that controls cell
development: one of the group of
genes that regulates the development and specialization of cells[1]



controlgrid

controlgrid
con·trol
grid
(plural con·trol grids) noun

See
grid  noun 5[1]



controlgroup

controlgroup
con·trol
group
(plural con·trol groups) noun

untreated subjects used as
test benchmark: in an experiment, the
group of test subjects left untreated or unexposed to some procedure and then
compared with treated subjects in order to validate the results of the test[1]



controlled

controlled
con·trolled
[kən trṓld] adjective

1.  done
with skill and discipline: showing the skill, judgment,
and discipline needed in order to achieve a desired result, without doing too
little or too much • His controlled
performance as Lear was masterful.

2.  carefully
regulated:
carefully measured and regulated, especially in relation to medical treatments
or scientific experiments • They
tested the effectiveness of controlled doses of the drug.

3.  kept
under control: kept in check and not expressed fully or
at all • She
spoke with scarcely controlled fury.

[1]



controlledsubstance

controlledsubstance
con·trolled
sub·stance 
(plural con·trolled sub·stanc·es) noun

substance controlled by law:
a substance subject to statutory control, especially a drug that can be
obtained legally only with a doctor’s prescription[1]



controlleduser

controlleduser
con·trolled
us·er 
noun

drug user with manageable
addiction: somebody who maintains a
normal lifestyle while being addicted to drugs[1]



controller

controller
con·trol·ler 
[kən trṓlər] (plural con·trol·lers)
noun

1.  somebody
who controls or organizes something:
somebody in a managing, supervising, or monitoring position

2.  con·trol·ler
or comp·trol·ler (plural comp·trol·lers) FINANCE financial
supervisor:
somebody whose job is to oversee financial matters in a business or government
department

3.  controlling
device:
a device or mechanism that controls something, such as part of an operation
—con·trol·ler·ship, noun[1]



controllinginterest

controllinginterest
con·trol·ling
in·ter·est 
(plural con·trol·ling in·ter·ests) noun

ownership allowing control:
ownership of enough of a company’s stock to allow the holder to control the
business[1]



controlrod

controlrod
con·trol
rod
(plural con·trol rods) noun

rod used to control nuclear
fission: a rod or cylinder made of or
containing neutron-absorbing material such as graphite, used to control the
rate of fission in a nuclear reactor[1]



controlsurface

controlsurface
con·trol
sur·face
(plural con·trol sur·fac·es) noun

movable external surface that
controls aircraft: a movable
surface, such as a rudder or elevator, that controls the direction of an
aircraft, rocket, or missile[1]



controltower

controltower
con·trol
tow·er
(plural con·trol tow·ers) noun

building from which aircraft
are directed: a high building at an
airport, from which air-traffic controllers organize the movements of incoming
and outgoing aircraft by radioing their pilots[1]



controversial

controversial
con·tro·ver·sial 
[kòntrə vúrsh’l] adjective

1.  causing
argument:
provoking strong disagreement or disapproval, for example, in public debate • The
CEO heading up the company is a controversial figure.

2.  argumentative:
enjoying or habitually engaging in controversy • a
controversial writer
—con·tro·ver·sial·ism,
noun

—con·tro·ver·sial·ist,
noun

—con·tro·ver·si·al·i·ty
[kòntrə vurshee állətee], noun

—con·tro·ver·sial·ly [kòntrə vérsh’lee], adverb[1]



controversy

controversy
con·tro·ver·sy 
[kóntrə vùrsee] (plural con·tro·ver·sies)
noun

dispute
about contentious topic: disagreement on a
contentious topic, strongly felt or expressed by all those concerned
[14th century. From Latin controversia,
from controversus “disputed,” literally “turned against,” from vertere
“to turn” (source of English versus
).][1]



controvert

controvert
con·tro·vert 
[kóntrə vùrt] (past con·tro·vert·ed,
past participle con·tro·vert·ed, present participle con·tro·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular con·tro·verts) transitive verb

dispute:
to argue strongly against something (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin contro- “against” + vertere “to turn” (see controversy ).]
—con·tro·vert·er,
noun

—con·tro·vert·i·ble
[kòntrə vúrtəb’l], adjective

—con·tro·vert·i·bly [kòntrə vúrtəblee], adverb[1]



contumacious

contumacious
con·tu·ma·cious 
[kòn too máyshəss] adjective

1.  very
resistant to authority: flagrantly insubordinate or
rebellious

2.  LAW disobeying
court of law: persistently refusing to appear in court
or to obey a court order without good reason
—con·tu·ma·cious·ly,
adverb

—con·tu·ma·cious·ness,
noun[1]



contumacy

contumacy
con·tu·ma·cy 
[kən tməssee] noun

1.  defiance
of authority: flagrant disobedience or rebelliousness

2.  LAW refusal
to submit to court’s authority: persistent refusal to
appear in court or to obey a court order without good reason
[13th century. From Latin contumacia,
from contumac-, stem of contumax “insolent.”][1]



contumelious

contumelious
con·tu·me·li·ous
[kòntə mlee əss] adjective

expressing
scorn:
having or showing an insulting, scornful, or contemptuous attitude (archaic
or literary)
—con·tu·me·li·ous·ly,
adverb

—con·tu·me·li·ous·ness,
noun[1]



contumely

contumely
con·tume·ly 
[kən tməlee, kón
tməlee, kóntəmlee] (plural con·tume·lies)
noun (archaic or literary)

1.  contempt:
insulting, scornful, or contemptuous language or treatment

2.  derisive
remark:
an openly insulting, scornful, or contemptuous remark
[14th century. Via Old French
contumelie from Latin contumelia .][1]



contuse

contuse
con·tuse 
[kən tz] (past con·tused, past
participle con·tused, present participle con·tus·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·tus·es) transitive verb

bruise:
to bruise a body part (technical)
[14th century. From Latin contus-,
past participle stem of contundere “to beat small, bruise,” from tundere
“to beat.”][1]



contusion

contusion
con·tu·sion 
[kən tzh’n] (plural con·tu·sions)
noun

bruise:
an injury to the body in which skin and bone are not broken, but damage is done
to tissues under the skin, causing a bruise or bruises (technical)[1]



conundrum

conundrum
co·nun·drum 
[kə núndrəm] (plural co·nun·drums)
noun

1.  word
puzzle:
a riddle, especially one with an answer in the form of a play on words

2.  something
confusing:
something puzzling, confusing, or mysterious
[Early
17th century. Origin unknown.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at problem

[1]



conurbation

conurbation
con·ur·ba·tion 
[kònnər báysh’n] (plural con·ur·ba·tions)
noun

urban
sprawl:
a large urban area created when neighboring towns spread into and merge with
each other
[Early
20th century. Coined from con- + the Latin
stem urb- “city” (see urban ) + -ation .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at city

[1]



Conv.

Conv.
Conv.

Abbreviation of
Conventual[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








conv.

conv.
conv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
conversation

2.  Abbreviation
of
convertible

3.  Abbreviation
of
convocation

[1]



convalesce

convalesce
con·va·lesce 
[kònvə léss] (past con·va·lesced,
past participle con·va·lesced, present participle con·va·lesc·ing,
3rd person present singular con·va·lesc·es) intransitive verb

undergo
period of recovery: to spend time recovering
from an illness or medical treatment, especially by resting
[15th century. From Latin convalescere,
from valescere “to grow strong,” from valere “to be strong”
(source of English valid ).][1]



convalescence

convalescence
con·va·les·cence 
[kònvə léss’ns] (plural con·va·les·cenc·es)
noun

gradual return to health:
gradual return to good health after an illness or medical treatment, or the
period spent recovering[1]



convalescent

convalescent
con·va·les·cent
[kònvə léssənt] (plural con·va·les·cents)
noun

recovering
patient:
somebody who is recovering after a period of illness or medical treatment such
as surgery
—con·val·es·cent, adjective[1]



convection

convection
con·vec·tion 
[kən vékshən] noun

1.  circulatory
motion in liquid or gas: circulatory movement in a
liquid or gas, resulting from regions of different temperatures and different
densities rising and falling in response to gravity

2.  METEOROLOGY heat
transfer leading to cloud formation: heat
transfer within the atmosphere involving the upward movement of huge volumes of
warm air, leading to subsequent condensation and cloud formation
[Mid-19th
century. From the late Latin stem convection-, from Latin convehere
“to bring together,” from vehere “to carry” (source of English vehicle ).]
—con·vec·tion·al,
adjective

—con·vec·tive,
adjective

—con·vec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



convectionheater

convectionheater
con·vec·tion
heat·er
(plural con·vec·tion heat·ers) noun

See
convector[1]



convectionoven

convectionoven
con·vec·tion
ov·en
(plural con·vec·tion ov·ens) noun

oven with fan:
an oven with a fan that circulates heat throughout the oven, so that food on
all levels cooks uniformly[1]



convector

convector
con·vec·tor 
[kən véktər] (plural con·vec·tors)
noun

air
heater:
a heater that depends on convection of air to transfer heat from the heating
element.
Also
called
convection heater
[Early 20th century. Formed
from convection .][1]



convenance

convenance
con·ve·nance
[kónvə nns, kónvənəns]
noun

propriety:
suitable or acceptable behavior (literary)
[15th century. From French,
where it was formed from convenir “to be suitable, to agree,” from Latin
convenire (see convene ).][1]



convene

convene
con·vene 
[kən vn] (past con·vened, past
participle con·vened, present participle con·ven·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·venes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gather
for a meeting: to come together for or arrange a formal
meeting • A
meeting of the working group has been convened for tomorrow.

2.  transitive
verb
LAW call
before court: to order somebody to appear before a
court, tribunal, or other decision-making body
[15th
century. From Latin convenire “to come together, to agree or suit,” from
venire “to come.”]
—con·ven·a·ble,
adjective

—con·ven·er, noun[1]



convenience

convenience
con·ven·ience 
[kən vnyəns] (plural con·ven·ienc·es)
noun

1.  quality
of being convenient: the quality of being easy,
useful, or of increasing comfort • have
the convenience of working at home

2.  somebody’s
personal comfort: personal comfort, or circumstances that
promote somebody’s personal comfort • All
rooms have cooking facilities, for our guests’ convenience.

3.  something
providing ease or comfort: something that makes life
easier or more comfortable, especially a labor-saving device • apartments
supplied with every modern convenience

4.  U.K.
lavatory:
a lavatory, especially in a public place

[1]



conveniencefood

conveniencefood
con·ven·ience
food
(plural con·ven·ience foods) noun

food quickly prepared:
packaged food that can be prepared quickly and easily, for example, in a
microwave or by adding boiling water[1]



conveniencestore

conveniencestore
con·ven·ience
store
(plural con·ven·ience stores) noun

local general store:
a small store near a residential area that stocks food and general goods and is
open all or most of the day and night[1]



convenient

convenient
con·ven·ient 
[kən vnyənt] adjective

making
life easier: useful or suitable, because it makes
things easier, is close by, or does not involve much effort or trouble • Choose
a time convenient for you.
[14th
century. From Latin convenient-, present participle stem of convenire
(see convene ).]
—con·ven·ient·ly, adverb[1]



convent

convent
con·vent 
[kónvənt, kón
vènt] (plural con·vents) noun

1.  religious
community:
a community of women who live a life devoted largely to religious worship

2.  religious
community’s building: the building occupied by a
community of religious women
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman covent from Latin conventus “assembly, company,”
from convenire (see convene ).
Originally covent, now only in place names such as Covent Garden, London.][1]



conventicle

conventicle
con·ven·ti·cle 
[kən véntik’l] (plural con·ven·ti·cles)
noun

meeting:
an unlawful or secret religious gathering or the building where it is held (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin conventiculum, literally “small assembly,”
ultimately from convenire (see convene
).]
—con·ven·ti·cler, noun[1]



convention

convention
con·ven·tion 
[kən vénshən] (plural con·ven·tions)
noun

1.  gathering:
a gathering of people who have a common interest or profession • He’s
attending an optometrists’ convention in Iowa.

2.  people
attending formal meeting: the people present at a
convention

3.  meeting
to select candidates: a meeting of delegates of a
political party for the purpose of selecting candidates, or the delegates
attending such a meeting • the
Democratic and Republican conventions • The
convention roared as the president stepped to the podium.

4.  formal
agreement:
an agreement between groups, especially an international agreement slightly
less formal than a treaty • under
the terms of the Geneva Convention

5.  usual
way of doing things: the customary way in which
things are done within a group • designs
that flout convention

6.  familiar
device:
a standard technique or well-used device, especially in the arts • Her
style does not follow the usual literary conventions.

7.  BRIDGE coded
bid:
a bid in bridge intended for a partner to understand differently than its face
value, because of a prearranged bidding system
[15th century. Via French
from the Latin stem convention-, from, ultimately, convenire (see
convene ).][1]



conventional

conventional
con·ven·tion·al 
[kən vénshən’l] adjective

1.  socially
accepted:
conforming to socially accepted customs of behavior or style, especially in a
way that lacks imagination • They
didn’t want a conventional wedding.

2.  usual
or established: using well-established methods or styles
• conventional
cooking in a stove rather than a microwave

3.  relating
to a gathering: relating to a large gathering of people
with a common interest or purpose

4.  ARMS engaged
in without nuclear energy: not involving the use of
nuclear weapons or energy

5.  LAW based
on consent:
based or dependent on the consent of the various parties
—con·ven·tion·al·ism,
noun

—con·ven·tion·al·ist,
noun

—con·ven·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



conventionality

conventionality
con·ven·tion·al·i·ty 
[kən vènshə nállətee] (plural con·ven·tion·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  adherence
to social conventions: adherence to social
conventions in behavior, tastes, or methods

2.  something
conventional: a socially accepted way of behaving or
of doing something • the conventionalities
of a formal occasion

[1]



conventionalize

conventionalize
con·ven·tion·al·ize 
[kən vénshənə lz] (past con·ven·tion·al·ized,
past participle con·ven·tion·al·ized, present participle con·ven·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular con·ven·tion·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
something conventional: to make conventional,
especially in style or taste • His
flights of fancy had become conventionalized as the Gothic style.
—con·ven·tion·al·i·za·tion
[kən vènsh’nəli záysh’n], noun[1]



conventionalwisdom

conventionalwisdom
con·ven·tion·al
wis·dom
noun

popular notion:
a generally held view, notion, or opinion • Conventional
wisdom dictates that such skills merit high rewards.[1]



conventioneer

conventioneer
con·ven·tion·eer 
[kən vènshə nr] (plural con·ven·tion·eers)
noun

somebody attending
convention: somebody who attends and
participates in a convention[1]



Conventual

Conventual
Con·ven·tu·al
[kən vénchoo əl] (plural Con·ven·tu·als)
noun

kind of Franciscan friar:
a member of a branch of a Franciscan order of friars who live a less austere
life than in other branches[1]



conventual

conventual
con·ven·tu·al 
[kən vénchoo əl] adjective

relating
to a convent: relating to or resembling a convent in
quietness, simplicity, or discipline • living
a quiet conventual life
noun

somebody
living in convent: a woman who lives in a
convent
—con·ven·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



converge

converge
con·verge 
[kən vúrj] (past con·verged, past
participle con·verged, present participle con·verg·ing,
3rd person present singular con·verg·es) intransitive verb

1.  meet:
to reach the same point coming from different directions • the
place where the roads converge

2.  become
the same:
to become gradually less different and eventually the same • rapidly
converging political parties

3.  arrive
at same destination: to gather or meet at the
same destination • Delegates from all over
the world are converging on the city of New York.

4.  MATHEMATICS approach
finite limit: to approach a finite limit as the number
of terms in an infinite series increases

5.  BIOLOGY develop
similar characteristics: to independently develop
superficially similar characteristics in response to a set of environmental
conditions, for example, the development of wings in birds and insects
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin convergere “to lean together,” from Latin vergere “to bend
or turn” (source of English verge ).][1]



convergence

convergence
con·ver·gence 
[kən vúrjəns] (plural con·ver·genc·es)
noun

1.  con·ver·gence
or con·ver·gen·cy coming together:
a coming together from different directions, especially a uniting or merging of
groups or tendencies that were originally opposed or very different

2.  con·ver·gence
or con·ver·gen·cy MATHEMATICS
series
with constant or increasing differences: the
characteristic of a series or sequence of numbers in which the difference
between each term and the following term remains constant or increases.
See
also
divergence

3.  BIOLOGY similar
development: the tendency of different species to
develop similar characteristics in response to a set of environmental
conditions.
Also
called
convergent evolution
See
also
divergence

4.  METEOROLOGY meeting
of air masses: the meeting of different air masses,
often resulting in vertical air currents

5.  OPHTHALMOLOGY turning
the eyes inward: the turning inward of both eyes in order
to look at something nearer than the previous object viewed
—con·ver·gent, adjective[1]



convergentevolution

convergentevolution
con·ver·gent
ev·o·lu·tion noun

BIOLOGY
See convergence  noun 3[1]



convergentmargin

convergentmargin
con·ver·gent
mar·gin
(plural con·ver·gent mar·gins) noun

point at which tectonic
plates collide: a boundary between two
tectonic plates that are moving together, one dipping under the other[1]



conversance

conversance
con·ver·sance 
[kən vúrsəns] or con·ver·san·cy
[kən vúrsənsee] noun

knowledge of something:
knowledge of or familiarity with something[1]



conversant

conversant
con·ver·sant 
[kən vúrsənt] adjective

having
knowledge or experience: knowing about something, or
familiar with it, from experience or study • not
conversant with local customs
[14th
century. From French, present participle of converser, from Latin conversare
“to live or associate with” (see converse
).]
—con·ver·sant·ly, adverb[1]



conversation

conversation
con·ver·sa·tion 
[kònvər sáysh’n] (plural con·ver·sa·tions)
noun

1.  casual
talk:
an informal talk with somebody, especially about opinions, ideas, feelings, or
everyday matters • a telephone
conversation

2.  talking:
the activity of talking to somebody informally • in
conversation with one of the cleaners

3.  informal
talk about issue: an informal talk about something
involving representatives from various interested groups

4.  COMPUTING real-time
interaction with computer: an interaction with a
computer carried on in real time

5.  nonverbal
exchange:
a nonverbal exchange that is perceived to have the qualities of conversation • Critics
spoke of the conversation between the new building and its neighbors.

6.  See
criminal conversation
[14th century. Via French
from the Latin stem conversation-, from conversari (see converse 1 ).][1]



conversational

conversational
con·ver·sa·tion·al
[kònvər sáyshən’l, kònvər
sáyshnəl] adjective

1.  connected
with conversation: relating to informal
talking, especially to the ability to say interesting things • got
stuck with a seatmate who was a conversational dud

2.  informal
in language: informal in language and style, and
usually dealing with simple subjects • She
writes in an easy conversational style.

3.  appropriate
for informal talk: suitable in style and
vocabulary for informal talk on simple subjects, usually applied to skill in a
foreign language • conversational German
—con·ver·sa·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



conversationalist

conversationalist
con·ver·sa·tion·al·ist 
[kònvər sáysh’nəlist] (plural con·ver·sa·tion·al·ists)
or con·ver·sa·tion·ist [kònvər
sáysh’nist] (plural con·ver·sa·tion·ists) noun

somebody who talks with ease:
somebody who enjoys talking to people or has the ability to converse in an
interesting engaging manner • Her
husband’s not much of a conversationalist.[1]



conversationpiece

conversationpiece
con·ver·sa·tion
piece
(plural con·ver·sa·tion piec·es) noun

1.  object
used as conversation topic: something that attracts
people’s interest and leads to conversation • I
don’t think much of the sculpture in their front yard, but I guess it makes a
good conversation piece.

2.  group
portrait:
a portrait painting of a group of stylish people in a domestic or landscape
setting

[1]



conversazione

conversazione
con·ver·sa·zi·o·ne 
[kònvər saatsi ṓnee] (plural con·ver·sa·zi·o·ni
[kònvər saatsi ṓnee] or con·ver·sa·zi·o·nes)
noun

informal
discussion on arts: a social gathering to hear a
talk on or discuss a topic related to the arts (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “conversation,” ultimately from Latin conversare (see
converse 1 ).][1]



converse

converse2
con·verse2 [kón
vùrs, kən vúrs] noun (plural
con·vers·es)

1.  polar
opposite:
the opposite of something • Actually,
the converse is true.

2.  LOGIC reversed
categorical sentence: a categorical sentence in
which the subject and predicate have been reversed, for example, “all dogs are
collies” from “all collies are dogs”
adjective

opposite:
opposite or reverse
[14th
century. From Latin conversus, past participle of convertere (see
convert ).]
—con·verse·ly, adverb[1]



converse

converse1
con·verse1 intransitive verb [kən vúrs] (past con·versed, past
participle con·versed, present participle con·vers·ing,
3rd person present singular con·vers·es)

1.  talk:
to have a conversation • a
place where they can converse uninterrupted

2.  COMPUTING interact
with computer: to interact with a computer as if
engaged in a dialog

3.  interact
socially with somebody: to be in somebody’s company
or associate with him or her socially (archaic)

4.  engage
in sexual intercourse: to have sexual intercourse
with somebody (archaic)
noun
[kón vùrs]

1.  conversation:
conversation with somebody • They
were deep in converse with one another.

2.  social
association: being with somebody socially (archaic)
• Their
converse was always cordial.

3.  sexual
relations:
sexual relations (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French converser from Latin conversare “to live or
associate with,” from versari “to occupy yourself,” ultimately from vertere
“to turn.”]
—con·vers·er, noun[1]



conversion

conversion
con·ver·sion 
[kən vúrzh’n] (plural con·ver·sions)
noun

1.  alteration:
a change in the nature, form, or function of something • a
conversion of waste land into a sports field

2.  something
altered:
something that has been changed in nature, form, or function, especially a
building or room • These apartments are
conversions.

3.  change
of measuring system: a change from one measuring
or calculating system to another, or a calculation done to bring about the
change • the
conversion from miles to kilometers

4.  changing
of somebody’s beliefs: an adoption of new opinions
or beliefs, especially in religion • his
conversion to Islam

5.  FOOTBALL an act of converting
following a touchdown or a down. A conversion by kick earns one point, but a
conversion by run or pass into the end zone earns two.

6.  RUGBY FOOTBALL kick following touchdown:
a kicking of the ball over the crossbar following a touchdown, and the score
made with a successful kick

7.  LOGIC reversing
terms in categorical sentence: the reversing of the
subject and predicate in a categorical sentence, forming a new sentence, for
example, “all dogs are collies” from “all collies are dogs”

8.  LAW unlawful
holding of another’s property: unlawful treating of
somebody else’s property as your own

9.  LAW changing
of property classification: the changing of one type of
property to another, for example, from real to personal property
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem conversion-, from convers-,
past participle stem of convertere (see convert
).]
—con·ver·sion·al,
adjective

—con·ver·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



conversiondisorder

conversiondisorder
con·ver·sion
dis·or·der
(plural con·ver·sion dis·or·ders) noun

neurosis causing physical
symptoms: a neurosis marked by the
appearance of physical symptoms, such as partial paralysis, without physical
cause but in the presence of psychological conflict[1]



convert

convert
con·vert 
verb [kən vúrt] (past con·vert·ed,
past participle con·vert·ed, present participle con·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular con·verts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
something’s character: to change the nature or form
of something, or to be changed in nature or form • a
process for converting waste into usable fuel

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
thing’s function: to change the function or use of
something or be able to change in function or use • sofas
that convert into beds

3.  transitive
verb
change
measuring or calculating units: to change units of one
measuring or calculating system into units of another • the
formula for converting liters into gallons

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
somebody’s beliefs: to adopt new opinions or
beliefs or to change the opinions or beliefs of another, especially religious
beliefs • His
wife converted to Judaism.

5.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL score
after touchdown: to score following a touchdown by
kicking the ball between the goal posts, which earns one point, or running or
passing the ball into the end zone, which earns two

6.  transitive
verb
LOGIC reverse
terms in categorical sentence: reverse the subject
and predicate in a categorical sentence, forming a new sentence, for example,
“all dogs are collies” from “all collies are dogs”

7.  transitive
verb
LAW unlawfully
hold another’s property: to unlawfully treat somebody
else’s property as your own

8.  transitive
verb
LAW change
classification of property: to change the classification
of property, for example, from real to personal property, in the course of
certain transactions
noun
[kón vùrt] (plural con·verts)

somebody with changed beliefs:
somebody who has changed from one way of perceiving or understanding something,
such as a belief system, to another • a
convert to Christianity • a
convert to health food
[13th
century. Via Old French convertir from, ultimately, Latin convertere
“to turn around or transform,” from vertere “to turn” (source of English
verse ).]
preach
to the converted

to
advocate a viewpoint to people who already have it

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



convertaplane

convertaplane
con·vert·a·plane 
noun

See
convertiplane[1]



converter

converter
con·vert·er
[kən vúrtər] (plural con·vert·ers)
or con·ver·tor [kən vúrtər] (plural
con·ver·tors) noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY device
that converts: a device that converts something, for
example, an electrical device that converts alternating current into direct
current

2.  PHYSICS frequency
changer:
an electronic component for changing one frequency to another

3.  METALLURGY furnace:
a furnace for refining molten metal

4.  COMPUTING data
code changer: a device for changing data from one form
to another, for example, from analog to digital

5.  PHYSICS See converter reactor

[1]



converterreactor

converterreactor
con·vert·er
re·ac·tor
(plural con·vert·er re·ac·tors) noun

type of nuclear reactor:
a type of nuclear reactor that converts one nuclear fuel into another,
especially fertile into fissile material.
Also called
converter[1]



convertible

convertible
con·vert·i·ble 
[kən vúrtəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being converted: capable of being changed
from one form, function, or use to another

2.  FINANCE exchangeable
for gold or another currency: able to be legally exchanged
for gold or for another currency

3.  FINANCE exchangeable
for stock:
exchangeable for other assets, especially a fixed number of shares in ordinary
stock
noun
(plural con·vert·i·bles)

1.  car
with removable roof: a car with a roof that can
be folded back or taken off • a
flashy red convertible

2.  FINANCE See convertible security

3.  something
convertible: something that can be converted to
another use, for example, a sofa that folds out into a bed • Both
the sofa and the love seat are convertibles.
—con·vert·i·bil·i·ty
[kən vùrtə bíllətee], noun

—con·vert·i·ble·ness
[kən vúrtəb’lnəss], noun

—con·vert·i·bly, adverb[1]



convertiblesecurity

convertiblesecurity
con·vert·i·ble
se·cu·ri·ty
(plural con·vert·i·ble se·cu·ri·ties) noun

FINANCE
a security exchangeable for stock:
a security that may be exchanged for other assets, especially a fixed number of
shares in ordinary stock.
Also called
convertible[1]



convertiplane

convertiplane
con·vert·i·plane 
[kən vúrtə plàyn] (plural con·vert·i·planes)
or con·vert·a·plane [kən vúrtə plàyn]
(plural con·vert·a·planes) noun

airplane
with vertical takeoff: an airplane that takes off
and lands vertically by altering the direction of its engines’ thrust,
reconverting to normal horizontal thrust for forward flight
[Mid-20th century. Blend of convertible and airplane
.][1]



convertor

convertor
con·ver·tor 
noun

See
converter[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








convex

convex
con·vex 
adjective [kón vèks]

1.  outwardly
curving:
with a surface that curves outward rather than inward

2.  OPTICS shaped
like a sphere’s exterior: shaped like the exterior of
a sphere, paraboloid, ellipsoid, or any other outwardly curved surface • a
convex lens

3.  MATHEMATICS containing
no angle above 180°: used to describe a polygon
with no interior angle greater than 180°
intransitive
and transitive verb [kón
vèks, kən véks] (past con·vexed,
past participle con·vexed, present participle con·vex·ing,
3rd person present singular con·vexes)

curve outward:
to curve outward, or make something curve outward
[Late
16th century. From Latin convexus “vaulted, arched.”]
—con·vex·ly [kon vékslee], adverb[1]



convexity

convexity
con·vex·i·ty 
[kon véksətee] (plural con·vex·i·ties)
noun

1.  curving
outward:
outwardly curving quality

2.  something
that curves outward: an outwardly curving surface
or part

[1]



convexo-concave

convexo-concave
con·vex·o-con·cave 
[kon vèksō kón kàyv] adjective

convex on one side only:
used to describe a lens that is convex on one side and concave on the other[1]



convexo-convex

convexo-convex
con·vex·o-con·vex 
adjective

convex on both sides:
used to describe a lens that is convex on both sides[1]



convey

convey
con·vey 
[kən váy] (past con·veyed, past
participle con·veyed, present participle con·vey·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·veys) transitive verb

1.  take
somewhere:
to take somebody or something somewhere (formal)

2.  communicate:
to communicate something and make it known • a
look that conveyed all the tenderness he felt for her

3.  mean:
have something as a meaning or connotation • “Majesty”
conveys grandeur.

4.  transfer
through carrier: to transfer or transmit something along
a wire, pipe, tube, or other carrier

5.  LAW transfer
ownership:
to transfer ownership of something • The
title to the property was conveyed last June.
[14th
century. Via Old French conveier (source of English convoy ) from medieval Latin conviare,
literally “to go together on the road,” from Latin via “road.”]
—con·vey·a·ble, adjective[1]



conveyance

conveyance
con·vey·ance 
[kən váyəns] (plural con·vey·anc·es)
noun

1.  moving
something:
the conveying of something, especially the transportation or transmission of
something from one place to another • the
conveyance of information from the mainland to the islands

2.  vehicle:
a vehicle or other means of transportation (formal) • public
conveyances

3.  LAW transfer
of ownership: a document that legally transfers
ownership or the transfer itself
—con·vey·anc·er,
noun

—con·vey·anc·ing, noun[1]



conveyer

conveyer
con·vey·er 
(plural con·vey·ers) noun

1.  conveying
device:
a device that transports or transmits something, especially a conveyor belt

2.  means
of transmitting: somebody or something that transmits
something, especially news • conveyor
of good tidings

[1]



conveyorbelt

conveyorbelt
con·vey·or
belt
(plural con·vey·or belts) noun

moving belt that transports
objects: a device that consists
typically of a continuous wide flat rubber loop moved by electrically operated
rollers, used to move objects from one place to another nearby[1]



convict

convict
con·vict 
verb [kən víkt] (past con·vict·ed,
past participle con·vict·ed, present participle con·vict·ing,
3rd person present singular con·victs)

1.  transitive
verb
rule
that somebody is guilty: to declare somebody guilty
of a crime in a court of law (often passive) • had
been previously convicted of fraud

2.  intransitive
verb
arrive
at guilty verdict: to reach a verdict of guilty
• juries
who will convict on the slimmest evidence

3.  transitive
verb
show
to be at fault: to show that somebody is in the wrong in
some respect • actions
that convicted her of selfishness
noun
[kón vìkt] (plural con·victs)

somebody in prison:
somebody serving a prison sentence • an
escaped convict
[14th
century. From Latin convict-, past participle stem of convincere
(see convince ).]
—con·vict·a·ble [kən víktəb’l], adjective[1]



conviction

conviction
con·vic·tion 
[kən víksh’n] (plural con·vic·tions)
noun

1.  firmly
held belief: a belief or opinion that is held firmly
• my
conviction that they are lying

2.  firmness
of belief:
firmness of belief or opinion • said
with complete conviction

3.  guilty
verdict:
the finding or an instance of finding somebody guilty or of being found guilty
of a crime • The
accused has no previous convictions.
—con·vic·tion·al, adjective[1]



convictive

convictive
con·vic·tive 
[kən víktiv] adjective

convincing:
powerful enough to convince or persuade (formal)
—con·vic·tive·ly [kən víktivlee], adverb[1]



convince

convince
con·vince 
[kən víns] (past con·vinced, past
participle con·vinced, present participle con·vinc·ing,
3rd person present singular con·vinc·es) transitive verb

1.  make
certain:
to make somebody sure or certain of something • We
are convinced of his guilt.

2.  persuade
to do something: to persuade somebody to do something • Nothing
would convince them to invest in such a scheme.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin convincere “to prove wrong,” from vincere “to
overcome.”]
—con·vinc·er,
noun

—con·vinc·i·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  convince
  or persuade ?
  Traditionally,
  to convince somebody is to bring him or
  her around to an opinion, and to persuade
  somebody is to induce him or her to act: • She
  convinced him that he had talent, and persuaded him to study music.
  Because of this distinction, some object to the use of an infinitive after
  convince, pointing out that • She
  convinced him to …. will tend to involve
  action. All the same, somebody who is persuaded to act has probably also been
  convinced of the merit of doing so. In many contexts the two words are
  completely interchangeable, and in others are nearly so.

[1]



convincing

convincing
con·vinc·ing 
[kən vínsing] adjective

1.  persuasive:
persuading somebody to believe something is true or real • The
special effects were very convincing.

2.  able
to persuade people: skilled at making people
believe something • a convincing impostor

3.  beyond
doubt:
impressively clear or definite • a
convincing victory
—con·vinc·ing·ly,
adverb

—con·vinc·ing·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at valid

[1]



convivial

convivial
con·viv·i·al 
[kən vívvee əl] adjective

1.  pleasant:
enjoyable because of its friendliness • spent
many a convivial evening at the club

2.  sociable:
enjoying the company of others • He was
famously convivial.
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin convivialis, from convivium “feast,” from vivere
“to live” (source of English vivid
).]
—con·viv·i·al·ist,
noun

—con·viv·i·al·i·ty
[kən vìvvee állətee], noun

—con·viv·i·al·ly [kən vívvee əlee], adverb[1]



convocation

convocation
con·vo·ca·tion 
[kònvə káysh’n] (plural con·vo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  formal
assembly:
a large formal assembly, for example, of a college or university community, or
the senior members of a church

2.  calling
a meeting:
the arranging or calling of a formal meeting
[14th
century. From the Latin stem convocation-, from convocare (see convoke ).]
—con·vo·ca·tor [kónvə kàytər], noun[1]



convoke

convoke
con·voke 
[kən vṓk] (past con·voked, past
participle con·voked, present participle con·vok·ing, 3rd
person present singular con·vokes) transitive verb

call
a formal meeting: to call a formal meeting or call people
together for such a meeting
[Late
16th century. From Latin convocare “to call together,” from vocare
“to call” (source of English vocation
).]
—con·voc·a·tive
[kən vókətiv], adjective

—con·vok·er [kən vṓkər], noun[1]



convolute

convolute
con·vo·lute 
[kónvə lt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past con·vo·lut·ed, past participle con·vo·lut·ed,
present participle con·vo·lut·ing, 3rd person present singular
con·vo·lutes)

twist:
to twist or coil something in folds • The
snake’s coils were tightly convoluted.
adjective

BOTANY tightly
twisted:
used to describe petals or leaves that are rolled from the sides so that one
side is wrapped around the other
[Late
17th century. From Latin convolut-, past participle stem of convolvere
“to twist or coil around,” from volvere “to roll.”]
—con·vo·lute·ly, adverb[1]



convoluted

convoluted
con·vo·lut·ed 
[kónvə ltəd] adjective

1.  extremely
intricate:
too complex or intricate to understand easily • convoluted
sentences

2.  very
twisted:
having many twists, coils, or whorls • the
brain’s convoluted surface
—con·vo·lut·ed·ly,
adverb

—con·vo·lut·ed·ness, noun[1]



convolution

convolution
con·vo·lu·tion 
[kònvə lsh’n] (plural con·vo·lu·tions)
noun

1.  twisted
shape:
a curve, coil, or twist

2.  twisted
ridge on brain surface: any of the ridges on the
brain’s surface

3.  intricacy:
a complexity or intricacy, especially one of many • The
plot had so many convolutions it was difficult to follow.
—con·vo·lu·tion·al,
adjective

—con·vo·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



convolvulus

convolvulus
con·vol·vu·lus 
[kən vólvyələss] (plural con·vol·vu·lus·es
or con·vol·vu·li) noun

climbing
plant:
a plant of the morning-glory family with trumpet-shaped flowers. Most types are
twining plants and some are cultivated. Genus: Convolvulus
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from convolvere (see convolute
).][1]



convoy

convoy
con·voy 
[kón vòy] noun (plural con·voys)

1.  vehicles
or ships traveling together: a group of vehicles or ships
traveling together, often with an escort for protection • convoys
of trucks on the highway • traveling
in convoy

2.  vehicles’
or ships’ escort: a protective escort for a group of
vehicles or ships
transitive
verb
(past con·voyed, past participle con·voyed, present
participle con·voy·ing, 3rd person present singular con·voys)

escort vehicles or ships:
to travel as an escort to protect a group of vehicles or ships
[14th century. Via French convoi
from Old French conveier (see convey
).][1]



convulsant

convulsant
con·vul·sant 
[kən vúlsənt] adjective

causing
convulsions: causing convulsions
noun
(plural con·vul·sants)

drug causing convulsions:
a drug that causes convulsions[1]



convulse

convulse
con·vulse 
[kən vúls] (past con·vulsed, past
participle con·vulsed, present participle con·vuls·ing,
3rd person present singular con·vuls·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shake
uncontrollably: to jerk or shake violently and
uncontrollably, or to make a muscle or body part go into a repetitive spasm

2.  transitive
verb
cause
to shake:
to make somebody shake with laughter or a strong emotion (often passive)
• convulsed
with panic

3.  transitive
verb
disrupt:
to cause extreme disruption or disturbance in something • Problems
in the Far Eastern economies convulsed the New York markets.
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
convuls-, past participle stem of convellere “to wrench or pull
violently,” from vellere “to pluck or pull” (source of English svelte ).][1]



convulsion

convulsion
con·vul·sion 
[kən vúlshən] noun (plural con·vul·sions)
(often used in the plural)

1.  uncontrollable
shaking:
a violent shaking of the body or limbs caused by uncontrollable muscle
contractions, which can be a symptom of brain disorders and other conditions

2.  disturbance:
an extreme disruption or disturbance (literary)
plural
noun
con·vul·sions

laughter: fits
of laughter
—con·vul·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



convulsive

convulsive
con·vul·sive 
[kən vúlsiv] adjective

1.  jerky:
sudden, jerky, or uncontrollable

2.  having
or producing convulsions: undergoing or producing
uncontrollable jerking of the body or limbs
—con·vul·sive·ly,
adverb

—con·vul·sive·ness, noun[1]



Conway

Conway
Con·way 
[kón wày]

city in central Arkansas,
north of Little Rock and directly east of the Arkansas River. Population:
35,827 (1996)[1]



coo

coo

coo 
[koo] verb (past cooed,
past participle cooed, present participle coo·ing, 3rd
person present singular coos)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
sound of pigeon: to make the soft warbling sound that is
characteristic of pigeons

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
very tenderly: to speak or say something with affected
or exaggerated admiration • young
lovers cooing to each other
noun (plural
coos)

bird’s sound: the
soft warbling sound that pigeons make
[Mid-17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



co-occur

co-occur
co-oc·cur
(past co-oc·curred, past participle co-oc·curred, present
participle co-oc·cur·ring, 3rd person present singular co-oc·curs)
intransitive verb

1.  happen
together:
to happen at the same time and place

2.  LINGUISTICS share
same linguistic context: to appear together in the
same contexts (refers to linguistic elements, for example, sound)
—co-oc·cur·rence, noun[1]



cook

cook
cook 
[kk] verb (past cooked,
past participle cooked, present participle cook·ing,
3rd person present singular cooks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb prepare
food:
to prepare food for a meal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become hot: to make food safe and appetizing by
heating it, or to become ready to eat by heating • The
onions have been cooking for a while. • Cook
the beef until it is tender.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
uncomfortable in heat: to feel extreme discomfort
in hot conditions (informal) • cooking
in an overcrowded bus

4.  transitive
verb
change
in order to deceive: to alter or tamper with
information or evidence fraudulently (informal) • accountants
who had cooked the books

5.  intransitive
verb
happen:
to be happening or developing (informal) • I
had the feeling that something was cooking.

6.  intransitive
verb
work
well:
to be working or performing superbly (slang) • It
only took a couple of songs before the band was really cooking.

7.  transitive
verb
heat
illegal drug: to heat an illegal drug, for example,
heroin (slang)

8.  transitive
verb
show
to be wrong: to show that a presented problem is
wrong, especially because it has more than one solution
noun
(plural cooks)

1.  somebody
who prepares food: somebody who prepares food,
or whose job is preparing food

2.  proof
that a problem is wrong: something that shows that a
presented problem is wrong, especially because it has more than one solution
[Pre-12th
century. Via assumed Vulgar Latin cocus “a cook” from Latin coquus,
from coquere “to cook” (source of English kitchen,
concoct, and biscuit ).]
—cook·a·ble,
adjective

—cook·er, noun[1]



cookbook

cookbook
cook·book 
[kk bk] (plural cook·books) noun

book of recipes:
a book containing recipes for preparing food or, more generally, detailed
directions for a process of any kind[1]



Cooke,Jay

Cooke,Jay
Cooke
[kk], Jay (1821–1905)

U.S. banker. He helped to
finance the federal government during the Civil War. His failed attempt to
finance the building of the Northern Pacific Railroad caused the financial
panic of 1873.[1]



cooker

cooker
cook·er 
[kkər] (plural cook·ers) noun

U.K.
appliance for cooking:
a box-shaped kitchen appliance for cooking food, powered by electricity, gas,
or solid fuel, and including an oven, grill, and hob[1]



cookery

cookery
cook·er·y 
[kkəree] (plural cook·er·ies)
noun

1.  preparation
of food:
the skill or activity of preparing food

2.  style
of preparing food: a type or style of cooking,
such as a national variety or one that meets specific dietary requirements

3.  place
for cooking: a place where food is prepared and
cooked

[1]



Cookeville

Cookeville
Cooke·ville 
[kk vìl]

city in north central
Tennessee, southeast of Nashville and north of Chattanooga. Population: 25,224
(1996)[1]



cookie

cookie
cook·ie
[kkee] (plural cook·ies) or
cook·y [kkee] (plural cook·ies)
noun

1.  small
flat sweet cake: a small flat crisp baked cake,
especially one made from sweetened dough • a
box of cookies.
U.K.
term
biscuit

2.  type
of person:
somebody who has a particular characteristic (informal) • She’s
one smart cookie.

3.  COMPUTING computer
file containing user information: on the Internet or in
a computer network, a file containing information about a user that is sent to
the central computer each time a request is made. The server uses this
information to customize data sent back to the user and to log the user’s
requests.
[Early
18th century. From Dutch koekje, literally “little cake,” from koek
“cake.”]
toss
your cookies

to
vomit (slang) (humorous)

that’s
the way the cookie crumbles

that is the way things tend
to happen (informal)[1]



cookie-cutter

cookie-cutter
cook·ie-cut·ter
adjective

identical:
seemingly mass-produced without distinctive features • cookie-cutter
houses[1]



cookiecutter

cookiecutter
cook·ie
cut·ter
(plural cook·ie cut·ters) noun

device for cutting out
cookies: a shaped template with a
sharp edge, used for pressing into a sheet of dough to make cookie shapes[1]



cookiesheet

cookiesheet
cook·ie
sheet
(plural cook·ie sheets) noun

See
baking sheet
U.K. term
baking tray[1]



cooking

cooking
cook·ing
[kking] noun

1.  preparation
of food:
the skill or practice of preparing food

2.  prepared
food:
food that has been prepared for eating • She
doesn’t like my cooking.
adjective

used in cooking:
intended for use in cooking rather than for consumption on its own • a
bottle of cooking sherry

[1]



Cook,James

Cook,James

Cook
[kk], James, Captain (1728–1779)
British explorer and cartographer. During
three great voyages (1768–1771, 1772–1775, 1776–1779) he charted New Zealand
and Australia and explored the Antarctic and the northwestern coast of North America.[1]



Cook,Mount

Cook,Mount
Cook,
Mount
[kk]

peak of the St. Elias Range
in southwestern Yukon Territory. Height: 4,194 m/13,760 ft.[1]



cook-off

cook-off
cook-off 
(plural cook-offs) noun

cooking contest:
a final round of a cooking competition, in which only the top contestants
compete[1]



cookout

cookout
cook·out 
[kk òwt] (plural cook·outs) noun

outdoor party with food:
a party at which food is cooked and eaten outdoors[1]



cookstove

cookstove
cook·stove
[kk stv] (plural cook·stoves)
noun

1.  stove
for cooking: a stove used for cooking, as distinct
from one designed to heat a room

2.  CAMPING stove
used when camping: a portable stove used for
cooking on camping trips

[1]



cooktop

cooktop
cook·top
[kk tòp] (plural cook·tops) noun

flat area on stove:
a flat cooking area on a stove that includes heating units and a surface that
can be used for food preparation[1]



cookup

cookup
cook
up
transitive verb

1.  prepare
meal quickly: to prepare or improvise a meal quickly

2.  invent:
to invent something untrue or dishonest such as an excuse (informal)

3.  (slang)
See cook  verb 7

[1]



cook-up

cook-up
cook-up
(plural cook-ups) noun

Caribbean meal:
a Caribbean dish of mixed meats, seafood, and rice[1]



cookware

cookware
cook·ware 
[kk wàir] noun

cooking utensils:
utensils, for example, pots, pans, and dishes, used in cooking[1]



cooky

cooky
cook·y 
[kkee] (plural cook·ies) noun

1.  See
cookie

2.  cook:
a cook (informal)

[1]



Cook’stour

Cook’stour
Cook’s
tour
(plural Cook’s tours) noun

quick
tour:
a quick tour or survey, with attention only to the main features (informal)
• The
book doesn’t try to give anything more than a Cook’s tour of European history.
[Named for the English travel
agent Thomas Cook (1808–1892)][1]



cool

cool
cool 
[kool] adjective (comparative cool·er,
superlative cool·est)

1.  coldish:
somewhat cold, usually pleasantly so

2.  staying
calm:
staying calm or not showing emotions, especially nervousness or fear

3.  fashionable:
fashionable and sophisticated • looking
cool

4.  unfriendly:
unfriendly or unenthusiastic • They
gave us a somewhat cool reception.

5.  MUSIC having
relaxed rhythm: used to describe a style of jazz,
popular in the mid-20th century, characterized by a relaxed rhythm

6.  emphasizing
sum of money: used to emphasize how large a sum of
money is (informal) • a cool
$3.2 million

7.  excellent:
very good (slang) • a cool
idea

8.  OK:
acceptable, untroubling (slang) • That’s
cool, no problem.

9.  seeming
cold:
giving an impression of coldness • a cool
mint green

10. keeping
temperature low: made of fabric that keeps the body at a
pleasant temperature in hot conditions
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cooled, past
participle cooled, present participle cool·ing, 3rd
person present singular cools)

1.  make
or become less warm: to become or cause somebody
or something to become less warm • Wait
until the mixture cools

2.  make
or become less intense: to make somebody or
something less intense, or to become less intense • anything
that might cool his anger
noun

1.  calmness:
the ability to remain calm in difficult circumstances (informal)

2.  stylishness:
stylishness that is attractive without being ostentatious (informal)

3.  slight
chill:
moderate coldness, especially in relation to greater heat or coldness • the
cool of the evening
adverb

calmly: in a
calm self-controlled way (informal) • Just
act cool.
interjection

expressing pleasure:
used to express delight or excitement at a prospect or event (informal)
• You’re
coming too? Cool!
[Old
English cōl . Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting “cold” that
is also the ancestor of English chill,
congeal, and glacier .]
—cool·ing·ly,
adverb

—cool·ness,
noun
cool
it

used
to tell somebody to calm down (slang)

keep
your cool

to
remain calm

lose
your cool

to become angry and excitable[1]



coolant

coolant
cool·ant 
[klənt] noun

substance preventing
overheating: a substance, usually a
liquid, used to prevent overheating in an engine or other mechanism[1]



coolbag

coolbag
cool
bag
(plural cool bags) or cool box (plural cool
box·es) noun

U.K.
See cooler[1]



cooldown

cooldown
cool
down
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become less warm: to make somebody or
something less warm, or to become less warm • Wait
till the engine cools down before you lift the hood.

2.  make
or become calm: to make somebody or something calm or
calmer after strong feeling or excitement, or become calm or calmer • Only
when studio officials had cooled the two men down was the show able to
continue.

[1]



cooler

cooler
cool·er 
[klər] (plural cool·ers) noun

1.  insulated
food container: a portable insulated container used to
keep food cool outdoors.
U.K.
term
cool bag

2.  long
drink:
a long refreshing drink, especially an iced mixture of wine, fruit juice, and
soda water

3.  prison:
a prison or prison cell (dated slang)

4.  cool
place or container: a compartment or container
in which something is cooled or kept cool

[1]



Coolgardie

Coolgardie
Cool·gar·die
[kool grdee]

gold-mining town in southern
Western Australia. It was once the third largest town in the state. Population:
1,258 (1996)[1]



cool-headed

cool-headed
cool-head·ed 
adjective

calm:
staying calm in tense situations[1]



Coolidge,Calvin

Coolidge,Calvin

Coolidge
[klij], Calvin (1872–1933)
U.S.
statesman and 30th President of the United States. A pro-business Republican,
he presided over a period of prosperity, but his presidency (1923–1929) ended
with the Wall Street Crash.
Full name
Coolidge, John Calvin[1]



coolie

coolie
coo·lie
[klee] (plural coo·lies) noun
(offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term in India, China, and other parts of Asia for a local man
hired cheaply to do laboring or portering work

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody brought to the United States from China during
the 19th century to construct railroads

3.  poorly
treated worker: an employee who is treated as merely one
of many unworthy of concern
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
kūlī, of uncertain origin: possibly a blend of Telugu kūli “hire”
and Urdu ulī “slave,” or from Kulī, a Gujarati people.][1]



cooling-offperiod

cooling-offperiod
cool·ing-off
pe·ri·od
[kling óf pree əd] (plural cool·ing-off
pe·ri·ods) noun

1.  break
in dispute:
an agreed pause in a dispute to allow tempers to cool and peaceful solutions to
be examined

2.  time
to reconsider: a period of reflection allowed before
making a legally binding commitment

[1]



coolingtower

coolingtower
cool·ing
tow·er
(plural cool·ing tow·ers) noun

chimney for condensing steam:
a tall chimney in which the steam produced by an industrial process is
condensed[1]



cooljazz

cooljazz
cool
jazz
noun

relaxed style of jazz:
a kind of jazz with a lighter tone and more relaxed character, popular in the
1940s and 1950s, especially on the West Coast of the United States[1]



coolly

coolly
cool·ly
[klee] adverb

1.  calmly:
in a calm or relaxed way • She
coolly marched up to the desk and demanded to see the manager.

2.  in
cold manner: without friendliness or enthusiasm • He
greeted her coolly.

[1]



cooloff

cooloff
cool
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
cool again:
to become comfortably cool again • I went
for a swim to cool off.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb regain
calmness:
to become calm or unemotional again after being angry or passionate (informal)
• After
a few months, their relationship cooled off.

[1]



coolout

coolout
cool
out
intransitive verb

Caribbean
relax:
to relax (informal)[1]



coolth

coolth
coolth 
[koolth] noun

1.  coolness:
pleasant coolness or coldness relative to greater heat or cold (informal or
humorous)

2.  hipness:
the quality of being very self-confident and informed about current trends (slang)
• Don’t
you admire her coolth?
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from cool, on the model of warmth .][1]



coon

coon2
coon2  [koon]
(plural coons) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a black person (offensive taboo)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Portuguese barracoos “buildings specially constructed to hold slaves
for sale.”][1]



coon

coon1
coon1  [koon]
(plural coons) noun

raccoon:
a raccoon (informal)
[Mid-18th
century. Shortening of raccoon .]
in
a coon’s age

in a long time (informal)[1]



cooncan

cooncan
coon·can 
[kn kàn] noun

card
game:
a card game from Mexico that is similar to rummy and played with one or two
packs.
Also
called
conquian
[Late 19th century. By folk
etymology from American Spanish conquián, from Spanish con quién?
“with whom?”.][1]



coonhound

coonhound
coon·hound 
[kn hòwnd] (plural coon·hounds)
noun

dog used to hunt raccoons:
a smooth-haired dog trained to hunt raccoons[1]



CoonRapids

CoonRapids
Coon
Rap·ids
[kn ráppidz]

city in southeastern
Minnesota, on the Mississippi River, a northwestern suburb of Minneapolis.
Population: 62,790 (1996)[1]



coonskin

coonskin
coon·skin 
[kn skìn] (plural coon·skins)
noun

raccoon’s skin:
the skin of a raccoon, or clothing made from it[1]



coontie

coontie
coon·tie 
[kntee] (plural coon·ties or
coon·tie) noun

1.  tropical
evergreen plant: an evergreen plant found in southern
Florida and Mexico that resembles a palm and has compound leaves, cones, and
thick underground stems that yield an edible starch similar to arrowroot.
Genus: Zamia
Also
called
Florida arrowroot

2.  starchy
food:
the edible starch, similar to arrowroot, obtained from the underground stem of
the coontie plant
[Late 18th century. From
Seminole kunti .][1]



co-op

co-op
co-op 
[kṓ òp, kō óp]
(plural co-ops) or coop [kṓ
òp, kō óp] (plural coops)
noun (informal)

1.  cooperative:
a cooperative organization or venture, especially an apartment building or a
marketing enterprise

2.  program
of study:
a program of study that allows students to combine liberal-arts and technical
courses by using the resources of two different colleges or universities
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



coop

coop
coop 
[koop] (plural coops) noun

1.  enclosure
for poultry: an enclosure or hut in which poultry is
kept

2.  fishing
basket:
a wicker basket used for catching fish

3.  prison:
a prison or prison cell (dated slang)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly via Middle Dutch kūpe “basket, tub”
from, ultimately, Latin cupa “cask.” The earliest meaning in English was
“basket.”]
fly
the coop

to escape or leave a place (informal)[1]



cooper

cooper
coop·er 
[kpər] noun (plural coop·ers)

barrel-maker:
somebody skilled in making and repairing wooden barrels
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coop·ered,
past participle coop·ered, present participle coop·er·ing,
3rd person present singular coop·ers)

make
barrels:
to make or repair wooden barrels
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch kūper, from kūpe “cask” (see coop
).][1]



cooperage

cooperage
coop·er·age 
[kpərij] (plural coop·er·ag·es)
noun

1.  cooper’s
craft:
the craft of making and repairing wooden barrels

2.  cooper’s
workplace:
a place where wooden barrels are made and repaired

3.  cooper’s
fee:
the fee charged by a cooper for making or repairing barrels

[1]



cooperate

cooperate
co·op·er·ate 
[kō óppə ràyt] (past co·op·er·at·ed,
past participle co·op·er·at·ed, present participle co·op·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular co·op·er·ates) or co-op·er·ate
[kō óppə ràyt] (past co-op·er·at·ed,
past participle co-op·er·at·ed, present participle co-op·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular co-op·er·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
work
together:
to work or act together to achieve a common aim

2.  comply:
to do what is asked or required • cooperate
with police investigations
[Late
16th century. From ecclesiastical Latin cooperat-, past participle stem
of cooperari, literally “to work together,” from Latin operari
“to work.”]
—co·op·er·a·tor, noun[1]



cooperation

cooperation
co·op·er·a·tion 
[kō òppə ráysh’n] or co-op·er·a·tion
[kō òppə ráysh’n] noun

1.  working
together:
the act of working together to achieve a common aim

2.  compliance:
doing what is asked or required
—co·op·er·a·tion·ist, noun[1]



cooperative

cooperative
co·op·er·a·tive 
[kō óppərətiv] or co-op·er·a·tive
[kō óppərətiv] adjective

1.  willing
to help:
doing, or willing to do, what is asked or required • She’s
a good worker and very cooperative.

2.  working
together:
working or acting together with others, or done by people working or acting
together • a
cooperative effort

3.  of
jointly owned apartment building: relating to a building
with apartments owned by a corporation of tenants in which shares of expenses
are calculated on the basis of the value of the tenant’s apartment

4.  operated
collectively: owned jointly by all its members or
workers, who share all profits equally • a
cooperative farm
noun
(plural co·op·er·a·tives) (plural co-op·er·a·tives)

1.  jointly
owned apartment building: an apartment building that
is jointly owned by the residents, or an apartment in such a building

2.  business
owned by workers: a business that is jointly owned by the
people who run it, with all profits shared equally • a
workers’ cooperative
—co·op·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—co·op·er·a·tive·ness,
noun[1]



Cooper,Gary

Cooper,Gary
Coo·per 
[kpər], Gary (1901–1961)

U.S. movie actor. He starred
in Westerns, winning Academy Awards for Sergeant York ( 1941 ) and High
Noon ( 1952 ).[1]



Cooper,James Fenimore

Cooper,James Fenimore

Coo·per
[kpər], James Fenimore (1789–1851)
U.S. writer. Among his Leather-Stocking
Tales about frontier life is the novel The Last of the Mohicans ( 1826
).[1]



Cooper,Peter

Cooper,Peter

Coo·per
[kpər], Peter (1791–1883)
U.S. industrialist and philanthropist. He
manufactured the first U.S. steam locomotive (1830) and promoted public
education.[1]



Cooperstown

Cooperstown
Coo·pers·town 
[kpərz tòwn]

village in central New York
on Otsego Lake, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Population: 2,033 (1996)[1]



Cooper’shawk

Cooper’shawk
Coo·per’s
hawk 
(plural Coo·per’s hawks) noun

N
American hawk: a small bluish-gray short-winged North
American hawk with a barred rust-colored breast and long tail. Latin name: Accipiter
cooperii
[Early 19th century. Named
for the U.S. naturalist William Cooper (1798–1864).][1]



co-opt

co-opt
co-opt 
[kō ópt] (past co-opt·ed, past
participle co-opt·ed, present participle co-opt·ing, 3rd
person present singular co-opts) transitive verb

1.  adopt
or appropriate: to adopt or appropriate something, for
example, a political issue or idea, as your own

2.  take
into larger group: to absorb an opponent or
opposing group into a larger group or society by making promises and
concessions

3.  appoint
by agreement: to appoint somebody to a body by
agreement with the other members
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin cooptare, literally “to choose mutually,” from optare
“to choose” (source of English opt
and adopt ).]
—co-op·ta·tion,
noun

—co-op·tion,
noun

—co-op·ta·tive,
adjective

—co-op·tive, adjective[1]



coopup

coopup
coop
up
transitive verb

keep in small place:
to keep somebody in a confined space[1]



coordinate

coordinate
co·or·di·nate 
or co-or·di·nate verb [kō áwrdə
nàyt] (past co·or·di·nat·ed, past participle co·or·di·nat·ed,
present participle co·or·di·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular co·or·di·nates)

1.  transitive
verb
organize
something complex: to organize a complex
enterprise in which numerous people are involved and bring their contributions
together to form a unified whole • responsible
for coordinating the campaign

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
parts move together: to make moving parts, for
example, parts of the body, work together in sequence or in time with one
another, or to work together in this way • hand
and eye coordinating perfectly for the overhead shot

3.  transitive
verb
put
together:
to place or class things together • Before
we can proceed, all of our files have to be coordinated.

4.  intransitive
verb
work
together:
to work together as a unit • members
of the team coordinating brilliantly

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
well together: to make a pleasing combination or match
• outfit
and accessories that coordinate stylishly
noun
[kō áwrdənət] (plural co·or·di·nates)

1.  GEOMETRY number
specifying position: each of a set of numbers
that together describe the exact position of something such as a place on a map
with reference to a set of axes • Did
you receive the coordinates for your target?

2.  somebody
or something equal: somebody or something that
is equal in rank or importance

3.  CHEMISTRY PHYSICS variable:
a variable used with others to describe the state of a physical or chemical
system
plural
noun
co·or·di·nates

matching clothes:
clothes that are designed to be worn together
adjective
[kō áwrdənət]

1.  equal:
equal in rank or importance

2.  GRAMMAR having
same grammatical function: having the same grammatical
function in a syntactic structure • Both
“got up” and “ate” are coordinate verbs in the sentence “I got up and ate
breakfast.”

3.  CHEMISTRY PHYSICS involving
set of variables: involving the use of coordinates
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from co- + Latin ordinare “to set in order,” on the
model of subordinate .]
—co·or·di·nat·ed,
adjective

—co·or·di·nate·ly,
adverb

—co·or·di·nate·ness,
noun

—co·or·di·na·tive, adjective[1]



coordinatebond

coordinatebond
co·or·di·nate
bond
(plural co·or·di·nate bonds) noun

chemical bond between two
atoms: a chemical bond between two
atoms created by the sharing of a pair of electrons, both supplied by one atom.
A coordinate bond is a type of covalent bond.
Also called
dative bond
Also called
semipolar bond[1]



coordinateclause

coordinateclause
co·or·di·nate
clause
(plural co·or·di·nate clauses) noun

clause of equal importance:
any of two or more clauses in a sentence that have the same grammatical
function or status, usually joined by a coordinating conjunction such as “and”
or “but.”
See also
subordinate clause
See also
main clause[1]



coordinategeometry

coordinategeometry
co·or·di·nate
ge·om·e·try
noun

See
analytic geometry[1]



coordinatingconjunction

coordinatingconjunction
co·or·di·nat·ing
con·junc·tion  (plural co·or·di·nat·ing
con·junc·tions) noun

word joining clauses of equal
importance: a word such as “and” or
“but” that joins two words or clauses with the same grammatical function or
status.
Also called
coordinator[1]



coordination

coordination
co·or·di·na·tion 
[kō àwrdə náysh’n] or co-or·di·na·tion
[kō àwrdə náysh’n] noun

1.  movement
of parts together: the skillful and balanced
movement of different parts, especially parts of the body, at the same time

2.  coming
or working together: the combining of diverse
parts or groups to make a unit, or the way these parts work together

[1]



coordinationcomplex

coordinationcomplex
co·or·di·na·tion
com·plex
(plural co·or·di·na·tion com·plex·es) or co·or·di·na·tion
com·pound (plural co·or·di·na·tion com·pounds) noun

chemical metallic compound:
a chemical compound containing one or more ions, atoms, or molecules bound by
coordinate bonds to a central metallic atom[1]



coordinationnumber

coordinationnumber
co·or·di·na·tion
num·ber
(plural co·or·di·na·tion num·bers) noun

number of ions around atom:
the number of ions, atoms, or molecules attached by coordinate bonds to the
metallic atom in a complex[1]



coordinator

coordinator
co·or·di·na·tor
[kō áwrdə nàytər] (plural co·or·di·na·tors)
or co-or·di·na·tor [kō áwrdə nàytər]
(plural co-or·di·na·tors) noun

1.  somebody
bringing together different elements:
somebody responsible for organizing diverse parts of an enterprise or groups
into a coherent or efficient whole

2.  See
coordinating conjunction

[1]



Coosa

Coosa
Coo·sa 
[kssə]

river in the southern United
States, formed in northern Georgia by the confluence of the Etowah and
Oostanaula rivers. Length: 460 km/286 mi.[1]



CoosBay

CoosBay
Coos
Bay
[kss báy]

city in southwestern Oregon,
on an inlet of Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Population: 15,448 (1996)[1]



coot

coot
coot 
[koot] (plural coots or
coot) noun

1.  water
bird:
an aquatic bird of Europe, Asia, and North America that has long toes, dark
plumage, and a white bill and forehead. Genus: Fulica

2.  unconventional
person:
an odd, eccentric, or unreasonably stubborn person (informal insult)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Middle Dutch coet .][1]



cooter

cooter
coot·er 
[ktər] (plural coot·ers) noun

large
freshwater turtle: a large freshwater turtle of
the eastern United States. Genus: Chrysemys
[Early 19th century. From
Gullah .][1]



cootie

cootie
coo·tie 
[ktee] (plural coo·ties) noun

U.S.,
New Zealand louse:
a louse of the kind that infests people (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Malay kutu .][1]



cop.

cop.
cop.

Abbreviation of
copyright[1]



cop

cop2
cop2 [kop]
(plural cops) noun

roll
of thread:
a cone-shaped roll of thread on a spindle
[Old English coppe
“summit,” of unknown origin][1]



cop

cop1
cop1 [kop]
noun (plural cops)

police officer:
a police officer (slang)
transitive
verb
(past copped, past participle copped, present
participle cop·ping, 3rd person present singular cops)

1.  grab:
to seize or grab something (informal)

2.  steal:
to steal something (informal) • Those
kids copped candy bars from the store.

3.  DRUGS obtain
drugs:
to obtain illegal drugs (slang)
[Early
18th century. “Police officer”: related to copper 2, literally “grabber.” Verb
senses from a variant of cap “to catch,” which came via French caper
from Latin capere “to seize, take.”]
cop
a plea

to negotiate with a
prosecutor in order to avoid prosecution for a serious crime by agreeing to
plead guilty to a lesser crime (slang)[1]



Copacabana

Copacabana
Co·pa·ca·ba·na
[kpə kə bánnə]

beach resort and residential
area in southern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[1]



copacetic

copacetic
co·pa·cet·ic 
[kpə séttik] or co·pa·set·ic
[kpə séttik] adjective

excellent:
excellent or very good (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



copal

copal
co·pal 
[kṓp’l, kṓ pàl]
noun

hard
resin:
a hard resin from various tropical trees, used to make varnish
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from Nahuatl copalli .][1]



co-parenting

co-parenting
co-par·ent·ing 
noun

1.  shared
responsibility for children: the care and raising of
children by two people who have divorced or separated

2.  raising
children together: shared responsibility for
raising children between two people who are not legally married, especially a
same-sex couple
—co-par·ent, noun[1]



copartner

copartner
co·part·ner 
[kō prtnər] (plural co·part·ners)
noun

close
business associate: a close partner or
associate, especially one who has an equal stake in a company
—co·part·ner·ship, noun[1]



copasetic

copasetic
co·pa·set·ic 
adjective

See
copacetic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








co-payment

co-payment
co-pay·ment
(plural co-pay·ments) noun

matching payment:
an arrangement by which two or more parties make complementary payments on a
loan or other financial obligation, or a payment made in this way, especially a
patient’s payment for a medical expense partially covered by insurance[1]



cope

cope3
cope3 [kōp]
noun

See
coping
transitive
verb
(past coped, past participle coped, present
participle cop·ing, 3rd person present singular copes)

provide
wall with coping: to lay a protective top course of brick
or stone ( coping ) on a wall
[16th century. From cope 2 ).][1]



cope

cope1
cope1 [kōp]
(past coped, past participle coped, present
participle cop·ing, 3rd person present singular copes)
intransitive verb

handle
something successfully: to deal successfully with a
difficult problem or situation
[14th
century. Via French couper “to strike, cut” from, ultimately, Greek kolaphos
“a blow.” The underlying meaning is “to come to blows or contend with.”]
—cop·er, noun[1]



cope

cope2
cope2 [kōp]
(plural copes) noun

priest’s
cloak:
a long sleeveless ceremonial cape worn by priests in some Christian Churches
[13th
century. Via medieval Latin capa “cloak, hood” from late Latin cappa
(source of English cape and chaperone
).]
—coped, adjective[1]



copeck

copeck
co·peck 
(plural co·pecks) noun

See
kopeck[1]



Copenhagen

Copenhagen
Co·pen·ha·gen 
[kṓpən hàygən, kpən
hgən]

capital and largest city of
Denmark, situated on the eastern coast of Sjælland Island and the northern
coast of Amager Island. Population: 1,339,395 (1994) Danish København[1]



Copenhagenblue

Copenhagenblue
Co·pen·ha·gen
blue
adjective

grayish-blue:
of a grayish-blue color
—Co·pen·ha·gen blue, noun[1]



copepod

copepod
co·pe·pod 
[kṓpə pòd] (plural co·pe·pods or
co·pe·pod) noun

tiny
aquatic organism: a tiny marine or freshwater crustacean
that lives among plankton and is an important food source for many fish.
Subclass: Copepoda
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Copepoda, subclass name, from Greek kōpē “oar” + -pod, because of its paddle-shaped feet.][1]



Copernican

Copernican
Co·per·ni·can 
[kə púrnikən] adjective

1.  of
Copernicus:
relating to Copernicus, especially to his theory that the Earth and other
planets revolve around the sun

2.  far-reaching:
profoundly important or far-reaching (literary) • a
Copernican change in attitudes

[1]



Copernicansystem

Copernicansystem
Co·per·ni·can
sys·tem
noun

theory of planet movements:
the theory of Copernicus regarding the mechanics of the solar system, published
in 1543, in which he argued that the Earth and other planets revolve around the
Sun. This theory challenged the Ptolemaic system of astronomy that had
prevailed since the second century.[1]



Copernicus

Copernicus
Co·per·ni·cus
[kə púrnikəss] noun

large crater on northwest of
Moon: a large crater on the Moon
in the northwest quadrant, 93 km58 mi in diameter. It is the center of a major
system of rays on the lunar surface.[1]



Copernicus,Nicolaus

Copernicus,Nicolaus

Co·per·ni·cus 
[kō púrnikəss, kə
púrnikəss], Nicolaus (1473–1543)
Polish
astronomer. His major work, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium ( 1543
), postulated that the Earth orbited the Sun and laid the foundations of modern
astronomy.
Born
Kopernik, Mikołaj[1]



copestone

copestone
cope·stone 
[kṓp stn] (plural cope·stones)
noun

1.  stone
on wall’s top edge: one of the stones that form
the top edge of a wall

2.  See
capstone
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from cope 3 .][1]



copier

copier
cop·i·er 
[kóppee ər] (plural cop·i·ers)
noun

1.  device
for making copies: a device, especially a
photocopier, that makes copies of documents

2.  somebody
who makes copies: somebody who makes copies of things,
especially handwritten copies of manuscripts in former times

[1]



copilot

copilot
co·pi·lot 
[kṓ plət] (plural co·pi·lots)
noun

assistant pilot:
a second pilot in an aircraft, who shares the flying but is not in command[1]



coping

coping
cop·ing 
[kṓping] (plural cop·ings) noun

wall’s
capping surface: the top, often sloping, course of brick
or stone on top of a wall that forms a protective cap against the weather.
Also
called
cope
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from cope 3 .][1]



copingsaw

copingsaw

cop·ing saw
(plural cop·ing saws) noun
saw for cutting curves:
a saw with a thin flexible blade held tight in a U-shaped frame that is used
for cutting curves in wood[1]



copious

copious
co·pi·ous 
[kṓpee əss] adjective

1.  abundant:
produced or existing in large quantities

2.  using
wordy style: using many words in writing or speech (archaic)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin copiosus, from copia
“abundance” (source of English cornucopia
and copy ).]
—co·pi·ous·ly,
adverb

—co·pi·ous·ness, noun[1]



copita

copita
co·pi·ta 
[kō ptə] noun

sherry
glass:
a traditional Spanish tulip-shaped sherry glass, or a drink of sherry served in
one
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “little cup.”][1]



coplanar

coplanar
co·pla·nar 
[kō pláynər] adjective

in
same plane:
lying in the same plane
—co·pla·nar·i·ty [kō plày nérrətee], noun[1]



Copland,Aaron

Copland,Aaron


Cop·land 
[kṓplənd], Aaron (1900–1990)
U.S. composer whose music was often based
on folk themes. He won the Pulitzer Prize in music for Appalachian Spring
( 1944 ).[1]



Copley,John Singleton

Copley,John Singleton
Cop·ley 
[kópplee], John Singleton (1738–1815)

American portrait painter.
The foremost artist of colonial America, he painted many portraits of political
figures.[1]



copolymer

copolymer
co·pol·y·mer 
[kō póllimər] (plural co·pol·y·mers)
noun

chemical
with high molecular weight: a substance with a high
molecular weight that results from chemically combining two or more monomers
—co·pol·y·mer·ic [kō pòlli mérrik], adjective[1]



copolymerize

copolymerize
co·pol·y·mer·ize 
[k pə límmə rz, kō
póllimə rz] (past co·pol·y·mer·ized, past participle
co·pol·y·mer·ized, present participle co·pol·y·mer·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular co·pol·y·mer·iz·es) transitive
verb

join
monomers chemically: to unite two or more
monomers chemically to form a copolymer
—co·pol·y·mer·i·za·tion
[k pə limmərə záysh’n, kō pòllimərə záysh’n], noun[1]



copout

copout
cop
out
intransitive verb

not do something out of fear:
to withdraw from an activity because of lack of nerve or inclination (slang)[1]



cop-out

cop-out
cop-out
(plural cop-outs) noun (slang)

1.  evasion
of responsibility: a feeble avoidance of a
responsibility or commitment

2.  excuse
for not taking action: a feebly transparent excuse
or explanation for refusing to face up to something

3.  somebody
who backs out of something: somebody who refuses to
follow through on or fulfill a commitment • What
a bunch of cop-outs!

[1]



copper

copper1

cop·per1 [kóppər]
noun (plural cop·pers)

1.  reddish-brown
metal:
a reddish-brown metallic chemical element that bends easily and is a good
conductor of electricity and heat. Symbol Cu

2.  reddish-brown
color:
a reddish-brown color, like that of polished copper

3.  small
coin:
a low-value coin made of copper or brass (informal) • a
pocketful of coppers

4.  ZOOLOGY reddish-brown
butterfly:
a small reddish-brown butterfly. Genera: Lycaena Heodes
adjective

of reddish-brown color:
of a reddish-brown color, like that of polished copper
transitive verb
(past cop·pered, past participle cop·pered, present
participle cop·per·ing, 3rd person present singular cop·pers)

cover with copper:
to cover or coat something with copper (often passive)
[Pre-12th
century. Via late Latin cuprum from, ultimately, Greek Kupros
“Cyprus,” an important ancient source of copper.]
—cop·per·y, adjective[1]



copper

copper2
cop·per2 [kóppər]
(plural cop·pers) noun

police
officer:
a police officer (slang insult)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from cop 1 .][1]



copperas

copperas
cop·per·as 
[kóppərəss] noun

See
ferrous sulfate
[15th century. Via French
from medieval Latin cuperosa, of uncertain origin: probably an
alteration of assumed aqua cuprosa “copper water,” from late Latin cuprum
(see copper ).][1]



CopperasCove

CopperasCove
Cop·per·as
Cove

city in central Texas, north
of Austin. It is home to the U.S. Army base at Fort Hood. Population: 30,311
(1996)[1]



copper-bottomed

copper-bottomed
cop·per-bot·tomed
adjective

1.  having
copper bottom: having a copper coating on the base

2.  sound:
certain or reliable, especially financially

[1]



Copperfield,David

Copperfield,David
Cop·per·field
[kóppər fld], David (1956– )

stage magician. He has
reached a large audience through his lavish televised magic shows.[1]



copperhead

copperhead
cop·per·head 
[kóppər hèd] (plural cop·per·heads
or cop·per·head) noun

1.  reddish-brown
snake:
a reddish-brown poisonous snake of the viper family found in the eastern and
central United States. Latin name: Agkistrodon contortrix

2.  HISTORY supporter
of South during Civil War: somebody living north of the
Mason-Dixon line who sympathized with the South during the Civil War (informal)
[Late 18th century][1]



Coppermine

Coppermine
Cop·per·mine 
[kópper mn]

river in northern Canada,
flowing north from the Northwest Territories, through Nunavut, and into the
Arctic Ocean. Length: 845 km/525 mi.[1]



copperplate

copperplate
cop·per·plate 
[kóppər plàyt] (plural cop·per·plates)
noun

1.  printing
plate:
a polished copper printing plate with a design etched or engraved on it

2.  print:
a print made from a copperplate

3.  neat
handwriting: neat handwriting, especially in the
style of copybooks produced from copper plates

[1]



copperpyrites

copperpyrites
cop·per
py·rites
noun

See
chalcopyrite[1]



coppersmith

coppersmith
cop·per·smith 
[kóppər smìth] (plural cop·per·smiths)
noun

1.  somebody
who makes copper articles: somebody who makes or
repairs articles of copper

2.  Asian
bird with metallic call: a small greenish bird of
Southeast Asia belonging to the barbet family that has a distinctive metallic
call. Latin name: Megalaima haemacephala

[1]



coppersulfate

coppersulfate
cop·per
sul·fate
noun

poisonous blue chemical:
a poisonous blue compound containing copper and sulfur that is used in dyeing
and as a fungicide. CuSO4[1]



copperware

copperware
cop·per·ware 
[kóppər wàir] noun

copper articles:
objects made of copper, especially cooking pots and pans[1]



coppice

coppice
cop·pice 
[kóppiss] noun (plural cop·pic·es)

grove
of small trees: an area of densely growing small trees,
especially one in which the trees are regularly cut back to encourage more
growth.
Also
called
copse
transitive
verb
(past cop·piced, past participle cop·piced, present
participle cop·pic·ing, 3rd person present singular cop·pic·es)

prune
trees:
to cut back trees periodically to encourage young growth
[Mid-14th century. From Old
French copeïz, from coper “to cut” (see cope 1 ).][1]



Coppola,Francis Ford

Coppola,Francis Ford
Cop·po·la 
[kóppələ], Francis Ford (1939– )

U.S. movie director. He
directed the Godfather trilogy ( 1972, 1974, 1990 ).[1]



copra

copra
co·pra 
[kṓprə, kópprə]
noun

dried
coconut:
the dried flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is obtained
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese from Malayalam koppara .][1]



Coprates

Coprates
Cop·ra·tes
[kópprə tez] noun

giant canyon on Mars near
equator: a giant canyon on Mars
running east–west to the equatorial region. It is over 800 km/500 mi long and
95 km/60 mi wide in places.[1]



copro-

copro-
copro-
prefix

dung,
excrement • coprophilous
[From Greek kopros
“dung”][1]



coprocessor

coprocessor
co·pro·ces·sor
[kō pró sèssər] (plural co·pro·ces·sors)
noun

second processor in a
computer: a second processor in a
computer, designed to improve performance time by handling specialized tasks[1]



coprolalia

coprolalia
cop·ro·la·li·a 
[kòpprə láylee ə] noun

uncontrolled swearing:
the uncontrolled use of violent and obscene language, especially as a result of
an illness such as Tourette’s syndrome[1]



coprolite

coprolite
cop·ro·lite 
[kópprə lt] (plural cop·ro·lites)
noun

petrified
dung:
fossilized dung from which information about eating patterns in prehistoric
times can be discovered
—cop·ro·lit·ic [kòpprə líttik], adjective[1]



coprology

coprology
cop·rol·o·gy 
[kə prólləjee] noun

obsession with defecation:
an obsession with defecation especially as expressed in art and literature[1]



coprophagy

coprophagy
cop·roph·a·gy 
[kə próffəjee] noun

feeding
on dung:
the eating of dung by certain species of insects or animals
—cop·roph·a·gous [kə próffəgəss], adjective[1]



coprophilia

coprophilia
cop·ro·phil·i·a 
[kòpprə fíllee ə] noun

obsession
with feces:
an obsessive and often sexual interest in feces and defecation
—cop·ro·phil·i·ac,
noun

—cop·ro·phil·ic, adjective[1]



coprophilous

coprophilous
cop·roph·i·lous 
[kə próffiləss] adjective

living on or in dung:
used to describe organisms such as some insects or fungi that live on or in
dung[1]



copse

copse
copse 
[kops] (plural copses) noun

See
coppice
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of coppice .][1]



Copt.

Copt.
Copt.

Abbreviation of
Coptic[1]



Copt

Copt
Copt 
[kopt] (plural Copts) noun

1.  member
of Coptic Church: a member of the Coptic Church

2.  non-Arab
Egyptian:
an Egyptian of non-Arab descent
[Early 17th century. Via
French or modern Latin from Arabic al-ib “the Copts,” from Coptic Gyptios
“Egyptian,” from Greek Aiguptios .][1]



copter

copter
cop·ter 
[kóptər] (plural cop·ters) noun

helicopter:
a helicopter (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Coptic

Coptic
Cop·tic 
[kóptik] noun

former
Egyptian language: a language formerly spoken
in Egypt, a later form of ancient Egyptian and one of the Afro-Asiatic
languages. Coptic survives as the liturgical language of Egyptian Monophysite
Christians.
adjective

of the Copts:
relating or belonging to the Copts, Coptic, or Egyptian Monophysite Christian
Church[1]



CopticChurch

CopticChurch
Cop·tic
Church
noun

Egyptian Christian Church:
the Egyptian Christian Church, established in the 6th century and adhering to
the doctrine of the Monophysites[1]



copula

copula
cop·u·la 
[kóppyələ] (plural cop·u·las or
cop·u·lae [kóppyə l]) noun

1.  GRAMMAR linking
verb:
a verb such as “be” or “seem” that links the subject of a sentence with an
adjective or noun phrase ( complement )
relating to it (technical)

2.  LOGIC link
between subject and predicate: a form of the verb “to
be” linking the subject and the predicate in certain propositions, such as
“are” in “Some dogs are poodles” (technical)

3.  link
between two things: anything that provides a
link between two things (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “link” (source of English couple
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to reach” that is also the
ancestor of English apt, apex, and attitude
.]
—cop·u·lar, adjective[1]



copulate

copulate
cop·u·late 
[kóppyə làyt] (past cop·u·lat·ed,
past participle cop·u·lat·ed, present participle cop·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cop·u·lates) intransitive verb

have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin copulat-, past participle stem of copulare
“to join together,” from copula (see copula
).]
—cop·u·la·tion
[kòppyə láysh’n], noun

—cop·u·la·to·ry [kóppyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



copulative

copulative
cop·u·la·tive 
[kóppyə làytiv, kóppyələtiv]
adjective

1.  linking:
linking or joining (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR relating
to linking verb: relating to a verb that links the
subject with its complement, or to the function of such a verb
—cop·u·la·tive·ly, adverb[1]



copy

copy
cop·y 
[kóppee] noun (plural cop·ies)

1.  reproduction:
something that is made exactly like something else in appearance or function

2.  one
of many:
any of many identical specimens of something that is produced in large numbers,
especially something printed or published

3.  written
text:
the written text to be published in a book, newspaper, or magazine, as distinct
from visual material or graphics
verb
(past cop·ied, past participle cop·ied, present
participle cop·y·ing, 3rd person present singular cop·ies)

1.  transitive
verb
make
identical version: to make another example or
specimen that is exactly the same as something

2.  transitive
verb
do
same as:
to do exactly what somebody else does

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cheat
by doing same: to reproduce the work of another
fraudulently

4.  transitive
verb
send
copy to somebody: to send a copy to somebody, especially a
copy of a letter or other document • All
heads of departments should have been copied.
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin copia “abundance, power,
right” (see copious ), in phrases meaning
“the right to transcribe.”]
—cop·y·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  copy, reproduce, duplicate, clone,
  replicate, recreate
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  make something that resembles something else to a greater or lesser degree copy; the most general term; reproduce; to make a copy that is careful
  and exact; duplicate; to copy
  something two or more times; clone;
  to produce a copy that is very nearly identical to the original, particularly
  a piece of equipment or an organism; replicate;
  to copy something repeatedly and exactly; recreate;
  to make something that appears to be the same as something that no longer
  exists, or that exists in a different place

[1]



copybook

copybook
cop·y·book 
[kóppi bk] noun (plural cop·y·books)

book
of handwriting specimens: a book containing models of
handwriting for young students to copy
adjective

unoriginal:
following guidelines slavishly and showing no originality[1]



copyboy

copyboy
cop·y
boy
[kóppi boy] (plural cop·y boys)
or cop·y·boy [kóppi boy] (plural
cop·y·boys) noun

errand runner:
somebody, usually a young man, who runs errands in a newspaper office[1]



copycat

copycat
cop·y·cat 
[kóppi kàt] noun (plural cop·y·cats)

somebody
who imitates others: somebody, especially a
child, who slavishly imitates another (informal)
adjective

done in imitation:
done in close imitation of somebody or something else (informal)[1]



copydesk

copydesk
cop·y
desk
(plural cop·y desks) noun

copy editor’s desk:
a desk at which written material is edited for publication[1]



copydown

copydown
copy
down
transitive verb

make written copy:
to make a written copy of something • Journalists
copied down his every word.[1]



copyedit

copyedit
copy·ed·it 
(past copy·ed·it·ed, past participle copy·ed·it·ed,
present participle copy·ed·it·ing, plural copy·ed·its)
intransitive and transitive verb

read and correct for
publication: to read written
material and correct it for publication[1]



copyeditor

copyeditor
cop·y
ed·i·tor
[kóppee èddətər] (plural cop·y
ed·i·tors) or copy·ed·i·tor [kóppee
èddətər] (plural copy·ed·i·tors) noun

somebody
who checks written material: somebody who reads written
material and corrects it for publication
[Late 19th century][1]



copygraph

copygraph
copy·graph
[kóppi gràf] (plural copy·graphs)
noun

See
hectograph[1]



copyholder

copyholder
cop·y·hold·er 
[kóppi hldər] (plural cop·y·hold·ers)
noun

1.  document
stand:
a stand that holds documents upright while they are being read or keyed

2.  assistant
to proofreader: somebody who reads written material
aloud to a proofreader

[1]



copyist

copyist
cop·y·ist 
[kóppee ist] (plural cop·y·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
who makes written copies: somebody whose job is making
copies of handwritten documents or music

2.  unimaginative
imitator:
somebody who merely imitates others

[1]



copyprotection

copyprotection
cop·y
pro·tec·tion noun

method
of preventing duplication of software: a
means of preventing unauthorized duplication of computer software
—cop·y-pro·tect·ed, adjective[1]



copyreader

copyreader
cop·y·read·er 
[kóppi rdər] (plural cop·y·read·ers)
noun

newspaper editor:
somebody who reads and edits newspaper articles to prepare them for
publication.
U.K. term
subeditor[1]



copyright

copyright
cop·y·right 
[kóppi rt] noun (plural cop·y·rights)

creative
artist’s control of original work: the legal right of
creative artists or publishers to control the use and reproduction of their
original works
adjective

protected
by copyright: controlled or restricted by a copyright
transitive
verb
(past cop·y·right·ed, past participle cop·y·right·ed,
present participle cop·y·right·ing, 3rd person present
singular cop·y·rights)

get
copyright of: to secure the copyright on a creative
work
—cop·y·right·a·ble,
adjective

—cop·y·right·er, noun[1]



copyrightdeposit library

copyrightdeposit library
cop·y·right
de·pos·it li·brar·y noun

library containing every
book: any of a small number of
libraries that receives a free copy of every book published in the United
States[1]



copywriter

copywriter
cop·y·writ·er 
[kóppi rtər] (plural cop·y·writ·ers)
noun

writer
of advertisements: somebody who writes the
texts for advertisements and other publicity material
—cop·y·writ·ing, noun[1]



Copán

Copán
Co·pán
[kō pn]

ancient city of the Mayan
people, in northwestern Honduras. It is an important archaeological site.[1]



coqau vin

coqau vin
coq
au vin 
[kòk ō váN, kòk
ō ván] (plural coqs au vin [kòk
ō váN] or coq au vins) noun

French
chicken casserole: a French dish of chicken
cooked in red wine with other ingredients
[From French, literally “cock
in wine”][1]



coquet

coquet
co·quet 
[kō két] intransitive verb (past
co·quet·ted, past participle co·quet·ted, present
participle co·quet·ting, 3rd person present singular co·quets)
(literary)

1.  flirt:
to act coyly and flirtatiously

2.  act
frivolously: to act casually or frivolously
noun
(plural co·quets)

man who flirts:
a flirtatious man (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “little cock,” from coq “cock” (see cockade ).][1]



coquetry

coquetry
co·quet·ry 
[kṓkətree] (plural co·quet·ries)
noun

flirtatiousness:
flirtatious behavior (literary)[1]



coquette

coquette
co·quette 
[kō két] (plural co·quettes) noun

woman
who flirts:
a flirtatious woman (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From French, the feminine form of coquet “ coquet .”]
—co·quet·tish,
adjective

—co·quet·tish·ly,
adverb

—co·quet·tish·ness, noun[1]



coquillanut

coquillanut
co·quil·la
nut 
[kə kíllə nùt, kō
kyə nùt] (plural co·quil·la nuts) noun

nut
of Brazilian palm tree: the nut of a Brazilian palm
tree, with a thick hard shell used for carving
[Coquilla of uncertain
origin: possibly an alteration of Portuguese coquilho, literally “little
coconut,” from cóco “coconut” (see coco
)][1]



coquille

coquille
co·quille 
[kō kl] (plural co·quilles) noun

1.  seafood
dish:
a dish of seafood baked and served in a scallop shell or a scallop-shaped dish

2.  shell
or shell-shaped dish: a scallop shell or a
scallop-shaped dish

3.  FENCING guard
on foil:
a bell-shaped guard on a fencing foil
[From French, “cockle shell”
(see cockle )][1]



coquina

coquina
co·qui·na 
[kō knə] (plural co·qui·nas) noun

1.  soft
limestone:
a soft limestone formed largely from crushed shells and coral, used as a
building material in the West Indies and the southeastern United States

2.  sea
clam:
a small clam common in the seas around the eastern and southern United States.
Genus: Donax
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, “cockle shell,” of uncertain origin: probably via concha
“mollusk shell” from Latin, “mussel.”][1]



coquito

coquito
co·qui·to 
[kō ktō] (plural co·qui·tos or
co·qui·to) noun

Chilean
palm tree:
a Chilean palm tree with edible nuts and a sweet sap that is used to make wine.
Latin name: Jubaea chilensis
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “little coco shell,” from, ultimately, Portuguese cóco
“coconut” (see coco ).][1]



Cor.

Cor.
Cor.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Corinthians[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cor.

cor.
cor.

1.  Abbreviation
of
corner

2.  Abbreviation
of
cornet

3.  Abbreviation
of
correction

4.  Abbreviation
of
correspondence

5.  PRESS Abbreviation of correspondent

[1]



coracle

coracle
cor·a·cle 
[káwrəkəl] (plural cor·a·cles)
noun

animal-skin
boat:
a small round boat made from animal skins stretched over a wicker frame
[Mid-16th century. Via Welsh corwgl
from Middle Irish curach “currach” (see currach
).][1]



coracoid

coracoid
cor·a·coid 
[káwrə kòyd] (plural co·ra·coids)
noun

bony
projection:
a bony projection on the shoulder blade in most mammals
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek korakoeidēs “crowlike” (from its resemblance to a
crow’s beak), from korax “raven, crow.”][1]



coral

coral
cor·al 
[káwrəl] noun (plural cor·als)

1.  marine
organism:
a marine organism that lives in colonies and has an external skeleton. Class:
Anthozoa

2.  hard
marine deposit: a hard deposit consisting of coral
skeletons, often forming marine reefs

3.  something
made of coral: a piece of coral or an article made from
it

4.  deep
reddish-orange color: a deep reddish-orange color

5.  lobster’s
or crab’s eggs: the unfertilized eggs of a crab or
lobster that turn pinkish-orange when cooked
adjective

deep reddish-orange:
of a deep reddish-orange color
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek korallion .][1]



coralbean

coralbean
cor·al
bean
(plural cor·al beans) noun

See
coral tree[1]



coral-bells

coral-bells
cor·al-bells 
noun

plant with pink flowers:
a perennial plant that produces clusters of tiny pinkish-orange bell-shaped
flowers. Latin name: Heuchera sanguinea (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



coralberry

coralberry
cor·al·ber·ry 
[káwrəl bèrree] (plural cor·al·ber·ries
or cor·al·ber·ry) noun

1.  plant
with red berries: a North American shrub of the
honeysuckle family that produces dark red berries. Latin name: Symphoricarpos
orbiculatus

2.  eastern
Asian shrub: an evergreen shrub of eastern Asia.
Genus: Ardisia

[1]



CoralGables

CoralGables
Cor·al
Ga·bles 
[kàwrəl gáyb’lz]

city on Biscayne Bay in
Florida, west of Miami, that is home to the University of Miami. Population:
39,916 (1996)[1]



coralline

coralline
cor·al·line 
[káwrə ln, káwrəlin]
adjective

1.  of
or like coral: relating to or resembling coral

2.  pinkish-red
or pinkish-orange: of the pinkish-red or
pinkish-orange color of coral
noun
(plural cor·al·lines)

1.  calcium-covered
red alga:
a red alga whose fronds are covered or impregnated with calcium deposits.
Genus: Corallina

2.  organism
that resembles coral: a sponge or other organism
that resembles coral

[1]



coralloid

coralloid
cor·al·loid 
[káwrə lòyd] adjective

like coral:
relating to or resembling coral[1]



coralreef

coralreef
cor·al
reef
(plural cor·al reefs) noun

marine ridge of coral
skeletons: a marine reef composed of
the skeletons of living coral, together with minerals and organic matter[1]



coralroot

coralroot
cor·al·root 
[káwrəl rt] (plural cor·al·roots
or cor·al·root) noun

orchid with roots resembling
coral: a leafless orchid with small
insignificant flowers that feeds through roots that resemble coral. Genus: Corallorhiza[1]



CoralSea

CoralSea
Cor·al
Sea

sea in the southwestern
Pacific Ocean bounded by Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and
Vanuatu[1]



coralsnake

coralsnake
cor·al
snake
(plural cor·al snakes) noun

1.  poisonous
snake of N and S America: a poisonous snake of North
and South America that is strikingly marked with red, black, and yellow or
white bands. Coral snakes are mostly nocturnal and feed on other snakes and
lizards. Genera: Micrurus Micruroides

2.  Australian
poisonous snake: a poisonous snake of eastern Australia
that is red with yellow and black bands. Latin name: Brachyurophis australis

[1]



CoralSprings

CoralSprings
Cor·al
Springs

city in southeastern Florida,
northwest of Fort Lauderdale and southwest of Boca Raton. Population: 105,275
(1996)[1]



coraltree

coraltree
cor·al
tree
(plural cor·al trees) noun

shrub or tree with bright
flowers: a thorny shrub or small tree
of tropical and subtropical regions with large red or orange flowers that are
pollinated by birds and brightly colored seeds that grow in long pods. Genus: Erythrina

Also called
coral bean[1]



corampopulo

corampopulo
cor·am
pop·u·lo
[k`awram póppyəlō] adverb

publicly:
where other people can see what is being done (literary)
[From Latin, literally
“before the people”][1]



coranglais

coranglais
cor
an·glais 
[kàwr awng gláy] (plural cor
an·glais or cors an·glais [kàwr
awng gláy]) noun

See
English horn
[From French, literally
“English horn”][1]



coranto

coranto
co·ran·to 
[kə rántō, kə
rntō] (plural co·ran·tos) noun

See
courante
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of French courante (see courante ),
influenced by Italian corranta (also from French ).][1]



corban

corban
cor·ban 
[káwr bàn, káwr
bn, kawr bán, kawr bn] (plural cor·bans) noun

1.  Hebrew
offering to God: an offering to God made by the ancient
Hebrew people

2.  Temple
treasury:
the treasury of the Temple of Jerusalem, or an offering made to it
[14th century. Via Greek from
Hebrew qorbān “offering,” from qāra “to approach.”][1]



corbeil

corbeil
cor·beil
[káwrb’l] (plural cor·beils) or
cor·beille [káwrb’l] (plural cor·beilles)
noun

carving
on building: a stone carving of a basket of fruit or
flowers as a feature on a building
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from late Latin corbicula, literally “small basket,” from Latin corbis
“basket.”][1]



corbel

corbel
cor·bel 
[káwrb’l, káwr
bèl] noun (plural cor·bels)

supporting stone bracket:
a bracket of brick or stone that juts out of a wall to support a structure
above it
transitive
verb
(past cor·beled, past participle cor·beled, present
participle cor·bel·ing, 3rd person present singular cor·bels)

1.  lay
masonry units to form projection: to lay stones or
bricks in layers so that each juts out above the one below to form a supporting
bracket

2.  support
with corbels: to support a cornice or other structure
on corbels
[14th century. From Old
French, literally “little raven,” from corp “raven,” from Latin corvus
(see corvine ); from its original beaklike
profile from being cut slantwise.][1]



corbeling

corbeling
cor·bel·ing 
[káwrbəling, káwrbèlling]
(plural cor·bel·ings) noun

system using corbels:
a structural system using corbels as supports[1]



Corbett,James John

Corbett,James John

Cor·bett 
[káwrbət], James John (1866–1933)
U.S.
boxer. He was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1892 to 1897.
Known as
Gentleman Jim[1]



corbie

corbie
cor·bie
[káwrbee] (plural cor·bies or
cor·bie) noun

Scotland
crow:
a crow, especially a raven
[15th century. Via Old French
corbin from late Latin corvinus “ravenlike” (see corvine ).][1]



corbiegable

corbiegable
cor·bie
ga·ble 
(plural cor·bie ga·bles) noun

gable
shaped like steps: a gable with top edges
shaped like a series of steps
[Corbie from corbie-step][1]



corbie-step

corbie-step
cor·bie-step
[káwrbi stèp] (plural cor·bie-steps)
or cor·bie·step [káwrbi stèp]
(plural cor·bie·steps) noun

step
on top edge of gable: each of a series of
decorative steps going up the side of a gable
[Corbie from the idea that
only crows can reach them][1]



corbina

corbina
cor·bi·na 
[kawr bnə] (plural cor·bi·nas
or cor·bi·na) or cor·vi·na [kawr vnə] (plural cor·vi·nas or cor·vi·na)
noun

Californian
fish:
a Pacific food and game fish that is popular with anglers along the coast of
California. Latin name: Menticirrhus undulatus
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish from Spanish corvino “ravenlike” (because of its
color), from Latin corvinus (see corvine
).][1]



cord

cord
cord 
[kawrd] noun (plural cords)

1.  string
or rope:
thick strong string or thin rope • cords
of Venetian blinds

2.  electrical
cable:
flexible insulated electric cable

3.  body
part resembling rope: a part of the body
resembling cord, for example, the spinal cord or the umbilical cord.
Also
called
chord

4.  fastening
or belt:
a length of cord used as a fastening or belt

5.  ribbed
fabric:
any fabric that has a ribbed surface, especially corduroy

6.  unit
of volume for cut timber: a unit of volume for cut
timber, equal to 128 cu. ft ( approximately 3.6 cu. m )
plural
noun
cords

pants:
corduroy pants (informal) • a pair
of cords
transitive
verb
(past cord·ed, past participle cord·ed, present
participle cord·ing, 3rd person present singular cords)

1.  tie
with cord:
to fasten or tie something with cord or rope • Are
the packages corded and ready to ship?

2.  stack
wood in cords: to stack wood in units with a volume of
one cord
[13th
century. Via Old French and Latin from Greek khordē “string.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “gut, entrail” that is also the ancestor of
English yarn, chord, and hernia
.]
—cord·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at chord.

[1]



cordage

cordage
cord·age 
[káwrdij] noun

1.  amount
of wood:
the amount of wood in a stack, measured in cords

2.  cords
as group:
ropes or cords collectively, especially the lines and rigging of a ship

[1]



cordate

cordate

cor·date 
[káwr dàyt] adjective
BOTANY heart-shaped:
used to describe a leaf that is heart-shaped
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin cordatus from the Latin stem cord- (see
cordial ).]
—cor·date·ly, adverb[1]



corded

corded
cord·ed 
[káwrdəd] adjective

1.  ribbed:
used to describe a fabric with a ribbed surface

2.  tied
up:
securely tied up with string or rope

3.  with
tight muscles: having tensed or well-developed muscles
visible as ridges or ripples

[1]



Cordelia

Cordelia
Cor·de·li·a
[kawr dlee ə] noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe. Its gravitational influence appears to help stabilize the
outer ring of Uranus.[1]



cordgrass

cordgrass
cord
grass
(plural cord grass·es) noun

coarse marsh grass:
a coarse grass found on coastal salt marshes or mudflats. Genus: Spartina[1]



cordial

cordial
cor·dial 
[káwrjəl] adjective

1.  warm:
friendly and affectionate

2.  deeply
felt:
sincere or profound (literary)

3.  refreshing:
stimulating or invigorating (literary)
noun
(plural cor·dials)

1.  liqueur:
an alcoholic drink usually served at the end of a meal.
U.K.
term
liqueur

2.  tonic:
a stimulating or medicinal drink
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin cordialis “of the heart” from the Latin stem
cord- from cor “heart” (source of English courage and accord
).]
—cor·dial·ly,
adverb

—cor·dial·ness, noun[1]



cordiality

cordiality
cor·di·al·i·ty
[kàwrjee állətee] noun

warmth:
friendliness and affection • We
were surprised by the cordiality of their response.[1]



cordierite

cordierite
cor·di·er·ite 
[káwrdee ə rt] noun

purplish-blue
or gray mineral: a purplish-blue or gray mineral that is
a silicate of magnesium, aluminum, and iron and is found in metamorphic rock.
Also
called
dichroite
Also
called
iolite
[Early 19th century. Named
for the French geologist, Pierre L. Cordier (1777–1861) who discovered
it.][1]



cordillera

cordillera
cor·dil·le·ra 
[kàwrd’l yáirə] (plural cor·dil·le·ras)
noun

system
of mountain ranges: a system of mountain ranges
consisting of approximately parallel ridges
[Early 18th century. From
Spanish, from cordilla, literally “small cord,” from cuerda
“cord,” from Latin chorda (see cord
).][1]



cordite

cordite
cord·ite 
[káwr dt] noun

explosive:
a smokeless explosive, usually made of gunpowder and nitroglycerin
[Late 19th century. Formed
from cord, because of its stringy
appearance.][1]



cordless

cordless
cord·less 
[káwrdləss] adjective

not needing electricity from
wall outlet: powered by an internal
battery and not needing to be continuously attached by a cable to an external
electricity supply[1]



cordlesstelephone

cordlesstelephone
cord·less
tel·e·phone
(plural cord·less tel·e·phones) noun

telephone with portable
handset: a telephone, powered by a
recharging battery, with a portable handset that can be removed from its base
unit and has a short-range radio link to it[1]



cordon

cordon
cor·don 
[káwrd’n, káwr
dòn] (plural cor·dons) noun

1.  people
or vehicles encircling area: a chain of police officers
or soldiers, or their vehicles, surrounding an area to control access to it

2.  ribbon:
a piece of ribbon worn for decoration or as a sign of rank or a mark of honor

3.  GARDENING fruit
tree with no side branches: a fruit tree grown as a main
stem with spurs, but with its side branches removed

4.  ARCHITECTURE See stringcourse
[Late 16th century. From Old
French, literally “small cord,” from corde (see cord
).][1]



cordonbleu

cordonbleu
cor·don
bleu 
[kàwr dawn bl, kàwr
dawN bl] adjective

1.  of
highest class: used to describe a cook or cooking of
the highest class

2.  with
cheese and ham: used to describe a way of preparing
meat, especially veal, by rolling a thin slice around cheese and ham and then
coating in breadcrumbs
noun
(plural cor·don bleus)

1.  master
chef:
a cook of the very highest class, especially a master chef

2.  HISTORY knight’s
ribbon:
a blue ribbon worn by knights of the highest order in Bourbon France
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “blue ribbon.”][1]



cordonoff

cordonoff
cordon
off
(past cordoned off, past participle cordoned off, present
participle cordoning off, 3rd person present singular cordons
off) transitive verb

seal off:
to surround an area with a line of police officers, soldiers, or their
vehicles, to control access to it[1]



cordonsanitaire

cordonsanitaire
cor·don
sa·ni·taire 
[kàwr dawN saani táir] (plural cor·don
sa·ni·taires) noun

1.  disease-controlling
barrier:
a barrier erected to control the spread of a disease by restricting movement to
and from the infected area

2.  area
separating warring nations: a neutral state, or a string
of neutral states, lying between two states that are hostile to each other
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “sanitary line.”][1]



Cordova

Cordova
Cor·do·va
[kawr dṓvə]

city in southeastern Alaska,
on the north shore of Prince William Sound, southeast of Anchorage. Population:
2,256 (1996)[1]



cordovan

cordovan
cor·do·van 
[káwrdəvən] noun

soft
leather:
a fine soft leather originally made from goatskin and now usually made from
horsehide.
Also
called
cordwain
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish cordován, named after the Spanish city of Córdoba where it was made.][1]



corduroy

corduroy
cor·du·roy 
[káwrdə ròy] noun

ribbed
cotton fabric: a heavy cotton fabric with a ribbed nap
running lengthwise
plural
noun
cor·du·roys

pants:
pants made of corduroy
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably coined from cord + duroy,
a kind of coarse woollen fabric.][1]



corduroyroad

corduroyroad
cor·du·roy
road
(plural cor·du·roy roads) noun

road
of logs:
a road made of logs across muddy or swampy ground
[Corduroy from the
resemblance of its surface to corduroy fabric][1]



cordwain

cordwain
cord·wain 
[káwrd wàyn] noun

(archaic)
See cordovan
[14th century. Via Old French
cordewan from Spanish cordován (see cordovan
).][1]



cordwainer

cordwainer
cord·wain·er
[káwrd wàynər] (plural cord·wain·ers)
noun

shoemaker
or leatherworker: somebody who makes shoes and other
articles from fine soft leather ( cordovan )
(archaic)
—cord·wain·er·y, noun[1]



cordwood

cordwood
cord·wood 
[káwrd wd] noun

wood for stacking:
wood in stacks with a volume of one cord, or cut into lengths of 1.2 m4 ft for
stacking in cords[1]



CORE

CORE
CORE
[kawr]

Abbreviation of
Congress of Racial Equality[1]



core

core
core 
[kawr] noun (plural cores)

1.  central
part of fruit: the fibrous central part of some kinds
of fruit, containing the seeds

2.  essential
part:
the central or most important part of something

3.  GEOLOGY center
of Earth:
the central part of the Earth, or the corresponding part of another celestial
body. The Earth’s core is molten in parts and is composed of an alloy of iron
and nickel.

4.  COMPUTING computer
memory:
the main memory of a computer, which was composed of arrays of ring-shaped
magnets, before the introduction of semiconductor memories.
Also
called
core memory

5.  COMPUTING piece
of computer memory: a ring-shaped piece of
magnetic material formerly used to store digital data in a computer, each core
representing one binary digit ( bit )

6.  GEOLOGY sample
obtained by drilling: a tubular segment of rock,
ice, or other material obtained as a study sample by drilling

7.  PHYSICS central
part of nuclear reactor: the central part of a
nuclear reactor in which fission takes place

8.  ELECTRICITY iron
in transformer: a block of iron in a coil or
transformer, used to intensify and direct the magnetic field produced by a
current in surrounding coils

9.  stone
used to make tools: a block of stone from which
tools or flakes are chipped
adjective

essential: of
central or fundamental importance
transitive
verb
(past cored, past participle cored, present
participle cor·ing, 3rd person present singular cores)

take core out of:
to remove the core from a piece of fruit
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



corecity

corecity
core
cit·y
noun

See
inner city[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








corecompetency

corecompetency
core
com·pe·ten·cy noun

area of expertise fundamental
to job: an area of expertise that is
fundamental to a particular job or function[1]



corecurriculum

corecurriculum
core
cur·ric·u·lum noun

compulsory school subjects:
the subjects that all students are required to study at school[1]



coredump

coredump
core
dump
(plural core dumps) noun

1.  transfer
of data:
a transfer of data stored in the core memory of a computer, usually to external
storage

2.  long-winded
answer:
a long-winded response to a simple question (informal humorous)

[1]



coreferential

coreferential
co·ref·er·en·tial
[k reffə rénshəl] adjective

with identical reference:
referring to the same person or thing • In
the sentence “Mary lost her purse,” “Mary” and “her” are coreferential.[1]



coreligionist

coreligionist
co·re·lig·ion·ist 
[k ri líjjənist] (plural co·re·lig·ion·ists)
noun

follower of same religion:
somebody who practices the same religion as another person[1]



corememory

corememory
core
mem·o·ry
noun

(technical) See
core  noun 4[1]



coreq

coreq
co·req
[kōrék] (plural co·reqs) noun

corequisite:
a corequisite (informal)[1]



corequisite

corequisite
co·req·ui·site
[kō rékwizit] (plural co·req·ui·sites)
noun

compulsory
accompanying course: a course of study that must
be taken along with another
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
prerequisite .][1]



corer

corer
cor·er 
[káwrər] (plural cor·ers) noun

utensil for removing core of
fruit: a utensil with a
near-cylindrical blade used for removing the cores of apples and other fruit[1]



co-respondent

co-respondent
co-re·spon·dent
[k ri spóndənt] (plural co-re·spon·dents)
or co·re·spon·dent [k ri spóndənt]
(plural corespondents) noun

alleged
sexual partner: somebody named in a divorce suit as the
alleged adulterous sexual partner of the respondent
—co-re·spon·den·cy, noun[1]



coresubject

coresubject
core
sub·ject
(plural core sub·jects) noun

compulsory school subject:
any of a number of subjects that all students are required to study at school[1]



coretime

coretime
core
time
noun

compulsory work period:
the part of the working day during which workers on flextime must be present at
work[1]



corf

corf
corf 
[kawrf] (plural corves [kawrvz]) noun

MINING underground
coal cart:
a wagon used inside a mine for transporting mined coal or ore
[15th century. Via Middle
Dutch or Middle Low German korf “basket” from Latin corbis . Its
earliest meaning in English was “basket.”][1]



Corfam

Corfam
Cor·fam
[káwr fàm] Trademark

a trademark for a synthetic
water-resistant substitute for leather, used in the making of shoes[1]



Corfu

Corfu
Cor·fu 
[kawr f, káwr
f]

most northerly island in the
Ionian Islands, west of Greece. It is a major tourist center. Population:
107,592 (1991) Area: 641 sq km/247 sq mi.[1]



corgi

corgi
cor·gi 
[káwrgee] (plural cor·gis) noun

small
dog:
a small dog with short legs and smooth hair. There are two breeds of corgi, the
Cardigan Welsh corgi and the Pembroke Welsh corgi.
Also
called
Welsh corgi
[Early 20th century. From
Welsh, formed from cor “dwarf” + ci “dog.”][1]



coriaceous

coriaceous
cor·i·a·ceous 
[kàwree áyshəss] adjective

like
leather:
like leather in texture or appearance
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin coriaceus, from Latin corium “leather.”][1]



coriander

coriander

co·ri·an·der 
[kàwree ándər] noun

1.  aromatic
plant:
an annual plant native to Asia and the Mediterranean, grown for its aromatic
leaves and seeds that are used as a flavoring in cooking. Latin name: Coriandrum
sativum
Also
called
Chinese parsley

2.  food
flavoring:
the leaves or seeds of the coriander plant, or a powder made from the crushed
seeds, used to season food
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek koriandron .][1]



Corinth

Corinth
Cor·inth 
[káwrinth]

1.  ancient
Greek city and modern town 5 km/3 mi to the northeast. The ruins of the ancient
city are about 80 km/50 mi west of Athens. Population: 29,600 (1995)

2.  city
in the northeastern corner of Mississippi, the site of a famous Civil War
battle. Population: 12,264 (1996)

[1]



Corinthian

Corinthian
Co·rin·thi·an 
[kə rínthee ən] adjective

1.  of
Corinth:
relating to or typical of the ancient or modern Greek city of Corinth

2.  ARCHITECTURE slender
and ornate at top: used to describe a slender
column with an ornate capital

3.  debauched:
debauched or ostentatiously luxurious (literary)
noun
(plural Co·rin·thi·ans)

1.  somebody
from Corinth: somebody from the city of Corinth

2.  wealthy
sportsperson: a wealthy amateur sportsperson,
especially somebody fond of yachting (humorous)

3.  man
about town:
a man who enjoys good living

[1]



Corinthianorder

Corinthianorder
Co·rin·thi·an
or·der
noun

Greek
architectural style: an ancient Greek order of
architecture characterized by a slender column with an ornate capital
[Corinthian from the origin
of the order in Corinth, Greece][1]



Corinthians

Corinthians
Co·rin·thi·ans
[kə rínthee ənz] noun

book in Bible:
either of two books in the New Testament, originally written as letters by St.
Paul to the church at Corinth.[1]



Coriolanus

Coriolanus
Co·ri·o·la·nus
[kàwree ə láynəss, kə
r ə lánnəss] noun

legendary Roman hero:
in Roman legend the defeater of the Volsci in the 5th century BC . He later joined his former enemies,
and was dissuaded from leading a Volscian attack on Rome by the pleas of his
wife and mother.[1]



Corioliseffect

Corioliseffect
Co·ri·o·lis
ef·fect 
[kawri lisí fèkt] noun

deflection
relative to Earth: the observed deflection of
something such as a missile in flight relative to the Earth’s surface, caused
by the Earth’s rotation beneath the object. The deflection is to the right in
the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
[Named for the French
mathematician Gaspard de Coriolis 1792–1843][1]



Coriolisforce

Coriolisforce
Co·ri·o·lis
force 
noun

apparent force of Earth’s
rotation: an apparent but nonexistent
force used to describe the effect of the Earth’s rotation on the motion of
moving objects[1]



corium

corium
co·ri·um 
[káwree əm] (plural co·ri·a [káwree ə]) noun

1.  MEDICINE See dermis

2.  INSECTS part
of insect’s wing: the leathery middle part of the forewing
of some insects
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “hide, leather” (source of English excoriate
).][1]



corival

corival
co·ri·val
noun

See
corrival[1]



cork

cork
cork 
[kawrk] noun (plural corks)

1.  INDUSTRY outer
bark of cork oak: the light, flexible, outer bark of the
cork oak tree commonly used to make bottle stoppers and as an insulator

2.  bottle
stopper:
a usually cylindrical piece of cork or other material used as a bottle stopper

3.  ANGLING float
used in fishing: a small float used in fishing to
maintain a hook or net suspended in the water

4.  BOTANY layer
of plant tissue: dead tissue that forms a protective
outer layer on plants and is part of the bark in woody plants.
Also
called
phellem
transitive
verb
(past corked, past participle corked, present
participle cork·ing, 3rd person present singular corks)

1.  seal
container with cork: to stop or seal something,
especially a bottle, with a cork

2.  restrain
feelings:
to restrain feelings, especially strong negative ones such as anger or grief

3.  blacken
face and hands: to blacken something, especially
somebody’s face and hands, with charred cork
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Middle Dutch from, ultimately, Arabic
dialect ur “cork-soled sandal,” which may have been borrowed from
Latin quercus “oak tree.”]
blow
or pop your cork

to lose your temper (informal)[1]



Cork

Cork
Cork 
[kawrk]

county town of County Cork,
southern Ireland. It is a port on the Lee River and the second largest city in
the Republic of Ireland. Population: 127,024 (1991)[1]



corkage

corkage
cork·age 
[káwrkij] noun

restaurant fee for serving
wine: a fee charged at some
restaurants for serving wine and other alcoholic drinks that guests bring in
from elsewhere[1]



corkboard

corkboard
cork·board 
[káwrk bàwrd] (plural cork·boards)
noun

1.  thin
sheet of compressed cork granules: a thin sheet made from
compressed cork granules, typically used as a floor covering and as wall
insulation before plastic was available

2.  bulletin
board:
a bulletin board made with compressed cork granules.
U.K.
term
notice board

[1]



corkcambium

corkcambium
cork
cam·bi·um
noun

plant tissue:
a zone of actively dividing tissue near the outer surface of a woody plant that
produces cork.
Also called
phellogen[1]



corked

corked
corked 
[kawrkt] adjective

1.  sealed:
sealed or stopped with a cork or other object

2.  WINE tainted
by cork:
given an unpleasant flavor by substances from a tainted cork • Waiter,
this wine’s corked!

3.  blackened:
blackened with burnt cork

[1]



corker

corker
cork·er 
[káwrkər] (plural cork·ers) noun

1.  particularly
striking person or thing: somebody or something
particularly striking or special (dated slang) • It
was a corker of a day.

2.  person
or machine that fits corks: a person or machine that
fits corks, especially into bottles

[1]



corking

corking
cork·ing 
[káwrking] adjective

excellent:
excellent or splendid (dated slang)[1]



corkoak

corkoak
cork
oak
(plural cork oaks or cork oak) noun

oak tree producing cork:
a Mediterranean evergreen oak tree whose thick bark is a source of cork. Latin
name: Quercus suber
Also called
cork tree[1]



corkscrew

corkscrew
cork·screw 
[káwrk skr] noun (plural cork·screws)

device for removing corks from bottles:
a device for taking corks out of bottles, usually a pointed spiral of metal
attached to a handle or simple lever
verb
(past cork·screwed, past participle cork·screwed, present
participle cork·screw·ing, 3rd person present singular cork·screws)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
in spiral path: to move in a spiral path • watched
anxiously as the plane corkscrewed toward the ground

2.  transitive
verb
wind
in spiral:
to wind or twist something in a spiral
adjective

spiral-shaped:
shaped like a spiral • corkscrew
curls

[1]



corktree

corktree
cork
tree
(plural cork trees) noun

See
cork oak[1]



corkwood

corkwood
cork·wood 
[káwrk wd] (plural cork·woods
or cork·wood) noun

1.  TREES tree
with lightweight wood: a deciduous shrub or small
tree that grows in wetlands of the southeastern United States and has light
porous wood. Latin name: Leitneria floridana

2.  INDUSTRY lightweight
wood:
the light, porous wood of the corkwood or any similar wood, such as balsa

[1]



corky

corky
cork·y 
[káwrkee] (comparative cork·i·er,
superlative cork·i·est) adjective

1.  of
or like cork: made from or resembling cork

2.  tasting
or smelling of cork: having the taste or smell of
cork
—cork·i·ness, noun[1]



corm

corm

corm 
[kawrm] (plural corms) noun
underground
stem base of plant: a short swollen underground
stem base in some plants, for example, crocus and gladiolus, that stores food
over the winter and produces new foliage in the spring. New corms often form on
top of old ones and are used as a means of propagating new plants.
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin cormus from Greek kormos “lopped-off
tree trunk.”]
—cor·mous, adjective[1]



cormorant

cormorant
cor·mo·rant 
[káwrmərənt] (plural cor·mo·rants)
noun

1.  large
marine bird: a large marine diving bird with webbed
feet, a hooked bill, and a long neck that can expand to swallow fish. Family:
Phalacrocoracidae

2.  somebody
greedy:
somebody greedy or rapacious (informal)
[13th century. Alteration of
Old French cormaran, literally “sea raven,” from corp “raven”
(source of English corbel ) + marenc
“of the sea” (from Latin marinus, source of English marine ).][1]



corn

corn2
corn2 [kawrn]
(plural corns) noun

MEDICINE hardened
uncomfortable area on foot: a hardened or thickened,
often painful, area of skin, usually on a toe, caused by friction or pressure
[Late 14th century. Via
French, from Latin cornu “horn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
that is also the ancestor of English horn,
cranium, reindeer,
and carrot .][1]



corn

corn1

corn1 [kawrn]
noun (plural corns)

1.  tall
cereal crop: a tall annual cereal crop that yields
densely packed ears of grains attached to a central core. Native to Central and
South America, it has been cultivated as a food crop since ancient times. The
grains are a staple food for both humans and livestock in many countries, and
the entire plant is sometimes used for silage. Latin name: Zea mays
Also
called
Indian corn
U.K.
term
maize

2.  grains
of corn plant: the grain of the corn plant, used as a
vegetable, ground for flour, to produce oil, or for livestock feed.
U.K.
term
maize

3.  U.K.,
Ireland cereal crop: any
cereal crop, especially wheat, barley, or oats

4.  METEOROLOGY SKIING See corn snow

5.  BEVERAGES See corn whiskey

6.  corny
item or material: something trite or overly sentimental (informal)
transitive verb

FOOD TECHNOLOGY preserve
food with salt or brine: to preserve food using
grains of salt or brine
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “grain” that is also the ancestor of English
grain, kernel,
granite, and grenade .][1]



cornball

cornball
corn·ball 
[káwrn bàwl] noun (plural corn·balls)

somebody
very sentimental: somebody who is very sentimental or
unsophisticated
adjective

very
sentimental: trite or overly sentimental • a
cornball movie
[Mid-20th century. Originally
used for a ball of popcorn and molasses or syrup, often sold at carnivals and
circuses. The underlying meaning is “something popular with unsophisticated
rural audiences.”][1]



CornBelt

CornBelt
Corn
Belt 
noun

corn-growing area:
the area of the Great Plains and the Midwest where corn and soybeans are the
principal crops[1]



cornborer

cornborer
corn
bor·er
(plural corn bor·ers) noun

ZOOLOGY
insect that damages corn:
a moth whose larvae bore into corn. Family: Pyralidae[1]



cornbraid

cornbraid
corn·braid 
[káwrn bràyd] transitive verb noun

See
cornrow[1]



corncake

corncake
corn
cake
[káwrn kàyk] (plural corn cakes)
or corn·cake [káwrn kàyk] (plural
corn·cakes) noun

Southern U.S.
See johnnycake[1]



cornchip

cornchip
corn
chip
(plural corn chips) noun

fried cornmeal eaten as
snack: a crisp thin piece of fried
cornmeal batter, eaten as a savory snack food[1]



corncob

corncob
corn·cob 
[káwrn kòb] (plural corn·cobs)
noun

core of corn ear:
the hard core of an ear of corn, on which the kernels grow[1]



corncobpipe

corncobpipe
corn·cob
pipe
(plural corn·cob pipes) or corn·cob (plural corn·cobs)
noun

pipe with bowl made from
corncob: a pipe with a bowl made from
part of a dried corncob[1]



corncockle

corncockle
corn·cock·le 
[káwrn kòk’l] (plural corn·cock·les
or corn·cock·le) or corn cock·le [káwrn kòk’l] (plural corn cock·les) noun

plant
with reddish-purple flowers: an annual Mediterranean
plant of the pink family with reddish-purple flowers and poisonous seeds, once
common as a weed in grain fields. Latin name: Agrostemma githago
[Early 18th century. From corn 1 + cockle
“corncockle,” from Old English coccul .][1]



corncrake

corncrake
corn·crake 
[káwrn kràyk] (plural corn·crakes)
noun

speckled bird:
a speckled bird with a harsh call, a short bill, and reddish wings that lives
in fields and meadows in Europe and Asia. Latin name: Crex crex
Also called
landrail[1]



corncrib

corncrib
corn·crib 
[káwrn krìb] (plural corn·cribs)
noun

building for storing corn:
a ventilated building used for the storage and drying of corn[1]



corndodger

corndodger
corn·dodg·er 
[káwrn dòjjər] (plural corn·dodg·ers)
noun

Southern U.S.
ball of deep-fried cornmeal:
a ball of cornmeal batter that is deep-fried, baked, or boiled.
Also called
dodger[1]



corndog

corndog
corn
dog
(plural corn dogs) noun

hot dog in cornmeal batter:
a hot dog on a stick, coated in cornmeal batter and deep-fried. It is typically
sold at fairs and carnivals.[1]



corndogging

corndogging
corn·dog·ging 
[káwrn dògging] noun

surfer initiation ritual:
a surfing initiation ritual in which a surfer is rolled in sand after surfing
by his or her fellow surfers (slang)[1]



cornea

cornea
cor·ne·a 
[káwrnee ə] (plural cor·ne·as or
cor·ne·ae [káwrni `ee]) noun

transparent
membrane covering front of eye: the transparent convex
membrane that covers the pupil and iris of the eye
[14th
century. From medieval Latin cornea tela “horny tissue,” because of its
fibrous consistency, from, ultimately, Latin cornu “horn” (source of
English corn 2 ).]
—cor·ne·al, adjective[1]



cornearworm

cornearworm
corn
ear·worm
noun

larva that eats corn:
a large striped American moth larva that feeds destructively on corn, tomatoes,
cotton bolls, and many other plants. Latin name: Helicoverpa zea[1]



corned

corned
corned
[kawrnd] adjective

preserved
in salt:
cooked and then preserved in salt or brine • corned
mutton
[Early 17th century. From
corn “to preserve with grains of salt,” from corn 1 .][1]



cornedbeef

cornedbeef
corned
beef
noun

cooked and salted beef:
beef that has been cooked, preserved in salt or brine, and often canned[1]



cornel

cornel
cor·nel 
[káwrn’l] (plural cor·nels or
cor·nel) noun

1.  any
plant related to dogwood. Genus: Cornus

2.  See
cornelian cherry
[Mid-16th century. Via French
corneille or German Kornelbaum from, ultimately, Latin cornus
.][1]



cornelian

cornelian
cor·nel·ian 
[kawr nlyən] noun

See
carnelian[1]



corneliancherry

corneliancherry
cor·nel·ian
cher·ry
noun

deciduous fruit tree:
a small deciduous tree that is native to southern Europe but is widely
cultivated for its clusters of bright yellow flowers, which it bears in early
spring, and its small red fruits. The fruits are edible but sour, and were
formerly used in jellies and preserves. Latin name: Cornus mas
Also called
cornel[1]



Cornell,Joseph

Cornell,Joseph
Cor·nell
[kawr nél], Joseph (1903–1972)

U.S. sculptor. He is best
known for his assemblages of often surreal objects enclosed in small
glass-fronted wooden boxes.[1]



Cornell,Katharine

Cornell,Katharine
Cor·nell
[kawr nél], Katharine (1898–1974)

U.S. stage actor who achieved
international recognition from the 1920s until 1960.[1]



corner

corner
cor·ner 
[káwrnər] noun (plural cor·ners)

1.  meeting
of lines or surfaces: the angle formed where two
or more lines or surfaces meet • a
corner of the room

2.  area
enclosed by converging lines: the area enclosed where two
lines or surfaces meet

3.  projecting
part of something: a projecting angular part of
something

4.  place
where two roads meet: the place where two roads or
streets meet

5.  difficult
situation:
a difficult or embarrassing position, especially one from which there is no
easy way of escape • got himself into a
corner about his previous statements

6.  quiet
place:
a secluded, peaceful, or secret place

7.  remote
place:
any area or place, especially one that is remote

8.  object
fitted over corner: an object made to fit over a
corner of something, especially to protect it • a
diary with metal corners

9.  COMMERCE control
of a market: a monopoly of a particular commodity
acquired in order to control its market price

10. BASEBALL part
of baseball strike zone: in baseball, a location on
either edge of home plate, forming part of the strike zone

11. SPORTS part
of playing field or surface: in various sports, part of
the playing field or surface where two boundaries meet

12. SOCCER HOCKEY kick or shot from corner:
in some games, a free kick or shot from a corner of the field given to the
attacking team when a defending player knocks the ball over the goal line

13. BOXING WRESTLING part of ring:
in boxing and wrestling, any of the four parts of a ring where the ropes are
attached to the posts, especially the two where the competitors rest between
rounds
adjective

1.  located
on corner:
situated on a street corner • a
corner store

2.  intended
for corner:
intended to be put in a corner • a
corner cabinet

3.  in
corner of something: at or in a corner of
something • sat
at a corner table
verb
(past cor·nered, past participle cor·nered, present
participle cor·ner·ing, 3rd person present singular cor·ners)

1.  transitive
verb
force
into difficult position: to force a person or an
animal into a position from which escape is difficult

2.  transitive
verb
put
in corner:
to place somebody or something in a corner

3.  transitive
verb
provide
with corners: to give corners to something

4.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE acquire
monopoly of: to acquire a monopoly of a particular
commodity and so be able to control its market price

5.  intransitive
verb
turn
corner:
to turn a corner (refers to vehicles or their drivers)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SOCCER HOCKEY take
corner kick: in some games, to take a free kick or
hit from a corner of the field on an opponents’ goal line
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin cornua “horns,
points,” the plural of cornu “horn, point” (source of English corn 2 ).]
cut
corners

to
do something in a quicker, cheaper, or less careful way than is desirable or
wise

in
somebody’s corner

providing
somebody with support • You
can’t lose with him in your corner.

turn
the corner

to get past the worst part of
a difficult or dangerous situation[1]



cornerback

cornerback
cor·ner·back
[káwrnər bàk] (plural cor·ner·backs)
noun

defensive halfback:
in football, either of two defensive halfbacks placed behind the linebackers
and near the sidelines[1]



CornerBrook

CornerBrook
Cor·ner
Brook
[káwrnər brk]

city on the western coast of
the province of Newfoundland, Canada, on the Humber River. Population: 21,893
(1996)[1]



cornered

cornered
cor·nered
[káwrnərd] adjective

1.  in
difficult position: in a difficult or
embarrassing position, especially when there is no easy way of escape

2.  with
particular corners: with a particular number or
type of corners (usually used in combination)

3.  with
number of contenders: with a specified number of
contenders • a
three-cornered struggle for the championship

[1]



cornerman

cornerman
cor·ner·man 
[káwrnərmən] (plural cor·ner·men
[káwrnərmen]) noun

1.  player
in corners:
in various sports, a team member assigned to play, or adept at playing, in the
corners, such as a basketball forward or a football cornerback

2.  BOXING boxer’s
assistant:
a supporter in a boxer’s corner who gives advice, refreshment, and
encouragement between rounds

3.  political
aide:
somebody who provides support and advice, especially to a political candidate (slang)

[1]



cornerstone

cornerstone
cor·ner·stone 
[káwrnər stn] (plural cor·ner·stones)
noun

1.  fundamentally
important person or thing: somebody or something that
is fundamentally important to something

2.  BUILDING stone
at corner of two walls: a stone joining two walls
where they meet at a corner

3.  BUILDING first
stone of new building: the first stone laid at a
corner where two walls begin and form the first part of a new building
[13th century. Modeled on
Latin lapis angularis .][1]



cornerwise

cornerwise
cor·ner·wise 
[káwrnər wz] or cor·ner·ways
[káwrnər wàyz] adverb adjective

diagonal or diagonally:
diagonal or diagonally, or with a corner at the front[1]



cornet

cornet


cor·net 
[káwr nèt] (plural cor·nets) noun

1.  MUSIC brass
instrument like trumpet: a three-valved brass
instrument shaped like a compressed trumpet. Its tubing is more conical than a
trumpet and it has a softer warmer sound.

2.  MUSIC See cornetist

3.  FOOD paper
cone for holding candy: a piece of paper folded into
a cone shape and used to hold small edible things, especially candy

4.  CLOTHES woman’s
headdress:
a headdress of starched cloth worn by women from the 12th to the 15th centuries

5.  CLOTHES CHRISTIANITY nun’s headdress:
a large white headdress worn by some Christian nuns
[14th century. From French,
literally “small horn,” from corne “horn,” from, ultimately, Latin cornu
“horn” (source of English corn 2 ).][1]



cornetfish

cornetfish
cor·net·fish
[kawr nét fìsh] (plural cor·net·fish
or cor·net·fishes) noun

tropical fish:
a tropical or subtropical sea fish that has a long tubular snout ending in a
small mouth and a forked tail with a long trailing extension from its center.
Family: Fistularidae[1]



cornetist

cornetist
cor·net·ist 
[kawr néttist] (plural cor·net·ists)
or cor·net·tist [kawr néttist]
(plural cor·net·tists) noun

cornet player:
somebody who plays a cornet.
Also called
cornet[1]



cornett

cornett

cor·nett
[kawr nét] (plural cor·netts) noun
old
wooden horn: Renaissance and Baroque wooden horn with
six keys and a cup mouthpiece
[Late 19th century. Variant
of cornet, modeled on Italian cornetto,
literally “small horn.”][1]



corn-fed

corn-fed
corn-fed 
adjective

1.  fed
on corn:
fed or fattened on corn

2.  rustic:
robust but unsophisticated (informal)

[1]



cornfield

cornfield
corn·field 
[káwrn fld] (plural corn·fields)
noun

field of corn:
a field in which corn is growing[1]



cornflakes

cornflakes
corn·flakes 
[káwrn flàyks] or corn flakes
[káwrn flàyks] plural noun

breakfast cereal made from
corn: a breakfast cereal
consisting of small pieces of toasted corn, usually eaten with cold milk[1]



cornflour

cornflour
corn·flour 
[káwrn flòwr] noun

U.K.
See cornstarch[1]



cornflower

cornflower
corn·flow·er 
[káwrn flòwr] (plural corn·flow·ers)
noun

blue-flowered plant:
an annual plant found in Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America, with
blue, pink, white, or purple flowers when cultivated. Latin name: Centaurea
cyanus[1]



cornflowerblue

cornflowerblue
corn·flow·er
blue
noun

purplish blue:
a deep brilliant blue color with a tinge of purple[1]



cornhusk

cornhusk
corn·husk 
[káwrn hùsk] (plural corn·husks)
noun

leafy covering of corn:
the leafy outer covering of an ear of corn[1]



cornhusker

cornhusker
corn·husk·er
[káwrn hùskər] (plural corn·husk·ers)
noun

1.  remover
of cornhusks: somebody or something that removes the
husks from corn

2.  corn·husk·er
or Corn·husk·er somebody from Nebraska:
somebody who comes from or lives in Nebraska

[1]



CornhuskerState

CornhuskerState
Corn·husk·er
State
noun

Nebraska:
the state of Nebraska (informal)[1]



cornhusking

cornhusking
corn·husk·ing 
[káwrn hùsking] (plural corn·husk·ings)
noun

1.  social
event:
a social event in which participants husk corn and later eat, dance, and sing

2.  removal
of cornhusks: the removal of the husks from ears of
corn

[1]



cornice

cornice

cor·nice 
[káwrniss] noun (plural cor·nic·es)

1.  ARCHITECTURE projecting
molding along wall: a projecting horizontal
molding along the top of a wall or building

2.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
plaster molding: a decorative plaster molding around a
room where the walls and ceiling meet

3.  ARCHITECTURE part
of classical building: the top projecting section
of the part of a classical building that is supported by the columns ( entablature )

4.  MOUNTAINEERING overhang
of snow:
an overhanging mass of snow or ice formed by wind action
transitive verb
(past cor·niced, past participle cor·niced, present
participle cor·nic·ing, 3rd person present singular cor·nic·es)

ARCHITECTURE decorate
wall with cornice: to decorate or finish a wall
or building with a cornice
[Mid-16th century. From
French and Italian, of uncertain origin: perhaps from the Latin stem cornic-
“crow” (because it resembles a crow’s beak), influenced by Greek korōnis
“copestone.”][1]



corniche

corniche
cor·niche 
[kawr nsh , káwrnish
] (plural cor·niches) noun

coast
road cut into cliff: a coast road, especially one
cut into a cliff
[Mid-19th century. From
French, a variant of cornice “ cornice
.”][1]



corniculate

corniculate
cor·nic·u·late 
[kawr níkyələt] adjective

1.  having
horns:
having horns or projections like horns

2.  of
horns:
relating to or resembling a horn
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin cornicula, literally “little horn,” from cornu “horn”
(see corn 2 ).][1]



cornification

cornification
cor·ni·fi·ca·tion 
[kàwrnəfi káysh’n] noun

conversion
of cells to hard tissue: the conversion of skin cells
into keratin or other horny material, such as nails or scales
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin cornu “horn” (see corn 2 + -fication ).][1]



Corning

Corning
Corn·ing 
[káwrning]

city in southern New York,
northwest of Elmira, on the Cohocton River. Population: 11,356 (1996)[1]



Cornish

Cornish
Cor·nish 
[káwrnish] adjective

of
Cornwall:
relating to Cornwall in southwestern England or its people, language, or
culture
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
of Cornwall: the people of Cornwall in southwestern
England
noun
(plural Cor·nish)

LANGUAGE
HISTORY extinct
Celtic language: a Celtic language
spoken in Cornwall until the late 18th century. Breton is the living language
most closely related to Cornish.[1]



CornLaws

CornLaws
Corn
Laws
plural noun

HISTORY
former British laws regulating grain
trade: a group of laws introduced
in Great Britain in 1804 and repealed in 1846 that were designed to restrict
the importation of foreign grain by imposing duty on it. This caused bread
prices to rise and led to riots.[1]



cornlily

cornlily
corn
lil·y
noun

South African plant with
ornamental flowers: a southern
African plant of the iris family, widely grown for its ornamental flowers of
various colors that resemble lilies. Genus: Ixia[1]



cornmeal

cornmeal
corn·meal 
[káwrn ml] or corn meal [káwrn ml] noun

flour from corn:
flour made from corn.
Also called
Indian meal[1]



cornoil

cornoil
corn
oil
noun

oil from corn:
oil extracted from corn, used in cooking, in margarine, as salad oil, and in
some soaps[1]



cornon the cob

cornon the cob
corn
on the cob
noun

ear of corn cooked whole:
an ear of corn that is cooked and served whole[1]



Cornplanter

Cornplanter
Corn·plant·er
[káwrn plàntər] (1735?–1836)

Native
American leader who made treaties with settlers, and was rejected by his
people.
Born
Galant-waka[1]



cornpone

cornpone
corn·pone
[káwrn pn] or corn pone [káwrn pn] noun (plural corn·pones)
(plural corn pones)

Southern
U.S.
cornmeal
bread:
bread made with cornmeal but often without eggs or milk, shaped into ovals,
then fried or baked.
Also
called
pone
adjective

typical of country life:
typical of country life and people in being simple, unpretentious, and homely (informal)[1]



cornpoppy

cornpoppy
corn
pop·py
noun

plant with red flower:
a common wild plant of Europe and Asia that has large scarlet flowers and often
grows in cultivated fields. Latin name: Papaver rhoeas
Also called
field poppy[1]



cornrow

cornrow
corn·row 
[káwrn r] noun (plural corn·rows)

braided
row of hair: any of a group of narrow parallel braids
of hair lying flat against the scalp.
Also
called
cornbraid
transitive
verb
(past corn·rowed, past participle corn·rowed, present
participle corn·row·ing, 3rd person present singular corn·rows)

fix
hair into cornrows: to style hair in cornrows
[Late 20th century. Because
the braids resemble rows of corn.][1]



cornsalad

cornsalad
corn
sal·ad
noun

plant with edible leaves:
a plant of the valerian family that often grows in grain fields and has edible
leaves. Latin name: Valerianella locusta
Also called
mache
U.K. term
lamb’s lettuce[1]



cornsilk

cornsilk
corn
silk
noun

silky fibers on corn ears:
the tuft of silky styles and stigmas growing at the tip of a corn ear. It is
used in herbal medicine as a diuretic.
Also called
silk[1]



cornsmut

cornsmut
corn
smut
noun

fungal disease of corn:
a fungal disease of corn that produces dark swellings on the grain[1]



cornsnow

cornsnow
corn
snow
noun

grainy snow:
fallen snow that has a grainy surface because it has thawed and refrozen.
Also called
corn[1]



cornstarch

cornstarch
corn·starch 
[káwrn strch] noun

flour from corn:
fine-grained, starchy flour made from corn, especially used as a thickener in
cooking.
U.K. term
cornflour[1]



cornsugar

cornsugar
corn
sug·ar
noun

sugar from corn:
a type of sugar ( dextrose ) extracted from
cornstarch[1]



cornsyrup

cornsyrup
corn
syr·up
noun

syrup from cornstarch:
syrup made from cornstarch, used as a sweetener in many foods.
Also called
syrup[1]



cornu

cornu
cor·nu 
[káwr n] (plural cor·nu·a [káwr noo ə]) noun

part
like horn:
a part that resembles a horn or has a horn-shaped pattern
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “horn” (see English corn 2 ).]
—cor·nu·al, adjective[1]



cornucopia

cornucopia
cor·nu·co·pi·a 
[kàwrnə kṓpee ə] (plural cor·nu·co·pi·as)
noun

1.  abundance:
a great abundance of something

2.  ARTS goat’s
horn overflowing with produce: a painting or other
representation of a goat’s horn overflowing with fruits, flowers, and
vegetables, used to symbolize plenty or prosperity.
Also
called
horn of plenty

3.  horn-shaped
container:
an ornament or container shaped like a goat’s horn

4.  MYTHOLOGY horn
of goat that suckled Zeus: in Greek mythology, the horn
of the goat that suckled Zeus
[Early
16th century. Via late Latin from Latin cornu copiæ, literally “horn of
plenty.”]
—cor·nu·co·pi·an, adjective[1]



cornute

cornute
cor·nute 
[kawr nt] or cor·nut·ed [kawr ntəd] adjective

with
or like horns: resembling a horn, or having horns or
horny parts
[Early 17th century. From
Latin cornutus “horned,” from cornu “horn” (see English corn 2 ).][1]



Cornwall

Cornwall
Corn·wall 
[káwrn wàwl, káwrnwəl]

1.  southwesternmost
county of England, bordered on three sides by the sea. It used to be a major
tin-mining area. Population: 482,700 (1995)

2.  city
on the St. Lawrence River in southeastern Ontario, Canada, 110 km68 mi
southwest of Montreal. Population: 47,403 (1996)

[1]



Cornwallis,Charles

Cornwallis,Charles
Corn·wal·lis 
[kawrn wáwliss], Charles, 1st Marquis and
2nd Earl Cornwallis (1738–1805)

British general and
statesman. He commanded forces in North Carolina during the American Revolution
and was defeated at Yorktown.[1]



cornwhiskey

cornwhiskey
corn
whis·key
(plural corn whis·keys) noun

whiskey made from corn:
whiskey distilled from mash made mostly of corn.
Also called
corn[1]



corny

corny
corn·y 
[káwrnee] (comparative corn·i·er,
superlative corn·i·est) adjective

unsophisticated:
unsophisticated and trite • a
corny love scene
[Late
16th century. Formed from corn 1 .]
—corn·i·ly,
adverb

—corn·i·ness, noun[1]



corol.

corol.
corol.
or coroll.

Abbreviation of
corollary[1]



corolla

corolla
co·rol·la 
[kə róllə, kə rṓlə]
(plural co·rol·las) noun

flower
petals:
the petals of a flower collectively, forming a ring around the reproductive
organs and surrounded by an outer ring of sepals
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “garland,” literally “little crown,” from corona “crown, wreath”
(source of crown ).][1]



corollary

corollary
cor·ol·lar·y 
[káwrə lèrree] noun (plural cor·ol·lar·ies)

1.  natural
consequence: something that is a natural consequence
of or accompaniment to something else

2.  LOGIC statement
easily proved from another: a proposition that follows,
with little or no further reasoning, from the proof of another

3.  LOGIC obvious
deduction:
something that is very obviously or easily deduced from something already
proven

4.  something
added:
something added to something else, for example something appended to a document
adjective

following:
following as a consequence or result
[14th century. From Latin corollarium
“money paid for a garland, gratuity, deduction,” from corolla (see corolla ).][1]



coromandel

coromandel
cor·o·man·del
[kàwrə mánd’l] noun

See
calamander
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Coromandel Coast, where it is found.][1]



CoromandelCoast

CoromandelCoast
Cor·o·man·del
Coast
[kàwrə mánd’l kōst]

southern part of the eastern
Indian coastline in the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, on the Bay of
Bengal[1]



corona

corona
co·ro·na 
[kə rṓnə] (plural co·ro·nas or
co·ro·nae [kə rṓ n]) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY ring
of light around Moon: a ring of light visible
around a luminous body, especially the Moon, typically as a result of optical
effects caused by thin cloud, water droplets or ice in the Earth’s atmosphere

2.  ASTRONOMY outermost
part of Sun’s atmosphere: the outermost part of the Sun’s
atmosphere.
Also
called
aureole

3.  BOTANY lip of
flower trumpet: the prominent, sometimes frilly lip of
the petal tube or trumpet corolla of some flowers such as daffodils and
narcissi.
Also
called
crown

4.  ANATOMY top of
body part:
the top of a part of the body such as the crown of the head or a tooth

5.  PHYSICS See corona discharge

6.  ARCHITECTURE part
of cornice:
the flat vertical surface of a cornice just above the bottom surface ( soffit )

7.  long
cigar:
a long cigar with a blunt rounded mouth end

8.  circular
chandelier:
a circular hanging chandelier, especially in a church
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
wreath crown (see crown ).][1]



Corona

Corona
Co·ro·na
[kə rṓnə]

city in southern California,
southwest of Riverside. Population: 100,208 (1996)[1]



CoronaAustralis

CoronaAustralis
Co·ro·na
Aus·tra·lis 
[kə rnə aw stráyliss, kə rnə aw strálliss] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a constellation in the
southern hemisphere near Sagittarius.
Also called
Southern Crown[1]



CoronaBorealis

CoronaBorealis
Co·ro·na
Bo·re·al·is 
[kə rnə báwree áyliss, kə rnə báwri álliss] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a constellation in the
northern hemisphere between Hercules and Boötes.
Also called
Northern Crown[1]



coronadischarge

coronadischarge
co·ro·na
dis·charge
(plural co·ro·na dis·charg·es) noun

electrical discharge around
object: a luminous discharge from
the surface of an object that is highly charged electrically, caused by
ionization of the surrounding gas.
Also called
corona[1]



Coronado

Coronado
Cor·o·na·do
[kàwrə ndō]

city in southwestern
California, across the bay from San Diego. Population: 25,701 (1996)[1]



Coronado,Francisco Vásquez de

Coronado,Francisco Vásquez de
Co·ro·na·do 
[kàwrə ndō], Francisco Vásquez de
(1510–1554)

Spanish explorer. He led the
first European expeditions to what is now the southwestern United States.[1]



coronagraph

coronagraph
co·ro·na·graph
[kə rṓnə gràf] (plural co·ro·na·graphs)
or co·ro·no·graph [kə rṓnə gràf]
(plural co·ro·no·graphs) noun

telescope for seeing Sun’s
corona: a telescope that masks the
bright disk of the Sun so that the Sun’s corona can be studied[1]



coronal

coronal
cor·o·nal 
[káwrən’l, kə rṓn’l]
adjective

1.  of
top of body part: relating to the top of a body part ( corona )

2.  relating
to joint of skull bones: relating to the top of the
skull where the bony plates join

3.  of
imaginary plane dividing body: relating to,
involving, or in the direction of an imaginary plane dividing the body into
front and back parts
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin corona “crown” (source also of English crown ).][1]



coronalsuture

coronalsuture
cor·o·nal
su·ture
(plural cor·o·nal su·tures) noun

joint of bones in skull:
a junction extending side-to-side across the crown of the skull between the two
parietal bones and the frontal bone[1]



coronary

coronary
cor·o·nar·y 
[káwrə nèrree] noun (plural cor·o·nar·ies)

1.  See
coronary thrombosis

2.  heart
attack:
a heart attack (informal)
adjective

1.  supplying
or draining blood from heart: used to describe the
arteries that supply blood to the muscle tissue of the heart, or the veins that
take blood away from it

2.  involving
the coronary arteries and veins: relating to disease of
the coronary arteries and veins, and conditions associated with it • coronary
care
[Early 17th century. From
Latin coronarius “crownlike,” from corona “crown” (source of
English crown ). The underlying idea
is something that encircles, like the arteries of the heart.][1]



coronaryartery

coronaryartery
cor·o·nar·y
ar·ter·y
noun

artery supplying blood to
heart: an artery supplying blood to
the muscles of the heart, one of a pair arising from the aorta. The left artery
divides into two almost immediately, giving rise to the common assumption that
there are three coronary arteries.[1]



coronarybypass

coronarybypass
cor·o·nar·y
by·pass
(plural cor·o·nar·y by·pass·es) noun

heart operation:
an operation in which a new blood vessel is grafted onto the heart to replace a
blocked coronary artery[1]



coronarythrombosis

coronarythrombosis
cor·o·nar·y
throm·bo·sis noun

blocking of artery by blood
clot: the blocking of a coronary
artery by a blood clot, which obstructs the blood supply to the heart muscle,
resulting in death of the muscle and, often, a heart attack.
Also called
coronary[1]



coronaryvein

coronaryvein
cor·o·nar·y
vein
(plural cor·o·nar·y veins) noun

vein that drains blood from
heart: any of the veins that drain
blood from the muscles and other tissues of the heart[1]



coronation

coronation
cor·o·na·tion 
[kàwrə náysh’n] (plural cor·o·na·tions)
noun

ceremony
of crowning: the ceremony or act of crowning a
monarch
[14th century. Via Old French
from the medieval Latin stem coronation-, from, ultimately, Latin corona
“crown” (source also of English crown
).][1]



coroner

coroner
cor·o·ner 
[káwrənər] (plural cor·o·ners)
noun

official
who investigates suspicious deaths: a
public official formerly responsible for investigating deaths that appear not
to have natural causes. They are now largely replaced by medical examiners.
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman coruner “officer of the crown,” from coroune
“crown” (source also of English crown
).]
—cor·o·ner·ship, noun[1]



coronet

coronet
cor·o·net 
[kàwrə nét, káwrə
nèt] (plural cor·o·nets) noun

1.  small
crown:
a small crown, especially one worn by a prince or a peer rather than a reigning
monarch

2.  woman’s
head decoration: a circular ornamental band worn by women
on the head

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE top
of horse’s hoof: the upper part of a horse’s hoof, where
the horn of the hoof meets the skin of the pastern
[14th century. From French,
literally “little crown,” from corone (see crown
).][1]



coronograph

coronograph
co·ro·no·graph 
noun

See
coronagraph[1]



corotate

corotate
co·ro·tate 
[kō rṓ tàyt] (past co·ro·tat·ed,
past participle co·ro·tat·ed, present participle co·ro·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular co·ro·tates) intransitive verb

turn
in conjunction with another: to turn in conjunction with
another turning object
—co·ro·ta·tion
[k rō táysh’n], noun

—co·ro·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



corp.

corp.
corp.

Abbreviation of
corporation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Corp.

Corp.
Corp.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Corporal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








corpora

corpora
cor·po·ra


Plural of
corpus[1]



corporal

corporal1
cor·po·ral1 [káwrpərəl,
káwrprəl] adjective

of
the body:
relating or belonging to the body • corporal
punishment
[14th
century. Via French from Latin corporalis, “bodily,” from corpus
(see corpus ).]
—cor·po·ral·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  corporal
  or corporeal ?
  Corporal means “relating to the
  human body” and is mainly used in the expression corporal punishment,
  in reference to physical abuse. Corporeal
  means “bodily or physical as distinct from spiritual”: • The
  gods of antiquity were not just spirits but enjoyed a corporeal existence.

[1]



corporal

corporal3
cor·po·ral3 [káwrpərəl,
káwrprəl] (plural cor·po·rals)
noun

white
cloth used in Communion: a white, usually linen,
cloth on which the consecrated bread and wine are placed in the Christian
sacrament of Communion
[14th century. Directly or
via French from medieval Latin (pallium) corporale, literally “(cloth)
for the body.”][1]



corporal

corporal2
cor·po·ral2 [káwrpərəl,
káwrprəl] (plural cor·po·rals)
noun

noncommissioned
officer above private: a noncommissioned officer in
various armed forces, ranking immediately below sergeant, or, in Canada, a
master corporal
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Italian caporale, literally “of
the head,” from capo (see capo ). The
underlying meaning is “head of a company of troops.”]
—cor·po·ral·cy,
noun

—cor·po·ral·ship, noun[1]



corporality

corporality
cor·po·ral·i·ty 
[kàwrpə rállətee] noun

bodily form:
the state of being in physical or bodily form rather than spiritual form[1]



corporalpunishment

corporalpunishment
cor·po·ral
pun·ish·ment (plural cor·po·ral
pun·ish·ments) noun

physical punishment:
the striking of a person’s body as punishment[1]



corporate

corporate
cor·po·rate 
[káwrpərət, káwrprət]
adjective

1.  involving
a corporation: relating or belonging to a corporation

2.  of
corporate employees: designed for, suitable for,
or typical of people who work for large corporations • corporate
fashions

3.  incorporated:
legally united to form a body that can act as a unit

4.  of
group as a whole: relating to or involving a group as a
whole (formal)
[16th
century. From Latin corporatus, the past participle of corporare
“to form a body,” from corpus “body” (see corpus
).]
—cor·po·rate·ly, adverb[1]



corporateraider

corporateraider
cor·po·rate
raid·er
(plural cor·po·rate raid·ers) noun

somebody seizing control of
companies: a company or person who
attempts to take control of a business by acquiring a substantial number of its
shares or by manipulating proxies[1]



corporatewelfare

corporatewelfare
cor·po·rate
wel·fare
noun

favorable laws for companies:
laws and government subsidies that, in some people's belief, favor corporations
unfairly at the expense of ordinary taxpayers[1]



corporation

corporation
cor·po·ra·tion 
[kàwrpə ráysh’n] (plural cor·po·ra·tions)
noun

1.  group
regarded as individual by law: a company recognized
by law as a single body with its own powers and liabilities, separate from
those of the individual members. Corporations perform many of the functions of
private business, governments, educational bodies, and the professions.

2.  local
governing authority: the governing authority of
an incorporated municipality, for example, a city or town

3.  group
acting as single entity: a group of people acting as
a single entity
[15th century. From late
Latin corporation-, from corporatus (see corporate
).][1]



corporatism

corporatism
cor·po·rat·ism
[káwrpərə tìzzəm, káwrprə
tìzzəm] or cor·po·ra·tiv·ism [káwpərətiv
ìzzəm, káwprətiv ìzzəm] noun

running
of state by large organizations: a system of running a
state using the power of organizations like businesses and trade unions that
act, or purport to act, for large numbers of individuals
—cor·po·ra·tist, adjective,
noun[1]



corporator

corporator
cor·po·ra·tor 
[káwrpə ràytər] (plural cor·po·ra·tors)
noun

corporation
member:
a member of a corporation, especially a founding member (archaic)
[Late 18th century.
Back-formation from corporation .][1]



corporeal

corporeal
cor·po·re·al 
[kawr páwree əl] adjective

1.  concerning
the physical body: relating to or involving the
physical body rather than the mind or spirit

2.  material:
material or physical rather than spiritual
[Early
17th century. From late Latin corporealis, from, ultimately, Latin corpus
(see corpus ).]
—cor·po·re·al·i·ty
[kawr pàwree állətee], noun

—cor·po·re·al·ly
[kàwr páwree əlee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at corporal.

[1]



corporeity

corporeity
cor·po·re·i·ty 
[kàwrpə r ətee] noun

physical
substance:
the state of existing as something material or physical
[Early 17th century. From
French corporéite, from, ultimately, Latin corpus (see corpus ).][1]



corposant

corposant
cor·po·sant 
[káwrpə sànt, káwrpəss’nt]
noun

St.
Elmo’s fire: St. Elmo’s fire. (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Old
Spanish or Italian corpo santo, literally “holy body.”][1]



corps

corps
corps 
[kawr] (plural corps) noun

1.  MILITARY specialized
military force: a military force that carries out
specialized duties

2.  MILITARY tactical
unit:
a tactical military unit that is made up of two or more divisions with
additional supporting services

3.  group
of associated people: a group of people who work
together or are associated
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin corpus (see corpus
).][1]



corpsde ballet

corpsde ballet
corps
de bal·let 
[kàwr də ba láy] (plural corps de
bal·let) noun

ballet
company members: the dancers of a ballet company who
perform as a group rather than individually
[From French, literally
“dance company”][1]



corpse

corpse
corpse 
[kawrps] (plural corpses) noun

dead
body:
a dead body, especially of a human being
[14th century. Directly and
via French cors from Latin corpus (see corpus
).][1]



corpsman

corpsman
corps·man 
[káwr mən, káwrz
mən] (plural corps·men [káwr
men, káwrz men]) noun

soldier able to give first
aid: in the U.S. armed forces, an
enlisted person with training in giving first aid and basic medical treatment[1]



corpulence

corpulence
cor·pu·lence 
[káwrpyələns] or cor·pu·lenc·y
[káwrpyələnsee] noun

obesity:
obesity (formal or literary)[1]



corpulent

corpulent
cor·pu·lent 
[káwrpyələnt] adjective

obese:
obese (formal or literary)
[15th
century. From Latin corpulentus, literally “abundant in body,” from corpus
(see corpus ).]
—cor·pu·lent·ly, adverb[1]



corpulmonale

corpulmonale
cor
pul·mo·na·le  [kawr plmə
nállee, kawr pùlmə nállee, kawr plmə nlee, kawr
pùlmə nlee] noun

disease
of the heart: a disease in which the right ventricle
of the heart becomes enlarged and fails, caused by disease of the lungs or
pulmonary blood vessels
[From modern Latin, literally
“pulmonary heart”][1]



corpus

corpus
cor·pus 
[káwrpəss] (plural cor·po·ra [káwrpərə]) noun

1.  body
of writings: a body of writings by a particular
person, on a particular subject, or of a particular type • one
of the most popular works in the Shakespearean corpus

2.  main
part:
the main part of something

3.  ANATOMY part
of organ:
the main portion of something, such as an organ or other body part, or a mass
of tissue with a distinct function • the
corpus of the uterus

4.  FINANCE capital:
the capital or principal of a sum of money

5.  LINGUISTICS collection
of language use: a large collection of written, and
sometimes spoken, examples of the usage of a language, used for linguistic
analysis
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “body.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English corpse, corset, corsage,
and possibly midriff .][1]



corpuscallosum

corpuscallosum
cor·pus
cal·lo·sum 
[kàwrpəs kə lṓssəm] (plural cor·po·ra
cal·lo·sa [kàwrpərə kə lṓssə]) noun

band
connecting brain hemispheres: the thick band of nerve
fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain in higher mammals and
allows the hemispheres to communicate
[From modern Latin, literally
“callous body”][1]



CorpusChristi

CorpusChristi2
Cor·pus
Chris·ti2 [kàwrpəs
krístee]

city and port in southeastern
Texas, on the south shore of Corpus Christi Bay. Population: 280,260 (1996)[1]



CorpusChristi

CorpusChristi1
Cor·pus
Chris·ti1  [kàwrpəs
krístee] noun

church
festival:
a mainly Roman Catholic festival in honor of the sacrament of the Eucharist,
observed on the Thursday that follows Trinity Sunday
[From medieval Latin,
literally “body of Christ”][1]



corpuscle

corpuscle
cor·pus·cle 
[káwrpəss’l, káwr
pùss’l] (plural cor·pus·cles) noun

1.  ANATOMY unattached
cell:
any small independent body, especially a cell in the blood or lymph

2.  PHYSICS particle:
a discrete particle, especially a photon

3.  small
particle:
a very small particle of anything
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin corpusculum, literally “small body,” from corpus
(see corpus ).]
—cor·pus·cu·lar [kawr púskyələr], adjective[1]



corpusculartheory

corpusculartheory
cor·pus·cu·lar
the·o·ry
noun

theory of light as particles:
the theory that light consists of a stream of particles. The theory was
originally introduced by Newton and although it cannot be used to explain all
the properties of light it has applications in quantum physics.[1]



corpusdelicti

corpusdelicti
cor·pus
de·lic·ti 
[kàwrpəs di lík t] noun

facts
of crime:
the body of facts that show that a crime has been committed, including physical
evidence such as a corpse
[From modern Latin, literally
“body of the crime”][1]



corpusluteum

corpusluteum
cor·pus
lu·te·um 
[kàwrpəs ltee əm] (plural cor·po·ra
lu·te·a [kàwrpərə ltee ə]) noun

yellow
mass of tissue: a yellow mass of tissue that forms in
part of the ovary ( Graafian follicle )
after ovulation in mammals and secretes the hormone progesterone. If no
pregnancy is established, the corpus luteum degenerates, whereas it continues
to secrete the hormone if pregnancy occurs.
[From modern Latin, literally
“yellow body”][1]



corpusstriatum

corpusstriatum
cor·pus
stri·a·tum 
[kàwrpəs strī áytəm] (plural cor·po·ra
stri·a·ta [kàwrpərə strī áytə]) noun

mass
of nervous tissue: a mass of striped gray and
white nervous tissue, one of which occurs in each hemisphere of the brain
[From modern Latin, literally
“striated body”][1]



corr.

corr.
corr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
correction

2.  Abbreviation
of
correct

3.  Abbreviation
of
corrected

4.  Abbreviation
of
correspondence

5.  Abbreviation
of
correspondent

[1]



corral

corral
cor·ral 
[kə rál] noun (plural cor·rals)

1.  AGRICULTURE place
for keeping livestock: a fenced area in which
livestock or horses are kept

2.  HISTORY circle
of wagons:
a temporary defensive enclosure formed by wagons arranged in a circle
transitive
verb
(past cor·ralled, past participle cor·ralled, present
participle cor·ral·ling, 3rd person present singular cor·rals)

1.  AGRICULTURE drive
animals into corral: to gather animals together
and drive them into a corral

2.  HISTORY put
wagons in circle: to form wagons into a corral

3.  gather
and control: to gather together and take control of
people or things • hopes to corral
sufficient funding for the project
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Khoisan, or perhaps from,
ultimately, Latin currus “vehicle” (source of English car ).][1]



corrasion

corrasion
cor·ra·sion
[kə ráyzh’n] noun

erosion:
the mechanical erosion of a surface by fragments of rock carried by water,
wind, or ice
[Late
19th century. From Latin corras-, the past participle stem of corradere
“to scrape together,” from radere “to scrape” (source of English raze ).]
—cor·ra·sive [kə ráyssiv, kə ráyziv],
adjective[1]



correct

correct
cor·rect 
[kə rékt] transitive verb (past
cor·rect·ed, past participle cor·rect·ed, present
participle cor·rect·ing, 3rd person present singular cor·rects)

1.  remove
errors from: to take the errors out of something

2.  point
out errors in: to point out or mark the errors in
something

3.  rectify
defect:
to rectify a defect in something or counteract something wrong or undesirable • wears
glasses to correct his astigmatism

4.  modify:
to modify something, for example, behavior, to make it acceptable or bring it
up to a particular standard

5.  punish
to gain improvement: to punish or scold somebody,
especially a child, to bring about improvement or reform (dated)
adjective

1.  accurate:
accurate or without errors • the
correct time

2.  acceptable:
acceptable or meeting a particular standard • correct
dress
[14th
century. From Latin correct-, the past participle stem of Latin corrigere,
literally “to rule completely,” from regere “to rule” (source of English
regent ).]
—cor·rect·a·ble,
adjective

—cor·rect·ly,
adverb

—cor·rect·ness,
noun

—cor·rec·tor, noun[1]



correction

correction
cor·rec·tion 
[kə rékshən] noun (plural cor·rec·tions)

1.  alteration
that improves: an alteration that removes an error

2.  written
comment on error: something written beside an error in a
text to point out what should be there instead

3.  removing
of errors:
the removing of errors from something or the indicating of errors in something

4.  modification
to calculation: an adjustment made to a calculation or
measurement to compensate for an observed deviation from ideal conditions

5.  punishment
meant to improve: punishment, especially when meant to
improve or reform the person punished (dated)

6.  FINANCE fall
in prices:
a fall in prices or activity in a stock market following a rise or busy period
plural
noun
cor·rec·tions

LAW treatment
of offenders: the system of dealing with criminals by
imprisonment, rehabilitation, parole, and probation

[1]



correctional

correctional
cor·rec·tion·al
[kə rékshən’l] adjective

1.  of
correction:
about, involving, or intended as correction

2.  of
corrections: of or involved in the system of dealing
with criminals by imprisonment, rehabilitation, parole, and probation

[1]



correctionalfacility

correctionalfacility
cor·rec·tion·al
fa·cil·i·ty
noun

place for criminals:
a prison or other institution where criminals are held and treated[1]



correctitude

correctitude
cor·rec·ti·tude 
[kə réktə td] noun

correctness
in behavior: the fact of being correct, especially in
behavior and manners (formal)
[Late 19th century. Blend of correct and rectitude
.][1]



corrective

corrective
cor·rec·tive 
[kə réktiv] adjective

correcting:
acting to correct or intended to correct something • corrective
action
noun
(plural cor·rec·tives)

something
intended to correct: something that corrects or
is meant to correct something
—cor·rec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



correctiveshoe

correctiveshoe
cor·rec·tive
shoe
(plural cor·rec·tive shoes) noun

special shoe:
a specially fitted shoe that compensates for physical deformity in the foot.
U.K. term
surgical boot[1]



Corregidor

Corregidor
Cor·reg·i·dor
[kə réggi dàwr]

island at the entrance to
Manila Bay in the Philippines. Area: 5 sq km/2 sq mi.[1]



correl.

correl.
correl.

Abbreviation of
correlative[1]



correlate

correlate
cor·re·late 
verb [káwrə làyt] (past cor·re·lat·ed,
past participle cor·re·lat·ed, present participle cor·re·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cor·re·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or show mutual relationship: to have a mutual or
complementary relationship, or show two or more things, for example, a cause
and an effect, to have a mutual or complementary relationship • How
do these results correlate with your findings?

2.  transitive
verb
gather
and compare things: to gather together and
compare related things, for example, results or reports • Her
job is to correlate the statistics from a range of sources and prepare a
report.
adjective
[káwrə lət, káwrə
làyt]

having shared properties:
having mutual or complementary properties
noun
[káwrə lət, káwrə
làyt] (plural cor·re·lates)

1.  complementary
thing:
something that shares mutual or complementary properties with something else.
Also
called
correlative

2.  STATISTICS variable
related to another variable: either of two variables that
are related with the result that a variation in one is accompanied by a linear
variation of the other
[Mid-18th
century. Back-formation from correlation .]
—cor·re·lat·a·ble,
adjective

—cor·re·la·tor, noun[1]



correlation

correlation
cor·re·la·tion 
[kàwrə láysh’n] (plural cor·re·la·tions)
noun

1.  mutual
or complementary relationship: a relationship in
which two or more things are mutual or complementary, or one is caused by
another • the
close correlation between the two factors

2.  act
of correlating: the act of correlating, or the state of
being correlated

3.  STATISTICS relatedness
of variables: the degree to which two or more
variables are related and change together
[Mid-16th
century. From the medieval Latin stem correlation-, literally “mutual
relationship,” from Latin relation-, (see relation
).]
—cor·re·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



correlationcoefficient

correlationcoefficient
cor·re·la·tion
co·ef·fi·cient (plural cor·re·la·tion
co·ef·fi·cients) noun

statistical measure:
a number or function indicating the degree of correlation between two
variables. It ranges between 1 for high positive correlation to –1 for high
negative correlation, with 0 indicating a purely random relationship.
Also called
coefficient of correlation[1]



correlative

correlative
cor·rel·a·tive 
[kə réllətiv] adjective

1.  being
correlates:
in a mutual or complementary relationship

2.  GRAMMAR together
but not adjacent: often used together but not usually
adjacent, as are the conjunctions “either” and “or”
noun
(plural cor·rel·a·tives)

1.  See
correlate  noun 1

2.  GRAMMAR correlative
word:
a word, especially a conjunction, that is often used together with but not
usually adjacent to another
—cor·rel·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—cor·rel·a·tive·ness,
noun

—cor·rel·a·tiv·i·ty [kə rèllə tívvətee], noun[1]



correspond

correspond
cor·re·spond 
[kàwrə spónd] (past cor·re·spond·ed,
past participle cor·re·spond·ed, present participle cor·re·spond·ing,
3rd person present singular cor·re·sponds) intransitive verb

1.  conform
or be consistent: to conform, be consistent, or be in
agreement with something else

2.  be
similar:
to be similar or equivalent

3.  write
to one another: to communicate with somebody by
exchanging written messages
[Early 16th century. Via
French from medieval Latin correspondere, literally “to respond to each
other,” from Latin respondere (see respond
).][1]



correspondence

correspondence
cor·re·spon·dence 
[kàwrə spóndəns] (plural cor·re·spon·dences)
noun

1.  written
communication: communication by means of exchanged
written messages, for example, letters or e-mail

2.  written
messages:
written messages, especially letters

3.  conformity:
conformity, consistency, or agreement between two or more things

4.  similarity:
similarity or equivalence between two or more things

[1]



correspondencecourse

correspondencecourse
cor·re·spon·dence
course
(plural cor·re·spon·dence cours·es) noun

educational course followed
by mail: an educational course in
which the teaching organization sends lessons and tests to students by mail and
students return completed work in the same way[1]



correspondenceschool

correspondenceschool
cor·re·spon·dence
school
(plural cor·re·spon·dence schools) noun

organization teaching by
mail: an educational organization
that carries out teaching by mail[1]



correspondent

correspondent
cor·re·spon·dent 
[kàwrə spóndənt] noun (plural cor·re·spon·dents)

1.  somebody
communicating by writing: somebody who communicates in
writing or electronically • Most
of my correspondents have e-mail now.

2.  PRESS somebody
providing special reports: somebody employed by a news
organization, especially a newspaper or broadcasting company, to provide
reports from a particular place or on a particular subject • our
Paris correspondent

3.  BUSINESS business
dealing with a distant business: a person or company
that regularly does business with another, especially one that is distant

4.  something
that corresponds: something that conforms or agrees with,
or is similar to, something else (formal)
adjective

See corresponding

[1]



corresponding

corresponding
cor·re·spond·ing 
[kàwrə spónding] adjective

1.  consistent:
consistent, conforming, or in agreement with something else • Line
up the prongs on one half with the corresponding sockets on the other.

2.  analogous:
similar or equivalent to something else in one or more important respects • the
corresponding word in her own language

3.  working
from a distance: interacting or contributing from a
distance, for example, by mail • a
corresponding member based in China

4.  dealing
with correspondence: handling correspondence, or
assigned to handle correspondence

[1]



correspondingangles

correspondingangles
cor·re·spond·ing
an·gles
plural noun

angles at intersecting lines:
the angles formed on the same side of two lines and a third line ( transversal ) that intersects them, each of the
four angles at each intersection corresponding to the four angles at the other[1]



correspondingly

correspondingly
cor·re·spond·ing·ly
[kàwrə spóndinglee] adverb

consistently or similarly:
in a way that is consistent, equivalent, or similar • A
large company has correspondingly large problems.[1]



corrida

corrida
cor·ri·da 
[kaw rdə] (plural cor·ri·das)
noun

bullfight:
a program of bullfights
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “running” (of bulls), from, ultimately, Latin currere
“to run” (source also of English current
).][1]



corridor

corridor
cor·ri·dor 
[káwridər] (plural cor·ri·dors)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE passage
inside building: a passage between parts of a building,
often with a series of rooms opening onto it

2.  RAIL SHIPPING passageway in railroad car or
ship:
a passageway in a railroad car or ship giving access to cabins or compartments

3.  GEOGRAPHY strip
of land:
a narrow strip of land belonging to one country and projecting through another,
for example, to give a landlocked country access to a port

4.  GEOGRAPHY populated
strip between urban areas: a densely populated strip of
land connecting two or more urban areas • the
northeastern corridor

5.  AIR region
of airspace for air traffic: a particular region of
airspace designated for use by air traffic

6.  AEROSPACE spacecraft
flight path: a predetermined flight path that a
spacecraft follows upon reentry into the earth’s atmosphere
[Late 16th century. Via
French and Italian from, ultimately, Latin currere “to run” (source also
of English current ). The underlying
meaning is “a place to run.”][1]



Corriedale

Corriedale
Cor·rie·dale
[káwri dàyl] (plural Cor·rie·dales
or Cor·rie·dale) noun

New
Zealand sheep: a sheep belonging to a breed without
horns developed in New Zealand and kept for both wool and meat
[Early 20th century. Named
for Corriedale, an estate in northern Otago, New Zealand.][1]



corrigenda

corrigenda
cor·ri·gen·da
[kàwri jéndə] noun

(takes a singular or
plural verb)See errata[1]



corrigendum

corrigendum
cor·ri·gen·dum 
[kàwri jéndəm] (plural cor·ri·gen·da)
noun

error:
an error to be corrected
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “thing to be corrected.”][1]



corrival

corrival
cor·ri·val 
[kṓ rv’l, kō
rv’l] (plural cor·ri·vals) or co·ri·val [kṓ rv’l, kō rv’l]
(plural co·ri·vals) noun

rival:
a rival (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Directly and via French from Latin corrivalis, literally
“completely rivaling,” from rivalis “rivaling” (see rival ).]
—cor·ri·val·ry, noun[1]



corroborate

corroborate
cor·rob·o·rate 
[kə róbbə ràyt] (past cor·rob·o·rat·ed,
past participle cor·rob·o·rat·ed, present participle cor·rob·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular cor·rob·o·rates) transitive verb

confirm:
to give or represent evidence of the truth of something • The
photographs corroborate the verbal account.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin corroborat-, the past participle stem of corroborare,
literally “to strengthen together,” from roborare “to strengthen.”]
—cor·rob·o·ra·tive,
adjective

—cor·rob·o·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—cor·rob·o·ra·to·ry
[kə róbbərə tàwree], adjective

—cor·rob·o·ra·tor [kə róbbə ràytər], noun[1]



corroboration

corroboration
cor·rob·o·ra·tion
[kə ròbbə ráysh’n] (plural cor·rob·o·ra·tions)
noun

1.  confirmation:
something that supports or confirms something else

2.  act
of confirming: the supporting or confirming of
something else

[1]



corroboree

corroboree
cor·rob·o·ree 
[kə róbbəree, kə
ròbbə r] (plural cor·rob·o·rees) noun Australia

1.  Aboriginal
gathering:
a gathering of an Aboriginal people

2.  noisy
gathering:
any noisy gathering of people, especially a party (informal)
[Late 18th century. From
Dharuk (an Australian Aboriginal language) garaabara .][1]



corrode

corrode
cor·rode 
[kə rṓd] (past cor·rod·ed, past
participle cor·rod·ed, present participle cor·rod·ing,
3rd person present singular cor·rodes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY destroy progressively by
chemical action: to destroy something progressively, or
be destroyed progressively, by chemical action

2.  transitive
verb
undermine:
to undermine or destroy something gradually • His
continual scorn had corroded her pride.
[14th
century. From Latin corrodere, literally “to gnaw away,” from rodere
“to gnaw” (source of English rodent
).]
—cor·ro·dant,
noun

—cor·rod·er,
noun

—cor·ro·di·bil·i·ty
[kə rdə bíllətee], noun

—cor·rod·i·ble
[kə rṓdəb’l], adjective

—cor·ro·si·ble [kə rṓssəb’l], adjective[1]



corrosion

corrosion
cor·ro·sion 
[kə rṓzh’n] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY destruction
by chemical action: a process in which
something, especially a metal, is destroyed progressively by chemical action,
as iron is when it rusts

2.  material
produced by corrosion: material produced by
corrosion, for example, rust

3.  gradual
destruction: the gradual destruction or undermining
of something • the
steady corrosion of civil rights

4.  result
of corrosion: the condition produced by corrosion
[14th century. Via French and
late Latin from, ultimately, Latin corros-, the past participle stem of corrodere
(see corrode ).][1]



corrosive

corrosive
cor·ro·sive 
[kə rṓssiv] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY progressively
destructive: able to destroy something progressively
by chemical action

2.  destroying
gradually:
destroying something gradually

3.  very
sarcastic:
very strongly sarcastic or bitter • a
corrosive review
noun
(plural cor·ro·sives)

CHEMISTRY destructive
substance:
a substance that is able to destroy something progressively by chemical action,
for example, an acid
[14th
century. Via French, ultimately from Latin corros-, the past participle
stem of corrodere (see corrode ).]
—cor·ro·sive·ly,
adverb

—cor·ro·sive·ness, noun[1]



corrosivesublimate

corrosivesublimate
cor·ro·sive
sub·li·mate
noun

See
mercuric chloride[1]



corrugate

corrugate
cor·ru·gate 
[káwrə gàyt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past cor·ru·gat·ed, past participle cor·ru·gat·ed,
present participle cor·ru·gat·ing, 3rd person present singular
cor·ru·gates)

fold
into ridges and troughs: to become folded into
parallel ridges and troughs, or fold something, for example, a sheet of
cardboard, into parallel ridges and troughs
adjective

See
corrugated
[Early 17th century. From
Latin corrugat-, the past participle stem of corrugare, literally
“to wrinkle completely,” from rugare “to wrinkle.”][1]



corrugated

corrugated
cor·ru·gat·ed 
[káwrə gàytəd] adjective

1.  with
ridges and troughs: folded into parallel ridges
and troughs

2.  made
from something corrugated: made from a corrugated
material • a
shed with a corrugated roof

[1]



corrugation

corrugation
cor·ru·ga·tion 
[kàwrə gáysh’n] (plural cor·ru·ga·tions)
noun

1.  fold
in corrugated surface: any of the folds in a
corrugated surface

2.  parallel
ridges and troughs: parallel ridges and troughs
formed by folding

[1]



corrugator

corrugator
cor·ru·ga·tor
[káwrə gàytər] (plural cor·ru·ga·tors)
noun

skin-wrinkling muscle:
a muscle that wrinkles the skin when it contracts[1]



corrupt

corrupt
cor·rupt 
[kə rúpt] adjective

1.  immoral
or dishonest: immoral or dishonest, especially as
shown by the exploitation of a position of power or trust for personal gain

2.  depraved:
extremely immoral or depraved

3.  COMPUTING containing
errors:
unusable because of the presence of errors that have been introduced
unintentionally • a corrupt file

4.  containing
copying errors: containing undesirable changes in
meaning or errors made in copying • a
corrupt transcription of the manuscript

5.  contaminated:
contaminated or tainted by something else (archaic) • a
corrupt fountain

6.  rotten:
putrid or decomposing (archaic) • corrupt
flesh
verb
(past cor·rupt·ed, past participle cor·rupt·ed, present
participle cor·rupt·ing, 3rd person present singular cor·rupts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become dishonest: to become dishonest, or
destroy or compromise somebody’s morality or honesty

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become depraved: to become or cause somebody
to become immoral or depraved

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING introduce
errors into data: to introduce unintentional errors into
data or a program, making it unusable or unreliable

4.  transitive
verb
spoil
text with copying errors: to make undesirable changes
in meaning or errors in a text during copying

5.  transitive
verb
contaminate:
to contaminate or taint something or somebody (archaic)

6.  transitive
verb
cause
to rot:
to make something rot or become putrid (archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin corruptus, the past participle of corrumpere,
literally “to break completely,” from rumpere “to break” (source of
English rupture ).]
—cor·rup·ter,
noun

—cor·rupt·ly,
adverb

—cor·rupt·ness, noun[1]



corruptible

corruptible
cor·rupt·i·ble 
[kə rúptəb’l] adjective

capable
of being corrupted: capable of or susceptible to
being corrupted
—cor·rupt·i·bil·i·ty
[kə rùptə bíllətee], noun

—cor·rupt·i·ble·ness
[kə rúptəb’lnəss], noun

—cor·rupt·i·bly [kə rúptəblee], adverb[1]



corruption

corruption
cor·rup·tion 
[kə rúpsh’n] (plural cor·rup·tions)
noun

1.  dishonesty
for personal gain: dishonest exploitation of
power for personal gain

2.  depravity:
extreme immorality or depravity

3.  LINGUISTICS word
or phrase altered from original: a word or phrase that
has been altered from its original form

4.  undesirable
change:
an undesirable change in meaning or error introduced into a text during copying

5.  corrupting
of something: the corrupting of something or somebody,
or the state of being corrupt

6.  rotting:
rotting or putrefaction, or the state of being rotten or putrid (archaic)

[1]



corruptionist

corruptionist
cor·rup·tion·ist 
[kə rúpsh’nist] (plural cor·rup·tion·ists)
noun

somebody taking part in
corruption: somebody who takes part in
corruption or defends it, especially in politics[1]



corruptive

corruptive
cor·rup·tive 
[kə rúptiv] adjective

harmful
to character or behavior: having a bad effect on
somebody’s character or behavior
—cor·rup·tive·ly, adverb[1]



corsac

corsac
cor·sac 
[káwr sàk] (plural cor·sacs) noun

small
Asian fox:
a small yellowish or reddish brown fox from Central Asia. Latin name: Vulpes
corsac
[Mid-19th century. Via
Russian korsak from Turkic karsak .][1]



corsage

corsage
cor·sage 
[kawr s] (plural cor·sages) noun

1.  flowers
on dress:
a small bouquet worn on the bodice of a dress or the lapel of a jacket

2.  bodice:
the bodice of a dress (archaic)
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from Old French cors “body.”][1]



corsair

corsair
cor·sair 
[káwr sàir] (plural cor·sairs)
noun

1.  pirate:
a pirate, especially one based on the northern African coast between the 16th
and 19th centuries

2.  official
pirate ship: a privately owned ship commissioned by a
government to attack foreign ships, especially one based on the coast of
northern Africa

3.  owner
of pirate ship: the owner of a ship commissioned by a
government to attack ships of other countries
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from medieval Latin cursarius, from Latin cursus,“hostile
incursion, plunder” from the past participle of currere “to run” (see course ).][1]



corselet

corselet
cor·se·let 
[káwrsslət] (plural cor·se·lets)
noun

1.  corse·let
(plural corse·lets) or corse·lette (plural corse·lettes)
foundation
garment:
a garment combining a corset and a bra

2.  corse·let
(plural corse·lets) or cors·let (plural cors·lets)
ARMS breastplate:
armor covering the upper body
[15th century. From French,
formed from Old French cors “body.”][1]



corset

corset
cor·set 
[káwrssət] (plural cor·sets) noun

1.  stiff
garment:
a stiffened garment worn by women to shape the waist and breasts

2.  stiff
undergarment: a stiff undergarment with laces to
fasten it tightly, worn in former times to shape and support the body

3.  MEDICINE injury
support:
a garment like a corset worn by men or women for support when injured
[13th
century. From French, formed from Old French cors “body.”]
—cor·set·ed, adjective[1]



corsetière

corsetière
cor·set·i·ère
[kàwrssə tyáir] (plural cor·set·i·ères)
noun

corset
maker:
somebody who makes or fits corsets
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from corset “ corset
.”][1]



corsetry

corsetry
cor·set·ry 
[káwrssətree] noun

corsets:
corsets in general[1]



Corsica

Corsica
Cor·si·ca 
[káwrssikə]

mountainous
island in the Mediterranean Sea, an administrative region of France.
Population: 249,237 (1990) Area: 8,680 sq km/3,351 sq mi.
—Cor·si·can, adjective,
noun[1]



Corsicana

Corsicana
Cor·si·ca·na 
[kàwrssi kánnə]

city in Texas, south of
Dallas, noted as a center for oil products since 1896. Population: 23,320
(1996)[1]



cortege

cortege
cor·tege 
[kawr tézh] (plural cor·teges)
or cor·tège [kawr tézh] (plural
cor·tèges) noun

1.  procession:
a procession, especially a funeral procession

2.  attendants:
a retinue of servants or attendants
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian corteggio, from corteggiare “to attend court,” from corte
“court,” from Latin cohors (see cohort
).][1]



cortex

cortex
cor·tex 
[káwr tèks] (plural cor·ti·ces
[káwrti sz] or cor·tex·es) noun

1.  ANATOMY outer
layer of body part: the outer layer of a solid
organ or part of the body, for example, the outer covering of the kidney or
brain ( cerebral cortex )

2.  BOTANY tissue
layer:
the tissue in plant stems and roots between the outer layer ( epidermis ) and the central core ( stele )
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “bark.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to cut,” which is also the ancestor of English shear, shirt,
carnage, and corm .]
—cor·ti·cal [káwrtik’l], adjective[1]



cortic-

cortic-
cortic-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cortico-[1]



cortico-

cortico-
cortico-
prefix

cortex,
cortical • corticospinal
[From Latin cortic-,
the stem of cortex (see cortex )][1]



corticoid

corticoid
cor·ti·coid 
[káwrti kòyd] (plural cor·ti·coids)
noun

drug acting like adrenal
gland hormone: a drug that acts in a
similar way to the hormone produced by the outer layer of the adrenal gland[1]



corticospinal

corticospinal
cor·ti·co·spi·nal 
[kàwrtikō spn’l] adjective

concerning cerebral cortex
and spinal cord: relating to or
connecting the outer covering of the brain ( cerebral
cortex ) and the spinal cord[1]



corticosteroid

corticosteroid
cor·ti·co·ste·roid 
[kàwrtikō sté ròyd, kàwrtikō
str òyd] (plural cor·ti·co·ste·roids) noun

1.  MEDICINE natural
steroid:
a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland and involved in metabolism and
immune response

2.  PHARMACOLOGY synthetic
steroid:
a synthetic drug similar or identical to a natural corticosteroid, used to
reduce inflammation, control allergic disorders, and prevent graft rejection

[1]



corticotropin

corticotropin
cor·ti·co·tro·pin 
[kàwrtikō trṓpin] or cor·ti·co·tro·phin
[kàwrtikō trṓfin] noun

See
ACTH
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of adrenocorticotrophic hormone .][1]



cortisol

cortisol
cor·ti·sol 
[káwrti sàwl, káwrti
zàwl, káwrti sòl, káwrti zòl] noun

See
hydrocortisone
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cortisone + -ol
.][1]



cortisone

cortisone
cor·ti·sone 
[káwrti zn] noun

hormone:
a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland and used to treat rheumatoid arthritis
and allergies
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of corticosterone, a type of corticosteroid
.][1]



Cortland

Cortland
Cort·land 
[káwrtlənd]

city in New York, on the
Tioughnioga River, northwest of Binghamton. Population: 18,733 (1996)[1]



Cortázar,Julio

Cortázar,Julio
Cor·tá·zar
[káwrtə zr], Julio (1914–1984)

Belgian-born Argentine
writer, who is known for his surrealist works, including the novel Hopscotch
( 1963 ).[1]



Cortés,Hernán

Cortés,Hernán

Cor·tés 
[kawr téz], Hernán (1485–1547)
Spanish explorer. He conquered Mexico in
1521 for Spain, and served as its governor (1523–1528).[1]



corundum

corundum
co·run·dum 
[kə rúndəm] noun

hard
mineral:
a hard mineral of aluminum oxide, with crystals in a range of colors and used
as an abrasive or a gemstone. The best-known varieties are ruby and sapphire.
[Early 18th century. From
Tamil kuruntam .][1]



coruscant

coruscant
co·rus·cant 
[kə rúskənt] adjective

glittering:
sparkling or glittering (literary)[1]



coruscate

coruscate
cor·us·cate 
[káwrə skàyt] (past cor·us·cat·ed,
past participle cor·us·cat·ed, present participle cor·us·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular cor·us·cates) intransitive verb
(literary)

1.  glitter:
to give off flashes of bright light

2.  be
brilliant:
to show brilliance or virtuosity • a
journalist renowned for her coruscating wit
[Early
18th century. From Latin coruscat-, the past participle stem of coruscare
“to glitter.”]
—cor·us·cat·ing,
adjective

—cor·us·ca·tion [kàwrə skáysh’n], noun[1]



Corvallis

Corvallis
Cor·val·lis 
[kawr válliss]

city in western Oregon,
southwest of Salem, on the Willamette River. Population: 47,518 (1996)[1]



corves

corves
corves


Plural of
corf[1]



corvette

corvette
cor·vette 
[kawr vét] (plural cor·vettes)
noun

1.  naval
escort ship: an armed naval escort vessel, smaller
than a destroyer

2.  small
warship:
in former times, a small wooden warship with one tier of guns
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Dutch korf “small ship,” literally “basket,” from
Latin corbis (source also of English corf
).][1]



corvid

corvid
cor·vid
[káwrvid] (plural cor·vids) noun

bird
of crow family: a bird of the family that includes
crows, jays, and magpies. Family: Corvidae
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Corvidae, family name, from Latin corvus (see corvine ).][1]



corvina

corvina
cor·vi·na 
noun

See
corbina[1]



corvine

corvine
cor·vine 
[káwr vn] adjective

relating
to crows:
belonging to the crow family, or characteristic of birds of the crow family
such as crows and ravens (formal or literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
corvinus, from corvus “raven.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English screech,
shrike, raven,
and rook .][1]



Corvus

Corvus
Cor·vus 
[káwrvəss] noun

small constellation:
a small constellation situated in southern skies between Virgo and Hydra[1]



corvée

corvée
cor·vée 
[kawr váy, káwr
vày] (plural cor·vées) noun

1.  feudal
service:
a day of unpaid labor required of a serf for a manorial lord

2.  service
for government: a period of labor sometimes required by
the state in lieu of taxes
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin corrogata, the past participle of corrogare,
literally “to summon together,” from rogare “to ask, beg.”][1]



Corybant

Corybant
Cor·y·bant 
[káwri bànt] (plural Cor·y·bants
or Cor·y·ban·tes [kàwri bán tz])
noun

1.  RELIGION priest
of Cybele:
in ancient Phrygia, a priest of the goddess Cybele who performed wild ecstatic
dances

2.  MYTHOLOGY attendant
of goddess Cybele: in ancient mythology, any of
the goddess Cybele’s attendants
[15th
century. From Latin Corybant-, the stem of Corybas, from Greek Korubas
.]
—Cor·y·ban·tic [kàwri bántik], adjective[1]



corymb

corymb
cor·ymb 
[káw rìmb, káwrim]
(plural cor·ymbs) noun

flat
flower head: a flat flower head ( inflorescence ) consisting of flowers whose stalks
grow from different points on the flower stem but reach approximately the same
height
[Early
18th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek korumbos “summit.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “head, horn.”]
—cor·ymbed,
adjective

—cor·ym·bose
[káwrim bss], adjective

—co·rym·bous [káw rimbəss], adjective[1]



coryphée

coryphée
cor·y·phée 
[kàwri fáy] (plural cor·y·phées)
noun

leading
ballet dancer: a leading dancer in a ballet company who
usually performs with a small group of other dancers
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek koruphaios “chorus leader,” from koruphe
“head top.”][1]



coryza

coryza
co·ry·za 
[kə rzə] (plural co·ry·zas) noun

1.  MEDICINE nasal
congestion:
severe nasal congestion

2.  MEDICINE cold:
a common cold (technical)

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE bird
disease:
a respiratory disease of chickens and turkeys, caused by bacteria
[Early
16th century. Via Latin from Greek koruza “nasal mucus, catarrh,” of
unknown origin.]
—co·ry·zal, adjective[1]



c.o.s.

c.o.s.
c.o.s.

Abbreviation of
cash on shipment[1]



cos

cos1
cos1  [koss]
(plural cos·es or cos) noun

U.K.
See romaine
[Late 17th century. Named for
the island of Cos in Greece, from which it was introduced.][1]



COS

COS
COS

1.  Abbreviation
of
cash on shipment

2.  Abbreviation
of
chief of staff

[1]



cos

cos2
cos2  [kōz]

Abbreviation of
cosine
See also
sin
See also
tan[1]



CosaNostra

CosaNostra
Co·sa
Nos·tra 
[kssə nṓstrə] noun

criminal
organization: a criminal organization in the United
States, linked with the Mafia of Sicily
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “our concern.”][1]



Cosby,Bill

Cosby,Bill

Cos·by
[kózbee], Bill (1937– )
U.S.
comedian, actor, producer, and writer best known for his work in television, in
particular his role in The Cosby Show ( 1984–1992 ).
Full name
Cosby, William Henry, Jr.[1]



cosec

cosec
co·sec 
[kṓ sèk]

Abbreviation of
cosecant[1]



cosecant

cosecant
co·se·cant 
[kō skənt] (plural co·se·cants)
noun

ratio of hypotenuse to
opposite side: for a given angle in a
right triangle, a trigonometric function equal to the length of the hypotenuse
divided by that of the side opposite the angle[1]



coseismal

coseismal
co·seis·mal 
[kō szməl] (plural co·seis·mals)
noun

line indicating simultaneous
earthquakes: a line on a map that
connects places where the effects of an earthquake were felt at the same time[1]



cosh

cosh
cosh 
[kosh] noun (plural cosh·es)

U.K.
blunt
weapon:
a blunt weapon that resembles a blackjack, usually made of rubber or metal
transitive
verb
(past coshed, past participle coshed, present
participle cosh·ing, 3rd person present singular cosh·es)

U.K.
hit
with a cosh: to attack somebody using a cosh
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Romany kosh “stick.”][1]



cosignatory

cosignatory
co·sig·na·to·ry 
[kō sígnə tàwree] (plural co·sig·na·to·ries)
noun

joint signatory:
a person, government, or organization that signs a document or treaty jointly
with others[1]



cosine

cosine
co·sine 
[kṓ sn] (plural co·sines) noun

ratio of adjacent side to
hypotenuse: for a given angle in a right
triangle, a trigonometric function equal to the length of the side adjacent to
the angle divided by the hypotenuse[1]



cosmeceutical

cosmeceutical
cos·me·ceut·i·cal 
[kòzmə stək’l] (plural cos·me·ceut·i·cals)
noun

cosmetic and pharmaceutical
product: a product that falls between
the categories designated as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, especially in terms
of marketing[1]



cosmetic

cosmetic
cos·met·ic 
[koz méttik] noun (plural cos·met·ics)
(often used in the plural)

1.  beautifying
substance:
a preparation, for example, lipstick, that is applied to the face or the body
to make it more attractive

2.  superficially
attractive aspect: something added or done to
something else to cover up defects
adjective

1.  beautifying:
intended to improve somebody’s physical appearance • cosmetic
surgery

2.  only
for appearances: done to make something seem better but
having no real value • The
changes to the code of conduct were purely cosmetic, since attitudes remained
fundamentally the same.

3.  decorative:
designed or added for decorative purposes rather than for any real function
[Early
17th century. Via French cosmétique from Greek kosmētikos
“skilled in ornamenting,” from kosmein “to arrange,” from kosmos
(see cosmos 1 ).]
—cos·met·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cosmetician

cosmetician
cos·me·ti·cian 
[kòzmə tísh’n] (plural cos·me·ti·cians)
noun

somebody involved with
cosmetics: somebody who makes or sells
cosmetics, or who applies them professionally[1]



cosmetologist

cosmetologist
cos·me·tol·o·gist 
[kòzmə tólləjist] (plural cos·me·tol·o·gists)
noun

cosmetics expert:
an expert in cosmetics and their use[1]



cosmetology

cosmetology
cos·me·tol·o·gy 
[kòzmə tólləjee] noun

study
of cosmetics: the study of cosmetics or the art or
profession of using them
[Mid-19th century. From
French cosmétologie, from cosmétique .][1]



cosmic

cosmic
cos·mic 
[kózmik] adjective

1.  of
whole universe: relating to the whole universe

2.  ASTRONOMY of
universe apart from Earth: used to describe outer space
or a part of the universe other than the Earth

3.  great:
very great in size or significance
interjection

expressing amazement:
used to express amazement or wonder
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek kosmikos, from kosmos (see cosmos 1 ).]
—cos·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cosmicdust

cosmicdust
cos·mic
dust
noun

particles in outer space:
small particles of solid matter found in outer space, often collected in clouds[1]



cosmicray

cosmicray
cos·mic
ray
(plural cos·mic rays) noun

high-energy radiation from
space: a stream of high-energy
radiation that reaches the earth from outer space[1]



cosmicstring

cosmicstring
cos·mic
string
(plural cos·mic strings) noun

hypothetical space-time
defect: an extremely long and thin
astronomical object theorized to be a space-time defect formed when the
universe began[1]



cosmo-

cosmo-
cosmo-
prefix

the
universe, space • cosmochemistry
[From Greek kosmos
“order, the world” (source of English microcosm
)][1]



cosmogony

cosmogony
cos·mog·o·ny 
[koz móggənee] (plural cos·mog·o·nies)
noun

1.  study
of universe’s origin: the study of the origin of
the universe or a part of it

2.  theory
of universe’s origin: a theory that explains the
origin of the universe
[Late
17th century. From Greek kosmogonia “creation of the world,” from kosmos
“ cosmos 1 .”]
—cos·mo·gon·ic
[kòzmə gónnik], adjective

—cos·mo·gon·i·cal,
adjective

—cos·mo·gon·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cos·mog·o·nist [koz móggənist], noun[1]



cosmography

cosmography
cos·mog·ra·phy 
[koz móggrəfee] (plural cos·mog·ra·phies)
noun

study
of universe or world: the study and description or
mapping of the entire world or the universe
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek kosmographia, from kosmos “
cosmos 1 .”]
—cos·mog·ra·pher,
noun

—cos·mo·graph·ic
[kòzmə gráffik], adjective

—cos·mo·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—cos·mo·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



cosmologicalargument

cosmologicalargument
cos·mo·log·i·cal
ar·gu·ment
(plural cos·mo·log·i·cal ar·gu·ments) noun

argument for God’s existence:
a logical argument that tries to prove the existence of God from empirical
information about the universe[1]



cosmologicalprinciple

cosmologicalprinciple
cos·mo·log·i·cal
prin·ci·ple
noun

theory of uniformity of
universe: the principle that the
universe would look the same to observers at any point in it as it does to us[1]



cosmology

cosmology
cos·mol·o·gy 
[koz mólləjee] (plural cos·mol·o·gies)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY study
of universe: the philosophical study and explanation
of the nature of the universe

2.  COSMOLOGY scientific
study of universe: the scientific study of the
origin and structure of the universe
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin cosmologia, from, ultimately, Greek kosmos
“ cosmos 1 .”]
—cos·mo·log·ic
[kòzmə lójjik], adjective

—cos·mo·log·i·cal,
adjective

—cos·mo·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cos·mol·o·gist [koz mólləjist], noun[1]



cosmonaut

cosmonaut
cos·mo·naut 
[kózmə nàwt] (plural cos·mo·nauts)
noun

Russian
astronaut:
an astronaut in the space programs of Russia and the former Soviet Union
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian kosmonavt, coined from Greek kosmos “cosmos” + nautēs
“sailor,” on the model of aeronavt “aeronaut.”][1]



cosmopolis

cosmopolis
cos·mop·o·lis 
[koz móppəliss] (plural cos·mop·o·lis·es)
noun

city
influenced by different cultures: a large city where
people from many different countries and cultures live
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cosmos-, on the model of metropolis .][1]



cosmopolitan

cosmopolitan
cos·mo·pol·i·tan 
[kòzmə póllit’n] adjective

1.  with
features of different countries: composed of or
containing people from different countries

2.  well-traveled:
familiar with many different countries and cultures

3.  unprejudiced:
free from national prejudices

4.  knowledgeable
and refined: showing a breadth of knowledge and
refinement from having traveled widely

5.  ECOLOGY occurring
worldwide:
growing or occurring in many different parts of the world
noun
(plural cos·mo·pol·i·tans)

well-traveled person:
somebody who has traveled to many different countries around the world.
Also
called
cosmopolite
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from cosmopolite .]
—cos·mo·pol·i·tan·ism,
noun[1]



cosmopolite

cosmopolite
cos·mop·o·lite 
[koz móppə lt] (plural cos·mop·o·lites)
noun

See
cosmopolitan
[Early
17th century. Via French from Greek kosmopolitēs, literally “citizen of
the world.”]
—cos·mop·o·lit·ism, noun[1]



cosmos

cosmos1
cos·mos1  [kóz
mòss, kózməss] (plural cos·mos·es)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY COSMOLOGY whole
universe:
the universe thought of as an ordered and integrated whole

2.  ordered
system:
an ordered system or harmonious whole
[13th century. From Greek kosmos
“order, universe, ornament” (source also of English microcosm
).][1]



cosmos

cosmos2
cos·mos2  [kóz
mòss, kózməss] (plural cos·mos·es
or cos·mos) noun

flower
like daisy:
a tropical American plant with flowers of various colors that resemble large
daisies. Genus: Cosmos
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek kosmos “ornament” (source of English cosmos 1 ). So
called because of its elegant foliage.][1]



cosponsor

cosponsor
co·spon·sor 
[kō spónsər] noun (plural co·spon·sors)

joint
sponsor:
a sponsor who supports a person, organization, or project jointly with others
transitive
verb
(past co·spon·sor·ed, past participle co·spon·sor·ed,
present participle co·spon·sor·ing, 3rd person present
singular co·spon·sors)

sponsor
jointly:
to sponsor something jointly with one or more other people or organizations
—co·spon·sor·ship, noun[1]



Cossack

Cossack
Cos·sack 
[kó sàk] (plural Cos·sacks) noun

1.  HISTORY Russian
peasant:
a peasant of Polish or Russian descent living in southeastern Russia, Ukraine,
or Siberia. Cossacks were noted for their skill in horsemanship.

2.  MILITARY Cossack
soldier:
a member of a Russian army unit whose soldiers are Cossacks
[Late 16th century. Via
Russian kazak (source of English Kazakh
) from Turkic, literally “nomad, adventurer.” The spelling was influenced by
French Cosaque .][1]



cosset

cosset
cos·set 
[kóssət] (past cos·set·ed, past
participle cos·set·ed, present participle cos·set·ing,
3rd person present singular cos·sets) transitive verb

give
excessive care: to give somebody or something excessive
care and protection
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Anglo-Norman coscet “lamb reared by hand” from
Old English cotsta, literally “cottage-dweller.”][1]



cost

cost
cost 
[kawst] verb (past cost,
past participle cost, present participle cost·ing, 3rd
person present singular costs)

1.  transitive
verb
be
priced at:
to require the payment of a particular sum

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
expensive:
to require payment of a large sum of money (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
cause
loss of:
to cause somebody or something to lose, sacrifice, or suffer something

4.  (past
cost·ed, past participle cost·ed) transitive verb calculate
money required: to calculate the price or expense of
something
noun
(plural costs)

1.  amount
paid for something: the amount of money required
to be paid for something

2.  money
spent doing something: the amount of money spent in
producing or doing something

3.  loss
or effort:
the loss, sacrifice, suffering, or effort involved in doing something

4.  See
cost price
plural
noun
costs

LAW legal
expenses:
the amount of money that is spent pursuing a legal action, especially those
expenses that the losing party is required to pay
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin constare “to be fixed.”]
—cost·less,
adjective

—cost·less·ly,
adverb

—cost·less·ness, noun[1]



costa

costa
cos·ta 
[kóstə] (plural cos·tae [kóst]) noun

1.  ANATOMY rib:
a rib (technical)

2.  BIOLOGY part
like rib:
a part of something, for example, a leaf or a wing, that resembles a rib
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, “rib” (source also of English accost,
coast and cutlet
).]
—cos·tal, adjective[1]



costaccountant

costaccountant
cost
ac·count·ant (plural cost ac·count·ants)
noun

accountant who calculates
production costs: an accountant who
calculates and provides detailed information on the cost of producing something
or carrying out some operation in a business, and compares actual costs with
expected costs[1]



costaccounting

costaccounting
cost
ac·count·ing noun

accounting concerned with
production costs: accounting that is
concerned with providing detailed information on the cost of producing
something or carrying out an operation in a business[1]



costae

costae
cos·tae


Plural of
costa[1]



CostaMesa

CostaMesa
Cos·ta
Me·sa 
[kàwstə máyssə]

city in southwestern
California, south of Long Beach, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Population: 100,938 (1996)[1]



costar

costar
co·star
[kṓ str] or co-star [kṓ str] noun (plural co·stars)

joint star:
somebody who stars jointly with another person or other people in a production
verb
(past co·starred, past participle co·starred, present
participle co·star·ring, 3rd person present singular co·stars)

1.  intransitive
verb
star
jointly with others: to star jointly with another
actor or actors in a production

2.  transitive
verb
feature
as joint star: to include or feature somebody as a
costar

[1]



costard

costard
cos·tard 
[kóstərd] (plural cos·tards) noun

apple:
a large English cooking apple
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman, formed from coste “rib,” from Latin costa (see costa ). So called because of its prominent
ridges.][1]



CostaRica




Back to definition

CostaRica

[1]



CostaRica

CostaRica



Cos·ta
Ri·ca
[kstə rkə, kòstə
rkə]
republic
in southern Central America between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Language: Spanish. Currency: colón. Capital: San José. Population: 3,534,174
(1997) Area: 51,060 sq km/19,714 sq mi. Official name Republic of Costa
Rica
—Cos·ta Ri·can (plural
Cos·ta Ri·cans), noun, adjective[1]



costate

costate
cos·tate 
[káw stàyt] adjective

BOTANY ridged:
used to describe a leaf that has ridges or is ribbed
[Early 19th century. From
Latin costatus, formed from costa (see costa
).][1]



cost-effective

cost-effective
cost-ef·fec·tive 
adjective

economically
worthwhile:
economically worthwhile in terms of what is achieved for the amount of money
spent
—cost-ef·fec·tive·ly,
adverb

—cost-ef·fect·ive·ness,
noun[1]



costing

costing
cost·ing
[káwsting] (plural cost·ings) noun

calculated cost of something:
the cost that has been calculated for undertaking a project (often used in
the plural)[1]



costive

costive
cos·tive 
[kóstiv] adjective

1.  MEDICINE constipated:
constipated, or causing constipation (technical)

2.  hesitant:
slow to act or speak
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin constipatus, the past participle of constipare
(see constipate ).]
—cos·tive·ly,
adverb

—cos·tive·ness, noun[1]



costly

costly
cost·ly 
[káwstlee] (comparative cost·li·er,
superlative cost·li·est) adjective

1.  expensive:
costing a lot of money to buy

2.  luxurious:
using expensive and luxurious materials

3.  involving
time or effort: involving a great deal of effort, time,
or sacrifice

4.  damaging:
causing great loss, damage, or suffering
—cost·li·ness, noun[1]



Costner,Kevin

Costner,Kevin
Cost·ner
[kóstnər], Kevin (1955– )

U.S. movie actor and
director. He won seven Academy Awards for Dances With Wolves ( 1990 ), a
movie about the Sioux.[1]



costof living

costof living
cost
of liv·ing
noun

living expenses:
the amount of money spent on food, clothing, accommodation, and other basic
necessities (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



cost-of-livingadjustment

cost-of-livingadjustment
cost-of-liv·ing
ad·just·ment (plural cost-of-liv·ing
ad·just·ments) noun

increase in wages because of
inflation: an increase in wages or
salary to compensate for an increase in the cost of living[1]



cost-of-livingindex

cost-of-livingindex
cost-of-liv·ing
in·dex
noun

See
consumer price index[1]



cost-plus

cost-plus
cost-plus 
noun

pricing including profit:
a pricing system that calculates the price of a product by adding a specified
percentage as profit to the production cost[1]



costprice

costprice
cost
price
noun

price seller paid:
the price that somebody selling something paid for it.
Also called
cost[1]



costume

costume
cos·tume 
[kós tm] noun (plural cos·tumes)

1.  special
clothes:
clothes worn to make somebody look like somebody or something else, for
example, when performing in a play

2.  clothes
of period or group: the clothes worn during a
specific period of time or in a specific location

3.  clothes
for certain activity: the clothing appropriate for
a particular activity, for example, swimming
transitive
verb
(past cos·tumed, past participle cos·tumed, present
participle cos·tum·ing, 3rd person present singular cos·tumes)

1.  dress
in a costume: to provide somebody with a costume

2.  provide
costumes:
to provide costumes for a production
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian costume, literally “custom, fashion,” from Latin consuetudo
(see custom ).][1]



costumejewelry

costumejewelry
cos·tume
jew·el·ry
noun

cheap jewels:
jewelry that is decorative but cheap[1]



costumier

costumier
cos·tum·i·er 
[ko stmee ər, kàwss
toom yáy] (plural cos·tum·i·ers) or cos·tum·er
[kós tmər, ko
stmər] (plural cos·tum·ers) noun

costume-maker:
somebody who makes or supplies costumes for a play, show, or festivity
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from costumer “to provide with a costume.”][1]



co-survivor

co-survivor
co-sur·vi·vor 
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
close associate of traumatized person:
a close relative or friend of somebody who has experienced a traumatizing
event, for example, a rape victim, AIDS patient, or victim of a disaster[1]



cosy

cosy
co·sy 
adjective noun

U.K. =
cozy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cot

cot4
cot4 (plural cots) noun

See
cote[1]



cot

cot1
cot1 [kot]
(plural cots) noun

1.  collapsible
lightweight bed: a narrow collapsible bed for occasional
or camping use, usually consisting of a lightweight metal or wood frame and a
canvas surface or thin mattress.
U.K.
term
camp bed

2.  U.K.
See crib
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
khā, a framework strung with rope and used as a bed or seat, via
Sanskrit khavā from Tamil kau “to tie.”][1]



cot

cot2
cot2 [kot]
(plural cots) noun

1.  cottage:
a small cottage (archaic or literary)

2.  MEDICINE cover
for sore finger: a cover for an injured finger, shaped
like the finger of a glove
[Old English, from
prehistoric Germanic (see cote )][1]



cot

cot3
cot3 [kot]

Abbreviation of
cotangent[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cotan

cotan
co·tan 
[kṓ tàn]

Abbreviation of
cotangent[1]



cotangent

cotangent
co·tan·gent 
[kō tánjənt] (plural co·tan·gents)
noun

ratio
of adjacent to opposite side: for a given angle in a right
triangle, a trigonometric function equal to the length of the side adjacent to
the angle divided by that of the side opposite
—co·tan·gen·tial [k tan jénshəl], adjective[1]



cotdeath

cotdeath
cot
death
(plural cot deaths) noun

U.K.
See crib death Technical name sudden infant death syndrome[1]



cote

cote
cote
[kōt] (plural cotes) or
cot [kot] noun

small
shelter:
a small shelter, especially one for birds or animals (usually used in
combination)
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English cot 2 .][1]



coteau

coteau
cot·eau
[kə tṓ] (plural cot·eaus) noun

Midwestern
U.S.,
Canada hilly upland: in
western North America, a hilly upland or divide between valleys
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “hillside, slope.”][1]



coterie

coterie
co·ter·ie 
[kṓtəree, ktə
r] (plural co·ter·ies) noun

small
exclusive group: a small exclusive group of people who
share the same interests
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Middle Low German kote “cottage.” In Old
French, the word meant “tenants.”][1]



coterminous

coterminous
co·ter·mi·nous 
adjective

See
conterminous[1]



coth

coth
coth 
[kawth]

Abbreviation
of
hyperbolic cotangent
[Late 19th century. From cot 3 + h for hyperbolic .][1]



cotidal

cotidal
co·tid·al 
[kō td’l] adjective

showing where tides occur
simultaneously: used to describe a line
that joins together locations on a coastal map where tides occur simultaneously[1]



cotillion

cotillion
co·til·lion 
[kə tíllyən, kō
tíllyən] (plural co·til·lions) or co·til·lon
[kə tíllyən, kō
tíllyən] (plural co·til·lons) noun

1.  French
dance:
a complicated French dance popular in the 18th century

2.  ball:
a formal ball

3.  dance
like quadrille: a dance similar to a quadrille

4.  MUSIC music:
the music for a cotillion
[Early 18th century. From
French cotillon, literally “petticoat,” from cotte (see coat ).][1]



cotinga

cotinga
co·tin·ga 
[kō tíng gə, kə
tíng gə] (plural co·tin·gas) noun

brightly
colored tropical bird: a brightly colored bird of
Central and South America. Family: Cotingidae
Also
called
chatterer
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Tupi cutinga .][1]



cotoneaster

cotoneaster
co·to·ne·as·ter 
[kə tṓnee àstər] (plural co·to·ne·as·ters)
noun

flowering
shrub:
a shrub of European or Asian origin with small white or pink flowers and black
or red berries. Genus: Cotoneaster
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin cotoneum (see quince ).][1]



cotonperlé

cotonperlé
co·ton
perlé
[kaw tn pur láy] noun

shiny
embroidery thread: shiny twisted two-ply thread
available in various thicknesses, used for embroidery.
Also
called
pearl cotton
[From French, literally
“pearly cotton”][1]



cotonà broder

cotonà broder
co·ton
à broder
[kaw tn aa brō dáir] noun

cotton
thread for embroidery: fine flat cotton thread with
a slight sheen, used for embroidery
[From French, literally
“cotton for embroidery”][1]



Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi
Co·to·pa·xi
[ktə páksee]

volcano in central Ecuador,
in the Andes Mountains. It is the highest active volcano in the world. Height:
5,897 m/19,347 ft.[1]



co-trimoxazole

co-trimoxazole
co-tri·mox·a·zole
[k trī móksi zl] noun

antibiotic
for urinary tract infections: an antibiotic used mainly to
treat urinary tract infections, that consists of a mixture of trimethoprim and
sulfamethoxazole
[Late 20th century. Coined from
co- + a blend of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole .][1]



Cotswold

Cotswold
Cots·wold
[kóts wòld] noun

a
sheep with fine long wool of a breed originating in the Cotswolds, England
adjective

relating to the Cotswolds[1]



Cotswolds

Cotswolds
Cots·wolds
[kóts wldz]

range of limestone hills in
southwestern England, extending 80 km/50 mi from near Bath to northern
Oxfordshire[1]



cotta

cotta
cot·ta 
[kóttə] (plural cot·tas) noun

clergy’s
short overgarment: a short surplice reaching to
just above the waist, worn by clergy, acolytes and choristers, in the Roman
Catholic Church and in some Anglican and Lutheran churches
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, ultimately from an ancient Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English coat .][1]



cottage

cottage
cot·tage 
[kóttij] (plural cot·tages) noun

1.  small
rural house: a small house, usually situated in the
countryside

2.  vacation
home:
a small vacation home in the country or beside the ocean

3.  small
residential unit: a small residential unit, for example,
at a camp, in which residents can be housed in groups
[14th
century. From either Anglo-Norman cotage or Anglo-Latin cotagium,
both of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—cot·tag·ey, adjective[1]



cottagecheese

cottagecheese
cot·tage
cheese
(plural cot·tage chees·es) noun

soft white cheese:
a soft white low-fat cheese with a distinctive lumpy texture and mild flavor[1]



cottagecountry

cottagecountry
cot·tage
coun·try
noun

Canada
area with summer cottages:
an area with many summer cottages and extensively used for outdoor recreation[1]



cottagecurtains

cottagecurtains
cot·tage
cur·tains
plural noun

curtains covering upper or
lower pane: a double set of curtains
hanging one above the other, with the top pair usually overlapping the bottom
pair and able to be tied back to let in light[1]



CottageGrove

CottageGrove
Cot·tage
Grove
[kòttij grṓv]

city in southeastern
Minnesota, on the Mississippi River; a southeastern suburb of St. Paul.
Population: 29,486 (1996)[1]



cottagehospital

cottagehospital
cot·tage
hos·pi·tal
(plural cot·tage hos·pi·tals) noun

U.K.
small rural hospital:
a small rural hospital that does not have any resident medical staff[1]



cottageindustry

cottageindustry
cot·tage
in·dus·try
noun

small home-based business:
a small-scale business where people mostly work at home[1]



cottagepudding

cottagepudding
cot·tage
pud·ding
(plural cot·tage pud·dings) noun

cake and sweet sauce:
a plain cake with a sweet sauce over it[1]



cottager

cottager
cot·tag·er 
[kóttijər] (plural cot·tag·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who vacations in a cottage: somebody who vacations in a
cottage

2.  Canada
LEISURE summer
resident:
a summer resident in a resort

[1]



cottar

cottar
cot·tar
[kóttər] (plural cot·tars) or
cot·ter [kóttər] (plural cot·ters)
noun

1.  farm
worker occupying cottage: formerly in Scotland, a farm
worker who was allowed to occupy a cottage in return for labor

2.  See
cottier
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from medieval Latin cotarius (from Old English cotsta,
literally “cottage-dweller”), or formed from cot 2 + a Scots
variant of -er .][1]



cotter

cotter2
cot·ter2  noun

See
cottar[1]



cotter

cotter1
cot·ter1  [kóttər]
(plural cot·ters) noun

1.  wedge
or bolt keeping things together: a wedge, key, or bolt
used to keep two parts of something, for example, machinery, together

2.  See
cotter pin
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—cot·tered,
adjective

—cot·ter·less, adjective[1]



cotterpin

cotterpin
cot·ter
pin
(plural cot·ter pins) noun

split pin:
a split pin inserted through a hole in a machine part and then bent so it holds
the part in place.
Also called
cotter[1]



cottier

cottier
cot·ti·er 
[kóttee ər] (plural cot·ti·ers)
noun

tenant
who bid for land: formerly in Ireland, a tenant who farmed
land he had acquired as the highest bidder.
Also
called
cottar
Also
called
cotter
[14th century. From Old
French cotier . Ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



cotton

cotton
cot·ton 
[kótt’n] (plural cot·tons) noun

1.  PLANTS bush
producing downy fiber: a tropical or subtropical
bush producing soft white downy fibers and oil-rich seeds. Genus: Gossypium

2.  INDUSTRY soft
fiber:
the soft white downy fiber that grows in the seed pods of the cotton plant,
used for making textiles

3.  TEXTILES fabric
made from cotton: fabric woven or knitted from spun cotton
fiber

4.  SEWING yarn
or thread:
yarn or thread made from cotton fiber, or a synthetic substitute

5.  something
made of cotton: something made of cotton fabric (often
used in the plural)

6.  INDUSTRY substance
resembling cotton: a substance that resembles
cotton fiber but is produced by another plant, for example, the cottonwood
[14th century. Via French coton
from, ultimately, Arabic uun .][1]



CottonBelt

CottonBelt
Cot·ton
Belt
noun

U.S. cotton-growing region:
an extensive agricultural area in the southeast United States where cotton is
the main crop[1]



cottoncandy

cottoncandy
cot·ton
can·dy
(plural cot·ton can·dies) noun

candy made with spun sugar
threads: a very sweet, usually pink,
candy consisting of a mass of fluffy threads of spun sugar, often sold wrapped
around a paper tube.
Also called
spun sugar
U.K. term
candy floss[1]



cottongrass

cottongrass
cot·ton
grass
noun

marsh plant with fluffy white
flowers: a reed-like marsh plant of
northern temperate areas that has white tufted cottony flower heads. Genus: Eriophorum[1]



Cotton,John

Cotton,John
Cot·ton 
[kótt’n], John (1584–1652)

English
minister. He preached Puritanism in England, and then in America from 1633.
Known as
Patriarch of New England[1]



cottonmoth

cottonmoth
cot·ton
moth
noun

American cotton pest:
a migratory owlet moth found in North America, especially as a pest in cotton
fields. Latin name: Alabama argillacea[1]



cottonmouth

cottonmouth
cot·ton·mouth 
[kótt’n mòwth] (plural cot·ton·mouths
[kótt’n mòwz, kótt’n
mòwths]) noun

See
water moccasin
[Mid-19th century. From the
whitish color inside its mouth.][1]



cottonon

cottonon
cotton
on
(past cottoned on, past participle cottoned on, present
participle cottoning on, 3rd person present singular cottons
on) intransitive verb

understand
something:
to grasp the meaning of what is being said or done (informal)
[From the obsolete verb cotton
“to prosper,” which is said to have come from success in raising the nap of
cotton and so increasing its value][1]



cotton-picking

cotton-picking
cot·ton-pick·ing 
adjective

expressing
annoyance:
used to indicate disapproval or annoyance, or simply for emphasis (informal)
[From the fact that
cotton-picking was done by only the poorest laborers][1]



cottonsedge

cottonsedge
cot·ton
sedge
(plural cot·ton sedges) noun

Canada
See cotton grass[1]



cottonseed

cottonseed
cot·ton·seed 
[kótt’n sd] (plural cot·ton·seeds)
noun

seed of cotton plant:
the seed of the cotton plant, used to give oil and make meal[1]



cottonseedcake

cottonseedcake
cot·ton·seed
cake
noun

animal feed made from
cottonseeds: a hard cake produced as
a residue after the extraction of oil from cottonseeds and used as a feed for
livestock. It is usually ground for feeding.[1]



cottonstainer

cottonstainer
cot·ton
stain·er
(plural cot·ton stain·ers) noun

pest on cotton:
an insect that pierces cotton seed pods ( bolls ) and stains the fibers. Genus:
Dysdercus[1]



CottonState

CottonState
Cot·ton
State
noun

Alabama:
the state of Alabama (informal)[1]



cottonswab

cottonswab
cot·ton
swab
(plural cot·ton swabs) noun

cotton-tipped stick:
a short stick with a small amount of absorbent cotton wound tightly onto one or
both ends, used, for example, to clean ears or apply makeup[1]



cottontail

cottontail
cot·ton·tail 
[kótt’n tàyl] (plural cot·ton·tails)
noun

N American rabbit:
a small North American rabbit with brown or gray fur and a tail with a white
cottony underside. Genus: Sylvilagus
Also called
wood rabbit[1]



cottonto

cottonto
cotton
to
(past cottoned to, past participle cottoned to, present
participle cottoning to, 3rd person present singular cottons
to) transitive verb

1.  start
liking somebody: to take a liking to somebody

2.  understand:
to grasp the meaning of what has been said or done
[From a sense of the obsolete
verb cotton “to agree, harmonize,” which
evolved from the earlier sense “to prosper”][1]



cottonwaste

cottonwaste
cot·ton
waste
noun

waste yarn for cleaning:
waste cotton yarn used as a cleaning material[1]



cottonwood

cottonwood
cot·ton·wood 
[kótt’n wd] (plural cot·ton·woods
or cot·ton·wood) noun

poplar tree with cottony
seeds: a North American poplar tree
that has seeds with cottony tufts. Latin name: Populus deltoides[1]



cottonwool

cottonwool
cot·ton
wool
noun

1.  U.K.
(hyphenated when used before a noun) See absorbent
cotton

2.  unprocessed
cotton:
raw unprocessed cotton

[1]



cottony

cottony
cot·ton·y 
[kótt’nee] adjective

like cotton:
looking or feeling like cotton[1]



cottony-cushionscale

cottony-cushionscale
cot·ton·y-cush·ion
scale
(plural cot·ton·y-cush·ion scales) noun

pest of citrus crops:
a small sap-sucking insect, native to Australia, that damages citrus crops in
California and elsewhere. Latin name: Icerya purchasi[1]



-cotyl

-cotyl
-cotyl
suffix

cotyledon
• hypocotyl
[From cotyledon][1]



cotyledon

cotyledon
cot·y·le·don 
[kòtt’l d’n] (plural cot·y·le·dons)
noun

1.  first
leaf:
the first leaf, or one of the first pair of leaves, produced by the seed of a
flowering plant. They may serve as food stores, remaining in the seed at
germination, or produce food by photosynthesis.
Also
called
seed leaf

2.  tuft
on mammalian placenta: a tuft of projections ( villi ) on the placenta of a mammal
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin, literally “navelwort,” from Greek kotulēdōn
“cup-shaped cavity,” from kotulē “cup, socket.”]
—cot·y·le·don·al,
adjective

—cot·y·le·don·ar·y,
adjective

—cot·y·le·don·ous, adjective[1]



cotylosaur

cotylosaur
cot·y·lo·saur 
[kótt’lə sàwr] (plural cot·y·lo·saurs)
noun

extinct
reptile:
an extinct reptile with a heavy body and short legs. The cotylosaurs were
probably the first land vertebrates. Order: Cotylosauria
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek kotulē “cup, socket” + sauros “lizard.” So called from
its vertebrae, which are concave at both ends.][1]



coucal

coucal
cou·cal 
[k kàl, kk’l]
(plural cou·cals) noun

tropical
bird with hooked beak: a tropical bird of the
cuckoo family with a large hooked beak and long broad tail, found in Africa,
southern Asia, and Australasia. Genus: Centropus
[Early 19th century. From
French, said to be a blend of coucou “cuckoo” and alouette
“lark.”][1]



couch

couch2
couch2  noun

See
couch grass
[Late 16th century. Variant
of quitch .][1]



couch

couch1
couch1  [kowch]
noun (plural couch·es)

1.  long
seat:
a piece of upholstered furniture on which two or more people can sit side by
side. It usually has a back and arms.

2.  doctor’s
long seat:
a long seat with a headrest that a patient lies on, for example, during a
medical examination

3.  malting
frame:
a frame on which barley grain is spread during malting

4.  PAINTING first
coat of paint: a layer of paint or varnish applied to a
canvas as a first coat
verb
(past couched, past participle couched, present
participle couch·ing, 3rd person present singular couch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
phrase
in certain way: to express something using a particular
style or choice of words

2.  transitive
verb
spread
for malting: to spread barley on a frame for malting

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb lie or
lay down:
to lie down, or lay somebody or something down (archaic or literary) (often
passive)

4.  intransitive
verb
lie
in ambush:
to lie in ambush (archaic or literary)

5.  transitive
verb
ARMS lower
lance:
to lower a lance into position for an attack

6.  transitive
verb
SURGERY remove
cataract:
to remove a cataract by pushing down the lens of the eye

7.  transitive
verb
SEWING embroider
by holding down threads: to embroider a pattern by
holding down threads by means of other threads passed through the material
[14th
century. The noun is via French couche, the verb directly from coucher
“to lie or set down,” from Latin collocare, literally “to place
together.”]
—couch·er, noun[1]



couchant

couchant
couch·ant 
[kówchənt] adjective

lying
with head up: used in heraldry to describe an animal
lying down with its head raised
[15th century. From French,
the present participle of coucher (see couch 1 ).][1]



couchette

couchette
cou·chette 
[koo shét] (plural cou·chettes)
noun

1.  seat
convertible to bed: a seat in a compartment on a
continental European train that can be converted into a sleeping berth

2.  compartment
with couchettes: a compartment of a train containing
couchettes
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “small bed,” from couche (see couch 1 ).][1]



couchgrass

couchgrass
couch
grass
noun

rapidly spreading coarse
grass: a type of grass with rapidly
spreading underground roots, that is a troublesome weed in gardens. Latin name:
Agropyron repens
Also called
couch
Also called
quack grass
Also called
witch grass
Also called
quitch grass
Also called
twitch grass[1]



couchpotato

couchpotato
couch
po·ta·to
noun

lazy
television viewer: an inactive person who
spends too much time sitting watching television (disapproving informal)
[A pun on the idea that
somebody who watches the “boob tube” is a “tuber”; also with reference to snacking
on potato chips][1]



coudé

coudé
cou·dé
[koo dáy] (plural cou·dés) or
cou·dé tel·e·scope [koo dáy] (plural
cou·dé tel·e·scopes) noun

telescope
that reflects light: an astronomical telescope
that reflects light from a main mirror onto a detector to one side
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of couder “to bend at right angles,” from coude
“elbow,” from Latin cubitum “elbow, forearm, cubit.”][1]



cougar

cougar
cou·gar 
[kgər, k gaar]
(plural cou·gars or cou·gar) noun

See
mountain lion
[Late 18th century. Via
French couguar from, ultimately, Guarani cuguaçuarana .][1]



cough

cough

cough 
[kawf] verb (past coughed,
past participle coughed, present participle cough·ing,
3rd person present singular coughs)

1.  intransitive
verb
expel
air from lungs noisily: to release air through the
windpipe and mouth sharply and noisily

2.  transitive
verb
expel
by coughing: to expel something from the lungs or
windpipe by coughing

3.  intransitive
verb
make
coughing noise: to make a noise that is similar to the
sound of somebody coughing
noun (plural
coughs)

1.  act
or sound of coughing: a sudden noisy release of
air through the windpipe and mouth, often expelling an obstruction

2.  MED illness
causing coughing: an illness causing coughing because of
an infection in the lungs
[14th
century. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that imitated the sound.]
—cough·er, noun[1]



coughdrop

coughdrop
cough
drop
(plural cough drops) noun

candy that soothes cough:
a medicated candy for soothing a cough or sore throat[1]



coughsyrup

coughsyrup
cough
syrup
(plural cough syr·ups) noun

syrup for soothing coughs:
a medicated, often sweet-tasting, syrup that is taken to soothe or suppress a
cough[1]



coughup

coughup
cough
up
intransitive and transitive verb

give something reluctantly:
to give something such as money or information reluctantly (informal)[1]



could

could
could 
[kd] CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb used to form the past tense of “can” • My
mother did the best she could for my brother and me, often against very stiff
odds.
• She
could perform illusions and she was a trapeze artist.
• His
feet had swollen so he could hardly walk. • We
were so tired we couldn’t stay awake. intransitive
verb

1.  expressing
possibility: used to express that something is
possibly true or happening in the future • She
thinks that medical technology could be the field for her.

2.  expressing
request:
used when making polite requests • Could
you close the window please?

3.  indicating
a possible past situation: used to indicate a possible
situation in the past that did not happen • We
could have gone.

4.  expressing
polite offer: used to make polite offers and
suggestions

5.  for
emphasis:
used in questions to emphasize strong feelings about something • How
could you do that?
[Old English cūþe,
past tense of cunnan “to know” (see can 2 ; altered
on the model of should and would][1]



couldn’t

couldn’t
could·n’t 
[kdd’nt] contraction

could not:
could not[1]



could’ve

could’ve
could’ve 
[kddəv] contraction

could have:
could have[1]



coulee

coulee
cou·lee 
[klee] (plural cou·lees) noun

1.  GEOLOGY lava
flow:
a thick short flow of viscous molten lava

2.  Northwestern
U.S.,
Canada GEOGRAPHY deep
gully dry in summer: a deep gully formed by rain
or melting snow and usually dry in the summer

3.  Southern
U.S.
GEOGRAPHY small
stream:
a small stream, canal, or bayou

4.  Southern
U.S.
GEOGRAPHY streambed:
a streambed, sometimes dry

5.  Midwestern
U.S.
GEOGRAPHY shallow
valley:
a broad shallow valley
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “flow,” from the feminine past participle of couler
“to flow,” from Latin colare “to strain” (see colander
).][1]



coulis

coulis
cou·lis
[klee] (plural cou·lis [klee]) noun

purée:
a thin purée of fruit or vegetables used as a garnish
[Late 20th century. Via
French from Old French coleïs, literally “flowing.”][1]



coulisse

coulisse
cou·lisse 
[koo lss] (plural cou·lisses)
noun

side
scenery:
in the theater, a piece of side scenery on a stage or the space between two of
these pieces (often used in the plural)
[Early 19th century. From
French, from (porte) coulisse “sliding (door),” from Old French (see portcullis ).][1]



couloir

couloir
cou·loir 
[kool wr] (plural cou·loirs) noun

mountain
gully:
a broad mountain gully, especially one prone to avalanches
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “channel,” from couler “to flow” (see coulee ).][1]



coulomb

coulomb
cou·lomb
[k lòm] (plural cou·lombs) noun

unit
of electric charge: the SI unit of electric
charge equal to the amount of charge transported by a current of one ampere in
one second. Symbol C
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb (1736–1806), because of
his work in electrostatics.][1]



Coulomb’slaw

Coulomb’slaw
Cou·lomb’s
law 
noun

law
of electrical attraction or repulsion: a law
of electricity stating that the force of attraction or repulsion between two
electric charges is proportional to their product and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between them
[Mid-19th century. Named
after the physicist who formulated it (see coulomb
).][1]



coulometry

coulometry
cou·lom·e·try 
[koo lómmətree] noun

chemical
analysis by measuring electricity used: a
means of analyzing the results of a process of electrolysis by measuring the
amount of electricity used in the process to determine the amount of the
substance produced
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from coulomb + -metry .]
—cou·lo·met·ric
[klə méttrik], adjective

—cou·lo·met·ri·cal·ly
[klə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



coulter

coulter
coul·ter 
[kṓltər] (plural coul·ters) or
col·ter [kṓltər] (plural col·ters)
noun

front
plow blade:
a vertical blade attached to a plow that cuts into the soil in front of a
plowshare
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
culter “knife, plowshare” (source of English cutlass
and cutlery ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to cut,” which also produced English shell, scale,
and skill .][1]



coumarin

coumarin
cou·ma·rin 
[kmərin] noun

fragrant
chemical:
a fragrant compound found naturally in plants or made synthetically, used in
perfumes and in medicine. C9H6O2
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Tupi cumarú “tonka bean tree,” one
of the plants from which coumarin is obtained.]
—cou·ma·ric, adjective[1]



council

council
coun·cil 
[kówns’l] (plural coun·cils) noun

1.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION people
running local affairs: a group of people elected to
govern a local district

2.  committee:
an appointed or elected body of people with an administrative, advisory, or
representative function

3.  CHRISTIANITY church
assembly:
an assembly of church representatives who meet to decide matters of discipline
and doctrine

4.  council
meeting:
a meeting of a council

5.  meeting
for discussion: a meeting to discuss or decide something
[Pre-12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman cuncile from Latin concilium, literally
“calling together.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to call,”
which also produced English low, claim, and calendar
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  council
  or counsel ?
  Council is a noun only, meaning an
  assembly or a body of persons or their deliberations. Counsel is both a noun and a verb, and has to do with advice,
  particularly of a professional nature, and the giving of it. The noun counsel most often means a lawyer or lawyers
  dealing with a legal case, whereas a counselor
  gives some other kind of professional advice. The verb describes the activity
  of such advisers: • The
  company psychologist counsels employees having stress problems.
  • International
  financial analysts counseled caution.

[1]



CouncilBluffs

CouncilBluffs
Coun·cil
Bluffs
[kòwns’l blúffs]

city in southwestern Iowa, on
the Missouri River, directly east of Omaha, Nebraska. Population: 55,569 (1996)[1]



councillor

councillor
coun·cil·lor 
noun

See
councilor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








councilman

councilman
coun·cil·man 
[kówns’lmən] (plural coun·cil·men
[kówns’lmən]) noun

male council member:
a man who is a member of a council, especially of a local government[1]



council-managerplan

council-managerplan
coun·cil-man·ag·er
plan
noun

type of city government:
a type of city government in the United States where an elected city council
hires a professional administrator to run the public services and other
operations of the city[1]



Councilof Europe

Councilof Europe
Coun·cil
of Eu·rope
noun

European political
organization: an organization of
European states founded in 1949 to further political unity[1]



Councilof Trent

Councilof Trent
Coun·cil
of Trent
noun

historic Roman Catholic
conference: a Roman Catholic Church
council held in Trento, Italy, from 1545 to 1563 to respond to the threat from
Protestantism. The council reaffirmed and defined Roman Catholic beliefs and
laid the foundation for the Counter-Reformation.[1]



councilor

councilor
coun·cil·or 
[kównsələr] (plural coun·cil·ors)
or coun·cil·lor [kównsələr] (plural
coun·cil·lors) noun

1.  member
of local government council: a member of a council
elected to govern a local district

2.  member
of advisory council: an elected or appointed
member of an advisory council
[14th
century. Alteration of counsellor by association with council
.]
—coun·cil·or·ship, noun[1]



councilwoman

councilwoman
coun·cil·wom·an 
[kowns’l wmmən] (plural coun·cil·wom·en
[kowns’l wìmmən]) noun

woman council member:
a woman member of a council, especially of a local government[1]



counsel

counsel
coun·sel 
[kówns’l] noun (plural coun·sels)

1.  court
lawyer:
a lawyer or group of lawyers who conduct cases in court or give legal advice

2.  somebody
who gives advice: somebody whose advice is sought, or who
acts as an official adviser (takes singular or plural verb)

3.  advice:
advice sought from or given by somebody, especially somebody who is wise or
knowledgeable (formal or literary) (often used in the plural)

4.  consultation:
consultation with others (archaic or literary)
transitive
verb
(past coun·seled, past participle coun·seled, present
participle coun·sel·ing, 3rd person present singular coun·sels)

1.  advise
to do something: to advise somebody on a particular
course of action (formal or literary)

2.  advise
on personal problems: to give somebody advice and
support on personal or psychological matters, usually in a professional context
[12th
century. Via Old French conseil from, ultimately, Latin consilium
“consultation, deliberating body,” from consulere “to seek advice.”]
keep
your own counsel

to
keep your thoughts and intentions secret

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Counsel,
  meaning a lawyer, is often mispronounced “consul,” the latter word meaning a
  foreign service officer attached to and running a consulate. See also Usage
  note at council.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at recommend

[1]



counselee

counselee
coun·se·lee
[kòwnsə l] (plural coun·se·lees)
noun

counsel receiver:
somebody who is receiving counseling[1]



counseling

counseling
coun·sel·ing
[kówns’ling] or coun·sel·ling
[kówns’ling] noun

1.  help
with personal problems: help with personal or
psychological matters usually given by a professional

2.  meetings
with counselor: meetings with a counselor to receive
help with personal or psychological problems

[1]



counselor

counselor
coun·sel·or
[kówns’lər] (plural coun·sel·ors)
or coun·sel·lor [kówns’lər] (plural
coun·sel·lors) noun

1.  somebody
who gives advice: somebody, for example, a friend, who
gives advice

2.  SOCIAL WELFARE adviser
on personal problems: somebody, usually a
professional, who helps others with personal, social, or psychological problems

3.  EDUCATION MEDICINE adviser
on special subject: a professional who gives
advice on such matters as careers, education, or health

4.  coun·sel·or
(plural coun·sel·ors) or coun·sel·lor or coun·sel·or-at-law
(plural coun·sel·ors-at-law) or coun·sel·lor-at-law
(plural coun·sel·lors-at-law) LAW
attorney:
an attorney, especially one who acts for a client in a trial

5.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION high-ranking
diplomat:
a diplomat ranking below an ambassador or minister

6.  LEISURE children’s
supervisor:
somebody who supervises young people at a summer camp
[12th
century. Partly from French conseiller (from Latin consiliarius
), and partly from French conseilleur (from Latin consiliator ),
both ultimately from Latin consilium (see counsel
).]
—coun·se·lor·ship, noun[1]



count

count2
count2 [kownt]
(plural counts) noun

European
aristocrat:
a nobleman in certain European countries, with a rank equal to that of a
British earl
[14th century. Via old French
conte from Latin comit-, the stem of comes “companion,”
later “member of the imperial court,” literally “somebody who goes with.”][1]



count

count1
count1 [kownt]
verb (past count·ed, past participle count·ed,
present participle count·ing, 3rd person present singular counts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
numbers:
to say numbers in order, usually starting at one

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb add
up:
to add things up to see how many there are or to find the value of an amount of
money

3.  transitive
verb
include:
to include somebody or something in a calculation

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb consider
or be considered: to consider somebody or something, or be
considered, in a particular way or as a particular thing

5.  intransitive
verb
be
of importance: to be of importance or value

6.  intransitive
verb
have
a value:
to have a specific value

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC DANCE keep
time:
to keep time by counting beats
noun
(plural counts)

1.  saying
of numbers:
an act of saying numbers in order

2.  finding
of total:
an addition of people or things to find a total

3.  total:
a total that is reached by adding up

4.  one
of many points: any one of a number of points, for
example, in a discussion

5.  LAW charge
against somebody: a charge against somebody who is on
trial

6.  BASEBALL balls
and strikes on baseball batter: in baseball, the
number of balls and strikes that a batter has accumulated during a turn at bat

7.  BOXING boxing
referee’s count: a count to ten by the referee in a
boxing match during which a boxer who has been knocked down must stand up or
lose the match

8.  WRESTLING wrestling
referee’s count: a count to three by the referee at a
wrestling match during which a wrestler being held on the floor must break the
hold or lose the point
[14th
century. The noun is via old French conte ; the verb directly from Old
French conter “to reckon,” from Latin computare, literally “to
reckon together.”]
keep
count

to
count and remember the number of people or things counted

lose
count

to
fail to count accurately or remember the number of people or things counted

out
or down for the count

1.  unconscious
or deeply asleep and unlikely to wake again for some time (informal)

2.  BOXING unable to stand up, after
being knocked down, within the ten-second count given by the referee, and
therefore losing the match

[1]



countable

countable
count·a·ble 
[kówntəb’l] adjective

1.  that
can be counted: able to be counted

2.  GRAMMAR able
to form a plural: used to describe a noun that can be used
with “a” or “an” and with a plural verb, usually in a distinct plural form
—count·a·bil·i·ty
[kòwntə bíllətee], noun

—count·a·bly [kówntəblee], adverb[1]



countdown

countdown
count
down
intransitive verb

count backward:
to count backward from a number to zero, or from a given time to something such
as the launch of a rocket[1]



countdown

countdown
count·down 
[kównt dòwn] (plural count·downs)
noun

1.  backward
count:
a count in descending order before an event such as a rocket launch

2.  activities
before an event: the activities carried on during the
period of time before something such as a rocket launch

3.  preparatory
period:
the period immediately preceding an important event

[1]



countenance

countenance
coun·te·nance 
[kówntənəns] noun (plural coun·te·nanc·es)

1.  face
or expression: somebody’s face, or the expression on it

2.  composure:
composure or self-control
transitive
verb
(past coun·te·nanced, past participle coun·te·nanced,
present participle coun·te·nanc·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·te·nanc·es)

tolerate or approve:
to tolerate, accept, or give approval to something (formal)
[13th
century. From old French contenance “demeanor,” literally “contents,”
from contenir (see contain ).]
—coun·te·nanc·er, noun[1]



counter

counter1
count·er1 [kówntər]
(plural coun·ters) noun

1.  flat
surface:
a flat surface on which food or drink is served, merchandise is displayed, or
business is transacted

2.  flat
surface in kitchen: a flat surface in a kitchen
on which food can be prepared or dishes laid out

3.  LEISURE small
marker:
a small object, often a flat disk, used in games to mark a player’s position or
to keep score

4.  imitation
coin:
an object, usually a flat disk, used as a substitute for a coin
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman counteor from medieval Latin computatorium,
literally “place for counting,” from Latin computare (see count 1 ).]
under
the counter

secretly and unofficially,
usually because there is something illegal about what is being done[1]



counter

counter2
count·er2 [kówntər]
intransitive and transitive verb (past coun·tered, past
participle coun·tered, present participle coun·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ters)

1.  contradict
or oppose:
to say something that contradicts or opposes what somebody has said

2.  do
something in opposition: to do something in
opposition to what somebody is doing, to make it less effective

3.  BOXING punch
opponent in return: to defend yourself against a
punch from an opponent and deliver a punch in return
adverb

1.  opposite:
in the opposite direction

2.  contrarily:
in a contrary manner
adjective

contradicting:
contradicting or opposing something • a
counter blow
noun
(plural coun·ters)

1.  response:
a response made in retaliation to something that has been said

2.  opposite:
something that is the opposite of something else or that is done in opposition
to something else

3.  BOXING return
punch:
a punch that counters a punch aimed by an opponent

4.  FENCING parry:
in fencing, a parry in which the foils make a circular movement

5.  NAUTICAL end of
ship’s stern: the part of the stern of a ship or boat
that juts out above the waterline

6.  PRINTING hollow
part of typeface: a hollow part of a piece of type, such
as the inner parts of the letters “p” and “d”

7.  CLOTHES leather
around heel of shoe: a piece of leather around
the heel of a shoe or boot

8.  FOOTBALL move
away from attacking linemen: a move in which the player
carrying the ball runs to the side of the field away from the attacking linemen
[14th century. From counter- . The underlying meaning is “to go
against.”][1]



counter-

counter-
counter-
prefix

1.  contrary,
opposing • counterattack

2.  complementary,
corresponding • counterpart
[Via Anglo-Norman countre-
from, ultimately, Latin contra (see contra-
)][1]



counter

counter3
count·er3 [kówntər]
(plural coun·ters) noun

1.  device
that counts: a device that counts automatically

2.  somebody
who counts:
somebody whose job is to count something, for example, votes

[1]



counteract

counteract
coun·ter·act 
[kòwntər ákt] (past coun·ter·act·ed,
past participle coun·ter·act·ed, present participle coun·ter·act·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·acts) transitive verb

lessen
effect of:
to prevent something having an effect, or lessen its effect
—coun·ter·ac·tion,
noun

—coun·ter·ac·tive,
adjective

—coun·ter·ac·tive·ly, adverb[1]



counterargument

counterargument
coun·ter·ar·gu·ment 
[kówntər rgyəmənt] (plural coun·ter·ar·gu·ments)
noun

something that challenges
previous reasoning: a fact or
opinion that challenges the reasoning behind somebody’s proposal and shows that
there are grounds for taking an opposite view[1]



counterattack

counterattack
coun·ter·at·tack 
[kówntər ə tàk] noun (plural coun·ter·at·tacks)

response
to attack:
an attack made in response to an attack by an enemy or opponent
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coun·ter·at·tacked,
past participle coun·ter·at·tacked, present participle coun·ter·at·tack·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·at·tacks)

launch counterattack:
to launch a counterattack against an enemy or opponent[1]



counterbalance

counterbalance
coun·ter·bal·ance 
[kówntər bàlləns] transitive verb (past
coun·ter·bal·anced, past participle coun·ter·bal·anced, present
participle coun·ter·bal·anc·ing, 3rd person present singular coun·ter·bal·anc·es)

1.  have
equal and opposing effect on: to be or have an equal and
opposing force or effect on something

2.  balance
with equal weight: to make something balance by
putting equal weight on the opposite side
noun
(plural coun·ter·bal·anc·es)

1.  counterbalancing
person or thing: somebody who or something that is or has
an equal and opposing force or effect

2.  weight
that balances another: a weight that exactly
balances another weight

[1]



counterbatteryfire

counterbatteryfire
coun·ter·bat·te·ry
fire
[kówntər bàttəri fr] noun

weapons fire to destroy enemy
artillery: firing weapons with the aim
of destroying enemy artillery[1]



counterblast

counterblast
coun·ter·blast 
[kówntər blàst] (plural coun·ter·blasts)
noun

angry reply:
an attack on somebody in speech or writing, made in response to an attack by
that person[1]



counterchange

counterchange
coun·ter·change 
[kówntər chàynj] (past coun·ter·changed,
past participle coun·ter·changed, present participle coun·ter·chang·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·chang·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interchange:
to interchange the parts or positions of two things

2.  transitive
verb
checker:
to checker or dapple something with colors

[1]



countercharge

countercharge
coun·ter·charge 
[kówntər chrj] noun (plural coun·ter·charg·es)

1.  accusation
against accuser: a charge or accusation made against the
person or group who has accused another of something

2.  MILITARY charge
countering enemy’s charge: a military charge made to
counter an enemy’s charge
transitive
verb
(past coun·ter·charged, past participle coun·ter·charged,
present participle coun·ter·charg·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·charg·es)

charge accuser with something:
to bring a charge against an accuser

[1]



countercheck

countercheck
coun·ter·check 
[kówntər chèk] noun (plural coun·ter·checks)

1.  second
check:
a check made to ensure that a previous check was correct

2.  restraint
on something: something that acts to block or restrain
something else
verb
(past coun·ter·checked, past participle coun·ter·checked,
present participle coun·ter·check·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·checks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb check
again:
to carry out a second check on something, in order to ensure that the first was
accurate

2.  transitive
verb
restrain:
to act in order to block the force or action of something

[1]



counterclaim

counterclaim
coun·ter·claim 
noun [kówntər klàym] (plural coun·ter·claims)

claim
entered by defendant: a claim entered by the
defendant in a court of civil law, as a response to the original claim that was
entered against the defendant by the plaintiff
intransitive
and transitive verb [kòwntər
kláym] (past coun·ter·claimed, past participle coun·ter·claimed,
present participle coun·ter·claim·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·claims)

respond
to one claim with another: to make a claim in response
to, or as a defense against, an earlier claim
—coun·ter·claim·ant [kòwntər kláymənt], noun[1]



counterclockwise

counterclockwise
coun·ter·clock·wise 
[kòwntər klók wz] adverb

in
the direction opposite to clockwise: in
the direction opposite to the one that the hands of a clock move.
U.K.
term
anticlockwise
adjective

moving opposite to clockwise:
moving in the direction opposite to the one that the hands of a clock move.
U.K. term
anticlockwise[1]



counterconditioning

counterconditioning
coun·ter·con·di·tion·ing 
[kòwntər kən dísh’ning] noun

attempt to change habitual
response: a process of psychological
conditioning that attempts to replace somebody’s undesired habitual response to
a particular situation with a desired learned response[1]



countercoup

countercoup
coun·ter·coup 
[kówntər k] (plural coun·ter·coups)
noun

coup against leaders of
earlier coup: a coup made against a
group that has seized political power in an earlier coup[1]



counterculture

counterculture
coun·ter·cul·ture 
[kówntər kùlchər] (plural coun·ter·cul·tures)
noun

culture
in opposition to mainstream society: a
culture that has ideas and ways of behaving that are consciously and
deliberately very different from the cultural values of the larger society that
it is part of
—coun·ter·cul·tur·al,
adjective

—coun·ter·cul·tur·ist,
noun[1]



countercurrent

countercurrent
coun·ter·cur·rent 
[kówntər kùrrənt] noun (plural
coun·ter·cur·rents)

current flowing opposite way:
a current that flows in the opposite direction of another current
adjective

1.  flowing
in opposite direction: flowing in the opposite
direction of another current

2.  using
opposing currents: involving the flow of two
currents in opposite directions
—coun·ter·cur·rent·ly,
adverb[1]



countercyclical

countercyclical
coun·ter·cy·cli·cal 
[kòwntər síklik’l, kòwntər
sklik’l] adjective

compensating for effects of
business cycles: designed to compensate
for the undesirable effects of business cycles[1]



counterdemonstration

counterdemonstration
coun·ter·dem·on·stra·tion 
[kòwntər demmən stráysh’n] (plural coun·ter·dem·on·stra·tions)
noun

public
demonstration against another: a public demonstration
that is held to oppose the purpose of another demonstration that was recently
held or is currently being held
—coun·ter·dem·on·stra·tor,
noun[1]



counterespionage

counterespionage
coun·ter·es·pi·o·nage 
[kòwntər éspee ə nzh] noun

spying on spies:
government activity designed to detect and prevent spying by agents of other
countries who are operating against that government’s country[1]



counterexample

counterexample
coun·ter·ex·am·ple 
[kówntər ig zàmp’l] (plural coun·ter·ex·am·ples)
noun

fact inconsistent with
theory: a fact or argument that
indicates that a theory, scientific hypothesis, or mathematical theorem is not
true[1]



counterfactual

counterfactual
coun·ter·fac·tu·al 
[kòwntər fákchoo əl] adjective

contrary to the facts:
not reflecting or taking into account the facts[1]



counterfeit

counterfeit
coun·ter·feit 
[kówntər ft] adjective

1.  forged:
made as a copy of something, especially money, in order to defraud or deceive
people

2.  false:
pretended in order to deceive somebody • counterfeit
geniality
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coun·ter·feit·ed,
past participle coun·ter·feit·ed, present participle coun·ter·feit·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·feits)

1.  forge:
to make realistic copies of something, especially money, in order to defraud or
deceive people

2.  pretend:
to pretend to have an emotion in order to deceive somebody
noun
(plural coun·ter·feits)

forgery: a
copy of something, especially money, made in order to defraud or deceive people
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman countrefet, the past participle of countrefaire
“to counterfeit,” from medieval Latin contrafacere, from Latin contra-
“against”+ facere “to make” (see fact
).]
—coun·ter·feit·er, noun[1]



counterfoil

counterfoil
coun·ter·foil 
[kówntər fòyl] (plural coun·ter·foils)
noun

part of check kept by issuer:
the part of a check, ticket, or other paper used in a financial transaction
that is detached and kept by the issuer as a record[1]



counterfort

counterfort
coun·ter·fort
[kówntər fàwrt] (plural coun·ter·forts)
noun

buttress:
a type of buttress that sticks out at right angles from a wall
[Late 16th century. From
French contrefort, from Old French contreforcier “buttress.”][1]



counterglow

counterglow
coun·ter·glow 
[kówntər gl] noun

See
gegenschein
[Mid-19th century.
Translation of German Gegenschein .][1]



counterhegemonic

counterhegemonic
coun·ter·heg·e·mon·ic 
[kòwntər hejjə mónnik] adjective

against
current intellectual trend: contrary to the prevailing
fashion, especially in intellectual matters
[Late 20th century. Formed
from counter- + hegemony
.][1]



counterinsurgency

counterinsurgency
coun·ter·in·sur·gen·cy 
[kòwntər in súrjənsee] noun

action
against rebellion: military and political
activities undertaken by a government to defeat a rebellion or guerrilla
movement
—coun·ter·in·sur·gent,
noun[1]



counterintelligence

counterintelligence
coun·ter·in·tel·li·gence 
[kòwntər in téllijəns] noun

activity against spies:
government and military activities designed to gather information about enemy
spies, thwart their activities, and supply them with false information[1]



counterintuitive

counterintuitive
coun·ter·in·tu·i·tive 
[kòwntər in t itiv] adjective

contrary
to expectations: not in accordance with what would
naturally be assumed or expected • I know
it’s counterintuitive, but the highest grade in this system is D and the lowest
is A.
—coun·ter·in·tu·i·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



counterirritant

counterirritant
coun·ter·ir·ri·tant 
[kòwntər írrit’nt] (plural coun·ter·ir·ri·tants)
noun

1.  worry
that diverts attention from another: a
worry or annoyance that distracts somebody from attending to another worry or
annoyance

2.  skin
irritant supposed to reduce inflammation: a
substance applied to the skin in the belief that the irritation produced will
reduce the inflammation of underlying tissue
—coun·ter·ir·ri·ta·tion
[kòwntər írri táysh’n], noun[1]



counterman

counterman
coun·ter·man 
[kówntər màn, kówntərmən]
(plural coun·ter·men [kówntər mèn,
kówntərmən]) noun

waiter working at counter:
a man who serves food at a counter, for example, in a diner, delicatessen, or
luncheonette[1]



countermand

countermand
coun·ter·mand 
[kówntər mànd, kòwntər
mánd] transitive verb (past coun·ter·mand·ed, past
participle coun·ter·mand·ed, present participle coun·ter·mand·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·mands)

1.  cancel
a command:
to give an order or instruction that a previous order or instruction should not
be followed

2.  recall:
to recall somebody or something sent somewhere by a previous order
noun
(plural coun·ter·mands)

order canceling another:
an order canceling a previous order
[15th century. From Old
French contremander, from, ultimately, Latin mandare “to command”
(see mandate ).][1]



countermarch

countermarch
coun·ter·march 
[kówntər mrch] noun (plural coun·ter·march·es)

1.  return
march:
a march, especially one undertaken by soldiers, back from a position following
the same route as that taken on the outward march

2.  change
in marching direction: a marching maneuver in which
soldiers change the direction they are marching in while retaining their
positions within a formation

3.  complete
change of approach: a complete change in
somebody’s behavior or way of doing things
verb
(past coun·ter·marched, past participle coun·ter·marched,
present participle coun·ter·march·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·march·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb march
back:
to return from a position by marching back along the same route, or to make soldiers
do this

2.  intransitive
verb
change
direction of marching: to change the direction of a
formation of marching soldiers without altering the positions of the individual
soldiers

[1]



countermeasure

countermeasure
coun·ter·mea·sure 
[kówntər mèzhər] (plural coun·ter·mea·sures)
noun

defensive reaction:
something that is done in reaction to and as defense against a hostile action
by somebody else, or is done in order to deal with a threatening situation[1]



countermine

countermine
coun·ter·mine 
[kówntər mn] verb (past coun·ter·mined,
past participle coun·ter·mined, present participle coun·ter·min·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·mines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb explode
enemy’s mines in an area: to place explosive mines in
an area in order to explode mines placed there by an enemy

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig
tunnels against enemy’s tunnels: to dig underground
tunnels in order to intercept or destroy tunnels dug by an enemy

3.  transitive
verb
secretly
foil plot:
to take secret action against somebody’s plans
noun
(plural coun·ter·mines)

1.  tunnel
dug against enemy’s tunnels: a tunnel dug to intercept or
destroy tunnels dug by an enemy

2.  secret
action to foil plot: a secret action designed to
undermine or destroy a plot or scheme

[1]



countermove

countermove
coun·ter·move 
[kówntər mv] noun (plural coun·ter·moves)

response:
a move made in response to an opponent’s move, for example, in a game
intransitive
verb
(past coun·ter·moved, past participle coun·ter·moved,
present participle coun·ter·mov·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·moves)

respond:
to act in response to an opponent’s action, for example, in a game
—coun·ter·move·ment, noun[1]



counteroffensive

counteroffensive
coun·ter·of·fen·sive 
[kòwntər ə fénsiv] (plural coun·ter·of·fen·sives)
noun

offensive launched in
response: a major attack or series of
attacks made by a military force in response to the attacks made by an enemy[1]



counteroffer

counteroffer
coun·ter·of·fer 
[kówntər òffər] (plural coun·ter·of·fers)
noun

offer in response to
unsatisfactory offer: a revised
offer from somebody who rejects another person’s offer as unsatisfactory, made
in part to continue their negotiations toward a purchase or agreement[1]



counterpane

counterpane
coun·ter·pane 
[kówntər pàyn] (plural coun·ter·panes)
noun

bedspread:
a cover for a bed and its bedding (dated)
[15th century. Alteration,
under the influence of pane “panel,” of earlier counterpoint, via Old
French from, ultimately, medieval Latin culcita puncta, literally
“stitched quilt.”][1]



counterpart

counterpart
coun·ter·part 
[kówntər prt] (plural coun·ter·parts)
noun

1.  somebody
or something corresponding to another:
somebody who or something that has very similar characteristics to another
person or thing, or plays a very similar part in a different system or
organization

2.  matching
part or thing: either of two parts that fit together,
or either of two things that complement each other • I
identified bolt A but could not find its counterpart, socket B.

3.  ARTS actor
playing opposite another: somebody who plays opposite
another person in a play or film

4.  LAW copy
of legal document: a copy of a lease, contract,
or other legal document that is held by one party to a transaction and that
duplicates the copy held by the other party

[1]



counterperson

counterperson
coun·ter·per·son 
[kówntər pùrs’n] (plural coun·ter·per·sons)
noun

waiter working at counter:
somebody who serves food at a counter, for example, in a diner, delicatessen,
or luncheonette[1]



counterplan

counterplan
coun·ter·plan 
[kówntər plàn] (plural coun·ter·plans)
noun

1.  opposing
plan:
a plan made to defeat or respond to another plan

2.  alternative
plan:
a plan prepared as an alternative or substitute for the primary plan

[1]



counterplea

counterplea
coun·ter·plea 
[kówntər pl] (plural coun·ter·pleas)
noun

response to defendant’s plea:
a plea made by the plaintiff in a court of law in response to the plea made by
the defendant[1]



counterplot

counterplot
coun·ter·plot 
[kówntər plòt] noun (plural coun·ter·plots)

plot
made against plot: a plot made in order to
defeat an enemy’s or opponent’s plot
intransitive
verb
(past coun·ter·plot·ted, past participle coun·ter·plot·ted,
present participle coun·ter·plot·ting, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·plots)

make counterplot:
to make a plot designed to defeat an enemy’s or opponent’s plot[1]



counterpoint

counterpoint

coun·ter·point 
[kówntər pòynt] noun (plural coun·ter·points)

1.  sounding
together of melodies: the sounding together of two
or more melodic lines in a piece of music, each of which displays an individual
and differentiated melodic contour and rhythmic profile

2.  melody
combined with another: in a piece of music, a
melodic line or part that is sung or played at the same time as another

3.  contrasting
element:
a theme or element in a work of art that forms a contrast with another
transitive verb
(past coun·ter·point·ed, past participle coun·ter·point·ed,
present participle coun·ter·point·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·points)

1.  contrast
with:
to make an effective contrast with something, especially in a work of art • Richard’s
social ease counterpoints his sister’s awkwardness.

2.  arrange
music in counterpoint: to add one or more melodic
lines in counterpoint in a piece of music
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, medieval Latin (cantus) contrapunctus, literally
“(song) with notes marked opposite (the melody).”][1]



counterpoise

counterpoise
coun·ter·poise 
[kówntər pòyz] noun (plural coun·ter·pois·es)

1.  counteracting
weight:
a weight that balances another weight

2.  compensating
factor:
something that has the effect of diminishing or compensating for the effect of
something else • The government had
covertly encouraged the fascists as a counterpoise to the reformers.

3.  balanced
state:
a state of balance
transitive
verb
(past coun·ter·poised, past participle coun·ter·poised,
present participle coun·ter·pois·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·pois·es)

1.  oppose
and balance something: to counteract or compensate
for something by providing an equal force, influence, or weight

2.  make
balanced:
to bring something into a state of balance
[15th century. Alteration,
under the influence of poise “balance,” of French contrepeis,
literally “counterweight.”][1]



counterproductive

counterproductive
coun·ter·pro·duc·tive 
[kòwntər prə dúktiv] adjective

producing
problems:
producing problems or difficulties instead of helping to achieve a goal • A
direct challenge to her authority is likely to be counterproductive.
—coun·ter·pro·duc·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



counterproposal

counterproposal
coun·ter·pro·pos·al 
[kówntər prə pz’l] (plural coun·ter·pro·pos·als)
noun

suggested alternative:
a suggestion made in response to, and with the hope of modifying or replacing,
another suggestion in a negotiation[1]



counterpunch

counterpunch
coun·ter·punch 
[kówntər pùnch] noun (plural coun·ter·punch·es)

counterattacking
punch:
a punch made by a boxer in response to an opponent’s punch
intransitive
verb
(past coun·ter·punched, past participle coun·ter·punched,
present participle coun·ter·punch·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·punch·es)

box
back:
to punch in response to an opposing boxer’s punches
—coun·ter·punch·er, noun[1]



CounterReformation

CounterReformation
Coun·ter
Ref·or·ma·tion  or Coun·ter-Ref·or·ma·tion
noun

Roman Catholic response to
Protestant Reformation: the
movement of reform and regeneration instituted by the Roman Catholic Church in
1545 to counter the increasing strength of Protestantism in Europe as a result
of the Reformation.
Also called
Catholic Reformation[1]



counterreformation

counterreformation
coun·ter·ref·or·ma·tion 
[kòwntər reffər máysh’n] (plural coun·ter·ref·or·ma·tions)
noun

reform reversing earlier
reforms: a reform or reform movement
that seeks to reverse the effects of earlier reforms[1]



counterrevolution

counterrevolution
coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tion 
[kòwntər revvə lsh’n] (plural coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tions)
noun

1.  revolution
opposing previous revolution: a revolution with the aim of
undoing the effects of a previous revolution and overthrowing the government or
social system that it produced

2.  activity
against results of revolution: subversive activity
aimed at undoing the results of a revolution and overthrowing the government or
social system that it produced
—coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tion·ist,
noun[1]



counterrevolutionary

counterrevolutionary
coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
noun (plural coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
fighting revolutionary government: somebody, especially a
member of a military force, who seeks to overthrow a national government or
social system established by a revolution

2.  somebody
opposed to revolution: somebody who is opposed to
revolution as a means of political and social change
adjective

opposed to revolution:
opposed to a specific revolution or to revolution as a means of political and
social change

[1]



countersank

countersank
coun·ter·sank

Past tense of
countersink[1]



counterscarp

counterscarp
coun·ter·scarp
[kówntər skrp] (plural coun·ter·scarps)
noun

slope
around ditch outside fort: the slope or bank on the
outer side of the ditch outside a fort
[Late 16th century. Via
French contrescarpe from Italian controscarpa, from scarpa
(see scarp ).][1]



countershading

countershading
coun·ter·shad·ing 
[kówntər shàyding] noun

protective coloration:
a pattern of coloring on an animal’s skin or coat where the upper parts are
darker than the lower, counteracting the effects of sun and shade and
camouflaging the animal[1]



countershaft

countershaft
coun·ter·shaft 
[kówntər shàft] (plural coun·ter·shafts)
noun

shaft transmitting power from
main shaft: an intermediate shaft that
transmits power from the main shaft to a working part but rotates in the
opposite direction, especially in a belt drive or gear drive[1]



countersign

countersign
coun·ter·sign 
[kówntər sn] transitive verb (past
coun·ter·signed, past participle coun·ter·signed, present
participle coun·ter·sign·ing, 3rd person present singular coun·ter·signs)

sign document already signed:
to sign a document that somebody else has signed, for example, as a witness to
the signature or to confirm an authorization
noun
(plural coun·ter·signs)

1.  MILITARY secret
password:
an agreed and secret sign, word, or signal given as a password to a military
sentry in order to pass

2.  See
countersignature

[1]



countersignature

countersignature
coun·ter·sig·na·ture 
[kòwntər sígnəchər, kòwntər
sígnə chr] (plural coun·ter·sig·na·tures) noun

second signature added as
confirmation: a signature added to a
document that has already been signed, for example, to witness the first
signature or to confirm an authorization.
Also called
countersign[1]



countersink

countersink
coun·ter·sink 
[kówntər sìngk] transitive verb (past
coun·ter·sunk [kówntər sùngk], past
participle coun·ter·sunk, present participle coun·ter·sink·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·sinks)

1.  make
screw heads level with surface: to place screws,
bolts, or nails in wood or another material so that their heads are level with
or below the surface of the material

2.  make
hole to include screw head: to widen the top of the hole
for a screw or bolt so that the head will fit into the hole and be flush with
or below the surface
noun
(plural coun·ter·sinks)

1.  hole
that accepts screw head: a hole for a screw or bolt
that is wider at the top so that the head will fit into the hole and be flush
with or below the surface

2.  countersinking
tool:
a special drill bit or other tool for countersinking holes for screws or bolts

[1]



counterspy

counterspy
coun·ter·spy 
[kówntər sp] (plural coun·ter·spies)
noun

spy working against enemy
spies: a spy who spies on and seeks
to thwart enemy spies[1]



counterstain

counterstain
coun·ter·stain 
[kówntər stàyn] noun (plural coun·ter·stains)

additional
stain for microscope specimen: an additional stain
applied to a specimen to be examined under a microscope, in order to bring out
features not revealed by the primary stain
transitive
verb
(past coun·ter·stained, past participle coun·ter·stained,
present participle coun·ter·stain·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·stains)

add counterstain:
to use a counterstain on a microscope specimen[1]



countersubject

countersubject
coun·ter·sub·ject
[kówntər sùbjəkt] (plural coun·ter·sub·jects)
noun

second, contrasting melody:
a second theme or melodic line that contrasts with the main one in a fugue or
other piece of music employing counterpoint[1]



countersue

countersue
coun·ter·sue 
[kówntər s] (past coun·ter·sued,
past participle coun·ter·sued, present participle coun·ter·su·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·sues) intransitive and
transitive verb

sue somebody who sues:
to bring a lawsuit against somebody who is suing you[1]



countersunk

countersunk
coun·ter·sunk


Past tense of
countersink Past participle of countersink[1]



countertenor

countertenor
coun·ter·ten·or 
[kówntər tènnər] (plural coun·ter·ten·ors)
noun

1.  high
male singing voice: an adult male singing voice
that is higher than tenor and covers the alto range, produced by singing in
falsetto

2.  man
with high singing voice: a man whose singing voice is
a countertenor
[14th century. Via French contrateneur
from obsolete Italian contratenore, literally “against the tenor.”][1]



counterterror

counterterror
coun·ter·ter·ror 
[kówntər tèrrər] adjective

fighting terrorism:
intended or used to combat terrorism[1]



counterterrorism

counterterrorism
coun·ter·ter·ror·ism 
[kòwntər terrə rìzzəm] noun

activities
to combat terrorism: military or political
activities intended to combat or prevent terrorism
—coun·ter·ter·ror·ist,
adjective, noun[1]



countertop

countertop
coun·ter·top 
[kówntər tòp] (plural coun·ter·tops)
noun

upper surface of counter:
the surface of a counter, especially a kitchen counter, or of the top of a
display or storage case in a store[1]



countertrade

countertrade
coun·ter·trade 
[kówntər tràyd] noun

international
barter system: a system of international trade in which
countries exchange goods or services, rather than paying for imports with
currency
—coun·ter·trad·er, noun[1]



countertransference

countertransference
coun·ter·trans·fer·ence 
[kòwntər trans fúrrəns, kòwntər trànsfərəns] noun

therapist-to-patient
transference: a process that
sometimes occurs in psychoanalytic therapy where repressed emotions in the
therapist are awakened by identification with the experiences and feelings of
the patient[1]



countertype

countertype
coun·ter·type
[kówntər tp] (plural coun·ter·types)
noun

1.  opposite
type:
a type that is the complete opposite of another type

2.  corresponding
type:
a type that corresponds with or is equivalent to another type

[1]



countervail

countervail
coun·ter·vail 
[kòwntər váyl, kówntər
vàyl] (past coun·ter·vailed, past participle coun·ter·vailed,
present participle coun·ter·vail·ing, 3rd person present
singular coun·ter·vails) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb exert counteracting
effect:
to exert a counteracting power or influence against something, especially
against a harmful force, idea, or influence

2.  transitive
verb
offset:
to offset or compensate for something
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman contrevaloir, literally “to be worth against.”][1]



counterweigh

counterweigh
coun·ter·weigh 
[kòwntər wáy] (past coun·ter·weighed,
past participle coun·ter·weighed, present participle coun·ter·weigh·ing,
3rd person present singular coun·ter·weighs) transitive verb

counterbalance:
to counterbalance something, or use something to counterbalance something[1]



counterweight

counterweight
coun·ter·weight 
[kówntər wàyt] (plural coun·ter·weights)
noun

1.  counterbalancing
weight:
a weight that balances another weight

2.  something
with compensatory effect: something that counteracts
or compensates for something else, for example, a force, idea, or influence
—coun·ter·weight·ed, adjective[1]



counterwoman

counterwoman
coun·ter·wom·an 
[kówntər wmmən] (plural coun·ter·wom·en
[kówntər wìmmin]) noun

waitress working at counter:
a woman who serves food at a counter, for example, in a diner, delicatessen, or
luncheonette[1]



counterwork

counterwork
coun·ter·work
[kówntər wùrk] noun

1.  work
counteracting other work: work or action undertaken to
counteract other work or another action

2.  MILITARY fortifications:
fortifications against an attack

[1]



countess

countess
count·ess 
[kówntəss] (plural count·ess·es)
noun

1.  wife
of count or earl: a woman who is married to a count or an
earl, or who is the widow of a count or an earl

2.  European
noble-woman: a woman who holds the rank of count or
earl
[12th century. Via Old French
contesse from medieval Latin comitissa, the feminine form of comes
(see count 2 ).][1]



countin

countin
count
in
transitive verb

include:
to include somebody in a plan[1]



countinghouse

countinghouse
count·ing·house
[kównting hòwss] (plural count·ing·houses
[kównting hòwzəz]) noun

business accounting
department: the place where the
financial work of a business is done or where its accounts are kept (archaic)[1]



countless

countless
count·less 
[kówntləss] adjective

very
many:
many more than it is possible or convenient to count • I’ve
told him countless times to be more careful.
—count·less·ly, adverb[1]



countnoun

countnoun
count
noun
(plural count nouns) noun

noun with plural:
a noun that refers to one thing rather than a mass of something and that can be
used with “a” or “an,” with a number, and in the plural. Examples of English
count nouns are “cat,” “sheep,” and “child.”[1]



counton

counton
count
on
transitive verb

1.  rely
on:
to rely on somebody to do something

2.  be
sure of:
to be sure that something will happen

[1]



countout

countout
count
out
transitive verb

1.  count
one by one:
to count something, for example, money, one item at a time

2.  not
include:
to exclude somebody from a plan

3.  BOXING declare
boxer defeated by counting ten: to disqualify a boxer
who has been knocked down and fails to get up within ten seconds

[1]



countpalatine

countpalatine
count
pa·la·tine
(plural counts pa·la·tine) noun

1.  local
ruler in Holy Roman Empire: a count who ruled over his
own domain ( county palatine ) in the Holy
Roman Empire, or an official who ruled an area of the empire as the emperor’s
representative

2.  somebody
with judicial power over county: in former times, an
earl or other nobleman in England or Ireland who held the highest judicial
authority and other supreme powers within his own domain ( county palatine )

3.  Roman
palace official: a palace official with judicial
authority in the late Roman Empire

[1]



countrified

countrified
coun·tri·fied 
[kúntri fd] or coun·try·fied
[kúntri fd] adjective

1.  with
a country air: having a style or quality appropriate to
the country • a
pretty, countrified row of houses

2.  unsophisticated:
not fashionable or sophisticated and of a style or quality that is typical of
rural areas

[1]



country

country
coun·try 
[kúntree] noun (plural coun·tries)

1.  separate
nation:
a nation or state that is politically independent, or a land that was formerly
independent and remains separate in some respects

2.  homeland:
the nation or state where somebody was born or is a citizen

3.  geographically
distinct area: a large area of land regarded as
distinct from other areas, for example, because of its natural boundaries or
because it is inhabited by a particular people • The
country was settled by Europeans in the 16th century.

4.  farmed
and undeveloped area: an area that is farmed or
remains in a relatively undeveloped state, as distinct from cities, towns, and
other built-up areas • a
house in the country

5.  region
with special character: a region that is
distinguished by particular characteristics or is associated with a particular
activity, person, or group of people • This
was rebel country and there were checkpoints along the road.

6.  nation’s
people:
the people of a nation or state, especially when affected as a group by
political or other events • a
scandal that rocked the country

7.  See
country music
adjective

1.  typical
of rural areas: typical of rural areas or the people
living there

2.  of
country music: typical of, similar to, or performing
country music
[13th
century. Via Old French cuntrée from assumed Vulgar Latin (terra)
contrata, literally “(land) lying opposite,” from Latin contra
“against.”]
—coun·try·ish, adjective[1]



countryand western

countryand western
coun·try
and west·ern noun

(hyphenated when used
before a noun)See country music[1]



countrybumpkin

countrybumpkin
coun·try
bump·kin
(plural coun·try bump·kins) noun

See
bumpkin[1]



countryclub

countryclub
coun·try
club
(plural coun·try clubs) noun

sports and social club:
a club for social and leisure activities that has facilities for golf, tennis,
or other outdoor sports, usually located in the suburbs or the country[1]



countrycousin

countrycousin
coun·try
cous·in
(plural coun·try cousins) noun

unsophisticated rural person:
somebody from a rural area whose unsophisticated reactions to city life are
amusing (dated)[1]



country-dance

country-dance
coun·try-dance 
(plural coun·try-danc·es) noun

folk
dance for several couples: a folk dance in which
several couples form a square, a circle, or two lines, and perform a set of
movements
—coun·try-danc·ing, noun[1]



countryfied

countryfied
coun·try·fied 
adjective

See
countrified[1]



countrygentleman

countrygentleman
coun·try
gen·tle·man
noun

landowner:
a man who owns an estate in the country[1]



countryhouse

countryhouse
coun·try
house
noun

house in the country:
a house in the country, usually a large residence or a second home[1]



countryman

countryman
coun·try·man 
[kúntrimən] (plural coun·try·men
[kúntri mən]) noun

1.  somebody
from same nation: somebody who was born in or has become a
citizen of the same nation as somebody else

2.  somebody
from particular nation: somebody who is from or is a
citizen of a particular nation

3.  somebody
from the country: somebody who lives in the country,
especially somebody brought up there and familiar with rural life and pursuits

[1]



countrymarriage

countrymarriage
coun·try
mar·riage
(plural coun·try mar·riages) noun

Canada
Canadian common-law marriage:
formerly in Canada, a common-law marriage between a fur trader of European
origin and an Aboriginal or Metis woman[1]



countrymile

countrymile
coun·try
mile
noun

long way:
a long distance (informal) (regional)[1]



countrymusic

countrymusic
coun·try
mu·sic
noun

folk-based
popular music: a type of popular music, based on the
traditional music of the rural South and the cowboy music of the West, whose
songs express strong personal emotions. Country musicians typically play such
instruments as the guitar and fiddle.
Also
called
country
Also
called
country and western
—coun·try mu·si·cian, noun[1]



countryrock

countryrock
coun·try
rock
noun

1.  MUSIC country-influenced
rock music:
a type of rock music that is strongly influenced by country music

2.  GEOLOGY rock
surrounding other rock: rock that has been intruded
by magma or that surrounds veins of mineral ore

[1]



countryseat

countryseat
coun·try·seat 
(plural coun·try·seats) noun

hereditary estate in country:
an estate or a large house in the country that is the hereditary property of a
specific family[1]



countryside

countryside
coun·try·side 
[kúntri sd] noun

1.  rural
land:
an area of land that is farmed or in a relatively undeveloped state • a
village set in the wooded countryside

2.  inhabitants
of rural area: the people who live in a rural area • The
entire countryside was up in arms against the proposed development.

[1]



countrywide

countrywide
coun·try·wide 
[kúntri wd] adjective adverb

throughout a country:
throughout an entire nation • a
countrywide organization for professional women
• rates
that were increased countrywide[1]



countrywoman

countrywoman
coun·try·wom·an 
[kúntri wmmən] (plural coun·try·wom·en
[kúntri wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
from same nation: a woman who was born in or is a citizen
of the same nation as somebody else

2.  woman
from particular nation: a woman who was born in or
is a citizen of a particular nation

3.  woman
from the country: a woman who lives in the country,
especially one brought up there and familiar with rural life and pursuits

[1]



counttoward

counttoward
count
toward
or count to·wards transitive verb

be part of total:
to be included as part of something[1]



countupon

countupon
count
upon
transitive verb

See
count on[1]



county

county
coun·ty 
[kówntee] (plural coun·ties) noun

1.  local
government area: a unit of local government and one of
the administrative subdivisions that the states of the United States and,
excepting major cities, all of England and Wales are divided into

2.  people
of a county: the people who live in a county

3.  count’s
or earl’s domain: the lands controlled by a count or an
earl (archaic)
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman counté from, ultimately, Latin comitatus, literally
“group of companions,” from comes (see count 2 ).][1]



countyagent

countyagent
coun·ty
a·gent
(plural coun·ty a·gents) noun

government agricultural
consultant: a government employee who
provides advice to the residents of a rural county on subjects such as
agriculture and home economics[1]



countyclerk

countyclerk
coun·ty
clerk
(plural coun·ty clerks) noun

official responsible for
county records: a local government
official who keeps records and maintains documents for a county and its
residents[1]



countycouncil

countycouncil
coun·ty
coun·cil
(plural coun·ty coun·cils) noun

local government body:
a local government body administering a county in the United Kingdom and some
parts of the United States[1]



countycourt

countycourt
coun·ty
court
(plural coun·ty courts) noun

local court:
a local court of a state having jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in
one or more counties[1]



countypalatine

countypalatine
coun·ty
pa·la·tine
(plural coun·ties pa·la·tine) noun

1.  count
palatine’s domain: the lands governed by a
nobleman or imperial official with the rank of count palatine in the Holy Roman
Empire

2.  earl’s
or count’s domain: in England and Ireland in
former times, the lands administered by an earl or other nobleman who exercised
judicial authority
[See count
palatine][1]



countyseat

countyseat
coun·ty
seat
(plural coun·ty seats) noun

capital of county:
a town that is the seat of local government for a county.
U.K. term
county town[1]



countytown

countytown
coun·ty
town
(plural coun·ty towns) noun

U.K.
See county seat[1]



countywide

countywide
coun·ty·wide 
[kówntee wd] adjective adverb

throughout a county:
throughout an entire county[1]



coup

coup
coup 
[koo] (plural coups) noun

1.  seizure
of political power: the sudden overthrow of a
government and seizure of political power, especially in a violent way and by
the military.
Also
called
coup d’état

2.  successful
action:
a success that is unexpected and achieved with exceptional skill • Getting
the author to come and speak was quite a coup.

3.  feat
of bravery:
among some Native American peoples, a feat of bravery during battle, especially
touching an enemy warrior without harming him
[Late 18th century. Via
French, “blow,” from, ultimately, Greek kolophos “blow with the fist.”][1]



coupde foudre

coupde foudre
coup
de fou·dre 
[k də fdrə] (plural coups de
fou·dre [k də fdrə]) noun

love
at first sight: a sudden overwhelming feeling of love
for somebody
[From French, literally
“stroke of lightning”][1]



coupde grâce

coupde grâce
coup
de grâce
[k də grss] (plural coups de
grâce [k də grss]) noun

1.  death
blow:
a final stroke or shot that kills a person or animal, especially one intended
to end suffering

2.  act
that assures victory: the final action that
assures victory or success, especially in a sporting event
[From
French, literally “stroke of mercy”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Pronunciation
  trap:
  When
  foreign words and expressions enter our language, how much adaptation does
  their pronunciation undergo? At first a borrowed word is generally recognized
  as foreign, and is pronounced much as it would be in its original language.
  As time goes on, pronunciation and even spelling are likely to be modified so
  as to be more typical of English, until the word’s foreign origins are
  invisible except to etymologists. Discotheque, laissez-faire, mayonnaise,
  and uncle, for example, are at various points along this continuum of
  assimilation. Curiously, coup de grâce is
  often mistakenly pronounced k də gr, as people, perhaps having
  heard, for example, bourgeois, esprit de corps, and foie
  gras pronounced without their final consonants, imagine the expression
  should be pronounced in French. But the correct French pronunciation is more
  like the correct English pronunciation: k də grss.

[1]



coupde main

coupde main
coup
de main 
[k də máyn] (plural coups de main
[k də máyn]) noun

surprise
attack:
a sudden, fierce, and successful surprise attack against an enemy
[From French, literally “blow
of the hand”][1]



coupde théâtre

coupde théâtre
coup
de thé·â·tre [k də tay
trə] (plural coups de thé·â·tre [k
də tay trə]) noun

1.  surprising
turn of events: something that occurs in a very dramatic
way, especially a sensational and unexpected turn of events

2.  THEATER effective
piece of theater: a strongly dramatic moment in a play or
other theatrical production, produced by an exceptional piece of writing,
performance, or staging

3.  THEATER successful
play:
a play or other theatrical performance that is very successful
[From French, literally
“stroke of theatre”][1]



coupd’oeil

coupd’oeil
coup
d’oeil
[k dyə] (plural coups d’oeil
[k dyə]) noun

quick
look:
a quick look at something, especially one that provides an overall general
impression (literary)
[From French, literally
“stroke of the eye”][1]



coupd’état

coupd’état
coup
d’é·tat 
[k day t] (plural coups d’é·tat
or coup d’é·tats [k day t]) noun

See
coup  noun 1
[From French, literally
“stroke of state”][1]



coupe

coupe2

coupe2  [koop]
(plural coupes) noun
car
with two doors: a car with two doors and a hard, fixed
roof that seats two people or has a small rear seat.
Also
called
coupé
U.K.
term
coupé
[Early 20th century. Variant
of coupé .][1]



coupe

coupe1
coupe1  [koop]
(plural coupes) noun

1.  ice
cream with fruit: a dessert of ice cream and fruit

2.  glass
dish:
a small shallow glass bowl, often with a stem, for fruit and ice cream
[Late 19th century. Via
French, literally “goblet,” from medieval Latin cuppa (see cup ).][1]



couple

couple
cou·ple 
[kúpp’l] noun (plural cou·ples)

1.  two
similar things: two things of the same kind that are
together or are considered as a pair • found
a couple of mugs in the cupboard

2.  several:
a few things of the same kind • There
are a couple of things I’m not sure about.

3.  two
people sharing lives: two people who are married,
are living together, or have an intimate relationship

4.  two
people doing something together: two people, especially
a man and a woman, who are sitting, walking, dancing, or working together • There
were only a few couples on the dance floor.

5.  something
that joins:
something that links or joins two similar things

6.  ENGINEERING system
of opposing forces: a system of two equal forces
that are parallel and in opposite directions

7.  HUNTING pair
of dogs:
a pair of hunting dogs attached to each other by a leash, or the double collar
and leash on which they are held

8.  PHYSICS electrical
contact:
a connection of two dissimilar metals that develops an electric current in the
presence of an electrical conductor ( electrolyte
)
verb
(past cou·pled, past participle cou·pled, present
participle cou·pling, 3rd person present singular cou·ples)

1.  transitive
verb
associate
two things:
to associate or combine something or somebody with another • High
prices coupled with poor living conditions made their lives difficult.

2.  transitive
verb
join
two things:
to join or link two things or people • to
couple freight cars

3.  intransitive
verb
have
sexual intercourse: to have sexual intercourse (formal)
adjective

a few: two
or a few
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin copula (see copula
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Singular
  or plural?
  When
  couple refers to two married people or
  partners, it may be treated as either singular or plural: • The
  couple wants to be married before the end of the year
  but • The
  couple have not reconciled, and continue to live apart.
  If there is a pronoun referring to the word, it is almost always plural ( their
  ), and then any verb should be plural as well: • The
  couple have repeatedly asked that their privacy be respected.
  In other uses, the word is often followed by of and a plural noun, in
  which case it is treated as plural: • A
  couple of books were on the table. In
  informal uses the idea of “two” may be very approximate. If somebody says,
  e.g., • A
  couple of us are going out for coffee, no
  one should be surprised if three people go.

[1]



coupler

coupler

cou·pler 
[kúpplər] (plural cou·plers) noun

1.  RAIL connector
for railroad cars: a device on a railroad car
that enables the cars to be connected to form a train.
Also
called
coupling noun 5
U.K.
term
coupling  noun 5

2.  ENGINEERING See coupling  noun 4

3.  means
of coupling things: something or somebody that
joins or combines two things together

4.        MUSIC device
connecting keyboards: a
mechanical or electronic device that connects two keyboards on an organ or
harpsichord so that all the keys can be played from one keyboard[1]



couplet

couplet
cou·plet 
[kúpplət] (plural cou·plets) noun

two
lines of verse: two lines of verse that form a unit
alone or as part of a poem, especially two that rhyme and have the same meter
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “little couple,” from couple “ couple .”][1]



coupling

coupling
cou·pling 
[kúppling] (plural cou·plings)
noun

1.  something
that joins two things: something that joins two
things, especially a device for connecting two pieces of pipe, hose, or tube

2.  joining
two things together: a joining together or
linking of two persons or things • a
disastrous coupling of two very unlike singers

3.  act
of sexual intercourse: an act of sexual intercourse

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING link
that transfers power: a part of a mechanical
system by which power is transmitted from one rotating part to another part.
Also
called
coupler

5.  RAIL See coupler

6.  ZOOLOGY trunk
of animal’s body: the part of the body of a four-legged
animal between the forequarters and hindquarters

7.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING connection
of electrical circuits: a means of connecting two
electrical circuits so that power can be passed between them, or the process of
connecting electrical circuits in this way

[1]



coupon

coupon
cou·pon 
[k pòn, ky pòn]
(plural cou·pons) noun

1.  voucher
redeemed by store or company: a voucher that entitles
somebody to a discount, refund, or gift, typically issued as a sales promotion

2.  order
form:
a printed form, for example, in an advertisement, that may be filled in and
returned to order a product or request information

3.  form
for payment by installments: a form or card showing the
payment due on a certain date for something that is paid for on an installment
plan. The card is returned with the payment.

4.  FINANCE certificate
of interest on bond: a detachable part of a bond
that indicates a date and the amount of interest paid on that date. The holder
must present it in order to receive payment of the interest.

5.  ticket
in rationing system: a ticket issued under a
rationing system that entitles somebody to a certain amount of a rationed item
and that must be handed in to buy or receive that item
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “piece cut off,” from couper (see cope ).][1]



couponing

couponing
cou·pon·ing 
[k pònning, ky
pònning] noun

use of coupons:
the use of coupons as a means of promoting a product’s sales or of saving money
on purchases[1]



coupé

coupé
cou·pé 
[koo páy, koop]
(plural cou·pés) noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES See coupe 2

2.  TRANSPORT two-seater
carriage:
a closed four-wheeled carriage that has two inside seats for passengers and a
driver’s seat outside in the front
[Mid-19th century. From
French (carrosse) coupé, literally “cut-down (carriage)” (because it was
smaller than earlier models), the past participle of couper “to cut”
(see cope ).][1]



courage

courage
cour·age 
[kúrrij] noun

quality
of being brave: the ability to face danger, difficulty,
uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a
chosen course of action • He
showed great courage throughout this difficult time.
[13th
century. From Old French corage, from, ultimately, Latin cor
“heart” (the source also of English cordial
and discord ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  courage, bravery, fearlessness, nerve, guts, pluck, mettle
  CORE
  MEANING: personal
  resoluteness in the face of danger or difficulties courage; the most general term, indicating fearlessness
  and determination, whether physical, mental, or moral, against a wide range
  of difficulties or dangers; bravery;
  a slightly narrower term, emphasizing a lack of physical fear; fearlessness;
  a term similar to bravery, but less commonly used; nerve; coolness and steadiness, sometimes
  with the suggestion of calculated risk-taking; guts; a widely used
  slang term suggesting boldness or fortitude when faced with a difficult or
  potentially dangerous situation; pluck;
  a dated somewhat formal term similar to guts, suggesting resolution
  and a willingness to continue struggling against the odds; mettle; a somewhat literary term similar to pluck,
  suggesting a spirited determination









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Red Badge of Courage, a novel by Stephen Crane ( 1895 ). Set during the Civil
  War, it tells the story of an idealistic soldier, Henry Fleming, who panics
  in battle and temporarily deserts. During a scuffle with another deserter, he
  receives a minor wound. Returning to battle bearing this “badge of courage,”
  he performs with heroism but is wracked by guilt.

[1]



courageous

courageous
cou·ra·geous 
[kə ráyjəss] adjective

brave:
acting with or showing courage
—cou·ra·geous·ly,
adverb

—cou·ra·geous·ness, noun[1]



courante

courante
cou·rante 
[koo rnt] (plural cou·rantes)
noun

1.  MUSIC piece
of fast music: a musical composition in quick time with
three beats to the measure, frequently a part of a baroque suite

2.  DANCE quick
dance:
a dance of French and Italian origin with short quick steps, performed to music
in quick time with three beats to the measure.
Also
called
coranto
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “running.”][1]



coureurde bois

coureurde bois
cou·reur
de bois 
[k rör də bw] (plural cou·reurs
de bois [k rör də bw]) noun

French-Canadian
trader:
somebody of French or French and Native American descent who trapped and traded
furs in the 18th and 19th centuries in the north and northwest of what is now
Canada
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “woods runner.”][1]



courgette

courgette
cour·gette 
[koor zhét] (plural cour·gettes)
noun

U.K.
small
vegetable marrow: a kind of small vegetable marrow that is
eaten cooked or sometimes raw in salads.
See
also
zucchini
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “small gourd,” via Old French cohourde from Latin cucurbita
(source of English gourd and zucchini ).][1]



courier

courier
cou·ri·er 
[kree ər, kúrri
ər] noun (plural cou·ri·ers)

1.  official
messenger:
a diplomat, soldier, or other person with the responsibility of carrying and
delivering official documents

2.  secret
messenger:
somebody who carries and delivers something secretly, for example, illegal
drugs, smuggled goods, or information gained through espionage

3.  U.K.
somebody
providing delivery service: a person or company that
delivers documents or small and valuable packages by hand

4.  U.K.
travelers’
guide:
a paid guide and helper who accompanies a group of travelers and makes
arrangements for them, especially somebody employed by a travel agency to do
this
transitive
verb
(past cou·ri·ered, past participle cou·ri·ered, present
participle cou·ri·er·ing, 3rd person present singular cou·ri·ers)

U.K. send
by courier:
to send a document or package by a commercial courier service
[14th century. From French,
literally “runner,” from, ultimately, Latin currere “to run” (see current ).][1]



courlan

courlan
cour·lan 
[krlən, koor
ln] (plural cour·lans) noun

BIRDS See limpkin
[Late 19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Galibi kurliri .][1]



course

course
course 
[kawrs] noun (plural cours·es)

1.  sequence
of events:
the progression or development of a sequence of events, especially a
development that is normal or expected • events
that changed the course of history

2.  period
of time:
the progression or development of a period of time • in
the course of the afternoon

3.  direction
traveled:
the direction or route along which something travels

4.  action
chosen:
an action or series of actions that somebody decides to take • The
simplest course would be to say nothing.

5.  EDUCATION class
taught at educational institution: a session or series of
sessions that students attend to learn a subject, often as part of a school
curriculum that leads to a degree or certificate

6.  EDUCATION program
of study:
a program of study or training, especially one that leads to a degree or
certificate from an educational institution

7.  part
of meal:
one of two or more different dishes or types of food that are served in
sequence during a meal

8.  path
of river:
the route followed by a river or stream or by something very long such as a
road or boundary

9.  onward
movement:
swift onward movement • Nothing
could interrupt his headlong course.

10. MEDICINE established
sequence of treatment: a sequence of treatment,
exercise, or medication that is followed over a period of time

11. SPORTS place
for race or sport: an area where a race is run
or where a sport in which players progress over the area is played

12. BUILDING layer
of bricks:
one of the layers of bricks that make up a wall

13. SAILING lowest
sail on ship: the lowest sail or row of sails on a
square-rigged ship

14. SPORTS greyhound
chase:
a chase or race by dogs such as greyhounds
verb
(past coursed, past participle coursed, present participle
cours·ing, 3rd person present singular cours·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
run
fast:
to flow or run swiftly

2.  intransitive
verb
travel:
to travel or range over an area (literary)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING hunt animals with greyhounds:
to hunt animals, especially hares, with greyhounds or other dogs that hunt by
sight

4.  transitive
verb
HUNTING use
greyhounds for hunting: to use greyhounds or other
dogs that hunt by sight
[13th
century. Via French cours from Latin cursus, the past participle
of currere (see current ).]
be
par for the course

to
be what would be expected

in
due course

after
the lapse of an appropriate period of time

of
course

1.  without
any question or doubt

2.  used
to show that the speaker has just understood something

3.  used
to point out a possibility that somebody may not have considered

[1]



courser

courser1
cours·er1 [káwrsər]
(plural cours·ers) noun

1.  dog
that hunts by sight: a dog that is trained to
hunt its quarry by sight instead of by scent

2.  hunter
with coursers: somebody who hunts with coursers
[Early 17th century. Formed
from course .][1]



courser

courser2
cours·er2 [káwrsər]
(plural cours·ers) noun

swift
horse:
a strong swift horse (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French corsier, from, ultimately, Latin cursus “course” (see course ).][1]



courser

courser3
cours·er3 [káwrsər]
(plural cours·ers) noun

desert
bird noted for running: a bird related to the
plovers that lives in arid regions of Africa and Asia and is a swift runner.
Subfamily: Cursoriinae
[Mid-18th century.
Anglicization of modern Latin Cursorius, genus name, from Latin cursor
“runner” (see cursor ).][1]



courseware

courseware
course·ware 
[káwrs wàir] noun

educational
software:
computer software designed for educational use
[Late 20th century. Formed
from course + software
.][1]



coursework

coursework
course·work
[káwrs wùrk] noun

work assigned to students:
work that is assigned to students as part of an educational course and counts
toward the grade given for the course[1]



coursing

coursing
cours·ing 
[káwrsing] noun

hunting with greyhounds:
the sport of hunting with dogs such as greyhounds that follow their quarry
using sight instead of scent[1]



court

court1
court1  [kawrt]
(plural courts) noun

1.  meeting
where legal judgments are made: a session of an
official body that has authority to try criminals, resolve disputes, or make
other legal decisions

2.  judge:
the constituted authority presiding over a court of law

3.  courtroom
or courthouse: a place where a court of law is held

4.  open
space within walls: an open space surrounded by
buildings and walls, or a roofless area within a building

5.  area
for ball game: an area marked out for playing a sport
such as tennis or basketball, or a walled area where squash or a similar sport
is played

6.  monarch’s
attendants:
the ministers, courtiers, and officials of the royal household who attend a
king or queen

7.  meeting
of monarch and attendants: an occasion when a king or
queen and the ministers, courtiers, and officials of the royal household are
assembled

8.  place
where monarch lives: the place where a king or
queen and the court are usually in residence

9.  important
person’s followers: a group of people who devote
their time to the service and flattery of a noble, rich, or important person

10. short
street:
a short street of houses that is closed at one end

11. group
of houses:
a group of houses built around an open space

12. large
apartment building: a large building containing
many apartments or offices

13. large
house:
a large and imposing house and the land surrounding it (often used in place
names)

14. governing
body:
the governing body or council of an organization such as a corporation or
academic institution
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman curt, ultimately from Latin cohort-,
the stem of cohors “enclosed space, retinue.”]
be
laughed out of court

to
be ridiculed so severely that what you have to say is not considered seriously

pay
court to somebody

1.  to
try to win influence with somebody or to win somebody’s approval or favor
through flattery or attentiveness

2.  to
try to win somebody’s love (dated)

rule
something out of court

to
refuse absolutely to allow something to take place

[1]



court

court2
court2  [kawrt]
(past court·ed, past participle court·ed, present
participle court·ing, 3rd person present singular courts)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
attentive to: to try to win influence with somebody or
to win somebody’s approval or favor through flattery or attentiveness

2.  transitive
verb
try
to gain:
to try to gain something, for example, somebody’s attention or admiration, by
behaving in ways that are intended to attract or encourage it

3.  transitive
verb
risk
experiencing something bad: to behave in a way that
increases the likelihood of failure, injury, or other trouble

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb try to
win somebody’s love: to try to win somebody’s
love (dated)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY try to attract mate:
to engage in behavior that is designed to attract another animal or bird as a
mate

6.  intransitive
verb
be
sweethearts: to spend time together in a romantic
relationship as a prelude to getting married (dated) • We
used to come here when we were courting.
[Early 16th century. From Old
Italian corteare, which came from Latin cohors (see court 1 .][1]



courtbouillon

courtbouillon
court
bouil·lon 
[koor bl yòn, kawr
bl yòn] (plural court bouil·lons) noun

stock
for fish:
a liquid used for poaching fish, made with water flavored with vegetables,
herbs, and wine or vinegar. The liquid is discarded after the fish is poached.
[From French, literally
“short broth”][1]



courtcard

courtcard
court
card
(plural court cards) noun

U.K.
See face card[1]



courteous

courteous
cour·te·ous 
[kúrtee əss] adjective

polite
and considerate: polite in a way that shows consideration
of others or good manners
[13th
century. From Old French corteis “courtly,” from cort “court”
(see court 1 ).]
—cour·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—cour·te·ous·ness, noun[1]



courtesan

courtesan
cour·te·san 
[káwrtəzən] (plural cour·te·sans)
noun

high-class
prostitute:
a prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with a rich, powerful, or
upper-class man who provides her with luxuries and status
[Mid-16th century. Via French
courtisane from a dialect form of Italian cortigiana “female
courtier,” from corte “court,” from the Latin stem cohort- (see cohort ).][1]



courtesy

courtesy
cour·te·sy 
[kúrtəssee] noun (plural cour·te·sies)

1.  polite
or considerate behavior: politeness that shows
consideration for other people or good manners • He
didn’t even have the courtesy to offer me a seat.

2.  polite
or considerate action: something done out of
politeness or consideration for another person • We
should certainly go, if only as a courtesy to Helen.
adjective

1.  for
sake of politeness: given or done as a courtesy
• a
courtesy call

2.  provided
free:
provided free of charge • Your
courtesy limousine will take you to the airport.
[13th century. From Old
French curtesie (source also of English curtsy
), from corteis “courtly” (see courteous
).][1]



courtesycard

courtesycard
cour·te·sy
card
(plural cour·te·sy cards) noun

customer’s card giving
benefits: a card given to customers of
a supermarket or other business that entitles them to special benefits or
privileges[1]



courtesylight

courtesylight
cour·te·sy
light
(plural cour·te·sy lights) noun

passenger compartment light:
a light inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle that turns on
automatically when the door is opened[1]



courtesytitle

courtesytitle
cour·te·sy
ti·tle
(plural cour·te·sy ti·tles) noun

title used for politeness’s
sake: a personal title that is
used to address somebody out of politeness or as a social convention even
though the person is not professionally or socially entitled to it[1]



courthouse

courthouse
court·house 
[káwrt hòwss] noun

1.  building
for law court: a building where a court of law is held

2.  county
government building: a building where the offices
of a county government are located

[1]



courtier

courtier
court·i·er 
[káwrtyər] (plural court·i·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
at royal court: somebody who spends time at a royal
court or attends a king or queen

2.  flatterer
of important person: somebody who is insincerely
polite or flattering to a more important person
[13th century. Alteration of
Anglo-Norman courteour, from Old French courtoyer “to be at
court,” from cort “court” (see court
).][1]



courtly

courtly
court·ly 
[káwrtlee] (comparative court·li·er,
superlative court·li·est) adjective

1.  with
refined manners: showing great delicacy and refinement in
behavior

2.  insincerely
polite:
insincerely polite or deferential in order to win somebody’s favor

3.  of
the highest quality: rich or fine and suitable
for a royal court
—court·li·ness, noun[1]



courtlylove

courtlylove
court·ly
love
noun

medieval code for ladies and
lovers: a medieval code of behavior
that idealized the love of a knight for a usually married noblewoman and
prescribed how they should act toward each other[1]



court-martial

court-martial
court-mar·tial 
noun (plural courts-mar·tial or court-mar·tials)

1.  military
court:
a military court that tries members of the military and others for offenses
under military law

2.  military
trial:
a trial by court-martial
transitive
verb
(past court-mar·tialed, past participle court-mar·tialed,
present participle court-mar·tial·ing, 3rd person present
singular court-mar·tials)

try by military court:
to try somebody by a military court for an offense under military law

[1]



courtof appeals

courtof appeals
court
of ap·peals
(plural courts of ap·peals) noun

court reviewing lower-court
rulings: a court that has authority
to hear appeals of the judgments of lower courts[1]



Courtof Appeals

Courtof Appeals
Court
of Ap·peals
noun

New York supreme court:
the supreme court of the state of New York[1]



courtof chancery

courtof chancery
court
of chan·cer·y (plural courts of chan·cer·y)
noun

court supplementing court of
common law: a court of equity, ruling on
matters not covered by common law.
Also called
chancery[1]



courtof claims

courtof claims
court
of claims
(plural courts of claims) noun

court for claims against
government: a federal court in the
United States that has jurisdiction over claims brought against the government[1]



courtof common pleas

courtof common pleas
court
of com·mon pleas noun

state court:
a court that has general jurisdiction in some states.
Also called
common pleas[1]



courtof domestic relations

courtof domestic relations
court
of do·mes·tic re·la·tions noun

See
family court[1]



courtof honor

courtof honor
court
of hon·or
(plural courts of hon·or) noun

officers’ court:
a military court that investigates questions involving personal honor[1]



courtof inquiry

courtof inquiry
court
of in·quir·y (plural courts of in·quir·y)
noun

military investigating body:
a military tribunal that investigates a matter of concern, especially in order
to determine whether official charges should be brought[1]



courtof law

courtof law
court
of law
(plural courts of law) noun

law court:
a court that hears legal cases and issues rulings based on legal statutes or
common law[1]



courtof record

courtof record
court
of rec·ord
(plural courts of rec·ord) noun

court with written
proceedings: a court that has its
proceedings placed on an official permanent record and has the power to give
penalties for contempt of court[1]



Courtof Saint James’s

Courtof Saint James’s
Court
of Saint James’s  noun

royal court of United
Kingdom: the court of the monarch of
the United Kingdom, to which ambassadors are accredited (technical)[1]



courtorder

courtorder
court
or·der
(plural court or·ders) noun

order issued by judge:
an official order issued by the judge of a court, requiring or forbidding
somebody to do something[1]



courtplaster

courtplaster
court
plas·ter
(plural court plas·ters) noun

cosmetic
adhesive bandage: cloth treated on one side with isinglass
or another adhesive substance, formerly used to bandage small cuts, hide skin
blemishes, and simulate beauty marks
[So called because of its use
by ladies at court][1]



courtrecorder

courtrecorder
court
re·cord·er
(plural court re·cord·ers) noun

U.K.
See court reporter[1]



courtreporter

courtreporter
court
re·port·er
(plural court re·port·ers) noun

stenographer recording court
proceedings: a stenographer who
records the proceedings of a law court and prepares a verbatim report of them.
U.K. term
court recorder[1]



courtroom

courtroom
court·room 
[káwrt rm, káwrt
rm] (plural court·rooms) noun

room for law court:
a room used for holding a session of a court of law[1]



courtship

courtship
court·ship 
[káwrt shìp] (plural court·ships)
noun

1.  trying
to gain somebody’s love: the act of paying attention
to somebody with a view to developing a more intimate relationship

2.  prelude
to marriage: the period of a romantic relationship
before marriage

3.  ingratiating
behavior:
friendly and often ingratiating attention for the purpose of winning a favor or
establishing an alliance or other relationship

4.  ZOOLOGY mating
behavior:
behavior designed to attract another animal or bird as a mate, or the time
during which an animal or bird engages in this

[1]



courtshoe

courtshoe
court
shoe
(plural court shoes) noun

U.K.
See pump 2[1]



courtside

courtside
court·side 
[káwrt sd] adjective adverb

beside athletic court:
at the side of an athletic court where a match or game such as tennis or
basketball is being played[1]



courttennis

courttennis
court
ten·nis
noun

tennis played on walled
court: the original form of tennis,
played on an indoor court whose sides have walls off which the ball may be
played.
U.K. term
real tennis[1]



court-watch

court-watch
court-watch 
transitive verb

follow trial:
to follow a trial closely by sitting in a courtroom throughout the proceedings,
for example, to demonstrate support for somebody involved in the trial[1]



courtyard

courtyard
court·yard 
[káwrt yrd] (plural court·yards)
noun

open space surrounded by
walls: an area of ground that is
surrounded by buildings, lies inside a large building, or is adjacent to a
building and enclosed by walls[1]



couscous

couscous
cous·cous 
[kss kss] (plural cous·cous·es)
noun

1.  savory
food made of semolina: a food made from semolina
and resembling tiny grains. It is cooked by steaming or briefly soaking in
boiling water, and is served in the same way as rice.

2.  dish
of stew and couscous: a North African dish
consisting of a spicy stew of meat and vegetables served with couscous
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Arabic kuskus, from kaskasa “to pulverize.”][1]



cousin

cousin
cous·in 
[kúzz’n] (plural cousins) noun

1.  uncle’s
or aunt’s child: a child of somebody’s uncle or aunt.
Also
called
first cousin
Also
called
cousin german
Also
called
full cousin

2.  distant
relative:
somebody to whom somebody is related through the brother or sister of a
grandparent, great-grandparent, or even older ancestor

3.  somebody
with much in common: somebody with whom somebody
feels connected because of similar ancestry or ethnic background, or interests
• our
Canadian cousins

4.  term
of address between sovereigns: used by European
sovereigns as a term of address for another sovereign or a member of a royal
family
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin consobrinus “mother’s sister’s
child,” from sobrinus “maternal cousin.”]
—cous·in·hood,
noun

—cous·in·ly, adjective[1]



cousin-german

cousin-german
cous·in-ger·man 
(plural cousins-ger·man) noun

See
cousin  noun 1
[14th century. from French cousin
germain ; germain from, Latin germanus “having the same
parents” (see germane ).][1]



Cousy,Bob

Cousy,Bob
Cou·sy
[kówzee], Bob (1928– )

U.S.
basketball player. He led the Boston Celtics to six championships between 1950
and 1963.
Full name
Cousy, Robert[1]



couth

couth
couth 
[kooth] adjective

very
sophisticated: showing very good manners or great
social sophistication (humorous)
noun

social
sophistication: very good manners or great social
sophistication (humorous)
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from uncouth . In Scots it
survives from Old English cūþ (see uncouth
).][1]



couture

couture
cou·ture 
[koo tr] noun

1.  fashion
design:
the design and production of fashionable high-quality custom-made clothes

2.  high-fashion
clothing:
high-quality clothing made to order by a fashion designer
[Early 20th century. Via
French from late Latin consutura, literally “sewing together,” from
Latin suere “to sew” (see suture ).][1]



couturier

couturier
cou·tu·rier 
[koo tree ər, koo
tree ày] (plural cou·tu·riers) noun

fashion
designer:
a designer of fashionable high-quality custom-made clothes
[Late 19th century. From
French, “dressmaker,” formed from couture “ couture
.”][1]



couturify

couturify
cou·tur·i·fy 
[koo trə f] (past cou·tur·i·fied,
past participle cou·tur·i·fied, present participle cou·tur·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cou·tur·i·fies) transitive verb

make
clothing more fashionable: to make a garment more
stylish or fancier by using fine fabrics, unusual colors, handwork, and other
elements of designer clothing (informal)
[Late 20th century. Formed
from couture .][1]



couturière

couturière
cou·tu·rière
[koo tree ər, koo
treeèr] (plural cou·turières) noun

female
couturier:
a woman who is a designer of fashionable high-quality custom-made clothes
[Early 19th century. From
French, the feminine form of couturier (see couturier
).][1]



couvade

couvade
cou·vade 
[koo vd] noun

male
imitation of childbirth: the mimicking of childbirth
by the father while it is taking place, a custom in some Native South American
societies
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “hatching,” from couver “to hatch,” from Latin cubare
“to lie down” (see cubicle ).][1]



covalence

covalence
co·va·lence 
[kō váyləns] noun

bonding by sharing electrons:
chemical valence involving the sharing of electrons.
U.K. term
covalency[1]



covalency

covalency
co·va·len·cy
[kō váylənsee] noun

U.K.
See covalence[1]



covalent

covalent
co·va·lent 
[kō váylənt] adjective

involving
shared electrons: used to describe a chemical bond in
which the attractive force between atoms is created by the sharing of electrons
—co·va·lent·ly, adverb[1]



covalentbond

covalentbond
co·va·lent
bond
(plural co·va·lent bonds) noun

chemical bond involving
shared electrons: a chemical bond between
two atoms created by the sharing of a pair of electrons[1]



covariance

covariance
co·var·i·ance 
[kō váiree əns] noun

statistical measure:
a statistical measure of the tendency of two variables to change in conjunction
with each other. It is equal to the product of their standard deviations and
correlation coefficients.[1]



covariant

covariant
co·var·i·ant 
[kō váiree ənt] adjective

changing with another
variable: exhibiting a tendency to
change in conjunction with another statistical variable[1]



Covarrubias,Miguel

Covarrubias,Miguel
Co·var·ru·bi·as 
[kvə rbee əss], Miguel (1904–1957)

Mexican artist, author and
ethnologist. He was known for his book and magazine illustrations, and his
ethnographic studies of Native Americans.[1]



cove

cove
cove
[kōv] noun (plural coves)

1.  bay
in shoreline: a small bay on the shore of the sea or a
lake, especially one that is enclosed by high cliffs

2.  nook
in cliff:
a small semicircular recessed valley in the side of a hill or cliff

3.  curve
at top of wall: an inwardly curved surface at the point
where a wall meets a ceiling.
Also
called
coving

4.  curved
molding:
a molding that curves inward
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coved, past
participle coved, present participle cov·ing, 3rd
person present singular coves)

make with or have inward curve:
to have a cove, or design or build a wall with a cove
[Old English cofa
“bedchamber, alcove.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“hollow place providing shelter,” which is also the ancestor of English cubby
.][1]



covellite

covellite
co·vel·lite 
[kō vé lt, kvə
lt] (plural co·vel·lites) noun

purple
mineral:
a purple mineral consisting of thin sheets of copper sulfide
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Italian mineralogist Nicolò Covelli ( 1790–1829 ).][1]



coven

coven
cov·en 
[kúvv’n, kṓv’n]
(plural cov·ens) noun

group
of witches:
a meeting or group of witches, usually 13 in number
[Mid-17th century. From
Anglo-Norman “assembly” (see convent ) from,
ultimately, Latin convenire (see convene
).][1]



covenant

covenant
cov·e·nant 
[kúvvənənt] noun (plural cov·e·nants)

1.  solemn
agreement:
a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties

2.  LAW legally
binding agreement: a formal and legally binding
agreement or contract such as a lease, or one of the clauses in an agreement of
this kind. A covenant is often used to require an owner or user of a parcel of
land to do or refrain from doing something.

3.  LAW lawsuit
for breach of agreement: a lawsuit for damages that
is brought because of the breaking of a legal covenant

4.  BIBLE mutual
promises of God and Israelites: the promises that were
made in the Bible between God and the Israelites, who agreed to worship no
other gods
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cov·e·nant·ed,
past participle cov·e·nant·ed, present participle cov·e·nant·ing,
3rd person present singular cov·e·nants)

agree in covenant:
to promise something in a covenant
[13th
century. From Old French, the present participle of convenir “to agree”
(see convene ).]
—cov·e·nant·al
[kùvvə nánt’l], adjective

—cov·e·nant·al·ly, adverb[1]



Covenant

Covenant
Cov·e·nant
[kúvvənənt] (plural Covenants)
noun

Scottish pact to defend
Presbyterianism: any of several
agreements in the 17th century by which Scottish Presbyterians united to defend
their church[1]



covenantee

covenantee
cov·e·nan·tee 
[kùvvənən t] (plural cov·e·nan·tees)
noun

beneficiary of covenant:
somebody to whom something is promised in a covenant[1]



covenanter

covenanter
cov·e·nan·ter 
[kúvvənəntər] (plural cov·e·nan·ters)
or cov·e·nan·tor [kúvvənəntər]
(plural cov·e·nan·tors) noun

maker of covenant:
somebody who joins in a covenant or undertakes an obligation in a covenant[1]



Covenanter

Covenanter
Cov·e·nant·er
[kúvvənəntər] (plural Cov·e·nant·ers)
noun

militant Scottish
Presbyterian of 17thC: somebody
who joined in a Covenant during the 17th century to defend the Scottish
Presbyterian church[1]



Coventry

Coventry
Cov·en·try 
[kóvvəntree, kúvvəntree]

1.  historic
cathedral city in Warwickshire, England, and the home of Warwick University. It
has also been a car manufacturing center. Population: 303,600 (1995)

2.  town
in western Rhode Island, on the northern bank of the Pawtuxet River.
Population: 32,221 (1996)

[1]



co-venture

co-venture
co-ven·ture 
or coven·ture intransitive and transitive verb

undertake
as joint venture: to undertake a business venture in
partnership with another individual or company
noun

business partnership:
a business agreement, deal, partnership involving two or more companies[1]



cover

cover
cov·er 
[kúvvər] verb (past cov·ered,
past participle cov·ered, present participle cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular covers)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something over: to put something over the whole of or
the upper surface of something, for example, in order to hide, protect, or
decorate it

2.  transitive
verb
be
all over:
to lie across or in a layer over the whole of or the upper surface of something
• rocks
covered with seaweed

3.  transitive
verb
keep
warm:
to put something such as a blanket over or around somebody for warmth • She
covered him with the quilt.

4.  transitive
verb
be
wrapped around: to be lying over or wrapped around
somebody to provide warmth • He was
covered only by a thin blanket.

5.  transitive
verb
put
clothing on: to put a piece of clothing on part of
your own or somebody else’s body • Keep
your head covered if you are going out.

6.  transitive
verb
be
worn on:
to be worn on part of the body

7.  transitive
verb
put
lid on:
to put a lid or protective covering over something

8.  transitive
verb
talk
or write about: to deal with a subject in a discussion,
speech, book, or article • His
talk covered several aspects of company law.

9.  transitive
verb
provide
news of:
to be responsible for reporting, videotaping, or photographing an event or a
particular class of events for a newspaper or a broadcasting company • We
cover everything that has a financial angle.

10. transitive
verb
include
particular instance: to take something into
account and provide an adequate treatment of it • Unfortunately,
the law does not cover cases of this sort.

11. transitive
verb
extend
over:
to include the whole of a particular area, either physically or as a field of
operations or responsibility • an
office complex covering three blocks • a
police operation that covered the whole city

12. transitive
verb
travel
certain distance: to travel a particular distance

13. transitive
verb
hide
state of:
to conceal a feeling, action, or situation by presenting a different appearance
or directing attention elsewhere • I
managed to cover my mistake by changing the subject.

14. transitive
verb
INSURANCE insure:
to provide insurance protection to somebody

15. transitive
verb
INSURANCE insure
against:
to provide insurance protection against a type of hazard or risk

16. transitive
verb
pay
for:
to be sufficient to pay for something

17. transitive
verb
protect
from attack: to protect somebody, a part of an army,
or a piece in chess or another game from attack by occupying a position nearby
from which a counterattack can be made

18. transitive
verb
aim
gun at:
to have a person or place in the aim or range of a gun, especially in order to
provide protection against a possible attack

19. transitive
verb
patrol:
to maintain a watch on or a patrol of something, for example, to track
somebody’s movements • One
police officer covered the rear exit while the others knocked at the front
door.

20. transitive
verb
infuse
with a quality: to bring an overwhelming amount of some
quality upon yourself or somebody else (often passive)

21. intransitive
verb
do
somebody’s job: to do the work of somebody who is absent
for a time

22. intransitive
verb
tell
lies for somebody: to keep people from learning
something about somebody that is not as it should be • to
cover for him by lying

23. transitive
verb
ZOOLOGY copulate
with female: to copulate with a female animal,
especially a mare

24. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES play
higher card: to play a card that has a higher value
than one already played by another person

25. intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE buy replacement stock:
to buy shares of stock or commodities to replace others that were borrowed from
a broker and sold with the expectation that the price would fall

26. transitive
verb
GAMBLING match
another’s bet: to match the amount of money bet by
another gambler

27. transitive
verb
MUSIC record
new version of song: to record a new version of a
song that was first sung or made popular by another performer

28. transitive
verb
SPORTS defend
area against opponent: to play defense against an
opponent or in a particular position or area on a sports field

29. transitive
verb
BIRDS sit on
eggs:
to sit on eggs in a nest to hatch them
noun
(plural covers)

1.  something
that covers something: something that hides,
protects, or covers something, or is used to cover something

2.  lid:
something that covers the top of a container, for example, a lid

3.  binding
of book or magazine: the protective binding,
thick paper, or boards at the front and back of a book or magazine

4.  cloth
that covers furniture: a cloth or plastic covering
for a piece of furniture or bedding

5.  shelter
from weather: something that provides shelter from the
weather

6.  hiding
place:
something that provides concealment or protection, especially undergrowth where
animals can hide or a shelter from attack

7.  vegetation:
the plants that cover an area of land

8.  defense
against attack: protection provided, especially to an
attacking force, by other forces located nearby or in the air • air
cover

9.  protective
pretense:
a false identity or a pretext that provides protection for somebody such as a
spy or a detective

10. substitutes
for workers: people who are available to do other
people’s jobs when they are absent • We no
longer have enough staff to provide cover in emergencies.

11. place
set at a table: a place set at a table, especially in a
restaurant

12. See
cover charge

13. U.K.
See coverage

14. MUSIC new
recording of well-known song: a recording by a performer
of a song that was first sung or popularized by another performer.
Also
called
cover version

15. MUSIC understudy:
an understudy for a musical role

16. U.K.
FINANCE enough
money:
sufficient funds or guaranteed income to meet a liability or cover a planned
expenditure

17. STAMPS envelope:
a postmarked envelope
plural
noun
covers

1.  coverings
on bed:
the sheets, blankets, and other coverings on a bed

2.  U.K.
SPORTS (usually plural) See
groundcloth

3.  CRICKET off-side
field:
the area of a cricket field in front of the batsman on the off side that is
between cover point and extra cover
[13th
century. Via Old French covrir from Latin cooperire, literally
“to cover completely,” from operire “to cover.”]
—cov·er·a·ble,
adjective

—cov·er·er,
noun

—cov·er·less,
adjective
blow
somebody’s cover

to
expose a disguise, lie, or pretense that somebody was using to conceal
something

under
cover of something

hidden
or protected by something

under
separate cover

in another envelope or package[1]



coverage

coverage
cov·er·age 
[kúvvərij] noun

1.  media
attention:
the attention given to an event or topic by newspapers, radio, and television
in their reporting

2.  INSURANCE insurance
protection:
the amount or type of protection provided by an insurance policy.
U.K.
term
cover  noun 16

3.  media
audience:
the percentage of all the people in a given area who are reached by a newspaper
or radio or television station

4.  degree
of covering: the degree to which something is covered
by something else • the coverage of the
ground by the snow

5.  FINANCE available
funds:
the amount of funds available to cover financial liabilities or commitments

[1]



coveralls

coveralls
cov·er·alls 
[kúvvə ràwlz] plural noun

protective overgarment:
a one-piece outer garment that covers and protects the clothes[1]



coverboy

coverboy
cov·er
boy
(plural cov·er boys) noun

male model on magazine:
a young man, especially a handsome model, whose picture is on a magazine cover[1]



covercharge

covercharge
cov·er
charge
(plural cov·er charg·es) noun

added charge:
a fixed charge that is added per head to the cost of drinks and food in a
nightclub or restaurant, for example, for bread or entertainment.
Also called
cover[1]



covercrop

covercrop
cov·er
crop
(plural cov·er crops) noun

crop for soil protection or
enrichment: a crop planted between main
crops to prevent erosion or to plow in to enrich the soil[1]



covered-dish

covered-dish
cov·ered-dish
[kúvvərddish] or cov·er·dish [kúvvər dìsh] adjective

for
communal eating: used to describe a community meal of hot
dishes (regional) • a
covered-dish supper





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Covered-dish
  meal is widespread, from New York State westward across the North and South.
  It is absent from the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states.

[1]



coveredwagon

coveredwagon

cov·ered wag·on
(plural cov·ered wag·ons) noun
American pioneer wagon:
a large wagon with a canvas roof stretched over arched supports, used by
pioneers crossing the plains of North America[1]



covergirl

covergirl
cov·er
girl
(plural cov·er girls) noun

female model on magazine:
a young woman, usually a glamorous model, whose picture is on the cover of a
magazine[1]



coverglass

coverglass
cov·er
glass
(plural cov·er glass·es) noun

cover for microscope
specimen: a piece of thin glass used
to cover a specimen on a microscope slide.
Also called
cover slip
U.K. term
cover slip[1]



covering

covering
cov·er·ing 
[kúvvəring] (plural cov·er·ings)
noun

something that covers:
something that protects, hides, or covers something[1]



coveringfire

coveringfire
cov·er·ing
fire
noun

protective gunfire:
weapon fire used to protect friendly troops from direct fire from the enemy’s
weapons[1]



coveringletter

coveringletter
cov·er·ing
let·ter
(plural cov·er·ing let·ters) noun

See
cover letter
U.K. term
covering letter[1]



coverlet

coverlet
cov·er·let 
[kúvvərlət] (plural cov·er·lets)
noun

cover
for bed:
a usually decorative cover for a bed, placed over the other covers when the bed
is not being used
[13th century. From Old
French couvre lit “bed cover.”][1]



coverletter

coverletter
cov·er
let·ter 
(plural cov·er let·ters) noun

accompanying, explanatory
letter: a letter sent with another
document or package, providing necessary or additional information.
Also called
covering letter[1]



coverpage

coverpage
cov·er
page 
(plural cov·er pag·es) or cov·er sheet (plural
cov·er sheets) noun

sender’s sheet in fax:
a form sent along with a fax that gives information about the sender, for
example, the name, address, telephone number, and fax number[1]



coverslip

coverslip
cov·er
slip
(plural cov·er slips) noun

See
cover glass[1]



coverstory

coverstory
cov·er
sto·ry
noun

1.  main
feature in magazine: a magazine feature that is
illustrated on the front cover and is the most important article in the issue

2.  false
story:
a story made up to deceive somebody, for example, to provide a false identity
for an undercover investigator

[1]



covert

covert
cov·ert 
[kúvvərt, kṓvərt,
kō vúrt] adjective

secret: not
intended to be known, seen, or found out
noun
(plural cov·erts)

1.  undergrowth
providing cover: a thicket or undergrowth in which game
can shelter or hide

2.  shelter:
a shelter or hiding place

3.  small
feather:
a small feather around the base of a quill on the wing or tail of a bird.
Also
called
tectrix

4.  TECHNOLOGY flock
of coots:
a flock of coots
[13th
century. From Old French, “covered,” from the past participle of covrir
“to cover” (see cover ).]
—cov·ert·ly,
adverb

—cov·ert·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at secret

[1]



coverture

coverture
cov·er·ture 
[kúvvər chr, kúvvərchər]
(plural cov·er·tures) noun

1.  shelter:
a shelter or covering

2.  LAW condition
of being married woman: the condition of being a
married woman
[13th century. From Old
French, formed from covrir (see cover
).][1]



cover-up

cover-up
cov·er-up
(plural cov·er-ups) noun

1.  concealment
of something unfavorable: a concealment of something
illegal, immoral, or undesirable

2.  outer
garment:
a loose item of clothing worn over another garment, for example, a wrap over an
evening dress or a T-shirt over a bathing suit

[1]



coverup

coverup
cover
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
something completely: to cover somebody or
something completely

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb conceal
something bad: to try to conceal that something
illegal, immoral, or undesirable has happened or how or why it happened

3.  intransitive
verb
BOXING protect
head and upper body: to hide the head and upper
body behind the arms as protection against another boxer’s blows

[1]



coverversion

coverversion
cov·er
ver·sion
(plural cov·er ver·sions) noun

See
cover  noun 14[1]



covet

covet
cov·et 
[kúvvət] (past cov·et·ed, past
participle cov·et·ed, present participle cov·et·ing, 3rd
person present singular cov·ets) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb want
somebody else’s property: to have a strong desire to
possess something that belongs to somebody else

2.  transitive
verb
yearn
to have:
to want to have something very much
[13th
century. From Old French coveitier, from, ultimately, Latin cupiditas
“cupidity.”]
—cov·et·a·ble,
adjective

—cov·et·er,
noun

—cov·et·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



covetous

covetous
cov·et·ous 
[kúvvətəss] adjective

1.  wanting
somebody else’s property: having a strong desire to
possess something that belongs to somebody else

2.  yearning
for something: wanting to have something very much
—cov·et·ous·ly,
adverb

—cov·et·ous·ness, noun[1]



covey

covey
cov·ey 
[kúvvee] (plural cov·eys) noun

1.  group
of game birds: a small group of game birds such as
partridge, grouse, or quail

2.  group
of people or things: a small group of people or
things
[14th century. From French covée
“brood,” from, ultimately, Latin cubare “to lie down” (source of English
cubicle ).][1]



Covina

Covina
Co·vi·na 
[kō vnə]

city in southwestern
California, an eastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 44,290 (1996)[1]



coving

coving
cov·ing 
[kṓving] (plural cov·ings) noun

See
cove  noun 3[1]



Covington

Covington
Cov·ing·ton 
[kúvvingtən]

city in northern Kentucky,
directly north of Lexington, across the Kentucky-Ohio border from Cincinnati,
Ohio. Population: 40,971 (1996)[1]



cow

cow1
cow1 [kow]
(plural cows) noun

1.  large
female mammal kept for milk: an adult female grass-eating
quadruped, raised as a farm animal for the milk it produces or for breeding.
Genus: Bos

2.  male
or female of domestic cattle: a male or female, whether
adult or not, belonging to any breed of domestic cattle

3.  large
female mammal: an adult female of a large mammal
species other than cattle, for example, the whale, elephant, seal, or moose
[Old
English cū . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English beef, bovine
and bugle .]
have
a cow

to
become suddenly and greatly excited or angry (slang)

till
or until the cows come home

until an extremely long time
has elapsed[1]



cow

cow2
cow2 [kow]
(past cowed, past participle cowed, present
participle cow·ing, 3rd person present singular cows) transitive
verb

make
submissive:
to frighten somebody into submission or obedience
[Late 16th century. Probably
from Old Norse kúga “to tyrannize over, oppress.”][1]



coward

coward
cow·ard 
[kówərd] (plural cow·ards) noun

somebody
lacking courage: somebody who is too easily or too
greatly frightened
[13th century. From Old
French cuard, from Latin cauda “tail,” the underlying idea
probably being the same as in “to turn tail” or “run away with your tail
between your legs.”][1]



cowardice

cowardice
cow·ard·ice 
[kówərdis] noun

lack of courage:
a lack of courage, or behavior that shows such a lack[1]



cowardly

cowardly
cow·ard·ly 
[kówərdlee] adjective

1.  not
brave:
caused by a lack of courage, or lacking courage

2.  cruel
and spineless: showing meanness or cruelty to those who
are weaker and fear of those who are equal or stronger
—cow·ard·li·ness,
noun

—cow·ard·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  cowardly, faint-hearted, spineless, gutless, pusillanimous,
  craven, yellow, chicken
  CORE
  MEANING: lacking
  in courage cowardly; the most
  general and widely used term, applied to people and their actions; faint-hearted; a less strong term than cowardly,
  suggesting timidity and lack of resolve; spineless;
  a disapproving term suggesting contemptible weakness of character; gutless; a slang term for spineless; pusillanimous; a formal term suggesting an
  extreme and contemptible degree of cowardice; craven;
  a formal or literary term suggesting an extreme and contemptible degree of
  cowardice and weakness of will; yellow;
  an insulting slang term suggesting extreme cowardice and implying utter
  contempt; chicken; an informal
  term, often used by children and young people of peers who refuse to take
  part in something daring

[1]



Coward,Noel

Coward,Noel
Cow·ard
[kówərd], Sir Noel (1899–1973)

British dramatist, actor, and
songwriter. He was the author of The Vortex (1924), Private Lives
(1930), Blithe Spirit (1941), and Brief Encounter (1946).[1]



cowbane

cowbane
cow·bane 
[ków bàyn] (plural cow·bane) noun

1.  poisonous
N American plant: a poisonous North American marsh plant
of the carrot family. Latin name: Oxypalis rigidior

2.  poisonous
Eurasian plant: a poisonous Eurasian marsh plant of the
carrot family, for example, the water hemlock. Genus: Cicuta

[1]



cowbell

cowbell

cow·bell 
[ków bèl] (plural cow·bells) noun

1.  bell
on cow’s neck: a bell that is fastened to a collar
around a cow’s neck and clangs as the cow moves, making the animal easier to
find

2.        percussion
instrument: a bell without a clapper,
played as a percussion instrument by being struck with a drumstick[1]



cowberry

cowberry
cow·ber·ry 
[ków bèrree] noun

1.  (plural
cow·ber·ries or cow·ber·ry) creeping
shrub:
a creeping flowering shrub that grows in northern temperate areas and produces
edible berries. Latin name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Also
called
red whortleberry
Also
called
lingberry
Also
called
lingonberry
Also
called
mountain cranberry

2.  (plural
cow·ber·ries) edible berry:
the edible berry of the cowberry plant.
Also
called
lingonberry
Also
called
mountain cranberry

[1]



cowbird

cowbird


cow·bird 
[ków bùrd] (plural cow·birds) noun
N American blackbird:
a North American blackbird belonging to either of two species that lay their
eggs in the nests of other birds and often feed alongside grazing cattle.
Genus: Molothrus[1]



cowboy

cowboy
cow·boy 
[ków bòy] (plural cow·boys) noun

1.  man
who tends cattle: a man hired to round up, drive, and tend
cattle, especially in the western United States. Cowboys traditionally work on
horseback, but now also use motor vehicles.

2.  male
character in Westerns: a male character in stories
and movies about the West in the late 1800s, often shown fighting Native
Americans or outlaws

3.  male
rodeo performer: a man who performs or competes in shows
such as rodeos

4.  reckless
person:
somebody who is reckless, especially a driver or pilot (slang disapproving)

[1]



cowboyboot

cowboyboot

cow·boy boot
(plural cow·boy boots) noun
high-heeled boot:
a high-heeled boot, like those originally worn by cowboys, usually with pointed
toes and ornamental stitching[1]



cowboyhat

cowboyhat
cow·boy
hat
(plural cow·boy hats) noun

wide-brimmed hat:
a hat, usually felt, with a high crown and a wide brim, originally worn by
cowboys, now widely worn in the Southwest and Midwest[1]



cowboysand Indians

cowboysand Indians
cow·boys
and In·di·ans noun

children’s game:
a children’s game involving two sides, pretending to be cowboys and Native
Americans fighting against each other (takes a singular verb)[1]



cowcatcher

cowcatcher
cow·catch·er 
[ków kàchər] (plural cow·catch·ers)
noun

device removing obstructions
from railroad track: an angled
metal frame formerly fixed to the front of a steam locomotive to clear animals
and other obstructions from the track[1]



cowcollege

cowcollege
cow
col·lege
(plural cow col·leges) noun

1.  agricultural
college:
an agricultural college or university (informal)

2.  small
rural college: a small college or university in a rural
area, regarded as unsophisticated (informal insult)

[1]



cower

cower
cow·er 
[kówər] (past cow·ered, past
participle cow·ered, present participle cow·er·ing, 3rd
person present singular cow·ers) intransitive verb

cringe
in fear:
to cringe or move backward defensively in fear
[13th century. From Middle
Low German kūren “to lie in wait,” of unknown origin.][1]



cowfish

cowfish
cow·fish 
[ków fìsh] (plural cow·fish or
cow·fish·es) noun

1.  fish
with spines above eyes: a small brightly colored
warm-water marine fish with spines that resemble horns above the eyes. Family:
Ostraciidae

2.  dolphin,
porpoise, or manatee: an aquatic mammal, for
example, certain species of dolphin or porpoise, or a manatee

[1]



cowgirl

cowgirl
cow·girl 
[ków gùrl] (plural cow·girls) noun

1.  woman
who tends cattle: a woman hired to round up, drive, and
tend cattle, especially in the western United States

2.  woman
character in Westerns: a woman character in stories
and movies about the West in the late 1800s, usually accompanying or assisting
a cowboy in his exploits

3.  female
rodeo performer: a woman who performs or competes in
shows such as rodeos

[1]



cowhand

cowhand
cow·hand 
[ków hànd] (plural cow·hands) noun

cowboy or cowgirl:
somebody hired to tend cattle[1]



cowherb

cowherb
cow·herb 
[ków ùrb, ków
hùrb] (plural cow·herbs) noun

plant with pink flowers:
an annual European plant with clusters of pink flowers that has become a weed
in North America. Latin name: Vaccaria pyramidata[1]



cowherd

cowherd
cow·herd 
[ków hùrd] (plural cow·herds) noun

somebody tending cattle on
foot: somebody who tends cattle,
usually on foot (archaic or literary)
Also called
cowman[1]



cowhide

cowhide
cow·hide 
[ków hd] noun (plural cow·hides)

1.  skin
of cow:
the skin of a cow or bull, especially removed and processed

2.  leather:
leather made from a cowhide

3.  leather
whip:
a whip made of braided leather or rawhide
transitive
verb
(past cow·hid·ed, past participle cow·hid·ed, present
participle cow·hid·ing, 3rd person present singular cow·hides)

whip somebody:
to beat somebody with a whip made of braided leather or rawhide

[1]



cowhorse

cowhorse
cow
horse
(plural cow hors·es) noun

See
cow pony[1]



Cowichansweater

Cowichansweater
Cowichan
sweater
[kówichən swèttər] (plural Cowichan
sweaters) noun

Canada
thick
sweater:
a heavy homespun sweater, originally black and white and knitted with symbolic
designs by aboriginal peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast.
Also
called
Indian sweater
Also
called
siwash
Also
called
siwash sweater
[Cowichan from the name of an
aboriginal people of Canada][1]



cowl

cowl
cowl 
[kowl] (plural cowls) noun

1.  monk’s
hood:
the hood on a monk’s cloak or a monk’s hooded cloak

2.  See
cowl neck

3.  hood
for chimney: a hood-shaped, sometimes revolving,
cover fitted to a chimney or vent to improve ventilation and prevent downdrafts

4.  part
of vehicle body: the part of the body of an automobile to
which the windshield, hood, and dashboard are attached

5.  ENGINEERING See cowling
[Pre-12th century. Via
prehistoric Germanic from, ultimately, Latin cucullus “hood.”][1]



cowlick

cowlick
cow·lick 
[ków lìk] (plural cow·licks) noun

tuft
of hair:
a tuft of hair growing in a different direction from the rest of the hair on
somebody’s head and usually sticking up
[From its resemblance to a
ridge of hair on a cow’s hide where hair growing in different directions meets,
thought to be caused by the animal licking itself][1]



cowling

cowling
cowl·ing 
[kówling] (plural cowl·ings) noun

engine covering:
a streamlined removable metal covering for an aircraft engine, fuselage, or
nacelle.
Also called
cowl[1]



cowlneck

cowlneck
cowl
neck
[kówl nèk] (plural cowl necks)
noun

large collar with many folds:
a collar on a woman’s garment, for example, a sweater, that drapes in large
folds around the neck (hyphenated when used before a noun)
Also called
cowl[1]



cowman

cowman
cow·man 
[kówmən, ków màn]
(plural cow·men [kówmən, ków mèn]) noun

1.  cattle
owner:
a man who owns cattle or a cattle ranch

2.  See
cowherd

[1]



coworker

coworker
co·work·er
[kṓ wùrkər] (plural co·work·ers)
noun

fellow worker:
somebody who works along with one or more other people[1]



cowparsnip

cowparsnip
cow
pars·nip
(plural cow pars·nips) noun

tall perennial plant:
a tall perennial plant that grows in northern temperate regions and has a thick
stem and flattened clusters of tiny white and purple flowers. Genus: Heracleum[1]



cowpat

cowpat
cow·pat
[ków pàt] (plural cow·pats) noun

piece of cow dung:
a circular flat mass of dung excreted by a cow[1]



cowpea

cowpea
cow·pea 
[ków p] (plural cow·peas) noun

See
black-eyed pea[1]



Cowper’sgland

Cowper’sgland
Cow·per’s
gland 
[kówpərz glànd, kpərz
glànd] (plural Cow·per’s glands) noun

gland
near male urethra: either of two small glands,
just below the prostate, that secrete into the urethra a lubricant fluid that
is released just prior to ejaculation of semen.
Also
called
bulbourethral gland
See
also
Bartholin’s gland
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the English anatomist William Cowper (1666–1709), who first described
it.][1]



cowpie

cowpie
cow·pie
[ków p] (plural cow·pies) noun

cowpat:
a cowpat (slang)[1]



cowpoke

cowpoke
cow·poke 
[ków pk] (plural cow·pokes) noun

cowboy:
a cowboy or cowgirl (informal)[1]



cowpony

cowpony
cow
pon·y
noun

cowboy’s horse:
a horse trained for use in cattle herding.
Also called
cow horse[1]



cowpox

cowpox
cow·pox 
[ków pòks] noun

skin disease of cattle:
a mild viral skin disease in cattle, usually affecting the udder with a
pustular rash. Cowpox virus was once used to inoculate humans against smallpox.
Technical name vaccinia[1]



cowpuncher

cowpuncher
cow·punch·er 
[ków pùnchər] (plural cow·punch·ers)
noun

cowboy:
a cowboy or cowgirl (informal)[1]



cowrie

cowrie
cow·rie
[kówree] (plural cow·ries) or
cow·ry [kówree] (plural cow·ries)
noun

1.  brightly
colored mollusk: a tropical marine mollusk that has a
glossy brightly colored shell with a long central toothed opening. Family:
Cypraeidae

2.  shell
used as money: the shell of the cowrie, formerly used
as money in parts of Africa and Asia
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
kaurī .][1]



cowrite

cowrite
co·write 
[kō rt] (past co·writ·ten [kō rítt’n], past participle co·wrote
[kō rṓt], present participle co·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular co·writes) transitive verb

write
with somebody else: to write something, for
example, a screenplay or report, jointly with somebody
—co·writ·er, noun[1]



cowry

cowry
cow·ry 
noun

See
cowrie[1]



cowshark

cowshark
cow
shark
noun

large shark:
a large flabby bottom-dwelling shark that has a weak jaw and small teeth and
lives in warm and temperate seas. Family: Hexanchidae[1]



cowshed

cowshed
cow·shed 
[ków shèd] (plural cow·sheds) noun

building for cattle:
a building in which cattle are housed[1]



cowslip

cowslip
cow·slip 
[ków slìp] (plural cow·slips) noun

1.  primrose:
a common primrose with long-stemmed fragrant yellow flowers that grows in
grassy areas in temperate regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Latin name: Primula
veris

2.  See
marsh marigold
[Old English cūslyppe
“cow dung,” probably from a belief that it grew where a cowpat had fallen][1]



cowtown

cowtown
cow
town
noun

1.  cattle-marketing
center:
a city or town that is a main market center or shipping point for cattle

2.  small
rural town:
a small town in a cattle-breeding area

[1]



cox

cox
cox 
[koks] noun (plural cox·es)

See
coxswain  noun 1
intransitive
and transitive verb (past coxed, past
participle coxed, present participle cox·ing, 3rd
person present singular cox·es)

See
coxswain  verb
[Late
19th century. Shortening of coxswain .]
—cox·less, adjective[1]



coxa

coxa
cox·a 
[kóksə] (plural cox·ae [kók s]) noun

1.  ANATOMY hip:
the hipbone or hip joint (technical)

2.  ZOOLOGY part
of insect leg: the base segment of the leg in most
insects and other arthropods
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “hip.”]
—cox·al, adjective[1]



coxalgia

coxalgia
cox·al·gi·a 
[kok sáljə] noun

pain
in hip:
pain in the hip, or a disease of the hip
—cox·al·gic, adjective[1]



coxcomb

coxcomb
cox·comb 
[kóks km] (plural cox·combs) noun
(archaic)

1.  conceited
man:
a conceited man with an excessive interest in clothes and fashion.
Also
called
cockscomb

2.  jester’s
cap:
the cap worn by a medieval jester, shaped like a rooster’s crest
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of cockscomb .][1]



coxcombry

coxcombry
cox·comb·ry 
[kók skōmree, kókskəmree]
(plural cox·comb·ries) noun

conceitedness:
foolishly excessive conceit or concern about clothes and fashion, or an
instance of this (archaic)[1]



Cox,David

Cox,David
Cox
[koks], David (1783–1859)

British artist. He is known
for his watercolors of landscapes in northern Wales, characterized by broad
washes and atmospheric effects.[1]



Cox,James Middleton

Cox,James Middleton
Cox
[koks], James Middleton (1870–1957)

U.S. statesman. He was
governor of Ohio (1913–1915 and 1917–1921), and ran for the U.S. presidency in
1920.[1]



coxsackievirus

coxsackievirus
cox·sack·ie
vi·rus
[kk ski vrəss, kok
sáki vrəss] (plural cox·sack·ie vi·rus·es) or Cox·sack·ie
vi·rus [kk ski vrəss, kok sáki vrəss] (plural Cox·sack·ie
vi·rus·es) noun

intestinal
virus:
an enterovirus belonging to a group that occurs in the human intestinal tract
and causes diseases such as viral meningitis and a condition similar to
poliomyelitis
[Mid-20th century. Named for Coxsackie
in New York State, where the first cases were identified.][1]



coxswain

coxswain
cox·swain 
[kóks’n, kók
swàyn] or cock·swain [kóks’n,
kók swàyn] noun (plural cox·swains)
(plural cock·swains)

1.  ROWING somebody
in charge of rowing boat: the member of a rowing crew
who faces forward, steers the boat, and directs the speed and rhythm of the
rowers.
Also
called
cox
U.K.
term
cox

2.  somebody
in charge of ship’s boat: somebody who is in charge of
a ship’s boat and its crew, and who usually steers it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cox·swained,
past participle cox·swained, present participle cox·swain·ing,
3rd person present singular cox·swains) (past cock·swained,
past participle cock·swained, present participle cock·swain·ing,
3rd person present singular cock·swains)

be coxswain: to be
the coxswain of a boat.
U.K.
term
cox
[14th century. From cock “ship’s boat” + swain
.][1]



coy

coy
coy 
[koy] (comparative coy·er, superlative
coy·est) adjective

1.  pretending
to be shy:
pretending, in a teasing or provocative way, to be reserved or modest

2.  shy:
shy or reserved in social situations

3.  evasive:
annoyingly reluctant to make a commitment or to divulge something
[14th
century. Via French coi “quiet” from, ultimately, Latin quietus
(source of English quiet ).]
—coy·ish,
adjective

—coy·ly,
adverb

—coy·ness, noun[1]



coydog

coydog
coy·dog 
[kóy dòg] (plural coy·dogs) noun

cross
between coyote and dog: the supposed offspring of a
coyote and feral dog, despite a lack of evidence that they interbreed in the
wild
[Mid-20th century. Blend of coyote and dog
.][1]



coyote

coyote
coy·o·te 
[kī ṓtee, k t]
(plural coy·o·tes or coy·o·te) noun

1.  N
American canine mammal: a carnivorous North American
canine mammal, similar to but smaller than the wolf. Coyotes are known for
their howling and yapping at night and are considered pests in crowded
residential and farming areas. Latin name: Canis latrans
Also
called
prairie wolf

2.  smuggler
of illegal aliens: somebody who brings illegal
immigrants into the United States (slang)
[Mid-18th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl coyotl .][1]



coyotillo

coyotillo
coy·o·til·lo 
[kòyə tíllō, kòyə
tyō, kə tíllō, kīə tyō] (plural coy·o·til·los) noun

thorny
poisonous shrub: a thorny shrub that grows in Mexico and
the southwestern United States, with small green flowers and poisonous black
berries. Latin name: Karwinskia humboldtiana
[Late 19th century. From
Mexican Spanish, literally “little coyote.”][1]



coypu

coypu
coy·pu 
[kóy p] (plural coy·pus or
coy·pu) noun

large
S American rodent: a large semiaquatic rodent
with webbed feet and a long tail, native to South America. It is reared in
captivity for its fur.
Also
called
nutria
[Late 18th century. From Araucanian
.][1]



coz

coz
coz 
[kuz] noun

cousin:
a cousin (informal)
[Mid-16th century.
Shortening.][1]



cozen

cozen
coz·en 
[kúzz’n] (past coz·ened, past
participle coz·ened, present participle coz·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular coz·ens) intransitive and transitive verb

cheat
somebody:
to deceive, cheat, or defraud somebody (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Perhaps from obsolete Italian cozzonare “to cheat” or Old
French coçoner “to act as a middle man,” both from, ultimately, Latin coctio
“dealer.”]
—coz·en·er, noun[1]



cozenage

cozenage
coz·en·age 
[kúzz’nij] (plural coz·en·ages)
noun

trickery:
a getting of something, or persuading of somebody to do something, by trickery
or wheedling persuasion[1]



cozy

cozy
co·zy
[kṓzee] adjective (comparative
co·zi·er, superlative co·zi·est)

1.  snug:
warm, comfortable, and snug

2.  friendly:
friendly and intimate

3.  unethically
close:
close and friendly, but for mutally beneficial or underhanded purposes
noun
(plural co·zi·es)

covering to keep something warm:
a covering, often knitted or padded, put over something, especially a teapot,
to keep it or its contents warm
[Early
18th century. Origin unknown.]
—co·zi·ly,
adverb

—co·zi·ness, noun[1]



cozyup

cozyup
cozy
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
cuddle
up:
to sit or lie as close as possible to somebody for warmth or affection

2.  ingratiate
yourself:
to try to ingratiate yourself, or become friendly or intimate, with somebody

[1]



C.P.

C.P.
C.P.

1.  Abbreviation
of
command post

2.  Abbreviation
of
Cape Province

[1]



cp.

cp.
cp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
compare

2.  Abbreviation
of
coupon

[1]



cP

cP
cP

Symbol for
centipoise[1]



CP

CP
CP

1.  Abbreviation
of
Canadian Press

2.  Abbreviation
of
chemically pure

3.  Abbreviation
of
command post

4.  Abbreviation
of
Communist Party

[1]



CPA

CPA
CPA

1.  CPA
or C.P.A. ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of certified public accountant

2.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
critical path analysis

[1]



CPB

CPB
CPB
or C.P.B.

Abbreviation of
Corporation for Public Broadcasting[1]



cpd.

cpd.
cpd.

Abbreviation of
compound[1]



CPFF

CPFF
CPFF

Abbreviation of
cost plus fixed fee[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CPI

CPI
CPI

Abbreviation of
consumer price index[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cpi

cpi
cpi

Abbreviation of
characters per inch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Cpl.

Cpl.
Cpl.

Abbreviation of
Corporal[1]



cpm

cpm
cpm
or CPM

1.  Abbreviation
of
cost per thousand

2.  Abbreviation
of
cycles per minute

[1]



CPO

CPO
CPO

Abbreviation of
Chief Petty Officer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CPOM

CPOM
CPOM

Abbreviation of
Master Chief Petty Officer[1]



CPOS

CPOS
CPOS

Abbreviation of
Senior Chief Petty Officer[1]



CPR

CPR
CPR

1.  Abbreviation
of
cardiopulmonary resuscitation

2.  Abbreviation
of
Canadian Pacific Railway

[1]



cps

cps
cps

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of characters per second[1]



CPS

CPS
CPS
or C.P.S.

Abbreviation of
certified professional secretary[1]



CPSC

CPSC
CPSC

Abbreviation of
Consumer Product Safety Commission[1]



CPSU

CPSU
CPSU

Abbreviation of
Communist Party of the Soviet Union[1]



Cpt.

Cpt.
Cpt.
or CPT

Abbreviation of
Captain[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








CPU

CPU
CPU


Abbreviation of
central processing unit[1]



CQ

CQ1
CQ1  noun

radio code for all receivers:
the code letters transmitted at the start of a radio message indicating that
the message is meant for all receivers and requesting a response[1]



CQ

CQ2
CQ2 

1.  Abbreviation
of
call to quarters

2.  Abbreviation
of
charge of quarters

[1]



cr.

cr.
cr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
credit

2.  Abbreviation
of
creditor

3.  Abbreviation
of
creek

4.  Abbreviation
of
crown

[1]



C.R.

C.R.
C.R.

Abbreviation of
Costa Rica[1]



CR

CR
CR
PSYCHOLOGY

1.  Abbreviation
of
conditioned reflex

2.  Abbreviation
of
conditioned response

[1]



Cr

Cr
Cr

Symbol for
chromium[1]



crab

crab3
crab3 [krab]
noun (plural crabs)

somebody bad tempered:
somebody who is bad tempered or disagreeable by nature (informal insult)
verb
(past crabbed, past participle crabbed, present
participle crab·bing, 3rd person present singular crabs)

1.  intransitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize or grumble about somebody or something (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
spoil:
to ruin or spoil something through interference (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
make
bad tempered: to make somebody bad tempered or bitter
[Late 16th century. Probably
a back-formation from crabbed .][1]



crab

crab2
crab2 [krab]
(plural crabs) noun

See
crab apple
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration by folk etymology (because a bad-tempered
crab was likened to a sour apple) of dialect scrab, from a Scandinavian
language.][1]



crab

crab1

crab1 [krab]
noun (plural crabs)

1.  flat
crustacean:
a crustacean with a broad flat shell, antennae, a small abdomen, and five pairs
of legs, the front pair of which are in the form of grasping pincers. Suborder:
Brachyura

2.  crustacean
resembling crab: an animal similar or related to the true
crab, for example, the hermit crab, horseshoe crab, and king crab

3.  flesh
of crab:
the flesh of a crab when used as food

4.  parasitic
louse in pubic hair: a parasitic louse resembling
a tiny crab that infests the pubic hair of humans, causing inflammation and
itching of the skin. Latin name: Phthirius pubis
Also
called
crab louse
Also
called
pubic louse

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING crane:
a machine similar to a crane designed to lift and move heavy weights

6.  AIR flying
maneuver:
a flying maneuver in which an aircraft is steered into a crosswind slightly to
compensate for drifting off course
plural noun crabs

lice infestation:
an infestation of crab lice (informal)
verb (past
crabbed, past participle crabbed, present participle
crab·bing, 3rd person present singular crabs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb scurry
sideways:
to move sideways as a crab does, or to cause something to move in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
catch
crabs:
to go fishing or hunting for crabs

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR fly into crosswind:
to fly an aircraft slightly into a crosswind to compensate for drifting off
course

4.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL sail
with sideways drift: to sail forward with a
slight sideways drift caused by a current
[Old
English crabba . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“scratch,” which also produced English carve
and graffito .]
catch a crab

in rowing, to make a faulty
stroke by failing to make contact with the water or plunging the oar blade in
too deeply[1]



Crab

Crab

Crab 
noun
ZODIAC
See Cancer[1]



crabapple

crabapple
crab
ap·ple
noun
Also
called
crab

1.  small
sour apple:
the small sour fruit of a type of apple tree. Crab apples are too sour to eat
but are used in jellies.

2.  apple
tree:
an apple tree with white, pink, or red flowers that produces small sour fruit.
Genus: Malus

[1]



crabbed

crabbed
crab·bed 
[krábbəd] adjective

1.  grouchy:
bad tempered, irritable, or disagreeable by nature

2.  hard
to read:
hard to read, because the words and letters are compressed

3.  complicated:
complicated and hard to follow (dated) • crabbed
logic
[13th
century. Formed from crab 1 because the way crabs
threaten with their claws and their sideways walk suggest bad temper;
reinforced by the idea of “sourness” found in crab 2 .]
—crab·bed·ly,
adverb

—crab·bed·ness, noun[1]



crabber

crabber
crab·ber
[krábbər] (plural crab·bers) noun

1.  catcher
of crabs:
somebody who fishes for crabs

2.  crab
boat:
a boat used in fishing for crabs

[1]



crabbing

crabbing
crab·bing
[krábbing] noun

fish for crabs:
fishing or hunting for crabs[1]



crabby

crabby
crab·by 
[krábbee] (comparative crab·bi·er,
superlative crab·bi·est) adjective

grouchy:
bad tempered or irritable in character
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from both crab 1 and crab 2 .]
—crab·bi·ly,
adverb

—crab·bi·ness, noun[1]



crabcactus

crabcactus
crab
cac·tus
noun

See
Christmas cactus[1]



crabgrass

crabgrass
crab·grass 
(plural crab·grass·es or crab·grass) noun

coarse grass:
a coarse grass that grows in warm regions, has creeping stems that root freely,
and is considered a weed in lawns and gardens. Genus: Digitaria[1]



crablouse

crablouse
crab
louse
noun

See
crab 1 noun
4[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








crabmeat

crabmeat
crab·meat 
[kráb mt] noun

edible crab flesh:
the flesh of a crab when used as food[1]



CrabNebula

CrabNebula
Crab
Neb·u·la
noun

remains of supernova in
constellation Taurus: the gaseous
remains of an exploded star in the constellation Taurus, about 5,000 light
years from the Earth[1]



crabstick

crabstick
crab·stick 
[kráb stìk] (plural crab·sticks)
noun

1.  stick
of crab apple wood: a stick or club made from
the wood of a crab apple

2.  grouch:
somebody bad tempered or irritable (informal)

[1]



crabstick

crabstick
crab
stick
(plural crab sticks) noun

processed seafood product:
a stick-shaped piece of processed fish that has been flavored and colored to
resemble crabmeat[1]



crabwise

crabwise
crab·wise 
[kráb wz] adverb adjective

1.  sideways:
sideways, as crabs usually move

2.  by
indirect means: in roundabout and cautious way

[1]



crab’seye

crab’seye
crab’s
eye 
(plural crab’s eyes) noun

See
rosary pea[1]



crack

crack
crack 
[krak] verb (past cracked,
past participle cracked, present participle crack·ing,
3rd person present singular cracks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
without coming fully apart: to break, or make something
break, in such a way that a fine split or splits appear but the split sections
do not come apart

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
into pieces: to break into pieces, or to break
something into pieces

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
with sharp noise: to break, or make something break, with
a sudden sharp noise

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
sharp noise: to make a loud sharp sound, or to cause
something, for example, a whip or a rifle, to make such a sound

5.  transitive
verb
hit
hard:
to hit something with a powerful impact

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
open under pressure: to break open because of
pressure, or to make something, for example, a nut, break or open by pressure

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
or make something fail: to fail, give way, or break
down, or to make somebody or something do so

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
down psychologically: to break down
psychologically, or to cause somebody to break down psychologically, for
example, under stress or torture

9.  intransitive
verb
become
hoarse or change in pitch: to become slightly hoarse or
suffer from uncontrollable changes in pitch, especially because of emotion or
stress (refers to the voice)

10. transitive
verb
tell
joke:
to tell something, especially a joke (informal)

11. transitive
verb
decode
or solve:
to decipher or solve something, for example, a code, puzzle, or problem

12. transitive
verb
break
into:
to force a way into something, especially a safe (informal)

13. transitive
verb
open
something to use: to open something, for example, a bottle
or book, in order to consume or use its contents (informal)

14. transitive
verb
INDUSTRY break
down into smaller molecules: to break down something,
especially the heavier hydrocarbons in petroleum, into smaller molecules by
using heat or catalysis
noun
(plural cracks)

1.  thin
break:
a break or flaw in something, for example, a mirror, that is visible as a fine
line

2.  long
narrow opening: a relatively long and narrow break,
hole, or opening in something

3.  sharp
noise:
a sudden loud sharp noise

4.  weakness:
a flaw, defect, or weak spot

5.  blow:
a hard blow from somebody or something (informal)

6.  sarcastic
comment:
a sarcastic, funny, or rude remark, especially at somebody’s expense (informal)

7.  attempt:
an attempt at something (informal)

8.  uneven
voice tone:
a hoarseness or uncontrollable change in pitch in somebody’s voice

9.  exact
moment:
the exact moment when something happens or begins • at
the crack of dawn

10. crack
purified
form of cocaine: a purified and extremely addictive form
of cocaine (slang)
Also
called
crack cocaine
adjective

excellent:
excellent, expert, or trained to a high degree of efficiency
[Old
English cracian, from the same prehistoric Germanic ancestor as Dutch krāken
and German krachen . The original idea was of making a loud noise, the
idea of breaking coming from this.]
be
not all he’s or she’s or it’s cracked up to be

to
be not as good as promised or reputed

fall
between or through the cracks

to be overlooked or forgotten[1]



crackbrained

crackbrained
crack·brained
[krák bràynd] adjective

irrational:
extremely irrational or eccentric[1]



crackcocaine

crackcocaine
crack
co·caine 
noun

See
crack  noun 10[1]



crackdown

crackdown
crack
down
intransitive verb

take strong action:
to take strong and decisive action against something undesirable or illegal or
against somebody involved in such activity (informal)[1]



crackdown

crackdown
crack·down 
[krák dòwn] (plural crack·downs)
noun

strong repression:
a strong and decisive measure taken against something undesirable or illegal,
or against somebody involved in such activity[1]



cracked

cracked
cracked 
[krakt] adjective

1.  having
cracks:
marked with a crack or cracks

2.  irrational:
extremely irrational (informal)

3.  coarsely
crushed:
broken or crushed into coarse pieces • cracked
wheat

4.  hoarse:
sounding rough or hoarse vocally, often because of emotion or stress

[1]



crackedwheat

crackedwheat
cracked
wheat
noun

chopped wheat:
whole grains of wheat that have been chopped into little pieces[1]



cracker

cracker
crack·er 
[krákər] (plural crack·ers) noun

1.  flat
crisp wafer: a thin crisp, usually unsweetened, and
sometimes salted flatbread, often eaten with cheese

2.  See
firecracker

3.  somebody
or something that cracks: somebody who or something
that cracks something

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a poor white person living in a rural area, especially in
the South (offensive)

5.  somebody
from Georgia or Florida: somebody who comes from or
lives in the states of Georgia or Florida (informal humorous)

6.  INDUSTRY device
for cracking petroleum compounds: a device in which
petroleum oils and tars are broken down to yield more valuable light fuels

7.  COMPUTING somebody
who accesses computer system illicitly:
somebody who gains unauthorized access to a computer system, especially to
acquire or interfere with data

8.  U.K.
cardboard
tube holding party favor: a cardboard tube, containing
a party favor, that is wrapped in colored paper and opens with an explosive noise
when both its ends are pulled

[1]



cracker-barrel

cracker-barrel
crack·er-bar·rel 
adjective

straightforward
and unsophisticated: expressing unsophisticated
but practical sense or wisdom, such as is regarded as typical of a rural
community
[The image comes from the
village store being a social center, where people might sit on cracker barrels
and discuss the world][1]



CrackerJack

CrackerJack
Crack·er
Jack
Trademark

a trademark for a snack food
consisting of candy-coated popcorn and peanuts[1]



crackhead

crackhead
crack·head 
[krák hèd] (plural crack·heads)
noun

crack addict:
somebody who is addicted to crack cocaine (slang)[1]



crackhouse

crackhouse
crack
house
noun

place where crack is sold:
a house or apartment where crack cocaine is sold to addicts and where,
sometimes, it is also made (slang)
Also called
rock house[1]



cracking

cracking
crack·ing 
[kráking] adverb

very:
extremely (informal)
noun

breaking down into smaller
molecules: the breaking down of
something, especially the heavier hydrocarbons in petroleum, into smaller
molecules using heat or catalysis[1]



crackle

crackle

crack·le 
[krák’l] verb (past crack·led,
past participle crack·led, present participle crack·ling,
3rd person present singular crack·les)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
rapid snapping noise: to make, or cause something
to make, repeated short sharp snapping or popping noises, such as dry wood
makes when burning

2.  intransitive
verb
scintillate:
to be lively, energetic, or scintillating • The
play crackles with wit.

3.  transitive
verb
decorate
with cracks: to decorate a piece of pottery or
porcelain with a network of fine cracks in the surface of its glaze
noun (plural
crack·les)

1.  repeated
snapping noises: a series of repeated short sharp
snapping or popping noises

2.  fine
decorative cracks: a network of fine cracks
created as decoration in the surface of the glaze of pottery or porcelain

3.        crack·le
or crack·le·ware porcelain
decorated with fine cracks: pottery or
porcelain decorated with a network of fine cracks in the surface of its glaze[1]



crackling

crackling
crack·ling 
[krákling] noun

snapping
or popping noises: a series of repeated short
sharp snapping or popping noises
plural
noun
crack·lings

FOOD
crisp pieces of fatty meat:
the crisp pieces left after the fat has been rendered from fatty pieces of meat
or skin, especially of pork.
Also called
cracknels[1]



crackly

crackly
crack·ly 
[kráklee] (comparative crack·li·er,
superlative crack·li·est) adjective

1.  brittle:
brittle or crisp

2.  making
snapping noises: making or consisting of a series of
repeated short sharp snapping or popping noises

[1]



cracknel

cracknel
crack·nel 
[kráknəl] noun (plural crack·nels)

brittle
biscuit:
a hard light brittle biscuit
plural
noun
crack·nels

cracklings:
cracklings
[14th century. Via Old French
craquelin from Middle Dutch krākeline, a type of small cake, from
krāken “to crack.”][1]



crackpot

crackpot
crack·pot 
[krák pòt] noun (plural crack·pots)

somebody
unconventional: somebody who has unconventional or wild
ideas (informal insult)
adjective

unrealistic:
extremely eccentric or unrealistic (informal) • another
of his crackpot money-making schemes[1]



crackup

crackup
crack
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
have
breakdown:
to experience a psychological or, sometimes, physical breakdown, usually
because of stress (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
break
into pieces: to crack and break into pieces

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb laugh
uncontrollably: to laugh, or cause somebody to laugh,
uncontrollably (informal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb crash:
to crash a car, boat, or aircraft (informal)

[1]



crack-up

crack-up
crack-up
(plural crack-ups) noun (informal)

1.  breakdown:
a psychological or sometimes a physical breakdown

2.  crash:
a motor vehicle or aircraft crash

[1]



Cracow

Cracow
Cra·cow
[kra ków, krá
kòw]

university city on the
Vistula River in southern Poland. Its medieval architecture attracts many
tourists, but it is also an important industrial center. Population: 745,400
(1995)[1]



-cracy

-cracy
-cracy
suffix

rule,
government, power • technocracy
[Via French -cratie
from, ultimately, Greek kratos “power, strength.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “hard,” which is also the ancestor of English hard and hardy
.][1]



cradle

cradle
cra·dle 
[kráyd’l] noun (plural cra·dles)

1.  baby’s
bed:
a small bed, usually on rockers, with enclosing sides, used for a baby

2.  starting
place:
the place where something begins or develops in its early stages • the
cradle of civilization

3.  support
for telephone handset: the part of a telephone on
which the handset rests or hangs

4.  mechanic’s
board on wheels: a flat board on wheels or casters on
which a mechanic can slide under a vehicle.
Also
called
creeper

5.  supporting
framework:
a framework for supporting something, for example, a ship that is being built
or repaired

6.  hanging
platform:
a movable platform or cage hung on the side of something, for example, a
building or ship, to hold somebody who is working there

7.  protective
frame supporting sheet or blanket: a frame placed beneath
a top sheet or blanket covering a patient to keep it from touching a sensitive
part of the body, for example, after injury or an operation

8.  panning
device:
a rocking device like a box used in panning for gold.
Also
called
rocker
transitive
verb
(past cra·dled, past participle cra·dled, present
participle cra·dling, 3rd person present singular cra·dles)

1.  hold
carefully:
to hold or support somebody or something tenderly, carefully, or protectively,
especially in a hollow formed with the arms or hands

2.  put
into cradle: to put somebody or something into a
cradle or something like a cradle

3.  support
in framework: to support something in a framework, for
example, a ship that is being built or repaired

4.  nurture:
to look after a young child, or support something in the early stages of its
development

5.  wash
soil:
to wash gold-bearing soil in a cradle
[Old
English cradol, of uncertain origin: possibly from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German Kratte “basket”]
—cra·dler,
noun
rob
the cradle

to be romantically or
sexually involved with somebody who is much younger (informal)[1]



cradleboard

cradleboard
cra·dle·board 
[kráyd’l bàwrd] (plural cra·dle·boards)
noun

Native American baby carrier:
a wooden frame supporting a cloth enclosure for a baby, traditionally worn on
the back by some Native Americans in order to carry a baby while working or
traveling. Cradleboards are often highly decorated with beadwork.[1]



cradlecap

cradlecap
cra·dle
cap
noun

scalp condition in babies:
a skin condition that commonly affects the scalp of young babies, causing thick
scaling and flaking[1]



cradlesong

cradlesong
cra·dle·song 
[kráyd’l sòng] (plural cra·dle·songs)
noun

See
lullaby[1]



craft

craft
craft 
[kraft] noun (plural crafts)

1.  making
things by hand: a profession or activity such as
weaving, pottery, or wood carving, involving the skillful making of decorative
or practical objects by hand (often used in combination)

2.  object
produced by skillful handwork: something such as a
piece of pottery or carving produced skillfully by hand, especially in a
traditional manner

3.  skill:
skill in making or doing things, especially by hand

4.  skilled
profession or activity: a profession or activity
that requires skill and training, or experience, or specialized knowledge (often
used in combination)

5.  guild:
the people engaged in a skilled trade or profession, considered as a group (dated)

6.  deviousness:
skill in trickery or deceiving others

7.  (plural
craft) vessel: a
vessel used for traveling, for example, a boat, ship, airplane, or space
vehicle (often used in combination)
transitive
verb
(past craft·ed, past participle craft·ed, present
participle craft·ing, 3rd person present singular crafts)

1.  make
with skill:
to produce or create something with skill and care

2.  make
something by hand: to make something skillfully
by hand
[Old
English cræft of prehistoric Germanic origin. Originally “strength,
power”; this sense died out in the 16th century.]
—craft·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boat

[1]



craftbeer

craftbeer
craft
beer
(plural craft beers) noun

local beer:
a beer that is brewed on a small scale and only distributed locally[1]



craft-brewed

craft-brewed
craft-brewed 
adjective

from small brewery:
made by a small-scale brewery in small quantities[1]



craftsman

craftsman
crafts·man 
[kráftsmən] (plural crafts·men
[kráftsmən]) noun

1.  somebody
who makes things by hand: somebody who makes
decorative or practical objects skillfully by hand

2.  skillful
person:
somebody who does something with great skill and expertise
—crafts·man·like,
adjective

—crafts·man·ly,
adjective

—crafts·man·ship, noun[1]



craftsperson

craftsperson
crafts·per·son 
[kráfts pùrs’n] (plural crafts·peo·ple
[kráfts pp’l] or crafts·per·sons)
noun

somebody making things by
hand: somebody who makes
decorative or practical objects skillfully by hand[1]



craftswoman

craftswoman
crafts·wom·an 
[kráfts wmmən] (plural crafts·wom·en
[kráfts wìmmin]) noun

woman who makes things by
hand: a woman who makes decorative
or practical objects skillfully by hand[1]



craftunion

craftunion
craft
un·ion
noun

workers’ organization:
a labor union for people who work at a particular skilled trade, as distinct
from an organization for everyone employed in a particular industry.
Also called
horizontal union[1]



crafty

crafty
craft·y 
[kráftee] (comparative craft·i·er,
superlative craft·i·est) adjective

cunning:
using cunning or trickery to deceive other people
—craft·i·ly,
adverb

—craft·i·ness, noun[1]



crag

crag
crag 
[krag] (plural crags) noun

rocky
part of mountain: a steep rough mass of rock forming part
of a cliff or mountain peak
[14th
century. From a Celtic word, probably either Welsh craig or Gaelic creagh
.]
—crag·ged, adjective[1]



craggy

craggy
crag·gy 
[krággee] (comparative crag·gi·er,
superlative crag·gi·est) adjective

1.  rocky
and steep:
steep and rocky, and forming part of a cliff or mountain peak

2.  rugged:
rugged-looking with strong prominent masculine features
—crag·gi·ly,
adverb

—crag·gi·ness, noun[1]



Craig,James Henry

Craig,James Henry
Craig
[krayg], Sir James Henry (1748–1812)

British-born Canadian
statesman and soldier. He served as Governor-General of Canada (1807–1811).[1]



crake

crake
crake 
[krayk] (plural crakes) noun

long-legged
bird:
a short-billed long-legged Eurasian marsh bird of the rail family, for example,
the corncrake or spotted crake
[14th century. From Old Norse
kráka, krákr used of several birds, including the raven; probably an
imitation of their sound.][1]



cram

cram
cram 
[kram] verb (past crammed,
past participle crammed, present participle cram·ming,
3rd person present singular crams)

1.  transitive
verb
force
into something: to force people or objects into a space
or container that is too small to hold them comfortably

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
greedily:
to eat food hastily and greedily

3.  transitive
verb
force
to eat:
to encourage or force a person or animal to eat more than is necessary

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb study
intensively: to study a subject intensively for an
imminent exam (informal)
noun
(plural crams)

1.  tightly
packed state: a situation in which a group of people
or things is crushed, crowded, or tightly packed together

2.  period
of intensive study: a period of intensive study,
especially for an imminent exam (informal)
[Old
English (ge)crammian, from a prehistoric Germanic base that also
produced English grapnel and crampon]
—cram·mer, noun[1]



crambo

crambo
cram·bo 
[krámbō] (plural cram·boes or
cram·bos) noun

rhyming
word game:
a game in which one player gives a word or a line of verse for which the other
players must find a rhyming word or line (dated)
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of obsolete crambe “cabbage, distasteful repetition,” via Latin from
Greek krambē “cabbage” (usually referring to Latin crambe repetita
“something unpleasant to have repeated,” literally “warmed-up cabbage”).][1]



cramp

cramp1
cramp1 [kramp]
noun (plural cramps)

1.  painful
muscle contraction: a sudden painful involuntary
contraction of a muscle

2.  muscle
paralysis:
the temporary paralysis of a muscle or muscle group caused by repetitive use or
overexertion • writer’s
cramp
plural
noun
cramps

abdominal pain:
severe pain in the abdomen or adjoining areas, usually of gastrointestinal or
uterine origin
intransitive
verb
(past cramped, past participle cramped, present
participle cramp·ing, 3rd person present singular cramps)

be affected with cramp:
to experience a cramp
[14th century. Via Old French
crampe from Middle Dutch krampe .][1]



cramp

cramp2
cramp2 [kramp]
transitive verb (past cramped, past participle cramped,
present participle cramp·ing, 3rd person present singular cramps)

1.  confine:
to confine or enclose somebody or something in a small space (usually
passive)

2.  hamper:
to hamper or obstruct somebody or something

3.  hold
together:
to fasten, hold, or press something together with an adjustable clamp

4.  turn
sharply:
to make the wheels of a vehicle turn sharply
noun
(plural cramps)

1.  restriction:
something that confines, restricts, or restrains, for example, a set of
shackles

2.  confined
place:
a confined or restricted position or place

3.  device
for holding things together: an adjustable clamp for
temporarily holding or pressing objects together

4.  bar
with bent ends: a metal bar with ends bent at right
angles, used in building to hold objects together, for example, bricks or
timbers.
Also
called
cramp iron
[14th
century. From Middle Dutch krampe . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “bending, compression,” which also produced English cramp 1, crimp, and cripple
.]
cramp
somebody’s style

to restrict or hinder
somebody from doing something freely (informal)[1]



cramped

cramped
cramped
[krampt] adjective

1.  lacking
space:
inconveniently or uncomfortably small and confining

2.  packed
in:
packed into too small a space for comfort

3.  hard
to read:
written or printed in small characters that are close together and hard to read

[1]



crampfish

crampfish
cramp·fish 
[krámp fìsh] (plural cramp·fish
or cramp·fish·es) noun

See
electric ray[1]



crampiron

crampiron
cramp
i·ron
(plural cramp i·rons) noun

See
cramp 2 noun
4[1]



crampon

crampon

cram·pon 
[krám pòn] (plural cram·pons) noun

1.  spikes
on climbing boot: a set of metal spikes fastened to the
sole of a boot or shoe to provide better traction on ice or snow (usually
used in the plural)

2.  grappling
iron:
a grappling iron (archaic) (often used in the plural)
[13th century. Via Old French
from Frankish .][1]



Cram,Ralph Adams

Cram,Ralph Adams
Cram 
[kram], Ralph Adams (1863–1942)

U.S. architect. He was a
leading exponent of the Gothic revival, particularly in U.S. university
buildings.[1]



Cranach,Lucas, the Elder

Cranach,Lucas, the Elder
Cra·nach 
[kr nkh], Lucas, the Elder (1472–1553)

German
painter and engraver. Despite his stylized sensuous nudes, he was a friend of
Martin Luther, whose portrait he painted. He was also a propagandist for the
Reformation.
Real name
Müller, Lucas[1]



cranberry

cranberry

cran·ber·ry 
[krán bèrree] (plural cran·ber·ries)
noun

1.  red
berry:
a sour red or reddish berry, used especially to make a sauce to accompany roast
turkey

2.  plant
producing red berries: a low-growing evergreen
plant of the heath family that yields cranberries. Genus: Vaccinium
[Mid-17th century. From
German Kranbeere, literally “crane berry,” because the stamens are said
to look like a crane’s beak.][1]



cranberrybush

cranberrybush
cran·ber·ry
bush
or cran·ber·ry tree noun

N American shrub:
a North American shrub that produces acid red fruit. Latin name: Viburnum
trilobum
Also called
highbush cranberry[1]



Cranbrook

Cranbrook
Cran·brook 
[krán brk]

city in southeastern British
Columbia, Canada, some 60 km30 mi north of the U.S. border. Population: 18,131
(1996)[1]



crane

crane

crane 
[krayn] noun (plural cranes)

1.  lifting
machine:
a large machine used to lift and move heavy objects by means of a hook attached
to cables suspended from a supporting, usually movable, beam

2.  moving
support for camera: a moving platform with a
long support for a motion-picture or television camera

3.  movable
support with long arm: a device with a long arm for
supporting something, for example, one for swinging and holding a pot or kettle
over a fire

4.  BIRDS long-legged
bird:
a large long-necked long-legged short-tailed bird that lives on plains and in
marshes. Family: Gruidae

5.  BIRDS bird
like crane:
any bird, for example, a heron or stork, that looks like a true crane
verb (past
craned, past participle craned, present participle cran·ing,
3rd person present singular cranes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stretch
neck to see: to stretch the neck in order to get a
better view of something

2.  transitive
verb
move
by crane:
to lift or move something using a crane
[Old English cran .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that was probably an imitation of the
sound of the bird, and which also produced English geranium
.][1]



cranefly

cranefly
crane
fly
noun

long-legged fly:
a large two-winged fly with a long thin body and long legs. Family: Tipulidae
Also called
daddy longlegs[1]



Crane,Hart

Crane,Hart
Crane 
[krayn], Hart (1899–1932)

U.S.
poet. His work celebrated modern civilization in poems such as The Bridge
( 1930 ).
Full name
Crane, Harold Hart[1]



cranesbill

cranesbill
cranes·bill 
[kráynz bìl] (plural cranes·bills)
noun

See
geranium  noun 2[1]



Crane,Stephen

Crane,Stephen

Crane
[krayn], Stephen (1871–1900)
U.S. writer. He is known for his novel The
Red Badge of Courage ( 1895 ) and other fiction and poetry.[1]



crani-

crani-
crani-
prefix

See
cranio-[1]



crania

crania
cra·ni·a


Plural of
cranium[1]



cranial

cranial
cra·ni·al 
[kráynee əl] adjective

of skull:
relating to, involving, or in the skull, especially the part covering the brain[1]



cranialindex

cranialindex
cra·ni·al
in·dex
noun

See
cephalic index[1]



cranialnerve

cranialnerve
cra·ni·al
nerve
(plural cra·ni·al nerves) noun

nerve in brain:
one of a pair of nerves that originate in the brainstem and pass out of the
skull to the surface of the body. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves in
mammals, birds, and reptiles, and usually 10 in fish and amphibians.[1]



craniate

craniate
cra·ni·ate 
[kráynee ət, kráyni
àyt] adjective

possessing a cranium:
having a skull or cranium[1]



cranio-

cranio-
cranio-
prefix

cranium,
skull • craniofacial
[From cranium][1]



craniofacial

craniofacial
cra·ni·o·fa·cial 
[kràyni ō fáysh’l] adjective

of cranium and face:
relating to or involving both the cranium and the face[1]



craniology

craniology
cra·ni·ol·o·gy 
[kràynee ólləjee] noun

study
of skulls:
the scientific study of the shapes, sizes, and other characteristics of human
skulls
—cra·ni·o·log·i·cal
[kràyni ə lójjik’l], adjective

—cra·ni·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cra·ni·ol·o·gist [kràyni ólləjist], noun[1]



craniometer

craniometer
cra·ni·om·e·ter 
[kràynee ómmətər] (plural cra·ni·om·e·ters)
noun

tool for measuring skulls:
an instrument used to take measurements of the skull[1]



craniometry

craniometry
cra·ni·om·e·try 
[kràynee ómmətree] noun

skull-measuring:
the scientific measurement of skulls
—cra·ni·o·met·ric
[kràynee ə méttrik], adjective

—cra·ni·o·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—cra·ni·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—cra·ni·om·e·trist [kràyni ómmətrist], noun[1]



craniosacral

craniosacral
cra·ni·o·sac·ral 
[kràyni ō sákrəl, kràyni
ō sáykrəl] adjective

See
parasympathetic[1]



craniosacraltherapy

craniosacraltherapy
cra·ni·o·sac·ral
ther·a·py
noun

gentle manipulation of bones:
gentle manipulation of the bones of the face, skull, and spine, intended to
relieve conditions including migraine, sinusitis, and musculoskeletal problems[1]



craniotomy

craniotomy
cra·ni·ot·o·my 
[kràynee óttəmee] (plural cra·ni·ot·o·mies)
noun

cutting into skull:
cutting open the skull to expose the brain, especially for brain surgery[1]



cranium

cranium
cra·ni·um 
[kráynee əm] (plural cra·ni·ums
or cra·ni·a [kráynee ə]) noun

skull:
the skull of a vertebrate, especially the part that covers the brain
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin from Greek kranion .][1]



crank

crank1
crank1 [krangk]
noun (plural cranks)

1.  mechanical
device for transmitting motion: a device consisting of
an arm or handle that is connected to a shaft at right angles, enabling the
transmission of motion to or from the shaft. A crank may be used for changing
rotary motion to reciprocating motion or vice versa.

2.  somebody
eccentric:
somebody who has unusual or eccentric ideas and opinions, especially ones that
are strongly held (informal)

3.  grouch:
somebody who is disagreeable and bad tempered (informal)
verb
(past cranked, past participle cranked, present
participle crank·ing, 3rd person present singular cranks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
crank to do something: to start, move, or operate
something by turning a crank

2.  transitive
verb
form
into crank shape: to form something into the shape of a
crank
adjective

1.  eccentric:
typical of or done by somebody who has unusual or eccentric, often strongly
held, ideas and opinions (disapproving)

2.  from
somebody malicious: typical of or done by
somebody who is malicious or playing a prank
[Old English cranc,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “bent, crooked”][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








crank

crank2
crank2 [krangk]
adjective

likely
to capsize:
unsteady on the water and likely to capsize
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from crank 1 .][1]



crankcase

crankcase
crank·case 
[krángk kàys] (plural crank·cas·es)
noun

casing for crankshaft:
the metal casing that encloses the crankshaft in some engines, especially
internal-combustion engines[1]



crankout

crankout
crank
out
transitive verb

produce:
to produce something, especially quickly, mechanically, regularly, and in large
quantities (informal)[1]



crankpin

crankpin
crank·pin 
[krángk pìn] (plural crank·pins)
noun

bearing piece in arm of
crank: a short cylindrical bearing
piece in the arm of a crank, attached to a connecting rod[1]



crankshaft

crankshaft
crank·shaft 
[krángk shàft] (plural crank·shafts)
noun

shaft attached to connecting
rod: a shaft driving or driven by
a crank, for example, one attached to a connecting rod in an
internal-combustion engine[1]



crankup

crankup
crank
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
with crank:
to start something, especially an engine, with a crank

2.  transitive
verb
increase:
to increase the force, volume, or intensity of something (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
start:
to get something started (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
take
drugs:
to take or inject an illegal drug (slang)

[1]



cranky

cranky2
cranky2 [krángkee]
(comparative crank·i·er, superlative crank·i·est) adjective

SAILING
See crank 2 adjective[1]



cranky

cranky1
crank·y1 [krángkee]
(comparative crank·i·er, superlative crank·i·est) adjective

1.  grouchy:
disagreeable and easily irritated (informal)

2.  working
unpredictably: not working well and likely to break
down or operate unreliably

3.  eccentric:
eccentric or obsessive (informal)

4.  crooked:
characterized by turns and twists
—crank·i·ly,
adverb

—crank·i·ness, noun[1]



crannog

crannog
cran·nog 
[kránnəg] (plural cran·nogs) noun

lake
dwelling:
an ancient Celtic settlement in Scotland or Ireland, usually fortified, built
on a natural or constructed island in a lake or swamp
[Early 17th century. From
Irish crannóg or Gaelic crannag “timber structure,” formed from crann
“tree, beam.”][1]



cranny

cranny
cran·ny 
[kránnee] (plural cran·nies) noun

narrow
hole or place: a small narrow crack, hole, or opening
in a wall or rock
[15th
century. From French crané “notched,” from, ultimately, popular Latin crena
“small notch” (source of English crenate
).]
—cran·nied, adjective[1]



Cranston

Cranston
Cran·ston 
[kránstən]

city in eastern Rhode Island;
a southwestern suburb of Providence. Population: 74,324 (1996)[1]



crap

crap
crap
[krap] noun (plural craps)
(slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for nonsense, or something worthless or annoying

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for solid waste matter passed out of the body through the
anus

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an act of passing solid waste matter out of the body
through the anus
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term for worthless, useless, or lacking in ability (slang
offensive)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crapped,
past participle crapped, present participle crap·ping,
3rd person present singular craps)

offensive term:
an offensive term for passing solid waste matter out of the body through the
anus (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century. From
Middle English crap “chaff,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Dutch krappe
“something separated”; or via French crape “siftings” from medieval
Latin crappa “chaff.”][1]



crape

crape
crape 
[krayp] (plural crapes) noun

1.  See
crepe

2.  black
band indicating mourning: a band of crepe worn as a
sign of mourning around the arm or, in the past, around a hat.
Also
called
crepe
[Early 16th century. From
French crêpe (see crêpe ).][1]



crapemyrtle

crapemyrtle
crape
myr·tle
noun

flowering shrub:
a deciduous Asian shrub or tree, cultivated for its white, pink, or red
flowers. Latin name: Lagerstroemia indica
Also called
crepe myrtle[1]



crapout

crapout
crap
out
intransitive verb (slang)

1.  make
losing throw: to make a losing throw in the game of
craps

2.  avoid
doing something: to avoid or discontinue an activity,
especially out of fear

3.  renege:
to fail to fulfill a promise

[1]



crapper

crapper
crap·per
[kráppər] (plural crap·pers) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a toilet (slang offensive)[1]



crappie

crappie
crap·pie 
[kráppee] (plural crap·pies or
crap·pie) noun

N
American freshwater fish: a freshwater sunfish, with
equal-sized anal and dorsal fins, found in lakes and ponds in North America.
Genus: Pomoxis
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



crappy

crappy
crap·py
[kráppee] (comparative crap·pi·er,
superlative crap·pi·est) adjective

offensive term:
offensive term for worthless, useless, of poor quality, or badly made or done (slang
offensive)[1]



craps

craps
craps 
[kraps] or crap [krap] noun (takes a singular or plural
verb)

1.  dice
game:
a U.S. gambling game played with two dice

2.  losing
throw:
a losing throw of the dice in the game of craps
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French, variant of crabs “score of two ones at
dice,” from English, plural of crab 1, the black
dots perhaps being likened to a crab’s eyes.][1]



crapshoot

crapshoot
crap·shoot 
[kráp sht] (plural crap·shoots)
noun

1.  GAMBLING craps
game:
a game of craps

2.  matter
of chance:
something that is risky or a matter of chance, the outcome of which cannot be
predicted (informal)

[1]



crapshooter

crapshooter
crap·shoot·er 
[kráp shtər] (plural crap·shoot·ers)
noun

player of craps:
somebody who plays craps[1]



crapulence

crapulence
crap·u·lence 
[kráppyələns] noun

1.  overindulgence:
overindulgence, especially in alcoholic drink

2.  sickness:
sickness caused by overindulgence in good food and, especially, alcoholic drink
(dated)
—crap·u·lent, adjective[1]



crapulous

crapulous
crap·u·lous 
[kráppyələss] adjective (dated)

1.  regularly
overindulging: regularly overindulging in good food
and, especially, alcoholic drink

2.  sick
from overindulgence: suffering from the effects
of overindulgence in good food and, especially, alcoholic drink
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin crapulentus “very drunk,” from, ultimately,
Greek kraipalē “drunken headache, hangover.”]
—crap·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—crap·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



craquelure

craquelure
cra·que·lure 
[kra klr] noun

cracks
on painting: a network of small cracks that sometimes
appear on the surface of an oil painting as it ages
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



crash

crash2
crash2 [krash]
(plural crash·es) noun

coarse
cloth:
a coarse linen or cotton cloth used for towels and curtains and in the bindings
of books
[Early 19th century. From
Russian krashenina “dyed coarse linen.”][1]



crash

crash1

crash1 [krash]
noun (plural crash·es)

1.  vehicle
collision:
a collision involving a moving vehicle or aircraft.
Also
called
wreck

2.  loud
noise:
a loud noise such as that made by thunder or by something breaking violently
into pieces

3.  computer
breakdown:
a sudden complete failure of a computer system, device, or program, usually
with an accompanying loss of data • a
system crash

4.  financial
collapse:
the financial collapse or failure of something such as a stock market,
involving a massive drop in stock prices, or the collapse of a commercial
business
verb (past
crashed, past participle crashed, present participle
crash·ing, 3rd person present singular crash·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb collide
violently:
to strike against something with great force, causing damage or destruction, or
to cause something, for example, a car, to strike against something in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
loud noise:
to make a loud noise, or to cause something to make such a noise

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
in pieces noisily: to break into pieces
violently and noisily, or break an object in this way

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
noisily:
to move, or cause something to move, noisily, destructively, or violently

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or cause complete computer failure: to
experience a sudden complete failure, or cause a computer system to have a
sudden complete failure

6.  intransitive
verb
collapse
financially: to suffer financial collapse or failure

7.  intransitive
verb
drop
sharply:
to decrease in value rapidly and steeply

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb attend
uninvited:
to attend an event, such as a party, without an invitation (informal)

9.  intransitive
verb
sleep:
to sleep, especially somewhere other than usual when exhausted, or stay
temporarily somewhere other than home (informal)

10. intransitive
verb
become
depressed after drug: to become depressed as the
effects of a drug-induced high wear off (slang)
adjective

rapid and intensive:
done intensively over a short period of time in order to achieve the desired
results quickly
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound of a crash,
perhaps influenced by dash and craze .]
—crash·er,
noun
crash and burn

1.  to
fail utterly (slang)

2.  to
fall asleep or collapse from exhaustion (slang)

[1]



crash-dive

crash-dive
crash-dive 
(past crash-dived or crash-dove, past participle
crash-dived or crash-dove, present participle crash-div·ing,
3rd person present singular crash-dives) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  descend
and crash:
to dive steeply through the air and crash, or cause an aircraft to do this

2.  make
rapid dive in water: to make a steep rapid
descent from the surface of a body of water, or cause a submarine to do this

[1]



crashdive

crashdive
crash
dive
noun

rapid dive by submarine:
a steep rapid dive from the surface of a body of water by a submarine[1]



crashhelmet

crashhelmet
crash
hel·met
noun

safety helmet:
a hard padded helmet worn by motorcyclists, racing drivers, and others to
protect the head in case of an accident[1]



crashing

crashing
crash·ing 
[kráshing] adjective

absolute:
complete and utter (informal) • a
crashing bore[1]



crashlanding

crashlanding
crash
land·ing
noun

emergency
landing:
an emergency landing by an aircraft, usually causing damage to the aircraft
—crash·land, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



crashpad

crashpad
crash
pad
noun

1.  protective
padding in vehicle: padding inside a vehicle to
protect the occupants in a crash

2.  place
to sleep:
a place, other than home, where somebody sleeps or stays temporarily (dated
slang)

[1]



crash-test

crash-test
crash-test 
(past crash-test·ed, past participle crash-test·ed,
present participle crash-test·ing, 3rd person present singular
crash-tests) transitive verb

1.  test
to breaking point: to establish the safety and
reliability of something by subjecting it to tests, for example, using heat,
pressure, or strain, until it reaches its breaking point

2.  test
vehicle in crash: to test a vehicle by deliberately
crashing it into a wall to learn how it and its occupants will be affected in
an accident

[1]



crashworthy

crashworthy
crash·wor·thy 
[krásh wùree] adjective

safe
in crash:
able to withstand a crash
—crash·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



crass

crass
crass 
[krass] (comparative crass·er,
superlative crass·est) adjective

1.  thoughtless
and vulgar:
so thoughtless, vulgar, and insensitive as to lack all refinement or delicacy

2.  utter:
extreme or flagrant • crass
stupidity
[15th
century. From Latin crassus “thick, solid, fat” (source of English grease and cresset
).]
—crass·i·tude,
noun

—crass·ly,
adverb

—crass·ness, noun[1]



-crat

-crat
-crat
suffix

somebody
who supports or is a member of a particular kind of government • technocrat
[Via French -crate
from, ultimately, Greek kratos (see -cracy
)][1]



crate

crate
crate 
[krayt] noun (plural crates)

1.  box:
a large open sturdy box used to carry or store objects or built to fit and
protect something during shipping

2.  old
vehicle:
an old rickety airplane or automobile (dated informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crat·ed,
past participle crat·ed, present participle crat·ing,
3rd person present singular crates)

put in crate: to
put or pack something in a crate
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin cratis “wickerwork” or Dutch krat
“tailboard of a wagon.” Originally “hurdle, grillwork.”][1]



Crater

Crater
Cra·ter 
noun

group of stars:
a small constellation in the southern hemisphere near Hydra and Virgo[1]



crater

crater
cra·ter 
[kráytər] noun (plural cra·ters)

1.  volcano
summit:
a circular funnel-shaped depression produced by volcanic eruption

2.  meteorite
impact area: a bowl-shaped hole on the surface of the
Moon or a planet caused by the impact of a meteorite

3.  explosion
hole:
a large hole in the ground or a surface caused by an explosion

4.  U.K.
See krater
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cra·tered,
past participle cra·tered, present participle cra·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular cra·ters)

form craters: to
form craters or make craters form in something
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek kratēr “(mixing) bowl.”]
—cra·ter·like, adjective[1]



CraterLake National Park

CraterLake National Park
Cra·ter
Lake Na·tion·al Park [kràytər
láyk náshən’l prk]

park in southern Oregon.
Established in 1902, the park includes the circular Crater Lake, situated in
the crater of an extinct volcano and the deepest U.S. lake. Area: 74,148
hectares/183,224 acres.[1]



Cration

Cration
C
ra·tion
(plural C ra·tions) noun

army
food:
a canned field ration formerly issued to U.S. soldiers
[C from canned][1]



craton

craton
cra·ton
[kráy tòn] (plural cra·tons) noun

stable
part of earth’s crust: the extensive interior of a
large block of the earth’s crust that has been relatively stable for many
millions of years
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: either an alteration of kratogen, from Greek kratos
“strength” + -gen ; or from German Kraton,
alteration of Greek kratos .]
—cra·tonic [kray tónnik], adjective[1]



cravat

cravat
cra·vat 
[krə vát] (plural cra·vats) noun

man’s
neckerchief: a scarf or band of fabric worn around a
man’s neck and tied in front. In the United States a cravat may be worn on
formal occasions instead of a bow tie.
[Mid-17th century. From
French cravate, from Cravate “Croatian,” from German Krabat(e),
from Serbo-Croat Hrvāt “a Croat.” From the linen scarfs worn by Croatian
mercenaries in French service.][1]



crave

crave
crave 
[krayv] (past craved, past
participle craved, present participle crav·ing, 3rd
person present singular craves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb desire:
to have a strong desire for something

2.  transitive
verb
beg
for:
to beg or implore something from somebody (archaic)
[Old
English crafian “to demand,” from a prehistoric Germanic word perhaps
meaning “to force,” which may also be the ancestor of English craft]
—crav·er,
noun

—crav·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



craven

craven
cra·ven 
[kráyvən] (plural cra·vens) adjective

cowardly:
so lacking in courage as to be worthy of contempt (literary)
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Anglo-Norman from Old French cravanté
“defeated,” past participle of cravanter “to crush,” from Latin crepant-,
the present participle stem of crepare “to break.”]
—cra·ven·ly,
adverb

—cra·ven·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



craving

craving
crav·ing 
[kráyving] (plural crav·ings) noun

strong desire:
a strong desire for something[1]



craw

craw
craw 
[kraw] (plural craws) noun

1.  See
crop  noun 7
See crop  noun 8

2.  stomach:
the stomach of an animal (informal)

3.  Ireland
throat:
the throat or gullet
[14th
century. From or related to Middle Low German krage or Middle Dutch crāghe
“neck, throat.”]
stick
in your craw

to go against your sense of
what is right, making you feel anger or resentment (informal)[1]



crawdad

crawdad
craw·dad 
[kráw dàd] (plural craw·dads) noun

Southern
U.S.
crayfish:
a crayfish
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of crawfish
.][1]



crawfish

crawfish
craw·fish 
[kráw fìsh] (plural craw·fish or
craw·fish·es) noun

See
crayfish
[Early 17th century. Variant
of crayfish .][1]



Crawford,Joan

Crawford,Joan
Craw·ford
[kráwfərd], Joan (1908–1977)

U.S.
actor. She starred in over 70 movies, including the Academy Award-winning Mildred
Pierce ( 1945 ).
Real name
Le Sueur, Lucille[1]



Crawfordsville

Crawfordsville
Craw·fords·ville
[kráwfərdz vìl]

city in western Indiana,
northwest of Indianapolis. Population: 14,219 (1996)[1]



crawl

crawl
crawl
[krawl] intransitive verb (past
crawled, past participle crawled, present participle
crawl·ing, 3rd person present singular crawls)

1.  move
close to ground: to move slowly along on hands and knees
or with the body close to the ground or a surface

2.  move
slowly close to surface: to move slowly across
something with the body close to or touching the surface

3.  move
very slowly: to move forward at a slow pace

4.  be
servile:
to try to please somebody by behaving in a servile way (informal)

5.  be
overrun:
to be filled with large numbers of moving people or things

6.  feel
creepy:
to feel a sensation of being covered with moving insects, usually in reaction
to something frightening or disgusting

7.  BOTANY grow
across surface: to grow and spread along a surface by
means of tendrils or clinging stems (refers to vines or low-growing plants)
noun

1.  slow
speed:
a very slow pace

2.  SWIMMING overarm
swimming stroke: a fast swimming stroke in which the
swimmer lies face down and uses a flutter kick and an overarm stroke

3.  progress
on hands and knees: slow movement on hands and
knees or with the body close to the ground

4.  CINEMA TV moving words on television or
film:
words or figures that are scrolled across a television or motion picture screen
to convey information, for example, programming credits or news bulletins
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse krafla “to paw with
the hands.”]
—crawl·ing·ly, adverb[1]



crawler

crawler
crawl·er 
[kráwlər] (plural crawl·ers) noun

1.  something
that crawls: an insect or other animal that crawls

2.  vehicle
with tracks: a vehicle that has continuous tracks of
linked plates instead of wheels

[1]



crawlspace

crawlspace
crawl
space 
(plural crawl spac·es) noun

horizontal
access space: a low unfinished space under a floor or
above a ceiling in a building that gives access to plumbing, wiring, and
ductwork
[From having to crawl through
it because of its restricted height][1]



crawly

crawly
crawl·y 
[kráwlee] (comparative crawl·i·er,
superlative crawl·i·est) adjective

creating discomfort:
causing a shuddery disgust or unease[1]



crayfish

crayfish

cray·fish 
[kráy fìsh] (plural cray·fish or
cray·fish·es) noun

1.  animal
resembling lobster: a freshwater crustacean with
large claws like those of a lobster. It is prized for its tail meat.
Superfamily: Astacoidea
Also
called
crawfish

2.  See
spiny lobster
[14th century. By folk
etymology (influenced by fish ) from French crevice
“crayfish,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European word meaning “to scratch,” which
is also the ancestor of English crawl
.][1]



crayon

crayon
cray·on 
[kráy òn] noun (plural cray·ons)

1.  colored
drawing stick: a stick of colored wax, chalk, or
charcoal, sometimes enclosed in wood like a pencil, used for drawing and
coloring

2.  drawing:
a drawing made using crayons
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cray·oned,
past participle cray·oned, present participle cray·on·ing,
3rd person present singular cray·ons)

use crayons: to
draw or color something with crayons
[Mid-17th
century. From French, “pencil,” from craie “chalk,” from Latin creta
“chalk, clay” (source of English cretaceous
).]
—cray·on·ist, noun[1]



craze

craze
craze 
[krayz] noun (plural craz·es)

1.  fad:
a fashion that is extremely popular for a short time

2.  CERAMICS fine
crack:
a fine crack in the glaze of pottery. It happens when the glaze cools and
contracts at a different temperature from the clay.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crazed, past
participle crazed, present participle craz·ing, 3rd
person present singular craz·es)

1.  make
or become irrational: to become or make somebody
become irrational or highly excited

2.  produce
cracks in:
to produce fine cracks in the glaze of pottery, or to become covered with such
cracks
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Old Norse krasa “to shatter,” perhaps
an imitation of the sound.][1]



crazed

crazed
crazed
[krayzd] adjective

1.  irrational:
irrational or highly excited, especially by a specified cause

2.  CERAMICS with
surface cracks: with fine cracks on the surface

[1]



crazing

crazing
craz·ing
[kráyzing] noun

fine glaze cracks:
fine cracks in the glaze of a piece of pottery, produced when the glaze cools
and contracts at a different temperature from the clay. When the effect is
deliberate, it is often called crackle.[1]



crazy

crazy
cra·zy 
[kráyzee] adjective (comparative
cra·zi·er, superlative cra·zi·est)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a psychiatric disorder

2.  ridiculous:
not showing good sense or practicality (informal)

3.  excessively
fond:
excessively fond of somebody or something (informal)
noun
(plural cra·zies)

offensive term:
offensive term for somebody with a psychiatric disorder (offensive)
—cra·zi·ly,
adverb

—cra·zi·ness, noun[1]



crazybone

crazybone
cra·zy
bone
noun

(informal) See funny bone[1]



CrazyHorse

CrazyHorse
Cra·zy
Horse 
[kràyzi háwrs] (1849?–1877)

Native
American leader. As leader of the Oglala Sioux, he opposed and fought against
white settlement.
Original name
Tashunca Witco[1]



crazyquilt

crazyquilt
cra·zy
quilt
(plural cra·zy quilts) noun

1.  quilt
of irregular patchwork: a quilt made of irregularly
shaped and patterned pieces of cloth sewn together

2.  hodgepodge:
a confusing mix of things that do not belong or fit together • a
crazy quilt of confusing ideas and contradictory suggestions

[1]



crazyweed

crazyweed
cra·zy·weed 
[kráyzi wd] (plural cra·zy·weed
or cra·zy·weeds) noun

See
locoweed[1]



creak

creak

creak 
[kreek] intransitive verb (past
creaked, past participle creaked, present participle
creak·ing, 3rd person present singular creaks)

1.  squeak:
to make a prolonged squeaking noise

2.  move
with squeaking: to move along while making prolonged
squeaking noises
noun (plural
creaks)

prolonged squeak:
a prolonged squeaking noise
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—creak·ing·ly, adverb[1]



creaky

creaky
creak·y 
[krkee] (comparative creak·i·er,
superlative creak·i·est) adjective

1.  creaking:
making a prolonged squeaking noise

2.  stiff:
not able to move easily, especially as a result of aging (informal)

3.  old
or old-fashioned: showing signs of having deteriorated
over time or of being old-fashioned (informal)
—creak·i·ly,
adverb

—creak·i·ness, noun[1]



cream

cream
cream 
[kreem] noun (plural creams)

1.  fatty
part of milk: a high-fat liquid product separated from
milk and used in cooking and as an accompaniment to desserts

2.  creamy
lotion:
a cosmetic or medicinal preparation that has a thick smooth consistency like
cream

3.  FOOD creamy
food:
a food that contains cream or has a consistency like cream

4.  best
part:
the best part of something

5.  COLORS white
tinged with yellow: a white color with a faint
yellowish tinge

6.  FOOD soft-centered
chocolate:
a chocolate with a soft smooth filling
adjective

white with some yellow:
white with a tinge of yellow
verb
(past creamed, past participle creamed, present
participle cream·ing, 3rd person present singular creams)

1.  transitive
verb
make
creamy:
to mix ingredients together to soften and combine them

2.  transitive
verb
prepare
with cream:
to add cream to something while cooking it or on serving it

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
foam on top: to form, or cause something to form a
frothy layer resembling cream on the surface

4.  transitive
verb
to remove the cream from milk

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
cream:
to form cream, or leave milk to form cream

6.  transitive
verb
defeat
thoroughly:
to defeat somebody thoroughly (informal) • We
creamed them!

7.  transitive
verb
wreck
by smashing: to wreck or damage something by smashing
it into a hard object (informal) • She
creamed her car against the stone wall.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb taboo
term:
taboo term for ejaculating on something (slang taboo)
[14th century. From French creme,
blend of late Latin cramum (of uncertain origin: perhaps from Gaulish )
and ecclesiastical Latin chrisma “ointment” (from Greek khrisma
).][1]



creamcheese

creamcheese
cream
cheese
noun

soft cheese:
a soft white unmatured cheese with a high fat content[1]



creamcups

creamcups
cream·cups 
[krm kùps] plural noun

plant with pale yellow
flowers: an annual plant of the poppy
family that has small pale yellow or cream-colored flowers. It is native to the
southwestern United States and Mexico. Latin name: Platystemon californicus[1]



creamer

creamer
cream·er 
[krmər] (plural cream·ers) noun

1.  small
pitcher:
a small pitcher for serving cream

2.  cream
substitute:
a cream substitute, used especially in coffee or tea

[1]



creamery

creamery
cream·er·y 
[krməree] (plural cream·er·ies)
noun

1.  place
producing dairy products: a place where milk is
processed and dairy products are produced

2.  business
selling dairy products: a business that sells dairy
products
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from cream on the model of French crémerie
.][1]



creamoff

creamoff
cream
off
transitive verb

1.  remove
as being the best: to take away the best part
of something

2.  take
illicitly:
to take and use something for an illicit or unintended purpose (informal)

[1]



creamof tartar

creamof tartar
cream
of tar·tar
noun

baking powder ingredient:
potassium bitartrate, used as a leavening agent in cooking, usually in baking
powder[1]



creampuff

creampuff
cream
puff
(plural cream puffs) noun

1.  cream-filled
pastry:
a sweet pastry made of a flaky shell filled with whipped cream and dusted with
powdered sugar

2.  effeminate
man:
a weak effeminate man (slang offensive)

3.  good
car:
a used car in very good condition (slang)

[1]



creamsherry

creamsherry
cream
sher·ry
noun

sweet sherry:
a type of smooth sweet sherry.
Also called
cream[1]



creamsoda

creamsoda
cream
so·da
(plural cream so·das) noun

vanilla soft drink:
a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla[1]



creamware

creamware
creamware
[krm wàir] noun

creamy glazed pottery:
glazed earthenware of a deep creamy color, first produced in Britain about 1720[1]



creamy

creamy
cream·y 
[krmee] (comparative cream·i·er,
superlative cream·i·est) adjective

1.  like
cream:
with a texture, color, taste, or consistency like cream

2.  containing
cream:
containing a large amount of cream
—cream·i·ly,
adverb

—cream·i·ness, noun[1]



crease

crease
crease 
[kreess] noun (plural creas·es)

1.  fold
put in fabric: a straight line formed in clothing or
fabric by pressing

2.  unwanted
fabric fold: an unwanted line in clothing or fabric
that has been crushed or folded

3.  skin
wrinkle:
a line or wrinkle on the skin

4.  HOCKEY goal
area:
the rectangular area in front of an ice hockey goal

5.  LACROSSE goal
area:
the semicircular area surrounding a lacrosse goal
verb
(past creased, past participle creased, present
participle creas·ing, 3rd person present singular creas·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or acquire creases: to form lines, folds, or
wrinkles in something, or to become lined, folded, or wrinkled

2.  transitive
verb
graze:
to graze the skin and inflict a superficial wound
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of creaste
“furrow, ridge,” perhaps a variant of crest,
the ridges in creased cloth being likened to crests.]
—creas·er,
noun

—creas·y, adjective[1]



create

create
cre·ate 
[kree áyt] (past cre·at·ed, past
participle cre·at·ed, present participle cre·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular cre·ates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make:
to bring somebody or something into existence

2.  transitive
verb
give
rise to:
to produce something as a result, or make something happen

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
art or invent: to use imagination to invent things or
produce works of art

4.  transitive
verb
appoint:
to give somebody a new title, role, or office

5.  transitive
verb
ARTS perform
for first time: to be the first person to perform a
particular role in a production
[14th
century. From Latin creat-, the past participle stem of creare
“to bring forth, produce” (source of English creature
), of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from crescere “to grow.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at make

[1]



creatine

creatine
cre·a·tine 
[kr ə teen, kr
ət’n] or cre·a·tin [kr ə tin]
noun

amino
acid in muscles: an amino acid formed during metabolism
and used as an energy-storage molecule in vertebrate muscle tissue, usually as
phosphocreatine. C4H9O2N3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from assumed Greek kreat- the stem of assumed kreas “flesh”
(source of English pancreas ) + -ine .][1]



creatinekinase

creatinekinase
cre·a·tine
ki·nase
noun

enzyme that breaks down
phosphocreatine: an enzyme that aids the
breakdown of phosphocreatine into creatine and phosphoric acid, with a release
of energy[1]



creatinephosphate

creatinephosphate
cre·a·tine
phos·phate
noun

See
phosphocreatine[1]



creatinine

creatinine
cre·at·i·nine 
[kree àtt’n n] noun

compound
in muscle:
a derivative of creatine found in muscle, blood, and urine. C4H7ON3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from creatine + -ine
.][1]



Creation

Creation
Cre·a·tion
noun

1.  God’s
making of universe: the act of God that,
according to the Bible, brought the universe and all living beings into
existence

2.  universe:
the universe as created by God, according to the Bible

[1]



creation

creation
cre·a·tion 
[kree áysh’n] (plural cre·a·tions)
noun

1.  making
something:
the bringing of something into existence

2.  earth
and its inhabitants: the world and everything on
it

3.  something
created by somebody: a product of human
imagination or invention

4.  elaborate
garment:
an elaborate or striking article of clothing
—cre·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



creationism

creationism
cre·a·tion·ism 
[kree áysh’n ìzzəm] noun

belief
that God created universe: the belief that the Bible’s
account of the Creation is literally true
—cre·a·tion·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



creationscience

creationscience
cre·a·tion
sci·ence
noun

scientific attempts to prove
God’s creation: the attempt to provide
scientific proof for the account of God’s creation of the world that is
described in the Bible[1]



creative

creative
cre·a·tive 
[kree áytiv] adjective

1.  able
to create:
able to create things

2.  new
and original: using or showing use of the imagination
to create new ideas or things • a
creative approach to the problem of space

3.  resourceful:
making imaginative use of the limited resources available

4.  FINANCE intentionally
deceptive about financial information:
employing deceptive methods to distort financial records (ironic) • creative
accounting
• creative
bookkeeping
noun
(plural cre·atives)

ideas person:
somebody who is responsible for coming up with new ideas and concepts for sales
campaigns (informal) • ad
agency creatives hard at work on a TV infomercial series
—cre·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—cre·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



creativewriting

creativewriting
cre·a·tive
writ·ing
noun

writing stories and poems:
the writing of fiction, poetry, or drama, often as an exercise, or the work
written[1]



creativity

creativity
cre·a·tiv·i·ty 
[kr ay tívvitee] noun

1.  being
creative:
the quality of being creative

2.  imaginative
ability:
the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things,
especially in an artistic context

[1]



Creator

Creator
Cre·a·tor
noun

God:
God regarded as creator of the universe[1]



creator

creator
cre·a·tor 
[kree áytər] (plural cre·a·tors)
noun

somebody
who creates: somebody who brings something into
existence
—cre·a·tor·ship, noun[1]



creature

creature
crea·ture 
[krchər] (plural crea·tures) noun

1.  living
being:
any living person or animal

2.  unpleasant
living being: an unpleasant or frightening living
thing

3.  created
thing:
somebody or something that has been created • a
creature of your imagination

4.  type
of person:
somebody of a particular type • He’s a
harmless creature.

5.  subservient
person:
somebody who is under the influence of somebody or something else
[13th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin creatura, from Latin creat-
(see create ).]
—crea·tur·al,
adjective

—crea·ture·hood, noun[1]



creaturecomforts

creaturecomforts
crea·ture
com·forts
plural noun

luxuries:
things considered necessary for a comfortable life[1]



credence

credence
cre·dence 
[krd’ns] (plural cre·dences) noun

1.  acceptance:
acceptance based on the degree to which something is believable

2.  trustworthiness:
the power to inspire belief or trust

3.  cre·dence
or cre·dence ta·ble CHRISTIANITY
church
table for bread and wine: a small shelf or table in a
church where the bread, wine, and vessels used for Communion are kept
[14th century. Directly or
via French from medieval Latin credentia “belief,” from Latin credent-,
the present participle stem of credere “to believe.”][1]



credential

credential
cre·den·tial 
[krə dénshəl] noun (plural cre·den·tials)

1.  proof
of ability or trustworthiness: a certificate, letter,
or experience that qualifies somebody to do something

2.  authentication:
anything that provides authentication for a claim
plural
noun
credentials

official identification:
a letter, badge, or other official identification that confirms somebody’s
position or status
transitive
verb
(past cre·den·tialed, past participle cre·den·tialed,
present participle cre·den·tial·ing, 3rd person present
singular cre·den·tials)

give credentials:
to provide with official credentials
[15th century. From medieval
Latin credentialis “entitling confidence,” from credentia belief
(see credence ).][1]



credentialism

credentialism
cre·den·tial·ism 
[krə dénsh’l ìzzəm] noun

too much reliance on
credentials: an overemphasis on
educational credentials when assessing somebody’s qualifications, for example,
for a job[1]



credenza

credenza
cre·den·za 
[krə dénzə] (plural cre·den·zas)
noun

1.  buffet:
a buffet or sideboard, usually without legs

2.  low
office cabinet: a low piece of office furniture that has
enclosed shelf space
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian from medieval Latin credentia “side table” (see credence ).][1]



credibility

credibility
cred·i·bil·i·ty 
[krèddə bíllətee] noun

1.  believability:
the ability to inspire belief or trust

2.  willingness
to believe:
a willingness to accept something as true

[1]



credibilitygap

credibilitygap
cred·i·bil·i·ty
gap
(plural cred·i·bil·i·ty gaps) noun

1.  distrust
of official statements: a situation in which the
public distrusts the accuracy of official statements

2.  lack
of trust:
any situation in which a lack of trust exists between two groups

3.  discrepancy
between claim and truth: an apparent difference
between what is claimed to be true and what is in fact true

[1]



credible

credible
cred·i·ble 
[kréddəb’l] adjective

1.  believable:
easy to believe

2.  trustworthy:
inspiring trust and confidence

3.  MILITARY militarily
effective:
of sufficient strength to function effectively as a military force
[14th
century. From Latin credibilis, from credere “to believe” (source
of English creed, and miscreant ).]
—cred·i·bly,
adverb

—cred·i·ble·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  credible,
  creditable, or credulous ?
  These
  three adjectives, and the corresponding nouns credibility, credit,
  and credulity, are sometimes confused. Something or somebody is credible when it (or he or she) can be easily or
  readily believed. Somebody is credulous
  when he or she is all too ready to believe. • My
  story may sound barely credible but I assure you it’s true.
  • Only
  the most credulous person would believe such a story.
  Credible has the special newer meaning
  “inspiring confidence”: • The
  government needs to develop a credible monetary policy.
  Creditable is connected with the word credit
  and means “bringing credit”: • An
  excellent squash player, she plays a creditable game of tennis as well.

[1]



credit

credit
cred·it 
[kréddit] noun (plural cred·its)

1.  recognition:
praise or recognition for something done or achieved

2.  source
of pride:
somebody or something that is a source of pride or honor

3.  good
reputation:
somebody’s good reputation among or influence with other people • She
has a lot of credit with this community.

4.  COMMERCE pay-later
system:
an arrangement by which a buyer can take possession of something now and pay
for it later or over time • offer
credit
• buy
on credit

5.  COMMERCE time
to pay:
the time allowed for payment of something by credit

6.  FINANCE financial
status:
somebody’s financial status or reputation

7.  COMMERCE spending
entitlement at store: money that a customer is
owed by a store and is entitled to spend there

8.  COMMERCE balance
in account:
the amount of money in an account after debts have been charged against it

9.  FINANCE money
paid into account: an amount of money paid into
an account

10. FINANCE amount
bank will lend: the amount of money that a financial
institution is prepared to lend somebody

11. acknowledgment
of somebody’s role: a mention of the role that
somebody played in an endeavor, especially an artistic one

12. ACCOUNTING deduction
of payment from owed amount: the deduction from a
business account of an amount owed paid from the amount

13. ACCOUNTING account
payments column: the right-hand side of an account
record, where payments to the account are recorded

14. ACCOUNTING payment
recorded:
a payment recorded against an amount owed

15. EDUCATION course
unit:
a unit of study, often equivalent to an hour of class time, in a course of
higher education

16. EDUCATION recognition
of course completion: official recognition that a
student has satisfactorily completed a course of study • get
credit for a course
plural
noun
cred·its

CINEMA TV list of acknowledgments:
a listing of the people involved in a film or television production, together
with their roles or jobs
transitive
verb
(past cred·it·ed, past participle cred·it·ed, present
participle cred·it·ing, 3rd person present singular cred·its)

1.  believe:
to accept that something is true

2.  recognize:
to recognize somebody as the person responsible for an achievement

3.  attribute:
to ascribe something such as a personal quality to somebody

4.  FINANCE add to
bank account: to add an amount of money to somebody’s
account

5.  ACCOUNTING record
payment of:
to record an amount of money as a payment in an accounting record

6.  ACCOUNTING record
payment to:
to enter a credit in the record of somebody’s account

7.  EDUCATION make
educational award to: to award a credit to a
student for successful completion of a course of study
[Mid-16th
century. From French, ultimately from Latin creditum “loan,” from the
past participle of credere “to entrust, believe.” The underlying idea is
of something entrusted.]
—creed·al,
adjective
to
somebody’s credit

commendable
of somebody





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  Credit is derived from Latin credere,
  meaning “to believe,” which is also the source of English credible, creed,
  grant, and miscreant.

[1]



creditable

creditable
cred·it·a·ble 
[krédditəb’l] adjective

praiseworthy:
bringing credit or worthy of praise
—cred·it·a·bil·i·ty
[krèdditə bíllətee], noun

—cred·it·a·ble·ness
[krédditəb’lnəss], noun

—cred·it·a·bly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at credible.

[1]



creditaccount

creditaccount
cred·it
ac·count
(plural cred·it ac·counts) noun

U.K.
See charge account[1]



creditbureau

creditbureau
cred·it
bu·reau
noun

credit-research organization:
a business that provides information concerning somebody’s creditworthiness to
companies or banks.
U.K. term
credit-reference agency[1]



creditcard

creditcard
cred·it
card
(plural cred·it cards) noun

card for deferring payment:
a card issued by a bank or business that allows somebody to purchase goods and
services and pay for them later, often with interest[1]



credithour

credithour
cred·it
hour
(plural cred·it hours) noun

one hour of classroom study:
a credit at a school or college that represents one hour of classroom study per
week over the period of time that the course is taught.
Also called
hour[1]



creditline

creditline
cred·it
line
(plural cred·it lines) noun

1.  FINANCE available
credit:
the maximum amount of credit that a lending institution or a credit card
company will extend to a client.
Also
called
line of credit
U.K.
term
line of credit

2.  written
recognition: a printed acknowledgment of the author
or source of something that was included in a publication

[1]



creditor

creditor
cred·i·tor 
[krédditər] (plural cred·i·tors)
noun

somebody owed money:
a person or organization owed money by another[1]



creditrating

creditrating
cred·it
rat·ing
(plural cred·it rat·ings) noun

estimate of creditworthiness:
an estimate of somebody’s ability to repay money given on credit[1]



credit-referenceagency

credit-referenceagency
cred·it-ref·er·ence
a·gen·cy
noun

U.K. =
credit bureau[1]



creditsqueeze

creditsqueeze
cred·it
squeeze
(plural cred·it squeez·es) noun

tightening of credit:
a reduction in the availability of credit or an increase in the interest
charged for credit[1]



creditunion

creditunion
cred·it
un·ion
(plural cred·it un·ions) noun

cooperative lending
association: a cooperative savings
association that makes loans to its members at reduced interest rates[1]



creditworthy

creditworthy
cred·it·wor·thy 
[kréddit wùree] adjective

worthy
of credit:
considered to be financially reliable enough to be given credit or lent money
—cred·it·wor·thi·ness,
noun[1]



Credo

Credo
Cre·do
(plural Cre·dos) noun

1.  statement
of Christian beliefs: the Apostles’ Creed or
Nicene Creed, both of which are ancient statements of the basic doctrines of
Christianity

2.  musical
setting of the Credo: a musical setting,
especially in a Mass, of the Credo

[1]



credo

credo
cre·do 
[kr dō] (plural cre·dos) noun

statement
of principles: a statement of principles or beliefs,
especially one that is professed formally
[12th century. From Latin,
literally “I believe” (first words of the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds), a form
of credere (see credible ).][1]



credulity

credulity
cre·du·li·ty 
[krə dlətee] noun

gullibility:
the tendency to believe something too readily[1]



credulous

credulous
cred·u·lous 
[kréjjələss] adjective

1.  gullible:
too easily convinced that something is true

2.  due
to readiness to believe: resulting from a tendency to
believe things too readily
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin credulus, from credere (see credible ).]
—cred·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—cred·u·lous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at credible.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at naive

[1]



Cree

Cree
Cree 
[kree] (plural Cree or Crees)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in central Canada, and whose
members continue to live there, with another substantial community in Montana.
The Cree are the largest group of the Native Americans in Canada.

2.  LANGUAGE Cree
language:
the Algonquian language of the Cree people. Cree is spoken by about 62,000
people.
[Mid-18th
century. From Canadian French Cris, shortening of earlier C(h)ristinaux,
alteration of an Algonquian word (modern kinistiono ).]
—Cree, adjective[1]



creed

creed
creed 
[kreed] (plural creeds) noun

1.  statement
of beliefs:
a formal summary of the principles of the Christian faith

2.  religion:
a set of religious beliefs

3.  set
of principles: any set of beliefs or principles
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
credo (see credo ).][1]



Creek

Creek
Creek 
(plural Creek or Creeks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida,
and whose members now live mainly in central Oklahoma and southern Alabama. The
Creek were one of the Five Civilized Nations who, under the Removal Act of
1830, were sent to live on reservations in Oklahoma.

2.  LANGUAGE Creek
language:
the Muskogean language of the Creek people. Creek is spoken by about 50,000
people.
[Early
18th century. From creek ; from the large
number of creeks in their country.]
—Creek, adjective[1]



creek

creek
creek 
[kreek] (plural creeks) noun

1.  stream:
a stream, especially one that flows into a river

2.  U.K.
narrow
tidal inlet: a narrow tidal inlet or bay on a sea
coast, especially in a salt marsh
[15th
century. Directly or via French crique from Old Norse kriki
“nook, corner.” Perhaps also partly from Middle Dutch krēke .]
up
the creek (without a paddle)

in a difficult situation, or
in trouble (informal)[1]



creel

creel
creel 
[kreel] (plural creels) noun

1.  wicker
basket for fish: a wicker basket used by anglers for
holding fish

2.  wicker
fish trap:
a wicker trap for catching fish or lobsters

3.  bobbin
holder:
a framework in a spinning machine that holds the bobbins
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via assumed Old French creille “grill” from Latin craticula
“fine wickerwork,” from cratis “wickerwork” (source of English griddle ).][1]



creep

creep
creep 
[kreep] intransitive verb (past
participle crept [krept] or
creeped, present participle creep·ing, 3rd person
present singular creeps)

1.  move
quietly:
to move along silently and stealthily

2.  move
near the ground: to move along with the body close to the
ground

3.  proceed
slowly:
to move along very slowly

4.  gradually
develop:
to appear, approach, or develop gradually

5.  shiver
with disgust: to tingle uncomfortably as if covered
with crawling insects, especially from fear or disgust

6.  BOTANY spread
over a surface: to grow along a surface by sending out
tendrils, suckers, or roots

7.  be
displaced slightly: to move slightly from the
original or proper position

8.  INDUSTRY deform
from heat or stress: to become deformed over a
period of time due to stress or heat
noun
(plural creeps)

1.  creeping
movement:
a slow or stealthy pace or movement

2.  somebody
repellent:
somebody obnoxious or disliked (informal)

3.  slight
displacement: the slight movement of something

4.  GEOLOGY movement
of rock:
a gradual movement of rock and debris down a slope

5.  GEOLOGY deformation
of rocks under stress: a slow deformation of rocks
and minerals in response to prolonged stress

6.  METALLURGY deformation
of metal under stress: a gradual deformation of a
hard material, especially metal, as a result of heat or stress
plural
noun
creeps

uneasy feeling:
an uneasy or unnerving feeling usually caused by fear or disgust (informal)
[Old English crēopan,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that may also be the ancestor of English cripple .][1]



creepback

creepback
creep·back 
[krp bàk] noun

surreptitious recruitment
after layoffs: the tendency for
employers to recruit new employees surreptitiously after excessive or heavy
layoffs[1]



creeper

creeper
creep·er 
[krpər] (plural creep·ers) noun

1.  BOTANY clinging
plant:
any plant that grows by means of tendrils, suckers, or roots that anchor it to
a surface

2.  somebody
or something that creeps: a person or animal that
moves by creeping

3.  BIRDS small
climbing bird: a small climbing bird found in the woods
of North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa with a slender curved beak and short
legs. Family: Certhiidae
U.K.
term
tree creeper

4.  CLOTHES infant’s
one-piece garment: an infant’s one-piece
garment that has short or no pant legs and can be unsnapped at the crotch

5.  AUTOMOBILES See cradle  noun 4

6.  INSURANCE underwater
grappling device: a device with hooks that is used to drag
for submerged objects in deep water

7.  Northeastern
U.S.
shoe
spikes:
a spiked or toothed device that is attached to the sole of a boot to provide
traction on ice

[1]



creeping

creeping
creep·ing 
[krping] adjective

1.  slowly
developing:
developing or advancing gradually over a period of time

2.  BOTANY growing
by clinging: growing and spreading by sending out
tendrils, suckers, or roots

[1]



creepingCharlie

creepingCharlie
creep·ing
Char·lie 
(plural creep·ing Char·lies or creep·ing Char·lie) noun

See
moneywort[1]



creepingeruption

creepingeruption
creep·ing
e·rup·tion
noun

skin disease caused by worms:
a skin disease caused by hookworm or roundworm larvae, producing itching and
eruptions in the form of spreading red lines on the skin[1]



creepingJennie

creepingJennie
creep·ing
Jen·nie
or creep·ing Jen·ny noun

See
moneywort[1]



creepingthistle

creepingthistle
creep·ing
this·tle
noun

U.K.
See Canada thistle[1]



creepout

creepout
creep
out
transitive verb

make feel uneasy:
to make somebody feel fear, disgust, or another emotion that produces extreme
uneasiness (slang) • It
creeps me out to watch a horror film.[1]



creepup on

creepup on
creep
up on
transitive verb

1.  make
quiet approach to: to approach somebody or
something stealthily

2.  gradually
dawn on:
to enter somebody’s consciousness or feelings gradually

[1]



creepy

creepy
creep·y 
[krpee] (comparative creep·i·er,
superlative creep·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  unnerving
through fear: unsettling because it causes fear,
disgust, or uneasiness

2.  repellent:
repellent because of annoying, unpleasant, or disturbing qualities
—creep·i·ly,
adverb

—creep·i·ness, noun[1]



creepy-crawly

creepy-crawly
creep·y-crawl·y
(plural creep·y-crawlies) noun

crawling creature:
a crawling insect or small animal (informal)[1]



cremains

cremains
cre·mains 
[kri máynz] plural noun

cremation
ashes:
the ashes that remain after a body has been cremated
[Mid-20th century. Blend of
cremated and remains .][1]



cremate

cremate
cre·mate 
[kr màyt] (past cre·mat·ed, past
participle cre·mat·ed, present participle cre·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular cre·mates) transitive verb

incinerate:
to burn a dead body until nothing remains but ashes
[Late
19th century. Either formed from Latin past participle stem cremat- (see
cremation ), or a back-formation from cremation .]
—cre·ma·tor, noun[1]



cremation

cremation
cre·ma·tion
[kri máysh’n] (plural cre·ma·tions)
noun

1.  incineration
of dead body: the burning of a dead body until only
ashes are left

2.  funeral:
a funeral ceremony during which the body is cremated
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem cremation-, from cremat-, the past participle stem of cremare
“to burn.”][1]



crematorium

crematorium
cre·ma·to·ri·um 
[krmə táwree əm] (plural cre·ma·to·ri·ums
or cre·ma·to·ri·a [krmə táwri ə])
noun

place
used for cremation: a building or furnace where
bodies are incinerated.
Also
called
crematory
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, where it was formed from Latin cremat- (see cremation ).][1]



crematory

crematory
cre·ma·to·ry 
[krmə tàwree, krémmə
tàwree] noun (plural cre·ma·to·ries)

See
crematorium
adjective

relating to cremation:
relating to or used for cremation[1]



crenate

crenate

cre·nate 
[kr nàyt] or cre·nat·ed [kr nàytəd] adjective
with
scalloped edge: with a scalloped edge or a surface with
rounded projections
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin crenatus, from Latin crena “small
notch” (source of English cranny ),
of unknown origin.]
—cre·nate·ly, adverb[1]



crenation

crenation
cre·na·tion 
[kri náysh’n] (plural cre·na·tions)
noun

1.  rounded
protrusion:
a rounded protrusion from the edge or surface of something.
Also
called
crenature

2.  scalloped
edge or surface: a scalloped edge or a surface with
rounded projections.
Also
called
crenature

3.  MEDICINE shrinkage
of red blood cells: a medical condition in which
the red blood cells shrink and develop multiple indentations and protrusions

[1]



crenature

crenature
cren·a·ture
[krénnəchər, krnəchər]
(plural cren·a·tures) noun

(technical) See
crenation  noun 1
See crenation  noun 2[1]



crenel

crenel

cren·el
[krénn’l] (plural cren·els) or
cren·elle [krə nél] (plural cren·elles)
noun

1.  opening
in battlement: any of the rectangular openings in the
top of a castle wall or parapet

2.  rounded
protrusion:
a rounded protrusion from the edge or surface of something
[15th century. From Old
French, literally “small notch,” from Latin crena (see crenate ).][1]



crenelate

crenelate
cren·e·late
[krénn’l àyt] (past cren·e·lat·ed,
past participle cren·e·lat·ed, present participle cren·e·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cren·e·lates) or cren·el·late
[krénn’l àyt] (past cren·el·lat·ed,
past participle cren·el·lat·ed, present participle cren·el·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cren·el·lates) transitive verb

1.  build
with battlements: to provide a structure with battlements
or decorative features resembling battlements

2.  make
with square indentations: to make something with
square indentations like the openings ( crenels
) of a battlement
[Early
19th century. Formed from French créneler, from Old French crenel
(see crenel ).]
—cren·e·lat·ed,
adjective

—cren·e·la·tion [krènn’l áysh’n], noun[1]



crenelle

crenelle
cren·elle 
noun

See
crenel[1]



crenshaw

crenshaw
cren·shaw 
[krén shàw] (plural cren·shaws)
noun

sweet
variety of melon: a variety of melon that has a green rind
and sweet salmon-pink flesh. It is closely related to the casaba, honeydew, and
winter melons.
[Late 20th century. Origin unknown.][1]



crenulate

crenulate
cren·u·late 
[krénnyələt, krénnyə
làyt] or cren·u·lat·ed [krénnyə
làytəd] adjective

with
wavy edge:
with a finely scalloped or notched wavy edge
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin crenulatus, from crenula, literally “small notch,”
from Latin crena (see crenate ).][1]



crenulation

crenulation
cren·u·la·tion 
[krènnyə láysh’n] (plural cren·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  tiny
notch:
a very small notch or indentation

2.  finely
notched edging: very fine notching or indentation along
an edge

[1]



creodont

creodont
cre·o·dont 
[kr ə dònt] (plural cre·o·donts
or cre·o·don·ta) noun

extinct
carnivore:
an extinct carnivorous mammal that lived during the Tertiary period. Suborder:
Creodonta
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Creodonta, literally “flesh-toothed ones,” from Greek kreas
“flesh” (source of English pancreas )
+ rodont-, from odous “tooth.”][1]



Creole

Creole
Cre·ole 
[kr l] (plural Cre·oles) noun

1.  somebody
of French ancestry: an inhabitant of the
southern United States, especially southern Louisiana, who is descended from
the early French settlers

2.  language
of Louisiana: the creolized French language spoken by
the Creoles of New Orleans and southern Louisiana

3.  language
of Caribbean islands: a group of creolized
languages, based on English and French, spoken on many of the islands of the
Caribbean.
Also
called
Patwa
Also
called
Patois

4.  Haitian
language:
the creolized language spoken in Haiti.
Also
called
Haitian

5.  West
Indian of European ancestry: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of a West Indian or Latin American country, and who is of
European, especially Spanish, descent

6.  Creole
speaker:
somebody of both European and African ancestry who speaks a form of Creole
[Mid-18th
century. From French, from Spanish criollo “native,” from Portuguese crioulo,
from criar “to bring up,” from Latin creare (see create ).]
—Cre·ole, adjective[1]



creole

creole
cre·ole
[kr l] noun (plural cre·oles)

1.  LINGUISTICS language
of mixed origin: a language that has evolved from the
mixture of two or more languages and has become the first language of a group

2.  PEOPLES African
descendant born in Americas: somebody of African or mixed
African descent born in the Americas
adjective

COOKING cooked
New Orleans style: cooked in a spicy flavorful
way typical of the French Creoles of New Orleans. Tomatoes, hot peppers,
onions, and rice are characteristic ingredients.
[Late 19th century. From Creole .][1]



creolize

creolize
cre·olize
[kr ə lz] (past cre·olized, past
participle cre·olized, present participle cre·oliz·ing,
3rd person present singular cre·olizes) transitive verb

combine
languages:
to form a new mixed language from two or more other languages
—cre·oliza·tion [kr əli záysh’n], noun[1]



creolized

creolized
cre·o·lized
[kr ə lzd] adjective

combining two languages:
combining elements of two or more separate languages to form the new mixed
language of a group of people[1]



Creon

Creon
Cre·on 
[kr òn] noun

king of Thebes:
in Greek mythology, the brother of Jocasta and the successor of Oedipus as king
of Thebes. He was also the uncle of Antigone and issued an edict forbidding the
burial of the body of her brother Polynices, which she defied.[1]



creosol

creosol
cre·o·sol 
[kr ə sòl] noun

liquid
derivative of creosote: a pale yellow or colorless
oily liquid that is a component of creosote. C8H10O2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from creosote + -ol
.][1]



creosote

creosote
cre·o·sote 
[kr ə st] noun

1.  wood
preservative: a thick yellowish to brown oily
substance derived from coal tar, used as a wood preservative

2.  antiseptic:
a yellow to colorless oily substance derived from wood tar, used as an
antiseptic

3.  chimney
tar:
a dark brown to black tar deposited inside a chimney flue when wood, especially
pine or other resinous wood, is burned. The flammable tar is a fire hazard.
transitive
verb
(past cre·o·sot·ed, past participle cre·o·sot·ed, present
participle cre·o·sot·ing, 3rd person present singular cre·o·sotes)

apply creosote to:
to apply creosote to wood as a preservative
[Mid-19th century. From
German Kreosote, literally “flesh-saving,” from Greek kreas
“flesh” (source of English pancreas )
+ sōtēr “preserver”; from its antiseptic properties.][1]



creosotebush

creosotebush
cre·o·sote
bush
(plural cre·o·sote bush·es) noun

desert shrub:
a resinous evergreen shrub that is native to the deserts of the southwestern
United States and Mexico and has leaves that smell like creosote. Latin name: Larrea
tridentata[1]



crepe

crepe
crepe 
[krayp, ("pancake") krayp, krep] (plural
crepes) or crêpe [krayp,
("pancake") krayp, krep] noun

1.  crepe
TEXTILES light
crinkled fabric: a light fine fabric with a crinkled
surface.
Also
called
crape

2.  COOKING thin
pancake:
a thin pancake usually served rolled up or folded with a filling

3.  See
crape  noun 2

4.  See
crepe paper

5.  See
crepe rubber
[Late
18th century. From French, from Old French crespe “curled,” from Latin crispus
(the source also of English crisp ).]
—crep·y [kráypee], adjective[1]



crepede Chine

crepede Chine
crepe
de Chine 
[kryp də shn] (plural crepes de
Chine or crepe de Chines [kryp də
shnz]) or crêpe de Chine [kryp
də shn] (plural crêpes de Chine or crêpe de
Chines [kryp də shnz]) noun

silk
fabric:
a light smooth silk fabric, used to make delicate articles of clothing
[From French, literally
“crepe of China”][1]



crepemyrtle

crepemyrtle
crepe
myr·tle
noun

See
crape myrtle[1]



crepepaper

crepepaper
crepe
pa·per
(plural crepe pa·pers) or crêpe pa·per (plural
crêpe pa·pers) noun

crinkly decorative paper:
a thin, slightly stretchy, crinkled colored paper, used for wrapping presents
or making decorations (hyphenated when used before a noun)
Also called
crepe[1]



creperie

creperie
crep·e·rie
[kráypəree, kréppəree]
(plural crep·e·ries) or crêp·e·rie [kráypəree, kréppəree]
(plural crêp·e·ries) noun

restaurant
serving crepes: a restaurant that specializes in thin
pancakes ( crepes ) with fillings
[From French crêperie
from crêpe (see crepe )][1]



creperubber

creperubber
crepe
rub·ber
(plural crepe rub·bers) or crêpe rub·ber (plural
crêpe rub·bers) noun

crinkled rubber:
rubber in the form of thin crinkled sheets, used especially for the soles of
shoes.
Also called
crepe[1]



crepitate

crepitate
crep·i·tate 
[kréppi tàyt] (past crep·i·tat·ed,
past participle crep·i·tat·ed, present participle crep·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular crep·i·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
crackle:
to make a crackling or grating sound (formal or literary)

2.  MEDICINE crackle
or grate:
to make the crackling or grating sound of crepitus
[Early
17th century. From Latin crepitat-, the past participle stem of crepitare
“to crackle,” from crepare “to rattle” (source of English crevice ) an imitation of the sound.]
—crep·i·tant,
adjective

—crep·i·ta·tion [krèppi táysh’n], noun[1]



crepitus

crepitus
crep·i·tus 
[kréppitəss] noun MEDICINE

1.  grating
sound of broken bone: the grating sound heard when
the broken ends of a bone rub together

2.  crackling
chest noise: a crackling sound heard in the chest of
somebody who has a lung disease, for example, pneumonia
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “rattling,” from crepare (see crepitate
).][1]



crept

crept
crept


Past tense of
creep Past participle of creep[1]



crepuscular

crepuscular
cre·pus·cu·lar 
[krə púskyələr] adjective

1.  like
twilight:
relating to or resembling the fading light of dusk (literary)

2.  ZOOLOGY active
in low light: used to describe fish and land mammals
that are active at dusk and dawn, when the light level is low
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin crepusculum “twilight.”][1]



Crerar,Henry Duncan Graham

Crerar,Henry Duncan Graham
Cre·rar
[kr rr], Henry Duncan Graham (1888–1965)

Canadian soldier. He headed
the Canadian army in Europe (1944–1945) during World War II.[1]



cresc.

cresc.
cresc.

Abbreviation of
crescendo[1]



crescendo

crescendo

cres·cen·do 
[krə shén dō] noun (plural cres·cen·dos
or cres·cen·does or cres·cen·di [krə shén d])

1.  MUSIC increasing
loudness:
a gradual increase in the volume of a passage of music

2.  MUSIC music
played increasingly loud: a passage of music in which
there is a gradual increase in volume

3.  intensification:
an increase in volume or intensity similar to a crescendo in music

4.  climax:
the climax of an increase in volume or intensity
adjective

intensifying:
gradually increasing in volume or intensity
adverb

MUSIC with
greater volume: with increasing loudness
intransitive verb
(past cres·cen·doed, past participle cres·cen·doed,
present participle cres·cen·do·ing, 3rd person present
singular cres·cen·does)

become louder or stronger:
to increase in volume or intensity
[Late
18th century. From Italian, the present participle of crescere “to
increase,” from Latin crescere (see crescent
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  A
  crescendo is properly a process and not
  the end of a process. This is usually well understood in musical contexts,
  because the word is a technical term. In figurative uses, though, it tends to
  be used as an alternative for climax, which is indeed the end point or
  culmination of a process. A noise or feeling can increase to a climax
  but it does so in a crescendo .
  Correct: • The
  bird’s calls rose in a crescendo and then subsided again.
  Avoid: • The
  abusive calls reached a crescendo the following week.

[1]



crescent

crescent

cres·cent 
[kréss’nt] noun (plural cres·cents)

1.  arc
shape:
a curved shape like that of the moon when it is less than half illuminated

2.  arc-shaped
thing:
something shaped like a crescent

3.  cres·cent
or Cres·cent ISLAM Islamic
symbol:
the emblem of Islam or Turkey, shaped like a crescent moon

4.  cres·cent
or Cres·cent ISLAM Islamic
or Turkish power: Islamic or Turkish power

5.  cres·cent
or Cres·cent TRANSPORT
arc-shaped
street:
a curved street, especially one that opens onto the same street at each end

6.  HERALDRY symbol
for second son: a crescent moon, used in heraldry to
signify a second son
adjective

1.  arc-shaped:
shaped like a crescent

2.  growing:
gradually increasing in size (literary)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman cressaunt from, ultimately, Latin crescent-,
the present participle stem of crescere “to grow.”]
—cres·cen·tic
[krə séntik], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  As
  well as being the source of crescent, the
  Latin word crescere, meaning “to grow,” is also the source of English accretion, concrete,
  create, crescendo,
  crew, croissant,
  increase, and recruit.

[1]



cresol

cresol
cre·sol 
[kr sòl] noun

disinfectant:
a colorless compound derived from wood or coal tar, used as an antiseptic and
disinfectant. C7H8O
Also
called
cresylic acid
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of creosol .][1]



cress

cress
cress 
[kress] (plural cress or
cress·es) noun

pungent-tasting
plant:
a plant of the mustard family with small pungently flavored leaves that are
used in salads or as a garnish
[Old English cressa,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



cresset

cresset
cres·set 
[kréssət] (plural cres·sets) noun

oil
lamp:
a metal cup or basket mounted on a pole and filled with oil or pitch that was
burned to give light
[14th century. From Old
French cresset, from craisse, variant of graisse “oil,
grease,” from, ultimately, Latin crassus “solid, fat” (source of English
crass ).][1]



Cressida

Cressida2
Cres·si·da2 noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small natural satellite of Uranus, discovered by the Voyager 2 planetary
probe in 1986[1]



Cressida

Cressida1
Cres·si·da1  [kréssədə]
noun

unfaithful Trojan woman:
in medieval retellings of the Trojan War, a Trojan woman captured by the Greeks
who is unfaithful to her Trojan lover, Troilus, by giving herself to the Greek
Diomedes[1]



crest

crest
crest 
[krest] noun (plural crests)

1.  top
of curve or slope: the top part of something
that slopes or rises upward, for example, a wave or a hill

2.  culmination:
the highest stage or culminating point in an activity or achievement

3.  ZOOLOGY tuft
on animal’s head: a tuft or other growth on the top of the
head of a bird or other animal

4.  something
resembling crest: something resembling the crest of a bird
or other animal

5.  ARMS helmet
ornament:
a plume or other decoration on top of a helmet

6.  ZOOLOGY neck
ridge:
a ridge along the neck of a horse, lion, or other animal, from which hair grows

7.  HERALDRY symbol
of family or office: a small animal, bird, or
other heraldic symbol of a family or office, placed above the shield in a coat
of arms or used alone on a helmet

8.  HERALDRY See coat of arms
verb
(past crest·ed, past participle crest·ed, present
participle crest·ing, 3rd person present singular crests)

1.  intransitive
verb
rise:
to reach or rise to a crest

2.  transitive
verb
reach
top of:
to reach the top of something

3.  transitive
verb
top
something:
to be at the top of something
[14th century. Via French creste
from Latin crista “tuft, plume.”][1]



crested

crested
crest·ed
[kréstəd] adjective

1.  CLOTHES with
fur or feather crest: used to describe an item of
headgear that has a knot or row of hairs or feathers on its top

2.  ZOOLOGY tufted:
used to describe a bird or other animal with a tuft or other growth on its head

[1]



crestedhoneycreeper

crestedhoneycreeper
crest·ed
hon·ey·creep·er (plural crest·ed
hon·ey·creep·ers) noun

Hawaiian bird:
an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper found only on Haleakala Mountain on the
island of Maui. Latin name: Palmeria dolei[1]



crestedwheatgrass

crestedwheatgrass
crest·ed
wheat·grass 
(plural crest·ed wheat·grasses) noun

forage grass:
a perennial grass native to Europe and Asia, grown as forage, hay, and erosion
control in North America. Genus: Agropyron[1]



crestfallen

crestfallen
crest·fall·en 
[krést fàwlən] adjective

downcast:
disappointed or humiliated, especially after being enthusiastic or confident
[From
the drooping of a somebody’s head when disappointed]
—crest·fall·en·ly,
adverb

—crest·fall·en·ness, noun[1]



cresting

cresting
crest·ing 
[krésting] (plural crest·ings)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
roof ridge:
an ornamental ridge on a roof

2.  FURNITURE furniture
ornament:
an ornamental carving or rail on the top of a piece of furniture

[1]



cresylic

cresylic
cre·syl·ic 
[krə síllik] adjective

relating to creosol or
creosote: relating to or containing
creosol or creosote[1]



cresylicacid

cresylicacid
cre·syl·ic
ac·id
noun

See
cresol[1]



Cretaceous

Cretaceous
Cre·ta·ceous 
adjective

from late Mesozoic:
belonging to or dating from the end of the Mesozoic era, 144 to 65 million
years ago[1]



cretaceous

cretaceous
cre·ta·ceous
[krə táyshəss] adjective

chalky:
resembling or consisting of chalk (technical)
[Late-17th
century. Formed from Latin cretaceus “chalklike, chalky,” from creta
“chalk” (source of English crayon ).]
—cre·ta·ceous·ly, adverb[1]



Cretan

Cretan
Cre·tan
[krt’n] noun (plural Cre·tans)

somebody
from Crete:
somebody who was born or raised in Crete
adjective

relating to Crete:
relating to Crete, or its people or culture[1]



Crete

Crete
Crete 
[kreet]

the largest Greek island in
the southern Aegean Sea. The chief town is Heraklion. Population: 540,054
(1991) Area: 8,335 sq km/3,218 sq mi.[1]



cretic

cretic
cre·tic 
[krtik] (plural cre·tics) noun

POETRY See amphimacer
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
creticus, literally “Cretan,” from Greek krētikos, from Krētē
“Crete.”][1]



cretin

cretin
cre·tin 
[krt’n] (plural cre·tins) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s supposed intellectual
capacity (offensive)

2.  MEDICINE somebody
with thyroid hormone deficiency: somebody affected by
congenital myxedema (dated)
[Late
18th century. Via French from Swiss French creitin “Christian mentally
challenged,” from Latin Christianus “Christian,” from Christus
“Christ.”]
—cre·tin·ism,
noun

—cre·tin·oid,
adjective

—cre·tin·ous, adjective[1]



cretonne

cretonne
cre·tonne 
[kr tòn, krə
tón] (plural cre·tonnes) noun

patterned
upholstery fabric: a heavy fabric made from
cotton, linen, or rayon and usually printed with a colorful design, used for
upholstery
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Creton, name of a village in Normandy, France, where it was
first made.][1]



cretons

cretons
cre·tons
[krə tóN] plural noun

Canada
pork
dish:
in Quebec, a dish of spiced shredded pork cooked with onions in lard
[From Canadian French, of
uncertain origin: probably from Middle Dutch kerte “cut”][1]



Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease

Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease
Creutz·feldt-Ja·kob
dis·ease 
[kròyts felt y kawb di zz] noun

slowly
developing brain disease: a rare fatal brain disease,
a form of spongiform encephalopathy, that develops slowly, causing dementia and
loss of muscle control. An abnormal protein ( prion
) is the suspected cause. A new variant of the disease, that develops rapidly
and affects younger people, appeared in the late 1980s.
[Late 20th century. Named for
the German neurologists H. G. Creutzfeldt (1885–1964) and A. M. Jakob
(1884–1931).][1]



crevalle

crevalle
cre·val·le 
[krə vállee, krə
vállə] (plural cre·val·le or cre·val·les) noun

saltwater
fish:
a spiny-finned marine fish related to the pompano. Family: Carangidae
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of cavalla .][1]



crevasse

crevasse
cre·vasse 
[krə váss] noun (plural cre·vass·es)

1.  deep
crack:
a deep crack, for example, in the ice of a glacier

2.  levee
crack:
a crack in a levee or dike
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cre·vassed,
past participle cre·vassed, present participle cre·vass·ing,
3rd person present singular cre·vass·es)

form crevasses:
to develop or make something develop crevasses
[Early 19th century. From
French, from Old French crevace (see crevice
).][1]



crevice

crevice
crev·ice 
[krévviss] (plural crev·ices) noun

fissure:
a narrow crack or opening, especially in rock
[14th
century. From Old French crevace “a burst, split,” from crever
“to burst,” from Latin crepare “to rattle” (source of English decrepit ), an imitation of the sound.]
—crev·iced, adjective[1]



crew

crew1
crew1 [kroo]
noun (plural crews)

1.  onboard
staff:
the people who work on a boat, ship, aircraft, or spacecraft

2.  people
working together: a group of people who work together on a
project or task

3.  ship’s
staff excluding officers: the members of a ship’s crew
who are not officers

4.  specialized
staff on craft: a smaller group within the crew of a
ship, aircraft, or spacecraft who are assigned a specific task

5.  group
of friends:
a group of people who spend a lot of time together or are somehow associated
with each other (informal)

6.  rowers:
the rowers and coxswain of a racing shell

7.  rowing:
the sport of rowing racing shells
verb
(past crewed, past participle crewed, present
participle crew·ing, 3rd person present singular crews)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
on crew:
to be a member of a crew

2.  transitive
verb
be
on crew of:
to serve as a member of the crew of a boat, ship, aircraft, or spacecraft (often
passive)
[15th century. From French creüe
“increase, recruit,” from the past participle of croistre “to grow,”
from Latin crescere (see crescent ).
Originally “company of soldiers.”][1]



crew

crew2
crew2

U.K.
Past tense of Crow[1]



crewchief

crewchief
crew
chief
(plural crew chiefs) noun

1.  AIR FORCE military
aircraft maintenance chief: a noncommissioned officer in
the air force who is in charge of the maintenance and ground handling of an
aircraft

2.  MOTOR SPORTS head
of pit crew: the head of the maintenance crew that
fuels and repairs an automobile or other motor vehicle during a race

[1]



crewcut

crewcut
crew
cut
(plural crew cuts) noun

closely
cut hair:
a haircut, usually worn by men and boys, with the hair cut close to the head.
Also
called
butch
Also
called
butch haircut
[Thought to be from its
original adoption by boat crews at the U.S. universities of Harvard and Yale in
the mid-20th century][1]



crewed

crewed
crewed 
[krood] adjective

with crew:
operated by onboard personnel • A
crewed minisub explored the ocean floor.
“A crewed mission to Mars currently lies on the very edge of our technological
ability and the realization of this ambition…would undoubtedly stand as a
testament to the possibilities which technology presents to our civilization.”
NASA Web site 1999[1]



crewel

crewel
crew·el 
[kr əl] noun

1.  wool
embroidery yarn: a loosely twisted woolen yarn used in
embroidery

2.  See
crewelwork
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—crew·el·ist, noun[1]



crewelwork

crewelwork
crew·el·work 
[kr əl wùrk] noun

embroidery with thick yarn:
embroidery work done with crewel yarn.
Also called
crewel[1]



crewmate

crewmate
crew·mate 
[kr màyt] (plural crew·mates)
noun

fellow crew member:
a fellow member of a crew, especially on board a boat or spacecraft[1]



crewneck

crewneck
crew
neck
(plural crew necks) noun

1.  round
neckline:
a close-fitting round neckline on a sweater, sweatshirt, or other garment

2.  crew-neck
sweater:
a sweater with a close-fitting round neck
[From
the sweaters with such a neckline worn by boat crews]
—crew-neck, adjective[1]



crewsock

crewsock
crew
sock
(plural crew socks) noun

thick short sock:
a thick short sock that is ribbed above the ankle[1]



crib

crib
crib 
[krib] noun (plural cribs)

1.  baby’s
bed:
a bed for a baby or small child that has high usually vertically barred sides
to keep the child from falling out.
U.K.
term
cot

2.  AGRICULTURE grain
store:
a small building with slatted sides used for storing grain, especially corn

3.  AGRICULTURE animal’s
stall:
a stall for cattle or horses

4.  plagiarism:
a theft of something from an intellectual or artistic work

5.  AGRICULTURE hay
rack:
a trough or box for hay or other fodder from which livestock can feed.
Also
called
manger

6.  EDUCATION crib
sheet:
a crib sheet (informal)

7.  petty
theft:
a theft of something of insignificant value

8.  somebody’s
home:
somebody’s home, especially an urban apartment (slang)

9.  prostitute’s
room:
a run-down house or room used by a prostitute

10. basket:
a wicker basket

11. CARD GAMES dealer’s
cards:
the cards used by the dealer in cribbage, consisting of cards discarded by the
other players

12. CARD GAMES cribbage:
cribbage (informal)
verb
(past cribbed, past participle cribbed, present
participle crib·bing, 3rd person present singular cribs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb plagiarize:
to steal somebody’s ideas or work

2.  intransitive
verb
EDUCATION use
crib sheet:
to use a crib sheet in an examination (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
put
in crib:
to put somebody or something in a crib

4.  transitive
verb
provide
crib for:
to construct or provide a crib for something
[Old
English crib(b) “manger, trough for fodder,” from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English crèche
. Plagiarize came via thieves’ slang “pilfer from basket.”]
—crib·ber, noun[1]



cribbage

cribbage
crib·bage 
[kríbbij] noun

card
game:
a card game for two to four players in which the score is kept by moving pegs
along rows of holes in a small board
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from crib + -age .][1]



cribbageboard

cribbageboard
crib·bage
board
(plural crib·bage boards) noun

scoreboard with pegs:
a board with holes in which pegs are placed for scoring in cribbage[1]



cribbing

cribbing
crib·bing
[kríbbing] noun

1.  EDUCATION cheating
on examination: using a crib sheet to cheat on an
examination (informal)

2.  CONSTRUCTION beams
for mineshaft: the timbers used for a framework, for
example, of a mineshaft or foundation

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE See
crib-biting

[1]



crib-biting

crib-biting
crib-bit·ing 
noun

behavioral
disorder in horses: a behavioral abnormality in
horses in which animals kept in stables chew their stalls and salivate
excessively. The disorder is partly an inherited condition and partly an
expression of boredom.
Also
called
cribbing
—crib-bit·er, noun[1]



cribdeath

cribdeath
crib
death
(plural crib deaths) noun

sudden death of baby while
sleeping: the sudden and unexplained
death of a small baby while sleeping.
U.K. term
cot death Technical name sudden infant death syndrome[1]



cribriform

cribriform
crib·ri·form 
[kríbbrə fàwrm] adjective

perforated:
with small holes like a sieve (technical)
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from Latin cribrum “sieve” + -form .][1]



cribsheet

cribsheet
crib
sheet
(plural crib sheets) noun

cheating aid:
a list of answers or translation of a foreign text used for cheating in
examinations or classwork[1]



cricetid

cricetid
cri·ce·tid 
[krī stid, krī
séttid] (plural cri·ce·tids or cri·ce·tid) noun

small
rodent:
a small rodent of the family that includes the hamster, gerbil, muskrat, and
vole. Family: Cricetidae
[Mid-20th
century. From modern Latin Cricetidae, from Cricetus (genus name
of hamsters), from medieval Latin cricetus “hamster,” from or related to
Old Czech křeček .]
—cri·ce·tid, adjective[1]



Crichton,Michael

Crichton,Michael
Crich·ton
[krt’n], Michael (1942– )

U.S. writer. He is known for
his science-fiction thrillers including Jurassic Park ( 1990 ), which
was made into a movie in 1993.[1]



crick

crick2
crick2 [krik]
(plural cricks) noun

creek:
a creek (regional)
[Variant][1]



crick

crick1
crick1 [krik]
noun (plural cricks)

painful
stiffness:
a painful stiffness or muscle spasm in the neck or back
transitive
verb
(past cricked, past participle cricked, present
participle crick·ing, 3rd person present singular cricks)

cause
crick in:
to cause a painful stiffness or muscle spasm in the neck or back
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cricket

cricket3
crick·et3 [kríkət]
(plural crick·ets) noun

footstool:
a wooden footstool
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cricket

cricket1

crick·et1 [kríkət]
(plural crick·ets) noun

1.  leaping
chirping insect: a leaping insect that has biting
mouthparts, long legs, and antennae. The male produces a chirping sound by
rubbing its forewings together. Family: Gryllidae

2.  small
toy that clicks: a small metal toy or noisemaker that
produces a sharp clicking sound when it is pressed
[14th century. From French criquet
“grasshopper, locust,” from Old French criquer “to click,” an imitation
of the sound.][1]



cricket

cricket2
crick·et2 [kríkət]
noun

bat-and-ball
game:
an outdoor sport played in England and Commonwealth countries by two teams of
11 players using a flat bat, a small hard ball, and wickets. A player scores by
batting the ball and running, while the defenders can get a player out by
bowling and hitting the wicket, catching a hit ball, or running the player out.
intransitive
verb

to
play cricket
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French criquet “stick (used in a bowling
game),” or Flemish krick “stick” or krickstoel “low stool”
(resembling early wickets).][1]



cricketer

cricketer
crick·et·er
[kríkətər] (plural crick·et·ers)
noun

cricket player:
somebody who plays cricket[1]



cricoid

cricoid
cri·coid 
[kr kòyd] adjective

relating
to larynx cartilage: relating to or in the region
of the lowermost cartilage of the larynx
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin cricoides “ring-shaped” from Greek krikoeidēs, from krikos
“ring.”][1]



cricoidcartilage

cricoidcartilage
cri·coid
car·ti·lage
noun

lowermost cartilage of voice
box: the lowermost cartilage of
the voice box ( larynx ), which has a shape
like a signet ring[1]



cride coeur

cride coeur
cri
de coeur 
[kr də kúr] (plural cris de coeur
[kr də kúr]) noun

appeal:
a heartfelt, usually anguished appeal
[From French, literally “cry
from the heart”][1]



crier

crier
cri·er 
[krr] (plural cri·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that cries: a person or animal that
cries

2.  See
town crier  noun 2

3.  law
court announcer: an official who makes public
announcements of the orders of a court of law

4.  vendor
shouting wares: a vendor who makes public announcements
about the goods he or she has for sale

[1]



crim.

crim.
crim.

Abbreviation of
criminal[1]



crim.con.

crim.con.
crim.
con.
[crím còn]

LAW
Abbreviation of criminal conversation[1]



crime

crime
crime 
[krīm] (plural crimes) noun

1.  illegal
act:
an action prohibited by law, or a failure to act as required by law

2.  illegal
activity:
activity that involves breaking the law

3.  immoral
act:
any act considered morally wrong

4.  undesirable
act:
a shameful, unwise, or regrettable act (informal) • It’s
a crime the way some people mistreat their pets.
[13th
century. Via French from Latin crimen (stem crimin- ) “judgment,”
from cernere “to decide” (source of English certain
and decree ).]
—crime·less,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Crime
  and Punishment, a novel by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky ( 1866 ). Set in
  St. Petersburg, it describes how a young student, Raskolnikov, plans and
  carries out the murder of a woman pawnbroker, ostensibly for money but in
  reality to prove that certain individuals are above the law. Ultimately,
  however, his conscience forces him to confess his crime.

[1]



Crimea

Crimea
Cri·me·a 
[krī m ə]

peninsula
in southeastern Ukraine between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Area: 25,993
sq km/10,036 sq mi.
—Crim·e·an, noun,
adjective[1]



crimeagainst humanity

crimeagainst humanity
crime
a·gainst hu·man·i·ty noun

atrocity:
a cruel and immoral act, for example, torture, murder, or expulsion, committed
against a large number of people[1]



crimeof passion

crimeof passion
crime
of pas·sion
(plural crimes of pas·sion) noun

emotionally motivated crime:
a crime that is motivated by an extreme emotion, especially sexual jealousy[1]



crimewave

crimewave
crime
wave
(plural crime waves) noun

increase in rate of crimes:
a period during which more crimes than usual are committed[1]



criminal

criminal
crim·i·nal 
[krímmin’l] noun (plural crim·i·nals)

somebody acting illegally:
somebody who has committed a crime
adjective

1.  punishable
as crime:
punishable as a crime under the law

2.  prosecuting
criminals:
involved in or relating to the prosecution and punishment of people accused of
committing crimes

3.  relating
to criminals: relating to or typical of criminals

4.  morally
wrong:
morally wrong whether illegal or not

5.  unwise
or regrettable: not showing good sense or fairness (informal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French criminel from late Latin criminalis
“of crime,” from the Latin stem crimin- (see crime
).]
—crim·i·nal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bad

[1]



criminalconversation

criminalconversation
crim·i·nal
con·ver·sa·tion noun

adultery:
adultery considered as a legal breach of the marriage contract (technical)[1]



criminality

criminality
crim·i·nal·i·ty 
[krìmmi nállətee] (plural crim·i·nal·i·ties)
noun

1.  criminal
quality:
a criminal character or quality

2.  tendency
to lawbreaking: a tendency to commit crimes

3.  crime:
a criminal act or practice (often used in the plural)

[1]



criminalize

criminalize
crim·i·nal·ize 
[krímmin’l z] (past crim·i·nal·ized,
past participle crim·i·nal·ized, present participle crim·i·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular crim·i·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
illegal:
to make an action punishable as a crime under the law

2.  make
into criminal: to make somebody become or treat
somebody as a criminal
—crim·i·nal·i·za·tion
[krìmmin’li záysh’n], noun[1]



criminol.

criminol.
criminol.

Abbreviation of
criminology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








criminology

criminology
crim·i·nol·o·gy 
[krìmmi nólləjee] noun

study
of crime:
the sociological study of crime, criminals, and the punishment of criminals
—crim·i·no·log·i·cal
[krìmminə lójjik’l], adjective

—crim·i·no·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—crim·i·nol·o·gist, noun[1]



crimp

crimp
crimp
[krimp] transitive verb (past crimped,
past participle crimped, present participle crimp·ing,
3rd person present singular crimps)

1.  fold
or press together: to fold or press the ends or
edges of something together

2.  interfere
with:
to hinder, obstruct, or otherwise interfere with something such as a plan or
process • A
slowdown in sales crimped the company’s cash flow.

3.  pleat:
to press or gather something into small folds, for example, a piece of fabric

4.  HAIRDRESSING curl:
to make somebody’s hair wavy with a curling iron

5.  COOKING pinch
decoratively: to pinch or press together the edges of
pastry to form a seal or for decoration

6.  MANUFACTURING mold:
to mold or form leather into a shape

7.  METALLURGY join
into seam:
to bend or fold the edges of sheet metal to form a seam for a tube or between
two pieces
noun
(plural crimps)

1.  crimping
action:
a pinching, folding, or other action that crimps something

2.  hindrance:
somebody who or something that hinders, obstructs, or otherwise interferes with
somebody or something else

3.  HAIRDRESSING tight
hair wave:
a tight artificial wave in somebody’s hair, usually made with a curling iron

4.  pinched
edge:
a fold or crease made by pinching together two edges, for example, of fabric or
pastry

5.  crease
formed by bending: a fold or crease formed by
bending something, for example, sheet metal

6.  curl
of wool fibers: the curl or wave of wool fibers
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably via Dutch or Low German krimpen
“to shrink, crimp” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English cram .]
—crimp·er, noun[1]



crimpy

crimpy
crimp·y 
[krímpee] (comparative crimp·i·er,
superlative crimp·i·est) adjective

with
many crimps: with many small waves, folds, or
wrinkles
—crimp·i·ness, noun[1]



crimson

crimson
crim·son 
[krímz’n] adjective

of deep rich red color:
of a deep rich red color with a tinge of purple • crimson
lips
noun
(plural crim·sons)

deep rich red color:
a deep rich red color tinged with purple
verb
(past crim·soned, past participle crim·soned, present
participle crim·son·ing, 3rd person present singular crim·sons)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become crimson: to become a vivid or deep
red color, or make something become this color

2.  intransitive
verb
blush:
to blush, with embarrassment, shyness, or shame
[15th century. Via Old
Spanish cremesín from Arabic irmizī “red color,” from irmīz
“kermes insect.”][1]



cringe

cringe
cringe 
[krinj] intransitive verb (past
cringed, past participle cringed, present participle
cring·ing, 3rd person present singular cring·es)

1.  crouch
or move back suddenly: to pull the head and body
quickly away from something or somebody in a frightened or servile way

2.  be
embarrassed or uncomfortable: to react to something with
embarrassment or discomfort, often showing this by physically flinching (informal)
• We
always cringe at his jokes.

3.  act
humbly:
to behave in a very humble or servile way (disapproving)
noun
(plural cring·es)

cowering movement:
a quick pulling away of the head and body from something or somebody in a
frightened or servile way
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old English crincan “to yield.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to bend, curl,” which is
also the ancestor of English crank .]
—cring·er, noun[1]



cringle

cringle
crin·gle 
[kríng g’l] (plural crin·gles)
noun

rope
ring on sail: a piece of rope with a metal ring ( grommet ) in it, fitted into the main rope ( boltrope ) around the edge of a sail
[Early 17th century. From Low
German kringel, literally “small ring.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic base meaning “to bend,” which is also the ancestor of English crinkle and cringe
.][1]



crinkle

crinkle
crin·kle 
[kríngk’l] intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  crease
or wrinkle all over: to become, or make something
become, finely folded, wrinkled, or wavy, for example, by crushing or pressing
it

2.  make
soft crackling sound: to make little crunching or
rustling noises, like the sound of paper being crushed, or cause something to
make these noises
noun

tiny fold or wave:
a little fold or wave, especially in paper or cloth
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from Old English crincan (see cringe ).]
—crin·kly, adverb[1]



crinkleroot

crinkleroot
crin·kle·root 
[kríngk’l rt] (plural crin·kle·root
or crin·kle·roots) noun

N American woodland plant:
a woodland plant of eastern North America that has pungent fleshy roots and
clusters of pink and white flowers. Genus: Dentaria[1]



crinoid

crinoid
cri·noid 
[kr nòyd] (plural cri·noids) noun

marine
invertebrate animal: a type of primitive marine
invertebrate animal ( echinoderm ) with a
cup-shaped body and five feathery radiating arms. These animals are related to
the starfish and the sea urchin. Class: Crinoidea
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek krinoidēs “lilylike,” from krinon “lily.”]
—cri·noid, adjective[1]



crinoline

crinoline
crin·o·line 
[krínnəlin] (plural crin·o·lines)
noun

1.  fabric
for stiffening things: a stiff fabric made of
horsehair and cotton or linen, used in the past for linings and petticoats

2.  stiff
petticoat:
a petticoat of crinoline fabric or net, worn to expand a skirt

3.  hooped
skirt:
a skirt or petticoat containing wire hoops, worn to expand the skirt
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Italian crinolino, from crino
“horsehair” + lino “flax.”]
—crin·o·lined, adjective[1]



crinum

crinum
cri·num 
[krnəm] (plural cri·num or
cri·nums) noun

tropical
plant:
a tropical plant that grows from a bulb and has long thin leaves and clusters
of flowers in various colors. Genus: Crinum
Also
called
spider lily
[Via modern Latin, genus
name, from Greek krinon “lily,” of unknown origin][1]



criollo

criollo
cri·ol·lo 
[kri ṓlō] noun (plural cri·ol·los)

1.  Latin
American of European descent: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of a Latin American country, and who is of European, especially
Spanish, descent

2.  animal
of Latin American breed: any Latin American breed of
domestic animal
adjective

1.  of
Latin Americans of European descent:
relating to Latin American people of European, especially Spanish, descent, or
their language, or their culture

2.  being
Latin American animal: belonging to a Latin
American breed of domestic animal • a
criollo pony
[Late
19th century. From Spanish (see creole ).]
—cri·ol·lo, adjective[1]



criosphinx

criosphinx
cri·o·sphinx 
[kr ə sfìnks] (plural cri·o·sphinx·es
or cri·o·sphing·es [kr ō sfínjz])
noun

sphinx
with ram’s head: in ancient Egyptian mythology and art, a
figure that is like a sphinx in having a lion’s body but has the head of a ram
rather than a human head
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek krios “ram” + sphinx .][1]



cripes

cripes
cripes
[krīps] interjection

used
to express concern: used to express surprise or
concern (slang) • Cripes!
That does it!
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of Christ .][1]



cripple

cripple
crip·ple 
[krípp’l] noun (plural crip·ples)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody whose use of a limb or limbs is impaired (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is deficient in a particular area (offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for something that does not work correctly (offensive)
transitive
verb
(past crip·pled, past participle crip·pled, present
participle crip·pling, 3rd person present singular crip·ples)

1.  make
somebody physically challenged: to hurt or damage
somebody seriously and often permanently, especially impairing the ability to
move

2.  damage
seriously:
to cause major problems to something, for example, a machine or a business, so
that it cannot operate properly • a
business crippled by debts and bad publicity
[Old
English crypel . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word denoting
“bent,” which was also the ancestor of English creep
.]
—crip·pled,
adjective

—crip·pling,
adjective

—crip·pling·ly, adverb[1]



CrippleCreek

CrippleCreek
Crip·ple
Creek
[krìpp’l krk]

city in Colorado, United
States, and seat of Teller County. It was a major gold-mining center
(1891–1920). Population: 584 (1990)[1]



crisis

crisis
cri·sis 
[krssiss] (plural cri·ses [kr sz]) noun

1.  dangerous
or worrying time: a situation or period in which things
are very uncertain, difficult, or painful, especially a time when action must
be taken to avoid complete disaster or breakdown

2.  critical
moment:
a time when something very important for the future happens or is decided

3.  MEDICINE turning
point in disease: a point in the course of a disease when
the patient suddenly begins to get worse or better
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek krisis “decisive moment,” from krinein “to decide” (source
of English critic and criterion ).][1]



crisiscenter

crisiscenter
cri·sis
cen·ter
(plural cri·sis cen·ters) noun

place to go in crisis:
an office or meeting place where people can go in a time of great personal
difficulty or distress for advice and support, often from voluntary staff[1]



crisismanagement

crisismanagement
cri·sis
man·age·ment noun

dealing with crises:
the business or process of working through a crisis to solve or cope with
problems as they arise[1]



crisp

crisp
crisp 
[krisp] adjective (comparative
crisp·er, superlative crisp·est)

1.  hard
but easily broken: dry and firm, and of a
texture that breaks easily • cereal
that stays crisp in milk

2.  fresh
and crunchy: fresh and firm enough to snap when
bitten into • nice
crisp lettuce

3.  smooth,
firm, and clean: with a stiff, uncreased, or unspoiled
surface • a
crisp white tablecloth

4.  distinct:
distinct and clear, without ambiguity or distortion • She
was pleased with the crisp image of the print.

5.  sharp
and concise: sharp and concise, often to the point of
brusqueness • crisp
responses

6.  invigorating:
invigorating and fresh • It was
a beautiful crisp December morning.

7.  quick
and precise: performed in a quick and precise way • some
crisp passing
noun
(plural crisps)

1.  dessert
with crunchy topping: a dish of prepared fruit
covered with a mixture of flour, sugar, and fat baked until the top is crunchy.

U.K.
term
crumble

2.  U.K.
• cheese
and onion crisps.
See
also
potato chip
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crisped,
past participle crisped, present participle crisp·ing,
3rd person present singular crisps)

make or become crisp:
to become or make something crisp or crisper, usually in the oven
[Mid-16th
century. Originally in the sense “curly,” from Latin crispus (the source
also of English crêpe ).]
—crisp·ly,
adverb

—crisp·ness,
noun
to
a crisp

until it has become hard and
crunchy, usually when it should not be (informal) • toast
burned to a crisp[1]



crispate

crispate
cris·pate 
[kríss pàyt] adjective

wavy:
used to describe leaves that have curled or wavy edges
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
crispatus, the past participle of crispare “to curl,” from crispus
“curled.”][1]



crispation

crispation
cris·pa·tion 
[kriss páysh’n] (plural cris·pa·tions)
noun

1.  act
of curling:
the act of curling or the condition of being curled (formal)

2.  muscle
contraction: a minor convulsive muscle contraction
that produces a creeping feeling in the skin
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin crispat-, the past participle stem of crispare (see crispate ).][1]



crispbread

crispbread
crisp·bread
[krísp brèd] (plural crisp·breads)
noun

type of cracker:
a flat, crisp, usually rectangular cracker made from rye, wheat, corn, or other
grain[1]



crispen

crispen
crisp·en
[kríspən] (past crisp·ened, past
participle crisp·ened, present participle crisp·en·ing,
3rd person present singular crisp·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

become crisp:
to become or make something crisp or crisper[1]



crisper

crisper
crisp·er 
[kríspər] (plural crisp·ers) noun

salad compartment in
refrigerator: a covered compartment
in a refrigerator, where fruits and vegetables are placed to keep them fresh
and crisp[1]



crispy

crispy
crisp·y 
[kríspee] (comparative crisp·i·er,
superlative crisp·i·est) adjective

light
and crunchy: with a pleasantly light, crunchy texture
• Do
you like your bacon crispy?
—crisp·i·ness, noun[1]



crissa

crissa
cris·sa


Plural of
crissum[1]



crisscross

crisscross
criss·cross 
[kríss kròss] noun (plural criss·cross·es)

cross or lattice arrangement:
a pattern of lines that cross each other
adjective

with crossed vertical and horizontal
lines:
running in different directions across each other, or made up of lines like
this
adverb

back and forth:
in a way that makes a crisscross pattern of crossing lines
verb
(past criss·crossed, past participle criss·crossed,
present participle criss·cross·ing, 3rd person present
singular criss·cross·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
pattern of crossed lines: to create a crisscross
pattern on something

2.  transitive
verb
go
to and fro across something: to travel or move backward
and forward or in all different directions over something
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of cristcross “sign of cross.”][1]



crissum

crissum
cris·sum 
[kríssəm] (plural cris·sa [kríssə]) noun

feathers
beneath bird’s tail: the feathers beneath the
tail of a bird
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin crissare “to wiggle
the hips.”]
—cris·sal, adjective[1]



crista

crista
cris·ta 
[krístə] (plural cris·tae [krístee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY crest:
a crest or ridge, for example, the border of a bone

2.  CELL BIOLOGY fold:
a fold in the inner membrane of a mitochondrion, providing a large surface area
over which the enzymes responsible for energy metabolism are located
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, “tuft of hair, ridge” (source of English crest ).]
—cris·tate, adjective[1]



cristobalite

cristobalite
cris·to·ba·lite
[kri stṓbə lt] noun

form
of silica:
a white mineral form of silica that occurs in volcanic rocks. SiO2
[Late 19th century. Named for
the hill of San Cristóbal, near the town of Pachuca de Soto in Mexico.][1]



crit.

crit.
crit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
critic

2.  Abbreviation
of
critical

3.  Abbreviation
of
criticism

[1]



criterion

criterion
cri·te·ri·on 
[krī tree ən] (plural cri·te·ri·a
[krī tree ə] or cri·te·ri·ons)
noun

standard
for judging things by: an accepted standard used in
making decisions or judgments about something (often used in the plural)
[Early
17th century. From Greek kritērion, from kritēs “judge” (see critic ).]
—cri·te·ri·al,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  criterion
  or criteria ?
  Criterion is singular, and criteria
  is plural; it is incorrect to use criteria as a singular noun (with criterias
  as a bogus plural), although this is commonly seen and heard in the print and
  electronic media, and in some law contexts as well: • In
  two cases … the courts expressly adopted that criteria
  (P. P. Craig, Administrative Law ). To form a correct singular noun,
  the phrase set of criteria is often used.

[1]



critic

critic
crit·ic 
[kríttik] (plural crit·ics) noun

1.  somebody
judging something: somebody who makes a
judgment about or an appraisal of something or somebody and gives comments • an
eminent critic of postwar government

2.  writer
of reviews:
somebody, especially a journalist, who writes or broadcasts opinions on the
quality of things such as drama productions, art exhibitions, and literary
works • the
newspaper’s TV critic

3.  somebody
who finds fault: somebody who does not like something or
somebody, or who finds fault with something or somebody
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek kritikos “discerning,” from kritēs “judge,” from krinein
(see crisis ).][1]



critical

critical
crit·i·cal 
[kríttik’l] adjective

1.  not
approving:
tending to find fault with a particular person or thing, or with people and
things in general

2.  giving
comments or judgments: containing or involving
comments and opinions that analyze or judge something, especially in a detailed
way • a
critical analysis of modern economic theory

3.  crucial:
extremely important because of being a time or happening at a time of special
difficulty, trouble, or danger, when matters could quickly get either worse or
better • The
decision was a critical one for the country.

4.  essential:
absolutely necessary for the success of something • The
army’s immediate response is critical to our campaign.

5.  life-threatening:
life-threatening as a medical condition, or in danger from such a condition • a
patient in critical condition

6.  undergoing
change:
relating to a property of a system that is undergoing a sudden change • critical
temperature

7.  sustaining
nuclear chain reaction: designed to or having the
mass to sustain a nuclear chain reaction
—crit·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—crit·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



criticalangle

criticalangle
crit·i·cal
an·gle
(plural crit·i·cal an·gles) noun

1.  angle
producing complete reflection: the angle between a
ray of light and a surface at which the ray will be completely reflected by the
surface

2.  See
stalling angle

[1]



criticality

criticality
crit·i·cal·i·ty 
[krìtti kállətee] noun

1.  crucialness:
the condition of being crucial, decisive, or extremely serious

2.  stage
of nuclear reaction: the point in an intensifying
nuclear reaction at which it becomes self-sustaining

[1]



criticalmass

criticalmass
crit·i·cal
mass
noun

1.  amount
of fissionable material: the smallest amount of
fissionable material needed to maintain a nuclear chain reaction

2.  point
of change:
a point or situation at which change occurs • Support
for the measure has reached critical mass.

[1]



criticalpoint

criticalpoint
crit·i·cal
point
noun

1.  point
of equilibrium between two states: a point at which two
or more phases of a substance, for example, liquid and gas, are identical or in
equilibrium.
Also
called
critical state

2.  zero
point on graph: a point on a graph at which the tangent
to a curve is parallel to either the horizontal or vertical axis.
U.K.
term
stationary point

[1]



criticalregion

criticalregion
crit·i·cal
re·gion
noun

set of unacceptable test
results: the possible results of a
statistical test that are outside the range of acceptable probabilities and, if
observed, would lead to their rejection[1]



criticalstate

criticalstate
crit·i·cal
state
noun

See
critical point  noun 1[1]



criticalthinking

criticalthinking
crit·i·cal
think·ing 
noun

type of critical analysis:
disciplined intellectual criticism that combines research, knowledge of
historical context, and balanced judgment[1]



criticism

criticism
crit·i·cism 
[krítti sìzzəm] (plural crit·i·cisms)
noun

1.  act
of criticizing: a spoken or written opinion or judgment
of what is wrong or bad about somebody or something

2.  disapproval:
spoken or written opinions that point out one or more faults of somebody or
something

3.  assessment
of creative work: considered judgment of or discussion
about the qualities of something, especially a creative work.
Also
called
critique

4.  See
critique  noun 1

[1]



criticize

criticize
crit·i·cize 
[krítti sz] (past crit·i·cized,
past participle crit·i·cized, present participle crit·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular crit·i·ciz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  complain
about something wrong: to comment on or point out
the faults of people or things, or find something wrong or bad about them

2.  give
considered opinion on something: to make a considered
assessment of the qualities of something, especially a creative work
—crit·i·ciz·a·ble
[krítti szəb’l, krìtti
szəb’l], adjective

—crit·i·ciz·er
[krítti szər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  criticize, censure, castigate,
  blast, condemn, find fault with, pick holes in, nitpick
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  express disapproval or dissatisfaction with somebody or something criticize; the most wide-ranging term; censure; to make a formal, often public or
  official statement of disapproval; castigate;
  to criticize severely, often with a suggestion of reprimanding; blast; an informal term for “castigate”; condemn; to give an unfavorable, absolute,
  and final judgment; find fault with; to enumerate specific grounds for
  dissatisfaction; pick holes in; to
  point out flaws in something, particularly an argument; nitpick; to engage in petty fault-finding

[1]



critique

critique
cri·tique 
[kri tk] noun (plural cri·tiques)

1.  review
of somebody’s work: a written or broadcast
assessment of something, usually a creative work, with comments on its good and
bad qualities.
Also
called
criticism

2.  See
criticism  noun 3
transitive
verb
(past cri·tiqued, past participle cri·tiqued, present
participle cri·tiqu·ing, 3rd person present singular cri·tiques)

give review of:
to discuss or comment on something, for example, an artist’s work or a
political policy, giving an assessment of its good and bad features
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Greek kritikē (tekhnē), literally “art of criticism,” from kritikos
(see critic ).][1]



critter

critter
crit·ter 
[kríttər] (plural crit·ters) noun

creature:
a living thing, often a child or an animal (informal humorous) • That
dog was a mean old critter.
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of creature .][1]



croak

croak

croak 
[krōk] noun (plural croaks)

cry of animal or bird:
a rough, usually low-pitched, vibrating sound, especially made by a frog or a
crow, or the rough-sounding voice of somebody with a dry or sore throat
verb (past
croaked, past participle croaked, present participle
croak·ing, 3rd person present singular croaks)

1.  intransitive
verb
give
harsh grating call: to make a rough, usually
low-pitched, vibrating call

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
hoarsely:
to speak or say something in a rough low uneven voice

3.  intransitive
verb
grumble:
to grumble or mutter gloomily (informal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb die or
kill:
to die, or to kill somebody (slang)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.]
—croak·i·ly,
adverb

—croak·y, adjective[1]



croaker

croaker
croak·er 
[krṓkər] (plural croak·ers) noun

1.  fish
that makes croaking sound: a fish that makes croaking
or grunting noises. Family: Sciaenidae

2.  croaking
animal:
a bird or other animal that croaks when it calls

3.  doctor:
a doctor (slang)

[1]



Croat

Croat
Cro·at 
[krṓ t, krṓ àt]
(plural Cro·ats) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Croatia: somebody who was born or raised in
Croatia, or who has Croatian citizenship.
Also
called
Croatian

2.  LANGUAGE See Croatian  noun 1
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin Croata from Serbo-Croatian Hrvāt
(source of English cravat ).]
—Croat, adjective[1]



Croatia

Croatia



Cro·a·tia 
[krō áyshə, krō
áyshee ə]
formerly one of the six republics that
made up the former Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia declared
itself an independent republic in 1991. Language: Croatian. Currency: kuna.
Capital: Zagreb. Population: 4,664,710 (1997) Area: 56,510 sq km/21,819 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Croatia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Croatia




Back to definition

Croatia

[1]



Croatian

Croatian
Cro·a·tian 
[krō áysh’n] adjective

of Croatia:
relating to Croatia, its people, culture, or language
noun
(plural Cro·a·tians)

1.  LANGUAGE official
language of Croatia: the official language of
Croatia, a variety of Serbo-Croat written in the Latin alphabet. Croatian is
spoken by about five million people.
Also
called
Croat

2.  PEOPLES See Croat  noun 1

[1]



croc

croc
croc 
[kraak] (plural crocs) noun

crocodile:
a crocodile (informal) • Any
crocs in this river?
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



crocein

crocein
cro·ce·in 
[krṓssee in] noun

red
or orange dye: a red or orange acid azo dye
[20th century. Formed from
Latin croceus “saffron-colored,” from crocus (see crocus ).][1]



crochet

crochet
cro·chet 
[krō sháy] noun

type
of knitting using hook: a form of needlework used to
make clothes or decorative items from wool or thick stiff thread, by looping it
through itself with a special hooked needle crochet hook
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cro·cheted,
past participle cro·cheted [krō sháyd],
present participle cro·chet·ing [krō
sháy ing], 3rd person present singular cro·chets [krō sháyz])

use
crochet to make something: to make things, or a
particular item, with crochet work
[Mid-19th
century. From French crochet, literally “little hook,” from croche
“hook,” of Germanic origin.]
—cro·chet·er [krō sháy ər], noun[1]



croci

croci
cro·ci


Plural of
crocus[1]



crocidolite

crocidolite
cro·cid·o·lite 
[krō síddə lt] noun

blue-purple
mineral:
a fibrous purplish blue form of the mineral riebeckite. It is a type of
asbestos.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek krokid-, the stem of krokis “nap of woolen cloth” + -lite .][1]



crock

crock3
crock3 [krok]
noun

soot:
dirt or soot (regional)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



crock

crock2
crock2 [krok]
noun (plural crocks)

worn-out
thing:
a worn-out person, vehicle, or machine (informal insult)
transitive
verb
(past crocked, past participle crocked, present
participle crock·ing, 3rd person present singular crocks)

disable
something or somebody: to disable or weaken
somebody or something (slang)
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



crock

crock1
crock1 [krok]
(plural crocks) noun

1.  clay
pot:
a pot made of clay

2.  pottery
fragment:
a fragment of clay pottery

3.  lie:
something, especially a story, that is ridiculous or untrue (slang
disapproving) • His story about working
until midnight is just a crock!
[Old English crocc, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



crocked

crocked
crocked 
[krokt] adjective

drunk:
drunk (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from crock 2 .][1]



crockery

crockery
crock·er·y 
[krókəree] noun

pottery
dishes:
plates, cups, saucers, and other household items made of earthenware
[Early 18th century. Formed
from earlier crocker “potter,” from crock 1 .][1]



crocket

crocket
crock·et 
[krókət] (plural crock·ets) noun

decorative
carved leaf: any of various leaf shapes carved as
decorations in Gothic architecture, often projecting along the angles on a
spire or gable
[Late 17th century. From Old
French dialect croquet “shepherd’s crook,” a variant of Old French crochet
(see crochet ).][1]



Crockett,Davy

Crockett,Davy

Crock·ett 
[krókət], Davy (1786–1836)
U.S.
frontiersman. He fought against the Creek Native Americans, and joined Congress
in 1827.
Full name
Crockett, David[1]



Crock-Pot

Crock-Pot
Crock-Pot
Trademark

a trademark for an electric
pot used for slow cooking[1]



crocodile

crocodile

croc·o·dile 
[krókə dl] (plural croc·o·diles
or croc·o·dile) noun

1.  large
reptile with strong jaws: a large tropical or
subtropical carnivorous reptile that lives near water. It has a long,
thick-skinned, body and a broad head with strong jaws. Crocodiles have longer
and more tapering snouts than alligators. Family: Crocodylidae

2.  See
crocodilian

3.  leather
from crocodile skin: leather made from the skin
of a crocodile • crocodile shoes
[13th century. Via Old French
cocodril from, ultimately, Greek krokodilos, a kind of small
lizard.][1]



crocodilebird

crocodilebird
croc·o·dile
bird
noun

African bird:
a long-legged black-and-white African bird that lives near the sandy banks of
rivers and lakes and feeds on insects parasitic to the crocodile. Latin name: Pluvianus
aegyptius[1]



crocodileclip

crocodileclip
croc·o·dile
clip
noun

U.K.
See alligator clip[1]



crocodiletears

crocodiletears
croc·o·dile
tears
plural noun

false
sadness:
false tears or an insincere show of grief
[Because crocodiles were once
believed to have made sounds like weeping to attract prey, and to shed
hypocritical tears over their victims][1]



crocodilian

crocodilian
croc·o·dil·i·an 
[kròkə díllee ən] (plural croc·o·dil·i·ans)
noun

large
reptile:
any large predatory reptile belonging to a group that includes the alligator,
caiman, crocodile, gavial, and related extinct animals. Order: Crocodylia
Also
called
crocodile
—croc·o·dil·i·an, adjective[1]



crocoite

crocoite
croc·o·ite 
[krókō t] or croc·oi·site [krō kṓ i sīt] noun

rare
red mineral: a rare orange or red mineral consisting
of lead chromate. PbCrO4
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of French crocoise, from Greek krokoeis “saffron-colored,” from krokos
“saffron.”][1]



crocus

crocus

cro·cus 
[krṓkəss] (plural cro·cus·es or
cro·ci [krṓ sī, krṓkee]) noun

1.  spring
flower:
a small perennial plant that grows from a corm and has white, purple, or yellow
flowers in early spring. Genus: Crocus

2.  flower
similar to crocus: any plant that has a flower
like a true crocus, for example, the autumn crocus

3.  metal
polish:
powdered ferric oxide, used to polish metal.
U.K.
term
jeweller’s rouge
[14th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek krokos “saffron, crocus.”][1]



crocussack

crocussack
cro·cus
sack
or cro·cus bag noun

Southern
U.S.
gunnysack:
a gunnysack
[Origin
uncertain: possibly from crocus, because
such sacks were used to carry saffron]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Crocus sack is a Virginian Piedmont
  term that spreads south below the South Midland territory, where tow sack
  prevails. In Southern regions, where /r/ is pronounced and not vocalized
  after a vowel, the spelling form croker sack recurs. As vocalization
  recedes, the latter has become far more common than the original form.

[1]



Croesus

Croesus
Croe·sus 
[krssəss], King of Lydia (lived 6th century
BC)

Lydian monarch who was
proverbially wealthy ruler whose reign from about 560 to 546 BC ended in defeat and probable capture
by Cyrus the Great.[1]



Croesus

Croesus
Croe·sus 
[krssəss], King of Lydia (lived 6th century
BC)

Lydian monarch who was
proverbially wealthy ruler whose reign from about 560 to 546 BC ended in defeat and probable capture
by Cyrus the Great.[1]



croft

croft
croft 
[kroft] (plural crofts) noun

very
small farm:
a small plot of land, often with a house on it, that the owner or occupier
farms, especially in Scotland
[Old English . Of unknown
origin.][1]



crofter

crofter
croft·er 
[króftər] (plural croft·ers) noun

somebody living on croft:
somebody who owns or rents and farms a small plot of land, often living in a
house on it, especially in Scotland[1]



Crohn’sdisease

Crohn’sdisease
Crohn’s
dis·ease 
[krṓnz di zz] noun

inflammatory
bowel disease: a chronic inflammatory disease, usually
of the lower intestinal tract, marked by scarring and thickening of the
intestinal wall and obstruction
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. pathologist B. B. Crohn (1884–1983), who identified it.][1]



croissant

croissant
crois·sant 
[krwaa snt, krwaa
sn, krwaa sN] (plural crois·sants)
noun

crescent-shaped
bread roll:
a piece of baked dough or pastry shaped into a crescent, usually moist, flaky,
and very rich in fat, originally made in France
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “crescent.”][1]



Croixde Guerre

Croixde Guerre
Croix
de Guerre 
[krw də gúr] (plural Croix de
Guerre) noun

French
military medal: a French military medal awarded for
bravery in war
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “war cross.”][1]



crokersack

crokersack
cro·ker
sack 
[krṓkər sàk] noun

Southern
U.S.
gunnysack:
a gunnysack
[Alteration of crocus sack][1]



Cro-Magnon

Cro-Magnon
Cro-Mag·non 
[krō mágnən, krō
mánnyən] noun

early
modern human: the earliest known type of modern human
being found in Europe and dating from between about 50,000 and 30,000 years ago
[Mid-19th century. From the
name of the Cro-Magnon hill in the Dordogne, France, where Cro-Magnon
skeletons were first discovered.][1]



cromlech

cromlech
crom·lech 
[króm lèk] (plural crom·lechs)
noun

1.  stone
circle:
a group of prehistoric standing stones arranged in a circle

2.  burial
chamber:
an ancient stone burial chamber
[Late 17th century. From
Welsh, formed from crwm “arched” and llech “flat stone.”][1]



Cromwell,Oliver

Cromwell,Oliver

Crom·well 
[króm wèl, krómwəl],
Oliver (1599–1658)
English soldier and statesman. He led the
Parliamentarians to victory in the English Civil War (1642–1648) and, after the
execution of Charles I, ruled as Lord Protector of England (1653–1658).[1]



crone

crone
crone 
[krōn] (plural crones) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s age, appearance, and
temperament (offensive)
[14th century. Via Old
Northern French carogne “withered old woman,” literally “carrion,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin caronia, from Latin caro “flesh.”][1]



Cronus

Cronus
Cro·nus 
[krṓnəss] noun

father of Zeus:
in Greek mythology, one of the Titans who ruled the world until his son Zeus
dethroned him. Roman equivalent Saturn[1]



crony

crony
cro·ny 
[krṓnee] (plural cro·nies) noun

close
friend:
a close friend, especially one of long standing
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
khronios “long-lasting,” from khronos “time” (source of English chronic ). The word was originally Cambridge
University slang.][1]



cronyism

cronyism
cro·ny·ism 
[krṓniìzzəm] noun

doing favors for friends:
special treatment and preference given to friends or colleagues, especially the
giving of political posts to people because of friendship rather than their
ability (informal disapproving)[1]



Cronyn,Hume

Cronyn,Hume
Cro·nyn
[krṓnin], Hume (1911– )

Canadian-born U.S. stage and
screen actor who starred in many movies, including Cocoon ( 1985 ). In
1994 Cronyn and his wife, Jessica Tandy, were awarded the first Tony award for
lifetime theatrical achievement.[1]



crook

crook
crook
[krk] noun (plural crooks)

1.  hook-shaped
device:
a curved or hooked tool, instrument, or part in a mechanism

2.  AGRICULTURE shepherd’s
hooked stick: a long stick with a curved end used by a
shepherd to catch or guide a sheep

3.  CHRISTIANITY See crosier  noun 1

4.  bend
in something: a bent or curved part of something, for
example, the curve made by somebody’s arm when the elbow is bent

5.  dishonest
person:
somebody who steals, cheats, or is involved in criminal activities (informal
disapproving insult)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crook·ed,
past participle crook·ed, present participle crook·ing,
3rd person present singular crooks)

bend something:
to curve, or make something, for example, a finger, take on a hooked or curved
shape
[12th century. From Old Norse
krókr “hook.”][1]



crooked

crooked
crook·ed 
[krkəd] adjective

1.  with
bent shape:
sharply curved, bent, or twisted, often in more than one place

2.  at
angle:
not aligned properly, or at an angle • That
picture is crooked.

3.  not
legal:
illegal or dishonest (informal)
—crook·ed·ly,
adverb

—crook·ed·ness, noun[1]



crookery

crookery
crook·er·y 
[krkəree] noun

illegal dealings:
illegal or dishonest activities[1]



crookneck

crookneck
crook·neck 
[krk nèk] (plural crook·necks)
or crook·neck squash [krk nèk]
(plural crook·neck squash·es) or crook·necked squash
[krk nèkt ] (plural crook·necked
squash·es) noun

squash with curved neck:
a yellow summer squash that has a long curved neck[1]



croon

croon
croon 
[kroon] intransitive and transitive verb
(past crooned, past participle crooned, present
participle croon·ing, 3rd person present singular croons)

1.  sing
or murmur gently: to sing or murmur something in a soft,
low voice, especially to yourself or to a sleepy child

2.  sing
sentimentally: to perform a song or songs in a smooth
sentimental style
noun
(plural croons)

gentle singing:
a singing in a soft low way, or something sung in this way
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch krōnen “to lament” (perhaps ultimately an imitation of the
sound).][1]



crooner

crooner
croon·er 
[krnər] (plural croon·ers) noun

sentimental singer:
a singer who favors slow songs, especially ballads, and whose style is
generally sentimental[1]



crop

crop
crop 
[krop] noun (plural crops)

1.  AGRICULTURE BOTANY plant
grown for use: any group of plants grown by people for
food or other use, especially on a large scale in farming or horticulture

2.  AGRICULTURE amount
produced:
the amount harvested from a plant or area of land, during one particular period
of time • a
good crop of tomatoes

3.  AGRICULTURE animals
reared for produce: a group of animals reared in
farming, or something produced from them • a
poor crop of lambs

4.  group
of people or things: a number of things
occurring, or people doing or being something, at the same time • last
year’s crop of students

5.  EQUESTRIAN whip
handle:
the handle of a whip

6.  HAIRDRESSING short
hairstyle:
a short hairstyle, usually for a woman

7.  BIRDS pouch
in gullet of birds: a pouch in the gullet of
many birds in which they store or partially digest food before regurgitating it
to feed their young.
Also
called
craw

8.  ZOOLOGY pouch
in digestive system: a pouch in the digestive
tract of an insect or earthworm.
Also
called
craw
verb
(past cropped, past participle cropped, present
participle crop·ping, 3rd person present singular crops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE graze:
to eat the top parts of growing plants, especially grass

2.  transitive
verb
cut
something short: to cut something short, for example,
hair or a lawn

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE gather produce:
to cut or gather the produce of plants or of a cultivated area • crop
a field

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE produce crop:
to produce a crop, or make an area of land produce a crop • The
tomatoes cropped well this summer.

5.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY cut
part of photo: to cut off or conceal unwanted parts of
an image, especially a photograph
[Old English cropp
“ear of grain.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “round
mass,” which is also the ancestor of English croup
and group .][1]



cropcircle

cropcircle
crop
cir·cle
(plural crop cir·cles) noun

mysterious flat circle in
crops: an area in a field of crops
where the plants have been mysteriously flattened, usually overnight, into the
shape of a circle or a more complex pattern[1]



crop-duster

crop-duster
crop-dust·er
(plural crop-dust·ers) or crop dust·er (plural
crop dust·ers) noun

1.  crop-spraying
aircraft:
an aircraft used to spray powdered fungicide or insecticide onto crops from the
air

2.  flier
of crop-spraying aircraft: somebody who flies a
crop-spraying aircraft

[1]



crop-dusting

crop-dusting
crop-dust·ing 
noun

spraying crops from air:
the spraying of powdered fungicide or insecticide onto crops from the air[1]



cropout

cropout
crop
out
intransitive verb

See
outcrop[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cropper

cropper
crop·per
[króppər] (plural crop·pers) noun

1.  See
sharecropper

2.  somebody
or something that crops: a person, animal, or machine
that crops

3.  plant
giving yield: a plant described in terms of its
ability to yield produce
come
a cropper

1.  to
fail completely (informal)

2.  to
experience a hurtful or embarrassing fall (informal)

[1]



croprotation

croprotation
crop
ro·ta·tion
noun

growing different crops in
succession: a system of farming in which
a piece of land is planted with different crops in succession, in order to
improve soil fertility and control crop pests and diseases[1]



cropup

cropup
crop
up
intransitive verb

happen unexpectedly:
to appear or arrive, especially unexpectedly or from time to time (informal)
• Her
name keeps cropping up in conversation.[1]



croquet

croquet
cro·quet 
[krō káy] noun (plural cro·quets)

1.  lawn
game with balls and mallets: an outdoor game, usually
played on a lawn, in which the players use long-handled wooden mallets to hit
large wooden balls through a series of hoops ( wickets
)

2.  stroke
in croquet:
a stroke played in the game of croquet whereby a player knocks away an
opponent’s ball by hitting his or her own ball when the two are touching
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cro·queted,
past participle cro·queted, present participle cro·quet·ing,
3rd person present singular cro·quets)

knock somebody’s croquet ball away:
to knock away an opponent’s ball in the game of croquet by hitting your own
ball when the two are touching
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from French dialect croquet “shepherd’s crook,” a
variant of French crochet (see crochet
).][1]



croquette

croquette
cro·quette 
[krō két] (plural cro·quettes)
noun

small
fried cake:
a little flat cake or ball of a savory mixture, for example, containing potato,
meat, or fish, coated in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried
[Early 18th century. From
French, formed from croquer “to crunch,” ultimately an imitation of the
sound.][1]



croquis

croquis
cro·quis 
[krō k] (plural cro·quis) noun

sketch:
a rough sketch or draft of something (technical)
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from croquer “to sketch.”][1]



crore

crore
crore
[krawr] (plural crores or
crore) noun

South
Asia
ten
million:
ten million, especially ten million rupees or the equivalent, one million
pounds, in sterling
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi kroṛ from Sanskrit koiḥ .][1]



Crosby,Bing

Crosby,Bing
Cros·by 
[krózbee], Bing (1904?–1977)

U.S.
singer and actor. Famous for songs such as “White Christmas” ( 1942 ), he also
starred in many movies, including High Society ( 1956 ).
Real name
Crosby, Harry Lillis[1]



crosier

crosier
cro·sier 
[krṓzhər] (plural cro·siers) or
cro·zier [krṓzhər] (plural cro·ziers)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY rod
carried by bishop: a staff with a hooked end
like a shepherd’s crook, carried by Christian bishops, archbishops, or abbots,
symbolizing their roles of caring for their congregations as shepherds tend
flocks.
Also
called
crook

2.  BOTANY curled
plant part:
a part of a plant that has a curled end, for example, the frond of a fern
[13th century. Via Old French
crosier “crook bearer” from croce “crook” (also influenced by crois
“cross”). Ultimately of Germanic origin.][1]



cross-

cross-
cross-
prefix

1.  crossing
• crossover

2.  opposing,
opposite • crosscurrent

3.  reciprocal,
mutual • cross-link
[From cross][1]



cross

cross

cross 
[kross] noun (plural cross·es)

1.  two
intersecting lines: a sign or mark (X) made of
two straight lines that bisect each other, used to mark or cancel something,
or, in the past, as a signature by people who could not write

2.  Christian
symbol:
a long vertical bar intersected at right angles, usually about two-thirds up,
by a shorter horizontal bar, used as a symbol of Christianity, or of the
crucifixion. The shape refers to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

3.  Cross
or cross wooden structure Jesus Christ
died on:
the specific wooden cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified

4.  cross
-shaped medal or insignia: a medal or emblem shaped
like a cross

5.  wooden
execution post with crossbar: an upright wooden post with
a shorter post fixed across it at right angles toward the top, on which, in the
past, people were nailed or hanged in public executions

6.  stone
monument:
an upright stone or structure in the shape of a cross or holding a cross,
erected to commemorate somebody or something (often used in placenames)

7.  something
to be borne: a difficulty in somebody’s personal life
that is particularly testing, troubling, or painful • What’s
happened to him is a shame, but we all have a cross to bear.

8.  mixture:
a thing or person that results from blending two different kinds together, or
that combines the qualities of two different kinds • a
cross between a mystery and a historical novel

9.  GENETICS production
of hybrid:
the process of producing a crossbreed or hybrid from genetically different
individuals

10. GENETICS hybrid
individual:
an animal or plant produced by interbreeding two genetically different
individuals

11. BOXING sideways
blow in boxing: a punch thrown at an opponent from the
side, in response to and evading the opponent’s jab or lead

12. SOCCER passing
of ball across field: in soccer, a kicked pass
that sends the ball across the field, usually in the air

13. SPORTS pass
across goal: a pass that sends the ball across the
field, for example, in field hockey

14. CONSTRUCTION pipe
connection:
a cross -shaped joint used to connect four pipes

15. act
of opposition: an act of opposition to somebody’s plan
or procedure

16. LAW cross-examination:
cross-examination • On cross, the witness
admitted he had lied.

17. something
dishonest:
something dishonest or fraudulent, especially a sports contest in which the
outcome has been dishonestly decided before it begins (slang)
verb (past
crossed, past participle crossed, present participle
cross·ing, 3rd person present singular cross·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
across:
to move or move somebody or something from one side of something to the other • We’ve
already crossed the border. • The
river’s too swift to cross the horses here.

2.  intransitive
verb
extend
across:
to extend from one side of something to the other • Numerous
fallen trees cross the stream.

3.  transitive
verb
place
things one across the other: to put two things so that
one lies across the other • crossed
her legs

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb meet
at one point: to meet at a particular place or time
and then continue separately again • A settlement
grew up where two trade routes crossed.

5.  intransitive
verb
COMMUNICATION be
en route at one time: to be traveling in opposite
directions between the same two correspondents at the same time (refers to
letters and other forms of communication)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb TELECOMMUNICATIONS connect
telephone lines wrongly and confusingly: to
make an incorrect connection between telephone numbers or lines, so that two or
more conversations intermingle with each other, or to be connected in this way
(often passive)

7.  transitive
verb
GENETICS interbreed
plants or animals: to interbreed or hybridize
plants or animals that are genetically different

8.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY make
Christian blessing gesture with hand: to
draw the shape of a Christian cross in the air over somebody or something as a
symbol of God’s blessing

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS pass ball across field:
in soccer and some other games, to make a pass that sends the ball across,
rather than up or down, the field

10. transitive
verb
thwart
somebody:
to do something that goes against somebody’s wishes, or that annoys or
frustrates somebody (formal) • I
wouldn’t cross her; she gets mean when she’s angry.

11. transitive
verb
write
line across letter t: to draw a horizontal line
across the vertical line of a letter t, to complete the letter
adjective (comparative
cross·er, superlative cross·est)

angry: angry
and upset • exchanged
a few cross words
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old Norse kross and Old Irish cros from Latin crux
(source of English crucify, crucible, cruise,
and crusade ). Perhaps ultimately of
Phoenician origin.]
—cross·er,
noun

—cross·ly,
adverb

—cross·ness, noun[1]



crossable

crossable
cross·a·ble
[kráwssəb’l] adjective

able
to be traversed: possible, easy, or safe to pass across
from one side to the other
—cross·a·bil·i·ty [kròssə bíllətee], noun[1]



crossaction

crossaction
cross
ac·tion
(plural cross ac·tion) noun

LAW
action brought by defendant:
a legal proceeding brought by a person who has been sued against the person who
brought the original action, or against a fellow defendant[1]



crossbar

crossbar
cross·bar 
[kráwss br] (plural cross·bars)
noun

1.  level
pole:
a bar that runs horizontally between two vertical posts, for example, between
goalposts or the uprights of a jump

2.  level
bar in bicycle frame: a horizontal metal bar that
runs from below the handlebars to below the saddle, traditionally in a man’s or
boy’s bicycle

3.  transverse
stripe:
a transverse bar, stripe, or band

[1]



crossbeam

crossbeam
cross·beam 
[kráwss bm] (plural cross·beams)
noun

beam between supports:
a beam that passes between two supports in the structure of a building[1]



crossbearer

crossbearer
cross·bear·er
[kráwss bàirər] (plural cross·bear·ers)
or cross-bear·er [kráwss bàirər]
(plural cross-bear·ers) noun

somebody carrying cross:
somebody who carries a cross in front of a bishop or archbishop in a ceremonial
procession[1]



cross-bedding

cross-bedding
cross-bed·ding
noun

geological
layers formed at angle: layering of geological
strata in which deposits were laid down at an angle with respect to those above
and below, commonly seen in sandstone deposited as dunes.
Also
called
false bedding
—cross-bed·ded, adjective[1]



crossbill

crossbill
cross·bill 
[kráwss bìl] (plural cross·bills
or cross·bill) noun

finch with crossed beak:
a large finch that lives in coniferous forests and has a beak with crossed tips
that it uses to extract seeds from conifer cones. Genus: Loxia[1]



crossbones

crossbones
cross·bones 
[kráwss bnz] plural noun

symbol of two crossed bones:
a representation of two human thighbones crossing each other in the middle,
traditionally placed beneath a skull as a symbol of death. The image of
crossbones lying below a skull was traditionally used by pirates on their flag
( Jolly Roger ) and in modern times to show
that something is poisonous. See skull and
crossbones[1]



crossbow

crossbow
cross·bow 
[kráwss b] (plural cross·bows)
noun

powerful
weapon that fires bolts: a medieval weapon, or its
modern sports successor, consisting of a bow attached crosswise to a stock with
a cranking mechanism and a trigger. A crossbow fires short, heavy arrows called
bolts or quarrels.
—cross·bow·man, noun[1]



crossbred

crossbred
cross·bred 
[kráwss brèd] adjective

hybrid:
produced by hybridization of genetically different individuals
noun
(plural cross·breds)

See
crossbreed[1]



crossbreed

crossbreed
cross·breed 
[kráwss brd] intransitive and transitive
verb (past cross·bred, past participle cross·bred
[króss brèd], present participle cross·breed·ing,
3rd person present singular cross·breeds)

breed
from genetically different individuals: to
breed new strains of plants or animals from genetically different individuals
noun
(plural cross·breeds)

product of crossbreeding:
an animal or plant produced by crossbreeding.
Also called
crossbred[1]



crosscheck

crosscheck
cross·check 
[kráwss chèk] (past cross·checked,
past participle cross·checked, present participle cross·check·ing,
3rd person present singular cross·checks, plural cross·checks)
or cross-check [kráwss chèk] transitive
verb

1.  verify
something in another way: to make sure that something
such as a fact or figure is correct by looking it up in other sources or asking
another person

2.  obstruct
opponent using stick: in field hockey, ice hockey,
and lacrosse, to obstruct an opposing player by using both hands to thrust a
playing stick across his or her body
—cross·check, noun[1]



cross-claim

cross-claim
cross-claim
(plural cross-claims) noun

claim against other party:
a claim made against another party on the same side of a lawsuit, for example,
a fellow defendant[1]



cross-country

cross-country
cross-coun·try 
adjective

not on road or track:
done over fields or hills, or through woods, not on roads or a specially
prepared area • a cross-country run
noun

racing over fields:
running, sporting activity, or a race or event, done cross-country
adjective

1.  across
a country:
from one side of a country to another, or throughout a country • The
band embarked on a cross-country tour.

2.  operating
off roads:
designed or able to operate without roads • a
cross-country vehicle

[1]



cross-countryskiing

cross-countryskiing
cross-coun·try
ski·ing 
noun

skiing on flat ground:
skiing on long narrow skis across open countryside on fairly level ground.
Also called
langlauf[1]



crosscourt

crosscourt
cross·court 
[kráwss kàwrt] adjective

across playing court:
hit or thrown from one side of a playing court toward the other, especially in
tennis or basketball[1]



crosscousin

crosscousin
cross
cous·in
(plural cross cous·ins) or cross-cous·in (plural
cross-cous·ins) noun

type of first cousin:
a cousin who is related to somebody through a brother and sister, being either
a father’s sister’s child or a mother’s brother’s child.
See also
parallel cousin[1]



cross-cultural

cross-cultural
cross-cul·tur·al 
adjective

including
different cultures: relating to or comparing two
or more different cultures
—cross-cul·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



crosscurrent

crosscurrent
cross·cur·rent 
[kráwss kùrrənt] (plural cross·cur·rents)
noun

1.  contrary
flow:
a current that flows across another current, mainly in water but also in air

2.  opposite
tendency:
a movement or trend that conflicts with the general one, especially a trend in
people’s ideas or opinions

[1]



crosscut

crosscut
cross·cut 
[kráwss kùt] adjective

1.  cut
at angle:
used to describe something such as wood, meat, or fabric that is cut across its
main grain

2.  for
cutting across: made or used for cutting across the
grain of wood
verb
(past cross·cut, past participle cross·cut, present
participle cross·cut·ting, 3rd person present singular cross·cuts)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
with crosscut saw: to cut across the grain of
wood using a crosscut saw

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA move from one shot to
another:
to alternate repeatedly brief scenes from one filmed sequence with scenes from
another to give the impression that the events they show are happening at the
same time
noun

1.  cut
across:
a cut made across something, for example, a long piece of timber

2.  tunnel
across vein of ore: a tunnel in a mine that cuts
across a vein of ore

3.  CINEMA example
of film technique: an example of the film
technique in which short segments of two or more scenes are alternated

4.  shortcut:
a shorter and more direct route to place

[1]



crosscutsaw

crosscutsaw
cross·cut
saw
noun

saw cutting across grain:
a saw used for cutting wood across the grain[1]



crosscutting

crosscutting
cross·cut·ting 
[kráwss kùtting] noun

CINEMA
quick movement between sequences:
repeated alternation between brief film sequences to give the impression that
the events they show are happening at the same time[1]



cross-dress

cross-dress
cross-dress 
(past cross-dressed, past participle cross-dressed,
present participle cross-dress·ing, 3rd person present
singular cross-dress·es) intransitive verb

wear
clothes of opposite sex: to wear clothes usually worn
by somebody of the opposite sex
—cross-dress·er,
noun

—cross-dress·ing, noun[1]



crosse

crosse
crosse 
[krawss, kross]
(plural cross·es) noun

lacrosse
stick:
a wooden stick used in the game of lacrosse, curved at the top into a
triangular frame that supports a tough leatherwork net
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “bishop’s crook.” See crosier .][1]



cross-examine

cross-examine
cross-ex·am·ine 
(past cross-ex·am·ined, past participle cross-ex·am·ined,
present participle cross-ex·am·in·ing, 3rd person present
singular cross-ex·am·ines) transitive verb

1.  question
opposing witness: to question a witness for the opposing
side in a hearing or trial

2.  question
somebody relentlessly: to ask somebody a lot of
detailed questions in a persistent or aggressive way (informal)
—cross-ex·am·in·er,
noun

—cross-ex·am·i·na·tion,
noun[1]



cross-eyed

cross-eyed
cross-eyed
adjective

with eyes turned toward nose:
having one or both eyes turned in toward the nose (offensive)[1]



cross-fade

cross-fade
cross-fade
(past cross-fad·ed, past participle cross-fad·ed, present
participle cross-fad·ing, 3rd person present singular cross-fades)
intransitive and transitive verb

gradually replace sound or
image: to gradually introduce a new
sound or picture while causing another one to disappear[1]



cross-fertilization

cross-fertilization
cross-fer·til·i·za·tion 
noun

1.  fertilization
by fusion:
the fertilization of a female sex cell ( gamete
) of one individual by a male sex cell from a different individual, usually of
the same species.
See
also
self-fertilization

2.  See
cross-pollination

3.  exchange
of ideas:
the exchange of ideas between two groups, especially cultures, that produces
benefits for both
—cross-fer·tile,
adjective

—cross-fer·til·ize, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



crossfire

crossfire
cross·fire 
[kráwss fr] noun

1.  gunfire
from different directions: shots that come from more
than one place, in such a way that the lines of fire converge

2.  (plural
cross·fires) fierce clash of opinions:
heated or lively conversation, with different and opposing views and ideas
being put forward, or an example of this

[1]



cross-grained

cross-grained
cross-grained 
adjective

1.  with
grain running crosswise: with an irregular grain or a
grain that runs across the length

2.  bad-tempered
and difficult: difficult to deal with because of
stubbornness, contrariness, or bad temper (informal)

[1]



crosshairs

crosshairs
cross
hairs
[króss hàirz] or cross·hairs [króss hàirz] plural noun

fine lines:
a pair of fine lines or wires that cross at right angles inside a lens or
sight, used, for example, in focusing an optical instrument or in aiming a
rifle[1]



crosshatch

crosshatch

cross·hatch 
[kráwss hàtch] (past cross·hatched,
past participle cross·hatched, present participle cross·hatch·ing,
3rd person present singular cross·hatch·es) intransitive and
transitive verb
put
in lines as shading: to draw parallel or
intersecting lines across part of a drawing or diagram, usually diagonally,
especially to give the effect of shadow or different texture
—cross·hatch·ing, noun[1]



crosshead

crosshead
cross·head 
[kráwss hèd] (plural cross·heads)
noun

sliding metal block:
a sliding metal block securing one end of a piston rod to a connecting rod[1]



cross-index

cross-index
cross-in·dex 
(past cross-in·dexed, past participle cross-in·dexed,
present participle cross-in·dex·ing, 3rd person present
singular cross-in·dex·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cross-refer
item in index: to give a particular item one or more
additional entries in an index, under different headings, as cross-references
to it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
cross-references: to supply cross-references in something

[1]



crossing

crossing
cross·ing 
[kráwssing] (plural cross·ings)
noun

1.  point
where somebody can cross something: a
place that has been specially constructed, chosen, or marked out as somewhere
where something, for example, a road or a border, may be crossed

2.  point
where routes cross: a place where a railway line
and a road, two railway lines, roads, paths, or similar lines go across each
other

3.  journey
across water: a journey across a body of water

4.  central
area of cross-shaped church: the place in a cross-shaped
church where the nave and the transept meet

[1]



crossingover

crossingover
cross·ing
o·ver
or cross·ing-o·ver noun

GENETICS
interchange of chromosome segments:
the interchange of segments between homologous chromosomes during cell division
( meiosis ), resulting in new combinations
of gene types ( alleles ) and therefore variability in inherited
characteristics.
See also
recombination
Also called
crossover[1]



crossjack

crossjack
cross·jack
[kráwss jàk] (plural cross·jacks)
noun

mizzenmast sail:
a sail on the mizzenmast of a ship[1]



cross-legged

cross-legged
cross-leg·ged 
adjective

with
knees apart and ankles crossed: in a sitting position
with the legs bent so that the knees are apart and the ankles are crossed in
front
adverb

with one leg over other:
with one leg lying over the other • sitting
cross-legged[1]



crosslet

crosslet
cross·let 
[kráwsslət] (plural cross·lets)
noun

cross
with crosses on arms: on coats of arms, a cross
that has a smaller cross at the end of each of its arms
[15th century. Modeled on
Anglo-Norman croiselet, literally “small cross.”][1]



cross-link

cross-link
cross-link 
noun (plural cross-links) cross-link cross-link·age

connecting
link in molecule: a transverse connecting element, such as
an atom, chemical group, or covalent bond, between parallel chains of a complex
organic molecule, especially a polymer or protein
transitive
verb
(past cross-linked, past participle cross-linked, present
participle cross-link·ing, 3rd person present singular cross-links)

join something by cross-link:
to join polymer chains by a cross-link[1]



crossmatching

crossmatching
cross
match·ing 
noun

compatibility
testing of blood or tissue: the process of testing for
the compatibility of a donor’s and recipient’s tissues before blood transfusion
or tissue transplantation
—cross-match, transitive
verb[1]



cross-multiply

cross-multiply
cross-mul·ti·ply 
(past cross-mul·ti·plied, past participle cross-mul·ti·plied,
present participle cross-mul·ti·ply·ing, 3rd person present
singular cross-mul·ti·plies) intransitive verb

multiply
numerators by denominators: to multiply each numerator
of two fractions by the denominator of the other
—cross-mul·ti·pli·ca·tion,
noun[1]



crossoff

crossoff
cross
off
transitive verb

no longer include something:
to remove something, especially a name or item written on a list, by drawing a
line through it[1]



crossof Lorraine

crossof Lorraine
cross
of Lor·raine (plural cross·es of Lor·raine)
noun

cross
with two horizontal bars: a cross with two horizontal
bars, a short bar near the top and a longer one near the bottom
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the former French province of Lorraine .][1]



Crossof Valour

Crossof Valour
Cross
of Val·our
(plural Crosses of Val·our) noun

Canadian award for bravery:
the highest Canadian decoration for courage[1]



crossopterygian

crossopterygian
cros·sop·te·ryg·i·an 
[kro sòptə ríjjən] (plural cros·sop·te·ryg·i·ans
or cros·sop·te·ryg·i·an) noun

bony
fish:
a bony fish with paired fleshy pectoral fins like limbs that is thought to be
ancestral to amphibians and other land vertebrates. All except the coelacanth
are extinct. Subclass: Crossopterygii
Also
called
lobefin
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Crossopterygii, subclass name, from Greek krossoi
“fringe” and pterux “wing, fin.”]
—cros·sop·te·ryg·i·an,
adjective[1]



crossout

crossout
cross
out
transitive verb

delete something with line:
to cancel something, especially a word or item that is wrong or not wanted, by
drawing a line through it[1]



crossover

crossover
cross·o·ver 
[kráwss vər] (plural cross·o·vers)
noun

1.  crossing
or transfer point: a place for crossing from
one side of something to the other, or from one line, system, or vehicle to
another

2.  GENETICS See crossing over

3.  somebody
voting against own party: a supporter of one political
party who votes for a candidate of another party, especially in a primary
election

4.  widening
of popularity: the process by which an artistic work
becomes popular outside the category in which it originated

5.  something
now popular with different audience: an
artist, musician, artistic creation, or piece of music that has become popular
outside one original category
—cross·o·ver, adjective[1]



crosspatch

crosspatch
cross·patch 
[króss pàch] (plural cross·patch·es)
noun

unpleasant
person:
a bad-tempered, touchy person (dated informal)
[Late 17th century. Formed
from cross in the sense “annoyed” + patch, with the early meaning “fool.”][1]



crosspiece

crosspiece
cross·piece 
[kráwss pss] (plural cross·piec·es)
noun

part that crosses structure:
a piece that crosses a structure or implement from one side to the other, for
example, a beam in a building or part of the handle of a tool[1]



cross-pollination

cross-pollination
cross-pol·li·na·tion 
noun

transfer
of pollen to another flower: the transfer of pollen from
an anther of one flower to the stigma of another.
Also
called
cross-fertilization
—cross-pol·li·nate, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



crossproduct

crossproduct
cross
prod·uct
(plural cross prod·ucts) noun

See
vector product[1]



cross-purpose

cross-purpose
cross-pur·pose 
(plural cross-pur·pos·es) noun

conflicting
purpose:
a conflicting or contrary purpose
at
cross-purposes

not understanding each other,
usually through not realizing that the other person means or intends something
different[1]



cross-question

cross-question
cross-ques·tion 
noun

question
to witness in court: a lawyer’s question to a
witness being cross-examined in a court case
—cross-ques·tion·ing,
noun

—cross-ques·tion, transitive
verb[1]



cross-reaction

cross-reaction
cross-re·ac·tion 
(plural cross-re·ac·tions) noun

reaction
with different antigen: the immunological reaction
of one antigen with the antibodies developed against another similar antigen
—cross-re·act,
intransitive verb

—cross-re·ac·tive,
adjective

—cross-re·ac·tiv·i·ty,
noun[1]



cross-refer

cross-refer
cross-re·fer 
(past cross-re·ferred, past participle cross-re·ferred,
present participle cross-re·fer·ring, 3rd person present
singular cross-re·fers) intransitive and transitive verb

direct reader somewhere else:
to give a note that tells a reader of a book, index, or card catalog to look in
another specified part of the same work or under another heading[1]



cross-reference

cross-reference
cross-ref·er·ence 
noun (plural cross-ref·er·en·ces)

direction to reader to look elsewhere:
a note, especially one printed in a book, index, or card catalog, that tells a
reader to look in another specified place for information
verb
(past cross-ref·er·enced, past participle cross-ref·er·enced,
present participle cross-ref·er·enc·ing, 3rd person present
singular cross-ref·er·en·ces)

1.  transitive
verb
put
notes into text: to provide a text, index, or card
catalogue with cross-references

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb See cross-refer

[1]



cross-resistance

cross-resistance
cross-re·sis·tance 
(plural cross-re·sis·tanc·es) noun

resistance to related toxin:
resistance developed by an organism to the effects of a toxin as a result of
being exposed to a similar toxin.
Also called
cross-tolerance[1]



crossroad

crossroad
cross·road 
[kráwss rd] (plural cross·roads)
noun

road that crosses over:
a road that runs across another one or that links two main roads.
Also called
crossway[1]



crossroads

crossroads
cross·roads 
[kráwss rdz] plural noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  intersection:
a place where two or more roads meet or cross each other, especially in a rural
or quiet area

2.  rural
community:
a small town or community located at a crossroads

3.  meeting
place:
a central meeting place that has a lot of activity

4.  decisive
moment:
a time when an important decision must be made

[1]



crossruff

crossruff
cross·ruff 
[kráwss rùf] noun (plural cross·ruffs)

plan
between partners at cards: a tactic used in the games
of whist and bridge, in which two partners alternately trump each other’s first
card ( lead ) in each round
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cross·ruffed,
past participle cross·ruffed, present participle cross·ruff·ing,
3rd person present singular cross·ruffs)

take
turns to trump partner: to play a crossruff, or to
trump the card led by your partner or from the dummy in a crossruff
[Late 16th century. Formed
from cross + ruff 2 “to
trump.”][1]



crosssection

crosssection
cross
sec·tion
(plural cross sec·tions) or cross-sec·tion (plural
cross-sec·tions) noun

1.  plane
cutting through an object: a plane surface formed by
cutting through an object at right angles to an axis, especially the longest
axis

2.  something
cut in cross section: a piece cut as part of a
cross section, or an image of such a piece • draw
a cross-section of a cone

3.  representative
sample:
a sample of something that represents all or most of the different elements
that the whole contains

4.  probability
of particle interaction: a measure of the probability
of any specific interaction such as fission or ionization occurring between two
elementary particles
—cross-sec·tion·al, adjective[1]



cross-stitch

cross-stitch
cross-stitch 
noun (plural cross-stitch·es)

1.  embroidery
stitch:
a stitch made up of two diagonal stitches crossing each other

2.  embroidery
in cross-shaped stitches: pictures, designs, or items
of needlework sewn using cross-stitches
intransitive
and transitive verb (past cross-stitched,
past participle cross-stitched, present participle cross-stitch·ing,
3rd person present singular cross-stitch·es)

sew using cross-stitch:
to do embroidery using cross-stitches, or to make something in cross-stitch

[1]



crosstalk

crosstalk
cross·talk 
[kráwss tàwk] noun

1.  unwanted
signals:
unwanted sounds or other signals picked up by one channel of an electronic
communications system from another channel, for example, between telephones or
loudspeakers

2.  side
conversation: talking that is not part of the main
conversation and may distract from it

[1]



crosstie

crosstie
cross·tie 
[kráwss t] noun

1.  crosswise
support:
a transverse supporting part of a structure, for example, a beam or rod

2.  railroad
tie:
a wooden beam that secures the rails on a railroad track

[1]



cross-tolerance

cross-tolerance
cross-tol·er·ance 
(plural cross-tol·er·anc·es) noun

See
cross-resistance[1]



cross-town

cross-town
cross-town
[kráwss tòwn] or cross·town [kráwss tòwn] adjective

going
across town: traveling or extending across a city or
town
—cross·town, adverb[1]



cross-train

cross-train
cross-train 
(past cross-trained, past participle cross-trained,
present participle cross-training, 3rd person present singular
cross-trains) intransitive verb

SPORTS
train for different sports:
to train for more than one competitive sport at a time[1]



crosstrainer

crosstrainer
cross·train·er
[kráwss tràynər] noun SPORTS

1.  somebody
training for different sports: an athlete who trains
for more than one competitive sport simultaneously

2.  sneaker:
a sneaker designed for more than one sporting activity

[1]



cross-training

cross-training
cross-train·ing 
adjective

SPORTS
used in more than one sport:
designed to be used for more than one kinds of sporting activity • a
cross-training bike[1]



crosstraining

crosstraining
cross
train·ing
noun

SPORTS
training in different sports:
fitness training in different sports, for example, running and weightlifting,
usually undertaken to enhance performance in one of the sports[1]



crosstree

crosstree
cross·tree 
[kráwss tr] (plural cross·trees)
noun

support on mast:
either of a pair of horizontal pieces of wood or metal at the top of a ship’s
mast to which ropes are fixed to support the mast[1]



crossvault

crossvault
cross
vault
(plural cross vaults) or cross vault·ing (plural
cross vault·ings) noun

intersection of vaults:
a ceiling created by the crossing of two or more simple arched vaults ( barrel vaults )[1]



crosswalk

crosswalk
cross·walk 
[kráwss wàwk] (plural cross·walks)
noun

designated place for crossing
street: a place marked on a street
where pedestrians can cross the street safely.
U.K. term
pedestrian crossing[1]



crossway

crossway
cross·way 
[kráwss wày] (plural cross·ways)
noun

See
crossroad[1]



crossways

crossways
cross·ways 
[kráwss wàyz] adverb

1.  See
crosswise

2.  diagonally:
from one side or corner to another, in a slanting line

[1]



crosswind

crosswind
cross·wind 
[kráwss wìnd] (plural cross·winds)
noun

wind pushing sideways:
a wind that blows across a particular route, flight path, or direction of
travel[1]



crosswise

crosswise
cross·wise 
[kráwss wz] adverb

sideways
across something: in such a way as to cross something or
be positioned across it
adjective

transverse:
crossing or lying across something else[1]



crossword

crossword
cross·word
[kráwss wùrd] (plural cross·words)
or cross·word puz·zle [kráwss wùrd]
noun

word puzzle on square grid:
a puzzle in which numbered clues are solved and words that form the answers
entered horizontally or vertically into a correspondingly numbered grid of
squares. Crossword puzzles are often printed in newspapers and magazines,
usually with black squares in the grid among the blank squares.[1]



crotch

crotch
crotch 
[kroch] (plural crotch·es) noun

1.  place
where legs join body: the part of the human body
where the legs join the trunk

2.  part
of garment covering genitals: the area of a pair of pants
or underpants that covers somebody’s genitals

3.  place
where tree divides: a part of a tree where it
forks into two branches

4.  forked
stick:
a pole or stick with a forked end, or the fork itself.
See
also
crutch
[Mid-16th
century. Probably a variant of crutch, but
influenced by Old North French croche “crook,” ultimately of Germanic
origin. (See crozier ).]
—crotched, adjective[1]



crotchet

crotchet
crotch·et 
[króchət] (plural crotch·ets) noun

1.  whim:
a whim, or a perverse idea or opinion (dated)

2.  U.K.
See quarter note
[14th century. From Old
French crochet, literally “small hook” (see crochet
).][1]



crotchety

crotchety
crotch·et·y 
[króchətee] adjective

irritable:
irritable and difficult to please (informal)
—crotch·et·i·ness, noun[1]



croton

croton
cro·ton 
[krṓt’n] (plural cro·ton or
cro·tons) noun

1.  tropical
plant:
a tropical plant belonging to the spurge family. Most are shrubs or trees, and
some are noted for their medicinal properties. Genus: Croton

2.  tropical
evergreen plant: a tropical evergreen plant, grown for
its leathery, variegated foliage. Latin name: Codiaeum variegatum
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek krotōn “sheep-tick,” because of the shape
of the plant’s seeds.][1]



Crotonbug

Crotonbug
Cro·ton
bug 
[krṓt’n bùg] noun

See
German cockroach
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Croton River in southeastern New York, which formerly supplied water
for New York City.][1]



crotonicacid

crotonicacid
cro·ton·ic
ac·id 
[krō tònnik ássid] noun

organic
acid used in manufacturing: a colorless, crystalline,
organic acid used in organic synthesis and the manufacture of drugs and resins.
C4H6O2
[Formed from croton][1]



crotonoil

crotonoil
cro·ton
oil
noun

brown oil from croton plant:
a yellowish brown oil used in the past as a purgative and counterirritant,
extracted from the seeds of a croton plant[1]



crouch

crouch
crouch 
[krowch] verb (past crouched,
past participle crouched, present participle crouch·ing,
3rd person present singular crouch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
bend
down low:
to squat down on the balls of the feet with knees bent and body hunched over • I
had to crouch to get under the table.

2.  intransitive
verb
bend
in preparation to pounce: to stay down close to the
ground with legs bent, waiting to spring or run forward (refers to animals)
• The
mountain lion crouched in readiness to pounce.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cringe:
to bow the head or bend the body down in a humble or frightened way (dated)
noun
(plural crouch·es)

squatting position:
the position of a human squatting with back and knees bent, or the position of
an animal with the body pressed low to the ground in readiness to spring
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a variant of Old French crochir “to be
crooked,” from croche “hook” (see crochet
).][1]



croup

croup1
croup1 [kroop]
noun

childhood
ailment with breathing spasms: an inflammatory
condition of the larynx and trachea, especially in young children, marked by a
cough, hoarseness, and difficult breathing
[Mid-18th
century. From croup “to croak,” probably an imitation of the sound.]
—croup·ous,
adjective

—croup·y, adjective[1]



croup

croup2
croup2 [kroop]
(plural croups) or croupe [kroop]
(plural croupes) noun

hindquarters:
the hindquarters of a four-legged animal, especially a horse.
See
also
crupper
[13th century. From Old
French croupe (source also of English crupper
).][1]



croupier

croupier
crou·pi·er 
[krpee ày, krpi
ər] (plural crou·pi·ers) noun

worker
in casino:
somebody in charge of a gaming table who collects and pays out the players’
money and chips, and deals the cards or spins the roulette wheel
[Mid-18th century. From French,
literally “person who rides behind.” The modern English meaning developed from
“adviser standing behind a gambler.”][1]



croustade

croustade
crous·tade 
[kroo std] (plural crous·tades)
noun

edible
crust for holding food: an edible casing, usually of
fried bread or pastry, for holding a savory filling for example, fish, poultry,
meat, or vegetables
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin crusta (see crust
).][1]



crouton

crouton
crou·ton 
[kr tòn] (plural crou·tons) noun

crunchy
cube of bread: a small piece, usually a cube, of fried
bread used as a garnish for soups, salads, and other dishes (usually used in
the plural)
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “little crust,” from croûte (see crust ).][1]



crow

crow

crow
[krō] noun (plural crows)

1.  large
black bird:
a large bird with shiny black feathers and a raucous cry, belonging to a family
whose members are found in most parts of the world. Rooks and ravens are crows
. Genus: Corvus

2.  See
crowbar  noun

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults the pitch of her voice
(slang offensive)

4.  rooster’s
loud cry:
a long shrill call made by a bird, especially a rooster
intransitive verb
(past crowed or crew, past participle crowed,
present participle crow·ing, 3rd person present singular crows)

1.  cry
like rooster: to give the loud shrill cry of a rooster

2.  cry
out happily: to cry out with pleasure in the way that
babies do

3.  brag
about something: to boast about personal success or
celebrate about something another person has failed to do in a noisy and
exuberant way
[The
noun is from Old English crāwe ; the verb from Old English crāwan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor of
English crack and croon .]
eat crow

to
be forced to admit that you have been wrong or have been humiliatingly defeated
(informal)

as the crow flies

in a straight line[1]



Crow

Crow
Crow
[krō] (plural Crow or Crows)
noun

1.  member
of Native American people: a member of a Native North
American people who used to live on the plains of North Dakota but who now
inhabit areas of southern Montana and Wyoming

2.  Crow
language:
the Siouan language of the Crow people. Crow is spoken by about five thousand
people.
[Early
19th century. Translation of French (gens de) corbeaux, literally “raven
people,” which in turn was a translation of the Native American name.]
—Crow, adjective[1]



crowbar

crowbar

crow·bar 
[krṓ br] (past crow·barred, past
participle crow·barred, present participle crow·bar·ring,
3rd person present singular crow·bars, plural crow·bars)
noun
strong
metal lever: an iron or steel bar with one flattened,
often bent or forked end that is used to lever things up or off.
Also
called
crow
[Mid-18th
century. So called because the flattened end resembles a crow’s foot.]
—crow·bar, transitive
verb[1]



crowberry

crowberry
crow·ber·ry 
[krṓ bèrree] (plural crow·ber·ries)
noun

1.  evergreen
shrub:
a low-growing evergreen shrub found in colder regions that has tiny pink or
purple flowers and small black berries. Latin name: Empetrum nigrum

2.  berry
of crowberry shrub: the flavorless edible berry
of the crowberry shrub
[Late 16th century. Probably
a translation of German Krähenbeere .][1]



crowd

crowd1
crowd1 [krowd]
noun (plural crowds)

1.  people
gathered together: a large group of people
gathered in one place

2.  set
of people:
a group of people with something in common

3.  audience
or spectators: a group of people attending the same
public event or entertainment

4.  the
masses:
the mass or majority of people

5.  large
group of things: a large number of things put or found
together
verb
(past crowd·ed, past participle crowd·ed, present
participle crowd·ing, 3rd person present singular crowds)

1.  intransitive
verb
throng
together:
to assemble or move in large numbers

2.  transitive
verb
fill
or pack something: to fill or cover something
or a place in large numbers or to capacity

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb press
near somebody: to stand or move uncomfortably close to
somebody

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb herd
or cram:
to urge, herd, or force a closely packed group of people, animals, or things
into a place

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb advance
by shoving:
to move forward by pushing and shoving, or shove past somebody

6.  transitive
verb
pressure
somebody:
to put pressure on somebody to do something, or make somebody feel forced into
something
[Old
English crūdan “to press.” The underlying sense is “pressing against
something or into a space.”]
—crowd·ed,
adjective

—crowd·ed·ness,
noun

—crowd·er, noun[1]



crowd

crowd2
crowd2 [krowd]
(plural crowds) noun

MUSIC ancient
stringed instrument: an ancient Celtic stringed
instrument that was bowed or plucked
[14th century. From Welsh crwth
.][1]



crowdout

crowdout
crowd
out
transitive verb

force somebody or something
out: to exclude or push out
somebody or something by force of numbers[1]



crowdpleaser

crowdpleaser
crowd
pleas·er
(plural crowd pleas·ers) noun

somebody
or something popular: a person, object, event, or
occasion that has great popular appeal
—crowd-pleas·ing, adjective[1]



crowfoot

crowfoot
crow·foot 
[krṓ ft] noun

1.  (plural
crow·foots) PLANTS plant
with leaves like crow’s foot: a plant related to the
buttercup that has small yellow or white flowers and divided leaves resembling
the feet of a crow. Some species grow in water. Genus: Ranunculus

2.  (plural
crow·foots) PLANTS plant
resembling crowfoot: any of various plants that
have leaves resembling a bird’s foot

3.  (plural
crow·feet) NAUTICAL ropes
supporting awning: a set of ropes to support an
awning

[1]



crown

crown
crown 
[krown] noun (plural crowns)

1.  ACCESSORIES headdress
symbolizing royalty: an ornate headdress worn as
a symbol of sovereignty, often made of gold and set with gems

2.  symbol
of achievement: a wreath or circlet worn on the head as
a symbol of victory, success, or high achievement

3.  POLITICS monarch:
the reigning monarch of a country

4.  Crown
or crown POLITICS monarch’s
power:
the power or authority vested in a monarch

5.  emblem
resembling crown: an emblem or ornament resembling or
representing a crown

6.  top-ranking
title:
a title or distinction that signifies victory or supreme achievement

7.  pinnacle:
the highest point of quality, achievement, or fame

8.  uppermost
part:
the top part of something, especially a hill

9.  ANATOMY top of
head:
the top part of the head

10. BOTANY upper
part of plant: the upper part of a tree or shrub,
consisting of the foliage and branches

11. ACCESSORIES top
of hat:
the top part of a hat

12. BOTANY roots
and lower stem of plant: the roots and lower stem of
a plant, or a plant consisting only of these parts, used especially for
propagation

13. DENTISTRY visible
part of tooth: the visible part of a tooth, covered by
enamel

14. DENTISTRY artificial
tooth:
an artificial replacement for the visible part of a tooth that has decayed or
been damaged

15. BOTANY See corona

16. BIRDS bird’s
crest:
the crest of a bird

17. top
of gemstone: the upper part of a cut gemstone

18. HISTORY MONEY British coin:
a former British coin worth five shillings, now issued only to commemorate
special events

19. MONEY European
coin:
any of several European coins, such as the Norwegian and Danish krone or the
Swedish krona, whose name is translated as “ crown ”

20. ACCESSORIES winding
knob on watch: a ridged winding knob on a watch

21. NAUTICAL junction
of anchor arms and shank: the junction where the arms
of an anchor join the shank

22. PAPER size
of paper:
a size of paper equal to 38 by 51 cm/15 by 20 in
verb
(past crowned, past participle crowned, present
participle crown·ing, 3rd person present singular crowns)

1.  transitive
verb
POLITICS confer
royal status: to make somebody royal or place a crown
on somebody’s head to symbolize this

2.  transitive
verb
reward
somebody with crown: to place a crown on
somebody’s head, especially in recognition of a victory, success, or
achievement

3.  transitive
verb
rank
highest:
to confer the top rank on somebody

4.  transitive
verb
be
summit of something: to be or form the top of
something

5.  transitive
verb
put
finishing touch to something: to complete or be the
consummation or confirmation of something

6.  transitive
verb
DENTISTRY fit
crown to tooth: to fit an artificial crown to a damaged
or decayed tooth

7.  transitive
verb
BOARD GAMES make
checker a king: to promote an ordinary checkers piece to
the status of king

8.  transitive
verb
top
something with something else: to put something on or
at the top of something else

9.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody on head: to hit somebody over the head (informal)

10. intransitive
verb
show
baby’s head during labor: to progress during the birth
of a baby to the point where part of the baby’s head is showing at the vaginal
opening (informal)
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman corune or Old French corone from Latin corona
“wreath, garland” (source of English corona
), from Greek koronē “something curved” from koronis “curved.”][1]



Crownattorney

Crownattorney
Crown
at·tor·ney
noun

Canadian lawyer in criminal
cases: a lawyer who undertakes
criminal prosecutions in Canada on behalf of a federal, provincial, or
territorial government.
Also called
Crown prosecutor[1]



crowncanopy

crowncanopy
crown
can·o·py
noun

See
canopy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








crowncolony

crowncolony
crown
col·o·ny
noun

British colony:
a British colony in which the Crown has a whole or partial governing power[1]



crowncorporation

crowncorporation
crown
cor·po·ra·tion (plural crown cor·po·ra·tions)
noun

Canadian government-owned
company: in Canada, a commercial
company owned by a government but independently managed[1]



CrownDerby

CrownDerby
Crown
Der·by
noun

English porcelain:
a soft-paste porcelain manufactured in the city of Derby, England, from
1784–1848 and usually marked with the letter “D” surmounted by a crown[1]



crownedhead

crownedhead
crowned
head
(plural crowned heads) noun

monarch:
a reigning monarch[1]



crowngall

crowngall
crown
gall
noun

bacterial disease of plants:
a disease of fruit and roses that results in swellings on the roots or stems
and is caused by a bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens[1]



crownglass

crownglass
crown
glass
noun

1.  old
window glass: a traditional window glass made by
spinning a bubble of molten glass on the end of a rod until it forms a flat
disk

2.  glass
for lenses:
high-quality glass with a low index of refraction used for making lenses

[1]



crowning

crowning
crown·ing
[krówning] noun (plural crown·ings)

1.  POLITICS investiture
of monarch:
the process or ceremony of making somebody a monarch

2.  MEDICINE stage
in labor:
the stage in giving birth at which an infant’s head passes through the vaginal
opening
adjective

1.  ultimate
in achievement: representing supreme achievement or the
ultimate moment in something

2.  forming
summit:
forming a crown or summit

[1]



crownjewel

crownjewel
crown
jew·el
noun

most valuable part or asset:
the most valuable part of something, or the most prized asset[1]



crownjewels

crownjewels
crown
jew·els
plural noun

royal jewelry and regalia:
the jewelry and regalia that a monarch wears on state occasions[1]



crownland

crownland
crown
land
(plural crown lands) noun

Canada
public land:
public land, especially forests, that is owned and regulated by a federal or
provincial government[1]



crownlens

crownlens
crown
lens
(plural crown lens·es) noun

lens of crown glass:
a lens made of crown glass, especially the converging component of an
achromatic lens[1]



crown-of-thorns

crown-of-thorns
crown-of-thorns 
(plural crown-of-thorns) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY spiny
starfish:
a spiny Pacific starfish that feeds on live coral. Latin name: Acanthaster
planci

2.  PLANTS shrub
with scarlet bracts: a Madagascan shrub, grown as
a house plant or as a hedge in tropical areas, whose flowers have scarlet
bracts. Latin name: Euphorbia milii

3.  heavy
burden:
a painful or onerous burden
[From the biblical accounts
of the wreath of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ][1]



crownprince

crownprince
crown
prince
(plural crown princes) noun

male heir in monarchy:
the principal male heir in a monarchy[1]



crownprincess

crownprincess
crown
prin·cess
(plural crown prin·cess·es) noun

female heir in monarchy:
the principal female heir in a monarchy, or the wife of the male heir[1]



Crownprosecutor

Crownprosecutor
Crown
pros·e·cu·tor (plural Crown pros·e·cu·tors)
noun

See
Crown attorney[1]



crownroast

crownroast
crown
roast
(plural crown roasts) noun

cut of meat:
a cut of meat consisting of two rib sections sewn together to form a circle[1]



crownsaw

crownsaw
crown
saw
(plural crown saws) noun

rotary saw:
a cylindrical saw with a row of teeth along one edge, designed for cutting
round holes[1]



crownvetch

crownvetch
crown
vetch
noun

plant with small flowers:
a European leguminous plant with small pink or white flowers that is cultivated
for garden borders and erosion control. Latin name: Coronilla varia
Also called
axseed[1]



crow’sfeet

crow’sfeet
crow’s
feet
plural noun

wrinkles
near eyes:
a network of wrinkles radiating from the outer corner of the human eye
[Because they resemble the
footprints of crows][1]



crow’s-foot

crow’s-foot
crow’s-foot 
(plural crow’s-feet) noun

1.  SEWING three-point
stitch:
a sewing stitch with three points, used especially for finishing off a seam

2.  AIR set of
ropes:
a set of short ropes, used in airships and ballooning, that redistributes the
pull of a single rope

3.  MILITARY See caltrop
[From the shape][1]



crow’s-nest

crow’s-nest
crow’s-nest 
(plural crow’s-nests) noun

1.  NAUTICAL ship’s
lookout point: a lookout point consisting of a railed
platform at the top of a ship’s mast or superstructure

2.  ARCHITECTURE lookout
point on land: a high enclosed lookout point on land

[1]



croze

croze
croze 
[krōz] (plural crozes) noun

1.  groove
on barrel:
a groove at the top of a barrel or cask into which the head is fitted

2.  tool
to cut croze: a cooper’s tool used to cut grooves at
the top of barrels and casks
[Early 17th century. From
French creux “hollow, groove,” probably ultimately of Celtic origin.][1]



crozier

crozier
cro·zier 
noun

See
crosier[1]



CRT

CRT1
CRT1 (plural CRTs)

Abbreviation of
cathode-ray tube[1]



CRT

CRT2
CRT2 (plural CRTs) noun

computer monitor:
a computer monitor containing a cathode-ray tube[1]



cru

cru
cru 
[kroo] (plural crus) noun

1.  French
vineyard:
a vineyard or wine-growing area in France that meets specified standards of
quality. The French government sometimes classifies a cru either as a “grand
cru” or a “premier cru.”

2.  official
class of French wine: an official grade of French
wine such as grand or premier cru
[Early 19th century. Formed
from French crû, past participle of croître “to grow,” from,
ultimately, Latin crescere (source of English accretion and crescent
).][1]



crucial

crucial
cru·cial 
[krsh’l] adjective

1.  vital
to solution: vital to the outcome of something

2.  important:
very important or significant (informal)
[Early
18th century. Via French, from Latin cruc-, the stem of crux
“cross” (source of English crux ).]
—cru·cial·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Meaning
  trap:
  Crucial has been trivialized to
  the point that it often means nothing more than “important.” This is
  especially true in media reports in which a hard-hitting word is often more
  attractive to the reporter: • If
  proportional representation is adopted, it is crucial to choose the best
  method.
  Crucial would better be reserved for
  something decisive: • Her
  tie-breaking vote was crucial and • Her
  vote was nearly crucial are correct; • Her
  tie-breaking vote was very crucial and
  • Her
  vote was somewhat crucial are not, because the
  meanings of crucial are “of the greatest
  significance” and “most vital,” thus admitting no comparatives or
  superlatives.

[1]



crucian

crucian
cru·cian 
[krsh’n] (plural cru·cians or
cru·cian) or cru·cian carp [krsh’n]
noun

small
Eurasian carp: a carp that lives in Europe and Asia and
has a dark-green back, golden-yellow sides, and reddish fins. Latin name: Carassius
carassius
[Mid-18th century. Via an
alteration of Low German karu(s)se, karutze from, ultimately,
Latin coracinus, denoting a black fish of the Nile River, from Greek korax
“raven.”][1]



cruciate

cruciate
cru·ci·ate 
[krshee àyt] adjective

1.  See
cruciform

2.  INSECTS forming
cross shape: used to describe insect wings that form
a cross shape when at rest
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin cruciata, from Latin crux “cross.”][1]



crucible

crucible
cru·ci·ble 
[krssəb’l] (plural cru·ci·bles)
noun

1.  METALLURGY container
for melting something: a heat-resistant container
in which ores or metals are melted

2.  METALLURGY bottom
of furnace:
the hollow part at the bottom of a furnace where molten metal collects

3.  ordeal:
a severe trial or ordeal

4.  testing
circumstances: a place or set of circumstances where
people or things are subjected to forces that test them and often make them
change
[15th
century. From medieval Latin crucibulum “nightlight, crucible” of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin crux “cross” or from Old French croisel
“cresset.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller ( 1953 ). Intended as a metaphor for the
  “un-American” McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, the play is set in Salem,
  Massachusetts, in 1692 and describes how the social fabric of a small town is
  ripped apart when a group of young girls starts to denounce townsfolk as
  witch-hunters. It was made into a movie by Nicholas Hytner in 1996.

[1]



cruciblesteel

cruciblesteel
cru·ci·ble
steel
noun

high-grade steel:
a high-grade steel made by mixing steel and additives in a furnace[1]



crucifer

crucifer
cru·ci·fer 
[krssəfər] (plural cru·ci·fers)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with four-petaled flowers: a plant that has flowers
with four petals in the shape of a cross and long narrow seed pods. Crucifers
include cabbages, turnips, broccoli, and wallflowers. Family: Cruciferae

2.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
carrying cross: somebody who carries a cross, especially
in a religious ceremony
[Mid-16th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin, from Latin cruc- (the stem of crux “cross”)
+ -fer “bearer.”][1]



cruciferous

cruciferous
cru·cif·er·ous 
[kroo síffərəss] adjective

relating
to crucifers: used to describe a plant that is a
crucifer
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Christian Latin crucifer .][1]



crucifix

crucifix
cru·ci·fix 
[krssə fìks] (plural cru·ci·fix·es)
noun

representation
of crucified Jesus Christ: a model or image of Jesus
Christ on the Cross
[12th century. Via French
from Ecclesiastical Latin crucifixus, from Latin cruci fixus
“fixed to a cross.”][1]



Crucifixion

Crucifixion
Cru·ci·fix·ion
noun

1.  agony
and death of Jesus Christ: the agony and death of Jesus
Christ on the Cross at Calvary

2.  (plural
Cru·ci·fix·ions) depiction of the Crucifixion:
a depiction of Jesus Christ on the Cross

[1]



crucifixion

crucifixion
cru·ci·fix·ion 
[krssə fíksh’n] (plural cru·ci·fix·ions)
noun

1.  execution
by hanging on cross: a form of execution used in
ancient times that involved binding or nailing somebody to an upright cross
until death

2.  execution:
an execution involving crucifixion

3.  ordeal:
a painful ordeal or victimization
[15th century. From the
ecclesiastical Latin stem crucifixion-, which was formed from crucifigere
(see crucify ).][1]



cruciform

cruciform
cru·ci·form 
[krssi fàwrm] adjective

cross-shaped:
shaped like a cross
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Latin cruc-, the stem of crux “cross” + -form .]
—cru·ci·form·ly, adverb[1]



crucify

crucify
cru·ci·fy 
[krssi f] (past cru·ci·fied,
past participle cru·ci·fied, present participle cru·ci·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular cru·ci·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
execute
by crucifixion: to execute somebody by crucifixion

2.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody cruelly: to defeat, torment, or victimize
somebody in a thorough or cruel way

3.  reflexive
verb
severely
discipline your body: to severely punish your body
as a form of self-discipline
[14th
century. Via French crucifier from, ultimately, Ecclesiastical Latin crucifigere,
from Latin cruci figere “to fix to a cross.”]
—cru·ci·fi·er, noun[1]



crud

crud
crud 
[krud] noun

1.  filth:
a messy, dirty, or sticky substance (slang)

2.  MANUFACTURING waste
product:
an unwanted by-product, especially in the nuclear industry

3.  somebody
or something contemptible: somebody or something that
is disgusting or worthless (informal)

4.  SKIING slushy
snow:
slushy snow that is unfit for good skiing (informal)

5.  nonsense:
absolute nonsense (informal)
[14th
century. An earlier form of curd, surviving
in this sense in dialect; current senses date from the 20th century.]
—crud·dy, adjective[1]



crude

crude
crude 
[krood] adjective (comparative
crud·er, superlative crud·est)

1.  in
raw state:
in an unprocessed state or condition • crude
ore

2.  approximate:
not precisely accurate • a
crude estimate

3.  roughly
or unskillfully made or conceived • a
crude model of a ship

4.  uncorrected
or unembellished: used to describe numerical results or
collected data that have not been organized, analyzed, adjusted, or altered in
any way • crude
data
• crude
facts

5.  vulgar:
vulgar or obscene • a crude gesture
noun

See crude oil
[14th
century. From Latin crudus “raw, rough, cruel.”]
—crude·ly,
adverb

—crude·ness,
noun

—cru·di·ty, noun[1]



crudeoil

crudeoil
crude
oil
noun

unrefined petroleum:
petroleum that has not yet been refined.
Also called
crude[1]



crudités

crudités
cru·di·tés 
[krdi táy] plural noun

raw
vegetable pieces: small pieces of raw vegetables such as
carrots and cucumber eaten as an appetizer or snack, often served with a dip
[Mid-20th century. From
French, plural of crudité from Latin cruditas, from crudus
“raw, rough, cruel.”][1]



cruel

cruel
cru·el 
[kr əl] (comparative cru·el·er,
superlative cru·el·est) adjective

1.  merciless:
deliberately and remorselessly causing pain or anguish, or insensitive to the
pain and anguish of others

2.  bringing
about pain:
bringing about pain and distress, or painful to bear
[12th
century. Via French from Latin crudelis . Ultimately, from an
Indo-European word that also produced English raw
and Latin crudus (source of English crude
).]
—cru·el·ly,
adverb

—cru·el·ness, noun[1]



cruelty

cruelty
cru·el·ty 
[kr əltee] (plural cru·el·ties)
noun

1.  deliberately
cruel act:
an act that deliberately causes pain and distress

2.  state
of being cruel: the quality or condition of being cruel

3.  LAW psychological
or physical pain: the infliction of pain, distress, or
anguish, especially when it is long-term and considered extreme enough to be
grounds for divorce
[13th century. Via Old French
crualté from, ultimately, Latin crudelitas, from crudelis
(see cruel ).][1]



cruet

cruet
cru·et 
[kr ət] (plural cru·ets) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD condiment
container:
a small container for holding salt, pepper, oil, or vinegar

2.  HOUSEHOLD condiment
set:
a set of matching cruets on a stand

3.  CHRISTIANITY small
bottle used in Eucharist: either of two containers
that hold the water and wine used in the Eucharist
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman, literally “little flask,” formed from Old French crue
“flask.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English crock “earthenware pot.”][1]



cruise

cruise
cruise 
[krooz] verb (past cruised,
past participle cruised, present participle cruis·ing,
3rd person present singular cruis·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LEISURE NAUTICAL
travel
by sea:
to travel by ship over a sea or other large body of water on a pleasure trip,
usually calling at several places

2.  intransitive
verb
travel
at easy rate: to travel at a steady efficient rate,
below top speed

3.  intransitive
verb
travel
while looking for something: to travel at a slow steady
rate while searching or watching for something • The
police cruised the streets, looking for the suspect.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb seek
sexual partner: to go out looking for a sexual partner,
or frequent a public place in search of a sexual partner (slang)

5.  intransitive
verb
proceed
casually:
to proceed in a leisurely casual way or with no particular destination

6.  intransitive
verb
NAVY patrol
sea:
to patrol an area of sea on the lookout for enemy vessels

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb FORESTRY determine timber yield:
to inspect a forest to determine its potential yield of timber
noun
(plural cruis·es)

LEISURE NAUTICAL pleasure trip by sea:
a journey by ship for pleasure
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
kruisen “to cross,” from kruis “cross” from, ultimately, Latin crux
(source of English “cross” ).][1]



cruisecontrol

cruisecontrol
cruise
con·trol
noun

device to maintain uniform
speed: an electronic device in a
motor vehicle that allows a selected speed to be maintained consistently[1]



cruisemissile

cruisemissile
cruise
mis·sile
(plural cruise mis·siles) noun

long-range missile:
a long-range jet-propelled guided missile that flies low[1]



cruiser

cruiser
cruis·er 
[krzər] noun (plural cruis·ers)

1.  NAVY small
warship:
a fast and easily maneuverable warship that is smaller and less heavily armored
than a battleship

2.  something
or somebody that cruises: a vehicle that cruises, for
example, a ship, aircraft, or motor vehicle, or a person that cruises (slang)

3.  somebody
seeking sexual partner: somebody who goes out
looking for a sexual partner in a public place (slang)

4.  NAUTICAL See cabin cruiser

5.  police
car:
a police car, especially one used to patrol an area


U.K. BOXING See cruiserweight
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch kruiser, from kruisen (see cruise
).][1]



cruiserweight

cruiserweight
cruis·er·weight 
[krzər wàyt] (plural cruis·er·weights)
noun

U.K.
boxer:
a boxer between a light heavyweight and a heavyweight,with a maximum weight of
86 kg/190 lb[1]



Cruise,Tom

Cruise,Tom
Cruise
[krooz], Tom (1962– )

U.S.
actor and star of many Hollywood movies, including Jerry Maguire ( 1996
).
Real name
Mapother IV, Thomas Cruise[1]



cruisewear

cruisewear
cruise·wear
[krz wair] noun

casual clothing:
light casual clothing appropriate for pleasure cruises or hot weather while on
vacation[1]



cruisingradius

cruisingradius
cruis·ing
ra·di·us 
noun

maximum limit of travel
without refueling: the maximum
distance that a vessel or aircraft can travel without needing to refuel[1]



cruller

cruller
crul·ler 
[krúllər] (plural crul·lers) or
krul·ler [krúllər] noun

1.  cake-like
doughnut:
a small ring-shaped deep-fried cake

2.  twisted
unraised doughnut: a type of unraised doughnut,
usually twisted in shape
[Early
19th century. From Dutch kruller, from krullen “to curl.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense of a small ring-shaped or twisted sweet cake, fried in deep fat, cruller belongs primarily to New England and the
  Middle Atlantic and North Central states, with a high incidence also in
  California. The sense “unraised doughnut” is found most frequently in New
  England and Pennsylvania.

[1]



crumb

crumb
crumb 
[krum] noun (plural crumbs)

1.  small
fragment of baked food: a very small fragment of
bread, cake, cookie, or similar food

2.  small
amount:
any tiny amount of something

3.  COOKING inner
part of loaf: the soft middle part of a loaf of bread

4.  contemptible
person:
somebody who is unworthy of respect (dated slang)
verb
(past crumbed, past participle crumbed, present
participle crumb·ing, 3rd person present singular crumbs)

1.  transitive
verb
COOKING put
crumbs on or in food: to coat or thicken food with
crumbs, especially breadcrumbs

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING crumble:
to break bread, cake, or cookies into small bits

3.  transitive
verb
clean
crumbs from something: to clear away crumbs from
something
[Old English cruma, of
prehistoric Germanic origin. The final “b” was added in the 16th century.][1]



crumble

crumble
crum·ble 
[krúmb’l] verb (past crum·bled,
past participle crum·bled, present participle crum·bling,
3rd person present singular crum·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
to tiny bits: to break or make something break into
tiny bits

2.  intransitive
verb
disintegrate:
to disintegrate or fall apart
noun
(plural crum·bles)

U.K. See
crisp
[15th century. Probably
ultimately from Old English gecrymmian “to break into crumbs,” which was
formed from cruma (see crumb ).][1]



crumbly

crumbly
crum·bly 
[krúmblee] (comparative crum·bli·er,
superlative crum·bli·est) adjective

1.  easily
crumbled:
tending to crumble readily

2.  with
many crumbs: containing or covered with many crumbs
—crum·bli·ness [krúmblinəss], noun[1]



crumby

crumby
crumb·y 
[krúmmee] (comparative crumb·i·er,
superlative crumb·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of crumbs:
full of or covered with crumbs

2.  soft-textured:
soft and spongy in texture, like the inside of a loaf of bread

3.  See
crummy

[1]



crumhorn

crumhorn
crum·horn 
[krúm hàwrn] (plural crum·horns)
or krumm·horn [krúm hàwrn] (plural
krumm·horns) noun

medieval
woodwind instrument: a double-reed medieval
woodwind instrument with an upward curving tube
[Late 17th century. From
German, literally “crooked horn.”][1]



crummy

crummy
crum·my
[krúmmee] (comparative crum·mi·er,
superlative crum·mi·est) or crumb·y [krúmmee] (comparative crumb·i·er, superlative
crumb·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  of
little value: inferior and of little worth

2.  miserable:
miserable or unwell
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
crumby .][1]



crump

crump
crump 
[krump] noun (plural crumps)

sound of bursting bomb:
the thudding sound of an exploding shell or bomb
intransitive
verb
(past crumped, past participle crumped, present
participle crump·ing, 3rd person present singular crumps)

1.  make
thudding noise: to make a thudding noise like the sound
of an exploding shell or bomb

2.  make
crunching noise: to make a crunching noise like the sound
of footsteps in crisp snow
[Mid-17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



crumpet

crumpet
crum·pet 
[krúmpət] (plural crum·pets) noun

cake
cooked on griddle: a griddle cake with a
slightly elastic texture and small holes that is made from a batter risen with
yeast. Crumpets are usually eaten toasted with butter.
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the earlier phrase crompid cake, literally
“curled-up cake”; crompid “crooked.”][1]



crumple

crumple

crum·ple 
[krúmp’l] verb (past crum·pled,
past participle crum·pled, present participle crum·pling,
3rd person present singular crum·ples)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb crease
and wrinkle: to become or make something become full
of irregular creases and wrinkles

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb collapse:
to collapse, or make something collapse

3.  intransitive
verb
look
upset or disappointed: to lose the appearance of
equanimity and control, especially when upset or disappointed and close to
tears
noun (plural
crum·ples)

wrinkle: a
crease or wrinkle in something
[14th
century. Formed from Old English crump “to curl up.”]
—crum·ply, adjective[1]



crunch

crunch

crunch 
[krunch] verb (past crunched,
past participle crunched, present participle crunch·ing,
3rd person present singular crunch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
munch
noisily:
to crush crisp foods audibly with the teeth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb scrunch:
to make or cause something to make a noisy scrunching sound • the
crunch of footsteps on gravel

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING rapidly
process data: to process data or numbers at high speed
(informal)
noun (plural
crunch·es)

1.  scrunching
noise:
a loud short sound made when something is crushed

2.  decisive
moment:
a critical time or situation, especially one when a decision or action must be
taken • when
it comes to the crunch

3.  crisis:
an emergency or crisis, especially fiscal
adjective

needing decisive action:
requiring a decision or action
[Early
19th century. A variant of earlier cranch (an imitation of the sound), by
association with munch and crush .]
—crunch·a·ble,
adjective

—crunch·er, noun[1]



crunchy

crunchy
crunch·y 
[krúnchee] (comparative crunch·i·er,
superlative crunch·i·est) adjective

crisp
and crushable: crisp and making a crunching sound when
eaten or walked upon
—crunch·i·ly,
adverb

—crunch·i·ness, noun[1]



crupper

crupper
crup·per 
[krúppər] (plural crup·pers) noun

1.  RIDING strap
holding on saddle: a strap that passes under
the tail of a horse and is attached to a saddle or harness to prevent it from
sliding forward

2.  ZOOLOGY horse’s
hindquarters: the hindquarters of a horse.
See
also
croup
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman cropere or Old French cropiere . Ultimately, from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English crop and croup
“rump.”][1]



crura

crura
cru·ra


Plural of
crus[1]



crural

crural
cru·ral 
[krrrəl] adjective

relating
to leg:
belonging or relating to the leg, or an elongated part resembling a leg
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin cruralis, from crus “leg.”][1]



crus

crus
crus 
[krooss, kruss]
(plural cru·ra [krrə]) noun

1.  section
of leg:
the leg between the knee and ankle

2.  elongated
body part:
a body part shaped like a leg or pair of legs
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “leg.”][1]



crusade

crusade
cru·sade 
[kroo sáyd] noun (plural cru·sades)

1.  cru·sade
or Cru·sade (plural Cru·sades) HISTORY CHRISTIANITY
religious
war:
any of several military expeditions made by European Christians in the 11th to
13th centuries to retake areas captured by Muslim forces

2.  RELIGION religiously
motivated effort: a war or campaign that is religiously
motivated, for example, one with papal sanction

3.  concerted
effort:
a vigorous concerted action to promote or eliminate something
intransitive
verb
(past cru·sad·ed, past participle cru·sad·ed, present
participle cru·sad·ing, 3rd person present singular cru·sades)

1.  campaign:
to make a vigorous or concerted effort to promote or eliminate something

2.  HISTORY RELIGION fight to retake Holy Land:
to go on a religious crusade, especially one to retake the Holy Land in the
11th to 13th centuries
[15th century. Ultimately,
from Latin crux “cross.” Originally via Medieval Latin cruciata,
later via French croisade or Spanish cruzada .][1]



crusader

crusader
cru·sad·er 
[kroo sáydər] (plural cru·sad·ers)
noun

1.  cru·sad·er
or Cru·sad·er (plural Cru·sad·ers) soldier
in crusades: a soldier who took part in any of the
crusades

2.  campaigner:
somebody who campaigns vigorously for or against something

[1]



crusado

crusado
cru·sa·do 
[kroo z dō, kroo
s dō, kroo sáy dō] (plural cru·sa·does
or cru·sa·dos) noun

old
Portuguese coin: a gold or silver coin with a cross
imprinted on it that was a unit of currency in Portugal between the 15th and
20th centuries.
Also
called
cruzado
[Mid-16th century. From
Portuguese cruzado (see cruzado ).][1]



cruse

cruse
cruse 
[krooz] (plural cruses) noun

dish
to hold liquids: a small earthenware container used to
hold liquids (archaic)
[Old English crūse, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



crush

crush
crush 
[krush] verb (past crushed,
past participle crushed, present participle crush·ing,
3rd person present singular crush·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb compress
something:
to compress somebody or something, or become compressed, causing injury,
damage, or distortion

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb crease
something:
to compress a fabric or item of clothing, or become compressed, causing
creasing or crumpling

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb grind
something:
to grind something, or become ground, into bits

4.  transitive
verb
quell
protest:
to put down a protest or movement using force

5.  transitive
verb
overwhelm
somebody or something: to defeat, subdue, or
suppress somebody or something overwhelmingly

6.  transitive
verb
mash
fruit:
to reduce fruit or vegetables to juice and pulp by pressing

7.  transitive
verb
squash
somebody:
to exert physical pressure on somebody by hugging, pressing, or pushing

8.  transitive
verb
humiliate
somebody:
to humiliate somebody by the force of a remark, criticism, or argument

9.  intransitive
verb
crowd
together:
to move in a mass or crowd
noun
(plural crush·es)

1.  crowd:
a crowd or mass, especially of people

2.  crowding:
a crowded situation or mass especially of people, or an action that results in
this

3.  FOOD fruit
drink:
a drink containing the juice from crushed fruit

4.  temporary
romantic attraction: a temporary romantic
infatuation (informal) • a
teenage crush

5.  object
of somebody’s crush: the person who is the object
of somebody’s romantic infatuation (informal)
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman crussier or Old French croissir, of
uncertain origin: perhaps from the prehistoric Germanic language.]
—crush·a·ble,
adjective

—crush·er,
noun

—crush·ing,
adjective

—crush·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at love

[1]



crushed

crushed
crushed 
[krusht] adjective

made to look crumpled:
used to describe a fabric or material that has been manufactured or treated to
create permanent creases in it • crushed
velvet[1]



crushproof

crushproof
crush·proof 
[krúsh prf] adjective

made to resist crushing:
made to resist being crushed, creased, or wrinkled[1]



crust

crust
crust 
[krust] noun (plural crusts)

1.  FOOD outer
part of bread: the thin, usually hard or crisp, outer
part of a loaf or slice of bread

2.  FOOD piece
of bread:
a piece of bread that is mostly crust or is stale and dry

3.  FOOD pastry
for pie:
the pastry that wholly or partly encases a pie or tart

4.  hard
upper layer: a crisp, hard, or thick outer layer or
coating that develops on something

5.  GEOLOGY solid
outer layer of Earth: the thin outermost layer of
the Earth, approximately one percent of the Earth’s volume, that varies in
thickness and has a different composition than the interior. Other terrestrial
planets are believed to have crusts.

6.  MEDICINE scab:
a dry hardened outer layer of blood, pus, or other bodily secretion that forms
over a cut or sore

7.  WINE layer
of potassium tartrate: a thin layer of potassium
tartrate that forms on the inside of some wine and port bottles as the contents
mature

8.  BIOLOGY body
covering:
the hard outermost body covering in some living organisms such as lichens and
crustaceans

9.  impudence:
impudent or impertinent attitude or behavior (dated informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crust·ed,
past participle crust·ed, present participle crust·ing,
3rd person present singular crusts)

1.  form
crust:
to form into or develop a crust

2.  make
or become encrusted: to cover something or become
covered with a crust
[14th century. Via Old French
crouste (source of English crouton
and custard ) from Latin crusta
“rind, shell, incrustation” (source of English crustacean
and encrust ).][1]



crust

crust
crust 
[krust] noun (plural crusts)

1.  FOOD outer
part of bread: the thin, usually hard or crisp, outer
part of a loaf or slice of bread

2.  FOOD piece
of bread:
a piece of bread that is mostly crust or is stale and dry

3.  FOOD pastry
for pie:
the pastry that wholly or partly encases a pie or tart

4.  hard
upper layer: a crisp, hard, or thick outer layer or
coating that develops on something

5.  GEOLOGY solid
outer layer of Earth: the thin outermost layer of
the Earth, approximately one percent of the Earth’s volume, that varies in
thickness and has a different composition than the interior. Other terrestrial
planets are believed to have crusts.

6.  MEDICINE scab:
a dry hardened outer layer of blood, pus, or other bodily secretion that forms
over a cut or sore

7.  WINE layer
of potassium tartrate: a thin layer of potassium
tartrate that forms on the inside of some wine and port bottles as the contents
mature

8.  BIOLOGY body
covering:
the hard outermost body covering in some living organisms such as lichens and
crustaceans

9.  impudence:
impudent or impertinent attitude or behavior (dated informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past crust·ed,
past participle crust·ed, present participle crust·ing,
3rd person present singular crusts)

1.  form
crust:
to form into or develop a crust

2.  make
or become encrusted: to cover something or become
covered with a crust
[14th century. Via Old French
crouste (source of English crouton
and custard ) from Latin crusta
“rind, shell, incrustation” (source of English crustacean
and encrust ).][1]



crustacean

crustacean
crus·ta·cean 
[kru stáysh’n] (plural crus·ta·ceans)
noun

hard-shelled
creature:
an arthropod with several pairs of jointed legs, a hard protective outer shell,
two pairs of antennae, and eyes at the ends of stalks. Lobsters, crabs,
shrimps, crayfish, water fleas, barnacles, and wood lice are crustaceans.
Subphylum: Crustacea
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Modern Latin Crustacea, neuter plural of crustaceus
“having a shell,” from Latin crusta (see crust
).]
—crus·ta·cean,
adjective

—crus·ta·ceous, adjective[1]



crustal

crustal
crust·al 
[krúst’l] adjective

forming
planet’s crust: used to describe the crust of the Earth
or another celestial body
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
crusta (see crust ).][1]



crustose

crustose
crus·tose 
[krús tss] adjective

forming
crust on surface: used to describe lichens or algae that
resemble a crust on the surface they adhere to
[Late 19th century. From
Latin crustosus, from crusta (see crust
).][1]



crusty

crusty
crust·y 
[krústee] (comparative crust·i·er,
superlative crust·i·est) adjective

1.  with
crust:
with a crisp crust • crusty bread

2.  curt:
gruff, curt, and candid in speech
—crust·i·ly,
adverb

—crust·i·ness, noun[1]



crutch

crutch

crutch 
[kruch] noun (plural crutch·es)

1.  MEDICINE walking
aid:
a staff with a handgrip and a rest for the forearm or armpit, used to help
somebody who is lame or injured to walk

2.  something
providing help or support: something that sustains or
supports somebody or something liable to collapse, fail, or falter

3.  ANATOMY See crotch

4.  NAUTICAL forked
support:
a forked supporting piece for a boom, oar, or spar

5.  RIDING leg
rest on sidesaddle: a forked leg support on a
sidesaddle
transitive verb
(past crutched, past participle crutched, present
participle crutch·ing, 3rd person present singular crutch·es)

support with crutch:
to support something with a crutch or similar object
[Old English cryc(c) .
Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English crook, crochet, crotch,
and encroach ).][1]



Crux

Crux
Crux 
noun

Southern Cross:
the Southern Cross (formal)[1]



crux

crux
crux 
[kruks] (plural crux·es or
cru·ces [kr sz]) noun

1.  crucial
point:
an essential or deciding point or element in something, for example, in an
argument

2.  puzzling
problem:
an extremely difficult or puzzling problem

3.  MOUNTAINEERING arduous
part of climb: the most demanding part of a climb
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “cross” (source of English cross
).][1]



cruzado

cruzado
cru·za·do 
[kroo z dō] (plural cru·za·does
or cru·za·dos) noun

1.  former
Brazilian unit of currency: a unit of currency used in
Brazil between 1986 and 1990, equivalent to 100 centavos

2.  coin
or bill worth one cruzado: a coin or bill worth one
cruzado

3.  See
crusado
[Mid-16th century. From
Portuguese, literally “marked with a cross,” from the past participle of cruzar
“to mark with a cross,” from, ultimately, Latin crux “cross.”][1]



Cruzan

Cruzan
Cru·zan 
[kroo zán, kr
zàn] (plural Cru·zans) noun

somebody
from St. Croix: somebody who was born or lives in St.
Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
[Mid-20th century. From
assumed American Spanish cruzano, from Spanish Santa Crux “St.
Croix.”][1]



Cruz,Celia

Cruz,Celia
Cruz
[krooz], Celia (1924– )

Cuban-born U.S. vocalist. She
is one of the leading singers of the popular Latin dance music called salsa.[1]



cruzeiro

cruzeiro
cru·zei·ro 
[kroo záy rō, kroo
záir ō] (plural cru·zei·ros) noun

1.  former
Brazilian unit of currency: a unit of currency formerly
used in Brazil

2.  coin
worth one cruzeiro: a coin worth one cruzeiro
[Early 20th century. From
Portuguese, literally “large cross,” (from the figure on the coin) from,
ultimately, Latin crux “cross.”][1]



cry

cry
cry 
[krī] verb (past cried,
past participle cried, present participle cry·ing, 3rd
person present singular cries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shed
tears:
to shed tears as the result of a strongly felt emotion

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout:
to call or shout out loudly

3.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY make
distinctive sound: to make a natural
high-pitched call (refers to a bird or animal)

4.  transitive
verb
announce
for sale:
to proclaim something publicly as being for sale (archaic)

5.  transitive
verb
give
something as reason: to plead or profess
something as a reason or explanation
noun
(plural cries)

1.  inarticulate
sound:
a loud inarticulate expression of rage, pain, or surprise

2.  ZOOLOGY call
of bird or animal: the natural high-pitched
call of a bird or animal

3.  period
of weeping:
an act or period of shedding tears

4.  public
demand:
a public demand, especially an urgent one

5.  HUNTING baying
of hounds:
the sound of hounds baying as they chase their quarry

6.  HUNTING hounds:
a pack of hounds

7.  proclamation:
an announcement or advertisement called out in public (archaic)

8.  unifying
call:
a call to rally or unite
[13th
century. Via French crier from Latin quiritare “to raise a public
outcry,” literally “to call for the help of the Roman citizens,” which was
formed from Quirites “Roman citizens.”]
in
full cry

in enthusiastic pursuit of
something[1]



crybaby

crybaby
cry·ba·by 
[kr bàybee] (plural cry·ba·bies)
noun

somebody easily made to cry:
somebody, especially a child, who cries or complains a lot[1]



crydown

crydown
cry
down
transitive verb

disparage:
to say disparaging or belittling things about somebody or something[1]



crying

crying
cry·ing 
[kr ing] adjective

desperate:
desperate or deplorable and demanding a remedy • a
crying shame[1]



cryo-

cryo-
cryo-
prefix

freezing,
cold • cryosurgery
[From Greek kruos “icy
cold.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to freeze over,” which is
also the ancestor of English crust
and crystal .][1]



cryobank

cryobank
cry·o·bank 
[kr ə bànk] (plural cry·o·banks)
noun

cold store for body parts:
a place where biological material such as semen and body tissues can be stored
at extremely low temperatures[1]



cryobiology

cryobiology
cry·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[kr ə bī ólləjee] noun

study
of organisms at low temperatures: the branch of biology
that studies how extremely low temperatures affect organisms
—cry·o·bi·o·log·i·cal
[kr ə bīə lójjik’l], adjective

—cry·o·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly
[kr ə bīə lójjikəlee], adverb

—cry·o·bi·ol·o·gist [kr ə bī ólləjist], noun[1]



cryoff

cryoff
cry
off
intransitive verb

cancel:
to withdraw from something you had previously agreed to do (informal)[1]



cryogen

cryogen
cry·o·gen 
[kr ə jèn] (plural cry·o·gens)
noun

freezing substance:
a substance, for example, liquid nitrogen, used in producing extremely low
temperatures[1]



cryogenic

cryogenic
cry·o·gen·ic 
[kr ə jénnik] adjective

at
very low temperatures: having or relating to
extremely low temperatures
—cry·o·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cryogenics

cryogenics
cry·o·gen·ics 
[kr ə jénniks] noun

study of extremely low
temperatures: a branch of physics
that studies the causes and effects of extremely low temperatures (takes a
singular verb)[1]



cryolite

cryolite
cry·o·lite 
[kr ə lt] noun

white
mineral:
an uncommon white mineral that consists of a fluoride of sodium and aluminum.
It is used in the production of aluminum. Na3AlF6 
Also
called
Greenland spar
[Early 19th century. Coined
from cryo- “cold” (because it was first
found in Greenland) + -lite .][1]



cryometer

cryometer
cry·om·e·ter 
[krī ómmətər] (plural cry·om·e·ters)
noun

low-temperature
thermometer: a thermometer that measures very low
temperatures
—cry·om·e·try, noun[1]



cryonics

cryonics
cry·on·ics 
[krī ónniks] noun

freezing
of corpse:
the study or practice of keeping a newly dead body at an extremely low
temperature in the hope of restoring it to life later with the help of future
medical advances (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

cryogenic
techniques:
the collective techniques involved in cryogenics (takes a plural verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Contraction of cryogenics .]
—cry·on·ic, adjective[1]



cryophilic

cryophilic
cry·o·phil·ic 
[kr ə fíllik] adjective

surviving low temperatures:
capable of living at low temperatures[1]



cryophyte

cryophyte
cry·o·phyte
[kr ə ft] (plural cry·o·phytes)
noun

organism growing on snow or
ice: an organism that can live or
grow on snow or ice. Most cryophytes are algae.[1]



cryoprecipitate

cryoprecipitate
cry·o·pre·cip·i·tate
[kr ō pri síppə tàyt, kr ō pri síppətət] (plural cry·o·pre·cip·i·tates)
noun

precipitate formed at low
temperatures: a substance that is
precipitated at low temperatures, especially a precipitate of blood containing
a blood-clotting factor[1]



cryopreservation

cryopreservation
cry·o·pres·er·va·tion
[kr ō prezzər váysh’n] noun

cold
storage of body tissue: the process of storing
semen, ova, corneas, embryos, or body tissue at extremely low temperatures for
future use
—cry·o·pre·serve [kr ō pri zúrv], transitive verb[1]



cryoprobe

cryoprobe
cry·o·probe 
[kr ə prb] (plural cry·o·probes)
noun

low-temperature surgical
tool: an instrument used in
cryosurgery for cooling body tissue to low temperatures[1]



cryoprotectant

cryoprotectant
cry·o·pro·tec·tant 
[kr ō prə téktənt] (plural cry·opro·tec·tants)
noun

protectant against freezing:
a substance, for example, glycerol, used to protect stored living tissue from
the effects of freezing[1]



cryoscope

cryoscope
cry·o·scope 
[kr ə skp] (plural cry·o·scopes)
noun

instrument for measuring
freezing point: an instrument used for
determining the temperature at which a liquid freezes[1]



cryoscopy

cryoscopy
cry·os·co·py 
[krī óskəpee] noun

study
of freezing points: the study or practice of
determining the freezing point of liquids
—cry·o·scop·ic [kr ə skóppik], adjective[1]



cryostat

cryostat
cry·o·stat 
[kríə stàt] (plural cry·o·stats)
noun

device to maintain low
temperatures: a regulating device for
maintaining a constant low temperature[1]



cryosurgery

cryosurgery
cry·o·sur·ger·y 
[kr ō súrjəree] noun

surgery
involving freezing tissue: surgery in which low
temperatures are applied, for example, to destroy diseased tissue, or to seal
down detached retinas
—cry·o·sur·geon,
noun

—cry·o·sur·gi·cal, adjective[1]



cryotherapy

cryotherapy
cry·o·ther·a·py 
[kr ō thérrəpee] (plural cry·o·ther·a·pies)
noun

therapeutic use of cold:
medical treatment that involves cooling the body, especially by applying ice
packs[1]



cryout

cryout
cry
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout
loudly:
to exclaim loudly because of pain, shock, or fear

2.  intransitive
verb
be
in need:
to be in obvious and urgent need
for
crying out loud!

used to express annoyance,
impatience, frustration, or surprise (informal)[1]



crypt

crypt
crypt 
[kript] (plural crypts) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE underground
chamber:
an underground room or vault, often below a church, used as a burial chamber or
chapel, or for storing religious artifacts

2.  ANATOMY small
body cavity: a small recess, tubular gland, or
follicle in the body
[Late 18th century. Via Latin
crypta from Greek kruptē “vault,” feminine of kruptos
“hidden.”][1]



crypt-

crypt-
crypt-
prefix

See
crypto-[1]



cryptanalysis

cryptanalysis
crypt·a·nal·y·sis 
[krìptə nálləssiss] noun
Also
called
cryptology

1.  code-breaking:
the process or science of deciphering coded texts or messages

2.  techniques
to decode messages: the techniques and methods
used in deciphering coded texts and messages, or the study of such methods
—crypt·an·a·lyst
[krip tánn’list], noun

—crypt·an·a·lyt·ic
[krìp tannə líttik], adjective

—crypt·an·a·lyt·i·cal
[krìp tannə líttik’l], adjective[1]



cryptanalyze

cryptanalyze
crypt·an·a·lyze 
[krìp tánnə lz] (past crypt·an·a·lyzed,
past participle crypt·an·a·lyzed, present participle crypt·an·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular crypt·an·a·lyzes) transitive verb

to decode messages:
to decipher coded texts or messages[1]



cryptic

cryptic
cryp·tic 
[kríptik] adjective

1.  ambiguous
or obscure:
deliberately mysterious and seeming to have a hidden meaning

2.  secret:
secret or hidden in some way

3.  LEISURE indicating
solution indirectly: with an indirect solution or
clue, for example, crosswords, puzzles, or anagrams

4.  using
codes:
using or relating to codes and similar techniques

5.  ZOOLOGY protective:
used to describe body markings and color that camouflage an animal
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin crypticus from Greek kruptikos, from
kruptē (see crypt ).]
—cryp·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—cryp·tic·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at obscure

[1]



crypto-

crypto-
crypto-
prefix

secret,
hidden • cryptogram
[From Greek kruptos,
from kruptein “to hide”][1]



cryptoclastic

cryptoclastic
cryp·to·clas·tic 
[krìptə klástik] adjective

with mineral fragments:
used to describe rock composed of microscopic mineral fragments[1]



cryptococcosis

cryptococcosis
cryp·to·coc·co·sis 
[krìp tō ko kṓssiss] noun

infectious
fungal disease: an infectious disease that affects parts
of the body, especially the brain and central nervous system, with lesions or
abscesses caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin Cryptococcus + -osis
.][1]



cryptococcus

cryptococcus
cryp·to·coc·cus 
[krìptə kókəss] (plural cryp·to·cocci
[krìptə kók s, krìptə
kó k]) noun

fungus
resembling yeast: a budding fungus that resembles a yeast,
some types of which cause illnesses, for example, cryptococcosis. Genus: Cryptococcus
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “hidden coccus.”][1]



cryptocrystalline

cryptocrystalline
cryp·to·crys·tal·line 
[krìp tō krístə ln, krìp tō krístəlin] adjective

made up of submicroscopic
crystals: used to describe rocks that
are composed of crystals too small to be seen with a petrological microscope[1]



cryptogam

cryptogam
cryp·to·gam 
[kríptə gàm] (plural cryp·to·gams)
noun

plant
reproducing without seeds: a plant that reproduces by
means of spores instead of seeds. Ferns, moss, algae, and fungi are cryptogams.
(dated)
[Late
18th century. Via French cryptogame from, ultimately, modern Latin cryptogamus,
literally “hidden marriage” (because the means of reproduction is not
apparent).]
—cryp·to·gam·ic
[krìptə gámmik], adjective

—cryp·tog·a·mous [krip tóggəməss], adjective[1]



cryptogenic

cryptogenic
cryp·to·gen·ic 
[krìptə jénnik] adjective

See
idiopathic[1]



cryptogram

cryptogram
cryp·to·gram 
[kríptə gràm] (plural cryp·to·grams)
noun
Also
called
cryptograph

1.  coded
message:
a text or message that is in code or cipher

2.  secret
symbol:
a symbol with a secret meaning or significance

[1]



cryptograph

cryptograph
cryp·to·graph 
[kríptə gràf] (plural cryp·to·graphs)
noun

1.  See
cryptogram

2.  encoding
or decoding machine: a machine for writing or
deciphering encoded messages

[1]



cryptographer

cryptographer
cryp·tog·ra·pher 
[krip tóggrəfər] (plural cryp·tog·ra·phers)
or cryp·tog·ra·phist [krip tóggrəfist]
(plural cryp·tog·ra·phists) noun

writer or interpreter of
coded text: somebody who writes,
transcribes, or decodes cryptograms, or studies such methods[1]



cryptography

cryptography
cryp·tog·ra·phy 
[krip tóggrəfee] noun

1.  study
of encoding: the study or analysis of codes and
coding methods.
Also
called
cryptology

2.  secret
writing:
coded or secret writing
—cryp·to·graph·ic
[krìptə gráffik], adjective

—cryp·to·graph·i·cal
[krìptə gráffik’l], adjective

—cryp·to·graph·i·cal·ly
[krìptə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



cryptology

cryptology
cryp·tol·o·gy 
[krip tólləjee] noun

1.  See
cryptography  noun 1

2.  See
cryptanalysis
—cryp·to·log·ic
[krìptə lójjik], adjective

—cryp·to·log·i·cal
[krìptə lójjik’l], adjective

—cryp·tol·o·gist [krip tólləjist], noun[1]



cryptomeria

cryptomeria
cryp·to·me·ri·a 
[krìptə mree ə] (plural cryp·to·me·ri·as)
noun

tall
Asian conifer: a tall coniferous tree native to China
and Japan that has curved needle-shaped leaves arranged in spirals. Latin name:
Cryptomeria japonica
Also
called
Japanese cedar
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “hidden part,” because its seeds are hidden by scales.][1]



cryptorchid

cryptorchid
crypt·or·chid
[krip táwrkid] (plural crypt·or·chids)
noun

human
or animal with undescended testicle: a
male human or animal with one or both testicles that have failed to descend
into the scrotum
[Late 19th century. From cryptorchism .][1]



cryptorchism

cryptorchism
crypt·or·chism 
[krip táwr kìzzəm] or crypt·or·chi·dism
[krip táwrki dìzzəm] noun

having
an undescended testicle: a developmental condition
affecting humans or animals in which one or both testicles fail to descend into
the scrotum
[Late 19th century. Coined
from crypto- + Latin orchis
“testicle” (from Greek orkhis ) + -ism
.][1]



cryptosporidiosis

cryptosporidiosis
cryp·to·spo·rid·i·o·sis 
[krìp tō spawridee ṓssiss] noun

infectious
disease:
an infectious condition of humans and domestic animals, characterized by fever,
diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It is spread by a protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium
.
[Formed from Cryptosporidium][1]



cryptosporidium

cryptosporidium
cryp·to·spor·i·di·um 
[krìp tō spə ríddee əm] (plural cryp·to·spor·i·di·a
[krìp tō spə ríddee ə]) noun

MICROBIOLOGY disease-spreading
protozoan:
a water-borne protozoan parasite that contaminates drinking water supplies,
causing intestinal infections in human beings and domestic animals
[Late 20th century. From
Modern Latin, genus name, from Greek kruptos (see crypto- ) + sporidium, literally “little
spore,” from spora (see spore ).][1]



Cryptozoic

Cryptozoic
Cryp·to·zo·ic 
adjective

occurring
before complex organisms: belonging to a geological
time in which only a few very primitive organisms existed
noun

geological era:
the Cryptozoic era of geological time[1]



cryptozoic

cryptozoic
cryp·to·zo·ic 
[krìptə zṓ ik] adjective

living in dark places:
used to describe invertebrates that live in dark or concealed places, such as
under stones or in caves or holes[1]



cryptozoite

cryptozoite
cryp·to·zo·ite 
[krìptə zṓ t] (plural cryp·to·zo·ites)
noun

malarial
parasite:
a malarial parasite at the stage in its life cycle when it is present in the
host’s body tissue but before it invades the red blood cells
[Coined from crypto- + Greek zōion “animal” + -ite][1]



cryptozoology

cryptozoology
cryp·to·zo·ol·o·gy 
[krìp tō zō ólləjee] noun

study
of legendary creatures: the study of legendary
creatures like the Loch Ness monster or the Yeti
—cryp·to·zo·o·log·i·cal
[krìp tō zō ə lójjik’l], adjective

—cryp·to·zo·ol·o·gist
[krìp tō zō ólləjist], noun[1]



cryst.

cryst.
cryst.

1.  Abbreviation
of
crystalline

2.  Abbreviation
of
crystallography

[1]



Crystal

Crystal
Crys·tal 
[kríst’l]

city in southeastern
Minnesota, near the Mississippi River; a northwestern suburb of Minneapolis.
Population: 23,292 (1996)[1]



crystal

crystal

crys·tal 
[kríst’l] noun (plural crys·tals)

1.  CHEMISTRY solid
with repetitive internal structure: a
solid containing an internal pattern of atoms, molecules, or ions that is
regular, repeated, and geometrically arranged

2.  MINERALS piece
of crystal:
a piece of a mineral in crystal form

3.  MINERALS quartz:
a clear colorless mineral, especially quartz

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
component:
a crystalline substance that has semiconducting or piezoelectric properties and
is used as an electronic component, or the electrical device using it

5.  something
like crystal: something that has the form of a
crystal, for example, a frozen snowflake or a grain of salt

6.  CRAFT heavy
glass:
a heavy transparent sparkling glass

7.  HOUSEHOLD crystal
glass objects: things made from crystal

8.  glass
over watch face: a transparent glass or plastic cover for
the face of a clock or watch.
Also
called
watch glass
U.K.
term
watch-glass
adjective

very clear: clear
and sparkling
[Pre-12th century. Via French
cristal and Latin crystallum from Greek krustallos “ice”
(the original sense in English). Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning
“to freeze over” which is also the ancestor of English crust and cryo- .][1]



crystalball

crystalball
crys·tal
ball
(plural crys·tal balls) noun

1.  fortune
teller’s globe: a clear solid sphere of glass or rock
crystal that is used by a fortune teller to predict the future

2.  means
to predict future: any means used to predict
future events

[1]



crystalclear

crystalclear
crys·tal
clear
adjective

1.  very
clean:
clean and sparkling

2.  obvious
or understood: clear or obvious to the understanding

[1]



crystalgazing

crystalgazing
crys·tal
gaz·ing 
noun

predicting
future:
predicting the future by any questionable means, most commonly by staring into
a crystal ball in the belief that images of future events will appear
—crys·tal gaz·er, noun[1]



crystalhealing

crystalhealing
crys·tal
heal·ing
noun

use of crystals for health:
use of pieces of crystal that are supposed to promote health and increase
well-being[1]



crystalize

crystalize
crys·tal·ize 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
crystallize[1]



crystall.

crystall.
crystall.

Abbreviation of
crystallography[1]



crystall-

crystall-
crystall-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
crystallo-[1]



CrystalLake

CrystalLake
Crys·tal
Lake

city in northeastern
Illinois, east of Rockford and northwest of Chicago. Population: 32,180 (1996)[1]



crystallattice

crystallattice
crys·tal
lat·tice
noun

array of components in
crystal: the regular array of points
in space that are occupied by the atoms, ions, or molecules that make up a
crystal[1]



crystalliferous

crystalliferous
crys·tal·lif·er·ous 
[krìstə líffərəss] or crys·tal·lig·er·ous
[krìstə líjjərəss] adjective

yielding crystals:
forming or containing crystals[1]



crystalline

crystalline
crys·tal·line 
[krístə ln, krístəlin]
adjective

1.  like
or being crystals: relating to, made of,
containing, or resembling crystals

2.  very
clear:
clear and sparkling

3.  with
a definite shape: clear and definite in shape
—crys·tal·lin·i·ty [krìstə línnitee], noun[1]



crystallinelens

crystallinelens
crys·tal·line
lens
(plural crys·tal·line lens·es) noun

part of vertebrate eye:
the transparent lens behind the iris in the eyes of vertebrates[1]



crystallite

crystallite
crys·tal·lite 
[krístə lt] (plural crys·tal·lites)
noun

tiny
crystal:
a tiny rudimentary crystal, for example, those found in some igneous rocks
—crys·tal·lit·ic [krìstə líttik], adjective[1]



crystallize

crystallize
crys·tal·lize 
[krístə lz] (past crys·tal·lized,
past participle crys·tal·lized, present participle crys·tal·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular crys·tal·liz·es) or crys·tal·ize
[krístə lz] (past crys·tal·ized,
past participle crys·tal·ized, present participle crys·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular crys·tal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become well defined: to become or make an idea or
feeling become fixed or definite

2.  form
crystals:
to form or make something form crystals

3.  COOKING coat
with sugar crystals: to coat or impregnate
something, or become coated or impregnated, with crystals, especially sugar
crystals
—crys·tal·liz·a·bil·i·ty
[krìstə līzə bíllətee], noun

—crys·tal·liz·a·ble
[krístə lzəb’l], adjective

—crys·tal·li·za·tion
[krìstəli záysh’n], noun

—crys·tal·liz·er [krístə lzər], noun[1]



crystallo-

crystallo-
crystallo-
prefix

crystal,
crystalline • crystallography
[From Greek krustallos
(see crystal )][1]



crystallography

crystallography
crys·tal·log·ra·phy 
[krìstə lóggrəfee] noun

study
of crystals: a branch of science dealing with the
formation and properties of crystals
—crys·tal·log·ra·pher,
noun

—crys·tal·lo·graph·ic
[krìstələ gráffik], adjective

—crys·tal·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[krìstələ gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



crystalloid

crystalloid
crys·tal·loid 
[krístə lòyd] noun (plural crys·tal·loids)

1.  substance
forming crystals: a substance that can form crystals and
in solution can pass through a semipermeable membrane

2.  BOTANY protein
in plant cell: a mass of protein resembling a crystal
that commonly occurs in seeds and other storage organs
adjective

like crystal: with
the structure, properties, or appearance of a crystal
—crys·tal·loi·dal, adjective[1]



crystalpleat

crystalpleat
crys·tal
pleat
(plural crys·tal pleats) noun

permanently pressed pleat:
one of a series of permanently pressed pleats of varying widths, often in a
sheer fabric[1]



crystalset

crystalset
crys·tal
set
(plural crys·tal sets) noun

early radio:
an early form of radio receiver that used a quartz crystal as a detector[1]



cryup

cryup
cry
up
transitive verb

praise highly:
to praise somebody or something highly[1]



crèche

crèche
crèche
[kresh, kraysh]
(plural crèches) noun

1.  Nativity
scene:
a three-dimensional representation of the scene at the birth of Jesus Christ

2.  foundling
hospital:
a hospital for abandoned children

3.  U.K.
childcare
facility:
a place where small children are looked after while their parents or guardians
are working or doing something else
[Late 18th century. Via
French, “crib,” from assumed Vulgar Latin creppia, from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English crib
.][1]



crèmebrûlée

crèmebrûlée
crème
brû·lée
[krèm broo láy] (plural crème
brû·lées [krèm broo láyz] or crèmes
brû·lées [krèm broo láy]) noun

custard
with hard sugar top: a rich baked custard with
caramelized sugar on top. It is served chilled.
[From French, literally “burnt
cream”][1]



crèmecaramel

crèmecaramel
crème
car·a·mel
[krèm kaarə mél, krèm
kerrə mél] (plural crème car·a·mels [krèm kaarə mélz, krèm
kerrə mélz] or crèmes car·a·mel [krèm
kaarə mél, krèmz kaarə mél]) noun

custard
with caramel sauce: a custard cooked in a mold
coated with caramelized sugar, which forms a sauce. It is chilled and removed
from the mold before serving.
[From French, literally
“caramel cream”][1]



crèmede cacao

crèmede cacao
crème
de ca·cao
[krèm də kṓkō, krèm
də kaa kaa ṓ] (plural crème de ca·caos [krèm də kṓkōz, krèm də
kaa kaa ṓz] or crèmes de ca·cao [krèm
də kṓkō, krèm də kaa kaa ṓ]) noun

chocolate-flavored
liqueur:
a sweet chocolate-flavored liqueur
[From French, literally
“cream of cacao”][1]



crèmede la crème

crèmede la crème
crème
de la crème
[kèm də laa krém] noun

elite:
the very best of a group of people or things
[From French, literally
“cream of the cream”][1]



crèmede menthe

crèmede menthe
crème
de menthe
[krèm də ménth, krèm
də mNt] (plural crème de menthes or crèmes de
menthe [krèm də ménth, krèm də mNt]) noun

mint-flavored
liqueur:
a sweet mint-flavored liqueur
[From French, literally
“cream of mint”][1]



crèmefraîche

crèmefraîche
crème
fraîche
[krèm frésh] noun

French
sour cream:
thickened French sour cream, used in cooking or served with other foods
[From French, literally
“fresh cream”][1]



Crémazie,Octave

Crémazie,Octave
Cré·maz·ie
[krày maa z], Octave (1827–1879)

French-Canadian poet. He
became Canada’s official poet after writing his “Chant du vieux soldat
canadien” ( 1855 ).[1]



crêpesuzette

crêpesuzette
crêpe
suz·ette
[kràyp soo zét] (plural crêpes
suz·ette or crêpe suz·ettes [kràyp
soo zéts]) noun

flaming
dessert pancake: a pancake prepared with orange sauce and
flambéed with an orange-flavored liqueur or brandy
[From French, said to be
named after the French actress Suzanne Reichenberg (1853–1924)][1]



Cs

Cs
Cs

Symbol for
cesium[1]



CS

CS
CS

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of capital stock

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING Abbreviation
of chartered surveyor

3.  Abbreviation
of
chief of staff

4.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
Christian Science

5.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
Christian Scientist

[1]



cs.

cs.
cs.

1.  Abbreviation
of
case

2.  Abbreviation
of
census

[1]



C.S.A.

C.S.A.
C.S.A.

Abbreviation of
Confederate States of America[1]



csc

csc
csc

Abbreviation of
cosecant[1]



C-section

C-section
C-sec·tion 
(plural C-sec·tions) noun

See
cesarean section[1]



CSF

CSF
CSF
(plural CSFs)

Abbreviation of
cerebrospinal fluid[1]



C-span

C-span
C-span
noun

public-affairs cable TV
channel: a cable TV channel that
focuses chiefly on public affairs such as Congressional hearings and cultural
and social issues[1]



CST

CST
CST

1.  Abbreviation
of
Central Standard Time

2.  Abbreviation
of
convulsive shock treatment

[1]



C.S.T.

C.S.T.
C.S.T.

Abbreviation of
Central Standard Time[1]



c-store

c-store
c-store
(plural c-stores) or C-store (plural C-stores)
noun

convenience store:
a convenience store (informal)[1]



CT

CT
CT

1.  TIME Abbreviation of Central Time

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of computerized tomography

3.  Abbreviation
of
Connecticut

[1]



C.T.

C.T.
C.T.

Abbreviation of
Central Time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ct.

Ct.
Ct.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Connecticut

2.
(used in titles) Abbreviation of Count

[1]



ct.

ct.
ct.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cent

2.  Abbreviation
of
certificate

[1]



CTD

CTD
CTD

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of cumulative trauma disorder[1]



ctenidium

ctenidium
cte·nid·i·um 
[tə níddee əm] (plural cte·nid·i·a
[ə]) noun

mollusk’s
gill:
a gill found in mollusks that has a central axis with a fringe of filaments on
either side. It is used in gas exchange and filter feeding.
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek ktenidion, literally “little comb,” from kteis
“comb.”][1]



ctenoid

ctenoid
cten·oid 
[té nòyd, t
nòyd] (plural ctenoids) adjective

with
scales like combs: used to describe fish scales
that have tiny projections like the teeth of combs, or fish that have such
scales
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kten-, the stem of kteis “comb” + -oid .][1]



ctenophore

ctenophore
cten·o·phore 
[ténnə fàwr] (plural cten·o·phores)
noun

creature
like jelly fish: a marine invertebrate resembling a
jellyfish but with eight rows of undulating filaments used for swimming. Sea
gooseberries and sea walnuts are ctenophores. Phylum: Ctenophora
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin ctenophorus, from the Greek stem kten-
(see ctenoid ).]
—cte·noph·o·ran [tə nóffərən], adjective, noun[1]



ctf.

ctf.
ctf.

Abbreviation of
certificate[1]



ctg.

ctg.
ctg.
or ctge.

Abbreviation of
cartage[1]



ctn

ctn
ctn

Abbreviation of
cotangent[1]



ctn.

ctn.
ctn.

Abbreviation of
carton[1]



ctr.

ctr.
ctr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
center

2.  Abbreviation
of
counter

[1]



Ctrl.

Ctrl.
Ctrl.

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of control[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cts.

cts.
cts.

Abbreviation of
cents[1]



CTscan

CTscan
CT
scan 
noun

See
CAT scan[1]



CTscanner

CTscanner
CT
scan·ner
noun

See
CAT scanner[1]



CTV

CTV
CTV

Abbreviation of
Canadian Television Network Limited[1]



cu.

cu.
cu.

Abbreviation of
cubic[1]



Cu

Cu
Cu

Symbol for
copper[1]



cuadrilla

cuadrilla
cua·dril·la 
[kwaa dryə] (plural cua·dril·las)
noun

matador’s
team:
a group of three banderilleros and two picadors who assist a matador in the
bullring
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “little square” (from a formation used), from cuadra
“square,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem quadr- (source of English quadrille ).][1]



cub

cub
cub 
[kub] noun (plural cubs)

1.  ZOOLOGY young
of carnivorous mammal: an offspring of some
carnivorous mammals, for example, a bear, lion, or tiger

2.  novice:
an inexperienced person or apprentice (dated)

3.  young
person:
an inexperienced young person, often lacking in manners (dated)
intransitive
verb
(past cubbed, past participle cubbed, present
participle cub·bing, 3rd person present singular cubs)

produce young:
to give birth to an animal cub
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—cub·bish,
adjective

—cub·bish·ly, adverb[1]



Cuba




Back to definition

Cuba

[1]



Cuba

Cuba



Cu·ba
[kybə]
independent republic in the Caribbean Sea
comprising two main islands and over 1,000 islets. Language: Spanish. Currency:
peso. Capital: Havana. Population: 10,999,139 (1997) Area: 114,525 sq km/44,218
sq mi. Full name Republic of Cuba[1]



cubage

cubage
cub·age 
[kybij] (plural cub·ages) noun

See
cubature[1]



Cubalibre

Cubalibre
Cu·ba
li·bre 
[kybə lbrə] (plural Cu·ba
li·bres) noun

type
of rum cocktail: a drink made by mixing rum, cola, ice,
and lime juice
[From American Spanish,
literally “free Cuba,” used as a toast during the Cuban War of Independence, 1895–1898][1]



Cuban

Cuban
Cu·ban
[kybən] noun (plural Cu·bans)

1.  somebody
from Cuba:
somebody who was born or raised in Cuba, or who is a citizen of Cuba

2.  cigar:
a Cuban cigar
adjective

relating to Cuba:
relating to the Republic of Cuba, or its people or culture

[1]



Cubanheel

Cubanheel
Cu·ban
heel
noun

broad heel for shoe:
a straight broad heel of medium height for a shoe[1]



Cubansandwich

Cubansandwich
Cu·ban
sand·wich
noun

Southern U.S.
sandwich of cheese and meat:
a long narrow sandwich of Cuban origin, filled with ham, pork, cheese, and
pickles, and often grilled[1]



cubature

cubature
cu·ba·ture
[kybə chr, kybəchər]
(plural cu·ba·tures) noun

1.  determination
of volume of solid: the process of working out
the cubic content or volume of a solid

2.  cubic
content:
the cubic content or volume of a solid.
Also
called
cubage U.K. = cubage
[Late 17th century. Formed
from cube, modeled on quadrature .][1]



cubbyhole

cubbyhole
cub·by·hole 
[kúbbi hl] (plural cub·by·holes)
or cub·by [kúbbi hl] (plural
cub·bies) noun

1.  small
area:
a small space or room

2.  storage
compartment: a small storage compartment

[1]



cube

cube1

cube1  [kyb]
noun (plural cubes)

1.  GEOMETRY solid
figure of six equal sides: a solid figure of six equal
square plane faces, each set at right angles to the four sides adjacent to it

2.  cube
-shaped object: any solid shaped like a cube

3.  MATHEMATICS product
of three equal numbers: the product of three equal
numbers or quantities multiplied together, usually written in mathematical
notation as a raised 3, for example, 4 3 means 4 × 4 × 4

4.  MEASUREMENTS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING cubic
inches:
cubic inches, especially of an internal-combustion engine (informal)
transitive verb
(past cubed, past participle cubed, present
participle cub·ing, 3rd person present singular cubes)

1.  MATHEMATICS multiply
item by itself twice: to multiply a number or quantity
by itself twice, for example, 6 cubed is 6 multiplied by 6 and then multiplied
by 6 again

2.  COOKING dice:
to cut or shape food into cubes

3.  MATHEMATICS work
out cubic content: to calculate the cubic
content of something

4.  COOKING tenderize
meat:
to score meat with a pattern of squares in order to make it more tender
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin cubus, from Greek kubos
“cube” (and also “pelvis” because of its shape).]
—cub·er, noun[1]



cube

cube2
cu·be2  [ky
bày, kyoo báy] (plural cu·bes)
or cu·bé [ky bày, kyoo báy] (plural cu·bés) noun

PLANTS tropical
American plant: a tropical American leguminous woody
plant that is cultivated as a source of rotenone. Genus: Lonchocarpus
[Early 20th century. From
American Spanish .][1]



cubeb

cubeb
cu·beb 
[ky bèb] (plural cu·bebs) noun

1.  Asian
climbing plant: a climbing plant of Southeast Asia that
has heart-shaped leaves, spikes of small flowers, and brownish berries. Latin
name: Piper cubeba

2.  berry
of cubeb plant: a small unripe spicy berry of the cubeb
plant, used in the past to treat respiratory and urinary disorders
[13th century. Via French cubèbe
from, ultimately, Arabic kubāba .][1]



cuberoot

cuberoot
cube
root
(plural cube roots) noun

base number of cube:
a number or quantity that, when multiplied by itself twice, equals a given
number or quantity[1]



cubesteak

cubesteak
cube
steak
(plural cube steaks) noun

tenderized slice of beef:
a thin slice of beef that has been scored with squares to make it more tender[1]



cubevan

cubevan
cube
van
(plural cube vans) noun

Canada
small truck:
a small truck with a cube-shaped storage compartment at the rear[1]



cubic

cubic
cu·bic 
[kybik] adjective cu·bic cu·bi·cal

1.  with
three dimensions: with three measurable dimensions

2.  describing
volume by comparing with cube: used to describe a
volume or capacity that is equal to that of a specified cube

3.  cube-shaped:
shaped like a cube

4.  MATHEMATICS relating
to or containing cubed variable: used to describe a
mathematical expression or equation in which at least one variable is cubed but
no variable is to be multiplied by itself more than two times • a
cubic equation

5.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY with
three equal axes: used to describe a crystal that has
three equal perpendicular axes. Symbol c
noun
(plural cu·bics)

MATHEMATICS mathematical
equation:
a cubic expression, equation, or curve
—cu·bi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cubicle

cubicle
cu·bi·cle 
[kybik’l] (plural cu·bi·cles)
noun

1.  partitioned
work area in a room: a work area that is partly
separated from the rest of a room in an office or library

2.  partitioned
area of room: a small partitioned area for private use
in a larger, more public room, for example, a changing room or dormitory
[15th century. From Latin cubiculum
“bedroom” (the original sense in English), from cubare “to lie down.”][1]



cubicmeasure

cubicmeasure
cu·bic
meas·ure
(plural cu·bic meas·ures) noun

measure of volume:
a unit or system for measuring volume or capacity[1]



cubiczirconia

cubiczirconia
cu·bic
zir·co·ni·a
(plural cu·bic zir·co·ni·as) noun

synthetic gemstone resembling
diamond: a synthetic gemstone used as
a substitute for diamonds in costume jewelry. It is formed by heating zirconia
together with a stabilizing metallic oxide. ZrO2[1]



cubiform

cubiform
cu·bi·form 
[kybi fàwrm] adjective

cube-shaped:
shaped like a cube[1]



cubism

cubism
cub·ism 
[ky bìzzəm] or Cu·bism [ky bìzzəm] noun

artistic
style using geometric shapes: an artistic style, chiefly
in painting and sculpture, that developed in the early 20th century and
emphasized the representation of natural forms as geometric shapes seen from
several angles
[Early
20th century. From French cubisme, from cube (see cube ).]
—cub·ist,
noun

—cu·bis·tic
[kyoo bístik], adjective

—cu·bis·ti·cal·ly [kyoo bístikəlee], adverb[1]



cubit

cubit
cu·bit 
[kybit] (plural cu·bits) noun

ancient
unit of length: an ancient unit of length, equal to the
distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, approximately 43–56
cm17–22 in
[14th century. From Latin cubitum
“elbow, forearm, cubit.”][1]



cubital

cubital
cu·bit·al 
[kybit’l] adjective

of
elbow:
relating to the elbow, ulnar bone, or forearm
[15th century. From Latin cubitalis,
from cubitum “elbow, forearm, cubit.”][1]



cuboid

cuboid
cu·boid 
[ky bòyd] noun (plural cu·boids)

1.  GEOMETRY solid
figure of six rectangular planes: a solid figure of six
rectangular plane faces, each set at right angles to the four sides adjacent to
it

2.  ANATOMY bone
in foot:
the outermost tarsal bone of the foot in vertebrates
adjective

GEOMETRY cube-shaped:
shaped like a cube
—cu·boi·dal [kyoo bóyd’l], adjective[1]



cubreporter

cubreporter
cub
re·port·er
(plural cub re·port·ers) noun

novice reporter:
a young inexperienced newspaper reporter[1]



cuchifrito

cuchifrito
cu·chi·fri·to 
[kchi frtō] (plural cu·chi·fri·tos)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
fried
cube of pork: a small deep-fried cube of pork
[From American Spanish, from cuchí
“pig” (alteration of Spanish cochino “little pig”) + Spanish frito,
past participle of freir “to fry,” from Latin frigere][1]



cuckingstool

cuckingstool
cuck·ing
stool 
[kúking stl] (plural cuck·ing
stools) noun

medieval
punishment:
a punishment used in medieval times in which somebody was tied to a stool and
pelted with rotting food
[14th century. Cucking
“defecating” (from obsolete cuck “to defecate,” of Scandinavian origin),
because a commode was sometimes used for this purpose.][1]



cuckold

cuckold
cuck·old 
[kúkəld] noun (plural cuck·olds)

man
whose wife is unfaithful: a husband whose wife has
been unfaithful to him (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past cuck·old·ed, past participle cuck·old·ed, present
participle cuck·old·ing, 3rd person present singular cuck·olds)

make
cuckold of somebody: to make a cuckold of a
husband (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Northern French, a variant of Old French cucuault,
from cucu “cuckoo,” perhaps from the analogy that other birds’ nests are
invaded by cuckoos.]
—cuck·old·ry, noun[1]



cuckoo

cuckoo


cuck·oo 
[k k, k k]
noun (plural cuck·oos)

1.  BIRDS bird
laying in others’ nests: a European songbird that
lays its eggs in the nests of other birds who bring the nestlings up as their
own. Latin name: Cuculus canorus

2.  BIRDS related
bird:
a bird related to the European cuckoo

3.  BIRDS cuckoo
’s call:
the characteristic two-note call of the European cuckoo

4.  eccentric
person:
somebody who is very eccentric, strange, or extremely unconventional (informal)
adjective

strange: very
eccentric, strange, or extremely unconventional (informal)
intransitive verb
(past cuck·ooed, past participle cuck·ooed, present
participle cuck·oo·ing, 3rd person present singular cuck·oos)

give the call of the cuckoo:
to make the characteristic two-note call of the cuckoo
[13th
century. From Old French cucu, an imitation of its call.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  One
  Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a movie by U.S. director Milos Forman ( 1975 ).
  Based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel, it describes how mischievous convict Randle
  McMurphy inspires his fellow inmates at a mental health facility to rebel
  against their disciplinarian nurse, Ratched. The movie can be seen as a
  metaphor for the conflict between individuality and creativity and society’s
  pressure to conform.

[1]



cuckooclock

cuckooclock
cuck·oo
clock
(plural cuck·oo clocks) noun

clock with mechanical cuckoo:
a clock that indicates the hour with sounds like a cuckoo’s call, usually
accompanied by the appearance of a mechanical bird from behind a door[1]



cuckooflower

cuckooflower
cuck·oo·flow·er 
[k k flòwr, k
k flòwr] (plural cuck·oo·flow·ers) noun

1.  plant
with light purple flowers: a plant often found in moist
meadows, with light purple or occasionally white flowers and yellow anthers in
April to June. Latin name: Cardamine pratensis
Also
called
lady’s smock

2.  See
ragged robin
[Late 16th century. Because
the plant is in flower at about the time of year when the bird is first heard.][1]



cuckoopint

cuckoopint
cuck·oo·pint 
[k koo pnt, k
koo pnt] (plural cuck·oo·pints) noun

plant
with scarlet berries: a perennial European plant,
with leaves shaped like arrowheads and flowering stems consisting of a
yellowish green cone around a reddish purple spike that later carries poisonous
scarlet berries. Latin name: Arum maculatum
Also
called
lords-and-ladies
[15th century. Shortening of
earlier cuckoo pintle, literally “cuckoo penis,” from the shape of the
spadix.][1]



cuckoospit

cuckoospit
cuck·oo
spit
noun

1.  frothy
insect secretion on plants: a white frothy secretion
found on the stems and leaves of plants, produced by the larva of insects like
the spittlebug.
Also
called
frog spit
Also
called
toad spit

2.  spittlebug:
an insect that produces cuckoo spit
[Because it was believed to
have been spat out by cuckoos][1]



cucumber

cucumber
cu·cum·ber 
[ky kùmbər] (plural cu·cum·bers)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with long green fruit: a climbing or trailing
annual plant of the gourd family that is grown for its edible long green fruit.
Latin name: Cucumis sativus
See
also
squirting cucumber

2.  FOOD fruit
of cucumber plant: the long fruit of the
cucumber plant that has dark green peel and crisp white watery flesh and is
usually eaten raw in salads and sandwiches or pickled
[14th
century. From Latin cucumer-, the stem of cucumis, by association
with Old French cocombre .]
cool
as a cucumber

calm and composed, especially
under pressure[1]



cucumbertree

cucumbertree
cu·cum·ber
tree
(plural cu·cum·ber trees) noun

magnolia tree with
cucumber-shaped fruit: a small
tree that grows mainly in central and eastern North America, has
greenish-yellow flowers, and produces cucumber-shaped fruit. Genus: Magnolia[1]



cucurbit

cucurbit
cu·cur·bit 
[kyoo kúrbit] (plural cu·cur·bits)
noun

plant
of gourd family: a tropical or subtropical climbing or
trailing plant of the gourd family with large, fleshy, tough- or hard-skinned
fruits, many of which are edible, for example, cucumber, watermelon, or squash.
Family: Cucurbitaceae
[14th century. Via French curcurbite
from Latin cucurbita “gourd.”][1]



cud

cud
cud 
[kud] noun

1.  ZOOLOGY food
chewed twice: partly digested food that cows and other
ruminants return to the mouth, after it has passed into the first stomach, to
chew again as an aid to digestion

2.  something
continuously chewed: something that is chewed
repeatedly, such as tobacco (informal)
[Old English cudu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that probably also produced the first
syllable of English bitumen (the
underlying idea being “sticky substance”).][1]



cudbear

cudbear
cud·bear 
[kúd bàir] noun

violet
dye:
a violet dye extracted from some lichens
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of Cuthbert, named for an 18th-century Scottish chemist Cuthbert Gordon, who
patented it.][1]



cuddle

cuddle
cud·dle 
[kúdd’l] verb (past cud·dled,
past participle cud·dled, present participle cud·dling,
3rd person present singular cud·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tenderly
hug or nestle: to nestle together or hold somebody or
something close for affection, warmth, or comfort

2.  intransitive
verb
assume
comfortable position: to get into a warm
comfortable position
noun
(plural cud·dles)

tender hug: a
prolonged hug or embrace given to comfort or show affection
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from earlier couth (see uncouth ), in the sense “familiar, comfortable,
cozy.”]
—cud·dler,
noun

—cud·dle·some, adjective[1]



cuddly

cuddly
cud·dly
[kúddlee] (comparative cud·dlier,
superlative cud·dli·est) adjective

pleasant to hold because of
being soft, warm, or endearingly attractive[1]



cuddy

cuddy
cud·dy
[kúddee] (plural cud·dies) noun

1.  NAUTICAL small
cabin on boat: a small cabin or galley on a boat

2.  small
room:
a small room or closet
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via early modern Dutch kajute from French cahute
“shanty,” of unknown origin.][1]



cudgel

cudgel
cudg·el 
[kújjəl] noun (plural cudg·els)

short
heavy club:
a heavy stick used as a weapon
transitive
verb
(past cudg·eled, past participle cudg·eled, present
participle cudg·el·ing, 3rd person present singular cudg·els)

beat
with cudgel: to beat somebody with a cudgel
[Old
English cycgel, of unknown origin]
take
up the cudgels

to defend or support somebody
or something actively and energetically[1]



cudweed

cudweed
cud·weed 
[kúd wd] (plural cud·weeds or
cud·weed) noun

flowering plant with woolly
leaves: a plant of the daisy family
that has woolly leaves and clusters of white or yellow flowers and is found in
temperate regions worldwide. Genera: Gnaphalium Filago
Also called
cudwort[1]



cue

cue1
cue1 [kyoo]
noun (plural cues)

1.  signal
to speak or act: something said or done that provides the
signal for somebody, especially an actor or performer, to say or do something

2.  prompt
or reminder: something that prompts or reminds
somebody to do something • I took
my cue from my brother and said nothing.

3.  PSYCHOLOGY response-producing
stimulus:
a stimulus or pattern of stimuli, often not consciously perceived, that results
in a specific learned behavioral response

4.  somebody’s
role:
a part or function assigned to or expected of a person (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past cued, past participle cued, present
participle cu·ing, 3rd person present singular cues)

give signal or prompt to:
to give somebody, especially an actor or performer, a signal to say or do
something
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps standing for qu, an abbreviation of Latin quando
“when,” written on actors’ scripts to remind them to come in.][1]



cue

cue2
cue2 [kyoo]
noun (plural cues)

1.  CUE GAMES stick
used to hit ball: a long tapering stick used to strike the
cue ball in games such as billiards or pool (often used before a noun)

2.  GAME long
stick used in shuffleboard: a long stick with a
semicircular piece attached at the end, used to push shuffleboard disks

3.  See
queue  noun 4
transitive
verb
(past cued, past participle cued, present
participle cu·ing, 3rd person present singular cues)

1.  CUE GAMES strike
with cue:
to strike a cue ball with a cue in such games as pool and billiards

2.  tie
in braid:
to tie the hair at the back of the head in a braid
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
queue .][1]



cue

cue3
cue3 [kyoo]
(plural cues) noun

letter
q:
the letter q
[Mid-18th century.
Representing the pronunciation of q .][1]



cueball

cueball
cue
ball
(plural cue balls) noun

ball struck by cue:
the white ball struck with the cue in games such as billiards or pool, which
strikes the object ball in turn[1]



cuebid

cuebid
cue
bid
(plural cue bids) noun

BRIDGE
bid showing ace or no cards:
in bridge, a bid made to show a partner that the bidder has either an ace or no
cards in a particular suit[1]



cuecard

cuecard
cue
card
(plural cue cards) noun

card used as performer’s
prompt: in broadcasting, a large
card containing the words that somebody is to say, held up out of sight of the
viewing audience[1]



cuedspeech

cuedspeech
cued
speech 
noun

combination of lip-reading
and signing: a series of hand
movements used to differentiate ambiguous mouth positions as an aid in lip
reading[1]



cuein

cuein
cue
in
transitive verb

1.  give
signal to:
to signal that it is now time for somebody, especially a performer, to say or
do something • The
conductor will cue you in.

2.  instruct
or remind:
to give somebody information, instructions, or a reminder

3.  insert
into performance: to insert something, such as a speech or
song, into a performance

[1]



Cuenca

Cuenca
Cuen·ca
[kwéng k, kwéngkə]

city in a valley of the Andes
Mountains in southern Ecuador. It is the capital of Azuay Province. Population:
194,981 (1990)[1]



Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca
Cuer·na·va·ca 
[kwàirnə vkə]

resort city and capital of
Morelos State, south central Mexico. Population: 279,187 (1990)[1]



cuesta

cuesta
cues·ta 
[kwéstə] (plural cues·tas) noun

ridge
with steep and gentle slopes: a ridge with a steep face on
one side and a gentle slope on the other, especially in the southwestern United
States
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “slope,” from Latin costa “rib, side” (source of
English coast and accost ).][1]



cuff

cuff1
cuff1 [kuf]
noun (plural cuffs)

1.  end
of sleeve nearest wrist: the part of a sleeve that
covers the wrist, either turned back or with a band of fabric attached

2.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand fold
at bottom of pant: a turned-up fold at the
bottom of a pant leg

3.  part
of glove covering lower arm: the part of a glove or
gauntlet that extends up the arm beyond the wrist

4.  MEDICINE band
used in measuring blood pressure: an inflatable band
fastened around a patient’s arm when measuring blood pressure

5.  handcuff:
a handcuff (slang)

6.  band
on sock:
a ribbed or elasticized band at the top of a sock that serves to hold it up
transitive
verb
(past cuffed, past participle cuffed, present
participle cuff·ing, 3rd person present singular cuffs)

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia put cuff on pants:
to give pants a cuff

2.  put
handcuffs on: to put handcuffs on somebody (slang)
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—cuff·less, adjective[1]



cuff

cuff2
cuff2 transitive verb (past
cuffed, past participle cuffed, present participle cuff·ing,
3rd person present singular cuffs)

hit
with open hand: to hit somebody lightly with an open
hand
noun
(plural cuffs)

open-handed
blow:
a blow with an open hand
[Mid-16th century. Probably
an imitation of the sound of hitting.][1]



cufflink

cufflink
cuff
link
(plural cuff links) noun

fastener for shirt cuff:
each one of a pair of ornamental fasteners for shirt cuffs used as an
alternative to buttons (often used in the plural)
Also called
link[1]



cuibono

cuibono
cui
bo·no 
[kwi bṓnō] noun

1.  legal
principle:
the legal principle that somebody who would gain something from a particular
action or event is probably responsible for it

2.  usefulness
as measure of value: the usefulness of something
used to measure its value
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “to whom is the benefit.”][1]



cuirass

cuirass
cui·rass 
[kwi ráss] (plural cui·rass·es)
noun

1.  armor
for upper body: a piece of body armor made of metal or
leather, covering the chest and sometimes the back

2.  protection:
a protective covering, or any means of protection

3.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
hard protective covering: a protective outer covering
on some animals, for example, scales or a shell
[15th century. Via Old French
cuirace from, ultimately, Latin coriaceus “made of leather,” from
corium “leather.”][1]



cuirassier

cuirassier
cui·ras·sier 
[kwrə sr, kyrə
sr] (plural cui·ras·siers) noun

soldier
wearing cuirass: a mounted soldier wearing a cuirass,
especially in 16th-century Europe
[Mid-16th century. From
French, from cuirasse, from Old French cuirace (see cuirass ).][1]



cuish

cuish
cuish 
(plural cuish·es) noun

See
cuisse[1]



cuisine

cuisine
cui·sine 
[kwi zn] (plural cui·sines) noun

1.  cooking
style:
a specified style of cooking, especially one that is notable for high quality.
See
also
haute cuisine

2.  range
of food:
the range of food prepared by a particular restaurant, country, or individual
[Late 18th century. Via
French, literally “kitchen,” from Latin coquina, from coquere “to
cook” (source of English concoct, decoct, and precocious
).][1]



cuisineminceur

cuisineminceur
cui·sine
min·ceur 
[kwi zn maN súr] noun

classic
cookery for dieters: a low-calorie form of
cooking originating in France
[From French, literally
“slimness cooking”][1]



cuisse

cuisse
cuisse 
[kwiss] (plural cuiss·es) or
cuish [kwish] (plural cuish·es)
noun

thigh
armor:
a piece of armor formerly worn in battle to protect the thigh
[13th century. Via Old French
cuiss(i)eus, plural of cuissel, from late Latin coxale,
from Latin coxa “hip” (source of English cushion
).][1]



cuke

cuke
cuke 
[kyook] (plural cukes) noun

cucumber:
a cucumber (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Culbertson,Ely

Culbertson,Ely
Cul·bert·son 
[kúlbərtsən], Ely (1891–1955)

Romanian-born U.S. bridge
player. He invented a contract-bridge bidding system, and wrote widely about
the game.[1]



cul-de-sac

cul-de-sac
cul-de-sac 
[kùl də sák] (plural culs-de-sac
or cul-de-sacs) noun

1.  street
closed at one end: a road with no exit at one
end, often in a residential area

2.  impasse:
a situation in which further progress is impossible

3.  ANATOMY body
cavity resembling pouch: a body cavity or tubular
structure open at one end only
[From French, literally
“bottom of a sack”][1]



culet

culet
cu·let 
[kylət] (plural cu·lets) noun

flat
face on gemstone: the flat face at the back or base of a
faceted gemstone
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “little base,” from cul (see culottes
).][1]



Culiacan

Culiacan
Cu·lia·can
[klyə kn]

city in western Mexico, the
capital of Sinaloa State. Population: 601,123 (1990)[1]



culicid

culicid
cu·li·cid
[kyləsid, kyoo
líssid] (plural cu·li·cids) noun

mosquito:
an insect of the mosquito family. Family: Culicidae
[Early 20th century. From
Latin culic-, the stem of culex “gnat.”][1]



culinary

culinary
cu·li·nar·y 
[kúllə nèrree, kylə
nèrree] adjective

relating
to cooking:
relating to food or cooking
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin culinarius, from culina “kitchen” (source of
English kiln ).]
—cu·li·nar·i·ly, adverb[1]



cull

cull
cull 
[kul] transitive verb (past culled,
past participle culled, present participle cull·ing,
3rd person present singular culls)

1.  remove
as worthless: to remove an inferior thing or person
from a larger group

2.  select:
to select or gather things or people, especially those that are good examples
of their kind • The following cases are
culled from the police reports.

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE remove
from herd:
to remove an animal, especially a sick or weak one, from a herd or flock
noun
(plural culls)

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE reduction
of animal numbers: a reduction of the numbers
of an animal population achieved by killing some of its members

2.  something
without value: something regarded as worthless,
especially an unwanted or inferior animal removed from a herd
[12th century. Via Old French
coillier from Latin colligere “to gather together,” from legere
“to gather” (source of English select
).][1]



Cullen,Countee

Cullen,Countee

Cul·len 
[kúllən], Countee (1903–1946)
U.S. poet. An essentially lyric poet
influenced by the work of the English poet John Keats, Cullen was a leading
figure of the Harlem Renaissance.[1]



cullet

cullet
cul·let 
[kúllət] noun

glass
to be recycled: broken or waste glass returned for
recycling
[Early 19th century. Variant
of collet in the obsolete sense “glass left
on the end of a blowing iron when the finished article has been removed.”][1]



cully

cully
cul·ly 
[kúllee] noun (plural cul·lies)

gullible
person:
somebody who is easily tricked (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past cul·lied, past participle cul·lied, present
participle cul·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular cul·lies)

deceive:
to cheat or deceive somebody (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a contraction of cullion .][1]



culm

culm1
culm1 [kulm]
noun

1.  coal
mine waste:
waste from a coal mine

2.  shale
containing much coal: shale that contains a lot of
coal

3.  inferior
anthracite:
anthracite coal of poor quality
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from Old English col (see coal ).][1]



culm

culm2
culm2 [kulm]
(plural culms) noun

hollow
grass stem:
the jointed hollow stem of a grass or similar plant
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
culmus .][1]



culminant

culminant
cul·mi·nant 
[kúlmənənt] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY at
highest point: used to describe a planet or other
celestial body that is at its highest altitude

2.  culminating:
reaching its climax or point of highest development
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin culminant-, the present participle stem of culminare
(see culminate ).][1]



culminate

culminate
cul·mi·nate 
[kúlmiə nàyt] (past cul·mi·nat·ed,
past participle cul·mi·nat·ed, present participle cul·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular cul·mi·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
or bring to highest point: to reach a climax or point
of highest development, or to bring something to this point • a
general feeling of dissatisfaction that culminated in his resignation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb finish
spectacularly: to come or bring something to a climax • The
festivities culminated in a procession through the town.

3.  intransitive
verb
have
something at highest end: to have something at its
apex • The
tower culminates in a point.

4.  intransitive
verb
ASTRONOMY reach
highest or lowest point: to reach the highest or,
less commonly, the lowest point in the sky relative to an observer’s horizon (refers
to celestial bodies)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin culminat-, the past participle stem of culminare “to exalt
or extol,” from culmen “summit.”][1]



culmination

culmination
cul·mi·na·tion 
[kùlmə náysh’n] (plural cul·mi·na·tions)
noun

1.  highest
point:
the highest, most important, or final point of an activity

2.  act
of culminating: the arrival at, or the bringing of
something to, a climax

3.  ASTRONOMY highest
or lowest altitude: the highest or, less
commonly, the lowest point that a celestial body reaches relative to an
observer’s horizon

[1]



culottes

culottes
cu·lottes
[koo lóts, k
lòts] plural noun

women’s
shorts resembling skirt: a pair of women’s
knee-length shorts, cut to resemble a skirt.
Also
called
divided skirt
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “small bottom,” later “knee breeches” (the original sense in
English ), from cul “bottom, rump” (source of English tutu ), from Latin culus .][1]



culpable

culpable
cul·pa·ble 
[kúlpəb’l] adjective

guilty:
deserving blame or punishment for a wrong
[13th
century. Via French coupable from Latin culpabilis, from culpare
“to blame,” from culpa “fault, blame.”]
—cul·pa·bil·i·ty
[kùlpə bíllətee], noun

—cul·pa·bly [kúlpəblee], adverb[1]



culprit

culprit
cul·prit 
[kúlprit] (plural cul·prits) noun

1.  wrongdoer:
somebody who is responsible for or guilty of an offense or misdeed

2.  CRIMINAL LAW accused
person:
somebody charged with a crime and awaiting trial, especially somebody who has
pleaded not guilty

3.  origin
of problem:
a cause of a problem (informal) • A
faulty connection proved to be the culprit.
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from an earlier abbreviation cul. prist (mistakenly
taken as a form of address), from Anglo-Norman Culpable; prest d’averer,
literally “You are guilty; we are ready to prove it.”][1]



cult

cult
cult 
[kult] (plural cults) noun

1.  religion:
a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and
transient belief system regarded by others as misguided or unorthodox

2.  religious
group:
a group of people who share religious or spiritual beliefs

3.  idolization
of somebody or something: extreme or excessive
admiration for a person, philosophy of life, or activity (often used before
a noun) • a
cult following

4.  object
of idolization: a person, philosophy, or activity
regarded with extreme or excessive admiration

5.  fad:
something popular or fashionable among a devoted group of enthusiasts (often
used before a noun) • cult
status

6.  ETHNOLOGY system
of supernatural beliefs: a body of organized
practices and beliefs supposed to involve interaction with and control over
supernatural powers

7.  elite
group:
a self-identified group of people who share a narrowly defined interest or
perspective
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin cultus “worship” (the
original sense in English ), from colere (see culture
).]
—cul·tic,
adjective

—cult·ish,
adjective

—cult·ish·ly,
adverb

—cult·ish·ness,
noun

—cult·ism,
noun

—cult·ist, noun[1]



culti

culti
cul·ti


Plural of
cultus[1]



cultivable

cultivable
cul·ti·va·ble 
[kúltəvəb’l] or cul·ti·vat·a·ble
[kúltə vàytəb’l] adjective

able
to be cultivated: used to describe land that is capable of
being cultivated
—cul·ti·va·bil·i·ty [kùltivə bíllətee], noun[1]



cultivar

cultivar
cul·ti·var 
[kúltə vr] (plural cul·ti·vars)
noun

plant
variety produced by breeding: a variety of a cultivated
plant that is developed by breeding and has a designated name
[Early 20th century. Blend of
cultivate and variety
.][1]



cultivatable

cultivatable
cul·ti·vat·a·ble
adjective

See
cultivable[1]



cultivate

cultivate
cul·ti·vate 
[kúltə vàyt] (past cul·ti·vat·ed,
past participle cul·ti·vat·ed, present participle cul·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular cul·ti·vates) transitive verb

1.  prepare
land for crops: to work land or prepare soil for growing
crops

2.  grow
plants:
to grow a plant or crop

3.  loosen
soil:
to break up soil with a tool or machine, especially before sowing or planting

4.  nurture:
to improve or develop something, usually by study or education • cultivating
her interest in science

5.  develop,
often selfishly: to develop an acquaintance or intimacy
with somebody, often for personal advantage

6.  make
cultured:
to civilize or educate a person or group
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin cultivat-, the past participle stem of cultivare,
from cultivus “cultured,” from Latin cult- (see culture ).][1]



cultivated

cultivated
cul·ti·vat·ed 
[kúltə vàytəd] adjective

1.  knowledgeable:
well-educated, knowledgeable, and well-mannered

2.  for
crops:
prepared or used for growing crops

3.  produced
by horticultural or agricultural methods:
developed or improved by horticultural or agricultural techniques

[1]



cultivation

cultivation
cul·ti·va·tion 
[kùltə váysh’n] noun

1.  preparation
of land or growing crops: planting, growing, and
harvesting crops or plants, or preparing land for this purpose

2.  improvement:
improvement or development, especially through study or education

3.  sophistication:
educated taste or sophistication
[Via French, from cultiver
“to cultivate,” from, ultimately, Latin cult- (see culture )][1]



cultivator

cultivator

cul·ti·va·tor 
[kúltə vàytər] (plural cul·ti·va·tors)
noun
soil-breaking
device:
any gardening or farm tool or machine for breaking up soil
[Mid-19th century. From cultivate, modeled on French cultivateur .][1]



cultural

cultural
cul·tur·al 
[kúlchərəl] adjective

1.  of
specific culture: relating to a particular culture or
civilization

2.  of
the arts:
relating to the arts and intellectual activity
—cul·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



culturalanthropology

culturalanthropology
cul·tur·al
an·thro·pol·o·gy noun

study
of human culture: the scientific study of human culture or
the culture of specific societies, including social structure, language,
religion, art, and technology.
Also
called
ethnology
—cul·tur·al
an·thro·pol·o·gist, noun[1]



culturaldiversity

culturaldiversity
cul·tur·al
di·ver·si·ty noun

social inclusiveness:
ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group,
society, or institution[1]



culturallag

culturallag
cul·tur·al
lag
(plural cul·tur·al lags) or cul·ture lag (plural
cul·ture lags) noun

SOCIOLOGY
different rate of cultural change:
a slower rate of change in one part of a culture or one society compared with
another[1]



culturalmaterialism

culturalmaterialism
cul·tur·al
ma·te·ri·al·ism noun

theory that material things
influence change: the anthropological
theory that environment, resources, technology, and other material things are
the major influences on cultural change[1]



culturalrelativism

culturalrelativism
cul·tur·al
rel·a·tiv·ism noun

judging cultures on their own
terms: the principle that we should
not judge the behavior of others using the standards of our own culture, and
that each culture must be analyzed on its own terms[1]



CulturalRevolution

CulturalRevolution
Cul·tur·al
Rev·o·lu·tion  noun

reform movement in China in
1960s: a political and cultural
reform movement in China from 1965 to 1968 that was intended to revolutionize
political opinion and behavior and was characterized by social upheaval. The
Red Guard played a prominent role in the movement, which was aimed at restoring
principles associated with Mao Zedong.[1]



culturati

culturati
cul·tu·ra·ti 
[kùlchə rtee] plural noun

devotees
of the arts: people who have a passion for the arts (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From culture, modeled on literati .][1]



culture

culture
cul·ture 
[kúlchər] noun (plural cul·tures)

1.  the
arts collectively: art, music, literature, and
related intellectual activities • Culture
is necessary for a healthy society.

2.  knowledge
and sophistication: enlightenment and
sophistication acquired through education and exposure to the arts • They
are people of culture.

3.  shared
beliefs and values of a group: the beliefs, customs,
practices, and social behavior of a particular nation or people • Southeast
Asian culture

4.  people
with shared beliefs and practices: a group of people
whose shared beliefs and practices identify the particular place, class, or
time to which they belong

5.  shared
attitudes:
a particular set of attitudes that characterizes a group of people • The
company tries hard to avoid a blame culture.

6.  growing
biological material in special conditions: the
growing of biological material, especially plants, microorganisms, or animal
tissue, in a nutrient substance in specially controlled conditions for
scientific, medical, or commercial purposes

7.  BIOLOGY biological
material grown in special conditions:
biological material, especially plants, microorganisms, or animal tissue, grown
in a nutrient substance culture medium in specially controlled conditions for
scientific, medical, or commercial purposes

8.  tillage:
the cultivation of the land or soil in preparation for growing crops or plants

9.  improvement:
the development of a skill or expertise through training or education • physical
culture
transitive
verb
(past cul·tured, past participle cul·tured, present
participle cul·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular cul·tures)

1.  grow
in special conditions: to grow biological material,
especially plants, microorganisms, or animal tissue, in a nutrient substance in
specially controlled conditions, for scientific, medical, or commercial
purposes

2.  AGRICULTURE cultivate:
to cultivate plants or crops
[13th century. Via French
from Latin cultura “tillage,” from cult, the past participle stem
of colere “to inhabit, cultivate, worship.” Originally in English “piece
of tilled land.”][1]



cultured

cultured
cul·tured 
[kúlchərd] adjective

1.  educated
and sophisticated: generally educated and
informed about the arts and related intellectual activity

2.  BIOLOGY grown
in nutrient substance: grown in a nutrient
substance in a laboratory

3.  artificially
produced:
created artificially rather than by natural or organic processes

[1]



culturedpearl

culturedpearl
cul·tured
pearl
(plural cul·tured pearls) noun

artificially created pearl:
a pearl created artificially by introducing a foreign body into an oyster or
clam shell to attract layers of mother-of-pearl around it[1]



culturelag

culturelag
cul·ture
lag
noun

SOCIOLOGY
See cultural lag[1]



cultureshock

cultureshock
cul·ture
shock
noun

sudden exposure to unfamiliar
culture: the feelings of confusion
and anxiety experienced when an individual or a group suddenly finds itself in
an unfamiliar cultural environment[1]



culturevulture

culturevulture
cul·ture
vul·ture
(plural cul·ture vul·tures) noun

devotee of the arts:
somebody who has a strong or obsessive interest in the arts (informal)[1]



cultus

cultus
cul·tus 
[kúltəss] (plural cul·tus·es or
cul·ti [kúl t]) noun

cult:
a religious group (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin cultus, “worship” (source of English cult
), from cult- (see culture ).][1]



CulverCity

CulverCity
Cul·ver
Cit·y
[kùlvər síttee]

city in southwestern
California, southwest of Los Angeles. It is a center for many film studios.
Population: 39,292 (1996)[1]



culverin

culverin

cul·ver·in 
[kúlvərən] (plural cul·ver·ins)
noun

1.  heavy
cannon:
a type of long-range cannon used in the 15th to 17th centuries

2.  medieval
musket:
a type of musket used in the 15th and 16th centuries
[15th century. From French coulevrine,
from couleuvre “snake,” from, ultimately, Latin colubra .][1]



culvert

culvert
cul·vert 
[kúlvərt] (plural cul·verts) noun

1.  underground
duct:
a covered channel that carries water or cabling underground

2.  structure
covering drainage channel: an arch, bridge, or part of
a road that covers a culvert
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cum.

cum.
cum.

Abbreviation of
cumulative[1]



cum

cum
cum 
[kum] preposition

with:
together with, along with, in combination with, or functioning as (informal)
• He
lives and works in an apartment cum office.
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “with.”][1]



cumber

cumber
cum·ber 
[kúmbər] transitive verb (archaic
or literary)

1.  hamper:
to hamper or hinder

2.  burden:
to burden or encumber
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of encumber
.][1]



Cumberland

Cumberland
Cum·ber·land 
[kúmbərlənd]

1.  river
in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, formed in southeastern Kentucky
and emptying into the Ohio River. Length: 1,160 km/720 mi.

2.  city
in the northwestern corner of Maryland, on the Potomac River, west of
Hagerstown. Population: 22,341 (1996)

3.  town
in northeastern Rhode Island, on Blackstone River, a northern suburb of
Providence. Population: 29,274 (1996)

[1]



CumberlandFalls

CumberlandFalls
Cum·ber·land
Falls
noun

waterfalls in the state of
Kentucky, United States. They are situated in Cumberland Falls State Resort
Park. Height: 21 m/68 ft.[1]



CumberlandGap

CumberlandGap
Cum·ber·land
Gap
noun

pass through the Cumberland
Mountains near the point at which Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky meet.
Height: 503 m/1,650 ft.[1]



cumbersome

cumbersome
cum·ber·some 
[kúmbərsəm] adjective

1.  heavy
or bulky:
awkward to carry or handle because of weight, size, or shape

2.  complicated
or problematic: difficult to use or deal with because of
length or complexity
—cum·ber·some·ly,
adverb

—cum·ber·some·ness, noun[1]



cumbrous

cumbrous
cum·brous 
[kúmbrəss] adjective

cumbersome:
large and unwieldy (archaic or literary) “this cumbrous and creaking
structure” Thomas Hardy Tess of the d’Urbervilles 1891
—cum·brous·ly,
adverb

—cum·brous·ness, noun[1]



cumin

cumin
cum·in 
[kúmmin] noun

1.  plant
with aromatic seeds: a Mediterranean plant of the
carrot family with small white or pink flowers, often grown for its aromatic
seeds. Latin name: Cuminum cyminum

2.  seeds
used cooking: the aromatic seeds of the cumin plant,
used whole or ground as a spice
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin cuminum
from Greek kuminon, of Semitic origin.][1]



cumlaude

cumlaude
cum
lau·de 
[kum lów dày, kum
lówdee] adverb adjective

with
honor:
with the lowest of the three grades of academic distinction awarded above the
average graduate
[From Latin, literally “with
praise”][1]



cummerbund

cummerbund
cum·mer·bund 
[kúmmər bùnd] (plural cum·mer·bunds)
noun

broad
band worn around waist: a brightly colored pleated
sash worn around the waist by men as part of formal dress
[Early 17th century. From
Urdu kamar-band, literally “loin-band, waistband.”][1]



cummings,e. e.

cummings,e. e.

cum·mings 
[kúmmingz], e. e. (1894–1962)
U.S.
poet. He is known for his experimental poetry, which was written mostly in
lower case.
Full name
Cummings, Edward Estlin[1]



cumquat

cumquat
cum·quat 
noun

See
kumquat[1]



cumshaw

cumshaw
cum·shaw 
[kúm shàw] (plural cum·shaws) noun

tip
or gift:
a tip or gift, originally one given to Chinese beggars (dated)
[Early 19th century. From
Chinese dialect gǎmsiâ, an expression of thanks used by beggars.][1]



cumulate

cumulate
cu·mu·late 
verb [kymyə làyt] (past cu·mu·lat·ed,
past participle cu·mu·lat·ed, present participle cu·mu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular cu·mu·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb See accumulate  verb 1

2.  transitive
verb
merge:
to combine two or more items into one
adjective
[kymyə lət, kymyə
làyt]

heaped or amassed:
heaped up in a pile or mass
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin cumulat-, the past participle stem of cumulare
“to gather in a heap” (the original sense in English ), from cumulus “a
heap.”]
—cu·mu·la·tion [kymyə láysh’n], noun[1]



cumulative

cumulative
cu·mu·la·tive 
[kymyə làytiv, kymyələtiv]
adjective

1.  gradually
building up: becoming successively larger, stronger,
or more effective • Many drugs have a
cumulative effect on the body.

2.  created
by gradual additions: resulting from successive
additions

3.  FINANCE added
to next payment: used to describe an interest or dividend
payment that is added to the next payment rather than being paid out when it
falls due

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE entitling
shareholder to claim dividend arrears: used
to describe preferred stocks whose holder has the right to claim dividend
arrears before dividends are distributed to holders of common stock

5.  LAW more
severe for repeat offender: used to describe a more
severe punishment imposed on somebody who has previously committed the same
crime

6.  LAW consecutive:
following consecutively on from another sentence or term of imprisonment

7.  STATISTICS including
all given values of variable: relating to the sum of the
number of times a variable has a particular value totaled over all the values
of the variable that are less than a given value

8.  STATISTICS increasing
with successive measurements: used to describe an error
that increases as more measurements are taken
—cu·mu·la·tive·ly,
adverb

—cu·mu·la·tive·ness, noun[1]



cumulativedistribution function

cumulativedistribution function
cu·mu·la·tive
dis·tri·bu·tion func·tion (plural cu·mu·la·tive
dis·tri·bu·tion func·tions) noun

statistical tool:
a procedure that assigns to each possible value of a random variable the
probability that this value will be found. If each value is equally likely to
be found, the distribution is said to be uniform.[1]



cumulativetrauma disorder

cumulativetrauma disorder
cu·mu·la·tive
trau·ma dis·or·der  noun

MEDICINE
See repetitive strain injury[1]



cumuli

cumuli
cu·mu·li


Plural of
cumulus[1]



cumulonimbus

cumulonimbus
cu·mu·lo·nim·bus 
[kymyə lō nímbəss] (plural cu·mu·lo·nim·bi
[kymyə lō ním b] or cu·mu·lo·nim·bus·es)
noun

thunder cloud:
a tall dark cumulus cloud in the shape of an anvil, often bringing
thunderstorms[1]



cumulous

cumulous
cu·mu·lous 
[kymyələss] adjective

resembling cumulus cloud:
having a piled up shape similar to a cumulus cloud[1]



cumulus

cumulus
cu·mu·lus 
[kymyələss] (plural cu·mu·li
[kymyə l]) noun

1.  large
fluffy cloud: a large white or gray cloud with a flat
base and a rounded fluffy top, or a mass of such clouds, developing as a result
of rising hot air currents

2.  heap:
a mass or heap
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “heap, pile” (the original sense in English).][1]



cunctation

cunctation
cunc·ta·tion 
[kungk táysh’n] noun

delay:
hesitation or procrastination in the performance of something (formal)
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem cunctation-, from cunctare “to
delay.”]
—cunc·ta·tive
[kúngktətiv], adjective

—cunc·ta·tor [kúngk tàytər], noun[1]



cuneal

cuneal
cu·ne·al 
[kynee əl] adjective

wedge-shaped:
having the shape of a wedge
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via modern Latin, from medieval Latin cunealis, from Latin cuneus
“wedge.” Probably obsolete by the 18th century and revived in the 19th.][1]



cuneate

cuneate

cu·ne·ate 
[kynee àyt, kyni
ət] adjective
BOTANY wedge-shaped:
used to describe a leaf that is more or less triangular with the narrowest
point of the triangle forming the tip
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin cuneus “wedge.”]
—cu·ne·ate·ly, adverb[1]



cuneiform

cuneiform

cu·ne·i·form 
[kyni fàwrm, kyoo
n əfàwrm] adjective

1.  wedge-shaped:
with the narrowly triangular shape of a wedge

2.  used
in ancient writing system: relating or belonging to any
of several writing systems of the ancient Near East, for example, Sumerian or
Linear B, in which wedge-shaped impressions were made in soft clay

3.  used
for cuneiform writing: used to describe the clay
tablets on which cuneiform script was written

4.  ANATOMY of
ankle:
used to describe any of three wedge-shaped bones of the ankle
noun (plural
cu·ne·i·forms)

1.  cuneiform
script:
writing that uses small wedge-shaped characters

2.  ANATOMY wedge-shaped
ankle bone:
any of the three cuneiform bones of the ankle (informal)
[Late 17th century. From
French cunéiforme or modern Latin cuneiformis, from Latin cuneus
“wedge.”][1]



cunner

cunner
cun·ner 
[kúnnər] (plural cun·ner or
cun·ners) noun

small
sea fish:
a small fish of the wrasse family, found in the north Atlantic Ocean. Latin
name: Tautogolabrus adspersus
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cunnilingus

cunnilingus
cun·ni·lin·gus 
[kùnni língəss] noun

oral
stimulation of woman’s genitals: sexual stimulation of
a woman’s genitals using the tongue and lips
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “vulva-licker.”][1]



cunning

cunning
cun·ning 
[kúnning] adjective

1.  crafty
and deceitful: clever or artful in a way that is
intended to deceive

2.  cleverly
thought out: showing skill, shrewdness, and ingenuity
in planning or doing something

3.  cute:
attractive in a pleasant delicate way (informal)
noun

1.  craftiness
and deceitfulness: the ability to deceive in a
clever subtle way

2.  skillful
performance: skillful ingenuity or grace in doing
something
[13th
century. Probably ultimately from Old Norse kunna “to know.” Originally
in the sense “learned, knowledgeable.”]
—cun·ning·ly,
adverb

—cun·ning·ness, noun[1]



Cunningham,Merce

Cunningham,Merce

Cun·ning·ham 
[kúnning hàm], Merce (1919– )
U.S. dancer and choreographer. He
invented the “choreography by chance” technique and has played an important
role in the development of avant-garde dance.[1]



cunt

cunt
cunt 
[kunt] (plural cunts) noun
(taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a woman’s genitals

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a woman

3.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for somebody who is viewed with great dislike or
contempt, especially a man

4.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for sexual intercourse with a woman
[13th century. Ultimately of
prehistoric Germanic origin. First recorded in Gropecuntlane, a street
in Oxford, England, where prostitutes worked; there were similar names in
London, Norwich, and York.][1]



cup

cup
cup 
[kup] noun (plural cups)

1.  drinking
container:
a small container, usually with a handle, used to hold liquids for drinking

2.  contents
of cup:
the contents of a cup • Will
you have another cup?

3.  COOKING volume
measure used in cooking: a unit of volume used
especially in cooking, equal to 237 ml/8 fl oz.
Also
called
cupful

4.  winner’s
prize in sports: an ornamental trophy, typically a large
two-handled silver goblet, awarded as a prize in a competition

5.  sports
competition: a sporting competition in which the
winner’s prize is a large ornamental goblet

6.  bowl-shaped
object:
something that has an open hollow rounded shape

7.  part
of bra:
either of the shaped sections of a bra that support and cover the breasts

8.  athletic
support:
an athletic support reinforced with plastic or metal, worn to protect the male
genitals during team sports

9.  bowl-shaped
plant or body part: an open hollow rounded part
or structure in a plant or in the body

10. party
punch:
a mixed drink with a particular ingredient as its base, usually served from a
large bowl at parties • a
champagne cup

11. dish
served in cup -shaped container: a dessert or appetizer
served in a small bowl or glass dish

12. communion
chalice or wine: in Christian services, the vessel from
which the consecrated wine is drunk during Holy Communion, or the wine itself

13. GOLF golf
hole:
the hole on a green that is the target in golf, or the metal lining of such a
hole

14. somebody’s
lot in life: what a person is destined to receive,
suffer, or enjoy in life (literary)
transitive
verb
(past cupped, past participle cupped, present
participle cup·ping, 3rd person present singular cups)

1.  form
into cup shape: to form one or both of the hands into an
open hollow rounded shape, usually to hold or receive something, for example,
water

2.  hold
in hands:
to hold something in cupped hands

3.  draw
to surface of skin: formerly, to use a cupping
glass to increase the blood supply to an area of the skin
[Pre-12th
century. From late Latin cuppa, probably from Latin cupa “tub”
(source of English coop and cupola ).]
in
your cups

drunk (archaic)[1]



cup-and-saucerplant

cup-and-saucerplant
cup-and-sau·cer
plant 
(plural cup-and-sau·cer plants) noun

Mexican vine:
a Mexican climbing plant with large brightly colored flowers. Latin name: Cobaea
scandens
Also called
Mexican ivy vine[1]



cupbearer

cupbearer
cup·bear·er 
[kúp bairər] (plural cup·bear·ers)
noun

somebody who serves wine to
royalty: a servant who pours wine,
especially one employed in a royal household (formal)[1]



cupboard

cupboard
cup·board 
[kúbbərd] (plural cup·boards) noun

storage
unit:
a piece of furniture, either built-in or freestanding, or a small room used for
storing food and other kitchen necessities
[14th century. Originally
used for a table or sideboard on which cups and other crockery were displayed.][1]



cupcake

cupcake
cup·cake 
[kúp kàyk] (plural cup·cakes) noun

small iced cake:
a small individual iced cake, baked in a paper or foil cup or in a cup-shaped
mold[1]



cupel

cupel
cu·pel 
[kyoo pél, kyp’l]
noun (plural cu·pels)

container
for separating precious metals: a small container in
which precious metals are refined, especially in which gold and silver are
separated from base metals during assaying
transitive
verb
(past cu·peled, past participle cu·peled, present
participle cu·pel·ing, 3rd person present singular cu·pels)

refine
in a cupel:
to separate gold or silver from a base metal using a cupel
[Early
17th century. From French coupelle, literally “little cup,” from coupe
“cup,” from late Latin cuppa (see cup
).]
—cu·pel·ler, noun[1]



cupellation

cupellation
cu·pel·la·tion 
[kypə láysh’n] noun

refining gold or silver:
the recovery of precious metals in a cupel by exposure to a blast of hot air
that oxidizes the unwanted base metals, such as lead, which are partly absorbed[1]



Cupertino

Cupertino
Cu·per·ti·no 
[kpər tnō]

city in western California, a
western suburb of San Jose. Population: 42,831 (1996)[1]



cupful

cupful
cup·ful 
[kúp fl] (plural cup·fuls) noun

1.  amount
held by cup: the amount held by a cup • There’s
only about a cupful of water left.

2.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia See cup  noun
3

[1]



cupfungus

cupfungus
cup
fun·gus
noun

cup-shaped fungus:
a cup-shaped and often bright red, orange, or yellow fungus with a
spore-bearing often stalkless structure. Subdivision: Ascomycotina[1]



cupid

cupid
cu·pid
[kypid] (plural cu·pids) noun

cherubic boy as symbol of
love: a representation of the god
Cupid as a symbol of love in painting or sculpture[1]



Cupid

Cupid
Cu·pid 
[kypid] noun

Roman
god of love: the Roman god of love, the son of Venus,
usually represented as a young boy with wings and a bow and arrow. Greek
equivalent Eros
[14th century. From Latin Cupido,
literally “desire,” from cupere “to desire.”][1]



cupidity

cupidity
cu·pid·i·ty 
[kyoo píddətee] noun

greed:
greed, especially for money or possessions (formal)
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin cupiditas (source also of English covet ), from cupere “to desire.”][1]



Cupid’sbow

Cupid’sbow
Cu·pid’s
bow 
(plural Cu·pid’s bows) noun

1.  double
curve:
a double curve, especially the curves of the upper lip

2.  ARCHERY double-curved
bow:
a bow with two curves used in archery
[From the shape of the bow
used by Cupid][1]



cupof tea

cupof tea
cup
of tea
noun

1.  preferred
thing:
what somebody likes or prefers • This
is more my cup of tea.

2.  something
to deal with: something to be dealt with

[1]



cupola

cupola

cu·po·la 
[kypələ] (plural cu·po·las) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE dome-shaped
roof:
a roof or ceiling in the form of a dome

2.  ARCHITECTURE dome
on roof:
a small dome on a roof, sometimes made of glass and providing natural light
inside

3.  MILITARY gun
turret:
a domed structure protecting a gun, for example, on a warship

4.  small
observation dome: a glass observation dome on the roof of
an armored vehicle or railroad caboose

5.  blast
furnace:
a cylindrical blast furnace used in foundries for remelting iron or other
metals
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian from late Latin cupula “little cask, vault,” from cupa
“cask.”][1]



cupping

cupping
cup·ping 
[kúpping] noun

MEDICINE
use of cupping glass:
a historical medical practice in which a cupping glass was used to increase the
blood supply to an area of the skin[1]



cuppingglass

cuppingglass
cup·ping
glass
(plural cup·ping glass·es) noun

MEDICINE
medical device:
a glass container in which a partial vacuum is created by heat or suction that
is applied to the skin to increase the blood
supply in the tissues below[1]



cuppy

cuppy
cup·py 
[kúppee] (comparative cup·pi·er,
superlative cup·pi·est) adjective

1.  cup-shaped:
with the shape of a cup

2.  full
of shallow depressions: with many small shallow
hollows in the surface

[1]



cupr-

cupr-
cupr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cupro-[1]



cupreous

cupreous
cu·pre·ous 
[kpree əss] adjective

1.  coppery:
consisting of or containing copper

2.  of
reddish-brown color: having a reddish-brown
color, like that of polished copper
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin cupreus, from cuprum “copper.”][1]



cupri-

cupri-
cupri-
prefix

See
cupro-[1]



cupric

cupric
cu·pric 
[kprik] adjective

containing
divalent copper: containing copper with a valence of two.

See
also
cuprous
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Late Latin cuprum “copper.”][1]



cupriferous

cupriferous
cu·prif·er·ous 
[koo príffərəss] adjective

containing
copper:
having copper as a constituent
[Late 18th century. Coined
from late Latin cuprum “copper” + -iferous .][1]



cuprite

cuprite
cu·prite 
[k prt] noun

copper
ore:
a reddish-brown or black mineral consisting of copper oxide. It is an ore of
copper.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Late Latin cuprum “copper.”][1]



cupro-

cupro-
cupro-
prefix

copper
• cupronickel
[From late Latin cuprum
(see copper )][1]



cupronickel

cupronickel
cu·pro·nick·el 
[k prō ník’l] (plural cu·pro·nick·els)
noun

alloy of copper and nickel:
a corrosion-resistant alloy of copper containing up to 40 percent nickel[1]



cuprous

cuprous
cu·prous 
[kprəss] adjective

containing
monovalent copper: containing copper with a
valence of 1.
See
also
cupric
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin cuprum “copper.”][1]



cupulate

cupulate
cu·pu·late 
[kypyə làyt, kypyələt]
or cu·pu·lar [kypyələr] adjective

1.  small
and cup-shaped: shaped like a small cup or dome

2.  having
cupules:
having a cupule or cupules

[1]



cupule

cupule
cu·pule 
[ky pyl] (plural cu·pules) noun

cup-shaped
part:
a cup-shaped body part or plant part, such as that enclosing the base of an
acorn
[15th century. From late
Latin cupula “little cask, vault,” from cupa “cask.”][1]



CuquenanWaterfall

CuquenanWaterfall
Cu·que·nan
Wa·ter·fall
[k kay nan wáwtər fàwl]

waterfall in Venezuela, one
of the highest in the world. Height: 610 m/2,000 ft.[1]



cur.

cur.
cur.

Abbreviation of
current[1]



cur

cur
cur 
[kur] (plural curs) noun

1.  mongrel
dog:
a mixed-breed dog, especially an ill-natured or worthless one

2.  contemptible
person:
a mean, cowardly, or otherwise unpleasant person (dated insult)
[12th century. Originally in
cur-dog ; perhaps ultimately from Old Norse kurr “grumbling.”][1]



curable

curable
cur·a·ble 
[kyrəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be treated medically: capable of being treated by
medical procedures

2.  able
to be healed: capable of being healed by medical
procedures
—cur·a·bil·i·ty
[kyrə bíllətee], noun

—cur·a·bly [kyrəblee], adverb[1]



curacy

curacy
cu·ra·cy 
[kyrəssee] (plural cu·ra·cies)
noun

position of curate:
the position or term of office of a curate[1]



curare

curare
cu·ra·re 
[kyoo rree] (plural cu·ra·res)
or cu·ra·ri [kyoo rree] (plural
cu·ra·ris) noun

1.  plant
resin causing paralysis: a dark resin obtained from
certain South American plants, used by indigenous hunters to poison their
arrows and in medicine as a muscle relaxant

2.  source
of curare:
a tropical South American vine from which curare is obtained. Genera: Strychnos
Chondodendron
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese from Carib kurari .][1]



curarize

curarize
cu·ra·rize 
[kyrə rz] (past cu·ra·rized,
past participle cu·ra·rized, present participle cu·ra·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular cu·ra·riz·es) transitive verb

treat
with curare: to treat somebody with curare
—cu·ra·ri·za·tion [kyrəri záysh’n], noun[1]



curassow

curassow
cu·ras·sow 
[kyrə s] (plural cu·ras·sows)
noun

large
crested bird: a large crested game bird of South and
Central America with a long tail and a brightly colored bill. Genus: Crax
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Curaçao .][1]



curate

curate2
cu·rate2 [kyr
àyt] (past cu·rat·ed, past participle cu·rat·ed,
present participle cu·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular
cu·rates) intransitive and transitive verb

administer
museum or other collection: to be the curator of a
museum, gallery, or other collection
[Early 18th century.
Back-formation from curator .][1]



curate

curate1
cu·rate1 [kyrət]
(plural cu·rates) noun

1.  priest’s
assistant:
a member of the clergy who assists a vicar, rector, or priest

2.  somebody
responsible for parish: a member of the clergy in
charge of a parish
[14th century. From medieval
Latin curatus “somebody who cares for a parish,” from Latin cura
“care” (source of English cure ).][1]



curative

curative
cu·ra·tive 
[kyrətiv] adjective

capable
of curing:
able to restore health
noun
(plural cu·ra·tives)

medicine
or medical treatment: a substance or treatment
that can restore health
—cu·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—cu·ra·tive·ness, noun[1]



curator

curator
cu·ra·tor 
[kyə ráytər, ky
ràytər] (plural cu·ra·tors) noun

head
of museum or other collection: the administrative
head of a museum, gallery, or other collection
[14th
century. From Latin, from curare “to care for” (see cure) .]
—cu·ra·to·ri·al
[kyrə táwree əl], adjective

—cu·ra·tor·ship [kyə ráytər shìp, ky
raytər shìp], noun[1]



curaçao

curaçao
cu·ra·çao
[krə sów, krə
sṓ] noun

orange-flavored liqueur:
an orange-flavored liqueur that originated on the Caribbean island of Curaçao[1]



Curaçao

Curaçao
Cu·ra·çao
[krə sòw, krə
s, kyrə sòw, kyrəs]

island in the Netherlands
Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea, and the largest of the island group. Area: 444
sq km/171 sq mi.[1]



curb

curb
curb 
[kurb] noun (plural curbs)

1.  edge
of sidewalk: a line of concrete or stones forming the
edge of the sidewalk and part of the gutter at the side of a road.
U.K.
term
kerb

2.  edging
for lawn:
a line of stones that forms the edge of an area of lawn

3.  imposed
limitation:
something that controls or limits something else

4.  raised
part that surrounds something: an enclosing frame or
raised margin, for example, around a skylight or a well

5.  horse’s
bit and attached chain: a horse’s bit with a chain
or strap attached, passed under the horse’s jaw (often used before a noun)
• a
curb chain
transitive
verb
(past curbed, past participle curbed, present
participle curb·ing, 3rd person present singular curbs)

1.  restrain:
to restrain, control, or limit something

2.  provide
with curb:
to provide with a curb.
U.K.
term
kerb

3.  lead
dog off sidewalk to defecate: to lead a dog off the
sidewalk onto the curb or into the gutter to let it defecate
[15th century. Probably a
variant of earlier courb “to curve” (the underlying sense in English ),
which came via French courber, from Latin curvare . Originally,
“horse’s bit” (that bends the horse’s neck).][1]



curbbit

curbbit
curb
bit
(plural curb bits) noun

bit used to restrain horse:
a horse’s bit attached to a chain or strap[1]



curbcut

curbcut
curb
cut
(plural curb cuts) noun

slope from sidewalk to
roadway: a small ramp built on a curb
to make it easier for people in wheelchairs or people pushing strollers to move
between the street and sidewalk[1]



curbing

curbing
curb·ing 
[kúrbing] noun

1.  material
for curbs:
the material used to make a curb.
U.K.
term
kerbing

2.  curbs
lining street: the whole length of curb along a street,
or all the curbs of a street

[1]



curbroof

curbroof
curb
roof
(plural curb roofs) noun

roof with different angles of
slope: a roof that has two or more
different angles of slope on each side, for example, a mansard or gambrel roof[1]



curbservice

curbservice
curb
ser·vice
noun

service to customers in cars:
service to customers who remain in their vehicles, especially at fast food
outlets.
Also called
curbside service[1]



curbside

curbside
curb·side 
[kúrb sd] (plural curb·sides)
noun

1.  side
bordered by curb: the edge of a street or a sidewalk
bordered by a curb.
U.K.
term
kerbside

2.  sidewalk:
a sidewalk

[1]



curbsideservice

curbsideservice
curb·side
ser·vice
noun

See
curb service[1]



curbstone

curbstone
curb·stone 
[kúrb stn] (plural curb·stones)
noun

part of curb material:
any of the stones or pieces of concrete that form a curb.
U.K. term
kerbstone[1]



curculio

curculio
cur·cu·li·o 
[kur kylee ] (plural cur·cu·li·os)
noun

fruit
and vegetable pest: a weevil that damages fruit
trees, vegetables, and other plants. Genus: Conotrachelus
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “corn weevil.”][1]



curcuma

curcuma
cur·cu·ma 
[kúrkyəmə] (plural cur·cu·mas)
noun

tropical
plant:
a tropical plant from which turmeric and zedoary are obtained. Genus: Curcuma
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin from Arabic kurkum “turmeric,” from Sanskrit kuṇkuma
“saffron.” The change of meaning from “saffron” to “turmeric” presumably
occurred because of the yellow coloring of both.][1]



curd

curd
curd 
[kurd] noun (plural curds)

1.  solid
part of sour milk: the solid substance formed
when milk coagulates, used to make cheese

2.  substance
resembling milk curd: a food substance with a
consistency similar to milk curd
intransitive
and transitive verb (past curd·ed,
past participle curd·ed, present participle curd·ing,
3rd person present singular curds)

curdle: to
turn something into curd, or to become curd
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Celtic .]
—curd·y, adjective[1]



curdcheese

curdcheese
curd
cheese
noun

U.K.
soft cheese:
a mild soft cheese made from skim milk curds[1]



curdle

curdle
cur·dle 
[kúrd’l] (past cur·dled, past
participle cur·dled, present participle cur·dling, 3rd
person present singular cur·dles) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  coagulate
or make something coagulate: to separate, or cause a
liquid such as milk, to separate into curds and whey, for example, by
permitting or encouraging bacterial action

2.  go
bad or spoil something: to go bad or wrong, or to
spoil something (informal)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from curd . Literally “to keep on making
into curd.”][1]



curdog

curdog
cur
dog
noun

Southern
U.S.
mongrel
dog:
a mixed-breed worthless dog





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Cur dog is common throughout the
  South, except in Louisiana, where the intrepid stock (usually hog) tender,
  the Catahoula cur, is the official state dog.

[1]



cure

cure
cure 
[kyoor] verb (past cured,
past participle cured, present participle cur·ing, 3rd
person present singular cures)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb heal:
to restore a sick person or animal to health • Six
months later she was completely cured.

2.  transitive
verb
treat
successfully: to bring about recovery from an illness,
disorder, or injury • Diseases
like this are not easily cured.

3.  transitive
verb
solve
problem:
to solve a problem • curing unemployment

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb preserve
food:
to preserve food, especially meat or fish, usually by smoking, drying, or
salting it, or to be preserved by one of these methods

5.  transitive
verb
preserve
by drying:
to preserve a substance, especially leather or tobacco, by drying it

6.  transitive
verb
finish
with chemical process: to finish a material by
applying chemicals

7.  transitive
verb
make
rubber stronger: to strengthen rubber with additives in
the presence of heat and pressure

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb harden:
to make a material, especially concrete or cement, harden
noun
(plural cures)

1.  something
that restores health: a medication or treatment
that brings about a full recovery from an illness or injury • working
to find a cure for the disease

2.  recovery:
restoration or return to health • I
managed to achieve a complete cure.

3.  problem’s
solution:
something that resolves a problem

4.  food
preservation process: the preservation of meat or
fish, especially by smoking, drying, or salting

5.  spiritual
care:
the spiritual and pastoral responsibility of the clergy for laypeople
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin curare “to care for,” or its source cura
“care, concern” (the original sense in English ). Current senses evolved via
the obsolete sense “medical care.”]
—cur·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Cure is derived from the Latin word cura,
  meaning “care” or “concern,” which is also the source of English curate, curious,
  scour, secure,
  and sinecure.

[1]



cure-all

cure-all
cure-all 
(plural cure-alls) noun

universal remedy:
a treatment or remedy that is believed to be able to cure every ailment or
problem[1]



curet

curet
cu·ret 
noun transitive verb

See
curette[1]



curettage

curettage
cu·ret·tage 
[kyrə t] (plural cu·ret·tages)
or cu·rette·ment [kyoo rétmənt]
(plural cu·rette·ments) noun

scraping
inside body cavity: a surgical procedure that
involves scraping the inside surface of a body cavity with an instrument shaped
like a spoon ( curette ) to remove abnormal
growths or other tissue
[Late 19th century. From
French, from curette (see curette ).][1]



curette

curette

cu·rette 
[kyoo rét] or cu·ret [kyoo rét] noun (plural cu·rettes)
(plural cu·rets)
surgical
instrument for scraping: a spoon-shaped surgical
instrument used to remove tissue from the inner surface of a body cavity
transitive
verb
(past cu·ret·ted, past participle cu·ret·ted, present
participle cu·ret·ting, 3rd person present singular cu·rettes)
(past cu·ret·ted, past participle cu·ret·ted, present
participle cu·ret·ting, 3rd person present singular cu·rets)
remove
tissue by scraping: to scrape tissue from the
inner surface of a body cavity using a curette
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from curer “to clean out,” from Latin curare “to care
for.”][1]



curettement

curettement
cu·rette·ment 
[kyoo rétmənt] noun

See
curettage[1]



curfew

curfew
cur·few 
[kúr fy] (plural cur·fews) noun

1.  restriction
on people’s movements: an official restriction on
people’s movements, requiring them to remain indoors after a specified time at
night

2.  time
or signal for curfew: the time at which a curfew
takes effect, or the signal given at this time

3.  length
of curfew:
the duration of a curfew

4.  medieval
reminder to extinguish lights: in the Middle Ages,
the ringing of a bell in the evening as a reminder to put out fires and lights
“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day” Thomas Gray Elegy written in a
Country Churchyard 1751
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman coeverfu or Old French cuevrefeu, literally “cover
fire.”][1]



curia

curia
cu·ri·a 
[kyree ə] (plural cu·ri·ae [kyri ]) noun

1.  papal
court:
the administrative body at the Vatican, by which the Pope governs the Roman
Catholic Church

2.  subdivision
of ancient Roman tribe: in ancient Rome, a
subdivision of each tribe, or the place where it met

3.  ancient
Roman senate: the senate or senate house in an ancient
Roman city

4.  medieval
court:
a medieval monarch’s court of justice
[Early
17th century. From Latin, literally “council,” perhaps formed from co-
“together” + vir “man” (source of English virile
).]
—cu·ri·al, adjective[1]



curie

curie
cu·rie 
[kyree, kyoor ]
(plural cu·ries) noun

unit
of radioactivity: a unit of radioactivity equal to 3.7
times 10 10 disintegrations per second
[Early 20th century. Named
for the French physicists Pierre Curie (1859–1906) and Marie Curie, who studied radioactivity.][1]



Curie,Marie

Curie,Marie

Cu·rie 
[kyree], Marie (1867–1934)
Polish-born
French chemist and physicist. She pioneered research into radioactivity and was
awarded the Nobel Prize in 1903 and 1911. She died of leukemia. Her husband
Pierre Curie collaborated with her and was jointly awarded the 1903 Nobel
Prize.
Born
Skłodowska, Maria[1]



Curiepoint

Curiepoint
Cu·rie
point
or Cu·rie tem·per·a·ture noun

temperature
at which magnetism changes: the temperature at which in
some substances, such as iron, there is a change in the magnetic
characteristics, from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic behavior
[Named for Pierre Curie
(see curie ), who discovered the laws that
relate some magnetic properties to changes in temperature][1]



Curie-Weisslaw

Curie-Weisslaw
Cu·rie-Weiss
law
[kyri vss làw] noun

variation
of Curie’s law: a variation of Curie’s law in which the
temperature term is reduced by an amount equal to the Curie point
[Named for Pierre Curie
(see curie ) and the French physicist Pierre
Ernest Weiss (1865–1940), who constructed a mathematical description of
phenomena such as the Curie point][1]



Curie’slaw

Curie’slaw
Cu·rie’s
law
noun

principle
concerning paramagnetism: the law of physics stating
that there is an inverse proportionality between the effect of a magnetic field
on a paramagnetic material and its absolute temperature
[Named for Pierre Curie
(see curie ), who formulated it][1]



curio

curio
cu·ri·o 
[kyree ] (plural cu·ri·os) noun

unusual
artifact:
an object that is valued and often collected for its interest or rarity
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of curiosity .][1]



curiosa

curiosa
cu·ri·o·sa 
[kyree ṓssə, kyri
ṓzə] plural noun

1.  writings
on unusual subjects: books or other texts dealing
with unusual topics, especially erotica

2.  unusual
objects:
interesting and unusual objects
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, neuter plural of curiosus (see curious
).][1]



curiosity

curiosity
cu·ri·os·i·ty 
[kyree óssətee] (plural cu·ri·os·i·ties)
noun

1.  desire
to know something: eagerness to know about
something or to get information

2.  tendency
to pry:
an excessive interest in other people’s affairs

3.  somebody
or something thought strange: an interesting and unusual
object, person, or phenomenon
[14th century. Via French curiosité
from Latin curiositas, from curiosus (see curious ).][1]



curious

curious
cu·ri·ous 
[kyree əss] adjective

1.  eager
to know something: eager to know about
something or to get information • I’m
curious to know how they found out about the party.

2.  too
inquisitive: excessively eager to find out about
other people’s affairs

3.  odd:
strange, unexpected, or hard to explain • several
curious events

4.  very
intricate:
intricate or detailed (archaic or literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French curios from Latin curiosus “careful,
assiduous, inquisitive,” from cura “care, concern, solicitude” (source
of English cure ).]
—cu·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—cu·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



Curitiba

Curitiba
Cur·i·ti·ba
[kri tbə]

city in southern Brazil. It
is the capital of Paraná State. Population: 1,290,142 (1991) Former name
Curytiba[1]



curium

curium

cu·ri·um 
[kyree əm] noun
artificially
produced element: a silvery-white metallic radioactive
chemical element produced artificially from plutonium. Symbol Cm
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Pierre and Marie Curie (see curie ),
because of their research into radioactivity.][1]



curl

curl
curl 
[kurl] verb (past curled,
past participle curled, present participle curl·ing,
3rd person present singular curls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hair curly:
to make naturally straight hair curly, usually by twisting it around something
while it is damp, or to grow in ringlets naturally

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become curved or coiled: to bend, twist, or wind
something into a curved or spiral shape, or to become curved or coiled • He
curled the silver ribbon into spirals. • The
paper had begun to curl at the edges.

3.  intransitive
verb
move
in a spiral motion: to move in a curve or spiral
• Smoke
curled into the sky.

4.  intransitive
verb
participate
in curling:
to play the game of curling
noun
(plural curls)

1.  curved
or coiled hairs: a lock of hair curved into a round or
spiral shape (often used in the plural)

2.  tendency
to curl:
the tendency of hair to grow or stay in ringlets • My
hair doesn’t have much curl.

3.  curved
or coiled thing: something with a curved or coiled shape,
for example, a wood shaving or the crest of a breaking wave

4.  curling
of something: the forming of something into a curved
or round shape

5.  GYM weightlifting
maneuver:
a weightlifting move in which a barbell is held at thigh height with the
underarms facing outward, then raised to the chest, and lowered without moving
the shoulders, upper arms, or legs

6.  marking
on wood:
a curved or spiral marking in wood grain
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch krul “curly,” of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



curler

curler
curl·er 
[kúrlər] (plural curl·ers) noun

1.  device
for curling hair: a roller or other device used to curl
hair

2.  somebody
playing curling: somebody who takes part in the game of
curling

[1]



curlew

curlew


cur·lew 
[kúr l] (plural cur·lews) noun
large
bird with curved bill: a large shore bird with
brownish plumage, long legs, and a long slender bill that curves downward.
Genus: Numenius
[14th century. From Old
French courlieu, a variant, probably influenced by courliu
“courier, messenger,” of courlis, an imitation of the bird’s cry.][1]



curlicue

curlicue
curl·i·cue 
[kúrli ky] (plural curl·i·cues)
noun

curved
decorative flourish: a curly ornamental twist,
especially in calligraphy or design
[Mid-19th
century. From curly + cue 2 (in the obsolete sense
“pigtail”).]
—curl·i·cued, adjective[1]



curling

curling
curl·ing 
[kúrling] noun

sport
of sliding stones on ice: a team game played on an ice
rink, in which a heavy polished stone with a handle is slid toward a circular
target ( tee )
[Early 17th century. From the
curving path of the stone as it reaches the target.][1]



curlingiron

curlingiron
curl·ing
i·ron
(plural curl·ing i·rons) noun

heated rod for curling hair:
a device consisting of a heated rod around which the hair is twisted to form a
curl.
U.K. term
curling tongs[1]



curlingstone

curlingstone
curl·ing
stone
(plural curl·ing stones) noun

stone slid in curling:
a heavy polished stone with a handle used in the game of curling[1]



curlingtongs

curlingtongs
curl·ing
tongs
plural noun

U.K.
See curling iron[1]



curlpaper

curlpaper
curl·pa·per
[kúrl pàypər] (plural curl·pa·pers)
noun

paper used to curl hair:
a small piece of paper rolled around a lock of hair, which is then twisted and
left to set into a curl[1]



curlup

curlup
curl
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
curve
body and draw up legs: to sit or lie with the body
curved and the legs tucked up, usually in order to relax • curl
up in bed with a good novel

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become curved or coiled: to become curved or coiled,
or to bend, twist, or wind something into a curved or spiral shape • The
paper curled up in the fire before it burst into flames.

3.  intransitive
verb
feel
extremely embarrassed: to be overcome with
embarrassment, revulsion, or some other strong feeling (informal) • When
I realized my mistake I just wanted to curl up and disappear.

[1]



curly

curly
curl·y 
[kúrlee] (comparative curl·i·er,
superlative curl·i·est) adjective

1.  with
curls:
arranged in curls, or curling naturally

2.  curved
or coiled:
bent or twisted into a wavy, curved, or spiral shape • The
paper has gone all curly.

3.  with
curves in grain: used to describe wood that has irregular
curved or wavy markings in the grain
—curl·i·ness, noun[1]



curly-coatedretriever

curly-coatedretriever
curl·y-coat·ed
re·triev·er 
(plural curl·y-coat·ed re·triev·ers) noun

dog with curly fur:
a dog with a short curly black or brown coat, belonging to a breed used for
hunting[1]



curlytop

curlytop
curl·y
top
noun

plant disease:
a viral disease of beets, tomatoes, beans, and other plants that makes the
leaves curl[1]



curmudgeon

curmudgeon
cur·mudg·eon 
[kur mújjən] (plural cur·mudg·eons)
noun

somebody
who is irritable or stubborn: a bad-tempered,
disagreeable, or stubborn person (disapproving)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps thought to suggest the sound of grumbling.]
—cur·mudg·eon·ly,
adjective

—cur·mud·geon·ry, noun[1]



currach

currach
cur·rach 
[kúrrə] or cur·ragh [kúrrə] (plural cur·raghs) noun

Ireland,
Scotland small boat with wicker frame:
a boat like a coracle, formerly used on Scottish and Irish lakes and rivers
[15th century. From Irish and
Gaelic curach “small boat.” Ultimately from a Celtic word which is also
the ancestor of English coracle .][1]



currant

currant

cur·rant 
[kúrrənt] (plural cur·rants) noun

1.  small
dried grape: a small dark dried seedless grape
originally from the Mediterranean, used in cooking

2.  small
fruit-bearing shrub: a small deciduous shrub
cultivated in temperate regions that bears a small round edible fruit,
especially the red currant or black currant. Genus: Ribes

3.  fruit
of currant bush: the small round juicy fruit of a currant
bush, especially a red currant or black currant
[Early 16th century.
Shortening of Anglo-Norman raisins de Corauntz, a variant of Old French raisins
de Corinthe, literally “grapes from Corinth,” where they originated.][1]



currencies

currencies
currencies





  Country


  Unit


  Subunit




  Afghanistan


  afghani


  100
  puls




  Albania


  lek


  100
  qindars




  Algeria


  dinar


  100
  centimes




  Andorra


  peseta


  100
  centimos








  franc


  100
  centimes




  Angola


  readjusted
  kwanza


  100
  lwei




  Antigua
  and Barbuda


  dollar







  Argentina


  peso
  argentino


  100
  centavos




  Armenia


  dram


  100
  humma




  Australia


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Austria
  1


  schilling


  100
  groschen




  Azerbaijan


  manat


  100
  gyapiks









  The
  Bahamas


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Bahrain


  dinar


  1000
  fil




  Bangladesh


  taka


  100
  paisas




  Barbados


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Belarus


  ruble







  Belgium
  1


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Belize


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Benin


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Bhutan


  ngultrum


  100
  chetrums




  Bolivia


  boliviano


  100
  centavos




  Bosnia
  and Herzegovina


  dinar


  100
  para




  Botswana


  pula


  100
  thebe




  Brazil


  real


  100
  centavos




  Brunei


  dollar/ringgit


  100
  cents




  Bulgaria


  lev


  100
  stotinki




  Burkina
  Faso


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Burundi


  franc


  100
  centimes









  Cambodia


  riel


  100
  sen




  Cameroon


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Canada


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Cape
  Verde


  escudo


  100
  centavos




  Central
  African Republic


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Chad


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Chile


  peso


  100
  centavos




  China


  yuan


  10
  jiao




       Hong
  Kong


  dollar


  100
  cents




       Macao


  pataca


  100
  avos




       Taiwan


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Colombia


  peso


  100
  centavos




  Comoros


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Democratic
  Republic of Congo


  new
  zaire


  100
  makuta




  Republic
  of Congo


  franc







  Costa
  Rica


  colón


  100
  centimos




  Côte
  d'Ivoire


  franc







  Croatia


  kuna


  100
  lipa




  Cuba


  peso


  100
  centavos




  Cyprus


  pound/lira


  100
  cents




  Czech
  Republic


  koruna


  100
  halers









  Denmark


  krone


  100
  øre




  Djibouti


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Dominica


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Domincan
  Republic


  peso


  100
  centavos









  Ecuador


  sucre


  100
  centavos




  Egypt


  pound


  100
  piastres




  El
  Salvador


  colon


  100
  centavos




  Equatorial
  Guinea


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Eritrea


  nakfa


  100
  cents




  Estonia


  kroon


  100
  sents




  Ethiopia


  birr


  100
  cents









  Fiji


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Finland
  1


  markka


  100
  pennis




  France
  1


  franc


  100
  centimes









  Gabon


  franc


  100
  centimes




  The
  Gambia


  dalasi


  100
  bututs




  Georgia


  lari


  100
  tetri




  Germany
  1


  mark


  100
  pfennig




  Ghana


  new
  cedi


  100
  pesewas




  Greece


  drachma


  100
  lepta




  Grenada


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Guatemala


  quetzal


  100
  centavos




  Guinea


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Guinea-Bissau


  franc







  Guyana


  dollar


  100
  cents









  Haiti


  gourde


  100
  centimes




  Honduras


  lempira


  100
  centavos




  Hungary


  forint


  100
  fillér









  Iceland


  króna


  100
  aurar




  India


  rupee


  100
  paisa




  Indonesia


  rupiah


  100
  sen




  Iran


  rial


  100
  dinars




  Iraq


  dinar


  1000
  fil




  Ireland
  1


  punt


  100
  pence




  Israel


  sheqel


  100
  agorot




  Italy
  1


  lira


  100
  centesimi









  Jamaica


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Japan


  yen


  100
  sen




  Jordan


  dinar


  1000
  fil









  Kazakhstan


  tenge


  100
  tiyin




  Kenya


  shilling


  100
  cents




  Kiribati


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Kuwait


  dinar


  1000
  fil




  Kyrgyzstan


  som


  100
  tyiyn









  Laos


  new
  kip


  100
  at




  Latvia


  lat


  100
  santims




  Lebanon


  pound


  100
  piastres




  Lesotho


  loti


  100
  lisente




  Liberia


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Libya


  dinar


  1000
  dirhams




  Liechtenstein


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Lithuania


  litas


  100
  centas




  Luxembourg
  1


  franc


  100
  centimes









  Former
  Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia


  denar


  100
  deni




  Madagascar


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Malawi


  kwacha


  100
  tambala




  Malaysia


  ringgit


  100
  sen




  Maldives


  rufiyaa


  100
  laari




  Mali


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Malta


  lira


  100
  cents




  Marshall
  Islands


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Mauritania


  ouguiya


  5
  khoums




  Mauritius


  rupee


  100
  cents




  Mexico


  peso


  100
  centavos




  Micronesia


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Moldova


  leu


  100
  bani




  Monaco


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Mongolia


  tugrik


  100
  mongo




  Morocco


  dirham


  100
  centimes




  Mozambique


  metical


  100
  centavos




  Myanmar


  kyat


  100
  pyas









  Namibia


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Nauru


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Nepal


  rupee


  100
  paisas




  Netherlands
  1


  guilder


  100
  cents




  New
  Zealand


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Nicaragua


  córdoba


  100
  centavos




  Niger


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Nigeria


  naira


  100
  kobo




  North
  Korea


  won


  100
  chon




  Norway


  krone


  100
  øre









  Oman


  riyal


  1000
  baiza









  Pakistan


  rupee


  100
  paisas




  Palau


  dollar


  100
  cento




  Panama


  balboa


  100
  centesimos




  Papua
  New Guinea


  kina


  100
  toea




  Paraguay


  guarani


  100
  centimos




  Peru


  nuevo
  sol


  100
  centimos




  Philippines


  peso


  100
  centavos




  Poland


  zloty


  100
  groszy




  Portugal
  1


  escudo


  100
  centavos









  Qatar


  riyal


  100
  dirhams









  Romania


  leu


  100
  bani




  Russia


  ruble


  100
  kopeks




  Rwanda


  franc


  100
  centimes









  St.
  Kitts and Nevis


  dollar







  St.
  Lucia


  dollar


  100
  cents




  St.
  Vincent and the Grenadines


  dollar


  100
  cents




  San
  Marino


  lira


  100
  centesimi




  São
  Tomé and Príncipe


  dobra


  100
  centavos




  Saudi
  Arabia


  riyal


  100
  halalah




  Senegal


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Seychelles


  rupee


  100
  cents




  Sierra
  Leone


  leone


  100
  cents




  Singapore


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Slovakia


  koruna


  100
  haliers




  Slovenia


  tolar


  100
  stotinas




  Solomon
  Islands


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Somalia


  shilling


  100
  cents




  South
  Africa


  rand


  100
  cents




  South
  Korea


  won


  100
  chon




  Spain
  1


  peseta


  100
  centimos




  Sri
  Lanka


  rupee


  100
  cents




  Sudan


  pound


  100
  piastres




  Suriname


  guilder


  100
  cents




  Swaziland


  lilangeni


  100
  cents




  Sweden


  krona


  100
  öre




  Switzerland


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Syria


  pound


  100
  piastres









  Tajikistan


  ruble


  100
  tanga




  Tanzania


  shilling


  100
  cents




  Thailand


  baht


  100
  satang




  Togo


  franc


  100
  centimes




  Tonga


  pa'anga


  100
  seniti




  Trinidad
  and Tobago


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Tunisia


  dinar


  1000
  millimes




  Turkey


  lira


  100
  kurus




  Turkmenistan


  manat


  100
  tenesi




  Tuvalu


  dollar


  100
  cents









  Uganda


  shilling


  100
  cents




  Ukraine


  hryvnia







  United
  Arab Emirates


  dirham


  100
  fil




  United
  Kingdom


  pound


  100
  pence




  United
  States


  dollar


  100
  cents




  Uruguay


  peso


  100
  centesimos




  Uzbekistan


  soum


  100
  tyyn









  Vanuatu


  vatu


  100
  centimes




  Vatican
  City


  lira


  100
  centesimi




  Venezuela


  bolivar


  100
  centimos




  Vietnam


  new
  dong


  100
  xu









  Yemen


  rial


  100
  fil




  Yugoslavia


  new
  dinar


  100
  para









  Zambia


  kwacha


  100
  ngwee




  Zimbabwe


  dollar


  100
  cents




  1)
  Indicates member states of the European Union in which the Euro was
  introduced.




[1]



currency

currency
cur·ren·cy 
[kúrrənsee] (plural cur·ren·cies)
noun

1.  money:
a system of money, or the bills and coins themselves, used in a particular
country

2.  acceptance
of idea or term: widespread acceptance or use of an idea,
theory, word, or phrase

3.  circulation:
the transmitting of something, especially money, from person to person

4.  time
when something is current: the period of time during
which something is current
See
also
Table of Currencies
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from current . In the financial sense, from
the idea of being currently in circulation.][1]



currency-stabilizationfund

currency-stabilizationfund
cur·ren·cy-sta·bi·li·za·tion
fund 
noun

FINANCE
fund to stabilize foreign exchange rate:
a fund set aside for use in stabilizing the foreign exchange rate for a
national currency in international markets[1]



current

current
cur·rent 
[kúrrənt, kúr ənt]
adjective

1.  existing
now:
happening, existing, or in force at the present • In
my current job, I am in charge of 25 people.

2.  valid:
accepted as legally valid

3.  presently
accepted:
widely known, accepted, or believed • The
theory is no longer current.

4.  FINANCE up-to-date
with payments: having made all the payments required
for the present time
noun
(plural cur·rents)

1.  flow
of water or air: the steady flow of water or air in a
particular direction

2.  stream:
a mass of water or air flowing steadily in a particular direction

3.  flow
of electric charge: the flow of electricity
through a cable, wire, or other conductor

4.  rate
of flow of electricity: the rate of flow of an
electric charge through a conductor

5.  tendency:
a trend or tendency • going
against the current and moving upstate
[13th
century. From Old French corant, the present participle of courre
“to run,” from Latin currere . The original and underlying sense is
“running, flowing.”]
—cur·rent·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Current is derived from the Latin
  word currere, meaning “to run,” which is also the source of English corridor, courier,
  course, occur,
  and succor.

[1]



currentaccount

currentaccount
cur·rent
ac·count
(plural cur·rent ac·counts) noun

U.K.
BANKING See checking account[1]



currentaffairs

currentaffairs
cur·rent
af·fairs
plural noun

(often used before a noun)See
current events[1]



currentassets

currentassets
cur·rent
as·sets
plural noun

cash and convertible assets:
available cash and other assets that could be converted to cash within a year[1]



current-costaccounting

current-costaccounting
cur·rent-cost
ac·count·ing noun

valuing assets at current
replacement cost: a method of accounting
that assesses the value of assets as the cost of replacing them rather than as
their original cost[1]



currentdensity

currentdensity
cur·rent
den·si·ty
noun

ratio of flowing current:
the ratio of the amount of current flowing through a conductor to the
cross-sectional area of the conductor. Symbol j Symbol J

Also called
density[1]



currentefficiency

currentefficiency
cur·rent
ef·fi·cien·cy noun

ratio of liberated to
theoretical mass: in an electrolytic
process, the mass of the substance liberated by a given current divided by the
theoretical mass, as predicted by Faraday’s law[1]



currentevents

currentevents
cur·rent
e·vents
plural noun

topical news items:
important political and social events or issues of the present time (often
used before a noun)
Also called
current affairs[1]



currentliabilities

currentliabilities
cur·rent
li·a·bil·i·ties plural noun

liabilities to be cleared
within year: business liabilities
that are due to be cleared before the end of the financial year[1]



currently

currently
cur·rent·ly
[kúrrəntlee] adverb

now:
at the present time • They
are currently living abroad.[1]



currentratio

currentratio
cur·rent
ra·tio
noun

ratio of assets to
liabilities: the ratio of current
assets to current liabilities[1]



curricle

curricle
cur·ri·cle 
[kúrrik’l] (plural cur·ri·cles)
noun

light
horse-drawn carriage: a light two-wheeled open
carriage drawn by a pair of horses side by side
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
curriculum, in the sense “racing chariot.”][1]



curriculum

curriculum
cur·ric·u·lum 
[kə ríkyələm] (plural cur·ric·u·la
[kə ríkyələ] or cur·ric·u·lums)
noun

subjects
taught or elements of subject: the subjects taught at
an educational institution, or the elements taught in a particular subject
[Early
19th century. From Latin, literally “running, course,” from currere “to
run” (source of English current ).]
—cur·ric·u·lar, adjective[1]



curriculumvitae

curriculumvitae
cur·ric·u·lum
vi·tae 
[kə rìkyələm v t, kə
ríkyələm vtee] (plural cur·ric·u·la vi·tae [kə rìkyələ v t, kə
ríkyələ vtee]) noun

summary
of qualifications and experience: a summary of a
person’s educational qualifications, skills, publications, and professional
activities, prepared when applying for an academic position.
Also
called
vita
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, literally “course of life.”][1]



currier

currier
cur·ri·er 
[kúrree ər] (plural cur·ri·ers)
noun

somebody
who curries leather: somebody who dresses and
finishes leather after it has been tanned
[14th century. Via Old French
corier from Latin coriarius, from corium “leather.”][1]



Currier,Nathaniel

Currier,Nathaniel
Cur·ri·er 
[kúrr iər], Nathaniel (1813–1888)

U.S. lithographer. He formed
half of Currier and Ives, noted for their colored prints of Victorian American
life.[1]



currish

currish
cur·rish 
[kúrrish] adjective

hostile:
having a very hostile or disagreeable disposition
[15th
century. Formed from cur .]
—cur·rish·ly,
adverb

—cur·rish·ness, noun[1]



curry

curry1
cur·ry1 [kúrree]
noun (plural cur·ries) (often used before a noun)

1.  highly
spiced dish: a dish containing meat, fish, or
vegetables in a highly spiced sauce • chicken
curry

2.  seasoning
for curry:
a mixture of spices in any of various forms, such as sauce, paste, or powder,
used to prepare curry • curry
paste
transitive
verb
(past cur·ried, past participle cur·ried, present
participle cur·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular cur·ries)

cook in highly spiced sauce:
to cook meat, fish, or vegetables in a highly spiced sauce
[Late 16th century. From
Tamil kaṟi “sauce.”][1]



curry

curry2
cur·ry2 [kúrree]
(past cur·ried, past participle cur·ried, present
participle cur·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular cur·ries)
transitive verb

1.  groom:
to groom a horse

2.  put
through finishing process: to make leather flexible and
waterproof as the final stage in its processing
[13th century. Via Old French
correier, “to arrange, prepare” from an assumed Vulgar Latin verb formed
from Latin con “with” and a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English ready .][1]



currycomb

currycomb
cur·ry·comb 
[kúrri kōm] noun (plural cur·ry·combs)

comb
used to groom horses: a comb with metal or rubber
teeth, used to groom horses
transitive
verb
(past cur·ry·combed, past participle cur·ry·combed,
present participle cur·ry·comb·ing, 3rd person present
singular cur·ry·combs)

groom
with currycomb: to groom a horse with a currycomb
[Late 16th century. From curry 2 + comb .][1]



Curry,John Steuart

Curry,John Steuart
Cur·ry 
[kúrree], John Steuart (1897–1946)

U.S. artist. He is known for
his easel paintings and murals. Some of his murals adorn federal buildings in
Washington, D.C.[1]



currypowder

currypowder
cur·ry
pow·der
(plural cur·ry pow·ders) noun

spicy mix for curries:
a mixture of finely ground spices, usually turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili,
and ginger, used to make curry[1]



curse

curse
curse 
[kurs] noun (plural curs·es)

1.  swearword:
a swearword, obscenity, or blasphemous oath

2.  evil
prayer:
a malevolent appeal to a supernatural being for harm to come to somebody or
something, or the harm that is thought to result from this

3.  source
of harm:
a cause of unhappiness or harm • the
curse of poverty

4.  menstruation:
menstruation or a menstrual period (dated slang)

5.  religious
ban:
an ecclesiastical pronouncement of censure or excommunication
interjection
curs·es

used as oath: used
to express irritation or annoyance
verb
(past cursed or curst, past participle cursed
or curst, present participle curs·ing, 3rd
person present singular curs·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
swear:
to utter swearwords or obscenities

2.  transitive
verb
swear
at:
to swear at somebody

3.  transitive
verb
wish
evil on:
to appeal malevolently to a supernatural being for harm to come to somebody or
something

4.  transitive
verb
cause
suffering to: to inflict something unpleasant on
somebody • cursed
with a succession of mediocre assistants
[Old
English curs, of unknown origin]
—curs·er, noun[1]



cursed

cursed
curs·ed 
[kúrsəd, kurst]
adjective

1.  having
been wished evil: afflicted with harm thought to result
from a curse

2.  wicked
or hateful:
evil to the point of being despicable

3.  annoying
or frustrating: stubborn to the point of causing
irritation or annoyance (informal)
—curs·ed·ly
[kúrsədlee], adverb

—curs·ed·ness [kúrsədnəss], noun[1]



cursive

cursive
cur·sive 
[kúrsiv] adjective

written in flowing style:
written in a flowing style with the letters joined together
noun
(plural cur·sives)

1.  flowing
script:
cursive writing

2.  manuscript
written in flowing style: a piece of cursive
handwriting, especially an ancient manuscript

3.  PRINTING typeface:
a cursive typeface
[Late
18th century. From medieval Latin cursivus, from Latin currere
“to run.”]
—cur·sive·ly,
adverb

—cur·sive·ness, noun[1]



cursor

cursor
cur·sor 
[kúrsər] noun (plural cur·sors)

COMPUTING marker
on computer screen: a moving marker on a
computer screen, for example, a flashing horizontal or vertical bar, that marks
the point at which keyed characters will appear, be deleted, or be corrected
intransitive
verb

COMPUTING move
cursor:
to move the cursor in a particular direction on the screen of a computer • As
we cursor down, the hierarchy changes.
[14th century. From Latin
(see cursory ). Originally, “runner,
messenger”; later used to denote part of a scientific instrument which slides
backward and forward, specifically the slide of a sliderule.][1]



cursorial

cursorial
cur·so·ri·al 
[kur sáwree əl] adjective

ZOOLOGY adapted
for running: having a body or body parts that are
particularly well-adapted for running
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin cursor (see cursory ).][1]



cursory

cursory
cur·so·ry 
[kúrsəree] adjective

very
quick:
done in a quick or superficial way
[Early
17th century. From Latin cursorius, from cursor “runner,” from currere
“to run.” The underlying sense is “running rapidly over something.”]
—cur·so·ri·ly,
adverb

—cur·so·ri·ness, noun[1]



curt

curt
curt 
[kurt] (comparative curt·er, superlative
curt·est) adjective

1.  rudely
brief:
rude or abrupt

2.  terse:
using few words
[14th
century. From Latin curtus “cut short.”]
—curt·ly,
adverb

—curt·ness, noun[1]



curtail

curtail
cur·tail 
[kur táyl] (past cur·tailed, past
participle cur·tailed, present participle cur·tail·ing,
3rd person present singular cur·tails) transitive verb

cut
short:
to reduce the length or duration of something
[15th
century. By folk etymology from curtal, by
association with tail and probably also with
French tailler “to cut.”]
—cur·tail·ment, noun[1]



curtailstep

curtailstep
cur·tail
step
(plural cur·tail steps) noun

wider bottom step:
a wider lowest step on some flights of stairs, often rounded at one or both
ends[1]



curtain

curtain
cur·tain 
[kúrt’n] noun (plural cur·tains)

1.  cloth
hung to cover something: a piece of cloth hung at a
window, in a doorway, or around a bed, usually for privacy or to exclude light
or drafts.
Also
called
drape
Also
called
drapery

2.  cloth
at front of stage: in a theater, a hanging
cloth that is raised and lowered at the front of the stage

3.  beginning
or end of show: the beginning or end of a performance,
act, or scene, as marked by the raising or lowering of the curtain

4.  barrier
or screen:
something that acts as a barrier or screen to divide, protect, or conceal
something

5.  something
resembling curtain: something that resembles a
curtain in appearance • a
curtain of water

6.  ARCHITECTURE wall
connecting other structures: a length of wall, especially
one that connects two towers or gates
transitive
verb
(past cur·tained, past participle cur·tained, present
participle cur·tain·ing, 3rd person present singular cur·tains)

1.  cover
or divide with curtain: to surround, separate, or
conceal something with a curtain

2.  fit
with curtains: to provide something, especially a
window, with curtains
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin cortina “caldron,” mistakenly
rendering Greek aulaia “curtain,” perhaps from association of aulaia
(formed from aulē “court”) with Latin cohort- “court.”]
curtain
raiser

any preliminary event[1]



curtaincall

curtaincall
cur·tain
call
(plural cur·tain calls) noun

appearance to receive
applause: an appearance by actors,
dancers, or singers at the front of the stage to receive the audience’s
applause at the end of a performance[1]



curtainlecture

curtainlecture
cur·tain
lec·ture
(plural cur·tain lec·tures) noun

wife’s
private scolding of husband: a private reprimand given to
a man by his wife (archaic)
[From its originally being
delivered within the privacy of drawn bed curtains][1]



curtainraiser

curtainraiser
cur·tain
rais·er 
(plural cur·tain rais·ers) noun

1.  preliminary
performance: a short performance put on immediately
before the main performance

2.  preliminary
event:
a smaller or less important event that takes place before a bigger or more
important one

[1]



curtainspeech

curtainspeech
cur·tain
speech
(plural cur·tain speech·es) noun

1.  talk
after play:
a speech addressed to the audience by somebody in front of the curtain after a
play has ended

2.  last
speech:
the speech before the final curtain of an act or play

[1]



curtaintime

curtaintime
cur·tain
time
noun

play starting time:
the time when a play starts or is set to start[1]



curtainwall

curtainwall
cur·tain
wall
(plural cur·tain walls) noun

1.  non-bearing
wall:
an external wall that does not bear any of the load of the building it is
attached to

2.  low
castle wall: a low wall outside a castle built for
defense

[1]



curtal

curtal
cur·tal 
[kúrt’l] (plural cur·tals) noun

animal
with tail cut short: an animal whose tail has
been docked (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
obsolete French courtault, from court “short” + the pejorative
suffix -ault .][1]



curtilage

curtilage
cur·ti·lage 
[kúrt’lij] (plural cur·ti·lag·es)
noun

enclosed
property:
an enclosed area occupied by a dwelling, grounds, and outbuildings
[14th century. From Old
French co(u)rtillage, from co(u)rtil “kitchen garden,” literally
“small court,” from cort .][1]



Curtis,Charles

Curtis,Charles

Cur·tis
[kúrtiss], Charles (1860–1936)
U.S. politician. He was a Republican
senator who served as vice president under President Hoover (1929–1933).[1]



Curtis,Cyrus H. K.

Curtis,Cyrus H. K.
Cur·tis
[kúrtiss], Cyrus H. K. (1850–1933)

U.S.
publisher. He built the Saturday Evening Post into the most successful
U.S. magazine.
Full name
Curtis, Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar[1]



Curtiss,Glenn Hammond

Curtiss,Glenn Hammond
Cur·tiss 
[kúrtiss], Glenn Hammond (1878–1930)

U.S. aviator. He made the
first domestic public air flight (1908) and invented the first successful
seaplane (1911).[1]



Curtiz,Michael

Curtiz,Michael
Cur·tiz
[kúrtiss], Michael (1888–1962)

Hungarian-born U.S. film
director. He won an Oscar for Casablanca (1943) and directed over 125
Hollywood films.[1]



curtsy

curtsy
curt·sy 
[kúrtsee] or curt·sey [kúrtsee] intransitive verb (past curt·sied,
past participle curt·sied, present participle curt·sy·ing,
3rd person present singular curt·sies) (past curt·seyed,
past participle curt·seyed, present participle curt·sey·ing,
3rd person present singular curt·seys)

bend
knees in respect: to bend the knees, with one foot behind
the other, as a gesture of respect. Women curtsy in formal situations where men
bow, for example, when acknowledging the applause of an audience after
performing on stage, or when meeting royalty.
noun
(plural curt·sies) (plural curt·seys)

woman’s
respectful movement: a movement made by a woman
as a sign of respect for somebody in which she bends her knees with one foot
behind the other
[Early 16th century. A
variant of courtesy .][1]



curule

curule
cu·rule 
[ky rl, ky
rl] adjective

with
high privileges: in ancient Rome, having the status to
sit on an official chair ( curule chair )
and the privileges associated with this status
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
curulis, from currus “chariot,” from currere “to run” (see
current ); from the conveying of the chief
Roman magistrate in a chariot.][1]



curulechair

curulechair
cu·rule
chair
(plural cu·rule chairs) noun

Roman official’s chair:
a folding chair with heavy legs and no back, used by high officials of ancient
Rome[1]



curvaceous

curvaceous
cur·va·ceous 
[kur váyshəss] adjective

shapely:
having an attractive body with rounded hips and breasts
[Mid-20th
century. The suffix -aceous is mainly
botanical, here used humorously.]
—cur·va·ceous·ly,
adverb

—cur·va·ceous·ness, noun[1]



curvature

curvature
cur·va·ture 
[kúrvə chr, kúrvəchər]
noun

1.  being
curved:
the quality of being curved

2.  degree
of curve:
the degree of curving in a line or surface • the
slight curvature of the land

3.  GEOMETRY reciprocal
of radius:
the reciprocal of the radius of the circle that best matches a curve at a given
point
[15th century. From Latin curvatura
“bending,” from curvus (see curve ).][1]



curve

curve
curve 
[kurv] noun (plural curves)

1.  rounded
line:
a line that bends smoothly and regularly from being straight or flat, like part
of a circle or sphere

2.  something
shaped in a curve: something with a smooth
round shape, such as a bend in a road

3.  STATISTICS plotted
line:
a line plotted on a graph from statistical data

4.  EDUCATION statistical
method of grading: a method of distributing
students’ grades by plotting each individual’s score on a graph and then
dividing this line into grades

5.  MATHEMATICS line
representing equation: a line whose points are
defined by an equation and whose coordinates are functions of an independent
variable

6.  BASEBALL See curve ball
verb
(past curved, past participle curved, present
participle curv·ing, 3rd person present singular curves)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
in curve:
to move or bend in a curve

2.  transitive
verb
cause
to curve:
to make something move or bend in a curve

3.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL throw
a curve ball: to pitch somebody a curve ball

4.  transitive
verb
grade
students relatively to one another: to
grade students’ work by plotting scores on a graph and then assigning
individual grades according to a standard distribution
[15th
century. From Latin curvus “curved, crooked.” English adopted the word
as an adjective, and it was not used as a noun until the late 17th century.]
ahead
of the curve

forward-thinking
and ahead of a trend or trends

behind
the curve

reactive,
or slow to react, to a trend or trends

pitch
or throw somebody a curve

to surprise somebody, usually
with an unexpected and unwelcome question or response (informal)[1]



curveball

curveball
curve
ball
(plural curve balls) noun

pitch that curves:
in baseball, a ball that when pitched drifts to the left if thrown by a
right-handed pitcher and to the right if thrown by a left-handed pitcher.
Also called
curve[1]



curved

curved
curved
[kurvd] adjective

rounded:
with a rounded or bending shape[1]



curvet

curvet
cur·vet 
[kur vét] noun (plural cur·vets)

horse’s
leap:
a leap by a horse in dressage in which its hind legs are raised just before the
forelegs touch the ground.
Also
called
vault
intransitive
verb
(past cur·vet·ed or cur·vet·ted, past participle
cur·vet·ed or cur·vet·ted, present participle cur·vet·ing
or cur·vet·ting, 3rd person present singular cur·vets)

perform
curvet:
to execute a curvet in dressage
[Late 16th century. From
Italian corvetta, literally “small curve,” from corve, from,
ultimately, Latin curvus “curved.”][1]



curvilinear

curvilinear
cur·vi·lin·e·ar 
[kùrvə línnee ər] or cur·vi·lin·e·al
[kùrvə línni əl] adjective

1.  curved:
being a curve or having a curved part or parts • a
curvilinear polygon

2.  moving
in curve:
moving along a curved path or line • The
ball followed a curvilinear trajectory.
[Early
18th century. Modeled on rectilinear .]
—cur·vi·lin·e·ar·i·ty
[kùrvə linnee érrətee], noun

—cur·vi·lin·e·ar·ly, adverb[1]



curvy

curvy
curv·y
[kúrvee] (comparative curv·i·er,
superlative curv·i·est) adjective

1.  rounded:
with a rounded shape

2.  winding:
having many curves or bends

[1]



curé

curé
cu·ré 
[kyoo ráy, kyə
ráy] (plural cu·rés) noun

a
parish priest
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from medieval Latin curatus (see curate 1 ).][1]



cuscus

cuscus
cus·cus 
[kús kùss] (plural cus·cus·es)
noun

nocturnal
mammal:
a tree-dwelling nocturnal mammal inhabiting rain forests in northeastern
Australia and New Guinea. Cuscuses have round heads, large eyes, large curved
claws, and thick fur, and can grip with their tails. Genus: Phalanger
[Mid-17th century. Via French
couscous or modern Latin cuscus from Dutch koeskoes,
ultimately from a native word in New Guinea.][1]



cusec

cusec
cu·sec 
[ky sèk] (plural cu·secs) noun

dated
unit of flow: a dated unit of flow equal to one cubic
foot per second
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of cubic foot per second .][1]



CUSeeMe

CUSeeMe
C·U·See·Me
noun

video conferencing program:
a computer program, developed at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, that
enables users to engage in real-time video conferencing over the Internet[1]



Cush

Cush
Cush 
[ksh] or Kush [ksh] noun

1.  BIBLE Canaan’s
brother:
in the Bible, the oldest son of Ham and brother of Canaan (Genesis 10:6)

2.  ancient
African region: a region of northeastern Africa thought
to be where the descendants of Cush settled. It is roughly equivalent to modern
Ethiopia, part of northern Sudan, and southern Egypt.

[1]



Cushing,Harvey

Cushing,Harvey
Cush·ing
[kúshing], Harvey (1869–1939)

U.S. neurosurgeon. He was a
Harvard professor (1912–1933) and in 1925 won the Pulitzer Prize for his The
Life of Sir William Osler.[1]



Cushing’sdisease

Cushing’sdisease
Cush·ing’s
dis·ease 
noun

condition
with excess hormone production: a form of Cushing’s
syndrome caused by excessive production of the hormone ACTH by the pituitary
gland
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Harvey Cushing, who described the condition.][1]



Cushing’ssyndrome

Cushing’ssyndrome
Cush·ing’s
syn·drome
noun

condition
causing obesity and fatigue: a condition caused by
excessive production of corticosteroids by the adrenal cortex or pituitary
gland and marked by obesity, muscular weakness, hypertension, striated skin,
and fatigue
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Harvey Williams Cushing, who described the syndrome.][1]



cushion

cushion
cush·ion 
[ksh’n] noun (plural cush·ions)

1.  soft
filled bag for sitting on: a fabric case filled with
soft material, used to sit or lean on

2.  soft
protective pad: a pad that is used for support, to rest
against, to protect against damage, or as a shock absorber

3.  something
soft and yielding: something that gives
slightly when pressed • a
cushion of moss at the foot of the tree

4.  something
helpful:
something that limits the effect of an unpleasant situation • An
unexpected inheritance provided a cushion when her savings ran out.

5.  CUE GAMES billiard
table rim:
the raised rim around the top of a billiard table that borders its playing
surface

6.  SEWING lacemaking
accessory:
a pillow used to support the tools used in lacemaking.
Also
called
pillow
Also
called
lace pillow
transitive
verb
(past cush·ioned, past participle cush·ioned, present
participle cush·ion·ing, 3rd person present singular cush·ions)

1.  protect
against impact: to protect somebody or something against
the effects of physical impact • A pile
of sand cushioned his fall.

2.  reduce
unpleasant effect of: to lessen the effect of an
unpleasant situation • a
generous payout to cushion the blow of early retirement

3.  support
or place on cushion: to support or rest something
on a cushion or other soft object

4.  pad:
to pad something with cushions or some other soft spongy material
[14th
century. Via French coussin from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin coxinum,
literally “(support for the) hip,” from Latin coxa “hip.”]
—cush·ion·y, adjective[1]



Cushitic

Cushitic
Cush·it·ic 
[k shíttik] noun

group
of African languages: a branch of the Afro-Asiatic
family of languages including about 30 languages spoken in areas of Ethiopia,
Somalia, and Kenya
[Early
20th century. Formed from Cush .]
—Cush·it·ic, adjective[1]



Cushman,Charlotte

Cushman,Charlotte

Cush·man 
[kúshmən], Charlotte (1816–1876)
U.S.
stage actor, known for her tragic roles such as Lady Macbeth.
Full name
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders[1]



cushy

cushy
cush·y 
[kshee] (comparative cush·i·er,
superlative cush·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  well-paid
and easy:
providing a good salary, many perks, and little or no hard work • a
cushy job

2.  luxurious:
luxuriously styled and crafted • cushy
sedans for executive types
[Early
20th century. Formed from Hindi khūsh “pleasant.”]
—cush·i·ly,
adverb

—cush·i·ness, noun[1]



cusk

cusk
cusk 
[kusk] (plural cusk or cusks)
noun

1.  food
fish of cod family: a large North Atlantic food
fish of the cod family. Latin name: Brosme brosme
U.K.
term
torsk

2.  See
burbot
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



cusp

cusp
cusp 
[kusp] (plural cusps) noun

1.  pointed
end:
a point or pointed end of something

2.  DENTISTRY ridge
on molar tooth: a ridge on the grinding surface of a
molar tooth that helps in grinding and chewing food

3.  ANATOMY flap
of valve:
a triangular fold or flap of a valve in the heart or in lymph vessels that
allows the flow of blood or lymph in one direction only

4.  GEOMETRY point
of intersection: a point where two arcs or branches of a
curve intersect and the two tangents to the curve coincide.
Also
called
spinode

5.  ZODIAC border
between zodiac signs: the border between two
astrological star signs

6.  ARCHITECTURE pointed
projection in Gothic architecture: a pointed projection
formed by the intersection of two arcs, used especially in Gothic architecture

7.  ASTRONOMY pointed
end of crescent moon: either of the pointed ends
of a crescent moon, or of any celestial body appearing with the same curved
shape
[Late
16th century. From Latin cuspis “point, spear, pointed end of anything,”
of unknown origin.]
—cusped, adjective[1]



cuspid

cuspid
cus·pid 
[kúspid] (plural cus·pids) noun

DENTISTRY See canine
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
cuspid-, the stem of cuspis (see cusp
).][1]



cuspidate

cuspidate
cus·pi·date 
[kúspi dàyt] adjective

1.  ANATOMY with
cusp:
ending in or having a cusp or cusps

2.  BOTANY pointed:
used to describe a leaf that ends in a sharp point
[Late 17th century. From
Latin cuspidatus, the past participle of cuspidare “to make
pointed,” from cuspid, the stem of cuspis “point” (source of
English cusp and bicuspid ).][1]



cuspidor

cuspidor
cus·pi·dor 
[kúspi dàwr] (plural cus·pi·dors)
noun

See
spittoon
[Mid-18th century. From
Portuguese, formed from cuspir “to spit,” from Latin conspuere,
from spuere “to spit.”][1]



cuss

cuss
cuss 
[kuss] intransitive and transitive verb
(past cussed, past participle cussed, present
participle cuss·ing, 3rd person present singular cuss·es)

use bad language:
to use vulgar and offensive language (informal)
noun
(plural cuss·es) (informal)

1.  somebody
annoying:
a person or animal with a particular, usually irritating trait

2.  vulgar
oath:
an instance of vulgar or offensive language
[Late 18th century.
Colloquial variant of curse .][1]



cussed

cussed
cuss·ed 
[kússəd] adjective (informal)

1.  annoying:
causing annoyance and anger, especially by being uncooperative

2.  cursed:
cursed
[Mid-19th
century. Variant of cursed .]
—cuss·ed·ly,
adverb

—cuss·ed·ness, noun[1]



cussout

cussout
cuss
out
transitive verb

rebuke angrily:
to rebuke somebody using angry, foul langauge (informal)[1]



cussword

cussword
cuss·word
[kúss wùrd] (plural cuss·words)
noun

swearword:
a swearword (informal)[1]



custard

custard
cus·tard 
[kústərd] (plural cus·tards) noun

dessert:
a cooked mixture of sugar, eggs, and milk.
Also
called
egg custard
[15th
century. Originally “open pie of meat or fruit,” from Anglo-Norman crustade,
from Old French crouste “crust” (source of English crust ).]
—cus·tard·y,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  A
  custard was originally an open pie of meat
  or fruit, and the reference in the name is to the pie’s pastry shell. The
  filling included stock or milk, often thickened with eggs. By around 1600 the
  term indicated a dish in its own right made of eggs beaten into milk and
  cooked.

[1]



custardapple

custardapple
cus·tard
ap·ple
(plural cus·tard ap·ples) noun

1.  FOOD heart-shaped
green fruit: a large heart-shaped fruit with large
black seeds and soft whitish flesh inside a green skin.
Also
called
bullock’s heart

2.  TREES West
Indian tree: a small West Indian tree that bears
custard apples. Latin name: Annona reticulata

3.  TREES fruit
tree related to custard apple: a fruit-bearing tree
related to the custard apple tree, such as the papaw, cherimoya, and sweetsop

[1]



custardpie

custardpie
cus·tard
pie
(plural cus·tard pies) noun

pie thrown in comedy:
a pie filled with custard, whipped cream, or a substance resembling either of
these, that is traditionally thrown at people in slapstick comedy routines[1]



Custer,George Armstrong

Custer,George Armstrong

Cus·ter 
[kústər], George Armstrong (1839–1876)
U.S. military leader. He was killed
fighting against Native North Americans at the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876).[1]



custodial

custodial
cus·to·di·al 
[kus tṓdee əl] adjective

1.  relating
to legal custody: relating to the legal custody of, and
responsibility for, a child • a
custodial parent

2.  janitorial:
connected with the work of a custodian or janitor

3.  involving
detention:
involving or consisting of detention in a prison • a
custodial sentence

[1]



custodialcare

custodialcare
cus·to·di·al
care
noun

help with tasks of day-to-day
living: assistance, usually on a
long-term basis, with the tasks of daily living, provided to people who are
unable to look after themselves[1]



custodian

custodian
cus·to·di·an 
[kus tṓdee ən] (plural cus·to·di·ans)
noun

1.  LAW somebody
responsible for something valuable:
somebody responsible for holding or looking after valuable property on behalf
of a company or another person

2.  janitor:
somebody responsible for general maintenance and cleaning, especially of a
school or other building

3.  upholder
of something valuable: somebody who wants to
protect and uphold something seen as valuable and endangered, for example,
traditions or moral values
[Late
18th century. Formed from custody, on the model of guardian .]
—cus·to·di·an·ship, noun[1]



custody

custody
cus·to·dy 
[kústədee] noun

1.  LAW rights
over child:
the legal right and responsibility for raising a child and personally
supervising the child’s upbringing, especially the right to keep the child in
your home

2.  CRIMINOLOGY detention:
the state of being detained by the police or other authorities • arrested
and in custody

3.  protection:
the state of being held under the protection of somebody or something or being
in somebody’s care
[15th century. From Latin custodia
“guarding, keeping,” from custos “guardian,” of unknown origin.][1]



custom

custom
cus·tom 
[kústəm] noun (plural cus·toms)

1.  tradition:
something that people always do or always do in a particular way by tradition

2.  habit:
the way somebody normally or routinely behaves in a situation

3.  tradition
like law:
a traditional practice that is so long-established and universal that it has
acquired the force of law • custom
and practice

4.  See
patronage

5.  HISTORY feudal
rent:
a tribute, rent, or other obligation paid by a feudal vassal to a lord
adjective

1.  made
to order:
made or built to order

2.  making
goods to order: making or selling custom-made goods • a
custom tailor

3.  changed
to suit better: altered in order to fit somebody’s
requirements better
[12th
century. Via Old French costume “habitual practice” (source of English costume ) from the Latin stem consuetudin-,
from consuescere, literally “to accustom completely,” from suescere
“to become accustomed.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at habit

[1]



customable

customable
cus·tom·a·ble 
[kústəməb’l] adjective

liable to customs duties:
liable to import or export duties[1]



customary

customary
cus·tom·ar·y 
[kústə mèrree] adjective

1.  usual:
conforming to what is usual or normal

2.  typical:
usual for somebody or typical of somebody’s normal behavior • his
customary good humor

3.  LAW by
custom:
based on tradition and custom rather than written law
—cus·tom·ar·i·ly
[kùstə mérrilee], adverb

—cus·tom·ar·i·ness
[kùstə mérrinəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at usual

[1]



custom-built

custom-built
cus·tom-built 
adjective

built
for one customer: designed and built to meet the
requirements of a particular customer
—cus·tom-build, transitive
verb[1]



customer

customer
cus·tom·er 
[kústəmər] (plural cus·tom·ers)
noun

1.  buyer:
a person or company who buys goods or services

2.  type
of person:
a person who interacts with others in a characteristic way (informal) • a
tough customer
[15th century. From the idea of
“customary business practice.”][1]



customerservice

customerservice
cus·tom·er
serv·ice
noun

business department dealing
with customers: a department of a
business that deals with complaints from or disputes with customers, or that
handles routine inquiries from callers • a
toll-free customer-service line[1]



customhouse

customhouse
cus·tom·house 
[kústəm hòwss] or cus·toms·house
[kústəm hòwss] noun

place for collecting customs:
an office at a port where customs are collected and where ships are given
permission to enter or leave[1]



customize

customize
cus·tom·ize 
[kústə mz] (past cus·tom·ized,
past participle cus·tom·ized, present participle cus·tom·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cus·tom·iz·es) transitive verb

change
to suit better: to alter something in order to make it
fit somebody’s requirements better • She
has customized the software to suit our needs.
—cus·tom·i·za·tion
[kùstəmi záysh’n], noun

—cus·tom·iz·er, noun[1]



custom-made

custom-made
cus·tom-made 
adjective

made for one customer:
designed and made to meet the requirements of a particular customer • custom-made
shoes[1]



customs

customs
cus·toms
[kústəmz] noun (takes a singular
or plural verb)

1.  cus·toms
or Cus·toms place where dutiable goods
are examined: the place where goods and baggage are
examined on entering a country to see what duty is payable on them and to check
for smuggled goods • pass through customs

2.  cus·toms
or Cus·toms government agency:
the government department responsible for collecting taxes on imports and for
prevention of illegal imports

3.  duties
on goods:
taxes payable on imports and exports
[14th century. From the term
used for the “customary tax” levied by a lord or local authority on goods bound
for market.][1]



customshouse

customshouse
cus·toms·house 
noun

See
customhouse[1]



customsunion

customsunion
cus·toms
un·ion
(plural cus·toms un·ions) noun

group of trading countries:
an association of countries that enjoy free trade among themselves and agree on
tariffs for nonmembers[1]



custom-tailor

custom-tailor
cus·tom-tai·lor
(past cus·tom-tai·lored, past participle cus·tom-tai·lored,
present participle cus·tom-tai·lor·ing, 3rd person present
singular cus·tom-tai·lors) transitive verb

customize:
to plan, build, or change something in order to meet particular requirements[1]



cut

cut
cut 
[kut] verb (past cut, past
participle cut, present participle cut·ting, 3rd
person present singular cuts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
something with sharp tool: to divide something into
pieces using a knife, scissors, or a similar sharp-edged tool

2.  transitive
verb
sever
using sharp tool: to sever something or separate a part of
something using a sharp-edged tool such as a knife, scissors, or a saw • cut
a slice of bread

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hole in something: to pierce something or make
a hole in something using a sharp instrument

4.  intransitive
verb
be
sharp:
to be sharp enough to slice or pierce things easily • These
scissors won’t cut.

5.  intransitive
verb
yield
to blade:
to be easily sliced or pierced by a sharp tool such as a knife • The
cheese cuts well and doesn’t crumble.

6.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE injure
with sharp edge: to injure yourself or somebody with
something sharp, usually enough to draw blood

7.  transitive
verb
shorten
with sharp tool: to make something shorter by removing
some of it with a sharp tool such as scissors • I’m
having my hair cut this afternoon.

8.  transitive
verb
FASHION fashion
a garment:
to shape fabric in a particular way in order to fashion a garment • a
skirt cut on the bias

9.  intransitive
verb
take
or be a shortcut: to cross, travel, or make a line through
or across an area, especially in order to save time • This
path cuts through the woods.

10. transitive
verb
reduce
a quantity:
to reduce an amount, for example, of money or time, or remove an amount from
something • The
budget cannot be cut any further without reducing services.

11. transitive
verb
shorten
by editing:
to make a film, text, play, broadcast, or speech shorter by removing parts of
it, or remove a part to make it shorter

12. intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING delete data:
to delete data from one place, usually with the intention of inserting it in
another

13. intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA BROADCASTING
edit
movie or video: to edit a movie or other work intended
for performance or broadcast

14. intransitive
verb
CINEMA stop
filming:
to stop filming a particular scene (usually used as a command)

15. intransitive
verb
CINEMA change
scene:
to switch suddenly from one scene to another when filming or showing a film

16. transitive
verb
stop
providing:
to stop providing a service or supply of something • cut
the food supply to the refugee camps

17. transitive
verb
switch
off:
to stop something from operating • cut
the engine

18. intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES divide deck of cards:
to divide a deck of cards in two, usually after shuffling them

19. transitive
verb
RECORDING make
a recording: to make a recording of a song or group
of songs • The
band cut 12 new tracks for the album.

20. transitive
verb
not
attend:
to not go to a place you are supposed to be, such as school (informal) • expelled
for cutting classes

21. transitive
verb
dilute:
to add a substance to another, especially to a drug or an alcoholic drink,
usually in order to make it weaker or cheaper

22. intransitive
and transitive verb remove
grime:
to dissolve or clean something such as dirt or grease from something else

23. intransitive
and transitive verb intersect:
to cross something or cross each other at a particular point • The
road cuts the river in three places.

24. intransitive
verb
change
direction sharply: to make a sharp change in
direction • You
need to cut to the right here.

25. transitive
verb
DENTISTRY grow
teeth through gums: to produce a tooth through
the surface of the gums • The
baby’s cutting a tooth.

26. transitive
verb
negotiate
something:
to negotiate an agreement

27. transitive
verb
snub:
to pay no attention to somebody publicly or obviously, or stop a social
relationship with somebody

28. intransitive
and transitive verb upset
somebody:
to hurt somebody’s feelings • a
cruel remark that cut me to the quick

29. transitive
verb
stop
doing:
to stop doing something that is annoying somebody • Cut
that racket!

30. transitive
verb
RACKET GAMES hit
a ball so it spins: to hit a ball in such a way
that it spins as it flies through the air
noun
(plural cuts)

1.  MEDICINE wound
in skin:
an injury made when something sharp pierces the skin

2.  incision:
an incision made in something with a knife or other sharp-edged tool

3.  reduction:
a reduction in the amount of something • cuts
in taxes and interest rates

4.  HAIRDRESSING haircut:
a haircut or hairstyle

5.  FASHION garment
style:
the way of cutting a garment from fabric that determines its shape and fit

6.  pruning
of text:
a removal of a section of a movie, text, play, broadcast, or speech in order to
make it shorter or improve it, or a section removed • The
editor advised me to make some cuts in the final chapter.

7.  CINEMA version:
a particular edited version of a movie • the
director’s cut of “Blade Runner”

8.  share:
somebody’s share from an amount of money or something else to be divided (informal)

9.  stopping
of supply:
a stopping of the supply of something such as electricity • power
cuts

10. EDUCATION nonattendance:
an unauthorized absence from a class • expelled
for too many cuts

11. FOOD particular
segment of meat: a piece of meat cut in a standard way,
ready to be cooked • The chef only buys the
more expensive cuts.

12. alley:
a narrow alley or passageway (archaic)

13. AGRICULTURE harvest:
a harvest or set of harvests of a crop • this
year’s cut of oats

14. RECORDING single
recording:
a track on a musical recording

15. RACKET GAMES spin
on a ball:
the spin given to a struck ball

16. BASEBALL swing
of baseball bat: a swing of a baseball bat

17. PRINTING printing
device:
a block for printing that has a design engraved, incised, or cut in relief on
it (often used in combination)

18. hurtful
words:
words or action intended to insult or hurt

19. snub:
a snub (archaic)

20. items
for drawing lots: one of several pieces of paper or straws
used to draw lots

21. CARD GAMES dividing
of deck of cards: the action of dividing a deck of cards
in two
adjective

1.  MEDICINE injured
with something sharp: injured or damaged by
something sharp, usually enough to draw blood • nursing
a cut finger

2.  separated
with knife:
separated or severed using a knife, scissors, or similar sharp tool

3.  BOTANY divided:
used to describe a leaf that is divided into segments
[13th
century. From assumed Old English cytan .]
a
cut above

somebody
or something superior to somebody or something

cut
a fine or sorry figure

to
look impressive or unimpressive

cut
and run

to
leave a place quickly to avoid being caught or detained

cut
both ways

to
have both advantages and disadvantages

cut
it close

to
allow barely enough of something, often time, for what has to be done

cut
loose

U.S.
Australia, New Zealand to behave in an unrestrained and relatively
uncontrolled way (informal)

cut
somebody dead

to
ignore somebody deliberately and completely

not
cut it

or
not be able to cut itto fall short of requirements or be unable to cope
with a situation (informal) • His
usual excuses just don’t cut it with me.[1]



cutacross

cutacross
cut
across
transitive verb

affect equally:
to affect a widely differing group of people or things equally[1]



cut-and-cover

cut-and-cover
cut-and-cov·er
adjective

by digging trench and
covering it: used to describe a
method of constructing a tunnel by digging a trench down from ground level and
then roofing it[1]



cut-and-dried

cut-and-dried
cut-and-dried 
adjective

1.  decided
and fixed:
clear, settled, and not needing changes or further work

2.  predictable:
obvious or conforming to what is expected • a
cut-and-dried press conference
[From the earlier sense
“prepared in advance, not spontaneous,” from the idea of dried rather than
fresh herbs offered for sale][1]



cut-and-paste

cut-and-paste
cut-and-paste
noun

COMPUTING
data movement facility:
a facility of computers allowing data to be deleted in one place and inserted
in another • Use
cut-and-paste to move that paragraph into the new document.[1]



cut-and-try

cut-and-try
cut-and-try
adjective

by trial and error:
by trial and error, using experimental procedures • a
cut-and-try approach[1]



cutaneous

cutaneous
cu·ta·ne·ous 
[kyoo táynee əss] adjective

of
skin:
relating to the skin
[Late
16th century. Formed from modern Latin cutaneus, from Latin cutis
“skin.”]
—cu·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb[1]



cutaway

cutaway
cut·a·way 
[kúttə wày] noun (plural cut·a·ways)

1.  model
with inside view: a drawing or model of something with
part of its outside removed to give a view of the inside

2.  CLOTHES men’s
formal coat with tails: a formal coat for men, cut
short at the front and with two long tails at the back

3.  CINEMA VIDEO secondary shot with camera:
a cut to a camera shot of an action separate from the main action
adjective

1.  giving
inside view: constructed or represented so as to give
a view of the inside

2.  CLOTHES cut
diagonally:
with the front cut diagonally away from the center, for example, in the part of
a tailcoat below the waist

[1]



cutback

cutback
cut·back 
[kút bàk] (plural cut·backs) noun

reduction:
a reduction in the amount of something • cutbacks
in public spending[1]



cutback

cutback
cut
back
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
something:
to reduce the amount of something • cut
back on spending

2.  transitive
verb
GARDENING remove
top of plant: to cut the tops or all of the stems or
branches off a plant in order to remove dead growth or produce bushier growth • cut
back the roses

[1]



cutch

cutch
cutch 
[kuch] (plural cutch·es) noun

See
catechu
[Mid-18th century. From Malay
kachu “astringent vegetable extract” (source of English catechu ), ultimately of Dravidian origin.][1]



cutdown

cutdown
cut
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
something:
to consume, use, or do less of something, especially because it is considered
harmful • The
doctor says I have to cut down on fried foods.

2.  transitive
verb
fell
or clear away plants: to cut through the trunk or
stem of a plant so that it can be harvested or removed

3.  transitive
verb
kill:
to kill somebody, especially suddenly or unexpectedly (informal) (usually
passive)

4.  transitive
verb
CLOTHES make
clothing smaller: to alter a piece of clothing so that it
will fit somebody smaller

5.  transitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES remodel
by removing extras: to remodel a car by removing
unnecessary extras, especially to make it more suitable for racing

[1]



cute

cute
cute 
[kyoot] (comparative cut·er, superlative
cut·est) adjective

1.  attractive
in childlike way: endearingly attractive in the way that
some children and young animals are

2.  physically
attractive:
young and physically attractive

3.  pleasing:
smaller than the usual size but nicely arranged or appointed • an
apartment with a cute little kitchen

4.  shrewd:
sharply intelligent, shrewd, or wily (dated)
[Early
18th century. Colloquial shortening of acute
.]
—cute·ly,
adverb

—cute·ness,
noun
get
cute (with somebody)

to show insolence to somebody[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cutes

cutes
cu·tes


Plural of
cutis[1]



cutesy

cutesy
cute·sy 
[kytsee] (comparative cute·si·er,
superlative cute·si·est) adjective

overly
charming:
too obviously attempting to be charming
—cute·si·ness, noun[1]



cutey

cutey
cut·ey 
noun

See
cutie[1]



cutglass

cutglass
cut
glass
noun

glass with pattern cut in
surface: glass with a decorative
pattern cut into its surface (hyphenated before a noun)[1]



cutgrass

cutgrass
cut·grass
[kút gràss] (plural cut·grass·es)
noun

marsh grass:
a marsh grass with rough or sharp edges along the leaf margin. Genus: Leersia[1]



cuticle

cuticle
cu·ti·cle 
[kytik’l] (plural cu·ti·cles)
noun

1.  ANATOMY skin
at base of nails: an edge of hard skin at the base of a
fingernail or toenail

2.  ANATOMY See epidermis

3.  ANATOMY dead
epidermis:
dead or hardened epidermis

4.  BOTANY protective
plant layer: the thin outermost noncellular layer
covering the aboveground parts of plants and helping to prevent water loss

5.  ZOOLOGY hard
covering of invertebrates: a hardened noncellular layer
secreted by and covering the epidermis in many invertebrates
[15th
century. From Latin cuticula, literally “little skin,” from cutis
“skin.”]
—cu·tic·u·lar [kyoo tíkyələr], adjective[1]



cutie

cutie
cut·ie
[kytee] (plural cut·ies) or
cut·ey [kytee] (plural cut·eys)
noun

somebody cute:
a cute person or animal (informal)[1]



cutin

cutin
cu·tin 
[kyt’n] noun

waxy
plant substance: a waterproof mixture of waxy material
containing derivatives of fatty acids, soaps, and other resinous substances
that forms the protective layer ( cuticle )
of the aboveground parts of a plant
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cutis + -in
.][1]



cutin

cutin
cut
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrupt:
to interrupt when somebody is speaking

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
middle of line: to enter a line of people by pushing in
front of others who have been waiting

3.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT join
traffic dangerously: to join a lane of traffic
too close in front of another car so that it has to brake sharply

4.  intransitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY start
to operate:
to start working as part of a machine or electrical device

5.  intransitive
verb
DANCE partner
somebody already dancing: to interrupt a couple who
are dancing and take one of them as your own partner

6.  transitive
verb
COOKING mix
fat with flour: to mix shortening into flour using a
metal blade in order to ensure that it is evenly distributed

7.  transitive
verb
allow
to share:
to allow somebody to have a share in something, especially money (informal)
• cut
us in on the profits

[1]



cut-in

cut-in
cut-in
(plural cut-ins) noun

camera shot that zooms in:
a camera shot that focuses in on a smaller portion of a scene already
established[1]



cutinize

cutinize
cu·tin·ize 
[kyt’n z] (past cu·tin·ized,
past participle cu·tin·ized, present participle cu·tin·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular cu·tin·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

form
waxy layer in plant: to deposit cutin in the cell
walls of aboveground plant parts
—cu·tin·i·za·tion [kyt’ni záysh’n], noun[1]



cutis

cutis
cu·tis 
[kytiss] (plural cu·tes [ky tz]) noun

See
dermis
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “skin.”][1]



cutlass

cutlass

cut·lass 
[kúttləss] (plural cut·lass·es)
noun

1.  short
naval sword: a short thrusting sword with a flat and
slightly curved blade used in the past, especially by sailors

2.  Caribbean
machete:
a machete
[Late 16th century. Via
French cutelas “large knife,” from, ultimately, Latin cultellus,
literally “small knife,” from culter “knife, ploughshare” (see coulter ).][1]



cutlassfish

cutlassfish
cut·lass
fish
noun

long slender fish:
a sea fish with a long slender body and long sharp teeth. Genus: Trichiurus

U.K. term
hairtail[1]



cutler

cutler
cut·ler 
[kúttlər] (plural cut·lers) noun

maker
of knives:
somebody whose job is to make, repair, or sell knives and other bladed tools (archaic)
[14th century. From French coutelier,
from coutel (see cutlass ).][1]



cutlery

cutlery
cut·ler·y 
[kúttləree] noun

1.  See
flatware

2.  tools
with blades: knives and other instruments with a
blade

3.  job
of cutler:
the job of making knives and other bladed instruments (dated)
[14th century. From French coutellerie,
from coutel (see cutlass ).][1]



cutlet

cutlet
cut·let 
[kúttlət] (plural cut·lets) noun

1.  flat,
boneless piece of meat: a flat, boneless piece of
meat that will serve one person

2.  chopped
fried food:
a mixture of chopped meat, fish, nuts, vegetables, or other foods, made into a
flat round shape, covered with breadcrumbs, and fried
[Early 18th century. From
French côtelette, literally “little rib,” from, ultimately, Latin costa
“rib” (source of English coast ). The
modern spelling reflects the idea of a “small cut” (of meat).][1]



cutline

cutline
cut·line
[kút ln] (plural cut·lines) noun

caption:
a caption to an illustration[1]



cutoff

cutoff
cut·off
[kút àwf] noun (plural cut·offs)

1.  limit:
a limit or date, beyond which something is stopped

2.  end
of supply:
an end to the supply of something • a
cutoff in oil imports

3.  ENGINEERING valve:
a valve that controls the flow of fluid or gas through a pipe

4.  shortcut:
a shorter route or bypass

5.  BASEBALL relayed
throw:
in baseball, a throw from the outfield to home plate or a base in two stages,
using an infielder as an intermediary

6.  MUSIC break
in music:
the end of a note, passage, or piece of music, especially when indicated by a
sign from the conductor

7.  MUSIC signal
from music conductor: a sign given by a conductor
to indicate a cutoff in the music

8.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electrical
threshold:
the value of voltage, frequency, or other variable that represents a minimum or
maximum for effective operation

9.  GEOGRAPHY new
river channel: a short channel cut by a river across a
bend in the river, forming an oxbow lake
plural
noun
cut·offs

CLOTHES shorts
made from pants: shorts made by cutting off the legs of a
pair of pants, especially jeans

[1]



cutoff

cutoff
cut
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
remove
part of something: to remove something that is
part of something else by cutting it

2.  transitive
verb
stop
supply:
to stop supplying something • cut
off the electricity

3.  transitive
verb
isolate:
to separate a person, place, or group from normal communication or contact • a
town cut off by the blizzard

4.  transitive
verb
UTILITIES disconnect
telephone connection: to disconnect people who are
talking on the telephone

5.  transitive
verb
stop
somebody talking: to interrupt what somebody is saying and
stop him or her from talking • cut
him off in mid-sentence

6.  transitive
verb
disinherit:
to exclude somebody from an inheritance • They
cut their son off without a penny.

7.  transitive
verb
bring
to abrupt end: to bring something to an abrupt end or
somebody to an early death (often passive) • She
was cut off in her prime.

8.  intransitive
verb
cease
abruptly:
to come to an abrupt end • The
machine cut off suddenly.

[1]



cutoffman

cutoffman
cut·off
man
noun

throwing infielder:
in baseball, an infielder who catches a throw from an outfielder and relays it
to home plate or a base[1]



cutout

cutout
cut·out 
[kút òwt] (plural cut·outs) noun

1.  shape
of somebody or something: a two-dimensional shape of
somebody or something usually made from stiff cardboard

2.  something
cut out:
something that has been cut out from something else

3.  ELECTRICITY safety
device for electric circuit: a device that switches off
an electric circuit or supply, for example, to a machine, as a safety measure

4.  spies’
go-between:
somebody trusted to pass messages between espionage agents (informal)

5.  RECORDING outdated
audio recording: a recording sold at a discount because
it is out-of-date and supply exceeds demand

[1]



cutout

cutout
cut
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
remove
by cutting:
to remove part of something using a cutting tool

2.  transitive
verb
cut
shape:
to cut a shaped piece from a larger part or whole

3.  transitive
verb
remove
part from text: to remove part of a text or broadcast

4.  transitive
verb
stop
doing:
to stop consuming, using, or doing something, especially because it is
considered harmful • I’ve cut out all dairy
products.

5.  transitive
verb
exclude:
to exclude or eliminate somebody from a group or activity • cut
them out of future negotiations

6.  transitive
verb
omit:
to exclude, eliminate, or omit something • I
followed the recipe but cut out the walnuts.

7.  transitive
verb
disinherit:
to change a will so that somebody will no longer inherit

8.  intransitive
verb
stop
working:
to stop functioning suddenly, especially to stop providing power • The
engine cut out.

9.  transitive
verb
stop
something annoying: to stop doing something that
is annoying somebody (informal) (often used as a command) • Cut
out the wisecracks.

10. intransitive
verb
leave
quickly:
to leave a location or place hastily (slang) • Let’s
cut out of here.

11. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE separate
animal from herd: to separate an animal or animals,
particularly cows, from a herd

12. transitive
verb
Southern U.S. turn off:
to turn off a light or electrical appliance • cut
the lights out
adjective

naturally suited:
naturally suited for a particular activity or profession • I
wasn’t cut out to be a driving instructor.

[1]



cutover

cutover
cut
over
transitive verb

COMPUTING
transfer a system:
to transfer existing data, functions, or users of a system to new facilities or
equipment in a synchronized manner, to ensure continuity and minimize
disruption[1]



cutover

cutover
cut·o·ver 
[kút vər] noun (plural cu·tovers)

COMPUTING system
transfer:
the synchronized transfer of data, functions, or users to new facilities or
equipment in order to ensure continuity and minimize disruption
adjective

FORESTRY
with trees cut:
used to describe forest land with the trees cut down for selling as timber[1]



cutpurse

cutpurse
cut·purse 
[kút pùrs] (plural cut·purs·es)
noun

pickpocket:
a pickpocket (archaic)[1]



cut-rate

cut-rate
cut-rate 
adjective

cheaper than usual:
on sale or selling for less than the standard price, and often regarded as
shoddy[1]



CUTS

CUTS
CUTS

Abbreviation of
Computer Users’ Tape System[1]



cuttable

cuttable
cut·ta·ble
[kúttəb’l] adjective

capable of being cut:
capable of being shortened or divided by cutting[1]



cutter

cutter
cut·ter 
[kúttər] (plural cut·ters) noun

1.  sharp
tool:
a tool used to cut through something (often used in the plural) • wire
cutters

2.  somebody
who cuts something: somebody whose work involves
cutting things, for example, fabrics to be made into clothing

3.  somebody
who reduces something: somebody who makes something
shorter or reduces something in amount

4.  NAVY small
armed patrol boat: a small lightly armed patrol
boat used by the Coast Guard or customs department

5.  SAILING single-masted
sailboat:
a single-masted sailing vessel on which the mast is positioned further aft than
on a sloop

6.  NAUTICAL boat
for transporting passengers: a ship’s boat, powered by a
motor or by oars that is used for transporting passengers and light cargo

7.  TRANSPORT small
sleigh:
a small sleigh pulled by one horse, used in the past

[1]



cutthroat

cutthroat
cut·throat 
[kút thrt] adjective

1.  with
no holds barred: aggressive and merciless in striving for
supremacy

2.  murderous:
capable of murder or characteristic of a murderer (archaic)

3.  for
3 players:
used to describe games for three players that are adapted from games for four
partnered players • cutthroat bridge
noun
(plural cut·throats)

1.  dangerous
person:
a murderer or a very aggressive dangerous person

2.  (plural
cut·throat or cut·throats) ZOOLOGY
See cutthroat trout

[1]



cutthroatrazor

cutthroatrazor
cut·throat
ra·zor
(plural cut·throat ra·zors) noun

U.K.
See straight razor[1]



cutthroattrout

cutthroattrout
cut·throat
trout
noun

N American spotted trout:
a trout of western North America that resembles the rainbow trout but has
reddish-orange markings on either side of the throat. Latin name: Salmo
clarkii
Also called
cutthroat[1]



cutthrough

cutthrough
cut
through
transitive verb

eliminate obstacle:
to deal with an obstacle in a way that reduces or eliminates it • Can’t
we cut through the formalities?[1]



cuttime

cuttime
cut
time
noun

musical signature:
a meter in which two half notes receive the beat each bar, notated in the time
signature by a “C” with a slash through it.
Also called
alla breve[1]



cutting

cutting
cut·ting 
[kútting] noun (plural cut·tings)

1.  part
of plant for propagation: a piece taken from a stem,
leaf, or root that will grow into a new whole plant

2.  U.K.
See clipping  noun 1

3.  editing
process:
the process of editing a text, film, or recording

4.  CINEMA changing
of shots in film: the technique of changing from one shot
to another in the editing of a film
adjective

1.  abrasive
and hurtful: sharply expressed and likely to upset
somebody’s feelings • a
cutting remark

2.  very
cold:
piercingly cold • a cutting wind
—cut·ting·ly, adverb[1]



cuttingboard

cuttingboard
cut·ting
board
(plural cut·ting boards) noun

board for cutting food:
a piece of flat wood or rigid plastic used to protect a countertop or table
while cutting food.
U.K. term
chopping board[1]



cuttingedge

cuttingedge
cut·ting
edge
noun

most advanced stage:
the most advanced and modern stage of something (hyphenated when used before
a noun)[1]



cuttinghorse

cuttinghorse
cut·ting
horse
(plural cut·ting hors·es) noun

herding horse:
a horse trained to separate cows, calves, or steers from a herd on the commands
of its rider[1]



cuttingroom

cuttingroom
cut·ting
room
(plural cut·ting rooms) noun

room where film is edited:
a room where motion picture film is edited, normally by hand and by being
physically cut[1]



cuttlebone

cuttlebone
cut·tle·bone 
[kútt’l bn] (plural cut·tle·bones)
noun

shell
of cuttlefish: the white internal shell of a
cuttlefish, used whole as a mineral supplement for caged birds and in powdered
form for polishing
[Late 16th century. Cuttle
from Old English cudele “cuttlefish” (see cuttlefish
).][1]



cuttlefish

cuttlefish
cut·tle·fish 
[kútt’l fìsh] (plural cut·tle·fish
or cut·tle·fish·es) noun

bottom-dwelling
mollusk with internal shell: a marine mollusk that lives
on the ocean floor and has ten arms, a flattened body, and an internal shell.
Cuttlefish eject a dark inky fluid as a defense mechanism. Genus: Sepia
[Late 16th century. Cuttle
from Old English cudele ; related to cod(d) “bag” (see codpiece ); so called because of the animal’s
shape.][1]



cutup

cutup
cut
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
cut
in pieces:
to cut something into pieces

2.  intransitive
verb
misbehave:
to behave in a humorous and disruptive way (slang) • cutting
up in class

3.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE injure:
to injure somebody, especially enough to draw blood • He
was badly cut up after the fight and had to be taken to the hospital.

4.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize somebody severely (dated informal)
adjective

upset: upset
and distressed (informal) • He was
all cut up over his mother’s death.

[1]



cutup

cutup
cut·up 
[kút ùp] (plural cut·ups) noun

somebody funny:
somebody known for telling jokes, showing off, and doing pranks (informal)[1]



cutwater

cutwater
cut·wa·ter 
[kút wòttər] (plural cut·wa·ters)
noun

1.  NAUTICAL front
of ship’s prow: the foremost part of a ship’s prow

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING buffer
part of bridge support: a pointed or wedge-shaped
upstream face of a bridge pier at water level, designed to minimize the effects
of moving water, ice floes, and debris

[1]



cutwork

cutwork
cut·work 
[kút wùrk] noun

openwork embroidery:
a form of openwork embroidery in which each part of the design is outlined in
buttonhole stitch, then some parts of the fabric within the outlines are cut
away[1]



cutworm

cutworm
cut·worm 
[kút wùrm] (plural cut·worms) noun

destructive caterpillar:
a nocturnal moth caterpillar that feeds on and eats through the base of young
plant stems. Family: Noctuidae[1]



cuvette

cuvette
cu·vette 
[koo vét] (plural cu·vettes) noun

laboratory
vessel:
a transparent tubular laboratory vessel or dish for holding a liquid
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “small cask,” from cuve (see cuvée
).][1]



cuvée

cuvée
cu·vée 
[koo váy] (plural cu·vées) noun

batch
of wine:
a single batch of wine
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “vatful,” from cuve “cask, vat,” from Latin cupa (source
of English coop ).][1]



Cuyahoga

Cuyahoga
Cuy·a·ho·ga
[k ə hṓgə, k ə
hógə]

river in northeastern Ohio,
flowing southwest and then sharply north into Lake Erie. Length: 160 km/100 mi.[1]



CuyahogaFalls

CuyahogaFalls
Cuy·a·ho·ga
Falls

city in northeastern Ohio, on
the northern shore of the Cuyahoga River, northeast of Akron. Population:
49,278 (1996)[1]



Cuzco

Cuzco
Cuz·co
[kss k]

city in southern Peru, and
capital of Cuzco Department. It was the capital of the Inca empire until 1533.
Population: 255,568 (1993)[1]



CV

CV
CV

1.  Abbreviation
of
cardiovascular

2.  CV
or cv Abbreviation of curriculum
vitae

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of Cross of Valour

[1]



C.V.

C.V.
C.V.

Abbreviation of
Cape Verde[1]



cv.

cv.
cv.

BOTANY
Abbreviation of cultivar[1]



CVA

CVA
CVA

1.  Abbreviation
of
cerebrovascular accident

2.  Abbreviation
of
Columbia Valley Authority

[1]



CVS

CVS
CVS

Abbreviation of
chorionic villus sampling[1]



cw.

cw.
cw.

Abbreviation of
clockwise[1]



CW

CW
CW

1.  Abbreviation
of
continuous wave

2.  Abbreviation
of
chemical warfare

3.  Abbreviation
of
chemical weapons

[1]



cw

cw
cw

Abbreviation of
continuous wave[1]



cwm

cwm
cwm 
[koom] (plural cwms) noun

U.K.
See cirque
[Mid-19th century. From
Welsh, “valley.”][1]



CWO

CWO
CWO

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Chief Warrant Officer[1]



c.w.o.

c.w.o.
c.w.o.

Abbreviation of
cash with order[1]



CY

CY
CY

Abbreviation of
calendar year[1]



-cy

-cy
-cy
suffix

1.  condition,
quality • buoyancy

2.  action
• advocacy

3.  rank,
office • baronetcy
[Via Old French -cie, -tie
from Latin -cia, -tia and Greek -k(e)ia, -t(e)ia][1]



cyan-

cyan-
cyan-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cyano-[1]



cyan

cyan
cy·an 
[s ən, s àn]
noun

greenish-blue
color:
a deep greenish-blue color that, together with yellow and magenta, is one of
the three primary colors used in printing and photographic processing
[Late
19th century. From Greek kuan(e)os “dark blue,” of unknown origin.]
—cy·an, adjective[1]



cyanamide

cyanamide
cy·an·am·ide
[sī ánnə md] or cy·an·am·id [sī ánnəmid] noun

1.  caustic
compound:
a white crystalline caustic compound. CH2N2

2.  See
calcium cyanamide

[1]



cyanate

cyanate
cy·a·nate 
[s ə nàyt, s ənət]
(plural cy·a·nates) noun

salt or ester of cyanic acid:
a salt or ester of cyanic acid[1]



cyanic

cyanic
cy·an·ic 
[sī ánnik] adjective

COLORS
greenish-blue:
of a greenish-blue color[1]



cyanicacid

cyanicacid
cy·an·ic
ac·id
noun

weak colorless acid:
a weak colorless unstable acid. HOCN[1]



cyanide

cyanide
cy·a·nide 
[s ə nd] noun (plural cy·a·nides)

1.  poisonous
salt:
a poisonous salt of hydrocyanic acid that contains the radical CN

2.  See
potassium cyanide

3.  See
sodium cyanide
transitive
verb
(past cy·a·nid·ed, past participle cy·a·nid·ed, present
participle cy·a·nid·ing, 3rd person present singular cy·a·nides)

1.  METALLURGY harden
metal with cyanide: to treat something, for
example, a metal surface, with cyanide to increase its hardness

2.  MINING treat
ore with sodium cyanide: to treat ore with a weak
solution of sodium cyanide to remove gold or silver
[Early
19th century. Coined from cyanogen + -ide .]
—cy·a·nid·a·tion [sənə dáysh’n], noun[1]



cyanideprocess

cyanideprocess
cy·a·nide
proc·ess
noun

MINING
metal extraction method:
a process for extracting gold or silver from ore by treating the ore with a
weak solution of sodium cyanide and recovering the metal particles from the
resulting solution[1]



cyanine

cyanine
cy·a·nine 
[s ə nn, s ənin]
(plural cy·a·nines) noun

blue dye:
a chemical belonging to a group of blue dyes used to improve the sensitivity of
photographic film to green, yellow, red, and infrared light[1]



cyanite

cyanite
cy·a·nite 
[s ə nt] noun

See
kyanite[1]



cyano-

cyano-
cyano-
prefix

1.  blue
• cyanosis

2.  cyanogen
• cyanic

3.  cyanide
• cyanogen
[From Greek kuanos
“dark blue”][1]



cyanoacrylate

cyanoacrylate
cy·a·no·ac·ry·late 
[s ə nō ákrə làyt, s
ə nō ákrələt] noun

adhesive chemical:
a liquid acrylate monomer belonging to a group with adhesive properties, used
in industry and medicine[1]



cyanobacteria

cyanobacteria
cy·a·no·bac·te·ri·a
[s ənō bak tree ə] plural noun

photosynthetic bacteria:
bacteria belonging to a large group that have a photosynthetic pigment, carry
out photosynthesis, and were classified in the past as blue-green algae.
Family: Cyanophyta[1]



cyanocobalamin

cyanocobalamin
cy·a·no·co·bal·a·min 
[s ə nō kō bálləmin] noun

See
vitamin B 12[1]



cyanogen

cyanogen
cy·an·o·gen 
[sī ánnəjən, sī
ánnə jèn] noun

1.  poisonous
gas:
a flammable colorless poisonous gas used in organic synthesis. C2N2

2.  chemical
radical:
a univalent radical found in cyanide compounds. CN
[Early 19th century. From
French cyanogène, from, ultimately, Greek kuan(e)os “dark blue”;
from its being a constituent of Prussian blue.][1]



cyanogenesis

cyanogenesis
cy·a·no·gen·e·sis 
[s ə nō jénnəssiss] noun

production
of hydrogen cyanide by plants: the natural generation
and release of hydrogen cyanide that occurs in some plants
—cy·a·no·gen·ic,
adjective

—cy·a·no·ge·net·ic [s ə nō jə néttik], adjective[1]



cyanohydrin

cyanohydrin
cy·a·no·hy·drin 
[s ə nō hdrin] noun

compound containing cyano and
hydroxyl groups: an organic compound
containing both cyano and hydroxyl groups, usually linked to the same carbon
atom[1]



cyanosis

cyanosis
cy·a·no·sis 
[s ə nṓssiss] noun

bluish
skin condition: a condition in which the skin and mucous
membranes take on a bluish color because there is not enough oxygen in the
blood
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek kuanōsis “blueness,” from kuan(e)os
“dark blue.”]
—cy·a·not·ic [s ə nóttik], adjective[1]



cyanotype

cyanotype
cy·an·o·type 
[sī ánnə tp] (plural cy·an·o·types)
noun

See
blueprint[1]



Cybele

Cybele
Cyb·e·le 
[síbbəlee] noun

Phrygian goddess of nature:
the Phrygian goddess of nature. She was worshiped by the Romans as the Great
Mother of the Gods.[1]



cyber-

cyber-
cyber-
prefix

computers
and information systems • cyberphobia
[From cybernetics and cyberspace][1]



cybercafé

cybercafé
cy·ber·ca·fé
[sbər ka fày, sbər
kə fày] noun

1.  coffee
house offering Internet access: a coffee house that
provides patrons with computer terminals for browsing the Internet for a fee

2.  virtual
meeting place: a virtual gathering place on the
Internet where people communicate using a chat program or by posting messages
on a BBS

[1]



cybernate

cybernate
cy·ber·nate 
[sbər nàyt] (past cy·ber·nat·ed,
past participle cy·ber·nat·ed, present participle cy·ber·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular cy·ber·nates) transitive verb

control
by computer: to control a manufacturing process with
a servomechanism or computer
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from cybernetics .]
—cy·ber·nat·ed,
adjective

—cy·ber·na·tion [sbər náysh’n], noun[1]



cybernetician

cybernetician
cy·ber·ne·ti·cian 
[sbərnə tísh’n] (plural cy·ber·ne·ti·cians)
or cy·ber·net·i·cist [sbər
néttissist] (plural cy·ber·net·i·cists) noun

cybernetics specialist:
a specialist in cybernetics[1]



cybernetics

cybernetics
cy·ber·net·ics 
[sbər néttiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  study
of automatic control systems: the science or study of
communication in organisms, organic processes, and mechanical or electronic
systems

2.  replication
of natural systems: the replication or imitation
of biological control systems with the use of technology
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek kubernētēs “steersman, governor,” from kubernan
“to steer” (source of English govern
). Coined by the U.S. mathematician Norbert Wiener (1894–1964).]
—cy·ber·net·ic,
adjective

—cy·ber·net·i·cal,
adjective

—cy·ber·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cyberphobia

cyberphobia
cy·ber·pho·bi·a
[sbər fṓbee ə] noun

fear of computers:
a pathological fear of computers and information technology[1]



cyberpunk

cyberpunk
cy·ber·punk 
[sbər pùnk] noun

futuristic science fiction:
a type of science fiction featuring characters living in a darkly frightening,
futuristic world dominated by computer technology[1]



cyberspace

cyberspace
cy·ber·space 
[sbər spàyss] noun

1.  imagined
place where electronic data goes: the notional realm in
which electronic information exists or is exchanged • an
e-mail message lost in cyberspace

2.  virtual
reality:
the imagined world of virtual reality

[1]



cybersurfer

cybersurfer
cy·ber·surf·er 
[sbər sùrfər] (plural cy·ber·surf·ers)
noun

COMPUTING
Internet surfer:
somebody who spends a lot of time surfing the Internet (slang)[1]



cyborg

cyborg
cy·borg 
[s bàwrg] (plural cy·borgs) noun

part-human,
part-robot being: a fictional being that is part human,
part robot
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cybernetics + organism
.][1]



cycad

cycad
cy·cad 
[skəd, s kàd]
(plural cy·cads) noun

tree
resembling palm tree: a tropical tree that has a
thick trunk, sharp pointed leaves like palm leaves, and cones. Order: Cycadales
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Cycad-, the stem of Cycas, genus name, from Greek kukas,
a miswriting of koikas, a plural form of koix, a type of palm
tree.][1]



cycl-

cycl-
cycl-
prefix

See
cyclo-[1]



cyclamate

cyclamate
cy·cla·mate 
[sklə màyt] noun

sweet-tasting
compound:
a salt or ester of cyclamic acid, especially sodium cyclamate, a compound
approved for use in some countries as an artificial sweetener
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of cyclohexylsulfamate, its chemical name.][1]



cyclamen

cyclamen

cy·cla·men 
[síkləmən] (plural cy·cla·mens)
noun
flowering
plant:
a small plant with heart-shaped leaves that grows wild under trees in parts of
Europe, and is also cultivated in gardens for its white or pink flowers.
Bigger, large-flowered types are cultivated as houseplants. Genus: Cyclamen
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin cyclaminos
from Greek kuklaminos, which was probably formed from kuklos
“circle,” with reference to the flower’s bulbous root.][1]



cyclamicacid

cyclamicacid
cy·cla·mic
ac·id 
[sìkləmik ássid, skləmik
ássid] noun

crystalline
acid:
a synthetic crystalline acid used to produce cyclamates and as a food additive.
C6H13NO3S
[Contraction of
cyclohexylsulfamic acid][1]



cyclase

cyclase
cy·clase 
[s klàyss, s
klàyz] noun

enzyme helping to form
hydrocarbon rings: an enzyme
that aids the formation of hydrocarbon rings ( cyclization
) in a compound[1]



cycle

cycle
cy·cle 
[sk’l] noun (plural cy·cles)

1.  repeated
sequence of events: a sequence of events that is
repeated again and again, especially a causal sequence

2.  time
between repeated events: a period of time between
repetitions of an event or phenomenon that occurs regularly • a
seven-year economic cycle

3.  TECHNOLOGY complete
process:
a complete process or sequence of processes in a machine or electronic device,
or the time that this takes

4.  TIME long
time:
a very long period of time

5.  ARTS linked
artworks:
a series of linked songs, poems, stories, plays, or operas that deal with the
same story, events, or characters • Wagner’s
Ring cycle

6.  PHYSICS one
complete oscillation: one complete continuous
change in the magnitude of an oscillating quantity or system that brings the
system back to its original energy state • running
at 100 cycles per second

7.  ASTRONOMY orbit:
one complete orbit of a celestial body

8.  COMPUTING set
of operations: a set of instructions completed as a
unit by a computer, or the time that completion takes

9.  CYCLING bicycle:
a bicycle or tricycle

10. MOTORCYCLES See motorcycle
verb
(past cy·cled, past participle cy·cled, present
participle cy·cling, 3rd person present singular cy·cles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
through cycle: to put something through or go through a
sequence of events • programmed to cycle
every hour

2.  intransitive
verb
ride
bicycle:
to ride a bicycle or tricycle
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin cyclus, from Greek kuklos “circle” (source
also of English cyclone and encyclopedia ).][1]



cyclepath

cyclepath
cy·cle
path
noun

See
bikeway[1]



cyclic

cyclic
cy·clic 
[sklik, síklik]
or cy·cli·cal [sklik’l, síklik’l] adjective

1.  in
cycles:
occurring or repeated in cycles

2.  CHEMISTRY arranged
in ring:
used to describe organic compounds that are composed of a closed ring of atoms

3.  MUSIC with recurrent
theme:
containing a recurrent theme or motif
—cy·cli·cal·i·ty
[skli kállətee, sìkli
kállətee], noun

—cy·cli·cal·ly,
adverb

—cy·cli·cit·y [sī klíssətee, si klíssətee],
noun[1]



cyclicAMP

cyclicAMP
cy·clic
AMP
noun

cyclic form of adenosine
monophosphate: a cyclic form of
adenosine monophosphate that is a constituent of plant and animal cells and is
responsible for activating enzymes and enhancing hormonal processes within the
cell[1]



cyclicGMP

cyclicGMP
cy·clic
GMP
noun

cyclic form of guanosine:
a cyclic form of guanosine that is a constituent of plant and animal cells and
is responsible for aspects of cell division and growth[1]



cyclist

cyclist
cy·clist 
[sklist] (plural cy·clists) noun

rider of bicycle or
motorcycle: somebody who rides a
bicycle, motorcycle, or other such vehicle[1]



cyclization

cyclization
cy·cli·za·tion 
[sklə záysh’n, sìklə
záysh’n] noun

formation of rings:
the formation of one or more hydrocarbon rings in an organic compound[1]



cyclo-

cyclo-
cyclo-
prefix

1.  circle,
cycle • cyclometer

2.  cyclic
compound • cyclopropane
[From Greek kuklos
(see cycle )][1]



cycloaddition

cycloaddition
cy·clo·ad·di·tion
[s klō ə dísh’n] (plural cy·clo·ad·di·tions)
noun

creation of chemical ring:
the creation of a ring structure in an organic chemical compound by chemical
action[1]



cycloaliphatic

cycloaliphatic
cy·clo·al·i·phat·ic 
[s klō allə fáttik] adjective

See
alicyclic[1]



cyclogenesis

cyclogenesis
cy·clo·gen·e·sis
[s klō jénnəssiss] noun

cyclone
development: the formation and development of a
cyclone
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyclone + -genesis
.][1]



cyclohexane

cyclohexane
cy·clo·hex·ane 
[s klō hék sàyn] noun

flammable liquid chemical:
a pungent flammable colorless liquid hydrocarbon derived from benzene and used
as a paint thinner and solvent, and in organic synthesis. C6H12[1]



cyclohexanone

cyclohexanone
cy·clo·hex·a·none
[s klō héksə nn] noun

colorless
liquid chemical: a colorless liquid ketone used as a
solvent and in organic synthesis. C6H10O
[Early 20th century][1]



cycloheximide

cycloheximide
cy·clo·hex·i·mide 
[s klō héksə md] noun

agricultural fungicide:
a colorless crystalline compound derived from a bacterium and used as a
fungicide in agriculture. C15H23NO4[1]



cycloid

cycloid

cy·cloid 
[s klòyd] adjective

1.  like
circle:
resembling a circle

2.  ZOOLOGY circular:
used to describe fish scales that are circular and thin with smooth edges

3.  PSYCHOLOGY moody:
changing between states of depression and elation (technical)
noun (plural
cy·cloids)

1.  GEOMETRY geometric
curve:
a geometric curve formed by a point on the circumference of a circle that rolls
along a straight line

2.  ZOOLOGY fish
with cycloid scales: a fish with scales that are
circular and thin with smooth edges
—cy·cloi·dal,
adjective

—cy·cloi·dal·ly, adverb[1]



cyclometer

cyclometer
cy·clom·e·ter 
[sī klómmətər] (plural cy·clom·e·ters)
noun

distance
gauge:
an instrument that counts the number of a times a wheel rotates and can,
therefore, show the distance a vehicle has traveled
—cy·clo·met·ric
[sklə méttrik], adjective

—cy·clom·e·try, noun[1]



cyclone

cyclone
cy·clone 
[s klōn] (plural cy·clones) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY large-scale
storm system: a large-scale storm system with heavy
rain and winds that rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and
clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere around and toward a low pressure center.
See
also
anticyclone

2.  METEOROLOGY violent
storm:
a violent rotating windstorm or tornado

3.  TECHNOLOGY rotating
device:
a device that rotates rapidly, using centrifugal force to separate materials,
for example, particles from a gas
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek kuklōma “wheel, serpentine coil,” from kuklos
“circle” (see cycle ).]
—cy·clon·ic
[sī klónnik], adjective

—cy·clon·i·cal,
adjective

—cy·clon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cyclonecellar

cyclonecellar
cy·clone
cel·lar
(plural cy·clone cel·lars) noun

See
storm cellar[1]



cyclopaedia

cyclopaedia
cy·clo·pae·di·a 
noun

See
cyclopedia[1]



cyclopean

cyclopean
cy·clo·pe·an 
[sklə p ən, sī
klṓpee ən] adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY like
the Cyclops: relating to or resembling the Cyclops

2.  ARCHITECTURE made
of big stones: constructed of massive irregular stone
blocks

3.  OPTICS describing
vision:
used to describe the phenomenon of apparent unity in binocular vision

[1]



cyclopedia

cyclopedia
cy·clo·pe·di·a
[sklə pdee ə] (plural cy·clo·pe·di·as)
or cy·clo·pae·di·a [sklə pdee ə]
(plural cy·clo·pae·di·as) noun

See
encyclopedia
[Early
18th century. Shortening.]
—cy·clo·pe·dic,
adjective

—cy·clo·pe·dist, noun[1]



cyclopentane

cyclopentane
cy·clo·pen·tane 
[s klō pén tàyn] noun

liquid solvent chemical:
a colorless, flammable, pungent, liquid cycloalkane used as a paint remover,
fuel, and solvent. C5H10[1]



Cyclopes

Cyclopes
Cy·clo·pes


Plural of
Cyclops[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cyclopes

cyclopes
cy·clo·pes
[sī klṓ pz]

Plural of
cyclops[1]



cyclophosphamide

cyclophosphamide
cy·clo·phos·pha·mide 
[s klō fósfə md] noun

drug used against tumors:
a toxic drug used to suppress the body’s immune system in the treatment of
leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and tumors[1]



cycloplegia

cycloplegia
cy·clo·ple·gia 
[s klō pljə, sklə
pljə] noun

paralysis
of eye muscles: paralysis of the eye muscles that adjust
the size of the lens and are used for focusing
—cy·clo·ple·gic, adjective[1]



cyclopropane

cyclopropane
cy·clo·pro·pane 
[s klō prṓ pàyn] noun

hydrocarbon gas:
a flammable hydrocarbon gas used in medicine as a general anesthetic and in
organic synthesis. C3H6[1]



Cyclops

Cyclops

Cy·clops 
(plural Cy·clo·pes or Cy·clops or Cy·clops·es)
noun
MYTHOLOGY mythological
one-eyed giant: one of a race of giants in Greek
mythology who had only one eye in the middle of the forehead
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek Kuklōps, literally “round-eyed,” from kuklos
“circle” + ōps “eye.”][1]



cyclops

cyclops
cy·clops
[s klòps] (plural cy·clop·es
[sī klṓ pz] or cy·clops) noun

ZOOLOGY one-eyed
crustacean:
an aquatic crustacean ( copepod ) with a
single eye. Genus: Cyclops
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin (see Cyclops
); from its characteristically centrally placed eye.][1]



cyclorama

cyclorama
cy·clo·ram·a 
[sklə rámmə] (plural cy·clo·ram·as)
noun

1.  PAINTING circular
mural:
a picture painted all the way around the wall of a circular room.
Also
called
panorama

2.  THEATER stage
backdrop:
a large concave curtain or wall behind a stage
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from cyclo- on the model of panorama
.]
—cy·clo·ram·ic, adjective[1]



cyclosis

cyclosis
cy·clo·sis 
[sī klṓssiss] noun

flow
of protoplasm: the rotary flow of protoplasm within
some cells and protozoans.
Also
called
streaming
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
kuklōsis “encirclement.”][1]



cyclosporine

cyclosporine
cy·clo·spor·ine 
[s klō spáw rn, s
klō spáwrin] or cy·clo·spor·in [s
klō spáwrin] noun

immunosuppressant
drug:
a drug obtained from a soil fungus and used to suppress the body’s immune
system in order to prevent tissue rejection in transplant surgery
[Late 20th century. Coined
from cyclo- + polysporum, name of the
fungus that produces the drug + -ine .][1]



cyclostome

cyclostome
cy·clo·stome 
[sklə stm] (plural cy·clo·stomes)
noun

ZOOLOGY jawless
fish:
a jawless fish with a circular sucking mouth and without true teeth. Lampreys
and hagfish are cyclostomes. Class: Cyclostomata
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from cyclo- + Greek stoma
“mouth.”]
—cy·clos·to·mate
[sī klóstəmət, s
klō stṓ màyt], adjective

—cy·clo·stom·a·tous [sklə stómmətəss, sklə
stṓmətəss], adjective[1]



cyclothymia

cyclothymia
cy·clo·thy·mi·a 
[sklə thmee ə] noun

psychiatric
disorder involving mood swings: a psychiatric disorder
in which the patient has frequent, relatively mild mood swings between elation
and depression
[Early
20th century. Coined from cyclo- + Greek thumos
“mind, temper.”]
—cy·clo·thy·mic, adjective[1]



cyclotron

cyclotron
cy·clo·tron 
[sklə tròn] (plural cy·clo·trons)
noun

particle
accelerator: a circular particle accelerator in which
charged particles are confined by a vertical magnetic field and accelerated by
an alternating high-frequency applied voltage, in order to study the way they
interact
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyclo- + -tron
.][1]



cygnet

cygnet
cyg·net 
[sígnət] (plural cyg·nets) noun

young
swan:
a young or baby swan
[15th century. Literally
“little swan,” formed from Old French cigne “swan” from, ultimately,
Greek kuknos .][1]



Cygnus

Cygnus

Cyg·nus 
[sígnəss] noun
northern constellation:
a constellation in the northern hemisphere between Lyra and Pegasus and
containing the star Deneb[1]



cyl.

cyl.
cyl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
cylinder

2.  Abbreviation
of
cylindrical

[1]



cylinder

cylinder

cyl·in·der 
[síllindər] (plural cyl·in·ders)
noun

1.  tube
shape:
a shape with straight sides and circular ends of equal size

2.  ENGINEERING chamber
for piston:
a chamber in an internal combustion engine or a pump within which a piston
moves back and forth

3.  ARMS rotating
part of revolver: the rotating part of a revolver,
containing chambers into which cartridges are loaded

4.  long
thin container: a long thin sealed container, such as
one in which gas is kept under pressure

5.  GEOMETRY geometric
solid:
a solid bounded by two equal parallel circles and a curved surface formed by
moving a straight line so that its ends lie on the circles

6.  GEOMETRY geometric
surface:
a surface formed by a straight line moving in a circle around and parallel to a
fixed straight line, forming a hollow tube shape

7.  tube-shaped
object:
any object with straight sides and circular ends of equal size

8.  PRINTING rotating
part of printing press: any one of the revolving
drums of a printing press that produce or receive the impression

9.  ARCHAEOLOGY ancient
cylindrical clay object: a hollow barrel-shaped
object of baked clay covered in cuneiform script

10. HISTORY See cylinder seal
[Late
16th century. Via Latin cylindrus from Greek kulindros “roller,”
from kulindein “to roll.”]
—cyl·in·dered, adjective[1]



cylinderblock

cylinderblock
cyl·in·der
block
(plural cyl·in·der blocks) noun

See
engine block[1]



cylinderhead

cylinderhead
cyl·in·der
head
(plural cyl·in·der heads) noun

closed end of engine
cylinder: the closed detachable end of
a cylinder in an internal-combustion engine[1]



cylinderpress

cylinderpress
cyl·in·der
press
(plural cyl·in·der press·es) noun

printing machine:
a printing press in which a flat bed holding the type matter moves under a
revolving cylinder carrying the paper. See flat-bed press[1]



cylinderseal

cylinderseal
cyl·in·der
seal
(plural cyl·in·der seals) noun

ancient cylindrical seal:
an engraved cylindrical clay or stone object used in ancient times, especially
in Mesopotamia, as a seal that was rolled in wet clay to leave an impression.
Also called
cylinder[1]



cylindrical

cylindrical
cy·lin·dri·cal 
[sə líndrik’l] or cy·lin·dric
[sə líndrik] adjective

with
shape of cylinder: with straight sides,
circular ends of equal size, and constant circular cross section
—cy·lin·dri·cal·i·ty
[sə lìndri kállətee], noun

—cy·lin·dri·cal·ly [sə líndrikəlee], adverb[1]



cylindroid

cylindroid
cyl·in·droid 
[sə lín dròyd] (plural cyl·in·droids)
noun

GEOMETRY solid
with elliptical cross section: a solid with straight
sides and an elliptical cross section
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from cylinder + -oid .]
—cyl·in·droid, adjective[1]



cyma

cyma
cy·ma 
[smə] (plural cy·mae or
cy·mas) noun

ARCHITECTURE S-shaped
molding:
a projecting molding with an S-shaped profile.
Also
called
cymatium
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek kuma “billow, wave, wavy molding” from kuein,
“to become pregnant.”][1]



cymar

cymar
cy·mar 
[sə mr] (plural cy·mars) or
ci·mar [sə mr] (plural ci·mars)
or si·mar [sə mr] (plural
si·mars) noun

woman’s
jacket:
a loose jacket or robe for women that originated in the Renaissance and was
popular in the 17th and 18th centuries
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian cimarra “long robe.”][1]



cymatium

cymatium
cy·ma·ti·um 
[sī máyshəm] (plural cy·ma·ti·a
[sī máyshə]) noun ARCHITECTURE

1.  See
cyma  noun

2.  top
cornice molding: the top molding of a classical cornice
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
“ogee,” from Greek kumation, literally “little cyma,” from kuma
(see cyma ).][1]



cymbal

cymbal


cym·bal 
[símb’l] (plural cym·bals) noun
percussion
instrument:
a circular brass percussion instrument played with a stick or by striking two
of them together
[Pre-12th
century. Directly or via Old French cymbale from Latin cymbalum,
from Greek kumbalon, from kumbē “bowl, drinking cup.”]
—cym·bal·eer
[sìmbə lr], noun

—cym·bal·er
[símb’lər], noun

—cym·bal·ist [símb’list], noun[1]



cymbidium

cymbidium
cym·bid·i·um 
[sim bíddee əm] (plural cym·bid·i·a
[sim bíddee ə] or cym·bid·i·ums)
noun

tropical
orchid:
an orchid native to tropical Asia and Australia whose brightly colored flowers
have a boat-shaped lower petal. Genus: Cymbidium
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, formed from Greek kumbē “cup”; because of a
depression resembling a cup in the flower lip.][1]



cyme

cyme
cyme 
[sīm] (plural cymes) noun

flower
head:
a flower cluster in which each flower stem ends in a single flower and other
flower stems form below and to the side
[Early
18th century. Via French, “summit, top,” from Latin cyma (see cyma ).]
—cy·mif·er·ous [sī míffərəss], adjective[1]



cymene

cymene
cy·mene 
[s mn] (plural cy·menes) noun

benzene
derivative:
a colorless liquid benzene derivative, existing in three isomers, used as a
solvent and in making resins. (CH3)2CHC6H4CH3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kummon “cumin” + -ene .][1]



cymogene

cymogene
cy·mo·gene 
[smə jn] noun

flammable
mix of gases: a flammable gaseous mix of petroleum
derivatives consisting mainly of butane and used to produce low temperatures
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from cymene + gene
.][1]



cymograph

cymograph
cy·mo·graph
[smə gràf] (plural cy·mo·graphs)
noun

ARCHITECTURE architectural
instrument:
an instrument used to trace the outline of an architectural molding
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from cyma + -graph .]
—cy·mo·graph·ic [smə gráffik], adjective[1]



cymoid

cymoid
cy·moid 
[s mòyd] adjective

1.  BOTANY like
cyme:
resembling a cyme

2.  ARCHITECTURE like
cyma:
resembling a cyma

[1]



cymophane

cymophane
cy·mo·phane 
[smə fàyn] noun

mineral
used as gemstone: chrysoberyl, especially an opalescent
variety used as a gemstone
[Early 19th century. From
Greek kuma (see cyma ) + -phanēs,
“showing, shining.”][1]



cymose

cymose
cy·mose 
[s mss] or cy·mous [sməss] adjective

relating
to flower cluster: relating to, like, or being
a cyme
—cy·mose·ly, adverb[1]



Cymric

Cymric
Cym·ric 
[kúmmrik] noun

Welsh
language:
the Welsh language (dated)
adjective

of
Wales:
relating to Wales, or its people or culture
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Welsh Cymry “the Welsh,” from Cymru “Wales.”][1]



Cymry

Cymry
Cym·ry 
[kúmree] plural noun

1.  Brythonic
Celts:
members of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic peoples, which now comprises the
Welsh, Cornish, and Breton peoples

2.  Welsh
people:
people who are born in or are citizens of Wales
[Mid-19th century. See Cymric .][1]



cynic

cynic
cyn·ic 
[sínnik] noun (plural cyn·ics)

1.  believer
that people are insincere: somebody who believes that
human actions are insincere and motivated by self-interest

2.  somebody
sarcastic:
somebody sneering and sarcastic
adjective

See cynical
[Late 16th century. From Cynic .][1]



Cynic

Cynic
Cyn·ic
[sínnik] noun (plural Cyn·ics)

ancient
Greek philosopher: a member of a group of
ancient Greek philosophers who believed that virtue is the only good and that
the only means of achieving it is self-control. The sect was founded by
Antisthenes in the 4th century B.C.
adjective

relating
to Cynics:
belonging to, characteristic of, or relating to the Cynics
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Kunikos .][1]



cynical

cynical
cyn·i·cal 
[sínnik’l] or cyn·ic [sínnik] adjective

1.  distrustful
of human nature: doubting or contemptuous of human nature
or of the motives, goodness, or sincerity of others • Many
people have developed a cynical distrust of politicians.

2.  sarcastic:
mocking, scornful, or sneering • cynical
remarks to cover up disappointment
—cyn·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cyn·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



Cynicism

Cynicism
Cyn·i·cism
noun

doctrines of Cynics:
the beliefs or philosophy of the ancient Greek Cynics[1]



cynicism

cynicism
cyn·i·cism 
[sínni sìzzəm] (plural cyn·i·cisms)
noun

1.  cynical
quality or disposition: cynical attitude, beliefs,
character, or quality

2.  cynical
remark:
a cynical action, comment, or idea

[1]



cynipid

cynipid
cyn·i·pid
[sínnəpid] (plural cyn·i·pids)
noun

gall wasp:
a gall wasp (technical)[1]



cynosure

cynosure
cy·no·sure 
[snə shr] (plural cy·no·sures)
noun

1.  center
of attention: somebody or something that is the center
of admiration, attention, or attraction

2.  guide:
somebody or something acting as a guide or used for direction • Guidebooks
are the cynosure of the inexperienced traveler.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin Cynosura “the constellation Ursa Minor,
containing the Pole Star” (hence “guiding star,” hence “center of attention”)
from Greek kunosoura, literally “dog’s tail.”]
—cy·no·sur·al, adjective[1]



Cynthia

Cynthia
Cyn·thi·a
[sínthee ə] noun

1.  Moon:
the Moon personified as a goddess (literary)

2.  See
Diana
[Late 16th century. Because
the goddess Diana was said to have been born on Mount Cynthus in Delos.][1]



CYO

CYO
CYO

Abbreviation of
Catholic Youth Organization[1]



cypher

cypher
cy·pher 
[sfər] noun

See
cipher[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








cypherpunk

cypherpunk
cy·pher·punk
[sfər pùngk] (plural cy·pher·punks)
noun

computer
hacker:
an experienced computer user who is adept at breaking codes and entering secure
computer systems
[Late 20th century. Coined
from cypher + punk
on the model of cyberpunk .][1]



cypres

cypres
cy
pres 
[si práy] adverb

LAW as
nearly as possible: as nearly as possible to the
will or intention of a person whose wishes cannot be executed literally
[Via Anglo-Norman from French
si près “as near as”][1]



Cypress

Cypress
Cy·press 
[s prəss]

city in southwestern
California, a southeastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population: 47,032 (1996)[1]



cypress

cypress1

cy·press1  [sprəss]
(plural cy·press·es) noun

1.  conifer:
a coniferous evergreen tree, native to Eurasia and North America, that has hard
wood and dark green leaves resembling scales. Genus: Cupressus

2.  tree
or shrub resembling cypress: a coniferous tree or shrub
that is similar or related to the cypress, for example, the bald or swamp
cypress

3.  wood:
the hard wood of a cypress tree

4.  cypress
branches as symbol of mourning: the branches of a
cypress tree used as a symbol of mourning
[12th century. Via Old French
cipres and late Latin cypressus from Greek kuparisoss .][1]



cypress

cypress2
cy·press2  [sprəss]
or cy·prus [sprəss] noun

fine
black fabric: a fine silk or cotton fabric, usually
black, used for mourning clothes
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman cipres from Old French Cipre “Cyprus,” because the
fabric was originally brought from Cyprus.][1]



cypressvine

cypressvine
cy·press
vine
(plural cy·press vines) noun

climbing plant:
a tropical American climbing plant related to morning glory that has leaves
divided into many thin segments and scarlet, orange, or white tubular flowers.
Latin name: Ipomoea quamoclit[1]



Cyprian,Saint

Cyprian,Saint
Cyp·ri·an 
[síppree ən], Saint (200?–258)

African-born
Roman lawyer, bishop, and martyr. He was a Carthaginian bishop whose works,
including De Unitate Catholicae Ecclesiae ( 251 ), influenced St.
Augustine.
Full name
Caecilius Cyprianus, Thascius[1]



cyprinid

cyprinid
cyp·ri·nid 
[sípprənid, sə
prínnid] (plural cyp·ri·nid or cyp·ri·nids) noun

freshwater
fish:
a freshwater fish of the family that includes the carps and minnows, typically
with rounded scales, soft fins, and toothless jaws. Family: Cyprinidae
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin cyprinus “carp,” from ultimately, Greek kuprinos
.]
—cyp·ri·nid, adjective[1]



cyprinodont

cyprinodont
cy·prin·o·dont 
[sə prínnə dònt, sə
prnə dònt] (plural cy·prin·o·donts) noun

small
fish:
a small freshwater fish of North America, Eurasia, and Africa with soft fins
and a toothed jaw. Killifishes and guppies are cyprinodonts. Family:
Cyprinodontidae
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from cyprinoid + -odont .]
—cy·prin·o·dont, adjective[1]



cyprinoid

cyprinoid
cyp·ri·noid 
[sípprə nòyd] (plural cyp·ri·noids)
noun

fish
like a carp: any fish belonging to a large group that
includes the carp
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin cyprinus “carp,” from ultimately, Greek kuprinos
.]
—cyp·ri·noid, adjective[1]



Cypriot

Cypriot
Cyp·ri·ot 
[síppree ət] or Cyp·ri·ote [síppree ət] noun (plural Cyp·ri·ots)
(plural Cyp·ri·otes)

somebody from Cyprus:
somebody who was born or raised in Cyprus or who has Cypriot citizenship
adjective

1.  of
Cyprus:
relating to Cyprus, or its peoples or cultures

2.  of
the languages of Cyprus: belonging or relating to the
dialects of Greek and Turkish that are spoken on Cyprus
[Late 16th century. From
Greek Kupriōtēs, from Kupros “Cyprus.”][1]



cyproheptadine

cyproheptadine
cy·pro·hep·ta·dine 
[sprō héptə dn] noun

antihistamine
drug:
an antihistamine drug used especially to treat asthma, allergies, and skin
disorders
[Late 20th century. Coined
from cyclic + propyl
+ hepta + piperidine .][1]



Cyprus




Back to definition

Cyprus

[1]



cyprus

cyprus
cy·prus
noun

See
cypress 2[1]



Cyprus

Cyprus



Cy·prus

island republic in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea. Since 1974, it has been partitioned between the Greek
Cypriot south and the officially unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus. Language: Greek, Turkish. Currency: Cyprus pound. Capital: Nicosia. Population:
752,808 (1997) Area: 9,251 sq km/3,572 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Cyprus[1]



cypsela

cypsela
cyp·se·la 
[sípsələ] (plural cyp·se·lae [sípsəlee]) noun

hard
one-seeded fruit: a small hard one-seeded fruit with an
attached calyx that does not split during seed dispersal. Plants with cypselae
include daisies and dandelions. Family: Compositae
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek kupselē “hollow vessel, chest.”][1]



Cyrenaic

Cyrenaic
Cyr·e·na·ic 
[sìrrə náy ik] adjective

1.  of
Cyrene:
relating to the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in North Africa, or its people or
culture

2.  of
Cyrenaica:
relating to or typical of the ancient Cyrenaica, or its people or culture

3.  PHILOSOPHY of
the philosophy of pleasure: relating to or advocating
the doctrines of the school of philosophy founded in the 4th century B.C. by Aristippus of Cyrene, who
believed pleasure is the sole or supreme good
noun
(plural Cyr·e·na·ics)

1.  somebody
from Cyrene: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of ancient Cyrene

2.  PHILOSOPHY believer
in Cyrenaic philosophy: an adherent of the Cyrenaic
school of philosophy

3.  PHILOSOPHY hedonist:
somebody who believes that pleasure is the sole good in life
[Late
16th century. Via Latin Cyrenaicus from Greek Kurēnaikos, from Kurēnē,
“Cyrene.”]
—Cyr·e·na·i·cism [sìrrə náy i sìzzəm], noun[1]



Cyrenaica

Cyrenaica
Cy·re·na·ica
[sìrrə náy ikə, srə
náyikə]

historic region settled by
the ancient Greeks that occupied the eastern half of Libya[1]



Cyrene

Cyrene
Cy·re·ne
[sī rnee]

ancient Greek town in Libya
and the original capital of Cyrenaica, founded in about 630 BC . The ruins are situated about 225
km140 mi from Benghazi in northeastern Libya.[1]



Cyrillic

Cyrillic
Cy·ril·lic 
[sə ríllik] adjective

of
alphabet used in Slavic languages: relating or belonging
to the old alphabet derived from Greek script and attributed to St. Cyril, or a
modified form used in modern Slavic languages such as Bulgarian and Russian.
The Cyrillic alphabet is also used in the non-Slavic languages of some republics
of the former Soviet Union.
noun

Slavic
alphabet:
the Cyrillic alphabet
[Early 19th century. Named
after St. Cyril .][1]



Cyril,Saint

Cyril,Saint
Cyr·il 
[sírrəl], Saint (827–869)

Greek
missionary. With his brother Methodius he brought Christianity to the Slavs of
southeastern Europe, and is said to have devised the Cyrillic alphabet.
Born
Constantine[1]



cyst-

cyst-
cyst-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cysto-[1]



cyst

cyst
cyst 
[sist] (plural cysts) noun

1.  abnormal
spherical swelling: a closed, usually spherical,
membranous sac that develops abnormally in human or other animal tissue and
contains fluid or semisolid material. Some types of cysts form when glands are
blocked, and most cysts are benign.

2.  ANATOMY hollow
organ or cavity: a thin-walled bladder, sac, or vesicle
in an animal

3.  BOTANY FUNGI resting spore:
a spore that is not undergoing cell division, in some algae and fungi

4.  ZOOLOGY protective
sac enclosing organism: a sac or capsule that
encloses and protects some organisms in a dormant or larval stage

5.  ZOOLOGY protective
covering around parasite: a protective covering around
a parasite, produced by a host or by the parasite itself

6.  BOTANY air-filled
cavity in seaweeds: a small air-filled cavity
resembling a bladder that occurs in some seaweeds, for example, the bladder
wrack
[Early 18th century. Via late
Latin cystis from Greek kustis “bladder, cyst.”][1]



cystectomy

cystectomy
cys·tec·to·my 
[siss téktəmee] (plural cys·tec·to·mies)
noun

1.  operation
to remove cyst: surgical removal of a cyst

2.  operation
to remove bladder: surgical removal of the
urinary bladder

[1]



cysteine

cysteine
cys·te·ine 
[sís tn, sístee
n] noun

sulfur-containing
amino acid:
a crystalline sulfur-containing amino acid that is converted to cystine during
metabolism. C2H7NO2S
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cystine + -eine, a variant of -ein .][1]



cystic

cystic
cys·tic 
[sístik] adjective

1.  relating
to cyst:
used to describe a cyst or material that forms, contains, or is enclosed in a
cyst

2.  containing
cyst:
consisting of or containing a cyst or cysts

3.  within
cyst:
enclosed within a cyst

4.  relating
to bladder:
relating to a bladder, especially the urinary bladder

[1]



cysticduct

cysticduct
cys·tic
duct
(plural cys·tic ducts) noun

gall bladder duct:
the duct of the gall bladder that joins the bile duct from the liver to form
the common bile duct[1]



cysticercus

cysticercus
cys·ti·cer·cus 
[sìstə súrkəss] (plural cys·ti·cer·ci
[sìstə súrk sī]) noun

tapeworm
larva:
the larva of some tapeworms that consists of a folded inverted head
encapsulated in a fluid-filled sac. It is found in the body tissues of infested
people and animals.
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin cysticercus, from Greek kustis “bladder” (see cyst ) + kerkos “tail.”][1]



cysticfibrosis

cysticfibrosis
cys·tic
fi·bro·sis 
[sìstik fī brṓssiss] noun

hereditary disease:
a hereditary disease starting in infancy that affects various glands and
results in secretion of thick mucus that blocks internal passages, including
those of the lungs, causing respiratory infections. The pancreas is also
affected, resulting in a deficiency of digestive enzymes and impaired
nutrition.
Also called
mucoviscidosis[1]



cystine

cystine
cys·tine 
[sí stn, sístin]
noun

crystalline
amino acid:
a crystalline amino acid found in many proteins, especially keratin. C6H12N2O4S2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kustis, “bladder” + -in .][1]



cystinuria

cystinuria
cys·tin·u·ri·a 
[sìstə nyree ə] noun

cystine in urine:
the excessive excretion of cystine in the urine and the formation of cystine
stones in the kidney, characteristic of an inherited disorder of the metabolism[1]



cystitis

cystitis
cys·ti·tis 
[sis ttiss] noun

inflammation of bladder:
inflammation of the urinary bladder, often caused by infection[1]



cysto-

cysto-
cysto-
prefix

hollow
structure, sac, cyst • cystocarp
[Via modern Latin cystis
“bladder” from Greek kustis (see cyst
)][1]



cystocarp

cystocarp
cys·to·carp 
[sístə krp] (plural cys·to·carps)
noun

spores of red algae:
the reproductive body of red algae produced after fertilization and consisting
of a mass of asexual spores borne on filaments[1]



cystocele

cystocele
cys·to·cele 
[sístə sl] (plural cys·to·celes)
noun

hernia of bladder:
a hernia of the urinary bladder that protrudes through the vaginal wall[1]



cystography

cystography
cys·tog·ra·phy
[sis tóggrəfee] noun

X-ray examination of urinary
bladder: X-ray examination of the
urinary bladder after the introduction of a liquid that is partially opaque to
X-rays[1]



cystoid

cystoid
cys·toid 
[sís tòyd] adjective

like
a cyst:
resembling a cyst
noun
(plural cys·toids)

structure resembling cyst:
a structure or mass of tissue that resembles a cyst but lacks an enclosing
capsule[1]



cystolith

cystolith
cys·to·lith 
[sístə lìth] (plural cys·to·liths)
noun

1.  BOTANY mineral
deposit in plant cells: a hard mineral deposit,
usually of calcium carbonate, that occurs in the epidermal cells of some
plants, for example, figs or stinging nettles

2.  MEDICINE bladder
stone:
a stone that occurs in the bladder

[1]



cystoscope

cystoscope
cys·to·scope 
[sístə skp] (plural cys·to·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining urethra: a narrow tubular instrument
that is passed through the urethra to examine the interior of the urethra and
the urinary bladder
—cys·to·scop·ic
[sìstə skóppik], adjective

—cys·tos·co·py [sis tóskəpee], noun[1]



cystostomy

cystostomy
cys·tos·to·my 
[sis tóttəmee] (plural cys·tos·to·mies)
noun

incision into the bladder:
the surgical construction of an opening into the urinary bladder to permit the
removal of stones[1]



cyt-

cyt-
cyt-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
cyto-[1]



cytaster

cytaster
cy·tas·ter
[sī tástər] (plural cy·tas·ters)
noun

See
aster  noun 2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cyto- + aster
.][1]



-cyte

-cyte
-cyte
suffix

cell
• phagocyte
[Via modern Latin -cyta
from Greek kutos “hollow vessel”][1]



Cytherea

Cytherea
Cyth·e·re·a 
[sə three ə] noun

See
Aphrodite[1]



Cytherean

Cytherean
Cyth·e·re·an
[sə three ən] adjective

1.  of
Venus:
relating to the planet Venus

2.  of
Cytherea:
relating to Cytherea

[1]



cytidine

cytidine
cy·ti·dine 
[síttə dn] noun

white
crystalline compound: a compound ( nucleoside ) formed from cytosine and ribose. C9H13N3O5
[Early 20th century. Coined
from cyto- + -idine
.][1]



cytidylicacid

cytidylicacid
cy·ti·dy·lic
ac·id
[sìttə díllik assəd] noun

component
of RNA and DNA: a nucleotide derived from cytosine and
found in DNA and RNA. C9H14N3O8P
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cytidine + -yl
+ -ic .][1]



cyto-

cyto-
cyto-
prefix

cell
• cytotoxin
[From Greek kutos
“hollow vessel.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “thing that
hides,” which is also the ancestor of English hide
and cuticle .][1]



cytochalasin

cytochalasin
cy·to·cha·la·sin
[stō kə láyzin] (plural cy·tocha·lasins)
noun

substance
that destroys microfilaments of cells: a
substance derived from fungi that inhibits the formation of microscopic
filaments within living cells, thereby interfering with various cell activities
such as the cleavage of cytoplasm following nuclear division. Cytochalasins are
used in cell biology to investigate various phenomena, such as cytoplasmic
movement and cell motility.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyto- + Greek khalasis
“dislocation.”][1]



cytochemistry

cytochemistry
cy·to·chem·is·try 
[stō kémmistree] noun

chemistry
of cells:
a branch of biochemistry dealing with the chemistry of the cells of organisms
—cy·to·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—cy·to·chem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



cytochrome

cytochrome
cy·to·chrome 
[stə krm] (plural cy·to·chromes)
noun

protein-containing compound:
a compound containing protein and iron that plays a role in cell respiration[1]



cytochromeoxidase

cytochromeoxidase
cy·to·chrome
ox·i·dase
noun

enzyme in cells:
an enzyme containing iron and porphyrin that is important in cell respiration[1]



cytogenesis

cytogenesis
cy·to·gen·e·sis 
[stō jénnəssiss] noun

development of cells:
the origin, development, and variation of cells.
Also called
cytogeny[1]



cytogenetics

cytogenetics
cy·to·ge·net·ics 
[stō jə néttiks] noun

cell
structure and function: the study of the
relationship between inheritance and the structure and function of cell
components (takes a singular verb)
—cy·to·ge·net·ic,
adjective

—cy·to·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—cy·to·ge·net·i·cist, noun[1]



cytogeny

cytogeny
cy·tog·e·ny 
[sī tójjənee] noun

See
cytogenesis[1]



cytokine

cytokine
cy·to·kine 
[stə kn] (plural cy·tokines)
noun

protein
produced by cells: a protein secreted by cells
of the lymph system that affects the activity of other cells and is important
in controlling inflammatory responses. Interleukins and interferons are
cytokines.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyto- + kinein “to move.”][1]



cytokinesis

cytokinesis
cy·to·ki·ne·sis 
[stō ki nssiss, stō
kī nssiss] noun

cell
division:
division of the cytoplasm of a cell during mitosis or meiosis
—cy·to·ki·net·ic [stō ki néttik], adjective[1]



cytokinin

cytokinin
cy·to·ki·nin 
[stə knin] (plural cy·to·ki·nins)
noun

plant hormone:
a plant hormone that regulates cell division and growth. Kinetin and zeatin are
cytokinins.
Also called
kinin[1]



cytology

cytology
cy·tol·o·gy 
[sī tólləjee] noun

1.  study
of cells:
a branch of biology dealing with the study of cells, especially their
structures and functions

2.  MEDICINE examination
of cells:
the examination of cells obtained from body tissue or fluids, especially to
establish if they are cancerous
—cy·to·log·ic
[stə lójjik], adjective

—cy·to·log·i·cal
[stə lójjik’l], adjective

—cy·to·log·i·cal·ly
[stə lójjikəlee], adverb

—cy·tol·o·gist [sī tólləjist], noun[1]



cytolysin

cytolysin
cy·tol·y·sin 
[sī tólləsin, stə
ls’n, stə ls’n] (plural cy·tol·y·sins)
noun

substance
that can destroy cells: a substance that can destroy
or dissolve cells
[Early 20th century. Coined
from cytolysis + -in
.][1]



cytolysis

cytolysis
cy·tol·y·sis 
[sī tólləssiss] noun

destruction
of cells:
the destruction or dissolution of cells, for example, by the immune system
—cy·to·lyt·ic [stə líttik], adjective[1]



cytomegalic

cytomegalic
cy·to·me·gal·ic 
[stō mə gállik] adjective

relating
to enlarged cells: characterized by, producing,
or relating to enlarged cells
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyto- + megalo-
+ -ic .][1]



cytomegalicinclusion disease

cytomegalicinclusion disease
cy·to·me·gal·ic
in·clu·sion dis·ease noun

disease of newborn babies:
a serious disease of newborn babies affecting the brain, liver, kidneys, and
lungs. It is caused by cytomegalovirus infection of pregnant mothers and leads
to enlargement of the affected cells.[1]



cytomegalovirus

cytomegalovirus
cy·to·meg·a·lo·vi·rus 
[stō meggələ vrəss] (plural cy·to·meg·a·lo·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
causing enlarged cells: a virus that causes
enlargement of epithelial cells, usually resulting in mild infections. It
causes more serious disorders in AIDS patients and in newborn babies.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from cyto- + megalo-
+ virus .][1]



cytopathogenic

cytopathogenic
cy·to·path·o·gen·ic 
[stō pathə jénnik] or cy·to·path·ic
[stō páthik] adjective

causing
cell damage: relating to or causing damage or disease
to cells
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from cyto- + pathogenic .]
—cy·to·path·o·gen·i·ci·ty
[stō pathə jə níssətee], noun[1]



cytopathology

cytopathology
cy·to·path·ol·o·gy
[stō pə thólləjee] (plural cy·to·path·ol·o·gies)
noun

1.  pathology
of cell disease: a branch of pathology dealing with cell
disease and damage

2.  features
of diseased cell: the set of features or conditions
associated with a diseased cell or cells

[1]



cytopathy

cytopathy
cy·top·a·thy
[sī tóppəthee] noun

deterioration in living cell:
deterioration or disease in a living cell[1]



cytopharynx

cytopharynx
cy·to·phar·ynx
[stō férringks] (plural cy·to·pha·ryn·ges
[stō fə rin jz] or cy·to·phar·ynx·es)
noun

gullet of protozoan:
a tube in some protozoans, extending from the cytoplasm into the endoplasm[1]



cytophotometer

cytophotometer
cy·to·pho·tom·e·ter 
[stō fō tómmətər] (plural cy·to·pho·tom·e·ters)
noun

device
for studying cells: an instrument that utilizes
the variations in light intensity produced by stained cell cytoplasm to
identify and locate chemical compounds within cells
—cy·to·pho·to·met·ric
[stō fōtə méttrik], adjective

—cy·to·pho·to·met·ri·cal·ly
[stō fōtə méttrikəlee], adverb

—cy·to·pho·tom·e·try [stō fə tómmətree], noun[1]



cytoplasm

cytoplasm
cy·to·plasm 
[stō plàzzəm] noun

cell
material excluding the nucleus: the complex of
chemical compounds and structures within a plant or animal cell excluding the
nucleus. Cytoplasm contains the cytosol, organelles, vesicles, and
cytoskeleton.
—cy·to·plas·mic
[stə plázmik], adjective

—cy·to·plas·mi·cal·ly
[stə plázmikəlee], adverb[1]



cytoplasmicinheritance

cytoplasmicinheritance
cy·to·plas·mic
in·her·i·tance noun

inheritance of genes in
cytoplasm: the inheritance of genes
from the female parent that are not in the nucleus but in organelles such as
mitochondria that are found in the cytoplasm. This type of inheritance is not
controlled by Mendel’s laws.[1]



cytoplast

cytoplast
cy·to·plast 
[stō plàst] (plural cy·to·plasts)
noun

cell
without nucleus: a plant or animal cell that has had the
nucleus removed
—cy·to·plas·tic [stə plástik], adjective[1]



cytosine

cytosine
cy·to·sine 
[stə sn, stəssin]
noun

DNA
component:
a component of nucleic acids that pairs with guanine to carry hereditary
information in DNA and RNA in cells. Chemically, it is a pyrimidine base. C4H5N3O Symbol C
[Late 19th century. Coined
from cyto- + -ose 1 + -ine .][1]



cytoskeleton

cytoskeleton
cy·to·skel·e·ton 
[stō skéllət’n] (plural cy·to·skel·e·tons)
noun

cell
framework:
the internal network of protein filaments and microtubules in an animal or
plant cell that controls the cell’s shape and movement
—cy·to·skel·e·tal, adjective[1]



cytosol

cytosol
cy·to·sol 
[stə sòl, stə
sàwl] (plural cy·to·sols) noun

fluid
part of cytoplasm: the fluid component of a
cell’s cytoplasm excluding organelles and other structures
—cy·to·sol·ic [stə sóllik], adjective[1]



cytosome

cytosome
cy·to·some
[stə sòm] noun

cell cytoplasm:
the cytoplasm in a cell, excluding the nucleus[1]



cytostatic

cytostatic
cy·to·sta·tic 
[stə státtik] adjective

stopping
cell growth: suppressing cell growth and
multiplication
noun
(plural cy·to·sta·tics)

cytostatic
agent:
a cytostatic agent
—cy·to·sta·tic·al·ly, adverb[1]



cytotaxis

cytotaxis
cy·to·tax·is 
[stō táksiss] noun

movement of cells:
the movement of cells or cell masses in relation to one another[1]



cytotaxonomy

cytotaxonomy
cy·to·tax·on·o·my 
[stō tak sónnəmee] noun

classification
by cell structure: the classification of
organisms according to cell structure, especially the number, structure, and
shape of chromosomes
—cy·to·tax·o·nom·ic
[stō taksə nómmik], adjective

—cy·to·tax·o·nom·i·cal·ly
[stō taksə nómmikəlee], adverb

—cy·to·tax·on·o·mist [stō tak sónnəmist], noun[1]



cytotechnologist

cytotechnologist
cy·to·tech·nol·o·gist 
[stō tek nólləjist] (plural cy·to·tech·nol·o·gists)
noun

somebody
who studies cell specimens: somebody trained to prepare
cell samples and identify abnormalities
—cy·to·tech·nol·o·gy, noun[1]



cytotoxic

cytotoxic
cy·to·tox·ic 
[stō tóksik] adjective

1.  preventing
cell division: used to describe a drug that prevents
cell division, often used in cancer treatment

2.  BIOLOGY killing
cells:
used to describe a type of cell in the immune system that destroys other cells
—cy·to·tox·ic·i·ty [stō tok síssətee], noun[1]



cytotoxicT cell

cytotoxicT cell
cy·to·tox·ic
T cell
(plural cy·to·tox·ic T cells) noun

killer cell:
a killer cell (technical)[1]



cytotoxin

cytotoxin
cy·to·tox·in 
[stō tóksin] (plural cy·to·tox·ins)
noun

substance toxic to cells:
a substance, for example, an antibody, that has a toxic effect on living cells[1]



cytotropic

cytotropic
cy·to·trop·ic 
[stō tróppik] adjective

attracting or attracted by
cells: used to describe motile
cells that are mutually attracted to each other[1]



cytotropism

cytotropism
cy·to·trop·ism
[sī tóttrə pìzzəm] noun

bending of cells:
the movement or turning of cells or cell masses toward or away from one another[1]



CZ

CZ
CZ
or C.Z.

Abbreviation of
Canal Zone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








czar

czar
czar 
[zaar, tsaar]
(plural czars) noun

1.  HISTORY See tsar

2.  person
with absolute power: a person with great
authority, power, and control • a drug
czar

3.  tyrant:
a despotic and autocratic leader
[Mid-16th
century. Via Russian tsar’ from Old Slavic cĕsar, ultimately
(perhaps via Germanic) from Latin Caesar (source of English Kaiser and caesarean
).]
—czar·dom,
noun

—czar·ism,
noun

—czar·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



czardas

czardas
czar·das 
[chr dsh] (plural czar·das·es)
or csar·das [chr dsh] (plural
csar·dases) noun

1.  Hungarian
dance:
a Hungarian dance composed of a slow section followed by a faster one

2.  Hungarian
dance music: a piece of music composed for a czardas
[Mid-19th century. From
Hungarian csárdás, from csárda “inn.”][1]



czarevitch

czarevitch
czar·e·vitch 
(plural czar·e·vitch·es) noun

See
tsarevitch[1]



czarevna

czarevna
cza·rev·na 
noun

See
tsarevna[1]



czarina

czarina
cza·ri·na 
noun

See
tsarina[1]



czaritza

czaritza
cza·rit·za 
noun

See
tsarina[1]



Czech

Czech
Czech 
[chek] (plural Czechs) noun

1.  somebody
from Czech Republic: somebody who was born or
raised in, or is a citizen of the Czech Republic

2.  somebody
from Czechoslovakia: somebody who was born or
raised in, or who was a citizen of the former Czechoslovakia.
Also
called
Czechoslovakian

3.  official
language of Czech Republic: the official language of the
Czech Republic, belonging to the West Slavic group of Indo-European languages.
About 10 million people speak Czech.
[Early
19th century. Via Polish from Czech Čech .]
—Czech, adjective[1]



Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia
Czech·o·slo·va·ki·a
[chèkəsslə vkee ə, chèkō
slō vkee ə]

former country in eastern
Europe that was divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, or
Slovakia, on January 1, 1993[1]



Czechoslovakian

Czechoslovakian
Czech·o·slo·vak·i·an
[chèkəslə vkee ən, chèkō
slō vkee ən] noun (plural Czech·o·slo·vak·i·ans)

1.  See
Czech  noun 2

2.  language
of Czechoslovakia: either Czech or Slovak, the
languages of the former Czechoslovakia
adjective

of Czechoslovakia:
relating to the former Czechoslovakia, or its people or culture
[Early 20th century][1]



CzechRepublic




Back to definition

CzechRepublic

[1]



CzechRepublic

CzechRepublic



Czech Re·pub·lic

republic created in 1993 when the former
Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, or
Slovakia. Language: Czech. Currency: Czech koruna. Capital: Prague. Population:
10,298,324 (1997) Area: 78,864 sq km/30,450 sq mi.[1]



Cáceres,Andres Avelino

Cáceres,Andres Avelino
Cá·ce·res 
[kássə ràyss], Andres Avelino (1836–1923?)

Peruvian soldier and
politician. He was president of Peru (1886–1890 and 1894–1895).[1]



Cádiz

Cádiz
Cá·diz 
[kə díz, káydiz]

capital of Cádiz Province and
a major port in the autonomous region of Andalusia in southwestern Spain.
Population: 154,511 (1995)[1]



Cárdenas,Lázaro

Cárdenas,Lázaro

Cár·de·nas 
[kr den ass], Lázaro (1895–1970)
Mexican politician and soldier. He served
in various Mexican military and government posts before serving as president
(1934–1940).[1]



Cévennes

Cévennes
Cé·vennes
[say vén]

mountain range in France
extending from the northern Ardèche Department to the southwestern Hérault
Department. The highest peak is Mont Mézenc 1,754 m/5,755 ft .[1]



Cézanne,Paul

Cézanne,Paul

Cé·zanne 
[say zán, say
zn], Paul (1839–1906)
French painter. His post-impressionist
representation of nature in such paintings as Rocky Landscape in Aix (
1887? ) inspired cubism.[1]



Córdoba

Córdoba
Cór·do·ba

1.  city
and capital of Córdoba Province in central Argentina. It is the site of the
National University of Córdoba, founded in 1613. Population: 1,148,305 (1991) English
Cordova

2.  city
in Andalusía, southern Spain. It is the capital of Córdoba Province.
Population: 300,229 (1991) English Cordova

3.  resort
and trading city in east central Mexico. Population: 137,641 (1990)

[1]



córdoba

córdoba
cór·do·ba
[káwrdəbə] (plural cór·do·bas)
noun

1.  currency
unit of Nicaragua: the standard unit of
currency of Nicaragua, made up of 100 centavos

2.  coin
worth one córdoba: a coin worth one córdoba
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Spanish explorer, Francisco Fernández de Córdoba (1475–1526).][1]



Côted’Ivoire

Côted’Ivoire



Côte d’I·voire
[kt di vwr]
republic in western Africa, situated
north of the Gulf of Guinea and east of Liberia. Language: French. Currency:
CFA franc. Capital: official, Yamoussoukro; seat of government, Abidjan.
Population: 15,074,684 (1997) Area: 322,462 sq km/124,503 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Côte d’Ivoire[1]



Côted’Ivoire




Back to definition

Côted’Ivoire

[1]



Cúcuta

Cúcuta
Cú·cu·ta
[kkə t]

city in northeastern
Colombia, capital of Norte de Santander Department near the Venezuelan
frontier. Population: 459,887 (1993)[1]



c’estla vie

c’estla vie
c’est
la vie 
[sè laa v] interjection

used
to express resignation: used to express
philosophical acceptance of the way things are
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “that’s life.”][1]



c’mon

c’mon
c’mon
[kə món] contraction

come on (nonstandard)[1]



D

D2
D2

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for dispersion

2.  Symbol
for
drag

3.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for the
first derivative of a function

4.  Symbol
for
deuterium

[1]



D

D3
D3

1.  Abbreviation
of
Democrat

2.  Abbreviation
of
democratic

3.  Abbreviation
of
diameter

4.
(used on gearshifts of automatic transmissions) Abbreviation of drive

[1]



d

d1

d1 [dee]
(plural d’s) or D [dee]
(plural D’s or Ds) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS 4th
letter of English alphabet: the fourth letter of the
English alphabet

2.  MUSIC 2nd
note of scale in C: the second note of a scale
in C major

3.  MUSIC something
that produces a D: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note D

4.  MUSIC scale
beginning on D: a scale or key that starts on the note D

5.  MUSIC written
symbol of D: a graphic representation of the tone of
D

6.  LINGUISTICS printed
or written d: a representation of the letter D or d in
written or printed form

7.  PHONETICS sound
represented by d: a speech sound represented by the letter
D or d

8.  4th
item:
the fourth item in a series

9.  something
D-shaped:
something shaped like a letter D

10. EDUCATION grade
indicating poor quality: a grade or mark indicating
that a student’s work is of poor quality

11.      SPORTS semicircle
around field hockey goal: in field
hockey, the semicircle surrounding the goal from which a player may try to
score[1]



d

d2
d2

1.  Symbol
for
deci-

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for relative
density

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for deuteron

4.  PHYSICS (used of quark flavors)
Symbol for down

5.  Symbol
for
the fourth vertical row of squares from the left on a chessboard

[1]



D

D1
D1 or d noun

Roman numeral for 500:
the Roman numeral for 500[1]



D.

D.
D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
December

2.  Abbreviation
of
Department

3.  Abbreviation
of
deputy

4.  Abbreviation
of
Deus

5.  D.
or d. Abbreviation of dinar

6.  OPTICS Abbreviation of diopter

7.  Abbreviation
of
Director

8.  JUDEO-CHRISTIAN Abbreviation
of Dominus

9.  Abbreviation
of
Don

10. Abbreviation
of
Duchess

11. Abbreviation
of
Duke

[1]



d.

d.
d.

1.  ZOOLOGY Abbreviation of dam

2.  Abbreviation
of
date

3.  Abbreviation
of
daughter

4.  Abbreviation
of
day

5.  Abbreviation
of
degree

6.  Abbreviation
of
departs

7.  Abbreviation
of
depth

8.  Abbreviation
of
deputy

9.  Abbreviation
of
diameter

10. Abbreviation
of
died

11. Abbreviation
of
dollar

12. Abbreviation
of
drachma

[1]



Da.

Da.
Da.

Abbreviation of
Danish[1]



da

da
da

Symbol for
deca-[1]



DA

DA2
DA2  noun

slicked-back hairstyle:
a man’s hairstyle popular in the 1950s in which the hair is slicked back and
drawn into a point at the back of the neck to look like a duck’s tail (informal)

Also called
ducktail Full form duck’s ass[1]



DA

DA1
DA1 

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of deed
of arrangement

2.  ARMS Abbreviation of delayed action

3.  Abbreviation
of
Department of Agriculture

4.  Abbreviation
of
deposit account

5.  DA
or D.A. Abbreviation of district
attorney

6.
(used in telegraphy) Abbreviation of don’t answer

[1]



D/A

D/A
D/A

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of days
after acceptance

2.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
delivery on acceptance

3.  FINANCE Abbreviation of deposit account

4.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
digital-to-analog

5.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
documents against acceptance

[1]



daal

daal
daal
noun

FOOD
See dahl[1]



dab

dab1
dab1 [dab]
intransitive and transitive verb (past dabbed, past
participle dabbed, present participle dab·bing, 3rd
person present singular dabs)

1.  tap
gently:
to pat or touch something lightly or gently • She
dabbed the tears from her eyes.

2.  apply
gently:
to apply a substance using a quick light tapping action • The
nurse dabbed some ointment on the cut.
noun
(plural dabs)

1.  small
quantity:
a small quantity, especially of a moist or soft substance • a
dab of butter

2.  gentle
tap:
a light or gentle tap, for example, with the hand or a soft material
[13th century. Thought to
suggest the action. The modern meaning, “to pat gently,” evolved from “to
strike a blow with a weapon” through “to strike lightly.”][1]



dab

dab2
dab2 [dab]
(plural dabs or dab) noun

small
flatfish:
a small brown European flatfish eaten as food. Latin name: Limanda limanda
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dabber

dabber
dab·ber 
[dábbər] (plural dab·bers) noun

pad used to apply ink:
a pad used by engravers and printers to apply ink or color[1]



dabble

dabble
dab·ble 
[dább’l] (past dab·bled, past
participle dab·bled, present participle dab·bling, 3rd
person present singular dab·bles) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
involved superficially: to have a casual or
superficial interest in something • He dabbled
in local politics for a few years.

2.  intransitive
verb
splash:
to paddle, play, or splash in water

3.  transitive
verb
dip:
to wet something by dipping it in a liquid • We
sat by the pool, dabbling our feet in the water.

4.  transitive
verb
splash
with liquid: to daub, splash, or spatter somebody or
something with a liquid

5.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY move
under water for food: to move the bill to the
bottom of shallow water in order to reach food (refers to ducks)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch dabbelen, literally “to keep tapping,”
from dabben “to tap.”][1]



dabbler

dabbler
dab·bler 
[dábblər] (plural dab·blers) noun

somebody superficially
involved with something: somebody
whose involvement with something is superficial rather than serious[1]



dabchick

dabchick
dab·chick 
[dáb chìk] (plural dab·chicks)
noun

small waterbird:
a small bird of the grebe family. Family: Podicipedidae[1]



daboia

daboia
dab·oia
[də bóyə] (plural dab·oias) noun

Southeast
Asian snake: a colorful adder of Southeast Asia.
Latin name: Vipera russelii
Also
called
Russel’s viper
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi daboyā, literally “lurker,” from dabnā “to lurk.”][1]



dacapo

dacapo
da
ca·po 
[daa kpō] adverb

MUSIC repeat
from beginning: to be played or sung again from the
beginning of the passage or piece (used as a musical direction)
See
also
dal segno
[Early
18th century. From Italian, literally “from the head.”]
—da ca·po, adjective[1]



Dacca

Dacca
Dac·ca

See
Dhaka[1]



dace

dace
dace 
[dayss] (plural dace or
dac·es) noun

1.  N
American freshwater fish: a small freshwater fish of
North America. Family: Cyprinidae

2.  small
European fish: a small European freshwater fish with a
slim olive-green body. Latin name: Leuciscus leuciscus
[15th century. From Old
French dars, “dace, dart.” Because of its darting motion in the water.][1]



dacha

dacha
da·cha 
[dchə] (plural da·chas) noun

Russian
country home: a cottage or house in the suburbs or
countryside in Russia
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian, literally “grant of land.”][1]



Dachau

Dachau
Da·chau 
[d kòw, d khòw]

site of a World War II Nazi
concentration camp (1939–1945) in Bavaria, about 16 km/10 mi northwest of
Munich, southwestern Germany. It is now a memorial to those who died there.[1]



dachshund

dachshund

dachs·hund 
[dks hnd, dksənt]
(plural dachs·hunds) noun
short
long-bodied dog: a small dog of a breed that has a long
body, short legs, and drooping ears.
Also
called
sausage dog
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “badger dog.” Because the breed was originally developed to
hunt badgers.][1]



dacoit

dacoit
da·coit 
[də kóyt] (plural da·coits) or
da·koit [də kóyt] (plural da·koits)
noun

Burmese
or Indian robber: a member of a gang of armed robbers in
India and Myanmar (Burma), especially in the past
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi dakait, from dākā, “gang robbery.”][1]



dacoity

dacoity
da·coit·y 
[də kóytee] (plural da·coit·ies)
or da·koit·y [də kóytee] (plural
da·koit·ies) noun

robbery
by dacoits:
robbery by a gang of armed robbers in India or Myanmar (Burma), especially in
the past
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi dakaitī .][1]



Dacron

Dacron
Da·cron
[dáy kròn] Trademark

a trademark for a synthetic
polyester fabric or fiber[1]



dactyl-

dactyl-
dactyl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
dactylo-[1]



dactyl

dactyl
dac·tyl 
[dákt’l] (plural dac·tyls) noun

1.  dac·tyl
or dac·tyl·ic metrical foot of three
syllables:
a metrical foot consisting of one long syllable followed by two short syllables
in classical verse, or one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed
syllables in modern verse

2.  ZOOLOGY finger
or toe:
a finger, toe, or related body part
[14th century. Via Latin dactylus
from Greek daktulos, “finger.” Metrical foot from the length of
the three joints in a finger.][1]



-dactyl

-dactyl
-dactyl
suffix

having
fingers or toes of a particular kind or number • polydactyl
[From
Greek daktulos “finger”]
—-dactylous, suffix[1]



dactylic

dactylic
dac·tyl·ic
[dak tíllik] adjective

of
or containing dactyls: relating to a dactyl or
containing dactyls
noun
(plural dactylics)

See
dactyl  noun 1
—dac·tyl·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dactylichexameter

dactylichexameter
dac·tyl·ic
hex·am·e·ter (plural dac·tyl·ic
hex·am·e·ters) noun

meter of epic poetry:
a line of verse consisting of six feet, the fifth of which is a dactyl, the
first four dactyls or spondees, and the sixth a spondee or trochee. It is the
meter of Greek and Roman epic and some other poetry.[1]



dactylo-

dactylo-
dactylo-
prefix

finger,
toe • dactylology
[From Greek daktulos
“finger” (see -dactyl )][1]



dactylography

dactylography
dac·ty·log·ra·phy 
[dàktə lóggrəfee] noun

fingerprint
reading:
the scientific examination of fingerprints for identification purposes
[Coined
from Greek daktulos “finger” + -ography]
—dac·ty·lo·graph·ic [dàktəlō gráffik, dak
tìllə gráffik], adjective[1]



dactylology

dactylology
dac·ty·lol·o·gy 
[dàktə lólləjee] noun

communication
using hand signs: communication using signs made with the
hands, often used by hearing-impaired people
[Coined from Greek daktulos
“finger” + -o- + -logy][1]



dad

dad
dad 
[dad] (plural dads) noun

father:
used especially by a child or as a term of address, to refer to a father (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of young children’s speech.][1]



Dada

Dada
Da·da
[d d] or da·da [d d] or Da·da·ism [d d ìzzəm] or da·da·ism [d d ìzzəm] noun

20C
artistic and literary movement: a European artistic
and literary movement of the early 20th century founded on a rejection of
traditional artistic and cultural values. Its work was characterized by
anarchy, irrationality, and irreverence.
[Early
20th century. From French, literally “hobbyhorse.” Said to have been chosen
because of its meaningless sound and childish connotations.]
—Da·da·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



dad-blamed

dad-blamed
dad-blamed
adjective

darned:
used to express surprise or mild annoyance (informal)
[A euphemistic alteration of
Goddamned][1]



daddy

daddy
dad·dy 
[dáddee] (plural dad·dies) noun

1.  father:
used especially by a young child or as a term of address, to refer to a father
(informal)

2.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia supreme example:
the earliest or finest example of something (informal) • He
was a fine trumpet player, the daddy of them all.

3.  (slang)
See sugar daddy
[Early 16th century. Formed
from dad .][1]



daddylonglegs

daddylonglegs
dad·dy
long·legs
(plural dad·dy long·legs) noun

1.  long-legged
arachnid:
a long-legged arachnid with an oval body. Order: Opiliones
Also
called
harvestman

2.  See
crane fly

[1]



daddytrack

daddytrack
dad·dy
track
noun

working man’s career route:
a career route taken by a man reducing his chances of career advancement by
working flextime or fewer hours in order to look after a child or children (informal)

See also
mommy track[1]



dado

dado
da·do 
[dáy dō] noun (plural da·does
or da·dos)

1.  ARCHITECTURE See die 2 noun 5

2.  BUILDING lower
part of interior wall: the lower part of an
interior wall, decorated or faced in a different manner from the upper part,
usually with panels, paint, or wallpaper

3.  rectangular
groove in board: a rectangular groove cut into a board so
that a matching piece can be fitted into it to form a joint
transitive
verb
(past da·doed, past participle da·doed, present
participle da·do·ing, 3rd person present singular da·does)

1.  ARCHITECTURE provide
with dado:
to fit a wall with a dado

2.  cut
dado in something: to cut a rectangular groove in
something so that a matching piece can be fitted into it to form a joint

3.  insert
into dado:
to insert something into a rectangular groove to form a joint
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, literally “die, cube.”][1]



daedal

daedal
dae·dal 
[dd’l] or de·dal [dd’l] adjective (literary)

1.  intricate:
complex or intricate

2.  ingenious:
skillful or ingenious

3.  decorated
with many things: adorned or decorated with many things,
especially natural wonders
noun
(plural daedals) (plural de·dals)

ingenious inventor:
an expert or ingenious inventor
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
dædalus from Greek daidalos, “skillful”; as noun, Daidalos
“Daedalus,” literally “skillful worker.”][1]



Daedalus

Daedalus
Dae·da·lus
[dédd’ləss] noun

craftsman
in Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, a
craftsman and inventor who built a labyrinth on the island of Crete to house a
half-bull, half-man monster ( Minotaur ). He
made wings so that he could escape from Crete with his son ( Icarus ), but his son perished during the flight.
—Dae·da·li·an [di dáylee ən], adjective[1]



daemon

daemon
dae·mon 
[dmən] (plural dae·mons) or
dai·mon [d mn] (plural dai·mons)
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY demigod:
mythological being that is part-god and part-human

2.  MYTHOLOGY guardian
spirit:
a guardian spirit

3.  demon:
a demon (archaic)
[Variant
of demon]
—dae·mon·ic [di mónnik], adjective[1]



daff

daff
daff 
[daf] (plural daffs) noun

daffodil:
a daffodil (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



daffodil

daffodil
daf·fo·dil 
[dáffə dìl] noun (plural daf·fo·dils)

1.  springtime
plant with trumpet-shaped flowers: a European plant that
has yellow trumpet-shaped flowers and long slender leaves growing from a bulb.
Latin name: Narcissus pseudonarcissus

2.  bright
yellow color: a brilliant yellow color, like that of a
daffodil
adjective

bright yellow:
of a brilliant yellow color, like a daffodil
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin affodilus, “asphodel.” The modern spelling may have been
influenced by Dutch de affodil, “the daffodil.”][1]



daffy

daffy
daf·fy 
[dáffee] (comparative daf·fi·er,
superlative daf·fi·est) adjective

silly:
silly in an amusing or harmless way (informal)
[Late
19th century. Blend of daft and -y .]
—daf·fil·y,
adverb

—daf·fi·ness, noun[1]



daft

daft
daft 
[daft] (comparative dafter, superlative
daftest) adjective

U.K.
not
healthy in mind: psychiatrically disordered (informal)
[Old
English gedæfte, “fitting,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“fit, suitable.” The modern meaning, “silly,” evolved from “suitable” via
“compliant, gentle.”]
—daft·ly,
adverb

—daft·ness, noun[1]



dag

dag2
dag2

Symbol
for
decagram
[Shortening and alteration][1]



dag

dag1
dag1 [dag]
noun (plural dags)

1.  See
daglock  noun

2.  decorative
edging:
a decorative edging on garments, used especially in medieval times
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dagged, past
participle dagged, present participle dag·ging, 3rd
person present singular dags)

remove soiled wool from sheep:
to cut off dung-coated wool from a sheep’s coat
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of daglock .][1]



Dagan

Dagan
Da·gan 
[dgən] noun

Babylonian god:
the god of the Earth in Babylonian mythology[1]



Dagestanian

Dagestanian
Da·ges·tan·ian
[dgə stnee ən] noun

1.  LANGUAGE Caucasian
language group: a group of North Caucasian languages
spoken in Dagestan, an autonomous republic in southwestern Russia. The main
member of the group is Avar. No more than a few thousand people speak a
Dagestanian language.
Also
called
North East Caucasian

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Dagestan: somebody who was born or raised in
Dagestan, or who is a citizen of Dagestan
[Formed
from Dagestan in southwestern Russia]
—Da·ges·tan·ian, adjective[1]



dagger

dagger

dag·ger 
[dággər] noun (plural dag·gers)

1.  short
pointed knife: a short pointed knife used as a weapon

2.  irritation:
something that torments or wounds somebody • Such
cutting words were a dagger to my heart.

3.  sign
used as reference mark: a sign (†) that is used as a
reference mark, especially to a footnote.
Also
called
obelisk
Also
called
obelus
transitive verb
(past dag·gered, past participle dag·gered, present
participle dag·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular dag·gers)

1.  mark
something with reference sign: to mark something with
a dagger sign

2.  stab:
to stab somebody or something with a dagger (archaic)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from obsolete dag “to stab”;
or ultimately from Old Provençal or Old Italian daga, literally “Dacian
knife,” ultimately from Latin Dacia (see Dacian ).]
look daggers at somebody

to look at somebody in an
angry or hostile way[1]



daglock

daglock
dag·lock
[dág lòk] (plural dag·locks) noun

lock
of dung-coated wool: a lock of dung-coated wool
on a sheep’s hindquarters.
Also
called
dag
[Early 17th century. From
earlier dag, “hanging part of something” + lock,
“piece of hair.”][1]



dago

dago
da·go
[dáy gō] (plural da·gos or
da·goes) or Da·go [dáy gō]
(plural Da·gos or Da·goes) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term that refers to somebody of Italian, Spanish, or
Portuguese birth or descent (taboo insult)
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
the name Diego .][1]



dagoba

dagoba
da·go·ba 
[dgəbə] (plural da·go·bas) noun

Buddhist
shrine:
a dome-shaped shrine that contains Buddhist relics
[Early 19th century. Via
Sinhalese dāgaba from Pali dhātu-gabbha, “receptacle for
relics.”][1]



Dagon

Dagon
Da·gon 
[dáy gòn] noun

Philistine chief god:
the chief god in Philistine mythology, often depicted as half man and half fish[1]



Daguerre,Louis Jacques

Daguerre,Louis Jacques
Da·guerre 
[də gáir, daa
gáir], Louis Jacques (1789–1851)

French
painter and inventor. Originally a scene painter, he became a pioneer
photographer who, working initially with French physicist Joseph Niepce (1829),
perfected the daguerreotype process (1837).
Full name
Daguerre, Louis Jacques Mandé[1]



daguerreotype

daguerreotype
da·guerre·o·type 
[də gérrə tp] noun (plural da·guerre·o·types)

1.  early
photographic process: an early photographic
process in which an image was produced on a light-sensitive silver or
silver-coated plate and developed in mercury vapor

2.  early
photograph:
a photograph produced by the daguerreotype process
transitive
verb
(past da·guerre·o·typed, past participle da·guerre·o·typed,
present participle da·guerre·o·typ·ing, 3rd person present
singular da·guerre·o·types)

take photograph of:
to make a daguerreotype of something or somebody
[Mid-19th
century. From French, named for Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre .]
—da·guerre·o·typ·er,
noun

—da·guerre·o·typ·ist,
noun

—da·guerre·o·typ·y [də gérrə tpee], noun[1]



Dagwoodsandwich

Dagwoodsandwich
Dag·wood
sand·wich
[dág wd sàndwich] (plural Dag·wood
sand·wich·es) or Dag·wood [dág
wd sàndwich] (plural Dag·woods) noun

thick
sandwich:
a thick sandwich filled with a variety of meats and cheeses together with
different dressings and seasonings
[Late 20th century. Named for
Dagwood Bumstead, a comic-strip character noted for his fondness for such
sandwiches.][1]



dah

dah
dah 
[daa] (plural dahs) noun

COMMUNICATION spoken
representation of a dash: the spoken representation of
a dash in Morse code and other telegraphic codes
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound made by a Morse code transmitter.][1]



dahl

dahl
dahl 
[daal] (plural dahls) or
daal [daal] or dal [daal] (plural dals) noun

Indian stew made from pulses:
a thick Indian stew made from pulses, onions, and spices[1]



dahlia

dahlia

dahl·ia 
[dlyə, dállyə]
(plural dahl·ias) noun
perennial
flowering plant: a tall perennial plant native to Central
America and Mexico that has large brightly colored flowers and tuberous roots.
Many different varieties of dahlias are cultivated as garden plants. Genus: Dahlia
[Early 19th century. Named
for Andreas Dahl (1751–1789), a Swedish botanist who discovered this
genus of plants in Mexico in 1788.][1]



Dahl,Roald

Dahl,Roald
Dahl
[daal], Roald (1916–1990)

British writer. He is best
known for his many children’s books, including James and the Giant Peach
( 1961 ) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ( 1964 ). His books for
adults include Kiss, Kiss ( 1960 ).[1]



Dahomey

Dahomey
Da·ho·mey 
[də hṓmee, də hṓmay]

Former name for
Benin[1]



dahoon

dahoon
da·hoon 
[də hn] (plural da·hoons) noun

small evergreen tree:
a small evergreen tree of the holly family that is native to the southern
United States and has flat leathery, dark green leaves and orange, red, or
yellow fruits. Latin name: Ilex cassine
Also called
cassina[1]



daikon

daikon
dai·kon 
[d kòn, dkən]
(plural dai·kons) noun

long
white radish: a long sweet white radish used in Asian
cuisines. Latin name: Raphanus sativus longipinnatus
Also
called
Chinese radish
Also
called
Oriental radish
Also
called
Japanese radish
U.K.
term
mooli
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “big root.”][1]



daily

daily
dai·ly 
[dáylee] adjective

1.  done
every day:
done or occurring every day

2.  for
each day:
for each day or for a period of a day

3.  lasting
a day:
for the duration of or during a day
adverb

every day: on
each day
noun
(plural dai·lies)

newspaper published every day:
a newspaper published every day, or every day except Sunday (often used in
the plural)
plural
noun
dai·lies

CINEMA day’s
shooting of movie scenes: unedited prints of a day’s
shooting of scenes from a movie prepared each day for the director to view the
following day
[15th century. Formed from day .][1]



dailydouble

dailydouble
dai·ly
dou·ble
(plural dai·ly dou·bles) noun

1.  bet
on two races: a bet, for example, in horseracing, won
by correctly choosing the winners of two specified races taking place on the
same day

2.  two
races:
the two races specified for a daily double bet

[1]



dailydozen

dailydozen
dai·ly
doz·en 
(plural dai·ly doz·ens) noun

set of physical exercises:
a set of physical exercises to be done each day[1]



daimio

daimio
dai·mi·o 
noun

See
daimyo[1]



Daimler,Gottlieb

Daimler,Gottlieb
Daim·ler 
[dmlər], Gottlieb (1834–1900)

German engineer and inventor.
His high-speed gasoline-burning internal-combustion engine powered the first
motorcycle and one of the earliest successful automobiles (1887).[1]



daimon

daimon
dai·mon 
noun

See
daemon[1]



daimyo

daimyo
dai·my·o 
[dmyō] (plural dai·my·o or
dai·my·os) or dai·mi·o [dmyō]
(plural dai·mi·o or dai·mi·os) noun

Japanese
feudal lord: a great Japanese feudal lord who was a
vassal of the emperor
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, literally “great name.”][1]



DaintreeRiver National Park

DaintreeRiver National Park
Dain·tree
Riv·er Na·tion·al Park [dàyn
tree rìvvər nàsh’nəl prk]

national park in northeastern
Queensland, Australia, that forms part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World
Heritage Area. Area: 7,000 sq km/2,734 sq mi.[1]



dainty

dainty
dain·ty 
[dáyntee] adjective (comparative
dain·ti·er, superlative dain·ti·est)

1.  pretty:
delicate and pretty • dainty
slippers

2.  tasty:
choice, delicious, or tasty • a
dainty morsel

3.  refined
in taste:
having refined taste or manners

4.  overly
nice:
excessively fastidious or particular
noun
(plural dain·ties)

delicacy:
something delicious, especially a small piece of food
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman dainte and Old French daintie from
Latin dignitas (see dignity ).
“Delicate” evolved from “esteem” through “pleasure” and “luxury” to
“delightful.”]
—dain·ti·ly,
adverb

—dain·ti·ness, noun[1]



daiquiri

daiquiri
dai·qui·ri 
[dákəree] (plural dai·qui·ris)
noun

rum
cocktail:
an iced cocktail made from rum, lemon or lime juice, and sugar or syrup
[Early 20th century. Named
for Daiquiri, a Cuban rum-producing district.][1]



dairy

dairy
dair·y 
[dáiree] noun (plural dair·ies)

1.  farm
for milk production: a farm that produces milk
and milk products

2.  establishment
that sells or processes milk: a commercial establishment
that processes, sells, or distributes milk and milk products

3.  place
to make butter and cheese: a room or building where
butter and cheese are made

4.  place
to store milk and cream: a room or building where
milk and cream are stored

5.  dairy
products:
dairy products collectively
adjective

1.  relating
to milk products: relating to, producing, or containing
milk or milk products

2.  concerning
foods in Jewish dietary law: relating to those foods,
including milk products, eggs, fish, and vegetables, that Jewish dietary law
allows on occasions when milk is consumed
[13th
century. Via deie “woman servant” (hence “place where she works”) from
Old English dæge, “kneader (of bread)” (source of English lady ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the southeastern sense “storage house or shed for storing milk and other
  perishables,” dairy competes with dairy
  house, milk house, safe, spring, and spring house
  . In the Highlands, as in East Tennessee, the term dairy
  may signal a dugout space in the side of a hill.

[1]



dairycattle

dairycattle
dair·y
cat·tle
plural noun

milk cows:
cattle bred and raised for milk production[1]



dairyfarm

dairyfarm
dair·y
farm
(plural dair·y farms) noun

farm for milk production:
a farm that produces milk and milk products[1]



dairying

dairying
dair·y·ing 
[dáiree ing] noun

business of producing milk:
the business of operating a dairy or dairy farm[1]



dairyman

dairyman
dair·y·man
[dáirimən, dáiri
màn] (plural dair·y·men [dáirimən,
dáiri mèn]) noun

dairy worker or owner:
somebody who owns or works in a dairy (dated)[1]



dais

dais
da·is 
[dáy iss, d iss]
(plural da·is·es) noun

raised
platform:
a raised platform at the end of a hall or large room
[13th century. Via Old French
deis from Latin .][1]



daishiki

daishiki
dai·shi·ki 
noun

CLOTHES
See dashiki[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








daisy

daisy

dai·sy 
[dáyzee] (plural dai·sies) noun

1.  tall
plant:
a tall plant of Europe, Asia, and North America that has flowers with white
petals radiating from a round yellow center. Latin name: Chrysanthemum
leucanthemum
Also
called
marguerite
Also
called
moon daisy
Also
called
oxeye daisy

2.  low-growing
flowering plant: a plant of European origin that has
short stems and flowers with white or pinkish-white petals radiating from a
round yellow center. Latin name: Bellis perennis
Also
called
English daisy

3.  young
Girl Scout:
a preschool-age member of the Girl Scouts

4.  excellent
person or thing: a person or thing regarded as first-rate
or excellent (slang)
[Old English dæges eage,
literally “day’s eye.” Because the flower opens in daylight and closes at
night.][1]



daisychain

daisychain
dai·sy
chain 
(plural dai·sy chains) noun

1.  garland
of daisies:
a garland made by threading the stems of daisies together

2.  series:
a series of connected things, events, or people (slang)

[1]



daisycutter

daisycutter
dai·sy·cut·ter
[dáyzi kùttər] (plural dai·sy·cut·ters)
noun

1.  MILITARY fragmentation
bomb:
a bomb that detonates just above ground level, used against personnel and to
destroy vegetation in order to create a landing zone for helicopters

2.  BASEBALL ball
that skims ground: a batted baseball that skims
the ground (dated)

[1]



daisyham

daisyham
dai·sy
ham
(plural dai·sy hams) noun

pork shoulder:
a small cut of pork shoulder that has been boned, salted, and smoked[1]



daisywheel

daisywheel
dai·sy
wheel 
(plural dai·sy wheels) noun

wheel with printing
characters on spokes: a wheel
with type elements at the ends of spokes radiating from a central hub, used in
some electronic typewriters and printers[1]



Dak.

Dak.
Dak.

Abbreviation of
Dakota[1]



Dakar

Dakar
Da·kar 
[dá kr, də kr]

capital and largest city of
Senegal. It is situated on Cape Verde Peninsula, close to the westernmost tip
of mainland Africa, and is one of western Africa’s leading ports. Population:
1,729,823 (1992)[1]



dakoit

dakoit
da·koit 
noun

See
dacoit[1]



dakoity

dakoity
da·koi·ty
noun

See
dacoity[1]



Dakota

Dakota
Da·ko·ta 
[də kṓtə] (plural Da·ko·tas or
Da·ko·ta) noun

1.  member
of Native American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally lived in the upper Mississippi River valley.
Also
called
Dakotan

2.  Dakota
language:
a Siouan language spoken in the United States and the Canadian province of
Manitoba. Dakota is spoken by between 10,000 and 20,000 people.
[Early
19th century. From Dakota Dakhōta, literally “allies.”]
—Da·ko·ta, adjective[1]



dal

dal1
dal1 [daal]
noun

See
dahl[1]



dal

dal2
dal2

Symbol for
decaliter[1]



DalaiLama

DalaiLama

Da·lai
La·ma 
[d lī lmə] noun
traditional
ruler of Tibet: the highest priest of Tibetan Buddhism
and, until the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, the traditional spiritual
and secular ruler of Tibet
[Late 17th century. From
Mongolian, literally “ocean lama.” See lama
.][1]



dalasi

dalasi
da·la·si 
[daa lssee] (plural da·la·sis)
noun

monetary
unit of Gambia: the basic monetary unit of Gambia,
divided into 100 bututs
[Late 20th century. From the
name of an earlier Gambian coin.][1]



dale

dale
dale 
[dayl] (plural dales) noun

lowland
valley:
a broad lowland valley • walked
over hill and dale
[Old English dæl .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “bend, curve,” which is also the
ancestor of English dell and dollar .][1]



Dale,Henry Hallett

Dale,Henry Hallett
Dale 
[dayl], Sir Henry Hallett (1875–1968)

British physiologist and
pharmacist. With Otto Loewi, he established the role of the chemical
acetylcholine in the transmission of nerve impulses. He and Loewi were joint
Nobel laureates in 1936.[1]



daleth

daleth
da·leth 
[d lèth, dlət]
(plural da·leths) or da·led [d lèd, d ləd]
(plural da·leds) or da·let [d lèt, d lət] (plural
da·lets) noun

Hebrew letter:
the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, transliterated into English as “d”[1]



Daley,Richard J.

Daley,Richard J.
Da·ley 
[dáylee], Richard J. (1902–1976)

U.S.
politician. He was the Democratic mayor of Chicago (1955–1976) and noted for
exerting strong personal control over local Democratic Party politics.
Full name
Daley, Richard Joseph[1]



Dalian

Dalian
Dal·ian
[dlee ən]

industrial seaport on the
southern peninsula in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Population:
2,416,000 (1991)[1]



Dali,Salvador

Dali,Salvador

Da·li 
[dlee] or Da·lí [dlee], Salvador (1904–1989)
Spanish
surrealist painter. He is known for the dreamlike imagery and almost
photographic realism of his work. After settling in New York (1940), he adopted
other styles and wrote The Secret Life of Salvador Dali ( 1942 ).

—Da·li·esque, adjective[1]



Dallas




Back to definition

Dallas

[1]



Dallas

Dallas

Dal·las 
[dálləss]
city in northeastern Texas, on the
Trinity River, east of Fort Worth. It is an important commercial, financial,
and distribution center. Population: 1,053,292 (1996)[1]



Dallas,George

Dallas,George
Dal·las 
[dálləss], George (1792–1864)

U.S.
statesman. He was vice president of the United States (1845–1849) under James
K. Polk. The city of Dallas, Texas, is named for him.
Full name
Dallas, George Mifflin[1]



dalles

dalles
dalles 
[dalz] plural noun

1.  canyon
walls:
the steep walls of a canyon or ravine

2.  rapids:
rapids where a river flows between the steep narrow walls of a canyon or gorge
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “tubes, conduits.”][1]



dalliance

dalliance
dal·li·ance 
[dállee əns] (plural dal·li·ances)
noun (literary)

1.  affair:
a flirtation or flirtatious episode or affair

2.  trifling:
frivolous or idle wasting of time
[14th century. Coined from dally + -ance .][1]



Dallisgrass

Dallisgrass
Dal·lis
grass 
[dálləss gràss] noun

S
American grass: a tall perennial grass native to South
America, grown as a pasture grass in the southern United States. Latin name: Paspalum
dilatatum
[Early 20th century. Dallis
of uncertain origin: perhaps a variant of Dallas, Texas.][1]



Dallsheep

Dallsheep
Dall
sheep 
[dáwl shp] or Dall’s sheep [dáwl shp] noun

wild sheep:
a wild sheep of mountainous regions of Alaska and Canada, with curved horns and
a coat varying from white to black. Latin name: Ovis dalli
Also called
thinhorn sheep[1]



dally

dally
dal·ly 
[dállee] (past dal·lied, past
participle dal·lied, present participle dal·ly·ing, 3rd
person present singular dal·lies) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
flirt:
to act in an amorous, flirtatious, or playful manner

2.  intransitive
verb
toy
with something or somebody: to trifle or deal lightly
with something or somebody

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb waste
time:
to dawdle, loiter, or waste time
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman dalier, “to amuse yourself,” of ultimately
unknown origin. The modern meaning, “to flirt,” evolved from “to talk,
converse” through “to chat idly.”]
—dal·li·er, noun[1]



Dalmatia

Dalmatia
Dal·ma·ti·a 
[dal máyshə]

region of Croatia, consisting
of a coastal area and offshore islands. It is bordered inland by the Dinaric
Alps and includes the major cities of Dubrovnik and Split. Area: 12,950 sq
km/5,000 sq mi.[1]



Dalmatian

Dalmatian
Dal·ma·tian 
[dal máysh’n] (plural Dal·ma·tians)
noun

1.  Dal·ma·tian
or dal·ma·tian ZOOLOGY
spotted
dog:
a dog belonging to a breed that has a white coat with black or brown spots.
Also
called
carriage dog
Also
called
coach dog

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Dalmatia: somebody who was born in or who lives in
the Adriatic coastal region of Dalmatia

3.  LANGUAGE extinct
Romance language: an extinct language once spoken along
the Adriatic coast in the region of Dubrovnik. It belongs to the Romance group
of Indo-European languages and became extinct at the end of the 19th century.
[Late
16th century. In the meaning of “dog,” named for Dalmatia, because the
breed supposedly originated there.]
—Dal·ma·tian, adjective[1]



Dalmatiancoast

Dalmatiancoast
Dal·ma·tian
coast
noun

GEOGRAPHY
coastline with islands nearby:
a coastline characterized by chains of islands close to the mainland, formed
when rising sea levels flood a series of valleys and ridges parallel to the
coast[1]



dalmatic

dalmatic
dal·mat·ic 
[dal máttik] (plural dal·mat·ics)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY vestment
worn by priest: a vestment with slit sides and wide
sleeves, worn by a priest or deacon of the Roman Catholic Church

2.  HISTORY coronation
robe:
a robe with slit sides and wide sleeves, worn by British sovereigns at their
coronation
[15th century. From Old
French dalmatique or Latin dalmatica, “(robe) made of Dalmatian
wool,” formed from Dalmaticus “of Dalmatia,” from Dalmatia .][1]



dalsegno

dalsegno
dal
se·gno 
[dl sáynyō] adverb

repeat
passage of music: to be played or sung again from the
point marked with an S-like symbol to the point marked “fine” (used as a
musical direction)
See
also
da capo
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “from the sign.”][1]



dalton

dalton
dal·ton 
[dáwlt’n] (plural dal·tons) noun

See
atomic mass unit
[Mid-20th century. Named for
John Dalton .][1]



daltonism

daltonism
dal·ton·ism
[dáwlt’n ìzzəm] or Dal·ton·ism
[dáwlt’n ìzzəm] noun

color
blindness:
color blindness, especially an inability to distinguish between red and green
[Mid-19th
century. From French daltonisme, named for John Dalton, who was
affected by this.]
—dal·ton·ic [dawl tónnik], adjective[1]



Dalton,John

Dalton,John

Dal·ton
[dáwlt’n], John (1766–1844)
British physicist and meteorologist. His
experiments with gases (1803) laid the foundations for modern atomic theory. He
also first described color blindness (1794).[1]



Dalton’slaw

Dalton’slaw
Dal·ton’s
law
noun

principle
of gas pressure: the principle that mixed gases in a
given volume exert a pressure equal to the sum of the pressures they would
exert individually in the same volume
[Named for John Dalton][1]



DalyCity

DalyCity
Da·ly
Cit·y
[dàylee sítee]

city in western California,
on the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco. Population: 97,649 (1996)[1]



dam

dam3
dam3

Symbol for
decameter[1]



dam

dam2
dam2 [dam]
(plural dams) noun

female
parent of animal: the female parent of an animal,
especially of four-legged domestic livestock
[14th century. Variant of dame .][1]



dam

dam1

dam1 [dam]
noun (plural dams)

1.  barrier
controlling flow of water: a barrier of concrete or
earth that is built across a river or stream to obstruct or control the flow of
water, especially in order to create a reservoir

2.  something
resembling dam: a barrier that resembles or acts as a
dam

3.  reservoir
confined by dam: a reservoir of water created, confined,
or controlled by a dam
transitive verb
(past dammed, past participle dammed, present
participle dam·ming, 3rd person present singular dams)

1.  confine
with dam:
to confine, provide, or restrain something with a dam

2.  obstruct:
to block, obstruct, or restrict something
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch, ultimately of unknown origin.][1]



damage

damage
dam·age 
[dámmij] noun

1.  harm
or injury:
physical harm or injury that makes something less useful, valuable, or able to
function • Damage
to the vehicle was slight • The
scandal did considerable damage to his reputation.

2.  adverse
effect:
a harmful effect on somebody or something

3.  cost:
the cost or price of something (informal) • What’s
the damage?
plural
noun
dam·ag·es

LAW money
paid as compensation: money paid or claimed as
compensation for harm, loss, or injury
verb
(past dam·aged, past participle dam·aged, present
participle dam·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular dam·ag·es)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
harm:
to cause damage to something or somebody

2.  intransitive
verb
be
harmed:
to suffer damage • Soft fruit damages
easily.
[13th
century. Via Old French, “loss through injury,” from dam, “loss,
damage,” from Latin damnum (source of English damn and indemnity
).]
—dam·age·a·bil·i·ty
[dàmmijə bíllətee], noun

—dam·age·a·ble
[dámmijəb’l], adjective

—dam·a·ger,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at harm

[1]



damagecontrol

damagecontrol
dam·age
con·trol
noun

1.  NAVY quick
containment of physical damage: shipboard measures to
control, contain, and offset damages to a vessel by, for example, collision,
attack, fire, or an explosion

2.  containment
of nonphysical damage: containment and
neutralization of, for example, public relations problems caused by a scandal,
legal case, or other controversial matter (informal) • As
soon as the scandal broke, the Party’s damage control kicked in.

[1]



damaging

damaging
dam·ag·ing
[dámmijing] adjective

causing
harm:
causing or capable of causing harm, injury, or loss • a
damaging report
—dam·ag·ing·ly, adverb[1]



damar

damar
dam·ar 
noun

See
dammar[1]



Damara

Damara
Dam·ar·a
[də mrə] (plural Dam·ar·as or
Dam·ar·a) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a people living
in southwestern Africa, mainly in the Republic of Namibia

2.  LANGUAGE See Nama
[Early
19th century. From Nama .]
—Dam·ar·a, adjective[1]



damascene

damascene
dam·as·cene 
[dámmə sn, dàmmə
sn] transitive verb (past dam·as·cened, past
participle dam·as·cened, present participle dam·as·cen·ing,
3rd person present singular dam·as·cenes)

decorate metal with wavy patterns:
to decorate metal such as iron or steel with wavy patterns of etching or inlay
of precious metals, especially gold or silver
noun
(plural dam·as·cenes)

design or object created by damascening:
a design or object created by the process of damascening
adjective

1.  relating
to damascening: relating to the art or process of
damascening metal

2.  of
or like damask: made of or resembling damask
[From
Latin Damascenus “of Damascus,” a city of Syria famous for its steel and
silk fabrics, from Greek damaskēnos]
—dam·a·scen·er, noun[1]



Damascus

Damascus
Da·mas·cus
[də máskəss]

capital
city of Syria on the Baradá River in the southwestern part of the country.
Thought to have been inhabited since 2000 BC,
it is one of the oldest cities in the world. Population: 1,451,000 (1992)
—Da·mas·cene [dámmə sn, dàmmə sn],
noun, adjective[1]



damask

damask
dam·ask 
[dáməsk] noun (plural dam·asks)

1.  patterned
fabric:
a reversible fabric, usually of cotton, linen, or silk, with a pattern woven
into it. It is used especially for table linen.

2.  table
linen:
table linen made from damask

3.  COLORS grayish-pink
color:
a grayish-pink color, like that of the damask rose
adjective

pink: pink
or grayish-pink
transitive
verb
(past dam·asked, past participle dam·asked, present
participle dam·ask·ing, 3rd person present singular dam·asks)

decorate with pattern:
to decorate or weave a fabric with an elaborate pattern
[14th century. From Latin Damascus,
named for that city because the fabric was originally produced there.][1]



damaskrose

damaskrose
dam·ask
rose
(plural dam·ask roses) noun

rose
with pink flowers: a large hardy rose native to
Asia and cultivated for its fragrant pink or red flowers that are used to make
a fragrant essential oil ( attar ). Latin
name: Rosa damascena
[Damask from earlier English Damask
“Damascus,” from Latin Damascus][1]



Damavand

Damavand
Dam·a·vand 
[dámmə vànd]

mountain in Iran, northeast
of Tehran, that is the highest point in the Elburz Mountains and in the
country. Height: 5,771 m/18,934 ft.[1]



Dame

Dame
Dame
(plural Dames) noun

1.  woman
awarded order of chivalry: the title of a woman awarded
any of various orders of chivalry or merit, for example, the Order of the
British Empire, by a sovereign or government

2.  wife
of baronet or knight: the official title of the
wife of a baronet or knight

[1]



dame

dame
dame 
[daym] (plural dames) noun

1.  a
term, often considered offensive, that refers to a woman or girl (informal)
(often offensive in context)

2.  the
woman in charge of a household (archaic)

3.  senior
nun:
used as the formal title of the superior of a nunnery
[13th century. Via Old French
and late Latin domna from Latin domina, “woman in charge of the
house.”][1]



dame’srocket

dame’srocket
dame’s
rock·et 
noun

See
dame’s violet
[Dame’s a translation of
Latin (Hesperis) matronalis][1]



dame’sviolet

dame’sviolet
dame’s
vi·o·let
(plural dame’s vi·o·lets or dame’s vi·o·let) noun

plant
with fragrant flowers: a perennial Eurasian plant
of the mustard family, cultivated for its fragrant purple or white flowers.
Latin name: Hesperis matronalis
Also
called
dame’s rocket
Also
called
rocket
[Translation of the Latin
name in the old herbals, Viola matronalis][1]



Dam,Henrik

Dam,Henrik
Dam 
[dam, daam],
Henrik (1895–1976)

Danish
biochemist. Working with Edward A. Doisy, he isolated vitamin K, a fat-soluble
substance necessary for blood coagulation. The pair shared a Nobel Prize in
1943.
Full name
Dam, Carl Peter Henrik[1]



damiana

damiana
da·mi·a·na 
[dàymee nə, dàymee
ánnə] noun

drug
from tropical plant: a drug used as a stimulant
and diuretic that is extracted from the leaves of a tropical American plant.
Latin name: Turnera diffusa
[Late 20th century. From
American Spanish .][1]



Damien

Damien

Da·mi·en 
[dáymee ən, daa
myáN], Father (1840–1889)
Belgian
Roman Catholic priest. From 1873 until his death from leprosy, he lived among
lepers isolated on Molokai Island, Hawaii, attending to their spiritual and
material needs.
Full name
de Veuster, Joseph Damien[1]



dammar

dammar
dam·mar
[dámmər] or dam·ar [dámmər] or dam·mer [dámmər] noun

resin
from SE Asian trees: a hard resin obtained from
various trees of Southeast Asia, used in inks, lacquers, oil paints, and
varnishes.
Also
called
gum dammar
[Late 17th century. From
Malay damar, “resin.”][1]



dammit

dammit
dam·mit 
[dámmit] interjection

exclamation
of annoyance: used as a swearword to show annoyance (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
damn it .][1]



damn

damn
damn 
[dam] interjection

exclamation of annoyance:
used as a swearword to emphasize irritation, displeasure, disappointment, or
frustration
adjective
adverb

used to express annoyance:
used emphatically or as a swearword to express annoyance, disappointment, or
frustration with somebody or something
verb
(past damned, past participle damned, present
participle damn·ing, 3rd person present singular damns)

1.  transitive
verb
declare
to be bad:
to express disapproval of something or somebody, especially in public

2.  transitive
verb
doom
to failure:
to cause somebody or something to fail

3.  transitive
verb
condemn
to hell:
to condemn somebody to hell or to eternal punishment

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb curse
or swear at: to curse or swear at somebody or
something, using the word “damn”
[13th
century. Via Old French damner, “to condemn,” from Latin damnare,
from damnum “damage” (see damage ).]
—damn·er,
noun
not
give or care a damn

to
be not at all concerned or worried about something

not
worth a damn

completely worthless[1]



damnable

damnable
dam·na·ble 
[dámnəb’l] adjective

1.  detestable:
detestable, hateful, or extremely bad (informal)

2.  heinous:
deserving divine condemnation or damnation (dated)
—dam·na·bly,
adverb

—dam·na·bil·i·ty
[dàmnə bíllətee], noun

—dam·na·ble·ness [dàmnəb’lnəss], noun[1]



damnation

damnation
dam·na·tion 
[dam náysh’n] noun (plural dam·na·tions)

1.  condemnation:
condemnation to hell or eternal punishment

2.  punishment:
eternal punishment in hell

3.  sin:
something that causes condemnation to hell or eternal punishment
interjection

angry exclamation:
used as a swearword to express anger or disappointment

[1]



damnatory

damnatory
dam·na·to·ry 
[dámnə tàwree] adjective

condemning:
causing, expressing, or threatening condemnation[1]



damned

damned
damned 
[damd] adjective

1.  condemned:
condemned to hell or to eternal punishment

2.  expression
of annoyance: used emphatically or as a swearword to
express annoyance
adverb

very:
extremely (informal) • a
damned good saxophone player
plural
noun

the condemned:
those condemned to hell or doomed to suffer eternal punishment

[1]



damnedest

damnedest
damned·est 
[dámdəst] noun

utmost:
everything possible • She
did her damnedest to persuade them to stay.
adjective

most amazing:
most amazing or extraordinary • It
was the damnedest thing I’d ever seen.[1]



damnify

damnify
dam·ni·fy 
[dámni f] (past dam·ni·fied, past
participle dam·ni·fied, present participle dam·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dam·ni·fies) transitive verb

injure:
in law, to cause damage or loss to somebody or something
[Early
16th century. Via Old French damnifier from Latin damnificare,
“injure, condemn,” from damnare . See damn
.]
—dam·ni·fi·ca·tion [dàmnifi káysh’n], noun[1]



damning

damning
damn·ing
[dámmig] adjective

1.  proving
guilty, wrong, or bad: proving or showing that
somebody or something is guilty, wrong, or very bad

2.  highly
critical:
very critical or unfavorable
—damn·ing·ly,
adverb

—damn·ing·ness, noun[1]



Damoclean

Damoclean
Dam·o·cle·an
[dàmmə kl ən, dámmə
klee ən] adjective

under
threat of disaster: under the threat of imminent
disaster
[Late 19th century. Named for
Damocles .][1]



Damocles

Damocles
Dam·o·cles 
[dámmə klz] (lived 4th century BC)

Syracusan Greek courtier.
Dionysius of Syracuse, tired of his envious flattery, had him seated beneath a
sword hanging from a hair, thus symbolizing the perils of the powerful.[1]



damp

damp
damp 
[damp] adjective

1.  moist:
slightly wet • damp
laundry

2.  half-hearted:
unenthusiastic or indifferent

3.  melancholy:
dejected or melancholy (archaic)
noun
(plural damps)

1.  slight
wetness:
humidity, moisture, or slight wetness • patches
of damp

2.  MINING harmful
gas:
poisonous gas or rank air, especially in a mine

3.  something
that depresses: a feeling of gloom or melancholy • The
host’s low spirits cast a damp over the party.
transitive
verb
(past damped, past participle damped, present participle
damp·ing, 3rd person present singular damps)

1.  dampen:
to make somebody or something slightly wet

2.  extinguish:
to extinguish a fire or make it burn more slowly by reducing its supply of air

3.  MUSIC stop:
to stop the vibration of a string on a musical instrument

4.  stifle:
to discourage or stifle somebody or something • Rain
damped the picnickers’ enthusiasm.

5.  PHYSICS reduce
oscillation: to decrease the amplitude of an
oscillation or wave

6.  MUSIC muffle:
to deaden or muffle the sound of a musical instrument
[14th
century. Via Middle Low German damp from prehistoric Germanic. “Moist”
evolved from “vapor,” through “noxious gas,” “mist,” and “moisture.”]
—damp·ly,
adverb

—damp·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



dampcourse

dampcourse
damp
course
(plural damp cours·es) noun

waterproof layer in brick
wall: a layer of waterproof
material near the ground in a brick wall that prevents damp from rising.
Also called
damp-proof course[1]



dampdown

dampdown
damp
down
transitive verb

1.  cause
to burn more slowly: to cause a fire to burn more
slowly by adding ash or by reducing the flow of air

2.  reduce:
to control, restrain, or reduce the intensity of something

[1]



dampen

dampen
damp·en 
[dámpən] (past damp·ened, past
participle damp·ened, present participle damp·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular damp·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  moisten:
to make something slightly wet, or to become slightly wet

2.  deaden:
to deaden or stifle something, or to become deadened or stifled
[14th
century. Formed from damp .]
—damp·en·er, noun[1]



damper

damper
damp·er 
[dámpər] (plural damp·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something discouraging: somebody or something that
causes discouragement or inhibition

2.  plate
to control fire: a metal plate that controls the draft in
a furnace or stove

3.  MUSIC piano mute:
a felt-covered block in a piano that stops the vibration of strings

4.  MUSIC horn
or woodwind mute: a mute to muffle the sound of a brass or
woodwind instrument

5.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
to control vibration: a device for controlling the
excessive vibration of a suspended magnetic needle

6.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
to reduce hunting: a piece of copper embedded
in or near the poles of an electric motor to reduce any tendency it might have
to pulsate to speeds above or below its intended speed
put
a damper on something

to make something less fun
and more inhibited • The
sudden arrival of the adults put a damper on the kids’ party.[1]



Dampier,William

Dampier,William
Dam·pi·er 
[dámpee ər], William (1652–1715)

English explorer. He was one
of the first Europeans to visit Australia and published numerous surveys, logs,
and charts of his voyages around the world.[1]



dampingoff

dampingoff
damp·ing
off
noun

disease of seedlings:
a fatal disease of seedlings grown under very damp conditions that is caused by
various fungi[1]



damp-proof

damp-proof
damp-proof
adjective

resistant
to moisture: impervious or resistant to damp or
moisture
transitive
verb
(past damp-proofed, past participle damp-proofed, present
participle damp-proof·ing, 3rd person present singular damp-proofs)

make resistant to moisture:
to make something such as a building damp-proof[1]



damp-proofcourse

damp-proofcourse
damp-proof
course
(plural damp-proof cours·es) noun

See
damp course[1]



Damrosch,Walter Johannes

Damrosch,Walter Johannes

Dam·rosch
[dám ròsh], Walter Johannes (1862–1950)
German-born U.S. conductor and composer.
He directed several noted orchestras, most notably the NBC Symphony Orchestra
in New York (1928–1942).[1]



damsel

damsel
dam·sel 
[dámz’l] (plural dam·sels) noun

girl
or young woman: a girl or young unmarried woman,
originally one of noble birth (archaic or literary)
[13th century. From Old
French dameisele, by folk etymology (from dame ) from donsele,
from Vulgar Latin dominicella, “little lady,” ultimately from Latin domina,
“woman in charge of the house” (see dame ).][1]



damselfish

damselfish
dam·sel·fish 
[dámz’l fìsh] (plural dam·sel·fish
or dam·sel·fish·es) noun

tropical marine fish:
a small brightly colored marine fish that lives along coral reefs. Family:
Pomacentridae
Also called
demoiselle[1]



damselfly

damselfly
dam·sel·fly 
[dámz’l fl] (plural dam·sel·flies)
noun

insect resembling small
dragonfly: a slender insect related to
the dragonfly but smaller in size that folds its wings together above its body
when resting. Damselflies are often brightly colored and have eyes that face
sideways. Suborder: Zygoptera
Also called
demoiselle[1]



damson

damson
dam·son 
[dámz’n] (plural dam·sons) noun

1.  plum
tree:
a fruit tree related to the plum, cultivated for its edible dark purple fruit.
Latin name: Prunus insititia

2.  small
purple plum: the small sour dark purple fruit of the
damson tree, usually eaten cooked or made into jelly
[15th century. Alteration of damascene, translating Latin (prunum)
damascenus, “(plum) from Damascus.”][1]



dan

dan1
dan1 [dan]
(plural dans) or Dan [dan]
(plural Dans) noun

1.  proficiency
level in martial arts: any one of the numbered
black-belt levels of proficiency in martial arts such as judo and karate.
Also
called
dan grade

2.  somebody
proficient in a martial art: a person who has achieved a
dan
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



dan

dan2
dan2 [dan]
(plural dans) or dan buoy [dan]
(plural dan buoys) noun

small
buoy:
a small buoy, often with a flag attached, used as a marker.
Also
called
dan buoy
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Dan.

Dan.
Dan.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Daniel

2.  Abbreviation
of
Danish

[1]



Dan

Dan
Dan 
noun

title
of honor:
a title of honor, equivalent to “Master” or “Sir,” used in the past before the
personal names of respected men such as clerics or poets (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin dominus, “master.”][1]



Danaides

Danaides
Da·na·i·des 
[də náyə dz] or Da·na·ï·des [də náyə dz] plural noun

daughters of Danaüs:
in Greek mythology, the fifty daughters of Danaüs, who killed their bridegrooms[1]



Dana,James Dwight

Dana,James Dwight
Da·na
[dáynə], James Dwight (1813–1895)

U.S. mineralogist. He was
appointed professor of natural history (1849) and professor of geology and
mineralogy (1864) at Yale University, and is known for his work Manual of
Mineralogy ( 1848 ).[1]



DanaPoint

DanaPoint
Da·na
Point
[dáynə pòynt]

city in southwestern
California on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, southeast of Los Angeles.
Population: 33,875 (1996)[1]



danbuoy

danbuoy
dan
buoy
noun

See
dan 2
[Dan from dan 2][1]



dance

dance
dance 
[dans] verb (past danced,
past participle danced, present participle danc·ing,
3rd person present singular danc·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
rhythmically to music: to move the feet and body
rhythmically, usually in time to music

2.  transitive
verb
do
a dance:
to perform or participate in a specified dance • to
dance a lively polka

3.  intransitive
verb
jump
up and down: to leap or skip, especially in an
emotional manner • The children danced
with glee.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
about quickly: to bob up and down or move quickly about
• The
leaves danced across the lawn.

5.  transitive
verb
cause
to dance:
to make somebody dance or lead somebody in a dance • He
danced her across the floor.

6.  intransitive
verb
evade
an issue:
to talk misleadingly so as to avoid facing an issue squarely (informal)
• They
danced around on the issue of term limits.

7.  transitive
verb
reach
by dancing:
to get to a particular state by dancing • She
danced her way to fame and fortune.

8.  intransitive
verb
BACKGAMMON fail
to roll reentry number: to fail to roll a number
that reenters a backgammon piece from the bar • He
rolled a 6–6 and danced.
noun
(plural danc·es)

1.  rhythmical
body movements to music: a series of rhythmical steps
and body movements, usually performed in time to music

2.  action
of dancing:
a session of dancing

3.  occasion
for dancing: a party or social gathering for dancing

4.  art
of dancing:
dancing as a performance art

5.  MUSIC music for
dancing:
a piece of music in the rhythm of a particular type of dance

6.  evasion:
evasive talk (informal)

7.  ZOOLOGY pattern
of animal movements: a pattern of animal
movements used, for example, in courtship by birds or by bees to give
information about food
adjective

of or for dancing:
relating to, involving, or created for dancing
[13th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps via Vulgar Latin from Frankish .][1]



danceable

danceable
dance·a·ble 
[dánsəb’l] adjective

able to be danced to:
suitable for or conducive to dancing[1]



danceband

danceband
dance
band
(plural dance bands) noun

band playing dance music:
a band that plays music for dancing[1]



dancecard

dancecard
dance
card
(plural dance cards) noun

1.  agenda:
a list of demands on somebody’s time (informal)

2.  list
of dance partners: a card on which people wrote
the names of their dancing partners at a formal dance or ball in the past

[1]



dancefloor

dancefloor
dance
floor
(plural dance floors) noun

area for dancing:
an area of uncarpeted floor for dancing[1]



dancehall

dancehall
dance
hall
(plural dance halls) noun

1.  place
where dances are held: a building or large room
where public dances are held

2.  MUSIC dance
music accompanied by disk jockey: electronically
produced dance music that combines different kinds of popular music styles with
continuous accompaniment by a disk jockey talking or rapping to the rhythm

[1]



dancemusic

dancemusic
dance
mu·sic
noun

1.  music
for dancing: any music suitable for dancing

2.  electronic
pop music:
pop music that is typically characterized by repeated electronic rhythms

[1]



danceof death

danceof death
dance
of death
(plural danc·es of death) or Dance of Death (plural
Dan·ces of Death) noun

representation of dance led
by Death: an allegorical
representation in medieval art, literature, and music of a dance in which
Death, personified as a skeleton, leads people to the grave.
Also called
danse macabre[1]



dancer

dancer
danc·er
[dánsər] (plural danc·ers) noun

1.  person
dancing:
a person who dances, usually in a specified way, or who is dancing

2.  person
paid to dance: a person who dances as a professional
artist

[1]



dancercise

dancercise
danc·er·cise
[dánsər sz] noun

dance
exercise:
aerobic exercise in the form of dance
[Mid-20th century. Blend of dance and exercise
.][1]



dancewear

dancewear
dance·wear 
[dáns wàir] noun

clothing worn for dance
practice: clothing, such as leotards
and leg warmers, worn for dance practice[1]



dancing

dancing
danc·ing
[dánsing] noun

dance:
the activity of performing or taking part in a dance[1]



dancy

dancy
dan·cy
[dánsee] (comparative dan·ci·er,
superlative dan·ci·est) adjective

suitable for dancing:
conducive to dancing, especially in a lively manner[1]



Dand C

Dand C
D
and C
noun

gynecological procedure:
a gynecological surgical procedure in which the cervix is widened and some of
the womb lining is scraped out, for diagnostic or treatment purposes or in an
abortion. Full form dilatation and curettage[1]



dandelion

dandelion

dan·de·li·on 
[dánd’l  ən] (plural dan·de·li·ons)
noun
weed
with yellow flowers: a common plant that has
bright yellow flowers on a hollow stalk. Its seed head is white and fluffy and
its leaves are used in salads, medicine, and winemaking. Latin name: Taraxacum
officinale
[15th century. From French dent
de lion, “lion’s tooth,” translating Latin dens leonis . Because of
the plant’s toothed leaves.][1]



dandeliongreens

dandeliongreens
dan·de·li·on
greens
plural noun

dandelion leaves:
the tender leaves of young dandelion plants, eaten raw in salads or cooked as a
vegetable[1]



dander

dander
dan·der
[dándər] noun

1.  scales
of hair or feathers: minute particles or scales
that are shed from the feathers, hair, or skin of various animals. They may be
the cause of some allergies, especially asthma.

2.  Ireland
See dandruff
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain.]
get
somebody’s dander up

to make somebody angry[1]



DandieDinmont

DandieDinmont

Dan·die
Din·mont 
[dàndi dín mònt, dàndee
dínmənt] (plural Dan·die Din·monts) or Dan·die
Din·mont ter·ri·er [dàndi dín mònt, dàndee dínmənt] (plural Dan·die Din·mont
ter·ri·ers) noun
small
Scottish terrier: a small terrier of a breed from the
Scottish borders with a long body, short legs, drooping ears, and a long wiry
grayish or brownish coat
[Early 19th century. Named
for a character who owned six such dogs in Guy Mannering, a novel by Sir
Walter Scott .][1]



dandify

dandify
dan·di·fy 
[dándə f] (past dan·di·fied, past
participle dan·di·fied, present participle dan·di·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dan·di·fies) transitive verb

dress
as dandy:
to dress somebody as or cause somebody to resemble a dandy or fop
—dan·di·fi·ca·tion
[dàndəfi káysh’n], noun

—dan·di·fied [dándə fd], adjective[1]



dandle

dandle
dan·dle 
[dánd’l] (past dan·dled, past
participle dan·dled, present participle dan·dling, 3rd
person present singular dan·dles) transitive verb

1.  move
gently up and down: to move a baby or small
child gently up and down in your arms or on your knees

2.  fondle
or pet:
to fondle or pet somebody or something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of dangle
.]
—dan·dler, noun[1]



dandruff

dandruff
dan·druff 
[dándrəf] noun

scales
of dead skin on scalp: loose dry scales of dead
skin that are shed from the scalp
[Mid-16th
century. From dand-, of unknown origin, and -ruff, of uncertain
origin: probably from English dialect huff “scab,” from Scandinavian .]
—dan·druff·y, adjective[1]



dandy

dandy
dan·dy 
[dándee] adjective (comparative
dan·di·er, superlative dan·di·est)

1.  excellent:
very good, excellent, or first-rate (informal)

2.  characteristic
of a dandy:
dressed or acting like a dandy
noun
(plural dan·dies)

1.  excellent
person or thing: a person or thing considered to be very
good or the best in its class (informal)

2.  man
too concerned with appearance: a man who is much
concerned with his elegant appearance (dated)

3.  SAILING sailboat:
a ketch or yawl

4.  PAPER See dandy roll
[Late
18th century. Shortening of Scottish Jack-a-dandy, “affected man,” from Dandy,
a Scots form of the name Andrew .]
—dan·di·ly,
adverb

—dan·dy·ish,
adjective

—dan·dy·ism, noun[1]



dandyfever

dandyfever
dan·dy
fe·ver
noun

See
dengue[1]



dandyroll

dandyroll
dan·dy
roll
(plural dan·dy rolls) or dan·dy (plural dan·dies)
or dan·dy roll·er (plural dan·dy roll·ers) noun

wire cylinder used in
papermaking: a wire cylinder used in
papermaking to produce a watermark[1]



Dane

Dane
Dane 
[dayn] (plural Danes) noun

1.  somebody
from Denmark: somebody who was born or raised in or is
a citizen of Denmark

2.  somebody
of Danish descent: a person of Danish descent
[14th century. From Old Norse
Danir (plural) “Danes.”][1]



Danegeld

Danegeld
Dane·geld 
[dáyn gèld] or Dane·gelt [dáyn gèlt] noun

1.  HISTORY historical
tax:
an annual tax first levied in the 10th century in England to buy off Danish
invaders. It continued until the 12th century as a land tax.

2.  protection
money:
a payment made in order to avoid trouble or to prevent attack from a stronger
enemy
[Pre-12th century. From
assumed Old Norse Danagiald, literally “payment of the Danes,” from Danir
(plural) “Danes” + giald “payment.”][1]



Danelaw

Danelaw
Dane·law
[dáyn làw] noun

1.  laws
enforced by Danes in England: the body of laws established
in the parts of England settled in the 9th century by Danish invaders

2.  Anglo-Saxon
England under Danish law: the parts of Anglo-Saxon
England that came under Danish law and where Danish customs were observed
[Old English Dena lagu
“Danes’ law”][1]



dang

dang
dang 
[dang] interjection adjective adverb
intransitive and transitive verb (past danged, past
participle danged, present participle dang·ing, 3rd
person present singular dangs)

See
damn
[Late 18th century.
Euphemistic alteration.][1]



danged

danged
danged
[dangd] adjective adverb

See
damned
[Late 19th century.
Euphemistic alteration.][1]



danger

danger
dan·ger 
[dáynjər] (plural dan·gers) noun

1.  exposure
to harm:
exposure or vulnerability to harm, injury, or loss • Their
lives were in danger.

2.  somebody
or something that causes harm: somebody or something
that may cause harm, injury, or loss (often used in the plural)
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman daunger from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin domniarium
“power to do harm,” from Latin dominium, “sovereignty,” which was in
turn formed from dominus, “lord.”][1]



dangermoney

dangermoney
dan·ger
mon·ey
noun

U.K.
See hazard pay[1]



dangerous

dangerous
dan·ger·ous 
[dáynjərəss] adjective

1.  likely
to cause harm: likely to cause or result in harm or
injury

2.  involving
risk:
involving risk or difficulty • The
business is in a dangerous financial position.
—dan·ger·ous·ly,
adverb

—dan·ger·ous·ness, noun[1]



dangle

dangle
dan·gle 
[dáng g’l] verb (past dan·gled,
past participle dan·gled, present participle dan·gling,
3rd person present singular dan·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hang
or cause to hang loosely: to swing or hang loosely or
cause something to swing or hang loosely • The
children dangled their legs over the side of the swimming pool.

2.  transitive
verb
offer
as inducement: to offer or display something as an
enticement or inducement • The
possibility of promotion was dangled before her.

3.  intransitive
verb
hang
around somebody: to hang around somebody • The
famous film director had many aspiring actors dangling after her.
noun
(plural dan·gles)

1.  dangling
thing:
something that dangles, especially a charm from a bracelet or necklace

2.  act
of dangling: the act or an instance of dangling
[Late
16th century. Thought to suggest the action.]
—dan·gler,
noun

—dan·gly, adjective[1]



danglingparticiple

danglingparticiple
dan·gling
par·ti·ci·ple  (plural dan·gling
par·ti·ci·ples) noun

participle
unrelated to word it modifies: a participle that is
not grammatically linked to the word it is intended to modify. In “Driving down
the street, the house came into view,” “driving” is a dangling participle.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Dangling
  participles:
  Also
  called “misplaced” or “unattached participles,” these typically occur at the
  beginning of sentences and modify either the wrong thing or nothing in
  particular: • Startled by the
  noise, her book fell to the floor (it
  was she, not her book, who was startled). • Lying
  in the sun, it was hard to imagine the winter back home
  (who was lying in the sun?). Such mismatches should be corrected by
  rephrasing: • Startled by the
  noise, she dropped her book and • lying
  in the sun, he found it hard to imagine the winter back home
  . A number of dangling participles, however, are well established and
  idiomatic, for example, given, granting, and speaking :
  • Given
  that dividends depend on earnings, what determines earnings?
  Other similar words, including considering and regarding, are
  so well established in such contexts that they are generally thought of as
  independent of the verbs from which they sprang and are now said to be
  prepositions.

[1]



dangrade

dangrade
dan
grade
(plural dan grades) noun

See
dan 1 noun
1[1]



Daniel

Daniel
Dan·iel 
[dánnyəl] (plural Dan·iels) noun

1.  biblical
prophet:
a biblical prophet whose faith in God protected him in the lion’s den

2.  book
of Bible:
the book of the Bible that tells the story of Daniel

3.  wise
person:
somebody who is wise and honorable
[Late 16th century. “Wise
person” from the presentation of Daniel as a wise judge in the apocryphal Book
of Susanna.][1]



Daniels,Josephus

Daniels,Josephus
Dan·iels 
[dánnyəlz], Josephus (1862–1948)

U.S. editor, publisher, and
statesman. He served as secretary of the navy (1913–1921) and U.S. ambassador
to Mexico (1933–1941).[1]



danio

danio
da·ni·o 
[dáynee ] (plural da·ni·os) noun

freshwater
fish:
a brightly colored freshwater fish native to India and Sri Lanka that is kept
as an aquarium fish. Genera: Danio Brachydanio
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, the genus name.][1]



Danish

Danish
Dan·ish 
[dáynish] adjective

of
Denmark:
relating to Denmark or its people, culture, or language
noun

LANGUAGE language
of Danes:
the language of Denmark, also an official language of the Faroe Islands and
Greenland. It belongs to the North Germanic group of Indo-European languages.
Danish is spoken by over five million people.
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
from Denmark: people who were born or raised in or are
citizens of Denmark
noun
Dan·ish (plural Dan·ish·es) dan·ish (plural dan·ishes)

FOOD See Danish pastry
[14th century. Formed from Danes
(plural) “Danes,” from Old Icelandic Danir .][1]



Danishblue

Danishblue
Dan·ish
blue
noun

blue-veined cheese:
a blue-veined cheese with a strong taste, originally produced in Denmark[1]



Danishpastry

Danishpastry
Dan·ish
pas·try
(plural Dan·ish pas·tries) noun

puff pastry with sweet
filling: a rich puff pastry made from
a yeast dough with a sweet filling containing fruit or nuts.
Also called
Danish[1]



Danite

Danite
Dan·ite 
[dá nt] (plural Dan·ites) noun

descendant
of Dan in Bible: in the Hebrew Bible, a member of the
tribe descended from Dan
—Dan·ite, adjective[1]



dank

dank
dank 
[dangk] (comparative dank·er, superlative
dank·est) adjective

damp
and cold:
unpleasantly damp and cold
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandinavian .]
—dank·ly,
adverb

—dank·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



dansemacabre

dansemacabre
danse
ma·ca·bre 
[dns mə kbrə] (plural danses
ma·ca·bres) noun

See
dance of death
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “macabre dance.”][1]



danseur

danseur
dan·seur 
[dan súr, daaN
súr] (plural dan·seurs) noun

male
dancer:
a male ballet dancer
[Early 19th century. From
French, “male dancer.”][1]



danseuse

danseuse
dan·seuse 
[dan sz, daaN
sz] (plural dan·seuses) noun

woman
dancer:
a woman ballet dancer
[Early 19th century. From
French, “woman dancer.”][1]



DanteAlighieri

DanteAlighieri

Dan·te A·li·ghi·e·ri 
[dn tay alli gyérree] (1265–1321)
Italian poet. One of the greatest poets
in world literature, he is best known for his epic masterpiece The Divine
Comedy, which he began writing in 1307 and completed shortly before his
death. He was involved in the political struggles of his time, and his
involvement in politics forced him to leave his native Florence. He finally
settled in Ravenna.[1]



Dantean

Dantean
Dan·te·an
[dántee ən, dntee
ən] adjective

1.  of
or by Dante: relating to Dante Alighieri or his works

2.  Dantesque:
in the style of the works of Dante Alighieri
noun
(plural Dan·te·ans)

admirer or student of Dante Alighieri:
a person who admires, studies, or is an expert on Dante Alighieri

[1]



Dantesque

Dantesque
Dan·tesque
[dan tésk, daan
tésk] adjective

in Dante’s style:
in the style of the works of Dante Alighieri[1]



Danton,Georges Jacques

Danton,Georges Jacques

Dan·ton 
[daan táwN], Georges Jacques (1759–1794)
French lawyer. Minister of Justice in
Revolutionary France, he was overthrown in the Reign of Terror (1793) and
guillotined the following year.[1]



Danube

Danube
Dan·ube 
[dán yb]

the
longest river in western Europe. It rises in the Black Forest in southwestern
Germany and flows through Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary,
Croatia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. It empties into the Black
Sea. Length: 2,850 km/1,770 mi.
—Dan·u·bi·an [də nybee ən], adjective[1]



Danvers

Danvers
Dan·vers 
[dánvərz]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, southwest of Gloucester and northeast of Boston. Population:
24,467 (1996)[1]



Danville

Danville
Dan·ville 
[dán vìl]

1.  city
in Illinois, just east of the Illinois-Indiana border, east of Urbana.
Population: 32,163 (1996)

2.  city
in central Kentucky, east of Elizabethtown and southwest of Lexington.
Population: 16,059 (1996)

[1]



Danzig

Danzig
Dan·zig 
[dánsig, dnt
sik]

Former name for
Gdansk[1]



dap

dap
dap 
[dap] (past dapped, past
participle dapped, present participle dap·ping, 3rd
person present singular daps) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
ANGLING fish
with bobbing bait: to fish by bobbing the bait
lightly on the surface of the water

2.  intransitive
verb
dip
quickly:
to dip gently or quickly into water

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bounce
or skip:
to bounce or skip, or cause something to bounce or skip, especially across the
surface of water

4.  transitive
verb
WOODWORK join
with a notch: to cut a notch in timber in order to
join it to another piece
[Mid-17th century. Thought to
suggest the action.][1]



daphne

daphne
daph·ne 
[dáfnee] (plural daph·nes or
daph·ne) noun

shrub
with bell-shaped flowers: a European and Asian shrub
that is often cultivated as an ornamental garden plant for its glossy evergreen
leaves and fragrant bell-shaped pink or purplish flowers. Genus: Daphne
[15th century. From Greek daphnē,
“laurel, bay tree.” Named for Daphne, a nymph in Greek mythology who was
changed into such a tree to escape Apollo’s attentions.][1]



daphnia

daphnia
daph·ni·a 
[dafnee ə] (plural daph·ni·as or
daph·ni·a) noun

water
flea:
a tiny freshwater flea with a transparent shell and branched antennae for
swimming. Some types are used as food for aquarium fish. Genus: Daphnia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, where it was formed from daphne, genus name, named for Daphne
(see daphne ).][1]



dapper

dapper
dap·per 
[dáppər] adjective

1.  trim:
neat and elegant (refers to men)

2.  lively:
alert and lively or brisk

3.  nimble:
small and active or nimble
[15th
century. From Middle Dutch or Middle Low German dapper, “bold, heavy.”
The modern meanings, “elegant, nimble,” evolved from “stolid, sturdy,” perhaps
ironically.]
—dap·per·ly,
adverb

—dap·per·ness, noun[1]



dapple

dapple
dap·ple 
[dápp’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past dap·pled, past participle dap·pled, present
participle dap·pling, 3rd person present singular dap·ples)

mark with patches of color:
to mark something with patches or spots of a different color or with light and
shade, or to be marked in this way • Sunlight
dappled the path through the trees.
adjective

See dappled
noun
(plural dap·ples)

1.  colored
markings:
spots or patches of a different color, especially on a horse, or of light and
shade

2.  spot
of color:
an individual spot or patch of color, light, or shade

3.  ZOOLOGY dappled
animal:
an animal, especially a horse, with a dappled coat
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from dappled .][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dappled

dappled
dap·pled 
[dápp’ld] or dap·ple [dápp’ld] adjective

spotted
with a different color: marked with spots or patches
of a different color or with light and shade • in
the dappled shade of the chestnut tree
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from dapple
“blotch,” or perhaps ultimately from apple
(compare French gris-pommelé and German apfelgrau “dapple-gray,”
literally “apple-gray”), perhaps from the shape of the fruit.][1]



dapple-gray

dapple-gray
dap·ple-gray 
adjective

of
a light gray color: used to describe a horse or
pony of a light gray color with darker gray spots or patches
noun
(plural dap·ple-grays)

horse:
a dapple-gray horse or pony
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from dappled (of later
date, but the dates are close enough to be ignored) + gray
; or from assumed apple-gray (see dappled
).][1]



Dapsang

Dapsang
Dap·sang
[dap sng]

See
K2[1]



dapsone

dapsone
dap·sone 
[dáp sn] noun

antileprosy
drug:
an antibacterial drug containing sulfur, used in the treatment of leprosy and
some forms of dermatitis
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of di(para-amino-phenyl)sulfone, its technical name.][1]



DAR

DAR
DAR

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
damage assessment routine

2.  Abbreviation
of
Daughters of the American Revolution

[1]



Darbyand Joan

Darbyand Joan
Dar·by
and Joan
noun

U.K.
ideal
domestic couple: a contented and devoted couple who have
long lived together in domestic harmony
[Late 18th century. From the
names of a contented long-married couple in a poem published in the Gentleman’s
Magazine in 1735 .][1]



Dard

Dard
Dard 
[daard] (plural Dards) noun

speaker
of Dardic language: a member of any of the
peoples who speak a Dardic language
[Mid-19th century. From
Dardic .][1]



Dardic

Dardic
Dar·dic 
[drdik] noun

group
of Indic languages: a subgroup of Indic
languages spoken in the mountainous northern regions of India and Pakistan.
Kashmiri is the best known of the Dardic languages, of which there are about
seven million speakers.
—Dar·dic, adjective[1]



dare

dare
dare 
[dair] transitive verb (past dared,
past participle dared, present participle dar·ing, 3rd
person present singular dares or dare)

1.  have
enough courage for something: to have the courage needed
to do something (sometimes used as an auxiliary) • wanted
to ask but then didn’t dare “We must dare to think about
‘unthinkable things’ because when things have become unthinkable, thinking
stops and action becomes mindless.” William Fulbright U.S. Senate Speech March
27, 1965

2.  have
audacity to do something: to do something that angers
or outrages somebody (sometimes used as an auxiliary) • Don’t
you dare do that! • How
dare you?

3.  challenge
somebody:
to challenge somebody to do something, usually something dangerous or
frightening • daring
each other to jump first
noun
(plural dares)

a challenge: a
challenge to somebody to do something dangerous or frightening, or a response
to such a challenge • did it
for a dare
[Old
English darr, dearr, first and third person present singular forms of durran
“to dare,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—dar·er, noun[1]



daredevil

daredevil
dare·dev·il 
[dáir dèvv’l] noun (plural dare·dev·ils)

somebody who does risky things:
somebody who is daring and takes risks, especially somebody who performs
dangerous stunts
adjective

1.  unmindful
of danger:
showing a carefree disregard for risk or danger, especially by performing
dangerous stunts

2.  dangerous:
with a high degree of risk or danger • a
daredevil stunt

[1]



daredevilry

daredevilry
dare·dev·il·ry
[dáir dèvv’lree] or dare·dev·il·try
[dáir dèvv’ltree] noun

1.  fearless
attitude:
a carefree disregard for danger

2.  risk-taking:
dangerous acts or stunts performed by a daring person

[1]



daresay

daresay
dare·say 
[dáir sày]I daresay

1.  used,
often in an irritable tone, to express the fact that the speaker considers
something to be likely or possible

2.  used
impatiently to dismiss something that is true but irrelevant

[1]



Dares Salaam

Dares Salaam
Dar
es Sa·laam 
[dr es sə lm]

largest city, leading port,
and former capital of Tanzania. The name means “haven of peace.” Population:
1,360,850 (1988)[1]



Dare,Virginia

Dare,Virginia
Dare 
[dair], Virginia (1587–?)

American colonist. She was
the first child born to English colonists in North America. She had disappeared
with the Roanoke Island colonists by 1590.[1]



daring

daring
dar·ing 
[dáirring] adjective

1.  brave
and adventurous: showing a courageous or reckless
disregard for danger • The
officer led a daring assault on the enemy machine-gun nest.

2.  risky:
involving an element of risk or danger • a
daring move

3.  shocking:
unconventional or ahead of its time and therefore likely to shock, upset, or
offend
noun

boldness:
courage combined with a willingness to take risks or attempt difficult or
unconventional things
—dar·ing·ly,
adverb

—dar·ing·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bold

[1]



dariole

dariole
dar·i·ole 
[dérri l] (plural dar·i·oles)
noun

1.  dar·i·ole
or dar·i·ole mold (plural dar·i·ole molds) cooking
mold:
a small cup-shaped mold in which individual portions of savory or sweet dishes
can be cooked and then served

2.  dish
cooked in small mold: a dish cooked and served in
a dariole
[14th century. From French,
“custard tart.”][1]



DariusI

DariusI
Da·ri·us
I 
[də r əss], King of Persia (558 BC–486 BC)

He reorganized the
administration of the Persian Empire during his reign (521–486 BC ). His army invaded Greece in 490 but
was defeated at the battle of Marathon.[1]



DariusIII

DariusIII
Da·ri·us
III 
[də r əss], King of Persia (380? BC–330 BC)

He was defeated by Alexander
the Great at the battles of Issus (333 BC
) and Guagamela (331 BC ) and was
assassinated by one of his own satraps.[1]



Darjeeling

Darjeeling2
Dar·jee·ling2  [daar
jling]

town in northern West Bengal,
India, close to the border with Nepal. Under British rule it was the summer
capital of the government of Bengal. It is famous for its tea plantations.
Population: 73,078 (1991)[1]



Darjeeling

Darjeeling1
Dar·jee·ling1  [daar
jling] noun

type of tea:
a high-quality black tea grown around Darjeeling in India, or the hot drink
made from its leaves[1]



dark

dark
dark 
[daark] adjective (comparative
dark·er, superlative dark·est)

1.  not
light or lit: with little or no light • It’s
getting dark; do you mind if I put the light on? • It
was a dark and stormy night.

2.  not
light in color: reflecting less light than other colors
or shades and therefore appearing deeper, richer, or more somber • The
curtains are dark green.

3.  brownish
or blackish: not pale or fair, but brown to black in
hair or eye color • She has darker eyes
than her brother.

4.  miserable:
characterized by unhappiness, misfortune, or pessimism • in
the dark days of the Depression

5.  angry:
suggesting hostility or anger • dark
looks

6.  nasty:
evil or wicked • the dark side of his
character

7.  mysterious:
little known or kept hidden from others • dark
secrets

8.  unenlightened:
lacking enlightenment, learning, and artistic or scientific achievement (formal)

9.  THEATER closed:
not presenting theatrical performances

10. mellow:
deep and rich in sound
noun
(plural darks)

1.  lack
of light:
a place, time, or situation in which there is too little light to see properly
• I
don’t like driving in the dark.

2.  nightfall:
the beginning of night • We
left early to be home before dark.

3.  shaded
area:
a darker color or a darker -colored or shaded part • the
contrast between the darks and the lights in the picture
[Old English deorc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced German tarnen
“to mask, screen,” which is related via Old French to English tarnish .][1]



darkadaptation

darkadaptation
dark
ad·ap·ta·tion or dark a·dap·tion noun

adaptation to darkness:
the reflex changes, such as dilation of the pupil and increased sensitivity of
the retina, that enable the eye to continue to see in dim light[1]



dark-adapted

dark-adapted
dark-a·dapt·ed
adjective

ANATOMY
adjusted for night vision:
having made the physical and chemical changes involved in dark adaptation and
adjusted for seeing in relative darkness[1]



Dark-Age

Dark-Age
Dark-Age
adjective

from the Dark Ages:
dating from, belonging to, or typical of the Dark Ages[1]



DarkAges

DarkAges
Dark
Ag·es
plural noun

1.  HISTORY period
before Middle Ages: the period of European
history between the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D.
476 and about A.D. 1000, for which
there are few historical records and during which life was comparatively
uncivilized

2.  undeveloped
state:
an undeveloped state, way of life, or way of doing things (informal) • Computers
were in their Dark Ages a few decades ago.

[1]



darkchocolate

darkchocolate
dark
choc·o·late
noun

chocolate without added milk:
chocolate that has no added milk and is darker and less sweet than milk
chocolate[1]



DarkContinent

DarkContinent
Dark
Con·ti·nent
noun

unexplored
parts of Africa: a term formerly used to refer to Africa
before large areas of the continent had been explored (archaic)
[Probably taken from the
title of Henry M. Stanley’s Through the Dark Continent (1878), most of
central Africa being unknown and mysterious to Europeans of the time.][1]



darken

darken
dark·en 
[drkən] (past dark·ened, past
participle dark·ened, present participle dark·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular dark·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  get
darker or color something darker: to become darker, or
to make something darker • I
mixed a little blue and brown with the red to darken it.

2.  become
unhappy or make somebody unhappy: to become unhappy,
less hopeful, or angry, or to cause such a change in somebody or something • The
outlook has darkened considerably since the last update.
—dark·en·er, noun[1]



dark-fieldillumination

dark-fieldillumination
dark-field
il·lu·mi·na·tion noun

side illumination in
microscope: the lighting of a specimen
in a microscope from the side so that it can be seen against a dark background[1]



dark-fieldmicroscope

dark-fieldmicroscope
dark-field
mi·cro·scope  (plural dark-field
mi·cro·scopes) noun

See
ultramicroscope[1]



darkglasses

darkglasses
dark
glass·es
plural noun

sunglasses:
eyeglasses with dark-tinted lenses, especially sunglasses[1]



darkhorse

darkhorse
dark
horse
(plural dark hors·es) noun

1.  unknown
quantity:
somebody about whom very little is known or who tends to be reticent,
especially somebody who subsequently reveals unexpected talents

2.  POLITICS unexpectedly
successful candidate: a candidate who gains an
unexpected amount of support in an electoral campaign

3.  SPORTS unexpectedly
successful contestant: a little-known competitor
who achieves unexpected success in a race or other sports contest
[From the image of a
little-known racehorse who makes a surprisingly good showing in a race][1]



darkish

darkish
dark·ish
[drkish] adjective

dark-colored:
fairly dark in color or shading • a
woman with darkish hair[1]



darklantern

darklantern
dark
lan·tern
(plural dark lan·terns) noun

dimmable lantern:
a lantern with a sliding panel that is used to dim or hide its light[1]



darkle

darkle
dar·kle 
[drkəl] (past dar·kled, past
participle dar·kled, present participle dar·kling, 3rd
person present singular dar·kles) intransitive verb (archaic
or literary)

1.  become
dark:
to grow dark

2.  be
faint:
to appear indistinctly
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from darkling, adverb,
mistaken for a present participle and adjective.][1]



darkling

darkling
dar·kling 
[drkling] adverb

in darkness: in
the dark (archaic literary) “Darkling I listen, and full many a time…”
John Keats Ode to a Nightingale 1820
adjective
(archaic or literary)

1.  without
clarity:
dark, dim, or obscure

2.  occurring
in darkness: done or happening in the night
[15th century. Formed from dark + the obsolete adverbial suffix -ling,
denoting position or condition.][1]



darklingbeetle

darklingbeetle
dar·kling
bee·tle
(plural dar·kling bee·tles) noun

black
or brown beetle: a beetle with a hard black or brown body
whose larvae feed on decaying vegetable matter, living plants, and grain.
Family: Tenebrionidae
Also
called
tenebrionid
[Probably from the beetle’s
habit of living in dark or hidden places][1]



darkly

darkly
dark·ly
[drklee] adverb

1.  threateningly:
in a way that conveys a threat or a sense of foreboding

2.  in
black or a dark color: in or with black, or as a
dark-colored shape • trees darkly outlined
against the horizon

[1]



darkmatter

darkmatter
dark
mat·ter
noun

undetected
mass in universe: matter postulated to exist in the
universe because of observed gravitational effects. It is thought to comprise a
substantial part of the mass of the universe but remains as yet undetected by
direct observation.
[From the nonluminous and
mysterious nature of the matter][1]



darkmeat

darkmeat
dark
meat
noun

brown meat of poultry:
meat from the legs and thighs of poultry, which is a darker color than the meat
of the breast[1]



darkness

darkness
dark·ness 
[drknəss] noun

1.  dark:
the absence or lack of light • He
flicked a switch and the room was plunged into darkness.

2.  night:
nighttime

3.  depth
of color:
the comparative depth of a color or its closeness to black
[Old English deorcnes][1]



darkreaction

darkreaction
dark
re·ac·tion
noun

phase of photosynthesis:
the second phase of photosynthesis, during which light is not required and
carbon dioxide is reduced.
Also called
light-independent reaction[1]



darkroom

darkroom
dark·room 
[drk room, drk
rm] (plural dark·rooms) noun

room for developing
photographs: a room from which
natural light is excluded so that light-sensitive photographic materials can be
safely handled and photographs can be developed[1]



darksome

darksome
dark·some 
[drksəm] adjective

dismal:
without light and gloomy or unpleasant (archaic or literary) • doomed
to die in a darksome dungeon[1]



darkstar

darkstar
dark
star
(plural dark stars) noun

invisible star:
a star that is not visible and is usually detectable only by its radio or
infrared emissions or by its gravitational effect on other bodies. It is often
a component of a binary star and can cause the brightness of its visible
partner to vary periodically.[1]



darling

darling
dar·ling 
[drling] noun (plural dar·lings)

1.  loving
term of address: used as an affectionate form of address
to a loved one, or as a general, informal, and sometimes slightly affected form
of address to social acquaintances

2.  somebody
considerate: a kind, helpful, or likable person

3.  informal
term of address: an extremely informal and typically
suggestive term of address, often to a stranger (informal)

4.  favorite:
somebody who is very popular with another person or with a particular group of
people • She’s
the darling of the literary reviews.

5.  beloved
person:
a much-loved person or sweetheart (dated) • She
is my darling.
adjective

1.  dearly
loved:
loved very much

2.  nice:
pretty and charming (informal)
[Old English deorling,
literally “dear person, dear one,” formed from an earlier form of dear][1]



darn

darn1
darn1 [daarn]
intransitive and transitive verb (past darned, past
participle darned, present participle darn·ing, 3rd
person present singular darns)

repair
something with thread: to mend a hole in a piece of
clothing or fabric using long interwoven stitches to fill the gap • sat
there darning socks.
noun
(plural darns)

repair
of hole:
a repair to a piece of clothing or fabric using long interwoven stitches
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably from French dialect darner “to
mend,” from darne “piece,” ultimately of Celtic origin.]
—darn·er, noun[1]



darn

darn2
darn2 [daarn]
interjection

exclamation:
used instead of a swearword to express irritation, displeasure, or surprise (informal)
adjective
adverb darn darned

emphatic
term:
used instead of a swearword to give emphasis or to indicate irritation or
displeasure with somebody or something (informal) • a
darn good movie
transitive
verb
(past darned, past participle darned, present
participle darn·ing, 3rd person present singular darns)

condemn
something:
used to express annoyance or frustration with something or somebody (informal)
• Darn
it, I told you not to go in there.
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of damn, perhaps influenced by
regional “tarnal,” alteration of eternal .][1]



darnation

darnation
dar·na·tion 
[daar náysh’n] interjection

exclamation:
used instead of a swearword to express anger, disappointment, or frustration (dated
informal) • Darnation! I just hit
my thumb again.
noun

expression of annoyance:
used to give emphasis to a question asked in irritation (dated informal)
• Where
in darnation did I put that bag of corn?[1]



darned

darned
darned 
[daarnd] adjective

term
of denial:
used instead of a swearword to express surprise, bafflement, disavowal, or
refusal (informal) • I’ll
be darned if I know.
adjective
adverb

(informal) See darn 2[1]



darnedest

darnedest
darned·est
[drndəst] adjective

oddest:
used to emphasize or draw to somebody’s attention something that is unusual or
out of the ordinary (informal)[1]



darnel

darnel
dar·nel
[drn’l] noun

weedy
grass:
a type of grass commonly found growing as a weed in grain fields in Europe and
Asia. Genus: Lolium
[Early 14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Walloon darnelle, a form found in a regional
dialect.][1]



darning

darning
darn·ing
[drning] noun

1.  mending
holes in clothes: the work of repairing holes in clothes
with long interwoven stitches

2.  clothing
in need of mending: clothes that need to be
darned

[1]



darningneedle

darningneedle
darn·ing
nee·dle 
(plural darn·ing nee·dles) noun

1.  SEWING needle
used for darning: a long needle with a large eye, used in
darning

2.  INSECTS insect:
a dragonfly (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense “dragonfly,” darning needle is
  Northern, being found from New England to the Pacific states including
  California. The expanded form devil’s darning needle occurs across the
  same territory, but less frequently. Neither term has currency in the
  Midlands, where snake feeder and snake doctor identify the
  dragonfly, as do mosquito hawk and skeeter hawk in the lower
  South.

[1]



Darnley,Henry Stewart

Darnley,Henry Stewart
Darn·ley
[drnlee], Henry Stewart, Lord (1545–1567)

Scottish nobleman. He was the
second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and father of James VI of Scotland, who
later became James I of England.[1]



DARPA

DARPA
DARPA
[drpə]

Abbreviation of
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency[1]



Darrow,Clarence

Darrow,Clarence

Dar·row 
[dérrō], Clarence (1857–1938)
U.S.
lawyer. A defender of the “underdog” in controversial legal cases, he is best
known for his defense of John T. Scopes, a schoolteacher charged in Tennessee
with having violated a law banning the teaching of evolutionary theory in the
public schools (1925).
Full name
Darrow, Clarence Seward[1]



dart

dart

dart 
[daart] noun (plural darts)

1.  DARTS missile
used in darts: a short weighted arrow with a long
slender point, a tapered tubular body, and plastic or metal fins that is thrown
at a dartboard in the game of darts

2.  ARMS missile
used as weapon: a small arrow with a point at one end
and feathers or fins at the other that can be thrown, shot from a blowgun, or
scattered by an exploding bomb

3.  ZOOLOGY pointed,
projecting part or organ: a pointed, projecting part
used, for example, to penetrate tissue, or, in some species of snail, in mating

4.  fast
move:
a sudden quick movement • He
made a dart for the door.

5.  SEWING stitched
tapering fold: a tapering fold sewn into a garment to
make it fit, for example, at the waist or bust
verb (past
dart·ed, past participle dart·ed, present participle
dart·ing, 3rd person present singular darts)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
swiftly:
to move suddenly and quickly • The
little fish darted under a stone.

2.  transitive
verb
make
something move quickly: to move, extend, or direct
something quickly and suddenly • She
darted a meaningful glance at her husband across the table.
[14th century. Via Old French
from a prehistoric Germanic word, from, ultimately, an Indo-European word
meaning “sharp.”][1]



dartboard

dartboard
dart·board 
[drt bàwrd] (plural dart·boards)
noun

round target used in darts:
a round piece of wood or similar material marked with twenty radiating numbered
segments and a bull’s eye in the center, used as a target in the game of darts[1]



darter

darter
dart·er 
[drtər] (plural dart·ers) noun

1.  N
American fish: a small brightly colored fast-moving
freshwater fish of the perch family, found in eastern North America. Family:
Percidae

2.  U.K.

Also
called
snakebird See anhinga

3.  somebody
or something that darts: somebody or something that
moves quickly and suddenly

[1]



darting

darting
dart·ing
[drting] adjective

quick:
swift and sudden, or making swift and sudden movements • the
darting movements of the dancers’ feet
—dart·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Dartmouth

Dartmouth
Dart·mouth 
[drtməth]

town in southeastern
Massachusetts, near Buzzards Bay, southwest of New Bedford. Population: 28,100
(1996)[1]



darts

darts
darts
[daarts] noun

game of throwing missiles at
target: an indoor game in which
players take turns throwing arrow-shaped missiles ( darts
) from a set distance at a circular board ( dartboard
) placed at about eye level on a wall (takes a singular verb)[1]



Darvon

Darvon
Dar·von
[dr vòn] Trademark

a trademark for propoxyphene
hydrochloride[1]



Darwin

Darwin
Dar·win
[drwən]

coastal city in northern
Australia, capital of the Northern Territory. It was devastated by Cyclone
Tracy in 1974. Population: 70,251 (1996)[1]



Darwin,Charles

Darwin,Charles

Dar·win
[drwən], Charles (1809–1882)
British
scientist. He laid the foundation for modern evolutionary theory and wrote the
highly controversial On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
( 1859 ). He wrote many other books on the natural sciences, including The
Volcanic Islands ( 1844 ) and The Descent of Man ( 1871 ).
Full name
Darwin, Charles Robert[1]



Darwinian

Darwinian
Dar·win·i·an 
[daar wínnee ən] (plural Dar·win·i·ans)
adjective

relating
to Darwin or his theory: relating to the 19th-century
British naturalist Charles Darwin or his theory of evolution
—Dar·win·i·an, noun[1]



Darwiniantheory

Darwiniantheory
Dar·win·i·an
the·o·ry
noun

theory of evolution:
the theory, first developed by the 19th-century British naturalist Charles
Darwin, that species of living things originate, evolve, and survive through
natural selection in response to environmental forces.
Also called
Darwinism[1]



Darwinism

Darwinism
Dar·win·ism 
[drwi nìzzəm] noun

1.  See
Darwinian theory

2.  support
for Darwin’s theory: belief in or advocacy of
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution
—Dar·win·ist (plural
Dar·win·ists), noun, adjective[1]



Darwin’sfinches

Darwin’sfinches
Dar·win’s
finch·es
plural noun

finches of Galapagos Islands:
the birds of the Galapagos Islands on which Charles Darwin based his theory of
evolution through observation of their feeding habits and corresponding
differences in bill structure. Subfamily: Geospizinae[1]



dash

dash
dash
[dash] noun (plural dash·es)

1.  GRAMMAR punctuation
mark:
a short horizontal line used as a punctuation mark, often in place of a comma
or colon, or as a sign that certain letters or words have been omitted

2.  COMMUNICATION Morse
symbol:
a short horizontal line representing a long sound or flash of light in written
transcriptions of Morse code

3.  rush:
a quick purposeful movement by a person or a group of people in any direction • There
was a dash for the exit as soon as the alarm was raised.

4.  SPORT race:
a short-distance running race

5.  small
quantity added: a small quantity of something added to
something else, for example, to improve the flavor of food or drink or to
enliven speech or writing • A dash
of common sense would make his arguments a lot more convincing.

6.  vigor
and verve:
a combination of vigor, daring, and style in the way a person acts • She
carried it off with a certain amount of dash.

7.  AUTOMOBILES dashboard:
the instrument panel of a car (informal)

8.  quick
stroke:
a quick and often violent movement, blow, or stroke • with
a dash of her arm
verb
(past dashed, past participle dashed, present
participle dash·ing, 3rd person present singular dash·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
hurry:
to run, move, or travel fast or hastily • He
dashed off to catch his plane.

2.  transitive
verb
knock
or throw something violently: to knock or throw something
with a sudden violent sweep or blow (formal) • She
dashed the papers down on the desk in anger.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb smash:
to break or throw something or to be broken or thrown, usually against a hard
surface (formal) • The
waves were dashing against the sea wall.

4.  transitive
verb
ruin
something:
to frustrate or destroy something (often passive) • The
new crisis has dashed all hopes of a speedy return to democratic government.

5.  transitive
verb
discourage
somebody:
to make somebody feel discouraged or intimidated (usually passive) • I
felt more than a little dashed by the ease with which she had refuted my
arguments.

6.  transitive
verb
add
small amount to something: to alter, improve, or flavor
with a small amount of another substance (often passive) • tonic
water dashed with bitters

7.  transitive
verb
exclaim
against something or somebody: used to express
annoyance or dissatisfaction with something or somebody (dated informal)
• Dash
it, I’ve already paid the man!
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse (compare Swedish daska “to slap,
beat”). Originally a verb meaning “to smash to pieces”; the meaning evolved via
the idea of quick movement.][1]



dashboard

dashboard
dash·board 
[dásh bàwrd] (plural dash·boards)
noun

1.  panel
in front of driver: a panel in front of the
driver of a vehicle or the pilot of a small aircraft or boat that contains
various indicator dials, switches, and controls

2.  mudguard
on carriage: a board, panel, or screen to protect the
driver of a horse-drawn carriage from being splashed with mud
[Mid-19th century. From dash in the obsolete sense “to splash, spatter.”][1]



dasheen

dasheen
da·sheen 
[da shn] noun Caribbean

1.  See
taro

2.  boiled
tubers:
tubers of the dasheen plant, usually boiled for eating
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French (chou) de Chine “Chinese
(cabbage).”][1]



dasher

dasher
dash·er 
[dáshər] (plural dash·ers) noun

agitator:
a device that agitates or stirs the contents of a churn or ice-cream maker[1]



dashi

dashi
da·shi 
[dshee] noun

broth
or stock:
a clear broth or stock, usually made from fish
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



dashiki

dashiki
da·shi·ki 
[də shkee] (plural da·shi·kis)
or dai·shi·ki [dī shkee] (plural
dai·shi·kis) or da·she·ki [də
shékee] (plural da·she·kis) noun

African-style
shirt:
a man’s brightly colored loose-fitting buttonless garment resembling a long
shirt, worn mainly in Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Yoruba danshiki .][1]



dashing

dashing
dash·ing 
[dáshing] adjective

1.  spirited:
confident and full of bravado and spirit (dated) • a
dashing young officer

2.  smart:
smart and stylish • That’s a rather dashing
outfit, if I may say so.
—dash·ing·ly,
adverb

—dash·ing·ness, noun[1]



dashoff

dashoff
dash
off
transitive verb

create something quickly:
to write, draw, or compose something in a great hurry (informal) • She
dashed off a note to her secretary before leaving the office.[1]



dashpot

dashpot
dash·pot 
[dásh pòt] (plural dash·pots) noun

vibration-damping device:
a device consisting of a piston inside a fluid-filled cylinder that absorbs or
dampens vibrations in a mechanism[1]



dassie

dassie
das·sie 
[dássee] (plural das·sies) noun

ZOOLOGY See hyrax
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch dasje, literally “small badger,” from das
“badger.”][1]



dastard

dastard
das·tard 
[dástərd] (plural das·tards) noun

mean
coward:
somebody who is cowardly, mean, and treacherous (archaic)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from Middle English dast, a form of the past
participle of daze + -ard . The original meaning was “unintelligent person.”][1]



dastardly

dastardly
das·tard·ly 
[dástərdlee] adjective

nasty:
used to refer humorously or melodramatically to somebody or something mean,
treacherous, and cowardly • a
dastardly deed
—das·tard·li·ness, noun[1]



dasyure

dasyure
das·y·ure 
[dássi yr] (plural das·y·ures)
noun

small
Australian animal: a small usually carnivorous
marsupial found in Australia, Tasmania, and neighboring islands. Subfamily:
Dasyurinae
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from modern Latin dasyurus, from Greek dasus “rough, hairy” + oura
“tail.”][1]



dat.

dat.
dat.

Abbreviation of
dative[1]



DAT

DAT
DAT 
[d ay t, dat]

Abbreviation of
digital audiotape[1]



data

data2
da·ta2

Plural of
datum[1]



data

data1
da·ta1  [dáytə,
dáttə] noun (takes a singular or
plural verb)

1.  factual
information: information, often in the form of facts
or figures obtained from experiments or surveys, used as a basis for making
calculations or drawing conclusions

2.  COMPUTING information
for computer processing: information, for example,
numbers, text, images, and sounds, in a form that is suitable for storage in or
processing by a computer
[Mid-17th
century. From the plural of Latin datum, neuter past participle of dare
“to give, grant” (source of English condone
and vendor ). The original English
meaning was “accepted assumptions, premises.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Singular
  or plural?
  Use
  of the term data has grown apace with the
  use of computer technology and of statistical methods. Because the word’s
  meaning is much like that of the singular noun information, and
  because its Latin -a plural announces the word’s plural status to us
  less plainly than a final s would, it is often treated as if it were
  singular. This use is extremely common, and few perceive it as wrong these
  days, especially given the word’s connotation of a collection or single unit
  made up of many informational subunits. All the same, in highly formal
  English, use of data as a singular is best
  avoided. According to the traditional view, • Our
  data have been assembled over a number of years
  would be correct, and constructions such as • very
  little data, • The
  data shows…, and • a
  great deal of data would be regarded as
  incorrect.

[1]



databank

databank
da·ta
bank
(plural da·ta banks) noun

1.  store
of information: a large store of information, especially
one that is kept in or available to a computer, sometimes consisting of a
number of databases

2.  See
database

[1]



database

database
da·ta·base 
[dáytə bàyss] (past da·ta·based,
past participle da·ta·based, present participle da·ta·bas·ing,
3rd person present singular da·ta·bas·es, plural da·ta·bas·es)
noun

collection of data on
computer: a systematically arranged
collection of computer data, structured so that it can be automatically
retrieved or manipulated.
Also called
data bank[1]



databasemanagement system

databasemanagement system
da·ta·base
man·age·ment sys·tem (plural da·ta·base
man·age·ment sys·tems) noun

software for computer
database: a computer program devised
to design, create, manipulate, update, control, and interrogate one or more
databases, often containing a proprietary query language for extracting data[1]



datacapture

datacapture
da·ta
cap·ture
noun

collecting and entering
computer data: the collecting of data
and entering of it in a computer, or the conversion of data into a form that
can be input into a computer[1]



datacompression

datacompression
da·ta
com·pres·sion noun

reduction in data size:
the encoding of data so that it requires less disk space for storage and
transmission[1]



dataglove

dataglove
da·ta·glove
[dáytə glùv, dáttə
glùv] (plural da·ta·gloves) noun

glove used in virtual
reality: a glove equipped with
sensors that feed spatial and tactile data to a computer, allowing the wearer
to manipulate and explore environments in virtual reality[1]



datamining

datamining
da·ta
min·ing
noun

search for hidden
information: the locating of
previously unknown patterns and relationships within data using a database
application, for example, the locating of customers with common interests in a
retail establishment’s database[1]



dataprocessing

dataprocessing
da·ta
proc·ess·ing  noun

operations on computer data:
the entering, storing, updating, and retrieving of information, using a
computer[1]



dataprotection

dataprotection
da·ta
pro·tec·tion noun

1.  prevention
of misuse of computer data: legal safeguards to prevent
the misuse of information stored on a computer, particularly information
relating to individuals

2.  installation
of safeguards for computer data: the adoption of
administrative, technical, or physical deterrents to safeguard the privacy,
integrity, and security of computer data

[1]



datasuperhighway

datasuperhighway
data
superhighway noun

See
information superhighway[1]



datawarehouse

datawarehouse
da·ta
ware·house
(plural da·ta ware·hous·es) noun

database for commercial
analysis: a database or collection of
databases from different areas of a commercial organization used as a tool for
analyzing overall business strategy as opposed to routine operations[1]



date

date2
date2 [dayt]
(plural dates) noun

1.  FOOD small
oval fruit:
the dark-colored oval edible fruit of the date palm tree. It has sweet flesh
and a single hard narrow seed.

2.  TREES See date palm
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek daktulos “finger or toe, date”; from the
resemblance of dates to fingers or toes or of the date palm’s leaves to a
hand.][1]



date

date1
date1 [dayt]
noun (plural dates)

1.  TIME day,
month, and year: a phrase or string of numbers that
denotes a particular day of the month or year. It usually consists of the name
or number of the month, the number of the day, and the number of the year.

2.  TIME time
of an event: a date used to locate a past or future event
in time • The
concert has been postponed to a later date.

3.  visual
representation of date: the words or numbers of a
date in the form of a written statement or inscription, for example, on a
document or coin • There’s no date on this
letter.

4.  period:
the period during which something such as a work of art was created • This
has much in common with other artifacts of that date.

5.  appointment:
an appointment to meet somebody for a social or business activity • I’ve
got a dinner date with a client.

6.  romantic
appointment: a social or romantic engagement with a
person • I
thought we had a date tonight.

7.  partner
on date:
somebody with whom a date has been arranged • My
date stood me up.

8.  ARTS commitment
to perform:
an engagement to give a performance • Our
band has a date to play at the Coliseum.
plural
noun
dates

dates of birth and death:
the years of somebody’s birth and death • Do
you happen to know Thomas Jefferson’s dates?
verb
(past dat·ed, past participle dat·ed, present
participle dat·ing, 3rd person present singular dates)

1.  transitive
verb
put
date on something: to mark something with a
date, usually the current date • Please
sign and date the contract.

2.  transitive
verb
assign
date to something: to find out or state the
time or period when something was made • The
early works of Shakespeare are rather difficult to date precisely.

3.  intransitive
verb
originate:
to have an origin in a particular time in the past • We
have records dating back to the 16th century.

4.  intransitive
verb
go
out of style: to become old-fashioned • This
is a classic style and won’t date.

5.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something seem old: to reveal the age of
somebody or something, or to make somebody or something seem old-fashioned • The
shape of the headlights dates the car.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb go on
dates with somebody: to go out regularly with
somebody as a social or romantic partner • We
dated for a few months.
[14th
century. Ultimately from medieval Latin data, literally “given,” past
participle of Latin dare (see data 1 ); from “(epistola) data
Romae,” literally “(letter) given at Rome,” with the day and month appended.]
—date·a·ble,
adjective
to
date

up to the present time[1]



dated

dated
dat·ed 
[dáytəd] adjective

1.  old-fashioned:
no longer used or in vogue, often having been current or fashionable in the
recent past

2.  showing
a date:
with a date marked or written on it

[1]



dateless

dateless
date·less 
[dáytləss] adjective

1.  timeless:
unlikely to become old-fashioned or obsolete

2.  limitless:
with no limit in time (archaic or literary) “For precious friends hid in
death’s dateless night” William Shakespeare Sonnets 1609

[1]



dateline

dateline
date·line 
[dáyt ln] (plural date·lines)
noun

line giving date and
location: a line at the head of a
newspaper article or similar item giving the date and place of writing[1]



DateLine

DateLine
Date
Line
noun

See
International Date Line[1]



datepalm

datepalm

date palm
(plural date palms) noun
tree that produces dates:
a tall palm tree with feathery fronds, originally from North Africa and West
Asia, cultivated for its edible fruit. Latin name: Phoenix dactylifera
Also called
date 2 noun
2[1]



daterape

daterape
date
rape
noun

rape
committed during or after date: an act of rape
committed on a person during or after a date
—date-rape, transitive
verb[1]



daterape drug

daterape drug
date
rape drug
noun

drug used to incapacitate
somebody: a drug such as gamma hydroxy
butyrate that causes unconsciousness and memory loss, thereby making
identification of somebody’s attacker more difficult (informal)
Also called
GHB[1]



datestamp

datestamp
date
stamp
(plural date stamps) noun

stamp
marking date: a rubber stamp used to mark the date on
something, or the date marked by such a stamp
—date-stamp, transitive
verb[1]



datingbar

datingbar
dat·ing
bar 
(plural dat·ing bars) noun

See
singles bar[1]



dative

dative
da·tive 
[dáytiv] noun (plural da·tives)

1.  grammatical
form:
a grammatical form ( case ) of nouns,
pronouns, and other parts of speech in some languages that indicates the
indirect object of a verb or is used after certain prepositions

2.  word:
a word in the dative
adjective

in the dative:
in or relating to the dative
[15th century. From Latin dativus
“of giving” (formed from dat-, past participle stem of dare “to
give”; see data 1 ), used in
the phrase dativus casus “dative case.”][1]



dativebond

dativebond
da·tive
bond
(plural da·tive bonds) noun

CHEMISTRY See coordinate bond
[From the fact that one of
the atoms gives up or yields electrons to another atom to form the bond][1]



datolite

datolite
da·to·lite 
[dátt’l t] noun

mineral
found in igneous rocks: a hydrated silicate of
calcium and boron found in cavities in basalt and other igneous rocks. CaBSiO4(OH)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek dateisthai “to divide” + -o- + -lite
; from the divisions between its crystals.][1]



datum

datum
da·tum 
[dáytəm, dáttəm]
(plural da·ta [dáytə, dáttə]) noun

1.  item
of information: a single piece of information

2.  LOGIC given
fact:
a known or assumed fact that is used as the basis for a theory, conclusion, or
inference

3.  (plural
da·tums) MAPS point
of reference: a point, line, or surface used as a
basis for measurement or calculation in mapping or surveying
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
(see data 1 ).][1]



datumline

datumline
da·tum
line
(plural da·tum lines) or da·tum lev·el (plural
da·tum lev·els) or da·tum plane (plural da·tum
planes) noun

line of reference:
the horizontal plane or line from which all other heights and depths are
measured or calculated on a map or chart[1]



DATV

DATV
DATV

Abbreviation of
digitally assisted television[1]



daub

daub
daub 
[dawb] verb (past daubed,
past participle daubed, present participle daub·ing,
3rd person present singular daubs)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something on blotchily: to put or spread a
semiliquid substance, for example, mud, paint, or cream, on a surface in a
crude, hurried, or irregular way • They
had daubed slogans all over the walls.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PAINTING paint crudely:
to paint or apply paint crudely and inexpertly
noun
(plural daubs)

1.  blotch:
a crude patch, splash, or smear of a semiliquid substance on something

2.  bad
painting:
a painting that is considered to be badly or inexpertly done “When he first
came to Rome he painted worthless daubs and gave no promise of talent.” Henry
James Roderick Hudson 1876

3.  CONSTRUCTION substance
for daubing: a mixture of clay, lime, and chopped
straw plastered onto interwoven rods or twigs to make a wall.
See
also
wattle and daub
[14th
century. Via Old French dauber from Latin dealbare “to whiten
over, plaster,” from albare “to whiten,” from albus “white”
(source of English album ).]
—daub·y, adjective[1]



daube

daube
daube 
[dōb] (plural daubes) noun

braised
stew:
a dish of braised meat or vegetables, especially a traditional French dish of
beef braised in wine
[Early 18th century. By folk
etymology (from daub ) from French daube,
via Italian dobba from Catalan a la adoba “stewed,” ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to strike.”][1]



dauber

dauber
daub·er 
[dáwbbər] (plural daub·ers) noun

unskilled painter:
a very bad or inexpert painter[1]



daughter

daughter
daugh·ter 
[dáwtər] noun (plural daugh·ters)

1.  female
child:
somebody’s female child

2.  woman
or girl connected with place: a woman or girl considered
as a product of a place or institution (formal) • Daughters
of the American Revolution

3.  product
of something: something produced by or issuing from
something else (literary) • Truth
is the daughter of time.

4.  descendant:
a woman or girl descendant (literary) • a
daughter of Eve

5.  PHYSICS nuclide
formed by radioactive decay: a nuclide formed from an
element by radioactive decay
adjective

1.  formed
from something else: formed by or from a similar
thing, usually retaining close links with it and sometimes remaining
subordinate to it

2.  SCIENCE being
an offspring: produced by a process of reproduction,
replication, or division
[Old
English dohtor . Via a prehistoric Germanic word, which also produced
Dutch dochter, German Tochter, and Swedish dotter, from an
Indo-European word with descendants in Sanskrit duhtiṛ and Greek thugatēr
.]
—daugh·ter·less, adjective[1]



daughterboard

daughterboard
daugh·ter·board
[dáwtər bàwrd] (plural daugh·ter·boards)
noun

auxiliary printed circuit
board: a printed circuit board that
plugs into the motherboard of a computer, usually to improve the performance of
a system[1]



daughtercell

daughtercell
daugh·ter
cell
(plural daugh·ter cells) noun

cell produced by cell
division: either of the identical
cells produced when a living cell divides[1]



daughter-in-law

daughter-in-law
daugh·ter-in-law 
(plural daugh·ters-in-law) noun

son’s wife:
the wife of your son[1]



daughterly

daughterly
daugh·ter·ly 
[dáwtərlee] adjective

like
that of a daughter: typical or expected of a
daughter • She
came to regard the distinguished professor with an almost daughterly affection.
—daugh·ter·li·ness, noun[1]



Daughtersof the American Revolution

Daughtersof the American Revolution
Daugh·ters
of the A·mer·i·can Rev·o·lu·tion plural noun

women’s patriotic society:
a women’s patriotic society founded in 1890 by descendants of those who fought
in the American Revolution. It has about 200,000 members and is based in
Washington.[1]



daunt

daunt
daunt 
[dawnt] (past daunt·ed, past
participle daunt·ed, present participle daunt·ing, 3rd
person present singular daunts) transitive verb

frighten
somebody:
to make somebody feel anxious, intimidated, or discouraged (usually passive)
• The
scale of the task would have daunted even the most experienced organizer.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman daunter from Latin domitare “to tame.”]
—daunt·er, noun[1]



daunting

daunting
daunt·ing 
[dáwnting] adjective

disheartening:
likely to discourage, intimidate, or frighten somebody • You’ll
find the task less daunting if you divide it up into manageable sections.
—daunt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



dauntless

dauntless
daunt·less 
[dáwntləss] adjective

unaccustomed
to fear:
unlikely or unable to be frightened or discouraged (literary) • We
remember with admiration their dauntless courage and optimism.
—daunt·less·ly,
adverb

—daunt·less·ness, noun[1]



dauphin

dauphin
dau·phin 
[dō fn] (plural dau·phins) noun

crown
prince of France: in former times, the eldest son of the
king of France and the direct heir to the throne
[15th century. Via French,
literally “dolphin,” from Old French daulphin (see dolphin ).][1]



dauphine

dauphine
dau·phine 
[daw fn, dō fn]
(plural dau·phines) noun

dauphin’s
wife:
the wife of the dauphin
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the feminine form of dauphin (see dauphin
).][1]



DAV

DAV
DAV

Abbreviation of
Disabled American Veterans[1]



daven

daven
dav·en
[dvən] (past dav·ened, past
participle dav·ened, present participle dav·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular dav·ens) intransitive verb JUDAISM

1.  recite
Jewish prayers: to recite prayers from the Jewish
liturgies

2.  lead
prayers:
to lead Jewish prayers
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish davnen “to pray.”][1]



davenport

davenport
dav·en·port 
[dávvən pàwrt] (plural dav·en·ports)
noun

1.  large
sofa:
a large well-upholstered sofa, especially one that can be converted into a bed

2.  writing
desk:
an ornamental writing desk with a sloping top and drawers in its sides
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for the craftsman who produced it, or one Captain Davenport,
said by some to have ordered a writing desk with these features.][1]



Davenport

Davenport
Dav·en·port 
[dávvən pàwrt]

city in eastern Iowa, on the
western bank of the Mississippi River. Population: 97,010 (1996)[1]



David

David
Da·vid 
[dáy vid], King of Judah

During his reign (1000-962 BC ), he defeated the Philistines,
conquered Jerusalem, and became the ruler of Israel.[1]



Davidson,Jo

Davidson,Jo
Da·vid·son 
[dáyvidsən], Jo (1883–1952)

U.S. sculptor. He is known
for his busts of Woodrow Wilson and Albert Einstein.[1]



Davies,Arthur B.

Davies,Arthur B.
Da·vies
[dáyveez], Arthur B. (1862–1928)

U.S.
painter. He was one of the early exponents of modern art, including cubism, and
a member of an antiacademic group of artists known as The Eight.
Full name
Davies, Arthur Bowen[1]



Davies,Robertson

Davies,Robertson
Da·vies
[dáyveez], Robertson (1913–1995)

Canadian novelist, essayist,
and playwright. His books include The Salterton Trilogy ( 1951–1958 ), The
Deptford Trilogy ( 1970–1975 ), and The Cornish Trilogy ( 1981–1988
). What’s Bred in the Bone ( 1985 ) was short-listed for the Booker
Prize.[1]



Davis

Davis1
Da·vis1  [dáyviss]

city in central California,
west of Sacramento and northeast of San Francisco. Population: 52,321 (1996)[1]



Davis,Alexander Jackson

Davis,Alexander Jackson
Da·vis
[dáyviss], Alexander Jackson (1803–1892)

U.S. architect. He was in the
vanguard of the Greek Revival movement, designing many public buildings and
state capitols in neoclassical style.[1]



Davis,Benjamin Oliver, Jr.

Davis,Benjamin Oliver, Jr.
Da·vis
[dáyviss], Benjamin Oliver, Jr. (1912– )

U.S. pilot. He flew with the
Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and became the first African American general
in the U.S. air force (1954).[1]



Davis,Bette

Davis,Bette
Da·vis
[dáyviss], Bette (1908–1989)

U.S.
movie actor. She won the Academy Award for best actress for Dangerous (
1935 ) and Jezebel ( 1938 ).
Full name
Davis, Ruth Elizabeth[1]



DavisCup

DavisCup
Da·vis
Cup
noun

1.  international
men’s tennis competition: an annual international
men’s tennis competition for which a trophy is awarded to the winning nation

2.  trophy
given as prize: the trophy awarded to the winning nation
in the Davis Cup competition
[Early 20th century. Named
for Dwight Filley Davis, U.S. tennis player and government official, who
donated the trophy.][1]



Davis,Jefferson

Davis,Jefferson

Da·vis
[dáyviss], Jefferson (1808–1889)
U.S. statesman. He was the first and only
president of the Confederate States of America (1861–1865).[1]



Davis,John

Davis,John
Da·vis
[dáyviss] or Da·vys, John
(1550?–1605)

English navigator. While
searching for a northwestern route between Europe and the Indies, he sailed
through the present-day Davis Strait (1587).[1]



Davis,Miles

Davis,Miles

Da·vis
[dáyviss], Miles (1926–1991)
U.S.
trumpet player and band leader. A consummate improviser, he pioneered a more
understated form of bebop known as “cool jazz.” He was also noted for
incorporating electronic instruments into jazz and combining jazz and rock.
Full name
Miles Dewey Davis III[1]



Davis,Ossie

Davis,Ossie
Da·vis
[dáyviss], Ossie (1917– )

U.S. actor and playwright. He
starred in the movie The Hill ( 1964 ) and wrote the play Purlie
Victorious ( 1961 ).[1]



DavisStrait

DavisStrait
Da·vis
Strait

body of water separating
Baffin Island, Canada, from Greenland, and forming the entrance to Baffin Bay.
Depth: 3,660 m/11,900 ft.[1]



Davis,Stuart

Davis,Stuart
Da·vis 
[dáyviss], Stuart (1894–1964)

U.S. painter. Known as the
first abstract painter in the United States, he developed his distinctive style
from Cubism and his love of jazz.[1]



davit

davit

dav·it 
[dávvit] (plural dav·its) noun
small
crane:
a small crane at the side of a ship’s deck, especially one of a pair of curved
metal posts with tackle attached for suspending and lowering a lifeboat
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman daviot, daviet, literally “little David,” from the male
name Davi “David.”][1]



Davos

Davos
Dav·os
[daa vṓss]

mountain resort in Graubünden
Canton, eastern Switzerland. Population: 10,500 (1992)[1]



DavyJones

DavyJones
Da·vy
Jones 
[dàyvee jṓnz] noun

sea
personified: the personification of the sea
[Origin unknown][1]



DavyJones’s locker

DavyJones’s locker
Da·vy
Jones’s lock·er  noun

bottom
of the sea:
the bottom of the sea, especially considered as the final resting place of
drowned sailors or sunken ships (informal)
[Early 18th century. Davy
Jones “Evil Spirit of the Sea” (in sailors’ parlance); locker is a sea chest;
the phrase “laid in the lockers” was a nautical metaphor for “dead.”][1]



Davylamp

Davylamp
Da·vy
lamp
(plural Da·vy lamps) noun

U.K.
MINING a portable oil-burning
lamp, formerly used by miners, in which the flame is protected by metal gauze
to prevent it from igniting explosive gases underground
[Early 19th century. Named
for Sir Humphry Davy, who invented it.][1]



daw

daw
daw 
[daw] (plural daws) noun

jackdaw:
a jackdaw (archaic or regional)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Old English dawe, which came from a
prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German Dohle “jackdaw.”][1]



dawdle

dawdle
daw·dle 
[dáwd’l] (past daw·dled, past
participle daw·dled, present participle daw·dling, 3rd
person present singular daw·dles) intransitive verb

1.  move
slowly:
to walk or move slowly and reluctantly or idly • We’ll
get there in time if you don’t dawdle.

2.  waste
time:
to spend far more time than is necessary in doing something • We
dawdled over lunch and it was three o’clock before we left the restaurant.
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a dialectal form of daddle, from
dadder “to walk unsteadily, walk like a child, dawdle.”]
—daw·dler
(plural daw·dlers), noun

—daw·dling,
noun, adjective

—daw·dling·ly, adverb[1]



Dawes,Charles Gates

Dawes,Charles Gates

Dawes 
[dawz], Charles Gates (1865–1951)
U.S. financier and statesman. Originally
a banker, he served as vice president (1925–1929) under the Republican Calvin
Coolidge.[1]



dawn

dawn
dawn 
[dawn] noun (plural dawns)

1.  daybreak:
the first appearance of light in the sky as the sun rises at the beginning of a
new day

2.  beginning:
the beginning of something, especially a period of time or history • the
dawn of the industrial era
intransitive
verb
(past dawned, past participle dawned, present
participle dawn·ing, 3rd person present singular dawns)

1.  begin:
to begin, as the sun rises and light appears in the sky • The
day dawned cloudy and wet.

2.  become
apparent:
to begin to be perceived • The
realization dawned that few of them would survive.

3.  commence:
to begin to develop (literary)
[15th century. The verb is a
back-formation from dawning ; the noun arose
from the verb in the late 16th century.][1]



dawnchorus

dawnchorus
dawn
cho·rus
(plural dawn cho·rus·es) noun

1.  birdsong
at daybreak: the loud singing of many birds as the
first light of day appears in the sky

2.  noise
in early morning: any loud sound, especially from a number
of different sources, occurring very early in the morning (humorous) • a
dawn chorus of power drills and hammering

[1]



dawning

dawning
dawn·ing
[dáwnning] noun (plural dawn·ings)

beginning
of day or age: the beginning of a new day or of a new
period of time or history • with
the dawning of the computer age
adjective

developing:
beginning to appear, develop, or be perceived
[13th century. Alteration of
obsolete dawing, from obsolete daw “to dawn,” literally “to
become day” (related to English day
).][1]



dawnon

dawnon
dawn
on
transitive verb

become clear to somebody:
to come into somebody’s mind or consciousness • It
was some time before the seriousness of the situation dawned on them.[1]



dawnraid

dawnraid
dawn
raid
(plural dawn raids) noun

1.  MILITARY surprise
attack:
a surprise attack on enemy troops at dawn

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE takeover
strategy:
a surprise attempt to buy a large number of a company’s shares at the start of
a day’s trading, especially as a first stage in a takeover bid

[1]



dawnredwood

dawnredwood
dawn
red·wood
(plural dawn red·woods) noun

ornamental conifer:
a deciduous tree with flat leaves and small round cones that is native to China
and widely grown elsewhere as an ornamental. Latin name: Metasequoia
glyptostroboides
Also called
metasequoia[1]



DawsonCreek

DawsonCreek
Daw·son
Creek

city located on the British
Columbia-Alberta border, Canada, and the starting point of the Alaska Highway.
Population: 11,125 (1996)[1]



Dawson,John William

Dawson,John William
Daw·son
[dáwss’n], Sir John William (1820–1899)

Canadian geologist. He worked
mainly with plant fossils and wrote Acadian Geology ( 1855 ).[1]



DAX

DAX
DAX
[daks] noun

German stock index:
a stock index on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Full form Deutsche
Aktienindex[1]



day

day
day 
[day] (plural days) noun

1.  TIME 24
hours:
a period of 24 hours, usually beginning and ending at midnight

2.  sunrise
to sunset:
the part of a 24-hour period when it is light, between sunrise and sunset

3.  time
of activity: the part of a 24-hour period when
somebody is working or active • I work
an 8-hour day.

4.  indefinite
period or point in time: a time or period of time in
the past, present, or future • One of
these days we’ll get around to painting the house.

5.  time
of fame:
the time when a particular person or thing is well-known, popular, successful,
or effective • In
her day she was one of our best-known Shakespearean actors.

6.  life
or existence: the time when a particular person or
thing is active or in existence • In my
day we had to work on Saturday mornings.

7.  ASTRONOMY TIME period
of Earth’s rotation about axis: a unit of time equal
to the Earth’s period of rotation about its axis, measured either relative to
the Sun solar day or the stars sidereal day

8.  ASTRONOMY period
of planet’s rotation about axis: the period of time in
which a planet revolves once on its axis
[Old
English dæg . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin fovere “to warm.” The underlying sense is “time when
the sun is hot.”]
call
it a day

to
finish work or stop doing something

carry
or win the day

to
gain a victory

day
after day

for
several or many days in a row

day
by day

1.  each
consecutive day

2.  progressively

day
in, day out

every
day without exception and all day long

in
this day and age

nowadays,
as opposed to past times and customs

make
somebody’s day

to
make somebody very happy

name
the day

to
set a date for something, typically a wedding

save
the day

to
prevent defeat or disaster

somebody’s
or something’s days are numbered

somebody
or something will not survive much longer

[1]



Dayak

Dayak
Day·ak 
[d àk] (plural Day·aks or
Day·ak) or Dy·ak [d àk]
(plural Dy·aks or Dy·ak) noun

member
of native people of Borneo: a member of a Malaysian
people who live in the interior of Borneo and are noted for their communal long
houses
[Mid-19th century. From
Malay, literally “up-country.”][1]



Dayan

Dayan
Da·yan
[daa yn] noun

judge
of Jewish religious court: the title of the judge of
the Beth Din, a Jewish religious court
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew, formed from dān “to judge.”][1]



Dayan,Moshe

Dayan,Moshe

Da·yan 
[daa yn], Moshe (1915–1981)
Israeli general and statesman. He was
chief of Israel’s general staff (1953–1958) and defense minister (1967 and
1969–1974). He resigned after criticism over the Yom Kippur War (1973–1974),
but was foreign minister in 1977, resigning again in 1979 in protest over
Menachem Begin’s policies concerning the West Bank.[1]



daybed

daybed
day
bed 
(plural day beds) noun

1.  piece
of furniture for daytime rest: a couch or bed for
reclining on during the day

2.  sofa
convertible into bed: a sofa that can be converted
into a bed

[1]



dayblindness

dayblindness
day
blind·ness
noun

poor vision in bright light:
the inability to see clearly in bright light with comparatively good vision in
dim light. Technical name hemeralopia[1]



daybook

daybook
day·book 
[dáy bk] (plural day·books) noun

1.  ACCOUNTING accounts
book for daily records: a book in which financial
transactions are recorded day by day

2.  journal:
a diary or journal

[1]



daybreak

daybreak
day·break 
[dáy bràyk] noun

dawn:
the time when light first appears in the sky at the beginning of a day[1]



daycamp

daycamp
day
camp
(plural day camps) noun

children’s camp with daytime
activities: a camp that provides
activities and meals for children during the day but has no overnight
accommodations[1]



daycare

daycare
day·care 
[dáy kàir] noun

daytime care and supervision:
daytime supervision and recreational, training, or medical facilities for
preschool children, physically challenged people, or seniors wishing special
assistance[1]



Day,Clarence

Day,Clarence
Day 
[day], Clarence (1874–1935)

U.S.
humorist and essayist. He is known for the humorous autobiographical works Life
with Father ( 1935 ) and Life with Mother ( 1937 ).
Full name
Day, Clarence Shepard[1]



Day,Doris

Day,Doris
Day
[day], Doris (1924– )

U.S.
film actor and singer. She came to fame in the late 1950s with roles in light
musicals and romantic comedies such as Calamity Jane ( 1953 ) and Pillow
Talk ( 1959 ), for which she received an Academy Award nomination.
Born
Kappelhoff, Doris von[1]



daydream

daydream
day·dream 
[dáy drm] noun (plural day·dreams)

1.  dream
experienced while awake: a series of often
distracting and usually pleasant thoughts and images that pass through the mind
while awake

2.  unrealizable
hope or fantasy: a pleasant wish or hope that is unlikely
to be fulfilled
intransitive
verb
(past day·dreamed or day·dreamt, past participle
day·dreamed or day·dreamt, present participle day·dream·ing,
3rd person present singular day·dreams)

think distracting thoughts:
to have or indulge in daydreams
—day·dream·er,
noun

—day·dream·ing,
noun

—day·dream·y, adjective[1]



dayflower

dayflower
day·flow·er 
[dáy flòwr] (plural day·flow·ers)
noun

tropical
plant with short-lived flowers: a tropical plant with
narrow pointed leaves and blue or purplish flowers that soon wilt. Genus: Commelina
[Late 17th century. From the
fact that the flowers last for only one day.][1]



dayfly

dayfly
day·fly 
[dáy fl] (plural day·flies) noun

See
mayfly
[Early 17th century. From the
fact that the fly lives for only one day.][1]



Day-Glo

Day-Glo
Day-Glo
[dáy gl] Trademark

a trademark for fluorescent
dyes and coloring agents[1]



dayhop

dayhop
day·hop 
[dáy hòp] (plural day·hops) noun
(informal)

1.  day’s
journey:
a journey or distance that can be traveled within a day

2.  EDUCATION day
student:
somebody who studies at a boarding school or college but does not live there

[1]



dayjob

dayjob
day
job
noun

job for steady income:
a job that somebody does merely to earn an income while trying to achieve
success in another field, especially the arts (informal)[1]



daylaborer

daylaborer
day
la·bor·er
(plural day la·bor·ers) noun

worker hired by the day:
a manual worker who is hired and paid on a day-to-day basis[1]



Day-Lewis,Daniel

Day-Lewis,Daniel
Day-Le·wis
[day l iss], Daniel (1957– )

British-born Irish stage and
movie actor. He won an Academy Award for best actor in My Left Foot (
1989 ).[1]



daylight

daylight
day·light 
[dáy lt] noun

1.  sunlight:
natural light from the sun • Open
the curtains and let in some daylight.

2.  daytime:
the part of the day when it is light

3.  daybreak:
the time when light first appears in the sky at the beginning of a day

4.  public
awareness:
public knowledge, notice, or scrutiny • There
are some secrets that they would prefer not to have exposed to daylight.

5.  visible
gap:
a visible gap between competitors in a race, showing the lead that one has over
the other • There’s
definitely daylight now between the two boats as they approach the halfway
mark.

[1]



daylightrobbery

daylightrobbery
day·light
rob·ber·y
noun

(informal)
See highway robbery
[From the idea that the price
charged is outrageous enough to be considered a crime committed in full public
view][1]



daylight-savingtime

daylight-savingtime
day·light-sav·ing
time 
or day·light time noun

change in time during summer:
an adjustment of clock time to allow more hours of normal daylight. Clocks are
usually set one hour ahead of standard time to achieve this.[1]



daylily

daylily

day lil·y
(plural day lil·ies) noun
plant with short-lived flowers:
a perennial plant with large yellow, red, or orange flowers resembling those of
the lily. The individual flowers usually die after one day but are produced
over a period of time. Genus: Hemerocallis[1]



daylong

daylong
day·long 
[dáy làwng] adjective adverb

all day:
throughout the entire day[1]



day-neutral

day-neutral
day-neu·tral
adjective

not affected by day’s length:
used to describe plants that mature and flower unaffected by the length of the
daylight period they grow in[1]



daynursery

daynursery
day
nurs·er·y
(plural day nurs·er·ies) noun

nursery for preschool
children: a place where preschool
children are looked after during the daytime, usually while their parents are
at work.
Also called
nursery[1]



Dayof Atonement

Dayof Atonement
Day
of A·tone·ment noun

See
Yom Kippur[1]



dayoff

dayoff
day
off
(plural days off) noun

day free from work:
a day on which somebody does not have to work[1]



Dayof Judgment

Dayof Judgment
Day
of Judg·ment noun

See
Judgment Day[1]



dayof reckoning

dayof reckoning
day
of reck·on·ing noun

time of punishment or
retribution: a time when somebody is
made to answer for crimes or mistakes[1]



dayone

dayone
day
one
noun

outset:
the first day or the very beginning of something • It’s
day one of the electoral campaign.[1]



dayout

dayout
day
out
(plural days out) noun

day away from home:
a day of leisure spent away from home[1]



daypack

daypack
day·pack 
[dáy pàk] (plural day·packs) noun

small backpack:
a small backpack or bag for carrying things needed during the day[1]



dayroom

dayroom
day
room
(plural day rooms) noun

communal recreation room:
a communal recreation room in an institution such as a hospital or barracks[1]



days

days
days
[dayz] adverb

during
the day:
during the day or every day • I work
days one week and nights the next.
[Old English dæges,
the genitive singular of dæg “day,” later reinterpreted as the plural of
day][1]



daysailer

daysailer
day
sail·er 
(plural day sail·ers) noun

small boat:
a small sailboat without sleeping accommodations[1]



dayschool

dayschool
day
school
(plural day schools) noun

1.  private
school:
a private school that does not take boarders

2.  school
with daytime classes only: a school that holds classes
during the daytime but not during the evening

[1]



dayshift

dayshift
day
shift
(plural day shifts) noun

1.  daytime
work period: a shift that is worked during the day or
part of the day

2.  workers:
a group of employees who work during the day at a place where others work
during the night

[1]



Daysof Awe

Daysof Awe
Days
of Awe
plural noun

JUDAISM
See High Holidays[1]



daysof grace

daysof grace
days
of grace 
plural noun

extra
days for payment: the extra days, customarily three,
allowed for the settlement of a note or bill after it falls due
[From grace “favor shown by granting immunity from a penalty”][1]



dayspring

dayspring
day·spring 
[dáy sprìng] noun

dawn:
the first light of day (archaic or literary)[1]



daystar

daystar
day·star 
[dáy str] noun

1.  (literary)
See morning star

2.  sun:
the sun (archaic or literary)
[Old English dægsteorra][1]



daystudent

daystudent
day
stu·dent
(plural day stu·dents) noun

nonboarding student:
somebody who studies at a school, college, or university but who does not board
there[1]



daytime

daytime
day·time 
[dáy tm] noun

sunlit
part of day: the part of the day when there is
natural light
adjective

of or for daytime:
occurring, done, or used during the daytime[1]



day-to-day

day-to-day
day-to-day 
adjective

1.  everyday:
occurring or tending to be the same every day • the
day-to-day business of earning a living

2.  one
day at a time: planning or providing for one day at a
time • We
do everything on a day-to-day basis –we can never plan ahead.

[1]



Dayton

Dayton
Day·ton 
[dáyt’n]

city in Ohio on the Great
Miami River, southwest of Columbus and northeast of Cincinnati. Population:
172,947 (1996)[1]



DaytonAccords

DaytonAccords
Day·ton
Ac·cords
plural noun

agreement
to end Balkan hostilities: an agreement reached in
November 1995 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base among representatives for
Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia, containing measures to end hostilities in the
former Yugoslavia. It was signed in Paris, France, on December 14, 1995, by the
presidents of the three warring nations.
[Mid-20th century. From Dayton,
Ohio, where the agreement was reached.][1]



daytrip

daytrip
day
trip
(plural day trips) noun

trip within a day:
a journey or outing to and from a place within a day[1]



daytripper

daytripper
day
trip·per
(plural day trip·pers) noun

somebody on outing:
somebody who goes on a day trip[1]



daywear

daywear
day·wear 
[dáy wàir] noun

daytime attire:
clothes for wearing during the day[1]



Day,William Henry

Day,William Henry
Day
[day], William Henry (1810–1889)

U.S. publisher. In 1883 he
founded the New York Sun, the first penny daily newspaper in the United
States.[1]



daze

daze
daze 
[dayz] noun

confused state:
a state of confusion and unclear thinking, often the result of a blow or shock
• Things
happened so quickly I was left in a daze.
transitive
verb
(past dazed, past participle dazed, present
participle daz·ing, 3rd person present singular daz·es)

1.  stun
somebody:
to leave somebody wholly or partly unconscious or unable to think clearly,
especially as a result of a blow or shock • The
blow seemed to have dazed her.

2.  bewilder
somebody:
to leave somebody feeling confused or amazed
[14th century. Back-formation
from dazed .][1]



dazed

dazed
dazed
[dayzd] adjective

1.  stunned:
not fully conscious or able to think clearly, often as a result of a blow or
shock

2.  puzzled:
bewildered, confused, or amazed
[14th
century. From Old Norse dasaðr “weary from cold or exertion.”]
—daz·ed·ly [dáyzədlee], adverb[1]



dazzle

dazzle
daz·zle 
[dázz’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past daz·zled, past participle daz·zled, present
participle daz·zling, 3rd person present singular daz·zles)

1.  amaze
somebody:
to amaze somebody with brilliance or skill or with a wonderful spectacle or
display (often passive) • She
dazzled the spectators with a triple somersault.

2.  deprive
of sight temporarily: to make somebody temporarily
unable to see • The glare of the oncoming
headlights dazzled me.
noun

light that dazzles:
very bright light that deprives somebody of sight temporarily • a
lot of dazzle from the white-painted walls of the house
[15th century. Formed from daze, probably in the now obsolete sense “to
become confused or stupefied.”][1]



dazzling

dazzling
daz·zling 
[dázzling] adjective

1.  striking:
spectacularly skillful or impressive • a
dazzling lineup of stars

2.  very
bright:
bright enough to deprive somebody of sight temporarily
—daz·zling·ly, adverb[1]



Db

Db
Db

Symbol for
dubnium[1]



DB

DB
DB
or D.B.

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of daybook[1]



d.b.a.

d.b.a.
d.b.a.

Abbreviation of
doing business as[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








D.B.A.

D.B.A.
D.B.A.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Business Administration[1]



D.B.E.

D.B.E.
D.B.E.

Abbreviation of
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire[1]



d.b.h.

d.b.h.
d.b.h.

FORESTRY
Abbreviation of diameter at breast height[1]



D.Bib.

D.Bib.
D.Bib.

Abbreviation of
Douay Bible[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dbl.

dbl.
dbl.
or dble.

Abbreviation of
double[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








DBMS

DBMS
DBMS

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of database management system[1]



DBS

DBS
DBS

1.  Abbreviation
of
direct broadcasting by satellite

2.  Abbreviation
of
direct broadcasting satellite

[1]



D.C.

D.C.
D.C.

1.  MUSIC Abbreviation of da capo

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Abbreviation
of direct current
See
also
A.C.

3.  Abbreviation
of
District Commissioner

4.  Abbreviation
of
District of Columbia

[1]



DCC

DCC
DCC

Abbreviation of
digital compact cassette[1]



DCD

DCD
DCD

Abbreviation of
digital compact disk[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dd.

dd.
dd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
delivered

2.  Abbreviation
of
dated

[1]



D.D.

D.D.
D.D.

1.  BANKING Abbreviation of demand draft

2.  Abbreviation
of
dishonorable discharge

3.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Divinity

[1]



D-day

D-day
D-day 
(plural D-days) noun

1.  HISTORY beginning
of liberation of Europe: June 6, 1944, the day on
which Allied forces landed in northern France to begin the liberation of
occupied Europe in World War II

2.  day
when operation is to begin: a day chosen for the
beginning of a military operation or other major venture
[Origin uncertain; the
initial “D” is perhaps from day, the phrase
thus being modeled on H-hour ; another possibility is that the “D” is from
“designated”][1]



DDD

DDD
DDD

Abbreviation of
direct distance dialing[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








D.D.R.

D.D.R.
D.D.R.

HISTORY
Abbreviation of Deutsche Demokratische Republik[1]



D.D.S.

D.D.S.
D.D.S.

1.  LIBRARIES Abbreviation of
Dewey Decimal System

2.  DENTISTRY Abbreviation of
Doctor of Dental Science

3.  DENTISTRY Abbreviation of
Doctor of Dental Surgery

[1]



D.D.Sc.

D.D.Sc.
D.D.Sc.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Dental Science[1]



DDT

DDT
DDT 
noun

insecticide:
an insecticide effective especially against malaria-carrying mosquitoes that
has been banned in many countries since 1974 because of its toxicity, its
persistence in the environment, and its ability to accumulate in living tissue.
C14H9Cl5 Full
form dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane[1]



de-

de-
de-
prefix

1.  opposite,
reverse • decertify

2.  remove
• decaffeinate
• delist

3.  derived
from • denominative

4.  reduce
• declass

5.  to
get off • deplane

6.  formed
by removing one or more atoms from a particular element • deoxy-
[Via Old French de-
and des- from, ultimately, Latin de- “apart, away” and dis-
(see dis- )][1]



DE

DE
DE

Abbreviation of
Delaware[1]



DEA

DEA
DEA

Abbreviation of
Drug Enforcement Administration[1]



deaccession

deaccession
de·ac·ces·sion 
[d ak sésh’n] (past de·ac·ces·sioned,
past participle de·ac·ces·sioned, present participle de·ac·ces·sion·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ac·ces·sions) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove something from
collection: to remove a book or work of
art from the collection of a library or museum and sell it[1]



deacidify

deacidify
de·a·cid·i·fy 
[d ə síddə f] (past de·a·cid·i·fied,
past participle de·a·cid·i·fied, present participle de·a·cid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·a·cid·i·fies) transitive verb

make
something less acid: to remove the acid from
something or reduce the acid content of something
—de·a·cid·i·fi·ca·tion
[d ə siddəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



deacon

deacon
dea·con 
[dkən] (plural dea·cons) noun

1.  ordained
person ranking below a priest: in the Roman Catholic,
Orthodox, and Episcopal Churches, an ordained member of the clergy with a rank
immediately below that of a priest

2.  layperson
assisting minister: in many Protestant churches,
a layperson who is appointed or elected to assist the minister
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin diaconus
from Greek diakonos, literally “servant, messenger.”][1]



deaconess

deaconess
dea·con·ess 
[dkənəss] (plural dea·con·ess·es)
noun

woman
with duties of a deacon: a woman who ranks below a
priest or who is appointed to assist a minister
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from deacon on the model of medieval Latin diaconissa
“deaconess.”][1]



deaconry

deaconry
dea·con·ry 
[dkənree] (plural dea·con·ries)
noun

1.  post
of deacon:
the position or rank of a deacon

2.  deacons
collectively: deacons considered as a group

[1]



deactivate

deactivate
de·ac·ti·vate 
[dee ákti vàyt] (past de·ac·ti·vat·ed,
past participle de·ac·ti·vat·ed, present participle de·ac·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ac·ti·vates) transitive verb

1.  make
something inactive or harmless: to prevent something
that is active or live, especially an explosive device, from operating

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY stop
active compound from working: to render a biologically
active compound, for example, an enzyme, inactive or ineffective

3.  MILITARY end
active military status: to make a military unit no
longer active
—de·ac·ti·va·tion
[dee àkti váysh’n], noun

—de·ac·ti·va·tor [dee ákti vàytər], noun[1]



dead

dead
dead 
[ded] adjective (comparative dead·er,
superlative dead·est)

1.  no
longer alive: having passed from the living state to
being no longer alive • a dead
bird

2.  inanimate:
never having been alive and having none of the characteristics of a living
thing

3.  without
living things in it: having no living things, or
unable to support life

4.  without
physical sensation: having lost normal
sensitivity to touch or pain, for example, from the effects of cold, disease,
or anesthesia • My fingers have gone
completely dead.

5.  insensitive:
unable or unwilling to respond to, understand, or appreciate something

6.  lacking
any spark of life: showing little indication of
feeling or vitality • His
eyes were dead.

7.  like
a corpse:
having the appearance of a dead person

8.  lacking
activity or interest: without human activity or
anything interesting or entertaining • This
town is dead after seven o’clock at night.

9.  no
longer current: no longer in use, or no longer relevant,
appropriate, or important • That
issue is now well and truly dead, despite attempts to revive it.

10. TECHNOLOGY broken
down:
no longer able to operate because of a fault, breakdown, or loss of power • The
phone went dead.

11. not
burning:
no longer burning or able to burn

12. ACOUSTICS nonresonant:
not resonant, or producing sounds that are not resonant “… To where Saint Mary
Woolnoth kept the hours / With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine …” T.
S. Eliot The Waste Land 1922

13. totally
quiet:
unbroken by any sound or movement • There
was dead silence for a few seconds; then everyone started cheering.

14. total:
sudden, abrupt, and complete • came
to a dead stop in the middle of the road

15. exact:
precise or exact in position or character

16. exhausted:
very tired or completely without energy (informal)

17. doomed:
certain to face a very unpleasant fate (informal) • If
I don’t get this report in by tomorrow, I’m dead.

18. COMMERCE with
no return:
producing or yielding no return

19. SPORTS out of
play:
used to describe a ball that has crossed the boundary of the playing area in
some games

20. GOLF landing
close to hole: used to describe a golf shot in which
the ball comes to rest so close to the hole that the next shot cannot miss
plural
noun

dead people:
people who have died or been killed (takes a plural verb) • respect
for the dead
adverb

1.  precisely:
used to emphasize that an approximate-sounding description or instruction, for
example, concerning a time, a position, or a straight line, is in fact precise
or to be followed precisely • Keep
going dead ahead for another 300 yards.

2.  entirely:
completely or absolutely • You
can be dead sure that he won’t make the same mistake again.

3.  with
suddenness:
abruptly or immediately • stopped
dead in her tracks
[Old
English dēad . Ultimately from the past participle of the prehistoric
Germanic verb that is also the ancestor of English die,
so the underlying meaning is “died.”]
the
dead of night or winter

the
most extreme point of night or winter

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  dead, deceased, departed,
  late, lifeless, defunct,
  extinct
  CORE
  MEANING: no
  longer living, functioning, or in existence dead;
  the most general term, used of organisms that are no longer alive, physical
  objects that no longer function or exist, and abstract entities that are no
  longer valid or relevant; deceased;
  a formal term restricted to people, most commonly used in legal or other
  technical contexts, or as a euphemism; departed;
  a euphemistic term restricted to people, used to suggest that the dead person
  has gone away rather than died; late;
  a term restricted to people, usually applied to somebody who has died fairly
  recently or whose death is within living memory. It is always followed by a
  proper name or a noun indicating a particular relationship or status; lifeless; a literary term used to describe
  the body of a dead person or animal; defunct;
  a neutral term used of something such as a machine or a system that has
  ceased to exist or function. In current usage, it is used to describe people
  only for comic effect; extinct; a
  technical term used of animal and plant species that no longer exist, or of
  something such as a volcano that is no longer active. It is sometimes used to
  describe institutions, customs, or ways of life that no longer exist

[1]



deadair

deadair
dead
air
noun

silence during broadcast:
an unintentional period of silence during a broadcast[1]



dead-airspace

dead-airspace
dead-air
space 
(plural dead-air spac·es) noun

unventilated space:
a space that is sealed or has no ventilation[1]



deadbeat

deadbeat
dead·beat
[déd bt] noun (plural dead·beats)
(slang)

1.  somebody
who does not pay debts: somebody who does not pay
money that is owed

2.  loafer:
somebody who is lazy and disreputable
adjective

PHYSICS damped
and not oscillating: used to describe an
instrument that gives a true reading without oscillation

[1]



deadbeatdad

deadbeatdad
dead·beat
dad
noun

man not paying child support:
a man who, upon divorce, separation, or desertion of his family, avoids or
refuses payment of child support (slang insult)[1]



deadbeatmom

deadbeatmom
dead·beat
mom
noun

woman not paying child
support: a woman who, upon divorce,
separation, or desertion of her family, avoids or refuses payment of child
support (slang insult)[1]



deadbolt

deadbolt

dead bolt
[déd blt] (plural dead bolts)
or dead·bolt [déd blt] (plural
dead·bolts) noun
bolt without a spring:
a bolt that is operated directly by the turning of a key or knob and not by a
spring mechanism[1]



deadcat bounce

deadcat bounce
dead
cat bounce
(plural dead cat bounc·es) noun

FINANCE
apparent recovery in stock prices:
an apparent recovery from a major decline in stock prices resulting from
speculators rebuying stock that they previously sold rather than from a genuine
upturn in the market (slang)[1]



deadcenter

deadcenter
dead
cen·ter
(plural dead cen·ters) noun

1.  middle:
the exact center of something

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING top
or bottom of a piston stroke: the position at the top or
bottom of a piston stroke in a reciprocating engine or pump, at which point the
piston and the connecting rod are in a straight line

3.  TECHNOLOGY pointed
rod in a lathe: a nonrotating pointed shaft mounted at
both ends or one end of a lathe to support the workpiece and hold it in place

[1]



deadduck

deadduck
dead
duck
(plural dead ducks) noun

failure:
something or somebody with no chance of success or survival (slang)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
based on an early 19th-century U.S. proverb about the futility of shooting a
duck that is already dead][1]



deaden

deaden
dead·en 
[dédd’n] (past dead·ened, past
participle dead·ened, present participle dead·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular dead·ens) transitive verb

1.  make
something less intense: to lessen the intensity of
something, such as pain or sound • The snow
deadened the sound of their footsteps.

2.  desensitize
somebody or something: to make something or
somebody less sensitive to pain or other stimuli • A
local anesthetic will deaden the nerves.

3.  ACOUSTICS make
something less resonant: to make an area soundproof
or less resonant
—dead·en·er, noun[1]



deadend

deadend
dead
end
(plural dead ends) noun

1.  point
at which something ends abruptly: an end of a street,
path, road, or passage beyond which it is impossible to proceed

2.  passage
that ends abruptly: a street, path, or passage
beyond which somebody or something cannot proceed

3.  situation
that leads nowhere: a situation or course of
action in which further progress or development is impossible • a
line of research that proved to be a dead end

[1]



dead-end

dead-end
dead-end 
adjective

1.  with
closed end:
with no exit at one end

2.  without
prospects:
offering no prospects of progress, development, or improvement • stuck
in a dead-end job

3.  rowdy
and tough:
used to describe young people, usually from underprivileged backgrounds, whose
behavior makes them unlikely to succeed in life (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past dead-end·ed, past participle dead-end·ed, present
participle dead-end·ing, 3rd person present singular dead-ends)

come to dead end:
to have no exit or prospect of further progress or development • A
half a mile from here the road dead-ends.

[1]



deadening

deadening
dead·en·ing 
[dédd’ning] noun

soundproofing material:
material used to make a room or building soundproof or less resonant[1]



deadeye

deadeye
dead·eye 
[déd ] (plural dead·eyes) noun

1.  NAUTICAL wooden
block with three holes: a rounded block of wood
pierced by three holes that has a groove around its edge. Deadeyes are usually
used in pairs to tighten stays or shrouds on sailing vessels.

2.  expert
shot:
somebody who always aims accurately and hits the target (informal)

[1]



deadfall

deadfall
dead·fall 
[déd fàwl] (plural dead·falls)
noun

type of trap:
a simple trap consisting of a heavy weight that falls on and crushes its victim
when a support is removed[1]



deadfingers

deadfingers
dead
fin·gers
noun

numb fingers:
a condition that can affect people who work with pneumatic drills, causing loss
of sensation and reduced blood circulation in the fingers (takes a singular
verb)[1]



deadhand

deadhand
dead
hand
noun

1.  oppressive
influence:
a negative or oppressive influence or control exerted over an activity or a
group of people • remove the dead hand of
bureaucracy

2.  See
mortmain

[1]



deadhead

deadhead
dead·head 
[déd hèd] noun (plural dead·heads)

1.  somebody
incompetent: an unintelligent, useless, or
ineffectual person (informal insult)

2.  TRANSPORT somebody
with a free ticket: somebody who uses a free
ticket for travel, accommodation, or some form of entertainment (informal)

3.  vehicle
with no passengers: a vehicle or aircraft that
is carrying no passengers or freight (informal)
verb
(past dead·head·ed, past participle dead·head·ed, present
participle dead·head·ing, 3rd person present singular dead·heads)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
dead flowers from plant: to remove dead flower heads
from a plant to improve its appearance or stimulate further flowering

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb drive
empty vehicle: to drive or pilot a vehicle or aircraft
that is carrying no passengers or freight • Williams
deadheaded it from New Jersey to California last weekend.

[1]



dead-heat

dead-heat
dead-heat
(past dead-heat·ed, past participle dead-heat·ed, present
participle dead-heat·ing, 3rd person present singular dead-heats)
intransitive verb

finish at same time:
to finish a race or other competition together or with the same score[1]



deadheat

deadheat
dead
heat
(plural dead heats) noun

tied race or contest:
a race or other competition in which two or more contestants finish together or
with the same score[1]



deadletter

deadletter
dead
let·ter
(plural dead let·ters) noun

1.  MAIL letter
that cannot be delivered: a letter that the postal
service cannot deliver, usually because the address is inadequate or the
addressee does not claim it

2.  unenforced
or ineffective rule: a law or regulation that
still applies but is not enforced or uniformly obeyed

3.  something
now irrelevant or unimportant: something that is no
longer considered relevant or important

[1]



deadletter box

deadletter box
dead
let·ter box
(plural dead let·ter box·es) or dead let·ter drop (plural
dead let·ter drops) noun

place for leaving secret
messages: a place where a message or
other item can be left in secret by one person and collected later by another,
so that the two people do not meet[1]



deadlift

deadlift
dead
lift
noun

weightlifting
event:
a weightlifting event in which a weight is raised from the floor to the level
of the hips and lowered again in a controlled manner
[From the idea of lifting a
dead weight][1]



deadlight

deadlight
dead·light 
[déd lt] (plural dead·lights)
noun

1.  protective
shutter over porthole: a protective shutter or
plate fastened over a porthole or cabin window in bad weather

2.  thick
window in deck or hull: a thick glass window set in
the deck or side of a ship to let light into a cabin

[1]



deadline

deadline
dead·line 
[déd ln] (plural dead·lines) noun

1.  time
limit:
the time by which something must be done or completed

2.  line
marked in prison: in former times, a line in a prison or
prison camp marking a boundary beyond which prisoners were forbidden to go on
pain of death

[1]



deadload

deadload
dead
load
(plural dead loads) noun

intrinsic weight of
structure: the permanent weight of a
structure, for example, a bridge, exclusive of its load.
Also called
dead weight[1]



deadlock

deadlock
dead·lock 
[déd lòk] noun (plural dead·locks)

1.  block
to progress: a situation in which no further progress
is possible in a dispute, usually because the people involved are unwilling to
change their positions or to compromise • try
to break the deadlock in negotiations

2.  BUILDING type
of lock:
a type of lock that can be opened or closed only with a key
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dead·locked,
past participle dead·locked, present participle dead·lock·ing,
3rd person present singular dead·locks)

cause deadlock:
to reach a situation in which no further progress is possible, or to bring
something into such a situation • The
talks are deadlocked.

[1]



deadloss

deadloss
dead
loss
noun

complete loss:
a complete loss for which no form of compensation is available[1]



deadly

deadly
dead·ly 
[dédlee] adjective (comparative
dead·li·er, superlative dead·li·est)

1.  causing
death:
able or likely to cause death

2.  precise:
very accurate, or able to aim or shoot very accurately

3.  extremely
hostile:
involving or having an intense desire for the defeat, downfall, or death of
somebody • deadly
enemies

4.  causing
offense:
causing or intended to cause great offense to another person

5.  complete:
used to emphasize the intensity of something • in
deadly earnest

6.  dull:
extremely boring (informal) • back
to the deadly routine of daily life
adverb

1.  See
deathly

2.  completely:
to the greatest extent possible • I was
being deadly serious when I made that suggestion.
[Old
English dēadlic]
—dead·li·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  deadly, fatal, mortal,
  lethal, terminal
  CORE
  MEANING: causing
  death deadly; likely or designed to
  cause death, or having caused death; fatal;
  a more commonly used term than deadly, used especially to describe
  accidents or illnesses that have resulted in death; mortal; a more literary or formal term used
  to describe something that seems likely to cause death or that has already
  caused death; lethal; a term used
  to describe something that is certain to cause death, especially something
  that is expressly intended to cause death; terminal;
  used to describe illnesses that cause death

[1]



deadlynightshade

deadlynightshade
dead·ly
night·shade
noun

See
belladonna[1]



deadlysins

deadlysins
dead·ly
sins
plural noun

sins
leading to damnation: the sins that lead to
damnation according to some Christian beliefs. The seven deadly sins are anger,
avarice, envy, gluttony, lechery, pride, and sloth.
Also
called
seven deadly sins
[Translation of Latin peccata
mortalia][1]



deadman

deadman
dead·man
[déd màn] (plural dead·men [déd mèn]) noun

anchoring block:
a heavy block or plate buried in the ground and connected to another structure,
for example, a retaining wall, by means of a tie, thereby anchoring the
structure firmly[1]



deadman’s float

deadman’s float
dead
man’s float
noun

swimmer’s floating position:
a floating position in which a swimmer is face down with arms extended forward
and legs kept together[1]



deadmarch

deadmarch
dead
march
(plural dead march·es) noun

funeral march:
a piece of solemn music played to accompany a procession at a funeral,
especially a military funeral[1]



deadmen’s shoes

deadmen’s shoes
dead
men’s shoes
plural noun

promotion when people die or
retire: a situation in which the
only prospect of promotion is the death or retirement of more senior employees[1]



deadness

deadness
dead·ness
[dédnəss] noun

1.  dullness:
lack of activity, liveliness, or interest • Young
people complain about the deadness of the town.

2.  numbness:
lack or loss of sensation in a part of the body

3.  inability
to operate:
lack of power or ability to operate

[1]



deadnettle

deadnettle
dead
net·tle
(plural dead net·tles) noun

nonstinging nettle:
a flowering plant that resembles a nettle but does not have stinging hairs on
its leaves. Genus: Lamium[1]



dead-on

dead-on
dead-on
adjective

precise:
very accurate or correct (informal) (not hyphenated after verb) • a
dead-on prediction[1]



deadpan

deadpan
dead·pan 
[déd pàn] adjective

1.  purposely
inexpressive: deliberately showing no expression or
emotion

2.  said
expressionlessly: spoken or delivered with no expression
or emotion
adverb

expressionless:
without showing any expression or emotion • delivered
the line absolutely deadpan
noun
(plural dead·pans)

expressionless face or performer:
an expressionless face or somebody with an expressionless face
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dead·panned,
past participle dead·panned, present participle dead·pan·ning,
3rd person present singular dead·pans)

speak or act in deadpan manner:
to say something or do something in a deliberately expressionless way
[Early 20th century. From
U.S. slang pan “face.”][1]



deadreckoning

deadreckoning
dead
reck·on·ing
noun

using
log to locate ship: a simple method of
determining the position of a ship or aircraft by charting its course and speed
from a previously known position
[Origin uncertain; probably
from dead “absolute” or “exact,” although
“dead” may be by folk etymology from ded., a shortening of deduce or deduction
.][1]



deadringer

deadringer
dead
ring·er
(plural dead ring·ers) noun

lookalike:
somebody who looks exactly like somebody else (informal)[1]



DeadSea

DeadSea
Dead
Sea


salt lake on the border
between Israel and Jordan, in southwestern Asia. Its surface, at 400 m/1,312 ft
below sea level, marks the lowest point on earth. Area: 1,049 sq km/405 sq mi.[1]



DeadSea Scrolls

DeadSea Scrolls
Dead
Sea Scrolls
plural noun

manuscripts containing
biblical texts: a collection of ancient
manuscripts discovered in caves near the Dead Sea that provide important
evidence for biblical scholars and historians. They were discovered between
1947 and 1956, and are generally held to have been written between 100 BC and AD
68.[1]



deadset

deadset
dead
set
(plural dead sets) noun

dog’s pointing pose:
the rigid motionless position of a hunting dog pointing with its muzzle at game[1]



deadshot

deadshot
dead
shot
noun

expert shot:
somebody who always aims accurately and hits the target[1]



deadsoldier

deadsoldier
dead
sol·dier
(plural dead sol·diers) noun

empty
beer or wine bottle: a bottle whose alcoholic
contents have been drunk (dated slang)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the former associations of liquor with liveliness and life itself (compare
whiskey )][1]



deadspot

deadspot
dead
spot
(plural dead spots) noun

area with poor radio
reception: an area within the range of
a radio transmitter where reception of the signal is weak or dead[1]



deadtime

deadtime
dead
time
noun

time lapse between responses:
an interval during which an electrical device or component, having just
responded to one stimulus, is unable to respond to another[1]



deadweight

deadweight
dead
weight
noun

1.  a
heavy weight: a heavy motionless weight bearing down
on something or somebody • a
foundation slab carrying the dead weight of the building

2.  oppressive
burden:
somebody or something that weighs somebody else down or hinders progress

3.  SHIPPING total
weight:
the total weight of everything carried on a ship, equal to the difference
between the laden and unladen weight

4.  CIVIL ENGINEERING See
dead load

[1]



DeadWhite European Male

DeadWhite European Male
Dead
White Eur·o·pe·an Male or Dead White Male
noun

traditionally important
historical figure: a
conventionally important historical figure, especially one of the writers and
thinkers whose works have traditionally formed the basis of academic study in
Europe and North America (informal disapproving)[1]



deadwood

deadwood
dead·wood 
[déd wd] noun

1.  dead
tree parts:
dead trees and branches

2.  somebody
or something unnecessary: useless or superfluous
people or things

3.  NAUTICAL planks
between keel and stern: vertical planks filling the
gap between the keel and the stern of a sailing vessel

[1]



deadzone

deadzone
dead·zone
noun

slow-moving water near river
bank: an area of slow-moving or
stagnant water close to the bank of a river[1]



deaf

deaf
deaf 
[def] adjective (comparative deaf·er,
superlative deaf·est)

1.  hearing-impaired:
completely or partially unable to hear in one or both ears

2.  unresponsive
or indifferent: unwilling to respond to something as if
unable to hear it • They remained deaf to
all our entreaties.
plural
noun

hearing-impaired people:
people who cannot hear (takes a plural verb)
[Old English dēaf .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English dumb and Greek taphlos “sightless.”][1]



deafen

deafen
deaf·en 
[déffən] (past deaf·ened, past
participle deaf·ened, present participle deaf·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular deaf·ens) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody unable to hear: to make somebody temporarily
or permanently unable to hear • I was
momentarily deafened by the noise of the explosion.

2.  ACOUSTICS soundproof
something:
to soundproof a room, wall, or building
[Late 16th century][1]



deafening

deafening
deaf·en·ing 
[déffəning] adjective

very
loud:
extremely or unbearably loud • She
turned up the volume until the noise was absolutely deafening.
—deaf·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



deaf-mute

deaf-mute
deaf-mute
adjective

offensive
term for impaired condition: an obsolete and now
offensive term meaning unable to hear or speak (offensive)
noun
(plural deaf-mutes)

offensive term for person
with impairment: an obsolete and now
offensive term meaning somebody who is unable to hear or speak (offensive)[1]



deafness

deafness
deaf·ness 
[défnəss] noun

hearing
impairment:
a partial or total hearing impairment in one or both ears
[Old English dēafnis][1]



deal

deal1
deal1 [deel]
noun (plural deals)

1.  BUSINESS business
transaction: an agreement, arrangement, or
transaction, usually one that has benefits for all the parties involved

2.  COMMERCE bargain:
something offered for sale on favorable terms (informal) (often used
in the plural)

3.  treatment:
the treatment given to somebody or received from somebody (informal) • They
got a pretty raw deal from their employer.

4.  CARD GAMES distribution
of cards:
the distribution of the cards needed to play a game

5.  CARD GAMES player’s
turn to distribute cards: a particular player’s right
or turn to distribute the cards • Whose
deal is it?

6.  CARD GAMES round
of game:
a round of a game following a particular distribution of the cards

7.  CARD GAMES cards
distributed or received: the cards distributed or
received for a particular round of a game
verb
(past dealt, present participle deal·ing, 3rd
person present singular deals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES distribute cards:
to distribute the cards for a round of a game • You
deal seven cards to each player.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES give out a particular card:
to give a particular card or cards to a player when distributing them • I
was dealt five clubs and no hearts.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS sell illegal drugs:
to sell something, especially illegal drugs

4.  transitive
verb
make
somebody experience something: to cause somebody to
experience or suffer something, often as a reward or punishment • The
latest opinion poll has dealt a severe blow to her hopes of re-election.
[Old
English dl “part, share, amount,” and dlan “to divide,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word that also produced English dole and ordeal]
a
done deal

something
that has already been settled or finalized

make
a big deal out of something

to make a fuss about
something unimportant (informal)[1]



deal

deal2
deal2 [deel]
(plural deals) noun

1.  softwood
lumber:
fir or pine wood, especially when cut to a standard size

2.  board
of softwood: a plank or board of deal
[15th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch dele “plank.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that also produced English thill
“shaft.”][1]



dealate

dealate
de·a·late 
[dee áy làyt, dee
áylət] or de·a·lat·ed [dee áy
làytəd] adjective

having
lost its wings: used to describe an insect such as an
ant or termite that has lost or shed its wings, usually after mating
[Early
20th century. Formed from alate .]
—de·a·la·tion [dee ày láysh’n], noun[1]



dealcoholize

dealcoholize
de·al·co·hol·ize 
[dee álkə haw līz] (past de·al·co·hol·ized,
past participle de·al·co·hol·ized, present participle de·al·co·hol·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·al·co·hol·iz·es) transitive
verb

reduce
alcohol content of drink: to remove some or all of the
alcohol from a drink
—de·al·co·hol·i·za·tion
[dee àlkə hawli záysh’n], noun[1]



dealer

dealer
deal·er 
[dlər] (plural deal·ers) noun

1.  COMMERCE seller
or trader:
an individual or company whose business is buying and selling, especially in a
particular commodity

2.  CARD GAMES somebody
who deals cards: somebody who distributes the cards for a
game or whose turn it is to distribute the cards

3.  DRUGS seller
of drugs:
somebody who sells illegal drugs
[Old English dlere
“distributor”][1]



dealership

dealership
deal·er·ship 
[dlər shìp] (plural deal·er·ships)
noun

1.  franchise
to sell something: a franchise to sell a
particular brand of product or service

2.  dealer’s
premises:
the premises from which a dealer, especially a car dealer, operates

[1]



dealfish

dealfish
deal·fish 
[dl fìsh] (plural deal·fish or
deal·fish·es) noun

thin
deep-sea fish: a deep-sea Atlantic fish with a long
flat silvery body. Genus: Trachipterus
[Mid-19th century. Deal from
the resemblance of the fish to a thin plank (see deal 2 ).][1]



dealin

dealin
deal
in
transitive verb

1.  trade
in something: to buy and sell something as a business
• We
deal mainly in second-hand goods.

2.  include
somebody:
to let somebody join in a card game or some other form of joint activity (informal)
• Deal
me in.

[1]



dealing

dealing
deal·ing 
[dling] noun

conduct
or treatment: conduct toward or treatment of other
people, especially in business matters • The
firm’s reputation for fair dealing is at stake.
plural
noun
dealings

transactions and relations:
contact and interaction with other people or organizations for business
purposes[1]



dealmaker

dealmaker
deal·mak·er 
[dl màykər] (plural deal·mak·ers)
noun

negotiator
of deals:
somebody who makes deals, especially in business or politics
—deal·mak·ing, noun[1]



dealout

dealout
deal
out
transitive verb

distribute something:
to give something, or a share of something, to each of a number of people • She
dealt out compliments to all the actors.[1]



dealt

dealt
dealt


Past tense of
deal 1 Past
participle of deal 1[1]



dealwith

dealwith
deal
with
transitive verb

1.  handle
something:
to take action with regard to something or somebody, for example, to solve a
problem or to help somebody

2.  be
about something: to write or speak about something or to
have something as the subject of written or spoken material • I
was intending to deal with the Metaphysical poets in my next lecture.

3.  treat
somebody in particular way: to treat or behave toward
somebody in a specified way, especially in a business context • People
who break the regulations will be dealt with severely.

4.  have
business dealings with somebody: to do business with
somebody or an organization

[1]



deaminase

deaminase
de·am·i·nase 
[dee ámmi nàyss, dee
ámmi nàyz] (plural de·am·i·nas·es) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that breaks down amino compounds such as amino acids
[Early 20th century. Coined
from de- + amine
+ -ase .][1]



deaminate

deaminate
de·am·i·nate 
[dee ámmi nàyt] (past de·am·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·am·i·nat·ed, present participle de·am·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·am·i·nates) or de·am·i·nize
[dee ámmi nz] (past de·am·i·nized,
past participle de·am·i·nized, present participle de·am·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·am·i·niz·es) verb

take
away amino group: to remove an amino group from an organic
compound in a chemical reaction
[Early
20th century. Coined from de- + amine + -ate .]
—de·am·i·na·tion
[dee àmmi náysh’n], noun

—de·am·i·ni·za·tion [dee àmmini záysh’n], noun[1]



dean

dean
dean 
[deen] (plural deans) noun

1.  EDUCATION academic
administrator: a senior member of the academic staff of
a university or college who manages the whole institution or a department,
faculty, or group of students

2.  EDUCATION college
adviser or rule enforcer: a member of the academic
staff of a university, college or, sometimes, high school, responsible for the
counseling and welfare of students, and sometimes for discipline

3.  CHRISTIANITY senior
cleric:
a senior member of the clergy who holds an administrative position in a
cathedral or collegiate church, or in a division in a diocese
[14th
century. Via Old French deien from late Latin decanus “person in
charge of ten others,” from Latin decem “ten” (source of English doyen ).]
—dean·ship, noun[1]



deanery

deanery
dean·er·y 
[dnəree] (plural dean·er·ies)
noun

1.  office
of dean:
a dean’s jurisdiction, office, or residence

2.  rural
dean’s parishes: a group of parishes administered by a
rural dean

[1]



Deane,Silas

Deane,Silas
Deane 
[deen], Silas (1737–1789)

U.S. diplomat. He negotiated
a U.S. treaty with France (1778) during the Revolutionary War, but later
denounced the war.[1]



Dean,James

Dean,James
Dean 
[deen], James (1931–1955)

U.S. movie actor. He became a
symbol of misunderstood youth through his roles in East of Eden ( 1955 )
and Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ).[1]



Deanof Faculty

Deanof Faculty
Dean
of Fac·ul·ty (plural Deans of Fac·ul·ty)
noun

head of university faculty:
somebody who is in charge of a university or college faculty[1]



dean’slist

dean’slist
dean’s
list 
(plural dean’s lists) noun

list of top students:
a list of students who have achieved a high standard in their work at a high
school, college, or university[1]



Dear

Dear
Dear
adjective

used as salutation in letter:
used before a name or title to begin a letter[1]



dear

dear
dear
[deer] adjective (comparative dear·er,
superlative dear·est)

1.  beloved:
loved or especially valued • a dear
friend

2.  costly:
high in price

3.  charging
a lot:
charging high prices
noun
(plural dears)

1.  somebody
who is loved: somebody who is loved and valued,
especially for being a kind or thoughtful person

2.  term
of endearment: used as an affectionate term of address
interjection

used to express shock:
used to express shock or consternation
adverb

dearly: at a
high cost • This
will cost you dear.
[Old
English deore, from prehistoric Germanic. The two senses “loved” and
“expensive” developed from an underlying idea of “highly valued.”]
—dear·ness, noun[1]



Dearborn

Dearborn
Dear·born 
[dr bàwrn]

city in southeastern
Michigan, a western suburb of Detroit, noted as an automobile manufacturing
center. Population: 91,418 (1996)[1]



DearbornHeights

DearbornHeights
Dear·born
Heights

city in southeastern
Michigan, northwest of Dearborn and a western suburb of Detroit. Population:
61,504 (1996)[1]



DearJohn letter

DearJohn letter
Dear
John let·ter (plural Dear John let·ters)
or Dear John (plural Dear Johns) noun

letter
terminating a relationship: a letter from a woman ending
a romantic or sexual relationship
[From the salutation opening
such a letter, “John” being a common male given name][1]



dearly

dearly
dear·ly
[drlee] adverb

1.  with
strong feelings: with great affection or intensity

2.  at
great cost:
at a high cost • He paid dearly for his
mistake.

[1]



dearth

dearth
dearth 
[durth] noun

lack:
a scarcity or lack of something • a
dearth of new ideas
[13th
century. Formed from dear, probably
originally with the idea of something being “expensive,” which developed via
“expensive because scarce” to “scarce.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lack

[1]



death

death
death 
[deth] (plural deaths) noun

1.  end
of being alive: the ending of all vital functions or
processes in an organism or cell

2.  way
of dying:
a way of dying • an easy death

3.  somebody’s
dying:
an instance of somebody’s dying

4.  end
of something: the destruction or extinction of
something

5.  condition
of being dead: the condition or quality of being dead • In
death she looked peaceful and composed.
[Old
English dēaþ, from a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced
English die]
at
death’s door

so
ill or injured as to be almost dead

be
the death of somebody

to
cause somebody’s death

bored
to death with something

so
bored as to be unable to stand it

catch
your death (of cold)

to
get a very bad cold

beat
something to death

to
continue arguing about something needlessly

like
death warmed over

looking
very ill

put
somebody to death

to
execute somebody

sick
to death of something

tired
of hearing about something or having to deal with it

to
death

until somebody or something
dies, or until something ends[1]



Death

Death
Death
noun

image of death:
a personification of death, usually represented as a ghostly form or skeleton
holding a scythe.
See also
Grim Reaper[1]



deathadder

deathadder
death
ad·der
(plural death ad·ders) noun

venomous Australian snake:
a poisonous Australian snake with a body like an adder. Latin name: Acanthopis
antarcticus[1]



deathangel

deathangel
death
an·gel
(plural death an·gels) noun

FUNGI
See death cap[1]



deathbed

deathbed
death·bed 
[déth bèd] noun (plural death·beds)

bed
where somebody dies: the bed on which somebody
dies
adjective

while dying:
said, done, or made by somebody while near death • deathbed
confessions[1]



deathbenefit

deathbenefit
death
ben·e·fit
(plural death ben·e·fits) noun

money paid to life insurance
beneficiary: a sum of money that is
paid to the beneficiary of somebody’s life insurance policy after the death of
the insured[1]



deathblow

deathblow
death·blow 
[déth bl] (plural death·blows)
noun

1.  fatal
action or event: an action or event that destroys or ends
something

2.  killing
blow:
a blow that kills somebody

[1]



deathcamas

deathcamas
death
cam·as
noun

poisonous plant:
a plant of the lily family found in western North America. It has clusters of
greenish-white flowers and roots that are poisonous to livestock. Genus: Zigadenus

Also called
camas[1]



deathcamp

deathcamp
death
camp
(plural death camps) noun

camp where prisoners die:
a place where prisoners are systematically killed, or where harsh conditions
make survival unlikely[1]



deathcap

deathcap
death
cap
(plural death caps) noun

poisonous fungus:
a poisonous fungus of North American and European woodlands that has a pale cap
and a structure resembling a cup at its base. Latin name: Amanita phalloides

Also called
death angel
Also called
death cup[1]



deathcell

deathcell
death
cell
(plural death cells) noun

prison cell used before
execution: a prison cell in which
somebody who has been sentenced to death is kept before execution[1]



deathcertificate

deathcertificate
death
cer·tif·i·cate (plural death cer·tif·i·cates)
noun

document recording somebody`s
death: an official document
completed and signed by a doctor, stating that somebody is dead and giving the
cause of death if known[1]



deathchamber

deathchamber
death
cham·ber
(plural death cham·bers) noun

room used for executions:
a room where prisoners condemned to death are executed[1]



deathcup

deathcup
death
cup
(plural death cups) noun

FUNGI
See death cap[1]



death-dealing

death-dealing
death-deal·ing
adjective

fatal:
causing or liable to cause death (literary)[1]



death-defying

death-defying
death-de·fy·ing
adjective

risking death:
taking the risk of being killed[1]



deathfutures

deathfutures
death
fu·tures
plural noun

early insurance money for
dying person: a financial investment
in the form of the purchase at a reduced rate of the life insurance of somebody
who has a terminal illness, which provides necessary income for the dying
person to meet medical costs and guarantees a good return for the purchaser (hyphenated
before a noun) • the
growth in death-futures companies[1]



deathgrip

deathgrip
death
grip
(plural death grips) noun

sudden forcible grip:
a sudden powerful grip, especially one made by somebody who is dying[1]



deathhouse

deathhouse
death
house
(plural death hous·es) noun

building housing prisoners
condemned to death: a building
where prisoners condemned to death are housed prior to execution[1]



deathinstinct

deathinstinct
death
in·stinct
(plural death in·stincts) noun

supposed basic urge to commit
suicide: an inherent and unconscious
tendency, proposed in some theories of the mind, toward self-destruction.
See also
Thanatos[1]



deathknell

deathknell
death
knell
(plural death knells) noun

1.  signal
that something is dead: a sign that something is
dead, destroyed, or coming to an end • The
bankruptcy notice was the company’s death knell.

2.  bell
announcing a death: the ringing of a bell to
announce that somebody has died

[1]



deathless

deathless
death·less 
[déthləss] adjective

living
on because of merit: immortal, usually because of
being excellent • deathless prose
—death·less·ly,
adverb

—death·less·ness, noun[1]



deathly

deathly
death·ly 
[déthlee] adjective

like
death:
resembling death or somebody who is dead • deathly
pale
adverb

extremely:
extremely or intensely
—death·li·ness, noun[1]



deathmask

deathmask
death
mask
(plural death masks) noun

cast of dead person’s face:
a cast made of somebody’s face soon after death[1]



deathmetal

deathmetal
death
met·al
noun

heavy metal music:
a type of heavy metal music characterized by satanic and horror film
iconography[1]



deathnotice

deathnotice
death
no·tice
(plural death no·tic·es) noun

U.K.
printed announcement of a death:
an announcement of somebody’s death published in a newspaper or journal[1]



deathpenalty

deathpenalty
death
pen·al·ty
noun

See
capital punishment[1]



death-qualify

death-qualify
death-qual·i·fy
(past death-qual·i·fied, past participle death-qual·i·fied,
present participle death-qual·i·fy·ing, 3rd person present
singular death-qual·i·fies) transitive verb

excuse
somebody from murder jury: to excuse somebody who
rejects the death penalty from being on a jury whose verdict might entail a
sentence of death
—death-qual·i·fi·ca·tion,
noun[1]



deathrate

deathrate
death
rate
(plural death rates) noun

ratio of deaths:
the proportion of deaths to the population of a particular area or group.
Also called
fatality rate
Also called
mortality rate[1]



deathrattle

deathrattle
death
rat·tle
(plural death rat·tles) noun

sound made while dying:
a rough gurgling noise that sometimes comes from somebody’s throat at the
moment of death, caused by breath passing through mucus[1]



deathray

deathray
death
ray
(plural death rays) noun

imaginary deadly power beam:
an imaginary power beam that can kill[1]



deathrow

deathrow
death
row 
(plural death rows) noun

cells for prisoners awaiting
execution: a row of prison cells, or an
area in a prison, housing prisoners that have been sentenced to death[1]



deathseat

deathseat
death
seat
noun

Australia,
U.S. front passenger seat of motor
vehicle: the seat next to the driver
in a motor vehicle, considered to be especially dangerous (informal)[1]



deathsentence

deathsentence
death
sen·tence
(plural death sen·tenc·es) noun

1.  punishment
of death:
the punishment of death, received in a court of law

2.  something
with fatal result: an diagnosis or decision
that has a fatal effect

[1]



deathsquad

deathsquad
death
squad
(plural death squads) noun

organized gang of killers:
an unofficial but organized group of people who seek out and murder political
opponents or other people they consider as enemies[1]



deathtax

deathtax
death
tax
(plural death tax·es) noun

1.  (informal)
See estate tax

2.  See
inheritance tax

[1]



deathtrap

deathtrap
death·trap 
[déth tràp] (plural death·traps)
noun

dangerous building or
vehicle: a building, structure, or
vehicle that is extremely unsafe (informal)[1]



DeathValley National Park

DeathValley National Park
Death
Val·ley Na·tion·al Park

national park in southeastern
California and southwestern Nevada. It contains the lowest point in the United
States, 86 m/282 ft below sea level. Area: 13,765 sq km/8,554 sq mi.[1]



deathwarrant

deathwarrant
death
war·rant
(plural death war·rants) noun

1.  legal
order to execute somebody: an official document that
authorizes somebody’s execution

2.  something
that is fatal: something that ends hope or expectation

[1]



deathwatch

deathwatch
death·watch 
[déth wòch] (plural death·watch·es)
noun

1.  time
spent watching at deathbed: a vigil near a dead or dying
person, sometimes a traditional or religious custom

2.  ZOOLOGY See deathwatch beetle

[1]



deathwatchbeetle

deathwatchbeetle
death·watch
bee·tle
(plural death·watch bee·tles) noun

beetle that damages timber:
a small beetle whose larva bores into wood and makes a ticking sound. Latin
name: Xestobium rufovillosum
Also called
deathwatch[1]



deathwish

deathwish
death
wish
noun

desire for death:
a desire to die or, less commonly, a desire for the death of somebody else[1]



death’shead

death’shead
death’s
head
(plural death’s heads) noun

human skull or its image:
a human skull or its representation in art, often a symbol of mortality[1]



death’shead moth

death’shead moth
death’s
head moth
(plural death’s head moths) or death’s head hawk·moth
(plural death’s head hawk·moths) noun

moth with skull pattern:
a large European hawkmoth with pale markings on the back of its thorax that
look like a human skull. Latin name: Acherontia atropos[1]



deattribution

deattribution
de·at·tri·bu·tion 
[dee àttrə bysh’n] (plural de·at·tri·bu·tions)
noun

change in attribution of
artwork: a change in an official or
agreed opinion about the attribution of a work of art (formal)[1]



deb

deb
deb 
[deb] (plural debs) noun

debutante:
a debutante (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



deb.

deb.
deb.

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of debenture

2.  BANKING Abbreviation of debit

[1]



debacle

debacle
de·ba·cle 
[də bák’l, də
bk’l] (plural de·ba·cles) noun

1.  chaotic
failure:
something that becomes a disaster, defeat, or humiliating failure

2.  breakup
of river ice: a sudden breakup of river ice in the
spring thaw, causing a violent rush of flow water and ice
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from débâcler, literally “to unbar” (used of ice breaking
on a river), from, ultimately, Latin bacculus “stick” (source of English
bacillus and bacterium ).][1]



debag

debag
de·bag
[dee bág] (past de·bagged, past
participle de·bagged, present participle de·bag·ging, 3rd
person present singular de·bags) intransitive and transitive verb

castrate
somebody or something: to remove the testicles (slang)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from bags “trousers.”][1]



DeBakey,Michael Ellis

DeBakey,Michael Ellis
De·Ba·key 
[də báykee], Michael Ellis (1908– )

U.S. cardiac surgeon. He
performed the first coronary artery bypass operation (1966).[1]



debar

debar
de·bar 
[di br] (past de·barred, past
participle de·barred, present participle de·bar·ring, 3rd
person present singular de·bars) intransitive and transitive verb

exclude
somebody:
to exclude somebody from entering or taking part in something
[15th
century. From Old French desbarrer, barrer “to bar.”]
—de·bar·ment, noun[1]



debark

debark1
de·bark1  [di
brk] (past de·barked, past participle de·barked,
present participle de·bark·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·barks) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
See disembark

2.  transitive
verb
unload
something:
to take something off a vehicle after transporting it (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From French débarquer “to get out of a boat.”]
—de·bar·ka·tion [d baar káysh’n], noun[1]



debark

debark2
de·bark2  [dee
brk] (past de·barked, past participle de·barked,
present participle de·bark·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·barks) transitive verb

strip wood of bark:
to remove the bark from wood[1]



debase

debase
de·base 
[di báyss] (past de·based, past
participle de·based, present participle de·bas·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·bas·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something inferior: to reduce something in value
or quality

2.  reduce
in rank:
to reduce somebody in status, significance, or moral worth
—de·bas·ed·ness,
noun

—de·bas·er, noun[1]



debasement

debasement
de·base·ment
[di báyssmənt] (plural de·base·ments)
noun

reduction in value or
quality: a reduction in value,
quality, or significance[1]



debatable

debatable
de·bat·a·ble 
[di báytəb’l] adjective

subject to argument:
liable to be questioned or disputed • Whether
it’s actually an improvement is debatable.[1]



debate

debate
de·bate 
[di báyt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past de·bat·ed, past participle de·bat·ed,
present participle de·bat·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·bates)

1.  talk
or argue about something: to talk about something at
length and in detail, especially as part of a formal exchange of opinion

2.  think
about something: to ponder something carefully
noun
(plural de·bates)

1.  public
meeting for discussion: an organized or public
discussion of something

2.  consideration:
a prolonged consideration of something

3.  argument:
argument or prolonged discussion • The
matter is not open to debate.
[13th
century. Via Old French debat from, ultimately, Latin battere “to
fight.”]
—de·bat·er, noun[1]



debatingsociety

debatingsociety
de·bat·ing
so·ci·e·ty
(plural de·bat·ing so·ci·e·ties) noun

organization for debaters:
an organization whose main purpose is to hold regular formal debates on various
topics[1]



debauch

debauch
de·bauch 
[di báwch] transitive verb (past
de·bauched, past participle de·bauched, present
participle de·bauch·ing, 3rd person present singular de·bauch·es)
(formal)

1.  lead
somebody into immoral behavior: to persuade somebody
to behave in an immoral way

2.  seduce
somebody:
to seduce somebody
noun
(plural de·bauch·es)

episode of dissipation:
a period of indulgence in drunkenness or immoral behavior (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
French débaucher, of unknown origin.][1]



debauched

debauched
de·bauched
[di báwcht] adjective

immoral:
unrestrainedly and immorally self-indulgent
—de·bauch·ed·ly
[di báwchədlee, di
báwchtlee], adverb

—de·bauch·ed·ness [di báwchədnəss, di
báwchtnəss], noun[1]



debauchee

debauchee
de·bauch·ee 
[di bàw ch, dèbbə
sh] (plural de·bauch·ees) noun

self-indulgently immoral
person: somebody who leads an
immoral, unrestrained, and self-indulgent life (formal)[1]



debaucher

debaucher
de·bauch·er 
[di báwchər] (plural de·bauch·ers)
noun

somebody who corrupts others:
somebody who corrupts people by encouraging them to behave immorally,
especially in an unrestrained and self-indulgent way (formal)[1]



debauchery

debauchery
de·bauch·er·y 
[di báwchəree] (plural de·bauch·er·ies)
noun

immoral behavior:
unrestrained self-indulgent behavior, or an instance of this[1]



deBeauvoir, Simone

deBeauvoir, Simone
de
Beau·voir 
[də bò vwr], Simone


See
Beauvoir[1]



debenture

debenture
de·ben·ture 
[də bénchər] (plural de·ben·tures)
noun

1.  de·ben·ture
or de·ben·ture bond (plural de·ben·ture bonds) bond
backed only by credit rating: a bond backed only by the
credit standing of the issuer, sometimes convertible into stock

2.  certificate
of debt:
a certificate that acknowledges the existence of a debt of a specified amount
owed to somebody

3.  customs
refund certificate: a certificate issued by
customs officials to somebody providing for a refund of a duty previously paid
[15th
century. From Latin debentur, literally “they are owed,” a form of the
verb debere “to owe” (source of English debt
). Probably originally used on certificates of indebtedness.]
—de·ben·tured, adjective[1]



debilitate

debilitate
de·bil·i·tate 
[di bílli tàyt] (past de·bil·i·tat·ed,
past participle de·bil·i·tat·ed, present participle de·bil·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·bil·i·tates) transitive verb

make
somebody or something weak: to sap strength of somebody
or something
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin debilitat-, the past participle stem of debilitare
“to weaken,” from debilitas “weakness” (see debility
).]
—de·bil·i·ta·tion
[di bìlli táysh’n], noun

—de·bil·i·ta·tive [di bílli tàytiv], adjective[1]



debilitated

debilitated
de·bil·i·tat·ed 
[di bílli tàytəd] adjective

weakened:
with diminished strength and energy

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at weak

[1]



debilitating

debilitating
de·bil·i·tat·ing 
[di bílli tàyting] adjective

weakening:
reducing somebody’s strength or energy[1]



debility

debility
de·bil·i·ty 
[di bíllətee] (plural de·bil·i·ties)
noun

weakness:
a general lack of energy and strength
[15th century. Via French débilité
from Latin debilitas, from debilis “weak.”][1]



debit

debit
deb·it 
[débbit] noun (plural deb·its)

1.  recorded
debt or expense: an entry showing a debt or expense in a
record of accounts

2.  sum
of money deducted: an amount of money taken out
of an account

3.  total
of debts or expenses: the total of individual
debit entries in an account

4.  column
for recording debts or expenses: a column on the left
of an accounting statement where debts and expenses are recorded

5.  drawback:
something that is disadvantageous or unfavorable • The
pay’s better, but on the debit side there’s a lot more work to do.
transitive
verb
(past deb·it·ed, past participle deb·it·ed, present
participle deb·it·ing, 3rd person present singular deb·its)

1.  record
debit:
to make, enter, or record a debit in an account

2.  charge
somebody money: to remove a sum of money from somebody’s
account in payment for something
[15th century. From Latin debitum
“debt” (see debt ).][1]



debitcard

debitcard
deb·it
card
(plural deb·it cards) noun

card used for shopping
without cash: a plastic card that the
holder can use to pay for purchases, the money being transferred directly from
the holder’s account to the seller[1]



debonair

debonair
deb·o·nair 
[dèbbə náir, débbə
nàir] adjective

1.  elegant:
looking well-dressed, sophisticated, and at ease

2.  showing
elegance:
showing ease of manner, elegance, or sophistication
[13th
century. From Old French, from de bon aire “of good disposition.”]
—deb·o·nair·ly,
adverb

—deb·o·nair·ness, noun[1]



debone

debone
de·bone 
[dee bṓn] (past de·boned, past
participle de·boned, present participle de·bon·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·bones) transitive verb

remove bones from something:
to remove the bones from meat or fish[1]



deBono, Edward

deBono, Edward
de
Bo·no
[də bṓ nō], Edward (1933– )

Maltese-born British
psychologist. Director of the Cognitive Research Trust since 1971, he has
published widely on thought processes and lateral thinking.[1]



debouch

debouch
de·bouch 
[di bówch, di
bsh] (past de·bouched, past participle de·bouched,
present participle de·bouch·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·bouch·es) intransitive verb

1.  move
into less confined area: to move from an enclosed or
confined area into more open terrain

2.  emerge
into a wider place: to widen out, or flow out,
from a valley or ravine into a wider area (refers to a geographic feature
such as a valley or a flow of water)
[Mid-18th century. From
French déboucher, literally “to come out of the mouth,” modeled on
Italian sboccare, both ultimately from Latin bucca “cheek,
mouth.”][1]



debouchment

debouchment
de·bouch·ment 
[di bówchmənt, di
bshmənt] (plural de·bouch·ments) noun

act of debouching:
an act of debouching, or a place where this happens[1]



Debrett

Debrett
De·brett 
[də brét] or De·brett’s Peer·age
[də brét] noun

list
of British aristocracy: a publication that lists
members of the British aristocracy
[Mid-19th century. Named for
John Debrett (1705–1822), a London publisher who wrote and published the
first edition in 1803.][1]



debrief

debrief
de·brief 
[di brf] (past de·briefed, past
participle de·briefed, present participle de·brief·ing,
3rd person present singular de·briefs) verb

1.  transitive
verb
interrogate
somebody after something has ended: to
question somebody closely after a task, mission, or event has ended

2.  intransitive
verb
make
report:
to supply information about a task, mission, or event after it has ended

[1]



debriefing

debriefing
de·brief·ing 
[di brfing] (plural de·brief·ings)
noun

official questioning session
after an event: an interview in which
somebody is asked about or reports on an event or mission after it has ended[1]



debris

debris
de·bris 
[də br, day br,
dáy br] (plural de·bris) or
dé·bris [də br, day br, dáy br]
(plural dé·bris) noun

1.  fragments:
fragments of something that has been destroyed or broken down

2.  broken
fragments of rock: fragments of rock broken by
a powerful or destructive natural force such as the action of a glacier
[Early 18th century. Via
French débris, literally “broken up,” from, ultimately, Old French brisier
“to break.”][1]



debrisflow

debrisflow
de·bris
flow
noun

moving body of sediment:
a slow-moving body of sediment in which rock particles are suspended in a
slurry of mud[1]



deBroglie wavelength

deBroglie wavelength
de
Bro·glie wave·length [də
bràw gl wàyv length] (plural de Bro·glie wave·lengths) noun

wavelength
associated with moving particle: the wavelength of the
wave associated with the motion of an atomic or subatomic particle de Broglie
wave that produces diffraction. The de Broglie wavelength is given by Planck’s
constant divided by the mass and velocity of the particle.
[Early 20th century. Named
for the French physicist Louis Victor de Broglie (1892–1987).][1]



Debs,Eugene

Debs,Eugene

Debs 
[debz], Eugene (1855–1926)
U.S.
Socialist leader, pacifist, and labor organizer. He helped establish the
Socialist Party of America and stood five times as Socialist candidate for U.S.
president (1900–1920). He was imprisoned from 1918 until 1921 for his pacifist
beliefs.
Full name
Debs, Eugene Victor[1]



debt

debt
debt 
[det] (plural debts) noun

1.  something
that is owed: an amount of money, a service, or an
item of property that is owed to somebody

2.  obligation:
an obligation or borrowing • the
criminal must repay his debt to society

3.  state
of owing something: the condition of owing
something to somebody

4.  sin:
a sin or trespass (archaic)
[13th
century. Via French dette from Latin debitum (which probably
influenced the modern spelling of debt ),
from the past participle of debere “to owe” (source of English due and duty
).]
—debt·less, adjective[1]



debtof honor

debtof honor
debt
of hon·or
(plural debts of hon·or) noun

moral obligation:
a debt that somebody is morally, but not legally, obliged to pay[1]



debtor

debtor
debt·or 
[déttər] (plural debt·ors) noun

1.  somebody
or something that owes: somebody who or something
that owes a debt

2.  sinner:
somebody who has sinned, especially against somebody (archaic)

[1]



debtswap

debtswap
debt
swap
(plural debt swaps) noun

exchange of debts:
an exchange of financial obligations with somebody or something in order to
gain profit or a more convenient repayment schedule[1]



debud

debud
de·bud
[dee búd] (past de·bud·ded, past
participle de·bud·ded, present participle de·bud·ding,
3rd person present singular de·buds) transitive verb

See
disbud[1]



debug

debug
de·bug 
[dee búg] (past de·bugged, past
participle de·bugged, present participle de·bug·ging, 3rd
person present singular de·bugs) transitive verb

1.  COMPUTING find
and remove errors: to find and remove errors in
something, especially in a computer program or system

2.  remove
secret listening devices: to find and take away any
electronic listening devices that are concealed in a place

3.  clear
place of insects: to remove or destroy insects that are in
a place (informal)

[1]



debugger

debugger
de·bug·ger 
[dee búggər] (plural de·bug·gers)
noun

1.  COMPUTING computer
program that finds software errors: a
computer utility program that helps to find software errors by allowing the
user to access the source code as the program runs

2.  bug
remover:
somebody who or something that removes bugs

[1]



debunk

debunk
de·bunk 
[dee búngk] (past de·bunked, past
participle de·bunked, present participle de·bunk·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·bunks) transitive verb

show
something to be false: to show that something is
wrong or false
[Early
20th century. Formed from bunk 2 .]
—de·bunk·er, noun[1]



deburr

deburr
de·burr
[dee búr] (past de·burred, past
participle de·burred, present participle de·bur·ring, 3rd
person present singular de·burrs) transitive verb

remove rough edges from
machined item: to remove rough edges (
burrs ) from a piece of machined metal[1]



Debussy,Claude

Debussy,Claude

De·bus·sy 
[də byssee, dèbbyoo
s], Claude (1862–1918)
French composer. His works include the
opera Pelléas et Mélisande ( 1902 ) and the orchestral poem La Mer
( 1905 ). He developed a style known as musical impressionism.[1]



debut

debut
de·but 
[day by, dáy
by] noun (plural de·buts)

1.  first
public appearance: the first public appearance
or presentation of a performer, program, or performance

2.  young
woman’s first official social engagement: a
young woman’s first appearance in public at a formal social event
intransitive
and transitive verb (past de·buted,
past participle de·buted, present participle de·but·ing,
3rd person present singular de·buts)

make first formal public appearance:
to show or perform something formally and publicly for the first time
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from débuter “to lead off,” from de- “from” + but
“goal, target.”][1]



debutante

debutante
deb·u·tante 
[débbyə tnt] (plural deb·u·tantes)
noun

young
woman introduced into society: a young woman who is
being introduced formally into society by appearing at a public event such as a
dance or party
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “leading off,” from the present participle of débuter
(see debut ).][1]



dec.

dec.
dec.

1.  decd.
Abbreviation of deceased

2.  Abbreviation
of
declaration

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of declension

4.  Abbreviation
of
declination

5.  Abbreviation
of
decrease

[1]



Dec.

Dec.
Dec.

Abbreviation of
December[1]



dec-

dec-
dec-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
deca- Symbol da[1]



deca-

deca-
deca-
prefix

ten:
ten • decagram.
Symbol da
[From Greek deka .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “ten,” which is also the ancestor of
English ten and -teen, and decimal .][1]



decade

decade
dec·ade 
[dé kàyd, de
káyd] (plural dec·ades) noun

1.  ten
years:
a period of ten years

2.  group
of ten:
a group, set, or series of ten
[15th
century. Via French from the late Latin stem decad-, from, ultimately,
Greek deka “ten.”]
—dec·a·dal [dékəd’l], adjective[1]



decadence

decadence
dec·a·dence 
[dékəd’ns] or dec·a·den·cy [dékəd’nsee] noun

1.  process
of civilization’s decline: a process of decline or
decay in a society, especially in its morals

2.  state
of decline:
the condition of a civilization in decline

3.  immorality:
a state of uninhibited self-indulgence
[Mid-16th century. Via French
décadence from, ultimately, Latin decadere “to fall down or
away,” from cadere “to fall” (see decay
).][1]



decadent

decadent
dec·a·dent 
[dékəd’nt] adjective

1.  in
decline:
in a process of decline or decay, especially in morals

2.  immoral:
showing uninhibitedly self-indulgent behavior
noun

degenerate person:
somebody who behaves in an immoral or uninhibitedly self-indulgent way
[Mid-19th
century. From French décadent, a back-formation from décadence
(see decadence ).]
—de·ca·dent·ly, adverb[1]



decaf

decaf
de·caf 
[d kàf] noun (plural de·cafs)

decaffeinated
drink:
a decaffeinated drink, especially coffee, tea, or a soft drink (informal)
adjective

decaffeinated:
decaffeinated (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



decaffeinate

decaffeinate
de·caf·fein·ate 
[dee káffə nàyt] (past de·caf·fein·at·ed,
past participle de·caf·fein·at·ed, present participle de·caf·fein·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·caf·fein·ates) transitive verb

remove
caffeine from something: to remove all or most of the
caffeine from a substance
—de·caf·fein·a·tion [dee kàffə náysh’n], noun[1]



decaffeinated

decaffeinated
de·caf·fein·at·ed 
[dee káffə nàytəd] adjective

without
caffeine:
with all or most of the caffeine taken out
noun

drink without caffeine:
a drink from which all or most of the caffeine has been removed[1]



decagon

decagon

dec·a·gon 
[dékə gòn] (plural dec·a·gons)
noun
ten-sided
geometric shape: a polygon with ten straight sides and
ten angles
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek dekagōnos, literally
“ten-angled.”]
—de·cag·o·nal
[də kággən’l], adjective

—de·cag·o·nal·ly [də kággənəlee], adverb[1]



decagram

decagram
dec·a·gram 
[dékə gràm] (plural dec·a·grams)
or dek·a·gram [dékə gràm] (plural
dek·a·grams) noun

ten
grams:
a unit of weight equal to ten grams. Symbol dag
Also
called
dekagram
[Early 19th century. From
French décagramme .][1]



decahedron

decahedron
dec·a·he·dron 
[dèkə hdrən] (plural dec·a·he·drons)
noun

ten-sided
solid shape: a solid geometric figure with ten flat
outer surfaces
[Early
19th century. Coined from deca- + -hedron .]
—dec·a·he·dral, adjective[1]



decal

decal
de·cal 
[d kàl, di kál]
(plural de·cals) noun
Also
called
decalcomania

1.  decorative
sticker:
a decorative paper or plastic sticker

2.  picture
for transfer: a picture or design on specially treated
paper that allows it to be transferred to a surface such as glass, wood, or
metal
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of decalcomania .][1]



decalcification

decalcification
de·cal·ci·fi·ca·tion
[dee kàlsəfi káysh’n] noun

loss of calcium:
the loss of calcium or calcium compounds from bone or teeth[1]



decalcify

decalcify
de·cal·ci·fy 
[dee kálsə f] (past de·cal·ci·fied,
past participle de·cal·ci·fied, present participle de·cal·ci·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cal·ci·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

lose
calcium:
to lose calcium or a calcium compound from the bones or teeth
—de·cal·ci·fi·er, noun[1]



decalcomania

decalcomania
de·cal·co·ma·ni·a 
[di kàlkə máynee ə] (plural de·cal·co·ma·ni·as)
noun

1.  process
of transferring picture from paper: the
process of fixing a picture or design to the surface of something, for example,
glass, pottery, or textiles, by transferring it from a prepared type of paper

2.  See
decal
[Mid-19th century. From
French décalcomanie, from décalquer “to transfer a tracing” + -manie
“mania, craze,” from its popularity in the 19th century.][1]



decalescence

decalescence
de·ca·les·cence 
[dkə léss’ns] noun

absorption
of heat without temperature rise: the absorption of heat
without temperature increase at specific conditions during the heating of a
metal, caused by changes in the crystalline composition
[Late
19th century. Formed from calescence “increasing warmth or heat.”]
—de·ca·les·cent, adjective[1]



decaliter

decaliter
dec·a·li·ter
[dékə ltər] (plural dec·a·li·ters)
or dek·a·li·ter [dékə ltər] (plural
dek·a·li·ters) noun

10
liters:
a unit of volume equal to ten liters. Symbol dal
[Early 19th century. From
French décalitre .][1]



Decalogue

Decalogue
Dec·a·logue
[dékə lòg] noun

See
Ten Commandments
[14th century. Either
directly or via French from ecclesiastical Latin decalogus, from Greek dekalogos
(biblos) “(book of) ten pronouncements,” from deka “ten” + logos
“word, pronouncement.”][1]



decameter

decameter
dec·a·me·ter 
[dékə mtər] (plural dec·a·me·ters)
or dek·a·me·ter [dékə mtər] (plural
dek·a·me·ters) noun

10
meters:
a unit of length equal to ten meters. Symbol dam
[Early 19th century. From
French décamètre .][1]



decametric

decametric
dec·a·met·ric 
[dèkə méttrik] adjective

having high frequency radio
waves: having radio waves of high
frequency, between 10 and 100 meters[1]



decamp

decamp
de·camp 
[di kámp] (past de·camped, past
participle de·camped, present participle de·camp·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·camps) intransitive verb

1.  suddenly
or secretly leave: to leave a place abruptly or
secretly

2.  leave
a camp:
to pack up and leave a camp or camping site
[Late
17th century. From French décamper, from camp “camp.”]
—de·camp·ment, noun[1]



decanal

decanal
de·ca·nal
[di káyn’l, dékən’l]
adjective

concerning
dean:
relating to a dean or deanery (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
medieval Latin decanalis, from late Latin decanus (see dean ).][1]



decani

decani
de·ca·ni
[di káy n] adjective

on
south side of church choir: connected with or sung by
the half of a choir that sits on the south side of the chancel.
See
also
cantoris
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “of the dean” (see dean ),
referring to the side of the church the dean usually sits on.][1]



decanoicacid

decanoicacid
dec·a·no·ic
ac·id 
[dekə n ik ássid] noun

See
capric acid[1]



decant

decant
de·cant 
[di kánt] (past de·cant·ed, past
participle de·cant·ed, present participle de·cant·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cants) transitive verb

pour
something gently into another container: to
pour a liquid gently and carefully from one container to another so as not to
disturb sediment
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin decanthare, from Latin canthus “lip of a jug,”
from Greek kanthos “corner of the eye” (from the supposed similarity in
shape).][1]



decanter

decanter
de·cant·er 
[di kántər] (plural de·cant·ers)
noun

decorative bottle for serving
drinks: a decorative bottle with a
stopper, used for holding and serving drinks, especially wine[1]



decapitate

decapitate
de·cap·i·tate 
[di káppi tàyt] (past de·cap·i·tat·ed,
past participle de·cap·i·tat·ed, present participle de·cap·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cap·i·tates) transitive verb

behead
somebody or something: to cut off the head of
somebody or something
[Early
17th century. From late Latin decapitat-, the past participle stem of decapitare,
from Latin caput “head” (source of English capital,
chieftain, mischief, and biceps
).]
—de·cap·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



decapitation

decapitation
de·cap·i·ta·tion
[di kàppi táysh’n] (plural de·cap·i·ta·tions)
noun

removal of the head:
the act, practice, or process of cutting the head off somebody or something[1]



decapod

decapod
dec·a·pod 
[dékə pòd] (plural dec·a·pods)
noun

1.  invertebrate
animal with 10 legs: an invertebrate animal with
stalked eyes and five pairs of legs, one or more with pincers, attached to the
thorax. Many decapods are marine crustaceans and they include shrimp, lobsters,
and crabs. Order: Decapoda

2.  marine
invertebrate animal with 10 tentacles: a
marine mollusk with ten tentacles, for example, the cuttlefish or squid. Class:
Cephalopoda
[Early
19th century. Via French décapode from modern Latin, literally “ten
legs.”]
—de·cap·o·dal
[di káppəd’l], adjective

—de·cap·o·dan
[di káppəd’n], adjective

—de·cap·o·dous [di káppədəss], adjective[1]



decapsulate

decapsulate
de·cap·su·late
[dee kápsə làyt] (past de·cap·su·lat·ed,
past participle de·cap·su·lat·ed, present participle de·cap·su·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cap·su·lates) transitive verb

remove
capsule from body tissue: to remove a capsule from a
body part or organ such as the kidney
—de·cap·su·la·tion [dee kàpsə láysh’n], noun[1]



decarbonate

decarbonate
de·car·bon·ate 
[dee krbə nàyt] (past de·car·bon·at·ed,
past participle de·car·bon·at·ed, present participle de·car·bon·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·car·bon·ates) transitive verb

remove
carbon dioxide from something: to remove carbon
dioxide or carbonic acid from something
—de·car·bon·a·tion
[dee krbə náysh’n], noun

—de·car·bon·a·tor [dee krbə nàytər], noun[1]



decarbonize

decarbonize
de·car·bon·ize 
[dee krbə nz] (past de·car·bon·ized,
past participle de·car·bon·ized, present participle de·car·bon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·car·bon·iz·es) transitive verb

remove
carbon from something: to remove the carbon from
something, for example, the carbon deposits from an internal-combustion engine
—de·car·bon·i·za·tion
[dee krbəni záysh’n], noun

—de·car·bon·iz·er [dee krbə nzər], noun[1]



decarboxylase

decarboxylase
de·car·box·yl·ase 
[d kaar bóksə làyss, d kaar bóksə làyz] (plural de·car·box·yl·as·es)
noun

enzyme
that removes carboxyl group: an enzyme that helps to
remove a carboxyl group from an organic compound, for example, an amino acid
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from de- + carboxyl + -ase .][1]



decarboxylation

decarboxylation
de·car·box·yl·a·tion 
[d kaar bóksə làysh’n] noun

removal of a carboxyl group:
the removal or loss of a carboxyl group from an organic compound[1]



decarburize

decarburize
de·car·bu·rize 
[dee krbə rz] (past de·car·bu·rized,
past participle de·car·bu·rized, present participle de·car·bu·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·car·bu·riz·es) transitive verb

See
decarbonize[1]



decastyle

decastyle
de·ca·style 
[dékə stl] noun (plural de·ca·styles)

portico
with 10 columns: a portico that has ten columns
adjective

with
10 columns:
consisting of or having ten columns
[Early 18th century. From
Greek dekastulos “having ten columns.”][1]



decasyllable

decasyllable
dec·a·syl·la·ble 
[dékə sìlləb’l] (plural dec·a·syl·la·bles)
noun

poetic
unit with 10 syllables: a line of verse, or
sometimes a word, made up of ten syllables
—dec·a·syl·lab·ic [dèkə si lábbik], adjective[1]



decathlete

decathlete
de·cath·lete 
[di káthleet] (plural de·cath·letes)
noun

competitor in decathlon:
an athlete who competes in the decathlon[1]



decathlon

decathlon
de·cath·lon 
[di káthlən, di
káth lòn] (plural de·cath·lons) noun

contest
involving 10 athletic events: a contest for men in which
the athletes compete in ten different events and are awarded points for each to
find the best all-around athlete. The events are long jump, high jump, pole
vault, shot put, discus, javelin, 110 meter hurdles, and running over 100
meters, 400 meters, and 1500 meters.
See
also
heptathlon
See
also
pentathlon
See
also
triathlon
[Early 20th century. Coined
from deca- + Greek athlon “contest.”][1]



Decatur

Decatur
De·ca·tur
[di káytər]

1.  city
in northern Alabama, on the southern bank of the Tennessee River, southwest of
Huntsville. Population: 53,797 (1996)

2.  city
in central Illinois, on the northern bank of the Sangamon River, southwest of
Champaign and east of Springfield. Population: 81,369 (1996)

[1]



Decatur,Stephen

Decatur,Stephen
De·ca·tur 
[di káytər], Stephen (1779–1820)

U.S. naval officer. He
commanded the United States in the War of 1812, defeating the British
vessel Macedonian.[1]



decay

decay
de·cay 
[di káy] verb (past de·cayed,
past participle de·cayed, present participle de·cay·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cays)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY become rotten or deteriorate:
to decompose, or make something decompose, and become soft, crumbly, or
liquefied

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb decline
or cause something to decline: to decline in quality
gradually and steadily, or cause something to undergo such a decline

3.  intransitive
verb
NUCLEAR PHYSICS disintegrate:
to undergo spontaneous disintegration (refers to radioactive material)

4.  intransitive
verb
PHYSICS decrease:
to decrease gradually in magnitude (refers to a physical quantity or effect)

5.  intransitive
verb
ASTRONOMY descend:
to decrease gradually in altitude (refers to an artificial satellite in
orbit)
noun
(plural de·cays)

1.  decline:
a decline in quality “A state too extensive in itself, or by virtue of its
dependencies, ultimately falls into decay.” Simón Bolívar Letter from Jamaica
1815

2.  BIOLOGY process
of biological deterioration: the process of rotting and
decomposition that affects plant material and the bodies of animals after they
die and are invaded by bacteria or fungi

3.  BIOLOGY rotten
or spoiled part: the areas of something that are
decomposed or rotted • cut
out the decay

4.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS disintegration
of radioactive material: the spontaneous
disintegration of a radioactive material along with the emission of one or more
elementary particles or radiation.
Also
called
radioactive decay

5.  PHYSICS gradual
decrease:
a gradual decrease in the magnitude of a physical quantity or effect, such as
current, stored charge, or phosphorescence

6.  ASTRONOMY descent
of artificial satellite: the gradual decrease in
altitude of an orbiting artificial satellite

7.  MUSIC decline
in sound of note: the fading away of a musical note
[15th
century. Via French decair from, ultimately, Latin decidere,
literally “to fall off or away” (source of English deciduous
), from cadere “to fall” (source of English case,
accident, and chance ).]
—de·cay·a·ble, adjective[1]



Deccan

Deccan
Dec·can 
[dékən]

triangular plateau that makes
up much of southern India, south of the Sātpura Range. It is bordered by the
mountainous Eastern and Western Ghats ranges.[1]



decd.

decd.
decd.

Abbreviation of
deceased[1]



decease

decease
de·cease 
[di sss] noun

death:
death, especially the death of somebody (formal)
intransitive
verb
(past de·ceased, past participle de·ceased, present
participle de·ceas·ing, 3rd person present singular de·ceas·es)

die:
to die (formal)
[14th century. Via French décès
from Latin decessus “death, departure,” from the past participle of decedere
“to go away” (source of English predecessor
), from cedere “to go” (see cede ).][1]



deceased

deceased
de·ceased 
[di sst] adjective

dead:
no longer living (formal)
noun

dead
person:
somebody who has died recently (formal)
Also
called
decedent

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



decedent

decedent
de·ce·dent 
[di sd’nt] (plural de·ce·dents)
noun

LAW (formal) See deceased
[Late 16th century. From
Latin decedent-, the present participle stem of decedere (see decease ).][1]



deceit

deceit
de·ceit 
[di st] (plural de·ceits) noun

1.  dishonest
practice:
the act or practice of deceiving or misleading somebody.
Also
called
deceitfulness

2.  something
done to mislead: something that is done to trick or
mislead somebody
[13th century. From Old
French, formed from deceveir (see deceive
).][1]



deceitful

deceitful
de·ceit·ful 
[di stfəl] adjective

deliberately
misleading:
intentionally misleading or fraudulent in lying to people or not telling them
the whole truth
—de·ceit·ful·ly, adverb[1]



deceitfulness

deceitfulness
de·ceit·ful·ness
[di stfəlnəss] noun

See
deceit  noun 1[1]



deceive

deceive
de·ceive 
[di sv] (past de·ceived, past
participle de·ceived, present participle de·ceiv·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·ceives) verb

1.  transitive
verb
intentionally
trick or mislead somebody: to mislead somebody or hide
the truth deliberately

2.  reflexive
verb
fool
yourself:
to convince yourself of something that is not true

3.  transitive
verb
be
sexually unfaithful to somebody: to be sexually
unfaithful to a spouse or sexual partner
[13th
century. Via Old French deceveir from, ultimately, Latin decipere
“to ensnare, take in,” from capere “to take, seize” (source of English capture and receive
).]
—de·ceiv·a·bil·i·ty
[di svə bíllətee], noun

—de·ceiv·a·ble
[di svəb’l], adjective

—de·ceiv·er, noun[1]



deceiving

deceiving
de·ceiv·ing
[di sving] adjective

misleading:
liable or meant to mislead
—de·ceiv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



decelerate

decelerate
de·cel·er·ate 
[dee séllə ràyt] (past de·cel·er·at·ed,
past participle de·cel·er·at·ed, present participle de·cel·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cel·er·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

slow
down:
to reduce speed, or make something go more slowly
[Late
19th century. Coined from de- + accelerate .]
—de·cel·er·a·tor, noun[1]



deceleration

deceleration
de·cel·er·a·tion 
[dee sèllə ráysh’n] noun

process of slowing down:
the act or process of reducing speed or making something go more slowly[1]



December

December
De·cem·ber 
[di sémbər] (plural De·cem·bers)
noun

12th
month of Gregorian calendar: the 12th month of the year
in the Gregorian calendar. It is 31 days long.
[13th century. Via French décembre
from Latin december, from decem “ten,” because it was the tenth
month of the Roman year.][1]



Decembrist

Decembrist
De·cem·brist 
[di sémbrist] (plural De·cem·brists)
noun

Russian conspirator:
a member of a group of Russian officers who tried unsuccessfully to overthrow
Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in December 1825[1]



decemvir

decemvir
de·cem·vir 
[di sémvər] (plural de·cem·virs)
noun

1.  Roman
law-maker:
any one of a group of ten ancient Roman magistrates, especially those who drew
up the laws of the Twelve Tables in 451–450 BC

2.  one
of 10 officials: a member of an official body that
consists of ten people (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin decem viri (plural) “ten men.”]
—de·cem·vi·ral, adjective[1]



decemvirate

decemvirate
de·cem·vi·rate 
[di sémvərət, di
sémvə ràyt] (plural de·cem·vi·rates) noun

10 people in power:
a group of ten people who hold power or office together (formal)[1]



decency

decency
de·cen·cy 
[ds’nsee] noun (plural de·cen·cies)

1.  conformity
with moral standards: behavior or an attitude that
conforms to the commonly accepted standards of what is right and respectable

2.  modesty:
modesty or propriety
plural
noun
de·cen·cies

moral behavior:
the commonly accepted standards of good behavior (formal)

[1]



decennary

decennary
de·cen·na·ry 
[di sénnəree] noun (plural de·cen·na·ries)

decade:
a ten-year period (formal)
adjective

See
decennial
[Early 19th century. Formed
from decennium .][1]



decennial

decennial
de·cen·ni·al 
[di sénnee əl] adjective

in
or every 10 years: lasting for, consisting of,
or happening every ten years
noun
(plural de·cen·ni·als)

10th
anniversary: an anniversary celebrated ten years
after something or every ten years
—de·cen·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



decennium

decennium
de·cen·ni·um 
[di sénnee əm] (plural de·cen·ni·ums
or de·cen·ni·a [di sénnee ə]) noun

decade:
a ten-year period (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, formed from decennis, from decem “ten” + annus
“year.”][1]



decent

decent
de·cent 
[dss’nt] adjective

1.  moral:
conforming to accepted standards of moral behavior

2.  good:
above average in quality or quantity • one of
the few decent restaurants around here

3.  quite
good:
adequate or sufficient in quality • did a decent
job

4.  sufficiently
dressed:
fully dressed, as opposed to being naked or in underwear only (informal)
• Don’t
come in; I’m not decent!

5.  kind:
kind, considerate, or generous
[Mid-16th
century. Either via French décent or directly from Latin decent-,
the present participle stem of decere “to be fitting.”]
—de·cent·ness, noun[1]



decently

decently
de·cent·ly
[dss’ntlee] adverb

according to the proprieties:
in a way that conforms to accepted standards of conduct or appearance[1]



decentralize

decentralize
de·cen·tral·ize 
[dee séntrə lz] (past de·cen·tral·ized,
past participle de·cen·tral·ized, present participle de·cen·tral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cen·tral·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

shift
something from the top: to reorganize something such
as a political unit so that power is shifted from a central or upper location
to another, less central place
—de·cen·tral·i·za·tion
[d sèntrəli záysh’n], noun[1]



deception

deception
de·cep·tion 
[di sépshən] (plural de·cep·tions)
noun

1.  practice
of misleading somebody: the practice of deliberately
making somebody believe things that are not true

2.  something
intended to mislead somebody: an act, trick, or device
intended to deceive somebody
[15th century. Either
directly or via French from the Latin stem deception-, from decept-,
the past participle stem of decipere (see deceive
).][1]



deceptive

deceptive
de·cep·tive 
[di séptiv] adjective

1.  misleading:
liable or meant to mislead somebody

2.  able
to be mistaken: capable of being mistaken for something
else • a
deceptive barking noise
[Early
17th century. Either directly or via French from late Latin deceptivus,
from Latin decept- (see deception ).]
—de·cep·tive·ness, noun[1]



deceptively

deceptively
de·cep·tive·ly 
[di séptivlee] adverb

misleadingly:
in a way that misleads people or is contrary to appearances • a
deceptively easy task

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Although
  • deceptively
  simple
  almost invariably means “complex despite apparent simplicity,” that is not a
  model from which to generalize about the meaning of deceptively
  . When people are asked whether, for example, • a
  deceptively dangerous place to stand is
  a place that is more or less dangerous than it appears, they respond
  variously, with a substantial minority admitting they have no idea what deceptively is intended to convey. Sometimes
  context clarifies the meaning: • It
  was a small house, but it had deceptively large rooms.
  Where this is not the case, deceptively is
  best avoided.

[1]



decerebrate

decerebrate
de·cer·e·brate 
adjective [dee sérrə bràyt, dee sérrə brət]

having
lost cerebral function: having lost all cerebral
function, vision, hearing, and other sensations, and voluntary motor activity,
for example, as a result of a severe stroke
transitive
verb
[dee sérrə bràyt] (past de·cer·e·brat·ed,
past participle de·cer·e·brat·ed, present participle de·cer·e·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cer·e·brates)

remove
cerebrum:
to remove the cerebrum or brainstem from an animal surgically
[Late
19th century. Coined from de- + cerebrum + -ate
.]
—de·cer·e·bra·tion [dee sèrrə bráysh’n], noun[1]



decertify

decertify
de·cer·ti·fy 
[dee súrtə f] (past de·cer·ti·fied,
past participle de·cer·ti·fied, present participle de·cer·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cer·ti·fies) transitive verb

remove
somebody’s certification: to withdraw certification
from somebody or something
—de·cer·ti·fi·ca·tion
[dee sùrtəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



dechannelize

dechannelize
de·chan·nel·ize
[dee chánn’l z] (past de·chan·nel·ized,
past participle de·chan·nel·ized, present participle de·chan·nel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·chan·nel·iz·es) transitive verb

reroute
river to original location: to reroute a river to its
original location and configuration of flow
[Late 20th century][1]



deci-

deci-
deci-
prefix

tenth:
a tenth • decigram.
Symbol d
[Via French from Latin decimus
(see decimal )][1]



decibel

decibel
de·ci·bel 
[déssəb’l, déssə
bèl] (plural de·ci·bels) noun

unit of relative loudness:
a unit of relative sound loudness, electric voltage, or current equal to ten
times the common logarithm of the ratio of two readings. For sound, the decibel
scale runs from zero for the least perceptible sound to 130 for sound that
causes pain. Symbol dB[1]



decide

decide
de·cide 
[di sd] (past de·cid·ed, past
participle de·cid·ed, present participle de·cid·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·cides) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb choose
what to do:
to make a choice or come to a conclusion about something • We
decided not to go in the end.

2.  transitive
verb
lead
somebody to choose: to make somebody choose what
to do or come to a conclusion about something (informal) • His
encouraging letter decided me against dropping the course.

3.  transitive
verb
end
something clearly: to bring something to an end
in a definite or obvious way

4.  intransitive
verb
arrive
at a verdict: to come to a verdict or judgment
[14th
century. Directly or via French décider from Latin decidere,
literally “to cut off,” from caedere “to cut” (source of English chisel ); the underlying idea being to cut
through a problem.]
—de·cid·a·ble, adjective[1]



decided

decided
de·cid·ed 
[di sdəd] adjective

1.  obvious:
clearly seen, felt, or noticed

2.  firm
or certain:
free of uncertainty or doubt
—de·cid·ed·ness, noun[1]



decidedly

decidedly
de·cid·ed·ly 
[di sdədlee] adverb

unmistakably:
without any doubt or question[1]



decider

decider
de·cid·er
[di sdər] (plural de·cid·ers)
noun

something that brings
definite result: something that settles
the outcome of a contest or argument, especially, in sport, a final scoring
play or a game played to determine the ultimate winner[1]



deciding

deciding
de·cid·ing 
[di sding] adjective

settling a result:
acting to settle the result of a contest or debate, or to make clear what must
be done next[1]



decidua

decidua
de·cid·u·a 
[di síjjoo ə] (plural de·cid·u·ae
[di síjjoo ]) noun

part
of the uterus: a specialized part of the mucous
membrane ( endometrium ) that lines the womb
during pregnancy and is shed with the placenta at birth
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin decidua (membrana) “deciduous
(membrane),” so called because it is shed (see deciduous
).]
—de·cid·u·al,
adjective

—de·cid·u·ate [di síjjoo ət], adjective[1]



deciduous

deciduous
de·cid·u·ous 
[di síjjoo əss] adjective

1.  shedding
leaves in fall: used to describe trees and shrubs that
shed their leaves in the fall

2.  with
deciduous trees: used to describe a forest or wood that
is composed mostly of deciduous trees

3.  shed
after developmental stage: shed after a stage of
development, as are the teeth, antlers, or wings of animals and birds, or shed
easily or at intervals, as are the scales of fish
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin deciduus, from decidere “to fall down,” from cadere
“to fall, die” (see decay ).]
—de·cid·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—de·cid·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



deciduoustooth

deciduoustooth
de·cid·u·ous
tooth
noun

See
milk tooth[1]



decigram

decigram
dec·i·gram 
[déssi gràm] (plural dec·i·grams)
or dec·i·gramme [déssi gràm] (plural
dec·i·grammes) noun

10th
of a gram:
a metric unit of mass equal to one tenth of a gram
[Early 19th century. From
French décigramme .][1]



decile

decile
dec·ile 
[dé sl, déss’l]
(plural dec·iles) noun

1.  any
of 10 groups: any one of ten groups containing an
equal number of the items that make up a frequency distribution

2.  value
dividing up a frequency distribution: any
of the nine values that divide the total number of items in a frequency
distribution into ten groups, each containing an equal number of items
[Late 19th century. Coined
from deci- + -ile
.][1]



deciliter

deciliter
dec·i·li·ter 
[déssə ltər] (plural decilil·ers)
noun

tenth
of a liter:
a metric unit of measure for volume equal to 0.1 liter. Symbol dl
[Early 19th century. From
French décilitre .][1]



decimal

decimal
dec·i·mal 
[déssəm’l] adjective

counted
in groups of 10: using the number ten as a base and
counted or ordered in units of ten, or belonging to a system organized in this
way
noun
(plural dec·i·mals)

number
in decimal system: a number expressed in a
counting system that uses units of ten, especially a decimal fraction
[Early
17th century. From modern Latin decimalis, from Latin decimus
“tenth,” from decem “ten.”]
—dec·i·mal·ly, adverb[1]



decimalclassification

decimalclassification
dec·i·mal
clas·si·fi·ca·tion noun

See
Dewey decimal system[1]



decimalcurrency

decimalcurrency
dec·i·mal
cur·ren·cy
(plural dec·i·mal cur·ren·cies) noun

money organized in units of
10: a type of currency based on
units of ten or multiples of ten, now used in most countries[1]



decimalfraction

decimalfraction
dec·i·mal
frac·tion
(plural dec·i·mal frac·tions) noun

fraction written in decimal
style: a numerical fraction with
ten as its denominator, written showing the fractional elements after a decimal
point[1]



decimalize

decimalize
dec·i·mal·ize 
[déssəmə lz] (past dec·i·mal·ized,
past participle dec·i·mal·ized, present participle dec·i·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular dec·i·mal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

convert
to decimal system: to convert something, for
example, a country’s currency or measurement system, into a decimal or metric
system or convert to this
—dec·i·mal·i·za·tion, noun[1]



decimalplace

decimalplace
dec·i·mal
place
(plural dec·i·mal plac·es) noun

position after decimal point:
the place or a specific number of digits to the right of the decimal point in a
line of numbers[1]



decimalpoint

decimalpoint
dec·i·mal
point
(plural dec·i·mal points) noun

dot in a decimal number:
a printed or written dot in a decimal number that divides the whole numbers
from the tenths, hundredths, and smaller divisions of ten[1]



decimalsystem

decimalsystem
dec·i·mal
sys·tem
(plural dec·i·mal sys·tems) noun

method of counting in tens:
a numerical system that has the number ten as the basic unit from which the
other counting units are formed as multiples. The metric system of measurement
and most currency systems are based on a decimal system, using a basic unit of
ten with larger units as multiples of it.[1]



decimate

decimate
dec·i·mate 
[déssə màyt] (past dec·i·mat·ed,
past participle dec·i·mat·ed, present participle dec·i·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular dec·i·mates) transitive verb

1.  destroy
large proportion of something: to kill off or remove
a large proportion of a group of people, animals, or things, or of the
population of a place

2.  virtually
destroy something: to inflict so much damage on
something that it is very nearly destroyed or rendered beyond repair

3.  kill
one person in 10: to kill one out of every ten people,
especially in a body of mutinous soldiers (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From Latin decimat-, the past participle stem of decimare,
literally “to take a tenth,” from decimus “tenth” (see decimal ).]
—dec·i·ma·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Extension
  of meaning:
  No
  doubt • his
  cat decimated the neighborhood’s mouse population
  does not mean that the creature limited its destruction to one mouse in ten.
  The popular meaning of decimate is
  effectively the reverse of its historical meaning, and now predominates
  because the need for a word meaning “to kill one person in ten” has greatly
  diminished. Even so, the popular meaning is not accepted by everyone, and it
  is often better to use an alternative such as annihilate, exterminate,
  destroy, or devastate.

[1]



decimation

decimation
dec·i·ma·tion
[dèssə máysh’n] (plural dec·i·ma·tions)
noun

1.  widespread
destruction: the act, process, or result of
destroying, removing, or damaging a large proportion of something

2.  killing
one in 10:
the execution of one person out of every ten, especially as a punishment on a
body of mutinous soldiers (archaic)

[1]



decimeter

decimeter
dec·i·me·ter 
[déssə mtər] (plural dec·i·me·ters)
noun

tenth of a meter:
a metricunit of length equal to 0.1 meter. Symbol dm[1]



decipher

decipher
de·ci·pher 
[di sfər] (past de·ci·phered,
past participle de·ci·phered, present participle de·ci·pher·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ci·phers) transitive verb

1.  make
out what something says: to establish what a word or
piece of writing says when it is difficult or almost impossible to read

2.  work
out meaning of something: to study something that is
written in code or in an unknown form of writing until it can be understood and
read normally
—de·ci·pher·er,
noun

—de·ci·pher·ment, noun[1]



decipherable

decipherable
de·ci·pher·a·ble
[di sfərəb’l] adjective

able
to be understood: capable of being read and understood
—de·ci·pher·a·bil·i·ty
[di sfərə bíllətee], noun[1]



decision

decision
de·ci·sion 
[di sízh’n] (plural de·ci·sions)
noun

1.  something
somebody has settled on: something that somebody
chooses or makes up his or her mind about, after considering it and other
possible choices • It was a tough decision
to make.

2.  firmness
in choosing something: the ability to choose or
decide about things in a clear and definite way without too much hesitation or
delay • a
man of decision

3.  process
of choosing: the process of coming to a conclusion or
determination about something

4.  BOXING boxing
victory decided on points: a win in a boxing match that
is awarded to the fighter with the higher total of points given by a majority
of one or more judges • He won
a 10-round decision.
[15th
century. Either directly or via French from the Latin stem decision-,
from the past participle stem of decidere “to decide” (see decide ).]
—de·ci·sion·al, adjective[1]



decision-making

decision-making
de·ci·sion-mak·ing 
noun

deciding
on important matters: the process of making
choices or reaching conclusions, especially on important political or business
matters
—de·ci·sion-mak·er, noun[1]



decisiontheory

decisiontheory
de·ci·sion
the·o·ry
noun

study of outcomes for
decisions: the study of the best
possible outcomes for decisions made under varying conditions[1]



decisiontree

decisiontree
de·ci·sion
tree
(plural de·ci·sion trees) noun

chart of possible choices and
results: a diagram set out like the
branches of a tree that shows the consequences of a decision, each decision
entailing a course of action that requires various other decisions[1]



decisive

decisive
de·ci·sive 
[di sssiv] adjective

1.  settling
something:
settling or ending something, for example, a debate, controversy, or contest • a
decisive victory

2.  able
to make definite decisions: showing an ability to make
decisions quickly, firmly, and clearly
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin decidere “to decide”
(see decide ).]
—de·ci·sive·ness, noun[1]



decisively

decisively
de·ci·sive·ly 
[di sssivlee] adverb

in conclusive way:
in a way that brings a clear and definite decision or a recognizable end[1]



deck

deck
deck
[dek] noun (plural decks)

1.  NAUTICAL floor
surface across a ship: a level surface that runs
from one side of a ship to the other and along all or part of its length,
forming a floor

2.  TRANSPORT vehicle
section on one level: a floored, self-contained
area of a ship or of a passenger vehicle, for example, a bus or tram

3.  ELECTRICITY audio
unit:
a wide, flat piece of audio equipment that contains a player for tapes,
records, cassettes, or compact disks

4.  level
of a structure: any tier or level of a building or other
structure

5.  CIVIL ENGINEERING floor
of roadway or bridge: the floor or platform of a
roadway or bridge

6.  CARD GAMES playing
cards:
a pack of playing cards

7.  ARCHITECTURE terrace
of house:
an open unroofed area of floor extending from the back of a house • They
had a barbecue on the deck.

8.  ground:
the ground or floor (informal)
transitive
verb
(past decked, past participle decked, present
participle deck·ing, 3rd person present singular decks)

1.  knock
somebody down: to strike and knock somebody down
deliberately (informal)

2.  decorate
something or somebody: to decorate or ornament
something or somebody (literary) • deck
the hall with boughs of holly

3.  build
deck for something: to make a deck for a ship or
other structure
[15th
century. From Middle Dutch dec “roof, covering, cloak,” ultimately from
a prehistoric Germanic word that is the ancestor of English thatch .]
—deck·er,
noun
clear
the deck or decks

to
get rid of all obstacles, especially pending work, prior to beginning a new
task

hit
the deck

1.  to
fall on the floor or ground, often as self-protection (informal)

2.  to
get out of bed

on
deck

1.  NAUTICAL on the top, external surface
of a ship or boat

2.  prepared
and available to take part in an event or activity (informal)

3.  scheduled
to appear next

[1]



deckbridge

deckbridge
deck
bridge
(plural deck bridg·es) noun

bridge with horizontal part
carrying roadway: a bridge designed so
that the roadway or track is supported by the upper horizontal part of the
structural framework[1]



deckchair

deckchair
deck
chair
(plural deck chairs) noun

folding wood and canvas
chair: a collapsible adjustable
outdoor chair with a wooden framework and a seat made from a piece of strong
fabric suspended between the top and bottom of the central frame. Deck chairs
are usually made with striped or plain canvas in bright colors and used by the
seashore, around a pool, or on the deck of a ship.[1]



decked

decked
decked
[dekt] adjective

1.  done
up decoratively: colorfully or attractively set out,
draped, or decorated (literary)

2.  with
a deck:
having or equipped with a deck (usually used in combination)

[1]



deckhand

deckhand
deck
hand
(plural deck hands) noun

general helper on ship:
somebody who does general manual work on a ship, yacht, or other vessel[1]



deckhouse

deckhouse
deck·house 
[dék hòwss] (plural deck·hous·es
[dék hòwzəz]) noun

cabin or room on ship’s deck:
a structure built on the main deck of a ship or other vessel, used as a room or
several rooms[1]



decking

decking
deck·ing
[déking] (plural deck·ings) noun

waterproof building material:
any waterproof covering for the deck or roof of a house[1]



deckle

deckle
deck·le 
[dék’l] (plural deck·les) noun

1.  paper-making
frame:
a metal frame used to contain pulp in a mold during the making of handmade
paper

2.  See
deckle edge
[Mid-18th century. From
German Deckel, literally “little covering,” from Decke
“covering.”][1]



deckleedge

deckleedge
deck·le
edge
(plural deck·le edg·es) noun

rough
edge on paper: a rough, irregular, or feathery edge on
handmade paper.
Also
called
deckle
Also
called
feather edge
—deck·le-edged, adjective[1]



deckofficer

deckofficer
deck
of·fi·cer
(plural deck of·fi·cers) noun

ship’s officer with duties
above deck: an officer responsible for
tasks such as navigation that take place on a ship’s main deck[1]



deckout

deckout
deck
out
transitive verb

dress up somebody or
something: to decorate something, or
dress somebody up in fancy clothes[1]



deckover

deckover
deck
over
transitive verb

finish top deck for a ship:
to complete the construction of an upper deck on a ship or boat[1]



decktennis

decktennis
deck
ten·nis
noun

court game originally played
on board ship: a game based on lawn
tennis, using a small court with a net and a ring made of rubber or rope that
the players throw back and forth[1]



decl.

decl.
decl.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of declension[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








declaim

declaim
de·claim 
[di kláym] (past de·claimed, past
participle de·claimed, present participle de·claim·ing,
3rd person present singular de·claims) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
formally and dramatically: to make a formal forceful
speech about something, or say something in a formal and dramatic way

2.  intransitive
verb
recite:
to deliver a recitation
[14th
century. Directly or via French déclamer from Latin declamare “to
cry out,” from clamare “to cry, call” (source of English claim and clamor
).]
—de·claim·er, noun[1]



declamation

declamation
dec·la·ma·tion 
[dèklə máysh’n] (plural dec·la·ma·tions)
noun

1.  formal
dramatic speech: a speech or presentation spoken in a
formal and theatrical style

2.  process
of declaiming: the art or process of declaiming “The
air of the New World seems favorable to the art of declamation.” Joseph Conrad
Nostromo 1904

[1]



declamatory

declamatory
de·clam·a·to·ry 
[di klámmə tàwree] adjective

1.  dramatic:
formal and dramatic in public speech

2.  rhetorical:
loud and rhetorical but without very meaningful content
—de·clam·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



declarant

declarant
de·clar·ant 
[di kláirənt] (plural de·clar·ants)
noun

1.  somebody
who formally declares something: somebody who makes a
formal, often legal, statement

2.  prospective
U.S. citizen: a noncitizen of the United States who
has formally declared the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen
[Late 17th century. From
French déclarant, the present participle of déclarer “to
declare.”][1]



declaration

declaration
dec·la·ra·tion 
[dèklə ráysh’n] (plural dec·la·ra·tions)
noun

1.  formal
statement:
a formal document giving explicit details, for example, the terms of a business
agreement or plan, or information on goods or assets for tax purposes

2.  official
proclamation: an emphatic formal public statement,
especially by a government or public body

3.  process
of making a declaration: the process or act of
declaring something in an official or public way

4.  LAW unsworn
but solemn evidence: a formal statement of facts
that is allowed in a legal case in place of a statement made under oath

5.  LAW plaintiff’s
official written claim: a formal document in which a
plaintiff lays out precise details of the circumstances leading to the legal
action being taken

6.  CARD GAMES announcement
of bid:
the act of naming a particular suit as trump, or of declaring no-trump, by the
player who makes the final bid of a hand of bridge

[1]



Declarationof Human Rights

Declarationof Human Rights
Dec·la·ra·tion
of Hu·man Rights noun

UN document acknowledging
human worth: a United Nations
document approved on December 10, 1948 by the General Assembly, affirming the
dignity of all human beings. It proclaimed their right to free movement in
search of truth and justice and their right to live their lives in dignity.[1]



declarationof independence

declarationof independence
dec·la·ra·tion
of in·de·pen·dence (plural dec·la·ra·tions
of in·de·pen·dence) noun

formal statement asserting
freedom: a proclamation by which a
country, group, or people asserts firmly and publicly that it has become
independent of a governing power[1]



Declarationof Independence

Declarationof Independence
Dec·la·ra·tion
of In·de·pen·dence (plural dec·la·ra·tions
of in·de·pen·dence) noun

document declaring United
States free from Britain: a written
statement issued and adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776 proclaiming
that the 13 North American colonies henceforward would govern themselves rather
than be ruled by Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by
the Congress on July 2, 1776 and formally endorsed on July 4. “If the American
Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would
have been worthwhile.” Samuel Eliot Morison The Oxford History of the American
People 1965[1]



declarative

declarative
de·clar·a·tive 
[di kláirətiv] adjective

stating
or declaring something: containing a statement, or
in the form of a statement
—de·clar·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



declaratory

declaratory
de·clar·a·to·ry 
[di kláirə tàwree] adjective

1.  stating
a precise legal position: stating and clarifying
something, especially a legal right, status, decree, or judgment

2.  See
declarative
—de·clar·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



declare

declare
de·clare 
[di kláir] (past de·clared, past
participle de·clared, present participle de·clar·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·clares) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb announce
clearly or loudly: to state something in a
plain, open, or emphatic way

2.  transitive
verb
state
something formally or officially: to make an official or
public announcement about somebody or something, especially on a legal or
medical matter • The doctors declared
her fit to work. • The
chairperson declared the meeting open.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb reveal
something as dutiable or taxable: to inform customs or
tax authorities about goods on which duty is owed, or about income that is
taxable

4.  transitive
verb
state
an intent officially: to state an official
intention to undertake a particular course of action or adopt a particular
status • to
declare independence

5.  intransitive
verb
make
a decision known: to announce a choice or decision
formally and publicly (formal)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES say which suit is trumps:
to announce to the other players in bridge the suit that will be trumps for the
hand or that there will be no trump suit

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES lay cards on the table:
to show that you have a particular score in bezique and other card games by
displaying the cards face up on the table and claiming your score

8.  reflexive
verb
propose
marriage:
to make a formal or open statement of love for and a wish to marry somebody (dated)
[14th
century. From Latin declarare “to make clear,” from clarus
“clear” (source of English clear and claret ).]
—de·clar·a·ble,
adjective

—de·clar·er,
noun
declare
war

1.  to
make a formal public announcement that the country represented is now at war
with another country and will begin military action against it “Older men
declare war, but it is the youth that must fight and die.” Herbert Hoover
Speech, Republican National Convention June 27, 1944

2.  to
begin a fierce campaign to get rid of or defeat something, or start fighting it
in earnest

[1]



declarer

declarer
de·clar·er
[di kláirər] (plural de·clar·ers)
noun

CARD
GAMES player
who names trump suit: somebody
who announces either no-trump or which suit is to be trumps in the next hand,
and, in bridge, plays his or her own cards and those of the dummy for that hand[1]



declassify

declassify
de·clas·si·fy 
[dee klássi f] (past de·clas·si·fied,
past participle de·clas·si·fied, present participle de·clas·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·clas·si·fies) transitive verb

make
no longer secret: to remove something from an official
list of confidential or top-secret material so that anyone may see it
—de·clas·si·fi·a·ble
[dee klàssi f əb’l], adjective

—de·clas·si·fi·ca·tion
[dee klàssifi káysh’n], noun[1]



declaw

declaw
de·claw 
[dee kláw] (past de·clawed, past
participle de·clawed, present participle de·claw·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·claws) transitive verb

1.  remove
animal’s claws: to remove the claws from an animal’s
paws, often to prevent it from injuring or catching other animals, or from
scratching or climbing

2.  disable
somebody or something: to remove the power,
authority, or force from somebody or something • The
Mayor’s lack of support effectively declawed him.

[1]



declension

declension
de·clen·sion 
[di klénshən] (plural de·clen·sions)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR set of
words that behave similarly: a group of nouns,
adjectives, or pronouns that all change their form or word endings in the same
way according to gender, number, or grammatical case

2.  GRAMMAR process
of ending words: the process by which some sets of nouns,
adjectives, and pronouns vary in form to show gender, number, or grammatical
case

3.  worsening
or falling away: the process of gradually declining or
deteriorating (formal)

4.  GEOLOGY downward
slope:
a downward slope, especially of terrain
[15th
century. Via French déclinaison from the Latin stem declination-,
from declinare “to fall away” (see decline
), from the idea that grammatical endings were a falling away from the pure
form.]
—de·clen·sion·al,
adjective

—de·clen·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



declination

declination
dec·li·na·tion 
[dèklə náysh’n] (plural dec·li·na·tions)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY angular
distance from celestial equator: the angular distance
of an astronomical body measured in degrees from the celestial equator along
the great circle passing through it and the celestial poles

2.  PHYSICS GEOGRAPHY See magnetic
declination
—dec·li·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



decline

decline
de·cline 
[di kln] verb (past de·clined,
past participle de·clined, present participle de·clin·ing,
3rd person present singular de·clines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb refuse
invitation:
to give a polite refusal to an invitation

2.  transitive
verb
refuse
participation: to refuse to respond or take part in
something

3.  intransitive
verb
diminish:
to become fewer or less • stocks
declining in value

4.  intransitive
verb
get
weaker:
to become physically or mentally less vigorous, especially because of illness
or mature years • his health had declined

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb GRAMMAR show various forms:
to state the grammatical forms of a noun, adjective, or pronoun, or have
various grammatical forms.
See
also
declension

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb slope
down:
to bend something downward, or slope downward
noun
(plural de·clines)

1.  deterioration:
a deterioration in quality, strength, or degree, or a reduction in amount

2.  period
near end:
the terminal period of somebody or something, ending in death or disappearance
• at
the decline of the empire

3.  downward
slope:
a downward slope or movement
[14th
century. Directly and via French décliner from Latin declinare
“to turn aside,” literally “to bend away,” from clinare “to bend.”]
—de·clin·er,
noun
be
on the decline

1.  show
a gradual lessening of quality, amount, or degree

2.  show
a gradual worsening of health

[1]



declinometer

declinometer
dec·li·nom·e·ter
[dèklə nómmətər] (plural dec·li·nom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring magnetic/true north difference: an
instrument that measures the difference between magnetic north or south and
true north or south at a particular point on the Earth’s surface
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from declination + meter
.][1]



declivitous

declivitous
de·cliv·i·tous 
[di klívvətəss] adjective

sloping down:
sloping downward[1]



declivity

declivity
de·cliv·i·ty 
[di klívvətee] (plural de·cliv·i·ties)
noun

1.  something
sloping:
something, especially a piece of land, that slopes downward

2.  inclination
downward:
a downward inclination, especially of a piece of land
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin declivitas from, ultimately, clivus “slope.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to lean, bend over,” which is also the
ancestor of English client and ladder .][1]



Deco

Deco
Dec·o
[dékō] or dec·o [dékō] adjective

See
Art Deco[1]



decoct

decoct
de·coct 
[di kókt] (past de·coct·ed, past
participle de·coct·ed, present participle de·coct·ing,
3rd person present singular de·cocts) transitive verb

extract
essence:
to extract the essence or active ingredient from a substance by boiling it
[15th century. From Latin decoct-,
the past participle stem of decoquere, literally “to boil down,” from coquere
“to cook.”][1]



decoction

decoction
de·coc·tion 
[di kókshən] (plural de·coc·tions)
noun

1.  extracting
process:
the extraction of an essence or active ingredient from a substance by boiling

2.  concentrated
substance:
a concentrated substance that results from decoction

[1]



decode

decode
de·code 
[dee kṓd] (past de·cod·ed, past
participle de·cod·ed, present participle de·cod·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·codes) transitive verb

1.  decipher
message:
to transform an encoded message or signal into a usable form

2.  interpret
message:
to find the direct meaning of cryptic or indirect language
—de·cod·a·ble, adjective[1]



decoder

decoder
de·cod·er 
[dee kṓdər] (plural de·cod·ers)
noun

somebody or something that
decodes: a person, device, or
computer program that decodes something[1]



decollate

decollate
de·col·late
[dékə làyt, dee
kṓ làyt] (past de·col·lat·ed, past participle de·col·lat·ed,
present participle de·col·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·col·lates) transitive verb

separate
paper:
to separate continuous paper into single sheets
—de·col·la·tion
[dèkə láysh’n, dko
láysh’n], noun

—de·col·la·tor [dékə làytər], noun[1]



decollectivize

decollectivize
de·col·lec·tiv·ize 
[d kə léktə vz] (past de·col·lec·tiv·ized,
past participle de·col·lec·tiv·ized, present participle de·col·lec·tiv·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·col·lec·tiv·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

move
to free market from collectivization: to
modify a socialist production system or economy to work on free market
principles
—de·col·lec·ti·vi·za·tion
[d kə lektəvi záysh’n], noun[1]



decolonize

decolonize
de·col·o·nize 
[dee kóllə nz] (past de·col·o·nized,
past participle de·col·o·nized, present participle de·col·o·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·col·o·niz·es) transitive verb

grant
colony independence: to grant a colony its
independence
—de·col·o·ni·za·tion [dee kòlləni záysh’n], noun[1]



decolor

decolor
de·col·or
[dee kúllər] (past de·col·ored,
past participle de·col·ored, present participle de·col·or·ing,
3rd person present singular de·col·ors) transitive verb

See
decolorize
—de·col·or·a·tion [dee kùllə ráysh’n], noun[1]



decolorant

decolorant
de·col·or·ant 
[dee kúllərənt] (plural de·col·or·ants)
noun

color
remover:
a chemical that removes the color from a fabric or other substance
—de·col·or·ant, adjective[1]



decolorize

decolorize
de·col·or·ize 
[dee kúllə rz] (past de·col·or·ized,
past participle de·col·or·ized, present participle de·col·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·col·or·iz·es) transitive verb

remove
color:
to remove the color from a fabric or other substance, for example, by chemical
means
—de·col·or·i·za·tion [dee kùlləri záysh’n], noun[1]



decommission

decommission
de·com·mis·sion 
[d kə mísh’n] (past de·com·mis·sioned,
past participle de·com·mis·sioned, present participle de·com·mis·sion·ing,
3rd person present singular de·com·mis·sions) transitive verb

remove something from
service: to remove something, for
example, a ship, nuclear power station, machinery, or weapons, from service[1]



decompensation

decompensation
de·com·pen·sa·tion 
[d kompən sáysh’n] noun

1.  MEDICINE heart
condition:
the failure of the heart to maintain adequate circulation because of various
stresses upon it

2.  PSYCHIATRY worsening
psychiatric condition: the deterioration of
existing psychological defenses in a patient already exhibiting pathological
behavior

[1]



decompose

decompose
de·com·pose 
[d kəm pṓz] (past de·com·posed,
past participle de·com·posed, present participle de·com·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular de·com·pos·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  BIOLOGY rot:
to break down organic matter from a complex to a simpler form, mainly through
the action of fungi and bacteria, or undergo this process

2.  break
down into pieces: to break something down, or be broken
down, into smaller or simpler parts

3.  CHEMISTRY break
down into constituent parts: to separate or cause
something to separate into constituent parts
—de·com·pos·a·bil·i·ty
[d kəm pōzə bíllətee], noun

—de·com·pos·a·ble
[d kəm pṓzəb’l], adjective

—de·com·po·si·tion [d kompə zísh’n], noun[1]



decomposer

decomposer
de·com·pos·er 
[d kəm pṓzər] (plural de·com·pos·ers)
noun

rotting agent:
an organism, especially a bacterium or fungus, that causes organic matter to
rot or decay[1]



decompress

decompress
de·com·press 
[d kəm préss] (past de·com·pressed,
past participle de·com·pressed, present participle de·com·press·ing,
3rd person present singular de·com·press·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
pressure:
to cause or experience a reduction in the atmospheric pressure of an enclosed
space

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb allow
expansion:
to allow a substance to expand to normal dimensions or volume by the removal of
pressure, or to undergo this process

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING expand data:
to expand compressed data to its normal extent, or to undergo this process

4.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to relax or unwind, especially after being busy or stressed (informal)
—de·com·pres·sive, adjective[1]



decompression

decompression
de·com·pres·sion 
[d kəm présh’n] noun

1.  pressure
decrease:
a decrease in surrounding or inherent pressure, especially the controlled
decrease in pressure that divers undergo to prevent decompression sickness

2.  COMPUTING data
expansion:
the expansion to full size of compressed computer data

3.  SURGERY surgery
to reduce pressure in organ: a surgical procedure to
reduce pressure in an organ or part of the body caused, for example, by fluid
on the brain, or to reduce the pressure of tissues on a nerve

[1]



decompressionchamber

decompressionchamber
de·com·pres·sion
cham·ber
(plural de·com·pres·sion cham·bers) noun

sealed room for
decompression: a sealed room where
decompression is carried out[1]



decompressionsickness

decompressionsickness
de·com·pres·sion
sick·ness
or de·com·pres·sion ill·ness noun

diver’s condition:
a condition marked by joint pain, nausea, loss of motion, and breathing
difficulties experienced by divers and workers in caissons who emerge too
quickly from a pressurized environment. It is caused by the formation of
nitrogen bubbles in the blood and tissues.
Also called
caisson disease[1]



decon

decon
de·con
[d kòn] (past de·conned, past
participle de·conned, present participle de·con·ning, 3rd
person present singular de·cons) transitive verb

(informal) See decontaminate[1]



deconcentrate

deconcentrate
de·con·cen·trate 
[dee kónsən tràyt] (past de·con·cen·trat·ed,
past participle de·con·cen·trat·ed, present participle de·con·cen·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·cen·trates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
less concentrated: to cause or experience a
reduction in concentration or density

2.  transitive
verb
See decentralize
—de·con·cen·tra·tion [d konsən tráysh’n], noun[1]



decondition

decondition
de·con·di·tion 
[d kən dísh’n] (past de·con·di·tioned,
past participle de·con·di·tioned, present participle de·con·di·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·di·tions) transitive verb

PSYCHOLOGY
undo conditioning:
to cause or teach a person or animal to stop exhibiting a conditioned response[1]



decongest

decongest
de·con·gest 
[d kən jést] (past de·con·gest·ed,
past participle de·con·gest·ed, present participle de·con·gest·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·gests) transitive verb

1.  unblock
nose:
to loosen mucus in the nasal passages, sinuses, or bronchi

2.  loosen:
to increase the flow in something that is compacted or congested, especially
with traffic

[1]



decongestant

decongestant
de·con·ges·tant 
[d kən jéstənt] (plural de·con·ges·tants)
noun

respiratory
drug:
an agent that reduces or relieves nasal congestion, for example, during a cold
or chest infection
—de·con·ges·tant, adjective[1]



deconsecrate

deconsecrate
de·con·se·crate 
[dee kónsə kràyt] (past de·con·se·crat·ed,
past participle de·con·se·crat·ed, present participle de·con·se·crat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·se·crates) transitive verb

make
secular:
to convert a sacred place, building, or object to secular use
—de·con·se·cra·tion [dee kònsə kráysh’n], noun[1]



deconstruct

deconstruct
de·con·struct 
[d kən strúkt] (past de·con·struct·ed,
past participle de·con·struct·ed, present participle de·con·struct·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·structs) transitive verb

analyze text:
to subject a text to critical analysis using the theories of deconstruction[1]



deconstruction

deconstruction
de·con·struc·tion 
[d kən strúkshən] noun

textual
analysis method: a method of analyzing texts based on the
ideas that language is inherently unstable and shifting and that the reader
rather than the author is central in determining meaning. It was introduced by
the French philosopher Jacques Derrida in the late 1960s.
—de·con·struc·tion·ism,
noun

—de·con·struc·tion·ist,
noun[1]



decontaminate

decontaminate
de·con·tam·i·nate 
[d kən támmə nàyt] (past de·con·tam·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·con·tam·i·nat·ed, present participle de·con·tam·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·con·tam·i·nates) transitive
verb

remove
contamination: to remove unwanted chemical,
radioactive, or biological impurities or toxins from land or a person or object
—de·con·tam·i·na·tion
[d kən támmə náysh’n], noun[1]



decontrol

decontrol
de·con·trol 
[d kən trṓl] transitive verb (past
de·con·trolled, past participle de·con·trolled, present
participle de·con·trol·ling, 3rd person present singular de·con·trols)

remove
restraints:
to remove official restraints or regulations on something, especially prices or
rents
noun
(plural de·con·trols)

restraint removal:
the removal of restraints, especially by a government on prices or rents[1]



decor

decor
de·cor 
[dáy kawr, day
káwr] (plural de·cors) or dé·cor [dáy kawr, day káwr]
(plural dé·cors) noun

1.  furnishing
style:
the style of furniture, wallpaper, carpeting, curtains, and accessories chosen
for a room or house

2.  stage
scenery:
the scenery of a stage
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from décorer “to decorate,” from Latin decorare
(see decorate ).][1]



decorate

decorate
dec·o·rate 
[dékə ràyt] (past dec·o·rat·ed,
past participle dec·o·rat·ed, present participle dec·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular dec·o·rates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something attractive: to make something more
attractive by adding nonfunctional elements to it • decorated
the hat with a couple of feathers

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
appearance of room: to apply paint, wallpaper,
and other accessories to a room or house

3.  transitive
verb
award
somebody a medal: to give a medal or other honor or award
to somebody to acknowledge bravery, dedication, or achievement
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
decoratus, the past participle of decorare “to beautify,” from decus
“ornament.”][1]



Decoratedarchitecture

Decoratedarchitecture
Dec·o·rat·ed
ar·chi·tec·ture or Dec·o·rat·ed style noun

English architectural style:
the second, more ornate stage of English Gothic architecture that is
characterized by an increased use of geometric tracery and floral motifs[1]



decoration

decoration
dec·o·ra·tion 
[dèkə ráysh’n] (plural dec·o·ra·tions)
noun

1.  ornamentation:
the addition of ornaments to make something more attractive

2.  attractive
item:
an item, usually one of a group, attached to something to make it look more
attractive or to mark a special occasion

3.  award:
a medal or other honor or award given to somebody to acknowledge bravery,
dedication, or achievement

4.  painting
and papering: the application of paint, wallpaper, and
accessories in a room or house

[1]



DecorationDay

DecorationDay
Dec·o·ra·tion
Day 
noun

(dated) See Memorial Day[1]



decorative

decorative
dec·o·ra·tive 
[dékərətiv, dékə
ràytiv] adjective

1.  ornamental:
serving to make something look more attractive, especially by adding
nonfunctional embellishments

2.  of
decoration:
relating to the decoration of a room or home • added
some nice decorative touches

3.  attractive:
serving merely to look attractive rather than having a functional purpose
—dec·o·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—dec·o·ra·tive·ness, noun[1]



decorativeart

decorativeart
dec·o·ra·tive
art
(plural dec·o·ra·tive arts) noun

1.  design
of useful things: any art concerned with the design and
production of functional but decorative items for home use, for example,
ceramics, furniture, and fabrics (often used in the plural)

2.  decorations:
the products of decorative art, collectively

[1]



decorator

decorator
dec·o·ra·tor 
[dékə ràytər] noun (plural dec·o·ra·tors)

1.  somebody
who decorates: somebody whose job is to decorate
something (often used in combination)

2.  painter
or wallpaperer: somebody whose job is painting and
wallpapering houses and other buildings
adjective

for home decor:
used to describe colors, fabrics, and accessories suitable for use in home
decor

[1]



decorous

decorous
dec·o·rous 
[dékərəss, di
káwrəss] adjective

1.  seemly:
conforming to what is acceptable or expected in formal or solemn settings,
especially in dress or behavior “They began to talk politely, in decorous
half-completed sentences, with little gasps of agreement.” William Faulkner
Sanctuary 1931

2.  dignified:
understated and dignified
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin decorus, “seemly,” from decor
“attractiveness.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to accept,”
which is also the ancestor of English decent,
docile, dogma,
and disciple .]
—dec·o·rous·ly,
adverb

—dec·o·rous·ness, noun[1]



decorticate

decorticate
de·cor·ti·cate 
transitive verb [dee káwrti kàyt] (past
de·cor·ti·cat·ed, past participle de·cor·ti·cat·ed, present
participle de·cor·ti·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular de·cor·ti·cates)

1.  BOTANY remove
outer layer from a plant: to remove an outer layer
such as bark, rind, or a husk from a plant or part of a plant

2.  SURGERY remove
something from an organ: to remove surgically the
outer layer of an organ or structure such as the brain or kidney
adjective
[dee káwrti kàyt, dee
káwrtikət]

MEDICINE without
cortex function: used to describe a brain that has lost
the function of its cerebral cortex as a result of disease or surgery
[Early
17th century. From Latin decorticare, from cortex (see cortex ).]
—de·cor·ti·ca·tion
[dee kàwrti káysh’n], noun

—de·cor·ti·ca·tor [dee káwrti kàytər], noun[1]



decorum

decorum
de·co·rum 
[di káwrəm] (plural de·co·rums)
noun

1.  dignity:
dignity or correctness that is socially expected

2.  appropriateness
of artistic element: the compatibility of an
element in a literary or artistic work, for example, character, form, style, or
plot, with the work as a whole

3.  convention:
a socially accepted or expected convention or requirement (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, formed from decorus (see decorous
).][1]



decoupage

decoupage
de·cou·page 
[dàykoo pzh] (plural de·cou·pag·es)
or dé·cou·page [dàykoo pzh] (plural
dé·cou·pag·es) noun

1.  paper
decoration method: a technique for decorating
something in which a design is made of pieces of printed paper cut out and
stuck on a flat base, then coated with varnish

2.  decoupage
picture:
a picture or other form of decoration that is made using decoupage
[Mid-20th century. From
French, formed from découper “to cut up, cut out,” from couper
“to cut.”][1]



decouple

decouple
de·cou·ple 
[dee kúpp’l] (past de·cou·pled,
past participle de·cou·pled, present participle de·cou·pling,
3rd person present singular de·cou·ples) transitive verb

1.  ELECTRICITY reduce
interdependence: to remove or weaken the interaction
between two electronic circuits, subsystems, or systems so that there is little
or no transfer or feedback of energy between them

2.  MILITARY lessen
strength of shock waves: to reduce or eliminate
airborne shock waves from a nuclear or other explosion by detonating a device
deep underground

3.  separate
objects:
to separate or disengage one thing from another
—de·cou·pler, noun[1]



decoy

decoy
de·coy 
[d kòy, di kóy]
noun (plural de·coys)

1.  HUNTING hunting
lure:
a bird or animal, or a realistic replica, used by hunters to attract an animal
or bird to a place for trapping or shooting

2.  distracter:
something or somebody used to deceive or divert attention, especially in order
to lure somebody into a trap

3.  entrapment
area:
an enclosed area or stretch of water that game or fowl are driven or lured into
so that they can be easily shot or captured
transitive
verb
(past de·coyed, past participle de·coyed, present
participle de·coy·ing, 3rd person present singular de·coys)

deceive: to
deceive or entrap a person or animal by using a decoy
[Mid-16th
century. From Dutch de kooi, literally “the cage,” ultimately from Latin
cavea “cage” (source of English cage ).]
—de·coy·er, noun[1]



decrease

decrease
de·crease 
intransitive and transitive verb [di krss]
(past de·creased, past participle de·creased, present
participle de·creas·ing, 3rd person present singular de·creas·es)

diminish: to
lessen or cause something to lessen in size, strength, or amount
noun
[d krss] (plural de·creas·es)

1.  process
of decreasing: the process of becoming less, fewer, or
smaller • street
crime is on the decrease

2.  reduction:
a reduction in the amount or rate of something • a
2 percent decrease in customers
[14th
century. Via the Old French stem decreiss-, from, ultimately, Latin decrescere,
from crescere “to grow.”]
—de·creas·ing,
adjective

—de·creas·ing·ly [di krsinglee], adverb[1]



decree

decree
de·cree 
[di kr] noun (plural de·crees)

1.  official
order:
an order with the power of legislation issued by a ruler or other person or
group with authority

2.  LAW court
ruling:
a ruling given by a court, especially a divorce, equity, or probate court

3.  RELIGION divine
will:
the will or purpose of God, interpreted through events considered to be God’s
doing
transitive
verb
(past de·creed, past participle de·creed, present
participle de·cree·ing, 3rd person present singular de·crees)

make order: to
make an official order, pronouncement, or legal ruling to effect something
[14th
century. Via Old French decré from Latin decretum, the neuter
past participle of decernere “to decide, pronounce a decision.”]
—de·cree·a·ble,
adjective

—de·cre·er, noun[1]



decreenisi

decreenisi
de·cree
ni·si
[di kr n sī] (plural de·crees
ni·si) noun

interim divorce ruling:
an interim ruling of a divorce court that will become absolute in the absence
of objections arising[1]



decrement

decrement
dec·re·ment 
[dékrəmənt] (plural dec·re·ments)
noun

1.  amount
of decrease: the amount by which a quantity or
quality gradually decreases

2.  decreasing:
the process of becoming less or fewer (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin decrementum, from decrescere from crescere
“to grow.”]
—dec·re·ment·al
[dèkrə mént’l], adjective

—dec·re·men·tal·ly [dèkrə méntəlee], adverb[1]



decreolization

decreolization
de·cre·o·li·za·tion 
[dee kr əli záysh’n] noun

change in language use:
the gradual adoption by speakers of a creole of a form of speech that is closer
to the standard language from which the creole had originated[1]



decrepit

decrepit
de·crep·it 
[di kréppit] adjective

1.  old
and in poor condition: in poor condition,
especially old, overused, or not working efficiently

2.  not
young or strong: with strength lessened by the effects of
age (archaic or humorous)
[15th
century. From Latin decrepitus, from crepitus, the past
participle of crepare “to crack, creak.” Ultimately from an imitative
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English raven and retch
.]
—de·crep·it·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at weak

[1]



decrepitate

decrepitate
de·crep·i·tate 
[di kréppi tàyt] (past de·crep·i·tat·ed,
past participle de·crep·i·tat·ed, present participle de·crep·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·crep·i·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

heat
till crackling: to heat a substance, especially a salt,
until it crackles or stops crackling, or to be heated in this way
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from de- + Latin crepitare
“to crackle,” from crepitus “cracked” (see decrepit
).]
—de·crep·i·ta·tion [di krèppi táysh’n], noun[1]



decrepitude

decrepitude
de·crep·i·tude 
[di kréppi td] noun

condition of being worn out:
the condition of being old, worn out, or in poor working order[1]



decresc.

decresc.
decresc.

Abbreviation of
decrescendo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








decrescendo

decrescendo
de·cre·scen·do 
[dày krə shéndō, d
krə shéndō] adverb

increasingly
softly:
with decreasing loudness (used as a musical direction)
U.K.
term
diminuendo
noun
(plural de·cre·scen·dos)

piece
of music growing quieter: a piece of music, or a
section of a piece, played decrescendo.
Also
called
diminuendo
U.K.
term
diminuendo  noun
[Early
19th century. From Italian, “decreasing.”]
—de·cre·scen·do, adjective[1]



decrescent

decrescent
de·cres·cent 
[di kréss’nt] adjective

waning:
used to describe the moon when it is waning (technical)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin decrescere, from crescere “to
grow.”]
—de·cres·cence, noun[1]



decretal

decretal
de·cre·tal 
[di krt’l] (plural dec·re·tals)
noun

papal
decree:
a papal decree or edict that relates to an aspect of church law or doctrine
[14th
century. Via late Latin decretale, from, ultimately, Latin decret-,
the past participle stem of decernere, from cernere “to separate,
sift.”]
—de·cre·tal, adjective[1]



decretory

decretory
dec·re·to·ry 
[dékrə tàwree, di
krtəree] adjective

resembling
decree:
relating to or having the force of a decree
[Late 16th century. From
Latin decretorius, from decret-, the past participle stem of decernere
(see decern ).][1]



decriminalize

decriminalize
de·crim·i·nal·ize 
[dee krímmənə lz] (past de·crim·i·nal·ized,
past participle de·crim·i·nal·ized, present participle de·crim·i·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·crim·i·nal·iz·es) transitive
verb

legalize
something:
to make legal an action or substance that was formerly illegal
—de·crim·i·nal·i·za·tion
[dee krìmmənəli záysh’n], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at legal

[1]



decry

decry
de·cry 
[di kr] (past de·cried, past
participle de·cried, present participle de·cry·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·cries) transitive verb

criticize
somebody or something: to express strong
disapproval of or openly criticize somebody or something (formal) • critics
decrying lowered standards in education
[Early
17th century. Modeled on French décrier “to cry down.”]
—de·cri·al,
noun

—de·cri·er, noun[1]



decrypt

decrypt
de·crypt 
[dee krípt] (past de·crypt·ed,
past participle de·crypt·ed, present participle de·crypt·ing,
3rd person present singular de·crypts) transitive verb

decode:
render an encoded text or message into plain language. See decode  verb 1
See decode  verb 2
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from de- + crypt(ogram) .]
—de·cryp·tion, noun[1]



decubitus

decubitus
de·cu·bi·tus 
[di kybitəss] noun

lying
position:
the particular position of somebody’s body when lying down, usually on the
front, back, or side (technical)
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin decumbere “to lie
down,” on the model of accubitus “reclining at table.”]
—de·cu·bi·tal, adjective[1]



decubitusulcer

decubitusulcer
de·cu·bi·tus
ul·cer 
(plural de·cu·bi·tus ul·cers) noun

bedsore:
a bedsore (technical)[1]



decumbent

decumbent
de·cum·bent 
[di kúmbənt] adjective

1.  BOTANY growing
along the ground: used to describe plants that lie along
the ground but have a tip growing upward

2.  ZOOLOGY growing
flat:
used to describe hair or bristles that lie or grow flat along a surface
[Early
17th century. From Latin decumbere “to lie down,” from cubare “to
lie down.”]
—de·cum·bence,
noun

—de·cum·bent·ly, adverb[1]



decuple

decuple
dec·u·ple 
[dékyəp’l] adjective

tenfold:
increasing by ten times (formal)
[15th century. From late
Latin decuplus “tenfold,” from Latin decem “ten” + -plus
“-fold.”][1]



decurion

decurion
de·cu·ri·on 
[di kyree ən] (plural de·cu·ri·ons)
noun

1.  Roman
officer:
in ancient Rome, an officer in command of ten soldiers

2.  Roman
council member: a council member in the Roman Empire
[14th century. From the Latin
stem decurion-, from decuria (see decury
) on the model of centurion .][1]



decurrent

decurrent
de·cur·rent 
[di kúrənt] adjective

curving
downward:
used to describe plant leaves that curve down at the edges, or trees with a
rounded shape
[15th
century. From Latin decurrere, literally “to run down,” from currere
“to run.”]
—de·cur·rent·ly, adverb[1]



decury

decury
de·cur·y 
[dékyəree] (plural de·cur·ies)
noun

10
soldiers:
in ancient Rome, a company of ten soldiers
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
decuria, from decem “ten,” on the model of centuria
“century.”][1]



decussate

decussate
de·cus·sate 
[di kú sàyt, dékə
sàyt] adjective

1.  shaped
like a cross: having the shape of a cross

2.  BOTANY forming
opposite pairs: used to describe leaves that form pairs
opposite each other and at right angles to the pair above and the pair below,
as in the horse chestnut
[Early
19th century. From Latin decussatus, the past participle of decussare
“to divide crosswise,” from decussis, the numeral ten (written X), from decem
“ten” + assis, a type of coin.]
—de·cus·sate·ly,
adverb

—dec·us·sa·tion [dèkə sáysh’n, d kə
sáysh’n], noun[1]



dedans

dedans
de·dans 
[də dN] noun (plural de·dans)

spectators’
area:
in court tennis, the open end of the court just behind the serving area where
spectators can watch the match
plural
noun

spectators:
the spectators who watch from the dedans
[Early 18th century. From
French, “inside, interior.”][1]



Dedham

Dedham
Ded·ham 
[déddəm]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, on the southern bank of the Charles River, southwest of Boston.
It was settled in 1635. Population: 23,741 (1996)[1]



dedicate

dedicate
ded·i·cate 
[déddi kàyt] (past ded·i·cat·ed,
past participle ded·i·cat·ed, present participle ded·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ded·i·cates) transitive verb

1.  set
something aside as special: to set something aside for a
particular purpose • an entire TV series
dedicated to birds

2.  address
work of art to somebody: to associate a book, piece
of music, or other art form with somebody as a token of friendship or esteem or
as an acknowledgment of help received

3.  commit
yourself to something: to commit yourself or your
life to something

4.  BROADCASTING play
music addressed to somebody: to play a piece of music, or
request the playing of a piece of music, as a tribute, especially on the radio

5.  devote
attention to something: to spend time or energy
doing something

6.  RELIGION set
something apart as holy: to set something apart for a
sacred purpose or to the memory of a holy person, saint, or god, especially in
a ceremony for this purpose “We cannot dedicate –we cannot consecrate –we
cannot hallow –this ground. The brave men…who struggled here have consecrated
it.” Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863
[15th
century. From Latin dedicare “to consecrate,” from dicare “to
proclaim.”]
—ded·i·ca·tee
[dèddi kay t], noun

—ded·i·ca·tive
[déddi kàytiv], adjective

—ded·i·ca·tor [déddi kàyt ər], noun[1]



dedicated

dedicated
ded·i·cat·ed 
[déddi kàytəd] adjective

1.  devoted:
wholeheartedly devoted or committed to a goal, cause, or job

2.  intended
only for one purpose: designed to carry out only
one task, or set aside for a purpose • relayed
via a dedicated satellite link

[1]



dedication

dedication
ded·i·ca·tion 
[dèddi káysh’n] (plural ded·i·ca·tions)
noun

1.  devotion:
the quality of being devoted or committed to something • her
dedication to duty

2.  inscription:
a short printed text at the beginning of a written or musical work associating
it with somebody esteemed by the author

3.  MUSIC piece
of music:
a piece of music played or requested as a tribute, especially on the radio

4.  setting
aside:
an act or process of setting something aside for a particular purpose,
especially in a ceremony that achieves this
—ded·i·ca·tion·al, adjective[1]



dedifferentiation

dedifferentiation
de·dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion 
[d diffə renshee áysh’n] noun

CELL
BIOLOGY See anaplasia[1]



deduce

deduce
de·duce 
[di dss] (past de·duced, past
participle de·duced, present participle de·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·duc·es) transitive verb

1.  reach
a conclusion: to come to a conclusion, often without
all the necessary or relevant information, but using what is known in a logical
way

2.  LOGIC infer
something from a general principle: to
come to a conclusion by inference from a general principle
[15th
century. From Latin deducere, literally “to lead out,” from ducere
“to lead.”]
—de·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[di dssə bíllətee], noun

—de·duc·i·ble
[di dssəb’l], adjective

—de·duc·i·ble·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  deduce, infer, assume,
  reason, conclude, work
  out, figure out
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  reach a logical conclusion on the basis of information deduce; a general term for reaching a
  conclusion based on evidence; infer;
  to draw a conclusion from specific circumstances or evidence; assume; to take a premise or information as
  true without checking or confirming; reason;
  to consider information and use it to reach a conclusion in a logical way; conclude; a term used to suggest that a
  conclusion has been reached in a logical way after much consideration; work out; an informal term suggesting some
  careful thought or reasoning, possibly working with limited information; figure out; the most informal term,
  emphasizing the application of somebody’s own intelligence to the solving of
  a problem

[1]



deduct

deduct
de·duct 
[di dúkt] (past de·duct·ed, past
participle de·duct·ed, present participle de·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ducts) transitive verb

subtract
an amount:
to subtract an amount for some purpose
[15th century. From Latin deduct-,
the past participle stem of deducere, literally “to lead out,” from ducere
“to lead.”][1]



deductible

deductible
de·duct·i·ble 
[di dúktəb’l] noun (plural de·duct·i·bles)

uninsured amount:
an agreed amount that must be paid by an insured person making a claim against
an insurance policy before an insurer will pay any compensation • a
$500 deductible.
U.K.
term
excess
adjective

1.  allowable
against tax: allowed by tax authorities as a
legitimate expense not subject to tax

2.  liable
to deduction: capable of being, or liable to be,
subtracted from something for some purpose
—de·duct·i·bil·i·ty [di dùktə bíllətee], noun[1]



deduction

deduction
de·duc·tion 
[di dúkshən] (plural de·duc·tions)
noun

1.  amount
deducted:
an amount that is subtracted from something, especially as an allowance against
tax

2.  subtraction
of an amount: the subtracting of an amount for some
particular purpose

3.  conclusion
drawn:
a conclusion drawn from available information

4.  drawing
a conclusion: the process of drawing a conclusion from
available information

5.  LOGIC logical
conclusion:
a conclusion reached by applying the rules of logic to a premise

6.  LOGIC reasoning:
the forming of conclusions by applying the rules of logic to a premise

[1]



deductive

deductive
de·duc·tive 
[di dúktiv] adjective

of
deduction:
based on logical or reasonable deduction • deductive
reasoning
—de·duc·tive·ly, adverb[1]



deed

deed
deed 
[deed] noun (plural deeds)

1.  something
done:
an intentional act “The last temptation is the greatest treason / To do the
right deed for the wrong reason.” T.S. Eliot Murder in the Cathedral 1935

2.  LAW document:
a signed document that outlines the terms of an agreement, especially one that
details a change in ownership of property

3.  LAW See title deed
plural
noun
deeds

actions:
action in general, especially as contrasted with speech
transitive
verb
(past deed·ed, past participle deed·ed, present
participle deed·ing, 3rd person present singular deeds)

LAW transfer
property to somebody: to sign over or transfer
something, especially real estate, to another person • deeded
her cabin to her grandson
[Old English dēd .
From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “a doing,” ultimately from the same
Indo-European ancestor as English do
.][1]



deeded

deeded
deed·ed
[ddəd] adjective

owned outright:
associated with a deed that shows clear ownership • a
ranch consisting of 640 deeded acres[1]



deejay

deejay
dee·jay 
[d jày] noun

DJ:
a disc jockey (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Respelling.]
—deejay, intransitive
verb[1]



deem

deem
deem 
[deem] (past deemed, past
participle deemed, present participle deem·ing, 3rd
person present singular deems) transitive verb

consider
to be:
to judge or consider something in a particular light (formal) (often
used in the passive) • a plan
that was deemed impractical from the very start
[Old English dēman .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to judge,” the ancestor of
English doom .][1]



de-emphasize

de-emphasize
de-em·pha·size 
[dee émfə sz] (past de-em·pha·sized,
past participle de-em·pha·sized, present participle de-em·pha·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular de-em·pha·sizes) transitive verb

reduce
importance of something: to make something seem or be
less important or central
—de-em·pha·sis [dee émfəssiss], noun[1]



de-energize

de-energize
de-en·er·gize
[dee énnər jz] (past de-en·er·gized,
past participle de-en·er·gized, present participle de-en·er·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular de-en·er·gizes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cut
off power:
to cut off an electrical circuit from its source of power

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
energy:
to have or cause somebody to have less energy or vitality
—de-en·er·gi·za·tion [dee ènnərji záysh’n], noun[1]



deep

deep
deep 
[deep] adjective (comparative deep·er,
superlative deep·est)

1.  down
from a surface: extending from a surface downward or
inward • very
deep mud
• a
deep wound

2.  far
from top to bottom: extending a long way from
top to bottom • a deep well
“The deep dark-shining / Pacific leans on the land.” Robinson Jeffers Night
1925

3.  far
from front to back: extending a long way from
front to back • a cupboard with deep
shelves

4.  far
from an edge: extending a long way from a surface or
boundary inward • deep woods

5.  made
up of units: standing or lining up in rows of a
particular number • people six deep on the
sidewalk

6.  far
down or in:
relatively far down, in, or inside something • a
nagging pain deep inside his chest

7.  coming
from or reaching far inside: coming from or reaching far
down inside the body • take a
deep breath

8.  low
in pitch:
low in pitch and rounded in tone • a deep
booming voice

9.  dark
in color:
relatively dark, rich, or intense in color • deep
purple

10. intense:
intensely held, kept, or experienced • deep
suspicion
• deep
discounts

11. profound:
intellectually profound • no
evidence of deep thinking
adjective
(comparative deep·er, superlative deep·est) adverb
(comparative deep·er, superlative deep·est) SPORTS

1.  near
own goal:
nearer to the goal a team is defending than the goal it is attacking • Chicago
played with two deep defenders. • deep
in their own territory

2.  near
boundary:
playing or played near the boundary of the playing area or, in baseball,
farther from home plate or one of the bases than is usual • a
fly ball to deep left field
adverb
(comparative deep·er, superlative deep·est)

far: far,
especially from a surface or point of entry • The
expedition went deep into the jungle.
noun

1.  sea:
the ocean depths

2.  intense
part:
the middle or most intense part of something (literary) • the
deep of night
[Old
English dēop . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “deep,
hollow,” which is also the ancestor of English dip
and dive .]
—deep·ness,
noun
deep
down (inside)

in
your innermost being

deep
in

completely
overwhelmed by or absorbed in something • deep
in a new novel

in
deep

very involved[1]



deep-discountbond

deep-discountbond
deep-dis·count
bond
(plural deep-dis·count bonds) noun

FINANCE
discounted bond:
a bond sold at a large discount because it bears little or no interest. It
will, however, provide a capital gain on redemption.[1]



deep-dish

deep-dish
deep-dish 
adjective

baked in a deep dish:
baked in a deep dish and so thicker than normal • deep-dish
pizza[1]



deep-dyed

deep-dyed
deep-dyed
adjective

1.  TEXTILES nonfading:
used to describe fabric that has been dyed with a concentrated fade-resistant
dye

2.  See
dyed-in-the-wool

[1]



deepen

deepen
deep·en 
[dpən] (past deep·ened, past
participle deep·ened, present participle deep·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular deep·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  get
deeper:
to become or make something deep or deeper

2.  make
or become intense: to become or make something
more intense • the
recession was deepening
—deep·en·er, noun[1]



deepend

deepend
deep
end
noun

deep
water:
the part of a swimming pool, lake, or other body of water where the water is
deepest
be
thrown in at the deep end

to
have to learn something new or difficult with very little experience or warning

go
off the deep end

to fly into a rage or lose
your emotional equilibrium[1]



deep-fatfryer

deep-fatfryer
deep-fat
fry·er
noun

U.K.
See deep fryer[1]



Deepfreeze

Deepfreeze
Deepfreeze
Trademark

a trademark for a freezer[1]



deep-freeze

deep-freeze
deep-freeze 
(past deep-froze, past participle deep-fro·zen, present
participle deep-freez·ing, 3rd person present singular deep-freez·es)
transitive verb

1.  freeze
something quickly: to freeze something such as
food quickly in order to prolong its freshness or nutritional value

2.  keep
something very cold: to store something at very
low temperatures

3.  suspend
activity:
to put off or suspend activity (informal)
—deep-fro·zen, adjective[1]



deepfreeze

deepfreeze
deep·freeze
[dp frz] (plural deep·freezes)
noun

1.  big
freezer:
a large freezer for the storage of foods and other perishable items

2.  storage
of something in extreme conditions: the
storage of something in very cold or hostile conditions

3.  suspension
of activity: the suspension or delay of further
activity (informal)

[1]



deep-fry

deep-fry
deep-fry 
(past deep-fried, past participle deep-fried, present
participle deep-fry·ing, 3rd person present singular deep-fries)
transitive verb

cook
food in deep oil: to cook food in fat or oil that is deep
enough to cover the food completely
—deep-fried, adjective[1]



deepfryer

deepfryer
deep
fry·er
(plural deep fry·ers) or deep-fat fry·er (plural
deep-fat fry·ers) noun

appliance for frying food:
an electrical appliance for deep-frying food[1]



deepkiss

deepkiss
deep
kiss
(plural deep kiss·es) noun

French
kiss:
a French kiss (dated)
—deep-kiss, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



deeply

deeply
deep·ly
[dplee] adverb

1.  intensely:
profoundly or intensely • deeply
offended

2.  deep
inside:
far down inside • breathe deeply
• deeply
felt pain

[1]



deeppocket

deeppocket
deep
pock·et
(plural deep pock·ets) noun

source of riches:
a seemingly unlimited supply of money (informal)[1]



deep-rooted

deep-rooted
deep-root·ed 
adjective

1.  firmly
held:
firmly held or established, usually over a long period of time, and so unlikely
to change

2.  BOTANY with
deep roots:
having roots that grow deep in the soil

[1]



deep-sea

deep-sea
deep-sea 
adjective

of the middle of the ocean:
relating to the deep waters of the ocean far away from land[1]



deep-seated

deep-seated
deep-seat·ed 
adjective

ingrained:
firmly established and difficult to change or eradicate • deep-seated
fear[1]



deep-set

deep-set
deep-set 
adjective

having deep sockets:
used to describe eyes with deep sockets[1]



deep-six

deep-six
deep-six 
(past deep-sixed, past participle deep-sixed, present
participle deep-six·ing, 3rd person present singular deep-six·es)
transitive verb

discard something:
to discard or dispose of something irrevocably (slang)[1]



deepsix

deepsix
deep
six
noun

disposal:
disposal of something in a way that makes its reappearance unlikely (slang)
[From naval slang meaning
“burial at sea,” perhaps from the traditional depth of a grave, or from the
phrase “by the deep, six,” meaning “six fathoms” on the sounding line][1]



deepsoul

deepsoul
deep
soul
noun

slow soul music:
soul music of the 1960s and 1970s that took the form of slow and emotionally
sung ballads[1]



deepspace

deepspace
deep
space
noun

outer space beyond Earth’s
gravity: space beyond the Earth’s
gravitational influence or beyond the orbit of the Moon[1]



deepstructure

deepstructure
deep
struc·ture
(plural deep struc·tures) noun

LINGUISTICS
abstract level of language:
the underlying form of a language, conceived as containing all the information
needed to make any sentence in that language.
See also
surface structure[1]



deep-water

deep-water
deep-wa·ter 
adjective

1.  accommodating
large ships: used to describe a port or anchorage
that is deep enough to accommodate large oceangoing vessels

2.  seagoing:
designed or trained to travel on the oceans (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense “seagoing,” as in deep-water ship or deep-water sailor,
  deep-water is recorded in coastal
  Massachusetts and New York but is most common in coastal Maine.

[1]



deer

deer

deer 
[deer] (plural deer) noun
animal
typically with antlers: a mammal distinguished by
the branched antlers on males. More than forty species of deer exist, of
different sizes and with different markings, and they are found wild on all
continents except Australia and Antarctica. Family: Cervidae
[Old English dēor “animal.”
From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning literally “breathing creature,”
ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting “breath, vapor,” which is also
the ancestor of English fume, dust, and thyme
.][1]



Deere,John

Deere,John
Deere 
[deer], John (1804–1886)

U.S. inventor. He founded a
company that manufactured agricultural equipment, including a revolutionary
steel plow.[1]



DeerfieldBeach

DeerfieldBeach
Deer·field
Beach
[dr feeld bch]

city in southeastern Florida,
in Broward County, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 46,325
(1990)[1]



deerfly

deerfly
deer
fly
noun

small blood-sucking fly:
a biting fly that infests deer and other animals, sucking blood and spreading
the infectious disease tularemia. It also delivers a stinging bite to humans.
Genus: Chrysops[1]



deergrass

deergrass
deer·grass
[dr gràss] (plural deer·grass)
noun

bog plant:
a perennial flowering grassy plant that grows in thick tufts in temperate peat
bogs. Latin name: Trichophorum caespitosum[1]



deerhound

deerhound
deer·hound 
[dr hòwnd] (plural deer·hounds)
noun

large rough-coated dog:
a large long-legged greyhound with a very shaggy coat, originally bred in
Scotland as a hunting dog from a Mediterranean strain of greyhound.
Also called
Scottish deerhound[1]



deerlick

deerlick
deer
lick
(plural deer licks) noun

salt area that deer lick:
a naturally occurring or artificial salty patch of ground where deer come to
lick salt[1]



deermouse

deermouse
deer
mouse
noun

American mouse:
an agile mouse native to North and Central America. Genus: Peromyscus
See also
white-footed mouse[1]



DeerPark

DeerPark
Deer
Park


city in southwestern Texas,
on Buffalo Bayou near Galveston Bay. It is a western suburb of Houston.
Population: 30,220 (1996)[1]



deerskin

deerskin
deer·skin 
[dr skìn] noun

deer’s hide:
the treated hide of a deer used as a fabric[1]



deerstalker

deerstalker
deer·stalk·er 
[dr stàwkər] (plural deer·stalk·ers)
noun deer·stalk·er (plural deer·stalk·ers) deer·stalk·er
hat (plural deer·stalk·er hats)

flapped hat:
a type of tweed hat with bills at the front and back and earflaps that can
either be tied together on its crown or fastened under the chin[1]



deertick

deertick
deer
tick
(plural deer ticks) noun

tick carrying Lyme disease:
a tick that is a parasite of humans and other mammals. It carries and transmits
the bacterium causing Lyme disease. Latin name: Ioxides dammini[1]



de-escalate

de-escalate
de-es·ca·late 
[dee éskə làyt] (past de-es·ca·la·ted,
past participle de-es·ca·la·ted, present participle de-es·ca·la·ting,
3rd person present singular de-es·ca·lates) transitive verb

reduce
in intensity: to reduce the level or intensity of a
difficult or dangerous situation
—de-es·ca·la·tion [dee èskə láysh’n], noun[1]



deet

deet
deet 
[deet] noun

insect
repellent:
an oily colorless insect repellent. C12H17NO Full form diethyl toluamide
[Mid-20th century. Probably
from the initial letters of its chemical name.][1]



def.

def.
def.

1.  Abbreviation
of
defense

2.  Abbreviation
of
definition

3.  Abbreviation
of
defendant

4.  Abbreviation
of
deferred

5.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of definite

[1]



deface

deface
de·face 
[di fáyss] (past de·faced, past
participle de·faced, present participle de·fac·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fac·es) transitive verb

spoil
appearance:
to spoil the appearance of something, especially intentionally
[14th
century. From French défacer, from face (see face ).]
—de·face·a·ble,
adjective

—de·fac·er, noun[1]



defacement

defacement
de·face·ment 
[di fáysmənt] noun

spoiling of appearance:
the deliberate spoiling of the appearance of something[1]



defacto

defacto
de
fac·to 
[di fáktō, day
fáktō] adverb

in
fact:
in fact, whether with a legal right or not
adjective

as
though rightful: acting or existing in fact but without
legal sanction • the de facto rules of
the country
[Early 17th century. From Latin,
“in fact,” literally “from what is done.”][1]



defalcate

defalcate
de·fal·cate 
[di fál kàyt, di
fáwl kàyt, déff’l kàyt] (past de·fal·cat·ed,
past participle de·fal·cat·ed, present participle de·fal·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fal·cates) transitive verb

embezzle
assets:
to misuse something, especially money or property, that belongs to somebody
else and is held in trust
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin defalcare “to deduct,” literally “to mow
off,” from Latin falx “scythe,” of unknown origin.]
—de·fal·ca·tor [di fál kàytər, di fáwl
kàytər], noun[1]



defalcation

defalcation
de·fal·ca·tion
[d fal káysh’n, d
fawl káysh’n, déff’l káysh’n] noun

1.  embezzlement:
the misuse of somebody else’s money, property, or funds

2.  sum
embezzled:
an amount of money obtained by defalcation

[1]



defamation

defamation
def·a·ma·tion 
[dèffə máysh’n] (plural def·a·ma·tions)
noun

personal attack:
an attack on somebody’s good name, character, or reputation[1]



defamatory

defamatory
de·fam·a·to·ry
[di fámmə tàwree] adjective

harmful
to reputation: harmful to somebody’s good name,
character, or reputation
—de·fam·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



defame

defame
de·fame 
[di fáym] (past de·famed, past
participle de·famed, present participle de·fam·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fames) transitive verb

harm
somebody’s reputation: to attack somebody or
somebody’s reputation, character, or good name by making slanderous or libelous
statements
[14th
century. Via Old French deffamer from Latin diffamare “to spread
about as an insulting report,” from fama (see fame
).]
—de·fam·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at malign

[1]



defang

defang
de·fang 
[dee fáng] (past de·fanged, past
participle de·fanged, present participle de·fang·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fangs) transitive verb

1.  weaken:
to weaken the power or harmful effect of something

2.  remove
fangs:
to remove the fangs from a snake or other animal

[1]



defat

defat
de·fat 
[dee fát] (past de·fat·ted, past
participle de·fat·ted, present participle de·fat·ting,
3rd person present singular de·fats) transitive verb

remove fat:
to remove the fat or fats from something[1]



default

default
de·fault 
[di fáwlt] noun (plural de·faults)

1.  COMPUTING preset
option:
an option that will automatically be selected by a computer if the user does
not choose one

2.  failure
to do something: a failure to meet an obligation,
especially a financial one

3.  LAW nonappearance
in court:
a failure to make a summoned court appearance

4.  SPORTS nonparticipation
in competition: a failure to appear for or complete a
competition
intransitive
verb
(past de·fault·ed, past participle de·fault·ed, present
participle de·fault·ing, 3rd person present singular de·faults)

1.  fail
to pay:
to fail to pay a debt or other financial obligation

2.  LAW fail
to appear in court: to fail to make an
appearance in court although summoned to do so

3.  SPORTS fail
to compete:
to fail to appear for a match or contest

4.  COMPUTING use
preset option: to use a device, command, or file when
no other is specified
[13th
century. From Old French defaute, the past participle of defaillir
“to fail,” from faillir (see fail ).]
by
default

1.  having
come about because some other thing, often something expected, did not happen

2.  having
come about because somebody failed to appear as expected

3.  according
to a computer’s preset configuration

in
default of something or somebody

because
of a lack of or the absence of something or somebody (formal)

[1]



defaulter

defaulter
de·fault·er
[di fáwltər] (plural de·fault·ers)
noun

1.  nonpayer:
somebody who fails to comply with a financial obligation

2.  LAW absentee
from court:
somebody who fails to appear when summoned to court

3.  SPORTS absentee
from competition: a person or team failing to appear for a
match or contest

[1]



defeasance

defeasance
de·fea·sance 
[di fz’ns] (plural de·fea·sanc·es)
noun LAW

1.  making
void:
the declaration of something as null and void

2.  legal
clause:
a clause in a legal document that states that, in the event of a condition or
conditions being fulfilled, the document will become null and void

3.  legal
document:
a document containing a defeasance
[15th century. From Old
French defesance, from defaire, from medieval Latin disfacere,
literally “to unmake.”][1]



defeasible

defeasible
de·fea·si·ble 
[di fzib’l] adjective LAW

1.  voidable:
capable of being made or declared null and void

2.  subject
to forfeit:
liable to be forfeited
—de·fea·si·bil·i·ty
[di fzi bíllətee], noun

—de·fea·si·ble·ness [di fzib’lnəss], noun[1]



defeat

defeat
de·feat 
[di ft] transitive verb (past
de·feat·ed, past participle de·feat·ed, present
participle de·feat·ing, 3rd person present singular de·feats)

1.  beat
a competitor: to win a victory over a competitor, for
example, in sports or business

2.  win
a vote:
to win a victory over another in a debate or vote

3.  beat
an enemy:
to win a victory over enemy forces in a battle or war

4.  cause
failure:
to cause something to fail or to fall short of realization • The
truck defeated all my attempts to get it to start.

5.  baffle
somebody:
to leave somebody in a baffled or uncomprehending state • His
logic defeats me.

6.  LAW make
something void: to make or declare something null and
void
noun
(plural de·feats)

1.  losing
to an opponent: the fact or an instance of losing to an
enemy in battle or an opponent in a competition • our
team’s defeat of the visitors

2.  failure:
failure to win or to realize a goal • She
refused to admit defeat and appealed.

3.  LAW See annulment
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman defeter “to disfigure, destroy” from,
ultimately, medieval Latin disfacere, literally “to unmake,” from Latin facere
“to do, make” (see fact ).]
—de·feat·er,
noun
defeat
the object

or
defeat the purposemake the desired outcome less likely or possible while
appearing to have the intent of pursuing it

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  defeat, beat, conquer,
  vanquish, overcome, triumph over, thrash, trounce
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  win a victory defeat; the most
  general and wide-ranging term, used to talk about both real events and
  situations and abstract concepts; beat;
  a slightly less formal term for defeat, commonly used to talk about
  real events or situations as well as successfully dealing with serious
  problems or surviving serious illnesses; conquer;
  a term suggesting a convincing victory, often used in a military context, but
  also used with reference to abstract concepts; vanquish;
  a formal or literary term for conquer; overcome;
  a term suggesting that victory was gained after a struggle, often used with
  reference to abstract concepts; triumph over; a fairly formal term
  suggesting decisive victory with cause for celebration; thrash; an informal term used of an easy
  victory in a contest or athletic match, particularly one with a large margin
  of victory; trounce; a more formal
  word for thrash

[1]



defeatist

defeatist
de·feat·ist
[di ftist] adjective

expecting
failure:
showing a tendency to expect failure or accept it too readily
noun
(plural de·feat·ists)

somebody
who expects failure: somebody who expects or
accepts failure as a matter of course
—de·feat·ism, noun[1]



defecate

defecate
def·e·cate 
[déffə kàyt] (past def·e·cat·ed,
past participle def·e·cat·ed, present participle def·e·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular def·e·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
expel
feces:
to expel feces from the bowel through the rectum (formal or technical)

2.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY remove
impurities:
to remove impurities from a solution, especially a solution that contains sugar
[15th
century. From Latin defaecare “to remove waste,” from faex
“dregs, waste” (source of English feces
).]
—def·e·ca·tion
[dèffə káysh’n], noun

—def·e·ca·tor [déffə kàytər], noun[1]



defect

defect
de·fect 
noun [d fèkt, di fékt] (plural de·fects)

1.  flaw:
a failing, blemish, or flaw, especially one that still allows the affected
thing to function, however imperfectly

2.  personal
flaw:
a personal failing, weakness, or shortcoming, especially in character

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY imperfection
in crystal:
an imperfection in the internal structure of a crystal, for example, an atom of
a different substance
intransitive
verb
[di fékt] (past de·fect·ed, past
participle de·fect·ed, present participle de·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fects)

1.  reject
your homeland: to leave your native country or the
country you are living in and refuse to return there, usually for political or
moral reasons

2.  abandon
an allegiance: to abandon allegiance to a cause or
party, especially when this also involves supporting something previously
opposed
[15th
century. From Latin defect-, the past participle stem of deficere
“to be wanting, desert,” from facere “to do, make” (see fact ).]
—de·fec·tion,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at flaw

[1]



defective

defective
de·fec·tive 
[di féktiv] adjective

1.  faulty:
faulty, especially in having something missing or broken and so not functioning
properly or at all

2.  offensive
term:
a highly objectionable term that means with learning difficulties or problems
in coping with emotions (offensive insult)

3.  GRAMMAR incomplete:
lacking the usual or expected range of grammatical inflections
noun
(plural de·fec·tives)

offensive term:
a highly objectionable term that means somebody who has learning difficulties
or problems in coping with emotions (offensive insult)
—de·fec·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·fec·tive·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  defective
  or deficient ?
  Defective is normally used in
  reference to machines or to other functional things such as the human senses:
  • If
  the workmanship is defective, they’ll replace the shoes with a new pair.
  • Artillery
  officers sometimes have defective hearing. Deficient is used to describe things that lack a
  quality or an attribute, without this amounting to actual failure to work or
  function: • Her
  voice is beautiful but a little deficient in power.
  • Their
  diet is deficient in vitamin D.

[1]



defector

defector
de·fec·tor 
[di féktər] (plural de·fec·tors)
noun

1.  political
emigrant:
somebody who rejects his or her native country in favor of another, usually for
political or moral reasons

2.  converted
person:
somebody who, because of a clash in ideology, rejects one cause or political
group in favor of another

[1]



defeminize

defeminize
de·fem·i·nize 
[dee fémmə nz] (past de·fem·i·nized,
past participle de·fem·i·nized, present participle de·fem·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fem·i·niz·es) transitive verb

make something less feminine:
to remove or diminish characteristics of somebody or something that are
traditionally regarded as associated with women or girls[1]



defence

defence
de·fence 
noun

U.K. =
defense[1]



defend

defend
de·fend 
[di fénd] (past de·fend·ed, past
participle de·fend·ed, present participle de·fend·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fends) verb

1.  transitive
verb
protect
somebody or something: to protect somebody or
something from attack, harm, or danger

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW represent in court:
to represent and speak on behalf of an accused person in court

3.  transitive
verb
support
a position:
to offer support for something or somebody, especially by arguing against the
objections or criticism of others

4.  intransitive
verb
resist
an opponent: to resist the attacks of an opposing
player or team and try to prevent him or her from scoring

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS try to
keep a title: to try to retain a title, especially a
sporting one, by competing in the relevant competitions
[13th
century. Via French défendre from Latin defendere “to ward off.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to strike, kill,” which is also
the ancestor of English bane and gun .]
—de·fend·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at safeguard

[1]



defendant

defendant
de·fen·dant 
[di féndənt] (plural de·fen·dants)
noun

accused party:
a person, party, or company required to answer criminal or civil charges in a
court[1]



defender

defender
de·fend·er 
[di féndər] (plural de·fend·ers)
noun

1.  supporter:
somebody who offers support, justification, or an explanation for something or
somebody

2.  protector:
somebody who protects a person or place against attack

3.  SPORTS holder
of title:
somebody who holds a title that is subject to recurring competition

[1]



Defenderof the Faith

Defenderof the Faith
De·fend·er
of the Faith noun

title held by British
monarchs: a title given by Pope Leo X
in 1521 to King Henry VIII and held by British monarchs ever since.
Also called
Fidei Defensor[1]



defending

defending
de·fend·ing
[di fénding] adjective

SPORTS
holding a title:
holding a title that is subject to recurring competition • the
defending champions[1]



defenestrate

defenestrate
de·fen·es·trate 
[dee fénnə stràyt] (past de·fen·es·trated,
past participle de·fen·es·trated, present participle de·fen·es·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fen·es·trates) transitive verb

throw
somebody or something out of window: to
throw something or somebody out of a window (formal or humorous)
[Early
17th century. Coined from de- + Latin fenestra
“window” (source of English fenestrated
), of unknown origin.]
—de·fen·es·tra·tion [dee fènnə stráysh’n], noun[1]



defense

defense
de·fense 
[di fénss] noun (plural de·fens·es)

1.  protection:
the protection of something, especially from attack by an enemy

2.  something
that protects: a method or object for protecting
something • a
castle with strong defenses

3.  MILITARY armed
forces:
a country’s armed forces

4.  justification:
an excuse or justification for something • spoke
in defense of the motion

5.  LAW reasons
offered:
the set of reasons that a defendant offers in court in denial of a charge

6.  LAW defendant’s
case:
the facts and their presentation as they relate to the defendant in a court
case

7.  LAW counsel
and defendant: the counsel and the defendant in a court
case

8.  SPORTS defensive
play:
in sports, the method or maneuvers that prevent the other team from scoring

9.  SPORTS defensive
players:
the sports team members who play defense
plural
noun
de·fens·es

1.  protective
qualities:
the qualities of the body or mind that protect somebody from attack, injury, or
illness

2.  fortifications:
the fortifications that protect a place from enemies or the forces of nature
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin defens-, the past participle stem of defendere
(see defend ).][1]



defenseless

defenseless
de·fense·less 
[di fénsləss] adjective

unprotected:
lacking any form of protection and therefore vulnerable
plural
noun

unprotected
people:
people who are unable to defend themselves and their interests • working
as a shield for the defenseless
—de·fense·less·ly,
adverb

—de·fense·less·ness, noun[1]



defensemechanism

defensemechanism
de·fense
mech·a·nism
(plural de·fense mech·a·nisms) noun

1.  protective
mental activity: any means of avoiding emotional
distress, destructive impulses, or a threat to self-esteem, especially by the
suppression of unwanted thoughts or memories

2.  protective
physical activity: any of the natural
protective responses to danger or attack used by an organism, for example, when
faced with a predator or invaded by a disease agent

[1]



defense-minded

defense-minded
de·fense-mind·ed
adjective

favoring defensive playing
tactics: giving emphasis to building
a team with strong defensive skills[1]



defensible

defensible
de·fen·si·ble
[di fénsəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be protected: capable of being protected from attack

2.  justifiable:
able to be explained, justified, or excused
—de·fen·si·bil·i·ty
[di fènsə bíllətee], noun

—de·fen·si·ble·ness
[di fénsəb’lnəs], noun

—de·fen·si·bly, adverb[1]



defensin

defensin
de·fen·sin
[dee fénsin] (plural de·fen·sins)
noun

blood peptide that prevents
infection: any of three peptides
present in human white blood cells that appear to play a role in the prevention
or elimination of infection[1]



defensive

defensive
de·fen·sive 
[di fénsiv] adjective

1.  quick
to justify:
aiming to deflect or avoid perceived criticism

2.  serving
to protect:
designed or intended for protection or defense

3.  favoring
defense as playing strategy: concentrating more on
preventing an opponent from gaining an advantage than on scoring

4.  of
a defense team: relating to the team that plays defense,
especially in football
—de·fen·sive·ness,
noun
on
the defensive

1.  expecting
criticism or aggression and prepared to respond

2.  having
assumed a position that indicates readiness to play defensively

[1]



defensivemedicine

defensivemedicine
de·fen·sive
med·i·cine
noun

extensive diagnosis as
protection against lawsuit: medical
treatment that involves carrying out extensive diagnostic testing in order to
minimize the chances of a patient’s suing the doctor or hospital for negligence[1]



defensman

defensman
de·fens·man
[d fens màn] (plural de·fens·men
[d fens mèn]) noun

defensive player:
a team member who plays a defensive position, especially in ice hockey[1]



defer

defer1
de·fer1 [di
fúr] (past de·ferred, past participle de·ferred,
present participle de·fer·ring, 3rd person present singular
de·fers) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  postpone:
to put something off until a later time

2.  MILITARY postpone
military service: to allow somebody to postpone
conscription into the armed forces
[14th
century. From French différer “to put aside, differ.”]
—de·fer·ment,
noun

—de·fer·ra·ble,
adjective

—de·fer·rer, noun[1]



defer

defer2
de·fer2 [di
fúr] (past de·ferred, past participle de·ferred,
present participle de·fer·ring, 3rd person present singular
de·fers) intransitive verb

concede
precedence:
to give way to, and usually acknowledge the merit of, somebody else’s judgment,
opinion, wishes, or action • I
defer to your superior knowledge.
[15th
century. Via French déférer from Latin deferre, literally “to
carry away,” from ferre “to carry” (see fertile
).]
—de·fer·rer, noun[1]



deference

deference
def·er·ence 
[déffərəns] noun

1.  respect:
polite respect, especially putting another person’s interests first

2.  submission:
submission to the judgment, opinion, or wishes of another person
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from defer 2 .]
in
deference to

out of respect or courtesy to
somebody or something[1]



deferent

deferent1
def·er·ent1 [déffərənt]
adjective

See
deferential[1]



deferent

deferent2
def·er·ent2 adjective

PHYSIOLOGY
able to convey fluid:
used to describe a duct, nerve, or vessel in the body that is capable of
carrying impulses or fluid away, down, or outward[1]



deferential

deferential
def·er·en·tial 
[dèffə rénsh’l] adjective

showing
respect:
showing or expressing polite respect or courtesy
—def·er·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



deferral

deferral
de·fer·ral 
[di fúrəl] (plural de·fer·rals)
noun

postponement:
an instance or the process of putting something off, especially a trial or
court hearing, until a later date[1]



deferredannuity

deferredannuity
de·ferred
an·nu·i·ty
noun

delayed investment:
a type of investment that does not pay out until at least one year after the
final premium has been paid[1]



deferredsentence

deferredsentence
de·ferred
sen·tence
(plural de·ferred sen·tenc·es) noun

conditional sentence:
a sentence that is not passed until a specified period has elapsed in order to
allow the court time to assess the behavior of the convicted person[1]



defervescence

defervescence
de·fer·ves·cence 
[d fər véss’ns] noun

1.  decrease
in fever:
a decrease in a fever

2.  stage
of illness when fever decreases: the stage of an
illness during which fever subsides
[Early
18th century. Via Latin defervescere “to stop boiling” from, ultimately,
fervere “to be hot, boil.”]
—de·fer·vesce,
intransitive and transitive verb

—de·fer·ves·cent, adjective[1]



Defiance

Defiance
De·fi·ance 
[di f əns]

city in northwestern Ohio
southwest of Toledo and northwest of Lima. Population: 16,718 (1996)[1]



defiance

defiance
de·fi·ance 
[di f əns] noun

open
disobedience: open, bold, or hostile refusal to obey
or conform
in
defiance of

1.  with
complete disregard for a rule, law, or person in authority

2.  notwithstanding
a rule or expectation

[1]



defiant

defiant
de·fi·ant 
[di f ənt] adjective

1.  challenging
aggressively: tending to confront and challenge

2.  disobedient:
deliberately and openly disobedient
[Late
16th century. From French défiant, the present participle of défier,
from assumed Vulgar Latin disfidare “to renounce your faith.”]
—de·fi·ant·ly, adverb[1]



defibrillate

defibrillate
de·fib·ril·late 
[dee fíbbrə làyt, dee
fbrə làyt] (past de·fib·ril·lat·ed, past participle
de·fib·ril·lat·ed, present participle de·fib·ril·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fib·ril·lates) transitive verb

stimulate
heart electrically: to apply an electric shock
to the chest, or sometimes directly to the heart itself, in order to restore a
regular heartbeat after a critically irregular beat has developed
—de·fib·ril·la·tion [dee fìbbrə láysh’n, dee
fbrə láysh’n], noun[1]



defibrillator

defibrillator
de·fib·ril·la·tor 
[dee fíbbrə làytər, dee
fbrə làytər] (plural de·fib·ril·la·tors) noun

electric-shock machine:
a machine that administers a controlled electric shock to the chest or heart to
correct a fluttering heartbeat that cannot drive the circulation[1]



deficiency

deficiency
de·fi·cien·cy 
[di físh’nsee] (plural de·fi·cien·cies)
noun

1.  shortage:
a lack or shortage of something

2.  amount
lacking:
the amount by which something falls short of being complete

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lack

[1]



deficiencydisease

deficiencydisease
de·fi·cien·cy
dis·ease
(plural de·fi·cien·cy dis·eas·es) noun

lack of required nutrients:
a disease resulting from lack of a nutrient or other substance required by a
human or other animal or plant for growth, development, or general health. The
deficiency may be caused either by an inadequate supply of the required
substance or an inability to process it.[1]



deficient

deficient
de·fi·cient 
[di físh’nt] adjective

1.  lacking:
lacking a particular quality, element, or ingredient, especially one that is
expected or necessary

2.  inadequate:
inadequate or not good enough
[Late
16th century. From Latin deficient-, the present participle stem of deficere
“to leave undone, fail,” from facere “to do, make” (see fact ).]
—de·fi·cient·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at defective.

[1]



deficit

deficit
def·i·cit 
[déffissit] (plural def·i·cits)
noun

1.  excessive
amount spent: the amount by which expenditures exceed
income or budget

2.  shortfall:
the amount by which a total is less than it should be
[Late
18th century. Via French déficit from Latin deficit “it is
lacking,” from deficere “to leave undone, fail.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lack

[1]



deficitfinancing

deficitfinancing
def·i·cit
fi·nanc·ing
noun

spending to boost economy:
the practice of deliberately allowing government spending to exceed its
revenues in order to try to boost economic activity and lower unemployment[1]



deficitspending

deficitspending
def·i·cit
spend·ing
noun

spending by borrowing:
government spending that is financed by borrowing money rather than through
money raised by taxation[1]



defier

defier
de·fi·er 
[di fr] (plural de·fi·ers) noun

defiant person:
somebody who openly refuses to obey or conform to a rule, regulation, or
authority[1]



defilade

defilade
def·i·lade 
[déffi làyd, déffi
ld] noun

defense
configuration: fortifications or protection designed to
guard against enemy gunfire that might be aimed at a line of troops.
See
also
enfilade
transitive
verb
(past def·i·lad·ed, past participle def·i·lad·ed, present
participle def·i·lad·ing, 3rd person present singular def·i·lades)

protect
troops:
to set up protective fortifications to protect troops or a position
[Early 19th century. Formed
from French défiler (see defile 2 ), on the
model of “enfilade.”][1]



defile

defile1
de·file1 [di
fl] (past de·filed, past participle de·filed,
present participle de·fil·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·files) transitive verb

1.  corrupt
something:
to corrupt or ruin something (formal)

2.  damage
reputation:
to damage somebody’s reputation or good name

3.  destroy
sanctity of something: to make a holy or sacred
thing or place no longer fit for ceremonial use

4.  pollute
something:
to make something dirty or polluted (formal)

5.  deprive
woman of virginity: to be the first man to have
sexual intercourse with a woman, usually outside marriage (archaic)
[14th
century. An alteration (influenced by an obsolete word meaning “to befoul”) of
French defouler “to trample,” from fouler “to trample under
foot.”]
—de·file·ment,
noun

—de·fil·er, noun[1]



defile

defile2
de·file2 [di
fl] noun (plural de·files)

1.  narrow
mountain pass: a narrow pass between mountains

2.  narrow
passage:
a passage only wide enough for people to pass single-file
intransitive
verb
(past de·filed, past participle de·filed, present
participle de·fil·ing, 3rd person present singular de·files)

march single-file:
to march or go in single file, especially when the way is too narrow to march
in any other formation
[Late 17th century. From
French défiler “to march in a line,” from file “ file 1 .”][1]



define

define
de·fine 
[di fn] (past de·fined, past
participle de·fined, present participle de·fin·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fines) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
meaning of word: to give the precise meaning of a word or
expression

2.  transitive
verb
state:
to state or describe something clearly

3.  transitive
verb
characterize
somebody or something: to identify somebody or
something by a distinctive characteristic quality or feature • The
age we live in is defined by a deep sense of uncertainty.

4.  transitive
verb
show
something clearly: to show something clearly,
especially in shape or outline (usually passive) • The
tire marks were clearly defined in the snow.

5.  transitive
verb
mark:
to mark a boundary, edge, or limit • That
row of trees defines the eastern boundary of the estate.
[14th
century. Via Old French definer from Latin definire “to limit,
determine,” from finis (see final ).]
—de·fin·a·bil·i·ty
[di fnə bíllətee], noun

—de·fin·a·ble
[di fnəb’l], adjective

—de·fin·a·bly,
adverb

—de·fin·er, noun[1]



definiendum

definiendum
de·fin·i·en·dum 
[də fìnnee éndəm] (plural de·fin·i·en·da
[də fìnnee éndə]) noun

word
being defined: the word or expression defined by a
definition, for example, in a dictionary or glossary (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “thing to be defined,” formed from definire (see define ).][1]



definiens

definiens
de·fin·i·ens 
[də fínnee ènz] (plural de·fin·i·en·ti·a
[də fìnnee énshə, də
fìnnee énshee ə]) noun

definition
words:
the words used to define a particular word or expression, for example, in a
dictionary or glossary (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “something that defines,” from the present participle
of definire (see define ).][1]



defining

defining
de·fin·ing
[di fning] adjective

showing nature of something:
giving a distinctive character to something, or encapsulating its character • That
was the defining moment of the election campaign.[1]



definite

definite
def·i·nite 
[déffənit] adjective

1.  absolutely
set on something: certain about something and unlikely to
have a change of plan • I’m
definite about this.

2.  fixed:
fixed, certain, and not to be altered • Have
we got a definite date for the meeting?

3.  obvious:
unquestionable and unmistakable • a
definite turn for the better

4.  with
clear limits: precise and distinct in describing the
limits of something • with a
definite age range for the junior chess club

5.  with
clear outline: with a clearly distinct shape or outline
• the
definite outline of a building among the trees

6.  BOTANY with
terminal flower: used to describe a flower head in which
the first-formed flower is at the stalk’s end with subsequent flowers
developing lower down on one or both sides of the stalk
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin definitus, the past participle of definire (see define ).]
—def·i·nite·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  definite
  or definitive ?
  Definite describes something as
  being clear or exact without making any strong judgment about it: • He
  has definite ideas on the subject. Definitive denotes something that is
  authoritative, conclusive, or decisive, and is therefore a more judgmental
  word: • She
  wrote the definitive book on the subject.

[1]



definitearticle

definitearticle
def·i·nite
ar·ti·cle
(plural def·i·nite ar·ti·cles) noun

“the”:
a word, for example, “the” in English, that designates a noun as being specific
and identifiable[1]



definiteintegral

definiteintegral
def·i·nite
in·te·gral
(plural def·i·nite in·te·grals) noun

integral value between set
limits: a determination of the
difference in values of an integral between two specified limits, expressed
using symbols.
Also called
integral noun 1[1]



definitely

definitely
def·i·nite·ly
[déffənitlee] adverb

1.  certainly:
without a doubt • He definitely had a
Swedish accent.

2.  finally
and unchangeably: as a conclusion after some thought or
hesitation • Once
she had definitely decided to go, she started packing.

3.  exactly:
in a precise way • Without knowing
definitely what it was, he just felt that something was wrong.

4.  clearly:
in a distinct and unmistakable way • Her
attitude suddenly became more definitely critical.

5.  absolutely:
with no exceptions • The sign read,
"Definitely no admittance."
interjection

yes: used
to say “yes” in an emphatic and enthusiastic way • “Are
you going to come to the party?”“Definitely!”

[1]



definition

definition
def·i·ni·tion 
[dèffə nísh’n] noun

1.  (plural
def·i·ni·tions) meaning of word:
a brief precise statement of what a word or expression means, for example, in a
dictionary

2.  act
of defining a word: the act or process of
defining what a word or expression means, for example, in writing a dictionary

3.  making
something clear: the act of describing or stating
something clearly and unambiguously

4.  TV PHOTOGRAPHY degree of clarity:
the clarity of a photograph, television picture, or other reproduced image. It
is related to the sharpness and degree of contrast in the image.

5.  RECORDING clarity
of recorded sound: the degree of sharpness or
clarity in recorded sound

6.  embodiment
of something: somebody or something believed to
represent or embody a particular idea or quality (formal) • His
behavior has always seemed to me the very definition of courtesy.
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin definire (see define ).]
—def·i·ni·tion·al,
adjective
by
definition

used to emphasize that
somebody or something is considered to have a particular quality as part of
his, her, or its nature[1]



definitive

definitive
de·fin·i·tive 
[di fínnətiv] adjective

1.  conclusive
and final:
providing a final decision that will not be questioned or changed • We
need a definitive answer.

2.  most
authoritative: recognized as being the most
authoritative and of the highest standard • the
definitive study of the subject

3.  STAMPS sold
for long time: used to describe stamps sold for an
extended or indefinite period and often part of a set sharing common design
elements

4.  BIOLOGY fully
grown:
fully formed or completely developed
noun
(plural defini·tives)

STAMPS definitive
stamp:
a postage stamp sold for an extended or indefinite period
[14th
century. Via French définitif from, ultimately, Latin definire
(see define ).]
—de·fin·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·fin·i·tive·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at definite.

[1]



definitivehost

definitivehost
de·fin·i·tive
host
(plural de·fin·i·tive hosts) noun

host organism for developing
parasite: the plant or animal in or on
which a parasitic organism reaches sexual maturity.
See also
intermediate host[1]



definitude

definitude
de·fin·i·tude 
noun

preciseness:
the quality of being exact and precise (formal)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from definite, on the model of infinitude .][1]



deflagrate

deflagrate
def·la·grate 
[défflə gràyt] (past def·la·grat·ed,
past participle def·la·grat·ed, present participle def·la·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular def·la·grates) intransitive and
transitive verb

burn
violently:
to burn or make something burn violently (literary or technical)
[Early
17th century. From Latin deflagrare, literally “to burn up,” from flagrare
(see flagrant ).]
—def·la·gra·tion [dèfflə gráysh’n], noun[1]



deflate

deflate
de·flate 
[də fláyt] (past de·flat·ed, past
participle de·flat·ed, present participle de·flat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·flates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb let
air out:
to let out or lose air or gas from an inflatable object with the result that it
shrinks or collapses

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody less confident: to destroy somebody’s
confidence, or make somebody less self-assured or conceited

3.  transitive
verb
destroy
theory:
to show that a theory or argument is wrong

4.  transitive
verb
ECONOMICS cause
deflation:
to bring about deflation in the economy or the money supply
[Late
19th century. Coined from de- + inflate .]
—de·fla·tor, noun[1]



deflation

deflation
de·fla·tion 
[di fláysh’n] noun

1.  collapse
because of air loss: the releasing or escaping of
air or gas from something, resulting in its shrinking or collapsing

2.  loss
of self-esteem: a sudden loss of confidence,
self-assurance, or conceit

3.  ECONOMICS reduced
economic activity: the reduction of general
economic activity, including lower prices and a reduced supply of money and
credit

4.  GEOLOGY erosion:
the erosion of land by wind

[1]



deflationary

deflationary
de·fla·tion·ar·y 
[di fláysh’n èrree] adjective

with reduced economic
activity: undergoing or creating a
lower level of general economic activity[1]



deflationist

deflationist
de·fla·tion·ist
[di fláysh’nist] adjective

advocating
deflation:
in favor of economic deflation
noun
(plural de·fla·tion·ists)

supporter of deflation:
somebody who advocates deflation of an economy[1]



deflect

deflect
de·flect 
[di flékt] (past de·flect·ed, past
participle de·flect·ed, present participle de·flect·ing,
3rd person present singular de·flects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
course:
to change course because of hitting something, or change something’s course by
coming into contact with it • The
pitcher’s arm deflected the ball into the outfield.

2.  transitive
verb
direct
attention away: to direct people’s attention or
criticism away from a particular subject or issue to something else

3.  transitive
verb
force
alteration of plans: to force somebody to change
from what he or she usually does or planned to do
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin deflectere, literally “to bend away,” from flectere
(see flexible ).]
—de·flect·a·ble,
adjective

—de·flec·tive,
adjective

—de·flec·tor, noun[1]



deflection

deflection
de·flec·tion 
[di flékshən] (plural de·flec·tions)
noun

1.  changing
of course:
a change of course after hitting somebody or something, or a changing of
something’s course by being hit by it

2.  amount
something deflects: the amount or distance by
which something is deflected

3.  diverting
of attention: the act of directing people’s attention
or criticism away from something

4.  MEASUREMENTS movement
of needle away from zero: a definite movement of the
indicator on a measuring instrument

5.  ENGINEERING movement
of structure under load: the movement of a structure
or a part of a structure when it is bearing a load

[1]



deflexed

deflexed
de·flexed 
[di flékst] adjective

BOTANY bent
down:
used to describe petals or leaves that bend sharply downward
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin deflexus, the past participle of deflectere (see deflect ).][1]



defloration

defloration
def·lo·ra·tion 
[dèfflə ráysh’n] noun

ending
of virginity: ending of a woman’s or girl’s virginity
(literary)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, late Latin deflorare (see deflower
).][1]



deflower

deflower
de·flow·er 
[dee flówr] (past de·flow·ered,
past participle de·flow·ered, present participle de·flow·er·ing,
3rd person present singular de·flow·ers) transitive verb

have
sex with virgin: to end the virginity of a girl or woman
(formal or literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French defflourer from late Latin deflorare,
from Latin flos (see flower ).]
—de·flow·er·er, noun[1]



defocus

defocus
de·fo·cus 
[dee fṓkəss] verb (past de·fo·cused,
past participle de·fo·cused, present participle de·fo·cus·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fo·cus·es)

1.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY soften
picture by shifting focus: to soften or blur an image
by focusing away from the exact plane of focus of the object in the image

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
focusing:
to stop focusing on something, or cause the eyes to stop focusing on something
noun

condition of defocusing:
the condition or state caused by defocusing, for example, the blurring of a
photographic image

[1]



defog

defog
de·fog 
[dee fóg] (past de·fogged, past
participle de·fogged, present participle de·fog·ging, 3rd
person present singular de·fogs) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  AUTOMOBILES get
rid of condensation from windshield: to
remove condensation from the windshield, mirror, and windows of a motor
vehicle, or lose condensation

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY get
rid of condensation from lens: to remove condensation
from the lens of a camera or other optical equipment, especially by allowing it
to warm up, or lose condensation in this way

[1]



defogger

defogger
de·fog·ger
(plural de·fog·gers) noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES device
that removes condensation: device that clears
condensation from the windshield of a motor vehicle, especially heating vents
built into the dashboard or heating elements on or in the windshield glass

2.  SPORTS liquid
for removing condensation: a liquid used to clean and
remove condensation from goggles or eyeglasses

[1]



defoliant

defoliant
de·fo·li·ant 
[dee fṓlee ənt] (plural de·fo·li·ants)
noun

chemical that removes leaves:
a chemical that strips trees and plants of their leaves and is sometimes used
in warfare to deny cover to enemy forces[1]



defoliate

defoliate
de·fo·li·ate 
[dee fṓlee àyt] (past de·fo·li·at·ed,
past participle de·fo·li·at·ed, present participle de·fo·li·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·fo·li·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

strip
or lose leaves: to strip trees and plants of their
leaves, for example, by using chemicals or through pollution or attack by
pests, or to lose leaves in any of these ways
[Late
18th century. From late Latin defoliare, from folium (see folio ).]
—de·fo·li·a·tion,
noun

—de·fo·li·a·tor, noun[1]



deforest

deforest
de·for·est 
[dee fáwrəst] (past de·for·est·ed,
past participle de·for·est·ed, present participle de·for·est·ing,
3rd person present singular de·for·ests) transitive verb

remove
trees from:
to remove the trees from an area of land
—de·for·es·ta·tion
[dee fàwrə stáysh’n], noun

—de·for·est·er, noun[1]



DeForest, Lee

DeForest, Lee
De
For·est 
[di fáwrəst], Lee (1873–1961)

U.S. inventor. He invented
the audion, a vacuum tube that revolutionized the radio industry (1906).[1]



deform

deform
de·form 
[di fáwrm] (past de·formed, past
participle de·formed, present participle de·form·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·forms) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  make
or become distorted: to become, or make something
become, distorted, damaged, or disfigured

2.  spoil
something or become spoiled: to spoil the appearance of
something and make it ugly, or become spoiled and ugly • The
new office buildings have deformed the whole area.

3.  PHYSICS change
shape by stress: to change the shape of something through
stress, or become changed in this way
[15th
century. Via Old French deformer from Latin deformare, literally
“to un-form,” from forma (see form
).]
—de·form·a·bil·i·ty
[di fàwrmə bíllətee], noun

—de·form·a·ble,
adjective

—de·form·er, noun[1]



deformalize

deformalize
de·for·mal·ize
[dee fáwrm’l z] (past de·for·mal·ized,
past participle de·for·mal·ized, present participle de·for·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·for·mal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
less formal: to make something such as a meeting or
report less formal
—de·for·mal·i·za·tion
[dee f`awrməli záysh’n], noun[1]



deformation

deformation
de·for·ma·tion 
[dee fàwr máysh’n, dèffər
máysh’n] (plural de·for·ma·tions) noun

1.  act
of deforming or being deformed: the act or process of
damaging, disfiguring, or spoiling the look of something, or the condition of
being damaged, disfigured, or spoiled

2.  change
in shape:
a change in the shape of something, especially one that suggests damage or
disfigurement

3.  unpleasant
result of change: the harmful or disfiguring result of a
change in form

4.  PHYSICS change
in shape because of stress: a change in shape resulting
from the application of stress

[1]



deformed

deformed
de·formed 
[di fáwrmd] adjective

1.  badly
formed:
abnormal or unnatural in shape

2.  not
normal:
not normal in outlook or temperament, especially in a way that is considered
dangerous or depraved

3.  PHYSICS distorted:
changed in shape as a result of stress
—de·form·ed·ly
[di fáwrmədlee], adverb

—de·form·ed·ness [di fáwrmədnəss], noun[1]



deformity

deformity
de·for·mi·ty 
[di fáwrmətee] (plural de·for·mi·ties)
noun

1.  disfigurement:
the condition of being disfigured or badly formed • the
deformity of the pine trees at such a high altitude in the mountains

2.  ANATOMY structural
change from normal: a permanent change from
normal body structure

3.  something
with shape far from normal: something that has a shape
not normal for its kind or nature

[1]



defrag

defrag
de·frag
[dee frág] (past de·fragged, past
participle de·fragged, present participle de·frag·ging,
3rd person present singular de·frags) transitive verb

(informal) See defragment[1]



defragment

defragment
de·frag·ment
[dee frág ment] (past de·frag·ment·ed,
past participle de·frag·ment·ed, present participle de·frag·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular de·frag·ments) transitive verb

reorganize storage space on
hard disk: to reorganize the storage
space on a hard disk by consolidating similar files thereby optimizing the
performance of the hard disk[1]



defraud

defraud
de·fraud 
[di fráwd] (past de·fraud·ed, past
participle de·fraud·ed, present participle de·fraud·ing,
3rd person present singular de·frauds) transitive verb

cheat
somebody:
to deprive somebody of money or property by dishonest means
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin defraudare, from fraudare
“to cheat.”]
—de·fraud·a·tion
[di fràw dáysh’n], noun

—de·fraud·er,
noun

—de·fraud·ment [di fráwdmənt], noun[1]



defray

defray
de·fray 
[di fráy] (past de·frayed, past
participle de·frayed, present participle de·fray·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·frays) transitive verb

pay
some or all of cost: to provide money to pay for
part or all of the cost of something (formal) • The
company will defray the cost of your training.
[Mid-16th
century. From French défrayer, from frais “expenses.”]
—de·fray·a·ble,
adjective

—de·fray·al,
noun

—de·fray·er,
noun

—de·fray·ment, noun[1]



defrock

defrock
de·frock 
[dee frók] (past de·frocked, past
participle de·frocked, present participle de·frock·ing,
3rd person present singular de·frocks) transitive verb

dismiss
priest:
to take away the status, job, and authority of a priest or other member of the
clergy, especially as a punishment for wrongdoing
[Early 17th century. From
French défroquer, from froc (see frock
).][1]



defrost

defrost
de·frost 
[di fróst] intransitive and transitive
verb (past de·frost·ed, past participle de·frost·ed,
present participle de·frost·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·frosts)

1.  remove
ice from:
to remove frost or ice from something, or become free of frost or ice

2.  thaw:
to thaw frozen food, or become thawed
noun
(plural de·frosts)

See defroster

[1]



defroster

defroster
de·frost·er 
[dee fróstər] (plural de·frost·ers)
noun
Also
called
defrost

1.  AUTOMOBILES device
for removing ice: a device that removes frost and ice or
condensation from the windshield, windows, and mirror of a motor vehicle

2.  HOUSEHOLD device
for thawing: a device used to thaw frozen foods

[1]



deft

deft
deft 
[deft] (comparative deft·er, superlative
deft·est) adjective

1.  quick
and skillful: moving or acting in a quick, smooth, and
skillful way

2.  clever:
showing good sense and skill in achieving or acquiring things
[13th
century. An early variant of daft .]
—deft·ly,
adverb

—deft·ness, noun[1]



defunct

defunct
de·funct 
[di fúngkt] adjective

1.  not
operating now: no longer operative, valid, or
functional

2.  dead:
no longer alive or in existence
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin defunctus, the past participle of defungi “to
finish,” literally “to perform completely,” from fungi “to perform”
(source of English function and perfunctory ).]
—de·funct·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



defuse

defuse
de·fuse 
[di fyz] (past de·fused, past
participle de·fused, present participle de·fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fus·es) transitive verb

1.  ARMS make
bomb harmless: to make a bomb or mine harmless by
removing its detonating device

2.  ease
difficult situation: to make a situation less
tense, dangerous, or uncomfortable • The
diplomats tried to defuse the escalating crisis.

[1]



defy

defy
de·fy 
[di f] (past de·fied, past
participle de·fied, present participle de·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·fies) transitive verb

1.  challenge
authority or power: to challenge openly
somebody’s or something’s authority or power by refusing to obey a command or
regulation • He
defied all orders from headquarters

2.  challenge
somebody to do something: to challenge or dare
somebody to do something • I defy
you to find a better deal than this.

3.  not
be explained by something: to fail to be explained or
clarified by something such as logic or analysis • a
decision that defies all logic
[14th century. Via French défier
from assumed Vulgar Latin disfidare “to renounce your faith,” from Latin
fides (see faith ).][1]



deg.

deg.
deg.

Abbreviation of
degree[1]



degas

degas
de·gas 
[dee gáss] (past de·gassed, past
participle de·gassed, present participle de·gas·sing, 3rd
person present singular de·gas·es) transitive verb

remove gas:
to remove gas from a liquid or solid or from a vacuum system[1]



Degas,Edgar

Degas,Edgar

De·gas 
[də g], Edgar (1834–1917)
French
painter and sculptor. A genius of modern art in the late 19th century, he often
depicted the human figure in movement, particularly ballet dancers.
Full name
Degas, Hilaire Germain Edgar[1]



DeGaulle, Charles

DeGaulle, Charles

De
Gaulle 
[də gáwl], Charles, General (1890–1970)
French
general and statesman. He became leader of the Free French in London after the
fall of France in World War II, taking over as head of the provisional
government in 1945. He served as French President from 1959 to 1969.
Full name
de Gaulle, Charles André Joseph Marie[1]



degauss

degauss
de·gauss 
[dee gówss] (past de·gaussed, past
participle de·gaussed, present participle de·gauss·ing,
3rd person present singular de·gauss·es) transitive verb

demagnetize
something:
to remove or counteract a magnetic field in something, for example, electrical
equipment or a ship’s hull. The hull of a ship can be degaussed as a protection
against magnetic mines.
—de·gauss·er, noun[1]



degenderize

degenderize
de·gen·der·ize 
[dee jéndə rz] (past de·gen·der·ized,
past participle de·gen·der·ized, present participle de·gen·der·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·gen·der·iz·es) or de·gen·der
[dee jéndər] (past de·gen·dered,
past participle de·gen·dered, present participle de·gen·der·ing,
3rd person present singular de·gen·ders) transitive verb

remove
references to people’s gender: to remove references
to people’s gender from language or a text in order to make it more neutral or
less biased
—de·gen·der·i·za·tion
[dee jèndəri záysh’n], noun[1]



degeneracy

degeneracy
de·gen·er·a·cy 
[di jénnərəsee] noun

1.  worsened
condition:
a condition that is worse than normal or worse than before

2.  See
degeneration  noun 1

3.  (plural
de·gen·er·a·cies) bad behavior:
immoral, depraved, or corrupt behavior

4.  QUANTUM PHYSICS state
of equal energy: the condition of two or more quantum
states that have the same energy

[1]



degenerate

degenerate
de·gen·er·ate 
intransitive verb [di jénnə ràyt] (past
de·gen·er·at·ed, past participle de·gen·er·at·ed, present
participle de·gen·er·at·ing, 3rd person present singular de·gen·er·ates)

1.  become
worse:
to develop into a condition that is worse than before, worse than normal, or
not as good as it should be

2.  BIOLOGY become
useless:
to become less specialized or lose the ability to function (refers to
organisms or body parts)
adjective
[di jénnərət]

1.  in
a worsened condition: in a condition that is worse
than normal or worse than before

2.  inferior:
in a condition that is worse than an original or previous state

3.  PHYSICS equal
in energy:
used to describe a system in which different quantum states have equal energy

4.  BIOLOGY with
reduced or absent part: used to describe a part, or
an organism with a part, that has become reduced in size or function, or lost
completely, during the history of its species or compared to related species
noun
[di jénnərət] (plural de·gen·er·ates)

somebody immoral or corrupt:
somebody who is in a bad condition, especially as a result of immoral behavior
[15th
century. From Latin degenerare, literally “to depart from your own
kind,” from genus “kind.”]
—de·gen·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—de·gen·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



degeneratematter

degeneratematter
de·gen·er·ate
mat·ter
noun

PHYSICS
compressed matter:
highly compressed matter consisting of elementary particles that are not
combined to form atoms, occurring in the final stage of a star’s development
into a white dwarf[1]



degeneration

degeneration
de·gen·er·a·tion 
[di jènnə ráysh’n] noun

1.  worsening
of condition: the process of becoming physically,
morally, or mentally worse.
Also
called
degeneracy

2.  MEDICINE deterioration:
a disease process that causes a gradual deterioration in the structure of a
body part with a consequent loss of the ability to function

3.  BIOLOGY biological
loss over generations: the gradual loss of the
biological function, specialization, or adaptation of a part of the body over
many generations.
Also
called
devolution

[1]



degenerative

degenerative
de·gen·er·a·tive 
[di jénnərətiv] adjective

gradually worsening:
causing or showing a gradual deterioration in the structure of a body part with
a consequent loss of the part’s ability to function[1]



degenerativejoint disease

degenerativejoint disease
de·gen·er·a·tive
joint dis·ease noun

See
osteoarthritis[1]



deglamorize

deglamorize
de·glam·or·ize 
[dee glámmə rz] (past de·glam·or·ized,
past participle de·glam·or·ized, present participle de·glam·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·glam·or·iz·es) or de·glam·our·ize
[dee glámmə rz] (past de·glam·our·ized,
past participle de·glam·our·ized, present participle de·glam·our·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·glam·our·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something look less appealing: to make something less
attractive or exciting than it sometimes appears
—de·glam·or·i·za·tion
[dee glàmməri záysh’n], noun[1]



deglutinate

deglutinate
de·glu·ti·nate 
[dee glt’n àyt] (past de·glu·ti·nat·ed,
past participle de·glu·ti·nat·ed, present participle de·glu·ti·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·glu·ti·nates) transitive verb

remove
gluten from: to remove the gluten from cereal or
flour
[Late
19th century. Coined from de- + Latin glutin-,
the stem of gluten (see gluten ).]
—de·glu·ti·na·tion [dee glt’n áysh’n], noun[1]



deglutition

deglutition
de·glu·ti·tion 
[d gloo tísh’n] noun

swallowing:
the act or process of swallowing (technical)
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin deglutire, literally “to swallow down,” from glutire
(see glutton ).][1]



degradable

degradable
de·grad·a·ble 
[di gráydəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to rot away: able to undergo chemical or biological
decomposition

2.  able
to be degraded: able to be degraded in any way
—de·grad·a·bil·i·ty [di gràydə bíllətee], noun[1]



degradation

degradation
deg·ra·da·tion 
[dèggrə dáysh’n] (plural deg·ra·da·tions)
noun

1.  great
humiliation: great humiliation brought about by loss
of status, reputation, or self-esteem • suffered
the degradation of overwhelming defeat at the polls

2.  humiliating
somebody:
the humiliating of somebody, causing him or her a loss of status, reputation,
or self-esteem • the constant
degradation and undermining of other members of the staff

3.  bad
living conditions: way of life without dignity,
health, or social comforts

4.  loss
of quality:
a decline in something’s quality or performance • a
rapid degradation in the engine’s horsepower

5.  process
of decline:
the process by which a decline in quality or performance is brought about

6.  GEOLOGY GEOGRAPHY erosion:
erosion of the Earth’s land surface by water, wind, or ice

7.  CHEMISTRY breakdown
of compound: the breakdown of a chemical compound
into atoms or simpler compounds

8.  PHYSICS decrease
of energy:
the process by which the energy available for doing work is irreversibly
decreased

[1]



degrade

degrade
de·grade 
[di gráyd] (past de·grad·ed, past
participle de·grad·ed, present participle de·grad·ing,
3rd person present singular de·grades) verb

1.  transitive
verb
treat
humiliatingly: to cause somebody or something a
humiliating loss of status or reputation, or cause somebody a humiliating loss
of self-esteem

2.  transitive
verb
lower
in grade:
to lower somebody or something in rank, grade, or level

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make worse: to become worse, or make something
become worse, especially in quality or performance • Using
the wrong fuel had significantly degraded the engine’s power.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY GEOGRAPHY
erode
land:
to erode the land surface or a river bed, or be eroded by the action of wind,
ice, or water.
See
also
aggrade

5.  transitive
verb
ENVIRONMENT destroy
environment: to cause damage or destruction to part
of the environment as a result of human activity

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS reduce available energy in:
to reduce irreversibly the energy available in matter, or be reduced
irreversibly
[14th
century. Via French dégrader from ecclesiastical Latin degradare
“to reduce in rank,” from Latin gradus (see grade
).]
—de·grad·er, noun[1]



degraded

degraded
de·grad·ed 
[di gráydəd] adjective

1.  humiliated:
humiliated and suffering a loss of status, reputation, or self-esteem

2.  squalid:
existing in poverty and squalor

3.  with
poorer performance: showing a decline in
quality, standard, or performance

4.  of
lower rank:
made lower in rank, grade, or level
—de·grad·ed·ly,
adverb

—de·grad·ed·ness, noun[1]



degrading

degrading
de·grad·ing 
[di gráyding] adjective

making
somebody feel humiliated: causing somebody to feel
shame and humiliation
—de·grad·ing·ly, adverb[1]



degrease

degrease
de·grease 
[dee grss] (past de·greased, past
participle de·greased, present participle de·greas·ing,
3rd person present singular de·greas·es) transitive verb

remove
grease from: to remove grease from something such as
an engine, especially using chemicals
—de·greas·er, noun[1]



degree

degree
de·gree 
[di gr] (plural de·grees) noun

1.  extent
or amount:
the relative extent, amount, intensity, or level of something, especially when
compared with other things

2.  EDUCATION educational
qualification: a qualification awarded by a university
or college following successful completion of a course of study or period of
research, or a similar qualification granted as an honor

3.  PHYSICS MEASUREMENTS unit of temperature
measurement: a unit of measurement for temperature on
a scale such as Celsius or Fahrenheit. Symbol °

4.  GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS unit for measuring
angles:
a unit of measurement for planar angles, equal to 1/360 of a full revolution. Symbol
°

5.  GEOGRAPHY MEASUREMENTS unit
of latitude or longitude: a unit of latitude or
longitude, equal to 1/360 of a circle, used to locate and designate places on
the earth • 27
degrees north. Symbol °

6.  LAW classification
of murder:
a level of classification of murder according to its seriousness. First-degree
murder is the most serious.

7.  MEDICINE severity
of burns on body: a level of classification of the
seriousness of the damage to tissue caused by a burn. Third-degree burns are
the most serious.

8.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of measurement on scale: one of various units used on
different measurement scales, such as that used to measure specific gravity or
that used to specify the alcohol content of drinks. Symbol °

9.  GRAMMAR state
of adjective or adverb: any one of the three states
that an adjective or adverb can exist in when used to describe something. “Red”
and “quickly” are in the positive degree, “redder” and “more quickly” in the
comparative degree, and “reddest” and “most quickly” in the superlative degree.

10. SOCIAL SCIENCES closeness
of relationship: an indication of the closeness of a
relationship within a family

11. SOCIAL SCIENCES status:
rank, position, or status in society (formal or literary) • of
high degree

12. MUSIC position
of note on musical scale: the relative position of a
note on a musical scale

13. MATHEMATICS highest
exponent of derivative: in a differential equation,
the exponent of the derivative of highest order, for example, 4 x 2 y 2 is of degree four

14. MATHEMATICS sum
of polynomial variable exponents: in a polynomial
equation, the sum of the exponents of the variables in the term with the
highest power, for example, 4 x 3 y 2 + 3 y 2 + 2 is of degree five
[13th century. Via French degré
from assumed Vulgar Latin degradus, literally “step down,” from Latin gradus
(see grade ).][1]



degree-day

degree-day
de·gree-day 
(plural de·gree-days) noun

unit of measurement for
heating systems: a unit of measurement
for heating systems, used to estimate fuel requirements and representing one
degree of variation from the mean daily temperature outside[1]



degreeof freedom

degreeof freedom
de·gree
of free·dom
(plural de·grees of free·dom) noun

1.  STATISTICS independent
variable:
an independent variable in a statistical measure or frequency distribution

2.  PHYSICS CHEMISTRY variable specifying energy:
an independent variable needed to specify the energy state of an atom,
molecule, or system

3.  CHEMISTRY variable
specifying state: any of the independent variables such as
pressure that are needed to specify the state of a system according to the
phase rule

[1]



degression

degression
de·gres·sion 
[di grésh’n] (plural de·gres·sions)
noun

1.  decrease:
a gradual decrease or downward movement (formal)

2.  FINANCE gradual
decrease in taxation: a gradual lowering of the
tax rate on sums below a specified amount
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin from Latin degress-, the past participle
stem of degredi, literally “to step down,” from gradus (see grade ).]
—de·gres·sive, adjective[1]



degust

degust
de·gust 
[di gúst] (past de·gust·ed, past
participle de·gust·ed, present participle de·gust·ing,
3rd person present singular de·gusts) or de·gus·tate
[di gú stàyt] (past de·gus·tat·ed,
past participle de·gus·tat·ed, present participle de·gus·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·gus·tates) transitive verb

enjoy
food:
to taste food with great enjoyment and appreciation (formal)
[Early
17th century. Directly and via French déguster from Latin degustare,
literally “to taste thoroughly,” from gustare “to taste.”]
—de·gus·ta·tion [di gù stáysh’n], noun[1]



DeHavilland, Geoffrey

DeHavilland, Geoffrey
De
Ha·vil·land
[də hávvilənd], Sir Geoffrey (1882–1965)

British aviation pioneer and
aircraft designer. Aircraft designed by him include the Tiger Moth (1930),
Mosquito (1941), and Comet airliner (1952).[1]



DeHavilland, Olivia

DeHavilland, Olivia
De
Ha·vil·land 
[di hávvilənd], Olivia (1916– )

British-born
U.S. movie actor. She won Academy Awards for To Each His Own ( 1946 )
and The Heiress ( 1949 ).
Full name
De Havilland, Olivia Mary[1]



dehire

dehire
de·hire 
[dee hr] (past de·hired, past
participle de·hired, present participle de·hir·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·hires) transitive verb

fire somebody:
to dismiss somebody from employment (used euphemistically)[1]



dehisce

dehisce
de·hisce 
[di híss] (past de·hisced, past
participle de·hisced, present participle de·hisc·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·hisc·es) intransitive verb

1.  BOTANY burst
open:
to burst open, releasing seeds, pollen, or spores (refers to dry fruits,
seed pods, anthers, or spore-bearing structures)

2.  MEDICINE break
open:
to open along the joined edges (technical) (refers to a wound that
has been stitched)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin dehiscere, literally “to open up,” from hiscere,
literally “to begin opening,” from hiare (see hiatus
).]
—de·his·cence,
noun

—de·his·cent, adjective[1]



dehorn

dehorn
de·horn 
[dee háwrn] (past de·horned, past
participle de·horned, present participle de·horn·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·horns) transitive verb

VETERINARY MEDICINE remove
animal’s horns: to remove or prevent the growth of an
animal’s horns by surgery or cauterization
—de·horn·er, noun[1]



dehumanize

dehumanize
de·hu·man·ize 
[dee hymə nz, dee
ymə nz] (past de·hu·man·ized, past participle de·hu·man·ized,
present participle de·hu·man·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular de·hu·man·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
less human:
to take away somebody’s individuality, the creative and interesting aspects of
his or her personality, or his or her compassion and sensitivity toward others

2.  take
away people-friendly features of: to take away the
qualities or features of something that make it able to meet human needs and
desires or enhance people’s lives

3.  make
routine:
to take away all creativity and interest from some process and make it dull,
routine, and mechanical
—de·hu·man·i·za·tion
[d hyooməni záysh’n, d yooməni záysh’n], noun

—de·hu·man·ized,
adjective

—de·hu·man·iz·ing, adjective[1]



dehumidifier

dehumidifier
de·hu·mid·i·fi·er 
[d hyoo míddə fr, d
yoo míddə fr] (plural de·hu·mid·i·fi·ers) noun

device for removing moisture:
an electrical appliance for removing excess humidity from the air in a room or
building[1]



dehumidify

dehumidify
de·hu·mid·i·fy 
[d hyoo míddə f, d
yoo míddə f] (past de·hu·mid·i·fied, past participle
de·hu·mid·i·fied, present participle de·hu·mid·i·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·hu·mid·i·fies) transitive verb

remove moisture from:
to remove moisture from the air in a room or building[1]



dehydrate

dehydrate
de·hy·drate 
[dee h dràyt] (past de·hy·drat·ed,
past participle de·hy·drat·ed, present participle de·hy·drat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·hy·drates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
FOOD TECHNOLOGY preserve
food by drying: to remove moisture from food as a way of
preserving it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE lose body fluids:
to remove or lose water or fluids from the body or its tissues

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY take away water from:
to deprive a chemical compound of water or of the proportion of hydrogen and
oxygen atoms that are present in water

[1]



dehydration

dehydration
de·hy·dra·tion 
[d hī dráysh’n, dee
h dráysh’n] noun

1.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY removal
of moisture from food: the removal of moisture from
food as a way of preserving it

2.  MEDICINE loss
of body fluid: a dangerous lack of water in the body
resulting from inadequate intake of fluids or excessive loss through sweating,
vomiting, or diarrhea

3.  CHEMISTRY loss
of water by chemical compound: the process by which a
chemical compound loses water molecules or the proportion of hydrogen and
oxygen atoms that would be present in water

[1]



dehydrator

dehydrator
de·hy·dra·tor 
[dee h dràytər] (plural de·hy·dra·tors)
noun

HOUSEHOLD
FOOD TECHNOLOGY food
dryer: an electrical appliance for
drying food, consisting of a stack of interlocking trays through which heated
air is circulated[1]



dehydrochlorinase

dehydrochlorinase
de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·ase 
[dee hdrə kláwrə nàyss, dee hdrə kláwrə nàyz] noun

enzyme that removes hydrogen
and chlorine: an enzyme that removes
hydrogen and chlorine from chlorinated hydrocarbons. Its presence accounts for
the resistance shown by some insects to DDT.[1]



dehydrochlorinate

dehydrochlorinate
de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·ate 
[dee hdrə kláwrə nàyt] (past de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·at·ed,
past participle de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·at·ed, present participle
de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·at·ing, 3rd person present singular de·hy·dro·chlo·rin·ates)
transitive verb

chemically
remove hydrogen and chlorine from: to chemically remove
hydrogen and chlorine or hydrogen chloride from a substance
—de·hy·dro·chlo·ri·na·tion
[dee hdrə klawrə náysh’n], noun[1]



dehydrogenase

dehydrogenase
de·hy·dro·gen·ase 
[dee hdrəjə nàyz, d
hī drójjə nàyz, dee hdrəjə nàyss, d hī drójjə nàyss] noun

enzyme that removes hydrogen:
an enzyme that speeds up the removal and transfer of hydrogen atoms between
organic compounds[1]



dehydrogenate

dehydrogenate
de·hy·dro·gen·ate 
[dee hdrəjə nàyt, d
hī drójjə nàyt] (past de·hy·dro·gen·at·ed, past
participle de·hy·dro·gen·at·ed, present participle de·hy·dro·gen·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·hy·dro·gen·ates) transitive
verb

remove
hydrogen from: to remove hydrogen from a compound, for
example, by means of a catalyst or in an enzyme-controlled process in cells
—de·hy·dro·gen·a·tion
[d hī drojjə náysh’n], noun[1]



dehydrogenize

dehydrogenize
de·hy·dro·gen·ize 
[dee hdrəjə nz, d
hī drójjə nz] (past de·hy·dro·gen·ized, past
participle de·hy·dro·gen·ized, present participle de·hy·dro·gen·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·hy·dro·gen·iz·es) transitive
verb

See
dehydrogenate
—de·hy·dro·gen·i·za·tion
[d hī drójjəni záysh’n], noun[1]



dehypnotize

dehypnotize
de·hyp·no·tize 
[dee hípnə tz] (past de·hyp·no·tized,
past participle de·hyp·no·tized, present participle de·hyp·no·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·hyp·no·tiz·es) transitive verb

end
somebody’s hypnosis: to bring somebody out of a
hypnotic state
—de·hyp·no·sis
[d hip nṓssiss], noun

—de·hyp·no·ti·za·tion
[di hìpnəti záysh’n], noun[1]



deice

deice
de·ice
[dee ss] (past de·iced, past
participle de·iced, present participle de·ic·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·ic·es) transitive verb

remove ice from:
to remove ice from something such as a windshield, or prevent ice from forming
on it[1]



deicer

deicer
de·ic·er
(plural de·ic·ers) noun

something that removes or
prevents ice: a device or chemical
substance that removes ice or prevents it forming, for example, on the
windshield of a motor vehicle or the wings of an aircraft. One of the commonest
de-icers is ethylene glycol, which is used in antifreeze.[1]



deicide

deicide
de·i·cide
[d i sd] (plural de·i·cides)
noun LITERATURE

1.  killing
a god or goddess: the act of killing a god or goddess

2.  somebody
who kills a god or goddess: somebody who kills a god or
goddess
[Early
17th century. Partly from ecclesiastical Latin deicida “god-killer,” and
partly coined from Latin deus “god” + -cide
.]
—de·i·ci·dal [d i sd’l], adjective[1]



deictic

deictic
deic·tic 
[dktik] adjective

depending
on context for meaning: whose full meaning refers to
the extra-linguistic context in which it is used. Words such as “you,” “this,”
“now,” and “there” are deictic.
[Early
19th century. From Greek deiktikos, from deiknunai “to show.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to point out” that is also the
ancestor of English dictate, index, digit,
and token .]
—deic·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



deific

deific
de·if·ic 
[dee íffik] adjective (formal)

1.  making
somebody a god or goddess: making somebody divine or
giving him or her the status of a god or goddess

2.  like
a god or goddess: with a divine nature or the status of a
god or goddess
[15th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin deificus, from Latin deus (see deity ).][1]



deification

deification
de·i·fi·ca·tion 
[d ifi káysh’n] (plural de·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  making
somebody a god or goddess: the action or process of
making somebody a god or goddess

2.  state
of having been made a god or goddess: the
condition of having been made a god or goddess

[1]



deify

deify
de·i·fy 
[d i f] (past de·i·fied, past
participle de·i·fied, present participle de·i·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
divine:
to make somebody into a god

2.  adore:
to honor or adore somebody or something as if he, she, or it were divine
[14th
century. Via French déifier from, ultimately, Latin deus (see deity ).]
—de·i·fi·er, noun[1]



Deighton,Len

Deighton,Len
Deigh·ton
[dáyt’n], Len (1929– )

British
writer. He is best known for spy thrillers, including The Ipcress File (
1962 ). He has also written on cooking and military history.
Full name
Deighton, Leonard Cyril[1]



deign

deign
deign 
[dayn] (past deigned, past
participle deigned, present participle deign·ing, 3rd
person present singular deigns) intransitive and transitive verb

do
something in haughty manner: to do something in a way
that shows that you consider it a great favor and almost beneath your dignity
to do it • I
don’t suppose he’ll deign to accept our invitation.
[13th century. Via Old French
deignier from Latin dignare “to deem worthy,” from dignus
“worthy.”][1]



Deigratia

Deigratia
De·i
gra·ti·a
[dày i grtee ə] adverb

by
God’s grace: by the grace of God (formal)
[From Latin, “by the grace of
God”][1]



Deimos

Deimos
Dei·mos
[d moss] noun

outermost of Mars’s two
natural satellites: the
outermost of the two natural satellites of Mars, both of which are small. It
was discovered in 1877 and there is evidence suggesting that it is a captured
asteroid.
See also
Phobos[1]



deindustrialization

deindustrialization
de·in·dus·tri·al·i·za·tion
[dee in dùstree əli záysh’n] noun

removal or reduction of
industry: the removal or reduction of
industrial activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or
manufacturing industry[1]



deindustrialize

deindustrialize
de·in·dus·tri·al·ize 
[d in dústree ə lz] (past de·in·dus·tri·al·ized,
past participle de·in·dus·tri·al·ized, present participle de·in·dus·tri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·in·dus·tri·al·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

lose industry:
to take away or lose industries, especially the heavy industries and
manufacturing industries, that a particular country or region has[1]



deinstitutionalize

deinstitutionalize
de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·ize 
[d instə tshən’l z, d instə tshnə lz] (past de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized,
past participle de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, present participle
de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·es)
transitive verb

release
from institutional care: to discharge somebody from
institutional care, often in order to treat him or her in the community where
he or she lives
—de·in·sti·tu·tion·al·i·za·tion
[dee instə tshən’li záysh’n, dee instə tshnəli záysh’n], noun[1]



deionize

deionize
de·i·on·ize 
[dee  ə nz] (past de·i·on·ized,
past participle de·i·on·ized, present participle de·i·on·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·i·on·iz·es) verb

remove
ions from:
to remove ions from a solution
—de·i·on·i·za·tion
[dee  əni záysh’n], noun

—de·i·on·iz·er [dee  ə nzər], noun[1]



deism

deism
de·ism 
[d ìzzəm] noun

rational
belief in God: a belief in God based on reason rather
than revelation, and involving the view that God has set the universe in motion
but does not interfere with how it runs. Deism was especially influential in
the 17th and 18th centuries.
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin deus “god” (see deity
).]
—de·ist,
noun

—de·is·tic
[dee ístik], adjective

—de·is·ti·cal·ly [dee ístikəlee], adverb[1]



deity

deity
de·i·ty 
[d itee] (plural de·i·ties) noun

1.  god
or goddess:
a god, goddess, or other divine being

2.  somebody
or something like god: somebody or something that
is treated like a god

3.  divine
state:
the condition or status of a god or goddess
[14th century. Via French déité
from ecclesiastical Latin deitas “divine nature,” from Latin deus
“god.”][1]



Deity

Deity
De·i·ty
[d itee] noun

God:
God in monotheistic belief
[14th century][1]



deixis

deixis
deix·is 
[dksiss] noun

use
of deictic word: the use of a word such as “he,” “that,”
“now,” or “here,” whose full meaning depends on the extra-linguistic context in
which it is used
[Mid-20th century. From
Greek, “reference,” formed from deiknunai “to show” (see deictic ).][1]



deject

deject
de·ject 
[di jékt] (past de·ject·ed, past
participle de·ject·ed, present participle de·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular de·jects) transitive verb

dishearten:
to make somebody or something miserable or disheartened (archaic) “Nor
once deject the courage of our minds” William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida
1601
[15th century. From Latin deject-,
the past participle stem of dejicere, literally “to throw down,” from jacere
“to throw.”][1]



dejected

dejected
de·ject·ed 
[di jéktəd] adjective

very
unhappy:
feeling or showing sadness and lack of hope, especially because of
disappointment
—de·ject·ed·ly,
adverb

—de·ject·ed·ness, noun[1]



dejection

dejection
de·jec·tion 
[di jékshən] noun

1.  great
unhappiness: unhappiness and lack of hope, especially
caused by disappointment

2.  MEDICINE defecation:
the act of passing solid waste matter out of the anus (technical)

3.  MEDICINE excrement:
solid waste matter that is passed out through the anus (technical)

[1]



dejure

dejure
de
ju·re 
[dee jree, day
y rày] adverb adjective

by
law:
by right according to the law
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “from the law.”][1]



deka-

deka-
deka-
prefix

See
deca-[1]



dekagram

dekagram
dek·a·gram 
(plural dek·a·grams) noun

See
decagram[1]



DeKalb

DeKalb
De
Kalb 
[di kálb]

city in northern Illinois,
west of Chicago and southeast of Rockford. Population: 35,554 (1996)[1]



dekaliter

dekaliter
dek·a·li·ter 
noun

See
decaliter[1]



dekameter

dekameter
dek·a·me·ter 
noun

See
decameter[1]



deke

deke
deke 
[deek] transitive verb (past deked,
past participle deked, present participle dek·ing, 3rd
person present singular dekes)

deceive
somebody in ice hockey: to deceive an opponent in
ice hockey by making a fake move (informal) • He
deked two defencemen as he crossed the blue line.
noun
(plural dekes)

deceptive
motion in ice hockey: in ice hockey, a deceptive
move that lures a player out of position (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of decoy .][1]



deKlerk, F. W.

deKlerk, F. W.

de
Klerk
[də klúrk], F. W. (1936– )
South
African politician. He introduced reforms during his presidency (1989–1994)
that led to the end of apartheid. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson
Mandela in 1993.
Full name
de Klerk, Frederick Willem[1]



deKooning, Elaine

deKooning, Elaine
de
Koo·ning
[də kning], Elaine (1920–1989)

U.S.
artist. She is known for her portraits of John F. Kennedy.
Full name
de Kooning, Elaine Marie Catherine Fried[1]



deKooning, Willem

deKooning, Willem
de
Koo·ning 
[də kning], Willem (1904–1997)

Dutch-born U.S. artist. He is
known for his abstract expressionist paintings, including the series of six
paintings entitled Woman ( 1953 ).[1]



Del.

Del.
Del.

Abbreviation of
Delaware[1]



del.

del.
del.

1.  Abbreviation
of
delegate

2.  Abbreviation
of
delegation

3.  Abbreviation
of
delete

[1]



Delacroix,Eugène

Delacroix,Eugène

De·la·croix 
[də laa krw, dèllə
krw], Eugène (1798–1863)
French
painter and lithographer. His romantic works, such as Liberty Guiding the
People ( 1830 ), are characterized by Byronic melodrama and vivid color.
Full name
Delacroix, Ferdinand Victor Eugène[1]



DelagoaBay

DelagoaBay
Del·a·go·a
Bay 
[dèllə gṓ ə bày]

bay on the southern
Mozambique coast. Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, is situated near the head of
the bay.[1]



delaine

delaine
de·laine 
[də láyn] noun

fine
woolen fabric: a fine fabric resembling muslin but made
of wool or wool and cotton
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of mousseline de laine .][1]



delaminate

delaminate
de·lam·i·nate 
[dee lámmə nàyt] (past de·lam·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·lam·i·nat·ed, present participle de·lam·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lam·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

separate into layers:
to separate or peel off in thin layers, or cause something to do this[1]



delamination

delamination
de·lam·i·na·tion 
[dee làmmə náysh’n] noun

separation into layers:
the process of separating something into, or peeling off in, thin layers, or
the state of being separated into thin layers[1]



dela Roche, Mazo

dela Roche, Mazo
de
la Roche 
[də laa rṓsh, dèllə
rṓsh], Mazo (1885–1961)

Canadian writer. She is known
for her series of novels about the Whiteoak family, the first being Jalna
( 1927 ).[1]



Delaware

Delaware1
Del·a·ware1  [déllə
wàir] (plural Del·a·ware or Del·a·wares) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a group of
Native North American peoples who used to live between the Delaware and Hudson
rivers, and who now live mostly in Oklahoma, Ontario, Wisconsin, and Kansas

2.  AGRICULTURE red
grape:
a sweet, light red variety of grape
[Early 18th century. Named
for the Delaware River in the eastern United States.][1]



Delaware




Back to definition

Delaware2

[1]



Delaware

Delaware2


Del·a·ware2  [déllə
wàir]

1.  the
first U.S. state, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey. Capital: Dover. Population: 731,581 (1997) Area: 6,206 sq km/2,396
sq mi.

2.  major
river of the eastern United States, with its source in southern New York.
Length: 451 km/280 mi.
—Del·a·war·e·an [dèllə wáiree ən] (plural Del·a·war·e·ans),
noun, adjective[1]



DelawareWater Gap

DelawareWater Gap
Del·a·ware
Wa·ter Gap

scenic gorge on the Delaware
River, cutting through the Kittatinny Mountains. Length: 3 km/2 mi.[1]



DeLa Warr, Thomas West

DeLa Warr, Thomas West
De
La Warr
[dèllə wr], Thomas West, 3rd Baron
(1577–1618)

English-born
governor of the colony of Virginia. In 1610 he arrived at Jamestown in time to
save the settlement from being disbanded. The state of Delaware is named for him.
Known as
Lord Delaware[1]



delay

delay
de·lay 
[di láy] verb (past de·layed,
past participle de·layed, present participle de·lay·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lays)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
something off till later: to postpone something or
wait until later before doing something

2.  transitive
verb
make
late:
to make somebody or something late by slowing or stopping him, her, or it • I
was delayed at the office.
noun
(plural de·lays)

1.  lateness:
a situation in which something does not happen or start at the time it was
meant to • All
services are subject to delay or cancelation.

2.  extent
of lateness: the extent of the period of time by
which somebody or something is made late or slowed down • long
delays on the beltway

3.  procrastination:
procrastination, or failure to do something quickly enough • This
must be done without delay.
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman delaier “to leave off,” from laier “to
leave,” of uncertain origin: probably from prehistoric Germanic.]
—de·lay·er, noun[1]



delayaction

delayaction
de·lay
ac·tion
(plural de·lay ac·tions) noun

See
delayed action  noun 1[1]



delayed

delayed
de·layed
[di láyd] adjective

1.  made
late:
made to happen, start, arrive, or leave later than intended or later than usual

2.  later
than usual:
happening at some time after the usual or expected time • delayed
language development

3.  happening
later:
happening after a period of time • causing
delayed damage to the kidneys

[1]



delayedaction

delayedaction
de·layed
ac·tion
(plural de·layed ac·tions) noun

1.  effect
deferred for a period: the activation of a
mechanism a short time after it has been set (hyphenated when used before a
noun)
Also
called
delay action

2.  delay
mechanism:
a mechanism used to produce delayed action

[1]



delayedneutron

delayedneutron
de·layed
neu·tron
(plural de·layed neu·trons) noun

secondary neutron produced in
nuclear fission: a neutron emitted after
a measurable time delay in the process of nuclear fission[1]



delayering

delayering
de·lay·er·ing
[dee láy əring] noun

reduction
of levels:
the process of simplifying the structure of an organization to make it more
efficient
—de·lay·er, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



delayingaction

delayingaction
de·lay·ing
ac·tion
(plural de·lay·ing ac·tions) or de·lay·ing op·er·a·tion
(plural de·lay·ing op·er·a·tions) noun

stalling or defensive
maneuver: a maneuver used to gain time
or allow a retreat when there are not enough resources to confront an opponent
directly[1]



delayingtactic

delayingtactic
de·lay·ing
tac·tic
(plural de·lay·ing tac·tics) noun

attempt to delay something:
a deliberate attempt to delay something in order to gain time or some other
advantage[1]



delayline

delayline
de·lay
line
(plural de·lay lines) noun

component causing delay in
transmission: a device designed to
cause a delay in transmitting an electronic signal[1]



Delbrück,Max

Delbrück,Max
Del·brück
[déll brk], Max (1906–1981)

German-born U.S. biologist.
In 1969 he shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his work on the
replication of viruses and their genetic structure.[1]



DelCity

DelCity
Del
City 
[dél sìttee]

city in central Oklahoma. It
is an eastern suburb of Oklahoma City. Population: 23,990 (1996)[1]



dele

dele
de·le 
[dlee] noun (plural de·les)

mark
to show deletion: a mark used in the margin of printed
material to show that something is to be deleted (informal)
transitive
verb
(past de·led, past participle de·led, present
participle de·le·ing, 3rd person present singular de·les)

mark
material for deletion: to mark a passage of printed
material for deletion (informal)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “delete!”, from delere (see delete
).][1]



delectable

delectable
de·lec·ta·ble 
[di léktəb’l] adjective

1.  delicious:
with a delicious taste

2.  delightful:
absolutely delightful, very pleasing, or very attractive
noun
(plural de·lec·ta·bles)

something very tasty:
an appetizing food or dish
[14th
century. Via French délectable from, ultimately, Latin delectare
“to please” (see delight ).]
—de·lec·ta·bil·i·ty
[di lèktə bíllətee], noun

—de·lec·ta·ble·ness
[di lèktəbəlnəss], noun

—de·lec·ta·bly [di léktəblee], adverb[1]



delectation

delectation
de·lec·ta·tion 
[d lek táysh’n] noun

delight:
pleasure or enjoyment (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin delectare (see delight
).][1]



delegate

delegate
del·e·gate 
noun [délləgət, déllə gàyt] (plural del·e·gates)

1.  representative
or deputy:
somebody chosen to represent or given the authority to act on behalf of another
person, group, or organization, for example, at a meeting or conference

2.  POLITICS member
of House of Delegates: a member of a House of
Delegates, the lower house of the legislature in Maryland, Virginia, or West
Virginia

3.  POLITICS representative
of U.S. territory: a representative of a
territory in the U.S. House of Representatives, who may speak on issues but not
vote
verb
[déllə gàyt] (past del·e·gat·ed,
past participle del·e·gat·ed, present participle del·e·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular del·e·gates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
task to:
to give a task to somebody else with responsibility to act on your behalf

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
power or authority to: to give somebody the power
to act, make decisions, or allocate resources on your behalf • an
executive who was unafraid to delegate

3.  transitive
verb
LAW FINANCE send debtor to creditor:
to appoint one of your debtors to represent you to your creditor
[15th
century. From Latin delegare, literally “to send away,” from legare
“to send.”]
—del·e·ga·ble,
adjective

—del·e·ga·tor, noun[1]



delegation

delegation
del·e·ga·tion 
[dèllə gáysh’n] (plural del·e·ga·tions)
noun

1.  group
representing others: a group of people chosen to
represent or act on behalf of others

2.  giving
of responsibility to somebody else: the
giving of some power, responsibility, or work to somebody else

3.  being
given to somebody else: the condition of being given
to somebody else as a duty or responsibility

4.  POLITICS state
representatives: all the members of the U.S. Congress who
represent one state

[1]



delegitimize

delegitimize
de·le·git·i·mize 
[dlə jíttə mz] (past de·le·git·i·mized,
past participle de·le·git·i·mized, present participle de·le·git·i·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·le·git·i·miz·es) transitive
verb

take
away legal status of: to take away the legitimacy
or legal status of somebody or something
—de·le·git·i·mi·za·tion
[dlə jittəmi záysh’n], noun[1]



delete

delete
de·lete 
[di lt] transitive verb (past
de·let·ed, past participle de·let·ed, present
participle de·let·ing, 3rd person present singular de·letes)

remove
or erase:
to remove or score out something that is printed or written, or erase something
from a computer file or disk
noun
(plural de·letes)

key
for removal of data: a key on a computer keyboard
that is depressed in order to erase or destroy files of previously keyed
material • Click
on the icon for that file and then hit delete.
[15th century. From Latin delere
“to blot out, efface,” of unknown origin.][1]



deleterious

deleterious
del·e·te·ri·ous 
[dèllə tree əss] adjective

harmful:
with a harmful or damaging effect on somebody or something (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek dēlētērios “noxious.”]
—del·e·te·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—del·e·te·ri·ous·ness,
noun[1]



deletion

deletion
de·le·tion 
[di lsh’n] (plural de·le·tions)
noun

1.  removing
something or scoring something out: the
action or process of removing or erasing something or scoring something out

2.  something
removed or scored out: something removed or scored
out from a text, or erased from a computer file

3.  GENETICS absence
of genetic material: the loss or absence of part
of a chromosome, ranging from a pair of chemicals ( base
pair ) to a whole arm. Some medical conditions are the result of
deletion.

[1]



deleverage

deleverage
de·lev·er·age
[dee lévvərij] (past de·lev·er·aged,
past participle de·lev·er·aged, present participle de·lev·er·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lev·er·ag·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

reduce debt owed by business:
to reduce the amount of debt that a company owes, usually by laying off
workers, selling off unprofitable divisions, and other cost-cutting measures[1]



Delft

Delft
Delft


city in the province of
Zuid-Holland, in the western Netherlands, known as a center of production of
glazed earthenware. Population: 92,241 (1994)[1]



delft

delft

delft 
[delft] or Delft [delft] or delft·ware [delft] or Delft·ware [delft] noun
white
pottery with blue designs: earthenware with an opaque
white glaze, usually with blue decoration
[Late 17th century. Named for
the town of Delft where such pottery was
originally made.][1]



delftware

delftware
delft·ware
[délft wàir] or Delft·ware [délft wàir] noun

See
delft[1]



Delgado,Cape

Delgado,Cape
Del·ga·do,
Cape
[del gdō]

cape in northeastern
Mozambique, just south of the border with Tanzania[1]



Delhi




Back to definition

Delhi

[1]



Delhi

Delhi

Del·hi 
[déllee]
city in northern India and capital of the
Union Territory of Delhi. It is a major transportation, commercial, and
industrial center. Population: 8,375,188 (1991)
See also
New Delhi[1]



deli

deli
del·i 
[déllee] (plural del·is) noun
(informal)

1.  food
shop:
a delicatessen

2.  food
from deli:
prepared food purchased from a delicatessen
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Delian

Delian
De·li·an
[dlyən] noun (plural De·li·ans)

somebody
from Delos:
somebody who lives on or was born or raised on the Greek island of Delos
adjective

of Delos:
relating to the Greek island of Delos, its people, or its culture[1]



DelianLeague

DelianLeague
De·li·an
League
or De·li·an Con·fed·er·a·cy noun

ancient Greek alliance:
an alliance of Greek states set up in 477 BC
to oppose Persia[1]



deliberate

deliberate
de·lib·er·ate 
adjective [di líbbərət]

1.  intentional:
carefully thought out and done intentionally

2.  careful:
slow, careful, and methodical
intransitive
and transitive verb [di
líbbə ràyt] (past de·lib·er·at·ed, past participle de·lib·er·at·ed,
present participle de·lib·er·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular de·lib·er·ates)

think: to
consider something carefully and in detail
[15th
century. From Latin deliberare, literally “to weigh carefully,” from librare
“to weigh,” from libra “balance” (source of English level and equilibrium
).]
—de·lib·er·ate·ness,
noun

—de·lib·er·a·tor, noun[1]



deliberately

deliberately
de·lib·er·ate·ly
[di líbbərətlee] adverb

1.  intentionally:
in a way that is intentional and thought out in advance • The
police believe that the fire was started deliberately.

2.  carefully:
with care and thought • He
spoke slowly and deliberately.

[1]



deliberation

deliberation
de·lib·er·a·tion 
[di lìbbə ráysh’n] (plural de·lib·er·a·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  careful
thought:
long careful consideration of something

2.  discussion:
formal or official discussion or debate • The
planning committee’s deliberations seemed to last all night.

3.  care:
slowness and methodical carefulness

[1]



deliberative

deliberative
de·lib·er·a·tive 
[di líbbə ràytiv, di
líbbərətiv] adjective (formal)

1.  POLITICS involved
in discussion: involved in or organized for careful
discussion and debate

2.  resulting
from discussion: relating to or resulting from discussion
and debate
—de·lib·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·lib·er·a·tive·ness,
noun[1]



Delibes,Léo

Delibes,Léo
De·libes 
[di lb], Léo (1836–1891)

French
composer. His grand operas include Lakmé ( 1883 ), and his masterpiece
ballet is Coppélia ( 1870 ).
Full name
Delibes, Clément Philibert Léo[1]



delicacy

delicacy
del·i·ca·cy 
[déllikəssee] (plural del·i·ca·cies)
noun

1.  FOOD something
nice to eat: a delicious, rare, or highly prized item
of food

2.  sensitivity:
sensitivity to the feelings of others

3.  need
for tact:
the quality of requiring great tact or sensitivity • a
matter of extreme delicacy

4.  great
sensitivity in feelings: extreme and perhaps
unnecessary fussiness or squeamishness in the way somebody responds to
something offensive or embarrassing • his
delicacy on matters of a medical nature

5.  subtlety
and refinement: pleasing subtlety in something, for
example, taste, smell, or color • the
delicacy of her perfume

6.  fineness:
fineness and subtlety of feeling, observation, or execution • the
delicacy of the brushwork in his later paintings

7.  fragility:
the quality of being easily damaged or broken

8.  lack
of physical strength: lack physical strength or
health

9.  sensitivity
of response in equipment: sensitivity in the way
something for example, scientific equipment or a musical instrument, responds
to use

[1]



delicate

delicate
del·i·cate 
[déllikət] adjective

1.  fragile:
easily damaged or broken

2.  frail:
without much resistance to illness or injury • in
delicate health

3.  subtle:
mild, gentle, pale, or soft, and pleasant to the senses • a
delicate shade of blue.

4.  fine:
finely made and with small parts or detail in its design

5.  skillful:
showing somebody’s skill or craft, especially in producing finely detailed
intricate work or gentle or adroit movements • a
filigree of delicate, shimmering brushstrokes

6.  needing
tact:
needing to be dealt with using tact and sensitivity • The
negotiations were at a delicate stage.

7.  refined:
having or showing a refined and sensitive taste

8.  easily
offended:
easily shocked or upset by offensive or embarrassing things

9.  TECHNOLOGY accurate:
used to describe instrumentation that is very precise and able to give exact
readings
plural
noun
del·i·cates

CLOTHES clothes
needing special washing and drying:
clothes that need careful washing and drying, for example, using a special
washing machine program cycle
[14th
century. Directly or via French délicat from Latin delicatus,
related to delicere (see delight ).]
—del·i·cate·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fragile

[1]



delicately

delicately
del·i·cate·ly
[déllikətlee] adverb

1.  finely:
in a way that shows skill in producing fine detail

2.  subtly:
in a pleasingly mild and subtle way • delicately
flavored

3.  gently
and carefully: gently and carefully, with no rough or
sudden movements

4.  with
tact:
tactfully and sensitively • a
matter that must be handled very delicately

5.  unstably:
in a way that seems precarious or sensitive to even a slight change or
disturbance • delicately
balanced on its edge

[1]



delicatessen

delicatessen
del·i·ca·tes·sen 
[dèllikə téss’n] (plural del·i·ca·tes·sens)
noun

1.  FOOD COMMERCE specialized food store:
a store specializing in imported or unusual foods and ingredients, for example,
cooked meats, cheeses, and pickles

2.  prepared
food sold in delicatessen: prepared food sold in a
delicatessen, for example, cooked meats, cheeses, pickles, and salads
[Late 19th century. Via
German and French from Italian delicatezza “delicacy,” from Latin delicatus
“pleasing, choice.”][1]



delicious

delicious
de·li·cious 
[di líshəss] adjective

1.  good
to eat:
with an appealing or enjoyable taste or smell

2.  delightful:
highly amusing, pleasing, or enjoyable
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin delicia “pleasure,” from
delicere “to allure” (see delight ).]
—de·li·cious·ness, noun[1]



deliciously

deliciously
de·li·cious·ly
[di líshəsslee] adverb

1.  tastily:
in a way that appeals to the sense of taste or smell • a
deliciously sweet and crunchy apple

2.  appetizingly:
in an appetizing way • steaks
sizzling away deliciously on the grill

3.  very
satisfyingly: to a great and very satisfying degree • a
deliciously ironic twist of fate

4.  enjoyably:
in an enjoyable and pleasant way

[1]



delict

delict
de·lict 
[di líkt] (plural de·licts) noun

LAW wrong
done to somebody: in civil and criminal law, a wrong or
injury done to somebody
[Early 16th century. From
Latin delictum, the neuter past participle of delinquere “to
offend” (see delinquent ).][1]



delight

delight
de·light 
[di lt] noun (plural de·lights)

1.  joy:
great joy and pleasure • To my
delight, he accepted.

2.  somebody
or something giving joy: somebody or something that
brings somebody great joy and pleasure • That’s
one of the delights of having children.
verb
(past de·light·ed, past participle de·light·ed, present
participle de·light·ing, 3rd person present singular de·lights)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
somebody joy: to give somebody great joy and pleasure

2.  intransitive
verb
gain
enjoyment from something: to gain great enjoyment or
pleasure from something • She
delighted in outwitting her competitors.
[13th
century. Via Old French delit from, ultimately, Latin delectare,
literally “to keep enticing” (source of English delectable
), from delicere “to allure,” from lacere “to entice.”]
—de·light·er, noun[1]



delighted

delighted
de·light·ed 
[di ltəd] adjective

very
pleased:
extremely pleased or filled with delight • I
was delighted to hear about your good news!
—de·light·ed·ly,
adverb

—de·light·ed·ness, noun[1]



delightful

delightful
de·light·ful 
[di ltfəl] adjective

very
pleasing:
giving great pleasure and joy, especially by being pleasant, good to look at,
or amusing
—de·light·ful·ly,
adverb

—de·light·ful·ness, noun[1]



delightsome

delightsome
de·light·some 
[di ltsəm] adjective

very
pleasing:
very pleasing and enjoyable (literary)
—de·light·some·ly, adverb[1]



DeLillo,Don

DeLillo,Don
De·Lil·lo
[də llō], Don (1936– )

U.S. novelist. One of the
foremost postmodernist writers in the United States, he is author of White
Noise ( 1985 ), which won the National Book Award for Fiction, and Underworld
( 1997 ).[1]



delimit

delimit
de·lim·it 
[di límmit] (past de·lim·it·ed,
past participle de·lim·it·ed, present participle de·lim·it·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lim·its) or de·lim·i·tate
[di límmə tàyt] (past de·lim·i·tat·ed,
past participle de·lim·i·tat·ed, present participle de·lim·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lim·i·tates) transitive verb

establish
limits of:
to set out or establish the limits or boundaries of something (formal)
[Mid-19th
century. Via French délimiter from Latin delimitare, from limit-,
the stem of limes (see limit ).]
—de·lim·i·ta·tion
[di lìmmə táysh’n], noun

—de·lim·i·ta·tive [di límmə tàytiv], adjective[1]



delimiter

delimiter
de·lim·it·er 
[di límmitər] (plural de·lim·it·ers)
noun

COMPUTING
marker of ending or beginning:
a character or blank space that marks the beginning or end of a data element[1]



delineate

delineate
de·lin·e·ate 
[di línnee àyt] (past de·lin·e·at·ed,
past participle de·lin·e·at·ed, present participle de·lin·e·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lin·e·ates) transitive verb

1.  describe:
to describe or explain something in detail (formal)

2.  DRAWING draw:
to sketch or draw something in outline

3.  portray
visually:
to represent something visually using something such as a chart or graph
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin delineare, literally “to sketch out,” from linea
(see line ).]
—de·lin·e·a·ble,
adjective

—de·lin·e·a·tion
[di lìnnee áysh’n], noun

—de·lin·e·a·tive [di línnee àytiv], adjective[1]



delineator

delineator
de·lin·e·a·tor
[di línnee àytər] (plural de·lin·e·a·tors)
noun

1.  TEXTILES tailor’s
adjustable pattern: an adjustable pattern that a
tailor uses to cut garments of different sizes

2.  somebody
or something that delineates: somebody or something that
outlines or describes something

[1]



delinquency

delinquency
de·lin·quen·cy 
[di língkwənsee] (plural de·lin·quen·cies)
noun

1.  LAW CRIMINOLOGY unlawful behavior:
antisocial or illegal behavior or acts, especially by young people

2.  neglect
of obligation: failure to fulfill an obligation,
commitment, or pledge (formal)

3.  FINANCE something
overdue:
something that is overdue, for example, a debt or tax (formal)

[1]



delinquent

delinquent
de·lin·quent 
[di língkwənt] noun (plural de·lin·quents)

LAW CRIMINOLOGY lawbreaker, especially
young offender: somebody, especially a young person, who
has acted antisocially or broken the law
adjective

1.  LAW CRIMINOLOGY antisocial or unlawful:
relating to antisocial behavior or lawbreaking

2.  ignoring
duty:
neglecting a duty, commitment, or responsibility (formal)

3.  FINANCE unpaid:
with unpaid sums of money due
[15th
century. From Latin delinquere “to offend,” from linquere “to
leave.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English lend and eclipse .]
—de·lin·quent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bad

[1]



deliquesce

deliquesce
del·i·quesce 
[dèlli kwéss] (past del·i·quesced,
past participle del·i·quesced, present participle del·i·quesc·ing,
3rd person present singular del·i·quesc·es) intransitive verb

1.  CHEMISTRY absorb
moisture:
to dissolve gradually by absorbing moisture from the air

2.  BOTANY form
branches:
to form many branches without a main stem

3.  FUNGI become
liquid:
to become soft or liquid after the release of spores
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin deliquescere, literally “to start melting away,”
from liquere “to be liquid.”]
—del·i·ques·cence,
noun

—del·i·ques·cent, adjective[1]



delirious

delirious
de·lir·i·ous 
[di lree əss] adjective

1.  MED irrational
through illness: irrational as a temporary result of a
physical condition, for example, fever, poisoning, or brain injury.
See
also
delirium

2.  excited:
extremely excited or emotional • delirious
with joy
[Late
16th century. Formed from delirium .]
—de·lir·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—de·lir·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



delirium

delirium
de·lir·i·um 
[di lree əm] (plural de·lir·i·ums)
noun

1.  MED temporary
mental disturbance: a state marked by extreme
restlessness, confusion, and sometimes hallucinations, caused by fever,
poisoning, or brain injury

2.  great
excitement:
a condition of extreme excitement or emotion
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, formed from delirare “to be deranged,” literally “to be out of
your track,” from lira “ridge between furrows.”][1]



deliriumtremens

deliriumtremens
de·lir·i·um
tre·mens 
[di lree əm trémmənz] noun

condition
caused by alcoholism: agitation, tremors, and
hallucinations caused by alcohol dependence and withdrawal
[From Latin, literally
“trembling delirium”][1]



delish

delish
del·ish 
[di lísh] adjective

delicious:
very delicious (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



delist

delist
de·list 
[dee líst] (past de·list·ed, past
participle de·list·ed, present participle de·list·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lists) transitive verb

1.  take
off list:
to remove somebody or something from a list

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE remove
security from listing: to remove a security from a
listing on a stock exchange

[1]



deliver

deliver
de·liv·er 
[di lívvər] (past de·liv·ered,
past participle de·liv·ered, present participle de·liv·er·ing,
3rd person present singular de·liv·ers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE MAIL carry
something to somebody: to take something, for
example, mail, goods that have been bought, or a message, to a particular
person or address

2.  transitive
verb
OBSTETRICS VETERINARY MEDICINE assist
during birth: to give medical help when a baby or
other offspring is being born

3.  transitive
verb
GYNECOLOGY produce
baby:
to give birth to a baby (often passive)

4.  transitive
verb
make
speech:
to make a speech or give a talk to an audience

5.  transitive
verb
announce:
to announce something formally, for example, an opinion, decision, or judgment
• The
jury delivered its verdict.

6.  transitive
verb
SPORTS throw
ball or punch: to toss or throw a ball or aim a punch
at somebody or something

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb do as
promised:
to do what has been promised • He has
yet to deliver anything that was promised in his speeches.

8.  transitive
verb
POLITICS achieve
support for somebody: to organize and produce the
support of a place or people for somebody (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
produce:
to provide or produce something • Note
the total dosage of antibiotics delivered.

10. transitive
verb
release:
to free or save somebody from captivity or hardship (literary)

11. transitive
verb
give
somebody something: to hand somebody or
something over to somebody else • You
have 48 hours to deliver the payment.
[13th
century. Via French délivrer from Latin deliberare, literally “to
free completely,” from liberare (see liberate
).]
—de·liv·er·a·bil·i·ty
[də lìvvərə bíllətee], noun

—de·liv·er·a·ble, adjective[1]



deliverance

deliverance
de·liv·er·ance 
[di lívvərəns] (plural de·liv·er·ances)
noun

1.  rescue
from something: rescue from captivity, hardship, or
domination by evil (formal) • He
sought deliverance from his imprisonment.

2.  announcement:
a formal announcement of a decision, judgment, or opinion





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Deliverance, a movie by British
  director John Boorman ( 1972 ) Based on the novel by James Dickey ( 1972 ),
  it is the story of a canoe trip through the Appalachian Mountains undertaken
  by four city businessmen. The journey turns into a struggle for survival when
  the men are exposed to unexpected dangers and harried by sinister mountain
  people. In the famous “Dueling Banjos” sequence, one of the men and a boy
  attempt to outplay each other on their banjos.

[1]



deliverer

deliverer
de·liv·er·er
[di lívvərər] (plural de·liv·er·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who delivers something: somebody who delivers
something, such as a message or goods that have been bought

2.  rescuer:
somebody who rescues somebody or something from captivity or evil (archaic
or literary)

[1]



delivery

delivery
de·liv·er·y 
[di lívvəree] (plural de·liv·er·ies)
noun

1.  COMMERCE MAIL taking something to somebody:
the carrying of something to a particular person or a particular address • We
can arrange delivery of any items purchased.

2.  COMMERCE MAIL visit by somebody bringing
something:
one of the regular visits made to a person, address, or area by a postal worker
or a vendor’s vehicle • We
only get one delivery a day.

3.  COMMERCE MAIL item brought to somebody:
something brought by a postal worker or a vendor, for example, mail or goods
that have been bought

4.  GYNECOLOGY giving
birth:
the process of giving birth to a baby

5.  manner
of speaking: the action or manner in which somebody
speaks to an audience • She
needs to work on her vocal delivery.

6.  rescue:
the rescue or saving of somebody from captivity, hardship, or evil • He
prayed for delivery from his oppressors.

7.  SPORTS way of
putting ball in motion: the action or manner of
throwing, tossing, or rolling a ball or aiming a punch

8.  LAW action
needed to effect property transfer: a
formal action needed to accomplish a transfer of property

[1]



deliveryroom

deliveryroom
de·liv·er·y
room
(plural de·liv·er·y rooms) noun

hospital room where women
give birth: a specially equipped room in
a hospital where women give birth[1]



dell

dell
dell 
[del] (plural dells) noun

small
valley:
a small usually wooded valley or hollow (literary)
[Old English . Ultimately
from the same prehistoric Germanic word that was the ancestor of dale .][1]



DellaRobbia, Luca

DellaRobbia, Luca
Del·la
Rob·bi·a 
[dèllə rṓbee ə], Luca (1400?–1482)

Italian sculptor and
ceramist. He is best known for his early Renaissance panels in Florence
Cathedral. He invented a technique for making glazed terracotta figures.[1]



DelmarvaPeninsula

DelmarvaPeninsula
Del·mar·va
Pen·in·su·la [del mrvə pə
nínsələ]

peninsula in the states of
Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Length: 290 km/180 mi.[1]



Delmonicosteak

Delmonicosteak
Del·mon·i·co
steak
[del mònni kō stàyk] noun

small
beef steak:
a small steak cut from the front end of the short loin of beef.
Also
called
club steak
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Delmonico Restaurant in New York City, which in turn was named
for the Swiss-born U.S. restaurateur Lorenzo Delmonico 1813–1881 .][1]



delocalize

delocalize
de·lo·cal·ize 
[di lṓkə lz] (past de·lo·cal·ized,
past participle de·lo·cal·ized, present participle de·lo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·lo·cal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  move
from local area: to remove something from its locality

2.  take
something beyond local sphere: to remove something
from local influences, and broaden its range or scope
—de·lo·cal·i·za·tion [dee lkəli záysh’n], noun[1]



delouse

delouse
de·louse 
[dee lówss] (past de·loused, past
participle de·loused, present participle de·lous·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·lous·es) transitive verb

free person or animal of
lice: to give a person or animal
treatment to remove lice[1]



Delphi

Delphi
Del·phi 
[dél f]

ancient Greek town on the
southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, about 9.5 km/6 mi north of the Gulf of
Corinth. It is the site of the Temple of Apollo and the Delphic oracle.[1]



Delphic

Delphic
Del·phic 
[délfik] or Del·phi·an [délfee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Delphi:
relating to Delphi, or its temple or oracle

2.  Del·phic
or del·phic ambiguous:
obscure and open to more than one interpretation
—Del·phi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Delphicoracle

Delphicoracle
Del·phic
or·a·cle
noun

oracle at Delphi:
the oracle of great authority and notorious ambiguity at Delphi, where it was
believed the god Apollo spoke through a priestess[1]



delphinium

delphinium

del·phin·i·um 
[del fínnee əm] (plural del·phin·i·ums)
noun
plant
with flower spikes: a plant cultivated for its
variously colored flower spikes, especially those species with tall blue or
white flower spikes. Genus: Delphinium
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek delphinion “larkspur,” literally “little
dolphin,” from delphis “dolphin” (because of the shape of the flower).][1]



Delphinus

Delphinus
Del·phi·nus
[del fnəss] noun

small northern constellation
on Milky Way: a small faint
constellation of the northern hemisphere lying on the Milky Way, situated
between Pegasus and Aquila[1]



DelrayBeach

DelrayBeach
Del·ray
Beach
[dèl ray bch]

city on the Atlantic Ocean
coast in southeastern Florida. Population: 47,181 (1990)[1]



DelRio

DelRio
Del
Ri·o 
[del r ō]

city in southwestern Texas on
the Río Grande, directly opposite Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. Population: 34,495
(1996)[1]



delt

delt
delt
[delt] (plural delts) noun

deltoid:
a deltoid (informal)
[Shortening of deltoid][1]



Delta

Delta
Del·ta
[déltə] (plural Del·tas) noun

1.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “D”: a code word for the letter
“D,” used in international radio communications

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY U.S.
rocket:
a rocket used by the United States to launch satellites into orbit above the
Earth

3.  ASTRONOMY fourth
brightest star: the fourth brightest star in a
constellation

[1]



delta

delta
del·ta 
[déltə] (plural del·tas) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY triangular
land area at river mouth: a triangular deposit of sand
and soil at the mouth of a river or inlet

2.  delta
or Delta GEOGRAPHY area
in river delta: an area in or around the delta of a
river

3.  4th
letter of Greek alphabet: the fourth letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “d”

4.  something
like delta:
something shaped like a triangle or delta

5.  MATHEMATICS change
in variable: an increase or decrease in the value of
a variable. Symbol Δ
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek ; ultimately of Phoenician origin.][1]



DeltaForce

DeltaForce
Del·ta
Force
noun

counter-terrorist force:
the U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment, a military and
counter-terrorist force[1]



deltaray

deltaray
del·ta
ray
(plural del·ta rays) noun

particle ejected from
irradiated matter: a
low-energy particle such as an electron, emitted by matter when subjected to
ionizing radiation[1]



deltawave

deltawave
del·ta
wave
(plural del·ta waves) or del·ta rhythm (plural
del·ta rhythms) noun

brain wave:
a brain wave that is produced by adults in deep sleep. Delta waves are produced
in the front of the brain and are slow waves with a frequency of 3.5 cycles per
second.[1]



deltawing

deltawing
del·ta
wing
(plural del·ta wings) noun

airplane wing:
an airplane wing that has a triangular, swept-back shape[1]



deltiology

deltiology
del·ti·ol·o·gy 
[dèltee ólləjee] noun

postcard
collecting:
the collection and study of postcards
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek deltion, literally “little writing tablet,”
from deltos “writing tablet.”]
—del·ti·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



deltoid

deltoid
del·toid 
[dél tòyd] noun (plural del·toids)

shoulder
muscle:
a thick triangular muscle that covers the shoulder joint
adjective

triangular:
triangular in shape (technical)
[Mid-18th century. Directly
or via French deltoïde from modern Latin deltoides, literally
“delta-shaped,” from Greek delta (see delta
).][1]



Deltona

Deltona
Del·to·na
[del tṓnə]

city in Volusia County,
Florida, situated southwest of Daytona Beach. Population: 50,828 (1990)[1]



delude

delude
de·lude 
[di ld] (past de·lud·ed, past
participle de·lud·ed, present participle de·lud·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·ludes) transitive verb

1.  lead
into false belief: to persuade somebody to
believe in something that is untrue or unreal

2.  frustrate
hopes:
to frustrate somebody’s hopes or expectations (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin deludere, literally “to play to your detriment,”
from ludere “to play” (see ludicrous
).]
—de·lud·a·ble,
adjective

—de·lud·er,
noun

—de·lud·ing·ly, adverb[1]



deluded

deluded
de·lud·ed
[di ldəd] adjective

believing untrue thing:
firmly believing in something that is untrue or unreal[1]



deluge

deluge
del·uge 
[déllyooj] noun (plural del·ug·es)

1.  sudden
heavy downpour: a sudden heavy downpour of rain or
torrent of water

2.  vast
quantity:
an overwhelming amount of something
transitive
verb
(past del·uged, past participle del·uged, present
participle del·ug·ing, 3rd person present singular del·ug·es)

1.  overwhelm
with something: to inundate somebody suddenly with a
large amount of something

2.  overwhelm
with water:
to flood or soak somebody or something with heavy rain or a sudden torrent of
water
[15th century. From Old
French, from, ultimately, Latin diluere “to wash away” (source of
English dilute ), from lavare
“to wash” (see lavatory ).][1]



Deluge

Deluge
Del·uge
noun

BIBLE
See Flood[1]



delusion

delusion
de·lu·sion 
[di lzh’n] (plural de·lu·sions)
noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY false
belief:
a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence,
especially as a symptom of psychiatric disorder

2.  mistaken
notion:
a false or mistaken belief or idea about something
[15th
century. From the Latin stem delusion-, from the past participle stem of
deludere (see delude ).]
—de·lu·sion·al,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at allusion.

[1]



delusionsof grandeur

delusionsof grandeur
de·lu·sions
of gran·deur plural noun

overestimation of own
importance: gross and false
overestimation of personal worth, importance, powerfulness, or attractiveness[1]



delusive

delusive
de·lu·sive 
[di lssiv] adjective

misleading:
leading to a belief in something untrue or unreal
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin delus-, past participle stem of deludere
(see delude ).]
—de·lu·sive·ly,
adverb

—de·lu·sive·ness, noun[1]



delusory

delusory
de·lu·so·ry 
[di lssəree] adjective

likely
to delude:
so deceptive in nature or character as to be likely to mislead or delude
somebody
[15th century. From late
Latin delusorius, from the past participle stem of Latin deludere
(see delude ).][1]



deluxe

deluxe
de·luxe 
[di lúks] or de luxe [di lúks] adjective

of
luxurious standard: of a luxurious standard and
surpassing all others in its class
[Early 19th century. From
French de luxe, literally “of luxury.”][1]



delve

delve
delve 
[delv] verb (past delved,
past participle delved, present participle delv·ing,
3rd person present singular delves)

1.  intransitive
verb
dig
for information: to investigate or research something
thoroughly to obtain information

2.  transitive
verb
excavate:
to dig something such as a ditch, hole, or burrow (archaic)
noun
(plural delves)

rummaging for something:
a rummaging or a digging into something to find something that is hidden or
difficult to reach
[Old
English delfan “to dig,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—delv·er, noun[1]



dely.

dely.
dely.

Abbreviation of
delivery[1]



Dem.

Dem.
Dem.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Democrat

2.  Abbreviation
of
Democratic

[1]



dem.

dem.
dem.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of demonstrative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Dem

Dem
Dem
[dem] noun

Democrat:
a member of the Democratic Party (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



demagnetize

demagnetize
de·mag·net·ize 
[dee mágnə tz] (past de·mag·net·ized,
past participle de·mag·net·ized, present participle de·mag·net·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mag·net·iz·es) transitive verb

stop
something from being magnetic: to remove the magnetic
properties from something
—de·mag·net·i·za·tion
[dee màgnəti záysh’n], noun

—de·mag·net·iz·er, noun[1]



demagog

demagog
dem·a·gog
noun intransitive and transitive verb (3rd person present
singular dem·a·gogs)

See
demagogue[1]



demagogic

demagogic
dem·a·gog·ic 
[dèmmə gójjik, dèmmə
góggik] or dem·a·gog·i·cal [dèmmə
gójjik’l, dèmmə góggik’l] adjective

rabble-rousing:
making an appeal to people’s emotions, instincts, and prejudices in a way that
is considered to be politically manipulative and dangerous
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek dēmagōgikos, from dēmagōgos (see demagogue ).]
—dem·a·gog·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



demagogism

demagogism
dem·a·gog·ism 
or dem·a·gogu·ism noun

See
demagoguery[1]



demagogue

demagogue
dem·a·gogue 
[démmə gòg] noun (plural dem·a·gogues)

1.  emotive
dictator:
a political leader who gains power by appealing to people’s emotions and
prejudices rather than their rationality

2.  popular
leader in ancient times: in ancient times, a popular
leader who represented the ordinary people
verb
(past dem·a·gogued, past participle dem·a·gogued, present
participle dem·a·gogu·ing, 3rd person present singular dem·a·gogues)

1.  intransitive
verb
engage
in demagoguery: to act like a demagogue in gaining power
by appealing to people’s emotions and prejudices

2.  transitive
verb
elicit
emotive bias on issues: to elicit people’s emotional
and prejudicial biases on an issue
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
dēmagōgos, literally “leader of the people,” from agōgos
“leader,” from agein “to lead” (source of English stratagem ).][1]



demagoguery

demagoguery
dem·a·gogu·er·y 
[démmə gòggəree] or dem·a·gog·y
[démmə gòjjee, démmə
gòggee, démmə gjee] or dem·a·gog·ism
[démmə gògizzəm] noun

demagogue’s behavior and
tactics: the character, behavior,
tactics, or rhetoric of a demagogue[1]



demand

demand
de·mand 
[di mánd] noun (plural de·mands)

1.  forceful
request:
a clear and firm request that is difficult to ignore or deny

2.  ECONOMICS customer
interest in acquiring something: the level of desire or
need that exists for particular goods or services • Demand
for that particular model is outstripping supply.

3.  need
for resources or action: an urgent requirement for
time, facilities, resources, or action

4.  LAW legally
enforceable request: a formal request that must
be complied with by law
verb
(past de·mand·ed, past participle de·mand·ed, present
participle de·mand·ing, 3rd person present singular de·mands)

1.  transitive
verb
ask
forcefully:
to request something firmly in a way that is difficult to ignore or deny

2.  transitive
verb
ask
to know at once: to ask a question in an extremely
forceful way

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb call
for resources: to require something such as time, resources,
facilities, or action in order to function or succeed
[14th
century. Via Old French demander from Latin demandare, literally
“to entrust completely,” from mandare “to entrust, order” (see mandate ).]
—de·mand·a·ble,
adjective

—de·mand·er,
noun
in
demand

wanted
or sought by many people

on
demand

promptly, whenever a request
is received[1]



demanddeposit

demanddeposit
de·mand
de·pos·it
(plural de·mand de·pos·its) noun

immediately withdrawable
deposit: a bank deposit that can be
withdrawn at any time without notice[1]



demanddraft

demanddraft
de·mand
draft
(plural de·mand drafts) noun

FINANCE
See sight draft[1]



demandfeeding

demandfeeding
de·mand
feed·ing
noun

feeding babies on demand:
the practice of feeding a baby when it cries to be fed, rather than at set
times[1]



demanding

demanding
de·mand·ing 
[di mánding] adjective

effort-intensive:
requiring a lot of time, attention, energy, or resources[1]



demandingly

demandingly
de·mand·ing·ly
[di mándinglee] adverb

insistently:
in a highly insistent manner[1]



demandloan

demandloan
de·mand
loan
(plural de·mand loans) noun

FINANCE
See call loan[1]



demandnote

demandnote
de·mand
note
(plural de·mand notes) noun

bill or draft payable on
demand: a bill or draft stating that
a particular amount of money will be paid when it is asked for[1]



demand-pull

demand-pull
de·mand-pull
or de·mand-pull in·fla·tion noun

inflation caused by excess
demand: inflation caused by demand
for goods and services outstripping supply.
See also
cost-push[1]



demand-side

demand-side
de·mand-side
adjective

emphasizing demand and
consumption: relating to an economic
policy that emphasizes the importance of demand and consumption[1]



demantoid

demantoid
de·man·toid 
[di mán tòyd] (plural de·man·toids)
noun

green
gemstone:
a transparent green variety of garnet used as a gemstone
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “diamond-shaped,” from Demant “diamond.”][1]



demarcate

demarcate
de·mar·cate 
[di mr kàyt, d
maar kàyt] (past de·mar·cat·ed, past participle de·mar·cat·ed,
present participle de·mar·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·mar·cates) transitive verb

1.  determine
and set official borders: to decide on and fix land
boundaries

2.  set
down nonphysical bounds: to state in a clear way
where something begins and ends
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from demarcation
.]
—de·mar·ca·tor, noun[1]



demarcation

demarcation
de·mar·ca·tion 
[d maar káysh’n] (plural de·mar·ca·tions)
noun

1.  setting
of borders:
the process of deciding on and fixing land boundaries

2.  identifiable
separation of things: the division of something so
that its divided parts are separate and identifiable
[Early 18th century. From
Spanish demarcación, literally “marking off,” from marcar “to
mark,” from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English margin .][1]



demarcationdispute

demarcationdispute
de·mar·ca·tion
dis·pute
(plural de·mar·ca·tion dis·putes) noun

land-boundary dispute:
a disagreement over where a land boundary lies[1]



dematerialize

dematerialize
de·ma·te·ri·al·ize 
[dmə tree ə lz] (past de·ma·te·ri·al·ized,
past participle de·ma·te·ri·al·ized, present participle de·ma·te·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ma·te·ri·al·izes) intransitive
and transitive verb

become
or make immaterial: to disappear or cause
something to disappear physically or apparently
—de·ma·te·ri·al·i·za·tion
[dmə teeree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



deme

deme
deme 
[deem] (plural demes) noun

1.  HISTORY township
in Attica:
a township in Attica in ancient Greece

2.  ECOLOGY population
of related species: a local population of
closely related interbreeding species
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
dēmos “district,” hence, “people living in a district” (see demos ).][1]



demean

demean1
de·mean1 [di
mn] (past de·meaned, past participle de·meaned,
present participle de·mean·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·means) transitive verb

humiliate
and degrade: to reduce somebody to a much lower
status in a humiliating way
[Early
17th century. Coined from de- “down” + mean “inferior in rank.”]
—de·mean·ing, adjective[1]



demean

demean2
de·mean2 [di
mn] (past de·meaned, past participle de·meaned,
present participle de·mean·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·means) reflexive verb

behave:
to behave in a particular way (dated)
[14th century. From Old
French demener, literally “to lead away,” from, ultimately, Latin minare
“to drive a herd of animals.”][1]



demeanor

demeanor
de·mean·or 
[di mnər] noun

outward behavior:
somebody’s behavior, manner, or appearance, especially as it reflects on
character[1]



demeanour

demeanour
de·mean·our
noun

U.K. =
demeanor[1]



demented

demented
de·ment·ed 
[di méntəd] adjective

1.  entirely
irrational:
completely unreasonable or without any sense of consequences (informal)

2.  PSYCHIATRY affected
with dementia: affected by the loss of intellectual
functions that is associated with dementia
[Mid-17th
century. Originally the past participle of obsolete dement “to deprive
of reason,” from Latin dementare, literally “to take the mind away,”
from, ultimately, the stem ment- “mind” (see mental
).]
—de·ment·ed·ly,
adverb

—de·ment·ed·ness, noun[1]



dementia

dementia
de·men·tia 
[di ménshə] noun

PSYCHIATRY cognitive
and intellectual deterioration: the usually
progressive deterioration of intellectual functions such as memory that can
occur while other brain functions such as those controlling movement and the
senses are retained.
See
also
senile dementia
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, from the stem dement-, literally “mind away,” from ment-
“mind” (see mental ).][1]



dementiapraecox

dementiapraecox
de·men·tia
prae·cox 
[di mènshə pr kòks] noun

schizophrenia:
schizophrenia (archaic)
[From Latin, literally
“premature loss of mind”][1]



demerge

demerge
de·merge 
[dee múrj] (past de·merged, past
participle de·merged, present participle de·merg·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·merg·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

U.K.
split large company into smaller
companies: to separate a company from a
larger company so that it becomes an individual concern, or divide a large
company into a number of smaller companies[1]



demerger

demerger
de·merg·er
[dee múrjər] (plural de·merg·ers)
noun

U.K.
business merger that is dissolved:
a merger between two or more companies that is dissolved, or the separation of
one company from a larger company or group[1]



demerit

demerit
de·mer·it 
[di mérrit] (plural de·mer·its)
noun

1.  MILITARY EDUCATION mark for deficiency or
misconduct:
a mark against somebody such as a student or cadet for a deficiency or
misconduct

2.  negative
feature:
a negative feature or disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted
with its positive features or advantages (often used in the plural)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French desmerite from Latin demeritum,
from, ultimately, demereri, literally “to deserve thoroughly,” from mereri
“to deserve.” The original English meaning was “merit, worth.” The modern
meanings are derived from the negative connotations of de-
.]
—de·mer·i·to·ri·ous
[di mèrrə táwree əss], adjective

—de·mer·i·to·ri·ous·ly
[dee mèrrə táwree əsslee], adverb[1]



Demerol

Demerol
Dem·er·ol 
[démmə rl] Trademark

a trademark for a medicinal
preparation of the painkiller meperidine[1]



demersal

demersal
de·mer·sal 
[di múrs’l] adjective

found
near bottom of water: living or found in the
deepest part of a body of water
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin demersus, the past participle of demergere “to
submerge,” from mergere “to plunge” (see merge
).][1]



demesne

demesne
de·mesne 
[di máyn] (plural de·mesnes) noun

1.  possession
of own land: possession and use of your own land, as
opposed to ownership of land that is occupied by tenants (formal)

2.  private
grounds with mansion: the grounds attached to a
mansion for the private use of the owner (archaic)

3.  HISTORY feudal
manorial land: manorial land that a feudal lord kept
for his own private use (formal)

4.  estate:
an extensive landed property (formal)

5.  realm
of monarch:
the realm under the rule of a monarch (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
demeine “belonging to a lord” from Latin dominicus “of a lord”
(source of English domain ).][1]



Demeter

Demeter
De·me·ter
[də mtər] noun

Greek goddess of corn:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of corn and the harvest, daughter of Cronus and
Rhea and mother of Persephone. Roman equivalent Ceres[1]



demeton

demeton
dem·e·ton 
[démmə tòn] noun

chemical used as systemic
insecticide: either of two highly
toxic chemicals that are pale yellow in color and used as systemic
insecticides. C6H15O3PS2 C6H15O4PS2[1]



demi-

demi-
demi-
prefix

1.  half
• demirep

2.  partly
• demigod
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin dimidius “split in two,” from dis- “apart” and medius
“half”][1]



demibastion

demibastion
dem·i·bas·tion
[dèmmi báschən, dèmmi
bástee ən] (plural dem·i·bas·tions) noun

two-sided fortification:
a two-sided fortification that consists of a wall facing forward and a wall
facing a flank[1]



demigod

demigod
dem·i·god 
[démmi gòd] (plural dem·i·gods)
noun

1.  somebody
treated like god: somebody who is very important or highly
revered and is treated like a god

2.  human
with powers of a god: a mythological being who is
half human and half god

3.  minor
god:
a god regarded as minor in a hierarchy of other gods
[Mid-16th century.
Translation of Latin semideus .][1]



demigoddess

demigoddess
dem·i·god·dess 
[démmi gòddəss] (plural dem·i·god·dess·es)
noun

1.  somebody
treated like a god: somebody who is very
important or highly revered and is treated like a god

2.  woman
with powers of a goddess: a mythological being who is
half woman and half goddess

3.  somebody
treated like a god: somebody who is very
important or highly revered and is treated like a god

[1]



demijohn

demijohn
dem·i·john 
[démmi jòn] (plural dem·i·johns)
noun

large
wine bottle: a large bottle that has a short narrow
neck and is often used for making wine
[Mid-18th century. By folk
etymology from French dame-jeanne, literally “Lady Jane,” its popular
name in France.][1]



demilitarize

demilitarize
de·mil·i·ta·rize 
[dee míllitə rz] (past de·mil·i·ta·rized,
past participle de·mil·i·ta·rized, present participle de·mil·i·ta·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mil·i·ta·riz·es) transitive
verb

prohibit
troop presence in: to remove or prohibit the
presence of soldiers, weapons, and military installations in an area after an
agreement has been made to stop fighting
—de·mil·i·ta·ri·za·tion
[dee mìllitəri záysh’n], noun[1]



demilitarizedzone

demilitarizedzone
de·mil·i·ta·rized
zone 
(plural de·mil·i·ta·rized zones) noun

area from which troops are
prohibited: an officially recognized
area from which all soldiers, weapons, and military installations have been
removed after an agreement to stop fighting[1]



DeMille, Agnes George

DeMille, Agnes George
De
Mille 
[də míl], Agnes George (1909–1993)

U.S. dancer and
choreographer. She was known for integrating popular dance styles with ballet
in classical productions and musicals.[1]



DeMille, Cecil B.

DeMille, Cecil B.
De
Mille
[də míl], Cecil B. (1881–1959)

U.S.
movie director and producer. He was known for lavish epics and movies dealing
with contemporary social issues.
Full name
De Mille, Cecil Blount[1]



demimondaine

demimondaine
dem·i·mon·daine 
[dèmmi mon dáyn] (plural dem·i·mon·daines)
noun

woman
supported by lovers: a woman who is financially
supported by a wealthy lover (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
French, from demi-monde (see demimonde
).][1]



demimonde

demimonde
dem·i·monde 
[démmi mònd, dèmmi
mónd] noun (literary)

1.  people
of questionable respectability: people who are not
considered to be completely respectable.
Also
called
demiworld

2.  women
supported by lovers: a class of women who were
financially supported by wealthy lovers, especially in the 19th and early 20th
centuries
[Mid-19th century. From
French demi-monde, literally “half world.”][1]



demineralization

demineralization
de·min·er·al·i·za·tion 
[dee mìnnərəli záysh’n] noun

deficiency in bodily salts:
the loss of mineral salts from the body, especially in the teeth and bones[1]



demineralize

demineralize
de·min·er·al·ize 
[dee mínnərə lz] (past de·min·er·al·ized,
past participle de·min·er·al·ized, present participle de·min·er·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·min·er·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

remove
mineral salts from: to remove minerals or
mineral salts from something such as bone or a liquid
—de·min·er·al·i·zer, noun[1]



Deming

Deming
De·ming
[démming]

city in southwestern New
Mexico, west of Las Cruces. Population: 14,155 (1996)[1]



demi-pension

demi-pension
dem·i-pen·sion
noun

U.K.
See half board[1]



demirelief

demirelief
dem·i·re·lief 
[démmiri lf] noun

sculptural relief:
sculptural relief made of modeled forms that are half-raised from the
background.
Also called
half relief
Also called
mezzo-relievo[1]



Demirel,Süleyman

Demirel,Süleyman
De·mir·el
[dèmmi rél], Süleyman (1924– )

Turkish statesman. He served
four terms as prime minister (1965–1993) and became the ninth president of
Turkey in 1993.[1]



demirep

demirep
dem·i·rep 
[démmi rèp] (plural dem·i·reps)
noun

somebody
disreputable: somebody who is disreputable, especially
a woman who acts in a way considered sexually improper (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from demi- + rep, shortening of reputable .][1]



demise

demise
de·mise 
[di mz] noun (formal)

1.  somebody’s
death:
the death of a person, especially when it happens slowly and predictably

2.  end
of something: the end of something that used to exist,
especially when it happens slowly and predictably
verb
(past de·mised, past participle de·mised, present
participle de·mis·ing, 3rd person present singular de·mis·es)
(formal)

1.  intransitive
verb
die:
die, especially slowly and predictably

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW be legally transferred:
to transfer something or undergo transfer through a line of descent or
according to a will
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Old French demis “sent away,” from,
ultimately, Latin dimittere (see demit
).]
—de·mis·a·ble, adjective[1]



demi-sec

demi-sec
dem·i-sec
[dèmmi sék] adjective

medium-sweet:
used to describe champagne or sparkling wine that is more sweet than dry
[From
French, literally “half-dry”]
—dem·i-sec, noun[1]



demisemiquaver

demisemiquaver
dem·i·sem·i·qua·ver 
[dèmmi semmi kwáyvər] (plural dem·i·sem·i·qua·vers)
noun

U.K.
See thirty-second note[1]



demission

demission
de·mis·sion 
[di mísh’n] noun

resignation
from public office: resignation from an
important official post
[Mid-16th century. Via French
démission from, ultimately, the Latin stem dimission-
“dismissal,” from the past participle of dimittere (see demit ).][1]



demist

demist
de·mist 
[dee míst] intransitive and transitive
verb

U.K.
See defog[1]



demister

demister
de·mist·er
[dee místər] (plural de·mist·ers)
noun

U.K.
See defogger[1]



demit

demit
de·mit 
[di mít] (past de·mit·ted, past
participle de·mit·ted, present participle de·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular de·mits) intransitive and
transitive verb

resign
public office: to resign from or give up an important
official post
[15th century. Via Old French
desmettre, from, ultimately, Latin dimittere “to send away,” from
mittere “to send.”][1]



demitasse

demitasse
dem·i·tasse 
[démmi tss, démmi
tàss] (plural dem·i·tasses) noun

small
cup of coffee: a small cup of strong black coffee, or
the cup in which such coffee is served
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “half-cup,” from tasse “cup,” from, ultimately,
Persian täsht .][1]



Demiurge

Demiurge
Dem·i·urge
noun

PHILOSOPHY
creator:
in Gnostic and Platonic philosophies, the creator and controller of the
material world[1]



demiurge

demiurge
dem·i·urge 
[démmee ùrj] (plural dem·i·urg·es)
noun

1.  powerful
force or personality: a very strong, driving, and
influential force or personality (formal)

2.  HISTORY ancient
Greek magistrate: a public magistrate in some ancient
Greek states
[Early
17th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin demiurgus from Greek dēmiourgos
“skilled person,” from dēmios “of the people” + -ergos
“working.”]
—dem·i·ur·geous,
adjective

—dem·i·ur·gic,
adjective

—dem·i·ur·gi·cal,
adjective

—dem·i·ur·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



demivolte

demivolte
dem·i·volte
[démmi vlt] (plural dem·i·voltes)
noun

half
turn by horse during dressage: in dressage, a half
turn made by a horse with its forelegs raised
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “half turn,” from volte “turn.”][1]



demiworld

demiworld
dem·i·world 
[démmi wùrld] noun

See
demimonde  noun 1[1]



demo

demo
dem·o 
[démmō] noun (plural de·mos)

1.  something
demonstrating features: something such as a motor
vehicle made available for testing by potential buyers.
Also
called
demonstrator noun 3

2.  demonstration
of product:
a demonstration, especially of a new product (informal)

3.  COMPUTING trial
software:
a trial version of software that demonstrates its principle features (informal)

4.  MUSIC music
sample:
a recorded sample of music produced for promotional purposes (informal)

5.  public
protest:
a public event in which people protest against something, often by marching
through the streets (informal)
transitive
verb
(past de·moed, past participle de·moed, present
participle de·mo·ing, 3rd person present singular de·mos)

show how something works:
to explain, describe, or give a demonstration of how something works or how to
do something (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of demonstration .][1]



demob

demob
de·mob 
[dee mób] (past de·mobbed, past
participle de·mobbed, present participle de·mob·bing, 3rd
person present singular de·mobs) intransitive and transitive verb

U.K.
demobilize:
to demobilize armed forces (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of demobilize .][1]



demobilize

demobilize
de·mo·bil·ize 
[di mṓbi lz] (past de·mo·bil·ized,
past participle de·mo·bil·ized, present participle de·mo·bil·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mo·bil·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

release
armed forces from active duty: to discharge personnel
from the armed forces and send them home, usually after a war
—de·mo·bil·i·za·tion [di mbili záysh’n], noun[1]



democracy

democracy
de·moc·ra·cy 
[di mókrəssee] (plural de·moc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  free
and equal representation of people: the
free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government,
often practiced by electing representatives of the people by the people
“Democracy is like the experience of life itself –always changing, infinite in
its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been
tested for adversity.” Jimmy Carter Speech to Parliament of India June 2, 1978

2.  democratic
nation:
a country with a government that has been elected freely and equally by all its
citizens

3.  democratic
governmental system: a system of government based
on the principle of majority decision-making

4.  organizational
control by members: the control of an
organization by its members, who have a free and equal right to participate in
decision-making processes
[Late 16th century. Directly
and via Old French democratie from medieval Latin democratia,
from, ultimately, Greek dēmokratia, literally “rule of the people,” from
dēmos “people” (see demos ) + kratos
“rule.”][1]



Democrat

Democrat
Dem·o·crat
[démmə kràt] (plural Dem·o·crats)
noun

member of U.S. Democratic
Party: a member of the Democratic
Party, one of the two major political parties in the United States[1]



democrat

democrat
dem·o·crat 
[démmə kràt] (plural dem·o·crats)
noun

supporter of democracy:
somebody who believes in democracy and the democratic system of government and
argues in favor of them[1]



democratic

democratic
dem·o·crat·ic 
[dèmmə kráttik] adjective

with
equal participation by all: characterized by free and
equal participation in government or in the decision-making processes of an
organization or group
—dem·o·crat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Democratic

Democratic
Dem·o·crat·ic
adjective

relating to Democratic Party:
belonging or relating to or associated with the Democratic Party of the United
States[1]



DemocraticParty

DemocraticParty
Dem·o·crat·ic
Par·ty
noun

major U.S. political party:
one of the two major political parties in the United States. It was formed
after a split in the former Democratic-Republican Party under Andrew Jackson in
1828.[1]



Democratic-RepublicanParty

Democratic-RepublicanParty
Dem·o·crat·ic-Re·pub·li·can
Par·ty 
noun

former U.S. political party:
a U.S. political party that was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1792 and was
dissolved in 1828 under Andrew Jackson. Its main opponent was the Federalist
Party, originally led by Alexander Hamilton.[1]



democratize

democratize
de·moc·ra·tize 
[di mókrə tz] (past de·moc·ra·tized,
past participle de·moc·ra·tized, present participle de·moc·ra·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·moc·ra·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  give
government control to citizenry: to put a country under
the control of its citizens by allowing them to participate in government or
decision-making processes in a free and equal way

2.  introduce
democracy to state: to take steps toward
establishing the features of liberal democracy in a state

3.  give
organizational control to members: to put an organization
under the control of its members by giving them free and equal decision-making
powers

4.  give
something popular appeal: to make something accessible
to everybody
—de·moc·ra·ti·za·tion
[di mòkrəti záysh’n], noun[1]



Democritus

Democritus
De·moc·ri·tus 
[di mókritəss] (460? BC–370? BC)

Greek philosopher. A prolific
writer, he first propounded the atomic theory of the universe. Only a few
fragments of his work remain.[1]



demodulate

demodulate
de·mod·u·late 
[dee mójjə làyt] (past de·mod·u·lat·ed,
past participle de·mod·u·lat·ed, present participle de·mod·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mod·u·lates) transitive verb

extract
information from radio wave: to extract a signal carrying
information from a radio wave ( carrier )
—de·mod·u·la·tor, noun[1]



demographer

demographer
de·mog·ra·pher 
[di móggrəfər] (plural de·mog·ra·phers)
noun

student of human populations:
somebody who studies human populations, including their size, growth, density,
and distribution, and statistics regarding birth, marriage, disease, and death[1]



demographic

demographic
dem·o·graph·ic 
[dèmmə gráffik] adjective

of
human populations: relating to demography or
demographics
—dem·o·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—dem·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



demographics

demographics
dem·o·graph·ics 
[dèmmə gráffiks] plural noun

characteristics and
statistics of human population: the
characteristics of a human population or part of it, especially its size,
growth, density, distribution, and statistics regarding birth, marriage,
disease, and death (takes a plural verb)[1]



demography

demography
de·mog·ra·phy 
[di móggrəfee] noun

study
of human populations: the study of human
populations, including their size, growth, density, and distribution, as well
as statistics regarding birth, marriage, disease, and death
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek dēmos “people” + -graphy .]
—de·mog·ra·phist, noun[1]



demoiselle

demoiselle
dem·oi·selle 
[dèmmwə zél] (plural dem·oi·selles)
noun

1.  young
woman:
a young woman or girl (formal)

2.  (formal)
See damselfish

3.  See
damselfly
[Early 16th century. From
French, “damsel,” from Old French dameisele (see damsel ).][1]



demoisellecrane

demoisellecrane
dem·oi·selle
crane
(plural dem·oi·selle cranes) noun

North
African crane: a small crane of North Africa and Asia
that has a slender gray body, black plumes, and white ear tufts. Latin name: Anthropoides
virgo
Also
called
Numidian crane
[“Demoiselle” from its
ladylike form][1]



demolish

demolish
de·mol·ish 
[di móllish] (past de·mol·ished,
past participle de·mol·ished, present participle de·mol·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mol·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  wreck
a building:
to destroy a building or other structure completely

2.  damage
irreparably: to damage something so severely that it
cannot be repaired or restored

3.  beat
opponent soundly: to beat an opponent very convincingly,
especially in sports or debate (informal)

4.  eat
fast and greedily: to eat a lot of food very
quickly (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French démoliss-, a stem of démolir, from Latin
demolire, literally “to undo construction of a mass,” from, ultimately, moles
“mass” (see molecule ).]
—de·mol·ish·er, noun[1]



demolition

demolition
dem·o·li·tion 
[dèmmə lísh’n] noun

1.  wrecking
of building: the total destruction of a building or
other structure • The old hospital is
scheduled for demolition.

2.  destruction
or annihilation: the destruction or annihilation of
something or somebody
plural
noun
dem·o·li·tions

explosives:
explosives, especially those used by the military
[Mid-16th century. Via French
démolition from the Latin stem demolition-, from demolire
(see demolish ).][1]



demolitionderby

demolitionderby
dem·o·li·tion
der·by
(plural dem·o·li·tion der·bies) noun

car-crashing contest:
an entertainment and sporting event held at a fair or on a speedway, during
which drivers crash old cars, the winner being the driver of the last car
running[1]



demolitionist

demolitionist
dem·o·li·tion·ist 
[dèmmə lísh’nist] (plural dem·o·li·tion·ists)
noun

wrecker of buildings:
a person or company whose job it is to demolish buildings[1]



demon

demon
de·mon 
[dmən] (plural de·mons) noun

1.  evil
spirit:
an evil supernatural being such as a ghost or spirit

2.  personal
fear or anxiety: a fear or anxiety that torments somebody

3.  expert:
somebody who is extremely good at something (informal)
[13th century. Via Latin daemon
and medieval Latin demon “evil spirit” from Greek daimōn “divine
power, guiding spirit” (see daemon ).][1]



demonetize

demonetize
de·mon·e·tize 
[dee mónnə tz] (past de·mon·e·tized,
past participle de·mon·e·tized, present participle de·mon·e·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mon·e·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  cease
minting coins in specific metal: to stop using a
particular metal to make coins

2.  withdraw
money from circulation: to withdraw units of money
from circulation
[Mid-19th
century. From French démonétiser, literally “to refrain from using
money,” from Latin moneta “money” (see money
).]
—de·mon·e·ti·za·tion [dee mònnəti záysh’n], noun[1]



demoniac

demoniac
de·mo·ni·ac 
[di mṓnee àk] adjective

1.  de·mo·ni·a·cal
resembling
a demon:
resembling or characteristic of an evil spirit

2.  de·mo·ni·ac
or de·mo·ni·a·cal evil or wicked:
evil or wicked in character or nature

3.  de·mo·ni·ac
or de·mo·ni·a·cal intense or frantic:
intense, frantic, or wild, as if driven or possessed by a demon
noun
(plural de·mo·ni·acs)

somebody influenced by demon:
somebody believed to be possessed by an evil supernatural being (archaic)
[14th century. From late
Latin daemoniacus, from, ultimately, Greek daimōn (see demon ).][1]



demonic

demonic
de·mon·ic 
[di mónnik] adjective

1.  of
or resembling demon: relating to or resembling a
demon, especially in wickedness

2.  intense
or frantic:
intense, frantic, or wild, as if driven or possessed by a demon
—de·mon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



demonize

demonize
de·mon·ize 
[dmə nz] (past de·mon·ized, past
participle de·mon·ized, present participle de·mon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mon·iz·es) transitive verb

cause
to appear evil to others: to cause somebody or
something to appear evil or wicked in the eyes of others
—de·mon·i·za·tion [dməni záysh’n], noun[1]



demonolatry

demonolatry
de·mon·o·la·try 
[dmə nóllətree] noun

devil
worship:
worship of demons or of the devil
—de·mon·o·lat·er, noun[1]



demonology

demonology
de·mon·ol·o·gy 
[dmə nólləjee] noun

study
of demons:
the study of demons, especially those that are frequent in folklore of certain
societies
—de·mon·o·log·i·cal
[dmənə lójjik’l], adjective

—de·mon·ol·o·gist [dmə nólləjist], noun[1]



demonstrable

demonstrable
de·mon·stra·ble 
[di mónstrəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
shown to be so: so obvious as to be readily provable

2.  provable:
capable of being shown to exist or be true
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin demonstrabilis, from demonstrare
(see demonstrate ).]
—de·mon·stra·bil·i·ty
[di mònstrə bíllətee], noun

—de·mon·stra·ble·ness
[di mónstrəb’lnəss], noun

—de·mon·stra·bly [di mónstrəblee], adverb[1]



demonstrate

demonstrate
dem·on·strate 
[démmən stràyt] (past dem·on·strat·ed,
past participle dem·on·strat·ed, present participle dem·on·strat·ing,
3rd person present singular dem·on·strates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
explain
workings:
to explain or describe how something works or how to do something

2.  transitive
verb
show
convincingly: to show or prove something clearly and
convincingly

3.  intransitive
verb
protest
or support somebody or something: to make a public show
as a group for or against an issue, cause, or person, often by marching through
the streets
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
demonstrat-, the past participle stem of demonstrare, from monstrare
“to show,” from monstrum “omen” (source of English monster ).][1]



demonstration

demonstration
dem·on·stra·tion 
[dèmmən stráysh’n] (plural dem·on·stra·tions)
noun

1.  display
showing how to do something: a display given to others of
how something is done or how something works.
Also
called
demo

2.  conclusive
proof:
evidence or proof that allows no doubt as to its validity or soundness

3.  group
display of opinion: a public show as a group for
or against an issue, cause, or person.
Also
called
demo

4.  attack
or show of force: a show of military force or a movement
toward an enemy
—dem·on·stra·tion·al,
adjective

—dem·on·stra·tion·ist,
noun[1]



demonstrationsport

demonstrationsport
dem·on·stra·tion
sport
noun

trial sport in Olympics:
a sport that is contested in the Olympics on a trial basis even though it is
not a permanent medal sport[1]



demonstrative

demonstrative
de·mon·stra·tive 
[di mónstrətiv] adjective

1.  obviously
affectionate: unrestrained in showing love and
affection toward somebody

2.  proving:
serving to show proof of truth

3.  GRAMMAR specifying
which person or thing: referring to a particular
person or thing, for example, “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”
noun
(plural de·mon·stra·tives)

GRAMMAR word
specifying which person or thing: a demonstrative word
or phrase, for example, “this,” “that,” “these,” or “those”
—de·mon·stra·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·mon·stra·tive·ness,
noun[1]



demonstrator

demonstrator
dem·on·stra·tor 
[démmən stràytər] (plural dem·on·stra·tors)
noun

1.  supporter
or protester: somebody who protests or supports
something publicly, usually as a member of a group

2.  explainer
of devices:
somebody who shows people how do something or explains how something works

3.  See
demo  noun 5

[1]



demoralize

demoralize
de·mor·al·ize 
[di máwrə lz] (past de·mor·al·ized,
past participle de·mor·al·ized, present participle de·mor·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mor·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  erode
another’s morale: to erode or destroy the courage,
confidence, or hope of a person or group

2.  make
disordered:
to throw something into disorder or chaos

3.  corrupt
somebody’s morals: to corrupt somebody’s morals
—de·mor·al·i·za·tion
[di màwrəli záysh’n], noun

—de·mor·al·iz·er [di máwrə lzər], noun[1]



demos

demos
de·mos 
[démmōz] noun

1.  populace:
the ordinary people of a community or nation (formal)

2.  HISTORY Greek
city-state populace: the common people in an
ancient Greek city-state
[Late 18th century. From
Greek dēmos “district,” hence “people living in a district.”][1]



demote

demote
de·mote 
[dee mṓt] (past de·mot·ed, past
participle de·mot·ed, present participle de·mot·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·motes) transitive verb

reduce
somebody’s rank: to reduce somebody or something to a
lower rank, status, or position
[Late 19th century. Blend of de- and promote
.][1]



Demotic

Demotic
De·mot·ic
noun

1.  modern
spoken Greek: the colloquial form of modern Greek,
used in conversation and in literature and now adopted as the official variety
of the language.
See
also
Katharevusa

2.  late
Egyptian language: the later form of the
ancient Egyptian language, written in demotic script, which was current in the
first millennium BC
—De·mot·ic, adjective[1]



demotic

demotic
de·mot·ic 
[di móttik] adjective

1.  of
the populace: relating to or involving ordinary people
(formal)

2.  using
simplified hieroglyphics: relating to a simplified
form of hieroglyphics, the writing system used in ancient Egypt
[Early 19th century. From
Greek dēmotikos “popular, common,” literally “of the people,” from dēmos
(see demos ).][1]



demotion

demotion
de·mo·tion
[di mṓsh’n] (plural de·mo·tions)
noun

lowering in rank:
a reduction in the rank, status, or position of somebody or something[1]



demount

demount
de·mount 
[dee mównt] (past de·mount·ed,
past participle de·mount·ed, present participle de·mount·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mounts) transitive verb

1.  remove
device from supports: to take a piece of equipment
away from its supports

2.  dismantle
something:
to take something apart, usually with the intention of reassembling it later

[1]



demountable

demountable
de·mount·a·ble
[dee mówntəb’l] adjective

1.  removable
from supports: used to describe a piece of equipment
that can be removed from its supports

2.  removable
from cab of truck: relating to the storage part
of a truck that can be removed from the cab without the use of a crane

[1]



Dempsey,Jack

Dempsey,Jack
Demp·sey 
[démpsee], Jack (1895–1983)

U.S.
professional boxer. He won the world heavyweight title in 1919, which he lost
to Gene Tunny in 1926.
Full name
Dempsey, William Harrison Known as The Manassa Mauler[1]



demulcent

demulcent
de·mul·cent 
[di múlsənt] (plural de·mul·cents)
noun

soothing
substance:
a substance that is used to soothe irritated or inflamed skin or internal parts
of the nose, mouth, or throat. Lanoline and glycerine are demulcents.
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin demulcent-, present participle stem of demulcere,
literally “to soothe down,” from mulcere “to soothe.”]
—de·mul·cent, adjective[1]



demulsify

demulsify
de·mul·si·fy 
[di múlsi f] (past de·mul·si·fied,
past participle de·mul·si·fied, present participle de·mul·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mul·si·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

break
down into constituents: to break an emulsion down
permanently into its components, or be broken down permanently
—de·mul·si·fi·ca·tion
[di mùlsifi káysh’n], noun

—de·mul·si·fi·er [di múlsi fr], noun[1]



demur

demur
de·mur 
[di múr] (past de·murred, past
participle de·murred, present participle de·mur·ring, 3rd
person present singular de·murs) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
show
reluctance to do something: to delay or try to avoid
doing something because of personal reservations or objections “While I
acknowledged it might come to that (the use of force in the Persian Gulf), I
demurred, saying it was too early to contemplate such action.” George Bush A World
Transformed 1998

2.  intransitive
verb
object
mildly:
to object mildly to something that you do not want to do but have been asked to
do

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW make legal objection:
to admit the facts of an opposing argument, but object that those facts alone
are not by themselves adequate to make the case
[13th
century. From Old French demorer “to delay, stay,” from Latin demorare
.]
—de·mur·ra·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at object

[1]



demure

demure
de·mure 
[di myr] (comparative de·mur·er,
superlative de·mur·est) adjective

1.  looking
shyly modest: looking or behaving in a modest manner
with reserve or seriousness

2.  affectedly
shy or modest: acting in an affectedly shy or modest
way
[14th
century. From the past participle of Old French demorer (see demur ). The modern meaning evolved via the sense
of “calmness.”]
—de·mure·ly,
adverb

—de·mure·ness, noun[1]



demurrage

demurrage
de·mur·rage 
[di múrrij] (plural de·mur·rag·es)
noun

1.  detention
of cargo carrier: detention or delay of a cargo carrier
during its loading or unloading process, beyond its scheduled time of departure

2.  compensation
for loading or unloading delay: compensation paid when
there is a delay in loading or unloading a carrier causing a delay in the
carrier’s departure
[Mid-17th century. From Old
French demo(u)rage, from demorer (see demur
).][1]



demurral

demurral
de·mur·ral 
[di múrrəl] (plural de·mur·rals)
noun

delay or objection:
a mild indication of hesitation, refusal, or objection[1]



demurrer

demurrer
de·mur·rer 
[di múrrər] (plural de·mur·rers)
noun

LAW objection
to legal claim: a legal objection that admits the facts
of an opposing argument but asserts that those facts alone are not adequate to
make the case
[Early 16th century. From
French demorer (see demur ).][1]



Demuth,Charles

Demuth,Charles
De·muth 
[di mth], Charles (1883–1935)

U.S. painter. He was known
for his still-life watercolors, and his oil-and-tempera architectural scenes
such as Business ( 1921 ).[1]



demy

demy
de·my 
[di m] adjective

of
standard paper size: used to describe printing
paper that is 444.5 mm17.5 in. by 571.5 mm22.5 in. or writing paper that is
406.4 mm16 in. by 533.4 mm21 in
[15th century. Alteration of demi- .][1]



demyelination

demyelination
de·my·e·lin·a·tion
[dee m əli náysh’n] noun

loss
of nerve-fiber covering: loss of the fatty covering (
myelin ) of nerve fibers, which is
characteristic of multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders
—de·my·e·lin·ate [di m əli nàyt], transitive verb[1]



demystify

demystify
de·mys·ti·fy 
[dee místi f] (past de·mys·ti·fied,
past participle de·mys·ti·fied, present participle de·mys·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·mys·ti·fies) transitive verb

make
less mysterious: to remove the mystery surrounding
something, for example, by explaining it in simple language
—de·mys·ti·fi·ca·tion
[di mìstifi káysh’n], noun

—de·mys·ti·fi·er [dee místi fr], noun[1]



demythologize

demythologize
de·my·thol·o·gize 
[dmi thóllə jz] (past de·my·thol·o·gized,
past participle de·my·thol·o·gized, present participle de·my·thol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·my·thol·o·giz·es) transitive
verb

uncover
true nature of: to reveal and understand the true
character, nature, or meaning of something by ridding it of all mythical or
mysterious aspects
—de·my·thol·o·gi·za·tion
[dmi tholləji záysh’n], noun

—de·my·thol·o·giz·er [dmi thóllə jzər], noun[1]



Den.

Den.
Den.

Abbreviation of
Denmark[1]



den

den
den 
[den] (plural dens) noun

1.  wild
animal’s lair: the hidden home of a wild animal

2.  room
for relaxing: a room in a house where family members
and guests relax

3.  place
of crime:
a place where illegal or secret activities take place

4.  Cub
Scout group: a group of Cub Scouts that is typically
made up of eight to ten youths

5.  squalid
room:
a squalid small room or place to live

6.  children’s
hideout:
a secret place where children play
[Old English denn
“wild animal’s lair,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European word meaning “flat
surface”][1]



DenaliNational Park and Preserve

DenaliNational Park and Preserve
De·na·li
Na·tion·al Park and Pre·serve [də
nlee]

park in central Alaska that
contains Mount McKinley, the highest point in North America, at 6,194 m/20,320
ft . It was combined with Denali National Monument in 1980. Area: 2,459,083
hectares/6,076,528 acres.[1]



denarius

denarius
de·nar·i·us 
[di náiree əss] (plural de·nar·i·i
[di náiree ]) noun

1.  old
Roman silver coin: an ancient Roman silver coin
originally worth ten asses

2.  old
Roman gold coin: an ancient Roman gold coin that was
worth 25 silver denarii
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “containing ten,” from deni “ten at a time.”][1]



denary

denary
den·a·ry 
[dénnəree] adjective

of
number system based on ten: relating to a number system,
or a number belonging to it, that has ten as its base, as in the decimal system
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
denarius (see denarius ).][1]



denationalize

denationalize
de·na·tion·al·ize 
[dee náshən’l z, dee
náshnə lz] (past de·na·tion·al·ized, past participle
de·na·tion·al·ized, present participle de·na·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·na·tion·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  sell
state-owned assets: to sell industries or other
major assets owned by the state to private buyers

2.  deprive
of national rights: to deprive a people or
nation of national rights and characteristics
—de·na·tion·al·i·za·tion
[dee nàshən’li záysh’n, dee nàshnəli záysh’n], noun[1]



denaturalize

denaturalize
de·nat·u·ral·ize 
[dee náchərə lz] (past de·nat·u·ral·ized,
past participle de·nat·u·ral·ized, present participle de·nat·u·ral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·nat·u·ral·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  revoke
citizenship of: to take away a naturalized citizen’s
citizenship, for example, for illegal entry into the country

2.  make
unnatural:
to take away the original nature of something • once
verdant jungles that were denaturalized by defoliants
—de·nat·u·ral·i·za·tion
[dee nàchərəli záysh’n], noun[1]



denature

denature
de·na·ture 
[dee náychər] (past de·na·tured,
past participle de·na·tured, present participle de·na·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular de·na·tures) transitive verb

1.  make
unpalatable: to make food or drink, especially
alcohol, unsuitable for human consumption, by adding poison, dye, or unpleasant
flavors

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY modify
molecular structure: to change the molecular
structure of a protein or nucleic acid by chemical or physical means, so that
some of its original biological properties are reduced or lost

3.  PHYSICS remove
weapon potential of nuclear material: to
make nuclear material unsuitable for use in a weapon by adding an isotope that
cannot be split
—de·na·tur·ant,
noun

—de·na·tur·a·tion [dee nàychə ráysh’n], noun[1]



denazify

denazify
de·naz·i·fy
[dee ntsi f] (past de·naz·i·fied,
past participle de·naz·i·fied, present participle de·naz·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·naz·i·fies) transitive verb

get
rid of Nazi vestiges: to remove connection with or
hint of Nazism from something, or to remove Nazis from official positions
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from de- + Nazi + -fy .]
—de·naz·i·fi·ca·tion [dee ntsifi káysh’n], noun[1]



Dench,Dame Judi

Dench,Dame Judi
Dench
[dench], Dame Judi (1934– )

British
actor. She has played leading roles with Britain’s major stage companies and in
award-winning films such as Mrs. Brown ( 1997 ). She won an Academy
Award for her performance in Shakespeare in Love ( 1999 ).
Full name
Dench, Dame Judith Olivia[1]



dendr-

dendr-
dendr-
prefix

See
dendro-[1]



dendri-

dendri-
dendri-
prefix

See
dendro-[1]



dendriform

dendriform
den·dri·form 
[déndri fàwrm] adjective

tree-shaped:
shaped like a tree[1]



dendrite

dendrite
den·drite 
[dén drt] (plural den·drites)
noun

1.  ANATOMY branched
extension of nerve cell: a branched extension of a
nerve cell ( neuron ) that receives
electrical signals from other neurons and conducts those signals to the cell
body

2.  MINERALS tree-shaped
mineral:
a mineral that crystallizes in the shape of a tree or branch
[Early
18th century. Directly or via French from Greek dendritēs “of a tree,”
from dendron “tree.”]
—den·drit·ic
[den dríttik], adjective

—den·drit·i·cal
[den dríttik’l], adjective

—den·drit·i·cal·ly [den dríttikəlee], adverb[1]



dendro-

dendro-
dendro-
prefix

tree,
treelike • dendrology
• dendrite
[From Greek dendron .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be solid,” which is also the
ancestor of English tree, deodar, and druid .][1]



dendrochronology

dendrochronology
den·dro·chro·nol·o·gy 
[dèndrōkrə nólləjee] noun

tree-ring
dating:
the study of the annual growth rings in trees or wooden objects, especially as
a way of dating wooden remains or determining past climatic conditions
—den·dro·chron·o·log·i·cal
[dèndrō kronnə lójjik’l], adjective

—den·dro·chro·nol·o·gist
[dèndrōkrə nóllójist], noun[1]



dendrogram

dendrogram
den·dro·gram 
[déndrə gràm] (plural den·dro·grams)
noun

branched diagram:
a diagram showing the relationships of items arranged like the branches of a
tree[1]



dendroid

dendroid
den·droid 
[dén dròyd] or den·droid·al [den dróyd’l] adjective

1.  with
stem resembling tree trunk: used to describe plants with
an erect main stem like a tree trunk

2.  multibranched:
used to describe plants with many branches, like a tree

3.  resembling
a tree:
generally resembling a tree in shape or form

[1]



dendrology

dendrology
den·drol·o·gy 
[den drólləjee] noun

study
of trees:
the study of trees and other woody plants
—den·dro·log·ic
[dèndrə lójjik], adjective

—den·dro·log·i·cal
[dèndrə lójjik’l], adjective

—den·drol·o·gist
[den drólləjist], noun

—den·drol·o·gous, adjective[1]



dendron

dendron
den·dron 
[dén dròn] (plural den·drons) noun

(dated)
See dendrite  noun 1
[Late 19th century. Coined
from dendrite + -on
.][1]



Dene

Dene
Dene
[day náy] plural noun

people
of Canadian Northwest Territories: the First Nations
people of the Northwest Territories in Canada
[Late 19th century. Via
Canadian French from Athabaskan .][1]



denegation

denegation
den·e·ga·tion 
[dènni gáysh’n] (plural den·e·ga·tions)
noun

refusal
or denial:
a refusal to accede to or grant something that is asked for (archaic)
[15th century. Via French dénégation
from the late Latin stem denegation-, from negare (see negate ).][1]



denervate

denervate
de·ner·vate 
[dee núr vàyt] (past de·ner·vat·ed,
past participle de·ner·vat·ed, present participle de·ner·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ner·vates) transitive verb

remove nerves from something:
to deprive an organ or body part of nerves, either by cutting them or by
blocking them with drugs, for example, to control pain[1]



denervation

denervation
de·ner·va·tion
[dnər váysh’n] noun

interruption in nerve supply:
interruption in nerve supply to muscles or skin, with loss of motion and
sensation, caused by surgical or drug treatment, for example, to control pain[1]



Deneuve,Catherine

Deneuve,Catherine
De·neuve
[də nv, də nv],
Catherine (1943– )

French
movie actor. Her movies include Repulsion ( 1965 ) and Belle de Jour
( 1967 ).
Born
Dorléac, Catherine[1]



dengue

dengue
den·gue 
[déng gee, déng
gày] or den·gue fe·ver [déng
gee, déng gày] noun

tropical
fever:
a tropical disease caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes and
marked by high fever, rash, headache, and severe muscle and joint pains.
Also
called
breakbone fever
Also
called
dandy fever
[Early 19th century. From
West Indian Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps from, ultimately, Kiswahili
.][1]



DengXiaoping

DengXiaoping

Deng Xiao·ping 
[dèng show píng, dùng
show píng] (1904–1997)
Chinese Communist leader. Despite a
turbulent relationship with the Communist Party, he became its leader in 1978.
He introduced reforms that led to greater economic freedom in China.[1]



deniable

deniable
de·ni·a·ble 
[di n əb’l] adjective

able
to be denied: referring to something that can be
disclaimed or declared untrue
—de·ni·a·bil·i·ty
[di n ə bíllətee], noun

—de·ni·a·bly [di n əblee], adverb[1]



denial

denial
de·ni·al 
[di n əl] (plural de·ni·als) noun

1.  disavowal:
a statement saying that something is not true or not correct

2.  refusal
to grant something: a refusal to allow people to
have something that they want or that they believe they have a right to

3.  refusal
to acknowledge existence of something: an
inability or a refusal to admit that something exists

4.  PSYCHOLOGY refusal
to face unpleasant facts: a state of mind marked by a
refusal or an inability to recognize and deal with a serious personal problem • She’s
in denial.

5.  LAW opposition
to an allegation: in a court of law, saying that you did
not do something that you are accused of

[1]



denier

denier2
de·ni·er2 [di
nr] (plural de·ni·ers) noun

somebody who disbelieves:
somebody who asserts that something did not happen or does not exist[1]



denier

denier1
de·ni·er1 [dénnyər]
(plural de·ni·ers) noun

1.  TEXTILES measure
of fiber fineness: a unit of fineness of silk
and some artificial fibers, such as nylon, equal to one gram per 9,000 meters
of yarn. It is now largely superseded by other units.

2.  old
silver coin: a small silver coin used in several
European countries between the 8th and 18th centuries
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin denarius (see denarius ).][1]



denigrate

denigrate
den·i·grate 
[dénni gràyt] (past den·i·grat·ed,
past participle den·i·grat·ed, present participle den·i·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular den·i·grates) transitive verb

1.  defame:
to defame somebody’s character or reputation

2.  disparage
and belittle: to disparage or criticize somebody or
something, to lower somebody’s self-esteem or to make something seem
unimportant

3.  criticize
harshly:
to criticize something harshly, while attempting to make others think it has no
importance
[15th
century. From Latin denigrat-, the past participle of stem denigrare,
literally “to blacken completely,” from niger “black.”]
—den·i·gra·tion
[dènni gráysh’n], noun

—den·i·gra·tor
[dénni gràytər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  In
  its best-established sense denigrate means
  “ruin a reputation” or “defame.” However, it is now often found in sentences
  like • I
  don’t mean to denigrate the problem,
  where its meaning is more like "belittle". In this, it is following
  in the footsteps of deprecate, whose traditional meaning is
  "express disapproval of", but which, particularly in self-deprecating,
  has taken on the additional sense of "belittle".

[1]



denim

denim
den·im 
[dénnim] noun

jeans
fabric:
a hard-wearing woven cotton cloth that is typically used to make jeans
plural
noun
den·ims

denim
garments:
clothes made of denim, especially jeans, jackets, shirts, or skirts
[Late 17th century. From
French (serge) de Nîmes, literally “(serge) of Nîmes,” the town in
France where it was primarily manufactured.][1]



DeNiro, Robert

DeNiro, Robert
De
Ni·ro
[də nr ō], Robert (1943– )

U.S. actor. He has won
Academy Awards for The Godfather II ( 1974 ) and Raging Bull (
1980 ).[1]



Denison

Denison
Den·i·son 
[dénniss’n]

city in northeastern Texas,
near the Red River and the Texas-Oklahoma border, north of Dallas. Population:
22,136 (1996)[1]



denitrate

denitrate
den·i·trate
[dee n tràyt] (past den·i·trat·ed,
past participle den·i·trat·ed, present participle den·i·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular den·i·trates) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
or lose nitrates: to remove a nitro or nitrate group,
nitrogen compound, or nitrous acid from a chemical compound, or lose such
components
—den·i·tra·tion [d nī tráysh’n], noun[1]



denitrify

denitrify
de·ni·tri·fy 
[dee ntrə f] (past de·ni·tri·fied,
past participle de·ni·tri·fied, present participle de·ni·tri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ni·tri·fies) transitive verb

1.  remove
nitrogen from substance: to remove nitrogen or a
nitrogen compound from a substance

2.  convert
nitrates:
to convert nitrates into nitrites, ammonia, and nitrogen
—de·ni·tri·fi·ca·tion
[dee ntrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



denizen

denizen
den·i·zen 
[dénnizən] (plural den·i·zens)
noun

1.  resident
of place:
somebody who lives in a particular country or area

2.  habitual
visitor to place: a habitual visitor to a place • denizens
of cyberspace chat rooms

3.  nonnative
plant or animal: a nonnative plant or animal that grows
or lives in an area

4.  foreigner
with rights of residence: somebody who has taken up
permanent residence in a foreign country and is given some rights there
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman deinzein, from Old French deinz “inside,” from Latin
de intus, literally “from inside.”][1]



Denmark




Back to definition

Denmark

[1]



Denmark

Denmark



Den·mark 
[dén mrk]
smallest country in Scandinavia,
comprising the Jutland peninsula and about 480 islands. Language: Danish.
Currency: krone. Capital: Copenhagen. Population: 5,305,048 (1997) Area: 43,094
sq km/16,639 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Denmark[1]



denmother

denmother
den
moth·er
(plural den moth·ers) noun

1.  woman
Cub Scout leader: a woman who is in charge of a den of Cub
Scouts

2.  woman
in charge of group: a woman who has
responsibility for a group of people

[1]



Dennis

Dennis
Den·nis
[dénniss]

resort town in southeastern
Massachusetts, on the north shore of Cape Cod on Cape Cod Bay, northeast of
Yarmouth. Population: 14,423 (1996)[1]



denom.

denom.
denom.

RELIGION
Abbreviation of denomination[1]



denominal

denominal
de·nom·i·nal
[di nómmən’l] adjective

formed from noun:
used to describe parts of speech that are formed from or have the same form as
a noun, for example, the verb “to butter”[1]



denominate

denominate
de·nom·i·nate 
[di nómmə nàyt] (past de·nom·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·nom·i·nat·ed, present participle de·nom·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·nom·i·nates) transitive verb

1.  express
in monetary units: to define something in terms
of a specific unit of currency

2.  give
name to:
to give something a particular name or description (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin denominat-, the past participle stem of denominare,
literally “to name completely,” from nominare “to name.”]
—de·nom·i·na·ble [di nómmənəb’l], adjective[1]



denomination

denomination
de·nom·i·na·tion 
[di nòmmə náysh’n] (plural de·nom·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  RELIGION religious
grouping:
a religious grouping within a faith, for example, a section of the Christian
church that has specific beliefs and practices that differ from those of other
groupings and its own system of organization

2.  unit
of monetary value: a unit in the scale of value
(especially monetary value), weight, measure, or size

3.  name
or designation: a name or designation given to a class,
group, or type

[1]



denominational

denominational
de·nom·i·na·tion·al
[di nòmmə náyshən’l, di nòmmə náyshnəl] adjective

of
religious grouping: relating to a religious
grouping within a faith
—de·nom·i·na·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



denominative

denominative
de·nom·i·na·tive 
[di nómmə nàytiv, di
nómmənətiv] adjective

denominal:
denominal (dated)
—de·nom·i·na·tive,
noun

—de·nom·i·na·tive·ly, adverb[1]



denominator

denominator
de·nom·i·na·tor 
[di nómmə nàytər] (plural de·nom·i·na·tors)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS number
below line in fraction: the number below the line in
a fraction, which indicates the number of parts making up the whole.
Also
called
divisor

2.  common
characteristic: something held in common

3.  average
level:
an average standard, degree, or level of quality or taste

[1]



Denonville,Jacques-René de Brisay

Denonville,Jacques-René de Brisay
Den·on·ville
[də nawN vl], Jacques-René de Brisay,
Marquis de (1642–1710)

French-born Canadian colonial
administrator. He was Governor-General of New France from 1685 to 1689, leading
expeditions against the Iroquois in 1687 and 1689.[1]



denotation

denotation
de·no·ta·tion 
[dnō táysh’n] (plural de·no·ta·tions)
noun

1.  LINGUISTICS basic
meaning:
the most specific or literal meaning of a word, as opposed to its figurative
senses or connotations

2.  LOGIC reference
of term:
the reference of a term in logic

[1]



denotative

denotative
de·no·ta·tive 
[d nō tàytiv, di
nṓtətiv] adjective

indicative:
designating or showing something
—de·no·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



denote

denote
de·note 
[di nṓt] (past de·not·ed, past
participle de·not·ed, present participle de·not·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·notes) transitive verb

1.  mean:
to have something as a specified meaning • The
name actually denotes “lightning bolt” in Italian.

2.  refer
to:
to designate or refer to somebody or something specified • The
term “caregiver” will be used to denote those providing unpaid family care.

3.  signify:
to be a sign or representation of something • The
specks of light denote planets.
[Late
16th century. Via French dénoter from Latin denotare “to mark
completely,” from notare “to mark” (see notation
).]
—de·no·tive, adjective[1]



denouement

denouement
de·noue·ment 
[dàynoo mN] (plural de·noue·ments)
noun

final
revelation:
a final part in which everything is made clear and no questions or surprises
remain (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from dénouer “to untie,” from nouer “to tie,” from,
ultimately, Latin nodus “knot” (see node
).][1]



denounce

denounce
de·nounce 
[di nówns] (past de·nounced, past
participle de·nounced, present participle de·nounc·ing,
3rd person present singular de·nounc·es) transitive verb

1.  criticize
publicly and harshly: to express harsh criticism
or condemnation of something or somebody, usually in public

2.  accuse
publicly:
to accuse somebody publicly of something such as disloyalty, or inform against
somebody

3.  announce
termination of: to make a formal announcement of the end
of a treaty or other agreement (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French denoncier from Latin denuntiare, from nuntiare
“to proclaim, announce,” from nuntius “messenger,” of uncertain origin.]
—de·nounce·ment,
noun

—de·nounc·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disapprove

[1]



denovo

denovo
de
nov·o
[də nṓ vō, day nṓ
vō] adverb

LAW again:
anew, afresh, or over again from the beginning • Having
found the lower court’s analysis wrong, the appellate court undertook a review
de novo.
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “from new.”][1]



Denpasar

Denpasar
Den·pa·sar
[den p sr]

city in Indonesia and capital
of the island province of Bali, located near Bali’s southernmost point.
Population: 367,000 (1993)[1]



dense

dense
dense 
[dens] (comparative dens·er, superlative
dens·est) adjective

1.  tightly
packed:
so close together that there is not much sense of room or open space

2.  very
thick:
so thick that it is difficult or impossible to see through

3.  slow
to learn or understand: lacking the ability to learn
and understand quickly (disapproving)

4.  hard
to penetrate intellectually: so complex and intricate
that it is difficult to assimilate and understand

5.  PHYSICS with
high mass:
with a relatively high mass per unit volume
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin densus “thick.”]
—dense·ly,
adverb

—dense·ness, noun[1]



densimeter

densimeter
den·sim·e·ter 
[den símmətər] (plural den·sim·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring density: an instrument that measures
density or specific gravity.
Also
called
densitometer
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin densus “dense” + -meter
.]
—den·si·met·ric
[dènsi méttrik], adjective

—den·sim·e·try [den símmətree], noun[1]



densitometer

densitometer
den·si·tom·e·ter 
[dènsi tómmətər] (plural den·si·tom·e·ters)
noun

1.  device
measuring optical density: an instrument for measuring
optical density, for example, that of a photographic negative

2.  See
densimeter
[Early
20th century. Coined from density + -meter .]
—den·sit·o·met·ric
[dènsitə méttrik], adjective

—den·si·tom·e·try [dènsi tómmətree], noun[1]



density

density
den·si·ty 
[dénsitee] (plural den·si·ties)
noun

1.  how
full an area is: concentration of people or things within
an area in relation to its size

2.  PHYSICS relative
mass:
a measure of a quantity such as mass or electric charge per unit volume. Symbol
ρ

3.  ELECTRICITY See charge density

4.  ELECTRICITY See current density

[1]



densityfunction

densityfunction
den·si·ty
func·tion
(plural den·si·ty func·tions) noun

STATISTICS
See probability density function  noun
2[1]



dent

dent
dent
[dent] verb (past dent·ed,
past participle dent·ed, present participle dent·ing,
3rd person present singular dents)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
depression by hitting: to make a shallow depression
in the surface of something by hitting it or putting pressure on it

2.  transitive
verb
harm
something abstract: to do nonphysical, usually
minor, damage to something • His
reputation was somewhat dented.
noun
(plural dents)

1.  bent
area in something: a shallow depression in the
surface of something that is made by hitting it or putting pressure on it.
Also
called
indent 2 noun

2.  advance:
progress in reaching a goal (informal) • a
dent in the team’s lead

3.  reduction:
a reduction in an amount of something such as resources (informal) • a
dent in the budget

4.  nonphysical
damage:
nonphysical, usually minor, damage, for example, to somebody’s reputation
[13th century. Variant of dint “stroke, blow”; hence, “indentation made by
blow.”][1]



dent-

dent-
dent-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
denti-[1]



dent.

dent.
dent.

1.  Abbreviation
of
dental

2.  Abbreviation
of
dentistry

[1]



dental

dental
den·tal 
[dént’l] adjective

1.  of
dentistry:
relating to or used in dentistry

2.  of
teeth:
relating or belonging to the teeth

3.  DENTISTRY near
tooth:
affecting or located in or near a tooth • dental
abscess

4.  PHONETICS made
by tongue and teeth: used to describe a consonant
that is formed by placing the tongue against the back of the top front teeth
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin dentalis, from the Latin stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist ).][1]



dentalcaries

dentalcaries
den·tal
car·ies
noun

tooth decay:
decay of teeth that is caused by the action of acid-forming bacteria and
improper dental care[1]



dentalfloss

dentalfloss
den·tal
floss
noun

thread for cleaning between
teeth: thread that is used to
remove food and plaque from between the teeth.
Also called
floss[1]



dentalhygiene

dentalhygiene
den·tal
hy·giene
noun

self-care of teeth:
the care people take of their teeth and gums to prevent tooth and gum diseases.

Also called
oral hygiene[1]



dentalhygienist

dentalhygienist
den·tal
hy·gien·ist
(plural den·tal hy·gien·ists) noun

somebody giving tooth care:
somebody licensed to provide certain kinds of dental care under the supervision
of a dentist, for example, cleaning and scaling teeth and taking X-rays.
Also called
hygienist[1]



dentalsurgeon

dentalsurgeon
den·tal
sur·geon
(plural den·tal sur·geons) noun

dentist practicing oral
surgery: a dentist who is trained and
licensed to practice oral surgery such as tooth extractions, and who is usually
licensed to use general anesthesia[1]



dentaltechnician

dentaltechnician
den·tal
tech·ni·cian (plural den·tal tech·ni·cians)
noun

maker of dental appliances:
somebody trained to make dental appliances such as caps, dentures, and bridges[1]



dentate

dentate

den·tate 
[dén tàyt] adjective
with
serrated edge: edged with pointed or tooth-shaped
projections
[15th
century. From Latin dentatus, from the stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist ).]
—den·tate·ly, adverb[1]



dentation

dentation
den·ta·tion 
[den táysh’n] (plural den·ta·tions)
noun

tooth-shaped projection:
a pointed or tooth-shaped projection on something such as a leaf[1]



dentcorn

dentcorn
dent
corn
noun

corn with indented kernels:
a type of corn with kernels that contain soft starch at the tip and are
indented in this area when mature. Dent corn is the most widely grown type in
the U.S. Latin name: Zea mays
See also
flint corn[1]



dentex

dentex
den·tex
[dén tèks] (plural den·tex·es or
den·tex) noun

large
red S African fish: a red game fish, about 1.2
m/4 ft long, that is found in seas off the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Latin name: Dentex rupestris
Also
called
red steenbras
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin, name of a type of fish.][1]



denti-

denti-
denti-
prefix

tooth,
dental • dentiform
[From Latin dent-, the
stem of dens . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English tooth, tusk, indent,
and dandelion .][1]



denticle

denticle
den·ti·cle 
[déntik’l] (plural den·ti·cles)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY small
tooth-shaped part: a small tooth or
tooth-shaped projection

2.  ZOOLOGY small
fish scale:
a small tooth-shaped scale with a projecting spine, typical of cartilaginous
fish.
Also
called
placoid scale
[15th
century. From Latin denticulus, literally “small tooth,” from the stem dent-
“tooth” (see dentist ).]
—den·tic·u·lar [den tíkyələr], adjective[1]



denticulate

denticulate
den·tic·u·late 
[den tíkyə làyt] adjective

1.  with
fine tooth-shaped projections: with fine teeth or
pointed projections

2.  ARCHITECTURE decorated
with tooth-shaped blocks: decorated with small
rectangular blocks ( dentils ) that look
like a row of teeth
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin denticulatus, from denticulus (see denticle ).]
—den·tic·u·late·ly, adverb[1]



dentiform

dentiform
den·ti·form 
[déntə fàwrm] adjective

tooth-shaped:
shaped like a tooth[1]



dentifrice

dentifrice
den·ti·frice 
[déntə frìss] noun

tooth-cleaning
compound:
a paste or similar compound for cleaning teeth
[15th century. Via French
from Latin dentifricium, from the stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist ) + fricare “to rub.”][1]



dentil

dentil
den·til 
[dént’l, dén tìl]
(plural den·tils) noun

ARCHITECTURE tooth-shaped
block:
a rectangular block that is arranged with others to look like a row of teeth,
used as a form of architectural decoration
[Late 16th century. Via
either Italian dentello or obsolete French dentille, literally
“small tooth,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist ).][1]



dentilingual

dentilingual
den·ti·lin·gual 
[dènti líng gwəl] adjective

said with tongue touching top
teeth: pronounced or articulated
with the tongue touching the teeth on the top jaw[1]



dentine

dentine
den·tine
[dén tn] or den·tin [déntin] noun

calcium-containing
part of tooth: the part of a tooth that is hard,
contains calcium, lies underneath the enamel, and surrounds the pulp and root
canals
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from the Latin stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist ) + -ine
.]
—den·tin·al [den tn’l, déntən’l],
adjective[1]



dentist

dentist
den·tist 
[déntist] (plural den·tists) noun

practitioner
of dentistry: somebody trained and licensed to
practice general dentistry or a specialty such as orthodontics or dental
surgery
[Mid-18th century. From
French dentiste, from dent “tooth,” from the Latin stem dent-
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English tooth .][1]



dentistry

dentistry
den·tist·ry 
[déntistree] noun

profession of tooth care:
the medical science concerned with the prevention and treatment of tooth and
gum disorders and diseases, requiring graduation from dental school and
appropriate licensing[1]



dentition

dentition
den·ti·tion 
[den tísh’n] noun

1.  array
of teeth:
the type, number, and arrangement of a set of teeth

2.  developing
of teeth:
the process of developing and cutting new teeth
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin stem dent- “tooth” (see dentist
).][1]



denture

denture
den·ture 
[dénchər] (plural den·tures) noun

set
of false teeth: a partial or complete set of artificial
teeth for the upper or lower jaw, usually attached to a plate
[Late 19th century. From
French, from dent “tooth” (see dentist
).][1]



denturist

denturist
den·tur·ist 
(plural den·tur·ists) noun

dental technician who makes
dentures: a dental technician who
makes and fits dentures that are sold directly to the public rather than
through a dentist[1]



denuclearize

denuclearize
de·nu·cle·ar·ize 
[dee nklee ə rz] (past de·nu·cle·ar·ized,
past participle de·nu·cle·ar·ized, present participle de·nu·cle·ar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·nu·cle·ar·iz·es) transitive
verb

dispose
of nuclear weaponry or power: to remove, ban, or eliminate
nuclear weapons or nuclear power sources from a place, industry, or
organization
—de·nu·cle·ar·i·za·tion
[dee nklee əri záysh’n], noun[1]



denude

denude
de·nude 
[di nd] (past de·nud·ed, past
participle de·nud·ed, present participle de·nud·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·nudes) transitive verb

1.  strip
bare:
to strip somebody or something bare

2.  strip
away ground cover: to strip away the vegetation
that covers an area

3.  strip
by erosion:
to remove soil from an area or expose underlying layers of rock by weathering
and erosion
[15th
century. From Latin denudare, literally “to strip away,” from nudare
“to strip,” from nudus “nude” (see nude
).]
—de·nu·da·tion
[dee n dáysh’n, dènnyə
dáysh’n], noun

—de·nud·er [di ndər], noun[1]



denumerable

denumerable
de·nu·mer·a·ble 
[di nmərəb’l] adjective

countable:
able to form a one-to-one correspondence with the positive integers
[Early
20th century. Formed from late Latin denumerare “to count out,” from
Latin numerare “to number” (see numeration
).]
—de·nu·mer·a·bil·i·ty
[di nmərə bíllətee], noun

—de·nu·mer·a·bly [di nmərəblee], adverb[1]



denunciate

denunciate
de·nun·ci·ate 
[di núnsee àyt] (past de·nun·ci·at·ed,
past participle de·nun·ci·at·ed, present participle de·nun·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·nun·ci·ates) transitive verb

publicly
condemn:
to accuse or condemn somebody or something publicly (formal)
[Late 16th century. From the
medieval Latin stem denunciat-, from, ultimately, Latin denuntiare
“to denounce” (see denounce ).][1]



denunciation

denunciation
de·nun·ci·a·tion 
[di nùnsee áysh’n] (plural de·nun·ci·a·tions)
noun

public condemnation:
a public accusation or condemnation of something or somebody[1]



Denver

Denver
Den·ver
[dénvər]

capital city and commercial
center of the state of Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains. Population: 467,610
(1990)[1]



Denverboot

Denverboot

Den·ver
boot
(plural Den·ver boots) noun
vehicle-immobilizing
device:
a locking device fastened to one of the wheels of a vehicle parked illegally or
on private property so that it cannot be moved until a fine or other charge has
been paid.
U.K.
term
wheel clamp
[Named for Denver, one of the first cities to adopt the boot][1]



Denver,John

Denver,John
Den·ver 
[dénvər], John (1943–1997)

U.S. country and pop singer.
He is known for the songs Rocky Mountain High ( 1973 ) and Annie’s
Song ( 1974 ).[1]



deny

deny
de·ny 
[di n] (past de·nied, past
participle de·nied, present participle de·ny·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·nies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
say
something is not true: to declare that something is
not true or not the case

2.  transitive
verb
refuse:
to refuse something to somebody

3.  transitive
verb
refuse
to acknowledge: to refuse to acknowledge somebody

4.  reflexive
verb
not
allow yourself: to refuse to gratify your needs or
desires
[13th century. Via Old French
deneier from Latin denegare, literally “to negate completely,”
from negare “to deny.”][1]



deodar

deodar
de·o·dar 
[d ə dr] (plural de·o·dars or
de·o·dar) noun

1.  Himalayan
cedar tree:
a Himalayan cedar with dark blue-green leaves and drooping branches, that is
highly valued as a timber tree in India. Latin name: Cedrus deodara

2.  deodar
wood:
the hard sweet-smelling wood of the deodar
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi deodār from Sanskrit devadāru, literally “divine wood”
(perhaps because of its durability).][1]



deodorant

deodorant
de·o·dor·ant 
[dee ṓdərənt] (plural de·o·dor·ants)
noun

1.  body
odor mask:
a spray, cream, or liquid that people apply under their arms to mask body odor

2.  substance
to disguise smells: a substance that is used to
disguise unpleasant smells

[1]



deodorize

deodorize
de·o·dor·ize 
[dee ṓdə rz] (past de·o·dor·ized,
past participle de·o·dor·ized, present participle de·o·dor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·o·dor·iz·es) transitive verb

disguise
smells:
to disguise or eliminate unpleasant smells
—de·o·dor·i·za·tion
[dee dəri záysh’n], noun

—de·o·dor·iz·er [dee ṓdə rzər], noun[1]



Deogratias

Deogratias
De·o
gra·tias
[dày ō grtee əss] interjection

thanks
be to God:
thanks be to God, used in various Christian choral and liturgical contexts
[From Latin, literally
“thanks to God”][1]



deontic

deontic
de·on·tic 
[dee óntik] adjective

relating
to moral obligation: relating to the concept of
moral obligation
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek deont-, the present participle stem of dein “to be
wanting, be needful.”][1]



deontological

deontological
de·on·to·log·i·cal
[dee òntə lójjik’l] adjective

relating
to moral theories: relating to philosophical
theories that state that the moral content of an action is not wholly dependent
on its consequences
—de·on·to·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



deontology

deontology
de·on·tol·o·gy 
[d on tólləjee] noun

logic
of moral obligation: the study of what is
obligatory, permissible, right, or wrong, in moral terms
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek deont-, the present participle stem of dein
“to be wanting, be needful” + -logy .]
—de·on·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



deorbit

deorbit
de·or·bit 
[dee áwrbit] (past de·or·bit·ed,
past participle de·or·bit·ed, present participle de·or·bit·ing,
3rd person present singular de·or·bits) intransitive and
transitive verb

go out of orbit:
to put something out of orbit or go out of orbit[1]



Deovolente

Deovolente
De·o
vo·len·te 
[dày ō və léntee, dày
ō vō lén tày] interjection

God
willing:
God willing
[From Latin, “God willing”][1]



deoxidize

deoxidize
de·ox·i·dize 
[dee óksi dz] (past de·ox·i·dized,
past participle de·ox·i·dized, present participle de·ox·i·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ox·i·diz·es) transitive verb

1.  remove
oxygen from molecule: to remove the oxygen from a
compound or molecule

2.  See
reduce
—de·ox·i·di·za·tion
[dee òksidi záysh’n], noun

—de·ox·i·diz·er [dee óksi dzər], noun[1]



deoxy-

deoxy-
deoxy-
prefix

containing
less oxygen than a related compound • deoxyribose
[From de- + oxy-][1]



deoxygenate

deoxygenate
de·ox·y·gen·ate 
[dee óksijə nàyt] (past de·ox·y·gen·at·ed,
past participle de·ox·y·gen·at·ed, present participle de·ox·y·gen·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ox·y·gen·ates) transitive verb

remove
dissolved oxygen: to remove dissolved oxygen from a
substance
—de·ox·y·gen·a·tion [dee òksəjə náysh’n], noun[1]



deoxygenize

deoxygenize
de·ox·y·gen·ize
[dee óksijə nz] (past de·ox·y·gen·ized,
past participle de·ox·y·gen·ized, present participle de·ox·y·gen·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ox·y·gen·iz·es) transitive verb

See
deoxygenate[1]



deoxyribonuclease

deoxyribonuclease
de·ox·y·ri·bo·nu·cle·ase 
[dee òksi rībō nklee àyss, dee òksi rībō nklee àyz] noun

Full
form of
DNAase
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from deoxyribonucleic acid .][1]



deoxyribonucleicacid

deoxyribonucleicacid
de·ox·y·ri·bo·nu·cle·ic
ac·id 
[dee oksi rībō noo kl ik ássid] noun

Full
form of
DNA
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from deoxyribose + nucleic .][1]



deoxyribonucleotide

deoxyribonucleotide
de·ox·y·ri·bo·nu·cle·o·tide 
[dee òksi rībō nklee ə td] noun

DNA
nucleotide:
a nucleotide composed of deoxyribose, a phosphate group and a base, that is a
component of DNA
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from deoxyribose + nucleotide
.][1]



deoxyribose

deoxyribose
de·ox·y·ri·bose 
[dee òksi r bss] noun

DNA
sugar:
a five-carbon simple sugar that is a structural component of DNA
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from deoxy- “having fewer oxygen atoms” (from de-
+ oxy- ) + ribose
.][1]



DEP

DEP
DEP

Abbreviation of
Department of Environmental Protection[1]



dep.

dep.
dep.

1.  Abbreviation
of
department

2.  Abbreviation
of
departs

3.  Abbreviation
of
departure

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of deponent

5.  Abbreviation
of
deposed

6.  Abbreviation
of
deposit

7.  Abbreviation
of
depot

8.  dep.
or Dep. Abbreviation of deputy

[1]



Depardieu,Gérard

Depardieu,Gérard
De·par·dieu
[də paar dj], Gérard (1948– )

French actor. His films
include The Last Metro ( 1980 ), Cyrano de Bergerac ( 1990 ), and
Green Card ( 1990 ).[1]



depart

depart
de·part 
[di prt] (past de·part·ed, past
participle de·part·ed, present participle de·part·ing,
3rd person present singular de·parts) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
set
off:
to leave, especially at the beginning of a journey

2.  transitive
verb
leave
place:
to leave from a place

3.  intransitive
verb
change:
to change or vary from a pattern

4.  transitive
verb
die:
to end your life (formal) • depart
this life
[13th century. From French départir
“to end your life,” from, ultimately, Latin partire “to divide into
parts” (the original sense of English depart
), from pars “part.”][1]



departed

departed
de·part·ed 
[di prtəd] adjective

dead:
having died (formal or literary)
noun
(plural de·part·ed)

dead
person:
somebody who has died, especially recently (formal or literary)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



department

department
de·part·ment 
[di prtmənt] (plural de·part·ments)
noun

1.  section
of organization: a specialized section of a large
organization such as a university or store

2.  POLITICS part
of government: a major division of government that is
responsible for dealing with a particular area of policy or administration

3.  specialty:
somebody’s specialty or particular area of responsibility (informal)

4.  category:
a specified quantifiable or qualifiable category (informal)

5.  POLITICS French
district:
an administrative district in France

[1]



departmental

departmental
de·part·men·tal 
[di prt mént’l] adjective

relating
to department: relating to or for a department in a
government or an organization
—de·part·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



departmentalism

departmentalism
de·part·men·tal·ism
[di prt mént’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  policy
of making departments: the division of
organizations into departments, particularly as a deliberate policy that is
taken to excess

2.  tendency
to consider only own department: the tendency of
government departments to follow their own interests

[1]



departmentalize

departmentalize
de·part·men·tal·ize 
[di prt mént’l z] (past de·part·men·tal·ized,
past participle de·part·men·tal·ized, present participle de·part·men·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·part·men·tal·iz·es) transitive
verb

divide
into departments: to divide an organization into
departments, especially as a policy or to an excessive extent
—de·part·men·tal·i·za·tion
[di prt ment’li záysh’n], noun[1]



departmentstore

departmentstore
de·part·ment
store
(plural de·part·ment stores) noun

big store:
a large store that sells a wide range of goods in separate departments[1]



departure

departure
de·par·ture 
[di prchər] (plural de·par·tures)
noun

1.  setting
off:
the action of setting off on a journey

2.  change
from usual:
a change from the usual or expected way

3.  course:
a course of action or the beginning of one

4.  SAILING east
or west travel: the distance traveled due east or west
by a ship

[1]



departurelounge

departurelounge
de·par·ture
lounge
noun

waiting area:
an area where departing passengers can wait until their aircraft or other
transport is ready[1]



depasture

depasture
de·pas·ture 
[di páschər] (past de·pas·tured,
past participle de·pas·tured, present participle de·pas·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pas·tures) transitive verb

put animals to pasture:
to allow animals to graze on a particular area[1]



depauperate

depauperate
de·pau·pe·rate 
[di páwpə ràyt] adjective

1.  not
fully grown: less than fully grown or developed

2.  lacking
species variety: lacking or depleted in the variety of
plant or animal species
[Mid-19th
century. From medieval Latin depauperatus, the past participle of depauperare
“to impoverish,” from Latin pauper (see pauper
).]
—de·pau·pe·ra·tion [di pàwpə ráysh’n], noun[1]



depend

depend
de·pend 
[di pénd] (past de·pend·ed, past
participle de·pend·ed, present participle de·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pends) intransitive verb

1.  be
contingent:
to be affected or decided by other factors

2.  vary:
to vary according to the circumstances

3.  hang
down:
to hang down or be suspended from something (archaic)
[15th century. Via French dépendre
from Latin dependere, literally “to hang down,” from pendere “to
hang.”][1]



dependable

dependable
de·pend·a·ble 
[di péndəb’l] adjective

reliable:
able to be trusted to act in the way required or expected
—de·pend·a·bil·i·ty [di pèndə bíllətee], noun[1]



dependably

dependably
de·pend·a·bly
[di péndəblee] adverb

1.  as
expected:
used to indicate that the way somebody or something is behaving as expected

2.  reliably:
in a way that inspires confidence that whatever is required or promised will be
done

[1]



dependance

dependance
de·pend·ance 
noun

See
dependence[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dependancy

dependancy
de·pend·an·cy 
noun

See
dependency[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dependant

dependant
de·pend·ant 
(plural de·pen·dants) noun

U.K.
See dependent[1]



dependence

dependence
de·pend·ence 
[di péndəns] or de·pend·ance [di péndəns] noun
Also
called
dependency

1.  need
for something: a need for something or somebody to be
available in order to exist or survive • financial
dependence
• dependence
on public transport

2.  physical
or psychological need: a physical or psychological
need to use a drug or other substance regularly, despite the fact that it is
likely to have a damaging effect

[1]



dependency

dependency
de·pend·en·cy 
[di péndənsee] (plural de·pend·en·cies)
or de·pend·an·cy [di péndənsee]
(plural de·pend·an·cies) noun

1.  POLITICS territory:
a country or state that belongs to another non-adjacent country

2.  ARCHITECTURE lesser
building:
a building near to and associated with a larger main building

3.  See
dependence

[1]



dependencytheory

dependencytheory
de·pend·en·cy
the·o·ry
noun

POLITICS
theory of power in international
relations: a theory of international
relations that major states influence other states though their economic power[1]



dependent

dependent
de·pend·ent 
[di péndənt] noun (plural de·pend·ents)

family member:
a family member or other person who is supported financially by another,
especially one living in the same house.
U.K.
term
dependant
adjective

1.  PSYCHOLOGY needing
something:
needing to use something, especially a drug (usually used in combination)

2.  not
self-reliant: not able to live without support from
other people, especially financial support from a parent or child

3.  contingent:
affected or decided by stated factors or circumstances (often used in
combination) • age-dependent

4.  suspended:
hanging down (archaic or literary)
—de·pend·ent·ly, adverb[1]



dependentclause

dependentclause
de·pend·ent
clause 
(plural de·pend·ent claus·es) noun

See
subordinate clause[1]



dependentvariable

dependentvariable
de·pend·ent
var·i·a·ble
(plural de·pend·ent vari·ables) noun

determined number:
an element in a mathematical expression that changes its value according to the
value of other elements present[1]



dependon

dependon
depend
on
or de·pend up·on transitive verb

1.  require:
to need something in order to exist or survive

2.  rely
on:
to have complete confidence in somebody or something

[1]



depersonalization

depersonalization
de·per·son·al·i·za·tion 
[di pùrsən’li záysh’n, di pùrsnəli záysh’n] noun

1.  making
impersonal:
a process or act of depersonalizing somebody or something

2.  PSYCHOLOGY alienated
state:
a psychological state in which somebody loses a sense of personal identity and
of the reality of the world

[1]



depersonalize

depersonalize
de·per·son·al·ize 
[di púrsən’l z, di
púrsnə lz] (past de·per·son·al·ized, past participle
de·per·son·al·ized, present participle de·per·son·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·per·son·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  make
impersonal:
to take away or omit personal qualities from somebody or something

2.  PSYCHOLOGY alienate
somebody:
to make somebody lose a sense of personal identity and of the reality of the
world

[1]



depict

depict
de·pict 
[di píkt] (past de·pict·ed, past
participle de·pict·ed, present participle de·pict·ing,
3rd person present singular de·picts) transitive verb

1.  portray:
to describe or portray something in words

2.  ARTS show
in a picture: to show something in a picture,
painting, or sculpture
[15th
century. From Latin depict-, the past participle stem of depingere
“to portray,” from pingere “to paint.”]
—de·pict·er,
noun

—de·pic·tive, adjective[1]



depiction

depiction
de·pic·tion
[di píkshən] (plural de·pic·tions)
noun

portrayal:
a picture, description, or other representation of something[1]



depicture

depicture
de·pic·ture 
[di píkchər] (past de·pic·tured,
past participle de·pic·tured, present participle de·pic·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pic·tures) transitive verb

to
depict (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from de- + picture
.][1]



depigmentation

depigmentation
de·pig·men·ta·tion 
[dee pìgmən táysh’n] noun

loss of coloration:
partial or total absence of the body coloring pigment melanin, especially in
the skin, hair, and eyes[1]



depilate

depilate
dep·i·late 
[déppi làyt] (past dep·i·lat·ed,
past participle dep·i·lat·ed, present participle dep·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular dep·i·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
hair:
to remove hair from the body, usually from the legs or underarms
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin depilare, from pilus “hair.”]
—dep·i·la·tor, noun[1]



depilation

depilation
dep·i·la·tion 
[dèppi láysh’n] noun

hair removal:
the removal of hair, including its roots, from the body or from hides or
leather.
Also called
epilation[1]



depilatory

depilatory
de·pil·a·to·ry 
[di píllə tàwree] adjective

hair-removing:
used for removing hair from the body
noun
(plural de·pil·a·to·ries)

hair remover:
an agent or substance that can be used to remove hair from the body[1]



deplane

deplane
de·plane 
[dee pláyn] (past de·planed, past
participle de·planed, present participle de·plan·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·planes) intransitive verb

disembark:
to disembark from an airplane[1]



deplete

deplete
de·plete 
[di plt] (past de·plet·ed, past
participle de·plet·ed, present participle de·plet·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pletes) transitive verb

1.  reduce:
to use up or reduce something, for example, supplies, resources, or energy

2.  empty:
to empty something
[Early
19th century. From Latin deplet-, the past participle stem of deplere
“to empty out,” literally “to un-fill,” from plere “to fill.”]
—de·plet·a·ble,
adjective

—de·ple·tion,
noun

—de·ple·tive, adjective[1]



depleteduranium

depleteduranium
de·plet·ed
u·ra·ni·um
noun

uranium low in U-235:
uranium containing an abnormally low amount of the U-235 isotope, usually as a
result of having been used as fuel in a nuclear reactor[1]



depletionlayer

depletionlayer
de·ple·tion
lay·er
(plural de·ple·tion lay·ers) noun

region in semiconductor:
a layer in a semiconductor that has few charge carriers transporting electric
charge between zones of different conductivity[1]



deplorable

deplorable
de·plor·a·ble 
[di pláwrəb’l] adjective

1.  extremely
unacceptable: worthy of severe condemnation

2.  wretched:
wretched because of neglect, poverty, or other misfortune
—de·plor·a·bil·i·ty
[di plàwrə bíllətee], noun

—de·plor·a·ble·ness
[di pláwrəb’lnəss], noun

—de·plor·a·bly [di pláwrəblee], adverb[1]



deplore

deplore
de·plore 
[di pláwr] (past de·plored, past
participle de·plored, present participle de·plor·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·plores) transitive verb

1.  find
extremely unacceptable: to condemn something or
disapprove of it strongly

2.  regret:
to regret or feel grief about something
[Mid-16th
century. Via French déplorer or Italian deplorare from Latin deplorare
“to lament, regret,” from plorare “to wail” (source also of English implore ).]
—de·plor·er,
noun

—de·plor·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disapprove

[1]



deploy

deploy
de·ploy 
[di plóy] (past de·ployed, past
participle de·ployed, present participle de·ploy·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·ploys) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY ready military force:
to position troops, weapons, or resources in a specific area in readiness for
action, or take up position in this way

2.  transitive
verb
use:
to put something to use
[15th
century. Via French déployer from Latin displicare, literally “to
unfold,” from plicare (see ply 2 ).]
—de·ploy·a·ble,
adjective

—de·ploy·er, noun[1]



deployment

deployment
de·ploy·ment 
[di plóymənt] noun

implementation:
the act of deploying troops, resources, or equipment[1]



deplume

deplume
de·plume 
[dee plm] (past de·plumed, past
participle de·plumed, present participle de·plum·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·plumes) transitive verb

pluck
feathers:
to remove the feathers from a bird
[15th
century. Via French déplumer from medieval Latin deplumare, from
Latin pluma (see plume ).]
—de·plu·ma·tion [d ploo máysh’n], noun[1]



depolarize

depolarize
de·po·lar·ize 
[dee pṓlə rz] (past de·po·lar·ized,
past participle de·po·lar·ized, present participle de·po·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·po·lar·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

lose
polarity:
to remove or lose polarization or polarity
—de·po·lar·i·za·tion
[dee pləri záysh’n], noun

—de·po·lar·iz·er [dee pṓlə rzər], noun[1]



depoliticize

depoliticize
de·po·lit·i·cize 
[dpə lítti sz] (past de·po·lit·i·cized,
past participle de·po·lit·i·cized, present participle de·po·lit·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·po·lit·i·ciz·es) transitive
verb

make
unpolitical: to remove the political aspect of
something
—de·po·lit·i·ci·za·tion
[dpə littissi záysh’n], noun[1]



depollution

depollution
de·pol·lu·tion
[dpə lsh’n] noun

removal
of pollution: the removal of pollution from something
—de·pol·lute, transitive
verb[1]



depolymerize

depolymerize
de·pol·y·mer·ize
[dee pólləmə rz] (past de·pol·y·mer·ized,
past participle de·pol·y·mer·ized, present participle de·pol·y·mer·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pol·y·mer·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

break
down a molecule: to break down a polymer into simpler
monomers or to undergo this process
—de·pol·y·mer·i·za·tion
[dee pòlləməri záysh’n], noun[1]



depone

depone
de·pone 
[di pṓn] (past de·poned, past
participle de·poned, present participle de·pon·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·pones) intransitive and transitive
verb

LAW testify:
to testify or declare something under oath
[15th century. From medieval
Latin deponere “to testify” from Latin, “to put down” from ponere
(see depose ).][1]



deponent

deponent
de·po·nent 
[di pṓnənt] noun (plural de·po·nents)

1.  LAW testifying
witness:
somebody who makes an affidavit or who testifies under oath

2.  GRAMMAR deponent
verb:
a deponent verb
adjective

GRAMMAR passive
and active:
inflecting like a passive verb but active in meaning

[1]



depopulate

depopulate
de·pop·u·late 
[dee póppyə làyt] (past de·pop·u·lat·ed,
past participle de·pop·u·lat·ed, present participle de·pop·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pop·u·lates) transitive verb

reduce
population:
to cause a reduction in the number of residents in an area through, for
example, disease, war, famine, or enforced relocation
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin depopulare, “to ravage completely,” later “to reduce
in population,” from populari “to lay waste,” from populus (see people ).]
—de·pop·u·la·tion
[dee pòppyə láysh’n], noun

—de·pop·u·la·tor [di póppyə làytər], noun[1]



deport

deport1
de·port1  [di
páwrt] (past de·port·ed, past participle de·port·ed,
present participle de·port·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·ports) transitive verb

1.  forcibly
repatriate:
to force a foreign national to leave a country

2.  banish:
to expel or banish somebody from their own country
[Mid-17th century. Via French
déporter from Latin deportare, literally “to carry off,” from portare
“to carry.”][1]



deport

deport2
de·port2  [di
páwrt] (past de·port·ed, past participle de·port·ed,
present participle de·port·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·ports) reflexive verb

behave:
to conduct yourself in a particular way
[15th century. From Old
French deporter “to behave, conduct oneself,” from porter, from
Latin portare “to carry.”][1]



deportable

deportable
de·port·a·ble 
[di páwrtəb’l] adjective

1.  resulting
in deportation: liable to result in deportation

2.  liable
to deportation: liable to be deported

[1]



deportation

deportation
de·por·ta·tion 
[d pawr táysh’n] (plural de·por·ta·tions)
noun

1.  expulsion
of foreigner: the forcible expulsion of a foreign
national from a country

2.  expelling
national:
the banishment or expulsion of somebody from his or her own country

[1]



deportee

deportee
de·port·ee 
[d pawr t] (plural de·port·ees)
noun

deported person:
somebody who has been or is waiting to be deported[1]



deportment

deportment
de·port·ment 
[di páwrtmənt] noun

style
of moving:
the way that you stand, sit, or move, especially whether you have a straight
back, move smoothly, and carry yourself well (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
French déportement, from Old French deporter (see deport 2 ).][1]



deposal

deposal
de·pos·al 
[di pṓz’l] (plural de·pos·als)
noun

removal from public office:
the deposing of somebody from office or power[1]



depose

depose
de·pose 
[di pṓz] (past de·posed, past
participle de·posed, present participle de·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·pos·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
remove
from office: to remove somebody from office or from a
position of power

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW give evidence:
to give evidence or testify on oath, either in a written or verbal form

3.  transitive
verb
take
evidence:
to request and record evidence from a witness
[13th
century. From French déposer, an alteration (influenced by poser
“to put”) of Latin deponere “to put down,” later “to testify,” from ponere
(see position ).]
—de·pos·a·ble,
adjective

—de·pos·er, noun[1]



deposit

deposit
de·pos·it 
[di pózzit] verb (past de·pos·it·ed,
past participle de·pos·it·ed, present participle de·pos·it·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pos·its)

1.  transitive
verb
BANKING put
money in bank: to pay money into a bank or other
financial institution

2.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE give
as security: to give a sum of money as part-payment
or security • deposited
$1000 as a down payment

3.  transitive
verb
put
something somewhere: to put or drop something
somewhere • She
deposited her coat on the couch.

4.  transitive
verb
leave
safely:
to leave something somewhere for safekeeping • deposit
valuables in the hotel safe

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOGRAPHY form layer:
to form a layer of sand, sediment, or other substance, as a gradual process in
one place • layers
of silt deposited by the river
noun
(plural de·pos·its)

1.  BANKING putting
money in bank: an act of placing money or a valuable
item in a bank or other institution • make a
monthly deposit

2.  BANKING money
in bank:
an amount of money or a valuable item that is paid into or left in a bank or
other institution • Deposits made after 2
pm are credited the following day.

3.  COMMERCE security
money:
a partial payment or security on something you wish to buy • You
need to pay a deposit.

4.  surety
money:
money that is given as security against possible damage or loss, for example,
on something rented

5.  deposited
thing:
something put or left in a place

6.  GEOGRAPHY accumulation
of natural materials: an accumulation of sand,
sediment, minerals, or other substances that has built up over a period of time
through a natural process • a land
rich in mineral deposits

7.  coating:
a coating or crust that is left on a surface by a process such as evaporation
or electrolysis
[Late 16th century. From
Latin depositum, from deposit-, the past participle stem of deponere
(see depose ).][1]



depositaccount

depositaccount
de·pos·it
ac·count
(plural de·pos·it ac·counts) noun

interest-earning account:
a bank account that earns interest[1]



depositary

depositary
de·pos·i·tar·y 
[di pózzi tèrree] (plural de·pos·i·tar·ies)
noun

1.  safekeeper:
a person or institution that is entrusted with something for safekeeping.
Also
called
depository

2.  See
depository  noun 1

[1]



deposition

deposition
dep·o·si·tion 
[dèppə zísh’n] (plural dep·o·si·tions)
noun

1.  witness’s
testimony:
testimony that is given under oath, especially a statement given by a witness
that is read out in court in the witness’s absence

2.  ousting
from office: the act of removing somebody from high
office or power

3.  something
deposited:
something that has been deposited somewhere

4.  build-up
of deposits: the accumulation of natural materials by
a gradual process
[14th
century. Via French déposition from the Latin stem deposition-,
from, ultimately, deponere (see depose
).]
—dep·o·si·tion·al, adjective[1]



depositor

depositor
de·pos·i·tor
[di pózzitər] (plural de·pos·i·tors)
noun

bank customer:
somebody who deposits or has money in a bank or similar institution[1]



depository

depository
de·pos·i·to·ry 
[di pózzi tàwree] (plural de·pos·i·to·ries)
noun

1.  storehouse:
a place where something is kept for safekeeping or storage, such as a warehouse
or store for furniture or valuables.
Also
called
depositary

2.  See
depositary  noun 1

[1]



depositslip

depositslip
de·pos·it
slip
(plural de·pos·it slips) noun

form for depositing money:
a form for listing the contents of a bank deposit[1]



depot

depot
de·pot 
[dpō, déppō]
(plural de·pots) noun

1.  warehouse:
a warehouse or other place used for storing things

2.  TRANSPORT station:
a railroad or bus station

3.  MILITARY military
storage:
a place where military supplies are stored

4.  MILITARY military
training base: a place where military recruits are
gathered together and trained
[Late 18th century. Via
French dépôt from, ultimately, Latin depositum (see deposit ). The underlying sense is “a place where
things are deposited.”][1]



deprave

deprave
de·prave 
[di práyv] (past de·praved, past
participle de·praved, present participle de·prav·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·praves) transitive verb

corrupt:
to have a morally bad influence on somebody (often passive)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin depravare “to corrupt,”
literally “to distort completely,” from pravus “crooked,” of unknown
origin.]
—de·prav·er, noun[1]



depraved

depraved
de·praved 
[di práyvd] adjective

corrupted:
showing great moral corruption or wickedness
—de·prav·ed·ly
[di práyvədlee, di
práyvdlee], adverb

—de·praved·ness [di práyvədnəss, di
práyvdnəss], noun[1]



depravity

depravity
de·prav·i·ty 
[di právvitee] (plural de·prav·i·ties)
noun

1.  corruption:
a state of moral corruption

2.  corrupt
act:
a morally corrupt or wicked act
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
(by association with deprave ), of earlier pravity,
from Latin pravitas, from pravus “crooked.”][1]



deprecate

deprecate
dep·re·cate 
[dépprə kàyt] (past dep·re·cat·ed,
past participle dep·re·cat·ed, present participle dep·re·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular dep·re·cates) transitive verb

deplore:
to express condemnation of something or somebody
[Early
17th century. From Latin deprecari, literally “to pray against,” from precari
(see pray ).]
—dep·re·ca·tion
[dèpprə káysh’n], noun

—dep·re·ca·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  deprecate
  or depreciate ?
  These
  two words are easily confused, but those who use English carefully try to
  maintain the distinction between them. To deprecate
  something is to deplore or condemn it as wrong in itself: • We
  deprecate the use of public money for nonessential purposes.
  To depreciate something is to belittle or
  disparage it, although it may not be wrong or bad in itself: • They
  were constantly depreciating our attempts to speak Italian.
  Admittedly, self-deprecate goes a long way toward blurring the
  distinction, for it means “belittle yourself,” not “condemn yourself”; in
  this sense it is well established, but it may be best regarded as an
  exception rather than a precursor. Both words have more common synonyms: condemn,
  deplore, and disapprove of for deprecate,
  and belittle, disparage, and decry for depreciate . Depreciate
  is also used intransitively, in financial contexts: • The
  value of the yen depreciated 20 percent in real terms.

[1]



deprecating

deprecating
dep·re·cat·ing 
[dépprə kàyting] adjective

1.  expressing
disapproval: showing or expressing disapproval

2.  expressing
apology:
showing or expressing apology
—dep·re·cat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



deprecatory

deprecatory
dep·re·ca·to·ry 
[dépprəkə tàwree] or dep·re·ca·tive
[dépprəkə tàwree] adjective

1.  critical:
disapproving and critical

2.  apologetic:
showing or expressing apology
—dep·re·ca·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



depreciable

depreciable
de·pre·cia·ble 
[di prshee əb’l] adjective

able to be depreciated:
capable of being or becoming depreciated[1]



depreciate

depreciate
de·pre·ci·ate 
[di prshee àyt] (past de·pre·ci·at·ed,
past participle de·pre·ci·at·ed, present participle de·pre·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pre·ci·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
value:
to lessen in value or to become less valuable

2.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING decrease
for tax purposes: to consider something as having less
value each year over a fixed period, for the calculation of income tax

3.  transitive
verb
belittle:
to speak critically or disparagingly about something or somebody
[15th
century. From late Latin depreciare, an alteration of Latin depretiare
“to lower the price of,” from pretium (see price
).]
—de·pre·ci·at·ing·ly,
adverb

—de·pre·ci·a·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at deprecate.

[1]



depreciation

depreciation
de·pre·ci·a·tion 
[di prshee áysh’n] noun

1.  drop
in value:
the decrease in value of an item over time

2.  amount
of decrease: the amount or percentage by which
something decreases in value over time, usually one year

3.  belittlement:
critical commentary or strong disparagement of somebody or something

[1]



depreciative

depreciative
de·pre·cia·tive
[di prshee àytiv] adjective

1.  reducing
in value:
reducing or tending to reduce something in value

2.  losing
value:
losing or tending to lose value

[1]



depreciatory

depreciatory
de·pre·cia·to·ry 
[di prshee ə tàwree] adjective

1.  See
depreciative

2.  critical:
belittling or critical

[1]



depredate

depredate
dep·re·date 
[dépprə dàyt] (past dep·re·dat·ed,
past participle dep·re·dat·ed, present participle dep·re·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular dep·re·dates) intransitive and
transitive verb

plunder:
to ransack or plunder a place after attacking and overrunning it (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin depraedari, literally “to plunder thoroughly,”
from praedari (see predatory ).]
—dep·re·da·tor,
noun

—de·pred·a·to·ry [di préddə tàwree, dépprədə
tàwree], adjective[1]



depredation

depredation
dep·re·da·tion 
[dèpprə dáysh’n] (plural dep·re·da·tions)
noun

plundering attack:
an attack involving plunder and pillage[1]



depress

depress
de·press 
[di préss] (past de·pressed, past
participle de·pressed, present participle de·press·ing,
3rd person present singular de·press·es) transitive verb

1.  make
sad:
to make somebody feel very sad or hopeless “There’s nothing that depresses me
more than seeing a planet being destroyed.” Douglas Adams Life, The Universe,
and Everything 1982

2.  weaken:
to weaken something or make something less active

3.  reduce:
to decrease the value of something

4.  press:
to press something, for example, a button or lever
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin depress-, the past
participle stem of deprimere “to press down,” from premere “to
press.”]
—de·press·i·ble, adjective[1]



depressant

depressant
de·pres·sant 
[di préss’nt] noun (plural de·pres·sants)

sedative:
a drug or agent that has the effect of slowing the rate of the body’s vital
functions
adjective

with slowing effect:
able to sedate or lower the rate of the body’s vital functions[1]



depressed

depressed
de·pressed 
[di prést] adjective

1.  unhappy:
unhappy or hopeless

2.  PSYCHIATRY having
depression:
having the psychiatric disorder depression

3.  ECONOMICS economically
lacking:
lacking economic resources or activities

4.  weak:
less active or strong than usual

5.  lower:
lower than the surrounding area

6.  BIOLOGY flattened:
flattened, as if from downward pressure

[1]



depressing

depressing
de·press·ing 
[di préssing] adjective

causing
sadness:
making somebody feel sad or disheartened
—de·press·ing·ly,
adverb

—de·press·ing·ness, noun[1]



depression

depression
de·pres·sion 
[di présh’n] (plural de·pres·sions)
noun

1.  unhappiness:
a state of unhappiness and hopelessness

2.  PSYCHIATRY psychiatric
disorder:
a psychiatric disorder showing symptoms such as persistent feelings of
hopelessness, dejection, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to
sleep, and, sometimes, suicidal tendencies

3.  ECONOMICS economic
slump:
a period in which an economy is greatly affected by unemployment, low output,
and poverty

4.  reduced
activity:
a lowering of activity, quality, vitality, or force

5.  hollow:
an area on the surface of something that is lower than the surface surrounding
it

6.  METEOROLOGY low
pressure area: an area of low barometric pressure that
often brings rain

[1]



Depression

Depression
De·pres·sion
noun

See
Great Depression[1]



Depressionglass

Depressionglass
De·pres·sion
glass 
noun

decorative glassware:
decorative colored glassware that was produced in large quantities in the
United States during the 1920s and 1930s[1]



depressive

depressive
de·pres·sive 
[di préssiv] adjective

1.  causing
depression:
relating to or causing depression • the
depressive atmosphere of a gray, cold marshland

2.  PSYCHIATRY having
depression:
experiencing or with a history of depression
noun
(plural de·pres·sives)

PSYCHIATRY depressed
person:
somebody who regularly experiences periods of depression
—de·pres·sive·ly,
adverb

—de·pres·sive·ness, noun[1]



depressor

depressor
de·pres·sor 
[di préssər] (plural de·pres·sors)
noun

1.  MEDICINE medical
instrument:
a medical or surgical instrument that is used to move aside or press down an
organ or part of the body

2.  ANATOMY pulling
muscle:
a muscle that acts to pull down a part of the body

3.  somebody
or something that presses down: somebody or something
that presses down

[1]



depressornerve

depressornerve
de·pres·sor
nerve
(plural de·pres·sor nerves) noun

specialized nerve:
a nerve that, when stimulated, decreases activity in an organ, lowers blood
pressure, or slows the heart[1]



depressurize

depressurize
de·pres·sur·ize 
[dee préshə rz] (past de·pres·sur·ized,
past participle de·pres·sur·ized, present participle de·pres·sur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·pres·sur·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  reduce
pressure:
to reduce the pressure of air or gas within a container, cabin, or other
enclosed space

2.  make
less tense:
to make a situation less tense
—de·pres·sur·i·za·tion
[di prèshəri záysh’n], noun[1]



deprivation

deprivation
dep·ri·va·tion 
[dèpprə váysh’n] (plural dep·ri·va·tions)
noun

1.  state
of poverty:
the state of being without or denied something, especially of lacking adequate
food or shelter

2.  taking
away:
the act of taking something away from somebody or preventing somebody from
having something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at poverty

[1]



deprive

deprive
de·prive 
[di prv] (past de·prived, past
participle de·prived, present participle de·priv·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·prives) transitive verb

1.  not
allow to have: to prevent somebody from having
something

2.  take
away:
to take something away from somebody • They
have no right to deprive you of your own property.

3.  depose:
to depose somebody from high rank or office (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin deprivare, literally “to
deprive completely,” from Latin privare (see privation
).]
—de·priv·a·ble,
adjective

—de·priv·er, noun[1]



deprived

deprived
de·prived 
[di prvd] adjective

without basic needs
satisfied: lacking adequate food and
shelter[1]



deprofundis

deprofundis
de
pro·fun·dis 
[dày prə fndiss] adverb

from
despair:
out of the depths of misery or despair (literary)
[13th century. From Latin,
literally “out of the depths,” the first words of Psalm 130 in the Bible.][1]



deprogram

deprogram
de·pro·gram 
[dee prṓ gràm] (past de·pro·grammed
or de·pro·gramed, past participle de·pro·grammed or
de·pro·gramed, present participle de·pro·gram·ming or
de·pro·gram·ing, 3rd person present singular de·pro·grams)
transitive verb

remove
indoctrination: to undo the effects of indoctrination on
an individual, especially somebody under the influence of a religious group
—de·pro·gram·mer [dee prṓ gràmmər], noun[1]



deprogramme

deprogramme
de·pro·gramme
transitive verb

U.K. =
deprogram[1]



dept.

dept.
dept.

1.  Abbreviation
of
department

2.  Abbreviation
of
deputy

[1]



depth

depth
depth 
[depth] noun (plural depths)

1.  how
deep something is: the distance or measurement
from the top of something to its bottom, from front to back, or from the
outside in

2.  being
deep:
the quality of being deep

3.  intensity:
the intensity or strength of a feeling or emotion

4.  complexity:
complexity or profundity of character • a
woman of great depth • hidden
depths of knowledge

5.  breadth:
wideness in scope

6.  color
quality:
the intensity or richness of a color

7.  lowness:
the low tone or pitch of a sound
plural
noun

1.  depths
lowest
point:
the lowest or worst point or moment • the
depths of despair

2.  depths
deep
part:
a deep or remote part of something • the
ocean depths

3.  depths
middle
part:
the middle part of something long, monotonous, and possibly unpleasant • in
the depths of tedious research

4.  debasement:
a state of great moral debasement • having
fallen to such depths
[14th
century. Formed from deep .]
out
of your depth

1.  unable
to understand or do something because it is outside the range of your knowledge
or skills

2.  unable
to stand because the water is too deep

[1]



depthcharge

depthcharge
depth
charge
(plural depth charg·es) noun

underwater bomb:
a bomb that is designed to explode at a particular depth under water, often
used against submarines[1]



depthgauge

depthgauge
depth
gauge
(plural depth gaug·es) or depth find·er (plural
depth find·ers) noun

depth measurer:
an instrument that measures the depth of water or other liquid[1]



depthof field

depthof field
depth
of field 
(plural depths of field) noun

photography feature:
the total focused area in front of and behind an object held in the focus of a
camera or lens[1]



depthof focus

depthof focus
depth
of fo·cus 
(plural depths of fo·cus) noun

movable lens distance:
the distance that a camera lens can be moved closer to or further from the
film, without the resulting image being blurred[1]



depthperception

depthperception
depth
per·cep·tion noun

depth perceiving ability:
the ability to perceive objects and their spatial relationship in three
dimensions[1]



depthpsychology

depthpsychology
depth
psy·chol·o·gy noun

1.  study
of unconscious: the study and psychology of the
unconscious mind

2.  See
psychoanalysis

[1]



depthsounder

depthsounder
depth
sound·er
(plural depth sound·ers) noun

ultrasonic depth measurer:
an ultrasonic instrument that measures the depth of water under a ship[1]



depurate

depurate
dep·u·rate 
[déppyə ràyt] (past dep·u·rat·ed,
past participle dep·u·rat·ed, present participle dep·u·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular dep·u·rates) transitive verb

cleanse:
to cleanse or purify something, especially by removing toxins
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin depurare, from Latin purus
“pure.”]
—dep·u·ra·tion
[dèppyə ráysh’n], noun

—dep·u·ra·tor [déppyə ràytər], noun[1]



depurative

depurative
dep·u·ra·tive
[déppyə ràytiv] (plural dep·u·ra·tives)
adjective

purifying by removing toxins:
purifying something by the removal of toxins (technical)[1]



deputation

deputation
dep·u·ta·tion 
[dèppyə táysh’n] (plural dep·u·ta·tions)
noun

1.  representatives:
a group of people who have been chosen to represent a larger group of people
and act on their behalf

2.  appointment
of deputy:
the act of appointing a deputy or deputation

[1]



depute

depute
de·pute 
[di pyt] (past de·put·ed, past
participle de·put·ed, present participle de·put·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·putes) verb (formal)

1.  transitive
verb
choose
representative: to choose somebody to be your agent,
substitute, or representative

2.  transitive
verb
delegate:
to delegate one’s work, authority, or duties to somebody else

3.  intransitive
verb
act
as deputy:
to act as deputy for somebody
[14th century. Via French députer
from, ultimately, Latin deputare “to assign,” from putare “to
consider.”][1]



deputize

deputize
dep·u·tize 
[déppyə tz] (past dep·u·tized,
past participle dep·u·tized, present participle dep·u·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular dep·u·tiz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
deputy:
to act as somebody’s deputy

2.  transitive
verb
select
deputy:
to choose somebody to act as a deputy to somebody
—dep·u·ti·za·tion [dèppyəti záysh’n], noun[1]



deputy

deputy
dep·u·ty 
[déppyətee] (plural dep·u·ties)
noun

1.  somebody’s
representative: somebody who has been authorized or
appointed to act on behalf of somebody else with full authority

2.  second-in-command:
an assistant who is authorized to act in a superior’s place

3.  member
of parliament: a parliamentary representative in some
countries, for example, France, Germany, or Italy

4.  LAW See deputy sheriff
[15th
century. From French député, the past participle of députer (see depute ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at assistant

[1]



deputyminister

deputyminister
dep·u·ty
min·is·ter
(plural dep·u·ty min·is·ters) noun

Canada
Canadian civil servant:
the most senior civil servant in a Canadian government department[1]



deputysheriff

deputysheriff
dep·u·ty
sher·iff
(plural dep·u·ty sher·iffs) noun

sheriff’s assistant:
a sheriff’s assistant, authorized to take charge when the sheriff is absent.
Also called
deputy[1]



deracinate

deracinate
de·rac·i·nate 
[di ráss’n àyt] (past de·rac·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·rac·i·nat·ed, present participle de·rac·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·rac·i·nates) transitive verb

uproot:
to remove somebody or something from a natural environment, especially people
from their native culture (formal)
[Late
16th century. Formed from French déraciner, from racine “root,”
which came via late Latin radicina from Latin radix “root” (see radix ).]
—de·rac·i·na·tion [di ràss’n áysh’n], noun[1]



deraign

deraign
de·raign
[di ráyn] (past de·raigned, past
participle de·raigned, present participle de·raign·ing,
3rd person present singular de·raigns) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  LAW contest
case:
to dispute a claim or suit

2.  MILITARY arrange
soldiers:
to line soldiers up ready for battle
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman derainer from assumed Vulgar Latin disrationare
“to settle an account,” from Latin ratio “reckoning” (see ratio ).]
—de·raign·ment, noun[1]



derail

derail
de·rail 
[di ráyl] (past de·railed, past
participle de·railed, present participle de·rail·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·rails) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  come
off rails:
to make a train or tram come off the rails, or to come off the rails

2.  send
or go off course: to send something off course, or to go
off course
[Mid-19th
century. From French dérailler, from rail “rail” (see rail 1 ).]
—de·rail·ment, noun[1]



derailleur

derailleur
de·rail·leur 
[di ráylər] (plural de·rail·leurs)
noun

gear
changer:
a device for changing gears on a bicycle that lifts the chain from one sprocket
wheel to another
[Mid-20th century. From
French dérailleur, literally “derailer,” from dérailler (see derail ).][1]



derange

derange
de·range 
[di ráynj] (past de·ranged, past
participle de·ranged, present participle de·rang·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·rang·es) transitive verb

1.  make
irrational:
to make somebody irrational or extraordinarily angry

2.  disturb:
to disturb the normal way in which something works

3.  throw
into disorder: to throw something into disorder and
confusion
[Late 18th century. From
French déranger, literally “to put out of line,” from rang
“line.”][1]



deranged

deranged
de·ranged 
[di ráynjd] adjective

completely unreasonable:
completely unreasonable, especially as a result of great emotional excitement[1]



derangement

derangement
de·range·ment
[di ráynjmənt] noun

1.  complete
irrationality: a complete lack of rationality,
especially with great emotional excitement

2.  disorder:
disorder and confusion

3.  act
of deranging: the act of disturbing or confusing
something

[1]



derate

derate
de·rate
[dee ráyt] (past de·rat·ed, past
participle de·rat·ed, present participle de·rat·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·rates) transitive verb

ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING lower
rated capability of apparatus: to
lower the rated capability of an electrical apparatus[1]



deration

deration
de·ra·tion
[dee rásh’n] (past de·ra·tioned,
past participle de·ra·tioned, present participle de·ra·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ra·tions) transitive verb

stop rationing:
to stop rationing a commodity, usually because the supply has become adequate[1]



derby

derby

der·by 
[dúrbee] (plural der·bies) noun

1.  HORSERACING horserace:
any of a number of horseraces run annually, usually for three year olds

2.  race:
a race or contest, open to qualified competitors

3.  CLOTHES round
felt hat:
a stiff felt hat with a round crown and a small, curved brim.
U.K.
term
bowler hat
[Late 19th century. Named for
derby . In sense 3, supposedly from the
wearing of such hats at the Derby horserace.][1]



Derby

Derby
Der·by 
noun

one
of two classic horseraces: a flat horserace held each
spring at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, or one run annually at Epsom
Downs, Surrey, England
[Early 19th century. Named
for Edward Stanley 1752–1834, 12th Earl of Derby, who founded the
English race in 1780.][1]



derecognize

derecognize
de·rec·og·nize 
[dee rékəg nz] (past de·rec·og·nized,
past participle de·rec·og·nized, present participle de·rec·og·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·rec·og·niz·es) transitive verb

revoke
official acceptance: to stop accepting the
legitimacy of something, especially a diplomatic mission
—de·rec·og·ni·tion [dee rèkəg nísh’n], noun[1]



deregister

deregister
de·reg·is·ter
[dee réjjistər] (past de·reg·is·tered,
past participle de·reg·is·tered, present participle de·reg·is·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular de·reg·is·ters) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
from register: to remove something or somebody from a
register or official list
—de·reg·is·tra·tion [dee rèjji stráysh’n], noun[1]



deregulate

deregulate
de·reg·u·late 
[dee réggyə layt] (past de·reg·u·lat·ed,
past participle de·reg·u·lat·ed, present participle de·reg·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·reg·u·lates) transitive verb

free
from regulation: to free something such as an
organization or industry from regulation
—de·reg·u·la·tion
[dee règgyə láysh’n], noun

—de·reg·u·la·tor
[dee réggyə làytər], noun

—de·reg·u·la·to·ry [dee réggyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



derelict

derelict
der·e·lict 
[dérrə lìkt] adjective

1.  deserted:
no longer lived in

2.  neglected:
in poor condition because of neglect

3.  LAW abandoning
duty:
neglectful of your duty or obligations
noun
(plural der·e·licts)

1.  homeless
person:
somebody who has no home, employment, or family care (formal)

2.  abandoned
building:
a building, ship, or other property that has been abandoned or deserted

3.  LAW neglectful
person:
a person who is neglectful of duty or obligations
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
derelictus, the past participle of derelinquere, literally “to
abandon utterly,” from relinquere (see relinquish
).][1]



dereliction

dereliction
der·e·lic·tion 
[dèrrə líkshən] (plural der·e·lic·tions)
noun

1.  LAW neglect
of duty:
deliberate neglect of duty or obligations

2.  abandonment:
the act of abandoning or deserting a building

3.  state
of neglect:
a state of abandonment or neglect

4.  LAW land
gained from the sea: land gained because water
has receded from it

[1]



derepress

derepress
de·re·press 
[d ri préss] (past de·re·pressed,
past participle de·re·pressed, present participle de·re·press·ing,
3rd person present singular de·re·press·es) transitive verb

activate
gene:
to activate a gene by deactivating the repressor
—de·re·pres·sion [d ri présh’n], noun[1]



derequisition

derequisition
de·req·ui·si·tion
[dee rèkwi zísh’n] (past de·req·ui·si·tioned,
past participle de·req·ui·si·tioned, present participle de·req·ui·si·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular de·req·ui·si·tions) transitive
verb

return to civilians:
to return something to civilian use that was earlier requisitioned by the
military or a government[1]



derestrict

derestrict
de·re·strict
[d ri stríkt] (past de·re·strict·ed,
past participle de·re·strict·ed, present participle de·re·strict·ing,
3rd person present singular de·re·stricts) transitive verb

remove
restrictions: to remove the restrictions from
something
—de·re·stric·tion [d ri stríkshən], noun[1]



deride

deride
de·ride 
[di rd] (past de·rid·ed, past
participle de·rid·ed, present participle de·rid·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·rides) transitive verb

ridicule:
to ridicule or show contempt for somebody or something
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin deridere, literally “to laugh down,” from ridere
“to laugh.”]
—de·rid·er,
noun

—de·rid·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ridicule

[1]



derigueur

derigueur
de
ri·gueur
[də ri gúr] adjective

required:
strictly required by the current fashion or by etiquette (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “of strictness.”][1]



derisible

derisible
de·ris·i·ble 
[di rzəb’l] adjective

worthy
of derision: deserving contempt or ridicule (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin derisibilis, from, ultimately, Latin deridere (see deride ).][1]



derision

derision
de·ri·sion 
[di rízh’n] noun

1.  mocking
scorn:
contempt and mockery

2.  state
of being derided: the state of being derided
[14th century. Via French dérision
from, ultimately, Latin deridere (see deride
).][1]



derisive

derisive
de·ri·sive 
[di rssiv] adjective

mockingly
scornful:
showing contempt or ridicule
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from derision .]
—de·ri·sive·ly,
adverb

—de·ri·sive·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  derisive
  or derisory ?
  Derisive means “showing derision”
  (that is, scornful, contemptuous): • He
  gave a derisive laugh. Derisory
  means “deserving derision” (that is, ridiculous, contemptible): • a
  derisory offer.

[1]



derisory

derisory
de·ri·so·ry 
[di rssəree, di
rzəree] adjective

1.  ridiculously
small:
so small or inadequate for the purpose intended that it is ridiculous

2.  See
derisive
[Early
17th century. From late Latin derisorius from, ultimately, Latin deridere
(see deride ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at derisive.

[1]



deriv.

deriv.
deriv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
derivation

2.  Abbreviation
of
derivative

[1]



derivate

derivate
der·i·vate 
[dérrivət, dérri
vàyt] noun (plural der·i·vates) adjective

See
derivative
[15th century. From Latin derivatus,
the past participle of derivare (see derive
).][1]



derivation

derivation
der·i·va·tion 
[dèrri váysh’n] (plural der·i·va·tions)
noun

1.  source:
the origin or source of something, for example, a word or someone’s name

2.  LINGUISTICS word
formation:
the formation of a word or term from another, or from a base form

3.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC proof:
a mathematical or logical argument whose steps show that a conclusion follows
necessarily from initial assumptions

4.  act
of deriving something: the act of obtaining
something from a source or issuing from a source
—der·i·va·tion·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at origin

[1]



derivative

derivative
de·riv·a·tive 
[di rívvətiv] or der·i·vate [di rívvətiv] adjective

unoriginal:
copied from somewhere and not original
noun
(plural de·riv·a·tives) (plural der·i·vates)

1.  derived
thing:
an idea, language, term, or other thing that has developed from something else
that is similar to it

2.  LINGUISTICS derived
word:
a word that is formed from another word, for example, “quickly” from “quick”

3.  CHEMISTRY related
chemical product: a chemical substance that is formed from
a related substance

4.  MATHEMATICS change
of function: the limit approached in the ratio of a
function and its variable, as the variable is changed ever more
infinitesimally.
Also
called
differential coefficient

5.  FINANCE financial
product:
a tradable financial product whose value depends on the value of some other
asset or combination of assets
—de·riv·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·riv·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



derive

derive
de·rive 
[di rv] (past de·rived, past
participle de·rived, present participle de·riv·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·rives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LINGUISTICS come from source:
to develop from another word or a source word or term

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get or
come from something: to obtain something or come
from a source

3.  transitive
verb
LOGIC deduce:
to reach a conclusion about something by reasoning

4.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY make
compound:
to create a chemical substance from another

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS obtain
function:
to obtain a function by differentiation
[14th
century. Directly or via French dériver from Latin derivare “to
draw off water through a channel,” from rivus “stream” (see rival ).]
—de·riv·a·ble,
adjective

—de·riv·er, noun[1]



derm-

derm-
derm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
derma-[1]



-derm

-derm
-derm
suffix

skin
• ectoderm
[From Greek derma (see
derma- )][1]



derma

derma
der·ma
noun

COOKING See kishke
[Origin uncertain: probably
via Yiddish gederem “intestines” from, ultimately, Old High German darm
“gut”][1]



derma-

derma-
derma-
prefix

skin
• dermatome
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, “skin.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to peel,” which is also the ancestor of English tear 1 .][1]



dermabrasion

dermabrasion
der·ma·bra·sion 
[dùrmə bráyzh’n] noun

surgical
removal of blemishes: a surgical process that
removes scars or other imperfections of the skin by scraping the skin’s surface
with wire brushes or very fine sandpaper
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek derma “skin” + abrasion .][1]



dermal

dermal
der·mal 
[dúrm’l] or der·mic [dúrm’l] adjective

relating
to skin:
involving, located in, or made up of skin or its main layer ( dermis )
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek derma “skin.”][1]



dermapteran

dermapteran
der·map·ter·an 
[dər máptərən] (plural der·map·ter·ans)
noun

insect
with appendages on abdomen: an insect, for example, an
earwig, that has strong sharp sensory appendages coming from the end of its
abdomen
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Dermaptera, order name, from
Greek derma “skin” + pteron “wing.” So called because of their
membranous wings.]
—der·map·ter·an, adjective[1]



dermat-

dermat-
dermat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
dermato-[1]



dermatitis

dermatitis
der·ma·ti·tis 
[dùrmə ttiss] noun

skin inflammation:
inflammation of the skin from any cause, resulting in a range of symptoms such
as redness, swelling, itching, or blistering[1]



dermato-

dermato-
dermato-
prefix

skin
• dermatoplasty
[From Greek dermat-,
the stem of derma (see derma- )][1]



dermatoglyphics

dermatoglyphics
der·mat·o·glyph·ics
[dùrmətə glíffiks] plural noun

skin
patterns:
the lines that form a pattern on the skin, for example, on the fingers and
palms of the hands
noun

study
of skin patterns: the study of dermatoglyphics (takes a
singular verb)
[Early
20th century. Coined from dermato- + Greek gluphē
“carving, inscription” (see glyph ).]
—der·mat·o·glyph·ic, adjective[1]



dermatoid

dermatoid
der·ma·toid 
[dúrmə tòyd] adjective

like skin:
resembling skin[1]



dermatology

dermatology
der·ma·tol·o·gy 
[dùrmə tólləjee] noun

skin
specialty:
the branch of medicine that deals with the skin and diseases affecting the skin
—der·ma·to·log·i·cal
[dùrmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—der·ma·tol·o·gist [dùrmə tólləjist] (plural der·ma·tol·o·gists),
noun[1]



dermatome

dermatome
der·ma·tome 
[dúrmə tm] (plural der·ma·tomes)
noun

1.  ANATOMY skin
served by one spinal nerve: an area of skin that has
nerve fibers coming from a single spinal nerve

2.  MEDICINE surgical
instrument:
an instrument used to slice thin layers of skin for skin grafting
[Late
19th century. Coined from dermato- + -tome .]
—der·ma·tom·ic [dùrmə tómmik], adjective[1]



dermatophyte

dermatophyte
der·mat·o·phyte 
[dur máttə ft, dúrmətə
ft] (plural der·mat·o·phytes) noun

fungus:
a parasitic fungus that affects the skin, hair, or nails
—der·mat·o·phyt·ic [dur màttə fíttik, dùrmətə
fíttik], adjective[1]



dermatophytosis

dermatophytosis
der·ma·to·phy·to·sis 
[dùrmə tō fī tṓssiss] noun

fungal infection:
a fungal infection of the skin, hair, or nails[1]



dermatoplasty

dermatoplasty
der·ma·to·plas·ty 
[dúrmə tō plàstee] noun

skin
operation:
any operation on the skin, especially skin grafting (technical)
—der·ma·to·plas·tic [dùrmə tō plástik], adjective[1]



dermatosis

dermatosis
der·ma·to·sis 
[dùrmə tṓssiss] (plural der·ma·to·ses
[dùrmə tṓ sz]) noun

skin disease:
any disease affecting the skin[1]



-dermatous

-dermatous
-dermatous
suffix

having
a particular kind of skin • sclerodermatous
[Formed from Greek dermat-,
the stem of derma (see derma- )][1]



dermestid

dermestid
der·mes·tid 
[dur méstid] (plural der·mes·tids)
noun

beetle
that eats organic materials: a beetle that has clubbed
antennae and eats and destroys organic materials such as meat, fur, wool,
fabric, or museum specimens. Cabinet and carpet beetles are dermestids. Family:
Dermestidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Dermestidae, family name, from Greek derma “skin” + esthiein
“to eat.”][1]



dermic

dermic
der·mic 
[dúrmik] adjective

See
dermal
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek derma “skin.”][1]



dermis

dermis
der·mis 
[dúrmiss] noun

layer
of skin beneath epidermis: the thick sensitive layer of
skin or connective tissue beneath the epidermis that contains blood, lymph
vessels, sweat glands, and nerve endings.
Also
called
corium
Also
called
cutis
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, back-formation from epidermis
.][1]



-dermis

-dermis
-dermis
suffix

skin
• endodermis
[Back-formation from epidermis][1]



dermoid

dermoid
der·moid 
[dúr mòyd] (plural der·moids) or
der·moid cyst [dúr mòyd] (plural
der·moid cysts) noun

harmless
tumor:
a benign tumor that contains skin or skin derivatives, found in the ovaries or
on the face, especially around the eyes
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek derma “skin.”][1]



derniercri

derniercri
der·nier
cri 
[dèr nyay kr] noun

latest
fashion:
the latest thing in fashion
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “latest cry.”][1]



derogate

derogate
der·o·gate 
[dérrə gàyt] (past der·o·gat·ed,
past participle der·o·gat·ed, present participle der·o·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular der·o·gates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
deviate
from conditions: to deviate from a norm, rule, law, or
set of conditions, for example, by refusing to be bound by part of a treaty

2.  intransitive
verb
make
seem inferior: to make something seem inferior or less
significant (formal) • conduct
that will derogate from your good name

3.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize somebody or something negatively

4.  transitive
verb
LAW repeal
partially:
to repeal or abolish part of a law or decree
[15th century. From Latin derogare
“to repeal a law,” later “to detract from, impair,” from rogare “to ask,
propose a law” (see rogation ).][1]



derogation

derogation
der·o·ga·tion
[dèrrə gáysh’n] (plural der·o·ga·tions)
noun

1.  LAW deviation:
a deviation from a rule or law, especially one specifically provided for

2.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS exemption
from rule:
an exemption from a law or ruling given to a state

3.  disparagement:
the act of belittling or negatively criticizing somebody or something

[1]



derogative

derogative
de·rog·a·tive 
[di róggətiv, dérrə
gàytiv] adjective

1.  See
derogatory

2.  relating
to derogation: relating to a derogation
—de·rog·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



derogatory

derogatory
de·rog·a·to·ry 
[di róggə tàwree] adjective

disparaging:
expressing a low opinion or negative criticism
—de·rog·a·to·ri·ly
[di ròggə táwrilee], adverb

—de·rog·a·to·ri·ness [di rggə táwrinəss], noun[1]



derrick

derrick
der·rick 
[dérrik] noun

1.  loading
crane:
a simple crane that is often used for moving cargo onto or from a ship

2.  INDUSTRY oil
structure:
a structure placed over an oil well that is used to raise and lower piping,
drills, and other boring equipment
[Early 17th century. From an
earlier sense “hangman, gallows,” after a London hangman called Derrick who was
working at Tyburn at about this time.][1]



Derrida,Jacques

Derrida,Jacques
Der·ri·da
[dèrri d], Jacques (1930– )

Algerian-born French
philosopher. He introduced deconstruction, a controversial technique for
textual analysis.[1]



derring-do

derring-do
der·ring-do 
[dèrring d, dérring
d] noun

brave
adventurous deeds: boldness, or acts of great
daring (literary)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of earlier dorring don “daring to do,” which was erroneously
printed in 16th-century editions of medieval works as derrynge do and
interpreted as a noun.][1]



derringer

derringer
der·rin·ger 
[dérrinjər] (plural der·rin·gers)
noun

pistol:
a pocket-sized short-barreled large-calibre pistol
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the U.S. gunsmith Henry Deringer, 1786–1868, who designed it.][1]



derris

derris
der·ris 
[dérriss] (plural der·ris·es) noun

1.  PLANTS E
Indian climbing plant: a woody climbing plant that
grows in East India. Genus: Derris

2.  GARDENING insecticide:
an insecticide made from the powdered roots of the derris plant, that contain
the natural insecticide rotenone
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek, literally “leather covering.” So called because
of its leathery pod.][1]



derrière

derrière
der·ri·ère 
[dèrree áir] (plural der·ri·ères)
noun

buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks (humorous)
[Late 18th century. Via
French, literally “behind,” from, ultimately, Latin de retro .][1]



dervish

dervish
der·vish 
[dúrvish] (plural der·vish·es)
noun

1.  member
of Muslim religious group: a member of any of several
ascetic Muslim religious groups, some of which are known for their practices of
very energetic dancing, whirling, chanting, or singing

2.  frenzied
person:
somebody who behaves very energetically
[Late 16th century. Via
Turkish derviş from Persian darvīš “poor, mendicant.”][1]



DES

DES
DES


1.  Abbreviation
of
diethylstilbestrol

2.  Abbreviation
of
data encryption standard

[1]



desacralize

desacralize
de·sa·cral·ize 
[dee sákrə lz] (past de·sa·cral·ized,
past participle de·sa·cral·ized, present participle de·sa·cral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sa·cral·iz·es) transitive verb

secularize:
to remove the sacred, religious, or supernatural qualities or status from
something[1]



desalinate

desalinate
de·sal·i·nate 
[dee sállə nàyt] (past de·sal·i·nat·ed,
past participle de·sal·i·nat·ed, present participle de·sal·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sal·i·nates) transitive verb

remove
salt:
to remove the salt from something
—de·sal·i·na·tor, noun[1]



desalination

desalination
de·sal·i·na·tion 
[dee sàllə náysh’n] noun

salt removal:
the process of removing salt from something, especially from seawater to
produce drinking water. The main methods used are distillation and reverse
osmosis.[1]



desalinize

desalinize
de·sal·i·nize 
[dee sállə nz] (past de·sal·i·nized,
past participle de·sal·i·nized, present participle de·sal·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sal·i·niz·es) transitive verb

See
desalinate
—de·sal·i·ni·za·tion [dee sàlləni záysh’n], noun[1]



desalt

desalt
de·salt 
[dee sáwlt] (past de·salt·ed, past
participle de·salt·ed, present participle de·salt·ing,
3rd person present singular de·salts) transitive verb

See
desalinate
—de·salt·er, noun[1]



desaturation

desaturation
de·sat·u·ra·tion
[dee sàchə ráysh’n] noun

dimming of color:
the addition of white to a saturated color in order to achieve a paler shade[1]



desc.

desc.
desc.

Abbreviation of
descendent[1]



descant

descant
des·cant 
[dé skànt] or dis·cant [dí skànt] noun (plural des·cants)
(plural dis·cants)

1.  MUSIC high
melody:
a melody that is sung or played above the basic melody of a piece of music

2.  comment:
a comment, remark, or criticism on a particular subject (archaic)
adjective

MUSIC high-toned:
highest in range of a family of musical instruments • descant
recorder
intransitive
verb
(past des·cant·ed, past participle des·cant·ed, present
participle des·cant·ing, 3rd person present singular des·cants)
(past dis·cant·ed, past participle dis·cant·ed, present
participle dis·cant·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·cants)

1.  MUSIC make
music:
to sing, play, or compose a descant part for a piece of music

2.  discourse
on something: to comment at length on a particular
subject (literary)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman descaunt from medieval Latin discantus
“part-song, refrain,” from Latin cantus “song” (see canto ).]
—des·cant·er, noun[1]



Descartes,René

Descartes,René

Des·cartes 
[day krt], René (1596–1650)
French philosopher and mathematician. He
is often called the father of modern philosophy, and his Discourse on Method
( 1637 ) introduced his technique of philosophical enquiry. His work on
analytical geometry resulted in the Cartesian system of coordinates.[1]



descend

descend
de·scend 
[di sénd] (past de·scend·ed, past
participle de·scend·ed, present participle de·scend·ing,
3rd person present singular de·scends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
down:
to go down a staircase, hill, valley, or other downward incline

2.  intransitive
verb
come
nearer ground: to come nearer the ground, especially in
an aircraft in preparation for landing

3.  intransitive
verb
slope:
to slope downwards

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
related:
to be connected by blood to an ancestor • Our
family descends from French royalty. • be
descended from

5.  intransitive
verb
be
inherited:
to be inherited from or passed down by parents or ancestors

6.  intransitive
verb
lower
oneself:
to behave in a way that is disappointing and below somebody’s normal standards

7.  intransitive
verb
arrive
suddenly:
to arrive at a place suddenly, especially in large numbers • tourists
descending on unspoilt areas

8.  intransitive
verb
become
established: to become more evident or established,
suddenly or by degrees • An
atmosphere of gloom descended on the assembled crowd.
[14th
century. Via French descendre from Latin descendere, literally
“to climb down,” from scandere “to climb.”]
—de·scend·a·ble, adjective[1]



descendant

descendant
de·scen·dant 
[di séndənt] noun (plural de·scen·dants)

1.  somebody
or something related to ancestor: a person, animal, or
plant related to one that lived in the past

2.  related
model:
something that is based in design, form, or concept on an earlier thing
adjective

See descendent

[1]



descendent

descendent
de·scen·dent
[di séndənt] or de·scen·dant [di séndənt] adjective

1.  moving
down:
moving downward

2.  descending
from ancestor: descending from an ancestor

[1]



descender

descender

de·scend·er 
[di séndər] (plural de·scend·ers)
noun

1.  PRINTING bottom
part of letter: the tail part of a letter, for example,
on a “y” or “g,” that extends below the baseline of other letters

2.        something
descending: somebody or something that
descends[1]



descendeur

descendeur
de·scen·deur
[dè saaN dúr] (plural de·scen·deurs)
noun

metal
climbing aid: a mechanical device that can be
tightened or loosened on a rope, enabling a climber to control the speed of his
or her descent
[Late 20th century. From
French, literally “descender,” from descendre (see descend ).][1]



descendible

descendible
de·scend·i·ble
[di séndəb’l] adjective

1.  LAW heritable:
able to be inherited

2.  allowing
descent:
allowing descent or downward movement

[1]



descending

descending
de·scend·ing
[di sénding] adjective

going down:
going or arranged from highest to lowest, greatest to smallest, or latest to
earliest • in
descending order[1]



descent

descent
de·scent 
[di sént] (plural de·scents) noun

1.  going
down:
an act of going from the top to the bottom, or from a higher position to a
lower position

2.  way
down:
a path or other way down something, for example, a mountain

3.  decline:
a decline or change from something better to something worse

4.  ancestral
background:
the connection somebody has to an ancestor or group of ancestors

5.  inherited
development: characteristics or developments that can
be traced to an earlier source

6.  sudden
arrival:
the sudden arrival of a person or group of people

7.  one
generation:
a step of one generation in a lineage

8.  LAW inheritance:
the transmission of property by inheritance
[13th century. From French descente,
from descendre (see descend ).][1]



deschool

deschool
de·school
[dee skl] (past de·schooled, past
participle de·schooled, present participle de·school·ing,
3rd person present singular de·schools) intransitive and
transitive verb

deemphasize
school:
to reduce somebody’s involvement with education within the school system, or to
undergo this process
—de·school·ing, noun[1]



Deschutes

Deschutes
Des·chutes 
[day sht, də
shts]

river in northern Oregon that
rises in the Cascade Range and flows northeastward to the Columbia River.
Length: 402 km/250 mi.[1]



descramble

descramble
de·scram·ble 
[dee skrámb’l] (past de·scram·bled,
past participle de·scram·bled, present participle de·scram·bling,
3rd person present singular de·scram·bles) transitive verb

decode:
to make intelligible a message transmitted in code form[1]



descrambler

descrambler
de·scram·bler 
[dee skrámblər] (plural de·scram·blers)
noun

decoding device:
a device that decodes scrambled messages or signals[1]



describe

describe
de·scribe 
[di skrb] (past de·scribed, past
participle de·scribed, present participle de·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular de·scribes) transitive verb

1.  explain:
to give an account of something by giving details of its characteristics

2.  label:
to label or typify somebody or something

3.  draw
shape:
to make a shape or outline in the air (formal) • The
plane described a perfect figure eight.

4.  represent:
to represent something pictorially or with a model
[15th
century. From Latin describere, literally “to write down,” from scribere
“to write.”]
—de·scrib·a·ble,
adjective

—de·scrib·er, noun[1]



description

description
de·scrip·tion 
[di skrípshən] (plural de·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  explanation:
a written or verbal account, representation, or explanation of something

2.  process
of describing: the process of giving an account or
explanation of something

3.  sort:
a kind or variety of something • cars
of every description
[14th century. Via French
from the Latin stem description- from descript-, the past
participle stem of describere (see describe
).][1]



descriptive

descriptive
de·scrip·tive 
[di skríptiv] adjective

1.  being
description: containing or consisting of description

2.  classifying:
serving mainly to label, describe, or classify

3.  GRAMMAR attributive:
expressing an attribute or quality of a noun
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin descriptivus, from, ultimately, Latin describere
(see describe ).]
—de·scrip·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·scrip·tive·ness, noun[1]



descriptiveclause

descriptiveclause
de·scrip·tive
clause
(plural de·scrip·tive clauses) noun

See
nonrestrictive clause[1]



descriptivelinguistics

descriptivelinguistics
de·scrip·tive
lin·guis·tics noun

branch of linguistics:
the study of a language limited to a comprehensive account of its grammar at a
given time, omitting historical or comparative features and not attempting to
formulate prescriptive rules[1]



descriptivism

descriptivism
de·scrip·tiv·ism 
[di skrípti vìzzəm] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS support
for descriptive linguistics: adherence to the practices
and tenets of descriptive linguistics

2.  PHILOSOPHY belief
in description: the notion or thesis that descriptive
statements can be true and accurate reflections of phenomena
—de·scrip·tiv·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



descriptor

descriptor
de·scrip·tor 
[di skríptər] (plural de·scrip·tors)
noun

COMPUTING describing
thing:
something, for example, a word or phrase, used as a key to categorize records
in a database so that all records containing the key can be retrieved together
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, literally “describer,” formed from describere (see describe ).][1]



descry

descry
de·scry 
[di skr] (past de·scried, past
participle de·scried, present participle de·scry·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·scries) transitive verb

1.  see:
to catch sight of something (archaic or formal)

2.  discover:
to detect or discover something (archaic or humorous)
[14th
century. From Old French descrier “to cry out, proclaim” (source also of
English decry ), from crier
(see cry ). Its modern meaning developed by
association with obsolete descry “to describe, perceive” which came via Old
French descrire from Latin describere (see describe ).]
—de·scri·er, noun[1]



Desdemona

Desdemona
Des·de·mo·na
[dèzdə mṓnə] noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by Voyager 2[1]



desecrate

desecrate
des·e·crate 
[déssə kràyt] (past des·e·crat·ed,
past participle des·e·crat·ed, present participle des·e·crat·ing,
3rd person present singular des·e·crates) transitive verb

insult
something holy: to damage something sacred, or do
something that is offensive to the religious nature of something
[Late
17th century. Coined from de- + consecrate .]
—des·e·crat·er,
noun

—des·e·cra·tion
[dèssə kráysh’n], noun

—des·e·cra·tor [déssə kràytər], noun[1]



desegregate

desegregate
de·seg·re·gate 
[dee séggrə gàyt] (past de·seg·re·gat·ed,
past participle de·seg·re·gat·ed, present participle de·seg·re·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·seg·re·gates) intransitive and
transitive verb

stop
separation by groups: to put an end to a customary
or enforced separation of ethnic or racial groups, for example, in a workplace
or school
—de·seg·re·ga·tion
[dee sèggrə gáysh’n], noun

—de·seg·re·ga·tion·ist,
noun[1]



desegregation

desegregation
de·seg·re·ga·tion 
[dee sèggrə gáysh’n] noun

desegregating act:
the act of desegregating ethnic or racial groups[1]



deselect

deselect
de·se·lect 
[d sə lékt] (past de·se·lect·ed,
past participle de·se·lect·ed, present participle de·se·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular de·se·lects) transitive verb

1.  COMPUTING remove
selection:
to remove selection status from an option or data on a menu or list on a
computer monitor

2.  MANAGEMENT let
trainee go:
to end the training of an unsuitable trainee before the training program is
completed
—de·se·lec·tion [d sə lékshən], noun[1]



desensitize

desensitize
de·sen·si·tize 
[dee sénsə tz] (past de·sen·si·tized,
past participle de·sen·si·tized, present participle de·sen·si·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sen·si·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
less sensitive: to make somebody or something
insensitive or less sensitive

2.  make
less allergic: to make somebody less sensitive to a
known allergen by injecting increasing amounts of the allergen over time,
building up resistance

3.  make
less sensitive to fear: to make somebody less
responsive to an overwhelming fear by repeated exposure to the feared situation
or object, either in natural or artificial circumstances
—de·sen·si·ti·za·tion
[dee sènsəti záysh’n], noun

—de·sen·si·tiz·er [dee sénsə tzər], noun[1]



desert

desert1
des·ert1 [dézzərt]
(plural des·erts) noun

1.  arid
area:
an area of land, usually in very hot climates, that consists only of sand,
gravel, or rock with little or no vegetation, no permanent bodies of water, and
erratic rainfall

2.  deprived
place:
a place or situation that is devoid of some desirable thing, or overwhelmed by
an undesirable thing • a
cultural desert

3.  lifeless
place:
a place devoid of life

4.  barren
land:
a wild, bleak, and uncultivated place (archaic)
[12th century. Via French désert
from late Latin desertum “abandoned place,” from the past participle of
Latin deserere (see desert 2 ).][1]



desert

desert3
de·sert3 [di
zúrt] (plural de·serts) noun

punishment
or reward:
something deserved, either punishment or reward (usually used in the plural)
• He’ll
get his just deserts.
[13th
century. From Old French, literally “what is deserved,” from the past
participle of deservir (see deserve
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  desert
  or dessert ?
  Dessert is a noun, is pronounced
  with the stress on the second syllable, and has only one meaning: “a sweet
  course of a meal.” Desert is pronounced
  with the stress on the first syllable when it is a noun meaning “a dry barren
  area of land,” and with the stress on the second syllable when it is a noun
  meaning “what somebody deserves,” in just deserts and similar
  expressions. The stress is also on the second syllable when desert is used as a verb, meaning “abandon” or
  “abscond.”

[1]



desert

desert2
de·sert2 [di
zúrt] (past de·sert·ed, past participle de·sert·ed,
present participle de·sert·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·serts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
abandon
place:
to leave a place with no one staying behind

2.  transitive
verb
abandon
person:
to leave or abandon somebody, especially when you have some kind of duty or
obligation toward him or her

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY leave army without
permission:
to run away from an armed force or military post without permission and
intending never to go back

4.  transitive
verb
leave:
to be absent when needed • Her
sense of humor appeared to have deserted her.
[14th century. Via French déserter
from, ultimately, Latin desert-, the past participle stem of deserere
“to abandon,” from serere “to join.”][1]



deserted

deserted
de·sert·ed
[di zúrtəd] adjective

abandoned:
empty after being abandoned by people[1]



deserter

deserter
de·sert·er 
[di zúrtər] (plural de·sert·ers)
noun

runaway soldier:
a member of the armed forces who leaves his or her post without permission and
does not intend to go back[1]



desertification

desertification
de·sert·i·fi·ca·tion 
[di zùrtəfi káysh’n] noun

process of becoming desert:
a process by which land becomes increasingly dry until almost no vegetation
grows on it, making it a desert[1]



desertion

desertion
de·ser·tion 
[di zúrsh’n] (plural de·ser·tions)
noun

deserting from army:
the act or an instance of deserting from the armed forces[1]



desertisland

desertisland
des·ert
is·land 
(plural des·ert is·lands) noun

isolated island:
a small isolated unpopulated tropical island[1]



desertlynx

desertlynx
des·ert
lynx 
noun

See
caracal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








desertpavement

desertpavement
des·ert
pave·ment
noun

GEOGRAPHY
layer of gravel in desert:
a layer of gravel that remains when the finer-grained particles of a desert
soil have been blown away[1]



desertrat

desertrat
des·ert
rat
(plural des·ert rats) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY desert
rodent:
any rodent that lives in a desert

2.  Southwestern
U.S.
desert
dweller:
somebody who lives in the desert and attempts to earn a living there, for
example, a prospector

[1]



desertvarnish

desertvarnish
des·ert
var·nish
noun

GEOGRAPHY
rock coating in desert:
a very thin dark surface coating of iron and manganese oxides that forms on
exposed rock surfaces in deserts[1]



deserve

deserve
de·serve 
[di zúrv] (past de·served, past
participle de·served, present participle de·serv·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·serves) transitive verb

merit:
to have earned or be worthy of something
[13th
century. Via Old French deservir from Latin deservire “to serve
well,” from servire (see serve ).]
—de·serv·er, noun[1]



deserved

deserved
de·served 
[di zúrvd] adjective

earned:
justly earned or merited
—de·serv·ed·ness [di zúrvədnəss], noun[1]



deservedly

deservedly
de·serv·ed·ly
[di zúrvədlee] adverb

justly:
in a way that is justly and fully earned or merited • She
was deservedly popular as a teacher.[1]



deserving

deserving
de·serv·ing 
[di zúrving] adjective

qualified
or eligible to receive something: worthy to receive
something because of need, merit, or justice • I
can think of no more deserving cause.
plural
noun

people
qualified to receive something: people who have earned
something justly through merit or need
—de·serv·ing·ly,
adverb

—de·serv·ing·ness, noun[1]



DeSeversky, Alexander Procofieff

DeSeversky, Alexander Procofieff
De
Se·ver·sky 
[də sə vúrskee], Alexander Procofieff
(1894–1974)

Russian-born U.S.
aeronautical engineer. He manufactured war planes (1922–1939) and invented the
automatic bombsight.[1]



desex

desex
de·sex 
[dee séks] (past de·sexed, past
participle de·sexed, present participle de·sex·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·sex·es) transitive verb

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE MEDICINE remove
sex organs:
to remove the sex organs from an animal or person

2.  See
desexualize

[1]



desexualize

desexualize
de·sex·u·al·ize 
[dee sékshoo ə lz] (past de·sex·u·al·ized,
past participle de·sex·u·al·ized, present participle de·sex·u·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sex·u·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  suppress
sexual characteristics: to suppress or diminish the
sexual characteristics of an animal or person

2.  remove
sexist material: to remove sexist elements from something
—de·sex·u·al·i·za·tion
[dee sèkshoo əli záysh’n], noun[1]



deshabille

deshabille
des·ha·bille 
[dèssə bl, dèssə
b] noun

See
dishabille[1]



desiccant

desiccant
des·ic·cant 
[déssikənt] (plural des·ic·cants)
noun

substance
that removes moisture: a substance that absorbs
water and can be used to remove moisture
[Late
17th century. From Latin desiccant-, the present participle stem of desiccare
(see desiccate ).]
—des·ic·cant, adjective[1]



desiccate

desiccate
des·ic·cate 
[déssi kàyt] (past des·ic·cat·ed,
past participle des·ic·cat·ed, present participle des·ic·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular des·ic·cates) verb

1.  remove
or lose moisture: to remove the moisture from something or
become free of moisture

2.  transitive
verb
preserve
food by drying: to preserve food by removing its
moisture

3.  transitive
verb
make
uninteresting: to remove vitality from something
[Late
16th century. From Latin desiccat-, the past participle stem of desiccare
“to dry out,” from siccus “dry.”]
—des·ic·ca·tion
[dèssi káysh’n], noun

—des·ic·ca·tive [déssi kàytiv], adjective[1]



desiccated

desiccated
des·ic·cat·ed 
[déssi kàytəd] adjective

1.  dried:
dried and often pulverized

2.  without
vitality:
used to describe something, especially a literary work, lacking in energy or
vitality

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dry

[1]



desiccator

desiccator
des·ic·ca·tor
[déssi kàytər] (plural des·ic·ca·tors)
noun

equipment to remove water:
an airtight apparatus that removes water from a substance either by heat or
vacuum, or by using a chemical agent[1]



desiderata

desiderata
de·sid·er·a·ta


Plural of
desideratum[1]



desiderate

desiderate
de·sid·er·ate 
[di síddə ràyt] (past de·sid·er·at·ed,
past participle de·sid·er·at·ed, present participle de·sid·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sid·er·ates) transitive verb

want:
to wish or long for something (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin desiderat-, the past participle stem of desiderare
(see desire ).]
—de·sid·er·a·tion [di sìddə ráysh’n], noun[1]



desiderative

desiderative
de·sid·er·a·tive 
[disíddə ràytiv, di
síddərətiv] adjective

1.  desiring:
having a desire for something (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
desire to do something: used to describe a verb
that, in some languages, expresses a desire to perform the action indicated by
a related verb

[1]



desideratum

desideratum
de·sid·er·a·tum 
[di sìddə rtəm, di
sìddə ráytəm] (plural de·sid·er·a·ta [di sìddə rtə, di sìddə
ráytə]) noun

something
desired:
something that is desired or felt to be essential (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, a form of the past participle of desiderare (see desire ).][1]



design

design
de·sign 
[di zn] verb (past de·signed,
past participle de·signed, present participle de·sign·ing,
3rd person present singular de·signs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb create
detailed plan of something: to work out or create the
form or structure of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb plan
and make something: to plan and make something
in a skillful or artistic way

3.  transitive
verb
intend
for a use:
to intend something for a particular purpose • The
scholarship was designed to aid foreign students.

4.  transitive
verb
invent:
to contrive, devise, or plan something
noun
(plural de·signs)

1.  way
something is made: the way in which something
is planned and made

2.  picture
of something’s form and structure: a drawing or other
graphical representation of something that shows how it is to be made

3.  decorative
pattern:
a pattern or shape, sometimes repeated, used for decoration

4.  process
of designing: the process and techniques of designing
things

5.  scheme:
a plan or scheme for something

6.  something
planned:
something that is planned or intended
plural
noun
de·signs

selfish or dishonest plan:
a secretive plan undertaken for selfish or dishonest motives • They
had designs on her job.
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin designare (see designate
).]
—de·sign·a·ble,
adjective
by
design

intentionally or on purpose[1]



designate

designate
des·ig·nate 
transitive verb [dézzig nàyt] (past
des·ig·nat·ed, past participle des·ig·nat·ed, present
participle des·ig·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular des·ig·nates)

1.  describe
formally:
to give somebody or something a formal description or name (often passive)

2.  choose
for a use:
to choose something for a particular purpose (usually passive)

3.  name
to a position: to formally choose somebody for a job,
position, or duty

4.  mark:
to mark or indicate something • Colored
pins on the map designated the new buildings.
adjective
[dézzignət]

chosen for future post:
chosen for a particular position, while not yet actually in office
[Late
18th century. From Latin designat-, the past participle stem of designare
“to mark out,” from, ultimately, signum “mark.”]
—des·ig·na·tive,
adjective

—des·ig·na·to·ry,
adjective

—des·ig·na·tor, noun[1]



designateddriver

designateddriver
des·ig·nat·ed
driv·er
noun

sober driver arranged in
advance: somebody who goes to a
social occasion and decides in advance not have any alcoholic drinks so as to
be able to drive other people safely[1]



designatedhitter

designatedhitter
des·ig·nat·ed
hit·ter 
(plural des·ig·nat·ed hit·ters) noun

batter who substitutes for
pitcher: a player in baseball who
does not play defensively but substitutes for a pitcher in the batting order[1]



designation

designation
des·ig·na·tion 
[dèzzig náysh’n] (plural des·ig·na·tions)
noun

1.  name:
a name, label, or description given to something or somebody

2.  fact
of being specified: the act or process of being
named or specified

[1]



designedly

designedly
de·sign·ed·ly
[di znədlee] adverb

on purpose:
intentionally or on purpose[1]



designee

designee
des·ig·nee 
[dèzzig n] (plural des·ig·nees)
noun

somebody named to do
something: somebody chosen to perform a
job, duty, or task[1]



designer

designer
de·sign·er 
[di znər] noun (plural de·sign·ers)

somebody who designs:
somebody who makes and executes designs
adjective

1.  trendy:
used to describe something to suggest that it is trendy and popular • designer
foods

2.  designed
by somebody famous: created or produced by a
famous designer • designer jeans

[1]



designerdrug

designerdrug
de·sign·er
drug
(plural de·sign·er drugs) noun

deliberately altered drug:
a drug that has been chemically altered to enhance its properties or to evade a
legal prohibition[1]



designergene

designergene
de·sign·er
gene
(plural de·sign·er genes) noun

introduced gene:
a gene that is introduced into an organism to control the presence or absence
of a specific characteristic[1]



designerstubble

designerstubble
de·sign·er
stub·ble
noun

short fashionable beard
growth: beard growth that is kept
deliberately short to look as if the person has not shaved recently rather than
as if trying to grow a beard (informal)[1]



designing

designing
de·sign·ing 
[di zning] adjective

scheming:
tending to scheme and make secret plans for personal benefit
—de·sign·ing·ly, adverb[1]



desinence

desinence
des·i·nence 
[déssinəns, dézzinəns]
(plural des·i·nenc·es) noun

word
ending:
an ending or suffix of a word (technical)
[Late
16th century. Via French désinence from medieval Latin desinentia,
from Latin desinere “to leave off, end,” from sinere “to leave.”]
—des·i·nen·tial [dèssi nénshəl, dèzzi
nénshəl], adjective[1]



desirable

desirable
de·sir·a·ble 
[di zrəb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of desire:
worth having or doing

2.  attractive:
sexually attractive or pleasing
noun
(plural de·sir·a·bles)

somebody or something desired:
somebody who or something that is desired
—de·sir·a·bil·i·ty
[di zrə bíllətee], noun

—de·sir·a·bly [di zrəblee], adverb[1]



desire

desire
de·sire 
[di zr] transitive verb (past
de·sired, past participle de·sired, present participle
de·sir·ing, 3rd person present singular de·sires)

1.  wish
for:
to want something very strongly

2.  find
sexually attractive: to want to have sexual
relations with somebody

3.  request:
to wish for and request something (formal)
noun
(plural de·sires)

1.  craving:
a wish, craving, or longing for something

2.  something
wished for:
something that or somebody who is wished for (formal)

3.  sexual
craving:
a strong wish for sexual relations with somebody
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin desiderare, perhaps originally “to
wish upon a star,” from the stem sider- “star” (source of English consider and sidereal
).]
—de·sir·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



desirous

desirous
de·sir·ous 
[di zrəss] adjective

wanting
something:
seeking or wishing for something very much (formal)
—de·sir·ous·ly,
adverb

—de·sir·ous·ness, noun[1]



desist

desist
de·sist 
[di síst, di
zíst] (past de·sist·ed, past participle de·sist·ed,
present participle de·sist·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·sists) intransitive verb

cease:
to cease or stop doing something
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin desistere, from sistere “to
bring to a standstill,” from stare “to stand” (source of English stance ).]
—de·sis·tance, noun[1]



desk

desk
desk 
[desk] noun (plural desks)

1.  FURNITURE table
used for work: a table with a broad flat or sloping
top, often with drawers and compartments, used for writing, reading, drawing,
or computing

2.  counter
offering service to customers: a counter where a
service is provided, for example, in a hotel or an airport

3.  department
of organization: a division of a communications company
or other organization that specializes in a particular area of interest

4.  MUSIC stand
for supporting music: a stand for supporting a
musical score that is shared by two players in an orchestra, or the two players
who share it

5.  CHRISTIANITY book
stand in church: a stand for the book from which a
service is read in church
adjective

of a desk: at,
for, done on, or taking place at a desk
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin desca from, ultimately, Latin discus “disk, dish, tray”
(see dish ). The underlying idea is of a
tray set on legs.][1]



deskbound

deskbound
desk·bound
[désk bòwnd] adjective

working at desk:
working at a desk rather than at a physically active or practical task[1]



deskclerk

deskclerk
desk
clerk
noun

receptionist:
a hotel receptionist[1]



deskill

deskill
de·skill 
[dee skíl] (past de·skilled, past
participle de·skilled, present participle de·skil·ling,
3rd person present singular de·skills) transitive verb

remove skill or initiative:
to remove the need for skill or judgment in the performance of a task, often
because of increasingly sophisticated production methods[1]



deskman

deskman
desk·man 
[désk màn, déskmən]
(plural desk·men [désk mèn, déskmən]) noun

desk worker, especially at
newspaper: somebody who works at a
desk, especially one who edits copy at a newspaper desk[1]



desksergeant

desksergeant
desk
ser·geant
(plural desk ser·geants) noun

administrative police
sergeant: a police sergeant who works
in administration at a station[1]



desktop

desktop
desk·top 
[désk tòp] noun (plural desk·tops)

1.  surface
of desk:
the working surface of a desk

2.  graphical
computer representation of office desk: a
visible portion of a software program that forms a background on which icons
representing equipment, programs, and files are displayed
adjective

usable on top of desk:
small and compact enough to be used on the top of a desk, especially as a piece
of computer equipment

[1]



desktoppublishing

desktoppublishing
desk·top
pub·lish·ing noun

production of publications
using personal computer: the use of
a personal computer and specialist software to design, lay out, and produce
typeset-quality documents for output on a computer printer or for commercial
printing[1]



desm-

desm-
desm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
desmo-[1]



desman

desman
des·man 
[désmən] (plural des·mans) noun

1.  Pyrenean
amphibious mammal: an amphibious mammal
resembling a mole that has dense fur, webbed feet, and a flat scaly tail and
lives in the Pyrenees. Latin name: Galemys pyrenaicus

2.  Russian
amphibious mammal: an amphibious mammal related
to the Pyrenean desman that is found in Russia. Latin name: Desmana moschata
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of Swedish desmanråtta “muskrat,” from desman “musk”
(from, ultimately, medieval Latin bisamum ) + råtta “rat.”][1]



DeSmet, Pierre Jean

DeSmet, Pierre Jean

De
Smet 
[də smét], Pierre Jean (1801–1873)
Belgian-born
U.S. Jesuit missionary. He was known for mediating between Native American
peoples and European settlers.
Nickname
Blackrobe[1]



desmid

desmid
des·mid 
[désmid, dézmid]
(plural des·mids) noun

green
freshwater alga: a green, usually one-celled, freshwater
alga composed of two symmetrical half-cells. It forms branching matlike
colonies and is found in unpolluted water. Family: Desmidiaceae
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Desmidium, genus name, which was coined from
Greek desmos “bond, chain.”]
—des·mid·i·an [des míddee ən, dez
míddee ən], adjective[1]



desmo-

desmo-
desmo-
prefix

ligament,
bond • desmosome
[From Greek desmos,
from dein “to bind” (source of English diadem
)][1]



DesMoines

DesMoines
Des
Moines 
[di móyn]

1.  the
longest river in Iowa, formed by the junction of its east and west branches
near Humboldt. Length: 526 km/327 mi.

2.  capital,
largest city, and commercial center of Iowa, situated where the Raccoon River
meets the Des Moines River in the south central part of the state. Population:
193,422 (1996)

[1]



desolate

desolate
des·o·late 
adjective [déssələt]

1.  empty:
bare, uninhabited, and deserted

2.  alone:
solitary, joyless, and without hope

3.  grim:
dismal and gloomy
transitive
verb
[déssə làyt] (past des·o·lat·ed,
past participle des·o·lat·ed, present participle des·o·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular des·o·lates)

1.  devastate
place:
to make a place barren or deserted

2.  make
wretched:
to make somebody feel sad and lonely
[14th
century. From Latin desolatus, the past participle of desolare,
literally “to leave alone,” from solus “alone” (source of English solitary ).]
—des·o·la·ter,
noun

—des·o·lat·ed,
adjective

—des·o·late·ly,
adverb

—des·o·late·ness, noun[1]



desolation

desolation
des·o·la·tion 
[dèssə láysh’n] noun

1.  wretched
feeling:
a feeling of loneliness and despair

2.  desolate
condition:
a condition of devastation or ruin in a place

3.  act
of devastating place: the act or process of
devastating or laying waste to a place

[1]



desorption

desorption
de·sorp·tion
[di sáwrpshən, di
záwrpshən] noun

chemically
releasing something: the action or process of
releasing an absorbed substance from something, for example, gas from rocks
[Early 20th century. Coined
from de- + absorption
.][1]



DeSoto

DeSoto
De
So·to 
[də sṓtō]

city in northeastern Texas.
It is a southern suburb of Dallas. Population: 34,993 (1996)[1]



DeSoto, Hernando

DeSoto, Hernando

De So·to 
[də sṓtō], Hernando (1500?–1542?)
Spanish explorer. He explored parts of
South America (1519–1532) and southeastern North America (1539–1542).[1]



despair

despair
de·spair 
[di spáir] noun

1.  feeling
of hopelessness: a profound feeling that there is no hope

2.  cause
of hopelessness: somebody or something that makes
somebody feel hopeless or exasperated • He
was the despair of his soccer coach.
intransitive
verb
(past de·spaired, past participle de·spaired, present
participle de·spair·ing, 3rd person present singular de·spairs)

lose hope: to
feel that there is no hope
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin desperare, literally “to stop hoping,” from sperare
“to hope,” from spes “hope.”][1]



despairing

despairing
de·spair·ing 
[di spáiring] adjective

desperate:
feeling or showing loss of hope
—de·spair·ing·ly, adverb[1]



despatch

despatch
des·patch 
intransitive and transitive verb noun

See
dispatch[1]



desperado

desperado
des·per·a·do 
[dèspə r dō] (plural des·per·a·does
or des·per·a·dos) noun

bold
violent criminal: a reckless and violent criminal,
especially in the early settlement of the western United States (literary)
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of obsolete desperate “desperate person,” modeled on Spanish desesperado
.][1]



desperate

desperate
des·per·ate 
[déspərət] adjective

1.  despairing:
overwhelmed with urgency and anxiety, to the point of losing hope

2.  as
last resort: so drastic or reckless as to be suitable
only for a last resort

3.  extreme:
extremely difficult, serious, or dangerous • a
desperate shortage of food and water

4.  in
great need:
wanting or needing something very much • Desperate
for an answer, she phoned again.

5.  beyond
hope:
so wicked as to allow no hope of redemption

6.  awful:
extremely bad or deplorable
[14th
century. From Latin desperatus, past participle of desperare (see
despair ).]
—des·per·ate·ly,
adverb

—des·per·ate·ness, noun[1]



desperation

desperation
des·per·a·tion 
[dèspə ráysh’n] noun

1.  recklessness:
recklessness brought on by great urgency and anxiety

2.  hopelessness:
a condition of being without hope

[1]



despicable

despicable
des·pi·ca·ble 
[di spíkəb’l] adjective

worthy
of contempt: fully deserving of contempt
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin despicabilis, from Latin despicari “to
look down on.”]
—des·pi·ca·bil·i·ty
[di spìkə bíllətee], noun

—des·pi·ca·ble·ness
[di spíkəb’lnəss], noun

—des·pi·ca·bly [di spíkəblee], adverb[1]



Despina

Despina
De·spi·na
[de spnə] noun

a small moon of Neptune:
a small natural satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1989 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe[1]



despise

despise
de·spise 
[di spz] (past de·spised, past
participle de·spised, present participle de·spis·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·spis·es) transitive verb

regard
with loathing and contempt: to dislike somebody or
something intensely and with contempt
[13th
century. From Old French despis-, the stem of despire, from Latin
despicere, literally “to look down on,” from specere “to look”
(source of English spectacle ).]
—de·spis·er, noun[1]



despite

despite
de·spite 
[di spt] preposition

1.  regardless
of:
notwithstanding or regardless of something • A
mission to investigate the rings of Saturn blasted off today despite bad
weather.

2.  contrary
to:
indicates that something is done unexpectedly or unintentionally • She
blushed deeply despite herself.
[13th
century. Via Old French despit “spite” from Latin despect-, the
past participle stem of despicere (see despise
).]
in
despite of

in spite of or notwithstanding
(archaic)[1]



despiteful

despiteful
de·spite·ful 
[di sptfəl] adjective

spiteful:
spiteful (archaic)[1]



DesPlaines

DesPlaines
Des
Plaines
[dess pláynz]

city in northeastern
Illinois, on the Des Plaines River. It is a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 54,836 (1996)[1]



despoil

despoil
de·spoil 
[di spóyl] (past de·spoiled, past
participle de·spoiled, present participle de·spoil·ing,
3rd person present singular de·spoils) transitive verb

plunder:
to rob a place, often using force, of everything of value
[13th
century. Via Old French despoillier from Latin despoliare “to
strip entirely of booty,” from spolium “booty.”]
—de·spoil·er,
noun

—de·spoil·ment, noun[1]



despoliation

despoliation
de·spo·li·a·tion 
[di splee áysh’n] noun

plundering of something:
the plundering of everything of value in a place[1]



despond

despond
de·spond 
[di spónd] intransitive verb (past
de·spond·ed, past participle de·spond·ed, present
participle de·spond·ing, 3rd person present singular de·sponds)

give
up hope:
to become discouraged or lose hope (archaic or literary) • began
to despond in their minds
noun

hopelessness:
a feeling of extreme unhappiness and hopelessness (archaic or literary)
• a
slough of despond
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin despondere “to give up (one’s vitality),” literally
“to promise away,” from spondere “to promise” (source of English sponsor ).]
—de·spond·ing·ly, adverb[1]



despondent

despondent
de·spon·dent 
[di spóndənt] adjective

discouraged:
extremely unhappy and discouraged
—de·spon·dence,
noun

—de·spon·den·cy,
noun

—de·spon·dent·ly, adverb[1]



despot

despot
des·pot 
[dés pòt, déspət]
(plural des·pots) noun

1.  POLITICS absolute
ruler:
a tyrant or ruler with absolute powers

2.  tyrannical
person:
somebody who acts in a tyrannical way towards people

3.  HISTORY Roman,
Byzantine, or Ottoman ruler: a minor emperor or prince of
the later Roman, Byzantine, or Ottoman empires
[Mid-16th century. Via French
despote from, ultimately, Greek despotēs “absolute ruler.”][1]



despotic

despotic
des·pot·ic 
[di spóttik] or des·pot·i·cal
[di spóttik’l] adjective

relating
to despot:
relating to, typical of, or behaving like a despot
—des·pot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



despotism

despotism
des·pot·ism 
[déspə tìzzəm] noun

1.  rule
by despot:
rule by a despot or tyrant

2.  abuse
of power:
cruel and arbitrary use of power

[1]



despumate

despumate
de·spu·mate 
[déspyə màyt, di
spy màyt] (past de·spu·mated, past participle de·spu·mated,
present participle de·spu·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·spu·mates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
CHEMISTRY form
froth:
to form froth or scum on the surface of a liquid

2.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY remove
froth or scum: to remove the scum or froth on the
surface of a liquid
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin despumat- the past participle stem of despumare
“to skim off (scum),” from spuma “foam, scum” (source of English spume ).]
—de·spu·ma·tion [dèspyə máysh’n], noun[1]



desquamate

desquamate
des·qua·mate 
[déskwə màyt] (past des·qua·mat·ed,
past participle des·qua·mat·ed, present participle des·qua·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular des·qua·mates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY scale
or peel off: to flake or peel off naturally in small
pieces (refers especially to skin)

2.  transitive
verb
DERMATOLOGY remove
layer of skin: to remove a thin layer of skin,
especially as a treatment for acne
[Early
18th century. From desquamat-, the past participle stem of Latin desquamare
“to scale off,” from squama “scale.”]
—des·qua·ma·tion [dèskwə máysh’n], noun[1]



dessert

dessert
des·sert 
[di zúrt] (plural des·serts) noun

1.  sweet
dish concluding meal: a sweet course eaten at the
end or toward the end of a meal

2.  U.K.
fruit
and nuts:
fresh or dried fruit and nuts served at the end of a meal (dated)
[Mid-16th
century. From French, literally “(course following) clearing the table,” from
the past participle of desservir, literally “to remove what has been
served,” from servir (see serve ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at desert.

[1]



dessertspoon

dessertspoon
des·sert·spoon 
[di zúrt spn] (plural des·sert·spoons)
noun

1.  medium-sized
spoon for eating dessert: a medium-sized spoon, larger
than a teaspoon but smaller than a tablespoon and used for eating dessert

2.  des·sert·spoon
or des·sert·spoon·ful amount
held by dessertspoon: the amount a dessertspoon
contains

[1]



dessertwine

dessertwine
des·sert
wine
noun

sweet wine:
a sweet wine served with dessert or after a meal[1]



destabilize

destabilize
de·sta·bi·lize 
[dee stáybə lz] (past de·sta·bi·lized,
past participle de·sta·bi·lized, present participle de·sta·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sta·bi·liz·es) transitive verb

undermine
and make unstable: to make something,
particularly a government or economy, unstable in order to impair its
functioning or bring about its collapse
—de·sta·bi·li·za·tion
[dee stàybəli záysh’n], noun[1]



destination

destination
des·ti·na·tion 
[dèsti náysh’n] (plural des·ti·na·tions)
noun

1.  predetermined
end of trip: the place to which somebody or something
is going or must go

2.  intended
or destined end: a purpose for which somebody or
something is intended
[14th century. From the Latin
stem destination- “appointment,” literally “something determined,” from destinare
(see destine ).][1]



destine

destine
des·tine 
[déstin] (past des·tined, past
participle des·tined, present participle des·tin·ing, 3rd
person present singular des·tines) transitive verb

preordain:
to preordain or intend somebody or something for a particular fate or use (formal)
[14th century. Via French
from Latin destinare “to set up, decree, determine,” from the base -stinare
“to cause to stand.”][1]



destined

destined
des·tined
[déstind] adjective

1.  sure:
sure, preordained, or intended • She
seemed destined for great things.

2.  heading
toward:
bound or traveling toward a particular destination

[1]



destiny

destiny
des·ti·ny 
[déstinee] (plural des·ti·nies)
noun

1.  somebody’s
preordained future: the apparently predetermined
and inevitable series of events that happen to somebody or something

2.  inner
realizable purpose of a life: the inner purpose of a life
that can be discovered and realized

3.  des·ti·ny
or Des·ti·ny something that predetermines
events:
a force or agency that predetermines what will happen
[14th century. From Old
French destinee, from, ultimately, Latin destinare (see destine ).][1]



destitute

destitute
des·ti·tute 
[désti tt] adjective

1.  lacking
the necessities of life: lacking all money,
resources, and possessions necessary for subsistence

2.  lacking
something:
lacking or without something • destitute
of ideas
[14th
century. From Latin destitutus, the past participle of destituere
“to set down, abandon,” from statuere “to set,” from status
“position.”]
—des·ti·tute·ness, noun[1]



destitution

destitution
des·ti·tu·tion 
[dèsti tsh’n] noun

extreme
poverty:
lack of the necessary means of subsistence

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at poverty

[1]



destrier

destrier
des·tri·er 
[déstree ər, di
strr] (plural des·tri·ers) noun

warhorse:
a warhorse or charger, especially of a medieval knight (archaic)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman destrer and Old French destrier from, ultimately,
Latin dexter “right” (because the horse was led by the squire’s right
hand).][1]



destroy

destroy
de·stroy 
[di stróy] (past de·stroyed, past
participle de·stroyed, present participle de·stroy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·stroys) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb demolish:
to demolish or reduce something to fragments

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ruin:
to ruin or make something useless

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb abolish:
to abolish, rescind, or end something

4.  transitive
verb
defeat:
to defeat somebody in a crushing way

5.  transitive
verb
kill
animal:
to kill something or somebody, especially an animal (usually passive) • Afterward,
the dog could not be cured and so had to be destroyed.
[12th
century. Via Old French destruire from, ultimately, Latin destruere,
literally “to undo results of building” from struere “to build” (source
of English structure ).]
—de·stroy·a·ble, adjective[1]



destroyer

destroyer
de·stroy·er 
[di stróyər] (plural de·stroy·ers)
noun

1.  NAVY small
fast warship: a fast highly maneuverable warship,
smaller than a cruiser and bigger than a frigate, that is used to escort
convoys and attack submarines

2.  somebody
or something that destroys: somebody or something that
causes destruction

[1]



destroyerescort

destroyerescort
de·stroy·er
es·cort
noun

warship used as escort:
a small, slow form of destroyer that is mainly used to escort convoys of
merchant ships[1]



destroyingangel

destroyingangel
de·stroy·ing
an·gel 
noun

highly poisonous fungus:
a highly poisonous large white mushroom with a frill near the top of its stalk.
It grows in moist woodlands in temperate regions. Latin name: Amanita virosa[1]



destruct

destruct
de·struct 
[di strúkt] noun

intentional
destruction of rocket or missile: the intentional
destruction of a malfunctioning missile or rocket after its launch
intransitive
and transitive verb (past de·struct·ed,
past participle de·struct·ed, present participle de·struct·ing,
3rd person present singular de·structs)

destroy
malfunctioning missile or rocket: to intentionally
destroy a malfunctioning missile or rocket after its launch, or be destroyed in
this way
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from destruction .][1]



destructible

destructible
de·struc·ti·ble 
[di strúktəb’l] adjective

able
to be destroyed: capable of being destroyed or liable to
be destroyed
[Mid-18th
century. Via French from late Latin destructibilis, from Latin destruct-
(see destruction ).]
—de·struc·ti·bil·i·ty
[di strùktə bíllətee], noun[1]



destruction

destruction
de·struc·tion 
[di strúkshən] noun

1.  process
of destroying: the act or process of destroying
something

2.  destroyed
state:
the condition of having been destroyed

3.  means
of destroying: a cause or means of destroying something
[13th century. From the Latin
stem destruction-, from destruct-, the past participle stem of destruere
(see destroy ).][1]



destructive

destructive
de·struc·tive 
[di strúktiv] adjective

1.  destroying:
causing or capable of causing destruction

2.  meant
to damage:
intended to damage or hurt rather than be helpful or instructive
[15th
century. Via French from late Latin destructivus, from Latin destruct-
(see destruction ).]
—de·struc·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·struc·tiv·i·ty
[d struk tívvətee, di
strùk tívvətee], noun

—de·struc·tive·ness [di strúktivnəss], noun[1]



destructivedistillation

destructivedistillation
de·struc·tive
dis·til·la·tion noun

process of decomposing and
recovering substances: the process
of heating solid substances in the absence of air to decompose them in order to
obtain useful products from the vapor and residues.
Also called
dry distillation[1]



destructor

destructor
de·struc·tor 
[di strúktər] (plural de·struc·tors)
noun

1.  U.K.
INDUSTRY incinerator:
an incinerator used to burn garbage

2.  AEROSPACE explosive
device for missile or rocket: an onboard explosive device
used to destroy a missile or rocket if it malfunctions dangerously after its
launch

[1]



desuetude

desuetude
des·ue·tude 
[désswi td] noun

disuse:
the condition of not being in use (formal)
[Early 17th century. Via
French désuétude from, ultimately, Latin desuescere “to become
unaccustomed,” from suescere “to be accustomed” (source of English custom ).][1]



desulfurize

desulfurize
de·sul·fur·ize 
[dee súlfə rz] (past de·sul·fur·ized,
past participle de·sul·fur·ized, present participle de·sul·fur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·sul·fur·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
or lose sulfur: to remove sulfur and its compounds from
something, typically from petroleum products or from flue gases when coal or
another fuel is burned, or to lose sulfur in this way
—de·sul·fur·i·za·tion
[dee sùlfəri záysh’n], noun

—de·sul·fur·iz·er [dee súlfə rzər], noun[1]



desultory

desultory
des·ul·to·ry 
[déss’l tàwree] adjective

1.  passing
from one thing to another: aimlessly passing from one
thing to another • conversing in a
desultory fashion

2.  random:
happening in a random, disorganized, or unmethodical way • The
soldiers were subject to desultory fire from the enemy position.
[Late
16th century. From Latin desultorius “leaping,” from desilire “to
leap down,” from salire “to leap” (source of English salient ).]
—des·ul·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—des·ul·to·ri·ness, noun[1]



det.

det.
det.
or det

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of detachment

2.  Abbreviation
of
detached

3.  Abbreviation
of
detail

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of determiner

[1]



Det.

Det.
Det.

(used in titles)Abbreviation
of detective[1]



detach

detach
de·tach 
[di tách] (past de·tached, past
participle de·tached, present participle de·tach·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·tach·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate:
to separate, disconnect, or unfasten something, or become separated,
disconnected, or unfastened

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY send
on special assignment: to separate a military unit
or an individual from the normal, larger unit for special duties
[Late
17th century. Via French détacher from Old French destachier,
from attachier “to attach” (see attach
).]
—de·tach·er, noun[1]



detachable

detachable
de·tach·a·ble 
[di táchəb’l] adjective

able
to be taken off: capable of being taken off,
disconnected, or removed
—de·tach·a·bil·i·ty
[di tàchə bíllətee], noun

—de·tach·a·bly [di táchəblee], adverb[1]



detached

detached
de·tached 
[di tácht] adjective

1.  not
attached:
not attached to something

2.  BUILDING separate:
standing on its own and not joined to another building

3.  free
from emotional involvement: unaffected by emotional
involvement or any form of bias
—de·tach·ed·ly
[di táchədlee, di
táchtlee], adverb

—de·tach·ed·ness [di táchtnəss], noun[1]



detachedretina

detachedretina
de·tached
ret·i·na
noun

condition affecting vision:
an eye condition in which the retina becomes separated from the eyeball,
causing loss of vision[1]



detachment

detachment
de·tach·ment 
[di táchmənt] (plural de·tach·ments)
noun

1.  aloofness
and indifference: lack of interest in or involvement with
other people, or indifference to worldly concerns

2.  disinterestedness:
a lack of bias, prejudice, or emotional involvement

3.  condition
or process of separation: the condition of being
separated from something, or the process of separating one thing from another

4.  MILITARY military
unit sent on special assignment: a military unit
separated from its normal, larger unit for special duties

5.  specialized
group:
any specialized and separately employed unit of a group or organization

6.  Canada
Canadian
police unit: an organizational unit of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police

[1]



detail

detail
de·tail 
noun [di táyl, d tàyl] (plural de·tails)

1.  individual
part:
an individual separable part of something, especially one of several items of
information • No
details of the proposed legislation are available yet.

2.  each
and every element: all of the individual
elements that together make up a whole • attention
to detail

3.  inclusion
of all elements: treatment of and inclusion of all of the
individual elements that make up something • Your
description of the item needs more detail.

4.  insignificant
part:
something that is insignificant or a minor part of something else • Safety
in the sport is not a mere detail.

5.  ARTS ARCHITECTURE small element of art or
structure:
a small element of a work of art or building structure, considered separately

6.  group
with special task: a group of people,
especially in the armed services, given a specific task
plural
noun
de·tails

personal facts:
facts about somebody, for example, his or her name and address
transitive
verb
[di táyl] (past de·tailed, past
participle de·tailed, present participle de·tail·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·tails)

1.  list
things:
to list or enumerate a series of items or events

2.  decorate:
to add refinements or decorations to something, especially a motor vehicle

3.  MILITARY give
military unit specialized assignment: to
assign a military unit to a specialized task (often passive)
[Early
17th century. From French détail, literally “piece cut off,” from détaillir
“to cut up,” from taillier “to cut.”]
—de·tail·er
[di táylər, d
tàylər], noun
go
into detail

to
be very specific and include all of the particulars

in
detail

covering every item or
particular[1]



detaildrawing

detaildrawing
de·tail
draw·ing
(plural de·tail draw·ings) noun

large-scale drawing of part:
a large-scale drawing that shows part of a machine, device, or building[1]



detailed

detailed
de·tailed 
[di táyld, d
tàyld] adjective

containing or emphasizing
details: including all or many of the
particular elements of something[1]



detain

detain
de·tain 
[di táyn] (past de·tained, past
participle de·tained, present participle de·tain·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·tains) transitive verb

1.  delay
progress:
to hold back or delay somebody or something

2.  LAW hold
in custody:
to restrain or keep somebody or something in custody
[15th
century. Via Old French detenir from, ultimately, Latin detinere,
literally “to hold back,” from tenere “to hold” (see tenant ).]
—de·tain·a·ble,
adjective

—de·tain·ment, noun[1]



detainee

detainee
de·tain·ee 
[d tay n, di
tay n] (plural de·tain·ees) noun

somebody kept under
restraint: somebody who is held in
custody[1]



detainer

detainer
de·tain·er 
[di táynər] (plural de·tain·ers)
noun

1.  writ
authorizing extended detention: a writ authorizing
that somebody in custody may be confined for a further period

2.  wrongful
detention:
the wrongful withholding of somebody’s property or freedom

[1]



detect

detect
de·tect 
[di tékt] (past de·tect·ed, past
participle de·tect·ed, present participle de·tect·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tects) verb

1.  transitive
verb
perceive
the existence of: to notice or discover the existence of
something

2.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See demodulate

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRIMINOLOGY work on crimes:
to investigate crimes or other matters as a detective
[15th
century. From Latin detect-, the past participle stem of detegere
“to uncover,” from tegere “to cover.”]
—de·tect·a·ble,
adjective

—de·tect·a·bil·i·ty [di tèktə bíllətee], noun[1]



detection

detection
de·tec·tion 
[di tékshən] noun

1.  perception
of something’s existence: the act of noticing or
discovering the existence of something, or the state of having been detected

2.  CRIMINOLOGY detective
work:
the work of a detective in investigating crime or wrongdoing

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See
demodulation

[1]



detective

detective
de·tec·tive 
[di téktiv] noun (plural de·tec·tives)

somebody
who investigates wrongdoing: somebody who investigates
and gathers evidence about crimes or possible wrongdoing, either for a police
force or privately for a client • I
became a detective last year.
adjective

detecting something:
acting to detect something • detective
devices[1]



detector

detector
de·tec·tor 
[di téktər] (plural de·tec·tors)
noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY sensing
device:
a device for sensing the presence of or changes in something, for example,
radiation or pressure

2.  somebody
or something that detects: somebody who or something
that detects

[1]



detent

detent
de·tent 
[di tént] (plural de·tents) noun

mechanical
locking device: a locking device, for example, a lever
or spring-loaded catch, that permits movement of a machine part in one
direction only
[Late 17th century. From
French détente “release,” literally “opposite of stretching,” from,
ultimately, Latin tendere “to stretch” (source of English tension ).][1]



detention

detention
de·ten·tion 
[di ténshən] (plural de·ten·tions)
noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY process
of being detained: the act keeping somebody in
custody, or the state of being kept in custody

2.  EDUCATION punishment
by being detained after school: a form of punishment
for school students in which they are made to stay in class at a break or at
school after normal hours
[15th century. From the late
Latin stem detention-, from, ultimately, Latin detinere (see detain ).][1]



detentionhome

detentionhome
de·ten·tion
home
(plural de·ten·tion homes) noun

place of detention for young
people: a place where young people
are held in custody, usually while awaiting disposition of their cases by a
juvenile court.
U.K. term
remand home[1]



deter

deter
de·ter 
[di túr] (past de·terred, past
participle de·terred, present participle de·ter·ring, 3rd
person present singular de·ters) intransitive and transitive verb

restrain
from taking action: to discourage somebody from
taking action or prevent something happening, especially by making people feel
afraid or anxious
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin deterrere, literally “to scare off,” from terrere
“to scare” (source of English terror
).]
—de·ter·ment,
noun

—de·ter·ra·ble, adjective[1]



deterge

deterge
de·terge 
[di túrj] (past de·terged, past
participle de·terged, present participle de·terg·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·terg·es) transitive verb

cleanse:
to cleanse something, especially a wound (technical)
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French déterger from Latin detergere, literally “to wipe
off,” from tergere “to wipe.”][1]



detergency

detergency
de·ter·gen·cy 
[di túrjənsee] or de·ter·gence
[di túrjəns] noun

cleansing power:
the ability of a substance to cleanse (technical)[1]



detergent

detergent
de·ter·gent 
[di túrjənt] noun (plural de·ter·gents)

cleansing
substance:
a cleansing substance, especially a synthetic liquid that dissolves dirt and
oil
adjective

cleansing:
with the properties of a detergent[1]



deteriorate

deteriorate
de·te·ri·o·rate 
[di tree ə ràyt] (past de·te·ri·o·rat·ed,
past participle de·te·ri·o·rat·ed, present participle de·te·ri·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·te·ri·o·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make worse: to become or make something worse in
quality, value, or strength
[Late
16th century. From deteriorat-, the past participle stem of late Latin deteriorare,
from Latin deterior “worse,” from, ultimately, de “down.”]
—de·te·ri·o·ra·tive [di tree ə ràytiv], adjective[1]



deterioration

deterioration
de·te·ri·o·ra·tion
[di tree ə ráysh’n] noun

1.  decline:
a decline in quality, value, or strength

2.  process
of deteriorating: the act or process of deteriorating

3.  deteriorated
condition:
the condition of having deteriorated

[1]



determinable

determinable
de·ter·min·a·ble 
[di túrminəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being determined: able to be worked out,
decided, or found

2.  able
to be ended: subject to being terminated
—de·ter·min·a·bil·i·ty
[di tùrminə bíllətee], noun

—de·ter·min·a·bly [di túrminəblee], adverb[1]



determinacy

determinacy
de·ter·mi·na·cy 
[di túrmeenəssee] noun

being limited:
the quality or condition of being determinate[1]



determinant

determinant
de·ter·mi·nant 
[di túrminənt] noun (plural de·ter·mi·nants)

1.  cause:
a factor that causes or influences something

2.  MATHEMATICS square
array of mathematical elements: a square array of
elements that is used in various mathematical processes, for example, solving
simultaneous equations and studying linear transformations, and which itself
has a numerical value
adjective

causal:
influencing or causing something

[1]



determinate

determinate
de·ter·mi·nate 
[di túrminət] adjective

1.  limited:
with exact and definite limits

2.  determined:
determined (formal)

3.  BOTANY with
stems ending in a bud: used to describe a pattern
of flowering in which primary and secondary stems end in a flower bud and stop
growing.
See
also
indeterminate
—de·ter·mi·nate·ly,
adverb

—de·ter·mi·nate·ness, noun[1]



determination

determination
de·ter·mi·na·tion 
[di tùrmi náysh’n] (plural de·ter·mi·na·tions)
noun

1.  firmness
of purpose:
firmness of purpose, will, or intention • full
of ambition and determination

2.  fixed
purpose:
a fixed purpose or resolution • her
determination to succeed

3.  act
of discovering something: an act of finding out or
ascertaining something, especially as a result of investigation or research (formal)
• determination
of the cause of death

4.  decision
on course of action: decision-making on, or the
establishment of, a course of action (formal) • They
were entrusted with the determination of future policy.

5.  settlement
of dispute or contest: the authoritative settlement
of a dispute, especially by a judicial body

6.  LAW end of
estate, interest, or right: the conclusion or
termination of an estate, interest, or right

7.  LOGIC qualifying
of concept:
the qualifying of a concept or proposition by defining its attributes

8.  EMBRYOLOGY stage
in development of embryonic tissue: the
stage in the development of embryonic tissue after which it can only develop as
one specific type of tissue and no longer has the potential to develop into
different types

[1]



determinative

determinative
de·ter·mi·na·tive 
[di túrmi nàytiv, di
túrminətiv] adjective

acting to determine:
able to determine something
noun
(plural de·ter·mi·na·tives)

1.  determining
factor:
a factor that determines something

2.  GRAMMAR See determiner
—de·ter·mi·na·tive·ly,
adverb

—de·ter·mi·na·tive·ness,
noun[1]



determine

determine
de·ter·mine 
[di túrmin] (past de·ter·mined,
past participle de·ter·mined, present participle de·ter·min·ing,
3rd person present singular de·ter·mines) verb

1.  transitive
verb
find
out:
to find out or ascertain something, usually after investigation

2.  transitive
verb
decide:
to decide or settle something conclusively

3.  transitive
verb
influence:
to influence or give form to something

4.  transitive
verb
fix
limits:
to fix the limits or form of something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb adopt
or cause to adopt purpose: to adopt a set purpose, or
make somebody do this • determined
to leave as soon as possible

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW end:
to end something, or come to an end
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin determinare, literally “to set the limits of,” from terminus
“limit, boundary.” Originally in the sense “to bring to an end.”][1]



determined

determined
de·ter·mined 
[di túrmind] adjective

with
fixed purpose: feeling or showing firmness or a fixed
purpose
—de·ter·mined·ly,
adverb

—de·ter·mined·ness, noun[1]



determiner

determiner
de·ter·min·er 
[di túrminər] (plural de·ter·min·ers)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR word
that determines noun use: a word such as “a,” “the,”
“this,” “each,” “some,” “either,” “my,” and “your” that appears before any
descriptive adjective and decides the kind of reference that a noun has.
Also
called
determinative

2.  something
or somebody that determines: something that or somebody
who determines

[1]



determining

determining
de·ter·min·ing
[di túrmining] adjective

causing something:
causing or deciding something • the
determining factor[1]



determinism

determinism
de·ter·min·ism 
[di túrmi nìzzəm] noun

belief
that everything is caused: the doctrine or belief that
everything, including every human act, is caused by something and that there is
no real free will
—de·ter·min·ist, noun[1]



deterministic

deterministic
de·ter·min·is·tic
[di tùrmi nístik] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to determinism: relating to the doctrine or belief that
everything, including every human act, is caused by something and that there is
no real free will

2.  of
knowable outcome: having an outcome that can be predicted
because all of its causes are either known or the same as those of a previous
event
—de·ter·min·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



deterrence

deterrence
de·ter·rence 
[di túrəns, di
túrrəns] noun

1.  act
of deterring: the act of deterring somebody or
something

2.  something
that deters: a means of deterring somebody or
something

3.  defensive
policy:
the policy of discouraging enemy attack by maintaining sufficient military
force to retaliate

[1]



deterrent

deterrent
de·ter·rent 
[di túrənt, di
túrrənt] noun (plural de·ter·rents)

1.  something
that deters: something that deters somebody or
something

2.  weapons
that deter an attack: weapons, particularly
nuclear weapons, held as a retaliatory threat
adjective

acting to deter:
capable of deterring somebody or something

[1]



detersive

detersive
de·ter·sive 
[di túrsiv] (plural de·ter·sives)
adjective

detergent:
with the properties of a detergent (technical)
[Late 16th century. From
French détersif, from Latin deters-, the past participle stem of detergere
(see deterge ).][1]



detest

detest
de·test 
[di tést] (past de·test·ed, past
participle de·test·ed, present participle de·test·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tests) transitive verb

hate:
to dislike somebody or something very much
[15th
century. Via French détester from Latin detestari “to bear
witness against, denounce,” from testis “witness” (source of English testify ).]
—de·test·er, noun[1]



detestable

detestable
de·test·a·ble 
[di téstəb’l] adjective

worthy
of being hated: causing or deserving intense dislike
—de·test·a·bil·i·ty
[di tèstə bíllətee], noun

—de·test·a·bly [di téstəblee], adverb[1]



detestation

detestation
de·tes·ta·tion 
[d te stáysh’n] (plural de·tes·ta·tions)
noun

1.  great
dislike:
an intense loathing or hatred

2.  detested
person or thing: something that or somebody who is
detested • Neckties
are a real detestation for him.

[1]



dethrone

dethrone
de·throne 
[dee thrṓn] (past de·throned, past
participle de·throned, present participle de·thron·ing,
3rd person present singular de·thrones) transitive verb

1.  POLITICS remove
ruler from power: to remove a ruler, especially a monarch,
from power

2.  remove
from position: to remove somebody from a high or
powerful position, especially a champion in a sport
—de·throne·ment
(plural de·throne·ments), noun

—de·thron·er, noun[1]



detinue

detinue
det·i·nue 
[détt’noo] (plural det·i·nues)
noun

action
to regain personal property: a legal action to reclaim
wrongfully withheld personal property
[15th century. From Old
French, “detention,” formed from detenir (see detain
).][1]



detonate

detonate
det·o·nate 
[détt’n àyt] (past det·o·nat·ed,
past participle det·o·nat·ed, present participle det·o·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular det·o·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

explode:
to explode, or make something explode
[Early
18th century. From detonat-, the past participle stem of Latin detonare
“to thunder down,” from tonare “to thunder” (source of English stun ).]
—det·o·na·tive, adjective[1]



detonation

detonation
det·o·na·tion 
[dètt’n áysh’n] (plural det·o·na·tions)
noun

1.  explosion:
an explosion, or an act of making something explode

2.  AUTOMOTIVE premature
combustion inside engine: a premature spontaneous
burning of a fuel-air mixture inside an internal-combustion engine

[1]



detonator

detonator
det·o·na·tor 
[détt’n àytər] (plural det·o·na·tors)
noun

means of making something
explode: a device or small quantity
of explosive used to make a bomb or larger quantity of explosive explode[1]



detour

detour
de·tour 
[d tr, di tr]
noun (plural de·tours)

1.  deviation
from more direct route: a deviation from a shorter,
more direct route

2.  TRANSPORT alternative
route:
a route to be taken by traffic as an alternative to the normal route when the
normal route cannot be used • We
encountered many detours.
U.K.
term
diversion

3.  indirect
path or procedure: a deviation from a direct,
expected, or previously decided course of action
intransitive
and transitive verb (past de·toured,
past participle de·toured, present participle de·tour·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tours)

deviate or make deviate:
to deviate or make somebody or something deviate from a shorter route
[Mid-18th century. From
French détour, from, ultimately, Old French destorner “to turn
away,” from torner “to turn” (see turn
).][1]



detox

detox
de·tox 
[d tòks] noun

See
detoxification
intransitive
and transitive verb (past de·toxed,
past participle de·toxed, present participle de·tox·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tox·es)

See
detoxify
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of detoxification and detoxify .][1]



detoxicate

detoxicate
de·tox·i·cate 
[dee tóksi kàyt] (past de·tox·i·cat·ed,
past participle de·tox·i·cat·ed, present participle de·tox·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tox·i·cates) transitive verb

See
detoxify
—de·tox·i·cant [dee tóksikənt], noun, adjective[1]



detoxification

detoxification
de·tox·i·fi·ca·tion 
[dee tòksəfi káysh’n] or de·tox·i·ca·tion
[dee tòksi káysh’n] noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY process
of removing or transforming poison: the
process of removing toxic substances or transforming them into something
harmless

2.  MEDICINE treatment
for addict:
the treatment of an alcoholic or drug addict by controlled withdrawal of the
toxic addictive substance.
Also
called
detox

[1]



detoxify

detoxify
de·tox·i·fy 
[dee tóksi f] (past de·tox·i·fied,
past participle de·tox·i·fied, present participle de·tox·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tox·i·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE rid somebody of toxic
substances:
to subject somebody to or undergo the withdrawal of a toxic or addictive
substance such as alcohol or a drug.
Also
called
disintoxicate

2.  transitive
verb
BIOCHEMISTRY remove
or transform toxic substance: to remove a poison from
something or counteract its toxic effects
[Early 20th century. Coined
from de- + toxic
+ -fy .][1]



detract

detract
de·tract 
[di trákt] (past de·tract·ed, past
participle de·tract·ed, present participle de·tract·ing,
3rd person present singular de·tracts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
something away: to reduce the quality, value, or
importance of something by taking something away

2.  transitive
verb
disparage:
to disparage somebody or something (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin detract-, the past participle stem of detrahere
“to take or pull away,” from trahere “to pull” (see tractor ).]
—de·trac·tive,
adjective

—de·trac·tive·ly, adverb[1]



detraction

detraction
de·trac·tion 
[di trákshən] (plural de·trac·tions)
noun

1.  lessening:
a reduction or taking away of quality, value, or importance from something

2.  slandering:
the act of damaging somebody’s reputation, especially by making discrediting
comments (formal)

3.  detracting
person or thing: somebody or something that detracts from
the quality, value, or importance of something

[1]



detractor

detractor
de·trac·tor
[di tráktər] (plural de·trac·tors)
noun

adverse critic:
somebody who disparages or devalues something or somebody[1]



detrain

detrain
de·train 
[dee tráyn] (past de·trained, past
participle de·trained, present participle de·train·ing,
3rd person present singular de·trains) intransitive and
transitive verb

leave
or take from train: to get out of or remove
people from a railroad train
—de·train·ment, noun[1]



detribalize

detribalize
de·trib·al·ize 
[dee trb’l z] (past de·trib·al·ized,
past participle de·trib·al·ized, present participle de·trib·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·trib·al·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

drop
tribal practices: to abandon or make people abandon tribal
practices, usually by exposure to another culture
—de·trib·al·i·za·tion
[dee trb’li záysh’n], noun[1]



detriment

detriment
det·ri·ment 
[déttrimənt] (plural det·ri·ments)
noun

1.  disadvantage:
damage, harm, or disadvantage

2.  harmful
thing:
something that causes harm or injury (formal)
[15th century. Via French
from Latin detrimentum, from deterere “to wear away,” from terere
“to rub, wear” (source of English attrition
).][1]



detrimental

detrimental
det·ri·men·tal 
[dèttri mént’l] adjective

harmful:
causing harm or damage
—det·ri·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



detrition

detrition
de·tri·tion 
[di trísh’n] noun

wearing
away:
the process of wearing something away by friction
[Late 17th century. From the
medieval Latin stem detrition-, from Latin deterere (see detriment ).][1]



detritus

detritus
de·tri·tus 
[di trtəss] noun

1.  debris:
debris or discarded material

2.  GEOLOGY rock
fragments:
fragments of rock that have been worn away

3.  ECOLOGY organic
matter:
organic debris formed by the decomposition of plants and animals
[Late
18th century. From Latin, from the past participle of deterere (see detriment ).]
—de·tri·tal, adjective[1]



Detroit

Detroit
De·troit 
[də tróyt]

largest city in southeastern
Michigan, on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. Population: 1,000,272 (1996)[1]



Detroittechno

Detroittechno
De·troit
tech·no
noun

techno music with feeling:
a type of techno music with a warm emotional feel, often using strings, that
originated in Detroit in the late 1980s[1]



detrop

detrop
de
trop 
[də trṓ] adjective

not
wanted:
superfluous or excessive
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “excessive.”][1]



detrude

detrude
de·trude 
[di trd] (past de·trud·ed, past
participle de·trud·ed, present participle de·trud·ing,
3rd person present singular de·trudes) transitive verb

force
away:
to force something down, out, or away (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin detrudere “to thrust down,” from trudere “to
thrust.”]
—de·tru·sion [di trzh’n], noun[1]



detumescence

detumescence
de·tu·mes·cence 
[d too méss’ns] (plural de·tu·mes·cences)
noun

reduction
of swelling: a gradual reduction in a swelling,
especially of a penis
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin detumescere “to stop swelling,” from tumere
“to swell” (source of English tumor
).]
—de·tu·mesce, intransitive
verb[1]



detumescent

detumescent
de·tu·mes·cent
[d too méss’nt] adjective

flaccid:
flaccid and no longer erect[1]



deuce

deuce1
deuce1 [dooss]
(plural deuc·es) noun

1.  CARD GAMES card
with two spots: a playing card or the face of a dice
that has two spots

2.  RACKET GAMES tie-breaking
situation:
in tennis, badminton, and other racket games, a situation in which a player
must score two successive points to win after the score is tied

3.  number
2:
the number 2 (slang)

4.  MONEY two
dollars:
two dollars, or a two-dollar bill (slang)
[15th century. Via Old French
deus “two” from Latin duos . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English two
.][1]



deuce

deuce2
deuce2 [dooss]
noun

bad
thing:
something that is bad or unpleasant (dated slang)
interjection

used
to show displeasure: used instead of a swearword
to show displeasure, irritation, or surprise (dated slang)
[Mid-17th century. Via Dutch
or Low German duus “throw of two on two dice” (the lowest score) from,
ultimately, Latin duus “two” (see deuce 1 ).][1]



deuced

deuced
deuc·ed 
[dssəd, dst]
adjective

used
for emphasis: used instead of a swearword to give
emphasis or to show irritation or displeasure (dated slang)
adverb

very:
decidedly or extremely (dated slang)
—deuc·ed·ly, adverb[1]



deuceswild

deuceswild
deuc·es
wild 
noun

deuces representing other
cards: a form of poker or another
card game in which a deuce can represent a card of any suit and denomination a
player chooses[1]



Deus

Deus
De·us 
[dáy əss] noun

God:
God
[13th century. From Latin .
From an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of deity, divine,
and July .][1]



deusex machina

deusex machina
de·us
ex ma·chi·na  [dày əss
eks mkinə] noun

1.  unconvincing
character who resolves plot: an improbable character or
unconvincing event used to resolve a plot

2.  god
who resolves plot: in ancient Greek and Roman
theater, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot
[From modern Latin, literally
“god from the machinery”; the machina was a device used in Greek theater to
lower actors onto the stage][1]



Deut.

Deut.
Deut.

Abbreviation of
Deuteronomy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








deuter-

deuter-
deuter-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
deutero-[1]



deuteragonist

deuteragonist
deu·ter·ag·o·nist 
[dtə rággənist] (plural deu·ter·ag·o·nists)
noun

second
most important character: a character second in
importance to the leading character ( protagonist
) in ancient Greek drama
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
deuteragōnistēs, from deuteros “second” + agōnistēs
“actor” (see protagonist ).][1]



deuteranopia

deuteranopia
deu·ter·a·no·pi·a 
[dtərə nṓpee ə] noun

kind
of colorblindness: colorblindness in which red
and green are confused
[Early
20th century. Coined from deutero- + an- + -opia .
From the fact that green is regarded as the second component of color vision.]
—deu·ter·a·nop·ic [dtərə nóppik, dtərə
nṓpik], adjective[1]



deuterate

deuterate
deu·ter·ate 
[dtə ràyt] (past deu·ter·at·ed,
past participle deu·ter·at·ed, present participle deu·ter·at·ing,
3rd person present singular deu·ter·ates) transitive verb

add
deuterium to compound: to add deuterium, an isotope
of hydrogen with double the normal mass, to a chemical compound
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from deuterium + -ate .]
—deu·te·ra·tion [dtə ráysh’n], noun[1]



deuteride

deuteride
deu·ter·ide 
[dtə rd] (plural deu·ter·ides)
noun

deuterium
compound:
a compound of hydrogen ( hydride ) in which
hydrogen has been replaced by its heavier isotope deuterium
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from deuterium + -ide
.][1]



deuterium

deuterium
deu·te·ri·um 
[doo tree əm] noun

hydrogen
isotope:
an isotope of hydrogen that has double the mass of ordinary hydrogen because it
contains a neutron in its nucleus. It is often used as a tracer in experiments.
Symbol D
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek deuteros “second” (see deutero-
) + -ium . From the fact that it is second
in the series of possible hydrogen isotopes.][1]



deuteriumoxide

deuteriumoxide
deu·te·ri·um
ox·ide
noun

See
heavy water[1]



deutero-

deutero-
deutero-
prefix

second,
secondary • deuteroplasm
[From Greek deuteros][1]



deuterocanonical

deuterocanonical
deu·ter·o·ca·non·i·cal 
[dtə rō kə nónnik’l] adjective

of a secondary collection of
scriptures: part of secondary, less well
regarded, or disputed collection of religious scripture, especially the
Apocrypha and the Antilegomena, or constituting or relating to one of these
secondary canons[1]



deuteron

deuteron
deu·ter·on 
[dtə ròn] (plural deu·ter·ons)
noun

deuterium
nucleus:
the nucleus of a deuterium atom, consisting of one proton and one neutron. It
is mainly used as a bombarding particle in particle accelerators such as
cyclotrons. Symbol D +
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from deutero-, on the model of proton .][1]



Deuteronomist

Deuteronomist
Deu·ter·on·o·mist
[dtə rónnəmist] (plural Deu·ter·on·o·mists)
noun

author of Deuteronomy:
one of the authors of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible[1]



Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy
Deu·ter·on·o·my 
[dtə rónnəmee] noun

Bible
book:
the fifth book of the Bible
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek Deuteronomion, literally “second law”
(because the book contains a repetition of the Decalogue and of parts of Exodus
).]
—Deu·ter·o·nom·ic [dtərə nómmik], adjective[1]



deutoplasm

deutoplasm
deu·to·plasm 
[dtə plàzzəm] noun

food
in cell or egg: nutrient matter contained in certain
reproductive cells, for example, the yolk in a bird’s egg
[Late
19th century]
—deu·to·plas·mic [dtə plázmik], adjective[1]



deutschemark

deutschemark
deut·sche
mark 
(plural deut·sche marks) or deut·sche·mark (plural
deut·sche·marks) noun

German
currency unit: the standard currency unit of Germany. Symbol
DM
Also
called
mark
[Mid-20th century. From
German, “German mark,” from deutsch “German” (see Dutch ) + Mark mark
.][1]



deutzia

deutzia
deut·zi·a 
[dtsee ə, dóytsee
ə] (plural deut·zi·as or deut·zi·a) noun

flowering
shrub:
a shrub in the saxifrage family, native to Asia and Central America, that has
clusters of white to pink or lavender flowers. Genus: Deutzia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name; named for Johann van der Deutz, 18th-century
Dutch patron of botany.][1]



dev.

dev.
dev.

Abbreviation of
deviation[1]



deva

deva
de·va 
[dáyvə] (plural de·vas) noun

deity
in Eastern religions: a Hindu or Buddhist god
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit, “god,” originally “bright or shining one.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to shine,” which is also the ancestor of English divine .][1]



DeValera, Eamon

DeValera, Eamon
De
Va·le·ra 
[dèvvə lérrə], Eamon (1882–1975)

U.S.-born Irish statesman. He
was a key figure in establishing the Irish Republic. He formed a dissident
faction of Sinn Fein, the Fianna Fáil party (1926), was prime minister
(1937–1948, 1951–1954, and 1957–1959), and served as president (1959–1973).[1]



devaluate

devaluate
de·val·u·ate
[dee vályoo àyt] (past de·val·u·at·ed,
past participle de·val·u·at·ed, present participle de·val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular de·val·u·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

See
devalue  verb 1[1]



devaluation

devaluation
de·val·u·a·tion 
[dee vàllyoo áysh’n] (plural de·val·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  lowering
of currency’s value: a lowering by the government
of the value of a nation’s currency relative to that of foreign currencies

2.  reduction
in importance: a reduction in the importance or value
of something

[1]



devalue

devalue
de·val·ue 
[dee vállyoo] (past de·val·ued,
past participle de·val·ued, present participle de·val·u·ing,
3rd person present singular de·val·ues) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lower
currency’s value: to lower the value of a nation’s
currency by a governmental action, or to become lowered in value

2.  transitive
verb
make
or become less valuable: to cause the value or
importance of somebody or something to be reduced, or to become reduced in
value or importance

[1]



Devanagari

Devanagari
De·va·na·ga·ri 
[dàyvə ngəree] noun

Indian
alphabet:
the alphabet that is used to write many of the modern languages of India as
well as ancient Sanskrit.
Also
called
Nagari
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit, from deva deva + Nāgarī,
an earlier name for the script, apparently literally “of the city, urbane.”][1]



devastate

devastate
dev·as·tate 
[dévvə stàyt] (past dev·as·tat·ed,
past participle dev·as·tat·ed, present participle dev·as·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular dev·as·tates) transitive verb

1.  damage
severely:
to cause severe or widespread damage to something • an
area devastated by floods

2.  upset
enormously:
to shock or upset somebody enormously, producing a feeling of being overwhelmed
or helpless (often passive)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin devastat-, the past participle stem of devastare,
literally “to lay waste completely,” from vastare “to lay waste,” from vastus
“waste” (source of English waste and vast ).]
—dev·as·ta·tion
[dèvvə stáysh’n], noun

—dev·as·ta·tive
[dévvə stàytiv], adjective

—dev·as·ta·tor [dévvə stàytər], noun[1]



devastating

devastating
dev·as·tat·ing
[dévvə stàyting] adjective

1.  damaging:
causing severe or widespread damage • policies
that have a devastating effect on economic growth

2.  very
upsetting:
causing enormous shock or upset • The
news was devastating.

3.  sharply
critical:
containing criticism that is very sharp and very effective or damaging, often
as a result of its precise detail or caustic wit

4.  remarkable:
startlingly impressive or attractive (informal) • the
devastating speed of her forehand return
—dev·as·tat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



devein

devein
de·vein 
[dee váyn] (past de·veined, past
participle de·veined, present participle de·vein·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·veins) transitive verb

remove dark vein from:
to remove the dark threadlike gut ( vein )
from the back of the tail meat of a shrimp[1]



develop

develop
de·vel·op 
[di vélləp] (past de·vel·oped,
past participle de·vel·oped, present participle de·vel·op·ing,
3rd person present singular de·vel·ops) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
and grow:
to change, or cause to change, and become larger, stronger, or more impressive,
successful, or advanced

2.  intransitive
verb
arise
and increase: to arise and then increase or progress
to a more complex state • Tension
was developing between the two nations.

3.  transitive
verb
acquire
feature, habit, or illness: to acquire a particular
feature, habit, or illness that then becomes more marked or extreme • The
baby is developing a cold.

4.  transitive
verb
enlarge
on:
to add details to a basic plan or idea

5.  transitive
verb
become
clear:
to become apparent and thus resolve a question or clarify a situation • It
developed that we didn’t need reservations.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb present
or be revealed in stages: to present the sequential
events or successive stages of a story or argument, or to have such events or
stages revealed • The theory is developed
at length in her new book.

7.  transitive
verb
use
resources for human purposes: to use or make available
land, minerals, or other natural resources for human purposes such as housing

8.  transitive
verb
build
structures:
to plan and construct buildings, roads, or other technological structures • develop
a global communications system

9.  transitive
verb
turn
film into negatives or prints: to treat photographic
film with chemicals in order to produce a negative or print (often passive)
• Send
the rolls off to be developed.

10. intransitive
verb
achieve
sexual maturity: to become sexually mature

11. transitive
verb
CHESS bring
piece into play: to bring a chess piece into play

12. transitive
verb
MUSIC vary
musical theme: to add to a musical theme by using
variation or ornamentation, especially by breaking it down into motifs and
using other musical techniques
[Mid-17th
century. From French développer, literally “to unwrap” (the original
sense in English ), from, ultimately, Old French voloper “to wrap”
(source of English envelope ).]
—de·vel·op·a·ble, adjective[1]



developed

developed
de·vel·oped 
[di vélləpt] adjective

ECONOMICS
wealthy and industrialized:
wealthy and technologically advanced, with sophisticated manufacturing and
service industries[1]



developer

developer
de·vel·op·er 
[di vélləpər] (plural de·vel·op·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who develops: somebody who or something that develops
something • the
developer of a new manufacturing process

2.  buyer
of land for building: a person or company that
buys land in order to build on it or sell it to others who want to build on it

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY chemical
for making negatives or prints: a chemical used to
turn exposed film into negatives or prints.
Also
called
developing agent

[1]



developing

developing
de·vel·op·ing 
[di vélləping] adjective

ECONOMICS
unindustrialized:
using or involving small-scale agriculture and industry of the kind that
characterized the earlier economic stages of technologically advanced nations[1]



development

development
de·vel·op·ment 
[di vélləpmənt] (plural de·vel·op·ments)
noun

1.  event
causing change: an incident that causes a situation to
change or progress (often used in the plural) • Have
there been any political developments since last week?

2.  developing
of something: the process of developing, developing
something, or of being developed, for example, by growth, change, or
elaboration • sustained
economic development

3.  being
developed:
a state in which the developing of something is not yet completed • The
prototype is in development.

4.  houses
or other buildings: a group of houses or other
buildings that are built as a single construction project

5.  MUSIC elaboration
of musical theme: the process of varying and elaborating
the rhythm and melody of a musical theme

6.  MUSIC musical
section where theme is developed: one of the three main
sections of the sonata form, in which the musical themes presented in the
exposition are rhythmically and melodically elaborated

[1]



developmental

developmental
de·vel·op·men·tal 
[di vèlləp mént’l] adjective

1.  involving
development: representing or involving a development
of some kind

2.  typical
of development: characteristic of or resulting from the
way something develops

3.  concerned
with development: concerned with development or a
development

4.  EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY developing
as child grows: changing or growing as a child grows • an
educational program that takes into account a student’s developmental capacity

5.  EDUCATION reflecting
age-related abilities: taking into account the
age-related capacities of children • a
developmental approach to the education of children
—de·vel·op·men·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



developmentalpsychology

developmentalpsychology
de·vel·op·men·tal
psy·chol·o·gy noun

branch of psychology:
the branch of psychology that deals with the ways that personality, cognitive
ability, and behavior change during a person’s life span, concentrating
particularly on childhood development[1]



deverbative

deverbative
de·verb·a·tive 
[dee vúrbətiv] or de·ver·bal [dee vúrb’l] adjective

GRAMMAR derived
from verb:
derived from a verb, such as the noun “driver,” which is derived from the verb
“drive,” and the adjective “clingy,” from the verb “cling”
[Early 20th century. Coined
from de- + verb
+ -ative .][1]



Devi

Devi
De·vi 
[dáyvee] noun

Hindu
goddess:
the supreme Hindu goddess, wife of the god Shiva, manifested in the different
forms and characters of Durga, Kali, Parvati, and Sati
[Late 20th century. From
Sanskrit, the feminine of deva (see deva
).][1]



deviance

deviance
de·vi·ance 
[dvee əns] or de·vi·an·cy [dvee ənsee] noun

different or unacceptable
behavior: behavior that is sharply
different from the norm or the accepted standard[1]



deviant

deviant
de·vi·ant 
[dvee ənt] adjective

different
from traditional norm: diverging sharply from a
customary or traditional norm or accepted standard, or displaying sharply
divergent behavior • abstract paintings,
once thought deviant, now worth millions
noun
(plural de·vi·ants)

somebody
behaving differently or unacceptably:
somebody whose behavior is different from the norm or from accepted standards
[14th century. From late
Latin deviant-, the present participle stem of deviare (see deviate ).][1]



deviate

deviate
de·vi·ate 
intransitive verb [dvee àyt] (past
de·vi·at·ed, past participle de·vi·at·ed, present
participle de·vi·at·ing, 3rd person present singular de·vi·ates)

1.  be
different:
to be different or behave differently

2.  turn
from:
to turn off from a course or path
adjective
[dvee ət]

behaving differently or unacceptably:
exhibiting behavior that diverges sharply from a norm or accepted standards
noun
[dvee ət] (plural de·vi·ates)

somebody behaving differently from
traditional norm: somebody whose behavior differs sharply
from the customary or traditional norm or accepted standards
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin deviat-, the past participle stem of deviare
“to depart from the way,” from Latin via “way, road.”]
—de·vi·a·tor,
noun

—de·vi·a·to·ry [dvee ə tàwree], adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








deviation

deviation
de·vi·a·tion 
[dvee áysh’n] (plural de·vi·a·tions)
noun

1.  change
or difference: a change or difference from what is
normal, accepted, expected, or planned • These
rituals represented a deviation from established practices.

2.  unacceptable
behavior or attitude: behavior or an attitude that
is sharply different from what is normal or acceptable

3.  STATISTICS difference
from statistical average: the difference between any
particular value and a fixed value, such as the average of all the other values
in its series

4.  NAVIGATION compass
error:
an error in a compass reading caused by local magnetic fields, especially on a
ship at sea

[1]



deviationism

deviationism
de·vi·a·tion·ism
[dvee áysh’n ìzzəm] noun

unorthodox
political views: departure from accepted or established
political views, especially from orthodox communism
—de·vi·a·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



device

device
de·vice 
[di vss] (plural de·vices) noun

1.  tool
or machine:
a tool or machine designed to perform a particular task or function

2.  ploy:
a way of achieving something, especially a clever or dishonest way

3.  bomb:
a bomb or something that causes an explosion or fire

4.  literary
or dramatic tool: something designed to create a
particular effect in a story or drama or to evoke a particular response from a
reader, listener, or viewer • a
familiar cinematic device

5.  emblem
or motto:
an emblem, motto, or combination of the two, especially when used in heraldry • a
heraldic device

6.  ornamental
design:
an ornamental pattern or design, for example, in embroidery
[13th
century. From Old French devis “division, contrivance” and devise
“plan,” both from, ultimately, Latin dividere (see divide ). The sense “simple machine” evolved in
the 16th century.]
leave
somebody to his or her own devices

to let somebody do as he or
she wishes, instead of giving the person direction or assistance[1]



devil

devil
dev·il 
[dévv’l] noun (plural dev·ils)

1.  dev·il
or Dev·il God’s enemy:
in Christianity and some other religions, the enemy of God, who rules Hell,
tempts people to sin, and as Satan personifies the spirit of evil

2.  evil
spirit:
an evil spirit, particularly a subordinate of Satan

3.  evil
person or animal: an unpleasant, violent, or evil person
or animal

4.  mischievous
person or animal: a mischievous, troublesome, or
high-spirited person or animal

5.  person
or animal:
a person or animal of the sort described • You
lucky devil!

6.  name
for tool:
a name given to various tools or machines, especially ones that cut or tear

7.  See
dust devil

8.  difficult
or unpleasant case: an extremely difficult or
unpleasant instance of something (informal)

9.  intensifier:
used as an intensifier in questions and exclamations (slang) • Who
the devil does he think he is, talking to his boss like that?

10. PRINTING (archaic) See printer’s devil
transitive
verb
(past dev·iled, past participle dev·iled, present
participle dev·il·ing, 3rd person present singular dev·ils)

1.  make
food spicy:
to cook or prepare a food with spicy seasonings

2.  pester:
to annoy, worry, or pester somebody, especially by making repeated requests for
something (informal) • He’s
been deviling me with requests for an interview.
[Old
English dēofol, from, ultimately, Greek diabolus “the Devil,
Satan” (see diabolic )]
between
the devil and the deep blue sea

faced with two equally
undesirable choices[1]



devilfish

devilfish
dev·il·fish 
[dévv’l fìsh] (plural dev·il·fish
or dev·il·fish·es) noun

fish with frightening
appearance: a fish that is thought to
have an evil or frightening appearance, such as a manta ray or octopus.
Also called
sea devil[1]



devilish

devilish
dev·il·ish 
[dévvlish] adjective

1.  sinister
or cruel:
so sinister, cruel, or evil as to be considered like or worthy of the devil • some
devilish scheme to get what they want

2.  mischievous:
full of or indicating mischievousness • a
devilish grin

3.  great:
extremely great or intense (informal) • the
devilish midday heat
adverb

very:
extremely (informal)
—dev·il·ish·ly,
adverb

—dev·il·ish·ness, noun[1]



devil-may-care

devil-may-care
dev·il-may-care 
adjective

1.  reckless:
foolishly nonchalant about risk or danger

2.  cheerfully
unconcerned: tending to enjoy the present and not
think or worry about the future

[1]



devilment

devilment
dev·il·ment 
[dévv’lmənt] noun

mischievous behavior:
troublesome, mischievous, or devilish behavior • always
getting up to some devilment or other[1]



devilry

devilry
dev·il·ry 
[dévv’lree] noun

See
deviltry[1]



deviltry

deviltry
dev·il·try 
(plural dev·il·tries) noun

1.  evil
behavior:
cruel or evil behavior or actions

2.  black
magic:
evil act or acts supposedly performed by calling on the powers of the devil or
evil spirits

3.  mischief:
mischief or a mischievous act (archaic) • the
endearing deviltry of young puppies.
Also
called
deviltry

[1]



devilwood

devilwood
dev·il·wood 
[dévv’l wd] (plural dev·il·woods)
noun

N.
American tree: a tree of the southern United States
that has hard wood, whitish bark, and fragrant greenish flowers. Latin name: Osmanthus
americanus
Also
called
wild olive
[Early 19th century. From the
fact that it is extremely difficult to cut.][1]



devil’sadvocate

devil’sadvocate
dev·il’s
ad·vo·cate 
(plural dev·il’s ad·vo·cates) noun

1.  opponent
for the sake of it: somebody who criticizes or
opposes something purely in order to provoke a discussion or argument

2.  Catholic
official opposing canonization: a Roman Catholic
official appointed to argue against the canonization or beatification of a
candidate
[Translation of Latin advocatus
diaboli][1]



devil’sclub

devil’sclub
dev·il’s
club
(plural dev·il’s clubs) noun

prickly
shrub:
a prickly shrub of western North America that has greenish white flowers and
clusters of red berries. Latin name: Oplopanax horridus
[From its prickles][1]



devil’sdarning needle

devil’sdarning needle
dev·il’s
darn·ing needle (plural dev·il’s darn·ing
needles) noun

1.  dragonfly:
a dragonfly (regional)

2.  (informal)
See damselfly
[From its long, needlelike
body][1]



devil’sfood cake

devil’sfood cake
dev·il’s
food cake
noun

dark
chocolate cake: a rich dark chocolate cake
[From the contrast with the
paleness of angel food cake][1]



Devil’sIsland

Devil’sIsland
Dev·il’s
Is·land
[dévvəlz lənd]

rocky islet off the coast of
French Guiana in the Atlantic Ocean. It was used as a penal colony from 1852 to
1946.[1]



devil’spaintbrush

devil’spaintbrush
dev·il’s
paint·brush
(plural dev·il’s paint·brush·es) noun

See
orange hawkweed
[From the fiery color of the
flowers, the devil being associated with fire][1]



devil’swalking stick

devil’swalking stick
dev·il’s
walk·ing stick (plural dev·il’s walk·ing
sticks) noun

See
Hercules’ club  noun 1
[From its prickly leaves][1]



devious

devious
de·vi·ous 
[dvee əss] adjective

1.  secretive
and calculating: not straightforward, sincere, and honest
in or about your intentions or motives

2.  unfair
or underhand: not adhering to the right or usual
course, procedures, or standards

3.  rambling:
circuitous and roundabout, usually changing direction many times • got
here by a devious route
[Late
16th century. From Latin devius “out of the way,” from via “way,
road” (see deviate ).]
—de·vi·ous·ly,
adverb

—de·vi·ous·ness, noun[1]



devisal

devisal
de·vis·al
[di vz’l] noun

1.  contriving:
the inventing or contriving of something

2.  LAW property
transfer by will: the handing down of property through a
will

[1]



devise

devise
de·vise 
[di vz] transitive verb (past
de·vised, past participle de·vised, present participle
de·vis·ing, 3rd person present singular de·vis·es)

1.  think
up:
to conceive of the idea for something and figure out how it will work

2.  LAW pass
on property: to pass on property through a will
noun
(plural de·vis·es) LAW

1.  will
clause bequeathing property: a clause in a will stating
that an item of property is to be given to somebody or something

2.  bequeathing
property:
the bequeathing of an item of property

3.  property
bequeathed:
an item of property bequeathed through a will
[13th
century. From French deviser “to divide, order” (the first senses in
English ), hence “to form a plan,” from, ultimately, Latin dividere (see
divide ).]
—de·vis·a·ble, adjective[1]



devisee

devisee
de·vi·see 
[di v z] (plural de·vi·sees)
noun

LAW
somebody bequeathed property:
somebody to whom property has been bequeathed in a will[1]



deviser

deviser
de·vis·er
[di vzər] (plural de·vis·ers)
noun

inventor:
somebody who conceives of something and figures out how it will work[1]



devisor

devisor
de·vi·sor 
[di vzər] (plural de·vi·sors)
noun

LAW somebody
bequeathing property: somebody who leaves property
to another in a will
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman devisour and Old French deviseor, both from Old
French deviser (see devise ).][1]



devitalize

devitalize
de·vi·tal·ize 
[dee vt’l z] (past de·vi·tal·ized,
past participle de·vi·tal·ized, present participle de·vi·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·vi·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
weak or lifeless: to deprive something of its strength or
vigor (formal)
—de·vit·al·i·za·tion [dee vt’li záysh’n], noun[1]



DeVito,Danny

DeVito,Danny
DeVi·to
[də v t], Danny (1944– )

U.S.
movie actor and director. He starred as Louie De Palma in the television series
Taxi ( 1978–1983 ).
Full name
DeVito, Daniel Michael[1]



devitrify

devitrify
de·vit·ri·fy 
[dee víttrə f] (past de·vit·ri·fied,
past participle de·vit·ri·fied, present participle de·vit·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular de·vit·ri·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become opaque and brittle: to change, or cause a
material to change, from a glassy to a crystalline state and become brittle and
opaque
—de·vit·ri·fi·ca·tion
[dee vìttrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



devocalize

devocalize
de·vo·cal·ize 
[dee vṓkə lz] (past de·vo·cal·ized,
past participle de·vo·cal·ized, present participle de·vo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·vo·cal·iz·es) transitive verb

See
devoice
—de·vo·cal·i·za·tion [di vkəli záysh’n], noun[1]



devoice

devoice
de·voice 
[dee vóyss] (past de·voiced, past
participle de·voiced, present participle de·voic·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·voic·es) transitive verb

make voiced speech sound
voiceless: to make a usually voiced
speech sound without vibration of the vocal cords[1]



devoid

devoid
de·void 
[di vóyd] adjective

lacking:
completely lacking in or without something • a
house devoid of charm
[14th century. From the past
participle of obsolete devoid “to remove, vacate,” from Old French devoidier,
literally “to empty out,” from vuidier “to empty,” from, ultimately,
Latin vacare (see vacation ).][1]



devoirs

devoirs
de·voirs
[dev wr] plural noun

expressions
of respect:
expressions or acts of courtesy and respect (archaic or literary)
[15th century. From Old
French deveir, literally “to owe,” from Latin debere “to owe”
(source of English debt and duty ).][1]



devolatilize

devolatilize
de·vol·a·til·ize 
[dee vóllət’l z] (past de·vol·a·til·ized,
past participle de·vol·a·til·ized, present participle de·vol·a·til·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular de·vol·a·til·iz·es) transitive
verb

strip
of volatile material: to remove volatile material
from a substance, usually by means of heat or a vacuum and sometimes by both
—de·vol·a·til·i·za·tion
[di vòllət’li záysh’n], noun[1]



devolution

devolution
dev·o·lu·tion 
[dèvvə lsh’n] noun

1.  delegating
of responsibilities: the delegation of
responsibilities from a superior to a subordinate, deputy, or substitute

2.  delegating
power:
the transfer of power from a central to a subordinate level or organization,
particularly from a central government to regional or local governments

3.  inheritance
of privileges: the transfer or inheritance of
authority, rights, or property, for example, from a monarch to his or her
successors

4.  See
degeneration  noun 3
[15th
century. From the late Latin stem devolution- from, ultimately, Latin devolvere
(see devolve ).]
—dev·o·lu·tion·ar·y [dèvvə lsh’n èrree], adjective[1]



devolutionist

devolutionist
dev·o·lu·tion·ist 
[dèvvə lsh’nist] (plural dev·o·lu·tion·ists)
noun

somebody
supporting power transfer: somebody who favors
transferring power from a central government to regional or local governments
—devolutionist, adjective[1]



devolve

devolve
de·volve 
[di vólv] (past de·volved, past
participle de·volved, present participle de·volv·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·volves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb transfer
or be transferred to another: to transfer power,
responsibility, or rights to somebody or something, for example, from a central
government to a regional government, or to be transferred in this manner

2.  intransitive
verb
become
another person’s obligation: to become the duty or responsibility
of another person

3.  intransitive
verb
deteriorate:
to deteriorate slowly over time • Order
has devolved into anarchy.

4.  intransitive
verb
LAW be
given or bequeathed: to be given to somebody
under the terms of a will or other legal instruction
[15th
century. From Latin devolvere ; literally “to roll down” (the original
sense in English ), from volvere “to roll” (source of English involve and volume
.]
—de·volve·ment, noun[1]



Devonian

Devonian
De·vo·ni·an 
[də vṓnee ən] noun (plural De·vo·ni·ans)

1.  De·vo·ni·an
or De·vo·ni·an pe·ri·od geologic
period:
the geologic period that extended from 410 to 360 million years ago, when
forests and amphibians first appeared and fish became abundant

2.  somebody
from Devon:
somebody who was born in or resides in the English county of Devon
adjective

1.  belonging
to geologic period: belonging or relating to the
geologic period that extended from 410 to 360 million years ago

2.  characteristic
of Devon:
relating to the English county of Devon, its people, or its culture
[Early 17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Devonia, from Old English Defenascīr
“Devonshire,” the former name of the county of Devon, U.K. Originally, the name
given to a geologic formation of rocks particularly prevalent there.][1]



devote

devote
de·vote 
[di vṓt] (past de·vot·ed, past
participle de·vot·ed, present participle de·vot·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·votes) transitive verb

commit
to particular purpose: to commit yourself to, or
allot or use something for, a particular activity, aim, or purpose • She
devoted her whole life to the cause.
[Late 16th century. From
Latin devot-, the past participle stem of devovere “to dedicate
by a vow,” from vovere “to vow” (source of English vow and vote
).][1]



devoted

devoted
de·vot·ed 
[di vṓtəd] adjective

1.  loving
and committed: feeling or showing great love,
commitment, or loyalty to somebody or something, especially over a long period
of time

2.  dedicated:
feeling or showing great dedication to something
—de·vot·ed·ly,
adverb

—de·vot·ed·ness, noun[1]



devotee

devotee
dev·o·tee 
[dèvvə t, dè vō
t] (plural dev·o·tees) noun

1.  ardent
enthusiast:
a very ardent enthusiast or follower of something

2.  religious
person:
a dedicated member of a religious or spiritual group

[1]



devotion

devotion
de·vo·tion 
[di vṓsh’n] noun

1.  committed
love:
deep love and commitment

2.  dedication:
great dedication and loyalty

3.  enthusiasm:
strong enthusiasm and admiration for somebody or something

4.  religious
fervor:
fervent religious or spiritual feeling (formal)

5.  act
of devoting: the act of devoting something or being
devoted to a particular purpose
plural
noun
de·vo·tions

prayers:
prayers or other religious observances, especially somebody’s private prayers
or observances

[1]



devotional

devotional
de·vo·tion·al 
[di vṓshən’l, di
vṓshnəl] noun (plural de·vo·tion·als)

short
religious service: a short religious service
usually consisting of special prayers (often used in the plural)
adjective

expressing
religious devotion: expressing or relating to
religious feeling, prayer, or worship
—de·vo·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



DeVoto,Bernard Augustine

DeVoto,Bernard Augustine
De·Vo·to
[də vṓ tō], Bernard Augustine (1897–1955)

U.S. historian and critic. He
was known for his articles for Harper’s Magazine ( 1935–1955 ) and his
three-volume work on the American West ( 1943–1952 ).[1]



devour

devour
de·vour 
[di vówr] (past de·voured, past
participle de·voured, present participle de·vour·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·vours) transitive verb

1.  eat
quickly:
to eat something quickly and hungrily • They
devour in minutes what it’s taken you all afternoon to prepare.

2.  take
in eagerly:
to read, look at, watch, or listen to something eagerly • Young
children seem to devour her stories.

3.  destroy:
to destroy something rapidly and completely (literary) (often passive)
• a
house devoured by the flames

4.  waste:
to use up something unwisely or wastefully (literary)

5.  overwhelm:
to become an overwhelming and destructive passion or obsession for somebody (literary)
(usually passive)
[14th
century. Via Old French devour-, the stressed stem of devorer,
from Latin devorare, literally “to swallow down,” from vorare “to
swallow” (source of English voracious
).]
—de·vour·er,
noun

—de·vour·ing,
adjective

—de·vour·ing·ly, adverb[1]



devout

devout
de·vout 
[di vówt] adjective

1.  very
religious:
deeply and faithfully religious

2.  very
sincere:
deeply and sincerely felt or meant (formal)

3.  devoted
to something: devoted to a particular personal
interest or cause • a devout Red Sox fan
[12th
century. Via French dévot from Latin devotus, the past participle
of devovere (see devote ).]
—de·vout·ly,
adverb

—de·vout·ness, noun[1]



dew

dew
dew 
[doo] noun

1.  water
droplets on cool outdoor surfaces: moisture from the air
that has condensed as tiny drops on outdoor objects and surfaces that have
cooled, especially during the night

2.  small
drops:
drops of moisture of any kind, for example, tears or sweat (literary)

3.  freshness
and purity:
a fresh and pure or refreshing quality in something (literary)
plural
noun
dews

dewdrops: drops
of dew (literary)
transitive
verb
(past dewed, past participle dewed, present
participle dew·ing, 3rd person present singular dews)

coat with dew:
to coat or moisten something with drops of dew (literary)
[Old English dēaw][1]



Dewarflask

Dewarflask
Dew·ar
flask 
[d ər flàsk] (plural Dew·ar
flasks) or Dew·ar vac·u·um flask [d
ər vàkyoom flàsk] (plural Dew·ar vac·u·um flasks) noun

insulated
thermal flask: a double-walled silvered glass or metal
flask with a vacuum between the walls, providing thermal insulation. It is
frequently used to store liquefied gases.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Sir James Dewar (1824–1923), British physicist and chemist, who invented
it.][1]



dewater

dewater
de·wat·er 
[dee wàwtər, dee
wóttər] (past de·wat·ered, past participle de·wat·ered,
present participle de·wat·er·ing, 3rd person present singular
de·wat·ers) transitive verb

remove water from:
to remove water from a substance, especially sewage or crude oil, or from a
place[1]



dewberry

dewberry
dew·ber·ry 
[d bèrree] (plural dew·ber·ries)
noun

1.  trailing
blackberry plant: a variety of the blackberry bramble with
trailing stems and bluish-black fruit. Genus: Rubus

2.  bluish
black berry: the edible bluish black fruit of a
dewberry plant

[1]



dewclaw

dewclaw
dew·claw 
[d klàw] (plural dew·claws) noun

animal’s
short digit: a functionless shorter digit or claw on
the foot of a dog or other mammal
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from the fact that while the other
claws touch the soil, or press the grass to the ground, this only brushes the
dewy surface.]
—dew·clawed, adjective[1]



dewdrop

dewdrop
dew·drop 
[d dròp] (plural dew·drops) noun

drop of water:
a drop of water that has condensed on a cool outdoor surface[1]



Deweydecimal system

Deweydecimal system
Dew·ey
dec·i·mal sys·tem or Dew·ey dec·i·mal
clas·si·fi·ca·tion noun

number
system for classifying library books: a
system of classifying library books that divides them into ten main classes,
divided in turn into categories with three-digit numbers and subcategories with
numbers after a decimal point.
Also
called
decimal classification
[Late 19th century. Named for
Melvil Dewey .][1]



Dewey,George

Dewey,George
Dew·ey 
[d ee], George (1837–1917)

U.S. naval officer. He
defeated the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay (1898) in the
Philippines.[1]



Dewey,John

Dewey,John
Dew·ey
[d ee], John (1859–1952)

U.S. philosopher,
psychologist, and educator. He developed the philosophy of pragmatism and was a
leading educational theorist.[1]



Dewey,Melvil

Dewey,Melvil

Dew·ey
[d ee], Melvil (1851–1931)
U.S. librarian and educator. He
formulated the Dewey Decimal System (1876), which revolutionized the way books
were catalogued.[1]



Dewey,Thomas Edmund

Dewey,Thomas Edmund
Dew·ey
[d ee], Thomas Edmund (1902–1971)

U.S. lawyer and political
leader. He was governor of New York State (1942, 1946, and 1950) and the
Republican nominee for U.S. president in 1944 and 1948.[1]



dewfall

dewfall
dew·fall 
[d fàwl] noun

1.  time
dew forms:
the formation of dew, or the time when dew begins to form

2.  amount
of dew:
the amount of dew that has condensed on objects and surfaces

[1]



dewlap

dewlap

dew·lap 
[d làp] (plural dew·laps) noun

1.  hanging
flap of skin on animal’s neck: a loose fold of skin
hanging from the neck of certain animals such as cows

2.  loose
skin on person’s throat: a loose fold of skin on the
throat of a person, often forming later in life
[14th
century. From obsolete English dewe, of uncertain meaning and origin + lap “loose piece.” The first element was
associated by folk etymology with dew, from
the idea that the “lap” touches the dewy ground.]
—dew·lapped [d lapt], adjective[1]



DEWline

DEWline
DEW
line 
noun

radar
network:
a line of radar stations across the Arctic regions of North America, designed
to give an early warning of approaching enemy aircraft and missiles
[DEW is an acronym formed
from Distant Early Warning][1]



deworm

deworm
de·worm 
[dee wúrm] (past de·wormed, past
participle de·wormed, present participle de·worm·ing, 3rd
person present singular de·worms) transitive verb

rid
of worms:
to cure an animal of an infestation of worms
—de·worm·er, noun[1]



dewpoint

dewpoint
dew
point
noun

temperature when dew forms:
the temperature at which the air cannot hold all the moisture in it and dew
begins to form. If objects and surfaces have cooled to below freezing point
when the moisture in the air begins to condense, frost is formed instead.[1]



dewworm

dewworm
dew
worm
(plural dew worms) noun

earthworm
for bait:
a common earthworm used as fishing bait
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the fact that the worm comes out when the earth is moist][1]



dewy

dewy
dew·y 
[d ee] (comparative dew·i·er,
superlative dew·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with dew:
covered with dew or characterized by the presence of dew

2.  moist:
moist or moist-looking

3.  like
dew:
like dew, especially in having a fresh, pure, or refreshing quality (literary)

4.  naive:
childishly pure or innocent (literary) • a
dewy outlook on life
—dew·i·ly,
adverb

—dew·i·ness, noun[1]



dewy-eyed

dewy-eyed
dew·y-eyed 
adjective

naive and innocent:
childishly innocent, inexperienced, or trusting • full
of dewy-eyed optimism[1]



dex

dex
dex 
[deks] noun

dextroamphetamine:
dextroamphetamine or a tablet containing it (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



dexamethasone

dexamethasone
dex·a·meth·a·sone 
noun

synthetic
steroid:
a synthetic steroid used to treat inflammatory conditions and hormonal
imbalances
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from dexa- (a blend of hexa- and deca- ) + methyl
+ cortisone .][1]



Dexedrine

Dexedrine
Dex·e·drine
[déksə drn] Trademark

a trademark for a sulfate of
dextroamphetamine used as a pharmaceutical drug[1]



dexie

dexie
dex·ie 
[déksee] (plural dex·ies) noun

dextroamphetamine:
a tablet containing dextroamphetamine (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



dexter

dexter
dex·ter 
[dékstər] adjective

on
the right:
placed on the right-hand side of a coat of arms, that is, on the left from the
point of view somebody looking at it (technical) (usually used after
the noun)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “on the right side” (see dexterous
).][1]



dexterity

dexterity
dex·ter·i·ty 
[dek stérrətee] noun

1.  physical
skill:
ease and skill in physical movement, especially in using the hands and
manipulating objects • manual
dexterity

2.  quick
wits:
sharpness or quickness of mind

[1]



dexterous

dexterous
dex·ter·ous 
[dékstərəss, dékstrəss]
or dex·trous [dékstrəss] adjective

1.  physically
skillful:
characterized by ease and skill in movement, especially in the use of the hands
to carry out tasks

2.  quick-witted:
mentally sharp or quick
[Early
17th century. From Latin dexter “skillful,” literally “on the right
side” (source of English ambidextrous
and destrier ). The right hand was
viewed as the stronger, hence the meaning “skillful.”]
—dex·ter·ous·ly,
adverb

—dex·ter·ous·ness, noun[1]



dextr-

dextr-
dextr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
dextro-[1]



dextral

dextral
dex·tral 
[dékstrəl] adjective (technical)

1.  on
the right:
on or relating to the right-hand side, especially of the body

2.  right-handed:
right-handed

3.  spiraling
to the right: used to describe the clockwise spiraling
of the shell of a marine invertebrate animal
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin dextralis from Latin dextra “right
hand,” from dexter (see dexterous ).]
—dex·tral·i·ty
[dek strállətee], noun

—dex·tral·ly [dékstrəlee], adverb[1]



dextran

dextran
dex·tran 
[dék stràn, dékstrən]
noun

substance
used as food additive: a glucose polymer ( polysaccharide ) produced by the action of
bacteria on sucrose and used as a blood plasma substitute, food additive, and
in confections and lacquers
[Late 19th century. Coined
from dextro- + -an
.][1]



dextrin

dextrin
dex·trin 
[dékstrin] or dex·trine [dék strn, dékstrin]
noun

substance
used as thickener: a product formed from the
heating of starch that is an intermediate in the formation of maltose, and is
used as an adhesive and a sizing, and in syrups and beers. (C6H1005)n
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from dextro- + -in
.][1]



dextro-

dextro-
dextro-
prefix

1.  right,
on the right • dextrocardia

2.  dextrorotatory
• dextroglucose
[From Latin dexter “on
the right” (source of English dexterity
and ambidextrous )][1]



dextro

dextro
dex·tro 
[dék str] adjective

See
dextrorotatory
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



dextroamphetamine

dextroamphetamine
dex·tro·am·phet·a·mine 
[dèk strō am féttə mn] (plural dex·tro·am·phet·a·mines)
noun

stimulant:
a form of amphetamine sulfate, used as a stimulant and antidepressant.
Also called
dex[1]



dextrocardia

dextrocardia
dex·tro·car·di·a
[dèk strō krdee ə] noun

medical condition:
a medical condition in which the heart inclines to the right side of the center
of the chest instead of the left, often with a similar reversal of all
abdominal organs[1]



dextroglucose

dextroglucose
dex·tro·glu·cose 
[dèk strō gl kss] noun

See
dextrose[1]



dextrorotary

dextrorotary
dex·tro·ro·ta·ry
[dèk strō rṓtəree] adjective

See
dextrorotatory[1]



dextrorotation

dextrorotation
dex·tro·ro·ta·tion 
[dèkstrə rō táysh’n] noun

rightward rotation:
a rotation to the right, particularly of the plane of polarization of light
passing through a crystal or solution. Substances that cause dextrorotation are
said to be optically active.[1]



dextrorotatory

dextrorotatory
dex·tro·ro·ta·to·ry 
[dèkstrərṓtə tàwree] or dex·tro·ro·ta·ry
[dèkstrərṓtə tàwree] adjective

rotating light clockwise:
rotating the plane of polarization of light passing through it to the right or
clockwise.
Also called
dextro[1]



dextrose

dextrose
dex·trose 
[dék strss] noun

sugar in fruit and honey:
a sugar produced during cellular metabolism in plant and animal tissue. It is
found in many fruits, especially grapes, and is a major component of honey and
corn syrup.
Also called
dextroglucose[1]



dextrous

dextrous
dex·trous 
adjective

See
dexterous[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dey

dey
dey 
[day] (plural deys) noun

1.  governor
of Algiers:
the governor of Algiers under the Ottoman Empire

2.  ruler
of Tunis or Tripoli: a title sometimes used for
ruling officials in Tunis and Tripoli in North Africa under the Ottoman Empire
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Turkish dayi “maternal uncle,” also a courtesy title.][1]



DF

DF
DF

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Abbreviation of direction finder[1]



D.F.

D.F.
D.F.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Defender of the Faith

2.  Abbreviation
of
Federal District

[1]



D/F

D/F
D/F

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Abbreviation of direction finder[1]



D.F.A.

D.F.A.
D.F.A.
(plural D.F.A.s)

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Fine Arts[1]



D.F.A.

D.F.A.
D.F.A.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Fine Arts[1]



DFC

DFC
DFC

Abbreviation of
Distinguished Flying Cross[1]



dg

dg
dg

Abbreviation of
decigram[1]



D.G.

D.G.
D.G.

Abbreviation of
Deo gratias[1]



DH

DH
DH
DH dh

Abbreviation of
designated hitter[1]



D.H.

D.H.
D.H.
(plural D.H’.s)

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Humanities[1]



Dhaka

Dhaka
Dha·ka 
[dkə, dákə]
or Dac·ca [dkə, dákə]

capital and largest city of
Bangladesh. It is situated in the center of the country, on the Buriganga, one
of the tributary rivers of the Ganges delta. Population: 3,397,190 (1991)[1]



dhansak

dhansak
dhan·sak
[dán sk] (plural dhan·saks) noun

curry
with lentils: an Indian curry that is made from meat
or vegetables mixed with lentils
[Late 20th century. From
Gujarati .][1]



dharma

dharma
dhar·ma 
[drmə] noun

1.  performing
of duties of Hinduism: in Hinduism, a person’s duty
to behave according to strict religious and social codes, or the righteousness
earned by performing religious and social duties

2.  eternal
truth in Buddhism: in Buddhism, the truth about
the way things are, and will always be, in the universe or in nature,
especially when contained in scripture
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit, “something established, decree, custom.”]
—dhar·mic, adjective[1]



dharna

dharna
dhar·na 
[drnə] or dhur·na [dúrnə] noun

protest
against injustice: in India, the practice of
protesting against an injustice by sitting and fasting outside the door of the
offender
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi, “placing, act of sitting in restraint.”][1]



Dhaulagiri

Dhaulagiri
Dhau·la·gi·ri 
[dòwlə gree]

one of the world’s highest
mountains. It is situated in the Himalayas in northern Nepal. Height: 8,163
m/26,811 ft.[1]



dhole

dhole
dhole 
[dōl] (plural dholes) noun

S.
Asian wild dog: a wild dog found in South Asia that has
a reddish coat and bushy tail, and hunts large animals in packs. Latin name: Cuon
alpinus
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Canarese tō⋖a
“wolf.”][1]



dhoti

dhoti
dho·ti 
[dṓtee] (plural dho·tis) or
dhoo·tie [dṓtee] (plural dhoo·ties)
or dho·tie [dṓtee] (plural
dho·ties) or dhu·ti [dṓtee]
(plural dhu·tis) noun

1.  Indian
man’s loincloth: a loincloth worn by some men in India

2.  cotton
cloth:
the cotton cloth used in India to make the loincloths called dhotis
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi .][1]



dhow

dhow
dhow 
[dow] (plural dhows) noun

Arab
sailing ship: a low-sided, one- or two-masted ship
with triangular curving sails, used by Arab sailors in the Indian Ocean
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Persian .][1]



Dhual-Hijjah

Dhual-Hijjah
Dhu
al-Hij·jah 
[dool hí j] or Dhu’l-Hij·jah
[dool hí j] noun

12th
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
12th lunar month of the year during which the holiday of Yom Arafat is
celebrated
[Late 18th century. From Arabic,
literally “the one of the pilgrimage.”][1]



Dhual-Qadah

Dhual-Qadah
Dhu
al-Qa·dah 
[dool k d] or Dhu’l-Qa·dah [dool k d] noun

11th
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
11th lunar month of the year
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic, literally “the one of the sitting.”][1]



dhurna

dhurna
dhur·na
noun

See
dharna[1]



dhurrie

dhurrie
dhur·rie 
[dúrree] (plural dhur·ries) or
dur·rie [dúrree] (plural dur·ries)
noun

cotton
rug:
a flat-woven cotton rug made in India
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi dari .][1]



dhuti

dhuti
dhu·ti
[dtee] noun

See
dhoti[1]



di-

di-1
di-1 prefix

1.  two,
twice, double • dicephalous

2.  containing
two atoms, radicals, or groups • dimethyl
[From Greek . Ultimately from
a form of the Indo-European word for “two” that is also the ancestor of English
twin, twilight,
and bi- .][1]



di.

di.
di.

Abbreviation
of
diameter
[Shortening][1]



di-

di-2
di-2 prefix

(used before vowels)See
dia-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dia-

dia-
dia-
prefix

through,
across • diachronic
• diadromous
[From Greek dia][1]



dia.

dia.
dia.

Abbreviation of
diameter[1]



diabase

diabase
di·a·base 
[d ə bàyss] (plural di·a·bas·es)
noun

igneous
rock:
an igneous rock of fine to medium grain size.
U.K.
term
dolerite
Also
called
dolerite
[Mid-19th
century. From French, of uncertain origin: probably from Greek diabasis
“act of crossing over,” from, ultimately, bainein “to go.”]
—di·a·ba·sic [d ə báyssik], adjective[1]



diabetes

diabetes
di·a·be·tes 
[d ə b teez, d
ə btiss] noun

medical
disorder producing excessive urine: a
medical disorder that causes the body to produce an excessive amount of urine,
especially diabetes mellitus
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek, literally “passer through, siphon,” from diabainein,
literally “to go through.” The underlying idea, from the symptomatic excessive
urination, is “passing through.”][1]



diabetesinsipidus

diabetesinsipidus
di·a·be·tes
in·sip·i·dus  noun

pituitary
gland disorder: a disorder of the pituitary gland that
causes the body to produce large amounts of urine
[From modern Latin, literally
“bland diabetes”][1]



diabetesmellitus

diabetesmellitus
di·a·be·tes
mel·li·tus 
noun

metabolic
disorder affecting blood sugar levels: a
disorder in which there is no control of blood sugar, through inadequate
insulin production (Type 1) or decreased cellular sensitivity to insulin (Type
2), causing kidney, eye, and nerve damage. Type 1 develops in childhood and
requires lifelong injection of insulin, while Type 2 develops in middle age and
can usually be controlled by diet and drugs.
[From modern Latin, literally
“honey-sweet diabetes”][1]



diabetic

diabetic
di·a·bet·ic 
[d ə béttik] adjective

1.  having
diabetes:
having diabetes, especially diabetes mellitus

2.  relating
to diabetes: relating to or caused by diabetes,
especially diabetes mellitus

3.  intended
for diabetics: made without sugar and therefore
suitable for people who have diabetes mellitus
noun
(plural di·a·bet·ics)

somebody with diabetes:
somebody who has diabetes, especially diabetes mellitus

[1]



diablerie

diablerie
di·a·ble·rie 
[dee bləree] noun

1.  magic:
witchcraft or magic

2.  things
connected with witchcraft or evil: stories, traditions,
and practices associated with magic or devil worship

3.  mischief:
mischief (literary)
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from diable “devil,” from Latin diabolic (see devil ).][1]



diablo

diablo
di·ab·lo 
[dy blō, dee 
blō] adjective

spicy:
used to describe a food that is seasoned with hot pepper (usually used after
a noun)
[Late 20th century. From
French diable “flavored with hot spices,” literally “devil,” from Latin diabolus
(see devil ).][1]



diabolical

diabolical
di·a·bol·i·cal 
[d ə bóllik’l] or di·a·bol·ic
[d ə bóllik] adjective

1.  of
devil:
connected with the devil or devil worship

2.  evil:
extremely cruel or evil.
U.K.
term
diabolic
[14th
c. Via French diabolique from late Latin diabolicus, from,
ultimately Greek diabolos (see devil
).]
—di·a·bol·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



diabolism

diabolism
di·ab·o·lism 
[dī ábbə lìzzəm] noun

1.  devil
worship:
worship of the devil or devils

2.  evil
behavior:
evil behavior or character (literary)
—di·ab·o·list, noun[1]



diabolize

diabolize
di·ab·o·lize 
[dī ábbə lz] (past di·ab·o·lized,
past participle di·ab·o·lized, present participle di·ab·o·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular di·ab·o·liz·es) transitive verb

1.  cause
to seem evil: to cause somebody or something to appear
evil

2.  make
evil:
to make somebody or something evil

[1]



diachronic

diachronic
di·a·chron·ic 
[d ə krónnik] adjective

concerning
historical development: involving, or relating to
the study of, the development of something, especially a language, through time
• diachronic
linguistics
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from dia- + Greek khronos
“time” (source of English chronic, chronicle, and chronological
).]
—di·a·chron·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



diachronism

diachronism
di·ach·ro·nism
[dī ákrə nìzzəm] noun

formation
including rock of different ages: the existence within a
single geological formation of regions of rock that were laid down at different
times, for example, by a sea that gradually covered a landmass
—di·ach·ro·nous, adjective[1]



diachrony

diachrony
di·ach·ro·ny 
[dī ákrənee] noun

change over time:
change or development over time (formal)[1]



diacid

diacid
di·ac·id
[dī ássid] adjective

having
two acidic hydrogen atoms: having two acidic hydrogen
atoms that may be replaced by metal or acid ions to form a salt or an ester
noun
(plural di·ac·ids)

acid
with two acidic hydrogen atoms: an acid that has two
acidic hydrogen atoms
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from di- + acid,
on the model of dibasic .][1]



diaconal

diaconal
di·ac·o·nal 
[dī ákən’l, dee
ákən’l] adjective

relating
to deacon or diaconate: relating to a deacon or
deaconess or to the position of deacon or deaconess
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin diaconalis, from diaconus (see deacon ).][1]



diaconate

diaconate
di·ac·o·nate 
[dī ákənət, dee
ákənət] (plural di·ac·o·nates) noun

deacon’s
position or period of office: the position of deacon or
deaconess, or the period of time during which it is held by a particular person
[Early 18th century. From
late Latin diaconatus, from diaconus (see deacon ).][1]



diacritic

diacritic
di·a·crit·ic 
[d ə kríttik] adjective

See
diacritical
noun
(plural di·a·crit·ics)

phonetic
mark added to letter: a mark above or below a
printed letter that indicates a change in the way it is to be pronounced or
stressed. Acute and grave accents, tildes, and cedillas are examples of
diacritics.
Also
called
diacritical mark
[Late 17th century. From
Greek diakritikos “that distinguishes or separates,” from, ultimately, krinein
“to separate, decide” (source of English crisis,
critic, and hypocrisy ).][1]



diacritical

diacritical
di·a·crit·i·cal 
[d ə kríttik’l] or di·a·crit·ic
[d ə kríttik] adjective

marking
a change or modification: indicating a change or
modification in something, especially in the way a printed letter is to be
pronounced or stressed
—di·a·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



diacriticalmark

diacriticalmark
di·a·crit·i·cal
mark
(plural di·a·crit·i·cal marks) noun

See
diacritic[1]



diadelphous

diadelphous
di·a·del·phous 
[d ə délfəss] adjective

with
bundled stamen filaments: used to describe stamens or
flowers that have the stamen filaments grouped into two bundles
[Early 19th century. Coined
from di- + Greek adelphos “brother.”][1]



diadem

diadem
di·a·dem 
[d ə dèm, d ədəm]
(plural di·a·dems) noun

1.  crown:
a jeweled headband used as a royal crown

2.  jeweled
headband:
any jeweled headband

3.  regal
power:
royal power or dignity (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek diadēma “headband,” especially the regal
headband of Persian kings, adopted by Alexander the Great, from diadein
“to bind around,” from dein “to bind.”][1]



Diadochi

Diadochi
Di·ad·o·chi 
[dī áddəkee] plural noun

successors of Alexander the
Great: the six Macedonian generals
who divided up and then fought over the empire of Alexander the Great after his
death[1]



diadochy

diadochy
di·ad·o·chy
[dī áddəkee] noun

replacement
of element:
the replacement of one element by another within the structure of a crystal
[Early 18th century. From
Greek diadokhē “succession,” from diadekhesthai “to succeed,”
from dekhesthai “to take, accept.”][1]



diadromous

diadromous
di·ad·ro·mous
[dī áddrəməss] adjective

ZOOLOGY migrating
between waters: used to describe fish that migrate
between fresh and salt water.
Also
called
fluviomarine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from dia- + “running,” from, ultimately,
Greek -dromous dromos .][1]



diaeresis

diaeresis
di·aer·e·sis 
[dī érrəssiss] noun

See
dieresis[1]



diag.

diag.
diag.

1.  Abbreviation
of
diagonal

2.  Abbreviation
of
diagram

[1]



diagenesis

diagenesis
di·a·gen·e·sis 
[d ə jénnəssiss] noun

formation
of rock:
the changes that take place in a sediment as a result of increased temperatures
and pressures, causing solid rock to form, for example, as sand becomes
sandstone
—di·a·ge·net·ic [d əjə néttik], adjective[1]



diageotropism

diageotropism
di·a·ge·ot·ro·pism 
[d əjee óttrə pìzzəm] noun

horizontal
growth:
a response of a plant to gravity in which a part of the plant adopts a
horizontal position
—di·a·ge·o·trop·ic [d əjee ə tróppik], adjective[1]



diagnose

diagnose
di·ag·nose 
[d əg nz, d əg
nss] (past di·ag·nosed, past participle di·ag·nosed,
present participle di·ag·nos·ing, 3rd person present singular
di·ag·nos·es) transitive verb

1.  identify
illness in patient: to identify an illness or
disorder in a patient through an interview, physical examination, and medical
tests and other procedures

2.  identify
cause of something: to identify the nature or
cause of something, especially a problem or fault
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from diagnosis .]
—di·ag·nos·a·ble
[d əg nṓzəb’l, d
əg nṓssəb’l], adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Diagnose means “discover” or
  “identify.” Thus • flu was diagnosed
  is correct, and • she was diagnosed
  with flu
  is not correct.

[1]



diagnosis

diagnosis
di·ag·no·sis 
[d əg nssiss] (plural di·ag·no·ses
[d əg n sz]) noun

1.  identification
of illness:
the identifying of an illness or disorder in a patient through an interview,
physical examination, and medical tests and other procedures

2.  identification
of problem:
the identifying of the nature or cause of something, especially a problem or
fault

3.  decision
reached by diagnosis: a decision or conclusion
reached by medical or other diagnosis • The
diagnosis is flu.
[Late 17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek diagnōsis, from diagignōskein “to distinguish,”
literally “to know apart,” from gignōskein “to know, perceive” (source
of English physiognomy and gnostic ).][1]



diagnostic

diagnostic
di·ag·nos·tic 
[d əg nóstik] adjective

for
identifying illnesses or problems: identifying, or used
in identifying, the nature or cause of an illness, disorder, or problem
noun

test
to identify something: a test, procedure, or
instrument used to identify the nature or cause of an illness, disorder, or
problem
—di·ag·nos·ti·cal·ly [d əg nóstikəlee], adverb[1]



diagnostician

diagnostician
di·ag·nos·ti·cian 
[d əg nos tísh’n] (plural di·ag·nos·ti·cians)
noun

1.  doctor
skilled at diagnosis: a doctor with special skills
in identifying illnesses or disorders

2.  problem
identifier:
somebody with special skills in identifying the cause or nature of a problem

[1]



diagnostics

diagnostics
di·ag·nos·tics
[d əg nóstiks] noun

identification of illness:
the art of, or procedures for, identifying illnesses or disorders in patients
through diagnosis (takes a singular verb)[1]



diagonal

diagonal
di·ag·o·nal 
[dī ággən’l, dī
ággn’l] adjective

1.  slanting
or oblique:
running from one side to another in a slanting or oblique way

2.  with
slanting lines: having slanting lines or markings

3.  GEOMETRY joining
angles or corners: used to describe a line that
joins two opposite or nonadjacent angles or corners of a straight-sided
geometric figure
noun
(plural di·ag·o·nals)

1.  slanting
line:
a slanting line or direction

2.  line
joining angles: a line that joins two opposite or nonadjacent
angles or corners of a straight-sided geometric figure

3.  PRINTING See slash
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin diagonalis, from Greek diagōnios “from angle
to angle,” from gōnia “angle” (source of English polygon and amblygonite
).]
—di·ag·o·nal·ly [dī ággən’lee, dī ággnəlee],
adverb[1]



diagram

diagram
di·a·gram 
[d ə gràm] noun (plural di·a·gramed)

1.  simple
explanatory drawing: a simple drawing showing the
basic shape, layout, or workings of something

2.  chart:
a chart or graph that illustrates something such as a statistical trend

3.  mathematical
drawing:
a line drawing that presents mathematical information
transitive
verb
(past di·a·grammed, past participle di·a·gram·ing, present
participle di·a·gram·ming, 3rd person present singular di·a·grams)

illustrate something:
to make a diagram that represents or illustrates something
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek diagramma “geometrical figure,
written list, scale in music,” from diagraphein “to mark out by lines,
draw,” from graphein “to write” (see graph
).]
—di·a·gram·ma·ble, adjective[1]



diagrammatic

diagrammatic
di·a·gram·mat·ic 
[d əgrə máttik] or di·a·gram·mat·i·cal
[d əgrə máttik] adjective

as
simple illustration: in the form of an
explanatory drawing or chart
—di·a·gram·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



diagraph

diagraph
di·a·graph
[d ə gràf] (plural di·a·graphs)
noun

copier
that changes scale: a mechanical instrument used
for producing scale copies of diagrams and maps
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Greek diagraphein (see diagram
).][1]



diakinesis

diakinesis
di·a·ki·ne·sis 
[d əki nssiss] noun

stage
in cell division: the final stage in cell reduction
division ( meiosis ) during which the paired
chromosomes begin to shorten, thicken, and separate
[Early
20th century. Via modern Latin from German Diakinese, from Greek kinēsis
“motion” (see kinesiology ).]
—di·a·ki·net·ic [d əki néttik], adjective[1]



dial.

dial.
dial.

1.  Abbreviation
of
dialect

2.  Abbreviation
of
dialectal

3.  Abbreviation
of
dialectic

4.  Abbreviation
of
dialectical

5.  Abbreviation
of
dialogue

[1]



dial

dial
di·al 
[d əl] noun (plural di·als)

1.  indicator
with moveable pointer: an instrument with a movable
pointer that displays a measurement, for example, the current speed of a
vehicle or the level of steam pressure inside a boiler

2.  control
knob:
a round control knob or disk turned with the fingers to adjust a piece of
electrical or mechanical equipment, for example, a radio

3.  station
indicator on radio: a numbered panel with a
movable pointer on a radio that is used for tuning in to different stations

4.  clock
face:
the round face of a traditional clock

5.  disk
with holes on telephone: a disk with numbered finger
holes on the front of an old telephone, turned with a finger to select the
required telephone number

6.  sundial:
a sundial or its face (dated or literary)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past di·aled,
past participle di·aled, present participle di·al·ing,
3rd person present singular di·als)

1.  call
by telephone: to call a number or a person on the
telephone

2.  select
radio or television station: to tune in a radio or
television station or program using a dial
[14th
century. Via Old French, “wheel in clockwork that makes a revolution once a
day,” from, ultimately, Latin dies “day.” The underlying idea is
“recording a day’s passage.”]
—di·al·er, noun[1]



dialect

dialect
di·a·lect 
[d ə lèkt] (plural di·a·lects)
noun

1.  regional
variety of language: a regional variety of a
language, with differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

2.  language
spoken by class or profession: a form of a language
spoken by members of a particular social class or profession

3.  nonstandard
speech:
nonstandard spoken language

4.  member
of language family: one of a family of related
languages • Romance
dialects such as French and Italian
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin dialogus, “way of speaking,
dialect,” from Greek dialektos “conversation, language, local speech,”
from dialegesthai (see dialogue ).]
—di·a·lec·tal
[d ə lékt’l], adjective

—di·a·lec·tal·ly [d ə léktəlee], adverb[1]



dialectatlas

dialectatlas
di·a·lect
at·las
(plural di·a·lect at·las·es) noun

See
linguistic atlas[1]



dialectgeography

dialectgeography
di·a·lect
ge·og·ra·phy noun

See
linguistic geography
—di·a·lect ge·og·ra·pher,
noun[1]



dialectic

dialectic
di·a·lec·tic 
[d ə léktik] (plural di·a·lec·tics)
noun

1.  tension
between conflicting ideas: the tension that exists
between two conflicting or interacting forces, elements, or ideas

2.  investigation
of truth through discussion: the investigation of the
truth through discussion, or the art of investigating truths through discussion

3.  di·a·lec·tic
or di·a·lec·tics debate resolving
conflict:
debate intended to resolve a conflict between two contradictory or apparently
contradictory ideas or elements logically, establishing truths on both sides
rather than disproving one argument (takes a singular verb)

4.  Hegelian
process:
the process, in Hegelian and Marxist thought, in which two apparently opposed
ideas, the thesis and antithesis, become combined in a unified whole, the
synthesis

5.  Socratic
method for revealing truth: the methods used in Socratic
philosophy to reveal truth through disputation
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
dialectica from Greek dialektikē (tekhnē) “(art) of discussion or
debate,” from dialektikos “of conversation,” from dialektos (see dialect ).][1]



dialectical

dialectical
di·a·lec·ti·cal 
[d ə léktik’l] adjective

1.  achieved
by dialectic: achieved or attempted by dialectic

2.  involving
dialectic:
involving or depending upon dialectic

3.  relating
to dialect:
relating to or belonging to a dialect
—di·a·lec·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dialecticalmaterialism

dialecticalmaterialism
di·a·lec·ti·cal
ma·te·ri·al·ism noun

Marx’s
framework for explaining reality: the Marxian concept of
reality in which material things are in the constant process of change brought
about by the tension between conflicting or interacting forces, elements, or
ideas
—di·a·lec·ti·cal
ma·te·ri·al·ist, noun[1]



dialectician

dialectician
di·a·lec·ti·cian 
[d ə lek tísh’n] (plural di·a·lec·ti·cians)
noun

1.  student
of dialects: somebody who studies or is a specialist
in language dialects

2.  philosopher
skilled at dialectic: a person who practises
dialectic or has special skills in dialectic

[1]



dialectics

dialectics
di·a·lec·tics
noun

See
dialectic  noun 3[1]



dialectology

dialectology
di·a·lec·tol·o·gy 
[d ə lek tólləjee] noun

study
of dialects: the study of language dialects
—di·a·lec·to·log·i·cal
[d ə lektə lójjik’l], adjective

—di·a·lec·to·log·i·cal·ly
[d ə lektə lójjikəlee], adverb

—di·a·lec·tol·o·gist [d ə lek tólləjist], noun[1]



dialgauge

dialgauge
di·al
gauge
(plural di·al gaug·es) noun

pressure-measuring device:
a sensitive measuring device that indicates small displacements of a plunger by
means of a pointer moving over a circular scale. It is usually used for
measuring pressure or a vacuum.[1]



diallingtone

diallingtone
di·al·ling
tone
(plural di·al·ling tones) noun

U.K.
See dial tone[1]



dialog

dialog
di·a·log 
noun intransitive verb

See
dialogue[1]



dialogbox

dialogbox
di·a·log
box
(plural di·a·log box·es) noun

computer prompt for response:
a small rectangular window displayed on a computer screen that conveys
information to, or requires a response from, the user[1]



dialogic

dialogic
di·a·log·ic 
[d ə lójjik] or di·a·log·i·cal
[d ə lójjəkəl] adjective

1.  written
as conversation: written in the form of a conversation

2.  about
dialogues:
relating to dialogues

[1]



dialogist

dialogist
di·al·o·gist 
[dī álləjist] (plural di·al·o·gists)
noun

1.  writer
of dialogue: somebody who writes dialogue for films,
television, or radio

2.  somebody
who takes part in dialogue: somebody who engages in a
dialogue
—di·a·lo·gis·tic [d ələ jístik], adjective[1]



dialogue

dialogue
di·a·logue
[d ə lòg] or di·a·log [d ə lòg] noun (plural di·a·logues)
(plural di·a·logs)

1.  characters’
words:
the words spoken by characters in a book, a film, or a play, or a section of a
work that contains spoken words

2.  formal
discussion:
a formal discussion or negotiation, especially between opposing sides in a
political or international context

3.  conversation:
talk of any kind between two or more people (formal)

4.  literary
work in conversation form: a work of literature in the
form of a conversation
intransitive
verb
(past di·a·logued, past participle di·a·logued, present
participle di·a·logu·ing, 3rd person present singular di·a·logues)
(past di·a·loged, past participle di·a·loged, present
participle di·a·log·ing, 3rd person present singular di·a·logs)

take part in talk:
to take part in a conversation, discussion, or negotiation
[12th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek dialogos, from dialegesthai,
literally “to speak with each other,” from legein “to speak” (source of
English dialect and eclectic ).]
—di·a·log·uer, noun[1]



dialtone

dialtone
di·al
tone
(plural di·al tones) noun

telephone sound:
a continuous sound that you hear when you lift a telephone receiver. It
indicates that you can dial a number.
U.K. term
dialling tone[1]



dial-up

dial-up
di·al-up 
adjective

COMPUTING
requiring modem:
requiring the use of a computer modem and telephone line to establish
communication with another computer or a network[1]



dialysis

dialysis
di·al·y·sis 
[dī álləssiss] noun

1.  medical
filtering process: the process of filtering the
accumulated waste products of metabolism from the blood of a patient whose
kidneys are not functioning properly, using a kidney machine

2.  CHEMISTRY separation
of substances from solution: the separation of dissolved
substances from a solution by allowing the solution to diffuse through a
semipermeable membrane
[Mid-19th
century. Via Latin, “set of propositions without a connecting conjunction” (the
original sense in English ), from Greek dialusis “separation, loosening”
from, ultimately, luein “to loosen.”]
—di·a·lyt·ic
[d ə líttik], adjective

—di·a·lyt·i·cal·ly [d ə líttikəlee], adverb[1]



dialyze

dialyze
di·a·lyze 
[d ə lz] (past di·a·lyzed, past
participle di·a·lyzed, present participle di·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular di·a·lyz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE remove
waste products: to remove the accumulated waste products
of metabolism from the blood of a patient whose kidneys are not functioning, or
to undergo such a procedure

2.  CHEMISTRY separate
substances from solution: to separate dissolved
substances from a solution by diffusing it through a semipermeable membrane, or
to be subjected to this process
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from dialysis, on the model
of analyze .]
—di·a·lyz·a·bil·i·ty
[d ə līzə bíllətee], noun

—di·a·lyz·a·ble
[d ə lzəb’l], adjective

—di·a·ly·za·tion [d əli záysh’n], noun[1]



dialyzer

dialyzer
di·a·lyz·er 
[d ə lzər] (plural di·a·lyz·ers)
noun

1.  MEDICINE kidney
machine:
a machine used to carry out dialysis of the blood of a patient whose kidneys
are not functioning

2.  CHEMISTRY membrane
separating substances from solution: an
apparatus used in chemical dialysis, especially a semipermeable membrane used
to separate dissolved substances from a solution

[1]



diam.

diam.
diam.

Abbreviation of
diameter[1]



diamagnet

diamagnet
di·a·mag·net 
[d ə mágnət] (plural di·a·mag·nets)
noun

substance
exhibiting negative magnetism: a substance that is
repelled by magnetic fields, such as noble gases, halogens, and alkali and
alkaline earth metals
—di·a·mag·net·ic
[d ə mag néttik], adjective

—di·a·mag·net·i·cal·ly
[d ə mag néttikəlee], adverb[1]



diamagnetism

diamagnetism
di·a·mag·ne·tism
[d ə mágnə tìzzəm] noun

negative magnetism:
a tendency in materials with a relative permeability of less than one to be
repelled by a magnetic field and align themselves at right angles to it[1]



diamantine

diamantine
di·a·man·tine
[d ə mán tn, d
ə mán tn, d ə mánt’n] adjective

1.  looking
like diamonds: resembling diamonds

2.  made
of diamonds: made of diamond or consisting of
diamonds
[Early 17th century. From
French diamantin, from diamant (see diamond
).][1]



diamanté

diamanté
di·a·man·té 
[dèe ə mn tày] adjective

rhinestone-covered:
decorated with colorless imitation gems ( rhinestones ) that look like diamonds
noun
(plural di·a·man·tés)

(plural
diamantés) rhinestones:
colorless imitation gems that look like diamonds, used for costume jewelry and
decorating clothing
[Early 20th century. From
French, originally the past participle of diamanter “to set with
diamonds,” from diamant (see diamond
).][1]



diameter

diameter
di·am·e·ter 
[dī ámmətər] (plural di·am·e·ters)
noun

1.  line
through center of circle: a straight line running from
one side of a circle or other rounded geometric figure through the center to
the other side, or the length of this line

2.  width:
the width or thickness of something, especially something circular or
cylindrical • in
diameter

3.  OPTICS magnifying
power of lens: the unit of measurement for the
magnifying power of a lens
[14th century. Via Old French
diametre from Latin, from Greek diametros (grammē), literally
“(line) which measures through” from metron “measure” (source of English
meter and geometry
).][1]



diametral

diametral
di·am·e·tral
[dī ámmətrəl] adjective

GEOMETRY forming
diameter:
relating to or forming a diameter
—di·am·e·tral·ly, adverb[1]



diametric

diametric
di·a·met·ric 
[d ə méttrik] or di·a·met·ri·cal
[d ə méttrik’l] adjective

opposite:
complete (refers to opposites, differences, etc.)[1]



diametrically

diametrically
di·a·met·ri·cal·ly
[d ə méttrikəlee] adverb

absolutely:
used to emphasize that a difference or contrast is as great as it can be • diametrically
opposite concepts[1]



diamine

diamine
di·am·ine 
[d ə mn, dī á
mn] (plural di·am·ines) noun

chemical
compound with two nitrogen-containing groups: an
organic chemical compound that contains two amino ( nitrogen-containing )
groups.
Also
called
double amine
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from di- + amine
.][1]



diamond

diamond
di·a·mond 
[d əmənd, dmənd]
noun (plural di·a·monds)

1.  MINERALS hard
colorless mineral: a transparent form of carbon
that is the hardest known mineral, with many applications in cutting tools and
abrasives. It is also the most highly prized gemstone.

2.  shape
like square resting on corner: a four-sided shape
like a square standing on one of its corners

3.  CARD GAMES card
with diamond -shaped symbol: a playing card with a
diamond -shaped symbol on it.
See
also
diamonds

4.  BASEBALL infield:
the area of a baseball field bounded by the home plate and the three bases

5.  BASEBALL baseball
playing area: an area for playing baseball including
the infield and the outfield
transitive
verb
(past di·a·mond·ed, past participle di·a·mond·ed, present
participle di·a·mond·ing, 3rd person present singular di·a·monds)

decorate with diamond s:
to decorate something with diamond s or similar gemstones
[13th century. Via Old French
diamant “hardest metal” from the medieval Latin stem diamant-, an
alteration of the Latin stem adamant- (see adamant
).][1]



diamondanniversary

diamondanniversary
di·a·mond
an·ni·ver·sa·ry noun

60-year
anniversary: an anniversary celebrating 60, or
sometimes 75, years of something, for example, marriage
[From the custom of marking
the occasion with gifts containing diamonds][1]



diamondback

diamondback
di·a·mond·back 
[d əmənd bàk, dmənd
bàk] (plural di·a·mond·backs) noun

1.  rattlesnake
with diamond-shaped markings: a large poisonous
rattlesnake found in the southwestern United States and Mexico that has
diamond-shaped markings on its back. Latin name: Crotalus adamantus Crotalus
atrox

2.  terrapin
with diamond-shaped markings: a terrapin with
diamond-shaped markings on its shell that lives in the salt marshes of the
Atlantic and the Gulf coasts of North America. Genus: Malaclemys

[1]



diamondbackmoth

diamondbackmoth
di·a·mond·back
moth 
(plural di·a·mond·back moths) noun

moth with diamond patterns on
wings: a brightly colored moth with
diamond-shaped markings on the underside of the front wings, visible when the
wings are folded. Family: Plutellidae[1]



DiamondHead

DiamondHead
Di·a·mond
Head 
[dmənd hèd]

landmark promontory and
extinct volcano in Hawaii, at the southeastern tip of Oahu Island. Height: 232
m/760 ft.[1]



diamondiferous

diamondiferous
di·a·mond·if·er·ous 
[d əmən díffərəss, dmən
díffərəss] adjective

having diamonds:
containing diamond or diamonds[1]



diamondin the rough

diamondin the rough
di·a·mond
in the rough noun

exceptional person with rough
manners: somebody whose rough manners
often hide his or her admirable or undeveloped qualities.
U.K. term
rough diamond[1]



diamondjubilee

diamondjubilee
di·a·mond
ju·bi·lee
(plural di·a·mond ju·bi·lees) noun

See
diamond anniversary[1]



diamondpoint

diamondpoint
di·a·mond
point
(plural di·a·mond points) noun

cutting tool with
diamond-shaped edge: a cutting
tool in which two cutting edges meet at an acute angle, forming a diamond shape[1]



diamonds

diamonds
di·a·monds
[d əməndz, dməndz]
noun

suit with diamond shape as
symbol: one of the four suits used
in cards, with a red diamond shape as its symbol (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



diamondwillow

diamondwillow
di·a·mond
wil·low
noun

Canada
willow wood with diamond pattern:
willow wood with a diamond pattern in the grain[1]



diamorphine

diamorphine
di·a·mor·phine
[d ə máwr fn] noun

heroin:
heroin (technical)
[Early 20th century.
Contraction of diacetylmorphine, its chemical name.][1]



Diana

Diana
Di·an·a
[dī ánnə], Princess of Wales (1961–1997)

British
princess. She married Prince Charles in 1981, had two sons, and was divorced in
1996. She was killed in a car crash in Paris.
Born
Spencer, Diana Frances[1]



Diana

Diana
Di·an·a 
[dī ánnə] noun

Roman goddess of hunting:
in Roman mythology, the goddess of hunting, virginity and the Moon. Greek
equivalent Artemis[1]



diandrous

diandrous
di·an·drous 
[dī ándrəss] adjective

having
two male parts: used to describe flowers that have two
stamens, or fungi and non-seeding plants that have two antheridia
[Late 18th century. Coined
from di- + the Greek stem andr- “man”
+ -ous .][1]



dianthus

dianthus
di·an·thus 
[dī ánthəss] (plural di·an·thus·es)
noun

carnation
or related flowering plant: a flowering plant belonging
to the group that includes carnations, pinks, and sweet william. Genus: Dianthus
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek Dios “of Zeus” + anthos
“flower.”][1]



diapason

diapason
di·a·pa·son 
[d ə páyz’n, d
ə páyss’n] (plural di·a·pa·sons) noun

1.  pipe
organ’s main stop: either of the two main stops
on a pipe organ that control the organ’s tone and give the instrument its
characteristic sound

2.  range
of singer or musical instrument: the complete range of
a musical instrument or a person’s singing voice (technical)

3.  tuning
device:
a tuning fork or pitch pipe (technical)
[14th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek dia pasōn khordōn, literally
“across all the notes of the scale.”]
—di·a·pa·son·al
[d ə páyzən’l, d
ə páyssən’l, d ə páyznəl, d ə páyssnəl], adjective

—di·a·pa·son·ic [d əpə zónnik], adjective[1]



diapause

diapause
di·a·pause 
[d ə pàwz] (plural di·a·paus·es)
noun

slow-down of animal’s
metabolism: a period during which the
metabolism of certain animals or insects slows down, temporarily suspending
their bodily development and growth. Such periods are linked to seasonal or
environmental changes.[1]



diapedesis

diapedesis
di·a·pe·de·sis 
[d əpə dssiss] noun

leakage
of blood through vessel walls: a condition in which
blood leaks through the apparently unruptured walls of blood vessels into
surrounding tissue, as a reaction to severe inflammation or injury
[Early
17th century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek dia- “through” + pēdan
“to leap.”]
—di·a·pe·det·ic [d əpə déttik], adjective[1]



diapente

diapente
di·a·pente 
[d ə péntee] (plural di·a·pentes)
noun

perfect
fifth:
in ancient Greek music, the interval of a perfect fifth
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek dia pente, literally “through five.”][1]



diaper

diaper
di·a·per 
[d əpər, dpər]
noun (plural di·a·pers)

1.  absorbent
baby clothing: a piece of soft, absorbent material that
is worn by a baby as underwear to absorb bodily waste.
U.K.
term
nappy

2.  CRAFT pattern
of small motifs: a pattern, especially woven into or
printed on fabric, consisting of a small motif, often a diamond, repeated over
and over to cover an entire surface

3.  TEXTILES fabric
with diaper pattern: cotton or linen fabric with
a diaper pattern woven into or printed on it
transitive
verb
(past di·a·pered, past participle di·a·pered, present
participle di·a·per·ing, 3rd person present singular di·a·pers)

1.  TEXTILES decorate
with diaper pattern: to decorate something,
especially fabric, with a diaper pattern

2.  put
diaper on baby: to put a diaper on a baby
[14th century. Via Old French
diapre “ornamental cloth,” from, ultimately, medieval Greek diaspros
“thoroughly white,” originally applied to silver coins, from, ultimately, Latin
asper “rough,” used for the surface of coins.][1]



diaperrash

diaperrash
di·a·per
rash
noun

rash on baby’s bottom:
a sensitive red area or spotted rash on a baby’s bottom, usually caused by
irritation from urine, feces, or chemical irritants in diapers.
U.K. term
nappy rash[1]



diaphanous

diaphanous
di·aph·a·nous 
[dī áffənəss] adjective

1.  transparent:
delicate or gauzy, so as to be transparent • the
insect’s diaphanous wings

2.  insubstantial:
fragile or insubstantial because extremely faint or slight (literary) • diaphanous
imaginings
[Early
17th century. Via Latin diaphanus from Greek diaphanēs, literally
“shown through,” from phainein “to show” (source of English fantasy ).]
—di·a·pha·ne·i·ty
[dī àffə n itee], noun

—di·aph·a·nous·ly,
noun

—di·aph·a·nous·ness, adverb[1]



diaphone

diaphone
di·a·phone
[d ə fn] (plural di·a·phones)
noun

1.  PHONETICS set
of pronunciation variants: a set of all the different
ways that a particular speech sound is pronounced in all the dialects of a
language, or a member of this set

2.  foghorn
sounding two notes: a foghorn with a two-note
sound

[1]



diaphoresis

diaphoresis
di·a·pho·re·sis 
[d əfə rssiss] noun

sweating:
sweating, especially sweating induced for medical reasons (technical)
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek diaphorein “to dissipate by sweating,”
literally “to carry away,” from phorein “to carry.”][1]



diaphoretic

diaphoretic
di·a·pho·ret·ic 
[d əfə réttik] (plural di·a·pho·ret·ics)
adjective

sweat-inducing:
used to describe drugs, herbs, or other substances that induce sweating, or
their effect
—di·a·pho·ret·ic, noun[1]



diaphragm

diaphragm
di·a·phragm 
[d ə fràm] (plural di·a·phragms)
noun

1.  ANATOMY muscular
wall below rib cage: a curved muscular membrane
in humans and other mammals that separates the abdomen from the area around the
lungs. Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm going into spasms.

2.  GYNECOLOGY dome-shaped
contraceptive: a dome-shaped rubber or plastic
contraceptive device for women, placed inside the vagina over the entrance to
the womb to prevent sperm from entering

3.  OPTICS camera’s
mechanism controlling opening for light: a
disk with a fixed or variable opening that controls the amount of light that
enters a camera or other optical instrument

4.  COMMUNICATION vibrating
disk in sound equipment: a thin disk in a microphone,
telephone receiver, or other sound device that vibrates in response to sound
waves or electrical signals, converting one into the other

5.  any
thin membrane: any thin separating membrane, for
example, the porous plate dividing the sections of an electrolytic cell or the
plate of cells across the stems of some water plants
[14th
century. From late Latin diaphragma, from, ultimately, Greek diaphrassein
“to barricade,” literally “to fence across,” from phrassein “to fence
in.”]
—di·a·phrag·mat·ic
[d ə frag máttik, d
əfrə máttik], adjective

—di·a·phrag·mat·i·cal·ly
[d ə frag máttikəlee, d əfrə máttikəlee], adverb[1]



diaphysis

diaphysis
di·aph·y·sis 
[dī áffississ] (plural di·aph·y·ses
[dī áffi sz]) noun

shaft
of long bone: the central section of a long bone,
between the growth areas at each end.
See
also
epiphysis
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek diaphusis, literally “growing through,” from phusis
“growth.”]
—di·a·phys·i·al [d ə fízzee əl], adjective[1]



diapir

diapir
di·a·pir
[d ə pr] (plural di·a·pirs) noun

geological
formation:
a dome-shaped body of rock that migrates upwards through denser overlying rock,
for example, a salt deposit
[Early
20th century. From Greek diapeirainein “to pierce through,” from peirainein
“to pierce.”]
—di·a·pir·ic [d ə prik], adjective[1]



diapositive

diapositive
di·a·pos·i·tive
[d ə pózzitiv] (plural di·a·pos·i·tives)
noun

photographic
transparency: a photographic transparency
[Late 19th century. Coined
from dia- “through” (from its transparency)
+ positive .][1]



diarchy

diarchy
di·ar·chy 
[d rkee] (plural di·ar·chies)
or dy·ar·chy [d rkee] (plural
dy·ar·chies) noun

1.  government
by two rulers or bodies: a form of government in
which power is held by two supreme rulers or two governing bodies

2.  country
ruled by two rulers: a country ruled or run by
two supreme rulers or two governing bodies
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from di- on the model of monarchy .]
—di·ar·chal
[dī rk’l], adjective

—di·arch·ic,
adjective

—di·arch·i·cal, adjective[1]



diarist

diarist
di·a·rist 
[d ərist] (plural di·a·rists)
noun

diary writer:
somebody who writes a diary, especially one that is published[1]



diarrhea

diarrhea
di·ar·rhe·a 
[d ə r ə] noun

1.  frequent
and excessive bowel movements: frequent and excessive
discharging of the bowels producing abnormally thin watery feces, usually as a
symptom of gastrointestinal upset or infection

2.  watery
feces:
abnormally thin watery feces
[Early
16th century. Via Latin diarrhoea, from Greek diarrhoia, from diarrhein
“to flow through,” from rhein “to flow.”]
—di·ar·rhe·al,
adjective

—di·ar·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



diarthrosis

diarthrosis
di·ar·thro·sis 
[d aar thrṓssiss] noun

joint’s
movement in multiple directions: the ability of some
joints of the body to move in several directions
[Late
16th century. From Greek, formed from diarthroun “to fasten by a joint,”
which in turn was formed from arthroun “to fasten.”]
—di·ar·thro·di·al, adjective[1]



diary

diary
di·a·ry 
[d əree] (plural di·a·ries) noun

1.  personal
record of life’s events: a personal record of events
in somebody’s life, often including personal thoughts and observations

2.  blank
book:
a book with blank or lined paper for keeping a diary in

3.  U.K.
See appointment book
[Late 16th century. From
Latin diarium, from dies “day.” The Latin word originally meant
“daily allowance of food or pay.”][1]



Diaspora

Diaspora
Di·as·po·ra
noun JUDAISM

1.  exile
of the Jews from Israel: the dispersion of the Jews
from Palestine following the Babylonians’ conquest of the Judean Kingdom in the
6th century BC and again following
the Romans’ destruction of the Second Temple in AD
70.
Also
called
Dispersion

2.  Jews
living outside Israel: the Jewish communities
living outside either the present-day state of Israel or the ancient biblical
kingdom of Israel

[1]



diaspora

diaspora
di·as·po·ra
[dī áspərə] (plural di·as·po·ras)
noun

scattering
of language, culture, or people: a dispersion of a
people, language, or culture that was formerly concentrated in one place • the
African diaspora
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, formed from diaspeirein “to disperse,” from speirein “to
sow, scatter” (source of English sperm
).][1]



diaspore

diaspore
di·a·spore 
[d ə spàwr] (plural di·a·spores)
noun

1.  MINERALS white
oxide of aluminum: a white, gray, or pink form
of aluminum oxide that is found in bauxite and corundum. It is useful for its
abrasive and heat-resistant properties.

2.  BOTANY reproductive
structure:
a seed or spore that is dispersed from a plant
[Early 19th century. From
Greek diaspora (see diaspora ); from
its dispersion when heated.][1]



diastase

diastase
di·a·stase 
[d ə stàyss, d
ə stàyz] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY Now called amylase
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from modern Latin diastasis (see diastasis ) + -ase .]
—di·a·sta·sic [d ə stáyzik, d ə
stáyssik], adjective[1]



diastasis

diastasis
di·as·ta·sis 
[dī ástəssiss] (plural di·as·ta·ses
[dī ástə sz]) noun

MEDICINE dislodging
of end of bone: the dislodging of the end ( epiphysis ) of a long bone from its shaft without
a fracturing of the bone itself (technical)
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek, “separation,” from stasis
“placing.”]
—di·a·stat·ic [d ə státtik], adjective[1]



diastema

diastema
di·a·ste·ma 
[d ə stmə] (plural di·a·ste·ma·ta
[d ə stmətə]) noun

DENTISTRY gap
between teeth: a larger than usual gap between two
adjacent teeth (technical)
[Mid-19th
century. Via late Latin from Greek, “gap,” from diistanai “to place
apart,” from histanai “to place.”]
—di·a·ste·mat·ic [d əstə máttik], adjective[1]



diastereoisomer

diastereoisomer
di·a·ste·re·o·is·o·mer
[d ə sterri ō səmər] (plural di·a·ste·re·o·is·o·mers)
or di·a·ste·re·o·mer [d ə sterri ō
səmər] (plural di·a·ste·re·o·mers) noun

CHEMISTRY
near-identical molecule:
a molecule that has the same formula and structure as another ( stereoisomer ), but is arranged differently in
space and is therefore not a mirror image of the other ( enantiomer )[1]



diastole

diastole
di·as·to·le 
[dī ástəlee] noun

expansion
of heart on each beat: the rhythmic expansion of
the chambers of the heart at each heartbeat, during which they fill with blood
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek, “separation, expansion,” from diastellein,
literally “to place apart,” from stellein “to place.”]
—di·a·stol·ic [d ə stóllik], adjective[1]



diastyle

diastyle
di·a·style
[d ə stl] adjective

having
widely spaced columns: used to describe classical
buildings with columns set at intervals equal to three or sometimes four times
the diameter of a column, slightly farther apart than in the Doric order
noun
(plural di·a·styles)

diastyle
structure:
a diastyle building or colonnade
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via Latin from Greek diastulos, literally “between columns,” from stulos
“column.”][1]



diatessaron

diatessaron
di·a·tes·sa·ron 
[d ə téssərən, d
ə téssə ròn] (plural di·a·tes·sa·rons) noun

1.  BIBLE Gospels
as one story: the combination of all four Gospels of
the Bible to make a single narrative

2.  MUSIC ancient
Greek interval of a fourth: in ancient Greek music, the
interval of a perfect fourth
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek dia tessarōn, literally “composed of four.”][1]



diathermia

diathermia
di·a·ther·mi·a
noun

MEDICINE See diathermy
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “heat across,” formed from Greek thermē “heat.”][1]



diathermic

diathermic
di·a·ther·mic
[d ə thúrmik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE relating
to diathermy: relating to diathermy

2.  PHYSICS conducting
heat:
able to conduct or transmit heat or infrared radiation
[Early 20th century. From
French diathermique, from Greek thermē “heat.”][1]



diathermy

diathermy
di·a·ther·my 
[d ə thùrmee] or diather·mia
[d ə thùrmee] noun

MEDICINE heat
treatment using electricity: the treatment of organs or
tissues by passing high-frequency electric currents through them in order to
generate heat, thus increasing circulation
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin diathermia (see diathermia
).][1]



diathesis

diathesis
di·ath·e·sis 
[dī áthəssiss] (plural di·ath·e·ses
[dī áthə sz]) noun

susceptiblity
to disease:
a susceptibility to a particular disease or set of diseases, for example,
allergies or gout
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek diatithenai “to
arrange, dispose,” literally “to put in different directions,” from tithenai
“to put.”]
—di·a·thet·ic [d ə théttik], adjective[1]



diatom

diatom
di·a·tom 
[d ə tòm] (plural di·a·toms) noun

one-celled
alga:
a microscopic one-celled alga that has silica-filled cell walls or shells
divided into two halves. Diatoms are responsible for the formation of diatomite
in water. Class: Bacillariophyceae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Diatoma, genus name, from Greek diatomos “cut in
two,” from diatemnein “to cut through,” from temnein “to cut.”][1]



diatomaceous

diatomaceous
di·a·to·ma·ceous 
[d ətə máyshəss] adjective

containing diatoms:
containing diatoms or their skeletal remains[1]



diatomaceousearth

diatomaceousearth
di·a·to·ma·ceous
earth
noun

1.  powdered
rock used as nontoxic insecticide: a form of unrefined
diatomite that is used as an insecticide. It is used indoors as an alternative
to chemical insecticides because it is virtually nontoxic to humans, although
it can be a lung irritant if inhaled.

2.  See
diatomite

[1]



diatomic

diatomic
di·a·tom·ic 
[d ə tómmik] adjective

having
two atoms per molecule: having two atoms per
molecule
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from di- “two” + atomic .]
—di·a·tom·ic·ity [d attə míssitee], noun[1]



diatomite

diatomite
di·at·o·mite 
[dī áttə mt] noun

powdery
rock with industrial uses: a soft powdery porous rock
made from the accumulated shells of diatoms. It is resistant to heat and
chemical action and has many industrial uses, for example, as an ingredient in
fireproof cements and insulating materials, as well as in dynamite.
Also
called
diatomaceous earth
[Late 19th century. Coined
from diatom + -ite
.][1]



diatonic

diatonic
di·a·ton·ic 
[d ə tónnik] adjective

relating
to simple musical scales: relating to or based on
musical scales consisting of five tones and two semitones, for example, the
major or minor scale, with no sharps or flats added
noun
(plural di·a·ton·ics)

interval
in a diatonic scale: the interval between any two
notes of a diatonic scale
[Early
17th century. Via French diatonique or late Latin diatonicus,
from Greek diatonikos “at intervals of a tone,” from tonos
“tone.”]
—di·a·ton·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—di·a·ton·i·cism [d ə tónni sìzzəm], noun[1]



diatribe

diatribe
di·a·tribe 
[d ə trb] (plural di·a·tribes)
noun

bitter
criticism:
a bitter verbal or written attack on somebody or something • a
diatribe against falling standards
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek diatribē “act of spending time (in
discourse).” Originally, in English, “learned discourse”; its connotations of
“bitter resentment” date from the 19th century.][1]



diatropism

diatropism
di·at·ro·pism 
[dī áttrə pìzzəm] noun

plant
growth at right angles: the tendency of a plant or
plant part to grow at right angles in response to an external stimulus, for
example, light
—di·a·trop·ic [d ə tróppik], adjective[1]



diaz-

diaz-
diaz-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
diazo-[1]



diazepam

diazepam
di·az·e·pam 
[dī ázzə pàm] noun

tranquilizing
drug:
a tranquilizing drug used to reduce anxiety and tension, and as a muscle
relaxant and sedative. C16H13ClN2O
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from a shortening of benzodiazepine + a
shortening of amide .][1]



diazine

diazine
di·a·zine 
[d ə zn, dī
ázzin] (plural di·a·zines) noun

CHEMISTRY carbon
and nitrogen compound: a chemical compound in which
the molecules contain a hexagonal ring of four carbon atoms and two nitrogen
atoms. It has three different molecular structures ( isomers
). C4N2H4
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- “two” + azine
.][1]



Diazinon

Diazinon
Di·az·i·non
[dī ázzə nn] Trademark

a trademark for an
organophosphate insecticide[1]



diazo-

diazo-
diazo-
prefix

containing
a pair of carbon atoms bonded to an aromatic hydrocarbon • diazonium
[Coined from di- 1 + azo-][1]



diazo

diazo
di·az·o 
[dī ázzō, dī
áyzō] adjective

CHEMISTRY containing
two adjacent nitrogen atoms: used to describe any organic
compound containing two adjacent nitrogen atoms, for example an azo compound or
a diazonium salt.
See
also
azo
noun
(plural di·a·zos or di·a·zoes)

PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHY document copy made with
diazo compound: a photograph or photocopy made using a
diazo compound or the diazotype process.
Also
called
dyeline
[Late 19th century. Coined
from di- + azo-
. The noun is a shortening of diazotype .][1]



diazole

diazole
di·a·zole
[d ə zṓl, d á
zl] (plural di·a·zoles) noun

CHEMISTRY
compound with five-sided ring structure:
an organic chemical compound with a five-sided ring structure containing three
carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms[1]



diazotize

diazotize
di·a·zo·tize
[dī ázzə tz] (past di·a·zo·tized,
past participle di·a·zo·tized, present participle di·a·zo·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular di·a·zo·tiz·es) verb

CHEMISTRY transform
into diazo compound: to use nitrous acid to
transform an amine into a diazo compound
—di·a·zo·ti·za·tion [dī àzzəti záysh’n], noun[1]



diazotype

diazotype
di·a·zo·type 
[dī ázzə tp] noun

printing or photographic
process: a printing or photographic
process that exploits the light-sensitive properties of diazo compounds[1]



dibasic

dibasic
di·ba·sic 
[dī báyssik] adjective CHEMISTRY

1.  with
two replaceable hydrogen atoms: used to describe an
acid that has two replaceable hydrogen atoms

2.  formed
with two atoms of metal: used to describe a salt or
an acid that is formed with two atoms of a univalent metallic element
—di·ba·sic·i·ty [d bay síssitee], noun[1]



dibber

dibber
dib·ber 
[díbbər] (plural dib·bers) noun

gardening
tool for making holes: a small pointed gardening
tool used to make holes in the soil for planting seeds, bulbs, or seedlings.
Also
called
dibble
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from dib, in the dialect sense “to dibble.”][1]



dibble

dibble

dib·ble 
[díbb’l] noun (plural dib·bles)
See
dibber
transitive
verb
(past dib·bled, past participle dib·bled, present
participle dib·bling, 3rd person present singular dib·bles)
make
holes in soil: to make planting holes in soil with a
pointed tool, or put plants or seeds in such holes
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly formed from Old English dyppan “to
dip.”]
—dib·bler [díbblər], noun[1]



dibranchiate

dibranchiate
di·bran·chi·ate 
[dī brángkee ət] (plural di·bran·chi·ates)
noun

mollusk
with two gills: a mollusk with two gills. Octopus,
squid, and cuttlefish are dibranchiates. Order: Dibranchiata
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from di- “two” + Greek bragkhia
“gills” + -ate .][1]



dibromide

dibromide
di·bro·mide 
[dī brṓ md] (plural di·bro·mides)
noun

compound with two bromine
atoms: a chemical compound whose
molecules contain two bromine atoms[1]



dibs

dibs
dibs 
[dibz] plural noun

1.  money:
money, especially in small amounts (dated informal)

2.  claim
of rights:
a claim of exclusive rights to take or use something (informal) • called
dibs on the front seat
interjection

expression of claim:
used to express a claim to take or use something (informal) • Dibs
on the red bike!
[Early 19th century. From dibs
“game played with pebbles,” hence “counters used in a game,” shortening of dibstones,
probably from dib in the obsolete sense “to tap.”][1]



dicarboxylicacid

dicarboxylicacid
di·car·box·yl·ic
ac·id
[dī kaar bok sìllik ássid] (plural di·car·box·yl·ic
ac·ids) noun

acid with two carboxyl
groups: any acid that contains two
carboxyl groups[1]



dicast

dicast
di·cast 
[d kàst, dí
kàst] (plural di·casts) noun

judge
or juror in ancient Athens: in ancient Athens, a citizen
who was among the six thousand chosen by lot each year to act as jurors and
judges in the popular law courts
[Early
19th century. From Greek dikastes “judge, juryman,” from dikazein
“to judge.”]
—di·cas·tic [dī kástik, di kástik],
adjective[1]



dice

dice

dice 
[dīss] plural noun

1.  GAME gambling
game played with dice: a gambling game played with
dice, for example, craps (often takes a singular verb)

2.  (plural
dices) chunks:
cube-shaped pieces, especially of meat
verb (past
diced, past participle diced, present participle dic·ing,
3rd person present singular dic·es)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
into cubes:
to cut food into cubes • diced
carrots

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GAME gamble with dice:
to gamble using dice, or win or lose something playing dice

3.  intransitive
verb
take
risks:
to challenge or take risks with somebody or something dangerous • dicing
with death

4.  transitive
verb
decorate
with square pattern: to decorate something with a
pattern of squares or cubes
[14th
century. Plural of die 2, from French dé
(plural dés ), from Latin datum, past participle of dare
“to give,” also “to play.”]
—dic·er,
noun
load the dice

to
manipulate a situation unfairly in order to obtain a desired result

no dice

used
to indicate that there is no chance of something happening

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Dice
  –singular or plural?
  Dice, used with a plural verb, means “small
  cubes marked with one to six dots, used in gambling games.” Dice, used with a singular verb, means a
  gambling game in which these cubes are used. Dice
  (plural) can also refer to any small cubes, especially cube-shaped pieces of
  food ( Cut the cheese into dice ).

[1]



dicentra

dicentra
di·cen·tra 
[dī séntrə] (plural di·cen·tras)
noun

plant
with drooping flowers: a perennial plant with
arching sprays of small drooping flowers that grows best in shade. Genus: Dicentra
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek dikentros, literally “two-pointed,” from kentron
“center, point”; from the shape of its leaves.][1]



dicey

dicey
dic·ey 
[dssee] (comparative dic·i·er,
superlative dic·i·est) or dic·y [dssee] (comparative dic·i·er, superlative
dic·i·est) adjective

risky:
uncertain and involving danger or risk (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From the
riskiness of gambling with dice.][1]



dich-

dich-
dich-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
dicho-[1]



dichasium

dichasium
di·cha·si·um 
[dī káy zhee əm, d
káyzhəm] (plural di·cha·si·a [dī
káyzhee ə, d káyzhə]) noun

type
of flowerhead: a flowering stem that has a single
flower growing on the end ( cyme ) and later
sprouts two single-flower branches, one on each side of and below the first
flower
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek dikhasis “division” formed from dikha
“apart” + -ium .]
—di·cha·si·al,
adjective

—di·cha·si·al·ly, adverb[1]



dichlorodifluoromethane

dichlorodifluoromethane
di·chlo·ro·di·fluor·o·meth·ane
[dī klàw rō dī floor ō mé thàyn, dī klàw rō dī flawrō mé thàyn] noun

gas used in aerosols and
extinguishers: a colorless,
nonflammable, gaseous CFC. It is easily liquified under pressure and is
therefore used as a propellant in aerosols, as a refrigerant, and in fire
extinguishers. CCl2F2[1]



dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
di·chlo·ro·di·phen·yl·tri·chlo·ro·eth·ane 
[dī klàw rō dī fenn’l trī klaw rō é thàyn, dī klàw rō dī feen’l trī kláw rō é thàyn] noun

Full form of
DDT[1]



dichloromethane

dichloromethane
di·chlo·ro·meth·ane
[dī klàw rō mé thàyn] noun

toxic
gas used in paint strippers: a colorless, nonflammable,
toxic gas used in paint strippers, degreasing, and in plastics processing. CH2Cl2
[Mid-20th century][1]



dichlorophenoxyaceticacid

dichlorophenoxyaceticacid
di·chlo·ro·phe·nox·y·ac·et·ic
ac·id
[dī klaw rō fə noksee ə stik ássid] noun

CHEMISTRY
See 2,4-D[1]



dicho-

dicho-
dicho-
prefix

having
two parts • dichogamy
[From Greek dikha “in
two”; related to di- “two”][1]



dichogamy

dichogamy
di·chog·a·my
[dī kóggəmee] noun

mechanism
in plant:
a plant’s production of male and female parts at different times, in order to
prevent self-pollination and ensure cross-fertilization
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek dikho- “apart” + gamos “marriage.”]
—di·cho·gam·ic
[d kō gámmik], adjective

—di·chog·a·mous [dī kóggəməss], adjective[1]



dichondra

dichondra
di·chon·dra 
[dī kóndrə] noun

creeping
plant:
a low-growing plant of the morning glory family that is often planted in place
of lawn grass in warm parts of the United States. Genus: Dichondra
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “two grains,” formed from Greek dikho-
“apart” + khondros “grain.”][1]



dichoptic

dichoptic
di·chop·tic
[dī kóptik] adjective

with
separate eyes: with eyes clearly separated from each
other
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek dikho- “apart” + optic .][1]



dichotic

dichotic
di·chot·ic
[dī kóttik] adjective

stimulating
each ear differently: involving or relating to the
simultaneous stimulation of each ear with different sounds
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek dikho- “apart” + the Greek stem ōt- “ear” + -ic .][1]



dichotomize

dichotomize
di·chot·o·mize 
[dī kóttə mz] (past di·chot·o·mized,
past participle di·chot·o·mized, present participle di·chot·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular di·chot·o·miz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

divide
in two:
to divide something, or become divided, into two classes or groups (formal)
—di·chot·o·mi·za·tion
[dī kòttəmi záysh’n], noun[1]



dichotomy

dichotomy
di·chot·o·my 
[dī kóttəmee] (plural di·chot·o·mies)
noun

1.  separation
of different or contradictory things: a
separation into two divisions that differ widely from, or contradict each other

2.  BOTANY branching
of plants:
the division of each of a plant’s branches into two more branches

3.  ASTRONOMY Moon
phase when half visible: the phase of the Moon or a
planet when half of its surface appears illuminated by the Sun
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek dikhotomia, literally “cutting
in two,” from dikho- “apart, in two” + temnein “to cut.”]
—di·chot·o·mic
[dkə tómmik], adjective

—di·chot·o·mous
[dī kóttəmist], adjective

—di·chot·o·mous·ly [dī kóttəməsslee], adverb[1]



dichroic

dichroic
di·chro·ic 
[dī krṓ ik] or di·chro·it·ic [d krō íttik] adjective

appearing
to change color: used to describe a crystal that appears
to be a different color when viewed along a different axis
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek dikhroos “two-colored,” from khrōs
“colour.”]
—di·chro·ism, noun[1]



dichroite

dichroite
di·chro·ite 
[dī krṓ t] noun

See
cordierite[1]



dichromate

dichromate
di·chro·mate 
[dī krṓ màyt] (plural di·chro·mates)
noun

salt of dichromic acid:
a salt of dichromic acid. Dichromates are a characteristic orange-red color.[1]



dichromatic

dichromatic
di·chro·mat·ic 
[d krō máttik] adjective

1.  with
two colors:
having two colors

2.  di·chro·mat·ic
or di·chro·mic OPHTHALMOLOGY
partially
colorblind:
able to distinguish only two of the three primary colors and their combinations

3.  ZOOLOGY with
different color phases: used to describe animals,
especially birds, that have two different colors in phases that are not
associated with the normal variations in color that occur with sex and age

[1]



dichromatism

dichromatism
di·chro·ma·tism 
[dī krṓmə tìzzəm] noun

1.  coloring
with two colors only: the presence of only two
colors in something

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY partial
colorblindness: a type of colorblindness in which only
two of the three primary colors and their combinations can be distinguished

[1]



dichromic

dichromic
di·chro·mic 
adjective

See
dichromatic  adjective 2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek dikhrōmos “two-colored” (from khrōma “color.”][1]



dichromicacid

dichromicacid
di·chro·mic
ac·id
[dī krmik ássid] noun

unstable acid:
an unstable acid found only in solution and in the form of dichromate salts. H2Cr2O7[1]



dichromism

dichromism
di·chrom·ism
[dī krṓ mìzzəm] noun

See
dichromatism  noun 2[1]



dick

dick2
dick2 [dik]
(plural dicks) noun

detective:
a detective (dated slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of detective,
or from slang dick “look.”][1]



dick

dick1
dick1 [dik]
(plural dicks) noun

offensive
term:
offensive term for the penis (slang offensive)
[Mid-16th century. From the
male first name Dick .][1]



Dickand Jane

Dickand Jane
Dick
and Jane
[dìk ənd jáyn] plural noun

stereotypical Caucasian
Americans: the stereotypes of
middle-class Caucasian Americans (informal) (hyphenated when used
before a noun)[1]



Dickens,Charles

Dickens,Charles

Dick·ens 
[díkənz], Charles (1812–1870)
British
novelist. His career began with magazine sketches, written under the pseudonym
“Boz,” before Pickwick Papers ( 1837 ) brought him greater popularity.
His many subsequent novels, appearing in monthly installments and often
depicting poverty and social injustice in Victorian England, have remained
popular.
Full name
Dickens, Charles John Huffam[1]



Dickensian

Dickensian
Dick·en·si·an 
[di kénzee ən] adjective

1.  of
Charles Dickens: relating to the 19th-century British
author, Charles Dickens, his writing, or the times he lived in

2.  full
of twists and amazing coincidences: full
of twists and remarkable coincidences, like the plots of some of the novels of
Dickens • an
episode too Dickensian for most modern audiences to swallow

3.  reminiscent
of poverty-stricken Victorian Britain:
typical or reminiscent of the harsh poverty-stricken living conditions
described in the works of Dickens

4.  jolly
and genial:
jolly and cordial, like some of the scenes and characters featured in the
novels of Dickens

[1]



dicker

dicker
dick·er 
[díkər] intransitive verb (past
dick·ered, past participle dick·ered, present
participle dick·er·ing, 3rd person present singular dick·ers)

haggle:
to bargain for goods or services (informal) • collectors
dickering at antique sales
noun
(plural dick·ers)

bargaining:
bargaining in general, or something settled, achieved, or obtained through
bargaining
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from, ultimately, Latin decuria “group of ten, ten
hides for sale,” from decem “ten” + vir “man.” Originally in
English “a quantity of ten.”][1]



dickey

dickey
dick·ey
[díkee] (plural dick·eys) or
dick·y [díkee] (plural dick·ys)
or dick·ie [díkee] (plural
dick·ies) noun

1.  CLOTHES false
shirt front or neck: a garment that is only the
front or neck of a shirt, worn under a shirt, jacket, or sweater

2.  U.K.
donkey:
a donkey, especially a male

3.  U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE See rumble seat
[Mid-18th century. Of
uncertain origin; probably representing different words, some of which may have
been inspired by the male name Dicky, a pet form of Richard .][1]



Dickey,James

Dickey,James
Dick·ey 
[díkee], James (1923–1997)

U.S.
writer. He is known for his poetry and the novel Deliverance ( 1970 ).
Full name
Dickey, James Lafayette[1]



dickhead

dickhead
dick·head
[dík hèd] (plural dick·heads) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for an unintelligent or inattentive man (slang offensive)[1]



dickie

dickie
dick·ie
noun

See
dickey[1]



Dickinson,Emily

Dickinson,Emily

Dick·in·son
[díkinsən], Emily (1830–1886)
U.S.
poet. She is considered one of America’s greatest writers. Most of her poems
were published posthumously.
Full name
Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth[1]



Dickinson,John

Dickinson,John
Dick·in·son
[díkinsən], John (1732–1808)

American founding father. He
led opposition to British tax policy and wrote Letters from a Farmer in
Pennsylvania ( 1767–1768 ).[1]



Dicktest

Dicktest
Dick
test
(plural Dick tests) noun

skin
test for scarlet fever: a skin test used to
determine whether somebody is immune or susceptible to scarlet fever
[Early 20th century. Named
for George Frederick Dick (1881–1967), the U.S. biologist who invented
the test.][1]



dicky

dicky2
dick·y2 [díkee]
noun

See
dickey[1]



dicky

dicky1
dick·y1 [díkee]
(comparative dick·ier, superlative dick·i·est) adjective
U.K. (informal)

1.  unwell:
not well in health

2.  not
reliable:
faulty or unreliable
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



diclinous

diclinous
di·cli·nous 
[dī klnəss] adjective

with
male and female flowers: used to describe plants that
have stamens and pistils in separate flowers, rather than in the same flower
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin diclines, literally “two beds,”
from Greek klinē “bed.”]
—di·clin·ism,
noun

—di·cli·ny, noun[1]



dicotyledon

dicotyledon
di·cot·y·le·don 
[d kott’l d’n] (plural di·cot·y·le·dons)
noun

plant
with two leaves at germination: a flowering plant with
two seed leaves ( cotyledons ) that appear
from the seed at germination and subsequent leaves with a network of veins.
Most herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs are dicotyledons . Subclass:
Dicotyledonae
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin Dicotyledonae, subclass name, literally “two
cotyledons.”]
—di·cot·y·le·don·ous, adjective[1]



dicrotism

dicrotism
di·cro·tism 
[dkrə tìzzəm] noun

double-pulsed
heartbeat:
a physiological condition in which each heartbeat produces a double pulse, as
occurs, for example, in typhoid fever
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek dikrotos “double-beating.”]
—di·cro·tal
[dī krṓt’l], adjective

—di·crot·ic [dī króttik], adjective[1]



dict.

dict.
dict.

1.  Abbreviation
of
dictation

2.  Abbreviation
of
dictator

3.  Abbreviation
of
dictionary

[1]



dicta

dicta
dic·ta


Plural of
dictum[1]



Dictaphone

Dictaphone
Dic·ta·phone 
[díktə fn] Trademark

a trademark for a small
hand-held tape recorder used for dictation[1]



dictate

dictate
dic·tate 
[dík tàyt] verb (past dic·tat·ed,
past participle dic·tat·ed, present participle dic·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular dic·tates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
aloud words to be written: to speak the words of a text
or letter to be written, either to somebody writing it down as it is spoken, or
into a tape recorder for later transcription

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb rule
or control other people: to rule over or make
decisions for others with absolute authority, or attempt to do so • dictates
their every move

3.  transitive
verb
control:
to have control over something (usually passive)
noun
(plural dic·tates)

1.  command
given:
an order telling people what they must do • dictates
received from their superiors

2.  governing
principle:
a rule or principle that governs how people behave • the
dictates of fashion
[Late 16th century. From
Latin dictat-, the past participle stem of dictare “to say
often,” from dicere “to say” (see diction
).][1]



dictation

dictation
dic·ta·tion 
[dik táysh’n] (plural dic·ta·tions)
noun

1.  act
of dictating: the act of dictating a text or letter,
or of writing down what is being dictated

2.  EDUCATION students’
writing of words spoken: a test or exercise of
language comprehension in which students write down words spoken aloud by a
teacher • a
Spanish dictation

3.  words
written down: words written down that have been
dictated
—dic·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



dictator

dictator
dic·ta·tor 
[dík tàytər] (plural dic·ta·tors)
noun

1.  POLITICS tyrant:
a leader who rules a country with absolute power, usually by force

2.  bossy
person:
somebody who behaves in a tyrannical way

3.  authority
on a subject: somebody whose opinions on a subject are
listened to and followed by society at large • one
of the great dictators of modern music

4.  somebody
who gives dictation: somebody who speaks the
words of a letter or text out loud so that somebody else can transcribe them

5.  HISTORY temporary
Roman ruler: in ancient Rome, a temporary appointed
leader with absolute power to deal with a crisis or an emergency

[1]



dictatorial

dictatorial
dic·ta·to·ri·al 
[dìktə táwree əl] adjective

1.  imposing
will on others: fond of telling others what to do, or of
using power or authority to make them do it

2.  POLITICS of
dictators:
relating to or ruled by dictators
—dic·ta·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



dictatorship

dictatorship
dic·ta·tor·ship 
[dik táytər shìp] (plural dic·ta·tor·ships)
noun

1.  dictator’s
power or rule: a dictator’s power or authority, or the
period of time during which a dictator rules

2.  government
by dictator: government by a dictator

3.  country
ruled by dictator: a country ruled by a
dictator

4.  absolute
authority:
absolute power or authority

[1]



diction

diction
dic·tion 
[díkshən] noun

1.  spoken
clarity:
the clarity with which somebody pronounces words when speaking or singing

2.  choice
of words:
choice of words to fit their context “a tendency to identify the poetic impulse
with melancholy moods and sonorous diction” Northrop Frye The Bush Garden 1972
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin stem diction-, from dicere “to say.”]
—dic·tion·al,
adjective

—dic·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



dictionary

dictionary
dic·tion·ar·y 
[díkshə nèrree] (plural dic·tion·ar·ies)
noun

1.  book
of word meanings: a reference book that contains words
listed in alphabetical order and gives explanations of their meanings, often
with additional information about grammar, pronunciation, and etymology

2.  foreign-language
reference book of words: a reference book that gives
equivalents of words and phrases in two or more languages, often with
translations from each language to the other in separate sections • a
Spanish-English dictionary

3.  specialized
reference book: a reference book that gives the meanings
of, and often other information about, terms relating to a particular subject
or field, arranged alphabetically • a
dictionary of music

4.  list
of information: a book that contains a list of examples
or information arranged either alphabetically or in some other way, for
example, by author • a dictionary of
quotations

5.  COMPUTING alphabetical
list of computer codes: an alphabetized list of keys
or code names used in a program, together with a brief description of the
meaning of each

6.  COMPUTING word-processing
reference:
a file used as a reference by a word-processing program for correct spelling
and hyphenation
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin dictionarius “of words,” from the Latin stem diction-
(see diction ).][1]



dictum

dictum
dic·tum 
[díktəm] (plural dic·tums or
dic·ta [díktə]) noun

1.  pronouncement:
an authoritative saying, statement, or pronouncement (formal)

2.  LAW See obiter dictum
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, from the past participle of dicere (see diction
).][1]



dictyopteran

dictyopteran
dic·ty·op·ter·an
[dìktee óptərən] (plural dic·ty·op·ter·ans)
noun

insect related to
cockroaches: an insect with,
typically, a flattened body, long legs, and leathery front wings held flat over
the membranous hind wings. Dictyopterans include cockroaches and mantises.
Order: Dictyoptera[1]



dicy

dicy
dic·y
adjective

See
dicey[1]



dicynodont

dicynodont
di·cyn·o·dont
[dī sínnə dònt] (plural di·cyn·o·donts)
noun

prehistoric
reptile with tusks: an extinct plant-eating
reptile with teeth like tusks. Suborder: Dicynodontia.
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Dicynodontia, suborder name, literally “two canine teeth,”
from the Greek stems kun- “dog” and odont- “tooth.”][1]



did

did
did


Past tense of
do[1]



didact

didact
di·dact 
[d dàkt] (plural di·dacts) noun

didactic
person:
somebody who speaks or writes in a didactic way (formal)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from didactic .][1]



didactic

didactic
di·dac·tic 
[dī dáktik] adjective

1.  with
message:
containing a political or moral message • didactic
theater

2.  fond
of instructing or advising others: tending to give
instruction or advice, even when it is not welcome or not needed
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek didaktikos, from didaskein “to teach.”]
—di·dac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



didacticism

didacticism
di·dac·ti·cism
[dī dákti sìzzəm] (plural di·dac·ti·cisms)
noun

instructional quality or
tendency: the instructional quality of
something, for example, a piece of writing, or the attitude of somebody who
likes to instruct others or give them advice • the
welcome absence of didacticism in modern poetry[1]



didactics

didactics
di·dac·tics 
[dī dáktiks] noun

teaching:
the science or profession of teaching (formal) (takes a singular verb)[1]



diddle

diddle1
did·dle1 [dídd’l]
(past did·dled, past participle did·dled, present
participle did·dling, 3rd person present singular did·dles)
transitive verb

1.  cheat:
to cheat or swindle somebody (slang) (often passive)

2.  COMPUTING manipulate
data illegally: to manipulate computer data illegally (informal)

3.  COMPUTING manipulate
program:
to manipulate a computer program in an informal or a not particularly serious
manner (informal)
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from Diddler,
the surname of a swindler in Raising the Wind, a play by James Kenney (
1803 ).]
—did·dler, noun[1]



diddle

diddle2
did·dle2 [dídd’l]
(past did·dled, past participle did·dled, present
participle did·dling, 3rd person present singular did·dles)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
to have sexual intercourse with a woman (slang offensive)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
to masturbate (slang offensive)

3.  intransitive
verb
touch
or play with something repeatedly: to spend time
touching, fiddling with, or adjusting something repeatedly (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
jerk
repeatedly:
to jerk something up and down or back and forth (informal)

5.  intransitive
verb
spend
time idly:
to spend time doing nothing in particular (slang) • spent
the morning diddling around
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from dialect didder “to
quiver.”]
—did·dler, noun[1]



diddlysquat

diddlysquat
did·dly·squat 
[díddli skwàwt] or did·dly [díddli skwàwt] noun

nothing:
nothing at all (informal) • And
what did I get? Diddlysquat!
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably alteration of doodlysquat .][1]



didgeridoo

didgeridoo

did·ger·i·doo 
[dìjjəri d] (plural did·ger·i·doos)
or did·jer·i·doo [dìjjəri d]
(plural did·jer·i·doos) noun
Aboriginal
wind instrument: an Australian Aboriginal musical
instrument consisting of a long thick wooden pipe that the player blows into,
creating a deep reverberating humming sound
[Early 20th century. An
Aboriginal word imitating the sound of the instrument.][1]



didn’t

didn’t
did·n’t 
[díd’nt] contraction

did not:
did not • I
didn’t want to go.[1]



Dido

Dido
Di·do
[d d]

classical queen of Carthage:
in Roman mythology, the queen and founder of Carthage who killed herself when
abandoned by her lover, Aeneas[1]



didst

didst
didst 
[didst] contraction

form of “did”:
second person present singular of “did,” used with “thou” (archaic)[1]



didymium

didymium
di·dym·i·um 
[dī dímmee əm] noun

metal
mixture used to color glass: a mixture of metallic
elements from the rare-earth, or lanthanide, series of elements, consisting
chiefly of neodymium and praseodymium, used in the production of colored glass
and optical filters
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek didumos “twin” + -ium .][1]



die

die2
die2 [dī]
(plural dies) noun

1.  (plural
dice) GAME numbered
cube used in games: a small cube with the
numbers 1 to 6 marked in dots on the sides, used in gambling and in a wide
variety of games of chance • throw
each die once

2.  ENGINEERING stamping
or pressing tool: the metal tool on a stamping or pressing
machine that gives the finished article its shape and design

3.  ENGINEERING mold:
tool for molding substances such as metal or plastic

4.  ENGINEERING tool
for cutting: a tool that cuts screw threads on metal
rods, consisting of a metal block with an internally threaded hole into which
blank rods are screwed to cut external threads

5.  ARCHITECTURE part
of pedestal: the part of a pedestal that lies between
the base and the cornice, especially when it is cubic in shape.
Also
called
dado
[12th century. From French dé
(see dice ).][1]



die

die1
die1 [dī]
(past died, past participle died, present
participle dy·ing, 3rd person present singular dies) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
living:
to cease to be alive (refers to a person, plant, or animal)

2.  intransitive
verb
stop
existing:
to cease to exist, especially gradually • feelings
I thought had died long ago

3.  intransitive
verb
stop
working:
to stop functioning • The
engine suddenly died.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb die as
stated:
to cease to live in a particular way • The
villain, of course, dies a gruesome death.
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse deyja “to die,” from,
ultimately, an Indo-European base that also produced English death and dead
.]
to
die for

highly
desirable and hence worth sacrificing something to obtain

die
hard

give up or come to an end
only after long, difficult, and sustained resistance.
See also
diehard[1]



dieaway

dieaway
die
away
intransitive verb

diminish:
to fade or grow faint[1]



dieback

dieback
die·back 
[d bàk] noun

plant decay:
gradual decay that sets in at a plant’s young shoots then works back to
established stems or old wood, as a result of disease, seasonal change, or poor
conditions[1]



dieback

dieback
die
back
intransitive verb

wither from tips:
to wither or die from the tips of new shoots back to the established stem or
old wood of the plant, as a result of disease, seasonal change, or poor
conditions[1]



die-cast

die-cast
die-cast
(past die-cast, past participle die-cast, present
participle die-cast·ing, 3rd person present singular die-casts)
transitive verb

cast
a metal or plastic object: to make a metal or plastic
object by pouring or forcing molten metal or plastic into a mold
—die-cast, adjective[1]



diecasting

diecasting
die
cast·ing
noun

molding process:
a manufacturing process in which objects are formed by pouring or forcing
molten metal or plastic into a die[1]



diecious

diecious
di·e·cious 
adjective

See
dioecious[1]



diedown

diedown
die
down
intransitive verb

fade in strength or
intensity: to become quieter, weaker,
or less intense[1]



Diefenbaker,John George

Diefenbaker,John George
Die·fen·ba·ker 
[dfən bàykər], John George (1895–1979)

Canadian statesman. He headed
the Progressive Conservative Party (1956–1967) and served as prime minister
(1957–1963).[1]



dieffenbachia

dieffenbachia
di·ef·fen·bach·i·a 
[dfən bkee ə, dfən
bákee ə, dfən bkee ə, dfən bàkee ə] (plural di·ef·fen·bach·i·as)
noun

tropical
American evergreen plant: an evergreen plant with
poisonous sap, native to tropical America but widely cultivated as a house
plant for its large many-colored leaves. Dumb cane is a type of dieffenbachia.
Genus: Dieffenbachia
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Ernst Dieffenbach (1794–1855), a
German botanist.][1]



diehard

diehard
die·hard 
[d hrd] adjective

stubbornly
resistant to change: resistant to any kind of
change, and reluctant to give up beliefs, positions, or attitudes • diehard
team fans
noun
(plural die·hards)

stubbornly
resistant person: somebody who resists change or who
clings to a belief, attitude, or position in the face of all opposition • with
the old diehards holding out to the bitter end
—die·hard·ism, noun[1]



dieldrin

dieldrin
diel·drin 
[dldrin] noun

extremely
toxic insecticide: a contact insecticide based
on a chlorinated naphthalene derivative. Its effects are cumulative and long
lasting in humans and animals, therefore it is now widely banned. C12H10OCl6
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Otto Diels (1876–1954), German chemist + aldrin .][1]



dielectric

dielectric
di·e·lec·tric 
[d i léktrik] adjective

not
conducting direct electric current: not
able to conduct direct electric current and therefore useful as an insulator
noun
(plural di·e·lec·trics)

dielectric
substance:
a dielectric substance
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from dia- “through” + electric .]
—di·e·lec·tri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dielectricconstant

dielectricconstant
di·e·lec·tric
con·stant
(plural di·e·lec·tric con·stants) noun

PHYSICS
See relative permittivity[1]



dielectricheating

dielectricheating
di·e·lec·tric
heat·ing
noun

ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING heating
of insulator using electricity: the
heating of an insulating material by placing it in a rapidly changing electric
field. The technique is used in the manufacture of foam rubber, plastics, and
other materials.[1]



dielectriclens

dielectriclens
di·e·lec·tric
lens
(plural di·e·lec·tric lens·es) noun

lens deflecting radio waves:
a lens made of insulating material that deflects radio waves passing through it
in the way that a glass lens deflects light. It is used to shape the beams
emitted from radar and microwave antennas.[1]



Diels-Alderreaction

Diels-Alderreaction
Diels-Al·der
re·ac·tion
[dlz ldər ree àkshən] (plural Diels-Al·der
re·ac·tions) noun

chemical
reaction forming ring compound: a chemical reaction in
which an organic compound with two double bonds between carbon atoms ( diene ) and a compound containing a double or
triple bond, combine to form a ring compound
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the German chemists Otto Diels (see dieldrin
) and Kurt Alder (see aldrin ).][1]



diencephalon

diencephalon
di·en·ceph·a·lon 
[d en séffə lòn] (plural di·en·ceph·a·lons)
noun

part
of brain:
the area in the center of the brain just above the brain stem that includes the
thalamus and hypothalamus.
Also
called
betweenbrain
[Late
19th century. Coined from dia- “across” +
Greek enkephalos “brain.”]
—di·en·ce·phal·ic [d ensə fállik], adjective[1]



diene

diene
di·ene
[d n] (plural di·enes) noun

hydrocarbon
with carbon double bonds: an unsaturated hydrocarbon (
alkene ) containing two carbon-to-carbon
double bonds
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- + -ene
.][1]



dieoff

dieoff
die
off
intransitive verb

die individually:
to die gradually one by one, till none are left (refers to plants or animals)[1]



dieout

dieout
die
out
intransitive verb

1.  cease
gradually to exist: to become extinct or cease
to exist gradually • entire species that
have died out in our century

2.  disappear
gradually:
to fade and finally disappear gradually • Over
the years, opposition to the plan had died out.

[1]



Dieppe

Dieppe
Di·eppe 
[dee ép]

seaport and resort on the
English Channel in the Seine-Maritime Department, Haute-Normandie Region, in
northwestern France. It is situated about 97 km60 mi west of Amiens.
Population: 36,600 (1990)[1]



dieresis

dieresis
di·er·e·sis 
[dī érrəssiss] (plural di·er·e·ses
[dī érrə sz]) or di·aer·e·sis
[dī érrəssiss] (plural di·aer·e·ses)
noun

1.  LINGUISTICS mark
making adjacent vowel separate syllable: a
mark consisting of two dots, printed above the second of two adjacent vowels to
show that it should be pronounced as a separate syllable, as in the word
“naïve”

2.  LANGUAGE mark
changing pronunciation of vowel: a mark consisting of
two dots, placed above certain vowels in some languages to show that they are
to be pronounced in a particular way.
Also
called
umlaut

3.  POETRY pause
in poetry:
a pause in a line of poetry that occurs when the end of a metrical foot
coincides with the end of a word
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek diairein “to separate,
divide,” literally “to take apart,” from hairein “to take” (source of
English heresy ).]
—di·e·ret·ic [d ə réttik], adjective[1]



diesel

diesel
die·sel 
[dz’l, dss’l]
(plural die·sels) noun

1.  See
diesel engine

2.  vehicle
with diesel engine: a vehicle such as a car or
train that is powered by a diesel engine

3.  See
diesel fuel
[Late 19th century. Named for
Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913), the German engineer who designed the engine.][1]



dieselengine

dieselengine
die·sel
en·gine
(plural die·sel en·gines) or die·sel noun

engine heating diesel fuel by
compression: an internal combustion
engine that ignites diesel fuel using compression alone, rather than using an
electrical spark.
Also called
diesel[1]



dieselfuel

dieselfuel
die·sel
fu·el
noun

petroleum-based fuel for
diesel engines: a thick oily fuel that
is obtained from the distillation of petroleum. It has an ignition temperature
of 540°C and is ignited by the heat of compression.
U.K. term
diesel oil
Also called
diesel[1]



dieseloil

dieseloil
die·sel
oil
noun

U.K.
See diesel fuel[1]



DiesIrae

DiesIrae
Di·es
I·rae 
[d ayss  rày] (plural Di·es
Iraes) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
hymn for dead in Latin: a thirteenth-century Latin
hymn that describes the Day of Judgment, used in a Requiem Mass

2.  MUSIC part
of Requiem Mass: a musical setting of the Dies Irae,
usually as part of a Requiem Mass
[From Latin, literally “day
of wrath”][1]



diesis

diesis
di·e·sis 
[d əssiss] (plural di·e·ses [d ə sz]) noun

PRINTING
See double dagger[1]



diestock

diestock
die·stock 
[d stòk] (plural die·stocks) noun

die-cutting device:
a device for holding the dies that are used for cutting threads on screws[1]



diestrus

diestrus
di·es·trus 
[dī éstrəss] noun

stage
of estrous cycle: a stage of the estrous cycle, following
estrus, in which the ovary is functional and the predominant ovarian hormone
produced is progesterone
[Early
20th century. Coined from di- “twice,
doubly” + estrus .]
—di·es·trous, adjective[1]



diet

diet2
di·et2 [d
ət] (plural di·ets) noun

1.  POLITICS legislative
assembly:
a legislative assembly in certain countries, for example, Japan

2.  HISTORY assembly
in Holy Roman Empire: a general assembly of the
estates of the Holy Roman Empire

3.  LAW court
session in Scotland: in Scotland, a session of a
court, or the date fixed for a court hearing
[15th century. From medieval
Latin dieta “day’s journey, work,” associated with Latin dies
“day,” hence “day for a meeting (of legislators),” probably from, ultimately,
Greek diaita (see diet 1 ).][1]



diet

diet1
di·et1 [d
ət] noun (plural di·ets)

1.  what
a person or animal eats: the food that a person or
animal usually consumes

2.  controlled
intake of food: a controlled intake of food and drink
designed for weight loss, for health or religious reasons, or to control or
improve a medical condition • a
wheat-free diet

3.  regular
intake of something: a continuous or daily
experience of, or indulgence in, something other than food • living
on a diet of soap operas and game shows
adjective

designed or promoted for weight loss:
used to describe a food or drink that is intended for people trying to lose
weight, usually because it is low in calories or fat, or contains a sugar
substitute • a
diet soda
intransitive
verb
(past di·et·ed, past participle di·et·ed, present
participle di·et·ing, 3rd person present singular di·ets)

eat less: to
follow a restricted pattern of eating or drinking in order to lose weight
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French diete from, ultimately, Greek diaita “course of life.”][1]



dietary

dietary
di·e·tar·y 
[d ə tèrree] adjective

of
eating habits: relating to what people or animals eat
noun
(plural di·e·tar·ies)

diet:
a diet or system of dieting (archaic)[1]



dietaryfiber

dietaryfiber
di·e·tar·y
fi·ber
noun

See
fiber[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dietarylaws

dietarylaws
di·e·tar·y
laws
plural noun

Jewish eating rules:
the rules governing which items of food observant Jewish people are permitted
to eat, derived from Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14[1]



dieter

dieter
di·et·er
[d ətər] (plural di·et·ers) noun

somebody on a diet:
somebody who is on a diet, particularly somebody who is trying to lose weight[1]



dietetic

dietetic
di·e·tet·ic 
[d ə téttik] adjective

1.  relating
to diets:
relating to what people eat and drink

2.  prepared
with special diets in mind: specially prepared to suit
the requirements of a particular diet
—di·e·tet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dietetics

dietetics
di·e·tet·ics 
[d ə téttiks] noun

food studies:
the study of food and nutrition and its relation to people’s health (takes a
singular verb.)[1]



diethylcarbamazinecitrate

diethylcarbamazinecitrate
di·eth·yl·car·bam·a·zine
cit·rate 
[dī ethəl kaar bammə zn sí tràyt] noun

drug
for treating worms: a drug used to treat
intestinal worms in humans, and roundworm in dogs and cats
[Diethylcarbamazine coined
from di- + ethyl
+ carbo- + amide
+ azine][1]



diethylether

diethylether
di·eth·yl
eth·er 
[dī èthəl thər] noun

CHEMISTRY
See ether[1]



diethylstilbestrol

diethylstilbestrol
di·eth·yl·stil·bes·trol 
[dī èthəl stil bé stràwl] noun

PHARMACOLOGY form
of synthetic estrogen: a form of synthetic estrogen
once widely used as a hormone replacement.
Also
called
stilbestrol
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + ethyl
+ stilbene + oestrus
+ -ol .][1]



diethyltoluamide

diethyltoluamide
di·eth·yl
tol·u·am·ide  [dī èthəl
tollyoo á md, dī èthəl tollyoo ámmid]
noun

Full form of
DEET[1]



dietitian

dietitian
di·e·ti·tian
[d ə tísh’n] (plural di·e·ti·tians)
or di·e·ti·cian [d ə tísh’n]
(plural di·e·ti·cians) noun

nutrition specialist:
somebody who specializes in the study of food and nutrition in relation to
health[1]



Dietrich,Marlene

Dietrich,Marlene
Die·trich 
[dtrik], Marlene (1901–1992)

German-born
U.S. singer and movie actor. She starred in movies from the 1930s to the 1970s,
including The Devil Is a Woman ( 1935 ) and Witness for the
Prosecution ( 1957 ).
Full name
von Losch, Maria Magdalene Dietrich[1]



diff.

diff.
diff.

1.  Abbreviation
of
difference

2.  Abbreviation
of
different

[1]



differ

differ
dif·fer 
[díffər] (past dif·fered, past
participle dif·fered, present participle dif·fer·ing, 3rd
person present singular dif·fers) intransitive verb

1.  be
unlike:
to be dissimilar or unlike • new
models that differ greatly from the early prototypes

2.  disagree:
to have different opinions about something • We
agreed to differ.
[14th
century. Via French différer “to differ, defer” from Latin differre
“to differ,” literally “to carry apart,” from ferre “to carry” (see
-fer).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disagree

[1]



difference

difference
dif·fer·ence 
[díffərəns, díffrəns]
(plural dif·fer·enc·es) noun

1.  state
of being unlike others: the quality of being
different from or unlike something or somebody else • There’s
no real difference between going by train and going by car.

2.  distinguishing
feature:
a feature that distinguishes one person or thing from another • Can
you spot the differences between the two?

3.  significant
change:
a change that has an effect • a
noticeable difference in her moods

4.  disagreement:
a disagreement, argument, or divergence of opinions • settle
our differences

5.  MATHEMATICS answer
to subtraction equation: the amount by which one
quantity is greater or smaller than another • What’s
the difference between 16 and 6?
Also
called
remainder

6.  LOGIC defining
feature:
a distinguishing feature that marks out a thing that is being defined or
discussed, from others that are more general • being
divisible by two is the difference between even numbers and other whole numbers
make
all the difference

have
an enormous, usually positive, effect or influence

make
no difference

be
of no importance or not matter

split
the difference

take
the average of two amounts, or agree on something that is halfway between two
extremes

tell
the difference

distinguish or figure out the
particular features that make things unlike each other[1]



different

different
dif·fer·ent 
[díffərənt, díffrənt]
adjective

1.  unlike
something or somebody else: not the same as something or
somebody else • The two places are very
different from each other.

2.  distinct:
separate or distinct from another or others • She
wears a different pair of shoes every day.

3.  unusual:
contrary to norms or expectations • What
do you think of my hat? –Well, it’s certainly different.
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem different-, present participle
stem of differre (see differ ).]
—dif·fer·ent·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Different
  from
  or different than ?
  Different
  from and different than are both common in U.S. English, though critics for
  300 years have objected to different than . If you are drawing
  distinctions directly between two people or items, then from is the
  safest choice: • Their attitudes are
  very different from those of their contemporaries.

[1]



differentia

differentia
dif·fer·en·ti·a 
[dìffə rénshee ə, dìffə
rénshə] (plural dif·fer·en·ti·ae [dìffə
rénshee ]) noun

distinguishing trait between
subclasses: an element that separates
one thing from another, especially a trait that distinguishes one subclass from
another, for example, one species from another in the same genus[1]



differentiable

differentiable
dif·fer·en·tia·ble 
[dìffə rénshee əb’l, dìffə rénshəb’l] adjective

able
to be perceived as different: recognizable as different or
distinct from something else
—dif·fer·en·tia·bil·i·ty
[dìffə renshee ə bíllətee, dìffə renshə bíllətee], noun[1]



differential

differential
dif·fer·en·tial 
[dìffə rénshəl] noun (plural dif·fer·en·tials)

1.  difference
between points on a scale: a difference between two
values on a scale, for example, a difference in the rates of pay for different
jobs in the same line of work

2.  AUTOMOTIVE See differential gear

3.  MATHEMATICS infinitesimal
change in variable: an infinitesimal change in a
variable
adjective

1.  of
differences: relating to or based on differences

2.  MATHEMATICS relating
to infinitesimal changes: relating to a function of
one or more variables that exhibits an infinitesimal change as a consequence of
a small change in the variables

[1]



differentialcalculus

differentialcalculus
dif·fer·en·tial
cal·cu·lus
noun

branch of math:
the branch of mathematics dealing with continuously varying quantities, with
applications in the determination of maximum and minimum points, and with rates
of change through the use of derivatives and differentials[1]



differentialcoefficient

differentialcoefficient
dif·fer·en·tial
co·ef·fi·cient noun

MATHEMATICS
See derivative[1]



differentialequation

differentialequation
dif·fer·en·tial
e·qua·tion
noun

mathematical equation:
a mathematical equation that relates functions and their derivatives[1]



differentialgear

differentialgear

dif·fer·en·tial gear
noun
gear allowing different speeds of
rotation: an arrangement of gears that
allows two shafts driven by a third to turn at different speeds, for example,
in a motor vehicle.
Also called
differential[1]



differentiate

differentiate
dif·fer·en·ti·ate 
[dìffə rénshee àyt] (past dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed,
past participle dif·fer·en·ti·at·ed, present participle dif·fer·en·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dif·fer·en·ti·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb see differences
between things: to see or show the differences between
two or more things

2.  transitive
verb
be
a difference: to establish a difference between two
things or among several things

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become different: to make something different
or specialized by modifying it, or to become different or specialized by being
modified

4.  intransitive
verb
EMBRYOLOGY become
specialized: to change from a generalized form into a
form specialized for a certain tissue, organ, or other body part (refers to
embryo cells)

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS calculate
derivative:
to calculate the mathematical derivative of a function
[Early
19th century. From medieval Latin differentiat-, the past participle
stem of differentiare, from, ultimately, Latin differre (see differ ).]
—dif·fer·en·tia·bil·i·ty
[dìffə renshə bíllətee, dìffə renshee ə bíllətee], noun

—dif·fer·en·ti·a·ble
[dìffə rénshəb’l, dìffə
rénshee əb’l], adjective

—dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion
[dìffə renshee áysh’n], noun

—dif·fer·en·ti·a·tor [dìffə rénshee àytər], noun[1]



difficult

difficult
dif·fi·cult 
[díffikəlt] adjective

1.  hard
to do:
requiring a lot of planning or effort to accomplish • a
difficult job

2.  full
of problems: full of problems, trouble, or aspects
that are hard to endure • a
difficult birth

3.  hard
to understand: hard to understand, learn, or solve • a
difficult subject

4.  hard
to answer:
hard to answer, deal with, or fulfill • a
difficult question

5.  hard
to manage:
hard to cope with or control • a
difficult plant to grow indoors

6.  hard
to please:
hard to please or satisfy • a
difficult audience

7.  hard
to convince: hard to convince or persuade • If
they’re difficult, offer them more.

8.  full
of hardship: containing great hardship, especially of
a financial kind
[14th
century. Back-formation from difficulty .]
—dif·fi·cult·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hard

[1]



difficulty

difficulty
dif·fi·cul·ty 
[díffikəltee] noun (plural dif·fi·cul·ties)

1.  quality
of being difficult: the quality of being hard to
do, understand, or deal with

2.  something
not easily done: something that is hard to do,
understand, or deal with

3.  effort:
a great effort or struggle to do something

4.  a
dispute:
a dispute or controversy
plural
noun
difficulties

1.  trouble:
a situation full of trouble, danger, or embarrassment • Even
a strong swimmer can get into difficulties in this river.

2.  objections:
objections, or attempts to prevent the progress of something • You’re
supposed to be here to help, not make difficulties.
[14th century. From Latin difficultas,
from difficilis, literally “not easy,” from facilis “easy” (see facile ).][1]



diffidence

diffidence
dif·fi·dence 
[díffid’ns] noun

1.  lack
of self-confidence: a lack of self-confidence or
hesitation caused by lack of confidence

2.  reserved
manner:
a reserved or restrained manner

[1]



diffident

diffident
dif·fi·dent 
[díffid’nt] adjective

1.  lacking
self-confidence: lacking self-confidence and rather shy

2.  reserved
or restrained: reserved or restrained in the way you
behave
[15th
century. From Latin diffident-, the present participle stem of diffidere
“to distrust,” from fidere “to trust.” The original English meaning was
“distrustful.”]
—dif·fi·dent·ly, adverb[1]



diffract

diffract
dif·fract 
[di frákt] (past dif·fract·ed,
past participle dif·fract·ed, present participle dif·fract·ing,
3rd person present singular dif·fracts) intransitive and
transitive verb

produce
or undergo diffraction: to produce or undergo
diffraction
[Early
19th century. From Latin diffract-, the past participle stem of diffringere,
literally “to break apart,” from frangere “to break.”]
—dif·frac·tive,
adjective

—dif·frac·tive·ly,
adverb

—dif·frac·tive·ness, noun[1]



diffraction

diffraction
dif·frac·tion 
[di frákshən] noun

bending of waves:
the bending or spreading out of waves, for example, of sound or light, as they
pass around the edge of an obstacle or through a narrow aperture[1]



diffractiongrating

diffractiongrating
dif·frac·tion
grat·ing
(plural dif·frac·tion grat·ings) noun

polished surface etched with
fine lines: a glass plate or metal
mirror engraved with a large number of parallel lines or grooves, used to
produce a spectrum by diffraction or interference.
Also called
grating[1]



diffractometer

diffractometer
dif·frac·tom·e·ter
[dì frak tómmətər] (plural dif·frac·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument using diffraction
in analysis: an instrument that uses
diffraction, typically of X-rays or electrons by crystals, to investigate the
atomic structure of a material[1]



diffuse

diffuse1
dif·fuse1  (past dif·fused,
past participle dif·fused, present participle dif·fus·ing,
3rd person present singular dif·fus·es) verb [di fyz]

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
through:
to spread something throughout something else, or to become spread throughout
something else

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb scatter
or become scattered: to scatter something over an
area, or become scattered over an area

3.  transitive
verb
make
less intense: to make something, especially light,
less bright or intense

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS undergo or subject to
diffusion:
to undergo or subject something to diffusion
[14th
century. From Latin diffus-, the past participle stem of diffundere,
literally “to pour in every direction,” from fundere “to pour” (see found ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wordy

[1]



diffuse

diffuse2
dif·fuse2  [di
fyss] adjective

1.  spread
throughout area: spread throughout a wide area

2.  lacking
conciseness: lacking organization and conciseness,
especially in writing or speech
[15th
century. Directly or via French diffus from Latin diffusus
“spread out,” from the past participle of diffundere (see diffuse 1 ).]
—dif·fuse·ly,
adverb

—dif·fuse·ness, noun[1]



diffuser

diffuser
dif·fus·er 
[də fyzər] (plural dif·fus·ers)
or dif·fu·sor [də fyzər] (plural
dif·fu·sors) noun

1.  person
or thing that diffuses: somebody or something that
diffuses

2.  HOUSEHOLD device
that diffuses lamp light: a piece of translucent or
reflective material fixed to a light source, such as a lamp, in order to soften
or spread the light over a wide area

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY CINEMA device
that softens light: a cloth screen, piece of
frosted glass, or other material that is used to soften the brightness of the
lighting in photography or cinematography

4.  HAIRDRESSING hairdryer
attachment:
an attachment for a hairdryer that slows down and spreads the air flow, making
the drying action gentler

5.  ACOUSTICS cone
to disperse sound waves: a device, such as a cone or
wedge, fixed inside a loudspeaker to diffuse sound waves

[1]



diffusible

diffusible
dif·fus·i·ble 
[di fyzəb’l] adjective

able
to be diffused: capable of being diffused
—dif·fus·i·bil·i·ty [di fyzə bíllətee], noun[1]



diffusion

diffusion
dif·fu·sion 
[də fyzh’n] noun

1.  process
of diffusing: a process during which something
diffuses or is diffused

2.  result
of diffusing: the result of something diffusing or
being diffused, or a situation where something is diffused

3.  ANTHROPOLOGY spread
of cultural features: the spread of tools,
practices, or other features from one culture to another

4.  PHYSICS scattering
of light:
the scattering of light in many directions as the result of reflection from an
uneven surface or passage though a translucent material

5.  PHYSICS intermingling
of substances: the random movement of atoms, molecules,
or ions from one site in a medium to another, resulting in complete mixing
—dif·fu·sion·al, adjective[1]



diffusionism

diffusionism
dif·fu·sion·ism
[də fyzhə nìzzəm] noun

theory
of spread of culture: the theory that similarities
in tools, practices, or other features between cultures, result from their
being spread from one culture to another rather than being arrived at
independently
—dif·fu·sion·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



diffusive

diffusive
dif·fu·sive 
[də fyssiv] adjective

1.  involved
in diffusion: involved in diffusion

2.  spreading:
in which diffusion is important or characteristic

3.  See
diffuse 2 adjective 2
—dif·fu·sive·ly,
adverb

—dif·fu·sive·ness, noun[1]



diffusor

diffusor
dif·fu·sor
(plural dif·fu·sors) noun

See
diffuser[1]



dig

dig
dig 
[dig] verb (past dug, past
participle dug [dug], present
participle dig·ging, 3rd person present singular digs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
up or remove earth: to break up, overturn, or
remove something, especially earth, with the hands, paws, a tool, or a machine
• The
excavator dug the rock out of the hole.

2.  transitive
verb
create
by digging:
to make something by removing material, especially earth, with the hands, paws,
a tool, or a machine • digging
a hole

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb obtain
or free by digging: to obtain, uncover, or free
something by removing the material covering it using a shovel, the hands, paws,
a tool, or a machine

4.  intransitive
verb
search
by digging:
to try to find something by digging • dig
for buried treasure

5.  intransitive
verb
move
through something by digging: to move through something by
digging a way through it

6.  transitive
verb
discover
by research: to find out something by research or
questioning • See
what you can dig up about her past.

7.  intransitive
verb
search
carefully:
to search something carefully or persistently • digging
through the papers in a file

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb push
into something forcefully: to push something into
something else with force, or be pushed forcefully into something • He
dug his teeth into the steak.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb poke:
to push somebody with something fairly sharp • She
dug her elbow into my side.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb understand:
to understand something fully or with sympathy (dated slang) • I
dig what you’re saying.

11. transitive
verb
like:
to like or appreciate something (dated slang) • They
don’t dig jazz.

12. transitive
verb
look
at:
to look at, notice, or pay attention to something (dated slang) • Now
dig this, honey.
noun
(plural digs)

1.  prod:
a push with something fairly sharp • a dig
in the ribs

2.  cutting
remark:
a remark that is meant to hurt or make fun of somebody • a
dig about her new hairstyle

3.  ARCHAEOLOGY archaeological
excavation:
an archaeological or paleontological excavation • a
dig in Egypt

4.  act
of digging:
the act of digging or excavating something
plural
noun
digs

U.K. lodgings:
a room or rooms that somebody rents in another person’s house (dated
informal)
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “to make a ditch,” formed from Old English dīc,
an earlier form of ditch .][1]



dig.

dig.
dig.

PUBLISHING
Abbreviation of digest[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








digamma

digamma
di·gam·ma 
[dī gámmə] noun

Greek
letter:
a letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, Ϝ, that was already obsolete in the
classical period
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek, literally “double gamma,” from gamma “gamma”; from its
resemblance to two capital gammas, set one above the other.][1]



digamy

digamy
dig·a·my 
[díggəmee] (plural dig·a·mies)
noun

second
legal marriage: a second marriage that, unlike bigamy,
is legal because the first husband or wife is dead or has been divorced (formal)
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin digamia from Greek, from digamos
“married to two people,” from gamos “marriage.”]
—dig·a·mous, adjective[1]



digastric

digastric
di·gas·tric 
[dī gástrik] adjective

describing
two-part muscle: used to describe a muscle, especially
the muscle on either side of the lower jaw, in which two fleshy parts are
connected by a tendon
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin digastricus, from gastricus “gastric” (see gastric ); from an analogy between “fleshy parts”
and “bellies.”][1]



digerati

digerati
di·ge·ra·ti
[dìjjə rtee] plural noun

computer
experts:
people who have or claim to have a sophisticated expertise in the area of
computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web
[Late 20th century. Formed
from digital on the model of literati .][1]



Digest

Digest
Di·gest
[d jèst] noun

compilation of Roman law:
a 50-volume compilation of Roman civil law, created by the order of Emperor
Justinian in the 6th century.
Also called
Pandects[1]



digest

digest
di·gest 
verb [dī jést, di jést] (past di·gest·ed, past
participle di·gest·ed, present participle di·gest·ing,
3rd person present singular di·gests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb process
food:
to process food in the body into a form that can be absorbed and used or
excreted

2.  transitive
verb
absorb
mentally:
to think about something and come to understand or appreciate what it means

3.  transitive
verb
organize
systematically: to organize something into a system,
often through selective condensing of the various items, so that essential
information is readily available

4.  transitive
verb
abridge:
to make a summary of something, often a written work

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY break down:
to soften or break down a substance through exposure to heat, water, or
chemicals, or to be broken down in this way

6.  transitive
verb
bear
patiently:
to put up with something without reacting (archaic)
noun
[d jèst] (plural di·gests)

1.  summary:
a shortened version of a work that contains the most important or interesting
information from the original version

2.  collection
of abridged pieces: a magazine, book, or
broadcast that contains shortened versions of articles or stories originally
from different sources

3.  LAW collection
of legal opinions: a systematic compilation of
laws or legal opinions
[14th century. From Latin digest-,
the past participle stem of digerere, literally “to carry apart,” from gerere
“to carry.”][1]



digester

digester
di·gest·er 
[dī jéstər, di
jéstər] (plural di·gest·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that digests: somebody or something that
digests something

2.  person
who makes digests: a person or organization
that makes digests of written works

3.  CHEMISTRY vessel
for chemical digestion: a vessel or device in which
chemical digestion takes place

[1]



digestible

digestible
di·gest·i·ble 
[dī jéstəb’l, di
jéstəb’l] adjective

easily
digested:
easily digested
—di·gest·i·bil·i·ty
[dī jèstə bíllətee, di
jèstə bíllətee], noun

—di·gest·i·bly [dī jéstəblee], adverb[1]



digestif

digestif
di·ges·tif 
[d zhe stf] (plural di·ges·tifs)
noun

after-dinner
drink:
an alcoholic drink, for example, a brandy or liqueur, drunk after a meal
supposedly to help the digestion of food
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “digestive,” from Latin digestivus, from, ultimately, digerere
(see digest ).][1]



digestion

digestion
di·ges·tion 
[di jésch’n] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY processing
of food in body: the breaking down of foodstuffs in the
body into a form that can be absorbed and used or excreted

2.  PHYSIOLOGY ability
to digest food: the ability to process food in the body
into a form that can be absorbed and used or excreted

3.  ability
to absorb ideas: the ability to think about something and
come to understand or appreciate its content, or the process of doing so

4.  CHEMISTRY breaking
down:
the softening or breaking down of a substance through exposure to heat, water,
chemicals, enzymes, or bacteria
—di·ges·tion·al, adjective[1]



digestive

digestive

di·ges·tive 
[də jéstiv] adjective
relating
to digestion: associated with or aiding in the
digestion of food
noun
(plural di·ges·tives)
something
that aids digestion: something that aids or
promotes the digesting of food
—di·ges·tive·ly, adverb[1]



digestivegland

digestivegland
di·ges·tive
gland
(plural di·ges·tive glands) noun

gland producing digestive
enzymes: any gland that secretes
digestive enzymes, for example, the pancreas in vertebrates[1]



digestivetract

digestivetract
di·ges·tive
tract
(plural di·ges·tive tracts) noun

ANATOMY
See alimentary canal[1]



Digger

Digger2
Dig·ger2 (plural Dig·gers)
or dig·ger (plural dig·gers) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
American person: a member of any of various Native
American peoples who gathered food mainly by digging for roots (sometimes
used disparagingly)

2.  MILITARY somebody
from Australia or New Zealand: somebody from
Australia or New Zealand, especially a soldier who served in World War I (informal)
[Mid-19th century. In sense
2, from digger “miner,” reinforced by the
idea of trench-digging in World War I.][1]



Digger

Digger1
Dig·ger1 [díggərz]
(plural Dig·gers) noun

member
of religious group: member of the English
Puritan religious group, the Diggers, active in 1649 and 1650, that believed in
communal land ownership
[Mid-17th century. From the
group’s cultivation of land.][1]



digger

digger
dig·ger 
[díggər] (plural dig·gers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that digs: somebody or something that
digs

2.  tool
for digging: a tool, machine, or part of a machine
that is used for digging or excavation

[1]



diggings

diggings
dig·gings 
[díggingz] noun (plural dig·gings)

mining
location:
a place where something is mined, especially precious metals or gems
plural
noun

material excavated:
material that has been dug out of a hole or mine[1]



dight

dight
dight 
[dīt] (past dight·ed or
dight, past participle dight·ed or dight, present
participle dight·ing, 3rd person present singular dights)
transitive verb

equip:
to equip, dress, or adorn somebody (archaic)
[Old English dihtan .
From a prehistoric Germanic word borrowed from Latin dictare “to say
often,” (see dictate ).][1]



digin

digin
dig
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY take up positions:
to prepare trenches or other defensive structures, or to establish a force or
equipment in a defensive position

2.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY resist
attack:
to put up a stubborn resistence to an attack

3.  intransitive
verb
fight
stubbornly:
to stick to an established position, for example, in an argument, and fight
stubbornly to maintain it

4.  intransitive
verb
start
eating:
to start eating, especially in an enthusiastic way (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING bury
plants:
to cover plants or the remains of a crop by turning over the soil in which they
are growing and burying them

[1]



digit

digit
dig·it 
[díjjit] (plural digits) noun

1.  ANATOMY human
finger or toe: a finger or toe of a human

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
toe or finger: a finger, toe, or similar part on a
terrestrial vertebrate

3.  MEASUREMENTS finger
width:
the width of a finger used as a unit of length, equal to approximately 2 cm/¾
in.
Also
called
finger

4.  MATHEMATICS numeral
used in decimal system: any of the ten Arabic
numerals, 0 through 9, that are used to represent numbers in the decimal system

5.  MATHEMATICS numeral
in any number system: a symbol that represents a
number in any number system, such as the hexadecimal system
[14th century. From Latin digitus
“finger, toe,” from assumed dicitus “pointer.” The numerical senses come
from the counting of numbers on the fingers.][1]



digital

digital
dig·i·tal 
[díjjit’l] adjective

1.  like
a finger:
like a finger or toe

2.  done
with the fingers: using the fingers, or operated by a
finger or fingers

3.  representing
data as numbers: processing, operating on, storing,
transmitting, representing, or displaying data in the form of numerical digits,
as in a digital computer.
See
also
analog  adjective

4.  representing
sound/light waves as numbers: representing a varying
physical quantity, such as sound or light waves, by means of discrete signals
interpreted as numbers, usually in the binary system, as in a digital recording
or digital television
[15th
century. From Latin digitalis, from digitus (see digit .]
—dig·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



digitalaudiotape

digitalaudiotape
dig·i·tal
au·di·o·tape (plural dig·i·tal
au·di·o·tapes) noun

tape for digital recording:
a magnetic tape used in the digital recording of music[1]



digitalcomputer

digitalcomputer
dig·i·tal
com·put·er
(plural dig·i·tal com·put·ers) noun

computer processing data in
binary form: a computer that stores
and performs a series of mathematical and logical operations on data expressed
as discrete signals interpreted as numbers, usually in the form of binary
notation[1]



digitalimagery

digitalimagery
dig·i·tal
im·age·ry
or dig·i·tal im·ag·ing noun

transformation of digital
image by computer: the process
of transforming or altering a digital image by manipulating it on a computer[1]



digitalize

digitalize
dig·i·tal·ize 
[díjjit’l z] (past dig·i·tal·ized,
past participle dig·i·tal·ized, present participle dig·i·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular dig·i·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  See
digitize

2.  MEDICINE treat
with digitalis: to treat somebody with digitalis
—dig·i·tal·i·za·tion [dìjjit’li záysh’n], noun[1]



digitalrecording

digitalrecording
dig·i·tal
re·cord·ing
(plural dig·i·tal re·cord·ings) noun

1.  sound
stored as digits: a form of audio recording in which
sounds are stored as numbers, producing a purer sound

2.  recording
made digitally: a recording made using the digital
method

[1]



digitalsignature

digitalsignature
dig·i·tal
sig·na·ture
noun

digital signal that
identifies user: a digital signal or
pattern that serves to identify the user or the habits of the user[1]



DigitalSubscriber Line

DigitalSubscriber Line
Dig·i·tal
Sub·scrib·er Line noun

high-speed telephone line:
a high-speed telephone line that can supply television, video, Internet access,
and video telephoning, often over standard copper wire[1]



digitaltablet

digitaltablet
dig·i·tal
tab·let
noun

COMPUT
See graphics tablet[1]



digitaltelevision

digitaltelevision
dig·i·tal
tel·e·vi·sion (plural dig·i·tal
tel·e·vi·sions) noun

1.  television
using digital transmission: television broadcasting in
which the picture is transmitted as a digital signal that is decoded by a
device in or attached to the viewer’s television set

2.  broadcasting
signals interpreted as numbers: a system of
broadcasting pictures and sounds as discrete signals represented as numbers, or
a television set specially constructed or adapted for receiving such signals

[1]



digitalvideo disk

digitalvideo disk
dig·i·tal
vid·e·o disk or dig·i·tal ver·sa·tile disk
noun

Full form of
DVD[1]



digitalvideo disk-ROM

digitalvideo disk-ROM
dig·i·tal
vid·e·o disk-ROM noun

Full form of
DVD-ROM[1]



digitalwatch

digitalwatch
dig·i·tal
watch
(plural dig·i·tal watch·es) noun

watch showing time as
numbers: a watch that shows the time
in numerical form, rather than by hands on a dial[1]



digitate

digitate
dig·i·tate 
[díjji tàyt] or dig·i·tat·ed [díjji tàyt] adjective

1.  having
fingers or toes: having fingers or toes, or having parts
that are like fingers or toes

2.  BOTANY spreading
from center: having divisions or parts arrayed from a
central point like the spread fingers of a hand, for example, in the leaves of
certain trees
—dig·i·tate·ly,
adverb

—dig·i·ta·tion [dìjji táysh’n], noun[1]



digiti-

digiti-
digiti-
prefix

finger
or toe • digitigrade
[From Latin digitus
(see digit )][1]



digitiform

digitiform
dig·i·ti·form 
[díjjitə fàwrm] adjective

shaped like a finger:
shaped or looking like a finger[1]



digitigrade

digitigrade
dig·i·ti·grade 
[díjjitə gràyd] adjective

walking
on the toes: used to describe the gait of those
animals that walk with only the tips of the digits touching the ground, the
rest of the foot being raised, for example, cats and deer
noun
(plural dig·i·ti·grades)

animal
that walks on its toes: an animal, such as a deer or
cat, that walks with its weight on its digits and the back of its foot raised
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “toe-stepping,” from Latin digitus (see digit ) + gradus “step” (see grade ).][1]



digitize

digitize
dig·i·tize 
[díjji tz] (past dig·i·tized,
past participle dig·i·tized, present participle dig·i·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular dig·i·tiz·es) transitive verb

convert
to digital form: to convert an image, graph, or other
data into digital form for processing on a computer
—dig·i·ti·za·tion
[dìjjiti záysh’n], noun

—dig·i·tiz·er [díjji tzər], noun[1]



digizine

digizine
dig·i·zine
[díjji zn] (plural dig·i·zines)
noun

magazine
in digital form: a magazine that is delivered in digital
form either on the Internet or on a CD-ROM (informal)
See
also
e-zine
[Combination of digital + magazine][1]



diglossia

diglossia
di·glos·si·a 
[dī glóssee ə] noun

language
with high and low forms: the existence of a formal
literary form of a language, considered higher and more prestigious, along with
a colloquial form used by most speakers and considered of lower status
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek diglōssos “bilingual,” from glōssa “language.”][1]



dignified

dignified
dig·ni·fied 
[dígnə fd] adjective

full
of dignity:
showing self-respect or behaving in a proper and respectable way
—dig·ni·fied·ly, adverb[1]



dignify

dignify
dig·ni·fy 
[dígnə f] (past dig·ni·fied, past
participle dig·ni·fied, present participle dig·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dig·ni·fies) transitive verb

1.  give
distinction to: to give honor or a sense of importance
to something

2.  give
undeserved attention to: to treat somebody or
something as honorable or worthy of attention when this treatment is undeserved

3.  make
noble:
to award an honor to somebody, or raise a person to noble rank
[15th century. Via obsolete
French dignifier from late Latin dignificare, literally “to make
worthy,” from Latin dignus (see dignity
).][1]



dignitary

dignitary
dig·ni·tar·y 
[dígnə tèree] (plural dig·ni·tar·ies)
noun

person of high rank:
a person who holds a high rank or position[1]



dignity

dignity
dig·ni·ty 
[dígnətee] (plural dig·ni·ties)
noun

1.  pride
and self-respect: a proper sense of pride and self-respect

2.  seriousness
in behavior: seriousness, respectfulness, or
formality in a person’s behavior and bearing

3.  worthiness:
the condition of being worthy of respect, esteem, or honor

4.  due
respect:
the respect or honor that a high rank or position should be shown

5.  high
office:
a high rank, position, or honor

6.  dignitary:
a dignitary (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old French
digneté from Latin dignitas, from dignus “worthy.”][1]



digout

digout
dig
out
transitive verb

1.  uncover:
to obtain, uncover, or free something by removing the material covering it
using a shovel, the hands, paws, a tool, or a machine

2.  retrieve:
to retrieve something from where it is kept, or find out something by research
or questioning (informal)

[1]



digoxin

digoxin
dig·ox·in 
[dī góksin] noun

heart
stimulating drug: a glycoside extracted from foxglove
leaves and used as a heart stimulant. C41H64O14
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of digitoxin, name of a glycoside similar to digoxin, coined
from digitalis + toxin .][1]



digraph

digraph
di·graph 
[d gràf] (plural di·graphs) noun

1.  two
letters representing one sound: a pair of letters that
represents a single speech sound, such as “ng” in “ring” or “ch” in “child”

2.  See
ligature
—di·graph·ic
[dī gráffik], adjective

—di·graph·i·cal·ly [dī gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



digress

digress
di·gress 
[dī gréss] (past di·gressed, past
participle di·gressed, present participle di·gress·ing,
3rd person present singular di·gress·es) intransitive verb

move
off central topic: to move away from the
central topic or line of argument in speaking or writing, usually temporarily
[Early 16th century. From
Latin digress-, past participle stem of digredi, literally “to
step aside,” from, ultimately, gradus “step” (see grade ).][1]



digression

digression
di·gres·sion 
[dī grésh’n] (plural di·gres·sions)
noun

1.  departure
from central topic: an act or instance of
departing from the central topic or line of argument while speaking or writing

2.  text
or speech off the subject: a part of something spoken
or written that departs from the central topic or line of argument
—di·gres·sion·al,
adjective

—di·gres·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



digressive

digressive
di·gres·sive 
[dī gréssiv] adjective

having
a tendency to digress: tending to depart from the
main subject or line of argument
—di·gres·sive·ly,
adverb

—di·gres·sive·ness, noun[1]



digup

digup
dig
up
transitive verb

1.  take
out of ground: to dig for something that is buried in
the ground and remove it

2.  turn
over earth:
to dig into and turn over the earth in an area

3.  investigate:
to find out something by research or investigation (informal)

[1]



dihedral

dihedral

di·he·dral 
[dī hdrəl] (plural di·he·drals)
noun

1.  di·he·dral
or di·he·dral an·gle MATHEMATICS
angle
made between surfaces: the angle contained between
two planes that intersect, measured by the angle made by any two lines at right
angles to the two planes

2.  AEROSPACE angle
of an aircraft wing: the angle between an
upwardly inclined aircraft wing and a horizontal line
[Late 18th century. Coined
from di- + Greek hedra “seat” (see -hedron ).][1]



dihybrid

dihybrid
di·hy·brid 
[dī hbrid] (plural di·hy·brids)
noun

hybrid
involving two genes: an organism that is
heterozygous for two genes, so that each gene is represented by two variant
forms ( alleles )
—di·hy·brid·ism, noun[1]



dihydric

dihydric
di·hy·dric 
[dī hdrik] adjective

with two hydroxyl groups:
containing two hydroxyl groups[1]



Dijon

Dijon
Di·jon 
[di zháwN]

capital of the Côte d’Or
Department on the Bourgogne Canal in east central France. It is situated at the
foot of the Côte d’Or hills, about 249 km155 mi southeast of Paris. Population:
151,636 (1990)[1]



dik-dik

dik-dik
dik-dik 
[dík dik] (plural dik-diks or
dik-dik) noun

small
African antelope: a small long-muzzled antelope that lives
in arid regions of eastern Africa. Genus: Madoqua
[Late 19th century. From an
East African language; an imitation of the animal’s cry.][1]



dike

dike
dike
[dīk] noun (plural dikes)

1.  embankment
to prevent floods: an embankment built along
the shore of a sea or lake or beside a river to hold back the water and prevent
flooding

2.  barrier:
a barrier or obstacle meant to keep something out

3.  causeway:
a raised roadway across a swamp or body of water

4.  ditch:
a drainage ditch or other artificial watercourse

5.  GEOLOGY long
mass of igneous rock: a vertical or near-vertical
mass of igneous rock that has forced its way upward through overlying strata
transitive
verb
(past diked, past participle diked, present
participle dik·ing, 3rd person present singular dikes)

1.  protect
with dikes:
to enclose or protect an area of land with a dike or series of dike s

2.  drain
with ditches: to drain an area of land using ditches
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse dík, from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “hole and mound resulting from digging,”
which is also the ancestor of English ditch
.]
—dik·er, noun[1]



diktat

diktat
dik·tat 
[dik tt] (plural dik·tats) noun

1.  dictatorial
statement:
a statement or order that cannot be opposed

2.  harsh
imposed settlement: a harsh settlement imposed
on a defeated opponent or enemy
[Mid-20th century. From
German, from Latin dictatum, from the past participle of dictare
(see dictate ).][1]



dilapidate

dilapidate
di·lap·i·date 
[di láppə dàyt] (past di·lap·i·dat·ed,
past participle di·lap·i·dat·ed, present participle di·lap·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular di·lap·i·dates) intransitive and
transitive verb

fall
into or cause to decay: to become or make something
become partially ruined or decayed, especially through neglect
[Early
16th century. From Latin dilapidat-, past participle stem of dilapidare
“to squander,” literally “to scatter like stones,” from, ultimately, lapis
“stone.”]
—di·lap·i·da·tion [di làppi dáysh’n], noun[1]



dilapidated

dilapidated
di·lap·i·dat·ed 
[dəláppi dàytəd] adjective

in disrepair:
in a condition of disrepair or partial decay[1]



dilatancy

dilatancy
di·la·tan·cy 
[dī láyt’nsee, di
láyt’nsee] noun

CHEMISTRY
tendency to become viscous:
the tendency of a substance to become more viscous or solid when affected by an
outside force or agitation[1]



dilatant

dilatant
di·la·tant 
[dī láyt’nt, di
láyt’nt] adjective

1.  able
to expand:
able or likely to expand

2.  CHEMISTRY becoming
more viscous: tending to become more viscous or solid
when affected by an outside force or agitation
noun
(plural di·la·tants)

substance causing expansion:
a substance that causes another to expand

[1]



dilatation

dilatation
dil·a·ta·tion 
[dlə táysh’n, dìllə
táysh’n] (plural dil·a·ta·tions) noun

1.  process
of expanding: the act or process of widening or being
widened, stretching or being stretched, or enlarging or being enlarged

2.  expanded
condition:
a condition in which something is enlarged, expanded, or stretched

3.  dilated
thing:
something, especially a part of something else, that has become enlarged,
expanded, or stretched

4.  lengthy
explanation: a lengthy detailed explanation or
discussion of a subject by a speaker or writer

5.  MEDICINE See dilation  noun 3
—dil·a·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



dilatator

dilatator
dil·a·ta·tor 
[dlə tàytər, díllə
tàytər] (plural dil·a·ta·tors) noun

See
dilator  noun 2[1]



dilate

dilate
di·late 
[dī láyt, di
láyt, d làyt] (past di·lat·ed,
past participle di·lat·ed, present participle di·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular di·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb expand
or make expand: to become or cause something to become
wider or larger

2.  intransitive
verb
talk
or write at length: to talk or write about
something at great length
[14th
century. Via French dilater from Latin dilatare, literally “to
spread widely apart,” from latus “wide.”]
—di·lat·a·bil·i·ty
[dī làytə bíllətee, di
làytə bíllətee, d laytə bíllətee], noun

—di·lat·a·ble
[dī láytəb’l, di
láytəb’l], adjective

—di·la·tive [dī láytəv, di láytəv],
adjective[1]



dilation

dilation
di·la·tion 
[dī láysh’n, di
láysh’n] (plural di·la·tions) noun

1.  expanding
of something: the act or process of widening or being
widened, stretching or being stretched, or enlarging or being enlarged

2.  dilated
condition:
a condition in which something is enlarged, expanded, or stretched

3.  MEDICINE enlargement
of body part: the stretching or enlargement of a
hollow organ or body cavity.
Also
called
dilatation

[1]



dilationand curettage

dilationand curettage
di·la·tion
and cu·ret·tage noun

Full form of
D and C[1]



dilatometer

dilatometer
dil·a·tom·e·ter 
[dìllə tómmətər, dlə
tómmətər] (plural dil·a·tom·e·ters) noun

instrument
measuring expansion: an instrument used to
measure expansion, for example, in the volume of a liquid
—dil·a·to·met·ric
[dìllətə méttrik], adjective

—dil·a·tom·e·try [dìllə tómmətree], noun[1]



dilator

dilator
di·la·tor 
[dī láytər, di
láytər] (plural di·la·tors) noun

1.  ANATOMY muscle
that dilates something: a muscle or muscle group
that expands a part of the body

2.  MEDICINE thing
that dilates: something that makes something else
wider or larger, especially a medical instrument used to widen a body passage.
Also
called
dilatator

[1]



dilatory

dilatory
dil·a·to·ry 
[díllə tàwree] adjective

1.  slow:
tending to waste time or move slowly

2.  intended
to delay:
intended to cause a delay or waste time
[15th
century. From late Latin dilatorius, from, ultimately, Latin dilat-,
the past participle stem of differre “to delay” (see defer ).]
—dil·a·to·ri·ly
[dìllə táwrilee], adverb

—dil·a·to·ri·ness [díllə tàwreenəss], noun[1]



dildo

dildo
dil·do
[díl d] (plural dil·dos) or
dil·doe [díl d] (plural dil·does)
noun

sexual
aid:
an object shaped like a penis, used in sexual activity
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Italian diletto “delight,” from,
ultimately, Latin delectare “to allure, delight” (see delight ).][1]



dilemma

dilemma
di·lem·ma 
[di lémmə] (plural di·lem·mas)
noun

1.  situation
with unsatisfactory choices: a situation in which
somebody must choose one of two or more unsatisfactory alternatives

2.  LOGIC argument
leading to undesirable choice: in logic, a form of
reasoning that, though valid, leads to two undesirable alternatives
[Early 16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek dilēmma, literally “double proposition,” from lēmma
“proposition” (see lemma ).][1]



dilettante

dilettante
dil·et·tante 
[dìllə tnt] noun (plural dil·et·tantes
or dil·et·tan·ti [dìllə tntee])

1.  dabbler
in art or knowledge: somebody who is interested
in an art or a specialized field of knowledge but who has only a superficial
understanding of it

2.  art
lover:
somebody who has a passionate interest in the fine arts (dated)
adjective

superficial:
typical of somebody who has only a superficial understanding of something
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, from dilettare “to delight,” from Latin delectare
(see delight ).]
—dil·et·tan·tish,
adjective

—dil·et·tan·tism, noun[1]



diligence

diligence1
dil·i·gence1 [dílləjəns]
noun

1.  persistent
effort:
persistent and hard-working effort in doing something

2.  legal
carefulness: the care or attention expected by the
law in doing something, such as fulfilling the terms of a contract
[14th century. Via French
from Latin diligentia, from diligent- (see diligent ).][1]



diligence

diligence2
dil·i·gence2 [dílləjəns]
(plural dil·i·gences) noun

stagecoach:
a stagecoach, especially in France (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
French, a shortening of carrosse de diligence, literally “coach of
speed” (see diligence 1 ).][1]



diligent

diligent
dil·i·gent 
[dílləjənt] adjective

persistent
and hard-working: showing persistent and hard-working
effort in doing something
[14th
century. Via French from Latin diligent-, the present participle stem of
diligere “to value highly, love” (literally “to single out”), from legere
“to choose.”]
—dil·i·gent·ly, adverb[1]



dill

dill1

dill1  [dil]
noun

1.  aromatic
plant:
an aromatic plant with fine feathery leaves and flat flowerheads, grown as an
herb. Latin name: Anethum graveolens

2.  dill
leaves or seeds: the feathery leaves or seeds of the dill
plant, used as a flavoring in foods
[Old
English dile]
—dilled,
adjective

—dil·ly, adjective[1]



dill

dill2
dill2 [dil]
noun

Australia,
New Zealand
fool:
a silly or unintelligent person (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from dilly “fool,” of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend
of daft and silly
.][1]



dillpickle

dillpickle
dill
pick·le
noun

dill-flavored pickled
cucumber: a cucumber that has been
pickled in dill-flavored vinegar or brine, or a portion of such a pickled
cucumber.
See also
gherkin[1]



dilly

dilly
dil·ly 
[díllee] (plural dil·lies) noun

remarkable person or thing:
a remarkable thing or a person (slang)[1]



dillybag

dillybag
dil·ly
bag
(plural dil·ly bags) noun

Australia
braided
grass bag:
a bag traditionally made of braided grass or reeds, used by Aborigines for
carrying food and other belongings
[From Aboriginal dili
“coarse grass”][1]



dilly-dally

dilly-dally
dil·ly-dal·ly 
(past dil·ly-dal·lied, past participle dil·ly-dal·lied,
present participle dil·ly-dal·ly·ing, 3rd person present
singular dil·ly-dal·lies) intransitive verb

waste
time in indecision: to waste time by being too
slow, doing nothing, or being unable to decide what to do
[Doubled form (with
alteration) of dally][1]



diluent

diluent
dil·u·ent 
[díllyoo ənt] adjective

used
to dilute:
used for diluting something
noun
(plural dil·u·ents)

diluting
substance:
a substance that dilutes another substance
[Early 18th century. From
Latin diluent-, the present participle stem of diluere (see dilute ).][1]



dilute

dilute
di·lute 
[dī lt, di lt]
intransitive and transitive verb (past di·lut·ed, past
participle di·lut·ed, present participle di·lut·ing, 3rd
person present singular di·lutes)

1.  make
thinner:
to make something thinner or weaker by adding water or another liquid, or to
become thinner or weaker by the addition of water or another liquid

2.  lessen
strength:
to lessen the strength or effect of something, or to become weaker in strength
or effect
adjective

thinned:
thinner or weaker than at full concentration because of the addition of water
or another liquid
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin dilut-, the past participle stem of diluere
“to wash away,” from lavare “to wash.”]
—di·lute·ness,
noun

—di·lut·er,
noun

—di·lu·tive, adjective[1]



dilution

dilution
di·lu·tion 
[dī lsh’n, di
lsh’n] (plural di·lu·tions) noun

1.  a
thinning or weakening: a thinning or weakening of a
substance, usually a liquid, by the addition of another substance, such as
water

2.  lessening
of strength: a lessening of the strength or effect of
something

3.  thinned
or weakened state: a thinned or weakened
condition

4.  less
concentrated liquid: a substance, especially a
liquid, that has been made thinner or weaker by the addition of water or
another liquid

[1]



diluvial

diluvial
di·lu·vi·al 
[di lvee əl] or di·lu·vi·an [di lvee ən] adjective

relating
to Flood in Bible: about, involving, typical
of, deposited by, or caused by the great Flood described in the Bible
[Mid-17th century. Diluvial
from late Latin diluvialis, from Latin diluvium “flood” (source
of English deluge, from diluere (see dilute
).][1]



dim

dim
dim 
[dim] adjective (comparative dim·mer,
superlative dim·mest)

1.  not
well lit:
not easy to see in or into because of inadequate light

2.  producing
little light: not producing very much light, or less
bright than is usual

3.  dull
in color:
dull or subdued in color or brightness

4.  not
clearly visible: not clearly visible or distinct

5.  not
easy to perceive: difficult to understand or perceive with
the senses

6.  not
clear to the mind: not clearly recalled or
perceived

7.  not
seeing clearly: not able to see clearly

8.  improbable:
unlikely to be successful or fulfilled

9.  unintelligent:
lacking in intelligence or mental sharpness (informal)
verb
(past dimmed, past participle dimmed, present
participle dim·ming, 3rd person present singular dims)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become dim: to make or become less bright, clear, or
keen

2.  transitive
verb
switch
to low beams: to switch the headlights of a motor
vehicle from high beams to low beams.
U.K.
term
dip  verb 5
plural
noun
dims

low beams: the
low beams of a motor vehicle’s headlights
[Old
English, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English damp]
—dim·ly,
adverb

—dim·ma·ble,
adjective

—dim·ness, noun[1]



dim.

dim.
dim.

1.  Abbreviation
of
dimension

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of diminuendo

3.  Abbreviation
of
diminutive

[1]



DiMaggio,Joe

DiMaggio,Joe

Di·Mag·gio 
[də mzhi , də
májji ], Joe (1914–1999)
U.S.
baseball player. Considered one of the greatest hitters and center fielders of
all time, he played with the New York Yankees from 1936 and was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
Full name
DiMaggio, Joseph Paul Known as Joltin’ Joe Known as The Yankee
Clipper[1]



dime

dime
dime 
[dīm] (plural dimes) noun

coin
worth ten cents: a U.S. or Canadian coin worth ten cents
[14th
century. Via French, “tithe, tenth part,” from Latin decima, a form of decimus
“tenth,” from decem “ten” (source of English decimal
).]
a
dime a dozen

very
common and not worth much.
U.K.
term
two a penny

one
thin dime

a very small amount of money[1]



dimebag

dimebag
dime
bag
(plural dime bags) noun

quantity of illegal drug:
a quantity of an illegal drug sold for a set price, originally ten dollars (slang)[1]



dimenhydrinate

dimenhydrinate
di·men·hy·dri·nate 
[d men hdrə nàyt, dmən
hdrə nàyt] noun

drug
to counteract motion sickness: a white bitter
antihistamine drug used to treat motion sickness. C24H28ClN5O3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from dimethyl + amine
+ hydr- + amine
+ -ate .][1]



dimenovel

dimenovel
dime
nov·el
(plural dime nov·els) noun

cheap melodramatic novel:
a cheap paperback novel with a melodramatic or romantic story, especially one
published in the United States from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s[1]



dimension

dimension
di·men·sion 
[də ménshən] noun (plural di·men·sions)

1.  measurement
of the size of something: a measurement of something
in one or more directions, for example, its length, width, or height

2.  size:
the size or extent of something (usually used in plural)

3.  aspect:
a feature or distinctive part of something

4.  lifelike
quality:
a fullness that gives a convincingly lifelike quality

5.  level
of reality:
a level of consciousness, existence, or reality

6.  MATHEMATICS coordinate
for space and time: a coordinate used with
others to locate a point in space and time

7.  PHYSICS property
defining physical quantity: any of a group of properties
or magnitudes, such as mass or time, that collectively define a physical
quantity
transitive
verb
(past di·men·sioned, past participle di·men·sioned,
present participle di·men·sion·ing, 3rd person present
singular di·men·sions)

1.  make
to required dimensions: to cut or make something to
a specified size

2.  indicate
the dimensions of: to specify the size of
something
[14th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem dimension-, from,
ultimately, dimetiri “to measure out,” from metiri “to measure.”]
—di·men·sion·al,
adjective

—di·men·sion·al·i·ty
[də mènshə nállətee], noun

—di·men·sion·al·ly
[də ménshən’lee], adverb

—di·men·sion·less [də ménsh’nləss], adjective[1]



dimer

dimer
di·mer 
[dmər] (plural di·mers) noun

double
molecule:
a molecule made up of two simpler identical molecules
[Early
20th century. Coined from di- + -mer .]
—di·mer·ic [dī mérrik], adjective[1]



dimercaprol

dimercaprol
di·mer·cap·rol 
[dmər ká pràwl] noun

antidote
to toxic metals: a clear thick compound used as an
antidote to poisoning by heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury, or by
substances containing such toxic metals. C3H8OS2 
Also
called
BAL
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + mercaptan
+ propane + -ol
.][1]



dimestore

dimestore
dime
store
(plural dime stores) noun

shop
selling inexpensive goods: a shop that sells a range of
inexpensive goods.
Also
called
five-and-ten
[From the maximum price of
goods sold there being, originally, one dime][1]



dime-store

dime-store
dime-store
adjective

1.  inexpensive:
not costing very much money

2.  second-rate:
of low or second-rate quality

[1]



dimeter

dimeter
dim·e·ter 
[dímmətər] (plural dim·e·ters)
noun

1.  line
of poetry:
a line of poetry consisting of two metrical feet

2.  type
of verse:
verse made up of lines consisting of two metrical feet
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek dimetros “having two measures,” from metron
“measure, poetic meter” (see meter 1 ).][1]



dimethoate

dimethoate
di·meth·o·ate 
[dī méthō àyt] noun

insecticide:
a crystalline compound used as an insecticide. C5H12NO3PS2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from dimethyl + thio-
+ -ate .][1]



dimethyl

dimethyl
di·meth·yl 
[dī méthəl] adjective

containing two methyl groups:
with two methyl groups in a molecule[1]



dimethylnitrosamine

dimethylnitrosamine
di·meth·yl·ni·tros·a·mine 
[dī mèthəl nītrōssə mn, dī mèthəl nītrō sá mn] noun

carcinogenic compound:
a carcinogenic compound found in tobacco smoke and some foods. C2H6N2O[1]



dimethylsulfoxide

dimethylsulfoxide
di·meth·yl·sulf·ox·ide 
[dī mèthəl sul fók sd] noun

Full form of
DMSO[1]



dimin.

dimin.
dimin.

1.  MUSIC Abbreviation of diminuendo

2.  Abbreviation
of
diminutive

[1]



diminish

diminish
di·min·ish 
[di mínish] (past di·min·ished,
past participle di·min·ished, present participle di·min·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular di·min·ish·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become smaller: to make something smaller or
less important, or to become smaller or less important

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb appear
smaller:
to appear smaller or to make something appear smaller

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARCHITECTURE taper from bottom to
top:
to taper or make something taper from the lower part to the upper part

4.  transitive
verb
MUSIC contract
an interval: to contract a perfect or minor interval
by one semitone
[15th
century. Blend of obsolete diminue (literally “to lessen completely,”
from, ultimately, Latin minuere “to lessen”) and minish “to
diminish” (from, ultimately, Latin minutia “smallness”).]
—di·min·ish·a·ble,
adjective

—di·min·ish·ment,
noun

—di·min·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



diminished

diminished
di·min·ished
[di mínisht] adjective

MUSIC
reduced by a semitone:
used to describe a musical interval or chord reduced by one semitone[1]



diminishedresponsibility

diminishedresponsibility
di·min·ished
re·spon·si·bil·i·ty noun

defense claiming psychiatric
disorder: a partial defense in
criminal law where the defendant seeks to argue reduced culpability on the
grounds that a psychiatric disorder reduced responsibility for his or her
actions[1]



diminishingreturns

diminishingreturns
di·min·ish·ing
re·turns 
plural noun

increases not proportional to
additional investment: additional
increases in something produced, for example, profits or benefits, that do not
rise in proportion to the additional effort or investment necessary to produce
them[1]



diminuendo

diminuendo
di·min·u·en·do 
[di mìnnyoo éndō] adverb

(used
as a musical direction)See decrescendo
noun
(plural di·min·u·en·dos)

(used
as a musical direction)See decrescendo
[Late
18th century. From Italian, present participle of diminuire “to
diminish,” from Latin deminuere, literally “to lessen completely,” from minuere
“to lessen.”]
—di·min·u·en·do, adjective[1]



diminution

diminution
dim·i·nu·tion 
[dìmmə nsh’n] (plural dim·i·nu·tions)
noun

1.  reduction:
a lessening, decreasing, or reduction of something, or the result of such a
reduction

2.  MUSIC repetition
of musical phrase: the repetition of a musical
phrase, using notes that are of a shorter duration than in the original phrase
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin diminut-, the past participle stem of diminuere
“to break into small pieces,” from minuere “to lessen.”]
—dim·i·nu·tion·al, adjective[1]



diminutive

diminutive
di·min·u·tive 
[di mínnyətiv] adjective

1.  very
small:
very small or much smaller than is usual

2.  GRAMMAR indicating
smallness:
used to describe a suffix that indicates small size, youth, familiarity, or
fondness, for example, “-ette” or “let”
noun
(plural di·min·u·tives)

1.  word
indicating smallness or fondness: a word or name that
indicates small size, youth, familiarity, or fondness, for example,
“kitchenette” or “booklet”

2.  GRAMMAR suffix
indicating smallness or fondness: a suffix, for example,
“-ette,” or “let” that indicates small size, youth, familiarity, or fondness

3.  very
small person or thing: a person or thing that is
very small or much smaller than is usual
[14th
century. From French diminutif, from, ultimately, Latin diminut-
(see diminution ).]
—di·min·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—di·min·u·tive·ness, noun[1]



dimity

dimity
dim·i·ty 
[dímmətee] (plural dim·i·ties)
noun

cotton
fabric:
a thin cotton fabric with a striped or checked texture produced by weaving
together yarn of different thicknesses
[15th century. Alteration of demyt,
which came via medieval Latin dimitum from Greek dimitos,
literally “of double thread,” from mitos “warp thread.”][1]



dimmer

dimmer
dim·mer 
[dímmər] noun (plural dim·mers)

1.  dim·mer
or dim·mer switch device for varying
light’s brightness: a device, such as a variable
resistor, that can be used to vary the brightness of a light by regulating the
amount of current supplied to it

2.  switch
for dimming headlights: a control used to lower a
car’s headlights or raise them to full beam.
U.K.
term
dip switch
plural
noun
dim·mers

low beams: the
low beams of a motor vehicle’s headlights

[1]



dimorphism

dimorphism
di·mor·phism 
[dī máwr fìzzəm] noun

1.  BIOLOGY different
forms within single biological species: the
existence of two or more different forms within a biological species. In sexual
dimorphism, male and female may vary in color, size, or some other trait.

2.  BOTANY different
forms of the same organ: the existence of two
different forms of the same organ or part in a plant, such as leaves or flower
forms

3.  CHEMISTRY different
crystalline forms: the existence of a substance
in two different crystalline forms
—di·mor·phic,
adjective

—di·mor·phous, adjective[1]



dim-out

dim-out
dim-out 
(plural dim-outs) noun

1.  restriction
on use of lights: a restriction on the use of lights at
night, ordered by a government or the military, in order to make a city less
visible to nighttime air raids.
See
also
black-out

2.  partial
darkness:
the partial darkness caused when the use of lights at night is restricted, for
example, for military reasons

[1]



dimple

dimple
dim·ple 
[dímpəl] noun (plural dim·ples)

1.  indented
area in skin: a naturally occurring slightly indented
area in the skin and flesh of the cheek, chin, or other part of the body

2.  indented
surface area: an indented, hollowed, or depressed area
in the surface of something
verb
(past dim·pled, past participle dim·pled, present
participle dim·pling, 3rd person present singular dim·ples)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
dimple:
to form or have a dimple • This
mold dimples the surface of the golf ball.

2.  transitive
verb
produce
dimples in:
to smile, causing dimples to appear in the cheeks
[14th
century. From assumed Old English dympel, from a prehistoric Germanic
base that may also be the ancestor of English deep
and dip .]
—dim·ply, adjective[1]



dimsum

dimsum
dim
sum 
[dìm sm] noun

small
portions of Chinese food: dumplings, spring rolls, and
various other traditional Chinese dishes served in small portions as a meal
[From Chinese (Cantonese) tím
sam, literally “small center”][1]



dimwit

dimwit
dim·wit 
[dím wìt] (plural dim·wits) noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody who is unintelligent or slow to understand (informal insult)
—dim·wit·ted,
adjective

—dim·wit·ted·ly,
adverb

—dim·wit·ted·ness, noun[1]



din

din
din


Symbol for
dinar[1]



din

din
din 
[din] noun

loud persistent noise:
a loud persistent noise, especially one composed of confused sounds
verb
(past dinned, past participle dinned, present
participle din·ning, 3rd person present singular dins)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
loud noise:
to make a loud persistent noise

2.  transitive
verb
subject
to loud noise: to subject somebody to a loud persistent
noise

3.  transitive
verb
instill
through repetition: to fix something in
somebody’s mind by repeating it over and over again
[Old English dyne .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “loud noise.”][1]



dinar

dinar
di·nar 
[di nr, d nr]
(plural di·nars) noun

1.  Iranian
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Iran, 100 of
which are worth one rial

2.  bill
or coin worth dinar: a bill or coin worth a dinar

3.  old
Middle Eastern coin: a coin, especially gold,
used in the past in the Middle East
[Mid-17th century. From,
ultimately, late Greek dēnarion, from Latin denarius (see denarius ).][1]



dine

dine
dine 
[dīn] (past dined, past
participle dined, present participle din·ing, 3rd
person present singular dines) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
eat
dinner:
to eat dinner • We dine early.

2.  intransitive
verb
eat:
to eat or have a particular food or type of food in a meal • We
dined on vegetables and rice.

3.  transitive
verb
provide
dinner for:
to provide dinner for somebody or take somebody out to dinner (informal)
• wined
and dined their guests
[13th century. From Old
French di(s)ner, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from assumed
Vulgar Latin disjejunare “to break a fast,” from, ultimately, Latin jejunus
“fasting” (source of English jejune
).][1]



dineout

dineout
dine
out
intransitive verb

have dinner in restaurant:
to eat dinner somewhere other than at home, especially in a restaurant[1]



diner

diner
din·er 
[dnər] (plural din·ers) noun

1.  person
who eats:
a person eating a meal, especially dinner

2.  inexpensive
restaurant:
a small inexpensive restaurant, often resembling a railroad dining car, where
customers eat at the counter or in booths

[1]



Dinesen,Isak

Dinesen,Isak

Din·es·en 
[dnəss’n], Isak (1885–1962)
Danish
writer. A much-traveled author, she is best known for her short stories, such
as Seven Gothic Tales ( 1934 ), and her semi-autobiographical work, Out
of Africa ( 1938 ).
Real name
Blixen-Finecke, Karen Baroness Karen Christence Born Dinesen, Karen
Christence[1]



dinette

dinette
di·nette 
[dī nét] (plural di·nettes) noun

1.  small
dining area: an alcove or part of a room where meals
are eaten, especially in or near a kitchen

2.  kitchen
table and chairs: a table and chairs used while eating in
a dinette

[1]



ding

ding3
ding3 [ding]
noun

Australia
offensive
term:
an offensive term for an Italian or Greek person (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of dingbat .][1]



ding

ding2
ding2 [ding]
transitive verb (past dinged, past participle dinged,
present participle ding·ing, 3rd person present singular dings)

U.S.,
Australia make a dent in:
to make a dent or other surface damage in something (informal)
noun
(plural dings)

U.S.,
Australia dent: a
dent or other surface damage in something (informal)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an Old Norse source.][1]



ding

ding1
ding1 [ding]
verb (past dinged, past participle dinged, present
participle ding·ing, 3rd person present singular dings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ring
or make ring: to ring or make something ring with a
high-pitched sound

2.  transitive
verb
See din  verb 3

3.  intransitive
verb
talk
repeatedly:
to talk repeatedly or wearyingly about something
noun
(plural dings)

ringing: a
ringing sound, especially made by a bell
[Mid-16th century. Partly an
imitation of the sound of metal ringing, and partly an alteration of din ; influenced by ding 2 .][1]



ding-a-ling

ding-a-ling
ding-a-ling 
(plural ding-a-lings) noun

1.  tinkle
of bell:
the sound of a bell, especially a small hand-held bell, being rung

2.  silly
person:
a person with very odd, irrational ideas or behavior (insult)
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound of a bell.][1]



dingbat

dingbat
ding·bat 
[díng bàt] (plural ding·bats) noun

1.  silly
person:
a person with very odd, irrational ideas or behavior (informal)

2.  printer’s
symbol:
a symbol or ornamental character, such as a star or pointing hand, used in a
printed work

3.  object
used as missile: a brick, rock, or other object that is
thrown as a missile
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from ding 2 + bat .][1]



ding-dong

ding-dong

ding-dong 
noun (plural ding-dongs)

1.  sound
of bell:
a sound of a bell being struck two or more times

2.  sound
imitative of bell sound: any ringing or repeated
sound that is similar to that made by a bell

3.  silly
person:
a person with very odd, irrational ideas or behavior (insult)
adjective (comparative
ding-dong·er, superlative ding-dong·est)

fiercely contested:
fiercely contested, with advantage shifting continually from one side to
another (informal) • a
ding-dong battle of wills
intransitive verb
(past ding-donged, past participle ding-donged, present
participle ding-dong·ing, 3rd person present singular ding-dongs)

make ringing sound:
to make a ringing sound like a bell
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



dinge

dinge1
dinge1 [dinj]
noun

dirtiness:
a condition of dirtiness, shabbiness, or dullness
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from dingy
.][1]



dinge

dinge2
dinge2 [dinj]
(plural dinges) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term formerly used to refer to a black person (archaic
taboo offensive)[1]



dinghy

dinghy

din·ghy 
[díngee] (plural din·ghies) noun

1.  small
boat:
any small boat, especially one that is towed behind or carried on a larger boat

2.  inflatable
life raft:
an inflatable life raft
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi dīgī, literally “small boat,” from dēgā “boat.”][1]



dingle

dingle
din·gle 
[díng g’l] (plural din·gles) noun

wooded
valley:
a wooded valley (literary)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain. The original sense was “abyss.”][1]



dingleberry

dingleberry
din·gle·ber·ry 
[díng g’l bèree] (plural din·gle·ber·ries)
noun

small
piece of dried feces: a small piece of dried feces
that clings to the hair or fur near the anus (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Dingle
of unknown origin.][1]



dingo

dingo
din·go 
[díng gō] (plural din·goes) noun

Australian
wild dog:
an Australian wild dog with a reddish brown coat. Latin name: Canis dingo
[Late 18th century. From
Aboriginal dingu .][1]



dingus

dingus
din·gus 
[díng gəss] (plural din·gus·es)
noun

forgotten
name:
anything whose name you have forgotten or do not know (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
Dutch Dinges “what’s-his-name,” from German, literally “of the thing,” a
form of Ding “thing.”][1]



dingy

dingy
din·gy 
[dínjee] (comparative din·gi·er,
superlative din·gi·est) adjective

1.  dirty
or faded:
dirty looking, discolored, or faded

2.  shabby:
shabby, dirty, and uninviting
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of dungy ; or perhaps
ultimately from Old English dynge “dung, manured land,” from dung
“ dung .”]
—din·gi·ly,
adverb

—din·gi·ness, noun[1]



diningcar

diningcar
din·ing
car 
(plural din·ing cars) noun

railroad carriage:
a railroad carriage where meals are served to a train’s passengers.
Also called
diner
U.K. term
restaurant car[1]



diningroom

diningroom
din·ing
room
(plural din·ing rooms) noun

room where meals are served:
a room where meals are eaten, especially in a home or hotel[1]



dinitrobenzene

dinitrobenzene
di·ni·tro·ben·zene 
[dī n trō bén zn] noun

compound
used in plastics: a yellow crystalline compound that
occurs in three isomeric forms and is used in making dyes and plastics. C6H4(NO2)2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from di- + nitrobenzene
.][1]



DINK

DINK
DINK
[dingk] (plural DINKs) or
dink [dingk] (plural dinks)
noun

one
of affluent couple: a member of a couple who
both have careers, usually in well-paid fields, and have no children.
U.K.
term
dinky 2 noun
[Late 20th century. Acronym
formed from dual (or double ) income, no kids .][1]



dink

dink
dink 
[dingk] (plural dinks) noun

SPORT See drop shot
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound of the ball being hit.][1]



Dinka

Dinka
Din·ka
[díngkə] (plural Din·kas or
Din·ka) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a tall people
who live as herders in the Nile Valley in southern Sudan

2.  LANGUAGE Nilo-Saharan
language:
a language of the Nilo-Saharan family, spoken in southern Sudan. About
1,350,000 people speak Dinka.
[Mid-19th
century. From Dinka Jieng “people.”]
—Din·ka, adjective[1]



dinkey

dinkey
din·key 
[díngkee] (plural din·keys) or
din·ky [díngkee] (plural din·kies)
noun

small
locomotive:
a small locomotive, used for tasks like shunting rather than long-distance
journeys
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from dinghy . Originally
“small boat.”][1]



dinky

dinky2
din·ky2  [díngkee]
(plural din·kies) or din·kie [díngkee] (plural din·kies) noun

U.K.
See DINK
[Late 20th century. Formed
from DINK .][1]



dinky

dinky1
din·ky1  [díngkee]
adjective (comparative din·ki·er, superlative din·ki·est)

small
or unimportant: small in size, or of almost no
importance (informal)
noun
(plural din·kies)

See
dinkey
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Scots dialect dink “finely dressed, trim,” of unknown origin. The
original sense was “neat, dainty.”][1]



dinner

dinner
din·ner 
[dínnər] (plural din·ners) noun

1.  main
meal:
the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening or sometimes in the
early afternoon

2.  banquet:
a formal evening meal given in honor of somebody or something

3.  full-course
restaurant meal: a meal that is eaten in a restaurant and
consists of all the usual courses often offered together for a set price

4.  food
served for dinner: the food served during or
for a dinner
[13th
century. From Old French di(s)ner “to dine” (see dine ), used as a noun.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  dinner,
  lunch, or supper ?
  There
  are regional differences in how these words are used, but in general
  Americans eat their main meal in the evening and call it either dinner or supper. Also in general the midday
  meal is relatively quick and light, and is called lunch
  . A midday meal may be called dinner,
  however, if it is the main meal of the day; and then the evening meal will be
  supper.

[1]



dinnerdance

dinnerdance
din·ner
dance
(plural din·ner danc·es) noun

dinner followed by dancing:
a formal social occasion at which dancing follows a dinner[1]



dinnerjacket

dinnerjacket
din·ner
jack·et
(plural din·ner jack·ets) noun

U.K.
See tuxedo[1]



dinnertheater

dinnertheater
din·ner
the·a·ter
(plural din·ner the·a·ters) noun

restaurant that presents
plays: a restaurant where a play is
performed for customers during or after their dinner[1]



dinnerware

dinnerware
din·ner·ware 
[dínnər wàir] noun

dishes:
dishes used for serving or eating a meal, or a specific set of these dishes[1]



dinoflagellate

dinoflagellate
di·no·flag·el·late 
[d nō flájjə làyt, d
nō flájjələt] (plural di·no·flag·el·lates) noun

single-celled
marine lifeform: a tiny single-celled marine organism
with two long slender appendages ( flagella
) that lie in surface grooves at right-angles to each other. Most are
constitutents of plankton. Some types are luminescent and some are toxic,
especially when multiplying prolifically to cause colorful blooms ( red tide ). Latin name: Dinoflagellata
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Dinoflagellata, order name, from Greek dinos “a
whirling” + Latin flagellum “whip” (see flagellum
).][1]



dinosaur

dinosaur

di·no·saur 
[dnə sàwr] (plural di·no·saurs)
noun

1.  extinct
reptile:
an extinct, chiefly terrestrial reptile that lived in the Mesozoic Era. Some
dinosaurs were the largest known land animals. Order: Ornithischia Saurischia

2.  outmoded
person or thing: a person or thing that is hopelessly out
of date or incapable of adapting to change
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin dinosaurus, from Greek deinos
“terrible” (ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English dire ) + sauros
“lizard” (source of English saurian
).]
—di·no·sau·ri·an [dnə sáwree ən], adjective[1]



dint

dint
dint 
[dint] noun (plural dints)

dent: a
dent
transitive
verb
(past dint·ed, past participle dint·ed, present
participle dint·ing, 3rd person present singular dints)

1.  make
a dent in:
to make a dent in something

2.  drive
something in with force: to drive something in
forcefully
[Old
English dynt “blow, stroke (especially of a weapon)”; influenced by
related Old Norse dyntr]
by
dint of

using something, or by the
force of something[1]



dioc.

dioc.
dioc.

Abbreviation of
diocese[1]



diocesan

diocesan
di·oc·e·san 
[dī óssəss’n] adjective

relating
to diocese:
relating to, belonging to, or established by a diocese, its bishop, or its
churches
noun
(plural di·oc·e·sans)

bishop of diocese:
the bishop in charge of a diocese[1]



diocese

diocese
di·o·cese 
[d əssiss, d ə
sz] (plural di·o·ceses) noun

churches
under a bishop: the churches that are under the
authority of one bishop, or the district containing those churches
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Greek dioikēsis “administration,” from dioikein “to
manage,” literally “to inhabit a house thoroughly,” from oikos “house.”][1]



Diocletian

Diocletian
Di·o·cle·tian 
[d ə klsh’n], Emperor of Rome (245–313)

Proclaimed
emperor in 284, his administrative reforms succeeded, but his attempt to
restore traditional religion by persecuting Christians failed. He abdicated in
305.
Full name
Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus[1]



diode

diode
di·ode 
[d d] (plural di·odes) noun

electronic
current converter: an electronic device that
has two electrodes and is used to convert alternating current to direct
current. The older vacuum tube diodes have been replaced by more reliable
semiconductor devices.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- + -ode,
the underlying sense being “double way.”][1]



dioecious

dioecious
di·oe·cious
[dī shəss] or di·e·cious [dī shəss] adjective

with
male and female flowers on different plants:
having male and female flowers on different plants of the same species
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from modern Latin Dioecia, class name, literally “two
houses,” from Greek oikos “house.”]
—di·oe·cious·ly,
adverb

—di·oe·cious·ness,
noun

—di·oe·cism, noun[1]



dioestrus

dioestrus
di·oe·strus
noun adjective

U.K. =
diestrus[1]



Diogenes

Diogenes
Di·og·e·nes 
[dī ójjə nz] (412? BC–323 BC)

Greek philosopher. He was a
founder of Cynicism, an ancient school of philosophy. He is said to have lived
in a tub in Athens and to have wandered the streets with a lamp, seeking an
honest man.[1]



diol

diol
di·ol
[d àwl] (plural di·ols) noun

type
of alcohol:
an alcohol with two hydroxyl groups in each molecule.
Also
called
glycol
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- + -ol
.][1]



Dione

Dione
Di·o·ne
[dī ṓnee] noun

moon of Saturn discovered in
1684: a natural satellite of
Saturn discovered in 1684. It has a radius of 560 km348 mi and the surface
exhibits several distinct terrain types.[1]



Dionysia

Dionysia
Di·o·nys·i·a 
[d ə nízhə, d ə
nízhee ə, d ə níssee ə] plural
noun

festivals
of Dionysus: the celebrations held in ancient Greece
in honor of the god Dionysus, which included the performance of plays
[Early 19th century. From
Greek Dionusia, from Dionusos “Dionysus.”][1]



Dionysiac

Dionysiac
Di·o·nys·i·ac 
adjective

See
Dionysian
[Early 19th century. From
Latin Dionysiacus, from, ultimately, Greek Dionusos “Dionysus.”][1]



Dionysian

Dionysian
Di·o·nys·i·an 
[d ə nísh’n, d
ə nízh’n, d ə níssee ən] or Di·o·nys·i·ac
[d ə níssee àk, d
ə nízzee àk] adjective

1.  relating
to Dionysus: relating to the Greek god Dionysus

2.  relating
to Dionysia: connected with the worship of the Greek
god Dionysus
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Greek Dionusos “Dionysus.”][1]



dionysian

dionysian
di·o·nys·i·an
[d ə nísh’n, d
ə nízh’n, d ə níssee ən] adjective

1.  orgiastic:
involving drunkenness and sexual activity

2.  PHILOSOPHY not
rational:
in the philosophical writings of Nietzsche, spontaneous and intuitive rather
than rational

[1]



DionysiusExiguus

DionysiusExiguus
Di·o·ny·si·us
Ex·ig·u·us 
[dī ə nìshəss eg zíggyoo əss, dī ə nìssee əss eg zíggyoo əss] (500?–556)

Scythian Roman scholar. He
introduced the Christian era of dating in his Cyclus Paschalis ( 525 ).
He adopted the name Exiguus “little” as a token of humility.[1]



Dionysus

Dionysus
Di·o·ny·sus
[d ə níssəss] noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Bacchus[1]



Diophantineequation

Diophantineequation
Di·o·phan·tine
e·qua·tion
[d ə fán tn i kwáyzh’n, d ə fántin i kwáyzh’n] (plural Di·o·phan·tine
e·qua·tions) noun

algebraic
equation:
an algebraic equation that contains two or more variables, has only whole
number ( integral ) coefficients and has integral solutions for the variables
[Named for Diophantus the
3rd-century Greek mathematician, who invented these equations][1]



diopside

diopside
di·op·side 
[dī óp sd] noun

pale
green mineral: a pale green mineral calcium magnesium
silicate that is a common component of some types of igneous rock. CaMgSi2O6
[Early 19th century. Coined
from di- + Greek opsis, literally
“two aspects,” later interpreted as a derivative of Greek diopsis “a
view through.”][1]



diopter

diopter
di·op·ter 
[dī óptər] noun

unit
for measuring lens power: a unit of measurement for
the power of a lens, especially a spectacle lens, equal to the reciprocal of
the focal length of the lens in meters. Symbol D
[Late
19th century. Via French from Latin dioptra “instrument for measuring
angles,” from Greek, from dia- “through” + optos “visible” (see optic ).]
—di·op·tral [dī óptrəl], adjective[1]



dioptric

dioptric
di·op·tric 
[dī óptrik] or di·op·tri·cal [dī óptrik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to branch of optics: relating to the study of how
images are formed by lenses

2.  relating
to light’s refractive powers: relating to the refractive
powers of light or the measurement of the refractive power of a lens
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek dioptrikos “of the dioptre,” from dioptra
(see diopter ).]
—di·op·tri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dioptrics

dioptrics
di·op·trics 
[dī óptriks] noun

study of refraction of light:
the branch of optics that studies the refraction of light by lenses or within
the eye[1]



diorama

diorama
di·o·ram·a 
[d ə rámmə, d ə
rmə] (plural di·o·ram·as) noun

1.  display
case:
a three-dimensional representation of a scene, for example, in a museum, in
which objects or models are arranged in a natural setting against a realistic
background

2.  miniature
replica of scene: a representation of a scene that is made
to appear three-dimensional, for example, one in which the viewer looks through
a hole at objects painted on layers of translucent material
[Early
19th century. From French, literally “sight through”; formed from Greek dia-
“through” on the model of panorama .]
—di·o·ram·ic [d ə rámmik], adjective[1]



Dior,Christian

Dior,Christian
Di·or 
[dee áwr], Christian (1905–1957)

French couturier. In 1946 he
founded the fashion house bearing his name. He achieved worldwide fame by
introducing the “New Look” in 1947, featuring narrow shoulders and calf-length
skirts.[1]



diorite

diorite
di·o·rite 
[d ə rt] noun

dark
coarse-grained rock: a dark granular igneous rock
that consists of plagioclase and a ferromagnesian mineral such as hornblende.
Diorite is used in materials for surfacing roads.
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek diorizein “to distinguish,” literally
“to limit through,” from orizein “to limit.”]
—di·o·rit·ic [d ə ríttik], adjective[1]



Dioscuri

Dioscuri
Di·os·cu·ri 
[d ə skyr ] plural noun

Castor
and Pollux:
the twin gods Castor and Polydeuces, or Pollux, who in Greek mythology were the
sons of Zeus and Leda
[Early 20th century. From
Greek Dioskouroi, from Dios “of Zeus” + kouros “boy,
son.”][1]



dioxane

dioxane
di·ox·ane 
[dī ók sàyn] noun

industrial
solvent:
a toxic flammable colorless liquid used as a solvent for waxes and resins,
paints, lacquers, cosmetics, and deodorants, and in textile manufacture. C4H8O2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- + ox-
+ -ane .][1]



dioxide

dioxide
di·ox·ide 
[dī ók sd] (plural di·ox·ides)
noun

compound with two oxygen
atoms: an oxide that has two oxygen
atoms in each molecule[1]



dioxin

dioxin
di·ox·in 
[dī óksin] (plural di·ox·ins) noun

toxic
chemical:
any derivative of dibenzo- p -dioxin, produced as a toxic byproduct of
combustion processes, the manufacture of some herbicides and bactericides, and
in chlorine bleaching of paper. The best-known dioxin is the extremely
carcinogenic and mutagenic 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD).
[Early 20th century. Coined
from di- + ox-
+ -in .][1]



Dip.

Dip.
Dip.
or dip.

Abbreviation of
diploma[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dip

dip
dip 
[dip] verb (past dipped,
past participle dipped, present participle dip·ping,
3rd person present singular dips)

1.  transitive
verb
put
briefly in liquid: to put something briefly
into a liquid or soft mixture and take it out again • She
dipped her fingers in the water.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
downward:
to sink to a lower level • The
plane dipped and then flew on.

3.  transitive
verb
lower:
to lower something and raise it again • The
horse dipped its head.

4.  transitive
verb
lower
somebody over one arm: while dancing, to lower your
partner toward the floor over one arm

5.  intransitive
verb
become
less:
to fall to a lower amount, especially for a short time • Prices
dipped at the beginning of October.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
your hand in: to put your hand into something in order
to take something out • He
dipped his hand into his pocket.

7.  transitive
verb
scoop:
to take up liquid or small pieces of a substance with something such as a spoon
or cup • She
was dipping soup from the pot.

8.  transitive
verb
U.K. See dim

9.  transitive
verb
disinfect
animal:
to put an animal, such as a sheep or dog, into a bath of disinfectant in order
to clear or prevent infection by insects, parasites, or fungi

10. intransitive
verb
slope
downward:
to slope downward from the horizontal

11. transitive
verb
make
from wax:
to make a candle by repeatedly putting a wick into melted wax • dip
a candle
noun
(plural dips)

1.  lowering:
an act of sinking lower, of lowering something, or of putting something in
liquid • She
acknowledged him with a dip of her head.

2.  putting
hand in:
the action of putting the hand into something to take something out, or of
scooping up liquid or small pieces of a substance

3.  swim:
a quick swim • There’s
time for a dip before lunch.

4.  slight
decrease:
a temporary decrease in the amount or level of something • a
dip in sales

5.  lower
place:
a place where the ground slopes, especially to form a hollow • We
came to a dip in the road.

6.  FOOD mixture
for dipping food into: a creamy mixture into which
pieces of food can be dipped, often served with crackers or chips • sour
cream and onion dip

7.  AGRICULTURE disinfectant
for animals: a mixture of chemicals used to disinfect
animals • sheep
dip

8.  INDUSTRY liquid
chemical preparation: a chemical mixture in which
something can be immersed, such as a dye or preservative

9.  unintelligent
person:
an unintelligent or unsophisticated person (slang insult)

10. GEOGRAPHY angle
of magnetic needle: the angle that a magnetic
needle makes with the horizontal plane.
Also
called
angle of dip
Also
called
magnetic dip
Also
called
inclination

11. GEOLOGY angle
of rock layer: the angle a sloping rock layer makes to
the horizontal • The rock bed has a dip
of ten degrees.

12. candle:
a candle made by dipping a wick repeatedly in wax

13. GYMNASTICS parallel
bars exercise: an exercise on parallel bars in which
the elbows are bent until the gymnast’s chin is level with the bars, and the
body is raised by straightening the arms

14. pickpocket:
a pickpocket (slang)
[Old English dyppan,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English deep][1]



dipeptidase

dipeptidase
di·pep·ti·dase 
[dī pépti dàyss, dī
pépti dàyz] noun

enzyme for digesting protein:
an enzyme that aids the breakdown of proteins as part of the process of protein
digestion[1]



dipeptidase

dipeptidase
di·pep·ti·dase 
[dī pépti dàyss, dī
pépti dàyz] noun

enzyme for digesting protein:
an enzyme that aids the breakdown of proteins as part of the process of protein
digestion[1]



dipeptide

dipeptide
di·pep·tide 
[dī pép td] (plural di·pep·tides)
noun

chemical compound:
a chemical compound consisting of two linked amino acids[1]



diphasic

diphasic
di·pha·sic
[dī fáyzik] or di·phase [d fàyz] adjective

relating to certain
parasites: relating to parasites that
have an independent stage in their life cycle[1]



diphenyl

diphenyl
di·phen·yl 
[dī fénn’l, dī
fn’l] noun

chemical used as fungicide:
a white crystalline substance used as a fungicide, in organic synthesis, and as
a heat transfer agent. C12H10[1]



diphenylamine

diphenylamine
di·phen·yl·a·mine 
[dī fénn’lə mn, dī
fn’lə mn] noun

crystalline substance:
a colorless toxic crystalline substance used in solid rocket propellants, dyes,
and the manufacture of plastics. (C6H5)2NH[1]



diphenylketone

diphenylketone
di·phen·yl·ke·tone 
[dī fn’l k tn, dī
fènn’l k tn] noun

CHEMISTRY
See benzophenone[1]



diphosgene

diphosgene
di·phos·gene 
[dī fóz jn] noun

poisonous gas:
a colorless oily liquid with an extremely poisonous vapor, used in gas warfare
during World War I. ClCOOCCl3[1]



diphosphate

diphosphate
di·phos·phate 
[dī fóss fàyt] (plural di·phos·phates)
noun

compound with two phosphate
groups: a chemical compound that
contains two phosphate groups per molecule[1]



diphosphoglycericacid

diphosphoglycericacid
di·phos·pho·gly·cer·ic
ac·id 
[dī fòsfə gli sérrik ássid] noun

substance in blood that
decreases oxygen uptake: an abundant
compound found in the red blood cells of most mammals that decreases the
affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen[1]



diphtheria

diphtheria
diph·the·ri·a 
[dif three ə, dip
three ə] noun

infectious
disease of throat: a serious infectious
disease, caused by a bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, that attacks
the membranes of the throat and releases a toxin that damages the heart and the
nervous system. The main symptoms are fever, weakness, and severe inflammation
of the affected membranes.
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, ultimately from Greek diphthera or diphtheris
“hide, skin,” indicating the tough membrane developed in the throat.]
—diph·the·ri·al,
adjective

—diph·ther·ic,
adjective

—diph·the·rit·ic
[dìfthə ríttik, dìpthə
ríttik], adjective

—diph·ther·oid [dífthə ròyd, dípthə
ròyd], adjective[1]



diphthong

diphthong
diph·thong 
[díf thàwng, díp
thàwng] (plural diph·thongs) noun

1.  two
vowels as one syllable: a complex vowel sound in
which the first vowel is gradually raised by a second vowel so that both vowels
form one syllable, such as “a” and “i” in “rail”

2.  joined
letters:
a character formed by joining the two letters “a” and “e” as “æ” or the two
letters “o” and “e” as “œ”
[15th
century. Via French from Latin diphthongus, literally “two sounds,”
from, ultimately, Greek phthoggos “sound.”]
—diph·thon·gal [dif tháwng’l, dip
tháwng’l], adjective[1]



diphthongize

diphthongize
diph·thong·ize 
[díf thawng z, díp
thawng z] (past diph·thong·ized, past participle diph·thong·ized,
present participle diph·thong·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular diph·thong·iz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

change
vowel to diphthong: to become a diphthong or
make a vowel into a diphthong
—diph·thong·i·za·tion
[dìf thawngi záysh’n, dìp thawngi záysh’n], noun[1]



diphycercal

diphycercal
diph·y·cer·cal
[dìffi súrk’l] adjective

divided
in two:
used to describe a fish’s tail fin that is divided into two equal parts
[Mid-19th century. From the
Greek stem diphu- “of double form” + kerkos “tail.”][1]



diphyodont

diphyodont
di·phy·o·dont 
[dī f ə dònt] adjective

growing
baby and adult teeth: used to describe a mammal
that grows two sets of teeth in a lifetime
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem diphu- “double form” + the Greek stem odont-
“tooth.”][1]



dipinto

dipinto
dip
into
transitive verb

1.  read
parts of book: to read parts of a text, such as a book
or magazine, rather than the whole of it

2.  use
saved money: to use some of the money that has been
saved

[1]



dipl-

dipl-
dipl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
diplo-[1]



dipl.

dipl.
dipl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
diplomat

2.  Abbreviation
of
diplomatic

[1]



diplegia

diplegia
di·ple·gia 
[dī pljə, dī
pljee ə] noun

symmetrical
inability to move: inability to move
corresponding parts on both the right and left sides of the body
[Late
19th century. Coined from di- on the model
of paraplegia .]
—di·ple·gic, adjective,
noun[1]



diplex

diplex
di·plex 
[d plèks] adjective

permitting
simultaneous transmission: capable of simultaneously
transmitting or receiving two signals in the same direction along a
telecommunications channel
[Late
19th century. Alteration of duplex .]
—di·plex·er, noun[1]



diplo-

diplo-
diplo-
prefix

1.  double,
twin • diplopod

2.  having
twice the basic number of chromosomes • diplont
[From Greek diploos
“double” (see diploma )][1]



diploblastic

diploblastic
dip·lo·blas·tic 
[dìpplō blástik] adjective

from two layers of embryo
tissue: used to describe an
invertebrate animal in which the adult tissues are derived from just two layers
of embryonic germ tissue, endoderm and ectoderm. Cnidarians are diploblastic.[1]



diplodocus

diplodocus
di·plod·o·cus 
[di plóddəkəss] (plural di·plod·o·cus·es)
noun

large
dinosaur:
a large herbivorous dinosaur of the late Jurassic Period that had four legs and
a very long neck and tail. It had nostrils near the top of the head, indicating
that it spent time in deep water. Genus: Diplodocus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek diploos “double” + dokos
“beam.” The underlying sense is of a creature twice as large as the widest part
of anything.][1]



diploid

diploid
dip·loid 
[díp lòyd] adjective

with
two matched chromosome sets: possessing two matched sets
of chromosomes in the cell nucleus, one set from each parent. There is a
characteristic diploid number of chromosomes for each species.
—dip·loid·ic
[di plóydik], adjective

—dip·loi·dy, noun[1]



diploma

diploma
di·plo·ma 
[di plṓmə] (plural di·plo·mas)
noun

1.  course
certificate: a certificate given by a high school,
college, university, or professional organization, indicating that somebody has
completed a course of education or training and reached the required level of
competence

2.  official
paper describing rights and privileges: a
written document or charter, especially one that confers specific rights or
privileges
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek, “folded paper,” from diploun “to fold, make double,” from diploos
“double.”][1]



diplomacy

diplomacy
di·plo·ma·cy 
[di plṓməssee] noun

1.  international
relations:
the management of communication and relationships between nations by members
and employees of each nation’s government

2.  skill
in international dealings: skill in managing
communication and relationships between nations

3.  tact:
skill and tact in dealing with other people

[1]



diplomat

diplomat
dip·lo·mat 
[dípplə màt] (plural dip·lo·mats)
noun

1.  government
representative abroad: a member or employee of a
government who represents his or her country in dealings with other nations,
especially by working in an embassy or consulate abroad

2.  tactful
person:
somebody who is tactful and good at dealing with people
[Early 19th century. From
French diplomate, back-formation from diplomatique “diplomatic.”][1]



diplomate

diplomate
dip·lo·mate 
[dípplə màyt] (plural dip·lo·mates)
noun

holder of diploma:
somebody who holds a diploma granted by a professional organization (formal)
• a
diplomate of the National Organization of Neuropsychologists[1]



diplomatic

diplomatic
dip·lo·mat·ic 
[dìpplə máttik] adjective

1.  involving
diplomacy:
concerned with or involving international diplomacy or the work of diplomats

2.  tactful:
showing tact and skill in dealing with people

3.  relating
to diplomatics: relating to the study of old documents

4.  being
exact copy:
having been copied from an original document
[Early 18th century. Partly
from French diplomatique, and partly from modern Latin diplomaticus,
from diploma (see diploma ).
Originally “relating to official documents.”][1]



diplomaticbag

diplomaticbag
dip·lo·mat·ic
bag
noun

bag for diplomats’ mail:
a bag in which official correspondence travels between a government office and
an embassy of that government in another country. The case is carried by a
special messenger and is not subject to the regulations governing ordinary
mail.[1]



diplomaticcorps

diplomaticcorps
dip·lo·mat·ic
corps
noun

foreign diplomats:
all the diplomats from other countries who reside in another nation[1]



diplomaticimmunity

diplomaticimmunity
dip·lo·mat·ic
im·mu·ni·ty
noun

diplomat’s legal freedom:
the legal status of diplomats, who are not subject to the legal and taxation
systems of a country in which they are resident as accredited representatives[1]



diplomatics

diplomatics
dip·lo·mat·ics 
[dìpplə máttiks] noun

study of documents:
the study and verification of very old documents (takes a singular verb)[1]



diplomatist

diplomatist
di·plo·ma·tist 
[di plṓmətist] (plural di·plo·ma·tists)
noun

diplomat:
a professional diplomat[1]



diplont

diplont
dip·lont 
[dí plònt] (plural dip·lonts) noun

diploid-celled
organism:
an organism whose cells, other than reproductive cells, have a diploid number
of chromosomes in their nuclei
[Early
20th century. Coined from diplo- + -ont .]
—dip·lont·ic [di plóntik], adjective[1]



diplopia

diplopia
dip·lo·pi·a 
[di plṓpee ə] noun

double
vision:
double vision (technical)
[Early
19th century. Coined from diplo- + -opia .]
—dip·lo·pic [di plóppik, di plṓpik],
adjective[1]



diplopod

diplopod
dip·lo·pod 
[dípplə pòd] (plural dip·lo·pods)
noun

type
of millipede: a millipede that has two pairs of legs
on each body segment. Class: Diplopoda
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Diplopoda, class name, from Greek diploos
“double” + the stem pod- “foot.”]
—dip·lop·o·dous [di plóppədəss], adjective[1]



diplotene

diplotene
dip·lo·tene 
[dípplō tn] noun

phase
of cell division: a stage in the first part of
reproductive cell division ( meiosis ) in
which paired chromosomes start to move apart from one another but remain
connected at points. At these connecting points, genetic information is
exchanged.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from diplo- + -tene, from Greek tainia
“band, ribbon.”][1]



diploë

diploë
dip·lo·ë 
[dípplō ] noun

middle
layer of skull: a layer of spongy bone tissue found
between the harder inside and outside bone layers of the cranium
[Late 16th century. From
Greek diploē “doubling,” from diploos “double.”][1]



dipody

dipody
dip·o·dy 
[díppədee] (plural dip·o·dies)
noun

metrical
unit in poetry: a unit of poetry that consists of two
stressed units or feet
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the Greek stem dipod- “two-footed.”][1]



dipole

dipole
di·pole 
[d pl] (plural di·poles) noun

pair
of opposite poles: two equal and opposite
magnetized or electrically charged poles that are separated by a short distance
—di·pol·ar [dī pṓlər], adjective[1]



dipolemoment

dipolemoment
di·pole
mo·ment
(plural di·pole mo·ments) noun

1.  product
of equal but opposite charges: the product of one of
the equal but opposite charges on two atoms in a molecule, and the distance
separating them

2.  result
of magnetic dipole: the product of two equal and
opposite magnetic poles or electric charges that are separated by a short
distance

[1]



dipper

dipper
dip·per 
[díppər] (plural dip·pers) noun

1.  scoop:
a cup or ladle for dipping into liquid

2.  BIRDS small
water bird:
a small plain-colored bird that lives beside rivers and can swim and dive.
Family: Cinclidae
Also
called
ouzel
Also
called
water ouzel

3.  something
that dips:
somebody or something, such as a machine, that dips objects in a liquid, for
example, in an industrial process

[1]



dipropellant

dipropellant
di·pro·pel·lant 
[d prə péllənt] (plural di·pro·pel·lants)
noun

SPACE
TECHNOLOGY See bipropellant[1]



diprotic

diprotic
di·prot·ic 
[dī próttik] adjective

with
two hydrogen protons: with two transferable
hydrogen protons
[Coined from di- + proton +
-ic][1]



diprotodont

diprotodont
di·pro·to·dont
[dī prṓtə dònt] adjective

with
enlarged incisors: used to describe a mammal
that has the first pair of incisor teeth in each jaw enlarged
noun
(plural di·pro·to·donts)

marsupial
with enlarged incisors: a marsupial that has
enlarged incisors. Kangaroos and wallabies are diprotodonts. Order:
Diprotodontia
[Late 19th century. Coined
from di- + proto-
+ -odont .][1]



dipso

dipso
dip·so
[díp sō] (plural dip·sos) noun

an
alcoholic:
a dipsomaniac (slang insult)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



dipsomania

dipsomania
dip·so·ma·ni·a 
[dìpsə máynee ə] noun

alcoholism:
a habitual and uncontrollable craving for alcohol (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
dipsa “thirst” + mania .][1]



dipsomaniac

dipsomaniac
dip·so·ma·ni·ac 
[dìpsə máynee àk] (plural dip·so·ma·ni·acs)
noun

alcoholic
person:
somebody with a habitual and uncontrollable craving for alcohol (dated)
—dip·so·ma·ni·a·cal [dìpsō mə n ək’l], adjective[1]



dipstick

dipstick
dip·stick 
[díp stìk] (plural dip·sticks)
noun

measuring
rod:
a measuring rod that is dipped into a container to indicate the depth of liquid
in it, especially one used to measure the amount of oil in a car’s engine
[20th century. The sense meaning
“fool” is said to be a euphemism for dipshit][1]



dipswitch

dipswitch
dip
switch
(plural dip switch·es) noun

1.  U.K.
See dimmer

2.  See
DIP switch

[1]



DIPswitch

DIPswitch
DIP
switch
(plural DIP switch·es) or dip switch (plural
dip switch·es) noun

switch
for computer settings: one or more tiny switches
used to turn optional settings on or off on a computer component
[Late 20th century. DIP
an acronym formed from dual in-line package .][1]



dipteran

dipteran
dip·ter·an 
[díptərən] (plural dip·ter·ans)
or dip·ter·on [díptə ròn] (plural
dip·ter·ons) noun

fly:
a two-winged fly. Order: Diptera
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Diptera, order name, from Greek dipteros
“two winged.”]
—dip·ter·al, adjective[1]



dipterous

dipterous
dip·ter·ous 
[díptərəss] adjective

of flies:
characteristic of or relating to the order Diptera of two-winged insects that
includes flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and midges[1]



diptych

diptych
dip·tych 
[díptik] (plural dip·tychs) noun

1.  paired
paintings:
a pair of paintings, especially religious paintings on two hinged panels

2.  writing
tablets:
a pair of writing tablets joined by a hinge and having wooden backs and waxed
writing surfaces, used especially in ancient Greece and Rome
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin diptycha from late Greek diptukha “pair of writing
tablets,” plural of diptukhos “folded in two,” from ptukhē
“fold.”][1]



dipyridamole

dipyridamole
di·pyr·id·a·mole 
[dī pridə ml, dpə
ríddə ml] noun

cardiovascular
drug:
a vasodilator drug used to treat angina pectoris and to prevent clots in blood
vessels. C24H40N8O4
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + pyrimidine
+ piperidine + amino-
+ -ol .][1]



diquat

diquat
di·quat 
[d kwòt] noun

herbicide:
a biodegradable herbicide used to control weeds in water
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + quaternary
; from its being based on a quaternary amine.][1]



dir.

dir.
dir.

Abbreviation of
director[1]



Diracconstant

Diracconstant
Di·rac
con·stant
noun

constant
in quantum mechanics: a constant used in quantum
mechanics that is Planck’s constant divided by 2π
[Named for Paul Dirac][1]



Diracequation

Diracequation
Di·rac
e·qua·tion
noun

equation
in quantum mechanics: an equation in quantum
mechanics that describes the wave behavior of an electron in an electromagnetic
field, in a manner consistent with special relativity
[Named for Paul dirac][1]



Dirac,Paul

Dirac,Paul
Di·rac 
[di rák], Paul (1902–1984)

British
theoretical physicist. He worked on quantum theory and predicted the existence
of the positron. He shared the Nobel Prize in physics (1933).
Full name
Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice[1]



dire

dire
dire 
[dīr] (comparative dir·er, superlative
dir·est) adjective

1.  very
bad:
characterized by severe, serious, or desperate circumstances

2.  threatening
disaster:
warning of a future disaster or serious consequences
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin dirus “fearful, awful, boding ill.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English dinosaur .]
—dire·ly,
adverb

—dire·ness, noun[1]



direct

direct
di·rect 
[di rékt, dī
rékt] verb (past di·rect·ed, past participle
di·rect·ed, present participle di·rect·ing, 3rd person
present singular di·rects)

1.  transitive
verb
supervise:
to organize and control the work of an organization or a group of people • I
found her directing the efforts of a team of rescue workers.

2.  transitive
verb
instruct:
to tell somebody to do something (formal) • The
medicine should be taken only as directed.

3.  transitive
verb
focus
attention on something: to focus attention or
concentrate activities on something • Please
direct your attention toward the figures at the right of the screen.

4.  transitive
verb
aim:
to aim, point, or send something or somebody in a particular direction • Direct
the extinguisher at the base of the flames.

5.  transitive
verb
address
letter:
to write an address on something to be delivered • The
envelope was directed to our offices.

6.  transitive
verb
give
directions:
to tell somebody how to get to a place • Can
you direct me to the station?

7.  transitive
verb
address:
to say something to somebody specifically • The
remarks were directed to his sister.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS supervise movies or plays:
to be responsible for supervising the creative aspects of a movie, play, or
television program, giving instructions and guidance to the actors and other
people involved • He has directed several
movies.

9.  transitive
verb
MUSIC See conduct  verb 1
adjective

1.  not
stopping or deviating: going straight from one
place or point to another • a
direct flight from Paris to Miami

2.  immediate:
lacking the influence of any other factors • No
direct link between the two events has been established.

3.  personal:
not having a person, action, or process intervene • We
are in direct contact with them.

4.  straightforward:
easy to understand or respond to • The
author makes a direct appeal to our emotions.

5.  precise:
having the characteristics of accuracy and precision • a
direct quotation

6.  immediately
related:
connected by a straight and unbroken line of descent from parent to child • a
direct descendant of George Washington

7.  complete
or exact:
showing complete contradiction or opposition • Their
conclusions were in direct contradiction to ours.

8.  POLITICS directly
involving the electorate: involving participation in
government from the electorate rather than through electoral representatives • direct
democracy

9.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC working
from premise to conclusion: working immediately from the
premise to the conclusion in proving something

10. ASTRONOMY moving
west to east: moving from west to east as observed
from celestial north
adverb

1.  straight
without diversion: straight from one place or
person to another, without a stop or diversion • You
can fly direct from Amsterdam to Chicago.

2.  directly:
by an immediate connection, without somebody or something intervening • You
can dial Calcutta direct.
[14th
century. From Latin directus, past participle of dirigere “to set
straight, guide.”]
—di·rect·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at guide

[1]



directaccess

directaccess
di·rect
ac·cess
noun

direct retrieval of data:
the ability to retrieve information directly from any part of a storage device
without referring to the preceding data[1]



directaction

directaction
di·rect
ac·tion
(plural di·rect ac·tions) noun

strikes or boycotts intended
to influence: a political or
industrial action, such as a strike, a boycott, or civil disobedience, intended
to have an immediate and noticeable effect that will influence a government or
employer[1]



directcoupling

directcoupling
di·rect
cou·pling
noun

direct
connection in circuit: direct connection of one
part of a circuit to another without the use of transformers or capacitors,
allowing both direct current and alternating current to flow along the
connection
—di·rect-cou·pled, adjective[1]



directcurrent

directcurrent
di·rect
cur·rent
noun

unidirectional electrical
current: electrical current that
flows in only one direction and has a fairly constant average value.
See also
alternating current[1]



directdebit

directdebit
di·rect
deb·it
(plural di·rect deb·its) noun

direct payment from bank
account: an arrangement by which sums
of varying amounts that are owed at regular intervals, such as bills, are paid
to the creditor directly from the payer’s bank account[1]



directdiscourse

directdiscourse
di·rect
dis·course
noun

GRAMMAR
speech in quotation marks:
the repeating of speech by giving the exact words that were spoken, in writing
conventionally inside quotation marks.
U.K. term
direct speech[1]



directdistance dialing

directdistance dialing
di·rect
dis·tance di·al·ing noun

long-distance dialing:
the system by which a telephone user can dial another telephone anywhere in the
system without the help of an operator[1]



directdye

directdye
di·rect
dye
(plural di·rect dyes) noun

naturally fast dye:
a dye that can be used directly on a fabric without needing an extra chemical (
mordant ) to fix the color[1]



directevidence

directevidence
di·rect
ev·i·dence
noun

factual evidence:
evidence, such as a photograph, a document, or a witness’s account, that
provides direct factual information in a trial[1]



directfree kick

directfree kick
di·rect
free kick
(plural di·rect free kicks) noun

free kick at goal:
a free kick in soccer that is awarded as compensation for a foul and can be
taken as a direct shot at the opponent’s goal[1]



directinjection

directinjection
di·rect
in·jec·tion
noun

injection of fuel without
air: the injection of fuel in
liquid form into the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine, without
previously passing it through a carburetor[1]



direction

direction
di·rec·tion 
[di rékshən, dī
rékshən] noun (plural di·rec·tions)

1.  management:
the management or control of somebody or something by providing instructions

2.  way:
the way in which somebody or something goes, points, or faces • They
shook hands and walked off in opposite directions.

3.  supervision
of something: the control and supervision of a group,
person, or organization

4.  development:
the way in which something develops • The
organization has begun to take a new direction.

5.  ARTS art of
directing:
the art or practice of directing a movie or play

6.  sense
of purpose:
a feeling of having a definite goal or purpose • He’s
a nice boy, but seems to lack a sense of direction.

7.  MUSIC instruction
in music:
an instruction in a piece of music that shows how it should be played

8.  MUSIC conducting
performers:
the process of conducting an orchestra or choir
plural
noun
di·rec·tions

instructions:
instructions on how to get to a place or how to do something • I
need to stop the car and ask for directions.

[1]



directional

directional
di·rec·tion·al 
[di rékshən’l, dī
rékshən’l] adjective

1.  relating
to direction: showing, concerned with, or dependent on
direction • Use
your directional lights to indicate the way you plan to turn.

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING more
efficient in one direction: more efficient in a specific
direction for transmitting and receiving sound waves, nuclear particles, light,
or radio waves

3.  relating
to control of something: showing or relating to the
management or control of somebody’s work, behavior, or way of thinking

4.  indicating
trend:
showing the future direction in which something might go
—di·rec·tion·al·i·ty [di rèkshə nállətee, dī
rèkshə nállətee], noun[1]



directionalantenna

directionalantenna
di·rec·tion·al
an·ten·na
noun

antenna for long-distance
transmission: an antenna in which the
transmitting and receiving characteristics are concentrated in certain
directions, used when transmitting or receiving over very long distances, for
example, when receiving signals from space[1]



directionaldrilling

directionaldrilling
di·rec·tion·al
drill·ing
noun

drilling method:
a method of drilling for oil or gas in which special assemblies are used to
turn a drill hole in the required direction[1]



directionfinder

directionfinder
di·rec·tion
find·er
(plural di·rec·tion find·ers) noun

radio
signal receiver: a device used especially in navigation
to determine the direction of a transmitted radio signal
—di·rec·tion find·ing,
noun[1]



directive

directive
di·rec·tive 
[di réktiv, dī
réktiv] noun (plural di·rec·tives)

order: an
order or official instruction
adjective

1.  providing
guidance:
giving explicit guidance or instructions • directive
utterances

2.  showing
direction:
indicating a direction • directive
signals

[1]



directlabor

directlabor
di·rect
la·bor
noun

production of goods:
labor that is directly involved in the production of goods or the provision of
services rather than, for example, in administration or sales[1]



directlighting

directlighting
di·rect
light·ing
noun

light directed downward:
a method of lighting in which a large percentage, usually not less than 90
percent, of the emitted light is directed downward[1]



directly

directly
di·rect·ly 
[di réktlee, dī
réktlee] adverb

1.  straight:
straight to a place or a person, or straight in a direction • She
went directly to the filing cabinet. • Your
letter was sent directly to me.

2.  with
nothing in between: without any person, thing,
or event intervening • I
prefer to deal directly with senior management. • I
hold you directly responsible for what has happened.

3.  completely:
in every respect • I am directly opposed
to everything that they stand for.

4.  clearly:
in a clear and unambiguous manner • She
refuses to say directly what the trouble is.

5.  immediately:
at once (formal) • I’ll
deal with it directly.

6.  soon:
in a short while (regional) • Please
take a seat, and I’ll be with you directly.

[1]



directmail

directmail
di·rect
mail
noun

advertising
by mail:
the use of mail addressed to potential customers as a way of advertising, or
the promotional material that is mailed
—di·rect mail·er, noun[1]



directmarketing

directmarketing
di·rect
mar·ket·ing
or di·rect sell·ing noun

selling directly to
customers: methods of marketing by
which a company deals directly with its end customers, including mail order by
catalog, direct mail, telephone sales, or the advertising of goods[1]



directobject

directobject
di·rect
ob·ject
(plural di·rect ob·jects) noun

word affected by verb:
the word or phrase in a sentence that indicates somebody or something directly
affected by the action of the verb, such as “cat” in “she fed the cat”[1]



director

director
di·rec·tor 
[di réktər, dī
réktər] (plural di·rec·tors) noun

1.  BUSINESS head
of management: somebody who is at the head of an
organized group, such as a government department, or in charge of a program of
activity, for example, in social services

2.  BUSINESS somebody
who runs a company: a member of the board that
controls the affairs of a company. A board may be made up of executive
directors, who manage the company, and nonexecutive directors, who contribute
advice.

3.  CINEMA TV filmmaker:
somebody who has control over, and responsibility for, the actual making of a
movie or television program, and its artistic and technical content

4.  MUSIC musical
conductor:
somebody who is responsible for the work of a group of musicians, especially
the conductor of an orchestra
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman directour, from, ultimately, Latin direct-,
past participle stem of dirigere (see direct
).]
—di·rec·to·ri·al
[di rèk táwree əl, dī
rèk táwree əl], adjective

—di·rec·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb

—di·rec·tor·ship [di réktər shìp, dī
réktər shìp], noun[1]



directorate

directorate
di·rec·tor·ate 
[di réktərət, dī
réktərət] (plural di·rec·tor·ates) noun

directors:
a board of directors, for example, of a company[1]



directory

directory
di·rec·to·ry 
[di réktəree, dī
réktəree] noun (plural di·rec·to·ries)

1.  book
of names:
a book containing the names of people and organizations, usually with telephone
numbers, addresses, and other information about them, arranged alphabetically
for reference

2.  list
of tenants:
a listing in the lobby of a building of the building’s tenants and their floor
or room numbers

3.  COMPUTING index
of computer files: an index of files stored on
a computer disk. A disk may have many separate directories containing different
types of files.

4.  rule
book:
a book of rules or instructions
adjective

giving direction:
providing direction or advice

[1]



directoryassistance

directoryassistance
di·rec·to·ry
as·sis·tance noun

See
information[1]



director’schair

director’schair
di·rec·tor’s
chair 
noun

1.  chair
for movie director: the chair used by the
director on the set of a movie

2.  folding
chair:
a light folding chair with a wooden or metal frame with arms, and a canvas back
and seat

[1]



directprimary

directprimary
di·rect
pri·mar·y
noun

election to choose
candidates: a primary election in which
the candidates who will seek office as nominees of a political party are chosen
directly by popular vote[1]



directquestion

directquestion
di·rect
ques·tion
(plural di·rect ques·tions) noun

1.  question
that must be answered: a question directed to a
specific person and requiring a response

2.  GRAMMAR question
in direct speech: a question repeated in the exact words
that were spoken, placed inside quotation marks in writing

[1]



direct-reading

direct-reading
di·rect-read·ing
adjective

giving the measurement
wanted: allowing the immediate
reading of a measurement, without intervening calculations[1]



directrix

directrix
di·rec·trix 
[di réktriks, dī
réktriks] (plural di·rec·trix·es or di·rec·tri·ces
[di réktri sz, d
rek tr sz]) noun

line
used for creating geometrical figure: a
fixed line used in constructing a curve or conic section, the distance from the
line divided by the distance from a fixed point being identical for all points
on the figure
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin, feminine form of late Latin director, from Latin direct-,
past participle stem of dirigere (see direct
).][1]



directselling

directselling
di·rect
sell·ing
noun

See
direct marketing[1]



directspeech

directspeech
di·rect
speech
noun

U.K.
See direct discourse[1]



directtax

directtax
di·rect
tax
(plural di·rect tax·es) noun

tax on income:
a tax that is levied directly on the income or capital of a person or
organization rather than as part of the price of goods or services[1]



direful

direful
dire·ful 
[drf’l] adjective

dreadful:
being extremely threatening or ominous (archaic)
—dire·ful·ly,
adverb

—dire·ful·ness, noun[1]



direstraits

direstraits
dire
straits
plural noun

disastrous predicament:
a situation of emergency or desperate need[1]



direwolf

direwolf
dire
wolf
noun

extinct
wolf:
a large extinct mammal similar to a wolf, found in North America during the
Pleistocene Epoch. Latin name: Canis dirus
[Dire, a translation of (Canis)
dirus, Latin name][1]



dirge

dirge
dirge 
[durj] (plural dirg·es) noun

1.  funeral
hymn:
a song of mourning or lament, especially one about death or intended for a
funeral

2.  mournful
music:
a song or piece of music that sounds sad or depressing

3.  funeral
service:
a funeral service that is sung
[Early 15th century. From
Latin dirige (first word of the antiphon in the funeral service, Psalm
5:8), imperative singular of dirigere “to guide” (see direct ).][1]



dirham

dirham
dir·ham 
[də rám, dər hám]
(plural dir·hams) noun

1.  currency
unit in Morocco and U.A.E.: a basic unit of currency in
Morocco and the United Arab Emirates and a minor unit of currency in Libya

2.  bill
worth a dirham: a bill worth a dirham

3.  coin
worth a dirham: a coin worth a dirham, 100 of which are
worth a riyal in Qatar and 1000 of which are worth a dinar in Libya
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic, from Greek drachmē, literally “number of coins one hand can
hold.”][1]



dirigible

dirigible
dir·i·gi·ble 
[dírrijəb’l, di
ríjjəb’l] noun (plural dir·i·gi·bles)

AIR See airship
adjective

steerable:
able to be steered or navigated
[Late
16th century. From Latin dirigere “to direct, guide” (see direct ) + -ible
; from the fact that an airship (in contrast to a balloon) can be steered.]
—dir·i·gi·bil·i·ty [dìrrəjə bíllətee, di
rìjjə bíllətee], noun[1]



dirigisme

dirigisme
di·ri·gis·me 
[dìrri zhzmə] noun

government
control:
full and direct government control of a country’s economy and social
institutions
[Mid-20th
century. From French, where it was formed from diriger “to direct,” from
Latin dirigere (see direct ).]
—di·ri·giste [dìrri zhst], adjective[1]



dirk

dirk
dirk 
[durk] noun (plural dirks)

dagger:
a dagger with a long straight blade, especially one that was formerly used by
Scottish Highlanders
transitive
verb
(past dirked, past participle dirked, present
participle dirk·ing, 3rd person present singular dirks)

stab:
to stab somebody with a dagger
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dirndl

dirndl
dirn·dl 
[dúrnd’l] (plural dirn·dls) noun

1.  dirn·dl
or dirn·dl skirt full skirt:
a full skirt that is gathered at the waist

2.  traditional
dress:
a dress with a full gathered skirt and a tight, low bodice that is worn over a
short-sleeved blouse and is part of German and Austrian national costume
[Mid-20th century. From
German Dirndlkleid “dirndl dress”: Dirndl from German dialect,
literally “little girl,” from Dirne “maid.”][1]



dirt

dirt
dirt 
[durt] noun

1.  unclean
substance:
a substance that spoils the cleanness of somebody or something • There
was a smear of dirt on his shirt.

2.  earth:
earth, soil, or mud • Children
were playing in the dirt by the side of the road.

3.  hard-packed
earth:
earth packed down to make a firm surface, especially to form a road, track, or
path • We
live on a dirt road.

4.  scandalous
facts:
scandalous or damaging facts about somebody • The
local paper may have some dirt on the candidates.

5.  corrupting
influence:
something such as pornography or foul language that is considered to have a
corrupting influence
[13th
century. By transposition of r and i from Old Norse drit “excrement,”
from prehistoric Germanic.]
—dirt·i·ly,
adverb

—dirt·i·ness,
noun
dig
the dirt on somebody or something

to search for scandalous
information about somebody or something in order to reveal it[1]



dirtbike

dirtbike
dirt
bike
(plural dirt bikes) noun

off-road motorcycle:
a motorcycle designed to be ridden across country or on dirt roads[1]



dirt-cheap

dirt-cheap
dirt-cheap 
adjective adverb

very cheap:
extremely cheap or cheaply (informal)[1]



dirtdauber

dirtdauber
dirt
daub·er
(plural dirt daub·ers) noun

See
potter wasp





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  With
  scattered instances in the Midwest, dirt dauber
  prevails across the entire South, and across Oklahoma and Texas. The potter
  wasp is also called mud dauber and mud wasp.

[1]



dirtfarmer

dirtfarmer
dirt
farm·er
(plural dirt farm·ers) noun

subsistence
farmer:
a farmer with a little land who farms it alone or with family help
—dirt farm·ing, noun[1]



dirt-poor

dirt-poor
dirt-poor 
adjective

very poor:
having so little money that the basic needs of life can scarcely be satisfied[1]



dirttrack

dirttrack
dirt
track
(plural dirt tracks) noun

1.  unsurfaced
track:
a road or path that is not surfaced, but consists of earth

2.  race
track:
a track of earth mixed with gravel and cinders that is used for horse racing or
motorcycle racing

[1]



dirty

dirty
dirt·y
[dúrtee] adjective (comparative
dirt·i·er, superlative dirt·i·est)

1.  not
clean:
marked by dirt or covered in dirt • dirty
fingernails

2.  causing
dirt:
creating dirt or pollution • a
battered truck with a dirty engine

3.  making
somebody grimy: likely to cause somebody to be filthy or
grimy • Working
on cars is a dirty job.

4.  not
kept up:
lacking care and maintenance, especially of dwellings in a neighborhood

5.  not
honest or legal: lacking honesty or moral integrity,
especially if the rules of a game or law have been broken • dirty
tactics

6.  relating
to illegal drugs: relating to the use or sale of illegal
drugs by somebody (slang)

7.  malicious:
characterized by extreme meanness and cruelty • a
dirty lie

8.  relating
to sex:
concerned with sex, especially in a way that is obscene or suggestive

9.  angry:
expressing anger, displeasure, or disapproval • a
dirty look

10. despicable:
immoral, or behaving in a despicable way (informal)

11. lacking
brightness or clarity: characterized by a lack of
luster or clarity (often used in combination) • The
walls were a dirty green.

12. stormy:
characterized by heavy rain and strong winds • dirty
weather

13. creating
contamination: producing a lot of radioactive
contamination
adverb
(comparative dirt·i·er, superlative dirt·i·est)

1.  unfairly:
in an unfair or dishonest way • You
have to fight dirty if you want to win.

2.  suggestively:
in a sexually suggestive or indecent way
verb
(past dirt·ied, past participle dirt·ied, present
participle dirt·y·ing, 3rd person present singular dirt·ies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
dirty:
to make something or somebody dirty, or become dirty • He
wouldn’t want to dirty his hands with that kind of work.

2.  transitive
verb
dishonor:
to make something seem less honest or honorable • to
dirty sb’s reputation
—dirt·i·ly,
adverb

—dirt·i·ness,
noun
get
your hands dirty

to
perform a degrading or unpleasant act, or to participate in such an act

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  dirty, filthy, grubby,
  grimy, soiled,
  squalid, unclean
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  clean dirty; the most general term,
  used to describe lack of cleanliness; filthy;
  extremely dirty; grubby; slightly
  unclean; grimy; exhibiting
  ingrained or accumulated dirt; soiled; a fairly formal term, used to
  describe things such as bed linen and diapers that have become dirty in the
  course of normal use; squalid; a
  term used to describe extremely dirty houses and living areas, usually with a
  suggestion of poor conditions; unclean;
  a fairly formal term, frequently used in a moral or religious context









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Dirty
  Harry, a movie by Don Siegel ( 1971 ). It is the story of San Francisco
  policeman Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), known as “Dirty” because he always
  gets the worst jobs, and his attempts to apprehend a serial killer, Scorpio.
  This and subsequent movies centering on the Callahan character resulted in Dirty
  Harry being used as an adjective meaning police who use unnecessary
  force, as in Dirty Harry syndrome . Famous lines spoken by the
  Callahan character also made their way into mainstream U.S. English. An
  example is “Go ahead, make my day!” from Sudden Impact ( 1983 ).

[1]



dirtydog

dirtydog
dirt·y
dog
(plural dirt·y dogs) noun

dishonest person:
somebody who takes advantage of other people in small, dishonest, or unpleasant
ways (dated)[1]



dirtydrug

dirtydrug
dirt·y
drug
noun

drug with effects not
entirely understood: a drug used
in treating a psychiatric condition that has effects on the functions of the
brain that are not entirely understood by scientists (informal)[1]



dirtylinen

dirtylinen
dirt·y
lin·en
or dirt·y laun·dry noun

embarrassing personal facts:
personal matters that it would be embarrassing or disadvantageous to let other
people know about • Don’t
wash your dirty linen in public.[1]



dirtyold man

dirtyold man
dirt·y
old man
noun

lecherous older man:
an older man who shows an interest in sex that is perceived as immoral,
perverted, or generally unpleasant (informal insult)[1]



dirtypool

dirtypool
dirt·y
pool
noun

foul play:
unfair or dishonest tactics used to gain an advantage (informal)[1]



dirtytrick

dirtytrick
dirt·y
trick
noun (plural dirt·y tricks)

unfair action:
something unfair or dishonest that is done to gain an advantage
plural
noun
dirt·y tricks

1.  unfair
political tactics: tactics used in a political
campaign to discredit an opponent in a way that is not completely fair or
honest

2.  spy
tactics:
secret activities carried out by the spies of one government in order to
disrupt or destroy the internal functioning of another nation (informal)

3.  commercial
espionage:
the activity of stealing secret products or processes from one company and
selling them to rival companies (informal)

[1]



dirtytrickster

dirtytrickster
dirt·y
trick·ster
(plural dirt·y trick·sters) noun

unscrupulous aide:
somebody who helps a politician by finding or using unfair or dishonest ways to
discredit an opponent • The
dirty tricksters on both sides have overreached themselves this time.[1]



dirtyword

dirtyword
dirt·y
word
(plural dirt·y words) noun

1.  offensive
word:
a swearword or offensive word

2.  unpopular
thing:
something that is disapproved of • Delay
seems to be a dirty word in this office!

[1]



dirtywork

dirtywork
dirt·y
work
noun

unpleasant tasks:
something that somebody wants to be done that is unpleasant, unfair, unkind,
dishonest, or illegal[1]



dis

dis
dis 
[diss] (past dissed, past
participle dissed, present participle diss·ing, 3rd
person present singular diss·es) or diss [diss] transitive verb (slang)

1.  treat
disrespectfully: to treat somebody without respect, for
example, by talking back to somebody in authority, or by being purposely rude
or inconsiderate • Don’t you dis me!
• Don’t
be dissing me!

2.  criticize:
to criticize somebody or something
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of disrespect
.][1]



dis-

dis-
dis-
prefix

1.  to
undo, do the opposite • disapprove

2.  opposite
or absence of • discourtesy

3.  to
deprive of, remove from • dishonor

4.  not
• disobedient

5.  to
free from • disburden

6.  completely
• dissever
[Directly and via Old French des-
from Latin dis-, from dis “apart,” of unknown origin][1]



Dis

Dis
Dis 
[diss] noun

1.  See
Pluto

2.  Roman
underworld:
in Roman mythology, the underworld, or region of the dead. Greek equivalent
Hades

[1]



disability

disability
dis·a·bil·i·ty 
[dìssə bíllətee] (plural dis·a·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  restricted
capability to perform particular activities: an
inability to perform some or all of the tasks of daily life

2.  medical
condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed
condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life

3.  payment
to person with inability: a sum of money paid to
somebody, usually on a monthly basis, by a government agency or insurance
company because he or she is unable to work

4.  legal
disqualifier: something that causes somebody to be
regarded in law as ineligible to perform a particular transaction

[1]



disabilityclause

disabilityclause
dis·a·bil·i·ty
clause
(plural dis·a·bil·i·ty claus·es) noun

insurance guarantee:
a clause in a life insurance policy, indicating the conditions that will apply
if the holder becomes unable to work, including release from payment of further
premiums[1]



disable

disable
dis·a·ble 
[di sáyb’l] (past dis·a·bled, past
participle dis·a·bled, present participle dis·a·bling,
3rd person present singular dis·a·bles) transitive verb

1.  restrict
in certain activities: to make somebody unable to
perform the activities needed to earn a living or to carry out the basic tasks
of daily life without difficulty

2.  stop
from working: to prevent a machine, weapon, system, or
device from working by disconnecting a part of it

3.  disqualify
legally:
to make somebody ineligible in law to perform a particular transaction
—dis·a·ble·ment, noun[1]



disabled

disabled
dis·a·bled 
[di sáyb’ld] adjective

1.  unable
to perform particular activities: used to describe
somebody with a condition that makes it difficult to perform some or all the
basic tasks of daily life

2.  unable
to operate:
incapable of performing or functioning
plural
noun

disabled people:
people who are disabled

[1]



disabledlist

disabledlist
disabled
list
noun

list of injured players:
a list of the players of a particular sports team who are unable to play
because of an injury[1]



disabuse

disabuse
dis·a·buse 
[dìssə byz] (past dis·a·bused,
past participle dis·a·bused, present participle dis·a·bus·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·a·bus·es) transitive verb

persuade
that something is untrue: to tell somebody or make
somebody realize that an idea is not true • I
was quickly disabused of my idealistic notions about the campaign.
• She
disabused him of many old prejudices.
[Early
17th century. Formed from abuse in the
obsolete sense “a delusion.”]
—dis·a·bus·al, noun[1]



disaccharide

disaccharide
di·sac·cha·ride 
[dī sákə rd] (plural di·sac·cha·rides)
noun

type of sugar:
a sugar formed from two single sugar molecules, for example, the disaccharide
sucrose, which is composed of glucose and fructose. Lactose and maltose are
also disaccharides .[1]



disaccord

disaccord
dis·ac·cord 
[dìssə káwrd] noun

disagreement:
lack of harmony or agreement (formal)
intransitive
verb
(past dis·ac·cord·ed, past participle dis·ac·cord·ed,
present participle dis·ac·cord·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·ac·cords)

not agree:
to disagree or not be in accordance with one another (formal)[1]



disaccredit

disaccredit
dis·ac·cred·it
[dìssə kréddit] (past dis·ac·cred·it·ed,
past participle dis·ac·cred·it·ed, present participle dis·ac·cred·it·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ac·cred·its) transitive verb

remove credentials:
to take away somebody’s authorization or credentials[1]



disaccustom

disaccustom
dis·ac·cus·tom 
[dìssə kústəm] (past dis·ac·cus·tomed,
past participle dis·ac·cus·tomed, present participle dis·ac·cus·tom·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ac·cus·toms) transitive verb

make unused to something:
to make somebody break a habit, or to make somebody become unused to something
that was familiar (formal)[1]



disadvantage

disadvantage
dis·ad·van·tage 
[dìssəd vántij] noun (plural dis·ad·van·tag·es)

1.  bad
thing:
something that makes a situation worse, or that makes somebody or something
less effective or desirable

2.  bad
situation:
a situation in which somebody is weaker or less effective in relation to other
people

3.  loss:
injury, loss, or damage (formal)
transitive
verb
(past dis·ad·van·taged, past participle dis·ad·van·taged,
present participle dis·ad·van·tag·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·ad·van·tag·es)

count against:
to put somebody or something at a disadvantage

[1]



disadvantaged

disadvantaged
dis·ad·van·taged 
[dìssəd vántijd] adjective

1.  badly
off:
in a worse position than someone else or other people

2.  lacking
competitive ability: unable to perform well in a
competitive or military endeavor

[1]



disadvantageous

disadvantageous
dis·ad·van·ta·geous 
[diss àdvən táyjəss, dìss advən táyjəss] adjective

unhelpful:
not helpful or favorable
—dis·ad·van·ta·geous·ly,
adverb

—dis·ad·van·ta·geous·ness,
noun[1]



disaffect

disaffect
dis·af·fect 
[dìssə fékt] (past dis·af·fect·ed,
past participle dis·af·fect·ed, present participle dis·af·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·af·fects) transitive verb

make
dissatisfied: to make somebody dissatisfied with
somebody or something, especially somebody to whom respect or loyalty is owed
—dis·af·fect·ed,
adjective

—dis·af·fect·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·af·fect·ed·ness,
noun

—dis·af·fec·tion, noun[1]



disaffiliate

disaffiliate
dis·af·fil·i·ate 
[dìssə fíllee àyt] (past dis·af·fil·i·at·ed,
past participle dis·af·fil·i·at·ed, present participle dis·af·fil·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·af·fil·i·ates) intransitive
and transitive verb

end
connection to something: to end the connection or
affiliation of one group with another, or to withdraw a personal association
from a group or organization formally • The
group was formally disaffiliated from its parent body at the end of 1985.
—dis·af·fil·i·a·tion [dìssə fillee áysh’n], noun[1]



disaffirm

disaffirm
dis·af·firm 
[dìssə fúrm] (past dis·af·firmed,
past participle dis·af·firmed, present participle dis·af·firm·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·af·firms) transitive verb

1.  deny
or contradict: to say that something is not true or
that the opposite is true (formal)

2.  change
decision:
to alter a legal decision or to refuse to recognize or acknowledge something
formally
—dis·af·fir·mance,
noun

—dis·af·fir·ma·tion [diss àffər máysh’n], noun[1]



disaggregate

disaggregate
dis·ag·gre·gate 
[diss àggrə gàyt] (past dis·ag·gre·gat·ed,
past participle dis·ag·gre·gat·ed, present participle dis·ag·gre·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ag·gre·gates) intransitive and
transitive verb

separate
into parts:
to separate something into its component parts or to break apart
—dis·ag·gre·ga·tion [diss àggrə gáysh’n], noun[1]



disagree

disagree
dis·a·gree 
[dìssə gr] (past dis·a·greed,
past participle dis·a·greed, present participle dis·a·gree·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·a·grees) verb

1.  transitive
verb
not
agree:
to have or put forward a different view or opinion from somebody or from each
other

2.  intransitive
verb
not
match:
to fail to be in accordance with something, or to show a different result

3.  intransitive
verb
affect
badly:
to have an unpleasant effect on somebody • I
love oysters, but they disagree with me.
[15th
century. From French désagréer, from agréer “to agree.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  disagree, differ, argue,
  dispute, take issue
  with, contradict, agree
  to differ, be at odds
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  have or express a difference of opinion with somebody disagree; the most general and wide-ranging
  term; differ; a somewhat more
  formal term for disagree; argue;
  to give reasons for or against something, usually in opposition to somebody
  else; dispute; to debate something,
  often suggesting a heated argument; take issue with; to disagree
  strongly with somebody or something; contradict;
  to make a statement that shows or suggests that something somebody has just
  said is wrong; agree to differ; to stop arguing and accept that the
  opposing viewpoints are irreconcilable; be at odds; a term used to
  refer to people who are disagreeing or arguing with each other, especially
  over a period of time or about a particular issue

[1]



disagreeable

disagreeable
dis·a·gree·a·ble 
[dìssə gr əb’l] adjective

1.  unpleasant:
causing feelings that are not enjoyable

2.  rude
or quarrelsome: lacking courtesy or constantly finding a
reason to disagree with somebody
—dis·a·gree·a·bil·i·ty
[dìssə gree ə bíllətee], noun

—dis·a·gree·a·ble·ness
[dìssə gr əb’lnəss], noun

—dis·a·gree·a·bly, adverb[1]



disagreement

disagreement
dis·a·gree·ment 
[dìssə grmənt] (plural dis·a·gree·ments)
noun

1.  failure
to agree about something: the fact of having or
expressing a different opinion and failing to agree about something

2.  slight
argument:
a situation in which a number of people or groups argue

3.  difference:
failure to be in accordance with something

[1]



disallow

disallow
dis·al·low 
[dìssə lów] (past dis·al·lowed,
past participle dis·al·lowed, present participle dis·al·low·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·al·lows) transitive verb

1.  reject:
to refuse to accept something because it is not true, valid, or correctly done
(formal)

2.  cancel
something previously allowed: to cancel a privilege or
entitlement, or refuse to allow something that was previously allowed
—dis·al·low·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·al·low·ance, noun[1]



disambiguate

disambiguate
dis·am·big·u·ate 
[dìss am bíggyoo àyt] (past dis·am·big·u·at·ed,
past participle dis·am·big·u·at·ed, present participle dis·am·big·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·am·big·u·ates) transitive verb

make
unambiguous: to establish the true meaning of an
expression, regulation, or ruling that is confusing or that could be
interpreted in more than one way
—dis·am·big·u·a·tion [dìss am biggyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



disannul

disannul
dis·an·nul 
[dìssə núl] (past dis·an·nulled,
past participle dis·an·nulled, present participle dis·an·null·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·an·nuls) transitive verb

cancel:
to annul or cancel a law, rule, or privilege
[15th
century. Formed from dis- in the sense
“completely” + annul .]
—dis·an·nul·ment, noun[1]



disappear

disappear
dis·ap·pear 
[dìssə pr] (past dis·ap·peared,
past participle dis·ap·peared, present participle dis·ap·pear·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ap·pears) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
vanish
from sight:
to cease to be seen, for example, by moving away, or going behind or into
something

2.  intransitive
verb
not
be found:
to be gone from or no longer be seen in a place without any explanation

3.  intransitive
verb
cease
to exist:
to no longer exist

4.  transitive
verb
cause
opponent to disappear: to make a political opponent
disappear by arresting or killing the person without any process of law
—dis·ap·pear·ance, noun[1]



disappeared

disappeared
dis·ap·peared
[dìssə prd] plural noun

political
victims:
people who have been arrested by a regime that they opposed and whose fate is
not known
[Late 20th century.
Translation of the Spanish past participle desaparecido . Originally
“those who disappeared” in Argentina during the military dictatorship
(1976–1983).][1]



disappoint

disappoint
dis·ap·point 
[dìssə póynt] (past dis·ap·point·ed,
past participle dis·ap·point·ed, present participle dis·ap·point·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ap·points) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
not good enough: to be not as good, attractive, or
satisfactory as was hoped or expected

2.  transitive
verb
fail
somebody:
to let somebody down by not doing something, or by something not happening as
hoped or expected
[15th century. From French désappointer,
literally “to deprive of an appointment.”][1]



disappointed

disappointed
dis·ap·point·ed 
[dìssə póyntəd] adjective

not
satisfied:
unhappy because something was not as good, attractive, or satisfactory as
expected, or because something hoped for or expected did not happen
—dis·ap·point·ed·ly, adverb[1]



disappointing

disappointing
dis·ap·point·ing 
[dìssə póynting] adjective

not
good enough: not as good, attractive, or satisfactory
as was expected or hoped
—dis·ap·point·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disappointment

disappointment
dis·ap·point·ment 
[dìssə póyntmənt] (plural dis·ap·point·ments)
noun

1.  feeling
of being let down: a feeling of sadness or
frustration because something was not as good, attractive, or satisfactory as
expected, or because something hoped for did not happen

2.  something
disappointing: something or somebody that disappoints
somebody, or an occasion when somebody is disappointed

3.  frustration:
the failure to attain somebody’s hopes or wishes

[1]



disapprobation

disapprobation
dis·ap·pro·ba·tion 
[diss àpprə báysh’n] noun

condemnation:
the expression of moral or social disapproval (formal)[1]



disapproval

disapproval
dis·ap·prov·al 
[dìssə prv’l] noun

condemning attitude:
dislike or condemnation of somebody or something immoral or bad in some way[1]



disapprove

disapprove
dis·ap·prove 
[dìssə prv] (past dis·ap·proved,
past participle dis·ap·proved, present participle dis·ap·prov·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ap·proves) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
not
approve:
to dislike, look down on, or condemn somebody or something as being immoral or
bad in some way

2.  transitive
verb
refuse
to sanction: to refuse to give approval or agree to
something (formal)
—dis·ap·prov·ing,
adjective

—dis·ap·prov·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  disapprove, frown on, object to, criticize, condemn, deplore,
  denounce, censure
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  have an unfavorable opinion of something or somebody disapprove; a general term meaning to judge
  something negatively based on personal standards; frown
  on; a term indicating mild disapproval; object to; a
  somewhat stronger term, usually implying verbal expression of disapproval; criticize; to identify specific flaws or
  faults in something; condemn; to
  express very strong disapproval of something, usually publicly; deplore; a fairly formal term expressing
  strong disapproval, often for moral reasons; denounce; to issue a
  strong public criticism of somebody or something, usually formally or for the
  record; censure; to condemn
  somebody or something strongly and publicly

[1]



disarm

disarm
dis·arm 
[diss rm] (past dis·armed, past
participle dis·armed, present participle dis·arm·ing, 3rd
person present singular dis·arms) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY give up weapons:
to give up a supply of weapons or reduce the strength of armed forces, or to
force another nation to do this

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY defuse
bomb:
to make a bomb unable to explode, or to make a weapon incapable of being fired

3.  transitive
verb
win
over:
to make somebody less hostile or suspicious and more inclined to act in a
friendly way • They
disarmed us with their confidence and skill.
—dis·arm·er, noun[1]



disarmament

disarmament
dis·ar·ma·ment 
[diss rməmənt] noun

1.  reduction
in arms:
the process of reducing a nation’s supply of weapons or the strength of its
armed forces • a
believer in negotiated mutual disarmament

2.  giving
up arms:
the condition of having given up weapons • Disarmament
brought peace to the troubled region.
[Late 18th century. Modeled
on French désarmement .][1]



disarming

disarming
dis·arm·ing 
[diss rming] adjective

charming:
making somebody feel more friendly or trusting
—dis·arm·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disarrange

disarrange
dis·ar·range 
[dìssə ráynj] (past dis·ar·ranged,
past participle dis·ar·ranged, present participle dis·ar·rang·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ar·rang·es) transitive verb

make
untidy:
to disturb or spoil the order or arrangement of something
—dis·ar·range·ment, noun[1]



disarray

disarray
dis·ar·ray 
[dìssə ráy] noun

1.  disorganized
state:
a disorganized and confused state • The
meeting was thrown into disarray by the surprise announcement.

2.  untidiness:
a state of untidiness, especially in dress
transitive
verb
(past dis·ar·rayed, past participle dis·ar·rayed, present
participle dis·ar·ray·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·ar·rays)

1.  make
disorganized: to make something confused and
disorganized

2.  undress:
to remove somebody’s clothes (archaic)
[14th century. Probably
modeled on Old French disareer “to put in disorder.”][1]



disarticulate

disarticulate
dis·ar·tic·u·late 
[dìss aar tíkyə làyt] (past dis·ar·tic·u·lat·ed,
past participle dis·ar·tic·u·lat·ed, present participle dis·ar·tic·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ar·tic·u·lates) intransitive
and transitive verb

disjoint:
to separate something at the joints, or to become separated at the joints
—dis·ar·tic·u·la·tion
[dìss aar tikyə láysh’n], noun

—dis·ar·tic·u·la·tor [dìss aar tikyə làytər], noun[1]



disassemble

disassemble
dis·as·sem·ble 
[dìssə sémb’l] (past dis·as·sem·bled,
past participle dis·as·sem·bled, present participle dis·as·sem·bling,
3rd person present singular dis·as·sem·bles) transitive verb

take
apart:
to take something apart, for example, a piece of machinery
—dis·as·sem·bly, noun[1]



disassociate

disassociate
dis·as·so·ci·ate 
[dìssə sṓshee àyt] (past dis·as·so·ci·at·ed,
past participle dis·as·so·ci·at·ed, present participle dis·as·so·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·as·so·ci·ates) transitive verb

1.  end
association with: to end an association or relationship
with another person or group • She
had disassociated herself from that clique years ago.

2.  distance
self:
to deny any connection or involvement with somebody or something • In
a press conference, the spokesperson attempted to disassociate himself from the
scandal

[1]



disassociation

disassociation
dis·as·so·ci·a·tion
[dìssə sōshee áysh’n] noun
Also
called
dissociation

1.  ending
of relationship: the termination of an association or
relationship with another person or group

2.  distancing
of self:
the denial of any connection or involvement with somebody or something else

[1]



disaster

disaster
dis·as·ter 
[di zástər] (plural dis·as·ters)
noun

1.  damaging
or destructive event: an event that causes serious
loss, destruction, hardship, unhappiness, or death

2.  somebody
or something unsuccessful: somebody or something that
fails completely, especially in a way that is distressing, embarrassing, or
laughable (informal)
[Late 16th century. Via
French désastre from Italian disastro, literally “ill-starred,”
from Latin astrum “star,” from Greek astron (source of English astronomy ).][1]



disasterarea

disasterarea
dis·as·ter
ar·e·a
(plural dis·as·ter ar·e·as) noun

1.  place
needing government assistance: a place that is
officially declared to be in a state of emergency and in need of special
assistance such as federal relief money after a natural disaster • The
southern half of the state has been declared a disaster area.

2.  mess:
a very messy or disorganized place or situation (informal)

[1]



disastermovie

disastermovie
dis·as·ter
mov·ie
(plural dis·as·ter mov·ies) noun

movie about disastrous event:
a movie that deals with a disaster such as an earthquake or plane crash in a
dramatic and spectacular way[1]



disastrous

disastrous
dis·as·trous 
[di zástrəss] adjective

1.  calamitous:
having seriously damaging results

2.  completely
unsuccessful: performed in an incompetent or awkward
way
[Late
16th century. Via French désastreux from, ultimately, Italian disastro
(see disaster ).]
—dis·as·trous·ly,
adverb

—dis·as·trous·ness, noun[1]



disavow

disavow
dis·a·vow 
[dìssə vów] (past dis·a·vowed,
past participle dis·a·vowed, present participle dis·a·vow·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·a·vows) transitive verb

deny:
to deny any knowledge of or responsibility for something, or any association
with somebody or something (formal)
—dis·a·vow·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·a·vow·al,
noun

—dis·a·vow·ed·ly
[dìssə vówədlee], adverb

—dis·a·vow·er [dìssə vówr], noun[1]



disband

disband
dis·band 
[diss bánd] (past dis·band·ed,
past participle dis·band·ed, present participle dis·band·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·bands) intransitive and
transitive verb

split
up:
to break up as a group or organization, or to cause a group or organization to
break up
—dis·band·ment, noun[1]



disbar

disbar
dis·bar 
[diss br] (past dis·barred, past
participle dis·barred, present participle dis·bar·ring,
3rd person present singular dis·bars) transitive verb

expel
attorney:
to take away officially the right of an attorney to practice law
[Mid-17th
century. Literally “to remove from the bar,” formed from bar .]
—dis·bar·ment, noun[1]



disbelief

disbelief
dis·be·lief 
[dìss bi lf] noun

feeling of not believing:
the feeling of not believing or of not being able to believe somebody or
something[1]



disbelieve

disbelieve
dis·be·lieve 
[dìss bi lv] (past dis·be·lieved,
past participle dis·be·lieved, present participle dis·be·liev·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·be·lieves) verb

1.  transitive
verb
not
believe:
to think that something somebody has said is untrue

2.  intransitive
verb
have
no faith:
to have no belief in something, especially in God or religion
—dis·be·liev·er,
noun

—dis·be·liev·ing,
adjective

—dis·be·liev·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disbud

disbud
dis·bud 
[diss búd] (past dis·bud·ded, past
participle dis·bud·ded, present participle dis·bud·ding,
3rd person present singular dis·buds) transitive verb

1.  GARDENING remove
buds:
to remove buds or shoots from a plant so that the remaining ones will be larger
and stronger

2.  AGRICULTURE remove
animal’s horns: to remove the horns from a young animal,
especially from cattle

[1]



disburden

disburden
dis·bur·den 
[diss búrd’n] (past dis·bur·dened,
past participle dis·bur·dened, present participle dis·bur·den·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·bur·dens) verb

1.  transitive
verb
share
troubles with somebody: to gain relief by telling
somebody about something that is causing anxiety or guilt

2.  transitive
verb
take
off a load:
to relieve a person or animal of a load

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb unload:
to unload goods or luggage (archaic)
—dis·bur·den·ment, noun[1]



disburse

disburse
dis·burse 
[diss búrs] (past dis·bursed, past
participle dis·bursed, present participle dis·burs·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·burs·es) transitive verb

pay:
to pay out money, especially from a fund
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French desbourser, literally “to remove from the
purse,” from bourse “purse.”]
—dis·burs·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·burse·ment,
noun

—dis·burs·er, noun[1]



disc-

disc-
disc-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
disco-[1]



disc.

disc.
disc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
discount

2.  Abbreviation
of
discovered

[1]



disc

disc
disc
noun

1.  U.K.
=
disk

2.  record

[1]



discalced

discalced
dis·calced 
[diss kálst] adjective

going
without footwear: wearing sandals or going barefoot as
part of the rules of some orders of monks, friars, or nuns
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of obsolete discalceated, literally “with shoes removed,” ultimately
from Latin calceare “to shoe,” from calceus “shoe.”][1]



discant

discant
dis·cant 
[díss kànt] noun (plural dis·cants)
intransitive verb (past dis·cant·ed, past participle
dis·cant·ed, present participle dis·cant·ing, 3rd
person present singular dis·cants)

MUSIC See descant
—dis·cant·er, noun[1]



discard

discard
dis·card 
verb [diss krd] (past dis·card·ed,
past participle dis·card·ed, present participle dis·card·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cards)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
away:
to get rid of something that is not wanted or needed

2.  transitive
verb
CARD GAMES reject
card:
to put down a card from a hand and not play it

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES play card:
to play a card so that it has no value, because it is neither in the required
suit nor a trump
noun
[díss krd]

1.  CARD GAMES act
of discarding: the act of discarding a card

2.  something
discarded:
somebody or something that has been discarded
[Mid-18th
century. Literally “to throw out a card (from a hand),” formed from card ; hence “to cast aside.”]
—dis·card·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·card·er, noun[1]



discarnate

discarnate
dis·car·nate 
[diss krnət, diss
kr nàyt] adjective

RELIGION having
no body:
lacking a physical body
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from dis- + the Latin stem carn-
“flesh” + -ate .][1]



discbrake

discbrake
disc
brake
(plural disc brakes) or disk brake (plural disk
brakes) noun

brake with rotating disk:
a brake that works by the friction of a caliper or pads against a rotating disk[1]



discern

discern
dis·cern 
[di súrn] (past dis·cerned, past
participle dis·cerned, present participle dis·cern·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cerns) verb

1.  transitive
verb
see
or notice something unclear: to see something that is not
very clear or obvious

2.  transitive
verb
understand:
to understand something that is not immediately obvious

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb distinguish:
to be able to tell the difference between two or more things
[14th
century. Directly or via French discerner from Latin discernere,
literally “to separate off,” from cernere “to separate, determine”
(source of English certain ).]
—dis·cern·er [di súrnər], noun[1]



discernible

discernible
dis·cern·i·ble 
[di súrnəb’l] or dis·cern·a·ble
[di súrnəb’l] adjective

perceptible or
understandable: able to be seen,
recognized, or understood[1]



discernibly

discernibly
dis·cern·i·bly
[di súrnəblee] adverb

noticeably or obviously:
in an obvious way or to a noticeable extent • not
discernibly different[1]



discerning

discerning
dis·cern·ing 
[di súrning] adjective

very
selective in judging: showing good judgment and
good taste
—dis·cern·ing·ly, adverb[1]



discernment

discernment
dis·cern·ment 
[di súrnmənt] noun

keenly selective judgment:
good taste and judgment[1]



discharge

discharge
dis·charge 
verb [díss chrj] (past dis·charged,
past participle dis·charged, present participle dis·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·charg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb emit
or dump liquid or gas: to emit, give off, or
dispose of a gas or liquid

2.  transitive
verb
dismiss
from institutional setting: to allow or write the orders
for somebody to leave an institution, especially a hospital, or to make the
decision yourself to leave such a place after being an inpatient

3.  transitive
verb
MILITARY be
released from armed forces: to be formally released from
service in the armed forces

4.  transitive
verb
carry
out:
to carry out a duty, responsibility, or promise (formal)

5.  transitive
verb
free
or release from duty: to excuse or release
somebody from a duty or obligation

6.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE fire
employee:
to dismiss somebody from a job (formal)

7.  transitive
verb
FINANCE pay
debt:
to pay a debt in full (formal)

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARMS shoot or be shot from:
to fire a weapon or to be fired from a weapon (formal)

9.  transitive
verb
LAW release
or acquit:
to release a prisoner or acquit somebody in a court of law

10. transitive
verb
LAW cancel
court order: to cancel or annul a court order

11. intransitive
and transitive verb FREIGHT SHIPPING
offload
ship’s cargo: to unload cargo from a ship

12. intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRICITY lose electric charge:
to lose or release electric charge by the addition or loss of electrons from a
stationary body, such as in static electricity

13. intransitive
verb
ELECTRICITY spark:
to give off electricity suddenly in the form of a spark or arc, such as occurs
in the release of stored energy in a capacitator

14. intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRICITY drain electricity:
to drain slowly, or make the electricity in a battery drain slowly

15. transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE release
pressure on building: to release the pressure on
part of a building by spreading it over adjacent parts

16. transitive
verb
TEXTILES bleach
fabric:
to remove the color from fabric by bleaching it

17. intransitive
verb
TEXTILES run
or blur:
to undergo a running or blurring of dyes
noun
[diss chrj] (plural dis·charg·es)

1.  dismissal
from institution: permission or orders to leave an
institution, especially a hospital, after being a patient

2.  MILITARY separation
from armed forces: formal and official release
of somebody from the armed forces, or a document certifying this

3.  MEDICINE mucus:
a flow of fluid from the body, especially an unusual or large flow of mucus
from the bodily orifices or pus from a wound

4.  emission
of substances: the emission, giving off, or dumping of
gases, liquids, or chemicals

5.  rate
of emission: the rate at which a gas or liquid is
being emitted

6.  performance
of duty:
the carrying out of a duty, obligation, responsibility, or promise (formal)

7.  FINANCE debt
payment:
the payment of a debt (formal)

8.  ARMS firing:
the firing of a gun (formal)

9.  LAW prisoner’s
release:
the release of a prisoner from custody

10. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING production
of electricity: the process of converting chemical
energy into electrical energy, for example, in a battery

11. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING continuous
flow of electricity through air: the continuous flow of
electric energy through air or a gas as a result of ionization, as occurs when
a spark jumps a gap, or at a reduced pressure, as in a fluorescent lamp

12. FREIGHT cargo offloading:
the unloading of cargo

13. GEOGRAPHY volume
of river water flow: the volume of water in a
river flowing past a particular point during a specific time interval
[14th
century. Via Old French descharger from late Latin discar(r)icare
“to unload,” from Latin car(ri)care “to load.”]
—dis·charge·a·ble
[dis chrjəb’l], adjective

—dis·charg·er
[diss chrjər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at perform

[1]



dischargelamp

dischargelamp
dis·charge
lamp
(plural dis·charge lamps) noun

electric lamp using gas:
an electric lamp that glows as a result of electricity passing through a gas[1]



dischargetube

dischargetube
dis·charge
tube
(plural dis·charge tubes) noun

electron tube:
a tube filled with low-pressure gas that glows when it conducts electricity at
a given voltage. Discharge tubes are used in neon and fluorescent lights.[1]



disci-

disci-
disci-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
disco-[1]



disci

disci
dis·ci

Plural of
discus[1]



Disciple

Disciple
Dis·ci·ple
noun

member of Disciples of
Christ: a member of the Disciples of
Christ[1]



disciple

disciple
dis·ci·ple 
(plural dis·ci·ples) noun

1.  follower
of person or idea: somebody who strongly
believes in the teachings of a leader, a philosophy, or a religion, and tries
to act according to them

2.  dis·ci·ple
or Dis·ci·ple original follower of Jesus
Christ:
one of the 12 original followers of Jesus Christ, according to the Bible
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin discipulus “learner,” from discere “to
learn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English doctrine .]
—dis·ci·ple·ship,
noun

—dis·cip·u·lar [di síppyələr], adjective[1]



Disciplesof Christ

Disciplesof Christ
Dis·ci·ples
of Christ 
noun

denomination of Christian
Church: a Protestant denomination of
the Christian Church, founded in the United States in 1809 by Thomas and
Alexander Campbell. Its congregations regard the Bible as the sole rule of
faith and living, and practice baptism by total immersion.[1]



disciplinant

disciplinant
dis·ci·plin·ant
[díssəplinənt, di
sípplinənt] (plural dis·ci·plin·ants) noun

member
of former religious group: somebody who belonged to a
now defunct Spanish Roman Catholic group whose members whipped themselves in
public as a religious penance
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish disciplinantes or Italian disciplinanti, both plural,
from medieval Latin disciplinare “to discipline,” from Latin disciplina
(see discipline ).][1]



disciplinarian

disciplinarian
dis·ci·pli·nar·i·an 
[dìssəplə náiree ən] (plural dis·ci·pli·nar·i·ans)
noun

enforcer of discipline:
somebody who insists that rules are obeyed strictly, and who punishes people
who break them[1]



disciplinary

disciplinary
dis·ci·pli·nar·y 
[dìssəplə nèrree] adjective

1.  relating
to enforcement and punishment: relating to the
enforcing of rules and the punishing of people who break them

2.  EDUCATION relating
to academic subject: relating to an academic
subject • Teachers
tried to cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries in their lessons.
—dis·ci·pli·nar·i·ly,
adverb

—dis·ci·pli·nar·i·ty [dìssəplə nérrətee], noun[1]



disciplinarybarracks

disciplinarybarracks
dis·ci·pli·nar·y
bar·racks
noun

MILITARY
military prison:
a military prison (formal)[1]



discipline

discipline
dis·ci·pline 
[díssəplin] noun (plural dis·ci·plines)

1.  making
people obey rules: the practice or methods of
ensuring that people obey rules by teaching them to do so and punishing them if
they do not

2.  order
and control: a controlled orderly state, especially
in a class of schoolchildren

3.  calm
controlled behavior: the ability to behave in a
controlled and calm way even in a difficult or stressful situation

4.  conscious
control over lifestyle: mental self-control used in
directing or changing behavior, learning something, or training for something

5.  EDUCATION activity
or subject:
a subject or field of activity, for example, an academic subject

6.  punishment:
punishment designed to teach somebody to obey rules

7.  CHRISTIANITY church
rules:
the system of rules and punishment used in a particular religious denomination
verb
(past dis·ci·plined, past participle dis·ci·plined,
present participle dis·ci·plin·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·ci·plines)

1.  reflexive
verb
make
yourself do something regularly: to make yourself act
or work in a controlled or regular way

2.  transitive
verb
punish:
to punish somebody because he or she has broken the rules

3.  transitive
verb
teach
obedience or order to: to teach somebody to obey
rules or to behave in an ordered or controlled way
[13th
century. Directly or via French descepline from Latin disciplina
“instruction given to a disciple,” from discipulus (see disciple ).]
—dis·ci·plin·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·ci·pli·nal
[díssəplin’l, di
sípplin’l], adjective

—dis·ci·plin·er [díssəplinər], noun[1]



disciplined

disciplined
dis·ci·plined 
adjective

mannerly or controlled:
showing orderliness and control in the way something is done or somebody
behaves • a
well disciplined child • a
disciplined organization[1]



discjockey

discjockey
disc
jock·ey
or disk jock·ey noun

See
DJ[1]



disclaim

disclaim
dis·claim 
[diss kláym] (past dis·claimed,
past participle dis·claimed, present participle dis·claim·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·claims) verb

1.  transitive
verb
deny
a connection with: to deny that you know about
something or that you are responsible for something

2.  transitive
verb
deny
validity of: to refuse to accept the validity or
authority of something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb renounce
legal right: to renounce a legal claim or right to
something
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman disclaimer from Old French desclamer,
literally “not to claim,” from clamer “to claim.”]
—dis·cla·ma·tion [dìsklə máysh’n], noun[1]



disclaimer

disclaimer
dis·claim·er 
[diss kláymər] (plural dis·claim·ers)
noun

1.  refusal
to accept responsibility: a statement refusing to
accept responsibility for something, for example, a written warning stating a
possible hazard associated with a product or service and denying legal
liability for any injury

2.  LAW statement
renouncing legal right: a statement saying that
somebody gives up a legal right or claim to something, for example, damages
arising from an accident

3.  denial
of knowledge: a statement denying knowledge of
something

[1]



disclose

disclose
dis·close 
[diss klṓz] (past dis·closed, past
participle dis·closed, present participle dis·clos·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·clos·es) transitive verb

1.  tell
something previously secret: to reveal something that has
been kept a secret

2.  show
something previously covered: to reveal something that has
been covered or hidden (formal)
[15th
century. From Old French desclos-, present stem of desclore, from
medieval Latin disclaudere “to open,” from Latin claudere “to
close.”]
—dis·clos·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·clos·er, noun[1]



disclosingagent

disclosingagent
dis·clos·ing
a·gent 
(plural dis·clos·ing a·gents) noun

staining dye:
a dye in liquid or tablet form that colors something, especially the teeth to
show plaque[1]



disclosure

disclosure
dis·clo·sure 
[diss klṓzhər] (plural dis·clo·sures)
noun

1.  secret
information made public: the revealing of information
that was previously kept secret, or the information that is revealed

2.  LAW process
of sharing information between sides: in a
lawsuit, the legal requirement, or the process of fulfilling it, that each side
must provide copies of all documents to the other side before trial. This is
done so that there are no surprises. • We
discovered her medical history only after disclosure.

[1]



disco

disco
dis·co 
[dískō] noun

1.  dis·co
(plural dis·cos) or dis·co·theque (plural dis·co·theques)
club
or party with dancing: a club or party where people
dance to recorded pop music, often introduced by a DJ.
Also
called
discotheque

2.  steady-beat
pop music for dancing: a style of pop music,
popular in the 1970s for dancing, with a steady, pronounced beat. It developed
from soul music, in response to the growing popularity of discos.

3.  style
of dancing to disco music: a style of popular dancing
designed to accompany the steady repetitive beat of disco music, typified by
free and flamboyant swinging movements with the hips and arms
intransitive
verb
(past dis·coed, past participle dis·coed, present
participle dis·co·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·cos)

take part in disco dancing:
to dance to disco music (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of discotheque .][1]



disco-

disco-
disco-
prefix

1.  disk
• discoid

2.  phonograph
record • discography
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek diskos (see disk )][1]



discobolus

discobolus
dis·cob·o·lus
[diss kóbbələss] (plural dis·cob·o·li
[diss kóbbə l, diss
kóbbə l]) or dis·cob·o·los [diss
kóbbələss] (plural dis·cob·o·li) noun

HISTORY ancient
Greek discus thrower: a discus thrower in ancient
Greece
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek diskobolos, literally “disk-throwing,” from diskos
“disk,” + -bolos “throwing,” from ballein “to throw.”][1]



discography

discography
dis·cog·ra·phy 
[diss kóggrəfee] (plural dis·cog·ra·phies)
noun

list
of musical recordings: a list of the recordings
made by a performer or a group, or of the recordings of a particular category
of music
—dis·cog·ra·pher,
noun

—dis·co·graph·ic [dìskə gráffik], adjective[1]



discoid

discoid
dis·coid 
[díss kòyd] noun (plural dis·coids)

flat
round object: a disk-shaped object or part
adjective
dis·coid dis·coi·dal

disc-shaped:
shaped like a disk
[Late
18th century. From Greek diskoeidēs, from diskos (see discus ).]
—dis·coid, adjective[1]



discolor

discolor
dis·col·or 
[diss kúllər] (past dis·col·ored,
past participle dis·col·ored, present participle dis·col·or·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·col·ors) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
color:
to change, or make something change, from the original or desired color and
take on an unpleasant, faded, darkened, or dirty appearance
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French descolorer from medieval Latin discolorare,
from Latin colorare “to color.”]
—dis·col·ored,
adjective

—dis·col·or·ment, noun[1]



discoloration

discoloration
dis·col·or·a·tion 
[diss kùllə ráysh’n] (plural dis·col·or·a·tions)
noun

change in color:
a change in the original or desired color of something that gives it an
unpleasant, faded, darkened, or dirty appearance[1]



discombobulate

discombobulate
dis·com·bob·u·late 
[dìskəm bóbbyə làyt] (past dis·com·bob·u·lat·ed,
past participle dis·com·bob·u·lat·ed, present participle dis·com·bob·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·com·bob·u·lates) transitive
verb

confuse
or disconcert: to throw somebody into a state of
disconcerting confusion (informal) (often passive)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of discompose
or discomfit .]
—dis·com·bob·u·la·tion
[dìskəm bobbyə láysh’n], noun[1]



discomfit

discomfit
dis·com·fit 
[diss kúmfit] (past dis·com·fit·ed,
past participle dis·com·fit·ed, present participle dis·com·fit·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·com·fits) transitive verb

1.  make
unsettled or confused: to make somebody feel
confused, uneasy, or embarrassed (formal)

2.  thwart
plans:
to frustrate somebody’s plans (formal)

3.  MILITARY defeat
enemy:
to defeat an enemy in battle (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old French desconfit, past participle of desconfire
“to destroy,” literally “not to make,” from confire “to make,” from
Latin conficere (see confect ).]
—dis·com·fit·er, noun[1]



discomfiture

discomfiture
dis·com·fi·ture 
[diss kúmfichər] noun

embarrassed awkwardness:
frustrating feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness (formal)[1]



discomfort

discomfort
dis·com·fort 
[diss kúmfərt] noun (plural dis·com·forts)

1.  state
of physical unease: very mild pain or a feeling
of being physically uncomfortable

2.  embarrassment:
feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment

3.  cause
of unease:
something that causes physical or mental uneasiness

4.  cause
of lack of comfort: something that makes
somebody feel physically uncomfortable or inconvenienced
transitive
verb
(past dis·com·fort·ed, past participle dis·com·fort·ed,
present participle dis·com·fort·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·com·forts)

make uncomfortable:
to make somebody feel physically or mentally uncomfortable (formal)
[14th
century. From Old French desconfort, from desconforter, literally
“to deprive of comfort,” from conforter “to comfort.”]
—dis·com·fort·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·com·fort·ing,
adjective

—dis·com·fort·ing·ly, adverb[1]



discommode

discommode
dis·com·mode 
[dìskə mṓd] (past dis·com·mod·ed,
past participle dis·com·mod·ed, present participle dis·com·mod·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·com·modes) transitive verb

inconvenience:
to cause problems or inconvenience to somebody (formal)
[Early
18th century. From obsolete French discommoder, literally “to deprive of
convenience,” ultimately from Latin commodus “suitable.”]
—dis·com·mo·di·ous,
adjective

—dis·com·mo·di·ous·ly,
adverb[1]



discompose

discompose
dis·com·pose 
[dìskəm pṓz] (past dis·com·posed,
past participle dis·com·posed, present participle dis·com·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·com·pos·es) transitive verb

cause
to lose composure: to make somebody lose his or
her composure (formal)
—dis·com·pos·ed·ly [dìskəm pṓzədlee], adverb[1]



discomposure

discomposure
dis·com·po·sure 
[dìskəm pṓzhər] noun

loss of mental or physical
composure: the state of being anxious,
confused, or physically disordered[1]



disconcert

disconcert
dis·con·cert 
[dìskən súrt] (past dis·con·cert·ed,
past participle dis·con·cert·ed, present participle dis·con·cert·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·con·certs) transitive verb

1.  cause
to feel uneasy: to make somebody feel ill at ease,
slightly confused, or taken aback

2.  upset
or frustrate plans: to prevent somebody from
carrying out plans or arrangements and therefore create confusion
[Mid-17th
century. From French desconcerter, literally “to bring out of
agreement,” ultimately from Old Italian concertare “to bring into
agreement,” of unknown origin (source of English concert
).]
—dis·con·cer·tion,
noun

—dis·con·cert·ment, noun[1]



disconcerted

disconcerted
dis·con·cert·ed
[dìskən súrtəd] adjective

uneasy, dismayed, or
confused: ill at ease, slightly
confused, or taken aback[1]



disconcerting

disconcerting
dis·con·cert·ing 
[dìskən súrting] adjective

causing
uneasy confusion: making somebody feel uneasy confusion
and dismay
—dis·con·cert·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disconfirm

disconfirm
dis·con·firm
[dìskən fúrm] (past dis·con·firmed,
past participle dis·con·firmed, present participle dis·con·firm·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·con·firms) transitive verb

disprove
a theory:
to show that something such as a theory cannot be right (formal)
—dis·con·fir·ma·tion [dìss konfər máysh’n], noun[1]



disconformity

disconformity
dis·con·form·i·ty 
[dìskən fáwrmətee] (plural dis·con·form·i·ties)
noun

1.  nonconformity:
nonconformity (archaic)

2.  GEOLOGY break
in continuity in sedimentary rocks: a
break in the sedimentary record in which the rock layers remain parallel

[1]



disconnect

disconnect
dis·con·nect 
[dìskə nékt] verb (past dis·con·nect·ed,
past participle dis·con·nect·ed, present participle dis·con·nect·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·con·nects)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb detach
power source from appliance: to break the connection
between an appliance and its source of power

2.  transitive
verb
shut
off supply of public utility: to shut off the telephone
line or the supply of water, gas, or electricity to a building

3.  transitive
verb
break
telephone connection: to break or lose the
connection between two people who were speaking on the telephone (usually
passive)

4.  transitive
verb
detach
one part from another: to detach something that was
connected to something else

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb break off
emotional or spiritual relationship: to
end, forget, or lose an emotional or spiritual connection with something or
somebody
noun

1.  emotional
disinterest and isolation: a state of emotional
isolation and disinterest that may be voluntary or involuntary • She’s
in a state of utter disconnect as far as her old school is concerned.

2.  disconnection:
a disconnection of joined parts or things • a
disconnect between his words and his acts
—dis·con·nect·er,
noun

—dis·con·nec·tive, adjective[1]



disconnected

disconnected
dis·con·nect·ed 
[dìskə néktəd] adjective

lacking
logical connection: showing no logical
connection or relationship • rambling
disconnected prose
—dis·con·nect·ed·ly
[dìskə néktədlee], adverb

—dis·con·nect·ed·ness,
noun[1]



disconnection

disconnection
dis·con·nec·tion
[dìskə nékshən] (plural dis·con·nec·tions)
noun

1.  break
in utilities or power connection: the disconnecting of a
telephone line or a supply of gas, water, or electricity

2.  separation:
the separation of things that were formerly linked or connected

[1]



disconsolate

disconsolate
dis·con·so·late 
[diss kónsələt] adjective

extremely
sad:
miserable or disappointed and unable to be cheered up
[15th
century. From medieval Latin disconsolatus “comfortless,” from Latin consolatus,
past participle of consolare (see console
).]
—dis·con·so·late·ly,
adverb

—dis·con·so·late·ness,
noun

—dis·con·so·la·tion [diss kònsə láysh’n], noun[1]



discontent

discontent
dis·con·tent 
[dìskən tént] noun (plural dis·con·tents)

1.  dissatisfied
unhappiness: unhappiness or dissatisfaction

2.  restless
longing for better things: a restless desire for
something better (literary)

3.  somebody
who is discontented: somebody who is dissatisfied
and unhappy with a situation (literary or formal)
adjective

See discontented

[1]



discontented

discontented
dis·con·tent·ed 
[dìskən téntəd] adjective

unhappy
about something: feeling unhappy or dissatisfied with a
situation
—dis·con·tent·ed·ness,
noun[1]



discontentedly

discontentedly
dis·con·tent·ed·ly
[dìskən téntədlee] adverb

in moody and dissatisfied
manner: with moody dissatisfaction
or unhappiness[1]



discontentment

discontentment
dis·con·tent·ment
[dìskən téntmənt] noun

moody unhappiness:
sad or moody dissatisfaction[1]



discontinue

discontinue
dis·con·tin·ue 
[dìskən tínnyoo] (past dis·con·tin·ued,
past participle dis·con·tin·ued, present participle dis·con·tin·u·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·con·tin·ues) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop:
to come to an end after happening regularly, or end something that has been
happening regularly

2.  transitive
verb
stop
manufacturing: to stop manufacturing something, usually
a particular model or type of product
[15th
century. Via French discontinuer from medieval Latin discontinuare,
literally “not to continue,” from Latin continuare “to continue.”]
—dis·con·tin·u·ance,
noun

—dis·con·tin·u·a·tion
[dìskən tinnyoo áysh’n], noun

—dis·con·tin·u·er [dìskən tínnyoo ər], noun[1]



discontinued

discontinued
dis·con·tin·ued 
[dìskən tínnyood] adjective

no longer on market:
no longer manufactured and distributed (refers to a product)[1]



discontinuity

discontinuity
dis·con·ti·nu·i·ty 
[diss kòntə n itee] (plural dis·con·ti·nu·i·ties)
noun

1.  break
in otherwise continuous process: a break or gap in a
process that would normally be continuous

2.  MATHEMATICS point
of change:
the point or value of a variable at which a curve or mathematical function
shows an abrupt change as the variable smoothly increases or decreases

3.  MATHEMATICS lack
of mathematical continuity: the characteristic of being
discontinuous

4.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
value:
a value of a variable for which a function is not continuous

5.  GEOLOGY boundary
between rock types: a boundary between rock
types deep within the Earth’s crust that is detected as a change in the speed
of seismic waves

[1]



discontinuous

discontinuous
dis·con·tin·u·ous 
[dìskən tínnyoo əss] adjective

1.  proceeding
intermittently: having breaks or gaps in an otherwise
continuous process or line

2.  MATHEMATICS having
mathematical discontinuity: with a mathematical
discontinuity (refers to variables and functions)
—dis·con·tin·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—dis·con·tin·u·ous·ness,
noun[1]



discord

discord
dis·cord 
[díss kàwrd] (plural dis·cords)
noun

1.  lack
of agreement: disagreement or strife between people,
things, or situations

2.  MUSIC unpleasant
musical sounds: unpleasant or harsh sounds clashing with
each other, usually musical notes that produce a disagreeable combination.
Also
called
discordance
[13th century. Via Old French
discorde from Latin discordia, from discord-, stem of discors,
literally “heart apart,” from cors “heart.”][1]



discordance

discordance
dis·cor·dance 
[diss káwrd’ns] or dis·cor·dan·cy
[diss káwrd’nsee] noun

1.  See
discord

2.  GENETICS genetic
trait in one sibling: the occurrence of a genetic
trait in just one twin or sibling

[1]



discordant

discordant
dis·cor·dant 
[diss káwrd’nt] adjective

1.  disagreeing:
in disagreement

2.  MUSIC sounding
unpleasant:
consisting of sounds, usually musical notes, that are harsh, unpleasant, or
clashing
—dis·cor·dant·ly, adverb[1]



discotheque

discotheque
dis·co·theque 
[dískə tèk] (plural dis·co·theques)
noun

See
disco  noun 1
[Mid-20th century. From
French discothèque, from disque “disk, record” (via Latin from
Greek diskos ; see discus ) + -thèque
“library” (from bibliothèque ).][1]



discount

discount
dis·count 
noun [díss kòwnt] (plural dis·counts)

1.  reduction
in price:
a reduction in the usual price of something

2.  FINANCE See discount rate

3.  BANKING See discount rate  noun 2

4.  FINANCE interest
deducted from financial instrument: the
interest deducted from the face value of a financial instrument or promissory
note before a sale or loan is completed

5.  STOCK EXCHANGE deduction
from par value of stock: the amount by which the ( par value ) of stock exceeds the market price
actually paid by purchasers
verb
[diss kównt, díss
kòwnt] (past dis·count·ed, past participle dis·count·ed,
present participle dis·count·ing, 3rd person present singular
dis·counts)

1.  transitive
verb
dismiss
as untrue or trivial: to decide that something can
be disregarded as unimportant, irrelevant, or untrue • We
had already discounted the theory that they were involved.

2.  transitive
verb
anticipate
then adjust: to foresee something and make
adjustments to lessen or absorb its impact

3.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS reduce
in price:
to reduce the price of something by a particular amount or percentage

4.  transitive
verb
FINANCE trade
investment at reduced price: to buy or sell a financial
instrument at a reduced price that is calculated according to the interest rate
and risk on the investment

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE make secured loan at reduced
rate:
to lend money on a negotiable long-term financial instrument at a reduced price
that is calculated according to the instrument’s risk and the interest due
before its maturity
adjective

with reduced price:
less than the usual price, or selling goods for less than the usual price • a
discount warehouse
[Early
17th century. Partly from French descompte ; partly from Italian discontare
; both from, ultimately, medieval Latin discomputare, literally “to
count away,” from Latin computare (see compute
).]
—dis·count·a·ble
[díss kòwntəb’l, diss
kówntəb’l], adjective

—dis·count·er [díss kòwntər, diss
kówntər], noun[1]



discountbroker

discountbroker
dis·count
bro·ker
(plural dis·count bro·kers) noun

1.  stockbroker
with low commissions: a stockbroker who executes
trades for customers, but who in exchange for low commissions offers little
advice or investment research

2.  FINANCE agent
who discounts commercial paper: an agent who buys and
sells bills or other commercial paper at a discount
—dis·count bro·ker·age,
noun[1]



discountedcash flow

discountedcash flow
dis·count·ed
cash flow
noun

technique calculating future
value of money: a method of valuing an
investment by calculating what future cash returns will be worth at the time
they are received, based on estimates of future inflation and interest rates[1]



discountenance

discountenance
dis·coun·te·nance 
[diss kówntənəns] transitive verb (past
dis·coun·te·nanced, past participle dis·coun·te·nanced, present
participle dis·coun·te·nanc·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·coun·te·nanc·es)
(formal)

1.  embarrass:
to make somebody embarrassed

2.  disapprove
of:
to discourage or disapprove of somebody or something
noun

disfavor:
disapproval of somebody or something (formal)

[1]



discounter

discounter
dis·count·er
[díss kòwntər] noun

See
discount store[1]



discounthouse

discounthouse
dis·count
house
[díss kownt hòws] noun

See
discount store[1]



discountmarket

discountmarket
dis·count
mar·ket
[díss kownt mrkət] (plural dis·count
mar·kets) noun

companies trading in
discounted bills: the part of the
financial market trading in discounted commercial bills, including banks,
brokers, and discount houses[1]



discountrate

discountrate
dis·count
rate
(plural dis·count rates) noun

1.  FINANCE difference
between price and future returns: the rate at which
expected cash returns from a security are converted into the security’s market
price.
Also
called
discount

2.  BANKING Federal
Reserve interest rate: the rate of interest at
which member banks may borrow money from the Federal Reserve Bank.
Also
called
discount noun 3

[1]



discountstore

discountstore
dis·count
store
(plural dis·count stores) noun

store selling discounted
goods: a store that sells goods at
prices that are reduced from those recommended by the manufacturers.
Also called
discount house
Also called
discounter[1]



discourage

discourage
dis·cour·age 
[diss kúr ij] (past dis·cour·aged,
past participle dis·cour·aged, present participle dis·cour·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cour·ag·es) transitive verb

1.  tend
to stop:
to tend to prevent something from happening by making it more difficult or
unpleasant • dirty
beaches that discourage sunbathing

2.  try
to stop somebody’s actions: to try to stop somebody from
doing something

3.  make
less optimistic: to make somebody feel less motivated,
confident, or optimistic
[15th
century. From Old French descoragier, literally “to deprive of courage,”
from corage “courage.”]
—dis·cour·ag·er, noun[1]



discouraged

discouraged
dis·cour·aged
[diss kúr ijd] adjective

feeling less optimistic:
feeling less motivated, confident, or optimistic about something[1]



discouragement

discouragement
dis·cour·age·ment 
[diss kúr ijmənt] (plural dis·cour·age·ments)
noun

1.  loss
of optimism: feelings of lost motivation, confidence,
or optimism

2.  attempts
to stop something: the process of attempting to
stop somebody from doing something or to prevent something from happening

3.  something
that causes loss of optimism: something that makes
somebody lose motivation, confidence, or optimism

[1]



discouraging

discouraging
dis·cour·ag·ing
[diss kúr ijing] adjective

causing
loss of hope or enthusiasm: making somebody feel less
motivation, confidence, or optimism about something
—dis·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverb[1]



discourse

discourse
dis·course 
noun [díss kàwrs] (plural dis·cours·es)

1.  serious
speech or piece of writing: a serious and lengthy speech
or piece of writing about a topic

2.  serious
conversation: serious discussion about something
between people or groups

3.  LINGUISTICS language:
language, especially the type of language used in a particular context or
subject

4.  LINGUISTICS major
unit of language: a unit of language, especially spoken
language, that is longer than the sentence. The term is used by linguists when
investigating features of language that extend beyond sentences.

5.  reasoning
ability:
reasoning or the ability to reason (archaic)
intransitive
verb
[diss káwrs] (past dis·coursed,
past participle dis·coursed, present participle dis·cours·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cours·es)

1.  seriously
speak or write on topic: to speak or write about a
subject in a formal context and at length • In
the second part, the author discourses on ethics.

2.  converse:
to have a conversation (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin discursus “running to and fro,” from discurrere,
literally “to run apart,” from currere “to run” (see current ).]
—dis·cours·er [diss káwrsər], noun[1]



discourteous

discourteous
dis·cour·te·ous 
[diss kúrtee əss] adjective

rude:
lacking in politeness or good manners
—dis·cour·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—dis·cour·te·ous·ness,
noun[1]



discourtesy

discourtesy
dis·cour·te·sy 
[diss kúrtəssee] (plural dis·cour·te·sies)
noun

rude action or behavior:
behavior or an action that is bad-mannered or impolite[1]



discover

discover
dis·cov·er 
[diss kúvvər] (past dis·cov·ered,
past participle dis·cov·ered, present participle dis·cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cov·ers) transitive verb

1.  find
out about:
to find out information that was not previously known • We
discovered she’d known all along.

2.  be
first to find or learn: to be the first person to
find or learn something previously unknown • researchers
discovered a new genetic link to the causes of the disease

3.  find:
to find somebody or something unexpectedly or after a search • The
missing child was finally discovered downtown.

4.  first
notice interest in: to realize for the first
time that you enjoy or have a talent for a particular thing • Having
discovered painting in her 50s, she ended up making a living by it.

5.  recognize
somebody’s talent or beauty: to realize that a musician,
actor, performer, or everyday citizen has exceptional talent or unusual beauty,
and help to bring him or her to prominence
[14th
century. Via Old French descovrir from late Latin discooperire,
literally “to uncover,” from Latin cooperire “to cover.”]
—dis·cov·er·a·ble, adjective[1]



discoveredcheck

discoveredcheck
dis·cov·ered
check
noun

chess move:
a move in chess that creates a check previously blocked by the piece moved[1]



discoverer

discoverer
dis·cov·er·er
[diss kúvvərər] (plural dis·cov·er·ers)
noun

person who finds something
new: the person who is the first
to find out something new or to find a new place or thing • Gay-Lussac
was the discoverer of boron.[1]



discovery

discovery
dis·cov·er·y 
[diss kúvvəree] (plural dis·cov·er·ies)
noun

1.  something
learned or found: something new that has been learned or
found • These
dinosaur remains were one of the most important discoveries of the century.

2.  process
of learning something previously unknown: the
fact or process of finding out about something for the first time • the
discovery of DNA • a
voyage of discovery

3.  process
of finding something: the finding of somebody or
something new or unexpected, or after a search

4.  recognition
of unusual talent or beauty: the recognition of
somebody’s exceptional talent or beauty, leading to that person’s fame, or the
person who is recognized in this way

5.  LAW mutual
disclosing of data or documents: the stage of a legal
proceeding during which each side must provide data and documents to the other
side

6.  LAW disclosable
data and documents: data or materials that a
party in a legal proceeding must disclose to another party before or during the
proceeding

[1]



discredit

discredit
dis·cred·it 
[diss kréddit] transitive verb (past
dis·cred·it·ed, past participle dis·cred·it·ed, present
participle dis·cred·it·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·cred·its)

1.  harm
reputation of: to make somebody or something appear
untrustworthy or wrong

2.  cause
to seem doubtful: to cast doubt on the validity or
accuracy of something

3.  not
believe:
to not accept that something is accurate or true • Scientists
generally discredit the theory of canals on Mars.
noun

1.  loss
of reputation: the loss of somebody’s or something’s
good name or reputation, or the person or thing that causes its loss • Their
conduct is regarded as a discredit to the whole industry.

2.  doubt
or suspicion: doubt about the validity or accuracy of
something

[1]



discreditable

discreditable
dis·cred·it·a·ble 
[diss krédditəb’l] adjective

dishonorable:
bringing shame or dishonor to somebody’s good name or reputation
—dis·cred·it·a·bly, adverb[1]



discreet

discreet
dis·creet 
[diss krt] adjective

1.  careful
to avoid offending people: careful to avoid
embarrassing or upsetting others

2.  good
at keeping secrets: careful not to speak about
anything that should be secret or confidential

3.  circumspectly
subtle and careful: subtle and circumspect,
ensuring that no undue attention is attracted

4.  modest:
modest, and not ostentatious or flashy
[14th
century. Via French discret from Latin discretus “distinct,” past
participle of discernere “to distinguish” (see discern
).]
—dis·creet·ness, noun[1]



discreetly

discreetly
dis·creet·ly
[diss krtlee] adverb

without attracting attention
or causing offense: taking care
to avoid upsetting or embarrassing people, giving away anything confidential,
or appearing immodest or flashy[1]



discrepancy

discrepancy
dis·crep·an·cy 
[diss kréppənsee] (plural dis·crep·an·cies)
noun

failure to match:
a distinct difference between two things, for example, sets of figures, that
should match or correspond[1]



discrepant

discrepant
dis·crep·ant 
[diss kréppənt] adjective

not
matching or corresponding: differing where a match or
correspondence is expected
[15th
century. From Latin discrepant-, present participle stem of discrepare
“to differ,” literally “to rattle apart,” from crepare “to rattle.”]
—dis·crep·ant·ly [diss kréppəntlee], adverb[1]



discrete

discrete
dis·crete 
[diss krt] adjective

1.  completely
separate:
completely separate and unconnected

2.  MATHEMATICS finite:
used to describe elements or variables that are distinct, unrelated, and have a
finite number of values
[14th
century. From Latin discretus (see discreet
).]
—dis·crete·ly, adverb[1]



discretion

discretion
dis·cre·tion 
[diss krésh’n] noun

1.  ability
to avoid offense: the good judgment and sensitivity needed
to avoid embarrassing or upsetting others

2.  freedom
to decide:
the freedom or authority to judge something or make a decision about it • Tipping
is left to the customer’s discretion.

3.  confidentiality:
the ability to keep sensitive information secret
[14th century. Via French discrétion
from the Latin stem discretion- “separation,” later “discernment,” from discret-,
past participle stem of discernere (see discern
).][1]



discretionary

discretionary
dis·cre·tion·ar·y 
[diss krésh’n èrree] adjective

1.  giving
somebody authority to decide: giving somebody the freedom
to make a decision according to individual circumstances

2.  given
or refused according to circumstances: given
according to the merits of an individual case, rather than being provided or
awarded automatically

3.  usable
as wanted:
able to be used as desired without any stipulations
—dis·cre·tion·ar·i·ly,
adverb[1]



discretionaryaccount

discretionaryaccount
dis·cre·tion·ar·y
ac·count
(plural dis·cre·tion·ar·y ac·counts) noun

securities account handled at
broker’s discretion: a
securities account in which the broker has been given the authority to make
decisions about buying and selling without the customer’s prior permission[1]



discretionaryincome

discretionaryincome
dis·cre·tion·ar·y
in·come
noun

FINANCE
income left over after paying expenses:
income that is left over after necessary expenditure and is therefore available
to be spent however you wish[1]



discriminable

discriminable
dis·crim·i·na·ble 
[diss krímmənəb’l] adjective

able
to be distinguished: able to be perceived as
different or distinct
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from discriminate + -able .]
—dis·crim·i·na·bil·i·ty
[diss krìmmənə bíllətee], noun

—dis·crim·i·na·bly [diss krímmənəblee], adverb[1]



discriminant

discriminant
dis·crim·i·nant 
[diss krímmənənt] (plural dis·crim·i·nants)
noun

MATHEMATICS mathematical
relation:
a relation between the coefficients a, b and c of a
mathematical expression of the form ax 2 + bx + c = 0, used in the
study of roots and other properties of the expression
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
discriminant-, present participle stem of discriminare (see discriminate ).][1]



discriminantfunction

discriminantfunction
dis·crim·i·nant
func·tion
(plural dis·crim·i·nant func·tions) noun

mathematical function:
a statistical method used to place an item that could belong to any of two or
more sets of variables in the correct set, with a minimal probability of error[1]



discriminate

discriminate
dis·crim·i·nate 
(past dis·crim·i·nat·ed, past participle dis·crim·i·nat·ed,
present participle dis·crim·i·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·crim·i·nates) verb [diss
krímmə nàyt]

1.  intransitive
verb
treat
group unfairly because of prejudice: to
treat one person or group worse than others or better than others, usually
because of a prejudice about race, ethnic group, age group, religion, or gender

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb discern
difference:
to recognize or identify a difference • could
not discriminate between red and green

3.  intransitive
verb
be
aware of differences: to pay attention to subtle
differences and exercise judgment and taste
[Early
17th century. From Latin discriminat-, the past participle stem of discriminare
“to divide,” from the stem discrimin- “division,” from discernere
(see discern ).]
—dis·crim·i·nate·ly, adverb[1]



discriminating

discriminating
dis·crim·i·nat·ing 
[diss krímmə nàyting] adjective

1.  recognizing
distinctions and valuing quality: able to identify
subtle differences and appreciate good quality or taste • Discriminating
customers prefer these handmade linens.

2.  FINANCE differential:
used to describe tariffs that are set at different rates for different
importers
—dis·crim·i·nat·ing·ly,
adverb[1]



discrimination

discrimination
dis·crim·i·na·tion 
[diss krìmmə náysh’n] noun

1.  treating
people differently through prejudice:
unfair treatment of one person or group, usually because of prejudice about
race, ethnic group, age group, religion, or gender

2.  ability
to notice and value quality: the ability to appreciate
good quality or taste

3.  attunement
to subtle differentiation: the ability to notice subtle
differences

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING signal
selection:
the selection of a transmitted signal with a particular characteristic, such as
frequency, by elimination of signals with other characteristics, using a
discriminator
—dis·crim·i·na·tion·al
[diss krìmmə náyshən’l, diss krìmmə náyshnəl], adjective[1]



discriminative

discriminative
dis·crim·i·na·tive 
[diss krímmə nàytiv, diss krímmənətiv] adjective

1.  See
discriminatory  adjective 1

2.  recognizing
distinctions: recognizing and acknowledging
distinctions and differences
—dis·crim·i·na·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



discriminator

discriminator
dis·crim·i·na·tor 
[diss krímmə nàytər] (plural dis·crim·i·na·tors)
noun

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING device
that converts signals: a device or
circuit that translates phase or frequency variations into amplitude variations
in a modulated signal, for example, a radio signal, and is used to select
signals with particular characteristics[1]



discriminatory

discriminatory
dis·crim·i·na·to·ry 
[diss krímmənə tàwree] adjective

1.  SOCIOLOGY unfairly
treating:
treating a person or group unfairly, especially because of prejudice about
race, ethnicity, age, or gender

2.  STATISTICS statistically
unbiased:
used to describe a statistical test that is unbiased because the sampling
procedure avoided the systematic distortion that could be introduced by an
unrepresentative population
—dis·crim·i·na·to·ri·ly,
adverb[1]



discursive

discursive
dis·cur·sive 
[diss kúrsiv] adjective

1.  lengthy
with digressions: lengthy and including extra material
that is not essential to what is being written or spoken about • One
book is concise and snappy, while the other has a more relaxed, discursive
style.

2.  PHILOSOPHY rational:
using logic rather than intuition to reach a conclusion
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin discursivus, from discurs-, the
past participle stem of discurrere (see discourse
).]
—dis·cur·sive·ly,
adverb

—dis·cur·sive·ness, noun[1]



discus

discus

dis·cus 
[dískəss] (plural dis·cus·es or
dis·ci [dí sk]) noun

1.  SPORT disk
thrown in athletics: a weighted disk thrown in
track-and-field competitions by an athlete who spins with outstretched arms to
launch it from the flat of his or her hand. The ancient Greek Olympic games
included the throwing of a bronze discus.

2.  SPORT event
of throwing discus: the event or sport in which
athletes compete to throw a discus as far as possible

3.  ZOOLOGY colorful
aquarium fish: a small colorful South American
freshwater fish that has a compressed disk-shaped body and is popular as an
aquarium fish. Latin name: Symphysodon discus
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek diskos “disk, quoit, platter” (source of English disc and dish
).][1]



discuss

discuss
dis·cuss 
[diss kúss] (past dis·cussed, past
participle dis·cussed, present participle dis·cuss·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·cuss·es) transitive verb

1.  talk
over:
to talk about a subject with others • need
to discuss it with them first

2.  write
or speak about topic formally: to consider a
particular topic in speaking or writing • Chapter
3 discusses the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.
[14th
century. From Latin discuss-, past participle stem of discutere
“to dash to pieces,” literally “to shake apart,” from quatere “to
shake.”]
—dis·cuss·er,
noun

—dis·cuss·a·ble, adjective[1]



discussant

discussant
dis·cus·sant 
[diss kúss’nt] (plural dis·cus·sants)
noun

speaker in formal discussion:
somebody who participates in a formal discussion or seminar (formal)[1]



discussion

discussion
dis·cus·sion 
[diss kúsh’n] (plural dis·cus·sions)
noun

1.  talk
between people: talk or a talk between two or more
people about a subject

2.  spoken
or written examination of topic: a detailed
consideration or examination of a topic in writing or speech
—dis·cus·sion·al [diss kúshən’l, diss
kúshnəl], adjective[1]



disdain

disdain
dis·dain 
[diss dáyn] noun

intense
scorn:
extreme contempt or disgust for something or somebody
transitive
verb
(past dis·dained, past participle dis·dained, present
participle dis·dain·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·dains)

look
down on:
to regard somebody or something as not worthy of respect
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from Old French desdeignier, literally
“to treat as unworthy,” from late Latin dedignare, from dignare
“to treat as worthy.”][1]



disdainful

disdainful
dis·dain·ful 
[diss dáynfəl] adjective

scornful:
showing or feeling contempt or disrespect for somebody or something
—dis·dain·ful·ly,
adverb

—dis·dain·ful·ness, noun[1]



disease

disease
dis·ease 
[di zz] (plural dis·eases) noun

1.  MEDICINE medical
condition in humans: a condition that results in
medically significant symptoms in a human

2.  BOTANY VETERINARY MEDICINE medical
condition in plants or animals: a condition in plants
or animals that causes medically significant symptoms

3.  specific
disorder:
a disorder with recognizable signs and often having a known cause

4.  problem
in society:
a serious problem in society or with a particular group of people
[14th century. From Old
French desaise, literally “lack of ease,” from aise “ease.”][1]



diseased

diseased
dis·eased 
[di zzd] adjective

1.  MED BOTANY VETERINARY
MEDICINE having disease:
affected by a disease

2.  corrupt
or unbalanced: affected, or seemingly affected by
corruption or psychiatric disorder

[1]



diseconomy

diseconomy
dis·e·con·o·my
[dìssi kónnəmee] (plural dis·e·con·o·mies)
noun

ECONOMICS
something causing higher costs:
something that contributes to increased costs[1]



disembark

disembark
dis·em·bark 
[dìssəm brk] (past dis·em·barked,
past participle dis·em·barked, present participle dis·em·bark·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·barks) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
get
off passenger vehicle: to get off a passenger
vehicle, especially a ship, aircraft, or train

2.  transitive
verb
put
passengers or cargo off vehicle: to let passengers off
a ship, bus, train, or aircraft, or to unload cargo (formal)
[Late
16th century. From French désembarquer, Spanish desembarcar, or
Italian disimbarcare, which were formed from French embarquer or
the equivalent (see embark ).]
—dis·em·bar·ka·tion
[diss èm baar káysh’n], noun

—dis·em·bark·ment [dìssəm brkmənt], noun[1]



disembarrass

disembarrass
dis·em·bar·rass 
[dìssəm bérrəss] (past dis·em·bar·rassed,
past participle dis·em·bar·rassed, present participle dis·em·bar·rass·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·bar·rass·es) transitive
verb

free
from unpleasantness: to free somebody from
something embarrassing, unpleasant, or burdensome (formal)
—dis·em·bar·rass·ment,
noun[1]



disembodied

disembodied
dis·em·bod·ied 
[dìssəm bóddeed] adjective

from unseen person:
coming from somebody who cannot be seen, often regarded as eerie or frightening
• a
disembodied voice whispering in the darkness[1]



disembody

disembody
dis·em·bod·y 
[dìssəm bóddee] (past dis·em·bod·ied,
past participle dis·em·bod·ied, present participle dis·em·bod·y·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·bod·ies) transitive verb

free
soul from body: to free the soul or spirit from the body
—dis·em·bod·i·ment, noun[1]



disembowel

disembowel
dis·em·bow·el 
[dìssəm bówl] (past dis·em·bow·eled,
past participle dis·em·bow·eled, present participle dis·em·bow·el·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·bow·els) transitive verb

1.  remove
somebody’s internal organs: to cut open the stomach of a
person or animal and remove the internal organs, especially the intestines

2.  cut
out substance: to remove the internal substance,
elements, or parts of something (literary)
—dis·em·bow·el·ment, noun[1]



disembroil

disembroil
dis·em·broil
[dìssəm bróyl] (past dis·em·broiled,
past participle dis·em·broiled, present participle dis·em·broil·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·broils) transitive verb

untangle or free from
difficulty: to free yourself or somebody
else from a difficult situation[1]



disemploy

disemploy
dis·em·ploy 
[dìssəm plóy] (past dis·em·ployed,
past participle dis·em·ployed, present participle dis·em·ploy·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·ploys) transitive verb

prevent
from working: to stop somebody or something from
working (formal)
—dis·em·ploy·ment, noun[1]



disempower

disempower
dis·em·pow·er 
[dìssəm pówr] (past dis·em·pow·ered,
past participle dis·em·pow·ered, present participle dis·em·pow·er·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·em·pow·ers) transitive verb

remove power or influence
from somebody: to take power or
influence away from somebody or from yourself[1]



disempowerment

disempowerment
dis·em·pow·er·ment
[dìssəm pówərmənt] noun

loss of power or self-esteem:
the loss of personal worth, self-esteem, or power, or the process of losing
these[1]



disenable

disenable
dis·en·a·ble 
[dìssi náyb’l] (past dis·en·a·bled,
past participle dis·en·a·bled, present participle dis·en·a·bling,
3rd person present singular dis·en·a·bles) transitive verb

render
unable:
to prevent something or make something unable to operate or perform a function
• disenabled
the weapons system on the aircraft prior to landing
—dis·en·a·ble·ment, noun[1]



disenchant

disenchant
dis·en·chant 
[dìssən chánt] (past dis·en·chant·ed,
past participle dis·en·chant·ed, present participle dis·en·chant·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·chants) transitive verb

1.  cause
to lose interest: to make somebody stop believing that
something or somebody is worthwhile, right, or deserving of support

2.  free
from magic spell: to free somebody from an enchantment or
magic spell
[Late
16th century. From French désenchanter, literally “to undo enchantment,”
from enchanter “to enchant.”]
—dis·en·chant·er,
noun

—dis·en·chant·ing,
adjective

—dis·en·chant·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disenchanted

disenchanted
dis·en·chant·ed 
[dìssən chántəd] adjective

not
happy or satisfied anymore: no longer happy, supportive,
or enthusiastic about something or somebody
—dis·en·chant·ed·ly, adverb[1]



disenchantment

disenchantment
dis·en·chant·ment
[dìssən chántmənt] noun

loss of good feeling about
something: the loss of happiness about,
satisfaction with, or enthusiasm for something or somebody • a
growing disenchantment with the new government[1]



disencumber

disencumber
dis·en·cum·ber 
[dìssən kúmbər] (past dis·en·cum·bered,
past participle dis·en·cum·bered, present participle dis·en·cum·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·cum·bers) transitive verb

free
of burden:
to relieve somebody or something of a burden or problem
—dis·en·cum·ber·ment, noun[1]



disendow

disendow
dis·en·dow 
[dìssən dów] (past dis·en·dowed,
past participle dis·en·dowed, present participle dis·en·dow·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·dows) transitive verb

take
back endowment: to withdraw an endowment, especially a
gift of money
—dis·en·dow·er,
noun

—dis·en·dow·ment, noun[1]



disenfranchise

disenfranchise
dis·en·fran·chise 
[dìssən frán chz] (past dis·en·fran·chised,
past participle dis·en·fran·chised, present participle dis·en·fran·chis·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·fran·chis·es) transitive
verb

deprive
of right, especially voting: to deprive a person or
organization of a privilege, immunity, or legal right, especially the right to
vote
—dis·en·fran·chise·ment
[dìssən frán chzmənt, dìssən fránchizmənt], noun[1]



disengage

disengage
dis·en·gage 
[dìssən gáyj] (past dis·en·gaged,
past participle dis·en·gaged, present participle dis·en·gag·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·gag·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ENGINEERING physically disconnect
or become disconnected: to disconnect one thing from
another, or to become disconnected from something

2.  transitive
verb
mentally
disconnect or become uninvolved: to mentally separate
yourself or somebody else from, or to become uninvolved in, a situation or
difficulty

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY stop fighting in war:
to bring troops out of, or end involvement in, a war or combat

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb FENCING move sword in fencing:
to move the point of your sword around an opponent’s sword in order to open a
new line of attack

[1]



disengagement

disengagement
dis·en·gage·ment
[dìssən gáyjmənt] (plural dis·en·gage·ments)
noun

1.  release
from something: the process or action in which something
or somebody is released from a physical or mental attachment

2.  MILITARY withdrawal
of army:
the withdrawal of troops or an army from a war or combat

[1]



disentail

disentail
dis·en·tail 
[dìssən táyl] (past dis·en·tailed,
past participle dis·en·tailed, present participle dis·en·tail·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·tails) transitive verb

FINANCE LAW lift restrictions on
inheritance: to lift the restrictions on who may
inherit a person’s property
—dis·en·tail·ment, noun[1]



disentangle

disentangle
dis·en·tan·gle 
[dìssən táng g’l] (past dis·en·tan·gled,
past participle dis·en·tan·gled, present participle dis·en·tan·gling,
3rd person present singular dis·en·tan·gles) transitive verb

1.  untangle:
to untangle and free things that are muddled, tied, or knotted together

2.  distinguish,
analyze, or understand: to clarify something
confusing, or to separate and analyze a confusion of ideas • It
was hard to disentangle fact from fiction in his account.

3.  break
off relationship: to free somebody or yourself from a
relationship or connection
—dis·en·tan·gle·ment, noun[1]



disenthrall

disenthrall
dis·en·thrall 
[dìssən thráwl] (past dis·en·thralled,
past participle dis·en·thralled, present participle dis·en·thral·ling,
3rd person present singular dis·en·thralls) transitive verb

liberate:
to set somebody free from a situation of harsh control, or a condition
resembling servitude (formal)
—dis·en·thrall·ment, noun[1]



disentitle

disentitle
dis·en·ti·tle
[dìssən tt’l] (past dis·en·ti·tled,
past participle dis·en·ti·tled, present participle dis·en·ti·tling,
3rd person present singular dis·en·ti·tles) transitive verb

deprive of title or right:
to take away somebody’s title or somebody’s right to something (formal)[1]



disentomb

disentomb
dis·en·tomb 
[dìssən tm] (past dis·en·tombed,
past participle dis·en·tombed, present participle dis·en·tomb·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·tombs) transitive verb

remove body from tomb:
to take a body out of a tomb or from a place like a tomb.
See also
exhume[1]



disentwine

disentwine
dis·en·twine 
[dìssən twn] (past dis·en·twined,
past participle dis·en·twined, present participle dis·en·twin·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·en·twines) intransitive and
transitive verb

untangle things or become
untangled: to become untangled or to
untangle things that have become twisted or tangled together (formal)[1]



disequilibrate

disequilibrate
dis·e·quil·i·brate 
[dìssə kwíllə bràyt] (past dis·e·quil·i·brat·ed,
past participle dis·e·quil·i·brat·ed, present participle dis·e·quil·i·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·e·quil·i·brates) transitive
verb

unbalance:
to put something into a state of unbalance (formal)
—dis·e·quil·i·bra·tion
[dìssə kwíllə bráysh’n], noun[1]



disequilibrium

disequilibrium
dis·e·qui·lib·ri·um 
[dìss eekwə líbbree əm] noun

lack of stability or balance:
a state of instability or imbalance, usually in the economy[1]



disestablish

disestablish
dis·es·tab·lish 
[dìssə stábblish] (past dis·es·tab·lished,
past participle dis·es·tab·lished, present participle dis·es·tab·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·es·tab·lish·es) transitive
verb

1.  stop
long established custom: to undo or change something
that has been established for a long time

2.  end
connection between church and state: to
end the official relationship between the state and a nation’s official church
or religion

[1]



disestablishment

disestablishment
dis·es·tab·lish·ment
[dìssə stábblishmənt] noun

separation between church and
state: the act or process of
separation between the state and a nation’s official church or religion[1]



disestablishmentarian

disestablishmentarian
dis·es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·an 
[dìssə stabblishmən táiree ən] (plural
dis·es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·ans) noun

opponent of church-state
connection: somebody who is opposed to
having a church that is connected to and supported by the state[1]



disesteem

disesteem
dis·es·teem 
[dìssə stm] transitive verb (past
dis·es·teemed, past participle dis·es·teemed, present
participle dis·es·teem·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·es·teems)

think
badly of:
to have a low opinion of somebody or something (formal)
noun

no respect:
lack of respect or esteem (formal) • held
in disesteem[1]



diseur

diseur
di·seur 
[dee zúr] (plural di·seurs) noun

ARTS man
who recites dramatic monologues: a man, usually an
actor, who is an accomplished reciter of dramatic monologues. Such recitals,
often accompanied by music, were once a popular form of theatrical
entertainment.
[From French, literally
“talker,” from dire “to say,” from Latin dicere (see diction )][1]



diseuse

diseuse
di·seuse 
[dee zz] (plural di·seuses) noun

ARTS woman
who recites dramatic monologues: a woman, usually an
actor, who is an accomplished reciter of dramatic monologues. Such recitals,
often accompanied by music, were once a popular theatrical entertainment.
[Late 19th century. From
French, feminine of diseur (see diseur
).][1]



disfavor

disfavor
dis·fa·vor 
[diss fáyvər] noun

1.  condition
of disapproval: the state of being disapproved of • This
fell into disfavor years ago.

2.  no
respect or approval: disapproval or lack of
respect • They
were looked on with disfavor.
transitive
verb
(past dis·fa·vored, past participle dis·fa·vored, present
participle dis·fa·vor·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·fa·vors)

not like or approve of:
to dislike or disapprove of something (formal)

[1]



disfeature

disfeature
dis·fea·ture 
[diss fchər] (past dis·fea·tured,
past participle dis·fea·tured, present participle dis·fea·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·fea·tures) transitive verb

See
disfigure
—dis·fea·ture·ment [diss fchərmənt], noun[1]



disfiguration

disfiguration
dis·fig·u·ra·tion
[diss fìggyə ráysh’n] (plural dis·fig·u·ra·tions)
noun

See
disfigurement  noun 2[1]



disfigure

disfigure
dis·fig·ure 
[diss fíggyər] (past dis·fig·ured,
past participle dis·fig·ured, present participle dis·fig·ur·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·fig·ures) transitive verb

spoil
somebody’s or something’s appearance: to
mar the appearance of somebody or something
[14th century. From Old
French desfigurer, literally “to deprive something of its figure,” from
Latin figura “figure.”][1]



disfigured

disfigured
dis·fig·ured
[diss fíggyərd] adjective

worsened in appearance:
partially or totally made worse in appearance[1]



disfigurement

disfigurement
dis·fig·ure·ment
[diss fíggyərmənt] (plural dis·fig·ure·ments)
noun

1.  something
that worsens somebody’s appearance:
something, for example, a very bad haircut, that spoils the appearance of
somebody or something

2.  act,
process, or state of disfiguring: the worsening of the
appearance of somebody or something.
Also
called
disfiguration

[1]



disfranchise

disfranchise
dis·fran·chise 
[diss frán chz] (past dis·fran·chised,
past participle dis·fran·chised, present participle dis·fran·chis·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·fran·chis·es) transitive verb

POLITICS See disenfranchise
—dis·fran·chise·ment [diss frán chzmənt, diss
fránchizmənt], noun[1]



disfrock

disfrock
dis·frock 
[diss frók] (past dis·frocked,
past participle dis·frocked, present participle dis·frock·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·frocks) transitive verb

CHRISTIANITY
See defrock[1]



disgorge

disgorge
dis·gorge 
[diss gáwrj] (past dis·gorged,
past participle dis·gorged, present participle dis·gorg·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·gorg·es) transitive verb

1.  pour
substances out: to pour out liquid, gas, or other
contents in a gushing stream

2.  let
people out:
to let a large number of people come out of a building or vehicle at the same
time • a
cruise ship disgorging thousands of passengers

3.  regurgitate
or vomit:
to vomit or regurgitate food that has been eaten or partly eaten, as some birds
and mammals do to feed their young
[15th
century. From Old French desgorger, literally “to expel from the
throat,” from gorge “throat” (source of English gorge ).]
—dis·gorge·ment, noun[1]



disgrace

disgrace
dis·grace 
[diss gráyss] noun

1.  state
of being disapproved of: shame or loss of respect
arising from bad behavior • She
was sent home in disgrace.

2.  cause
of shame or disrespect: somebody who or something
that causes shame or loss of respect • She’s
a disgrace to the family.
transitive
verb
(past dis·graced, past participle dis·graced, present
participle dis·grac·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·grac·es)

cause feelings of shame to somebody:
to bring shame on yourself or others who are associated with you by bad
behavior • He
disgraced himself by forgetting the wedding.
[Mid-16th
century. Via French disgracier from, ultimately, Italian disgrazia,
literally “disfavor,” from Latin gratia (see grace
).]
—dis·grac·er, noun[1]



disgraced

disgraced
dis·graced
[diss gráyst] adjective

having lost respect of
others: regarded with disrespect or
contempt because of bad behavior • The
disgraced players returned to a somewhat muted reception from the fans back
home.[1]



disgraceful

disgraceful
dis·grace·ful 
[diss gráysfəl] adjective

very
bad or unacceptable: so bad or unacceptable that
it is something to be ashamed of • The
way they were treated was disgraceful.
—dis·grace·ful·ly,
adverb

—dis·grace·ful·ness, noun[1]



disgruntle

disgruntle
dis·grun·tle 
[diss grúnt’l] (past dis·grun·tled,
past participle dis·grun·tled, present participle dis·grun·tling,
3rd person present singular dis·grun·tles) transitive verb

irritate
or dissatisfy: to make somebody feel dissatisfied and
irritated
[Mid-17th
century. Literally “to grumble greatly,” formed from obsolete gruntle
“to grumble, grunt,” literally “to grunt repeatedly,” from grunt .]
—dis·grun·tle·ment, noun[1]



disgruntled

disgruntled
dis·grun·tled 
[diss grúnt’ld] adjective

resentfully angry:
in a state of resentful dissatisfaction, anger, and irritation[1]



disguise

disguise
dis·guise 
[diss gz] transitive verb (past
dis·guised, past participle dis·guised, present
participle dis·guis·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·guis·es)

1.  change
somebody’s appearance for concealment: to
make changes in the appearance of somebody or something to avoid being
recognized • He
fled the besieged city disguised as a woman.

2.  hide
something to prevent others knowing: to
hide feelings or facts from other people • She
couldn’t disguise her horror.

3.  change
something to prevent recognition: to change something so
that it cannot be recognized • His
voice has been disguised during the interview to conceal his identity.
noun
(plural dis·guis·es)

1.  something
done to prevent recognition: something worn or done in
order to change somebody’s appearance and prevent recognition • Anyone
would have seen through such a flimsy disguise.

2.  alteration
or concealment to prevent recognition: the
alteration or concealment of something in order to prevent it being seen or
recognized by others • a plot
that relies on disguise

3.  state
of altered appearance: an altered appearance
intended to conceal somebody’s identity or make somebody look like somebody
else • The
film star must be traveling in disguise.
[14th
century. From Old French desguis(i)er, literally “to remove your
appearance,” from guise “appearance” (source of English guise ).]
—dis·guis·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·guis·er, noun[1]



disguised

disguised
dis·guised
[diss gzd] adjective

1.  changed
to prevent recognition: changed in appearance so as
to prevent recognition

2.  concealed:
concealed in an attempt to prevent recognition
—dis·guis·ed·ly [diss gzədlee], adverb[1]



disgust

disgust
dis·gust 
[diss gúst] noun

1.  strong
disapproval or revulsion: a feeling of horrified or
sickened distaste for something • viewed
the tawdry scandal with unconcealed disgust

2.  impatient
irritation:
a feeling of impatient irritation • Much
to my disgust, I was compelled to hand over the documents.
transitive
verb
(past dis·gust·ed, past participle dis·gust·ed, present
participle dis·gust·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·gusts)

make somebody feel revolted:
to make somebody feel sickened or revolted
[Late
16th century. Via either French desgoust or Italian disgusto,
literally “to have a distaste for,” from, ultimately, Latin gustus
“taste” (source of English gusto ).]
—dis·gust·ed,
noun

—dis·gust·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



disgusting

disgusting
dis·gust·ing 
[diss gústing] adjective

1.  repellent
and sickening: tending to repel and sicken people • a
disgusting smell

2.  disgraceful:
completely unacceptable or disgraceful • a
disgusting waste of money
—dis·gust·ing·ly,
adverb

—dis·gust·ing·ness, noun[1]



dish

dish
dish 
[dish] noun (plural dish·es)

1.  HOUSEHOLD container
for serving food: a container for serving food, usually a
bowl

2.  FOOD serving
of food:
a serving or plateful of food, especially one that forms only part of a larger
meal

3.  FOOD food prepared
to recipe or style: food prepared to a
particular recipe or in a particular style

4.  SCIENCE shallow
open container: a shallow open container used, for
example, in laboratories or hospitals

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING radio
or television antenna: a dish-shaped antenna
transmitting and receiving radio or television signals, used, for example, in
radar and satellite broadcasting

6.  GEOLOGY hollow
place:
a shallow depression, for example, in rock

7.  good-looking
person:
a good-looking person (slang)
plural
noun
dish·es

HOUSEHOLD dirty
plates, cutlery, and pans: the plates, eating utensils,
and pans that are dirtied during the cooking and eating of a meal • my
turn to wash the dishes
transitive
verb
(past dished, past participle dished, present participle
dish·ing, 3rd person present singular dish·es)

hollow out: to
make or form a concave shape in something
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin discus
“dish, platter” from Greek diskos “disk, platter,” from dikein
“to throw” (source of English discus
).][1]



dishabille

dishabille
dis·ha·bille 
[dìssə bl, dìssə
b] or des·ha·bille [dèssə bl,
dèssə b] noun

1.  state
of casual dress: a state in which somebody is partially
undressed or dressed very casually or incompletely (formal)

2.  casual
clothing:
very casual clothes or clothes worn very casually (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From
French déshabillé, past participle of déshabiller “to undress,”
from habiller “to dress.”][1]



dishaerial

dishaerial
dish
aer·i·al
(plural dish aer·i·als) noun

U.K.
See dish antenna[1]



dishantenna

dishantenna
dish
an·ten·na
(plural dish an·ten·nas or dish an·ten·nae) noun

bowl-shaped television or
radio antenna: a transmitting and
receiving antenna in the form of a bowl-shaped reflector, used, for example, in
radar and in satellite television broadcasting.
U.K. term
dish aerial[1]



disharmony

disharmony
dis·har·mo·ny 
[diss hrmənee] noun

1.  conflict
between people: disagreement or conflict between people
or groups who cannot get along with each other

2.  MUSIC lack
of musical harmony: lack of agreement in music
or sounds, resulting in unpleasant sound combinations

3.  imbalance:
lack of balance in something such as the body or the environment
—dis·har·mo·ni·ous
[dìss haar mṓnee əss], adjective

—dishar·mo·ni·ous·ly [dìss haar mṓnee əsslee], adverb[1]



dishcloth

dishcloth
dish·cloth 
[dísh klòth] (plural dish·cloths)
noun

1.  See
dish towel

2.  cloth
for washing dishes: a cloth used for washing
dishes.
Also
called
dishrag

[1]



dishearten

dishearten
dis·heart·en 
[diss hrt’n] (past dis·heart·ened,
past participle dis·heart·ened, present participle dis·heart·en·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·heart·ens) transitive verb

make
somebody lose heart: to make somebody lose hope
and enthusiasm
—dis·heart·en·ment, noun[1]



disheartening

disheartening
dis·heart·en·ing
[diss hrt’ning] adjective

causing
hopelessness: making somebody lose hope or enthusiasm
—dis·heart·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



dished

dished
dished 
[disht] adjective

concave:
hollowed out in a shape like a dish[1]



dishevel

dishevel
di·shev·el 
[di shévv’l] (past di·shev·eled
or di·shev·elled, past participle di·shev·eled or
di·shev·elled, present participle di·shev·el·ing or
di·shev·el·ling, 3rd person present singular di·shev·els) transitive
verb

1.  muss
clothes or hair: to disarrange somebody’s clothes or hair

2.  mess
something up: to disarrange something, making it messy
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably a back-formation from disheveled .]
—di·shev·el·ment, noun[1]



disheveled

disheveled
di·shev·eled 
[di shévv’ld] or di·shev·elled
[di shévv’ld] adjective

1.  with
messed-up hair or clothes: with messed-up hair or
clothes

2.  untidy:
disordered and untidy
[14th century. From Old
French deschevelé, past participle of descheveler “to disarrange
the hair,” from des- “apart” (from Latin dis- ) + chevel
“hair” (from Latin capillus ).][1]



dishonest

dishonest
dis·hon·est 
[diss ónnəst] adjective

not
honest or truthful: meaning or meant to deceive,
defraud, or trick people
[14th century. Via Old French
deshoneste from Latin dehonestus, from honestus
“honorable.”][1]



dishonestly

dishonestly
dis·hon·est·ly
[diss ónnəstlee] adverb

untruthfully:
in a lying or deceitful way[1]



dishonesty

dishonesty
dis·hon·es·ty 
[diss ónnəstee] (plural dis·hon·es·ties)
noun

1.  deceitful
behavior:
the use of lies or deceit, or the tendency to be deceitful

2.  dishonest
deed:
a dishonest act or action

[1]



dishonor

dishonor
dis·hon·or 
[diss ónnər] noun

1.  loss
of other people’s respect: the loss of a good
reputation

2.  cause
of shame:
a cause of shame or loss of respect

3.  FINANCE failure
to pay check: failure or refusal by a bank or other
financial institution to pay a check, bill of exchange, or other financial
instrument
transitive
verb
(past dis·hon·ored, past participle dis·hon·ored, present
participle dis·hon·or·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·hon·ors)

1.  bring
shame on somebody: to do something that brings
shame on yourself or on people associated with you

2.  break
agreement:
to fail to keep a promise or agreement

3.  treat
disrespectfully: to treat somebody without any respect (formal)

4.  FINANCE fail
to pay check: to fail to pay a check, bill of
exchange, or other financial instrument (formal)

5.  disgrace
woman by seduction or rape: to bring shame on a woman by
seducing her before marriage, or by raping her (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French deshonorer from medieval Latin dishonorare,
literally “not to honor,” from honorare “honor.”]
—dis·hon·or·er, noun[1]



dishonorable

dishonorable
dis·hon·or·a·ble 
[diss ónnərəb’l] adjective

1.  shameful
and to somebody’s discredit: morally unacceptable and
liable to make somebody lose the respect of others

2.  without
morals or integrity: behaving in a dishonest or
morally unacceptable way
—dis·hon·or·a·ble·ness,
noun

—dis·hon·or·a·bly, adverb[1]



dishonorabledischarge

dishonorabledischarge
dis·hon·or·a·ble
dis·charge
(plural dis·hon·or·a·ble dis·charg·es) noun

MILITARY
dismissal from armed forces for
misconduct: dismissal from the armed
forces as punishment for a serious offense such as desertion[1]



dishout

dishout
dish
out
transitive verb

1.  hand
out freely:
to give something out freely, especially criticism, money, punishment, or
advice (informal)

2.  serve
food:
to serve food to people • dishing
out mashed potatoes
to
dish it out but not be able to take it

to criticize others freely
while not being able to accept criticism (informal) • She
can really dish it out but she surely can’t take it[1]



dishpan

dishpan
dish·pan 
[dísh pàn] (plural dish·pans) noun

pan or basin for washing
dishes: a large pan or plastic tub
used for washing the dishes[1]



dishpanhands

dishpanhands
dish·pan
hands
plural noun

dry red skin on hands:
a condition of the hands in which the skin is dry, scaly, and reddened because
of sensitivity or overexposure to cleaning materials such as detergent (takes
a singular or plural verb)[1]



dishrag

dishrag
dish·rag 
[dísh ràg] (plural dish·rags) noun

See
dishcloth[1]



dishtowel

dishtowel
dish·tow·el 
[dísh tòwəl] (plural dish·tow·els)
noun

cloth for drying dishes:
a cloth used for drying dishes.
Also called
dishcloth
U.K. term
tea towel[1]



dishware

dishware
dish·ware 
[dísh wàir] noun

dishes for serving food:
dishes used for serving food[1]



dishwasher

dishwasher
dish·wash·er 
[dísh wàwshər] (plural dish·wash·ers)
noun

1.  machine
for washing dishes: an electrically operated
machine that washes, rinses, and dries dishes and utensils

2.  somebody
who washes dishes: somebody who washes dishes,
especially in a restaurant

[1]



dishwashingliquid

dishwashingliquid
dish·wash·ing
liq·uid
noun

liquid soap for washing
dishes: a liquid detergent used for
washing dishes.
U.K. term
washing-up liquid[1]



dishwater

dishwater
dish·wa·ter 
[dísh wòttər] noun

1.  water
used for washing dishes: water that is or has been
used for washing dishes or utensils

2.  weak
drink:
a weak or tasteless drink

[1]



dishwaterblond

dishwaterblond
dish·wa·ter
blond
or dish·wa·ter blonde adjective

dull
yellow:
used to describe hair that is dull blond or yellow in color (informal insult)
noun
(plural dish·wa·ter blonds) (plural dish·wa·ter blondes)

somebody with dull blond
hair: somebody whose hair is
dishwater blond (informal insult)[1]



dishy

dishy
dish·y 
[díshee] (comparative dish·i·er,
superlative dish·i·est) adjective

good-looking:
good-looking (informal)[1]



disillusion

disillusion
dis·il·lu·sion 
[dìssi l’n] transitive verb (past
dis·il·lu·sioned, past participle dis·il·lu·sioned, present
participle dis·il·lu·sion·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·il·lu·sions)

destroy
illusion:
to destroy or undermine an ideal, illusion, or mistaken belief that is held by
somebody (often passive)
noun

See
disillusionment
—dis·il·lu·sive, adjective[1]



disillusioned

disillusioned
dis·il·lu·sioned 
[dìssi l’nd] adjective

disappointed by destroyed
illusion: disappointed by a frustrated
ideal or belief[1]



disillusionment

disillusionment
dis·il·lu·sion·ment
[dìssi l’nmənt] noun

loss of false belief:
disappointment caused by a frustrated ideal or belief.
Also called
disillusion[1]



disincentive

disincentive
dis·in·cen·tive 
[dìssin séntiv] (plural dis·in·cen·tives)
noun

deterrent:
something that deters somebody from taking a particular action[1]



disinclination

disinclination
dis·in·cli·na·tion 
[dìssinklə náysh’n] noun

wish to avoid:
a reluctance to do something[1]



disincline

disincline
dis·in·cline 
[dìssin kln] (past dis·in·clined,
past participle dis·in·clined, present participle dis·in·clin·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·clines) transitive verb

make reluctant:
to make somebody reluctant or unwilling to do something (often passive)[1]



disincorporate

disincorporate
dis·in·cor·po·rate 
[dìssin káwrpə ràyt] (past dis·in·cor·po·rat·ed,
past participle dis·in·cor·po·rat·ed, present participle dis·in·cor·po·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·cor·po·rates) intransitive
and transitive verb

1.  BUSINESS end
corporate status: to remove the corporate status of a
company or organization, or to undergo such a process

2.  POLITICS end
municipal status: to end the corporate status of a
community, or to undergo such a process
—dis·in·cor·po·ra·tion
[dìssin kawrpə ráysh’n], noun[1]



disinfect

disinfect
dis·in·fect 
[dìssin fékt] (past dis·in·fect·ed,
past participle dis·in·fect·ed, present participle dis·in·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·fects) transitive verb

rid
of germs:
to clean something so as to destroy disease-carrying microorganisms and prevent
infection
[Late
16th century. From French désinfecter, from dés- “dis-” and infecter
“to infect.”]
—dis·in·fec·tion
[dìssin fékshən], noun

—dis·in·fec·tor, noun[1]



disinfectant

disinfectant
dis·in·fec·tant 
[dìssin féktənt] (plural dis·in·fec·tants)
noun

chemical that kills germs:
a chemical that destroys or inhibits the growth of microorganisms that cause
disease[1]



disinfest

disinfest
dis·in·fest 
[dìssin fést] (past dis·in·fest·ed,
past participle dis·in·fest·ed, present participle dis·in·fest·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·fests) transitive verb

rid
of pests:
to free a place, person, or animal of small pests such as rodents or insects
—dis·in·fes·ta·tion [dìssin fe stáysh’n], noun[1]



disinflation

disinflation
dis·in·fla·tion 
[dìssin fláysh’n] noun

slowdown
in price rise: a slowdown in the rate at which prices
increase, for example, during a recession
—dis·in·fla·tion·ar·y,
adjective[1]



disinform

disinform
dis·in·form 
[dìssin fáwrm] (past dis·in·formed,
past participle dis·in·formed, present participle dis·in·form·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·forms) transitive verb

give
false information: to supply somebody with
false or misleading information
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from disinformation .][1]



disinformation

disinformation
dis·in·for·ma·tion 
[dìssinfər máysh’n] noun

false
information: false or deliberately misleading
information, often put out as propaganda
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
Russian dezinformatsiya .][1]



disingenuous

disingenuous
dis·in·gen·u·ous 
[dìssin jénnyoo əss] adjective

1.  withholding
information: withholding or not taking account of
known information

2.  not
genuinely sincere: giving a false impression of
sincerity or simplicity
—dis·in·gen·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—dis·in·gen·u·ous·ness,
noun[1]



disinherit

disinherit
dis·in·her·it 
[dìssin hérrit] (past dis·in·her·it·ed,
past participle dis·in·her·it·ed, present participle dis·in·her·it·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·her·its) transitive verb

1.  deprive
of inheritance: to change a will so as to deprive
somebody of an inheritance

2.  deprive
of right:
to deprive somebody of a natural or established right or privilege
—dis·in·her·i·tance, noun[1]



disinhibit

disinhibit
dis·in·hib·it 
[dìssin híbbit] (past dis·in·hib·it·ed,
past participle dis·in·hib·it·ed, present participle dis·in·hib·it·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·hib·its) transitive verb

PSYCHOLOGY
rid of inhibitions:
to free somebody from inhibitions (technical)[1]



disinhibition

disinhibition
dis·in·hi·bi·tion 
[dìssin hi bísh’n] noun

1.  loss
of inhibition: a loss of inhibition, for example,
through the influence of alcohol or drugs (technical)

2.  PSYCHOLOGY temporary
loss of inhibition: a temporary loss of
inhibition caused by an outside stimulus, for example, a loud noise

3.  CHEMISTRY removal
of inhibitor: the removal of a substance that slows or
stops a chemical reaction

[1]



disintegrate

disintegrate
dis·in·te·grate 
[diss íntə gràyt] (past dis·in·te·grat·ed,
past participle dis·in·te·grat·ed, present participle dis·in·te·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·te·grates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
into fragments: to break into components or fragments,
or break something into small pieces or constituent parts

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
wholeness:
to destroy the cohesion, unity, or wholeness of something, or undergo such
destruction

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS split
atoms:
to split the nuclei of atoms, or cause the nuclei of atoms to split
—dis·in·te·gra·ble,
adjective

—dis·in·te·gra·tive, adjective[1]



disintegration

disintegration
dis·in·te·gra·tion 
[diss ìntə gráysh’n] (plural dis·in·te·gra·tions)
noun

1.  breaking
into pieces: irreversible breaking into components or
fragments

2.  loss
of unity:
the loss of unity, cohesion, or integrity

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS breakup
of nucleus:
the breakup of an atomic nucleus or an unstable elementary particle into
smaller parts, either by radioactive decay or through bombardment with
high-energy particles

[1]



disintegrator

disintegrator
dis·in·te·gra·tor
(plural dis·in·te·gra·tors) noun

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS atom-splitting
machine:
a machine in which atoms are split as a result of being hit by accelerated
particles

2.  disintegrating
agent:
a person, machine, or force that destroys or disintegrates something

[1]



disinter

disinter
dis·in·ter 
[dìssin túr] (past dis·in·terred,
past participle dis·in·terred, present participle dis·in·ter·ring,
3rd person present singular dis·in·ters) transitive verb

1.  dig
up body:
to dig up or remove a dead body from a grave or tomb

2.  expose
something hidden: to expose something that was hidden (formal)
[Early
17th century. From French désenterrer, from dés- “dis-” and enterrer
“to inter.”]
—dis·in·ter·ment, noun[1]



disinterest

disinterest
dis·in·ter·est 
[diss íntərəst, diss
íntrəst] transitive verb (past dis·in·ter·est·ed, past
participle dis·in·ter·est·ed, present participle dis·in·ter·est·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·ter·ests)

free
from interest: to cause somebody to lose interest or
partiality
noun

impartiality:
lack of bias or self-interest[1]



disinterested

disinterested
dis·in·ter·est·ed 
[diss íntərəstəd, diss
íntrəstəd] adjective

1.  impartial:
free from bias or self-interest

2.  not
interested:
indifferent, not interested, or no longer interested (considered incorrect
by many people)
—dis·in·ter·est·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·in·ter·est·ed·ness,
noun[1]



disintermediation

disintermediation
dis·in·ter·me·di·a·tion 
[dìssintər meedee áysh’n] noun

1.  COMMERCE removal
of intermediaries: the elimination of
intermediaries, for example, wholesalers or retailers, in business transactions
between producers and consumers

2.  FINANCE moving
money:
the diversion of invested funds from low-yield to higher-yield areas, for
example, from depository accounts to stocks

[1]



disintoxicate

disintoxicate
dis·in·tox·i·cate 
[dìssin tóksi kàyt] (past dis·in·tox·i·cat·ed,
past participle dis·in·tox·i·cat·ed, present participle dis·in·tox·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·tox·i·cates) transitive
verb

See
detoxify  verb 1
—dis·in·tox·i·ca·tion,
noun[1]



disinvent

disinvent
dis·in·vent 
[dìssin vént] (past dis·in·vent·ed,
past participle dis·in·vent·ed, present participle dis·in·vent·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·vents) transitive verb

make something cease to
exist: to undo the invention of
something • Nuclear
weapons cannot be disinvented.[1]



disinvest

disinvest
dis·in·vest 
[dìssin vést] (past dis·in·vest·ed,
past participle dis·in·vest·ed, present participle dis·in·vest·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·vests) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove investment:
to withdraw an investment in something[1]



disinvestment

disinvestment
dis·in·vest·ment 
[dìssin véstmənt] noun

1.  withdrawing
investment:
the withdrawal of an investment

2.  reduction
of investment: a reduction of investment caused by a
selling of or deterioration in assets

[1]



disinvite

disinvite
dis·in·vite 
[dìssin vt] (past dis·in·vit·ed,
past participle dis·in·vit·ed, present participle dis·in·vit·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·in·vites) transitive verb

withdraw invitation:
to withdraw an invitation to somebody (humorous)[1]



disjoin

disjoin
dis·join 
[diss jóyn] (past dis·joined, past
participle dis·joined, present participle dis·join·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·joins) intransitive and
transitive verb

disconnect
or separate: to disconnect parts, things, or ideas,
or become separated.
Also
called
disjoint
[15th
century. Via Old French desjoign-, the stem of desjoindre, from
Latin disjungere, from jungere (see join
).]
—dis·join·a·ble, adjective[1]



disjoint

disjoint
dis·joint 
[diss jóynt] (past dis·joint·ed,
past participle dis·joint·ed, present participle dis·joint·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·joints) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
at joints:
to separate something at the joints, or be separated in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dislocate:
to force or move something out of its usual position, or undergo such a change

3.  transitive
verb
destroy
unity:
to destroy the unity or coherence of something

4.  transitive
verb
See disjoin
[15th
century. From Old French desjoint, the past participle of desjoindre
(see disjoin ).]
—dis·joint,
adjective

—dis·joint·ed,
adjective

—dis·joint·ed·ness, noun[1]



disjointedly

disjointedly
dis·joint·ed·ly
[diss jóyntədlee] adverb

confusingly:
in a way that makes connections or order unclear[1]



disjunct

disjunct
dis·junct 
[diss júngkt] adjective

1.  separated:
discontinuous or separated in time or space

2.  MUSIC describing
notes a second apart: relating to two consecutive
notes that are separated by an interval of a second

3.  MUSIC describing
a leaping melody: relating to a melody in which leaps are
the dominant feature rather than smooth progression
noun
(plural dis·juncts)

LOGIC clause:
either the p clause or the q clause in a logical proposition of the form “p or
q.”
Also
called
disjunction
[15th century. From Latin disjunctus,
the past participle of disjungere (see disjoin
).][1]



disjunction

disjunction
dis·junc·tion 
[diss júngkshən] (plural dis·junc·tions)
noun

1.  disconnection:
a disconnection of joined parts or things.
Also
called
disjuncture

2.  LOGIC proposition
with “or”:
a proposition of the form “p or q” that is false if both p and q are false, but
true if at least one of them is true.
Also
called
disjunctive

3.  LOGIC See disjunct  noun

4.  GENETICS chromosome
separation:
the separation of like chromosomes during cell division

[1]



disjunctive

disjunctive
dis·junc·tive 
[diss júngktiv] adjective

1.  dividing:
serving to divide, or having the effect of dividing (technical)

2.  GRAMMAR showing
contrast:
used to describe a word, for example, “or,” that establishes a contrast between
two words or linguistic elements

3.  LOGIC containing
or related to a disjunction: relating to or having the
form of a proposition of the type “p or q”
noun
(plural dis·junc·tives)

1.  GRAMMAR contrast
word:
a conjunction or other word that establishes a contrast

2.  LOGIC See disjunction  noun 2
—dis·junc·tive·ly, adverb[1]



disjuncture

disjuncture
dis·junc·ture 
[diss júngkchər] (plural dis·junc·tures)
noun

See
disjunction  noun 1[1]



disk

disk
disk
[disk] (plural disks) or
disc [disk] (plural discs)
noun

1.  round
flat object: object that is, or appears to be, thin,
flat, and circular

2.  COMPUTING computer
storage device: a device consisting of one or more thin
magnetically or optically etched plates, used in a computer to store
information

3.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY part between bones of spine:
a flat round structure in the skeleton of a person or animal that separates the
bones of the spine

4.  AUTOMOBILES brake
part:
a circular piece of metal around the hub of a vehicle wheel, against which the
pads of a disc brake press

5.  AGRICULTURE steel
blade:
a circular steel blade with a sharpened edge that is used on a disk harrow or
plow

6.  BOTANY center
of flowerhead: the central part of the flowerhead of a
composite plant, made up of tiny tubular flowers
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French disque from Latin discus “dish, quoit,” from Greek diskos
(see dish ).][1]



diskcamera

diskcamera
disk
cam·er·a
(plural disk cam·er·as) noun

camera with film in disk:
a camera that uses film in a disk rather than a roll or cartridge[1]



diskdrive

diskdrive

disk drive
(plural disk drives) noun
storage and retrieval device:
a device that a computer uses to read data from and write data to magnetic or
optical disks[1]



diskette

diskette
disk·ette 
[di skét] (plural disk·ettes) noun

See
floppy disk[1]



diskflower

diskflower
disk
flow·er
(plural disk flow·ers) or disk flo·ret (plural
disk flo·rets) noun

tiny flower:
a tiny tubular flower that is one of the group that forms the center disk of
the flowerhead of certain composite plants, for example, the daisy[1]



diskharrow

diskharrow
disk
har·row
(plural disk har·rows) noun

type of agricultural
implement: a harrow with a series of
disks set at an angle on one or more axles that loosen the soil when moved over
plowed land[1]



diskoperating system

diskoperating system
disk
op·er·at·ing sys·tem (plural disk
op·er·at·ing sys·tems) noun

computer operating system:
an operating system for personal computers that uses disks and diskettes for
storage of programs and data[1]



diskpack

diskpack
disk
pack
(plural disk packs) noun

computer storage device:
a removable data storage device for use in minicomputers and mainframes,
consisting of several magnetic or optical disks stacked one on top of another
and handled as a unit[1]



diskplow

diskplow
disk
plow
(plural disk plows) noun

type of plow:
an agricultural implement with a cutting disk fixed in a frame that is drawn by
a tractor that cuts furrows in the soil and turns it up[1]



disksander

disksander
disk
sand·er
(plural disk sanders) noun

sanding tool:
an electrically powered tool with a revolving abrasive disk, used for sanding,
grinding, and polishing irregular surfaces[1]



diskwheel

diskwheel
disk
wheel
(plural disk wheels) noun

wheel without spokes:
an automobile wheel with a continuous flat outer surface instead of spokes[1]



dislikable

dislikable
dis·lik·a·ble
[diss lkəb’l] or dis·like·a·ble
[diss lkəb’l] adjective

disagreeable or unpleasant:
hard to like because of being disagreeable or unpleasant[1]



dislike

dislike
dis·like 
[diss lk] transitive verb (past
dis·liked, past participle dis·liked, present
participle dis·lik·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·likes)

consider disagreeable:
to consider something or somebody disagreeable or unpleasant
noun
(plural dis·likes)

1.  disapproving
feeling:
an attitude or feeling of aversion, disapproval, or distaste

2.  something
personally disagreeable: something that you do not
like

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  dislike, distaste, hatred,
  hate, disgust, loathing,
  repugnance, abhorrence, animosity, antipathy, aversion
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  liking somebody or something dislike;
  the most general term; distaste;
  mild dislike, used especially of behavior and activities; hatred; extremely strong dislike; hate; a more informal term for hatred;
  disgust; very strong dislike and
  disapproval; loathing; strong
  dislike and disgust, often referring to people; repugnance;
  a fairly formal term for strong dislike and disgust, often referring to
  behavior and activities; abhorrence;
  a more formal term for repugnance; animosity;
  intense dislike and hostility, usually used to refer to people; antipathy; a deep-seated dislike that is
  often instinctive or intuitive; aversion;
  strong, possibly unreasonable, dislike of a particular thing

[1]



dislikeable

dislikeable
dis·like·a·ble
adjective

See
dislikable[1]



dislocate

dislocate
dis·lo·cate 
[dísslō kàyt] (past dis·lo·cat·ed,
past participle dis·lo·cat·ed, present participle dis·lo·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·lo·cates) transitive verb

1.  put
out of place: to put or force something out of its
usual place or position

2.  MEDICINE displace
body part:
to move or force a bone out of the joint into which it fits

3.  throw
into confusion: to disrupt, upset, or disturb the order
of something
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably a back-formation from dislocation .]
—dis·lo·cat·ed, adjective[1]



dislocatedworker

dislocatedworker
dis·lo·cat·ed
work·er
(plural dis·lo·cat·ed work·ers) noun

jobless person:
somebody who has lost his or her job because of the employer’s moving, shutting
down, or permanently reducing its workforce[1]



dislocation

dislocation
dis·lo·ca·tion 
[dìss lō káysh’n] (plural dis·lo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  dislocating
or being dislocated: the displacement of
something from its usual or proper position

2.  MEDICINE displacement
of body part: the displacement of a body part,
especially of a bone, from its usual fitting in a joint

3.  CHEMISTRY imperfection
in crystal:
an irregularity in the fine structure ( lattice
) of an otherwise normal crystal
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin dislocare, from locare (see locate ).][1]



dislodge

dislodge
dis·lodge 
[diss lój] (past dis·lodged, past
participle dis·lodged, present participle dis·lodg·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·lodg·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
from or leave position: to force something or
somebody from a previously fixed or secure position, or leave such a position
[15th
century. From Old French dislogier, from des- “dis-” and logier
(see lodge ).]
—dis·lodg·ment, noun[1]



disloyal

disloyal
dis·loy·al 
[diss lóy əl] adjective

not
faithful:
showing a lack of faith in or loyalty to somebody or something
[15th
century. From Old French desloial, from des- “dis-” and loial
(see loyal ).]
—dis·loy·al·ly, adverb[1]



disloyalty

disloyalty
dis·loy·al·ty 
[diss lóy əltee] (plural dis·loy·al·ties)
noun

1.  being
disloyal:
a lack of loyalty to a person, vow, organization, or state

2.  disloyal
act:
a disloyal or unfaithful act

[1]



dismal

dismal
dis·mal 
[dízməl] adjective

1.  depressing:
depressing to the spirit or outlook

2.  hopeless:
showing a lack or failure of hope

3.  of
poor quality: very poor or inadequate • a
dismal performance
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman dismal “unlucky days” from medieval Latin dies
mali .]
—dis·mal·ly,
adverb

—dis·mal·ness, noun[1]



dismalscience

dismalscience
dis·mal
sci·ence
noun

U.K.
political
economy:
political economy (humorous)
[Coined by the Scottish
essayist Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)][1]



DismalSwamp

DismalSwamp
Dis·mal
Swamp 
[dìzməl swómp]

Former name for
Great Dismal Swamp[1]



dismantle

dismantle
dis·man·tle 
[diss mánt’l] (past dis·man·tled,
past participle dis·man·tled, present participle dis·man·tling,
3rd person present singular dis·man·tles) verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
apart:
to take something apart in a way that causes it to stop working

2.  intransitive
verb
come
apart:
to be able to be separated into components

3.  transitive
verb
destroy
something by removing key elements: to
destroy something, for example, an institution or system, by removing essential
elements

4.  transitive
verb
remove
equipment:
to strip a room or building of furniture or equipment
[Late
16th century. From Old French desmanteler “to tear down a fortress
wall,” from des- “dis-” and emmanteler “to shelter, fortify,”
from mantel “cloak” (see mantle ).]
—dis·man·tle·ment,
noun

—dis·man·tler, noun[1]



dismast

dismast
dis·mast 
[dìss mást] (past dis·mast·ed,
past participle dis·mast·ed, present participle dis·mast·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·masts) transitive verb

remove
mast:
to break off or remove the mast or masts of a boat or ship
—dis·mast·ment, noun[1]



dismay

dismay
dis·may 
[diss máy] transitive verb (past
dis·mayed, past participle dis·mayed, present
participle dis·may·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·mays)
(usually passive)

1.  discourage
somebody:
to cause somebody to feel discouraged or disappointed

2.  alarm
somebody:
to fill somebody with alarm, apprehension, or distress
noun

1.  feeling
of discouragement: a feeling of hopelessness,
disappointment, or discouragement

2.  loss
of courage:
a sudden loss of courage or confidence
[14th century. From assumed
Anglo-Norman desmaiier, of uncertain origin: ultimately a negative form
of a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to be able,” which is also the ancestor
of English may .][1]



disme

disme
disme
[dīm] (plural dismes) noun

former
U.S. coin:
a United States coin first minted in 1792, worth a tenth of a dollar
[Late 18th century. From
obsolete French, a variant of dime (see dime
).][1]



dismember

dismember
dis·mem·ber 
[diss mémbər] (past dis·mem·bered,
past participle dis·mem·bered, present participle dis·mem·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·mem·bers) transitive verb

1.  remove
limb from body: to cut off or remove a limb or other
part of a person or animal

2.  divide
something up: to cut or tear something into pieces

3.  destroy
something by taking it apart: to destroy something by
taking it apart so that its parts no longer work together • dismembered
the alliance
[14th
century. Via Old French from assumed Vulgar Latin dismembrare, from
Latin membrum (see member ).]
—dis·mem·ber·er,
noun

—dis·mem·ber·ment, noun[1]



dismiss

dismiss
dis·miss 
[diss míss] (past dis·missed, past
participle dis·missed, present participle dis·miss·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·miss·es) transitive verb

1.  end
employment of somebody: to stop employing somebody,
for example, because of unsatisfactory work or wrongdoing

2.  send
away:
to send somebody away, or give somebody formal permission to leave

3.  LAW refuse
further hearing in court: to refuse to give further
hearing to a case in court

4.  refuse
to consider: to refuse to give consideration to
something

5.  reject
with reason: to consider somebody or something as
unsuitable for a particular reason • dismissed
the idea as ridiculous
[15th
century. From medieval Latin dismiss-, the past participle stem of dismittere,
literally “to send away,” from Latin mittere (see mission ).]
—dis·miss·i·ble, adjective[1]



dismissal

dismissal
dis·miss·al 
[diss míss’l] (plural dis·miss·als)
noun

1.  ending
of somebody’s employment: the removal of somebody from
employment

2.  sending
away:
the formal sending away of a person or group

3.  rejection:
the rejection of something from consideration

[1]



dismissive

dismissive
dis·mis·sive 
[diss míssiv] adjective

contemptuous
or indifferent: indicating rejection, especially showing
contempt or indifference
—dis·mis·sive·ly,
adverb

—dis·mis·sive·ness, noun[1]



dismount

dismount
dis·mount 
[diss mównt] verb (past dis·mount·ed,
past participle dis·mount·ed, present participle dis·mount·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·mounts)

1.  intransitive
verb
get
off animal:
to get down from the back of an animal, for example, a horse or camel

2.  intransitive
verb
get
off cycle:
to get off a bicycle or motorcycle

3.  transitive
verb
remove
from frame:
to remove something from a frame, mounting, stand, or support

4.  transitive
verb
throw
somebody off: to remove somebody from a mounted
position • The
horse dismounted its rider.
noun
(plural dis·mounts)

act of dismounting:
an act of dismounting or of being dismounted
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably modeled on obsolete French désmonter,
literally “to unseat,” from monter (see mount
).]
—dis·mount·a·ble, adjective[1]



Disneyesque

Disneyesque
Dis·ney·esque 
[dìznee ésk] adjective

like Disney movies:
reminiscent of, or in the style of, the sometimes whimsical movies and cartoons
created by Walt Disney or the Disney studios[1]



Disney,Walt

Disney,Walt
Dis·ney 
[díznee], Walt (1901–1966)

U.S.
animator and producer. He created Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and originated
the feature-length cartoon with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( 1937
).
Full name
Disney, Walter Elias[1]



disobedience

disobedience
dis·o·be·di·ence 
[dìssə bdee əns] noun

refusal to obey:
refusal or failure to obey[1]



disobedient

disobedient
dis·o·be·di·ent
[dìssə bdee ənt] adjective

refusing
to obey:
refusing or failing to obey, especially habitually
[15th
century. Via Old French from assumed Vulgar Latin desobedient-, from
Latin oboedient-, the present participle stem of oboedire (see obey ).]
—dis·o·be·di·ent·ly, adverb[1]



disobey

disobey
dis·o·bey 
[dìssə báy] (past dis·o·beyed,
past participle dis·o·beyed, present participle dis·o·bey·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·o·beys) intransitive and
transitive verb

fail
to obey:
to refuse or fail to obey a rule, instruction, or authority, or somebody giving
an instruction or in authority
[14th
century. Via French désobéir from assumed Vulgar Latin desobedir,
from Latin oboedire (see obey ).]
—dis·o·bey·er, noun[1]



disoblige

disoblige
dis·o·blige 
[dìssə blj] (past dis·o·bliged,
past participle dis·o·bliged, present participle dis·o·blig·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·o·blig·es) transitive verb

be
unwilling to help somebody: to be unwilling to help
somebody (formal)
[Late 16th century. Via
French désobliger from, ultimately, Latin obligare (see oblige ).][1]



disobliging

disobliging
dis·o·blig·ing
[dìssə bljing] adjective

unwilling
to help:
selfishly or rudely unwilling to help
—dis·o·blig·ing·ly,
adverb

—dis·o·blig·ing·ness, noun[1]



disomic

disomic
di·som·ic 
[dī sṓmik] adjective

GENETICS with
paired chromosomes: with chromosomes occurring
in pairs
[Early
20th century. Coined from di- + -some + -ic .]
—dis·om·y, noun[1]



disorder

disorder
dis·or·der 
[diss áwrdər] noun (plural dis·or·ders)

1.  lack
of order:
a lack of systematic or orderly arrangement

2.  messiness:
a state of messiness • found
the room in complete disorder

3.  LAW unruly
behavior:
a public disturbance or breach of peace

4.  MEDICINE illness:
a medical condition involving a disturbance to the normal functioning of the
mind or body
transitive
verb
(past dis·or·dered, past participle dis·or·dered, present
participle dis·or·der·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·or·ders)

upset arrangement:
to disarrange or disturb the order of something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of obsolete disordain, under the
influence of order and French désordre
.][1]



disordered

disordered
dis·or·dered 
[diss áwrdərd] adjective

1.  messy
or confused: marked by confusion or disarray

2.  not
functioning normally: having lost normal physical
functioning or thought processes • disordered
sleep

[1]



disorderly

disorderly
dis·or·der·ly 
[diss áwrdərlee] adjective

1.  lacking
order:
lacking order or organization

2.  unruly:
unruly and resisting authority

3.  LAW disturbing
peace:
disturbing the peace or violating public order
—dis·or·der·li·ness, noun[1]



disorderlyconduct

disorderlyconduct
dis·or·der·ly
con·duct
noun

behavior disturbing public
order: any one of several minor
offenses likely to cause a breach of the peace[1]



disorganization

disorganization
dis·or·gan·i·za·tion
[diss àwrgəni záysh’n] noun

1.  lack
of organization: a lack of organization or orderly
arrangement

2.  destruction
of order:
the destruction of an order or system

[1]



disorganize

disorganize
dis·or·gan·ize 
[diss áwrgə nz] (past dis·or·gan·ized,
past participle dis·or·gan·ized, present participle dis·or·gan·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·or·gan·iz·es) transitive verb

destroy
organization: to destroy or disrupt the organization,
system, or unity of something
[Late
18th century. From French désorganiser, from dés- “not” and organiser
(see organize ).]
—dis·or·gan·iz·er, noun[1]



disorganized

disorganized
dis·or·gan·ized 
[diss áwrgə nzd] adjective

not orderly or systematic:
lacking order and coherence[1]



disorient

disorient
dis·o·ri·ent 
[diss áwree ènt] (past dis·o·ri·ent·ed,
past participle dis·o·ri·ent·ed, present participle dis·o·ri·ent·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·o·ri·ents) or dis·o·ri·en·tate
[diss áwree ən tàyt] (past dis·o·ri·en·tated,
past participle dis·o·ri·en·tated, present participle dis·o·ri·en·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·o·ri·en·tates) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody lose bearings: to cause somebody to feel
lost or confused, especially with regard to direction or position

2.  confuse
somebody:
to confuse somebody by giving misleading information
—dis·o·ri·en·ta·tion [diss àwree ən táysh’n], noun[1]



disoriented

disoriented
dis·o·ri·ent·ed 
[diss áwree èntəd] or dis·ori·en·tat·ed
[diss áwree ən tàytəd] adjective

1.  having
lost bearings: feeling lost or confused, especially
with regard to direction or position

2.  confused:
not understanding clearly

[1]



disown

disown
dis·own 
[diss ṓn] (past dis·owned, past
participle dis·owned, present participle dis·own·ing, 3rd
person present singular dis·owns) transitive verb

deny
relationship: to refuse or no longer acknowledge a
connection with somebody or something
—dis·own·er,
noun

—dis·own·ment, noun[1]



disp.

disp.
disp.

Abbreviation of
dispensary[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








disparage

disparage
dis·par·age 
[di sperrij] (past dis·par·aged,
past participle dis·par·aged, present participle dis·par·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·par·ag·es) transitive verb

criticize:
to refer disapprovingly to somebody or something
—dis·par·ag·er, noun[1]



disparagement

disparagement
dis·par·age·ment
[di spérrijmənt] noun

1.  negative
criticism:
negative or adverse criticism

2.  act
of disparaging: the act of criticizing or discrediting
somebody or something

3.  lowering
of esteem:
a lowering of esteem (archaic)

[1]



disparaging

disparaging
dis·par·ag·ing
[di spérrijing] adjective

contemptuous
or disapproving: showing or expressing contempt or
disapproval
—dis·par·ag·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disparate

disparate
dis·pa·rate 
[di spérrət] adjective

very
different:
used to describe things or people so completely unlike each other that they
cannot be compared
[15th
century. From Latin disparatus, the past participle of disparare
“to separate,” from parare “to prepare” (see pare
).]
—dis·pa·rate·ly,
adverb

—dis·pa·rate·ness, noun[1]



disparity

disparity
dis·par·i·ty 
[di spérrətee] (plural dis·par·i·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of equality: lack of equality between things or
people.
Also
called
imparity

2.  unlikeness:
dissimilarity or incongruity
[Mid-16th century. Via French
disparité from late Latin disparitas, from paritas (see parity ).][1]



dispassion

dispassion
dis·pas·sion 
[diss pásh’n] noun

objectivity:
absence of prejudicial feeling • viewed
the chaos around her with dispassion[1]



dispassionate

dispassionate
dis·pas·sion·ate 
adjective

calmly
objective:
not influenced by emotion or personal feelings
—dis·pas·sion·ate·ly,
adverb

—dis·pas·sion·ate·ness,
noun[1]



dispatch

dispatch
dis·patch 
[di spách] or des·patch [di spách] transitive verb (past dis·patched,
past participle dis·patched, present participle dis·patch·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·patch·es) (past des·patched,
past participle des·patched, present participle des·patch·ing,
3rd person present singular des·patch·es)

1.  send
something:
to send off something, for example, a letter or package, to a particular
destination

2.  send
somebody away to do something: to instruct somebody
to go somewhere to carry out a task

3.  deal
with something quickly: to complete or deal with
something quickly or efficiently

4.  kill
somebody:
to kill a person or animal
noun
(plural dis·patch·es) (plural des·patch·es)

1.  MAIL sending
off:
the sending of something or somebody such as a letter or a messenger

2.  carrying
out:
the carrying out of an activity

3.  speed:
speed and efficiency • carried
out her duties with dispatch

4.  official
message:
a message or report, especially an official communication from a diplomat or an
officer in the armed forces

5.  PRESS news
report:
a news item or report sent by a journalist or news agency • dispatches
from the scene of the fire

6.  act
of killing:
the killing of a person or animal
[Early 16th century. Via
Italian dispacciare from, ultimately, a negative form of assumed Vulgar
Latin impactare “to impede,” from Latin impact-, the past
participle stem of impingere (see impinge
).][1]



dispatcher

dispatcher
dis·patch·er 
[di spáchər] (plural dis·patch·ers)
noun

controller:
somebody whose job is to control a fleet of vehicles, for example, taxis, by
radio communication[1]



dispel

dispel
dis·pel 
[di spél] (past dis·pelled, past
participle dis·pelled, present participle dis·pel·ling,
3rd person present singular dis·pels) transitive verb

1.  rid
mind of something: to rid somebody’s mind of a
particular thought or idea, especially an erroneous one

2.  disperse
something:
to disperse or drive away something • clouds
and mist that the sun soon dispelled
[15th
century. From Latin dispellere, literally “to drive away,” from pellere
(see pulse ).]
—dis·pel·ler, noun[1]



dispensable

dispensable
dis·pen·sa·ble 
[di spénsəb’l] adjective

not
essential:
able to be dispensed with or replaced
—dis·pen·sa·bil·i·ty
[di spènsə bíllətee], noun

—dis·pen·sa·ble·ness [di spénsəb’lnəss], noun[1]



dispensary

dispensary
dis·pen·sa·ry 
[di spénsəree] (plural dis·pen·sa·ries)
noun

1.  medicine
store:
a place where medical supplies are stored and distributed to patients by a
pharmacist

2.  temporary
medical center: a place where temporary or provisional
medical treatment is provided

[1]



dispensation

dispensation
dis·pen·sa·tion 
[dìspən sáysh’n] (plural dis·pen·sa·tions)
noun

1.  exemption:
exemption or release from a rule or obligation, especially a religious one

2.  document
giving exemption: an official document authorizing
dispensation, especially religious dispensation

3.  RELIGION religious
system:
in Christian belief, a divinely ordained religious system

4.  CHRISTIANITY divine
ordering:
in Christian belief, a divine ordering or management of affairs and events in
the world

5.  RELIGION religious
epoch:
the time during which a religious doctrine or practice is believed to be in
force

6.  dispensing:
the distribution or giving out of something • dispensation
of emergency supplies
—dis·pen·sa·tion·al, adjective[1]



dispensatory

dispensatory
dis·pen·sa·to·ry 
[di spénsə tàwree] adjective

relating to dispensation:
relating to or granting dispensation, especially religious dispensation[1]



dispense

dispense
dis·pense 
[di spéns] (past dis·pensed, past
participle dis·pensed, present participle dis·pens·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·pens·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
provide
something:
to distribute something to several recipients

2.  transitive
verb
sell
something:
to sell something at more than one location or to more than one customer

3.  transitive
verb
PHARMACOLOGY supply
medicines:
to supply medicine according to a prescription

4.  transitive
verb
LAW administer
justice:
to be an agent of the administration of justice

5.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY grant
dispensation: to grant a religious dispensation
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin dispensare, from dispendere, literally “to weigh out,”
from pendere “to weigh” (see pensive
).][1]



dispenser

dispenser
dis·pens·er 
[di spénsər] (plural dis·pens·ers)
noun

1.  device
for dispensing goods: a device that releases its
contents in convenient or measured quantities when operated (usually used in
combination)

2.  provider
of something: somebody who or something that
distributes something

3.  PHARMACOLOGY medicine
supplier:
somebody who supplies medicine according to a prescription

[1]



dispensewith

dispensewith
dispense
with
transitive verb

1.  do
without:
to manage without something • Since
it’s sunny, we can dispense with the rain gear.

2.  get
rid of:
to get rid of something not wanted or needed • Let’s
dispense with all these convoluted rules and regulations.

[1]



dispersal

dispersal
dis·per·sal 
[di spúrs’l] (plural dis·per·sals)
noun

1.  distribution:
the distribution or scattering of people or things over an area

2.  BIOLOGY natural
spread of seed: the natural distribution of plant seeds
and the offspring of non-mobile organisms over a wide area by various methods

3.  BIOLOGY movement
of organisms: the movement of organisms away from
their place of birth or from centers of population density

4.  disappearance:
disappearance as a result of scattering or going away in different directions

[1]



dispersant

dispersant
dis·per·sant
[di spúrs’nt] (plural dis·per·sants)
noun

substance
improving or stabilizing dispersion: a
liquid or gas that facilitates or improves the dispersion of small particles or
droplets, for example, in an aerosol
—dis·per·sant, adjective[1]



disperse

disperse
dis·perse 
[di spúrs] (past dis·persed, past
participle dis·persed, present participle dis·pers·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·pers·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  scatter:
to cause something to scatter, or go away in different directions

2.  distribute:
to distribute something over a wide area, or become widespread

3.  cause
to disappear: to cause something to disappear, or
disappear

4.  CHEMISTRY distribute
evenly:
to distribute particles evenly throughout a medium, or become distributed in
this way

5.  PHYSICS separate
into colors: to separate white light into the
component colors of the spectrum, or undergo this process
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin dispers-, the past participle stem of
dispergere, literally “to scatter around,” from spargere (see sparse ).]
—dis·pers·er, noun[1]



dispersion

dispersion
dis·per·sion 
[di spúrsh’n] (plural dis·per·sions)
noun

1.  dispersing:
the scattering or distribution of something within an area or space

2.  being
dispersed:
the fact or state of being spread, scattered, or distributed

3.  STATISTICS distribution
of values:
the distribution of a statistical frequency distribution about an average or
median

4.  CHEMISTRY medium
with dispersed particles: a chemical system consisting
of a gas, liquid, or colloid containing dispersed particles

[1]



Dispersion

Dispersion
Dis·per·sion
[di spúrsh’n] noun

See
Diaspora[1]



dispersive

dispersive
dis·per·sive 
adjective

causing
dispersion:
tending to cause dispersion
—dis·per·sive·ly,
adverb

—dis·per·sive·ness, noun[1]



dispirit

dispirit
dis·pir·it 
[di spírrit] (past dis·pir·it·ed,
past participle dis·pir·it·ed, present participle dis·pir·it·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·pir·its) transitive verb

depress:
to discourage or dishearten somebody[1]



dispirited

dispirited
dis·pir·it·ed 
[di spírritəd] adjective

discouraged:
affected by lack of energy and a loss of enthusiasm
—dis·pir·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·pir·it·ed·ness, noun[1]



dispiriting

dispiriting
dis·pir·it·ing
[di spírriting] adjective

discouraging:
depressing or disheartening
—dis·pir·it·ing·ly, adverb[1]



displace

displace
dis·place 
[dis pláyss] (past dis·placed,
past participle dis·placed, present participle dis·plac·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·plac·es) transitive verb

1.  move
from usual place: to move something from its usual or
correct place

2.  force
to leave home: to force somebody to leave his or her
home or country, for example, because of war

3.  remove
from post:
to discharge or remove somebody from an office, position, or job

4.  replace:
to take the place of somebody or something

5.  CHEMISTRY take
place of atom: to take the place of another atom or
group in a compound

6.  PHYSICS replace
fluid with object: to replace a volume of fluid
with a floating or submerged object, forcing the original fluid to move
elsewhere
—dis·place·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·plac·er, noun[1]



displacedperson

displacedperson
dis·placed
per·son
(plural dis·placed per·sons or dis·placed peo·ple) noun

refugee:
somebody who has been forced to leave his or her home or country, especially
because of war or political oppression[1]



displacement

displacement
dis·place·ment 
[dis pláyssmənt] (plural dis·place·ments)
noun

1.  displacing
or being displaced: the moving or movement of
something from its usual or correct place

2.  PHYSICS SHIPPING fluid displaced:
the fluid, for example, water, that is forced to move by an object floating or
submerged in it. It is often used as a measure of a ship’s size.

3.  PSYCHOLOGY transfer
of emotions or behavior: transfer of emotion from the
original focus to another less threatening object or person, or the
substitution of one response or piece of behavior for another

4.  PHYSICS amount
of movement in particular direction: the
amount of movement of an object measured in a particular direction

5.  CHEMISTRY chemical
replacement: a chemical reaction in which one atom or
chemical group takes the place of another in a compound

6.  GEOLOGY movement
of geologic fault: the distance that a point on
one side of a geologic fault has moved, relative to a corresponding point on
the other side

7.  AUTOMOTIVE engine
volume:
the total volume displaced by the pistons in an internal combustion engine

[1]



displacementton

displacementton
dis·place·ment
ton
(plural dis·place·ment tons) noun

water unit:
a unit of measure for the displacement of a floating ship, equivalent to 2240
lb.
Also called
ton[1]



display

display
dis·play 
[di spláy] verb (past dis·played,
past participle dis·played, present participle dis·play·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·plays)

1.  transitive
verb
make
visible:
to make something visible or available for others to see

2.  transitive
verb
make
evident:
to reveal or make evident a quality or feeling

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING show data:
to show messages, data, or graphics on a monitor, or appear on a monitor

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY show stylized behavior:
to show a particular pattern of animal behavior, for example, to attract a mate
or defend a territory
noun
(plural dis·plays)

1.  visual
arrangement: a collection of things arranged or done
for others to see, especially something considered attractive, interesting, or
entertaining (often used in combination)

2.  being
visible or arranged for viewing: the act of being
clearly and easily visible or placed for people to view • new
work on display

3.  evident
feeling or quality: an evident feeling or
quality • a
display of courage

4.  PRINTING graphic
advertising: printed advertising that uses attractive
pictures, typography, and other features

5.  COMPUTING electronic
screen:
an electronic device that presents visual information

6.  COMPUTING information
on a screen: the information shown on a computer
monitor or other electronic device

7.  ZOOLOGY stylized
behavior:
a particular pattern of animal behavior used to produce a response in other
animals, especially of the same species, for example, when courting or
defending territory
adjective

PRINTING for
advertising: relating to typefaces that are designed
for prominent use in advertising
[Late
16th century. Via Old French despleier from Latin displicare,
literally “to unfold,” from plicare (see ply 2 ).]
—dis·play·er, noun[1]



displaycabinet

displaycabinet
dis·play
cab·i·net
(plural dis·play cab·i·nets) or dis·play case (plural
dis·play cas·es) noun

container for displays:
a case or stand with glass panels, used for showing items of interest[1]



displease

displease
dis·please 
[dis plz] (past dis·pleased, past
participle dis·pleased, present participle dis·pleas·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·pleas·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

cause
annoyance:
to annoy or dissatisfy somebody
[14th century. Via Old French
desplais-, the stem of desplaire, from assumed Vulgar Latin displacere,
from Latin placere (see placid ).][1]



displeased

displeased
dis·pleased
[diss plzd] adjective

annoyed:
annoyed or dissatisfied[1]



displeasing

displeasing
dis·pleas·ing
[diss plzing] adjective

annoying:
causing annoyance or dissatisfaction
—dis·pleas·ing·ly, adverb[1]



displeasure

displeasure
dis·pleas·ure 
[diss plézhər] noun

annoyance:
a feeling of annoyance or dissatisfaction
[15th century. From Old
French desplaisir “to displease,” used as a noun, from des-
“dis-” and plaisir “pleasure” (see pleasure
).][1]



displode

displode
dis·plode 
(past dis·plod·ed, past participle dis·plod·ed, present
participle dis·plod·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·plodes)
intransitive and transitive verb

explode:
to explode (archaic)[1]



disport

disport
dis·port 
[di spáwrt] verb (past dis·port·ed,
past participle dis·port·ed, present participle dis·port·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ports) (archaic or humorous)

1.  reflexive
verb
show
off:
to show off or try to draw attention to yourself

2.  intransitive
verb
behave
playfully:
to behave in a playful manner
noun
(plural dis·ports)

form of entertainment:
a form of lively entertainment or diversion
[14th century. From Old
French desporter “to divert,” from des- “apart” and porter
“to carry.”][1]



disposable

disposable
dis·pos·a·ble 
[di spṓzəb’l] adjective

1.  throwaway:
designed to be thrown away after use

2.  available
for use:
used to describe money or assets that are available for use
noun
(plural dis·pos·a·bles)

something to be used only once:
something that is designed to be thrown away after use, for example, a paper
cup (often used in the plural)
—dis·pos·a·bil·i·ty
[di spzə bíllətee], noun

—dis·pos·a·ble·ness [di spṓzəb’lnəss], noun[1]



disposableincome

disposableincome
dis·pos·a·ble
in·come
noun

1.  income
after tax:
income that remains available for spending after deductions for taxes and other
obligations

2.  FINANCE money
available for spending: the total amount of money
that a country or community has available for spending

[1]



disposal

disposal
dis·pos·al 
[di spṓz’l] (plural dis·pos·als)
noun

1.  process
of getting rid of something: the process of throwing away
or getting rid of something

2.  orderly
arrangement: an orderly arrangement, distribution, or
placement.
Also
called
disposition

3.  transferring
something to another: the transferring of
something valuable to another by sale or gift.
Also
called
disposition

4.  garbage
disposal:
a garbage disposal (informal)

[1]



dispose

dispose
dis·pose 
[di spṓz] verb (past dis·posed,
past participle dis·posed, present participle dis·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·pos·es)

1.  transitive
verb
make
willing:
to make somebody willing or receptive to something (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
put
in place:
to arrange or position something for use or for a particular purpose (formal)
(often passive)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb settle:
to settle a matter by putting it into its correct or definitive form

4.  transitive
verb
incline:
to make somebody likely to experience something

5.  transitive
verb
bestow:
to bestow (archaic)
noun

disposal:
disposal (archaic)
[14th
century. From French disposer, an alteration (under the influence of poser
“to place”) of Latin disponere, literally “to set out,” from ponere
(see position ).]
—dis·pos·er, noun[1]



disposeof

disposeof
dispose
of
transitive verb

1.  get
rid of something: to throw away or get rid of something

2.  transfer:
to transfer something to another’s ownership, by sale or other means

3.  kill:
to kill a person or animal

4.  attend
to something: to deal with a matter in order to settle
it (formal)

[1]



disposition

disposition
dis·po·si·tion 
[dìspə zísh’n] (plural dis·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  personality:
somebody’s usual mood or temperament

2.  behavioral
tendency:
an inclination or tendency to act in a particular way

3.  settlement:
settlement of a business or legal matter

4.  See
disposal  noun 2
See disposal  noun 3
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin disponere (see dispose ).]
—dis·po·si·tion·al, adjective[1]



dispositive

dispositive
dis·pos·i·tive
[diss pózzitiv] adjective

effecting
court case:
effecting the final outcome of a court case
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin dispositivus, from disposit-,
the past participle stem of disponere (see dispose
).][1]



dispossess

dispossess
dis·pos·sess 
[dìspə zéss] (past dis·pos·sessed,
past participle dis·pos·sessed, present participle dis·pos·ses·sing,
3rd person present singular dis·pos·sess·es) transitive verb

take
away possession of: to take away possession or
occupancy of something, especially property (archaic or formal)
[15th
century. From Old French despossesser, from des- “dis-” and possesser
(see possess ).]
—dis·pos·ses·sor,
noun

—dis·pos·ses·so·ry, adjective[1]



dispossessed

dispossessed
dis·pos·sessed 
[dìspə zést] adjective

deprived
of possession: deprived of property or rights
plural
noun

dispossessed people:
people who have been deprived of their property or rights[1]



dispraise

dispraise
dis·praise 
[diss práyz] transitive verb (past
dis·praised, past participle dis·praised, present
participle dis·prais·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·prais·es)

express
disapproval: to express disapproval of somebody (archaic
literary)
noun

disapproval:
the expression of disapproval (archaic)
—dis·prais·er, noun[1]



disprize

disprize
dis·prize 
[diss prz] (past dis·prized, past
participle dis·prized, present participle dis·priz·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·priz·es) transitive verb

not appreciate:
to be unwilling to appreciate the worth of somebody or something (archaic)[1]



disproof

disproof
dis·proof 
[diss prf] noun

1.  proving
wrong:
the disproving of a legal argument or point

2.  evidence
proving something wrong: evidence that disproves
something

[1]



disproportion

disproportion
dis·pro·por·tion 
[dìsprə páwrsh’n] noun (plural
dis·pro·por·tions)

something
out of proportion: something that is out of
proportion or unequal
transitive
verb
(past dis·pro·por·tioned, past participle dis·pro·por·tioned,
present participle dis·pro·por·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·pro·por·tions)

make
something disproportionate: to make something
disproportionate
—dis·pro·por·tion·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·pro·por·tion·a·ble·ness,
noun

—dis·pro·por·tion·a·bly,
adverb[1]



disproportionate

disproportionate
dis·pro·por·tion·ate 
or dis·pro·por·tion·al adjective [dìsprə
páwrsh’nət]

unequal:
unequal or out of proportion in quantity, shape, or size
—dis·pro·por·tion·ate·ly,
adverb

—dis·pro·por·tion·ate·ness,
noun[1]



disproportionation

disproportionation
dis·pro·por·tion·a·tion
[dìsprə pawrsh’n áysh’n] noun

chemical reaction:
a chemical reaction in which a single substance acts as both oxidizing and
reducing agent, resulting in the production of dissimilar substances[1]



disprove

disprove
dis·prove 
[dis prv] (past dis·proved, past
participle dis·proved, present participle dis·prov·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·proves) transitive verb

prove
wrong:
to show that something is incorrect
[14th
century. From Old French desprover, from des- “dis-” and prover
(see prove ).]
—dis·prov·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·prov·al, noun[1]



disputable

disputable
dis·put·a·ble 
[di spytəb’l] adjective

possibly
not true:
not definitely true or valid and therefore debatable or open to argument
—dis·put·a·bil·i·ty
[di spytə bíllətee], noun

—dis·put·a·ble·ness [di spytəb’lnəss], noun[1]



disputably

disputably
dis·put·a·bly
[di spytəblee] adverb

arguably:
used to suggest that the speaker or writer thinks something is true and could
defend that view against those who disagree

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at arguably.

[1]



disputant

disputant
dis·pu·tant 
[di spyt’nt, díspyət’nt]
noun (plural dis·pu·tants)

party
to case:
somebody involved in an argument or a legal dispute
adjective

in a case:
engaged in an argument or a legal dispute[1]



disputation

disputation
dis·pu·ta·tion 
[dìspyə táysh’n] (plural dis·pu·ta·tions)
noun

1.  argument:
arguing or disagreement (formal)

2.  EDUCATION formal
academic debate: a formal academic debate in defense of a
thesis

[1]



disputatious

disputatious
dis·pu·ta·tious 
[dìspyə táyshəss] or dis·pu·ta·tive
[di spytətiv] adjective

argumentative:
tending to argue or disagree without adequate cause (formal)
—dis·pu·ta·tious·ly,
adverb

—dis·pu·ta·tious·ness,
noun[1]



dispute

dispute
dis·pute 
[di spyt] verb (past dis·put·ed,
past participle dis·put·ed, present participle dis·put·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·putes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb question:
to question or doubt the truth or validity of something

2.  intransitive
verb
disagree:
to disagree or argue about something

3.  transitive
verb
contest:
to fight for or strive to win something (formal)

4.  transitive
verb
oppose:
to strive against or resist something (formal)
noun
(plural dis·putes)

1.  argument:
serious argument or disagreement

2.  industrial
disagreement: a prolonged disagreement between
management and workers or a labor union, often involving a strike
[Late
16th century. Via Old French from Latin disputare, literally “to argue
out,” from putare “to consider.”]
—dis·put·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disagree

[1]



disqualification

disqualification
dis·qual·i·fi·ca·tion 
[diss kwòlləfi káysh’n] (plural dis·qual·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  ineligibility:
being or becoming ineligible to do or take part in something

2.  act
of being disqualified: an instance of being
disqualified

3.  something
that disqualifies: something that makes
somebody ineligible to do or take part in something

[1]



disqualified

disqualified
dis·qual·i·fied 
[diss kwóllə fd] adjective

declared ineligible:
ineligible to compete or take part in something, or deprived of the right to do
something[1]



disqualify

disqualify
dis·qual·i·fy 
[diss kwóllə f] (past dis·qual·i·fied,
past participle dis·qual·i·fied, present participle dis·qual·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·qual·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  declare
unfit:
to make or declare somebody unfit, unqualified, or ineligible to do or take
part in something

2.  take
away legal right: to deprive somebody of a legal or other
right or privilege
—dis·qual·i·fi·able,
adjective

—dis·qual·i·fi·er, noun[1]



disquiet

disquiet
dis·qui·et 
[diss kw ət] noun

lack
of peace:
a lack of peace resulting from anxiety.
Also
called
disquietude
transitive
verb
(past dis·qui·et·ed, past participle dis·qui·et·ed,
present participle dis·qui·et·ing, 3rd person present singular
dis·qui·ets)

make
anxious:
to make somebody anxious or uneasy (archaic or literary)
—dis·qui·et·ly,
adverb

—dis·qui·et·ness, noun[1]



disquieted

disquieted
dis·qui·et·ed
[diss kw ətəd] adjective

anxious:
anxious, worried, or uneasy (archaic or literary)
—dis·qui·et·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·qui·et·ed·ness, noun[1]



disquieting

disquieting
dis·qui·et·ing
[diss kw əting] adjective

worrying:
causing discomfort, worry, or doubt to arise
—dis·qui·et·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disquietude

disquietude
dis·qui·e·tude 
[diss kw ə td] noun

See
disquiet[1]



disquisition

disquisition
dis·qui·si·tion 
[dìskwi zísh’n] (plural dis·qui·si·tions)
noun

long
essay:
a long formal essay or discussion on a subject (formal)
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin disquirere “to
inquire,” from quaerere (see query
).]
—dis·qui·si·tion·al, adjective[1]



Disraeli,Benjamin

Disraeli,Benjamin

Dis·rae·li
[diz ráylee], Benjamin, 1st Earl of
Beaconsfield (1804–1881)
British statesman and novelist. He was
Conservative prime minister (1868, 1874–1880), and author of Coningsby (
1844 ) and Sybil ( 1845 ).[1]



disrate

disrate
dis·rate 
[dìss ráyt] (past dis·rat·ed, past
participle dis·rat·ed, present participle dis·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·rates) transitive verb

demote:
to demote somebody in the military to a lower rank[1]



disregard

disregard
dis·re·gard 
[dìssri gárd] transitive verb (past
dis·re·gard·ed, past participle dis·re·gard·ed, present
participle dis·re·gard·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·re·gards)

1.  ignore:
to ignore or pay no attention to somebody or something

2.  treat
without respect: to treat somebody or something with
contempt or without respect
noun

neglect: lack
of attention or respect
—dis·re·gard·er,
noun

—dis·re·gard·ful,
adjective

—dis·re·gard·ful·ly,
adverb

—dis·re·gard·ful·ness,
noun[1]



disrelated

disrelated
dis·re·la·ted
[dìss ri láytəd] adjective

unrelated:
not related • a
series of disrelated arguments leading nowhere[1]



disrelish

disrelish
dis·rel·ish 
[diss réllish] transitive verb (past
dis·rel·ished, past participle dis·rel·ished, present
participle dis·rel·ish·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·rel·ish·es)

dislike:
to dislike something, or find something distasteful (archaic)
noun

aversion:
dislike or aversion (archaic)[1]



disremember

disremember
dis·re·mem·ber 
[dìssri mémbər] (past dis·re·mem·bered,
past participle dis·re·mem·bered, present participle dis·re·mem·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·re·mem·bers) intransitive and
transitive verb

forget:
to forget or fail to remember something (informal)[1]



disrepair

disrepair
dis·re·pair 
[dìssri páir] noun

poor condition:
poor working order or condition as a result of neglect[1]



disreputable

disreputable
dis·rep·u·ta·ble 
[diss réppyətəb’l] adjective

not
reputable:
lacking respectability on the basis of past or present actions
—dis·rep·u·ta·bil·i·ty
[diss rèppyətə bíllətee], noun

—dis·rep·u·ta·ble·ness
[diss réppyətəb’lnəss], noun

—dis·rep·u·ta·bly [diss réppyətəblee], adverb[1]



disrepute

disrepute
dis·re·pute 
[dìssri pyt] noun

disgrace:
a lack or loss of good reputation or respect[1]



disrespect

disrespect
dis·re·spect 
[dìssri spékt] noun

total
contempt:
a lack of respect
transitive
verb
(past dis·re·spect·ed, past participle dis·re·spect·ed,
present participle dis·re·spect·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·re·spects)

show no respect:
to show a lack of respect for somebody or something.
See also
dis[1]



disrespectable

disrespectable
dis·re·spect·a·ble 
[dìssri spéktəb’l] adjective

not
respectable: not deserving or getting respect or
social approval
—dis·re·spect·a·ble·ness,
noun[1]



disrespectful

disrespectful
dis·re·spect·ful 
[dìssri spéktfəl] adjective

cheeky:
showing a lack of respect
—dis·re·spect·ful·ly,
adverb

—dis·re·spect·ful·ness,
noun[1]



disrobe

disrobe
dis·robe 
[diss rṓb] (past dis·robed, past
participle dis·robed, present participle dis·rob·ing, 3rd
person present singular dis·robes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undress:
to remove your own or somebody else’s clothing (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
divest
of authority: to strip somebody of authority or office
(archaic)
[Late
16th century. From Old French desrober, from des- “dis-” and robe
“ robe .”]
—dis·robe·ment,
noun

—dis·rob·er, noun[1]



disrupt

disrupt
dis·rupt 
[diss rúpt] (past dis·rupt·ed,
past participle dis·rupt·ed, present participle dis·rupt·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·rupts) transitive verb

1.  interrupt:
to interrupt the normal course of a process or activity

2.  destroy
order:
to destroy the order or orderly progression of something

3.  split:
to break or burst something (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin disrupt-, the past participle stem of disrumpere,
literally “to break apart,” from rumpere (see rupture
).]
—dis·rupt·er, noun[1]



disruption

disruption
dis·rup·tion 
[diss rúpshən] (plural dis·rup·tions)
noun

1.  unwanted
break:
an unwelcome or unexpected break in a process or activity

2.  suspension:
the interruption or suspension of normal activity or progress

3.  state
of disorder: a state of disorder caused by outside
influence

[1]



disruptive

disruptive
dis·rup·tive 
[diss rúptiv] adjective

disrupting
something:
interrupting normal order or progress
—dis·rup·tive·ly, adverb[1]



disruptivecoloration

disruptivecoloration
dis·rup·tive
col·or·a·tion noun

camouflage mechanism:
a coloration pattern in an animal that confuses or disrupts the perception of
its body outline, thus providing a means of protection[1]



diss.

diss.
diss.

Abbreviation of
dissertation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dissatisfaction

dissatisfaction
dis·sat·is·fac·tion 
[diss sàttis fákshən] (plural dis·sat·is·fac·tions)
noun

1.  discontent:
a state or feeling of not being satisfied

2.  something
causing discontent: something that causes
discontent or disappointment

[1]



dissatisfactory

dissatisfactory
dis·sat·is·fac·to·ry 
[diss sàttis fáktəree] adjective

unsatisfactory:
not satisfactory[1]



dissatisfied

dissatisfied
dis·sat·is·fied 
[diss sáttis fd] adjective

not
pleased:
not pleased or contented
—dis·sat·is·fied·ly, adverb[1]



dissatisfy

dissatisfy
dis·sat·is·fy 
[dìss sáttis f] (past dis·sat·is·fied,
past participle dis·sat·is·fied, present participle dis·sat·is·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sat·is·fies) transitive verb

fail to satisfy:
to displease or fail to satisfy[1]



dissect

dissect
dis·sect 
[di sékt] (past dis·sect·ed, past
participle dis·sect·ed, present participle dis·sect·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY cut and examine:
to cut and separate the parts of animal or plant specimens for scientific study

2.  transitive
verb
examine
in detail:
to examine or analyze a person or subject in detail
[Late
16th century. From Latin dissect-, the past participle stem of dissecare,
literally “to cut apart,” from secare (see section
).]
—dis·sec·ti·ble,
adjective

—dis·sec·tor, noun[1]



dissected

dissected
dis·sect·ed 
[di séktəd] adjective

1.  BOTANY divided
into parts:
used to describe a leaf that is divided into narrow lobes or segments

2.  GEOLOGY with
hills and valleys: used to describe a landscape
that has been eroded into hills and valleys

[1]



dissection

dissection
dis·sec·tion 
[di sékshən] (plural dis·sec·tions)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY cutting
and examining: the cutting and separating of the
constituent parts of animal or plant specimens for scientific study

2.  BIOLOGY dissected
specimen:
something that has been dissected, for example, an anatomical specimen

3.  examination:
a thorough and detailed analysis or examination

[1]



disseize

disseize
dis·seize
[diss sz] (past dis·seized, past
participle dis·seized, present participle dis·seiz·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·seiz·es) intransitive verb

deprive
of land:
to deprive somebody wrongfully of possession of land
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman disseisir, a variant of Old French dessaisir
“to dispossess,” from des- “dis-” and saisir (see seize ).]
—dis·sei·sor, noun[1]



disseizee

disseizee
dis·sei·zee
[dìss see z] (plural dis·sei·zees)
noun

wrongful deprivation of land:
wrongful deprivation of somebody of his or her land[1]



disseizin

disseizin
dis·sei·zin 
[diss szin] (plural dis·sei·zins)
noun

depriving
somebody of land: the act of wrongfully depriving somebody
of land
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman disseisine, a variant of Old French dessaisine, from
dessaisir (see disseize ).][1]



dissemble

dissemble
dis·sem·ble 
[di sémb’l] (past dis·sem·bled,
past participle dis·sem·bled, present participle dis·sem·bling,
3rd person present singular dis·sem·bles) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
put
on false appearance: to put on a false appearance
in order to conceal facts, feelings, or intentions

2.  transitive
verb
give
appearance:
to put on the appearance of something not actually felt or true (formal)

3.  transitive
verb
hide
by pretense: to hide real beliefs or intentions
through misleading speech or behavior (formal)
[15th
century. From Old French dessembler “to be different,” from des-
“dis-” and sembler “to seem” (see semblance
).]
—dis·sem·blance,
noun

—dis·sem·bler, noun[1]



dissembling

dissembling
dis·sem·bling
[di sémbling] noun

adoption
of false appearance: creation or adoption of a
false appearance so as to elicit a false impression on the part of somebody
else
adjective

feigning:
feigning or pretending
—dis·sem·bling·ly, adverb[1]



disseminate

disseminate
dis·sem·i·nate 
[di sémmi nàyt] (past dis·sem·i·nat·ed,
past participle dis·sem·i·nat·ed, present participle dis·sem·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sem·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

spread:
to distribute or spread something, especially information, or become widespread
[15th
century. From Latin disseminat-, the past participle stem of disseminare,
literally “to sow abroad,” from semin-, the stem of semen “seed”
(see semen ).]
—dis·sem·i·na·tion
[di sèmmi náysh’n], noun

—dis·sem·i·na·tive
[di sémmi nàytiv], adjective

—dis·sem·i·na·tor
[di sémmi nàytər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at scatter

[1]



dissension

dissension
dis·sen·sion 
[di sénshən] noun

disagreement:
disagreement or difference of opinion, especially when leading to open conflict
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin dissentire (see dissent
).][1]



dissensus

dissensus
dis·sen·sus
[di sénsəss] noun

lack
of consensus: a preponderance of disagreement
[Mid-20th century. Blend of dissent and consensus
.][1]



dissent

dissent
dis·sent 
[di sént] intransitive verb (past
dis·sent·ed, past participle dis·sent·ed, present
participle dis·sent·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·sents)

1.  disagree:
to disagree with a widely held or majority opinion

2.  CHRISTIANITY not
support religious practices: to refuse to conform to the
authority, doctrines and practices of an established church

3.  withhold
assent:
to withhold assent or approval
noun

1.  disagreement:
disagreement from a widely held or majority opinion

2.  CHRISTIANITY religious
nonconformity: refusal to conform to the authority,
doctrines, or practices of an established church

3.  LAW minority
opinion:
an opinion of a judge that is not in agreement with that of other judges

4.  POLITICS refusal
to accept political rules: opposition to the laws,
norms, and structures of a political regime, especially on moral grounds
[15th century. From Latin dissentire,
literally “to feel differently,” from sentire (see sentient ).][1]



dissenter

dissenter
dis·sent·er 
[di séntər] (plural dis·sent·ers)
noun

somebody who disagrees:
somebody who disagrees with the beliefs or opinions of a majority[1]



Dissenter

Dissenter
Dis·sent·er
(plural Dis·sent·ers) noun

religious nonconformist:
somebody who refuses to accept the authority, doctrines, or practices of an
established church, especially a Protestant who dissented from the Church of
England in the 17th and 18th centuries[1]



dissentient

dissentient
dis·sen·tient 
[di sénshee ənt] adjective

dissenting:
showing or expressing disagreement with the beliefs or opinions of a majority
noun

dissenter:
somebody who disagrees with the beliefs or opinions of a majority
[Early
17th century. From Latin dissentient-, the present participle stem of dissentire
(see dissent ).]
—dis·sen·tience,
noun

—dis·sen·tien·cy,
noun

—dis·sen·tient·ly, adverb[1]



dissenting

dissenting
dis·sent·ing
[di sénting] adjective

1.  expressing
or showing disagreement: disagreeing with the beliefs
or opinions of a majority

2.  dis·sent·ing
or Dis·sent·ing CHRISTIANITY
of
Dissenters:
relating or belonging to a group of religious nonconformists, especially an
English Protestant denomination of the 17th or 18th centuries

3.  LAW disagreeing
with other judges: disagreeing with the
majority verdict or opinion of other judges
—dis·sent·ing·ly, adverb[1]



dissepiment

dissepiment
dis·sep·i·ment 
[di séppəmənt] (plural dis·sep·i·ments)
noun

BOTANY dividing
tissue:
a dividing wall or membrane separating an organ, for example, a plant ovary,
into distinct chambers
[Early
18th century. From Latin dissaepimentum, from dissaepire “to make
separate,” from saepire “to divide off,” from saepes “hedge”
(source of English septum ).]
—dis·sep·i·men·tal [di sèppə mént’l], adjective[1]



dissertate

dissertate
dis·ser·tate 
[díssər tàyt] (past dis·ser·tat·ed,
past participle dis·ser·tat·ed, present participle dis·ser·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·ser·tates) or dis·sert
[di súrt] (past dis·sert·ed, past
participle dis·sert·ed, present participle dis·sert·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·serts) intransitive verb

write
or present dissertation: to write or present a
dissertation (formal)
—dis·ser·ta·tor, noun[1]



dissertation

dissertation
dis·ser·ta·tion 
[dìssər táysh’n] (plural dis·ser·ta·tions)
noun

1.  long
essay:
a lengthy and formal written treatment of a subject, especially a long paper
submitted as a requirement for a degree

2.  formal
discourse:
a formal spoken or written discourse
—dis·ser·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—dis·ser·ta·tion·ist, noun[1]



disserve

disserve
dis·serve 
[di súrv] (past dis·served, past
participle dis·served, present participle dis·serv·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·serves) transitive verb

harm:
to harm or to mistreat another (formal)[1]



disservice

disservice
dis·serv·ice 
[di súrviss] (plural dis·serv·ic·es)
noun

harmful action:
an action that causes harm or difficulty[1]



dissever

dissever
dis·sev·er 
[di sévvər] (past dis·sev·ered,
past participle dis·sev·ered, present participle dis·sev·er·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sev·ers) verb (formal)

1.  transitive
verb
separate:
to separate or sever something

2.  transitive
verb
break
up:
to break up or divide something

3.  intransitive
verb
come
apart:
to come apart or become disunited
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman deseverer from, ultimately, late Latin disseparare,
literally “to split apart,” from Latin separare (see separate ).]
—dis·sev·er·ance,
noun

—dis·sev·er·a·tion
[di sèvvə ráysh’n], noun

—dis·sev·er·ment [di sévvərmənt], noun[1]



dissidence

dissidence
dis·si·dence 
[díssidəns] noun

disagreement:
disagreement with authority or with prevailing opinion[1]



dissident

dissident
dis·si·dent 
[díssidənt] noun (plural dis·si·dents)

somebody
who disagrees: somebody who publicly disagrees with an
established political or religious system or organization
adjective

expressing
disagreement: expressing or showing disagreement with
authority or with prevailing opinion
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin dissident-, the present participle stem of dissidere,
literally “to sit apart,” from sedere (see sedentary
).]
—dis·si·dent·ly, adverb[1]



dissimilar

dissimilar
dis·sim·i·lar 
[di símmələr] adjective

not
the same:
differing in one or more respects
—dis·sim·i·lar·ly, adverb[1]



dissimilarity

dissimilarity
dis·sim·i·lar·i·ty 
[dìssimə lérrətee] (plural dis·sim·i·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  fact
of difference: the fact or state of being different in
one or more respects

2.  point
of difference: a point of difference or distinction

[1]



dissimilate

dissimilate
dis·sim·i·late 
[di símmə làyt] (past dis·sim·i·lat·ed,
past participle dis·sim·i·lat·ed, present participle dis·sim·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sim·i·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  lose
similarity:
to make something dissimilar, or become dissimilar

2.  PHONETICS change
to different consonant sound: to undergo linguistic
dissimilation, or to change a consonant or consonants by this process
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from dis- + assimilate .]
—dis·sim·i·la·tive
[di símmə làytiv], adjective

—dis·sim·i·la·tory [di símmələ tàwree], adjective[1]



dissimilation

dissimilation
dis·sim·i·la·tion 
[di sìmmi láysh’n] noun

1.  loss
of similarity: the process of becoming dissimilar

2.  PHONETICS sounds
becoming dissimilar: the development of a
dissimilarity between two consonant sounds in a word that are originally
identical

[1]



dissimilitude

dissimilitude
dis·si·mil·i·tude 
[dìssi mílli td] (plural dis·si·mil·i·tudes)
noun

dissimilarity:
the condition or quality of differing or of being different from something else
or others (formal)
[15th century. From Latin dissimilitudo,
from dissimilis, literally “unlike,” from similis (see similar ).][1]



dissimulate

dissimulate
dis·sim·u·late 
[di símmyə làyt] (past dis·sim·u·lat·ed,
past participle dis·sim·u·lat·ed, present participle dis·sim·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·sim·u·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

hide
something by pretense: to disguise or hide your
true feelings, thoughts, or intentions (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin dissimulat-, the past participle stem of dissimulare,
literally “to disguise completely,” from simulare (see simulate ).]
—dis·sim·u·la·tion
[di sìmmyə làysh’n], noun

—dis·sim·u·la·tive
[di símmyə làytiv], adjective

—dis·sim·u·la·tor [di símmyə làytər], noun[1]



dissipate

dissipate
dis·si·pate 
[díssə pàyt] (past dis·si·pat·ed,
past participle dis·si·pat·ed, present participle dis·si·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·si·pates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
to diminish: to cause something to fade or disappear,
or to undergo such a process

2.  transitive
verb
waste:
to spend or use something wastefully
[15th
century. From Latin dissipat-, the past participle stem of dissipare,
literally “to scatter around.”]
—dis·si·pat·er,
noun

—dis·si·pa·tive,
adjective

—dis·si·pa·tor, noun[1]



dissipated

dissipated
dis·si·pat·ed 
[dìssə pàytəd] adjective

1.  overindulging:
overindulging in the pursuit of pleasure by physical methods

2.  squandered:
lost through squandering, as money sometimes is • a
dissipated inheritance
—dis·si·pat·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·si·pat·ed·ness, noun[1]



dissipation

dissipation
dis·si·pa·tion 
[dìssə páysh’n] noun

1.  overindulgence:
overindulgence in the pursuit of pleasure by physical methods

2.  wasteful
use:
the use or squandering of resources, for example, money or fuel (formal)

3.  disappearance:
disappearance through being scattered or dispersed

4.  removal:
the disappearing of a feeling or emotion, for example, anger or anxiety

[1]



dissociable

dissociable
dis·so·cia·ble
[di sṓshəb’l] adjective

distinguishable:
capable of being distinguished
[Early
17th century. Via French from Latin dissociabilis “separating,
incompatible,” from dissociare (see dissociate
).]
—dis·so·cia·bil·i·ty
[di sshə bíllətee], noun

—dis·so·cia·ble·ness
[di sṓshəb’lnəss], noun

—dis·so·cia·bly [di sṓshəblee], adverb[1]



dissociate

dissociate
dis·so·ci·ate 
[disṓshee àyt] (past dis·so·ci·at·ed,
past participle dis·so·ci·at·ed, present participle dis·so·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·so·ci·ates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
regard
something or somebody as distinct: to treat somebody or
something as distinct from or unconnected with somebody or something else

2.  transitive
verb
See disassociate  verb 2

3.  transitive
verb
See disassociate  verb 1

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY split something into simpler
parts:
to cause the molecules of a compound to break down into simpler molecules,
atoms, or ions usually in a reversible reaction, or to break down in this way

5.  intransitive
verb
PSYCHIATRY separate
off areas of the mind: to separate a group of mental
processes from the rest of the mind, causing them to lose their normal
relationship with it
[Mid-16th
century. From, ultimately, Latin dissociare, literally “to separate from
fellowship,” from sociare “to join together,” from socius
“companion” (see social ).]
—dis·so·ci·a·tive, adjective[1]



dissociation

dissociation
dis·so·ci·a·tion 
[di sshee áysh’n] (plural dis·so·ci·a·tions)
noun

1.  treatment
of something as unconnected: the treatment of somebody or
something as distinct or unconnected, or the fact of being regarded in this way

2.  See
disassociation  noun 2

3.  See
disassociation  noun 1

4.  CHEMISTRY division
of molecule: a breaking up of a molecule into simpler
components

5.  PSYCHIATRY separation
of emotions: the separation of a group of normally
connected mental processes, for example, emotion and understanding, from the
rest of the mind as a defense mechanism

[1]



dissoluble

dissoluble
dis·sol·u·ble 
[di sóllyəb’l] adjective

See
soluble
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin dissolubilis, from dissolvere
(see dissolve ).]
—dis·sol·u·bil·i·ty
[di sòllyə bíllətee], noun

—dis·sol·u·ble·ness [di sóllyəb’lnəss], noun[1]



dissolute

dissolute
dis·so·lute 
[díssə lt] adjective

indulging
in vice:
overindulging in physical pleasures in a way or to an extent that is considered
immoral or harmful
[14th
century. From Latin dissolutus, originally the past participle of dissolvere
(see dissolve ). The underlying idea is of
something loosened or disconnected from accepted standards of behavior.]
—dis·so·lute·ly,
adverb

—dis·so·lute·ness, noun[1]



dissolution

dissolution
dis·so·lu·tion 
[dìssə lsh’n] (plural dis·so·lu·tions)
noun

1.  breakdown
of something into parts: the separating, decomposing,
or disintegrating of something into smaller or more basic constituents

2.  breakup
of something: the breaking up or destruction of an
organization or institution • the
dissolution of parliament

3.  formal
closing:
the bringing to an end of a meeting or assembly

4.  LAW ending
of legal relationship: the termination of a legal
relationship, for example, a business partnership or a marriage

5.  demise:
somebody’s death (formal)

[1]



dissolve

dissolve
dis·solve 
[di zólv] verb (past dis·solved,
past participle dis·solved, present participle dis·solv·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·solves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
absorbed in liquid: to become absorbed in a
liquid solution, or cause this process to occur to a solid • Dissolve
two tablets in a glass of water.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb disappear:
to fade away gradually and disappear, or make something gradually fade away and
disappear • All
his fears dissolved.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
up:
to break up, or break something up, into smaller or more basic parts

4.  intransitive
verb
start
laughing or crying: to begin to laugh or cry
uncontrollably

5.  transitive
verb
close
formally:
to bring something such as a meeting or a political assembly to a formal close

6.  transitive
verb
LAW end
legal relationship: to bring a legal
relationship, for example, a business partnership or a marriage, formally to an
end

7.  intransitive
verb
CINEMA TV VIDEO simultaneously
fade out and in: to fade out slowly as a second image
fades in, briefly merging one with the other
noun
(plural dis·solves)

CINEMA TV VIDEO simultaneous
fading out and in: a change from one scene to
another, with the first scene gradually fading out and the next one gradually
fading in over it
[14th
century. From Latin dissolvere, literally “to loosen asunder,” from solvere
“to loosen.”]
—dis·solv·a·bil·i·ty,
noun

—dis·solv·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·solv·a·ble·ness,
noun

—dis·solv·er, noun[1]



dissolvent

dissolvent
dis·sol·vent 
[di zólvənt] adjective

capable
of dissolving something: able to dissolve another
substance
noun

See
solvent  noun[1]



dissonance

dissonance
dis·so·nance 
[díssənəns] (plural dis·so·nanc·es)
noun

1.  unpleasant
noise:
a combination of sounds that is unpleasant to listen to

2.  inconsistency:
lack of consistency or compatibility between actions or beliefs

3.  MUSIC unstable
combination of musical notes: a combination of notes that,
when played simultaneously, sounds displeasing and needs to be resolved to a
consonance

[1]



dissonant

dissonant
dis·so·nant 
[díssənənt] adjective

1.  unpleasant
to hear:
making or involving a combination of sounds that is unpleasant to listen to

2.  conflicting:
incompatible or inconsistent (formal)

3.  MUSIC containing
unstable chords: containing unstable chords or harmonies
that need to be resolved to a consonance
[15th
century. From, ultimately, the Latin present participle stem dissonant-
of dissonare, literally “to be apart in sound,” from sonare “to
sound.”]
—dis·so·nant·ly, adverb[1]



dissuade

dissuade
dis·suade 
[di swáyd] (past dis·suad·ed, past
participle dis·suad·ed, present participle dis·suad·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·suades) transitive verb

talk
somebody out of doing something: to persuade somebody
not to do something or not to believe, think, or feel something
[Early
16th century. From Latin dissuadere, literally “to advise against,” from
suadere “to advise, persuade.”]
—dis·suad·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·suad·er, noun[1]



dissuasion

dissuasion
dis·sua·sion 
[di swáyzh’n] noun

persuasion
against something: persuasion not to do
something or not to believe, think, or feel something
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem dissuasion-, from the past participle
stem dissuas- of dissuadere (see dissuade
).][1]



dissuasive

dissuasive
dis·sua·sive 
[di swáyssiv] adjective

persuasive
against something: convincing enough to
persuade somebody not to do something or not to believe, think, or feel
something
[Early
16th century. Formed from the Latin past participle stem dissuas- of dissuadere
(see dissuade ).]
—dis·sua·sive·ly,
adverb

—dis·sua·sive·ness, noun[1]



dissyllable

dissyllable
dis·syl·la·ble 
(plural dis·syl·la·bles) noun

See
disyllable[1]



dissymmetric

dissymmetric
dis·sym·met·ric
[dìssi méttrik] or dis·sym·met·ri·cal
[dìssi méttrik’l] adjective

See
asymmetrical
[Dissymmetric,
mid-19th century; dissymmetrical, late 19th century]
—dis·sym·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



dissymmetry

dissymmetry
dis·sym·me·try 
[di símmətree] (plural dis·sym·me·tries)
noun

See
asymmetry[1]



dist.

dist.
dist.

1.  Abbreviation
of
distance

2.  Abbreviation
of
district

[1]



distaff

distaff
dis·taff 
[dí stàf] (plural dis·taffs or
dis·taves [dí stàvz]) noun

1.  women’s
concerns:
women’s work or any other matters traditionally considered to be the concern of
women (literary)

2.  CRAFT rod
for unspun thread: a rod on which a fiber, for
example, wool or flax, is wound for somebody to use when spinning by hand, or
the corresponding rod on a spinning wheel
[Old English distæf,
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “bunch of flax” (ancestor of English dizen
) + an earlier form of staff][1]



distaffside

distaffside
dis·taff
side
noun

women’s side of family:
a wife’s or mother’s side of a family[1]



distal

distal
dis·tal 
[díst’l] adjective

ANATOMY away
from point of attachment: used to describe a body part
situated away from a point of attachment or origin. For example, the elbow is
distal to the shoulder.
See
also
proximal
[Early
19th century. Coined from distant + -al .]
—dis·tal·ly, adverb[1]



distance

distance
dis·tance 
[dístəns] noun (plural dis·tanc·es)

1.  length
between two things: the length of the space
separating two people, places, or things • What’s
the distance between Paris and New York?

2.  far-off
place:
a place or position far away, or not very close • It’s
best seen from a distance.

3.  closeness
allowing some activity: the space between two
people, places, or things with regard to activity carried on between the two • We
can do nothing until they’re within hailing distance.

4.  amount
of separation: the amount by which two places are
separated, especially when thought of in terms of the time or inconvenience of
a journey between the two • She
lives some distance away.

5.  coolness
or aloofness: a cool or slightly aloof response to
another person or group • He
suddenly felt the need to put some distance between himself and his friends.

6.  interval
of time:
the interval between one point in time and another, especially a long interval
• You
can’t expect to remember all the details at a distance of more than 20 years.

7.  amount
of progress: the amount of progress that has been
made or that is still to be made • still
some distance to go before we can reach an agreement

8.  ideological
gulf:
difference of opinion or ideology • There’s
still some distance between us with regard to the basic issues.

9.  difference
in rank:
difference in social status, or the extent of such a difference (archaic)

10. HORSERACING space
greater than 20 lengths: a space of more than twenty
lengths between two racehorses, usually the winner and the horse finishing
second • win
by a distance
verb
(past dis·tanced, past participle dis·tanced, present
participle dis·tanc·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·tanc·es)

1.  reflexive
verb
avoid
emotional involvement: to avoid becoming
emotionally involved in something, or encourage somebody to feel less close
emotionally to something • Try to
distance yourself from past experiences.

2.  transitive
verb
avoid
supporting:
to avoid giving any support to or having any involvement with somebody or
something, or deny that you support or have any involvement with somebody or
something • He
was trying to distance himself from the allegations.

3.  transitive
verb
HORSERACING win
by a distance: to beat another racehorse by more than
twenty lengths
[13th
century. Directly or via French from Latin distantia, from distant-
“standing apart” (see distant ).]
go
the distance

to continue until you have
completed something[1]



distancelearning

distancelearning
dis·tance
learn·ing
noun

courses in the home:
education for students working at home, with little or no face-to-face with
teachers and with material provided remotely, for example, by e-mail,
television, or correspondence[1]



distant

distant
dis·tant 
[dístənt] adjective

1.  far
away:
situated, living, or happening far away • a
distant galaxy

2.  far
away in time: remote in time, either in the future or
the past • They
hope to meet again in the distant future.

3.  aloofly
reserved:
showing that somebody does not want to be friendly or intimate

4.  faint:
so slight as to be hard to discern • a
distant resemblance
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin present participle stem distant- of distare
“to stand apart,” from stare “to stand.”][1]



distantly

distantly
dis·tant·ly
[dístəntlee] adverb

1.  far
away:
far away or from far away • We
could distantly make out figures dancing in the village square.

2.  far
away mentally: not concentrating on the immediate
surroundings

3.  aloofly:
in a detached, cold, or formal way • He
smiled at her distantly as she walked past.

4.  not
closely:
not closely in terms of family or blood relations • distantly
related

[1]



distaste

distaste
dis·taste 
[diss táyst] noun

dislike:
a feeling of dislike, disapproval, or mild disgust
[Late
16th century. From dis- + taste ; modeled on Old French desgoust,
literally “distaste.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



distasteful

distasteful
dis·taste·ful 
[diss táystf’l] adjective

1.  unpleasant:
provoking dislike, disapproval, or mild disgust

2.  disapproving:
showing that you dislike or disapprove of something (archaic)
—distastefully,
adverb

—dis·taste·ful·ness, noun[1]



Dist.Atty.

Dist.Atty.
Dist.
Atty.

Abbreviation of
district attorney[1]



distemper

distemper2
dis·tem·per2 [diss
témpər] noun (plural dis·tem·pers)

1.  paint:
a type of paint in which the coloring material is mixed with water and a
substance such as glue, size,or egg yolk or white, instead of with oil.
Distemper is often used for painting walls, theatrical scenery, and posters.

2.  painting
with distemper: the use of distemper in painting posters
and murals
transitive
verb
(past dis·tem·pered, past participle dis·tem·pered,
present participle dis·tem·per·ing, 3rd person present
singular dis·tem·pers)

paint something with distemper:
to paint or cover something, for example, a wall, with distemper
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French destremper “to soak, mix” from late Latin distemperare,
literally “to mix thoroughly,” from Latin temperare “to mix.”][1]



distemper

distemper1
dis·tem·per1 [diss
témpər] noun

animal
disease:
a viral disease that affects various animals, especially dogs and cats.
See
also
canine distemper
See
also
feline distemper
[Mid-16th century. Ultimately
from late Latin distemperare, literally “to combine awry” (referring to
an imbalance of humors), from Latin temperare “to combine” (see temper ).][1]



distend

distend
dis·tend 
[di sténd] (past dis·tend·ed, past
participle dis·tend·ed, present participle dis·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·tends) intransitive and
transitive verb

swell
up:
to expand, swell, or inflate as if by pressure from within
[14th
century. From Latin distendere, literally “to stretch apart,” from tendere
“to stretch.”]
—dis·ten·der,
noun

—dis·ten·si·bil·i·ty
[di stènsə bíllətee], noun

—dis·ten·si·ble
[di sténsəb’l], adjective

—dis·ten·sion [di sténshən], noun[1]



distich

distich
dis·tich 
[dí stik] (plural dis·tiches) noun

two
lines of poetry: two lines of poetry, sometimes rhyming,
that form a complete unit in themselves
[Early
16th century. Via Latin distichon from Greek distikhon,
originally a form of distikhos “of two rows or verses,” from stikhos
“row, line of verse.”]
—dis·tich·al, adjective[1]



distichous

distichous
dis·ti·chous
[dístəkəss] adjective

growing
in rows:
used to describe leaves that grow in vertical rows on opposite sides of a stem
—dis·ti·chous·ly, adverb[1]



distill

distill
dis·till
[di stíl] (past dis·tilled, past
participle dis·tilled, present participle dis·till·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·tills) or dis·til [di stíl] (past dis·tilled, past
participle dis·tilled, present participle dis·till·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·tils) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb purify
liquid with heat: to purify a liquid by heating it and
then condensing its vapor, or to undergo purification in this way

2.  transitive
verb
make
alcoholic spirits: to produce alcoholic spirits
using the process of heating liquid and condensing its vapor

3.  transitive
verb
create
from essential elements: to create something from the
essential or most important elements of something larger or longer

4.  intransitive
verb
emerge
slowly:
to be emitted slowly or in small quantities “Then slowly from the silence there
distilled drops of music” John Buchan Greenmantle 1916
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin distillare, alteration of destillare,
literally “to drip apart,” from stillare “to drip,” from stilla
“drop.”]
—dis·till·a·ble, adjective[1]



distillate

distillate
dis·til·late 
[díst’l àyt, díst’lət]
(plural dis·til·lates) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY liquid
produced by distillation: a concentrated liquid
produced by heating a liquid mixture and condensing the vapor.
Also
called
distillation

2.  essence:
the concentrated essence of something

[1]



distillation

distillation
dis·til·la·tion 
[dìst’l áysh’n] (plural dis·til·la·tions)
noun

1.  boiling
and condensing of liquid: the process of separating,
concentrating, or purifying liquid by boiling it and then condensing the
resulting vapor. Alcoholic liquors, for example, whiskey and vodka, are made in
this way.

2.  condensed
version of something: something that consists of
the essential points, aspects, or implications of something larger or longer

3.  CHEMISTRY See distillate  noun 1
—dis·til·la·to·ry [di stíllə tàwree], adjective[1]



distillationcolumn

distillationcolumn
dis·til·la·tion
col·umn
(plural dis·til·la·tion col·umns) noun

CHEMISTRY
equipment for separating liquid mixtures:
a hollow vertical column, fitted inside with perforated trays or packing
material, in which liquid mixtures are separated into their components by
heating the mixture and condensing the vapor produced[1]



distilled

distilled
dis·tilled
[di stíld] adjective

1.  summing
something up: derived from or encapsulating a wider
experience or larger set of ideas

2.  CHEMISTRY resulting
from distillation: used to describe liquids
that have been purified or concentrated by distillation

[1]



distiller

distiller
dis·till·er 
[di stíllər] (plural dis·till·ers)
noun

somebody making hard liquor:
a company that or person who produces hard liquor such as whiskey, vodka, and
gin[1]



distillery

distillery
dis·till·er·y 
[di stílləree] (plural dis·till·er·ies)
noun

place where hard liquor is
made: a place where strong
alcoholic liquors such as whiskey, vodka, and gin are made by distilling.
Also called
still[1]



distinct

distinct
dis·tinct 
[di stíngkt] adjective

1.  separate:
clearly different and separate • The
word has two distinct senses.

2.  apparent
to the senses: easy to hear, see, smell, or understand
• I
have a very distinct memory of that day.

3.  certain:
definite or undeniable • I had
the distinct impression they’d been arguing.

4.  noticeable:
strong enough, large enough, or definite enough to be noticed • There’s
a distinct smell of gasoline in the car.

5.  emphatic:
very great in degree, for example, as an honor felt or experienced • a
distinct privilege
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin past participle distinctus
of distinguere “to separate” (see distinguish
).]
—dis·tinct·ness, noun[1]



distinction

distinction
dis·tinc·tion 
[di stíngkshən] (plural dis·tinc·tions)
noun

1.  difference:
a difference, or the recognition of a difference, between two or more things or
people

2.  high
quality:
excellence in quality or talent • tailors
of distinction

3.  something
to be proud of: something done or given as a mark of
respect or honor • I had the distinction
of giving the opening address.

4.  distinguishing
feature:
something that characterizes or singles out something or somebody • She
has the dubious distinction of being the administration’s most slavish
defender.

5.  EDUCATION mark
of high achievement: recognition of high
achievement or a grade that signifies this • graduated
from the university with distinction

[1]



distinctive

distinctive
dis·tinc·tive
[di stíngktiv] adjective

1.  different
from others: uniquely characteristic of a particular
person, group, or thing

2.  PHONETICS relating
to phoneme’s distinguishing feature:
relating to the features of a phoneme that distinguish it from other similar
phonemes, for example, the fact that it is labial, fricative, or nasal

[1]



distinctly

distinctly
dis·tinct·ly
[di stíngktlee] adverb

1.  clearly:
clearly or obviously enough to be easily seen, heard, remembered, identified,
or understood • I distinctly recall the
incident.
• I
wasn’t able to see what was going on very distinctly as I didn’t have my
glasses with me.

2.  undeniably:
to a marked extent • She was distinctly
angry

[1]



distinguish

distinguish
dis·tin·guish 
[di stíng gwish] (past dis·tin·guished,
past participle dis·tin·guished, present participle dis·tin·guish·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·tin·guish·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb recognize
differences: to be aware of a difference between two
or more people, groups, or things, or to show that they are different from each
other • to
distinguish between fact and fiction

2.  transitive
verb
be
the identifying difference: to be the feature or
characteristic that shows that one person, group, or thing is different from
another • What
distinguishes dogs from wolves?

3.  transitive
verb
make
something out: to be able to recognize or identify
something • I
could barely distinguish people’s faces in the fog.

4.  reflexive
verb
do
something well and achieve recognition: to
make yourself well known because of excellence, especially in a profession,
art, or organization • He
distinguished himself on the field of battle.
[Late
16th century. Formed from French distinguer or directly from Latin distinguere,
literally “to separate by pricking,” from stinguere “to quench”
(presumed earlier “to prick”).]
—dis·tin·guish·er, noun[1]



distinguishable

distinguishable
dis·tin·guish·a·ble
[di stíng gwishəb’l] adjective

1.  different:
recognizably different

2.  detectable:
capable of being seen, heard, tasted, or detected in some way
—dis·tin·guish·a·bly, adverb[1]



distinguished

distinguished
dis·tin·guished 
[di stíng gwisht] adjective

1.  recognized
for excellence: well known and respected for a
particular achievement, skill, knowledge, or talent • a
distinguished composer

2.  confident
and dignified: showing the confident and dignified
appearance and manners of somebody who is used to respect

3.  successful:
showing or involving a great deal of skill, talent, or success

[1]



DistinguishedFlying Cross

DistinguishedFlying Cross
Dis·tin·guished
Fly·ing Cross (plural Dis·tin·guished
Fly·ing Crosses) noun

1.  U.S.
flying medal: a U.S. military medal awarded for
extraordinary achievement or for heroism in air combat

2.  British
air force medal: a Royal Air Force medal awarded to
noncommissioned and warrant officers for distinguished conduct when flying in
action

[1]



DistinguishedService Cross

DistinguishedService Cross
Dis·tin·guished
Ser·vice Cross (plural Dis·tin·guished
Ser·vice Crosses) noun

1.  U.S.
Army medal:
a U.S. Army medal awarded for extraordinary heroism against an enemy. It is the
U.S. Army’s second highest award for bravery, the highest being the
Congressional Medal of Honor.

2.  British
armed services medal: a British medal awarded in
all branches of the armed forces for distinguished service in action

[1]



DistinguishedService Order

DistinguishedService Order
Dis·tin·guished
Ser·vice Or·der (plural Dis·tin·guished
Ser·vice Or·ders) noun

British medal for
commissioned officers: a British
medal awarded to commissioned officers in all armed forces for distinguished
service in action[1]



distinguishing

distinguishing
dis·tin·guish·ing
[di stíng gwishing] adjective

showing differences:
allowing one person, group, or thing to be told apart from another • distinguishing
characteristics[1]



distingué

distingué
dis·tin·gué 
[di stìng gáy] adjective

distinguished:
having the confidence and dignity of somebody who is used to being respected (formal)
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of distinguer “to distinguish” (see distinguish ).][1]



distort

distort
dis·tort 
[di stáwrt] (past dis·tort·ed,
past participle dis·tort·ed, present participle dis·tort·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·torts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
an inaccurate report of something: to describe or report
something in a way that is inaccurate or misleading

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb alter
shape:
to bend, twist, stretch, or change from a normal or natural shape, or make
something do this

3.  transitive
verb
make
something unnatural or unclear: to change something
such as an image in such a way that it becomes unclear or unrecognizable

4.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING reproduce
inaccurately: to amplify or reproduce something, for
example, a radio signal, inaccurately
[15th
century. From the Latin past participle stem distort- of distorquere,
literally “to twist completely,” from torquere “to twist.”]
—dis·tort·er,
noun

—dis·tor·tive, adjective[1]



distorted

distorted
dis·tort·ed
[di stáwrtəd] adjective

1.  inaccurately
reported:
described or reported in a way that is inaccurate or misleading • a
distorted version of events

2.  out
of shape:
bent or twisted out of shape

3.  unnatural
or unclear:
changed in such a way as to become unclear or unrecognizable • a
distorted face in the mirror
—dis·tort·ed·ly,
adverb

—dis·tort·ed·ness, noun[1]



distortion

distortion
dis·tor·tion 
[di stáwrsh’n] (plural dis·tor·tions)
noun

1.  misleading
alteration:
the altering of information in such a way that people are misinformed or misled

2.  changing
from correct shape: the bending or twisting of
something out of its normal or natural shape

3.  misshapen
part:
a part of something that has been bent, twisted, stretched, or forced out of
its normal or natural shape

4.  making
something unclear: the altering of something,
for example, a radio or television signal, to the extent that it becomes
unclear or unrecognizable

5.  OPTICS alteration
in optical image: an alteration in an image in which the
original proportions are changed, resulting from a defect in a lens or optical
system
—dis·tor·tion·al,
adjective

—dis·tor·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



distr.

distr.
distr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
distribution

2.  Abbreviation
of
distributor

[1]



distract

distract
dis·tract 
[di strákt] (past dis·tract·ed,
past participle dis·tract·ed, present participle dis·tract·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·tracts) transitive verb

1.  catch
somebody’s attention: to take somebody’s attention
away from what he or she is doing or thinking, or from what is happening

2.  amuse
somebody:
to amuse or entertain somebody, especially as a means of taking his or her mind
off something unpleasant

3.  make
somebody uneasy: to unsettle somebody’s mind with
disturbing, confusing, or conflicting emotions (archaic) “O Husband,
Husband, my Heart long’d to see thee; but to see thee thus distracts me.” John
Gay The Beggar’s Opera 1728
[14th
century. From the Latin past participle stem distract- of distrahere,
literally “to draw away,” from trahere “to draw, drag.”]
—dis·tract·er,
noun

—dis·tract·i·bil·i·ty
[di stràktə bíllətee], noun

—dis·tract·i·ble
[di stráktəb’l], adjective

—dis·trac·tive
[di stráktiv], adjective

—dis·trac·tive·ly [di stráktivlee], adverb[1]



distracted

distracted
dis·tract·ed 
[di stráktəd] adjective

1.  preoccupied:
showing a lack of concentration

2.  anxious:
so worried or upset as to be unable to think clearly or act sensibly
—dis·tract·ed·ness, noun[1]



distracting

distracting
dis·tract·ing
[di strákting] adjective

1.  diverting
somebody’s attention: taking somebody’s attention
away from what he or she wants to do or ought to be doing

2.  relaxing:
helping somebody to relax and forget work or worries
—dis·tract·ing·ly, adverb[1]



distraction

distraction
dis·trac·tion 
[di strákshən] (plural dis·trac·tions)
noun

1.  something
that diverts attention: something that interferes
with concentration or takes attention away from something else

2.  amusement:
something providing entertainment or amusement, especially something that takes
the mind off work or worries and helps relaxation

3.  emotional
upset:
a state of great mental or emotional upset

[1]



distrain

distrain
dis·train 
[di stráyn] (past dis·trained,
past participle dis·trained, present participle dis·train·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·trains) transitive verb

take
debtor’s property as payment: to take and hold somebody’s
property as a pledge for something such as unpaid rent
[14th
century. From the Old French present stem destreign- of destreindre,
from Latin distringere “to draw asunder.”]
—dis·train·a·ble,
adjective

—dis·train·ee
[di strày n], noun

—dis·train·er
[di stráynər], noun

—dis·train·ment [di stráynmənt], noun[1]



distraint

distraint
dis·traint 
[di stráynt] noun

LAW See distress  noun 5
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from distrain ; modeled on constraint .][1]



distrait

distrait
dis·trait
[di stráy] adjective

1.  inattentive:
inattentive and slightly distracted or absent-minded (literary)

2.  distraught:
upset or perturbed (archaic)
[14th century. Via French
from the Old French past participle of destraire “to distract,” from
Latin distrahere (see distract ).][1]



distraught

distraught
dis·traught 
[di stráwt] adjective

1.  extremely
upset:
extremely upset and distressed

2.  not
in mental health: experiencing psychiatric disorder (archaic)
[14th century. Alteration of
archaic distract “perplexed,” from Latin distractus, past
participle of distrahere (see distract
); influenced by straught, former past participle of stretch .][1]



distress

distress
dis·tress 
[di stréss] noun

1.  mental
suffering:
mental suffering, for example, that caused by grief, anxiety, or unhappiness

2.  hardship
or difficulty: difficulty or hardship caused by a lack
of basic necessities

3.  physical
pain:
physical pain or discomfort

4.  danger
or difficulty: great danger or difficulty, with a need
for immediate assistance • a ship
in distress

5.  LAW seizure
of bad debtor’s property: the seizing of somebody’s
movable property either in lieu of payment of a debt or in order to force the
person to pay.
Also
called
distraint
U.K.
term
distraint  noun
transitive
verb
(past dis·tressed, past participle dis·tressed, present
participle dis·tress·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·tress·es)

1.  upset
somebody:
to make somebody extremely upset, anxious, or alarmed

2.  make
furniture or fabric look old: to give a new piece of
furniture or fabric an old or worn appearance
[13th century. Via Old French
destresce from assumed Vulgar Latin districtia, from the Latin
past participle stem district- of distringere, literally “to draw
asunder” (see stringent ).][1]



distressed

distressed
dis·tressed 
[di strést] adjective

1.  very
upset:
extremely upset, anxious, or unhappy

2.  made
to look older: artificially given an old or worn
appearance

3.  LAW FINANCE repossessed from bad debtor:
repossessed by a bank or other lender from the borrower and offered for sale at
a reduced price • a distressed loan

4.  of
damaged goods: damaged or used • They
had a sale of distressed goods.

[1]



distressing

distressing
dis·tress·ing
[di stréssing] or dis·tress·ful
[di strésfəl] adjective

upsetting:
causing somebody to feel extremely upset
—dis·tress·ing·ly, adverb[1]



distressmerchandise

distressmerchandise
dis·tress
mer·chan·dise noun

repossessed goods on sale
again: goods that have been
repossessed by a bank or other lender from a borrower who has failed to repay a
loan and are offered for sale at below-market prices[1]



distresssignal

distresssignal
dis·tress
sig·nal
(plural dis·tress sig·nals) noun

signal requesting help:
a signal, for example, a radio message or a flare, sent by a ship or aircraft
in urgent need of assistance[1]



distributary

distributary
dis·trib·u·tar·y 
[di stríbbyə tèree] (plural dis·trib·u·tar·ies)
noun

draining channel:
a channel leading water away from a main single channel[1]



distribute

distribute
dis·trib·ute 
[di strí byt] (past dis·trib·ut·ed,
past participle dis·trib·ut·ed, present participle dis·trib·ut·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·trib·utes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
something out: to deliver or share things out to people
• distribute
prizes

2.  transitive
verb
divide
and share something: to divide something into
shares and give the shares to a number of people

3.  transitive
verb
spread
something:
to scatter something or spread it throughout a particular area or place

4.  transitive
verb
divide
into classes: to divide something up into different
classes or categories

5.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE sell
and dispatch goods: to sell and deliver
merchandise, especially wholesale goods to a retailer

6.  transitive
verb
LOGIC make
term apply to all: to apply a term to all the
members of the class it designates

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS make operation apply throughout:
to apply or make an operation, for example, multiplication or division, apply
to each part of a mathematical expression
[15th
century. From the Latin past participle stem distribut- of distribuere,
literally “to assign separately,” from tribuere “to assign” (see tribute ).]
—dis·trib·ut·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at scatter

[1]



distributed

distributed
dis·trib·ut·ed
[di stríbbyətəd] adjective

linked but able to function
separately: used to describe computer
systems in which two or more computers have a telecommunications link to each
other but can also operate independently[1]



distributee

distributee
dis·trib·u·tee 
[di strìbbyoo t] (plural dis·trib·u·tees)
noun

somebody receiving share of
deceased’s estate: somebody
entitled to a share of the estate of a person who has died without making a
will[1]



distributer

distributer
dis·trib·ut·er
[di stríbbyətər] (plural dis·trib·ut·ers)
noun

See
distributor[1]



distribution

distribution
dis·tri·bu·tion 
[dìstrə bysh’n] (plural dis·tri·bu·tions)
noun

1.  giving
out:
the sharing out or delivery of things to a number of people

2.  sharing:
the process of dividing up and giving out something, for example, money, when
it is shared by a number of people

3.  scattering:
the scattering or spreading of something over an area

4.  ECOLOGY entire
area where species is found: the area or areas taken together
where something is located or where a species lives and reproduces

5.  STATISTICS spread
of statistics: the spread of statistics within known or
possible limits, especially in relation to the norm or to expectations.
Also
called
frequency distribution

6.  LAW sharing
out of somebody’s estate: the dividing up of the
estate of somebody who has died intestate among people who are entitled to
receive a share

7.  LOGIC recombining
of two propositions: the recombining of two
operations from one proposition in another equivalent proposition, for example,
“p and (q or r)” is equivalent to “(p and q) or (p and r)”
—dis·tri·bu·tion·al, adjective[1]



distributive

distributive
dis·trib·u·tive 
[di stríbbyətiv] adjective

1.  involving
distribution: relating to or involving the handing
out, sharing out, or scattering about of things

2.  COMMERCE involved
with deliveries: relating to or involved in the delivery
of merchandise

3.  GRAMMAR referring
to each member of group: referring to each member of
a set or group individually and separately. “Each,”“every,” and “either” are
examples of distributive words in English.

4.  LOGIC referring
to individuals, not classes: referring to an individual
member of a class, or to each member individually

5.  MATHEMATICS producing
equal results: used to describe a mathematical
expression with two operators whose expansion produces the same results whether
operated on as a whole or as a sum of the parts
noun
(plural dis·trib·u·tives)

GRAMMAR distributive
word:
a word that refers to every member of a set or group individually and
separately
—dis·trib·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—dis·trib·u·tive·ness
[di stríbbyətivnəss], noun[1]



distributiveeducation

distributiveeducation
dis·trib·u·tive
ed·u·ca·tion noun

EDUCATION
vocational studies combined with work
experience: educational courses in
vocational subjects that combine classroom teaching with on-the-job training[1]



distributor

distributor
dis·trib·u·tor 
[di stríbbyətər] (plural dis·trib·u·tors)
or dis·trib·ut·er [di stríbbyətər]
(plural dis·trib·ut·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who distributes something: a person who or an
organization or thing that distributes something

2.  COMMERCE wholesaler:
a wholesaler who sells merchandise to retailers, usually within a specified
geographic area

3.  AUTOMOTIVE device
conveying electricity to spark plugs: the
device in a motor vehicle’s engine that transfers electric current from the
induction coil to the spark plugs

4.  CINEMA organization
arranging screening of motion pictures: an
organization that advertises movies and arranges with exhibitors, who own the
movie theaters, to have them shown

[1]



district

district
dis·trict 
[dístrikt] noun (plural dis·tricts)

area:
an area of a town or country, especially one with a particular distinguishing
feature or one that is an administrative division • a
fruit-growing district
transitive
verb
(past dis·trict·ed, past participle dis·trict·ed, present
participle dis·trict·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·tricts)

divide
into geopolitical areas: to divide an area into
distinct geopolitical or cultural sectors • hard
at work districting the huge county for voting purposes
[Early 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin districtus “(area of) jurisdiction,”
literally “restraining (of offenders),” from the Latin stem district-
(see distress ).][1]



districtattorney

districtattorney
dis·trict
at·tor·ney
noun

prosecutor:
the prosecuting officer of a particular jurisdiction[1]



districtcourt

districtcourt
dis·trict
court
(plural dis·trict courts) noun

district trial court:
the trial court in either a state or a federal district in the United States[1]



Districtof Columbia

Districtof Columbia

Dis·trict of Co·lum·bi·a
[dìstrikt əv kə lúmbee ə]
federal district of the United States,
situated on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, coextensive with the city of
Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. It was created in 1790–1791. Area: 177
sq km/68 sq mi.[1]



distrust

distrust
dis·trust 
[diss trúst] noun

lack
of trust:
a feeling that somebody or something is dishonest or unreliable
transitive
verb
(past dis·trust·ed, past participle dis·trust·ed, present
participle dis·trust·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·trusts)

have
no confidence in somebody: to have a feeling that
somebody or something is dishonest or unreliable
—dis·trust·er, noun[1]



distrustful

distrustful
dis·trust·ful 
[diss trústfəl] adjective

showing
lack of trust: showing lack of trust in somebody or
something
—dis·trust·ful·ly,
adverb

—dis·trust·ful·ness, noun[1]



disturb

disturb
dis·turb 
[di stúrb] (past dis·turbed, past
participle dis·turbed, present participle dis·turb·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·turbs) transitive verb

1.  interrupt
somebody:
to interrupt or distract somebody when he or she is busy

2.  upset
somebody:
to make somebody feel anxious or slightly troubled

3.  change
shape or position: to move something so that it
is not in its normal, expected, or correct shape or position • Nothing
had been disturbed.

4.  spoil
peace and quiet: to spoil the quietness, stillness, or
peacefulness of something

5.  awaken:
to waken somebody or something
[12th
century. Directly or via Old French desto(u)rber from Latin disturbare,
literally “to disturb completely,” from turbare “to disturb.”]
—dis·turb·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bother

[1]



disturbance

disturbance
dis·tur·bance 
[di stúrbəns] (plural dis·tur·banc·es)
noun

1.  disruption
of peace:
the disruption of a peaceful or ordered environment, or something that causes
such disruption

2.  disruption
of concentration: the disruption of somebody’s
concentration, or something that disrupts somebody’s ability to continue with a
task in hand

3.  commotion:
noisy and violent behavior in a public place, or an incident involving such
behavior

4.  mental
upset:
psychological or emotional upset

5.  GEOLOGY earth
tremor:
a minor movement of the earth that falls short of an earthquake

6.  LAW interference
with somebody’s rights: any act that causes
disruption to others or hinders them from pursuing normal legal activities

7.  METEOROLOGY low-pressure
area:
a small area of low pressure

[1]



disturbed

disturbed
dis·turbed
[di stúrbd] adjective

1.  anxious:
worried or concerned

2.  troubled:
unsettled and unhappy, with many troubles and upsets

3.  not
in mental health: affected by or displaying symptoms of
psychiatric disorder

[1]



disturbing

disturbing
dis·turb·ing
[di stúrbing] adjective

worrying
or upsetting: causing worry, or emotional or physical
upset
—dis·turb·ing·ly, adverb[1]



disulfide

disulfide
di·sul·fide 
[dī súl fd] (plural di·sul·fides)
noun

chemical with two atoms of
sulfur: a chemical compound that has
two atoms of sulfur combined with one or more other elements.
Also called
bisulfide[1]



disulfiram

disulfiram
di·sul·fi·ram
[dī súlfə ràm] noun

drug
used to treat alcoholism: a chemical compound used in
the treatment of alcoholism for its deterrent effect. It causes nausea,
vomiting, and other extreme effects when alcohol is consumed. C10H20N2S4
[Mid-20th century. From disulfide + thiourea
+ amyl .][1]



disulfoton

disulfoton
di·sul·fo·ton 
[dī súlfə tòn] noun

organophosphate
insecticide: a systemic organophosphate insecticide
used in agriculture
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + sulfo- + -ton (of
uncertain origin: probably a contraction of thion- “sulfur,” from Greek theion
; see thio- ).][1]



disunion

disunion
dis·un·ion 
[diss ynee ən] noun

1.  division
into smaller parts: the splitting up of
something into separate smaller parts or groups

2.  discord:
disagreement or discord

[1]



disunite

disunite
dis·u·nite 
[dìssyoo nt] (past dis·u·nit·ed,
past participle dis·u·nit·ed, present participle dis·u·nit·ing,
3rd person present singular dis·u·nites) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cause
disagreement between people: to create or be a source of
disagreement between different people or factions within a group

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
something:
to divide something, or become divided, into smaller parts or groups
—dis·u·nit·er, noun[1]



disunited

disunited
dis·u·nit·ed
[dìssyoo ntəd] adjective

split into factions:
divided into separate groups or factions because of a disagreement or
difference of opinion[1]



disunity

disunity
dis·u·ni·ty 
[diss ynitee] noun

lack of unity:
a lack of unity within a group, especially one caused by a disagreement or a
difference of opinion[1]



disuse

disuse
dis·use 
[diss yss] noun

state of not being used:
the fact or condition of not being used, applied, or followed, especially for a
long time[1]



disused

disused
dis·used
[diss yzd] adjective

not in use:
no longer in use, or no longer used for its original purpose • a
disused airfield[1]



disvalue

disvalue
dis·val·ue 
[diss vályoo] transitive verb (past
dis·val·ued, past participle dis·val·ued, present
participle dis·val·u·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·val·ues)

See
undervalue
noun

negative value:
negative worth or value[1]



disyllable

disyllable
di·syl·la·ble
[dī sílləb’l, di
sílləb’l] (plural di·syl·la·bles) or dis·syl·la·ble
[dī sílləb’l, di
sílləb’l] (plural dis·syl·la·bles) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS two-syllable
word:
a word composed of two syllables

2.  POETRY two-syllable
poetic unit: a two-syllable unit of rhythm in poetry
—di·syl·lab·ic [dīssi lábbik, dìssi
lábbik], adjective[1]



dit

dit
dit 
[dit] (plural dits) noun

spoken
form of Morse sound: the spoken form of the short
sound used in Morse and other telegraphic codes.
See
also
dah
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ditch

ditch
ditch 
[dich] noun (plural ditch·es)

1.  narrow
channel:
a long narrow channel dug in the ground, usually used for drainage or
irrigation but sometimes used as a boundary marker

2.  U.K.
small
brook:
a small natural stream or brook
verb
(past ditched, past participle ditched, present
participle ditch·ing, 3rd person present singular ditch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
abandon
something or somebody: to abandon something or
somebody as no longer wanted, liked, or needed (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
emergency landing on water: to land, or make an aircraft
land, on water in an emergency (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig
ditches:
to enclose, drain, or irrigate an area with ditches, or dig ditches for this
purpose
[Old
English dīc, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “hole and mound
produced by digging,” which is also the ancestor of English dig and dike]
—ditch·er, noun[1]



ditchwater

ditchwater
ditch·wa·ter 
[dích wòttər] noun

stagnant water in ditches:
the dirty stagnant water found in ditches[1]



ditheism

ditheism
di·the·ism
[dthee ìzzəm, dī
th ìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in two gods: belief in two equal gods

2.  belief
in good and evil gods: the belief that the world is
ruled by two equal and opposing forces or gods, one good and one evil
—di·the·ist,
noun

—di·the·is·tic [dthee ístik], adjective[1]



dither

dither
dith·er 
[díər] intransitive verb (past
dith·ered, past participle dith·ered, present
participle dith·er·ing, 3rd person present singular dith·ers)

1.  be
agitated and indecisive: to behave in a nervous and
indecisive way

2.  shiver:
to tremble or quiver, for example, with cold (archaic)
noun

agitated or indecisive state:
a state of nervous agitation or indecisiveness
[Mid-17th
century. Alteration of obsolete didder “to tremble, shake,” of uncertain
origin, but thought to suggest the action.]
—dith·er·er, noun[1]



dithering

dithering
dith·er·ing 
[díəring] (plural dith·er·ings)
noun

1.  nervous
indecisiveness: nervously confused indecisiveness in the
face of alternative possible actions

2.  COMPUTING simulation
of colors:
a technique of mixing pixels of several colors on a computer display to create
the illusion of extra colors or shading

[1]



dithyramb

dithyramb
dith·y·ramb 
[díthə ràm] (plural dith·y·rambs)
noun

1.  fervent
speech:
a passionately emotional speech or piece of writing (formal)

2.  impassioned
Greek chorus: in ancient Greece, a wild and
impassioned choral hymn, originally directed to the god Dionysus
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin dithyrambus from Greek dithurambos, of unknown origin.][1]



dithyrambic

dithyrambic
dith·y·ramb·ic 
[dìthə rámbik] adjective

fervent:
passionately emotional or wildly enthusiastic (formal)
—dith·y·ramb·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ditsy

ditsy
dit·sy 
[dítsee] (comparative dit·si·er,
superlative dit·si·est) or dit·zy [dítsee] (comparative dit·zi·er, superlative
dit·zi·est) adjective

silly:
silly or scatterbrained (informal)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of dotty and dizzy .][1]



dittany

dittany
dit·ta·ny 
[dítt’nee] (plural dit·ta·nies
or dit·ta·ny) noun

1.  pink-flowered
plant of S Europe: an aromatic pink-flowered
plant found in southern Europe and related to oregano and marjoram. It is
cultivated as an ornamental and for its medicinal properties. Latin name: Origanum
dictamnus

2.  culinary
herb:
an aromatic plant, cultivated as a kitchen herb. Latin name: Cunila
origanoides

3.  See
gas plant
[12th century. From Old
French ditain and medieval Latin ditaneum, both ultimately from
Greek diktamnon, of uncertain origin: perhaps named after Diktē,
mountain on Crete where it grows.][1]



ditto

ditto
dit·to 
[díttō] interjection

same
here:
used instead of repeating something that has just been said to indicate that
the same thing applies to you (informal)
adverb

the
same thing applies elsewhere: indicating that whatever has
just been said about one person or thing applies equally to somebody or
something else • The car will need to be
cleaned; ditto the children.
noun
(plural dit·tos)

symbols
representing repeated matter: a pair of symbols (") that
together represent matter that is repeated directly from what appears above
them but that is unstated
transitive
verb
(past dit·toed, past participle dit·toed, present
participle dit·to·ing, 3rd person present singular dit·tos)

repeat
something:
to repeat or imitate something that somebody else has said or done
[Early 17th century. Via a
Tuscan dialect variant of Italian detto “said,” from the Latin past
participle dictus . Originally used to avoid repeating the name of a
month.][1]



ditty

ditty
dit·ty 
[díttee] (plural dit·ties) noun

song:
a short simple popular song
[14th century. Via Old French
dité “composition” from Latin dictatum “thing dictated,” from the
past participle of dictare “to dictate” (see dictate
).][1]



dittybag

dittybag
dit·ty
bag
(plural dit·ty bags) noun

small
toiletry bag: a small canvas or leather bag used by
men for holding small personal belongings
[Ditty of unknown origin][1]



ditz

ditz
ditz
[dits] (plural dit·zes) noun

silly
person:
somebody considered to be silly in a scatterbrained sort of way (slang
insult)
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from ditzy .][1]



ditzy

ditzy
dit·zy 
adjective

See
ditsy[1]



diuresis

diuresis
di·u·re·sis 
[d ə rssiss] noun

abnormally
large urine output: abnormally increased
excretion of urine caused by excessive intake of fluids, a drug, or a disease
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “urination through,” from Greek ourēsis
“urination.”][1]



diuretic

diuretic
di·u·ret·ic 
[d ə réttik] adjective

causing
increased urine output: causing increased flow of
urine
noun
(plural di·u·ret·ics)

drug
increasing urine output: a medication or other agent
that increases urine output
[14th
century. From, ultimately, late Latin diureticus, from Greek diourētikos,
from diourein, literally “to urinate through,” from ourein “to
urinate.”]
—di·u·ret·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



diurnal

diurnal
di·ur·nal 
[dī úrn’l] adjective

1.  in
the daytime: happening during the day as opposed to
at night.
See
also
nocturnal

2.  every
day:
happening every day

3.  SCIENCE varying
within a day: varying within the course of a single
day

4.  BOTANY open only
in daytime:
used to describe flowers that open during the day and close at night.
See
also
nocturnal

5.  ZOOLOGY active
in daytime:
used to describe animals that are active during the day rather than at night.
See
also
nocturnal
noun
(plural di·ur·nals)

CHRISTIANITY worship
book:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a book containing the prayer and worship material
for all of the set daily services except matins
[14th
century. From late Latin diurnalis, from Latin diurnus “daily,”
from dies “day” (source of English diary
).]
—di·ur·nal·ly, adverb[1]



diurnalparallax

diurnalparallax
di·ur·nal
par·al·lax
(plural di·ur·nal par·al·lax·es) noun

apparent shift caused by
Earth’s movement: the change in a
celestial body’s apparent position caused by the change in the observer’s
position because of the motion of the Earth in a day[1]



diuron

diuron
di·u·ron 
[d ə ròn] noun

herbicide:
a long-lasting agricultural herbicide used especially to kill annual weeds. C9H10Cl2N2O
[[Mid-20th century. Coined
from dichlor- + urea + -on .][1]



div.

div.
div.

1.  Abbreviation
of
divergence

2.  Abbreviation
of
divergency

3.  Abbreviation
of
diversion

4.  Abbreviation
of
divide

5.  Abbreviation
of
dividend

6.  Abbreviation
of
division

7.  Abbreviation
of
divorced

[1]



diva

diva
di·va 
[dvə] (plural di·vas or
di·ve [d vay]) noun

1.  woman
opera singer: a distinguished woman singer, especially
one who sings in operas

2.  temperamental
woman:
an extremely arrogant or temperamental woman
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian from Latin, “goddess,” from the feminine of divus “divine” (see divine ).][1]



divagate

divagate
di·va·gate 
[dvə gàyt, dívvə
gàyt] (past di·va·gat·ed, past participle di·va·gat·ed,
present participle di·va·gat·ing, 3rd person present singular
di·va·gates) intransitive verb (literary)

1.  digress:
to wander off the subject under discussion

2.  wander:
to wander around somewhere
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin past participle stem divagat- of divagari,
literally “to wander around,” from vagari “to wander.”]
—di·va·ga·tion [dvə gáysh’n, dìvvə
gáysh’n], noun[1]



divalent

divalent
di·va·lent 
[dī váylənt] adjective

CHEMISTRY
with valence of 2:
having a valence of 2[1]



Divali

Divali
Di·va·li
[di vlee] noun

INDIAN
RELIGION See Diwali[1]



divan

divan
di·van 
[d vàn, di ván]
(plural di·vans) noun

1.  FURNITURE backless
sofa:
a sofa without a back, and sometimes without arms

2.  smoking
room:
in former times, a smoking room attached to a coffee shop or cigar shop

3.  POETRY Arabic
poems:
a collection of poems written in Persian or Arabic, often by a single poet
[Late 16th century. Via
French or Italian divano from Turkish dīvān, from Persian dīvān
.][1]



divaricate

divaricate
di·var·i·cate 
[dī vérrə kàyt, di
vérrə kàyt] intransitive verb (past di·var·i·cat·ed,
past participle di·var·i·cat·ed, present participle di·var·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular di·var·i·cates)

branch
or fork:
to branch or fork at a wide angle
adjective

BIOLOGY branching:
branching or forking at a wide angle
[Early
17th century. From the Latin past participle stem divaricat- of divaricare,
literally “to stretch apart,” from, ultimately, varicus “straddling.”]
—di·var·i·cate·ly,
adverb

—di·var·i·cat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



divarication

divarication
di·var·i·ca·tion 
[dī vèrri káysh’n, di
vèrri káysh’n] (plural di·var·i·ca·tions) noun

1.  ANATOMY wide
branching:
separation into widely spread parts or branches, or the point at which
something forks or branches

2.  differing
in opinion:
a difference of opinion (formal)

[1]



dive

dive
dive
[dīv] verb (past dived or
dove [dōv], past participle dived,
present participle div·ing, 3rd person present singular dives)

1.  intransitive
verb
jump
into water:
to jump or throw yourself into water, usually head first, especially with your
arms stretched out above your head

2.  intransitive
verb
swim
under water: to swim below the surface of a stretch
of water, often with special breathing apparatus

3.  intransitive
verb
go
toward bottom of water: to go down steeply and
quickly in the direction of the bottom of a body of water, sometimes in search
of something • dive
for treasure

4.  intransitive
verb
descend
steeply and rapidly: to fly or make an aircraft
fly steeply and rapidly in the direction of the ground or the sea

5.  intransitive
verb
throw
yourself to the ground: to jump quickly to one side
or throw yourself forward or sideways to the ground • dive
out of the way

6.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move quickly and in a rush in a particular direction • dive
for the door

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
hand in something: to put your hand or hands
quickly into something, for example, a pocket, a bag, or a cupboard, in order
to get something out of it

8.  intransitive
verb
begin
something enthusiastically: to undertake or start on
some activity with great enthusiasm • He
dived into the project.

9.  intransitive
verb
SWIMMING perform
jumps into water as sport: to perform a pattern of
acrobatic movements in the air ending in a usually headfirst plunge into water,
or do this regularly as a sport

10. intransitive
verb
NAVY go
under water: to cause something such as a submarine
to go below the surface of the sea

11. intransitive
verb
FINANCE drop
in value:
to fall sharply in value
noun
(plural dives)

1.  headlong
jump into water: a jump into water, usually head first,
especially with your arms stretched out above your head

2.  SWIMMING act of
swimming under water: a swim below the surface of
a stretch of water, often with special breathing apparatus

3.  descent
toward bottom of water: a steep and usually rapid
descent in the direction of the bottom of a body of water

4.  AIR steep
descent:
a bird’s or aircraft’s rapid and steep fall or flight in the direction of the
ground or the sea

5.  quick
movement sideways or down: a quick jump or movement to
one side, or forward or sideways to the ground

6.  fast
movement:
a rapid movement in a particular direction

7.  disreputable
bar or club: a dirty, shabby, or disreputable bar or
club (informal)

8.  SWIMMING acrobatic
plunge:
an acrobatic plunge into water performed as a sport or in a competition

9.  NAVY submarine’s
descent:
a submarine’s descent below the surface of the sea

10. FINANCE sharp financial
drop:
a sharp fall in value

11. FOOTBALL player’s
drive forward to make ground: an offensive play in which
the ball carrier gains a little yardage by driving into the opposing line of
players instead of passing the ball or running with it

12. SOCCER soccer
player’s fall: a feigned dramatic fall by a player to
try to gain a free kick or penalty, or a goalkeeper’s attempt to stretch
horizontally to save a shot (informal)

13. BOXING boxer’s
feigned fall: a fall or injury feigned by a boxer in
order to lose a fight dishonestly (slang)
[Old
English dūfan “to sink” and dfan “to dip,” from a prehistoric
Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English deep
and dip]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Dived
  or dove ?
  Both
  forms are acceptable as past tenses of dive
  . Dived is actually an earlier past tense form, but dove has
  become a standard alternative. This is the reverse of the general tendency of
  verbs to form their past tense with -ed, as opposed to a change in
  their vowel, which was more frequently the case in the Old English period.
  The past participle is nonetheless dived.

[1]



dive-bomb

dive-bomb
dive-bomb 
(past dive-bombed, past participle dive-bombed, present
participle dive-bomb·ing, 3rd person present singular dive-bombs)
transitive verb

bomb
from diving aircraft: to descend steeply in a
military aircraft and deliver bombs onto a target
—dive-bomb·er,
noun

—dive-bomb·ing, noun[1]



divebrake

divebrake
dive
brake
(plural dive brakes) noun

AIR
FORCE See air brake  noun 2[1]



Divehi

Divehi
Di·ve·hi
[dívve ] noun

dialect
of Sinhalese: a dialect of Sinhalese spoken in the
Republic of Maldives. Divehi is spoken by about 260,000 people.
—Di·ve·hi, adjective[1]



divein

divein
dive
in
intransitive verb

start eating:
to begin eating quickly and with gusto (informal)[1]



diver

diver
div·er 
[dīvər] (plural di·vers) noun

1.  somebody
who dives in water: somebody who dives in water,
for example, somebody trained to carry out underwater work or exploration, or a
sportsperson performing acrobatic dives

2.  BIRDS water
bird:
any water bird noted for its diving skills

3.  U.K.
BIRDS See loon

[1]



diverge

diverge
di·verge 
[di vúrj, dī
vúrj] (past di·verged, past participle di·verged,
present participle di·verg·ing, 3rd person present singular
di·verg·es) intransitive verb

1.  separate:
to separate and go in a different direction or different directions

2.  differ:
to differ to some extent

3.  not
match:
to deviate from or not fit in with or conform to something, for example, a
typical pattern or expressed wish
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin divergere, literally “to bend apart,” from
Latin vergere “to bend” (see verge 2 ).]
—di·verg·ing, adjective[1]



divergence

divergence
di·ver·gence 
[di vúrjənss, dī
vúrjənss] (plural di·ver·gences) or di·ver·gen·cy
[di vúrjənsee, dī
vúrjənsee] (plural di·ver·gen·cies) noun

1.  difference
or disparity: a difference between two or more things,
for example, opinions or attitudes

2.  failure
to conform or match: deviation from something,
for example, a typical pattern or expressed wish

3.  moving
apart:
the process of separating or moving apart to follow different paths or
different courses

4.  amount
of difference: the amount by which something differs
from something else, especially where such a difference is not expected

5.  OPHTHALMOLOGY deviation
of eye from sight line: a condition in which only
one eye is directed at the object of interest and the other is directed outward

6.  BIOLOGY different
development: the development of different
characteristics by organisms that come from the same ancestor, caused by the
influence of different environments.
See
also
convergence

7.  MATHEMATICS sequence
of numbers without limit: the characteristic of a
series or sequence of numbers in which the value of the last term and the sum
of the series are without limit.
See
also
convergence

8.  METEOROLOGY movement
of air currents: a set of meteorological conditions in a
given area in which the air expands and the net flow of air is out of the area,
usually resulting in fair, dry conditions

[1]



divergent

divergent
di·ver·gent 
[di vúrjənt, dī
vúrjənt] adjective

1.  moving
apart:
following paths or courses that become increasingly different or separate

2.  differing:
showing or having differences

3.  not
matching something: deviating from something,
for example, a typical pattern or an expressed wish

4.  MATHEMATICS increasing
without limit: used to describe a series or sequence of
numbers in which each term is equal to or greater than the preceding term, and
the value of the last term and the sum of the series are without limit

5.  GEOMETRY radiating
from a point: used to describe lines radiating from a
single point
—di·ver·gent·ly, adverb[1]



diverginglens

diverginglens
di·verg·ing
lens
(plural di·verg·ing lens·es) noun

lens that spreads beam of
light: a lens, usually concave,
that causes a parallel beam of light to spread[1]



divers

divers
di·vers 
[dvərz] adjective

several
or many:
more than one, and of various types (formal)
[13th century. Via French
from Latin diversus, the past participle of divertere “to
separate” (see divert ).][1]



diverse

diverse
di·verse 
[di vúrs, d
vúrs] adjective

1.  consisting
of different things: made up of many different
elements or kinds of things

2.  differing
from each other: very different or distinct from one
another

3.  socially
inclusive:
composed of many ethnic, as well as socioeconomic and gender, groups • sought
a more diverse population of students
[13th
century. Variant of divers .]
—di·verse·ness, noun[1]



diversely

diversely
di·verse·ly
[di vúrslee, d
vúrslee] adverb

varyingly:
in different or various ways • diversely
colored[1]



diversification

diversification
di·ver·si·fi·ca·tion
[di vùrsəfi káysh’n, dī vùrsəfi káysh’n] (plural di·ver·si·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  provision
of variety:
the provision or development of greater variety

2.  COMMERCE development
of new business: the expansion of a commercial
organization or enterprise into new areas of business

[1]



diversiform

diversiform
di·ver·si·form 
[di vúrsə fàrm, dī
vúrsə fàwrm] adjective

in
various forms: occurring in various forms (formal)
[Early 18th century. From,
ultimately, Latin diversus (see divers
) + -form .][1]



diversify

diversify
di·ver·si·fy 
[di vúrsə f, dī
vúrsə f] (past di·ver·si·fied, past participle di·ver·si·fied,
present participle di·ver·si·fy·ing, 3rd person present
singular di·ver·si·fies) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become varied: to become more varied, or make something
more varied

2.  COMMERCE expand
into new areas of business: to expand, or expand a
commercial organization, into new areas of business
[15th
century. Via Old French diversifier from medieval Latin diversificare
“to make unlike,” from the Latin past participle diversus (see divers ).]
—di·ver·si·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[di vùrsə fī ə bíllətee, dī vùrsə f ə bíllətee], noun

—di·ver·si·fi·a·ble
[di vúrsə f əb’l, dī
vúrsə f əb’l], adjective

—di·ver·si·fied
[di vúrsə fd, dī
vúrsə fd], adjective

—di·ver·si·fi·er [di vúrsə fr, dī vúrsə
fr], noun[1]



diversion

diversion
di·ver·sion 
[di vúr’n, dī
vúrzh’n] (plural di·ver·sions) noun

1.  distraction:
something that takes somebody’s attention away from something else, especially
from more routine activities • a
welcome diversion from housework

2.  change
of purpose or use: a change in the purpose or
use of something from what was intended or from what something was previously

3.  change
of direction or path: a change in the direction or
path of something

4.  pastime
or hobby:
an activity or interest that takes somebody’s mind off more routine or serious
things

5.  MILITARY mock
attack:
a mock attack aimed at drawing enemy attention and troops away from the place
of the intended main attack

6.  U.K.
TRANSPORT See detour
[15th
century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem diversion-
“turning away,” from the Latin past participle stem divers- (see divers ).]
—di·ver·sion·al, adjective[1]



diversionary

diversionary
di·ver·sion·ar·y
[di vúr’n èrree, dī
vúrzh’n èrree] adjective

diverting attention:
designed or carried out to divert somebody’s attention away from something[1]



diversionist

diversionist
di·ver·sion·ist 
[di vúr’nist, dī
vúrzh’nist] (plural di·ver·sion·ists) noun

disruptive person:
somebody such as an irregular soldier, guerrilla, or political operative who
engages in disruptive actions or sabotage in order to thwart an enemy or
government[1]



diversity

diversity
di·ver·si·ty 
[di vúrsətee, dī
vúrsətee] (plural di·ver·si·ties) noun

1.  variety:
a variety of something such as opinion, color, or style • a
city of great cultural diversity

2.  social
inclusiveness: ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic
and gender variety, in a group, society, or institution • a
company committed to diversity

3.  difference
or discrepancy: discrepancy, or a difference from what
is normal or expected
[14th century. Via French diversité
from Latin diversitas, from diversus (see divers ).][1]



divert

divert
di·vert 
[di vúrt, dī
vúrt] (past di·vert·ed, past participle di·vert·ed,
present participle di·vert·ing, 3rd person present singular
di·verts) transitive verb

1.  change
something’s path: to change the route or path taken by
something, for example, traffic or a river

2.  draw
attention from something: to take somebody’s mind off
something and draw attention to something else

3.  change
purpose or use: to change the purpose or use of something
from what it was previously

4.  amuse
somebody:
to amuse or entertain somebody or yourself
[15th
century. Via French divertir from Latin divertere, literally “to
turn aside,” from vertere “to turn.”]
—di·vert·er,
noun

—di·vert·i·ble,
adjective

—di·ver·tive, adjective[1]



diverticula

diverticula
di·ver·tic·u·la


Plural of
diverticulum[1]



diverticulitis

diverticulitis
di·ver·tic·u·li·tis 
[dvərtikyə ltiss] noun

intestinal inflammation:
inflammation of abnormal protrusions ( diverticula
) of the lining of the large intestine, causing severe abdominal pain, often
with fever and constipation[1]



diverticulosis

diverticulosis
di·ver·tic·u·lo·sis 
[dvərtikyə lṓssiss] noun

diverticula in the bowel:
the presence of abnormal protrusions ( diverticula
) in the bowel, caused when the bowel muscles rupture the bowel wall[1]



diverticulum

diverticulum
di·ver·tic·u·lum 
[dvər tíkyələm] (plural di·ver·tic·u·la
[dvər tíkyələ]) noun

sac
in wall of organ: a pouch or sac in the lining of the
mucous membrane of a hollow organ, especially one produced in the bowel when
the bowel muscle ruptures the bowel wall.
See
also
hernia
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin, “byway,” variant of Latin deverticulum, literally
“turning from,” from, ultimately, vertere “to turn.”]
—di·ver·tic·u·lar, adjective[1]



divertimento

divertimento
di·ver·ti·men·to 
[di vùrtə mént] (plural di·ver·ti·men·ti
[di vùrtə méntee] or di·ver·ti·men·tos)
noun

piece
of light classical music: a piece of light classical
instrumental music composed in several movements for an ensemble
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “diversion,” from divirtire “to divert,” from, ultimately,
Latin divertere (see divert ).][1]



diverting

diverting
di·vert·ing
[di vúrting, dī
vúrting] adjective

amusing:
amusing or entertaining, and acting as a temporary distraction from more
routine or serious matters
—di·vert·ing·ly, adverb[1]



divertissement

divertissement
di·ver·tisse·ment 
[di vúrtismənt, dī
vúrtismənt] (plural di·ver·tisse·ments) noun

1.  BALLET series
of unthemed dances: in ballet, a series of
dances lacking a unifying theme

2.  DANCE dance
interlude:
a dance interlude in a play or opera

3.  MUSIC tunes
derived from famous melodies: a set of tunes that are
based on well-known melodies
[Early 18th century. From
French, from the stem divertiss- of divertir “to divert,” from
Latin divertere (see divert ).][1]



divest

divest
di·vest 
[di vést, dī
vést] (past di·vest·ed, past participle di·vest·ed,
present participle di·vest·ing, 3rd person present singular
di·vests) transitive verb

1.  take
away from somebody: to take away something,
especially status or power, from somebody or something (often passive)

2.  take
something off: to remove something, usually clothes (formal
or humorous)

3.  give
up something: to give up or get rid of something,
especially a belief or idea

4.  LAW give
away property rights: to lose or give away rights
to the possession of property, or deprive somebody of them
[Early
17th century. Alteration of obsolete devest “deprive of something,” from
Old French de(s)vester, literally “to undress,” from vestir “to
clothe,” from Latin vestire .]
—di·ves·ti·ble,
adjective

—di·vest·ment,
noun

—di·ves·ture [di vés chr, dī vés
chr, di véschər], noun[1]



divestiture

divestiture
di·ves·ti·ture 
[di vésti chr, dī
vésti chr, di véstichər] noun

1.  dispossession:
the removal or deprivation of something

2.  sale
of property: the sale of one or more of a company’s
subsidiaries, divisions, or holdings, or of its stock in those holdings

[1]



divide

divide
di·vide 
[di vd] verb (past di·vid·ed,
past participle di·vid·ed, present participle di·vid·ing,
3rd person present singular di·vides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb split
into parts:
to separate or split something, or be separated or split, into two or more
parts • a
dormitory divided into cubicles

2.  intransitive
verb
separate
and go in different directions: to split into two or
more parts that go off in different directions

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb share
something:
to share something, or be shared, between two or more people or groups • Her
inheritance was divided equally among the children.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
two places:
to be a barrier or boundary between one place or thing and another • The
river divides the north of the island from the south.

5.  transitive
verb
cause
disagreement between people: to be the cause or subject
of disagreement between people

6.  transitive
verb
MEASUREMENTS mark
something off: to mark units or sections of a
particular size on a measuring instrument, for example, a ruler

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS calculate occurrence of
one number in another: to calculate how many times
one number contains another
noun
(plural di·vides)

1.  boundary
or gap:
a boundary or gap that stands between two things, conditions, or groups

2.  GEOGRAPHY ridge
separating watersheds: a long ridge separating
watersheds.
Also
called
watershed
Also
called
water parting
U.K.
term
watershed
[14th
century. From Latin dividere, literally “to separate apart,” from -videre
“to separate.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English widow .]
—di·vid·a·ble, adjective[1]



divided

divided
di·vid·ed 
[di vdəd] adjective

1.  separated:
separated into two or more parts or groups

2.  of
two minds:
drawn toward two or more different and often incompatible purposes or groups

3.  in
disagreement: in a state of internal discord, strife,
or disagreement

4.  BOTANY separated
into sections: used to describe leaves that are divided
into separate sections
—di·vid·ed·ly,
adverb

—di·vid·ed·ness, noun[1]



dividedhighway

dividedhighway
di·vid·ed
high·way
(plural di·vid·ed high·ways) noun

highway with barrier in
middle: a highway that has a median
strip or a barrier separating the lanes going in opposite directions, usually
with two or more lanes on either side.
U.K. term
dual carriageway[1]



dividedskirt

dividedskirt
di·vid·ed
skirt
(plural di·vid·ed skirts) noun

See
culottes[1]



dividend

dividend
div·i·dend 
[dívvi dènd, dívvidənd]
(plural div·i·dends) noun

1.  bonus:
something good or desirable that is gained as a bonus along with something else

2.  FINANCE stockholder’s
share of profit: company profits paid pro rata to
stockholders, either in cash or in more shares

3.  MATHEMATICS number
divided by another: a number or quantity that is
to be divided by another number or quantity.
See
also
divisor

4.  LAW proportion
of a bankrupt’s estate: the proportion of a bankrupt
party’s estate that is to be divided among the creditors
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman dividende from Latin dividendum “thing to be
divided,” a form of dividere (see divide
).][1]



divider

divider
di·vid·er 
[di vdər] (plural di·vid·ers)
noun

separating device:
a device that separates something into sections, for example, a screen that
partitions a room or a sheet of card that separates the sections of a
loose-leaf binder[1]



dividers

dividers
di·vid·ers
[di vdərz] plural noun

measuring instrument with
hinged legs: an instrument with two
movable pointed legs hinged at one end, used for measuring distances on maps
and charts and for transferring measurements from one chart to another[1]



dividingline

dividingline
di·vid·ing
line
(plural di·vid·ing lines) noun

something acting as a
boundary: something that marks a
change or distinction between two states or qualities[1]



divi-divi

divi-divi
div·i-div·i 
[dìvvi dívvee] (plural div·i-div·is)
noun

1.  tropical
tree:
a small tropical American tree with long seed pods. Latin name: Caesalpinia
coriaria

2.  pod
of divi-divi tree: the pod of the divi-divi
tree, which has a high tannin content and is used for tanning leather
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from Carib .][1]



divination

divination
div·i·na·tion 
[dìvvi náysh’n] (plural div·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  seeking
knowledge by supernatural means: the methods or
practice of attempting to foretell the future or discovering the unknown
through omens, oracles, or supernatural powers

2.  prophecy:
a prophecy or prediction

3.  premonition:
a premonition or feeling of foreboding about something that is going to happen
—di·vin·a·to·ry [di vínnə tàwree], adjective[1]



divine

divine
di·vine 
[di vn] adjective

1.  RELIGION having
godlike nature: being God or a god or goddess

2.  RELIGION relating
to God, gods, or goddesses: connected with, coming from,
or caused by God or a god or goddess

3.  RELIGION connected
with worship: connected with the worship or service of
God or a god or goddess

4.  lovely:
pleasing or attractive (informal or humorous)
verb
(past di·vined, past participle di·vined, present
participle di·vin·ing, 3rd person present singular di·vines)

1.  transitive
verb
realize
something:
to come to understand or realize something

2.  transitive
verb
discover
as if supernaturally: to learn or discover
something by intuition, inspiration, or other apparently supernatural means

3.  transitive
verb
predict
something as if supernaturally: to predict something
by apparently supernatural means

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
with divining rod: to search for underground
water, metal, or minerals using something such as a divining rod
noun
(plural di·vines) RELIGION

1.  theologian:
a member of the clergy, especially one who is knowledgeable about theology

2.  Di·vine
or di·vine God:
God, or whatever else is believed to be the underlying creative and sustaining
force in the universe
[14th
century. Via Old French devin from Latin divinus, from divus
“god” (source of English diva ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “shining.”]
—di·vin·a·ble,
adjective

—di·vine·ness [di vn nəss], noun[1]



Divine

Divine
Di·vine
[di vn], Father (1882?–1965)

U.S.
religious leader. He advocated communal living and racial equality, and his
Peace Mission Movement, founded in the 1910s, attracted many African Americans
in New York City and Philadelphia.
Born
Baker, George[1]



divinely

divinely
di·vine·ly
[di vnlee] adverb

1.  wonderfully:
well, pleasingly, or attractively (informal or humorous)

2.  RELIGION by
God, a god, or goddess: by God or a god or goddess

[1]



diviner

diviner
di·vin·er
[di vnər] (plural di·vin·ers)
noun

somebody searching with
divining rod: somebody who searches
for underground water, metal, or minerals using something such as a divining
rod[1]



divineright

divineright
di·vine
right
noun

monarch’s supposed God-given
right: the belief that the
monarch’s authority comes directly from God rather than from the people[1]



divingbeetle

divingbeetle
div·ing
beetle 
(plural div·ing bee·tles) noun

water beetle:
a predatory water beetle adapted for swimming that has flattened hind legs and
the capacity to breathe air trapped under its wings. Family: Dytiscidae[1]



divingbell

divingbell
div·ing
bell
(plural div·ing bells) noun

diving apparatus:
a metal bell-shaped device used for working underwater. It has an open bottom
and is supplied with compressed air.[1]



divingboard

divingboard
div·ing
board
(plural div·ing boards) noun

raised board by swimming
pool: a raised board at the edge
of a swimming pool from which to dive into the water[1]



divingduck

divingduck
div·ing
duck
(plural div·ing ducks) noun

duck that dives for food:
a duck, for example, the bufflehead, pochard, or scaup, that dives for food and
swims under water[1]



divingreflex

divingreflex
div·ing
re·flex
noun

reaction to immersion in cold
water: a reflex in mammals in which
the heart rate slows and skin blood vessels narrow on immersion in cold water,
so as to help them to conserve oxygen. The reflex is strongest in aquatic
animals such as seals, but is still present to a minor extent in nonaquatic
animals, including human beings.[1]



divingsuit

divingsuit
div·ing
suit
(plural div·ing suits) noun

waterproof suit worn for
diving: a waterproof suit, often
including a helmet and an air supply, worn by divers.
Also called
diving dress[1]



diviningrod

diviningrod
di·vin·ing
rod 
(plural di·vin·ing rods) noun

rod for detecting water:
a forked stick used as a device for sensing underground water sources or
minerals. The diviner holds an end of the rod in each hand, and the rod is said
to dip sharply downward when the diviner walks over a water source or minerals.

Also called
dowsing rod[1]



divinity

divinity
di·vin·i·ty 
[di vínnətee] (plural di·vin·i·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being God, a god, or goddess: the quality associated
with being God, a god, or a goddess

2.  theology:
the study of religion, especially the Christian religion

3.  di·vin·i·ty
or Di·vin·i·ty god:
God, a god or a goddess

4.  candy:
a fluffy white candy, usually made with egg white and nuts
[13th century. From French divinité,
from the Latin stem divinitat- “godhead, divinity,” from divinus,
from divus “god.”][1]



divinityschool

divinityschool
di·vin·i·ty
school
(plural di·vin·i·ty schools) noun

college for trainee
ministers: a college for students
training to be ministers[1]



divisibility

divisibility
di·vis·i·bil·i·ty
[di vìzzə bíllətee] noun

capacity for division:
the capability of being divided exactly by a particular number[1]



divisible

divisible
di·vis·i·ble 
[di vízzəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be divided: able to be divided, especially without
leaving a remainder

2.  able
to be separated: capable of being separated into
different parts
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin divisibilis, from the
Latin past participle stem divis- of dividere “to separate
apart.”]
—di·vis·i·ble·ness,
noun

—di·vis·i·bly, adverb[1]



division

division
di·vi·sion 
[di vízh’n] (plural di·vi·sions)
noun

1.  act
of splitting into parts: the act of separating or
splitting something into parts, or an instance of this • the
division of the region into smaller administrative districts

2.  sharing
of something: the separation of something into parts
to be shared among people or groups • The
division of work between members of the group should be equal.

3.  MATHEMATICS operation
of dividing one number by another: an operation used to
calculate the number of times one number is contained in another

4.  disagreement:
a disagreement or strong difference of opinion, especially when this leads to a
split in a group • Deep divisions exist
within senior management itself as to the best way of dealing with the problem.

5.  something
separating:
something that separates things by forming a boundary between them

6.  separate
part:
one of the parts created when something is split

7.  section
of organization: a section of a large organization that
has a particular task or function • the
sales division of a large firm

8.  SPORTS group
of teams in sports league: a group of teams, usually
those representing cities close to one another or of roughly similar standard
in a sports league, conference, or association

9.  MILITARY army
unit:
a self-contained military unit in an army capable of sustained operations,
including a headquarters and two or more brigades or, in the Marines, several
regiments

10. NAVY naval
unit:
a self-contained unit in a navy including a group of ships of the same class

11. AIR FORCE air
force unit:
a self-contained unit in an air force including two or more fighter wings

12. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION small
unit of government: a small unit of government,
or an area administered by such a unit

13. BOTANY major
category in plant classification: a major category in
the taxonomic classification of plants, comprising a group of classes. The
corresponding category in animal classification is the phylum.

14. GARDENING splitting
plant roots for propagation: the process of separating
the root mass of a perennial plant into smaller pieces that are used to grow
new plants

15. LOGIC logical
fallacy:
a fallacy in which it is argued that what is true of a whole collectively is
true of any of its parts. An example is arguing that because a car is expensive
so is its windshield wiper.
See
also
composition

16. MUSIC group
of organ stops: a group of organ stops played on the
same manual
[14th
century. Via Old French devisiun from the Latin stem division-,
from the past participle stem divis- of dividere “to separate
apart.”]
—di·vi·sion·al,
adjective

—di·vi·sion·al·ly,
adverb

—di·vi·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



divisionof labor

divisionof labor
di·vi·sion
of la·bor
noun

allocating separate tasks to
people: a system of organizing
production by giving separate tasks to separate workers or groups of workers[1]



divisionsign

divisionsign
di·vi·sion
sign
(plural di·vi·sion signs) noun

mathematical sign indicating
division: a sign (÷) placed between
two numbers to show that the first number is divided by the second[1]



divisive

divisive
di·vi·sive 
[di vssiv] adjective

causing
disagreement: causing disagreement or hostility within
a group so that it is likely to split
[Late
16th century. From late Latin divisivus, from the Latin past participle
stem divis- of dividere “to separate apart.”]
—di·vi·sive·ly,
adverb

—di·vi·sive·ness, noun[1]



divisor

divisor
di·vi·sor 
[di vzər] (plural di·vi·sors)
noun

number
divided into another number: a number divided into
another number.
See
also
dividend
[15th century. Directly or
via French diviseur from Latin divisor, from the past participle
stem divis- of dividere “to separate apart.”][1]



divorce

divorce
di·vor·ce 
[di váwrs] noun (plural di·vor·ces)

1.  LAW official
ending of a marriage: the ending of a marriage by
an official decision in a court of law

2.  separation:
a complete separation or split
verb
(past di·vorced, past participle di·vorced, present
participle di·vorc·ing, 3rd person present singular di·vor·ces)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW officially end a marriage:
to end a marriage to somebody by an official decision in a court of law

2.  transitive
verb
separate
something:
to separate or distinguish something from something else
[14th
century. Via French from Latin divortium, from divortere, variant
of divertere “to part, turn aside.”]
—di·vorce·a·ble,
adjective

—di·vorc·er,
noun

—di·vor·cive, adjective[1]



divorced

divorced
di·vorced
[di váwrst] adjective

no longer married:
no longer married because the marriage has been ended by a divorce[1]



divorcé

divorcé
di·vor·cé 
[di vàwr sáy] (plural di·vor·cés)
noun

divorced
man:
a man who is divorced
[Late 19th century. From
French, originally the past participle of divorcer “to divorce,” from,
ultimately, Latin divortium (see divorce
).][1]



divorcée

divorcée
di·vor·cée 
[di vàwr sáy] (plural di·vor·cées)
noun

divorced
woman:
a woman who is divorced
[Early 19th century. Partly
from French, from the feminine of the past participle of divorcer “to
divorce,” from, ultimately, Latin divortium (see divorce ); partly from divorce
+ -ee .][1]



divot

divot
div·ot 
[dívvət] (plural div·ots) noun

lump
of grass and earth: a small lump of grass and
earth accidentally dug out of the ground while playing a sport, especially golf
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown. Originally Scots dialect “piece of turf (especially for roofing
cottages)”; the current sense dates from the late 19th century.][1]



divulge

divulge
di·vulge 
[di vúlj] (past di·vulged, past
participle di·vulged, present participle di·vulg·ing, 3rd
person present singular di·vulg·es) transitive verb

reveal
something:
to reveal information, especially information that was previously secret
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin divulgare, literally “to make widely
known to the masses,” from vulgus “masses.”]
—di·vulge·ment,
noun

—di·vul·gence,
noun

—di·vulg·er, noun[1]



divvy

divvy
div·vy 
[dívvee] transitive verb (past
div·vied, past participle div·vied, present participle
div·vy·ing, 3rd person present singular div·vies)

divide
something up: to divide something up and share it
among a group of people (informal)
noun
(plural div·vies)

portion:
a person’s share of something (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of dividend .][1]



Diwali

Diwali
Di·wa·li 
[di wlee] or Di·va·li [di vlee] noun

Hindu
festival:
an important Hindu festival associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity,
held in the autumn
[Late 17th century. Via Hindi
diwālī from Sanskrit dīpāvalī “row of lights,” from dīpa
“light, lamp.”][1]



Dix,Dorothea

Dix,Dorothea

Dix 
[diks], Dorothea (1802–1887)
U.S.
philanthropist and reformer. She investigated conditions in prisons,
almshouses, and asylums, securing legislation for their improvement. During the
Civil War she was superintendent of women nurses with the Union army.
Full name
Dix, Dorothea Lynde[1]



Dixie

Dixie
Dix·ie 
[díksee] noun

1.  southern
U.S. states: the southern states that were members of
the Confederacy during the Civil War (informal)

2.  Civil
War song:
the popular name for a song used as a Confederate marching tune during the
Civil War
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Dixon, from Mason-Dixon Line
; or from assumed Dixies “Louisiana banknotes,” from French dix
“ten.”][1]



Dixiecrat

Dixiecrat
Dix·ie·crat 
[díksi kràt] (plural Dix·ie·crats)
noun

dissenting
southern Democrat: a member of a group of
southern Democrats who disagreed with the Democratic Party’s civil rights
programs and left to form the States’ Rights Democratic Party in 1948
—Dix·ie·crat·ic [dìksi kráttik], adjective[1]



Dixiecup

Dixiecup
Dix·ie
cup
Trademark

a trademark for a small
disposable paper cup[1]



Dixieland

Dixieland
Dix·ie·land 
[díksi lànd] or dix·ie·land [díksi lànd] noun

New
Orleans jazz: a style of jazz, originally from New
Orleans, characterized by a fast two-beat rhythm and simultaneous improvisation
[Early 20th century. From the
Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the first jazz band to record
commercially.][1]



dizygotic

dizygotic
di·zy·got·ic 
[d zī góttik] or di·zy·gous [dī zgəss] adjective

developed
from two eggs: used to describe fraternal twins who
developed from two separately fertilized eggs ( zygotes
).
See
also
monozygotic
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from di- + zygote
+ -ic .][1]



dizzy

dizzy
diz·zy 
[dízzee] adjective (comparative
diz·zi·er, superlative diz·zi·est)

1.  unsteady
and giddy:
unsteady, as if about to lose balance, and slightly giddy

2.  confused
and bewildered: confused, overwhelmed, and unable to
think clearly

3.  fun-loving
but thoughtless: fun-loving and somewhat silly or
empty-headed (informal)

4.  fast:
extremely fast • dizzy speeds

5.  extreme:
so high as to make somebody giddy • the
dizzy height of the tower
transitive
verb
(past diz·zied, past participle diz·zied, present
participle diz·zy·ing, 3rd person present singular diz·zies)

cause somebody to feel dizzy:
to cause somebody to feel unsteady and slightly giddy, or confused and
bewildered
[Old
English dysig “foolish, stupid,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that
is also the ancestor of English doze]
—diz·zi·ly,
adverb

—diz·zi·ness, noun[1]



DJ

DJ
DJ
(plural DJs) noun

somebody playing recorded
music: somebody who plays records
or other recorded music for the entertainment of others, whether at a live
dance or on the radio.
Also called
disc jockey[1]



D.J.

D.J.
D.J.

Abbreviation of
district judge[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








djellaba

djellaba

djel·la·ba 
[jə lbə] or djel·la·bah [jə lbə] noun
long
robe worn in Islamic countries: a long loose-fitting
robe with sleeves and a hood, worn especially in Islamic countries
[Early 19th century. From
Moroccan Arabic jellāb(a) or jellābiyya .][1]



Djibouti

Djibouti



Dji·bou·ti 
[ji btee]

1.  republic
in the Horn of Africa, bounded by the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, Ethiopia, and
Eritrea. Language: Arabic. Language: French. Currency: Djibouti franc. Capital:
Djibouti. Population: 434,116 (1997) Area: 23,200 sq km/8,958 sq mi.

2.        the
capital of the Republic of Djibouti. Population: 383,000 (1995)[1]



Djibouti




Back to definition

Djibouti

[1]



djinn

djinn
djinn 
or djin·ni noun

See
jinni[1]



dk.

dk.
dk.

1.  Abbreviation
of
dark

2.  Abbreviation
of
deck

3.  Abbreviation
of
dock

[1]



dkg

dkg
dkg

Symbol for
decagram[1]



dkl

dkl
dkl

Symbol for
decaliter[1]



dkm

dkm
dkm

Symbol for
decameter[1]



DL

DL
DL

Abbreviation of
disabled list[1]



D/L

D/L
D/L

BANKING
Abbreviation of demand loan[1]



dl

dl
dl

Symbol for
deciliter[1]



Dlayer

Dlayer
D
lay·er
noun

1.  See
D region

2.  lower
layer of Earth’s mantle: the lower layer of the
Earth’s mantle, from 720 km450 mi deep down to the boundary with the core

[1]



D.Litt.

D.Litt.
D.Litt.
[di lít] or D.Lit. [di lít]

1.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Letters

2.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Literature

[1]



DLO

DLO
DLO

Abbreviation of
dead letter office[1]



dlvy.

dlvy.
dlvy.

Abbreviation of
delivery[1]



dm

dm
dm

Symbol for
decimeter[1]



DM

DM
DM

Abbreviation of
deutsche mark[1]



D.M.A.

D.M.A.
D.M.A.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Musical Arts[1]



D-mark

D-mark
D-mark
or D-Mark

Abbreviation of
deutsche mark[1]



D.M.D.

D.M.D.
D.M.D.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Dental Medicine[1]



DMK

DMK
DMK
noun

Indian political party:
a political party in Tamil Nadu, India. Full form Dravida Munnetra
Kazgham[1]



DMSO

DMSO
DMSO 
noun

clear odorless solvent:
a clear odorless liquid compound used as a solvent and in medicine to enable
drugs applied to the skin to penetrate. (CH3)2SO Full
form dimethylsulfoxide[1]



D.Mus.

D.Mus.
D.Mus.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Music[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








DMV

DMV
DMV

Abbreviation of
Department of Motor Vehicles[1]



DMZ

DMZ
DMZ

Abbreviation of
demilitarized zone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








DNA

DNA
DNA 
noun

substance carrying organism’s
genetic information: a nucleic
acid molecule in the form of a twisted double strand ( double
helix ) that is the major component of chromosomes and carries genetic
information. DNA, which is found in all living organisms but not in some
viruses, is self-replicating and is responsible for passing along hereditary
characteristics from one generation to the next. Full form deoxyribonucleic acid[1]



DNAase

DNAase
DNAase 
[d en áy àyss, d
en áy àyz] or DNase [d en
áyss, d en áyz] noun

catalyzing enzyme acting in
hydrolysis of DNA: an enzyme
that aids the hydrolysis of DNA into smaller molecules. Full form deoxyribonuclease[1]



DNAfingerprinting

DNAfingerprinting
DNA
fin·ger·print·ing  noun

See
genetic fingerprinting[1]



DNAidentification

DNAidentification
DNA
i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion noun

method of identification
using DNA: a forensic method of
identifying somebody on the basis of a DNA analysis[1]



DNApolymerase

DNApolymerase
DNA
pol·y·mer·ase noun

enzyme reproducing and
repairing DNA: an enzyme that uses
single-stranded DNA to reproduce and repair DNA[1]



DNase

DNase
DNase 
noun

See
DNAase[1]



DNAvirus

DNAvirus
DNA
vi·rus
(plural DNA vi·rus·es) noun

virus with genome containing
DNA: a virus with a genome
containing DNA[1]



do

do1
do1  [doo]
(past did [did], past
participle done [dun], present
participle do·ing, 3rd person present singular does [duz]) CORE MEANING:
a verb indicating that somebody performs an action, an activity, or a task. It
is often used as an informal equivalent of more specific and less frequent
verbs, for example, “do your nails” instead of “paint your nails.” • He
usually did the cleaning on a Sunday morning. • Why
won’t you let me do your hair for you? • Assuming
that your terminal is properly set up, here is what you have to do to connect
it.

1.
transitive verb use something:
to use something in a particular way • She’s
done absolutely nothing with the money she inherited.

2.
transitive verb take action:
to take action in a particular situation in order to change it or solve a
problem • Companies
must decide what to do about their chemical waste.

3.
transitive verb cause something:
to cause or produce a particular effect or result • These
disputes do little to help the peace process.

4.
transitive verb work at something:
to work at something, particularly as a job or profession, or as a course of
study • What
does your mother do at the bank?

5.
transitive verb be occupied with something:
to be occupied or busy with something • Are
you doing anything this evening?

6.
transitive verb conduct self:
to behave in a particular manner • Do
what you want.

7.
intransitive verb fare:
to be successful or unsuccessful to a particular extent • Automobile
insurance companies are doing well this year.

8.
transitive verb provide something:
to prepare or provide something • I’m
sorry but we don’t do a lunch menu.

9.
transitive verb achieve a speed or rate:
to achieve a particular speed or rate • We
were doing 55 down the freeway. • We
did about 400 miles a day.

10.
transitive verb study something:
to study or work at doing something • Have
you done Nabokov yet? • I’ve
never been able to do algebra.

11.
transitive verb perform something:
to perform or act a particular play, role, or accent • They’re
doing “Macbeth” at the Hippodrome next month. • I’m
not very good at doing accents.

12.
transitive verb visit or explore place:
to visit or explore a country or city as a tourist (informal) • We’re
doing London tomorrow.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb be
adequate:
to be adequate in quantity or quality • A
paper cup does just as well. • Just
an orange juice will do me.

14.
transitive verb serve time in prison:
to serve a period of time in prison (slang) • He’s
doing time for cheating on his taxes.

15.
transitive verb exhaust somebody:
to wear somebody out (informal) • After
slaving in the garden for six hours, I’m done!

16.
transitive verb adapt something:
to translate or adapt a play, book, or other work • The
novel was done into a feature film.

17.
transitive verb cheat somebody:
to cheat or trick somebody (informal) • They
did her out of her lunch money.

18.
transitive verb rob somebody:
to rob a person or place (slang) • They
got caught while they were doing the local bank.

19.
transitive verb take drugs:
to take or use a narcotic drug (slang)

20.
transitive verb have sex with somebody:
to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang)

21.
transitive verb murder:
to kill somebody deliberately (slang)

22.
transitive verb forms questions and
negatives:
used with simple present and simple past tenses in the formation of questions
and negative sentences. “Do” and “did” are often contracted to “don’t” and
“didn’t” in negative structures. • What
did he want? • Don’t
sit there!
• It
doesn’t matter if you can’t come.

23.
intransitive verb gives emphasis:
used to emphasize a positive statement or command, often as a way of politely
inviting or persuading somebody to do something • Yes,
I do realize you can’t finish the work today. • Please
do be quiet!

24.
transitive verb changes the emphasis:
used to form inverted sentences in order to change the emphasis of a statement
• I
want to have a break just as much as you do.

25.
transitive verb replaces another verb:
used to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetition, usually
when comparing two things • She
hopes to go to college, as do her brothers.

26.
noun New Zealand, U.K. social
gathering:
a formal social gathering, for example, a wedding reception (informal)

27.
noun excrement:
excrement (informal) (used euphemistically) • a
pile of doggy do
[Old
English dōn . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
place”that is also the ancestor of English deed,
theme, and fashion .]
could
do with

be
sure to benefit from something • I
could do with some help.

have
to do with somebody or something

1.  be
connected with somebody or something

2.  concern
somebody or something

3.  involve
contact or a relationship with something or somebody

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  did
  you
  or have you ?
  A
  distinction that arises in connection with questions and negative statements
  is represented by the types • Did
  you see the show? / • Have
  you seen the show? • I
  didn’t see the show / • I
  haven’t seen the show. In informal conversation,
  the two are used almost interchangeably. In strict usage, however, there is a
  difference in time perspective: the first type in each pair refers to a
  particular point in the past, whereas the second type has to do with any time
  in the past (thus, ever could be added to the second sentence in each
  pair without substantially changing its meaning).

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  do
  have
  or have got ?
  Both
  these constructions are used in questions and in negative statements: • Do
  you have change for a dollar? / • Have
  you got change for a dollar? • I
  don’t have any change / • I
  haven’t got any change. Some consider the first
  type in each pair to be more proper, perceiving have got as colloquial
  and even redundant, and pointing out that have alone is sufficient to
  signify possession. But • Have
  you change? and • I
  haven’t any change are not idiomatic, and do
  have has just as many syllables as have got . Therefore it is hard
  to see what reasonable basis exists for preferring do have to have
  got .

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at perform

[1]



do

do2
do2  [dō]
noun

syllable
used in singing: a syllable that represents the first
note in a scale, used for singing solfeggio. In fixed solfeggio it represents
the note C, while in solfeggio with movable do it is used to represent the
tonic of the key being sung.
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian do, a replacement for the less singable medieval Latin syllable ut
(source of English gamut ).][1]



D.O.

D.O.
D.O.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Optometry

2.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Osteopathy

[1]



D/O

D/O
D/O
COMMERCE

1.  Abbreviation
of
delivery order

2.  Abbreviation
of
direct order

[1]



DOA

DOA
DOA

Abbreviation of
dead on arrival[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








doable

doable
do·a·ble 
[d əb’l] adjective

able to be done:
able to be done or achieved[1]



doaway with

doaway with
do
away with
transitive verb

1.  abolish
something:
to abolish something so that it no longer happens or exists

2.  kill
somebody:
to kill somebody (informal)

[1]



DOB

DOB
DOB
or d.o.b

Abbreviation of
date of birth[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dobbin

dobbin
dob·bin 
[dóbbin] or Dob·bin [dóbbin] noun

horse:
a horse, especially a large heavy working horse
[Late 16th century. From Dobbin,
personal name, an alteration of Robin, literally “little Robert,” from Robert
.][1]



dobby

dobby
dob·by 
[dóbbee] (plural dob·bies) noun

part
of loom:
a part of a loom that allows small figures to be woven on it
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps from Dobbie, personal name, literally “little Dob,”
from Dob, an alteration of Rob . Originally “unintelligent
person,” later “household spirit.”][1]



Dobermanpinscher

Dobermanpinscher
Do·ber·man
pin·scher 
[dbərmən pínshər] (plural Do·ber·man
pin·schers) or Do·ber·man [dbərmən
pínshər] (plural Do·ber·mans) noun

large
dog:
a medium-sized to large powerful dog with a smooth black or dark brown coat,
often used as a guard dog or for police work and belonging to a breed
originating in Germany
[Early 20th century. Named
for Ludwig Dobermann, 19th-C German dog breeder who bred it; pinscher
from German, breed name.][1]



dobra

dobra
do·bra 
[dṓbrə] (plural do·bras) noun

1.  unit
of currency of São Tomé and Principe: the
main unit of currency of São Tomé and Principe

2.  coin
worth a dobra: a coin worth one dobra
[Late 20th century. Via
Portuguese from, ultimately, Latin duplus “double” (source of English double ).][1]



dobsonfly

dobsonfly
dob·son·fly 
[dóbsən fl] (plural dob·son·flies)
noun

large winged insect:
a very large winged North American insect that has long slender mandibles in
the male and is noted for its large aquatic larva. Genus: Corydalus cornutus[1]



Dobzhansky,Theodosius

Dobzhansky,Theodosius
Dob·zhan·sky
[dəb zhánskee], Theodosius (1900–1975)

Russian-born U.S. geneticist
and zoologist. He made important discoveries about genetics and adaptation from
his studies of fruit flies.[1]



doc.

doc.
doc.

Abbreviation of
document[1]



DOC

DOC
DOC
noun

Italian
wine origin guarantee: a certification for Italian
wine that guarantees its origin
[From Italian Denominazione
di Origine Controllata][1]



doc

doc
doc 
[dok] (plural docs) noun

doctor:
a doctor (informal)[1]



docent

docent
do·cent 
[dṓss’nt, dō
sént] (plural do·cents) noun

1.  U.S.
university lecturer: a lecturer or teacher in a
U.S. university, especially one who is not a full-time member of the faculty

2.  tourist
guide:
a tourist guide working in some museums or cathedrals
[Late 19th century. Via
obsolete German Docent from the Latin present participle stem docent-
of docere “to teach” (see doctor ).][1]



Docetism

Docetism
Do·ce·tism 
[dō s tìzzəm, dṓssə
tìzzəm] noun

Christian
heresy:
in Christianity, an early heresy that claimed that Jesus Christ was not a real
person
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Docete “Docetist,” via medieval Latin Docetae
(plural) “Docetists” from patristic Greek Dokētai, from Greek dokein
“to seem, appear.”]
—Do·ce·tist, noun[1]



DOCG

DOCG
DOCG
noun

Italian
wine origin guarantee: a certification for Italian
wine that guarantees its origin and verifies that it meets production
regulations
[From Italian Denominazione
di Origine Controllata e Garantita][1]



docile

docile
doc·ile 
[dóss’l] adjective

1.  quiet
and easy to control: quiet, easy to control, and
unlikely to cause trouble

2.  easily
taught:
easy to teach (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin docilis, from docere “to teach” (see doctor ). “Easy to control” is not attested until
the late 18th century.]
—doc·ile·ly,
adverb

—do·cil·i·ty [do síllətee], noun[1]



dock

dock3
dock3 [dok]
noun

LAW accused’s
place in court: the area in a law court where the
accused person stands during a trial
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably originally thieves’ slang, from Flemish dok “fowl
pen, rabbit hutch,” of unknown origin.][1]



dock

dock4
dock4 [dok]
(plural docks or dock) noun

1.  plant
in buckwheat family: a plant of the buckwheat
family with greenish or reddish flowers, long broad leaves, and a long taproot.
Genus: Rumex

2.  broad-leafed
weed:
any broad-leafed weedy plant
[Old English docce,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



dock

dock1
dock1 [dok]
noun (plural docks)

1.  place
for ships to moor: an area of water between two
piers or next to a pier, where ships can be moored safely for loading and
repair

2.  group
of piers for ships: a group of piers on a
protected area of water used as a general landing area for ships

3.  pier
or wharf:
a long narrow structure stretching out into a body of water, or a raised area
of land alongside water where ships can load and unload

4.  enclosed
area of water for ship: an enclosed area of water
for a ship in which the water level can be adjusted

5.  See
dry dock

6.  TRANSPORT loading
platform for trains or trucks: a raised platform
where trains or trucks can load and unload

7.  U.K.
See dockyard
intransitive
and transitive verb (past docked, past
participle docked, present participle dock·ing, 3rd
person present singular docks)

1.  moor:
to steer a ship into a dock and tie it up, or be steered in and tied up there

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY link
up with spacecraft: to link up with another
spacecraft in space
[14th century. From either
Middle Low German docke or Middle Dutch docke, of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Latin ductio “leading,” from Latin ducere
“to lead.”][1]



dock

dock2
dock2 [dok]
transitive verb (past docked, past participle docked,
present participle dock·ing, 3rd person present singular docks)

1.  reduce
wages:
to deduct a sum of money from somebody’s wages, especially as a punishment

2.  remove
tail:
to remove the tail of a dog, sheep, or other animal, leaving a short stump
noun
(plural docks)

1.  solid
part of tail: the solid part of an animal’s tail

2.  stump
of tail:
the stump left when an animal’s tail has been docked
[14th century. The verb came
from the noun, of uncertain origin: perhaps from assumed Old English docca
“muscle,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “round thing.”][1]



dockage

dockage
dock·age 
[dókij] noun

1.  mooring
charge:
a charge payable for mooring at a dock

2.  facilities
for moored ships: the facilities for ships moored at a
dock

3.  docking
process:
the process of docking a ship

[1]



docker

docker
dock·er
[dókər] (plural dock·ers) noun

See
longshoreman[1]



docket

docket
dock·et 
[dókət] noun (plural dock·ets)

1.  LAW list
of future court cases: a list of pending cases in a
court

2.  LAW book
of upcoming cases: a book in which pending
court cases are kept

3.  list
of things to do: a list of things to do

4.  document
summary:
a summary of a document

5.  customs
certificate: a customs certificate confirming payment
of duty
transitive
verb
(past dock·et·ed, past participle dock·et·ed, present
participle dock·et·ing, 3rd person present singular dock·ets)

1.  LAW put a legal
case in the calendar: to enter a legal case in the
calendar of future cases

2.  LAW summarize
a court case: to summarize a court case and enter the
summary in the appropriate register

3.  label
a package:
to label a package with a document giving the contents or delivery details

4.  summarize
something:
to attach or give a summary of something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from dock 2 .][1]



dockhand

dockhand
dock·hand 
[dók hànd] (plural dock·hands)
noun

See
longshoreman[1]



dockland

dockland
dock·land
[dók lànd] noun

U.K.
area surrounding docks:
the area surrounding a city’s docks or port (often used in the plural)[1]



dockmackie

dockmackie
dock·mack·ie 
[dók màkee] (plural dock·mack·ies
or dock·mak·ie) noun

tall
shrub:
a tall deciduous shrub that produces clusters of white flowers followed by
reddish-black berries. The shrub originally came from China and Japan but is
now grown in Europe and North America. Genus: Viburnum acerifolium
Also
called
possumhaw
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
via American Dutch from Mahican][1]



dockominium

dockominium
dock·o·min·i·um 
[dòkō mínnee əm] (plural dock·o·min·i·ums)
noun

community
of houseboats: a harbor with several jetties providing
permanent moorings for boats used as homes
[Late 20th century. Blend of dock 1 and condominium .][1]



dockside

dockside
dock·side 
[dók sd] noun

area alongside moorings:
the area of ground alongside the moorings in a dock or harbor[1]



dockyard

dockyard
dock·yard 
[dók yrd] (plural dock·yards)
noun

place for repairing and
building ships: an area of workshops,
offices, and docks where ships are repaired and built.
U.K. term
dock 1 noun
7[1]



doctor

doctor
doc·tor 
[dóktər] noun (plural doc·tors)

1.  MEDICINE somebody
medically qualified: somebody qualified and
licensed to give people medical treatment

2.  DENTISTRY VETERINARY MEDICINE MEDICINE dentist,
veterinarian, or osteopath: a title used before the
names of health professionals such as dentists, veterinarians, and osteopaths

3.  somebody
who can fix things: somebody who is good at
doing something, especially fixing or improving something

4.  EDUCATION somebody
with the highest university degree: a
title given to somebody who has been awarded a doctorate, the highest level of
degree awarded by a university

5.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic theologian: in the earlier history of
the Roman Catholic Church, an eminent and influential theologian

6.  EDUCATION teacher
or scholar:
a teacher, or somebody very knowledgeable (archaic)
verb
(past doc·tored, past participle doc·tored, present
participle doc·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular doc·tors)

1.  transitive
verb
change
something to deceive: to change something in order
to make it appear different from the facts or the truth • doctored
the figures

2.  transitive
verb
add
something to a substance: to add something, especially
a drug, alcohol, or poison, to food or drink

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb treat
ill people:
to treat people when they are ill

4.  transitive
verb
fix
something:
to fix something, especially in a rough or hurried way
[14th
century. Via Old French doctour from Latin doctor “teacher,” from
the past participle stem doct- of docere “to teach” (source of
English docile ).]
—doc·tor·ly, adjective[1]



doctoral

doctoral
doc·tor·al 
[dóktərəl] or doc·to·ri·al [dok táwree əl] adjective

1.  done
to obtain a doctorate: written or done in order to
obtain a doctorate, the highest degree awarded by a university • a
doctoral thesis

2.  for
a doctorate: relating to or aiming for a doctorate • doctoral
candidate

[1]



doctorate

doctorate
doc·tor·ate 
[dóktərət] (plural doc·tor·ates)
noun

highest university degree:
the highest level of university degree, usually awarded for a lengthy piece of
original research but sometimes for other outstanding achievements[1]



doctorial

doctorial
doc·to·ri·al
adjective

See
doctoral[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Doctorof Philosophy

Doctorof Philosophy
Doc·tor
of Phi·los·o·phy (plural Doc·tors of
Phi·los·o·phy) noun

1.  highest
university degree: the highest level of
university degree that can be studied for, awarded to somebody who has
successfully completed a lengthy piece of original research. A Doctor of
Philosophy may be awarded in any subject except law, theology, or medicine.

2.  somebody
with Doctor of Philosophy degree: somebody who has been
awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

[1]



Doctorow,E. L.

Doctorow,E. L.
Doc·tor·ow 
[dóktə r], E. L. (1931– )

U.S.
writer. He is known for his novel Ragtime ( 1975 ), a critical look at
turn-of-the-century America, later made into a Broadway musical.
Full name
Doctorow, Edgar Laurence[1]



doctrinaire

doctrinaire
doc·tri·naire 
[dòktrə náir] adjective

determined
to use a theory: determined to use a particular theory or
method and refusing to accept that there might be a better approach
noun
(plural doc·tri·naires)

somebody
with fixed ideas: somebody who is determined to follow a
particular theory or method and refuses to consider alternate approaches
—doc·tri·nair·ism,
noun

—doc·tri·nar·i·an [dòktrə náiree ən], noun[1]



doctrine

doctrine
doc·trine 
[dóktrin] (plural doc·trines) noun

1.  rule
or principle: a rule or principle that forms the basis
of a belief, theory, or policy

2.  ideas
taught as truth: a body of ideas, particularly in
religion, taught to people as truthful or correct

3.  something
taught:
something taught to people (archaic)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin doctrina “teaching,
learning,” from doctor (see doctor
).]
—doc·tri·nal
[dóktrin’l], adjective

—doc·tri·nal·i·ty
[dòktrə nállətee], noun

—doc·tri·nal·ly [dóktrinəlee], adverb[1]



docudrama

docudrama
doc·u·dra·ma 
[dòkyə drmə] (plural doc·u·dra·mas)
noun

dramatization
of true story: a dramatized movie or television version
of a true story
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of documentary and drama .]
—doc·u·dra·mat·ic [dòkyə drə máttik], adjective[1]



document

document
doc·u·ment 
[dókyəmənt] noun (plural doc·u·ments)

1.  formal
piece of writing: a formal piece of writing that provides
information or that acts as a record of events

2.  object
containing information: an object such as a movie,
photograph, or audio recording that contains information and can be used as
evidence

3.  COMPUTING computer
file:
a computer file created using an applications program, for example, a database,
spreadsheet, illustration, or text file
transitive
verb
(past doc·u·ment·ed, past participle doc·u·ment·ed,
present participle doc·u·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular
doc·u·ments)

1.  record
information in or on media: to make a record of
something by writing about it or by filming or photographing it

2.  support
a claim with evidence: to provide evidence for a
statement or claim by supplying supporting information
[15th
century. Via French from Latin documentum “lesson, example” (in medieval
Latin “instruction, official paper”), from docere “to teach” (see doctor ).]
—doc·u·ment·al
[dòkyə mént’l], adjective

—doc·u·ment·er [dókyə mèntər], noun[1]



documentable

documentable
doc·u·ment·a·ble 
[dòkyə méntəb’l] adjective

verifiable:
able to be verified or proved by evidence[1]



documentalist

documentalist
doc·u·ment·al·ist 
[dòkyə mént’list] (plural doc·u·ment·al·ists)
noun

documentation specialist:
somebody who specializes in documentation[1]



documentary

documentary
doc·u·men·ta·ry 
[dòkyə méntəree] noun (plural doc·u·men·ta·ries)

factual movie or TV program:
a movie or TV program presenting facts and information, especially about a
political, historical, or social issue
adjective

1.  consisting
of documents: in the form of documents, or collected
from documents

2.  giving
facts:
giving facts and information rather than telling a fictional story
—doc·u·men·tar·i·ly [dòkyəmən térrilee], adverb[1]



documentation

documentation
doc·u·men·ta·tion 
[dòkyəmən táysh’n] noun

1.  evidential
or reference documents: documents provided or
collected together as evidence or as reference material

2.  process
of providing written information: the process of
providing written details or information about something

3.  COMPUTING computer
software information: the instructions, tutorials,
and reference information provided to explain how to install and use software
or a computer system

[1]



documentfeeder

documentfeeder
doc·u·ment
feed·er
(plural doc·u·ment feed·ers) noun

part that feeds paper through
a printer: the part of a printer,
scanner, or fax machine that holds a stack of papers and feeds them through the
machine to be printed[1]



documentholder

documentholder
doc·u·ment
hold·er
(plural doc·u·ment hold·ers) noun

stand for papers:
a stand that holds papers in a vertical position so that they can be read
easily by somebody working at a desk[1]



docusoap

docusoap
doc·u·soap
[dòkyə sṓp] (plural doc·u·soaps)
noun

television
documentary with soap-opera elements: a
television program that combines documentary style with elements of soap opera,
for example, by showing the personal lives of people at their workplace
[Combination of documentary + soap
opera][1]



DOD

DOD
DOD

Abbreviation of
Department of Defense[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dodder

dodder2
dod·der2 [dóddər]
(plural dod·ders or dod·der) noun

parasitic
plant:
a leafless rootless parasitic plant of the morning glory family that lacks
chlorophyll and has a reddish twining stem and small white flowers. Genus: Cuscuta
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



dodder

dodder1
dod·der1 [dóddər]
(past dod·dered, past participle dod·dered, present
participle dod·der·ing, 3rd person present singular dod·ders)
intransitive verb

1.  shake
or tremble:
to tremble or shake slightly as a result of age

2.  walk
unsteadily:
to walk slowly and unsteadily with shaking limbs as a result of age
[Early
17th century. Alteration of or related to obsolete (except for dialect) dadder
“to quake, tremble,” of unknown origin.]
—dod·der·er, noun[1]



doddered

doddered
dod·dered 
[dóddərd] adjective

1.  having
the top branches missing: having the top branches
missing as a result of age or disease

2.  unsteady:
weak and unsteady
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from dod “to lop (a tree),” of unknown
origin; influenced by dodder 1 .][1]



doddering

doddering
dod·der·ing 
[dóddəring] or dod·der·y [dóddəree] adjective

walking
unsteadily:
walking unsteadily, especially as a result of age
—dod·der·ing·ly, adverb[1]



dodeca-

dodeca-
dodeca-
prefix

phonograph
record (discography)
[From Greek dōdeka,
from duō “two” + deka “ten”][1]



dodecahedron

dodecahedron

do·dec·a·he·dron 
[d dekə hdrən] (plural do·dec·a·he·drons
or do·dec·a·he·dra [d dekə hdrə])
noun
solid
figure with 12 faces: a solid figure with 12 equal
pentagonal faces meeting in threes at 20 vertices
[Late
16th century. From Greek dōdekaedron, from dōdeka “twelve” + hedra
“seat, face.”]
—do·dec·a·he·dral, adjective[1]



dodecanoicacid

dodecanoicacid
do·de·ca·no·ic
ac·id
[dō dekə n ik ássid] noun

See
lauric acid
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from dodecane “(a kind of) paraffin,” from dodeca-
+ -ane .][1]



dodecaphonic

dodecaphonic
do·dec·a·phon·ic 
[d dekə fónnik] adjective

See
twelve-tone
—do·dec·a·phon·ism
[dō dékə fō nìzzəm, dō
dékə fònnizzəm, ddə káffə nìzzəm], noun

—do·dec·a·phon·ist
[dō dékə fnist, dō
dékə fònnist, ddə káffənist], noun

—do·dec·a·phon·y [dō dékə fnee, dō dékə
fònnee, ddə káffənee], noun[1]



dodecasyllable

dodecasyllable
do·dec·a·syl·la·ble
[d dekə sílləb’l] (plural do·dec·a·syl·la·bles)
noun

line
with 12 syllables: a line of verse of 12
syllables
—do·dec·a·syl·lab·ic [d dekə si lábbik], adjective[1]



dodge

dodge
dodge 
[doj] verb (past dodged,
past participle dodged, present participle dodg·ing,
3rd person present singular dodg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
quickly to avoid something: to move quickly and suddenly
to one side to avoid being caught or hit • He
dodged the punch.

2.  transitive
verb
avoid
something unpleasant: to avoid doing something
regarded as unpleasant

3.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY mask
area of print: to mask an area of a print during
exposure to prevent light reaching it
noun
(plural dodg·es)

1.  trick
to avoid doing something: a clever trick or tactic to
avoid doing something • a tax
dodge

2.  quick
avoiding movement: a sudden quick movement to
one side to avoid being caught or hit
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain. Originally “to go this way and that, haggle.”][1]



dodgeball

dodgeball
dodge
ball
noun

children’s ball game:
a children’s game in which opponents try to avoid being hit by a large rubber
ball[1]



DodgeCity

DodgeCity
Dodge
Cit·y
[dój sìttee]

city in southern Kansas, on
the northern bank of the Arkansas River, southwest of Great Bend. Population:
22,430 (1996)[1]



dodger

dodger
dodg·er 
[dójjər] (plural dodg·ers) noun

1.  somebody
avoiding duty: somebody who avoids a duty or
responsibility, especially by using dishonest or deceitful methods

2.  somebody
dishonest:
somebody cunning and untrustworthy

3.  U.S.,
Australia handbill: a
small leaflet or notice

4.  sheltering
screen on ship: a canvas screen on a ship or yacht to
protect the person at the helm from spray

5.  Southern
U.S.
See corndodger

[1]



dodgy

dodgy
dodg·y 
[dójjee] (comparative dodg·i·er,
superlative dodg·i·est) adjective U.K. Australia,
New Zealand (informal)

1.  suspect
or dishonest: suspect, dishonest, or untrustworthy

2.  risky:
dangerous or risky
—dodg·i·ly,
adverb

—dodg·i·ness, noun[1]



dodo

dodo

do·do 
[dṓ dō] (plural do·dos or
do·does) noun

1.  extinct
bird:
a large extinct flightless bird of the pigeon family that once inhabited
Mauritius and neighboring islands in the Indian Ocean. The dodo, which was
heavyset with short legs and a hooked bill, became extinct in the late 17th
century. Latin name: Raphus cucullatus

2.  somebody
thoughtless: somebody thoughtless or unintelligent (informal
insult)

3.  old-fashioned
person:
somebody who is regarded as old-fashioned, conservative, and out of date
[Early
17th century. From Portuguese doudo “fool, simpleton.”]
—do·do·ism,
noun
(as) dead as a dodo

no longer existing,
functioning, flourishing, or popular[1]



doe

doe
doe 
[dō] (plural does) noun

female
mammal:
a mature female of several mammals, including the deer, kangaroo, rabbit, hare,
and goat
[Old English dā, of
unknown origin][1]



DOE

DOE
DOE

Abbreviation of
Department of Energy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








doer

doer
do·er 
[d ər] (plural do·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who does something: somebody who does a
particular thing (often used in combination) • wrongdoer

2.  somebody
actively doing things: somebody who is active in
doing things rather than just thinking or talking about them

[1]



doeskin

doeskin
doe·skin 
[dṓ skin] (plural doe·skins) noun

1.  skin
of deer:
the skin of various animals, including a doe, deer, and goat

2.  leather:
light supple leather made from doeskin that is particularly suitable for gloves

3.  smooth
woolen cloth: a densely woven smooth woolen cloth

[1]



doesn’t

doesn’t
does·n’t 
[dúzz’nt] contraction

does not:
does not[1]



doest

doest
do·est 
[d əst]

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of do 1[1]



doeth

doeth
do·eth 
[d əth]

(archaic) 3rd
person present singular of do 1[1]



doff

doff
doff 
[dof] (past doffed, past
participle doffed, present participle doff·ing, 3rd
person present singular doffs) transitive verb

1.  take
off or lift hat: to take off a hat, or lift and tilt it
as a greeting or a mark of respect

2.  take
off clothing: to take off a coat or another piece of
clothing
[14th
century. Contraction of archaic do off “to take off.”]
—dof·fer, noun[1]



dofor

dofor
do
for
transitive verb

provide for somebody:
to provide for or take care of somebody • You’ll
have to do for yourself this week – I won’t be here.[1]



dog

dog

dog 
[dawg, dog]
noun (plural dogs)

1.  ZOOLOGY domestic
animal that barks: a domestic carnivorous
animal that typically has a long muzzle, pointed ears, a fur coat, and a long
fur-covered tail, and whose characteristic call is a bark. Latin name: Canis
familiaris

2.  ZOOLOGY wild
animal resembling domestic dog: any wild animal that
resembles a domestic dog and belongs to the same family, for example, a wolf,
fox, dingo, or coyote. Family: Canidae

3.  ZOOLOGY male
dog:
a male dog, wolf, fox, or other member of the dog family

4.  contemptible
person:
somebody who is regarded as unpleasant or contemptible (informal insult)

5.  offensive
term:
somebody who is regarded as not good to look at (slang insult)

6.  man:
a man of the particular type described (informal) • You
lucky dog!

7.  something
useless or inferior: something useless or of a
very poor standard (informal)

8.  HOUSEHOLD See andiron

9.  METEOROLOGY See seadog

10. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING gripping
tool:
a device for gripping or holding things
transitive verb
(past dogged, past participle dogged, present
participle dog·ging, 3rd person present singular dogs)

1.  bother
somebody persistently: to bother or trouble
somebody persistently (often passive) • dogged
by bad luck

2.  follow
somebody closely: to follow somebody closely in a
determined way • dogging her footsteps

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING grip
something with mechanical device: to grip or hold
something firmly with a mechanical device
[Old
English docga, of uncertain origin: probably originally “powerful breed
of dog.” Dog did not supplant hound as the general English term for the animal
until the 16th century.]
a dog in the manger

U.K.
somebody who cannot have or does not want something, but who tries to prevent
somebody else from having or doing it

a dog’s life

a
wretched existence

dog eat dog

ruthlessly
competitive

go to the dogs

be
in the final stages of a gradual decline in standards (informal)

let sleeping dogs lie

to
take no action in a situation that is currently peaceful but potentially
troublesome

put on the dog

U.S.
Australia make a display of wealth or knowledge ostentatiously or
pretentiously (dated informal)[1]



dog-and-ponyshow

dog-and-ponyshow
dog-and-po·ny
show 
(plural dog-and-po·ny shows) noun

elaborate presentation:
an elaborate business presentation or promotional event (informal)[1]



dogbane

dogbane
dog·bane 
[dáwg bàyn, dóg
bàyn] noun

poisonous tropical plant:
a plant with pungent milky juice, a bitter root, and small bell-shaped white or
pink flowers. Genus: Apocynum[1]



dogberry

dogberry2
dog·ber·ry2  [dáwg
bèrree, dóg bèrree] (plural dog·ber·ries)
or Dog·ber·ry [dáwg bèrree, dóg bèrree] (plural Dog·ber·ries) noun

self-important
official:
an unintelligent but self-important official
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Dogberry, an unintelligent constable in Much Ado
About Nothing by Shakespeare .]
—dog·ber·ry·ism, noun[1]



dogberry

dogberry1
dog·ber·ry1  [dáwg
bèrree, dóg bèrree] (plural dog·ber·ries)
noun

1.  plant
with berries: any one of various plants with berries,
including mountain ash, bearberry, gooseberry, chokeberry, and dogwood

2.  berry
of dogberry plant: a berry of any dogberry
plant

[1]



dogbiscuit

dogbiscuit
dog
bis·cuit
(plural dog bis·cuits) noun

hard biscuit for dogs:
a hard biscuit made for dogs to eat[1]



dogcart

dogcart
dog·cart 
[dáwg krt, dóg
krt] (plural dog·carts) noun

two-wheeled horse-drawn
vehicle: a two-wheeled vehicle drawn
by a horse and seating two people back to back[1]



dogcatcher

dogcatcher
dog·catch·er 
[dáwg kàchər, dóg
kàchər] (plural dog·catch·ers) noun

person who catches dogs:
somebody who is employed to catch stray dogs.
Also called
dog officer
U.K. term
dog warden[1]



dogcollar

dogcollar
dog
col·lar
(plural dog col·lars) noun

1.  collar
for dog:
a piece of leather or fabric worn around a dog’s neck, often with the dog’s
name attached to it

2.  U.K.
CHRISTIANITY clerical
collar:
a clerical collar (informal)

3.  close-fitting
necklace:
a necklace that fits closely around the neck

[1]



dogdays

dogdays
dog
days
plural noun

1.  hottest
period of the summer: the hottest period of the
summer, roughly between early July and early September in the northern
hemisphere. In ancient times the beginning of the dog days was heralded by the
simultaneous rising of the Dog Star ( Sirius
) and the sun.

2.  lazy
period:
a lazy or inactive period of time
[Mid-16th century.
Translation of Latin dies caniculares, literally “Dog Star days.”][1]



doge

doge
doge 
[dōj] (plural dog·es) noun

Italian
Renaissance chief magistrate: the chief magistrate in
Renaissance Venice and Genoa
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Venetian Italian doze, ultimately
from the Latin stem ducem “leader” (source of English duke ).]
—doge·ship, noun[1]



dog-eared

dog-eared
dog-eared
adjective

1.  having
worn and well-thumbed pages: having worn and well-thumbed
pages that have been creased or folded over to mark the place reached in
reading

2.  worn
or shabby:
shabby or well-used

[1]



dogey

dogey
do·gey
noun

See
dogie[1]



dogface

dogface
dog·face 
[dáwg fàyss, dóg
fàyss] (plural dog·fac·es) noun

infantryman:
a U.S. infantryman (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Perhaps
from the downcast or “hang dog” expression of some enlisted men.][1]



dogfennel

dogfennel
dog
fen·nel
noun

PLANTS See mayweed
[So called from its fetid
smell, and from its leaves being likened to those of fennel][1]



dogfight

dogfight
dog·fight 
[dáwg ft, dóg
ft] (plural dog·fights) noun

1.  AIR combat
between fighter planes: an aerial combat involving
two or more fighter planes

2.  fierce
fight:
a fierce violent fight

3.  fight
involving dogs: a fight between dogs
—dog·fight·ing, noun[1]



dogfish

dogfish
dog·fish 
[dáwg fìsh, dóg
fìsh] (plural dog·fish·es or dog·fish) noun

1.  small
shark:
a small, long-tailed shark, either spiny or smooth-skinned, found in the
Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean. Families: Squalidae Carcharhinidae
Scyliorhinidae

2.  See
bowfin

[1]



dogged

dogged
dog·ged 
[dáwgəd, dóggəd]
adjective

determined:
determined to continue without giving up in spite of difficulties
—dog·ged·ly,
adverb

—dog·ged·ness, noun[1]



dogger

dogger1
dog·ger1 [dáwgər,
dóggər] (plural dog·gers) noun

Dutch
fishing boat: a Dutch fishing vessel
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch .][1]



dogger

dogger2
dog·ger2 [dáwgər,
dóggər] (plural dog·gers) noun

GEOLOGY large
deposit in sedimentary rock: a large mass of
calcium-containing sandstone or ironstone occurring in sedimentary rock
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from dog .][1]



doggerel

doggerel
dog·ger·el 
[dáwgərəl, dóggərəl]
or dog·grel [dáwgrəl, dóggrəl] noun

1.  POETRY poetry
with irregular rhythm: poetry that does not scan
well and is often not intended to be taken seriously

2.  poor-quality
composition: something that is badly written or makes
no sense at all
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from dog (with
its pejorative connotations).][1]



doggie

doggie
dog·gie 
noun

See
doggy[1]



doggish

doggish
dog·gish 
[dáwgish, dóggish]
adjective

1.  resembling
a dog:
resembling a dog, or possessing the qualities of a dog

2.  bad-tempered:
bad-tempered and aggressive

3.  showy:
ostentatiously stylish
—dog·gish·ly,
adverb

—dog·gish·ness, noun[1]



doggo

doggo
dog·go 
[dáwgō, dóggō]
adverb

U.K.
still
and quiet:
not moving or making any sound in order not to be discovered • lying
doggo
[Late 19th century. Formed
from dog, dogs having the capacity to lie in
this manner.][1]



doggone

doggone
dog·gone
[dáwg gàwn, dóg
gòn] or dog·goned [dáwg gàwn,
dóg gòn] adverb adjective

annoying:
used to emphasize how bad or annoying something is (informal)
interjection

expressing
annoyance:
used to express annoyance or irritation (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably (perhaps via Scots dialect dagone ) ultimately from goddamn .][1]



doggrel

doggrel
dog·grel
noun

See
doggerel[1]



doggy

doggy
dog·gy
[dáwgee, dóggee]
or dog·gie [dáwgee, dóggee] noun (plural dog·gies)
(plural dog·gies)

dog: a dog
(babytalk)
adjective

1.  resembling
a dog:
resembling or typical of a dog’s behavior or appearance

2.  fond
of dogs:
fond of or interested in dogs (informal)

[1]



doggybag

doggybag
dog·gy
bag
(plural dog·gy bags) or dog·gie bag (plural dog·gie
bags) noun

bag
for leftover food: a bag that can be used by a
customer at a restaurant to take home any leftover food from his or her meal
[Doggy from giving the food
in it to a dog][1]



doggypaddle

doggypaddle
dog·gy
pad·dle
noun intransitive verb (past dog·gy pad·dled, past
participle dog·gy pad·dled, present participle dog·gy
pad·dling, 3rd person present singular dog·gy pad·dles)

U.K.
See dog paddle[1]



doghandler

doghandler
dog
han·dler
(plural dog han·dlers) noun

police officer working with
trained dogs: a police officer or
security guard who is in charge of a specially trained working dog[1]



doghanged

doghanged
dog·hanged 
[dáwg hàngd, dóg
hàngd] adjective

Southern U.S.
hangdog:
hangdog[1]



doghouse

doghouse
dog·house 
[dáwg hòws, dóg
hòws] (plural dog·hous·es [dáwg
hòwzəz, dóg hòwzəz]) noun

dog’s
shelter:
a small enclosed shelter for a dog.
U.K.
term
kennel
in
the doghouse

in disgrace (informal)[1]



dogie

dogie
do·gie 
[dṓgee] (plural do·gies) or
do·gy [dṓgee] (plural do·gies)
or do·gey [dṓgee] (plural
do·geys) noun

motherless
calf:
a calf with no mother
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dogiron

dogiron
dog
i·ron
(plural dog i·rons) noun

Southern
U.S.
andiron:
an andiron





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Dog iron is the dominant term in
  the Southwest Midland and Interior South, where it competes with Coastal and
  Piedmont fire iron and fire dog.

[1]



dogLatin

dogLatin
dog
Lat·in
noun

spurious Latin:
Latin that is incorrect in some way, especially a word or phrase that is
falsely made to look or sound like Latin for humorous or satirical effect.
See also
pig Latin[1]



dogleg

dogleg
dog·leg 
[dáwg lèg, dóg
lèg] noun (plural dog·legs)

1.  GOLF golf
hole with bend: a hole in golf in which the fairway
contains a gentle or sharp bend

2.  sharp
bend:
a sharp bend or angle in something, especially in a road
intransitive
verb
(past dog·legged, past participle dog·legged, present
participle dog·leg·ging, 3rd person present singular dog·legs)

form a sharp bend:
to form a sharp bend or angle
[From
being likened to the bent form of a dog’s hind leg]
—dog·leg·ged [dawg léggəd, dawg légd,
dog léggəd], adjective[1]



dogma

dogma
dog·ma 
[dáwgmə, dógmə]
(plural dog·mas or dog·ma·ta [dáwgmətə, dógmətə])
noun

1.  RELIGION religious
belief:
a belief or set of beliefs that a religion holds to be true

2.  group
belief:
a belief or set of beliefs that a political, philosophical, or moral group
holds to be true
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek dogma (stem dogmat- ) “opinion, tenet,” from dokein
“to seem good, think” (source of English orthodox
and paradox ).][1]



dogmatic

dogmatic
dog·mat·ic 
[dawg máttik, dog
máttik] or dog·mat·i·cal [dawg
máttik’l, dog máttik’l] adjective

1.  expressing
rigid opinions: prone to expressing strongly held
beliefs and opinions

2.  relating
to dogma:
relating to or expressing a religious, political, philosophical, or moral dogma
—dog·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dogmatics

dogmatics
dog·mat·ics 
[dawg máttiks, dog
máttiks] or dog·mat·ic the·ol·o·gy [dawg máttiks, dog
máttiks] noun

RELIGION
study of dogmas:
the study of religious dogmas, especially Christian dogmas (takes a singular
verb)[1]



dogmatism

dogmatism
dog·ma·tism 
[dáwgmə tìzzəm, dógmə
tìzzəm] noun

tendency to be dogmatic:
the tendency to express strongly held opinions in a way that suggests they
should be accepted without question[1]



dogmatist

dogmatist
dog·ma·tist 
[dáwgmətist, dógmətist]
(plural dog·ma·tists) noun

1.  somebody
dogmatic:
somebody who expresses strongly held opinions, expecting them to be accepted
without question

2.  somebody
devising dogma: somebody who devises a new religious,
political, philosophical, or moral dogma

[1]



dogmatize

dogmatize
dog·ma·tize 
[dáwgmə tz, dógmə
tz] (past dog·ma·tized, past participle dog·ma·tized,
present participle dog·ma·tiz·ing, 3rd person present singular
dog·ma·tiz·es) intransitive verb

speak
dogmatically: to express strongly held opinions in a
way that suggests they should be accepted without question
—dog·ma·ti·za·tion
[dàwgməti záysh’n, dògməti
záysh’n], noun

—dog·ma·tiz·er [dáwgmə tzər, dógmə
tzər], noun[1]



dognap

dognap
dog·nap 
[dáwg nàp, dóg
nàp] (past dog·napped, past participle dog·napped,
present participle dog·nap·ping, 3rd person present singular
dog·naps) transitive verb

steal
a dog:
to steal a dog, especially in order to sell it for use in medical research
—dog·nap·per, noun[1]



dogofficer

dogofficer
dog
of·fi·cer
(plural dog of·fi·cers) noun

See
dogcatcher[1]



Dogon

Dogon

Do·gon 
[dṓ gòn] (plural Do·gon or
Do·gons) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Voltaic people: a member of a Voltaic people
living on the plateaus of southeastern Mali in western Africa

2.  LANGUAGE language
of W Africa: a language of Mali and Burkina Faso,
belonging to the Niger-Congo family and perhaps to the Gur group. Dogon is
spoken by over 500,000 people.
—Do·gon, adjective[1]



do-gooder

do-gooder
do-good·er 
(plural do-good·ers) noun

somebody
trying to help others: somebody who tries to help
others, with the best intentions, but who can be perceived as unwelcome or even
interfering (informal)
—do-good·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



dogpaddle

dogpaddle
dog
pad·dle
noun

swimming
stroke:
a swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face down and makes rapid downward
movements with the arms and legs underneath the body. This stroke is often used
by children learning to swim and is not used in competitions.
U.K.
term
doggy paddle
intransitive
verb
(past dog pad·dled, past participle dog pad·dled, present
participle dog pad·dling, 3rd person present singular dog
pad·dles)

swim using dog paddle:
to swim using the dog paddle.
U.K. term
doggy paddle[1]



dogracing

dogracing
dog
rac·ing
noun

greyhound racing:
the sport of greyhound racing in which dogs chase a mechanical rabbit around a
track and spectators may bet on which dog will win[1]



dogrose

dogrose

dog
rose
(plural dog ros·es) noun
wild
rose:
a European wild rose with delicate pink or white flowers. Latin name: Rosa
canina
[Ultimately from an account
in the ancient Roman Pliny ’s Historia Naturalis in which a soldier with
rabies contracted from a dog bite is cured with the root of this plant][1]



dogsbody

dogsbody
dogs·bod·y 
[dáwgz boddee, dógz
boddee] (plural dogs·bod·ies) noun

U.K.
somebody
given menial jobs: somebody who does all the
boring menial jobs that others do not want to do (informal)
[Early 19th century. First
attested as British naval slang for a pudding made of peas.][1]



dogshow

dogshow
dog
show
(plural dog shows) noun

competition for dogs:
a competitive event in which dogs are judged on the qualities considered to be
characteristic of the breed or type, for example, appearance, obedience, and
agility[1]



dogsled

dogsled
dog·sled
[dáwg slèd, dóg
slèd] (plural dog·sleds) noun

sled
pulled by dogs: a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled
by dogs, designed to travel over snow and ice
—dog·sled,
intransitive verb

—dog·sled·der, noun[1]



DogStar

DogStar
Dog
Star 
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Sirius[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dogtag

dogtag
dog
tag
(plural dog tags) noun

1.  MILITARY identification
tag for soldiers: a metal identification tag for a member
of the military, worn on a chain around the neck (informal)

2.  identification
disk for dog: a metal disk, attached to a dog’s
collar, that gives the name and address of the dog’s owner and often the name
of the dog

[1]



dogteam

dogteam
dog
team
(plural dog teams) noun

team of dogs pulling sled:
a team of dogs for pulling a dog sled[1]



dogteeth

dogteeth
dog·teeth

Plural of
dogtooth[1]



dog-tired

dog-tired
dog-tired
adjective

exhausted:
completely exhausted (informal)[1]



dogtooth

dogtooth
dog·tooth 
[dáwg tth, dóg
tth] (plural dog·teeth [dáwg
tth, dóg tth]) noun

1.  DENTISTRY canine:
a canine tooth (informal)

2.  ARCHITECTURE late
medieval architectural feature: in 13th-century
English architecture, a small raised ornamental feature on a building
consisting of four leaf-shaped parts arranged to form an X-shape

[1]



dogtoothviolet

dogtoothviolet
dog·tooth
vi·o·let
(plural dog·tooth vi·o·lets) noun

small
plant with flowers resembling lilies: a
small bulbous plant of the lily family that flowers in the spring and has
red-speckled leaves and nodding yellow or purple flowers resembling lilies.
Genus: Erythronium
Also
called
adder’s-tongue
Also
called
trout lily
[From the toothed inner
segments of the perianth][1]



dogtrot

dogtrot
dog·trot 
[dáwg tròt, dóg
tròt] noun

gentle trot:
a gentle trot at a steady pace[1]



dogwarden

dogwarden
dog
war·den
(plural dog war·dens) noun

U.K.
See dogcatcher[1]



dogwatch

dogwatch
dog·watch 
[dáwg wàwch, dóg
wòch] (plural dog·watch·es) noun

NAUTICAL
watch period on ship:
on a ship, the late afternoon watch from 4:00 P.M.
to 6:00 P.M. or the early evening
watch from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.[1]



dogwood

dogwood

dog·wood 
[dáwg wd, dóg
wd] (plural dog·woods or dog·wood) noun
tree or shrub with white flowers:
a tree or shrub that has clusters of small white flowers surrounded by four
large white or reddish leaves ( bracts ).
Genus: Cornus[1]



dogy

dogy
do·gy 
noun

See
dogie[1]



doh

doh
doh
[dō] noun

MUSIC
See do 2[1]



Doha

Doha
Do·ha
[dṓ hə, dṓ h]

capital and largest city of
Qatar, on the Persian Gulf. Population: 296,821 (1991)[1]



doily

doily
doi·ly 
[dóylee] (plural doi·lies) noun

1.  lacy
mat for plate: a decorative lacy mat, usually made of
lace, linen, or paper, that is put on plates under cakes or party food to
display the food attractively

2.  small
napkin:
a small table napkin
[Late 18th century. Named for
Doiley or Doyley, surname of a 17th-C London draper.][1]



doin

doin
do
in
transitive verb (informal)

1.  kill
somebody:
to kill or severely beat somebody

2.  tire
out:
to make somebody feel exhausted

[1]



doing

doing1
do·ing1 [d
ing]

Present participle of
do 1[1]



doing

doing2
do·ing2  [d
ing] noun (plural do·ings)

carrying
out of something: the act of performing or carrying out
something • It’s
all your doing.
plural
noun
do·ings

social activities:
social activities[1]



Doisy,Edward Adelbert

Doisy,Edward Adelbert
Doi·sy 
[dóyzee], Edward Adelbert (1893–1986)

U.S. biochemist. He shared a
Nobel Prize with Henrik Dam for discovering the chemical structure of vitamin K
(1943).[1]



doit

doit
doit 
[doyt] (plural doits) noun

1.  MONEY old
Dutch unit of currency: a small low-value silver
coin that was a Dutch unit of currency between the 15th and 17th centuries

2.  jot:
something that is very small and unimportant (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
Middle Low German doyt .][1]



do-it-yourself

do-it-yourself
do-it-your·self 
noun

doing
home repairs and alterations yourself: the
activity of doing repairs and alterations in the home yourself, especially as a
hobby, instead of employing tradespeople to do the work
—do-it-your·self·er, noun[1]



dojo

dojo
do·jo 
[dṓ jō] (plural do·jos) noun

place
for judo practice: a school or room for
practicing judo
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “way ground, pursuit place,” from dō “way, art”
(source of English kendo ) + -jō
“ground.”][1]



dol.

dol.
dol.

Abbreviation of
dollar[1]



dolabriform

dolabriform
do·lab·ri·form 
[dō lábbrə fàwrm] or do·lab·rate
[dō láb ràyt] adjective

BOTANY shaped
like an ax head: having a shape like an ax head
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin dolabra “mattock, pickax.”][1]



Dolby

Dolby
Dol·by
[dáwlbee] Trademark

a trademark for an electronic
circuit that reduces noise on an audio tape recording[1]



dolce

dolce
dol·ce 
[dól chày] adverb

sweetly:
sweetly and gently (used as a musical direction)
[Early
19th century. Via Italian, “sweet,” from Latin dulcis (source of English
dulcet ).]
—dol·ce, adjective[1]



dolcefar niente

dolcefar niente
dol·ce
far ni·en·te  [dl chay
faar nee éntee] noun

comfortable
laziness:
pleasant idleness and relaxation
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “sweet doing nothing.”][1]



Dolcelatte

Dolcelatte
Dol·ce·lat·te
[dl chay l tày] noun

soft Italian cheese:
a soft creamy Italian blue cheese with a mild flavor, made from cow’s milk[1]



dolcevita

dolcevita
dol·ce
vita 
[dlchə vtə] noun

life
of luxury:
a life of luxury and idle self-indulgence
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “sweet life.”][1]



doldrums

doldrums
dol·drums 
[dṓldrəmz, dóldrəmz]
plural noun

1.  stagnation:
a sluggish state in which something fails to develop or improve

2.  gloominess:
a state of gloominess or very low energy

3.  METEOROLOGY SHIPPING area
of winds north of equator: an area with no wind or
light variable winds just north of the equator in the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, situated between the trade winds

4.  METEOROLOGY SHIPPING weather
conditions in doldrums: the weather conditions
prevailing in the doldrums . These formerly caused problems for sailing ships,
which could become becalmed there.
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed (on the model of tantrum
) from dold “stupid, inactive,” ultimately from Old English dol
“foolish.”][1]



dole

dole1
dole1 [dōl]
noun

1.  U.K.
SOCIAL WELFARE government
unemployment payment: a regular sum of money paid
by the government to people who are unemployed (informal)

2.  charity:
the giving of clothes, money, or food to people who are in need

3.  somebody’s
fate:
somebody’s fate in life (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past doled, past participle doled, present
participle dol·ing, 3rd person present singular doles)

distribute something as charity:
to distribute something as charity to people who are in need
[Old English dāl
“portion,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English deal and ordeal][1]



dole

dole2
dole2 [dōl]
noun

grief:
grief, sadness, or misery (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
dol “mourning” from popular Latin dolus, from Latin dolere
“to grieve, suffer pain” (source of English condolence
).][1]



Dole,Bob

Dole,Bob
Dole
[dōl], Bob (1923– )

U.S.
statesman and lawyer. He was the Republican nominee for U.S. president in 1996,
running against Bill Clinton after many years in the U.S. Senate.
Full name
Dole, Robert Joseph[1]



Dole,Elizabeth

Dole,Elizabeth
Dole
[dōl], Elizabeth (1936– )

U.S.
attorney and public official. A former cabinet member, she was appointed
director of the American Red Cross in 1990. In 1999 she announced plans to run
for president.
Born
Hanford, Elizabeth[1]



doleful

doleful
dole·ful 
[dṓlfəl] adjective

sad:
very sad and mournful
—dole·ful·ly,
adverb

—dole·ful·ness, noun[1]



dolente

dolente
do·len·te 
[dō léntee, dō
lén tày] adverb

sorrowfully:
in a sorrowful manner (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian, present participle of dolere “to feel grief,” from Latin dolere
(see dole 2 )]
—do·len·te, adjective[1]



doleout

doleout
dole
out
transitive verb

distribute something:
to give something to each of a group of people (informal)[1]



dolerite

dolerite
dol·er·ite 
[dóllə rt] noun

U.K.
See diabase
[Mid-19th
century. From French dolérite, from Greek doleros “deceptive,”
from dolos “deceit” (from its being difficult to distinguish from
diorite).]
—dol·er·it·ic [dòllə ríttik], adjective[1]



Dole,Sanford Ballard

Dole,Sanford Ballard
Dole 
[dōl], Sanford Ballard (1844–1926)

U.S. politician. He was first
and only president of the Republic of Hawaii (1894–1900) and territorial
governor (1900–1903).[1]



dolichocephalic

dolichocephalic
dol·i·cho·ce·phal·ic 
[dòlli kō sə fállik] or dol·i·cho·ceph·a·lous
[dòlli kō séffələss] adjective

having
a disproportionately long head: having a head
disproportionately longer than it is wide, specifically one with a cephalic
index of less than 75
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from dolicho- “narrow” (from Greek dolikhos ) + -cephalic .]
—dol·i·cho·ceph·a·lism
[dòlli kō séffəl ìzzəm], noun[1]



dolichosaurus

dolichosaurus
do·li·cho·saur·us 
[dòlli kō sáwrəss] (plural do·li·cho·saur·us·es)
noun

extinct
aquatic reptile: an extinct aquatic long-necked reptile
that was common 65 million years ago
[Coined from dolicho-
“narrow” (from Greek dolikhos ) + -saurus, from their long necks and
bodies][1]



doline

doline
do·line
[də lnə] (plural do·lines) or
do·li·na [də lnə] (plural do·li·nas)
noun

valley
in limestone: a large, often roughly circular basin of
valley-sized proportions formed as a result of water dissolving surface
limestone
[Late 19th century. Via
German from Slovene dolina “valley.”][1]



do-little

do-little
do-lit·tle 
(plural do-lit·tles) noun

lazy person:
somebody who is lazy (informal)[1]



doll

doll
doll 
[dol] (plural dolls) noun

1.  child’s
toy:
a child’s toy in the shape of a person or baby

2.  woman
pleasant to look at: a woman or girl who is
pleasant to look at and described in that sense (informal) (sometimes
offensive)

3.  helpful
person:
a nice or helpful person (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. From the pet form of the female name Dorothy (compare the
formation of Moll from Mary ).
Originally “man’s woman lover.”]
—dol·lish,
adjective

—dol·lish·ly,
adverb

—dol·lish·ness, noun[1]



dollar

dollar
dol·lar 
[dóllər] (plural dol·lars) noun

1.  common
unit of currency: a unit of currency used in the United
States, Canada, Australia, and some other countries all around the world

2.  bill
worth a dollar: a bill worth one dollar

3.  U.K.
former
five-shilling coin: formerly in the United
Kingdom, a five-shilling coin (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Via early Flemish daler or Low German from German Taler,
shortening of Joachimst(h)aler, named for the silver mine of Joachimsthal,
now Jáchymov, Czech Republic.]
feel
like a million dollars

to feel extremely well,
good-looking, or happy (informal) • She
felt like a million dollars after passing the exam.[1]



dollar-a-year

dollar-a-year
dol·lar-a-year 
adjective

receiving only token payment:
receiving only a very small token payment for work carried out[1]



dollarbird

dollarbird
dol·lar·bird 
[dóllər bùrd] (plural dol·lar·birds)
noun

Asian and Australian bird:
a blue-gray bird with pale round patches on its wings the size of a dollar
coin. It winters in Indonesia and New Guinea, migrating to Australia in summer.
Latin name: Eurystomus orientalis[1]



dollarcost averaging

dollarcost averaging
dol·lar
cost av·er·ag·ing noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE regular
fixed investing: the periodic and
systematic purchase of a security regardless of the security price[1]



dollarday

dollarday
dol·lar
day
(plural dol·lar days) noun

day selling reduced price
goods: a day on which goods are
reduced for sale[1]



Dollarddes Ormeaux, Adam

Dollarddes Ormeaux, Adam
Dol·lard
des Or·meaux [dō yr day
zawr mṓ], Adam (1635–1660)

French-born Canadian soldier
and colonist. He is credited with having saved Montreal from the Iroquois
(1660).[1]



dollardiplomacy

dollardiplomacy
dol·lar
di·plo·ma·cy noun

1.  use
of financial power in diplomacy: the use of financial
resources to facilitate foreign relations

2.  U.S.
policy protecting overseas investment: in
the United States, a policy aimed at encouraging and protecting American
investment abroad

[1]



dollars-and-cents

dollars-and-cents
dol·lars-and-cents
adjective

purely financial:
considering finance as the determining factor[1]



dollarsign

dollarsign
dol·lar
sign
(plural dol·lar signs) noun

symbol representing a dollar:
the symbol ($) that represents a dollar[1]



dollarstore

dollarstore
dol·lar
store
noun

store selling inexpensive
items: a retail establishment
selling inexpensive items, many at one dollar or less[1]



dollhouse

dollhouse
doll·house 
[dól hòws] (plural doll·hous·es
[dól hòw zəz]) noun

toy house:
a toy house containing miniature furniture.
U.K. term
doll’s house[1]



dollop

dollop
dol·lop 
[dólləp] noun (plural dol·lops)

small
amount of something: a spoon-sized quantity of a
thick liquid or a soft solid such as ice cream or cream (informal)
transitive
verb
(past dol·loped, past participle dol·loped, present
participle dol·lop·ing, 3rd person present singular dol·lops)

spoon
something:
to spoon a quantity of a thick liquid or a soft solid (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian . Originally “clump of grass or weeds.”][1]



dollup

dollup
doll
up
transitive verb

dress somebody or yourself
stylishly: to make yourself or somebody
else, for example, a child, look particularly elegant and stylish, usually for
a special occasion (informal)[1]



dolly

dolly
dol·ly 
[dóllee] noun (plural dol·lies)

1.  doll:
a toy doll (babytalk)

2.  TV CINEMA moving platform for camera
operator:
a platform with wheels on which a camera operator and camera are placed in
order to film moving shots for a movie or television program

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING platform
on wheels for moving things: a platform on wheels used to
move heavy weights

4.  CIVIL ENGINEERING weight
dropped on a pile: a heavy weight dropped on a
pile to force it into the ground

5.  CONSTRUCTION tool
for holding rivet: an anvil that holds one end
of a rivet while the other end is being hammered

6.  METALLURGY heavy
block held behind hammered metal: a heavy block held
behind sheet metal that is being hammered
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dol·lied,
past participle dol·lied, present participle dol·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular dol·lies)

move camera on a dolly:
to move a camera on a dolly

[1]



dollyshot

dollyshot
dol·ly
shot
noun

shot filmed using dolly:
a shot filmed from a camera mounted on a wheeled platform[1]



DollyVarden

DollyVarden
Dol·ly
Var·den 
[dòlli vrd’n] noun

(plural
Dol·ly Var·den or Dol·ly Var·den trout or Dol·ly
Var·den trouts or Dol·ly Var·den trout) red-spotted
fish:
a trout or char with red spots found in lakes and streams of western North
America and eastern Asia. Latin name: Salvelinus malma
[Late 19th century. Named for
Dolly Varden, a woman of colorful dress in the novel Barnaby Rudge
by Charles Dickens .][1]



doll’shouse

doll’shouse
doll’s
house
(plural doll’s hous·es) noun

U.K.
See dollhouse[1]



dolma

dolma
dol·ma 
[dáwlmə, dáwl m]
(plural dol·mas or dol·ma·des [dawl m dz]) noun

stuffed
leaf:
a grape or cabbage leaf with a savory stuffing usually containing meat and
rice, a specialty of Greek and Turkish cooking
[Late 17th century. From
Turkish, literally “something stuffed.”][1]



dolman

dolman
dol·man 
[dólmən, dṓlmən]
(plural dol·mans) noun

1.  woman’s
wide-sleeved coat: a woman’s coat with large
sleeves cut in one piece with the body of the garment

2.  long
robe:
a long Turkish robe
[Late 16th century. Via
French dol(i)man from, ultimately, Turkish dolama(n) “robe.”][1]



dolmansleeve

dolmansleeve
dol·man
sleeve
noun

sleeve cut with body of
garment: a sleeve cut in one piece
with the body of a garment such as a jacket or dress, particularly one fitting
tightly at the wrist and wide at the armhole[1]



dolmen

dolmen
dol·men 
[dólmən, dṓlmən]
(plural dol·mens) noun

megalithic
tomb:
a prehistoric structure that consists of a large horizontal slab of stone
supported by two or more vertical slabs and is thought to have been used as a
tomb
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Cornish tolmen, literally
“hole (of) stone” (from the aperture formed by the slabs).][1]



dolomite

dolomite
dol·o·mite 
[dṓlə mt, dóllə
mt] noun

1.  MINERALS pale-colored
mineral:
a white, reddish, or greenish mineral consisting of calcium magnesium
carbonate, found in sedimentary rocks. It is used as a building stone and in
the manufacture of cement and fertilizers. CaMg(CO3)2

2.  GEOLOGY sedimentary
rock:
a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of the mineral dolomite
[Late 18th century. From
French, named for Déodat de Dolomieu (1750–1801), a French geologist,
who first described it.][1]



Dolomites

Dolomites
Do·lo·mi·tes
[dṓlə mts, dólləmts]

mountain group in the eastern
part of the northern Italian Alps. The highest peak is Marmolada, 3,342
km/10,964 ft .[1]



dolor

dolor
do·lor 
[dṓlər] noun

sadness:
intense sadness (literary)
[13th century. Via Old French
dolo(u)r from Latin dolor “pain, grief, sorrow,” from dolere
“to feel pain.”][1]



doloroso

doloroso
do·lo·ro·so 
[dlə rṓssō] adverb

sadly:
to be played with sadness (used as a musical direction.)
[Early
19th century. Via Italian from late Latin dolorosus (see dolorous ).]
—do·lo·ro·so, adjective[1]



dolorous

dolorous
do·lor·ous 
[dṓlərəss, dóllərəss]
adjective

sad
or painful:
showing, causing, or involving sorrow or pain (literary)
[14th
century]
—do·lor·ous·ly,
adverb

—do·lor·ous·ness, noun[1]



dolour

dolour
do·lour 
noun

U.K. =
dolor[1]



dolphin

dolphin
dol·phin 
[dólfin] (plural dol·phins or
dol·phin) noun ZOOLOGY

1.  sea
animal related to whales: an intelligent marine mammal
( cetacean ) that resembles a large fish and
has teeth and a snout similar to a beak. Found almost worldwide, dolphins are
related to whales but are smaller. Family: Delphinidae

2.  large
marine game fish: a large sea fish of the perch family,
popular as a game fish, that has a long dorsal fin, high blunt forehead, and a
brilliant green, blue, and yellow body. Latin name: Coryphaena hippurus Coryphaena
equisetis
Also
called
dolphinfish
Also
called
dorado
[14th century. Via Old French
daulphin (source of English dauphin
) from, ultimately, Greek delphin (source of English delphinium ).][1]



dolphinarium

dolphinarium
dol·phi·nar·i·um
[dòlfi náiree əm] (plural dol·phi·nar·i·ums
or dol·phi·nar·i·a [dòlfi náiree ə])
noun

aquarium
for dolphins: a large pool in which dolphins are kept,
either for research or for public displays
[Mid-20th century. Blend of dolphin and aquarium
; modeled on oceanarium .][1]



dolphinfish

dolphinfish
dol·phin·fish
[dólfin fìsh] (plural dol·phin·fish
or dol·phin·fish·es) noun

See
dolphin  noun 2[1]



dolphinstriker

dolphinstriker
dol·phin
strik·er
noun

strut on sailing vessel:
a strut that helps to prevent upward movement of a spar extending from the
front of a sailing vessel.
Also called
martingale[1]



dolt

dolt
dolt 
[dōlt] (plural dolts) noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody thought of as being without intelligence (informal insult)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately dulled, past participle of dull .][1]



doltish

doltish
dolt·ish 
[dṓltish] adjective

unintelligent:
of low intelligence or showing lack of intelligence (informal insult)
—dolt·ish·ly,
adverb

—dolt·ish·ness, noun[1]



Dolton

Dolton
Dol·ton 
[dṓlt’n]

village in northeastern
Illinois, just west of the Illinois-Indiana border, a southern suburb of
Chicago. Population: 24,102 (1996)[1]



D.O.M.

D.O.M.
D.O.M.

Abbreviation of
Deo Optimo Maximo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








DOM

DOM
DOM

(slang insult) Abbreviation
of dirty old man[1]



Dom.

Dom.
Dom.

Abbreviation of
Dominican[1]



dom.

dom.
dom.

1.  Abbreviation
of
domestic

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of dominant

[1]



-dom

-dom
-dom
suffix

1.  status,
condition • martyrdom

2.  people
associated with a particular status or rank • fandom

3.  office,
rank, domain • dukedom
[Old English -dōm .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to put, place,” which is also
the ancestor of English doom .][1]



domain

domain
do·main 
[dō máyn, də
máyn] (plural do·mains) noun

1.  purview:
the scope of a subject

2.  sphere
of influence: an area of activity over which somebody
has influence

3.  territory
governed:
territory ruled by a government or a leader

4.  land
owned:
an area of land owned and controlled by a person, family, or organization

5.  LAW rights
of ownership: rights relating to the ownership of
land.
See
also
demesne

6.  PHYSICS region
of uniform magnetism: a region in a ferromagnetic
material within which all the atoms are magnetically oriented in the same
direction. Increasing the magnetic field increases the size and number of the
domains.

7.  MATHEMATICS set
of values of variable: the set of possible values
specified for a given mathematical function

8.  COMPUT See domain name
[15th century. From French domaine,
an alteration of demeine “demesne” (source of English demesne ), from, ultimately, Latin dominus
“lord” (see don 1 ), the
underlying sense being “land belonging to a lord.”][1]



domainname

domainname
do·main
name
noun

Internet address:
the sequence of words, phrases, abbreviations, or characters that identifies a
specific computer or network on the Internet and serves as its address[1]



domainof quantification

domainof quantification
do·main
of quan·ti·fi·ca·tion noun

set of objects in logic:
the set of objects to which the quantifiers “all” and “some” apply[1]



dome

dome

dome 
[dōm] noun (plural domes)

1.  ARCHITECTURE hemispherical
roof:
a hemispherical roof, for example, on a palace or cathedral

2.  hemispherical
top:
something that resembles a dome in shape and position, for example, the cover
of a furnace or the top of somebody’s head • the
dome of the sky

3.  hemispherical
building structure: a hemispherical or convex
structure, especially a building • a
sports dome

4.  crystal
formation resembling a roof: a crystal form in which two
inclined surfaces intersect to form an edge like a roof

5.  large
stately building: a large grand building (archaic)

6.  GEOLOGY curved
rock layer:
a semispherical topographic feature that slopes in all directions from a
central point, formed by upward folding of sediments

7.  GEOLOGY lava
mass:
a mass of solidified viscous lava formed above the vent of a volcano by the
buildup of magma
verb (past
domed, past participle domed, present participle dom·ing,
3rd person present singular domes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form a
hemispherical shape: to rise in a hemispherical
shape, or form something into this shape

2.  transitive
verb
cover
with a dome: to cover something with a dome
[Mid-17th century. Via French
dôme from Italian duomo “house, house of God, cathedral” (source
of English duomo ), from Latin domus
“house.”][1]



domed

domed
domed
[dōmd] adjective

1.  having
a dome:
with a dome or many domes

2.  looking
like a dome: with a shape or structure resembling a
dome “His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed” T. S.
Eliot Macavity: The Mystery Cat 1939

[1]



domesday

domesday
domes·day 
[dmz dày] noun

doomsday:
doomsday (archaic)[1]



DomesdayBook

DomesdayBook
Domes·day
Book 
or Dooms·day Book noun

medieval
English land survey: a record of all the land in
England, its value and its ownership, commissioned by William the Conqueror in
1085
[Domesday reflecting the
book’s status as the ultimate authority on matters within its compass][1]



domestic

domestic
do·mes·tic 
[də méstik] adjective

1.  relating
to home:
relating to or used in the home or everyday life within a household

2.  DOMESTIC relating
to family:
relating to or involving the family or people living together within a
household

3.  AGRICULTURE not
wild:
kept as a farm animal or as a pet

4.  COMMERCE not
foreign:
produced, distributed, sold, or occurring within a country • domestic
oil producers

5.  POLITICS of a
nation’s internal affairs: relating to the internal
affairs of a nation or country • domestic
issues such as elections

6.  enjoying
home:
enjoying home and family life
noun
(plural do·mes·tics)

1.  household
servant:
somebody employed to do housework in somebody else’s home or other duties in a
large household

2.  COMMERCE product
not originating abroad: a product manufactured
within a country
[15th
century. Via French domestique from Latin domesticus, from domus
“house.”]
—do·mes·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



domesticate

domesticate
do·mes·ti·cate 
[də mésti kàyt] (past do·mes·ti·cat·ed,
past participle do·mes·ti·cat·ed, present participle do·mes·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular do·mes·ti·cates) transitive verb

1.  AGRICULTURE tame
an animal:
to accustom an animal to living with or near people, usually as a farm animal
or pet

2.  accustom
to household life: to accustom somebody to home
life or housework (humorous)

3.  BIOLOGY adapt
plants and animals for humans: to cultivate plants or
raise animals, selectively breeding them to increase their suitability for
human requirements
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin domesticat-, the past participle stem of domesticare,
from Latin domesticus (see domestic
).]
—do·mes·ti·ca·ble,
adjective

—do·mes·ti·ca·tion
[də mèsti káysh’n], noun

—do·mes·ti·ca·tor [də mésti kàytər], noun[1]



domesticated

domesticated
do·mes·ti·cat·ed
[də mésti kàytəd] adjective

1.  AGRICULTURE not
wild:
accustomed to living near people, usually on a farm or in a home

2.  BIOLOGY raised
for humans:
cultivated, raised, or bred for human requirements

3.  accustomed
to housework: accustomed to doing domestic chores in
the home (humorous)

[1]



domesticcourt

domesticcourt
do·mes·tic
court
(plural do·mes·tic courts) noun

LAW
local court:
a court having jurisdiction at the location of a party’s residence or domicile[1]



domesticity

domesticity
do·mes·tic·i·ty 
[d me stíssətee] noun

1.  home
life:
life as it is lived at home

2.  fondness
for home life: a liking for or familiarity with home
life
plural
noun
do·mes·tic·i·ties

household matters:
the concerns of the home and family

[1]



domesticpartner

domesticpartner
do·mes·tic
part·ner
(plural do·mes·tic part·ners) noun

cohabiting sexual partner:
a sexual partner living in the same house[1]



domesticprelate

domesticprelate
do·mes·tic
prel·ate
(plural do·mes·tic prel·ates) noun

honorary member of papal
household: a Roman Catholic priest with
honorary membership in the papal household[1]



domesticviolence

domesticviolence
do·mes·tic
vi·o·lence
noun

physical violence within a
family: physical violence between
members of a family, especially between spouses[1]



domette

domette
do·mette
[dō mét] noun

soft
fleecy fabric: a soft fleecy fabric made from wool and
acrylic fibers, used as lightweight interlining
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



domical

domical
do·mi·cal 
[dṓmik’l, dómmik’l]
adjective

1.  dome-shaped:
shaped like a dome

2.  with
a dome:
having a dome or domes

[1]



domicile

domicile
dom·i·cile 
[dómmi sl, dómmiss’l]
noun

1.  somebody’s
home:
the house, apartment, or other place where somebody lives (formal)

2.  LAW somebody’s
place of residence: somebody’s true, fixed, and
legally recognized place of residence, especially in cases of prolonged absence
that require the person to prove a continuing and significant connection with
the place
transitive
verb
(past dom·i·ciled, past participle dom·i·ciled, present
participle dom·i·cil·ing, 3rd person present singular dom·i·ciles)

give a home: to
establish somebody in or provide somebody with a place of residence.
Also
called
domiciliate
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin domicilium, from domus “house.”][1]



domiciliary

domiciliary
dom·i·cil·i·ar·y
[dòmmə síllee èrree] adjective

1.  of
home:
relating to a home or homes

2.  for
people at home: provided for or attending to people in
their own homes • domiciliary care
[Late 19th century. Via
French domiciliare from medieval Latin domiciliarius, from domicilium
(see domicile ).][1]



domiciliate

domiciliate
dom·i·cil·i·ate
[dòmmə síllee àyt] (past dom·i·cil·i·at·ed,
past participle dom·i·cil·i·at·ed, present participle dom·i·cil·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular dom·i·cil·i·ates) transitive verb

See
domicile  verb
[Late 18th century. From
Latin domicilium (see domicile ).][1]



dominance

dominance
dom·i·nance 
[dómmənəns] noun

1.  power
exerted over others: control or command wielded
over others

2.  first
importance:
prime importance, effectiveness, or prominence

3.  GENETICS production
of genetic feature: the property of a gene that
causes a parental characteristic it controls to occur in any offspring

4.  ECOLOGY preponderance
of one species: the preponderance of a single plant or
animal species in a specific community or over a specific period

[1]



dominant

dominant
dom·i·nant 
[dómmənənt] adjective

1.  in
control:
in control or command over others

2.  more
important:
more important, effective, or prominent than others

3.  GENETICS producing
same characteristic in offspring: used to describe a
gene that causes a parental characteristic it controls to occur in any
offspring, or the characteristic itself

4.  ECOLOGY preponderant
in a community or period: relating to a single plant
or animal species that is preponderant within a specific community or over a
specific period

5.  MUSIC relating
to 5th note of scale: relating to the fifth note
of a musical scale or the harmony based around that note
noun
(plural dom·i·nants) MUSIC

1.  5th
note of scale: the fifth note of a musical scale.
Also
called
fifth

2.  chord
based on 5th note: a chord or key based on the
fifth note of a musical scale
[15th
century. Via French from Latin dominant-, present participle stem of dominari
(see dominate ).]
—dom·i·nant·ly, adverb[1]



dominantestate

dominantestate
dom·i·nant
es·tate
(plural dom·i·nant es·tates) noun

property giving rights over
another: property that gives its
owner certain rights over other property, for example, the right to cross land
belonging to somebody else in order to reach your own house.
U.K. term
dominant tenement[1]



dominanthemisphere

dominanthemisphere
dom·i·nant
hem·i·sphere (plural dom·i·nant
hem·i·spheres) noun

controlling half of the
brain: the half of the brain that
tends to exercise greater control over certain functions, for example, language
or movement of the left or right side of the body[1]



dominantseventh chord

dominantseventh chord
dom·i·nant
sev·enth chord (plural dom·i·nant sev·enth
chords) noun

MUSIC
chord with third, fifth, and seventh:
a chord containing, in its most common form, the dominant as root and the major
third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh above the root. It often resolves to a
chord on the tonic.[1]



dominanttenement

dominanttenement
dom·i·nant
ten·e·ment
(plural dom·i·nant ten·e·ments) noun

U.K.
See dominant estate[1]



dominate

dominate
dom·i·nate 
[dómmə nàyt] (past dom·i·nat·ed,
past participle dom·i·nat·ed, present participle dom·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular dom·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  control:
to have control, power, or authority over somebody or something

2.  be
prominent:
to be the most important aspect or element of something

3.  be
influential: to have a prevailing influence on
somebody or something

4.  tower
above:
to overlook an area from a prominent and usually elevated position
[Early
17th century. Partly from Latin dominat-, past participle stem of dominari
“to be lord, rule,” from dominus “lord” (see don 1 ); partly a back-formation
from domination .]
—dom·i·na·tive,
adjective

—dom·i·na·tor, noun[1]



domination

domination
dom·i·na·tion 
[dòmmə náysh’n] noun

controlling
power:
control, power, or authority over others or another
[14th century. Via French
from the Latin stem domination-, from dominari (see dominate ).][1]



dominatrix

dominatrix
dom·i·na·trix 
[dòmmə náytriks] (plural dom·i·na·tri·ces
[dòmmə náytrə sz, dòmmənə
tr sz]) noun

dominant
woman sadomasochist: a dominant woman partner in
a sadomasochistic relationship
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “woman ruler,” the feminine of dominator “ruler, lord,” from,
ultimately, dominari (see dominate
).][1]



domineer

domineer
dom·i·neer 
[dòmmə nr, dómmə
nr] (past dom·i·neered, past participle dom·i·neered,
present participle dom·i·neer·ing, 3rd person present singular
dom·i·neers) intransitive verb

behave
tyrannically: to rule tyrannically, or behave in an
overbearing way
[Late 16th century. Via Dutch
domineren from, ultimately, Latin dominari (see dominate ).][1]



domineering

domineering
dom·i·neer·ing 
[dòmmə nring, dómmə
nring] adjective

tyrannical
or overbearing: showing a desire or tendency to exercise
excessive control or authority over others
—dom·i·neer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Domingo,Plácido

Domingo,Plácido
Do·min·go 
[də míng gō], Plácido (1941– )

Spanish opera singer. He is
widely regarded as the greatest tenor voice of his time. Since 1990, he has
often appeared with José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti as one of the “Three
Tenors.”[1]



Dominica

Dominica



Dom·i·ni·ca
[dòmmə nkə, də
mínnikə]
independent island republic in the West
Indies, lying in the Caribbean Sea. Language: English. Currency: Eastern
Caribbean dollar. Capital: Roseau. Population: 666,633 (1997) Area: 751 sq
km/290 sq mi. Length: 47 km/29 mi. Official name Commonwealth of Dominica[1]



Dominica




Back to definition

Dominica

[1]



dominical

dominical
do·min·i·cal 
[də mínnik’l] adjective CHRISTIANITY (formal)

1.  of
Jesus Christ: relating to Jesus Christ as the Lord

2.  relating
to Sunday:
relating to Sunday as the day of the Lord
[15th century. Directly or
via French from late Latin dominicalis, from, ultimately, Latin dominus
“lord, master” (see don 1 ).][1]



dominicalletter

dominicalletter
do·min·i·cal
let·ter
(plural do·min·i·cal let·ters) noun

letter denoting Sundays of
year: any of the letters A to G
used in the church calendar to denote all the Sundays of a given year. For
example, if January 4 falls on a Sunday, the dominical letter for the year is
D.[1]



Dominican

Dominican1
Do·min·i·can1 [də
mínnikən, dòmmə níkən] (plural
Do·min·i·cans) noun PEOPLES

1.  somebody
from Dominican Republic: somebody who was born or
raised in the Dominican Republic, or who is a citizen of the Dominican Republic

2.  somebody
from Dominica: somebody who lives on or was born or
raised on the island of Dominica
—Do·min·i·can, adjective[1]



Dominican

Dominican2
Do·min·i·can2 [də
mínnikən] noun (plural Do·min·i·cans)

CHRISTIANITY member
of a religious order: a member of the order of
friars founded by St. Dominic in 1215.
adjective

of
St. Dominic or his order: relating or belonging to St.
Dominic or his order of friars.
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin Dominicanus, from the founder’s name.][1]



DominicanRepublic




Back to definition

DominicanRepublic

[1]



DominicanRepublic

DominicanRepublic



Dom·i·ni·can Re·pub·lic 
[də mìnnikən ri públik]
independent republic on Hispaniola
Island, off the coast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. It was proclaimed a
republic in 1844. Language: Spanish. Currency: Dominican peso. Capital: Santo
Domingo. Population: 7,868,731 (1997) Area: 48,734 sq km/18,816 sq mi. Length:
380 km/235 mi.[1]



dominion

dominion
do·min·ion 
[də mínnyən] (plural do·min·ions)
noun

1.  ruling
control:
ruling power, authority, or control

2.  sphere
of influence: somebody’s area of influence or control

3.  land
ruled:
the land governed by a ruler (often used in the plural) • the
monarch’s dominions beyond the sea

4.  do·min·ion
or Do·min·ion self-governing territory:
a self-governing part of the British Commonwealth or, formerly, the British
Empire
[15th century. Via Old French
from the medieval Latin stem dominion-, from Latin dominium
“property, right of ownership,” from dominus “lord” (see don 1 ).][1]



DominionDay

DominionDay
Do·min·ion
Day
noun

Former name for
Canada Day[1]



domino

domino
dom·i·no
[dómmə n] (plural dom·i·noes)
noun

1.  BOARD GAMES small
oblong tile: any one of a set of small oblong blocks
with its face divided into two sections, each section either blank or marked
with a number of dots

2.  CLOTHES LEISURE hooded cloak and mask:
a hooded cloak and eye mask formerly worn as a disguise at a party ( masquerade ), the cloak or mask alone, or the
wearer of any of these

3.  POLITICS country
affected by domino theory: a country thought likely to
be affected by political events in another country, particularly by the spread
of Communism
[Late 17th century. From
French, “priest’s winter hood,” also “masked cloak worn at masquerades” (the
original sense in English ), of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin
dominus “lord” (see don 1 ).][1]



dominoeffect

dominoeffect
dom·i·no
ef·fect
noun

series
of related events: an inevitable succession of
related and usually undesirable events, each caused by the preceding one.
See
also
domino theory
[So called because dominoes
set up in a row fall in sequence once the first has fallen][1]



dominotheory

dominotheory
dom·i·no
the·o·ry
noun

POLITICS
theory applying domino effect to
politics: a theory that political
events are interrelated and that one can trigger off a chain of others. The
theory was developed by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to warn of the
spread of Communism in Southeast Asia.
See also
domino effect[1]



don

don1
don1 [don]
(plural dons) noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY leader
of organized crime family: a head of an organized crime
family, especially in the Mafia

2.  U.K.
EDUC university
or college teacher: a university or college
teacher, especially one at the universities of Oxford or Cambridge in England

3.  Spanish
man of rank: a Spanish gentleman or aristocrat

4.  personage:
an important person (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from Latin dominus “lord” (source of English domain, dominate,
domino, and dungeon ).][1]



Don

Don2
Don2

river rising southeast of
Moscow, Russia, flowing through Volgograd and into the Sea of Azov. Length:
1,870 km/1,160 mi.[1]



Don

Don1
Don1 noun

Spanish
equivalent of Mr.: a title used before a man’s
name in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries
[Early 16th century. From
Spanish (see don 1 ).][1]



don

don2
don2 [don]
(past donned, past participle donned, present
participle don·ning, 3rd person present singular dons)
transitive verb

put
on:
to put on a garment (formal)
[14th century. Contraction of
do on “to put on” (see do ). The word
became largely obsolete in the 17th century, but was revived in the 19th
century.][1]



Dona

Dona
Do·na
[dṓnə] noun

Portuguese
equivalent of Mrs.: a title used before a
married woman’s name in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese from Latin domina “lady,” the feminine of dominus
“lord” (see don 1 ).][1]



donate

donate
do·nate 
[dṓ nàyt, dō
náyt] (past do·nat·ed, past participle do·nat·ed,
present participle do·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular
do·nates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
or present:
to give or present something, especially to a charitable organization or other
good cause

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE give
body part:
to give your own blood, tissue, organs, or reproductive material to be used in
the treatment of another person, either while you are alive or after your death

3.  CHEMISTRY transfer
electrons:
to transfer electrons to another atom or molecule in a chemical reaction
[Late
18th century. Back-formation from donation
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at give

[1]



Donatello

Donatello
Don·a·tel·lo 
[dònnə téllō] (1386?–1466)

Italian
sculptor. In his bronze statue David ( 1430–1435 ) and other works he
revived the classical art of portraying independent functional human figures.
Full name
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi[1]



donation

donation
do·na·tion 
[dō náysh’n] (plural do·na·tions)
noun

1.  gift
or contribution: a gift or contribution, especially a sum
of money given to a charity • All
donations will be gratefully accepted.

2.  act
of giving:
the act of giving something, especially money to a charity
[15th century. Via French
from the Latin stem donation-, from, ultimately, Latin donare “to
give,” from donum “gift.”][1]



Donatism

Donatism
Don·a·tism
[dṓnə tìzzəm, dónnə
tìzzəm] noun

Donatist beliefs:
the beliefs of the Donatists[1]



Donatist

Donatist
Don·a·tist 
[dṓnətist, dónnətist]
(plural Don·a·tists) noun

member
of heretical religious group: a member of a Christian
group of the 4th and 5th centuries, originating in North Africa, that placed
great emphasis on sanctity
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin Donatista, named for Donatus, the second Bishop of Carthage
after Caecilian (whose consecration the Donatists did not recognize).][1]



donative

donative
don·a·tive 
[dṓnətiv, dónnətiv]
noun (plural don·a·tives)

1.  official
donation:
a donation, especially a formal or official one

2.  CHRISTIANITY church
position given as gift: a church office ( benefice ) that is or can be presented as a gift
without reference to the bishop, as opposed to one received as a right
adjective

made as gift: given
or presented as a gift (formal)
[15th century. Via Latin donativum
from, ultimately, donare “to give” (see donation
).][1]



donator

donator
do·na·tor
[dṓ nàytər] (plural do·na·tors)
noun

donor:
somebody who gives or presents something, especially money to a charity (formal)
[15th century. Originally
directly or via French donateur from Latin donator, from,
ultimately, donare “to give” (see donation
); in modern use formed from donate .][1]



done

done
done 
[dun]

Past participle of
do 1
verb

Caribbean, Southern
U.S. already:
used as an auxiliary verb to express the sense of “already” (nonstandard)
• He
done leave.
adjective

1.  concluded:
completed or finished

2.  COOKING cooked
through:
cooked as thoroughly as required

3.  preordained:
having been decided already, therefore permitting no alterations or changes (slang)
• It’s
a done deal, and you can’t fight it.

4.  socially
acceptable:
acceptable to the established rules and expectations of a society
interjection

agreed: used
to confirm acceptance of a deal
have
done with something

to
be finished with or have had enough of something • Why
don’t we just sell the house and have done with it?

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  done
  or finished ?
  It
  is sometimes maintained that done is the
  wrong word to indicate that one has completed something. Certainly, • I
  have finished reading the newspaper is
  more formal than • I’m done with the
  paper.
  Not only does one of these sentences use finished
  instead of done but also it uses finished as a past participle, whereas done in the example is being used as an
  adjective. Finished, too, can be an adjective: • I’m
  finished with the paper. Such adjectival uses are
  very common in casual speech and writing. For clarity’s sake, the adjective done should not be used where it might be
  interpreted as the participle ( • The
  work wasn’t done well, but at least it was done before the deadline
  ). In formal contexts finished is
  preferable, and either it or done should
  modify what has been completed ( • The
  job is finished ), rather than the one who has
  completed something ( • I am
  done
  ).

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE



  The
  emphatic perfective, • I done
  told you
  extends to adverbial usage • He’s
  done dead in folk speech across the
  Southern states and into the Caribbean.

[1]



donee

donee
do·nee 
[dō n] (plural do·nees) noun

gift
recipient:
the recipient of a gift (formal)
[Early 16th century. Formed
from donor .][1]



donefor

donefor
done
for
adjective (informal)

1.  near
death:
close to the point of dying

2.  exhausted:
extremely tired

3.  about
to be ruined: facing defeat, ruin, or destruction

[1]



Donegal

Donegal
Don·e·gal
[dónnə gàwl]

county in northwestern
Ireland. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west, Northern Ireland to the east.
Population: 129,435 (1996) Area: 4830 sq km/1865 sq mi. Irish Dœn Na
nGall[1]



Donegaltweed

Donegaltweed
Don·e·gal
tweed
noun

rough
fabric:
a rough tweed characterized by a white lumpy effect
[Early 20th century. Named
for County Donegal in Ireland, where it was first produced.][1]



donerkebab

donerkebab
don·er
ke·bab
(plural don·er ke·babs) or don·ner ke·bab (plural
don·ner ke·babs) noun

U.K.
See gyro
[From Turkish döner kebap,
literally “rotating kebab”][1]



Donets

Donets
Do·nets
[də néts, də
nyéts]

river in Russia and Ukraine
that flows into the Don River northeast of Rostov in southwestern Russia.
Length: 1,020 km/631 mi.[1]



DonetsBasin

DonetsBasin
Do·nets
Ba·sin

major coalfield and
industrial region in southeastern Ukraine. The basin extends across the Russian
border into the Rostov region.[1]



dong

dong3
dong3 [dawng]
noun

MONEY Vietnamese
coin:
a Vietnamese coin
[Early 19th century. From
Vietnamese .][1]



dong

dong2
dong2 [dawng]
(plural dongs) noun

penis:
a penis (slang taboo)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



dong

dong1
dong1 [dawng]
noun (plural dongs)

deep
toll:
a deep ringing sound
intransitive
verb
(past donged, past participle donged, present
participle dong·ing, 3rd person present singular dongs)

toll
deeply:
to make a deep ringing sound
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



dongle

dongle
don·gle 
[dóng g’l, dáwng
g’l] (plural don·gles) noun

security
device for protected software: a small hardware
device that, when plugged into a computer, enables a specific copy-protected
program to run, the program being disabled on that computer if the device is
not present. The device is effective against software piracy.
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an arbitrary formation.][1]



DongYuan

DongYuan
Dong
Yu·an
[dàwng yoo n] (lived late 10th century)

Chinese artist. He is noted
for his monumental, richly colored landscapes.[1]



Donizetti,Gaetano

Donizetti,Gaetano
Don·i·zet·ti 
[dònni zéttee], Gaetano (1797–1848)

Italian composer. He wrote 65
operas, ranging from dramas such as Lucia di Lammermoor ( 1835 ) to
comic works such as Don Pasquale ( 1843 ).[1]



donjon

donjon
don·jon 
[dónjən, dúnjən]
(plural don·jons) noun

fortified
tower:
a fortified central tower in a medieval castle
[14th century. An early form
of dungeon .][1]



DonJuan

DonJuan
Don
Juan 
[dòn wn, dòn
hwn] (plural Don Juans) noun

man
casually sexual with many women: a man who has a
reputation for having casual sexual relationships with numerous women
[Mid-19th century. Named for Don
Juan Tenorio, a legendary Spanish nobleman known for his seduction of
women.][1]



donkey

donkey

don·key 
[dáwngkee, dóngkee]
(plural don·keys) noun

1.  animal
resembling a small horse: a small domesticated member
of the horse family with a gray or brown coat, long ears, and a large head.
Latin name: Equus asinus

2.  unintelligent
person:
somebody thought of as lacking intelligence (informal insult)
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from dun (the word
originally rhymed with monkey ); or perhaps
a pet form of the name Duncan .][1]



donkeyengine

donkeyengine
don·key
en·gine
(plural don·key en·gines) noun

small auxiliary engine:
a small auxiliary engine used either to start a larger engine or independently,
for example, for pumping water on steamships[1]



donkeywork

donkeywork
don·key·work 
[dáwngki wùrk, dóngki
wùrk] noun

hard work:
hard or boring work (informal)[1]



donkey’stail

donkey’stail
don·key’s
tail 
(plural don·key’s tails) noun

PLANTS
See burro’s tail[1]



Donleavy,J. P.

Donleavy,J. P.
Don·leav·y
[don lvee], J. P. (1926– )

U.S.-born
Irish novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. His first novel, The
Ginger Man ( 1955 ), was hailed as a comic masterpiece. Among his other
novels are A Singular Man ( 1963 ) and The Beastly Beatitudes of
Balthazar B ( 1968 ).
Full name
Donleavy, James Patrick[1]



Donna

Donna
Don·na 
[dónnə] noun

Italian
equivalent of Mrs.: a title used before a
married woman’s name in Italy
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin domina “lady” (see dona ).][1]



Donne,John

Donne,John
Don·ne 
[dun], John (1572–1631)

English poet, prose writer,
and clergyman, considered the greatest of the Metaphysical poets. An author of
passionate love poetry, he was later ordained and appointed Dean of St. Paul’s
(1621). His verse includes the love poems Songs and Sonnets, his Satires
(both dating from the 1590s), Divine Poems ( 1607 ), and Epithalamion
( 1613 ).[1]



donnish

donnish
don·nish 
[dónnish] adjective

U.K.
like a stereotypical professor:
resembling the stereotypical image of a university professor, for example, in
displaying erudition or being absent-minded[1]



donnybrook

donnybrook
don·ny·brook 
[dónni brk] (plural don·ny·brooks)
noun

brawl:
a riotous brawl
[Mid-19th century. Named for Donnybrook
Fair, an annual event known for its brawls, which was formerly held in
Donnybrook, a suburb of Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.][1]



donnée

donnée
don·née 
[daw náy] (plural don·nées) noun

1.  basic
assumption:
a basic fact or assumption on which something else, for example, a literary or
theatrical work, is based and from which it develops or moves forward

2.  theme:
a theme or subject, for example, of a literary or theatrical work
[Late 19th century. From
French, the feminine past participle, used as a noun, of donner “to
give.”][1]



donor

donor
do·nor 
[dṓnər] (plural do·nors) noun

1.  somebody
who gives something: somebody who gives
something, especially money

2.  MEDICINE somebody
giving blood or body organ: somebody who voluntarily
gives part of his or her body for the treatment of another person, for example,
blood for transfusion, during life or after death, or an organ or tissue for
transplantation

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING impurity
added to semiconductor: an impurity ( dopant ), for example, antimony, that is
deliberately added to a pure semiconductor material, for example, silicon, in
order to increase its conductivity by increasing the number of free electrons,
carriers of negative electrical charge

4.  CHEMISTRY atom
providing electrons for a bond: an atom, molecule, or
group that provides the pair of electrons necessary to form a chemical bond.
See
also
acceptor
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman donour and Old French doneur from Latin
donator, from, ultimately, donare “to give” (see donation ).]
—do·nor·ship, noun[1]



donorcard

donorcard
do·nor
card
(plural do·nor cards) noun

card authorizing use of body
parts: a card stating that
specified organs, or sometimes the entire body, of the person carrying it may
be used for the treatment of others after the donor’s death[1]



donorinsemination

donorinsemination
do·nor
in·sem·i·na·tion noun

artificial insemination with
donor’s sperm: the introduction into a
woman’s vagina of sperm from a man who is not the woman’s sexual partner. The
procedure is performed as a method of assisted conception with the intention of
making the woman pregnant.[1]



do-nothing

do-nothing
do-noth·ing 
adjective

disinclined
to productivity or change: not inclined to engage in
productive activities or to change • a
do-nothing committee
noun
(plural do-noth·ings)

idler:
a lazy or idle person (informal)
—do-noth·ing·ism, noun[1]



DonQuixote

DonQuixote
Don
Qui·xo·te 
[dòn kee hṓtee, dòn
kwíksət] (plural Don Qui·xo·tes) noun

impractical
idealist:
an impractical idealist who champions hopeless causes
[Mid-17th century. Named for Don
Quixote, the naively idealistic hero of the satirical romance Don
Quixote de la Mancha (1605, 1615) by the Spanish author Cervantes.][1]



donut

donut
do·nut 
(plural do·nuts) noun

See
doughnut[1]



don’t

don’t
don’t 
[dōnt] contraction

do
not:
do not
noun

something not to be done:
something that should not be done[1]



don’t-carecondition

don’t-carecondition
don’t-care
con·di·tion
(plural don’t-care con·di·tions) noun

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING uninfluential
state of electronic circuit: a state or
part of an electronic circuit that has no influence on the circuit’s output[1]



don’tknow

don’tknow
don’t
know
(plural don’t knows) noun

somebody who has not decided:
somebody who has not made a decision one way or the other about a specific
issue, for example, before an election or in a market research survey (informal)[1]



doodad

doodad
doo·dad 
[d dàd] (plural doo·dads) noun
(informal)

1.  thing:
a thing whose name you cannot remember or do not know.
U.K.
term
doodah

2.  incidental
decoration:
a decoration incidentally added to clothing or some other product
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



doodah

doodah
doo·dah 
[d d] (plural doo·dahs) noun

U.K.
(informal) See doodad
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from dooda(h) in the refrain to the song Camptown
Races .][1]



doodle

doodle
doo·dle 
[dd’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past doo·dled, past participle doo·dled, present
participle doo·dling, 3rd person present singular doo·dles)

scribble
drawings or designs: to draw aimlessly or
absent-mindedly, usually while doing something else such as having a telephone
conversation or attending a meeting
noun
(plural doo·dles)

drawing
or design:
a drawing or abstract design produced aimlessly or absentmindedly while doing
something else
[Early
17th century. From Low German dudel- in dudeltopf “fool” (the
original English sense). The senses “idle drawing” and “to draw aimlessly” date
from the mid-20th century.]
—doo·dler, noun[1]



doodlebug

doodlebug
doo·dle·bug 
[dd’l bùg] (plural doo·dle·bugs)
noun

1.  INSECTS insect
larva:
the large-jawed larva of an antlion, or any similar insect larva

2.  MINERALS device
used to find minerals: a device used by prospectors
to help them to locate minerals

[1]



doo-doo

doo-doo
doo-doo 
[d d] noun

excrement:
human or animal excrement (slang humorous)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration and repetition of do
.][1]



doofer

doofer
doof·er
[dfər] (plural doof·ers) noun

object
or gadget:
an object or gadget whose name you cannot remember or do not know (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from do for in phrases such as that will do for now .][1]



doofus

doofus
doo·fus 
[dfəss] (plural doo·fus·es) noun

unintelligent
person:
an unintelligent or thoughtless person (slang insult)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of goof .][1]



doohickey

doohickey
doo·hick·ey 
[d hìkee] (plural doo·hick·eys)
noun

gadget:
an unspecified gadget (informal)
Also
called
hickey
[Early 20th century. Blend of
doodad and hickey
.][1]



Doolittle,Hilda

Doolittle,Hilda
Doo·lit·tle 
[d lìtt’l], Hilda (1886–1961)

U.S.
poet. Known for her imagist poetry, she wrote Sea Garden ( 1916 ) and Bid
Me to Live ( 1960 ).
Pen name
H. D., Imagiste[1]



Doolittle,James H.

Doolittle,James H.
Doo·lit·tle
[d lìtt’l], James H. (1896–1993)

U.S.
aviator. He set many flight records after World War I and returned to military
duty in 1940.
Full name
Doolittle, James Harold[1]



doom

doom
doom 
[doom] noun (plural dooms)

1.  disastrous
destiny:
a dreadful fate, especially death or utter ruin

2.  official
judgment:
an official judgment on somebody (formal)

3.  doom
or Doom RELIGION Last
Judgment:
the Last Judgment (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past doomed, past participle doomed, present
participle doom·ing, 3rd person present singular dooms)

destine to disaster:
to condemn somebody or something to a dreadful fate
[Old English dōm
“judgment, sentence, law.” Ultimately, from an Indo-European base meaning “to
set, put” that is also the ancestor of English deed,
deem, defeat,
and do .][1]



doomed

doomed
doomed
[doomd] adjective

1.  destined
to disaster: condemned to suffer a dreadful fate,
especially one that is imminent and inescapable • With
our best player hurt, we were doomed to lose.

2.  destined
to failure or misfortune: bound to fail or suffer
something unpleasant • The
partnership was doomed from the start.

[1]



doompalm

doompalm
doom
palm
noun

BOTANY See doum
[Early 18th century. Doum
from Arabic dūm .][1]



doomsayer

doomsayer
doom·say·er 
[dm sàyr] (plural doom·say·ers)
noun

disaster predicter:
somebody who frequently prophesies disaster[1]



doomsday

doomsday
dooms·day 
[dmz dày] noun

1.  dooms·day
or Dooms·day day of final judgment:
a day of final reckoning, especially, in Christian theology, the day of the
Last Judgment

2.  end
of world:
the final destruction or dissolution of the world

[1]



DoomsdayBook

DoomsdayBook
Dooms·day
Book 
noun

See
Domesday Book[1]



door

door
door 
[dawr] (plural doors) noun

1.  movable
panel at an entrance: a movable barrier used to
open and close the entrance to a building, room, closet, or vehicle. It is
usually a solid panel, hinged to or sliding in a frame.

2.  gap
forming an entrance: the gap that forms the
entrance to a building or room

3.  building
or room:
a building or room considered in relation to those on either side • Does
she live two doors down the street or one?
[Old
English duru “door” and dor “gate,” both from, ultimately, an
Indo-European word meaning “entrance to the enclosure around the house” that is
also the ancestor of English thyroid]
close
or shut the door on something

to
disallow the possibility of something happening

Katie
bar the door

used
as a warning that you should brace yourself for impending calamity (regional)

lay
something at somebody’s door

to
blame something on somebody

out
of doors

in
the open air

show
somebody the door

to tell somebody to leave[1]



doorbell

doorbell
door·bell 
[dáwr bèl] (plural door·bells)
noun

bell rung by visitors:
a bell placed on or beside a door, to be rung by visitors as a sign of their
arrival[1]



doorbundle

doorbundle
door
bun·dle
(plural door bun·dles) noun

parachutists’ bundle of
equipment: a bundle of equipment pushed
out of an aircraft by hand before parachutists exit[1]



do-or-die

do-or-die
do-or-die
adjective

utterly reckless:
involving the determination to risk everything in an effort to succeed[1]



doorframe

doorframe
door·frame
[dáwr fràym] (plural door·frames)
noun

frame surrounding a door:
the frame constructed around the entrance to a building or room and into which
a door is set[1]



doorjamb

doorjamb
door·jamb 
[dáwr jàm] (plural door·jambs)
noun

side piece of doorframe:
either of the vertical side pieces of a doorframe.
Also called
doorpost[1]



doorkeeper

doorkeeper
door·keep·er 
[dáwr kpər] (plural door·keep·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
on duty at door: somebody on duty at a door or gate,
especially somebody who guards the entrance

2.  door·keep·er
or Door·keep·er POLITICS
legislative
officer:
an officer of a legislature whose job it is to control access to the floor and
the visitors’ galleries

[1]



doorknob

doorknob
door·knob 
[dáwr nòb] (plural door·knobs)
noun

round handle on door:
a round handle used to open or close a door[1]



doorman

doorman
door·man 
[dáwr màn, dáwrmən]
(plural door·men [dáwr mèn, dáwrmən]) noun

attendant at entrance to
building: somebody on duty at the door
of a building such as a nightclub, hotel, or apartment building, usually
employed to assist customers, for example, by calling cabs[1]



doormat

doormat
door·mat 
[dáwr màt] (plural door·mats) noun

1.  mat
by door:
a mat to wipe your shoes on immediately before or after entering a building

2.  somebody
who does not resist: somebody who submits too
easily to being treated without due consideration (informal)

[1]



doornail

doornail
door·nail 
[dáwr nàyl] (plural door·nails)
noun

stud used on doors:
a nail with a large head formerly used to stud a door for decoration or
reinforcement[1]



dooropener

dooropener
door
o·pen·er
(plural door o·pen·ers) noun

gift creating opportunity for
success: something such as a gift to
somebody in power that brings the giver an opportunity for success (informal)[1]



doorpost

doorpost
door·post 
[dáwr pst] (plural door·posts)
noun

See
doorjamb[1]



doorprize

doorprize
door
prize
(plural door priz·es) noun

prize
awarded to ticket holder: a prize awarded to a person
who, upon entry to an event, received the ticket with the winning number
[From the ticket having been
handed out at the entrance to the function][1]



doorsill

doorsill
door·sill 
[dáwr sìl] (plural door·sills)
noun

See
threshold  noun 1[1]



doorstep

doorstep
door·step 
[dáwr stèp] (plural door·steps)
noun

step
in front of door: a step at the entrance to a building
on
your (own) doorstep

very near where you live[1]



doorstop

doorstop
door·stop 
[dáwr stòp] (plural door·stops)
noun

1.  something
used to keep door open: a movable device such as a
wedge or heavy object used to hold a door open

2.  device
to protect wall from door: a rubber stud or
rubber-tipped projection on a wall, floor, or door that prevents damage to the
wall when the door is opened

[1]



door-to-door

door-to-door
door-to-door 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  covering
all houses in area: done or going from one house
to the next

2.  covering
whole journey: from the point of departure to the point
of arrival

[1]



doorto door

doorto door
door
to door
adverb

1.  to
all houses in area: going from one house to the
next, usually in order to sell things, to collect money for charity, or to
solicit support in an election

2.  over
whole trip:
from the place of departure to the place of arrival • The
trip took three hours door to door.

[1]



doorway

doorway
door·way 
[dáwr wày] (plural door·ways) noun

1.  entrance
to building: an entrance to a building or room,
especially one that has a door

2.  opportunity:
a means of achieving or escaping from something

[1]



doo-wop

doo-wop
doo-wop 
[d wòp] noun

harmonized
singing without recognizable words:
harmonized singing of nonsense syllables, with a rhythm-and-blues melody on
top, popularized by street singers in the 1950s
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



doozy

doozy
doo·zy 
[dzee] (plural doo·zies) noun

something
wonderful:
a remarkable or excellent thing (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of daisy
(perhaps blended with Duesenberg (a type of luxury car).][1]



dopa

dopa
do·pa 
[dṓpə] noun

substance
formed in body: a substance that occurs naturally in the
body and is involved in the synthesis of epinephrine, dopamine, and the pigment
melanin. It is also used in the form levodopa as a drug to treat Parkinson’s
disease. C9H11NO4
[Early 20th century. Acronym
formed from di- + oxy-
+ phenyl + alanine
.][1]



dopamine

dopamine
do·pa·mine 
[dṓpə mn] (plural do·pa·mines)
noun

chemical
compound occurring in brain: a chemical compound, found
in the brain, that transmits nerve impulses and is involved in the formation of
epinephrine
[Mid-20th century. Blend of dopa and amine
.][1]



dopant

dopant
dop·ant 
[dṓpənt] (plural dop·ants) noun

impurity added to
semiconductor: a substance, for
example, arsenic or antimony, that is added in small quantities to a
semiconductor material in order to change its electrical characteristics.
Dopants are added during the manufacture of semiconducting diodes and
transistors.
Also called
dope
Also called
doping agent[1]



dope

dope
dope 
[dōp] noun (plural dopes)

1.  DRUGS illegal
drug:
an illegal drug, especially marijuana (slang)

2.  drug
affecting performance: a drug given illegally, for
example, to racehorses or athletes, to affect performance

3.  inside
information: confidential information about somebody
or something (slang)

4.  CHEMISTRY viscous
liquid:
a viscous liquid used for lubrication, waterproofing and strengthening fabrics,
coating aircraft wings, or improving the combustion of engine fuels

5.  CHEMISTRY absorbent
material:
an absorbent material used in the manufacture of dynamite

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See
dopant
transitive
verb
(past doped, past participle doped, present
participle dop·ing, 3rd person present singular dopes)

1.  DRUGS add
drug to food or drink: to add a drug to somebody’s
food or drink secretly in order to affect the person’s performance or
consciousness adversely

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING add
impurity to semiconductor: to add a substance, for
example, arsenic or antimony to a semiconductor material like silicon or
germanium during the manufacturing process in order to increase its
conductivity
[Early
19th century. From Dutch doop “thick dipping sauce,” from doopen
“to dip, mix.”]
—dop·er, noun[1]



dopedog

dopedog
dope
dog
noun

dog trained to find illegal
drugs: a dog specially trained to
locate by scent contraband narcotics hidden in luggage or packages, or
concealed on somebody’s body (informal)[1]



dopeout

dopeout
dope
out
transitive verb

understand by analyzing:
to gain an understanding of something puzzling through analysis (slang)[1]



dopesheet

dopesheet
dope
sheet
(plural dope sheets) noun

source of information about
racehorses: a booklet that gives
information about the horses entered for races (slang)[1]



dopeup

dopeup
dope
up
transitive verb

give drug to reduce
consciousness: to make somebody drowsy
or semiconscious by administering a drug such as an anesthetic or an illegal
narcotic (slang)[1]



dopey

dopey
dop·ey
[dṓpee] (comparative dop·i·er,
superlative dop·i·est) or dop·y [dṓpee] (comparative dop·i·er, superlative
dop·i·est) adjective

unintelligent:
showing a lack of good sense or intelligence (informal insult)
—dop·i·ly,
adverb

—dop·i·ness, noun[1]



dopingagent

dopingagent
dop·ing
a·gent
(plural dop·ing a·gents) noun

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING See dopant[1]



doppelgänger

doppelgänger
dop·pel·gäng·er
[dópp’l gàngər] (plural dop·pel·gäng·ers)
or dop·pel·gang·er [dópp’l gàngər]
(plural dop·pel·gang·ers) noun

1.  somebody
similar to another person: somebody who looks very like
another person

2.  ghost
identical to living person: an apparition in the form of
a double of a living person
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “double-goer.”][1]



Dopplereffect

Dopplereffect
Dop·pler
ef·fect
[dópplər i fèkt] or Dop·pler shift
[dópplər i fèkt] noun

change
in frequency because of motion: a perceived change in
the frequency of a wave as the distance between the source and the observer
changes. For example, the sound of a siren on a moving vehicle appears to
change as it approaches and passes an observer.
Also
called
Doppler shift
See
also
blueshift
See
also
redshift
[Early 20th century. Named
for Christian J. Doppler (1803–1853), the Austrian mathematician and
physicist who first explained it.][1]



Dopplerradar

Dopplerradar
Dop·pler
ra·dar
noun

radar
using Doppler effect: a means of detecting a
moving target that uses electromagnetic radiation and relies on a change in the
frequency of microwave signals reflected from the target
[Mid-20th century. From its
use of the Doppler effect .][1]



Dopplershift

Dopplershift
Dop·pler
shift
noun

See
Doppler effect[1]



dopy

dopy
dop·y 
adjective

(informal insult) See
dopey[1]



Dor.

Dor.
Dor.

Abbreviation of
Doric[1]



dor

dor
dor
[dawr] (plural dors) noun

dung
beetle:
a European dung beetle that makes a droning sound as it flies. Latin name: Geotrupes
stercorarius
Also
called
dorbeetle
[Old English dora
“bumblebee,” of uncertain origin: probably an imitation of its buzzing sound][1]



Dorado

Dorado
Do·ra·do
[də rdō] noun

southern constellation
containing Large Magellanic cloud: an
inconspicuous constellation of the southern hemisphere between Reticulum and
Pictor containing part of the Large Magellanic cloud at its southern end where
it borders Mensa[1]



dorado

dorado
do·ra·do
[də rdō] (plural do·ra·dos or
do·ra·do) noun

1.  See
dolphin  noun 2

2.  S
American fish: a South American fish resembling a
salmon. Genus: Salminus
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish, “dolphinfish,” literally “gilded” (from its iridescent colors), from,
ultimately, late Latin deaurare (see dory 2 ).][1]



dorbeetle

dorbeetle
dor·bee·tle 
[dáwr bt’l] (plural dor·bee·tles)
noun

See
dor[1]



Dordogne

Dordogne
Dor·dogne 
[dawr dáwnyə]

river in southwestern France.
It rises in the Massif Central and flows generally westward to join the Garonne
north of Bordeaux. Length: 483 km/300 mi.[1]



Dorian

Dorian
Do·ri·an 
[dáwree ən] noun (plural Do·ri·ans)

1.  member
of ancient Greek people: a member of a Greek-speaking
people who spoke Doric, a dialect of ancient Greece.
adjective

2.  PEOPLES of
Dorians:
relating to the Dorians or their culture

3.  MUSIC relating
to Dorian mode: relating to or using the Dorian mode
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin Dorius
“of Doris” (a region of ancient Greece) from Greek Dōrios, from Dōris
“Doris.”][1]



Dorianmode

Dorianmode
Do·ri·an
mode
noun

scale of notes:
a scale of notes originating in ancient Greek music and consisting of the eight
notes of the diatonic scale rising from D to D[1]



Doric

Doric
Dor·ic 
[dáwrik] noun LANGUAGE

1.  ancient
Greek dialect: a dialect of ancient Greek spoken mainly
in the area of modern Peloponnesus

2.  dialect
of English:
a rural dialect of English, especially the dialect of Scots spoken in parts of
northeastern Scotland
adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE in
simple classical architectural style:
relating to or built in a style of architecture characterized by fluted columns
with a rounded molding at the top and no base

2.  PEOPLES of
Dorians:
relating to or typical of the Dorians of ancient Greece or their culture

3.  LANGUAGE of
Doric dialect: relating to a Doric dialect
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin Doricus
“of Doris” (a region of ancient Greece) from Greek Dōrikos, from Dōris
“Doris.”][1]



Doricorder

Doricorder
Dor·ic
or·der
noun

classical order of
architecture: the first of the five
classical orders of architecture, characterized by fluted columns with a
rounded molding at the top and no base. It was developed in Greece in the 7th
century B.C.[1]



dork

dork
dork 
[dawrk] (plural dorks) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is seen as unattractive or
socially inept (slang offensive)

2.  penis:
a penis (taboo slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of dirk or an
alteration of dick . The original sense was
“penis.”][1]



Dorking

Dorking
Dor·king 
[dáwrking] (plural Dor·kings) noun

heavy
domestic fowl: a heavy domestic fowl belonging to a
breed originating in England and raised mostly for eating
[Late 18th century. Named for
Dorking, a town in Surrey, England.][1]



dorky

dorky
dork·y
[dáwrkee] (comparative dork·i·er,
superlative dork·i·est) adjective

unintelligent:
unintelligent or useless (slang insult)[1]



dorm

dorm
dorm 
[dawrm] (plural dorms) noun

dormitory:
a dormitory (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



dormant

dormant
dor·mant 
[dáwrmənt] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY not
actively growing: in an inactive state, when growth and
development slow or cease, in order to survive adverse environmental conditions

2.  temporarily
inactive:
temporarily inactive or not in use

3.  GEOLOGY not
erupting:
used to describe a volcano that is not erupting, but not extinct

4.  latent:
latent and able to be aroused • dormant
feelings of uneasiness

5.  HERALDRY sleeping:
in a heraldic device, portrayed in a sleeping posture
[14th
century. From French, literally “sleeping,” present participle of dormir
“to sleep,” from Latin dormire (source of English dormer and dormitory
).]
—dor·man·cy, noun[1]



dormer

dormer

dor·mer 
[dáwrmər] (plural dor·mers) or
dor·mer win·dow [dáwrmər] noun
window
projecting from roof: a window for a room within
the roof space that is built out at right angles to the main roof and has its
own gable
[Late 16th century. From Old
French dormëor “sleeping room,” from dormir “to sleep” (see dormant ). The original English sense was
“dormitory or bedroom window.”][1]



dormice

dormice
dor·mice

Plural of
dormouse[1]



dormie

dormie
dor·mie 
[dáwrmee] adjective

unable
to lose game of golf: in golf, as many holes up on
an opponent as there are holes left to play • dormie
four
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dormitory

dormitory
dor·mi·to·ry 
[dáwrmi tàwree] (plural dor·mi·to·ries)
noun

1.  room
with many beds: a large room in which many people sleep,
for example, at a boarding school or in a hostel

2.  building
where students live: a building used as living
and sleeping quarters by college students.
U.K.
term
hall of residence
[15th century. Via Latin dormitorium
from, ultimately, dormire “to sleep” (see dormant
).][1]



dormitorytown

dormitorytown
dor·mi·to·ry
town
(plural dor·mi·to·ry towns) noun

U.K.
See bedroom community[1]



dormouse

dormouse
dor·mouse 
[dáwr mòwss] (plural dor·mice
[dáwr mss]) noun

small
nocturnal animal: a small nocturnal rodent resembling a
mouse with reddish-brown fur and a bushy tail. Dormice feed on nuts, berries,
and seeds, and hibernate during the winter. Family: Gliridae
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration, by association with mouse,
of Anglo-Norman dormeus “sleepy,” from French dormir (see dormant ).][1]



dornick

dornick2
dor·nick2 [dáwrnik]
(plural dor·nicks) noun

small
rock:
a small stone (regional)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Irish dornóg .][1]



dornick

dornick1
dor·nick1 [dáwrnik]
noun

damask:
a heavy damask cloth
[Named for Doornik,
the Flemish name for the town of Tournai in Belgium, where it was first made][1]



dors-

dors-
dors-
prefix

See
dorso-[1]



dorsa

dorsa
dor·sa


Plural of
dorsum[1]



dorsad

dorsad
dor·sad 
[dáwr sàd] adverb adjective

to
the back:
toward the back of the body
[Early 19th century. From
Latin dorsum (see dorsum ).][1]



dorsal

dorsal
dor·sal 
[dáwrs’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of or
on the back: relating to or situated on the back of
the body

2.  BOTANY facing
away from the axis: used to describe the
underside of a leaf or other surface that faces away from the stem
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin dorsalis, which was
formed from Latin dorsum (see dorsum
).]
—dor·sal·ly, adverb[1]



dorsalfin

dorsalfin

dor·sal fin
(plural dor·sal fins) noun
fin on back:
a single fin on the back of a fish or other aquatic animal for example, a
dolphin that gives it stability while swimming.
See also
ventral fin[1]



DorsetDown

DorsetDown
Dor·set
Down
[dáwrsət dòwn] (plural Dor·set
Downs) noun

broad-headed
sheep:
a sheep belonging to a sturdy domestic breed with dense wool and a broad head,
kept for lamb production
[Named for Dorset, a
county in southwestern England, where it was bred][1]



DorsetHorn

DorsetHorn
Dor·set
Horn
(plural Dor·set Horns) noun

large-horned
sheep:
a sheep belonging to a domestic breed with large horns and dense fine-textured
wool
[Early 19th century. Named
for Dorset, a county in southwestern England, where it was bred.][1]



dorsiflexion

dorsiflexion
dor·si·flex·ion
[dàwrsi flékshən] noun

bending back of body part:
the bending back of a hand or foot, or of the fingers or toes[1]



dorsiventral

dorsiventral
dor·si·ven·tral 
[dàwrsi véntrəl] adjective

1.  BOTANY flat:
flat, with distinct upper and lower surfaces

2.  BIOLOGY See dorsoventral  adjective 1
—dor·si·ven·tral·i·ty
[dàwrsee ven trállətee], noun

—dor·si·ven·tral·ly [dàwrsee véntrəlee], adverb[1]



dorso-

dorso-
dorso- 
prefix

back,
upper surface • dorsolateral
[From Latin dorsum][1]



dorsolateral

dorsolateral
dor·so·lat·er·al 
[dàwrsō láttərəl] adjective

relating
to back and side: relating to or involving both the back
and the side
—dor·so·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



dorsoventral

dorsoventral
dor·so·ven·tral 
[dàwrsō véntrəl] adjective

1.  BOTANY See dorsiventral  adjective 1

2.  ANATOMY extending
from back to front: extending from the back of
the body to the front

[1]



dorsum

dorsum
dor·sum 
[dáwrsəm] (plural dor·sa [dáwrsə]) noun

back
of body part: the back or upper surface of a part of
the body, for example, the hand or foot (technical)
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “the back” (source also of English dorsal,
dossier, and endorse ).][1]



dory

dory1
do·ry1 [dáwree]
(plural do·ries) noun

1.  small
boat:
a small boat used for various purposes for example, patrolling a harbor or
transporting people from a larger vessel to the shore

2.  fishing
boat:
a narrow flat-bottomed fishing boat with high sides
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Miskito dóri, literally “dugout.”][1]



dory

dory2
do·ry2 [dáwree]
(plural do·ries) noun

deep-sea
fish:
a fish with a deep flattened body, spiny fins, and an extendable mouth, found
near the ocean bottom. Family: Zeidae
[14th century. From French dorée,
the feminine past participle, used as a noun, of dorer “to gild,” from
late Latin deaurare “to gild over,” from Latin aurum “gold.”][1]



Doráti,Antal

Doráti,Antal
Do·rá·ti 
[daw rtee], Antal (1906–1988)

Hungarian-born U.S. conductor
and composer. He was music director of several major orchestras and made over
500 recordings.[1]



dosage

dosage
dos·age 
[dṓssij] (plural dos·ag·es) noun

1.  PHARMACOLOGY dose
of drug:
the amount of a drug to be taken at any one time and the intervals at which it
should be taken • Do not exceed the
recommended dosage.

2.  MEDICINE administration
or determination of dose: the administration of a drug
in measured amounts, or the determination of the correct or required amount

3.  adding
extra ingredient: the addition of an extra ingredient to
something, especially wine

[1]



dose

dose
dose 
[dōss] noun (plural dos·es)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY MEDICINE prescribed
amount of medication: a measured quantity of
medication, for example, drugs or radiotherapy, administered at any one time or
at stated intervals

2.  MED venereal
disease:
an infection with a sexually transmitted disease (slang)

3.  MEDICINE SCIENCE exposure to radiation:
the amount of radiation to which somebody or something is exposed during a
specified time, either accidentally or as part of an experiment or medical
treatment

4.  extra
ingredient:
an additional ingredient, for example, syrup added to wine to fortify it
transitive
verb
(past dosed, past participle dosed, present
participle dos·ing, 3rd person present singular dos·es)

1.  MEDICINE give
medicine to: to administer medication to somebody • I’ve
been dosing myself up with flu remedies all week.

2.  PHARMACOLOGY MEDICINE measure
out medication: to prescribe or administer the correct
or required amount of medication

3.  add
extra ingredient: to add an extra ingredient to something
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek dosis “prescribed portion” (literally “a
giving”), from didonai “to give” (source of English anecdote and antidote
).][1]



dosemeter

dosemeter
do·sem·e·ter
[dṓss mtər] (plural do·sem·e·ters)
noun

See
dosimeter[1]



do-si-do

do-si-do
do-si-do 
[dssi dṓ] noun (plural do-si-dos)

figure
in square dancing: a movement in square dancing
in which two dancers pass each other and circle back to back.
Also
called
dos-à-dos
interjection

circle
back to back: used to instruct dancers to perform a
do-si-do
[Early
20th century. Alteration of dos-à-dos .]
—do-si-do, intransitive
verb[1]



dosimeter

dosimeter
do·sim·e·ter 
[dō símmətər] (plural do·sim·e·ters)
noun

radiation-measuring
instrument:
an instrument for measuring the amount of radiation absorbed by somebody or
something, often fixed in a working area or worn by personnel who might be
exposed to radiation.
Also
called
dosemeter
[Late
19th century. Coined from dose + -meter .]
—do·si·met·ric
[dssi méttrik], adjective

—do·sim·e·trist,
noun

—do·sim·e·try, noun[1]



DosPassos, John

DosPassos, John
Dos
Pas·sos 
[dōss pássōss], John (1896–1970)

U.S.
writer. He is best known for his U.S.A. trilogy ( 1930–1936 ), a
critical portrait of U.S. life.
Full name
Dos Passos, John Roderigo[1]



doss

doss
doss 
[doss] intransitive verb (past
dossed, past participle dossed, present participle doss·ing,
3rd person present singular doss·es)

U.K.
sleep
on makeshift bed: to sleep or settle down to sleep,
especially on an improvised bed (slang) • Can
I doss down on your floor tonight?
noun
(plural doss·es)

U.K.
improvised
or basic bed: a bed for the night or a place to sleep,
especially a makeshift one or one in a dosshouse
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via obsolete dorse, doss “the back” from,
ultimately, Latin dorsum (see dorsum
). If so, the underlying notion is probably “to lie on your back.”][1]



dossal

dossal
dos·sal 
[dóss’l] (plural dos·sals) or
dos·sel [dóss’l] (plural dos·sels)
noun

ornamental
cloth behind altar: a rich hanging for the back
of an altar or the sides of a chancel in a church
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin dossale from, ultimately, Latin dorsum (see dorsum ).][1]



dosshouse

dosshouse
doss·house 
[dóss hòwss] (plural doss·hous·es
[dóss hòwzəz]) noun

U.K.
(slang) See flophouse[1]



dossier

dossier
dos·si·er 
[dóssee ày] (plural dos·si·ers)
noun

set
of papers containing information: a collection of
documents relating to a particular person or topic
[Late 19th century. From
French (originally “bunch of papers with a label on the back”), from dos
“the back,” from, ultimately, Latin dorsum (see dorsum
).][1]



dost

dost
dost 
[dust]

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of do[1]



Dostoyevsky,Fyodor

Dostoyevsky,Fyodor

Dos·toy·ev·sky
[dòstə yéfskee], Fyodor (1821–1881)
Russian
novelist. He is author of Crime and Punishment ( 1866 ) and The
Brothers Karamazov ( 1879–1880 ).
Full name
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor Mikhaylovich[1]



dos-à-dos

dos-à-dos
dos-à-dos 
[dzə dṓ, dssə
dṓ] noun interjection

DANCE See do-si-do
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “back to back” (the original English sense), from dos
“back” (source of English dossier ),
from, ultimately, Latin dorsum (see dorsum
).][1]



dot

dot2
dot2 [dot]
(plural dots) noun

dowry:
in law, a woman’s dowry
[Mid-19th
century. Via Old French from Latin dot-, the stem of dos “dowry”
(see dower ).]
—do·tal [dṓt’l], adjective[1]



dot

dot1
dot1 [dot]
noun (plural dots)

1.  written
or printed point: a small round written or printed mark,
for example, that placed above the body of the lowercase letter “i” or one of a
set of three replacing missing text

2.  spot
or speck:
a small round mark, spot, or speck • The
ship was just a dot on the horizon.

3.  small
amount:
a very small amount, especially of butter used for basting

4.  COMPUTING e-mail
punctuation mark: a punctuation mark used to separate the
various components of an internet address

5.  COMMUNICATION mark
used in Morse code: the shorter of the two
signaling elements used in Morse code, represented as a small round mark

6.  MUSIC symbol
placed after note in music: in written or printed music,
a small round mark placed after a note or rest to increase its value by half

7.  LOGIC mark
indicating logical conjunction: a small round mark
used in logic to join compound sentences when both elements are true
verb
(past dot·ted, past participle dot·ted, present
participle dot·ting, 3rd person present singular dots)

1.  transitive
verb
mark
with dot:
to mark something with a dot • dot
your i’s

2.  transitive
verb
sprinkle
with dots:
to scatter or sprinkle something with spots, specks, or small amounts of
something • Dot
the surface with butter.

3.  intransitive
verb
make
small round mark: to make a small round mark
[Old
English dott “head of a boil.” Probably from, ultimately, a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “lump, plug.”]
—dot·ter,
noun
dot
the i’s and cross the t’s

to
be careful with the details of something • We’ve
drawn up the basis of the agreement but we have yet to dot the i’s and cross
the t’s.

on
the dot (of)

exactly at the specified time
• arrived
on the dot • was
expected to get here on the dot of nine[1]



DOT

DOT
DOT

Abbreviation of
Department of Transportation[1]



dotage

dotage
dot·age 
[dṓtij] noun

1.  weakness
associated with age: the lack of strength or
concentration sometimes believed to be characteristic of old age (offensive)

2.  dangerous
infatuation: infatuation leading to folly (archaic)
“Nay, but this dotage of our general’s O’erflows the measure” William
Shakespeare Anthony & Cleopatra 1606
[14th century. From dote .][1]



dotation

dotation
do·ta·tion
[dō táysh’n] noun

conferring
of dowry:
in law, the giving of a dowry (formal)
[14th century. From dot 2 .][1]



dote

dote
dote 
[dōt] (past dot·ed, past
participle dot·ed, present participle dot·ing, 3rd
person present singular dotes) intransitive verb

1.  show
extreme fondness: to be excessively fond of somebody or
something • They
dote on their grandchildren.

2.  lack
clear thought: to lack clear thought in a way sometimes
associated with old age (archaic)
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch doten
“to be foolish” (the original English sense), of unknown origin.]
—dot·er, noun[1]



doth

doth
doth 
[duth]

(archaic) 3rd
person present singular of do[1]



Dothan

Dothan
Do·than 
[dṓthən]

city in southeastern Alabama,
southwest of Phenix City. Population: 55,944 (1996)[1]



doting

doting
dot·ing
[dṓting] adjective

very
fond:
expressing and demonstrating great love and fondness for somebody or something
• doting
parents of two new babies
—dot·ing·ly, adverb[1]



dotmatrix

dotmatrix
dot
ma·trix
noun

array of dots displaying
information: a grid of dots
selectively lighted or colored to display or print letters, numbers, and other
symbols[1]



dotpitch

dotpitch
dot
pitch
noun

measure of image clarity on
computer: a measure of the clarity or
sharpness of an image on a computer screen, based on the amount of white space
between the pixels or dots that form the image[1]



dotproduct

dotproduct
dot
prod·uct
(plural dot prod·ucts) noun

MATHEMATICS
See scalar product[1]



dotsper inch

dotsper inch
dots
per inch
noun

Full form of
dpi[1]



dotted

dotted
dot·ted 
[dóttəd] adjective

1.  with
dots:
marked or patterned with dots

2.  MUSIC increased
in value by half: used to describe a note or rest
increased in value by half

3.  covered
with specks: scattered or sprinkled with small things
or larger things seen from a distance • a
sky dotted with stars

4.  randomly
arrayed:
spread randomly over a wide area • a lawn
dotted with hoop-skirted belles.

[1]



dottedline

dottedline
dot·ted
line
(plural dot·ted lines) noun

line of dots or dashes:
a printed line formed from dots or dashes, especially one on which somebody is
to write something such as a signature[1]



dottedswiss

dottedswiss
dot·ted
swiss 
noun

fabric
with raised dots: a cotton fabric patterned with raised
dots
[Shortening of Swiss muslin][1]



dotterel

dotterel
dot·ter·el
[dóttrəl] (plural dot·ter·els or
dot·ter·el) or dot·trel [dóttrəl]
(plural dot·trels or dot·trel) noun

Eurasian
bird:
a reddish-brown Eurasian bird of the plover family with white markings on the
head and neck. Latin name: Eudromias morinellus
[15th century. Formed from dote + the suffix -rel (from Old French -erel
), literally “foolish little one,” because the Eurasian plover is easy to
catch.][1]



dottle

dottle
dot·tle 
[dótt’l] (plural dot·tles) noun

remnant
of tobacco in pipe: the plug of tobacco that is
left in a pipe after it has been smoked
[15th century. From dot 1 . The
original sense was “plug, stopper.”][1]



dottrel

dottrel
dot·trel
noun

See
dotterel[1]



dotty

dotty
dot·ty 
[dóttee] (comparative dot·ti·er,
superlative dot·ti·est) adjective

1.  silly:
regarded as being silly, unreasonable, or lacking sense (informal insult)

2.  unconventional:
behaving in a manner that seems amusingly strange to others (informal)

3.  absurd:
illogical, impractical, or absurd (informal)

4.  infatuated:
very fond of or passionately interested in somebody or something (informal)
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Scots dialect dottle
“fool,” from dote, or perhaps directly from dote . First recorded in the sense “walking
unsteadily.”]
—dot·ti·ly,
adverb

—dot·ti·ness, noun[1]



DouayBible

DouayBible
Dou·ay
Bi·ble 
[d ay bb’l] (plural Dou·ay
Bi·bles) or Dou·ay Ver·sion [d
ay bb’l] (plural Dou·ay Ver·sions) noun

1.  translation
of Latin Bible: a Roman Catholic translation of the
Latin Vulgate version of the Bible into English, written in the early 17th
century

2.  copy
of Douay Bible: a copy of the Douay Bible
[Mid-19th century. Named for Douay
(modern Douai ), where it was completed in 1609.][1]



double

double
dou·ble 
[dúbb’l] adjective

1.  being
twice as much or many: being twice as much in size,
number, or value

2.  having
two like parts: consisting of two identical, similar, or
equal parts

3.  meant
for two people: designed or intended for two people • reserved
a double hotel room

4.  fitting
a double bed: used to describe bedding of a size that
will fit onto a double bed

5.  two-layered:
consisting of two layers

6.  folded
over once:
folded in two, or bent over

7.  of
two elements: consisting of two different elements

8.  acting
in contrasting or opposing ways: acting one way while
feeling very differently, especially when this involves hypocrisy or deceit

9.  BOTANY having
extra petals: used to describe flowers that have more
petals than normal, or plants that have flowers of this type

10. MUSIC sounding
an octave below: used to describe a musical instrument
sounding an octave lower than the written music indicates
adverb

1.  twice
as much:
twice as much as normal • had to
pay double to get in

2.  in
two layers:
so as to form two layers
noun
(plural dou·bles)

1.  two
together:
two viewed or regarded together

2.  twice
the normal amount: twice the normal or standard
amount • He
offered me double.

3.  BEVERAGES two
measures of drink: a drink containing two
single measures, especially of spirits (informal)

4.  duplicate
in appearance: somebody or something that looks very
like another, especially a living person bearing a strong resemblance to
somebody else

5.  ghost
identical to living person: an apparition that closely
resembles a living person

6.  CINEMA stand-in
for movie star: somebody who replaces a movie actor in
certain scenes, for example, those that involve danger, special skill, or
nudity

7.  HORSERACING bet
on two races: a bet on two races, in which any
winnings from the first become the stake for the second (informal)

8.  SPORTS success
in two events: success in two events or competitions in
the same or successive years or series, or against the same opponent

9.  BRIDGE call
increasing score or bid: in an auction at bridge, a
call that increases the score for succeeding or failing in a contract

10. TENNIS double
fault:
a double fault (informal)

11. BASEBALL See two-base hit

12. MILITARY fast
marching pace: a fast marching pace at twice the usual
speed

13. abrupt
directional change: a sharp change of direction

14. PRINTING See doublet  noun 3
plural
noun
dou·bles

RACKET GAMES racket
game between pairs of players: a racket game played
between two pairs of players
verb
(past dou·bled, past participle dou·bled, present
participle dou·bling, 3rd person present singular dou·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
twofold:
to make something twice as large or numerous, or become twice as much or many • We
doubled our profits the following year.

2.  transitive
verb
fold
in two:
to fold or bend something in two

3.  intransitive
verb
have
second function: to have a second or secondary function • His
felt hat doubles as a water pail.

4.  intransitive
verb
CINEMA act as
stand-in:
to replace a movie actor in certain scenes

5.  intransitive
verb
THEATER play
second role: to play an additional part in the same
performance

6.  transitive
verb
MUSIC duplicate
a musical part: to duplicate a part, either at the same
pitch or an octave above or below

7.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC play
more than one musical instrument: to play one or more
musical instruments, in addition to the principal one • a
violinist who doubles on cello

8.  intransitive
verb
BRIDGE announce
bridge double: to announce a double as a bid in an
auction at bridge

9.  transitive
verb
CHESS place
pieces next to each other: to place two chess pieces of
the same type and color together • double
your opponent’s pawns

10. intransitive
verb
BASEBALL make
two-base hit: to make a hit that gives the batter time
to run to second base

11. transitive
verb
BASEBALL advance
with two-base hit: to advance a teammate on the
bases by making a two-base hit • double
a runner home
[12th
century. Via Old French do(u)bler from Latin duplare, from duplus,
literally “twofold” (source of English duplicate
) from duo “two.”]
—doubleness
[dúbb’lnəss], noun
on
the double

right away and as quickly as
possible • told
the children to get into lines on the double[1]



double-acting

double-acting
dou·ble-act·ing
adjective

1.  ENGINEERING with
pistons acting both ways: with one or more pistons
that move in both directions, giving two strokes per cycle

2.  CONSTRUCTION acting
in opposite directions: acting in opposite
directions from a central point

[1]



doubleagent

doubleagent
dou·ble
a·gent
(plural dou·ble a·gents) noun

spy for two nations:
somebody who works as a spy for one government but supplies secret information
about that government to another[1]



doubleback

doubleback
double
back
intransitive verb

go back along same route:
to turn around and retrace your steps[1]



doublebar

doublebar
dou·ble
bar
(plural dou·ble bars) noun

musical symbol marking end:
a symbol, ‖, that marks the end of a piece of music or the end of its principal
sections[1]



double-barreled

double-barreled
dou·ble-bar·reled 
adjective

1.  ARMS with
two barrels: used to describe a gun that has two
barrels

2.  with
two purposes or interpretations: serving two purposes,
or open to two possible interpretations

[1]



doublebass

doublebass


dou·ble bass 
(plural dou·ble bass·es) noun
largest instrument in violin family:
the largest and lowest in pitch of the instruments of the violin family, used
in the modern symphony orchestra. It is also commonly found in jazz and dance
bands, where it is usually plucked rather than bowed.
Also called
bass
Also called
bass viol
Also called
string bass[1]



double-bass

double-bass
dou·ble-bass
adjective

large and low in pitch:
used to describe an instrument that is larger and lower in pitch than others of
its group[1]



doublebassoon

doublebassoon
dou·ble
bas·soon
(plural dou·ble bas·soons) noun

See
contrabassoon[1]



doublebed

doublebed
dou·ble
bed
(plural dou·ble beds) noun

wide bed:
a bed intended for two people[1]



doublebill

doublebill
dou·ble
bill
(plural dou·ble bills) noun

U.K.
event with two main features:
a programme of entertainment that has two main items, especially a cinema
programme showing two full-length films[1]



doublebind

doublebind
dou·ble
bind
(plural dou·ble binds) noun

1.  dilemma
with no good alternatives: an unresolvable situation
from which there is no escape without undesirable consequences

2.  dilemma
caused by contradictory demands: a situation in which
conflicting demands make it impossible to do the right thing

[1]



double-blind

double-blind
dou·ble-blind
adjective

with information concealed
from participants: used to
describe an experiment in which neither the experimenters nor the subjects know
which of two similar treatments is genuine and which is a control procedure[1]



doubleboiler

doubleboiler
dou·ble
boil·er
(plural dou·ble boil·ers) noun

one pan on top of another:
a pair of cooking pots, one fitting on top of and partly inside the other. Food
cooks gently in the upper pot while water simmers in the lower pot.[1]



doublebond

doublebond
dou·ble
bond
(plural dou·ble bonds) noun

covalent bond:
a chemical bond in which two atoms share two pairs of electrons[1]



double-breasted

double-breasted
dou·ble-breast·ed 
adjective

with two layers at front:
used to describe a coat or jacket that has a large overlap at the front,
usually with two sets of buttons[1]



doublebridle

doublebridle
dou·ble
bri·dle
(plural dou·ble bri·dles) noun

bridle with four reins:
a bridle with four reins and a bit with two rings on each side[1]



double-celling

double-celling
dou·ble-cell·ing
noun

putting two prisoners in
single cell: the housing of two
prisoners in a space designed for only one[1]



double-check

double-check
dou·ble-check 
(past dou·ble-checked, past participle dou·ble-checked,
present participle dou·ble-check·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-checks) intransitive and transitive verb

verify by checking twice:
to check something twice or for a second time • I
double-checked that the windows were locked.[1]



doublecheck

doublecheck
dou·ble
check
(plural dou·ble checks) noun

1.  second
check of something: a second examination to make
sure

2.  CHESS check
from two pieces simultaneously: a situation in chess
in which a king is in check from two pieces at once

[1]



doublechin

doublechin
dou·ble
chin
(plural dou·ble chins) noun

fold
of flesh resembling second chin: a fold of flesh or
loose skin under the chin
—dou·ble-chinned, adjective[1]



double-click

double-click
dou·ble-click
(past dou·ble-clicked, past participle dou·ble-clicked,
present participle dou·ble-click·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-clicks) intransitive and transitive verb

press mouse button twice:
to press and release a mouse button twice in rapid succession. Double-clicking
is used in many programs to invoke specific commands.[1]



double-clutch

double-clutch
dou·ble-clutch 
intransitive verb

use clutch twice when
changing gear: to use the clutch twice
when changing gear in a motor vehicle, first to put the gear lever into neutral
and rev the engine, second to engage the new gear. U.K. = double-declutch[1]



doublecoconut

doublecoconut
dou·ble
co·co·nut
(plural dou·ble co·co·nuts) noun

See
coco-de-mer[1]



doubleconcerto

doubleconcerto
dou·ble
con·cer·to
noun

concerto with two soloists:
a concerto for two solo instruments[1]



doublecream

doublecream
dou·ble
cream
noun

U.K.
thick cream:
cream with a high fat content that can be whipped to make it thicker[1]



doublecross

doublecross
dou·ble
cross
(plural dou·ble cross·es) noun

production of hybrid from
hybrids: a genetic cross in which a
new hybrid is produced from parents each of which is a first-generation hybrid
of pure strains[1]



double-cross

double-cross
dou·ble-cross 
transitive verb (past dou·ble-crossed, past participle
dou·ble-crossed, present participle dou·ble-crossing, 3rd
person present singular dou·ble-cross·es)

betray
associate:
to betray or cheat somebody who believes that he or she is a partner or
associate in the same, often criminal, enterprise
noun
(plural dou·ble-cross·es)

betrayal
of associate: an act of double-crossing a partner or
associate
—dou·ble-cross·er,
noun

—double-cross·ing, adjective[1]



doubledagger

doubledagger
dou·ble
dag·ger
(plural dou·ble dag·gers) noun

printed character (‡):
the printed character (‡), used to mark a cross-reference, especially to a
footnote.
Also called
diesis[1]



doubledate

doubledate
dou·ble
date
(plural dou·ble dates) noun

date for two couples:
an arrangement for two couples to go out together socially as a foursome[1]



double-date

double-date
dou·ble-date
(past dou·ble-dat·ed, past participle dou·ble-dat·ed,
present participle dou·ble-dat·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-dates) intransitive verb

go out with another couple:
to go out socially as a couple with another couple[1]



Doubleday,Abner

Doubleday,Abner

Dou·ble·day 
[dúbb’l dày], Abner (1819–1893)
U.S. army officer. He fought in the
Mexican War (1846–1848) and for the Union in the Civil War (1861–1865). He is
traditionally thought of as the creator of baseball, even though a similar game
antedated his lifetime.[1]



double-dealing

double-dealing
dou·ble-deal·ing 
noun

deceit
involving betrayal of associate: deliberately deceitful
behavior, especially involving the betrayal of a partner or associate
—dou·ble-deal·er,
noun

—double-deal·ing, adjective[1]



double-decker

double-decker
dou·ble-deck·er 
(plural dou·ble-deck·ers) noun

1.  something
with two layers: something that has two layers, levels,
or tiers • a
double-decker sandwich

2.  TRANSPORT bus
with two decks: a bus with an upper and a lower deck

[1]



double-declutch

double-declutch
dou·ble-de·clutch
intransitive verb

U.K.
See double-clutch[1]



doubledecomposition

doubledecomposition
dou·ble
de·com·po·si·tion noun

double chemical reaction:
a chemical reaction in which two compounds exchange one or more of their
components so that two new compounds are formed.
Also called
metathesis[1]



doubledescent

doubledescent
dou·ble
de·scent
noun

tracing mother’s or father’s
ancestry: the use in some societies of
sometimes mother’s and sometimes father’s ancestry in establishing different
features of social identity or status[1]



doubledigging

doubledigging
dou·ble
dig·ging
noun

AGRICULTURE
deep digging to revitalize soil:
the process of digging a plot of ground to twice the normal depth and
transferring soil from the lower level to the top in order to revitalize it
before planting[1]



double-digit

double-digit
dou·ble-dig·it 
adjective

from 10 to 99:
being between 10 and 99 • double-digit
inflation[1]



doubledipping

doubledipping
dou·ble
dip·ping 
noun

drawing
two incomes from government: the fraudulent receipt of
two incomes from the government, for example, by holding a government job and
collecting a government pension at the same time (informal)
—dou·ble dip·per, noun[1]



doubledoors

doubledoors
dou·ble
doors
plural noun

pair of full-length doors
closing doorway: two full-length doors
that meet in the middle of the doorway when closed[1]



double-dotted

double-dotted
dou·ble-dot·ted
adjective

MUSIC
having two dots after note:
used to describe a musical note that has two dots following it to indicate that
the length of the note is to be increased by three quarters[1]



doubledribble

doubledribble
dou·ble
drib·ble
(plural dou·ble drib·bles) noun

illegal dribble in
basketball: an illegal move in
basketball, in which the player dribbles the ball with both hands
simultaneously or, having stopped, starts to dribble again[1]



doubleDutch

doubleDutch
dou·ble
Dutch
noun

1.  GAME skipping
game:
a skipping game in which players jump over two ropes that are swung crossing
over each other by two turners

2.  U.K.
LANGUAGE incomprehensible
talk or writing: speech or writing that cannot be
understood at all (informal)

[1]



double-duty

double-duty
dou·ble-du·ty
adjective

having two functions:
designed to do two different jobs[1]



doubleeagle

doubleeagle
dou·ble
ea·gle
(plural dou·ble ea·gles) noun

1.  MONEY former
U.S. coin:
a former U.S. gold coin worth 20 dollars

2.  GOLF 3
strokes under par: in golf, a score of three
strokes under par for a hole.
U.K.
term
albatross

[1]



double-edged

double-edged
dou·ble-edged
adjective

1.  ambiguous:
having two possible meanings or interpretations, especially one that is
apparently innocuous and another that is intentionally cutting or malicious

2.  doing
two things:
achieving two purposes or having two effects

3.  having
two cutting edges: having a blade sharpened on
both edges

[1]



doubleeffect

doubleeffect
dou·ble
ef·fect
noun

principle of right and wrong:
the ethical principle that intentionally doing wrong is impermissible, even if
the action has good consequences, and that intentionally doing right is
permissible, even if the action has bad consequences[1]



doubleentendre

doubleentendre
dou·ble
en·ten·dre
[dùbb’l aan tndrə, dùbb’l
aaN tNdrə] (plural dou·ble en·ten·dres) noun

1.  sexually
ambiguous remark: a remark that is ambiguous and sexually
suggestive

2.  ambiguity
with sexually suggestive meaning: ambiguity in which one
meaning is sexually suggestive
[Late 17th century. From
obsolete French, literally “double understanding.”][1]



doubleentry

doubleentry
dou·ble
en·try
noun

bookkeeping system:
a bookkeeping system that records each transaction as a credit to one account
and a debit from another[1]



doubleexposure

doubleexposure
dou·ble
ex·po·sure
(plural dou·ble ex·po·sures) noun

1.  superimposing
of photographic images: the exposure of two separate
images on a single piece of photographic film

2.  photograph
with two superimposed images: a photograph that contains
one image superimposed on another

[1]



double-faced

double-faced
dou·ble-faced 
adjective

1.  finished
on both sides: used to describe fabrics that are
finished on both sides

2.  two-faced:
behaving insincerely or deceitfully

3.  having
two usable sides: having two faces or sides that can both
be used • a
double-faced tape

[1]



double-fault

double-fault
dou·ble-fault
(past dou·ble-fault·ed, past participle dou·ble-fault·ed,
present participle dou·ble-fault·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-faults) intransitive verb

serve two faults
consecutively: in tennis, to make two
consecutive faulty serves, and lose a point as a result[1]



doublefault

doublefault
dou·ble
fault
(plural dou·ble faults) noun

two consecutive incorrect
serves: in tennis, two consecutive
serves that land outside the service box or in the net, with the result that
the server loses a point[1]



doublefeature

doublefeature
dou·ble
fea·ture
(plural dou·ble fea·tures) noun

two movies shown
consecutively: a program consisting of
two full-length movies shown consecutively.
Also called
twin bill[1]



doublefigures

doublefigures
dou·ble
fig·ures
plural noun

U.K.
10 to 99:
the numbers with two digits, from 10 to 99[1]



doubleflat

doubleflat
dou·ble
flat
(plural dou·ble flats) noun MUSIC

1.  symbol
lowering note two half tones: a symbol, ♭♭, placed in
front of a musical note to indicate that the pitch of the note is to be lowered
by two half tones

2.  note
with double flat: a musical note marked with a double flat

[1]



double-header

double-header
dou·ble-head·er
(plural dou·ble-head·ers) noun

1.  SPORTS two
consecutive games: two games played
consecutively by the same teams, especially in baseball.
Also
called
twin bill

2.  train
with two locomotives: a train pulled by two
locomotives coupled together

[1]



doublehelix

doublehelix
dou·ble
he·lix
noun

double spiral structure of
DNA: the molecular structure of
DNA, consisting of a pair of polynucleotide strands connected by a series of
hydrogen bonds and wound in opposing spirals[1]



double-hung

double-hung
dou·ble-hung
adjective

having two movable sashes:
used to describe a window that has two sashes, each sliding vertically in its
own grooves[1]



doubleindemnity

doubleindemnity
dou·ble
in·dem·ni·ty noun

insurance payout for
accidental death: the guaranteed payout
of double the face value of a life insurance policy if the policyholder dies in
an accident[1]



doublejeopardy

doublejeopardy
dou·ble
jeop·ard·y
noun

LAW
second prosecution for same crime:
the prosecution of somebody a second time for something that he or she has
already been tried for. It is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.[1]



double-jointed

double-jointed
dou·ble-joint·ed 
adjective

unusually
flexible:
used to describe a joint or limb that has unusual flexibility and can bend in
the opposite direction to the normal one, or somebody with such joints
—dou·ble-joint·ed·ness,
noun[1]



doubleknit

doubleknit
dou·ble
knit
(plural dou·ble knits) noun

thick knitted fabric:
a knitted fabric of double thickness[1]



doublelife

doublelife
dou·ble
life
noun

life with two identities:
a situation in which somebody is simultaneously involved in two sets of
circumstances or relationships and keeps each completely separate, and usually
secret, from the other[1]



doublenegation

doublenegation
dou·ble
ne·ga·tion
noun

negation of negation:
the principle that a proposition and the negation of its negation mean one and
the same thing[1]



doublenegative

doublenegative
dou·ble
neg·a·tive
(plural dou·ble neg·a·tives) noun

use
of two negatives: a phrase containing two negatives

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Double
  negatives of the type • I
  don’t know nothing, in which two negatives
  close together are intended to reinforce each other, are considered
  illiterate in current standard English, acceptable though they were in
  earlier usage. These are to be distinguished from the acceptable, if somewhat
  uncommon, type • That’s not a good
  idea, I don’t think, in which the reinforcing
  negatives appear in different clauses. The more usual type of acceptable
  double negative is seen in • It
  is not impossible (= it is distinctly
  possible), in which the negatives are intended to cancel each other out. This
  is thought of as a figure of speech called litotes.

[1]



doubleoccupancy

doubleoccupancy
dou·ble
oc·cu·pan·cy noun

use of room by two people:
the use of a hotel room or other accommodation by two people (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



doubleor nothing

doubleor nothing
dou·ble
or noth·ing
noun

bet to double or cancel debt:
a bet in gambling where a player who owes money has the debt doubled or
canceled depending on the outcome of the next play[1]



doubleor quits

doubleor quits
dou·ble
or quits
noun

U.K. =
double or nothing[1]



doubleover

doubleover
double
over
intransitive verb

bend deeply:
to bend from the waist in response to pain or laughter[1]



double-pagespread

double-pagespread
dou·ble-page
spread
(plural dou·ble-page spreads) noun

article filling two facing
pages: a feature or article that
fills two facing pages of a newspaper or magazine[1]



double-park

double-park
dou·ble-park 
(past dou·ble-parked, past participle dou·ble-parked,
present participle dou·ble-park·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-parks) intransitive and transitive verb

park
alongside another parked vehicle: to park a vehicle
alongside another already parked and so cause an obstruction
—dou·ble-park·er,
noun

—dou·ble-park·ing, noun[1]



doubleplay

doubleplay
dou·ble
play
(plural dou·ble plays) noun

baseball play putting out two
players: a baseball play in which two
players are put out[1]



doublepneumonia

doublepneumonia
dou·ble
pneu·mo·nia
noun

pneumonia in both lungs:
pneumonia affecting both lungs[1]



doublequote

doublequote
dou·ble
quote
(plural dou·ble quotes) noun

quotation mark with two
marks: a quotation mark that
consists of two marks ("), not one[1]



doubler

doubler
dou·bler 
[dúbblər] (plural dou·blers) noun

electronic device that
doubles input: an electronic device
that doubles an input frequency or voltage[1]



doublereed

doublereed
dou·ble
reed
(plural dou·ble reeds) noun

1.  reed
in woodwind instruments: a reed in the oboe, English
horn, or bassoon consisting of two halves that vibrate against each other when
air passes through them (hyphenated when used before a noun)

2.  woodwind
instrument with double reed: a woodwind instrument that
has a double reed

[1]



doublerefraction

doublerefraction
dou·ble
re·frac·tion noun

See
birefringence[1]



doublerhyme

doublerhyme
dou·ble
rhyme
(plural dou·ble rhymes) noun

two-syllable rhyme:
a two-syllable rhyme for example, “cooking” and “looking”[1]



doubles

doubles
dou·bles
[dúbb’lz] (plural dou·bles) noun

Caribbean
E Indian fast food:
a popular and cheap East Indian fast food consisting of a sandwich of curried
chickpeas in two “baras,” or fried seasoned batter patties (informal)[1]



doublesalt

doublesalt
dou·ble
salt
(plural dou·ble salts) noun

chemical salt:
a salt such as alum that dissolves in solution as two substances but
crystallizes as one[1]



doublesaucepan

doublesaucepan
dou·ble
sauce·pan
(plural dou·ble sauce·pans) noun

U.K.
See double boiler[1]



doublesculls

doublesculls
dou·ble
sculls
noun

race between boats with two
rowers: a race between boats for two
rowers who sit one behind the other and pull two oars each[1]



doublesharp

doublesharp
dou·ble
sharp
(plural dou·ble sharps) noun MUSIC

1.  symbol
raising note two half tones: a symbol, ♯♯ placed in front
of a musical note to indicate that the pitch of the note is to be raised by two
half tones

2.  note
with double sharp: a musical note marked with a
double sharp

[1]



double-sided

double-sided
dou·ble-sid·ed
adjective

having two usable sides:
used or usable on both sides[1]



double-space

double-space
dou·ble-space 
(past dou·ble-spaced, past participle dou·ble-spaced,
present participle dou·ble-spac·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-spac·es) transitive verb

print with spaces between
lines: to type or print text with a
blank line between typed or printed lines[1]



doublespeak

doublespeak
dou·ble·speak 
[dúbb’l spk] noun

See
double talk  noun 1[1]



doublestandard

doublestandard
dou·ble
stan·dard
(plural dou·ble stan·dards) noun

standard applied unfairly:
a principle, rule, or expectation that is applied unfairly to different groups,
one group usually being condemned for the slightest offense while the other is
treated far more leniently[1]



doublestar

doublestar
dou·ble
star
(plural dou·ble stars) noun

1.  See
binary star

2.  See
optical double star

[1]



double-stop

double-stop
dou·ble-stop
intransitive verb (past dou·ble-stopped, past
participle dou·ble-stopped, present participle dou·ble-stop·ping,
3rd person present singular dou·ble-stops)

play
two strings together: to draw the bow of a
stringed instrument simultaneously across two strings, producing two tones
noun
(plural dou·ble-stops)

two-note
chord on stringed instrument: a musical chord of two notes
played on a stringed instrument
—dou·ble-stop·ping, noun[1]



doublet

doublet
dou·blet 
[dúbblət] noun (plural dou·blets)

1.  CLOTHES man’s
jacket:
a man’s close-fitting jacket, with or without sleeves, popular in Europe
between the 15th and 17th centuries

2.  LINGUISTICS word
with same root as another: either of two similar words
in a language that have the same historical root but have arrived at their
current forms via different languages, for example, “mood” and “mode”

3.  PRINTING repeated
printed letter, word, or line: a repeated letter,
word, or line that is printed in error.
Also
called
double

4.  OPTICS pair
of lenses used together: a pair of lenses designed to
be used together so that one lens cancels out the distortions in the other

5.  MINERALS fake
gem:
a fake gem made by sticking two pieces of glass together with a colored layer
between them or by sticking a thin layer of a gem on a base
plural
noun
dou·blets

1.  GAMBLING dice
with same number thrown: a pair of dice thrown
simultaneously each showing the same number of spots

2.  GAME word
game:
a word game in which one word is transformed into another by substituting
letters, the object being to achieve this in the minimum number of
substitutions
[14th century. From French,
literally “something doubled.”][1]



doubletackle

doubletackle
dou·ble
tack·le
(plural dou·ble tack·les) noun

pair of pulleys:
a pair of double pulleys for lifting or pulling[1]



doubletake

doubletake
dou·ble
take
(plural dou·ble takes) noun

delayed reaction of surprise:
a reaction of surprise or astonishment after an initial hesitation[1]



doubletalk

doubletalk
dou·ble
talk
noun

1.  talk
intended to confuse or deceive: intentionally
ambiguous or confusing talk.
Also
called
doublespeak

2.  mixture
of words and nonsense syllables: speech that includes a
mixture of real words and nonsense syllables

[1]



double-team

double-team
dou·ble-team 
(past dou·ble-teamed, past participle dou·ble-teamed,
present participle dou·ble-team·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-teams) transitive verb

guard with two players:
in various team games, to use two players to guard an opponent[1]



doubleteeth

doubleteeth
dou·ble
teeth
plural noun

U.K.
back teeth; teeth from the canines back (regional) • She’s
only two. She hasn’t got her double teeth yet.
[From their having two points
or cusps][1]



doublethink

doublethink
dou·ble·think 
[dúbb’l thìnk] noun

acceptance
of opposing beliefs: the conscious or unconscious
holding of two opposing beliefs at the same time
[Coined by George Orwell in 1984
(1949)][1]



doubletime

doubletime
dou·ble
time
noun

1.  FINANCE double
pay:
double the usual rate of pay

2.  MUSIC doubly
fast musical tempo: a tempo twice as fast as the
basic tempo of a piece of music, or a passage played at that speed

3.  MILITARY fast
marching pace: a fast marching pace of 180 steps per
minute

[1]



double-time

double-time
dou·ble-time 
(past dou·ble-timed, past participle dou·ble-timed,
present participle dou·ble-tim·ing, 3rd person present
singular dou·ble-times) intransitive verb

MILITARY
march fast:
to march at the fast pace of 180 steps per minute[1]



doubleton

doubleton
dou·ble·ton 
[dúbb’ltən] (plural dou·ble·tons)
noun

two
cards of same suit: two cards of the same suit
that are the only cards of that suit dealt to a player
[Early 20th century. Modeled
on singleton .][1]



double-tonguing

double-tonguing
dou·ble-tongu·ing
noun

playing
staccato by moving tongue quickly: the production of a
rapid series of staccato notes on a wind or brass instrument by using rapid
movements of the tongue
—dou·ble-tongue, intransitive
verb[1]



doubletree

doubletree
dou·ble·tree 
[dúbb’l tr] (plural dou·ble·trees)
noun

bar
harnessing two horses to carriage: a bar used to harness
two horses to a carriage or other vehicle
[Modeled on singletree][1]



double-u

double-u
dou·ble-u 
noun

w:
the letter w[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








doubleup

doubleup
double
up
intransitive verb

1.  share
with somebody else: to share something with
another person • There weren’t enough
beds, so some of the children had to double up.

2.  bend
body sharply: to bend the body over sharply

[1]



doublevision

doublevision
dou·ble
vi·sion
noun

seeing two of everything:
a condition in which two images of the same object are seen simultaneously
because the eyes are not focusing properly. Technical name diplopia[1]



doublewhammy

doublewhammy
dou·ble
wham·my
noun

two unpleasant things
happening together: two
setbacks or unpleasant experiences occurring very close together (slang)[1]



doublewide

doublewide
dou·ble·wide 
[dúbb’l wd] (plural dou·ble·wides)
noun

two mobile homes joined
together: a manufactured or mobile
home that is twice the width of a standard mobile home[1]



doubloon

doubloon
dou·bloon 
[də bln] (plural dou·bloons) noun

Spanish
coin:
a former Spanish gold coin
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish doblón, from dobla “double,” from, ultimately, Latin duplus
“double.”][1]



doublure

doublure
dou·blure
[də blr] (plural dou·blures) noun

lining
in book cover: a lining, especially one made of leather
or highly decorated, inside the cover of a book
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “lining.”][1]



doubly

doubly
dou·bly 
[dúbblee] adverb

1.  in
two ways:
in two different ways

2.  to
double degree: to twice the usual degree or extent

[1]



doubt

doubt
doubt 
[dowt] transitive verb (past doubt·ed,
past participle doubt·ed, present participle doubt·ing,
3rd person present singular doubts)

1.  think
something unlikely: to feel unconvinced or
uncertain about something, or think that something is unlikely

2.  not
trust somebody or something: to suspect that something is
not true, likely, or genuine, or that somebody is not sincere or trustworthy
noun
(plural doubts)

1.  uncertainty
or mistrust: a feeling or state of uncertainty,
especially as to whether something is true, likely, or genuine, or as to
whether somebody is sincere or trustworthy

2.  PHILOSOPHY method
of philosophical questioning: the method of questioning
claims to knowledge, especially in the philosophy of Descartes

3.  fear:
fear (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French doter from Latin dubitare “to be
uncertain,” from dubius “uncertain” (source of English dubious ). Earlier also “to fear.”]
—doubt·a·ble,
adjective

—doubt·a·bly,
adverb

—doubt·ing·ly,
adverb
beyond
doubt

completely
certain

no
doubt

almost
definitely

open
to doubt

or
in doubtnot certain, settled, foreseeable with confidence, or finally
proved

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



doubter

doubter
doubt·er
[dówtər] (plural doubt·ers) noun

somebody who doubts:
somebody who is skeptical or unsure about something, especially a religion or a
political system[1]



doubtful

doubtful
doubt·ful 
[dówtfəl] adjective

1.  unsure:
unsure or undecided about something

2.  unlikely:
not likely to happen or be successful

3.  inviting
suspicion:
probably not true, honest, reputable, or genuine
—doubt·ful·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  doubtful, uncertain, unsure, in doubt, have doubts,
  have reservations, dubious,
  skeptical
  CORE
  MEANING: feeling
  doubt or uncertainty doubtful; a
  general term suggesting uncertainty or hesitancy; uncertain;
  a less strong term than “doubtful,” suggesting that somebody is hesitant or
  undecided; unsure; another term for
  “uncertain”; in doubt; a term used to emphasize that somebody or
  something is in a state of uncertainty or indecision; have doubts; a
  term suggesting uncertainty or lack of confidence; dubious; a term suggesting strong doubt and, often,
  suspicion; skeptical; a term used
  to suggest that somebody doubts something is true or that something will
  happen

[1]



doubtfully

doubtfully
doubt·ful·ly
[dówtfəlee] adverb

with doubt:
with or expressing doubt[1]



doubtingThomas

doubtingThomas
doubt·ing
Thom·as 
(plural doubt·ing Thom·as·es) noun

somebody
insisting on proof: somebody who is generally
doubtful or skeptical about things or refuses to believe something until given
proof
[From Jesus Christ’s apostle
who doubted in the Bible (John 20:24–9)][1]



doubtless

doubtless
doubt·less 
[dówtləss] adverb

1.  certainly:
certainly or almost certainly • That
was doubtless their intention, as these documents show.

2.  probably:
probably or presumably • You
would doubtless have been informed in due course.
adjective
(formal)

1.  certain:
impossible to doubt or deny

2.  having
no doubt:
having no doubts or suspicions
—doubt·less·ly,
adverb

—doubt·less·ness, noun[1]



douc

douc
douc
[dook] (plural doucs) noun

Asian
monkey:
a rare yellow-faced monkey of the langur family that lives in Southeast Asia.
Latin name: Pygathrix nemaeus
[Late 18th century. From
Vietnamese douc .][1]



douceur

douceur
dou·ceur 
[doo súr] (plural dou·ceurs) noun

tip
or bribe:
something given as a tip or a bribe
[14th century. From French douceur
“sweetness favor,” from douce “sweet” (see douce ).][1]



douche

douche
douche 
[doosh] noun (plural douch·es)

1.  cleaning
body by squirting water: a cleaning of part of the
body, with a jet of water or air

2.  equipment
producing cleansing water jet: a piece of equipment
that produces a jet of water or air for a douche
intransitive
and transitive verb (past douched,
past participle douched, present participle douch·ing,
3rd person present singular douch·es)

clean body with water jet:
to clean a part of the body or body cavity with a jet of water or air
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Italian doccia “water pipe,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem duction-
“leading (through a pipe).”][1]



dough

dough
dough 
[dō] noun

1.  COOKING mixture
of flour and water: a soft elastic mixture of
flour and water, often with other ingredients such as yeast, oil, butter, salt,
and sugar, that becomes bread or pastry when baked

2.  money:
cash and other financial assets (slang)
[Old English dāg .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to form” that is also the
ancestor of English effigy, faint, and lady
.][1]



doughboy

doughboy
dough·boy 
[dṓ bòy] (plural dough·boys) noun

1.  FOOD bread
dumpling:
a ball of bread dough boiled, steamed, or fried as a dumpling

2.  dough
boy
(plural dough boys) or Dough boy (plural Dough
boys) MILITARY U.S.
soldier:
a U.S. infantryman in World War I

[1]



doughface

doughface
dough·face 
[dṓ fàyss] (plural dough·faces)
noun

Civil War Northerner siding
with South: a Northerner who sided with
the South during the Civil War, especially a Northern congressman who refused
to condemn slavery[1]



doughnut

doughnut
dough·nut
[dṓ nùt] (plural dough·nuts) or
do·nut [dṓ nùt] (plural do·nuts)
noun

1.  FOOD round
cake with hole or filling: a small sugar-coated cake of
sweet dough, fried or baked, and either spherical with a filling of cream or
jam, or ring-shaped with no filling

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ring-shaped
object:
an object in the shape of an inflated ring, for example, an accelerating tube
in a nuclear reactor or an undersized spare tire

3.  MOTOR SPORTS 360-degree
turn in vehicle: a tight 360-degree turn made in a motor
vehicle or motor boat

[1]



doughty

doughty
dough·ty 
[dówtee] (comparative dough·ti·er,
superlative dough·ti·est) adjective

resolute:
brave and determined (literary)
[Old
English dohtig, from earlier dyhtig “worthy, virtuous.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be fit, prosper.”]
—dough·ti·ly,
adverb

—dough·ti·ness, noun[1]



doughy

doughy
dough·y 
[dṓ ee] (comparative dough·i·er,
superlative dough·i·est) adjective

1.  resembling
dough in consistency: soft, sticky, and elastic,
like dough

2.  pale
and flabby:
unhealthily pale and flabby
—dough·i·ness, noun[1]



Douglasfir

Douglasfir
Doug·las
fir
(plural Doug·las firs) noun

1.  tall
conifer:
a very tall pine tree that grows in northwestern North America and has
distinctive rough bark and shaggy-looking cones. It is used for its timber and
as a Christmas tree. Latin name: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Also
called
Douglas spruce
Also
called
Oregon pine

2.  wood
of Douglas fir tree: the strong durable wood of
the Douglas fir tree
[Named for Scottish botanist
David Douglas (1798–1834)][1]



Douglas,Kirk

Douglas,Kirk
Doug·las
[dúggləss], Kirk (1916– )

U.S.
movie actor. He has starred in over 70 Hollywood films, including The Bad
and the Beautiful ( 1952 ). In 1995, he received a special Academy Award
for his contribution to motion pictures.
Real name
Danielovitch, Issur[1]



Douglas,Michael

Douglas,Michael
Doug·las
[dúggləss], Michael (1944– )

U.S. television and movie
actor. He won an Academy Award for Wall Street ( 1987 ). His father is
Kirk Douglas.[1]



Douglass,Frederick

Douglass,Frederick

Doug·lass 
[dúggləss], Frederick (1817–1895)
U.S. abolitionist, orator, and writer. He
escaped from slavery (1838) and campaigned against slavery and racism in the
United States. He wrote Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an
American Slave ( 1845 ).[1]



Douglasspruce

Douglasspruce
Doug·las
spruc·e
noun

See
Douglas fir  noun 1[1]



Douglas,Stephen A.

Douglas,Stephen A.

Doug·las
[dúggləss], Stephen A. (1813–1861)
U.S.
politician. He lost the presidential election to Abraham Lincoln (1860), whom
he then supported in the Civil War.
Full name
Douglas, Stephen Arnold[1]



Douglas,Thomas Clement

Douglas,Thomas Clement
Doug·las
[dúggləss], Thomas Clement (1904–1986)

Scottish-born Canadian
politician. He led the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971.[1]



Douglas,William Orville

Douglas,William Orville

Doug·las
[dúggləss], William Orville (1898–1980)
U.S. associate justice of the Supreme
Court. Of strongly held liberal views, he championed individual rights,
especially free speech. He wrote a number of books, including An Almanac of
Liberty ( 1954 ), and Points of Rebellion ( 1970 ).[1]



Doukhobor

Doukhobor
Dou·kho·bor 
[dkə bàwr] (plural Dou·kho·bors)
or Du·kho·bor [dkə bàwr] (plural
Du·kho·bors) noun

member
of Russian Christian group: a member of an 18th-century
Russian Christian group that rejected state and church authority and emigrated
to western Canada at the end of the century to escape persecution
[Late 19th century. From
Russian Dukhobar, from dukh “spirit, Holy Ghost” + -bor “fighter.”][1]



doula

doula
dou·la
[dla] (plural dou·las) noun

woman
who assists in childbirth: a woman who is experienced
in childbirth and who provides physical, emotional, and informational
assistance and support to a mother before, during, or after childbirth
[From Greek, “most important
woman servant” (who would have helped the woman of the house in childbearing)][1]



doum

doum
doum 
[doom] (plural doums) or
doum palm [doom] (plural doum
palms) noun

See
doom palm[1]



douma

douma
dou·ma
noun

See
duma[1]



doup

doup
do
up
transitive verb

1.  give
something decorative wrapping: to wrap or cover
something in something decorative (often passive)

2.  dress
fashionably: to dress somebody or yourself in
fashionable clothes (informal)

3.  fasten
something:
to fasten something, for example, with string or ribbons

4.  make
something usable again: to make something fit to use
again by repairing or decorating it

[1]



dour

dour
dour 
[dowr, door]
adjective

1.  severe
or unfriendly: severe or gloomy, and unfriendly and
unresponsive toward other people

2.  U.K.
determined:
grimly and stubbornly determined
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Gaelic dūr “obstinate,” from
Latin durus “hard” (source also of English endure
).]
—dour·ly,
adverb

—dour·ness, noun[1]



doura

doura
dou·ra
noun

See
durra[1]



dourine

dourine
dou·rine 
[d rn, d rn]
noun

disease
of horses:
a sexually transmitted disease of horses and related animals that causes
swollen genitals
[Late 19th century. From
French .][1]



douroucouli

douroucouli
dou·rou·cou·li 
[drə klee] (plural dou·rou·cou·lis)
noun

small
nocturnal monkey: a fairly small, large-eyed, nocturnal
South American monkey with an inflatable sac under its neck that amplifies its
calls. Genus: Aotus
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the language of the Rio Negro people in southern
Venezuela.][1]



douse

douse1
douse1 [dowss,
dowz] or dowse [dowss, dowz] transitive
verb (past doused, past participle doused, present
participle dous·ing, 3rd person present singular dous·es)
(past dowsed, past participle dowsed, present
participle dows·ing, 3rd person present singular dows·es)

1.  immerse
something in water: to plunge or submerge
somebody or something in water

2.  put
liquid on something: to put a lot of water or
other liquid on somebody or something

3.  extinguish
something:
to put out a light, fire, or flame, especially with water
noun
(plural dous·es) (plural dows·es)

drenching: a
thorough wetting or soaking
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from douse 2 “to strike.”]
—dous·er, noun[1]



douse

douse2
douse2 [dowss,
dowz] transitive verb (past doused,
past participle doused, present participle dous·ing,
3rd person present singular dous·es)

1.  lower
sail:
to lower a sail, especially at speed

2.  take
off a hat:
to take off a hat or other item of clothing (archaic)

3.  punch
or strike somebody: to punch or strike somebody
or something (archaic)
noun
(plural dous·es)

a blow: a
punch or blow (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



DOVAP

DOVAP
DO·VAP
[dṓ vàp] noun

flight speed measurement
system: a system for measuring the
speed and position of objects in flight that is based on the frequency of sound
waves. Full form Doppler velocity and position[1]



dove

dove2
dove2

Past tense of
dive[1]



dove

dove1

dove1 [duv]
noun (plural doves)

1.  BIRDS bird
of pigeon family: a bird of the pigeon family that has a
heavy body, a small head, and a cooing call. Family: Columbidae

2.  POLITICS supporter
of peace:
somebody who supports peaceful measures and resists confrontation or war.
See
also
hawk

3.  term
of endearment: used as an affectionate name for a loved
one
adjective noun
(plural doves)

See dove-gray
[Assumed Old English dūfe,
originally “dark-colored bird.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to darken.”][1]



Dove

Dove
Dove 
noun

Holy Spirit:
in Christianity, a manifestation or representation of the Holy Spirit[1]



dovecote

dovecote
dove·cote 
[dúv kt] (plural dove·cotes) or
dove·cot [dúv kòt] (plural dove·cots)
noun

home for domestic pigeons:
a building or structure, for example, mounted on a pole or set into a wall,
with many separate entrances and compartments, used for housing domestic
pigeons[1]



dove-gray

dove-gray
dove-gray
adjective

of
mid-gray color: of a mid-gray color with a slight tinge
of pink or blue
—dove -gray, noun[1]



dovekie

dovekie
dove·kie
[dúv kee] (plural dove·kies) or
dove·key [dúv kee] (plural dove·keys)
noun

sea
bird of auk family: a small squat northern sea
bird of the auk family with a strong bill. Its dark-colored throat and breast
change to white in winter. Latin name: Alle alle
Also
called
litttle auk
U.K.
term
little auk
[Early 19th century.
Literally “small dove,” formed from dove .][1]



doveprion

doveprion
dove
pri·on
(plural dove pri·ons) noun

sea bird:
a sea bird of the petrel family with a blueish gray back and black and white
markings on its underparts, found in cool southern regions. Latin name: Pachyptila
desolata[1]



Dove,Rita

Dove,Rita
Dove 
[duv], Rita (1952– )

U.S. poet and novelist. Her
third collection of poetry, Thomas and Beulah ( 1986 ), won the 1987
Pulitzer Prize in poetry, and she served as poet laureate of the United States
(1993–1994).[1]



Doversole

Doversole
Do·ver
sole
noun

1.  flatfish
of N American Pacific: a brownish mottled
flat-bodied fish of the Pacific coast of North America that is a popular food
fish. Latin name: Microstomus pacificus

2.  European
flatfish:
a flat-bodied European fish that is a popular food fish. Latin name: Solea
solea
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for Dover, England.][1]



Dover,Strait of

Dover,Strait of
Do·ver,
Strait of
[dṓvər]

the narrowest part of the
English Channel, between Dover, England, and Calais, France. Length: 34 km/21
mi.[1]



dovetail

dovetail

dove·tail 
[dúv tàyl] verb (past dove·tailed,
past participle dove·tailed, present participle dove·tail·ing,
3rd person present singular dove·tails)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fit
together:
to fit neatly together or combine smoothly and efficiently, or to fit or
combine things in this way

2.  transitive
verb
join
pieces of wood: to join wooden boards with interlocking
V-shaped tenons
noun (plural
dove·tails)

1.  V-shaped
tenon:
a V-shaped projection on the end of a piece of wood that fits into a similarly
shaped opening in another piece to form a strong joint

2.  dove·tail
or dove·tail joint (plural dove·tail joints) joint
with dovetails: a joint made using dovetails
[From its shape][1]



dovetailsaw

dovetailsaw
dove·tail
saw
(plural dove·tail saws) noun

small saw:
a small saw with a reinforced back, slightly smaller than a tenon saw and used
for fine woodworking[1]



dovish

dovish
dov·ish 
[dúvvish] adjective

advocating
peace:
advocating peaceful solutions and the avoidance of confrontation or war.
See
also
hawkish
—dov·ish·ness, noun[1]



dowager

dowager
dow·a·ger 
[dówəjər] (plural dow·a·gers) noun

1.  widow
with husband’s title or property: a woman who has
inherited a title or property from her deceased husband

2.  woman
of status:
a rich-looking or respected woman of advanced years
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French douagere, from, ultimately, Latin dos “dowry.”][1]



dowager’shump

dowager’shump
dow·a·ger’s
hump 
(plural dow·a·ger’s humps) noun

abnormal curving of spine:
a marked abnormal curving of the spine around the area of the shoulder blades,
caused by osteoporosis and found among women, often as the result of age[1]



dowdy

dowdy
dow·dy 
[dówdee] (comparative dow·di·er,
superlative dow·di·est) adjective

1.  plain
and unfashionable in style: unattractively plain and
unfashionable in style

2.  dressed
plainly:
wearing plain unfashionable clothes
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “little poorly dressed
woman,” formed from doue “poorly dressed woman.”]
—dow·di·ly,
adverb

—dow·di·ness, noun[1]



dowel

dowel
dow·el 
[dów əl] noun (plural dow·els)
dow·el dow·el pin

joining
peg:
a short wooden or metal peg used to join two pieces of wood or metal by fitting
tightly at each end into specially drilled holes in the two pieces to be joined
transitive
verb
(past dow·eled, past participle dow·eled, present
participle dow·el·ing, 3rd person present singular dow·els)

join
wood or metal with dowels: to join pieces of wood or
metal using dowels
[13th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



dower

dower
dow·er 
[dowr] noun

1.  widow’s
inheritance: a dead man’s estate, or part of his
estate, inherited by his widow. See dowry

2.  dowry:
a dowry (archaic)

3.  natural
gift:
something, especially a skill or talent, with which somebody is endowed (literary)
transitive
verb
(3rd person present singular dow·ers)

endow: to
endow somebody with something (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French douaire, from Latin dotare “to endow,” from dos
“marriage portion.”][1]



Dow,Herbert Henry

Dow,Herbert Henry
Dow
[dow], Herbert Henry (1866–1930)

Canadian-born U.S. chemist.
He discovered a way to process pure chlorine in 1895 and founded a major
chemical company in 1897 to market his product.[1]



dowithout

dowithout
do
without
intransitive and transitive verb

manage without something:
to manage or survive without something that you want, need, or normally have[1]



DowJones Averages

DowJones Averages
Dow
Jones Av·er·ag·es Trademark

a trademark for an index of
the prices of selected industrial, transportation, and utilities stocks that is
based on a formula developed and revised periodically by Dow Jones &
Company, Inc.[1]



down

down3
down3 [down]
noun (plural downs)

U.K.
treeless
hill:
a grassy treeless hill or ridge (often used in place names)
plural
noun
downs

rolling
grassland:
an area of gently rolling, treeless, grassy upland, used mainly as pasture
[Old English dūn (see down 1 )][1]



Down

Down
Down
noun (plural Downs)

southern
English sheep: a sheep belonging to a southern English
breed, such as the South Down or Dorset Down
plural
noun
Downs

hills
in southern England: any of several ranges of low
chalk hills in southern England
[Named for the English downs,
origin of the breeds][1]



down

down2
down2 [down]
noun

1.  soft
fluffy feathers: the soft fluffy feathers that are a
young bird’s first plumage, or that lie beneath the outer feathers in some
adult birds

2.  feathers
as stuffing: the soft breast feathers of a duck or
goose, especially the female eider duck, used to fill pillows and quilts.
See
also
eiderdown

3.  covering
of soft hairs: a covering of fine fluffy hairs, for
example, on a child’s skin or on the skin of some kinds of fruit
[14th century. From Old Norse
dúnn “grassland,” from Old English dūn, ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to fly around like dust, whirl.”][1]



down

down1
down1 [down]
(past downed, past participle downed, present
participle downing, 3rd person present singular downs,
plural downs) CORE MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate movement or position toward a lower level
or the ground • (preposition) He ran
down the stairs and opened the door. • (preposition)
The sheep was caught in brambles 50 ft. down the hillside.
• (preposition)
Tears were pouring down her cheeks. • (adverb)
I was numb from the waist down. • (adverb)
They all watched the sun go down. • (adverb)
She pressed a button and the window slid down.

1.
preposition to lower level in something:
toward or at a lower level in something • I
dropped my keys down a hole.

2.
preposition along:
toward or at a position further along the length of something and usually at a
somewhat lower level • halfway
down the street

3.
adverb at or to lower level:
at or to a physically lower level or position • down
in the basement

4.
adverb onto surface: out
of the hand and onto a surface • She calmly
put her fork down.

5.
adverb away from present location:
to another place away from your present location or base

6.
adverb to more southerly place:
to a place in the south or to the south of your present location • going
down to Florida for the winter

7.
adverb to or at lower amount:
to or at a lower amount or price • to get
interest rates down

8.
adverb short by specified amount:
short of, having lost, or losing by a specified amount • They
were two goals down at halftime.

9.
adverb having only specified amount left:
having only a specified amount left • I’m
down to my last dollar.

10.
adverb in part payment:
in part payment for something or as a deposit • You
put 5 percent down, and pay the rest in installments.

11.
adverb including everyone or everything:
including everyone or everything, from highest to lowest, within a specified
group or hierarchy of people or things, or even including the particular person
or thing mentioned • everyone from the
managing editor down • account
for everything down to the last cent

12.
adverb to later period:
from an earlier to a later time or person • The
piano had been handed down to him by his grandmother.

13.
adverb in inferior position:
in or to an inferior, less free, or privileged position or condition • holding
political opponents down

14.
adverb to reduced condition:
to a lower level of intensity or activity • wind
down after work

15.
adverb into less solid state:
into a different and less solid state

16.
adverb on paper: in
writing on paper, as a record

17.
adverb chosen or arranged:
chosen or detailed for something, or arranged or scheduled for a particular
time or date • We’re
down for two sessions next month.

18.
adverb LEISURE vertically
in a crossword puzzle: in a vertical position in a
crossword puzzle • still need the solution
to 10 down.

See
also
across

19.
adverb U.K. EDUC away
from university: away from, or no longer at, a university
• down
from Cambridge

20.
adverb NAUTICAL to
windward:
having the rudder to windward

21.
adjective unhappy:
unhappy and gloomy

22.
adjective COMPUTING not
in operation: temporarily not in operation

23.
adjective made in part payment:
made or given in part payment for something or as a deposit • a
down payment on the car

24.
adjective FOOTBALL not
in play:
no longer in play

25.
adjective BASEBALL put
out:
eliminated from a game

26.
adjective on the ground:
lying on the ground • a down
tree

27.
interjection instruction to dog:
used as an instruction to a dog to stop jumping up, or to lie or sit • Down
boy!

28.
transitive verb eat or drink:
to eat food or drink liquid, especially quickly or greedily

29.
transitive verb make fall to the ground:
to cause somebody or something to fall to the ground through being hurt or
damaged

30.
noun FOOTBALL a
play made in football: one of four consecutive
plays within which a team must either score or advance the ball at least ten
yards

31.
noun FOOTBALL declare
ball out of play: to declare a ball as no longer in play
[Old
English dūn “hill,” literally “from the hill,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps ultimately from a Celtic word that is also the source of dune]
be
down on somebody

to
show dislike or hostility toward somebody or something, often giving him, her,
or it unfair treatment (informal)

be
down to somebody

to
be the responsibility of somebody

be
down to something

to
be the result of something

come
down with something

to
be or become ill with something

down
under

to
or in Australia or New Zealand (informal)

down
with somebody or something!

used to express disapproval
of, opposition to, or a desire to get rid of somebody or something[1]



down-and-dirty

down-and-dirty
down-and-dirt·y
adjective

unpleasant:
crude and often unpleasant (slang) • the
down-and-dirty truth[1]



down-and-out

down-and-out
down-and-out
adjective

1.  jobless
and poor:
having no money or job, often no home, and little hope of things getting better

2.  unable
to carry on: completely incapacitated and unable to
carry on
noun
(plural down-and-outs)

jobless poor person:
somebody who has no job, money, or hope, especially a homeless person

[1]



down-at-heel

down-at-heel
down-at-heel 
or down-at-the-heel adjective

shabbily dressed:
shabbily dressed through poverty[1]



downbeat

downbeat
down·beat 
[dówn bt] adjective

pessimistic:
showing or expressing pessimism and hopelessness
noun
(plural down·beats)

1.  first
beat in bar: the first beat in a bar of music

2.  conductor’s
downward gesture indicating downbeat: the
downward movement made by a conductor to indicate the downbeat of a bar of
music

[1]



down-bow

down-bow
down-bow
(plural down-bows) noun

downward movement of
musician’s bow: the action of drawing a
bow from its heel toward its point across a stringed instrument[1]



downburst

downburst
down·burst 
[dówn bùrst] (plural down·bursts)
noun

powerful downward wind:
a powerful downward wind, often part of a thunderstorm system, that creates
strong horizontal winds in all directions when it strikes the earth and is a
danger to aircraft[1]



downcast

downcast
down·cast 
[dówn kàst] adjective

1.  sad:
sad and pessimistic

2.  looking
down:
looking or directed toward the ground • with
downcast eyes

[1]



downcourt

downcourt
down·court 
[down káwrt] adjective adverb

SPORTS
in or to end of court:
in, to, or toward the opposite end of a basketball or similar court[1]



downdraft

downdraft
down·draft 
[dówn dràft] (plural down·drafts)
noun

downward movement of air:
a downward movement of air, for example, on the lee side of a mountain range or
down a chimney[1]



DownEast

DownEast
Down
East
or down East noun

New
England or Maine: New England, or more specifically, the
U.S. state of Maine (informal)
—Down
East·er, noun

—Down East·ern, adjective[1]



downed

downed
downed
[downd] adjective

forced to the ground:
brought to the ground, especially by force • downed
power lines[1]



downer

downer
down·er 
[dównər] (plural down·ers) noun

1.  sedative
drug:
a drug, especially a barbiturate, that induces calmness or sleepiness (slang)

2.  gloomy
person or thing: a gloomy person, situation, or
experience (informal)

[1]



DownersGrove

DownersGrove
Dow·ners
Grove 
[dòwnərz grṓv]

village in northeastern
Illinois, southeast of Wheaton, that is a western suburb of Chicago.
Population: 50,089 (1996)[1]



Downey

Downey
Dow·ney 
[dównee]

city in southern California,
southeast of Los Angeles. Population: 93,073 (1996)[1]



downfall

downfall
down·fall 
[dówn fàwl] (plural down·falls)
noun

1.  failure
or ruin:
the failure or ruin of a previously successful person, group, or organization

2.  cause
of ruin:
an action or situation responsible for the failure or ruin of a previously
successful person, group, or organization

3.  METEOROLOGY fall
of rain or snow: a sudden heavy fall of rain or snow

[1]



downfallen

downfallen
down·fall·en 
[dówn fàwlən] adjective

1.  no
longer successful: fallen from a position of
fame, power, or wealth

2.  neglected:
in a seriously neglected or ruined condition

[1]



downfield

downfield
down·field 
[dówn fld] adjective adverb

SPORTS
in or to opponents’ half:
in, to, or toward the opponents’ half of a field of play[1]



downgrade

downgrade
down·grade 
[dówn gràyd] transitive verb (past
down·grad·ed, past participle down·grad·ed, present
participle down·grad·ing, 3rd person present singular down·grades)

1.  lower
status:
to lower the status, value, or rating of something • The
hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm.

2.  move
somebody to less important job: to move somebody from
one post or job to another with less responsibility, status, or pay

3.  disparage:
to speak or write about somebody or something disparagingly
noun
(plural down·grades)

downward slope:
a downward slope on a road

[1]



downhaul

downhaul
down·haul 
[dówn hàwl] (plural down·hauls)
noun

rope for pulling down sail:
a rope for pulling down or holding down a sail or a spar[1]



downhearted

downhearted
down·heart·ed 
[dòwn hrtəd] adjective

discouraged:
discouraged and unhappy
—down·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—down·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



downhill

downhill
down·hill 
adverb [down híl]

toward
bottom of hill: toward the bottom of a slope or hill
adjective
[dówn hìl]

sloping
down:
sloping down, or taking place on a downward slope
noun
[dówn hìl]

SKIING race
down long mountainside course: a skiing race against
the clock down a long mountainside course with several hundred yards between
marker flags
go
downhill

to decline or deteriorate[1]



downhole

downhole
down·hole
[down hṓl] adjective

used inside oil well:
used to describe equipment used inside an oil well[1]



downhome

downhome
down·home
[down hṓm] adjective

unpretentious and ordinary:
appealingly simple, informal, and unpretentious, and therefore considered
typical of ordinary people (informal) • downhome
cooking[1]



DowningStreet

DowningStreet
Down·ing
Street
[dówning strt] noun

1.  official
residence of British prime minister: the
street off Whitehall in Westminster, central London, where the official
residences of the British prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer are
located

2.  British
government:
the British prime minister or the British government • Downing
Street sources

[1]



downland

downland
down·land
[dówn lànd] noun

downs:
undulating grass-covered hills in southern England or similar, but often
flatter grassland in Australia and New Zealand[1]



downlight

downlight
down·light
[dówn lt] (plural down·lights)
noun

light that shines downward:
a lamp or bulb whose light is directed straight downward[1]



downlink

downlink
down·link 
[dówn lìngk] (plural down·links)
noun

transmission
path for space-Earth signals: a path for the transmission
of signals and data between a vehicle or satellite in space and the Earth
—down·link, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



download

download
down·load 
[dówn ld] intransitive and transitive
verb (past down·load·ed, past participle down·load·ed,
present participle down·load·ing, 3rd person present singular
down·loads)

1.  COMPUTING transfer
data:
to transfer or copy data from one computer to another, or to a disk or
peripheral device, or be transferred or copied in this way

2.  TRANSPORT unload:
to unload cargo or passengers
noun
(plural down·loads) COMPUTING

1.  instance
of downloading: an instance or the process of
downloading data

2.  downloaded
data:
data that has been downloaded in a single operation

[1]



downmarket

downmarket
down·mar·ket
[dówn mrkət] adjective

cheap
and of low quality: cheap, appealing to mass
taste, and regarded as being of low quality.
Also
called
downscale
adverb

toward less discriminating
sector of market: toward the part of the
market that deals in cheaper, lower-quality goods for mass consumption[1]



downpayment

downpayment
down
pay·ment
(plural down pay·ments) noun

part payment made when
buying: a part of the full price of
something paid at the time it is bought, with the remaining part to be paid
later[1]



downpipe

downpipe
down·pipe
[dówn pp] (plural down·pipes)
noun

U.K.
See downspout[1]



downplay

downplay
down·play 
[dówn plày] (past down·played,
past participle down·played, present participle down·play·ing,
3rd person present singular down·plays) transitive verb

treat something as less
important: to make something seem less
important, significant, or serious than it really is[1]



downpour

downpour
down·pour 
[dówn pàwr] (plural down·pours)
noun

heavy rainfall:
a heavy and sustained fall of rain[1]



downrange

downrange
down·range 
[down ráynj] adjective adverb

away from missile firing
site: away from where a missile
was fired[1]



downrigger

downrigger
down·rig·ger 
[dówn riggər] (plural down·rig·gers)
noun

weighted fishing line:
a fishing line attached to a weighted cable allowing the baited line to be
trailed at or near the bottom of the water[1]



downright

downright
down·right 
[dówn rt] adjective

1.  absolute:
complete and utter • a downright lie

2.  straightforward:
frank in expressing opinions

3.  pointing
down:
pointing straight down (archaic)
adverb

positively:
positively and undeniably • downright
unfair
—down·right·ly,
adverb

—down·right·ness, noun[1]



downriver

downriver
down·riv·er 
[down rívvər] adverb adjective

toward mouth of river:
toward or nearer the mouth of a river, or following the direction of its
current[1]



downscale

downscale
down·scale 
[down skáyl] adjective

See
downmarket  adjective
intransitive
and transitive verb (past down·scaled,
past participle down·scaled, present participle down·scal·ing,
3rd person present singular down·scales)

make or become smaller:
to reduce the scale or extent of something, especially a business[1]



downshift

downshift
down·shift 
[dówn shìft] (past down·shift·ed,
past participle down·shift·ed, present participle down·shift·ing,
3rd person present singular down·shifts) intransitive verb

1.  AUTOMOBILES change
to lower gear: to change to a lower gear in a motor
vehicle.
U.K.
term
change down

2.  change
lifestyle:
to change a highly paid but stressful job for one that makes it possible to
improve quality of life in other respects
—down·shift, noun[1]



downside

downside
down·side 
[dówn sd] (plural down·sides)
noun

negative side to something:
a negative side to something that also has positive aspects[1]



downsize

downsize
down·size 
[dówn sz] (past down·sized, past
participle down·sized, present participle down·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular down·siz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BUSINESS make business smaller:
to reduce the size of a business or organization, especially by cutting the
workforce

2.  transitive
verb
make
something smaller: to make something physically
smaller or produce something in a smaller size

[1]



downslide

downslide
down·slide 
[dówn sld] (plural down·slides)
noun

downward trend:
a downward trend or course[1]



downspin

downspin
down·spin 
[dówn spìn] (plural down·spins)
noun

sudden reduction:
a very sudden and sharp reduction[1]



downspout

downspout
down·spout 
[dówn spòwt] (plural down·spouts)
noun

pipe carrying rainwater from
roof: a pipe that carries
rainwater from a roof gutter down to a drain or to the ground.
U.K. term
downpipe[1]



downstage

downstage
down·stage 
[down stáyj] adverb adjective

to
or at stage’s front: toward or at the front of a
theater stage
noun

front half of stage:
the front half of a theater stage[1]



downstairs

downstairs
down·stairs 
[down stáirz] adverb

to
lower floor: down the stairs or to a lower floor
adjective

on
lower floor: on a lower or the lowest floor • a
downstairs bathroom
noun

lower floor:
the lower floor of a building[1]



downstate

downstate
down·state 
[down stáyt] adjective adverb

1.  in
or to south of state: in or to the southerly part
of a state

2.  away
from cities: away from the big cities and in or into
the more rural parts of a state whose major metropolitan area is to the north • downstate
Illinois
noun

southerly or rural part of state:
the southerly part of a U.S. state, or the more rural part when the major metropolitan
area is to the north
—down·stat·er, noun[1]



downstream

downstream
down·stream 
[down strm] adverb adjective

toward
mouth of river: toward or nearer the mouth of a river,
or following the direction of the current
adjective

INDUSTRY of
later production stages: relating to or occurring in
the later stages of production
adverb

GENETICS further
forward on DNA molecule: further forward on a DNA
molecule, in the direction in which the sequence is being read during
replication.
See
also
upstream
noun

transmission away from
central network: transmission of data on
a network that is traveling away from a central distribution point. Downstream
network capacity is generally greater than upstream capacity.[1]



downswing

downswing
down·swing 
[dówn swing] (plural down·swings)
noun

1.  downward
trend:
a downward trend or course

2.  GOLF downward
swing of golf club: the downward part of a
golfer’s swing

[1]



down-the-line

down-the-line
down-the-line
adjective

unwavering:
unwavering in support of or adherence to rules or policy[1]



downthrow

downthrow
down·throw
[dówn thr] (plural down·throws)
noun

displacement of rocks:
the relative vertical displacement of rocks on one side of a fault[1]



downtick

downtick
down·tick 
[dówn tìk] (plural down·ticks)
noun

1.  small
decrease:
a very small decrease or reduction

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE stock
market transaction: a stock market transaction
that is lower than the previous transaction in the same stock

[1]



downtime

downtime
down·time 
[dówn tm] noun

1.  time
spent not working or producing: time during which work
or production is stopped, for example, because machinery is not working

2.  time
for relaxation: a period of relaxation or play between
periods of work

[1]



down-to-earth

down-to-earth
down-to-earth 
adjective

practical:
practical and realistic[1]



downtown

downtown
down·town 
[down tówn, dówn
tòwn] adjective adverb

U.S., Canada,
New Zealand in or to town’s center:
in or to the center of a city, especially its business center
noun

1.  city
center:
the center of a city, especially its business center

2.  lower
Manhattan:
in New York City, the lower or southern end of Manhattan.
See
also
uptown
—down·town·er, noun[1]



downtrend

downtrend
down·trend 
[dówn trènd] (plural down·trends)
noun

downward trend:
a downward trend or tendency[1]



downtrodden

downtrodden
down·trod·den 
[dówn tròdd’n] adjective

oppressed:
made submissive by constant harsh treatment[1]



downturn

downturn
down·turn 
[dówn tùrn] (plural down·turns)
noun

reduction in economic
activity: a period or trend in which
business or economic activity is reduced or is less successful.
Also called
turndown[1]



downward

downward
down·ward 
[dównwərd] or down·wards [dównwərd] adjective

1.  moving
lower in space: moving or directed to the ground or to a
lower place

2.  moving
to lower level: moving to a lower level or condition

3.  coming
from origin or source: descending from a source,
origin, or beginning
adverb

1.  toward
lower place: toward the ground or a lower place

2.  to
lower level: to a lower level or condition

3.  to
and including everyone: to and including all the
members of an organization, even the most junior • everyone
from the general manager downward

4.  to
later time:
to a later time or generation
—down·ward·ly,
adverb

—down·ward·ness, noun[1]



downwardlymobile

downwardlymobile
down·ward·ly
mo·bile
adjective

moving to lower status:
moving to a lower status, social class, or income bracket[1]



downwardmobility

downwardmobility
down·ward
mo·bil·i·ty
noun

movement to lower status:
movement to a lower status, social class, or income bracket[1]



downwards

downwards
down·wards
[dównwərdz]

See
downward[1]



downwash

downwash
down·wash
[dówn wòsh] (plural down·wash·es)
noun

downward wind:
a downward wind, for example, the wind created by an aircraft wing[1]



downwind

downwind
down·wind 
[down wínd] adverb adjective

1.  with
the wind:
in the direction that the wind is blowing

2.  further
in direction of wind: in or into a position
further along the line of the direction of the wind

[1]



downy

downy
down·y 
[dównee] (comparative down·i·er,
superlative down·i·est) adjective

1.  soft:
soft and fluffy

2.  covered
with soft hairs: covered with soft fine hairs

3.  feather-filled:
filled with feathers
—down·i·ness, noun[1]



downymildew

downymildew
down·y
mil·dew
(plural down·y mil·dews) noun

plant disease caused by
fungus: a disease of plants that
produces gray velvety patches on lower leaf surfaces, caused by various fungi Family
[Peronosporaceae][1]



downywoodpecker

downywoodpecker
down·y
wood·peck·er (plural down·y wood·peck·ers)
noun

small N American woodpecker:
a small black and white North American woodpecker with a white back. The male
also has a red head patch. Latin name: Picoides pubescens[1]



downzone

downzone
down·zone 
[dówn zn] (past down·zoned, past
participle down·zoned, present participle down·zon·ing,
3rd person present singular down·zones) intransitive and
transitive verb

allow fewer buildings:
to restrict or reduce the number of buildings in an area • plans
to downzone urban districts[1]



Down’ssyndrome

Down’ssyndrome
Down’s
syn·drome 
noun

See
Down syndrome
[Mid-20th century. Named for
J. H. L. Down .][1]



dowry

dowry
dow·ry 
[dówree] (plural dow·ries) noun

1.  bride’s
family’s gift to bridegroom: an amount of money or
property given in some societies by a bride’s family to her bridegroom or his
family when she marries.
Also
called
portion

2.  man’s
gift to bride: an amount of money or property
transferred by a man to his bride when they marry

3.  CHRISTIANITY money
paid to enter nuns’ order: a sum of money required for
a woman to enter some monastic orders

4.  talent:
a natural talent (literary)

5.  (archaic)

Also
called
dower noun 1
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman dowarie from Old French douaire (see dower ).][1]



dowsabel

dowsabel
dows·a·bel
[dówssə bèl, dówzə
bèl] (plural dows·a·bels) noun

sweetheart:
a woman or girl sweetheart (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
French, an alteration of the name Dulcibella .][1]



dowse

dowse1
dowse1 [dowss,
dowz] (past dowsed, past
participle dowsed, present participle dows·ing, 3rd
person present singular dows·es, plural dows·es) intransitive
verb

use
divining rod: to use a divining rod to search for
underground water or minerals
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dowse

dowse2
dowse2 [dowss,
dowz] transitive verb noun

See
douse 1[1]



dowse

dowse3
dowse3 [dows]
transitive verb noun

See
douse 2[1]



dowser

dowser
dows·er
[dówsər] (plural dows·ers) noun

somebody who dowses:
somebody who uses a divining rod to dowse.
Also called
water diviner
Also called
water finder
Also called
water witch
U.K. term
water diviner[1]



dowsingrod

dowsingrod
dows·ing
rod
(plural dows·ing rods) noun

See
divining rod[1]



Dowtheory

Dowtheory
Dow
the·o·ry
[dów three] noun

theory about stock market
forecasting: a theory that states
that stock market prices can be forecast on the basis of the movements of a
selected group of stocks[1]



doxastic

doxastic
dox·as·tic 
[dok sástik] noun

logic
of belief:
the branch of logic that deals with belief
adjective

of
belief:
relating to belief
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek doxa “opinion” + -astic .][1]



doxie

doxie
dox·ie
noun

RELIGION
See doxy 1[1]



doxology

doxology
dox·ol·o·gy 
[dok sólləjee] (plural dox·ol·o·gies)
noun

Christian
hymn of praise to God: in Christian religious
services, a hymn, prayer, or formula of worship in praise of God
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin doxologia, literally “science of opinion,”
from Greek doxa “opinion.”]
—dox·o·log·i·cal
[dòksə lójjik’l], adjective

—dox·o·log·i·cal·ly [dòksə lójjəkəlee], adverb[1]



doxorubicin

doxorubicin
dox·o·ru·bi·cin 
[dòksə rbissin] noun

antitumor
antibiotic:
an antibiotic, obtained from a bacterium, that is used to treat many types of
tumors
[Late 20th century. Coined
from de + oxy + Latin rubus “red” +
mycin .][1]



doxy

doxy1
dox·y1  [dóksee]
(plural dox·ies) or dox·ie [dóksee] (plural dox·ies) noun

RELIGION set of
beliefs:
a set of beliefs, especially religious beliefs (informal)
[Mid-18th century. From -doxy,
in such words as orthodoxy and heterodoxy .][1]



doxy

doxy2
dox·y2  [dóksee]
(plural dox·ies) noun

woman
sexual outside marriage: a man’s woman lover, a woman
who has many men lovers, or prostitute (archaic slang)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



doxycycline

doxycycline
dox·y·cy·cline 
[dòksi s kln, dòksi
sklin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic derived from tetracycline that is used to treat many diseases,
especially diarrhea in travelers and acne
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of deoxytetracycline .][1]



doyen

doyen
doy·en 
[dóy ən, doy én]
(plural doy·ens) noun

most
senior man in group: a man who is the most
experienced and respected member of a group or profession
[15th century. Via French
from Old French deien, from Latin decanus “one set over ten
persons” (see dean ).][1]



doyenne

doyenne
doy·enne 
[doy én] (plural doy·ennes) noun

most
senior woman in group: a woman who is the most
experienced and respected member of a group or profession
[Mid-19th century. From
French, feminine form of doyen (see doyen
).][1]



Doyle,Arthur Conan

Doyle,Arthur Conan

Doyle 
[doyl], Sir Arthur Conan (1859–1930)
Scottish-born British writer and
physician. He was author of the Sherlock Holmes detective novels, including The
Hound of the Baskervilles ( 1902 ).[1]



doz.

doz.
doz.

Abbreviation of
dozen[1]



doze

doze2
doze2  [dōz]
(past dozed, past participle dozed, present
participle doz·ing, 3rd person present singular doz·es)
transitive verb

(slang)
See bulldoze
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from dozer .][1]



doze

doze1
doze1  [dṓz]
intransitive verb (past dozed, past participle dozed,
present participle doz·ing, 3rd person present singular doz·es)

1.  have
short light sleep: to sleep lightly for a short
time, especially during the day

2.  laze
or daydream: to spend time lazily or in a daydream
noun
(plural doz·es)

light sleep: a
short light sleep
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandinavian .]
—doz·er, noun[1]



dozen

dozen
doz·en 
[dúzz’n] noun (plural doz·en)
det

group of 12: a
group of 12 objects or people
det
(informal)

1.  many:
a large number of • I’ve told you a dozen
times already!

2.  doz·ens
lots:
a large quantity or a great many
[13th
century. Via Old French dozeine from Latin duodecim “twelve,”
from duo “two” + decem “ten.”]
—doz·enth,
adjective
by
the dozen

in large quantities[1]



dozeoff

dozeoff
doze
off
intransitive verb

fall into light sleep:
to fall into a light sleep, especially unintentionally[1]



dozer

dozer
doz·er
[dṓzər] (plural doz·ers) noun

bulldozer:
a bulldozer (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of bulldozer .][1]



dozy

dozy
do·zy 
[dṓzee] (comparative do·zi·er,
superlative do·zi·est) adjective

1.  drowsy:
half asleep or tending to fall asleep or doze

2.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand FORESTRY
rotten:
rotten in the middle
—doz·i·ly,
adverb

—doz·i·ness, noun[1]



Doña

Doña
Do·ña 
[dṓnyə] noun

Spanish
equivalent of Mrs.: a title used before a
married woman’s name in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Latin domina (see Dona
).][1]



D/P

D/P1
D/P1

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of documents against presentation[1]



DP

DP
DP
(plural DPs)

1.  DP
or dp COMPUTING Abbreviation
of data processing

2.  DP
or dp PHYSICS Abbreviation
of dew point

3.  DP
or D.P. (plural D.P.s) Abbreviation of displaced person

[1]



dp

dp
dp
(plural dp’s)

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of double play[1]



D/P

D/P2
D/P2

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
documents against presentation

2.  Abbreviation
of
documents against payment

[1]



DPH

DPH
DPH
(plural DPHs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Department of Public Health

2.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Public Health

[1]



D.Phil.

D.Phil.
D.Phil.
or D.Ph.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Philosophy[1]



dpi

dpi
dpi 
noun

density of computer or
printer image: a measure of the
density of the image produced by a computer screen or printer. Full form
dots per inch[1]



DPN

DPN
DPN

(dated) Abbreviation
of diphosphopyridine nucleotide[1]



dpt.

dpt.
dpt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
department

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of deponent

[1]



DPT

DPT
DPT

Abbreviation of
diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (vaccine)[1]



dr

dr
dr

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
dram

2.  dr
or DR (used in advertisements) Abbreviation of dining room

[1]



Dr

Dr
Dr

Abbreviation of
drachma[1]



DR

DR
DR

NAVIGATION
Abbreviation of dead reckoning[1]



dr.

dr.
dr.

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of debit

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of drachma

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
dram

[1]



Dr.

Dr.
Dr.

1.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of doctor

2.  TRANSPORT (used in addresses)
Abbreviation of Drive

[1]



drab

drab2
drab2 [drab]
noun (plural drabs)

1.  offensive
term for dirty woman: a dirty, lazy, and messy
woman (archaic insult)

2.  prostitute:
a prostitute (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past drabbed, past participle drabbed, present
participle drab·bing, 3rd person present singular drabs)

use prostitutes:
to use prostitutes (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch .][1]



drab

drab1
drab1 [drab]
adjective (comparative drab·ber, superlative drab·best)

1.  lacking
color or brightness: uninteresting to look at
because of a lack of color or brightness

2.  boring:
lacking interest, enthusiasm, or excitement

3.  of
pale grayish brown color: of a dull pale grayish brown
color
noun

1.  pale
grayish brown color: a dull pale grayish brown
color

2.  TEXTILES dull-colored
fabric:
a gray or brown fabric
[Early
16th century. From Old French drap “cloth” (source of English drape and trappings
). Originally “cloth,” then “natural, undyed cloth,” hence “dull grayish
brown.”]
—drab·ly,
adverb

—drab·ness, noun[1]



drabble

drabble
drab·ble 
[drább’l] (past drab·bled, past
participle drab·bled, present participle drab·bling, 3rd
person present singular drab·bles) intransitive and transitive
verb

make
or become wet and dirty: to become, or make
something, wet and dirty
[14th century. From Low
German drabbeln “to splash in water,” of uncertain origin: probably an
imitation of the sound.][1]



Drabble,Margaret

Drabble,Margaret
Drab·ble
[drább’l], Margaret (1939– )

British novelist, editor, and
critic. Her novels explore the dilemmas of women in contemporary society and
include The Needle’s Eye ( 1972 ) and The Radiant Way ( 1987 ).
She edited The Oxford Companion to English Literature ( 1985 ).[1]



dracaena

dracaena

dra·cae·na 
[drə snə] (plural dra·cae·nas)
or dra·ce·na [drə snə] noun

1.  tropical
evergreen plant: a member of a genus of tropical
evergreen plants that have long, strap-shaped, often variegated leaves and are
popular as house plants. Genus: Dracaena

2.  plant
like dracaena: a plant with long narrow leaves
resembling a true dracaena. Genus: Cordyline
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek drakaina, feminine of drakōn “dragon,”
from the supposed resemblance of the juice of one of the species to dragon’s
blood.][1]



drachm

drachm
drachm 
[dram] (plural drachms) noun

1.  See
dram  noun 2

2.  U.K.
See fluid dram

3.  MONEY See drachma  noun 2
[14th century. Via Old French
drachme from, ultimately, Greek drakhmē, literally “number of
coins one hand can hold,” from the assumed stem drakh- “to grasp.”][1]



drachma

drachma
drach·ma 
[drákmə] (plural drach·mas or
drach·mae) noun

1.  MONEY Greek
currency unit: the main unit of currency of modern
Greece

2.  MONEY coin
worth one drachma: a coin worth one drachma.
Also
called
drachm

3.  MEASUREMENTS See dram  noun 2

4.  MONEY ancient
Greek silver coin: a silver coin used in
ancient Greece

5.  MEASUREMENTS ancient
Greek unit of weight: a unit of weight in ancient
Greece
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek drakhmē (see drachm
).][1]



Draco

Draco

Dra·co 
[dráykō] noun
extensive faint constellation of northern
hemisphere: an extensive but faint
constellation of the northern hemisphere between Ursa Major and Hercules. It
stretches part of the way around the celestial pole.
Also called
Dragon[1]



dracolizard

dracolizard
dra·co
liz·ard
(plural dra·co liz·ards) noun

See
flying lizard[1]



Draconian

Draconian
Dra·co·ni·an
[drə kṓnee ən] or dra·co·ni·an
[drə kṓnee ən] or Dra·con·ic [drə kónnik] or dra·con·ic [drə kónnik] adjective

1.  too
harsh:
unjustly harsh or severe

2.  of
Draco:
relating to the Athenian statesman Draco of the 7th century BC, or to his wide-ranging and harsh
code of laws
[Late
19th century. From the Greek stem Drakōn- “Draco.”]
—Dra·co·ni·an·ism,
noun

—Dra·con·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



draconic

draconic
dra·con·ic
[drə kónnik] adjective

of
dragons:
relating to or like a dragon or dragons
—dra·con·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Dracut

Dracut
Dra·cut
[dráy kət]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, just south of the New Hampshire border, and a suburb of Lowell.
Population: 27,769 (1996)[1]



draff

draff
draff 
[draf] noun

brewing
residue for cattle food: a residue left in brewing
after the grain has been fermented, used as food for cattle
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—draff·y, adjective[1]



draft

draft
draft 
[draft] noun (plural drafts)

1.  current
of cold air: a current of uncomfortably cold air
penetrating a room or other space

2.  current
of air in enclosed space: a current of air, especially
one that is moving through an enclosed space such as a chimney or tunnel

3.  MILITARY conscription:
the order to join the armed services in time of war.
U.K.
term
call-up

4.  preliminary
sketch:
a preliminary sketch or plan

5.  preliminary
version:
a preliminary version of something written, such as a speech or report

6.  ENGINEERING regulating
device:
a valve that regulates the flow of air to or from a pipe, for example, a
chimney

7.  FINANCE check:
a written order to pay money from an account to an individual or to another
account

8.  BUILDING leveling
line on stone: a line chiseled on the surface of a
building stone as a guide to laying it level

9.  pulling
along or drawing in: the act of pulling something
along, of drawing something in, or of breathing or drinking something

10. mouthful
of air, liquid, or smoke: the amount of air, liquid,
or smoke taken in in a single breath or swallow

11. MEDICINE dose
of liquid medicine: a dose of medicine in liquid
form (dated)

12. BEVERAGES beer
in barrels:
beer that is stored in and served from barrels or casks rather than bottles

13. SAILING depth
needed by ship to float: the distance between the
waterline of a ship and the lowest part of its hull, which is the minimum depth
of water it requires in order to float
verb
(past draft·ed, past participle draft·ed, present
participle draft·ing, 3rd person present singular drafts)

1.  transitive
verb
MILITARY call
for military service: to select somebody for
compulsory service in the armed forces.
U.K.
term
call up

2.  transitive
verb
transfer
somebody somewhere for duty: to move or send somebody
somewhere to carry out a particular task or general work and duties

3.  transitive
verb
POLITICS compel
to run for office: to compel somebody to run
for elective office

4.  transitive
verb
make
plan:
to make a preliminary plan or sketch of something, before all required
information is in hand

5.  transitive
verb
write
preliminary version of: to write a preliminary
version of something such as a speech or report

6.  transitive
verb
FINANCE withdraw
money:
to move money from one account to another as a way of effecting payment for
something

7.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT follow
closely:
to follow another vehicle closely, taking advantage of the reduced resistance
to movement
adjective

1.  BEVERAGES served
from barrel: stored in and served from a barrel
rather than a bottle

2.  AGRICULTURE pulling
heavy loads: used to pull heavy loads • a
draft animal
[12th
century. From Old Norse dráttr, of prehistoric Germanic origin (related
to English draw .]
—draft·er,
noun
on
draft

available for serving from
the barrel[1]



draftboard

draftboard
draft
board
(plural draft boards) noun

selection board for military
service: a board of civilians
responsible for registering, classifying, and selecting people for compulsory
military service[1]



draftdodger

draftdodger
draft
dodg·er
(plural draft dodg·ers) noun

avoider of military service:
somebody who tries to avoid doing compulsory military service[1]



draftee

draftee
draft·ee 
[draf t] (plural draft·ees) noun

drafted person:
somebody who has been drafted for military service[1]



drafter

drafter
draft·er 
[dráftər] (plural draft·ers) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING See draftsperson

2.  designer
of something: somebody who devises and designs
something such as a document • tried
to understand the full intent of the drafters of the Constitution
[Early 19th century][1]



draftsman

draftsman
drafts·man 
[dráftsmən] (plural drafts·men)
noun

1.  technical
designer:
a man who makes detailed plans or drawings for buildings, ships, aircraft, or
machines before they are built. This job is now done mainly by computer-aided
design.

2.  man
who draws well: a man who draws well or is considered
from the point of view of his skill at drawing • He’s
an excellent draftsman.

[1]



draftsmanship

draftsmanship
drafts·man·ship
[dráftsmən shìp] noun

skill in drawing or drafting:
skill in drawing or drafting shown by a person or in a piece of work[1]



draftsperson

draftsperson
drafts·per·son 
[dráfts pùrs’n] (plural drafts·per·sons)
noun

draftsman or draftswoman:
somebody who makes detailed drawings for buildings, ships, aircraft, or
machines before they are built. This job is now done mainly by computer-aided
design.
Also called
drafter[1]



draftswoman

draftswoman
drafts·wom·an 
[dráfts wmmən] (plural drafts·wom·en
[dráfts wìmmən]) noun

1.  technical
designer:
a woman who makes detailed plans or drawings for buildings, ships, aircraft, or
machines before they are built. This job is now done mainly by computer-aided
design.

2.  woman
who draws well: a woman who draws well, or a woman
considered from the point of view of her skill at drawing

[1]



drafty

drafty
draft·y 
[dráftee] (comparative draft·i·er,
superlative draft·i·est) adjective

windy
and cold:
chilly and uncomfortable because of flowing currents of cold air
—draft·i·ly,
adverb

—draft·i·ness, noun[1]



drag

drag
drag 
[drag] verb (past dragged,
past participle dragged, present participle drag·ging,
3rd person present singular drags)

1.  transitive
verb
pull
something along with effort: to move something,
especially something that is too large, heavy, or cumbersome to carry, by
pulling it along the ground or across a surface

2.  transitive
verb
pull
by force:
to move or remove somebody or something that resists, usually by pulling at the
person or object with considerable force or violence • They
dragged the fallen tree out of the road.

3.  transitive
verb
persuade
somebody to come away: to cause, persuade, or force
somebody to stop doing something or to leave a place unwillingly • I’m
sorry to drag you away from your work.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb trail
something along the ground: to be in continuous contact
with the ground while moving across it, or allow something such as the foot or
the bottom of a garment to do this • He dragged
his feet as he walked.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb move:
to move, or move yourself or your feet, slowly and with difficulty or great
reluctance • I
was so tired that I could scarcely drag myself up the stairs.

6.  intransitive
verb
pass
or proceed slowly: to pass or proceed at a very
slow and boring pace • The
afternoon was beginning to drag.

7.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING move
icon with mouse: to move an icon or other selected item
on a computer screen by clicking on it with the mouse and pulling it to a new
location

8.  transitive
verb
search:
to search a river bed, pond, or other area of water using a net or hook in an
attempt to find something that or somebody who is missing

9.  intransitive
verb
puff
on smoking material: to put a cigarette, pipe, or
cigar to the mouth and suck in the smoke (informal)

10. intransitive
verb
MOTOR SPORTS take
part in drag race: to take part in a drag race
noun
(plural drags)

1.  hindrance:
somebody who or something that slows down movement in any direction or progress
in a particular area or activity • These
measures have been a drag on our economy.

2.  AEROSPACE PHYSICS resistance
to motion:
the resistance experienced by a body moving through a fluid medium, especially
by an aircraft when traveling through the air. Symbol D

3.  somebody
or something boring: a person, task, duty, or
event that is held to be extremely boring and irritating (informal) • It
was such a drag having to take our heavy coats and hats with us.

4.  slow
and laborious movement or action: an action or movement
carried out slowly and with great effort or difficulty

5.  dragging
movement:
a sound, movement, or act of dragging

6.  clothing
of opposite sex: clothing characteristic of one sex worn
by a member of the other, especially women’s clothing when worn by men (slang)

7.  puff:
a puff on a cigarette, pipe, or cigar (informal)

8.  street
or road:
a street or road (slang) • the
main drag

9.  line
used for dragging river: a line, chain, or hook that
is used for searching or dredging the bottom of an area of water such as a
river or pond

10. TRANSPORT machine
or vehicle that is dragged: a vehicle such as a cart
that is pulled along the surface of the ground

11. TRANSPORT braking
device:
a braking device, especially a horseshoe-shaped piece of metal attached to the
underside of the wheel of a horse-drawn vehicle

12. HUNTING fox
scent:
the scent left by a fox or other animal that is hunted by dogs

13. HUNTING artificial
scent:
an artificial scent put on the ground for hunting dogs to follow

14. HUNTING See drag hunt

15. MOTOR SPORTS See drag race

16. TRANSPORT horse-drawn
coach:
a large coach, similar to a stagecoach but privately owned, with seats inside
and on top and usually drawn by four horses
[14th
century. From either Old English dragan, an earlier form of draw, or Old Norse draga, both from a
common prehistoric Germanic ancestor.]
drag
your feet or heels

to
be slow to act, usually because you would prefer to avoid doing anything if
possible • The
Administration has been dragging its feet on the new budget proposals.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



dragand drop

dragand drop
drag
and drop
transitive verb

COMPUTING
move something to icon with mouse:
to perform tasks on a computer by clicking onto items, moving them across the
screen with the mouse, and releasing them on a particular icon[1]



dragbunt

dragbunt
drag
bunt
(plural drag bunts) noun

BASEBALL
bunt made moving to first base:
a bunt made by a batter moving toward first base[1]



dragdown

dragdown
drag
down
transitive verb

1.  bring
to lower level: to reduce somebody or something to a
lower level or an inferior status by force or pressure of some kind • Don’t
allow yourself to be dragged down by a timid banker.

2.  make
somebody listless or tired: to make somebody feel
listless, uninterested, or physically weak and tired • Sitting
at home all week really dragged me down.

[1]



dragger

dragger
drag·ger 
[drággər] (plural drag·gers) noun

trawler:
a fishing boat that uses a trawl or dragnet[1]



draggle

draggle
drag·gle 
[drágg’l] (past drag·gled, past
participle drag·gled, present participle drag·gling, 3rd
person present singular drag·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become wet and dirty: to make something wet and
dirty by trailing it along the ground, or become wet and dirty by being trailed
along the ground

2.  intransitive
verb
trail
along behind somebody: to follow along behind
somebody else in a slow and usually undisciplined or slovenly fashion
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “to drag repeatedly,” formed from drag .][1]



draggy

draggy
drag·gy 
[drággee] (comparative drag·gi·er,
superlative drag·gi·est) adjective (informal)

1.  sluggish:
slow-moving • a
draggy musical

2.  tiresome:
boring or otherwise annoying • spent
a draggy afternoon weeding the garden

[1]



draghound

draghound
drag·hound
[drág hòwnd] (plural drag·hounds)
noun

hound used in drag hunt:
a hound used in a drag hunt to follow an artificial scent trail[1]



dragin

dragin
drag
in
transitive verb

involve somebody or something
inappropriately: to involve somebody or
something in something when it is not necessary or appropriate to do so,
especially to insist on mentioning something that is not relevant in a
conversation • Mention
music and he’s bound to drag in a reference to the song he’s just written.[1]



draginto

draginto
drag
into
transitive verb

involve somebody in something
bad: to involve somebody in
something dishonest, disreputable, or otherwise undesirable • What
are you trying to drag me into? • They
were dragged into the scandal.[1]



draglift

draglift
drag·lift 
[drág lìft] (plural drag·lifts)
noun

ski lift:
a ski lift with metal bars or ropes that people hold onto as they are pulled up
to the top of a slope on their skis[1]



dragline

dragline
drag·line 
[drág ln] (plural drag·lines)
noun

1.  excavator:
an excavating machine with a digging bucket attached by cables to a long jib
and operated by being dragged back toward the machine by another cable

2.  line
used for dragging: a line that is used for
dragging, for example, when hauling a load or dragging a river or pond

[1]



draglink

draglink
drag
link
(plural drag links) noun

link between cranks on
shafts: a link that conveys motion
from one point to another. In motor vehicles, it is used to connect the
steering gear to the steering arm.[1]



dragnet

dragnet
drag·net 
[drág nèt] (plural drag·nets) noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY police
hunt for a criminal: a systematic and coordinated
search for a wanted person made by police

2.  ANGLING weighted
net:
a net with weights on it used when trawling for fish at sea or when searching
for something at the bottom of a river or pond

3.  HUNTING game
net:
a net that is drawn across the ground and used to trap small game

[1]



dragoman

dragoman
drag·o·man 
[drággəmən] (plural drag·o·mans
or drag·o·men [drággəmən]) noun

guide
or interpreter: a guide or interpreter in certain
Arabic-, Turkish-, or Persian-speaking countries (archaic)
[16th century. Via French,
Italian, and medieval Greek, from Arabic targumān, from Aramaic tūrgemānā,
from Akkadian targumānu “interpreter.”][1]



dragon

dragon
drag
on
intransitive verb

go on too long:
to continue for a very long time, especially past the expected or desired
finishing time[1]



dragon

dragon

drag·on 
[drággən] (plural drag·ons) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY scaly
green monster: a large and usually ferocious
fire-breathing creature in myths, legends, and fairy tales that has green scaly
skin, a long tail, and wings

2.  ZOOLOGY large
lizard:
a large lizard, for example, the Komodo dragon

3.  insult
for formidable woman: a woman who is regarded as
fierce and formidable (insult)
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin draco, from Greek drákōn
“snake,” literally “one with a deadly glance.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to look.”]
chase the dragon

to take heroin by heating it
and breathing in the fumes (slang)[1]



Dragon

Dragon
Drag·on
[drággən] noun

See
Draco[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dragonarum

dragonarum
drag·on
ar·um
noun

See
dragonroot  noun 2[1]



dragonboat

dragonboat
drag·on
boat
(plural drag·on boats) noun

narrow boat decorated like a
dragon: a long narrow boat decorated
like a dragon, used especially by Chinese people when taking part in the boat
races held during a particular festival. The festival is held every May 5th of
the lunar year.[1]



dragonet

dragonet

drag·on·et 
[drággənət] (plural drag·on·ets
or drag·on·et) noun
spiny
flat-headed fish: a small brightly colored spiny marine
fish belonging to a family with flat heads, narrow bodies, and large pectoral
fins, living near the bottom of warm shallow waters. Family: Callionymidae
[14th century. Formed from dragon .][1]



dragonfly

dragonfly

drag·on·fly 
[drággən fl] (plural drag·on·flies)
noun
thin-bodied iridescent flying insect:
an insect with a large head and eyes, a long thin body, and two pairs of
iridescent often blue wings that usually remain outstretched when the insect is
at rest. Suborder: Anisoptera[1]



dragonhead

dragonhead
drag·on·head 
[drággən hèd] (plural drag·on·heads
or drag·on·head) or drag·on’s head [drággən hèd] noun

flowering plant:
a plant of the mint family grown for its spikes of double-lipped, white, pink,
or purplish flowers. Genus: Dracocephalum Physostegia[1]



dragonroot

dragonroot
drag·on·root 
[dr ággən rt] (plural drag·on·roots
or drag·on·root) noun

1.  See
green dragon

2.  large
foul-smelling arum: a tuberous, foul-smelling,
and poisonous perennial plant belonging to the arum family. Latin name: Dracunculus
vulgaris
Also
called
dragon arum

[1]



dragontree

dragontree
drag·on
tree
(plural drag·on trees) noun

evergreen tree with long
spiky leaves: an evergreen tree
native to the Canary Islands with a trunk that grows very thick clusters of
spiky leaves and orange fruit. Its resin is a source of dragon’s blood. Latin
name: Dracaena draco[1]



dragon’sblood

dragon’sblood
drag·on’s
blood 
noun

red resin:
a red resinous substance used to color varnishes and lacquers. It comes from
the fruit of various trees including the dragon tree.[1]



dragon’steeth

dragon’steeth
drag·on’s
teeth
plural noun

antitank
barrier:
rows of short wedge-shaped concrete posts implanted in the ground as an
antitank barrier, especially in World War II (slang)
sow
dragon’s teeth

to take action that is,
either deliberately or accidentally, the cause of future quarreling and
conflict (literary) • a
troublemaker known for her ability to sow dragon’s teeth within the department[1]



dragoon

dragoon
dra·goon 
[drə gn] noun (plural dra·goons)

1.  mounted
infantryman: in European armies of the 17th and 18th
centuries, a mounted infantryman armed with a carbine

2.  cavalryman:
in armies of the late 18th and 19th centuries, a cavalryman, especially a
heavily armed cavalryman. The word is retained in the names of some modern
regiments that were originally cavalry regiments.
transitive
verb
(past dra·gooned, past participle dra·gooned, present
participle dra·goon·ing, 3rd person present singular dra·goons)

1.  force
somebody:
to involve somebody in an activity, or force somebody to do something, against
his or her will • He was dragooned into
joining the chorus for the show.

2.  subjugate
somebody:
to persecute or subjugate somebody using military troops
[Early 17th century. From
French dragon “carbine or musket,” literally “dragon” because the
soldier carried a carbine or musket that “breathed fire” like a dragon.][1]



dragout

dragout
drag
out
transitive verb

prolong something:
to make something last longer than is necessary or desirable[1]



dragout of

dragout of
drag
out of
transitive verb

force information from:
to force somebody to reveal or admit something • Are
you going to tell me, or do I have to drag it out of you?[1]



dragqueen

dragqueen
drag
queen
(plural drag queens) noun

male performer dressed as
woman: a man who dresses as a
woman, especially a performer who dresses in a flamboyant women’s costume and
traditionally affects feminine mannerisms for comic effect (slang)[1]



dragrace

dragrace
drag
race
(plural drag rac·es) noun

short
car race:
a race between cars with specially modified bodies and engines on a straight
track over a distance of a quarter of a mile to discover which has the fastest
acceleration.
Also
called
drag
—drag
rac·er, noun

—drag rac·ing, noun[1]



dragster

dragster
drag·ster 
[drággstər] (plural drag·sters)
noun

1.  drag-racing
car:
a car that is specially designed for and used in drag racing

2.  driver
of drag-racing car: a driver who takes part in a
drag race

[1]



dragstrip

dragstrip
drag
strip
(plural drag strips) noun

short racing track:
a short straight track, usually a quarter of a mile in length, used for drag
racing[1]



dragup

dragup
drag
up
transitive verb

bring up the past:
to mention something that somebody does not want to be discussed or known
because it is unpleasant, upsetting, or embarrassing, especially something from
that person’s past[1]



dragée

dragée
dra·gée 
[dra zháy] (plural dra·gées) noun

1.  hard-coated
candy:
a candy consisting of a nut, piece of fruit, or other center covered in a hard
sugar coating

2.  tiny
confectionery ball: a tiny silver-coated ball
used for decorating cakes

3.  sweetened
pill:
a medicinal pill covered with a sugar coating to make it taste better
[Late 17th century. From
French, from Old French dragie (see dredge
).][1]



drain

drain
drain 
[drayn] noun (plural drains)

1.  sewage
pipe:
a pipe or channel that carries water or sewage away from a place

2.  something
that uses up resources: something that diminishes or
uses up resources or energy • a
serious drain on our financial resources

3.  process
of loss or diminishing: the gradual loss,
withdrawal, or diminishing of something regarded as an important resource • the
drain of trained personnel from the industry

4.  MEDICINE device
to remove fluid from wound: a tube or other device
placed in a wound or incision to draw off fluids such as blood, pus, or water

5.  AGRICULTURE artificial
waterway:
an artificial waterway that allows for land drainage
verb
(past drained, past participle drained, present
participle drain·ing, 3rd person present singular drains)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
or allow to flow out: to flow out of something,
often leaving it empty or dry, or allow a liquid to do this

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb empty
or dry:
to empty or dry something by allowing the water to flow out of or off it, or
become empty or dry in this way • The
water drained slowly from the bathtub.

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE dry
out land:
to make marshy land drier by laying pipes, digging ditches or channels, or by
any other means that removes the excess water

4.  transitive
verb
GEOGRAPHY channel
water away from: to be a channel for leading water off
land • The
river Loire drains most of central France.

5.  intransitive
verb
GEOGRAPHY discharge
into something: to discharge water from its surface or
channel into a river or lake (refers to a geographic area or a smaller
watercourse)

6.  transitive
verb
drink
something up: to empty a cup, glass, or other
container by drinking all its contents • He
drained his tea in one gulp and left.

7.  transitive
verb
use
something up: to use up or deplete something
gradually, especially somebody’s energy and resources, by making constant
demands on it • These payments are
draining the country dry.

8.  intransitive
verb
wane:
to disappear gradually, or become less strong or intense • The
color drained from her cheeks.

9.  transitive
verb
exhaust
somebody:
to leave somebody feeling physically or emotionally exhausted • It
drains me to care for six active youngsters five days a week.
[Old
English drēahnian “to strain,” literally “to dry out,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English drought and dry]
—drain·a·ble,
adjective
down
the drain

1.  wasted
or squandered with no hope of retrieval (informal)

2.  toward
or in a state of total failure or ruin, especially financial failure (informal)

[1]



drainage

drainage
drain·age 
[dráynij] noun

1.  draining
process:
the process of draining liquid from something

2.  sewage
system:
a system of pipes or channels that carries water or sewage away from a place

3.  MEDICINE fluid
removal from body: the removal of fluid such as
water, blood, or pus from a wound or part of the body, usually by means of a
tube

4.  fluid
removed by draining: water, sewage, or any other
fluid removed by draining

[1]



drainagebasin

drainagebasin
drain·age
ba·sin
(plural drain·age ba·sins) or drain·age ar·e·a (plural
drain·age ar·e·as) noun

See
catchment area[1]



drainagewell

drainagewell
drain·age
well
noun

shaft for draining
waterlogged land: a shaft sunk in
waterlogged land, designed to draw water away from the surface soil layers[1]



drainboard

drainboard
drain·board
[dráyn bàwrd] (plural drain·boards)
noun

drying area by sink:
a slightly sloping metal or plastic surface with shallow grooves on it, next to
a sink, that allows water to drain off wet dishes into the sink.
U.K. term
draining board[1]



drainer

drainer
drain·er
[dráynər] (plural drain·ers) noun

rack or container for
draining things: a rack or container in
which things are put so that liquid can drain off them[1]



drainingboard

drainingboard
drain·ing
board
(plural drain·ing boards) noun

U.K.
See drainboard[1]



drainpipe

drainpipe
drain·pipe 
[dráyn pp] (plural drain·pipes)
noun

pipe for rainwater:
a pipe that carries off rainwater, waste water, or sewage to or through drains,
especially a downspout attached to the side of a house[1]



drake

drake
drake
[drayk] (plural drakes) noun

male
duck:
a male duck
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



dram

dram
dram 
[dram] (plural drams) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of weight:
a unit of mass in the avoirdupois system equal to 1/16 of an ounce (or
approximately 1.77 grams )

2.  MEASUREMENTS U.S.
unit of weight: a unit of apothecaries’ weight equal to
3.89 grams1/8 of an ounce or 60 grains.
Also
called
drachm
Also
called
drachma

3.  BEVERAGES small
alcoholic drink: a small amount of an alcoholic drink,
particularly whiskey or brandy

4.  very
small amount: a very small amount of something • not
a dram of remorse
[15th century. Via Old French
drame or medieval Latin drama from Greek drakhmē
“handful.”][1]



DRAM

DRAM
DRAM
[d ràm]

Abbreviation of
dynamic random access memory[1]



dram.

dram.
dram.

Abbreviation of
dramatic[1]



drama

drama
dra·ma 
[drmə, drámmə]
(plural dra·mas) noun

1.  THEATER performed
play:
a serious play written for performance on stage, television, or radio

2.  ARTS plays
as genre:
works written for performance on the stage, radio, or television considered as
a literary genre • 17th-century French
drama

3.  THEATER producing
or performing plays: the performance, production,
or writing of plays considered as a job, activity, or subject to be studied

4.  exciting
event:
a real-life event or situation that is particularly exciting or emotionally
involving

5.  dramatic
events or quality: exciting, tense, and
gripping events and actions, or an exciting, tense, and gripping quality,
either in a work of art or in a real-life situation • an
evening full of drama
[Early 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek, “play, deed,” from dran “to do” (source of English drastic ).][1]



dramaschool

dramaschool
dra·ma
school
(plural dra·ma schools) noun

school for theater people:
a college of higher education specifically devoted to the practical and
theoretical study of acting, stage management, and direction, mainly for the
theater, but also for films and broadcasting[1]



dramatherapy

dramatherapy
dra·ma
ther·a·py
noun

therapy through acting:
a form of therapy that encourages people to use acting, role-playing, and
improvisation to deal with psychological and emotional problems[1]



dramatic

dramatic
dra·mat·ic 
[drə máttik] adjective

1.  THEATER for
the theater: written for the theater, or relating to
the theater, plays, or acting

2.  exciting
and intense: characterized, in real life or in art,
by the kind of intense and gripping excitement, startling suddenness, or
larger-than-life impressiveness associated with drama and the theater • the
dramatic sequence of events leading to his escape

3.  sudden
and marked:
large in degree or scale, and often occurring with surprising suddenness • a
dramatic jump in prices

4.  striking:
bold, vivid, or strikingly impressive in appearance, color, or effect • a
dramatic view of the Alps

5.  MUSIC having
powerful expressive voice: having a powerful singing
voice especially suited to the expression of intense emotion, for example, in
tragic or villainous roles in opera
[Late 16th century. Via Late
Latin dramaticus from Greek drāmatikos, from drama (see drama ).][1]



dramatically

dramatically
dra·mat·i·cal·ly
[drə máttikəlee] adverb

1.  in
a startling and attention-grabbing way: in a
way that grabs the attention and causes an excited, shocked, or startled
reaction

2.  markedly:
to a very noticeable degree and often with surprising suddenness • Things
have improved dramatically since your last visit.

[1]



dramaticirony

dramaticirony
dra·mat·ic
i·ro·ny
noun

situation where a character
is unaware of something the audience knows:
a situation, or the irony arising from a situation, in which the audience has a
fuller knowledge of what is happening in a drama than a character does[1]



dramaticmonologue

dramaticmonologue
dra·mat·ic
mon·o·logue
(plural dra·mat·ic mon·o·logues) noun

speech of lone character:
a poem or other literary work consisting of words supposedly spoken by a
character, often in a specific situation, either directly to the reader or to a
listener. Among the best-known dramatic monologues in English literature are
those of Robert Browning, for example, “My Last Duchess” and “Porphyria’s
Lover.”[1]



dramatics

dramatics
dra·mat·ics 
[drə máttiks] noun

production
of plays:
the performance and production of plays for the theater, especially in a
nonprofessional context (takes a singular or plural verb)
plural
noun

melodramatic behavior:
theatrical and exaggerated behavior (takes a plural verb) • Spare
us the dramatics, for goodness sake, and tell us what happened![1]



dramatispersonae

dramatispersonae
dra·ma·tis
per·so·nae 
[drə mtiss pər sṓnee, drə mtiss pər sṓ n, drmətiss
pər sṓnee, drmətiss pər sṓ n] noun

list
of characters: a list of the names of the characters
that appear in a play, usually printed at the beginning of the text of a play
or, sometimes, in a theater program
plural
noun

characters
in a drama:
the characters who appear in a drama, or the people involved in a situation (formal)
[From Latin, “persons of the
drama”][1]



dramatist

dramatist
dram·a·tist 
[drámmətist, drmətist]
(plural dram·a·tists) noun

playwright:
somebody who writes plays for the stage, television, or radio[1]



dramatization

dramatization
dram·a·ti·za·tion 
[dràmməti záysh’n, drməti
záysh’n] (plural dram·a·ti·za·tions) noun

1.  THEATER play
adapted from fiction: an adaptation of a work of
fiction or a presentation of a real event that is intended for performance on
the stage, television, or radio

2.  THEATER process
of adapting: the act, art, or process of turning a
literary work or a real event into a drama for performance on the stage,
television, or radio

3.  exaggeration:
the act of making something appear more dramatic or of exaggerating its
importance

[1]



dramatize

dramatize
dram·a·tize 
[drámmə tz, drmə
tz] (past dram·a·tized, past participle dram·a·tized,
present participle dram·a·tiz·ing, 3rd person present singular
dram·a·tiz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
THEATER adapt
something for stage: to turn a literary work or a
real event into a drama for presentation on the stage, television, or radio

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb exaggerate:
to make something more dramatic, especially to exaggerate the importance or
seriousness of a situation in an attention-seeking and theatrical way
—dram·a·ti·za·ble,
adjective

—dra·ma·tiz·er, noun[1]



dramaturge

dramaturge
dram·a·turge 
[drámmə tùrj, drmə
tùrj] (plural dram·a·turg·es) noun

1.  dram·a·turge
or dra·mat·ur·gist (plural dra·mat·ur·gists) playwright:
a playwright, particularly one who works with a specific theater or company

2.  dram·a·turge
or dra·ma·turg (plural dra·ma·turgs) literary
advisor in theater: a member of the staff of a
theater with mainly literary responsibilities such as choosing the plays for
performance, editing and adapting texts where necessary, and writing program
notes
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek dramatourgos, literally “worker in drama,” from drama
(see drama ).][1]



dramaturgy

dramaturgy
dram·a·tur·gy 
[drámmə tùrjee, drmə
tùrjee] noun

art
of the theater: the art of the theater, especially with
regard to the techniques involved in writing plays
—dram·a·tur·gic
[dràmə túrjik, drmə
túrjik], adjective

—dram·a·tur·gi·cal
[dràmmə túrjik’l, drmə
túrjik’l], adjective

—dra·ma·tur·gi·cal·ly
[dràmmə túrjikəlee, drmə
túrjikəlee], adverb[1]



Drambuie

Drambuie
Dram·bu·ie 
[dram b ] Trademark

a trademark for a sweet
whiskey-based liqueur made in Scotland[1]



drank

drank
drank


Past tense of
drink[1]



drape

drape
drape 
[drayp] verb (past draped,
past participle draped, present participle drap·ing,
3rd person present singular drapes)

1.  transitive
verb
place
fabric over something: to hang or place a piece of
fabric over something so that it falls in folds around it or covers it • draped
a scarf over her shoulders

2.  transitive
verb
cover
over with fabric: to cover something over with a piece of
fabric, usually so that the fabric hangs down around it in folds • a
chair draped in a dust sheet

3.  intransitive
verb
hang
in folds:
to hang or be able to hang in loose folds on or over something • a
heavy fabric that will drape well

4.  transitive
verb
lay
something casually: to place part of the body on
or over something, for example, the back of a chair, in a relaxed and casual
way • She
draped herself elegantly over the sofa.
noun
(plural drapes)

1.  See
curtain

2.  piece
of draping fabric: a piece of fabric used to
drape over something

3.  MEDICINE sterile
cover:
a piece of cloth placed over a patient’s body during an examination or
operation to provide a sterile area around the part of the body that is being
treated

4.  way
fabric hangs: the way in which fabric hangs and forms
folds, especially when made into a garment • adjusting
the drape of the dress
[15th century. From Old
French draper, from drap “cloth,” from late Latin drappus,
from, ultimately, a Celtic word (source of English drab
and trappings ).][1]



Draper

Draper
Dra·per


city in northern Utah on the
the Jordan River. It is a southern suburb of Salt Lake City. Population: 12,478
(1996)[1]



draper

draper
drap·er 
[dráypər] (plural drap·ers) noun

U.K.
textile
seller:
somebody who sells fabric and sewing materials in a shop (dated)
[14th century. From Old
French drapier, from drap (see drape
).][1]



drapery

drapery
drap·er·y 
[dráypə ree] (plural drap·er·ies)
noun

1.  cloth
arranged to hang in folds: cloth or clothing that has
been arranged to hang in elegant or decorative folds

2.  piece
of elegantly hanging fabric: a piece of fabric used as a
decorative cover or garment and usually hanging in loose elegant folds

3.  See
curtain

4.  U.K.
See dry goods
[14th century. From Old
French draperie, from drap (see drape
).][1]



drastic

drastic
dras·tic 
[drástik] adjective

1.  powerful
in effect:
having a powerful effect or far-reaching consequences • a
crisis calling for drastic remedies

2.  very
marked:
very noticeable, significant, and usually worrying because of its amount or
degree
[Late 17th century. From
Greek drastikos “effective, active,” from dran “to do” (source of
English drama ).][1]



drastically

drastically
dras·ti·cal·ly
[drástikəlee] adverb

greatly:
to a very great and usually very worrying degree[1]



drat

drat
drat 
[drat] interjection

exclamation
of annoyance: used to express annoyance or frustration
(informal)
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of od rot, a shortening of God rot .][1]



draught

draught
draught 
[draft] noun adjective

U.K.
=
draft
noun

U.K.
BOARD GAMES See checker[1]



draughts

draughts
draughts 
noun

U.K.
See checkers
[12th century. From draught in the obsolete sense “act of drawing a
piece across the board in chess and similar games.”][1]



Dravidian

Dravidian
Dra·vid·i·an 
[drə víddee ən] (plural Dra·vid·i·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE family
of Indian languages: a family of over twenty
languages spoken in southern India and northeastern Sri Lanka, including Tamil,
Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Over 200 million people speak a Dravidian
language.

2.  PEOPLES member
of aboriginal Indian people: a member of an ancient
people who were the aboriginal inhabitants of India and who moved southward
during the influx of Indo-European peoples from the North
[Mid-19th
century. From Sanskrit drāvida “relating to the Tamils,” from Dravida
“Tamil.”]
—Dra·vid·i·an, adjective[1]



draw

draw
draw 
[draw] verb (past drew
[droo], past participle drawn
[drawn], present participle draw·ing,
3rd person present singular draws)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS make a picture:
to make a line, picture, or plan on a surface using a pencil, pen, or crayon
rather than paints • She drew a picture of a
flower.

2.  transitive
verb
describe
something:
to depict or describe something in words • He
drew a vivid picture of life in 18th-century Philadelphia.

3.  intransitive
verb
move:
to move in a particular direction, often alongside, toward, or away from
something else, and with a smooth steady motion • Another
car drew alongside ours.

4.  intransitive
verb
approach:
to approach through time, or move toward a particular point or stage in
something, especially its end • The
meeting was drawing to a close.

5.  transitive
verb
pull
somebody or something toward or away: to
pull something or lead or pull somebody in a particular direction, especially
toward or away from something • She
drew him toward the door.

6.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT pull
a vehicle:
to pull a vehicle along • a
carriage drawn by six white horses

7.  transitive
verb
open
or close a curtain: to pull a curtain or blind
across a window so that it covers or uncovers it

8.  transitive
verb
pull
on a string, rope, or cord: to pull on a string, rope,
or cord, usually in order to tighten it around something

9.  transitive
verb
ARCHERY pull
back the string of a bow: to pull back the string of a
bow prior to shooting an arrow

10. transitive
verb
take
something out: to take or pull an object out of
something in which it has been enclosed or embedded • He
drew his hand from his pocket.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb pull
weapon from holster or sheath: to pull a weapon from
a holster or sheath in order to use it

12. transitive
verb
remove
liquid:
to remove liquid from a large container such as a barrel by means of a tap

13. transitive
verb
MEDICINE drain
a wound:
to drain a liquid such as blood, pus, or water from a wound or incision

14. transitive
verb
haul
up water:
to haul up water from a well or other source using a bucket on a rope

15. transitive
verb
elicit
a response:
to cause somebody or something to make a particular type of response or sound • The
speech had drawn hoots of derision from the crowd.

16. transitive
verb
obtain
something from source: to obtain a physical or a
moral resource from a particular place or thing • They
drew courage from our example.

17. transitive
verb
obtain
information from somebody: to obtain information, a
secret, or an opinion from somebody by questioning or persuasion (often
passive) • She
refused to be drawn on the subject.

18. transitive
verb
cause
to be directed toward something: to cause somebody’s
attention, eye, or interest to be directed toward somebody or something

19. transitive
verb
attract
people:
to attract somebody or arouse people’s interest or curiosity so that they come
to see something or somebody • The
performance had drawn a huge crowd of onlookers.

20. transitive
verb
suck
something in: to suck something in, especially air
into the lungs • I drew a long breath.

21. intransitive
verb
allow
a current of air through: to allow a current of air to
flow through, removing smoke or gases

22. transitive
verb
FINANCE withdraw
money:
to take money out of a bank or savings account, or a similar source • He
drew $600 from the bank.

23. transitive
verb
FINANCE receive
money:
to receive money regularly from a particular source

24. transitive
verb
FINANCE write
a check:
to write a check, bill of exchange, or promissory note on an account so that
somebody can receive money from that account

25. transitive
verb
LAW write
out a legal document: to compose or write out a
legal document in the proper form

26. transitive
verb
arrive
at a conclusion or inference: to arrive at a particular
conclusion or inference by examining the evidence for something • You’ll
have to draw your own conclusions.

27. transitive
verb
formulate
something:
to formulate or state a distinction, comparison, or parallel between two or
more different things • There
are certain parallels that may be drawn between the two cases.

28. transitive
verb
choose
something at random: to choose or be given
something at random, usually in order to ensure that all participants are
treated fairly • They drew lots to see
who would have to go.

29. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES take
a card:
to take a card from a stack, the deck, or the dealer during a card game

30. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES make
players play particular suit: to make the other players in
a card game play the cards they have in a particular suit by repeatedly leading
that suit • drew
all the trumps early in the hand

31. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS finish equal:
to finish a game with the scores for the opposing sides level or with neither
side having won • Finland and Holland
drew 1–1 in the soccer semifinals.

32. transitive
verb
SHIPPING need
particular depth of water: to need a particular depth
of water in which to float

33. intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING steep in boiling water:
to steep tea leaves, or allow tea leaves to steep, in boiling water • Let
the tea draw for five minutes.

34. transitive
verb
INDUSTRY make
wire:
to make wire by pulling a length of metal through a conical hole

35. transitive
verb
remove
innards from carcass: to remove the innards from a
carcass before cooking it

36. transitive
verb
disembowel
somebody:
to disembowel a hanged person, especially in former times

37. transitive
verb
CUE GAMES give
backspin to a ball: to give a backward spin to a
ball when making a stroke, especially in billiards

38. transitive
verb
GOLF make
the ball curve: to hit the ball so that it curves in
flight following the direction of the golfer’s swing (to the left for a
right-handed player) instead of traveling straight
noun
(plural draws)

1.  act
of drawing:
the act of pulling or sucking on something or otherwise drawing something

2.  GAMBLING lottery:
a lottery, raffle, or other competition where the winner is decided by
selecting a ticket at random.
Also
called
drawing

3.  GAMBLING choosing
lottery winner: the choosing of a winner in a lottery,
raffle, or other competition by selecting a ticket at random.
Also
called
drawing

4.  SPORTS selection
of opponents: the act of selecting at random which
contestants are to play each other in a sports contest, or the resulting list
of games to be played • the
draw for the third round of the competition

5.  CARD GAMES GAMBLING something
chosen at random: something chosen at random, for example,
a ticket in a lottery or a card or cards taken from a stack or the dealer

6.  attraction:
something or somebody that interests a lot of people and attracts them as
spectators, visitors, or customers • The
rock band will be a huge draw for the local fair.
Also
called
drawing card

7.  SPORTS contest
that neither side wins: a contest that ends with
both sides having the same score or with neither side having won

8.  drawing
a gun:
the action of pulling a gun from its holster in order to fire it, especially in
a gunfight

9.  GEOGRAPHY shallow
gully:
a shallow natural channel into which rainwater drains

10. movable
part of drawbridge: the movable part of a
drawbridge

11. CARD GAMES second
or further deal: in draw poker, the deal made to improve
the players’ hands after they have discarded
[Old
English dragan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to carry,”
which is also the ancestor of English drag]
—draw·a·ble,
adjective  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



drawback

drawback
draw
back
intransitive verb

not continue with something:
to decide not to continue with some contemplated, planned, or agreed action • They
drew back from the deal at the last moment.[1]



drawback

drawback
draw·back 
[dráw bàk] (plural draw·backs)
noun

disadvantage:
something that causes problems or is a disadvantage or hindrance • The
only drawback is the size of the machine.[1]



drawbar

drawbar
draw·bar 
[dráw br] (plural draw·bars) noun

tow bar:
a strong metal bar attached across the back of a tractor, locomotive, or other
vehicle, with a coupling on it to which machinery or a trailer can be hitched[1]



drawbridge

drawbridge
draw·bridge 
[dráw brìj] (plural draw·bridg·es)
noun

bridge that pulls up:
a bridge that is hinged at one end or in the middle and can be lifted up to cut
off access to a place or allow something to pass beneath it. Drawbridges are
often built across water, either outside medieval castles that have a moat or
along rivers or near harbors.[1]



drawdown

drawdown
draw·down 
[dró dòwn] (plural draw·downs)
noun

1.  depletion:
the process of reducing or using up a supply or store of something

2.  lowering
of water level: a lowering of the level of the water in
a reservoir

[1]



drawee

drawee
draw·ee 
[draw ] (plural draw·ees) noun

individual paying for check:
the person or organization from whose account money is taken when a check or
other order for payment is drawn[1]



drawer

drawer
draw·er 
[drawr] (plural draw·ers) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD place
to store things: a storage compartment in a piece of
furniture such as a desk, chest, or table that slides in and out and is usually
shaped like a shallow rectangular box

2.  FINANCE somebody
who writes a check: somebody who draws a check
or money order

3.  somebody
or something that draws: somebody or something that
draws, especially somebody who draws pictures or plans

4.  server
in an inn:
somebody who draws beer or serves customers in an inn (archaic)

[1]



drawers

drawers
draw·ers
[drawrz] plural noun

underpants:
large old-fashioned underpants with short legs, worn by men or women (dated)[1]



drawgate

drawgate
draw·gate
[dráwgàyt] (plural draw·gates)
noun

control gate in sluice:
a barrier that can be raised or lowered to control the flow of water in a
sluice[1]



drawin

drawin
draw
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
involve
somebody:
to get somebody involved in something unwillingly (often passive) • I
got drawn in before I realized what the argument was really about.

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. become
shorter:
to become shorter, so that it gets dark sooner (refers to days in fall)

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. begin
earlier:
to begin earlier, causing it to become darker sooner (refers to nights or
evenings in fall)

[1]



drawing

drawing
draw·ing 
[dráw ing] (plural draw·ings) noun

1.  ARTS outline
picture:
a picture of something made with a pencil, pen, or crayon, usually consisting
of lines, often with shading, but generally without color

2.  ARTS making
pictures:
the art, activity, or practice of making pictures using a pencil, crayon, or
pen • I
never was very good at drawing.

3.  GAMBLING See draw  noun 2

4.  GAMBLING See draw  noun 3

[1]



drawingaccount

drawingaccount
draw·ing
ac·count
(plural draw·ing ac·counts) noun

company account with employee
drawing rights: a company account from
which a company employee can draw money for expenses or as an advance against a
future salary payment[1]



drawingboard

drawingboard
draw·ing
board
(plural draw·ing boards) noun

board
for drawing on: a large flat board used for drawing and
design work, usually attached to a frame with legs and adjustable to different
heights and angles
back
to the drawing board

back to the beginning or the
planning stage of a failed operation or project, ready to start all over again
(informal) • Since
all else has failed, we’re now back to the drawing board.[1]



drawingcard

drawingcard
draw·ing
card
(plural draw·ing cards) noun

See
draw  noun 6[1]



drawingpin

drawingpin
draw·ing
pin
(plural draw·ing pins) noun

U.K.
See thumbtack[1]



drawingroom

drawingroom
draw·ing
room
(plural draw·ing rooms) noun

1.  room
to entertain guests: a large formal room in a
house, in which guests are entertained

2.  RAIL room
in a railroad sleeping car: a large private room with
berths in a railroad sleeping car (dated)
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of withdrawing-room .][1]



drawknife

drawknife

draw·knife 
[dráw nf] (plural draw·knives
[dráw nvz]) noun
woodshaving tool:
a tool for shaving the surface of wood, consisting of a narrow rectangular
blade with a handle at either end set at right angles to it.
Also called
drawshave[1]



drawl

drawl
drawl 
[drawl] intransitive and transitive verb
(past drawled, past participle drawled, present
participle drawl·ing, 3rd person present singular drawls)

speak
slowly:
to draw out the vowel sounds and pronounce words with a slow inflection when
speaking
noun
(plural drawls)

slow
way of speaking: a way of speaking in which the speaker
draws out the vowel sounds and pronounces words slowly
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch dralen “to
linger, delay,” from dragan “to draw.”]
—drawl·er,
noun

—drawl·ing·ly,
adverb

—draw·ly, adjective[1]



drawn

drawn1
drawn1  [drawn]
adjective

tired-looking and haggard:
appearing tired and careworn, usually as a result of anxiety, grief, or illness
• He
looked pale and drawn.[1]



drawn

drawn2
drawn2 

Past tense of
draw[1]



drawnbutter

drawnbutter
drawn
but·ter
noun

clarified butter:
melted butter that has had the solids removed, served as a sauce, sometimes
with herbs and seasoning[1]



drawn-out

drawn-out
drawn-out
adjective

protracted:
continuing longer than is intended or desired[1]



drawn-threadwork

drawn-threadwork
drawn-thread
work
or drawn work noun

type of openwork embroidery:
a type of embroidery in which selected threads are pulled from the fabric and
stitches are worked on the remaining threads to produce decorated open areas[1]



drawoff

drawoff
draw
off
transitive verb

siphon off:
to remove a small amount of liquid from a larger amount by means of a tube or
pipe[1]



drawon

drawon
draw
on
verb

1.  transitive
verb
use
something:
to make use of a resource of some kind for personal benefit • The
novel draws on her experiences in Alaska.

2.  intransitive
verb
enter
a later stage: to enter a later stage or move toward
its end • As
the day drew on I grew worried that they would not come.

3.  transitive
verb
take
in smoke:
to inhale the smoke from a cigarette or pipe • He
drew on his pipe.

[1]



drawout

drawout
draw
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
prolong
something:
to make something continue longer than is usual, necessary, or desirable • I
drew the conversation out as long as I could.

2.  intransitive
verb
grow
longer:
to have more hours of daylight (refers to days in spring)

3.  transitive
verb
get
somebody to talk: to encourage a shy, hostile, or reserved
person to talk at length or in detail, or to become more forthcoming in a
social or legal situation • The
prosecutor took great pains to draw the hostile witness out during
cross-examination.

[1]



drawplate

drawplate
draw·plate
[dráw plàyt] (plural draw·plates)
noun

tool with conical holes:
a plate pierced by conical holes through which metal is drawn in wiremaking[1]



drawpoker

drawpoker
draw
pok·er
noun

poker with discarding and
redrawing: a form of poker in which
each player is dealt five cards face down and after the first round of betting
can draw replacements for any discards[1]



drawshave

drawshave
draw·shave 
[dráw shàyv] (plural draw·shaves)
noun

See
drawknife[1]



drawshot

drawshot
draw
shot
(plural draw shots) noun

backspin shot in cue games:
in cue games, a shot in which the cue ball is hit below center so that the
backspin makes it bounce back when it hits another ball[1]



drawstring

drawstring
draw·string 
[dráw strìng] (plural draw·strings)
noun

pulling cord:
a cord threaded through a hem, piping, or eyelets around the opening in a bag
or a garment so that it can be drawn tight and the opening closed[1]



drawtube

drawtube
draw·tube 
[dráw tb] (plural draw·tubes)
noun

extending tube:
a tube that slides inside another tube, for example, one of the extending tubes
in a telescope[1]



drawup

drawup
draw
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
write
something out: to prepare or write out a plan, list, or
other document • The lawyers are drawing
up the terms of the contract as we speak.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
to a stop:
to arrive at a particular point or place in a vehicle or on a horse and stop,
or bring a vehicle or horse to a halt • A
car drew up outside.

3.  transitive
verb
bring
something nearer: to place a chair or seat near something
or somebody and sit down on it

4.  reflexive
verb
straighten
something:
to straighten the body in order to reach full height and look as imposing or
dignified as possible • She
drew herself up to her full height, then spoke.

[1]



dray

dray
dray 
[dray] (plural drays) noun

cart
without sides: a large low horsedrawn cart with no
fixed sides, designed for heavy loads
[From Old English dragan
“to draw”][1]



drayhorse

drayhorse
dray·horse 
[dráy hàwrs] (plural dray·horses)
noun

working horse:
a large horse used for pulling a dray[1]



dread

dread
dread 
[dred] intransitive and transitive verb
(past dread·ed, past participle dread·ed, present
participle dread·ing, 3rd person present singular dreads)

1.  feel
extremely frightened: to feel extremely frightened
or worried about something that may happen in the future

2.  be
reluctant:
to be reluctant or frightened to do something because it is unpleasant,
upsetting, or annoying
noun
(plural dreads)

1.  terror:
a feeling of great fear or terror, especially at the thought of experiencing or
encountering something unpleasant

2.  source
of dread:
something that is dreaded

3.  awe:
a feeling of awe and reverence (archaic)
adjective
(literary)

1.  feared:
causing fear and extreme anxiety • The
dread day arrived.

2.  awe-inspiring:
inspiring fear and respect or awe in equal measure
[12th century. Shortening of adreden,
from Old English adrdan, from ondrdan “to counsel against,”
from rdan “to counsel.”][1]



dreaded

dreaded
dread·ed
[dréddəd] adjective

feared:
inspiring great fear (sometimes used humorously)[1]



dreadful

dreadful
dread·ful 
[drédfəl] adjective

1.  extremely
bad:
extremely unpleasant, harmful, or serious in its effects • a
dreadful mistake

2.  extreme:
extreme in character or degree • a
dreadful shame

3.  awe-inspiring:
inspiring awe (literary)
—dread·ful·ness, noun[1]



dreadfully

dreadfully
dread·ful·ly
[drédfəlee] adverb

1.  badly:
in a very unsatisfactory or unpleasant way • He
behaved dreadfully.

2.  U.K.
very:
to a very great extent

[1]



dreadlocks

dreadlocks
dread·locks 
[dréd lòks] plural noun

twisted
strands of hair: long strands of hair that have been
twisted closely from the scalp down to the tips in a style made popular by
Rastafarians.
Also
called
dreads
[Mid-20th century. From dread + lock,
because of the supposed fear on the part of non-Rastafarians of the power of
faithful Rastafarians.][1]



dreadnought

dreadnought
dread·nought 
[dréd nàwt] (plural dread·noughts)
noun

battleship:
a heavily armed battleship whose main guns are all of the same caliber
[Early 20th century. Named
for the British battleship Dreadnought, the first of its kind, from dread + nought,
literally “fear nothing.”][1]



dreads

dreads
dreads
[dredz] plural noun

See
dreadlocks
[Late 20th century.
Contraction.][1]



dream

dream
dream 
[dreem] noun (plural dreams)

1.  imaginings
while asleep: a sequence of images that appear
involuntarily to the mind of a sleeping person, often a mixture of real and
imaginary characters, places, and events

2.  waking
imaginings:
a series of images, usually pleasant ones, that pass through the mind of
somebody who is awake

3.  something
hoped for:
something that somebody hopes, longs, or is ambitious for, usually something
difficult to attain or far removed from present circumstances

4.  idle
hope:
an idea or hope that is impractical or unlikely ever to be realized

5.  vague
state:
a state of inattention owing to preoccupation with thoughts or fantasies

6.  something
beautiful:
somebody or something that seems particularly good-looking or wonderful
verb
(past dreamed [dremt] or
dreamt, past participle dreamed or dreamt, present
participle dream·ing, 3rd person present singular dreams)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have a
dream while sleeping: to experience vivid mental
images of events while sleeping

2.  intransitive
verb
daydream:
to let the mind dwell on pleasant scenes and images while awake, often
resulting in inattention

3.  intransitive
verb
wish:
to want something very much and imagine having or doing it, though it may be
unlikely • For
years I’d dreamed of living abroad.

4.  intransitive
verb
consider:
to think of or consider doing something regarded as wrong or inappropriate • How
could you even dream of doing such a thing?
adjective

1.  occurring
in a dream:
occurring in or reminiscent of a dream • a
dream sequence

2.  ideal:
perfect and wonderful in every way
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from an assumed Old English word (influenced
by Old Norse draumr ). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“deception.”]
—dream·ful,
adjective
in
your dreams

used to indicate that
somebody’s hope or expectation is completely unrealistic (informal)[1]



dreamboat

dreamboat
dream·boat 
[drm bt] (plural dream·boats)
noun

good-looking person:
somebody considered to be very good-looking (dated informal)[1]



dreamer

dreamer
dream·er 
[drmər] (plural dream·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who dreams:
somebody who dreams or is dreaming

2.  somebody
who daydreams: somebody who is preoccupied with
fantasies or unrealistic plans and is out of touch with reality

[1]



dreamily

dreamily
dream·i·ly
[drmilee] adverb

vaguely:
in a vague and absent-minded way that suggests a preoccupation with pleasant
thoughts and fantasies • He
smiled dreamily.[1]



dreamland

dreamland
dream·land 
[drm lànd] noun

1.  fantasy
world:
an imaginary, very pleasant or perfect sphere of existence that exists only in
dreams.
Also
called
cloudland

2.  sleep:
a state of sleep or unconsciousness (informal)

[1]



dreamless

dreamless
dream·less
[drmləss] adjective

without
dreams:
deep, peaceful, and undisturbed by dreams • a
dreamless sleep
—dream·less·ly,
adverb

—dream·less·ness, noun[1]



dreamlike

dreamlike
dream·like
[drm lk] adjective

like a dream:
resembling a dream or the images in a dream, especially in seeming unreal and
strange[1]



dreamscape

dreamscape
dream·scape 
[drm skàyp] (plural dream·scapes)
noun

unreal scene:
a scene, setting, or picture that has the unreal or strange qualities usually
associated with images in dreams[1]



dreamt

dreamt
dreamt


Past tense of
dream Past participle of dream[1]



dreamteam

dreamteam
dream
team
noun (informal)

1.  SPORTS winning
group of athletes: an exceptionally good team
of athletes who regularly win medals or championships

2.  LAW exceptionally
good group of lawyers: a powerful, exceptionally
well qualified team of attorneys, whether defense or prosecution

3.  successful
partnership: the best possible combination of people
to perform a task
[The nickname of the 1992
U.S. Olympic basketball team that included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and
Larry Bird][1]



dreamticket

dreamticket
dream
tick·et
(plural dream tick·ets) noun

ideal joint candidacy:
candidates running as a team for associated political offices, especially those
of President and Vice President, who seem to have between them all the
qualities needed for electoral success (informal)[1]



dreamup

dreamup
dream
up
transitive verb

invent something:
to devise or invent something, especially a complicated, ingenious, or
ridiculous plan[1]



dreamworld

dreamworld
dream
world
(plural dream worlds) noun

fantasy world:
a world that bears little resemblance to reality and exists only in the mind[1]



dreamy

dreamy
dream·y 
[drmee] (comparative dream·i·er,
superlative dream·i·est) adjective

1.  vague:
caused by dreaming or by thinking about something very pleasant and absorbing

2.  given
to daydreaming: having a tendency to spend time
daydreaming or lost in thought

3.  unreal:
strange, vague, or ethereal, like an image in a dream

4.  soothing:
gently soothing and relaxing

5.  gorgeous:
extremely good-looking or desirable (informal)
—dreamily,
adverb

—dream·i·ness, noun[1]



drear

drear
drear 
[dreer] adjective

dreary:
dark, foreboding, and gloomy (literary) • It
was a cold, drear day.
[Mid-16th century. Back
formation from dreary .][1]



dreary

dreary
drea·ry 
[drree] (comparative drea·ri·er,
superlative drea·ri·est) adjective

dull
and gloomy:
gloomy, unexciting, and certain to have a wearying and depressing influence • the
dreary routine of prison life
[Old
English drēorig “dripping with blood,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is probably also the ancestor of English drowsy
and drizzle]
—drea·ri·ly,
adverb

—drea·ri·ness, noun[1]



dreck

dreck
dreck 
[drek] noun

trash:
worthless trashy stuff, especially low-quality merchandise
[Early
20th century. From Yiddish drek “filth, dung,” from Middle High German drec
.]
—dreck·y [drékee], adjective[1]



dredge

dredge1
dredge1 [drej]
noun (plural dredg·es)

1.  machine
for digging underwater: a machine equipped with a
continuous revolving chain of buckets, a scoop, or a suction device for digging
out and removing material from under water.
Also
called
dredger

2.  SHIPPING See dredger 1 noun 1

3.  AGRICULTURE shellfish
net:
a net on a frame dragged along the bottom of the sea or a river to gather
shellfish
verb

1.  transitive
verb
dig
something up with a dredge: to remove or recover
material from under water by means of a dredge

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SHIPPING clear a channel:
to clear, deepen, or widen a waterway, especially one intended for shipping,
using a dredge

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
with a dredge: to search something, or search for
something, using a dredge or a similar device
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Old English dragan “to draw” or Middle
Dutch dregghe “drag-net.”][1]



dredge

dredge2
dredge2 [drej]
(past dredged, past participle dredged, present
participle dredg·ing, 3rd person present singular dredg·es)
transitive verb

sprinkle
something:
to sprinkle or cover food with a coating of confectioner’s sugar, flour, or
sugar
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French dragie “sugarplum, sugar almond,” from Latin tragemata,
from Greek tragēmata “spices, sweetmeats.”][1]



dredger

dredger2
dredg·er2 [dréjjər]
(plural dredg·ers) noun

sprinkling container:
a container with small holes in the top used for sprinkling confectioner’s
sugar, flour, or sugar onto food[1]



dredger

dredger1
dredg·er1 [dréjjər]
(plural dredg·ers) noun

1.  SHIPPING boat
with dredge: a boat or barge with a dredge on it,
used mainly for clearing or deepening waterways.
Also
called
dredge

2.  See
dredge 1 noun 1

[1]



dredgeup

dredgeup
dredge
up
transitive verb

revive old story:
to bring something to light from an obscure source, for example, to recall
something bad that happened long ago or unearth some scandalous information[1]



dreg

dreg
dreg 
[dreg] (plural dregs) noun

small
amount:
a small amount, especially a small remainder of something • not
a dreg of sympathy for them
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse dregg “sediment.”][1]



Dregion

Dregion
D
re·gion
(plural D re·gions) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY lowest
part of ionosphere: the lowest part of the
ionosphere above the Earth’s surface.
Also
called
D layer

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY short
sequence of amino acids: a short sequence of amino
acids at the end of an immunoglobulin chain that allows for variations and thus
contributes to antibody diversity

[1]



dregs

dregs
dregs 
[dregz] plural noun

1.  gritty
particles in liquid: small solid particles found
in liquids such as coffee or wine that sink to the bottom of a container and
are most in evidence when the container is nearly empty

2.  least
valuable part: the least valuable or most unpleasant
part of something, especially a group of people • the
dregs of society

3.  last
remaining part: the last remaining, and often least
attractive part of something (literary) • sat
through the dregs of a long boring evening

[1]



dreidel

dreidel

drei·del 
[dráyd’l] (plural drei·dels) or
drei·dl [dráyd’l] (plural drei·dls)
noun
spinning
top:
a toy that looks like a spinning top, used to play games during Hanukkah
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish dreydl, from Middle High German dræhen “to turn.”][1]



Dreiser,Theodore

Dreiser,Theodore

Drei·ser 
[drssər, drzər],
Theodore (1871–1945)
U.S.
novelist and journalist. He was known for his naturalist novels, including An
American Tragedy ( 1925 ).
Full name
Dreiser, Theodore Herman Albert[1]



drench

drench
drench 
[drench] transitive verb (past
drenched, past participle drenched, present participle
drench·ing, 3rd person present singular drench·es)

1.  soak
somebody or something: to make somebody or
something completely wet • I got
absolutely drenched going out in the storm.

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE give
an animal liquid medicine: to give an animal a large
dose of medicine in liquid form by mouth
noun
(plural drench·es)

VETERINARY MEDICINE dose
of animal medicine: a large oral dose of
medicine given to an animal in liquid form by mouth
[Old
English drencan “to give to drink,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English drink
. The underlying idea is of making something drink.]
—drench·er,
noun

—drench·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



Dresden

Dresden
Dres·den 
[drézdən]

capital of the state of
Saxony in east-central Germany. Almost completely destroyed during World War
II, it has been largely rebuilt and restored. Population: 477,600 (1994)[1]



Dresdenchina

Dresdenchina
Dres·den
chi·na
noun

See
Meissen[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dress

dress
dress 
[dress] verb (past dressed,
past participle dressed, present participle dress·ing,
3rd person present singular dress·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
clothes on:
to put clothes on somebody

2.  intransitive
verb
wear:
to wear clothes of a particular type, or wear them in a particular way • She
usually dresses in black.

3.  intransitive
verb
put
on appropriate clothes: to put on clothes
appropriate to a particular occasion, especially formal clothes • We
need to dress for the theater.

4.  transitive
verb
decorate
something:
to make a place or thing look festive by putting special decorations on it • They
dressed the big house for the holidays.

5.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE arrange
goods in a window display: to arrange goods in a store
window so that they look attractive • windows
that were dressed for spring

6.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE cover
a wound:
to put a bandage or other protective covering on a wound

7.  transitive
verb
COOKING put
sauce on salad: to put mayonnaise, vinaigrette, or a
similar type of sauce on a salad

8.  transitive
verb
COOKING HUNTING clean fish and game:
to clean and prepare fish, poultry, or meat for cooking or selling

9.  transitive
verb
arrange
hair:
to arrange hair, for example, by combing, clipping, or oiling it

10. intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY come into alignment:
to come, or bring troops, into a correct alignment with one another for a
parade formation

11. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE spread
manure or fertilizer on soil: to spread manure or
fertilizer over the surface of an area of land

12. transitive
verb
finish
a material:
to apply a finishing process to a material such as stone or lumber, usually in
order to give it a smooth and good-looking surface
noun
(plural dress·es)

1.  woman’s
one-piece garment: a one-piece garment for
women and girls combining a bodice, with or without sleeves, and a skirt and
covering most of the body

2.  type
of clothes:
clothes of a particular type or style

3.  clothes:
clothes and clothing in general, considered, for example, as an item in a
budget or from the point of view of somebody’s taste in them • He
has no interest in matters of dress.

4.  clothing
required for particular occasion: the clothing required
for a particular occasion

5.  outward
appearance:
the outward appearance or covering of a thing, especially a living thing, or
the way in which something is presented (literary)

6.  THEATER dress
rehearsal:
a dress rehearsal (informal)
adjective

1.  formal:
worn on formal occasions • dress uniform

2.  requiring
formal attire: requiring formal clothes to be worn • a
dress banquet
[14th
century. Via Old French dresser “arrange, prepare” from Vulgar Latin directiare,
from Latin directus “straight” (source of English direct ).]
dressed
to kill

dressed in very glamorous
clothes, especially when intending to impress somebody (slang)[1]



dressage

dressage
dres·sage 
[drə szh] noun

1.  training
a horse to execute precise movements: the
training of a horse to carry out a series of precise controlled movements in
response to minimal signals from its rider

2.  dressage
event:
a competitive event in which horse and rider are judged on the elegance,
precision, and discipline of the horse’s movements
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “training,” from dresser (see dress
).][1]



dresscircle

dresscircle
dress
cir·cle
(plural dress cir·cles) noun

second-floor gallery in
auditorium: a separate raised section of
the auditorium in a theater, concert hall, or opera house, usually the first
seating gallery above ground level[1]



dresscoat

dresscoat
dress
coat
(plural dress coats) noun

tailcoat:
a coat, forming part of a man’s full evening dress, that is usually black with
a cutaway skirt and tails[1]



dresscode

dresscode
dress
code
(plural dress codes) noun

obligatory way to dress:
a set of requirements as to how people should dress when attending a function
or visiting a place[1]



dressdown

dressdown
dress
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
look
casual:
to dress in a deliberately understated or casual way for an occasion (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
reprimand
somebody:
to scold somebody severely

[1]



dress-downday

dress-downday
dress-down
day
(plural dress-down days) noun

informal day in workplace:
a day, typically a Friday, or days during the summer months, on which office
workers wear casual clothing to work[1]



dresser

dresser2
dress·er2 [dréssər]
(plural dress·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who dresses in particular way: somebody who dresses
in a particular way

2.  actor’s
assistant:
somebody who helps an actor to put on or change a costume before and during a
performance

3.  personal
grooming assistant: somebody whose job it is to
ensure that another person’s wardrobe is in order

[1]



dresser

dresser1
dress·er1 [dréssər]
(plural dress·ers) noun

1.  bedroom
chest of drawers: a chest of drawers used in a bedroom for
storing clothes sometimes with a mirror on top

2.  shelves
and a chest: a piece of furniture consisting of a set
of shelves on top of a chest containing cupboards and drawers, often used for
storing crockery and cutlery in traditional kitchens
[Early 15th century. From Old
French dresseur, from dresser (see dress
).][1]



dressform

dressform
dress
form
(plural dress forms) noun

tailor’s dummy:
an adjustable tailor’s dummy[1]



dressing

dressing
dress·ing 
[dréssing] (plural dress·ings)
noun

1.  MEDICINE wound
covering:
a bandage or other sterile covering that is put on a wound to protect it from
infection or further damage

2.  salad
sauce:
a sauce used on salads, usually with an oil and vinegar or mayonnaise base

3.  stuffing:
stuffing for poultry or meat

4.  AGRICULTURE fertilizer:
natural or artificial fertilizer for spreading on the soil

[1]



dressing-down

dressing-down
dress·ing-down 
noun

serious scolding:
a scolding or severe reprimand, often in public[1]



dressinggown

dressinggown
dress·ing
gown
(plural dress·ing gowns) noun

coat worn over nightclothes:
a coat made of soft light material that is worn over nightclothes, before or
after taking a bath, or in the early stages of getting dressed[1]



dressingroom

dressingroom
dress·ing
room
(plural dress·ing rooms) noun

1.  THEATER actors’
room to put on costumes: a room in a theater where
actors can prepare for a performance by putting on their makeup and costumes

2.  room
to change clothes in: a small room or alcove in a
house, hotel suite, or other place that people can use when putting on or
changing their clothes

[1]



dressingtable

dressingtable
dress·ing
ta·ble
(plural dress·ing ta·bles) noun

makeup table:
a low table with drawers and a mirror attached to the top, usually placed in a
bedroom so that a woman can sit at it when putting on her makeup.
Also called
vanity
Also called
vanity table[1]



Dressler,Marie

Dressler,Marie
Dress·ler
[drésslər], Marie (1869–1934)

Canadian-born
U.S. stage and movie actor. She won an Academy Award for her performance in Min
and Bill ( 1930 ).
Real name
von Koerber, Leila[1]



dressmaker

dressmaker
dress·mak·er 
[dréss màykər] (plural dress·mak·ers)
noun

somebody
who makes dresses: somebody who makes women’s
clothes, especially somebody who makes a living by doing this
—dress·mak·ing, noun[1]



dressparade

dressparade
dress
pa·rade
(plural dress pa·rades) noun

formal military parade:
a military parade in which the soldiers wear formal dress uniform[1]



dressrehearsal

dressrehearsal
dress
re·hears·al
(plural dress re·hears·als) noun

1.  THEATER final
rehearsal:
the final rehearsal of a play, in full costume and with lights, music, and
effects, before it is given its first public performance

2.  full-scale
practice before event: a full-scale practice before
any important event

[1]



dresssense

dresssense
dress
sense
noun

good taste in clothes:
the ability to choose clothes well and coordinate colors and styles effectively[1]



dressshield

dressshield
dress
shield
(plural dress shields) noun

fabric arm pad:
a small fabric pad worn around the armpits of a piece of clothing to prevent
sweat from showing or staining it.
Also called
shield[1]



dressshirt

dressshirt
dress
shirt
(plural dress shirts) noun

1.  man’s
formal shirt: a man’s shirt worn with formal evening
wear, usually white and with either a stiff collar or a ruffle down the front

2.  shirt
worn with a suit: a shirt that is not casual and is
suitable for wearing with a suit, for example, at work

[1]



dresssuit

dresssuit
dress
suit
(plural dress suits) noun

formal suit:
a man’s suit worn as part of formal evening wear, especially with a tailcoat[1]



dressuniform

dressuniform
dress
u·ni·form
(plural dress u·ni·forms) noun

ceremonial military uniform:
a ceremonial uniform worn by members of the armed forces for formal occasions[1]



dressup

dressup
dress
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
dress
formally:
to put on formal or especially elegant clothes, usually for a special occasion
such as a party

2.  intransitive
verb
put
on costumes: to put on a special costume or different
clothes from those normally worn so as to look like or pretend to be somebody
else

3.  transitive
verb
disguise
something:
to disguise something unpleasant and try to make it look more pleasant

[1]



dressy

dressy
dress·y 
[dréssee] (comparative dress·i·er,
superlative dress·i·est) adjective

1.  elegant:
stylish and elegant

2.  at
which guests dress in style: at which stylish and elegant
clothes are worn • a very dressy buffet
luncheon

3.  overdressed:
dressed in an inappropriately elaborate or showy way
—dress·i·ly,
adverb

—dress·i·ness, noun[1]



drew

drew
drew


Past tense of
draw[1]



Drexel,Anthony Joseph

Drexel,Anthony Joseph
Drex·el
[dréks’l], Anthony Joseph (1826–1893)

U.S. banker and
philanthropist. He worked in investment banking and founded Philadelphia’s
Drexel Institute of Technology (1891).[1]



DrexelHill

DrexelHill
Drex·el
Hill

city in Delaware County,
Pennsylvania, situated southwest of Philadelphia. Population: 29,744 (1990)[1]



drey

drey
drey
[dray] (plural dreys) noun

squirrel’s
nest:
a squirrel’s nest
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



drib

drib
drib 
[drib] (plural dribs) noun

tiny
amount:
a very small amount, usually a tiny drop of liquid or a fragment of material • just
a drib of paint on the porch floor
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from drib “to drip,” alteration
of drip ; or shortening of dribble or driblet
.]
in
dribs and drabs

in very small amounts or
stages, and usually in a rather haphazard way • Wedding
presents are beginning to arrive in dribs and drabs.[1]



dribble

dribble
drib·ble 
[dríbb’l] verb (past drib·bled,
past participle drib·bled, present participle drib·bling,
3rd person present singular drib·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
saliva:
to let saliva spill out of the mouth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb spill
drops:
to flow, or allow a liquid to flow or spill out, in drops or a small stream

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS move ball:
to move a ball along using small repeated movements of the foot, the hand, or a
stick

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASKETBALL bounce a ball on court:
to propel the ball in any direction on the court by bouncing it with the hands
noun
(plural drib·bles)

1.  tiny
amount of liquid: a small amount of liquid that is falling
or has fallen in drops or a thin stream

2.  SPORTS movement
while dribbling ball: a movement or run made while
dribbling the ball, especially in basketball or soccer • a
hard, fast dribble to midcourt
[Mid-16th
century. Literally “to drip frequently,” formed from drib “to drip,”
alteration of drip .]
—drib·bler,
noun

—drib·bly, adjective[1]



driblet

driblet
drib·let 
[dríbblət] (plural drib·lets) or
drib·blet [dríbblət] (plural drib·blets)
noun

drib:
a tiny amount of a liquid
[Late 16th century. Coined
from drib “to drip,” alteration of drip,
+ -let .][1]



drier

drier
dri·er
[drər] or dry·er [drər]

Comparative of
dry
noun
(plural dri·ers)

1.  drying
device:
a machine or device for drying things

2.  substance
to aid drying: a substance added to paint or ink to
speed up the drying process

[1]



driest

driest
dri·est 
[dr ist] or dry·est [dr ist]

Superlative of
dry[1]



drift

drift
drift 
[drift] verb (past drift·ed,
past participle drift·ed, present participle drift·ing,
3rd person present singular drifts)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
carried along: to be, or allow something to be, carried
along by the flow of water or air

2.  intransitive
verb
move
aimlessly:
to move in a slow, smooth, gentle, and unforced way, usually without any
direction or purpose • The
crowd gradually drifted away.

3.  intransitive
verb
wander
from place to place aimlessly: to go from one place
to another, never staying anywhere for very long and seemingly with little
purpose

4.  intransitive
verb
NAVIGATION wander
from a set course or position: to deviate from a set
course, or move gradually away from a fixed position

5.  intransitive
verb
change
gradually:
to change or develop gradually, or move slowly from one point or position to
another • Prices
have drifted downwards in recent weeks.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
heaps:
to build up and form heaps as a result of the action of the wind or water
currents, or cause something such as snow, sand, or leaves to form heaps
noun
(plural drifts)

1.  piled-up
deposits:
a heap, pile, or bank of something such as snow, sand, or leaves created by the
action of the wind or water currents

2.  drifting
movement:
a slow gentle movement in which something is, or seems to be, carried along on
a current of air or water

3.  material
carried along: an amount of something carried along by
the flow of air or water • drifts
of smoke coming from the chimneys

4.  movement
of people:
a gradual movement over a period of time of groups of people or animals toward
or away from a place • the
drift of young people away from rural areas

5.  gradual
change:
a broad and gradual change or development, for example, in people’s opinions or
behavior • a
drift back to larger cars • a
downward drift in prices

6.  general
meaning:
the general meaning of an argument, opinion, or statement

7.  state
of inactivity: a state of inactivity or indecision in
which a person or group is carried along by events

8.  NAVIGATION deviation
from course: the distance or extent to which a ship
or aircraft deviates from its set course due to the action of wind or currents

9.  GEOLOGY deposit
of gravel:
a loose deposit of sand, gravel, or rock left by a glacier or ice sheet

10. GEOGRAPHY current:
the motion of a river or broad ocean current

11. MINING horizontal
mineshaft:
a horizontal or virtually horizontal mineshaft that follows a vein of ore

12. MINING connecting
passage in mine: a small passage in a mine connecting two
main shafts or tunnels

13. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING uncontrolled
change in a setting: a slow uncontrolled change
in a previously adjusted setting, for example, in the frequency to which an
electronic device has been set

14. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING tapering
steel tool for enlarging holes: a tapering steel tool
used to enlarge or align holes in pieces of metal before they are bolted or
riveted

15. SPORTS controlled
skid in racing car: a controlled slide used by
racing drivers as a method of cornering at high speed
[14th
century. From Old Norse drift “snowdrift,” from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English drive
. The underlying idea is of something driven.]
—drift·y, adjective[1]



driftage

driftage
drift·age 
[dríftij] noun

1.  drifted
material:
material that has drifted along on, and been deposited by, air or water
currents

2.  NAVIGATION deviation
from set course: the distance by which a ship or aircraft
has deviated from its set course owing to winds or currents

[1]



drifter

drifter
drift·er 
[dríftər] (plural drift·ers) noun

1.  wanderer:
somebody who does not stay in the same place or job for long but is always
moving on, apparently aimlessly, from place to place

2.  SAILING ANGLING fishing boat with drift net:
a fishing vessel that fishes with a drift net

[1]



driftice

driftice
drift
ice
noun

floating ice:
large areas of ice that float in the open sea[1]



driftnet

driftnet
drift
net
(plural drift nets) noun

floating fishing net:
a large fishing net supported by floats that is allowed to drift along with the
current or is attached to a vessel[1]



driftwood

driftwood
drift·wood 
[dríft wd] noun

broken floating wood:
broken pieces of wood that are found washed up on a beach or riverbank or
floating in the sea or a river[1]



drill

drill3
drill3 [dril]
noun

thick
cotton fabric: a tough cotton twill used especially for
making workclothes and uniforms
[Mid-18th century. From
German Drillich, from Latin trilix, literally “with three
threads,” from licium “thread” (source of English trellis ).][1]



drill

drill2
drill2 [dril]
noun (plural drills) AGRICULTURE

1.  furrow
for seeds:
a shallow furrow in which seeds are sown

2.  seed-planting
machine:
a machine for planting seeds in furrows

3.  planted
row of seeds: a row of seeds planted along a small
furrow
transitive
verb
(past drilled, past participle drilled, present
participle drill·ing, 3rd person present singular drills)

AGRICULTURE plant
with drill:
to plant seeds with a drill
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from drill 1 .][1]



drill

drill1
drill1 [dril]
noun (plural drills)

1.  part
of tool that bores holes: a long pointed piece of
metal that is held in a machine and rotated at speed to bore holes in hard
substances such as wood, metal, masonry, or rock

2.  boring
tool with drill: a tool or machine that holds, drives,
and bores holes with a drill

3.  MILITARY training
by repetition: a type of military training,
particularly in marching maneuvers and weapons handling, that involves the
constant repetition of a set pattern of movements or tasks

4.  EDUCATION repeated
exercise:
a sequence of tasks, exercises, or words repeated over and over until they can
be performed faultlessly, as used in teaching military skills, languages, or
basic arithmetic

5.  safety
routine:
a sequence of actions practiced repeatedly so that people know what to do in an
emergency to ensure their safety

6.  routine:
a set procedure or routine for doing something (informal)

7.  ZOOLOGY predatory
mollusk:
a marine mollusk that preys on oysters by boring into their shells. Latin name:
Urosalpinx cinerea
verb
(past drilled, past participle drilled, present
participle drill·ing, 3rd person present singular drills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bore a
hole with a drill: to bore a hole in something
with a drill

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY practice marching:
to practice marching maneuvers repeatedly on a parade ground as a form of
military training and discipline

3.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION teach
a subject by rote: to make somebody repeat a
sequence of exercises or procedures over and over again in order to learn it

4.  transitive
verb
shoot
somebody or something: to shoot somebody with
bullets, or shoot bullets into something (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS throw
or hit a ball hard: to throw or hit a ball with
great force in a straight line toward somebody or something (informal)
[Early
16th century. From Middle Dutch drillen “to make a hole, whirl.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn,” which is also the
ancestor of English trite and threshold .]
—drill·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



drill

drill4
drill4 [dril]
(plural drills) noun

African
monkey:
a West African baboon with a black face and brown fur, similar to a mandrill
though smaller in size. Latin name: Mandrillus leucophaeus
[Mid-17th century. From a
West African name for the baboon.][1]



drillingmud

drillingmud
drill·ing
mud
noun

clay mixture in drilling
shafts: a mixture of clay, water,
and chemicals pumped into a well as it is being bored to lubricate the drill,
remove debris, and prevent gas or oil escaping[1]



drillingplatform

drillingplatform
drill·ing
plat·form
(plural drill·ing plat·forms) noun

structure supporting an oil
rig: a structure used in offshore
oil drilling that supports drilling equipment and is either fixed to the seabed
or floats independently[1]



drillinstructor

drillinstructor
drill
in·struc·tor (plural drill in·struc·tors)
noun

MILITARY
NCO in charge of recruits:
a noncommissioned officer responsible for giving recruits their basic training.

Also called
drill sergeant
U.K. term
drillmaster[1]



drillinstructor

drillinstructor
drill
in·struc·tor (plural drill in·struc·tors)
noun

MILITARY
NCO in charge of recruits:
a noncommissioned officer responsible for giving recruits their basic training.

Also called
drill sergeant
U.K. term
drillmaster[1]



drillmaster

drillmaster
drill·mas·ter 
[dríl màstər] (plural drill·mas·ters)
noun

1.  U.K.
MILITARY See drill instructor

2.  strict
trainer:
somebody who trains people in a very strict and militaristic way

[1]



drillpipe

drillpipe
drill
pipe
(plural drill pipes) noun

See
drill string[1]



drillpress

drillpress
drill
press
(plural drill press·es) noun

upright drilling machine:
a machine consisting of a powered drill on a vertical stand that is brought
down onto the work automatically or by a hand lever[1]



drillsergeant

drillsergeant
drill
ser·geant
(plural drill ser·geants) noun

MILITARY
See drill instructor[1]



drillstock

drillstock
drill·stock 
[dríl stòk] (plural drill·stocks)
noun

shank holder:
the part of a drilling tool or machine that holds the shank of the drill[1]



drillstring

drillstring
drill
string
(plural drill strings) noun

boring pipe:
a long metal pipe, progressively built up from lengths of steel tubing, that is
attached above the drill when drilling for oil or gas and eventually forms the
bore of the well.
Also called
drill pipe[1]



drily

drily
dri·ly
[drlee] or dry·ly [drlee] adverb

ironically:
with subtle and almost imperceptible irony or humor[1]



drink

drink
drink 
[dringk] intransitive and transitive verb
(past drank [drangk], past
participle drunk [drungk], present
participle drink·ing, 3rd person present singular drinks)

1.  swallow
liquid:
to take in liquid through the mouth

2.  drink
alcohol:
to drink an alcoholic beverage, especially habitually • Don’t
drink and drive.

3.  toast
somebody by raising a glass: to raise a glass and then
drink from it as a sign that you wish somebody or something happiness, luck,
success, or good health
noun
(plural drinks)

1.  drinkable
liquid:
liquid that can be drunk, usually in a container • There
isn’t much food or drink in the house.

2.  amount
of liquid:
an amount of liquid that somebody drinks • Could
I have a drink of water?

3.  alcoholic
beverage:
alcoholic drink, especially an individual serving in a glass, bottle, or can

4.  excessive
consumption of alcohol: excessive consumption of
alcohol

5.  body
of water:
the sea or a large body of water, for example, a lake or swimming pool (informal)
• in
the drink
plural
noun
drinks

informal party with drinks served:
an informal party with alcoholic or other drinks served but not a meal
[Old English drincan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English drench and drown .][1]



drinkable

drinkable
drink·a·ble 
[dríngkəb’l] adjective

1.  safe
to drink:
safe for humans or animals to drink

2.  nice
to drink:
pleasant or enjoyable to drink • a very
drinkable local fruit juice
—drink·a·bil·i·ty
[drìngkə bíllətee], noun

—drink·a·ble·ness [dríngkəb’lnəss], noun[1]



drinkdown

drinkdown
drink
down
transitive verb

drink something completely:
to consume a liquid quickly and completely • Drink
your coffee down before it gets cold.[1]



drinker

drinker
drink·er 
[dríngkər] (plural drink·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who drinks something particular: somebody who drinks a
particular type of beverage (used in combination) • I’m
not a coffee drinker.

2.  somebody
who drinks alcoholic beverages: somebody who drinks
alcoholic beverages, especially to excess

[1]



drinkin

drinkin
drink
in
transitive verb

1.  absorb
liquid:
to absorb as much liquid as is available • The
plants drank in the welcome rain.

2.  absorb
something with mind and senses: to absorb eagerly
every aspect of something with the mind and senses • She
stood silently on the beach, drinking in the beauty.

[1]



drinkingfountain

drinkingfountain
drink·ing
foun·tain 
(plural drink·ing foun·tains) noun

public device supplying
drinkable water: a device attached to a
wall that produces a jet of water that people can drink[1]



drinkingsong

drinkingsong
drink·ing
song
(plural drink·ing songs) noun

song for alcohol drinkers:
a song, often rowdy or suggestive, sung by people drinking alcohol together[1]



drinkingwater

drinkingwater
drink·ing
wa·ter
noun

water for human consumption:
water intended for people to drink, especially when free of harmful elements
such as industrial waste, chemicals, or animal waste[1]



drinkup

drinkup
drink
up
transitive verb

1.  finish
a drink:
to drink all of something

2.  absorb
liquid completely: to absorb a liquid
completely • The
dry earth drank up the rain.

[1]



drip

drip

drip 
[drip] verb (past dripped,
past participle dripped, present participle drip·ping,
3rd person present singular drips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
or let fall in drops: to fall as drops of liquid,
or let liquid fall as drops • The
faucet is dripping.

2.  transitive
verb
let
something out copiously: to let out something,
particularly an emotion, in great quantity • His
voice positively dripped malice.
noun (plural
drips)

1.  small
amount of liquid: a drop of liquid or moisture • a
bucket to catch the drips

2.  dripping
of liquid:
an instance or the process of a liquid falling in drops • Our
ceiling has developed a drip.

3.  sound
of falling drops: the sound of drops of liquid falling
onto something • the steady drip of a
leaking faucet

4.  U.K.
MEDICINE
Also
called
drip feed

5.  socially
inept person: somebody regarded by others as socially
inept, inadequate, or uninteresting (slang)

6.  ARCHITECTURE protective
groove:
a protective groove cut in a sill or other overhang of a wall or building to
cause water to drip freely
[Old English dryppan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to drop,” which is also the
ancestor of English drop, droop, and drizzle
.][1]



dripcoffee

dripcoffee
drip
cof·fee
noun

coffee made by dripping
through filter: coffee made by pouring
hot water over ground coffee beans held in a filter above a pot so that it
drips into the pot.
Also called
filter coffee
U.K. term
filter coffee[1]



drip-dry

drip-dry
drip-dry 
adjective

requiring no ironing:
not wrinkling or creasing as it dries, and thus not needing ironing • a
drip-dry shirt
intransitive
and transitive verb (past drip-dried,
past participle drip-dried, present participle drip-dry·ing,
3rd person present singular drip-dries)

1.  dry
without creases: to dry without creases when hung up wet,
or cause something to dry in this way

2.  dry
hair naturally: to dry hair merely by exposing it to the
air, without using a hairdryer, or to become dry in this way

[1]



dripfeed

dripfeed
drip
feed
(plural drip feeds) noun MEDICINE

1.  medical
procedure for injecting liquid: injection of
quantities of a therapeutic fluid, such as blood, plasma, saline, or glucose,
directly into somebody’s vein at an adjustable rate. A plastic bag containing
the fluid is hung above the patient on a stand. • They
put her on a drip feed.
U.K.
term
drip  noun 4

2.  fluid
used in drip feed: the therapeutic fluid used
in a drip feed • Add antibiotic to the
drip feed.3.
equipment
used to administer a drip feed: the equipment used to
administer a drip feed (informal)

[1]



drip-feed

drip-feed
drip-feed
(past drip-fed, past participle drip-fed, present
participle drip-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular drip-feeds)
transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE administer
a drip feed to: to pass a liquid, especially a sugar
solution, directly into somebody’s vein using a drip feed

2.  GARDENING AGRICULTURE provide
plants with a continuous water supply: to
provide water, and sometimes nutrients, to indoor plants or field crops
continuously in small quantities

[1]



dripless

dripless
drip·less 
[dríppləss] adjective

designed not to drip:
designed or made not to drip • This
teapot has a dripless spout.[1]



drippan

drippan
drip
pan
(plural drip pans) noun

shallow pan:
a shallow pan or cookie sheet used in the oven to catch the juices of roasting
meat.
Also called
dripping pan[1]



dripping

dripping
drip·ping 
[drípping] plural noun drippings

FOOD juices
from cooking meat: the juices, including fat,
produced by roasting or frying meat
adjective

thoroughly wet:
thoroughly wet • She
hurried in, cold and dripping from the storm.[1]



drippings

drippings
drip·pings
[dríppingz] plural noun

juices from cooking meat:
the juices, including fat, produced by roasting or frying meat[1]



drippy

drippy
drip·py 
[dríppee] (comparative drip·pi·er,
superlative drip·pi·est) adjective

1.  inept
or boring:
socially inept, inadequate, or uninteresting (slang insult)

2.  too
sentimental: silly and extremely sentimental (slang)

3.  METEOROLOGY with
rain:
drizzly or tending to rain • This
is our fifth drippy day in a row.
[Early
19th century. From the notion of “dripping with tears or sentiment.”]
—drip·pi·ly,
adverb

—drip·pi·ness, noun[1]



dripstone

dripstone
drip·stone 
[dríp stn] (plural drip·stones)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE protective
stone drip:
a stone drip used to protect a projection over a door or window.
Also
called
hoodmold

2.  GEOLOGY form
of calcium carbonate: calcium carbonate deposits
in the form of stalactites or stalagmites

[1]



dripwith

dripwith
drip
with
transitive verb

1.  have
drops falling continuously: to have liquid falling in a
continuous stream of drops • dripping
with sweat

2.  have
too much of something: to have too much of
something, especially some kind of adornment, usually in a way that is
considered to be bad taste

3.  give
vent to emotion: to give continuous expression to an
emotion, especially a negative one such as spite, malice, or sarcasm • Her
voice dripped with sarcasm.

[1]



drivable

drivable
driv·a·ble
[drvəb’l] adjective

1.  nice
to drive:
easy, comfortable, or pleasant to drive

2.  in
a condition to be driven: in good enough condition to
be driven safely
—driv·a·bil·i·ty [drvə bíllətee], noun[1]



drive

drive
drive 
[drīv] verb (past drove
[drōv], past participle driv·en
[drívv’n], present participle driv·ing,
3rd person present singular drives)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT control movement of a
vehicle:
to operate a vehicle, controlling its speed and direction, or be operated so as
to move in a particular direction • He’s
learning to drive.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT travel or convey in vehicle:
to travel somewhere in a vehicle, or take somebody somewhere in a vehicle • I’ll
drive you to the airport.

3.  transitive
verb
ENGINEERING provide
power for something: to supply the power that
makes something work (often passive) • The
lawn mower is driven by a gasoline engine.

4.  transitive
verb
steer
the progress of something: to provide momentum toward
the successful operation or functioning of something • This
company is driven by a concern for quality.

5.  transitive
verb
force
into a condition: to force somebody or something into a
particular state or condition, often an extremely negative one • Her
son’s behavior drove her to despair.

6.  transitive
verb
compel
somebody to do something: to supply the emotional or
physical energy that leads somebody to act or behave in an extreme way • Driven
by fear, the elephants stampeded.

7.  reflexive
verb
force
yourself to work too hard: to force yourself to work
too hard or too long hours at something • You
drive yourself too hard.

8.  transitive
verb
force
people or animals to move: to force people or animals
to go somewhere • Rain drove them
indoors.

9.  transitive
verb
force
something in or out: to push, knock, or hammer
something forcefully into a particular position • He
drove the stakes into the ground.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb move
or propel forcefully: to move or be blown or
thrown with great force against something, or provide the force that does this
• The
wind drove the snow into huge drifts.

11. transitive
verb
make
a hole:
to make a hole or tunnel in something using great force

12. transitive
verb
SPORTS hit a
ball hard:
to kick or hit a ball or puck forcefully when playing a sport • The
clean-up batter drove the ball past the shortstop.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb GOLF hit a long shot:
to hit a long shot in golf, from either a tee or a fairway, when covering the
principal distance between holes • He
drove into the rough.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb BASKETBALL dribble directly toward the
basket:
in basketball, to dribble the ball through a particular area of the court
toward the basket • She’s unstoppable when
she drives the baseline.

15. transitive
verb
HUNTING chase
game into the open: to chase a hunted animal
into the open where it can be killed
noun
(plural drives)

1.  TRANSPORT ride
taken in a vehicle: a trip in a car or other
vehicle • go
for a drive

2.  TRANSPORT See driveaway

3.  TRANSPORT wide
road:
any street or road that can be used for vehicles, especially one that has more
than two lanes or has pleasant views (often used in place names)

4.  ENGINEERING transmission
of power:
the means of converting power into motion in a machine, for example, a motor
vehicle (often used in combination) • a
car with four-wheel drive

5.  COMPUTING See disk drive

6.  SPORTS hard
hit of ball: in some sports, a forceful shot or
stroke in hitting a ball • His
drive to left field scored two runners.

7.  GOLF long
shot:
a long shot in golf, played from either a tee or fairway, when covering the
main portion of the distance between the tee and green

8.  BASKETBALL fast
movement toward basket: in basketball, a fast direct
run toward the basket while dribbling the ball • Our
players are having trouble scoring off drives.

9.  FOOTBALL continuous
movement toward goal: in football, steady movement
toward a goal line, usually achieved in one or more series of downs • They’ve
been unable to manage a sustained drive in this quarter.

10. focused
energy:
energy and determination that helps somebody achieve what he or she wants to do
• Do
you have the drive to achieve your ambitions?

11. PSYCHOLOGY motivating
need:
a powerful need or instinct, for example, hunger or sex, that motivates
behavior

12. major
planned effort: an organized effort made by a lot of
people working together to achieve a particular goal • a
recruitment drive

13. MILITARY sustained
military attack: a major sustained attack on an enemy,
usually including armored vehicles and large guns

14. AGRICULTURE roundup
of livestock: a gathering and herding of cattle,
sheep, or horses to a new pasture or to be sold for slaughter • This
will be my first cattle drive.

15. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING voltage:
voltage applied to the grid of a transmitting or amplifying valve or to the
base of a transistor

16. AUTOMOTIVE forward
position in automatic transmission: in an
automatic transmission, the principal shift position that moves the vehicle
forward
[Old English drīfan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English drift and drove
.][1]



drive-by

drive-by
drive-by
noun (plural drive-bys)

drive-by
shooting:
a drive-by shooting (informal)
adjective

brief and negligent:
performed very quickly and with a lack of care or purpose • a
drive-by washing up that left the dishes only half clean[1]



drive-byshooting

drive-byshooting
drive-by
shoot·ing
(plural drive-by shoot·ings) noun

act of firing from a moving
vehicle: an act of firing a firearm
from a moving vehicle[1]



drive-in

drive-in
drive-in 
(plural drive-ins) noun

business
serving customers while in cars: a commercial
establishment, for example, a movie theater, that provides services or products
to customers while they remain in their cars in a parking lot (often used before
a noun)
—drive-in, noun[1]



drivel

drivel
driv·el 
noun

1.  silly
talk:
silly and irrelevant or inaccurate talk • They’re
talking drivel.

2.  drooled
saliva:
saliva dribbling from the mouth
intransitive
verb
(past driv·eled, past participle driv·eled, present
participle driv·el·ing, 3rd person present singular driv·els)

1.  talk
nonsense:
to talk silly and irrelevant or inaccurate nonsense

2.  drool:
to let saliva dribble from the mouth
[Old
English dreflian, of uncertain origin]
—driv·el·er,
noun

—driv·el·ing, noun[1]



driveline

driveline
drive·line 
[drv ln] (plural drive·lines)
noun

See
drive train[1]



driven

driven2
driv·en2 adjective

1.  compelled
by personal need: striving to achieve because of a strong
need or inner compulsion • Driven
people are often overachievers.

2.  caused
by:
having a particular thing as its principal cause (used in combination) • a
demand-driven economy

[1]



driven

driven1
driv·en1 

Past participle of
drive[1]



driver

driver
driv·er 
[drvər] (plural driv·ers) noun

1.  TRANSPORT somebody
who can drive: somebody who operates a motor vehicle,
or who is capable of operating one

2.  TRANSPORT chauffeur:
somebody who drives a car or limousine for other people

3.  GOLF golf club:
a golf club with a wide wooden head, deep face, and a long shaft, used to drive
the ball from the tee down the fairway

4.  ENGINEERING part
that transmits something: a part of a machine that
causes another part to move

5.  TECHNOLOGY tool
that applies pressure: a tool, for example, a
screwdriver or drill, that exerts heavy pressure on something else

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
circuit:
an electronic circuit that produces an output used to control another circuit

7.  COMPUTING controlling
software:
computer software that controls the input and output of a particular device • a
printer driver

8.  strong
force:
something that provides impetus or motivation, for example, within an
organization

[1]



driverant

driverant
driv·er
ant
(plural driv·er ants) noun

See
army ant
[So called because they
appear to herd other insects and small animals while on the march][1]



driverless

driverless
driv·er·less
[drvərləss] adjective

1.  lacking
a driver while moving: moving out of control
because the driver is missing

2.  needing
no driver:
having no driver because of being automatically operated

[1]



driver’slicense

driver’slicense
driv·er’s
li·cense
(plural driv·er’s li·cens·es) noun

document permitting somebody
to drive legally: a small card that
somebody must carry whenever driving, obtained after a person has passed a test
and demonstrating that he or she knows the laws that apply to good driving[1]



driver’sseat

driver’sseat
driv·er’s
seat 
(plural driv·er’s seats) noun

seat
in which the driver sits: the seat in which the driver
sits when operating a motor vehicle. See driver’s
seat
in
the driver’s seat

in a position to determine
the course or direction of something[1]



driver’sside

driver’sside
driv·er’s
side
noun

side of car with steering
wheel: the side of a car on which
the steering wheel is located, where the driver sits when operating a vehicle[1]



driveshaft

driveshaft
drive
shaft
(plural drive shafts) noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING rotating
shaft transmitting engine power: a rotating shaft that
transmits the power from a motor or engine to another part of the machine, for
example, from the engine to the propeller of an aircraft.
Also
called
propeller shaft

2.  AUTOMOTIVE shaft
transferring power to rear wheels: the shaft that
transmits power from the transmission to the differential in a rear-wheel drive
automobile or truck

[1]



drive-through

drive-through
drive-through 
(plural drive-throughs) noun

business that serves people
in cars: a business, for example, a
fast-food restaurant or bank, that provides goods or services through a special
window to customers who remain in their cars (often used before a noun)[1]



drivetime

drivetime
drive
time
(plural drive times) noun

1.  commuters’
rush hours:
a time during the morning or afternoon when commuters are driving to and from
work in their cars and listening to the radio.
Also
called
driving time

2.  time
from one place to another: the amount of time that it
takes to drive between two places

[1]



drivetrain

drivetrain
drive
train
(plural drive trains) noun

vehicle part transmitting
engine power: a mechanical part of a
vehicle, including the drive shaft and universal joint, that connects the
transmission with the axles and transmits power, torque, and motion.
Also called
driveline[1]



drive-up

drive-up
drive-up 
(plural drive-ups) noun

place customers are served in
their cars: a place in a commercial
establishment such as a restaurant or bank where customers are served while
remaining in their cars (often used before a noun)[1]



driveway

driveway
drive·way 
[drv wày] (plural drive·ways)
noun

private road connecting to
public road: a private road that
enables vehicles to travel from a public road to the entrance of a building
such as a house or hotel.
U.K. term
drive
Also called
drive[1]



driving

driving
driv·ing 
[drving] adjective

1.  falling
hard:
falling or being blown very hard and forcefully • driving
rain

2.  able
to make something happen: having the ability or
influence to make something new or different happen • She
is the driving force behind the new development. • driving
ambition
noun

TRANSPORT process
of operating vehicle: the act or process of
operating a motor vehicle, especially with regard to how skillful somebody is • Your
driving is even worse than usual today.
—driv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



drivinggloves

drivinggloves
driv·ing
gloves
plural noun

gloves worn for driving:
gloves worn while driving a vehicle, often a sports car. They are usually made
of leather or have leather palms and knitted fabric backs.[1]



drivingiron

drivingiron
driv·ing
i·ron
(plural driv·ing i·rons) noun

golf club:
an iron golf club that can be used instead of a driver[1]



drivingtest

drivingtest
driv·ing
test
(plural driv·ing tests) noun

test to determine driving
skill: a test of driving skills and
knowledge, usually consisting of both a written and a road test that people
must pass before driving without supervision on public roads[1]



drivingtime

drivingtime
driv·ing
time
noun

See
drive time  noun 1[1]



drizzle

drizzle
driz·zle 
[drízz’l] noun

METEOROLOGY light
rain:
light steady rain
verb
(past driz·zled, past participle driz·zled, present
participle driz·zling, 3rd person present singular driz·zles)

1.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY rain
lightly:
to rain lightly and steadily

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING dribble
liquid over food: to pour very small quantities of a
liquid in a thin stream over food • Lightly
drizzle the dressing over the vegetables.
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Old English drēosan
“to fall,” from a prehistoric Germanic word.]
—driz·zly, adjective[1]



drogue

drogue
drogue 
[drōg] (plural drogues) noun

1.  NAUTICAL See sea anchor

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY AIR See drogue
parachute

3.  MILITARY target
towed by an aircraft: a cylindrical target towed
behind an aircraft, used for firing practice

4.  AIR receptacle
on a tanker aircraft: a funnel-shaped receptacle
attached to the refueling hose of a tanker aircraft that locates the probe of
the receiving aircraft and fits over it, ensuring firm connection during
refueling

5.  METEOROLOGY windsock:
a windsock (technical)
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



drogueparachute

drogueparachute
drogue
par·a·chute
(plural drogue par·a·chutes) noun
Also
called
drogue

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY small
parachute for spacecraft: a small parachute, used on a
spacecraft or satellite re-entering the atmosphere, that is released before a
larger one to slow the object and stabilize it

2.  AIR small
parachute:
a small parachute used to release a larger one from its pack

[1]



droit

droit
droit 
[droyt, drwaa]
(plural droits) noun

LAW claim
due to somebody: a right or claim, either legal or moral,
that is due to somebody and must be acknowledged
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin directum “rule,” literally “straight thing,” from Latin directus
(see direct ).][1]



droitde seigneur

droitde seigneur
droit
de seign·eur [drw də say
nyúr] or droit du seign·eur [drw
 dyoo say nyúr] noun

social
superior’s right: the supposed former legal right of a
feudal lord to have sexual intercourse with the bride or daughter of an
inferior, usually a serf, on the night of her wedding
[From French, literally
“lord’s right”][1]



droll

droll
droll 
[drōl] (comparative droll·er, superlative
droll·est) adjective

oddly
amusing:
amusing in a wry or odd way • Don’t
you enjoy his droll asides?
[Early
17th century. From French drôle “buffoon, comical,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps ultimately from Middle Dutch drol “imp, goblin.”]
—drol·ly,
adverb

—droll·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



drollery

drollery
droll·er·y 
[drṓləree] (plural droll·er·ies)
noun

1.  quirky
humor:
slightly odd or wry humor

2.  talking
or behaving amusingly: talking or acting in a wryly
or oddly amusing way • Such
drollery is inappropriate in a formal context.

3.  something
funny:
an act or story that is wryly funny • Whoever
would have guessed that he was capable of such drolleries?

[1]



-drome

-drome
-drome
suffix

racecourse,
field • hippodrome
• cosmodrome
[Via Latin from Greek dromos
“racecourse.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to walk, run,”
which is also the ancestor of English tread,
trip, and dromedary
.][1]



dromedary

dromedary
drom·e·dar·y 
[drómmə dèree, drúmmə
dèree] (plural drom·e·dar·ies) noun

one-humped
camel:
a camel with one hump, native to northern Africa and southwestern Asia where it
is now domesticated and bred for working and racing. Latin name: Camelus dromedarius

Also
called
Arabian camel
[13th century. Via Old French
dromedaire and late Latin dromedarius from, ultimately, Greek dromad,
the stem of dromas “running.”][1]



dromond

dromond
drom·ond 
[drómmənd, drúmmənd]
(plural drom·onds) or drom·on [drómmən, drúmmən]
(plural drom·ons) noun

medieval
galley:
a sailing galley used during the Middle Ages
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman dromund from, ultimately, Greek dromō “swift ship,”
from dromos “running, race” (see -drome
).][1]



-dromous

-dromous
-dromous
suffix

moving,
migrating • catadromous
[Formed from modern Latin -dromus,
from Greek dromos ’running, race’ (see -drome
)][1]



drone

drone2
drone2 [drōn]
(plural drones) noun

1.  INSECTS nonworker
male bee:
a male bee that has no sting, does not gather pollen, and exists only to mate
with the queen bee

2.  lazy
person:
somebody who does not work or contribute anything, instead relying on the work
or energy of other people

3.  AIR pilotless
aircraft:
an aircraft whose flight is controlled from the ground
[Old
English drān . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to buzz,”
which is also the ancestor of English threnody
.]
—dro·nish [drṓnish], adjective[1]



drone

drone1

drone1 [drōn]
verb (past droned, past participle droned, present
participle dron·ing, 3rd person present singular drones)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a low humming sound: to make a continuous low
humming sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb talk
in a boring voice: to talk for a long time in a
boring voice • I
could hear his voice droning on in the background.
noun (plural
drones)

1.  humming
sound:
a continuous low sound

2.  MUSIC unchanging
note held during melody: a single note or chord that
is held through a melodic part

3.  MUSIC pipe
in bagpipes producing continuous note: one
of the pipes in a bagpipe that produces a single continuous note
[Early
16th century. From drone 2 .]
—dron·ing·ly, adverb[1]



drongo

drongo
dron·go
[dróng gō] (plural dron·gos or
dron·go) or dron·go shrike [dróng
gō] noun

tropical
bird:
a tropical bird found in Africa, Asia, and Australia that is usually black with
a strong beak, glossy feathers, and a long forked tail. Family: Dicruridae
[Mid-19th century. From
Malagasy .][1]



drool

drool
drool 
[drool] verb (past drooled,
past participle drooled, present participle drool·ing,
3rd person present singular drools)

1.  intransitive
verb
show
exaggerated appreciation: to show excessive
appreciation of something or somebody really liked or wanted

2.  intransitive
verb
dribble
saliva:
to let saliva dribble from the mouth • The
dog lay drooling at his feet.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb talk
nonsense:
to talk nonsense or foolishness
noun

saliva dribbling from the mouth:
saliva dribbling from the mouth
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: possibly an alteration of drivel .]
—drool·ing·ly, adverb[1]



droop

droop
droop 
[droop] verb (past drooped,
past participle drooped, present participle droop·ing,
3rd person present singular droops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hang
or bend down limply: to move lower, hang down, or
sag limply, or make something sag limply • Her
eyelids drooped with weariness.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
dispirited:
to become discouraged or dejected • His
spirits drooped at the prospect of the long and arduous journey.
noun

sagging: a
lowered, sagging, or slumped position • The
droop of her shoulders suggested her disappointment.
[13th
century. From Old Norse drūpa .]
—droop·i·ly,
adverb

—droop·i·ness,
noun

—droop·ing·ly,
adverb

—droop·y, adjective[1]



droopnose

droopnose
droop
nose
(plural droop nos·es) or droop snoot (plural
droop snoots) noun

aircraft nose section:
an aircraft nose section that can be tilted downward to increase the pilot’s
range of vision during landing and takeoff[1]



drop

drop
drop 
[drop] verb (past dropped,
past participle dropped, present participle drop·ping,
3rd person present singular drops)

1.  transitive
verb
let
go of something: to allow something to fall, sometimes
intentionally • somebody had dropped a
glove in the street.

2.  intransitive
verb
fall:
to fall from a higher place to a lower place

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
to a lower position: to move into a lower
position, or move the body or part of the body lower • He
dropped into a chair.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
in drops:
to fall or make something fall in drops of liquid • We
listened to the rain dropping on the roof.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb lessen:
to decrease, or reduce something, to a lower level, rate, or number • The
temperature dropped sharply overnight.

6.  intransitive
verb
slope
downward:
to slope downward, often in a particular way

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb lower
the voice:
to lower the voice to a quieter level, or become quieter • She
dropped her voice to a whisper.

8.  transitive
verb
take
somebody or something somewhere: to take somebody or
something to a place, usually by car, and leave the person or thing there • Can
you drop me at the bus station?

9.  transitive
verb
write
to somebody: to write and send a message or greeting
to somebody • Drop
me a line.

10. transitive
verb
stop
doing or planning something: to abandon a plan or course
of action • We’ve
dropped our plans to remodel the kitchen.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb stop
talking about something: to stop talking about
something, or stop being talked about • Can
we drop the subject please?

12. transitive
verb
end
relationship with somebody: to end a close or intimate
relationship with somebody (informal)

13. transitive
verb
remove
somebody:
to remove somebody from a group of which she or he was formerly a member • She
may be dropped from the team.

14. transitive
verb
omit
letter or word: to leave out a letter, word, or phrase • You
can drop the “Sir”: just call me Max.

15. intransitive
verb
collapse
from exhaustion: to collapse in a state of complete
exhaustion • I’m
ready to drop.

16. intransitive
verb
collapse:
to lose consciousness or die, especially suddenly or unexpectedly (informal)
• People
were dropping like flies from the extreme heat.

17. transitive
verb
SPORTS lose a
match or game: to lose a match, game, or part of a game
• He
got through to the finals without dropping a set.

18. transitive
verb
say
something casually: to say something with an air
of pretended casualness • She’s
dropping hints about what she wants for her birthday.

19. transitive
verb
hit
or shoot somebody: to hit or shoot somebody so
that he or she falls down (informal)

20. transitive
verb
spend
or lose money: to spend or lose a particular amount of
money on something expensive or in gambling (informal)

21. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS hit a ball into the target
hole:
to make the ball go into a target, for example, a hole or net, or go into a
target hole or net

22. transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE give
birth to:
to give birth to young, especially a foal

23. transitive
verb
DRUGS take
illegal drugs: to take an illegal drug by mouth,
especially LSD or pills (slang)

24. transitive
verb
SEWING lower
a hem:
to lower the hem of something, for example, a garment or curtain

25. transitive
verb
AIR deliver
something by parachute: to deliver somebody or
something by parachute from an aircraft, for example, soldiers or supplies

26. transitive
verb
unload
something:
to unload something from a ship or vehicle
noun
(plural drops)

1.  small
round portion of liquid: a very small amount of
liquid that becomes a rounded or pear shape as it falls

2.  small
amount of liquid: any small amount of a liquid • There’s
not a drop of milk in the house.

3.  tiniest
amount:
the least amount of sympathy or other feeling (used in negative statements)
• I
swear there isn’t a drop of sympathy in that man.

4.  decrease
in something: a decrease in quantity or amount • a
drop in salary

5.  distance
between a high point and the ground: the
distance between a higher level and a lower level or the ground

6.  descent:
a slope or discontinuity in ground level, usually sharp or sudden

7.  FOOD small
round piece of candy: a small round or oval piece of
candy (used in combination) • cough
drops

8.  ACCESSORIES round
earring or pendant: a roundish or pear-shaped
earring or pendant

9.  MILITARY descent
by parachute: a descent from an aircraft by parachute

10. delivery:
a delivery • make
a drop every two weeks

11. goods
delivered by parachute: goods, for example,
equipment, that an aircraft delivers by parachute, or people dropped by
parachute (often used in combination)

12. secret
repository for dangerous messages: a secret place where
somebody leaves dangerous letters or messages to be picked up by somebody else

13. act
of leaving secret communication: the act of leaving a
dangerous letter, message, or goods at a prearranged location • It’s
too dangerous to make the drop tonight.

14. MAIL See mail drop

15. THEATER See drop curtain  noun 1

16. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING connection
on line:
a point on a transmission line where data can be put in or taken out

17. delivery
slot in a receptacle: a slot in something or a
special outside container through which letters and borrowed or rented items,
such as videotapes and books, can be inserted (often used in combination)
• Return
the videotapes to the drop outside the store.

18. TV short
spur:
a short line that feeds signals to an individual house from a cable television
trunk line

19. trap
door under gallows: a trap door on which
somebody who is to be hanged stands under the gallows

20. SEWING curtain
length:
the measured length for a curtain, from the top of a window to its sill or to
the floor
plural
noun
drops

PHARMACOLOGY liquid
medicine applied in small quantities:
liquid medicine that is applied to the ear, nose, or eye using a device that
produces a droplet each time it is squeezed
[The
noun is from Old English dropa, the verb from Old English droppian
. Both ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English droop, drip, and drizzle
.]
a
drop in the bucket

just
a tiny part of the full quantity that is required, and thus insignificant

at
the drop of a hat

without
needing persuasion or prompting

get
or have the drop on somebody

to
catch somebody by surprise before he or she can surprise you (informal)

let
something drop

to reveal information to
somebody, often casually or accidentally[1]



dropaway

dropaway
drop
away
intransitive verb

1.  See
drop  verb 6

2.  leave
gradually:
to leave a group or formation gradually, either on purpose or not • One
by one, each jet banked and dropped away from the formation.

3.  disappear
gradually:
to disappear gradually

[1]



dropback

dropback
drop
back
or drop be·hind intransitive verb

gradually get farther behind:
to move more slowly than other people and gradually fall farther behind them[1]



dropby

dropby
drop
by
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
visit
somebody casually: to visit somebody casually
or without having agreed on a time

2.  transitive
verb
deliver
something or somebody somewhere: to deliver something
or somebody to a specific place • Just
drop the laundry by some time this afternoon.

[1]



dropcloth

dropcloth
drop
cloth
(plural drop cloths) noun

protective cloth:
a large cloth used to cover surfaces, such as floors and furniture, to protect
them from paint or dust.
U.K. term
dustsheet[1]



dropcurtain

dropcurtain
drop
cur·tain
(plural drop cur·tains) noun

1.  unframed
curtain:
an unframed curtain that can be lowered to a theater stage from the flies. It
usually provides background scenery.
Also
called
drop

2.  lowerable
curtain:
a theater curtain that is raised or lowered on stage, rather than being opened
or closed by moving sideways

[1]



dropforge

dropforge
drop
forge
noun

metal-shaping
device:
a machine used to shape or stamp molten metal by placing it between two dies
and dropping a weight on it.
Also
called
drop hammer
—drop·forge, transitive
verb[1]



dropfront

dropfront
drop
front
(plural drop fronts) noun

front part of a writing desk:
a part of a writing desk that can be lowered to provide a writing surface and
then raised to conceal the inner part of the desk (hyphenated before a noun)
• a
drop-front desk[1]



dropgoal

dropgoal
drop
goal
(plural drop goals) noun

goal scored by drop kick:
a goal in rugby scored by dropping the ball and then kicking it[1]



drophammer

drophammer
drop
ham·mer
(plural drop ham·mers) noun

See
drop forge[1]



drophandlebars

drophandlebars
drop
han·dle·bars plural noun

racing handlebars that curve
downward: on a racing bicycle,
handlebars that curve downward, enabling the rider to adopt a more aerodynamic
posture[1]



drop-in

drop-in
drop-in
(plural drop-ins) noun

1.  casual
visitor:
a casual visitor or client who has not made a previous arrangement to visit

2.  social
event:
an informal party that does not require an invitation

[1]



dropin

dropin
drop
in
intransitive verb

visit somebody casually:
to visit somebody casually or without having agreed on a time[1]



drop-incenter

drop-incenter
drop-in
cen·ter
(plural drop-in cen·ters) noun

place to visit without
appointment: a place that people can
visit without an appointment to get advice, information, or an opportunity to
meet others[1]



dropinto

dropinto
drop
into
transitive verb

enter less active state of
consciousness: to go from a more
active into a less active state of consciousness[1]



dropkick

dropkick
drop
kick
(plural drop kicks) noun

1.  FOOTBALL RUGBY method of kicking a ball:
a way of kicking a football by dropping it first and then kicking it just as it
bounces up from the ground

2.  WRESTLING illegal
wrestling move: in amateur wrestling, an illegal move in
which one wrestler attacks another by leaping into the air and striking an
opponent with both feet
—drop-kick, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



dropleaf

dropleaf
drop
leaf
noun

hinged leaf on table:
an extension on the end of a table that can be folded down when not needed (hyphenated
before a noun) • a
drop-leaf table[1]



droplet

droplet
drop·let 
[drópplət] (plural drop·lets) noun

tiny drop:
a very small drop of liquid[1]



droplight

droplight
drop·light 
[dróp lt] (plural drop·lights)
noun

movable electric light:
an electric light that can be raised or lowered by using a rope, cord, or
pulley[1]



droplock

droplock
drop
lock
(plural drop locks) noun

international bank loan:
in international financial markets, a variable-rate bank loan that is
automatically converted to a fixed-rate bond when long-term interest rates fall
to a specified level[1]



dropmaster

dropmaster
drop·mas·ter
(plural drop·mas·ters) noun

officer in airdrop:
a noncommissioned officer trained to prepare, load, tie down, and eject
materials from a plane during an airdrop operation[1]



drop-off

drop-off
drop-off 
(plural drop-offs) noun

1.  slope
in the ground: a steep slope where the ground descends
abruptly

2.  decrease:
a fall in the level of something

[1]



dropoff

dropoff
drop
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
doze
off:
to fall asleep (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
decrease:
to decline or fall to a lower level (informal) • Sales
tend to drop off during the summer.

3.  transitive
verb
take
somebody or something somewhere: to take somebody or
something to a place, usually by car, and leave the person or thing there

[1]



dropout

dropout
drop·out 
[dróp òwt] (plural drop·outs) noun

1.  EDUCATION somebody
who leaves without completing a course:
somebody who fails to complete an educational course, usually at a college or
school

2.  unconventional
person:
somebody who prefers to live an unconventional way of life (informal)

3.  COMPUTING section
without data: a small section on a magnetic tape or
disk that is missing data

[1]



dropout

dropout
drop
out
intransitive verb

1.  leave
without finishing something: to abandon a project or
activity without finishing it • He
dropped out of college in his final year.

2.  reject
society:
to reject conventional society and live in an alternative way (informal)

[1]



dropover

dropover
drop
over
or drop a·round intransitive verb

visit casually:
to visit somebody casually and without agreeing on a time • Drop
around any time.[1]



dropper

dropper
drop·per 
[dróppər] (plural drop·pers) noun

tube for dispensing drops:
a small glass or plastic tube with a rubber bulb at one end that is used to
suck up liquid and release it one drop at a time (often used in combination)
• an eye
dropper[1]



droppings

droppings
drop·pings
[dróppingz] plural noun

animal dung:
animal or bird excrement left on the ground or another surface[1]



dropshipment

dropshipment
drop
ship·ment
(plural drop ship·ments) noun

consignment of goods:
a load of a product shipped directly from the manufacturer to the retailer but
billed to a third party[1]



dropshot

dropshot
drop
shot
(plural drop shots) noun

soft shot:
a shot in a racket game in which the ball drops abruptly to the ground just
after crossing over the net or hitting the wall.
Also called
dink[1]



dropsy

dropsy
drop·sy 
[drópsee] noun

edema:
edema (dated)
[13th century. Shortening of
earlier hydropsy, via Old French idropisie from, ultimately,
Greek hudrōps, “somebody with dropsy,” from hudōr “water” (see hydro- ).][1]



droptank

droptank
drop
tank
(plural drop tanks) noun

extra fuel tank:
on fighter and bomber planes, an extra tank of fuel that enables the aircraft
to fly longer and farther. When the tank is empty or the plane enters combat it
can be jettisoned.[1]



dropwort

dropwort
drop·wort 
[dróp wàwrt, dróp
wùrt] (plural drop·worts or drop·wort) noun

Eurasian
plant:
a Eurasian plant that produces odorless clusters of small white or red flowers
and has finely divided leaves. Latin name: Filipendula vulgaris
[Coined from drop + wort ;
so called because of the plant’s tuberous root fibers][1]



dropzone

dropzone
drop
zone
(plural drop zones) noun

area where military supplies
should land: an area where troops or
goods such as military equipment or medical supplies are to be landed, usually
by parachute[1]



droshky

droshky
drosh·ky 
[dróshkee] (plural drosh·kies)
or dros·ky [dróskee] (plural
dros·kies) noun

Russian
horse-drawn carriage: an open four-wheeled
carriage drawn by horses, formerly used in Russia and Poland
[Early 19th century. From
Russian drozhki, literally “small wagon,” from drogi “wagon.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English drag and draw
.][1]



drosometer

drosometer
dro·som·e·ter 
[dro sómmətər] (plural dro·som·e·ters)
noun

device
for measuring dew: a device for measuring dew
deposits
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek drosos “dew” + -meter .][1]



drosophila

drosophila
dro·soph·i·la 
[dr sóffələ, drə
sóffələ] (plural dro·soph·i·las or dro·soph·i·la
[dr sóffə l] or dro·soph·i·lae)
noun

fruit
fly used in genetics: a small two-winged fruit fly
that is frequently used in genetic research. Genus: Drosophila
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek drosos “dew” and -philos
“loving.”][1]



dross

dross
dross 
[dross, drawss]
noun

1.  something
worthless:
something that is worthless or of a low standard or quality • I
considered her early fiction to be pure dross.

2.  METALLURGY scum
on metal:
the scum formed on molten metals, usually caused by oxidation
[Old English drōs .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting “dark, muddy,” which is also the
ancestor of English dregs and dark .][1]



drossy

drossy
dross·y
[dróssee, dráwssee]
(comparative dross·i·er, superlative dross·i·est) adjective

worthless:
worthless, or very low in quality
—dross·i·ness, noun[1]



drought

drought
drought 
(plural droughts) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY period
of dry weather: a long period of extremely dry weather
when there is not enough rain for the successful growing of crops or the
replenishment of water supplies

2.  lack
of something: a lengthy serious lack of something • She
experienced a period of creative drought.
[Old
English drūgaþ, literally “dryness.” From a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “dry,” which is also the ancestor of English dry and drain .]
—drought·y, adjective[1]



drove

drove2
drove2 [drōv]
noun (plural droves)

1.  AGRICULTURE group
of animals moving: a large number of animals,
especially cattle, moving in the same direction, especially when being driven

2.  BUILDING type
of stone chisel: a broad-edged chisel used for dressing
stone
plural
noun
droves

crowds of people:
very large numbers of people • They
came out of the football stadium in droves.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past droved, past
participle droved, present participle drov·ing, 3rd
person present singular droves)

AGRICULTURE move
animals along: to move a herd or flock of animals from
one place to another, usually over long distances, for example, to new pastures
or to market
[Old English drāf,
from drīfan (see drive )][1]



drove

drove1
drove1

Past tense of
drive[1]



drover

drover
drov·er 
[drṓvər] (plural drov·ers) noun

somebody who drives animals:
somebody whose job is to move herds or flocks of animals from one place to
another, for example, to new pastures or to market[1]



drown

drown
drown 
[drown] (past drowned, past
participle drowned, present participle drown·ing, 3rd
person present singular drowns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSIOLOGY die by immersion in water:
to die, or kill a person or animal, by immersion and usually suffocation in a
liquid, normally water. Death occurs either from lack of oxygen or as a result
of cardiac arrest from the lowered body temperature. • death
by drowning

2.  transitive
verb
See drown out

3.  transitive
verb
cover
with too much liquid: to cover or soak something,
usually an item of food, with too much liquid • He
served us pancakes drowned in syrup.
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source. Ultimately from
a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English drink and drench
.]
—drown·er, noun[1]



drowned

drowned
drowned
[drownd] adjective

1.  having
died by immersion: having died by immersion in
water

2.  thoroughly
soaked:
thoroughly soaked with water or another liquid

[1]



drownout

drownout
drown
out
transitive verb

make louder sound than
another: to make so much noise that
it is impossible to hear another sound (often passive)[1]



drowse

drowse
drowse 
[drówz] intransitive verb (past
drowsed, past participle drowsed, present participle
drows·ing, 3rd person present singular drows·es)

be
half asleep: to be in a state partway between
sleeping and waking
noun

slightly
sleepy state: a state partway between sleeping and
waking
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from drowsy .][1]



drowsy

drowsy
drows·y 
[drówzee] (comparative drows·i·er,
superlative drows·i·est) adjective

1.  almost
asleep:
almost asleep or very lightly asleep

2.  causing
sleepiness:
tending to make somebody feel sleepy • a
drowsy summer afternoon

3.  sluggish:
sluggish and dull
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: ultimately from Old English drūsian “to be
sluggish,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English drop and droop .]
—drows·i·ly,
adverb

—drows·i·ness, noun[1]



drub

drub
drub 
[drub] transitive verb (past drubbed,
past participle drubbed, present participle drub·bing,
3rd person present singular drubs)

1.  beat
somebody with a stick: to beat somebody using a
heavy stick or club

2.  defeat
an opponent: to defeat an opponent comprehensively • Their
baseball team really drubbed us last year.

3.  stamp
your feet:
to stamp the feet hard on the ground
noun

blow with a stick:
a blow made using a heavy stick or club
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Arabic ḍaraba “to beat.”]
—drub·ber, noun[1]



drudge

drudge
drudge
[druj] noun (plural drudg·es)

somebody
who does menial work: somebody who does work that
is both boring and strenuous
intransitive
verb
(past drudged, past participle drudged, present
participle drudg·ing, 3rd person present singular drudg·es)

do
menial work: to do boring or exhausting work
[15th
century. From an obsolete word meaning “to work hard.”]
—drudg·er,
noun

—drudg·ing·ly, adverb[1]



drudgery

drudgery
drudg·er·y 
[drújjəree] noun

exhausting
work:
exhausting, boring, unpleasant work

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at work

[1]



drudgework

drudgework
drudge·work 
[drúj wùrk] noun

hard work:
work that is boring and unpleasant • We
had to do hours of drudgework before we were happy with the garden.[1]



drug

drug
drug 
[drug] noun (plural drugs)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY substance
given as medicine: a natural or artificial
substance that is given to treat, prevent, or diagnose a disease or to lessen
pain

2.  DRUGS illegal
substance:
an often illegal and sometimes addictive substance that causes changes in
behavior and perception and is taken for the effects

3.  PHARMACOLOGY medical
substance:
a substance given to treat or prevent illness as defined in the U.S. Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act
transitive
verb
(past drugged, past participle drugged, present
participle drug·ging, 3rd person present singular drugs)

1.  give
somebody a drug: to give a drug to somebody

2.  add
drug to food or drink: to mix a drug with food or a
drink and give it to somebody to make him or her fall asleep or become
unconscious
[14th century. From French drogue,
of uncertain origin: possibly from Dutch droog “dry,” in a phrase
meaning “dry goods” or “goods packed in barrels.”][1]



drugabuse

drugabuse
drug
a·buse
noun

illegal or excessive drug
use: deliberate use of an illegal
drug or of too much of a prescribed drug[1]



drugbaron

drugbaron
drug
bar·on
(plural drug bar·ons) noun

(informal) See drug lord[1]



drugged

drugged
drugged
[drugd] adjective

1.  PHARMACOLOGY affected
by drugs:
heavily asleep, unconscious, or unable to function after being given drugs

2.  tired
and stupefied: extremely tired and unable to
concentrate • drugged
with sleep

[1]



drugget

drugget
drug·get 
[drúggət] (plural drug·gets) noun

1.  TEXTILES carpeting
fabric:
a thick heavy fabric made of wool, or cotton and wool, used to cover floors

2.  HOUSEHOLD rug:
a coarse rug made of wool or cotton and wool

3.  TEXTILES woolen
fabric:
a woolen or wool-blend fabric formerly used to make clothing
[Mid-16th century. From
French droguet, of uncertain origin: perhaps from drogue “drug,
worthless stuff.”][1]



druggie

druggie
drug·gie
[drúggee] (plural drug·gies) or
drug·gy [drúggee] (plural drug·gies)
noun

habitual taker of illegal
drugs: somebody who regularly takes
illegal drugs (slang)[1]



druggist

druggist
drug·gist 
[drúggist] (plural drug·gists)
noun

1.  somebody
who sells medicines: a pharmacist who owns or
manages a drugstore

2.  pharmacist:
a pharmacist

[1]



druggy

druggy
drug·gy 
[drúggee] adjective (comparative
drug·gi·er, superlative drug·gi·est)

typical
of habitual drug-taker: typical of somebody who
takes drugs regularly and often (slang) • a
druggy stupor.
noun

(slang) See druggie[1]



druglord

druglord
drug
lord
(plural drug lords) noun

major dealer in drugs:
somebody who controls a large international network engaged in the production,
processing, and sale of illegal drugs (informal)
Also called
drug baron[1]



drugola

drugola
drug·o·la 
[drug ṓlə] noun

using
drugs as payment: the use of illegal drugs as a form of
bribery (slang)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from drug, on the model of payola .][1]



drugpusher

drugpusher
drug
push·er
(plural drug push·ers) noun

seller of illegal drugs:
somebody who sells illegal drugs[1]



drugrunner

drugrunner
drug
run·ner
(plural drug run·ners) noun

somebody who transports
illegal drugs: somebody who transports
illegal drugs, usually by ship or airplane[1]



drugstore

drugstore
drug·store
[drúg stàwr] (plural drug·stores)
noun

store selling medicines and
general merchandise: a store
where prescription and over-the-counter drugs are sold along with a wide
variety of other goods and often including snacks[1]



Druid

Druid
Dru·id 
[dr id] (plural Dru·ids) noun

1.  HISTORY priest
in ancient Celtic religion: a priest in an ancient
religion practiced in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul until the people of those
areas were converted to Christianity

2.  RELIGION modern
follower of ancient Celtic religion:
somebody who worships the forces of nature by means of meditation, prayer, and
celebration of the Earth, seen as a modern-day representative of the ancient
Celtic religion
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin druides “druids,” of
prehistoric Celtic origin. Probably from an Indo-European compound, “tree,
strength,” (the ancestor of English tree
and true ) and “seer.”]
—dru·id·ic
[droo íddik], adjective

—dru·id·i·cal [droo íddik’l], adjective[1]



Druidess

Druidess
Dru·id·ess
[dr idəss] (plural Dru·id·ess·es)
noun

1.  priest
in ancient Celtic religion: a woman priest in an ancient
religion practiced in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul until the people of those
areas were converted to Christianity

2.  RELIGION modern
follower of ancient Celtic religion:
somebody who worships the forces of nature by meditation, prayer, and
celebration of the earth, seen as a modern-day representative of the ancient
Celtic religion

[1]



Druidism

Druidism
Dru·id·ism
[dr i dìzzəm] noun

religion of druids:
an ancient Celtic religion in which the forces of nature were worshiped, and
the priests were also prophets and poets, or the modern religion said to derive
from it[1]



drum

drum

drum 
[drum] noun (plural drums)

1.  MUSIC percussion
instrument:
a musical instrument usually consisting of a membrane stretched across a hollow
frame and played by striking the stretched membrane. Other hollow objects are
also used as drums.

2.  tapping
sound:
a regular tapping sound made by something striking a surface • the
drum of rain on the roof

3.  large
cylindrical container: a large cylindrical
container used for storing liquids, for example, oil or chemicals

4.  spool
on which something is wound: a large spool around which
wire, cable, or rope is wound for storage

5.  part
in a machine: a cylindrical hollow part in a machine,
for example, a clothes drier

6.  ANATOMY See eardrum

7.  ZOOLOGY fish
that makes a rhythmic sound: a large bony saltwater or
freshwater fish that emits a repeated rhythmic sound. Family: Sciaenidae
Also
called
drumfish

8.  ARCHITECTURE cylindrical
stone block: one of the cylindrical stone blocks used
to make a column

9.  ARCHITECTURE support
for a dome:
a band or other structure around the bottom of a dome or circular ceiling that
supports it
intransitive verb
(past drummed, past participle drummed, present
participle drum·ming, 3rd person present singular drums)

1.  MUSIC play a
drum or drums: to play a drum or drums

2.  tap
a surface:
to tap repeatedly and rhythmically on a surface • The
rain was drumming on the roof.

3.  BIRDS make
sound with the bill or wings: to make a repeated sound
with the bill or wings (refers to birds)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain, probably from Middle Dutch tromme, literally
“instrument making a loud noise,” ultimately of imitative origin.]
bang or beat the drum (for
somebody or something)

to try to attract support and
favorable attention for somebody or something that you favor (informal)[1]



drumand bass

drumand bass
drum
and bass
noun

fast percussive popular
music: a type of popular music
originating in the U.K. in the 1990s that has a fast rhythm, complex
percussion, and very low bass lines. It is influenced by hardcore and reggae.[1]



drumand bugle corps

drumand bugle corps
drum
and bu·gle corps noun

marching band:
a type of marching band whose instruments are limited to percussion and bugles
or fifes, that performs precisely choreographed field drills[1]



drumbeat

drumbeat
drum·beat 
[drúm bt] (plural drum·beats)
noun

1.  MUSIC sound
of drum:
a sound made by somebody beating a drum

2.  passionately
supported cause: a cause that attracts passionate support

3.  incessant
criticism:
heavy unending criticism, typically public criticism • a
steady drumbeat of accusations
—drum·beat·er,
noun

—drum·beat·ing, noun[1]



drumbrake

drumbrake
drum
brake
(plural drum brakes) noun

type of brake used on
vehicles: a type of brake on vehicles
that operates by applying pressure to the inner part of the wheel ( brake drum )[1]



drumcorps

drumcorps
drum
corps
noun

marching band:
a type of marching band whose instruments are limited to percussion and
sometimes bugles or fifes that performs precisely choreographed field drills[1]



drumette

drumette
drum·ette 
[dru mét] (plural drum·ettes) noun

part
of a chicken wing: the meaty part of a chicken
wing separated from the rest of the wing
[So called because it
resembles a small drumstick][1]



drumfire

drumfire
drum·fire 
[drúm fr] noun

1.  heavy
gunfire:
continuous heavy gunfire

2.  intense
round of something: a continuous intense
sequence or round of something

[1]



drumfish

drumfish
drum·fish 
[drúm fìsh] (plural drum·fish or
drum·fish·es) noun

See
drum  noun 7[1]



drumhead

drumhead
drum·head 
[drúm hèd] (plural drum·heads)
noun

1.  MUSIC membrane
on a drum:
the membrane, usually made of calfskin or plastic, that is stretched over the
frame of a drum

2.  NAUTICAL part
of a capstan: the round topmost part of a capstan that
holds the capstan bars in position for turning

[1]



drumheadcourt-martial

drumheadcourt-martial
drum·head
court-mar·tial noun

military
court in the field: an informal brief trial held
during military operations to hear charges of serious offenses committed by
soldiers while in action
[So called because an
upturned drum serves as the magistrate’s bench][1]



druminto

druminto
drum
into
transitive verb

tell somebody something
repeatedly: to tell somebody something
repeatedly and persistently until the person has learned it or will always
remember it (often passive)[1]



drumkit

drumkit
drum
kit
(plural drum kits) noun

See
drum set[1]



drumlin

drumlin
drum·lin 
[drúmmlin] (plural drum·lins) noun

long
ridge left by a glacier: a long narrow ridge of
gravel and rock deposited by a moving glacier, one end of which is blunt and
the other end tapering
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from earlier drum “ridge,” from Irish druim “back, ridge,” of
unknown origin.][1]



drummachine

drummachine
drum
ma·chine
(plural drum ma·chines) noun

percussion synthesizer:
an electronic synthesizer that can reproduce drum and percussion sounds in
various rhythms and combinations[1]



drummajor

drummajor
drum
ma·jor
(plural drum ma·jors) noun

somebody who leads a marching
band: somebody who leads a
marching band and conducts it by moving a baton up and down and twirling it
rhythmically[1]



drummajorette

drummajorette
drum
ma·jor·ette
(plural drum ma·jor·ettes) noun

See
majorette[1]



drummer

drummer
drum·mer 
[drúmmər] (plural drum·mers) noun

1.  MUSIC drum
player:
somebody who plays the drums

2.  (plural
drum·mers or drum·mer) ZOOLOGY
Australian
fish:
an Australian fish that frequents rocky shores. Family: Kyphosidae

[1]



drumout

drumout
drum
out
transitive verb

expel somebody from a group:
to force somebody to leave a group or an organization, usually in disgrace (usually
passive)[1]



drumroll

drumroll
drum·roll
[drúm rl] (plural drum·rolls)
noun

continuous drumming:
a very fast regular beating on a drum that sounds like one long sound[1]



drumset

drumset
drum
set
noun

percussion instruments:
a set of percussion instruments used in bands, usually consisting of one or
more snare drums, tom-toms, bass drums, and various cymbals.
Also called
drum kit[1]



drumstick

drumstick
drum·stick 
[drúm stìk] (plural drum·sticks)
noun

1.  MUSIC stick
for beating a drum: the stick used to beat a
drum

2.  FOOD lower
half of a poultry leg: the lower half of the leg of
a bird such as a chicken when prepared for eating, so called because of its
shape

[1]



drumup

drumup
drum
up
transitive verb

1.  try
to elicit:
to try actively to get more of something such as business or support

2.  invent
an explanation: to create or think up an explanation • What
excuse can I drum up this time?

[1]



drunk

drunk
drunk 
[drungk]

Past participle of
drink
adjective

1.  intoxicated
with alcohol: having drunk too much alcohol and lost
control over behavior, movement, and speech

2.  emotionally
intoxicated: overwhelmed with and judgmentally
impaired by an intense emotion • drunk
with power

3.  COOKING long-soaked:
used to describe a meat dish in Chinese cooking in which the meat, usually
chicken, has been immersed in a liquid and boiled or marinated overnight • drunk
chicken
noun
(plural drunks)

1.  somebody
who drinks all the time: somebody who habitually
drinks too much alcohol or who is in a drunken state

2.  drinking
bout:
a bout of drinking too much alcohol (slang) • One
more drunk, and I divorce you.

[1]



drunkard

drunkard
drunk·ard 
[drúngkərd] (plural drunk·ards)
noun

somebody who drinks to
excess: somebody who habitually
drinks too much alcohol[1]



drunk-driving

drunk-driving
drunk-driv·ing
noun

driving
after having drunk too much: the offense of driving a
vehicle while having a higher blood alcohol content than the law allows • Drunk-driving
cost him his driver’s license.
U.K.
term
drink-driving
—drunk-driv·er, noun[1]



drunken

drunken
drunk·en 
[drúngkən] adjective

1.  involving
alcohol:
involving too much alcohol or occurring while people have had too much alcohol
• a
drunken quarrel

2.  intoxicated:
overly excited by or as if by having consumed too much alcohol

3.  affected
by alcohol:
drunk or frequently drunk
[Old
English, old past participle of drink]
—drunk·en·ly,
adverb

—drunk·en·ness, noun[1]



drunktank

drunktank
drunk
tank
(plural drunk tanks) noun

cell for drunk prisoners:
a special cell in a jail or police station where people who have been arrested
for public drunkenness are kept (slang)[1]



drupe

drupe
drupe 
[droop] (plural drupes) noun

fruit
with pit inside: a fruit with a thin outer skin, soft
pulpy middle, and hard stony central part that encloses a seed. Apricots,
plums, cherries, and almonds are drupes.
Also
called
stone fruit
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin drupa “overripe olive,” from Greek druppa
“olive,” of uncertain origin.][1]



drupelet

drupelet
drupe·let 
[drplət] (plural drupe·lets) or
dru·pel [drp’l] (plural dru·pels)
noun

type of small fruit:
a small fruit enclosing a single seed that with many other small sections makes
up a compound fruit such as a blackberry or raspberry[1]



Druse

Druse
Druse 
noun

See
Druze[1]



druthers

druthers
druth·ers 
[drúərz] plural noun

somebody’s
preference:
somebody’s own free choice or preference (informal) • If
I had my druthers, I’d be lying on a beach somewhere.
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of “would rather.”][1]



Druze

Druze
Druze 
[drooz] (plural Druze or
Druz·es) or Druse [drooz]
(plural Druse or Drus·es) noun

member
of a Mideast religion: a member of a religion
similar to Islam that is found mainly in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria
[Late
18th century. Directly or via French from Arabic durūz, plural of durzī,
from the name of the religion’s founder, Muḥammad ibn Ismā’īl ad-Darazī
( d. 1019 ).]
—Dru·ze·an [drzee ən], adjective[1]



dry

dry
dry 
[drī] adjective (comparative dri·er,
superlative dri·est)

1.  not
wet:
not wet, or no longer wet

2.  METEOROLOGY lacking
moisture in the air: having very little or no
rain or moisture in the air

3.  not
wet and thus comfortable: not wet and therefore
comfortable to wear • dry
clothes

4.  lacking
in appropriate moisture: lacking in normal levels of
natural oiliness or moisture • dry
skin

5.  drained
of water:
no longer having water because it has evaporated or been exhausted • The
spring has been dry for years.

6.  lacking
customary moisture: not producing or accompanied
by associated moisture, in the form of phlegm, tears, or vomit • a
dry cough

7.  not
requiring liquid for use: manufactured so as to be
usable without water • dry
shampoo

8.  without
flesh attached: no longer having the meat attached • dry
bones

9.  thirsty:
thirsty and dehydrated

10. BEVERAGES lacking
sweetness:
not sweet because the sugar has been broken down during the process of
fermentation • dry
sherry

11. FOOD served
without fat or liquid: lacking the usual moist
spread or sauce such as butter, preserves, or gravy • dry
toast

12. FOOD unappetizingly
lacking moistness: lacking in appetizing
moistness, for example, because of being stale or overcooked

13. shrewdly
amusing:
witty in a shrewd, subtle, or sarcastic way

14. boring
and academic: dense and academic in style

15. matter-of-fact:
plain and without unnecessary ornamentation • a
dry, matter-of-fact account of the incident

16. unproductive:
unable to produce expected or creative results • They’ve
looked for him everywhere, and come up dry.

17. LAW not
allowing alcohol sales: not allowing legal sale of
alcoholic beverages • a dry
county

18. ZOOLOGY no
longer giving milk: used to describe a female
animal that no longer produces milk

19. containing
no moisture: from which the liquid or moisture has
been removed • Dry
fruit has become popular as a snack. • dry
weight

20. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING not
conducting electricity: used to describe a current-carrying
path that cannot conduct electricity because the solder at the joint has not
completely adhered to a surface • a dry
joint
verb
(past dried, past participle dried, present
participle dry·ing, 3rd person present singular dries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something dry: to make something dry, or become dry • It’s
your turn to dry the dishes.

2.  transitive
verb
FOOD TECHNOLOGY preserve
food by extracting moisture: to preserve food, especially
fruit, vegetables, and meat, by extracting most of the moisture from it
noun

1.  dry
place:
a place that is dry or sheltered from the rain (informal) • stay
in the dry

2.  dry
(plural dries) POLITICS
prohibitionist:
somebody who supports the legal prohibition of alcoholic beverages (archaic)
[Old
English drge . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English drought and drain .]
—dry·a·ble,
adjective

—dry·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  dry, dehydrated,
  desiccated, arid, parched,
  shriveled, sere
  CORE
  MEANING: lacking
  moisture dry; the most general term
  used to describe something containing little or no moisture; dehydrated;
  a term for something from which water has been removed, also used to describe
  a person or animal whose body does not contain enough fluids; desiccated; a formal term for dehydrated
  . It is not used to refer to people or animals; arid;
  dry because of a lack of rain; parched;
  dry because of excessive heat; shriveled; dry and shrunken; sere; a somewhat literary term meaning
  withered and dry, used especially of plants

[1]



dryad

dryad
dry·ad 
[dr əd, dr àd]
(plural dry·ads or dry·ades [dr ə dz]) noun

wood
nymph:
in Greek mythology, a spiritual being believed to live in trees and forests
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek Druad-, the stem of Druas, from drus
“tree.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English tree .]
—dry·ad·ic [drī áddik], adjective[1]



dryasdust

dryasdust
dry·as·dust 
[dr əz dùst] (plural dry·as·dusts)
noun

somebody
boring:
somebody who bores audiences with tedious speeches (dated)
[Late 19th century. From the
name of the fictitious Dr. Jonas Dryasdust, to whom Sir Walter Scott
dedicated some of his novels.][1]



drybattery

drybattery
dry
bat·ter·y
(plural dry bat·ter·ies) noun

electric battery:
an electric battery that has more than one dry cell[1]



dry-boneore

dry-boneore
dry-bone
ore
noun

smithsonite:
a kind of smithsonite that has many holes, found near the surface of the
Earth’s crust[1]



drycell

drycell
dry
cell
(plural dry cells) noun

part of a battery:
a current-generating electric cell that cannot be regenerated and contains an
electrolyte in the form of a paste or within a porous material to keep it from
spilling.
See also
wet cell[1]



dry-clean

dry-clean
dry-clean 
(past dry-cleaned, past participle dry-cleaned, present
participle dry-clean·ing, 3rd person present singular dry-cleans)
transitive verb

clean with chemicals:
to clean clothes or other fabrics with a chemical solvent instead of water[1]



drycleaning

drycleaning
dry
clean·ing
noun

1.  commercial
method of cleaning clothes: the professional cleaning of
clothes and other fabrics using a chemical solvent rather than water

2.  dry-cleaned
items:
clothes and other fabrics that require dry-cleaning or have just been
dry-cleaned

[1]



Dryden,John

Dryden,John

Dry·den 
[drd’n], John (1631–1700)
English poet, dramatist, and critic. His
works include the play Marriage à la Mode ( 1672 ) and the verse satire Absalom
and Achitophel ( 1681 ). He was made poet laureate by Charles II (1668),
but having become a Catholic in 1685, was deprived of the office on the
accession of William of Orange.[1]



drydistillation

drydistillation
dry
dis·til·la·tion noun

See
destructive distillation[1]



drydock

drydock
dry
dock
noun

waterless
area for ship repairs: an enclosed dock from which
the water can be removed so that construction or repairs can be carried out
below the water line of a boat or ship.
Also
called
dock
Also
called
graving dock
—dry-dock, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



dryer

dryer
dry·er 
noun

See
drier[1]



dry-eyed

dry-eyed
dry-eyed
adjective

not crying:
unable or unwilling to shed tears • He
remained dry-eyed throughout the trial.[1]



dryfarming

dryfarming
dry
farm·ing 
noun

farming
without irrigation: a method of growing crops in
dry areas by selecting plants that are drought-resistant and using mulch to
retain moisture in the soil, so making irrigation unnecessary
—dry farm·er, noun[1]



dryfly

dryfly
dry
fly
noun

artificial lure:
a kind of artificial lure used in fly-fishing that remains on the surface of
the water instead of sinking.
See also
wet fly[1]



Drygas

Drygas
Dry·gas
[drgàs] Trademark

a trademark for a gasoline
additive[1]



drygoods

drygoods
dry
goods
plural noun

fabrics, clothing, and
notions: goods such as fabrics,
clothing, and notions, as distinct from hardware, food, and other products.
U.K. term
drapery  noun 4[1]



dryhole

dryhole
dry
hole
(plural dry holes) noun

unproductive oil well:
an oil well that has been drilled but that produces no oil, or not enough to
make it economically profitable[1]



dryice

dryice
dry
ice
noun

solid form of carbon dioxide:
cold solid carbon dioxide at the temperature of −78.5°C / −110°F, used to keep
other things very cold or to produce an artificial fog effect[1]



dryingoil

dryingoil
dry·ing
oil 
(plural dry·ing oils) noun

oil used as a paint base:
an organic oil for example, linseed or cottonseed oil, used as a base in paints
and varnishes because it reduces drying time. Such oils form a tough thin film
when exposed to air.[1]



drykiln

drykiln
dry
kiln
(plural dry kilns) noun

oven for drying lumber:
a large oven used to season cut lumber[1]



dryland

dryland
dry
land
noun

land, not the sea:
the land as distinct from the sea or a body of water[1]



drylaw

drylaw
dry
law
(plural dry laws) noun

law preventing sale of
alcohol: in some U.S. states and
counties, a law that forbids the sale of alcohol[1]



dryly

dryly
dry·ly
adverb

See
drily[1]



drymartini

drymartini
dry
mar·ti·ni
(plural dry mar·ti·nis) noun

cocktail containing dry
vermouth: a cocktail that contains a
little dry vermouth mixed with gin or vodka[1]



drymeasure

drymeasure
dry
meas·ure
(plural dry meas·ures) noun

unit system for measuring dry
quantities: a system of units used to
measure dry products such as grains and fruits by volume, or a unit in such a
system[1]



drynurse

drynurse
dry
nurse
(plural dry nurs·es) noun

nurse
for baby:
a nurse employed to look after somebody’s young baby but not to breast-feed it
(archaic)
See
also
wet nurse
—dry-nurse, transitive
verb[1]



dryoff

dryoff
dry
off
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become drier:
to become drier, or make something drier[1]



dryopithecine

dryopithecine
dry·o·pith·e·cine 
[dr ō píthə sn] (plural dry·o·pith·e·cines
or dry·o·pith·e·cine) noun

extinct
ape:
an extinct ape of the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, believed by some scientists
to be the ancestor of modern apes and humans. Genus: Dryopithecus
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Dryopithecus, genus name, from Greek drus
“tree” and pithēkos “ape.”][1]



dryout

dryout
dry
out
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become completely dry: to become completely dry, or
make something completely dry • It
will take a while for the plaster to dry out.

2.  DRUGS stop
using alcohol or drugs: to purge alcohol or other
drugs from the body, or put somebody through such a process (informal)

[1]



drypoint

drypoint
dry
point
(plural dry points) noun

1.  method
of engraving: a technique of engraving in intaglio on
a metal, usually copper, plate that produces a feathery effect in the lines of
the print

2.  steel
needle:
a hard steel needle used to engrave a metal plate

3.  print
made by dry point: an engraving or print made
by using dry point

[1]



dryrot

dryrot
dry
rot
noun

1.  BUILDING crumbling
decay in wood: dry crumbling decay in wood caused by
various fungi

2.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a disease caused by various fungi that invade plant stems, bulbs, and fruits,
causing them to dry out and decay

3.  FUNGI destructive
fungus:
a fungus that causes dry rot. Genus: Merulius

[1]



dryrun

dryrun
dry
run
(plural dry runs) noun

rehearsal of a later action:
a rehearsal of a planned action or activity • Let’s
have a dry run to make sure it’s going to work.[1]



dry-salt

dry-salt
dry-salt
(past dry-salt·ed, past participle dry-salt·ed, present
participle dry-salt·ing, 3rd person present singular dry-salts)
transitive verb

preserve by salting:
to use salt to dry and preserve food[1]



drysocket

drysocket
dry
sock·et
(plural dry sock·ets) noun

painful condition in the
mouth: a painful condition caused
when the blood left by an extracted tooth fails to clot or the clot is
dislodged[1]



DryTortugas National Park

DryTortugas National Park
Dry
Tor·tu·gas Na·tion·al Park [dr
tawr tgəz násh’nəl prk]

national park in southwestern
Florida that contains Fort Jefferson and Shark Island. Area: 262 sq km/100 sq
mi.[1]



dryup

dryup
dry
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
or remove moisture: to lose water or moisture
over a period, or make a river or pool lose its water over a period • The
river dried up centuries ago.

2.  intransitive
verb
stop
being available: to stop being available as a resource • Our
project ended because our sources of funding dried up.

3.  transitive
verb
U.K. dry
dishes:
to dry plates, dishes, pans, and cutlery with a cloth after they have been
washed

4.  intransitive
verb
stop
talking:
to stop talking, or forget lines during a performance or rehearsal (informal)
(often used as a command) • Oh,
just dry up, will you? I’m trying to think!

5.  intransitive
verb
run
out of ideas: to be unable to perform as usual or as
expected • His
ideas have dried up.

[1]



drywall

drywall
dry·wall
[dr wàwl] (plural dry·walls) or
dry wall [dr wàwl] (plural dry
walls) noun

1.  See
plasterboard

2.  wall
made of plasterboard: a wall constructed with
sheets of plasterboard

3.  wall
made without mortar: a wall constructed of stone
or masonry without mortar
—dry-wall, transitive
verb[1]



drywash

drywash
dry
wash
(plural dry washes) noun

clean laundry:
laundry that has been washed and dried but has not been ironed[1]



d.s.

d.s.
d.s.

1.  d.s.
or D.S. MUSIC Abbreviation
of dal segno

2.  Abbreviation
of
days after sight

3.  Abbreviation
of
document signed

[1]



D.S.C.

D.S.C.
D.S.C.
or DSC

Abbreviation of
Distinguished Service Cross[1]



D.Sc.

D.Sc.
D.Sc.
or DSc

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Science[1]



DSL

DSL
DSL

Abbreviation of
Digital Subscriber Line[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








D.S.O.

D.S.O.
D.S.O.
or DSO

Abbreviation of
Distinguished Service Order[1]



d.s.p.

d.s.p.
d.s.p.

Abbreviation
of
died without issue
[Latin decessit sine prole][1]



DSS

DSS
DSS

Abbreviation of
Director of Social Services[1]



DST

DST
DST
or D.S.T.

Abbreviation of
daylight-saving time[1]



DT

DT
DT
or D.T.

Abbreviation of
daylight time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








D.T.

D.T.
D.T.

Abbreviation of
Doctor Theologiae[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Dt.

Dt.
Dt.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Deuteronomy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








DTP

DTP
DTP

Abbreviation of
desktop publishing[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








d.t.’s

d.t.’s
d.t.’s
or D.T.’s

Abbreviation of
delirium tremens[1]



dual

dual
du·al 
[d əl] adjective

1.  having
two similar elements: having two parts, functions,
aspects, or items of a similar kind • dual
citizenship

2.  having
two distinct aspects: made up of two distinct,
often opposite, elements • serve
a dual purpose

3.  GRAMMAR specifying
two:
in various languages, used to describe or relating to a grammatical number
category, in addition to singular and plural, that specifies two people or
things
noun

GRAMMAR dual
number or inflected form: dual number, or, in various
languages, the inflected form of a noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb that
refers to dual number
[Early
17th century. From Latin dualis, from duo “two.” Ultimately from
the Indo-European word for “two,” which is also the ancestor of English two and binary
).]
—du·al·ly, adverb[1]



Duala

Duala
Du·a·la 
[doo lə] (plural Du·a·la or
Du·a·las) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an African ethnic group: a member of an African
ethnic group that lives in Cameroon

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Duala: the language of the Duala, belonging to
the Bantu group of Niger-Congo languages. See Douala
—Du·a·la, adjective[1]



dual-hatted

dual-hatted
du·al-hat·ted
adjective

having two commands:
holding two military commands at the same time[1]



dualin-line package

dualin-line package
du·al
in-line pack·age (plural du·al in-line
pack·ages) noun

series of electronic
switches: a package consisting of a
printed circuit board and a series of switches, used to control optional
settings for electronic devices[1]



dualism

dualism
du·al·ism 
[d ə lìzzəm] (plural du·al·isms)
noun

1.  state
of having two parts: a state in which something
has two distinct parts or aspects, which are often opposites

2.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of two opposing concepts: a philosophical theory based
on the idea of opposing concepts, especially the theory that human beings are
made up of two independent constituents, the body and the mind or soul

3.  RELIGION doctrine
of opposing principles: the religious doctrine that
two opposed and antagonistic forces of good and evil determine the course of
events

4.  RELIGION dual
nature of people: the religious idea that people are
inherently dual in nature, both spiritual and physical
—du·al·ist,
noun

—du·al·is·tic
[d ə lístik], adjective

—du·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



duality

duality
du·al·i·ty 
[doo állətee] (plural du·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  something
consisting of two parts: a situation or nature that
has two states or parts that are complementary or opposed to each other

2.  PHYSICS theory
of matter:
in microphysics, the theory that both wave and particle theory account for the
behavior of matter and energy under different conditions

3.  GEOMETRY mathematical
symmetry of objects or operations: a mathematical
symmetry in which certain objects or operations to be interchanged without
invalidating a relationship, for example, the interchange of points and lines
in a plane in projective geometry

[1]



dual-purpose

dual-purpose
du·al-pur·pose 
adjective

having two functions:
capable of performing two functions satisfactorily • a
dual-purpose cleaner[1]



Duarte

Duarte
Duar·te
[dwrtee]

city in southwestern
California below the San Gabriel Mountains, east of Los Angeles. Population:
21,318 (1996)[1]



Duarte,José Napoleón

Duarte,José Napoleón
Duar·te
[dwrtee], José Napoleón (1925–1990)

Salvadorean politician. He
was twice president of El Salvador (1980–1982, 1984–1989).[1]



dub

dub3
dub3 [dub]
verb (past dubbed, past participle dubbed, present
participle dub·bing, 3rd person present singular dubs)

1.  transitive
verb
poke
at somebody or something: to make a thrust at somebody
or something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC drum:
to beat drums or a drum
noun
(plural dubs)

1.  act
of thrusting: the act of poking at somebody or
something

2.  MUSIC drumming:
the sound of drumming or a drummer
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



dub

dub4
dub4 [dub]
noun

style of music:
a style of popular music, originating with reggae in the 1970s, that involves
remixing records to bring some instruments into the foreground while causing
others to echo[1]



dub

dub1
dub1 [dub]
transitive verb (past dubbed, past participle dubbed,
present participle dub·bing, 3rd person present singular dubs)

1.  give
descriptive nickname: to give a descriptive
nickname to somebody or something • The
press dubbed him the King of Chess.

2.  honor
somebody by renaming: to honor somebody by giving
him or her a new name or description

3.  POLITICS confer
a knighthood on somebody: to give somebody a
knighthood by tapping the person on the shoulder with a sword as part of a
formal ceremony

4.  INDUSTRY make
something smooth or even: to dress a material, for
example, leather or timber, to make it smooth or even

5.  FOOD clean
meat:
to clean meat, especially fish or poultry, in preparation for sale or eating

6.  SPORTS perform
poorly:
to perform something, such as a golf stroke, ineptly
noun
(plural dubs)

clumsy unskillful person:
somebody who is clumsy, awkward, or lacking in skill (informal dated)
[Pre-12th
century. From Anglo-Norman duber, a variant of Old French adober
“to equip with armor,” of unknown origin.]
—dub·ber, noun[1]



dub

dub2
dub2 [dub]
transitive verb (past dubbed, past participle dubbed,
present participle dub·bing, 3rd person present singular dubs)

1.  CINEMA TV add a soundtrack in a
different language: to add a new soundtrack to a
movie or television show with the dialogue in a different language but
synchronized as closely as possible with the actors’ lips • The
movie was dubbed into Italian.

2.  RECORDING copy
something onto new medium: to copy something already
recorded onto a different recording medium

3.  RECORDING copy:
to make a copy of a record or tape

4.  RECORDING add
sounds to a movie: to add sounds that have been
recorded separately to a movie soundtrack
noun
(plural dubs)

1.  something
added by dubbing: new sounds added by dubbing

2.  copy
of recording: a copy made of a tape or recording

3.  style
of music:
a style of popular music, originating in reggae in the 1970s, involving
remixing records to bring certain instruments into the foreground and causing
others to echo (informal)
[Early
20th century. Shortening of double .]
—dub·ber, noun[1]



Dubai

Dubai
Du·bai
[doo b] or Dubayy [doo b]

city in the northeastern
United Arab Emirates, and the capital city of Dubai state. Population: 674,100
(1995)[1]



dubbing

dubbing
dub·bing
[dúbbing] (plural dub·bings) noun

1.  process
of adding new soundtrack: the process of providing a
new soundtrack for a movie or television show with the dialogue in a different
language but synchronized as closely as possible with the actors’ lips

2.  soundtrack:
a soundtrack recorded for a movie or television show after the photography is
finished

3.  final
soundtrack:
a final mix of all the soundtracks for a movie
[Formed from dub 2][1]



dubiety

dubiety
du·bi·e·ty 
[doo b ətee] (plural du·bi·e·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  uncertainty
about something: a feeling of uncertainty about something

2.  something
doubtful:
something about which you are unsure
[Mid-18th century. From late
Latin dubietas, from Latin dubius “doubtful” (see dubious ).][1]



Dubinsky,David

Dubinsky,David
Du·bin·sky 
[d bínskee], David (1892–1982)

Russian-born U.S. labor
leader. He was president of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union
(1932–1966).[1]



dubious

dubious
du·bi·ous 
[dbee əss] adjective

1.  unsure
about an outcome: uncertain about an outcome or conclusion
• I
was a little dubious about whether or not to trust him.

2.  possibly
dishonest or immoral: likely to be dishonest,
untrustworthy, or morally worrisome in some way • It’s
a dubious proposition.

3.  of
uncertain quality: of uncertain quality,
intention, or appropriateness • The
thesis is based on several dubious theories.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin dubius “doubtful.” The underlying meaning was
“split between two choices.”]
—du·bi·ous·ly,
adverb

—du·bi·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



dubitable

dubitable
du·bi·ta·ble 
[dbitəb’l] adjective

open
to doubt:
causing or leading to doubt or uncertainty (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin dubitabilis, from dubitare “to be
uncertain.”]
—du·bi·ta·bly, adverb[1]



Dublin

Dublin
Dub·lin


1.  city
and capital of the Republic of Ireland. It is situated on the Liffey River in
east central Ireland, at the head of Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea. Population:
480,996 (1996)

2.  city
in western California east of San Francisco Bay and southeast of Oakland.
Population: 25,231 (1996)
—Dub·lin·er, noun[1]



dubnium

dubnium

dub·ni·um
[dúbnee əm] noun
synthetic chemical element:
an extremely rare, unstable chemical element produced in high-energy atomic–ion
collisions. Symbol Db[1]



DuBois, W. E. B.

DuBois, W. E. B.

Du
Bois 
[doo bóyss], W. E. B. (1868–1963)
U.S.
historian, sociologist, and civil rights leader. He conducted the first
research on the experience of blacks in the United States and fought for racial
equality, becoming the most influential African American intellectual of his
time.
Full name
Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt[1]



Dubonnet

Dubonnet
Du·bon·net
[d bə náy] Trademark

a trademark for a wine used
as an apéritif[1]



Dubos,René

Dubos,René
Du·bos 
[doo báwss, doo
bṓss], René (1901–1982)

French-born
U.S. bacteriologist. He discovered tyrothricin (1939), the first commercially
produced antibiotic. His writings on the environment include So Human an
Animal ( 1968 ).
Full name
Dubos, René Jules[1]



Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik
Du·brov·nik


city, port, and vacation
resort on the Dalmatian coast in southeastern Croatia. It suffered much damage
during ethnic conflict in the 1990s. Population: 49,728 (1991)[1]



Dubuque

Dubuque
Du·buque 
[də byk]

city and port in northeastern
Iowa, on the Mississippi River, that forms Iowa’s border with Wisconsin
northeast of Cedar Rapids. Population: 57,312 (1996)[1]



Dubček,Alexander

Dubček,Alexander
Dub·ček 
[db chèk, dp
chèk], Alexander (1921–1992)

Czech statesman. His liberal
reforms as leader of the Communist party led to Soviet invasion in 1968.
Shortly afterward, he was ousted from power. He re-emerged as a popular leader in
1989.[1]



ducal

ducal
du·cal 
[dk’l] adjective

belonging
to or like duke: belonging to, relating to, or like a
duke or dukedom • a ducal palace
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin duc-, the stem of dux
“leader.”]
—du·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ducat

ducat
duc·at 
[dúkət] noun (plural duc·ats)

1.  old
European coin: a gold or silver coin formerly used in
some European countries, for example, Italy and the Netherlands

2.  ticket:
a ticket for a performance (dated informal)
plural
noun
duc·ats

cash: money
or cash (dated informal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, medieval Latin ducatus “duchy” (see duchy ); so called because the word appeared on
early coins.][1]



duce

duce
du·ce 
[d chày] (plural du·ces) noun

leader:
an Italian term for “leader.” The Italian Fascist leader Mussolini was called
“Il Duce.”
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin dux “leader.”][1]



Duchamp,Marcel

Duchamp,Marcel
Du·champ 
[doo shN], Marcel (1887–1968)

French-born U.S. artist. He
displayed everyday objects as works of art, and helped to introduce Cubism to
the United States. He became a citizen of the United States in 1954, and later
his work became an inspiration for the pop art movement.[1]



Duchennemuscular dystrophy

Duchennemuscular dystrophy
Du·chenne
mus·cu·lar dys·tro·phy [doo
shèn muskyələr dístrəfee] or Du·chenne’s mus·cu·lar
dys·tro·phy [doo shèn muskyələr dístrəfee]
or Du·chenne dys·tro·phy [doo shèn
muskyələr dístrəfee] or Du·chenne’s dys·tro·phy [doo shèn muskyələr dístrəfee] noun

muscular
disease:
a form of muscular dystrophy that attacks the muscles of the upper respiratory
and pelvic areas, usually affecting boys and causing death before maturity
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French neurologist G. B. A. Duchenne ( 1806–1875 ), who first
described it.][1]



duchess

duchess
duch·ess 
[dúchəss] (plural duch·ess·es)
noun

1.  high-ranking
noblewoman:
a noblewoman of high rank. In the British Isles this is the highest hereditary
title of nobility.

2.  wife
or widow of a duke: the wife or widow of a duke
[14th century. Via Old French
duchesse from medieval Latin ducissa, feminine form of dux
“leader.”][1]



duchessesatin

duchessesatin
duch·esse
sat·in
[doo shéss sàtt’n] noun

heavy satin:
a firm heavy satin with a glossy finish, used often for formal gowns[1]



duchesspotatoes

duchesspotatoes
duch·ess
po·ta·toes
[doo shèss pə tàytōz] plural noun

potato
cakes:
a mixture of mashed potatoes, eggs, and butter that is made into a patty and
baked
[Duchesse from French,
“duchess”][1]



duchy

duchy
duch·y 
[dúchee] (plural duch·ies) noun

duke
or duchess’s territory: the territory over which a
duke or duchess has jurisdiction.
Also
called
dukedom
[14th century. Via Old French
duche from medieval Latin ducatus, from Latin duc-, the
stem of dux “leader.”][1]



duck

duck1

duck1 [duk]
(plural ducks) noun

1.  (plural
ducks or duck) BIRDS
common
water bird:
a common water bird with webbed feet, short legs, and a broad flat bill. It is
found all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Order: Anseriformes

2.  female
duck:
a female duck.
See
also
drake

3.  FOOD duck
as food:
the flesh of a duck when it is eaten as a food
[Old
English dūce, of uncertain origin: probably from assumed dūcan
“to dive” (see duck 2 )]
get or have your ducks all in a
row

to
have organized your life or a specific task so that it runs smoothly

take to something like a duck to water

to have a natural talent for
something[1]



duck

duck2
duck2 [duk]
verb (past ducked, past participle ducked, present
participle duck·ing, 3rd person present singular ducks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
quickly:
to bend or move the head down quickly, especially to avoid being hit by
something

2.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move somewhere very quickly, often to avoid being seen • I
ducked behind a desk and kept as still as possible.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb plunge
under water: to push somebody under water, or move
quickly so as to go below the surface of the water • No
ducking.

4.  transitive
verb
avoid
something:
to avoid dealing with something that ought to be dealt with • The
candidate ducked all the questions about her past

5.  intransitive
verb
BRIDGE deliberately
lose a trick: to play a card lower than an opponent’s
on purpose in order to lose a trick
noun
(plural ducks)

quick downward movement:
a movement downward with the head, especially to avoid being hit by something
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English dūcan,
ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word meaning “to dive, dip.”]
—duck·er,
noun
duck
and run

to avoid meeting somebody
face to face[1]



duck

duck3
duck3 [duk]
noun (plural ducks)

TEXTILES strong
cloth:
strong, fairly stiff, closely woven cloth, usually of cotton or canvas, used to
make protective clothing and furnishings
plural
noun
ducks

CLOTHES
pair of white pants:
a pair of pants, usually white, or like those worn by sailors[1]



duck-billedplatypus

duck-billedplatypus
duck-billed
plat·y·pus 
noun

Australian egg-laying mammal:
an Australian egg-laying aquatic mammal with a snout shaped like a duck’s bill
and webbed feet. Latin name: Ornithorynchus anatinus
Also called
platypus[1]



duckblind

duckblind
duck
blind
(plural duck blinds) noun

duck hunters’ shelter:
a camouflaged shelter from which hunters shoot ducks[1]



duckboard

duckboard
duck·board 
[dúk bàwrd] (plural duck·boards)
noun

temporary walkway:
a temporary walkway made of wooden boards laid over a wet or muddy area to form
a raised path[1]



duckcall

duckcall
duck
call
(plural duck calls) noun

noisemaker device for
attracting ducks: a device similar to a
whistle that a duck hunter blows into in order to attract ducks[1]



duckie

duckie
duck·ie
noun adjective

(dated informal) See
ducky[1]



duckingstool

duckingstool
duck·ing
stool 
(plural duck·ing stools) noun

old device for punishment:
formerly, in Europe and New England, a chair or stool in which an offender was
tied and then immersed in water as a punishment[1]



duckling

duckling
duck·ling 
[dúkling] (plural duck·lings) noun

young duck:
a duck that has not reached maturity[1]



duckout

duckout
duck
out
intransitive verb

avoid something:
to avoid or dodge doing something • She’s
trying to duck out of paying her part of the bill.[1]



duckpin

duckpin
duck·pin 
[dúk pìn] (plural duck·pins) noun

small
bowling pin: a bowling pin smaller in size than a
tenpin
[Early 20th century. Duck
from the shape of the pin, which resembles a duck.][1]



duckpins

duckpins
duck·pins
[dúk pìnz] noun

game of bowling:
a bowling game played with a small ball and pins smaller than tenpins (takes
a singular verb)[1]



ducks

ducks
ducks
noun

See
duck 1[1]



ducksand drakes

ducksand drakes
ducks
and drakes 
noun

skipping
stones across water: a game in which flat stones
are skipped across water by throwing them almost parallel to its surface (takes
a singular verb)
[So
called because of the game’s similarity to a waterfowl’s movements]
play
ducks and drakes with

to use something recklessly
and wastefully[1]



ducksoup

ducksoup
duck
soup
noun

easily accomplished task:
a task or feat done or accomplished easily (slang)[1]



ducktail

ducktail
duck·tail 
[dúk tàyl] (plural duck·tails)
noun

See
DA
[Mid-20th century. So called
because of the haircut’s similarity to a duck’s tail.][1]



duckweed

duckweed
duck·weed 
[dúk wd] noun

floating aquatic plant:
a stemless free-floating aquatic plant with small rounded leaves that is found
on still temperate waters and eaten by waterfowl. Genus: Lemna[1]



ducky

ducky
duck·y
[dúkee] (plural duck·ies) or
duck·ie [dúkee] (plural duck·ies)
adjective

charming:
charmingly pretty (dated informal) • a
ducky little cottage[1]



duck’sass

duck’sass
duck’s
ass
(plural duck’s ass·es) noun

(slang) Full form
of DA[1]



duct

duct
duct 
[dukt] noun (plural ducts)

1.  channel
through which something flows: a tube, pipe, or
channel through which something can flow or be carried, for example, in
air-conditioning equipment

2.  ANATOMY tube
in a body organ: a narrow tubular exit passageway in a
gland or bladder through which fluid passes

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING tube
for cables:
a tube or channel containing electrical cables
transitive
verb
(past duct·ed, past participle duct·ed, present
participle duct·ing, 3rd person present singular ducts)

1.  supply
with ducting: to supply or equip something such as a
building with a duct or a system of ducts

2.  cause
to pass through channel: to make a fluid or gas pass
through a tube, pipe, or channel • Exhaust
fumes are ducted out of the workshop.
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin ductus, from ducere “to lead.”]
—duct·al,
adjective

—duct·less, adjective[1]



ductile

ductile
duc·tile 
[dúkt’l] adjective

1.  malleable
enough to be worked: able to be drawn out into
wire or hammered into very thin sheets • ductile
metal

2.  readily
shaped or molded: able to be molded or shaped without
breaking

3.  readily
influenced:
easily persuaded or influenced
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French ductile from Latin ductilis
“something that may be led or conducted,” from ducere “to lead.”]
—duc·tile·ly,
adverb

—duc·tile·ness,
noun

—duc·til·i·ty
[duk tíllətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pliable

[1]



ducting

ducting
duct·ing 
[dúkting] (plural duct·ings) noun

1.  system
of ducts:
a duct or system of ducts

2.  material
for ducts:
materials such as pipes and tubing that can be used as ducts

[1]



ducttape

ducttape
duct
tape
noun

strong repair and
construction tape: a very
strong, wide, adhesive tape, typically silver in color, used especially in
making temporary repairs to pipes[1]



ductwork

ductwork
duct·work 
[dúkt wùrk] noun

ducting system:
a system of ducts that has been constructed, or its design[1]



dud

dud
dud 
[dud] (plural duds) noun

1.  shell
that does not explode: a munition that fails to
fire or explode

2.  failure
at something: somebody or something considered
ineffective or a failure (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from duds via “somebody
in rags,” hence “useless thing,” hence “shell that failed to explode,” hence
“failure.”][1]



dude

dude
dude 
[dood] (plural dudes) noun
(slang)

1.  man:
a man or boy • He’s
one cool dude. • Hey,
dude, what’s up?

2.  city
dweller vacationing out west: a resident of the urban
eastern seaboard who vacations on a dude ranch in the west, or who moves out
west to work or live “A new word has been coined. It is d-u-d-e … It has sprung
into popularity within the last two weeks.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle February 15,
1883

3.  flashily
dressed man: a man who wears flashy, highly stylish
clothes
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a German dialect word meaning “fool.”][1]



dudeen

dudeen
du·deen 
[doo dn] (plural du·deens) noun

short-stemmed
pipe for smoking: a clay tobacco pipe with a short stem
[Mid-19th century. From Irish
dúidíin, literally “small pipe,” from dúd “pipe.”][1]



duderanch

duderanch
dude
ranch
(plural dude ranch·es) noun

western ranch or resort:
a vacation resort offering outdoor activities that is or resembles a typical
western ranch[1]



dudeup

dudeup
dude
up
verb

wear flashy clothes:
to wear flashy, very stylish clothes (slang) (refers to a male)[1]



dudgeon

dudgeon
dudg·eon
[dújjən] noun

1.  pique:
a fit of anger and irritation

2.  dagger
handle:
the handle of a dagger (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Origin unknown.]
in
high dudgeon

in a very angry or irritated
mood[1]



duds

duds
duds
[dudz] plural noun (dated informal)

1.  clothes:
articles of clothing and accessories

2.  small
belongings:
small, portable personal possessions
[15th century. Of uncertain
origin.][1]



due

due
due 
[doo] adjective

1.  expected
to arrive:
expected to arrive imminently • The
baby is due in three weeks.

2.  ready
for something: awaiting an event, as part of a normal
chain or progression of other events • due
for a long-awaited promotion

3.  proper
and appropriate: meeting all the necessary requirements
and thus proper and appropriate to the situation • after
due consideration

4.  owed:
owed as a debt because of a right or an obligation • Our
deep gratitude is due to all those who have helped over the last few months.

5.  FINANCE payable:
payable at once and on demand, or at a stipulated time • Payment
is due in 30 days.

6.  because
of somebody or something: caused by or attributable to
somebody or something • The
delay was due to bad weather.
noun
(plural dues)

somebody’s right:
something that somebody has deserved or is owed • I’ll
give you your due –you were absolutely right.
plural
noun
dues

membership fees:
fees for membership in an organization
adverb

directly and exactly:
in a direct exact way or course • due
west
[13th century. Via Old French
deu “owed” from Latin debitus, from debere “to owe”
(source of English debit and debt .][1]



duebill

duebill
due
bill
(plural due bills) noun

document acknowledging debt:
a document that acknowledges one party’s indebtedness to another, exchangeable
for merchandise or services[1]



duel

duel
du·el 
[d əl] noun (plural du·els)

1.  formal
fight over matter of honor: a prearranged combat,
especially in former times, between two people with lethal weapons, usually to
settle a disagreement over a matter of honor. The combatants were usually
accompanied by seconds or supporters.

2.  struggle
between two parties: a struggle or conflict
between two people or groups
intransitive
verb
(past du·eled, past participle du·eled, present
participle du·el·ing, 3rd person present singular du·els)

1.  engage
in one-on-one combat: to fight somebody
one-on-one, typically with firearms or sabers and usually over a matter of
honor

2.  oppose:
to be involved in a conflict or struggle with somebody
[15th
century. From medieval Latin duellum “combat between two persons,” from
(by folk etymology from Latin duo “two”) Latin duellum, an
archaic form of bellum “war.”]
—du·el·er, noun[1]



duelingpistol

duelingpistol
du·el·ing
pis·tol
(plural du·el·ing pis·tols) noun

firearm for fighting duels:
a pistol specifically designed for fighting a duel, usually more finely
manufactured than a normal pistol and often made in sets of two[1]



duelist

duelist
du·el·ist 
[d əlist] (plural du·el·ists)
noun

1.  fighter
of duels:
somebody who fights in a duel

2.  party
to a conflict: a person or entity taking part in a
dual-party conflict or competition • corporate
duelists struggling for market share

[1]



duenna

duenna
du·en·na 
[doo énnə] (plural du·en·nas) noun

woman
guardian:
a woman acting as a chaperone or governess to a younger woman, especially in
Spain and Portugal in former times
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish, “married lady,” from late Latin domna, from Latin domina
“lady” (source of English dame ).][1]



dueprocess

dueprocess
due
proc·ess
noun

1.  fundamental
principles of justice: fundamental principles of
justice as opposed to a specific rule of law

2.  citizen’s
right to justice: the entitlement of a citizen to proper
legal procedures and natural justice

[1]



duet

duet
du·et 
[doo ét] noun

1.  composition
for two performers: an instrumental or vocal
composition written for two performers of equal importance

2.  pair:
a pair of people, animals, or things
[Mid-18th
century. Via Italian duetto, literally “little duo” from duo “two
musicians,” from Latin duo “two” or perhaps via German Duett .]
—du·et·tist, noun[1]



duff

duff2
duff2 [duf]
(plural duffs) noun

the
buttocks:
the buttocks (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



duff

duff1
duff1 [duf]
(past duffed, past participle duffed, present
participle duff·ing, 3rd person present singular duffs,
comparative duff·er, superlative duff·est) transitive
verb

mishit
a golf ball: to play a bad shot in golf by hitting
the ground behind the ball (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from duffer
.][1]



duffel

duffel
duf·fel 
or duf·fle noun

1.  TEXTILES woolen
fabric:
woolen material with a nap on both sides

2.  camping
gear:
gear, including clothing and equipment, used by campers and hikers
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch duffel, named for Duffel, town in Belgium where the cloth
was originally made.][1]



duffelbag

duffelbag
duf·fel
bag
(plural duf·fel bags) noun

cylindrical bag with
drawstring: a cylindrical bag for
personal belongings that is fastened with a drawstring[1]



duffer

duffer
duff·er 
[dúffər] (plural duff·ers) noun

1.  unintelligent
person:
somebody who is thought of as slow to learn or incompetent at something (dated
informal insult)

2.  something
worthless:
something worthless or useless (dated informal)

3.  peddler:
somebody who peddles goods, especially cheap or worthless merchandise (archaic)
(regional)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Scottish dowfart “dull, inactive
fellow,” or from Old Norse daufr “deaf.”][1]



duffle

duffle
duf·fle 
noun

See
duffel[1]



dufflecoat

dufflecoat
duf·fle
coat
or duf·fel coat noun

TEXTILES
woolen coat with hood:
a heavy medium-length coat with a hood and toggles for fastening it that is
made from duffel[1]



dug

dug2
dug2 [dug]
(plural dugs) noun

animal’s
mammary gland: an udder, teat, nipple, or breast of a
female mammal
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



dug

dug1
dug1

Past participle of
dig Past tense of dig[1]



dugong

dugong

du·gong 
[d gàwng] (plural du·gongs) noun
large
plant-eating marine mammal: a large plant-eating mammal
of shallow tropical coastal waters, related to the manatee. It has a two-lobed
tail, cleft upper lip, forelimbs resembling flippers, and tusks in the male.
Latin name: Dugong dugon
[Early 19th century.
Ultimately from Malay duyung .][1]



dugout

dugout
dug·out 
[dúg òwt] (plural dug·outs) noun

1.  canoe
made from a hollowed log: a canoe or boat hollowed out
from a log or tree trunk

2.  MILITARY soldiers’
shelter:
a hole dug in the ground that is covered and used as a shelter, especially by
soldiers

3.  BASEBALL baseball
shelter:
either of two shelters, one for each team, on opposite sides of a baseball
field where team members wait while not playing

4.  SOCCER soccer
shelter:
either of two shelters beside a sports field, especially a soccer field, for
team officials, for example, the manager and trainer and team members who are
not on the field

[1]



duh

duh
duh
[də] interjection (slang)

1.  response
to something already known: said as an ironic response
to a simple question or statement to show that somebody already knows the truth
of something that he or she has just been told • “Billy
asked me to the party, I think he really likes me!”“Duh!”

2.  humorous
expression of stupidity: said slowly in a humorous
manner to suggest stupidity by imitating the hesitant noise somebody might make
to indicate that he or she does not know the answer to something • “What
did you do with the keys?” –“Duh.”

[1]



DUI

DUI
DUI

Abbreviation of
driving under the influence[1]



duiker

duiker
dui·ker 
[dkər] (plural dui·kers) or
duy·ker [dkər] (plural duy·kers)
noun

small
African antelope: a small African antelope with short
backward-pointing horns. Genera: Cephalophus Sylvicapra
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans, “diver,” from, ultimately, Middle Dutch dūken “to dive.”][1]



duikerbok

duikerbok
dui·ker·bok 
[dkər bòk] (plural dui·ker·boks)
noun

most
widespread duiker antelope: a duiker that is the most
widespread in Africa and is often found close to human settlements. Latin name:
Silvicapra grimma
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, from duiker “diver” + bok “buck.”][1]



dujour

dujour
du
jour
[doo zhr] preposition

of
the day:
offered or served today • Let’s
ask what the soup du jour is.
[From French, literally “of
the day”][1]



Dukakis,Michael

Dukakis,Michael
Du·ka·kis
[d kkəss], Michael (1933– )

U.S.
politician. He was Democratic governor of Massachusetts (1975–1979 and
1983–1991) and ran for the U.S. presidency in 1988.
Full name
Dukakis, Michael Stanley[1]



duke

duke
duke 
[dook] (plural dukes) noun

1.  high-ranking
nobleman:
a nobleman of very high rank. In the British Isles this is the highest
hereditary title of the nobility.

2.  ruler
of principality: a prince who rules a duchy,
principality, or other small state

3.  fist:
a hand or fist, especially a fist clenched for fighting or a boxer’s fist
raised as an indication of victory (slang) (often used in the plural)
[12th
century. Via Old French duc from Latin dux “leader,” from ducere
“to lead.” “Fist” from Duke of Yorks, rhyming slang for “forks,” that
is, “fingers, fists.”]
duke
it out

to be in a highly aggressive
competitive situation with somebody (slang)[1]



dukedom

dukedom
duke·dom 
[dkdəm] (plural duke·doms) noun

1.  rank
of duke:
the rank, position, or title of a duke

2.  See
duchy

[1]



Duke,James Buchanan

Duke,James Buchanan
Duke 
[dook], James Buchanan (1856–1925)

U.S. industrialist. He
dominated the U.S. tobacco industry by 1889 and formed the American Tobacco Co.
in 1890.[1]



Dukhobor

Dukhobor
Du·kho·bor 
noun

See
Doukhobor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








dulcet

dulcet
dul·cet 
[dúlsət] adjective

agreeable
to hear:
pleasant to hear, especially by being soft or soothing
[15th century. From Old
French doucet, literally “small sweet (thing),” from doux
“sweet,” from Latin dulcis .][1]



dulciana

dulciana
dul·ci·a·na 
[dùlsee ánnə, dùlsee
nə] (plural dul·ci·a·nas) noun

soft-toned
organ stop:
an organ stop or pipe of the diapason type, characterized by a soft sweet tone
[Late 18th century. From
medieval Latin, from Latin dulcis “sweet.”][1]



dulcify

dulcify
dul·ci·fy 
[dúlsə f] (past dul·ci·fied, past
participle dul·ci·fied, present participle dul·ci·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular dul·ci·fies) transitive verb

make
pleasant:
to make something agreeable, especially to the senses (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin dulcificare, literally “to make sweet,” from dulcis
“sweet.”]
—dul·ci·fi·ca·tion [dùlsəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



dulcimer

dulcimer


dul·ci·mer 
[dúlsəmər] (plural dul·ci·mers)
noun
zither:
a zither played with lightweight hammers or sometimes by plucking.
See
also
hammer dulcimer
[15th century. From French doulcemer,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin dulcis “sweet” + melos
“song.”][1]



dulcinea

dulcinea
dul·cin·e·a 
[dùlsə n ə, dul
sínnee ə] (plural dul·cin·e·as) noun

beloved
woman:
a woman who is the object of somebody’s love, especially one who is idealized (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Dulcinea,
the name of Don Quixote’s love.][1]



dulfer

dulfer
dul·fer
[dúlfər, dlfər]
noun

method of descending rock
with rope: in mountaineering, a classic
method of rappelling using a rope wrapped around the body[1]



dulia

dulia
du·li·a
[doo l ə] noun

veneration
of saints and angels: the veneration of saints and
angels, as in the Roman Catholic and Eastern churches
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin, “service, work done,” from Greek douleia “slavery.”][1]



dull

dull
dull 
[dul] adjective (comparative dull·er,
superlative dull·est)

1.  boring:
arousing no interest or excitement

2.  overcast:
not bright because of weather conditions such as thick clouds or mist

3.  not
vivid:
lacking vividness or brightness of hue

4.  not
intensely felt: not acutely or intensely felt or
experienced, but prolonged • a dull
ache

5.  muffled:
muffled and not resonant • a dull
thud

6.  blunt:
lacking sharpness or the ability to cut cleanly

7.  unintelligent:
slow to understand or learn

8.  slow
to respond:
lacking in alertness or speedy responsiveness • dull
reflexes

9.  listless:
lacking in energy or enthusiasm • dull,
scattered applause
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dulled, past
participle dulled, present participle dull·ing, 3rd
person present singular dulls)

1.  become
or make less acute: to become, or cause
something to become, less acute or intensely felt • Sleepiness
had dulled his hunger.

2.  reduce
in loudness: to become, or cause something to become,
quieter

3.  become
or make blunt: to become, or cause something to become,
less sharp

4.  become
or make less bright: to become, or cause
something to become, less bright or intense
[Old
English dol “slow-witted,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English dolt and doldrums]
—dull·ish,
adjective

—dull·ness,
noun

—dul·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boring

[1]



dullard

dullard
dull·ard 
[dúllərd] (plural dull·ards) noun

somebody
unintelligent: somebody regarded as unintelligent or
slow to comprehend (dated insult)
[15th century. Coined from dull + -ard .][1]



Dulles,Allen Welsh

Dulles,Allen Welsh
Dul·les 
[dúlliss], Allen Welsh (1893–1969)

U.S. government official.
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1953–1961), he resigned after the
disastrous Bay of Pigs landing in Cuba and subsequent rout.[1]



Dulles,John Foster

Dulles,John Foster
Dul·les
[dúlliss], John Foster (1888–1959)

U.S. statesman and diplomat.
He was secretary of state (1953–1959), and delegate to the United Nations,
which he helped to form.[1]



dullsville

dullsville
dulls·ville 
[dúlz vìl] or Dulls·ville [dúlz vìl] noun (slang)

1.  something
boring:
a place, thing, or activity that is boring or unexciting • This
town is dullsville in the evening.

2.  boredom:
the condition of being bored or uninterested • I
sat there in dullsville during the entire eight-hour flight.
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
place names.][1]



dulse

dulse
dulse 
[duls] (plural duls·es or
dulse) noun

edible
red seaweed: a red alga with edible fronds that grows
in the intertidal zone and near the low-water mark in northern temperate seas.
Latin name: Palmaria palmata
[Early 17th century. From
Irish and Gaelic duileasg .][1]



Duluth

Duluth
Du·luth 
[də lth]

major port and city in
northeastern Minnesota, at the southern end of Lake Superior, northeast of
Minneapolis. Population: 83,699 (1996)[1]



duly

duly
du·ly 
[dlee] adverb

1.  properly
and suitably: in a proper, correct, or suitable way • duly
grateful

2.  as
expected:
at the proper or expected time • A
signal was given and our coach duly departed.
[14th century. Coined from due + -ly .][1]



duma

duma
du·ma 
[dmə, d m]
(plural du·mas) or dou·ma [dmə,
d m] (plural dou·mas) noun

1.  modern
Russian parliament: the parliament of modern
Russia, established in 1993 after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union

2.  tsarist
Russian parliament: a Russian council or
parliament during the time of tsarist rule, set up around 1905 but quickly
deprived of power
[Late 19th century. From
Russian, from Old Russian, “council, thought,” of uncertain origin: probably
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to judge.”][1]



Dumas,Alexandre

Dumas,Alexandre
Du·mas
[doo m, dyoo m],
Alexandre (1824–1895)

French
playwright and novelist. He wrote The Lady of the Camellias ( 1848 ), on
which Verdi based La Traviata .
Known as
Dumas fils[1]



Dumas,Alexandre

Dumas,Alexandre
Du·mas 
[doo m, dyoo m],
Alexandre (1802–1870)

French
novelist and dramatist. He wrote the celebrated novels The Three Musketeers
( 1844 ) and The Count of Monte Cristo ( 1844 ).
Known as
Dumas père[1]



duMaurier, Daphne

duMaurier, Daphne
du
Mau·rier 
[doo máwree ày], Daphne, Dame (1907–1989)

British novelist. Her books
include Jamaica Inn ( 1936 ), Rebecca ( 1938 ), and My Cousin
Rachel ( 1951 ).[1]



dumb

dumb
dumb 
[dum] adjective (comparative dumb·er,
superlative dumb·est)

1.  unintelligent:
having or characterized by a low level of intelligence (informal insult)

2.  offensive
term meaning unable to speak: unable to speak (offensive)

3.  temporarily
speechless:
temporarily unable to speak because of shock, fear, surprise, or anger

4.  done
without speech: performed or expressed without using
speech

5.  intentionally
silent:
deliberately not speaking or refusing to speak

6.  COMPUTING not
programmable: able only to transmit information to or
receive information from a computer, and not able to process data • a
dumb terminal

7.  producing
no sound:
designed or adapted to produce no sound

8.  lacking
human speech: lacking the power of speech because not
human
transitive
verb
(past dumbed, past participle dumbed, present
participle dumb·ing, 3rd person present singular dumbs)

make temporarily speechless:
to make somebody temporarily unable to speak, especially by using shock or
surprise (literary)
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “sensory or mental
impairment” that is also the ancestor of English dull
and doldrums .]
—dumb·ly,
adverb

—dumb·ness, noun[1]



dumbbell

dumbbell
dumb·bell 
[dúm bèl] (plural dumb·bells) noun

1.  weight
for exercising: an exercise weight in the form of a
metal bar with a metal disk or ball at each end

2.  unintelligent
person:
somebody regarded as lacking in intelligence and common sense (slang insult)

[1]



dumbblond

dumbblond
dumb
blond
(plural dumb blonds) or dumb blonde (plural dumb
blondes) noun

blond stereotyped as
unintelligent: a blond woman
stereotyped as being good-looking but unintelligent (offensive)[1]



dumbcane

dumbcane
dumb
cane
noun

plant that paralyses throat:
a poisonous tropical American plant that if chewed can lead to loss of speech
in adults or death in children and small animals. Latin name: Dieffenbachia
seguine[1]



dumbcluck

dumbcluck
dumb
cluck
(plural dumb clucks) noun

very unintelligent person:
somebody regarded as very unintelligent or thoughtless (dated insult)[1]



dumbdown

dumbdown
dumb
down
intransitive and transitive verb

make too simple:
to make something less intellectually challenging (informal) • parents
and teachers who were adamantly opposed to dumbing down science courses[1]



dumbfound

dumbfound
dumb·found 
[dùm fównd, dúm
fòwnd] (past dumb·found·ed, past participle dumb·found·ed,
present participle dumb·found·ing, 3rd person present singular
dumb·founds) or dum·found [dùm
fównd, dúm fòwnd] (past dum·found·ed,
past participle dum·found·ed, present participle dum·found·ing,
3rd person present singular dum·founds) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
speechless:
to make somebody temporarily speechless with astonishment
[Mid-17th century. From dumb + confound
.][1]



dumbo

dumbo
dum·bo 
[dúm bō] (plural dum·bos) noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody unintelligent or very silly (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
jumbo .][1]



dumbshow

dumbshow
dumb
show
(plural dumb shows) noun THEATER

1.  actors’
pantomime:
communication without words by actors using gesture or facial expressions

2.  play
in mime:
a play or part of a play presented in mime form

[1]



dumbstruck

dumbstruck
dumb·struck 
[dúm strùk] adjective

temporarily speechless:
made temporarily speechless by astonishment or shock[1]



dumbwaiter

dumbwaiter
dumb·wait·er 
[dúm wàytər] (plural dumb·wait·ers)
noun

1.  small
elevator:
a small elevator used for moving food and tableware between the floors of a
building

2.  movable
food stand:
a movable stand for food, often with revolving shelves, that is placed near a
table

[1]



dumdumbullet

dumdumbullet
dum·dum
bul·let 
(plural dum·dum bul·lets) or dum·dum (plural
dum·dums) noun

bullet
whose point expands on impact: a bullet with a soft
core or vertical cuts made in its point that expands on impact and inflicts a
severe wound. Dumdum bullets are contrary to the Geneva Convention.
[Late 19th century. Named for
DumDum, town and arsenal near Calcutta, India, where the bullets were
first produced.][1]



dumfound

dumfound
dum·found 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
dumbfound[1]



dummkopf

dummkopf
dumm·kopf 
[dúm kàwpf, dúm
kàwf] (plural dumm·kopfs) noun

a
clumsily unintelligent person: a person who is
regarded as unintelligent and clumsy (slang insult)
[Early 19th century. From
German, from dumm “stupid” + Kopf “head.”][1]



dummy

dummy
dum·my 
[dúmmee] noun (plural dum·mies)

1.  mannequin
in a store:
a model of a human used for making or displaying clothes

2.  model
used by a ventriloquist: a large, sometimes stuffed,
model of a human used, for example, by a ventriloquist

3.  unintelligent
person:
somebody regarded as being unintelligent or silly (informal insult)

4.  FOOTBALL bag
used in tackling practice: a stuffed bag, usually
mounted on a frame, that represents an opposing player and is used in blocking
and tackling practice

5.  imitation
of something: an imitation of something, especially
one lacking a feature or function of the original and deceivingly substituted
for it • A
lot of the system’s switches are just dummies.

6.  SPORTS feigned
pass in ball games: a feigned pass or other move
intended to deceive an opponent, especially a tackler, in soccer, rugby, or a
similar game

7.  person
or organization acting as front: a person or
organization serving as a front for another while pretending to be independent
• a
dummy corporation

8.  ARMS nonexplosive
form of munition: a nonexplosive form of an explosive
munition

9.  BRIDGE exposed
hand in bridge: an exposed hand of cards in bridge
played by the player who is the first bidder of the suit in the final contract
( declarer ), or a player of this hand

10. U.K.
See pacifier

11. PUBLISHING model
page:
a page that looks like the final product but is a computer-generated or
pasted-up facsimile showing general design specifications

12. PUBLISHING model
book:
a set of model pages, often blank or containing only one signature, that have
been bound and jacketed to give an idea of the final book. Dummies are used in
preselling books.
transitive
verb
(past dum·mied, past participle dum·mied, present
participle dum·my·ing, 3rd person present singular dum·mies)

PUBLISHING make
into page or book facsimile: to make up pages into page
or book facsimiles • dummied several pages
for the sales conference
[Late 16th century. Coined
from dumb + -y
.][1]



dummyvariable

dummyvariable
dum·my
var·i·a·ble
(plural dum·my var·i·a·bles) noun

replaceable mathematical
variable: a mathematical variable that
can be replaced by another arbitrarily[1]



Dumont,Gabriel

Dumont,Gabriel
Du·mont
[doo máwnt], Gabriel (1838–1906)

Canadian military leader. He
commanded rebels against government forces and settlers in Saskatchewan (1885).[1]



dumortierite

dumortierite
du·mor·ti·er·ite 
[doo máwrtee ə rt] noun

hard
fibrous mineral: a hard fibrous bright blue,
bluish-green, or pink mineral consisting of a silicate of aluminum and boron
[Late 19th century. From
French, named for Eugène Dumortier, a French paleontologist.][1]



dump

dump
dump 
[dump] transitive verb (past dumped,
past participle dumped, present participle dump·ing,
3rd person present singular dumps)

1.  drop
or put down carelessly: to deposit something on a
surface in a careless and usually noisy manner • dumped
the reports on my desk

2.  throw
out as unwanted: to get rid of something that is
unwanted, especially by taking it and leaving it somewhere

3.  dispose
of waste:
to dispose of waste by moving it to a prearranged site

4.  terminate
relationship: to end a romantic or sexual relationship
with somebody, especially abruptly and hurtfully (informal)

5.  remove
somebody undesirable: to remove somebody deemed
undesirable or a liability from a position such as leadership in a group,
especially abruptly and unceremoniously (informal)

6.  COUNSELLING confide:
to offload negative feelings by talking about them to somebody, especially a
friend or therapist • I’m
sorry to dump all this on you, but I’ve got no one else to talk to.

7.  COMMERCE flood
market with cheap merchandise: to flood a market with
cheaply priced merchandise

8.  relegate
somebody to custodial care: to entrust somebody, for example,
a child or a person of advanced years, to custodial care (informal
disapproving)

9.  STOCK EXCHANGE get
rid of stocks: to sell off large quantities of stock
all at once, thereby driving the price down

10. COMPUTING transfer
data without processing: to transfer computer data
from one site to another without processing it
noun
(plural dumps)

1.  MILITARY munitions
and supply area: a place for the temporary storage of
munitions, food, water, fuel, and other supplies for distribution to troops

2.  waste
disposal site: a place where waste materials can be
left

3.  unpleasant
place:
an unpleasant or dirty place (informal) • The
hotel was a real dump.

4.  act
of defecating: an act of evacuating the bowels (slang
offensive)

5.  act
of throwing something away: an act of discarding
something
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian, from, ultimately, an Indo-European word
meaning “to hit,” or from Dutch dumpen “to immerse, topple.”][1]



dumper

dumper
dump·er
[dúmpər] (plural dump·ers) noun

1.  disposer
of waste:
a person who or machine that disposes of waste by taking it to a prearranged
site

2.  somebody
who throws things out: somebody who throws things
out, littering in the process

[1]



dumpertruck

dumpertruck
dump·er
truck
(plural dump·er trucks) noun

U.K.
See dump truck[1]



dumping

dumping
dump·ing
[dúmping] noun

waste disposal:
the activity of depositing waste in an area or place[1]



dumpling

dumpling
dump·ling 
[dúmpling] (plural dump·lings)
noun

1.  small
ball of cooked dough: a small dough ball cooked
and served with a stew or soup

2.  pastry
and fruit dessert: a baked dessert consisting
of pastry wrapped around fruit

3.  somebody
short and plump: somebody who is endearingly short and
plump (informal insult)
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Low German dump “damp, moist, heavy.”][1]



dumpon

dumpon
dump
on
intransitive verb

denigrate somebody:
to insult, criticize, or otherwise denigrate somebody else severely (slang)[1]



dumporbit

dumporbit
dump
or·bit
(plural dump or·bits) noun

orbit of disused satellite:
an orbit that a communications satellite is moved into at the end of its useful
life in which it will not collide with operational satellites[1]



dumps

dumps
dumps 
[dumps] plural noun

gloomy
state of mind: a state of sadness and hopelessness (informal)
• feeling
down in the dumps
[Early 16th century. Plural
of obsolete dump, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Dutch domp
“haze.”][1]



Dumpster

Dumpster
Dump·ster
[dúmpstər] Trademark

a trademark for large
trash-and-garbage containers and hoisting units[1]



dumptruck

dumptruck
dump
truck
(plural dump trucks) noun

heavy open truck:
a heavy truck with an open bed that can be tilted up and back to unload cargo
such as gravel, dirt, or refuse from construction sites.
U.K. term
tipper truck[1]



dumpy

dumpy2
dump·y2 [dúmpee]
(comparative dump·i·er, superlative dump·i·est) adjective

messy:
messy, cheap, and usually dirty (informal) • a
dumpy little airless apartment
[Mid-18th century. See dumpy 1 .][1]



dumpy

dumpy1
dump·y1 [dúmpee]
(comparative dump·i·er, superlative dump·i·est) adjective

short
and plump:
having a short and plump build or shape (insult)
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from Low German dump “damp,
heavy, lump” (possible source of English dumpling
).]
—dump·i·ly,
adverb

—dump·i·ness, noun[1]



dumpylevel

dumpylevel
dump·y
lev·el
(plural dump·y lev·els) noun

surveying instrument:
a surveying instrument for taking levels with a short fixed horizontal
telescope[1]



dun

dun1
dun1 [dun]
noun (plural duns)

1.  COLORS brownish-gray
color:
a brownish-gray color

2.  EQUESTRIAN brownish-gray
horse:
a horse whose coat is brownish gray
adjective
(comparative dun·ner, superlative dun·nest)

1.  COLORS brownish-gray:
of a brownish-gray color

2.  gloomy:
gloomily and darkly bleak and depressing (literary) • a
dun and bare prairie
[Old English dunn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English dusk .][1]



dun

dun2
dun2 [dun]
transitive verb (past dunned, past participle dunned,
present participle dun·ning, 3rd person present singular duns)

harass for debt payment:
to press or harass somebody persistently for the settlement of a debt
noun
(plural duns)

1.  payment
demand:
a pressing, usually written, demand for payment

2.  debt
collector:
somebody whose job is to collect other people’s debts
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of dunkirk “privateer sailing from
Dunkirk in France”; or named for Joe Dun, bailiff of Lincoln, England,
famous for catching debtors.][1]



Dunant,Jean Henri

Dunant,Jean Henri
Du·nant 
[doo nN], Jean Henri (1828–1910)

Swiss philanthropist. He
founded the International Red Cross (1862–1864) and shared the first Nobel
Peace Prize (1901).[1]



Dunaway,Faye

Dunaway,Faye
Dun·a·way
[dúnnə wày], Faye (1941– )

U.S. movie actor. She has
acted in various Hollywood films and won an Academy Award for Network (
1976 ).[1]



Dunbar,Paul Laurence

Dunbar,Paul Laurence

Dun·bar 
[dún br], Paul Laurence (1872–1906)
U.S. poet. The son of former slaves, he
was known for his poems, written in dialect, about the experiences of African
Americans.[1]



Duncan

Duncan
Dun·can 
[dúngkən]

city in southern Oklahoma,
south of Oklahoma City and southeast of Lawton. Population: 22,057 (1996)[1]



Duncan,Isadora

Duncan,Isadora

Dun·can 
[dúngkən], Isadora (1877–1927)
U.S.
dancer. She laid the foundation for modern dance, basing her ideas on the
dances of the ancient Greeks.
Full name
Duncan, Dora Angela[1]



Duncanville

Duncanville
Dun·can·ville 
[dúngkən vìl]

city in northeastern Texas,
southeast of Mountain Creek Lake. It is a southwestern suburb of Dallas.
Population: 36,008 (1996)[1]



dunce

dunce
dunce 
[duns] (plural dunc·es) noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody who is felt to be unintelligent or a slow learner, especially somebody
with no aptitude for a particular subject (insult)
[Mid-16th century. From Duns
in the name of John Duns Scotus . Originally “follower of Duns Scotus” (a
contemptuous term).][1]



duncecap

duncecap
dunce
cap
(plural dunce caps) or dunc·e’s cap (plural dunc·e’s
caps) noun

pointed hat worn as
punishment: a conical paper hat formerly
worn as a punishment by a pupil who was slow to learn or lazy in school[1]



Dundee

Dundee
Dun·dee


city
in eastern Scotland on the Firth of Tay. Population: 150,250 (1995)
—Dun·do·ni·an [dun dṓnee ən] (plural Dun·do·ni·ans),
noun, adjective[1]



dunderhead

dunderhead
dun·der·head 
[dúndər hèd] (plural dun·der·heads)
noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody regarded as unintelligent or slow to learn (informal insult)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Dutch dunderkop, from dunder
“thunder” + kop “head.”]
—dun·der·head·ed,
adjective

—dun·der·head·ed·ness,
noun[1]



dundrearies

dundrearies
dun·drear·ies 
[dun drriz] plural noun

long
sideburns:
long sideburns worn in conjunction with a clean-shaven chin
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Lord Dundreary in Tom Taylor’s comedy Our American Cousin, from
the whiskers worn by actor E. A. Sothern, who played the part.][1]



dune

dune

dune 
[doon] (plural dunes) noun
hill
of sand:
a mound or ridge of sand formed by wind or water action, typically seen on
coasts and in deserts
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Middle Dutch dūne .][1]



dunebuggy

dunebuggy
dune
bug·gy
noun

motorized beach vehicle:
a motorized beach vehicle, usually with no top and with oversized tires to
prevent it from getting mired in sand[1]



dung

dung
dung 
[dung] noun

1.  animal
excrement:
the solid excrement of animals, especially large animals such as cattle or
horses

2.  See
manure
transitive
verb
(past dunged, past participle dunged, present
participle dung·ing, 3rd person present singular dungs)

cover with dung:
to cover land with dung or manure
[Old
English, of uncertain origin: perhaps originally “material for covering the
earth,” and ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cover,” which may
also be the ancestor of English dingy]
—dung·y, adjective[1]



dungaree

dungaree
dun·ga·ree 
[dùng gə r, dúng
gə r] noun

strong
cloth:
a sturdy hard-wearing blue-denim fabric
[Late 17th century. From
Hindi dungrī “kind of coarse cloth,” named after the village near Mumbai
(Bombay) where it was first made.][1]



dungarees

dungarees
dun·ga·rees 
[dùng gə rz, dúng
gə rz] plural noun

tough pants:
pants made from strong material, usually blue denim[1]



dungbeetle

dungbeetle
dung
bee·tle
(plural dung bee·tles) noun

beetle that rolls balls of
dung: a scarab beetle that rolls
large balls of dung into tunnels to feed the larvae that hatch from the eggs it
lays there. Subfamily: Coprinae[1]



Dungenesscrab

Dungenesscrab
Dun·ge·ness
crab 
[dùnjənéss krab] (plural Dun·ge·ness
crabs) noun

large N American crab:
a large edible crab native to the Pacific coast, especially to the area around
Dungeness, Washington. Latin name: Cancer magister[1]



dungeon

dungeon
dun·geon 
[dúnjən] (plural dun·geons) noun

1.  prison
cell:
a prison cell, often underground, especially beneath a castle

2.  castle
keep:
the secure main tower of a castle (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
donjon “castle keep” (later “secure underground cell”) from, ultimately,
Latin dominus “lord” (source of English danger
and dominion ).][1]



dunghill

dunghill
dung·hill 
[dúng hìl] (plural dung·hills)
or dung·heap [dúng hp] (plural
dung·heaps) noun

pile of dung:
a pile of solid animal excrement[1]



dunite

dunite
du·nite 
[d nt, dú nt]
noun

dark
igneous rock: a coarse-grained dark igneous rock
consisting mainly of a magnesium-rich olivine. It is an important source of
magnesium, chromium, and platinum.
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Mt. Dun in New Zealand, where it is found.]
—du·nit·ic [doo níttik, də níttik],
adjective[1]



dunk

dunk
dunk 
[dungk] verb (past dunked,
past participle dunked, present participle dunk·ing,
3rd person present singular dunks)

1.  transitive
verb
dip
food in liquid: to dip food into a liquid before eating
it

2.  transitive
verb
quickly
submerge in liquid: to submerge something in
liquid, especially quickly and for a short time

3.  intransitive
verb
immerse
self in water: to immerse yourself in water for a short
period (informal) • a huge
swimming pool to dunk in every morning

4.  transitive
verb
shove
somebody’s head under water: to push somebody’s head
beneath the surface of water

5.  transitive
verb
BASKETBALL slam
basketball into basket from above: to slam or jam a
basketball through the hoop from above by jumping and arcing the ball-carrying
arm over the head
noun
(plural dunks)

BASKETBALL See dunk shot
[Early
20th century. Via Pennsylvanian German dunke “to dip” from, ultimately,
Old High German dunkōn .]
—dunk·er, noun[1]



Dunker

Dunker
Dunk·er 
[dúngkər] (plural Dunk·ers) or
Dunk·ard [dúngkərd] (plural Dunk·ards)
noun

German-American
Baptist:
a member of a group of German-American Baptists, the German Baptist Brethren,
who baptize by total immersion and oppose military service and official
oath-taking. They also dress plainly and believe in living a simple life
unencumbered by materialism.
[Mid-18th century. From
Pennsylvanian German, from dunke “to dip.”][1]



Dunkirk

Dunkirk
Dun·kirk 
[dún kùrk, dun
kúrk]

seaport and town in northern
France, in the Nord Department, Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, near Calais. In
World War II over 330,000 Allied troops were evacuated from the town by sea,
under constant enemy fire. Population: 71,071 (1990)[1]



dunkshot

dunkshot
dunk
shot
(plural dunk shots) noun

BASKETBALL
ball slammed into a hoop:
a shot in basketball made by jamming or slamming the ball through the hoop from
above.
Also called
dunk[1]



dunlin

dunlin
dun·lin 
[dúnlin] (plural dun·lins or
dun·lin) noun

wading
bird:
a small wading bird with a slightly downcurved bill and a black belly, found in
North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Latin name: Calidris alpina
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from dun 1 .][1]



dunnage

dunnage
dun·nage 
[dúnnij] noun

packing
material for ship’s cargo: packing material used to
cushion cargo on a ship
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Dunne,Finley Peter

Dunne,Finley Peter
Dunne 
[dun], Finley Peter (1867–1936)

U.S. journalist and humorist.
He created the character of Mr. Dooley, an Irish barman and social commentator.[1]



dunnite

dunnite
dun·nite
[dú nt] noun

explosive:
an explosive that contains ammonium picrate
[Early 20th century. Named
for its inventor U.S. Army Col. B. W. Dunn (1860–1936).][1]



dunno

dunno
dun·no
[də nṓ] contraction

(I) don’t know (nonstandard)
• “Who
broke the glass?” “Dunno.”[1]



Dunwoody

Dunwoody
Dun·wood·y
[dun wdee]

city in DeKalb County,
Georgia, north of Atlanta. Population: 26,302 (1990)[1]



duo-

duo-
duo-
prefix

two
• duopoly
[From Latin . Ultimately from
the Indo-European word for “two,” which is also the ancestor of English two and bi-
.][1]



duo

duo
du·o 
[d ] (plural du·os) noun

1.  pair
of closely associated people: two people who are
considered to be closely connected in some way

2.  duet:
a duet, especially one for two instruments

3.  players
of a duet:
a pair of musicians who play together

4.  set
of two closely related things: a set of two items
considered as closely connected
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian duo “two” from, ultimately, Latin .][1]



duodecimal

duodecimal
du·o·dec·i·mal 
[d ə déssəm’l] adjective

based on 12: using
the number 12 as a base and counted or ordered in units of 12 or 12ths, or
belonging to a system organized in this way. Although no longer commonly used,
vestiges of a duodecimal system remain in such units as the foot being equal to
12 inches.
noun
(plural du·o·dec·i·mals)

1.  duodecimal
number:
a number in a counting system that uses units of 12

2.  12th:
a 12th part
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin duodecimus “twelfth.”]
—du·o·dec·i·mal·ly, adverb[1]



duodecimo

duodecimo
du·o·dec·i·mo
[d ə déssə m] (plural du·o·dec·i·mos)
noun

book
size:
a book size in which each leaf is formed by folding the printing sheet twelve
times, or a book of this size.
Also
called
twelvemo
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
in duodecimo “in twelfth.”][1]



duodenum

duodenum
du·o·de·num 
[d ə dnəm, doo
ódd’nəm] (plural du·o·de·na [d
ə dnə, doo ódd’nə] or du·o·de·nums)
noun

first
section of small intestine: the first short section of
the small intestine immediately beyond the stomach
[14th
century. From medieval Latin intestinum duodenum digitorum, literally
“12 finger-breadths long,” from, ultimately, Latin duodecim “twelve.”]
—du·o·de·nal, adjective[1]



duologue

duologue
du·o·logue 
[d ə lòg] (plural du·o·logues)
noun

1.  piece
for two speaking actors: a play or part of a play in
which only two actors speak

2.  dialogue
between two: a dialogue between two actors, or a
conversation between two people
[Mid-18th century. Blend of duo and monologue
.][1]



duomo

duomo
duo·mo 
[dwáw m, dwṓ m]
(plural duo·mos) noun

Italian
cathedral:
a cathedral in Italy
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian from Latin domus “house.”][1]



duopoly

duopoly
du·op·o·ly 
[doo óppəlee] (plural du·op·o·lies)
noun

concentration
of power in two forces: an economic situation in
which two powerful groups or organizations concentrate or dominate commerce in
one business market or commodity
[Early
20th century. Modeled on monopoly .]
—du·op·o·lis·tic [d oppə lístik], adjective[1]



duopsony

duopsony
du·op·so·ny 
[doo ópsənee] (plural du·op·so·nies)
noun

two
rival buyers’ control over sellers: a
situation in which two competing buyers exert controlling influence over many
sellers
[Blend of duo and -opsony, from Greek opsōnía
“purchasing of food”][1]



dup.

dup.
dup.

Abbreviation of
duplicate[1]



dupe

dupe
dupe 
[doop] transitive verb (past duped,
past participle duped, present participle dup·ing, 3rd
person present singular dupes)

trick
somebody:
to persuade or induce somebody to do something by trickery or deception • He
was duped into thinking that they intended to pay.
noun
(plural dupes)

victim
of deceit:
somebody who is tricked or deceived, especially into doing something
[Late
17th century. From French, from Old French, of uncertain origin: perhaps an
alteration of huppe “hoopoe”; from the bird’s supposedly stupid
appearance.]
—dup·a·bil·i·ty
[dpə bíllətee], noun

—dup·a·ble
[dpəb’l], adjective

—dup·er
[dpər], noun

—dup·er·y [dpəree], noun[1]



dupion

dupion
du·pi·on
[dpi òn] (plural du·pi·ons) noun

silk
fabric:
a rough silk fabric woven from threads of a double cocoon
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of French doupion from Italian doppione, from doppio
“double.”][1]



duple

duple
du·ple 
[dp’l] adjective

MUSIC having
2 beats to the bar: consisting of two beats to
the bar or measure
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
duplus “double.”][1]



Duplessis,Maurice Le Noblet

Duplessis,Maurice Le Noblet
Du·ples·sis
[d play s], Maurice Le Noblet (1890–1959)

Canadian statesman. He was
premier of Quebec (1936–1939 and 1944–1959) with the Union Nationale Party.[1]



duplet

duplet
du·plet 
[dplət] (plural du·plets) noun

1.  MUSIC group
of 2 notes:
a group of 2 notes played in the time usually required by three

2.  CHEMISTRY 2
shared electrons: a pair of electrons shared between two
atoms that are joined in a chemical bond
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from duple, modeled on doublet .][1]



dupletime

dupletime
du·ple
time
noun

meter with 2 beats to
measure: a musical meter in which
there are two beats to the measure, for example, 2/4 or 6/8[1]



duplex

duplex
du·plex 
[d plèks, dy
plèks] noun (plural du·plex·es)

1.  Australia,
Canada, U.S. ARCHITECTURE
2-family
dwelling with 2 entrances: a house that is divided into
two halves and is inhabited by two separate families or tenants with separate
entrances and exits

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING simultaneous
transmission in both directions: transmission of
signals along a communications channel in both directions at the same time, for
example, over a telephone line
adjective

1.  twofold:
consisting of two parts, especially two identical or equivalent parts

2.  ENGINEERING having
two parts performing one operation:
consisting of pairs of units or components that perform the same machine
function but operate independently
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin duplex, literally “twofold,” from plicare “to
fold.”]
—du·plex·i·ty [doo pléksitee], noun[1]



duplexapartment

duplexapartment
du·plex
a·part·ment
(plural du·plex a·part·ments) noun

apartment on 2 adjoining
floors: an apartment that is on two
floors with an inside stairway connecting the two levels[1]



duplicable

duplicable
du·pli·ca·ble
[dplikəb’l] adjective

reproducible:
able to be copied exactly or repeated
—du·pli·ca·bil·i·ty [dplikə bíllətee], noun[1]



duplicate

duplicate
du·pli·cate 
transitive verb [dpli kàyt, dypli kàyt] (past du·pli·cat·ed, past
participle du·pli·cat·ed, present participle du·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular du·pli·cates)

1.  copy
something:
to make an exact copy of something

2.  repeat
something:
to do something more than once, especially unknowingly or unnecessarily
noun
[dplikət, dyplikət]
(plural du·pli·cates)

1.  copy
of something: an exact copy, especially of a document

2.  another
of the same: a spare of the same kind

3.  repeat
of something: a repeat of an earlier action or
achievement
adjective
[dplikət, dyplikət]

1.  copied
exactly:
being an exact copy of something • a
duplicate key

2.  having
2 corresponding parts: consisting of or existing in
two corresponding parts
[15th
century. From Latin duplicare “to make twofold, double,” from duplus
“twofold.”]
—du·pli·cate·ly,
adverb

—du·pli·ca·tive,
adjective
in
duplicate

so
as to create or consist of two exact copies

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at copy

[1]



duplicatebridge

duplicatebridge
du·pli·cate
bridge
noun

contract bridge:
contract bridge in which the same hand is played by different consecutive
players.
Also called
board bridge[1]



duplication

duplication
du·pli·ca·tion 
[dpli káysh’n, dypli
káysh’n] (plural du·pli·ca·tions) noun

1.  repeating
or copying:
the action or an act of duplicating something

2.  exact
copy:
an exact copy of something

3.  GENETICS repetition
of genes:
a chromosome mutation in which a section of a chromosome, along with the genes
it carries, occurs twice

[1]



duplicator

duplicator
du·pli·ca·tor 
[dpli kàytər, dypli
kàytər] (plural du·pli·ca·tors) noun

copier:
something that makes copies, especially a machine for copying printed matter[1]



duplicitous

duplicitous
du·plic·i·tous 
[doo plíssitəss, dyoo
plíssitəss] adjective

deceitful:
deceptive, dishonest, or misleading
—du·plic·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—du·plic·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



duplicity

duplicity
du·plic·i·ty 
[doo plíssətee, dyoo
plíssətee] noun

1.  deceitfulness:
the fact of being deceptive, dishonest, or misleading

2.  condition
of being double: the state of being double or in a pair (formal)
• the
duplicity of the stars of the constellation
[15th century. Directly or
via French duplicité from late Latin duplicitas, from Latin duplic-,
stem of duplex (see duplex ).][1]



DuPont de Nemours, Eleuthère Irénée

DuPont de Nemours, Eleuthère Irénée
Du
Pont de Ne·mours [doo pònt də
nə mr], Eleuthère Irénée (1771–1834)

U.S. industrialist. He
founded a gunpowder mill (1802) that became the largest factory of its kind in
the United States.[1]



DuPont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel

DuPont de Nemours, Pierre Samuel
Du
Pont de Ne·mours [doo pònt də
nə mr], Pierre Samuel (1739–1817)

French economist. A friend
and disciple of the French economist, François Quesnay, he was imprisoned for
his royalist views and later immigrated to the United States, where he played
an important role in the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase.[1]



duppy

duppy
dup·py
[dúppee] (plural dup·pies) noun

Caribbean
ghost:
a ghost or spirit
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps of West African origin.][1]



duPré, Jacqueline

duPré, Jacqueline
du
Pré 
[doo práy], Jacqueline (1945–1987)

British cellist and teacher.
She is particularly famous for her interpretations of cello concertos. Her
playing, though not her teaching, was halted in 1972 by multiple sclerosis.[1]



durable

durable
du·ra·ble 
[drəb’l] adjective

able
to last:
lasting for a long time, especially without sustaining damage or wear • durable
materials
• a
durable peace
[14th
century. Via Old French durable from Latin durabilis, from durare
“to last, harden” (source of English endure
).]
—du·ra·bil·i·ty
[drə bíllətee], noun

—du·ra·ble·ness
[drəb’lnəss], noun

—du·ra·bly [drəblee], adverb[1]



durablegoods

durablegoods
du·ra·ble
goods
plural noun

See
durables[1]



durables

durables
du·ra·bles
[drəb’lz] noun

long-lasting products:
long-lasting products, for example, motor vehicles and large appliances such as
stoves and refrigerators.
Also called
durable goods
Also called
hard goods[1]



DurackRange

DurackRange
Du·rack
Range
[dyrak ràynjj]

mountain range in Western
Australia, in the Kimberley region, west of Lake Argyle[1]



dural

dural
du·ral 
[drəl] adjective

relating
to dura mater: relating to the dura mater, the
outermost membrane around the brain and spinal cord
[Late 19th century. Formed
from dura (see dura mater ).][1]



duramater

duramater
du·ra
ma·ter 
[drə mtər, drə
máytər] (plural du·ra ma·ters) noun

tough
outermost membrane around brain: the tough outermost
membrane of the three that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Also
called
endocranium
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, literally “hard mother,” translation of Arabic al-’umm al-jāfiya
“coarse mother.”][1]



durance

durance
du·rance 
[drəns] noun

1.  duration:
the period of duration of something (literary)

2.  imprisonment:
forcible confinement or imprisonment (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin durare “to last, harden.”][1]



Durand,Asher B.

Durand,Asher B.

Du·rand 
[də ránd], Asher B. (1796–1886)
U.S.
engraver and painter. He was known for his engravings and for cofounding the
Hudson River School of painting.
Full name
Durand, Asher Brown[1]



Durango

Durango
Du·ran·go
[doo ráng gō]

city in central Mexico and
the capital of Durango State, in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Population:
413,835 (1990) Full name Victoria de Durango[1]



Durant

Durant
Du·rant
[də ránt]

city in southern Oklahoma on
the Blue River, southeast of Oklahoma City and Ardmore. Population: 13,075
(1996)[1]



Durante,Jimmy

Durante,Jimmy
Du·ran·te 
[də rántee], Jimmy (1893–1980)

U.S.
comic entertainer. Known for his prominent nose and raspy voice, he performed
in cabaret, movies, and television.
Full name
Durante, James Francis[1]



Durant,Will

Durant,Will
Du·rant
[də ránt], Will (1885–1981)

U.S.
historian. After publication of The Story of Philosophy ( 1926 ), he and
his wife, Ariel, wrote The Story of Civilization ( 1935–1975 ), an
enormously popular series covering history from before Jesus Christ to the
Napoleonic age.
Full name
Durant, William James[1]



duration

duration
du·ra·tion 
[də ráysh’n] noun

time
something lasts: the period of time that something lasts
or exists • an
intermission of 15 minutes’ duration
[14th
century. Via Old French duracioun from, ultimately, Latin durare
“to last, harden.”]
—du·ra·tion·al,
adjective
for
the duration

for the entire period of time
that something is going on or will continue to go on[1]



durative

durative
du·ra·tive
[drətiv] (plural du·ra·tives)
adjective

GRAMMAR
expressing continuous action:
used to describe a verb in a continuous tense or aspect, or a verb indicating a
continuous action[1]



Durban

Durban
Dur·ban 
[dúrbən]

city, seaport, and tourist
resort in KwaZulu-Natal Province in eastern South Africa. Population: 715,699
(1991)[1]



durbar

durbar
dur·bar 
[dúr br] (plural dur·bars) noun

former
official reception in a colony: formerly, an official
reception held by a local prince or British governor in colonial India, or by a
local chief or British official in colonial Africa
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Urdu darbār from Persian dar “door” + bār
“court.”][1]



Durbin,Deanna

Durbin,Deanna
Dur·bin
[dúrbin], Deanna (1921– )

Canadian-born
U.S. singer and actor. She became a teenage singing star in film musicals of
the 1930s.
Full name
Durbin, Deanna Edna Mae[1]



duress

duress
du·ress 
[d réss] noun

1.  use
of force:
the use of force or threats to make somebody do something

2.  LAW illegal
coercion:
illegal force or coercion used, for example, against a criminal suspect or a
prisoner in lawful custody before trial
[14th century. Via Old French
duresse from Latin duritia, literally “hardness,” from durus
“hard” (source of English during ).][1]



Durga

Durga
Dur·ga
[dúrgə] noun

important Hindu goddess:
a goddess who is one of the most important Hindu deities, embodying for many
the supreme manifest form of godhead[1]



Durham

Durham2
Dur·ham2 [dúrrəm]

city in central North
Carolina, east of Greensboro, site of Duke University. Population: 143,439
(1994)[1]



Durham

Durham1
Dur·ham1  (plural Dur·hams)
noun

shorthorn
beef or dairy cow: a shorthorn beef or dairy
cow belonging to a hardy breed originating in northeastern England
[Named for the city of Durham,
in northern England][1]



durian

durian
du·ri·an 
[dree ən, dree
n] (plural du·ri·ans or du·ri·an) noun

1.  tree
with foul-smelling fruit: a tree found in the tropical
rain forests of Southeast Asia that has foul-smelling but deliciously flavored
fruits. Latin name: Durio zibethinus

2.  fruit
of durian tree: the fruit of the durian tree
[Late 16th century. From
Malay durian, from duri “thorn, prickle.”][1]



duricrust

duricrust
du·ri·crust
[dri krùst] (plural du·ri·crusts)
noun

hard
soil crust:
a hard crust formed on the surface of the soil by the precipitation of soluble
minerals from mineral waters, particularly during the dry season in semiarid
climates
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin durus “hard” + crust .][1]



during

during
dur·ing 
[dring] preposition

1.  throughout:
throughout a particular period or event, either continuously or several times
between the beginning and the end • There
was not even a whisper during the service.

2.  at
some point in a period: at some point or moment
within a particular period or event • I
can’t remember the date, but it was during the winter.
[14th century. Present
participle of obsolete dure “to last,” from Old French durer,
from, ultimately, Latin durus “hard,” perhaps originally “oak” (source
of English endure ).][1]



durmastoak

durmastoak
dur·mast
oak
[dúr mast k] (plural dur·mast
oaks) or dur·mast [dúr mast k]
(plural dur·masts) noun

European
oak:
an oak tree native to Europe and Asia Minor that has lobed leaves and yields a
heavy flexible wood used in cabinetry. Latin name: Quercus petraea
Also
called
sessile oak
[Late 18th century. Perhaps
an error for dunmast, from dun + mast “acorns.”][1]



durn

durn
durn 
[durn] interjection adjective adverb
transitive verb (past durned, past participle durned,
present participle durn·ing, 3rd person present singular durns)

Southern
U.S.
(informal) See darn
[Variant of darn][1]



durned

durned
durned
[durnd] (superlative durned·est)
adjective

Southern U.S.
(informal) See darned[1]



duro

duro
du·ro
[d r] (plural du·ros) noun

S
American coin: in some Latin American countries and
formerly in Spain, a coin worth a peso or a dollar
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish peso duro “hard or solid piastre.”][1]



Durocher,Leo

Durocher,Leo
Du·ro·cher 
[də rṓchər], Leo (1905–1991)

U.S.
baseball player. During his career in baseball he became manager of four
national teams, retiring in 1973.
Full name
Durocher, Leo Ernest Known as Leo the Lip[1]



durra

durra
dur·ra
[drə] or dour·ra [drə] noun

cereal
crop:
a race of sorghum grown for its grain and as animal feed, especially in
tropical and warm arid areas. Latin name: Sorghum bicolor
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic dura .][1]



durst

durst
durst 
[durst]

(archaic) Past
tense of dare[1]



durumwheat

durumwheat
du·rum
wheat
[dúrrəm wt] or du·rum [dúrrəm wt] noun

wheat
used in making pasta: a wheat that produces
glutinous flour, used in making pasta. Latin name: Triticum durum
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, a form of durus “hard.”][1]



Duryea,Charles Edgar

Duryea,Charles Edgar
Dur·yea 
[dryay, dr ee
ày], Charles Edgar (1861–1938)

U.S. automaker and inventor.
Together with his brother, he built one of the first cars in the United States
(1893).[1]



Dushanbe

Dushanbe
Du·shan·be
[doo shámbə, doo
shmbə]

capital city of Tajikistan,
in the west of the country in the Gissar Valley. Population: 602,000 (1990)[1]



dusk

dusk
dusk 
[dusk] noun

1.  period
after day but before night: the period of the day after
the sun has gone below the horizon but before the sky has become dark

2.  absence
of daylight: partial or almost complete darkness (literary)
adjective

dim:
having little or insufficient light (literary)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past dusked, past
participle dusked, present participle dusk·ing, 3rd
person present singular dusks)

darken: to
become or make something dark (literary)
[Old English dox “dark
in color.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English obfuscate .][1]



dusky

dusky
dusk·y 
[dúskee] (comparative dusk·i·er,
superlative dusk·i·est) adjective

1.  dark-colored:
somewhat dark in color

2.  dim:
having little or insufficient light

3.  offensive
term meaning dark-skinned: having a somewhat dark skin
or complexion (dated offensive)
—dusk·i·ly,
adverb

—dusk·i·ness, noun[1]



dust

dust
dust 
[dust] noun

1.  small
dry particles: very small dry particles of a substance
such as sand or coal, either in the form of a deposit or a cloud

2.  household
dirt:
the small pieces of dirt that accumulate in a layer on horizontal surfaces in
buildings

3.  remains
from the decay of a body: the small particles that
something, especially a human body, is thought to be reduced to by decay after
death

4.  earth
as a burial place: dirt or soil, particularly
that of somebody’s grave (literary)

5.  MEDICINE miners’
disease:
silicosis or another respiratory disease affecting miners (informal)
verb
(past dust·ed, past participle dust·ed, present
participle dust·ing, 3rd person present singular dusts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb clean
off dirt particles: to remove small particles of
dirt and lint from something, usually by wiping with a cloth

2.  transitive
verb
sprinkle:
to sprinkle something with a powdery substance, or sprinkle a powdery substance
over something • Dust the board with
flour to keep the dough from sticking to it.
[Old
English dūst, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English fumigate and perfume]
—dust·less,
adjective
(as)
dry as dust

so
scholarly and devoid of humor as to be arid in tone and content

bite
the dust

1.  to
die, especially in or as a result a fight (informal)

2.  to
suffer total failure (informal)

gather
dust

to
remain unused over a period of time

kick
up dust

or raise
dustto cause a controversy or loud disturbance (informal)

make
the dust fly

to
set about doing something energetically and aggressively (informal)

[1]



dustbath

dustbath
dust
bath
(plural dust baths) noun

bird grooming behavior:
a form of grooming behavior in animals, especially birds, that consists in
rolling or making agitated movements in the dust on the ground in order to
remove parasites[1]



dustbin

dustbin
dust·bin 
[dúst bìn] (plural dust·bins) noun

U.K.
See garbage can[1]



dustbowl

dustbowl
dust
bowl
(plural dust bowls) noun

area with dust storms:
an area in a semiarid environment in which the topsoil is exposed and dust
storms are likely to occur[1]



DustBowl

DustBowl
Dust
Bowl
noun

large south-central U.S.
area: a large area in the southern
part of the central United States that suffered badly from wind erosion during
the 1930s[1]



dustcloth

dustcloth
dust
cloth
(plural dust cloths) noun

cleaning cloth:
a piece of cloth used for removing dust, especially from household objects and
surfaces.
U.K. term
duster[1]



dustcover

dustcover
dust
cov·er
(plural dust covers) noun

1.  cover
for equipment: a cover, often made from transparent
plastic, for protecting a piece of equipment

2.  PUBLISHING See dust jacket

[1]



dustdevil

dustdevil
dust
dev·il
(plural dust dev·ils) noun

small dust-laden whirlwind:
a rising or traveling funnel of dust, dirt, or sand that occurs on hot days,
especially in desert or arid areas. Dust devils are smaller than tornadoes and
are generally not dangerous.
Also called
devil[1]



duster

duster
dust·er 
[dústər] (plural dust·ers) noun

1.  U.K.
See dust cloth

2.  AGRICULTURE device
for spreading agrochemicals: a machine or device for
spreading powdered fungicide, insecticide, or fertilizer over crops or other
plants

3.  dust
remover:
a cloth or pad that removes household dust

4.  CLOTHES housecoat:
a woman’s loose housecoat

5.  CLOTHES woman’s
long loose coat: a woman or girl’s long loose coat,
sometimes one without buttons or lapels

[1]



dustiness

dustiness
dust·i·ness
[dústeenəss] noun

dust-covered state:
the state of being covered with or containing dust[1]



dusting

dusting
dust·ing 
[dústing] (plural dust·ings) noun

1.  thin
powdery covering: a thin, sometimes patchy covering of a
powdery substance • a dusting of snow on
the ground

2.  defeat:
a defeat or setback (slang) • a
candidate who took a real dusting at the polls

[1]



dustingpowder

dustingpowder
dust·ing
pow·der
(plural dust·ing pow·der) noun

fine powder used on the skin:
fine powder such as talcum powder, especially for use on the skin[1]



dustjacket

dustjacket
dust
jack·et
(plural dust jack·ets) noun

book cover:
a paper book cover that protects the hardbound binding and that can be
discarded.
Also called
dust cover
Also called
jacket
Also called
wrapper[1]



dust-off

dust-off
dust-off
(plural dust-offs) adjective

involving medevac:
used to describe an aircraft such as a helicopter that is used to medevac
wounded troops from a combat zone • dust-off
choppers[1]



dustpan

dustpan
dust·pan 
[dúst pàn] (plural dust·pans) noun

container for picking up
dirt: a container with a flat base
and an open front into which dirt and dust can be swept[1]



dustsheet

dustsheet
dust·sheet
[dúst sht] (plural dust·sheets)
noun

U.K.
See drop cloth[1]



duststorm

duststorm
dust
storm
(plural dust storms) noun

dust-carrying windstorm:
a strong hot dry wind laden with dust[1]



dustup

dustup
dust·up 
[dúst ùp] (plural dust·ups) noun

argument or fight:
a violent argument or physical altercation, often one that starts and stops
quickly (slang)[1]



dusty

dusty
dust·y 
[dústee] (comparative dust·i·er,
superlative dust·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of dust:
covered with or containing dust

2.  COLORS tinged
with gray:
containing tinges of gray with other colors • dusty
pink

3.  boring:
boring, especially because of being obscure or outdated • dusty
political slogans

4.  like
dust:
resembling dust • a dusty gold powder

[1]



dustymiller

dustymiller
dust·y
mill·er
(plural dust·y mill·ers) noun

PLANTS
plant with downy leaves:
a plant with gray or white leaves covered with a down resembling dust. Latin
name: Artemisia stelleriana[1]



Dutch

Dutch
Dutch 
[duch] noun

official language of the Netherlands:
the official language of the Netherlands and the Republic of Suriname, and one
of the West Germanic group of Indo-European languages. Dutch is spoken by about
20 million people.
plural
noun

people of the Netherlands:
the people of the Netherlands collectively
adjective

1.  of
the Netherlands: relating to the Netherlands, or its
people or culture

2.  of
the Dutch language: relating to Dutch
[14th
century. From Middle Dutch dutsch, from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “people,” which is also the ancestor of English Deutschmark and Teuton .]
go
Dutch

to
pay for your own part of the cost of a meal or entertainment

in
Dutch

in a state of disfavor,
difficulty, or trouble (slang)[1]



Dutchauction

Dutchauction
Dutch
auc·tion
(plural Dutch auc·tions) noun

auction with gradually
decreasing prices: an auction
in which the price is lowered gradually until somebody makes a bid[1]



Dutchcap

Dutchcap
Dutch
cap
(plural Dutch caps) noun

U.K.
See diaphragm  noun 2[1]



Dutchclover

Dutchclover
Dutch
clo·ver
noun

See
white clover[1]



Dutchcourage

Dutchcourage
Dutch
cour·age
noun

alcohol-induced
courage:
the temporary confidence supposedly obtained from drinking alcohol (informal)
[Derogatory expressions
containing Dutch stem from the rivalry between the Dutch and the English in the
17th and 18th centuries][1]



Dutchdoor

Dutchdoor
Dutch
door
(plural Dutch doors) noun

divided door:
a door that is divided into two horizontal sections above and below so that
each section can be opened and closed independently[1]



DutchEast Indies

DutchEast Indies
Dutch
East In·dies

the islands of Indonesia from
late 18th-century Dutch rule until Indonesian independence in 1949[1]



Dutchelm

Dutchelm
Dutch
elm
(plural Dutch elms) noun

cultivated elm tree:
a cultivated hybrid elm tree introduced to Great Britain from the Netherlands
in the 17th century and now common in northeastern France and parts of western
Great Britain and Ireland. Latin name: Ulmus x hollandica[1]



Dutchelm disease

Dutchelm disease
Dutch
elm dis·ease noun

elm
tree disease: a disease of elm trees that eventually
kills the tree. It is caused by a fungus Ceratocystis ulmi carried by a
bark beetle.
[Dutch from the
identification of the disease by Dutch scientists][1]



Dutchhoe

Dutchhoe
Dutch
hoe
(plural Dutch hoes) noun

hoe moved by pushing:
a hoe used for weeding that is pushed instead of pulled.
Also called
scuffle[1]



Dutchman

Dutchman
Dutch·man 
[dúchmən] (plural Dutch·men) noun

1.  man
from the Netherlands: a man who was born in or is
a citizen of the Netherlands

2.  CONSTRUCTION piece
used to repair building: a piece of building material
used to repair or conceal a fault in a construction

[1]



Dutchman’sbreeches

Dutchman’sbreeches

Dutch·man’s breech·es 
noun
plant with white flowers:
a woodland plant of the eastern United States that has creamy white flowers
with two spurs. Latin name: Dicentra cucullaria (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



Dutchman’spipe

Dutchman’spipe
Dutch·man’s
pipe
noun

climbing plant with
pipe-shaped flowers: a woody
climbing vine of the eastern United States that has mottled greenish-brown
flowers shaped like the bowl and stem of an old-fashioned tobacco pipe. Latin
name: Aristolochia sipho[1]



Dutchoven

Dutchoven
Dutch
ov·en
(plural Dutch ov·ens) noun

1.  heavy
cooking pot: an iron or earthenware container with a
lid, used for cooking stews or casseroles

2.  outdoor
oven:
a metal box with an open front placed beside an open fire so that food can be
cooked inside it

[1]



Dutchtreat

Dutchtreat
Dutch
treat
(plural Dutch treats) noun

outing where people pay for
themselves: an outing, for example, to a
restaurant or theater, at which each person pays for himself or herself (informal)[1]



Dutchuncle

Dutchuncle
Dutch
un·cle
(plural Dutch un·cles) noun

frank critic or adviser:
somebody, typically a mentor, who criticizes or advises in a frank, sometimes
harsh manner (informal)[1]



Dutchwoman

Dutchwoman
Dutch·wom·an 
[dúch wmmən] (plural Dutch·wom·en
[dúch wìmmən]) noun

woman from the Netherlands:
a woman who was born in or is a citizen of the Netherlands[1]



duteous

duteous
du·te·ous 
[dtee əss, dytee
əss] adjective

obediently
dutiful:
obedient or submitting to duty (literary)
—du·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—du·te·ous·ness, noun[1]



dutiable

dutiable
du·ti·a·ble 
[dtee əb’l, dytee
əb’l] adjective

subject
to import taxation: subject to tax, especially
as an import
—du·ti·a·bil·i·ty [dtee ə bíllətee, dytee
ə bíllətee], noun[1]



dutiful

dutiful
du·ti·ful 
[dtif’l, dytif’l]
adjective

1.  meeting
obligations: done to fulfill obligations, often with
little enthusiasm • made a dutiful attempt
at conversation

2.  obedient:
acting according to obligations • a
dutiful and hard-working employee
—du·ti·ful·ly,
adverb

—du·ti·ful·ness, noun[1]



duty

duty
du·ty 
[dtee, dytee]
(plural du·ties) noun

1.  obligation:
something that somebody is obliged to do for moral, legal, or religious reasons
• your
duties as a parent

2.  need
to meet obligations: the urge to meet moral or
religious obligations • a strong
sense of duty

3.  allocated
task:
a task or service allocated to somebody, especially in the course of work

4.  ECONOMICS tax:
a tax on goods, especially imports and exports

5.  respect
owed to others: the respect owed to people because of
their age or status (archaic)

6.  quality:
suitability for a particular grade of use (usually used in combination)
• heavy-duty
shoes
• medium-duty
carpet

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine’s
designated workload: the amount of work that a
machine is designed to do, or a measure of a machine’s efficiency

8.  AGRICULTURE volume
of water needed for irrigation: the volume of water
that is needed in order to irrigate an area of land so as to cultivate a crop
from planting to harvest time
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman dueté from Old French deu “owed,” from Latin debitus,
from debere “to owe.”][1]



duty-free

duty-free
du·ty-free 
adjective

exempted
from excise duties: on or at which no customs or
excise duties have to be paid
adverb

without
customs and excise duties: without paying or charging
customs or excise duties
noun
(plural du·ty-frees)

store
selling duty-free goods: a store, especially at an
airport or on board a ship, that sells duty-free goods (informal)
plural
noun
du·ty-frees

duty-free goods:
duty-free goods, especially the allowance of duty-free goods that an individual
is allowed to bring into his or her own country (informal)[1]



dutyofficer

dutyofficer
du·ty
of·fi·cer
(plural du·ty of·fi·cers) noun

officer on duty:
an officer who is present in an office or headquarters and responsible for
handling situations that may arise during a given period, especially a period
when others are off duty[1]



duumvir

duumvir
du·um·vir 
[doo úmvər] (plural du·um·virs
or du·um·vi·ri [doo úmvə r]) noun

1.  POLITICS one of
two people sharing authority: either of two people who
share a position of authority equally between them

2.  ancient
Roman holder of joint office: a joint holder of any of the
paired posts in the ancient Roman government or judiciary
[Early
17th century. From Latin, from duo “two” + vir “man.”]
—du·um·vi·rate [doo úmvərət], noun[1]



Duvalier,François

Duvalier,François

Du·va·lier 
[d vaal yáy], François (1907–1971)
Haitian
politician and doctor. He was elected president in 1957 and declared himself
president for life in 1964, instituting a dictatorial regime known for its
violent purges and mass executions.
Known as
Papa Doc[1]



Duvalier,Jean-Claude

Duvalier,Jean-Claude
Du·va·lier
[d vaal yáy], Jean-Claude (1951– )

Haitian
political leader. He succeeded his father François Duvalier as president
(1971–1986).
Known as
Baby Doc[1]



duvet

duvet
du·vet 
[doo váy, d vày]
(plural du·vets) noun

U.K.
See comforter
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, “down,” from, ultimately, Old Norse dūnn (also the source of
English down ).][1]



duvetyn

duvetyn
du·ve·tyn
[dvə tn] (plural du·ve·tyns)
or du·ve·tyne [dvə tn] (plural
du·ve·tynes) or du·ve·tine [dvə
tn] (plural du·ve·tines) noun

soft
velvety fabric: a soft velvety fabric with a nap, made
of silk, cotton, wool, or rayon
[Early 20th century. From
French duvetine, from duvet “down.”][1]



duVigneaud, Vincent

duVigneaud, Vincent
du
Vi·gneaud 
[doo vnyō, dyoo
vnyo], Vincent (1901–1978)

U.S. biochemist. For his work
on pituitary hormones, he won the Nobel Prize (1955).[1]



Duxbury

Duxbury
Dux·bur·y
[dúks bèrree, dúksbəree]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, on the northwestern shore of Plymouth Bay, north of Plymouth and
southeast of Boston. Population: 15,007 (1996)[1]



duyker

duyker
duy·ker
noun

See
duiker[1]



D.V.

D.V.
D.V.

Abbreviation of
Deo volente[1]



DVD

DVD
DVD 
(plural DVDs)

large-capacity CD:
a type of high-capacity optical compact disk that can store a much larger
quantity of video, audio, or other information than can a conventional compact
disk. Full form digital video disc[1]



DVD-ROM

DVD-ROM
DVD-ROM

video CD-ROM:
a high-capacity digital video disk on which data can be stored but cannot be
altered. Full form digital versatile disc read only memory[1]



DVI

DVI
DVI

Abbreviation of
digital video imaging[1]



D.V.M.

D.V.M.
D.V.M.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine[1]



Dvořák,Antonín

Dvořák,Antonín


Dvo·řák 
[dváwr zhk, dváwr
zhàk], Antonín (1841–1904)
Bohemian Czech composer. An ardent
nationalist, he based many themes on Czech or, for example, his ninth symphony,
From the New World ( 1893 ), U.S. folk music.[1]



DW

DW
DW

1.  Abbreviation
of
dead weight

2.  Abbreviation
of
distilled water

[1]



dwarf

dwarf
dwarf 
[dwawrf] noun (plural dwarves
[dwawrvz] or dwarfs)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY person
small for medical reasons: a person of small stature
for medical reasons, usually somebody with an average-sized body but unusually
short limbs, or somebody with growth hormone deficiency

2.  BIOLOGY small
plant or animal: a plant or animal that is much smaller
than others of its species, usually as a result of selective breeding (often
used before a noun) • a
dwarf conifer

3.  LITERATURE small
humanoid creature in folklore: in fairy tales and
folklore, a small creature with a mainly human appearance, associated with
mountains, mines, and buried treasures. Fictional dwarves were often believed
to have magic powers and to be sometimes malevolent.

4.  ASTRONOMY See dwarf star
transitive
verb
(past dwarfed, past participle dwarfed, present
participle dwarf·ing, 3rd person present singular dwarfs)

1.  make
somebody or something seem small: to make somebody or
something else seem very small or very unimportant, by comparison • The
cathedral is dwarfed by the enormous tower blocks surrounding it.

2.  stunt
somebody’s or something’s growth: to stunt the growth of
somebody or something
[Old
English dweorg, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—dwarf·ish,
adjective

—dwarf·ish·ly,
adverb

—dwarf·ish·ness, noun[1]



dwarfbean

dwarfbean
dwarf
bean
(plural dwarf beans) noun

U.K.
See bush bean[1]



dwarfchestnut

dwarfchestnut
dwarf
chest·nut
(plural dwarf chest·nuts) noun

See
chinquapin[1]



dwarfism

dwarfism
dwarf·ism 
[dwáwr fìzzəm] noun

BIOLOGY
PHYSIOLOGY condition
of being dwarf: the condition of being
a dwarf[1]



dwarfstar

dwarfstar
dwarf
star
or dwarf noun

relatively faint and small
star: a star with relatively low
mass, size, and luminosity. The Sun is a dwarf star .
See also
giant star[1]



dwarves

dwarves
dwarves


Plural of
dwarf[1]



dweeb

dweeb
dweeb 
[dweeb] (plural dweebs) noun

boring
person:
somebody who is considered to be boring, silly, or socially inept (slang
insult)
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



dwell

dwell
dwell 
[dwel] intransitive verb (past
dwelt or dwelled, past participle dwelt [dwelt] or dwelled, present
participle dwell·ing, 3rd person present singular dwells
[dwelt])

reside:
to live and have a home in a particular place (literary)
noun
(plural dwells)

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING regular
pause:
a regular pause in the operation of a machine
[Old
English dwellan “to lead astray.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to rise in a cloud,” which is also the ancestor of English dust and typhus
.]
—dwell·er, noun[1]



dwelling

dwelling
dwell·ing 
[dwélling] (plural dwell·ings)
noun

home:
a house or other building or place in which somebody lives (formal)[1]



dwellon

dwellon
dwell
on
or dwell up·on transitive verb

concentrate on something at
length: to think, write, or talk
about something at considerable length[1]



dwelt

dwelt
dwelt


Past tense of
dwell Past participle of dwell[1]



DWEM

DWEM
DWEM
[dwem] or dwem [dwem]

(slang offensive) Abbreviation
of dead white European male[1]



DWI

DWI
DWI

Abbreviation of
driving while intoxicated[1]



Dwight,Timothy

Dwight,Timothy
Dwight 
[dwīt], Timothy (1752–1817)

U.S. clergyman and educator.
He left the Congregational ministry in 1795 to become president of Yale
(1795–1817).[1]



dwindle

dwindle
dwin·dle 
[dwínd’l] (past dwin·dled, past
participle dwin·dled, present participle dwin·dling, 3rd
person present singular dwin·dles) intransitive and transitive
verb

diminish:
to decrease little by little in size, number, or intensity and approach zero,
or reduce something in this way • Supplies
were dwindling.
[Late 16th century. Formed
from the obsolete verb dwine “to waste away.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to become exhausted,” which is also the ancestor of
English dead .][1]



dwt.

dwt.
dwt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
deadweight tonnage

2.  (archaic)
Abbreviation of pennyweight

[1]



Dy

Dy
Dy

Symbol for
dysprosium[1]



dy.

dy.
dy.

1.  Abbreviation
of
delivery

2.  Abbreviation
of
duty

[1]



dyad

dyad
dy·ad 
[d àd] (plural dy·ads) noun

1.  couple:
two individual units, things, or people linked as a pair (formal)

2.  CHEMISTRY atom
with valence of two: an atom or chemical group
with a valence of two

3.  MATHEMATICS vector
operator:
a mathematical operator consisting of two vectors expressed without a
multiplication sign between them

4.  MUSIC two-note
chord:
a musical chord consisting of two notes
[Late
17th century. Via late Latin from the stem of Greek duas, from duo
“two.”]
—dy·ad·ic
[dī áddik], adjective

—dy·ad·i·cal·ly [dī áddikəlee], adverb[1]



Dyak

Dyak
Dy·ak 
(plural Dy·ak or Dy·aks) noun

See
Dayak[1]



dyarchy

dyarchy
dy·ar·chy 
noun

See
diarchy[1]



dybbuk

dybbuk
dyb·buk 
[díbbək] (plural dyb·buks or
dyb·buk·im [díbbəkim]) noun

spirit
believed to enter living body: in Jewish folklore, a
malevolent spirit of a dead person, believed able to take over a living
person’s body and control his or her behavior unless exorcised
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish dibek from Hebrew dibbūq, from dāaq “to cling.”][1]



dye

dye
dye 
[dī] verb (past dyed, past
participle dyed, present participle dye·ing, 3rd
person present singular dyes)

1.  transitive
verb
color
something by soaking: to color or stain something,
for example, fabric or hair, by soaking it in a coloring solution so that it
takes on the new color permanently or semi-permanently

2.  intransitive
verb
color
well or badly: to respond to being treated with a
coloring agent and take its color in a particular way
noun
(plural dyes)

1.  coloring
agent:
a natural or synthetic substance that can be used to color something such as a
textile or hair and is most often applied in liquid form.
Also
called
dyestuff

2.  coloring
solution:
a coloring solution containing a dye

3.  color
produced by a dye: the color produced on
something by a dye
[Old
English dēah “color, a color that hides.” The distinction in spelling
between the verbs die and dye is relatively
recent.]
—dy·a·ble,
adjective

—dy·er, noun[1]



dyed-in-the-wool

dyed-in-the-wool
dyed-in-the-wool 
adjective

1.  wholeheartedly
and stubbornly attached to something:
wholeheartedly and stubbornly attached to a set of beliefs, political party, or
philosophy and totally convinced of its merits

2.  TEXTILES dyed
before weaving: dyed before weaving into cloth

[1]



dyeline

dyeline
dye·line
[d ln] adjective

CHEMISTRY
See diazo[1]



Dyer,Mary

Dyer,Mary
Dy·er
[dər], Mary (1610?–1660)

English-born U.S. Quaker
martyr. Twice banished from Boston for her religious beliefs, she was finally
hanged after defying the ruling for a second time.[1]



dyer’sgreenweed

dyer’sgreenweed
dy·er’s
green·weed 
noun

shrub
yielding a yellow dye: a small Eurasian shrub
similar to broom that produces clusters of flowers formerly used to produce a
yellow dye. It is now naturalized in North America. Latin name: Genista
tinctoria
Also
called
woodwaxen
Also
called
woadwaxen
[From the yellowish green
color of the flowers][1]



dyer’srocket

dyer’srocket
dy·er’s
rock·et
noun

plant yielding yellow dye:
a Eurasian plant of the mignonette family that has spikes of pale
yellowish-green flowers formerly used to produce a yellow dye. Latin name: Reseda
luteola
Also called
weld[1]



dyer’s-weed

dyer’s-weed
dy·er’s-weed 
(plural dy·er’s-weeds) noun

plant yielding dye:
any plant that yields a dye, especially dyer’s greenweed and dyer’s rocket[1]



dyestuff

dyestuff
dye·stuff 
[d stùf] (plural dye·stuffs) noun

See
dye  noun 1[1]



dyewood

dyewood
dye·wood 
[d wd] (plural dye·woods) noun

wood used as dye:
any wood that can be used as a dye[1]



dying

dying
dy·ing 
[d ing] adjective

1.  about
to die:
on the point of death

2.  occurring
just before death: carried out, spoken, or
occurring at or just before the point of death

3.  final:
occurring as something is about to reach its end • in
the dying seconds of the game

[1]



dyke

dyke
dyke
[dīk] (plural dykes) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for a lesbian (slang offensive)[1]



Dylan,Bob

Dylan,Bob

Dy·lan 
[díllən], Bob (1941– )
U.S.
folk singer. He wrote protest songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” ( 1962
) and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” ( 1964 ).
Real name
Zimmerman, Robert[1]



dyn

dyn
dyn

PHYSICS
Symbol for dyne[1]



dynamic

dynamic
dy·nam·ic 
[dī námmik] adjective

1.  vigorous
and purposeful: full of energy, enthusiasm, and a sense
of purpose and able both to get things going and to get things done

2.  active
and changing: characterized by vigorous activity and
producing or undergoing change and development • a
dynamic economy

3.  relating
to energy:
involving or relating to energy and forces that produce motion

4.  relating
to dynamics: involved in or connected with the study
of dynamics

5.  MUSIC relating
to loudness in music: relating to or indicating
variations in the loudness of musical sounds

6.  PHYSICS changing
over time:
used to describe any system that changes over time
noun

driving force:
a driving or energizing force, especially one involved in a process of social
or psychological change
[Early
19th century. Via French dynamique from, ultimately, Greek dunamis
“force,” from dunasthai “to be able.”]
—dynamical
[dī námmik’l], adjective

—dy·nam·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



dynamicmarkings

dynamicmarkings
dy·nam·ic
mark·ings
or dy·nam·ic marks plural noun

MUSIC
symbols indicating loudness and softness:
the symbols and words that indicate the degree of loudness or softness with
which a piece, passage, or note of music should be played.
Also called
dynamics[1]



dynamicrange

dynamicrange
dy·nam·ic
range
(plural dy·nam·ic rang·es) noun

1.  MUSIC volume
range of piece of music: the range of volume used
within a single piece of music

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING range
of reproducible sound: the range over which an
electronic audio system can operate to a set standard of performance based on
given limits for noise and distortion

[1]



dynamics

dynamics
dy·nam·ics 
[dī námmiks] noun

1.  change-producing
forces:
the forces that tend to produce activity and change in any situation or sphere
of existence (takes a plural verb)

2.  MUSIC loudness
and softness in musical piece: the different levels
of loudness and softness in a piece of music, and the way in which a performer
reproduces them in performance (takes a plural verb)

3.  MUSIC dynamic
markings:
dynamic markings symbols and words (takes a plural verb)

4.  PHYSICS study
of motion:
the study of motion and the way in which forces produce motion (takes a
singular verb)
Also
called
kinetics

[1]



dynamism

dynamism
dy·na·mism 
[dnə mìzzəm] noun

1.  vigorously
active, forceful, and energizing quality: a
vigorously active, forceful, and energizing quality, especially as the hallmark
of somebody’s personality or approach to a task

2.  theory
of forces:
a philosophical or scientific theory stressing the role of dynamic forces in
explaining phenomena, especially by interpreting events as an expression of
forces residing within the object or person involved
—dy·na·mist,
noun

—dy·na·mis·tic [dnə místik], adjective[1]



dynamite

dynamite
dy·na·mite 
[dnə mt] noun (plural dy·na·mites)

1.  powerful
explosive:
a powerful explosive used for blasting consisting of a porous material for
example, wood pulp or sawdust combined with ammonium or sodium nitrate, or
nitroglycerine, and an antacid for example, calcium carbonate

2.  very
exciting or powerful thing: something that or somebody
who is exceptionally exciting or has an extremely powerful effect (slang)
• This
music is absolute dynamite.

3.  very
dangerous or harmful thing: something that or somebody
who is potentially very dangerous or harmful (slang) • news
stories that were political dynamite
transitive
verb
(past dy·na·mit·ed, past participle dy·na·mit·ed, present
participle dy·na·mit·ing) dy·na·mites

blast something with dynamite:
to blast or explode something with dynamite
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek dunamis “force” + -ite
by its inventor, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel
.]
—dy·na·mit·er, noun[1]



dynamo

dynamo
dy·na·mo 
[dnə mō] (plural dy·na·mos) noun

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING generator
of electricity from mechanical energy: a
machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, usually in the
form of direct current

2.  energetic
person:
a hard-working, tirelessly energetic person
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of dynamo-electric machine .][1]



dynamo-

dynamo-
dynamo-
prefix

power,
energy • dynamometer
[From Greek dunamis
(see dynamic )][1]



dynamoelectric

dynamoelectric
dy·na·mo·e·lec·tric 
[dnəmō i léktrik] or dy·na·mo·e·lec·tri·cal
[dnəmō i léktrik’l] adjective

interconverting mechanical
and electrical energy: involved in
or relating to the production of electrical energy from mechanical energy, and
vice versa[1]



dynamometer

dynamometer
dy·na·mom·e·ter 
[dnə mómmətər] (plural dy·na·mom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
to measure power: an instrument used to measure mechanical
force or power, for example, the power output of an engine
—dy·na·mo·met·ric
[dnəmō méttrik], adjective

—dy·na·mom·e·try [dnə mómmətree], noun[1]



dynamotor

dynamotor
dy·na·mo·tor 
[dnə mtər] (plural dy·na·mo·tors)
noun

combination
motor and generator: an electrical device
combining a motor and generator and used to convert alternating current to
direct current, and vice versa
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek dunamis “force” (see dynamic
) + motor .][1]



dynast

dynast
dy·nast 
[d nàst, dnəst]
(plural dy·nasts) noun

1.  ruler:
a ruler, especially a hereditary monarch (literary)

2.  member
or founder of dynasty: a member of a dynasty, or
the founder of one
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek dunastēs “lord,” from dunasthai “to be able.”][1]



dynasty

dynasty
dy·nas·ty 
[dnəstee] (plural dy·nas·ties)
noun

1.  succession
of hereditary rulers: a succession of rulers from
the same family

2.  prominent
and powerful family: a prominent and powerful
family or group of people whose members retain their power and influence
through several generations
[14th
century. Via French dynastie or directly from late Latin dynastia,
from, ultimately, Greek dunastēs “lord” (see dynast
).]
—dy·nas·tic
[dī nástik, di
nástik], adjective

—dy·nas·ti·cal·ly [dī nástikəlee], adverb[1]



dyne

dyne
dyne 
[dīn] (plural dynes) noun

older
unit of force: the unit of force in the
centimeter-gram-second system equal to the force which will accelerate a mass
of one gram one centimeter per second per second. 1 dyne is equivalent to 10 –5 newton.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek dunamis “force” (see dynamic
).][1]



Dynel

Dynel
Dy·nel
[dī nél] Trademark

a trademark for a copolymer
used in making fire- and insect-resistant textile fiber and derived from vinyl
chloride and acrylonitrile[1]



dys-

dys-
dys-
prefix

bad,
impaired, abnormal • dysplasia
[Via Latin from Greek dus-][1]



dysarthria

dysarthria
dys·ar·thri·a 
[dis rthree ə] noun

difficulty
in speech articulation: difficulty in speech
articulation due to lack of muscle control caused by damage to the central
nervous system
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from dys- + Greek arthron
“joint.”][1]



dyscrasia

dyscrasia
dys·cra·sia 
[dis kráyzhə] (plural dys·cra·sias)
noun

blood
disorder:
any abnormal condition of blood cells
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek dyskrasia, literally “bad mixture,” from krasis
“mixing” (source of English idiosyncrasy
).][1]



dysentery

dysentery
dys·en·ter·y 
[dìss’n térree] noun

disease
of the lower intestine: the disease of the lower
intestine caused by infection with bacteria, protozoa, or parasites and marked
by severe diarrhea, inflammation, and the passage of blood and mucus
[14th
century. Via Old French dissenterie or directly from Latin dysenteria,
from, ultimately, Greek dusenteros, literally “bad intestines,” from enteron
“intestine.”]
—dys·en·ter·ic [dìss’n térrik], adjective[1]



dysfunction

dysfunction
dys·func·tion 
[dis fúngkshən] (plural dys·func·tions)
noun

failure to function normally:
a medical abnormality in the functioning of an organ or other part or system of
the body[1]



dysfunctional

dysfunctional
dys·func·tion·al 
[dis fúngkshənəl] adjective

1.  not
performing its function properly: failing to perform the
function that is normally expected • counseling
a dysfunctional family

2.  SOCIOLOGY relating
badly:
unable to function emotionally as a social unit

3.  MEDICINE not
functioning normally: unable to function normally
as a result of disease or impairment

[1]



dysgenic

dysgenic
dys·gen·ic 
[dis jénnik] adjective

detrimental to future
generations: involving or causing
the inheriting of detrimental characteristics[1]



dysgenics

dysgenics
dys·gen·ics 
[dis jénniks] noun

study of deterioration over
generations: the study of factors
relating to or causing a decrease in the survival of the hereditarily
well-adapted members of a line of descent (takes a singular verb)[1]



dysgraphia

dysgraphia
dys·graph·ia 
[dis gráffee ə] noun

difficulty in writing:
impairment of writing ability, arising from brain injury or disease[1]



dyskinesia

dyskinesia
dys·ki·ne·sia 
[dìski nzhə, dìs
kī nzhə] noun

impairment
of muscle movement: impairment of the control
over ordinary muscle movement, often resulting in spasmodic movements or tics
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek duskinēsia, literally “difficulty in moving,”
from kinēsis “movement” (see -kinesis
).][1]



dyslexia

dyslexia
dys·lex·i·a 
[diss léksee ə] noun

impaired
ability to understand written language: a
learning disorder marked by a severe difficulty in recognizing and
understanding written language, leading to spelling and writing problems. It is
not caused by low intelligence or brain damage.
[Late
19th century. Coined from dys- + Greek lexis
“speech,” from legein “to speak.”]
—dys·lex·ic, adjective,
noun[1]



dysmenorrhea

dysmenorrhea
dys·men·or·rhe·a
[dìss mennə r ə] or dys·men·or·rhoe·a
[dìss mennə r ə] noun

severe
pain associated with menstruation: severe pain or cramps
in the lower abdomen during menstruation
—dys·men·or·rhe·al,
adjective

—dys·men·or·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



dyspareunia

dyspareunia
dys·pa·reu·ni·a
[dìspar ynee a] noun

painful intercourse:
pain occurring during sexual intercourse[1]



dyspepsia

dyspepsia
dys·pep·sia 
[dis pépsee ə, dis
pépshə] noun

indigestion:
acid indigestion (technical)
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek duspepsia, literally “difficult digestion,” from peptein
“to cook, digest.”][1]



dyspeptic

dyspeptic
dys·pep·tic 
[diss péptik] adjective

1.  having
indigestion: having acid indigestion

2.  bad-tempered:
in a bad temper, or having a bad-tempered disposition
noun
(plural dys·pep·tics)

bad-tempered person:
an irritable bad-tempered person
[Late 17th century. From
Greek duspeptos, literally “difficult of digestion,” from peptein
“to cook, digest.”][1]



dysphagia

dysphagia
dys·pha·gia 
[dis fáyjə] noun

difficulty
in swallowing: difficulty in swallowing, with a variety
of possible causes
—dys·phag·ic [dis fájjik], adjective[1]



dysphasia

dysphasia
dys·pha·sia 
[dis fáyzhə, dis
fáyzee ə] noun

difficulty
in understanding language: difficulty in speaking and
understanding spoken or written language, caused by brain injury or disease
—dys·pha·sic [dis fáyzik], adjective[1]



dysphemism

dysphemism
dys·phe·mism
[dísfə mìzzəm] (plural dys·phe·misms)
noun

1.  substitution
of a coarser word: the deliberate substitution
of an offensive expression for a neutral one

2.  offensive
substitute for neutral word: an offensive expression
deliberately substituted for a neutral one
[Late
19th century. Formed from dys- on the model
of euphemism .]
—dys·phe·mis·tic [dìsfə místik], adjective[1]



dysphonia

dysphonia
dys·pho·ni·a 
[diss fṓnee ə] noun

neurologically
caused voice problem: hoarseness or difficulty in
speaking as a result of dysfunction of the vocal cords caused by brain injury,
brain disease, or chemical poisoning
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek dusphōnia, literally
“roughness of sound,” from phōnē “sound.”]
—dys·phon·ic [diss fónnik], adjective[1]



dysphoria

dysphoria
dys·pho·ri·a 
[diss fáwree ə] (plural dys·pho·ri·as)
noun

depression:
a state of feeling acutely hopeless, uncomfortable, and unhappy
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek dusphoria, literally “discomfort,” from, ultimately,
pherein “to bear.”]
—dys·phor·ic, adjective[1]



dysplasia

dysplasia
dys·pla·sia 
[diss pláyzhə, diss
pláyzhee ə] noun

medically
abnormal growth: medically abnormal development or growth
of a part of the body, for example, an organ, bone, or cell, including the
total absence of such a part
—dys·plas·tic [diss plástik], adjective[1]



dyspnea

dyspnea
dysp·ne·a 
[disp n ə, dísp
n ə] noun

difficulty
in breathing: difficulty in breathing caused, for
example, by heart disease or overexertion
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek duspnoia, literally “difficulty of
breathing,” from, ultimately, pnein “to breathe.”]
—dysp·ne·al,
adjective

—dysp·ne·ic, adjective[1]



dyspraxia

dyspraxia
dys·prax·i·a
[dis práksee ə] (plural dys·prax·i·as)
noun

1.  poor
coordination: poor coordination displayed by some
children, diagnosed by illegible handwriting and inability to catch a ball and
clap while the ball is in the air. It sometimes accompanies dyslexia.

2.  impairment
of the motor system: an impairment in or partial
loss of control of the body’s motor system, resulting from brain damage. See
apraxia
[From
Greek duspraxia, literally “ill success,” from praxis “action”
(see praxis )]
—dys·prax·ic, adjective[1]



dysprosium

dysprosium

dys·pro·si·um 
[dis prṓzee əm] noun
soft
silvery chemical element: a soft silvery chemical
element of the rare earth group that is paramagnetic, highly reactive, and used
in laser materials and nuclear research. Symbol Dy
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek dusprositos, literally “difficult to approach,” from,
ultimately, ienai “to go” (source of English ion
).][1]



dysrhythmia

dysrhythmia
dys·rhyth·mi·a 
[dis rímee ə] noun

abnormal
heart or brain rhythm: an irregularity in an
otherwise normal rhythm, especially of heartbeats or brainwaves
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “bad rhythm,” from, ultimately, Greek rhuthmos
“rhythm.”][1]



dystocia

dystocia
dys·to·ci·a 
[diss tṓshə] noun

difficult
childbirth:
abnormally difficult childbirth
[Early
18th century. From Greek dustokia, literally “difficult childbirth,”
from tokos “childbirth.”]
—dys·to·ci·al, adjective[1]



dystopia

dystopia
dys·to·pi·a 
[diss tṓpee ə] (plural dys·to·pi·as)
noun

place
where everything is very bad: an imaginary place where
everything is as bad as it possibly can be, or a vision or description of such
a place
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from dys- + utopia .]
—dys·to·pi·an, adjective[1]



dystrophic

dystrophic
dys·troph·ic 
[dis trófik] adjective

1.  affected
by dystrophy: relating to or affected by dystrophy

2.  ECOLOGY containing
excess humus: used to describe a pond or lake
containing water that is brown in color, abnormally acidic, and lacking in
oxygen. Such water is unable to support much plant or animal life because of
the amount of humus dissolved in it.

[1]



dystrophin

dystrophin
dys·tro·phin
[dístrəfin] noun

protein missing from
dystrophic muscle: a protein
found in normal muscle that is missing in muscle affected by some forms of
muscular dystrophy[1]



dystrophy

dystrophy
dys·tro·phy 
[dístrəfee] (plural dys·tro·phies)
or dys·tro·phi·a [də strṓfee ə]
(plural dys·tro·phi·as) noun

1.  MED progressive
degeneration of tissue: progressive degeneration of
a body tissue, for example, muscle, as a result of inadequate nourishment of
the affected part, due to some unknown cause

2.  ENVIRONMENT excessive
humus in water: a condition in which pond or lake water
is unable to support thriving animal or plant life because of excessive humus
content

[1]



dysuria

dysuria
dys·u·ri·a 
[diss yree ə, di
shree ə] noun

difficulty
in urinating: pain or difficulty in urinating
—dys·u·ric, adjective[1]



dytiscid

dytiscid
dy·tis·cid 
[dī tíssid, di
tíssid] (plural dy·tis·cids) noun

water
beetle:
a carnivorous freshwater diving beetle. Family: Dytiscidae
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek dutikos “able to dive,”
from duein “to dive.”]
—dy·tis·cid, adjective[1]



Dyula

Dyula
Dy·u·la
[dee la, dylə]
(plural Dy·u·la or Dy·u·las) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an African people: a member of an African
people who live mainly in the rainforests of the Ivory Coast

2.  LANGUAGE Mande
language:
a Mande language spoken in parts of the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.
Dyula is spoken by just over one million people.
—Dy·u·la, adjective[1]



dz.

dz.
dz.

Abbreviation of
dozen[1]



Dzerzhinsk

Dzerzhinsk
Dzer·zhinsk
[dur zhínsk]

city in central European
Russia on the Oka River. It is a chemical-manufacturing center. Population:
286,000 (1990)[1]



dzo

dzo
dzo 
[zō, dzō]
(plural dzos or dzo) or zo [zō, dzō] (plural
zos or zo) or zho [zō,
dzō] (plural zhos or zho)
noun

cross
between cow and yak: an animal belonging to a
breed developed from a hybrid between a cow and a yak
[Mid-19th century. From
Tibetan ṃdso .][1]



Dzongkha

Dzongkha
Dzong·kha
[zóngkə, dzóngkə]
or Dzong·ka [zóngkə, dzóngkə] noun

official
language of Bhutan: the official language of
Bhutan, a dialect of Tibetan. Dzongkha is spoken by just under one million
people.
Also
called
Bhutanese
[Early
20th century. From Tibetan, literally “language of the fortress.”]
—Dzong·kha, adjective[1]



Dzungaria

Dzungaria
Dzun·gar·ia
[zng gáiree ə, dzng
gáiree ə]

region in northwestern China,
west of the Republic of Mongolia and east of Kazakhstan, in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region[1]



DáilÉireann

DáilÉireann
Dáil
Éire·ann
[dòyl áirən] or Dáil [dòyl áirən] noun

house
of Irish parliament: the lower house of the
parliament of the Republic of Ireland
[Early 20th century. From
Irish, literally “Irish Assembly.”][1]



débouché

débouché
dé·bou·ché
[dày boo sháy] (plural dé·bouch·és)
noun

exit
for soldiers: an exit or outlet for troops in
fortifications
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from the past participle of déboucher (see debouch ).][1]



débridement

débridement
dé·bride·ment 
[day brdmənt, di
brdmənt, dày brd mN] (plural
dé·bride·ments) noun

cutting
harmful flesh from wound: the removal of dead,
damaged, or infected tissue from a wound in order to expose healthy tissue and
allow the wound to heal
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “unbridling.”][1]



déclassé

déclassé
dé·clas·sé 
[dày klaa sáy] adjective

given
lower social status: reduced to or having a low
class or status in society
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of déclasser “to declass.”][1]



décolletage

décolletage
dé·colle·tage 
[dày kawl tzh, dày
kollə tzh] (plural dé·colle·tages) noun

1.  low
neckline:
the top front part of a woman’s low-cut garment

2.  low-cut
garment:
a piece of women’s clothing with a décolletage
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from décolleté (see décolleté
).][1]



décolleté

décolleté
dé·col·le·té 
[dày kawl táy, dáy
kollə táy] adjective

1.  with
low neckline: having a low-cut front neckline • a
décolleté dress

2.  wearing
low-cut garment: wearing a décolleté garment
noun
(plural dé·col·le·tés)

chest area: the
upper part of a woman’s chest, below the neck
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of décolleter “to lower the neckline,” from collet
“collar,” from, ultimately, Latin collum “neck.”][1]



dégagé

dégagé
dé·ga·gé 
[dày gaa zháy] adjective (formal)

1.  relaxed:
casual and relaxed

2.  not
involved:
detached and without emotional involvement
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “disengaged.”][1]



déjàvu

déjàvu
dé·jà
vu 
[dày zhaa v] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY feeling
of reliving something: a feeling of having
experienced something before although in fact it is the first time that it has
been experienced

2.  boredom:
boredom resulting from something that has happened many times before
[Early
20th century. From French, literally “already seen.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Extension
  of meaning:
  déjà vu once referred exclusively
  to the illusion of having been somewhere before or done something before: • As
  she entered the house, so far from any place she had ever been, she had an
  eerie sense of déjà vu. Recently, however, it has
  come to encompass as well the reality of repetitiveness in events or actions:
  • The
  opening of yet another Italian restaurant in that spot gave her a distinct
  sense of déjà vu. This sense of the word has
  been extended still further, until the turnaround from the original meaning is
  almost complete and déjà vu is sometimes also used to describe tedium:
  • Gray
  winter days bring on déjà vu.

[1]



démarche

démarche
dé·marche 
[day mrsh] (plural dé·march·es)
noun

1.  diplomatic
representation: a diplomatic representation, especially
a move, maneuver, or protest made orally

2.  citizens’
protest statement: a statement of protest made
by or on behalf of the citizens of a nation to their government or to a
controlling authority

3.  move
or countermove: a move, step, or countermove
[Mid-17th century. From
French démarcher “to take steps,” from marcher “to march.”][1]



démodé

démodé
dé·mo·dé 
[dày mō dáy] adjective

out
of style:
no longer fashionable
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of démoder “to go out of fashion,” from mode
“fashion” (see mode ).][1]



détente

détente
dé·tente 
[day tnt, day
tNt] or de·tente [day tnt,
day tNt] noun

easing
of tension between nations: a relaxation of tension or
hostility between nations
[Early 20th century. From
French, “relaxation” (see detent ).][1]



développé

développé
dé·vel·op·pé 
[di vèllə páy, dàyvə
lō páy] (plural dé·vel·op·pés) noun

ballet
movement:
a ballet movement in which the foot of one leg is drawn up to the knee of the
other and then extended slowly out into the air
[Early 20th century. From
French, the past participle of développer (see develop
).][1]



dévoré

dévoré
dé·voré
noun

fabric
patterning technique: the use of a chemical paste
to create patterns in specially structured fabrics such as velvet by dissolving
the natural fibers and revealing the synthetic warp and weft threads
[From French dévorer
(see devour )][1]



DíazOrdaz, Gustavo

DíazOrdaz, Gustavo
Dí·az
Or·daz
[d az áwr dàz, d
aass áwr dss], Gustavo (1911–1979)

Mexican statesman. He served
as senator (1946–1952), minister of the interior (1958–1963), and president
(1964–1970).[1]



Díaz,Porfirio

Díaz,Porfirio

Dí·az
[d àz, d ss],
Porfirio (1830–1915)
Mexican
soldier and statesman. President of Mexico (1876–1880, 1884–1911), he was
forced out of office during the Mexican revolution.
Full name
Díaz, José de la Cruz Porfirio[1]



Dürer,Albrecht

Dürer,Albrecht
Dür·er 
[drər, dyrər],
Albrecht (1471–1528)

German painter and engraver.
The clarity of his paintings, for example, in Self Portrait ( 1498 ),
made him one of the most influential artists of the Reformation.[1]



Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf
Düs·sel·dorf 
[dss’l dàwrf]

capital of North
Rhine-Westphalia, west central Germany. Situated on the Rhine River, about 32
km20 mi north of Cologne, it is the commercial and cultural center of the
greater Ruhr area. Population: 573,100 (1994)[1]



D’OylyCarte, Richard

D’OylyCarte, Richard
D’Oy·ly
Carte 
[dòylee krt], Richard (1844–1901)

British agent, manager, and
producer. He founded an eponymous opera company in 1875 to perform the
operettas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. From 1881 these operettas were staged
at his own Savoy Theatre, London.[1]



E.

E.
E.

Abbreviation of
earl[1]



e-

e-
e-
prefix

1.  electronic
• e-mail

2.  electronic
data transfer via the Internet • e-commerce
[Shortening][1]



e.

e.
e.

1.  Abbreviation
of
engineer

2.  Abbreviation
of
engineering

3.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of error

[1]



e

e2
e2

1.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for the
transcendental number 2.718 282…

2.  CHESS Symbol for the fifth
vertical row of squares from the left on a chessboard

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for electron

[1]



e

e3
e3

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of error[1]



e

e1

e1 [ee]
(plural e’s) or E [ee]
(plural E’s or Es) noun

1.  5th
letter of the English alphabet: the fifth letter of
the modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to the letter “E”: the
speech sound that corresponds to the letter “E”

3.        letter
“E” written: a written
representation of the letter “E”[1]



E

E2
E2 [ee]
(plural Es or E’s) noun

1.  MUSIC 3rd
note of scale in C: the third note of a scale in
C major

2.  MUSIC something
that produces an E: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note E

3.  MUSIC scale
beginning on E: a scale or key that starts on the note E

4.  MUSIC written
symbol of E: a graphic representation of the tone of
E

5.  DRUGS ecstasy:
the drug ecstasy or a tablet of the drug (slang)

[1]



E

E1
E1

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for energy

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for electric
field strength

3.  PHYSICS (usually written
italicized) Symbol for electromotive
force

4.  LOGIC Symbol for negative
categorical proposition

5.  PHYSICS Symbol for internal energy

6.  MEASUREMENTS Symbol for exa-

7.  Symbol
for
energy  noun 5

[1]



E

E3
E3

1.  Abbreviation
of
east

2.  Abbreviation
of
eastern

3.  ELECTRICITY Abbreviation of
earth

4.  Abbreviation
of
English

[1]



ea.

ea.
ea.

Abbreviation of
each[1]



EAC

EAC
EAC

Abbreviation of
East African Community[1]



eaceworm

eaceworm
eace·worm
[s wùrm] (plural eace·worms) noun

earthworm:
an earthworm (regional)
[Eace-
ultimately from Old English s “bait,” related to Latin esca
“food, bait” and English eat]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Often
  thought of as typical of a Northern or New England term, eaceworm most clearly marks northern Rhode
  Island speech. Other forms are easterworm and eastworm.

[1]



each

each
each 
[eech] adjective pronoun adverb

every
one:
used to refer to every member of a group of people or things, considered
individually • With
each victory we get closer to the championship. • Is
a VCR that can be connected to more than one TV better than buying one for
each?
• Environmental
health officers were supervising an average of 40 cases each.
[Old
English lc . From a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning “ever
alike.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  each
  or every ?
  In
  some contexts these two words are nearly interchangeable, as in • I
  adore each puppy in the litter and • I
  adore every puppy. Here the only difference
  is a slight shift in perspective from considering the animals individually,
  with each, to considering them
  collectively, with every . Either of the
  words, placed before the noun, requires the noun and the verb to be singular:
  • each
  puppy is affectionate • every
  puppy is affectionate. Each, though not every, may also be placed after a plural noun,
  and then the plural governs the verb: • The
  puppies each have their own toys . Also each can refer to two or more, whereas every must refer to three or more. Each can be an adjective ( • each
  puppy
  ), a pronoun ( • each of them
  ), and an adverb ( • Give
  them a bowlful each ), whereas every is an adjective only.

[1]



eachother

eachother
each
oth·er
pronoun

each
of especially two: each one of two or more
persons or things reciprocally

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  each
  other
  or one another ?
  The
  traditional rule is that each other refers
  to two items and one another refers to
  more than two: • Joe and Lee respect
  each other deeply. • All
  the people at the party knew one another already.
  However, this distinction is not supported by the weight of usage, and there
  is no good reason to reject the alternatives • Joe
  and Lee respect one another deeply and
  • All
  the people at the party knew each other already,
  although the last example sounds somewhat less natural than the others.

[1]



EACSO

EACSO
EACSO

Abbreviation of
East African Common Services Organization[1]



eager

eager
ea·ger
[gər] adjective

1.  enthusiastic
and excited about doing something: enthusiastic and
excited about something and impatiently waiting to do or get it • eager
to help
• eager
for praise

2.  full
of enthusiasm and impatience: expressing enthusiastic
interest and expectation or an impatient desire to do something • eager
face
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman egre from, ultimately, Latin acer
“sharp” (source of English acrid and vinegar ).]
—ea·ger·ly,
adverb

—ea·ger·ness, noun[1]



eagerbeaver

eagerbeaver
ea·ger
bea·ver
(plural ea·ger bea·vers) noun

enthusiastic
hard worker: somebody who is exceptionally, or even
excessively, ready and willing to work hard, carry out tasks, or volunteer (informal)
[From the perceived
industriousness of beavers. Originally a World War II expression in the United
States for an overzealous recruit.][1]



eagle

eagle
ea·gle 
[g’l] noun (plural ea·gles)

1.  BIRDS large
bird of prey: a large and powerful bird of prey with a
hooked bill and broad wingspan that hunts by day and is noted for its keen
eyesight and majestic soaring flight. Subfamily: Buteoninae

2.  figure
of an eagle as a symbol: the figure of an eagle used
as a symbol of military or political power, for example on the standards
carried by the Roman legions

3.  GOLF score
of 2 under par: a score of two under par for a single
hole in golf

4.  COINS former
U.S. 10-dollar gold coin: a gold coin worth ten
dollars, current in the United States until 1934
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ea·gled,
past participle ea·gled, present participle ea·gling,
3rd person present singular ea·gles)

GOLF score
2 under par: to complete a hole in two strokes under
par in golf
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman egle from Latin aquila .][1]



eagleeye

eagleeye
ea·gle
eye
(plural ea·gle eyes) noun

keen
eyesight or attention: extremely keen eyesight,
especially over long distances, or the ability to notice what other people
might miss
—ea·gle-eyed, adjective[1]



eagleowl

eagleowl
ea·gle
owl
(plural ea·gle owls) noun

large owl with tufts on its
head: a large Eurasian owl, the
largest species of owl in the world, with brownish plumage and tufts of
feathers on its head that look like horns. Latin name: Bubo bubo[1]



eagleray

eagleray
ea·gle
ray
(plural ea·gle rays) noun

large ray with fins like
wings: a large ray found in
tropical and subtropical seas that has a projecting snout, massive jaws, and
pectoral fins shaped like wings that propel it with a soaring motion. Family:
Myliobatidae[1]



EagleScout

EagleScout
Ea·gle
Scout
(plural Ea·gle Scouts) noun

Scout
of the highest rank: a Boy Scout who has reached
the highest level of attainment in the various tests of skill and endurance set
by the Boy Scout movement
[Eagle with reference to the
hierarchy of birds][1]



eaglet

eaglet
ea·glet 
[glət] (plural ea·glets) noun

young eagle:
a young eagle, especially before it leaves the nest[1]



eagre

eagre
ea·gre
[gər] (plural ea·gres) noun

GEOGRAPHY See bore 3 noun
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Eakins,Thomas

Eakins,Thomas
Ea·kins 
[áykinz], Thomas (1844–1916)

U.S. artist. He is known for
his realist paintings drawn from life, such as The Gross Clinic ( 1875
).[1]



ealdorman

ealdorman
eal·dor·man 
[áwldərmən] (plural eal·dor·men
[áwldərmən]) noun

Anglo-Saxon
head of a shire: the principal magistrate and commander
of the military forces of a shire in Anglo-Saxon England
[Old English ealdormann,
from ealdor “an elder” + man][1]



Eames

Eames
Eames
[eemz] Trademark

a trademark for chairs,
especially and originally ones of molded plywood, whose seats and backs are
shaped to accommodate human body contours[1]



Eames,Charles

Eames,Charles
Eames
[eemz], Charles (1907–1978)

U.S. designer. He is known
for the prototype of the molded plywood chair that bears his name.[1]



E.& O.E.

E.& O.E.
E.
& O.E.

(used on invoices)Abbreviation
of errors and omissions excepted[1]



ear

ear1

ear1 [eer]
(plural ears) noun

1.  BIOLOGY organ
of hearing:
the organ of hearing and balance in vertebrates that, in mammals, is divided
into three parts, the external, middle, and inner ear. The external ear
collects sound, the middle ear contains small bones that amplify and transmit
it, while the inner ear maintains balance and contains sensory nerve endings
for detecting sound.

2.  BIOLOGY external
part of hearing organ: the external part of an ear,
visible in humans and most mammals on each side of the head as a flap of
cartilage with skin surrounding or covering it

3.  BIOLOGY invertebrate
sensory organ similar to an ear: any sensory organ in
invertebrates that is able to sense vibrations and perform a similar function
to a vertebrate ear

4.  BIRDS See ear tuft

5.  ear
shape:
something shaped like an ear, especially a handle on a jug or jar

6.  ability
to tell sounds apart: the ability to distinguish
accurately between different sounds, for example, in speech or music • She
has an ear for other languages.

7.  attention:
somebody’s attention, especially somebody’s sympathetic or favorable attention

8.  PRESS section
at top corner of newspaper: a small section at the top
corner of the front page of a newspaper for advertising or a weather forecast
[Old
English ēare . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “ear,”
which is also the ancestor of English aural
.]
all ears

listening,
or ready to listen, attentively or enthusiastically to something (informal)

go in one ear and out the other

to
be forgotten as soon as heard and so have absolutely no effect on somebody

have somebody’s ear

to
be a trusted adviser to somebody, especially somebody powerful or influential

have or keep your ear to the
ground

to
remain continuously alert to discover new developments or information

out on your ear

unceremoniously
thrown out or dismissed from a place or position you previously occupied (informal)
• You’ll
be out on your ear if you’re late again.

play it by ear

to
improvise or adapt your response to a situation as it occurs rather than make
plans in advance

set something or somebody on its or
somebody’s ear

to
send something or somebody into a state of excited agitation, shock, or
confusion

wet behind the ears

very inexperienced or naive[1]



ear

ear2
ear2 [eer]
noun (plural ears)

BOTANY plant
part containing grain: the grain-bearing part at
the top of the stalk of a cereal plant such as wheat or corn, or the
grain-bearing part of corn
intransitive
verb
(past eared, past participle eared, present
participle ear·ing, 3rd person present singular ears)

BOTANY form
ears:
to form the part of a corn plant that contains the grains
[Old English ēar .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp” (see eager ).][1]



earache

earache
ear·ache 
[r àyk] (plural ear·aches) noun

pain in the ear:
pain in the middle or inner ear. Technical name otalgia[1]



earclip

earclip
ear
clip
(plural ear clips) noun

1.  ornament
clipped to the upper ear: an ornament, for example, a
metal band, clipped to the upper part of the ear

2.  clip-on
earring:
a clip-on earring

[1]



eardrop

eardrop
ear·drop 
[r dròp] noun (plural ear·drops)

pendant
earring:
a pendant earring
plural
noun
ear·drops

liquid ear medicine:
liquid medicine for the ear, usually inserted with a dropper[1]



eardrum

eardrum
ear·drum 
[r drùm] (plural ear·drums) noun

sound-transmitting membrane
in the ear: a membrane of thin skin and
fibrous tissue that vibrates in response to sound waves, located between the
external and the middle ear. Technical name tympanic
membrane[1]



eared

eared
eared
[eerd] adjective

with ears of a particular
type: with ears, or with ears of a
particular type (usually used in combination) • long-eared[1]



earedseal

earedseal
eared
seal
(plural eared seals) noun

seal with external ears:
a seal with conspicuous external ears and independent hind limbs or flippers
that are used to walk on land. Sea lions and fur seals are eared seals .
Family: Otariidae[1]



earflap

earflap
ear·flap 
[r flàp] (plural ear·flaps) noun

ear covering attached to a
hat: either of two extra pieces
of fabric or fur attached to a hat that can be let down to keep the ears warm (often
used in the plural)[1]



earful

earful
ear·ful 
[r fl] noun

1.  scolding:
a severe scolding or lecture from somebody (informal)

2.  something
somebody hears or overhears: a large quantity of sound,
conversation, or gossip that somebody hears or overhears

[1]



Earhart,Amelia

Earhart,Amelia

Ear·hart 
[áir hrt], Amelia (1898–1937)
U.S. aviator. She was the first woman to
fly solo over both the Atlantic (1932) and the Pacific (1935). She disappeared
in the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while attempting an around-the-world flight.[1]



earing

earing
ear·ing 
[ring] (plural ear·ings) noun

SAILING rope
attaching a sail to a yard: a small rope that attaches
the upper corner of a sail to a yard
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from ear 1 .][1]



earl

earl
earl 
[url] (plural earls) noun

middle-ranking
British nobleman: a British nobleman ranked above a
viscount and below a marquess. The title corresponds to “count” in Europe, and
Great Britain and Europe both use “countess” for a woman’s equivalent rank.
[Old English eorl
“warrior, nobleman,” of unknown origin][1]



earldom

earldom
earl·dom 
[úrldəm] (plural earl·doms) noun

1.  rank
of earl:
the rank or position of an earl or countess

2.  territory:
the territory belonging to or administered by an earl or countess

[1]



earlessseal

earlessseal
ear·less
seal 
(plural ear·less seals) noun

seal without external ears:
a seal that does not have conspicuous external ears and has short front and
hind flippers that are adapted for swimming rather than walking on land.
Family: Phocidae
Also called
true seal[1]



EarlGrey

EarlGrey
Earl
Grey
noun

bergamot-flavored
tea:
a tea flavored with bergamot to produce a lighter-colored brew with a musky
taste
[Said to be named for Charles
Grey, the second Earl Grey (1764–1845), British statesman and prime
minister][1]



earlobe

earlobe
ear·lobe 
[r lb] (plural ear·lobes) noun

lower part of the outer ear:
the soft fleshy lower part of the outer ear[1]



early

early
ear·ly 
[úrlee] adverb (comparative ear·li·er,
superlative ear·li·est)

1.  before
the expected time: before the expected or
arranged time • they arrived early

2.  near
the beginning: at or near the beginning of a specified
period, process, or event that is experienced over a period of time • early
in the interview

3.  during
the first stages: at a time when something was not far
advanced or developed or when somebody was at a comparatively young age • She
decided early that she wanted to become a teacher.

4.  soon:
promptly or soon • Buy your tickets early,
for seating is limited.
adjective
(comparative ear·li·er, superlative ear·li·est)

1.  occurring
near the beginning: occurring at or near the
beginning of a period of time, process, or sequence of events • early
reports indicate a high level of interest

2.  occurring
before the expected time: occurring before the
expected or arranged time • early
retirement

3.  produced
near the beginning of something: produced at,
characteristic of, or representing a not very advanced stage in the development
of something or somebody • looking
forward to an early end to the deadlock

4.  in
the very near future: due, expected, or requested
to happen in the very near future

5.  BOTANY ripening
before others: ripening before other varieties of the
same type • early
peaches
[Old
English rlīce . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “day,”
which is also the ancestor of English erst
.]
—early
on, adverb
early
on

at an early stage[1]



earlybird

earlybird
ear·ly
bird
(plural ear·ly birds) noun (informal)

1.  somebody
who gets up early: somebody who gets up early
in the morning

2.  somebody
who arrives early: somebody who arrives earlier
than the expected or arranged time
[From the proverb The early
bird gets the worm][1]



Early,Jubal Anderson

Early,Jubal Anderson
Ear·ly 
[úrlee], Jubal Anderson (1816–1894)

U.S. Confederate general. He
interrupted his career as a lawyer to serve during the Mexican War (1846–1848)
and Civil War (1861–1865).[1]



earlymusic

earlymusic
ear·ly
mu·sic
noun

Medieval
and Renaissance music: music written during the
Medieval and Renaissance periods, sometimes also including the music of the
Baroque and early Classical periods
adjective

performed in the style of the
time: typical of a way of
performing early music that aims to be as authentic as possible, using period
instruments, the contemporary performing style, and a carefully researched
score[1]



earlywarning system

earlywarning system
ear·ly
warn·ing sys·tem  (plural ear·ly warn·ing
sys·tems) noun

radar or satellite
attack-detection system: a network
of radar, satellites, or other sensing devices designed to give advance warning
of an enemy attack, especially in time to take countermeasures[1]



earmark

earmark
ear·mark 
[r mrk] transitive verb (past
ear·marked, past participle ear·marked, present
participle ear·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular ear·marks)

1.  designate
something for particular purpose: to select and reserve
something to be used for a particular purpose • That
money’s already been earmarked for upgrading the computer system.

2.  AGRICULTURE put
an identification mark on an animal’s ear: to
mark the ear of a farm animal with an identifying symbol, notch, or hole
noun
(plural ear·marks)

1.  identifying
characteristic: something enabling recognition of the
nature or origins of something (often used in the plural) • The
crime seemed to have all the earmarks of an inside job.

2.  AGRICULTURE identification
mark on an animal’s ear: an identifying symbol, hole,
or notch in the ear of a farm animal
[Early 16th century. The
earliest meaning is that of marking an animal’s ear.][1]



earmuffs

earmuffs
ear·muffs
[r mùfs] plural noun

ear covers against the cold:
ear covers attached to an adjustable headband, worn in cold weather[1]



earn

earn
earn
[urn] (past earned, past
participle earned, present participle earn·ing, 3rd
person present singular earns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
money by working: to receive money or payment of some
other kind in return for work done • earn
enough to live on

2.  transitive
verb
deserve
something:
to acquire something as a reward for, or as a result of your actions or
behavior • earn
praise
• the
remark earned him a stern rebuke

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE produce
interest or dividends: to produce interest or
dividends from money invested
[Old English earnian .
From a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to harvest,” which is also the
ancestor of German Ernte “harvest.”][1]



earnedincome

earnedincome
earned
in·come
noun

income from paid employment:
income from paid employment as opposed to income from investments[1]



earnedrun

earnedrun
earned
run 
(plural earned runs) noun

BASEBALL
run scored by a batter’s own skill:
a run scored without the benefit of an error or a wild pitch[1]



earnedrun average

earnedrun average
earned
run av·er·age  (plural earned run
av·er·ag·es) noun

BASEBALL
average earned runs allowed by a pitcher:
the number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per every nine innings, used as
a measure of the pitcher’s performance[1]



earnest

earnest2
ear·nest2 [úrnəst]
(plural ear·nests) noun

1.  ear·nest
or ear·nest mon·ey COMMERCE
down
payment:
a small advance payment that confirms a contract

2.  token
of something to come: a sign, foretaste, or pledge
of something to come (literary)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Old French erres “pledges,” from
Latin arra from, ultimately, Greek arrabōn “pledge,” from Hebrew ’ērābhôn,
from ’ārab “to pledge.”][1]



earnest

earnest1
ear·nest1 [úrnəst]
adjective

1.  intensely
serious and sincere: intensely, or even
excessively, serious and sincere in manner or attitude

2.  done
in a deeply sincere way: undertaken or made in a
spirit of deep seriousness and sincerity, or with deep feeling

3.  deserving
serious attention: of a serious nature or
worthy of serious attention (formal)
[Old
English eornost, from a prehistoric Germanic base of uncertain origin]
—ear·nest·ly,
adverb

—ear·nest·ness,
noun
in
earnest

1.  serious
and sincere in your actions, words, or intentions

2.  more
intensely, or in a determined and purposeful way

[1]



earnings

earnings
earn·ings 
[úrningz] plural noun

money earned:
money earned, either through paid employment, as profit, or from investments[1]



earphone

earphone
ear·phone 
[r fn] (plural ear·phones) noun

radio or stereo listening
device: a device that converts
electric signals into audible sound and is worn on or held close to the ear (often
used in the plural)[1]



earpiece

earpiece
ear·piece 
[r pss] (plural ear·piec·es)
noun

1.  the
part of a device heard through: the part of a device
such as a telephone, radio, or hearing aid that is held in, or close to, the
ear

2.  part
of glasses frame around the ear: the part of the frame
of a pair of eyeglasses that fits over and around the ear

[1]



ear-piercing

ear-piercing
ear-pierc·ing
adjective

very loud and shrill:
extremely or painfully loud and shrill[1]



earplug

earplug
ear·plug 
[r plùg] (plural ear·plugs) noun

soft plug inserted in ear:
a piece of something soft such as wax or foam rubber that is placed in the ear
to keep out noise, water, or cold (often used in the plural)[1]



Earp,Wyatt

Earp,Wyatt
Earp 
[urp], Wyatt (1848–1929)

U.S.
frontiersman and law enforcement officer. He was based in Dodge City, Kansas,
from 1876 and in Tombstone, Arizona (1879–1882), and he participated in the
gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1881).
Full name
Earp, Wyatt Berry Stapp[1]



earring

earring
ear·ring 
[r rìng] (plural ear·rings) noun

ACCESSORIES
piece of jewelry worn on the ear:
a piece of jewelry worn on the ear, usually either clipped to the earlobe or
attached through a hole pierced in it (often used in the plural)[1]



earshell

earshell
ear
shell
(plural ear shells) noun

See
abalone[1]



earshot

earshot
ear·shot 
[r shòt] noun

distance
in which sound is audible: the distance within which
sound is audible to somebody • within
earshot
[Early 17th century. Modeled
on words such as bowshot “distance to which an arrow can be shot from a
bow.”][1]



earsplitting

earsplitting
ear·split·ting 
[r splìtting] adjective

very loud:
extremely loud or shrill[1]



earth

earth

earth 
[urth] noun (plural earths)

1.  Earth
or earth 3rd planet from sun:
the third planet in order from the Sun with an orbital period of 365.26 days, a
diameter of 12,756 km/7,926 mi, and an average distance from the sun of
149,600,000 km/93,000,000 mi. Surrounded by an atmosphere composed primarily of
nitrogen and oxygen, it is the only planet in the universe known to support
life.

2.  land:
the solid dry land surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sea or sky

3.  soil:
the soft, workable material in which plants grow

4.  human
inhabitants of Earth: all the human inhabitants of
the Earth (formal)

5.  pursuits
of everyday life: the pursuits of everyday human life,
especially as opposed to matters of the spirit

6.  U.K.
ZOOLOGY burrow:
the hole or underground lair of a fox, or sometimes a badger

7.  U.K.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See ground

8.  PHILOSOPHY HISTORY one of
the four elements: in ancient and medieval
philosophy, one of the four elements, earth, air, fire, and water, from which
it was believed everything was made
transitive verb
(past earthed, past participle earthed, present
participle earth·ing, 3rd person present singular earths)

U.K. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See ground
[Old
English eorpe, from a prehistoric Germanic word]
come or be brought back (down) to
earth

to
become or be made aware of the usually unglamorous realities of your situation
again

on earth

used to add intensity to a
question, often indicating surprise or disbelief on the part of the questioner
(informal) • What
on earth have you done to the computer now?[1]



earthborn

earthborn
earth·born 
[úrth bàwrn] adjective

born or orginating from
Earth: born on or originating from
the Earth, and therefore human, mortal, or earthly (literary)[1]



earthbound

earthbound
earth·bound 
[úrth bòwnd] adjective

1.  mundane
and unimaginative: exclusively concerned with
or confined to ordinary everyday or worldly matters and lacking in imagination
or spirituality

2.  heading
toward Earth: heading or moving toward Earth

[1]



earthcolor

earthcolor
earth
col·or
noun

COLORS
pigment from earth:
any of a number of pigments, for example, umber or ocher, that are obtained
from the earth[1]



earthen

earthen
earth·en 
[úrthən] adjective

1.  made
of earth:
made of earth or baked clay

2.  earthly:
being from Earth and having human or mortal qualities

[1]



earthenware

earthenware
earth·en·ware 
[úrthən wàir] noun

pottery made of baked clay:
pottery made of fairly coarse-textured baked clay that is fired at a very low
temperature[1]



earthlight

earthlight
earth·light 
[úrth lt] noun

ASTRONOMY
See earthshine[1]



earthling

earthling
earth·ling 
[úrthling] (plural earth·lings)
noun

1.  human
being:
especially in science fiction, a human being as contrasted with an
extraterrestrial or supernatural being

2.  worldling:
somebody who is concerned with the affairs of the everyday world

[1]



earthly

earthly
earth·ly 
[úrthlee] (comparative earth·li·er,
superlative earth·li·est) adjective

1.  characteristic
of this world: belonging to or characteristic of this
world, especially as opposed to the spiritual realm or heaven

2.  possible:
imaginable or possible

[1]



earthman

earthman
earth·man 
[úrth màn] (plural earth·men [úrth mèn]) noun

human being:
especially in science fiction, resident of Earth as referred to by an
extraterrestrial[1]



earthmother

earthmother
earth
moth·er
(plural earth moth·ers) noun

1.  sensual
and motherly woman: a woman who conveys a warm
earthy combination of sensuality and motherliness

2.  the
Earth personified as mother: the Earth personified as a
mother

3.  goddess
symbolizing earth: a goddess symbolizing earth
and worshiped as a source of life and fertility

[1]



earthmover

earthmover
earth·mov·er 
[úrth mvər] (plural earth·mov·ers)
noun

bulldozer
or mechanical digger: a vehicle such as a
bulldozer that is designed to move earth, especially in large quantities
—earth·mov·ing, adjective[1]



earthnut

earthnut
earth·nut 
[úrth nùt] (plural earth·nuts)
noun

plant with underground pods:
a plant, for example, the peanut, that has underground pods[1]



earthpillar

earthpillar
earth
pil·lar
(plural earth pil·lars) noun

soft rock column:
a pillar of soft material capped by a boulder of more resistant rock that
protects it from erosion[1]



earthquake

earthquake
earth·quake 
[úrth kwàyk] (plural earth·quakes)
noun

1.  shaking
of the Earth’s crust: a violent shaking of the
Earth’s crust that may cause destruction to buildings and installations and
results from the sudden release of tectonic stress along a fault line or
volcanic activity. Technical name seism

Also
called
temblor

2.  disruptive
event:
an event that causes an upheaval in society, politics, or somebody’s life

[1]



earthrise

earthrise
earth·rise 
[úrth rz] (plural earth·ris·es)
noun

rising of the Earth above the
Moon’s horizon: the rising of the Earth
above the Moon’s horizon, as seen from space or from the Moon itself[1]



earthscience

earthscience
earth
sci·ence
(plural earth sci·enc·es) noun

geology or a similar
Earth-related science: a science
that deals with the Earth’s physical properties, structure, or development, for
example, geology[1]



earthshaking

earthshaking
earth·shak·ing 
[úrth shàyking] or earth·shat·ter·ing
[úrth shàttəring] adjective

extremely
great or important: extremely great or
important, or having an extremely powerful effect
—earth·shak·ing·ly, adverb[1]



earthshine

earthshine
earth·shine 
[úrth shn] noun

sunlight reflected from the
Earth onto the Moon: sunlight
reflected from the Earth that illuminates the part of the Moon not receiving
light directly from the Sun.
Also called
earthlight[1]



earthsign

earthsign
earth
sign
(plural earth signs) noun

Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn:
any of the three signs of the zodiac, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, all
associated with stability and consistency[1]



earthstar

earthstar
earth·star 
[úrth str] (plural earth·stars)
noun

woodland fungus:
a woodland fungus with a round outer surface that splits open in a star-shaped
pattern to release spores. Genus: Geastrum[1]



earthstation

earthstation
earth
sta·tion
(plural earth sta·tions) noun

radio relay system:
a system for relaying radio signals between one or more satellites and other
communications networks. Earth stations may be on the ground, at sea, or in
aircraft.[1]



earthtone

earthtone
earth
tone
(plural earth tones) noun

color with brown in it:
a color that has an element of deep rich brown in it, for example, gold or
russet[1]



earthward

earthward
earth·ward 
[úrthwərd] adjective

directed
toward the Earth: directed or facing toward the Earth
adverb
earth·ward earth·wards

toward the Earth:
in the direction of the Earth or the ground[1]



earthwork

earthwork
earth·work 
[úrth wùrk] (plural earth·works)
noun

1.  MILITARY earth
fortification: a fortification made of earth

2.  CONSTRUCTION excavation
and earthmoving work: construction work involving
excavating, earthmoving, and building embankments

[1]



earthworm

earthworm

earth·worm 
[úrth wùrm] (plural earth·worms)
noun
burrowing terrestrial worm:
a worm that burrows in the soil and helps to aerate and improve it. Family:
Lumbricidae[1]



earthy

earthy
earth·y 
[úrthee] (comparative earth·i·er,
superlative earth·i·est) adjective

1.  like
soil:
relating to or consisting of soil

2.  not
squeamish or pretentious: having or showing a hearty,
cheerful, no-nonsense acceptance of the realities and facts of life

3.  crude:
crude and coarse
—earth·i·ly,
adverb

—earth·i·ness, noun[1]



eartrumpet

eartrumpet
ear
trum·pet
(plural ear trum·pets) noun

trumpet-shaped hearing aid:
an early type of hearing aid consisting of a trumpet-shaped device that was
held to the ear[1]



eartuft

eartuft
ear
tuft
[r tùft] (plural ear tufts) noun

tuft of feathers:
a tuft of feathers above the eyes of some owls and other birds, causing the
bird to look larger or blend in with foliage but not used in hearing.
Also called
ear[1]



earwax

earwax
ear·wax 
[r wàks] noun

waxy substance in ear:
a yellowish waxy substance secreted by glands in the external ear to protect
the delicate lining of the outer ear. Technical name cerumen[1]



earwig

earwig
ear·wig 
[r wìg] noun

slender
insect with pincers: a common insect with a
slender shiny body, small forewings, antennae, and pincers at the end of its
abdomen. Order: Dermaptera
[Old English ēarwicga
. Literally “ear-insect,” from ēare “ear” + wicga “insect.” The
insect received its name from the belief that it creeps into people’s ears.][1]



ease

ease
ease 
[eez] noun

1.  lack
of difficulty: lack of difficulty in doing or achieving
something • defeated
the challenger with ease

2.  lack
of awkwardness: lack of awkwardness, stiffness, or
self-consciousness in social situations • He
felt totally at ease with her.

3.  comfort
and affluence: a comfortable and leisured state free
from problems and restrictions, especially those caused by poverty • a
life of ease

4.  relaxation:
a state of comfort and relaxation

5.  relief
from worry or pain: freedom or relief from worry
or pain
verb
(past eased, past participle eased, present
participle eas·ing, 3rd person present singular eas·es)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something less unpleasant: to make something less
unpleasant, difficult, or restrictive

2.  transitive
verb
relieve
the mind or body from pain: to relieve somebody’s mind
or body from pain or discomfort

3.  intransitive
verb
abate:
to become less strong or intense • The
rain eased.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb maneuver
gently:
to maneuver gently and carefully, especially in a tight space, or maneuver
something in this way • eased
the truck into the space

5.  transitive
verb
loosen
something:
to slacken something that is tied or fitted tightly

6.  transitive
verb
make
something easier: to enable something to take place more
easily
[12th century. From Old
French aise “comfort,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin adjacens
“lying near.”][1]



easeful

easeful
ease·ful 
[zfəl] adjective

giving
relief:
giving relief from pain, suffering, or distress (literary)
—ease·ful·ly,
adverb

—ease·ful·ness, noun[1]



easel

easel
ea·sel 
[z’l] (plural ea·sels) noun

support
for an artist’s canvas or blackboard: a
freestanding upright support for a painter’s canvas or a blackboard, usually
made of wood and having movable clamps
[Late 16th century. Via Dutch
ezel “donkey,” from, ultimately, Latin asinus “ass” (source of
English ass ).][1]



easement

easement
ease·ment 
[zmənt] (plural ease·ments) noun

LAW limited
right of use of property: a limited right to make use
of a property owned by another, for example, a right of way across the property
[14th century. Via Old French
aisement from, ultimately, aise “comfort” (see ease ).][1]



easily

easily
eas·i·ly 
[zilee, zlee]
adverb

1.  without
difficulty:
in an easy manner and without difficulty or strain • We
can easily be there by lunchtime.

2.  by
far:
without doubt and by a large margin • she’s
easily the best

3.  at
least:
certainly not less and probably far more than a particular number or amount • There
were easily 200 people at the meeting.

[1]



east

east
east 
[eest] noun

1.  direction
in which the sun rises: the direction that lies
directly ahead of somebody facing the rising sun or that is located toward the
right-hand side of a conventional map of the world

2.  compass
point opposite west: the compass point that lies
directly opposite west

3.  east
or East area in the east:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the east

4.  CHRISTIANITY altar
end of church: the end of a church where the altar is
situated

5.  east
or East GAMES position
equivalent to east: the position equivalent to
east in any diagram consisting of four points at 90 degree intervals
adjective

1.  in
the east:
situated in, facing, or coming from the east of a place, region, or country

2.  blowing
from the east: blowing from the east
adverb

toward the east:
in or toward the east
[Old English ēast- .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to shine,” which also produced
English aurora . The underlying idea
is of the point at which the sun rises.][1]



EastAfrica

EastAfrica
East
Af·ri·ca

region
in east central Africa, usually taken to comprise Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda,
Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda
—East Af·ri·can (plural
East Af·ri·cans), noun, adjective[1]



EastAsia

EastAsia

East A·sia 
noun
the countries, territories, and regions
of China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macao, Mongolia,
parts of Russia, and Taiwan.
Also called
Far East (dated)[1]



EastAsia




Back to definition

EastAsia

[1]



EastBengal

EastBengal
East
Ben·gal

Former name for
Bangladesh 1947–1955[1]



EastBerlin

EastBerlin
East
Ber·lin

capital
of East Germany from 1949 until 1990, when both Berlin and Germany were
reunified
—East Ber·lin·er (plural
East Ber·lin·ers), noun[1]



eastbound

eastbound
east·bound 
[st bòwnd] adjective

going east:
going or leading toward the east[1]



EastBrunswick

EastBrunswick
East
Bruns·wick

town in central New Jersey.
Population: 43,548 (1990)[1]



eastby north

eastby north
east
by north
noun

compass
point between E and ENE: the direction or compass
point midway between east and east-northeast
—east by north, adverb,
adjective[1]



eastby south

eastby south
east
by south
noun

compass
point between E and ESE: the direction or compass
point midway between east and east-southeast
—east by south, adjective,
adverb[1]



Eastchester

Eastchester
East·ches·ter
[st chèstər]

town in southeastern New York
State, between Yonkers and New Rochelle. Population: 22,600 (1992)[1]



EastChicago

EastChicago
East
Chi·ca·go

industrial city in
northwestern Indiana, on the south shore of Lake Michigan. It is a southeastern
suburb of Chicago. Population: 31,761 (1996)[1]



EastEnd

EastEnd
East
End
noun

area of East London:
a densely populated area in the east of London[1]



Easter

Easter
East·er 
[stər] noun

1.  Christian
festival:
the Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ

2.  day
of the Easter festival: the day on which Easter is
celebrated, the Sunday following the full moon on or after March 21.
Also
called
Easter Day
Also
called
Easter Sunday

3.  Easter
weekend:
the period from Good Friday to Easter Monday
[Old English Ēastre,
from the name of a prehistoric Germanic dawn-goddess whose festival was
celebrated at the vernal equinox. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to shine” (see east ).][1]



Eastercactus

Eastercactus
East·er
cac·tus
noun

ornamental
plant:
a cactus with flattened branches that is cultivated as an ornamental plant for
its clusters of large red flowers. Latin name: Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri
[Easter from the fact that it
blooms in the spring][1]



EasterDay

EasterDay
East·er
Day
noun

See
Easter  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Easteregg

Easteregg
East·er
egg
(plural East·er eggs) noun

1.  colored
hen’s egg for Easter: a hen’s egg that has been
dyed, painted, or decorated for Easter, often hidden for children to find in an
Easter egg hunt

2.  COMPUTING hidden
element of a computer program: a secret message,
graphic, animation, or sound effect hidden in a computer program and activated
by a specific undocumented sequence of keystrokes. An Easter egg is typically
intended as a harmless joke or as a way to display the credits of the program’s
development team.

[1]



EasterIsland

EasterIsland
Eas·ter
Is·land

island
in the South Pacific Ocean belonging to Chile. It is noted for its huge carved
stone heads and hieroglyphic tablets. Population: 2,095 (1989) Area: 117 sq
km/45 sq mi.
—East·er Is·land·er (plural
East·er Is·land·ers), noun[1]



Easterlily

Easterlily
East·er
lil·y
noun

1.  lily
blooming in spring: a cultivated lily with large
white flowers that bloom in the spring

2.  trillium:
a trillium, which has three flowers (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Although
  the term Easter lily is used of many U.S.
  plants, including the Bermuda lily and the Madonna lily, the trillium sense
  characterizes the speech of Washington state.

[1]



easterly

easterly
east·er·ly 
[stərlee] adjective

1.  in
the east:
situated in or toward the east

2.  blowing
from the east: used to describe a wind that blows from
the east
noun
(plural east·er·lies)

wind from the east:
a wind blowing from the east
—east·er·ly, adverb[1]



EasterMonday

EasterMonday
East·er
Mon·day
noun

Monday after Easter:
the Monday after the Christian festival of Easter[1]



Eastern

Eastern
East·ern
adjective

1.  RELIGION of the
Eastern Orthodox Church: relating to the Eastern
Orthodox Church

2.  of
the countries of Asia: relating or belonging to the
countries of Asia as viewed from Europe or North America

[1]



eastern

eastern
east·ern 
[stərn] adjective

1.  in
the east:
situated in the east of a region or country

2.  facing
east:
situated in or facing the east

3.  blowing
from the east: used to describe a wind that blows from
the east

4.  east·ern
or East·ern of or about the east:
native to the east of a geographic region

[1]



EasternChurch

EasternChurch
East·ern
Church
noun

See
Eastern Orthodox Church[1]



EasternEmpire

EasternEmpire
East·ern
Em·pire
noun

See
Byzantine Empire[1]



easterner

easterner
east·ern·er
[stərnər] (plural east·ern·ers)
noun

somebody from the east:
somebody who comes from the eastern part of a country or region, especially
somebody from the East Coast of the United States[1]



easternhemisphere

easternhemisphere
east·ern
hem·i·sphere  noun

eastern half of the Earth:
the half of the Earth that lies east of the Greenwich meridian and contains
Asia, Australasia, and most of Europe and Africa[1]



easternmost

easternmost
east·ern·most 
[stərn mst] adjective

1.  farthest
to the east: farthest to the east

2.  at
the most eastern extreme: located at the most eastern
extreme of a county, state, or country

[1]



EasternOrthodox Church

EasternOrthodox Church
East·ern
Or·tho·dox Church noun

Christian churches of eastern
Europe: the self-governing Orthodox
Christian churches that originated in the Byzantine Empire and recognize the
Patriarch of Constantinople as primate. They now comprise the churches of
Eastern Europe, Russia, and Greece.
Also called
Eastern Church[1]



EasternStandard Time

EasternStandard Time
East·ern
Stan·dard Time noun

standard time in E North
America: the standard time in the
time zone centered on longitude 75° W, which includes the eastern part of North
America. It is five hours earlier than Universal Coordinated Time.[1]



EasterRising

EasterRising
East·er
Ris·ing
noun

Irish rebellion in 1916:
an armed rebellion against British rule that took place in Dublin, Ireland, on
Easter Day in 1916[1]



EasterSunday

EasterSunday
East·er
Sun·day
noun

See
Easter  noun 2[1]



EastGermanic

EastGermanic
East
Ger·man·ic
noun

group
of extinct languages: a group of extinct languages
that were formerly spoken in parts of eastern Europe. It is one of the three
groups that form the Germanic branch of Indo-European. Gothic is the only
language in this group that has any known written form.
—East Ger·man·ic, adjective[1]



EastGermany

EastGermany
East
Ger·ma·ny

common
name of a former republic of central Europe, reunited with the rest of Germany
in 1990. It was founded under the influence of the Soviet Union in 1949 and
recognized as an independent state in 1955. Area: 108,178 sq km/41,768 sq mi.
—East Ger·man (plural
East Ger·mans), noun, adjective[1]



EastGreenwich

EastGreenwich
East
Green·wich

town and summer resort in
central Rhode Island, southwest of Providence. Population: 11,865 (1990)[1]



Easthampton

Easthampton
East·hamp·ton
[eest hámptən]

town in west central
Massachusetts, on the Manhan River, northwest of Springfield and southwest of
Northampton. Population: 15,744 (1996)[1]



EastHartford

EastHartford
East
Hart·ford

town in central Connecticut,
on the east side of the Connecticut River, opposite Hartford. Population:
50,452 (1990)[1]



EastHaven

EastHaven
East
Ha·ven

town and summer resort in
southern Connecticut, on Long Island Sound. Population: 26,144 (1990)[1]



EastIndia Company

EastIndia Company
East
In·di·a Com·pa·ny noun

British company:
a trading company established in England in 1600 to trade with the East Indies,
and later with India, which it effectively governed for many years. Similar
companies were also founded in the Netherlands and France.[1]



EastIndian

EastIndian
East
In·di·an
adjective

relating to the East Indies:
relating to the East Indies, or their peoples or cultures[1]



EastIndies

EastIndies
East
In·dies
[eest índeez]

collective name formerly
applied to India, Southeast Asia, and the Malay Archipelago, especially
Indonesia[1]



easting

easting
east·ing 
[sting] (plural east·ings) noun

1.  distance
traveled east: the net distance eastward that a vessel
travels when making for the east

2.  part
of a map reference: the first part of a map
reference that shows how far east a point lies from a reference line running
from north to south

3.  north-south
grid line on map: a grid line on a map running north to
south

[1]



EastLos Angeles

EastLos Angeles
East
Los An·ge·les

town in southwestern
California, adjoining the city of Los Angeles. Population: 126,379 (1990)[1]



Eastman,George

Eastman,George

East·man 
[stmən], George (1854–1932)
U.S. inventor and philanthropist. He
perfected the box camera (1888), the first camera designed specifically for
roll film.[1]



Eastman,Max Forrester

Eastman,Max Forrester
East·man
[stmən], Max Forrester (1883–1969)

U.S. writer and editor. His
work concentrated on radical politics and he edited the revolutionary magazine The
Masses ( 1913–1918 ).[1]



EastMoline

EastMoline
East
Mo·line
[eest mo ln]

city in northwestern
Illinois, just east of the Mississippi River on the Illinois-Iowa border.
Population: 20,214 (1996)[1]



east-northeast

east-northeast
east-north·east 
noun

compass
point between E and NE: the direction or compass
point midway between east and northeast
adjective
adverb

in
the east-northeast: in, from, facing, or toward
the east-northeast
—east-north·east·er·ly,
adverb[1]



Easton

Easton
East·on
[stən]

1.  city
in east central Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula, west of the Choptank
River. It is southeast of Annapolis across the Chesapeake Bay. Population:
10,195 (1996)

2.  town
in southeastern Massachusetts, directly southwest of Brockton and north of
Taunton. Population: 20,970 (1996)

[1]



EastOrange

EastOrange
East
Or·ange

city in northeastern New
Jersey, northwest of Newark. Population: 77,690 (1992)[1]



EastPakistan

EastPakistan
East
Pak·i·stan

Former name for
Bangladesh 1955–1971[1]



EastPeoria

EastPeoria
East
Pe·or·i·a
[eest pay ṓree è]

city in central Illinois, on
the eastern bank of the Illinois River, east of Peoria. Population: 22,201
(1996)[1]



EastProvidence

EastProvidence
East
Prov·i·dence [eest
próvidèns]

city in eastern Rhode Island,
a suburb of Providence. Population: 48,389 (1996)[1]



EastPrussia

EastPrussia
East
Prus·sia

former
German province on the Baltic Sea that was divided between Poland and Russia in
1945
—East Prus·sian (plural
East Prus·sians), noun, adjective[1]



EastRiding of Yorkshire

EastRiding of Yorkshire
East
Rid·ing of York·shire

council area in northeastern
England, established in 1996, covering largely the same area as the historic
division[1]



EastRiver

EastRiver
East
Riv·er

strait in southeastern New
York State, separating Manhattan Island from Long Island. Length: 24 km/15 mi.[1]



EastSaint Louis

EastSaint Louis
East
Saint Lou·is

city in southwestern
Illinois, east of the Mississippi River, across from Saint Louis, Missouri.
Population: 38,595 (1996)[1]



EastSea

EastSea
East
Sea

See
Japan, Sea of[1]



east-southeast

east-southeast
east-south·east 
noun

compass
point between E and SE: the direction or compass
point midway between east and southeast
adjective
adverb

in
east-southeast: in, from, facing, or toward the
east-southeast
—east-south·east·er·ly,
adverb[1]



eastward

eastward
east·ward 
[stwərd] adverb

toward
the east:
in an easterly direction
noun

point
in the east: a direction toward or a point in the
east
[Old
English ēastwærde]
—east·ward,
adjective

—east·ward·ly,
adjective, adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  eastward
  or eastwards ?
  Eastward is the only form available
  for the adjective: • in
  an eastward direction. Eastward
  is more common than eastwards for the adverb: • The
  ship was moving slowly eastward / eastwards.

[1]



Eastwood,Clint

Eastwood,Clint
East·wood
[st wd], Clint (1930– )

U.S. movie actor and director
. He is known for his action movies such as A Fistful of Dollars ( 1964
) and Dirty Harry ( 1971 ).[1]



easy

easy
eas·y 
[zee] adjective (comparative eas·i·er,
superlative eas·i·est)

1.  not
difficult:
not causing problems or difficulty or requiring much effort, work, or thought • Answer
the easy questions first. • It’s
easy to see why they chose him.

2.  inappropriately
effortless:
requiring less effort, thought, or emotional involvement than is appropriate or
right • always
taking the easy way out • easy
answers

3.  relaxed
and informal: relaxed, informal, and without
awkwardness or self-consciousness, especially in social situations • has
an easy manner

4.  good-natured:
good-natured and tolerant • has an
easy disposition

5.  financially
prosperous:
characterized by financial prosperity and security and the comfort and peace of
mind that goes with them • dreams
of selling her invention and living the easy life

6.  not
harsh:
not severe or harsh • She’s
always claiming that easy discipline makes people soft.

7.  easy
to take advantage of: not difficult to catch,
acquire, take advantage of, or exploit • unscrupulous
sellers looking for easy targets

8.  loose:
not tight or close-fitting • jeans
that are an easy fit

9.  unhurried:
comfortable, unhurried, and not too fast • took
an easy pace up the trail

10. not
steep:
not steep or difficult to climb up or down • It’s
an easy slope to the top.

11. pleasant
to experience: pleasant to experience through one of
the senses, especially good to look at or soothing to listen to • easy
on the eyes

12. lacking
preferences: having no strong preferences (informal)
• We
can do either; I’m easy.

13. ECONOMICS readily
obtainable:
readily obtainable, because demand is lower than usual

14. ECONOMICS marked
by low demand and prices: characterized by low demand
or overproduction and hence low prices

15. promiscuous:
sexually promiscuous or too willing to become sexually involved (slang
offensive)
adverb

1.  easily:
without difficulty or the need for hard work • Everything
comes easy to her.

2.  at
least:
certainly not less than a particular amount • cost
$400 easy
adjective
(comparative eas·i·er, superlative eas·i·est)

not anxious: free
from unpleasant feelings such as anxiety, guilt, or worry • Rest
easy; we’ll be there soon.
adverb

without punishment:
without punishment or suffering • Considering
what they did, they got off easy.
interjection

used to calm somebody or something:
used to try to make a person or animal calm down or slow down (informal)
[12th
century. From Old French aisié, the past participle of aisier “to
put at ease,” from aise “comfort” (see ease
).]
easy
on something

an
instruction or recommendation to somebody not to use too much of something (informal)
• Hey,
easy on the whipped cream!

go
easy on somebody

to
treat or deal with somebody gently, leniently, or without harsh criticism or reproaches
(informal)

go
easy on something

to
avoid using, eating, or drinking too much of something (informal)

take
it easy

1.  to
relax, avoid effort, or not work too hard

2.  to
calm down and avoid becoming upset or angry

take
it easy on something

to
avoid using, eating, or drinking too much of something (informal) • You’d
better take it easy on that greasy food –you know what the doctor said.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  easy, simple, straightforward,
  uncomplicated
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  difficult to do or achieve easy; a
  general word indicating the lack of effort required to do, achieve or
  understand something; simple;
  emphasizing something that is not at all complicated and so can be done or
  understood quickly or with very little effort; straightforward;
  used especially to suggest that a process or action is easy to carry out; uncomplicated;
  used to suggest that something is not especially difficult, but usually
  suggesting a greater degree of effort or thought than easy or simple

[1]



easychair

easychair
eas·y
chair
(plural eas·y chairs) noun

comfortably upholstered
chair: a comfortably upholstered
chair, especially an armchair[1]



easygoing

easygoing
eas·y·go·ing 
[zi gṓ ing, zi
g ing] adjective

1.  relaxed,
informal, and tolerant: relaxed, informal, and
tolerant in attitude and reluctant to make heavy demands or enforce strict
discipline on people

2.  unhurried:
unhurried and comfortable

[1]



easylistening

easylistening
eas·y
lis·ten·ing 
noun

soothing music:
popular music in an undemanding style, usually with a lyrical or romantic tune,
gentle rhythms, and soft soothing orchestration[1]



easymark

easymark
eas·y
mark
(plural eas·y marks) noun

simple prey:
somebody who or something that is easy to deceive or exploit (informal)[1]



easymoney

easymoney
eas·y
mon·ey
noun

money made with little
effort: money made with little
effort, and often dishonestly[1]



easyvirtue

easyvirtue
eas·y
vir·tue
noun

sexual promiscuity:
lax sexual morals and promiscuous sexual habits (literary)[1]



eat

eat
eat 
[eet] (past ate [ayt], past participle eat·en [t’n], present participle eat·ing, 3rd
person present singular eats) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb consume
as sustenance: to take something into the mouth as food
and swallow it • They hadn’t eaten for
three days.

2.  intransitive
verb
dine:
to have a meal • Are you ready to eat?

3.  transitive
verb
consume
usually:
to include something as a usual or fundamental part of a diet • Do
dogs eat fish?

4.  transitive
verb
bother:
to bother or annoy somebody (slang) • What’s
eating her?

5.  transitive
verb
use
a lot of something: to use or consume something
in large quantities (slang) • a car
that eats gas

6.  transitive
verb
absorb
the cost of something: to absorb the cost of something
(slang) • You’re going to have to
eat that traffic fine.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate:
to penetrate the surface of something by corrosive or mechanical action • Rust
had eaten into the chrome.

8.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on somebody (taboo slang)

9.  transitive
verb
vanquish:
to attack and subdue, for example, in a competition • ate
us in the second half
[Old English etan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced English edible, etch,
and tooth .][1]



eatable

eatable
eat·a·ble 
[təb’l] adjective

fit
to be eaten: fit, suitable, or pleasant to eat
noun
(plural eat·a·bles)

food item:
something that is fit or suitable for eating (informal) (usually used
in the plural) • buy
some bread and other eatables[1]



eataway

eataway
eat
away
transitive verb

erode:
to consume or destroy something gradually • eaten
away in parts by acid rain[1]



eataway at

eataway at
eat
away at
transitive verb

1.  worry:
to worry or be a continual source of distress to somebody • Guilt
had been eating away at him all day.

2.  consume
gradually:
to deplete or use up something gradually by taking small amounts regularly • medical
expenses eating away at our income

[1]



eaten

eaten
eat·en


Past participle of
eat[1]



eater

eater
eat·er
[tər] (plural eat·ers) noun

person or animal that eats
something: a person who or animal that
eats a particular food or eats in a particular way (often used in
combination)[1]



eatery

eatery
eat·er·y 
[təree] (plural eat·er·ies) noun

restaurant:
a restaurant or other establishment where food is cooked and sold (informal)[1]



eatin

eatin
eat
in
intransitive verb

have a meal at home:
to consume a meal at home • Would
you rather eat in or go to a restaurant?[1]



eating

eating
eat·ing 
[ting] noun

food: food,
especially of a particular quality • These
apples are good eating.
adjective

1.  suitable
for eating:
suitable for human consumption, especially uncooked

2.  involving
food:
relating to or used for the consumption of food

[1]



eatingdisorder

eatingdisorder
eat·ing
dis·or·der
(plural eat·ing dis·or·ders) noun

MEDICINE
obsessive attitude to food:
any emotional disorder, for example, bulimia, that manifests itself in an
irrational craving for or avoidance of food[1]



eatinto

eatinto
eat
into
transitive verb

use up:
to use up part of something, especially in a wasteful or nonproductive way[1]



eatout

eatout
eat
out
intransitive verb

eat away from home:
to consume a meal away from home, usually in a restaurant or similar
establishment • Let’s
eat out tonight.[1]



eats

eats
eats 
[eets] plural noun

food:
food (slang) • What
do you do for eats around here?
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the verb eat .][1]



eatup

eatup
eat
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
completely:
to consume food completely or with great appetite

2.  transitive
verb
obsess
somebody:
to absorb or obsess somebody (usually passive) • eaten
up by envy

3.  transitive
verb
receive
enthusiastically: to receive something with enthusiasm or
pleasure (informal) • The
reading public eats up everything she writes.

4.  transitive
verb
consume
quickly:
to consume or deal with something quickly (informal)

[1]



EAU

EAU
EAU

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of (East Africa) Uganda[1]



EauClaire

EauClaire
Eau
Claire
[ō kláir]

1.  river
in west central Wisconsin that flows into the Chippewa River at the town of Eau
Claire. Length: 113 km/70 mi.

2.  city
in western Wisconsin, at the confluence of the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers.
Population: 56,856 (1990)

[1]



eaude cologne

eaude cologne
eau
de co·logne 
[ də kə lṓn] noun

See
cologne
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “water of Cologne.”][1]



eaude nil

eaude nil
eau
de nil 
[ də nl] adjective

of
yellowish-green color: of a pale yellowish-green
color
[Late
19th century. From French, literally “water of the Nile.” The pale greenish
color supposedly resembles the color of the Nile.]
—eau de nil, noun[1]



eaude toilette

eaude toilette
eau
de toi·lette [ də twaa
lét] noun

See
toilet water
[From French, literally
“toilet water”][1]



eaude vie

eaude vie
eau
de vie 
[ də v] noun

strong
alcohol:
a strong alcoholic liquor, especially brandy
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “water of life.”][1]



eaves

eaves
eaves 
[eevz] plural noun

part
of roof:
the part of a roof that projects beyond the wall that supports it
[Old English efes .
Probably formed from the same prehistoric Germanic base as English over .][1]



eavesdrop

eavesdrop
eaves·drop 
[vz dròp] (past eaves·dropped,
past participle eaves·dropped, present participle eaves·drop·ping,
3rd person present singular eaves·drops) intransitive verb

listen
secretly:
to listen to a conversation without the speakers being aware of it
[Early 17th century. Probably
a back-formation from eavesdropper .][1]



eavesdropper

eavesdropper
eaves·drop·per 
[vz dròppər] (plural eaves·drop·pers)
noun

secret
listener:
somebody who secretly listens to or overhears a conversation between others
[15th century. From obsolete eavesdrop
“ground on which rainwater thrown off by eaves falls”; from the idea of
somebody standing in this area trying to hear private conversations.][1]



eavesspout

eavesspout
eaves
spout
noun

downspout:
a gutter, or the downspout of a gutter (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  See
  Regional note at eavestrough.

[1]



eavestrough

eavestrough
eaves
trough
(plural eaves troughs) noun

gutter:
a gutter on a building (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  Northern terms eaves trough and eaves spout extend from New England through the
  Midwest. In the earlier part of the 20th century, the eaves trough form was general currency in New England and New
  York state, from Albany westward. At that time, eaves
  spout prevailed in the western reserve of Ohio. Indeed, that term was
  recorded for rain gutter as early as 1846 in Randolph county, North
  Carolina. Both terms have currency across the Western states to the Pacific
  coast, from Washington to California, where they survive as less common
  alternatives. Today they have been challenged or overtaken by the general
  currency terms rain gutter or gutter and downspout
  respectively. In the Southern states, with the exception of the occasional
  occurrence of trough, the terms have been generally replaced by gutter.

[1]



Eban,Abba

Eban,Abba
E·ban 
[bən], Abba (1915– )

South
African-born Israeli statesman. He worked for the United Nations in Palestine
(1946) and later held diplomatic and ministerial posts in Israel. These include
being Israel’s ambassador to the UN (1948–1959) and to the United States
(1950–1959), and deputy prime minister (1963–1966).
Born
Solomon, Aubrey[1]



ebb

ebb
ebb 
[eb] intransitive verb (past ebbed,
past participle ebbed, present participle ebb·ing, 3rd
person present singular ebbs)

1.  recede
from the shore: to recede from the land, as the tide
falls (refers to the sea or tidal water)

2.  diminish:
to diminish or lessen in intensity • the
pain gradually ebbed away
noun

1.  tidal
movement away from land: the movement of a receding
tide away from the land

2.  diminution:
diminution or lessening • the
ebb and flow of the company’s fortunes
[Old
English ebbian . Formed from the prehistoric Germanic ancestor of
English off ; the underlying meaning
is “going away, departure.”]
at
a low ebb

lacking hope and energy, or
in a depleted condition[1]



ebbtide

ebbtide
ebb
tide
noun

receding tide:
a receding tide, or the time when this happens[1]



EBCDIC

EBCDIC
EBCDIC 
[ébseedik] noun

computer code:
a binary computer character code, used to represent 256 standard letters,
numbers, symbols, and control characters by means of eight binary digits. Full
form Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange
Code[1]



EbN

EbN
EbN

Abbreviation of
east by north[1]



E-boat

E-boat
E-boat
(plural E-boats) noun

German
torpedo boat: a fast torpedo boat used by the German
navy in World War II
[E a shortening of enemy][1]



Ebola

Ebola
Eb·o·la 
[i bṓlə] or Eb·o·la vi·rus [i bṓlə] noun

African
virus:
a contagious virus transmitted by blood and body fluids that causes the linings
of bodily organs and vessels to leak blood and fluids, usually resulting in
death
[Late 20th century. Named for
the Ebola River in Zaire, in the area of which the virus was first
identified following an outbreak in 1976.][1]



ebon

ebon
eb·on 
[ébbən] noun (plural eb·ons)
adjective

ebony:
ebony (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
eban from, ultimately, Greek ebenos, of Semitic origin.][1]



ebonite

ebonite
eb·on·ite 
[ébbə nt] noun

MANUFACTURING
See vulcanite[1]



ebonize

ebonize
eb·on·ize 
[ébbə nz] (past eb·on·ized, past
participle eb·on·ized, present participle eb·on·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular eb·on·iz·es) transitive verb

stain black:
to stain something black so as to resemble ebony[1]



ebony

ebony
eb·on·y 
[ébbənee] noun (plural eb·on·ies)

1.  Asian
tree:
a tree of tropical Asia that yields a hard wood. Genus: Diospyros

2.  dark
hard wood:
the blackish hard wood of an ebony tree

3.  brownish-black
color:
black with a tinge of olive or brown
adjective

brownish-black:
of a black color tinged with olive or brown
[15th century. Formed from ebon, perhaps on the model of ivory .][1]



ebracteate

ebracteate
e·brac·te·ate 
[i bráktee àyt] adjective

bractless:
used to describe plants that have no bracts
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin ebracteatus, literally “without bracts.”][1]



Ebro

Ebro
Eb·ro
[ébbrō]

river in northeastern Spain.
It rises in the Cantabrian Mountains near Reinosa and flows to its delta on the
Mediterranean coast, south of Tarragona. Length: 909 km/565 mi.[1]



EbS

EbS
EbS

Abbreviation of
east by south[1]



ebullient

ebullient
e·bul·lient 
[i búllyənt, i
bllyənt] adjective

1.  lively
and enthusiastic: full of cheerful excitement or
enthusiasm

2.  boiling:
boiling vigorously (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin ebullient-, the present participle stem of ebullire,
literally “to bubble out,” from bullire “to bubble” (source of English boil ).]
—e·bul·lience, noun[1]



ebullition

ebullition
eb·ul·li·tion 
[èbbə lísh’n] (plural eb·ul·li·tions)
noun

1.  boiling:
a state of bubbling up or boiling (formal)

2.  outburst:
a sudden outbreak of violent emotion (literary)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin ebullire (see ebullient
).][1]



eburnation

eburnation
e·bur·na·tion 
[bər náysh’n, èbbər
náysh’n] noun

hardening
of the bone surface: an abnormal hardening of the
surfaces of bones in a joint that have lost their cartilage covering, as occurs
in such conditions as osteoarthritis
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin eburnus “made of ivory.”][1]



EBV

EBV
EBV

Abbreviation of
Epstein-Barr virus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








EBvirus

EBvirus
EB
vi·rus
noun

See
Epstein-Barr virus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








EC

EC
EC

HISTORY
Abbreviation of European Community[1]



eccehomo

eccehomo
ec·ce
ho·mo 
[èchay hṓmō, èksee
hṓmō, èkə hṓmō] noun

portrayal
of Jesus Christ: a portrayal of Jesus Christ crowned with
thorns
[From Latin, literally
“behold the man” (John 19: 5), the words spoken by Pontius Pilate to Jesus
Christ’s accusers after Jesus Christ had been crowned with thorns][1]



eccentric

eccentric
ec·cen·tric 
[ik séntrik, ek
séntrik] adjective

1.  unconventional:
unconventional, especially in a whimsical way • an
eccentric mode of dress

2.  TECHNOLOGY away
from the center: away from the center or axis

3.  GEOMETRY having
different centers: used to describe circles
with different centers

4.  ASTRONOMY elliptical:
used to describe an orbit that is elliptical rather than circular
noun
(plural ec·cen·trics)

1.  unconventional
person:
somebody who is unconventional, especially in a whimsical way

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
device:
a mechanical device with an off-center axis of revolution that converts the
rotary motion of one component of a mechanism to reciprocating motion in
another
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin eccentricus from Greek ekkentros,
literally “out of center,” from kentron (see center
).]
—ec·cen·tri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



eccentricity

eccentricity
ec·cen·tric·i·ty 
[èk sen tríssitee] (plural ec·cen·tric·i·ties)
noun

1.  eccentric
quality:
unconventionality, especially of a whimsical sort

2.  eccentric
act:
an example or instance of unconventional, whimsical behavior

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING distance
between a main and secondary axis: the distance between
the axis about which an object rotates and a secondary axis on the object at
which a device such as a rod could be attached

4.  ASTRONOMY deviation:
the deviation of the path of an orbiting body from a true circle

5.  GEOMETRY geometric
constant:
a constant that describes the shape of a conic section. It is equal to the
ratio of the distance from a fixed point of any point on the curve to the
distance of that point from the corresponding fixed straight line.

[1]



ecchymosis

ecchymosis
ec·chy·mo·sis 
[èki mṓssiss] (plural ec·chy·moses
[èki mṓseez]) noun

bruise:
bleeding into surrounding tissue caused by bruising (technical)
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Greek ekkhumonothai, literally “to pour out.”][1]



Eccl.

Eccl.
Eccl.
or Eccles.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Ecclesiastes[1]



eccl.

eccl.
eccl.
or eccles.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ecclesiastic

2.  Abbreviation
of
ecclesiastical

[1]



ecclesia

ecclesia
ec·cle·si·a 
[i klzyə] (plural ec·cle·si·ae
[i klzyee]) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY congregation
or church:
a church or congregation (formal)

2.  HISTORY ancient
Greek assembly: in ancient Greece, an assembly of the
citizens of a state
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek ekklēsia “assembly,” from ekkalein “to call to come
out, summon,” from kalein “to call.”][1]



Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes
Ec·cle·si·as·tes 
[i klzee ásteez] noun

book of the Bible:
a book in the Bible that discusses the futility of life and how to be a
God-fearing person[1]



ecclesiastic

ecclesiastic
ec·cle·si·as·tic 
[i klzee ástik] (plural ec·cle·si·as·tics)
noun

member of the clergy:
a member of the clergy[1]



ecclesiastical

ecclesiastical
ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal 
[i klzee ástik’l] adjective

of
a church:
belonging to or involving the Christian church or clergy
—ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ecclesiasticism

ecclesiasticism
ec·cle·si·as·ti·cism 
[i klzee ásti sìzzəm] noun

1.  all-absorbing
regard for the Church: all-absorbing regard for the
principles and customary practices of the Christian Church

2.  church
principles:
the principles or body of thought constituting organized Christianity

[1]



Ecclesiasticus

Ecclesiasticus
Ec·cle·si·as·ti·cus 
[i klzee ástikəss] noun

book of the Jerusalem Bible:
a book of teachings in the Jerusalem Version of the Bible.
Also called
Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach[1]



ecclesiology

ecclesiology
ec·cle·si·ol·o·gy 
[i klzee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of the Christian Church: the study of the history and
theology of the Christian Church

2.  study
of church architecture: the study of the
architecture and decoration of Christian churches

[1]



Eccles,John

Eccles,John
Ec·cles 
[ék’lz], Sir John (1903–1997)

Australian
physiologist. He was joint winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize in physiology or
medicine for his studies of the transmission of impulses between nerve cells.
Full name
Eccles, Sir John Carew[1]



eccremocarpus

eccremocarpus
ec·cre·mo·car·pus
[èkrəmə krpəss] (plural ec·cre·mo·car·puses)
noun

climbing
plant:
a climbing evergreen plant native to Chile and Peru that is widely cultivated
for its decorative leaves and brightly colored tubular flowers. Genus: Eccremocarpus
[From modern Latin, genus
name, formed from Greek ekkremēs “suspended” + karpos “fruit”][1]



eccrine

eccrine
ec·crine 
[é krn, ékrin]
adjective

of
the sweat glands: used to describe sweat glands that are
distributed all over the body, especially on the hands and feet, that do not
secrete organic matter, and that are important in regulating body temperature
[Mid-20th century. From
German Ekkrin, from Greek ekkrinein “to secrete.”][1]



ecdysiast

ecdysiast
ec·dys·i·ast 
[ek dízee àst] (plural ec·dys·i·asts)
noun

stripper:
a performer of striptease (humorous)
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
H. L. Mencken from ecdysis, on the model of
gymnast .][1]



ecdysis

ecdysis
ec·dy·sis 
[ékdississ] noun

ZOOLOGY shedding
of an outer layer: the regular molting of an
outer layer by arthropods, for example, insects and crustaceans, and by
reptiles
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
ekdusis, from ekduein “to put off, shed.”][1]



ecdysone

ecdysone
ec·dy·sone 
[ékdi sn] (plural ec·dy·sones)
noun

molting hormone in insects:
a hormone that promotes metamorphosis and ecdysis in insects and crustaceans[1]



ecesis

ecesis
e·ce·sis 
[i sssiss] noun

successful
adaptation:
the successful establishment of a plant or animal species in a new environment
[Early 20th century. From
Greek oikēsis “an inhabiting,” from oikos “house.”][1]



ECG

ECG
ECG

1.  Abbreviation
of
electrocardiogram

2.  Abbreviation
of
electrocardiograph

3.  Abbreviation
of
echocardiograph

[1]



Echegarayy Eizaguirre, José

Echegarayy Eizaguirre, José
E·che·ga·ray
y Ei·za·guir·re  [àychəgə rī
ee ayssə gr ày, aychəgə r ee ayssə gwr ày],
José (1832–1916)

Spanish playwright and
politician. His poetic dramas won him a shared Nobel Prize in 1904, and he also
held ministerial office (1868–1874 and 1905).[1]



echelon

echelon
ech·e·lon 
[éshə lòn] noun (plural ech·e·lons)

1.  level
in a hierarchy: a level of authority or rank in an
organization or system • the
lower echelons of society

2.  MILITARY formation
with offset positions: a formation in which
individuals or units are positioned behind and to one side of those in front to
give a stepped effect and allow each a clear view ahead

3.  AIR FORCE aircraft
formation with offset positions: a group of aircraft
flying in positions behind and to one side of the aircraft in front

4.  PHYSICS device
for studying spectra: a series of glass plates of
equal thickness arranged like steps, used in spectroscopy for studying the fine
structure of spectral lines
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ech·e·loned,
past participle ech·e·loned, present participle ech·e·lon·ing,
3rd person present singular ech·e·lons)

form an echelon:
to arrange something in or form an echelon
[Late 18th century. From
French, “rung,” formed from échelle “ladder,” from Latin scala
“stair.”][1]



echeveria

echeveria
ech·e·ve·ri·a 
[èchə və r ə] (plural ech·e·ve·ri·as)
noun

tropical
plant:
a usually stemless plant that is native to tropical America and cultivated for
its rosettes of fleshy leaves and its tubular or bell-shaped flowers. Genus: Echeveria
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Atanasio Echeverría, a Mexican
botanical illustrator.][1]



echidna

echidna
e·chid·na 
[i kídnə] (plural e·chid·nas) noun

spiny
mammal:
a spiny insect-eating mammal of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, with a
long snout and strong claws. Echidnas lay their eggs in burrows. Family:
Tachyglossidae
Also
called
spiny anteater
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, “viper,” from Greek, from ekhis “viper.”][1]



echin-

echin-
echin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
echino-[1]



echinacea

echinacea
ech·i·na·ce·a
[èkə náyssee ə] (plural ech·i·na·ce·as)
noun

1.  BOTANY See coneflower

2.  herbal
remedy:
an herbal remedy prepared from the pulverized leaves and stems of purple
coneflowers, thought to bolster the immune system
[Via modern Latin, genus
name, from, ultimately, Greek ekhinos “hedgehog, sea urchin”][1]



echinate

echinate
ech·i·nate 
[ékə nàyt] or echi·nat·ed [ékə nàytəd] adjective

spiny:
used to describe plant and animal parts that have spines or similar outgrowths
[Late 17th century. From
Latin echinatus, from Greek ekhinos “hedgehog, sea urchin.”][1]



echini

echini
e·chi·ni


Plural of
echinus[1]



echino-

echino-
echino-
prefix

1.  spine
• echinoderm

2.  echinoderm
• echinoid
[From Latin echinus
“sea urchin” (see echinus )][1]



echinoderm

echinoderm
e·chi·no·derm 
[i knə dùrm] (plural e·chi·no·derms)
noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal that has a
radially symmetrical body, tube feet, and a system of calcareous plates under
the skin. Starfish, sea urchins, sea lilies, and sea cucumbers are echinoderms.
Phylum: Echinodermata
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from echino- + Greek derma
“skin.”]
—e·chi·no·der·mal
[i knə dúrməl], adjective

—e·chi·no·der·ma·tous
[i knə dúrmətəss], adjective[1]



echinoid

echinoid
e·chi·noid 
[i k nòyd, ékə
nòyd] (plural e·chi·noids) noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal with a hard
ovoid body and movable spines. Sea urchins and sand dollars are echinoids .
Class: Echinoidea
—e·chin·oid, adjective[1]



echinus

echinus
e·chi·nus 
[i knəss] (plural e·chi·ni [i k n]) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE rounded
molding:
a rounded molding beneath the flat upper part ( abacus
) of a Doric or Tuscan column

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY See
sea urchin
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek ekhinos “hedgehog, sea urchin.”][1]



echium

echium
ech·i·um 
[ékee əm] (plural ech·i·ums) noun

Mediterranean
plant:
a plant of the borage family, native to Europe, western Asia, and Africa, that
has oblong or lance-shaped leaves and spikes of funnel-shaped flowers. Genus: Echium
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, formed from Greek ekhis “viper”; from the
spotted markings on the plant’s stem.][1]



Echo

Echo
Ech·o 
noun

code word for letter “E”:
a code word for the letter “E,” used in international radio communications[1]



echo

echo

ech·o 
[ékō] noun (plural ech·oes)

1.  repeated
sound:
the repetition of a sound caused by the reflection of sound waves from a
surface

2.  sympathetic
reaction:
a reaction of agreement or sympathy • Her
songs found an echo in the hearts of thousands.

3.  something
repeated:
something repeated or imitated rather than original • echoes
of the boss’s ideas

4.  reminder:
something that looks back to an earlier period or is reminiscent of it • the
current style with its echoes of the 1920s

5.  effect:
a lingering effect of an earlier event

6.  imitator:
somebody who imitates another, especially in slavish repetition of his or her
opinions (literary)

7.  PHYSICS returned
signal:
the signal reflected by an object struck by a radar transmission, or the image
of this on a radar screen

8.  LITERATURE repetition
of sounds:
the repetition of sounds within a sequence of verse or prose

9.  MUSIC repeated
music:
the repetition, usually quieter, of a phrase or note in music

10. MUSIC electronic
sound repetition: the repetition of sound created
electronically for effect or by accident • The
echo on the guitar riff was added in the studio.

11. MUSIC organ
control:
a device on some organs that gives the effect of an echo coming from a distance
verb (past
ech·oed, past participle ech·oed, present participle
ech·o·ing, 3rd person present singular ech·oes)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something repeat: to make a sound repeat by the reflection
of sound waves • The surrounding peaks
echoed the eagle’s cry.

2.  transitive
verb
repeat:
to repeat a statement or opinion, especially in agreement or imitation • The
completed report echoed the initial assessment.

3.  transitive
verb
imitate:
to imitate or incorporate elements of something earlier • The
building’s design echoes the surrounding brownstone rowhouses.

4.  intransitive
verb
resound:
to resound by the reflection of sound waves • Their
footsteps echoed down the tunnel.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
full of sound: to be full of echoes of a sound • The
auditorium echoed with cheering.

6.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING display
as a check:
to return a character back to its source after a computer or communications
device receives it, as an accuracy check. A common example is when a character
is displayed on a computer monitor after it has been entered from a keyboard.
[14th century. Via Old French
or Latin from Greek ēkhō “echo,” also the mythological Echo, who faded
away for love of Narcissus until only her voice remained.][1]



echocardiogram

echocardiogram
ech·o·car·di·o·gram 
[èkō krdee əgràm] (plural ech·o·car·di·o·grams)
noun

echocardiograph record:
the visual record produced by an echocardiograph[1]



echocardiograph

echocardiograph
ech·o·car·di·o·graph 
[èkō krdee ə gràf] (plural ech·o·car·di·o·graphs)
noun

ultrasound
device for heart examination: an ultrasound device used to
examine the working heart and display moving images of its action
—ech·o·car·di·o·graph·ic
[èkō kaardee ə gráffik], adjective

—ech·o·car·di·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[èkō kaardee ə gráffikəlee], adverb

—ech·o·car·di·og·ra·phy
[èkō kaardee óggrəfee], noun[1]



echochamber

echochamber
ech·o
cham·ber
(plural ech·o cham·bers) noun

sound-reflecting room:
a room with sound-reflecting walls, used in making acoustic measurements or
generating sound effects[1]



echoencephalogram

echoencephalogram
ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·gram 
[èkō en séfələ gràm] (plural ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·grams)
noun

echoencephalograph record:
the visual record produced by an echoencephalograph[1]



echoencephalograph

echoencephalograph
ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·graph 
[èkō en séffələ gràf] (plural ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·graphs)
noun

ultrasound
device for brain examination: an ultrasound device used to
examine the structures of the brain
—ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·graph·ic
[èkō en seffələ gráffik], adjective

—ech·o·en·ceph·a·lo·graph·ic·al·ly
[èkō en seffələ gráffikəlee], adverb

—ech·o·en·ceph·a·log·ra·phy
[èkō en seffə lóggrəfee], noun[1]



echogram

echogram
ech·o·gram 
[ékō gràm] (plural ech·o·grams)
noun

PHYSICS
See sonogram[1]



echography

echography
e·chog·ra·phy 
[e kóggrəfee] noun

PHYSICS
See ultrasonography[1]



echoic

echoic
e·cho·ic 
[e kṓ ik] adjective

1.  of
or like an echo: resembling or relating to an echo

2.  POETRY See onomatopoeic

[1]



echoicmemory

echoicmemory
e·cho·ic
mem·o·ry
noun

exact memory of a sound:
the ability to remember and reproduce a sound in the two or three seconds after
it is heard[1]



echoism

echoism
ech·o·ism
[ékō ìzzəm] noun

1.  POETRY See onomatopoeia

2.  LINGUISTICS change
of vowel sound: a process by which the sound of a vowel
changes to imitate the sound of a preceding vowel

[1]



echolalia

echolalia
ech·o·la·li·a 
[èkō láylee ə] noun

repetition of words:
the compulsive repetition of words spoken by somebody else, often a sign of
psychiatric disorder[1]



echolocation

echolocation
ech·o·lo·ca·tion 
[èkō lō káysh’n] noun

location by sound:
a means of locating an object using an emitted sound and the reflection back
from it, used naturally by animals such as bats and electronically by humans[1]



echoplate

echoplate
ech·o
plate
(plural ech·o plates) noun

electronic echo device:
an electromechanical device used in broadcasting or recording to create the
effect of reverberation or echo[1]



echopraxia

echopraxia
ech·o·prax·i·a 
[èkō práksee ə] or ech·o·prax·is
[èkō práksiss] noun

imitation
of an action: the compulsive imitation of the actions
of others, often a sign of psychiatric disorder
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek ēkhō “echo” + praxis “action.”][1]



echoquilting

echoquilting
ech·o
quilt·ing
noun

quilting stitch:
a quilting stitch that follows the outlines of an appliquéd design[1]



echosounder

echosounder
ech·o
sound·er
(plural ech·o sound·ers) noun

navigation device:
a device used to ascertain water depth or to locate underwater objects by
measuring the time taken for emitted sound waves to return from the bottom or
from the object[1]



echovirus

echovirus
ech·o·vi·rus 
[èkō vrəss] (plural ech·o·vi·rus·es)
noun

intestinal
virus:
a virus found in the gastrointestinal tract that belongs to a group of
retroviruses associated with intestinal and respiratory infections and
meningitis
[Mid-20th century. Echos
an acronym formed from enteric cytopathogenic human orphan .][1]



eclampsia

eclampsia
e·clamp·si·a 
[i klámpsee ə] noun

illness
during pregnancy: an illness that sometimes occurs during
the later stages of pregnancy and involves high blood pressure and convulsions
sometimes followed by a coma
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from French éclampsie, from Greek eklampsis
“sudden development,” from eklampein “to shine out.”]
—e·clamp·tic [i klámptik], adjective[1]



eclectic

eclectic
e·clec·tic 
[i kléktik] adjective

1.  choosing
from various sources: choosing what is best or
preferred from a variety of sources or styles • an
eclectic taste in music

2.  varied:
made up of elements from various sources • an
eclectic collection of paintings
noun
(plural e·clec·tics)

eclectic person:
somebody who selects what is best or preferred from a variety of sources or
styles
[Late
17th century. From Greek eklektikos, literally “picking out, selecting,”
from eklegein “to pick out,” from legein “to choose.”]
—e·clec·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



eclecticism

eclecticism
e·clec·ti·cism 
[i klékti sìzzəm] noun

eclectic approach:
the theory or use of an eclectic approach[1]



eclipse

eclipse
e·clipse 
[i klíps] noun (plural e·clips·es)

1.  ASTRONOMY obscuring
of a celestial body: the partial or complete
hiding from view of a celestial body, for example, the Sun or Moon, when
another celestial body comes between it and the observer

2.  loss
of light:
a loss or blocking of light

3.  decline:
a loss of status, power, or favor • the
eclipse of supply-side economics
transitive
verb
(past e·clipsed, past participle e·clipsed, present
participle e·clips·ing, 3rd person present singular e·clips·es)

1.  ASTRONOMY obscure
celestial body: to cause a total or partial obscuring of
another celestial body

2.  shadow:
to block the light falling on something, or cast a shadow on it

3.  outdo:
to outdo in achievement or become more powerful or popular than something or
somebody • a
performance that eclipsed all the others
[13th
century. Via Old French and Latin from Greek ekleipsis, from ekleipein
“no longer to appear or be present,” from leipein “to leave.”]
—eclips·er, noun[1]



eclipseplumage

eclipseplumage
e·clipse
plum·age
noun

intermediate plumage:
dull plumage grown for a short period by some birds, especially male ducks,
after the brightly colored breeding plumage has been shed[1]



eclipsingbinary

eclipsingbinary
e·clips·ing
bi·na·ry 
or e·clips·ing var·i·a·ble (plural e·clips·ing
var·i·a·bles) noun

pair of stars exhibiting
regular eclipses: a system in which one
star’s orbit periodically brings it between Earth and the other star of the
pair[1]



ecliptic

ecliptic
e·clip·tic 
[i klíptik] noun (plural e·clip·tics)

path
of the Sun’s annual motion: the apparent path of the
Sun’s annual motion relative to the stars, shown as a circle passing through
the center of the imaginary sphere ( celestial
sphere ) containing all the celestial bodies
adjective

of
an eclipse:
relating to, involving, or typical of an eclipse
[14th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek ekleipein (see eclipse
); from the fact that eclipses of the Sun or Moon can occur only when the Moon
crosses the ecliptic.][1]



eclogue

eclogue
ec·logue 
[ék làwg, ék lòg]
(plural ec·logues) noun

pastoral
poem:
a pastoral poem, usually in the form of a dialogue between shepherds
[15th century. Via Latin ecloga
from Greek eklogē “selection (of poems),” from eklegein (see eclectic ).][1]



eclosion

eclosion
e·clo·sion 
[i klṓzh’n] noun

emergence
of an insect: the emergence of an insect from its
pupal case, or the hatching of a larva from an egg
[Late 19th century. From
French éclosion, from éclore “to hatch, open,” from, ultimately,
Latin excludere “to hatch” (source of English exclude ).][1]



eco-

eco-
eco-
prefix

environment,
ecology • ecofriendly
[Shortened from ecology][1]



ecocatastrophe

ecocatastrophe
ec·o·ca·tas·tro·phe 
[èkō kə tástrəfee, kō
kə tástrəfee] (plural ec·o·ca·tas·tro·phes) noun

environmental disaster:
an event, usually caused by human actions, that results in very severe damage
to the environment[1]



ecofreak

ecofreak
e·co·freak 
[ékō frk, kō
frk] (plural e·co·freaks) noun

total supporter of
environmentalist causes: somebody
who is obsessed or preoccupied with the state of the environment (slang
insult)[1]



ecofriendly

ecofriendly
e·co·friend·ly
[ékō frèndlee, kō
frèndlee] adjective

not harmful to the
environment: intended or perceived
to have no harmful effect on the natural environment and its inhabitants[1]



ecol.

ecol.
ecol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ecology

2.  Abbreviation
of
ecological

[1]



E.coli

E.coli
E.
coli 
noun

gut
bacterium:
a species of bacterium normally inhabiting the intestines of humans and other
vertebrates, especially the colon, but commonly causing infection in other
parts of the body. New and highly virulent strains of this bacterium that have
recently evolved are particularly dangerous and can cause serious illness or
death. Full form Escherichia coli
Also
called
colon bacillus
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of modern Latin Escherichia coli, named for the German
physician T. Escherich (1857–1911). Coli “of the colon” was formed from
Latin colon (see colon ).][1]



ecological

ecological
ec·o·log·i·cal
[èkə lójjik’l, kə
lójjik’l] or ec·o·log·ic [èkə
lójjik] adjective

1.  relating
to organisms and the environment: relating to the
interrelationships of organisms and their environment

2.  environmental:
relating to the environment • an
ecological disaster

3.  protective
of the environment: concerned with the
protection and preservation of the natural environment • an
ecological product
—ec·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ecology

ecology
e·col·o·gy 
[i kólləjee] (plural e·col·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of organisms and the environment: the study of the
relationships and interactions between living organisms and their natural or
developed environment “A land ethic…should be as honest as Thoreau’s Walden,
and as comprehensive as the sensitive science of ecology.” Stewart Udall The
Quiet Crisis 1963

2.  relationship
between an organism and the environment: the
relationships between individual organisms and between organisms and their
environment

3.  See
human ecology
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek oikos “house, habitation” + -logy .]
—e·col·o·gist, noun[1]



econ.

econ.
econ.

1.  Abbreviation
of
economy

2.  Abbreviation
of
economics

3.  Abbreviation
of
economist

[1]



econometrics

econometrics
e·con·o·met·rics 
[i kònnə méttriks] noun

mathematics
in economics: the application of mathematical and
statistical techniques to economic data and problems (takes a singular verb)
—e·con·o·met·ric,
adjective

—e·con·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—e·con·o·me·tri·cian [i kònnəmə trísh’n], noun[1]



economic

economic
ec·o·nom·ic 
[èkə nómmik, kə
nómmik] adjective

1.  of
economy or economics: relating to economics, the
economy of a country, or money in general

2.  profitable:
producing or capable of producing a profit

3.  material:
relating to or affecting material goods and resources

4.  See
economical  adjective 3
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin oeconomicus from Greek oikonomikos
from oikonomos (see economy ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  economic
  or economical ?
  The
  adjective economic denotes economics or
  the economy, and is concerned with “aspects of the supply of goods and
  structure of wealth”: • a
  Nobel Laureate’s economic theories. The
  adjective economical, on the other hand,
  has to do with economy specifically in its senses “making the best and most
  frugal use of resources” and “inexpensiveness”: • It
  is much more economical to buy in bulk. Public transportation is economical,
  compared with hiring a limousine. But
  the two adjectives can overlap in one sense, “efficient in terms of
  contributing to thrift”: • an
  economical [ • or
  economic
  ] • use
  of electricity.

[1]



economical

economical
ec·o·nom·i·cal 
[èkə nómmik’l, kə
nómmik’l] adjective

1.  resourcefully
frugal:
careful in making the best use of resources • an
economical cook

2.  inexpensive:
costing relatively little in comparison with other things in the same class • a
home that’s economical to run

3.  efficient:
efficient in terms of avoiding unnecessary expenditure of time or energy • an
economical gesture

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at economic.

[1]



economically

economically
ec·o·nom·i·cal·ly
[èkə nómmikəlee, kə
nómmikəlee] adverb

1.  with
regard to economy or economics: with regard to
economics, the economy of a country, or financial matters in general • economically
and socially developing societies

2.  profitably:
in such a way as to produce a profit

3.  frugally:
in a thrifty, sparing, or careful manner

[1]



economicdeterminism

economicdeterminism
ec·o·nom·ic
de·ter·min·ism noun

theory of the influence of
economics: the belief that the economic
organization of a society determines the nature of all other aspects of its
life[1]



economicgeography

economicgeography
ec·o·nom·ic
ge·og·ra·phy noun

geography of an economy:
a branch of geography that deals with the distribution and use of an area’s
economic resources[1]



economicgeology

economicgeology
ec·o·nom·ic
ge·ol·o·gy
noun

study of geologic resources:
the study of geologic deposits from the viewpoint of their value as resources[1]



economicindicator

economicindicator
ec·o·nom·ic
in·di·ca·tor (plural ec·o·nom·ic
in·di·ca·tors) noun

statistical measure:
a quantity expressed statistically and taken as a measure of an economic
variable[1]



economicmigrant

economicmigrant
ec·o·nom·ic
mi·grant
(plural ec·o·nom·ic mi·grants) noun

traveling worker:
somebody who travels or migrates to an area where work or a better standard of
living is available, especially when this involves entering another country[1]



economicrent

economicrent
ec·o·nom·ic
rent
(plural ec·o·nom·ic rents) noun

payment producing profit:
a payment for use of a factor of production that is enough to make it
profitable for the owner[1]



economics

economics
ec·o·nom·ics 
[èkə nómmiks, kə
nómmiks] noun

1.  study
of goods and services: the study of the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services (takes a singular verb)

2.  financial
aspects:
the financial element of something (takes a plural verb) • the
economics of running a business
[Late 18th century. Probably
from French économique + -s, based on the Latin plural oeconomica,
translating Greek ta oikonomika, a treatise title on the duties of
domestic life by Aristotle.][1]



economicunion

economicunion
ec·o·nom·ic
un·ion
noun

merged economies:
a merging of the economies of two or more states to function as a unit that
shares a common financial policy and currency[1]



economism

economism
e·con·o·mism
[i kónnə mìzzəm] noun

1.  importance
of economics: the belief that economics is the most
important element in a society

2.  improving
of living standards: the belief that bringing
about an improvement in the living standards of its members is the chief goal
of a political organization or labor union organization

[1]



economist

economist
e·con·o·mist 
[i kónnəmist] (plural e·con·o·mists)
noun

1.  specialist
in economics: somebody who studies, works, or is an
expert in the field of economics

2.  frugal
person:
a frugal person (archaic)

[1]



economistic

economistic
e·con·o·mist·ic
[i kònnə místik] adjective

favoring economic factors:
showing bias toward economic factors[1]



economize

economize
e·con·o·mize 
[i kónnə mz] (past e·con·o·mized,
past participle e·con·o·mized, present participle e·con·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·con·o·miz·es) intransitive verb

reduce
expenditure: to reduce expenditure, or use resources
less wastefully • We had to economize on
fuel.
—e·con·o·miz·er, noun[1]



economy

economy
e·con·o·my 
[i kónnəmee] noun (plural e·con·o·mies)

1.  ECONOMICS financial
affairs:
the production and consumption of goods and services of a community regarded as
a whole • a
gradual shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy

2.  ECONOMICS thrift:
the prudent managing of resources to avoid extravagant expenditure or waste

3.  ECONOMICS FINANCE sparing
use:
a sparing, controlled, or efficient use of something • a
graceful economy of effort

4.  saving:
a saving or attempt to reduce expenditure

5.  TRANSPORT See economy class

6.  system:
a system of interacting elements, especially when seen as being harmonious • the
economy of the natural world

7.  household
management:
the management of a household (archaic)
adjective

cheaper:
intended to be cheaper or give better value
[15th century. Via French
or Latin from Greek oikonomiā, from oikonomos “steward of
a household,” from oikos “house” + nemein “to manage” (source of
English antinomian and nomad ).][1]



economyclass

economyclass
e·con·o·my
class
noun

cheaper category:
a class of travel, especially on airlines, that is relatively low in price and
carries the majority of passengers.
Also called
economy[1]



economyclass syndrome

economyclass syndrome
e·co·no·my
class syn·drome  noun

type of thrombosis:
thrombosis believed to be caused by a prolonged period of restricted movement
and dehydration, such as occurs during air travel[1]



economydrive

economydrive
e·con·o·my
drive
noun

savings attempt:
an organized attempt to reduce expenditure and waste[1]



economyof scale

economyof scale
e·con·o·my
of scale
noun

cost reduction:
a reduction in unit cost achieved by increasing the amount of production[1]



ecospecies

ecospecies
ec·o·spe·cies 
[ékō spsheez, ékō
spseez, kō speesheez] (plural
ec·o·spe·cies) noun

species distinguished by
ecological features: a species
made up of several subgroups ( ecotypes )
and characterized by its ecological traits[1]



ecosphere

ecosphere
ec·o·sphere 
[ékō sfr, kō
sfr] noun

See
biosphere[1]



ecosystem

ecosystem
ec·o·sys·tem 
[ékō sìstəm, kō
sìstəm] (plural ec·o·sys·tems) noun

organisms and their
environment: a localized group of
interdependent organisms together with the environment that they inhabit and
depend on[1]



ecoterrorism

ecoterrorism
ec·o·ter·ror·ism 
[èkō térrə rìzzəm, kō
térrə rìzzəm] noun

radical
defense of the environment: the sabotage of the
activities of individuals or corporations, for example, industrial companies,
considered to be polluting or destroying the natural environment
—ec·o·ter·ror·ist, noun[1]



ecotone

ecotone
ec·o·tone 
[ékə tn, kə
tn] (plural ec·o·tones) noun

zone
between ecosystems: a zone of transition between
two different ecosystems, for example, where the sea meets the land
[Early 20th century. Coined
from eco- + Greek tonos “tension.”][1]



ecotourism

ecotourism
ec·o·tour·ism 
[èkō t rìzzəm, kō
t rìzzəm] noun

ecologically sound vacations:
a form of tourism that strives to minimize ecological or other damage to areas
visited for their natural or cultural interest[1]



ecotoxicology

ecotoxicology
ec·o·tox·i·col·o·gy
noun

study of substances harmful
to environment: the study of how
organisms are affected by chemicals released into the environment by human
activities[1]



ecotype

ecotype
ec·o·type 
[ékō tp, kō
tp] (plural ec·o·types) noun

subgroup of a species:
a subgroup of a species of plant or other organism whose members show
genetically determined adaptations to certain environmental conditions in their
habitat[1]



Eco,Umberto

Eco,Umberto
Ec·o
[ékō], Umberto (1932– )

Italian novelist and
academic. He wrote the novels The Name of the Rose ( 1981 ) and Foucault’s
Pendulum ( 1989 ), and has written numerous critical works on literature
and aesthetics.[1]



ecowarrior

ecowarrior
ec·o·war·ri·or
[ékō wàwree ər, kō
wàwree ər] (plural ec·o·war·ri·ors) noun

environmental activist:
an activist who takes direct, often unlawful action on an environmental issue[1]



ecru

ecru
ec·ru 
[é kr, áy kr]
adjective

pale
brown:
of a pale brown color, like unbleached linen
[Mid-19th
century. Via French, “raw, unbleached,” from, ultimately, Latin crudus
“raw” (source of English crude ).]
—ec·ru, noun[1]



ecstasy

ecstasy
ec·sta·sy 
[ékstəsee] (plural ec·sta·sies)
noun

1.  intense
delight:
a feeling of intense delight

2.  ecstasy
or Ecstasy DRUGS illegal
drug:
a drug used illicitly as a stimulant and relaxer of inhibitions. C11H15NO2

3.  PSYCHOLOGY loss
of self-control: a mental state, usually caused by
intense religious experience, sexual pleasure, or drugs, in which somebody is
so dominated by an emotion that self-control and sometimes consciousness are
lost

4.  intense
feeling or activity: a feeling or activity
characterized by its extreme intensity • an
ecstasy of remorse
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek ekstasis, from existanai
“to displace, drive out (of your mind),” from histanai “to put.” The
sense “delight” developed in the 17th century.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Ecstasy of St. Theresa, a sculpture by Italian artist Gianlorenzo Bernini
  (1645-1652). An altarpiece in the Cornaro Chapel in the church of Santa Maria
  Della Vittoria in Rome, it depicts a vision experienced by the Spanish saint
  Theresa during which an angel pierced her heart with a golden arrow, causing
  pain but also intense religious rapture.

[1]



ecstatic

ecstatic
ec·stat·ic 
[ik státtik, ek
státtik] adjective

1.  delighted:
showing or feeling great pleasure or delight

2.  dominated
by emotion:
completely dominated by an intense emotion
noun
(plural ec·stat·ics)

somebody subject to a trance:
somebody who undergoes spells of intense emotion
—ec·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ECT

ECT
ECT

Abbreviation of
electroconvulsive therapy[1]



ectasia

ectasia
ec·ta·si·a 
[ek táyzhə, ek
táyzhee ə] or ec·ta·sis [éktəssiss]
noun

swelling:
a swelling or dilation of a part of the body (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek ektasis, from ekteinein “to stretch
out.”][1]



ecto-

ecto-
ecto-
prefix

external,
outside • ectotherm
[From Greek ektos,
from ek “out” (see exo- )][1]



ectocommensal

ectocommensal
ec·to·com·men·sal 
[èktə kə méns’l] (plural ec·to·com·men·sals)
noun

harmless parasitic organism:
a harmless parasitic plant or animal that lives on the outer surface or skin of
another organism[1]



ectoderm

ectoderm
ec·to·derm 
[éktə dùrm] noun

outer layer of an embryo:
the outermost of three cell layers of an embryo, from which the epidermis,
nervous tissue, and sense organs develop[1]



ectogenesis

ectogenesis
ec·to·gen·e·sis
[èktō jénnəssiss] noun

development outside a body:
the development of an organism in an artificial environment, outside the body
in which it would normally be found[1]



ectogenous

ectogenous
ec·tog·e·nous 
[ek tójjənəss] adjective

growing outside a body:
used to describe an organism, for example, a parasitic bacterium, that grows or
is able to grow outside the body of a host[1]



ectomere

ectomere
ec·to·mere 
[éktə mr] (plural ec·to·meres)
noun

cell in embryo development:
a cell ( blastomere ) produced during the division of a fertilized egg that
develops with others into the outer cell layer ( ectoderm
) of an embryo[1]



ectomorph

ectomorph
ec·to·morph 
[éktə màwrf] (plural ec·to·morphs)
noun

tall
thin person: somebody belonging to a physiological
type that is tall with long lean limbs.
See
also
endomorph
See
also
mesomorph
—ec·to·mor·phic [èktə máwrfik], adjective[1]



-ectomy

-ectomy
-ectomy
suffix

surgical
removal of a part of the body • iridectomy
[From modern Latin -ectomia,
literally “cutting out,” from Greek ek- “out” + -tomia “-tomy”][1]



ectoparasite

ectoparasite
ec·to·par·a·site 
[èktə pérrə st] (plural ec·to·par·a·sites)
noun

external
parasite:
a parasite that lives on the outside of its host, for example, on the skin or
in the hair. Fleas are ectoparasites.
—ec·to·par·a·sit·ic
[èktə perrə síttik], adjective

—ec·to·par·a·sit·ism [èktə pérrəssi tìzzəm], noun[1]



ectophyte

ectophyte
ec·to·phyte
[éktə ft] (plural ec·to·phytes)
noun

parasitic
plant:
a parasitic plant that lives on the outer surface of its host
—ec·to·phyt·ic [èktə fíttik], adjective[1]



ectopia

ectopia
ec·to·pi·a 
[ek tṓpee ə] noun

abnormal
position:
a change form the normal positioning of an organ or body part
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek ektopos “out of place,” from topos
“place.”][1]



ectopic

ectopic
ec·top·ic 
[ek tóppik] adjective

in an abnormal place or form:
used to describe an organ or body part occurring in a position or form that is
not usual or normal[1]



ectopicpregnancy

ectopicpregnancy
ec·top·ic
preg·nan·cy
noun

egg developing outside the
womb: the development of a
fertilized egg outside the womb, for example, in a fallopian tube[1]



ectoplasm

ectoplasm
ec·to·plasm 
[éktə plàzzəm] noun

1.  CELL BIOLOGY outer
layer of cell contents: the dense outer layer of the
substance ( cytoplasm ) that surrounds the
nucleus of a cell

2.  PARANORMAL ghostly
substance:
the substance believed by spiritualists to issue from a medium who is
communicating with spirits
—ec·to·plas·mic [èktə plázmik], adjective[1]



ectotherm

ectotherm
ec·to·therm 
[éktə thùrm] (plural ec·to·therms)
noun

cold-blooded
animal:
an animal that maintains its body temperature by absorbing heat from its
environment. All animals other than birds and mammals are ectotherms.
See
also
poikilotherm
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from ecto- + Greek thermē
“heat.”]
—ec·to·ther·mic [èktə thúrmik], adjective[1]



ectotrophic

ectotrophic
ec·to·troph·ic 
[èktə tróffik] adjective

deriving nourishment from the
surface: used to describe an
association ( mycorrhiza ) between a fungus
and the roots of a plant, in which the fungus obtains its nourishment by
enveloping the roots in a sheath.
See also
endotrophic[1]



Ecuador

Ecuador



Ec·ua·dor
[ékwə dàwr]
equatorial
republic in northwestern South America, bounded on the north by Colombia, on
the south and east by Peru, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Language:
Spanish. Currency: sucre. Capital: Quito. Population: 12,105,124 (1997) Area:
272,045 sq km/107,037 sq mi. Official name Republic of Ecuador
—E·cua·dor·i·an [èkwə dáwree ən] (plural Ec·ua·dor·i·ans),
noun, adjective[1]



Ecuador




Back to definition

Ecuador

[1]



ecumenical

ecumenical
ec·u·men·i·cal 
[èkyə ménnik’l] or ec·u·men·ic
[èkyə ménnik] adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY concerning
Church unity: relating to, involving, or promoting the
unity of Christian Churches around the world

2.  involving
friendship between religions: involving or promoting
friendly relations between different religions
[Late
16th century. Formed from late Latin oecumenicus “general, universal,”
from Greek oikoumenikos, from oikoumenē (gē) “inhabited (world),”
from oikos “house, habitation.”]
—ec·u·men·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ecumenicalcouncil

ecumenicalcouncil
ec·u·men·i·cal
coun·cil
(plural ec·u·men·i·cal coun·cils) noun

council of Church leaders:
a gathering of leaders and representatives from the Christian Churches of the
world[1]



ecumenicalism

ecumenicalism
ec·u·men·i·cal·ism
noun

See
ecumenism[1]



ecumenicalpatriarch

ecumenicalpatriarch
ec·u·men·i·cal
pa·tri·arch
(plural ec·u·men·i·cal pa·tri·archs) noun

Eastern patriarch:
the Archbishop of Constantinople, the most senior dignitary of the Eastern
Church[1]



ecumenicism

ecumenicism
ec·u·men·i·cism 
noun

See
ecumenism[1]



ecumenics

ecumenics
ec·u·men·ics 
[èkyə ménniks] noun

study of ecumenism:
the study of the goals and development of unity between different Christian
denominations (takes a singular verb)[1]



ecumenism

ecumenism
ec·u·me·nism 
[ékyə mə nìzzəm, i
kymə nìzzəm] or ec·u·men·i·cism [èkyə
ménni sìzzəm] or ec·u·men·i·cal·ism [èkyə ménnikə lìzzəm] noun

Church unity:
a movement in the Christian Church aiming at unity between different
denominations on basic issues[1]



eczema

eczema
ec·ze·ma 
[éksəmə, égzəmə,
ig zmə] noun

skin
condition:
an inflammation of the skin characterized by reddening and itching and the
formation of scaly or crusty patches that may leak fluid
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek ekzema “eruption,” from zein “to boil,”
ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English yeast .][1]



ed.

ed.
ed.

1.  Abbreviation
of
edited

2.  Abbreviation
of
edition

3.  Abbreviation
of
editor

4.  Abbreviation
of
education

[1]



-ed1

-ed1
-ed
1
suffix

1.  used
to form the past participle of regular verbs • wasted

2.  having,
characterized by, like • redheaded
• bigoted
[Old English -ed, -od][1]



-ed2

-ed2
-ed
2
suffix

used
to form the past tense of regular verbs • nicked
• landed
[Old English -ede, -ode][1]



EDA

EDA
EDA

Abbreviation of
Economic Development Administration[1]



edacious

edacious
e·da·cious 
[i dáyshəss] adjective

greedy:
voracious, or devoted to gluttony (formal)
[Early
19th century. Formed from the Latin stem edac- “voracious, gluttonous,”
from edere “to eat.”]
—e·dac·i·ty [i dássətee], noun[1]



Edam

Edam2
E·dam2 [dəm,
 dàm]

town in the western
Netherlands, near Amsterdam, best known for the manufacture of the cheese to
which it gives its name. Population: 25,603 (1994)[1]



Edam

Edam1
E·dam1  [dəm,
 dàm] (plural Edams) noun

Dutch
cheese:
a mild cheese of Dutch origin with a slightly rubbery texture, typically formed
into balls covered with red wax
[Early 19th century. Named
for Edam 2, where it
was originally made.][1]



edaphic

edaphic
e·daph·ic 
[i dáffik] adjective

ECOLOGY soil-related:
used to describe the effect of soil characteristics, especially chemical or
physical properties, on plants and animals
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek edaphos “floor, ground, soil.”][1]



edaphicclimax

edaphicclimax
e·daph·ic
cli·max
(plural e·daph·ic cli·max·es) noun

ecological community
influenced by soil: a stable
ecological community ( climax ) that results
from the content or properties of the soil rather than the climate[1]



Edberg,Stefan

Edberg,Stefan
Ed·berg
[éd bùrg], Stefan (1966– )

Swedish tennis player. He
progressed from a junior grand slam in 1983 to winning both Wimbledon and the
U.S. Open singles championships (1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992).[1]



Edda

Edda
Ed·da 
[éddə] noun

1.  12thC
Norse poem collection: a 12th-century collection of
Old Norse poems

2.  13thC
Norse poem collection: a 13th-century collection
compiled by Snorri Sturluson containing Norse myths, poems, and a treatise on
poetry
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain, probably from Old Norse ōðr “spirit,
mind, passion, song, poetry.”]
—Ed·dic, adjective[1]



eddo

eddo
ed·do 
[éddō] (plural ed·does) noun

PLANTS See taro
[Late 17th century. Of West
African origin.][1]



eddy

eddy
ed·dy 
[éddee] noun (plural ed·dies)

1.  small
whirl:
a movement in a flowing stream of liquid or gas in which the current doubles
back to form a small whirl • a
pleasing pattern of eddies in the river

2.  divergence:
a relatively unimportant divergence from or movement contrary to the mainstream
of something • negotiated
a few political eddies
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ed·died,
past participle ed·died, present participle ed·dy·ing,
3rd person present singular ed·dies)

flow contrary:
to flow or make something flow contrary to the main current • He
waded out, the stream eddying around his legs.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from Old Norse iða “whirlpool,” or from assumed Old
English edwæg, literally “back wave.”][1]



eddycurrent

eddycurrent
ed·dy
cur·rent
(plural eddy cur·rents) noun

electric current:
an electric current set up by an alternating magnetic field[1]



Eddy,Mary Baker

Eddy,Mary Baker

Ed·dy 
[éddee], Mary Baker (1821–1910)
U.S.
religious leader. She founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, and the
associated Christian Science movement, in Boston in 1879.
Born
Baker, Mary[1]



EddystoneRocks

EddystoneRocks
Ed·dy·stone
Rocks
[èdistən ròks]

dangerous rocks in the
English Channel, near Plymouth, England. Four lighthouses have successively
been built on or near the rocks since 1698.[1]



edelweiss

edelweiss

e·del·weiss 
[áyd’l vss, áyd’l
wss] noun
alpine
plant:
a small plant with white woolly leaves and small flowers, native to the Alps
and mountains of Asia. Latin name: Leontopodium alpinum
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “noble white.”][1]



edema

edema
e·de·ma 
[i dmə] (plural e·de·mas or
e·de·ma·ta [i déemətə]) noun

1.  MEDICINE excess
fluid:
an abnormal buildup of serous fluid between tissue cells

2.  BOTANY excess
fluid in plant: an abnormal swelling in a plant, chiefly
caused by a buildup of excess water
[15th
century. From Greek oidēma “swelling tumor,” from oidein “to
swell.”]
—e·dem·a·tous [i démmətəss, i dmətəss],
adjective[1]



Eden

Eden
E·den 
[d’n] (plural E·dens) noun

1.  Adam
and Eve’s garden: in the Bible, the garden where Adam and
Eve first lived.
Also
called
Garden of Eden

2.  perfect
place:
any place seen as being perfect, highly pleasing, or happy • The
first explorers saw America as an Eden.
—E·den·ic [ee dénnik], adjective[1]



edentate

edentate
e·den·tate 
[ee dén tàyt] (plural e·den·tates)
noun

toothless
mammal:
any placental mammal found in tropical America that has few or no teeth. Sloths
and armadillos are edentates . Order: Edentata
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin edentatus from, ultimately, the stem dent- “tooth.”][1]



edentulous

edentulous
e·den·tu·lous 
[ee dénchələss] or e·den·tu·late
[i dénchələt, i
dénchə làyt] adjective

ZOOLOGY MEDICINE toothless:
without any teeth
[Early 18th century. From
Latin edentulus, from the stem dent- “tooth.”][1]



Ederle,Gertrude Caroline

Ederle,Gertrude Caroline
E·der·le 
[áydərlee], Gertrude Caroline (1906– )

U.S. swimmer. She became the
first woman to swim across the English Channel (1926).[1]



Edgar

Edgar
Ed·gar
[édgər] (plural Ed·gars) noun

mystery
writing award: a small statuette awarded annually to
authors for achievement in mystery fiction
[Mid-20th century. Named for Edgar
Allan Poe.][1]



edge

edge
edge 
[ej] noun (plural edg·es)

1.  border:
a line or area that is the outermost part or the part farthest away from the
center of something • a
tablecloth with embroidered edges

2.  part
above a drop: the area where land suddenly falls away
steeply • the
cliff edge

3.  brink
or threshold: the point or moment just before a marked
change or event • on the edge of victory

4.  meeting
surfaces:
the line where two surfaces of something solid meet • A
cube has 6 faces and 12 edges.

5.  sharp
side:
the cutting side of a blade • a
razor’s edge

6.  sharpness:
sharpness of a blade • a
knife with a fine edge

7.  sharp
quality:
a piercing, cutting, or wounding quality, for example, of language or
expression • There
was an unmistakable edge to her remarks.

8.  vigor:
noticeable vigor and energy • After
the timeout there was a new edge to the team’s play.
intransitive
verb
(past edged, past participle edged, present
participle edg·ing, 3rd person present singular edg·es)

move gradually:
to move gradually sideways, or make something move in this direction by pushing
it • just
room enough to edge through
noun
(plural edg·es)

advantage: an
advantage over, for example, a competitor (informal)
transitive
verb
(past edged, past participle edged, present
participle edg·ing, 3rd person present singular edg·es)

1.  add
a border:
to add a border to something, especially a decorative one • a
handkerchief edged with lace

2.  trim:
to cut, shape, or trim the border of something • a
tool for edging the lawn

3.  sharpen:
to sharpen or give a sharp edge to a blade

4.  SKIING lean a
ski:
to lean a ski over so that its edge cuts the snow
[Old
English ecg “corner, edge, sword.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to be sharp or pointed,” which also produced English acid, acute,
alacrity, and oxygen .]
live
on the edge

to
be habitually in highly stressful and demanding situations, often involving
physical risk and danger

on
edge

in
or into an irritated or nervous state

take
the edge off something

1.  to
reduce the intensity or strength of something • the
snack took the edge off my hunger

2.  to
do something that makes a tense situation less so

[1]



edgecity

edgecity2
edge
cit·y2 noun

extreme
position:
a state of great psychological or physical danger (slang)
[Perhaps modeled on the idea
of fat city or city as used with various modifiers or attributives such
as car and sin][1]



edgecity

edgecity1
edge
cit·y1 noun

suburb:
a highly urbanized, yet officially unincorporated, community adjacent to a
major established city, with residences, varied businesses, entertainment
districts, and large shopping areas (informal) “Edge City…is the creation
of a new world, being shaped by the free in a constantly reinvented land.” Joel
Garreau Washington Post September 19, 1991
[Late 20th century. Coined by
Joel Garreau, author of Edge City on the New Frontier .][1]



edgein

edgein
edge
in
transitive verb

work in:
to accommodate with effort, for example, because of lack of time, space, or
opportunity • edge
in a swim after work[1]



edgeout

edgeout
edge
out
transitive verb

1.  move
out:
to move somebody or something gradually out of position • trying
to edge him out of the presidency

2.  defeat:
to defeat a competitor by a narrow margin (informal) • She
was edged out of the championship.

[1]



edger

edger
edg·er 
[éjjər] (plural edg·ers) noun

somebody who or something
that edges: somebody who or something
that edges something, especially a gardening tool for edging[1]



edgetool

edgetool
edge
tool
(plural edge tools) noun

sharp implement:
an implement that has at least one cutting edge[1]



Edgewater

Edgewater
Edge·wa·ter
[éj wàwtər, éj
wòttər]

1.  town
in central Colorado, west of Denver. Population: 4,613 (1990)

2.  town
in eastern Florida. Population: 15,337 (1990)

3.  borough
in northeastern New Jersey, situated on the Hudson River. Population: 5,001
(1990)

[1]



edgewise

edgewise
edge·wise 
[éj wz] adverb adjective

edge
first:
with the edge or side leading or forward • fit
in edgewise
• with
an edgewise motion.
U.K.
term
edgeways
get
a word in edgewise

to succeed in speaking when
other people are talking nonstop (usually used in negative statements)[1]



Edgewood

Edgewood
Edge·wood
[éj wd]

1.  city
in northern Kentucky. Population: 8,143 (1990)

2.  town
in northeastern Maryland, northeast of Baltimore. Population: 23,903 (1990)

3.  borough
in southwestern Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh. Population: 3,581 (1990)

[1]



edging

edging
edg·ing 
[éjjing] noun (plural edg·ings)

1.  border:
something used as a border or trim, usually for decoration or protection

2.  forming
of an edge:
the formation of an edge
adjective

used to form edges:
used in forming an edge

[1]



edgy

edgy
edg·y 
[éjjee] (comparative edg·i·er,
superlative edg·i·est) adjective

1.  on
edge:
nervous and irritable

2.  intense:
having an intense or energetic quality or atmosphere • an
edgy neighborhood

3.  stylish:
unusually smart or stylish • edgy
clothes
—edg·i·ly,
adverb

—edg·i·ness, noun[1]



edh

edh

edh
[e] (plural edhs) or eth
[e] (plural eths) noun
runic
or phonetic letter: a printed or written
character (ð) used in the runic alphabet and in modern phonetics to represent
the “th” sound in the English words “this” and “other”
[Mid-19th century. From
Danish, perhaps originally representing the sound of the letter.][1]



edible

edible
ed·i·ble 
[éddib’l] adjective

able
to be eaten: able to be eaten by human beings, or fit
or suitable for eating
plural
noun
ed·i·bles

food:
things to eat
[Early
17th century. From Latin edibilis “eatable,” from edere “to eat”
(source of English obese ).]
—ed·i·bil·i·ty
[èddi bíllətee], noun

—ed·i·ble·ness [éddib’lnəss], noun[1]



edict

edict
e·dict 
[ dìkt] (plural e·dicts) noun

1.  decree:
a formal proclamation, especially one issued by a government, ruler, or other
authority

2.  authoritative
command:
a formal or authoritative command
[15th century. From Latin edictum,
from the past participle of edicere “to proclaim,” from dicere
“to say.”][1]



edification

edification
ed·i·fi·ca·tion 
[èddəfi káysh’n] noun

enlightenment:
instruction or enlightenment, especially when it is morally or spiritually
uplifting[1]



edifice

edifice
ed·i·fice 
[éddəfiss] (plural ed·i·fices)
noun

1.  building:
a building, especially a large or impressive one

2.  structure:
a large or complex structure or organization • the
edifice of government
[14th century. Via French
from Latin aedificium, from aedificare “to build” (see edify ).][1]



edify

edify
ed·i·fy 
[éddə f] (past ed·i·fied, past
participle ed·i·fied, present participle ed·i·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular ed·i·fies) transitive verb

enlighten:
to improve the morals or knowledge of somebody
[14th
century. Via French édifier from Latin aedificare “to build,
construct,” later “to instruct,” from aedis “building, temple” + facere
“to make.”]
—ed·i·fi·er, noun[1]



edifying

edifying
ed·i·fy·ing
[éddə f ing] adjective

educational:
providing morally useful knowledge or information[1]



Edinburgh




Back to definition

Edinburgh

[1]



Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Ed·in·burgh
[éd’nbərə, éd’n
bùr ə]
capital city of Scotland, situated on the
southern shore of the Firth of Forth. It is home to a cathedral, a castle, the
royal palace of Holyroodhouse, three universities, and the headquarters of the Scottish
Assembly. Population: 447,600 (1995)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Edinburgh,Duke of

Edinburgh,Duke of
Ed·in·burgh,
Duke of
[éd’nbərə, éd’n
bùr ə]

See
Prince Philip[1]



Edirne

Edirne
E·dir·ne
[e drnə]

city of northwestern Turkey,
northwest of Istanbul. Population: 102,300 (1990)[1]



Edison

Edison
Ed·i·son
[éddiss’n]

town in central New Jersey,
southwest of Elizabeth. Population: 88,680 (1990)[1]



Edison,Thomas Alva

Edison,Thomas Alva

Ed·i·son
[éddiss’n], Thomas Alva (1847–1931)
U.S. inventor. He invented the light
bulb, the microphone (1877), the phonograph (1877), and many other devices.[1]



edit

edit
ed·it 
[éddit] transitive verb (past ed·it·ed,
past participle ed·it·ed, present participle ed·it·ing,
3rd person present singular ed·its)

1.  PUBLISHING prepare
for publication: to prepare a text for publication by
correcting errors and ensuring clarity and accuracy

2.  PUBLISHING decide
the content of a publication: to be in overall charge of
the publication of a newspaper or magazine

3.  BROADCASTING decide
the content of a program: to be in overall charge of
the content of a broadcast program

4.  CINEMA cut a
movie or tape: to cut and arrange a movie or recording,
deciding its final order and content • The
show was edited down from hours of live recording.

5.  PUBLISHING BROADCASTING cut
material:
to remove material from something, such as a publication or broadcast item, for
example, because it is lengthy or offensive
noun
(plural ed·its)

PUBLISHING editing:
the preparation of a text for publication or release, or a stage in this
process • Look
out for errors missed in the first edit.
[Late 18th century.
Back-formation from editor .][1]



edit.

edit.
edit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
edited

2.  Abbreviation
of
edition

3.  Abbreviation
of
editor

[1]



edited

edited
ed·it·ed
[édditəd] adjective

1.  ready
to publish:
prepared for publication, broadcast, or release by having errors corrected and
other refinements made

2.  with
unwanted parts removed: used to describe something
such as a text or broadcast that has had unwanted material removed • an
edited version of the original movie

[1]



edition

edition
e·di·tion 
[i dísh’n] (plural e·di·tions)
noun

1.  PUBLISHING printed
version:
one version of a publication issued serially, periodically, or in multiple
formats • the
morning edition of the newspaper

2.  BROADCASTING broadcast
version:
a version or installment of a broadcast for a particular time or purpose • last
week’s edition of the show

3.  PRINTING printed
batch:
a batch of identical copies of a publication all printed at the same time

4.  batch
of items:
a batch or number of items all produced at the same time

5.  similar
thing:
a version or copy of something
[15th century. From the Latin
stem edition-, from edit-, the past participle stem of edere
“to give out,” from dare “to give.”][1]



editioprinceps

editioprinceps
e·di·ti·o
prin·ceps
[i dìshee ō prín sèps] (plural e·di·ti·o·nes
prin·ci·pes [i dishee neez prínsə peez])
noun

first
edition:
the first printed edition of a piece of writing (literary)
[From modern Latin, literally
“first edition”][1]



editor

editor
ed·i·tor 
[édditər] (plural ed·i·tors) noun

1.  PUBLISHING publishing
supervisor:
somebody who is in overall charge of the publication of a book, newspaper, or
magazine

2.  PUBLISHING chief
journalist:
somebody who is in charge of a particular part of a newspaper or magazine

3.  PUBLISHING text
corrector:
somebody who prepares a text for publication by correcting errors and improving
accuracy and clarity

4.  BROADCASTING somebody
controlling program content: somebody who is in overall
charge of the content of a broadcast program

5.  CINEMA somebody
who edits film: somebody who prepares the final version
of a movie, deciding its length and the order of shots and scenes

6.  COMPUTING See text editor
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin, “producer, publisher,” from the Latin stem edit-
(see edition ).]
—ed·i·tor·ship, noun[1]



editorial

editorial
ed·i·to·ri·al 
[èddi táwree əl] adjective

PUBLISHING BROADCASTING of
editing:
relating to, involving, or concerned with the editing of something such as a
text or broadcast • made lots of editorial
comments in the margins
noun
(plural ed·i·to·ri·als)

PUBLISHING opinion
piece:
an article in a newspaper or magazine that expresses the opinion of its editor
or publisher.
U.K.
term
leader
—ed·i·to·ri·al·ist,
noun

—ed·i·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



editorialize

editorialize
ed·i·to·ri·al·ize 
[èddi táwree əlz] (past ed·i·to·ri·al·ized,
past participle ed·i·to·ri·al·ized, present participle ed·i·to·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ed·i·to·ri·al·iz·es) intransitive
verb

1.  PUBLISHING write
editorials:
to express an opinion or view in an editorial

2.  write
subjectively: to introduce personal opinions or views,
especially inappropriately • He
couldn’t resist the opportunity, when reporting on a burglary, to editorialize
on security systems.

[1]



editorin chief

editorin chief
ed·i·tor
in chief
(plural ed·i·tors in chief) noun

top editor:
the executive editor of a publication, publishing house, or set of publications[1]



editout

editout
edit
out
transitive verb

delete:
to delete or remove an unwanted part of a text, movie, or recording • Her
walk-on part was eventually edited out.[1]



Ed.M.

Ed.M.
Ed.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Education
[Latin, Educationis
Magister][1]



Edmonds

Edmonds
Ed·monds
[édməndz]

city in northwestern
Washington State, north of Seattle. Population: 30,744 (1990)[1]



Edmonton

Edmonton
Ed·mon·ton
[édməntən]

capital city of Alberta,
Canada, located in the center of the province, on the North Saskatchewan River.
Population: 862,597 (1996)[1]



Edmund

Edmund
Ed·mund
[édmənd], Saint and King of East Anglia
(841?–870)

After defeat in battle by the
Danes, he is said to have been martyred for refusing to deny Christianity.[1]



EdmundI

EdmundI
Ed·mund
I
[édmənd], King of the English (921–946)

He made war on the Vikings,
expelling them from England, and carried out legal reforms.[1]



EdmundII

EdmundII
Ed·mund
II
[édmənd], King of the English (981?–1016)

He
reigned for only a few months in 1016, until defeated in battle by Canute. He
was allowed to keep control of the south of England, but died a month later.
Known as
Edmund Ironside[1]



Edmundston

Edmundston
Ed·munds·ton
[édməndstən]

city in northwestern New
Brunswick, Canada, across the U.S.-Canadian border from Maine. Population:
11,033 (1996)[1]



Edomite

Edomite
E·dom·ite 
[də mt] (plural E·dom·ites) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Edom:
a member of an ancient ethnic group who lived in the kingdom of Edom in
pre-Christian times and who were noted for their longstanding hostility toward
the Israelites

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
language:
an extinct language formerly spoken in the ancient kingdom of Edom in the
Middle East. It is one of the Semitic group of Afro-Asian languages and is
related to Hebrew.
—E·dom·it·ic [də míttik], adjective[1]



EDP

EDP
EDP

Abbreviation of
electronic data processing[1]



EDT

EDT
EDT
or E.D.T.

Abbreviation of
Eastern Daylight Time[1]



EDTA

EDTA
EDTA 
noun

chemical compound:
a colorless compound that reacts with metals and is used in food preservation,
as an anticoagulant, and to treat lead poisoning. C10H16N2O8 Full
form ethylene diamine tetra-acetate[1]



edu

edu
edu

(used as an Internet
suffix)Abbreviation of educational institution[1]



educ.

educ.
educ.

1.  Abbreviation
of
education

2.  Abbreviation
of
educational

[1]



educable

educable
ed·u·ca·ble 
[éjjəkəb’l] or ed·u·cat·a·ble
[èjjə káytəb’l] adjective

capable
of being educated: able to learn or be taught
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from educate .]
—ed·u·ca·bil·i·ty [èjjəkə bíllətee], noun[1]



educate

educate
ed·u·cate 
[éjjə kàyt] (past ed·u·cat·ed,
past participle ed·u·cat·ed, present participle ed·u·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ed·u·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb teach:
to give knowledge to or develop the abilities of somebody by teaching • educated
at a public school

2.  transitive
verb
arrange
schooling:
to arrange schooling for somebody • They
educated their daughters

3.  transitive
verb
develop:
to develop or improve a faculty or sense

4.  transitive
verb
train:
to train or instruct somebody in a particular field
[15th
century. From Latin educat-, the past participle stem of educare
“to bring up, rear,” related to educere “to lead out,” from ducere
“to lead.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



educated

educated
ed·u·cat·ed 
[éjjə kàytəd] adjective

1.  well
taught:
having had a good education • This
is the writing of an educated person.

2.  cultured:
showing good taste, expert knowledge, or cultivation • cast
an educated eye over the antiques

3.  knowledgeable:
having the benefit of experience or knowledge

[1]



educatedguess

educatedguess
ed·u·cat·ed
guess
(plural ed·u·cat·ed guess·es) noun

informed guess:
a guess that is based on a degree of experience, knowledge, or information[1]



education

education
ed·u·ca·tion 
[èjjə káysh’n] (plural ed·u·ca·tions)
noun

1.  educating:
the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning,
especially at a school or similar institution “After all, what is education but
a process by which a person begins to learn how to learn?” Peter Ustinov Dear
Me 1977

2.  knowledge:
the knowledge or abilities gained through being educated

3.  instruction:
training and instruction in a particular subject, for example, health matters

4.  learning
experience:
an informative experience • Spending
a weekend in their house was a real education.

5.  study
of teaching: the study of the theories and practices
of teaching • a
degree in education

6.  system
for educating people: the system of educating
people in a community or society • jobs
in education

[1]



educational

educational
ed·u·ca·tion·al 
[èjjə káyshən’l, èjjə
káyshnəl] adjective

1.  instructive
or informative: giving knowledge, instruction, or
information

2.  relating
to teaching and learning: relating to, involving, or
concerned with education
—ed·u·ca·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



educationalist

educationalist
ed·u·ca·tion·al·ist 
[èjjə káyshən’list, èjjə
káyshnəlist] or ed·u·ca·tion·ist [èjjə
káyshnist] noun

expert in education:
an expert in the theories or administration of education[1]



educationalpsychology

educationalpsychology
ed·u·ca·tion·al
psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychology
of teaching: a branch of applied psychology that
studies children in an educational setting and is concerned with the assessment
of ability and aptitude and the evaluation of teaching and learning methods.
Educational psychologists also deal with problems experienced by some children
at school and in other learning situations.
—ed·u·ca·tion·al
psy·chol·o·gist, noun[1]



educationist

educationist
ed·u·ca·tion·ist 
(plural ed·u·ca·tion·ists) noun

1.  See
educationalist

2.  educational
theorist:
somebody who espouses and propounds educational theories (disapproving)

[1]



educative

educative
ed·u·ca·tive 
[éjjə kàytiv] adjective

educational:
giving or concerned with education[1]



educator

educator
ed·u·ca·tor 
[éjjə kàytər] (plural ed·u·ca·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who educates: a professional teacher

2.  specialist
in education: an expert in the theories or
administration of education

[1]



educatory

educatory
ed·u·ca·tor·y 
[éjjəkə tàwree] adjective

educational:
giving or concerned with education[1]



educe

educe
e·duce 
[i dss] (past e·duced, past
participle e·duced, present participle e·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·duc·es) transitive verb (formal)

1.  elicit:
to elicit or derive something, for example, a conclusion

2.  develop:
to make something latent develop or appear
[15th century. From Latin educere
“to lead out,” from ducere “to lead.”][1]



educt

educt
e·duct 
[ dùkt] (plural e·ducts) noun

chemically
unaltered extract: a substance extracted from
another substance without chemical alteration
[Late 17th century. From
Latin eductum, from the past participle of educere (see educe ).][1]



eduction

eduction
e·duc·tion 
[i dúkshən] (plural e·duc·tions)
noun

1.  derivation:
the derivation or development of something, or something derived or developed (formal)

2.  TECHNOLOGY exhaust
of an engine: the exhaust of an engine, especially an
internal-combustion or steam engine (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From the
Latin stem eduction-, from educere (see educe
).][1]



edulcorate

edulcorate
e·dul·co·rate
[i dúlkə ràyt] (past e·dul·co·rat·ed,
past participle e·dul·co·rat·ed, present participle e·dul·co·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·dul·co·rates) transitive verb

purify:
to remove soluble impurities from something by washing (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin edulcorat-, the past participle stem of edulcorare
“to sweeten,” from Latin dulcis “sweet.”][1]



edutainment

edutainment
ed·u·tain·ment
[èjjə táynmənt] noun

something
that educates and entertains: television programs,
computer software, or other media content intended to entertain and educate the
user at the same time
[Late 20th century. A blend
of education and entertainment
.][1]



EdwardI

EdwardI

Ed·ward
I 
[éd wərd], King of England (1239–1307)
His
reign (1272–1307) was marked by the development of parliamentary government and
by conflicts with the Welsh, the Scots, and France.
Known as
Edward Longshanks[1]



Edwardian

Edwardian
Ed·ward·i·an 
[ed wáwrdee ən, ed
wrdee ən] adjective

of
the reign of Edward VII: relating to, belonging to,
or typical of British society during the reign of Edward VII in the first
decade of the 20th century
noun
(plural Ed·war·dians)

somebody of or studying the
Edwardian era: somebody who was alive
or active during the reign of Edward VII or who is a specialist in this period
of history[1]



EdwardII

EdwardII

Ed·ward
II 
[éddwərd], King of England (1284–1327)
Defeated
by the Scots at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, his reign (1307–1327) ended
in his forced abdication and murder. He was the first future king to be styled
Prince of Wales (1301).
Known as
Edward of Caernarvon[1]



EdwardIII

EdwardIII
Ed·ward
III 
[éddwərd], King of England (1312–1377)

He ruled from 1327 until
1377. Through his mother, Isabella of France, he claimed the French throne,
starting the Hundred Years War.[1]



EdwardIV

EdwardIV
Ed·ward
IV 
[éddwərd], King of England (1442–1483)

As an outcome of the Wars of
the Roses (1455–1485), he became the first king of the House of York
(1461–1483). He was briefly deposed in 1470–1471 by Lancastrian supporters of
Henry VI.[1]



Edward,Lake

Edward,Lake
Ed·ward,
Lake
[éddwərd]

lake in the Great African
Rift Valley straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Uganda. Area: 2,150 sq km/830 sq mi. Former name Albert Edward Nyanza[1]



Edwards,Jonathan

Edwards,Jonathan

Ed·wards 
[éddwərdz], Jonathan (1703–1758)
American colonial theologian and
clergyman. A stern Calvinist, he was a leading figure in the religious revival
known as the Great Awakening.[1]



Edwardthe Confessor

Edwardthe Confessor
Ed·ward
the Con·fes·sor  [éddwərd],
Saint and King of the English (1002?–1066)

He was canonized in 1161, but
his reign (1042–1066) was troubled by political conflict between Norman and
English groups.[1]



Edwardthe Martyr

Edwardthe Martyr
Ed·ward
the Mar·tyr 
[éddwərd], Saint and King of the English
(963?–978)

He reigned from 975. His
murder in 978 was possibly at the instigation of his stepmother Elfrida.[1]



EdwardV

EdwardV
Ed·ward
V 
[éddwərd], King of England (1470–1483?)

On his accession in 1483, he
was imprisoned by the future Richard III in the Tower of London and is thought
to have been assassinated. With his brother he is often referred to as one of
the “Princes in the Tower.”[1]



EdwardVI

EdwardVI

Ed·ward VI 
[éddwərd], King of England (1537–1553)
He was the son of Henry VIII and Jane
Seymour. His reign (1547–1553) saw rapid advancement of Protestantism in
England.[1]



EdwardVII

EdwardVII

Ed·ward VII 
[éddwərd], King of the United Kingdom
(1841–1910)
Son of Queen Victoria, he was an avid
sportsman and traveler, promoting good relations abroad. His reign (1901–1910)
is known as the Edwardian period.[1]



EdwardVIII

EdwardVIII
Ed·ward
VIII 
[éddwərd], King of the United Kingdom
(1894–1972)

His brief reign
(January-December 1936) ended in abdication after the British Government
refused to agree to his marrying U.S. divorcée Wallis Simpson.[1]



e.e.

e.e.
e.e.

Abbreviation of
errors excepted[1]



E.E.

E.E.
E.E.

1.  Abbreviation
of
electrical engineer

2.  Abbreviation
of
electrical engineering

[1]



-ee

-ee1
-ee1 suffix

1.  one
who receives or benefits from an action • consignee

2.  one
who receives a thing • biographee

3.  one
who performs an action • attendee
[Via Anglo-Norman from,
ultimately, Latin -atus][1]



-ee

-ee2
-ee2 suffix

1.  one
that resembles • coatee

2.  a
kind of, especially a small one • vestee

3.  one
connected with • bargee
[Variant of -y][1]



E.E.& M.P.

E.E.& M.P.
E.E.
& M.P.

Abbreviation of
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary[1]



EEC

EEC
EEC

HISTORY
Abbreviation of European Economic Community[1]



EEG

EEG
EEG

1.  Abbreviation
of
echoencephalograph

2.  Abbreviation
of
electroencephalogram

3.  Abbreviation
of
electroencephalograph

[1]



eel

eel
eel 
[eel] (plural eels or eel)
noun

1.  long
thin fish:
a fish that has a long thin body resembling that of a snake, smooth skin
without scales, and reduced fins. Most eels live in shallow marine waters.
Order: Apodes

2.  fish
resembling an eel: any fish similar to a true
eel in appearance, for example, an electric eel
[Old English l, from
a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin][1]



eelgrass

eelgrass
eel·grass 
[l gràss] noun

1.  marine
plant resembling grass: a perennial plant with long
narrow dark green leaves that grows submerged in shallow seawater. Genus: Zostera

2.  See
tape grass

[1]



eelpout

eelpout
eel·pout 
[l pòwt] (plural eel·pouts or
eel·pout) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fish
resembling an eel: a marine fish with a long
thin body like an eel. Family: Zoarcidae
Also
called
pout

2.  See
burbot

[1]



eelworm

eelworm
eel·worm 
[l wùrm] (plural eel·worms or
eel·worm) noun

ZOOLOGY
See nematode[1]



EEO

EEO
EEO

Abbreviation of
equal employment opportunity[1]



EEOC

EEOC
EEOC

Abbreviation of
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission[1]



-eer

-eer
-eer
suffix

a
person engaged in or concerned with • auctioneer
• charioteer
[Via Old French -ier
from, ultimately, Latin -arius][1]



eerie

eerie
ee·rie 
[ree] (comparative ee·ri·er, superlative
ee·ri·est) adjective

unnerving:
unnerving or unusual in a way that suggests a connection with the supernatural
• an
eerie old house
[13th
century. Probably from, ultimately, Old English earg “cowardly.”
Originally in Scottish and northern English meaning “fearful”; the sense
“causing fear” developed in the 18th century, becoming standard in the 19th
century.]
—ee·ri·ly,
adverb

—ee·ri·ness, noun[1]



eff.

eff.
eff.

Abbreviation of
efficiency[1]



efface

efface
ef·face 
[i fáyss] (past ef·faced, past
participle ef·faced, present participle ef·fac·ing, 3rd
person present singular ef·fac·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
rub
out:
to remove or obliterate something by or as if by wearing away or rubbing out

2.  reflexive
verb
behave
humbly:
to act in an inconspicuous manner, especially because of shyness or modesty
[15th
century. From French effacer “to wipe out, destroy,” literally “to
remove the face,” from face “face, appearance.”]
—ef·face·a·ble,
adjective

—ef·face·ment,
noun

—ef·fac·er, noun[1]



effect

effect
ef·fect 
[i fékt] noun (plural ef·fects)

1.  result:
a change or changed state occurring as a direct result of action by somebody or
something else • showing the effects of
prolonged malnutrition

2.  power
to influence: success in bringing about a change in
somebody or something, or the ability to achieve this • I’ve
told her again and again, but it has no effect on her.

3.  being
in force or operation: the state of being in force,
in operation, or the case, often from a particular point in time • The
new law doesn’t come into effect until next month.

4.  impression:
an impression produced in the mind of somebody who sees, hears, or reads
something, especially one that is deliberately intended or engineered

5.  cause
or production of an impression: something that
produces an impression, or the actual process of causing a special feeling or
impression • a
grand little speech made merely for effect

6.  ARTS special
sound, lighting in play, movie: something done to
produce a desired response or to add to the realism or theatricality of a
movie, play, or broadcast (often used in the plural)

7.  meaning
or intent:
the intent or essential meaning conveyed, often in other words, by a statement,
or words to that effect

8.  scientific
phenomenon:
a scientifically observed and described phenomenon
plural
noun
ef·fects

belongings:
somebody’s personal belongings, or the things that somebody is carrying about
him or her (formal) • Her
personal effects consisted of not much more than the clothes on her back.
transitive
verb
(past ef·fect·ed, past participle ef·fect·ed, present
participle ef·fect·ing, 3rd person present singular ef·fects)

do or make something:
to carry something out, or succeed in making or doing something (formal)
• They
effected their escape through a rear window.
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin effectus, from efficere
“to accomplish,” literally “to work out” (source of English efficient ), from facere “to make or
do.”]
—ef·fect·er,
noun

—ef·fect·i·ble,
adjective
in
effect

used
to indicate that what is being said represents the truth of the matter, even
though the words used may not be those that other people would choose • In
effect, this means that the program is shut down.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at affect.

[1]



effective

effective
ef·fec·tive 
[i féktiv] adjective

1.  producing
a result:
causing a result, especially the desired or intended result • an
effective remedy for headaches

2.  having
a striking result: successful, especially in
producing a strong or favorable impression on people • The
painting had the characteristics of a winner, including effective color use.

3.  actual:
actual or in practice, even if not officially or theoretically so • he
was effective ruler during the monarch’s last illness

4.  officially
in force:
officially in force, operative, or applicable • a
regulation effective as from next month

5.  true
as a rate of interest: used to describe the true or
actual rate of interest that is paid on an interest-bearing account • The
effective rate of interest will change next quarter.

6.  MILITARY ready
for action:
fully equipped and ready for action
noun

MILITARY military
personnel or equipment: a soldier, military unit, or
piece of military equipment that is ready for action
—ef·fec·tive·ness,
noun

—ef·fec·tiv·i·ty
[è fek tívvətee], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  effective,
  effectual, efficacious, or efficient ?
  All
  these words are about having some kind of effect . The main difficulty
  is in choosing between effective and effectual . Effective
  means “having or producing the desired effect” and refers to what actually
  happens or what (on the basis of experience, for example) might be expected
  to happen: • Exercise
  is an effective way of keeping healthy . Effectual is a more formal word and refers to
  potential capability rather than known performance: • Publicizing
  stringent penalties is an effectual deterrent against illegal parking.
  Efficacious is also a more formal word, is
  applied only to things or processes and not to people, and refers to the
  power something has to produce a result: • Professional
  counseling proved more efficacious in the long term than medication.
  Efficient has to do with the means or
  resources used in achieving a result in an economical manner: • efficient
  office communication procedures. It also denotes the
  idea of being able to work directly to produce a given effect: • efficient
  causes of an early and highly successful space launch.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  effective, efficient, effectual, efficacious
  CORE
  MEANING: producing
  a result effective; suggesting the
  ability to produce the required result or the actual achievement of the
  result; efficient; suggesting that
  something or somebody is capable of achieving the desired result with the
  minimum use of resources, time and effort; effectual;
  a more formal word than “efficient” suggesting the achievement of a desired
  result, especially when this has already taken place; efficacious; a formal word, used especially
  to suggest that something has the power to achieve the desired result

[1]



effectively

effectively
ef·fec·tive·ly 
[i féktivlee] adverb

1.  well:
in a way that produces a desired result

2.  essentially:
in fact or in practical terms, though not usually directly or technically • She
was effectively barred from seeking another position with the firm.

[1]



effector

effector
ef·fec·tor 
[i féktər] (plural ef·fec·tors)
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY responding
organ or muscle: a body part, for example, a muscle or
organ, that is activated by a stimulus, particularly a nerve impulse

2.  agent
causing an effect: a substance, procedure, or
agent that produces an effect, for example, a nerve ending activating a muscle
or a molecule affecting enzyme activity

[1]



effectual

effectual
ef·fec·tu·al 
[i fékchoo əl] adjective

potentially
effective:
potentially successful in producing a desired or intended result (formal)
[14th
century. From medieval Latin effectualis, from Latin effectus
(see effect ).]
—ef·fec·tu·al·i·ty
[i fèkchoo állətee], noun

—ef·fec·tu·al·ly
[i fékchoo əlee], adverb

—ef·fec·tu·al·ness
[i fékchoo əlnəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at effective.

[1]



effectuate

effectuate
ef·fec·tu·ate 
[i fékchoo àyt] (past ef·fec·tu·at·ed,
past participle ef·fec·tu·at·ed, present participle ef·fec·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ef·fec·tu·ates) transitive verb

accomplish
something:
to do, cause, or accomplish something (formal)
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin effectuat-, past participle stem of effectuare,
from Latin effectus (see effect ).]
—ef·fec·tu·a·tion [i fèkchoo áysh’n], noun[1]



effeminate

effeminate
ef·fem·i·nate 
[i fémmənət] adjective (disapproving)

1.  like
a girl or woman: similar to or imitating a woman or girl,
or the behavior, appearance, or speech traditionally associated with women and
girls (refers to men)

2.  overrefined
and lacking strength: weak through overrefinement
or an absence of vigorous qualities
[14th
century. From Latin effeminatus, past participle of effeminare
“to make feminine,” from femina “woman” (source of English feminine ).]
—ef·fem·i·na·cy,
noun

—ef·fem·i·nate,
noun

—ef·fem·i·nate·ly,
adverb

—ef·fem·i·nate·ness, noun[1]



effendi

effendi
ef·fen·di 
[i féndee] (plural ef·fen·dis)
noun

1.  important
man:
in Middle Eastern countries, an important or well-educated man

2.  title
of respect:
a title of respect that is the Turkish equivalent of such terms as “Mr.” and
“Sir.”
[Early 17th century. Via
Turkish efendi from modern Greek aphentēs, from Greek authentēs
“lord, master.”][1]



efferent

efferent
ef·fer·ent 
[éffərənt] adjective

PHYSIOLOGY directing
outward:
conducting outward or directing away from an organ, especially the brain or
spinal cord.
See
also
afferent
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin efferent-, present participle stem of effere
“to bring out,” from ferre “to bring or carry.”]
—ef·fer·ent, noun[1]



efferentneuron

efferentneuron
ef·fer·ent
neu·ron
(plural ef·fer·ent neu·rons) noun

ANATOMY
See motor neuron[1]



effervesce

effervesce
ef·fer·vesce 
[èffər véss] (past ef·fer·vesced,
past participle ef·fer·vesced, present participle ef·fer·vesc·ing,
3rd person present singular ef·fer·vesc·es) intransitive verb

1.  to
produce tiny gas bubbles: to give off gas in small
bubbles, often producing foam and a hissing sound (refers to a liquid such
as carbonated water or sparkling wine.)

2.  escape
as tiny bubbles: to be given off by a liquid in the form
of small bubbles (refers to gas)

3.  be
lively or excited: to behave in a lively,
high-spirited, or highly excited way
[Early
18th century. From Latin effervescere, from fervescere “to come
to the boil,” from fervere “to be hot, to boil” (source of English fervent ).]
—ef·fer·ves·cence, noun[1]



effervescent

effervescent
ef·fer·vesc·ent
[èffər véss’nt] adjective

1.  bubbly:
producing gas in the form of tiny bubbles

2.  vivacious:
lively and excited
—ef·fer·vesc·ent·ly, adverb[1]



effete

effete
ef·fete 
[i ft] adjective

1.  decadent:
characterized by decadence, overrefinement, or overindulgence

2.  weak:
lacking or having lost the strength or ability to get things done (archaic)

3.  barren:
no longer able to reproduce
[Early
17th century. From Latin effetus “worn out by bearing young,” from fetus
“breeding” (source of English fetus
).]
—ef·fete·ly,
adverb

—ef·fete·ness, noun[1]



efficacious

efficacious
ef·fi·ca·cious 
[èffi káyshəss] adjective

able
to effect something: having the power to produce
the desired result, especially a cure or an improvement in somebody’s physical
condition (formal)
[Early
16th century. From Latin efficac-, stem of efficax, from efficere
(see effect ).]
—ef·fi·ca·cious·ly,
adverb

—ef·fi·ca·cious·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at effective.

[1]



efficacy

efficacy
ef·fi·ca·cy 
[éffikəssee] or ef·fi·cac·i·ty
[èffi kássətee] noun

effectiveness:
ability to produce the necessary or desired results
[Early 16th century. From
Latin efficacia, from efficax (see efficacious
).][1]



efficiency

efficiency
ef·fi·cien·cy 
[i físh’nsee] (plural ef·fi·cien·cies)
noun

1.  competence:
the ability to do something well or achieve a desired result without wasted
energy or effort, or the degree to which this ability is used

2.  TECHNOLOGY measure
of a machine’s energy effectiveness: the
ratio of the amount of energy used by a machine to the amount of work done by
it. For example, the measurement of the amount of heat produced per unit of
fuel when all of a fuel has been burned is a measure of a heating unit’s
efficiency.

3.  See
efficiency apartment

[1]



efficiencyapartment

efficiencyapartment
ef·fi·cien·cy
a·part·ment
(plural ef·fi·cien·cy a·part·ments) noun

small apartment:
a small, usually furnished, apartment consisting of one room that includes
kitchen facilities, and a bathroom.
Also called
efficiency[1]



efficiencyexpert

efficiencyexpert
ef·fi·cien·cy
ex·pert
(plural ef·fi·cien·cy ex·perts) noun

analyst specializing in
productivity improvements: somebody
who is proficient in increasing the productivity of a process, for example, by
eliminating waste or improving technology[1]



efficient

efficient
ef·fi·cient 
[i físh’nt] adjective

1.  well-organized:
performing tasks in an organized and capable way

2.  able
to function without waste: able to function well or
achieve a desired result without waste • an
efficient use of fuel

3.  PHILOSOPHY acting
directly to produce an effect: acting directly to
bring something into being or produce changes in it • efficient
cause
[14th
century. From Latin efficient-, present participle stem of efficere
(see effect ).]
—ef·fi·cient·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at effective.

[1]



effigy

effigy
ef·fi·gy 
[éffəjee] (plural ef·fi·gies) noun

1.  dummy
representing somebody disliked: a dummy, often roughly
made and intentionally amusing or insulting, representing somebody or something
disliked or despised

2.  carving:
a carved representation of somebody, used, for example as an architectural
decoration or a monument
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
effigies, from effingere “to portray or form,” from fingere
“to fashion or shape.”][1]



effloresce

effloresce
ef·flo·resce 
[èfflə réss] (past ef·flo·resced,
past participle ef·flo·resced, present participle ef·flo·resc·ing,
3rd person present singular ef·flo·resc·es) intransitive verb

1.  CHEMISTRY lose
water from crystal: to lose water ( water of crystallization ) from a crystal

2.  bloom:
to bloom or develop, like a flower coming into blossom (literary)

3.  produce
fine powder: to become covered with a layer of fine
powder

4.  CHEMISTRY become
encrusted with powdery deposit: to become encrusted
with a powdery deposit or crystals as a result of a process of chemical change
or the evaporation of a solution
[Late 18th century. From
Latin efflorescere, from florescere “to come into flower,”
ultimately from flos “flower.”][1]



efflorescence

efflorescence
ef·flo·res·cence 
[èfflə réss’ns] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY loss
of water from crystal: the loss of water ( water of crystallization ) from a crystal

2.  unfolding
and flourishing: a process or time of development and
unfolding, or the culmination of this (literary)

3.  GEOLOGY powdery
substance on rock surface: a powdery substance that
forms on the surface of some rocks.
Also
called
bloom
—ef·flo·res·cent, adjective[1]



effluence

effluence
ef·flu·ence 
[éffloo əns] (plural ef·flu·ences)
noun

1.  flowing
out:
the act or process of flowing out

2.  something
that flows out: something, often an immaterial substance
or intangible influence, that flows out from a source (literary)

[1]



effluent

effluent
ef·flu·ent 
[éffloo ənt] (plural ef·flu·ents)
noun

1.  liquid
waste:
liquid waste discharged from a sewage system, factory, nuclear power station,
or other industrial plant

2.  stream
or river:
a stream or river that flows out of a larger body of water such as a lake or a
larger stream
[15th century. From Latin effluent-,
present participle stem of effluere “to flow out,” from fluere
“to flow” (source of English fluent
and fluid ).][1]



effluvium

effluvium
ef·flu·vi·um 
[i flvee əm, e
flvee əm] (plural ef·flu·vi·a [i
flvee ə]) noun

smell
or fumes:
an unpleasant smell or harmful fumes given off by something, usually waste or
decaying matter (often used in the plural)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, formed from effluere (see effluent
).]
—ef·flu·vi·al, adjective[1]



efflux

efflux
ef·flux 
[é flùks] (plural ef·flux·es) noun

1.  instance
or act of flowing out: the act or process of
flowing out

2.  something
that flows out: something that flows out of something
else (formal)

3.  passing
away of something: a passing away of something,
for example, time (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin effluxus, from Latin efflux-, past
participle stem of effluere (see effluent
).]
—ef·flux·ion [i flúkshən, e flúkshən],
noun[1]



effort

effort
ef·fort 
[éffərt] (plural ef·forts) noun

1.  energy
or exertion: mental or physical energy that is
exerted in order to achieve a purpose • I
wish they’d put a little more effort into it.

2.  use
of physical or mental energy: the use of physical or
mental energy, often in considerable quantities, in order to achieve a
particular goal or overcome a particular difficulty • With
an effort, he managed to get himself out of the bed.

3.  attempt:
an attempt to do something, especially one that involves a considerable amount
of exertion, work, or determination • He can
at last make an effort to improve things.

4.  something
done:
something that somebody has made or done, especially for the first time • It’s
not bad for a first effort.

5.  PHYSICS applied
force:
the force input force applied to a simple machine that produces an effect
output force on the load
[15th
century. From French, formed from Old French esforcier “to exert power,”
ultimately from Latin fortis “strong.”]
—ef·fort·ful,
adjective

—ef·fort·ful·ly, adverb[1]



effortless

effortless
ef·fort·less 
[éffərtləss] adjective

done
with no effort: involving or appearing to involve little
or no effort
—ef·fort·less·ly,
adverb

—ef·fort·less·ness, noun[1]



effrontery

effrontery
ef·front·er·y 
[ə frúntəree] (plural ef·front·er·ies)
noun

shameless
nerve:
behavior or an attitude that is so bold or arrogant as to be insulting
[Late 17th century. Via
French effronterie from, ultimately, late Latin effrons
“barefaced,” from frons “forehead.”][1]



effulgence

effulgence
ef·ful·gence 
[i fljəns, i
fúljəns] noun

brightness:
brightness or a brilliant light radiating from something (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin effulgentia, from Latin effulgere “to
shine brightly,” from fulgere “to shine.”]
—ef·ful·gent, adjective[1]



effuse

effuse
ef·fuse 
verb [i fyz] (past ef·fused,
past participle ef·fused, present participle ef·fus·ing,
3rd person present singular ef·fus·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pour
out:
to flow out, or produce a flow of something such as a liquid, gas, or light (formal)

2.  intransitive
verb
radiate:
to spread out or radiate from something
adjective
[i fyss]

BOTANY irregularly
spread:
tending to spread loosely or irregularly • effuse
lichens
[15th century. From Latin effus-,
past participle stem of effundere “to pour out,” from fundere “to
pour” (source of English futile ).][1]



effusion

effusion
ef·fu·sion 
[i fyzh’n] (plural ef·fu·sions)
noun

1.  unrestrained
outpouring of feelings: an extravagant and sometimes
excessive expression of feelings in speech or writing

2.  act
of pouring out: the pouring out of something such as a
liquid or light

3.  something
poured out:
something, for example, a liquid, that is poured out

4.  MEDICINE movement
of body fluids: the oozing of fluids from blood or lymph
vessels into body cavities or intercellular tissue spaces as a result of
inflammation, or the presence of excess blood or tissue fluid

5.  PHYSICS flow
of gas through a small aperture: the flow of a gas
through a small aperture under pressure, particularly when the aperture is so
small that the distance between molecules is significant. The relative rates of
effusion of gases are inversely proportional to the square roots of their
densities in such a case.

[1]



effusive

effusive
ef·fu·sive 
[i fyssiv] adjective

unrestrained
in expressing feelings: giving or involving an
extravagant and sometimes excessive expression of feelings in writing or speech
• effusive
thanks
—ef·fu·sive·ly, adverb[1]



Efik

Efik
Ef·ik 
[éffik] (plural Ef·ik or
Ef·iks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Nigerian people: a member of an Ibibio people
who live in southeastern Nigeria

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in parts of Nigeria: a language spoken in parts
of Nigeria that is one of the Niger-Congo family of African languages and is
used by about four million people. Some linguists classify it with the Kwa
branch of the Niger-Congo family, while others think of it as a non-Bantu language,
forming part of the Benue-Congo branch.
[Mid-19th
century. From Efik .]
—Ef·ik, adjective[1]



EFM

EFM
EFM

Abbreviation of
electronic fetal monitor[1]



eft

eft
eft 
[eft] (plural efts) noun

immature
newt:
an immature newt in the terrestrial phase, usually reddish-orange in colour.
Latin name: Notophthalmus viridescens
[Old English efta, of
unknown origin][1]



EFTPOS

EFTPOS
EFT·POS
[éft pòss]

Abbreviation of
electronic funds transfer at point of sale[1]



EFTS

EFTS
EFTS
[éfts] noun

Abbreviation of
electronic funds transfer system[1]



e.g.

e.g.
e.g.
abbreviation

for
example:
for or as an example
[From Latin “for example”][1]



EGA

EGA
EGA

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of enhanced graphics adapter[1]



egad

egad
e·gad 
[i gád] interjection

expressing
surprise:
used as an exclamation, generally to express surprise (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From an
alteration of ah + gad, a euphemism
for god .][1]



egalitarian

egalitarian
e·gal·i·tar·i·an 
[i gàllə táiree ən] (plural e·gal·i·tar·i·ans)
adjective

believing
in equality: maintaining, relating to, or based on a
belief that all people are, in principle, equal and should enjoy equal social,
political, and economic rights and opportunities
[Late
19th century. From French égalitaire, from égal “equal,” from
Latin aequalis (see equal ).]
—e·gal·i·tar·i·an,
noun

—e·gal·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



Egeria

Egeria
E·ge·ri·a 
[i jree ə] (plural E·ge·ri·as)
noun

woman
adviser:
a woman who acts as a trusted adviser or loyal companion (literary)
[Early 17th century. From the
Roman goddess who acted as adviser to the early Roman king Numa Pompilius.][1]



egest

egest
e·gest 
[i jést] (past e·gest·ed, past
participle e·gest·ed, present participle e·gest·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·gests) transitive verb

excrete
something:
to excrete something from a cell or organism (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin egest-, past participle stem of egerere,
literally “to carry out,” from gerere “to carry.”]
—e·ges·tion,
noun

—e·ges·tive, adjective[1]



egesta

egesta
e·ges·ta 
[i jéstə] plural noun

excreted
waste materials: waste materials excreted from a cell or
organism
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, neuter plural of egestus, past participle of egerere (see egest ).][1]



egg

egg1
egg1  [eg]
noun

1.  BIOLOGY animal
reproductive structure: a large sex cell produced by
birds, fish, insects, reptiles, or amphibians, enclosed in a protective
covering that allows the fertilized embryo to continue developing outside the
mother’s body until it hatches

2.  BIRDS FOOD hard-shelled object laid by
hen:
the hard-shelled, oval, cream- or light-brown egg produced by a hen or similar
fowl, used as food

3.  something
shaped like a hen’s egg: something that resembles a
hen’s egg in shape, for example, a carved or molded ornament or an egg -shaped
piece of candy

4.  BIOLOGY female
reproductive cell: a female reproductive cell

5.  person:
a person (dated informal) • All in
all, he’s not a bad egg.
transitive
verb

throw eggs at somebody:
to throw eggs at somebody or something (informal)
[14th
century. From Old Norse . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English ovary .]
—egg·y,
adjective
have
egg on your face

to
be left in an embarrassing or humiliating situation, especially because of
having made an obvious mistake

put
all your eggs in one basket

to rely entirely on one thing
or person, or on the outcome of one plan or course of action[1]



egg

egg2
egg2  [eg]
(past egged, past participle egged, present
participle egg·ing, 3rd person present singular eggs) transitive
verb

encourage
somebody:
to encourage somebody to do something, especially something wrong, foolish, or
dangerous • She
never would have done it herself, but the girls were egging her on.
[12th century. From Old Norse
eggja “to urge,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English edge .][1]



egg-and-dart

egg-and-dart

egg-and-dart 
noun
ornamental pattern:
an ornamental pattern, commonly used in moldings on buildings or furniture, in
which egg-shaped figures alternate with slightly tapered bars, arrows, or
anchors[1]



eggar

eggar
eg·gar 
noun

ZOOLOGY
See egger[1]



eggbeater

eggbeater
egg·beat·er 
[ég btər] (plural egg·beat·ers)
noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD utensil
for beating eggs: a kitchen utensil used for beating or
blending such ingredients as raw eggs or cream, especially one with two sets of
spaced vertical blades rotated by turning a handle

2.  AIR helicopter:
a rotary-wing aircraft (slang)

[1]



eggbread

eggbread
egg
bread
noun

cornmeal
cake:
a soft cake of cornmeal and eggs, baked in a pan (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term egg bread is used in the Carolinas
  and southern Maryland for the Virginia and Northern Maryland term batter
  bread . Elsewhere in the South today, the term has a high frequency of
  occurrence in Upper and Lower Georgia, with its highest use in Lower Alabama.

[1]



eggcase

eggcase
egg·case
noun

protective case holding eggs:
a protective covering containing eggs, especially one produced by insects and
mollusks[1]



eggcream

eggcream
egg
cream
(plural egg creams) noun

carbonated
milky drink: a carbonated drink made by mixing milk,
chocolate syrup, and seltzer water





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  soda fountain drink egg cream is probably
  so called for its white froth that resembles an egg white. This popular and
  inexpensive drink is associated with New York residents, like the even more
  economical two-cents plain (seltzer) and chocolate phosphate
  (seltzer syrup). Of these, only the chocolate phosphate has much
  currency in other American cities.

[1]



eggcup

eggcup
egg·cup 
[ég kùp] (plural egg·cups) noun

cup for a boiled egg:
a small bowl-shaped container, often with a short neck and wide base below the
bowl, used for holding a boiled egg while it is being eaten[1]



egger

egger
eg·ger
[éggər] (plural eg·gers) or
eg·gar [éggər] (plural eg·gars)
noun

moth
with an egg-shaped cocoon: a moth with a brown body and
wings whose larvae spin egg-shaped cocoons in the branches of trees. Family:
Lasiocampidae
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from egg, because of its
egg-shaped cocoon.][1]



eggfoo yung

eggfoo yung
egg
foo yung
[èg foo yúng] (plural egg foo
yungs) noun

Chinese dish:
a Chinese dish that combines beansprouts, onions, meat, and eggs.
U.K. term
foo yung[1]



egghead

egghead
egg·head 
[ég hèd] (plural egg·heads) noun

very
intelligent person: somebody who is very
intelligent and whose interests are mainly intellectual and bookish (informal)
[Early
20th century. From the idea that a high forehead indicates brains.]
—egg·head·ed, adjective[1]



eggnog

eggnog
egg·nog 
[ég nòg] (plural egg·nogs) noun

drink
containing egg and cream: a drink made of milk or
cream, eggs, sugar, spice, and sometimes an alcoholic beverage such as brandy,
bourbon, rye, or rum, traditionally served in the winter, especially at
Christmas
[Early 19th century. Nog was
a kind of strong beer (origin unknown).][1]



eggplant

eggplant
egg·plant 
[ég plànt] (plural egg·plants)
noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand plant
with large edible fruit: a plant of the nightshade
family that comes originally from southern and eastern Asia, and is closely
related to the potato. Latin name: Solanum melongena
Also
called
aubergine

2.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand fruit
of eggplant: the large, oval, fleshy, edible fruit of
the eggplant, usually purple-skinned but also occurring in other colors, and
widely used in dishes of Mediterranean origin.
Also
called
aubergine

3.  blackish
purple:
a very dark purple color.
Also
called
aubergine
U.K.
term
aubergine

[1]



eggroll

eggroll
egg
roll
(plural egg rolls) noun

Chinese-American fried snack:
a roughly cylindrical casing of thin egg dough enclosing a mixture of minced
vegetables, often with meat or seafood, usually eaten deep-fried, and common in
Chinese-American cuisine[1]



eggsac

eggsac
egg
sac
(plural egg sacs) noun

spider’s egg cocoon:
the pouch or cocoon that a female spider spins to protect its eggs[1]



eggsBenedict

eggsBenedict
eggs
Ben·e·dict 
noun

ham
and poached egg in sauce: ham and a poached egg in
hollandaise sauce on top of a slice of toast or a split toasted English muffin,
usually served for breakfast or brunch (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for Samuel Benedict, a New York socialite, who
together with a maître d’ supposedly created the dish as a cure for his
hangover.][1]



eggshell

eggshell
egg·shell 
[ég shèl] noun (plural egg·shells)

1.  BIOLOGY hard
cover of an egg: the hard brittle protective outer cover
of the egg of a bird, or the similar tough outer covering of the eggs of
animals such as crocodiles and turtles

2.  COLORS pale
whitish color: a pale yellowish-white color
adjective

1.  COLORS yellowish-white:
of a pale yellowish-white color

2.  COLORS slightly
glossy:
having a slight sheen, giving a finish between that of gloss and matt paint

3.  fragile,
thin, or delicate: as fragile, thin, or
delicate as an eggshell
walk
on eggshells

to proceed with extreme
wariness, caution, and tact[1]



eggshellblue

eggshellblue
egg·shell
blue
adjective

pale
blue:
of a delicate pale blue color
—egg·shell blue, noun[1]



eggtimer

eggtimer
egg
tim·er
(plural egg tim·ers) noun

device for timing the boiling
of an egg: a small hourglass or
clockwork timing device used to time the boiling of an egg, usually capable of
timing intervals of three to five minutes[1]



eggtooth

eggtooth
egg
tooth
noun

egg-breaking projection on a
hatching embryo: a small projection on
the beak of a baby bird or the upper jaw of a baby reptile, used to cut through
the eggshell when hatching and later shed[1]



eggwhite

eggwhite
egg
white
(plural egg whites) noun

viscous liquid between yolk
and shell: the clear viscous liquid
found between the yolk and the shell of an egg that turns solid and white when
cooked.
Also called
albumen[1]



egis

egis
e·gis 
noun

See
aegis[1]



eglantine

eglantine
eg·lan·tine 
[égglən tn, égglən
tn] (plural eg·lan·tines or eg·lan·tine) noun

PLANTS See sweetbrier
[14th century. Via French églantine
from, ultimately, Latin aculentus “spiny,” ultimately from acus
“needle.”][1]



ego

ego
e·go 
[gō, éggō]
(plural e·gos) noun

1.  appropriate
self-esteem: somebody’s idea of his or her own
importance or worth, usually of an appropriate level

2.  inflated
opinion of yourself: an exaggerated sense of your
own importance and a feeling of superiority to other people

3.  PSYCHOANALYSIS part
of the mind containing consciousness: in
Freudian psychology, one of three main divisions of the mind, containing
consciousness and memory and involved with control, planning, and conforming to
reality “The poor ego has a still harder time of it; it has to serve three
harsh masters, and has to do its best to reconcile the claims and demands of
all three.” Sigmund Freud The Anatomy of the Mental Personality, Lecture 31
See
also
id
See
also
superego

4.  PHILOSOPHY the
self:
the individual self, as distinct from the outside world and other selves
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “I.”][1]



egocentric

egocentric
e·go·cen·tric 
[gō séntrik, èggō
séntrik] (plural e·go·cen·trics) adjective

1.  selfish:
interested only in the needs and wants of the self and not caring about other
people

2.  limited
or confined in outlook: limited in outlook to things
mainly relating to yourself, or confined to your own affairs or activities

3.  more
concerned with the individual than society:
concerned with the individual rather than, or at the expense of, society as a
whole

4.  PHILOSOPHY centered
on the self: centered on the individual self, and
considering it to be the hub of all experience
—e·go·cen·tric,
noun

—e·go·cen·tric·al·ly,
adverb

—e·go·cen·tric·i·ty
[gō sen tríssətee, èggō
sen tríssətee], noun

—e·go·cen·trism [gō sén trìzzəm, èggō
sén trìzzəm], noun[1]



egoideal

egoideal
e·go
i·de·al
(plural e·go i·de·als) noun

ideal image of the self:
an ideal image of what you could or should be, built up from observation of
parents or other admired people[1]



egoism

egoism
e·go·ism 
[gō ìzzəm, éggō
ìzzəm] noun

1.  See
egotism  noun 1

2.  PHILOSOPHY pursuit
of your own welfare and interests: making personal
welfare and interests your primary or only concern, sometimes at the expense of
others

3.  ETHICS morality
derived from self-interest: the belief that the correct
basis for a moral code is every person’s concern for his or her own best
interests, or the doctrine supporting this belief

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  egoism
  or egotism ?
  It
  is difficult to distinguish between these two words, which are equally common
  and are often used interchangeably, although there is a theoretical
  difference between them. Egoism refers, in
  terms of philosophy, to ethical and metaphysical theories in which
  self-interest is regarded as the principal motivating factor. And so an egoist
  believes an individual should seek as an end only his or her own welfare: • His
  conduct was characterized by ruthless egoism. Egotism implies a vain and selfish absorption with
  the self as a matter of behavior rather than an ethical principle, and an egotist
  is somebody who behaves in a selfish or self-centered way: • Her
  egotism makes her oblivious to other people’s concerns.

[1]



egoist

egoist
e·go·ist 
[gō ist, éggō
ist] (plural e·go·ists) noun

1.  ETHICS believer
in egoism:
somebody who believes that the correct basis for a moral code is every person’s
concern for his or her own best interests

2.  See
egotist
—e·go·is·tic
[gō ístik, èggō
ístik], adjective

—e·go·is·ti·cal
[gō ístik’l], adjective

—e·go·is·ti·cal·ly [gō ístikəlee], adverb[1]



egomania

egomania
e·go·ma·ni·a 
[gō máynee ə, èggō
máynee ə] noun

obsessive
self-preoccupation: a dangerously obsessive
preoccupation with the self
—e·go·ma·ni·ac,
noun

—e·go·ma·ni·a·cal
[gō mə n ək’l, èggō
mə n ək’l], adjective

—e·go·ma·ni·a·cal·ly [gō mə n əkəlee, èggō
mə n əkəlee], adverb[1]



egotism

egotism
e·go·tism 
[gə tìzzəm, éggə
tìzzəm] noun

1.  inflated
sense of self-importance: the possession of an
exaggerated sense of self-importance and superiority to other people.
Also
called
egoism

2.  preoccupation
with self:
the tendency to speak or write too much about the self

3.  selfishness:
selfishness or self-centeredness
[Early
18th century. Coined from ego + “t” + -ism .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at egoism.

[1]



egotist

egotist
e·go·tist 
[gətist, éggətist]
(plural e·go·tists) noun
Also
called
egoist

1.  conceited
person:
somebody with an exaggerated sense of his or her self-importance, especially
somebody who tends to speak or write about himself or herself all the time

2.  selfish
person:
somebody who is selfish, self-absorbed, and self-centered
—e·go·tis·tic
[gə tístik, èggə
tístik], adjective

—e·go·tis·ti·cal·ly [gə tístikəlee, gə
tístikəlee], adverb[1]



egotrip

egotrip
e·go
trip
(plural e·go trips) noun

action
or experience boosting somebody’s ego: a
course of action or an experience the main effect of which is to boost
somebody’s own sense of self-importance (slang)
—e·go-trip,
intransitive verb

—e·go-trip·per, noun[1]



egregious

egregious
e·gre·gious 
[i grjəss, i
grjee əss] adjective

outrageously
bad:
bad, blatant, or ridiculous to an extraordinary degree (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin egregius “illustrious” (literally “outside
the flock,” from greg-, stem of grex “flock.”) The original sense
was “remarkably good.”]
—e·gre·gious·ly,
adverb

—e·gre·gious·ness, noun[1]



egress

egress
e·gress 
[ grèss] noun (plural e·gress·es)

1.  act
of coming or going out: the act of coming or going
out from or of leaving a place (formal)
Also
called
egression

2.  right
to leave:
the right to leave or go out from a place (formal)

3.  exit
or path out: an exit from a place (formal)

4.  ASTRONOMY See emersion  noun 2
intransitive
verb
(past e·gressed, past participle e·gressed, present
participle e·gress·ing, 3rd person present singular e·gress·es)

come out: to
come out from or leave a place (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
egressus, from egredi “to go out,” from gradi “to proceed,
to step.”][1]



egression

egression
e·gres·sion 
[i grésh’n] noun

See
egress  noun 1[1]



egret

egret
e·gret 
[grət, éggrət]
(plural e·grets) noun

heron
with long ornamental feathers: a heron that produces
long drooping ornamental feathers on the lower part of the back at the start of
the breeding season. Egrets’ feathers were once popular as decorations for
women’s hats, causing the birds to be hunted almost to extinction. Family: Ardeidae
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman egrette from, ultimately, Provençal aigreta, from aigron
“heron,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English heron .][1]



Egypt




Back to definition

Egypt

[1]



Egypt

Egypt



E·gypt
[jipt]
country in northeastern Africa bordering
the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It became a republic in 1952. Language:
Arabic. Currency: Egyptian pound. Capital: Cairo. Population: 63,575,100 (1996)
Area: 997,738 sq km/385,229 sq mi. Official name Arab Republic of Egypt[1]



Egyptian

Egyptian
E·gyp·tian 
[i jípshən] noun (plural E·gyp·tians)

1.  native
or citizen of Egypt: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of Egypt

2.  language
of ancient Egypt: the language of ancient Egypt, a now
extinct branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of African languages dating from
roughly 3000 BC that developed
into Coptic around AD 200

3.  dialect
of Arabic spoken in Egypt: the dialect of Arabic spoken
in modern Egypt. Egyptian is spoken by about 65 million people.
adjective

1.  relating
to Egypt and the Egyptians: relating to Egypt, its
people, or their culture

2.  relating
to the language of ancient Egypt: characteristic of or
relating to the language of ancient Egypt

3.  relating
to the Arabic dialect of Egypt: relating to the
dialect of Arabic spoken in modern Egypt

[1]



Egyptology

Egyptology
E·gyp·tol·o·gy 
[jip tólləjee] noun

study
of ancient Egypt: the study of the history, archaeology,
culture, and language of ancient Egypt
—E·gyp·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



eh

eh
eh 
[ay, e] interjection
(informal)

1.  pardon
me?:
used to ask somebody to repeat something

2.  what?:
used to express surprise at something that has been said

3.  isn’t
that so?:
used to invite somebody to respond to something that has been said, especially
to agree with it or confirm that it is correct or accurately sums up a previous
statement
[Mid-16th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



EHF

EHF
EHF

Abbreviation of
extremely high frequency[1]



Ehrlich,Paul

Ehrlich,Paul

Ehr·lich 
[áirlik, áirlikh],
Paul (1854–1915)
German bacteriologist and immunologist.
His work on immunology won him a shared Nobel Prize in 1908. He also pioneered
chemotherapy, developing Salvarsan as a treatment for syphilis.[1]



EHV

EHV
EHV

Abbreviation of
extra-high voltage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








EIA

EIA
EIA

Abbreviation of
environmental impact assessment[1]



Eichmann,Adolf

Eichmann,Adolf
Eich·mann 
[kmən, kh mn],
Adolf (1906–1962)

German
Nazi official and war criminal. Nazi official, responsible for carrying out
anti-Semitic policy during World War II. He was captured in Argentina in 1960
by Israeli agents, tried in Israel for “crimes against humanity,” and hanged
two years later.
Full name
Eichmann, Karl Adolf[1]



Eid

Eid
Eid
[īd] noun ISLAM

1.  See
Eid-ul-Adha

2.  See
Eid-ul-Fitr
[Late 17th century. From
Arabic ’īd “festival,” from Aramaic .][1]



eider

eider
ei·der 
[dər] (plural ei·ders or
ei·der) or ei·der duck [dər]
noun

large
sea duck:
a large sea duck of the northern hemisphere, the male of which has distinctive
black-and-white plumage while the female, the source of eiderdown, has mottled
brown plumage. Genus: Somateria
[Late 17th century. Via
Icelandic æður from Old Norse æðr .][1]



eiderdown

eiderdown
ei·der·down 
[dər dòwn] (plural ei·der·downs)
noun

1.  eider
duck’s feathers: the soft fluffy breast feathers of the
female eider duck, used to fill pillows and bed coverings

2.  bed
covering:
a bed covering in the form of a quilt or duvet stuffed with the soft feathers
of the eider duck

[1]



eidetic

eidetic
ei·det·ic 
[ī déttik] adjective PSYCHOLOGY (formal)

1.  recalled
with startling accuracy: recalled or reproduced with
startling accuracy, clarity, and vividness • eidetic
images

2.  able
to recall with startling accuracy: able to recall or
reproduce things previously seen with startling accuracy, clarity, and
vividness • an
eidetic memory
[Early
20th century. From Greek eidētikos, from eidos “form.”]
—ei·det·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



eidolon

eidolon
ei·do·lon 
[ī dṓlən] (plural ei·do·lons or
ei·do·la [ī dṓlə]) noun (literary)

1.  phantom:
a ghostly figure or image

2.  an
ideal image: an idealized image of something or
somebody
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
eidōlon “idol” (see idol ).][1]



Eid-ul-Adha

Eid-ul-Adha
Eid-ul-Ad·ha
[d l də] noun

Muslim festival to end a
Mecca pilgrimage: a Muslim festival, the
festival of the sacrifice, that marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca
but is celebrated everywhere, especially by the sacrifice of sheep.
Also called
Eid
Also called
Id[1]



Eid-ul-Fitr

Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr
[d l ftər] noun

Muslim festival at the end of
Ramadan: a Muslim festival that marks
the end of Ramadan, the period of fasting.
Also called
Eid
Also called
Id[1]



Eiffel,Gustave

Eiffel,Gustave
Eif·fel 
[f’l], Gustave (1832–1923)

French
engineer. A specialist in metal structures, he is best known as the designer of
the Eiffel Tower (1889) and architect of the inner structure of the Statue of
Liberty (1885).
Full name
Eiffel, Alexandre Gustave[1]



EiffelTower

EiffelTower

Eif·fel Tow·er
noun
iron tower in central Paris:
a 300-meter-984-foot high iron tower in central Paris, France. It was designed
by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Exposition.[1]



Eiger

Eiger
Ei·ger
[gər]

mountain peak in the Bernese
Alps, southeast of Bern, Switzerland. The north face of the mountain is
notorious for the number of mountaineers who have died attempting to climb it.
Height: 3,970 m/13,025 ft.[1]



eight

eight
eight 
[ayt] (plural eights) noun

1.  number
8:
the number 8, which is one more than 7 and one fewer than 9

2.  something
with a value of 8: something in a numbered
series, for example, a playing card, with a value of eight

3.  group
of 8:
a group of eight objects or people

4.  something
with 8 parts: something composed of eight parts or
members, for example, an eight -cylinder engine

5.  ROWING rowing
crew:
a crew of eight rowers

6.  ROWING racing
shell:
a long narrow racing shell crewed by eight rowers
[Old
English e(a)hta . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English octave, October, and octo-
.]
—eight, adjective,
pronoun[1]



eightball

eightball
eight
ball
(plural eight balls) noun

1.  black
ball in pool: in pool, the black ball, because it has
the number 8 on it

2.  form
of pool:
a form of pool in which a player must pocket a given 7 of the 15 balls, and
then pocket the eight ball, before his or her opponent does
behind
the eight ball

in a difficult or awkward
position (slang)[1]



eighteen

eighteen
eight·een 
[ay tn, áy tn]
(plural eight·eens) noun

1.  number
18:
the number 18, which is one more than 17 and one fewer than 19

2.  something
with a value of 18: something in a numbered
series with a value of 18

3.  group
of 18:
a group of 18 objects or people
[Old
English e(a)hatēne, ultimately from prehistoric Germanic words that are
also the ancestors of English eight
and ten]
—eight·een, adjective,
pronoun[1]



eighteenmo

eighteenmo
eight·een·mo 
[ay tn m] (plural eight·een·mos)
noun

PRINTING
See octodecimo[1]



eighteenth

eighteenth
eight·eenth 
[ay tnth] (plural eight·eenths)
noun

1.  one
of 18 parts of something: one of 18 equal parts of
something

2.  birthday
of an 18-year-old: the birthday of somebody who
has just reached 18 years of age
—eight·eenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



eighteen-wheeler

eighteen-wheeler
eight·een-wheel·er 
(plural eight·een-wheel·ers) noun

tractor-trailer rig:
a large truck used to haul heavy loads and having a tractor, or cab and engine,
and a large trailer, or box-shaped container, and usually 18 wheels[1]



eightfold

eightfold
eight·fold 
[áyt fld] adjective

1.  multiplying
by 8:
multiplying the original figure by eight

2.  consisting
of 8 parts:
consisting of eight parts
adverb

by a factor of 8:
by eight, or to an amount eight times greater than the original

[1]



eighth

eighth
eighth 
[aytth, ayth]
(plural eighths) noun

one
of 8 parts of something: one of eight equal parts of
something
—eighth, adjective,
adverb[1]



eighthnote

eighthnote
eighth
note
(plural eighth notes) noun

note with one-eighth value:
in music, a note with a time value of one-eighth of a whole note.
U.K. term
quaver[1]



eighthrest

eighthrest
eighth
rest
(plural eighth rests) noun

rest with one-eighth value:
a rest equal in length to an eighth note.
U.K. term
quaver rest[1]



eightieth

eightieth
eight·i·eth 
[áytee əth] (plural eight·i·eths)
noun

1.  one
of 80 parts of something: one of 80 equal parts of
something

2.  birthday
of an 80-year-old: the birthday of somebody who
has just reached 80 years of age
—eight·i·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



eightpennynail

eightpennynail
eight·pen·ny
nail 
[áyt pènneenàyl] (plural eight·pen·ny
nails) noun

two-and-one-half-inch nail:
a nail that is usually 6.4 cm2 1/2 in. in length[1]



eightvo

eightvo
eight·vo 
[áyt v] (plural eight·vos) noun

See
octavo
[From 8vo, a written
abbreviation for “octavo”][1]



eighty

eighty
eight·y 
[áytee] noun (plural eight·ies)

1.  number
80:
the number 80, which is 8 times 10

2.  group
of 80:
a group of 80 objects or people
plural
noun
eight·ies

1.  numbers
80 to 89:
the numbers 80 to 89, particularly as a range of temperature

2.  years
1980 to 1989: the years 1980 to 1989, or the years
numbered 80 to 89 in any century

3.  period
from age 80 to 89: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 80 to 89
[13th
century. Shortening of Old English hundeahtatig, from hund-,
literally “hundred” + e(a)hta “eight” + -tig “group of ten.”]
—eight·y, adjective,
pronoun[1]



eighty-six

eighty-six
eight·y-six 
(past eight·y-sixed, past participle eight·y-sixed,
present participle eight·y-six·ing, 3rd person present
singular eight·y-six·es) or 86 (past 86ed,
past participle 86ed, present participle 86ing, 3rd
person present singular 86es) transitive verb (slang)

1.  get
rid of somebody: to dispose of somebody or something

2.  refuse
to serve a customer: to refuse to serve somebody
in a restaurant or bar
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps rhyming slang for nix or from Chumley’s bar and
grill, 86 Bedford Street, Greenwich Village, New York City.][1]



Eijkman,Christiaan

Eijkman,Christiaan
Eijk·man 
[k mn, áyk mn],
Christiaan (1858–1930)

Dutch physician. His research
on diet-deficiency diseases, particularly beriberi, revealed the importance of
vitamins in human physiology. He shared the Nobel Prize in 1929.[1]



Eilat

Eilat
Eil·at
[ay lt] or Elat [ay lt]

seaport, tourist resort, and
leading oil port in southern Israel, situated at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Population: 33,300 (1993)[1]



-ein

-ein
-ein
suffix

a
chemical compound related to one whose name ends in “-in” or “-ein” • fluorescein
[Alteration of -in][1]



Einstein,Albert

Einstein,Albert

Ein·stein 
[n stn], Albert (1879–1955)
German-born U.S. physicist. His theory of
general relativity revolutionized scientific thought and served as the
theoretical foundation for later exploitation of atomic energy. He won a Nobel Prize
in 1921 for his work explaining the photoelectric effect. He became a Swiss
(1905) and later a U.S. citizen (1940). He joined other physicists in writing
to President Franklin Roosevelt to warn him that Germany could possibly make an
atomic bomb.[1]



einsteinium

einsteinium

ein·stein·i·um 
[īn stnee əm] noun
synthetic
radioactive element: a synthetic radioactive
chemical element, first identified in 1952. It is usually produced by
irradiating plutonium and other elements. Symbol Es
[Named for Albert Einstein][1]



Einthoven,Willem

Einthoven,Willem
Eint·ho·ven 
[nt hv’n], Willem (1860–1927)

Dutch physiologist. His most
important invention was the string galvanometer, which recorded precise
measurements of electrical activity in the heart. He won the Nobel Prize in
1924.[1]



EISA

EISA
EISA

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of extended industry standard architecture[1]



Eisenhower,Dwight D.

Eisenhower,Dwight D.

Ei·sen·how·er 
[z’n hòwr], Dwight D. (1890–1969)
U.S.
soldier and statesman and 34th President of the United States. He was supreme
commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II. As president he
adopted a policy of containing Communism throughout the world.
Full name
Eisenhower, Dwight David Known as Ike[1]



Eisenstein,Sergey

Eisenstein,Sergey
Ei·sen·stein
[z’n stn], Sergey (1898–1948)

Soviet movie director. His
innovative cinematographic techniques in movies such as The Battleship
Potemkin ( 1925 ) make him one of the great figures in the history of
cinema.[1]



eisteddfod

eisteddfod
eis·tedd·fod 
[ay sté vòd, ī
sté vòd] (plural eis·tedd·fods or eis·tedd·fod·au
[ày ste vóddī, 
ste vóddī]) noun

Welsh
festival of music and poetry: a traditional Welsh festival
at which competitions are held for performers and composers of music and poetry
[Early 19th century. From
Welsh, literally “session, sitting.”][1]



eiswein

eiswein
eis·wein
[ss wn] noun

German or Austrian sweet
white wine: a sweet white wine produced
in Germany and Austria from grapes that have frozen on the vine, concentrating
the sugar content[1]



either

either
ei·ther 
[ər, ər]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word that introduces two situations, one of which may include or
exclude the other • (adjective) It won’t
make much difference either way. • (pronoun)
I refuse to meet either of them. • (conjunction)
Either there’s a problem or there isn’t.

1.
adjective pronoun one or the other:
one or the other, when it does not matter which • (adjective)
You can execute commands on either machine. • (pronoun)
If either fell behind, the other would help him to catch up.
• (pronoun)
You can get this information from either of the two addressees.

2.
adjective pronoun indicates a negative:
used to refer negatively to each of two situations where the negative includes
them both • (adjective)
You cannot send e-mails to either address at the moment.
• (pronoun)
I’m not interested in either of them.

3.
adjective both: both
of two things • The red and yellow
patches on either side of the sun are radiation from the dust ring.

4.
conjunction indicates alternatives:
used to indicate that there is a choice between two or more options • The
only way to get around the city was either by the super freeways or by the
canals and the gondolas. • Data
sources may be either digital or analog.

5.
adverb indicates connection:
used in a negative statement that indicates a connection or a partial agreement
with a previous statement (used at the end of a second statement) • You
won’t find really bad conditions, but you won’t find luxury hotels either.
[Old
English gþer, contraction of g(e)hwæþer, from a prehistoric
Germanic phrase meaning “always each of two,” which contained the ancestors of
English aye and whether]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Singular
  or plural after either ?
  Either is normally used with a
  singular verb: • Has either of you
  been to Paris? • Either
  Lee or David is responsible. Informally, however,
  the plural is used when the choices are regarded collectively rather than
  individually, and it is quite natural to say • Have
  either of you been to Paris?, which permits the
  possibility that both the people addressed have done so. When either … or …
  occurs with a mixture of singular and plural subjects, the verb traditionally
  agrees with the one that is closer to it: • Either
  David or his parents are at home.

[1]



either-or

either-or
ei·ther-or 
adjective

giving two choices:
offering a choice strictly limited to two options • It’s
an either-or situation –either you accept or you refuse.[1]



ejaculate

ejaculate
e·jac·u·late 
verb [i jákyə làyt] (past e·jac·u·lat·ed,
past participle e·jac·u·lat·ed, present participle e·jac·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·jac·u·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb eject
semen during orgasm: to eject semen from the
penis during an orgasm

2.  transitive
verb
exclaim
something suddenly: to exclaim something
suddenly and usually forcefully (literary)
noun
[i jákyələt]

ejaculated semen:
semen that has been ejected from the penis during orgasm
[Late 16th century. From
Latin ejaculat-, past participle stem of ejaculari “to throw
out,” ultimately from jacere “to throw” (source of English inject and project
).][1]



ejaculation

ejaculation
e·jac·u·la·tion 
[i jàkyə láysh’n] (plural e·jac·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  ejecting
of semen from penis: the ejecting of semen from
the penis during an orgasm

2.  sudden
exclamation: a sudden, usually loud or forceful
exclamation (literary)

[1]



ejaculatory

ejaculatory
e·jac·u·la·to·ry 
[i jákyələ tàwree] adjective

1.  relating
to ejaculation: involved in or related to the structures
involved in ejaculation • ejaculatory
ducts

2.  characterized
by sudden bursts of speech: spoken in or characterized
by short bursts of loud or forceful speech (formal)

[1]



eject

eject
e·ject 
[i jékt] (past e·ject·ed, past
participle e·ject·ed, present participle e·ject·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·jects) verb

1.  transitive
verb
push
something out with force: to cause something to burst
out from something else with considerable force

2.  transitive
verb
remove
somebody from a place or position: to force somebody to
leave a place or give up a position, for example, a job or membership • They
were forcibly ejected from the meeting.

3.  intransitive
verb
AIR leave
an aircraft in an escape device: to escape from an
aircraft in an emergency by means of an ejection seat or special capsule

4.  transitive
verb
LAW evict
somebody:
to remove somebody, especially a tenant, from a property by taking legal action
[15th
century. From Latin eject-, past participle stem of e(j)icere,
from jacere “to throw.”]
—e·ject·a·ble,
adjective

—e·jec·tion,
noun

—ejec·tive, adjective[1]



ejecta

ejecta
e·jec·ta 
[i jéktə] noun

something
ejected:
substances ejected from something, especially the material thrown out by a
volcanic eruption or from a star (formal) (takes a singular or plural
verb)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, a plural form of the past participle of e(j)icere (see eject ).][1]



ejectionseat

ejectionseat
e·jec·tion
seat
(plural e·jec·tion seats) noun

AIR
aircraft escape apparatus:
a seat in the cockpit of an aircraft that in an emergency propels the occupant
clear of the craft by means of a rocket or explosive device.
U.K. term
ejector seat[1]



ejectment

ejectment
e·ject·ment 
[i jéktmənt] (plural e·ject·ments)
noun

1.  ejecting
or being ejected: the process of ejecting somebody or
something, or of being ejected from somewhere (formal)

2.  LAW recovery
of real property: a legal action brought by somebody to
recover possession of land that is being held by somebody else

[1]



ejector

ejector
e·jec·tor 
[i jéktər] (plural e·jec·tors)
noun

1.  device
for ejecting something: a device for ejecting
something from something else, especially a mechanism for ejecting an empty
cartridge or shell from a gun

2.  pump
used to withdraw something: a jet pump device that uses
water, steam, or air to remove a gas, fluid, or powder from a space

[1]



ejectorseat

ejectorseat
e·jec·tor
seat
(plural e·jec·tor seats) noun

U.K.
See ejection seat[1]



ekeout

ekeout
eke
out
(past eked out, past participle eked out, present
participle ek·ing out, 3rd person present singular ekes
out) transitive verb

1.  make
something last with sparing use: to make a supply of
something last by using it as slowly and economically as possible

2.  supplement
something insufficient or inadequate: to
supplement something that is insufficient or inadequate, usually with
difficulty and by hard work

3.  get
something only with effort: to manage to get or achieve
something but only on a small scale and with a great deal of effort • eked
out a bare existence
[Late 16th century. Later
form of Old English ēacan, ēacian, from a prehistoric Germanic
base related to Latin augere “to increase.”][1]



EKG

EKG
EKG

1.  Abbreviation
of
electrocardiogram

2.  Abbreviation
of
electrocardiograph

[1]



ekistics

ekistics
e·kis·tics 
[i kístiks] noun

science
of human settlements: the study of human
settlements in all their aspects, including, for example, the origin and
development of cities and city planning (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek oikistikos, from oikizein “to settle,” from oikos
“house” (source of English economy
and parish ).]
—e·kis·tic,
adjective

—ek·is·ti·cian [èki stísh’n], noun[1]



el

el
el
[el] (plural els) noun

elevated railroad:
an elevated railroad in a city (informal)[1]



elaborate

elaborate
e·lab·o·rate 
adjective [i lábbərət]

1.  complex:
having many different parts or a lot of detail and being organized in a
complicated way

2.  finely
or richly decorated: made with a lot of intricate
detail or extravagant ornamentation • an elaborate
headdress

3.  detailed
and thorough: thought out or organized with
thoroughness and careful attention to detail
verb
[i lábbə ràyt] (past e·lab·o·rat·ed,
past participle e·lab·o·rat·ed, present participle e·lab·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lab·o·rates)

1.  intransitive
verb
give
more detail about something: to go into greater detail
about something that has already been spoken about or described in broad terms
• Would
you care to elaborate on that?

2.  transitive
verb
work
something out in detail: to work out the details of
something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become more complex: to make something more
complex or ornate, or become more complex or ornate
[15th
century. From Latin elaborat-, past participle stem of elaborare
“to produce by effort or labor,” from labor “labor.”]
—e·lab·o·rate·ly,
adverb

—e·lab·o·rate·ness,
noun

—e·lab·o·ra·tion
[i làbbə ráysh’n], noun

—e·lab·o·ra·tor [i lábbə ràytər], noun[1]



Elam

Elam
E·lam
[ləm]

ancient state in southwestern
Iran, east of the Tigris River. It was established before 4000 BC and corresponds to the present-day
Khuzistan Province, Iran.[1]



Elamite

Elamite
E·la·mite 
[lə mt] noun (plural E·la·mites)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from ancient Elam: somebody who was born or who
lived in the ancient Middle Eastern kingdom of Elam

2.  LANGUAGE ancient
language of Elam: an extinct language formerly spoken in
the ancient kingdom of Elam. Elamite has been attested by important discoveries
of pictographic and cuneiform inscriptions dating from the third millennium BC through to the first millennium AD.
Also
called
Susian
adjective

relating to Elam:
relating to or typical of Elam, or its people, language, or culture
—E·la·mit·ic [lə míttik], adjective[1]



eland

eland
e·land 
[lənd] (plural e·lands or
e·land) noun

large
antelope:
the largest of living antelopes, found in central and southern Africa and
distinguished by its humped shoulders, dewlap, and tightly spiraling horns.
Genus: Taurotragus
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, “elk,” ultimately from Lithuanian élnis .][1]



elapid

elapid
el·a·pid 
[élləpid] (plural el·a·pids) noun

poisonous
snake:
a venomous snake that has its short fangs at the front of the upper jaw.
Cobras, coral snakes, and mambas are elapids . Family: Elapidae
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Elapidae, family name, ultimately from
Greek elaps, variant of el(l)ops, a kind of fish, also a kind of
sea serpent.]
—el·a·pid, adjective[1]



elapse

elapse
e·lapse 
[i láps] intransitive verb (past
e·lapsed, past participle e·lapsed, present participle
e·laps·ing, 3rd person present singular e·laps·es)

go
by:
to pass or go by, especially in a gradual, slow, or imperceptible way • several
hours elapsed
noun

passing
of a period of time: the passing of a certain
period of time (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin elaps-, past participle stem of elabi “to slip away,” from labi
“to glide, fall” (source of English lapse
).][1]



Elara

Elara
E·la·ra
[éllərə] noun

small moon of Jupiter:
a small natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1905. It is approximately
50 mi in diameter and occupies an intermediate orbit.[1]



elasmobranch

elasmobranch
e·las·mo·branch 
[i lásmə bràngk, i
lázmə bràngk] (plural e·las·mo·branchs) noun

cartilaginous
fish:
a fish with a cartilaginous skeleton. Sharks, rays, and skates are
elasmobranchs . Subclass: Elasmobranchii
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Elasmobranchii, subclass name, from
Greek elasmos “beaten metal” + bragkhia “gills.”]
—e·las·mo·branch, adjective[1]



elastic

elastic
e·las·tic 
[i lástik] noun (plural e·las·tics)

1.  stretchy
material:
a strip or thread of rubber or similar stretchable material, or a fabric or
tape with a stretchy material woven into it so that it can fit tightly around
something

2.  See
rubber band
adjective

1.  stretchy
and flexible: able to return quickly to its original
shape and size after being bent, stretched, or squashed

2.  easily
changed:
able to incorporate changes or adapt to new circumstances easily

3.  made
of elastic:
made of elastic

4.  springy:
having a light springy or bouncy quality, especially in movement

5.  PHYSICS returning
to its original shape after stress: used
to describe a substance that is capable of returning to its original shape
after undergoing stress or deformation
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin elasticus from Greek elastikos
“driving, propelling,” from elaunein “to drive.” Originally used in
describing the way gas expands.]
—e·las·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pliable

[1]



elasticate

elasticate
e·las·ti·cate
[i lásti kàyt] (past e·las·ti·cat·ed,
past participle e·las·ti·cat·ed, present participle e·las·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·las·ti·cates) transitive verb

U.K.
See elasticize  verb 1[1]



elasticcollision

elasticcollision
e·las·tic
col·li·sion
(plural e·las·tic col·li·sions) noun

energy-conserving collision:
a collision between two perfectly elastic bodies such that the final kinetic
energy of the system is the same as the initial kinetic energy of the system[1]



elasticfiber

elasticfiber
e·las·tic
fi·ber
(plural e·las·tic fi·bers) noun

fiber in connective tissue:
a smooth, long, thin, branching fiber in connective tissue, composed mainly of
the fibrous protein elastin[1]



elasticity

elasticity
e·las·tic·i·ty 
[i làss tíssətee, ee
làss tíssətee] noun

1.  ability
to return to shape: the ability of an object or
substance to return quickly to its original shape and size after being bent,
stretched, or squashed

2.  flexibility:
the ability to incorporate changes or adapt to new circumstances easily

3.  PHYSICS ability
to regain dimensions after stress: the property that
makes a material return to its original dimensions after being stressed or
deformed, or the degree to which this is exhibited

4.  ECONOMICS relative
change in an economic variable: the relative change in
an economic variable, for example, demand, that occurs in reaction to changes
in other variables, for example, price or advertising input

[1]



elasticize

elasticize
e·las·ti·cize
[i lásti sz] (past e·las·ti·cized,
past participle e·las·ti·cized, present participle e·las·ti·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·las·ti·ciz·es) transitive verb

1.  put
elastic into something: to put strips or threads of
rubber or similar material into a fabric or item of clothing in order to make
it stretchy and tight-fitting.
U.K.
term
elasticate

2.  make
something elastic: to make something elastic or
more elastic

[1]



elasticlimit

elasticlimit
e·las·tic
lim·it
(plural e·las·tic lim·its) noun

greatest stress causing no
permanent damage: the maximum stress that
can be applied to a material without the material’s becoming permanently
deformed[1]



elastin

elastin
e·las·tin 
[i lástin] noun

fibrous
protein:
a fibrous protein resembling collagen that is the main constituent of the
elastic fibers of connective tissue
[Late 19th century. Coined
from elastic + -in
.][1]



elastomer

elastomer
e·las·to·mer 
[i lástəmər] noun

material
with elastic properties: a natural material, for
example, rubber, or a synthetic material, for example, polyvinyl, that has
elastic properties
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from elastic + -mer .]
—e·las·to·mer·ic [i làstə mérrik], adjective[1]



elate

elate
e·late 
[i láyt] (past e·lat·ed, past
participle e·lat·ed, present participle e·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·lates) transitive verb

make
somebody very happy: to make somebody very happy
and excited
[Late
16th century. From Latin elat- (source of English translate ), used as the past participle stem
of effere “to carry up,” from ferre “to carry.”]
—e·late, adjective[1]



elated

elated
e·lat·ed 
[i láytəd] adjective

very
happy:
very happy and excited
—e·lat·ed·ly,
adverb

—e·lat·ed·ness, noun[1]



elater

elater
el·a·ter 
[éllətər] (plural el·a·ters) noun

beetle:
a beetle that belongs to the click beetle family. Family: Elateridae
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
elatēr “driver,” from elaunein “to drive” (source of English elastic ).][1]



elaterid

elaterid
e·lat·er·id 
[i láttərid] noun (plural e·lat·er·ids)

See
elater
adjective

of the click beetle family:
belonging or relating to the click beetle family[1]



elation

elation
e·la·tion
[i láysh’n] noun

great happiness:
a feeling of extraordinary happiness and excitement[1]



Elayer

Elayer
E
lay·er
noun

See
E region
[E because it is between the
D and F layers][1]



Elba

Elba
El·ba
[élbə]

mountainous island off the
western coast of Italy, the place of Napoleon’s first period of exile
(1814–1815)[1]



Elbe

Elbe
El·be
[elb]

river in central Europe that
rises in the northern Czech Republic and flows about 1,167 km725 mi northwest
to the North Sea[1]



Elbert,Mount

Elbert,Mount
El·bert,
Mount
[él bùrt]

mountain in central Colorado
that is the highest peak in the state and in the Rocky Mountains. Height: 4,399
m/14,433 ft.[1]



elbow

elbow
el·bow 
[élbō] noun (plural el·bows)

1.  ANATOMY joint
in the arm:
the joint between the upper and lower parts of the human arm

2.  CLOTHES part
of a sleeve covering the elbow: the part of a sleeve
that covers the elbow

3.  ZOOLOGY joint
in an animal leg: the joint in an animal’s forelimb
corresponding to the elbow in humans

4.  CONSTRUCTION bend:
a bend in something such as a river, road, or pipe

5.  CONSTRUCTION something
bent:
something, especially a piece of pipe, made with a bend in it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past el·bowed,
past participle el·bowed, present participle el·bow·ing,
3rd person present singular el·bows)

push something with the elbow:
to push or hit somebody or something with the elbow, or progress through a
crowd by pushing with the elbow or elbows
[Old
English el(n)boga, literally “arm bend,” from the prehistoric Germanic
ancestors of English ell and bow]
bend
the or your elbow

to
drink alcohol often (informal)

get
the elbow

or
be given the elbowU.K. to be dismissed or rejected (informal)

out
at elbow

or
out at the elbowspoorly dressed, or short of money[1]



elbowgrease

elbowgrease
el·bow
grease
noun

hard physical effort:
hard physical effort or work with the arms, especially scrubbing or polishing (informal)[1]



elbowroom

elbowroom
el·bow·room 
[élbō rm, élbō
rm] noun (informal)

1.  space
to move around in comfortably: space to move around
or work in comfortably

2.  freedom
to try something new: freedom from restriction for
a time, especially to move or develop in a new area or direction

[1]



Elbrus,Mount

Elbrus,Mount
El·brus,
Mount
[el brss] or El’brus [el brss]

the highest mountain in
Europe, in the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia, near the border with
Georgia. Height: 5,642 m/18,510 ft.[1]



ElburzMountains

ElburzMountains
El·burz
Moun·tains
[él brz mòwnt’nz]

mountain range in northern
Iran, near the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. The highest peak is Damāvand,
5,604 m/18,386 ft .[1]



ElCajon

ElCajon
El
Ca·jon
[èl kə hṓn]

city in southern California,
a suburb of San Diego. Population: 92,057 (1996)[1]



ElCentro

ElCentro
El
Cen·tro
[el séntrō]

city in southeastern
California near the Mexican border. Population: 37,369 (1996)[1]



ElCerrito

ElCerrito
El
Cer·ri·to
[èl sə rtō]

city in western California on
the northeastern shore of San Francisco Bay, northwest of Oakland. Population:
23,567 (1996)[1]



elder

elder1
eld·er1 [éldər]
adjective

1.  born
earlier:
born before others, especially within a family, or having more seniority. See
Usage note below

2.  superior:
superior to others, either by rank or experience
noun
(plural eld·ers)

1.  person
born earlier: somebody who was born before somebody
else • She
is five years my elder.

2.  CHRISTIANITY senior
member of a church: a senior lay member in some
Christian churches with responsibility for some aspects of church
administration, the pastoral care of church members, and sometimes for teaching
and preaching

3.  ANTHROPOLOGY senior
member of a community: a member of a family, tribal
group, or village who is respected for advanced years and has some influence
and authority within the community

4.  Canada
respected
adviser:
a respected senior member of a First Nations group who acts as an adviser
[Old
English (i)eldra, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English eldest and old]
—el·der·ship,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  elder
  or older ?
  Elder and eldest are used
  only of people, and usually in the context of family relationships: • She
  is the elder of Ruth’s daughters. • Mark
  is my eldest son. Older and oldest
  can apply to things as well as people and can be used in a wider range of
  grammatical constructions: • I am
  older than David. • It
  is the oldest church in Paris. When elder is used after a verb (for example, be
  ), it has to be preceded by the : • Who
  is the eldest? not • Who
  is eldest?

[1]



elder

elder2

el·der2 [éldər]
(plural el·ders) noun
tree
with purplish-black berries: a common shrub or small tree
of the honeysuckle family that has flat clusters of white flowers and
purplish-black berries. Latin name: Sambucus nigra
Also
called
elderberry
[Old English ellærn,
of uncertain origin][1]



elderberry

elderberry

el·der·ber·ry 
[éldər bèrree] (plural el·der·ber·ries)
noun

1.  fruit
of the elder tree: the fruit of the elder tree,
especially the berry of any variety of elder that is used to make wine or jelly

2.        BOTANY See elder 2[1]



eldercare

eldercare
eld·er·care 
[éldər kàir] noun

programs and places for
senior citizens: institutions and
programs, both social and medical, focusing on the needs and care of senior
citizens[1]



Elderhostel

Elderhostel
El·der·hos·tel 
[éldər hòst’l] (plural El·der·hos·tels)
noun

adult education program:
an adult education program in which students stay on college campuses or use
other educational facilities and take courses in a variety of subjects on a
not-for-credit basis[1]



elderly

elderly
eld·er·ly 
[éldərlee] adjective

1.  past
middle age:
past middle age and approaching the rest of life (sometimes considered
offensive)

2.  characteristic
of life after middle age: characteristic of or
relating to life after middle age

3.  old-fashioned:
old and somewhat old-fashioned
plural
noun

people past middle age:
people who have lived past middle age, considered as a group (sometimes
considered offensive)
—el·der·li·ness, noun[1]



elderstatesman

elderstatesman
eld·er
states·man
noun

respected senior official:
a person, advanced in years and experience, especially a politician or former
politician, who is respected for his or her wisdom and whose advice is still
valued and unofficially sought[1]



eldest

eldest
eld·est 
[éldəst] adjective

born
first:
first, either in age or seniority
[Old
English (i)eldest, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English elder 1 and old]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at elder.

[1]



ELDO

ELDO
ELDO
[éldō]

SPACE
TECHNOLOGY Abbreviation of
European Launch Development Organization[1]



ElDorado

ElDorado1
El
Do·ra·do1  [èl
də rdō, èl də ráydō] noun

1.  legendary
place of fabulous wealth: a legendary place in South
America where the streets were said to be paved with gold and wealth and riches
were to be had in abundance

2.  place
of riches:
a place that has great wealth or where great riches can be acquired
[From Spanish, literally “the
gilded”][1]



ElDorado

ElDorado2
El
Do·ra·do2 [èl
də rdō, èl də ráydō]

city in southern Arkansas,
southeast of Texarkana, directly north of the Louisiana border. Population:
22,419 (1996)[1]



Eleatic

Eleatic
El·e·at·ic 
[èllee áttik] (plural El·e·at·ics)
adjective

relating
to a Greek school of philosophy: relating to an ancient
Greek school of philosophy founded by Xenophanes or Parmenides that flourished
in the 5th and 6th centuries BC .
It advocated philosophical reflection over sensory observation.
[Late
19th century. From Latin Eliaticus, from Elea, an ancient Greek
city in southwestern Italy where the school flourished.]
—El·e·at·ic,
noun

—El·e·at·i·cism [èllee átti sìzzəm], noun[1]



elec.

elec.
elec.

1.  Abbreviation
of
electric

2.  Abbreviation
of
electrical

3.  Abbreviation
of
electricity

[1]



elecampane

elecampane
el·e·cam·pane 
[èlli kam páyn] (plural el·e·cam·panes
or el·e·cam·pane) noun

tall
plant with large yellow flowers: a tall perennial
flowering plant that is related to daisies and dandelions and has yellow
flowers and large toothed hairy leaves. It is a natural antibiotic and
digestive stimulant, and the roots are used to make a herbal remedy that is
effective in the treatment of coughs and fevers. Latin name: Inula helenium
[14th century. Ultimately a
contraction of medieval Latin enula campana, literally “elecampane of
the fields,” from enula “elecampane,” via Latin inula from Greek helenion
.][1]



elect

elect
e·lect 
[i lékt] verb (past e·lect·ed,
past participle e·lect·ed, present participle e·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lects)

1.  transitive
verb
choose
somebody by vote: to choose somebody by a vote, for
example, for public office, an official role, or membership of some group • She
was elected leader of the commission.

2.  transitive
verb
decide
to do something: to make a decision to do something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb choose
something:
to choose or select something, particularly a subject or course to study at
college

4.  transitive
verb
RELIGION choose
somebody for salvation: to choose somebody by divine
will for salvation
adjective

1.  chosen
but not yet in office: chosen by a vote but not yet
formally installed in office (used after a noun, usually in combination)
• the
president elect

2.  RELIGION chosen
by God:
specially chosen by God for favor, salvation, or a task “Samson has assumed
that, as an elect instrument, he must be always actively engaged in God’s
service.” John Spencer Hill John Milton: Poet, Priest and Prophet 1979
plural
noun

1.  RELIGION people
chosen by God: people specially chosen or favored by
God, for example, those chosen by God for salvation

2.  select
group:
a specially privileged or gifted group (literary) • World-class
opera singers are among today’s elect.
[15th century. From Latin electus,
from eligere “to choose,” from legere (source of English collect, neglect,
and lecture ).][1]



electable

electable
e·lect·a·ble 
[i léktəb’l] adjective

likely
or fit to be elected: worthy to be elected, or
having a good chance of being elected, especially to a public office
—e·lect·a·bil·i·ty, noun[1]



election

election
e·lec·tion 
[i lékshən] (plural e·lec·tions)
noun

1.  event
for choosing by vote: an organized event at which
somebody is chosen for something, especially a public office, by vote

2.  choosing
or being chosen by vote: the process of choosing
somebody or of being chosen by vote • he
stood for election

3.  selection
of something: the act or process of choosing
something, for example, a course of action or subject (formal)

4.  RELIGION selection
by God for something: the fact of being chosen by
God, or God’s act of choosing somebody for salvation, a task, or special favor

[1]



ElectionDay

ElectionDay
Elec·tion
Day 
(plural Elec·tion Days) noun

day designated for electing
public officials: a day designated by law
for the election of people to public office. In the United States, Election Day
for national elections is designated by law as the Tuesday after the first
Monday in November in even-numbered years.[1]



electioneer

electioneer
e·lec·tion·eer 
[i lèkshə nr] (past e·lec·tion·eered,
past participle e·lec·tion·eered, present participle e·lec·tion·eer·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lec·tion·eers) intransitive verb

1.  campaign
in an election: to take an active part in an election
campaign, especially as, or on behalf of, a candidate for political office

2.  do
something just to win votes: to attempt to win votes in
an election by being insincere and unscrupulous (disapproving)
—e·lec·tion·eer,
noun

—e·lec·tion·eer·ing, noun[1]



elective

elective
e·lec·tive 
[i léktiv] adjective

1.  POLITICS relating
to voting:
involving or concerned with voting

2.  POLITICS requiring
election:
chosen by a vote, or whose holder is chosen by a vote • The
monarchy at that time was elective not hereditary.

3.  EDUCATION not
compulsory:
optional rather than essential or compulsory
noun
(plural e·lec·tives)

EDUCATION optional
subject of study: an optional course that a student may
select from among several alternatives
—e·lec·tive·ly,
adverb

—e·lec·tive·ness, noun[1]



Elector

Elector
E·lec·tor
(plural E·lec·tors) noun

German ruler who elected the
emperor: any one of the rulers of the
German states within the Holy Roman Empire who was entitled to vote in the
election of the emperor[1]



elector

elector
e·lec·tor 
[i léktər] (plural e·lec·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who votes:
somebody who votes or is entitled to vote in an election

2.  member
of an electoral college: a member of an electoral
college or the Electoral College

[1]



electoral

electoral
e·lec·tor·al 
[i léktərəl] adjective

relating
to elections: relating to or involving elections,
electors, or voters
—e·lec·tor·al·ly, adverb[1]



Electoralcollege

Electoralcollege
E·lec·tor·al
col·lege 
noun

presidential electing body:
in the United States, the formal body elected by voters to choose the President
and Vice President. Although U.S. voters in effect choose a President and Vice
President, they are formally voting for members of the Electoral College, who
make the choice on their behalf.[1]



electoralcollege

electoralcollege
e·lec·tor·al
col·lege
(plural e·lec·tor·al col·leg·es) noun

electing body:
a select body of people who elect somebody to an office[1]



electorate

electorate
e·lec·tor·ate 
[i léktərət] (plural e·lec·tor·ates)
noun

group of voters:
all the officially qualified voters within a given country or area or for a
given election[1]



electr-

electr-
electr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
electro-[1]



Electra

Electra
E·lec·tra 
[i léktrə] noun

vengeful
Greek tragic daughter: in Greek mythology, the
daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She helped her brother Orestes to
avenge their father’s murder by killing their mother and Clytemnestra’s lover.
[From Greek Ēlektra,
literally “bright, beaming,” from ēlektōr “sun”; from her beauty][1]



Electracomplex

Electracomplex
E·lec·tra
com·plex
(plural E·lec·tra com·plex·es) noun

PSYCHOANALYSIS
daughter’s supposed attraction to her
father: a daughter’s unconscious
unresolved sexual attraction to her father. The term itself has now been
rejected by most theorists.[1]



Electraparadox

Electraparadox
E·lec·tra
par·a·dox
(plural E·lec·tra par·a·dox·es) noun

simultaneously
knowing and not knowing something: a logical paradox
arising from the possibility of somebody knowing that something is true when it
is described in one way but not when it is described in another
[From a Greek myth in which
Electra is said to know her brother Orestes when he is described but not when
she encounters him as a stranger][1]



electret

electret
e·lec·tret 
[i léktrət] (plural e·lec·trets)
noun

polarized
insulating material: a piece of insulating
material that is permanently polarized and has a permanent electric field, used
in microphones and telephones
[Late 19th century. A blend
of electricity and magnet
.][1]



electric

electric
e·lec·tric 
[i léktrik] adjective

1.  involving
or caused by electricity: involving, relating to, or
caused by electricity. See Usage note below

2.  for
electricity: carrying or conveying electricity

3.  using
electricity: powered or operated by electricity • an
electric guitar

4.  tense
or excited:
full of tension or excitement and anticipation

5.  bright:
extremely bright in color • electric
blue
noun
(plural e·lec·trics)

1.  electricity:
electricity, or the electricity supply, for example, to a house (informal)

2.  something
operated by electricity: a vehicle, machine, or other
device that is powered by electricity
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin electricus, from electrum “amber,”
from Greek ēlektron . The earliest manifestation of electricity was that
produced by rubbing amber, hence the name.]
—e·lec·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  electric
  or electrical ?
  Electric is the word more commonly
  used to describe a device that works by electricity or is involved in
  producing or carrying electricity: • an
  electric oven; • an
  electric socket. Electrical
  is applied to more general things and to areas of study or activity that are
  concerned with electricity: • electrical
  appliances; • electrical
  engineering. Electric
  is more usual in the figurative meaning “tense or excited”: • The
  atmosphere at the meeting was electric.

[1]



electrical

electrical
e·lec·tri·cal
[i léktrik’l] adjective

1.  See
electric  adjective 1

2.  See
electric  adjective 2

3.  involving
the application of electricity: involved in or
involving the application of electricity in technology

4.  relating
to electric functioning: involving or concerned with
electric cables or circuits, or parts powered by electricity • You’ll
need an electrician for the electrical work.

5.  caused
by electricity: caused by electricity or something that
uses or conveys electricity

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at electric.

[1]



electricalengineering

electricalengineering
e·lec·tri·cal
en·gi·neer·ing noun

engineering
involving technical application of electricity: a
branch of engineering that studies the practical applications of electricity in
science and technology
—e·lec·tri·cal en·gi·neer,
noun[1]



electricblanket

electricblanket
e·lec·tric
blan·ket
noun

blanket heated by
electricity: a blanket containing an
insulated electric heating element, used to warm a bed[1]



electricchair

electricchair
e·lec·tric
chair
noun

1.  chair
for executing people by electricity: a
specially designed chair used to execute people sentenced to death by
electrocuting them

2.  sentence
of death by electrocution: a sentence of death by
electrocution in an electric chair

[1]



electriceel

electriceel
e·lec·tric
eel
noun

fish producing an electric
charge: a long air-breathing fish
resembling a true eel that is found in South American rivers and can release a
strong discharge of electricity from specialized organs in the tail region.
Electric eels can produce a discharge of up to 650 volts, enough to stun a
human being. Latin name: Electrophorus electricus[1]



electriceye

electriceye
e·lec·tric
eye
noun

electric control device using
light: a device that converts light
into electrical energy or uses it to regulate a flow of current, often
incorporated into automatic control systems for doors and lighting[1]



electricfield

electricfield
e·lec·tric
field
(plural e·lec·tric fields) noun

area of electric forces:
a field of force surrounding a charged body or associated with a fluctuating
magnetic field, with which charged particles interact[1]



electricfire

electricfire
e·lec·tric
fire
(plural e·lec·tric fires) noun

U.K.
heater with an element heated by
electricity: a heater for a room
with an element that is made hot by an electric current passing through it[1]



electricguitar

electricguitar


e·lec·tric gui·tar
(plural e·lec·tric gui·tars) noun
guitar amplified by electrical means:
an electrically operated guitar, often with a solid body, that has a device for
picking up sound fitted below the strings and connected to an amplifier and
loudspeaker[1]



electrician

electrician
e·lec·tri·cian 
[i lèk trísh’n, 
lek trísh’n] (plural e·lec·tri·cians) noun

worker with electrical wiring
or apparatus: somebody licensed to
install, maintain, repair, or approve electrical wiring or electrical goods[1]



electricity

electricity
e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[i lèk tríssətee, 
lek tríssətee] noun

1.  PHYSICS energy
created by moving charged particles: a
fundamental form of kinetic or potential energy created by the free or
controlled movement of charged particles such as electrons, positrons, and ions

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electric
current:
electric current, especially when used as a source of power

3.  anticipation
or tension:
a feeling or atmosphere of excited anticipation or tension

[1]



electricjazz

electricjazz
e·lec·tric
jazz
noun

jazz played on electronic
instruments: jazz produced using
electronic instruments or other electronic devices[1]



electriclight

electriclight
e·lec·tric
light
(plural e·lec·tric lights) noun

1.  electric
lighting device: a light operated by electricity, for
example, one with an electric bulb or a fluorescent tube

2.  the
illumination produced by electricity

[1]



electricmotor

electricmotor
e·lec·tric
mo·tor
noun

motor powered by electricity:
a machine that converts energy from electricity into mechanical energy[1]



electricorgan

electricorgan
e·lec·tric
or·gan
(plural e·lec·tric or·gans) noun

1.  MUSIC organ
powered by electricity: an organ whose sound is
produced or amplified by means of electricity

2.  ZOOLOGY electricity-producing
muscle in fish: specialized muscle tissue in some fish
that creates an electric field used for finding enemies, obstacles, and food in
murky water, and, in some species, for defense against attack

[1]



electricpiano

electricpiano
e·lec·tric
pi·a·no
(plural e·lec·tric pi·a·nos) noun

electronic instrument that
sounds like piano: an
electronic keyboard instrument that produces sounds resembling those of the
piano[1]



electricpotential

electricpotential
e·lec·tric
po·ten·tial
noun

PHYSICS
work required to move an electric charge:
the work required to bring a unit of positive electric charge from infinity to
a specified point in an electric field.
Also called
potential Symbol V[1]



electricray

electricray
e·lec·tric
ray
(plural e·lec·tric rays) noun

fish with electric organs:
a fish that lives in tropical or temperate seas and can emit a strong electric
discharge from electric organs in its enlarged pectoral fins. Family:
Torpedinidae
Also called
torpedo[1]



electricrazor

electricrazor
e·lec·tric
ra·zor
noun

electrical shaving device:
a small electrically powered device used for shaving hair on the face or body[1]



electricshock

electricshock
e·lec·tric
shock
noun

electric current through the
body: a sudden painful physical
reaction consisting of nerve stimulation and muscle contraction caused by an
electric current flowing through the body[1]



electrify

electrify
e·lec·tri·fy 
[i léktrə f] (past e·lec·tri·fied,
past participle e·lec·tri·fied, present participle e·lec·tri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lec·tri·fies) transitive verb

1.  convert
to using electricity: to convert something, for
example, a railroad line or a piece of machinery, so that it can operate on
electric power

2.  PHYSICS charge
electrically: to charge something with electricity

3.  thrill
somebody:
to cause somebody to feel a sudden and surprising shock, thrill, or sense of
excitement

4.  MUSIC electrically
amplify a musical instrument: to amplify the sounds
produced by a musical instrument by electrical means
—e·lec·tri·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—e·lec·tri·fi·ca·tion
[i lèktrəfi káysh’n], noun

—e·lec·tri·fi·er [i léktrə fr], noun[1]



electrifyingly

electrifyingly
e·lec·tri·fy·ing·ly
[i léktrə f inglee] adverb

thrillingly:
in an excitingly stimulating way[1]



electro-

electro-
electro-
prefix

1.  electricity,
electric, electronic • electromyogram

2.  electrolysis
• electrometallurgy

3.  electron
• electropositive
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek ēlektron “amber”][1]



electroacoustic

electroacoustic
e·lec·tro·a·cous·tic
adjective

conversion of sound into
signals: used to describe a device
that converts sound into electrical signals or vice versa[1]



electroacoustics

electroacoustics
e·lec·tro·a·cous·tics 
[i lèktrō ə kstiks] noun

study
of sound production with electricity: a
branch of electronics that is concerned with how electricity is converted into
sound (takes a singular verb)
—e·lec·tro·a·cous·tic·al·ly,
adverb[1]



electroanalysis

electroanalysis
e·lec·tro·a·nal·y·sis 
[i lèktrō ə nálləssiss] (plural e·lec·tro·a·nal·y·ses
[i lèktrō ə nállə sz]) noun

chemical
analysis with electricity: the use of electrolysis to
perform chemical analysis
—e·lec·tro·an·a·lyt·ic
[i lèktrō ann’l íttik], adjective

—e·lec·tro·an·a·lyt·i·cal
[i lèktrō ann’l íttik’l], adjective

—e·lec·tro·an·a·lyt·i·cal·ly
[i lèktrō ann’l íttikəlee], adverb[1]



electrocardiogram

electrocardiogram
e·lec·tro·car·di·o·gram 
[i lèktrō krdee ə gràm] (plural e·lec·tro·car·di·o·grams)
noun

record of heart activity:
a visual record of the heart’s electrical activity made using an
electrocardiograph[1]



electrocardiograph

electrocardiograph
e·lec·tro·car·di·o·graph 
[i lèktrō krdee ə gràf] (plural e·lec·tro·car·di·o·graphs)
noun

device
to record heart activity: a device that records the
electrical activity of the heart muscle via electrodes placed on the chest, and
displays it as a visual record
—e·lec·tro·car·di·o·graph·ic
[i lèktrō kaardee ə gráffik], adjective

—e·lec·tro·car·di·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[i lèktrō kaardee ə gráffikəlee], adverb

—e·lec·tro·car·di·og·ra·phy
[i lèktrō kaardee óggrəfee], noun[1]



electrocautery

electrocautery
e·lec·tro·cau·ter·y
[i lèktrō kóttəree] noun

wart removal treatment:
the process of destroying unwanted tissue, for example, warts and polyps, or
sealing blood vessels, by means of an electrically heated needle[1]



electrochemicalseries

electrochemicalseries
e·lec·tro·chem·i·cal
se·ries
noun

arrangement of chemical
elements: a series in which the
chemical elements are arranged in order of decreasing tendency to lose
electrons[1]



electrochemistry

electrochemistry
e·lec·tro·chem·is·try 
[i lèktrō kémmistree] noun

study
of electrically produced chemical change: a
branch of chemistry that studies chemical change associated with electrons and
electricity
—e·lec·tro·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—e·lec·tro·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—e·lec·tro·chem·ist, noun[1]



electrocoagulation

electrocoagulation
e·lec·tro·co·ag·u·la·tion 
[i lèktrō kō aggyə láysh’n] noun

destruction of tissue with an
electrical device: the use of
an electrical device that burns tissue to stop bleeding from small blood
vessels during surgery or to destroy small tumors[1]



electroconvulsivetherapy

electroconvulsivetherapy
e·lec·tro·con·vul·sive
ther·a·py 
noun

treatment involving electric
shocks: the passing of a small
electric current through the brain to induce a seizure, used in the treatment
of severe psychiatric disorders.
Also called
electroshock
Also called
electroshock therapy[1]



electrocute

electrocute
e·lec·tro·cute 
[i léktrə kyt] (past e·lec·tro·cut·ed,
past participle e·lec·tro·cut·ed, present participle e·lec·tro·cut·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lec·tro·cutes) transitive verb

1.  injure
or kill with electric shock: to cause injury or death
with an electric shock

2.  CRIMINOLOGY execute
in the electric chair: to execute somebody by means
of the electric chair
[Late
19th century. A blend of electro- and execute .]
—e·lec·tro·cu·tion [i lèktrə kysh’n], noun[1]



electrode

electrode
e·lec·trode 
[i lék trd] (plural e·lec·trodes)
noun

conductor through which
electricity flows: either of
the two conductors through which electricity enters or leaves something such as
a battery or a piece of electrical equipment[1]



electrodeposit

electrodeposit
e·lec·tro·de·pos·it 
[i lèktrō di pózzit] transitive verb
(past e·lec·tro·de·pos·it·ed, past participle e·lec·tro·de·pos·it·ed,
present participle e·lec·tro·de·pos·it·ing, 3rd person present
singular e·lec·tro·de·pos·its)

deposit
metal by electrolysis: to deposit a substance,
especially a metal, on an electrode by using electrolysis
noun
(plural e·lec·tro·de·pos·its)

deposited
substance:
a substance deposited by using electrolysis
—e·lec·tro·dep·o·si·tion
[i lèktrō deppə zísh’n, i lèktrō deepə zísh’n], noun[1]



electrodynamics

electrodynamics
e·lec·tro·dy·nam·ics 
[i lèktrō dī námmiks] noun

electricity’s
interaction with mechanical forces: a
branch of physics that studies how electric currents interact with magnetic and
mechanical forces (takes a singular verb)
—e·lec·tro·dy·nam·ic, adjective[1]



electrodynamometer

electrodynamometer
e·lec·tro·dy·na·mom·e·ter 
[i lèktrō dīnə mómmətər] (plural e·lec·tro·dy·na·mom·e·ters)
noun

device for measuring electric
current: a device for measuring the
strength of an electric current by the magnetic force it induces in a coil[1]



electroencephalogram

electroencephalogram
e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·lo·gram 
[i lèktrō en séffələ gràm] (plural e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·lo·grams)
noun

tracing of electrical
activity in the brain: the record
of the electrical activity of the brain that is produced by an
electroencephalograph.
Also called
encephalogram[1]



electroencephalograph

electroencephalograph
e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·lo·graph 
[i lèktrō en séffələ gràf] (plural e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·lo·graphs)
noun

device
producing a record of brain activity: a
machine that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to monitor the electrical
activity of different parts of the brain, recording these as complex tracings.
Irregularities recorded in the tracings may help in the diagnosis of a range of
organic brain disorders such as tumors and epilepsy and in establishing brain
death.
Also
called
encephalograph
—e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·lo·graph·ic
[i lèktrō en seffələ gráffik], adjective

—e·lec·tro·en·ceph·a·log·ra·phy
[i lèktrō en seffə lóggrəfee], noun[1]



electrofishing

electrofishing
e·lec·tro·fish·ing
[i léktrō fìshing] noun

fishing
using electric current: fishing that employs an
electric current to attract or stun fish
[Mid-20th century][1]



electroform

electroform
e·lec·tro·form 
[i léktrə fàwrm] transitive verb (past
e·lec·tro·formed, past participle e·lec·tro·formed, present
participle e·lec·tro·form·ing, 3rd person present singular e·lec·tro·forms)

form
by depositing metal using electricity: to
form something, for example, a medal, by using electrolysis to coat the surface
of the mold or matrix with a metal
noun
(plural e·lec·tro·forms)

electroformed object:
an object made by electroforming[1]



electrograph

electrograph
e·lec·tro·graph 
[i léktrə gràf] (plural e·lec·tro·graphs)
noun

1.  PHYSICS electrometer:
an electrometer that produces a graphic record of the measurements it makes, or
the record it produces

2.  PHYSICS graph
from an electrometer: the visual record produced
by an electrometer

3.  electrical
engraving device: an electrical device for engraving a
design on a metal plate for use in printing patterns for fabrics or wallpaper

4.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS electrical
picture transmission device: an apparatus used to
transmit pictures by electrical means, for example, by fax

5.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS transmitted
picture:
a printed picture produced by an electrograph

[1]



electrohydraulic

electrohydraulic
e·lec·tro·hy·drau·lic 
[i lèktrō hī dróllik] adjective

with
electrical and hydraulic parts: using, or relating to
the use of, electrical and hydraulic components
—e·lec·tro·hy·drau·li·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrokinetic

electrokinetic
e·lec·tro·ki·net·ic
[i lèktrō ki néttik, i lèktrō kī néttik] adjective

relating
to the motion of charged particles:
relating to or involving the motion of electrically charged particles and its
effects
—e·lec·tro·ki·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrokinetics

electrokinetics
e·lec·tro·ki·net·ics 
[i lèktrō ki néttiks] noun

electricity
in motion:
a branch of physics that deals with the motion of electrically charged
particles (takes a singular verb)
—e·lec·tro·ki·net·i·cist
[i lèktrō ki néttissist], noun[1]



electrologist

electrologist
e·lec·trol·o·gist 
[i lèk trólləjist, 
lek trólləjist] (plural e·lec·trol·o·gists) noun

somebody who works with
electrolysis: somebody who removes
moles, warts, or body hair by electrolysis[1]



electroluminescence

electroluminescence
e·lec·tro·lu·mi·nes·cence 
[i lèk trō loomə néss’ns] noun

light
produced by a substance plus electricity: the
emission of light by something such as a gas or phosphor resulting from a
high-frequency electric discharge
—e·lec·tro·lu·mi·nes·cent,
adjective[1]



electrolysis

electrolysis
e·lec·trol·y·sis 
[i lèk tróllisiss, 
lek tróllisiss] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
separation by electricity: the conduction of
electricity through something melted or dissolved in order to induce
decomposition of the melted or dissolved chemical into its components

2.  MEDICINE COSMETICS removal technique using
electricity: the use of an electric current applied though
a needle to remove body hair for cosmetic purposes, or to destroy warts, moles,
or tumors for medical reasons

[1]



electrolyte

electrolyte
e·lec·tro·lyte 
[i léktrə lt] (plural e·lec·tro·lytes)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY compound
separable into ions in solution: a chemical compound
that separates into ions in a solution or when molten and is able to conduct
electricity

2.  CHEMISTRY ion:
an ion in an electrolyte

3.  PHYSIOLOGY ion
needed by cell: any ion in cells, blood, or other
organic material. Electrolytes help to control fluid levels in the body,
maintain normal pH levels, and ensure the correct electric potential between
nerve cells that enables the transmission of nerve signals.

[1]



electrolytic

electrolytic
e·lec·tro·lyt·ic 
[i lèktrə líttik] adjective

1.  relating
to electrolysis: involved in or relating to electrolysis

2.  relating
to electrolytes: relating to, containing, or consisting
of electrolytes
—e·lec·tro·lyt·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrolyticcell

electrolyticcell
e·lec·tro·lyt·ic
cell
(plural e·lec·tro·lyt·ic cells) noun

1.  device
producing electrolysis by electricity: a
device in which electrolysis can be produced, usually consisting of an
electrolyte, its container, and electrodes

2.  device
producing electricity by chemical reaction: a
device consisting of an electrolyte, its container, and two electrodes, in
which a chemical reaction between the electrolyte and the electrodes produces
electricity

[1]



electrolyze

electrolyze
e·lec·tro·lyze 
[i léktrə lz] (past e·lec·tro·lyzed,
past participle e·lec·tro·lyzed, present participle e·lec·tro·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lec·tro·lyz·es) transitive verb

decompose
a chemical by electrolysis: to use electrolysis to
decompose a chemical compound
[Mid-19th century. A blend of
electrolysis and analyze
.][1]



electromagnet

electromagnet
e·lec·tro·mag·net 
[i lèktrō mágnət] (plural e·lec·tro·mag·nets)
noun

magnetized iron core:
a magnet consisting of a core, often made of soft iron, that is temporarily
magnetized by an electric current in a coil that surrounds it[1]



electromagnetic

electromagnetic
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic 
[i lèktrō mag néttik] adjective

from
or of electromagnetism: created by or relating to
electromagnetism
—e·lec·tro·mag·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electromagneticfield

electromagneticfield
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
field
(plural e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic fields) noun

area of electric and magnetic
forces: a field of force associated
with a moving electric charge and consisting of electric and magnetic fields
that are generated at right angles to each other[1]



electromagneticforce

electromagneticforce
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
force
(plural e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic forc·es) noun

combination of electric and
magnetic forces: the force resulting
from the interaction of charged particles and their electric and magnetic
fields[1]



electromagneticinterference

electromagneticinterference
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
in·ter·fer·ence noun

interference in a circuit:
the interference in a circuit, for example, disturbance on a television set,
caused by the radiation of an electric or magnetic field or the operation of a
nearby electric motor[1]



electromagneticradiation

electromagneticradiation
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
ra·di·a·tion noun

energy such as X-rays, light,
microwaves: electromagnetic energy such
as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared radiation,
microwaves, and radio waves. The radiation is characterized by having magnetic
and electric fields that are perpendicular to one another and to the direction
of propagation, and travels without a supporting medium.[1]



electromagneticspectrum

electromagneticspectrum
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
spec·trum
noun

range of radiation:
the complete range of electromagnetic radiation from the shortest waves ( gamma
rays ) to the longest ( radio waves )[1]



electromagneticunit

electromagneticunit
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
u·nit
(plural e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic u·nits) noun

cgs unit of electricity and
magnetism: any unit in the
centimeter-gram-second system of units for measuring electricity and magnetism
that gives a value of 1 to the magnetic constant, for example, the abampere or
the abvolt[1]



electromagneticwave

electromagneticwave
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic
wave
(plural e·lec·tro·mag·net·ic waves) noun

wave of electromagnetic
energy: a wave of energy with a
frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum, generated by the periodic
fluctuation of an electromagnetic field resulting from the acceleration or
oscillation of an electric charge. Electromagnetic waves can be reflected,
refracted, and polarized, and exhibit interference and diffraction effects.[1]



electromagnetism

electromagnetism
e·lec·tro·mag·net·ism 
[i lèktrō mágnə tìzzəm] noun

1.  magnetism
from electric currents: magnetism produced by an
electric current

2.  interaction
of electromagnetic forces: the branch of physics
concerned with the interaction of electric and magnetic fields and with
electromagnetism

[1]



electromechanical

electromechanical
e·lec·tro·mech·an·i·cal 
[i lèktrō mə kánnik’l] adjective

relating
to machines powered by electricity:
relating to or used to describe a mechanical device that is powered or
controlled by electricity
—e·lec·tro·mech·an·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrometallurgy

electrometallurgy
e·lec·tro·met·al·lur·gy 
[i lèktrō métt’l ùrjee] noun

metallurgical processes
involving electricity: the range
of metallurgical processes in which electricity has a key role, for example,
electroplating and the use of arc furnaces[1]



electrometer

electrometer
e·lec·trom·e·ter 
[i lek trómmətər, lek
trómmətər] (plural e·lec·trom·e·ters) noun

device measuring low
voltages: a sensitive device for
measuring extremely low voltages by means of the forces of attraction and
repulsion between charged bodies on plates or wires[1]



electromotive

electromotive
e·lec·tro·mo·tive 
[i lèktrō mṓtiv] adjective

of or with electric current:
relating to or producing an electric current[1]



electromotiveforce

electromotiveforce
e·lec·tro·mo·tive
force
noun

1.  force
causing electricity flow: a force that causes the flow
of electricity from one point to another

2.  energy
convertible into electricity: the energy available in a
source such as a battery for conversion into electricity from a chemical,
mechanical, or other nonelectric form, measured in volts per unit of electric
charge. Symbol E

[1]



electromyogram

electromyogram
e·lec·tro·my·o·gram 
[i lèktrō m ə gràm] (plural e·lec·tro·my·o·grams)
noun

tracing representing
electrical activity in muscle: a
graphical tracing of the electrical activity in a muscle at rest or during
contraction, used to diagnose nerve and muscle disorders[1]



electromyograph

electromyograph
e·lec·tro·my·o·graph 
[i lèktrō m ə gràf] (plural e·lec·tro·my·o·graphs)
noun

machine
for producing electromyogram: a machine for producing an
electromyogram from electrical activity picked up via electrodes inserted into
muscle tissue. It consists of an amplifier, an electrically activated
trace-drawing pen, and a moving strip of paper.
—e·lec·tro·my·o·graph·ic
[i lèktrō mī ə gráffik], adjective

—e·lec·tro·my·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[i lèktrō mī ə gráffikəlee], adverb

—e·lec·tro·my·og·ra·phy
[i lèktrō mī óggrəfee], noun[1]



electron

electron

e·lec·tron 
[i lék tròn] (plural e·lec·trons)
noun
elementary particle:
a stable negatively charged elementary particle with a small mass that is a
fundamental constituent of matter and orbits the nucleus of an atom[1]



electronegative

electronegative
e·lec·tro·neg·a·tive 
[i lèktrō néggətiv] adjective
See
also
electropositive

1.  possessing
negative electric charge: with a negative electric
charge, and so tending to move toward a positive electric pole

2.  gaining
electrons in chemical reaction: tending to gain
electrons to form a bond in a chemical reaction

[1]



electronegativity

electronegativity
e·lec·tro·neg·a·tiv·ity
noun

tendency to attract
electrons: a measure of the tendency of
an atom in a molecule to attract the electrons in a chemical bond[1]



electrongun

electrongun
e·lec·tron
gun
(plural e·lec·tron guns) noun

device to direct a stream of
electrons: a device such as one used in
a cathode-ray tube, that directs a steady stream of electrons in a desired
direction[1]



electronic

electronic
e·lec·tron·ic 
[i lèk trónnik, 
lek trónnik] adjective

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING involving
a controlled flow of electrons: relating to, or
produced or operated by, the controlled flow of electrons through a
semiconductor, a gas, or free space

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING using
valves, transistors, or silicon chips:
relating to devices, systems, or circuits that employ components such as vacuum
tubes, integrated circuits, or transistors in their design

3.  COMPUT by
computer:
using or controlled by a computer or computer network, or relating to the use
of computers in an activity • electronic
banking

4.  PHYSICS electrons:
relating to electrons • electronic
spectrum
—e·lec·tron·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



electronicchurch

electronicchurch
e·lec·tron·ic
church
(plural e·lec·tron·ic church·es) noun

religious radio and
television programs: radio and
television broadcasting devoted to religious services, especially Protestant
ones, and their pastors and audience[1]



electronicdata processing

electronicdata processing
e·lec·tron·ic
da·ta proc·ess·ing noun

manipulation of data
performed by computer:
computer-based tasks that involve the input of data such as invoices or
payrolls and its subsequent manipulation, usually using database programs[1]



electronicflash

electronicflash
e·lec·tron·ic
flash
(plural e·lec·tron·ic flash·es) noun

flash for high-speed
photography: a flash device used in
high-speed photography that produces a very bright light by passing an electric
charge through a gas-filled tube[1]



electronicjournalism

electronicjournalism
e·lec·tron·ic
jour·nal·ism noun

news transmitted by
television or computer: news
coverage that is transmitted electronically, for example, by television or over
the Internet[1]



electronicmail

electronicmail
e·lec·tron·ic
mail
noun

Full form of
e-mail[1]



electronicmusic

electronicmusic
e·lec·tron·ic
mu·sic
noun

music produced on electronic
apparatus: music produced or modified
by electronic means, often with the aid of a computer[1]



electronicnewsgathering

electronicnewsgathering
e·lec·tron·ic
news·gath·er·ing noun

television news gathering by
video equipment: television news
coverage made at the time and place of the event or incident by means of video
equipment[1]



electronicoffice

electronicoffice
e·lec·tron·ic
of·fice
(plural e·lec·tron·ic of·fices) noun

office where communication is
by computer: an office in which
traditional office equipment such as typewriters, telephones, and fax machines
are replaced by integrated programs running on computers (dated)[1]



electronicorgan

electronicorgan
e·lec·tron·ic
or·gan
(plural e·lec·tron·ic or·gans) noun

electric organ:
an electric organ (dated)[1]



electronicpublishing

electronicpublishing
e·lec·tron·ic
pub·lish·ing noun

publishing on computer
network or disk: the production of
documents in computer-readable form for distribution over a computer network or
in other formats such as CD-ROMs[1]



electronics

electronics
e·lec·tron·ics 
[i lèk trónniks, 
lek trónniks] noun

technology
of electronic devices: the branch of technology
concerned with the design, manufacture, and maintenance of electronic devices (takes
a singular verb)
plural
noun

electronic parts:
the electronic parts of a piece of equipment, or electronic devices and
equipment generally[1]



electronicshopping

electronicshopping
e·lec·tron·ic
shop·ping
noun

buying things over computer
network: the ordering and purchase of
goods and services over a computer network, especially over the Internet[1]



electronicsmog

electronicsmog
e·lec·tron·ic
smog 
noun

hazardous emissions from
radar and broadcasting: nonionizing
radiation produced in the atmosphere by sources such as radar, radio and
television broadcasting, considered by some people to pose a general health
risk[1]



electronicsuperhighway

electronicsuperhighway
e·lec·tron·ic
su·per·high·way noun

See
information superhighway[1]



electronicsurveillance

electronicsurveillance
e·lec·tron·ic
sur·veil·lance noun

use of electronic devices to
obsere: the gathering of
information, especially in crime detection and prevention or in espionage,
using electronic devices such as video cameras and wiretaps[1]



electronictown hall

electronictown hall
e·lec·tron·ic
town hall
(plural e·lec·tron·ic town halls) noun

television or Internet
discussion with officials:
communication and discussion over television or the Internet between members of
the governing bodies, for example, states, towns, or schools, and members of
the public[1]



electronlens

electronlens
e·lec·tron
lens
(plural e·lec·tron lens·es) noun

device to control an electron
beam: a device that creates an
electric or magnetic field around the path of an electron beam so that the beam
may be focused[1]



electronmicrograph

electronmicrograph
e·lec·tron
mi·cro·graph (plural e·lec·tron
mi·cro·graphs) noun

photograph taken using an
electron microscope: a
photograph of a specimen taken using an electron microscope[1]



electronmicroscope

electronmicroscope
e·lec·tron
mi·cro·scope (plural e·lec·tron
mi·cro·scopes) noun

powerful
microscope that uses electron beams: a
high-powered microscope that uses beams of electrons focused by an electron
lens to create a magnified image on a fluorescent screen or photographic plate
—e·lec·tron mi·cros·co·py,
noun[1]



electronmultiplier

electronmultiplier
e·lec·tron
mul·ti·pli·er (plural e·lec·tron
mul·ti·pli·ers) noun

current amplification device:
a device for amplifying a very small current using the effects of secondary
emission. Electrons from the original current strike an anode, producing
secondary electrons that are directed to the next anode in a multi-stage
process until the desired level of current is obtained.[1]



electronoptics

electronoptics
e·lec·tron
op·tics
noun

study of electron beams:
the science that deals with the direction, deflection, or focusing of beams of
electrons by electric and magnetic fields, for example, in electron lenses (takes
a singular verb)[1]



electronshell

electronshell
e·lec·tron
shell
(plural e·lec·tron shells) noun

PHYSICS
See shell  noun 19[1]



electrontransport

electrontransport
e·lec·tron
trans·port
noun

metabolic process in cells:
the process in cells by which electrons are gradually transferred from
compounds rich in energy to molecular oxygen by a series of chemical reactions,
resulting in the release of energy subsequently used in the production of ATP[1]



electrontube

electrontube
e·lec·tron
tube
(plural e·lec·tron tubes) noun

device where electrons flow
between electrodes: a device
that consists of a sealed glass vessel containing a gas or a vacuum, within
which electrons flow between electrodes[1]



electronvolt

electronvolt
e·lec·tron
volt
(plural e·lec·tron volts) noun

1.  unit
of energy:
a unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron accelerated through
a potential difference of one volt and equal to 1.602 x 10 –19 joule. Symbol eV

2.  unit
of mass:
the unit of mass of elementary particles, measured as a function of energy and
usually expressed in terms of mega electron volts ( MeV
)

[1]



electro-osmosis

electro-osmosis
e·lec·tro-os·mo·sis
noun

liquid’s electrically induced
movement through a membrane: the
movement of a liquid through a membrane under the effect of an electric field[1]



electropaint

electropaint
e·lec·tro·paint
[i léktrə pàynt] (past e·lec·tro·paint·ed,
past participle e·lec·tro·paint·ed, present participle e·lec·tro·paint·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lec·tro·paints) transitive verb

paint
something using electrolysis: to apply paint to something
by means of electrolysis
[Mid-20th century][1]



electrophile

electrophile
e·lec·tro·phile 
[i léktrə fl] (plural e·lec·tro·philes)
noun

atom,
molecule, or group accepting electrons: an
atom, molecule, or chemical group that is attracted to electrons or accepts
them
—e·lec·tro·phil·ic [i lèktrə fíllik], adjective[1]



electrophonic

electrophonic
e·lec·tro·phon·ic
[i lèktrə fónnik] adjective

producing sound
electronically: producing sound by
means of electronic equipment[1]



electrophoresis

electrophoresis
e·lec·tro·pho·re·sis 
[i lèktrō fə rsiss] noun

electrically
induced movement of particles: the movement of
charged particles in a colloid or suspension when an electric field is applied
to them.
Also
called
cataphoresis
[Early
20th century. Coined from electro + Greek phorēsis “being carried” (see -phore ).]
—e·lec·tro·pho·ret·ic
[i lèktrō fə réttik], adjective[1]



electrophorus

electrophorus
e·lec·troph·o·rus 
[i lèk tróffərəss, 
lek tróffərəss] (plural e·lec·troph·o·ri [i lèk tróffə r]) noun

device
for producing electricity by friction: a
device that produces electric charges from the friction between a disk and a
metal plate
[Late 18th century. Coined
from electro + -phorus, a Latinization of -phore
.][1]



electrophotography

electrophotography
e·lec·tro·pho·tog·ra·phy
[i lèktrō fə tóggrəfee] noun

use
of electricity to make pictures: any form of
photography, for example, xerography, that uses electricity to transfer an
image onto paper
—e·lec·tro·pho·to·graph·ic
[i lèktrō fōtə gráffik], adjective[1]



electrophysiology

electrophysiology
e·lec·tro·phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[i lèktrō fìzzee ólləjee] noun

study
of electrical activity in bodies: the branch of medicine
or biology dealing with the study of electric activity in human or animal
bodies
—e·lec·tro·phys·i·o·log·ic
[i lèktrō fìzzee ə lójjik], adjective

—e·lec·tro·phys·i·o·log·i·cal
[i lèktrō fìzzee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—e·lec·tro·phys·i·o·log·i·cal·ly
[i lèktrō fìzzee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—e·lec·tro·phys·i·ol·o·gist
[i lèktrō fìzzee ólləjist], noun[1]



electroplate

electroplate
e·lec·tro·plate 
[i léktrə plàyt] transitive verb (past
e·lec·tro·plat·ed, past participle e·lec·tro·plat·ed, present
participle e·lec·tro·plat·ing, 3rd person present singular e·lec·tro·plates)

coat
a surface with metal by electrolysis: to
use electrolysis to coat the surface of an object with metal
noun

electroplated objects:
objects coated with metal by means of electrolysis[1]



electropositive

electropositive
e·lec·tro·pos·i·tive 
[i lèktrō pózzitiv] adjective
See
also
electronegative

1.  PHYSICS possessing
positive electric charge: with a positive electric
charge, and so tending to move toward a negative electric pole

2.  CHEMISTRY releasing
electrons to form a chemical bond: tending to release
electrons to form a bond in a chemical reaction

[1]



electroreceptor

electroreceptor
e·lec·tro·re·cep·tor 
[i lèktrō ri séptər] (plural e·lec·tro·re·cep·tors)
noun

organ in fish that detects
electricity: an organ in fish such
as sharks, electric eels, and catfish that detects electric charges[1]



electroscope

electroscope
e·lec·tro·scope 
[i léktrə skp] (plural e·lec·tro·scopes)
noun

device
to detect electricity: a device that detects and
measures an electric charge, usually consisting of a rod holding two strips of
gold foil that separate when a like charge is applied to each
—e·lec·tro·scop·ic [i lèktrə skóppik], adjective[1]



electrosensitivity

electrosensitivity
e·lec·tro·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[i lèktrō sensə tívvətee] noun

animal’s ability to detect
electrical current: the ability
in an animal to detect naturally occurring electric currents and use them to
navigate or locate objects[1]



electroshock

electroshock
e·lec·tro·shock 
[i léktrō shòk] noun

See
electroconvulsive therapy
transitive
verb
(past e·lec·tro·shocked, past participle e·lec·tro·shocked,
present participle e·lec·tro·shock·ing, 3rd person present
singular e·lec·tro·shocks)

give electroconvulsive
therapy to somebody: to
administer electroconvulsive therapy to a patient[1]



electroshocktherapy

electroshocktherapy
e·lec·tro·shock
ther·a·py
noun

PSYCHIATRY
See electroconvulsive therapy[1]



electrostatic

electrostatic
e·lec·tro·stat·ic 
[i lèktrō státtik] adjective

1.  relating
to static electricity: produced by or relating to
static electricity

2.  of
electrostatics: relating to electrostatics
—e·lec·tro·stat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrostaticgenerator

electrostaticgenerator
e·lec·tro·stat·ic
gen·er·a·tor (plural e·lec·tro·stat·ic
gen·er·a·tors) noun

PHYSICS
See Van de Graaff generator[1]



electrostaticprecipitator

electrostaticprecipitator
e·lec·tro·stat·ic
pre·cip·i·ta·tor noun

device
removing small particles from air: a device that removes
small particles of smoke, dust, or oil from air by electrostatically charging
them and then attracting them to an oppositely charged collector plate or
surface
—e·lec·tro·stat·ic
pre·cip·i·ta·tion, noun[1]



electrostaticprinting

electrostaticprinting
e·lec·tro·stat·ic
print·ing
noun

electrical photocopying or
printing process: a photocopying or
printing process in which images are reproduced on a surface using
electrostatic charges[1]



electrostatics

electrostatics
e·lec·tro·stat·ics 
[i lèktrō státtiks] noun

study of static electricity:
a branch of physics dealing with electric charges at rest ( static electricity ) (takes a singular verb)[1]



electrostaticunit

electrostaticunit
e·lec·tro·stat·ic
u·nit
(plural e·lec·tro·stat·ic u·nits) noun

cgs unit of electrical
repulsion: a unit for measuring the
magnitude of forces of repulsion between static electric charges in the
centimeter-gram-second system, for example, the statampere and the statvolt[1]



electrosurgery

electrosurgery
e·lec·tro·sur·ger·y 
[i lèktrō súrjəree] noun

surgery
using electricity or electric device: the
use of an electric device or current during surgery, for example, to cut or
cauterize tissue
—elec·tro·sur·gi·cal
[i lèktrō súrjik’l], adjective

—e·lec·tro·sur·gi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrotherapy

electrotherapy
e·lec·tro·ther·a·py 
[i lèktrō thérrəpee] noun

medical
treatment using electricity: any form of medical
treatment that uses electricity as a cure or relief, for example, as a way of
stimulating nerves and the muscles they are connected to
—e·lec·tro·ther·a·peu·tic
[i lèktrō therrə pytik], adjective[1]



electrothermal

electrothermal
e·lec·tro·ther·mal 
[i lèktrō thúrm’l] adjective

of
heat and electricity: involving or relating to
electricity and heat, or the production of heat by electricity • electrothermal
energy conversion
—e·lec·tro·ther·mal·ly,
adverb[1]



electrotype

electrotype
e·lec·tro·type 
[i léktrə tp] noun (plural e·lec·tro·types)

1.  duplicate
printing plate made by electroplating: a
duplicate of a block of type or engraving made by electroplating a wax, lead,
or plastic mold of the original

2.  printed
item:
something printed from an electrotype
transitive
verb
(past e·lec·tro·typed, past participle e·lec·tro·typed,
present participle e·lec·tro·typ·ing, 3rd person present
singular e·lec·tro·types)

print using an electrotype:
to print something from an electrotype
—e·lec·tro·typ·er,
noun

—e·lec·tro·typ·ic [i lèktrō típpik], adjective[1]



electrovalence

electrovalence
e·lec·tro·va·lence 
[i lèktrō váyləns] (plural e·lec·tro·va·len·ces)
noun

combining
power of element: the combining power of an element,
measured by the number of electrons one atom of it acquires from or transfers
to another atom during the formation of a chemical compound
—e·lec·tro·va·lent, adjective[1]



electrovalentbond

electrovalentbond
e·lec·tro·va·lent
bond
(plural e·lec·tro·va·lent bonds) noun

link between ions in a
chemical compound: a chemical
bond that is created during the formation of a compound by transfer of one or
more electrons from one atom to another, the resulting oppositely charged ions
being held together by attraction.
Also called
electrovalence
Also called
ionic bond[1]



electroweak

electroweak
e·lec·tro·weak
[i léktrō wk] adjective

PHYSICS
uniting electromagnetism and weak
interaction: used to describe a type
of fundamental interaction uniting electromagnetic forces with the weak
interaction[1]



electrum

electrum
e·lec·trum 
[i léktrəm] noun

alloy
of silver and gold: a pale-colored alloy of
silver and gold used in jewelry and ornaments
[14th century. Via Latin,
“amber,” from Greek ēlektron .][1]



electuary

electuary
e·lec·tu·ar·y 
[i lékchoo èrree] (plural e·lec·tu·ar·ies)
noun

sweet-tasting
medicinal paste: a sweet-tasting paste made by mixing a
drug with syrup or honey, administered by being applied to the teeth, tongue,
or gums
[14th century. Via late Latin
electuarium, of uncertain origin: probably from Greek eleikton,
from eleikhein “to lick up.”][1]



eleemosynary

eleemosynary
el·ee·mos·y·nar·y 
[èllə móss’n èrree, èllee
ə móss’n èrree] adjective (formal)

1.  of
or for charity: relating to or given as charity

2.  supported
by charity:
supported by or depending on charitable gifts
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin eleemosynarius, from eleemosyna “alms,” from,
ultimately, Greek eleos “mercy.”][1]



elegance

elegance
el·e·gance 
[élləgəns] (plural el·e·ganc·es)
noun

1.  grace
and dignity: a combination of graceful stylishness,
distinction, and good taste in appearance, behavior, or movement • leaning
in a pose of studied elegance against the mantelpiece

2.  conciseness:
a satisfying or admirable neatness, ingenious simplicity, or precision in
something • the
elegance of the solution

3.  something
elegant:
an elegant thing or quality
[Early 16th century. Via
French élégance from, ultimately, Latin elegans “choice” (see elegant ).][1]



elegant

elegant
el·e·gant 
[élləgənt] adjective

1.  stylish
and graceful: stylishly graceful, and showing
sophistication and good taste in appearance or behavior • A
suit can be as expensive as you like; it’s the wearer who makes it look
elegant.

2.  showing
skill and grace: executed or made with a combination of
skill, ease, and grace • an
elegant forehand return

3.  concise:
satisfyingly and often ingeniously neat, simple, or concise • an
equation elegant in its simplicity
[15th
century. Via French from Latin elegans “choice,” from, ultimately, eligire
“to pick out” (source of English elect
).]
—el·e·gant·ly, adverb[1]



elegiac

elegiac
el·e·gi·ac 
[èllə j ək] or el·e·gi·a·cal
[èllə j ək’l] adjective

1.  mournful:
expressing sorrow or regret (formal) “The same elegiac and lonely tone
continues to haunt the later poetry.” Northrop Frye The Bush Garden 1972

2.  LITERATURE like
an elegy:
resembling or characteristic of a poetic elegy in form or content
[Late
16th century. Via French élégiaque or late Latin elegiacus from,
ultimately, Greek elegos “song.”]
—el·e·gi·a·cal·ly, adverb[1]



elegiaccouplet

elegiaccouplet
el·e·gi·ac
cou·plet
(plural el·e·gi·ac cou·plets) noun

2-line unit of classical
poetry: a two-line unit of classical
Greek and Latin poetry in which the first line comprises six dactylic feet and
the second line five[1]



elegiacstanza

elegiacstanza
el·e·gi·ac
stan·za
(plural el·e·gi·ac stan·zas) noun

4-line unit of poetry:
a four-line unit of verse in which each line comprises five iambic feet and
alternate lines rhyme[1]



elegist

elegist
el·e·gist 
[élləjist] (plural el·e·gists)
noun

writer or speaker of elegy:
somebody who writes, reads, or recites an elegy[1]



elegit

elegit
e·le·git 
[i ljit] (plural e·le·gits) noun

legal
writ against debtor: a writ against a debtor’s
property that permits a creditor to keep it until the debt is paid
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin, formed from Latin eligire “to choose.”][1]



elegize

elegize
el·e·gize 
[éllə jz] (past el·e·gized, past
participle el·e·gized, present participle el·e·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular el·e·giz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb commemorate
somebody or something sorrowfully: to write or speak
about somebody or something in a mournful, sorrowful way • He
elegized his lost comrade.

2.  intransitive
verb
write
or deliver an elegy: to write, read, or recite an
elegy

[1]



elegy

elegy
el·e·gy 
[élləjee] (plural el·e·gies) noun

1.  mournful
poem:
a mournful or reflective poem

2.  poem
in elegiac couplets or stanzas: a poem written in
elegiac couplets or stanzas

3.  MUSIC musical
for lament for dead person: an instrumental piece, or
setting for a song, composed as a lament for somebody who has died
[Early
16th century. Via French élégie or directly from Latin elegia
from, ultimately, Greek elegos “song.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Elegy
  Written in a Country Churchyard, a poem by English writer Thomas Gray ( 1750
  ). Inspired by a churchyard at Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England, it is a
  reflection on rural life, human ambitions, friendship, and mortality. It is
  considered the masterpiece of the “graveyard” school of literature, which was
  popular in the 1740s and 1750s.

[1]



elem.

elem.
elem.

Abbreviation of
elementary[1]



element

element
el·e·ment 
[élləmənt] noun (plural el·e·ments)

1.  separate
part or group: a separate, identifiable part of
something, or a distinct group within a larger group • Landowners
were the most stable element of society.

2.  little
bit:
a small amount of something • There
was an element of revenge in what she did.

3.  factor:
a cause or factor leading to something • Surprise
was the key element in ensuring the success of the operation.

4.  CHEMISTRY basic
unit of matter: any substance that cannot be broken down
into a simpler one by a chemical reaction. Elements consist of atoms with the
same number of protons in their nuclei, and 92 occur naturally on Earth.

5.  HISTORY supposed
basic unit of matter: any one of the four primary
substances, earth, air, fire, and water, that were formerly thought to be the
materials from which all matter is constructed

6.  something’s
habitat:
a natural habitat or environment

7.  ELECTRICITY HOUSEHOLD heating
part of an appliance: a part of an electric
heater, stove, or other appliance that heats up when an electric current is
passed through it

8.  GEOMETRY constituent
of geometric figure: a point, line, plane, or
other part of which a geometric figure is composed

9.  ELECTRICITY component
of electric circuit: any component of an electric
circuit

10. MATHEMATICS part
of mathematical quantity: a part of a given
mathematical or geometric quantity, for example, a number in an array or an
angle in a triangle

11. LOGIC MATHEMATICS member of set:
a member of a set

12. OPTICS component
of an optical system: any lens or other component
of an optical system

13. ASTRONOMY parameter
defining an orbit: any one of the parameters
required to define the nature of an orbit and to determine the position of a
planetary body within it
plural
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY forces
of weather:
the forces of the weather, for example, wind, cold, rain, or sunshine,
especially when thought of as harsh and damaging • We’re
pretty exposed to the elements up here on the hilltop.

2.  basic
principles:
the basic and most important things to be learned when studying a subject • She
was endeavoring to teach us the elements of a good prose style.

3.  CHRISTIANITY bread
and wine in Christian ceremony: the bread and wine used
by Christians to celebrate the ceremony known as the Eucharist, Communion, or
the Lord’s Supper
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin elementum “rudiment,” of uncertain
origin.]
in
your element

in the situation or
environment to which you feel most suited or where you feel particularly happy[1]



elemental

elemental
el·e·men·tal 
[èllə mént’l] adjective

1.  fundamental:
basic and essential

2.  relating
to natural forces: relating to or caused by
powerful natural forces • elemental
passions

3.  reduced
to, or reducing something to, a stark simplicity • classic,
elemental sculptures

4.  CHEMISTRY of
chemical or ancient elements: relating to the chemical
elements, or to the elements of earth, air, fire, and water that were once
supposed to be the basic units of matter
—el·e·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



elementary

elementary
el·e·men·ta·ry 
[èllə méntəree, èllə
méntree] adjective

1.  rudimentary:
involving or encompassing only the most simple and basic facts or principles • Anyone
with an elementary knowledge of computing could have pointed that out to you.

2.  simple
to do or understand: requiring little skill or
knowledge

3.  EDUCATION of
an elementary school: relating to an elementary
school or the education provided there
—el·e·men·ta·ri·ly
[èllə men térrilee], adverb

—el·e·men·ta·ri·ness [èllə men térreenəss], noun[1]



elementaryparticle

elementaryparticle
el·e·men·ta·ry
par·ti·cle
(plural el·e·men·ta·ry par·ti·cles) noun

basic indivisible constituent
of matter: any one of the basic
constituents of which matter and energy are composed, for example, electrons,
leptons, photons, or hadrons, held to be indivisible. They are elementary
particles.
Also called
fundamental particle[1]



elementaryschool

elementaryschool
el·e·men·ta·ry
school
(plural el·e·men·ta·ry schools) noun

school for early education:
a school that provides the first four to eight years of basic education[1]



elemi

elemi
el·e·mi 
[élləmee] (plural el·e·mis) noun

CHEMISTRY tropical
resin:
a fragrant resin obtained from various tropical trees and used in making
varnishes, inks, ointments, and perfumes
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from Arabic al-lāmī .][1]



elenchus

elenchus
e·len·chus 
[i léngkəss] (plural e·len·chi
[i léng k]) noun

logical
refutation by proving the opposite: an
argument that refutes a proposition by proving the opposite of its conclusions
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek elegkhos “refutation.”]
—e·lenc·tic [i léngtik], adjective[1]



elephant

elephant


el·e·phant 
[élləfənt] (plural el·e·phants
or el·e·phant) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
grayish animal with long trunk: a large gray or
grayish-brown animal with a long flexible trunk, prominent ears, thick legs,
and pointed tusks. Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three species
of elephants remain in existence today: the African elephant, African forest
elephant, and Asian or Indian elephant. Latin name: Loxodonta africana Loxodonta
cyclotis Elephas maximus

2.  PALEONTOLOGY extinct
animal:
an extinct animal that is related to living elephants

3.  (plural
el·e·phants) something very large:
somebody or something that is extremely large or much larger than average
[13th century. Via Old French
olifant from Latin elephantus from, ultimately, Greek elephās
“elephant, ivory.”][1]



ElephantaIsland

ElephantaIsland
El·e·phan·ta
Is·land
[élləfəntə lənd]

island in Bombay harbor,
western India, approximately 10 km/6 mi east of Bombay. Area: 5 sq km/2 sq mi.[1]



elephantfolio

elephantfolio
el·e·phant
fo·li·o
noun

largest book size:
a book size from 61 to 63.5 cm24 to 25 in. in height[1]



elephantgarlic

elephantgarlic
el·e·phant
gar·lic
noun

large variety of garlic:
a mild-flavored variety of garlic with very large bulbs, often roasted as a
vegetable. Latin name: Allium ampeloprasum[1]



elephantgrass

elephantgrass
el·e·phant
grass
noun

tall tropical grass:
any of a number of tall coarse grasses or plants resembling grasses of tropical
Africa and southern Asia. Genera: Typha Pennisetum[1]



elephantgun

elephantgun
el·e·phant
gun
noun

large-caliber gun used in
hunting: a large-caliber gun,
typically .410 or more, used in hunting big game.[1]



elephantiasis

elephantiasis
el·e·phan·ti·a·sis 
[èlləfən t əsiss] noun

1.  MED disfiguring
illness causing swelling: a chronic disease in which
parasitic worms obstruct the lymphatic system, causing enlargement of parts of
the body such as the legs and scrotum and hardening of the surrounding skin. It
is transmitted by mosquitoes.

2.  unreasonable
growth:
excessive and unreasonable growth or development of something
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek, from elephās “elephant.”][1]



elephantine

elephantine
ele·phan·tine 
[èllə fán tn, èllə
fán tn, élləfən tn, élləfən tn] adjective

1.  slow
and heavy:
moving in a slow, heavy, and often clumsy or awkward way • the
heavy, elephantine tread of his feet

2.  enormous:
very large or very great

3.  like
an elephant’s: resembling that of an elephant
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek elephantinos, from elephās “elephant.”][1]



elephantseal

elephantseal
el·e·phant
seal
noun

seal with a long snout:
a large earless seal, the male of which has a long inflatable snout resembling
an elephant’s trunk. Elephant seals were hunted almost to extinction in the
19th century. Latin name: Mirounga angustirostris Mirounga leonina

Also called
sea elephant[1]



elephant’sfoot

elephant’sfoot
el·e·phant’s
foot 
(plural el·e·phant’s foots) noun

tropical plant with edible
tuber: an ornamental southern
African climbing or trailing plant of the yam family with a large above-ground
tuber that is sometimes used for food. Latin name: Dioscorea elephantipes[1]



Eleusinianmysteries

Eleusinianmysteries
El·eu·sin·i·an
mys·ter·ies
[ellyə sìnnee ən místəriz] plural noun

ancient Greek rituals:
an ancient Greek festival held annually at Elevsís and Athens that honored and
celebrated Persephone, Demeter, and Dionysus[1]



elev.

elev.
elev.

Abbreviation of
elevation[1]



elevate

elevate
el·e·vate 
[éllə vàyt] (past el·e·vat·ed,
past participle el·e·vat·ed, present participle el·e·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular el·e·vates) transitive verb

1.  raise
something up: to raise something to a higher level or
position

2.  raise
somebody to higher rank: to raise or promote somebody
or something to a high or higher status, rank, or office • elevated
to the rank of bishop

3.  increase
something:
to increase the amount or intensity of something • This
was one factor that elevated interest rates higher than they otherwise would
have been.

4.  raise
somebody’s mind or spirit: to lift somebody’s mind or
spirit to a more enlightened or exalted level (formal)

5.  ARMS make a
gun barrel point higher: to make the barrel of a
field gun point at a higher angle
[14th
century. Via Latin elevatus from, ultimately, levare “to
lighten.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at raise

[1]



elevated

elevated
el·e·vat·ed 
[éllə vàytəd] adjective

1.  at
a high level or position: raised above ground level,
or situated at a higher level than something else • elevated
track

2.  high
or higher in rank: high or higher in rank or
status

3.  increased:
increased in amount • elevated
levels of cholesterol

4.  at
a high moral or intellectual level: set
at a high moral or intellectual level • Milton’s
elevated conception of the role of the poet

[1]



elevatedrailroad

elevatedrailroad
el·e·vat·ed
rail·road
noun

rail system running above
roads: a rail system operating on a
raised structure, usually above or over a street[1]



elevation

elevation
el·e·va·tion 
[èllə váysh’n] (plural el·e·va·tions)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY height
above a location: the height above a specific reference
point, especially sea level • at an
elevation of 1,000 feet above sea level

2.  raising
something, or being raised: the act of raising somebody
or something in height or status, or the process of being raised in height or
status • They
congratulated him on his elevation to the cardinalship.

3.  degree
of being raised: the degree or amount by which somebody
or something is raised or elevated • a
figure skater who is able to get tremendous elevation in her triple jumps

4.  increase:
an increase in something (technical) • Among
the effects was an elevation in the level of dopamine.

5.  ARCHITECTURE architectural
drawing of a side of building: a scale drawing of any
side of a building or other structure • the
front elevation of the proposed new wing

6.  CIVIL ENGINEERING angle
in surveying: the angle between a horizontal line and
the line from a surveying instrument to a point above the horizontal, for
example, between eye level and a line to a nearby rooftop

7.  ARMS angle
of a gun barrel above horizontal: the angle to which the
barrel of a large gun is raised above the horizontal

8.  CHRISTIANITY raising
of the Host and chalice: the raising up and showing
to the people of the Host or chalice by a priest immediately after their
consecration in a Mass

9.  ASTRONOMY See altitude  noun 4

10. BALLET ability
to jump, or the height reached: the ability of a
ballet dancer to jump high and hold the position briefly, or the height a
dancer can reach in jumping
—el·e·va·tion·al, adjective[1]



elevator

elevator

el·e·va·tor 
[éllə vàytər] (plural el·e·va·tors)
noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand TRANSPORT
BUILDING platform
for taking up or down: a platform, cage, or
enclosed compartment that is raised or lowered mechanically and used to take
people or things to a higher or lower level in a building

2.  AGRICULTURE grain
storehouse:
a storehouse for grain, equipped with a mechanism for taking in, lifting, and
discharging the grain.
Also
called
grain elevator

3.  TECHNOLOGY hoisting
machine:
a machine with scoops or similar devices for hoisting something to a higher
level

4.  AIR aircraft
device controlling climb and descent: a
hinged flap, either of a pair on the rear portion of the horizontal stabilizing
surface or tail plane of an aircraft, used to control the aircraft’s up and
down movement

5.  AIR aircraft
platform on carrier: on an aircraft carrier, a
mechanized platform that transports aircraft from a below-the-deck hangar up to
the flight deck and vice versa

6.        ANATOMY muscle
that lifts part of the body: a muscle
that contracts to lift a part of the body[1]



elevatormusic

elevatormusic
el·e·va·tor
mu·sic
noun

bland recorded music:
bland instrumental background music played over loudspeakers in elevators,
stores, and other public places (informal disapproving)[1]



eleven

eleven
e·lev·en 
[i lévən] (plural e·lev·ens) noun

1.  number
11:
the number 11, which is one more than 10 and one fewer than 12

2.  something
with a value of 11: something in a numbered
series with a value of 11

3.  group
of 11:
a group of 11 objects or people

4.  SPORTS team
of 11:
a team of 11 players, for example, a football team or a field hockey team
[Old
English endleofan, literally “one over (ten)”]
—e·lev·en, adjective,
pronoun[1]



elevenses

elevenses
e·lev·ens·es 
noun

mid-morning snack:
a snack, usually including a drink, taken in the middle of the morning,
especially by children (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



eleventh

eleventh
e·lev·enth 
[i lévənth] (plural e·lev·enths)
noun

one
of 11 parts of something: one of 11 equal parts of
something
[Old
English endleofeþa . See eleven .]
—e·lev·enth, adjective,
adverb[1]



eleventhhour

eleventhhour
e·lev·enth
hour
noun

last possible moment:
the last moment before something happens “Time after time you’ll find solutions
are reached at the 59th minute of the eleventh hour.” John Major Guardian
Weekly April 3, 1994[1]



elevon

elevon
el·e·von 
[éllə vòn] (plural el·e·vons) noun

aircraft
controlling device: a hinged flap on an
aircraft, especially one with a delta wing or no tail, that functions both as
an elevator and an aileron
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
elevator and aileron
.][1]



elf

elf
elf 
[elf] (plural elves [elvz]) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY small
supernatural mischief-maker: a small lively creature
resembling a human being, often considered to have a mischievous nature and
magical powers

2.  small
mischievous person: any small person, especially
a child, who plays pranks or tricks
[Old English, of prehistoric
Germanic origin][1]



ELF

ELF
ELF

Abbreviation of
extremely low frequency[1]



elfin

elfin
elf·in 
[élfin] adjective

1.  of
or like an elf: like, characteristic of, or associated
with elves

2.  by
elves:
caused or made by elves

3.  delicate:
small and delicate • elfin features

4.  small
and lively:
small, delicate, and charmingly sprightly, lively, or mischievous

5.  magical
or charming: having a magical or delicately charming
quality

[1]



elfish

elfish
elf·ish 
[élfish] or elv·ish [élvish] or elf·like [élf lk] adjective

1.  of
or like an elf: like or relating to an elf

2.  mischievous:
full of lively mischief
—elf·ish·ly, adverb[1]



elflock

elflock
elf·lock 
[élf lòk] (plural elf·locks) noun

tangled hair:
a tangled coil of hair (often used in the plural)[1]



Elgar,Edward

Elgar,Edward


El·gar 
[él gr, élgər],
Sir Edward (1857–1934)
British composer. He was a major figure
of late romanticism in music, writing both choral and orchestral works. His Enigma
Variations (1899) and the patriotic Pomp and Circumstance Marches
(1901–1930) are among his most popular pieces.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Elgin

Elgin
El·gin
[élgin]

city in northeastern
Illinois, on the Fox River, north of Aurora and west of Chicago. Population:
86,034 (1996)[1]



elhi

elhi
el·hi 
[él h] adjective

relating
to elementary and high schools: used to describe
educational material relating to or designed for use in grades 1 to 12 • elhi
textbooks and software
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and blend of elementary + high .][1]



elicit

elicit
e·lic·it 
[i líssit] (past e·lic·it·ed, past
participle e·lic·it·ed, present participle e·lic·it·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lic·its) transitive verb

1.  provoke
a reaction:
to cause or produce something as a reaction or response to a stimulus of some
kind • His
jokes failed to elicit even the faintest of smiles from her.

2.  draw
out something hidden: to bring to light, or cause
somebody to disclose, something hidden or not immediately obvious, especially
by a process of questioning or research • What
were their chances of eliciting any worthwhile information from such an
obstinately uncooperative witness?
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin elicitus “drawn out,” from, ultimately, lacere
“to deceive.”]
—e·lic·i·ta·tion
[i lìssi táysh’n], noun

—e·lic·i·tor [i líssitər], noun[1]



elide

elide
e·lide 
[i ld] (past e·lid·ed, past
participle e·lid·ed, present participle e·lid·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·lides) transitive verb

1.  LANGUAGE omit
element of word or phrase: to omit a vowel, consonant,
or syllable of a word, or leave out part of a sentence or phrase

2.  omit
something:
to omit, delete, or ignore something (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin elidere “to strike out,” from laedere “to strike.”][1]



eligible

eligible
el·i·gi·ble 
[éllijəb’l] adjective

1.  qualified:
entitled or qualified to do, be, or get something • She
is eligible to run for office.

2.  marriageable:
considered a good candidate for marriage • the
most eligible bachelor in town

3.  FOOTBALL allowed
by rules to catch a football: permitted by the rules to
catch a forward pass during a play in football
noun

somebody or something eligible:
somebody who or something that meets a set of requirements • We’ve
separated the eligibles from the nonstarters.
[15th
century. Via middle French éligible “fit to be chosen” from late Latin eligibilis
“that may be chosen,” from Latin eligere “to choose” (see elect ).]
—el·i·gi·bil·i·ty
[èllijə bíllətee], noun

—el·i·gi·bly [éllijəblee], adverb[1]



eliminate

eliminate
e·lim·i·nate 
[i límmə nàyt] (past e·lim·i·nat·ed,
past participle e·lim·i·nat·ed, present participle e·lim·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lim·i·nates) transitive verb

1.  take
somebody or something away: to remove something or
somebody from a list or group, or decide to disregard somebody or something as
irrelevant or unimportant • The
police eliminated him from the list of suspects.

2.  end
something:
to put an end to something, usually something undesirable • They
are pledged to eliminate poverty by the end of the century.

3.  SPORTS put
somebody out of a competition: to defeat and put a
player or team out of a competition • The
local team was eliminated in the first round.

4.  destroy
somebody:
to kill somebody, destroy something, or make somebody or something ineffective
• The
pills eliminated the dog’s worms.

5.  PHYSIOLOGY defecate
or urinate:
to expel waste from the body (technical)

6.  MATHEMATICS remove
a mathematical variable: to remove variables from two
or more simultaneous mathematical equations by combining the equations
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin eliminare, literally “to turn out of doors,” from limen
“threshhold” (source of English subliminal
and probably sublime ).]
—e·lim·i·na·tion
[i lìmmə náysh’n], noun

—e·lim·i·na·tive
[i límmə nàytiv], adjective

—e·lim·i·na·to·ry
[i límmənə tàwree], adjective

—e·lim·i·na·tor [i límmə nàytər], noun[1]



ELINT

ELINT
E·LINT
or e·lint noun

gathering
of information by electronic means: the
gathering of information by electronic means, for example, from aircraft or
ships, or the section of the military intelligence service involved in this
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and blend of electronic + intelligence .][1]



Eliot,George

Eliot,George

El·i·ot
[éllee ət], George (1819–1880)
British
novelist. One of the greatest English novelists, she wrote works including Adam
Bede ( 1854 ) and Middlemarch ( 1871–1872 ).
Real name
Evans, Mary Ann[1]



Eliot,John

Eliot,John
El·i·ot
[éllee ət], John (1604–1690)

English-born
American colonial clergyman. As a missionary, he preached to the Native
Americans in Massachusetts in their own language and published a Native
American translation of the Bible (1661–1663).
Known as
Apostle to the Indians[1]



Eliot,T. S.

Eliot,T. S.

El·i·ot
[éllee ət], T. S. (1888–1965)
U.S.-born
British poet, critic, and dramatist. His poem The Waste Land (1922)
represents a landmark in modern English poetry. He won a Nobel Prize in
literature in 1948. Later works include Four Quartets (1935–1942 ) and
the verse drama Murder in the Cathedral (1935).
Full name
Eliot, Thomas Stearns[1]



ELISA

ELISA
E·LI·SA 
[i lzə, i lssə]
noun

diagnostic laboratory test:
a widely used technique for determining the presence or amount of protein in a
biological sample, using an enzyme that bonds to an antibody or antigen and
causes a color change. Full form enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay[1]



elision

elision
e·li·sion 
[i lízh’n] (plural e·li·sions)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE omission
of element of word: the omission of a vowel,
consonant, or syllable while pronouncing or writing something, sometimes as a
natural shortening, as in “He’s,” sometimes for literary or poetic effect, as
in “t’is”

2.  any
omission or deletion: the suppression, omission,
or deletion of something, or what has been suppressed, omitted, or deleted (formal)
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
elisio from, ultimately, elidere “to strike out” (see elide ).][1]



elite

elite
e·lite 
[i lt, ay lt]
noun (plural e·lites)

1.  privileged
minority:
a small group of people within a larger group who have more power, social
standing, wealth, or talent than the rest of the group (takes a singular or
plural verb) • They belonged to a
privileged elite who were being groomed for the top posts in the
administration.

2.  PRINTING size
of printing type: a 10-point type that has about 12
characters to the inch, or just under 5 characters to the centimeter
adjective

1.  richest,
best, or most powerful: belonging to an elite,
especially in being more talented, privileged, or highly trained than the rest
• elite
troops

2.  for
rich or privileged people: with a membership that is
restricted, especially to the rich or privileged
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin eligere “to choose” (see elect ).][1]



elitism

elitism
e·lit·ism
[i l tìzzəm, ay
l tìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in concept of superiority: the belief that some people
or things are inherently superior to others and deserve preeminence,
preferential treatment, or higher rewards because of their superiority

2.  POLITICS SOCIAL SCIENCES belief in control by
small group: the belief that government or control
should be in the hands of a small group of privileged, wealthy, or intelligent
people, or the active promotion of such a system

3.  POLITICS SOCIAL SCIENCES control by small group:
government or control by a small, specially qualified or privileged group
—e·lit·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



elixir

elixir
e·lix·ir 
[i líksər] (plural e·lix·irs) noun

1.  PHARMACOLOGY sweetened
drug:
a sweetened flavored solution of alcohol and water that acts as a medium for a
drug and masks its taste

2.  HISTORY miraculous
substance:
a substance once believed to prolong life indefinitely, or to transform base
metals into gold

3.  cure-all:
a panacea or a quick or magical cure
[14th century.Via medieval
Latin from Arabic al-iksir, from Greek xērion “dry powder for
treating wounds,” from xēros “dry.”][1]



Elizabeth

Elizabeth
E·liz·a·beth 
[i lízzèbèth], Queen consort of the United
Kingdom (1900– )

She
married the second son of George V, who came to the throne as George VI in
1936, and is the mother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Born
Bowes-Lyon, Lady Elizabeth[1]



Elizabeth

Elizabeth
E·liz·a·beth
[i lízzèbèth]

city in northeastern New
Jersey, situated on Newark Bay. Population: 110,002 (1990)[1]



Elizabethan

Elizabethan
E·liz·a·be·than 
[i lìzzə bthən, i
lìzzə béthən] adjective

relating to reign of
Elizabeth I: relating to or
characteristic of the life and times of Elizabeth I, Queen of England and
Ireland, who reigned from 1558 to 1603[1]



Elizabethansonnet

Elizabethansonnet
E·liz·a·be·than
son·net
(plural E·liz·a·be·than son·nets) noun

See
Shakespearean sonnet[1]



ElizabethI

ElizabethI

E·liz·a·beth I 
[i lízzèbèth], Queen of England and Ireland
(1533–1603)
The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyn, she established the Protestant church in England and presided over a
period of domestic political stability and global exploration.[1]



ElizabethII

ElizabethII

E·liz·a·beth
II
[i lízzèbèth], Queen of the United Kingdom
(1926– )
Daughter
of George VI and queen since 1952, she married Prince Philip in 1947 and has
four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
Born
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary[1]



Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown
E·liz·a·beth·town
[i lízzə bəth tòwn]

city in north central
Kentucky, northeast of Bowling Green and south of Louisville. Population:
19,434 (1996)[1]



Elk

Elk
Elk
(plural Elks) noun

member of social and
charitable organization: a member of
a men’s social and charitable organization, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks[1]



elk

elk
elk 
[elk] (plural elk or elks)
noun

1.  U.K.
See moose

2.  See
wapitit
[Old English eolh][1]



ElkGrove

ElkGrove
Elk
Grove
[élk grv]

village in northern
California, a southern suburb of Sacramento. Population: 34,370 (1996)[1]



ElkGrove Village

ElkGrove Village
Elk
Grove Vil·lage

village in northeastern
Illinois, southwest of Des Plaines, that is a western suburb of Chicago.
Population: 34,470 (1996)[1]



Elkhart

Elkhart
Elk·hart
[élk hrt]

city in northern Indiana, at
the confluence of the Saint Joseph and Elkhart rivers, near the border with
Michigan. Population: 44,224 (1996)[1]



elkhound

elkhound

elk·hound 
[élk hòwnd] (plural elk·hounds)
noun
See
Norwegian elkhound[1]



ElkIsland National Park

ElkIsland National Park
Elk
Is·land Na·tion·al Park

national park in central
Alberta, Canada, 48 km/20 mi east of Edmonton, established in 1913. Area: 194
sq km/75 sq mi.[1]



Elkton

Elkton
Elk·ton
[élktən]

city in northeastern
Maryland, on the Elk River at the northern end of Chesapeake Bay. Population:
10,308 (1996)[1]



ell

ell
ell
[el] (plural ells) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE building
extension:
an extension of a building, usually at right angles to the main part

2.  something
L-shaped:
something L-shaped or with a right-angled bend
[Late 18th century. Variant
spelling of the letter L .][1]



ellagicacid

ellagicacid
el·lag·ic
ac·id 
[ə làjjik ássid] noun

chemical that controls
bleeding: a crystalline compound
obtained from oak galls and tannins. It has some capacity for reducing
bleeding. C14H6O8[1]



EllefRingnes Island

EllefRingnes Island
El·lef
Ring·nes Is·land [è lef ríng
nayss lənd]

one of the Canadian Sverdrup
Islands, located in the Arctic Ocean, in the Northwest Territories. Area:
13,310 sq km/5,139 sq mi.[1]



Ellery,William

Ellery,William
El·le·ry
[élləree], William (1727–1820)

U.S. politician. He was
elected to the Second Continental Congress from Rhode Island (1776) and was a
signatory of the Declaration of Independence.[1]



EllesmereIsland

EllesmereIsland
Elles·mere
Is·land 
[élzmeer lènd]

island in Nunavut Territory,
northern Canada, close to the northwestern coast of Greenland. Area: 212,690 sq
km/82,120 sq mi.[1]



EllesmereIsland National Park Reserve

EllesmereIsland National Park Reserve
Elles·mere
Is·land Na·tion·al Park Re·serve

national park, established in
1980, in the northern part of Ellesmere Island situated in the Arctic Ocean,
Nunavut, northeastern Canada. Area: 37,775 sq km/14,585 sq mi.[1]



ElliceIslands

ElliceIslands
El·lice
Is·lands
[élliss ləndz]

Former name for
Tuvalu until 1975[1]



EllicottCity

EllicottCity
El·li·cott
Cit·y
[élli kot sìttee]

town in central Maryland.
Population: 41,396 (1990)[1]



Ellington,Duke

Ellington,Duke


El·ling·ton 
[éllingtən], Duke (1899–1974)
U.S.
jazz pianist, composer, and band leader. He came to fame in the early 1930s and
is known for compositions such as “Sophisticated Lady” ( 1933 ).
Real name
Ellington, Edward Kennedy[1]



ellipse

ellipse

el·lipse 
[i líps] (plural el·lip·ses) noun

1.  GEOMETRY shape
resembling oval: a shape like a stretched circle with
slightly longer, flatter sides

2.  GEOMETRY intersection
of cone and oblique plane: the shape formed by the
intersection of a right cone and an oblique plane that does not intersect the
base of the cone

3.  GRAMMAR PRINTING See ellipsis
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Latin ellipsis, from Greek elleipsis “defect, omission,”
from elleipein “to leave out, fall short.”][1]



ellipsis

ellipsis
el·lip·sis 
[i lípsiss] (plural el·lip·ses
[i líp sz]) noun
Also
called
ellipse

1.  GRAMMAR omission
of implied word: the omission of one or more words from a
sentence, especially when what is omitted can be understood from the context.
The omission of “go” in “I went but my wife didn’t” (= “didn’t go”) is an
example of ellipsis.

2.  PRINTING mark
indicating omitted text: a printed mark, usually
three dots (…) or, less often, asterisks (***), used to indicate that something
has been omitted from a text
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (see ellipse ).][1]



ellipsoid

ellipsoid

el·lip·soid 
[i líp sòyd] noun (plural el·lip·soids)
GEOMETRY oval
shape:
a geometric surface or a solid figure shaped like an oval. Any section through
an ellipsoid is either an ellipse or a circle.
adjective
oval-shaped:
in the shape of an ellipsoid
—el·lip·soid·al, adjective[1]



elliptical

elliptical
el·lip·ti·cal
[i líptək’l] or el·lip·tic [i líptik] adjective

1.  GEOMETRY like
ellipse:
in the shape or pattern of a geometric ellipse

2.  GRAMMAR relating
to ellipsis: relating to ellipsis or containing an
example of ellipsis

3.  highly
economical in speech or writing: extremely concise in
speech or writing, sometimes so concise as to be difficult or impossible to
understand
—el·lip·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ellipticity

ellipticity
el·lip·tic·i·ty 
[i lìp tíssitee] (plural el·lip·tic·i·ties)
noun

deviation from circle or
sphere: the deviation or degree of
deviation of an ellipse or ellipsoid from a perfect circle or sphere.
Ellipticity is measured as the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis of the
ellipse or ellipsoid.[1]



Ellis,Havelock

Ellis,Havelock

El·lis
[élliss], Havelock (1859–1939)
British
psychologist. His Studies in the Psychology of Sex (1897–1928) was a
landmark in the analysis of sexual behavior.
Full name
Ellis, Henry Havelock[1]



EllisIsland

EllisIsland
El·lis
Is·land
[éllis lənd]

complex of one natural and
two artificial islands in upper New York Bay, eastern New Jersey and
southeastern New York State, near Manhattan. From 1892 to 1954 it served as a
chief entry point for immigrants to the United States. Area: 11 hectares/27
acres.[1]



Ellison,Ralph

Ellison,Ralph
El·li·son 
[élliss’n], Ralph (1914–1994)

U.S.
writer. He is best known for his novel about U.S. racial issues, Invisible
Man ( 1952 ).
Full name
Ellison, Ralph Waldo[1]



EllsworthLand

EllsworthLand
Ells·worth
Land
[élz wurth lànd]

high plateau in western
Antarctica, south of the Antarctic Peninsula. It rises at the Vinson Massif,
the highest point in Antarctica, to 5,140 m/16,863 ft .[1]



Ellsworth,Lincoln

Ellsworth,Lincoln
Ells·worth 
[élz wùrth], Lincoln (1880–1951)

U.S. explorer. He was the
first person to fly over the Arctic (1926) and Antarctica (1935).[1]



Ellsworth,Oliver

Ellsworth,Oliver
Ells·worth
[élz wùrth], Oliver (1745–1807)

U.S. judge and politician. He
helped to shape the U.S. Constitution and was chief justice from 1796 to 1799.[1]



elm

elm

elm 
[elm] (plural elms) noun

1.  large
deciduous tree: a large deciduous tree with serrated
leaves and winged fruits, found throughout northern temperate regions. Genus: Ulmus

2.  wood
of elm tree: the hard heavy wood of the elm tree,
used as fuel and in making furniture, boats, and buildings
[Old English. Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that also produced English alder
.][1]



elmbark beetle

elmbark beetle
elm
bark bee·tle  (plural elm bark bee·tles)
noun

Dutch elm disease beetle:
the beetle that spreads the fungus causing Dutch elm disease. Family:
Scolytidae[1]



Elmhurst

Elmhurst
Elm·hurst
[élm hùrst]

city in northeastern
Illinois, a residential and industrial suburb of Chicago. Population: 43,290
(1996)[1]



Elmira

Elmira
El·mi·ra
[el mrə]

city in southern New York on
the Chemung River, west of Binghamton. Population: 32,009 (1996)[1]



ElMonte

ElMonte
El
Mon·te
[el móntee]

city in California south of
the San Gabriel Mountains, an eastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population:
110,026 (1996)[1]



ElmwoodPark

ElmwoodPark
Elm·wood
Park
[élm wd prk]

village in northeastern
Illinois, west of Chicago. Population: 22,760 (1996)[1]



ElNiño

ElNiño
El
Ni·ño
[el nnyō] noun

METEOROLOGY change
in Pacific currents: a periodic change occurring
every 5 to 8 years in Pacific Ocean currents off South America, often bringing
severe climate disruption to countries in and beside the Pacific
[From Spanish, shortening of El
Niño de Navidad “the Christmas Child”; from the time of year when the
currents change][1]



elodea

elodea
e·lo·de·a 
[i lṓdee ə] (plural e·lo·de·as)
noun

submerged
water plant: a plant that grows submerged in ponds
and ditches or is used in aquariums as an oxygenating plant. Canadian pondweed
is a type of elodea . Genus: Elodea
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, formed from Greek helōdēs “marshy.”][1]



Elohim

Elohim
E·lo·him
[e lṓ hìm, i lṓ
hìm, èllō hím] noun

God:
in the Bible, a Hebrew word for God
[Late 16th century. From
Hebrew elōhīm, the plural of elōah “God.”][1]



elongate

elongate
e·lon·gate 
[i láwng gàyt] intransitive and
transitive verb (past e·lon·gat·ed, past participle e·lon·gat·ed,
present participle e·lon·gat·ing, 3rd person present singular
e·lon·gates)

lengthen: to
make something longer, or become longer
adjective

1.  long:
long and narrow or slender (technical)

2.  made
longer:
lengthened or stretched out (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin elongat-, the past participle stem of elongare
“to lengthen,” from Latin longus “long.”]
—e·lon·gat·ed, adjective[1]



elongation

elongation
e·lon·ga·tion 
[i làwng gáysh’n] (plural e·lon·ga·tions)
noun

1.  lengthening:
the act of lengthening something, or the condition of being lengthened

2.  something
lengthened:
something that has become or been made longer

3.  ASTRONOMY angle
between Sun and celestial object: the angle between the
Sun and either the Moon or a planet, as seen from Earth or a point in space

[1]



elope

elope
e·lope 
[i lṓp] (past e·loped, past
participle e·loped, present participle e·lop·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·lopes) intransitive verb

leave
secretly to get married: to go away suddenly without
telling anyone, especially in order to get married without the knowledge or
consent of parents or guardians, or to live with a lover
[Late
16th century. From Anglo-Norman aloper, literally “to run away,” which
was perhaps formed from a Middle English word meaning “run.”]
—e·lope·ment,
noun

—e·lop·er, noun[1]



eloquence

eloquence
el·o·quence 
[élləkwəns] noun

1.  notable
speaking ability: the ability to speak forcefully,
expressively, and persuasively

2.  effective
language:
forceful, expressive, and persuasive language

[1]



eloquent

eloquent
el·o·quent 
[élləkwənt] adjective

1.  speaking
or spoken beautifully and forcefully: said
or saying something in a forceful, expressive, and persuasive way

2.  expressing
emotion clearly: expressing a feeling or thought clearly,
memorably, or movingly
[14th
century. Via French from Latin eloquent-, the present participle stem of
eloqui “to speak out,” from loqui “to speak.”]
—el·o·quent·ly,
adverb

—el·o·quent·ness, noun[1]



ElPaso

ElPaso
El
Pas·o 
[el pássō]

city in western Texas on the
Rio Grande, a port of entry from Mexico. Population: 579,307 (1994)[1]



ElSalvador




Back to definition

ElSalvador

[1]



ElSalvador

ElSalvador



El
Sal·va·dor
[el sálvə dàwr]
republic
on the Pacific coast of Central America, bordered by Guatemala and Honduras.
Language: Spanish. Currency: colón. Capital: San Salvador. Population:
5,661,827 (1997) Area: 21,041 sq km/8,124 sq mi. Official name Republic
of El Salvador
—Sal·va·do·ran, noun,
adjective[1]



else

else
else 
[els] adjective adverb

1.  in
addition:
used to refer in a vague way to another person, place, or thing • (adjective)
Something else I’d like to see is more jobs for skilled manual workers.
• (adjective)
What else did she say? • (adverb)
Try to shop around and go somewhere else apart from your usual stores.

2.  different:
used to refer in a vague way to somebody or something other or different • (adjective)
Let’s try something else. • (adverb)
He was unhappy and considered working somewhere else.
[Old English elles .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English alter and alien
.][1]



ElSegundo

ElSegundo
El
Se·gun·do
[èl si gndō]

city in southern California
on the southeastern shore of Santa Monica Bay, south of Los Angeles.
Population: 15,607 (1996)[1]



elsewhere

elsewhere
else·where 
[éls wàir, éls
hwàir] adverb

somewhere
else:
at, in, or to another place • If
you’re calling from elsewhere, please press 2 to contact reception.
• They
stock used books, and they have their own imprint that may be hard to find elsewhere.
[Old English elles hwr,
literally “other where”][1]



ELT

ELT
ELT
noun

teaching English to nonnative
speakers: the teaching of English to
people whose first language is not English. Full form English Language
Teaching[1]



eluant

eluant
el·u·ant 
[éllyoo ənt] (plural el·u·ants)
or el·u·ent [éllyoo ənt] (plural
el·u·ents) noun

solvent:
a solvent used to remove something from a substance
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
eluent-, the present participle stem of eluere (see elute ).][1]



eluate

eluate
el·u·ate 
[élloo àyt, élloo
ət] (plural el·u·ates) noun

CHEMISTRY product
of elution:
the liquid left after the process of elution, consisting of dissolved matter
and the solvent used
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin eluere (see elute ) + -ate .][1]



elucidate

elucidate
e·lu·ci·date 
[i lssə dàyt] (past e·lu·ci·dat·ed,
past participle e·lu·ci·dat·ed, present participle e·lu·ci·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lu·ci·dates) intransitive and
transitive verb

explain
something:
to explain or clarify something (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin elucidat-, the past participle stem of elucidare
“to make clear,” from Latin lucidus “clear” (source of English lucid ).]
—e·lu·ci·da·tion
[i lssə dáysh’n], noun

—e·lu·ci·da·tive,
adjective

—e·lu·ci·da·tor, noun[1]



elude

elude
e·lude 
[i ld] (past e·lud·ed, past
participle e·lud·ed, present participle e·lud·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·ludes) transitive verb

1.  escape
or avoid:
to escape from or avoid somebody or something by cunning, skill, or
resourcefulness

2.  escape
somebody’s understanding or memory: to be
beyond somebody’s understanding, or be unable to be recalled
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin eludere “to deceive, escape from, win from somebody
at play,” from ludere “to play.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at avoid.

[1]



eluent

eluent
el·u·ent
(plural el·u·ents) noun


Also called
eluant[1]



Elul

Elul
E·lul 
[é lùl] (plural E·luls) noun

month
of Jewish calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
12th month of the civil year and the 6th month of the religious year. It is 29
days long.
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew elūl .][1]



elusion

elusion
e·lu·sion
[ə lzh’n] noun

act
of avoiding or escaping: the act of avoiding or
escaping from somebody or something (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From the
late Latin stem elusion-, from Latin elus-, the past participle
stem of eludere (see elude ).][1]



elusive

elusive
e·lu·sive 
[ə lssiv, i
lssiv] adjective

1.  hard
to find:
difficult to find or catch

2.  hard
to pin down: difficult to understand, define, or
identify

3.  hard
to remember: not easily called to mind or memory
—e·lu·sive·ly,
adverb

—e·lu·sive·ness, noun[1]



elusory

elusory
e·lu·so·ry
[ə lssəree, ə
lzəree] adjective

1.  hard
to find:
difficult to find or catch (formal)

2.  evasive:
avoiding the issue in an evasive or deceitful way

[1]



elute

elute
e·lute 
[i lt] (past e·lut·ed, past
participle e·lut·ed, present participle e·lut·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·lutes) transitive verb

CHEMISTRY wash
out material: to remove one substance from another,
usually an adsorbed material from an adsorbent surface, by washing it out with
a solvent (technical)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin elut-, the past participle stem of eluere “to
wash out,” from luere “to wash” (source of English ablution ).]
—e·lu·tion [i lsh’n], noun[1]



elutriate

elutriate
e·lu·tri·ate 
[ə ltree àyt] (past e·lu·tri·at·ed,
past participle e·lu·tri·at·ed, present participle e·lu·tri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·lu·tri·ates) transitive verb

strain
or decant something: to purify or separate
something from a mixture by washing, decanting, or straining it (technical)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin elutriat-, the past participle stem of elutriare
“to wash out,” from lutriare “to wash.”]
—e·lu·tri·a·tion [ə ltree áysh’n], noun[1]



eluvia

eluvia
e·lu·vi·a

Plural of
eluvium[1]



eluvialdeposit

eluvialdeposit
e·lu·vi·al
de·pos·it
(plural e·lu·vi·al de·pos·its) noun

ore deposit:
a concentration of an ore deposit formed as a result of the removal of less
dense host material[1]



eluviation

eluviation
e·lu·vi·a·tion 
[ə lvee áysh’n] noun

GEOLOGY
movement of soil components:
a process by which material dissolved or suspended in water within soil moves
down or sideways as rainwater moves through the soil[1]



eluvium

eluvium
e·lu·vi·um 
[ə lvee əm] (plural e·lu·vi·a
[i lvee ə]) noun

GEOLOGY rock
or soil debris: an accumulated mass of soil, sand, silt,
or rock debris resulting from weathering or drifting
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin eluere (see elute
) on the model of alluvium .]
—e·lu·vi·al, adjective[1]



elver

elver
el·ver 
[élvər] (plural el·vers) noun

young
eel:
a young freshwater eel, especially one that migrates from salt water
[Mid-17th century. From
English dialect ellfare, literally “eel-journey,” because they migrate
into streams from the ocean.][1]



elves

elves
elves


Plural of
elf[1]



elvish

elvish
elv·ish 
[élvish] adjective

See
elfish[1]



Elysian

Elysian
E·ly·si·an 
[i lí’n] adjective

1.  relating
to Elysium:
relating to or typical of Elysium

2.  blissful:
full of or giving great pleasure and delight (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin Elysium, from Greek Elusion pedion “Elysian field,” of
unknown origin.][1]



ElysianFields

ElysianFields
E·ly·si·an
Fields 
plural noun

See
Elysium 1 noun
1[1]



Elysium

Elysium1
E·ly·si·um1  [i
líee əm, ə lízzee əm] noun

1.  heaven:
in Greek mythology, the home of the blessed after death.
Also
called
Elysian Fields

2.  ideal
place or condition: any ideally delightful or
blissful place or condition

[1]



Elysium

Elysium2
E·ly·si·um2 [i
líee əm, ə lízzee əm] noun

ASTRONOMY
bulge on surface of Mars:
an extensive low bulge on the surface of Mars in the northern hemisphere gently
rising to a height of approximately 5 km3 mi, supporting the volcanoes Hecate
Tholus and Elysium Mons[1]



elytron

elytron
el·y·tron 
[éllə tròn] (plural el·y·tra [éllətrə]) or el·y·trum [éllətrəm] (plural el·y·tra) noun

beetle’s
wing cover:
a tough front wing, occurring in pairs on beetles and some other insects, that
acts as a protective covering for the rear wings.
Also
called
wing case
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
elutron “sheath.”][1]



em-

em-
em-
prefix

(used before m, b, or p)See
en-[1]



em

em
em 
[em] (plural ems) noun PRINTING

1.  variable
measure of type: a unit of measurement of print size,
equal to the point size of the typeface being used

2.  See
pica 2 noun

[1]



EM

EM
EM
(plural EMs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
electromagnetic

2.  Abbreviation
of
electron microscope

3.  Abbreviation
of
enlisted man

[1]



emaciate

emaciate
e·ma·ci·ate 
[i máyshee àyt] (past e·ma·ci·at·ed,
past participle e·ma·ci·at·ed, present participle e·ma·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ma·ci·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become thin: to become, or make somebody or something
become, extremely thin
[Early
17th century. From Latin emaciat-, the past participle stem of emaciare
“to make lean, waste away,” from macer “lean” (source of English meagre
).]
—e·ma·ci·a·tion [i màyshee áysh’n], noun[1]



emaciated

emaciated
e·ma·ci·at·ed
[i máyshee àytəd] adjective

very
thin:
extremely thin, especially because of starvation or illness

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



e-mail

e-mail
e-mail
[ màyl] or e·mail [ màyl] noun (plural e-mails)
(plural e·mails)

1.  computer-to-computer
communication system: a system for transmitting
messages and data from one computer to another, using a telephone connection
and modems. Full form electronic mail

2.  e-mail
message:
a communication sent by e-mail
transitive
verb
(past e-mailed, past participle e-mailed, present
participle e-mail·ing, 3rd person present singular e-mails)
(past e·mailed, present participle e·mail·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·mails)

communicate something by e-mail:
to send a message to somebody by e-mail

[1]



emalangeni

emalangeni
em·a·lan·ge·ni


Plural of
lilangeni[1]



emanate

emanate
em·a·nate 
[émmə nàyt] (past em·a·nat·ed,
past participle em·a·nat·ed, present participle em·a·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular em·a·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
from:
to come from or come out of somebody, something, or somewhere

2.  transitive
verb
send
out:
to emit, send out, or give out something such as rays or information (formal)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin emanat-, the past participle stem of emanare
“to flow out, arise,” from manare “to flow.”]
—em·a·na·tive, adjective[1]



emanation

emanation
em·a·na·tion 
[èmmə náysh’n] (plural em·a·na·tions)
noun

1.  act
of sending out: the act of emitting, sending out, or
giving out something

2.  something
sent out:
something that issues or is sent out or given out from somebody or something

3.  PHYSICS radioactive
gas:
any gas produced by radioactive decay, for example, radon
—em·a·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



emancipate

emancipate
e·man·ci·pate 
[i mánsə pàyt] (past e·man·ci·pat·ed,
past participle e·man·ci·pat·ed, present participle e·man·ci·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·man·ci·pates) transitive verb

1.  set
somebody free: to free somebody from slavery, serfdom,
or bondage

2.  free
somebody from restrictions: to free somebody from
restrictions or conventions (often passive)
[Early
17th century. From Latin emancipat-, the past participle stem of emancipare
“to free from parental power,” from mancipium “ownership.”]
—e·man·ci·pa·tive,
adjective

—e·man·ci·pa·tor,
noun

—e·man·ci·pa·to·ry, adjective[1]



emancipation

emancipation
e·man·ci·pa·tion 
[i mànsə páysh’n] noun

1.  act
of freeing:
the act or process of setting somebody free or of freeing somebody from
restrictions

2.  being
freed:
the condition or fact of being set free or freed from some restriction

[1]



EmancipationProclamation

EmancipationProclamation
E·man·ci·pa·tion
Proc·la·ma·tion noun

liberation of enlaved people
in Confederacy: a proclamation,
effective on January 1, 1863, that was issued by President Abraham Lincoln and
declared freedom for all enslaved people in states still in rebellion against
the federal government[1]



emarginate

emarginate

e·mar·gi·nate 
[i mrjə nàyt] adjective
BOTANY BIOLOGY notched at tip:
with a notch at the tip
[Late
18th century. From Latin emarginatus, the past participle of emarginare
“to remove the edges of.”]
—e·mar·gi·na·tion [i mrjə náysh’n], noun[1]



emasculate

emasculate
e·mas·cu·late 
(past e·mas·cu·lat·ed, past participle e·mas·cu·lat·ed,
present participle e·mas·cu·lat·ing, 3rd person present
singular e·mas·cu·lates) transitive verb [i máskyə làyt]

1.  PHYSIOLOGY castrate:
to remove the testicles of a male human being or animal (formal or literary)

2.  weaken
somebody or something: to deprive somebody or
something of effectiveness, spirit, or force (formal) (sometimes
considered offensive)

3.  BOTANY remove
stamens from: to remove the male reproductive organs (
stamens ) from a flower, for example, to
prevent self-pollination
[Early
17th century. From Latin emasculat-, the past participle stem of emasculare
“to remove the male glands of, castrate,” from masculus “male.”]
—e·mas·cu·la·tion
[i màskyə láysh’n], noun

—e·mas·cu·la·tive
[i máskyələtiv], adjective

—e·mas·cu·la·tor
[i máskyə làytər], noun

—e·mas·cu·la·to·ry [i máskyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



embalm

embalm

em·balm 
[əm bm] (past em·balmed, past
participle em·balmed, present participle em·balm·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·balms) transitive verb

1.  preserve
dead body:
to treat a dead body with a preservative substance in order to stop it decaying

2.  keep
something intact: to preserve something from change or
oblivion (formal)

3.  perfume
something:
to give a sweet scent to something (literary)
[14th
century. From French embaumer, from baume “balm.”]
—em·balm·er,
noun

—em·balm·ment, noun[1]



embank

embank
em·bank 
[em bángk] (past em·banked, past
participle em·banked, present participle em·bank·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·banks) transitive verb

build embankment along
something: to surround or line a road,
canal, or other area with an embankment[1]



embankment

embankment
em·bank·ment 
[em bángkmənt] (plural em·bank·ments)
noun

confining or supporting
ridge: a ridge or raised platform
built of earth or stone to confine a waterway or support a road or railroad
line[1]



embarcadero

embarcadero
em·bar·ca·der·o 
[em brkə dérrō] (plural em·bar·ca·der·os)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
waterway
landing:
a landing place on a waterway
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, formed from embarcar “to embark.”][1]



embargo

embargo
em·bar·go 
[em brgō] noun (plural em·bar·goes)

1.  POLITICS order
stopping trade: a government restriction or restraint on
commerce, especially an order that prohibits trade in a given commodity or with
a particular nation

2.  prohibition:
any official restraint or prohibition

3.  POLITICS order
halting movement of ships: a government order that
prohibits commercial ships from entering or leaving its ports, often as a
measure during war
transitive
verb
(past em·bar·goed, past participle em·bar·goed, present
participle em·bar·go·ing, 3rd person present singular em·bar·goes)

1.  prohibit
or forbid something: to place an embargo on
something

2.  seize
something:
to confiscate or seize something for government use
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, formed from embargar “to restrain, seize, embargo,” probably
from assumed Vulgar Latin imbarricare “to restrain, impede,” from,
ultimately, Latin barra “bar.”][1]



embark

embark
em·bark 
[em brk] (past em·barked, past
participle em·barked, present participle em·bark·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·barks) intransitive and transitive
verb

go
or put on board: to go on board, or put or take somebody
or something on board a ship or aircraft
[Mid-16th
century. From French embarquer, from barque “ship” (source of
English bark 3 ).]
—em·bar·ka·tion
[èm baar káysh’n], noun

—em·bark·ment, noun[1]



embarkon

embarkon
embark
on
or em·bark up·on intransitive and transitive verb

begin doing something:
to start or engage in or involve somebody or something in an undertaking[1]



embarrasde richesses

embarrasde richesses
em·bar·ras
de ri·chesses  [aambaa r
də ree shéss] noun

overabundance
causing confusion: an overabundance of
desirable things that makes choice among them difficult
[From French, literally
“embarrassment of wealth”][1]



embarrass

embarrass
em·bar·rass 
[em bérrəss] (past em·bar·rassed,
past participle em·bar·rassed, present participle em·bar·rass·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bar·rass·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become self-conscious: to become or cause somebody
to become painfully self-conscious, ashamed, humiliated, or ill at ease

2.  transitive
verb
hold
somebody or something up: to hinder or impede somebody
or something (often passive)
[Late
17th century. Via French embarrasser “to impede, disconcert” from,
ultimately, Portuguese embaraçar, from baraço “halter.”]
—em·bar·rass·a·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Spelling
  trap:
  Note
  the spelling with -rr- and -ass . Harass
  has only one r.

[1]



embarrassed

embarrassed
em·bar·rassed
[em bérrəst] adjective

1.  self-conscious:
painfully self-conscious, ill at ease, ashamed, or humiliated

2.  short
of money:
in financial difficulties because of a lack of money
—em·bar·rassed·ly [em bérrəstlee, em bérrəssədlee],
adverb[1]



embarrassing

embarrassing
em·bar·rass·ing
[em bérrəssing] adjective

making
somebody feel self-conscious: causing painful
self-consciousness, uncomfortableness, shame, or humiliation
—em·bar·rass·ing·ly, adverb[1]



embarrassment

embarrassment
em·bar·rass·ment 
[em bérrəsmənt] (plural em·bar·rass·ments)
noun

1.  acute
self-consciousness: a feeling of painful
self-consciousness, uncomfortableness, shame, or humiliation

2.  something
that causes self-consciousness: something that causes
a feeling of painful self-consciousness, uncomfortableness, shame, or
humiliation

3.  lack
of money:
a state of financial difficulty

[1]



embassy

embassy
em·bas·sy 
[émbəsee] (plural em·bas·sies)
noun

1.  ambassador’s
headquarters: the residence and place of business of
an ambassador

2.  embassy
staff:
an ambassador with his or her ambassadorial staff

3.  ambassador’s
position and responsibilities: the mission, rank, or
function of an ambassador
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French ambassé from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin ambactiare
“to go on a mission.”][1]



embattle

embattle
em·bat·tle 
[em bátt’l] (past em·bat·tled,
past participle em·bat·tled, present participle em·bat·tling,
3rd person present singular em·bat·tles) transitive verb

1.  MILITARY position
forces:
to arrange forces in readiness for battle

2.  MILITARY fortify
something:
to fortify something such as a building, village, or position in battle (archaic)
(usually passive)

3.  ARCHITECTURE build
something with battlements: to provide a building with
battlements (archaic) (usually passive)
[14th century. From Old
French embataillier, from bataille “battle.”][1]



embattled

embattled
em·bat·tled 
[em bátt’ld] adjective

1.  under
assault:
under attack or subject to controversy

2.  MILITARY fighting
or ready to fight: ready for or engaged in
battle

3.  ARCHITECTURE with
battlements: with battlements provided (archaic)

[1]



embattlements

embattlements
em·bat·tle·ments
[em bátt’lmənts] noun

See
battlements[1]



embayment

embayment
em·bay·ment 
[em báymənt] (plural em·bay·ments)
noun

1.  bay:
a bay in a coastline (technical)

2.  bay
formation:
the process by which a bay is formed in a coastline

[1]



embed

embed
em·bed 
[em béd] (past em·bed·ded, past
participle em·bed·ded, present participle em·bed·ding,
3rd person present singular em·beds) or im·bed [em béd] (past im·bed·ded, past
participle im·bed·ded, present participle im·bed·ding,
3rd person present singular im·beds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb place
or be placed solidly: to fix something or become
fixed in a surrounding mass

2.  transitive
verb
surround
something:
to surround or cover something closely (usually passive)

3.  transitive
verb
fix
something in mind: to fix something deeply in
the mind or memory (often passive)

4.  intransitive
verb
become
lodged:
to become deeply and solidly lodged in something

[1]



embellish

embellish
em·bel·lish 
[em béllish] (past em·bel·lished,
past participle em·bel·lished, present participle em·bel·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bel·lish·es) transitive verb

1.  beautify
something:
to increase the beauty of something by adding ornaments or decorations

2.  add
fictitious or exaggerated details to: to
make an account or description more interesting by inventing or exaggerating
details

3.  MUSIC add to
melody:
to add extra notes, accents, or trills to a melody to make it more beautiful or
interesting
[14th century. From Old
French embellir, literally “to make beautiful,” from bel
“beautiful,” from Latin bellus (source of English beauty ).][1]



embellishment

embellishment
em·bel·lish·ment 
[em béllishmənt] (plural em·bel·lish·ments)
noun

1.  beautification
of something: the act or process of adding ornaments
or decorations to something to make it more beautiful

2.  something
added for beautification: something added to increase
beauty or interest

3.  MUSIC addition
to melody:
the addition of notes, accents, or trills to a melody to make it more beautiful
or interesting, or an added note, accent, or trill.
See
also
fioritura

[1]



ember

ember
em·ber 
[émbər] noun (plural em·bers)

burning fragment:
a small piece of glowing or smoldering material from a dying fire
plural
noun
em·bers

1.  remains
of fire:
the glowing or smoldering remains of a dying fire

2.  remains
of passion:
the dying but not yet extinguished remains of a great emotion, especially love
(literary)
[Old English myrge .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to burn” that also produced
English combustion .][1]



EmberDays

EmberDays
Em·ber
Days
or em·ber days plural noun

Christian
prayer days: days of prayer and fasting in Roman
Catholic and Anglican Churches, comprising the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
following Pentecost, the first Sunday after Lent, September 14, and December 13
[Ember from Old English ymbryne
“circuit,” literally “running around,” from ryne “course, running”; from
the fact that these days “come around” four times a year][1]



embezzle

embezzle
em·bez·zle 
[em bézz’l] (past em·bez·zled,
past participle em·bez·zled, present participle em·bez·zling,
3rd person present singular em·bez·zles) intransitive and
transitive verb

misuse
entrusted money or property: to take for personal use
money or property that has been given on trust by others, without their
knowledge or permission
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman embesiler “to steal,” from Old French besillier
“to gouge, destroy,” of unknown origin.]
—em·bez·zle·ment,
noun

—em·bez·zler,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



embitter

embitter
em·bit·ter 
[em bíttər] (past em·bit·tered,
past participle em·bit·tered, present participle em·bit·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bit·ters) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody bitter: to make somebody feel bitter or
aggrieved

2.  make
something worse: to make something more bitter or
acrimonious
—em·bit·ter·ment, noun[1]



embittered

embittered
em·bit·ter·ed
[em bíttərd] adjective

feeling bitter:
having become bitter, for example, because of hardship, injustice, or neglect[1]



emblaze

emblaze2
em·blaze2 [em
bláyz] (past em·blazed, past participle em·blazed,
present participle em·blaz·ing, 3rd person present singular
em·blaz·es) transitive verb

(archaic)
See emblazon
[Early 16th century. Formed
from blaze 2 .][1]



emblaze

emblaze1
em·blaze1 [em
bláyz] (past em·blazed, past participle em·blazed,
present participle em·blaz·ing, 3rd person present singular
em·blaz·es) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  light
something up: to light up or illuminate something

2.  set
something alight: to kindle something or set it on fire
[15th century. Formed from blaze 1 .][1]



emblazon

emblazon
em·bla·zon 
[em bláyz’n] (past em·bla·zoned,
past participle em·bla·zoned, present participle em·bla·zon·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bla·zons) transitive verb

1.  HERALDRY decorate
flag or shield: in heraldry, to decorate or adorn a
shield or flag by depicting something, especially a coat of arms

2.  add
design to something: to decorate or adorn
something such as clothing with bright colors or a symbol or picture

3.  make
somebody or something famous: to celebrate somebody or
something, or make somebody or something famous (literary) (often
passive)
—em·bla·zon·er,
noun

—em·bla·zon·ment, noun[1]



emblazonry

emblazonry
em·bla·zon·ry 
[em bláyz’nree] (plural em·bla·zon·ries)
noun

1.  act
of emblazoning: the act or process of putting heraldic
decorations on something such as a shield or flag

2.  decoration:
heraldic decorations on such things as shields and flags

[1]



emblem

emblem
em·blem 
[émbləm] (plural em·blems) noun

1.  symbol:
something that visually symbolizes an object, idea, group, or quality

2.  badge:
a badge or sign that represents a person, group, or organization

3.  PAINTING allegorical
image:
an allegorical picture, often with a motto, used to illustrate a moral lesson
[15th century. Via Latin emblema
“inlaid design” from, ultimately, Greek emballein “to throw in, insert,”
from ballein “to throw.”][1]



emblematic

emblematic
em·blem·at·ic 
[èmblə máttik] or em·blem·at·i·cal
[èmblə máttik’l] adjective

symbolic:
relating to, consisting of, or acting as an emblem or symbol
—em·blem·at·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



emblematize

emblematize
em·blem·a·tize 
[em blémmə tz] (past em·blem·a·tized,
past participle em·blem·a·tized, present participle em·blem·a·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular em·blem·a·tiz·es) transitive verb

serve as symbol of:
to serve as a symbol of something (formal)[1]



embodiment

embodiment
em·bod·i·ment 
[em bóddimənt] (plural em·bod·i·ments)
noun

1.  concrete
expression of something: somebody who or something
that is the tangible or visible expression of an idea or quality

2.  embodying
of something: the act or process by which something is
made tangible or visible

[1]



embody

embody
em·bod·y 
[em bóddee] (past em·bod·ied, past
participle em·bod·ied, present participle em·bod·y·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bod·ies) transitive verb

1.  make
something tangible: to give a tangible or
visible form to something abstract

2.  personify
something:
to express or exemplify something abstract in bodily form

3.  incorporate
things into organized whole: to gather and organize a
number of things into a whole

[1]



embolden

embolden
em·bold·en 
[em bṓld’n] (past em·bold·ened,
past participle em·bold·ened, present participle em·bold·en·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bold·ens) transitive verb

give somebody or something
courage: to give somebody courage or
boldness[1]



embolectomy

embolectomy
em·bo·lec·to·my 
[èmbə léktəmee] (plural em·bo·lec·to·mies)
noun

removal of blockage in blood
vessel: the surgical removal of an
embolus, usually a blood clot or other obstruction in a blood vessel[1]



emboli

emboli
em·bo·li


Plural of
embolus[1]



embolic

embolic
em·bol·ic 
[em bóllik] adjective

relating to embolus or
embolism: relating to or caused by an
embolus or embolism[1]



embolism

embolism
em·bo·lism 
[émbə lìzzəm] (plural em·bo·lisms)
noun

1.  MEDICINE blockage
of artery:
a condition in which an artery is blocked by an embolus, usually a blood clot
formed at one place in the circulation and then lodging in another

2.  MEDICINE embolus:
an embolus (informal)

3.  CALENDAR insertion
of day or days: the insertion of a day or days into a
calendar

4.  CHRISTIANITY prayer
during Roman Catholic Mass: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a prayer for deliverance from evil inserted in a Mass after the Lord’s
Prayer
[14th century. Via late Latin
embolismus from Greek embolismos, from emballein “to
insert” (see emblem ).][1]



embolization

embolization
em·bo·li·za·tion
[èmbəli záysh’n] (plural em·bo·li·za·tions)
noun

blocking of blood vessel:
the process or condition in which a blood vessel is blocked by a blood clot or
other obstruction ( embolus )[1]



embolus

embolus
em·bo·lus 
[émbələss] (plural em·bo·li [émbə l]) noun

mass
that blocks blood vessel: an abnormal mass, most
commonly a blood clot, that becomes lodged in a blood vessel and obstructs it.
Also
called
embolism
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek embolos “peg, stopper, wedge,” from emballein “to
insert” (see emblem ).][1]



embonpoint

embonpoint
em·bon·point 
[N bawN pwáN] noun

above-average
body weight: a body weight that is above average and
causes an impression of roundness (humorous) “She was slightly inclined
to embonpoint.” J. M. Barrie Peter Pan 1904
adjective

above
average body weight: having a body weight that is
above average and causes the impression of roundness (humorous dated) (sometimes
considered offensive)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “in good condition.”][1]



embosom

embosom
em·bos·om 
[em bz’m] (past em·bos·omed, past
participle em·bos·omed, present participle em·bos·om·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bos·oms) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  surround
somebody or something protectively: to
surround or envelop somebody or something, especially in a protective way

2.  embrace
somebody:
to take somebody into your arms and hold him or her to your bosom

3.  cherish
somebody:
to cherish, foster, or care about somebody

[1]



emboss

emboss
em·boss 
[em báwss] (past em·bossed, past
participle em·bossed, present participle em·boss·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·boss·es) transitive verb

1.  decorate
something with raised pattern: to decorate or mark a
surface with a slightly raised design or lettering

2.  make
raised pattern of something: to make something as a
raised pattern on a surface • the
title was embossed in gold lettering on the cover
[14th
century. From Old French embocer, from boce “protuberance,
knoblike mass” (source of English boss 2 ).]
—em·boss·er, noun[1]



embossment

embossment
em·boss·ment 
[em báwsmənt] (plural em·boss·ments)
noun

1.  act
of embossing something: the act, process, or
condition of making something as or decorating something with a slightly raised
pattern

2.  raised
decoration:
slightly raised decoration on a surface

[1]



embouchure

embouchure
em·bou·chure 
[m b shr] (plural em·bou·chures)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY river
mouth:
the mouth of a river

2.  GEOGRAPHY valley
mouth:
the mouth of a valley where it becomes a plain

3.  MUSIC position
of lips and tongue: the adjustment of the lips
and tongue in playing a wind instrument

4.  MUSIC mouthpiece:
the mouthpiece of a wind instrument
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from emboucher “to put to your mouth,” from bouche
“mouth.”][1]



embourgeoisement

embourgeoisement
em·bour·geoise·ment 
[èm boor zhwzmənt, èm
boor zhwz mnt] noun

assumption
of middle-class values: the process by which a
social group becomes middle-class in manners and attitudes
[Mid-20th century. From
French, formed from bourgeois (see bourgeois
).][1]



embowed

embowed
em·bowed 
[em bṓd] adjective

arched:
shaped like a vault or arch[1]



embowel

embowel
em·bow·el 
[em bówəl] (past em·bow·eled, past
participle em·bow·eled, present participle em·bow·el·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bow·els) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  put
deep in something: to enclose, embed, or bury
something deeply

2.  See
disembowel

[1]



embower

embower
em·bow·er 
[em bówər] (past em·bow·ered, past
participle em·bow·ered, present participle em·bow·er·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bow·ers) transitive verb

cover
or surround: to shelter or enclose somebody or
something in a bower or a place or structure resembling a bower (archaic or
literary)
[Late 16th century. Coined
from em- + bower
.][1]



embrace

embrace
em·brace 
[em bráyss] verb (past em·braced,
past participle em·braced, present participle em·brac·ing,
3rd person present singular em·brac·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hug
somebody:
to hug somebody in your arms fondly, or hug each other fondly

2.  transitive
verb
make
use of something: to welcome and take advantage of
something eagerly or willingly

3.  transitive
verb
adopt
something:
to adopt or take up something, especially a belief or way of life

4.  transitive
verb
comprise
something:
to include something as part of a whole

5.  transitive
verb
surround
something:
to surround or enclose something (literary) (often passive)
noun
(plural em·brac·es)

hug given: an
affectionate or passionate hug
[14th
century. Via Old French embracer, literally “to take into your arms,”
from, ultimately, Latin bracchium “arm” (source of English brace, bracelet,
and bra ).]
—em·brace·able,
adjective

—em·brace·ment,
noun

—em·brac·er, noun[1]



embracery

embracery
em·brac·er·y 
[em bráyssəree] noun

LAW
CRIMINOLOGY attempt
to corrupt judge or jury: the offense
of trying to influence a judge or jury, for example, by bribery, threats, or
promises[1]



embranchment

embranchment
em·branch·ment 
[em bránchmənt] (plural em·branch·ments)
noun

1.  branching
out of geographic feature: an act of branching out by a
feature of the natural landscape, for example, a river or mountain range

2.  branch
of geographic feature: a branch of something such
as a river or mountain range
[Mid-19th century. From
French embranchement, from branche (source of English branch ).][1]



embrangle

embrangle
em·bran·gle 
[em bráng g’l] (past em·bran·gled,
past participle em·bran·gled, present participle em·bran·gling,
3rd person present singular em·bran·gles) transitive verb

perplex
somebody:
to confuse, perplex, or entangle somebody or something (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from obsolete brangle “to shake, squabble,” from French branler
“to shake.”]
—em·bran·gle·ment, noun[1]



embrasure

embrasure
em·bra·sure 
[em bráyzhər] (plural em·bra·sures)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY slanted
opening in fortification: a slanted opening in the
wall or parapet of a fortification, designed so that a defender can fire
through it on attackers

2.  ARCHITECTURE tapered
opening:
an opening in the wall of a building for a door or window, tapered so as to be
wider on the inside than on the outside
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from obsolete embraser “to widen (a door or window),” of
unknown origin.][1]



embrittle

embrittle
em·brit·tle 
[em brítt’l] (past em·brit·tled,
past participle em·brit·tled, present participle em·brit·tling,
3rd person present singular em·brit·tles) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become brittle:
to become or make something become brittle[1]



embrocate

embrocate
em·bro·cate 
[émbrə kàyt] (past em·bro·cat·ed,
past participle em·bro·cat·ed, present participle em·bro·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular em·bro·cates) transitive verb

apply
lotion to body: to rub lotion or liniment onto a part of
the body
[Early 17th century. From
Latin embrocat-, the past participle stem of embrocare “to treat
with healing liquid,” from late Latin embroc(h)a, from Greek embrokhē
“lotion.”][1]



embrocation

embrocation
em·bro·ca·tion 
[èmbrə káysh’n] (plural em·bro·ca·tions)
noun

lotion:
a liniment or lotion for rubbing onto the body, usually to relieve muscle or
joint pain[1]



embroider

embroider
em·broi·der 
[em bróydər] (past em·broi·dered,
past participle em·broi·dered, present participle em·broi·der·ing,
3rd person present singular em·broi·ders) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRAFT sew pattern into something:
to decorate something with needlework

2.  transitive
verb
CRAFT make
something by sewing: to use needlework to make a
decoration

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb embellish
story:
to add exaggerated or fictitious details to an account of something to make it
more interesting
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman enbrouder, from Old French brouder “to
embroider,” of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—em·broi·der·er, noun[1]



embroidery

embroidery
em·broi·der·y 
[em bróydəree] (plural em·broi·der·ies)
noun

1.  CRAFT act of
making decorative needlework: the craft of using
needlework to make decorative designs

2.  CRAFT something
with decorative needlework: something produced by or
ornamented with decorative needlework

3.  addition
of fictitious details: elaboration or embellishment
in somebody’s account of something to make it more interesting

[1]



embroil

embroil
em·broil 
[em bróyl] (past em·broiled, past
participle em·broiled, present participle em·broil·ing,
3rd person present singular em·broils) transitive verb

1.  involve
somebody in conflict: to involve somebody or
yourself in trouble, disagreement, or conflict

2.  muddle
or mix up something: to make something confused
or overly complicated
[Early 17th century. From
French embrouiller “to confuse, confound,” from brouiller “to mix
confusedly,” ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



embrown

embrown
em·brown 
[em brówn] (past em·browned, past
participle em·browned, present participle em·brown·ing,
3rd person present singular em·browns) transitive verb

make something brown:
to make something darker, especially brown (literary)[1]



embrue

embrue
em·brue 
[em br] transitive verb

See
imbrue[1]



embryo

embryo

em·bry·o 
[émbree ] (plural em·bry·os) noun

1.  MEDICINE human
offspring in initial developmental stage: a
human offspring in the early stages following conception up to the end of the
eighth week, after which it is classified as a fetus

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
in initial developmental stage: the developing young
of an animal from the earliest stages after conception up to birth or hatching

3.  BOTANY plant
in initial developmental stage: a plant in its
earliest stages of development. In seed-bearing plants, the embryo is contained
within the seed.

4.  early
form:
an early form or rudimentary stage of something • the
embryo of an exciting new invention
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek embruon, from bruein “to swell, grow”; the underlying idea
is “something growing inside the body.”][1]



embryogenesis

embryogenesis
em·bry·o·gen·e·sis 
[èmbree ō jénnəssiss] or em·bry·og·e·ny
[èmbree ójjənee] noun

EMBRYOLOGY development
of embryo:
the formation and growth of an embryo
—em·bry·o·ge·net·ic,
adjective

—em·bry·o·gen·ic [èmbree ə jə néttik], adjective[1]



embryology

embryology
em·bry·ol·o·gy 
[èmbree ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of embryos:
the scientific study of embryos and their development

2.  MEDICINE study
of development of human offspring: the study of the
growth and development of the human embryo and fetus from conception to birth
—em·bry·o·log·ic
[èmbree ə lójjik], adjective

—em·bry·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—em·bry·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



embryonic

embryonic
em·bry·on·ic 
[èmbree ónnik] or em·bry·on·al
[em br ən’l, émbree
ən’l] or em·bry·ot·ic [èmbree
óttik] adjective

1.  relating
to embryo:
relating to or characteristic of an embryo

2.  em·bry·on·ic
or em·bry·ot·ic in early developmental stage:
in an initial or rudimentary stage of development
—em·bry·on·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



embryonicmembrane

embryonicmembrane
em·bry·on·ic
mem·brane
(plural em·bry·on·ic mem·branes) noun

membranous structure from
ovum: any membranous structure,
for example, the amnion, chorion, or yolk sac, that comes from a fertilized
ovum but does not become part of the embryo[1]



embryosac

embryosac
em·bry·o
sac
(plural em·bry·o sacs) noun

BOTANY
plant structure for developing embryo:
a large oval cell found inside a female reproductive organ ( ovule ) of a flowering plant, that contains the
egg cell, which gives rise to the embryo and the endosperm nuclei[1]



embryotic

embryotic
em·bry·ot·ic 
adjective

See
embryonic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








embryotransfer

embryotransfer
em·bry·o
trans·fer
(plural em·bry·o trans·fers) noun

EMBRYOLOGY
transplanting of embryo:
the transplanting of an embryo from one female animal into the womb of a
surrogate mother[1]



emcee

emcee
em·cee 
[em s] noun (plural em·cees)

master
of ceremonies: a master of ceremonies (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past em·ceed,
past participle em·ceed, present participle em·cee·ing,
3rd person present singular em·cees)

be
master of ceremonies: to act as a master of
ceremonies for an event (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Represents
the pronunciation of MC, shortening of Master of Ceremonies .][1]



emdash

emdash
em
dash
(plural em dash·es) noun

long dash:
in printing, a dash that is one em long[1]



-eme

-eme
-eme
suffix

a
distinctive unit of linguistic structure • lexeme
[From French -ème,
from phonème (see phoneme )][1]



emend

emend
e·mend 
[i ménd] (past e·mend·ed, past
participle e·mend·ed, present participle e·mend·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·mends) or e·mend·ate [i ménd] (past participle e·mend·at·ed,
present participle e·mend·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
e·mend·ates) transitive verb

correct
text:
to make corrections or alterations to improve a text
[15th
century. From Latin emendare, literally “to take out a fault,” from menda
“fault, blemish.”]
—e·mend·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at amend.

[1]



emendation

emendation
e·men·da·tion 
[mən dáysh’n, èmmən
dáysh’n, i mèn dáysh’n] (plural
e·men·da·tions) noun

1.  correction
made:
a correction or alteration made to a text

2.  act
or process of text correction: the act or process of
correcting a text

[1]



emerald

emerald
em·er·ald 
[émmərəld, émmrəld]
noun (plural em·er·alds)

MINERALS green
gemstone:
a form of beryl colored green by chromium that is highly valued as a gemstone
adjective
noun (plural em·er·alds)

COLORS See emerald green
[13th century. Directly or
via Old French emeraude from medieval Latin esmeraldus,
alteration of Latin smaragdus, which came via Greek smaragdos
“green gem” from a Semitic word meaning “to shine.”][1]



emeraldcut

emeraldcut
em·er·ald
cut
(plural em·er·ald cuts) noun

cut for gemstones:
a rectangular multifaceted cut for gemstones, especially emeralds and diamonds[1]



emeraldgreen

emeraldgreen
em·er·ald
green
noun

green
color:
a bright green color, like that of an emerald.
Also
called
emerald
—emerald-green, adjective[1]



EmeraldIsle

EmeraldIsle
Em·er·ald
Isle
[émmərəld] noun

Ireland:
Ireland, so called because of its vividly green countryside and because the
wearing of green was associated with the struggle for national sovereignty (literary)[1]



emerge

emerge
e·merge 
[i múrj] (past e·merged, past
participle e·merged, present participle e·merg·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·merg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
out:
to appear out of or from behind something

2.  intransitive
verb
survive:
to come out of an experience, condition, or situation, especially a difficult
one

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
known:
to become known or apparent • It
emerged that I had been wrong all along.

4.  intransitive
verb
appear
or happen:
to arise, appear, or occur
[Late 16th century. From
Latin emergere “to rise out or up,” from mergere “to dive,
plunge.”][1]



emergence

emergence
e·mer·gence 
[i múrjəns] (plural e·mer·gences)
noun

1.  act
of emerging: the act or process of coming out,
appearing, or coming about

2.  INSECTS appearance
in adult form: the appearance of the adult form ( imago ) of an insect on the completion of the
change ( metamorphosis ) from the larval
stage

3.  BOTANY outgrowth
from plant:
an outgrowth that lacks sap-conducting tissue, for example, a thorn, coming
from the body surface of a plant

[1]



emergency

emergency
e·mer·gen·cy 
[i múrjənsee] noun (plural e·mer·gen·cies)

sudden crisis requiring action:
an unexpected and sudden event that must be dealt with urgently
adjective

1.  used
in emergency: used or suitable for use in an emergency

2.  MEDICINE for immediate
treatment:
requiring, providing, or given immediate medical attention
[The underlying idea is of
something that suddenly “emerges” or arises][1]



emergencybrake

emergencybrake
e·mer·gen·cy
brake
(plural e·mer·gen·cy brakes) noun

1.  secondary
brake on vehicle: a brake on a vehicle intended to be used
when the main brakes have failed or when a sudden halt is required, or to
prevent a parked vehicle from moving.
Also
called
hand brake
Also
called
parking brake
U.K.
term
handbrake

2.  INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY device to stop machinery:
a mechanical device on a piece of machinery that is used to bring the machinery
to a halt when a dangerous condition arises

[1]



emergencycord

emergencycord
e·mer·gen·cy
cord
(plural e·mer·gen·cy cords) noun

cord pulled to stop train:
a chain, cord, or handle in a railroad car that a passenger can pull in order
to stop a train in an emergency[1]



emergencyexit

emergencyexit
e·mer·gen·cy
ex·it
(plural e·mer·gen·cy ex·its) noun

exit for use in emergency:
an exit from a building or vehicle that is designed and designated as an escape
route in an emergency such as a fire[1]



emergencypowers

emergencypowers
e·mer·gen·cy
pow·ers
plural noun

special powers:
special powers given to a government or other authority to take extraordinary
actions in order to cope with a crisis[1]



emergencyroom

emergencyroom
e·mer·gen·cy
room
(plural e·mer·gen·cy rooms) noun

hospital area for urgent
treatment: a part of a hospital for
patients who need immediate urgent attention, for example, because of heart
attacks.
U.K. term
casualty[1]



emergencyservices

emergencyservices
e·mer·gen·cy
ser·vic·es
plural noun

public organizations dealing
with emergencies: the fire department,
the police, and the ambulance services collectively, especially when mobilized
to deal with emergencies[1]



emergencyvehicle

emergencyvehicle
e·mer·gen·cy
ve·hi·cle
(plural e·mer·gen·cy ve·hi·cles) noun

vehicle used by emergency
services: an ambulance, fire engine,
police car, or other vehicle used by the emergency services[1]



emergent

emergent
e·mer·gent 
[i múrjənt] adjective

1.  POLITICS See emerging  adjective 2

2.  new:
appearing, arising, occurring, or developing, especially for the first time
noun
(plural emer·gents)

1.  PLANTS plant
with upper parts above water: a plant that has its roots
under water but its upper part above the surface

2.  TREES tall
tree:
a forest tree that stands taller than the trees around it

[1]



emergentevolution

emergentevolution
e·mer·gent
ev·o·lu·tion noun

theory of sudden changes:
the theory of evolution in which new organisms and characteristics appear at
crises not predictable from those already in existence[1]



emerging

emerging
e·merg·ing 
[i múrjing] adjective

1.  new:
starting to appear, arise, occur, or develop

2.  POLITICS newly
independent: newly or recently independent as a
nation

[1]



emerita

emerita
e·mer·i·ta 
[i mérritə] adjective

retired
but retaining professional title: retired but retaining
professional title, especially as a woman professor • She’s
a professor emerita of biology.
noun
(plural e·mer·i·tae [i mérri t])

woman
retaining former professional title: a
woman who has retired from a post but retains her former professional title,
especially as a professor
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, the feminine form of emeritus (see emeritus
).][1]



emeritus

emeritus
e·mer·i·tus 
[i mérritəss] adjective

retired
but retaining professional title: retired but retaining
a professional title, especially as a professor • He’s
a professor emeritus of chemistry.
noun
(plural e·mer·i·ti [i mérri t])

man
retaining former professional title: a man
who has retired from a post but retains his former professional title,
especially as a professor
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, the past participle of emerere “to serve out, earn, deserve,”
from merere “to serve, earn” (source of English merit ).][1]



emersed

emersed
e·mersed 
[i múrst] adjective

with
parts above water surface: used to describe the stems,
leaves, or other parts of an aquatic plant that stand above the water surface
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin emersus, the past participle of emergere (see emerge ).][1]



emersion

emersion
e·mer·sion 
[i múrzh’n] (plural e·mer·sions)
noun

1.  act
of emerging: the act or process of emerging

2.  ASTRONOMY reappearance
of celestial body: the reappearance of a
celestial body after it has been eclipsed or occulted.
Also
called
egress

[1]



Emerson,Ralph Waldo

Emerson,Ralph Waldo

Em·er·son 
[émmərsən], Ralph Waldo (1803–1882)
U.S.
essayist, lecturer, and poet. He was a main figure in the philosophical
movement known as transcendentalism. His landmark works include Nature (
1836 ).

—Em·er·so·ni·an [èmmər sṓnee ən], adjective[1]



emery

emery
em·er·y 
[émməree] noun

mineral
used as abrasive and polisher: a variety of the
mineral corundum, that can be crushed and used as an abrasive for polishing
hard surfaces
[15th century. Via French émeri
from Italian smeriglio, from, ultimately, Greek smuris “abrasive
powder.”][1]



emeryboard

emeryboard
em·er·y
board
(plural em·er·y boards) noun

fingernail file coated with
emery: a small strip of card or
thin wood coated with powdered emery and used for filing the fingernails[1]



emerypaper

emerypaper
em·er·y
pa·per
noun

abrasive paper:
a strong paper coated with powdered emery and used as an abrasive and for
polishing[1]



emerywheel

emerywheel
em·er·y
wheel
(plural em·er·y wheels) noun

abrasive wheel:
a wheel coated with powdered emery and used as an abrasive and for polishing[1]



emesis

emesis
em·e·sis 
[émməssiss] noun

vomiting:
vomiting (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, formed from emein (see emetic
).][1]



emetic

emetic
e·met·ic 
[i méttik] adjective

causing
vomiting:
causing a person or animal to vomit
noun
(plural e·met·ics)

something
causing vomiting: a substance that causes vomiting
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek emetikos, from, ultimately, emein “to vomit.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English vomit .]
—e·met·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



emetine

emetine
em·e·tine 
[émmə teen] noun

plant extract that causes
vomiting: an alkaloid extracted from a
South American shrub ( ipecac ) that was
formerly used as an emetic. C29H40O4N2[1]



emf

emf
emf 
or EMF

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of electromotive force[1]



EMG

EMG
EMG

1.  Abbreviation
of
electromyogram

2.  Abbreviation
of
electromyograph

[1]



emic

emic
em·ic
[mik] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS SOCIAL SCIENCES analyzing
structural and functional elements:
relating to the analysis of structural and functional elements of language or
behavior

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY using
categories of people studied: relating to the organization
and interpretation of data that makes use of the categories of the people being
studied
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of phonemic .][1]



emigrant

emigrant
em·i·grant 
[émmigrənt] noun (plural em·i·grants)

somebody
who moves to another country: somebody who leaves a place,
especially his or her native country, to go and live in another country
adjective

moving to another country:
relating to those who have left a place, especially their native country, to go
and live in another country[1]



emigrate

emigrate
em·i·grate 
[émmi gràyt] (past em·i·grat·ed,
past participle em·i·grat·ed, present participle em·i·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular em·i·grates) intransitive verb

leave
to live in another country: to leave a place, especially
a native country, to go and live in another country
[Late 18th century. From
Latin emigrat-, the past participle stem of emigrare “to move
away, depart from a place,” from migrare (see migrate
).][1]



emigration

emigration
em·i·gra·tion
[èmmi gráysh’n] (plural em·i·gra·tions)
noun

moving to another country:
the act of leaving a native country to live in another country[1]



Eminence

Eminence
Em·i·nence
(plural Em·i·nences) or Em·i·nen·cy (plural Em·i·nen·cies)
noun

title of cardinal:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a title and form of address for a cardinal[1]



eminence

eminence
em·i·nence 
[émminəns] (plural em·i·nences)
or em·i·nen·cy [émminənsee] (plural
em·i·nen·cies) noun

1.  high
position:
a position or rank of distinction or superiority.

2.  hill:
a high or raised area of ground (formal)

3.  ANATOMY body projection:
a projecting area of the body, especially a bone

[1]



eminency

eminency
em·i·nen·cy 
noun

See
eminence[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Eminency

Eminency
Em·i·nen·cy
(plural Em·i·nen·cies) noun

See
Eminence[1]



eminent

eminent
em·i·nent 
[émminənt] adjective

1.  of
high standing: superior in position, fame, or
achievement

2.  clear:
easy to see or notice

3.  high:
in a high or raised position
[15th century. From Latin eminent-,
the present participle of eminere “to stand out, project,” from minere
“to stand, project” (source also of English imminent
and prominent ).][1]



eminentdomain

eminentdomain
em·i·nent
do·main 
noun

governmental power to
appropriate private property: the power
of a government to take private property for public use, usually with
compensation paid to the owner[1]



eminentdomain

eminentdomain
em·i·nent
do·main 
noun

governmental power to
appropriate private property: the power
of a government to take private property for public use, usually with
compensation paid to the owner[1]



eminently

eminently
em·i·nent·ly
[émminəntlee] adverb

1.  very:
to a great degree • is eminently qualified
to be a corporate officer

2.  obviously:
obviously or apparently (archaic)

[1]



emir

emir
e·mir 
[ə mr] (plural e·mirs) noun

1.  Islamic
ruler:
an independent ruler, commander, or governor in some Islamic countries

2.  descendant
of Muhammad: a title for a descendant of the prophet
Muhammad.
Also
called
amir
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Arabic amīr “commander.”][1]



emirate

emirate
e·mir·ate 
[émmi ràyt, émmirət,
i mrət] (plural e·mir·ates) noun

1.  POLITICS status
of emir:
the rank or office of an emir

2.  POLITICS GEOGRAPHY place under emir’s rule:
an area ruled by an emir

[1]



emissary

emissary
em·is·sar·y 
[émmi seree] (plural em·is·sar·ies)
noun

1.  representative:
an agent or representative sent on a particular mission

2.  spy:
a secret agent or spy (dated)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin emissarius, literally “somebody who is sent out,” from emiss-,
the past participle stem of emittere (see emit
).][1]



emission

emission
e·mis·sion 
[i mísh’n] (plural e·mis·sions)
noun

1.  letting
something out: the act or process of letting something
out or giving something out

2.  something
given out:
something that is produced or given out

3.  PHYSICS released
energy:
energy released from a source, usually in the form of electromagnetic radiation

4.  PHYSIOLOGY something
released from body: a bodily discharge,
especially of semen
[15th century. From the Latin
stem emission- “a sending out,” from emiss-, the past participle
stem of emittere (see emit ).][1]



emissionnebula

emissionnebula
e·mis·sion
neb·u·la
noun

nebula emitting radiation:
a cloud of interstellar gas and dust that emits light when electrons recombine
with protons to form hydrogen atoms[1]



emissionstandards

emissionstandards
e·mis·sion
stan·dards
plural noun

permitted pollution levels in
motor vehicles: in North America, the
maximum levels of pollutants permitted by governments to be discharged from
motor vehicles[1]



emissivity

emissivity
em·is·siv·i·ty 
[èmmi sívvətee] (plural em·is·siv·i·ties)
noun

relative ability to emit
radiation: the ability of a surface to
emit radiation, measured as the ratio of the energy radiated by a surface to
that radiated by a black body at the same temperature. Symbol ε[1]



emit

emit
e·mit 
[i mít] (past e·mit·ted, past
participle e·mit·ted, present participle e·mit·ting, 3rd
person present singular e·mits) transitive verb

1.  produce
something:
to send or give out something

2.  utter
something:
to utter something as a sound

3.  FINANCE put
money into circulation: to put currency in
circulation
[Early 17th century. From
Latin emittere “to send out,” from mittere “to send.”][1]



emitter

emitter
e·mit·ter
[i míttər] (plural e·mit·ters)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that emits something: somebody who or
something that lets out or gives out something

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING semiconductor
material in transistor: a layer of semiconductor
material in a transistor from which charge carriers, such as electrons,
originate and control the current flow

[1]



Emmenthaler

Emmenthaler
Em·men·tha·ler
[émmən tlər] or Em·men·ta·ler
[émmən tlər] or Em·men·thal [émmən tl] or Em·men·tal [émmən tl] noun

Swiss
cheese:
a hard cheese of Swiss origin with large holes and a mild nutty flavor
[Early 20th century. From
obsolete German, named for Emmental, a region in Switzerland.][1]



emmer

emmer
em·mer 
[émmər] noun

wheat
used as fodder: a Eurasian wheat grown chiefly for
fodder. Latin name: Triticum dicoccum
Also
called
starch wheat
[Early 20th century. From
German .][1]



emmet

emmet
em·met 
[émmət] (plural em·mets) noun

ant:
an ant (archaic) (regional)
[Old English mete
(source also of English ant )][1]



emmetropia

emmetropia
em·me·tro·pi·a 
[èmmə trṓpee ə] noun

normal
condition of eye: the normal condition of the eye in which
vision is accurate
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek emmetros “in measure” + ōps “eye” + -ia .]
—em·me·trop·ic [èmmə tróppik], adjective[1]



Emmy

Emmy
Em·my 
[émmee] (plural Em·mys) noun

television
award:
a statuette awarded annually by the American Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences for excellence in television programming, production, or performance
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Immy, engineering slang for
“image-orthicon camera,” on the model of Oscar and other first names used for
awards.][1]



emollient

emollient
e·mol·lient 
[i móllyənt] adjective

1.  soothing
to skin:
softening or soothing, especially to the skin

2.  calming:
trying to avoid anger and argument by using a calming manner
noun
(plural e·mol·lients)

soothing substance:
a substance that softens or soothes something, especially the skin
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
emollient-, the present participle stem of emollire “to soften,”
from mollis “soft.”][1]



emolument

emolument
e·mol·u·ment 
[i móllyəmənt] (plural e·mol·u·ments)
noun

payment:
any payment for work (formal or humorous)
[15th
century. From Latin emolumentum “profit, gain,” literally “fee paid to a
miller for grinding grain,” from emolere “to grind out.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

[1]



emote

emote
e·mote 
[ə mṓt] (past e·mot·ed, past
participle e·mot·ed, present participle e·mot·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·motes) intransitive verb

display
exaggerated emotions: to make an exaggerated show
of emotions, for example, in the playing of a dramatic part (literary or
humorous)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from emotion .][1]



emoticon

emoticon
e·mo·ti·con
[i mṓtə kòn] (plural e·mo·ti·cons)
noun

symbolic
picture made from keyboard characters: a
symbolic picture used in computer communications to convey emotions,
constructed by arranging standard keyboard characters that are usually to be
viewed sideways. A smile might be represented as :-).
[Late 20th century. Blend of emotion and icon
.][1]



emotion

emotion
e·mo·tion 
[i mṓsh’n] (plural e·mo·tions)
noun

1.  heightened
feeling:
a strong feeling about somebody or something

2.  agitation
caused by strong feelings: agitation or disturbance
caused by strong feelings
[Late 16th century. From
French, formed from émouvoir “to stir up the feelings of,” from Latin emovere,
literally “to move out,” from movere (see move
).][1]



emotional

emotional
e·mo·tion·al 
[i mṓshən’l, i mṓshnəl]
adjective

1.  expressing
emotion:
relating to or expressing emotion

2.  easily
affected by emotions: being by nature easily
affected by or quick to express emotions

3.  affected
by emotion:
openly affected by emotion, especially sadness

4.  stirring
emotions:
arousing or affecting the emotions

5.  inspired
by emotion:
inspired or governed by emotion rather than reason or will-power • one
of the more emotional issues before the public this decade
—e·mo·tion·al·i·ty,
noun

—e·mo·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



emotionalism

emotionalism
e·mo·tion·al·ism 
[i mṓshən’l ìzzəm, i
mṓshnə lìzzəm] noun

1.  openness
to emotion:
a tendency to be easily swayed by the emotions

2.  display
of emotion:
an exaggerated or undue display of strong feelings

[1]



emotionalist

emotionalist
e·mo·tion·al·ist 
[i mṓshən’list, i
mṓshnəlist] (plural e·mo·tion·al·ists) noun

1.  emotional
person:
somebody whose thoughts or actions are greatly influenced by the emotions

2.  overly
demonstrative person: somebody who is prone to
undue displays of strong feelings

[1]



emotionalize

emotionalize
e·mo·tion·a·lize
[i mṓshən’l z, i
mṓshnə lz] (past e·mo·tion·al·ized, past participle
e·mo·tion·al·ized, present participle e·mo·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·mo·tion·al·izes) transitive verb

make emotional:
to present or treat something emotionally[1]



emotionless

emotionless
e·mo·tion·less
[i mṓsh’nləss] adjective

without
emotion:
not having or showing emotions
—e·mo·tion·less·ly,
adverb

—e·mo·tion·less·ness, noun[1]



emotive

emotive
e·mo·tive
[i mṓtiv] adjective

1.  causing
emotion:
causing or intended to cause emotion • emotive
delivery of the last lines of the play

2.  involving
emotion:
showing or characterized by emotion • an
emotive plea for outlawing land mines
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from Latin emotus, past participle of emovere “to
move out, remove.”]
—e·mo·tive·ly,
adverb

—e·mo·tive·ness, noun[1]



emotivism

emotivism
e·mo·tiv·ism
[i mṓti vìzzəm] noun

theory that ethical terms are
feeling-based: the theory that ethical
terms are not statements but instead reflect the feelings of the user[1]



Emp.

Emp.
Emp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Emperor

2.  Abbreviation
of
Empire

3.  Abbreviation
of
Empress

[1]



EMP

EMP
EMP

Abbreviation of
electromagnetic pulse[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








empale

empale
em·pale
[em páyl] (past em·paled, past
participle em·paled, present participle em·pa·ling, 3rd
person present singular em·pales) transitive verb

See
impale[1]



empanada

empanada
em·pa·na·da
[èmpə ndə] (plural em·pa·na·das)
noun

spicy
or sweet turnover: a Spanish, Filipino, or
Latin American turnover with a spicy or sweet filling
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, from the past participle of empanar “to bake or roll in
pastry,” literally “to put into bread,” from pan “bread.”][1]



empanel

empanel
em·pan·el
[em pánn’l] transitive verb

See
impanel[1]



empathize

empathize
em·pa·thize
[émpə thz] (past em·pa·thized,
past participle em·pa·thized, present participle em·pa·thiz·ing,
3rd person present singular em·pa·thiz·es) intransitive verb

understand another’s
feelings: to identify with and
understand another person’s feelings or difficulties[1]



empathy

empathy
em·pa·thy
[émpəthee] noun

1.  understanding
of another’s feelings: the ability to identify with
and understand another person’s feelings or difficulties

2.  attribution
of feelings to an object: the transfer of your own
feelings and emotions to an object such as a painting
[Early
20th century. From Greek empatheia “affection, passion”; translation of
German Einfühlung .]
—em·pa·thet·ic
[èmpə thétik], adjective

—em·pa·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—em·path·ic
[empáthik], adjective

—em·path·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



empennage

empennage
em·pen·nage 
[mpə nzh, èmpə
nzh, émpənij] (plural em·pen·nag·es)
noun

tail
assembly of aircraft: the tail portion of an
aircraft, including the stabilizer, elevator, vertical fin, and rudder
[Early 20th century. From
French, “feathering (of an arrow),” from empenner, literally “to feather
in,” from penne “feather.”][1]



emperor

emperor
em·per·or 
[émpərər, émprər]
(plural em·per·ors) noun

1.  ruler
of empire:
a man who rules an empire

2.  See
emperor moth

3.  See
emperor butterfly
[12th century. From,
ultimately, Latin imperator “commander,” from imperare “to
command,” literally “to prepare in relation to,” from parare “to
prepare.”][1]



emperorbutterfly

emperorbutterfly
em·per·or
but·ter·fly
noun

butterfly
with purple wings: a brightly colored butterfly
that typically has mottled purple and brownish markings. Family: Nymphalidae
Also
called
emperor
[Emperor from the imperial
associations of the color purple][1]



emperormoth

emperormoth
em·per·or
moth
(plural em·per·or moths) noun

large
Eurasian moth: a large brightly colored Eurasian moth
with distinctive markings resembling eyes on its wings. It is the largest
European moth. Latin name: Saturnia pyri
Also
called
emperor
[Emperor from the large size
of the moth][1]



emperorpenguin

emperorpenguin
em·per·or
pen·guin
(plural em·per·or pen·guins) noun

largest
penguin:
an Antarctic penguin that has bluish-gray and black plumage, a white chest, and
yellowish-orange neck markings. The largest of the penguins, the emperor
penguin nurtures its eggs and young between its feet and a pouch-shaped fold in
its abdomen. Latin name: Aptenodytes forsteri
[Emperor from the large size
of the penguin][1]



emphasis

emphasis
em·pha·sis 
[émfəssiss] (plural em·pha·ses
[émfə sz]) noun

1.  importance:
special importance, significance, or stress

2.  forcefulness
of expression: forcefulness of expression to indicate
the importance of something

3.  GRAMMAR extra
spoken stress on important word: extra stress of voice
put on a syllable, word, or phrase, usually to show its significance
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek emphasis “significance, appearance,” from emphainein
“to show, indicate,” literally “to show in,” from phainein “to show.”][1]



emphasize

emphasize
em·pha·size 
[émfə sz] (past em·pha·sized,
past participle em·pha·sized, present participle em·pha·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular em·pha·siz·es) transitive verb

stress something:
to stress or give importance to something[1]



emphatic

emphatic
em·phat·ic 
[em fáttik] (plural em·phat·ics)
adjective

1.  with
emphasis:
expressed, thought, or done with emphasis

2.  definite:
forcible and definite

3.  GRAMMAR showing
emphasis grammatically: used to describe a
grammatical form that shows emphasis, e.g. the auxiliary “do” in the statement
“I do like apples”
[Early 18th century. From,
ultimately, Greek emphatikos, from emphasis “appearance” (see emphasis ).][1]



emphatically

emphatically
em·phat·i·cal·ly
[em fáttikəlee] adverb

1.  forcefully:
with great force or definiteness

2.  used
for emphasis: used to reinforce the accuracy or
appropriateness of a description • It
might be entertainment, but it is emphatically not education.

[1]



emphysema

emphysema
em·phy·se·ma 
[èmfə smə, èmfə
zmə] noun

1.  lung
condition causing breathing impairment: a
chronic medical disorder of the lungs in which the air sacs are dilated or
enlarged and lack flexibility, resulting in breathing impairment and sometimes
infection

2.  abnormal
enlargement caused by retained gas: an
abnormal enlargement of an organ or body tissue caused by retention of air or
other gas
[Mid-17th
century. From, ultimately, Greek emphusēma “swelling,” from emphusan
“to inflate, blow in,” from phusan “to blow.”]
—em·phy·sem·a·tous
[èmfə sémmətəss, èmfə
zémmətəss], adjective

—em·phy·se·mic [èmfə smik, èmfə zmik],
adjective[1]



Empire

Empire
Em·pire 
adjective

ARTS ARCHITECTURE French First Empire
style:
relating to a style of architecture, furniture, and clothing popular during the
French First Empire (1804–1815) during the reign of Napoleon I • a
dress with an Empire waist
noun

BOTANY
red eating apple:
a variety of red eating apple that is a cross between the Delicious and the
Macintosh[1]



empire

empire
em·pire 
[ém pr] (plural em·pires) noun

1.  lands
ruled by single authority: a group of nations,
territories, or peoples ruled by a single authority, especially an emperor or
empress

2.  monarchy
headed by emperor or empress: a monarchy that has an
emperor or empress as its ruler

3.  period
of empire’s existence: the period during which an
empire exists

4.  large
far-flung business: a very large, powerful, and
extensive industrial or commercial organization

5.  part
of organization somebody personally controls: a
part of an organization controlled by a single person, especially somebody who
is keenly protective of personal power

6.  absolute
power:
supreme or absolute power (formal or literary)
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin imperium “command,” from imperare (see emperor ).][1]



empire-building

empire-building
em·pire-build·ing
noun

tendency
to enlarge sphere of authority: the tendency to
acquire power and authority within an organization, especially by adding extra
staff or subordinates
—em·pire-build·er, noun[1]



EmpireDay

EmpireDay
Em·pire
Day
noun

U.K.
former name for Commonwealth Day:
the former name for Commonwealth Day, used before 1958[1]



Empiregown

Empiregown
Em·pire
gown
(plural Em·pire gowns) noun

woman’s highwaisted dress:
a woman’s dress popular during the French First Empire, characterized by a
low-cut neckline and a high waist from which the skirt hangs straight and loose[1]



EmpireState

EmpireState
Em·pire
State
noun

New
York state:
the U.S. state of New York (informal)
[From the affluence and
importance of the state][1]



EmpireState Building

EmpireState Building

Em·pire State Build·ing
noun
New York City skyscraper:
a skyscraper on Fifth Avenue in New York City built between 1930 and 1931. It
has 102 stories and was the tallest building in the world for several years.[1]



EmpireState of the South

EmpireState of the South
Em·pire
State of the South noun

Georgia:
the U.S. state of Georgia (informal)[1]



empiric

empiric
em·pir·ic 
[em pírrik] (plural em·pir·ics)
noun

1.  somebody
guided by experience not theory: somebody who relies
upon observation and experiment rather than theory to determine the truth about
something

2.  charlatan
or impostor: a charlatan or quack, especially in
medicine (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek empeirikos “experienced,” from empeiros
“skilled,” literally “tried in,” from peira “try” (source of English pirate ).][1]



empirical

empirical
em·pir·i·cal 
[em pírrik’l] adjective

1.  based
on observation and experiment: based on or
characterized by observation and experiment rather than theory

2.  MEDICINE based
on practical medical experience: based on practical
experience in the medical treatment of real cases rather than on applied theory
or scientific proof

3.  PHILOSOPHY derived
solely from experience: derived as knowledge from
experience, particularly from sensory observation, rather than from the
application of logic
—em·pir·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



empiricalformula

empiricalformula
em·pir·i·cal
for·mu·la
noun

chemical formula showing
proportions of elements: a chemical
formula showing the relative proportion of elements in a compound instead of
their structural arrangement or molecular weights, for example, the formula H 2 O[1]



empiricism

empiricism
em·pir·i·cism 
[em pírri sìzz’m] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY philosophical
belief regarding sense-derived knowledge: the
philosophical belief that all knowledge is derived from the experience of the
senses

2.  application
of observation and experiment: the application of
observation and experiment, rather than theory, in determining something

3.  MEDICINE medicine
based solely on experience: medicine that is based on
practical experience rather than on theory and scientific proof
—em·pir·i·cist, noun[1]



emplace

emplace
em·place 
[em pláyss] (past em·placed, past
participle em·placed, present participle em·plac·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·plac·es) transitive verb

put
something into position: to put something into place
or position
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from emplacement .][1]



emplacement

emplacement
em·place·ment 
[em pláysmənt] (plural em·place·ments)
noun

1.  MILITARY position
for large weaponry: a position that is specially
prepared for a large gun or group of guns

2.  positioning
of something: the act of putting something into place,
or the condition of being in place
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “placing in,” from place “place.”][1]



emplane

emplane
em·plane 
[em pláyn] intransitive and transitive
verb

See
enplane[1]



employ

employ
em·ploy 
[em plóy] transitive verb (past
em·ployed, past participle em·ployed, present
participle em·ploy·ing, 3rd person present singular em·ploys)

1.  give
paid work to somebody: to hire somebody to work in
exchange for money

2.  keep
busy:
to keep somebody occupied doing something

3.  use
something:
to make use of something
noun
(plural em·ploys)

1.  employed
state:
the condition of working for pay (formal) • I
was in his employ.

2.  job:
a job or occupation (archaic)
[15th
century. Via French emploier “to apply” from Latin implicare “to
involve, enfold,” from plicare “to fold” (source of English ply, pliant,
and display ).]
—em·ploy·a·bil·i·ty
[em plòy ə bíllətee], noun

—em·ploy·a·ble
[em plóy əb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at use

[1]



employee

employee
em·ploy·ee 
[em plóy ee, èm
ploy ] (plural em·ploy·ees) or em·ploy·e [em plóy ee, èm ploy ]
(plural em·ploy·es) noun

paid worker:
somebody who is paid by somebody else to do work[1]



employer

employer
em·ploy·er 
[em plóy ər] (plural em·ploy·ers)
noun

1.  person
or group that hires workers: a person, business, or
organization that hires and pays one or more workers

2.  somebody
who uses something: somebody who uses or makes
use of something

[1]



employment

employment
em·ploy·ment 
[em plóymənt] (plural em·ploy·ments)
noun

1.  working
for pay:
the condition of working for pay

2.  work
or job done by somebody: the work, especially paid
work, that somebody does

3.  number
of paid workers in population: the total number or
level of people that work for pay in a given population

4.  use
of something: the use or practice of something

[1]



employmentagency

employmentagency
em·ploy·ment
a·gen·cy
noun

organization that places
people in jobs: a commercial
organization that finds jobs for people or people for jobs[1]



empoison

empoison
em·poi·son 
[em póyz’n] (past em·poi·soned,
past participle em·poi·soned, present participle em·poi·son·ing,
3rd person present singular em·poi·sons) transitive verb

make
somebody bitter: to make somebody resentful or bitter (formal)
[14th century. From Old
French empoisoner, literally “to poison in,” from poison “ poison .”][1]



Emporia

Emporia
Em·po·ri·a
[em páwree è]

city in eastern Kansas, on
the Neosho River, northeast of Wichita and southwest of Topeka. Population:
24,866 (1996)[1]



emporium

emporium
em·po·ri·um 
[em páwree əm] (plural em·po·ri·ums
or em·po·ri·a [em páwree ə]) noun

1.  store
offering wide selection of goods: a store, usually a
large store, that offers a wide selection of goods

2.  trade
center:
a marketplace or center of trade
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek emporion, from emporos “merchant, traveler,”
literally “journeyer in,” from poros “journey.”][1]



empower

empower
em·pow·er 
[em pówər] (past em·pow·ered, past
participle em·pow·ered, present participle em·pow·er·ing,
3rd person present singular em·pow·ers) transitive verb

1.  give
authority to somebody: to give somebody power or
authority (often passive)

2.  inspire
somebody with confidence: to give somebody a sense of
confidence or self-esteem
—em·pow·er·ment, noun[1]



empress

empress
em·press 
[émprəss] (plural em·press·es)
noun

1.  ruler
of empire:
a woman who rules an empire

2.  emperor’s
wife:
the wife or widow of an emperor

[1]



empressement

empressement
em·presse·ment 
[em préssmənt, N
press mN] noun

warmth
and cordiality: great attentiveness or cordiality (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
French, from empresser “to urge, be eager,” literally “to press in,”
from presser “to press” (see press
).][1]



emprise

emprise
em·prise 
[em prz] (plural em·pris·es) noun
(formal)

1.  bold
adventure:
a chivalrous, brave, or daring undertaking

2.  chivalrous
daring:
chivalrous skill or daring
[13th century. From French,
from Old French emprendre, literally “to seize into,” from Latin prendere
“to seize.”][1]



empty

empty
emp·ty 
[émptee, émtee]
adjective (comparative emp·ti·er, superlative emp·ti·est)

1.  containing
nothing:
not containing or holding anything • a heap
of empty bags

2.  unoccupied:
unoccupied or uninhabited • There’s
an empty office next door.

3.  with
no passengers or load: without passengers, a load,
or cargo • The
bus goes back to the depot empty.

4.  insincere:
lacking sincerity or truthfulness • another
empty promise

5.  meaningless:
without value, meaning, or purpose • contemplating
his empty existence

6.  dull:
devoid of vitality • an empty look

7.  unfed:
hungry or lacking food • can’t
work on an empty stomach

8.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC without
members of set: used to describe a set that has no
elements or members
verb
(past emp·tied, past participle emp·tied, present
participle emp·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular emp·ties)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
contents of something: to remove or pour out the
contents of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb discharge
or transfer: to discharge or transfer something, or
be discharged and transferred

3.  reflexive
verb
unburden
yourself:
to unburden or free yourself of something
noun
(plural emp·ties)

container without contents:
a bottle or other container that has nothing in it
[Old
English mtig “unoccupied, at leisure,” from metta “rest,
leisure,” of uncertain origin; perhaps from - “not” + mete . The
underlying idea would be of not being assigned.]
—emp·ti·a·ble,
adjective

—emp·ti·ly,
adverb

—emp·ti·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at vacant See Synonyms at vain

[1]



empty-handed

empty-handed
emp·ty-hand·ed 
adjective

1.  having
gained nothing: with nothing gained or achieved

2.  with
nothing in hands: holding nothing in the hands

[1]



empty-headed

empty-headed
emp·ty-head·ed 
adjective

unintelligent:
silly or lacking in intelligence[1]



emptynester

emptynester
emp·ty
nest·er
(plural emp·ty nest·ers) noun

parent whose children have
left home: a parent whose children have
grown up and moved away from home (informal)[1]



empty-nestsyndrome

empty-nestsyndrome
emp·ty-nest
syn·drome
noun

parents’
distress after children leave home:
distress, especially a lack of energy or an emotional letdown experienced by
parents whose grown children have moved away from home
[Empty-nest in reference to birds’
nests][1]



empyema

empyema
em·py·e·ma 
[èm pī mə] noun

accumulation
of pus in body cavity: an accumulation of pus in a
body cavity, for example, the chest
[Early
17th century. From, ultimately, Greek empuēma, from empuein,
literally “to put pus in,” from puon “pus.”]
—em·py·e·mic, adjective[1]



empyreal

empyreal
em·pyr·e·al 
[èm pī r əl, em
pírree əl] adjective

1.  of
the sky:
relating to the sky, the celestial sphere, or heaven

2.  sublime:
glorious and sublime (literary)
[15th century. Formed from
medieval Latin empyreus (see empyrean
).][1]



empyrean

empyrean
em·py·re·an 
[èm pī r ən, em
pírree ən] noun

1.  the
sky or heavens: the sky, heavens, or celestial sphere (literary)

2.  highest
part of heaven: the highest part of heaven, believed in
ancient Greek and Roman times to contain pure fire or light and believed by
some Christians to be the dwelling place of God (archaic)
adjective

See empyreal  adjective 2
[15th century. Formed from
medieval Latin empyreus, from Greek empurios, literally “in
fire,” from, ultimately, pur “fire.”][1]



EMS

EMS
EMS

1.  Abbreviation
of
European Monetary System

2.  Abbreviation
of
electrical muscle stimulation

[1]



EMT

EMT
EMT

Abbreviation of
emergency medical technician[1]



emu

emu2
emu2 or EMU

Abbreviation of
electromagnetic unit[1]



emu

emu1
e·mu1 [
my] (plural e·mus or e·mu) noun

large
flightless Australian bird: a large flightless bird
native to Australia that is related to the ostrich and has three-toed feet and
loose shaggy feathers. Latin name: Dromaius novaehollandiae
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of Portuguese ema di gei “crane of the ground,” of uncertain
origin; probably from Moluccan emeu .][1]



EMU

EMU
EMU
[ em y,  my]

Abbreviation of
European Monetary Union[1]



emulate

emulate
em·u·late 
[émmyə làyt] (past em·u·lat·ed,
past participle em·u·lat·ed, present participle em·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular em·u·lates) transitive verb

1.  try
to equal somebody or something: to try hard to equal
or surpass somebody or something, especially by imitation

2.  compete
successfully with somebody or something: to be
successful in competing with or rival somebody or something

3.  COMPUTING make
behave like another computer system: to modify
a computer system so that it appears to behave like another computer system,
and can thereby accept data and run programs that are designed for the system
being emulated
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin aemulari “to rival,” from aemulus
“rival.” Ultimately from a word that is also the ancestor of English imitate and image
.]
—em·u·la·tive,
adjective

—em·u·la·tive·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at imitate

[1]



emulation

emulation
em·u·la·tion 
[èmmyə láysh’n] noun

1.  rivalry
by imitation: the attempt to equal or surpass somebody
or something, usually by means of imitation

2.  COMPUTING process
of imitating computer system: the process of successfully
duplicating the performance of a computer device or program

[1]



emulator

emulator
em·u·la·tor
[émmyə làytər] (plural em·u·la·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who emulates: somebody or something that emulates
another person or thing

2.  COMPUTING hardware
or software imitating another system:
hardware or software that permits a computer system to run programs written for
and process data originating from a different type of computer system.
See
also
simulator  noun 1

[1]



emulous

emulous
em·u·lous 
[émmyələss] adjective

1.  eager
to rival somebody or something: seeking to match or
rival another’s achievement or performance

2.  motivated
by rivalry:
motivated or characterized by rivalry or imitation
[14th
century. From Latin aemulus (see emulate
).]
—em·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—em·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



emulsifiable

emulsifiable
e·mul·si·fi·a·ble
[i múlsə f əb’l, i
mùlsə f əb’l] or e·mul·si·ble [i
múlsəb’l] adjective

able to form emulsion:
capable of forming an emulsion[1]



emulsify

emulsify
e·mul·si·fy 
[i múlsə f] (past e·mul·si·fied,
past participle e·mul·si·fied, present participle e·mul·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular e·mul·si·fies) transitive verb

convert
something into emulsion: to disperse something in an
emulsion, or convert two or more liquids into an emulsion
—e·mul·si·fi·ca·tion [i mùlsəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



emulsion

emulsion
e·mul·sion 
[i múlshən] (plural e·mul·sions)
noun

1.  suspension
of liquid within another liquid: a suspension of one
liquid in another, for example, oil in water or fat in milk

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY light-sensitive
photographic coating: a thin light-sensitive
coating of silver bromide or other silver halide in a medium such as gelatin on
a photographic plate, paper, or film

3.  water-based
paint with matte finish: a water-based paint that is
mainly used for interior decorating and usually has a matt finish
[Early
17th century. From, ultimately, Latin emuls-, the past participle stem
of emulgere “to milk out,” from mulgere “to milk.”]
—e·mul·sive, adjective[1]



emunctory

emunctory
e·munc·to·ry 
[i múngktəree] (plural e·munc·to·ries)
noun

body
part or organ removing waste: a body part or organ that
removes waste products from the body, for example the kidneys, lungs, or skin
[14th century. From medieval
Latin emunctorius, from, ultimately, Latin emungere, literally
“to blow the nose thoroughly,” from mungere “to blow the nose.”][1]



en

en
en 
[en] (plural ens) noun

measure of printing width:
a measure of printing width, half that of an em.
Also called
nut[1]



en-

en-
en-
prefix

1.  to
put or go into, cover with • entomb
• encamp
• enfold

2.  to
provide with

3.  to
cause to be • enlarge

4.  thoroughly
• enmesh

5.  in,
within, into • enzootic
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin in “in”][1]



-en

-en
-en
suffix

1.  to
cause to be or have • brighten
• strengthen

2.  to
come to be or have • tauten
• lengthen

3.  made
of or resembling • wooden
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek en . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English in, en-, and internal
.][1]



enable

enable
en·a·ble 
[in áyb’l, en
áyb’l] (past en·a·bled, past participle en·a·bled,
present participle en·a·bling, 3rd person present singular
en·a·bles) transitive verb

1.  provide
somebody with means: to provide somebody with the
resources, authority, or opportunity to do something

2.  make
something possible: to make something possible
or feasible
[15th
century. Coined from en- + able .]
—e·nab·ler, noun[1]



enabling

enabling
en·a·bling
[in áybling, en
áybling] adjective

conferring legal power:
conferring new legal powers[1]



enact

enact
en·act 
[in ákt, en ákt]
(past en·act·ed, past participle en·act·ed, present
participle en·act·ing, 3rd person present singular en·acts)
transitive verb

1.  POLITICS make
something law: to make proposed legislation into law

2.  THEATER act
something out: to perform or relate something using
acting
[15th
century. Coined from en- + act, modeled on Anglo-Latin inactitare .]
—en·act·a·ble,
adjective

—en·ac·tive,
adjective

—en·ac·tor, noun[1]



enactment

enactment
en·act·ment 
[in áktmənt, en
áktmənt] (plural en·act·ments) noun

1.  process
of enacting: the act or process of enacting something

2.  something
enacted:
something that is enacted, especially a law

[1]



enamel

enamel
e·nam·el 
[i námm’l] noun (plural e·nam·els)

1.  INDUSTRY glassy
decorative or protective coating: a glassy decorative or
protective coating, usually colored and opaque, that is fused onto metal,
glass, or ceramics

2.  something
with enamel coating: something that is coated
with enamel

3.  INDUSTRY paint
with a hard shiny finish: a paint that gives a shiny
smooth finish when dry

4.  DENTISTRY hard
layer on tooth crown: a hard thin
calcium-containing layer that covers and protects the crown of a tooth
transitive
verb
(past e·nam·eled, past participle e·nam·eled, present
participle e·nam·el·ing, 3rd person present singular e·nam·els)

1.  coat
something with enamel: to decorate or coat all or
part of an object with enamel

2.  apply
bright shiny surface to something: to apply a shiny
brightly colored surface to something
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman enamailler, literally “to enamel in,” from,
ultimately, Old French esmail “enamel,” from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “melting” that is also the ancestor of English schmaltz .]
—e·nam·el·er, noun[1]



enameling

enameling
e·nam·el·ing
[i námm’ling] noun

1.  application
of enamel:
the process of applying enamel to something

2.  surface
coated with enamel: the surface of something
coated with enamel.
Also
called
enamelwork

[1]



enamelware

enamelware
e·nam·el·ware 
[i námm’l wàir] noun

enamel-coated utensils:
household utensils coated with enamel[1]



enamelwork

enamelwork
e·nam·el·work 
[i námm’l wùrk] noun

See
enameling  noun 2[1]



enamor

enamor
en·am·or 
[in ámmər, en
ámmər] (past en·am·ored, past participle en·am·ored,
present participle en·am·or·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·am·ors) transitive verb (formal or literary)

1.  inspire
somebody with love: to inspire somebody with
love or passion

2.  charm
somebody:
to charm, fascinate, or captivate somebody
[13th century. From Old
French enamourer, from en- “to cause to” + amour “love.”][1]



enamour

enamour
en·am·our 
transitive verb

U.K. =
enamor[1]



enantiomorph

enantiomorph
en·an·ti·o·morph 
[i nántee ə màwrf] (plural en·an·ti·o·morphs)
or en·an·ti·o·mer [i nántee əmər]
(plural en·an·ti·o·mers) noun

mirror-image
molecule:
either of a pair of molecules that are a mirror image of each other in
structure but cannot be superimposed
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek enantios “opposite” + -morph .]
—en·an·ti·o·mor·phic
[i nàntee ə máwrfik], adjective

—en·an·ti·o·morph·ism
[i nàntee ə máwrfəss], noun

—en·an·ti·o·mor·phous
[i nàntee ə máwr fìzzəm], adjective[1]



enate

enate
e·nate 
[ nàyt] adjective

maternally
related:
related through the mother
noun
(plural e·nates)

somebody
maternally related: somebody related on the
mother’s side
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
enatus, past participle of enasci “to issue out, be born.”][1]



enatic

enatic
e·nat·ic
[i náttik] (plural e·nat·ics)

See
enate  adjective[1]



enation

enation
e·na·tion 
[i náysh’n] (plural e·na·tions)
noun

small
outgrowth caused by virus: a small outgrowth on an
organ, especially on a leaf, caused by a virus infection
[Mid-19th century. From the
Latin stem enation-, from, ultimately, enasci “to issue out, be
born.”][1]



enc

enc
enc
or enc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
enclosed

2.  Abbreviation
of
enclosure

[1]



encage

encage
en·cage 
[in káyj, en
káyj] (past en·caged, past participle en·caged,
present participle en·cag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·cag·es) transitive verb

confine in cage:
to confine somebody or something in or in something resembling a cage (formal)[1]



encamp

encamp
en·camp 
[in kámp, en
kámp] (past en·camped, past participle en·camped,
present participle en·camp·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·camps) intransitive and transitive verb

stay in camp:
to lodge in a camp, or provide somebody with a camp[1]



encampment

encampment
en·camp·ment 
[in kámpmənt, en
kámpmənt] (plural en·camp·ments) noun

1.  campsite:
a place occupied by a camp

2.  staying
in a camp:
residence in a camp, or the setting up of a camp

[1]



encapsulate

encapsulate
en·cap·su·late 
[in kápsə làyt, en
kápsə làyt] (past en·cap·su·lat·ed, past participle
en·cap·su·lat·ed, present participle en·cap·su·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular en·cap·su·lates) or in·cap·su·late
[in kápsə làyt, en
kápsə làyt] (past in·cap·su·lat·ed, past participle
in·cap·su·lat·ed, present participle in·cap·su·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·cap·su·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
condense
something:
to express something in concise form

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb enclose:
to enclose something or be enclosed completely
[Late
19th century. Coined from en- + capsule + -ate
.]
—en·cap·su·la·tion
[in kàpsə láysh’n, en
kàpsə láysh’n], noun

—en·cap·su·la·tor, noun[1]



encapsulated

encapsulated
en·cap·su·lat·ed 
[in kápsə làytəd, en
kápsə làytəd] adjective

protected by membrane:
used to describe an organ or tumor covered by a thin protective membrane[1]



encapsule

encapsule
en·cap·sule 
[in káps’l, in
káp sl, en káps’l, en káp sl] (past en·cap·suled, past
participle en·cap·suled, present participle en·cap·sul·ing,
3rd person present singular en·cap·sules) transitive verb

encapsulate:
to encapsulate something (formal) • fruit
encapsuled in a large, hard shell[1]



encase

encase
en·case 
[in káyss, en
káyss] (past en·cased, past participle en·cased,
present participle en·cas·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·cas·es) or in·case [in
káyss, en káyss] (past in·cased,
past participle in·cased, present participle in·cas·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cas·es) transitive verb

surround
something closely: to surround something
completely with a case or cover
—en·case·ment, noun[1]



encaustic

encaustic
en·caus·tic 
[en káwstik] adjective

having
fused colors: having wax colors fused to a surface by
heat
noun
(plural en·caus·tics)

something
with fused colors: an object or work of art
whose colors are fused to a surface by the application of heat, especially an
earthenware tile decorated with an inlaid design in the style of medieval floor
tiles
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
encausticus from Greek egkaustikos, from egkaiein “to burn
in.”][1]



enceinte

enceinte1
en·ceinte1 [en
sáynt, aan sánt] adjective

pregnant:
having a child developing in the womb (formal) (used euphemistically)
[Early 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin incincta “ungirded,” from cincta
“girded.”][1]



enceinte

enceinte2
en·ceinte2 [en
sáynt, aan sánt] (plural en·ceintes)
noun MILITARY

1.  defensive
enclosure:
a defensive wall or enclosure

2.  area
enclosed by defensive structure: a place protected by a
defensive wall or enclosure
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Latin incincta, past participle of incingere “to gird
in.”][1]



Enceladus

Enceladus
En·cel·a·dus
[en séllədəaa] noun

small moon of Saturn:
a small natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1789. It is 498 km (309 mi )
in diameter and occupies an intermediate orbit.[1]



encephal-

encephal-
encephal-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
encephalo-[1]



encephalic

encephalic
en·ce·phal·ic 
[èn sə fállik] adjective

relating
to the brain: related to the brain, or located within
the cranium
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek egkephalos “brain.”][1]



encephalitis

encephalitis
en·ceph·a·li·tis 
[en sèffə ltiss] noun

brain
inflammation: inflammation of the brain, usually
caused by a viral infection
—en·ceph·a·lit·ic [en sèffə líttik], adjective[1]



encephalitislethargica

encephalitislethargica
en·ceph·a·li·tis
le·thar·gi·ca  [en seffə
ltiss lə thrjikə] noun

sleeping
sickness:
sleeping sickness (technical)
[From modern Latin : lethargica
from Latin, a form of lethargicus “sleepy”][1]



encephalo-

encephalo-
encephalo-
prefix

brain
• encephalogram
[Via modern Latin from Greek (muelos)
enkephalos “(marrow) in the head,” from en “in” + kephalē
“head” (see cephalic )][1]



encephalogram

encephalogram
en·ceph·a·lo·gram 
[en séffələ gràm] (plural en·ceph·a·lo·grams)
noun

1.  brain
X ray:
an X-ray photograph of the brain.
Also
called
encephalograph

2.  See
electroencephalogram

[1]



encephalograph

encephalograph
en·ceph·a·lo·graph 
[en séffələ gràf] (plural en·ceph·a·lo·graphs)
noun

1.  See
encephalogram  noun 1

2.  See
electroencephalograph

[1]



encephalography

encephalography
en·ceph·a·log·ra·phy 
[en sèffə lóggrəfee] noun

X
raying of brain: X-raying photography of the brain
—en·ceph·a·lo·graph·ic
[en sèffələ gráffik], adjective

—en·ceph·a·lo·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



encephalomyelitis

encephalomyelitis
en·ceph·a·lo·my·e·li·tis 
[en sèffəlō mī ə ltiss] noun

brain
inflammation: inflammation of the brain and spinal
cord
—en·ceph·a·lo·my·e·lit·ic
[en sèffəlō mī ə líttik], adjective[1]



encephalon

encephalon
en·ceph·a·lon 
[en séffə lòn] (plural en·ceph·a·la
[en séffələ]) noun

vertebrate
brain:
the brain of a vertebrate
[Mid-18th
century. From Greek egkephalon, literally “inside the head,” from kephalē
“head.”]
—en·ceph·a·lous, adjective[1]



encephalopathy

encephalopathy
en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy 
[en sèffə lóppəthee] noun

brain
disease:
any disease of the brain
—en·ceph·a·lo·path·ic
[en sèffələ páthik], adjective[1]



enchain

enchain
en·chain 
[in cháyn, en
cháyn] (past en·chained, past participle en·chained,
present participle en·chain·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·chains) transitive verb

1.  put
somebody or something in chains: to bind somebody or
something with chains (formal or literary)

2.  captivate
somebody’s attention: to dominate somebody’s
attention or thoughts (literary)
[14th
century. From French enchainer, from, ultimately, Latin catenare
“to chain.”]
—en·chain·ment, noun[1]



enchant

enchant
en·chant 
[in chánt, en
chánt] (past en·chant·ed, past participle en·chant·ed,
present participle en·chant·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·chants) transitive verb

1.  delight
somebody:
to charm, delight, or captivate somebody

2.  put
somebody or something under spell: to cast a spell on
somebody or something
[14th century. Via Old French
enchanter from Latin incantare, literally “to chant a magic
formula upon,” from cantare “to sing.”][1]



enchanted

enchanted
en·chant·ed
[in chántəd, en
chántəd] adjective

1.  delighted:
charmed, delighted or captured by somebody or something

2.  under
spell:
put under a magic spell

[1]



enchanter

enchanter
en·chant·er 
[in chántər, en
chántər] (plural en·chant·ers) noun

1.  charming
or delightful person: somebody who is charming or
delightful

2.  magician:
somebody who casts spells

[1]



enchanter’snightshade

enchanter’snightshade
en·chant·er’s
night·shade
noun

white-flowered woodland
plant: a plant that is found in
cool woodland regions and has small white flowers and bristly fruits. Genus: Circaea[1]



enchanting

enchanting
en·chant·ing 
[in chánting, en
chánting] adjective

charming:
captivating or delightful
—en·chant·ing·ly, adverb[1]



enchantment

enchantment
en·chant·ment 
[in chántmənt, en
chántmənt] (plural en·chant·ments) noun

1.  state
of being enchanted: the act or condition of
being enchanted

2.  charm:
something that delights or captivates

3.  spell:
a magic spell

[1]



enchantress

enchantress
en·chant·ress 
[in chántrəss, en
chántrəss] (plural en·chant·ress·es) noun

1.  charming
woman:
a woman who is charming or delightful

2.  woman
magician:
woman who casts spells

[1]



enchase

enchase
en·chase 
[in cháyss, en
cháyss] (past en·chased, past participle en·chased,
present participle en·chas·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·chas·es) transitive verb

1.  set
jewelry with gems: to set jewelry or other
decorative objects with gems

2.  decorate
metal:
to emboss, engrave, or carve designs on metal
[15th century. From French enchasser
“to set (gems), encase,” from chasse “case, box.”][1]



enchilada

enchilada
en·chi·la·da 
[ènchi ldə] (plural en·chi·la·das)
noun

rolled
tortilla with filling: a fried tortilla rolled
around a mixture of poultry, meat, or vegetables and served hot with a usually
spicy sauce
[Late
19th century. From Mexican Spanish, a form of the past participle of enchilar
“to season with chili.”]
the
big enchilada

somebody
important or dominant in an organization (slang)

the
whole enchilada

the entirety of something (slang)[1]



enchiridion

enchiridion
en·chi·rid·i·on 
[èn kī ríddee ən] (plural en·chi·rid·i·ons
or en·chi·rid·i·a [èn kī ríddee ə])
noun

handbook:
a manual or handbook (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek egkheiridion, literally “small thing in the hand,” from
kheir “hand.”][1]



enchorial

enchorial
en·cho·ri·al 
[en káwree əl] or en·cho·ric [en káwrik] adjective

native
to particular country: belonging to or used in a
particular country, especially as a writing system
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek egkōrios “in the country,” from khōra “country.”][1]



-enchyma

-enchyma
-enchyma
suffix

cellular
tissue • aerenchyma
[From parenchyma][1]



encina

encina
en·ci·na 
[en snə] (plural en·ci·nas) noun

Southwestern
U.S.
live
oak:
live oak
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, “holm oak,” from late Latin ilicina, from, ultimately, the
Latin stem ilic- “ilex” (see ilex ).][1]



Encinitas

Encinitas
En·ci·ni·tas
[ènsi ntəss]

city in southern California
on the Gulf of Santa Catalina, northwest of San Diego. Population: 57,873
(1996)[1]



encipher

encipher
en·ci·pher 
[in sfər, en
sfər] (past en·ci·phered, past participle en·ci·phered,
present participle en·ci·pher·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·ci·phers) transitive verb

convert
something into code: to convert a text into code
or cipher
—en·ci·pher·er,
noun

—en·ci·pher·ment, noun[1]



encircle

encircle
en·cir·cle 
[in súrk’l, en
súrk’l] (past en·cir·cled, past participle en·cir·cled,
present participle en·cir·cling, 3rd person present singular
en·cir·cles) transitive verb

1.  surround
somebody or something: to form a circle around
somebody or something

2.  make
circuit of somebody or something: to go in a circle
around somebody or something
—en·cir·cle·ment,
noun

—en·cir·cling,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at surround.

[1]



encl.

encl.
encl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
enclosed

2.  Abbreviation
of
enclosure

[1]



enclasp

enclasp
en·clasp 
[in klásp, en
klásp] (past en·clasped, past participle en·clasped,
present participle en·clasp·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·clasps) transitive verb

tightly clasp somebody or
something: to embrace or hold somebody
or something tightly (literary)[1]



enclave

enclave
en·clave 
[én klàyv, óN
klàyv] (plural en·claves) noun

1.  POLITICS region
surrounded by foreign territory: a small country or
territory that is culturally or ethnically different from a surrounding larger
and distinct political unit.
See
also
exclave

2.  distinct
group in larger community: a distinct group that lives
or operates together within a larger community
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Old French enclaver “to enclose,” from Latin in “in”
+ clavis “key” (source of English clavicle
).][1]



enclitic

enclitic
en·clit·ic 
[en klíttik] adjective

depending
on preceding word: depending on a preceding
word for its formation or pronunciation
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin encliticus from Greek egklitikos, from egklinein “to
lean on.”][1]



enclose

enclose
en·close 
[in klṓz, en klṓz]
(past en·closed, past participle en·closed, present
participle en·clos·ing, 3rd person present singular en·clos·es)
or in·close [in klṓz] (past
in·closed, past participle in·closed, present
participle in·clos·ing, 3rd person present singular in·clos·es)
transitive verb

1.  surround
something:
to surround something, or shut something in

2.  surround
land or building with boundary: to surround land or a
building with a fence, wall, or other boundary

3.  insert
something in envelope or package: to add something to
the contents of an envelope or package

4.  hold
something:
to hold or contain something
[14th
century. From Old French enclos, the past participle of enclore,
from Latin includere “to shut in” (see include
).]
—en·clos·a·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at surround.

[1]



enclosedorder

enclosedorder
en·closed
or·der
(plural en·closed or·ders) noun

self-contained Christian
community: a Christian religious
community whose members remain physically within it[1]



enclosure

enclosure
en·clo·sure 
[in klṓzhər, en
klṓzhər] (plural en·clo·sures) or in·clo·sure
[in klṓzhər] (plural in·clo·sures)
noun

1.  something
inside a letter: something added to a letter or package

2.  land
surrounded by a boundary: an area of land surrounded
by a fence, wall, or other boundary

3.  boundary
fence:
a fence, wall, or other boundary surrounding something

4.  U.K.
SPORTS reserved
area at sports event: an area of ground at a
sports event set aside for particular spectators or competitors

5.  act
of enclosing: the act or process of enclosing
something

6.  CHRISTIANITY restricted
part of convent or monastery: the part of a convent or
monastery, especially the living quarters, that is restricted to members

[1]



encode

encode
en·code 
[in kṓd, en kṓd]
(past en·cod·ed, past participle en·cod·ed, present
participle en·cod·ing, 3rd person present singular en·codes)
transitive verb

1.  convert
text to code: to convert a message from plain text
into code

2.  COMPUTING convert
computer characters into digital form: to
convert input data, for example, analog signals, characters, and commands, into
a digital form recognizable by a computer

3.  GENETICS provide
genetic information: to provide the genetic
information that enables a polypeptide, RNA molecule, or one of their
constituent groups to be produced (refers to codons and genes)
—en·code·ment, noun[1]



encomiast

encomiast
en·co·mi·ast 
[en kṓmee àst, en
kṓmee əst] (plural en·co·mi·asts) noun

somebody
who gives high praise: somebody who speaks or
writes an encomium (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Greek egkōmiastēs, from egkōmiazein “to praise,” from egkōmion
“eulogy.”][1]



encomium

encomium
en·co·mi·um 
[en kṓmee əm] (plural en·co·mi·ums
or en·co·mi·a [en kṓmee ə]) noun
(formal)

1.  text
expressing high praise: a formal text that expresses
high praise for somebody

2.  high
praise:
an expression of high praise
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek egkōmion “eulogy,” literally “revel in,” from kōmos
“revel” (source of English comedy ).][1]



encompass

encompass
en·com·pass 
[in kúmpəss, en
kúmpəss] (past en·com·passed, past participle en·com·passed,
present participle en·com·pass·ing, 3rd person present
singular en·com·pass·es) transitive verb

1.  include
in entirety: to include the entirety of something

2.  encircle
something:
to surround, envelop, or encircle something

3.  cause
something to occur: to cause something, or bring
something about (formal)
—en·com·pass·ment, noun[1]



encore

encore
en·core 
[ón kàwr] noun (plural en·cores)

extra
or repeated performance of something: an
additional or repeated performance of something in response to a demand from an
audience
interjection

used
to demand repeat performance: used to demand an additional
or repeated performance of something
intransitive
and transitive verb (past en·cored,
past participle en·cored, present participle en·cor·ing,
3rd person present singular en·cores)

add
to or repeat performance of: to give an additional or
repeated performance of something
[Early 18th century. From
French “still, again.”][1]



encounter

encounter
en·coun·ter 
[in kówntər, en
kówntər] transitive verb (past en·coun·tered, past
participle en·coun·tered, present participle en·coun·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular en·coun·ters)

1.  meet
somebody or something unexpectedly: to
meet somebody or something, usually unexpectedly

2.  meet
somebody or something in conflict: to confront somebody
or something with hostility or aggression

3.  come
up against somebody or something: to be faced with
somebody or something, or come up against somebody or something
noun
(plural en·coun·ters)

1.  unexpected
meeting:
a meeting with somebody or something, usually unexpected and brief

2.  confrontation:
a hostile confrontation or contest
[13th century. Via Old French
encontrer “to confront” from late Latin incontra “in front of,”
from Latin in- “in” + contra “against.”][1]



encountergroup

encountergroup
en·coun·ter
group 
(plural en·coun·ter groups) noun

small group encouraging
personal growth: a small group of
people, often guided by a leader, who meet in order to achieve personal growth,
self-awareness, and social skills by means of emotional expression and
interaction[1]



encourage

encourage
en·cour·age 
[in kúr ij, en
kúr ij] (past en·cour·aged, past participle en·cour·aged,
present participle en·cour·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·cour·ag·es) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody hope or courage to: to give somebody hope,
confidence, or courage

2.  be
supportive of somebody: to urge somebody in a
helpful way to do or be something

3.  foster
something:
to assist something to occur or increase
[15th
century. From French encoragier, from en- “to cause” + corage
“courage.”]
—en·cour·ag·er, noun[1]



encouragement

encouragement
en·cour·age·ment 
[in kúr ijmənt, en
kúr ijmənt] (plural en·cour·age·ments) noun

1.  support
that inspires confidence: support of a kind that
inspires confidence and a will to continue or develop

2.  something
that encourages: somebody who or something that
encourages

[1]



encouraging

encouraging
en·cour·ag·ing 
[in kúr ijing, en
kúr ijing] adjective

giving
hope:
giving hope, confidence, or courage
—en·cour·ag·ing·ly, adverb[1]



encroach

encroach
en·croach 
[in krṓch, en krṓch]
(past en·croached, past participle en·croached, present
participle en·croach·ing, 3rd person present singular en·croach·es)
intransitive verb

1.  trespass
on something: to intrude gradually or stealthily,
often taking away somebody’s authority, rights, or property

2.  exceed
proper limits: to exceed the proper limits of something
[14th
century. From Old French encrochier “to seize,” literally “to hook in,”
from, ultimately, croc “hook,” from Old Norse krókr (source of
English crook ).]
—en·croach·er,
noun

—en·croach·ing·ly,
adverb

—en·croach·ment, noun[1]



encrust

encrust
en·crust 
[in krúst, en
krúst] (past en·crust·ed, past participle en·crust·ed,
present participle en·crust·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·crusts) or in·crust [in
krúst] (past in·crusted, past participle in·crusted,
present participle in·crust·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·crusts) transitive verb (often passive)

1.  cover
something with hard coating: to cover something with a
hard thick coating

2.  decorate
something richly: to embellish something richly,
especially with jewels
[Early 17th century. Via
French incruster from Latin incrustare, from in- “upon” + crusta
“crust.”][1]



encrustation

encrustation
en·crust·a·tion 
noun

See
incrustation[1]



encrypt

encrypt
en·crypt 
[in krípt, en
krípt] (past en·crypt·ed, past participle en·crypt·ed,
present participle en·crypt·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·crypts) transitive verb

1.  convert
text into code: to convert a text into code or cipher

2.  COMPUTING encode
computer data: to convert computer data and messages to
something incomprehensible by means of a key, so that it can be reconverted
only by an authorized recipient holding the matching key
—en·cryp·tion [in krípshən, en krípshən],
noun[1]



enculturation

enculturation
en·cul·tu·ra·tion 
[in kùlchə ráysh’n, en
kùlchə ráysh’n] noun

See
socialization
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from en- + culture + -ation
.]
—en·cul·tu·ra·tive [in kúlchə ràytiv, en
kúlchə ràytiv], adjective[1]



encumber

encumber
en·cum·ber 
[in kúmbər, en
kúmbər] (past en·cum·bered, past participle en·cum·bered,
present participle en·cum·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·cum·bers) or in·cum·ber [in
kúmbər, en kúmbər] (past in·cum·bered,
past participle in·cum·bered, present participle in·cum·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cum·bers) transitive verb

1.  hinder
somebody or something: to hamper or impede somebody
or something

2.  load
somebody or something down: to burden or weigh down
somebody or something (often passive)

3.  fill
something with superfluous things: to fill something with
superfluous matter or objects (often passive)
[14th century. From Old
French encombrer “to obstruct,” literally “to put in a barrier,” from combre
“barrier.”][1]



encumbrance

encumbrance
en·cum·brance 
[in kúmbrəns, en
kúmbrəns] (plural en·cum·branc·es) noun

1.  burden
or hindrance: somebody who or something that hinders
or burdens somebody

2.  LAW burden
or claim on property: a lien, charge, or claim on
property, especially a mortgage

[1]



encumbrancer

encumbrancer
en·cum·branc·er 
[in kúmbrənsər, en
kúmbrənsər] (plural en·cum·branc·ers) noun

somebody with legal claim on
property: somebody who has a legal
claim on property, especially a mortgage[1]



ency.

ency.
ency.
or encyc. or encycl.

Abbreviation of
encyclopedia[1]



encyclical

encyclical
en·cyc·li·cal 
[in sklik’l, en
sklik’l] (plural en·cyc·li·cals) noun

CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic papal document: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a formal statement issued by the Pope to bishops, often on matters of
doctrine
[Mid-17th century. From,
ultimately, Greek egkuklios “circular, general,” literally “in a
circle,” from kuklos “circle” (see cycle
).][1]



encyclopedia

encyclopedia
en·cy·clo·pe·di·a 
[in sklə pdee ə, en
sklə pdee ə] (plural en·cy·clo·pe·di·as) or en·cy·clo·pae·di·a
[in sklə pdee ə, en
sklə pdee ə] (plural en·cy·clo·pae·di·as) noun

comprehensive
reference work: a reference work offering comprehensive
information on all or specialized areas of knowledge.
Also
called
cyclopedia
[Mid-16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek egkuklopaideia “general education,” from egkuklios
“general” (see encyclical ) + paideia
“education,” from pais “boy, child” (source of English pediatrician ).][1]



encyclopedic

encyclopedic
en·cy·clo·pe·dic 
[in sklə pdik, en
sklə pdik] or en·cy·clo·pae·dic [in sklə pdik, en sklə pdik]
adjective

embracing
broadly inclusive range of knowledge:
covering or including a broad range of detailed knowledge such as is found in
an encyclopedia
—en·cy·clo·pe·di·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



encyclopedism

encyclopedism
en·cy·clo·pe·dism 
[in sklə p dìzzəm, en sklə p dìzzəm] or en·cy·clo·pae·dism [in sklə p dìzzəm, en
sklə p dìzzəm] noun

extensive knowledge:
comprehensive learning or knowledge[1]



encyclopedist

encyclopedist
en·cy·clo·pe·dist 
[in sklə pdist, en
sklə pdist] (plural en·cy·clo·pe·dists) or en·cy·clo·pae·dist
[in sklə pdist, en
sklə pdist] (plural en·cy·clo·pae·dists) noun

compiler of encyclopedias:
somebody who compiles or contributes to an encyclopedia[1]



Encyclopedist

Encyclopedist
En·cy·clo·pe·dist 
[in sklə pdist, en
sklə pdist] (plural En·cy·clo·pe·dists) noun

writer or editor of French Encyclopédie:
a writer or editor of the Encyclopédie (1751–1772), a French reference
work in which the advanced secular, technical, and political ideas of the
period were articulated[1]



encyst

encyst
en·cyst 
[en síst] (past en·cyst·ed, past
participle en·cyst·ed, present participle en·cyst·ing,
3rd person present singular en·cysts) intransitive and
transitive verb

enclose
in a cyst:
to enclose or be enclosed in a cyst
—en·cys·ta·tion
[èn sis táysh’n], noun

—en·cyst·ed
[en sístəd, in
sístəd], adjective

—en·cyst·ment [en sístmənt], noun[1]



end

end
end 
[end] (past end·ed, past
participle end·ed, present participle end·ing, 3rd
person present singular ends, plural ends) CORE
MEANING:
a noun indicating the last part of something, either physically or in the
abstract, and a verb indicating that something finishes or stops • (noun)
At the far end lay a vacant lot. • (noun)
bound with a red rubber band at one end • (noun)
closed down at the end of 1991 • (noun)
listened until the end • (verb)
We want to end discrimination. • (verb)
the weeks before school ends • (verb)
The reef ends in a perpendicular wall.

1.
noun final
part:
the final part of a period of time, of an event, or of a book, film or other
work • The
goal was to bring the information superhighway to even the most remote reaches
of the globe by the end of the century. • His
e-mail address is at the end of the article.

2.
noun extremity
of object:
the tip or extremity of a long narrow object • I’m
surprised he knows which end of the mike to hold.

3.
noun limit
or boundary: the limit, extent, or boundary of
something • They
walked the valley from end to end.

4.
noun stopping
of something: the act or result of stopping something
• call
for an unconditional end to the pollution

5.
noun extremity
of a scale:
either of the extreme points on a scale • at
both ends of the political spectrum • those
at the high end of the income range

6.
noun goal:
a goal, object, or purpose • for
purely political ends

7.
noun part
of communications link: either of the places
connected by a communications link • Pick
up the phone and find out who’s on the other end.

8.
noun death:
the experience of death • an
untimely end

9.
noun leftover
piece:
a piece or part of something that is left over

10.
noun share
of joint responsibility: a part or portion of shared
responsibility • Are you sure they’ll
honor their end of the deal?

11.
noun SPORTS area
on playing field: the area at either end of a playing
field

12.
noun FOOTBALL player
positioned at end of line: in football, a player
positioned at either end of the offensive or defensive line

13.
verb intransitive and transitive verb stop:
to reach, or bring something to, a close or a final point • She
abruptly ended the meeting. • The
meeting ended without an agreement being made.

14.
intransitive verb result:
to have an ultimate consequence or result • The
vacation ended in tragedy.

15.
intransitive verb stop at a place:
to reach a particular place and stop there • The
road ends at a little village called Moneta.

16.
intransitive verb have a tip:
to have a particular kind of tip or extremity • The
dog’s tail ends in a tuft of hair.
[Old
English ende . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “front”
that is also the ancestor of English advance,
antique, and until .]
an
end in itself

indicates
that something is worth having or doing although it may not lead to anything • A
friendship should be satisfying; it is an end in itself, and not a means to an
end.

at
loose ends

having
no purpose or occupation • With
all her work done she found herself at loose ends.

at
wit’s end

totally
perplexed and not knowing what to do • I’ve
tried everything to solve the problem; I’m at wit’s end.

end
it all

commit
suicide

end
on

1.  with
the end facing or next to something • The
plane crash-landed on the runway, its tail section end on to the tarmac.

2.  in
such a way that an object’s end piece or section is flush with a flat surface • Set
the heavy crate end on near the loading dock.

end
to end

in
a row with the ends adjacent • The
beds of flowers were arranged end to end.

go
off the deep end

to
behave furiously or irrationally (informal)

in
the end

finally
• In
the end, I had to admit he was right.

no
end of something

a
great deal of something (informal) • The
old photocopier gave us no end of trouble.

on
end

1.  for
an uninterrupted period • The
rain continued for weeks on end.

2.  in
a vertical position • We
left the table standing on its end against the wall.

the
end of the line

or the
end of the roadthe point beyond which somebody or something can no longer
continue or survive • The
coming of the supermarkets was the end of the line for many small independent
grocers.

the
… to end all …

something
that is so impressive or important that nothing else of the same kind will ever
rival it • the
war to end all wars • the
movie to end all movies

to
the bitter or to the very end

for
as long as is possible, however unpleasant the situation becomes • The
company’s policy was to fight to the bitter end all consequent damage suits.

until
the end of time

forever

[1]



end-

end-
end-
suffix

(used before vowels)See
endo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-end

-end
-end
suffix

person
or thing to be treated in a particular way • adherend
[From Latin -endus, -endum][1]



endamage

endamage
en·dam·age
[in dámmij, en
dámmij] (past en·dam·aged, past participle en·dam·aged,
present participle en·dam·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·dam·ag·es) transitive verb

harm somebody or something:
to cause injury or harm to somebody or something (archaic)[1]



endamoeba

endamoeba
en·da·moe·ba 
[èndə mbə] (plural en·da·moe·bas
or en·da·moe·bae [èndə mbee] or
en·da·me·bae) noun

parasite living in
invertebrate’s digestive tract: a
parasitic protozoan found in the digestive tracts of some invertebrates,
especially cockroaches and termites. Genus: Endamoeba[1]



endanger

endanger
en·dan·ger 
[in dáynjər, en
dáynjər] (past en·dan·gered, past participle en·dan·gered,
present participle en·dan·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·dan·gers) transitive verb

put
somebody or something at risk: to expose somebody or
something to danger
—en·dan·ger·ment, noun[1]



endangered

endangered
en·dan·gered 
[in dáynjərd, en
dáynjərd] adjective

in great danger:
in danger or at risk, especially of ceasing to exist[1]



endangeredspecies

endangeredspecies
en·dan·gered
spe·cies
noun

species threatened by
extinction: a species of animal, plant
or other organism, whose numbers are so few, or declining so quickly, that it
may soon become extinct. Endangered species are sometimes protected under
national or international law.[1]



endaround

endaround
end
a·round
noun

1.  end-a·round
play
(plural end-a·round plays) FOOTBALL
play
with end carrying ball: a play in which an end on
one side carries the ball around the opposite side of the field

2.  indirect
way of getting result: an indirect attack on a
problem that avoids opponents instead of confronting them (informal)

[1]



endarterectomy

endarterectomy
end·ar·te·rec·to·my 
[èn daartə réktəmee] (plural end·ar·te·rec·to·mies)
noun

surgical
removal of obstruction in artery: the surgical removal
of material that is wholly or partially obstructing blood flow in an artery
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from end- + artery
+ -ectomy .][1]



endash

endash
en
dash
(plural en dash·es) noun

dash one en long:
in printing, a dash that is one en in length[1]



endear

endear
en·dear 
[in dr, en dr]
(past en·deared, past participle en·deared, present
participle en·dear·ing, 3rd person present singular en·dears)
transitive verb

make
somebody liked: to make somebody or something
affectionately loved or greatly liked
[Late 16th century. Coined
from en- + dear,
modeled on French enchérir .][1]



endearing

endearing
en·dear·ing 
[in dring, en
dring] adjective

causing
fond feelings: producing feelings of affection or
fondness
—en·dear·ing·ly, adverb[1]



endearment

endearment
en·dear·ment 
[in drmənt, en
drmənt] (plural en·dear·ments) noun

1.  expression
of affection: an expression of affection, especially
if spoken • terms
of endearment

2.  act
of being endeared: the act or condition of
being endeared

[1]



endeavor

endeavor
en·deav·or 
[in dévvər, en
dévvər] transitive verb (past en·deav·ored, past
participle en·deav·ored, present participle en·deav·or·ing,
3rd person present singular en·deav·ors)

try to do something:
to make an effort to achieve something (formal)
noun
(plural en·deav·ors)

1.  effort:
an earnest exertion in order to achieve something

2.  enterprise:
an enterprise or directed activity
[15th
century. From put in dever, partial translation of French mettre en
devoir, literally “to put in duty”; devoir from, ultimately, Latin debere
“to owe” (source of English debt ).]
—en·deav·or·er, noun[1]



endeavour

endeavour
en·deav·our 
transitive verb

U.K. =
endeavor[1]



endemic

endemic
en·dem·ic 
[en démmik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE occurring
in particular place: used to describe a disease
occurring within a specific area, region, or locale • Typhoid
fever used to be endemic in the Deep South.

2.  ECOLOGY restricted
to particular area: used to describe a species
of organism that is confined to a particular geographical region, for example,
an island or river basin

3.  characteristic
of area:
characteristic of a particular place or among a particular group or area of
interest or activity
noun
(plural en·dem·ics)

MEDICINE endemic
disease:
an endemic disease
[Mid-17th
century. From, ultimately, Greek endēmos “native,” literally “in the
people,” from dēmos “people.”]
—en·dem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—en·de·mic·i·ty
[èndə míssətee], noun

—en·dem·ism [éndə mìzzəm], noun[1]



endergonic

endergonic
end·er·gon·ic 
[èndər gónnik] adjective

absorbing
energy:
used to describe a chemical or biochemical reaction in which energy is absorbed
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from end- + Greek ergon “work” + -ic
.][1]



Enders,John Franklin

Enders,John Franklin
En·ders 
[éndərz], John Franklin (1897–1985)

U.S. microbiologist. He
shared a Nobel Prize (1954) for research that led to the development of
vaccines against viral diseases such as poliomyelitis, mumps, and measles.[1]



endgame

endgame
end·game 
[énd gàym] (plural end·games) noun

1.  CHESS last
stage of chess game: the final stage of a chess
game in which only a few pieces are left on the board.
Also
called
ending

2.  ultimate
stage of something: the final stage of a process
or contest • As
the trial neared its close, reporters watched closely to see what the
prosecutors’ endgame would be.

[1]



Endicott

Endicott
En·di·cott
[éndi kòt]

village in southern New York,
on the Susquehanna River. Population: 13,531 (1990)[1]



ending

ending
end·ing 
[énding] (plural end·ings) noun

1.  final
part of something: the final or concluding part
of something, for example, a book or movie

2.  way
something is finished: the manner in which
something is ended

3.  LINGUISTICS end
part of word: the terminating part of a word, for
example, an inflection or suffix

4.  CHESS See endgame  noun 1

5.  PSYCHOLOGY process
of concluding a relationship: the process of concluding a
relationship with another person, especially a therapist. An ending may offer
somebody an opportunity to explore feelings about separation and loss.

[1]



endive

endive

en·dive 
[én dv, aaN dv]
(plural en·dives or en·dive) noun

1.  leafy
plant used in salads: a plant grown for its
tightly packed curly leaves that are used in salads and as a garnish. Latin
name: Cichorium endivia
Also
called
escarole

2.  chicory
used in salads: a chicory grown for its mainly white,
succulent leaves that are used in salads. Latin name: Cichorium intybus
Also
called
witloof
U.K.
term
chicory
[14th century. From,
ultimately, Latin endivia from medieval Greek entubia, of uncertain
origin; perhaps ultimately from Semitic .][1]



endless

endless
end·less 
[éndləss] adjective

1.  without
end:
having no end or limit

2.  continuous:
made continuous by joining the ends
—end·less·ly,
adverb

—end·less·ness, noun[1]



endline

endline
end
line
(plural end lines) noun

line marking playing area
limit: a line at the end of a court
or field that marks the boundary of a playing area[1]



endman

endman
end
man
noun

man at end in minstrel show:
a man at the end of a line in a minstrel show.
See also
interlocutor[1]



endmatter

endmatter
end
mat·ter
noun

PUBLISHING
See back matter[1]



endmost

endmost
end·most 
[énd mst] adjective

1.  nearest
end:
nearest or at the end

2.  last
or most distant

[1]



endnote

endnote
end·note 
[énd nt] (plural end·notes) noun

note placed at end of
something: a note of comment or
reference placed at the end of an article, chapter, book, or essay instead of
the bottom of a page.
See also
footnote[1]



endo-

endo-
endo-
prefix

in,
within, inside • endotracheal
[From Greek endo .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “in,” which is also the ancestor
of English in, industry, and indigent
.][1]



endocardial

endocardial
en·do·car·di·al
[èndō krdee əl] adjective

1.  in
heart:
located within the heart

2.  of
membrane of heart: concerned with the
membranous lining of the heart’s cavities ( endocardium
)

[1]



endocarditis

endocarditis
en·do·car·di·tis 
[èndō kaar dtiss] noun

inflammation
of membrane of heart: inflammation of the
membranous lining of the heart’s cavities ( endocardium
)
—en·do·car·dit·ic [èndō kaar díttik], adjective[1]



endocardium

endocardium
en·do·car·di·um 
[èndō krdee əm] (plural en·do·car·di·a
[èndō krdee ə]) noun

lining of heart cavities:
the thin membranous lining of the heart’s cavities[1]



endocarp

endocarp
en·do·carp 
[éndə krp] (plural en·do·carps)
noun

hard
inner layer of seed wall: the innermost of the three
layers of the wall ( pericarp ) of a fruit.
It may be toughened or hardened, as in a cherry stone or peach pit. (technical)
—en·do·car·pal [èndə krp’l], adjective[1]



endocranium

endocranium
en·do·cra·ni·um 
[èndō kráynee əm] (plural en·do·cra·ni·a
[èndō kráynee ə]) noun

See
dura mater
—en·do·cra·ni·al, adjective[1]



endocrine

endocrine
en·do·crine 
[éndəkrin, éndə
kreen, éndəkrn] (plural en·do·crines)
adjective

relating
to internal secretion: relating to glands that
secrete hormones internally directly into the lymph or bloodstream.
See
also
exocrine
[Early 20th century. Coined
from endo- + Greek krinein “to
separate.”][1]



endocrinegland

endocrinegland
en·do·crine
gland
(plural en·do·crine glands) noun

hormone-secreting gland:
any gland of the body that secretes hormones directly into the blood or lymph,
e.g. the thyroid, pituitary, pineal, and adrenal glands[1]



endocrinologist

endocrinologist
en·do·cri·nol·o·gist 
[èndəkrə nólləjist] (plural en·do·cri·nol·o·gists)
noun

specialist in endocrine
disorders: a medical specialist who
treats endocrine disorders[1]



endocrinology

endocrinology
en·do·cri·nol·o·gy 
[èndəkrə nólləjee] noun

medical
study of endocrine disorders: a branch of medicine dealing
with disorders of the endocrine glands
—en·do·cri·no·log·ic
[èndə krinə lójjik], adjective

—en·do·crin·o·log·i·cal
[èndə krinə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



endocytosis

endocytosis
en·do·cy·to·sis 
[èndō sī tṓssiss] noun

process
of cellular absorption: the process by which a cell
membrane folds inward to take in substances bound to its surface
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from endo- + -cyte
+ -osis .][1]



endoderm

endoderm
en·do·derm 
[éndə dùrm] (plural en·do·derms)
noun

inner
layer of cells in embryo: the innermost layer of an
animal embryo that develops into the lining of the respiratory and digestive
tracts.
Also
called
endoblast
Also
called
entoderm
Also
called
hypoblast
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from endo- + Greek derma
“skin.”]
—en·do·der·mal [èndə dúrm’l], adjective[1]



endodermis

endodermis
en·do·der·mis 
[èndə dúrmiss] noun

inner
layer of cells: a layer of cells that marks the boundary
between the inner core ( stele ) and outer
surrounding tissue ( cortex ) of a plant
root. It is also evident in the stems of certain plants, notably ferns and some
flowering plants.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from endoderm, modeled on epidermis
.][1]



endodontics

endodontics
en·do·don·tics 
[èndə dóntiks] or en·do·don·tia
[èndə dónshə, èndə
dónshee ə] noun

treatment
of dental pulp diseases: the branch of dentistry that
deals with diseases of the dental pulp (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from endo- + orthodontics .]
—en·do·don·tic,
adjective

—en·do·don·tist, noun[1]



endoenzyme

endoenzyme
en·do·en·zyme 
[èndō én zm] (plural en·do·en·zymes)
noun

enzyme acting inside cell:
an enzyme that functions inside the cell where it is found or produced[1]



endoergic

endoergic
en·do·er·gic 
[èndō úrjik] adjective

NUCLEAR PHYSICS consuming
energy:
relating to a nuclear reaction in which energy is consumed
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from endo- + Greek ergon “work.”][1]



endof steel

endof steel
end
of steel
noun Canada

1.  end
of railroad line: the furthest point to which the rails of
a railroad line have been laid

2.  town
at end of railroad line: the town at the end of a
railroad line • Dawson was the end of
steel in the Yukon region.

[1]



endogamy

endogamy
en·dog·a·my 
[en dóggəmee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY marriage
within group: the social practice of marrying another
member of the same clan, people, or other kinship group

2.  BOTANY self-pollination:
pollination between the flowers of the same plant
—en·dog·a·mous, adjective[1]



endogenous

endogenous
en·dog·e·nous 
[en dójjənəss] adjective

1.  without
external cause: with no apparent external cause • endogenous
depression

2.  BIOLOGY produced
inside organism: originating or growing within an
organism or tissue • endogenous secretions.

See
also
exogenous
—en·dog·e·nous·ly,
adverb

—en·dog·e·ny, noun[1]



endolymph

endolymph
en·do·lymph 
[éndə lìmf] noun

fluid
in ear:
the fluid inside the membranous labyrinth of the ear
—en·do·lym·phat·ic [èndə lim fáttik], adjective[1]



endometria

endometria
en·do·me·tri·a


Plural of
endometrium[1]



endometriosis

endometriosis
en·do·me·tri·o·sis 
[èndō meetri ṓssiss] noun

presence of endometrium
elsewhere than womb: a medical
condition in which the mucous membrane ( endometrium
) that normally lines only the womb is present and functioning in the ovaries
or elsewhere in the body[1]



endometrium

endometrium
en·do·me·tri·um 
[èndō mtree əm] (plural en·do·me·tri·a
[èndō mtree ə]) noun

mucous
membrane lining womb: the mucous membrane that
lines the womb and increases in thickness in the latter part of the menstrual
cycle
[Late
19th century. Coined from endo- + Greek mētra
“womb.”]
—en·do·me·tri·al, adjective[1]



endomitosis

endomitosis
en·do·mi·to·sis 
[èndō mī tṓssiss] noun

increase
of chromosomes: a process by which chromosomes divide
within a cell but the nucleus does not, so that an increase in chromosome
number results
—en·do·mi·tot·ic [èndō mī tóttik], adjective[1]



endomorph

endomorph
en·do·morph 
[éndə màwrf] (plural en·do·morphs)
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY stocky
person:
somebody whose body has a stocky build and a prominent abdomen.
See
also
ectomorph
See
also
mesomorph

2.  MINERALS mineral
inside another: a mineral that is found within another
mineral. An example of this is tourmaline, often found enclosed in quartz.
See
also
perimorph
—en·do·mor·phic
[èndə máwrfik], adjective

—en·do·mor·phy [éndə màwrfee], noun[1]



endonuclease

endonuclease
en·do·nu·cle·ase 
[èndō nklee àyss, èndō
nklee àyz] (plural en·do·nu·cle·ases) noun

enzyme acting on DNA:
an enzyme that splits a DNA or RNA molecule by aiding the breakdown of bonds
between nucleotides[1]



endoparasite

endoparasite
en·do·par·a·site 
[èndō pérrə st] (plural en·do·par·a·sites)
noun

internal
parasite:
a parasite, for example, a tapeworm, that lives inside its host
—en·do·par·a·sit·ic
[èndō perrə síttik], adjective

—en·do·par·a·sit·ism [èndō pérrəssi tìzzəm, èndō
pérrə sī tìzzəm], noun[1]



endopeptidase

endopeptidase
en·do·pep·ti·dase 
[èndō pépti dàyss, èndō
pépti dàyz] (plural en·do·pep·ti·das·es) noun

enzyme acting on proteins:
an enzyme, for example, pepsin that aids the breakdown of peptide bonds in
proteins[1]



endophyte

endophyte
en·do·phyte 
[éndə ft] (plural en·do·phytes)
noun

plant
living inside another: a plant or fungus that lives
inside another plant. It may or may not be a parasite of its host plant.
—en·do·phyt·ic [èndə fíttik], adjective[1]



endoplasm

endoplasm
en·do·plasm 
[éndə plàzzəm] (plural en·do·plasms)
noun

inner
cytoplasm:
the inner, more fluid layer of cytoplasm in a cell
—en·do·plas·mic [èndə plázmik], adjective[1]



endoplasmicreticulum

endoplasmicreticulum
en·do·plas·mic
re·tic·u·lum  noun

transport membrane in cell
cytoplasm: an intricate system of
tubular membranes in the cytoplasm of a cell. It is responsible for the
synthesis and transport of materials to and from cells.[1]



endorgan

endorgan
end
or·gan
(plural end or·gans) noun

end of nerve:
the specialized end of a sensory or motor nerve[1]



endorphin

endorphin
en·dor·phin 
[en dáwrfin] (plural en·dor·phins)
noun

natural
painkiller:
a substance in the brain that attaches to the same cell receptors that morphine
does. Endorphins are released when severe injury occurs, often abolishing all
sensation of pain.
[Late 20th century. Blend of endogenous and morphine
.][1]



endorse

endorse
en·dorse 
[in dáwrs, en
dáwrs] (past en·dorsed, past participle en·dorsed,
present participle en·dors·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·dors·es) or in·dorse [in
dáwrs] (past in·dorsed, past participle in·dorsed,
present participle in·dors·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·dors·es) transitive verb

1.  approve
formally:
to give formal approval or permission for something • This
practice is not endorsed by headquarters.

2.  support:
to give public support to somebody or something, especially during an election
• decided
to endorse the mayor as a candidate for higher office

3.  COMMERCE promote:
to give public approval of a product for advertising purposes • a
brand endorsed by a popular TV star

4.  FINANCE sign
check to obtain cash: to sign the back of a check
or money order in order to cash it

5.  FINANCE sign
something to assign payment: to sign the back of a
negotiable document in order to make it payable to a specified payee

6.  FINANCE sign
receipt:
to sign a document to acknowledge receipt of a payment

7.  write
on back of document: to write a comment on the
back of a document • a fitness report that
had been endorsed on the back by its recipient
[15th
century. From medieval Latin indorsare, from Latin dorsum “back”
(source of English dorsal and dossier ).]
—en·dors·a·ble,
adjective

—en·dor·see
[èn dawr s, in
dàwr s], noun

—en·dors·er [in dáwrsər, en dáwrsər],
noun[1]



endorsement

endorsement
en·dorse·ment 
[in dáwrsmənt, en
dáwrsmənt] (plural en·dorse·ments) or in·dorse·ment
[in dáwrsmənt] (plural in·dorse·ments)
noun

1.  FINANCE act of
endorsing:
an act or instance of endorsing something or somebody • make
an endorsement of a check

2.  signature
or written comment: something, especially a
signature, written on the back of a document to make it payable, approve it, or
comment on it

3.  official
approval or permission: official approval of or
permission for something

4.  public
support:
public support for somebody or something

5.  COMMERCE advertising
testimonial: an instance of public approval of a
product for advertising purposes

6.  INSURANCE policy
alteration:
a clause added to an insurance policy that changes the coverage

[1]



endoscope

endoscope
en·do·scope 
[éndə skp] (plural en·do·scopes)
noun

medical
instrument:
a medical instrument consisting of a long tube inserted into the body, usually
through a small incision. It is used for diagnostic examination and surgical
procedures.
—en·do·scop·ic
[èndə skóppik], adjective

—en·do·scop·ic·al·ly
[èndə skóppikəlee], adverb

—en·dos·co·py [en dóskəpee], noun[1]



endoskeleton

endoskeleton
en·do·skel·e·ton 
[èndō skéllət’n] (plural en·do·skel·e·tons)
noun

internal
skeleton:
the internal skeleton of an animal, especially of a vertebrate
—en·do·skel·e·tal, adjective[1]



endosmosis

endosmosis
en·dos·mo·sis 
[èn daws mṓssiss] noun

inward
osmosis:
osmosis in which fluid is absorbed from a surrounding fluid into a cell
—en·dos·mot·ic
[èn daws móttik], adjective

—en·dos·mot·i·cal·ly [èn daws móttikəlee], adverb[1]



endosperm

endosperm
en·do·sperm 
[éndə spùrm] noun

seed
tissue:
the tissue that surrounds the embryo inside a plant seed and provides
nourishment for it
—en·do·sper·mic, adjective[1]



endospore

endospore
en·do·spore 
[èndə spáwr] (plural en·do·spores)
noun

1.  asexual
spore:
an asexual spore that is formed inside the cells of certain bacteria and algae

2.  inner
spore wall:
the inner layer of the wall of a spore
—en·do·spor·ous [èndə spáwrəss, en dóspərəss],
adjective[1]



endosteum

endosteum
en·dos·te·um 
[en dóstee əm] (plural en·dos·te·a
[en dóstee ə]) noun

lining
of bones:
a layer of vascular tissue lining the inside of certain bones, for example, the
femur
[Late
19th century. Coined from endo- + Greek osteon
“bone.”]
—en·dos·te·al, adjective[1]



endosulfan

endosulfan
en·do·sul·fan 
[èndō súlfən] noun

insecticide:
an organochlorine insecticide and acaricide used to control insects, for
example, aphids and mites, on farm and garden crops. Its use is now restricted
because of its toxic side effects. C9H6Cl6O3S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from endo- + sulfur
.][1]



endosymbiosis

endosymbiosis
en·do·sym·bi·o·sis 
[èndō sìm bī ṓssiss] noun

organism living inside
another: symbiosis in which one
organism lives inside the body of another[1]



endothecium

endothecium
en·do·the·ci·um 
[èndō thshee əm, èndō
thssee əm] (plural en·do·the·ci·a [èndō thshee ə]) noun

1.  moss
tissue:
the inner tissue of the spore-producing capsule of a moss

2.  anther
tissue:
the tissue of the inner wall of an anther in a flower
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from endo- + Greek thēkion “little
case,” a diminutive of thēkē “chest.”][1]



endothelia

endothelia
en·do·the·li·a


Plural of
endothelium[1]



endothelioma

endothelioma
en·do·the·li·o·ma 
[èndō theelee ṓmə] (plural en·do·the·li·o·mas
or en·do·the·li·o·ma·ta [èndō theelee
ṓmətə]) noun

tumor:
a tumor of cells that line internal body surfaces[1]



endothelium

endothelium
en·do·the·li·um 
[èndə thlee əm] (plural en·do·the·li·a
[èndō thlee ə]) noun

internal
tissue:
a layer of cells that lines the inside of certain body cavities, for example,
blood vessels
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek endon “within” + thēlē
“nipple.”]
—en·do·the·li·al,
adjective

—en·do·the·li·oid, adjective[1]



endotherm

endotherm
en·do·therm 
[éndə thùrm] (plural en·do·therms)
noun

warm-blooded
animal:
an animal that is able to maintain a constant body temperature despite changes
in the temperature of its environment
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from endo- + Greek thermē “heat.”][1]



endothermic

endothermic
en·do·ther·mic 
[èndə thúrmik] or en·do·ther·mal
[èndə thúrm’l] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY PHYSICS absorbing
heat:
used to describe a reaction that absorbs heat (the preferred term in nuclear
physics is “endoergic”)

2.  ZOOLOGY warm-blooded:
maintaining a constant body temperature despite changes in the temperature of
the environment
—en·do·ther·my [éndə thùrmee], noun[1]



endotoxin

endotoxin
en·do·tox·in 
[éndə tòksin] (plural en·do·tox·ins)
noun

bacterial
toxin:
a toxin produced within certain bacteria that is released only when the
bacteria disintegrate
—en·do·tox·ic [èndə tóksik], adjective[1]



endotracheal

endotracheal
en·do·tra·che·al 
[èndō trákee əl] adjective

in or through windpipe:
located in or passed through the windpipe • an
endotracheal tube[1]



endotrophic

endotrophic
en·do·troph·ic
[èndō tróffik] adjective

deriving nourishment from
outside: used to describe an
association ( mycorrhiza ) between a fungus
and a plant in which the fungus obtains its nourishment from inside its plant
host.
See also
ectotrophic[1]



endow

endow
en·dow 
[in dów, en dów]
(past en·dowed, past participle en·dowed, present
participle en·dow·ing, 3rd person present singular en·dows)
transitive verb

1.  FINANCE provide
with money:
to provide a person or institution with income or property

2.  provide
with something desirable: to provide somebody or
something with desirable qualities, abilities, or characteristics • Nature
has endowed the area with a perfect climate.

3.  give
dower:
to provide somebody with a dower (archaic)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman endouer from, ultimately, Latin dotare “to provide
with a dowry” (the original sense in English), from dos “dowry.”][1]



endowment

endowment
en·dow·ment 
[in dówmənt, en
dówmənt] (plural en·dow·ments) noun

1.  FINANCE funds
or property: an amount of income or property that has
been provided to a person or institution, especially an educational institution

2.  FINANCE giving
of endowment: the giving of an endowment, or an
instance of this

3.  natural
quality:
a natural ability or quality • A
sharp mind was one of her many endowments.

[1]



endozoic

endozoic
en·do·zo·ic
[èndə zṓ ik] adjective

1.  living
in animal:
used to describe organisms that live inside an animal

2.  dispersed
through animal’s gut: related to or being a method
of seed dispersal in which the seeds are eaten by an animal and then passed out
in the animal’s feces

[1]



endpaper

endpaper
end·pa·per
[énd pàypər] (plural end·pa·pers)
noun

paper securing book cover to
pages: a sturdy sheet of paper
pasted to the inside of a book’s front or back cover and to the spine edge of
the first or last page[1]



endpin

endpin
end·pin 
[énd pìn] (plural end·pins) noun

supporting leg:
the adjustable spike-shaped leg at the bottom of a cello or double bass that
the instrument rests on while being played[1]



endplay

endplay
end·play 
[énd plày] noun (plural end·plays)

bridge
tactic forcing loss of trick: a play in bridge in which an
opponent is forced to lead near the end of the hand, with the result that he or
she loses a trick that would otherwise have been won
transitive
verb
(past end·played, past participle end·played, present
participle end·play·ing, 3rd person present singular end·plays)

force bridge opponent to
lead: to force an opponent in
bridge to lead near the end of a hand of bridge so that he or she will lose a
trick[1]



endpoint

endpoint
end
point
(plural end points) noun

1.  completion:
the point at which something is complete or comes to an end

2.  CHEMISTRY completion
of titration: the point, marked by a color change or
other indicator, at which a titration is complete

[1]



endpoint

endpoint
end·point
[énd pòynt] (plural end·points)
noun

MATHEMATICS
end of line segment:
the point located at either end of a line segment or at the end of a ray[1]



endproduct

endproduct
end
prod·uct
(plural end prod·ucts) noun

final result:
the final result of a process or series of events or operations[1]



endrhyme

endrhyme
end
rhyme
(plural end rhymes) noun

rhyme at end of lines:
the use of rhyme at the ends of lines of poetry, or an example of this[1]



endrin

endrin
en·drin 
[éndrin] noun

insecticide:
a poisonous white crystalline compound that is used as an insecticide. A
chlorinated hydrocarbon, it is an isomer of dieldrin. C12H8Cl6O
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from endo- + dieldrin
.][1]



endrun

endrun
end
run
(plural end runs) noun

1.  attempt
to bypass:
an attempt to get around an obstacle or difficulty, often by using deceitful
methods (informal)

2.  FOOTBALL outflanking
running play: a play in which the player with the ball
attempts to run around the defensive line of the opposing team

[1]



end-run

end-run
end-run 
(past end-ran, past participle end-run, present
participle end-run·ning, 3rd person present singular end-runs)
transitive verb

bypass something:
to get around an obstacle or difficulty, often by using deceitful methods (informal)[1]



end-stopped

end-stopped
end-stopped 
adjective

containing pauses at line
endings: used to describe poetry
containing a pause in meaning at the end of a line or couplet, instead of
continuing into the next line or couplet[1]



endtable

endtable
end
ta·ble
(plural end ta·bles) noun

small table:
a small table placed at the side of a couch or armchair, often with a lamp on
top[1]



endue

endue
en·due 
[in d, en d]
(past en·dued, past participle en·dued, present
participle en·du·ing, 3rd person present singular en·dues)
or in·due [in d] (past
in·dued, past participle in·dued, present participle
in·du·ing, 3rd person present singular in·dues) transitive
verb

give
quality:
to endow somebody or something with an ability or quality • His
successes have endued him with an aura of invincibility.
[14th century. Via French enduire
from, ultimately, Latin ducere “to lead” (source of English induce and duct
).][1]



endup

endup
end
up
intransitive verb

1.  turn
out to be:
to become something eventually

2.  arrive
at last:
to arrive at a destination at long last

[1]



endurable

endurable
en·dur·a·ble 
[in drəb’l, en
drəb’l] adjective

bearable:
able to be borne or tolerated • The
level of noise was barely endurable.
—en·dur·a·bil·i·ty
[in drə bíllətee, en
drə bíllətee], noun

—en·dur·a·bly [in drəblee, en drəblee],
adverb[1]



endurance

endurance
en·dur·ance 
[in drəns, en
drəns] noun

1.  ability
to bear prolonged hardship: the ability or power to bear
prolonged exertion, pain, or hardship • an
endurance race

2.  toleration
of hardship: an act or example of toleration of
prolonged suffering or hardship • an
unflinching endurance of pain

3.  persistence
over time:
the survival or persistence of something despite the ravages of time • the
endurance of ancient traditions
[15th century. From French,
formed from endurer (see endure ).][1]



endure

endure
en·dure 
[in dr, en dr]
(past en·dured, past participle en·dured, present
participle en·dur·ing, 3rd person present singular en·dures)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bear
hardship:
to experience exertion, pain, or hardship without giving up • The
nation endured years of war to create a lasting peace.

2.  transitive
verb
tolerate
disagreeable things: to tolerate or accept
somebody or something that is extremely disagreeable (formal) • I
cannot endure that song.

3.  intransitive
verb
survive:
to last or survive over a period of time, especially when faced with
difficulties • The
philosophical ideas of the ancient Greeks endure to this day.
[14th century. Via French endurer
from Latin indurare “to harden,” from durus “hard.”][1]



enduring

enduring
en·dur·ing 
[in dring, en
dring] adjective

1.  persisting
or surviving: persisting or surviving in the face of
difficulties

2.  long-suffering:
patient or tolerant despite many difficulties
—en·dur·ing·ly,
adverb

—en·dur·ing·ness, noun[1]



enduro

enduro
en·dur·o 
[en drō] (plural en·dur·os) noun

endurance
race:
a long race, especially one involving motorcycles or carts, that is intended to
be won through endurance rather than speed
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of endurance .][1]



enduser

enduser
end
us·er
(plural end us·ers) noun

ultimate user:
a person or group that is one of the ultimate consumers or users that a product
has been designed for • a
survey that is designed to assess what the end user really needs[1]



endwise

endwise
end·wise 
[énd wz] or end·ways [énd wàyz] adverb

1.  with
end up:
with an end up or forward

2.  toward
ends:
toward the ends

3.  with
ends touching: with one end next to another end

[1]



Endymion

Endymion
En·dym·i·on
[en dímmee ən] noun

Greek mythological hero:
in Greek mythology, a handsome man loved by the moon goddess Selene[1]



endzone

endzone
end
zone
(plural end zones) noun

scoring area:
either of the two areas at the ends of a football field between the goal line
and the end line where a touchdown is scored[1]



ENE

ENE
ENE

Abbreviation of
east-northeast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ene

-ene
-ene
suffix

an
unsaturated organic compound • butene
[From Greek -ēnē,
feminine of -ēnos, an adjective suffix][1]



enema

enema
en·e·ma 
[énnəmə] (plural en·e·mas) noun

1.  insertion
of liquid into rectum: the insertion of a liquid
into the bowels via the rectum as a treatment, especially for constipation, or
as an aid to diagnosis

2.  liquid
used in enema: the liquid used in an enema • a
barium enema
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek, formed from enienai “to send or put in,” from hienai
“to send.”][1]



enemy

enemy
en·e·my 
[énnəmee] (plural en·e·mies) noun

1.  unfriendly
opponent:
somebody who hates and seeks to harm or cause trouble for somebody else

2.  MILITARY a
military opponent: a person or group,
especially a military force, that fights against another in combat or battle

3.  POLITICS hostile
power:
a hostile nation or power

4.  harmful
thing:
something that harms or opposes something else • In
a case like this, time is the enemy.
[13th century. Via Old French
enemi from Latin inimicus “unfriendly,” from amicus
“friend” (source of English amicable
).][1]



energetic

energetic
en·er·get·ic 
[ènnər jéttik] adjective

1.  forceful:
displaying great vigor or force

2.  requiring
stamina:
requiring great vigor or stamina
[Mid-17th
century. Via Greek energētikos “active” from, ultimately, ergon
“work” (see energy ).]
—en·er·get·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



energetics

energetics
en·er·get·ics 
[ènnər jéttiks] noun

study of energy:
the branch of physics that studies energy and its transformations (takes a
singular verb)[1]



energize

energize
en·er·gize 
[énnər jz] (past en·er·gized,
past participle en·er·gized, present participle en·er·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular en·er·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody or something energy: to supply somebody or
something with strength or power • He
felt energized by his nap.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become active: to become or cause something to become
vigorously active

3.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICITY supply
with electrical power: to supply something with a
source of electrical power
—en·er·gi·za·tion
[ènnərji záysh’n], noun

—en·er·giz·er [énnər jzər], noun[1]



energy

energy
en·er·gy 
[énnərjee] (plural en·er·gies)
noun

1.  vigor:
liveliness and forcefulness • She
gave a speech that was full of energy.

2.  ability
to do things: the ability or power to work or make an
effort • His
illness left him feeling drained of energy.

3.  forceful
effort:
a vigorous effort or action • We
must concentrate our energies on the task in hand.

4.  PHYSICS power
supply or source: a supply or source of electrical,
mechanical, or other form of power

5.  PHYSICS capacity
to do work:
the capacity of a body or system to do work. Symbol E
[Mid-16th
century. Via French énergie from, ultimately, Greek energeia,
from ergon “work.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European word from which energy
  ultimately comes is also the ancestor of English irk,
  liturgy, organ, orgy, surgeon, and work.

[1]



energyaudit

energyaudit
en·er·gy
au·dit
(plural en·er·gy au·dits) noun

survey of energy use:
a survey of the use of energy in a building or organization, undertaken in
order to make energy use as efficient as possible[1]



energybalance

energybalance
en·er·gy
bal·ance
noun

mathematical relationship
showing inputs and outputs: a
mathematical relationship, using the principle of the conservation of energy,
that shows the energy inputs and outputs of a process or system.
Also called
heat balance[1]



energyband

energyband
en·er·gy
band
noun

PHYSICS
See band 2 noun
7[1]



energy-bandtheory

energy-bandtheory
en·er·gy-band
the·o·ry
noun

PHYSICS
See band theory[1]



energycrisis

energycrisis
en·er·gy
cri·sis
noun

shortage of energy:
a situation in which available sources of energy are not sufficient to meet the
demand[1]



energyefficient

energyefficient
en·er·gy
ef·fi·cient
adjective

economical:
using electrical or other energy in an economical way (hyphenated when used
before a noun)[1]



energylevel

energylevel
en·er·gy
lev·el
(plural en·er·gy lev·els) noun

fixed energy value:
one of the discrete stable energy values that can be assumed by a physical
system, for example, the electrons in an atom or an atomic nucleus[1]



energytax

energytax
en·er·gy
tax
(plural en·er·gy tax·es) noun

tax to encourage energy
conservation: a tax on an energy
source intended to discourage environmentally unfriendly sources and encourage
energy conservation or use of alternative sources[1]



enervate

enervate
en·er·vate 
[énnər vàyt] transitive verb (past
en·er·vat·ed, past participle en·er·vat·ed, present
participle en·er·vat·ing, 3rd person present singular en·er·vates)

weaken:
to weaken somebody’s physical, mental, or moral vitality • I
was feeling quite enervated by the strain of moving.
adjective

See
enervated
[Early
17th century. From Latin enervare “to extract the sinews of, weaken,”
from nervus “sinew” (source of English nerve
).]
—en·er·va·tion [ènnər váysh’n], noun[1]



enface

enface
en·face 
[in fáyss, en
fáyss] (past en·faced, past participle en·faced,
present participle en·fac·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·fac·es) transitive verb

write
on face of document: to mark something on the
face of a document by writing, stamping, or printing
[Mid-19th
century. From en- + face,
modeled on endorse .]
—en·face·ment, noun[1]



enfamille

enfamille
en
fa·mille
[N fa m] adverb

1.  with
the family:
with the members of your family, especially at home

2.  informally:
in an informal, relaxed, or casual way
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “in the family.”][1]



enfantterrible

enfantterrible
en·fant
ter·ri·ble 
[aaN fN te rblə] (plural en·fants
ter·ri·bles [aaN fN te rblə]) noun

1.  shocking
person:
somebody whose unconventional behavior, attitudes, or remarks are shocking to
others

2.  avant-garde
young artist: a young person, especially in the arts,
who has become successful because of work that is radically innovative or
extremely avant-garde
[From French, literally
“terrible child”][1]



enfeeble

enfeeble
en·fee·ble 
[in fb’l, en
fb’l] (past en·fee·bled, past participle en·fee·bled,
present participle en·fee·bling, 3rd person present singular
en·fee·bles) transitive verb

weaken:
to reduce the strength of somebody or something to the point of weakness
[14th
century. From Old French enfiblir, from feble (see feeble ).]
—en·fee·ble·ment, noun[1]



enfeoff

enfeoff
en·feoff 
[in ff, en ff]
(past en·feoffed, past participle en·feoffed, present
participle en·feoff·ing, 3rd person present singular en·feoffs)
transitive verb

1.  give
somebody land freehold: to invest somebody with the
freehold possession of a piece of land

2.  make
somebody vassal: to make somebody a feudal vassal by
giving that person a fief or fee (archaic)
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman enfeoffer, from Old French fief (see fief ).]
—en·feoff·ment, noun[1]



Enfield

Enfield1
En·field1 [én
feeld]

city in northern Connecticut,
situated on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River, near the Massachusetts
border. Population: 45,532 (1990)[1]



Enfield

Enfield2
En·field2  [én
feeld] noun

See
Enfield rifle  noun 1[1]



Enfieldmusket

Enfieldmusket
En·field
mus·ket
(plural En·field mus·kets) noun

British
rifled musket: a muzzle-loading rifled musket used by
British forces in the 19th century and by American troops in the Civil War.
Also
called
Enfield rifle
[Named for the English town
of Enfield, where it was made][1]



Enfieldrifle

Enfieldrifle
En·field
ri·fle
(plural En·field ri·fles) noun

1.  U.S.
rifle:
a .30-caliber bolt-action breech-loading rifle used by U.S. forces in World War
I.

2.  British
rifle:
a .303-caliber bolt-action breech-loading rifle, used by British forces in
World War I and until the 1930s.

3.  See
Enfield musket
[Named for the English town
of Enfield, where the British rifle was made][1]



enfilade

enfilade
en·fi·lade 
[énfə làyd, énfə
ld] noun

1.  vulnerable
position:
a position in which troops are exposed to gunfire along the length of their
formation

2.  raking
fire:
gunfire that strikes a body of troops along its whole length
transitive
verb
(past en·fi·lad·ed, past participle en·fi·lad·ed, present
participle en·fi·lad·ing, 3rd person present singular en·fi·lades)

1.  fire
at something along its length: to attack a position
or body of troops with fire along its whole length

2.  fire
along whole length of enemy: to place guns or troops in a
position from which they can fire on the whole length of an enemy position or
body of troops
[Early 18th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, fil “thread,” from Latin filum (source
of English filament and fillet ).][1]



enfleurage

enfleurage
en·fleu·rage 
[Nflə rzh] noun

scenting
of oils:
a process used in making perfume in which oils acquire fragrance by being
exposed to the scent of flowers
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from enfleurer “to saturate with the scent of flowers,”
from fleur “flower.”][1]



enfold

enfold
en·fold 
[in fṓld, en fṓld]
(past en·fold·ed, past participle en·fold·ed, present
participle en·fold·ing, 3rd person present singular en·folds)
or in·fold [in fṓld] (past
in·fold·ed, past participle in·fold·ed, present
participle in·fold·ing, 3rd person present singular in·folds)
transitive verb

1.  envelop:
to wrap, or wrap something, completely around somebody or something

2.  embrace:
to hold somebody or something in an embrace

3.  enclose
or surround: to enclose or surround somebody or
something • enfold
a child in your love
—en·fold·er, noun[1]



enforce

enforce
en·force 
[in fáwrs, en
fáwrs] (past en·forced, past participle en·forced,
present participle en·forc·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·forc·es) transitive verb

1.  make
people obey something: to compel obedience to a
law, regulation, or command

2.  impose:
to impose something by force

3.  strengthen:
to give strength or emphasis to something • enforce
an argument
[13th
century. Via French enforcir from, ultimately, Latin fortis
“strong” (source of English fort and fortify ).]
—en·force·a·bil·i·ty
[in fàwrsə bíllətee, in fàwrsə bíllətee], noun

—en·force·a·ble
[in fáwrsəb’l, en
fáwrsəb’l], adjective

—en·force·ment, noun[1]



enforcer

enforcer
en·forc·er
[in fáwrsər, en
fáwrsər] (plural en·forc·ers) noun

1.  LAW somebody
who enforces law: somebody who enforces a rule, law, or
other order

2.  CRIMINOLOGY criminal
who intimidates: a member of a criminal gang who uses
physical violence to intimidate and enforce compliance (slang)

3.  HOCKEY intimidating
player:
a player whose job it is to intimidate opposing players or retaliate for rough
play or violence

[1]



enfranchise

enfranchise
en·fran·chise 
[in frán chz, en
frán chz] (past en·fran·chised, past participle en·fran·chised,
present participle en·fran·chis·ing, 3rd person present
singular en·fran·chis·es) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody right to vote: to give somebody the right
to vote in an election

2.  set
free:
to set somebody free, especially from slavery

3.  allow
representation to: to grant political
representation to a town or city
[Early
16th century. From Old French enfranchir, from franc “free”
(source of English frank ), from
Latin francus .]
—en·fran·chise·ment, noun[1]



ENG

ENG
ENG

Abbreviation of
electronic newsgathering[1]



eng.

eng.
eng.

1.  Abbreviation
of
engine

2.  Abbreviation
of
engineer

3.  Abbreviation
of
engineering

[1]



Eng.

Eng.
Eng.

1.  Abbreviation
of
England

2.  Abbreviation
of
English

[1]



engage

engage
en·gage 
[in gáyj, en
gáyj] (past en·gaged, past participle en·gaged,
present participle en·gag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·gag·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb involve
or become involved: to involve somebody in an
activity, or become involved or take part in an activity

2.  transitive
verb
hire
somebody:
to hire somebody for a job or to do some work

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY fight somebody:
to fight or begin a battle with an enemy

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb activate
or become activated: to activate something or
bring something into operation, or become activated or operational

5.  transitive
verb
reserve
something:
to reserve or rent something for personal use (dated)

6.  transitive
verb
require
use of something: to require the use or devotion of
something

7.  transitive
verb
hold
somebody’s attention: to attract and hold
somebody’s attention

8.  transitive
verb
become
betrothed:
to promise to marry • The
couple have become engaged at last.

9.  transitive
verb
attract
somebody by pleasing: to attract or win the
affection of somebody by pleasing that person • He
was engaged by the child’s charm.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb MECHANICAL ENGINEERING interlock:
to become interlocked, or bring something together and cause something to
interlock
[Early
16th century. From French engagier, from gage “pledge.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English wage .]
—en·gag·er, noun[1]



engaged

engaged
en·gaged 
[in gáyjd, en
gáyjd] adjective

1.  having
agreed to marry: having agreed to get married • the
newly engaged couple

2.  occupied:
busy doing something • The
senator is otherwise engaged this afternoon.

3.  MILITARY fighting
battle:
fighting a military battle

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING with
parts interlocked: with teeth or other parts
interlocked and often in operation

5.  U.K.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS See busy  adjective 4

6.  BUILDING built
into or attached to wall: used to describe a part of a
building that is built into or attached to a wall

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at busy

[1]



engagedtone

engagedtone
en·gaged
tone
(plural en·gaged tones) noun

U.K.
See busy signal[1]



engagement

engagement
en·gage·ment 
[in gáyjmənt, en
gáyjmənt] (plural en·gage·ments) noun

1.  agreement
to marry:
an agreement to get married • announce
our engagement

2.  commitment
to attend:
an arrangement to be present at an event, especially a business or social
appointment

3.  pledge
for something: something, for example, a promise, that
is freely made and that carries an obligation to do something

4.  short
job:
a job that lasts for a short period of time, especially one for an entertainer
in a club or theater • a
week-long engagement in Las Vegas

5.  MILITARY battle:
a battle or other conflict involving military forces • a
minor engagement on the frontier

6.  active
or operational state: an act or condition of being
activated or becoming operational

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fight

[1]



engagementring

engagementring
en·gage·ment
r·ing
(plural en·gage·ment rings) noun

ring for fiancée:
a ring, often a diamond solitaire, given by a man to his fiancée to mark their
engagement to marry. It is worn on the ring finger of the left hand.[1]



engaging

engaging
en·gag·ing 
[in gáyjing, en
gáyjing] adjective

charming:
charming or pleasing in a way that attracts and holds the attention
—en·gag·ing·ly, adverb[1]



engagé

engagé
en·ga·gé 
[Ngə zháy] adjective

politically
committed:
committed to a political cause or ideology, usually a left-wing one
[Mid-20th century. From
French, the past participle of engager (see engage
).][1]



engarde

engarde
en
garde 
[aaN grd] interjection

on
guard:
used to warn a fencer to assume the prescribed stance for the start of a match
[From French, literally “on
guard”][1]



Engelmannspruce

Engelmannspruce
En·gel·mann
spruce 
[éng g’lmən sprss] noun

N
American tree: a large spruce tree found in western
North America. Latin name: Picea engelmannii
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the U.S. botanist George Engelmann (1809–1884).][1]



Engels,Friedrich

Engels,Friedrich

En·gels 
[éng g’lz], Friedrich (1820–1895)
German political thinker and
revolutionary. He co-wrote the Communist Manifesto ( 1848 ) with Karl
Marx and supported Marx financially. He lived mainly in England.[1]



engender

engender
en·gen·der 
[ən jéndər] (past en·gen·dered,
past participle en·gen·dered, present participle en·gen·der·ing,
3rd person present singular en·gen·ders) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb create
or arise:
to arise or come into existence, or cause something to do so • Secrecy
engenders suspicion.

2.  transitive
verb
have
offspring:
to cause offspring to be conceived or born (formal)
[14th
century. Via French from Latin ingenerare, from generare “to
produce.”]
—en·gen·der·er, noun[1]



engine

engine
en·gine 
[énjin] (plural en·gines) noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine
for powering equipment: a machine that converts
energy into mechanical power or motion • a
gasoline-powered engine

2.  RAIL railroad
locomotive:
a railroad locomotive

3.  driving
force or energy source: something that supplies the
driving force or energy to a movement, system, or trend • a
political movement that was seen as a great engine of social change

4.  MILITARY HISTORY battlefield machine:
a battering ram, catapult, or other device used in warfare (archaic) • a
siege engine
[14th century. Via French engin
from Latin ingenium “talent, clever device” (source of English ingenious ).][1]



engineblock

engineblock
en·gine
block
(plural en·gine blocks) noun

casing for engine cylinders:
the heavy metal casing that houses the cylinders in an internal-combustion
engine.
U.K. term
cylinder block[1]



engined

engined
en·gined
[énjind] adjective

having engines:
powered by an engine or engines, often of a specified make or number (usually
used in combination)[1]



enginedriver

enginedriver
en·gine
driv·er
(plural en·gine driv·ers) noun

U.K.
RAIL See engineer  noun 2[1]



engineer

engineer
en·gi·neer 
[ènjə nr] noun (plural en·gi·neers)

1.  ENGINEERING engineering
professional: somebody who is trained in a branch of
professional engineering

2.  RAIL locomotive
driver:
somebody who operates a railroad locomotive.
U.K.
term
engine driver

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanic:
somebody who operates or services machines

4.  SHIPPING NAVY ship’s officer:
an officer on a ship who is in charge of the engines

5.  MILITARY construction
soldier:
a member of a unit of the armed forces that specializes in building and
sometimes destroying bridges, fortifications, and other large structures

6.  planner:
somebody who plans, oversees, or brings about something, especially something
that is achieved with ingenuity or secretiveness • the
engineer of the overthrow of the government
transitive
verb
(past en·gi·neered, past participle en·gi·neered, present
participle en·gi·neer·ing, 3rd person present singular en·gi·neers)

1.  contrive
something:
to plan something or bring it about, especially in an ingenious or secretive
manner

2.  ENGINEERING use
engineering skill to design something: to
use professional engineering skill to design or create something • This
car was engineered in Italy.

3.  GENETICS use genetic
engineering on something: to use the techniques of
genetic engineering on something
[14th century. Via Old French
engigneor “contriver” from, ultimately, Latin ingenium (see engine ).][1]



engineering

engineering
en·gi·neer·ing 
[ènjə nring] noun

1.  ENGINEERING application
of science to designing things: the application of
science in the design, planning, construction, and maintenance of buildings,
machines, and other manufactured things • leading
the world in engineering

2.  ENGINEERING profession
involving technical designing: any one of various
branches of engineering pursued as a profession, for example, civil engineering
or electronic engineering

3.  contrivance:
the planning or bringing about of something, especially when done with
ingenuity or secretiveness

[1]



engineroom

engineroom
en·gine
room
(plural en·gine rooms) noun

place for ship’s engines:
the place on board a ship where the engines are housed[1]



engird

engird
en·gird 
[in gúrd, en
gúrd] (past participle en·gird·ed or en·girt
[ən gúrt], present participle en·gird·ing,
3rd person present singular en·girds) transitive verb

encircle:
to encircle something (literary)[1]



engirdle

engirdle
en·gird·le 
[in gúrd’l, en
gúrd’l] (past en·gir·dled, past participle en·gir·dled,
present participle en·gird·ling, 3rd person present singular
en·gir·dles) transitive verb

surround:
to surround or encircle something (literary)[1]



engirt

engirt
en·girt


Past tense of
engird Past participle of engird[1]



englacial

englacial
en·gla·cial 
[in gláysh’l, en
gláysh’l] adjective

within glacier:
used to describe material or processes occurring within a glacier[1]



England

England

Eng·land 
[ínglənd]
country forming the southern and largest
part of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom. Capital: London. Population:
48,903,000 (1995) Area: 130,410 sq km/50,351 sq mi.[1]



England




Back to definition

England

[1]



Englewood

Englewood
En·gle·wood
[éng’l wd]

1.  city
in north central Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Population: 29,387 (1990)

2.  city
in northeastern New Jersey, near the Hudson River. Population: 24,850 (1990)

[1]



English

English
Eng·lish 
[íng glish] noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
of U.S., Canada, and U.K.: the language of the U.S.,
Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic
of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and several other countries.
There are about 350 million native speakers of English, and a further approximately
1.2 billion people use it as a second language.

2.  PEOPLES people
from England: people who are born in England or are
U.K. citizens living in England

3.  EDUCATION study
of English:
the English language, together with literature written in it, as a subject of
scholarly or educational study • major
in English

4.  understandable
English:
clear, understandable spoken or written English, as distinct from technical
jargon, dialect or nonstandard or incomprehensible speech or writing

5.  English
translation: a translation of something from another
language into English • Do you
have the English of Dante?

6.  Eng·lish
or eng·lish CUE GAMES
spin:
spin applied to a billiard ball by striking it off-center.
U.K.
term
side
adjective

1.  of
the language English: relating to or expressed in
the English language

2.  of
the English: relating to or belonging to the English
or England
transitive
verb
(past Eng·lished, past participle Eng·lished, present
participle Eng·lish·ing, 3rd person present singular Eng·lish·es)
LANGUAGE (archaic)

1.  translate
something into English: to translate something into
English

2.  Anglicize
something:
to convert a word or phrase to an English spelling or pronunciation
[Old
English Englisc, from Engle “the Angles”]
—Eng·lish·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  English, a language originating in
  northwestern Europe, is the most widely used member of the Germanic language
  family. Anglo-Saxon settlers whose dialects were collectively known as
  “Englisc” arrived in Britain in the 5th century and in due course their
  language became identified as the main one of the kingdom of England. This
  early English was a homogeneous tongue, and the characteristic hybrid
  vocabulary of the present-day language is the result, successively, of
  Scandinavian, Norman-French, and Greco-Latin influence. For convenience,
  English is usually divided into four historical phases: Old English (around
  500 to 1150), Middle English (around 1150 to around 1450), Early Modern
  English (around 1450 to 1700), and Modern English (around 1700 onward).
  However, the distance and difference between Old and Modern English is as
  great as that between Latin and its descendant French. After 1707, English
  became the primary language of first the United Kingdom and Ireland, then the
  British Empire at large, from which the United States broke away in the
  1770s. The world’s primary English-speaking countries today are the United
  States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, New
  Zealand, and Singapore, and the many other nations and territories using
  English include Bangladesh, Ghana, Guyana, India, Hong Kong, Kenya, Jamaica,
  Malta, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines. All territories
  using the language tend to have distinctive pronunciations, grammatical
  features, and items of vocabulary, and, increasingly, subvarieties of the
  standard international language. English is a primary working language of the
  United Nations and the European Union and the sole working language of the
  Commonwealth, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Caribbean Community and
  Common Market, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is also learned
  as a second language for purposes of education, employment, entertainment,
  electronic communication, and travel by a rapidly increasing number of people
  worldwide, approaching between one and two billion people. Since the 1960s
  the already immense literature of the language, primarily in the United
  States and United Kingdom, was markedly extended throughout the English-speaking
  world, with English becoming overwhelmingly the primary language of global
  communication and the media. See also the introductory essay on WORLD
  ENGLISH.

[1]



Englishbond

Englishbond
Eng·lish
bond
noun

arrangement of bricks in
wall: an arrangement of bricks in
a wall in which layers ( courses ) of bricks
laid end to end ( stretchers ) alternate
with layers of bricks laid side to side ( headers
). The stretchers of all layers are aligned vertically, and the headers are
centered on the stretchers and the mortar joints between them.[1]



Englishbulldog

Englishbulldog
Eng·lish
bull·dog
(plural Eng·lish bull·dogs) noun

See
bulldog[1]



EnglishCanada

EnglishCanada
Eng·lish
Can·a·da
noun

Canada
English-speaking Canada:
those regions of Canada where English is the dominant language[1]



EnglishCanadian

EnglishCanadian
Eng·lish
Ca·na·di·an
(plural Eng·lish Ca·na·di·ans) noun

Canada
English-speaking
Canadian:
a Canadian whose first language is English or who is of English ancestry
—Eng·lish-Ca·na·di·an,
adjective[1]



EnglishChannel

EnglishChannel
Eng·lish
Chan·nel

area of water linking the
North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between England and France. Length:
560 km/350 mi.[1]



Englishdaisy

Englishdaisy
Eng·lish
dai·sy
noun

See
daisy  noun 1[1]



Englishfoxhound

Englishfoxhound
Eng·lish
fox·hound
(plural Eng·lish fox·hounds) noun

medium-sized hunting dog:
a medium-sized hunting dog of a breed originally developed in England, with a
smooth, short-haired coat that may be black, tan, and white or a mixture of
these[1]



Englishhorn

Englishhorn

Eng·lish horn
(plural Eng·lish horns) noun
double-reed woodwind instrument:
a woodwind instrument that resembles an oboe but is larger, has a double reed,
and is lower-pitched.
U.K. term
cor anglais[1]



Englishivy

Englishivy
Eng·lish
i·vy
noun

See
ivy  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Englishman

Englishman
Eng·lish·man 
[íng glishmən] (plural Eng·lish·men
[íng glishmən]) noun

man from England:
a man who was born in England or is a British citizen living in England[1]



Englishmuffin

Englishmuffin
Eng·lish
muf·fin 
(plural Eng·lish muf·fins) noun

flat round roll for toasting:
a small flat round type of bread made with yeast dough and cooked on a griddle.
It is split and toasted before serving.
U.K. term
muffin[1]



Englishsaddle

Englishsaddle
Eng·lish
sad·dle
(plural Eng·lish sad·dles) noun

saddle without horn:
a light hornless saddle with long side flaps and a low cantle and pommel[1]



Englishsetter

Englishsetter
Eng·lish
set·ter
(plural Eng·lish set·ters) noun

medium-sized hunting dog:
a hunting dog of a medium-sized breed of setters having a silky white coat with
brown or black markings[1]



Englishsheepdog

Englishsheepdog
Eng·lish
sheep·dog 
(plural Eng·lish sheep·dogs) noun

See
Old English sheepdog[1]



Englishsonnet

Englishsonnet
Eng·lish
son·net
(plural Eng·lish son·nets) noun

See
Shakespearean sonnet[1]



Englishsparrow

Englishsparrow
Eng·lish
spar·row
(plural Eng·lish spar·rows) noun

See
house sparrow[1]



Englishspringer spaniel

Englishspringer spaniel
Eng·lish
spring·er span·iel (plural Eng·lish
spring·er span·iels) noun

medium-sized hunting dog:
a hunting dog of a medium-sized breed of spaniels that originated in England,
with a silky coat that may be a mixture of white, black, liver, or tan[1]



Englishtoy spaniel

Englishtoy spaniel
Eng·lish
toy span·iel (plural Eng·lish toy span·iels)
noun

small spaniel:
a toy dog with a thick wavy coat, belonging to a small breed of spaniels that
originated in Eastern Asia. King Charles and Blenheim are types of toy
spaniels.[1]



Englishwalnut

Englishwalnut
Eng·lish
wal·nut
(plural Eng·lish wal·nuts) noun

1.  Eurasian
tree:
a Eurasian tree grown in Europe and the United States for its large edible nuts
and hard wood. Latin name: Juglans regia

2.  nut
of English walnut tree: the large edible nut of an
English walnut tree

[1]



Englishwoman

Englishwoman
Eng·lish·wom·an 
[íng glish wmmən] (plural Eng·lish·wom·en
[íng glish wìmmən]) noun

woman from England:
a woman who was born in England or is a British citizen living in England[1]



engobe

engobe
en·gobe
[én gb] noun

liquid
clay:
liquid clay used to decorate a ceramic piece before it has been fired and
usually applied before the piece has dried
[Mid-19th century. From
French .][1]



engorge

engorge
en·gorge 
[in gáwrj, en
gáwrj] (past en·gorged, past participle en·gorged,
present participle en·gorg·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·gorg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fill
with blood:
to fill something with blood until it is congested, or become filled with blood

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
greedily:
to eat something greedily

3.  reflexive
verb
gorge
yourself:
to gorge or fill yourself with food
[15th
century. Via French engorger from, ultimately, Old French gorge
“throat”(see gorge ).]
—en·gorge·ment, noun[1]



engr.

engr.
engr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
engineer

2.  Abbreviation
of
engraved

3.  Abbreviation
of
engraver

4.  Abbreviation
of
engraving

[1]



engraft

engraft
en·graft 
[in gráft, en
gráft] (past en·graft·ed, past participle en·graft·ed,
present participle en·graft·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·grafts) or in·graft [ən
gráft] (past in·graft·ed, past participle in·graft·ed,
present participle in·graft·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·grafts) transitive verb

1.  graft
plant part:
to graft a bud or other plant part from one plant onto another (technical)

2.  graft
animal tissue: to graft animal tissue from one part of
the body onto another part or onto another animal (technical)

3.  attach
something permanently: to attach something
permanently to something else by a process resembling grafting

4.  implant
something permanently: to implant something
permanently or deeply in something else
—en·graft·ment, noun[1]



engrailed

engrailed
en·grailed 
[in gráyld, en
gráyld] adjective

1.  edged
with concave indentations: edged with a series of
concave indentations

2.  edged
with dots:
edged with a row of raised dots • an
engrailed gold coin
[14th century. From Old
French engresler “to make thin,” from gresle “thin,” from Latin gracilis
(source of English gracile ).][1]



engrain

engrain
en·grain 
[in gráyn, en
gráyn] (past en·grained, past participle en·grained,
present participle en·grain·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·grains) transitive verb

See
ingrain[1]



engrave

engrave
en·grave 
[in gráyv, en
gráyv] (past en·graved, past participle en·graved,
present participle en·grav·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·graves) transitive verb

1.  ARTS carve
or etch material: to carve or etch a hard surface with a
design or lettering for decoration or printing • engraved
a silver cup

2.  ARTS carve
or etch design: to carve or etch a design or lettering
into a hard surface for decoration or printing • engraving
a dedication on a watch

3.  PRINTING print
image:
to print an image, especially a raised image, from an engraved printing plate

4.  impress
something:
to impress something deeply, for example, a memory on the mind
—en·grav·er, noun[1]



engraving

engraving
en·grav·ing 
[in gráyving, en
gráyving] (plural en·grav·ings) noun

1.  PRINTING engraved
print:
a print of an image that was made using an engraved plate or block

2.  ARTS engraved
design:
a design or lettering engraved into a hard surface for decoration or printing

3.  ARTS cutting
or etching of images: the art or process of
cutting or etching images into a hard surface

4.  PRINTING printing
surface:
a plate, block, or other hard surface on which an image has been engraved for
printing

[1]



engross

engross1
en·gross1  [in
grṓss, en grṓss] (past en·grossed,
past participle en·grossed, present participle en·gross·ing,
3rd person present singular en·gross·es) transitive verb

1.  occupy
somebody’s attention: to take up somebody’s whole
attention • The
children were engrossed by the story.

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE buy
all of something: to buy all of a commodity, or enough of
it to control the market
[14th
century. Via Old French en gros or medieval Latin in grosso ;
literally “in bulk, wholesale,” both from late Latin grossus (see gross ).]
—en·gross·er, noun[1]



engross

engross2
en·gross2  [in
grṓss, en grṓss] (past en·grossed,
past participle en·grossed, present participle en·gross·ing,
3rd person present singular en·gross·es) transitive verb

1.  LAW make
final copy of document: to write or print the final
version of a legal document

2.  copy
document:
to copy a document in large clear handwriting (dated)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman engrosser or medieval Latin ingrossare
from, ultimately, late Latin grossus “bulky, coarse.”]
—en·gross·er, noun[1]



engrossing

engrossing
en·gross·ing 
[in grṓssing, en
grṓssing] adjective

occupying
attention:
engaging somebody’s whole attention
—en·gross·ing·ly, adverb[1]



engrossment

engrossment
en·gross·ment 
[in grṓssmənt, en
grṓssmənt] (plural en·gross·ments) noun

1.  completely
absorbed state: the complete absorption of somebody’s
attention with something

2.  LAW final
legal copy:
a formally prepared copy of a deed or other document for legal use

3.  LAW document
preparation: the preparation of the final legal copy
or a clean copy of a document (dated)

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE cornering
of market:
the purchasing of enough of a commodity to control the market in it

[1]



engulf

engulf
en·gulf 
[in gəulf, en
gúlf] (past en·gulfed, past participle en·gulfed,
present participle en·gulf·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·gulfs) or in·gulf [in gúlf]
(past in·gulfed, past participle in·gulfed, present
participle in·gulf·ing, 3rd person present singular in·gulfs)
transitive verb

1.  swallow
something up: to surround, cover over, and swallow up
somebody or something, as floodwaters do

2.  overwhelm:
to overwhelm somebody or something with a great amount or number of something (often
passive) • The
attacking hordes engulfed the undefended town.
—en·gulf·ment, noun[1]



enhance

enhance
en·hance 
[in háns, en
háns] (past en·hanced, past participle en·hanced,
present participle en·hanc·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·hanc·es) transitive verb

1.  improve:
to improve or add to the strength, worth, beauty, or other desirable quality of
something

2.  COMPUTING increase
clarity of image: to increase the clarity, degree of
detail, or another quality of an electronic image by using a computer program
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman enhauncer “to raise up” (the original sense in
English) from, ultimately, Latin altus “high.”]
—en·hance·ment,
noun

—en·hanc·er,
noun

—en·hanc·ive, adjective[1]



enharmonic

enharmonic
en·har·mon·ic 
[in hr mónnik, en
hr mónnik] adjective

MUSIC having
same pitch in tempered scale: used to describe notes, for
example, A♯ and B♭, that are spelled differently in a score but have the same
pitch in a tempered scale, for example, on the piano. In other scales or on
other instruments, enharmonic notes may actually have different pitches.
—en·har·mon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



enigma

enigma
e·nig·ma 
[i nígmə, e nígmə]
(plural e·nig·mas) noun

mystery:
somebody or something that is not easily explained or understood
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin aenigma from Greek ainigma, from, ultimately, ainos
“fable.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at problem









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Enigma Variations, an orchestral work by English composer Edward Elgar ( 1899
  ). Elgar’s most popular and widely performed work, it was originally entitled
  Variations on an Original Theme . Each of the variations is a musical
  portrait of a friend of Elgar, identified in the score only by his or her
  initials or nickname. The title of Elgar’s piece influenced the Berlin
  engineer who built the now-famed German military cipher machine, a typewriter-like
  device capable of of producing an infinite number of ciphers: the engineer
  called the machine Enigma because he had been struck by Elgar’s
  musical ciphers.

[1]



enigmatic

enigmatic
en·ig·mat·ic 
[ènnig máttik] or en·ig·mat·i·cal
[ènnig máttik’l] adjective

hard
to understand: difficult to interpret, understand, or
explain
—en·ig·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at obscure

[1]



enisle

enisle
en·isle 
[in l, en l]
(past en·isled, past participle en·isled, present
participle en·isl·ing, 3rd person present singular en·isles)
transitive verb (literary)

1.  isolate:
to isolate somebody or something from other people or things

2.  make
something into island: to make something into an
island

[1]



Eniwetok

Eniwetok
En·i·we·tok
[ènnə wé tòk, ə
nwə tòk]

circular atoll in the
northwestern Marshall Islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean, a former testing
ground for nuclear weapons. Population: 715 (1988)[1]



enjambment

enjambment
en·jamb·ment 
[in jám mənt, en
jám mənt, in jámb mənt, en jámb mənt] or en·jambe·ment [in jám mənt, en jám mənt,
in jámb mənt, en
jámb mənt] noun

continuation
into next line: the continuation of meaning, without
pause or break, from one line of poetry to the next
[Mid-19th
century. Via French enjambement from, ultimately, jambe “leg”
(see jamb ).]
—en·jambed [in jámd, en jámd,
in jámbd, en
jámbd], adjective[1]



enjoin

enjoin
en·join 
[in jóyn, en
jóyn] (past en·joined, past participle en·joined,
present participle en·join·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·joins) transitive verb

1.  command
somebody:
to command somebody to do something or behave in a certain way (formal)

2.  impose
something:
to urge or impose a condition or course of action upon others • She
enjoined secrecy upon all of us.

3.  forbid
something:
to forbid or prohibit something forcefully • a
deed universally enjoined by religions

4.  LAW forbid
or command somebody legally: to forbid or command
somebody to do something by means of a legal injunction
—en·join·er,
noun

—en·join·ment, noun[1]



enjoy

enjoy
en·joy 
[in jóy, en jóy]
verb (past en·joyed, past participle en·joyed,
present participle en·joy·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·joys)

1.  transitive
verb
find
something pleasing: to take pleasure in
something • She
really enjoys ballet.

2.  transitive
verb
have
use of something: to have the full and satisfying use or
benefit of something • He
enjoys sole possession of the estate.

3.  transitive
verb
benefit
from desirable condition or situation: to
benefit from a desirable condition or situation • The
resort enjoys months of uninterrupted sunshine.

4.  reflexive
verb
have
good experience: to have a pleasurable experience • They
all enjoyed themselves at the party.

5.  transitive
verb
have
sex with somebody: to have sexual intercourse
with somebody (archaic)
interjection

have good time:
used to express a wish for somebody to have a pleasurable experience
[14th
century. Via Old French enjoïr from, ultimately, Latin gaudere
“to rejoice” (source of English joy
and gaudy ).]
—en·joy·er, noun[1]



enjoyable

enjoyable
en·joy·a·ble
[in jóyəb’l, en
jóyəb’l] adjective

providing
pleasure:
providing pleasure, or capable of providing pleasure • The
food is always enjoyable.
—en·joy·a·ble·ness,
noun

—en·joy·a·bly, adverb[1]



enjoyment

enjoyment
en·joy·ment 
[in jóymənt, en
jóymənt] (plural en·joy·ments) noun

1.  pleasure:
pleasure that results from using or experiencing something • eating
with great enjoyment

2.  experiencing
of something that provides pleasure: the
experiencing of something that provides pleasure • He
wished his enjoyment of the concert would never end.

3.  source
of pleasure: something that gives pleasure • Fishing
is one of her chief enjoyments.

4.  use
or benefit:
the use or benefit of something, especially as a legal right • the
enjoyment of his rights as a landowner

[1]



enkephalin

enkephalin
en·keph·a·lin 
[en kéffəlin, en
kéffə ln] (plural en·keph·a·lins) noun

natural
painkiller:
either of two chemicals with opiate qualities that are secreted in the brain
and spinal cord and act to relieve pain
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
enkephalos “brain,” from kephalē “head.”][1]



enkindle

enkindle
en·kin·dle 
[in kínd’l, en
kínd’l] (past en·kin·dled, past participle en·kin·dled,
present participle en·kin·dling, 3rd person present singular
en·kin·dles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb burn
something:
to set something on fire, or start burning

2.  transitive
verb
arouse
response in somebody: to spark an emotional or
intellectual response in somebody
—en·kin·dler, noun[1]



enl.

enl.
enl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
enlarged

2.  Abbreviation
of
enlisted

[1]



enlace

enlace
en·lace 
[in láyss, en
láyss] (past en·laced or in·laced, past
participle en·laced or in·laced, present participle
en·lac·ing or in·lac·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·lac·es or in·lac·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
wrap
with laces:
to wrap something around with laces or something similar

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb intertwine
with something: to intertwine with something, or become
intertwined
—en·lace·ment, noun[1]



enlarge

enlarge
en·large 
[in lrj, en
lrj] (past en·larged, past participle en·larged,
present participle en·larg·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·larg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become larger: to increase the size, amount, or extent
of something, or become larger

2.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY make
larger photograph: to make a photographic print
or image that is larger than the original negative, print, or slide

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb broaden
in scope:
to broaden the scope of something, or become broader in scope • the
need for the investigation to be enlarged

4.  intransitive
verb
give
more detail: to speak or write at greater length or
in more detail about something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



enlargement

enlargement
en·large·ment 
[in lrjmənt, en
lrjmənt] (plural en·large·ments) noun

1.  process
of enlarging or being enlarged: the process of
increasing, broadening, or enlarging something, or of being increased,
broadened, or enlarged

2.  addition
to something: something added to something else to
make it larger • an enlargement to a
house

3.  enlarged
condition:
the increased, broadened, or enlarged state of something

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY enlarged
photograph:
a photographic print or image that is larger than the negative, print, or slide
from which it was made

[1]



enlarger

enlarger
en·larg·er 
[in lrjər, en
lrjər] (plural en·larg·ers) noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY device
that enlarges photographs: a device for projecting an
enlarged image of a photographic negative onto a sheet of sensitized paper

2.  somebody
or something that enlarges: somebody or something that
increases, broadens, or enlarges something

[1]



enlighten

enlighten
en·light·en 
[in lt’n, en
lt’n] (past en·light·ened, past participle en·light·ened,
present participle en·light·en·ing, 3rd person present
singular en·light·ens) transitive verb

1.  give
information to somebody: to give clarifying
information to somebody • Let me
enlighten you about our problems.

2.  free
somebody from ignorance: to free somebody from
ignorance, prejudice, or superstition • an
article written to enlighten his critics

3.  RELIGION teach
somebody religion: to teach religious beliefs
to an unbeliever
—en·light·en·er,
noun

—en·light·en·ing, adjective[1]



enlightened

enlightened
en·light·ened
[in lt’nd, en
lt’nd] adjective

1.  rational:
free of ignorance, prejudice, or superstition • an
enlightened age

2.  well-informed:
having a sound and open-minded understanding of all the facts, or based on such
an understanding • an enlightened piece of
legislation

3.  having
achieved great spirituality: having achieved the
realization of a spiritual or religious understanding, especially when it
results in the transcendence of human suffering and desire

[1]



Enlightenment

Enlightenment
En·light·en·ment
noun

18thC rationalistic movement:
an 18th-century intellectual movement in western Europe that emphasized reason
and science in philosophy and in the study of human culture and the natural
world[1]



enlightenment

enlightenment
en·light·en·ment 
[in lt’nmənt, en
lt’nmənt] (plural en·light·en·ments) noun

1.  enlightening
of somebody: the enlightening of somebody or a cause
of the enlightening of somebody

2.  enlightened
state:
the condition of somebody who has been enlightened

3.  BUDDHISM transcendence
of desire and suffering: a state attained when the
cycle of reincarnation ends and desire and suffering are transcended, or the
achievement of this state

[1]



enlist

enlist
en·list 
[in líst, en
líst] (past en·list·ed, past participle en·list·ed,
present participle en·list·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·lists) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  MILITARY enroll
in military: to enroll somebody in a branch of the
armed forces, or join the armed forces

2.  gain
support:
to gain the cooperation or support of somebody or something, or become actively
involved in an effort • May I
enlist your help in this?
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from en- + list, perhaps modeled on Dutch inlijsten
“to put on a list.”]
—en·list·ment, noun[1]



enlistedperson

enlistedperson
en·list·ed
per·son 
(plural en·list·ed per·sons) noun

low-ranking armed forces
member: a member of the U.S. armed
forces who is lower in rank than a commissioned or warrant officer[1]



enlistee

enlistee
en·list·ee 
[en lìs t] (plural en·list·ees)
noun

recruit:
somebody who has enlisted in the armed forces[1]



enliven

enliven
en·liv·en 
[in lv’n, en
lv’n] (past en·liv·ened, past participle en·liv·ened,
present participle en·liv·en·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·liv·ens) transitive verb

1.  invigorate:
to make somebody or something more lively or interesting • We
felt enlivened after our walk in the fresh air.

2.  make
brighter:
to make something brighter or more cheerful • A
few more pictures on the wall would enliven this room.
—en·liv·en·er,
noun

—en·liv·en·ment, noun[1]



enmasse

enmasse
en
masse 
[on máss, aaN
mss] adverb

in
a group:
as a body or in a group • people
rising from their seats en masse, starting to cheer
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “in a mass.”][1]



enmesh

enmesh
en·mesh 
[in mésh, en
mésh] (past en·meshed, past participle en·meshed,
present participle en·mesh·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·mesh·es) or in·mesh [in
mésh] (past in·meshed, past participle in·meshed,
present participle in·mesh·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·mesh·es) transitive verb

1.  catch
in entanglement: to entangle somebody or something in
something from which it is difficult to be extricated or separated • a
government enmeshed in scandal

2.  catch
in net:
to catch somebody or something in the mesh of a net
—en·mesh·ment, noun[1]



enmity

enmity
en·mi·ty 
[énmitee] (plural en·mi·ties) noun

hostility:
the extreme ill will or hatred that exists between enemies • trying
to resolve age-old enmities
[Via Old French enemistie
from, ultimately, Latin inimicus “enemy” (see enemy
)][1]



ennead

ennead
en·ne·ad 
[énnee àd, énnee
əd] (plural en·ne·ads) noun

set
of nine:
a set of nine persons or things (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Via the
Greek stem ennead- from ennea “nine.”][1]



Ennius,Quintus

Ennius,Quintus
En·ni·us
[énnee əss], Quintus (239 BC–169? BC)

Roman poet and dramatist,
called the founding father of Roman poetry. He introduced the hexameter into
Roman verse, invented the literary miscellany, and wrote an epic of Roman
history, of which only fragments survive.[1]



ennoble

ennoble
en·no·ble 
[i nṓb’l, e nṓb’l]
(past en·no·bled, past participle en·no·bled, present
participle en·no·bling, 3rd person present singular en·no·bles)
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody or something noble: to make somebody or
something noble or more dignified (formal) • Your
presence ennobles this gathering.

2.  elevate
somebody to nobility: to confer a noble title on
somebody • ennobled
for his services to his country
—en·no·ble·ment,
noun

—en·no·bler, noun[1]



ennui

ennui
en·nui 
[on w] noun

boredom
from lack of interest: weariness and
dissatisfaction with life that results from a loss of interest or sense of
excitement
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin in odio, in the phrase in odio est “it is
hateful” (source of English annoy ).][1]



enoki

enoki
e·no·ki 
[e nṓkee] (plural e·no·kis) or
e·no·ki mush·room [e nṓkee] (plural
e·no·ki mush·rooms) noun

edible
mushroom:
a white edible mushroom native to eastern Asia and North America that has a
small cap and long thin stem. Latin name: Flammulina velutipes
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



enol

enol
e·nol 
[ nàwl] (plural e·nols) noun

organic
compound:
an organic compound that has a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom that is
attached to another carbon atom by a double bond
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from -ene + -ol .]
—e·nol·ic [ee nóllik], adjective[1]



enolase

enolase
e·no·lase 
[nō làyss, nō
làyz] noun

enzyme in muscle tissue:
an enzyme that occurs in muscle tissue and in yeasts and is active in the
metabolism of carbohydrates[1]



enology

enology
e·nol·o·gy 
[ee nólləjee] or oe·nol·o·gy [ee nólləjee] noun

study
of wine:
the scientific study of wine and the making of wine
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek oinos “wine” + -logy .][1]



enormity

enormity
e·nor·mi·ty 
[ə náwrmitee] (plural e·nor·mi·ties)
noun

1.  evil:
extreme evil or moral offensiveness • the
enormity of his crimes against humanity

2.  very
evil act:
a very evil or morally offensive deed
[15th
century. Via French énormité from Latin enormitas, from enormis
“irregular” (see enormous ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  enormity
  or enormousness ?
  Enormity is the older word, and
  after several changes in usage over several centuries it settled down in the
  19th century in the meaning associated with evil. It is used in this way both
  as a concept or attribute and as a concrete word with a plural form: • We
  were shocked by the enormity of the crime. • The
  regime committed many enormities to suppress opposition.
  Enormousness is the only word in this pair
  that refers, in correct usage, to significant size: • We
  were daunted by the enormousness of the task.

[1]



enormous

enormous
e·nor·mous 
[ə náwrməss] adjective

1.  unusually
large:
unusually large or great in size, amount, or degree

2.  evil:
extremely evil or morally offensive (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin enormis “irregular,” from norma “rule”
(source of English normal ).]
—e·nor·mous·ly, adverb[1]



enormousness

enormousness
e·nor·mous·ness
[ə náwrməssnəss] noun

great
size:
the quality of being huge in size, scope, or significance

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at enormity.

[1]



enough

enough
e·nough 
[i núf] det

1.  adequate:
as much as is needed • enough
time to go shopping

2.  as
much as bearable: as much or as many as can be tolerated • in
enough trouble already
adverb

1.  in
the right amount: to an extent that is as much as is
needed • I
couldn’t run fast enough to catch the cat.

2.  used
for emphasis: used to give emphasis to adverbs • Oddly
enough, our husbands had met each other just the day before.

3.  sufficiently:
to an extent that is as much as can be tolerated • She
was arrogant enough before the promotion.

4.  passably:
to a moderate or satisfactory extent • speaks
the language well enough
pronoun

needed or tolerated amount:
the amount that is needed or that can be tolerated • take
more cash because we never have enough
interjection

stop that!: used
to tell somebody firmly to stop doing something (informal) • Enough!
There will be no more teasing in the car.
[Old
English ġenōg, from prehistoric Germanic]
enough
is enough

used
by a speaker to indicate that he or she will tolerate no more of something • All
right, enough is enough; I am not entertaining any more argumentation from
counsel.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  enough, sufficient, adequate, ample,
  plenty
  CORE
  MEANING: equal
  in quantity to what is needed enough;
  a general word used to indicate that an amount or quantity is equal to what
  it needed; sufficient; a fairly
  formal word used to indicate that there is enough of something for a
  particular purpose; adequate; a fairly
  formal word meaning the same as “enough.” It is often used to indicate that
  there is only just enough of something; ample;
  used to indicate that there is more than enough of something; plenty; used to indicate that there is a
  large amount of something and so there will be enough of it to meet
  requirements

[1]



enounce

enounce
e·nounce 
[i nówns] (past e·nounced, past
participle e·nounced, present participle e·nounc·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·nounc·es) transitive verb

1.  say
clearly:
to pronounce a word clearly and definitely

2.  state
formally:
to state something in an official way (formal)
[Early
19th century. Via French énoncer from Latin enuntiare, “to tell”
(see enunciate ).]
—e·nounce·ment, noun[1]



enow

enow
e·now 
[i nów] adverb adjective

enough:
enough (archaic) “there are liars and swearers enow to beat the honest
men and hang up them” William Shakespeare Macbeth 1606
[Old English. Via Middle
English inow from Old English ġenōge, a plural form of ġenōg,
(see enough ).][1]



enpassant

enpassant
en
pas·sant 
[òN paa sN] adverb

1.  in
passing:
in passing rather than as the full focus of somebody’s attention (formal)
• He
mentioned it en passant.

2.  CHESS under
rule for pawn capture: used when a pawn that has
moved two squares is captured by an enemy pawn as if it had only moved one
square • capture
a pawn en passant
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “in passing.”][1]



enplane

enplane
en·plane 
[in pláyn, en
pláyn] (past en·planed, past participle en·planed,
present participle en·plan·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·planes) intransitive and transitive verb

board aircraft:
to board or to allow somebody to board an aircraft.
U.K. term
emplane[1]



enprise

enprise
en
prise 
[òn prz] adjective

vulnerable
to capture:
used to describe a chess piece positioned in such a way that it could be
captured if it is not moved
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “in (position for) capture.”][1]



enquire

enquire
en·quire 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
inquire[1]



enquiry

enquiry
en·quir·y 
noun

See
inquiry[1]



enrage

enrage
en·rage 
[in ráyj, en
ráyj] (past en·raged, past participle en·raged,
present participle en·rag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·rag·es) transitive verb

make
somebody very angry: to make somebody furiously
angry
—en·rage·ment, noun[1]



enrapport

enrapport
en
rap·port 
[N rə páwr] adverb

in
sympathy:
in harmony or sympathy with somebody or something (formal)
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “in agreement.”][1]



enrapt

enrapt
en·rapt 
[in rápt, en
rápt] adjective

thrilled:
in a state of delight or ecstasy (formal)[1]



enrapture

enrapture
en·rap·ture 
[in rápchər, en
rápchər] (past en·rap·tured, past participle en·rap·tured,
present participle en·rap·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·rap·tures) transitive verb

delight
somebody:
to fill somebody with delight (formal)
—en·rap·ture·ment, noun[1]



enrich

enrich
en·rich 
[in rích, en
rích] (past en·riched, past participle en·riched,
present participle en·rich·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·rich·es) transitive verb

1.  improve:
to improve the quality of something

2.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY improve
nutritional content of food: to add substances such as
vitamins or minerals to a food to improve its nutritional value • calcium-enriched
orange juice

3.  make
wealthier:
to increase the amount of wealth that somebody or something has • economic
systems that existed to enrich the settlers

4.  PHYSICS add
more of constituent to substance: to boost the amount of
an active substance in a mixture, for example, in a fuel

5.  AGRICULTURE improve
soil:
to improve the nutrient value of soil by adding natural or artificial fertilizers

6.  make
more beautiful: to add to the beauty of something with
decoration (literary)
—en·rich·er, noun[1]



enrichment

enrichment
en·rich·ment 
[in ríchmənt, en
ríchmənt] (plural en·rich·ments) noun

1.  something
that improves: an added feature or quality that
improves something

2.  improving
of somebody or something: the addition of
characteristics or elements that improve somebody or something • the
enrichment of the cultural experience

3.  increase
in wealth:
increase in a person’s or organization’s wealth

[1]



enrobe

enrobe
en·robe 
[in rṓb, en rṓb]
(past en·robed, past participle en·robed, present
participle en·rob·ing, 3rd person present singular en·robes)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dress
grandly:
to put ceremonial robes on somebody (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody grand or noble: to invest somebody with a
grand or noble quality (literary)

[1]



enroll

enroll
en·roll
[in rṓl, en rṓl]
(past en·rolled, past participle en·rolled, present
participle en·roll·ing, 3rd person present singular en·rolls)
or en·rol [in rṓl, en rṓl] (past en·rolled, past
participle en·rolled, present participle en·roll·ing, 3rd
person present singular en·rols) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb enter
on register: to enter your own or somebody else’s
name on an official register or list of members • enroll
the children in school

2.  transitive
verb
make
sure of availability of: to make sure that something,
especially somebody’s help, will definitely be available

3.  transitive
verb
roll
or wrap up:
to form something into a roll

4.  transitive
verb
write
out official copy of something: to produce the final
version of something, usually a formal document or record
[14th
century. From Old French enroller, literally “to put on a roll,” from rolle
“roll, register” (see roll ).]
—en·roll·ee [en r l, in r l],
noun[1]



enrollment

enrollment
en·roll·ment 
[in rṓlmənt, en
rṓlmənt] (plural en·roll·ments) or en·rol·ment
[in rṓlmənt, en
rṓlmənt] (plural en·rol·ments) noun

1.  signing
up formally: the official act or process of entering
your own or another person’s name on a register or membership list • The
insurance plan has a two-week open enrollment period once each year.

2.  number
of registered: the number of people registered for
something, for example, a class • a
sharp increase in student enrollments

3.  list
of registered: a list of people registered for or
enrolled in something

[1]



enroot

enroot
en·root 
[in rt, en rt]
(past en·root·ed, past participle en·root·ed, present
participle en·root·ing, 3rd person present singular en·roots)
transitive verb

fix firmly in place:
to fix or establish something firmly (literary)[1]



enroute

enroute
en
route 
[aan rt] adverb

on
the way:
during the trip to a destination
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “on (the) way.”][1]



ens

ens
ens
[enz] (plural en·tia [énshee ə, éntee ə])
noun

PHILOSOPHY existing
thing:
an actual entity, as distinct from a quality or characteristic
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin, present participle (on the model of Latin absens
“absent”) of Latin esse “to be.”][1]



ENS

ENS
ENS
or Ens.

NAVY
Abbreviation of ensign[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ensanguine

ensanguine
en·san·guine 
[in sángwin, en
sángwin] (past en·san·guined, past participle en·san·guined,
present participle en·san·guin·ing, 3rd person present
singular en·san·guines) transitive verb

make something bloody:
to stain, smear, or cover something with blood (archaic or literary) (often
passive) “yet millions of men have supinely allowed the nerveless limbs of
the posterity of such rapacious prowlers to rest quietly on their ensanguined
thrones” Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 1792[1]



ensconce

ensconce
en·sconce 
[in skóns, en
skóns] (past en·sconced, past participle en·sconced,
present participle en·sconc·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·sconc·es) transitive verb

1.  settle
in comfortably: to make somebody or yourself comfortably
established, as though ready to stay a long while (often passive) • ensconced
on the sofa

2.  hide
away:
to hide something somewhere, for safety or secrecy (archaic or literary)
[Literally “to put into a
sconce”][1]



ensemble

ensemble
en·sem·ble 
[on sómb’l] noun (plural en·sem·bles)

1.  ARTS group
of performers: a group of musicians, dancers, or actors
who perform together with roughly equal contributions from all members

2.  FASHION outfit
of clothes:
a number of different items of clothing and accessories, put together to create
an outfit

3.  something
formed by several items: something created from a
number of individual parts put together deliberately

4.  MUSIC part
performed by whole group: a section of a larger work,
for example, a ballet or opera, that all the cast perform together
adjective

ARTS collaborative:
performed collaboratively, with no performer given prominence
[Mid-18th century. From
French, “together,” from Latin insimul, literally “in at the same time,”
from simul “at the same time” (source of English simultaneous ).][1]



Ensenada

Ensenada
En·se·na·da
[ènsə náddè]

major deep-sea port city on
the Pacific Ocean in Baja California, northwestern Mexico. Population: 169,426
(1990)[1]



enshrine

enshrine
en·shrine 
[in shrn, en
shrn] (past en·shrined, past participle en·shrined,
present participle en·shrin·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·shrines) or in·shrine [in
shrn, en shrn] (past in·shrined,
past participle in·shrined, present participle in·shrin·ing,
3rd person present singular in·shrines) transitive verb

1.  give
special protection to something: to protect something
from change, for example, in a formal constitution • principles
enshrined in law

2.  put
something into a shrine: to keep or cherish something
in a shrine or other special place
—en·shrine·ment, noun[1]



enshroud

enshroud
en·shroud 
[in shrówd, en
shrówd] (past en·shroud·ed, past participle en·shroud·ed,
present participle en·shroud·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·shrouds) transitive verb

1.  obscure:
to cover or obscure something (usually passive) • mountains
enshrouded in mist

2.  wrap
in shroud:
to cover somebody in a shroud

[1]



ensiform

ensiform
en·si·form 
[énsə fàwrm] adjective

BIOLOGY sword-shaped:
long and narrow with a pointed tip • ensiform
leaves
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from modern Latin ensiformis, formed from ensi- “sword” + forma
“ form .”][1]



ensign

ensign
en·sign 
[(flag) énsən, én sn, (rank) énsən]
(plural en·signs) noun

1.  flag
indicating allegiance: a flag that shows the
nationality of the ship or aircraft flying it or what military unit it belongs
to

2.  NAVY U.S.
Navy rank:
a commissioned officer of the lowest rank in the United States Navy or Coast
Guard

3.  badge
of office:
an emblem or sign that indicates an authority or command

4.  flag
bearer:
somebody who carries a standard or national emblem (dated)
[14th century. Via Old French
enseigne from Latin insignia (plural) “badges,” literally “marks
on,” ultimately from signum “mark” (source of English insignia ).][1]



ensilage

ensilage
en·si·lage 
[énsəlij] noun

1.  making
of silage:
the harvesting and preservation of green fodder crops for future use by
fermentation in a silo

2.  stored
fodder:
green fodder preserved in a silo
transitive
verb
(past en·si·laged, past participle en·si·laged, present
participle en·si·laging, 3rd person present singular en·si·lages)

See ensile

[1]



ensile

ensile
en·sile 
[in sl, en sl]
(past en·siled, past participle en·siled, present
participle en·sil·ing, 3rd person present singular en·siles)
transitive verb

make
into silage: to preserve green fodder, for example,
grass, as silage by allowing it to ferment and become acidified in a silo
[Late 19th century. Via
French ensiler from Spanish ensilar, formed from en “in” +
silo “ silo .”][1]



enslave

enslave
en·slave 
[in sláyv, en
sláyv] (past en·slaved, past participle en·slaved,
present participle en·slav·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·slaves) transitive verb

1.  subject
to controlling influence: to subject somebody to a
dominating influence that takes away his or her freedom

2.  to
claim ownership of somebody: to take somebody prisoner
and claim legal ownership of that person and his or her labor
—en·slave·ment,
noun

—en·slav·er, noun[1]



ensnare

ensnare
en·snare 
[in snáir, en
snáir] (past en·snared, past participle en·snared,
present participle en·snar·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·snares) or in·snare [in
snáir, en snáir] (past in·snared,
past participle in·snared, present participle in·snar·ing,
3rd person present singular in·snares) transitive verb

1.  trap
in unpleasant situation: to lure somebody into a bad
situation from which it is difficult to escape

2.  trap:
to catch an animal in a trap
—en·snare·ment,
noun

—en·snar·er, noun[1]



ensnarl

ensnarl
en·snarl 
[in snrl, en
snrl] (past en·snarled, past participle en·snarled,
present participle en·snarl·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·snarls) transitive verb

involve in tangled situation:
to involve somebody or something in a situation that causes delay (often
passive)[1]



ensoul

ensoul
en·soul 
[in sṓl, en sṓl]
(past en·souled, past participle en·souled, present
participle en·soul·ing, 3rd person present singular en·souls)
or in·soul [in sṓl, en sṓl] (past in·souled, past
participle in·souled, present participle in·soul·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·souls) transitive verb (literary)

1.  give
a soul to:
to endow somebody with a soul

2.  keep
deep within: to cherish deeply something such as a
feeling or memory

[1]



ensphere

ensphere
en·sphere 
[in sfr, en
sfr] (past en·sphered, past participle en·sphered,
present participle en·spher·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·spheres) or in·sphere [in
sfr, en sfr] (past in·sphered,
past participle in·sphered, present participle in·spher·ing,
3rd person present singular in·spheres) transitive verb

1.  surround:
to enclose something in a sphere or in something like a sphere (literary)

2.  make
spherical:
to make something sphere-shaped (formal)

[1]



enstatite

enstatite
en·sta·tite 
[énstə tt] noun

form
of pyroxene: a brown, gray, or yellowish form of the
mineral pyroxene, consisting of magnesium silicate. It is often found in
igneous rock and meteorites and may contain up to 10 percent ferrous iron
silicate.
[Mid-19th century. From
German Enstatit, coined from the Greek stem enstat “-adversary”
(from the refractoriness of the mineral).][1]



ensue

ensue
en·sue 
[in s, en s]
(past en·sued, past participle en·sued, present
participle en·su·ing, 3rd person present singular en·sues)
intransitive verb

1.  follow:
to follow closely after something

2.  result:
to be a consequence of something
[14th century. From Old
French ensu-, stem of ensuivre, from assumed Vulgar Latin insequere,
literally “to follow in,” from Latin sequi “to follow” (see sue ).][1]



ensuing

ensuing
en·su·ing
[in s ing, en
s ing] adjective

coming next:
happening next or as a result[1]



ensuite

ensuite
en
suite 
[aaN swt] adjective adverb (formal)

1.  leading
off:
forming part of a larger unit or set of rooms • an
en suite bathroom • with
a bathroom en suite

2.  forming
part of set: forming part of a series or set
[Late 18th century. From French,
literally “in succession.”][1]



ensure

ensure
en·sure 
[in shr, en
shr] (past en·sured, past participle en·sured,
present participle en·sur·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·sures) or in·sure [in shr,
en shr] (past in·sured, past
participle in·sured, present participle in·sur·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·sures) transitive verb

1.  make
something certain: to make sure that something
will happen

2.  safeguard:
to protect something or somebody from harm

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at assure.

[1]



enswathe

enswathe
en·swathe 
[in swáy, en
swáy] (past en·swathed, past participle en·swathed,
present participle en·swath·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·swathes) transitive verb

wrap in cloth:
to wrap somebody or something in bandages or cloth (literary)[1]



ENT

ENT
ENT

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of ear, nose, and throat[1]



-ent

-ent
-ent
suffix

1.  performing
a particular action • acquiescent

2.  one
that performs a particular action • respondent
[From
Latin -ent-, the stem of -ens, a present participle ending]
—-ence,
suffix

—-ency, suffix[1]



entablature

entablature

en·tab·la·ture 
[in tábblə chr, en
tábblə chr] (plural en·tab·la·tures) noun
part
of building above columns: in classical architecture,
the section that lies between the columns and the roof. It comprises, from
bottom to top, the architrave, frieze, and cornice.
[Early 17th century. Via
obsolete French from Italian intavolatura “boarding,” from intavolare
“to board up, put on a table,” from tavola “table.”][1]



entablement

entablement
en·ta·ble·ment 
[in táyb’lmənt, en
táyb’lmənt] (plural en·ta·ble·ments) noun

plinth:
a plinth (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From
French, from table “table.”][1]



entail

entail
en·tail 
transitive verb [in táyl, in táyl] (past en·tailed, past
participle en·tailed, present participle en·tail·ing, 3rd
person present singular en·tails)

1.  have
as consequence: to involve or result in something
inevitably

2.  LAW restrict
ownership of bequest: to restrict the future
ownership of real estate to particular descendants, through instructions
written into a will
noun
[én tàyl] (plural en·tails) LAW

1.  See
entailment  noun 2

2.  entailed
piece of real estate: a piece of real estate that
has been entailed

3.  future
owners of entailed real estate: the line of
descendants who own an entailed real estate
[14th century. Literally “to
put under limitation,” formed from Old French taille “limitation,” from taillier
“to cut” (see tailor ).][1]



entailment

entailment
en·tail·ment
[in táylmənt, en
táylmənt] (plural en·tail·ments) noun

1.  LOGIC one
proposition’s implying of another: the relationship
between one proposition and another that is a logically necessary consequence
of it

2.  en·tail·ment
or en·tail LAW restriction
of future ownership: the limiting of the future
ownership of bequeathed real estate to particular descendants

[1]



entangle

entangle
en·tan·gle 
[in táng g’l, en
táng g’l] (past en·tan·gled, past participle en·tan·gled,
present participle en·tan·gling, 3rd person present singular
en·tan·gles) transitive verb

1.  tangle
up:
to make something become twisted up in a mass of strands, for example, netting
or hair (usually passive)

2.  put
into difficult situation: to involve somebody or
something in a problem that will be difficult to escape from (usually
passive) • entangled
in corporate politics

3.  complicate
something:
to make something complicated

[1]



entanglement

entanglement
en·tan·gle·ment
[in táng g’lmənt, en
táng g’lmənt] (plural en·tan·gle·ments) noun

1.  complicated
personal situation: a complicated situation
involving two or more people

2.  confusion:
confusion or a confused situation “He sat with his mouth full of toast and his
eyes sparkling with mischief, watching my intellectual entanglement.” Arthur
Conan Doyle The Valley of Fear 1915

3.  tangled
thing:
a mass of tangled objects

[1]



entasis

entasis
en·ta·sis 
[éntəssiss] noun

bulge
in architectural column: a slight bulge in the shaft
of a column, designed to counter the visual impression of concavity that a
perfectly straight column would give
[Mid-18th century. From
Greek, “straining,” literally “stretching in,” ultimately from teinein
“to stretch.”][1]



entelechy

entelechy
en·tel·e·chy 
[en télləkee] noun

1.  full
existence:
the real existence of a thing, not merely its theoretical existence

2.  life-giving
force:
in some philosophies, a life-giving force believed to be responsible for the
development of all living things
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek entelekheia, literally “having completeness,” from entelēs
“complete,” literally “in the end,” from telos “end.”][1]



entente

entente
en·tente 
[aaN tNt] (plural en·tentes) noun

1.  friendly
understanding between countries: a state of friendly
agreement or understanding that exists or is declared between two or more
countries

2.  parties
in agreement: the parties involved in an entente
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “understanding,” from entendre (see intend ).][1]



ententecordiale

ententecordiale
en·tente
cor·di·ale 
[aaN tNt kàwrdee l] (plural en·tentes
cor·di·ales) noun

friendly
political understanding: amicable relations between
countries or states, especially the agreement formed between France and Britain
in 1904
[From French, literally
“friendly understanding”][1]



enter-

enter-
enter-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
entero-[1]



enter

enter
en·ter 
[éntər] verb (past en·tered,
past participle en·tered, present participle en·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular en·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go in:
to go or come into a place

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING write
or type in:
to write or type something in a book or on a computer • The
names and addresses are entered into a database.

3.  transitive
verb
put
in for formal consideration: to submit something, for
example, a proposal, complaint, or bid, officially

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
competitor:
to take part in a competition

5.  transitive
verb
become
member of:
to join or become officially involved in something, especially a body such as a
school or company

6.  intransitive
verb
THEATER walk
on:
to come on stage during a play • She
enters stage right.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hole in something: to force a way into
something, or be pushed or inserted into something, especially the human body • The
bullet entered through the anterior abdominal wall.

8.  transitive
verb
LAW take
ownership of land legally: to go onto land and take
legal possession of it
noun

COMPUTING See enter key
[13th
century. Via Old French entrer from Latin intrare “to go in,
enter,” formed from intra “inside, within.”]
—en·ter·a·ble, adjective[1]



enteralfeeding

enteralfeeding
en·ter·al
feed·ing
noun

infusion
of nutrients to intestines: direct infusion into the
intestines of nutrients in liquid form
[Enteral partly formed from enteric and partly a back-formation from parenteral][1]



enteric

enteric
en·ter·ic 
[en térrik] adjective

of
the intestine: relating to or situated in the intestine
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
enterikos, from enteron “intestine.”][1]



entericfever

entericfever
en·ter·ic
fe·ver
noun

See
typhoid[1]



enterinto

enterinto
enter
into
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
part in:
to become involved in something

2.  transitive
verb
take
part enthusiastically: to get actively involved in
something • Enter
into the spirit of things.

3.  transitive
verb
be
relevant to: to be one of the factors that are
relevant to something • Money
doesn’t enter into it.

4.  transitive
verb
sign
up for:
to become one of the parties bound by a contract

5.  transitive
verb
consider
formally:
to go into a discussion or investigation about something • I
do not propose to enter into the issue of who is responsible.

[1]



enteritis

enteritis
en·ter·i·tis 
[èntə rtiss] noun

inflammation of intestines:
inflammation of the intestine, most commonly of the small intestine[1]



enterkey

enterkey
en·ter
key 
noun

computer keyboard key:
a key on a computer keyboard that executes an instruction or begins a new line
in text.
Also called
enter
Also called
return[1]



entero-

entero-
entero-
or enter- prefix

intestine
• enterotomy
[From Greek enteron .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “in, inside,” which is also the
ancestor of English in, inter-, and entrails
.][1]



enterobiasis

enterobiasis
en·ter·o·bi·a·sis 
[èntə rō b əssiss] noun

infestation
with pinworms: infestation of the large intestine with
pinworms, especially in children
[Early 20th century][1]



enterocoele

enterocoele
en·ter·o·coele 
[éntə rō sl] noun

part of embryonic intestine:
a body cavity ( coelom ) formed from an
outgrowth in the wall of an embryonic intestine, especially in invertebrate
marine organisms such as starfish and sea urchins[1]



enterocolitis

enterocolitis
en·ter·o·co·li·tis 
[èntə rō kə ltiss] noun

intestinal inflammation:
inflammation of the small and large intestine as a result of infection[1]



enterokinase

enterokinase
en·ter·o·ki·nase 
[èntə rō k nàyss, èntə
rō kí nàyss] noun

enzyme that promotes
formation of trypsin: an enzyme
produced in the mucous membrane of the upper intestine that converts
trypsinogen to trypsin[1]



enteron

enteron
enter
on
or en·ter up·on transitive verb

begin:
to start out on something, for example, an important task or a significant
period[1]



enteron

enteron
en·ter·on 
[éntə ròn] (plural en·ter·ons)
noun ZOOLOGY

1.  digestive
system:
the alimentary canal, especially of an embryo

2.  intestine
of marine invertebrate: the intestine of marine
invertebrates, for example, sea anemones and jellyfish, with one opening that
serves as both mouth and anus
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, “intestine.”][1]



enteropathy

enteropathy
en·ter·op·a·thy 
[èntə róppəthee] (plural en·ter·op·a·thies)
noun

intestinal disease:
any disease of the intestines[1]



enterostomy

enterostomy
en·ter·os·to·my 
[èntə róstəmee] (plural en·ter·os·to·mies)
noun

cutting
to make intestinal opening: the surgical creation of a
permanent opening into the intestine through the abdominal wall
—en·ter·os·to·mal [èntə róstəm’l], adjective[1]



enterotomy

enterotomy
en·ter·ot·o·my 
[èntə róttəmee] (plural en·ter·ot·o·mies)
noun

surgical cutting of
intestine: a surgical incision into the
intestine[1]



enterotoxin

enterotoxin
en·ter·o·tox·in 
[èntə rō tóksin] (plural en·ter·o·tox·ins)
noun

toxin causing vomiting and
diarrhea: any toxin produced by
bacteria that causes the vomiting and diarrhea associated with food poisoning[1]



enterprise

enterprise
en·ter·prise 
[éntər prz] (plural en·ter·pris·es)
noun

1.  energetic
confidence:
readiness to put effort into new, often risky, ventures or activities

2.  daring
project:
a new, often risky venture that involves confidence and initiative

3.  COMMERCE business:
a commercial company or firm

4.  COMMERCE highly
motivated industry: organized business
activities aimed specifically at growth and profit
[15th century. From Old
French entreprise, from the past participle of entreprendre “to
undertake,” literally “to take between,” from prendre “to take” (see prize 2 ).][1]



Enterprise

Enterprise
En·ter·prise
[éntèr prz]

city in southeastern Alabama,
southeast of Montgomery. Population: 21,253 (1996)[1]



enterprisesoftware

enterprisesoftware
en·ter·prise
soft·ware
noun

software used to run a
company: computer software designed
to integrate and automate all of a company’s functions[1]



enterprisezone

enterprisezone
en·ter·prise
zone
(plural en·ter·prise zones) noun

area needing new industry:
an economically depressed urban area where the government encourages new
business ventures by offering financial incentives[1]



enterprising

enterprising
en·ter·pris·ing 
[éntər przing] adjective

showing
initiative:
showing initiative and a willingness to undertake new, often risky projects
—en·ter·pris·ing·ly, adverb[1]



entertain

entertain
en·ter·tain 
[èntər táyn, éntər
tàyn] (past en·ter·tained, past participle en·ter·tained,
present participle en·ter·tain·ing, 3rd person present
singular en·ter·tains) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb amuse
or interest: to engage a person or audience by
providing amusing or interesting material

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
hospitality: to offer hospitality, especially by
providing food and drink for people in your home

3.  transitive
verb
consider:
to turn something over in your mind, looking at it from various points of view
• He
would never entertain such an idea!
[15th century. From Old
French entretenir “to hold together, support,” from assumed Vulgar Latin
intertenere “to hold between,” from Latin tenere “to hold.”][1]



entertainer

entertainer
en·ter·tain·er
[èntər táynər, éntər
tàynər] (plural en·ter·tain·ers) noun

somebody who performs:
somebody who amuses or interests others by telling jokes, singing, dancing, or
acting, especially somebody who does this for a living[1]



entertaining

entertaining
en·ter·tain·ing 
[èntər táyning, éntər
tàyning] adjective

amusing
or interesting: enjoyable to watch, read, or listen to
—en·ter·tain·ing·ly, adverb[1]



entertainment

entertainment
en·ter·tain·ment 
[èntər táynmənt] (plural en·ter·tain·ments)
noun

1.  ARTS art of
keeping people entertained: the various ways of amusing
people, especially by performing for them

2.  enjoyment:
the amount of pleasure or amusement you get from something

3.  THEATER performance
or exhibition: something that is produced or performed
for an audience • chief among the
evening’s entertainments

[1]



enthalpy

enthalpy
en·thal·py 
[én thàlpee, en
thálpee] noun

thermodynamic
property of physical system: a thermodynamic property
equal to the sum of the internal energy of a system and the product of its
pressure and volume.
Also
called
total heat Symbol H
[Early 20th century. From
Greek enthalpein “to warm within,” from thalpein “to heat.”][1]



enthrall

enthrall
en·thrall 
[in thráwl, en
thráwl] (past en·thralled, past participle en·thralled,
present participle en·thrall·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·thralls) or en·thral [in
thráwl, en thráwl] (past en·thralled,
past participle en·thralled, present participle en·thrall·ing,
3rd person present singular en·thrals) or in·thrall
[in thráwl] (past in·thralled,
past participle in·thralled, present participle in·thrall·ing,
3rd person present singular in·thralls) transitive verb

1.  delight:
to delight or fascinate somebody thoroughly, engaging that person’s attention
completely

2.  enslave:
to make somebody a prisoner and claim legal ownership of that person (literary)
[Late
16th century. Literally “to enslave, make someone a thrall,” formed from thrall .]
—en·thrall·ment, noun[1]



enthralling

enthralling
en·thrall·ing
[in thráwlling] adjective

fascinating:
so interesting, delightful, or beautiful as to hold the attention completely
—en·thrall·ing·ly, adverb[1]



enthrone

enthrone
en·throne 
[in thrṓn, en
thrṓn] (past en·throned, past participle en·throned,
present participle en·thron·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·thrones) or in·throne [in
thrṓn, en thrṓn] transitive verb

1.  put
on throne:
to install a monarch or bishop, especially in a ceremony that involves seating
the person on a throne (formal)

2.  regard
as important: to regard somebody as being worthy of
adoration (literary)
—en·throne·ment, noun[1]



enthuse

enthuse
en·thuse 
[in thz, en
thz] (past en·thused, past participle en·thused,
present participle en·thus·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·thus·es) intransitive and transitive verb

be
or make enthusiastic: to have, or make somebody
feel, great excitement or interest
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from enthusiasm
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  “You’ve
  won a prize,” the caller enthuses.
  Unlike
  such other back-formations as diagnose, edit, and reminisce,
  enthuse has yet to win universal
  acceptance. Although it has been in use since the early 1800s, it continues
  to irritate many people.

[1]



enthusiasm

enthusiasm
en·thu·si·asm 
[in thzee àzzəm, en
thzee àzzəm] (plural en·thu·si·asms) noun

1.  excited
interest:
passionate interest in or eagerness to do something

2.  engrossing
interest:
something that arouses a consuming interest
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek enthousiasmos “possession by (a) god,” formed from enthous
“inspired,” literally “with (a) god in,” from theos “god.”][1]



enthusiast

enthusiast
en·thu·si·ast 
[in thzee àst, en
thzee àst] (plural en·thu·si·asts) noun

person
deeply involved in something: somebody who is very
interested or involved in something, especially somebody with a particular
hobby
[Early 17th century. From
Greek enthousiastēs “one inspired (by a god),” from enthous (see enthusiasm ).][1]



enthusiastic

enthusiastic
en·thu·si·as·tic 
[in thzee ástik, en
thzee ástik] adjective

showing
excited interest: showing passionate interest in something
or eagerness about something
—en·thu·si·as·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



enthymeme

enthymeme
en·thy·meme 
[énthə mm] (plural en·thy·memes)
noun

LOGIC argument
with obvious elements omitted: an argument that
assumes the truth of one or more premises and therefore omits them from the
logical sequence
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek enthumēma, literally “(something) in mind,” ultimately from thumos
“mind.”][1]



entia

entia
en·tia

PHILOSOPHY
Plural of ens[1]



entice

entice
en·tice 
[in tss, en
tss] (past en·ticed, past participle en·ticed,
present participle en·tic·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·tic·es) transitive verb

tempt
by offering something attractive: to make a person or
animal do something by offering something desirable
[13th
century. Via Old French enticier from assumed Vulgar Latin intitiare
“to set on fire,” from Latin titio “firebrand.”]
—en·tic·er, noun[1]



enticing

enticing
en·tic·ing
[in tssing, en
tssing] adjective

tempting:
very desirable and hard to resist
—en·tic·ing·ly, adverb[1]



entire

entire
en·tire 
[in tr, en tr]
adjective

1.  whole:
as a whole, from beginning to end or including everything

2.  absolute:
in every way, without doubt or question • The
day was an entire fiasco.

3.  in
one piece:
not damaged or broken up (literary) “with strength entire, and free Will
arm’d” John Milton Paradise Lost 1667

4.  VETERINARY MEDICINE ungelded:
used to describe a male animal, especially a stallion or dog, that has not been
castrated

5.  BOTANY smooth-edged:
used to describe leaves with smooth edges that are not lobed or indented
noun
(plural en·tires)

everything:
everything (formal) • A
three-judge panel has rejected our appeal in its entire.
[14th
century. Via Old French entier from Latin integrum, a form of integer
“whole, intact” (see integer ).]
—en·tire·ness, noun[1]



entirely

entirely
en·tire·ly 
[in trlee, en
trlee] adverb

1.  in
every way:
in every sense

2.  only:
exclusively or individually

[1]



entirety

entirety
en·tire·ty 
[in trtee, en
trtee] noun

whole extent:
the whole extent of something[1]



entitle

entitle
en·ti·tle 
[in tt’l] (past en·ti·tled, past
participle en·ti·tled, present participle en·ti·tling,
3rd person present singular en·ti·tles) transitive verb

1.  allow
to claim:
to give somebody the right to have or to do something (often passive)

2.  give
title to:
to assign a title to something such as a book (usually passive)

3.  give
special title to: to confer an official position or honor
on somebody that brings a particular title with it
[14th century. Via Old French
entiteler from late Latin intitulare, from titulus (see title ).][1]



entitlement

entitlement
en·ti·tle·ment
[in tt’lmənt, en
tt’lmənt] (plural en·ti·tle·ments) noun

1.  right
to something: the right somebody has to do or receive
something “I’d like us to shift [our programs] from entitlement to empowerment.
In the end, we want people not to need us anymore.” William Jefferson Clinton
State of the Union Address February 17, 1993

2.  something
you have a right to: a thing to which somebody is
entitled

[1]



entitlementprogram

entitlementprogram
en·ti·tle·ment
pro·gram
(plural en·ti·tle·ment pro·grams) noun

government program helping
specific group: a government program
that targets a particular section of the population to receive certain benefits[1]



entity

entity
en·ti·ty 
[éntitee] (plural en·ti·ties) noun

1.  object:
something that exists as or is perceived as a single separate object

2.  PHILOSOPHY existence:
the state of having existence

3.  PHILOSOPHY essential
nature of something: the essence or character of
something
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin entitas, from late Latin ent-, stem of ens
(see ens ).][1]



entoderm

entoderm
en·to·derm
noun

See
endoderm[1]



entoil

entoil
en·toil 
[in tóyl, en
tóyl] (past en·toiled, past participle en·toiled,
present participle en·toil·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·toils) transitive verb

entrap:
to capture or entangle something or somebody (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Literally
“to place in a “toil”,” formed from toil “net,” from Old French toile
“cloth, web,” from Latin tela .][1]



entom.

entom.
entom.

Abbreviation of
entomology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








entomb

entomb
en·tomb 
[in tm, en tm]
(past en·tombed, past participle en·tombed, present
participle en·tomb·ing, 3rd person present singular en·tombs)
transitive verb

1.  put
in tomb:
to put a corpse into a tomb

2.  put
in deep place: to put something in a place that is
hidden or very deep • the
secret vaults where the treasures were entombed

3.  serve
as tomb:
to serve as a tomb for somebody or something • the
collapsed mine that entombed them

[1]



entomo-

entomo-
entomo-
prefix

insect
• entomophilous
[Via French from Greek entomon,
from entomos “cut in two,” from en “in” + temnein “to
cut”; so called because of insect’s distinctly segmented bodies][1]



entomol.

entomol.
entomol.

Abbreviation of
entomology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








entomology

entomology
en·to·mol·o·gy 
[èntə mólləjee] noun

study
of insects:
the branch of zoology that deals with the study of insects
[Mid-18th
century. From French entomologie or modern Latin entomologia,
literally “science of insects,” formed from Greek entomon (see entomo- ).]
—en·to·mo·log·i·cal
[èntəmə lójjik’l], adjective

—en·to·mo·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—en·to·mol·o·gist, noun[1]



entomophagous

entomophagous
en·to·moph·a·gous 
[èntə móffəgəss] adjective

ZOOLOGY
eating insects:
feeding on insects[1]



entomophilous

entomophilous
en·to·moph·i·lous 
[èntə móffələss] adjective

BOTANY insect-pollinated:
used to describe flowering plants that are pollinated by insects
—en·to·moph·i·ly [èntə móffəlee], noun[1]



entourage

entourage
en·tou·rage 
[òntə rzh, óntə
rzh] (plural en·tou·rages) noun

1.  people
accompanying VIP: a group of special employees who go with
a high-ranking or famous person on visits and engagements

2.  environment:
the surroundings or environment (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, where it was formed from entourer “to surround,” literally “to
make a circuit around,” from tour “circuit” (see tour ).][1]



entrails

entrails
en·trails 
[éntrəlz, én
tràylz] plural noun

1.  internal
organs:
an animal’s or person’s internal organs

2.  something’s
insides:
the various working parts inside something, especially something complex

3.  HISTORY animal’s
insides used for Roman divination: the internal organs of
a sacrificial animal, used by the ancient Romans to try to determine the will
of the gods
[13th century. Via Old French
entrailles from medieval Latin intralia, alteration of Latin interanea
“intestines, guts,” literally “internal things,” ultimately from inter
“between.”][1]



entrain

entrain2
en·train2 [in
tráyn, en tráyn] (past en·trained,
past participle en·trained, present participle en·train·ing,
3rd person present singular en·trains) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cause
to happen:
to cause something to happen as a consequence of an action

2.  CHEMISTRY PHYSICS trap
in gas or liquid: to draw solid particles, air bubbles, or
liquid drops into a moving fluid and carry them along in the flow
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French entraîner, literally “to drag away,” from traîner
“to drag” (see train ).]
—en·train·ment, noun[1]



entrain

entrain1
en·train1 [in
tráyn, en tráyn] (past en·trained,
past participle en·trained, present participle en·train·ing,
3rd person present singular en·trains) intransitive and
transitive verb

TRANSPORT get
on or put on train: to board or to put somebody
or something aboard a train
—en·train·er,
noun

—en·train·ment, noun[1]



entrance

entrance2
en·trance2 [entráns]
(past en·tranced, past participle en·tranced, present
participle en·tranc·ing, 3rd person present singular en·tranc·es)
transitive verb

1.  fascinate:
to hold somebody’s attention and produce a sense of wonder in that person

2.  put
spell on:
to make somebody go into a trance

[1]



entrance

entrance1
en·trance1 [éntrəns]
(plural en·tranc·es) noun

1.  way
in:
a door or gate that people enter through

2.  coming
onto the scene: the occasion or act of entering a place
• a
highly theatrical entrance

3.  right
of entry:
the right to go into a place or to enter an institution.
Also
called
entry
[15th century. From Old
French, where it was formed from entrer (see enter
).][1]



entranceway

entranceway
en·trance·way 
[éntrəns wày] (plural en·trance·ways)
noun

See
entryway[1]



entrant

entrant
en·trant 
[éntrənt] (plural en·trants) noun

competitor:
somebody who enters a competition or contest
[Mid-17th
century. From French, present participle of entrer (see enter ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



entrap

entrap
en·trap 
[in tráp, en
tráp] (past en·trapped, past participle en·trapped,
present participle en·trap·ping, 3rd person present singular
en·traps) transitive verb

1.  trick
into something bad: to lead somebody into doing
something wrong or into danger

2.  HUNTING trap:
to catch something such as an animal in a trap

[1]



entrapment

entrapment
en·trap·ment 
[in trápmənt, en
trápmənt] noun

luring somebody into crime:
the act of tricking somebody into committing a crime in order to obtain a
prosecution[1]



entreat

entreat
en·treat 
[in trt, en
trt] (past en·treat·ed, past participle en·treat·ed,
present participle en·treat·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·treats) or in·treat [in
trt, en trt] (past in·treat·ed,
past participle in·treat·ed, present participle in·treat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·treats) intransitive and
transitive verb

plead
desperately: to beg somebody for something, often
repeatedly (formal)
[14th
century. From Old French entraitier, literally “to treat in (a certain
way),” from traitier “to treat” (see treat
).]
—en·treat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



entreaty

entreaty
en·treat·y 
[in trtee, en
trtee] (plural en·treat·ies) noun

desperate plea:
a serious and passionate request[1]



entrechat

entrechat
en·tre·chat 
[òntrə sh] (plural en·tre·chats)
noun

ballet
jump:
in ballet, a leap in which the dancer’s legs are crossed rapidly in the air and
the heels are beaten together
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Italian (capriola) intrecciata “intricate (caper).”][1]



entrecôte

entrecôte
en·tre·côte
[óntrə kt, óNtrə
kt] (plural en·tre·côtes) or en·tre·côte steak
[óntrə kt, óNtrə
kt] (plural en·tre·côte steaks) noun

rib
steak:
a piece of beef without any bone, cut from between the ribs
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “between (the) rib(s).”][1]



entremets

entremets
en·tre·mets 
[òntrə máy] (plural en·tre·mets)
noun

1.  dish
between main course and dessert: in a formal dinner, a
light dish served between the main course and the dessert

2.  dessert:
a sweet dish, especially one served after cheese in a multicourse dinner
[15th century. From Old
French, literally “between the course(s),” from mes “course.”][1]



entrench

entrench
en·trench 
[in trénch, en
trénch] (past en·trenched, past participle en·trenched,
present participle en·trench·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·trench·es) or in·trench [in
trénch] (past in·trenched, past participle in·trenched,
present participle in·trench·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·trench·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
dig
ditch around: to defend something by surrounding it
with trenches

2.  transitive
verb
protect:
to take action to protect an argument or position

3.  intransitive
verb
encroach:
to encroach upon or trespass on somebody else’s property or things (archaic)
—en·trench·ment, noun[1]



entrenched

entrenched
en·trenched
[in tréncht, en
tréncht] adjective

1.  firmly
held:
firmly held and hard to change • deeply
entrenched political views

2.  firmly
established: firmly established and unlikely to
change

[1]



entrenous

entrenous
en·tre
nous 
[òntrə n] adverb

between
ourselves:
in confidence (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “between ourselves.”][1]



entrepreneur

entrepreneur
en·tre·pre·neur 
[òntrəprə nr, òntrəprə
núr] (plural en·tre·pre·neurs) noun

risk-taking
businessperson: somebody who sets up and finances new
commercial enterprises to make a profit
[Late
19th century. From French, literally “one who undertakes,” from entreprendre
“to undertake” (see enterprise ).]
—en·tre·pre·neu·ri·al,
adjective

—en·tre·pre·neur·i·al·ism,
noun

—en·tre·pre·neur·ism,
noun

—en·tre·pre·neur·ship,
noun[1]



entrepôt

entrepôt
en·tre·pôt
[óntrə p] (plural en·tre·pôts)
noun

1.  See
free port  noun 2

2.  warehouse:
a bonded warehouse
[Early 18th century. From
French, from entreposer “to place in, store” from poser “to
place.”][1]



entresol

entresol
en·tre·sol 
[óntrə sàwl] (plural en·tre·sols)
noun

See
mezzanine
[Early 18th century. From Via
French from Spanish entresuelo, literally “between-level,” from suelo
“level,” ultimately from Latin solea “sole” (see sole ).][1]



entropy

entropy
en·tro·py 
[éntrəpee] (plural en·tro·pies)
noun

1.  measure
of disorder: a measure of the disorder that exists in
a system

2.  PHYSICS measure
of unavailable energy: a measure of the energy in a
system or process that is unavailable to do work. In a reversible thermodynamic
process, entropy is expressed as the heat absorbed or emitted divided by the
absolute temperature. Symbol S

3.  COMMUNICATION measure
of communications system efficiency: a
measure of the random errors ( noise )
occurring in the transmission of signals, and from this a measure of the
efficiency of transmission systems
[Mid-19th
century. Literally “turning or change toward,” formed from Greek tropē “change,”
literally “turning,” on the model of energy
.]
—en·tro·pic
[en tróppik], adjective

—en·tro·pi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



entrust

entrust
en·trust 
[in trúst, en
trúst] (past en·trust·ed, past participle en·trust·ed,
present participle en·trust·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·trusts) or in·trust [in
trúst] (past in·trust·ed, past participle in·trust·ed,
present participle in·trust·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·trusts) transitive verb

give somebody responsibility
for: to give something to another
person to be responsible for[1]



entry

entry
en·try 
[éntree] (plural en·tries) noun

1.  going
in:
an act or instance of somebody entering

2.  See
entrance 1 noun 3

3.  single
written item: an item or piece of data included in a
list or a book

4.  COMPUTING including
an item on list: the process of recording something in
writing or on a computer • data
entry

5.  way
in:
a way into a place

6.  somebody
or something entered in contest: a person, animal, or
item entered in a contest • the
winning entry

7.  THEATER appearance
on stage:
the occasion when an actor comes on stage

8.  CARD GAMES winning
card:
in some games, a card that can win a trick and thus gain the lead for a player
[13th century. Via French entrée
from Latin intrata, a form of the past participle of intrare “to
enter” (see enter ).][1]



entry-level

entry-level
en·try-lev·el 
adjective

at beginner’s level:
at the lowest level and suitable for somebody who is new to a job, field, or
subject[1]



entryway

entryway
en·try·way 
[éntri wày] (plural en·try·ways)
noun

entrance:
a way into a place, such as a doorway or passageway.
Also called
entranceway[1]



entrée

entrée
en·trée
[ón trày, on
tráy] (plural en·trées) or en·tree [ón trày, on tráy]
(plural en·trees) noun

1.  FOOD main
course:
a dish served as the main part of a meal

2.  FOOD dish
before main course: in a formal dinner, a light
dish served before the main course

3.  right
of entry:
something that permits entry into something, especially to an exclusive group
or place
[Late 18th century. From
French (see entry ).][1]



entr’acte

entr’acte
en·tr’·acte 
[on trákt] (plural en·tr’·actes)
noun

1.  break
between acts of play: an interval between the acts
of a play or opera

2.  performance
between acts: an additional piece of entertainment
during the break between the acts of a play or opera
[Mid-18th century. From
obsolete French, literally “between the act(s),” from acte “act.”][1]



entwine

entwine
en·twine 
[in twn, en
twn] (past en·twined, past participle en·twined,
present participle en·twin·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·twines) or in·twine [in
twn] (past in·twined, past participle in·twined,
present participle in·twin·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·twines) intransitive and transitive verb

twist
together:
to twist things together, or to twist something round something else (often
passive)
—en·twine·ment, noun[1]



entwist

entwist
en·twist 
[in twíst, en
twíst] (past en·twist·ed, past participle en·twist·ed,
present participle en·twist·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·twists) or in·twist [in
twíst] (past in·twist·ed, past participle in·twist·ed,
present participle in·twist·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·twists) intransitive and transitive verb

See
entwine[1]



enucleate

enucleate
e·nu·cle·ate 
[i nklee àyt] transitive verb (past
e·nu·cle·at·ed, past participle e·nu·cle·at·ed, present
participle e·nu·cle·at·ing, 3rd person present singular e·nu·cle·ates)

1.  CELL BIOLOGY take
out the nucleus: to remove the nucleus of a cell

2.  SURGERY surgically
remove without damage: to remove something
surgically, such as a tumor, from its capsule while keeping it intact
adjective

CELL BIOLOGY without
a nucleus:
used to describe a cell without a nucleus
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin enucleat-, past participle stem of enucleare
“to remove the pit from (olives, fruit),” from nucleus “kernel” (see nucleus ).]
—e·nu·cle·a·tion [i nklee áysh’n], noun[1]



enumerable

enumerable
e·nu·mer·a·ble 
[i nmərəb’l] adjective

See
denumerable
[Late 19th century. Formed
from enumerate + -able
.][1]



enumerate

enumerate
e·nu·mer·ate 
[i nmə ràyt] (past e·nu·mer·at·ed,
past participle e·nu·mer·at·ed, present participle e·nu·mer·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·nu·mer·ates) transitive verb

1.  list
individually: to name a number of things on a list one
by one

2.  count
the number of: to count how many things there are in
something

3.  Canada
POLITICS put
a voter’s name on list: to put a voter’s name on an
official list used in elections
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin enumerat-, the past participle stem of enumerare
“to count out,” from numerus “number” (see number
).]
—e·nu·mer·a·tion
[i nmə ráysh’n], noun

—e·nu·mer·a·tive
[i nmə ràytiv, i
nmərətiv], adjective

—e·nu·mer·a·tor [i nmə ràytər], noun[1]



enunciate

enunciate
e·nun·ci·ate 
[i núnsee àyt] (past e·nun·ci·at·ed,
past participle e·nun·ci·at·ed, present participle e·nun·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·nun·ci·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
clearly:
to pronounce something distinctly

2.  transitive
verb
state
clearly:
to give a speech or statement that explains something clearly
[Early
17th century. From Latin enuntiare “to announce,” from enuntiat-,
the past participle stem of nuntius “message, messenger.”]
—e·nun·ci·a·tion
[i nùnsee áysh’n], noun

—e·nun·ci·a·tive
[i núnsee àytiv, i
núnsee ətiv], adjective

—e·nun·ci·a·tive·ly
[i núnsee àytivlee], adverb

—e·nun·ci·a·tor [i núnsee àytər], noun[1]



enure

enure
en·ure 
transitive verb

See
inure[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








enuresis

enuresis
en·u·re·sis 
[ènnyə rssiss] noun

bed-wetting:
involuntary discharge of urine, especially while asleep (technical)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, from Greek enourein “to urinate in,”
from ouron “urine.”]
—en·u·ret·ic [ènnyə réttik], adjective[1]



envelop

envelop
en·vel·op 
[in véləp, en
véləp] (past en·vel·oped, past participle en·vel·oped,
present participle en·vel·op·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·vel·ops) transitive verb

1.  wrap
up:
to enclose somebody or something completely (often passive)

2.  hide:
to conceal something or somebody (often passive)

3.  MILITARY surround
an enemy:
to surround an enemy completely
[14th
century. From Old French envoluper “to wrap in,” of unknown origin.]
—en·vel·op·er,
noun

—en·vel·op·ment, noun[1]



envelope

envelope
en·ve·lope 
[énvə lp, ónvə
lp] (plural en·ve·lopes) noun

1.  paper
cover for a letter: a flat pocket of paper with
a sealable flap for holding letters

2.  enclosing
case:
something that surrounds or encloses something else • seafood
sauce in phyllo pastry envelopes

3.  BIOLOGY enclosing
structure:
a covering that encloses and protects an animal’s body or a biological
structure, such as a shell or membrane

4.  MATHEMATICS curve
forming a tangent: a curve or surface that
forms a tangent to each of the members of a set of curves or surfaces, such as
circles with a common center but different radii

5.  AEROSPACE balloon:
the bag of an airship or balloon that contains the gas

6.  AEROSPACE performance
limits of an aircraft: the performance limits of a
piece of equipment, particularly of an aircraft
[Early
18th century. From French enveloppe, from envelopper “to wrap in”
from Old French envoluper (see envelop
).]
push
the envelope

to try to accomplish more
than is theoretically possible (informal)[1]



envenom

envenom
en·ven·om 
[in vénəm] (past en·ven·omed, past
participle en·ven·omed, present participle en·ven·om·ing,
3rd person present singular en·ven·oms) transitive verb

1.  make
poisonous:
to make something poisonous (technical)

2.  make
angry and bitter: to cause somebody to become malicious or
hostile (formal)
—en·ven·om·i·za·tion [in vènnəmi záysh’n], noun[1]



enviable

enviable
en·vi·a·ble 
[énvee əb’l] adjective

highly
desirable:
likely to evoke feelings of envy • in the
enviable position of having two job offers to choose from
—en·vi·a·bly, adverb[1]



envious

envious
en·vi·ous 
[énvee əss] adjective

wanting
what somebody else has: wanting to have somebody’s
else’s success, good fortune, qualities, or possessions
—en·vi·ous·ly,
adverb

—en·vi·ous·ness, noun[1]



environ

environ
en·vi·ron 
[in vrən, in v
ərn] (past en·vi·roned, past participle en·vi·roned,
present participle en·vi·ron·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·vi·rons) transitive verb

encircle:
to surround somebody or something.
See
also
environs
[14th century. From Old
French environer, literally “to make a circle around,” ultimately from viron
“circle,” from virer “to turn” (see veer
).][1]



environment

environment
en·vi·ron·ment 
[in vrənmənt, in
vərnmənt] (plural en·vi·ron·ments) noun

1.  ENVIRONMENT natural
world:
the natural world, within which people, animals, and plants live. It is
regarded by many as being at risk from the harmful influences of industrialized
societies.

2.  ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY surrounding
influences:
all the external factors influencing the life of organisms, such as light or
food supply

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES social
and physical conditions: the conditions that surround
people and affect the way they live • the
nurturing environment a child needs

[1]



environmental

environmental
en·vi·ron·men·tal 
[in vrən mént’l, in
vərn mént’l] adjective

1.  of
the natural world: relating to the natural
world, especially to its conservation • environmental
groups

2.  of
your surroundings: relating to, or caused by, a
person’s or animal’s surroundings

[1]



environmentalart

environmentalart
en·vi·ron·men·tal
art
noun

3-dimensional art:
creative art, usually on a grand scale, that is meant to invite the viewer’s
participation by interacting with it[1]



environmentalassessment

environmentalassessment
en·vi·ron·men·tal
as·sess·ment (plural en·vi·ron·men·tal
as·sess·ments) noun

U.K.
See environmental impact statement[1]



environmentalhealth

environmentalhealth
en·vi·ron·men·tal
health
noun

impact of the environment on
health: the impact on human health
of the environment, especially as safeguarded by government agencies dealing
with areas such as water quality, food hygiene, and pest control[1]



environmentalimpact

environmentalimpact
en·vi·ron·men·tal
im·pact
(plural en·vi·ron·men·tal im·pacts) noun

consequence of human action
on nature: the indirect and direct
consequences of human actions on the natural environment[1]



environmentalimpact statement

environmentalimpact statement
en·vi·ron·men·tal
im·pact state·ment noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand assessment
of environmental effects: the
identification of the likely environmental effects of a proposed development
“After the public comment period, the NRC will issue a final environmental
impact statement by November.” Washington Post April 1999
U.K. term
environmental assessment[1]



environmentalism

environmentalism
en·vi·ron·men·tal·ism 
[in vrən mént’l ìzzəm, in vərn mént’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS concern
for the environment: the movement, especially in
politics and consumer affairs, that works toward protecting the natural world
from harmful human activities

2.  PSYCHOLOGY theory
of environmental influence: a theory stating that a
person’s environment is more influential than heredity in determining his or
her development

[1]



environmentalist

environmentalist
en·vi·ron·men·tal·ist 
[in vrən mént’list, in vərn mént’list] (plural en·vi·ron·men·tal·ists)
noun

1.  POLITICS somebody
working to protect the environment:
somebody involved in issues relating to the protection of the natural world,
especially a member of a political group campaigning against the perceived
harmful effects of industrialized societies

2.  PSYCHOLOGY believer
in the developmental importance of environment: a
supporter of the theory that a person’s environment is more influential than
heredity in determining his or her development

[1]



environmentally

environmentally
en·vi·ron·men·tal·ly
[in vrən mént’lee, in
vərn mént’lee] adverb

in relation to the natural
world: with regard to the natural
world and its vulnerability to destructive influences • the
environmentally aware consumer[1]



environmentallyfriendly

environmentallyfriendly
en·vi·ron·men·tal·ly
friend·ly
or en·vi·ron·ment-friend·ly adjective

minimizing harm to the
natural world: designed to minimize
harmful impact on the natural world, for example, by using biodegradable
ingredients[1]



environmentalstudies

environmentalstudies
en·vi·ron·men·tal
stud·ies
noun

academic discipline relating
to the environment: a course of
academic study including a range of disciplines that relate to the environment
(takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



environs

environs
en·vi·rons 
[in vrənz, in
v ərnz] plural noun

surrounding
areas:
the land or area surrounding a place
[Mid-17th century. From
French, plural of environ “surroundings, around,” literally “in a
circle,” from viron (see environ ).][1]



envisage

envisage
en·vis·age 
[in vízzij, en
vízzij] (past en·vis·aged, past participle en·vis·aged,
present participle en·vis·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·vis·ag·es) transitive verb (formal)

1.  foresee:
to conceive of and contemplate a future possibility • Do
you envisage being able to avert a crisis?

2.  imagine:
to form a mental picture of something or somebody

3.  consider:
to regard something in a particular way
[Early 19th century. From
French envisager, literally “(to cause to be) in the face,” from visage
“face” (see visage ).][1]



envision

envision
en·vi·sion 
[in ví’n, en
vízh’n] (past en·vi·sioned, past participle en·vi·sioned,
present participle en·vi·sion·ing, 3rd person present singular
en·vi·sions) transitive verb

picture something mentally:
to form a mental picture of something, typically something that may occur or be
possible in the future[1]



envoi

envoi
en·voi 
noun

See
envoy  noun 2[1]



envoy

envoy
en·voy
[én vòy] (plural en·voys) noun

1.  POLITICS official
representative: somebody acting as a diplomat on behalf
of a national government or sent as an official messenger on behalf of a higher
authority

2.  en·voy
or en·voi (plural en·vois) LITERATURE concluding part of a poem:
the final section of a book or play, or a short stanza at the end of a poem,
used for summing up or as a dedication
[Mid-17th century. From
French envoyé, past participle of envoyer, “to send,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin inviare “to put on the way” from Latin via
“way.”][1]



envy

envy
en·vy 
[énvee] noun

wanting
what somebody else has: the resentful or unhappy
feeling of wanting somebody else’s success, good fortune, qualities, or
possessions
transitive
verb
(past en·vied, past participle en·vied, present
participle en·vy·ing, 3rd person present singular en·vies)

want
what somebody else has: to desire something
possessed by somebody else • It
would be churlish of me to envy them their success.
[13th
century. Via Old French envie from Latin invidia, from invidere
“to look askance at,” from videre “to see” (see video
).]
—en·vy·ing·ly,
adverb
be
the envy of somebody

to be the object of
somebody’s envy[1]



enwind

enwind
en·wind 
[in wnd, en
wnd] (past en·wound, past participle en·wound
[in wównd, en
wównd], present participle en·wind·ing, 3rd person
present singular en·winds) or in·wind [in wnd] (past in·wound [in wównd], past participle in·wound,
3rd person present singular in·winds or in·wind·ing)
transitive verb

wrap something round:
to wind or coil something around somebody or something (literary)[1]



enwomb

enwomb
en·womb 
[in wm, en wm]
(past en·wombed, past participle en·wombed, present
participle en·womb·ing, 3rd person present singular en·wombs)
transitive verb

1.  enclose
warmly:
to hold something or somebody in a warm safe place (literary)

2.  cause
woman to be pregnant: to make a woman pregnant or
be the child in a woman’s womb (archaic) “I say, I am your mother; and
put you in the catalogue of those that were enwombed mine.” William Shakespeare
All’s Well That Ends Well 1602

[1]



enwound

enwound
en·wound


Past participle of
enwind Past tense of enwind[1]



enwrap

enwrap
en·wrap 
[in ráp, en ráp]
(past en·wrapped, past participle en·wrapped, present
participle en·wrap·ping, 3rd person present singular en·wraps)
or in·wrap [in ráp] (past
in·wrapped, past participle in·wrapped, present
participle in·wrap·ping, 3rd person present singular in·wraps)
transitive verb

1.  hold
the attention: to involve or engross somebody or
something thoroughly (formal) (often passive)

2.  wrap:
to wrap something or somebody up

[1]



enwreathe

enwreathe
en·wreathe 
[in r, en r]
(past en·wreathed, past participle en·wreathed, present
participle en·wreath·ing, 3rd person present singular en·wreathes)
or in·wreathe [in r] (past
in·wreathed, past participle in·wreathed, present
participle in·wreath·ing, 3rd person present singular in·wreathes)
transitive verb

decorate:
to encircle something, especially with decorations (literary)[1]



enzootic

enzootic
en·zo·ot·ic 
[èn zō óttik] adjective

ZOOLOGY affecting
animals in a restricted area: used to describe an animal
disease that occurs only within a specific geographic area
noun

ZOOLOGY disease
of animals:
a disease that affects animals in a specific area, locale, or region
[Late 19th century][1]



enzyme

enzyme
en·zyme 
[én zm] (plural en·zymes) noun

protein
controlling biochemical reactions: a complex protein
produced by living cells that promotes a specific biochemical reaction by
acting as a catalyst
[Late
19th century. Via German Enzym from modern Greek enzumos
“leavened,” literally “with leaven in,” from Greek zumē “leaven.”]
—en·zy·mat·ic
[énzə màttik], adjective

—en·zy·mic
[en zmik, en
zímmik], adjective

—en·zy·mi·cal·ly [en zmikəlee, en
zímmikəlee], adverb[1]



enzymology

enzymology
en·zy·mol·o·gy 
[ènzə mólləjee] noun

study of enzymes:
the branch of biochemistry that deals with enzymes[1]



e.o.

e.o.
e.o.

Abbreviation of
ex officio[1]



eo-

eo-
eo-
prefix

oldest,
earliest • eolithic
[From Greek ēōs
“dawn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English aurora .][1]



EO

EO
EO

LAW
(followed by a number) Abbreviation of executive
order[1]



Eocene

Eocene
E·o·cene 
[ ə sn] noun

geologic
epoch:
the epoch of geologic time when mammals first appeared, 56.5 to 35.4 million
years ago
—E·o·cene, adjective[1]



EOF

EOF
EOF

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of end of file[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








eohippus

eohippus
e·o·hip·pus 
[ ō híppəss] (plural e·o·hip·pus·es)
noun

small
extinct horse: a small prehistoric horse that lived in
North America. It was dog-sized and had four toes on the forefeet and three on
the hind.
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “dawn horse,” from Greek hippos “horse.”][1]



Eolian

Eolian
E·o·li·an
noun adjective

See
Aeolian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








eolian

eolian
e·o·li·an 
[ee ṓlee ən, ee ṓlyən]
or ae·o·li·an [ee ṓlee ən, ee ṓlyən] adjective

GEOLOGY affected
by wind:
carried or produced by the wind • eolian
deposits
[Early 20th century. Formed
from “Aeolus,” Greek god of the winds.][1]



eolith

eolith
e·o·lith 
[ ə lìth] (plural e·o·liths) noun

very early stone tool:
one of the oldest stone tools used by humans, believed by some scientists to
have formed naturally[1]



eolithic

eolithic
e·o·lith·ic
[ ə líthik] adjective

of the early Stone Age:
relating to the earliest part of the Stone Age, during which time simple stone
tools began to be used[1]



e.o.m.

e.o.m.
e.o.m.

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of end of the month[1]



eon

eon
e·on 
[ òn,  ən]
(plural e·ons) noun

1.  vast
amount of time: a length of time that is too long to
measure

2.  GEOLOGY longest
unit of geologic time: a division of geologic time
comprising two or more eras
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek aiōn, “age, lifetime.”]
—e·o·ni·an [ee ṓnee ən], adjective[1]



eosin

eosin
e·o·sin 
[ əssin] noun

red
stain:
a red crystalline solid used as a biological stain and as a dye in cosmetics. C20H6Br4O5K2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek ēōs “dawn” + -in ; so
called because of its color.][1]



eosinophil

eosinophil
e·o·sin·o·phil 
[ ə sínnə fìl] (plural e·o·sin·o·phils)
noun

white
blood cell:
a granular white blood cell that stains with the dye eosin and is thought to
play a part in allergic reactions and the body’s response to parasitic diseases
[Late
19th century. Coined from eosin + -phil .]
—e·o·sin·o·phil·ic
[ ə sinnə fíllik], adjective

—e·o·si·noph·i·lous [ ō si nóffiləss], adjective[1]



eosinophilia

eosinophilia
e·o·sin·o·phil·i·a 
[ ə sinnə fíllee ə] noun

increase in some white blood
cells: an increase in the number of
granular white blood cells that stain with the dye eosin, occurring in some
allergies and parasitic diseases[1]



-eous

-eous
-eous
suffix

See
-ous
[Formed from Latin -eus,
a suffix forming adjectives of material, such as aureus, “golden,” from aurum,
“gold”][1]



e.p.

e.p.
e.p.

CHESS
Abbreviation of en passant[1]



EP

EP2
EP2

Abbreviation of
European Plan[1]



ep-

ep-
ep-
prefix

(used before vowels or h)See
epi-[1]



EP

EP1
EP1 noun

phonograph
record:
a phonograph record that is the size of a single but contains a longer
recording on it and is designed to be played at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute
rather than 45
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of extended play .][1]



Ep.

Ep.
Ep.
BIBLE

1.  Abbreviation
of
Ephesians

2.  Abbreviation
of
Epistle

[1]



EPA

EPA
EPA

Abbreviation of
Environmental Protection Agency[1]



epact

epact
e·pact 
[ pàkt] noun

difference
between lunar and solar years: a period of about 11
days that represents the difference between the lunar year and the solar year
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from late Latin, from Greek epaktē (hēmera), “added (day),”
literally “(day) led in,” from agein “to lead.”][1]



epanalepsis

epanalepsis
e·pan·a·lep·sis
[èppənə lépsiss] (plural e·pan·a·lep·ses
[èppənə lép sz]) noun

repeated
figure of speech: a phrase or words repeated later on in a
speech or text as a rhetorical device
[Late
16th century. From Greek “repetition,” literally “taking up again,” from epana-
“again” + lēpsis “taking.”]
—e·pan·a·lep·tic [èppənə léptik], adjective[1]



epanorthosis

epanorthosis
e·pan·or·tho·sis
[èppə nawr thṓssiss] (plural e·pan·orth·o·ses
[èppə nawr thṓ sz]) noun

rephrasing:
the immediate rephrasing of something said or written in order to emphasize or
correct it
[Late
16th century. From Greek “correction,” literally “setting straight again,” from
epana- “again” + orthōsis “making straight,” ultimately from orthos
“straight.”]
—e·pan·or·tho·tic, adjective[1]



eparch

eparch
ep·arch
[é prk] (plural ep·archs) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY bishop:
a bishop in the Greek Orthodox Church

2.  POLITICS Greek
governor:
the governor of a modern Greek province
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
eparkhos, literally “ruler over,” from arkhos “ruler” (see -arch ).][1]



eparchy

eparchy
ep·ar·chy 
[é prkee] (plural ep·ar·chies)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY diocese:
a bishop’s diocese in the Greek Orthodox Church

2.  POLITICS part
of a Greek province: a political subdivision of a
province in modern Greece
[Late 18th century. From
Greek eparkhia “prefecture, province,” from eparkhos (see eparch ).][1]



epaulet

epaulet
ep·au·let 
[éppə lèt, èppə
lét] (plural ep·au·lets) or ep·au·lette [éppə lèt, èppə lét]
(plural ep·au·lettes) noun

decoration
on shoulder of garment: a decoration on the shoulder
of a jacket, especially on a military uniform. Epaulets are worn on the
shoulders of a uniform jacket or coat, and in officers’ dress are usually made
of gold or silver braid.
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “small shoulder,” from épaule “shoulder,” from,
ultimately, Latin spatula “broad piece, shoulder blade” (see spatula ).][1]



epeirogeny

epeirogeny
ep·ei·rog·e·ny 
[è pī rójjənee] or ep·ei·ro·gen·e·sis
[i prə jénnəssiss] noun

slow
movements of Earth’s crust: the slow movements of the
Earth’s crust that lead to the formation of features such as continents
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek ēpeiros “mainland, continent” + -geny .]
—ep·ei·ro·gen·ic
[i prō jénnik], adjective

—ep·ei·ro·gen·i·cal·ly
[i prō jénnikəlee], adverb[1]



epenthesis

epenthesis
e·pen·the·sis 
[i pénthəssiss] noun

adding
a sound to a word: insertion of an extra sound
into a word, as happens in some dialect pronunciations or in a word’s
development over time. The “b” in “crumble” is an example of epenthesis .
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek, where it was formed from epentithenai,
literally “to place in also,” ultimately from tithenai “to place.”]
—e·pen·thet·ic [èppən théttik], adjective[1]



epergne

epergne
e·pergne 
[i púrn, ày púrn]
(plural e·pergnes) noun

piece
of ornamental tableware: a large elaborate
centerpiece for a table with containers for fruit or flowers
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French épergne “savings, treasury,” from Old
French espargnier, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English spare .][1]



epexegesis

epexegesis
ep·ex·e·ge·sis 
[e pèksə jssiss] (plural ep·ex·e·ge·ses
[e pèksə j sz]) noun

1.  additional
words explaining a text: the addition of words or
phrases to a text to clarify its meaning

2.  word
added for clarification: a word or phrase added to
help explain the sense of a text
[Early
17th century. From, literally “explaining in addition,” from exēgēsis
(see exegesis ).]
—ep·ex·e·get·ic
[e pèksə jéttik], adjective

—ep·ex·e·get·i·cal
[e pèksə jéttik’l], adjective

—ep·ex·e·get·i·cal·ly
[e pèksə jéttikəlee], adverb[1]



eph-

eph-
eph-
prefix

See
epi-[1]



Eph.

Eph.
Eph.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Ephesians[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ephah

ephah
e·phah
[fə, éffə]
(plural e·phahs) or e·pha [fə,
éffə] (plural e·phas) noun

Hebrew
unit of dry measure: an ancient Hebrew unit of
dry measure, roughly equivalent to a bushel or 33 liters
[14th century. From Hebrew ēpāh
.][1]



ephebe

ephebe
e·phebe 
[é fb, i fb]
(plural e·phebes) or e·phe·bus [i fbəss] (plural e·phe·bi [i f b]) or ephe·bos [i fbəss] (plural e·phe·bi) noun

youth
in ancient Greece: in ancient Greece, a young
man aged between 18 and 20 who had just reached manhood or full citizenship and
was undergoing military training
[Mid-19th
century. Via Latin ephebus from Greek ephēbos, literally “one
approaching manhood,” from hēbē “early manhood.”]
—e·phe·bic, adjective[1]



ephedrine

ephedrine
e·phed·rine 
[i féddrin, éffə
drn] noun

white
crystalline alkaloid: a white odorless alkaloid
that is used to enlarge air passages in asthma attacks, relieve allergic nasal
congestion, and dilate the pupils, and as a central nervous system stimulant.
It can be manufactured synthetically or obtained from a shrub.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Ephedra, from Latin ephedra “horsetail,” from
the Greek name of a genus of plants, some of which contain this substance.][1]



ephemera

ephemera2
e·phem·er·a2  [i
fémmərə] noun (plural e·phem·er·ae [i fémmə r] or e·phem·er·as)

1.  something
short-lived: something that is transitory and without
lasting significance

2.  INSECTS See mayfly  noun 1
plural
noun

collectable items:
a range of collectable items that were originally designed to be short-lived • He’s
a collector of ticket stubs, movie passes, and other ephemera.
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, feminine of late Latin ephemerus “lasting only a day,” from Greek
ephēmeros, from hēmera “day.”][1]



ephemera

ephemera1
e·phem·er·a1  [i
fémmərə]

Plural of
ephemeron[1]



ephemeral

ephemeral
e·phem·er·al 
[i fémmərəl] adjective

short-lived:
lasting for only a short period of time • the
ephemeral nature of slang
noun
(plural e·phem·er·als)

short-lived
organism:
a plant or insect that lives for only a short period of time. Groundsel and
mayflies are ephemerals .
—e·phem·er·al·i·ty
[i fèmmə rállətee], noun

—e·phem·er·al·ly
[i fémmərəlee], adverb

—e·phem·er·al·ness [i fémmərəlnəss], noun[1]



ephemerid

ephemerid
e·phem·er·id 
[i fémmərid] (plural e·phem·er·ids)
noun

short-lived
insect:
an insect of the mayfly family that emerges in the summer from a long aquatic
larval stage and lives only a matter of hours as an adult. Family: Ephemeridae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Ephemeridae, family name, from, ultimately, Greek ephēmeros
(see ephemera 2 ).][1]



ephemeris

ephemeris
e·phem·er·is 
[i fémməriss] (plural eph·e·mer·i·des
[fə mérrə dz]) noun

table
listing the positions of planets: a table listing the
future positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets over a given period of time
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek, where it was formed from ephēmeros (see ephemera 2 ).][1]



ephemeristime

ephemeristime
e·phem·er·is
time
noun

accurate system of time
measurement: a system of time
measurement based on the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and therefore independent
of the irregularities of the Earth’s rotation[1]



ephemeron

ephemeron
e·phem·er·on 
[i fémmə ròn] (plural e·phem·er·a
[i fémmərə] or e·phem·er·ons) noun

something
short-lived: a short-lived thing (usually used in
the plural)
[Late 16th century. From
Greek ephēmeron, a form of ephēmeros (see ephemera 2 ).][1]



Ephesians

Ephesians
E·phe·sians
[i f’nz] noun

book
of the Bible: one of the books of the Bible,
consisting of a letter from the Apostle Paul to the early Christians (used
with a singular verb)
[15th century. Formed from
Latin ephesius “of Ephesus,” from Greek ephesios, from Ephesos
“Ephesus,” a Greek city in Asia Minor.][1]



Ephesus

Ephesus
Eph·e·sus 
[éffəssess]

ancient Greek city on the
western coast of Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. An important center for
early Christianity, it was the site of the temple of Artemis, one of the Seven
Wonders of the World.[1]



ephod

ephod
eph·od 
[é fòd,  fòd]
(plural eph·ods) noun

Hebrew
priests’ apron: an embroidered garment, believed to be
like an apron with shoulder straps, worn by Hebrew priests in ancient Israel
[14th century. From Hebrew ēpō
.][1]



ephor

ephor
eph·or 
[é fàwr, éffər]
(plural eph·ors or eph·o·ri [éffə r]) noun

Dorian
magistrate:
in ancient Greece, one of five magistrates elected in any of various Dorian
states, especially Sparta, to supervise the king
[Late
16th century. Directly or via Latin ephorus from Greek ephoros
“overseer,” from horan “to see.”]
—eph·or·al
[éffərəl], adjective

—eph·or·ate [éffə ràyt, éffərət],
noun[1]



Ephraimite

Ephraimite
E·phra·im·ite
[free ə mt] (plural E·phra·im·ites)
noun

1.  member
of the tribe of Ephraim: a member of the Hebrew tribe
of Ephraim

2.  somebody
from the kingdom of Israel: somebody born in the
northern kingdom of Israel

[1]



epi-

epi-
epi-
prefix

1.  on,
over, above • epiphyte
• epipelagic

2.  around,
near • epicalyx

3.  after,
in addition • epiphenomenon
[From Greek epi
“upon”][1]



epiblast

epiblast
ep·i·blast 
[éppi blàst] (plural ep·i·blasts)
noun

outer
layer of an embryo: the outer layer of cells in
an early embryo ( blastula ). It develops
into ectoderm.
—ep·i·blast·ic [èppi blástik], adjective[1]



epiboly

epiboly
e·pib·o·ly 
[i píbbəlee] noun

cell-layer
overlap:
the growth of a layer of rapidly dividing cells over a layer of more slowly
dividing cells during embryo development. This process occurs in the eggs of
birds and reptiles.
[Late
19th century. From Greek epibolē “throwing on,” from epiballein
“to throw on,” from ballein “to throw” (see ballistic
).]
—ep·i·bol·ic [èppi bóllik], adjective[1]



epic

epic
ep·ic 
[éppik] noun (plural ep·ics)

1.  POETRY long
narrative poem: a lengthy narrative poem in elevated
language celebrating the adventures and achievements of a legendary or
traditional hero, for example, Homer’s Odyssey

2.  POETRY epic
poetry:
epic poetry as a genre • This
term we’ll cover epic, romance, and allegory.

3.  ARTS large-scale
production:
a work of literature, cinema, television, or theater that is large-scale and
expensively produced and often deals with a historical theme

4.  long
series of events: a long series of events characterized by
adventures or struggle • Our
trek across town turned out to be an epic.
adjective

1.  POETRY about
an epic:
relating to or being an epic • Milton’s
“Paradise Lost” is an epic poem.

2.  like
an epic:
having some of the characteristics of an epic • an
epic story of true love and adventure

3.  very
large or heroic: impressive by virtue of greatness of
size, scope, or heroism • a
scandal of epic proportions
[Late
16th century. Via Latin epicus from Greek epikos, from epos
(see epos ).]
—ep·i·cal,
adjective

—ep·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



epicalyx

epicalyx
ep·i·ca·lyx 
[èppi káyliks, èppi
kálliks] (plural ep·i·ca·lyx·es [èppi
káyli sz] or ep·i·ca·ly·ces) noun

ring of leaves resembling a
calyx: a ring of modified leaves (
bracts ) at the base of a flower that resemble an extra calyx, found in the
carnation, hibiscus, and mallow[1]



epicanthicfold

epicanthicfold
ep·i·can·thic
fold 
[eppi kànthik fṓld] (plural ep·i·can·thic
folds) noun

fold of skin of an eyelid:
a fold of skin from the eyelid that partially covers the part of the eye
nearest the nose.
Also called
epicanthus[1]



epicanthus

epicanthus
ep·i·can·thus 
[èppi kánthəss] (plural ep·i·can·thi
[èppi kán th]) noun

See
epicanthic fold
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from epi- + canthus
.][1]



epicarp

epicarp
ep·i·carp 
[éppi krp] (plural ep·i·carps)
noun

See
exocarp[1]



epicene

epicene
ep·i·cene 
[éppi sn] adjective

1.  having
characteristics of both sexes: having both male and
female characteristics

2.  neither
male nor female: of neither male nor female sex

3.  with
female characteristics: having typically female
characteristics (literary) (used of a male)

4.  weak:
lacking vigor and strength

5.  GRAMMAR same
for masculine and feminine: having only one grammatical
form for both masculine and feminine, in languages where nouns have genders
noun
(plural ep·i·cenes)

1.  somebody
or something epicene: an epicene person or thing (literary)

2.  GRAMMAR noun
with same masculine and feminine form: a
noun with the same grammatical form for both masculine and feminine in
languages where nouns have genders
[15th
century. Via late Latin epicoenus from Greek epikoinos, literally
“in common,” from koinos “common.”]
—ep·i·cen·ism [éppissi nìzzəm], noun[1]



epicenter

epicenter
ep·i·cen·ter 
[éppi sèntər] (plural ep·i·cen·ters)
noun

1.  GEOLOGY Earth’s
surface above the focus of an earthquake: the
exact location on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
or underground nuclear explosion

2.  focal
point:
the very center or focal point • Paris
is the epicenter of the fashion world.
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek epikentron, neuter of epikentos “situated on
a center,” from kentros “center” (see center
).]
—ep·i·cen·tral [èppi séntrəl], adjective[1]



epicotyl

epicotyl
ep·i·cot·yl 
[éppi kòtt’l] (plural ep·i·cot·yls)
noun

part
of a plant embryo: the tip of a plant embryo
above the embryonic leaves ( cotyledons )
that gives rise to the stem of the new plant
[Late 19th century. Coined
from epi- + Greek kotulē (see cotyledon ).][1]



epicsimile

epicsimile
ep·ic
sim·i·le
(plural ep·ic sim·i·les) noun

lengthy simile used in
narrative poetry: a lengthy simile
developed over a number of lines of verse in narrative poetry.
Also called
Homeric simile[1]



epicure

epicure
ep·i·cure 
[éppi kyr] (plural ep·i·cures)
noun

1.  gourmet:
somebody who has developed a refined taste for food

2.  sensual
person:
somebody who is dedicated to sensual pleasure and luxury.
Also
called
epicurean
[14th
century. From medieval Latin epicurus, from Epicurus
. Originally “follower of Epicurus.”]
—ep·i·cur·ism, noun[1]



epicurean

epicurean
ep·i·cu·re·an 
[èppikyə r ən, èppi
kyree ən] adjective

1.  devoted
to sensual pleasure: devoted to sensual pleasures
and luxury, especially good food

2.  pleasing
to an epicure: suitable for or pleasing to an epicure • led
an epicurean life
noun
(plural ep·i·cu·re·ans)

See epicure  noun 2
[14th
century. Directly or via French épicurien from Latin epicureus,
from Epicurus .]
—ep·i·cu·re·an·ism, noun[1]



Epicurean

Epicurean
Ep·i·cu·re·an
adjective

of
Epicurus:
relating to the philosophy of Epicureanism
noun
(plural Ep·i·cu·re·ans)

adherent of Epicureanism:
a follower of Epicureanism[1]



Epicureanism

Epicureanism
Ep·i·cu·re·an·ism 
[èppikyə r ə nìzzəm, éppi kyree ə nìzzəm] noun

philosophy of Epicurus:
the school of philosophy founded by Epicurus and its teachings[1]



Epicurus

Epicurus
Ep·i·cu·rus 
[èppi kyrəss] (341 BC–270 BC)

Greek philosopher. His
philosophy, Epicureanism, taught that the greatest good is freedom from pain
and emotional disturbance.[1]



epicycle

epicycle
ep·i·cy·cle 
[éppi sk’l] (plural ep·i·cy·cles)
noun

1.  planet’s
circular motion: in the Ptolemaic theory of the solar
system, a circle that is followed by a planet, the circle itself being centered
on a larger circle within which is the Earth. The epicycle accounts for
irregularities of planetary motion in geocentric astronomy.

2.  GEOMETRY circle
that rolls around another: a circle that rolls around
the circumference of another circle, either inside or outside
[14th
century. Via French épicycle or late Latin epicyclus from Greek epikuklos,
literally “on a circle,” from kuklos “circle” (see cycle ).]
—ep·i·cy·clic
[èppi sklik, èppi
síklik], adjective

—ep·i·cy·cli·cal [èppi sklik’l, èppi
síklik’l], adjective[1]



epicyclictrain

epicyclictrain
ep·i·cy·clic
train
(plural ep·i·cy·clic trains) noun

gear revolving around
something else: a system of gears
arranged such that one or more gears engage with and revolve around a fixed or
moving part[1]



epicycloid

epicycloid

ep·i·cy·cloid 
[èppi s klòyd] (plural ep·i·cy·cloids)
noun
mathematical
curve:
a mathematical curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle that
rolls around the outside of the circumference of another circle
—ep·i·cy·cloid·al [èppi sī klóyd’l], adjective[1]



epidemic

epidemic
ep·i·dem·ic 
[èppi démmik] noun (plural ep·i·dem·ics)

1.  MED fast-spreading
disease:
an outbreak of a disease that spreads more quickly and more extensively among a
group of people than would normally be expected

2.  rapid
development: a rapid and extensive development or
growth, usually of something unpleasant • an
epidemic of civil unrest and rioting
adjective

spreading unusually quickly and
extensively: spreading more quickly and more
extensively among a group of people at the same time than would normally be
expected • Influenza
was epidemic.
[Early
17th century. From French épidémique, from épidémie “an
epidemic,” from, ultimately, Greek epidēmia “disease prevalent among the
people,” from dēmos “people.”]
—ep·i·dem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ep·i·de·mic·i·ty
[èppidə míssətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at widespread

[1]



epidemiology

epidemiology
ep·i·de·mi·ol·o·gy 
[èppi deemee ólləjee, èppi demmee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of disease origin and spread: the scientific and medical
study of the causes and transmission of disease within a population

2.  pattern
of disease development: the origin and development
characteristics of a particular disease
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek epidēmia (see epidemic
) + -ology .]
—ep·i·de·mi·o·log·ic
[èppi deemee ə lójjik, èppi demmee ə lójjik], adjective

—ep·i·de·mi·o·log·i·cal·ly
[èppi deemee ə lójjikəlee, èppi deemmee ə lójji kəlee], adverb

—ep·i·de·mi·ol·o·gist
[èppi deemee ólləjist, èppi demmee ólləjist], noun[1]



epidermis

epidermis
ep·i·der·mis 
[èppi dúrmiss] noun

1.  ANATOMY outer
layer of the skin: the thin outermost layer of
the skin, itself made up of several layers, that covers and protects the
underlying dermis.
Also
called
cuticle

2.  BIOLOGY outer
layer of invertebrates’ cells: the outer layer of
cells of invertebrates that secretes the protective waxy cuticle

3.  BOTANY outer
cell layer of a plant: the outermost layer of cells
on a plant. In woody plants the epidermis is usually replaced by corky
protective tissue ( periderm ).
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek, literally “above skin,” from derma
“skin” (see dermato- ).]
—ep·i·der·mal,
adjective

—ep·i·der·mic,
adjective

—ep·i·der·moid, adjective[1]



epidiascope

epidiascope
ep·i·di·a·scope 
[èppi d ə skp] (plural ep·i·di·a·scopes)
noun

1.  enlarging
projector:
a device for projecting an enlarged image of an opaque or transparent object
onto a screen

2.  See
episcope
[Early 20th century. Coined
from epi- + dia-
+ -scope .][1]



epididymis

epididymis
ep·i·did·y·mis 
[èppi díddimiss] (plural ep·i·did·y·mi·des
[èppi díddimə dz]) noun

tube
containing sperm attached to a testicle: a
coiled tube attached to the back and upper side of the testicle that stores
sperm and is connected to the vas deferens
[Early
17th century. From Greek epididumis, from didumis “testicle,
twin,” from duo “two.”]
—ep·i·did·y·mal, adjective[1]



epidote

epidote
ep·i·dote 
[éppi dt] noun

shiny
mineral:
a shiny green, yellow, or black mineral occurring in metamorphic rocks. Ca2(Al,Fe)3(SiO4)3(OH)
[Early
19th century. From French épidote, from Greek epididonai “to give
in addition,” from didonai “to give”; from its very long crystals.]
—ep·i·dot·ic [èppi dóttik], adjective[1]



epidural

epidural
ep·i·du·ral 
[èppi drəl] noun (plural ep·i·du·rals)

MEDICINE anesthetic
injection into spine: a local anesthetic injected
into the space between the outer membrane covering the spinal cord and the
overlying bones of the spine. It is often used in childbirth.
adjective

ANATOMY on the
dura mater:
located on or outside the outermost membrane covering the brain and spinal cord
( dura mater )
[Late 19th century. Coined
from epi- + dura, from dura mater + -al
.][1]



epifauna

epifauna
ep·i·fau·na
[éppi fàwnə] plural noun

ECOLOGY animals
living on the sea floor: animals that live on the sea
floor, or attached to other animals or objects under water
—ep·i·fau·nal [èppi fáwn’l], adjective[1]



epifocal

epifocal
epi·fo·cal
adjective

located above the focus of an
earthquake: located or occurring at the
point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus ( epicenter ) of an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion[1]



epigamic

epigamic
ep·i·gam·ic
[èppi gámmik] adjective

ZOOLOGY attracting
a mate:
used to describe a trait or behavior that attracts a mate, such as large
antlers or bright colors
[Late 19th century. Formed
from epi- + Greek gamos “marriage.”][1]



epigastrium

epigastrium
ep·i·gas·tri·um 
[èppi gástree əm] (plural ep·i·gas·tri·a
[èppi gástree ə]) noun

ANATOMY upper
mid-abdomen: the upper middle part of the abdomen
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek epigastrion, a form of epigastrios “over the
belly,” from gaster “belly” (see gastric
).][1]



epigeal

epigeal
ep·i·ge·al 
[èppi j əl] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY BOTANY living on surface of ground:
living or growing on or right above the surface of the ground.
See
also
hypogeal

2.  BOTANY germinating
with seed leaves held aloft: used to describe seed
germination in which the embryo elongates so that the seed leaves ( cotyledons
) are carried above the soil to form the first leaves of the new plant
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek epigeios “on the earth,” from gē “earth.”][1]



epigene

epigene
ep·i·gene 
[éppi jn] adjective

GEOLOGY occurring
on the Earth’s surface: formed or occurring at the
Earth’s surface, especially with reference to weathering, erosion, and
deposition
[Early 19th century. Via
French épigène from Greek epigenēs “born on or after,” from -genes
(see -gen ).][1]



epigenesis

epigenesis
ep·i·gen·e·sis 
[èppi jénnəsiss] noun

1.  EMBRYOLOGY embryonic
development by gradual change: the theory that the
development of tissues and organs during embryonic development proceeds by
successive gradual change

2.  GEOLOGY change
in the mineral content of rock: change in the mineral
content or structure of a rock through external influences, such as the
injection of a vein of ore into existing rock
—ep·i·gen·e·sist,
noun

—ep·i·ge·net·ic
[èppəjə néttik], adjective

—ep·i·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[èppəjə néttikəlee], adverb

—e·pig·e·nist [i píjjənist], noun[1]



epigenous

epigenous
e·pig·e·nous 
[i píjjənəss] adjective

BOTANY
growing on organism:
growing on the upper surface of an organism[1]



epiglottis

epiglottis
ep·i·glot·tis 
[èppi glóttiss] (plural ep·i·glot·ti·ses
or ep·i·glot·tid·es [èppi glótti dz])
noun

flap
protecting air passages: a flap of cartilage situated
at the base of the tongue that covers the opening to the air passages when
swallowing, preventing food or liquids from entering the windpipe ( trachea )
[Early
16th century. From Greek epiglōttis, literally “on the tongue,” from glōtta
“tongue.”]
—ep·i·glot·tal,
adjective

—ep·i·glot·tic, adjective[1]



epigone

epigone
ep·i·gone 
[éppi gn] (plural ep·i·gones
[éppi gòn]) or ep·i·gon [éppi gn] (plural ep·i·gons) noun

mediocre
disciple:
a follower, especially of an important artist or philosopher, who is a mediocre
imitator (formal or literary)
[Mid-18th
century. Singular of epigones “epigones,” which came via French from,
ultimately, Greek epigonoi, plural of epigonos “offspring,”
literally “one born after,” from gignesthai “to be born.”]
—ep·i·gon·ic
[èppi gónnik], adjective

—ep·i·gon·ous
[i píggənəss], adjective

—ep·i·gon·ism [i píggə nìzzəm], noun[1]



epigram

epigram
ep·i·gram 
[éppi gràm] (plural ep·i·grams)
noun

1.  witty
saying:
a concise, witty, and often paradoxical remark or saying

2.  POETRY short
poem:
a short poem, often expressing a single idea, that is usually satirical and has
a witty ending

3.  witty
expression:
a written or spoken mode of expression that is witty or concise like an epigram
[15th
century. Directly or via French épigramme from Latin epigramma,
from Greek, literally “writing upon,” from graphein “to write.”]
—ep·i·gram·ma·tism
[èppi grámmə tìzzəm], noun

—ep·i·gram·ma·tist [èppi grámmətist], noun[1]



epigrammatic

epigrammatic
ep·i·gram·mat·ic 
[èppigrə máttik] or ep·i·gram·mat·i·cal
[èppigrə máttik’l] adjective

1.  like
an epigram:
containing or in the form of an epigram

2.  using
epigrams:
tending to use epigrams
—ep·i·gram·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



epigrammatize

epigrammatize
ep·i·gram·ma·tize 
[èppi grámmə tz] (past ep·i·gram·mat·ized,
past participle ep·i·gram·mat·ized, present participle ep·i·gram·mat·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ep·i·gram·mat·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

write short witty poem:
to create a short and witty poem or saying about something[1]



epigraph

epigraph
ep·i·graph 
[éppi gràf] (plural ep·i·graphs)
noun

1.  LITERATURE introductory
quotation:
a quotation at the beginning of a book, chapter, or section of a book, usually
related to its theme

2.  SCULPTURE ARCHITECTURE inscription
on a monument: an inscription on something, for
example, a statue or building
[Late
16th century. From Greek epigraphē, from epigraphein “to write
on,” from graphein “to write.”]
—ep·i·graph·ic
[èppi gráffik], adjective

—ep·i·graph·i·cal
[èppi gráffik’l], adjective

—ep·i·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



epigraphy

epigraphy
e·pig·ra·phy 
[i píggrəfee] noun

1.  inscriptions:
inscriptions or introductory quotations as a whole

2.  study
of inscriptions: the study and deciphering of ancient
inscriptions
—e·pig·ra·pher,
noun

—e·pig·ra·phist, noun[1]



epigynous

epigynous
e·pig·y·nous 
[i píjjənəss] adjective

BOTANY with
the ovary close to the flower: used to describe a
flower in which the sepals, petals, and stamens arise from the enlarged tip of
the flower axis ( receptacle ) above the
ovary
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin epigynus, from Greek gunē “woman”
(used to mean “pistil”).]
—e·pig·y·ny, noun[1]



epilation

epilation
ep·i·la·tion
[èppi láysh’n] noun

See
depilation
[Late 19th century. From
French épilation, from épiler “to remove hair,” from Latin pilus
“hair.”][1]



epilepsy

epilepsy
ep·i·lep·sy 
[éppi lèpsee] (plural ep·i·lep·sies)
noun

medical
disorder of the brain: a medical disorder involving
episodes of abnormal electrical discharge in the brain and characterized by
periodic sudden loss or impairment of consciousness, often accompanied by
convulsions
[Mid-16th century. Via French
épilepsie from, ultimately, Greek epilēpsia, literally “seizure,”
from epilambanein “to seize,” from lambanein “to grasp.”][1]



epileptic

epileptic
ep·i·lep·tic 
[èppi léptik] adjective

concerning
epilepsy:
relating to or affected by epilepsy
noun
(plural ep·i·lep·tics)

somebody
with epilepsy: somebody who has epilepsy (offensive)
[Early
17th century. Via French épileptique from, ultimately, Greek epilēptikos,
from epilēpsia (see epilepsy ).]
—ep·i·lep·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



epileptiform

epileptiform
ep·i·lep·ti·form
[èppi lépti fàwrm] adjective

like epilepsy:
resembling epilepsy[1]



epileptogenic

epileptogenic
ep·i·lep·to·gen·ic 
[èppi leptə jénnik] adjective

causing epileptic episode:
causing or able to cause an epileptic episode[1]



epileptoid

epileptoid
ep·i·lep·toid 
[èppi lép tòyd] adjective

1.  See
epileptiform

2.  showing
symptoms like epilepsy: showing symptoms similar to
those of epilepsy

[1]



epilimnion

epilimnion
ep·i·lim·ni·on 
[èppi límnee òn, èppi
límnee ən] (plural ep·il·im·ni·ons) noun

upper
water layer of a lake: the uppermost circulating
layer of warm water in a lake with different temperatures at different levels
in summer
[Early 20th century. Coined
from epi- + Greek limnion, literally
“small lake,” from limnē “lake.”][1]



epilogue

epilogue
ep·i·logue
[éppi lòg] or ep·i·log [éppi lòg] noun

1.  LITERATURE short
section at the end of a book: a short chapter or section
at the end of a literary work, sometimes detailing the fate of its characters

2.  THEATER concluding
speech:
a short speech, usually in verse, that an actor addresses directly to the
audience at the end of a play

3.  THEATER actor
giving a short speech: the actor who addresses a
short speech, usually in verse, directly to the audience at the end of a play
[15th century. Via French épilogue
from, ultimately, Greek epilogos, literally “additional speech,” from logos
“speech.”][1]



epimysium

epimysium
ep·i·mys·i·um 
[èppi mízee əm, èppi
mízhee əm] (plural ep·i·mys·i·a [èppi
mízee ə]) noun

covering
of tissue enclosing a muscle: the covering of connective
tissue surrounding a muscle
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek mus “muscle” (see muscle
).][1]



epinasty

epinasty
ep·i·nas·ty 
[éppi nàstee] (plural ep·i·nas·ties)
noun

downward
turning of a growing plant: the outward and downward
bending of a plant part resulting from different growth rates on the upper and
lower sides
[Late
19th century. Coined from epi- + Greek nastos
“pressed together.”]
—ep·i·nas·tic [èppi nástik], adjective[1]



epinephrine

epinephrine
ep·i·neph·rine 
[èppi néffrin] or ep·i·neph·rin
[èppi néffrin] noun

1.  adrenaline:
the hormone adrenaline (technical)

2.  synthetic
adrenaline:
a synthetic form of adrenaline that relaxes the airways and constricts blood
vessels, used to treat asthma and to reduce blood loss. C9H13NO3 
U.K.
term
adrenaline
[Late 19th century. Coined
from epi- + -ine
+ Greek nephros “kidney.”][1]



epineurium

epineurium
ep·i·neu·ri·um 
[èppi nree əm] (plural ep·i·neu·ri·a
[èppi nree ə]) noun

tissue
around a nerve: a sheath of connective tissue around a
nerve
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek neuron “nerve.”]
—ep·i·neu·ri·al, adjective[1]



epipelagic

epipelagic
ep·i·pe·lag·ic 
[èppipə lájjik] adjective

of the upper ocean layer:
relating to or living in the upper zone of the ocean, from the surface to a
depth of about 200 m[1]



Epiph.

Epiph.
Epiph.

Abbreviation of
Epiphany[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








epiphany

epiphany
e·piph·a·ny 
[i píffənee] (plural e·piph·a·nies)
noun

1.  appearance
of a god:
the manifestation of a divine being

2.  sudden
realization: a sudden intuitive leap of
understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence • It
came to him in an epiphany what his life’s work was to be.
[17th
century. Via French épiphanie from, ultimately, Greek epiphaneia
“manifestation,” from epiphanein “to manifest,” from phanein “to
show.”]
—ep·i·phan·ic
[èppi fánnik], adjective

—e·piph·a·nous [i píffənəss], adjective[1]



Epiphany

Epiphany
E·piph·a·ny 
noun

CHRISTIANITY
Christian festival celebrating Jesus
Christ’s divinity: a Christian
festival observed on January 6, celebrating the divine manifestation of Jesus
Christ through the Three Wise Men’s visit, or, in the Eastern Orthodox Church,
the baptism of Jesus Christ[1]



epiphenomenalism

epiphenomenalism
ep·i·phe·nom·e·nal·ism 
[èppifə nómmən’l ìzzəm] noun

consciousness
viewed as an aftereffect of physical processes: the
view that consciousness is merely an aftereffect of physical processes in the
brain and nervous system
—ep·i·phe·nom·e·nal·ist,
noun[1]



epiphenomenon

epiphenomenon
ep·i·phe·nom·e·non 
[èppifə nómmə nòn] (plural ep·i·phe·nom·en·a
[èppifə nómmənə]) noun

1.  secondary
phenomenon:
a secondary phenomenon resulting from another

2.  MEDICINE additional
symptom:
a secondary incidental condition or symptom that appears during the course of
an illness
—ep·i·phe·nom·e·nal,
adjective

—ep·i·phe·nom·e·nal·ly,
adverb[1]



epiphysis

epiphysis
e·piph·y·sis 
[i píffississ] (plural e·piph·y·ses
[i píffi sz]) noun

1.  end
of a long bone: the end of a long bone that fuses with
the shaft of the bone at the point where it was previously separated by
cartilage. This is to allow bone growth during development. Once the epiphyses
fuse, no further growth of long bones is possible.

2.  pineal
gland:
a pineal gland (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek epiphusis, literally “growing on,”
from phusis “growth.”]
—ep·i·phys·e·al [èppi fízzee əl], adjective[1]



epiphyte

epiphyte
ep·i·phyte 
[éppi ft] (plural ep·i·phytes)
noun

plant
that grows on another: a plant that grows on top of
or is supported by another plant but does not depend on it for nutrition.
Mosses, tropical orchids, and many ferns are epiphytes.
Also
called
aerophyte
See
also
air plant
—ep·i·phyt·ic
[èppi fíttik], adjective

—ep·i·phyt·i·cal·ly [èppi fíttikəlee], adverb[1]



epiphytotic

epiphytotic
ep·i·phy·tot·ic 
[èppi fī tóttik] adjective

relating
to epidemic of plant disease: used to describe an outbreak
of disease that rapidly affects many plants in a given area
noun

sudden plant disease
outbreak: a plant disease that
suddenly and rapidly affects many plants in a given area[1]



Epis.

Epis.
Epis.

1.  Epis.
or Episc. CHRISTIANITY
Abbreviation of Episcopal

2.  Epis.
or Episc. CHRISTIANITY
Abbreviation of Episcopalian

3.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Epistle

[1]



episcia

episcia
e·pi·sci·a 
[i píshə, i
píshee ə] (plural e·pi·sci·as) noun

tropical
plant with showy flowers: a tropical American plant
with showy flowers and hairy leaves that is related to African violets. Genus: Episcia
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek episkios “shaded,” literally “with shadow on,” from skia
“shadow.”][1]



episcopacy

episcopacy
e·pis·co·pa·cy 
[i pískəpəsee] (plural e·pis·co·pa·cies)
noun

1.  church
government by bishops: church government by
bishops, as in the Roman Catholic, Eastern and Episcopal Churches

2.  See
episcopate  noun 3
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from ecclesiastical Latin episcopatus (see episcopate
), modeled on prelacy .][1]



episcopal

episcopal
e·pis·co·pal 
[i pískəpəl] adjective

1.  of
bishops:
relating to a bishop or bishops

2.  governed
by bishops:
involving or recognizing church government by bishops
[15th
century. From French épiscopal or ecclesiastical Latin episcopalis,
from episcopus (see bishop ).]
—e·pis·co·pal·ly, adverb[1]



Episcopal

Episcopal
E·pis·co·pal
adjective

relating to the Episcopal
Church: relating to or being the
Protestant Episcopal Church[1]



EpiscopalChurch

EpiscopalChurch
E·pis·co·pal
Church
noun

independent branch of
Anglican Church: an independent branch
of the Anglican Church in North America and Scotland[1]



Episcopalian

Episcopalian
E·pis·co·pa·lian 
adjective

belonging
to the Episcopal Church: relating to or belonging to
the Episcopal Church
noun
(plural E·pis·co·pa·lians)

member
of the Episcopal Church: a member of the Episcopal
Church of North America or Scotland
—E·pis·co·pal·ian·ism,
noun[1]



episcopalian

episcopalian
e·pis·co·pa·lian
[i pìskə páylee ən] adjective

believing
in church government by bishops: adhering to or
practicing church government by bishops
noun
(plural e·pis·co·pa·lians)

believer
in government by bishops: a supporter of church
government by bishops
—e·pis·co·pa·lian·ism,
noun[1]



episcopalism

episcopalism
e·pis·co·pal·ism
[i pískəpə lìzzəm] noun

belief in church government
by bishops: the belief that authority in
a church government should lie in a group of bishops[1]



episcopate

episcopate
e·pis·co·pate 
[i pískəpət, i
pískə pàyt] (plural e·pis·co·pates) noun

1.  office
or position of bishop: the office, position, or
term of office of a bishop

2.  diocese:
a bishop’s diocese or jurisdiction

3.  bishops:
bishops as a group.
Also
called
episcopacy
[Mid-17th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin episcopatus, from episcopus (see bishop ).][1]



episcope

episcope
e·pis·cope
[éppi skp] (plural e·pis·copes)
noun

enlarging projector:
a device for projecting an enlarged image of an opaque object such as a printed
page or a photograph onto a screen using reflected light.
Also called
epidiascope[1]



episiotomy

episiotomy
e·pi·si·ot·o·my 
[i pzee óttəmee] (plural e·pi·si·ot·o·mies)
noun

vaginal
incision to aid childbirth: an incision sometimes made
to enlarge the vaginal opening in the late stages of labor to prevent tearing
and facilitate the birth
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek epision “pubic region” + -tomy
.][1]



episode

episode
ep·i·sode 
[éppi sd] (plural ep·i·sodes)
noun

1.  significant
incident:
an event that is a part of but distinct from a greater whole and that often has
some kind of significance • Let’s
try to put this unfortunate episode behind us, OK ?

2.  LITERATURE TV RADIO
part
of serialized work: a part of a serialized work
that is published or broadcast separately • Find
out what happens in next week’s thrilling episode.

3.  LITERATURE event
in a narrative: an incident, description, or series of
events in a narrative that is part of the whole but may digress from the main
plot • The
episode in the library reveals a lot about the main character.

4.  MEDICINE an occurrence of a
particular illness or symptom of an illness, usually one of a connected series,
often repeated over a period of time • episodes
of breathlessness and chest pain

5.  THEATER section
of Greek tragedy: a section of an ancient Greek tragedy between
two choruses

6.  MUSIC digressive
musical passage: a digressive passage between two musical
themes, for example, in a rondo or fugue
[Late 17th century. From
Greek epeisodion “addition,” a form of epeisodios “coming in
besides,” from eisodos “coming in,” from hodos “road.”][1]



episodic

episodic
ep·i·sod·ic 
[èppi sóddik] or ep·i·sod·i·cal
[èppi sóddik’l] adjective

1.  of
an episode:
in the form of an episode, or resembling an episode in nature

2.  divided
into episodes: divided into or composed of closely
connected but independent sections

3.  sporadic:
happening at irregular intervals • episodic
pain in the lower back

4.  temporary:
of a limited duration • episodic
wind squalls
—ep·i·sod·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



episome

episome
ep·i·some 
[éppi sm] (plural ep·i·somes)
noun

independent
genetic element: a genetic unit that can multiply
independently in host cells or when integrated with a chromosome. Bacterial
plasmids are examples of episomes.
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from epi- + Greek sōma
“body.”]
—ep·i·so·mal
[èppi sṓm’l], adjective

—ep·i·so·mal·ly, adverb[1]



Epist.

Epist.
Epist.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Epistle[1]



epistasis

epistasis
e·pis·ta·sis 
[i pístəsiss] (plural e·pis·ta·ses
[i pístə sz]) noun

suppression
of a characteristic determined by a gene: the
nonappearance of a characteristic determined by one gene because it has been
suppressed or masked by the activity of another gene
[Early
19th century. From Greek, literally “stoppage,” from ephistanai “to
stop,” literally “to put on,” from histanai “to put.”]
—ep·i·stat·ic [èppi státtik], adjective[1]



epistaxis

epistaxis
ep·i·stax·is 
[èppi stáksiss] (plural ep·i·sta·xes
[èppi sták sz]) noun

nosebleed:
a bleeding from the nose (technical)
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, where it was formed from epistazein, literally
“to drip at (the nose),” from stazein “to drip.”][1]



epistemic

epistemic
ep·i·ste·mic 
[èppi stmik, èppi
stémmik] adjective

about
knowledge:
involving or relating to knowledge (formal)
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek epistēmē “knowledge,” from epistasthai
“to know,” literally “to stand over,” from histasthai “to stand.”]
—ep·i·ste·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



epistemics

epistemics
ep·i·ste·mics
[èppi stmiks, èppi
stémmiks] noun

U.K.
interdisciplinary study of knowledge:
the use of logic, philosophy, psychology, and linguistics to study knowledge
and how it is processed by humans (takes a singular verb)[1]



epistemology

epistemology
e·pis·te·mol·o·gy 
[i pìstə mólləjee] noun

theory
of knowledge: the branch of philosophy that studies
the nature of knowledge, in particular its foundations, scope, and validity
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek epistēmē (see epistemic
) + -ology .]
—e·pis·te·mo·log·i·cal
[i pìstəmə lójjik’l], adjective

—e·pis·te·mo·log·i·cal·ly
[i pìstəmə lójjikəlee], adverb

—e·pis·te·mol·o·gist [i pìstə mólləjist], noun[1]



Epistle

Epistle
E·pis·tle
noun

1.  BIBLE letter
from the apostle Paul or others: any of the letters
written by the apostle Paul or other early Christian writers and included as
books of the Bible

2.  CHRISTIANITY excerpt
from Epistle: an excerpt from one of the Epistles read
as part of the service in a Christian church

[1]



epistle

epistle
e·pis·tle 
[i píss’l] (plural e·pis·tles)
noun

1.  letter:
a long formal letter that often serves to instruct (formal)

2.  LITERATURE book
in letter form: a literary work in the form of a letter
[12th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin epistola, from Greek epistolē,
literally “something sent,” from stellein “to send.”][1]



epistleside

epistleside
e·pis·tle
side
(plural e·pis·tle sides) or E·pis·tle Side (plural
E·pis·tle Sides) noun

right
side of Christian church: the right side of a
Christian church, as you face the altar
[So called because it is the
side from which an extract from one of the Epistles is traditionally read as
part of the Communion service][1]



epistolary

epistolary
e·pis·to·lar·y 
[i pístə lèrree] or e·pis·to·la·to·ry
[i pístələ tàwree] adjective

1.  associated
with correspondence by letter: associated with,
conducted by, or suitable for letters (formal)

2.  LITERATURE in
the form of a letter or letters: taking the form of a
letter or a series of letters
[Mid-17th century. Epistolary
directly or via French épistolaire from Latin epistolaris, from epistola
(see epistle ).][1]



epistrophe

epistrophe
e·pis·tro·phe 
[i pístrəfee] noun

repetition
for rhetorical effect: repetition of a word,
phrase, or other expression at the end of consecutive clauses or sentences for
rhetorical effect, as occurs in the expression “of the people, by the people,
for the people”
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, from epistrephein “to turn around,” from strephein “to
turn.”][1]



epistyle

epistyle
ep·i·style 
[éppi stl] (plural ep·i·styles)
noun

ARCHITECTURE See architrave
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French épistyle from Latin epistylium, from Greek epistulion,
literally “on a column,” from stulos “column.”][1]



epitaph

epitaph
ep·i·taph 
[éppi tàf] (plural ep·i·taphs)
noun LITERATURE

1.  inscription
on a tombstone: an inscription on a tombstone or
monument commemorating the person buried there

2.  speech
or writing commemorating a dead person: a
short speech or piece of writing celebrating the life of a recently deceased
person
[14th century. Via French épitaphe
from, ultimately, Greek epitaphion “something above a tomb or burial,”
from taphos “funeral ceremonies, tomb.”][1]



epitasis

epitasis
e·pit·a·sis 
[i píttəsiss] (plural e·pit·a·ses
[i píttə sz]) noun

middle
part of a play: in classical drama, the middle part of a
play that develops the main action
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, where it was formed from epiteinein “to
intensify, stretch upon,” from teinein “to stretch.”][1]



epitaxy

epitaxy
ep·i·tax·y 
[éppi tàksee] noun

growth
of a crystal layer on crystal: growth of a layer of
crystal on a single crystal of another substance
[Mid-20th
century. From French épitaxie, literally “growth on,” from Greek taxis
“growth.”]
—ep·i·tax·i·al [èppi táksee əl], adjective[1]



epithalamium

epithalamium
ep·i·tha·la·mi·um 
[èppithə láymee əm] (plural ep·i·tha·la·mi·a
[èppithə láymee ə]) or ep·i·tha·la·mi·on
[èppithə láymee ən, èppithə
láymee òn] (plural ep·i·tha·la·mi·a) noun

poem
celebrating a wedding: a poem or song written or
performed in celebration of a wedding
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Greek epithalamion, literally “(song
sung) at the bridal chamber,” a form of epithalamios, literally “at the
bridal chamber,” from thalamos “bridal chamber.”]
—ep·i·tha·la·mic [èppithə lámmik], adjective[1]



epithelia

epithelia
ep·i·the·li·a


Plural of
epithelium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








epithelial

epithelial
ep·i·the·li·al
[èppi thlee əl] adjective

forming a protective layer of
surface tissue: used to describe tissue
that forms a thin protective layer on exposed bodily surfaces and forms the
lining of internal cavities, ducts, and organs[1]



epithelialization

epithelialization
ep·i·the·li·al·i·za·tion
[èppi theelee əli záysh’n] noun

process of wound healing:
the covering of a surface by the development of epithelial tissue, as in the
healing of a wound[1]



epithelialize

epithelialize
ep·i·the·li·al·ize 
[èppi thlee ə lz] (past ep·i·the·li·al·ized,
past participle ep·i·the·li·al·ized, present participle ep·i·the·li·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ep·i·the·li·al·iz·es) or ep·i·thel·ize
[èppi th lz] (past ep·i·thel·ized,
past participle ep·i·thel·ized, present participle ep·i·thel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ep·i·thel·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

cover with tissue in wound
healing: to become or cause to become
covered with epithelial tissue, as in the healing of a wound[1]



epithelium

epithelium
ep·i·the·li·um 
[èppi thlee əm] (plural ep·i·the·li·a
[èppi thlee ə] or ep·i·the·li·ums)
noun

thin
protective layer of tissue: a thin layer of tightly
packed cells lining internal cavities, ducts, and organs of animals and
covering exposed bodily surfaces, especially in healing wounds
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, where it was formed from Greek thēlē “teat, nipple”; from
its originally being applied to tissue with a nipple-like surface.][1]



epithelize

epithelize
ep·i·the·lize 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
epithelialize
—ep·i·the·li·za·tion [èppi theeli záysh’n], noun[1]



epithermal

epithermal
ep·i·ther·mal
[èppi thúrm’l] adjective

formed within the Earth’s
crust: used to describe veins of
gold or silver originally formed deep within the Earth’s crust from ascending
hot solutions[1]



epithet

epithet
ep·i·thet 
[éppi thèt] (plural ep·i·thets)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE offensive
term:
an abusive insulting word or phrase

2.  LINGUISTICS descriptive
word added to somebody’s name: a descriptive word or
phrase added to or substituted for the name of a person or thing, highlighting
a characteristic feature or quality • easy
to see how she earned herself the epithet “The All-Knowing”

3.  BIOLOGY part
of a taxonomic name: in biological classification,
the specific name that follows the generic name, for example, “sapiens” in
“Homo sapiens”
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French épithète from Latin epitheton
“something added,” from Greek epitheto, past participle of epitithenai
“to put on,” from tithenai “to place.”]
—ep·i·thet·ic
[èppi théttik], adjective

—ep·i·thet·i·cal [èppi théttik’l], adjective[1]



epitome

epitome
e·pit·o·me 
[i píttəmee] (plural e·pit·o·mes)
noun

1.  typical
example:
a highly representative example of a type, class, or characteristic • Isn’t
she just the epitome of elegance?

2.  LITERATURE summary
of a written work: a brief summary of a piece
of written work (formal)
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek, from epitemnein “to cut short,” from temnein
“to cut.”][1]



epitomize

epitomize
e·pit·o·mize 
[i píttə mz] (past e·pit·om·ized,
past participle e·pit·om·ized, present participle e·pit·om·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·pit·om·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  exemplify:
to be a highly representative example of something • This
incident epitomizes all that is wrong with modern society.

2.  LITERATURE summarize:
to write a brief summary of a piece of writing (formal)
—e·pit·o·mi·za·tion
[i pìttəmi záysh’n], noun

—e·pit·o·mist [i píttəmist], noun[1]



epizoic

epizoic
ep·i·zo·ic 
[èppi zṓ ik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY living
on the exterior of animal: used to describe a
nonparasitic animal or plant that lives on the external surface of a living
animal

2.  BOTANY dispersed
by animals:
used to describe plants whose seeds or spores are dispersed by being attached
to the coats of animals
—ep·i·zo·ism, noun[1]



epizoon

epizoon
ep·i·zo·on 
[èppi zṓ òn] (plural ep·i·zo·a
[èppi zṓ ə]) or ep·i·zo·ite [èppi zṓ t] (plural ep·i·zo·ites) noun

organism
living on exterior of animal: an organism that lives on
the external surface of a living animal
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “on an animal,” from Greek zōion
“animal.”]
—ep·i·zo·an, adjective[1]



epizootic

epizootic
ep·i·zo·ot·ic 
[èppi zō óttik] adjective

relating
to an epidemic of animal disease: used to describe an
outbreak of disease that rapidly affects many animals in a given area at the
same time
noun
(plural ep·i·zo·ot·ics)

disease
simultaneously affecting many animals: a
disease that rapidly affects a large number of animals in a given area at the
same time
[Late
18th century. From French épizootique, literally “at animals,”
ultimately from Greek zōion “animal.”]
—ep·i·zo·ot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



epluribus unum

epluribus unum
e
plu·ri·bus u·num  [i plri
booss nəm, i plribəss ynəm]

motto
of the United States: one out of many (used as
the motto of the United States)
[Latin][1]



EPNS

EPNS
EPNS

Abbreviation of
electroplated nickel silver[1]



epoch

epoch
ep·och 
[éppək,  pòk]
(plural ep·ochs) noun

1.  HISTORY TIME significant period:
a significant period in history or in somebody’s life • The
invention of the telephone marked an epoch in the development of international
communication.

2.  start
of a historically significant period: the
beginning of a long period of history considered particularly significant • His
accession to the throne marked the beginning of a new epoch.

3.  GEOLOGY unit
of geologic time: a unit of geologic time that is a
division of a period and is characterized by rock formation • the
Holocene and Pleistocene epochs of the Quaternary period

4.  ASTRONOMY moment
in time as a reference point: a precise moment in time
arbitrarily chosen as a reference point for defining the position of celestial
bodies
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin epocha from Greek epokhē “pause (in time),”
literally “holding back,” from, ultimately, ekhein “to hold.”][1]



epochal

epochal
ep·och·al 
[éppək’l, é
pòk’l] adjective

1.  very
significant: highly significant or momentous • Her
resignation had an epochal impact on the company.

2.  characteristic
of an epoch: characteristic of or relating to a long
period of history considered particularly significant (formal)

[1]



epoch-making

epoch-making
ep·och-mak·ing 
adjective

very significant:
having great importance or momentous significance • Galileo’s
epoch-making discoveries[1]



epode

epode
ep·ode 
[é pd] (plural ep·odes) noun

1.  THEATER part
of a lyric ode: the part of a lyric ode in classical
Greek drama that follows the strophe and the antistrophe

2.  POETRY type
of lyric ode: a type of lyric ode characterized by
couplets made up of a long line followed by a shorter one
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French épode from Latin epodos, from Greek epōidos
“sung after,” from ōidē “song.”][1]



eponym

eponym
ep·o·nym 
[éppə nìm] (plural ep·o·nyms) noun

1.  person
for whom something is named: the name of a person or
mythical character from which another name or term is derived

2.  MEDICINE medical
name from a person: a medical name, for example,
of a disease, coming from the name of a person

3.  LANGUAGE name
derived from a person: a name derived from the name
of a person or mythical character. For example, “Rome” is an eponym coming from
“Romulus.”
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek epōnumos “given as a name,” literally “name on,”
from onuma “name.”]
—ep·o·nym·ic [èppə nímmik], adjective[1]



eponymous

eponymous
e·pon·y·mous 
[i pónnəməss] adjective

giving
a name to something: having the name that is used
as the title or name of something else, especially the title of a book, play,
or film • the
eponymous hero
—e·pon·y·mous·ly, adverb[1]



EPOS

EPOS
EPOS 
[ pòss]

Abbreviation of
electronic point of sale[1]



epoxide

epoxide
ep·ox·ide 
[e pók sd, i
pók sd] (plural ep·ox·ides) noun

chemical
compound of oxygen and carbon: a chemical compound
containing a three-membered ring consisting of an oxygen atom bonded to each of
two carbon atoms
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from epi- + oxide
.][1]



epoxy

epoxy
ep·ox·y 
[e póksee, i
póksee] adjective

relating
to epoxide:
relating to an epoxide or epoxy resin
noun
(plural ep·ox·ies)

See
epoxy resin
transitive
verb
(past ep·ox·ied, past participle ep·ox·ied, present
participle ep·ox·y·ing, 3rd person present singular ep·ox·ies)

stick
with epoxy resin: to stick one thing to another using
epoxy resin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from epi- + oxy-
.][1]



epoxyresin

epoxyresin
ep·ox·y
res·in
(plural ep·ox·y res·ins) or ep·ox·ide res·in (plural
ep·ox·ide res·ins) noun

tough synthetic resin:
a tough synthetic resin that sets after the application of heat or pressure,
contains epoxy groups, and is used in adhesives and surface coatings.
Also called
epoxy[1]



EPROM

EPROM
EPROM 
[ pròm] (plural EPROMs) noun

reprogrammable integrated
circuit: an integrated circuit that
can be programmed by a manufacturer and subsequently erased and reprogrammed by
a user to correct an error in the original program or to add a function. Full
form erasable-programmable read-only memory[1]



eps

eps
eps

Abbreviation of
earnings per share[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








epsilon

epsilon
ep·si·lon 
[épsilòn, épsilən]
(plural ep·si·lons) noun

5th
letter of Greek alphabet: the fifth letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “e”
[Early 18th century. From
Greek e psilon “short e” (literally “bare e”).][1]



Epsom

Epsom
Ep·som
[épsəm]

town in Surrey, southeastern
England. There is a racecourse on Epsom Downs, where the Derby horse race is
run. Population: 69,200 (1995)[1]



Epsomsalts

Epsomsalts
Ep·som
salts
noun

bitter-tasting
medicine:
a bitter-tasting medicinal preparation of hydrated magnesium sulfate formerly
widely used as a purgative or to help reduce swelling. MgSO4.7H2O (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-18th century. Named for Epsom, southern England: the salts were originally
obtained from the water of a mineral spring there.][1]



Epstein-Barrvirus

Epstein-Barrvirus
Ep·stein-Barr
vi·rus 
[èpstīn baar vrəss] (plural Ep·stein-Barr
vi·rus·es) noun

herpes
virus:
a virus believed to cause infectious mononucleosis and associated with
Burkitt’s lymphoma and some carcinomas.
Also
called
EB virus
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the British virologists M.A. Epstein (born 1921) and Y.M. Barr
(born 1932), who discovered it.][1]



Epstein,Jacob

Epstein,Jacob

Ep·stein 
[ép stn], Sir Jacob (1880–1959)
U.S.-born British sculptor. His massively
powerful, usually nude figures, including Genesis ( 1930 ), caused an
uproar. His later portrait bronzes and monumental works were more immediately
popular and less controversial.[1]



E.Q.

E.Q.
E.Q.
noun

educational measurement:
the ratio of educational attainment to chronological age. Full form
educational quotient[1]



eq.

eq.
eq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
equal

2.  Abbreviation
of
equation

3.  Abbreviation
of
equivalent

[1]



equable

equable
eq·ua·ble 
[ékwəb’l, kwəb’l]
adjective

1.  calm:
calm and not easily disturbed • She
maintained the most equable of temperaments despite her financial problems.

2.  not
extreme:
free from variation and marked extremes
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin aequabilis, from aequare (see equate ).]
—eq·ua·bil·i·ty
[èkwə bíllətee, kwə
bíllətee], noun

—eq·ua·ble·ness
[ékwəb’lnəss, kwəb’lnəss],
noun

—eq·ua·bly [ékwəblee, kwəblee],
adverb[1]



equal

equal
e·qual 
[kwəl] adjective

1.  identical:
identical in size, quantity, value, or standard • equal
quantities of flour and sugar

2.  with
the same rights: having the same privileges, rights,
status, and opportunities as others • with
all citizens equal under the law

3.  with
an even balance: evenly balanced between opposing sides • hoping
for a more equal match in the second game

4.  equipped
with the necessary qualities: equipped with the necessary
qualities or means to accomplish something (formal) • didn’t
think he would be equal to the task

5.  treating
impartially: treating or affecting all things
impartially • marked
all the students’ papers with an equal pen

6.  equivalent:
having the same effect, value, or meaning as another
noun
(plural e·quals)

somebody or something equal:
somebody or something equal in quality to another • The
computers are equals in speed and this one costs less.
verb
(past e·qualed, past participle e·qualed, present
participle e·qual·ing, 3rd person present singular e·quals)

1.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS have
same value as: to be equal to, usually in value • Two
plus two equals four.

2.  transitive
verb
do
something equal to something else: to do, produce, or
achieve something to the same standard or of the same value as something else • And
with that jump, she has equaled the world record.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
equal:
to become identical or the same • It
will all equal out in the end.
[14th
century. From Latin aequalis, from aequus (see equate ).]
first
among equals

the most powerful or
influential person in a group whose members are supposed to have equal status[1]



equal-area

equal-area
e·qual-ar·e·a
adjective

showing equal areas as equal:
on a map projection, accurately representing the relative sizes of regions that
are of equal area, although distorting shape and direction[1]



equalitarian

equalitarian
e·qual·i·tar·i·an 
[i kwòlli táiree ən] noun (plural
equal·i·tar·i·ans) adjective

See
egalitarian
—e·qual·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



equality

equality
e·qual·i·ty 
[i kwóllitee, ee
kwóllitee] (plural e·qual·i·ties) noun

1.  state
of being equal: rights, treatment, quantity, or value
equal to all others in a given group • full
equality under the law

2.  MATHEMATICS equation
with equal quantities: an equation in which the
quantities on either side of an equal sign are the same

[1]



EqualityState

EqualityState
E·qual·i·ty
State
noun

Wyoming:
the state of Wyoming (informal)[1]



equalize

equalize
e·qual·ize 
[kwə lz] (past e·qual·ized, past
participle e·qual·ized, present participle e·qual·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·qual·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
equal:
to make things uniform or equal • You
must equalize the liquid levels in each bottle.

2.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING adjust
an electronic signal: to adjust the amplitude of
an electronic signal

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. SPORTS achieve
same score:
to score a point or goal that brings a score level with that of an opponent • They
equalized just before halftime.
—e·qual·i·za·tion [kwəli záysh’n], noun[1]



equalizer

equalizer
e·qual·iz·er 
[kwə lzər] (plural e·qual·iz·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that equalizes: somebody or something that
makes things uniform or equal

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
sound adjuster: an electronic device used to reduce
distortion in a sound system by internally adjusting the system’s response to
different audio frequencies

3.  U.K.
SPORTS goal
or point that levels scores: a goal or point that brings
a person or team’s score level with that of an opponent

4.  ARMS weapon:
a dangerous weapon, for example, a knife or gun (slang)

[1]



equally

equally
e·qual·ly
[kwəlee] adverb

1.  in
same way:
in an identical or uniform way • treat
people equally

2.  to
same extent: to the same degree or extent • This
issue is equally important.

3.  in
same sized amounts: in parts or amounts of the
same size • Divide
it equally between four people.

4.  at
the same time: used to introduce a second statement
that is of equal importance to the first but may contrast or balance it • I
want the business to succeed, but equally, I don’t want to be working all the
time.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  equally
  or as
  You
  can say • She
  is a brilliant pianist, and her brother is equally talented
  or • She
  is a brilliant pianist, and her brother is as talented,
  but not • She
  is a brilliant pianist, and her brother is equally as talented.

[1]



equalopportunity

equalopportunity
e·qual
op·por·tu·ni·ty noun

equal treatment for all:
the availability of the same rights, position, and status to all people,
regardless of gender, sexual preference, age, race, ethnicity, or religion • the
implementation of a more comprehensive equal opportunity policy[1]



equalsign

equalsign
e·qual
sign
(plural e·qual signs) noun

mathematical symbol showing
equality: a mathematical symbol (=)
used to indicate that two or more numbers, symbols, or terms have the same
value as each other[1]



equaltemperament

equaltemperament
e·qual
tem·per·a·ment noun

MUSIC
division of an octave into 12 steps:
the division of a musical octave into 12 equal half steps in the tuning of an
instrument[1]



equaltime

equaltime
e·qual
time
noun

equal broadcasting time:
a broadcasting policy that gives opposing political candidates equal air time
for radio and television campaigning[1]



equanimity

equanimity
e·qua·nim·i·ty 
[kwə nímmitee, èkwə
nímmitee] noun

calm
temperament: evenness of temper even under stress (formal)
• faced
his critical constituents with equanimity
[Early
17th century. From Latin aequanimitas, from aequus “even” (see equate ) + animus “mind” (source of English
magnanimous ).]
—e·quan·i·mous [i kwnəməss], adjective[1]



equate

equate
e·quate 
[i kwáyt] (past e·quat·ed, past
participle e·quat·ed, present participle e·quat·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·quates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
consider
as equivalent: to treat, show, or consider something as
equivalent to something else • equating
money with happiness

2.  transitive
verb
reduce
something to the same level: to reduce something to the
same level or value as something else

3.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS form
an equation: to form an equation involving an
equality

4.  intransitive
verb
appear
to be equal: to be or appear to be the same (formal)
• Their
two accounts of the incident seem to equate.
[15th
century. From Latin aequat-, the past participle stem of aequare
“to make equal,” from aequus “equal, even” (source of English egalitarian, adequate,
and iniquity ).]
—e·qua·ta·bil·i·ty
[i kwàytə bíllətee], noun

—e·qua·ta·ble [i kwáytəb’l], adjective[1]



equation

equation
e·qua·tion 
[i kwáyzh’n, i
kwáysh’n] (plural e·qua·tions) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS statement
of equality: a mathematical statement that two
expressions, usually divided by an equal sign, are of the same value

2.  act
of regarding as equal: the act or process of making
things equal or considering them to be equal

3.  state
of being equal: the state of being the same or
equivalent • bring
the balance of power into equation

4.  situation
involving many variable factors: a situation that has
two or more variable elements to be considered • The
selling option just does not enter into the equation.

5.  CHEMISTRY representation
of a chemical reaction: a written representation of
the reactants and products in a chemical reaction
—e·qua·tion·al,
adjective

—e·qua·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



equationof state

equationof state
e·qua·tion
of state
(plural e·qua·tions of state) noun

CHEMISTRY
equation of pressure, temperature, and
volume: an equation that states the
relationship between the pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas or liquid[1]



equationof time

equationof time
e·qua·tion
of time
noun

difference between apparent
and mean time: the difference between
apparent solar time and mean solar time, usually expressed as a correction to
the apparent time, and varying in a complex annual pattern between maxima of
about fifteen minutes in February and November[1]



equator

equator
e·qua·tor 
[i kwáytər] (plural e·qua·tors)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY imaginary
circle around Earth: the imaginary great circle
around the Earth that is the same distance from the North and South Poles and
divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres

2.  ASTRONOMY imaginary
circle around a celestial body: the imaginary great
circle around a celestial body that is everywhere the same distance from the
poles

3.  GEOMETRY circle
dividing a sphere into two: a circle that divides a
sphere or other surface into two equal parts

4.  ASTRONOMY See celestial equator
[14th century. Directly or
via French équator from medieval Latin aequator, in the phrase aequator
diei et noctis “equalizer of day and night,” from aequare (see equate ).][1]



equatorial

equatorial
e·qua·to·ri·al 
[kwə táwree əl, èkwə
táwree əl] (plural e·qua·to·ri·als) adjective

1.  of
equator:
relating to or present near the equator

2.  in
equator’s plane: situated in the plane of an equator
—e·qua·to·ri·al·ly [kwə táwree əlee], adverb[1]



equatorialcurrent

equatorialcurrent
e·qua·to·ri·al
cur·rent
(plural e·qua·to·ri·al cur·rents) noun

westerly current at the
equator: a current that moves in a
westerly direction near the surface of an ocean at the equator[1]



EquatorialGuinea




Back to definition

EquatorialGuinea

[1]



EquatorialGuinea

EquatorialGuinea



E·qua·to·ri·al Guin·ea
[kwə táwree əl ]
independent republic in western Africa
comprising a mainland section, Mbini, and several islands. Language: Spanish.
Currency: CFA franc. Capital: Malabo. Population: 442,516 (1997) Area: 28,051
sq km/10,831 sq mi. Official name Republic of Equatorial Guinea[1]



equatorialplate

equatorialplate
e·qua·to·ri·al
plate
(plural e·qua·to·ri·al plates) noun

plane in a dividing cell:
the plane midway between the poles of the spindle of a dividing cell, where
chromosomes are aligned[1]



equatorialtelescope

equatorialtelescope
e·qua·to·ri·al
tel·e·scope
(plural e·qua·to·ri·al tel·e·scopes) noun

astronomical telescope:
an astronomical telescope mounted so that it allows a celestial body to be kept
in view without adjustment as the Earth rotates. This is accomplished by
mounting it on two axes at right angles to each other, the one about which it
rotates being parallel to the Earth’s axis.[1]



equerry

equerry
eq·uer·ry 
[ékwəree] (plural eq·uer·ries)
noun

1.  MILITARY personal
attendant of British sovereign: an officer who is the
personal attendant of the British monarch or a member of the royal family

2.  MILITARY EQUESTRIAN officer responsible for royal
horses:
in the past, an officer in an aristocratic or royal household who was
responsible for the supervision of the horses
[Early 16th century. Via
obsolete French escurie (source of French écurie “stable”) from
Old French esquierie “company of squires, prince’s stables,” from esquier
“squire” (see esquire ), perhaps influenced
by Latin equus “horse.”][1]



equestrian

equestrian
e·ques·tri·an 
[i kwéstree ən] adjective

1.  of
horses:
relating to horses or horseback riding

2.  depicting
somebody on horseback: depicting somebody mounted
on a horse • an
equestrian statue

3.  of
mounted soldiers: composed of soldiers on horseback
noun
(plural e·ques·tri·ans)

skilled rider:
somebody who is skilled at riding horses or performing on horseback
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin equester “belonging to a horseman,” from eques
“horseman, knight,” from equus “horse.”]
—e·ques·tri·an·ism, noun[1]



equestrienne

equestrienne
e·ques·tri·enne 
[i kwèstree én] (plural e·ques·tri·ennes)
noun

woman
skilled at riding horses: a woman who is skilled at
riding horses or performing on horseback
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from equestrian on the model of French
feminine nouns ending in -enne .][1]



equi-

equi-
equi-
prefix

equal
• equimolar
[From Latin aequus
(source of English equal )][1]



equiangular

equiangular
e·qui·an·gu·lar 
[kwee áng gyələr, èkwee
áng gyələr] adjective

with
equal angles: used to describe a geometric figure in
which all the angles are equal
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin equiangulus, from Latin angulus “corner” (see angle ).][1]



equidistant

equidistant
e·qui·dis·tant 
[kwi dístənt, èkwi
dístənt] adjective

equally
distant:
situated at the same distance from two or more places or points • Baltimore
is almost equidistant from Washington and Philadelphia.
[Late
16th century. From French équidistant or the medieval Latin stem equidistant-,
from the Latin stem distant- (see distant
).]
—e·qui·dis·tance,
noun

—e·qui·dis·tant·ly, adverb[1]



equilateral

equilateral
e·qui·lat·er·al 
[kwə láttərəl, èkwə
láttərəl] adjective

with equal sides:
used to describe a geometric figure in which all the sides are of equal length
noun
(plural e·qui·lat·er·als)

1.  equilateral
figure:
a geometric figure with all of its sides of equal length

2.  side
of an equilateral figure: any side of a geometric
figure that is the same length as the other sides
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French équilateral from late Latin aequilateralis,
from Latin lateralis (see lateral ).]
—e·qui·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



equilibrant

equilibrant
e·quil·i·brant 
[i kwíllibrənt] (plural e·quil·i·brants)
noun

balancing
force:
a force able to balance out another force and produce an equilibrium
[Late 19th century. Via
French équilibrant from, ultimately, équilibre “balance,” from
Latin aequilibrium (see equilibrium
).][1]



equilibrate

equilibrate
e·quil·i·brate 
[i kwíllə bràyt] (past e·quil·i·brat·ed,
past participle e·quil·i·brat·ed, present participle e·quil·i·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·quil·i·brates) intransitive and
transitive verb

be
balanced or balance: to be evenly balanced, or
counterbalance something, or bring something into a state of balance
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin aequilibrare, from libra (see equilibrium ).]
—e·quil·i·bra·tion
[i kwìlli bráysh’n], noun

—e·quil·i·bra·tor
[i kwílli bràytər], noun

—e·quil·i·bra·to·ry [i kwìllibrə táwree], adjective[1]



equilibrist

equilibrist
e·quil·i·brist 
[i kwíllibrist] (plural e·quil·i·brists)
noun

performer skilled at
balancing: a performer skilled in the
art of balancing, especially tightrope walking (dated or formal)[1]



equilibrium

equilibrium
e·qui·lib·ri·um 
[kwə líbbree əm, èkwə
líbbree əm] (plural e·qui·lib·ri·ums or e·qui·lib·ri·a
[kwə líbbreeə]) noun

1.  bodily
balance:
a physical state or sense of being able to maintain bodily balance

2.  emotional
stability:
a mental state of calmness and composure

3.  situation
of balance:
a state or situation in which opposing forces or factors balance each other out
and stability is attained

4.  PHYSICS CHEMISTRY balance between forces:
a static or dynamic state in which all forces or processes are in balance and
there is no resultant change
[Early 17th century. From
Latin aequilibrium “equal balance,” from libra “balance” (source
of English deliberate, and of the
abbreviation lb. and the symbol £ ).][1]



equimolar

equimolar
e·qui·mo·lar
[kwə mṓlər, èkwə
mṓlər] adjective

CHEMISTRY
as concentrated:
with an equal concentration of moles in one liter of solution[1]



equimolecular

equimolecular
e·qui·mo·lec·u·lar
[kwəmə lékyələr, èkwəmə
lékyələr] adjective

CHEMISTRY
with an equal number of molecules:
used to describe a substance or mixture that has the same number of molecules
as another[1]



equine

equine
e·quine 
[ kwn, é kwn]
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY of
horses:
relating to, belonging to, or affecting horses

2.  resembling
a horse:
characteristic of or similar to a horse in appearance or behavior

3.  ZOOLOGY belonging
to the horse family: belonging to or
characteristic of the family of mammals that includes horses, zebras, and
donkeys
noun
(plural e·quines)

ZOOLOGY horse
or their relatives: a horse or other member of
the horse family
[Late 18th century. From
Latin equinus, from equus “horse.”][1]



equinoctial

equinoctial
e·qui·noc·tial 
[kwə nókshəl, èkwə
nókshəl] adjective

1.  TIME occurring
at an equinox: happening at or near either of the two
equinoxes

2.  BOTANY with
flowers open at definite times: used to describe a
plant whose flowers open and close at specific times of day

3.  ASTRONOMY of
the celestial equator: relating to the celestial
equator
noun
(plural e·qui·noc·tials)

1.  METEOROLOGY storm
at an equinox: a storm or strong wind that occurs at a
time when day and night are the same length ( equinox
)

2.  ASTRONOMY See celestial equator
[14th century. From French équinoctial,
from, ultimately, Latin aequinoctium (see equinox
).][1]



equinoctialcircle

equinoctialcircle
e·qui·noc·tial
cir·cle
noun

ASTRONOMY
See celestial equator[1]



equinoctialpoint

equinoctialpoint
e·qui·noc·tial
point
(plural e·qui·noc·tial points) noun

point where the Sun crosses
the celestial equator: either of
the two points on the celestial sphere where the Sun crosses the celestial
equator. The points are called respectively the First Point of Aries and the
First Point of Libra.
Also called
equinox[1]



equinoctialyear

equinoctialyear
e·qui·noc·tial
year
(plural e·qui·noc·tial years) noun

See
solar year[1]



equinox

equinox
e·qui·nox 
[kwə nòks, ékwə
nòks] (plural e·qui·nox·es) noun

1.  time
of equal day and night: either of the two annual
crossings of the equator by the Sun, once in each direction, when the length of
day and night are approximately equal everywhere on Earth. The equinoxes occur
around March 21 and September 23.

2.  See
equinoctial point
[14th century. Directly or
via French équinoxe from Latin aequinoctium, literally “equal
night,” from nox “night.”][1]



equip

equip
e·quip 
[i kwíp] (past e·quipped, past
participle e·quipped, present participle e·quip·ping, 3rd
person present singular e·quips) transitive verb

1.  provide
with necessities: to provide somebody or something with
what is needed for a particular activity or purpose, for example, with the
appropriate tools, supplies, parts, or clothing • a
computer equipped with a modem and a CD-ROM drive

2.  prepare
to accomplish something: to prepare somebody with the
necessary education, training, or experience to succeed at a task or role in
life (often passive) • I’m
sorry, but I don’t feel equipped to answer that question.

3.  dress
up:
to dress yourself or another person in clothes suitable for a particular
occasion, task, or environment • The
children were equipped with wool hats, scarves, and mittens for playing in the
snow.
[Early
16th century. From French équiper, probably formed from Old Norse skipa
“to fit out a ship,” from skip “ship.”]
—e·quip·per, noun[1]



equip.

equip.
equip.

Abbreviation of
equipment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








equipage

equipage
eq·ui·page 
[ékwəpij] (plural eq·ui·pag·es)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT EQUESTRIAN well-equipped
carriage:
a horse-drawn carriage, especially a luxurious one, or a carriage together its
with horses and attendants

2.  equipment
and supplies for expeditions: the necessary equipment and
supplies for an undertaking, especially a military expedition or ship’s journey
[Mid-16th century. Originally
denoting the crew, later the equipping of a ship, hence the equipment
provided.][1]



equipartition

equipartition
e·qui·par·ti·tion
[kwə paar tísh’n, èkwə
paar tísh’n] noun

distribution of energy:
the equal distribution of energy among the components of motion, such as linear
movement and rotation, of the gas molecules in a system[1]



equipment

equipment
e·quip·ment 
[i kwípmənt] noun

1.  necessary
items:
the tools, clothing, or other items needed for a particular purpose or activity
• camping
equipment

2.  personal
resources for success: the intellectual and
emotional resources that enable a person to succeed at a task or role in life

3.  providing
somebody with equipment: the equipping of somebody or
something with what is necessary for a particular purpose or activity

4.  TRANSPORT transportation
vehicles:
the rolling stock necessary to carry passengers or goods

[1]



equipoise

equipoise
e·qui·poise 
[kwə pòyz, ékwə
pòyz] noun (plural e·qui·pois·es) (formal)

1.  balanced
state:
a condition where weights are in balance or there is a balance between
different social, emotional, or intellectual influences

2.  something
causing balance: something that creates a balanced state,
usually by counterbalancing some other force or thing
transitive
verb
(past e·qui·poised, past participle e·qui·poised, present
participle e·qui·pois·ing, 3rd person present singular e·qui·pois·es)

counterbalance:
to counterbalance a weight or influence (formal)

[1]



equipollent

equipollent
e·qui·pol·lent 
[kwə póllənt, èkwə
póllənt] adjective

equal
to another:
having the same weight, influence, validity, or effect as another, or as each
other (formal)
[14th
century. From Old French equipolent, from, ultimately, Latin pollere
“to be strong.”]
—e·qui·pol·lence,
noun

—e·qui·pol·len·cy,
noun

—e·qui·pol·lent·ly, adverb[1]



equiponderant

equiponderant
e·qui·pon·der·ant
[kwə póndərənt, èkwə
póndərənt] adjective

balanced:
equal, or evenly balanced, in weight, influence, or effect (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin aequiponderant-, the present participle
stem of aequiponderare “to weigh the same,” from ponderare “to
weigh” (source of English ponder ).]
—e·qui·pon·der·ance,
noun

—e·qui·pon·der·an·cy, noun[1]



equiponderate

equiponderate
e·qui·pon·der·ate 
[kwə póndə ràyt, èkwə
póndə ràyt] (past e·qui·pon·der·at·ed, past participle
e·qui·pon·der·at·ed, present participle e·qui·pon·der·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·qui·pon·der·ates) transitive
verb

counterbalance:
to equal the strength, power, or effect of something, creating a state of
balance (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin aequiponderare (see equiponderant
), or an alteration of preponderate by substitution of equi- for pre-
.][1]



equipotential

equipotential
e·qui·po·ten·tial 
[kwəpə ténshəl, èkwəpə
ténshəl] adjective

with
equal potential at all points: used to describe a
surface that has the same electric or gravitational potential at all points
—e·qui·po·ten·ti·al·ity
[kwəpə tenshee állətee, èkwəpə tenshee állətee], noun[1]



equiprobable

equiprobable
e·qui·prob·a·ble 
[kwə próbbəb’l, èkwə
próbbəb’l] adjective

equally probable:
equally likely to be true or to occur according to logic or mathematics[1]



equitable

equitable
eq·ui·ta·ble 
[ékwitəb’l] adjective

1.  fair:
characterized by justice or fairness and impartiality toward those involved (formal)

2.  LAW relating
to the law of equity: applicable under the law of
equity as distinguished from common or statute law
[Mid-16th
century. From French équitable, from équité (see equity ).]
—eq·ui·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—eq·ui·ta·bly, adverb[1]



equitation

equitation
eq·ui·ta·tion 
[èkwi táysh’n] noun

horseback
riding and horsemanship: the skill and theory of
riding horses (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French équitation from the Latin stem equitation-, from equitare
“to ride on horseback,” from, ultimately, equus “horse.”][1]



equites

equites
eq·ui·tes 
[ékwi tàyss, ékwi
tàyz] plural noun

1.  ancient
Roman cavalry: the cavalry of ancient Rome

2.  privileged
Romans:
the privileged class of ancient Romans, ranking just below the senators, whose
members served as cavalry
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, plural of eques “horse-rider,” from equus “horse.”][1]



equity

equity
eq·ui·ty 
[ékwitee] noun (plural eq·ui·ties)

1.  fairness:
actions, treatment of others, or a general condition characterized by justice,
fairness, and impartiality

2.  LAW modification
of common law: the system of jurisprudence that
supplements common and statutory law, when those bodies of law are inadequate
in the attainment of justice

3.  LAW justice
tempered by ethics: justice applied in
conformity with the law, but influenced at the same time by principles of
ethics and fair play

4.  LAW fair
claim:
a claim that is judged to be just and fair

5.  FINANCE part
of the value paid for: the value of a piece of
property over and above any mortgage or other liabilities relating to it
plural
noun
eq·ui·ties

STOCK EXCHANGE stock
entitling holder to profits: shares of stock in a
corporation that pay the holder some of the company’s profits
[14th century. Via French équité
from, ultimately, Latin aequus “fair” (see equate
).][1]



equitycapital

equitycapital
eq·ui·ty
cap·i·tal
noun

money from stock sales:
funds for a business raised by selling stock or by retaining earnings[1]



equityof redemption

equityof redemption
eq·ui·ty
of re·demp·tion noun

right to redeem property:
the right of a mortgagor to redeem mortgaged property by paying the sum owed
within a reasonable time after the date on which payment was due[1]



equiv.

equiv.
equiv.

Abbreviation of
equivalent[1]



equivalence

equivalence
e·quiv·a·lence 
[i kwívvələns] or e·quiv·a·len·cy
[i kwívvələnsee] noun

1.  being
the same or similar: the fact of being the same,
effectively the same, or interchangeable with something else

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC relationship
between statements: the relationship between two
statements, both of which are either true or false, and each of which can be
proved from the other

[1]



equivalencerelation

equivalencerelation
e·quiv·a·lence
re·la·tion
noun

mathematical relation:
the relation between members of a set that is reflexive, symmetrical, and
transitive, for example, if “a” equals “b” and “b” equals “c,” then “a” equals
“c”[1]



equivalency

equivalency
e·quiv·a·len·cy 
noun

See
equivalence[1]



equivalent

equivalent
e·quiv·a·lent 
[i kwívvələnt] adjective

1.  equal:
being the same, or effectively the same, in effect, value, or meaning as
something and usually interchangeable with it • That’s
equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power a single light bulb.

2.  GEOMETRY of the
same size but different shape: used to describe
geometric figures that have different shapes but equal areas, for example, a
circle and a square, or equal volumes, for example, a cylinder and a cube

3.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC in an
equivalence relation: used to describe members of
a set that are in a reflexive, symmetrical, and transitive relation with each
other

4.  MATHEMATICS with
the same solution: used to describe equations
that share a common solution or solutions, for example, for both 2x-3 = x+2 and
x-5 = 0 the solution is x = 5
noun
(plural e·quiv·a·lents)

1.  something
considered the same: something that is considered
to be equal to or have the same effect, value, or meaning as something else • He’s
the Italian equivalent of a district attorney.

2.  CHEMISTRY See equivalent weight
[15th
century. From French équivalent, from, ultimately, late Latin aequivalere
“to be of equal value,” from Latin valere “to be strong” (see valency ).]
—e·quiv·a·lent·ly, adverb[1]



equivalentweight

equivalentweight
e·quiv·a·lent
weight
(plural e·quiv·a·lent weights) noun

CHEMISTRY
mass of substance showing combining
power: the mass of a substance that
will combine with or replace 8 parts by weight of oxygen or 1.008 parts of
hydrogen.
Also called
equivalent noun 2[1]



equivocal

equivocal
e·quiv·o·cal 
[i kwívvək’l] adjective

1.  ambiguous:
open to more than one interpretation, especially in being deliberately
expressed in an ambiguous way in an attempt to mislead somebody • an
equivocal reply to a tough question

2.  difficult
to interpret: difficult to interpret, understand, or
respond to • Their
stance on this issue is equivocal and nobody knows how they are likely to
react.

3.  raising
doubts:
arousing doubts and suspicions, especially about somebody’s honesty or
sincerity • To
arrive at the peace talks with an armed guard was an equivocal gesture.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from late Latin aequivocus (see equivocate
).]
—e·quiv·o·cal·i·ty
[i kwìvvə kállitee], noun

—e·quiv·o·cal·ness
[i kwívvəkəlnəss], noun

—e·quiv·o·cal·ly [i kwívvəkəlee], adverb[1]



equivocate

equivocate
e·quiv·o·cate 
[i kwívvə kàyt] (past e·quiv·o·cat·ed,
past participle e·quiv·o·cat·ed, present participle e·quiv·o·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·quiv·o·cates) intransitive verb

be
deliberately unclear: to speak vaguely or
ambiguously, especially in order to mislead • When
pressed for a firm answer, she equivocated.
[15th
century. From late Latin aequivocare, from aequivocus
“ambiguous,” literally “equal-voiced,” from Latin vox “voice” (see voice ).]
—e·quiv·o·cat·ing·ly,
adverb

—e·quiv·o·ca·tor,
noun

—e·quiv·o·ca·to·ry [i kwívvəkə tàwree], adjective[1]



equivocation

equivocation
e·quiv·o·ca·tion 
[i kwìvvə káysh’n] (plural e·quiv·o·ca·tions)
noun

1.  use
of ambiguity: the use of vague or ambiguous and
sometimes misleading language • What
we ask for is facts: what we get is equivocation or downright lies.

2.  ambiguous
statement:
an expression or statement that is vague or ambiguous and often deliberately
misleading • Their
equivocations could not disguise the fact that corruption was rife in the
committee.

3.  LOGIC wrong
logical conclusion: an invalid conclusion based
on statements in which one term has two different meanings

[1]



equivoque

equivoque
eq·ui·voque 
[ékwi vk, kwi
vk] (plural eq·ui·voques) or eq·ui·voke [ékwi vk, kwi vk]
(plural eq·ui·vokes) noun (formal)

1.  play
on words:
an amusing use of an ambiguous word

2.  ambiguous
word or phrase: a word or phrase with a double meaning

3.  ambiguity:
ambiguity, double meaning, or misleading words and expressions
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French équivoque from late Latin aequivocus (see equivocate ).][1]



Equuleus

Equuleus
E·quu·le·us
[i kwlee əss] noun

second-smallest
constellation, situated near Pegasus:
the second-smallest constellation, situated in the northern hemisphere between
Pegasus and Aquarius[1]



ER

ER
ER

1.  Abbreviation
of
emergency room

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of
earned runs

[1]



Er

Er
Er

Symbol for
erbium[1]



er

er
er
[ur] interjection

expressing
hesitation:
used to express hesitation
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



-er

-er1
-er1 suffix

1.  one
that performs or undergoes a particular action • adjuster
• fryer

2.  a
person connected with, often as an occupation • trucker

3.  a
person from a particular place • Londoner
• foreigner
[Partly Old English -ere,
partly via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin -arius, and partly from
Old French -eor (see or 1 )][1]



-er

-er2
-er2 suffix

more
• greener
• slower
[Old English -re, -ra][1]



era

era
e·ra 
[rə, érrə]
noun

1.  TIME distinctive
period of history: a period of time made
distinctive by a significant development, feature, event, or personality • during
the postwar era

2.  TIME period
with own chronological system: a time period within
which years are consecutively numbered from a particular significant event that
provides its starting point • the
Christian era

3.  PREHISTORY division
of Earth’s history: a division of geologic time
composed of several periods

4.  TIME date
that begins period: a significant date or event
that is regarded as the beginning of a new period of time • The
agreement marked an era in U.S.-Soviet relations.
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin aera “number used as a basis for counting.”][1]



ERA

ERA
ERA
[ aar áy]

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of earned run average

2.  Abbreviation
of
Equal Rights Amendment

[1]



eradicate

eradicate
e·rad·i·cate 
[i ráddi kàyt] (past e·rad·i·cat·ed,
past participle e·rad·i·cat·ed, present participle e·rad·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·rad·i·cates) transitive verb

get
rid of something completely: to destroy or get rid of
something completely, so that it can never recur or return
[15th
century. From Latin eradicat-, the past participle stem of eradicare
“to pull up by the roots” (the original sense in English), from radix
“root” (source of English radish ).]
—e·rad·i·ca·ble,
adjective

—e·rad·i·ca·bly,
adverb

—e·rad·i·ca·tion
[i ràddi káysh’n], noun

—e·rad·i·ca·tive
[i ráddi kàytiv], adjective

—e·rad·i·ca·tor [i ráddi kàytər], noun[1]



erase

erase
e·rase 
[i ráyss] (past e·rased, past
participle e·rased, present participle e·ras·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·ras·es) transitive verb

1.  remove
written material: to remove written, typed, or printed
material by rubbing it out, or to obliterate it with something such as
correction fluid

2.  COMPUTING RECORDING delete
recorded data: to delete data or recorded material from
a computer’s memory, a magnetic tape, or other storage media

3.  remove
or destroy:
to remove or destroy something completely • an
ancient civilization, all traces of which had been erased over time
[Late
16th century. From Latin eras-, the past participle stem of eradere
“to scrape out,” from radere “to scrape” (see raze
).]
—e·ras·a·bil·i·ty
[i ràyssə bíllətee], noun

—e·ras·a·ble [i ráyssəb’l], adjective[1]



eraser

eraser
e·ras·er 
[i ráyssər] (plural e·ras·ers)
noun

something used to rub out
writing: something used to rub out
written, typed, or printed material, such as a piece of rubber for pencil
markings or a felt pad used on a chalkboard.
U.K. term
rubber[1]



Erasmus,Desiderius

Erasmus,Desiderius

E·ras·mus
[i rázməss], Desiderius (1466?–1536)
Dutch scholar and writer. His works,
combining a Christian outlook with Renaissance humanism, influenced both sides
during the Reformation. Among his many other works was a new edition of the
Greek New Testament (1516).[1]



erasure

erasure
e·ra·sure 
[i ráyshər] (plural e·ra·sures)
noun

1.  removal:
the complete removal or destruction of something • an
erasure of data from a hard drive

2.  erased
place or mark: the place where something has been
rubbed out, or the mark left behind

[1]



Erato

Erato
Er·a·to 
[érrə t] noun

Greek muse of lyric poetry:
in Greek mythology, the muse of lyric poetry.
See also
Muse[1]



Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes
E·ra·tos·the·nes 
[èrrə tósthə nz] (276? BC–196? BC)

Greek astronomer and
mathematician. He is best known for his calculation of the Earth’s
circumference, which was the most accurate until the 17th century.[1]



Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes
E·ra·tos·the·nes
[èrrə tósthə nz] noun

ASTRONOMY
crater on Moon:
a prominent deep crater on the Moon with a distinctive central peak, located at
the southern edge of Mare Imbrium, 58 km/36 mi in diameter[1]



erbium

erbium

er·bi·um 
[úrbee əm] noun
metallic
chemical element: a soft silvery metallic chemical element
of the rare-earth group, used in certain alloys and as a pigment. Symbol
Er
[Mid-19th century. Named for Ytterby,
a town in Sweden, where the first rare-earth mineral was discovered.][1]



ere

ere
ere 
[air] preposition conjunction

before:
before or earlier in time than (literary or archaic)
[Old English r][1]



erect

erect
e·rect 
[i rékt] adjective

1.  straight
and vertical: in an upright position • an
erect plant stem

2.  PHYSIOLOGY firm
and rigid:
stiff and swollen as a result of being filled with blood, for example, when
sexually aroused

3.  OPTICS right
side up:
used to describe an optically produced image that is right side up and not
inverted

4.  alert:
in an alert state (archaic)
verb
(past e·rect·ed, past participle e·rect·ed, present
participle e·rect·ing, 3rd person present singular e·rects)

1.  transitive
verb
construct:
to build a structure from basic parts and materials • The
building was erected in 1885.

2.  transitive
verb
put
together:
to fit something together and put it into position so that it is ready for use

3.  transitive
verb
set
upright:
to fix something in an upright position

4.  transitive
verb
establish:
to bring an organization, system, or theory into being • The
corporation erected a new legal department just to deal with mergers and
acquistions.

5.  transitive
verb
GEOMETRY draw
figure on base: to draw or construct a line or figure on
a given base

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSIOLOGY become or make rigid:
to become, or cause an organ to become, stiff and swollen by being filled with
blood
[14th
century. From Latin erectus, past participle of erigere “to set
up,” from regere “to direct or rule” (see regent
).]
—e·rect·a·ble,
adjective

—e·rect·ly,
adverb

—e·rect·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at build

[1]



erectile

erectile
e·rec·tile 
[i rékt’l, i rék
tl] adjective

capable
of stiffening: capable of filling with blood under
pressure, swelling, and becoming stiff
—e·rec·til·i·ty [i rèk tíllətee], noun[1]



erection

erection
e·rec·tion 
[i rékshən] (plural e·rec·tions)
noun

1.  putting
something up: the construction or setting up of
something

2.  PHYSIOLOGY swelling
of tissue:
the swollen and stiffened state of erectile tissue, especially that of the
penis, usually as a result of sexual arousal

3.  structure:
something that has been built or constructed (formal)

[1]



erector

erector
e·rec·tor 
[i réktər] (plural e·rec·tors)
noun

1.  muscle:
a muscle that is capable of raising or holding up a body part

2.  somebody
who erects things: somebody or something that
erects things, generally things made elsewhere

[1]



Eregion

Eregion
E
re·gion
noun

middle part of the
ionosphere: the middle part of the
ionosphere, lying approximately 80 to 110 km50 to 70 mi above the Earth’s
surface, that reflects medium-length radio waves.
Also called
E layer
Also called
Heaviside layer
Also called
Kennelly-Heaviside layer[1]



erelong

erelong
ere·long 
[air láwng] adverb

before long:
soon or in a short time (archaic or literary)[1]



eremite

eremite
er·e·mite 
[érrə mt] (plural er·e·mites)
noun

hermit:
somebody who lives in solitude, especially for religious reasons (literary)
[13th
century. From Old French eremite or late Latin eremita (see hermit ).]
—er·e·mit·ic
[èrrə míttik], adjective

—er·e·mit·i·cal
[èrrə míttik’l], adjective

—er·e·mit·ism [érrə mī tìzzəm], noun[1]



erenow

erenow
ere·now 
[air nów] adverb

before now:
previously (archaic or literary)[1]



erethism

erethism
er·e·thism 
[érrə thìzzəm] noun

abnormal
physical sensitivity: excessive sensitivity of a
body part to stimuli (technical)
[Early
19th century. From French éréthisme, from, ultimately, Greek erethizein
“to irritate.”]
—er·e·this·mic
[èrrə thízmik], adjective

—er·e·this·tic
[èrrə thístik], adjective

—er·e·thit·ic [èrrə thíttik], adjective[1]



erewhile

erewhile
ere·while 
[air wl] or ere·whiles [air wlz] adverb

a while ago:
some time ago (archaic or literary)[1]



erg

erg2
erg2  [urg]
(plural ergs or a·reg [
règ]) noun

sandy
desert area: a large, relatively flat area of desert
covered with shifting wind-swept sand, especially in the Sahara
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Arabic ’ir, ’erg .][1]



erg

erg1
erg1  [urg]
(plural ergs) noun

unit
for measuring energy: the unit of energy or work
in the centimeter- gram-second system equal to the work done by a force of one
dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter. 1 erg is equivalent to 10 7 joule.
[Late 19th century. From
Greek ergon “work.”][1]



ergative

ergative
er·ga·tive
[úrgətiv] adjective GRAMMAR

1.  allowing
object to be subject: used to describe a class of
verbs in which the object of the transitive form can be used as the subject of
the intransitive form with an equivalent meaning. “Open” is an example of an
ergative verb, in that “I opened the door” and “The door opened” have equivalent
meanings.

2.  with
doer of action as object: used to describe a case of
nouns in languages such as Inuit and Basque in which the object of the verb
acts, while the subject is affected by the action
noun
(plural er·ga·tives)

GRAMMAR ergative
word:
an ergative verb or a noun in the ergative case
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek ergatēs “worker.”][1]



ergo

ergo
er·go 
[áirg, úrg]
adverb conjunction

so:
therefore (formal)
[14th century. From Latin .][1]



ergocalciferol

ergocalciferol
er·go·cal·cif·er·ol 
[ùrgō kal síffə ràwl] noun

See
vitamin D 2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ergosterol + calciferol
.][1]



ergometer

ergometer
er·gom·e·ter 
[ur gómmətər] (plural er·gom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring muscle power: an instrument for measuring
muscle power or work done by muscles, for example, when exercising
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek ergon “work” + -meter
.]
—er·go·met·ric [ùrgə méttrik], adjective[1]



ergonometric

ergonometric
er·go·no·met·ric
[ùrgənə méttrik] adjective

of
ergonomics:
relating or conforming to ergonomics
—er·go·no·met·ri·cal·ly
[ùrgənə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



ergonomic

ergonomic
er·go·nom·ic
[ùrgə nómmik] adjective

designed
for ease of use: designed for maximum comfort,
efficiency, safety, and ease of use, especially in the workplace
—er·go·nom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ergonomics

ergonomics
er·go·nom·ics 
[ùrgə nómmiks] noun

study
of workplace design: the study of how a workplace
and the equipment used there can best be designed for comfort, safety,
efficiency, and productivity (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
biotechnology
Also
called
human engineering
Also
called
human factors engineering
plural
noun

design
of workplace or equipment: those factors or qualities
in the design of something, especially a workplace or equipment used by people
at work, that contribute to comfort, safety, efficiency, and ease of use
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek ergon “work” on the model of economics .]
—er·gon·o·mist [ur gónnəmist], noun[1]



ergosterol

ergosterol
er·gos·ter·ol 
[ur góstə ràwl] noun

substance
converted to vitamin D 2:
a crystalline steroid alcohol that is found mainly in yeast and molds and is
converted to vitamin D 2 by
ultraviolet light. C28H44O
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ergot + sterol
.][1]



ergot

ergot
er·got 
[úrgət, úr gòt]
noun

1.  fungus
attacking cereals: a disease of cereals caused
by a parasitic fungus that grows in dense black masses ( sclerotia ) in the grains of the ear. Latin name: Claviceps
purpurea .

2.  fungal
bodies used in medicine: the dried sclerotia of an
ergot fungus that yield substances used in drugs to treat migraine and to
induce uterine contractions in childbirth
[Late
17th century. From French, literally “rooster’s spur” (of unknown origin),
because the diseased grain resembles a rooster’s claw.]
—er·got·ic [ur góttik], adjective[1]



ergotamine

ergotamine
er·got·a·mine 
[ur góttə mn, ur
góttəmin] noun

drug obtained from ergot:
an alkaloid drug derived from ergot that causes constriction of blood vessels
and is used to treat migraines. C33H35N5O5[1]



ergotism

ergotism
er·got·ism 
[úrgə tìzzəm] noun

poisoning by ergot fungus:
a severe toxic reaction to food containing ergot-contaminated grains or
excessive amounts of drugs containing ergot derivatives. The toxin produces
neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms and, if not properly treated,
gangrene.[1]



Erhard,Ludwig

Erhard,Ludwig
Er·hard 
[áir hrd], Ludwig (1897–1977)

German statesman. As finance
minister, he achieved West Germany’s postwar economic revival and was the
Christian Democratic Chancellor from 1963 until 1966.[1]



erica

erica
er·i·ca
[érrikə] (plural er·i·cas or
er·i·ca) noun

plant
of heath family: an evergreen shrub or small tree of the
heath family with small leathery leaves and bell-shaped flowers. All the heaths
and several heathers are types of erica. Genus: Erica
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek ereikē “heath.”][1]



ericaceous

ericaceous
er·i·ca·ceous
[èrri káyshəss] adjective

belonging to heath family:
belonging or relating to the heath family, a group of evergreen shrubs and
small trees that includes the heath, heather, blueberry, rhododendron, azalea,
and arbutus[1]



Ericson,Leif

Ericson,Leif
Ericson,
Leif
[lf érrikss’n] (975–1020)

Icelandic explorer. He sailed
from the Norse settlement in Greenland to become one of the first Europeans to
reach North America. His story is told in the Icelandic Eiriks Saga.[1]



Ericsson,John

Ericsson,John
Er·ics·son 
[érriksən], John (1803–1889)

Swedish-born U.S. inventor
and engineer. After work on steam locomotives, he built the warship Monitor,
which fought the Confederacy’s warship Merrimack, in the Civil War
(1862).[1]



Ericthe Red

Ericthe Red
Er·ic
the Red 
[èrrik ə réd] (950?–1000?)

Norwegian
explorer. He was the father of Leif Ericson. Banished from Scandinavia for
manslaughter, he explored Greenland (982–86), where he established the first
European settlement.
Real name
Thorvaldson, Eric[1]



Eridanus

Eridanus
E·rid·a·nus
[i rídd’nəss] noun

extensive faint southern
constellation near Orion: an
extensive but faint constellation of the southern hemisphere meandering from
Orion in the north to Hydrus in the south. The bright star Achernar is located
at its southern end.[1]



Erie

Erie
E·rie 
[ree] noun

extinct
language:
an extinct language formerly spoken in an area along the southern shores of
Lake Erie. It was one of the Iroquoian group of the Hokan-Siouan family of
North American languages.
—E·rie, adjective[1]



ErieCanal

ErieCanal
E·rie
Ca·nal

artificial inland waterway
between Buffalo, on Lake Erie, and Albany, New York, where it links with the
Hudson River. Length: 584 km/363 mi.[1]



Erie,Lake

Erie,Lake
E·rie,
Lake
[ree]

lake in the United States and
Canada. It is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Area: 25,667 sq
km/9,910 sq mi.[1]



erigeron

erigeron
er·i·ger·on 
[i ríjjə ròn] (plural er·i·ger·ons
or er·i·ger·on) noun

plant
resembling aster: a plant of the daisy family, many
species of which are cultivated as ornamentals. Fleabane is a type of erigeron.
Genus: Erigeron
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek, literally “early old man,” from its former application to the
groundsel, an early-flowering plant with fluffy white seed heads.][1]



Erikson,Erik

Erikson,Erik
Er·ik·son 
[érriksən], Erik (1902–1994)

German-born
U.S. psychoanalyst. He developed the concept of the identity crisis, as well as
making major contributions to the area of child psychology.
Full name
Erikson, Erik Homburger[1]



Erin

Erin
Er·in 
[érrin] noun

Ireland:
the country of Ireland (literary)[1]



Eringo bragh

Eringo bragh
Er·in
go bragh
[èrrin gō br] interjection

Ireland
Ireland
forever:
an expression meaning “Ireland forever”
[From Erin + Irish go brách, go bráth, literally “till
doomsday”][1]



Erinyes

Erinyes
E·rin·yes
[i rnee èz] plural noun

See
Furies[1]



ERISA

ERISA
ERISA
[i ríssə]

Abbreviation of
Employee Retirement Income Security Act[1]



eristic

eristic
e·ris·tic 
[i rístik] adjective e·ris·tic
e·ris·ti·cal

argumentative:
fond of or characterized by argument or controversy (formal)
noun
(plural e·ris·tics) (formal)

1.  art
of disputing: the skill or practice of debating,
especially in a manner involving subtle logic and specious argument

2.  debater:
somebody who is an expert or delights in argument and controversy
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek eristikos, from, ultimately, eris “strife.”]
—e·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Eritrea




Back to definition

Eritrea

[1]



Eritrea

Eritrea



Er·i·tre·a
[èrri tr ə]
republic
on the Red Sea coast in northeastern Africa. A former Italian colony, it became
part of Ethiopia in 1952 and fully independent in 1993. Language: Tigrinya.
Language: Tigre. Language: Arabic. Currency: nakfa. Capital: Asmara.
Population: 3,714,963 (1997) Area: 121,144 sq km/46,774 sq mi. Official name
State of Eritrea
—Er·i·tre·an (plural
Er·i·tre·ans), noun, adjective[1]



Erlanger

Erlanger
Er·lang·er
[úr làngər]

city in northern Kentucky,
northwest of Independence, a southern suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. Population:
16,717 (1996)[1]



Erlenmeyerflask

Erlenmeyerflask
Er·len·mey·er
flask 
[úrlən mīr flàsk, érrlən
mīr flàsk] (plural Er·len·mey·er flasks) noun

laboratory
flask:
a cone-shaped laboratory flask with a narrow neck and broad flat bottom
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer 1825–1909 .][1]



ermine

ermine
er·mine 
[úrmin] (plural er·mines or
er·mine) noun

1.  small
northern weasel: a small northern weasel, with dark fur
whose silky winter coat is white except for a black-tipped tail. Latin name: Mustela
erminea

2.  white
fur of ermine: the white fur of an ermine, once valued
as a symbol of wealth, nobility, or high rank
[12th century. From Old
French (h)ermine, probably from medieval Latin (mus) Armenius
“Armenian (mouse).”][1]



erne

erne
erne 
[urn] (plural ernes or erne)
or ern [urn] (plural erns
or ern) noun

sea
eagle:
a long-winged European sea eagle. Latin name: Haliaetus albicilla
[Old English earn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Greek ornis
“bird” (source of English ornithology
).][1]



Ernst,Max

Ernst,Max
Ernst 
[airnst, urnst],
Max (1891–1976)

German-born French artist. A
co-founder of Dada and surrealism, he is known for the startling and violent
imagery of his works.[1]



erode

erode
e·rode 
[i rṓd] (past e·rod·ed, past
participle e·rod·ed, present participle e·rod·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·rodes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY wear away land:
to wear away outer layers of rock or soil, or to be gradually worn away by the
action of wind or water

2.  transitive
verb
GEOLOGY form
by weathering: to form a land feature such as a valley
or gully by the action of wind or water • The
runoff from the rain eroded a gully.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
down gradually: to diminish or destroy something such as
a relationship or feeling gradually over time, or to be gradually diminished or
destroyed • Deceit
will erode any friendship.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY eat away:
to eat into or destroy something by corrosion or chemical action, or to be
damaged or destroyed in this way • The
acid eroded the copper.

5.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE wear
tissue away: to cause tissue to wear away as a result
of decay, cancer, ulceration, or the chemical processes associated with
inflammation
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French éroder from Latin erodere
“to gnaw off,” from rodere “to gnaw” (see rodent
).]
—e·ro·dent,
noun, adjective

—e·rod·i·bil·i·ty
[i rdə bíllətee], noun

—e·rod·i·ble [i rṓdəb’l], adjective[1]



erogenous

erogenous
e·rog·e·nous 
[i rójjənəss] or er·o·gen·ic [i rójjənnik] or er·o·to·ge·nic [i ròttə jénnik] adjective

1.  sexually
sensitive:
sensitive and arousing sexual feelings when touched or stroked

2.  sexually
arousing:
stimulating sexual desire
[Late 19th century. Coined
from eros + -genous .][1]



erogenouszone

erogenouszone
e·rog·e·nous
zone
(plural e·rog·e·nous zones) noun

sexually sensitive area:
an area of the body that is sensitive to sexual stimulation[1]



Eros

Eros
Er·os 
[é ròss,  ròss]
noun

1.  Greek
god of love: the god of love in ancient Greece

2.  Er·os
or er·os sexual love:
sexual love or desire

3.  PSYCHOLOGY instinct
for self-preservation: in psychoanalytic theory,
the instincts for self-preservation, pleasure, and procreation considered as a
group
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek, “sexual love.”][1]



erosion

erosion
e·ro·sion 
[i rṓzh’n] noun

1.  GEOLOGY wearing
away of rock: the gradual wearing away of rock or soil
by physical breakdown, chemical solution, and transportation of material, as
caused, for example, by water, wind, or ice

2.  gradual
breaking down: the gradual destruction or reduction and
weakening of something such as a relationship or somebody’s power • The
erosion of profits was due to careless management.

3.  DENTISTRY loss
of tooth enamel: loss of tooth enamel caused by excessive
intake of acidic citrus juices or through repeated contact with stomach acid,
as in bulimia

4.  MEDICINE wearing
away of tissue: the wearing away of surface tissue by
disease, ulceration, cancer, or the chemical processes associated with
inflammation
[Mid-16th
century. From French érosion, from, ultimately, Latin eros-, the
past participle stem of erodere (see erode
).]
—e·ro·sion·al,
adjective

—e·ro·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



erosive

erosive
e·ro·sive 
[i rṓssiv] adjective

causing
erosion:
causing the gradual breaking down or wearing away of something, especially rock
or soil
—e·ro·sive·ness,
noun

—e·ro·siv·i·ty [i r sívvətee], noun[1]



erotic

erotic
e·rot·ic 
[i róttik] adjective

1.  arousing
sexual feelings: arousing, or designed to arouse,
feelings of sexual desire

2.  marked
by sexual desire: characterized by or arising out of
sexual desire
[Mid-17th
century. Via French érotique from Greek erōtikos, from erōs
“sexual love.”]
—e·rot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



erotica

erotica
e·rot·i·ca 
[i róttikə] noun

sexually
explicit material: art or literature intended
to arouse sexual desire by portraying sex in an explicit way.
See
also
pornography
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
erōtika, neuter plural of erōtikos (see erotic
).][1]



eroticism

eroticism
e·rot·i·cism 
[i rótti sìzzəm] or er·o·tism
[érrə tìzzəm] noun

1.  erotic
quality:
an erotic quality in something, especially an erotic style or subject in
literature or art • the eroticism of her
poetry

2.  sexual
desire:
feelings of sexual desire

3.  excessive
sexual excitement: unusually persistent or
frequent sexual interest or desire
—e·rot·i·cist, noun[1]



eroticize

eroticize
e·rot·i·cize 
[i rótti sz] (past e·rot·i·cized,
past participle e·rot·i·cized, present participle e·rot·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·rot·i·ciz·es) or er·o·tize
[érrə tz] (past er·o·tized, past
participle er·o·tized, present participle er·o·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular er·o·tiz·es) transitive verb

make
erotic:
to make something erotic, especially by giving a sexual quality to something
not usually regarded in that way • The
paintings were thought to eroticize flowers.
—e·rot·i·ci·za·tion [i ròttissi záysh’n], noun[1]



erotism

erotism
er·o·tism 
noun

See
eroticism[1]



erotize

erotize
er·o·tize 
transitive verb

See
eroticize
—er·o·ti·za·tion [èrrəti záysh’n], noun[1]



erotogenic

erotogenic
e·ro·to·gen·ic
adjective

See
erogenous[1]



erotomania

erotomania
e·ro·to·ma·ni·a 
[i ròttə máynee ə] noun

1.  excessive
sexual desire: excessive and insatiable feelings of
sexual desire

2.  PSYCHIATRY belief
in nonexistent romance: the delusion of being loved
by and romantically involved in a relationship with a person, especially
somebody famous or of high social position
—e·ro·to·ma·ni·ac, noun[1]



err

err
err 
[ur, air]
(past erred, past participle erred, present
participle err·ing, 3rd person present singular errs) intransitive
verb

1.  make
mistake:
to make a mistake or do an incorrect thing • The
committee erred in interpreting the contract in this way.

2.  behave
badly:
to behave badly and do something that is morally wrong (formal) “To err
is human, to forgive, divine.” Alexander Pope Essay On Criticism 1711
[13th
century. Via Old French errer from Latin errare “to wander.” The
underlying sense is of wandering from the right path.]
err
on the side of something

to show a particular quality,
for example, caution or generosity, to a greater extent than is strictly
necessary in order to avoid the risks involved in its opposite[1]



errancy

errancy
er·ran·cy 
[érrənsee] noun (formal)

1.  incorrect
behavior:
incorrect or morally wrong behavior

2.  tendency
to do wrong: the propensity for making mistakes or
acting improperly

[1]



errand

errand
er·rand 
[érrənd] (plural er·rands) noun

1.  short
trip for somebody else: a short trip somewhere to do
something on behalf of somebody else, for example, to buy something or deliver
a message • She
sometimes runs errands for me if I’m not well enough to go out.

2.  purpose
of errand:
the task that somebody goes on an errand to carry out • My
errand was to collect her suit from the dry cleaners.
[Old English rende
“message, mission,” of unknown origin][1]



errant

errant
er·rant 
[érrənt] adjective

1.  behaving
badly:
behaving in an unacceptable manner

2.  going
astray:
wandering from an intended course or not reaching an intended destination

3.  looking
for adventure: wandering in search of adventure and
romance (literary)

4.  moving
irregularly: with no regular or purposeful pattern of
motion
[14th
century. From Latin errant-, the present participle stem of errare
(see err ).]
—er·rant·ly, adverb[1]



errantry

errantry
er·rant·ry 
[érrəntree] noun

lifestyle of traveling
knight: the wandering, romantic, and
adventurous life of a knight errant[1]



errata

errata
er·ra·ta


Plural
of
erratum
plural
noun

list of printing errors:
a list of mistakes noticed after a book was printed, often included as a
separate sheet in the book[1]



erratic

erratic
er·rat·ic 
[i ráttik] adjective

1.  inconsistent:
not predictable, regular, or consistent, especially in being likely to depart
from or fall below expected standards at any time • His
driving tends to be rather erratic.

2.  often
changing direction: often changing direction and
not following any definite course

3.  GEOLOGY carried
and deposited by ice: used to describe a rock or
boulder that was carried from its source by ice and deposited when the ice
melted
noun
(plural er·rat·ics)

1.  somebody
behaving unpredictably: somebody who does not behave
predictably

2.  GEOLOGY rock
moved by ice: a piece of rock that was carried from
its source by ice and deposited when the ice melted
[14th
century. From Old French erratique, from, ultimately, Latin errare
(see err ).]
—er·rat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—er·rat·i·cism [i rátti sìzzəm], noun[1]



erratum

erratum
er·ra·tum 
[e rtəm, i rtəm]
(plural er·ra·ta [e rtə]) noun

printing
error:
a mistake in printing or writing, especially one on a list that is included
with a printed book
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, neuter past participle of errare (see err
).][1]



erroneous

erroneous
er·ro·ne·ous 
[i rṓnee əss] adjective

incorrect:
incorrect, based on an incorrect assumption, or containing something that is
incorrect
[14th
century. From Old French erroneus, from, ultimately, the Latin stem erron-
“truant,” from errare (see err ).]
—er·ro·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—er·ro·ne·ous·ness, noun[1]



error

error
er·ror 
[érrər] (plural er·rors) noun

1.  (plural
errors) mistake:
something unintentionally done wrong, for example, as a result of poor judgment
or lack of care • The report blames the
crash on human error.

2.  wrong
belief:
a belief or opinion that is contrary to fact or to established doctrine • Errors
and superstitions were to be banished by the pure light of science.

3.  state
of believing or acting wrongly: a state in which
somebody holds incorrect beliefs or opinions or acts wrongly or misguidedly

4.  being
wrong:
incorrectness, inappropriateness, or unacceptability • He’s
seen the error of his ways and has decided to apologize.

5.  BASEBALL misplay
in baseball: a fielding misplay in baseball when, in
the judgment of the official scorer, play should have either led to an out or
prevented a runner from advancing

6.  COMPUTING problem
detected by program: the failure of a computer
program, subroutine, or system to produce an anticipated result, such as the
result of a calculation not falling within an expected range

7.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
difference:
a variation between the true value of a mathematical quantity and a calculated
or measured value

8.  LAW mistake
in court proceedings: a mistake either in law or
in fact in court proceedings
[13th
century. From Old French err(o)ur, from, ultimately, Latin errare
(see err ).]
—er·ror·less,
adjective
in
error

1.  by
mistake

2.  mistaken
or acting on the basis of a false assumption or belief

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mistake

[1]



errorcode

errorcode
er·ror
code
(plural er·ror codes) noun

indication of computer
problem: a unique combination of
characters printed or displayed by a computer or communicated between parts of
a program indicating an error or specific problem in software or hardware
operation[1]



errormessage

errormessage
er·ror
mes·sage
(plural er·ror mes·sag·es) noun

computer problem alert:
a message indicating that a computer has encountered a problem and often
suggesting alternative action. The message may take the form of a display on a
monitor, text on a printer, a computer-generated voice, or a sequence of audio
signals.[1]



ersatz

ersatz
er·satz 
[ér zts] adjective

artificial:
imitating or presented as a substitute for something of superior quality (disapproving)
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “replacement.”][1]



Erse

Erse
Erse 
[urss] noun

LANGUAGE See Gaelic  noun
adjective

of
Gaelic language: relating or belonging to the Gaelic
language, especially Irish Gaelic
[14th century. Early Scots
variant of Irish .][1]



erst

erst
erst 
[urst] adverb

formerly:
in the past or a long time ago (archaic)
[Old English rest
“first”][1]



erstwhile

erstwhile
erst·while 
[úrst hwl] adjective

former:
who in the past was something, for example, a friend or supporter, but now no
longer is • Since
leaving the bank, she has been ostracized by her erstwhile colleagues.
adverb

formerly:
at a time in the past (archaic)
See also
erewhile[1]



erub

erub
er·ub
noun

See
eruv[1]



erucicacid

erucicacid
e·ru·cic
ac·id 
[i rssik ássid] noun

fatty
acid used in manufacturing: a soft, colorless, solid
fatty acid derived from rape seeds. It is used primarily in the manufacture of
plastics.
[Erucic formed from Latin eruca
“rape plant”][1]



eruct

eruct
e·ruct 
[i rúkt] (past e·ruct·ed, past
participle e·ruct·ed, present participle e·ruct·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·ructs) or e·ruc·tate [i rúk tàyt] (past e·ruc·tat·ed, past
participle e·ruc·tat·ed, present participle e·ruc·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ruc·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

belch:
to expel stomach gases through the mouth (technical)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin eructare “to belch or vomit up,” from ructare
“to belch.”]
—e·ruc·ta·tion [i rùk táysh’n,  ruk
táysh’n], noun[1]



erudite

erudite
er·u·dite 
[érryə dt, érrə
dt] adjective

very
knowledgeable through study: having or showing great
knowledge gained from study and reading • scholars
erudite in Sanskrit
[15th
century. From Latin eruditus, past participle of erudire “to
instruct,” from rudis “untrained” (source of English rude ).]
—er·u·dite·ly,
adverb

—er·u·dite·ness, noun[1]



erudition

erudition
er·u·di·tion 
[èrryə dísh’n, èrrə
dísh’n] noun

scholarship:
knowledge acquired through study and reading • a
work of great erudition

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at knowledge

[1]



erupt

erupt
e·rupt 
[i rúpt] (past e·rupt·ed, past
participle e·rupt·ed, present participle e·rupt·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·rupts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb violently
release material: to eject material such as gas, steam,
ash, or lava, usually violently, from within • The
volcano last erupted in 1935.

2.  intransitive
verb
burst
out:
to burst out suddenly or violently • Tired
of her comments, he suddenly erupted in a fit of temper.

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE appear
on skin:
to appear as a rash or blemish on the skin or a mucous membrane

4.  intransitive
verb
DENTISTRY come
through gum: to break through and emerge from a gum (technical)
(refers to growing teeth)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin erupt-, past participle stem of erumpere,
literally “to break out,” from rumpere “to break” (source of English rupture ).]
—e·rupt·i·ble,
adjective

—e·rup·tive,
adjective

—e·rup·tive·ly, adverb[1]



eruption

eruption
e·rup·tion 
[i rúpshən] (plural e·rup·tions)
noun

1.  violent
release of material: the violent ejection of
material, such as gas, steam, ash, or lava from a volcano

2.  outburst:
a sudden outburst or occurrence of something

3.  MEDICINE rash
or blemish on skin: a rash or blemish, or the
appearance of a rash or blemish on the skin or a mucous membrane

4.  DENTISTRY emergence
of tooth:
an emergence of a growing tooth from a gum

[1]



eruv

eruv
er·uv
[ay rv, áy rùv]
(plural er·uvs [érrb]) or
er·ub [ay rv, áy rùv] (plural er·ubs) noun

boundary
for Jewish Sabbath: the physical boundary within
which certain relaxations of the rules concerning the Jewish Sabbath are
allowed. It may be the walls of a town, a natural barrier, or a special
construction.
[Early 18th century. From
Hebrew ‘ērūbh, literally “mixture.”][1]



Erving,Julius

Erving,Julius
Er·ving 
[úrving], Julius (1950– )

U.S.
basketball player He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most
exciting scorers in basketball history.
Full name
Erving II, Julius Winfield Known as Dr. J[1]



-ery

-ery
-ery
or -ry suffix

1.  place
for • brewery

2.  activity
or behavior • trickery

3.  collection
of • crockery

4.  qualities
or character of • buffoonery

5.  state,
condition • drudgery
[From Old French -erie,
from -er “-er, -or” + -ie “-y”][1]



erysipelas

erysipelas
er·y·sip·e·las 
[èrri síppələss] noun

bacterial
skin disease: a severe skin rash accompanied by fever
and vomiting and caused by a streptococcal bacterium.
Also
called
Saint Anthony’s fire
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek erusipelas, literally “red skin.”]
—er·y·si·pel·a·tous [èrrissi péllətəss], adjective[1]



erythema

erythema
er·y·the·ma 
[èrri thmə] noun

redness
of skin:
redness of the skin as a result of a widening of the small blood vessels near
its surface. It has various causes, including fever and inflammation.
[Late
18th century. From Greek eruthēma, from, ultimately, eruthros
“red.”]
—er·y·them·a·tous
[èrri thémmətəss, èrri
thmətəss], adjective

—er·y·the·mic [èrri thmik], adjective[1]



erythr-

erythr-
erythr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
erythro-[1]



erythrism

erythrism
er·y·thrism 
[érrə thrìzzəm] noun

redness:
unusual redness of plumage or hair, often accompanied by a ruddy complexion in
humans
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek eruthros “red” + -ism .]
—er·y·thris·mal [èrrə thrízməl], adjective[1]



erythrite

erythrite
er·y·thrite 
[érrə thrt] noun

pale
red crystalline mineral: pale red cobalt arsenate
that occurs as crystals on cobalt minerals and is used as a glass pigment.
Also
called
cobalt bloom
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek eruthros “red” + -ite .][1]



erythro-

erythro-
erythro-
prefix

1.  red
• erythrocyte

2.  erythrocyte
• erythroblast
[From Greek eruthros
“red.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English red and ruddy .][1]



erythroblast

erythroblast
e·ryth·ro·blast 
[i ríthrə blàst] (plural e·ryth·ro·blasts)
noun

ANATOMY immature
red blood cell: an immature red blood cell that is found
in bone marrow and eventually develops into a mature red blood cell. Unlike a
mature red blood cell, an erythroblast has a nucleus.
—e·ryth·ro·blas·tic [i rìthrə blástik], adjective[1]



erythroblastosis

erythroblastosis
e·ryth·ro·blas·to·sis 
[i rìthrō bla stṓssiss] noun

blood disease:
the abnormal presence of immature red blood cells in the bloodstream that
occurs especially in erythroblastosis fetalis[1]



erythroblastosisfetalis

erythroblastosisfetalis
e·ryth·ro·blas·to·sis
fe·tal·is 
[i rithrō bla stssiss fi tálliss] noun

disease
that destroys red blood cells: a serious blood
disease of fetuses and newborn babies, in which the antibodies produced by a
rhesus-negative mother destroy the red blood cells of a rhesus-positive fetus
[Fetalis from modern Latin,
“fetal”][1]



erythrocyte

erythrocyte
e·ryth·ro·cyte 
[i ríthrə st] (plural e·ryth·ro·cytes)
noun

See
red blood cell
—e·ryth·ro·cyt·ic [i rìthrə síttik], adjective[1]



erythromycin

erythromycin
e·ryth·ro·my·cin 
[i rìthrə mssin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic used in treating a broad range of bacterial infections. It is
derived from cultures of a bacterium Streptomyces erythreus.[1]



erythropoiesis

erythropoiesis
e·ryth·ro·poi·e·sis 
[i rìthrō poy ssiss] noun

red
blood cell production and development: the
formation of red blood cells, a process that begins with stem cells in the bone
marrow and ends with the release of mature red blood cells ( erythrocytes ) into circulation
[Early
20th century. Coined from erythrocyte +
Greek poiēsis “creation” (see poesy
).]
—e·ryth·ro·poi·et·ic [i rìthrō poy éttik], adjective[1]



erythropoietin

erythropoietin
e·ryth·ro·poi·e·tin 
[i rìthrō poy tin] noun

hormone
produced in kidneys: a hormone produced in the
kidneys that stimulates increased development of red blood cells in the bone
marrow. The kidneys produce erythropoietin in response to lowered oxygen levels
in body tissues.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from erythropoiesis + -in .][1]



ES

ES
ES

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of El Salvador[1]



Es

Es
Es

Symbol for
einsteinium[1]



-es

-es
-es
suffix

See
-s[1]



ESA

ESA
ESA

Abbreviation of
European Space Agency[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Esc

Esc
Esc

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of escape (key)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








escadrille

escadrille
es·ca·drille 
[éskə drìl, èskə
drl] (plural es·ca·drilles) noun

aircraft
squadron:
a squadron of usually six aircraft, especially a French air squadron of World
War I
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Spanish escuadrilla, literally “little squadron,” from escuadra
“squadron.”][1]



escalade

escalade
es·ca·lade 
[éskə làyd, éskə
ld] noun (plural es·ca·lades)

climbing
wall with ladders: an attack involving the use
of ladders to scale the walls of a fortified place
transitive
verb
(past es·ca·lad·ed, past participle es·ca·lad·ed, present
participle es·ca·lad·ing, 3rd person present singular es·ca·lades)

climb
wall with ladders: to scale the walls of a
fortification using ladders
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Spanish escalada . Ultimately
from medieval Latin scalare “to climb” (source of English scale ).]
—es·ca·lad·er, noun[1]



escalate

escalate
es·ca·late 
[éskə làyt] (past es·ca·lat·ed,
past participle es·ca·lat·ed, present participle es·ca·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular es·ca·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

increase:
to become or cause something to become greater, more serious, or more intense
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from escalator
. Originally, “to travel on an escalator.”]
—es·ca·la·tion
[èskə láysh’n], noun

—es·ca·la·to·ry
[éskələ tàwree], adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  His
  claims are certain to escalate into a big political scandal
  .
  No
  one uses escalate now to mean “ride on an
  escalator,” and the figurative meaning has taken over completely. Its
  earliest and still most common uses are in connection with military activity
  and conflicts: • Officials killed by
  mine as terrorist attacks escalate .
  It is used most effectively when it describes a development that proceeds in
  stages, rather than as a simple synonym for increase or mount.

[1]



escalator

escalator
es·ca·la·tor 
[éskə làytər] (plural es·ca·la·tors)
noun

moving
stairs:
a set of moving steps attached to a continuously circulating belt, that carries
people up or down between different levels in a building
[Early 20th century. From escalade, modeled on elevator
.][1]



escalator

escalator
es·ca·la·tor 
[éskə làytər] (plural es·ca·la·tors)
or es·ca·la·tor clause [éskə làytər]
(plural es·ca·la·tor claus·es) noun

clause relating values:
a stipulation in a contract that conditions an increase or decrease in
something on a change in something else. It might, for example, relate
compensation to cost of living or prices to sales.[1]



escallop

escallop
es·cal·lop 
[i skólləp, i
skálləp] (plural es·cal·lops) noun

SEWING See scallop  noun 5
[15th century. From Old
French escalope “shell” (see scallop
).][1]



escalope

escalope
es·cal·ope
[éskə lp, èskə
lṓp] (plural es·cal·opes) noun

U.K.
FOOD See scallop  noun 6
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Old French, “shell” (see escallop
); probably from its curling into a shell shape in cooking.][1]



escapade

escapade
es·ca·pade 
[éskə pàyd] (plural es·ca·pades)
noun

brash
adventure:
something exciting or adventurous that somebody does or is involved in,
especially something showing recklessness or disregard for authority
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Spanish escapada “an escape,” from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar
Latin excappare (see escape ).][1]



escape

escape
es·cape 
[i skáyp] verb (past es·caped,
past participle es·caped, present participle es·cap·ing,
3rd person present singular es·capes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
free from captivity: to free yourself and get
away from captivity or confinement • prisoners
who attempted to escape

2.  transitive
verb
avoid
bad situation: to avoid danger, harm, or involvement in
an unpleasant situation • There’s
no escaping the fact that the house needs painting.

3.  intransitive
verb
leak
out:
to leak out from a container

4.  transitive
verb
be
temporarily unknown to: to fail to be noticed,
remembered, or understood by somebody • a
little village whose name escapes me for the moment

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
uttered:
to be uttered by somebody unintentionally • A
muffled curse escaped his lips.

6.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY spread
from garden into the wild: to spread from a garden or
other cultivated area and become established in the wild (refers to
cultivated plants)

7.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING exit
computer procedure: to exit from a computer
program or file, cancel a command or operation, or return from the currently
active menu to a previous one
noun
(plural es·capes)

1.  breaking
free from captivity: an act of getting free from
captivity or confinement • He
made his escape while the guard was asleep.

2.  avoidance
of bad situation: the avoidance of a dangerous, harmful,
or unpleasant situation • an
escape from danger

3.  means
of getting away: a method, means, or route by which
somebody can escape from a place or situation

4.  gas
or liquid leak: a leak of gas or liquid from a container

5.  BOTANY wild
plant once cultivated: a plant that has spread from
a garden or other cultivated area and is growing wild

6.  COMPUTING computer
key:
the key on a computer keyboard that allows a user to exit a program, cancel a
command, or return to a previous menu • Press
escape to exit the program.

7.  COMPUTING See escape code
[13th
century. Via Old Northern French escaper from, ultimately, assumed
Vulgar Latin excappare, literally “to throw off your cloak,” from cappa
“cloak” (source of English cape ).]
—es·cap·a·ble,
adjective

—es·cap·er, noun[1]



escapeartist

escapeartist
es·cape
art·ist
(plural es·cape art·ists) noun

1.  performer
skilled at escaping: a performer who is skilled
at escaping from restraints or confinement.
Also
called
escapologist

2.  somebody
adept at escaping difficulties: somebody who is
skilled at getting out of difficulties or apparently very dangerous or
compromising situations

[1]



escapeclause

escapeclause
es·cape
clause
(plural es·cape claus·es) noun

legal way out of contract:
a clause in a contract that sets out the conditions under which a party to the
contract can be released from his or her obligations under it[1]



escapecode

escapecode
es·cape
code
(plural es·cape codes) noun

character not part of regular
data: a sequence of one or more
characters instructing a device that what follows is not part of the regular
data but rather a command. For example, an escape code might instruct a printer
to print in italics the text that follows the code.
Also called
escape[1]



escapee

escapee
es·cap·ee 
[i skày p, ès
kay p] (plural es·cap·ees) noun

somebody who has escaped:
somebody who has escaped from captivity[1]



escapehatch

escapehatch
es·cape
hatch
(plural es·cape hatch·es) noun

1.  emergency
exit:
a small opening providing a way out of an enclosed space, such as a submarine,
through which people can escape in an emergency

2.  way
out of trouble: a way of avoiding an anticipated problem
(informal)

[1]



escapement

escapement
es·cape·ment 
[i skáypmənt] (plural es·cape·ments)
noun

1.  clock
mechanism:
a mechanism in a clock or watch that allows power from a spring or falling
weight to turn gears connected to the hands

2.  piano
mechanism:
a mechanism in a piano that allows the hammer to rebound from a string after
striking it

3.  typewriter
mechanism:
a mechanism in a typewriter or printer that regulates the relative movement
between the paper carrier and the typing or printing position on a line
[Late 18th century. From its
allowing a cogwheel to “escape” or be released repeatedly.][1]



escapevelocity

escapevelocity
es·cape
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

minimum speed to escape
gravity: the minimum speed at which
an object must travel to escape a planet’s or moon’s gravitational field in
order to orbit around it or move off into space. At or near the Earth’s
surface, the escape velocity is about 40,000 kph 25,000 mph.[1]



escapewheel

escapewheel
es·cape
wheel
(plural es·cape wheels) noun

notched wheel in clock:
a toothed wheel in the mechanism of a watch or clock, designed to regulate the
movement of the pendulum or balance wheel and so move the hands at regular
intervals[1]



escapism

escapism
es·cap·ism 
[i skáy pìzzəm] noun

1.  escape
from everyday reality: something such as fantasy or
entertainment that makes it possible to forget about the ordinary or unpleasant
realities of life for a while

2.  indulgence
in fantasies to escape reality: the act of indulging
in daydreams or fantasies to escape from everyday reality

[1]



escapist

escapist
es·cap·ist 
[i skáypist] adjective

helping
to forget:
providing a means of forgetting about everyday or unpleasant realities for a
while
noun
(plural es·cap·ists)

somebody avoiding reality:
somebody who tries to avoid reality by indulging in daydreams or fantasies[1]



escapologist

escapologist
es·cap·ol·o·gist 
[ès kay pólləjist] (plural es·cap·ol·o·gists)
noun

See
escape artist[1]



escapology

escapology
es·cap·ol·o·gy 
[ès kay pólləjee] noun

escape as form of
entertainment: the skill of escaping
from restraints or confinement as a form of entertainment[1]



escargot

escargot
es·car·got 
[ès kaar gṓ] (plural es·car·gots)
noun

snail
used as food: a snail that is cooked and eaten,
especially served in its shell with melted garlic butter
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Old Provençal escaragol, of unknown origin.][1]



escarole

escarole
es·ca·role 
[éskə rl] (plural es·ca·roles)
noun

See
endive  noun 1
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Italian scariola, from, ultimately, Latin esca “food”
(see esculent ).][1]



escarp

escarp
es·carp 
[ə skrp] noun

inner
side of fortification ditch: the inner side of a ditch
dug as a fortification
[Late 17th century. Via
French escarpe from Italian scarpa “slope” (see scarp ).][1]



escarpment

escarpment
es·carp·ment 
[ə skrpmənt] (plural es·carp·ments)
noun

1.  steep
ridge:
a steep slope or cliff that marks the boundary of a flat or gently sloping
upland area such as a plateau, often formed by faulting or erosion.
See
also
scarp

2.  slope
in fortification: a steep slope constructed in front of a
fortification

[1]



-escent

-escent
-escent
suffix

1.  beginning
or inclined to be, becoming, slightly • acquiescent
• alkalescent

2.  having
a particular kind of luster • adularescent

3.  resembling,
having • arborescent
[Via
French from Latin -escent-, the stem of -escens, the present
participle ending of verbs in -escere, expressing the beginning of
action]
—-escence, suffix[1]



eschar

eschar
es·char 
[és kr] (plural es·chars) noun

scab
formed after burning: a dry scab formed on skin
that has been burned or cauterized
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French escare from late Latin eschara “scab” (see scar 1 ).][1]



eschatology

eschatology
es·cha·tol·o·gy 
[èskə tólləjee] noun

doctrines
about death and its aftermath: the body of religious
doctrines concerning the human soul in its relation to death, judgment, heaven,
and hell
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek eskhatos “last” + -logy
.]
—es·chat·o·log·i·cal
[èskətə lójjik’l, i
skàttə lójjik’l], adjective

—es·chat·o·log·i·cal·ly
[èskətə lójjikəlee], adverb

—es·cha·tol·o·gist [èskə tólləjist], noun[1]



escheat

escheat
es·cheat 
[əss cht] (plural es·cheats) noun

1.  reversion
of property to state: the reversion of the
property of a deceased person to the state in the United States, or to the
Crown in England before 1926, when there are no legal heirs

2.  HISTORY reversion
of property to feudal lord: in medieval England, the
reversion to a feudal overlord of the property of a deceased person when there
was no legal heir or when a tenant was outlawed

3.  property
affected by escheat: property that reverts by escheat
[13th
century. From Old French eschete and Anglo-Latin escheta, from
assumed Vulgar Latin excadere, literally “to fall away,” from Latin cadere
(see cadence ).]
—es·cheat·a·ble, adjective[1]



Escher,M. C.

Escher,M. C.
Esch·er 
[éshər], M. C. (1898–1972)

Dutch
graphic artist. He is known for his distinctive prints depicting intricate
interlocking patterns and optical illusions based on mathematical concepts.
Full name
Escher, Maurits Cornelis[1]



eschew

eschew
es·chew 
[əss ch] (past es·chewed, past
participle es·chewed, present participle es·chew·ing, 3rd
person present singular es·chews) transitive verb

abstain
from:
to avoid doing or using something on principle or as a matter of course
[14th
century. From Old French eschiver . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English shy
.]
—es·chew·al, noun[1]



Escoffier,Auguste

Escoffier,Auguste
Es·cof·fier
[es kóffee ày], Auguste (1846–1935)

French
chef and cookbook author. Master of the haute cuisine style of French cookery,
he gained an international reputation while working in London at the Savoy
(1890–1899) and Carlton (1899–1919) hotels.
Full name
Escoffier, Georges Auguste[1]



escolar

escolar
es·co·lar 
[èskə lr] (plural es·co·lars)
noun

deepwater
fish:
a deepwater fish of tropical and temperate seas with a slim bony body, jutting
lower jaw, and sharp teeth. Family: Gempylidae
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, “student” (because of the rings around its eyes resembling
spectacles), from late Latin scholaris (see scholar
).][1]



Escondido

Escondido
Es·con·di·do
[èss kon ddō]

city in southwestern
California, north of San Diego and east of Carlsbad. Population: 116,184 (1996)[1]



escort

escort
es·cort 
noun [éss kàwrt] (plural es·corts)

1.  somebody
accompanying somebody or something: one
or more persons accompanying somebody or something as a guard or guide, or as a
mark of honor

2.  MILITARY accompanying
military vessel or aircraft: one or more warships or
fighter aircraft accompanying a larger, more vulnerable ship or aircraft as
protection • The
bombers were joined by their fighter escort when they reached the coast.

3.  man
as social partner: a man accompanying a woman
on a social occasion

4.  hired
social partner: a man or woman who is hired to accompany
another person as a companion, especially to a social event or entertainment

5.  protection
or security for journey: protection or restraint
provided by an escort • The
prisoner will proceed under escort to the guardhouse.
transitive
verb
[əss káwrt, éss
kàwrt] (past es·cort·ed, past participle es·cort·ed,
present participle es·cort·ing, 3rd person present singular
es·corts)

go with as escort:
to accompany somebody or something as an escort • The
butler will escort you to the door.
[Late 16th century. Via
French escorte from Italian scorta, from scorgere “to
guide,” which came via assumed Vulgar Latin excorrigere from Latin corrigere
(see correct ).][1]



escritoire

escritoire
es·cri·toire 
[èskri twr] (plural es·cri·toires)
noun

writing
desk:
a writing desk, often with a hinged flap that conceals drawers and pigeonholes
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French, “writing box,” from medieval Latin scriptorium (see scriptorium ).][1]



escrow

escrow
es·crow 
[és kr, e skrṓ]
noun (plural es·crows)

1.  something
held independently until condition met: an
amount of money or property granted to somebody but held by a third party and
only released after a condition has been met

2.  state
of being an escrow: the condition of being held
as an escrow
transitive
verb
(past es·crowed, past participle es·crowed, present
participle es·crow·ing, 3rd person present singular es·crows)

put in escrow:
to place something in escrow
[Mid-17th century. From Anglo-Norman
escrowe “scroll,” a variant of Old French escroe (see scroll ).][1]



escudo

escudo
es·cu·do 
[ə sk dō] (plural es·cu·dos) noun

1.  unit
of Portuguese currency: a unit of currency used in
Portugal

2.  old
unit of currency: any one of various units of currency
that were formerly used in Spain and countries of South America

3.  coin
worth one escudo: a coin worth one escudo
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish and Portugese from Latin scutum “shield” (see scutum ), because early coins resembled heraldic
shields.][1]



esculent

esculent
es·cu·lent 
[éskyələnt] adjective

edible:
fit to be eaten (formal)
noun
(plural es·cu·lents)

edible
substance:
something edible, especially a plant (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin esculentus, from esca “food,” from edere “to eat”
(see edible ).][1]



escutcheon

escutcheon

es·cutch·eon 
[ə skúchən] (plural es·cutch·eons)
noun

1.  HERALDRY heraldic
shield:
a shield, especially one used in heraldry to display a coat of arms

2.  protective
shield:
a plate or shield fixed around something, for example, a light switch or
keyhole, as an ornament or to protect the surrounding surface

3.  NAUTICAL name
plate on vessel: a panel on the stern of a vessel on
which the vessel’s name is shown
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman escuchon from, ultimately, Latin scutum
“shield” (see scutum ).]
—es·cutch·eoned, adjective[1]



Esd.

Esd.
Esd.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Esdras[1]



Esdras

Esdras
Es·dras 
[ézdrəss] noun

1.  book
of Apocrypha: either of two books in the Apocrypha

2.  book
of Roman Catholic Bible: either of two books of the
Roman Catholic version of the Bible ( Douay Bible
), equivalent to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Authorized Version

[1]



ESE

ESE
ESE

Abbreviation of
east-southeast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ese

-ese
-ese
suffix

1.  from,
of, native to, or inhabiting a particular place • Taiwanese

2.  the
language of a particular place • Faeroese

3.  style
or jargon • officialese
[Via Old French -eis
and Italian -ese from Latin -ensis “originating in”][1]



eserine

eserine
es·er·ine 
[éssə rn] noun

See
physostigmine
[Mid-19th century. From
French ésérine, from Efik esere “Calabar bean.”][1]



Eshkol,Levi

Eshkol,Levi
Esh·kol 
[ésh kàwl, esh
káwl], Levi (1895–1969)

Russian-born
Israeli statesman. He was prime minister of Israel from 1963 to his death in
1969.
Born
Shkolnik, Levi[1]



esker

esker
es·ker 
[éskər] (plural es·kers) or
es·kar [éskər] (plural es·kars)
noun

ridge
caused by glacial stream: a long narrow winding ridge
of sand or gravel, deposited by a stream flowing under a glacier.
Also
called
os
[Mid-19th century. From Irish
eiscir, from Old Irish escir, of unknown origin.][1]



Eskimo

Eskimo
Es·ki·mo 
[éskə m] adjective noun (plural
Es·ki·mos or Es·ki·mo)

See
Inuit
[Late
16th century. From French Esquimaux, ultimately of Algonquian origin.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue
  The
  Inuit Circumpolar Conference, held in 1977 in Barrow, Alaska, chose
  officially to replace the term Eskimo with
  Inuit (which means “the real people”). Eskimo
  nonetheless remains in common use, appearing even in academic contexts.
  Because some may find it offensive, care should be exercised in using this
  word.

[1]



Eskimo-Aleut

Eskimo-Aleut
Es·ki·mo-A·leut
noun

family of languages:
a family of languages spoken in Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Siberia, and the
Aleutian Islands[1]



Eskimodog

Eskimodog
Es·ki·mo
dog
(plural Es·ki·mo dogs) noun

Arctic sled dog:
a large powerful thick-coated dog with erect ears that is used to pull sleds in
Arctic regions[1]



Eskimoroll

Eskimoroll
Es·ki·mo
roll
(plural Es·ki·mo rolls) noun

way of righting capsized
kayak: a process or procedure by
which a capsized kayak is rolled over underwater in order to come up righted[1]



Eskişehir

Eskişehir
Es·ki·şe·hir
[èski shə hr] or Eskishehir [èski shə hr]

city in western Turkey, west
of Ankara. Population: 413,300 (1990)[1]



ESL

ESL
ESL

Abbreviation of
English as a second language[1]



ESOL

ESOL
ESOL
[ sàwl]

Abbreviation of
English for speakers of other languages[1]



ESOP

ESOP
ESOP 
[ sòp] noun

stock
ownership plan for employees: a plan in which employees
acquire stock of the company they work for by making tax-deductible
contributions
[Late 20th century. Acronym
formed from employee stock ownership plan .][1]



esophagus

esophagus
e·soph·a·gus 
[i sóffəgəss] (plural e·soph·a·guses
or e·soph·a·gi [i sóffə j, i sóffə g]) or oe·soph·a·gus [i sóffəgəss] (plural oe·soph·a·guses
or oe·soph·a·gi) noun

passage
in throat:
the passage down which food moves between the throat and the stomach
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin isophagus from Greek oisophagos .][1]



esoteric

esoteric
es·o·ter·ic 
[èssə térrik] adjective

1.  restricted
to initiates: intended for or understood by only an
initiated few

2.  abstruse:
difficult to understand

3.  secret:
secret or highly confidential
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek esōterikos “belonging to an inner circle,” from esōterō
“inner,” from esō “within.”]
—es·o·ter·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



esoterica

esoterica
es·o·ter·i·ca 
[èssə térrikə] plural noun

esoteric
things:
things that are for initiates only, or are difficult or secret
[Early 20th century. From
Greek esōterika, from esōterikos (see esoteric
).][1]



esotericism

esotericism
es·o·ter·i·cism 
[èssə térrə sìzzəm] noun

1.  esoteric
beliefs or practices: beliefs or practices that
are arcane, mysterious, or secret

2.  state
of being esoteric: the condition or quality of
being esoteric

[1]



ESP

ESP
ESP


1.  Abbreviation
of
English for special purposes

2.  Abbreviation
of
extrasensory perception

[1]



esp.

esp.
esp.

Abbreviation of
especially[1]



espadrille

espadrille
es·pa·drille 
[éspə drìl] (plural es·pa·drilles)
noun

casual
shoe with rope sole: a light shoe with a fabric
or canvas upper and a sole made of twisted cord, sometimes tied with lacing
around the ankle
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Provençal espardilho, from espart “esparto” (from
which it was originally made), from Latin spartum (see esparto ).][1]



espalier

espalier
es·pal·ier 
[əss pállyər, əss
pál yày] noun

tree
growing against wall: a plant, especially a fruit
tree, trained to grow flat against an upright surface, for example, a wall or
fence, or on wires
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian spalliera “shoulder support,” from spalla
“shoulder,” from Latin spatula (see spatula
).][1]



esparto

esparto
es·par·to 
[ə spr t] (plural es·par·tos)
or es·par·to grass [ə spr t]
(plural es·par·to grass·es) noun

coarse
fibrous grass: a long coarse grass found in southern
Europe and North Africa whose fibers are used in making paper, ropes, and mats.
Latin name: Stipa tenacissima
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin spartum, from Greek sparton “rope.”][1]



especial

especial
es·pe·cial 
[ə spésh’l] adjective (formal)

1.  notable:
unusual or exceptional

2.  particular:
particular or specific
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin specialis, literally “of a specific kind,” from species
(see species ).][1]



especially

especially
es·pe·cial·ly 
[ə spésh’lee] adverb

1.  exceptionally:
to an unusual or exceptional degree

2.  particularly:
used to single out one among a range

3.  chiefly:
in most cases

4.  expressly:
for a particular or specific purpose

[1]



Esperanto

Esperanto
Es·pe·ran·to 
[èspə rán tō, èspə
rn tō] noun

artificial
language:
an artificial language invented in 1887 as a means of making international
communication easier. It is based on the root forms of certain words common to
the major European languages. In general, the word order is similar to that of
English, although the grammar is more highly inflected.
[Late
19th century. Named for Doctor Esperanto, literally “one who hopes,” the
Esperanto pseudonym of the Polish philologist Ludwik Zamenhof 1859–1917, who
invented the language.]
—Es·pe·ran·tist, noun[1]



espial

espial
es·pi·al 
[ə sp əl] noun (archaic)

1.  act
of sighting something: the action of sighting or
discovering something

2.  act
of noticing something: the action of noticing or
detecting something

3.  act
of spying:
the action of secretly watching somebody or something
[14th century. From Old
French espialle, from espier (see spy
).][1]



espionage

espionage
es·pi·o·nage 
[éspee ə nzh] noun

activity
of spying:
the use of spying or spies to gather secret information
[Late 18th century. From
French espionnage, from espionner “to spy,” from espion
“spy.” Ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



esplanade

esplanade
es·pla·nade 
[ésplə nd, ésplə
nàyd] (plural es·pla·nades) noun

1.  TRANSPORT open
walkway:
a long level area, especially by the sea, for walking or driving along

2.  MILITARY level
area outside fortification: a wide level area outside a
fortification, where attackers will be exposed to fire from defenders
[Late 17th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Latin explanare, literally “to flatten out”
(see explain ).][1]



Esposito,Phil

Esposito,Phil
Es·pos·i·to
[èspə ztō], Phil (1942– )

Canadian
ice hockey player. A center noted for his goal scoring, he played
professionally between 1963 and his retirement in 1981.
Full name
Esposito, Philip Anthony[1]



espousal

espousal
es·pous·al 
[əss pówz’l] (plural es·pous·als)
noun

1.  adoption
as belief:
the adoption of something as a belief or cause

2.  marriage:
a betrothal or wedding (formal) (often used in the plural)

[1]



espouse

espouse
es·pouse 
[əss pówz] (past es·poused, past
participle es·poused, present participle es·pous·ing, 3rd
person present singular es·pous·es) transitive verb

1.  adopt:
to adopt or support something as a belief or cause

2.  marry
or give in marriage: to marry somebody or give
somebody in marriage (archaic)
[15th
century. Via Old French espouser from Latin sponsare, from spons-,
the stem of spondere (see sponsor ).]
—es·pous·er, noun[1]



espressivo

espressivo
es·pres·si·vo 
[èsprə s v] adverb

played
expressively: played in a expressive way (used as a
musical direction)
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “expressively.”][1]



espresso

espresso
es·pres·so 
[ə spréssō] (plural es·pres·sos)
noun

1.  strong
coffee made in a special machine: dark strong-tasting
coffee made by using a special machine to pass steam under pressure or boiling
water through finely ground coffee beans

2.  cup
of espresso: a serving of espresso coffee, usually in
a small cup • Two
espressos and a cappuccino.

3.  machine
for making espresso: a machine for making
espresso coffee • the hiss of the
espresso
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian (caffè) espresso, literally “pressed-out (coffee),” from the
past participle of esprimere “to press out,” from Latin exprimere
(see express ).][1]



esprit

esprit
es·prit 
[e spr] noun

liveliness
of mind:
lively intelligence or wit
[Late 16th century. From
French (see spirit ).][1]



espritde corps

espritde corps
es·prit
de corps 
noun

pride
in belonging to something: a feeling of pride in
belonging to a group and a sense of identification with it
[From French, literally
“group spirit”][1]



espy

espy
es·py 
[ə sp] (past es·pied, past
participle es·pied, present participle es·py·ing, 3rd
person present singular es·pies) transitive verb

suddenly
see:
to catch sight of or detect something (formal)
[14th century. From Old
French espier (see spy ).][1]



Esq.

Esq.
Esq.

(in correspondence)Abbreviation
of Esquire[1]



-esque

-esque
-esque
suffix

in
the style of, like • Pythonesque
[Via French from, ultimately,
assumed Vulgar Latin -iscus, of Germanic origin (ultimately related to
English -ish )][1]



Esquimalt

Esquimalt
Es·qui·malt
[éski màwlt]

seaport and naval station on
southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is a suburb of the
city of Victoria. Population: 16,192 (1991)[1]



Esquire

Esquire
Es·quire
[es kwr, ə
skwr] (plural Es·quires) noun

man’s courtesy title:
a courtesy title placed after a man’s full name, especially in correspondence[1]



esquire

esquire
es·quire 
[ə skwr] (plural es·quires) noun

knight’s
attendant:
a youth serving as an attendant or shield-bearer to a medieval knight,
especially as a stage in his own training for knighthood
[14th century. Via Old French
escuier from late Latin scutarius “shield bearer,” from Latin scutum
“shield” (see scutum ).][1]



Esquivel,Manuel

Esquivel,Manuel
Es·qui·vel
[èski vél], Manuel (1940– )

Belizean statesman. He was
prime minister from 1984 to 1989 and again from 1993.[1]



ESR

ESR
ESR

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of
electron spin resonance

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of
erythrocyte sedimentation rate

[1]



ess

ess
ess 
[ess] (plural ess·es) noun

1.  S:
the letter s or S

2.  something
S-shaped:
something shaped like an S
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
es .][1]



-ess

-ess
-ess
suffix

woman
or girl • heiress
[Via Old French and Latin
from, ultimately, Greek -issa][1]



essay

essay
es·say 
noun [éssày, ə
sáy] (plural es·says)

1.  short
nonfiction prose piece: a short analytical,
descriptive, or interpretive piece of literary or journalistic prose dealing
with a particular topic, especially from a personal and unsystematic viewpoint

2.  set
written piece: a short piece of written work assigned
to a student

3.  work
resembling a written essay: an artistic or journalistic
work resembling a written essay but in another medium • not
so much a short film as a cinematographic essay

4.  attempt
at something: an attempt to accomplish something (formal)

5.  test
of something: a test or trial of something (formal)
transitive
verb
[ə sáy, éssay]
(past es·sayed, past participle es·sayed, present
participle es·say·ing, 3rd person present singular es·says)

1.  attempt:
to try out or attempt something (formal) • Shall
we essay a walk on the promenade?

2.  test:
to make a test of something • essay
his theory
[15th century. Via Old French
essaier “to try” from assumed Vulgar Latin exagiare, literally
“to weigh out,” from agere (see act
).][1]



essayist

essayist
es·say·ist 
[é sàyist] (plural es·say·ists)
noun

essay writer:
a writer of literary or journalistic essays[1]



essayistic

essayistic
es·say·is·tic 
[èssay ístik] adjective

like an essay:
resembling or styled like a literary or journalistic essay[1]



essayquestion

essayquestion
es·say
ques·tion
(plural es·say ques·tions) noun

prose piece in test:
a question on an examination that must be answered in a prose piece of a
specified length[1]



Essen

Essen
Es·sen
[éss’n]

industrial city in the Ruhr
valley, North Rhine-Westphalia State, west central Germany. Population: 626,100
(1990)[1]



essence

essence
es·sence 
[éss’ns] (plural es·sences) noun

1.  identifying
nature:
the quality or nature of something that identifies it or makes it what it is

2.  basic
feature:
the most basic element or feature of something • Lack
of time is the essence of the problem.

3.  perfect
form:
the perfect or idealized form of something, especially when embodied in a
person • She
is the essence of tact.

4.  PHILOSOPHY ideal
nature of something: the ideal nature of
something, independent of and prior to its existence

5.  RELIGION spiritual
entity:
a spiritual entity

6.  BIOCHEMISTRY chemical
constituent of plant: an extract or derivative of
a plant that contains its characteristic or special chemical constituents

7.  COOKING COSMETICS concentrated plant extract:
a concentrated substance extracted from a plant that retains the plant’s
essential properties, such as flavor and fragrance • peppermint
essence
[14th
century. Via French from Latin essentia, from essent-, the
present participle stem of esse “to be” (source of English entity ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to be.”]
in
essence

fundamentally
or intrinsically

of
the essence

of the highest importance for
achieving something[1]



essential

essential
es·sen·tial 
[i sénshəl] adjective

1.  necessary:
of the highest importance for achieving something • It
is essential that we arrive on time.

2.  basic:
being the most basic element or feature of something or somebody • We
wanted the biography to tell us the essential nature of the man.

3.  perfect:
being the pure or perfect form or embodiment of something

4.  BIOCHEMISTRY required
in diet:
used to describe a nutrient such as a fatty acid that is required in the diet
for the health and growth of an organism but not synthesized in the body

5.  defining:
constituting the property or characteristic of something that makes it what it
is • Being
three-sided is essential to being a triangle.

6.  MEDICINE without
known cause: used to describe a disease that has no
known cause
noun
(plural es·sen·tials)

something essential:
something that is necessary or fundamental • Having
your own computer is an essential for this kind of work.
• She
soon picked up the essentials of the subject.
[14th
century. From late Latin essentialis, from Latin essentia (see essence ).]
—es·sen·ti·al·i·ty
[i sènshee állətee], noun

—es·sen·tial·ly
[i sénshəlee], adverb

—es·sen·tial·ness
[i sénshəlnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at necessary

[1]



essentialamino acid

essentialamino acid
es·sen·tial
a·mi·no ac·id (plural es·sen·tial a·mi·no
ac·ids) noun

amino acid required for
growth: any amino acid needed by the
body to maintain growth but not synthesized by the body and usually obtained
from food[1]



essentialelement

essentialelement
es·sen·tial
el·e·ment
(plural es·sen·tial el·e·ments) noun

element necessary to body:
a chemical element that is necessary to the healthy growth of an organism[1]



essentialism

essentialism
es·sen·tial·ism
[ə sénshə lìzzəm] noun

philosophical
doctrine of essences: the doctrine that things
have an essence or ideal nature that is independent of and prior to their
existence
—es·sen·tial·ist, noun[1]



essentialoil

essentialoil
es·sen·tial
oil
(plural es·sen·tial oils) noun

natural extract:
an oil made from an extract of a plant or substance that preserves its
fundamental properties such as flavor and fragrance[1]



Essex

Essex
Es·sex
[éssiks]

town in central Maryland,
east of Baltimore. Population: 40,872 (1990)[1]



essonite

essonite
es·so·nite 
[éssə nt] noun

yellow
or brown type of garnet: a type of garnet ranging in
color from yellow to brown.
Also
called
hessonite
Also
called
cinnamon stone
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek hēssōn “inferior” (because it is less hard than other
garnets) + -ite .][1]



est.

est.
est.

1.  Abbreviation
of
established

2.  Abbreviation
of
estimated

3.  Abbreviation
of
estuary

[1]



Est.

Est.
Est.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Esther[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








EST

EST
EST

1.  EST
or E.S.T. Abbreviation of Eastern
Standard Time

2.  Abbreviation
of
electric shock treatment

[1]



-est

-est
-est
suffix

most
• hardest
• sloppiest
[Old English][1]



establish

establish
es·tab·lish 
[ə stábblish] (past es·tab·lished,
past participle es·tab·lished, present participle es·tab·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular es·tab·lish·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
fix
permanently: to place something securely and
permanently in a position, situation, or condition • A
settlement was established here two hundred years ago.

2.  transitive
verb
inaugurate:
to start or set up something that is intended to continue or be permanent • The
firm was established in 1954.

3.  transitive
verb
prove:
to investigate something and prove or confirm its truth or validity • Have
we established who gave the instruction?

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to be recognized: to cause something or somebody to become
generally accepted or recognized • The
victory established his superiority. • Her
first novel established her on the literary scene.

5.  transitive
verb
RELIGION make
a church national and official: to make a church an
official national institution

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb GARDENING cause a plant to grow
successfully: to grow, or cause a plant to grow,
successfully in a new place • The
new owners established an avenue of poplars. • Keep
the area weeded to allow the seedlings to establish.
[14th
century. From Old French establiss-, the stem of establir, from
Latin stabilire, literally “to make stable,” from stabilis (see stable ).]
—es·tab·lish·er, noun[1]



established

established
es·tab·lished
adjective

1.  accepted
as true:
generally recognized as being true or valid • an
established fact

2.  successful:
having gained public recognition in a particular sphere of activity • an
established author

3.  growing
successfully: growing strongly • an
established garden

4.  legally
recognized:
legally recognized and sometimes financially supported as an official national
institution • an
established church

[1]



establishingshot

establishingshot
es·tab·lish·ing
shot
(plural es·tab·lish·ing shots) noun

introductory shot in scene:
a shot in a movie that introduces a new scene[1]



establishment

establishment
es·tab·lish·ment 
[ə stábblishmənt] (plural es·tab·lish·ments)
noun

1.  establishing
something:
the act of establishing something or the condition of being established • the
establishment of new guidelines for users

2.  COMMERCE something
established: something that is established as a
business, institution, or successful undertaking • The
establishment hired several new managers.

3.  COMMERCE business
premises:
a place of business • The
restaurant manager told them they were now banned from the establishment.

4.  es·tab·lish·ment
or Es·tab·lish·ment people in power:
a group of people who hold power in a society or social group and dominate its
institutions • One
period’s avant-garde becomes the next’s artistic establishment.

5.  veteran
staff:
the staff of a permanent organization, institution, or department, especially
in the military or government. Used particularly in relation to the size and
deployment of staff.

6.  household:
a place of residence, or the household that occupies it

[1]



establishmentarian

establishmentarian
es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·an
[ə stàbblishmən térree ən] (plural es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·ans)
noun

1.  member
of the social establishment: a supporter or member of the
establishment in a society or social group

2.  member
of established church: a supporter or member of an
established church
—es·tab·lish·men·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



estaminet

estaminet
es·ta·mi·net 
[es tàmmi náy] (plural es·ta·mi·nets)
noun

small
café:
a small and simple café, bar, or bistro, especially in France
[Early 19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: possibly from Walloon staminé “cowshed,”
from stamo “hitching post,” probably of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



estancia

estancia
es·tan·cia 
[e stn sy] (plural es·tan·cias)
noun

S
American ranch: a large landed estate, especially a
cattle ranch, in South America
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish, literally “station,” from medieval Latin stantia, from Latin stant-,
the present participle stem of stare “to stand” (see station ).][1]



estate

estate
es·tate 
[ə stáyt] (plural es·tates) noun

1.  rural
property with a residence: an area of rural, privately
owned property that includes a large residence

2.  all
of somebody’s property: the whole of somebody’s
property, possessions, and capital

3.  property
of a dead or bankrupt person: the assets and liabilities
of somebody who is dead or bankrupt

4.  somebody’s
overall situation: the circumstances, period,
or condition in which somebody lives

5.  POLITICS HISTORY one of 3 traditional ranks:
especially formerly in Europe, any of three traditional ranks or sectors of
society with some political power, broadly the clergy, the nobility, and the
middle class

6.  U.K.
commercial
or industrial area: a large area set aside for
industrial or commercial use
[13th century. From Old
French estat (see state ). The
underlying meaning is “condition in which somebody lives.”][1]



estateagent

estateagent
es·tate
a·gent
(plural es·tate a·gents) noun

U.K.
See real estate agent[1]



estate-bottled

estate-bottled
es·tate-bot·tled
adjective

bottled by the vineyard:
bottled by the same vineyard at which the wine was made[1]



estatecar

estatecar
es·tate
car
(plural es·tate cars) noun

U.K.
large
car with extra storage space: a car with extra storage
space behind the seats, a rear seat that folds down, and a hinged rear door
[From its ability to hold the
owner’s possessions][1]



estatetax

estatetax
es·tate
tax
(plural es·tate tax·es) noun

tax on inherited property:
a tax on the right to bequeath property, assessed on the value of the
bequeather’s property before it is passed on to the heirs.
Also called
death tax[1]



estd.

estd.
estd.
or est’d.

Abbreviation of
established[1]



esteem

esteem
es·teem 
[ə stm] transitive verb (past
es·teemed, past participle es·teemed, present
participle es·teem·ing, 3rd person present singular es·teems)

1.  value
highly:
to value somebody or something highly

2.  regard
as something: to consider or regard something or
somebody as being in a particular category • I
esteem him a friend.
noun

1.  high
regard:
high valuation of somebody or something • It
was a relationship founded on mutual esteem.

2.  valuation:
judgment or estimation of the worth of somebody or something
[Early
16th century. Via Old French estimer “to value” from Latin aestimare
(see estimate ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



Estefan,Gloria

Estefan,Gloria
Es·te·fan
[éstə fàn], Gloria (1957– )

Cuban-born
U.S. singer and songwriter. She established herself first as a Spanish-language
pop singer with the group Miami Sound Machine (1985–1989) before gaining an
international following as a solo artist.
Born
Fajardo, Gloria Maria[1]



ester

ester
es·ter 
[éstər] (plural es·ters) noun

organic
compound:
an organic often fragrant compound formed in a reaction between an acid and an
alcohol with the elimination of water
[Mid-19th century. From
German, a contraction of Essigäther “acetic ether.”][1]



esterase

esterase
es·ter·ase 
[éstə ràyss, éstə
ràyz] (plural es·ter·ases) noun

enzyme involved in the
hydrolysis of esters: any enzyme
that acts as a catalyst in the hydrolysis of an ester[1]



esterify

esterify
es·ter·i·fy 
[ə stérrə f] (past es·ter·i·fied,
past participle es·ter·i·fied, present participle es·ter·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular es·ter·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
into ester:
to change or make a substance change into an ester
—es·ter·i·fi·ca·tion [es tèrrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



Esth.

Esth.
Esth.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Esther[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Esther

Esther
Es·ther 
[éstər] noun

1.  Jewish
queen in the Bible: in the Bible, the Jewish
Queen of Persia who is described as having rescued her Jewish subjects from
massacre

2.  book
of Bible:
a book in the Bible that tells the story of Esther

[1]



esthesia

esthesia
es·the·sia 
noun

See
aesthesia[1]



esthete

esthete
es·thete 
noun

See
aesthete[1]



esthetic

esthetic
es·thet·ic 
adjective noun

See
aesthetic[1]



estheticize

estheticize
es·thet·i·cize 
transitive verb

See
aestheticize[1]



esthetics

esthetics
es·thet·ics 
noun

See
aesthetics[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Estigarribia,Jose Felix

Estigarribia,Jose Felix
Es·ti·gar·ri·bi·a
[èsti gə ríbbee ə, èsti
gaa rbee ə], Jose Felix (1888–1940)

Paraguayan general and
politician. He was president from 1939 until his death in an airplane crash.[1]



estimable

estimable
es·ti·ma·ble 
[éstəməb’l] adjective

1.  admirable:
deserving respect or admiration

2.  able
to be estimated: able to be estimated (archaic)
[15th
century. From Old French, from, ultimately, Latin aestimare (see esteem ).]
—es·ti·ma·ble·ness,
noun

—es·ti·ma·bly, adverb[1]



estimate

estimate
es·ti·mate 
intransitive and transitive verb [éstə màyt]
(past es·ti·mat·ed, past participle es·ti·mat·ed, present
participle es·ti·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular es·ti·mates)

1.  calculate
roughly:
to make an approximate calculation of something • Can
you estimate the time it will take?

2.  submit
a price:
to assess something, such as an item to be bought or a job to be done, and to
state a likely price for it • Ask at
least two contractors to estimate the job.

3.  assess:
to form an opinion or judgment about somebody or something • How
would you estimate that performance?
noun
[éstəmət] (plural es·ti·mates)

1.  rough
calculation: an approximate calculation • At
least a thousand people attended, by my estimate. • Here
are the estimates for next month’s sales figures.

2.  approximate
price:
an assessment of the likely price of something, such as an item to be bought or
a job to be done • Their estimate is the
lowest.
[Late
16th century. From Latin aestimare “to value” (source also of English esteem ), of unknown origin.]
—es·ti·ma·tive
[éstə màytiv], adjective

—es·ti·ma·tor
[éstə màytər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  estimate
  or estimation ?
  Broadly
  speaking, estimation refers to “a thinking
  or valuing process” and estimate to “the
  result of such a process.” • An
  estimate of the time needed is the figure produced by
  working out how long something will take, whereas • an
  estimation of the time needed is the calculation
  process that produces that figure. Estimation
  also has the special meaning “opinion or regard,” which estimate does not have: • What,
  in your estimation, is the cause of the problem? • She
  went down in their estimation when the truth came out.

[1]



estimation

estimation
es·ti·ma·tion 
[èstə máysh’n] (plural es·ti·ma·tions)
noun

1.  assessment:
a judgment or opinion about somebody or something • Her
behavior bore out his estimation of her.

2.  act
of estimating: the act of estimating something, or the
result of this

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at estimate.

[1]



estival

estival
es·ti·val
[éstəv’l] or aes·ti·val [éstəv’l] adjective

of
summer:
relating to or happening during summer
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin aestivus, from aestas “summer.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to burn.”][1]



estivate

estivate
es·ti·vate 
[éstə vàyt] (past es·ti·vat·ed,
past participle es·ti·vat·ed, present participle es·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular es·ti·vates) or aes·ti·vate
[éstə vàyt] (past aes·ti·vat·ed,
past participle aes·ti·vat·ed, present participle aes·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular aes·ti·vates) intransitive verb

1.  be
dormant in summer: to be dormant during the
summer or during months of drought (refers to animals, especially some
amphibians, reptiles, and insects)

2.  spend
summer somewhere: to spend the summer in a particular
place (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin aestivare, from aestivus (see estival
).][1]



estivation

estivation
es·ti·va·tion 
[èstə váysh’n] or aes·ti·va·tion
[èstə váysh’n] noun

1.  ZOOLOGY summer
dormancy:
dormancy in some animals during the summer or months of drought

2.  BOTANY arrangement
of flower bud parts: the arrangement of the
sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens, especially how and to what
extent the parts overlap

3.  passing
the summer:
spending summer in a particular place (formal)

[1]



Estonia

Estonia



Es·to·ni·a
[es tṓnee ə]
republic on the Gulf of Finland in
northeastern Europe, north of Latvia and west of Russia. The smallest of the
Baltic States, it gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Language: Estonian. Currency: kroon. Capital: Tallinn. Population: 1,437,000
(1997) Area: 45,227 sq km/17,462 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Estonia[1]



Estonia




Back to definition

Estonia

[1]



Estonian

Estonian
Es·to·ni·an 
[es tṓnee ən] noun (plural Es·to·ni·ans)

1.  somebody
from Estonia: somebody who was born or raised in
Estonia, or who has Estonian citizenship

2.  language
of Estonia:
the official language of Estonia. It is one of the Finnic group of the
Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic family of languages. About 1.7 million people
speak Estonian.
adjective

of Estonia:
relating to Estonia or its people, language, or culture

[1]



estop

estop
es·top 
[ə stóp] (past es·topped, past
participle es·topped, present participle es·top·ping, 3rd
person present singular es·tops) transitive verb

1.  prevent
by legal rule: to use the legal rule of estoppel to
prevent something

2.  prevent:
to stop or prevent something (archaic)
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman and Old French estopper, literally “to plug
up,” from, ultimately, Latin stuppa “tow, broken flax,” used for
plugging gaps.]
—es·top·page, noun[1]



estoppel

estoppel
es·top·pel 
[e stópp’l] noun

legal
rule barring inconsistency: a legal rule that prevents
somebody from stating a position inconsistent with one previously stated,
especially when the earlier representation has been relied upon by others
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French estouppail “stopper,” from estopper (see estop ).][1]



estradiol

estradiol
es·tra·di·ol 
[èstrə d àwl] noun

hormone:
an estrogenic hormone produced in the ovaries and synthesized for use in
treating estrogen deficiency and breast cancer. C18H24O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from estr(us) + di- + -ol .][1]



estral

estral
es·tral 
adjective

ZOOLOGY
See estrous[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








estrange

estrange
es·trange 
[ə stráynj] (past es·tranged, past
participle es·tranged, present participle es·trang·ing,
3rd person present singular es·trang·es) transitive verb

cause
to stop being friendly: to cause somebody to stop
feeling friendly or affectionate toward somebody else or sympathetic toward a
tradition or belief (usually passive) • He
managed to become estranged from all of his friends.
[15th
century. Via Old French estrangier “to alienate” from Latin extraneare
“to treat as a stranger,” from extraneus (see strange
).]
—es·trang·er,
noun

—es·trange·ment, noun[1]



estranged

estranged
es·tranged
[i stráynjd] adjective

separated from a spouse:
no longer living with a husband or wife[1]



estray

estray
es·tray 
[ə stráy] (plural es·trays) noun

stray
animal:
in law, a domestic animal that has strayed and has no obvious owner (formal)
[Early 16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French estraier (see stray
).][1]



estriol

estriol
es·tri·ol 
[éstree àwl] noun

hormone
secreted during pregnancy: an estrogen hormone produced
in the ovaries, secreted in the urine during pregnancy, and synthesized for use
in treating estrogen deficiency. C18H24O3
[Early 20th century. Coined
from estrus + tri-
+ -ol .][1]



estrogen

estrogen
es·tro·gen 
[éstrəjən] (plural es·tro·gens)
noun

hormone:
any of several steroid hormones, produced mainly in the ovaries, that stimulate
estrus and the development of female secondary sexual characteristics
[Early 20th century. Coined
from estr(us) + -gen .][1]



estrogen-replacementtherapy

estrogen-replacementtherapy
es·tro·gen-re·place·ment
ther·a·py
noun

estrogen treatment after
menopause: treatment to maintain levels
of the hormone estrogen in women after menopause to avoid bone fragility ( osteoporosis ) and protect against heart attacks.
U.K. term
hormone replacement therapy[1]



estrone

estrone
es·trone 
[és trn] noun

hormone:
an estrogenic hormone produced in the ovaries and synthesized for use in
treating estrogen deficiency and breast cancer. C18H22O2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from estr(us) + -one .][1]



estrous

estrous
es·trous
[éstrəss] or es·tral [éstrəl] adjective

ZOOLOGY involving
estrus:
relating to, involving, or in estrus.
See
also
anestrus
[Early 20th century][1]



estrouscycle

estrouscycle
es·trous
cy·cle
noun

female reproductive cycle in
mammals: a hormonally controlled
reproductive cycle occurring in many female mammals, marked by a period of
sexual activity, ovulation, and changes in the womb lining[1]



estrus

estrus
es·trus 
[éstrəss] or oes·trus [éstrəss] noun

sexual
heat:
a regular period of sexual excitement in many female mammals during which the
animal seeks to mate
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
oestrus, “frenzy,” from Greek oistros “gad-fly,” the underlying
sense being “sting, irritation” and hence “stimulus to action,” from,
ultimately, an Indo-European word denoting “passion” that is also the ancestor
of English irate .][1]



estuarine

estuarine
es·tu·a·rine 
[éschoo ə rn, éschoo
ə rn] adjective

of estuaries:
relating to, formed in, or found in an estuary[1]



estuary

estuary
es·tu·ar·y 
[éschoo èrree] (plural es·tu·ar·ies)
noun

section
of a river meeting the sea: the wide lower course of a
river where the tide flows in, causing fresh and salt water to mix
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin aestuarium, from aestus “heat, surge, tide.”]
—es·tu·ar·i·al [èschoo érree əl], adjective[1]



EstuaryEnglish

EstuaryEnglish
Es·tu·ar·y
Eng·lish
noun

dialect
of SE England: a variety of standard English influenced
by Cockney, spoken by people in London and southeastern England along the
Thames Estuary (informal)





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Estuary English, or Estuary, is a variety
  of the English language spoken in and around Greater London, especially among
  younger people. It is so named because it was first noticed in the early
  1980s in Essex and Kent, counties north and south of the Thames Estuary. For
  some people, Estuary is a positive development, for others it is a deplorable
  departure from tradition and good taste. Generally perceived as a compromise
  between popular London usage (especially Cockney) and Received Pronunciation
  (RP), it is largely the province of the young, used by both the upwardly
  mobile and pupils of the public (that is, private) schools, who adapt away
  from RP, a form of speech traditionally identifying higher social class.
  Estuary appears to be spreading north and west, partly encouraged by postwar
  emigration from London, partly by egalitarianism, and partly by popular
  culture and the media. Among its features are: (1) The use of /w/ rather than
  /l/ at or near the end of syllables: taw “tall,” miwk “milk,” and St. Paw’s
  Cathedraw “St Paul’s Cathedral”; in Estuary, forty and faulty have the same
  pronunciation “fowty”; (2) Use of glottal stops instead of the consonants /k,
  p, t/ at the ends of syllables, as in “a pa?er on a te?nicaw ma?er” for a
  paper on a technical matter. (3) The use of /i/ instead of /I/ in word-final
  position: “citee” for city, “lovelee” for lovely, “reallee” for really. See
  COCKNEY, RECEIVED PRONUNCIATION.

[1]



esu

esu
esu
or ESU

Abbreviation of
electrostatic unit[1]



esurient

esurient
e·su·ri·ent 
[i sree ənt] adjective

greedy:
very hungry or greedy (archaic or formal)
[Late
17th century. From Latin esurient-, the present participle stem of esurire
“to be hungry,” literally “to want to eat,” from edere (see edible ).]
—e·su·ri·ence,
noun

—e·su·ri·en·cy, noun[1]



ET

ET
ET

Abbreviation of
extraterrestrial[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-et

-et
-et
suffix

1.  small
one • falconet

2.  something
worn on • anklet
[Via Old French from assumed
Vulgar Latin -ittum, of unknown origin][1]



ETA

ETA1
ETA1 or e.t.a.

Abbreviation of
estimated time of arrival[1]



eta

eta1
e·ta1  [áytə,
tə] noun

7th
letter of Greek alphabet: the seventh letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “e” or “ē”
[15th century. From Greek ēta
.][1]



eta

eta2
e·ta2  [áytə]
(plural e·tas or e·ta) noun

member
of former low Japanese class: in former times, a member of
a Japanese class that was restricted to doing menial and disagreeable tasks
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



ETA

ETA2
ETA2 or Eta noun

Basque
nationalist guerrilla group: a Basque nationalist
guerrilla group that seeks separation and independence from Spain for the
Basque region
[Mid-20th century. From
Basque, an acronym for Euzkadi ta Askatsuna “Basque Nation and
Liberty.”][1]



etal.

etal.
et
al. 
adverb

and
elsewhere
[Shortening of Latin et alibi
“and elsewhere”][1]



etalon

etalon
et·a·lon
[áyt’l òn, étt’l
òn] (plural et·a·lons) noun

optical
instrument that measures wavelengths: a
spectroscopic device that has two flat parallel reflecting surfaces and is used
to measure wavelengths
[Early 20th century. From
French étalon “standard,” from Old French estal “standing place”
(see stale ).][1]



etamine

etamine
et·a·mine 
[éttə mn] (plural et·a·mines)
noun

lightweight
fabric:
a light, loosely woven cotton or worsted fabric
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin stamineus “made of threads,” from stamen
“thread” (see stamen ).][1]



etc.

etc.
etc.

Abbreviation of
et cetera[1]



etcetera

etcetera
et
cet·er·a 
[et séttərə, et
séttrə] or et·cet·er·a [et
séttərə, et séttrə] adverb

and
so on:
used to indicate that a list contains other unspecified items • an
urgent request for clothes, food, medicines, etc
noun

something
or somebody unspecified: one of several or many
unspecified things or people
[From Latin, literally “and
the rest”][1]



etch

etch
etch 
[ech] (past etched, past
participle etched, present participle etch·ing, 3rd
person present singular etch·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb DESIGN cut a design into something
with acid:
to create a design or drawing on the surface of something, especially a
printing plate, by the action of an acid

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
marks with something sharp: to cut a design or mark into
the surface of something using a sharp point or laser beam

3.  transitive
verb
make
clearly visible: to leave a clear and distinct impression
of something (usually passive) • His
sorrow was etched on his face.
[Mid-17th
century. Via Dutch etsen from, ultimately, Old High German ezzen
“to eat away.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English eat and edible .]
—etch·er, noun[1]



etching

etching
etch·ing 
[éching] (plural etch·ings) noun

1.  creation
of cut designs: the art or process of creating etched
designs or making prints from etched surfaces

2.  print
from an etched plate: a print made from an etched
plate

3.  printing
plate for etching: a printing plate with an
etched design

[1]



ETD

ETD
ETD
or e.t.d.

Abbreviation of
estimated time of departure[1]



eternal

eternal
e·ter·nal 
[ə túrn’l] adjective

1.  existing
through all time: lasting for all time without beginning
or end • eternal
life

2.  unchanging:
unaffected by the passage of time • eternal
truths

3.  seemingly
everlasting: seeming to go on for ever or recur
incessantly (informal) • an
eternal student
noun

what lasts for ever:
something that exists everlastingly
[14th
century. From Old French, from, ultimately, Latin aeternus .]
—e·ter·nal·i·ty
[tər nállətee], noun

—e·ter·nal·ly [ə túrn’lee], adverb[1]



Eternal

Eternal
E·ter·nal
noun

God:
God as a universal spirit[1]



EternalCity

EternalCity
E·ter·nal
Cit·y
noun

Rome:
Rome, the capital of Italy (literary)[1]



eternalize

eternalize
e·ter·nal·ize 
[ə túrn’l z] (past e·ter·nal·ized,
past participle e·ter·nal·ized, present participle e·ter·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ter·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
eternal:
to make something eternal

2.  make
immortal:
to make something so famous as to become immortal

[1]



eternaltriangle

eternaltriangle
e·ter·nal
tri·an·gle
(plural e·ter·nal tri·an·gles) noun

triangular
sexual or romantic relationship: a sexual or romantic
relationship among three persons that involves jealousy or other emotional
conflicts
[From the notion that such relationships
have been known throughout history][1]



eternity

eternity
e·ter·ni·ty 
[ə túrnitee] noun

1.  infinite
time:
time without beginning or end • lost
for all eternity

2.  timelessness:
the condition, quality, or fact of being without beginning or end

3.  RELIGION timelessness
after death: a timeless state conceived as being
experienced after death

4.  very
long time:
a very long or seemingly very long period of time • It
will take an eternity to put it together again.
plural
noun
e·ter·ni·ties

truths said to be eternal:
beliefs or ideas about life that are conceived as being timeless
[14th
century. Via Old French eternite from Latin aeternitas, from aeternus
(see eternal ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  From
  Here to Eternity, a movie by director Fred Zinnemann ( 1953 ). Based on James
  Jones’s 1951 novel of the same name, it depicts the lives of U.S. military
  personnel in Hawaii immediately prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is
  perhaps best remembered for a scene in which Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr
  embrace in the surf.

[1]



eternityring

eternityring
e·ter·ni·ty
ring
(plural e·ter·ni·ty rings) noun

ring with stones set in a
circle: a ring with gemstones set
around its whole circumference, intended to symbolize everlasting love[1]



eternize

eternize
e·ter·nize 
[ə túr nz] (past e·ter·nized,
past participle e·ter·nized, present participle e·ter·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ter·niz·es) transitive verb

See
eternalize
[Mid-16th century. From
French éterniser, from, ultimately, Latin aeternus (see eternal ).][1]



etesianwind

etesianwind
e·te·sian
wind
[ə tzh’n wind] adjective

wind
from northwest in eastern Mediterranean: an
annual summer wind that blows from the northwest in the Aegean Sea and other
parts of the eastern Mediterranean
[Early 17th century. Etesian
formed from Latin etesius “annual,” from Greek etēsios, from etos
“year.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “year.”][1]



eth

eth
eth 
noun

See
edh[1]



ethambutol

ethambutol
eth·am·bu·tol 
[e thámbyə tàwl] noun

drug
used to treat tuberculosis: an antimicrobial substance
used in combination with other drugs in the treatment of tuberculosis. C10H24N2O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ethyl + amine
+ butanol .][1]



ethanal

ethanal
eth·a·nal
[éthə nàl] noun

See
acetaldehyde[1]



ethanamide

ethanamide
e·tha·na·mide
[i thánnə md] noun

See
acetamide[1]



ethane

ethane
eth·ane 
[é thàyn] noun

gas
used as fuel: a colorless odorless gas that is highly
flammable and occurs naturally in petroleum and natural gas. It is used as a
fuel and in refrigeration. C2H6
[Late 19th century. Coineded
from ethyl + -ane
.][1]



ethanedioicacid

ethanedioicacid
eth·ane·di·o·ic
ac·id
[èthayn dī ṓik ássid] noun

CHEMISTRY
See oxalic acid[1]



ethanoicacid

ethanoicacid
eth·a·no·ic
ac·id
[ethə n ik ássid] noun

See
acetic acid[1]



ethanol

ethanol
eth·a·nol 
[éthə nàwl] noun

liquid
in alcoholic beverages: a colorless liquid with a
pleasant smell that is produced naturally from fermentation by yeasts and other
microorganisms. It is used in alcoholic beverages, as a solvent, and in the
manufacture of other chemicals. C2H5OH
Also
called
ethyl alcohol
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ethane + -ol
.][1]



ethanolamine

ethanolamine
eth·a·nol·a·mine 
[èthə nóllə mn] noun

chemical with industrial
uses: any of three colorless solid
or viscous substances. They are used widely in industry, for example, in
manufacturing antibiotics, cosmetics, detergents, and herbicides.[1]



Ethelbert

Ethelbert
Eth·el·bert 
[éth’l bùrt], King of Kent (552?–616)

He dominated southern England
during his reign (560–616) and was the first Christian Anglo-Saxon monarch,
being baptized in 597 by St. Augustine of Canterbury.[1]



EthelredI

EthelredI
Eth·el·red
I
[éth’l rèd], King of the West Saxons and
Kentishmen (830?–871)

His reign (866–71) saw
continual struggle with Danish invaders, whom he defeated at Ashdown in 871.[1]



EthelredII

EthelredII
Eth·el·red
II
[éth’l rèd], King of the English (968–1016)

His
reign was marked by bitter military struggles.
Known as
Ethelred the Unready[1]



ethene

ethene
eth·ene 
[é thn] noun

ethylene:
ethylene (technical)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from ethyl + -ene
.][1]



ether

ether
e·ther 
[thər] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY liquid
solvent and anesthetic: a volatile colorless liquid
with a pleasant smell. It is used as a solvent and was formerly used as an
anesthetic. C2H5OC2H5 
Also
called
diethyl ether

2.  (plural
e·thers) CHEMISTRY organic
compound with linked hydrocarbon groups: any
organic compound containing two hydrocarbon groups linked by an oxygen atom

3.  e·ther
or ae·ther PHYSICS hypothetical
electro-magnetic medium: a medium formerly believed
to fill the atmosphere and outer space and to carry electromagnetic waves • send
a message across the ether

4.  e·ther
or ae·ther sky:
the sky or upper reaches of the atmosphere (literary)

5.  e·ther
or ae·ther air:
air (literary)
[14th
century. Via Latin aether from Greek aithēr “upper air.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to burn,” which is also the
ancestor of English estival, edifice, and estuary
.]
—e·ther·ic [i thérrik], adjective[1]



ethereal

ethereal
e·the·re·al
[ə three əl] adjective

1.  exquisite:
very delicate or highly refined • ethereal
beauty

2.  airy:
very light, airy, or insubstantial • Her
fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence.

3.  heavenly:
belonging to the heavens or the celestial sphere

4.  CHEMISTRY of
ether:
consisting of, containing, or relating to ether
[Early
16th century. Via Latin aetherius from, ultimately, Greek aithēr
(see ether ).]
—e·the·re·al·i·ty
[ə three állətee], noun

—e·the·re·al·ly
[ə three əlee], adverb

—e·the·re·al·ness [ə three əlnəss], noun[1]



etherealize

etherealize
e·the·re·al·ize 
[ə three ə lz] (past e·the·re·al·ized,
past participle e·the·re·al·ized, present participle e·the·re·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·the·re·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
ethereal:
to make something very delicate or refined

2.  CHEMISTRY make
into ether:
to turn something into ether
—e·the·re·al·i·za·tion
[ə three əli záysh’n], noun[1]



Etherege,George

Etherege,George
Eth·er·ege 
[éthərij], Sir George (1635?–1691)

English playwright. His witty
and mildly risqué plays, such as The Man of Mode ( 1676 ), established
the style for what is now called Restoration comedy.[1]



etherify

etherify
e·ther·i·fy 
[ə thérrə f] (past e·ther·i·fied,
past participle e·ther·i·fied, present participle e·ther·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ther·i·fies) transitive verb

CHEMISTRY convert
to ether:
to convert a substance, especially an alcohol, into ether (technical)
—e·ther·i·fi·ca·tion [ə thèrrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



etherize

etherize
e·ther·ize 
[thə rz] (past e·ther·ized, past
participle e·ther·ized, present participle e·ther·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ther·iz·es) transitive verb

See
etherify
—e·ther·i·za·tion
[thəri záysh’n], noun

—e·ther·iz·er, noun[1]



Ethernet

Ethernet
Eth·er·net
[thər nèt] Trademark

a trademark for a system for
exchanging messages between computers on a local area network using coaxial,
fiber optic, or twisted-pair cables[1]



ethic

ethic
eth·ic 
[éthik] noun

set
of principles: a system of moral standards or
principles • the
Protestant work ethic.
See
also
ethics
[Late 19th century. Via
French éthique from, ultimately, Greek ēthikē, from ēthikos
“ethical,” from ēthos “character, nature” (see ethos
).][1]



ethical

ethical
eth·i·cal 
[éthik’l] adjective

1.  conforming
to accepted standards: consistent with agreed
principles of correct moral conduct • While
such activities are not strictly illegal, they are certainly not ethical.

2.  of
ethics:
relating to or involving ethics

3.  PHARMACOLOGY available
by prescription only: used to describe a drug that
is available only through a doctor’s prescription
—eth·i·cal·i·ty
[èthi kállətee], noun

—eth·i·cal·ly
[éthikəlee], adverb

—eth·i·cal·ness [éthik’lnəss], noun[1]



ethicist

ethicist
eth·i·cist 
[éthissist] (plural eth·i·cists)
noun

specialist in ethics:
somebody who studies ethics or is devoted to ethical ideals[1]



ethics

ethics
eth·ics
[éthiks] noun

1.  study
of morality’s effect on conduct: the study of moral
standards and how they affect conduct (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
moral philosophy

2.  code
of morality: a system of moral principles governing
the appropriate conduct for an individual or group (takes a plural verb)
[15th century. Via Old French
ethiques from, ultimately, Greek ēthika, from ēthikos
“ethical” (see ethic ).][1]



Ethiopia




Back to definition

Ethiopia

[1]



Ethiopia

Ethiopia



E·thi·o·pi·a
[thee ṓpee ə]
landlocked country in northeastern
Africa, separated from the Red Sea by Eritrea and Djibouti, and from the Gulf
of Aden by Somalia. It is the oldest independent country in Africa. Language:
Amharic. Currency: birr. Capital: Addis Ababa. Population: 57,098,762 (1997)
Area: 1,133,380 sq km/437,600 sq mi. Official name Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia[1]



Ethiopian

Ethiopian
E·thi·o·pi·an 
[thee ṓpee ən] noun (plural E·thi·o·pi·ans)

1.  somebody
from Ethiopia: somebody who was born or raised in
Ethiopia, or who has Ethiopian citizenship

2.  old
term for black person: a term, now considered
offensive, for a black person (archaic)
adjective

1.  of
Ethiopia:
relating to Ethiopia or its people or culture

2.  ZOOLOGY of
Africa south of the Sahara: used to describe Africa
south of the Sahara as a biogeographical area

[1]



Ethiopic

Ethiopic
E·thi·op·ic 
[thee óppik, thee
ṓpik] noun

LANGUAGE See Geez
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek aithiopikos, from the stem Aithiop- “Ethiopian,” from aithein
“to burn” + ōps “face.”][1]



ethmoidbone

ethmoidbone
eth·moid
bone
[éth mòyd ] (plural eth·moid bones)
noun

bone
in front of skull: a perforated bone in the
skull whose outer surfaces form part of the outer wall of the nasal cavity and
the inner wall of the eye socket
[Mid-18th
century. From Greek ēthmoeidēs “sievelike,” from ēthmos “sieve.”]
—eth·moid·al [eth móyd’l], adjective[1]



ethnarch

ethnarch
eth·narch 
[éth nrk] (plural eth·narchs)
noun

1.  ruler:
a ruler of a province or people

2.  ruler
in the Roman Empire: a ruler of a province or
people in the Roman Empire
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek ethnarkhēs, from ethnos “nation” (see ethnic ) and -arkhēs “ruler” (see -arch ).]
—eth·nar·chy, noun[1]



ethnic

ethnic
eth·nic 
[éthnik] adjective

1.  sharing
cultural characteristics: sharing distinctive cultural
traits as a group in society • ethnic
minorities

2.  of
a group sharing cultural characteristics:
relating to a group or groups in society with distinctive cultural traits • ethnic
origins

3.  of
specified origin or culture: belonging to a particular
group by descent or culture rather than by nationality

4.  culturally
traditional: belonging to or typical of the
traditional culture of a social group • ethnic
clothing
noun
(plural eth·nics)

member of an ethnic group:
a member of an ethnic group within a society
[14th
century. Via late Latin ethnicus “heathen” from Greek ethnikos,
from ethnos “people, nation.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
denoting “self.”]
—eth·ni·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ethniccleansing

ethniccleansing
eth·nic
cleans·ing
noun

violent elimination of an
ethnic group: the violent elimination
or removal from an area of people attacked because of their ethnic backgrounds,
by means of genocide or forced expulsion[1]



ethnicity

ethnicity
eth·nic·i·ty 
[eth níssətee] (plural eth·nic·i·ties)
noun

ethnic affiliation:
ethnic affiliation or distinctiveness[1]



ethnicminority

ethnicminority
eth·nic
mi·nor·i·ty
noun

minority cultural population:
an ethnic group that is a minority within a nation or society[1]



ethno-

ethno-
ethno-
prefix

people,
culture • ethnohistory
[From Greek ethnos
’people, nation’ (see ethnic )][1]



ethnobotany

ethnobotany
eth·no·bot·a·ny 
[èthnō bótt’nee] noun

study
of traditional plant use: the scientific study of the
traditional classification and uses of plants in different human societies
—eth·no·bo·tan·i·cal
[èthnō bə tánnik’l], adjective

—eth·no·bo·tan·i·cal·ly
[èthnō bə tánnikəlee], adverb

—eth·no·bot·a·nist [èthnō bótt’nist], noun[1]



ethnocentrism

ethnocentrism
eth·no·cen·trism 
[èthnō sén trìzzəm] noun

conviction
of own cultural superiority: a belief in or assumption of
the superiority of your own social or cultural group (disapproving)
—eth·no·cen·tric,
adjective

—eth·no·cen·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—eth·no·cen·tric·i·ty
[èthnō sen tríssətee], noun[1]



ethnogenesis

ethnogenesis
eth·no·gen·e·sis
[èthnō jénnəssiss] noun

emergence of an ethnic group:
the creation of a new ethnic group identity[1]



ethnography

ethnography
eth·nog·ra·phy 
[eth nóggrəfee] noun

description
of an ethnic group: a branch of anthropology
concerned with the description of ethnic groups
—eth·nog·ra·pher,
noun

—eth·no·graph·ic
[èthnə gráffik], adjective

—eth·no·graph·i·cal·ly
[èthnə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



ethnohistory

ethnohistory
eth·no·his·to·ry 
[èthnō hístəree] noun

study
of development of cultures: the scientific study of how
cultures have developed through history
—eth·no·his·to·ri·an
[èthnō his táwree ən], noun

—eth·no·his·to·ric, adjective[1]



ethnolinguistics

ethnolinguistics
eth·no·lin·guis·tics 
[èthnō ling wístiks] noun

study
of culture and language: the scientific study of the
relationship between language and culture (takes a singular verb)
—eth·no·lin·guist
[èthnō líng gwist], noun

—eth·no·lin·guis·tic
[èthnō ling gwístik], adjective

—eth·no·lin·guis·ti·cally
[èthnō ling gwístikəlee], adverb[1]



ethnology

ethnology
eth·nol·o·gy 
[eth nólləjee] noun

1.  study
of ethnic groups: the comparison of different cultures, or
the study of how and why cultures differ. Ethnology can focus on one culture
through time, or several cultures at the same time.

2.  See
cultural anthropology
—eth·no·log·ic
[èthnə lójjik], adjective

—eth·no·log·i·cal·ly
[èthnə lójjikəlee], adverb

—eth·nol·o·gist [eth nólləjist], noun[1]



ethnomethodology

ethnomethodology
eth·no·meth·od·ol·o·gy 
[èthnō methə dólləjee] noun

study
of social structure of interactions: the
study of how people interact in ways that maintain the social structure of the
situations in which they find themselves
—eth·no·meth·od·ol·o·gist,
noun[1]



ethnomusicology

ethnomusicology
eth·no·mu·si·col·o·gy 
[èthnō myoozi kólləjee] noun

study
of non-Western music: the study of the music of
non-Western cultures
—eth·no·mu·si·co·log·i·cal
[èthnō myoozikə lójjik’l], adjective

—eth·no·mu·si·col·o·gist
[èthnō myoozi kólləjist], noun[1]



ethology

ethology
e·thol·o·gy 
[ee thólləjee, i
thólləjee] noun

1.  study
of animal behavioral patterns: the study of the
behavior of animals in their natural habitat, usually proposing evolutionary
explanations

2.  See
human ethology
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin ethologia, from, ultimately, Greek ēthos (see
ethos ).]
—eth·o·log·i·cal
[thə lójjik’l, èthə
lójjik’l], adjective

—e·thol·o·gist [ee thólləjist, i thólləjist],
noun[1]



ethos

ethos
e·thos 
[ thòss] noun

shared
fundamental traits: the fundamental and
distinctive character of a group, social context, or period of time, typically
expressed in attitudes, habits, and beliefs
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
ēthos “custom, disposition.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
denoting “self,” which is also the ancestor of English self, suicide,
idiom, and custom .][1]



ethoxy

ethoxy
eth·ox·y
[i thóksee] adjective

forming
or containing ethyl and oxygen: forming or containing
a chemical group composed of ethyl and oxygen. CH3CH2O
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ethyl + oxy-
.][1]



ethoxyethane

ethoxyethane
eth·ox·y·eth·ane
[ithòksee thayn] noun

ether:
ether (technical)[1]



ethoxyl

ethoxyl
eth·ox·yl
[i thóksəl] adjective

See
ethoxy[1]



ethyl

ethyl
eth·yl 
[éthəl] noun

chemical
group with carbon and hydrogen: a chemical group
containing carbon and hydrogen, deriving from ethane. CH3CH2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from ether + -yl
.][1]



ethylacetate

ethylacetate
eth·yl
ac·e·tate
noun

fragrant liquid:
a volatile colorless liquid with a pleasant fruity smell. It is used in making
perfumes and as a solvent. C4H8O2[1]



ethylalcohol

ethylalcohol
eth·yl
al·co·hol
noun

See
ethanol[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ethylamine

ethylamine
eth·yl·a·mine 
[èthələ mn, éthələ
mn] noun

colorless liquid used in
petroleum refining: a colorless
liquid used in petroleum refining and detergents. C2H 5NH2[1]



ethylate

ethylate
eth·yl·ate 
[éthə làyt] (past eth·yl·at·ed,
past participle eth·yl·at·ed, present participle eth·yl·at·ing,
3rd person present singular eth·yl·ates) transitive verb

attach
an ethyl group to: to attach an ethyl group to
a molecule or to one of the molecules of a compound
—eth·yl·a·tion [èthə láysh’n], noun[1]



ethylcarbamate

ethylcarbamate
ethyl
carbamate
noun

CHEMISTRY
See urethane[1]



ethylene

ethylene
eth·yl·ene 
[éthə ln] noun

flammable
gas:
a colorless flammable gas occurring in petroleum and natural gas and produced
by ripening fruit. It is used in the manufacture of polymers and other
chemicals, in metallurgy, and to ripen and color harvested fruit. C2H4 
Also
called
ethene
—eth·yl·e·nic [èthə lnik], adjective[1]



ethyleneglycol

ethyleneglycol
eth·yl·ene
gly·col
noun

liquid used as antifreeze:
a viscous colorless liquid with a sweet taste. It is used as an antifreeze and
in the manufacture of polyester. C2H6O2 
Also called
glycol[1]



ethylmercaptan

ethylmercaptan
eth·yl
mer·cap·tan
noun

liquid used to give fuels
odor: a strong-smelling colorless
liquid that is added to odorless fuels to give them an odor so that leaks can
be detected. C2H5SH[1]



ethyne

ethyne
e·thyne
[é thn, e thn]
noun

See
acetylene[1]



etic

etic
et·ic
[éttik] adjective

ANTHROPOLOGY using
an outside observer’s categorization:
making use of preestablished categories for organizing and interpreting
anthropological data, rather than categories recognized within the culture
being studied.
See
also
-emic
[Mid-20th century. From phonetic .][1]



-etic

-etic
-etic
suffix

used
to form adjectives from nouns ending in -esis • geodetic
[Via Latin from Greek -ētikos,
from -etos][1]



etiolated

etiolated
e·ti·o·lat·ed
[tee ə làytəd] adjective

pale
and spindly: used to describe a plant that is
abnormally tall and spindly and deficient in green pigment chlorophyll owing to
lack of light
[Late
18th century. Formed from etiolate, from French étioler, of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Norman French étieuler “to grow into
stalks,” ultimately from Latin stipula “straw.”]
—e·ti·o·la·tion [tee ə láysh’n], noun[1]



etiology

etiology
e·ti·ol·o·gy 
[tee ólləjee] (plural e·ti·ol·o·gies)
or ae·ti·ol·o·gy [tee ólləjee]
(plural ae·ti·ol·o·gies) noun

1.  study
of causes:
the philosophical investigation of causes and origins

2.  medical
specialty:
the branch of medicine that investigates the causes and origins of disease

3.  cause
of a disease: the set of factors that contributes to
the occurrence of a disease
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin aetiologia from Greek aitiologia “statement of
the cause,” from aita “cause.”]
—e·ti·o·log·ic
[tee ə lójjik], adjective

—e·ti·o·log·i·cal·ly
[tee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—e·ti·ol·o·gist [tee ólləjist], noun[1]



etiquette

etiquette
et·i·quette 
[éttikət, étti
kèt] noun

rules
of acceptable behavior: the rules and conventions
governing correct or polite behavior in society in general or in a particular
social or professional group or situation • Etiquette
dictates that wedding invitations should be acknowledged in writing.
[Mid-18th century. From
French, “ticket,” also “etiquette” (probably from the custom of giving rules
for behavior either on a soldier’s lodging ticket or on cards given out at
court).][1]



Etna,Mount

Etna,Mount
Et·na,
Mount
[étnə]

volcano in eastern Sicily. It
is the highest active volcano in Europe and has had over ninety recorded
eruptions. Height: 3,323 m/10,902 ft.[1]



ETO

ETO
ETO

Abbreviation of
European theater of operations[1]



Eton

Eton
E·ton 
[t’n]

town in Buckinghamshire,
England, on the Thames River opposite Windsor. Eton College is a leading
independent school. Population: 3,523 (1991)[1]



Etoncollar

Etoncollar
E·ton
col·lar
(plural E·ton col·lars) noun

collar worn over lapels:
a broad stiff white collar turned down over the collar and lapels of a coat or
jacket, especially one worn as part of the Eton College uniform[1]



EtonCollege

EtonCollege
E·ton
Col·lege
[t’n kòllij] or E·ton [t’n kòllij] noun

private
school in Eton: a private school in the town of Eton, in
Buckinghamshire, southeastern England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI.
—E·to·ni·an [ee tṓnee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Etonjacket

Etonjacket
E·ton
jack·et
(plural E·ton jack·ets) noun

waist-length jacket:
a short black jacket with wide lapels and an open front, formerly worn by the
pupils of Eton College[1]



EtoshaNational Park

EtoshaNational Park
E·to·sha
Na·tion·al Park [i tṓshə
nashən’l prk]

national park in Namibia,
southwestern Africa. Established in 1958, it contains the Etosha Pan, a salt
desert that was once a lake. Area: 20,700 sq km/8,000 sq mi.[1]



Etruria

Etruria
E·tru·ri·a
[i trree ə]

ancient
region on the northwestern coast of peninsular Italy, where the Etruscan
civilization flourished in the first millennium BC.
The region occupied roughly the same area as present-day Tuscany and part of
Umbria, and at its greatest extent stretched from the Alps to the Tiber River.
—E·tru·ri·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Etruscan

Etruscan
E·trus·can 
[i trúskən] (plural E·trus·cans)
noun

1.  member
of an ancient people from Etruria: a member of an ancient
people who lived in Etruria. Their civilization flourished during the period
from the eighth to the sixth centuries BC,
although they survived until overcome by the Romans during the second century BC.

2.  ancient
language of Etruria: an extinct language spoken
in ancient Etruria that has no relation to the languages of the Indo-European
family
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin Etruscus “of Etruria.”]
—E·trus·can, adjective[1]



ETS

ETS
ETS

Abbreviation of
Educational Testing Service[1]



etseq.

etseq.
et
seq.

1.  and
the following one: and another following,
especially the next page in a book. Full form et sequens Full form
et sequentia

2.  et
seq.
or et seqq. and those that follow:
and others following, especially the next pages in a book. Full form et
sequentia
[Shortening of Latin et
sequens (or sequentia ) “and the following one (or ones)”][1]



-ette

-ette
-ette
suffix

1.  small
• diskette

2.  female
• usherette

3.  imitation
• leatherette
[From Old French, feminine of
-et][1]



ETV

ETV
ETV

Abbreviation of
Educational Television[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ety.

ety.
ety.
or etym.

1.  Abbreviation
of
etymology

2.  Abbreviation
of
etymological

[1]



etyma

etyma
et·y·ma


Plural of
etymon[1]



etymol.

etymol.
etymol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
etymological

2.  Abbreviation
of
etymology

[1]



etymologize

etymologize
et·y·mol·o·gize 
[èttə móllə jz] (past et·y·mol·o·gized,
past participle et·y·mol·o·gized, present participle et·y·mol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular et·y·mol·o·giz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

trace history of word:
to study, trace, or describe the origin and development of a word, or make a
suggestion as to its possible origin and development[1]



etymology

etymology
et·y·mol·o·gy 
[èttə mólləjee] (plural et·y·mol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of word origins: the study of the origins of words or
parts of words and how they have arrived at their current form and meaning

2.  history
of a word:
the origin of a word or part of a word, or a statement of this and how it has
arrived at its current form and meaning. An etymology often shows the different
forms the word has taken in passing from one language to another, and sometimes
shows related words in other languages. • The
words have the same spelling but different etymologies.
[14th
century. Via Old French ethimologie from, ultimately, Greek etumologia,
from etumon (see etymon ).]
—et·y·mo·log·i·cal
[èttəmə lójjik’l], adjective

—et·y·mo·log·i·cal·ly
[èttəmə lójjikəlee], adverb

—et·y·mol·o·gist [èttə mólləjist], noun[1]



etymon

etymon
et·y·mon 
[éttə mòn] (plural et·y·ma [éttəmə] or et·y·mons) noun

1.  origin
of a word:
an earlier form of a word or part of a word, especially the first recorded form
in any language

2.  root
of a word:
a word or part of a word from which another word is derived
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek etumon “true sense of a word,” from etumos “true,”
hence “original.”][1]



Eu

Eu
Eu

Symbol for
europium[1]



eu-

eu-
eu-
prefix

good,
well, true, easily • euphonious
• euplastic
[Via Latin from Greek eus][1]



eubacteria

eubacteria
eu·bac·te·ri·a
[y bak tree ə] plural noun

bacteria with rigid cell
walls: in modern biological
classification, all those bacteria considered to be the true bacteria,
characterized by their rigid cell walls[1]



eucalypt

eucalypt
eu·ca·lypt 
noun

See
eucalyptus
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



eucalyptus

eucalyptus
eu·ca·lyp·tus 
[ykə líptəss] (plural eu·ca·lyp·tus·es
or eu·ca·lyp·ti [ykə líp t])
or eu·ca·lypt [ykə lìpt] (plural
eu·ca·lypts) noun

tall
aromatic tree of Australia: a tall evergreen tree mainly
native to Australia that has tough aromatic leaves and flowers in clusters and
provides good timber, resin, and an oil with medicinal properties. There are
more than 600 species. Genus: Eucalyptus
[Early 19th century. From modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek eu- “well” + kaluptos “covered,”
from the covering on the tree’s buds.][1]



eucaryote

eucaryote
eu·car·y·ote 
noun

BIOLOGY
See eukaryote[1]



Eucharist

Eucharist
Eu·cha·rist 
[ykərist] noun
Also
called
Communion
Also
called
Holy Communion

1.  ceremony
with symbolic bread and wine: a ceremony in many Christian
churches during which symbolic or consecrated bread and wine are consumed, to
commemorate the last meal of Jesus Christ with his disciples before his death

2.  symbolic
bread and wine: the symbolic or consecrated bread and
wine eaten and drunk during the ceremony of the Eucharist
[14th
century. Via Old French eucariste from, ultimately, Greek eukharistia
“giving of thanks,” from eukharistos “grateful,” from kharizesthai
“to show favor” (source of English charisma
).]
—Eu·cha·ris·tic [ykə rístik], adjective[1]



euchre

euchre
eu·chre 
[ykər] noun (plural eu·chres)

1.  card
game of winning tricks: a card game played with the
highest 32 cards in the deck in which each player receives five cards and must
take at least three tricks to win

2.  thwarting
of an opponent at euchre: an instance of preventing
another player from making the three tricks needed to win a game of euchre
transitive
verb
(past eu·chred, past participle eu·chred, present
participle eu·chring, 3rd person present singular eu·chres)

1.  thwart
an opponent at euchre: to prevent another player
from taking the three tricks needed to win a game of euchre

2.  Australia,
New Zealand,
Canada, U.S. trick:
to cheat, trick, or deceive somebody
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German dialect Jucker(spiel) .][1]



euchromatin

euchromatin
eu·chro·ma·tin 
[yoo krṓmətin] noun

lightly
staining chromosome material: an expanded form of the
material of which chromosomes are composed, occurring when DNA is being
actively copied. It stains lightly only with basic dyes.
—eu·chro·mat·ic [y krō máttik], adjective[1]



Euclid

Euclid

Eu·clid 
[yklid] (lived 300 BC)
Greek mathematician. He taught in
Alexandria and compiled the 13-volume Elements (300? BC ), the standard text on geometry
until the 19th century.[1]



Euclidean

Euclidean
Eu·clid·e·an 
[yoo klíddee ən] or Eu·clid·i·an
[yoo klíddee ən] adjective

relating to Euclid’s
geometry: relating to Euclid or his
system of geometry[1]



Euclideangeometry

Euclideangeometry
Eu·clid·e·an
ge·om·e·try
noun

geometry according to
Euclid’s principles: geometry
according to the principles of Euclid, as described in his Elements, in
which only one line parallel to another given line may pass through a given point[1]



eudemon

eudemon
eu·de·mon
[yoo dmən] (plural eu·de·mons)
or eu·dae·mon [yoo dmən] (plural
eu·dae·mons) noun

PARANORMAL good
supernatural being: a benevolent supernatural
being
[Early 17th century. From
Greek eudaimōn “having a guardian spirit,” hence “fortunate, happy,”
from daimōn “spiritual being, guardian” (source of English demon ).][1]



eudemonism

eudemonism
eu·de·mon·ism
[yoo dmə nìzzəm] or eu·dae·mon·ism
[yoo dmə nìzzəm] noun

morality
evaluated according to happiness: an ethical doctrine
that characterizes the value of life in terms of happiness
—eu·de·mo·nist,
noun

—eu·de·mon·is·tic [yoo dmə nístik], adjective[1]



eudiometer

eudiometer
eu·di·om·e·ter
[ydee ómmətər] (plural eu·di·om·e·ters)
noun

device
measuring gas volume changes: an instrument used to
measure the volume changes that take place in chemical gas reactions
[Late
18th century. Formed from Greek eudios “fine (weather)” (from eu-
“good” + Zeus “god of the sky”), because an increase in the oxygen
content of air supposedly forecast good weather.]
—eu·di·o·met·ric
[ydee ə méttrik], adjective

—eu·di·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—eu·di·om·e·try, noun[1]



eugenicist

eugenicist
eu·gen·i·cist 
[yoo jénnəssist] (plural eu·gen·i·cists)
or eu·gen·ist [yjənist] (plural
eu·gen·ists) noun

specialist in eugenics:
somebody who studies proposed ways of improving the human species, especially
by selective breeding, or who advocates the principles or practice of eugenics[1]



eugenics

eugenics
eu·gen·ics 
[yoo jénniks] noun

selective
breeding as proposed human improvement: the
proposed improvement of the human species by encouraging or permitting
reproduction of only those individuals with genetic characteristics judged
desirable. It has been regarded with disfavor since the Nazi period. (takes
a singular verb)
[Late
19th century]
—eu·gen·ic,
adjective

—eu·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



eugenist

eugenist
eu·gen·ist 
noun

See
eugenicist[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








eugenol

eugenol
eu·ge·nol 
[yjə nàwl] noun

oily
liquid from cloves: a colorless oily liquid
obtained from cloves and used in dentistry to reduce pain and in perfumes. C10H12O2
[Late 19th century. Formed
from eugenia, genus name of the clove tree, ultimately named for Prince Eugene
of Savoy (1663–1736), Austrian general.][1]



euglena

euglena
eu·gle·na 
[yoo glnə] (plural eu·gle·nas)
noun

single-celled
freshwater organism: a single-celled freshwater
organism that has appendages ( flagella )
for locomotion and produces its food by photosynthesis. Genus: Euglena
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, genus name, from Greek eu- “well” + glēnē
“eyeball,” perhaps from its reddish eyespot.]
—eu·gle·noid [yoo gln òyd], adjective[1]



euhemerism

euhemerism
eu·he·mer·ism 
[yoo hmə rìzzəm, yoo
hémmə rìzzəm] noun

theory
of historic origins of mythology: the theory that
mythology has its origins in history, the gods being deified heroes of the past
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin Euhemerus, from Greek Euēmeros (4th
century BC ), name of a Greek
writer who maintained that the deities of Greek mythology were deified men and
women.]
—eu·he·mer·ist,
noun

—eu·he·mer·is·tic
[yoo hmə rístik, yoo
hèmmə rístik], adjective

—eu·he·mer·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



euhemerize

euhemerize
eu·he·mer·ize 
[yoo hmə rz, yoo
hémmə rz] (past eu·he·mer·ized, past participle eu·he·mer·ized,
present participle eu·he·mer·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular eu·he·mer·iz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

interpret mythology using euhemerism:
to explain a myth or myths using the theory that the gods were originally
historical heroes[1]



eukaryote

eukaryote
eu·kar·y·ote 
[yoo kérree t] (plural eu·kar·y·ot·es)
or eu·car·y·ote [yoo kérree t]
(plural eu·car·y·ot·es) noun

organism
with visible nuclei: any organism with one or
more cells that have visible nuclei and organelles. The group contains all
living and fossil cellular organisms except bacteria and blue-green algae.
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from eu- + Greek karuōtos
“having nuts,” from karuon “nut,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English cancer
.]
—eu·kar·y·ot·ic [yoo kèrree óttik], adjective[1]



eulachon

eulachon
eu·la·chon 
[ylə kòn] (plural eu·la·chons
or eu·la·chon) noun

See
candlefish
[Mid-19th century. From Lower
Chinook úłan .][1]



Euler,Leonhard

Euler,Leonhard
Eu·ler 
[óylər], Leonhard (1707–1783)

Swiss mathematician. With
Joseph Lagrange, he was the foremost mathematician of his century. In some 800
publications he laid the foundations of modern analytical mathematics.[1]



eulogia

eulogia1
eu·lo·gi·a1  [yoo
lṓdZee ə, yoo lṓdZə] noun

blessed
bread in Eastern Orthodox ritual: bread blessed and
given after the liturgy in the Eastern Orthodox Church to those not present at
the Eucharist
[Mid-18th century. Via late
Latin, “consecrated bread,” from, ultimately, Greek (see eulogium ).][1]



eulogia

eulogia2
eu·lo·gi·a2 

Plural of
eulogium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








eulogistic

eulogistic
eu·lo·gis·tic
[ylə jístik] adjective

praising
highly:
full of praise for somebody or something (formal)
—eu·lo·gis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



eulogium

eulogium
eu·lo·gi·um 
[yoo lṓjee əm] (plural eu·lo·gi·a
[yoo lṓjee ə] or eu·lo·gi·ums)
noun

eulogy:
a eulogy (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin, probably a blend of eulogia “praise” (from Greek, formed
from eu- “well” + -logia “speaking”) and Latin elogium
“epitaph.”][1]



eulogize

eulogize
eu·lo·gize 
[ylə jz] (past eu·lo·gized, past
participle eu·lo·gized, present participle eu·lo·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular eu·lo·giz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

praise
highly:
to praise somebody or something very highly (formal)
—eu·lo·giz·er, noun[1]



eulogy

eulogy
eu·lo·gy 
[yləjee] (plural eu·lo·gies) noun

1.  spoken
or written tribute: a speech or piece of writing
that praises somebody or something very highly, especially a tribute to
somebody who has recently died.
Also
called
eulogium

2.  high
praise:
great praise (formal)
[15th
century. From medieval Latin eulogium (see eulogium
).]
—eu·lo·gist, noun[1]



Eumenides

Eumenides
Eu·men·i·des
[yoo ménni dz] noun

avenging
goddesses:
three sister goddesses in Greek mythology. They were originally fertility
goddesses, but were later identified with the Furies.
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek, from eumenēs “kindly, friendly,” from menos “spirit.”][1]



eunuch

eunuch
eu·nuch 
[ynək] (plural eu·nuchs) noun

1.  castrated
human male:
a man or boy whose testicles have been removed or do not function. Eunuchs were
formerly employed in Islamic countries to guard the women of a harem or as
court officials.

2.  ineffectual
man:
a man who lacks power or effectiveness (informal insult)
[15th
century. Via Latin eunuchus from Greek eunoukhos “attendant of a
bedroom or harem,” from eunē “bed” + ekhein “to keep.”]
—eu·nuch·ism, noun[1]



eunuchoid

eunuchoid
eu·nuch·oid 
[ynə kòyd] (plural eu·nuch·oids)
adjective

lacking fully developed male
sexual organs: lacking fully developed
male sexual organs or characteristics[1]



euonymus

euonymus
eu·on·y·mus 
[yoo ónnəməss] (plural eu·on·y·mus·es)
noun

tree
or shrub with decorative foliage: a tree or shrub of
northern temperate regions cultivated for its decorative evergreen foliage and
clusters of orange or red fruits. The spindle tree is a type of euonymus .
Genus: Euonymus
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Greek euōnumos, literally “of good
name,” hence “lucky” (perhaps euphemistic, since the flowering of the tree was
taken to be an omen of disease).][1]



eupatrid

eupatrid
eu·pat·rid 
[yoo páttrid] (plural eu·pat·ri·dae
[yoo páttridee] or eu·pat·rids)
noun

ancient
Athenian aristocrat: somebody belonging to the
hereditary class of nobles and landowners in ancient Athens
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
eupatridēs “somebody of noble ancestry,” literally “having a good
father,” from patēr “father.”][1]



eupepsia

eupepsia
eu·pep·si·a 
[yoo pépshə, yoo
pépsee ə] noun

good
digestion:
good or efficient digestion
[Early 18th century. From
Greek, “digestibility,” from eupeptos “easy to digest” (see eupeptic ).][1]



eupeptic

eupeptic
eu·pep·tic 
[yoo péptik] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY of
good digestion: relating to or producing good digestion

2.  cheerful:
with a cheerful manner or disposition
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek eupeptos “easy to digest, having good
digestion,” from peptein “to digest.”]
—eu·pep·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



euphemism

euphemism
eu·phe·mism 
[yfə mìzzəm] (plural eu·phe·misms)
noun

1.  less
offensive synonym: a word or phrase used in
place of a term that might be considered too direct, harsh, unpleasant, or
offensive. A wide range of euphemisms is used in connection with death, sex,
and excretion. • The phrase “collateral
damage” is a euphemism for injury to civilians during a military operation.

2.  use
of inoffensive words: the use of a word or phrase
that is more neutral, vague, or indirect to replace a direct, harsh,
unpleasant, or offensive term
[Late
16th century. From Greek euphēmismos, from euphēmizein “to speak
with pleasing words,” from, ultimately, phēmē “speech.”]
—eu·phe·mist,
noun

—eu·phe·mis·tic [yfə místik], adjective[1]



euphemize

euphemize
eu·phe·mize 
[yfə mz] (past eu·phe·mized,
past participle eu·phe·mized, present participle eu·phe·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular eu·phe·miz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

use
euphemisms:
to avoid saying or writing something direct, harsh, unpleasant, or offensive by
using milder or more indirect language
—eu·phe·miz·er, noun[1]



euphonious

euphonious
eu·pho·ni·ous 
[yoo fṓnee əss] adjective

pleasant-sounding:
having a pleasant sound
—eu·pho·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—eu·pho·ni·ous·ness, noun[1]



euphonium

euphonium

eu·pho·ni·um 
[yoo fṓnee əm] (plural eu·pho·ni·ums)
noun
brass-band
instrument:
a brass instrument similar to, but smaller than, a tuba, used mainly in
military and brass bands
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek euphōnos “well-sounding” (see euphony
) + -ium .][1]



euphonize

euphonize
eu·pho·nize 
[yfə nz] (past eu·pho·nized,
past participle eu·pho·nized, present participle eu·pho·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular eu·pho·niz·es) transitive verb

make pleasant-sounding:
to make something sound pleasant[1]



euphony

euphony
eu·pho·ny 
[yfənee] (plural eu·pho·nies)
noun

pleasant
sound:
a pleasant sound, especially in speech or pronunciation
[15th
century. From French euphonie, from, ultimately, Greek euphōnos
“sweet-voiced,” from phōnē “sound.”]
—eu·phon·ic
[yoo fónnik], adjective

—eu·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



euphorbia

euphorbia
eu·phor·bi·a
[yoo fáwrbee ə] (plural eu·phor·bi·as)
noun

plant
with milky juice: a plant with milky juice and green
flowers. Spurges and poinsettia are euphorbias. Genus: Euphorbia
[12th
century. Alteration of Latin euphorbea, from Euphorbus (1st
century BC ), a physician to Juba,
king of Mauretania, who supposedly discovered the plant.]
—eu·phor·bi·a·ceous [yoo fàwrbee áyshəss], adjective[1]



euphoria

euphoria
eu·pho·ri·a 
[yoo fáwree ə] noun

extreme
happiness:
a feeling of great joy, excitement, or well-being • She
was in a state of euphoria after her win.
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek euphoros, literally “borne well,”
hence “healthy.” Originally in the meaning “happiness brought about by relief
from pain.”][1]



euphoriant

euphoriant
eu·phor·i·ant 
[yoo fáwree ənt] (plural eu·phor·i·ants)
noun

substance
that induces euphoria: a drug or other substance
that induces euphoria
—eu·phor·i·ant, adjective[1]



euphoric

euphoric
eu·phor·ic
[yoo fáwrik] adjective

ecstatic:
extremely happy or excited • She’ll
be euphoric when she hears these results.
—eu·phor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



euphotic

euphotic
eu·phot·ic 
[yoo fóttik] adjective

allowing
light for photosynthesis: used to describe the upper
layer of a body of water that allows the penetration of enough light to support
photosynthetic, or green, plants
[Early 20th century. Coined
from eu- + the Greek stem phōt-
“light” + -ic .][1]



Euphrates

Euphrates
Eu·phra·tes 
[yoo fráyteez]

river in southwestern Asia,
rising in Turkey and flowing through Syria and Iraq before joining the Tigris
River near the Persian Gulf. Length: 2,700 km/1,700 mi.[1]



Euphrosyne

Euphrosyne
Eu·phros·y·ne 
[yoo fróssənee] noun

MYTHOLOGY
one of the three Graces:
in Greek mythology, one of the three Graces who lived on Mount Olympus and were
attendants of the goddess Aphrodite[1]



euphuism

euphuism
eu·phu·ism 
[y fyoo ìzzəm] (plural eu·phu·isms)
noun

1.  LITERATURE affected
literary style: a literary style of the 16th and 17th
centuries characterized by excessive use of devices such as alliteration,
antithesis, and simile

2.  LANGUAGE affected
language or expression: an affected or pompous
expression or use of language (formal)
[Late
16th century. Named for Euphues, a fictional character in the works of
John Lyly . The name itself was based on Greek euphuēs “shapely.”]
—eu·phu·ist,
noun

—eu·phu·is·tic
[yfyoo ístik], adjective

—eu·phu·is·ti·cal·ly [yfyoo ístikəlee], adverb[1]



euplastic

euplastic
eu·plas·tic 
[yoo plástik] adjective

quick-healing:
healing readily[1]



euploid

euploid
eu·ploid 
[y plòyd] adjective

with
an even chromosome number: with a chromosome number
that is an even multiple of the basic chromosome set for the species
noun
(plural eu·ploids)

a
euploid cell or organism: a euploid cell or organism
—eu·ploi·dy [y plòydee], noun[1]



Eur.

Eur.
Eur.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Europe

2.  Abbreviation
of
European

[1]



Eur-

Eur-
Eur-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
Euro-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Eurasian

Eurasian
Eur·a·sian 
[yoo ráy’n, yoo
ráysh’n] (plural Eur·a·sians) noun

somebody
of European and Asian descent: somebody of both
European and Asian descent
[Mid-19th
century]
—Eur·a·sian, adjective[1]



Euratom

Euratom
Eur·at·om
[yoo ráttəm] noun

atomic
organization: a body formed in 1957 to coordinate the
development and use of atomic energy in Europe, later incorporated into the
European Community
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of the first two words of its full name, European Atomic Energy
Commission .][1]



Eureka

Eureka
Eu·re·ka

port city in northwestern
California on Humboldt Bay, on the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Santa Rosa.
Population: 26,202 (1996)[1]



eureka

eureka
eu·re·ka 
[yoo rkə] interjection noun (plural
eu·re·kas)

expressing
triumph:
used to express delight on finding, discovering, or solving something or
finally succeeding in doing something • I
rolled back the carpet and eureka –there it was!
[Early 17th century. From
Greek heurēka, literally “I have found (it),” from heuriskein “to
find,” supposedly exclaimed by Archimedes when he discovered the principle of
water displacement.][1]



eurhythmic

eurhythmic
eu·rhyth·mic
or eu·rhyth·mi·cal adjective

See
eurythmic[1]



eurhythmics

eurhythmics
eu·rhyth·mics 
noun

1.  rhythmical
movement to music: a system of physical
exercise, therapy, and musical training in which the body moves rhythmically
and gracefully in interpretation of a piece of music. It was invented by Rudolf
Steiner.

2.  See
eurythmics

[1]



eurhythmy

eurhythmy
eu·rhyth·my 
noun

See
eurythmy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Euripides

Euripides
Eu·rip·i·des 
[yoo ríppi dz] (480? BC–406? BC)

Greek dramatist. After
Aeschylus and Sophocles, he was the third of the great dramatists of the
classical period in Athens. His works have been revived through the centuries
and have influenced many writers, from Milton and Racine to those of the
present day.[1]



Euro-

Euro-
Euro-
prefix

Europe,
European • Eurocurrency
[From Europe][1]



Euro

Euro
Eu·ro 
[yrō] (plural Eu·ros) noun

currency
unit of EU:
the currency unit of 11 countries in the European Union, introduced in 1999 as
part of economic and monetary union, which by 2002 will have replaced local
currency in the participating member states.
See
also
Ecu
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of European .][1]



Eurobond

Eurobond
Eu·ro·bond 
[yrō bònd] (plural Eu·ro·bonds)
noun

international bond:
a bond measured in dollars or other currency and sold to investors from a
country other than that whose currency is specified in the bond[1]



Eurocentric

Eurocentric
Eu·ro·cen·tric 
[yrə séntrik] or Eu·ro·po·cen·tric
[yoo rpə séntrik] adjective

focusing
on Europe:
focusing on Europe or its people, institutions, and cultures, sometimes in an
arrogant way (disapproving)
—Eu·ro·cen·trism [yrə sén trìzzəm], noun[1]



Eurocurrency

Eurocurrency
Eu·ro·cur·ren·cy 
[yrō kùrənsee] (plural Eu·ro·cur·ren·cies)
noun

money deposited in another
country: money deposited by companies
and governments in banks outside the home country[1]



Eurodollar

Eurodollar
Eu·ro·dol·lar 
[yrō dòllər] (plural Eu·ro·dol·lars)
noun

U.S. dollar in a European
bank: a United States dollar on
deposit in a bank outside the United States, especially a European bank (usually
used in the plural)[1]



Euroland

Euroland
Eu·ro·land
[yrō lànd] or eu·ro·land [yrō lànd] noun

the countries in the European
Union committed to adopting the common European currency, the euro[1]



Euromarket

Euromarket
Eu·ro·mar·ket 
[yrō mrkət] noun

1.  Europe
as a market: the European Union considered as a
single market

2.  European
financial markets: the European financial
markets collectively, especially when considered as a finance source for
international trade

[1]



Euro-MP

Euro-MP
Eu·ro-MP
(plural Eu·ro-MPs) noun

European MP:
a member of the European Parliament[1]



Europa

Europa
Eu·ro·pa
[y rṓpə] noun

large moon of Jupiter:
a large natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1610 by Galileo. It is 3130
km (1940 mi ) in diameter and thought to have a thin icy crust.[1]



Europe




Back to definition

Europe

[1]



Europe

Europe

Eu·rope 
[yrəp]
the second smallest continent after
Australia, lying west of Asia, north of Africa, and east of the Atlantic Ocean.
Population: 728 million Area: 10,525,000 sq km/4,065,000 sq mi.[1]



European

European
Eu·ro·pe·an 
[yrə p ən] adjective

1.  of
Europe:
relating to Europe or its peoples, languages, or cultures

2.  of
the European Union: belonging to, relating to,
or connected with the European Union
noun
(plural Eu·ro·pe·ans)

1.  somebody
from Europe: somebody who was born or raised in a
European country, is a citizen of a European country, or is of European descent

2.  advocate
of European union: somebody who supports the
principles and ideals of the European Union

[1]



EuropeanCommunity

EuropeanCommunity
Eu·ro·pe·an
Com·mu·ni·ty noun

union of European countries:
an economic and political union of 12 European countries that developed from
the European Economic Community and was itself replaced in 1993 by the European
Union[1]



EuropeanEconomic Community

EuropeanEconomic Community
Eu·ro·pe·an
E·co·nom·ic Com·mu·ni·ty noun

economic alliance of European
countries: the alliance of six European
countries begun in 1957 to promote free trade in Europe, and subsequently
expanded in both numbers and areas of interest, and called the European Union[1]



EuropeanFree Trade Association

EuropeanFree Trade Association
Eu·ro·pe·an
Free Trade As·so·ci·a·tion noun

a union of western European
countries, established in 1960 to eliminate trade tariffs between member
states. The original members were Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, Norway,
Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland. Abbreviation of EFTA[1]



Europeanize

Europeanize
Eu·ro·pe·an·ize 
[yrə p ə nz] (past Eu·ro·pe·an·ized,
past participle Eu·ro·pe·an·ized, present participle Eu·ro·pe·an·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Eu·ro·pe·an·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
European:
to make somebody or something part of European culture, or change somebody or
something to fit in with European life, customs, or ideas

2.  make
part of European Union: to make a country part of
the European Union, or make something conform to the regulations or
specifications of the European Union
—Eu·ro·pe·an·i·za·tion
[yrə pee əni záysh’n], noun[1]



Europeanplan

Europeanplan
Eu·ro·pe·an
plan
noun

hotel room charge:
a rate system for hotel accommodation in which only the cost of the room and
service are covered, not meals[1]



EuropeanUnion

EuropeanUnion
Eu·ro·pe·an
Un·ion
noun

European economic and
political alliance: the
economic and political alliance of 15 European nations, including the United
Kingdom. Its goals include a single economic community and social and political
cooperation.[1]



europium

europium

eu·ro·pi·um 
[yoo rṓpee əm] noun
silvery-white
metallic element: a soft silvery-white metallic chemical
element of the rare-earth group that is used in lasers. Symbol Eu
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin Europa “Europe.”][1]



eury-

eury-
eury-
prefix

wide,
broad • euryphagous
[From Greek eurus
(source of English aneurysm )][1]



eurybathic

eurybathic
eu·ry·bath·ic 
[yri báthik] adjective

able
to live at different depths: used to describe aquatic
organisms that tolerate a wide range of depths
[Early
20th century. Coined from eury- + Greek bathos
“depth” + -ic .]
—eu·ry·bath [yri bàth], noun[1]



Eurydice

Eurydice
Eu·ryd·i·ce
[yoo ríddissee]

wife of Orpheus:
in Greek mythology, the wife of Orpheus. When she died, Orpheus pursued her to
Hades. His lyre-playing won her release, but his failure to observe its
conditions resulted in her irrevocable loss.[1]



euryhaline

euryhaline
eu·ry·ha·line 
[yri háy ln] adjective

tolerating
various salt concentrations: used to describe aquatic
organisms that tolerate a wide range of salinity
[Late 19th century. Coined
from eury- + Greek halinos “of
salt.”][1]



euryphagous

euryphagous
eu·ryph·a·gous 
[yoo ríffəgəss] adjective

able to eat a varied diet:
used to describe organisms that feed on a variety of different things[1]



eurypterid

eurypterid
eu·ryp·ter·id 
[yoo ríptərid] (plural eu·ryp·ter·ids)
noun

extinct
aquatic animal: an extinct invertebrate animal, some
types of which were very large, that was common in fresh or brackish water
during the Paleozoic era. It was related to the ancestors of the horseshoe
crab. Order: Eurypterida
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Eurypterida, order name, from Greek eury-
“wide” + pteron “wing.”][1]



eurythermal

eurythermal
eu·ry·ther·mal 
[yrə thúrm’l] or eu·ry·ther·mic
[yrə thúrmik] or eu·ry·ther·mous
[yrə thúrməss] adjective

tolerating
a wide range of temperatures: used to describe organisms
that tolerate a wide range of temperatures
—eu·ry·therm, noun[1]



eurythmic

eurythmic
eu·ryth·mic
[yoo rímik] or eu·rhyth·mic [yoo rímik] or eu·ryth·mi·cal [yoo rímik’l] or eu·rhyth·mi·cal [yoo rímik’l] adjective

1.  harmonious:
having an aesthetically pleasing rhythm or structure

2.  of
eurythmics:
relating to eurythmics or eurythmy

[1]



eurythmics

eurythmics
eu·ryth·mics 
[yoo rímiks] or eu·rhyth·mics
[yoo rímiks] noun

rhythmical
movement to music: a system of physical
exercise, therapy, and musical training in which the body moves rhythmically
and gracefully in interpretation of a piece of music (takes a singular or
plural verb)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from eu- + rhythm
+ -ics .][1]



eurythmy

eurythmy
eu·ryth·my 
[yoo rímee] or eu·rhyth·my [yoo rímee] noun

1.  structural
harmony:
harmony of proportion or structure

2.  rhythmical
movement to verse or music: a system of rhythmical
movement performed to verse or music for artistic or therapeutic purposes. It
was invented by Rudolf Steiner.
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek euruthmia “good proportion,” from rhuthmos
“proportion, rhythm” (source of English rhythm
).][1]



eurytopic

eurytopic
eu·ry·top·ic 
[yrə tóppik] adjective

able
to live in many environments: used to describe organisms
that tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from eury- + Greek topos
“place” + -ic .]
—eu·ry·to·pic·i·ty [yrə to píssətee], noun[1]



Eusebius(of Caesarea)

Eusebius(of Caesarea)
Eu·se·bi·us
(of Cae·sa·re·a)  [yoo sbee əss]
(260?–340?)

Palestinian
bishop and Christian scholar. He was bishop of Caesarea and worked on texts
with his teacher, Pamphilus of Caesarea, as well as writing his Ecclesiastical
History, a history of the Church until 324.
Alternate name
Eusebius Pamphili[1]



Eusebius(of Nicomedia)

Eusebius(of Nicomedia)
Eu·se·bi·us
(of Nic·o·me·di·a) [yoo
sbee əss]

Syrian bishop and Christian
theologian. He helped to spread Arianism, which denies Jesus Christ’s divinity.
He was patriarch of Constantinople (339–42).[1]



eustachiantube

eustachiantube
eu·sta·chian
tube 
[yoo stáysh’n tb] (plural eu·sta·chian
tubes) or Eu·sta·chian tube [yoo
stáysh’n tb] (plural Eu·sta·chian tubes) noun

passage
equalizing air pressure in ear: a bony passage
extending from the middle ear to the nasopharynx that has a role in equalizing
air pressure on both sides of the eardrum
[Mid-18th century. Named for
Bartolomeo Eustachio (1520–1574), an Italian anatomist known for his
descriptions of the human ear and heart.][1]



eustasy

eustasy
eu·sta·sy 
[ystəssee] (plural eu·sta·sies)
noun

global
change in sea level: a worldwide change in sea
level, as a result of melting glaciers or earth movements
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from eustatic (from German, from Greek eu “well”
+ statikos “static”), as if an anglicization of hypothetical modern
Latin eustasis .]
—eu·stat·ic [yoo státtik], adjective[1]



eutectic

eutectic
eu·tec·tic 
[yoo téktik] adjective

formed
at the lowest freezing point: used to describe a mixture,
especially an alloy, that has the lowest freezing point of all combinations or
constituents, or to refer to the temperature at which this occurs
noun
(plural eu·tec·tics)

eutectic
substance:
a substance or mixture that is eutectic
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek eutēktos “easily melting,” from tēkein “to melt.”][1]



Euterpe

Euterpe
Eu·ter·pe 
[yoo túrpee] noun

MYTHOLOGY
Greek muse:
in Greek mythology, the muse of lyric poetry and music.
See also
Muse[1]



euthanasia

euthanasia
eu·tha·na·sia 
[ythə náyə] noun

painless
killing to relieve suffering: the act or practice of
killing somebody who has an incurable illness or injury, or allowing or
assisting that person to die. Euthanasia is illegal in most countries.
[Early 17th century. From
Greek, “easy death,” from thanatos “death.”][1]



euthanize

euthanize
eu·than·ize 
[ythə nz] (past eu·than·ized,
past participle eu·than·ized, present participle eu·than·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular eu·than·iz·es) or eu·than·a·tize
[yoo thánnə tz] (past eu·than·a·tized,
past participle eu·than·a·tized, present participle eu·than·a·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular eu·than·a·tiz·es) transitive verb

kill somebody to stop
suffering: to kill an incurably ill or
injured person or animal to relieve suffering[1]



euthenics

euthenics
eu·then·ics 
[yoo thénniks] noun

improvement
of living conditions: the study of ways of
improving people’s environment and living standards in order to improve their
health and well-being (takes a singular verb)
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek euthēnein “to thrive” + -ics .]
—eu·then·ist [ythənist], noun[1]



eutherian

eutherian
eu·ther·i·an 
[yoo three ən] adjective

having
a placenta:
used to describe a mammal whose young develop to an advanced stage within the
womb surrounded by a placenta
noun
(plural eu·the·ri·ans)

placental
mammal:
a mammal whose young develop within the womb surrounded by a placenta.
Subclass: Eutheria (technical)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Eutheria, subclass name, from, ultimately, Greek thērion
“wild animal.”][1]



eutrophic

eutrophic
eu·troph·ic 
[yoo tróffik, yoo
trṓfik] adjective

ECOLOGY lacking
oxygen:
used to describe a body of water whose oxygen content is depleted by organic
nutrients ( eutrophication )
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek eutrophia, literally “good nutrition,” from trephein
“to nourish.” Applied earlier to medicine that promotes good nutrition.]
—eu·tro·phy [ytrəfee], noun[1]



eutrophication

eutrophication
eu·troph·i·ca·tion 
[yoo tròffi káysh’n, yoo trfi káysh’n] noun

depletion of oxygen in water:
the process by which a body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients,
thereby encouraging the growth and decomposition of oxygen-depleting plant life
and resulting in harm to other organisms. The problem occurs in freshwater
lakes or shallow seas when human sewage or nitrates and phosphates from
fertilizers drain into them.[1]



eV

eV
eV

Symbol for
electron volt[1]



EV

EV
EV

BIBLE
Abbreviation of English Version[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








EVA

EVA
EVA

Abbreviation of
extravehicular activity[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








evacuant

evacuant
e·vac·u·ant 
[i vákyoo ənt] adjective

causing
discharge from body: used to describe a drug or
treatment that causes a discharge, especially an emptying of the bowels
noun
(plural e·vac·u·ants)

drug causing discharge:
a drug or other substance that brings about a discharge, especially an emptying
of the bowels[1]



evacuate

evacuate
e·vac·u·ate 
[i vákyoo àyt] (past e·vac·u·at·ed,
past participle e·vac·u·at·ed, present participle e·vac·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·vac·u·ates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
everyone leave a place: to empty a dangerous or
potentially dangerous place of people • Towns
near the nuclear plant were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
to safety:
to leave or cause people to leave a place of danger and go somewhere safer • The
government has evacuated all its embassy officials from the city.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSIOLOGY empty bowels or bladder:
to discharge feces or urine from the body (technical)

4.  transitive
verb
empty:
to empty something by removing all its contents (formal)

5.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS create
vacuum in:
to remove a gas from something, leaving a vacuum
[14th
century. From Latin evacuat-, the past participle stem of evacuare
“to empty (the bowels)” and, in late Latin, “to clear out,” from vacuus
“empty” (source of English vacuum ).]
—e·vac·u·a·tive,
adjective

—e·vac·u·a·tor, noun[1]



evacuation

evacuation
e·vac·u·a·tion 
[i vàkyoo áysh’n] (plural e·vac·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  clearing
of a dangerous place: an emptying of a dangerous
or potentially dangerous place

2.  moving
people to safety: a removal of people from a dangerous or
potentially dangerous place

3.  PHYSIOLOGY discharge
of bodily waste: elimination of feces or urine from the
body (technical)

4.  PHYSIOLOGY bodily
waste:
feces or urine eliminated from the body (technical)

5.  PHYSICS creation
of a vacuum: the making of a vacuum by the removal of
gas from something

[1]



evacuee

evacuee
e·vac·u·ee 
[i vàkyoo ] (plural e·vac·u·ees)
noun

somebody
moved to safety: somebody who is removed from a place of
danger and sent somewhere safer, especially during a war
[Early 20th century.
Anglicization of French évacué, from the past participle of évacuer
“to cease to occupy,” from Latin evacuare (see evacuate
).][1]



evade

evade
e·vade 
[i váyd] (past e·vad·ed, past
participle e·vad·ed, present participle e·vad·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·vades) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cleverly
escape:
to escape or avoid somebody or something, usually by ingenuity or guile

2.  transitive
verb
avoid
something unpleasant: to avoid doing something
unpleasant, especially something that is a moral or legal obligation

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
indirect response to: to avoid dealing with or
responding directly to something

4.  transitive
verb
be
unattainable: to be difficult or impossible for
somebody to find, obtain, or achieve (formal)
[Early
16th century. Via French évader from Latin evadere “to escape,”
literally “to go away,” from vadere “to go, walk” (source of English invade ).]
—e·vad·a·ble,
adjective

—e·vad·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at avoid.

[1]



evaginate

evaginate
e·vag·i·nate 
[i vájjə nàyt] (past e·vag·i·nat·ed,
past participle e·vag·i·nat·ed, present participle e·vag·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·vag·i·nates) transitive verb

turn
inside out:
to turn a hollow structure or bodily organ inside out
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin evaginat- the past participle stem of evaginare
“to unsheathe,” from vagina “sheath” (source of English vagina ).]
—e·vag·i·na·tion [i vàjjə náysh’n], noun[1]



evaluate

evaluate
e·val·u·ate 
[i vállyoo àyt] (past e·val·u·at·ed,
past participle e·val·u·at·ed, present participle e·val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·val·u·ates) transitive verb

1.  examine
and judge:
to consider or examine something in order to judge its value, quality,
importance, extent, or condition • We
evaluated the situation carefully.

2.  put
a value on:
to estimate the monetary value of something • The
appraiser evaluated the property at $100,000

3.  MATHEMATICS find
numerical value: to calculate a numerical value for a
mathematical expression • evaluate
an expression
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from evaluation .]
—e·val·u·a·tor, noun[1]



evaluation

evaluation
e·val·u·a·tion
[i vàllyoo áysh’n] (plural e·val·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  assessment
of value:
the act of considering or examining something in order to judge its value,
quality, importance, extent, or condition

2.  statement
of value:
a spoken or written statement of the value, quality, importance, extent, or
condition of something
[Mid-18th century. From
French évaluation, from évaluer “to find the value of,” from value
“ value .”][1]



evaluative

evaluative
e·val·u·a·tive
[i vállyoo àytiv, i
vállyoo ətiv] adjective

1.  determined
by assessment: relating to or based on examination and
judgment of the value, quality, or importance of something

2.  PHILOSOPHY normative:
expressing a judgment about something, or assigning a value to it, as opposed
to describing a fact

[1]



evan.

evan.
evan.

1.  Abbreviation
of
evangelical

2.  Abbreviation
of
evangelist

[1]



evanesce

evanesce
ev·a·nesce 
[èvvə néss] (past ev·a·nesced,
past participle ev·a·nesced, present participle ev·a·nesc·ing,
3rd person present singular ev·a·nesc·es) intransitive verb

gradually
vanish:
to grow less until completely gone (literary) • His
cares evanesced.
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
evanescere “to vanish” ultimately from vanus “empty,” from,
ultimately, an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English want .][1]



evanescent

evanescent
ev·a·nes·cent 
[èvvə néss’nt] adjective

fleeting:
disappearing after only a short time • an
evanescent moment
—ev·a·nes·cence,
noun

—ev·a·nes·cent·ly, adverb[1]



evang.

evang.
evang.

1.  Abbreviation
of
evangelical

2.  Abbreviation
of
evangelist

[1]



evangel

evangel
e·van·gel 
[i vánjəl] (plural e·van·gels)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
gospel:
the Christian gospel (archaic)

2.  e·van·gel
or E·van·gel (plural E·van·gels) CHRISTIANITY any of
four Christian Gospels: any of the four Christian
Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John (archaic)

3.  basic
doctrine:
a basic doctrine or set of moral or political principles or teachings (formal)

4.  See
evangelist
[14th century. Via Old French
evangile from, ultimately, Greek euaggelion “good news,” from euaggelos
“bringing good news,” from eu “good” + aggelein “to announce.”][1]



evangelic

evangelic
e·van·gel·ic
[ van jéllik, èvvən
jéllik] or E·van·gel·ic [ van
jéllik, èvvən jéllik] adjective

See
evangelical[1]



evangelical

evangelical
e·van·gel·i·cal 
[ van jéllik’l, èvvən
jéllik’l] adjective

1.  e·van·gel·i·cal
or E·van·gel·i·cal or e·van·gel·ic or E·van·gel·ic
CHRISTIANITY of
particular Protestant churches: relating or belonging
to any Protestant Christian church whose members believe in the authority of
the Bible and salvation through the personal acceptance of Jesus Christ

2.  e·van·gel·i·cal
or e·van·gel·ic with strong beliefs:
enthusiastic or zealous in support of a particular cause and very eager to make
other people share its beliefs or ideals

3.  e·van·gel·i·cal
or e·van·gel·ic CHRISTIANITY
relating
to the Christian Gospels: relating to or based on the
Christian Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John
noun
(plural e·van·gel·i·cals) e·van·gel·i·cal (plural e·van·gel·i·cals)
E·van·gel·i·cal (plural E·van·gel·i·cals)

member of evangelical Christian church:
a member of an evangelical Christian church or movement
—e·van·gel·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



evangelicalism

evangelicalism
e·van·gel·i·cal·ism 
[ van jéllik’l ìzzəm, èvvən jéllik’l ìzzəm] or E·van·gel·i·cal·ism
[ van jéllik’l ìzzəm, èvvən jéllik’l ìzzəm] noun

Protestant movement:
a Protestant movement of the Christian church whose members believe in the
authority of the Bible and salvation through the personal acceptance of Jesus
Christ[1]



evangelism

evangelism
e·van·gel·ism 
[i vánjə lìzzəm] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY spreading
of Christianity: the spreading of Christianity,
especially through the activities of evangelists

2.  crusading
zeal:
great enthusiasm, fervor, or zeal for a particular cause

[1]



evangelist

evangelist
e·van·gel·ist 
[i vánjəlist] (plural e·van·gel·ists)
noun

1.  Christian
who converts others: somebody who tries to
persuade other people to become Christians, especially one who travels around
speaking at public meetings or making radio or television broadcasts.
Also
called
evangel

2.  e·van·gel·ist
(plural Evan·ge·lists) or E·van·gel·ist (plural
E·van·gel·ists) writer of Christian Gospel:
any of the writers of the first four Christian Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or
John
—e·van·gel·is·tic
[i vànjə lístik], adjective

—e·van·gel·is·ti·cal·ly
[i vànjə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



evangelize

evangelize
e·van·gel·ize 
[i vánjə lz] (past e·van·gel·ized,
past participle e·van·gel·ized, present participle e·van·gel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular e·van·gel·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  CHRISTIANITY convert
to Christianity: to convert somebody or the people of an
area to Christianity, especially by preaching or missionary work

2.  be
advocate for a cause: to try to persuade other
people to share enthusiasm for particular beliefs and ideals
—e·van·gel·i·za·tion
[i vànjəli záysh’n], noun

—e·van·gel·iz·er, noun[1]



Evans,Dame Edith

Evans,Dame Edith
Ev·ans
[évv’nz], Dame Edith (1888–1976)

British
actor. She is remembered for her Shakespearean roles and also for her
performance as Lady Bracknell in the 1951 movie of The Importance of Being
Earnest.
Full name
Evans, Dame Edith Mary[1]



Evans,Maurice

Evans,Maurice
Ev·ans
[évv’nz], Maurice (1901–1989)

British-born U.S. actor and
producer. He began his career playing Shakespearean characters on stage and
later became a character actor in movies and television productions.[1]



Evans,Mount

Evans,Mount
Ev·ans,
Mount
[évv’nz]

mountain in north central
Colorado, site of a high-altitude laboratory. Height: 4,348 m/14,264 ft.[1]



Evanston

Evanston
Ev·ans·ton
[évvənstən]

city in northeastern Illinois
on Lake Michigan and a northern suburb of Chicago. Population: 71,593 (1996)[1]



Evansville

Evansville
Ev·ans·ville
[évvənz vìl]

city in southwestern Indiana,
on the northern bank of the Ohio River, southwest of Bloomington. Population:
123,456 (1996)[1]



Evans,Walker

Evans,Walker
Ev·ans
[évv’nz], Walker (1903–1975)

U.S. photographer. He is
known for his records of everyday life in the United States from the Great
Depression onward.[1]



evaporable

evaporable
e·vap·o·ra·ble 
[i váppərəb’l, i
vápprəb’l] adjective

able
to evaporate: subject to evaporation
—e·vap·o·ra·bil·i·ty [i vàppərə bíllətee, i
vàpprə bíllətee], noun[1]



evaporate

evaporate
e·vap·o·rate 
[i váppə ràyt] (past e·vap·o·rat·ed,
past participle e·vap·o·rat·ed, present participle e·vap·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular e·vap·o·rates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
liquid to vapor: to change a liquid into a vapor, usually
by heating to below its boiling point, or to change from a liquid to vapor in
this way • The
water evaporates, increasing the moisture in the air.

2.  transitive
verb
remove
liquid from: to remove liquid from something, usually
by heating, to produce a more concentrated or solid substance

3.  intransitive
verb
vanish:
to disappear gradually or fade away to nothing

4.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS to
deposit a film: to deposit something such as a metal
film on a surface through the condensation of a vaporized substance
[15th
century. From Latin evaporat-, the past participle stem of evaporare,
literally “to go out in vapor,” from vapor “ vapor
.”]
—e·vap·o·ra·tive [i váppə ràytiv, i váppərətiv,
i vápprətiv], adjective[1]



evaporatedmilk

evaporatedmilk
e·vap·o·rat·ed
milk
noun

concentrated milk:
milk that has been thickened by removing some of the water by evaporation[1]



evaporation

evaporation
e·vap·o·ra·tion 
[i vàppə ráysh’n] noun

becoming vapor:
a process in which something is changed from a liquid to a vapor without its
temperature reaching the boiling point[1]



evaporator

evaporator
e·vap·o·ra·tor
[i váppə ràytər] (plural e·vap·o·ra·tors)
noun

1.  part
of refrigeration system: the vaporization portion of
a refrigeration system

2.  water-removing
device:
a vaporizing device that removes water or other solvents to obtain the dried or
concentrated residue, as in the preparation of powdered milk from milk

[1]



evaporite

evaporite
e·vap·o·rite 
[i váppə rt] noun

rock
resulting from salt water evaporation: a
sedimentary rock or deposit that results from the evaporation of salt water in
lagoons and saline lakes. Gypsum and rock salt are evaporites.
[Early
20th century. Coined from evaporation + -ite .]
—e·vap·o·rit·ic [i vàppə ríttik], adjective[1]



evapotranspiration

evapotranspiration
e·vap·o·tran·spi·ra·tion
[i vàppō transpi ráysh’n] noun

return
of moisture to the air: the return of moisture to
the air through both evaporation from the soil and transpiration by plants
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from evaporation .][1]



evasion

evasion
e·va·sion 
[i váyzh’n] (plural e·va·sions)
noun

1.  avoidance
of something: avoidance of something unpleasant,
especially a moral or legal obligation

2.  means
of avoidance: a means of escaping or avoiding
something, especially one that involves cunning or deceit

3.  avoiding
an issue:
not giving a direct answer to a direct question, usually in order to conceal
the truth
[15th
century. Via Old French évasion from, ultimately Latin evadere
(see evade ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at avoidance.

[1]



evasive

evasive
e·va·sive 
[i váyssiv] adjective

1.  avoiding
an issue:
not giving a direct answer to a direct question

2.  avoiding
trouble:
intended to avoid something unpleasant, for example, trouble or an attack • took
evasive action
[Early
18th century]
—e·va·sive·ly,
adverb

—e·va·sive·ness, noun[1]



eve

eve
eve 
[eev] (plural eves) noun

1.  eve
or Eve day before festival:
the day, evening, or night before a religious festival or public holiday

2.  period
before event: the day or days immediately before an
important event or special occasion • He
died on the eve of his 100th birthday.

3.  evening:
an evening (literary) • on a
cold winter’s eve
[12th century. Originally a
variant of even 2 .][1]



Eve

Eve
Eve 
[eev] noun

first woman in Bible:
in the Bible, the first woman created by God, and Adam’s companion in the
Garden of Eden[1]



evection

evection
e·vec·tion 
[i vékshən] noun

periodic
variation in Moon’s motion: a periodic irregularity in
the motion of the Moon caused by the variation in the gravitational attraction
of the Sun as the Moon orbits the Earth
[Mid-17th
century. From the Latin stem evection-, from evect-, the past
participle stem of evehere “to carry out, elevate,” from vehere
“to carry” (source of English inveigh,
vehicle, and vex ).]
—e·vec·tion·al, adjective[1]



even

even1
e·ven1 [vən]
adjective

1.  not
sloping, rough, or irregular: having no slope, roughness,
or irregularities

2.  at
the same height: at the same distance above the ground or
other point of reference

3.  aligned:
lining up along the same horizontal or vertical line and usually with equal
spaces between

4.  not
changing or fluctuating: not changing or fluctuating
in level or strength

5.  the
same throughout: the same all over or throughout • an
even consistency

6.  equal
in amount:
equal in amount, number, or extent • At the
end of the first round, the score was even.

7.  well-balanced:
between competitors of equal strength or skill, and therefore fair or
well-balanced

8.  not
owing anything: not or no longer owing anything to each
other (informal) • Give
me five dollars, and we’ll call it even.

9.  MATHEMATICS exactly
divisible by two: used to describe a number or quantity
that can be exactly divided by two with nothing left over, for example, 2, 6,
30, or 518.
See
also
odd

10. with
an even number: having a number that can be exactly
divided by two • on the even pages

11. calm
and steady:
calm and controlled

12. exact
in amount:
exact in amount, number, or extent • an
even dozen
intransitive
and transitive verb (past e·vened,
past participle e·vened, present participle e·ven·ing,
3rd person present singular e·vens)

level or equalize:
to make something more level or equal, or become more level or equal • Atlanta
scored three quick runs to even the score.
[Old
English efen, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning either “flat,
level” or “equal, alike”]
—e·ven·ness,
noun
get
even (with somebody)

to take revenge on somebody • They
took advantage of me, and I was determined to get even.[1]



even

even2
e·ven2 [vən]
noun

evening:
evening (literary) • at
even, when the sun was set
[Old English æfen (see
evening )][1]



even

even3
e·ven3 [vən]
CORE
MEANING:
used for emphasis to indicate something surprising, unlikely, or extreme • Even
I know how to repair a flat! adverb

1.  so
much as:
used after a negative for emphasis to indicate something unexpected and usually
annoying or disappointing • She
couldn’t even remember my name.

2.  to
a greater extent: used for emphasis in comparisons to
indicate the degree to which something exists • His
writing is even messier than hers, and hers is barely legible.

3.  furthermore:
used to indicate that the description that follows applies in addition to and
more strongly or precisely than the preceding one • She
is careful with her money, even miserly.

4.  that
is to say:
used to emphasize a statement (archaic)

5.  all
the way:
used to emphasize that something is true completely and fully (archaic)
• I
will follow thee even unto the ends of the earth.
[Old English efne,
from a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced English even 1][1]



evenbreak

evenbreak
e·ven
break
(plural e·ven breaks) noun

equal chance of success:
an equal opportunity for winning or losing[1]



evenchance

evenchance
e·ven
chance
(plural e·ven chanc·es) noun

equal probability:
an equal likelihood that something will or will not happen[1]



evener

evener
e·ven·er
[vənər] (plural e·ven·ers) noun

1.  something
that equalizes: something or somebody that makes
something even

2.  pivoting
bar on horse-drawn vehicle: a pivoting bar or set of
bars on a horse-drawn carriage or other vehicle that equalizes the force of two
or more singletrees (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Elsewhere
  an evener on a carriage or cart is called doubletree
  and equalizer . Most common in New England and the Midwest, evener contrasts with doubletree in the
  South. The old-fashioned equalizer is most common in the Midwest.
  Where it has currency, evener is often
  used to mean the singletree itself.

[1]



evenfall

evenfall
e·ven·fall
[vən fàwl] noun

beginning of evening:
the beginning of evening (archaic)[1]



evenhanded

evenhanded
e·ven·hand·ed
[vən hándəd] adjective

fair
and impartial: treating everyone fairly, without
favoritism or discrimination • an
evenhanded distribution of the profits
—e·ven·hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—e·ven·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



evening

evening
eve·ning 
[vning] noun (plural eve·nings)

1.  late
part of day: the part of the day between afternoon
and night, as daylight begins to fade

2.  time
before bedtime: the part of the day between sunset or
the last main meal of the day and bedtime • We
went out for the evening.

3.  evening
’s activity: a social gathering, meeting, or
entertainment held in the evening • Thank
you for the enjoyable evening.

4.  period
at end:
the final part of a period of time, for example, somebody’s life or a historical
era (literary) • the
evening of the British Empire

5.  Southern
U.S.
afternoon:
the afternoon, especially middle to late afternoon
interjection

good evening: good
evening (informal)
[Old English æfnung,
from æfen (source of English even 2 ),
from, ultimately, an Indo-European word meaning “lateness”][1]



eveningdress

eveningdress
eve·ning
dress
(plural eve·ning dress·es) noun

1.  formal
clothing:
clothing worn by men or women for formal social events held in the evening. A
man in evening dress usually wears a dinner jacket and black tie, and a woman
usually wears a full-length dress of elegant design.

2.  See
evening gown

[1]



eveninggown

eveninggown
eve·ning
gown
(plural eve·ning gowns) noun

woman’s formal dress:
a woman’s dress suitable for formal social events held in the evening, usually
a full-length dress of elegant design.
Also called
evening dress
U.K. term
evening dress  noun 2[1]



eveningprayer

eveningprayer
eve·ning
prayer
or Eve·ning Prayer noun

See
evensong  noun 1[1]



eveningprimrose

eveningprimrose
eve·ning
prim·rose
(plural eve·ning prim·roses) noun

plant whose flowers open at
nightfall: a biennial plant with hairy
leaves and yellow flowers that open in the evening. Its seeds yield an oil used
especially in treatments for menstrual problems. Genus: Oenothera
Also called
sundrops[1]



evenings

evenings
eve·nings
[vningz] adverb

every evening:
in the evening, especially regularly[1]



eveningstar

eveningstar
eve·ning
star
noun

planet seen in west at
sunset: a bright planet that can be
seen in the western sky around sunset, usually Venus but occasionally Mercury[1]



Evenki

Evenki
E·ven·ki 
[i véngkee, i
wéngkee] (plural E·ven·ki or E·ven·kis) or
E·wen·ki [i wéngkee] (plural E·wen·ki
or E·wen·kis) noun
Also
called
Tungus

1.  PEOPLES member
of Asian ethnic group: a member of an ethnic group
that lives mainly in eastern parts of Asiatic Russia and the northwest of China

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in Asiatic Russia: a language spoken in eastern
parts of Asiatic Russia and the northwest of China that belongs to the Manchu-Tungus
group of the Mongolian branch of Altaic. Evenki is spoken by about 30,000
people.
[Via
Russian, “Evenki people,” from Evenki]
—E·ven·ki, adjective[1]



evenly

evenly
e·ven·ly
[vənlee] adverb

1.  equally:
in equal amounts, numbers, parts, or shares

2.  uniformly:
with the same thickness, consistency, amount, or degree over or throughout
something

3.  with
equal spacing: with gaps of the same size between each
item

4.  in
balance:
having the same weight, strength, or skill as another

5.  steadily:
in an unchanging, regular, or rhythmical way

6.  calmly
and unemotionally: in a calm unemotional way

[1]



evenmoney

evenmoney
e·ven
mon·ey
noun

equal
odds:
a betting situation in which the odds of winning or losing are equal and the
winnings equal the stake
adjective

as likely as not:
equally likely or unlikely • It’s
even money she’ll forget.[1]



evenout

evenout
even
out
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  flatten
or level something: to become or make something
more flat, smooth, or level

2.  equalize
things:
to make two or more different things more equal, or become more equal

[1]



evensong

evensong
e·ven·song 
[vən sàwng] noun

1.  evening
service in Anglican Church: the daily evening worship
service of the Anglican Church.
Also
called
evening prayer

2.  vespers:
vespers (archaic)

3.  evening:
evening (archaic)

[1]



even-steven

even-steven
e·ven-ste·ven
or e·ven Ste·ven adjective (informal)

1.  settled
equally and fairly: with all debts or grievances
mutually settled

2.  equal
in score:
with equal scores or chances of winning • At
the end of the first round the two teams were even-steven.
[Origin uncertain: probably
an arbitrary rhyming formation, although Steven is obsolete slang for
“money”][1]



event

event
e·vent 
[i vént] (plural e·vents) noun

1.  important
incident:
an occurrence, especially one that is particularly significant, interesting,
exciting, or unusual • the
events leading up to the strike

2.  organized
occasion:
an organized occasion such as a social function or sports competition • She
has competed in many international events.

3.  SPORTS individual
sports contest: any of the races or other competitions
that form part of a larger sports occasion, for example, the Olympic Games • The
100 meters is his best event.

4.  PHILOSOPHY occurrence:
a happening or occurrence

5.  PHYSICS single
point in space-time: an occurrence defined in the
theory of relativity as a single point in space-time

6.  COMPUTING occurrence
affecting computer program: an occurrence or happening
of significance to a computer program, for example, the clicking of a mouse
button or the completion of a write operation to a disk
[Late
16th century. From Latin eventus, from the past participle of evenire
“to happen,” literally “to come out” from venire “to come” (see venture ).]
be
wise after the event

to
know with hindsight what should have been done or said in a situation

in
the event of something

if something should happen[1]



event-driven

event-driven
e·vent-driv·en
adjective

awaiting an event before
progressing: used to describe a
computer program with a main loop that waits for an event, for example, the
pressing of a mouse button, and then passes the details of it along[1]



even-tempered

even-tempered
e·ven-tem·pered
adjective

calm:
not easily angered or upset[1]



eventful

eventful
e·vent·ful 
[i véntfəl] adjective

1.  interesting
or exciting: full of important, interesting, or
exciting occurrences

2.  meaningful:
having a major effect on a somebody’s life
—e·vent·ful·ly,
adverb

—e·vent·ful·ness, noun[1]



eventhorizon

eventhorizon
e·vent
ho·ri·zon
(plural e·vent ho·ri·zons) noun

black hole boundary trapping
light: the theoretical boundary
surrounding a black hole, within which gravitational attraction is so great
that nothing, not even radiation, can escape because the escape velocity is
greater than the speed of light[1]



eventide

eventide
e·ven·tide 
[vən td] (plural e·ven·tides)
noun

evening:
evening (literary)[1]



eventless

eventless
e·vent·less
[i véntləss] adjective

uneventful:
having no significant events[1]



eventual

eventual
e·ven·tu·al 
[i vénchoo əl, i
vénchəl] adjective

1.  ultimate:
happening in the course of time or events, usually much later • her
eventual fall from power

2.  contingent:
depending on circumstances or unknown future events (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
French éventuel, from, ultimately, Latin eventus “outcome” (see event ).][1]



eventuality

eventuality
e·ven·tu·al·i·ty 
[i vènchoo állətee] (plural e·ven·tu·al·i·ties)
noun

contingency:
a possible occurrence or result, especially something undesirable or unexpected
(formal) • We
must be prepared for all eventualities.[1]



eventually

eventually
e·ven·tu·al·ly 
[i vénchoo əlee, i
vénchəlee] adverb

1.  in
the end:
after a long time, especially after many problems or setbacks • We
eventually managed to open the door.

2.  ultimately:
at some later time after a series of events • She
hopes eventually to study.

[1]



eventuate

eventuate
e·ven·tu·ate 
[i vénchoo àyt] (past e·ven·tu·at·ed,
past participle e·ven·tu·at·ed, present participle e·ven·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·ven·tu·ates) intransitive verb

happen as a result:
to happen as a final result (formal)[1]



eventuatein

eventuatein
eventuate
in
transitive verb

result in:
to cause or result in something, especially after an extended period of time (formal)
• The
oil spill eventuated in the destruction of wildlife habitats along the coast.[1]



evenup

evenup
even
up
intransitive and transitive verb

balance:
to become or make something more equal, fair, or well-balanced[1]



evenweave

evenweave
e·ven·weave
[vən wv] (plural e·ven·weaves)
noun

fabric with warp and weft
alike: a fabric with warp and weft
threads of the same thickness and tension, and with an equal number of warp and
weft threads in any square measurement[1]



ever

ever
ev·er 
[évvər] adverb

1.  at
any time:
used for emphasis in indicating any time in the past or future • This
is the most fascinating book I’ve ever read. • Have
you ever been skiing?

2.  used
to indicate surprise: used for emphasis to
indicate surprise, shock, or incomprehension at something • Where
ever can it be?

3.  increasingly:
to an increasing degree (formal) • The
questions were becoming ever more technical.

4.  used
as intensifier: used to emphasize a particular quality,
especially to express enthusiasm (informal) • Was
I ever glad to get home!

5.  always:
showing at all times a particular quality • He
is ever anxious to please.
[Old
English fre . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “eternity”
that is also the ancestor of English age
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  The
  best dictionary ever :
  Some
  people object to this use of ever because
  they maintain that ever should include the
  future as well as the past. However, the future can rarely be accounted for,
  and the idiom is well established in conversational use, although it would
  not normally be used in more formal spoken or in written English.

[1]



Everest,Mount

Everest,Mount
Ev·er·est,
Mount
[évvərist]

mountain in the Himalayas on
the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is the
highest mountain in the world. Height: 8,848 m/29,028 ft.[1]



Everett

Everett
Ev·er·ett
[évvərət]

1.  city
in eastern Massachusetts on the Mystic River, near Boston. Population: 35,006
(1996)

2.  city
and seaport in northwestern Washington, near Seattle. Population: 69,961 (1990)

[1]



Everett,Edward

Everett,Edward
Ev·er·ett
[évvərət], Edward (1794–1865)

U.S. statesman, educator, and
orator. He delivered the oration at Gettysburg prior to Lincoln’s address.[1]



everglade

everglade
ev·er·glade 
[évvər glàyd] (plural ev·er·glades)
noun

marshy
grassland:
a stretch of marshy grassland usually covered with water for at least part of
the year
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from the Everglades .][1]



Evergladekite

Evergladekite
Ev·er·glade
kite
noun

See
snail kite[1]



EvergladesNational Park

EvergladesNational Park
Ev·er·glades
Na·tion·al Park [èvvər
glaydz nashən’l prk]

national park in southern
Florida, established in 1947. It contains the largest subtropical wilderness in
the United States. Area: 6,102 sq km/2,356 sq mi.[1]



evergreen

evergreen
ev·er·green 
[évvər grn] adjective

1.  BOTANY with
leaves throughout the year: used to describe a tree or
shrub that retains its foliage throughout the year

2.  remaining
fresh or popular: used to describe people or things that
always seem fresh, lively, or interesting, and that remain popular despite
their age
noun
(plural ev·er·greens)

1.  BOTANY evergreen
tree:
a tree or shrub that keeps its foliage throughout the year

2.  evergreen
person or thing: somebody or something that remains
fresh, lively, interesting, or popular
plural
noun
ev·er·greens

decorative branches:
twigs or branches cut from evergreen trees or shrubs and used for decoration

[1]



EvergreenPark

EvergreenPark
Ev·er·green
Park
[èvvər green prk]

village in northeastern
Illinois that is a residential suburb of Chicago. Population: 20,584 (1996)[1]



EvergreenState

EvergreenState
Ev·er·green
State
noun

Washington:
the state of Washington (informal)[1]



everlasting

everlasting
ev·er·last·ing 
[èvvər lásting] adjective

1.  lasting
for ever:
never failing or coming to an end

2.  lasting
a long time: continuing indefinitely or for a long
time

3.  incessant:
going on for too long and becoming tedious or annoying • everlasting
grumbling
noun
(plural ev·er·last·ings)

1.  infinity:
infinite time

2.  ev·er·last·ing
or ev·er·last·ing flow·er (plural ev·er·last·ing
flow·ers) PLANTS flower
that looks fresh when dried: a plant with flowers that
keep their shape and color when dried, for example, helichrysum.
Also
called
immortelle
—ev·er·last·ing·ly,
adverb

—ev·er·last·ing·ness, noun[1]



Everlasting

Everlasting
Ev·er·last·ing
noun

God:
God (literary)[1]



evermore

evermore
ev·er·more 
[èvvər máwr, évvər
màwr] adverb

forever:
from now until the end of time or the end of somebody’s life (literary)
• I will
be evermore in your debt.[1]



eversion

eversion
e·ver·sion 
[i vúrzh’n, i
vúrsh’n] (plural e·ver·sions) noun MEDICINE BIOLOGY

1.  turning
inside out:
the process or condition of being turned inside out • eversion
of the bladder

2.  turning
outward:
a condition of being turned outward • an eversion
of the feet
[Mid-18th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem eversion-, from evers-,
the past participle stem of evertere (see evert
).]
—e·ver·si·ble, adjective[1]



Evers,Medgar

Evers,Medgar
Ev·ers 
[évvərz], Medgar (1925–1963)

U.S. civil rights leader. He
was a major figure in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) until his murder in 1963.[1]



evert

evert
e·vert
[i vúrt] (past e·vert·ed, past
participle e·vert·ed, present participle e·vert·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·verts) transitive verb

turn
a body part outward: to turn an organ or other
body part outward or inside out
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
evertere, literally “to turn out,” from vertere “to turn” (see verse ).][1]



Evert,Chris

Evert,Chris

Ev·ert 
[évvərt], Chris (1954– )
U.S.
tennis player. She won 16 grand slam singles championships during her career
(1972–1989).
Full name
Evert, Christine Marie[1]



everwhere

everwhere
ev·er·where 
[évvər wàir, èvvər
wáir, évvər hwàir, èvvər hwáir] adverb Southern U.S.

1.  everywhere:
everywhere

2.  wherever:
wherever

[1]



everwhich

everwhich
ev·er·which 
[évvər wìch, èvvər
wích, évvər hwìch, èvvər hwích] adverb

Southern U.S.
whichever[1]



every

every
eve·ry
[évvree] CORE
MEANING:
used to indicate each member of a group without exception • Every
life has value. adjective

1.  the
utmost:
used to emphasize that there is all there could be of a particular quality • The
committee has every intention of exploring this issue.

2.  each,
occurring intermittently or proportionately: used
to indicate each occurrence in recurrent or intermittent groups of things, or
to indicate a ratio • We
intend to meet every two weeks. • Take
this medicine every three hours.
[13th
century. From the Old English phrase frelc “ever each.”]
every
now and then

or
every now and againoccasionally

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at each.

[1]



everybody

everybody
eve·ry·bod·y 
pronoun

See
everyone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








everyday

everyday
eve·ry·day
[évvree dày] adjective

1.  ordinary
and unremarkable: having no remarkable feature to set it
apart • an
everyday story of city life

2.  happening
or done each day: happening or done each day • an
everyday occurrence

3.  used
on ordinary occasions: suitable for use on ordinary
days or for routine tasks, rather than on special occasions
noun

ordinary occasions:
routine or daily life
—eve·ry·day·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  everyday
  or every day ?
  When
  you intend either an adjective (for the most part this will come before a
  noun, as in • everyday life
  or a noun that means “ordinary occasions” • part
  of the everyday, the one-word version is correct.
  Adverbial uses • We should eat fruit
  every day
  and the noun use that means “each day” • Every
  day is different call for the two-word
  version. Thus • everyday in every way
  means “ordinary in all respects,” whereas • every
  day in every way means “daily and
  completely.”

[1]



Everyman

Everyman
Eve·ry·man
[évvri màn] noun

1.  Eve·ry·man
or eve·ry·man ordinary person:
somebody, usually a man, considered to be typical or representative of all
human beings

2.  hero
of morality play: the hero of a medieval morality play who
represents the whole of the human race

[1]



everyone

everyone
eve·ry·one 
[évvri wùn] or eve·ry·bod·y [évvri bòddee] pronoun

every person:
every person, whether of a defined group or in general • Everyone
is going to come to the office party.
• This
is not just for one area; it will affect everyone around the country.[1]



everyplace

everyplace
eve·ry·place
[évvri plàyss] adverb

all over:
everywhere (informal) • I’ve
looked everyplace.[1]



everything

everything
eve·ry·thing 
[évvri thing] pronoun

1.  the
entirety:
all the items, actions, or facts in a given situation • Everything
I do is for my family. • Is
everything all right?

2.  something
all-important: used to emphasize that somebody or
something is the most important person or thing there is • To
them, family is everything.

[1]



everywhere

everywhere
eve·ry·where
[évvri wàir, évvree
hwàir] adverb

in all places:
in or to all conceivable places • Children
everywhere play these games. • Her
cat followed her everywhere she went.[1]



Everywoman

Everywoman
Eve·ry·wom·an
[évvri wmmən] or eve·ry·wom·an
[évvri wmmən] noun

ordinary
woman:
a woman considered to be typical or representative of woman generally
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
Everyman .][1]



evg.

evg.
evg.

Abbreviation of
evening[1]



Evian

Evian
Ev·i·an
[évvee àwN, évvee
àn] Trademark

a trademark for a bottled
mineral water from Evian, France[1]



evict

evict
e·vict 
[i víkt] (past e·vict·ed, past
participle e·vict·ed, present participle e·vict·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·victs) transitive verb

1.  eject
somebody from a property: to force a tenant to leave a
property, especially the tenant’s residence, usually because he or she has
failed to comply with the terms of the lease

2.  throw
out of a place: to force somebody to leave a place,
usually because of bad behavior • She
was evicted from the game for insulting the referee

3.  get
back property: to recover property or title to property
from somebody by legal means
[(see
evince )]
—e·vic·tion,
noun

—e·vic·tor, noun[1]



evictee

evictee
e·vict·ee
[i vìk t] (plural e·vict·ees)
noun

somebody evicted:
somebody who is evicted from a property[1]



evidence

evidence
ev·i·dence 
[évvid’ns] noun

1.  sign
or proof:
something that gives a sign or proof of the existence or truth of something, or
that helps somebody to come to a particular conclusion • There
is no evidence that the disease is related to diet.

2.  proof
of guilt:
the objects or information used to prove or suggest the guilt of somebody
accused of a crime • The police have no
evidence.

3.  statements
of witnesses: the oral or written statements of
witnesses and other people involved in a trial or official inquiry
transitive
verb
(past ev·i·denced, past participle ev·i·denced, present
participle ev·i·denc·ing, 3rd person present singular ev·i·denc·es)

demonstrate or prove:
to demonstrate or prove something (usually passive) • Their
unwillingness to participate is evidenced by their failure to contact us.

[1]



evident

evident
ev·i·dent 
[évvid’nt] adjective

obvious:
easy or clear to see or understand • The
full extent of her injuries did not become evident until they tried to move
her.
[See vision][1]



evidential

evidential
ev·i·den·tial 
[èvvi dénshəl] adjective

U.K.
See evidentiary
—ev·i·den·tial·ly, adverb[1]



evidentiary

evidentiary
ev·i·den·tia·ry 
[èvvi dénshəree, èvvi
dénshee èrree] adjective

of evidence:
relating to, consisting of, or based on evidence • statements
with no evidentiary value.
U.K. term
evidential[1]



evidently

evidently
ev·i·dent·ly 
[évvidəntlee] adverb

1.  clearly:
used to indicate that something is undoubtedly true, often because it is there
to be seen • Evidently,
you have not grasped all the ramifications of this proposal.

2.  apparently:
used to indicate that something may be true based on available evidence • He
then completely ignored her, evidently intent on hurting her feelings even
more.

[1]



evil

evil
e·vil 
[v’l] adjective

1.  morally
bad:
profoundly immoral or wrong

2.  harmful:
deliberately causing great harm, pain, or upset • This
evil act is clearly the work of terrorists.

3.  devilish:
connected with the Devil or other powerful destructive forces • evil
spirits

4.  causing
misfortune:
characterized by, bringing, or signifying bad luck • an
evil omen

5.  malicious:
characterized by a desire to cause hurt or harm • an
evil mood

6.  disagreeable:
very unpleasant • What an evil smell!
noun
(plural e·vils)

1.  wickedness:
the quality of being profoundly immoral or wrong

2.  e·vil
or E·vil force causing harmful
effects:
the force held to bring about harmful, painful, or unpleasant events • a
struggle between good and evil

3.  something
evil:
a situation or thing that is very unpleasant, harmful, or morally wrong
[Old
English yfel . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “exceeding
due limits.”]
—e·vil·ly,
adverb

—e·vil·ness, noun[1]



evildoer

evildoer
e·vil·do·er 
[v’l d ər, v’l
d ər] (plural e·vil·do·ers) noun

somebody
who does evil: somebody who does evil things
—e·vil·do·ing, noun[1]



evileye

evileye
e·vil
eye
noun

1.  look
of strong dislike: a piercing look that conveys
strong feelings of hatred, disapproval, jealousy, or malice, or that supposedly
can cause harm

2.  supposed
harmful magical power: a supernatural or magical
power that some people believe can bring harm or cause bad luck • an
amulet to protect children from the evil eye

[1]



EvilOne

EvilOne
E·vil
One
noun

Devil:
the Devil[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








evince

evince
e·vince 
[i víns] (past e·vinced, past
participle e·vinced, present participle e·vinc·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·vinc·es) transitive verb

1.  show
clearly:
to show a feeling or a quality clearly • She
evinced her disapproval of the production by leaving the auditorium.

2.  reveal:
to indicate something by action or implication
[Late
16th century. From Latin evincere, literally “to win out” (source also
of English evict ), from vincere
“to conquer” (see victor ).]
—e·vinc·i·ble, adjective[1]



eviscerate

eviscerate
e·vis·cer·ate 
[i víssə ràyt] (past e·vis·cer·at·ed,
past participle e·vis·cer·at·ed, present participle e·vis·cer·at·ing,
3rd person present singular e·vis·cer·ates) transitive verb

1.  disembowel:
to remove the internal organs or entrails of a person or an animal

2.  remove
important part of: to remove an essential part
of something and so weaken it

3.  SURGERY remove
the contents of an organ: to remove the contents of
the eyeball or another organ or body cavity
[Late
16th century. From Latin eviscerare, from viscera (see viscera ).]
—e·vis·cer·a·tion
[i vìssə ráysh’n], noun

—e·vis·cer·a·tor [i víssə ràytər], noun[1]



evocation

evocation
ev·o·ca·tion 
[èvvə káysh’n, 
vō káysh’n] (plural ev·o·ca·tions) noun

1.  evoking:
a recreation of something not present, especially an event or feeling from the
past • an
accurate evocation of that period

2.  LAW transfer
of court case: the transfer of a case from a lower to a
higher court for review

[1]



evocative

evocative
e·voc·a·tive 
[i vókətiv] adjective

stimulating
memories of the past: prompting vivid memories or
images of things not present, especially things from the past • an
outfit evocative of the 1960s
—e·voc·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—e·voc·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



evoke

evoke
e·voke 
[i vṓk] (past e·voked, past
participle e·voked, present participle e·vok·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·vokes) transitive verb

1.  stimulate
memories from past: to bring to mind a memory or
feeling, especially from the past • evoke childhood
memories

2.  cause
reaction or feeling: to provoke a particular
reaction or feeling • Her
question evoked a bitter retort.

3.  cause
to appear:
to make beings appear who are normally invisible • evoke
a spirit
[Early
17th century. From Latin evocare, literally “to call out,” from vocare
“to call” (see vocal ).]
—ev·o·ca·ble
[évvəkəb’l, i vṓkəb’l],
adjective

—ev·o·ca·tor
[évvə kàytər], noun

—e·vo·ker, noun[1]



evolute

evolute
ev·o·lute 
[évvə lt] (plural ev·o·lutes)
noun

MATHEMATICS curve:
the curve formed by the set of points that are the centers of curvature of
another geometric curve ( involute )
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
evolutus, the past participle of evolvere (see evolve ).][1]



evolution

evolution
ev·o·lu·tion 
[èvvə lsh’n, və
lsh’n] (plural ev·o·lu·tions) noun

1.  BIOLOGY theory
of development from earlier forms: the theoretical
process by which all species develop from earlier forms of life. On this
theory, natural variation in the genetic material of a population favors
reproduction by some individuals more than others, so that over the generations
all members of the population come to possess the favorable traits.

2.  BIOLOGY developmental
process:
the natural or artificially induced process by which new and different
organisms develop as a result of changes in genetic material

3.  gradual
development: the gradual development of something
into a more complex or better form • the
evolution of democracy in Western Europe

4.  PHYSICS giving
off heat or gas: the emission of heat, gas, or vapor

5.  pattern
caused by movement: a pattern formed by a series
of movements

6.  MATHEMATICS finding
root of number: an algebraic operation in which the
root, for example, the square root or cube root, of a number is found.
See
also
involution

7.  MILITARY military
exercise:
a military exercise or maneuver carried out according to a plan
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin evolut-, the past participle stem of evolvere
(see evolve ).]
—ev·o·lu·tion·al,
adjective

—evo·lu·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



evolutionary

evolutionary
ev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
[èvvə lsh’n èrree, və
lsh’n èrree] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY of
evolution:
relating to the theory of evolution

2.  from
evolution:
resulting from or conferred by evolution • evolutionary
advantage

3.  gradual:
developing in small increments that accumulate to bring about significant
change • an
evolutionary process
—ev·o·lu·tion·ar·i·ly,
adverb[1]



evolutionism

evolutionism
ev·o·lu·tion·ism 
[èvvə lsh’n ìzzəm, və
lsh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  BIOLOGY evolutionary
theory:
the theory of biological evolution

2.  belief
in evolution: belief in the theory of biological
evolution
—ev·o·lu·tion·ist, noun[1]



evolve

evolve
e·volve 
[i vólv] (past e·volved, past
participle e·volved, present participle e·volv·ing, 3rd
person present singular e·volves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb develop
gradually:
to develop something gradually, often into something more complex or advanced,
or undergo such development

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY develop via evolutionary
change:
in evolutionary theory to develop from an earlier biological form, or to
develop a characteristic in this way

3.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS emit
heat or gas: to give off heat, gas, or vapor
[Early
17th century. From Latin evolvere, literally “to roll out,” from volvere
“to roll” (source of English volume
and revolver ; see volute ).]
—e·volv·a·ble,
adjective

—e·volve·ment,
noun

—e·volv·er, noun[1]



EwaBeach

EwaBeach
E·wa
Beach
[áy v bch, áy
w bch]

town on Oahu Island, Hawaii,
west of Honolulu. Population: 14,315 (1990)[1]



Ewe

Ewe
E·we 
[áy wày, áy vày]
(plural E·we or E·wes) noun

1.  member
of a W African people: a member of a West African
people living in coastal regions of Ghana, Togo, and Benin

2.  language
of the Ewe:
the language of the Ewe, belonging to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family.
Ewe is spoken by about three million people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Ewe .]
—E·we, adjective[1]



ewe

ewe
ewe 
[yoo] (plural ewes) noun

female
sheep:
a female sheep, especially when fully grown
[Old English ēowu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “sheep,” which is also the
ancestor of English ovine .][1]



Ewell,Richard Stoddert

Ewell,Richard Stoddert
Ew·ell 
[y əl], Richard Stoddert (1817–1872)

U.S. soldier. He led the
Confederate army after Stonewall Jackson’s death.[1]



ewe-neck

ewe-neck
ewe-neck 
noun

neck
defect of horse or dog: a thin concave neck in a
horse or dog, considered to be a defect
—ewe-necked, adjective[1]



ewer

ewer
ew·er 
[y ər] (plural ew·ers) noun

large
jug with a wide spout: a large jug or pitcher with
a wide spout
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French aiguière, from, ultimately, Latin aquarius
“of water,” from aqua “water” (see aqua
).][1]



ex-

ex-2
ex-2 prefix

(used before vowels)See
exo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ex-

ex-1
ex-1 prefix

1.  out,
outside, away • exclave
• explant

2.  not,
without • exstipulate

3.  former
• ex-convict
[From Latin “out of.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “out,” which is also the ancestor
of English external .][1]



ex.

ex.
ex.

1.  Abbreviation
of
example

2.  ex.
or exc. Abbreviation of except

3.  ex.
or exch. Abbreviation of exchange

4.  Abbreviation
of
examination

5.  Abbreviation
of
executive

6.  Abbreviation
of
express

7.  Abbreviation
of
extra

[1]



Ex.

Ex.
Ex.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Exodus[1]



ex

ex2
ex2 [eks]
noun

former
spouse:
a former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend (informal)
[Early 19th century. From ex- 1 .][1]



ex

ex3
ex3 [eks]
preposition

1.  FINANCE excluding:
not including or participating in • ex
dividend

2.  COMMERCE sold
from:
sold directly from with no charge before collection • ex
works
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see ex- 1 ).][1]



ex

ex1
ex1 [eks]
(plural ex·es) noun

letter
X:
the letter X
[Late 19th century. From the
pronunciation of the letter X .][1]



exa-

exa-
exa-

one
million million million: one million million million
(10 18 ). Symbol E
[From hexa-][1]



exacerbate

exacerbate
ex·ac·er·bate 
[ig zássər bàyt] (past ex·ac·er·bat·ed,
past participle ex·ac·er·bat·ed, present participle ex·ac·er·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ac·er·bates) transitive verb

make
worse:
to make an already bad or problematic situation worse • Her
silence merely exacerbated the problem.
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin exacerbat-, the past participle stem of exacerbare,
literally “to make thoroughly harsh,” from acerbare “to make harsh,” from
acerbus “bitter” (see acerbic ).]
—ex·ac·er·ba·tion [ig zàssər báysh’n], noun[1]



exact

exact
ex·act 
[ig zákt] adjective

1.  correct:
accurate and correct in all important details • an
exact account

2.  precise:
precise and not allowing for any variation • a
check for the exact amount

3.  this
and no other: used to emphasize that what is being
referred to is one precise and often significant thing and not any other • on
this exact spot

4.  strict:
rigorous and thorough • an
exact argument

5.  functioning
accurately:
characterized by precise measurements • exact
instruments
transitive
verb
(past ex·act·ed, past participle ex·act·ed, present
participle ex·act·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·acts)

1.  get:
to demand and obtain something, especially payment • exacted
a heavy tribute from their defeated enemies

2.  inflict
as suffering: to make somebody endure something
unpleasant (formal) • I was
already thinking how I could exact revenge for what he had done.

3.  require:
to call for something as a matter of necessity or urgency
[15th
century. From Latin exactus, the past participle of exigere “to
demand,” literally “to drive out” (source of English essay ), from agere “to drive” (see agent ).]
—ex·act·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·act·ness,
noun

—ex·ac·tor, noun[1]



exacta

exacta
ex·act·a 
[ig záktə] (plural ex·act·as) noun

bet
on 2 competitors: a type of bet, especially on dogs or
horses, that pays if the two entries chosen come in first and second in the
order predicted.
Also
called
quiniela exacta
Also
called
perfecta
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish quiniela exacta “exact quinella,” a game of chance.][1]



exacting

exacting
ex·act·ing 
[ig zákting] adjective

1.  demanding
attention:
requiring concentration and strict attention to detail • an
exacting task

2.  demanding:
demanding hard work and great effort • an
exacting boss
—ex·act·ing·ly,
adverb

—ex·act·ing·ness, noun[1]



exaction

exaction
ex·ac·tion 
[ig zákshən] (plural ex·ac·tions)
noun

1.  act
of demanding and obtaining something: the
act of forcing somebody to give something, especially payment

2.  unfair
demand:
an unfair or excessive demand for something, especially money (formal)

3.  payment
obtained by force: a sum of money or a payment
that has been forcibly demanded and obtained (formal)

[1]



exactitude

exactitude
ex·ac·ti·tude 
[ig zákti td] noun

precision:
the quality or state of being exact, precise, or accurate “The children were
drilled in their parts with a military exactitude; obedience and punctuality
became cardinal virtues.” Frank Norris McTeague –A Story of San Francisco 1899[1]



exactly

exactly
ex·act·ly 
[ig záktlee] adverb

1.  precisely:
used to emphasize that a particular quality or quantity is stated precisely • One
lap around the park is exactly two miles.

2.  fully:
used to emphasize that what is stated is true in all details or to the fullest
extent • He
did exactly what I said he would.

3.  showing
agreement:
used to indicate agreement that what has just been said is true or correct • “We
need to give this more thought.” “Exactly.”

4.  showing
disapproval: used in questions to ask for precise
information, often implying suspicion or disapproval • So
exactly what are you doing?

[1]



exactscience

exactscience
ex·act
sci·ence
(plural ex·act sci·ences) noun

science involving precise
measurements: a science such as
physics that deals with precise quantifiable measurements[1]



exaggerate

exaggerate
ex·ag·ger·ate 
[ig zájjə ràyt] (past ex·ag·ger·at·ed,
past participle ex·ag·ger·at·ed, present participle ex·ag·ger·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ag·ger·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb overstate
something:
to state that something is better, worse, larger, more common, or more
important than is true or usual

2.  transitive
verb
make
more noticeable: to make something appear more noticeable
or prominent than is usual or desirable
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exaggerat-, the past participle stem of exaggerare,
“to heap up,” from agger “heap,” from, gerere “to carry” (see gesture ).]
—ex·ag·ger·at·ed·ly,
adverb

—ex·ag·ger·at·ing·ly,
adverb

—ex·ag·ger·a·tive,
adjective

—ex·ag·ger·a·tor, noun[1]



exaggeration

exaggeration
ex·ag·ger·a·tion
[ig zàjjə ráysh’n] (plural ex·ag·ger·a·tions)
noun

1.  exaggerating:
the act or activity of exaggerating something • a
personality given to exaggeration

2.  exaggerated
statement:
behavior or a statement that exaggerates something

[1]



exalt

exalt
ex·alt 
[ig záwlt] (past ex·alt·ed, past
participle ex·alt·ed, present participle ex·alt·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·alts) transitive verb

1.  promote:
to raise somebody or something in rank, position, or esteem (formal) • exalted
to the rank of major

2.  praise:
to praise or worship somebody or something (formal)

3.  intensify:
to increase the intensity or effect of something (formal)

4.  stimulate:
to stimulate a mental quality or faculty (archaic) “Of Lorna, of my
lifelong darling, of my more and more loved wife, I will not talk; for it is
not seemly that a man should exalt his pride.” R. D. Blackmore Lorna Doone, A
Romance of Exmoor 1869

5.  raise:
to raise somebody or something physically (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin exaltare, literally “to put up high,” from altus
“high” (see alto .]
—ex·alt·er, noun[1]



exaltation

exaltation
ex·al·ta·tion 
[èg zàwl táysh’n] (plural ex·al·ta·tions)
noun

1.  feeling
of extreme happiness: a feeling of intense or
excessive happiness or exhilaration (formal) • the
miseries and exaltations of romance

2.  raising
up:
the act of raising or holding something up (formal)

3.  flock:
a flock of larks (literary)

[1]



exalted

exalted
ex·alt·ed 
[ig záwltəd] adjective (formal)

1.  elevated:
high in rank, position, or esteem

2.  noble:
grand or noble in character

3.  high-spirited:
in very high spirits
—ex·alt·ed·ly,
adverb

—ex·alt·ed·ness, noun[1]



exam

exam
ex·am 
[ig zám] (plural ex·ams) noun

1.  test
of knowledge or ability: a test designed to assess
somebody’s ability or knowledge in a particular subject or field • a
chemistry exam

2.  MEDICINE medical
inspection of a patient: a medical inspection of a
particular kind carried out on a patient.
U.K.
term
examination  noun 3
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of examination .][1]



examen

examen
ex·a·men 
[ig záymən] (plural ex·a·mens)
noun

examination
of conscience: in the Roman Catholic Church, an
examination of conscience
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (see examine ).][1]



examination

examination
ex·am·i·na·tion 
[ig zàmmə náysh’n] (plural ex·am·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  inspection:
the process of looking at and considering something carefully with the aim of
learning something • Their applications are
currently under examination.

2.  EDUCATION Full form of exam  noun 1

3.  U.K.
MEDICINE See exam

4.  MEDICINE study
of samples for medical diagnosis: the study of
laboratory samples from a patient in order to diagnose an illness

5.  LAW interrogation
in law court: an interrogation of a witness or party
to a case in a court of law

[1]



examine

examine
ex·am·ine 
[ig zámmin] (past ex·am·ined, past
participle ex·am·ined, present participle ex·am·in·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·am·ines) transitive verb

1.  study:
to inspect or study somebody or something in detail • examine
the scene for fingerprints

2.  investigate:
to analyze something in order to understand or expose it • examine
your conscience

3.  EDUCATION test:
to test the knowledge or ability of somebody by giving written, oral, or
practical examinations

4.  MEDICINE inspect
condition of a patient: to inspect a patient in
order to determine his or her condition or health • examined
by a qualified physician

5.  LAW interrogate
a witness:
to ask questions of a witness or other party to a case in a court of law
[14th
century. Via French from Latin examinare “to weigh,” from examen
“weighing out,” from exigere (see exact
).]
—ex·am·in·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·am·in·ee
[ig zàmmə n], noun

—ex·am·in·er [ig zámminər], noun[1]



exampaper

exampaper
ex·am
pa·per
(plural ex·am pa·pers) or ex·am·i·na·tion pa·per (plural
ex·am·i·na·tion pa·pers) noun

U.K.
set of questions:
the printed set of questions used to test somebody’s knowledge in an exam[1]



example

example
ex·am·ple 
[ig zámp’l] noun (plural ex·am·ples)

1.  sample:
something that is representative by virtue of having typical features of the
thing it represents • a fine
example of Baroque carving

2.  model:
a person, action, or thing taken as a model to be copied or avoided by others • Her
achievement is an example to us all.

3.  illustration
supporting something: an illustration that
supports or provides more information on an opinion, theory, or principle • The
prosecutor then listed several examples of the accused’s mismanagement of
funds.

4.  learning
aid:
an exercise or description that illustrates a principle, method, or problem • Each
chapter contains easy-to-follow examples.

5.  person
punished:
somebody punished as a warning to others who may be inclined to offend in the
same way
transitive
verb
(past ex·am·pled, past participle ex·am·pled, present
participle ex·am·pling, 3rd person present singular ex·am·ples)

exemplify: to
exemplify (archaic) (usually passive)
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin exemplum, originally “something taken
out, sample,” from eximere “to take out,” from emere “to take.”]
for
example

used
to introduce a typical instance of somebody or something

make
an example of somebody

to punish somebody as a
warning to others who might be inclined to offend in the same way[1]



exanthema

exanthema
ex·an·the·ma 
[èg zan thmə] (plural ex·an·them·a·ta
[èg zan thmətə] or ex·an·the·mas)
or ex·an·them [ig zánthəm] (plural
ex·an·thems) noun

1.  skin
rash:
a skin rash appearing as a sign of some infectious diseases, such as measles

2.  disease
with rash:
a disease characterized by the appearance of a skin rash, for example, measles
or scarlet fever
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek exanthēma “eruption,” literally
“blossoming out,” from anthein “to blossom,” from anthos
“flower.”]
—ex·an·the·mat·ic
[ig zànthə máttik], adjective

—ex·an·them·a·tous [èg zan thémmətəss], adjective[1]



exarch

exarch
ex·arch
[ék srk] (plural exarchs) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Eastern
Orthodox bishop: a bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church,
ranked above a metropolitan and below a patriarch

2.  HISTORY provincial
Byzantine ruler: the ruler of a province in the Byzantine
Empire
[Late
16th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin exarchus from Greek exarkhos
“leader,” from exarkhein “to lead,” from arkhein “to rule.”]
—ex·arch·al [ek srk’l], adjective[1]



exarchate

exarchate
ex·ar·chate 
[ék sr kayt] (plural ex·ar·chates)
or ex·ar·chy [ék srkee] (plural
ex·ar·chies) noun

domain of an exarch:
the office, domain, or term of an exarch[1]



exasperate

exasperate
ex·as·per·ate 
(past ex·as·per·at·ed, past participle ex·as·per·at·ed,
present participle ex·as·per·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular ex·as·per·ates) transitive verb [ig záspə ràyt]

1.  make
angry:
to make somebody very angry or frustrated, often by repeatedly doing something
annoying (usually passive) • Guests
were exasperated by their hosts’ constant bickering.

2.  worsen:
to make an unpleasant condition or feeling worse (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exasperat-, the past participle stem of exasperare
“to irritate, roughen,” literally “to make thoroughly rough,” from asper
“rough.”]
—ex·as·per·at·ed·ly,
adverb

—ex·as·per·at·ing,
adjective

—ex·as·per·at·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at annoy

[1]



exasperation

exasperation
ex·as·per·a·tion 
[ig zàspə ráysh’n] noun

annoyance:
annoyance and frustration, often caused by an irritation that cannot be
overcome or stopped[1]



Exc.

Exc.
Exc.

Abbreviation of
Excellency[1]



exc.

exc.
exc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
excellent

2.  Abbreviation
of
except

3.  exc.
or ex. Abbreviation of excepted

4.  exc.
or ex. Abbreviation of exception

5.  Abbreviation
of
excursion

[1]



Excalibur

Excalibur
Ex·cal·i·bur 
[ek skálləbər] noun

King
Arthur’s sword: in Arthurian legend, King Arthur’s magic
sword that was given to him by the mysterious Lady of the Lake
[15th century. Alteration of
medieval Latin Caliburnus, from Middle Welsh Caletuwlch or Middle
Irish Caladbolg, the name of a sword of Irish legend.][1]



excathedra

excathedra
ex
ca·the·dra 
[èks kə thdrə] adjective adverb

with
authority:
with the authority of status or rank (formal) • imposed
the decisions ex cathedra
[From Latin, literally “from
the (teacher’s) chair”][1]



excavate

excavate
ex·ca·vate 
[ékskə vàyt] (past ex·ca·vat·ed,
past participle ex·ca·vat·ed, present participle ex·ca·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ca·vates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
earth:
to remove earth or soil by digging or scooping out • Before
the foundations can be laid, they will have to excavate about six feet of soil.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hollow
something out: to make a hole or cavity in something by
removing the material inside • excavate
a tooth

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARCHAEOLOGY dig for artifacts:
to dig in a place carefully and methodically, taking notes about procedures,
conditions, and finds, with a view to uncovering objects of archaeological
interest

4.  transitive
verb
form
by hollowing: to form a shape or cavity by hollowing • excavates
a hollow in the sand as its nest

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb uncover
something with difficulty: to discover or uncover
something valuable by effort
[Late 16th century. From
Latin excavat-, the past participle stem of excavare “to hollow
out,” from cavare “to hollow,” from cavus “hollow” (see cave ).][1]



excavation

excavation

ex·ca·va·tion 
[èkskə váysh’n] (plural ex·ca·va·tions)
noun

1.  excavating:
the act or process of digging, removing earth, hollowing something out, or
excavating an archaeological site • recent
excavations in Sumatra

2.        hole
made by digging: a hole that has been
made by digging or hollowing something out, or part of an archaeological site
that has been excavated[1]



excavator

excavator
ex·ca·va·tor 
[ékskə vàytər] (plural ex·ca·va·tors)
noun

1.  mechanical
digger:
a large machine with a hinged metal bucket attached to a hydraulic arm, used to
move large quantities of earth or soil or for lifting

2.  digger:
a person or animal that digs or hollows something out, especially somebody
engaged in archaeological excavation

[1]



exceed

exceed
ex·ceed 
[ik sd] (past ex·ceed·ed, past
participle ex·ceed·ed, present participle ex·ceed·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ceeds) transitive verb

1.  be
greater than: to be greater than something in
quantity, degree, or scope • The
cost of the movie is reported to exceed 20 million dollars.

2.  go
beyond limits: to go beyond the limits of something in
quantity, degree, or scope • He was
fined for exceeding the speed limit. • You’ve
exceeded your authority.

3.  outdo:
to be better than something or somebody • descriptions
of nature that far exceed anything else we’ve heard
[14th century. Via Old French
exceder from Latin excedere “to go beyond, depart,” literally “to
go out,” from cedere “to go” (see cede
).][1]



exceedance

exceedance
ex·ceed·ance
[ik sd’ns] (plural ex·ceed·anc·es)
noun

1.  going
beyond:
an instance of going beyond a limit • fined
$50 for each exceedance

2.  excessive
amount:
the amount by which something exceeds a limit • an
exceedance of 50 parts per million

[1]



exceeding

exceeding
ex·ceed·ing 
[ik sding] adjective

enormous:
very great (literary) • exceeding
joy
adverb

exceedingly:
to an unusually high degree (archaic)[1]



exceedingly

exceedingly
ex·ceed·ing·ly 
[ik sdinglee] adverb

extremely:
to an unusually high degree • You’ve
been exceedingly generous.[1]



excel

excel
ex·cel 
[ik sél] (past ex·celled, past
participle ex·celled, present participle ex·cel·ling, 3rd
person present singular ex·cels) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
well or better: to do very well, or do better than all
others or than a given standard

2.  intransitive
verb
be
very good:
to be outstanding or have a particular talent in something • excels
in marketing
[15th century. From Latin excellere,
literally “to rise above,” from assumed cellere “to rise.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “hill,” which is also the ancestor of
English hill and culminate .][1]



excellence

excellence
ex·cel·lence 
[éksələns] (plural ex·cel·lences)
noun

1.  superiority:
the quality or state of being outstanding and superior • an
award for excellence in photography

2.  outstanding
feature:
a feature or respect in which somebody or something is superior and outstanding

[1]



Excellency

Excellency
Ex·cel·len·cy 
[éksələnsee] (plural Ex·cel·len·cies)
or Ex·cel·lence [éksələns] (plural
Ex·cel·lences) noun

term of address for high
officials: a title and form of address
for some high officials, for example, governors, ambassadors, and high-ranking
Roman Catholic clergy[1]



excellent

excellent
ex·cel·lent 
[éksələnt] adjective

extremely
good:
of a very high quality or standard
interjection

agreed:
used to show wholehearted approval or agreement
—ex·cel·lent·ly, adverb[1]



excelsior

excelsior
ex·cel·si·or 
[ik sélsee ər] noun

packing
material:
packing material made from wood shavings
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “higher,” from excelsus “high,” from the past
participle of excellere (see excel );
in the noun usage, from a proprietary name.][1]



except

except
ex·cept 
[ik sépt] (past ex·cept·ed, past
participle ex·cept·ed, present participle ex·cept·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cepts) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating the only person or thing that does not apply to a
statement just made, or a fact that modifies the truth of that statement • (preposition)
Every house in the street except ours is painted white.
• (preposition)
I like all vegetables except cabbage. • (conjunction)
The fires that annually sweep over the prairies prevent the growth of timber,
except along the river courses. • (conjunction)
He dislikes the game except when he wins.

1.
transitive verb omit:
to leave out or exclude somebody or something (formal) (usually
passive) “Hazel eyes excepted, two years more might make her all that he
wished.” Jane Austen Emma 1816

2.
conjunction unless (archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin exceptus, the past participle of excipere “to
take out,” from capere “to take” (see capture
).]
except
for

apart from • He
had always been healthy except for an irregular heartbeat.[1]



excepted

excepted
ex·cept·ed
[ik séptəd] adjective

excluded:
with the exception of a particular person or thing • present
company excepted[1]



excepting

excepting
ex·cept·ing 
[ik sépting] preposition conjunction

except
for:
used to indicate the only person or thing excluded from statement just made (formal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at except.

[1]



exception

exception
ex·cep·tion 
[ik sépshən] (plural ex·cep·tions)
noun

1.  somebody
or something excluded: somebody or something that
is not included in or does not fit into a general rule, pattern, or judgment • make
an exception for family members

2.  exclusion:
the act or condition of being excluded

3.  criticism:
a criticism, usually a negative one (formal)

4.  LAW legal
clause:
a clause in a legal document that limits the effect of a part or the whole of
it • read
through and approved all the exceptions

5.  formal
objection used in court: a formal objection formerly
used in court proceedings
the
exception that proves the rule

something that, by being an
exception, shows that a general rule exists[1]



exceptionable

exceptionable
ex·cep·tion·a·ble 
[ik sépshənəb’l] adjective

open
to objection: causing or liable to cause objection or
offense (formal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at exceptional.

[1]



exceptional

exceptional
ex·cep·tion·al 
[ik sépshən’l] adjective

1.  unusual:
not conforming to a general rule or pattern • exceptional
circumstances

2.  outstanding:
having or showing intelligence or ability well above average • an
exceptional talent
—ex·cep·tion·al·i·ty
[ik sèpshə nállətee], noun

—ex·cep·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—ex·cep·tion·al·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  exceptional
  or exceptionable ?
  Exceptional is the more common word
  and refers, often favorably, to “something or somebody unusual in some way”:
  • She
  has exceptional powers of concentration.
  Occasionally, exceptional is used in a
  factual or neutral way that is not meant to be a compliment: • Expenses
  can only be reimbursed in exceptional cases. Exceptionable, despite its similar sound, has a
  quite different meaning, “something to which exception can be taken”: • There
  was something in his manner that we found exceptionable.
  More often, it is used in the negative form unexceptionable, meaning
  “acceptable, satisfactory, adequate.”

[1]



exceptive

exceptive
ex·cep·tive 
[ik séptiv] adjective

unusual:
relating to or of the nature of an exception[1]



excerpt

excerpt
ex·cerpt 
noun [ék sùrpt] (plural ex·cerpts)

extracted
part:
a section or passage taken from a longer work, for example, a book, film,
musical composition, or document
transitive
verb
[ik súrpt] (past ex·cerpt·ed, past
participle ex·cerpt·ed, present participle ex·cerpt·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cerpts)

take
a part from longer work: to select a section or
passage from a longer work (usually passive)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin excerptus, the past participle of excerpere,
literally “to pluck out,” from carpere “to pluck” (source of English carpet ).]
—ex·cerpt·i·ble
[ik súrptəb’l], adjective

—ex·cerp·tion
[ik súrpshən], noun

—ex·cerp·tor [ik súrptər], noun[1]



excess

excess
ex·cess 
noun [ik séss, ék sèss] (plural ex·cess·es)

1.  surplus:
an amount or quantity beyond what is considered normal or sufficient • leaped
up in an excess of enthusiasm

2.  extra:
the amount by which one quantity exceeds another

3.  unrestrained
behavior:
behavior or activity that goes beyond what is socially or morally acceptable,
or beyond what is good for somebody’s health or well-being • led
a life of excess

4.  U.K.,
Caribbean INSURANCE See
deductible
adjective
[ék sèss, ik
séss]

1.  more
than enough: more than is usual, required, or allowed
• excess
capacity

2.  required
in addition: that constitutes or is required as an
additional payment • excess postage
transitive
verb
[ik séss, ék
sèss] (past ex·cessed, past participle ex·cessed,
present participle ex·cess·ing, 3rd person present singular
ex·cess·es)

dismiss from employment:
to dismiss an employee as part of a program of layoffs • excessed
in the most recent downsizing
[14th century. Via French excès
from Latin excessus, from the past participle of excedere (see exceed ).][1]



excessbaggage

excessbaggage
ex·cess
bag·gage
noun

1.  heavier
luggage than allowed: luggage that is heavier than
the amount a passenger is allowed to take on a flight without an extra charge

2.  anything
unwanted:
something somebody would rather not have (informal)

[1]



excessdemand

excessdemand
ex·cess
de·mand
noun

demand outstripping supply:
demand for a product or service that outstrips the supply and so pushes the
price up[1]



excessive

excessive
ex·ces·sive 
[ik séssiv] adjective

more
than is acceptable: beyond what is considered
acceptable, proper, usual, or necessary (disapproving) • excessive
hilarity
—ex·ces·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·ces·sive·ness, noun[1]



excesssupply

excesssupply
ex·cess
sup·ply
noun

supply outstripping demand:
supply of a product or service that outstrips the demand and so pushes the
price down[1]



exch.

exch.
exch.

1.  exch.
or ex. Abbreviation of exchange

2.  exch.
or Exch. Abbreviation of exchequer

[1]



exchange

exchange
ex·change 
[iks cháynj] verb (past ex·changed,
past participle ex·changed, present participle ex·chang·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·chang·es)

1.  transitive
verb
give
something and get something: to give something and
receive something different in return • exchange
land for peace • exchange
tokens for cash

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb swap:
to give something and receive another of the same or an equivalent in return • exchange
glances

3.  transitive
verb
replace
something:
to hand something over and receive as a replacement something more suitable or
more satisfactory • exchanged her coat for
one a size smaller

4.  transitive
verb
CHESS take a
piece of similar value: in chess, to take a piece in
return for a piece of your own, usually of similar value, that your opponent
has just taken or will soon take
noun
(plural ex·chang·es)

1.  giving
and receiving: the action or process or an instance of
exchanging something for something else or for something the same • an
exchange of compliments

2.  COMMERCE building
used for commercial activities: a building formerly or
still used as a center for the trading of commodities, securities, or other
assets, or the market operating there

3.  argument:
a short conversation, usually between two people or groups who are angry • a
bitter exchange

4.  UTILITIES See telephone exchange

5.  something
given or received: something given or received
in place of another

6.  FINANCE money
transfer between two currencies: the transferring or a
transfer of equal amounts of money between two currencies

7.  FINANCE system
of payments: a system of payments in which commercial
documents, for example, bills of exchange, are used instead of money

8.  COMMERCE fee
for payment: the percentage or fee that is charged
when paying in commercial documents instead of money

9.  CHESS taking
of chess pieces: the taking of chess pieces of similar
value by each player in consecutive or nearly consecutive moves

10. transfer
of particle: the transfer of a particle between two
others

11. CHESS trade
of a rook for a minor piece: taking a rook just before or
after your opponent takes your knight or bishop, or vice versa. The player
taking the rook wins the exchange.
[14th
century. Via Old French eschangier from assumed Vulgar Latin excambiare,
from late Latin cambiare “to barter” (see change
).]
—ex·change·a·bil·i·ty
[iks chàynjə bíllətee], noun

—ex·change·a·ble
[iks cháynjəb’l], adjective

—ex·chang·er [iks cháynjər], noun[1]



exchangeforce

exchangeforce
ex·change
force
noun

force between particles:
a force existing between particles due to the transfer of another particle[1]



exchangerate

exchangerate
ex·change
rate
(plural ex·change rates) noun

price of currency if
exchanged: the rate at which a unit of
the currency of one country can be exchanged for a unit of the currency of
another country.
Also called
rate of exchange[1]



exchangestudent

exchangestudent
ex·change
stu·dent
noun

student from abroad:
a student who studies in another country as part of a program in which students
trade places for a year or more[1]



exchequer

exchequer
ex·cheq·uer 
[iks chékər] noun

1.  ex·cheq·uer
or Ex·cheq·uer government department
collecting taxes: formerly in the United Kingdom, and in
some other countries, the government department responsible for collecting
taxes and managing public spending

2.  ex·cheq·uer
or Ex·cheq·uer government funds:
a national treasury or account, especially the U.K. government’s account at the
Bank of England, or the assets in it

3.  personal
funds:
private funds or finances (archaic)
[13th century. From Old
French eschequier “counting table, chessboard,” from eschec
“check,” from the custom of counting royal revenue on a checked tablecloth.][1]



excimer

excimer
ex·ci·mer 
[éksəmər] (plural ex·ci·mers) noun

CHEMISTRY atomic
pair:
a stable atomic pair ( dimer ) in which one
of the two bound atoms is in a higher energy state
[Mid-20th century. Blend of excited and dimer
.][1]



excipient

excipient
ex·cip·i·ent 
[ik síppee ənt] (plural ex·cip·i·ents)
noun

something
combined with a drug: an inert substance, for
example, starch or gum arabic, that is combined with a drug to make it easier
to administer
[Early 18th century. From
Latin excipient-, the present participle stem of excipere “to
receive, take out” (see except ).][1]



excise

excise2
ex·cise2 [ik
sz] (past ex·cised, past participle ex·cised,
present participle ex·cis·ing, 3rd person present singular
ex·cis·es) transitive verb

1.  delete:
to edit or delete a part of something, for example, a text (formal)

2.  remove
surgically:
to remove something by cutting, especially in surgery
[Late
16th century. From Latin excis-, the past participle stem of excidere
“to cut out,” from caedere “to cut” (see caesura
).]
—ex·ci·sion [ik sízh’n], noun[1]



excise

excise1
ex·cise1 noun [ék sz] (plural ex·cis·es)

1.  tax
on goods for the domestic market: taxation of or a tax
imposed on goods for a domestic market only

2.  licensing
charge:
a tax paid for a license, for example, one required to use a vehicle on public
roads or to engage in certain commercial activities
transitive
verb
[ik sz] (past ex·cised, past
participle ex·cised, present participle ex·cis·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·cis·es)

tax: to
impose an excise on somebody or something
[15th
century. Via Middle Dutch excijs from Old French acceis, partly
from assumed Vulgar Latin accensum, from Latin census (see census ), and partly from Old French assise
(see assize ).]
—ex·cis·a·ble [ik szəb’l], adjective[1]



exciseduty

exciseduty
ex·cise
du·ty
noun

tax on goods for the domestic
market: tax imposed on goods
intended for a domestic market only[1]



excitable

excitable
ex·cit·a·ble 
[ik stəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
stimulated:
nervous and liable to become quickly excited

2.  PHYSIOLOGY able
to respond to stimulus: used to describe a nerve or
tissue that is able to respond to a stimulus
—ex·cit·a·bil·i·ty
[ik stə bíllətee], noun

—ex·cit·a·ble·ness
[ik stəb’lnəss], noun

—ex·cit·a·bly [ik stəblee], adverb[1]



excitant

excitant
ex·ci·tant 
[ik st’nt] noun (plural ex·ci·tants)

stimulant:
a drug or other agent that stimulates or augments a response
adjective

stimulating:
tending to excite or stimulate something[1]



excitation

excitation
ex·ci·ta·tion 
[èk sī táysh’n, èksi
táysh’n] noun

1.  exciting:
the act or process of exciting something (formal)

2.  being
excited:
the state of being excited

3.  PHYSIOLOGY activity
caused by stimulation: the activity or altered
condition produced in a cell, tissue, or organ as a result of stimulation

4.  (plural
ex·ci·ta·tions) ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING production of magnetic field:
the production of a magnetic field in a generator or motor by passing electricity
through the coil

5.  (plural
ex·ci·ta·tions) PHYSICS raising
energy of atom from lowest: the addition of sufficient
energy to an electron, atom, atomic nucleus, or molecule, to raise it from its
lowest energy level ( ground state ) to a
higher energy level

6.  (plural
ex·ci·ta·tions) ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING application of signal making
transistor operate: the application of an
electrical signal to a device such as a transistor causing it to operate

[1]



excite

excite
ex·cite 
[ik st] (past ex·cit·ed, past
participle ex·cit·ed, present participle ex·cit·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·cites) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stimulate
favorably:
to cause somebody to feel enjoyment or pleasurable anticipation • an
exciting story

2.  transitive
verb
stimulate
unfavorably: to make a person or animal feel nervous
apprehension or an unpleasant state of heightened emotion • Don’t
excite the dog or he’ll bite.

3.  transitive
verb
arouse
physically:
to cause somebody to feel physical desire

4.  transitive
verb
arouse
an emotion:
to cause somebody to feel a particular emotion or reaction • excite
suspicion

5.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS raise
a particle to a higher energy level: to
raise a particle or system of particles, for example, an electron, atom, atomic
nucleus, or molecule, above its lowest energy level ( ground
state ) to a higher energy level

6.  transitive
verb
evoke:
to cause a memory, thought, or other response to form in the mind • an
image that excited a memory

7.  transitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY increase
something’s activity: to stimulate or increase the
rate of activity of an organ, tissue, or other body part

8.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING produce
magnetic field in electric machine: to
produce a magnetic field in a generator or motor by supplying electricity to
the coil

9.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING apply
signal causing device to operate: to apply an electrical
signal that will cause a device, such as a transistor, to operate
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin excitare “to rouse,” literally “to call forth
repeatedly,” from, ultimately, ciere “to call, set in motion” (see cite ).][1]



excited

excited
ex·cit·ed 
[ik stəd] adjective

1.  happy
and enthusiastic: happy and enthusiastic about something
pleasant that is happening or is about to happen

2.  physically
aroused:
in a state of physical arousal

3.  agitated:
nervous, agitated, and unable to relax
—ex·cit·ed·ly,
adverb

—ex·cit·ed·ness, noun[1]



excitedstate

excitedstate
ex·cit·ed
state
noun

PHYSICS
energized condition:
the condition of a physical system, especially of atoms and atomic nuclei, that
has an energy level higher than the lowest possible level ( ground state )[1]



excitement

excitement
ex·cite·ment 
[ik stmənt] noun

1.  being
excited:
the feeling or condition of lively enjoyment or pleasant anticipation • finding
it difficult to contain her excitement

2.  exciting
something:
the act or process of exciting something • excitement
of electrons

3.  (plural
ex·cite·ments) exciting event:
something that engages people’s attention or emotions in a lively and
compelling way • Going in a helicopter
was a great excitement for the children.

[1]



exciter

exciter
ex·cit·er 
[ik stər] (plural ex·cit·ers)
noun

1.  cause
of excitement: somebody or something that causes
excitement

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING small
auxiliary generator: a small generator or
transmitter that provides the necessary energy to run a larger device or
amplifier

3.  RADIO electrical
oscillator:
an oscillator for supplying a radio transmitter with the basic wave that is
modified to carry a radio signal

[1]



exciting

exciting
ex·cit·ing 
[ik sting] adjective

causing
excitement:
causing feelings of happiness and enthusiasm or nervousness and tension
—ex·cit·ing·ly, adverb[1]



exciton

exciton
ex·ci·ton 
[éksi tòn] (plural ex·ci·tons)
noun

PHYSICS electron
and hole:
a mobile neutral combination of an electron in an excited state and a hole in a
crystal. Exciton activity is important in semiconductors.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from excitation + -on
.][1]



excl.

excl.
excl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
exclamation

2.  Abbreviation
of
exclusive

[1]



exclaim

exclaim
ex·claim 
[ik skláym] (past ex·claimed, past
participle ex·claimed, present participle ex·claim·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·claims) intransitive and
transitive verb

cry
out loudly and suddenly: to speak or cry out loudly
and suddenly, often through surprise, anger, or excitement
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French exclamer from Latin exclamare,
literally “to call out,” from clamare “to call” (see claim ).]
—ex·claim·er, noun[1]



exclamation

exclamation
ex·cla·ma·tion 
[èksklə máysh’n] (plural ex·cla·ma·tions)
noun

1.  sudden
cry:
a word, phrase, or sentence that is shouted out suddenly, often through
surprise, anger, or excitement • an
exclamation of horror

2.  exclaiming:
the act of crying out suddenly
—ex·cla·ma·tion·al, adjective[1]



exclamationpoint

exclamationpoint
ex·cla·ma·tion
point
(plural ex·cla·ma·tion points) or ex·cla·ma·tion mark
(plural ex·cla·ma·tion marks) noun

1.  punctuation
for exclamation: a punctuation mark (!) used after an
exclamation or interjection, and sometimes after a command

2.  mark
indicating hazard or mistake: a mark (!) used to indicate
a road hazard or a mistake or point of note in a text, or as a mathematical or
logical symbol

[1]



exclamatory

exclamatory
ex·clam·a·to·ry 
[ik sklámmə tàwree] adjective

involving
exclamation: using, of the nature of, or relating to
an exclamation or exclamations (formal)
—ex·clam·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



exclave

exclave
ex·clave 
[ék sklàyv] (plural ex·claves)
noun

surrounded
region:
a part of a country that is isolated from the main body of the country, being
surrounded by foreign territory
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ex- + enclave
.][1]



exclosure

exclosure
ex·clo·sure
[ik sklṓzhər] (plural ex·clo·sures)
noun

fenced
area:
an area fenced in to keep out animals or intruders
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ex- + closure
on the model of enclosure .][1]



exclude

exclude
ex·clude 
[ik skld] (past ex·clud·ed, past
participle ex·clud·ed, present participle ex·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cludes) transitive verb

1.  keep
out:
to prevent somebody or something from entering or participating • I
felt excluded from the family celebrations.

2.  reject:
to prevent somebody or something from being considered or accepted • cannot
exclude the possibility of treason

3.  omit:
to fail to include something or somebody • Three
names were inadvertently excluded from the list.
[14th
century. From Latin excludere, literally “to shut out,” from claudere
“to shut” (see close ).]
—ex·clud·a·bil·i·ty
[ik skldə bíllətee], noun

—ex·clud·a·ble
[ik skldəb’l], adjective

—ex·clud·er [ik skldər], noun[1]



exclusion

exclusion
ex·clu·sion 
[ik sklzh’n] (plural ex·clu·sions)
noun

1.  excluding:
the act of excluding something or somebody

2.  being
excluded:
the state of being excluded, especially from mainstream society and its
advantages • addressing
the issue of social exclusion

3.  excluded
person or thing: somebody or something that has been
excluded
[15th
century. From the Latin stem exclusion-, from exclus-, the past
participle stem of excludere (see exclude
).]
—ex·clu·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



exclusionaryrule

exclusionaryrule
ex·clu·sion·ar·y
rule
(plural ex·clu·sion·ar·y rules) noun

law concerning evidence:
a law that prevents illegally obtained evidence from being used in a criminal
trial[1]



exclusionist

exclusionist
ex·clu·sion·ist 
[ik sklzh’nist] adjective

1.  discriminatory:
used to describe a policy that excludes individuals or groups from areas or
rights and privileges

2.  protectionist:
used to describe a policy that excludes specific imports or forms of commerce
noun
(plural ex·clu·sion·ists)

exclusion advocate:
somebody who supports exclusionist policies
—ex·clu·sion·ism,
noun

—ex·clu·sion·is·tic [ik sklzh’n ístik], adjective[1]



exclusionprinciple

exclusionprinciple
ex·clu·sion
prin·ci·ple
noun

QUANTUM
PHYSICS See Pauli exclusion principle[1]



exclusionzone

exclusionzone
ex·clu·sion
zone
(plural ex·clu·sion zone) noun

1.  area
of ban:
an area where an authority has banned a particular activity

2.  hazardous
area:
an area that is off-limits to people because a hazardous substance has been
released • the
Chernobyl exclusion zone

[1]



exclusive

exclusive
ex·clu·sive 
[ik sklssiv] adjective

1.  high-class:
limited to a group of people, especially one considered fashionable or wealthy
• an
exclusive club

2.  selective:
excluding or intending to exclude many from participation or consideration

3.  restricted
in use:
only available to or used by one person, group, or organization • Members
have exclusive use of the pool.

4.  appearing
in one place: published or broadcast in only one place
• exclusive
coverage

5.  sole:
being the only one • A proposal has been put
forward to make bicycles the exclusive means of transport in the city center.

6.  confined
to one thing: limited to one thing and excluding
everything else • exclusive attention

7.  not
including the stated numbers: not including the numbers,
dates, or other series members mentioned immediately before • from
July 8 to July 10 exclusive

8.  COMMERCE restricting
trade:
restricting trade in certain goods or services only to those who have signed
the contract or agreement

9.  LOGIC where
both cannot be true: used to describe a
proposition ( disjunction ) where one
alternative rules out the other, for example, being an odd number rules out the
possibility of being an even number.
See
also
inclusive
noun
(plural ex·clu·sives)

report in one publication or program:
a news report or article that is printed in only one publication or broadcast
on only one channel • an
exclusive on the wedding
[15th
century. From medieval Latin exclusivus, from Latin exclus-, the
past participle stem of excludere (see exclude
).]
—ex·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·clu·sive·ness,
noun

—ex·clu·siv·i·ty
[èk skloo sívvətee], noun
exclusive
of

not including • The
price covers all your vacation costs, exclusive of travel insurance.[1]



exclusivism

exclusivism
ex·clu·siv·ism
[ik sklssi vìzzəm] noun

being
exclusive:
the practice or policy of being exclusive or excluding others
—ex·clu·siv·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



excogitate

excogitate
ex·cog·i·tate 
[ek skójji tàyt] (past ex·cog·i·tat·ed,
past participle ex·cog·i·tat·ed, present participle ex·cog·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cog·i·tates) transitive verb

consider
carefully:
to consider or think about something carefully and thoroughly (formal)
[Early
16th century. From Latin excogitat-, the past participle stem of excogitare,
literally “to think out,” from cogitare “to think” (see cogitate ).]
—ex·cog·i·ta·ble [ek skójji təb’l], adjective[1]



excommunicate

excommunicate
ex·com·mu·ni·cate 
transitive verb [èkskə myni kàyt] (past
ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, past participle ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, present
participle ex·com·mu·ni·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·com·mu·ni·cates)

exclude
somebody from the Christian community: to
exclude a baptized Christian from taking part in Communion because of doctrine
or moral behavior that is adjudged to offend against God or the Christian
community
adjective
[èkskə mynikət, èkskə
myni kàyt]

excommunicated:
having been officially excluded from taking part in the Eucharist
noun
[èkskə mynikət]

excommunicated
person:
somebody who has been officially excluded from taking part in the Eucharist
[15th
century. From late Latin excommunicare, literally “to put out of the
community,” from Latin communis “common.”]
—ex·com·mu·ni·ca·ble,
adjective

—ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tive
[èkskə myni kàytiv], adjective

—ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tor [èkskə myni kàytər], noun[1]



excommunication

excommunication
ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tion 
[èkskə myooni káysh’n] (plural ex·com·mu·ni·ca·tions)
noun

1.  exclusion
from the Christian community: the act of excommunicating a
baptized member of the Christian church

2.  being
excommunicated: the condition of being excommunicated

[1]



ex-con

ex-con
ex-con
noun

ex-convict:
somebody who has served time in prison, having been convicted of a crime (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of ex-convict .][1]



excoriate

excoriate
ex·co·ri·ate 
[ik skáwree àyt] (past ex·co·ri·at·ed,
past participle ex·co·ri·at·ed, present participle ex·co·ri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·co·ri·ates) transitive verb

1.  denounce:
to criticize somebody or something very strongly (formal) • The
paper excoriated the governor’s conduct in this case.

2.  tear
somebody’s skin off: to tear the skin off a
person or animal (formal)

3.  MEDICINE remove
skin layer:
to destroy or remove an area of skin, often through abrasion or chemical action
[15th
century. From Latin excoriat-, the past participle stem of excoriare
“to strip off the hide,” from corium “hide, skin.”]
—ex·co·ri·a·tion
[ik skàwree áysh’n], noun

—ex·co·ri·a·tor [ik skáwree àytər], noun[1]



excrement

excrement
ex·cre·ment 
[ékskrəmənt] noun

waste
material from the body: waste material, particularly
feces, discharged from the body (technical)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin excrementum, from excretus, the past
participle of excernere “to discharge” (see excrete
).]
—ex·cre·ment·al
[èkskrə mént’l], adjective

—ex·cre·men·ti·tious [èkskrəmən tíshəss], adjective[1]



excrescence

excrescence
ex·cres·cence 
[ik skréss’ns] (plural ex·cres·cences)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY outgrowth:
a growth that sticks out from the body of a human, animal, or plant, especially
an abnormal or diseased one

2.  unsightly
addition:
an ugly addition or extension to something, for example, a building

[1]



excrescent

excrescent
ex·cres·cent 
[ik skréss’nt] adjective

1.  superfluous:
added or growing out unnecessarily (formal)

2.  BIOLOGY relating
to an outgrowth: relating to or like an outgrowth on an
organism

3.  LINGUISTICS added
in speaking: used to describe a speech sound that
occurs in a word to allow ease of pronunciation
[15th
century. From Latin excrescent-, the present participle stem of excrescere
“to grow out,” from crescere “to grow” (see crescent
).]
—ex·cres·cent·ly, adverb[1]



excreta

excreta
ex·cre·ta 
[ik skrtə] plural noun

waste
matter from the body: any waste matter discharged
from the body, for example, feces, or urine (technical)
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, literally “things excreted,” from a form of the past
participle of excernere (see excrete
).]
—ex·cre·tal, adjective[1]



excrete

excrete
ex·crete 
[ik skrt] (past ex·cret·ed, past
participle ex·cret·ed, present participle ex·cret·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cretes) transitive verb

1.  PHYSIOLOGY expel
waste from the body: to isolate and discharge
waste matter generated during metabolism, for example, through urinating or
defecating (formal)
See
also
secrete

2.  PHYSIOLOGY BOTANY expel
waste from tissues: to eliminate waste matter
from leaves and roots
[Early
17th century. From Latin excret-, the past participle stem of excernere,
literally “to separate out,” from cernere “to separate” (source of
English discern ).]
—ex·cre·to·ry [ékskrə tàwree], adjective[1]



excretion

excretion
ex·cre·tion 
[ik skrsh’n] (plural ex·cre·tions)
noun

1.  excreting
of waste matter: the act or process of discharging waste
matter from the tissues or organs

2.  waste
matter:
waste matter that has been discharged from an animal or a plant

[1]



excruciate

excruciate
ex·cru·ci·ate 
[ik skrshee àyt] (past ex·cru·ci·at·ed,
past participle ex·cru·ci·at·ed, present participle ex·cru·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cru·ci·ates) transitive verb
(formal)

1.  torment
somebody:
to inflict severe mental and emotional distress on somebody

2.  torture
somebody:
to inflict physical pain on somebody
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin excruciare, literally “to torture
thoroughly,” from cruciare “to torture, crucify,” from the stem cruc-
“cross” (see cross ).]
—ex·cru·ci·a·tion [ik skrshee áysh’n], noun[1]



excruciating

excruciating
ex·cru·ci·at·ing 
[ik skrshee àyting] adjective

1.  extremely
painful:
extremely painful, physically or emotionally

2.  hard
to bear:
intolerably embarrassing, tedious or irritating • The
first act was bad enough, but the second was just excruciating.
—ex·cru·ci·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



exculpate

exculpate
ex·cul·pate 
[ékskəl pàyt, ik
skúl pàyt] (past ex·cul·pat·ed, past participle ex·cul·pat·ed,
present participle ex·cul·pat·ing, 3rd person present singular
ex·cul·pates) transitive verb

prove
somebody innocent: to free somebody from blame
or accusation of guilt (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin exculpare, literally “to remove from
blame,” from Latin culpa “blame” (see culpable
).]
—ex·cul·pa·ble
[ik skúlpəb’l], adjective

—ex·cul·pa·tion [èkskəl páysh’n], noun[1]



exculpatory

exculpatory
ex·cul·pa·to·ry 
[ik skúlpə tàwree] adjective

likely to prove somebody’s
innocence: tending to prove that
somebody is free from guilt or blame (formal) • exculpatory
evidence[1]



excursion

excursion
ex·cur·sion 
[ik skúrzh’n] (plural ex·cur·sions)
noun

1.  short
trip:
a short trip to a place and back, for pleasure or a purpose

2.  group
on a short trip: a group of people who are on an
excursion

3.  digression:
a temporary change of direction (formal) • After
an unsuccessful excursion into banking, he returned to public life.

4.  MILITARY sortie:
a military raid or attack (archaic)

5.  PHYSICS alternating
motion:
an oscillating or alternating motion away from a point of equilibrium and back

6.  PHYSICS distance
covered:
the distance traversed by an oscillating excursion away from a point of
equilibrium and back

7.  PHYSIOLOGY movement
of a body part: the movement of a part or organ of the
body, for example, the lungs, from the resting position to another position
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin stem excursion-, from excurs-, the past participle stem of excurrere
“to run out,” from currere (see current
).][1]



excursionfare

excursionfare
ex·cur·sion
fare
noun

cheap ticket:
a reduced fare on a common carrier, typically carrying various restrictions[1]



excursionist

excursionist
ex·cur·sion·ist 
[ik skúrzhənist] (plural ex·cur·sion·ists)
noun

somebody on excursion:
somebody who goes on an excursion, especially for pleasure (dated)[1]



excursive

excursive
ex·cur·sive 
[ik skúrsiv] adjective

tending
to wander off the main topic: tending to digress from the
main topic, often in a rambling and wordy manner (formal)
[Late
17th century. Formed from obsolete excurse “to digress,” from the Latin
stem excurs- (see excursion );
perhaps modeled on discursive .]
—ex·cur·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·cur·sive·ness, noun[1]



excursus

excursus
ex·cur·sus 
[ik skúrsiss] (plural ex·cur·sus·es
or ex·cur·sus) noun

lengthy
digression:
a lengthy digression from the main topic (formal)
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “excursion,” from the past participle of excurrere “to run out,”
from currere “to run” (see current
).][1]



excusatory

excusatory
ex·cus·a·to·ry 
[ik skyzə tàwree] adjective

offering an excuse:
tending or serving to excuse somebody or something (formal)[1]



excuse

excuse
ex·cuse 
verb [ik skyz] (past ex·cused,
past participle ex·cused, present participle ex·cus·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·cus·es)

1.  transitive
verb
forgive
something:
to release somebody from blame or criticism for a mistake or wrongdoing • excuse
their tardiness

2.  transitive
verb
overlook
something:
to make allowances for somebody or something • Please
excuse my spelling.

3.  transitive
verb
release
somebody from an obligation: to release somebody from an
obligation or responsibility • excused
from games because of a sprained ankle

4.  transitive
verb
justify
something:
to provide a reason or explanation for somebody’s behavior that makes it appear
more acceptable or less offensive • That
doesn’t excuse the way he acted last night.

5.  transitive
verb
allow
somebody to leave: to allow somebody to leave,
or say politely that somebody should leave • asked
if he could be excused

6.  reflexive
verb
apologize
for leaving: to leave with a polite apology or
explanation • excused
herself and left the room
noun
[ik skyss] (plural ex·cus·es)

1.  justification:
a reason or explanation, not necessarily true, given in order to make something
appear more acceptable or less offensive • There
can be no excuse for laziness.

2.  false
reason:
a false reason that enables somebody to do something he or she wants to do or
avoid something he or she does not want to do • the
perfect excuse to do nothing

3.  bad
example:
somebody who is not very good at what he or she does (informal) • a
poor excuse for a cook

4.  note
justifying absence: a note from a doctor or
parent confirming that somebody is not well enough to go to work or attend
school.
U.K.
term
sick note
[15th
century. Via Old French escuser from Latin excusare, literally
“to remove from accusation,” from causa “accusation” (see cause ).]
—ex·cus·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·cus·a·ble·ness,
noun

—ex·cus·a·bly,
adverb

—ex·cus·er, noun[1]



ex-directory

ex-directory
ex-di·rec·to·ry
adjective

U.K.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS not
in telephone directory: not listed
in the telephone directory by request.
See also
unlisted[1]



exdividend

exdividend
ex
div·i·dend
adverb adjective

without the current dividend:
without the right to the current dividend on purchase[1]



exe

exe
exe
suffix

COMPUTING
program file:
used after the period in a computer file name to show that the file is a
program[1]



exec.

exec.
exec.

Abbreviation of
executor[1]



exec

exec
ex·ec 
[ig zék] (plural ex·ecs) noun

executive:
an executive or executive officer (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



execrable

execrable
ex·e·cra·ble 
[éksəkrəb’l] adjective (formal)

1.  very
bad:
extremely bad or of very low quality • has
execrable taste

2.  detestable:
deserving to be detested • execrable
behavior
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin execrabilis, from execrari
(see execrate ).]
—ex·e·cra·ble·ness,
noun

—ex·e·cra·bly, adverb[1]



execrate

execrate
ex·e·crate 
[éksə kràyt] (past ex·e·crat·ed,
past participle ex·e·crat·ed, present participle ex·e·crat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·e·crates) verb (literary
or formal)

1.  transitive
verb
detest
somebody or something: to feel loathing for
somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
denounce
somebody or something: to declare somebody or
something to be loathsome

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb curse
somebody or something: to curse or put a curse on
somebody or something
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin execrari, literally “to unconsecrate,” from sacrare
(see consecrate ).]
—ex·e·cra·tive,
adjective

—ex·e·cra·tor, noun[1]



execration

execration
ex·e·cra·tion 
[èksə kráysh’n] (plural ex·e·cra·tions)
noun (literary or formal)

1.  curse:
a curse “With an execration the thoroughly terrified robber threw down the
pocketbook, and the relieved owner hastened forward to pick it up.” Horatio
Alger, Jr. Struggling Upward 1868

2.  something
cursed:
something that is cursed or detested

3.  execrating:
the act of execrating somebody or something, or the state of being execrated

[1]



executable

executable
ex·e·cut·a·ble
[éksə kytəb’l] adjective

able
to be run as a program: used to describe a file that
is capable of being run as a program on a computer
noun

executable file:
a computer file that can be run as a program and that often carries the
extension .exe[1]



executant

executant
ex·ec·u·tant 
[ig zékyət’nt] (plural ex·ec·u·tants)
noun

performer:
somebody who performs a piece of music, dance, or theater, usually to a very
high standard (formal)[1]



execute

execute
ex·e·cute 
[éksə kyt] (past ex·e·cut·ed,
past participle ex·e·cut·ed, present participle ex·e·cut·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·e·cutes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
LAW kill
somebody:
to put somebody to death as part of a legal or extralegal process

2.  transitive
verb
perform
something:
to complete or perform an action or movement, especially one requiring skill

3.  transitive
verb
carry
something out: to put an instruction or plan into
effect

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING run on computer:
to run a computer file or program in response to a command or instruction

5.  transitive
verb
create
something:
to produce or create something, usually a work of art, to a specific design • execute
a drawing

6.  transitive
verb
LAW carry
out terms of a legal document: to carry out the terms
laid out in a will, legal document, or legal decision • execute
a sentence

7.  transitive
verb
LAW sign a
legal document before witnesses: to sign a will or
other legal document in the presence of witnesses in order to make it binding
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin exsecut-, the past participle stem of exsequi,
literally “to follow out,” from sequi “to follow” (see sequence ).]
—ex·e·cut·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill See Synonyms at perform

[1]



execution

execution
ex·e·cu·tion 
[èksə kysh’n] (plural ex·e·cu·tions)
noun

1.  LAW killing:
the killing of somebody as part of a legal or extralegal process

2.  performing
of something: the carrying out of an action,
instruction, command, or movement • a plan
that failed in execution

3.  manner
of performance: the style or manner in which something
is carried out or accomplished

4.  LAW carrying
out of legal provisions: the carrying out of the
provisions of a legal document such as a will or contract

5.  LAW signing
of a document: the formal signing of a legal document
in the presence of witnesses in order to make it binding (formal)

6.  LAW enforcement
of a court judgment: the carrying out or
enforcing of a judgment made in court

7.  LAW writ:
a legal writ that orders the carrying out of a judgment or decision

[1]



executioner

executioner
ex·e·cu·tion·er 
[èksə kysh’nər] (plural ex·e·cu·tion·ers)
noun

1.  LAW official
who carries out an execution: somebody who puts to death
somebody who has been sentenced to capital punishment

2.  CRIMINOLOGY assassin:
a hired assassin

[1]



executiontime

executiontime
ex·e·cu·tion
time
noun

computer running time:
the amount of time needed for a complete run of a computer program.
Also called
run-time[1]



executive

executive
ex·ec·u·tive 
[ig zékyətiv] noun (plural ex·ec·u·tives)

1.  MANAGEMENT senior
manager:
a senior manager in a company or organization, whose job it is to make and
implement major decisions

2.  POLITICS government
section responsible for decisions: the section of a
country’s government responsible for implementing legislative decisions

3.  POLITICS committee
that makes decisions: a committee or group in a
political organization that makes decisions and has the authority to implement
them
adjective

1.  MANAGEMENT POLITICS of
policymaking: responsible for or relating to the
making and implementing of general decisions in a company, organization, or
government • a
meeting of the executive committee

2.  BUSINESS for
businesspeople: restricted to or designed to be used by
business executives • an
executive toy

3.  very
expensive:
very expensive and so only affordable by those who earn high salaries • executive
homes
[15th
century. From Old French executif, from executer “to carry out,”
ultimately from Latin execut- (see execute
).]
—ex·ec·u·tive·ly, adverb[1]



executiveagreement

executiveagreement
ex·ec·u·tive
a·gree·ment
(plural ex·ec·u·tive a·gree·ments) noun

president’s agreement:
an agreement between a U.S. president and a foreign head of state that has not
been given approval by the Senate[1]



ExecutiveCouncil

ExecutiveCouncil
Ex·ec·u·tive
Coun·cil
(plural Ex·ec·u·tive Coun·cils) noun

Canadian provincial cabinet:
in Canada, the cabinet of a provincial government[1]



executivedirector

executivedirector
ex·ec·u·tive
di·rec·tor
(plural ex·ec·u·tive di·rec·tors) noun

company director employed
full time: a director of a company who
is employed by the company in a senior management position[1]



executivejet

executivejet
ex·ec·u·tive
jet
(plural ex·ec·u·tive jets) noun

small private jet:
a small jet aircraft designed for private use, especially one used to transport
corporate executives[1]



executiveofficer

executiveofficer
ex·ec·u·tive
of·fi·cer
(plural ex·ec·u·tive of·fi·cers) noun

1.  MILITARY second-in-command:
an officer who is second in command of a military or naval unit

2.  MANAGEMENT senior
manager:
somebody in a senior management position in an organization

[1]



executiveorder

executiveorder
ex·ec·u·tive
or·der
(plural ex·ec·u·tive or·ders) noun

government order:
a rule or order that has been issued by a government department in the
executive branch, giving it the status of a law[1]



executiveprivilege

executiveprivilege
ex·ec·u·tive
priv·i·lege
noun

government right to secrecy
of documents: the right of the
President and other government officials in the executive branch to refuse to
reveal confidential material if this would interfere with the administration’s
ability to govern[1]



executiveproducer

executiveproducer
ex·ec·u·tive
pro·duc·er
(plural ex·ec·u·tive pro·duc·ers) noun

1.  CINEMA TV head producer at a studio:
the head producer in charge of other producers at a movie or television studio

2.  CINEMA a
producer controlling finances for movie: the
producer who handles the finances for a movie

[1]



executivesecretary

executivesecretary
ex·ec·u·tive
sec·re·tar·y noun

1.  somebody
running business operations: a senior official who
handles an organization’s business operations

2.  top-level
secretary:
a secretary who reports to a senior manager or executive in a company

[1]



executivesession

executivesession
ex·ec·u·tive
ses·sion
(plural ex·ec·u·tive ses·sions) noun

closed meeting of the U.S.
Senate: a meeting of the U.S.
Senate, closed to the public, to discuss confidential government business such
as judicial appointments or the ratification of treaties[1]



executor

executor
ex·ec·u·tor 
[ig zékyətər, éksə
kytər] (plural ex·ec·u·tors) noun

1.  LAW somebody
implementing a will: somebody named in a will or
appointed by a court to carry out the instructions contained in a will

2.  somebody
who does something: somebody who carries
something out, for example, an order
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman execut(o)ur from Latin executor, from execut-
(see execute ).]
—ex·ec·u·to·ri·al
[ig zèkyə táwree əl], adjective

—ex·ec·u·tor·ship [ig zékyətər shìp, eg
zékyətər shìp], noun[1]



executory

executory
ex·ec·u·to·ry 
[ig zékyə tàwree] adjective

1.  LAW coming
into effect later: coming into effect at a
future time or in accordance with circumstances

2.  administrative:
relating to the task or process of carrying out laws, policies, or instructions
[15th century. From late
Latin executorius, from Latin executor (see executor ). First recorded in the sense
“operative, in force (of a law).”][1]



exedra

exedra
ex·e·dra 
[éksədrə, ek
sdrə] (plural ex·e·dras) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE HISTORY conversation
room:
a room for relaxation or conversation in ancient Greece and Rome, especially a
semicircular recess in a larger hall with a continuous bench along the wall

2.  FURNITURE long
curved outdoor bench: a long curved or
semicircular outdoor bench, usually with a high back

3.  ARCHITECTURE recess:
any kind of recess or niche (technical)
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek, literally “outside seat,” from hedra “seat” (source of
English -hedron ).][1]



exegesis

exegesis
ex·e·ge·sis 
[èksə jssiss] (plural ex·e·ge·ses
[èksə j sz]) noun

analysis
of texts:
the explanation or interpretation of texts, especially from the Bible, or an
explanation or interpretation of a particular text
[Early 17th century. From
Greek exēgēsis, from exēgeisthai “to interpret,” literally “to
lead or guide out,” from hēgeisthai “to guide.”][1]



exegete

exegete
ex·e·gete 
[éksə jt] (plural ex·e·getes)
noun

somebody
studying texts: somebody who studies and interprets
texts, especially religious writings.
Also
called
exegetist
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
exēgētes, from exēgeisthai (see exegesis
).][1]



exegetic

exegetic
ex·e·get·ic 
[èksə jéttik] or ex·e·get·i·cal
[èksə jéttik’l] adjective

1.  of
textual study: relating to the study and interpretation
of texts, especially religious writings

2.  explanatory:
intended to explain or interpret something, especially a written text (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Greek exēgetikos, from exēgeisthai (see exegesis ).]
—ex·e·get·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



exegetics

exegetics
ex·e·get·ics
[èksə jéttiks] noun

study of scripture:
the branch of theology dealing with the study and interpretation of scripture (takes
a singular verb)[1]



exegetist

exegetist
ex·e·ge·tist 
[èksə jéttist] (plural ex·e·ge·tists)
noun

See
exegete[1]



exempla

exempla
ex·em·pla


Plural of
exemplum[1]



exemplar

exemplar
ex·em·plar 
[ig zém plr, ig
zémplər] (plural ex·em·plars) noun

1.  ideal:
an ideal example of something, worthy of being copied or imitated (literary)
• Michelangelo’s
David is an exemplar of Renaissance sculpture.

2.  typical
example:
a typical example or instance of something (literary)

3.  PUBLISHING copy
of a book:
a copy of a book or text, especially one from which further copies have
originated
[15th century. Directly or
via French exemplaire from late Latin exemplarium, from Latin exemplum
(see example ).][1]



exemplary

exemplary
ex·em·pla·ry 
[ig zémpləree] adjective

1.  setting
an example:
so good or admirable that others would do well to copy it • the
child’s exemplary conduct

2.  serving
as an example: designed to serve as a warning to others
• exemplary
punishment

3.  giving
an example:
serving as an illustration or example of something (formal)
[Late
16th century. From late Latin exemplaris, from Latin exemplum
(see example ).]
—ex·em·plar·i·ly,
adverb

—ex·em·pla·ri·ness,
noun

—ex·em·plar·i·ty [ègzəm pláirətee], noun[1]



exemplification

exemplification
ex·em·pli·fi·ca·tion 
[ig zèmpləfi káysh’n] (plural ex·em·pli·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  example:
a thing that acts as an example or illustration of something

2.  giving
examples:
the process of giving examples to illustrate or explain something

3.  LAW official
copy:
an official copy of a legal document
[Directly or via Anglo-Norman
from the medieval Latin stem exemplification-, from exemplificare
(see exemplify )][1]



exemplify

exemplify
ex·em·pli·fy 
[ig zémplə f] (past ex·em·pli·fied,
past participle ex·em·pli·fied, present participle ex·em·pli·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·em·pli·fies) transitive verb

1.  be
an example of something: to show or illustrate
something by being a typical or model example of it • He
exemplified all the qualities of a natural leader.

2.  give
an example of something: to give an example or
examples in order to make something clearer or more convincing • Perhaps
you could exemplify your point with a few statistics.

3.  LAW make a
copy of document: to make an official copy of a legal
document
[15th
century. From medieval Latin exemplificare, from Latin exemplum
(see example ).]
—ex·em·pli·fi·a·ble
[ig zèmplə f əb’l], adjective

—ex·em·pli·fi·er, noun[1]



exempligratia

exempligratia
ex·em·pli
gra·ti·a 
[ig zèmpli gráyshee ə, ik sèmpli grtee ] adverb

(literary)
Full form of e.g.
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “for example’s sake.”][1]



exemplum

exemplum
ex·em·plum 
[ig zémpləm] (plural ex·em·pla
[ig zémplə]) noun

1.  illustrative
story:
a brief story told to illustrate a moral point or support an argument

2.  example:
an example or illustration (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin (see example ).][1]



exempt

exempt
ex·empt 
[ig zémpt] adjective

not subject to something:
freed from or not subject to something such as a duty, tax, or military service
that others have to do or pay • tax-exempt
savings accounts
transitive
verb
(past ex·empt·ed, past participle ex·empt·ed, present
participle ex·empt·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·empts)

1.  free
somebody from an obligation: to allow or entitle somebody
not to do something that others are obliged to do

2.  release
something from a rule: to release something from a
rule that applies to others • a law
that exempts certain capital gains from taxes
noun

exempt person or thing:
somebody or something that is exempt from something
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin exemptus, past participle of eximere
(see example ).]
—ex·empt·i·ble, adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








exemption

exemption
ex·emp·tion 
[ig zémpshən] (plural ex·emp·tions)
noun

1.  freedom
from an obligation: permission or entitlement
not to do something that others are obliged to do • an
exemption from jury duty

2.  exempt
person or thing: somebody who or something that is exempt
from something, especially an amount of money that is not subject to taxation • a
range of tax exemptions

[1]



exenterate

exenterate
ex·en·ter·ate 
[ig zéntə ràyt] (past ex·en·ter·at·ed,
past participle ex·en·ter·at·ed, present participle ex·en·ter·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·en·ter·ates) transitive verb

surgically
remove contents of a body cavity: to remove surgically
all the organs and other contents of a body cavity, usually to minimize the
spread of cancer
[Early
17th century. From the Latin exenterat-, past participle stem of exenterare,
which was modeled on Greek exenterizein, literally “to remove the
intestine,” from enteron “intestine.”]
—ex·en·ter·a·tion [ig zèntə ráysh’n], noun[1]



exercise

exercise
ex·er·cise 
[éksər sz] noun (plural ex·er·cis·es)

1.  FITNESS VETERINARY MEDICINE physical
activity:
physical activity and movement, especially when intended to keep a person or
animal fit and healthy • regular
exercise is important

2.  FITNESS GYMNASTICS physical movement:
a physical movement or action, or a series of them, designed to make the body
stronger and fitter or to show off gymnastic skill (often used in the plural)
• warm-up
exercises

3.  practice
of a skill or procedure: a series of actions,
movements, or tasks performed repeatedly or regularly as a way of practicing
and improving a skill or procedure (often used in the plural) • voice
exercises for singers

4.  EDUCATION piece
of work:
a piece of work intended to test somebody’s knowledge or skill • Test
yourself by doing the exercises at the back of the book.

5.  MILITARY military
training operations or maneuvers: a set of extensive
operations or maneuvers, usually under simulated combat conditions, intended to
train military personnel, test their equipment, and assess their capabilities

6.  activity
intended to achieve a particular purpose: an
action, activity, or undertaking intended to achieve a particular purpose • The
object of the exercise is to make money fast.

7.  carrying
out or using something: the carrying out or making
use of something such as a choice, duty, responsibility, or right (formal)
• We
urge the exercise of patience and restraint.
verb
(past ex·er·cised, past participle ex·er·cised, present
participle ex·er·cis·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·er·cis·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
FITNESS get
exercise:
to undertake physical exercise in order to keep fit and healthy

2.  transitive
verb
FITNESS subject
to physical exertion: to subject the body, or part
of it, to repetitive physical exertion or energetic movement in order to
strengthen it or improve its condition • a
routine designed to exercise your back and thigh muscles

3.  transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE exert
an animal physically: to make an animal exert
itself physically in order to keep it healthy and fit

4.  transitive
verb
do
exercise s to develop a skill: to develop a
particular faculty or skill by carrying out specific tasks or procedures
repeatedly or systematically

5.  transitive
verb
put
something to practical use: to make use of a right or
responsibility • They have the power to
prevent the merger, if they choose to exercise it.

6.  transitive
verb
show
a type of behavior: to adopt a type of behavior
or quality of character when dealing with a situation • Exercise
extreme care in your dealings with them.

7.  transitive
verb
occupy
or worry somebody: to be a cause for serious
thought, worry, or anxiety to somebody (formal) • It
is not a question that has exercised me greatly in the past.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY take part in military
training operations: to take part in, or make
troops take part in, large-scale operations or maneuvers as part of combat
training
[14th
century. Via French exercice from Latin exercitium, from exercere
“to keep busy,” literally “to drive on or out, let loose,” from arcere
“to restrain” (source of English arcane
).]
—ex·er·cis·a·ble, adjective[1]



exercisebike

exercisebike
ex·er·cise
bike
(plural ex·er·cise bikes) or ex·er·cise bi·cy·cle (plural
ex·er·cise bi·cy·cles) noun

exercise machine:
an exercise machine in the form of a stationary bicycle that is pedaled
vigorously for exercise[1]



exercisebook

exercisebook
ex·er·cise
book
(plural ex·er·cise books) noun

book containing exercises:
a book containing exercises in a particular subject for students to complete[1]



exerciseprice

exerciseprice
ex·er·cise
price
(plural ex·er·cise pric·es) noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE See striking price[1]



exerciser

exerciser
ex·er·cis·er 
[éksər szər] (plural ex·er·cis·ers)
noun

1.  apparatus
for physical fitness: a piece of equipment used to
exercise all or part of the body

2.  somebody
who exercises: somebody who does physical exercises or
who exercises something, especially somebody employed to exercise racehorses

[1]



exergonic

exergonic
ex·er·gon·ic 
[èksər gónnik] adjective

releasing
energy:
used to describe a biochemical reaction in which energy is released and that
can therefore take place spontaneously, without being started by energy from
another source
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ex- + Greek ergon “work” (source
of English energy ) + -ic .][1]



exergue

exergue
ex·ergue 
[ék sùrg, ég
zùrg] (plural ex·ergues) noun

part
of a coin:
the part of a coin or medal that carries details such as the date and place of
minting
[Late 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin exergum, from Greek ex- “outside” + ergon
“work.” The underlying sense is “something outside the (main) work.”][1]



exert

exert
ex·ert 
[ig zúrt] (past ex·ert·ed, past
participle ex·ert·ed, present participle ex·ert·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·erts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
bring
something to bear: to apply influence,
pressure, or authority in an attempt to have a powerful effect on a situation

2.  reflexive
verb
make
an effort:
to make a strenuous physical or mental effort
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
ex(s)ert-, past participle stem of ex(s)erere “to thrust out, put
forth,” from serere “to join, braid, entwine” (source of English series ).][1]



exertion

exertion
ex·er·tion 
[ig zúrsh’n] (plural ex·er·tions)
noun

1.  strenuous
effort:
strenuous physical exercise or effort

2.  strenuous
action:
an action that involves strenuous physical effort (often used in the plural)
• After
his exertions in the garden, he felt he deserved a rest.

3.  bringing
something to bear: the application of pressure
or influence • the
exertion of pressure on unsuspecting clients

[1]



Exeter

Exeter
Ex·e·ter
[éksətər]

1.  town
in southeastern New Hampshire, settled in 1638. Population: 12,481 (1990)

2.  historic
cathedral city on the Exe River in Devon, southwestern England. Population:
106,600 (1995)

[1]



exeunt

exeunt
ex·e·unt 
[éksee ənt] intransitive verb

exit
from stage:
used as a stage direction in a text in place of “exit” when more than one
person is to leave the stage.
See
also
exit
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “they go out,” 3rd person plural of exire (see exit ).][1]



exfoliate

exfoliate
ex·fo·li·ate 
[eks fṓlee àyt] (past ex·fo·li·at·ed,
past participle ex·fo·li·at·ed, present participle ex·fo·li·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·fo·li·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
SCIENCE fall
off in flakes: to come off the outer surface of
something in thin flakes, scales, or layers

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SCIENCE remove thin outer layer:
to remove or shed a thin outer layer from something, for example, skin, a
mineral, or a bone in surgery

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COSMETICS DERMATOLOGY
scrub
skin:
to scrub skin with a gritty substance to remove the dead surface layer

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MINERALS split into thin layers:
to split, or split a mineral, into thin layers
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin exfoliat-, past participle stem of exfoliare,
literally “to take leaves from,” from Latin folium “leaf” (source of
English foliage ).]
—ex·fo·li·a·tion
[eks flee áysh’n], noun

—ex·fo·li·a·tive
[eks fṓlee àytiv], adjective

—ex·fo·li·a·tor [eks fṓlee àytər], noun[1]



exgratia

exgratia
ex
gra·ti·a
[eks gráyshə, eks
grtee ] adjective adverb

given
voluntarily: given as a gift, favor, or gesture of
goodwill, rather than because it is owed • an
ex gratia payment
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “out of kindness.”][1]



exhalation

exhalation
ex·ha·la·tion 
[èkshə láysh’n, èksə
láysh’n] (plural ex·ha·la·tions) noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY breath
from the lungs: a breath exhaled from the lungs

2.  PHYSIOLOGY breathing
out:
the act of breathing out

3.  scent
or vapor given off: a scent, a vapor, or fumes
given off by something (literary)

[1]



exhale

exhale
ex·hale 
[eks háyl] (past ex·haled, past
participle ex·haled, present participle ex·hal·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·hales) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  PHYSIOLOGY breathe
out:
to breathe out, or breathe something out

2.  give
off or be given off: to give off something such
as a smell or a vapor, or be given off (literary)
[14th century. Via French exhaler
from Latin exhalare, from halare “to breathe.”][1]



exhaust

exhaust
ex·haust 
[ig záwst] verb (past ex·haust·ed,
past participle ex·haust·ed, present participle ex·haust·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·hausts)

1.  transitive
verb
tire
somebody out: to make somebody feel very tired or weak

2.  transitive
verb
use
something up: to use up all that is available of
something • our
supplies of fuel were now exhausted

3.  transitive
verb
try
out all possibilities: to try out or consider every
one of a number of possibilities

4.  transitive
verb
say
everything about something: to say or write everything
about something, so that nothing is left to be discussed

5.  transitive
verb
drain
something of its resources: to draw off or use up all
the resources contained within something • overgrazing
that has exhausted the pasture

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb TECHNOLOGY let out waste gases:
to escape, or allow steam or waste gases to escape, at the end of an industrial
process • Waste
gases are exhausted through the flue.

7.  transitive
verb
SCIENCE remove
gas to create a vacuum: to remove all of the air or
gas from a container in order to create a vacuum inside it
noun
(plural ex·hausts) TECHNOLOGY

1.  discharge
of waste gases: the discharge of waste gases, vapor, and
fumes created by and released at the end of a process, especially from the
working of an internal-combustion engine

2.  escape
system for waste gases: a pipe or other piece of
apparatus through which waste gases escape
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exhaust-, past participle stem of exhaurire
“to draw out,” from haurire “to draw (water) out or up, to drain.”]
—ex·haust·er,
noun

—ex·haust·i·bil·i·ty
[ig zàwstə bíllətee], noun

—ex·haust·i·ble [ig záwstəb’l], adjective[1]



exhausted

exhausted
ex·haust·ed
[ig záwstəd] adjective

1.  worn
out:
extremely tired or weak

2.  used
up:
completely used up
—ex·haust·ed·ly, adverb[1]



exhaustion

exhaustion
ex·haus·tion 
[ig záwschən] noun

1.  MED extremely
tired or weak state: a state of extreme physical
or mental tiredness or collapse • he was
close to exhaustion

2.  act
of exhausting something: the process of using up the
entire stock or contents of something (formal)
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem exhaustion-, from the past participle stem exhaust- of
exhaurire “to draw out, exhaust” (see exhaust
).][1]



exhaustive

exhaustive
ex·haus·tive 
[ig záwstiv] adjective

complete:
involving or dealing with everything relevant to the matter in hand • an
exhaustive account of the author’s life
—ex·haus·tive·ly,
adverb

—ex·haus·tive·ness,
noun

—ex·haus·tiv·i·ty [ig zàwss tívvətee], noun[1]



exhaustpipe

exhaustpipe
ex·haust
pipe
(plural ex·haust pipes) noun

See
tailpipe[1]



exhibit

exhibit
ex·hib·it 
[ig zíbbit] verb (past ex·hib·it·ed,
past participle ex·hib·it·ed, present participle ex·hib·it·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·hib·its)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb display
art:
to display something, especially a work of art, in a public place such as a
museum or gallery

2.  transitive
verb
show
something to others: to show something off for
others to look at or admire • She
decided it was a good time to exhibit her skills as a solver of business
disputes.

3.  transitive
verb
reveal
a quality:
to show the outward signs of something, especially an emotion or a physical or
mental condition • The wings exhibited
signs of metal fatigue.

4.  transitive
verb
LAW give
something as evidence: to present something to be
used as evidence in a court of law
noun
(plural ex·hib·its)

1.  object
on display:
an object displayed in public, especially in a gallery or museum or for a show
or competition

2.  act
of exhibiting: the act of displaying something • an
impressive exhibit of strength

3.  See
exhibition  noun 1

4.  LAW piece
of evidence: an object or document presented or
identified as evidence in a court of law
[15th
century. Partly from Latin exhibere “to hold out, display,” from habere
“to hold”; partly a back-formation from exhibition
.]
—ex·hib·i·to·ry, adjective[1]



exhibiter

exhibiter
ex·hib·it·er
noun

See
exhibitor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








exhibition

exhibition
ex·hi·bi·tion 
[èksə bísh’n] (plural ex·hi·bi·tions)
noun

1.  public
display of works of art: a public display, usually
for a limited period, of a collection of works of art or objects of special
interest.
Also
called
exhibit

2.  displaying
of something: the displaying of something in public • one
or two of the works on exhibition

3.  demonstration
of skill:
a demonstration of a particular skill or craft • a
karate exhibition

4.  display
of behavior: a display of a particular type of
behavior, usually bad behavior • What
did she mean by that little exhibition, I wonder?
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem exhibition-
“handing over, display,” from Latin exhibere (see exhibit ). Originally in the sense “maintenance,
support.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Pictures
  at an Exhibition, a suite of piano pieces by the Russian composer Modest
  Mussorgsky ( 1874 ). The compositions were written in memory of the architect
  and painter Victor Alexandrovich Hartmann and inspired by paintings and
  drawings displayed at a memorial exhibition of the artist’s work.

[1]



exhibitiongame

exhibitiongame
ex·hi·bi·tion
game
(plural ex·hi·bi·tion games) noun

sports contest played as
entertainment: a sports contest played
purely as a display of skill and an entertainment for spectators, having no
bearing on team or individual standings.
Also called
exhibition match[1]



exhibitionism

exhibitionism
ex·hi·bi·tion·ism 
[èksə bísh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  attention-seeking:
loud, exaggerated, or boastful behavior designed to attract attention

2.  PSYCHIATRY exposing
of the genitals: a psychological disorder causing a
compulsion to show the genitals in public
—ex·hi·bi·tion·ist,
noun

—ex·hi·bi·tion·is·tic
[èksə bìsh’n ístik], adjective[1]



exhibitionmatch

exhibitionmatch
ex·hi·bi·tion
match
noun

See
exhibition game[1]



exhibitive

exhibitive
ex·hib·i·tive 
[ig zíbbitiv] adjective

displaying:
displaying or demonstrating something (formal)
—ex·hib·i·tive·ly, adverb[1]



exhibitor

exhibitor
ex·hib·i·tor 
[ig zíbbitər] (plural ex·hib·i·tors)
or ex·hib·it·er [ig zíbbitər]
(plural ex·hib·it·ers) noun

1.  somebody
with work on display: somebody who exhibits
something, especially somebody whose artistic work is included in an exhibition

2.  CINEMA somebody
who screens a movie: a person who or company that
screens a movie

[1]



exhilarate

exhilarate
ex·hil·a·rate 
[ig zíllə ràyt] (past ex·hil·a·rat·ed,
past participle ex·hil·a·rat·ed, present participle ex·hil·a·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·hil·a·rates) transitive verb

make
somebody feel happy and alive: to make somebody feel
happy, excited, and more than usually vigorous and alive
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exhilarat-, past participle stem of exhilarare,
literally “to gladden thoroughly,” from hilarare “to gladden,”
ultimately from Greek hilaros “cheerful, glad” (source of English hilarious ).]
—ex·hil·a·rat·ing·ly,
adverb

—ex·hil·a·ra·tive,
adjective

—ex·hil·a·ra·tor, noun[1]



exhilaration

exhilaration
ex·hil·a·ra·tion 
[ig zìllə ráysh’n] noun

excited happiness:
a feeling of happiness and excitement combined with a heightened sense of being
alive[1]



exhort

exhort
ex·hort 
[ig záwrt] (past ex·hort·ed, past
participle ex·hort·ed, present participle ex·hort·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·horts) verb (formal)

1.  transitive
verb
urge
to do something: to urge somebody strongly and earnestly
to do something

2.  intransitive
verb
give
earnest advice: to give somebody urgent or earnest
advice
[14th
century. Directly or via French exhorter from Latin exhortari,
literally “to encourage thoroughly,” from hortari “to encourage, urge.”]
—ex·hort·er, noun[1]



exhortation

exhortation
ex·hor·ta·tion 
[èg zawr táysh’n] (plural ex·hor·ta·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  something
intended to urge or persuade: something said or written in
order to urge somebody strongly to do something

2.  giving
of advice:
the giving of earnest advice or encouragement

[1]



exhortative

exhortative
ex·hor·ta·tive 
[ig záwrtətiv] or ex·hor·ta·to·ry
[ig záwrtə tàwree] adjective

earnestly urging:
intended to urge or inspire somebody to do something (formal)[1]



exhume

exhume
ex·hume 
[ig zm, ig zym]
(past ex·humed, past participle ex·humed, present
participle ex·hum·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·humes)
transitive verb

1.  dig
up a body:
to dig up a corpse from a grave

2.  reintroduce
something:
to reveal, reestablish, or refer again to something long forgotten or neglected
• Cultures
are reinvented and dead traditions exhumed for the tourists.
[15th
century. From medieval Latin exhumare, from humare “to bury,”
from humus “ground, earth” (source of English humus, humiliate,
and humble ).]
—ex·hu·ma·tion
[èksyoo máysh’n, èksoo
máysh’n, ègzoo máysh’n, ègzyoo máysh’n], noun

—ex·hum·er [ig zmər, ig zymər],
noun[1]



exigency

exigency
ex·i·gen·cy 
[éksəjənsee, égzəjənsee,
ig zíjjənsee] (plural ex·i·gen·cies)
or ex·i·gence [éksəjəns, égzəjəns] (plural ex·i·gences) noun
(formal)

1.  urgent
need:
something that a situation demands or makes urgently necessary and that puts
pressure on the people involved (often used in the plural) • unable
to cope with the exigencies of political life

2.  something
needing immediate action: a difficult situation requiring
urgent action
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin exigentia, from the Latin present participle stem exigent-
of exigere “to demand, require” (see exact
).][1]



exigent

exigent
ex·i·gent 
[éksəjənt, égzəjənt]
adjective (formal)

1.  requiring
action:
needing immediate action

2.  demanding:
making heavy demands on somebody • suffered
at the hands of an exigent boss
[Early
17th century. From Latin exigent- (see exigency
).]
—ex·i·gent·ly, adverb[1]



exiguous

exiguous
ex·ig·u·ous 
[ig zíggyoo əss, ik
síggyoo əss] adjective

limited:
scanty or meager (formal) • barely
surviving on their exiguous supplies
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin exiguus, from exigere “to weigh
precisely, measure” (see exact ).]
—ex·i·gu·i·ty
[ègzi gy ətee, èksi
gy ətee], noun

—ex·ig·u·ous·ly
[ig zíggyoo əsslee, ik
síggyoo əsslee], adverb

—ex·ig·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



exile

exile
ex·ile 
[ég zl, ék sl]
noun (plural ex·iles)

1.  absence
from your own country: unwilling absence from your
own country or home, whether enforced by a government or court as a punishment,
or imposed for political or religious reasons

2.  somebody
living outside his or her own country:
somebody who is forced to live in another country, either for personal or
political reasons or after being ordered to leave as a punishment

3.  banishment
from home or country: official expulsion from a
home country or area, sometimes to a specified place, as a punishment
transitive
verb
(past ex·iled, past participle ex·iled, present
participle ex·il·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·iles)

banish somebody from home or country:
to order somebody to leave and stay away from his or her own country or home as
a punishment
[14th
century. Via French exil from Latin exilium “banishment,” from exul
“banished person.”]
—ex·il·ic [ig zíllik, ik síllik],
adjective[1]



Eximbank

Eximbank
Ex·im·bank
[éksimbàngk] noun

See
Export-Import Bank[1]



exine

exine
ex·ine 
[ék sn, ék sn]
(plural ex·ines) noun

outer
layer of pollen grain: the outer layer of a pollen
grain or other spore. The surface patterns vary among different plant groups,
allowing the makeup of former plant populations to be deduced from preserved
pollen samples.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps formed from ex- + modern
Latin in- “fibrous tissue” (from Greek in-, is “fiber,
sinew”).][1]



exist

exist
ex·ist 
[ig zíst] (past ex·ist·ed, past
participle ex·ist·ed, present participle ex·ist·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·ists) intransitive verb

1.  be:
to be, especially to be a real, actual, or current thing, not merely something
imagined or written about • Does
life exist on other planets?

2.  live:
to be alive or continue to live • Humans
need water and food to exist.

3.  occur:
to be present or found in a particular place or situation • Shortages
on products in high demand exist.

4.  survive:
to manage to survive or stay alive • The
lost hikers existed for two days on berries.

5.  live
an unsatisfactory life: to live an unsatisfactory,
joyless, or humdrum life, as opposed to an exciting or meaningful one
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain; probably a back-formation from existence
.][1]



existence

existence
ex·is·tence 
[ig zíst’ns] noun

1.  being
real:
the state of being real, actual, or current, rather than imagined, invented, or
obsolete • evidence
for the existence of other worlds

2.  presence
in a place or situation: the presence or occurrence
of something in a particular place or situation • discovered
the existence of the bacterium in sheep

3.  (plural
ex·is·tences) way of living:
a way of living, especially a life of severe hardship • scratch
out a pitiable existence

4.  everything:
all living things (literary) • hymns
that celebrate the wonder of existence

5.  (plural
ex·is·tences) single living thing:
something that lives or exists (literary or archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from late Latin existentia, from Latin ex(s)istere “to
emerge, come into being,” from sistere “to cause to stand firm.”][1]



existent

existent
ex·is·tent 
[ig zíst’nt] adjective (formal)

1.  real:
real or actual, not imagined or invented

2.  current:
currently existing or in operation
noun

(plural
ex·is·tents) real thing:
a real or living thing (formal)

[1]



existential

existential
ex·is·ten·tial 
[ègzi sténshəl, èksi
sténshəl] adjective

1.  relating
to human existence: concerned with or relating
to existence, especially human existence

2.  PHILOSOPHY crucial
in shaping individual destiny: in the context of
existentialism, involved in or vital to the shaping of an individual’s
self-chosen mode of existence and moral stance with respect to the rest of the
world

3.  LOGIC governed
by the existential quantifier: governed by the
existential quantifier and thus asserting the existence of something by saying
that there is at least one object that possesses the properties specified
noun

(plural
ex·is·ten·tials) LOGIC existential
proposition: a proposition governed by the
existential quantifier
—ex·is·ten·tial·ly, adverb[1]



existentialism

existentialism
ex·is·ten·tial·ism 
[ègzi sténshə lìzzəm, èksi sténshə lìzzəm] noun

philosophical
movement centered on individual existence: a
20th-century philosophical movement that denies that the universe has any
intrinsic meaning or purpose and requires individuals to take responsibility
for their own actions and shape their own destinies
[Mid-20th
century. From German Existentialismus, a translation of Danish existents-forhold
“condition of existence.”]
—ex·is·ten·tial·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



existentialquantifier

existentialquantifier
ex·is·ten·tial
quan·ti·fi·er (plural ex·is·ten·tial
quan·ti·fi·ers) noun

logical constant of
existence: the logical constant,
frequently symbolized as “Ex,” that is a prefix to another clause and that is
read as saying “there is at least one object such that.”
See also
universal quantifier[1]



existing

existing
ex·ist·ing
[ig zísting] adjective

present:
currently present, in operation, or available • Existing
legislation is inadequate to cover these cases.[1]



exit

exit
ex·it 
[égzit, éksit]
noun (plural ex·its)

1.  means
of leaving a place: a door or other means of
leaving a room or building

2.  departure:
an act of leaving a room, building, or gathering

3.  death:
departure from life (formal)

4.  THEATER actor’s
leaving of the stage: an actor’s departure from
the stage

5.  TRANSPORT place
for leaving an expressway: any of the slip roads by
which a vehicle can leave a expressway or other main road with limited access

6.  COMPUTING termination
of a computer operation: an act of terminating a
computer operation
verb
(past ex·it·ed, past participle ex·it·ed, present
participle ex·it·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·its)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave:
to leave something such as a room, building, or gathering • In
the event of a fire, exit the building at the rear.

2.  intransitive
verb
die:
to cease to live (literary)

3.  intransitive
verb
THEATER go
offstage:
to leave the stage during a performance of a play (refers to an actor)
See
also
exeunt

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING terminate a computer program:
to terminate the running of a computer operating system, program, or routine in
a program
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
exitus “a departure,” past participle, used as a noun, of exire
“to go out,” from ire “to go.”][1]



exitpoll

exitpoll
ex·it
poll
(plural ex·it polls) noun

poll of people after voting:
a poll designed to give an early indication of the result of an election,
conducted by asking people how they voted as they leave the place of voting[1]



exlibris

exlibris
ex
li·bris 
[eks lbriss] (plural ex li·bris)
adverb

from
the library of: from the library of the person whose
name follows (used on bookplates)
[From Latin, literally “from
the books (of),” in reference to the owner’s library][1]



exnihilo

exnihilo
ex
ni·hi·lo 
[eks n ə l, eks
nhi l] adverb adjective

from
nothing:
from or out of nothing (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



exo-

exo-
exo-
prefix

outside,
external • exothermic
[From Greek exō, from ex
“out.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English ex-, extra-, and extreme
.][1]



exobiology

exobiology
ex·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[èksō bī ólləjee] noun

outer-space
biology:
a branch of biology concerned with the possibility that life forms exist on
other planets and with the problems of adapting the Earth’s life forms to alien
environments.
Also
called
space biology
—ex·o·bi·o·log·i·cal
[èksō b ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ex·o·bi·ol·o·gist [èksō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



exocarp

exocarp
ex·o·carp 
[éksō krp] (plural ex·o·carps)
noun

outer layer of the fruit
wall: the outer layer of the fruit
wall ( pericarp ).
Also called
epicarp[1]



Exocet

Exocet
Ex·o·cet
[éksə sèt] Trademark

a trademark for a
French-manufactured surface-to-surface guided missile with a high-explosive
warhead[1]



exocrine

exocrine
ex·o·crine 
[éksəkrin, éksə
krn, éksə krn] adjective

relating
to external secretion glands: used to describe or relating
to glands such as sweat glands or salivary glands that release a secretion
through a duct to the surface of an organ.
See
also
endocrine
[Early 20th century. Coined
from exo- + Greek krinein “to separate” (source of English crisis and hypocrite
).][1]



exocyclic

exocyclic
ex·o·cy·clic 
[èksō sklik, èksō
síklik] adjective

outside ring structure:
situated outside a chemical ring structure • an
exocyclic bond[1]



exocytosis

exocytosis
ex·o·cy·to·sis 
[èksō sī tṓssiss] noun

release
of cellular material: the release of substances
contained in a sac ( vesicle ) within a cell
by a process in which the membrane surrounding the sac unites with the membrane
forming the outer wall of the cell
—ex·o·cy·tot·ic [èksō sī tóttik], adjective[1]



Exod.

Exod.
Exod.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Exodus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








exodontics

exodontics
ex·o·don·tics 
[èksə dóntiks] or ex·o·don·tia
[èksə dónshə] noun

removing
teeth:
the branch of dentistry concerned with extracting teeth (takes a singular
verb)
[Early
20th century. Coined from exo- + Greek odont-,
stem of odous “tooth.”]
—ex·o·don·tist, noun[1]



Exodus

Exodus
Ex·o·dus
noun

1.  2nd
book of the Bible: the second book of the
Bible, which describes the flight of the Israelites from Egypt and Moses
receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai

2.  flight
of Israelites from Egypt: the flight of Moses and the
Israelites from Egypt, as described in the second book of the Bible
[Pre-12th century. See exodus .][1]



exodus

exodus
ex·o·dus 
[éksədəss] (plural ex·o·dus·es)
noun

departure:
a departure or going out or away from a place that involves large numbers of
people
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin “(biblical Book of) Exodus” from Greek, literally “way
out,” from hodos “way, road.”][1]



exoenzyme

exoenzyme
ex·o·en·zyme 
[èksō én zm] (plural ex·o·en·zymes)
noun

enzyme operating outside its
originating cell: an enzyme that operates
outside the cell in which it was produced, for example, a digestive enzyme[1]



exoergic

exoergic
ex·o·er·gic 
[èksō úrjik] adjective

NUCLEAR PHYSICS See
exothermic
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from exo- + Greek ergon “work”
(source of English energy ) + -ic .][1]



exoff.

exoff.
ex
off.

Abbreviation of
ex officio[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








exofficio

exofficio
ex
of·fi·ci·o 
[èks ə físhi ] adverb adjective

resulting
from somebody’s official position: as a result of the
official position somebody holds • Heads
of state are often ex officio heads of the armed forces
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “out of duty, on account of office.”][1]



exogamy

exogamy
ex·og·a·my 
[ek sóggəmee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY marriage
tradition:
the custom in some societies of marrying outside their people’s own tribe,
clan, or social group

2.  BIOLOGY fusion
of unrelated cells: the fusion of sex cells (
gametes ) of organisms not closely related, as occurs in cross pollination and
outbreeding
—ex·og·a·mous, adjective[1]



exogenous

exogenous
ex·og·e·nous 
[ek sójjənəss] adjective

from
an outside organism: originating outside an
organism or system.
See
also
endogenous
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin exogena “growing on the outside,” from
Greek genēs “born.”]
—ex·og·e·nous·ly, adverb[1]



exon

exon
ex·on 
[ék sòn] (plural ex·ons) noun

interrupted
segment of DNA: a discontinuous sequence of DNA that
codes for protein synthesis and carries the genetic code for the final
messenger RNA molecule.
See
also
intron
[Late 20th century. Coined
from expressed (past participle of express
) + -on .][1]



exonerate

exonerate
ex·on·er·ate 
[ig zónnə ràyt] (past ex·on·er·at·ed,
past participle ex·on·er·at·ed, present participle ex·on·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·on·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  free
somebody from blame or guilt: to declare officially that
somebody is not to blame, or is not guilty of a crime

2.  free
somebody from an obligation: to relieve somebody from an
obligation or responsibility
[15th
century. From Latin exonerat-, past participle stem of exonerare,
literally “to take off a burden,” from onus “burden” (source of English onerous and onus
).]
—ex·on·er·a·tion
[ig zònnə ráysh’n], noun

—ex·on·er·a·tive [ig zónnə ràytiv], adjective[1]



exophthalmos

exophthalmos
ex·oph·thal·mos 
[èk səf thálməss] or ex·oph·thal·mus
[èk səf thálməss] noun

protrusion
of the eyeball: abnormal protrusion of the eyeball
resulting, for example, from an aneurysm
[Early
17th century. Directly or via modern Latin exophthalmus from Greek exophthalmos,
literally “(condition of) the eye being outside,” from ophthalmos “eye”
(source of English ophthalmic ).]
—ex·oph·thal·mic, adjective[1]



exorbitant

exorbitant
ex·or·bi·tant 
[ig záwrbit’nt] adjective

1.  unreasonably
high or large: far greater or higher than is reasonable
• exorbitant

2.  extreme:
going beyond what is reasonable, proper, or manageable
[15th
century. Ultimately from Christian Latin exorbitare “to go out of the
track,” from Latin orbita “track,” from orbis “circle.”
Originally “not within the intended scope of a law.”]
—ex·or·bi·tant·ly, adverb[1]



exorcise

exorcise
ex·or·cise 
[ék sawr sz, éksər
sz.] (past ex·or·cised, past participle ex·or·cised,
present participle ex·or·cis·ing, 3rd person present singular
ex·or·cis·es) or ex·or·cize [ék
sawr sz, éksər sz.] (past ex·or·cized,
past participle ex·or·cized, present participle ex·or·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·or·ciz·es) transitive verb

1.  RELIGION free a
person or place from evil: to use prayers and religious
rituals with the intention of ridding a person or place of the presence or
influence of evil spirits

2.  RELIGION send
evil away:
to use prayers and religious rituals with the intention of driving away an evil
spirit believed to have been possessing a person or place

3.  get
rid of an oppressive feeling: to clear the mind of a
painful or oppressive feeling or memory
[15th
century. Directly or via French exorciser from ecclesiastical Latin exorcizare,
from Greek exorkizein, literally “to swear out (an evil spirit),” from orkos
“oath.”]
—ex·or·cis·er, noun[1]



exorcism

exorcism
ex·or·cism 
[ék sawr sìzzəm, éksər
sìzzəm] (plural ex·or·cisms) noun

1.  RELIGION driving
out of evil spirits: the use of prayer or
religious ritual to drive out evil spirits

2.  RELIGION ceremony
to drive out evil spirits: a religious ceremony in
which somebody attempts to drive out an evil spirit believed to be possessing a
person or place

3.  RELIGION thing
done to expel evil: a special ritual or spoken
formula used with the intention of driving out evil spirits

4.  clearing
the mind of oppressive feelings: the act of ridding the
mind of oppressive feelings or memories
[14th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin exorcismus from ecclesiastical Greek exorkismos,
from exorkizein (see exorcise ).]
—ex·or·cist, noun[1]



exorcize

exorcize
ex·or·cize
transitive verb

See
exorcise[1]



exordium

exordium
ex·or·di·um 
[eg záwrdee əm] (plural ex·or·di·ums
or ex·or·di·a [eg záwrdee ə]) noun

first
part:
an opening section, especially of a lecture or a piece of scholarly writing (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin, formed from exordiri “to begin.”]
—ex·or·di·al, adjective[1]



exoskeleton

exoskeleton
ex·o·skel·e·ton 
[èksō skéllət’n] (plural ex·o·skel·e·tons)
noun

hard
protective covering of an organism: a
hard covering on the outside of many organisms such as crustaceans, insects,
turtles, and armadillos that provides support and protection
—ex·o·skel·e·tal, adjective[1]



exosmosis

exosmosis
ex·os·mo·sis 
[èks oz mṓssiss, èks
os mṓssiss] noun

flow
toward a solution of lower concentration:
movement of fluid toward a solution of lower concentration, as is the case when
water percolates through a cell membrane into the medium surrounding the cell
[Mid-19th
century. An alteration of obsolete exosmose, from French, literally “a
pushing out,” from Greek ōsmos “act of pushing” (source of English osmosis ).]
—ex·os·mot·ic [èks oz móttik, èks os
móttik], adjective[1]



exosphere

exosphere
ex·o·sphere 
[éksō sfr] noun

outermost
region of the atmosphere: the outermost region of the
atmosphere of the Earth or another planet
—ex·o·spher·ic [èksō sfrik, èksō
sférrik], adjective[1]



exospore

exospore
ex·o·spore 
[éksə spàwr] (plural ex·o·spores)
noun

external spore:
a spore that is formed outside a parent cell, for example by partitioning of
parental material, or outside a spore-bearing organ[1]



exostosis

exostosis
ex·os·to·sis 
[èk so stṓssiss] (plural ex·os·to·ses
[èk so stṓ sz]) noun

bony
growth:
an abnormal benign bony growth on the surface of a bone or a tooth root, caused
by inflammation or repeated trauma
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “bony outgrowth,” formed from osteon “bone” (source of English osteo- ).][1]



exoteric

exoteric
ex·o·ter·ic 
[èksə térrik] adjective

understood
by all:
capable of being understood by most people, not just an informed or select
minority (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin exotericus from Greek exōterikos, from exōterō
“outer,” from exō “outside.”]
—ex·o·ter·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



exothermic

exothermic
ex·o·ther·mic 
[èksō thúrmik] or ex·o·ther·mal
[èksō thúrm’l] adjective

CHEMISTRY PHYSICS producing
heat:
used to describe a reaction that produces heat (preferred term in nuclear
physics is “exoergic”)
[Late
19th century. From French exothermique, from Greek thermē “heat”
(source of thermometer ).]
—ex·o·ther·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



exotic

exotic
ex·ot·ic 
[ig zóttik] adjective

1.  strikingly
different:
strikingly unusual and often very colorful and exciting or suggesting distant
countries and unfamiliar cultures

2.  ECOLOGY from
elsewhere:
introduced from another place or region • an
exotic species
noun
(plural ex·ot·ics)

exotic person or thing:
somebody who or something that is exotic, especially a plant or animal
[Late
16th century. Via Latin exoticus from Greek exōtikos, from exō
“out, outside,” the underlying notion being “foreign, out of the ordinary.”]
—ex·ot·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ex·ot·i·cism,
noun

—ex·ot·ic·ness, noun[1]



exotica

exotica
ex·ot·i·ca 
[ig zóttikə] plural noun

unusual
things:
exotic or extraordinary things, especially when forming a collection
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, neuter plural of exoticus (see exotic
).][1]



exoticdancer

exoticdancer
ex·ot·ic
dancer
(plural ex·ot·ic danc·ers) noun

stripper:
a striptease dancer[1]



exotoxin

exotoxin
ex·o·tox·in 
[èksō tóksin] (plural ex·o·tox·ins)
noun

powerful soluble toxin
produced by a bacterium: a highly
potent soluble toxin produced by a bacterium and released into its infected
host, often affecting the central nervous system. Exotoxins are produced in
diphtheria, botulism, and tetanus and are among the most potent known toxins.[1]



exp.

exp.
exp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
experiment

2.  Abbreviation
of
experimental

3.  Abbreviation
of
expiration

4.  Abbreviation
of
expired

5.  Abbreviation
of
expires

6.  Abbreviation
of
export

7.  Abbreviation
of
exported

8.  Abbreviation
of
express

[1]



exp

exp
exp

MATHEMATICS
Symbol for exponential function[1]



expand

expand
ex·pand 
[ik spánd] (past ex·pand·ed, past
participle ex·pand·ed, present participle ex·pand·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pands) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become larger: to become or cause something to become
larger in size, scope, or extent, or greater in number or amount • We
need to expand our client base.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS increase in size or volume:
to increase or cause something to increase in size or volume as a result of a
rise in temperature or decrease in pressure

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
out:
to open out or open something out wider after being kept folded in

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb describe
something more fully: to explain or describe
something more fully, usually by giving more detail • If
you expanded that argument a little, it would fill another chapter.

5.  transitive
verb
give
the full form of something: to give the full form of
something such as the abbreviation of a word

6.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to relax and become friendlier and more talkative

7.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS rewrite
a mathematical expression: to rewrite a mathematical
expression as the sum or product of its terms, for example, ( x +1)( x
-1)+2 x expands to x 2 +2 x -1
[15th
century. Directly or via Anglo-Norman espaundre from Latin expandere
“to spread out,” from pandere “to spread.”]
—ex·pand·a·bil·i·ty
[ik spàndə bíllətee], noun

—ex·pand·a·ble
[ik spándəb’l], adjective

—ex·pand·er
[ik spándər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



expanded

expanded
ex·pand·ed
[ik spándəd] adjective

1.  made
larger:
extended, unfolded, or outstretched

2.  INDUSTRY made
into foam:
used to describe plastics made into a lightweight solid foam by the
introduction of gas during the manufacturing process • expanded
polyurethane

3.  PRINTING wider
than usual:
used to describe typefaces or printed characters that are wider than usual in
relation to their height

[1]



expandedmetal

expandedmetal
ex·pand·ed
met·al
(plural ex·pand·ed met·als) noun

kind of metal mesh:
strong metal mesh made by cutting slits in sheet metal and stretching it out of
shape, used as a reinforcing material in construction[1]



expanse

expanse
ex·panse 
[ik spáns] (plural ex·panses) noun

wide
area or surface: a wide area or surface, especially of
sea, land, or sky
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin expansum “firmament,” neuter past participle (used as a
noun) of Latin expandere (see expand
).][1]



expansible

expansible
ex·pan·si·ble 
[ik spánsəb’l] adjective

expandable:
able to expand or be expanded
—ex·pan·si·bil·i·ty [ik spànsə bíllətee], noun[1]



expansile

expansile
ex·pan·sile 
[ik spánsəl] adjective

1.  relating
to expansion: relating to expansion or the ability to
expand

2.  expansible:
able to expand or be expanded

[1]



expansion

expansion
ex·pan·sion 
[ik spánshən] (plural ex·pan·sions)
noun

1.  process
of becoming enlarged: the process of increasing,
or increasing something, in size, extent, scope, or number • This
site does not give us enough room for expansion.

2.  increase:
an increase, or the amount by which something increases, in size, extent, or
scope • Geologists
measured the expansion of the volcanic island.

3.  PHYSICS increase
in dimensions: an increase in the dimensions of
something as a result of a rise in temperature or decrease in pressure

4.  growth
by acquisition: the increase of a country’s size by the
acquisition of new territory • westward
expansion

5.  act
of expanding: the act or state of expanding, opening,
or spreading out

6.  fuller
treatment:
a fuller or more detailed treatment or version of something • The
expansion of “Dr.” is “Doctor.”

7.  ENGINEERING combustion
stage in an engine: a stage in an engine cycle
during which the fuel and air mixture explodes, thereby increasing in volume
and providing power

8.  MATHEMATICS expanded
mathematical expression: the result of expanding a
mathematical expression

[1]



expansion

expansion
ex·pan·sion 
[ik spánshən] (plural ex·pan·sions)
noun

1.  process
of becoming enlarged: the process of increasing,
or increasing something, in size, extent, scope, or number • This
site does not give us enough room for expansion.

2.  increase:
an increase, or the amount by which something increases, in size, extent, or
scope • Geologists
measured the expansion of the volcanic island.

3.  PHYSICS increase
in dimensions: an increase in the dimensions of
something as a result of a rise in temperature or decrease in pressure

4.  growth
by acquisition: the increase of a country’s size by the
acquisition of new territory • westward
expansion

5.  act
of expanding: the act or state of expanding, opening,
or spreading out

6.  fuller
treatment:
a fuller or more detailed treatment or version of something • The
expansion of “Dr.” is “Doctor.”

7.  ENGINEERING combustion
stage in an engine: a stage in an engine cycle
during which the fuel and air mixture explodes, thereby increasing in volume
and providing power

8.  MATHEMATICS expanded
mathematical expression: the result of expanding a
mathematical expression

[1]



expansionary

expansionary
ex·pan·sion·ar·y 
[ik spánshə nèrree] adjective

causing expansion:
bringing about expansion, especially economic or territorial expansion[1]



expansionboard

expansionboard
ex·pan·sion
board
(plural ex·pan·sion boards) noun

COMPUTING
See expansion card[1]



expansionbolt

expansionbolt
ex·pan·sion
bolt
(plural ex·pan·sion bolts) noun

bolt with an expanding
attachment: a bolt with an attachment on
the screw end that expands as the bolt is tightened, thereby securing it[1]



expansioncard

expansioncard
ex·pan·sion
card
(plural ex·pan·sion cards) noun

computer component:
a printed circuit board inserted into a computer to add features or capability.

Also called
expansion board[1]



expansionism

expansionism
ex·pan·sion·ism 
[ik spánshə nìzzəm] noun

policy
of expanding: a policy of expanding a country’s
economy or territory
—ex·pan·sion·ist,
noun, adjective

—ex·pan·sion·is·tic [ik spànshə nístik], adjective[1]



expansionjoint

expansionjoint
ex·pan·sion
joint
(plural ex·pan·sion joints) noun

gap allowing surfaces to
expand: a gap between adjacent parts
or surfaces, for example, between the concrete sections that form the road
surface of a bridge, to prevent buckling when they expand under heat[1]



expansionslot

expansionslot
ex·pan·sion
slot
(plural ex·pan·sion slots) noun

computer slot:
a receptacle connected to and interfacing with a computer’s internal circuitry
and designed to hold an expansion card.
Also called
slot[1]



expansive

expansive
ex·pan·sive 
[ik spánsiv] adjective

1.  communicative:
willing to talk openly and at some length, usually in a relaxed and jovial way
• He
gradually became more expansive once he got to know us.

2.  extensive:
covering a wide area or broad in scope • a
large house with expansive grounds

3.  expanding:
capable of, having a tendency to, or typically undergoing expansion • polymers
with expansive capability

4.  with
outstretched arms: with the arms stretched out
and open wide • an expansive gesture

5.  lavish:
generous, lavish, or extravagant in scale • an
expansive lifestyle

6.  PSYCHIATRY having
exaggerated feelings of self-worth:
characterized by extreme feelings of euphoria and delusions of grandeur or
self-importance
—ex·pan·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·pan·sive·ness,
noun

—ex·pan·siv·i·ty [èk span sívvətee], noun[1]



exparte

exparte
ex
par·te 
[eks prtee] adjective adverb

involving
one side only: made or undertaken on behalf of only one
of the parties involved in a court case
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “from a (or the) side.”][1]



expat

expat
ex·pat 
[èks pát] (plural ex·pats) noun

expatriate:
an expatriate (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



expatiate

expatiate
ex·pa·ti·ate 
[ek spáyshee àyt] (past ex·pa·ti·at·ed,
past participle ex·pa·ti·at·ed, present participle ex·pa·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pa·ti·ates) intransitive verb

1.  speak
or write at length: to speak or write about
something at length • We had
to listen to him expatiating on the shortcomings of our system.

2.  wander:
to wander or roam at will (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin ex(s)patiat-, past participle stem of ex(s)patiari,
literally “to walk out,” from spatiari “to walk,” from spatium
“space” (source of English space ).
Originally “to roam freely.”]
—ex·pa·ti·a·tion [ek spàyshee áysh’n], noun[1]



expatriate

expatriate
ex·pa·tri·ate 
noun [eks páytree ət, eks páytree àyt] (plural ex·pa·tri·ates)

1.  somebody
who has moved abroad: somebody who has left his or
her homeland to live or work in another country, usually for a long period of
time

2.  somebody
without citizenship: somebody who has renounced
his or her citizenship or whose citizenship has been revoked
adjective
[eks páytree ət, eks
páytree àyt]

relating to those living abroad:
relating to people who live outside their own country
verb
[eks páytree àyt] (past ex·pa·tri·at·ed,
past participle ex·pa·tri·at·ed, present participle ex·pa·tri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pa·tri·ates)

1.  intransitive
verb
settle
abroad:
to settle in another country

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
away somebody’s citizenship: to deprive somebody of
native citizenship, or renounce native citizenship voluntarily

3.  transitive
verb
expel
somebody from his or her own country: to
send somebody away from his or her own country as a punishment
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin expatriat-, past participle stem of expatriare,
literally “to leave your native land,” from patria “native land,” from pater
“father.”]
—ex·pa·tri·a·tion [eks pàytree áysh’n], noun[1]



expect

expect
ex·pect 
[ik spékt] (past ex·pect·ed, past
participle ex·pect·ed, present participle ex·pect·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb confidently
believe:
to believe with confidence, or think it likely, that an event will happen in
the future • A
few setbacks along the way were only to be expected.

2.  transitive
verb
wait
for an anticipated thing: to wait for, or look forward
to, something that you believe is going to happen or arrive • I’m
expecting a visit from them any day now.

3.  transitive
verb
demand
something as a right or duty: to demand or anticipate
receiving something because of a perceived right to it or because it is
somebody’s duty to give it • They
expect you to abide by their rules.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
going to have a baby: to be pregnant with or look
forward to the birth of a child (informal) (used only in progressive
tenses) • She
is expecting her third in July.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin ex(s)pectare “to look out for,” from spectare
“to look at”, from specere “to look, look at.”]
—ex·pect·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·pect·a·bly,
adverb

—ex·pect·ed·ly,
adverb

—ex·pect·ed·ness, noun[1]



expectancy

expectancy
ex·pec·tan·cy 
[ik spéktənsee] (plural ex·pec·tan·cies)
or ex·pec·tance [ik spéktəns]
(plural ex·pec·tances) noun

1.  excited
anticipation: excited awareness that something is
about to happen • An air of expectancy
hung over the crowd.
Also
called
expectation

2.  STATISTICS something
expected:
something expected, especially an amount or length of time expected on the
basis of statistical calculations

[1]



expectant

expectant
ex·pec·tant 
[ik spéktənt] adjective

1.  excitedly
anticipating something: excitedly aware that
something is about to happen

2.  expecting
a baby:
expecting the birth of a baby

3.  expecting
something favorable: expecting something,
especially something that will bring success or wealth (formal)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin ex(s)pectant-, present participle stem of ex(s)pectare
(see expect ).][1]



expectation

expectation
ex·pec·ta·tion 
[èk spek táysh’n] noun (plural
ex·pec·ta·tions)

1.  anticipation
of something happening: a confident belief or strong
hope that a particular event will happen

2.  notion
of something: a mental image of something expected,
often compared to its reality (often used in the plural) • All
our expectations of a quiet evening at home were dashed by the arrival of
guests.

3.  expected
standard:
a standard of conduct or performance expected by or of somebody (often used
in the plural) • Her work wasn’t up to
expectations so she was dismissed.

4.  See
expectancy  noun 1
plural
noun
ex·pec·ta·tions

prospects for the future:
somebody’s likely prospects of wealth or success in the future

[1]



expectedvalue

expectedvalue
ex·pect·ed
val·ue 
(plural ex·pect·ed val·ues) noun

most likely value of a random
variable: the value of a random
variable that is most likely to occur, calculated by taking the sum of every
possible value multiplied by a factor representing the probability of its
occurrence.
Also called
mathematical expectation
Also called
mean value[1]



expectorant

expectorant
ex·pec·to·rant 
[ik spéktərənt] adjective

producing
and getting rid of phlegm: causing phlegm to be
produced or liquefied and coughed up
noun
(plural ex·pec·to·rants)

medicine for coughs:
a medicine that stimulates the production and secretion of phlegm, used to
treat coughs[1]



expectorate

expectorate
ex·pec·to·rate 
[ik spéktə ràyt] (past ex·pec·to·rat·ed,
past participle ex·pec·to·rat·ed, present participle ex·pec·to·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pec·to·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

cough
up and spit out phlegm: to cough up and spit out
phlegm, thus clearing the bronchial passages
[Early
17th century. From Latin expectorat-, past participle stem of expectorare,
literally “to get out of the chest,” from pectus “chest, breast” (source
of English pectoral ).]
—ex·pec·to·ra·tion [ik spèktə ráysh’n], noun[1]



expediency

expediency
ex·pe·di·en·cy 
[ik spdee ənsee] (plural ex·pe·di·en·cies)
or ex·pe·di·ence [ik spdee əns]
(plural ex·pe·di·ences) noun

1.  use
of short-term effective methods: the use of methods
that bring the most immediate benefits, based on practical rather than moral
considerations (disapproving)

2.  appropriateness:
the usefulness, appropriateness, or advisability of something, especially of a
particular action or type of behavior in a particular situation • doubts
about the expediency of such a course in the present crisis

3.  See
expedient  noun

[1]



expedient

expedient
ex·pe·di·ent 
[ik spdee ənt] adjective

1.  appropriate:
appropriate, advisable, or useful in a situation that requires action

2.  advantageous:
advantageous for practical rather than moral reasons (disapproving) • She
changed her vote because it was expedient for her to do so.
noun
(plural ex·pe·di·ents)

something achieving aims quickly:
something done or a method used to achieve an aim quickly, regardless of
whether it is fair, right, or wise in the long term.
Also
called
expediency
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin expedient-, present
participle stem of expedire (see expedite
).]
—ex·pe·di·ent·ly, adverb[1]



expedite

expedite
ex·pe·dite 
[ékspə dt] (past ex·pe·dit·ed,
past participle ex·pe·dit·ed, present participle ex·pe·dit·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pe·dites) transitive verb (formal)

1.  speed
up the progress of something: to ensure that something
takes place or is dealt with more quickly than usual

2.  deal
with quickly and efficiently: to deal with something,
especially a business transaction, swiftly and efficiently
[15th
century. From Latin expedit-, past participle stem of expedire
“to set free,” literally “to free the feet,” from ultimately, pes “foot”
(source of English pedal ).]
—ex·pe·dit·er, noun[1]



expedition

expedition
ex·pe·di·tion 
[èkspə dísh’n] (plural ex·pe·di·tions)
noun

1.  organized
trip by a group: a trip made by a group of people for a
specific purpose, for example, to explore unknown territory, to do scientific
study, or to achieve a military objective • a
scientific expedition to the ocean floor

2.  people
making an expedition: a group of people who go on
an expedition together • The
expedition returned at the end of the month.

3.  outing:
a short outing, usually for a pleasurable purpose

4.  promptness:
speed, promptness, or efficiency in doing something • carried
out our errand with expedition
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem expedition-, from expedire (see expedite ).][1]



expeditionary

expeditionary
ex·pe·di·tion·ar·y 
[èkspə dísh’n èrree] adjective

sent to fight overseas:
sent to fight or do military service in another country • an
expeditionary force[1]



expeditious

expeditious
ex·pe·di·tious 
[èkspə díshəss] adjective

speedy
or prompt:
speedy or carried out promptly and efficiently
—ex·pe·di·tious·ly,
adverb

—ex·pe·di·tious·ness, noun[1]



expel

expel
ex·pel 
[ik spél] (past ex·pelled, past
participle ex·pelled, present participle ex·pel·ling, 3rd
person present singular ex·pels) transitive verb

1.  dismiss
somebody from an organization: to compel somebody to
leave or give up membership in an institution such as a school, political
party, or club • expel a child from
school

2.  drive
out:
to push or drive something out with force • Air
is expelled under pressure from outlets under the hovercraft’s apron.
[14th
century. From Latin expellere, literally “to drive out,” from pellere
“to beat, drive” (source of English appeal
and pulse ).]
—ex·pel·la·ble,
adjective

—ex·pel·ler, noun[1]



expellant

expellant
ex·pel·lant
[ik spéllənt] or ex·pel·lent [ik spéllənt] adjective

MEDICINE able
to expel something: capable of expelling
something, especially from the body
noun
(plural ex·pel·lants) (plural ex·pel·lents)

MEDICINE
medicine to remove worms:
a medicine that causes the body to get rid of something undesirable, especially
intestinal worms[1]



expellee

expellee
ex·pel·lee 
[èk spe l, ik
spè l] (plural ex·pel·lees) noun

somebody who has been
expelled: somebody who has been
expelled from an organization[1]



expellent

expellent
ex·pel·lent 
adjective noun

MEDICINE
See expellant[1]



expend

expend
ex·pend 
[ik spénd] (past ex·pend·ed, past
participle ex·pend·ed, present participle ex·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pends) transitive verb

1.  use
up:
to use up time, energy, effort, or some other resource

2.  spend
money:
to spend money or an amount of money (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin expendere “to weigh out (especially money in
payment),” from pendere “to weigh, weigh out” (source of English dispense, pendant,
pendulum, and spend ).]
—ex·pen·der, noun[1]



expendable

expendable
ex·pend·a·ble 
[ik spéndəb’l] adjective

1.  not
worth preserving: not worth preserving or saving for reuse

2.  dispensable:
easily sacrificed or dispensed with if the need arises or in order to achieve
an aim
noun

expendable item:
an expendable person or thing
—ex·pend·a·bil·i·ty [ik spèndə bíllətee], noun[1]



expenditure

expenditure
ex·pen·di·ture 
[ik spéndəchər] noun

1.  (plural
ex·pen·di·tures) money spent:
an amount of money spent, as a whole or on a particular thing • when
income exceeds expenditure

2.  using
up:
the consuming or using up of something • the
huge expenditure of time and human resources on this project
[Mid-18th century. From expend ; modeled on expenditor “somebody in
charge of expenditure.”][1]



expense

expense
ex·pense 
[ik spéns] noun (plural ex·pens·es)

1.  money
spent on something: the amount of money spent in
order to buy or do something

2.  ACCOUNTING value
of resource used: the value of a resource that has been
used during the current accounting period and can be charged against revenues
for that period

3.  something
expensive to buy: something that costs money, usually a
lot of money, to buy, keep, or run

4.  using
up:
the using up or loss of something • preserved
his integrity at the expense of his job
plural
noun
ex·pens·es

business expenditures:
an amount of money that somebody spends for business purposes that is
reimbursable by an employer or deductible from income tax
transitive
verb
(past ex·pensed, past participle ex·pensed, present
participle ex·pens·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·pens·es)

1.  treat
something as chargeable or deductible: to
identify something as an expense for tax, accounting, or expense-account
purposes • expensed
our moving costs

2.  charge
somebody for expenses: to charge your expenses to
somebody
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin expendere (see expend ). The verb uses are 20th-century
developments.][1]



expenseaccount

expenseaccount
ex·pense
ac·count
(plural ex·pense ac·counts) noun

1.  agreement
to repay an employee’s work costs: a benefit given by an
employer that entitles an employee to be repaid for some or all of the expenses
incurred in the course of his or her employment

2.  amount
or record of expenses: the amount or a record of an
employee’s expenses during a particular period

[1]



expensive

expensive
ex·pen·sive 
[ik spénsiv] adjective

1.  costing
a lot:
costing a lot of money

2.  charging
a lot:
charging high prices

3.  very
disadvantageous: involving serious losses or disadvantage
to a particular person or group • an
expensive first quarter for the home team
—ex·pen·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·pen·sive·ness, noun[1]



experience

experience
ex·pe·ri·ence 
[ik spree əns] noun (plural ex·pe·ri·enc·es)

1.  involvement
in something over time: active involvement in an
activity or exposure to events or people over a period of time, leading to an
increase in knowledge and skill

2.  knowledge
and skill acquired: the knowledge of and skill
in something gained through being involved in it or exposed to it over a period
of time • Paper
qualifications are no substitute for real-life experience.

3.  something
that happens to somebody: something that happens to
somebody, or an event that somebody is involved in • an
experience that changed his life

4.  direct
personal awareness of something: direct personal
awareness of or contact with a particular thing • Very
few of us remember our first experience of pain.

5.  sum
total of an individual’s experience s: the
sum total of the things that have happened to an individual and of his or her
past thoughts and feelings • Nothing
quite like this has ever been done before, at least not in my experience.

6.  PHILOSOPHY knowledge
from observation: knowledge acquired through the senses
rather than through abstract reasoning
transitive
verb
(past ex·pe·ri·enced, past participle ex·pe·ri·enced,
present participle ex·pe·ri·enc·ing, 3rd person present
singular ex·pe·ri·enc·es)

1.  have
experience of something: to be exposed to, involved
in, or affected by something • the
most thrilling ride I’ve ever experienced

2.  feel
something:
to feel a particular sensation or emotion • You
might experience a tingling sensation in your face.
[14th
century. Via French from Latin experientia, from experiri “to try
out” (source of English experiment ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English fear and pirate
. Originally “testing.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Songs
  of Experience, a collection of poems by the English writer William Blake (
  1794 ). Blake’s Songs of Innocence ( 1789 ) described the world from
  the optimistic viewpoint of an innocent child. In this, its adult
  counterpart, he portrays a world of disease, poverty, and irredeemable
  corruption. The collection includes perhaps his best-known poem, “The Tyger.”
  .

[1]



experienced

experienced
ex·pe·ri·enced 
[ik spree ənst] adjective

having knowledge gained from
experience: possessing knowledge and
skill acquired through involvement in or exposure to something over a period of
time • an
experienced pilot[1]



experiential

experiential
ex·pe·ri·en·tial 
[ik spree énshəl] adjective

based
on experience: derived from or relating to experience
as opposed to other methods of acquiring knowledge
[Mid-17th
century. From experience ; modeled on a word
such as inferential .]
—ex·pe·ri·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



experiment

experiment
ex·per·i·ment 
noun [ik spérrəmənt] (plural ex·per·i·ments)

1.  SCIENCE scientific
test:
a test, especially a scientific one, carried out in order to discover whether a
theory is correct or what the results of a particular course of action would be
• experiments
in parapsychology

2.  doing
something new: an attempt to do something new, or a trying
out of something to see what will happen • We
switched to decaffeinated coffee as an experiment.

3.  using
of repeated trials and tests: the use of tests and trials
in order to make discoveries • The
most efficient way of working was developed by experiment.
intransitive
verb
[ik spérrə mènt, ik
spérrəmənt] (past ex·per·i·ment·ed, past participle
ex·per·i·ment·ed, present participle ex·per·i·ment·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·per·i·ments)

1.  try
new things:
to try out new methods of doing or using things • a
reluctance to experiment with new ingredients

2.  SCIENCE carry
out a scientific test: to carry out a scientific
test of a theory or process
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin experimentum “trial,
test,” from experiri (see experience
).]
—ex·per·i·ment·er, noun[1]



experimental

experimental
ex·per·i·men·tal 
[ik spèrrə mént’l] adjective

1.  relating
to something new and untried: employing ideas, methods, or
materials that have not been tried before • a
new, experimental form of treatment

2.  SCIENCE relating
to scientific experiments: relating to, involving, or
based on scientific experiments

3.  based
on experience and evidence: based on experience and
practical evidence rather than on ideas
—ex·per·i·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



experimentalism

experimentalism
ex·per·i·men·tal·ism 
[ik spèrrə mént’l ìzzəm] noun

use
of new techniques: the use of new techniques in
artistic, literary, and musical works
—ex·per·i·men·tal·ist,
noun[1]



experimentalpsychology

experimentalpsychology
ex·per·i·men·tal
psy·chol·o·gy noun

study of the mind by
experiment: the branch of psychology
that studies the basic mechanisms of the mind, for example, perception,
thinking, learning, and memory, often using experiments with individuals in
controlled situations[1]



experimentation

experimentation
ex·per·i·men·ta·tion 
[ik spèrrəmən táysh’n] noun

1.  using
scientific tests: the conducting or use of scientific
tests

2.  using
new methods: the use of new and untried methods

[1]



expert

expert
ex·pert 
noun [ék spùrt] (plural ex·perts)

1.  skilled
or knowledgeable person: somebody with a great deal
of knowledge about, or skill, training, or experience in, a particular field or
activity • a
medical expert

2.  SPORTS highest-ranked
shooter:
the highest grade of marksmanship in shooting, or somebody who has achieved
this grade
adjective
[ék spùrt, ik
spùrt]

1.  skillful
or knowledgeable: having a great deal of knowledge about,
or skill, training, or experience in, a particular field or activity • an
expert pizza maker

2.  given
or done by an expert: given or done by somebody
who is very knowledgeable or highly skilled, trained, or experienced
[14th
century. Via French from Latin expertus, the past participle of experiri
(see experience ). The underlying meaning is
“somebody who knows from experience.”]
—ex·pert·ly,
adverb

—ex·pert·ness, noun[1]



expertise

expertise
ex·per·tise 
[èkspər tz] noun

expert
skill or knowledge: the skill, knowledge, or
opinion of somebody who is an expert
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from expert (see expert
).][1]



expertsystem

expertsystem
ex·pert
sys·tem
(plural ex·pert sys·tems) noun

computer program that solves
problems: a computer program that
applies artificial-intelligence methods to the task of problem-solving by using
detailed knowledge and attempting to simulate the reasoning processes of an
expert[1]



expertwitness

expertwitness
ex·pert
wit·ness
(plural ex·pert wit·nes·ses) noun

expert giving information to
a court: an expert called to answer
questions on the stand in a court of law in order to provide specialized
information relevant to the case being tried[1]



expiate

expiate
ex·pi·ate 
[ékspee àyt] (past ex·pi·at·ed,
past participle ex·pi·at·ed, present participle ex·pi·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pi·ates) transitive verb

atone
for wrongdoing: to make amends, show remorse, or suffer
punishment for having done something wrong
[Late
16th century. From Latin expiat-, the past participle stem of expiare,
literally “to atone completely,” from pius (see pious
).]
—ex·pi·a·tor,
noun

—ex·pi·a·to·ry [ékspee ətàwree], adjective[1]



expiation

expiation
ex·pi·a·tion 
[èkspee áysh’n] (plural ex·pi·a·tions)
noun

1.  atoning
or suffering punishment for wrongdoing:
making amends, showing remorse, or suffering punishment for a wrongdoing

2.  something
done or given as atonement: something done or given to
make up for a wrongdoing

[1]



expiration

expiration
ex·pi·ra·tion 
[èkspə ráysh’n] (plural ex·pi·ra·tions)
noun

1.  ending:
the act of coming to an end, or the fact of having come to an end

2.  PHYSIOLOGY exhalation:
the act or process of breathing out (technical)

3.  dying:
the act or fact of dying (archaic)

[1]



expirationdate

expirationdate
ex·pi·ra·tion
date
(plural ex·pi·ra·tion dates) noun

1.  date
something should be used by: a date printed on the
packaging of food and drug products that indicates the time after which they
should not be used

2.  date
something is valid to: the date after which
something such as a credit card or rain check is no longer valid.
U.K.
term
expiry date

[1]



expiratory

expiratory
ex·pi·ra·to·ry 
[ik sprə tàwree] adjective

relating to breathing out:
relating to the process of breathing out, or used in breathing out[1]



expire

expire
ex·pire 
[ik spr] (past ex·pired, past
participle ex·pired, present participle ex·pir·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·pires) intransitive verb

1.  end
or be no longer valid: to come to an end, or be no
longer valid or in operation • my
visa has expired

2.  PHYSIOLOGY breathe
out:
exhale (technical)

3.  die:
to die or release a last breath
[14th century. Via French
from Latin exspirare, literally “to breathe out,” from spirare
“to breathe” (source of English spirit
). The underlying meaning is “to breathe your last, die.”][1]



expiry

expiry
ex·pi·ry 
[ik spree] (plural ex·pi·ries)
noun

1.  ending
or ceasing to be valid: the fact of coming to an end
and being no longer valid after a certain period of time • two
weeks before the date of expiry

2.  death:
death, especially the death of a person (formal or literary)

[1]



expirydate

expirydate
ex·pi·ry
date
noun

U.K.
See expiration date[1]



explain

explain
ex·plain 
[ik spláyn] (past ex·plained, past
participle ex·plained, present participle ex·plain·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·plains) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
details about something: to give an account of
something with enough clarity and detail to be understood by somebody else • I
explained to him that we had no option.

2.  transitive
verb
clarify
something’s meaning: to make the meaning of
something clear to somebody • can
you explain this sentence to me?

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
reason for something: to give the reason for
something, often as justification for something that has happened

4.  reflexive
verb
offer
justification: to give reasons to justify personal
behavior or actions • You’ll
have to explain yourself to the principal.

5.  reflexive
verb
clarify
ideas:
to express ideas or thoughts in a way that is easily understood • I’m
sorry, I’m not explaining myself very well.
[Early
16th century. From Latin explanare, literally “to flatten out, unfold,”
from planus “flat, clear” (see plane
).]
—ex·plain·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·plain·er, noun[1]



explainaway

explainaway
explain
away
transitive verb

minimize seriousness of
something: to give excuses, reasons, or
explanations for something in an attempt to show that it is less serious,
important, or problematic than it seems[1]



explanation

explanation
ex·pla·na·tion 
[èksplə náysh’n] (plural ex·pla·na·tions)
noun

1.  statement
explaining something: a statement giving reasons
for something or details of something • an
explanation of how the machine works

2.  giving
of details or reasons: the giving of details about
something or reasons for something • There’s
probably a perfectly simple explanation for all this.

3.  discussion
to end a misunderstanding: a mutual discussion or
clarification of something that removes misunderstandings or reconciles the
parties
[14th century. From the Latin
stem explanation-, from explanare (see explain
).][1]



explanatory

explanatory
ex·plan·a·to·ry 
[ik splánnə tàwree] or ex·plan·a·tive
[ik splánnətiv] adjective

explaining
something:
giving reasons or details that explain something • an
explanatory leaflet is enclosed
[Early
17th century. From late Latin explanatorius, from Latin explanare
(see explain ).]
—ex·plan·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



explant

explant
ex·plant 
[ek splánt] transitive verb (past
ex·plant·ed, past participle ex·plant·ed, present
participle ex·plant·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·plants)

remove
tissue from an organism for culturing: to
remove living tissue from an organism and place it in a culture medium
noun
(plural ex·plants)

tissue
removed for culturing: tissue removed from an
organism and placed in a culture medium
[Early
20th century. Modeled on implant .]
—ex·plan·ta·tion [èks plan táysh’n], noun[1]



expletive

expletive
ex·ple·tive 
[éksplətiv] noun (plural ex·ple·tives)

1.  LINGUISTICS swearword:
an exclamation, especially a swearword

2.  GRAMMAR word
with no meaning: a word that carries no meaning but has a
grammatical function in a sentence. In the sentence “There are three books on
the table,” “there” is an expletive.

3.  POETRY meaningless
word in a line of poetry: a word added to a line of
verse in order to fill it out, usually for the sake of the meter. In the line
from a folksong “When and that I was a little tiny lad,” the words “and that”
are expletives.
adjective

GRAMMAR POETRY used as an expletive:
functioning as an expletive in a sentence or poem
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin expletivus, from explet-, the past participle stem of explere,
literally “to fill up,” from plere “to fill” (see complete ).][1]



expletory

expletory
ex·ple·to·ry
[éksplə tàwree] adjective

GRAMMAR POETRY See expletive
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin explet-, the past participle stem of explere (see expletive ).][1]



explicable

explicable
ex·pli·ca·ble 
[éksplikəb’l, ik
splíkəb’l] adjective

explainable:
able to be explained
—ex·pli·ca·bly, adverb[1]



explicate

explicate
ex·pli·cate 
[ékspli kàyt] (past ex·pli·cat·ed,
past participle ex·pli·cat·ed, present participle ex·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pli·cates) transitive verb

1.  explain
something:
to explain something, especially a literary text, in a detailed and formal way

2.  develop
a theory:
to explain and develop an idea or theory and show its implications
[Early
16th century. From Latin explicat-, the past participle stem of explicare,
literally “to unfold,” from plicare “to fold” (see ply 2 ).]
—ex·pli·ca·tion
[èkspli káysh’n], noun

—ex·pli·ca·tive,
adjective

—ex·pli·ca·tive·ly,
adverb

—ex·pli·ca·tor [ékspli kàytər], noun[1]



explicit

explicit
ex·plic·it 
[ik splíssit] adjective

1.  clear
and obvious: expressing all details in a clear and
obvious way, leaving no doubt as to the intended meaning • explicit
instructions

2.  definite:
definite and unqualified rather than implied or guessed at • I
didn’t have explicit knowledge of what was going on, but I knew something was
up.

3.  sex:
portraying nudity or sexual activity in an open and direct way

4.  MATHEMATICS with
only independent variables: used to describe a
mathematical function that contains only variables whose value is independent
of the value of the other variables in the function
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French, from Latin explicitus, the past
participle of explicare (see explicate
).]
—ex·plic·it·ly,
adverb

—ex·plic·it·ness, noun[1]



explode

explode
ex·plode 
[ik splṓd] (past ex·plod·ed, past
participle ex·plod·ed, present participle ex·plod·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·plodes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb blow
up or burst: to blow up or burst with a sudden
release of chemical or nuclear energy and a loud noise, or cause something to
blow up or burst explosively

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb burst
or shatter:
to burst like a bomb or shatter into many pieces, or cause something to burst
or shatter

3.  intransitive
verb
express
emotion:
to give vent to an emotion, suddenly or violently • He
exploded into roars of laughter.

4.  intransitive
verb
increase
dramatically: to increase suddenly in extent or
severity in an uncontrolled way • The
growth rate in home ownership exploded.

5.  intransitive
verb
produce
a vivid display: to produce a vivid, often sudden display
of light or color • Her late paintings
explode with intense reds and oranges.

6.  intransitive
verb
come
suddenly:
to appear or start as suddenly and forcefully as an explosion • The
band exploded onto the pop scene late last year.

7.  transitive
verb
disprove
a theory:
to show that a belief or theory is completely wrong
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin explodere “to drive off the stage by clapping,” from
plaudere “to clap” (source of English applaud
and plaudit ). The modern meaning
developed from “drive off noisily.”]
—ex·plod·er, noun[1]



exploded

exploded
ex·plod·ed
[ik splṓdəd] adjective

showing the parts separated:
showing the parts of something as separate items in a diagram, but with their
relative positions maintained • an
exploded diagram[1]



exploit

exploit
ex·ploit 
transitive verb [ik splóyt] (past
ex·ploit·ed, past participle ex·ploit·ed, present
participle ex·ploit·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·ploits)

1.  take
advantage of somebody: to take selfish or unfair
advantage of a person or situation, usually for personal gain

2.  use
something for benefit: to use or develop something
in order to gain a benefit
noun
[ék splòyt, ik
splóyt] (plural ex·ploits)

notable act: an
interesting or daring action or achievement
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French esploit “accomplishment,” from Latin explicitum,
the past participle of explicare “to unfold” (see explicate ). The underlying meaning is “to make
progress, be successful.”]
—ex·ploit·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·ploit·er, noun[1]



exploitation

exploitation
ex·ploi·ta·tion 
[èk sploy táysh’n] noun

1.  unfair
treatment or use: unfair treatment or use of somebody or
something, usually for personal gain

2.  development
of something for benefit: the use or development of
something to produce a benefit

[1]



exploitive

exploitive
ex·ploit·ive
[ik splóytiv] or ex·ploit·a·tive
[ik splóytətiv] adjective

using
somebody or something unfairly: making use of somebody
or something unfairly
—ex·ploit·ive·ly,
adverb

—ex·ploit·ive·ness, noun[1]



exploration

exploration
ex·plo·ra·tion 
[èksplə ráysh’n] (plural ex·plo·ra·tions)
noun

1.  travel
for discovery: traveling to discover what a place is
like or where it is • polar
exploration

2.  study
or consideration of something: an investigation or
the study of something such as data, or the consideration and testing of
something such as possible courses of action

3.  searching
for natural resources: the testing of a number of
places for natural resources, for example, drilling or boring for samples that
will be examined for possible mineral deposits

4.  MEDICINE examination
for diagnosis: the examination of a part of the body
for the purpose of diagnosis

[1]



exploratory

exploratory
ex·plor·a·to·ry
[ik spláwrə tàwree] adjective

involving exploration:
involving exploration • an
exploratory mission • exploratory
surgery[1]



explore

explore
ex·plore 
[ik spláwr] (past ex·plored, past
participle ex·plored, present participle ex·plor·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·plores) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
for discovery: to travel to a place to discover what it
is like or what is there

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb investigate
or study something: to make a careful
investigation or study of something • the
committee is exploring all possible avenues of research

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
a place for natural resources: to make a search of an
area for natural resources such as mineral deposits

4.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE examine
something for diagnosis: to examine a part of the
body in order to make a diagnosis
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from Latin explorare “to search out,” from plorare “to
cry out,” perhaps as in hunting for game.][1]



explorer

explorer
ex·plor·er 
[ik spláwrər] (plural ex·plor·ers)
noun

traveler to previously
unknown places: somebody who travels to
places that were previously unknown or unnavigated[1]



explosion

explosion
ex·plo·sion 
[ik splṓzh’n] (plural ex·plo·sions)
noun

1.  sudden
noisy release of energy: the sudden loud release of
energy and a rapidly expanding volume of gas that occurs when a bomb detonates
or gas explodes

2.  bursting
or shattering of something: a bursting with a loud
noise, or a shattering of something into many pieces

3.  sudden
burst of emotion: a sudden release of intense feeling such
as anger • an
explosion of rage

4.  dramatic
increase:
a sudden and dramatic increase in the extent or severity of something, for
example, a population or an activity • the
explosion in e-mail subscriptions

5.  sudden
appearance:
the sudden and forceful appearance of somebody or something, or sudden and
forceful beginning of something

6.  intense
display:
a vivid, often sudden display of light or color

7.  PHONETICS See plosion
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem explosion-, from explos-, the past participle stem of explodere
(see explode ).][1]



explosive

explosive
ex·plo·sive 
[ik splṓssiv, ik
splṓziv] adjective

1.  liable
to explode:
capable of exploding, or likely to explode

2.  operated
by exploding: designed to explode, or operated by
means of something that explodes

3.  likely
to generate violent anger: likely to cause or erupt
suddenly into angry disagreement or violence • an
explosive temperament

4.  sudden
and dramatic: happening or appearing suddenly and
dramatically • The
company capitalized on the explosive increase in the popularity of their new
game.

5.  PHONETICS See plosive  noun
noun
(plural ex·plo·sives)

1.  something
that explodes: any substance or device that suddenly
produces a volume of rapidly expanding gas

2.  PHONETICS See plosive
—ex·plo·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·plo·sive·ness, noun[1]



expo

expo
ex·po 
[ék sp] (plural ex·pos) noun

exhibition
or fair:
a large exhibition or internationally sanctioned exposition
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of exposition .][1]



exponent

exponent
ex·po·nent 
[ik spṓnənt, ék
spnənt] (plural ex·po·nents) noun

1.  advocate:
somebody who supports a cause and speaks in favor of it

2.  explainer
of something: somebody who explains or interprets
something • an
exponent of Kant’s philosophy

3.  practitioner
of an art or skill: a performer or practitioner
of some art or skill, especially somebody who is regarded as an excellent
example of how something should be done

4.  MATHEMATICS indicator
of the times to multiply a number: a number or variable placed
to the upper right of a number or mathematical expression that indicates the
number of times the number or expression is to be multiplied by itself, as in 2 3, which equals 8.
Also
called
index
[Late 16th century. From
Latin exponent-, the present participle stem of exponere (see expound ).][1]



exponential

exponential
ex·po·nen·tial 
[èkspə nénshəl] (plural ex·po·nen·tials)
adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS relating
to exponent: used to describe a mathematical entity
such as a curve, function, equation, or series that contains, is expressed as,
or involves numbers or quantities raised to an exponent

2.  MATHEMATICS using
a base of natural logarithms: used to describe a
mathematical entity that involves the transcendental number e, the base
of natural logarithms, raised to an exponent

3.  rapidly
developing:
rapidly becoming greater in size • an
exponential increase in sales
—ex·po·nen·tial·ly, adverb[1]



exponentialfunction

exponentialfunction
ex·po·nen·tial
func·tion
(plural ex·po·nen·tial func·tions) noun

mathematical expression:
a mathematical expression with the formula e x, in
which e is the base of natural logarithms. Symbol exp[1]



exponentiation

exponentiation
ex·po·nen·ti·a·tion 
[èkspə nenshee áysh’n] noun

multiplying of a quantity:
the multiplication of a number or quantity by itself a given number of times,
the number of times being the power to which the number or quantity is to be
raised[1]



export

export
ex·port 
verb [ik spáwrt] (past ex·port·ed,
past participle ex·port·ed, present participle ex·port·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ports)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE send goods abroad:
to send goods for sale or exchange to other countries

2.  transitive
verb
SOCIAL SCIENCES spread
a society’s culture to another society: to
cause the spread of ideas, values, or a way of life from one society, culture,
or nation to another

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING alter
the format of computer data: to convert data from a
computer program into a form suitable for use by a different program
noun
[ék spàwrt] (plural ex·ports) COMMERCE

1.  selling
of goods abroad: the selling of goods to other countries

2.  product
sold abroad: a product sold and transported to
another country
[15th
century. From Latin exportare, literally “to carry away,” from portare
(see port 1 ).]
—ex·port·a·bil·i·ty
[ik spàwrtə bíllətee], noun

—ex·port·a·ble
[ik spáwrtəb’l], adjective

—ex·por·ta·tion
[èk spàwr táysh’n], noun

—ex·port·er [ik spáwrtər], noun[1]



Export-ImportBank

Export-ImportBank
Ex·port-Im·port
Bank
noun

U.S. bank funding exports and
imports: a U.S. bank established in
1934 to facilitate the exporting and importing of U.S. goods by extending
long-terms loans to foreign buyers.
Also called
Eximbank[1]



expose

expose
ex·pose
[ik spṓz] (past ex·posed, past
participle ex·posed, present participle ex·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·pos·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
let
something be seen: to uncover something or turn
it over in order for it to be seen or with the result that it can be seen • expose
the wound to the air

2.  transitive
verb
put
somebody in an unprotected situation: to
put somebody or something in a vulnerable or potentially dangerous situation • financially
exposed

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody experience something: to cause somebody to
have a personal and often enlightening experience of something

4.  transitive
verb
reveal
somebody’s wrongdoings: to reveal that somebody has
done something wrong, especially by publishing or broadcasting the information

5.  reflexive
verb
reveal
the body indecently: to uncover a part of the
body, especially the genitals, in public in an indecent way

6.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY allow
light onto a film: to allow light to fall on
light-sensitive material such as photographic film

7.  transitive
verb
ANTHROPOLOGY leave
a baby to die outside: especially in earlier
societies, to abandon a baby to die in the open air, for example, because it
was not healthy

8.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY show
something to be revered: to display something for
religious veneration, for example, the Eucharist in a Roman Catholic service
[15th
century. Via French (influenced by poser “to place”) from Latin exponere,
literally “to set out” (see expound ).]
—ex·pos·al,
noun

—ex·pos·er, noun[1]



exposed

exposed
ex·posed
[ik spṓzd] adjective

1.  visible
or unprotected: uncovered and therefore visible or
without protection • Cover any exposed areas
of skin liberally with sunscreen.

2.  with
no shelter:
unprotected from wind and weather by shelter from trees or higher ground

3.  unprotected
from harm:
vulnerable to danger or harm

4.  MOUNTAINEERING carried
out on open rock face: carried out on a high,
sheer, and open rock face • an
exposed ascent
—ex·posed·ness, noun[1]



exposition

exposition
ex·po·si·tion 
[èkspə zísh’n] (plural ex·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  exhibition
or fair:
a large exhibition, for example, of industrial achievements, sometimes
international in scope

2.  detailed
description or discussion: a detailed description of a
theory, problem, or proposal discussing the issues involved, or a commentary on
a written text discussing its meaning and implications

3.  act
of describing or discussing something: the
act of describing and discussing a theory, problem, or proposal or commenting
on a written text

4.  MUSIC opening
section of a piece of music: the opening section of a
piece of music, especially of a sonata or fugue, in which the principal themes
are introduced

5.  displaying
something to the public: the act of showing or
displaying something for veneration

6.  LITERATURE THEATER revelation
of a story’s background: the part of a literary or
dramatic work in which the basic facts of setting and character are made known
[14th
century. Directly or via French, from the Latin stem exposition-, from exposit-,
the past participle stem of exponere (see expound
).]
—ex·pos·i·tive
[ik spózzitiv], adjective

—ex·pos·i·tor
[ik spózzitər], noun

—ex·pos·i·to·ry [ik spózzi tàwree], adjective[1]



expost facto

expost facto
ex
post fac·to 
[èks pōst fák t] adjective adverb

applied
retroactively: applying to events that have already
occurred as well as to subsequent events
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
ex postfacto, literally “from what is done afterward.”][1]



expostulate

expostulate
ex·pos·tu·late 
[ik spóschə làyt] (past ex·pos·tu·lat·ed,
past participle ex·pos·tu·lat·ed, present participle ex·pos·tu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pos·tu·lates) intransitive verb

express
disagreement: to express disagreement or disapproval,
or attempt to dissuade somebody from doing something
[Late
16th century. From Latin expostulat-, the past participle stem of expostulare,
literally “to demand from,” from postulare (see postulate
).]
—ex·pos·tu·la·tion
[ik spòschə láysh’n], noun

—ex·pos·tu·la·tor
[ik spóschə làytər], noun

—ex·pos·tu·la·to·ry
[ik spóschələ tàwree], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at object

[1]



exposure

exposure
ex·po·sure 
[ik spṓzhər] (plural ex·po·sures)
noun

1.  contact
with or experience of something: the experience of
coming into contact with some environmental condition or social influence that
has an effect, either harmful or beneficial

2.  MEDICINE harmful
effects of weather: the harmful effects of cold
or other extreme weather conditions

3.  BROADCASTING PRESS publicity:
reporting of events by the broadcast or print media

4.  revelation
of a scandal or identity: the revelation of a scandal
or of somebody’s secrets or private information

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY time
and intensity of light: an amount of light permitted
to fall on light-sensitive material such as film or paper coated with emulsion

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY taking
of a photograph: the act or process of taking a
photograph

7.  PHOTOGRAPHY film
or plate exposed for photograph: a section of film or a
photographic plate exposed to light in taking a photograph

8.  BUILDING position
of a room or building: the direction something
faces or the way it is sited relative to sunlight or wind direction • This
room has a southern exposure.

9.  FINANCE risk
of financial loss: the state of being at risk
of financial loss or the amount of possible financial loss involved

10. MOUNTAINEERING degree
exposed to the weather: the extent to which a rock
face is exposed to the weather

11. ANTHROPOLOGY leaving
of a baby to die outdoors: the former practice in some
societies of leaving a baby in the open to die, for example, because it was not
healthy

12. GEOLOGY rocky
outcropping: the outcropping of bare rock in a
landscape, enabling mapping of the underlying geology

[1]



exposuremeter

exposuremeter
ex·po·sure
me·ter
(plural ex·po·sure me·ters) noun

photographic device for
measuring light: a device for measuring
the intensity of light for photography, often giving the value as a combination
of shutter speed and lens aperture.
Also called
light meter[1]



exposé

exposé
ex·po·sé
[èks pō záy] (plural ex·po·sés)
noun

1.  publication
of wrongdoing: a book or article that reveals details
of a scandal or crime

2.  declaration
of facts:
a formal and systematic statement giving facts about something
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of exposer (see expose
).][1]



expound

expound
ex·pound 
[ik spównd] (past ex·pound·ed,
past participle ex·pound·ed, present participle ex·pound·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pounds) intransitive and
transitive verb

describe
and explain something: to give a detailed
description and explanation of a theory or viewpoint or an explanation of the
meaning and implications of a written text
[13th
century. Via Old French espondre, from Latin exponere “to
explain,” literally “to set forth,” from ponere “to place” (see position ).]
—ex·pound·er, noun[1]



express

express
ex·press 
[ik spréss] verb (past ex·pressed,
past participle ex·pressed, present participle ex·press·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·press·es)

1.  transitive
verb
say
something:
to state thoughts or feelings in words • I’d
like to express my gratitude to everyone

2.  transitive
verb
show
meaning symbolically: to convey meaning by
gesture, behavior, representation in art or drama, or in some other symbolic
way

3.  reflexive
verb
reveal
thoughts:
to make thoughts and feelings known to others • able
to express herself through her music

4.  transitive
verb
represent
something as a symbol: to use a symbol, figure, or
formula to represent something such as a quantity in a different way • Express
the fractions as decimal numbers.

5.  transitive
verb
squeeze
something out: to force a liquid out of something by
squeezing or pressing • to
express juice from lemons and limes

6.  transitive
verb
MAIL send
something by special fast delivery: to
send a package or message using a special rapid-delivery service

7.  transitive
verb
GENETICS produce
an inherited characteristic: to produce an observable
inherited characteristic (refers to genes) • Some
genes are only expressed in adults.
adjective

1.  TRANSPORT MAIL done
or traveling very quickly: traveling, moving, or
delivered quickly and directly to the destination • Take
the express train.

2.  COMMERCE of
brief transactions: relating to purchases or
other transactions that can be completed quickly and easily because, for
example, only one item or cash is involved

3.  explicit:
stated in a clear, unambiguous way • it was
his express wish

4.  specific:
definitely, and usually exclusively, intended or specified • formed
for the express purpose of making a profit
adverb

MAIL TRANSPORT by express delivery or
transportation: by a special high-speed delivery service
or an express train, bus, or similar mode of transportation
noun
(plural ex·press·es)

1.  TRANSPORT fast
train or bus: a fast train or bus that travels to its
destination directly, making few or no stops on the way

2.  MAIL fast
delivery service: a special fast delivery service or the
organization providing it
[14th
century. Ultimately from medieval Latin expressare, literally “to press
out” (verb) and Latin expressus “clearly evident” (adjective), both
from, ultimately, Latin exprimere, literally “to press out,” from premere
(see press ).]
—ex·press·er,
noun

—ex·press·i·ble, adjective[1]



expression

expression
ex·pres·sion 
[ik sprésh’n] (plural ex·pres·sions)
noun

1.  look
on somebody’s face: a look on somebody’s face,
conveying a thought or feeling • She
listened with a puzzled expression.

2.  LANGUAGE word
or phrase:
a word or group of words that communicates an idea

3.  conveying
of thoughts or feelings: the communication of
thoughts or feelings, for example, directly to another person or through a work
of art • a
heart-rending expression of sorrow

4.  way
of communicating something: something done or given as a
means of communicating a feeling or thought to somebody else

5.  inflection
in the voice: somebody’s intonation or tone of voice

6.  MUSIC interpretive
element of music: the interpretive element of music,
including tempo, dynamics, articulation, and phrasing, by which a player or
singer draws out its emotional content, or its emotion stirs the feelings

7.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
representation: any combination of constants, operators,
and variables representing numbers or quantities, for example, (5 + x)

8.  extraction
of liquid:
the pressing out of a liquid from a substance using pressure

9.  GENETICS effect
or action of a gene: the effect or action
produced by a particular gene
—ex·pres·sion·al, adjective[1]



expressionism

expressionism
ex·pres·sion·ism 
[ik sprésh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  PAINTING art
movement concentrating on expressing emotion: an
artistic movement that flourished in Germany between 1905 and 1925 whose
adherents sought to represent feelings and moods rather than objective reality,
often distorting color and form. The term is also used more loosely to apply to
the work of Matisse and the Fauves.

2.  THEATER LITERATURE literary movement presenting
stylized reality: a literary movement of the early 20th
century, especially in the theater, that represented external reality in a
highly stylized and subjective manner, attempting to convey a psychological or
spiritual reality rather than a record of actual events. Typical expressionists
are the playwrights August Strindberg, Georg Wedekind, and Eugene O’Neill.
—ex·pres·sion·ist,
noun, adjective

—ex·pres·sion·is·tic
[ik sprèshə’n ístik], adjective

—ex·pres·sion·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



expressionless

expressionless
ex·pres·sion·less 
[ik sprésh’nləss] adjective

showing
no emotion:
showing no emotion or interest by the tone of voice or by the look on the face
—ex·pres·sion·less·ly,
adverb[1]



expressionmark

expressionmark
ex·pres·sion
mark
(plural ex·pres·sion marks or ex·pres·sion mark·ings)
noun

indication of desired
expression in music: a symbol or
written direction, often in Italian, that indicates the expression to be used
in performing a piece of music[1]



expressive

expressive
ex·pres·sive 
[ik spréssiv] adjective

1.  full
of expression: expressing a great deal of feeling and
meaning • an
expressive face

2.  conveying
something:
communicating a particular meaning • a
gesture expressive of the utmost contempt

3.  of
speaking and writing: relating to disorders
involving the expression of ideas in speech and writing as opposed to the
interpretation of what is heard or read
—ex·pres·sive·ly, adverb[1]



expressivity

expressivity
ex·pres·siv·i·ty 
[èk spre sívvətee] (plural ex·pres·siv·i·ties)
noun

1.  ability
to express feeling or thought: the ability or the
extent to which somebody has the ability to communicate emotion or meaning

2.  GENETICS gene’s
effect on an organism: the extent to which a gene
affects the observable characteristics ( phenotype
) of an organism

[1]



expresslane

expresslane
ex·press
lane
(plural ex·press lanes) noun

lane for fast vehicles:
the lane on a multilane limited-access highway designated for fast-traveling
vehicles, located on the left.
Also called
fast lane
U.K. term
fast lane[1]



expressly

expressly
ex·press·ly 
[ik sprésslee] adverb

1.  specifically:
having a deliberate and specific intention or purpose or somebody specific in
mind

2.  unambiguously:
in a clear and unambiguous way • He
expressly rejected my offer.

[1]



ExpressMail

ExpressMail
Ex·press
Mail
Trademark

a trademark for the overnight
delivery service of the United States Postal Service[1]



expresso

expresso
ex·pres·so 
noun

See
espresso[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








expressway

expressway
ex·press·way 
[ik spréss wày] (plural ex·press·ways)
noun

wide fast highway:
a limited-access road with several lanes in each direction, designed for fast
direct travel especially through or round a city.
Also called
freeway
Also called
throughway[1]



expropriate

expropriate
ex·pro·pri·ate 
[ik sprṓpree àyt] (past ex·pro·pri·at·ed,
past participle ex·pro·pri·at·ed, present participle ex·pro·pri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pro·pri·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

take
away something belonging to somebody: to
take property or money from somebody, either legally for the public good or
illegally by theft or fraud
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin expropriat-, the past participle stem
of expropriare, literally “to take away and make your own,” from Latin proprius
“your own” (see proper ).]
—ex·pro·pri·a·tion
[ik sprpree áysh’n], noun

—ex·pro·pri·a·tor
[ik sprṓpree àytər], noun

—ex·pro·pri·a·to·ry [ik sprṓpree ə tàwree], adjective[1]



expt.

expt.
expt.

Abbreviation of
experiment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








exptl.

exptl.
exptl.

Abbreviation of
experimental[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








expulsion

expulsion
ex·pul·sion 
[ik spúlshən] (plural ex·pul·sions)
noun

1.  dismissal
from a place or membership: the act of compelling
somebody to give up membership in or leave an institution such as a school,
political party, or club, usually as a punishment

2.  forcing
somebody or something out: the forcing out of something
or somebody from something • expulsion
of air from the lungs
[15th
century. From the Latin stem expulsion-, from expuls-, the past
participle stem of expellere (see expel
).]
—ex·pul·sive, adjective[1]



expunge

expunge
ex·punge 
[ik spúnj] (past ex·punged, past
participle ex·punged, present participle ex·pung·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·pung·es) transitive verb

1.  get
rid of something completely: to delete something unwanted
from a written record, or blot out something unpleasant from the memory

2.  do
away with something: to destroy or put an end to
something
[Early
17th century. From Latin expungere, literally “to prick out,” from pungere
“to mark with a point” (see pungent ); from
the placing of points next to the text to be deleted.]
—ex·punc·tion
[ik spúngkshən], noun

—ex·pung·er [ik spúnjər], noun[1]



expurgate

expurgate
ex·pur·gate 
[ékspər gàyt] (past ex·pur·gat·ed,
past participle ex·pur·gat·ed, present participle ex·pur·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·pur·gates) transitive verb

edit
something by removing offensive parts: to
remove words or passages considered offensive or unsuitable from a book before
publication
[Late
17th century. From the Latin expurgat-, the past participle stem of expurgare,
literally “to cleanse out,” from purgare (see purge
).]
—ex·pur·ga·tion
[èkspər gáysh’n], noun

—ex·pur·ga·tor
[ékspər gàytər], noun

—ex·pur·ga·to·ri·al
[ik spùrgə táwree əl], adjective

—ex·pur·ga·to·ry [ik spúrgə tàwree], adjective[1]



expy

expy
expy

Abbreviation of
expressway[1]



exquisite

exquisite
ex·qui·site 
[ik skwízzit, ékskwizit]
adjective

1.  finely
beautiful:
very beautiful and delicate or intricate • exquisite
workmanship

2.  excellent:
perfect and delightful

3.  sensitive
and discriminating: sensitive and capable of
detecting subtle differences • exquisite
taste in dress

4.  intense:
felt with a sharp intensity • exquisite
pain
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exquisitus, the past participle of exquirere,
literally “to seek out,” from quaerere (see query
). The underlying meaning is “sought after, choice, perfect.”]
—ex·qui·site·ly,
adverb

—ex·qui·site·ness, noun[1]



exsert

exsert
ex·sert 
[ik súrt] transitive verb (past
ex·sert·ed, past participle ex·sert·ed, present
participle ex·sert·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·serts)

BIOLOGY extend
something out: to thrust out or project something • A
bee exserts its sting.
adjective
ex·sert ex·sert·ed

BIOLOGY projecting:
projecting beyond an enclosing or adjoining part • an
exsert stamen
[Early
19th century. From Latin exsert-, the past participle stem of exserere
(see exert ).]
—ex·ser·tion, noun[1]



ext.

ext.
ext.

1.  Abbreviation
of
extension

2.  Abbreviation
of
exterior

3.  Abbreviation
of
external

4.  PHARMACOLOGY Abbreviation of
extract

[1]



extant

extant
ex·tant 
[ékstənt, ek
stánt] adjective

existing:
still in existence • Three copies of the
document are extant.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exstant-, the present participle stem of exstare,
“to exist,” literally “to stand out,” from stare “to stand” (see station ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at living

[1]



extemporaneous

extemporaneous
ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous 
[ik stèmpə ráynee əss] or ex·tem·po·rar·y
[ik stémpə ràiree] or ex·tem·po·ral
[ik stémpərəl] adjective

1.  done
unrehearsed: performed without any preparation

2.  prepared
but said without notes: prepared in advance but
delivered without notes

3.  speaking
unrehearsed: speaking without preparation or notes

4.  makeshift:
done as a temporary measure
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin extemporaneus, from ex tempore,
literally “out of the moment.”]
—ex·tem·po·ra·ne·i·ty
[ik stèmpərə n ətee], noun

—ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ly
[ik stèmpə ráynee əsslee], adverb

—ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous·ness
[ik stèmpə ráynee əssnəss], noun[1]



extempore

extempore
ex·tem·po·re 
[ik stémpəree] adjective adverb

without
rehearsing:
with little or no preparation
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
ex tempore, literally “out of the moment,” from tempor-, the stem
of tempus “time” (source of English tempo
and temporary ).][1]



extemporize

extemporize
ex·tem·po·rize 
[ik stémpə rz] (past ex·tem·po·rized,
past participle ex·tem·po·rized, present participle ex·tem·po·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tem·po·riz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  perform
something without preparation: to perform or speak
without having made any preparation

2.  MUSIC improvise
music:
to compose or perform a piece of music by improvising

3.  handle
in a makeshift way: to do or devise something in
a makeshift fashion
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from extempore .]
—ex·tem·po·ri·za·tion
[ik stèmpəri záysh’n], noun

—ex·tem·po·riz·er [ik stémpə rzər], noun[1]



extend

extend
ex·tend 
[ik sténd] (past ex·tend·ed, past
participle ex·tend·ed, present participle ex·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tends) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
occupy
distance or space: to continue for a distance
or occupy a space, often within a particular range • the
city center extends for another mile in both directions

2.  intransitive
verb
continue
for a time:
to last or continue for a period of time, usually a particular one

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb apply
to somebody or something: to affect or apply to
somebody or something, or make something affect or apply • the
offer extends to new readers too

4.  transitive
verb
increase
something’s size: to make something larger or longer • extend
the driveway

5.  transitive
verb
increase
time span:
to increase the length of time something lasts or the length of time before
something applies or ceases to apply

6.  transitive
verb
increase
limits:
to broaden or expand the range, influence, or scope of something • a
vital research project that will extend our knowledge of the disease

7.  transitive
verb
increase
an amount by adding something: to increase the amount
of something by adding something else to it • There’s
not much stew left, but we could always extend it by adding more potatoes and
vegetables.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
out into space: to stretch out into space, or stretch
something out

9.  transitive
verb
offer
or give something: to offer or provide
something to somebody • to
extend the hand of friendship

10. transitive
verb
make
an extra effort to do something: to work or make
somebody or something work as hard as possible to achieve the best possible
result • They
had to extend themselves to finish on time

11. transitive
verb
FINANCE calculate
the line total on invoice: to calculate the total on
the line of an invoice by multiplying quantity by price
[14th
century. From Latin extendere, literally “to stretch out,” from tendere
(see tender 2 .]
—ex·tend·a·bil·i·ty
[ik stèndə bíllətee], noun

—ex·tend·a·ble
[ik sténdəb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



extended

extended
ex·tend·ed 
[ik sténdəd] adjective

1.  lengthier
than usual:
lasting longer than is normal or typical

2.  made
longer or larger: stretched or pulled out, lengthened,
enlarged, or expanded

3.  having
a wider range: having wider influence, effect, or
application

4.  CLOTHES extra
large or small: larger or smaller than those in the
usual range • We
carry suits in extended sizes –both talls and bigs.
—ex·tend·ed·ly [ik sténdədlee], adverb[1]



ExtendedBinary Coded Decimal Interchange Code

ExtendedBinary Coded Decimal Interchange Code
Ex·tend·ed
Bi·na·ry Cod·ed Dec·i·mal In·ter·change Code noun

COMPUTING
Full form of EBCDIC[1]



extendedfamily

extendedfamily
ex·tend·ed
fam·i·ly
noun

parents, children, and
relatives: the family as a unit
embracing parents and children together with grandparents, aunts, uncles,
cousins, and sometimes more distant relatives.
See also
nuclear family[1]



extended-play

extended-play
ex·tend·ed-play
adjective

1.  recording
for a longer time: used to describe a videotape
format that can record four or six hours of material on a two-hour tape (not
hyphenated after a verb)

2.  with
a longer recording on each side: used to describe a
vinyl record of the same size as a single but with two tracks on each side
rather than one (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

[1]



extender

extender
ex·tend·er 
[ik sténdər] (plural ex·tend·ers)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY substance
added to modify a product: a substance that is added to
a product to dilute it, add body to it, or modify it in other ways

2.  PRINTING projecting
part of letter: the part of a lower-case letter such as
“p” or “h” that projects above or below the body of the letter

[1]



extensible

extensible
ex·ten·si·ble 
[ik sténsəb’l] or ex·ten·sile
[ik sténsəl] adjective

able
to be extended: having the capability of being extended
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French, from medieval Latin extensibilis
.]
—ex·ten·si·bil·i·ty
[ik stènsə bíllətee], noun

—ex·ten·si·bly [ik sténsəblee], adverb[1]



extensimeter

extensimeter
ex·ten·sim·e·ter
noun

See
extensometer[1]



extension

extension
ex·ten·sion 
[ik sténshən] noun (plural ex·ten·sions)

1.  BUILDING addition
to a building: a room or area added to an existing
building • We’re
having an extension built onto the kitchen.

2.  additional
piece:
a piece that has been or can be added, or that can be pulled out, to enlarge or
lengthen something

3.  UTILITIES additional
telephone line: an additional telephone line or
telephone connected to the main line in a building or organization, often
having its own number

4.  UTILITIES telephone
number of an extension: the number used to contact a
telephone extension within a building or organization

5.  ELECTRICITY See extension cord

6.  additional
period of time: an additional period of time allowed for
completion of work or payment of a debt • You’ll
never finish that essay on time; why don’t you ask for an extension?

7.  extending
or being extended: the act or process of
increasing the size, scope, range, or application of something, or the fact of
being increased in size, scope, range, or application

8.  range:
the range or sphere over which something extends

9.  EDUCATION off-campus
university teaching program: courses or facilities
provided by a college or university for people who are unable to attend classes
on the campus or during scheduled class periods

10. MEDICINE See traction

11. ANATOMY straightening
of a limb:
the stretching out of a limb after it has been bent, or the position attained
by a limb after stretching it

12. LOGIC broader
sense of an expression: the broad range of meaning
of an expression, as opposed to its precise meaning. The extension of the term
“man” is the set comprising all men, whereas the meaning of the word “man” is
“an adult male human being.”

13. MATHEMATICS set
including two similar sets: a mathematical set that
includes as subsets all the members of a given set and of another similar set

14. COMPUTING See file extension
plural
noun
ex·ten·sions

HAIRDRESSING extra
hair attached to your own hair: lengths of real or
synthetic hair attached to the hair to create longer hairstyle
[Early
16th century. From the late Latin stem extension-, from Latin extens-,
the past participle stem of extendere (see extend
).]
—ex·ten·sion·al,
adjective

—ex·ten·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



extensionagent

extensionagent
ex·ten·sion
a·gent
(plural ex·ten·sion a·gents) noun

public advisor:
somebody employed by federal and state governments to provide information to
the public about agriculture, health, and home economics[1]



extensioncord

extensioncord
ex·ten·sion
cord
(plural ex·ten·sion cords) noun

long cord connecting
appliance to supply: a length of
electrical cord with a plug at one end and a socket at the other, used to
connect an appliance when the electrical supply is some distance away.
Also called
extension[1]



extensive

extensive
ex·ten·sive 
[ik sténsiv] adjective

1.  vast:
covering a large area • a
hotel set in extensive grounds

2.  broad
in scope:
great in extent, range, or application • extensive
research into a subject

3.  large
in amount:
great in amount or number

4.  AGRICULTURE using
low technological input: relating to a farming
practice in which a large area of land is cultivated using little labor and
expense, resulting in a relatively small crop.
See
also
intensive
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from late Latin extensivus, from
the Latin extens-, the past participle stem of extendere (see extend ).]
—ex·ten·sive·ly,
adverb

—ex·ten·sive·ness, noun[1]



extensometer

extensometer
ex·ten·som·e·ter 
[èk sten sómmətər] (plural ex·ten·som·e·ters)
or ex·ten·sim·e·ter [èk sten símmətər]
(plural ex·ten·sim·e·ters) noun

device
to measure change in length: a device for measuring small
changes of length in a sample, especially those caused by stress or thermal
expansion in a metal.
Also
called
strain gauge
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin extens-, the past participle stem of extendere (see extend ) + -meter
.][1]



extensor

extensor
ex·ten·sor 
[ik sténsər] (plural ex·ten·sors)
noun

muscle
capable of extending: a muscle that straightens or
extends a part of the body such as an arm or leg
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin extens-, the past participle stem of extendere
(see extend ).][1]



extent

extent
ex·tent 
[ik stént] (plural ex·tents) noun

1.  range
or scope:
the area or range covered or affected by something • a
technique for determining the location and extent of brain damage

2.  degree:
the degree to which something applies • To
what extent should we allow newspaper reporters into people’s private lives?

3.  region:
an area of land or water • a vast
extent of fertile land

4.  LAW writ
allowing seizure of property: a writ that authorizes
somebody to take possession of the property of somebody who owes him or her
money
[Late 16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman extente “valuation of land” from, ultimately, Latin extendere
(see extend ).][1]



extenuate

extenuate
ex·ten·u·ate 
[ik sténnyoo àyt] (past ex·ten·u·at·ed,
past participle ex·ten·u·at·ed, present participle ex·ten·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ten·u·ates) transitive verb

diminish
the seriousness of: to make a mistake or
wrongdoing seem less serious than it first appeared, or to provide a mitigating
excuse for something that has happened
[Early
16th century. From Latin extenuat-, the past participle stem of extenuare,
literally “to thin out,” from tenuis “thin” (see tenuous ).]
—ex·ten·u·at·ing,
adjective

—ex·ten·u·at·ing·ly,
adverb

—ex·ten·u·a·tion
[ik stènnyoo áysh’n], noun

—ex·ten·u·a·tive
[ik sténnyoo àytəv], adjective

—ex·ten·u·a·tor
[ik sténnyoo àytər], noun

—ex·ten·u·a·to·ry [ik sténnyooə tàwree], adjective[1]



exterior

exterior
ex·te·ri·or 
[ik stree ər] adjective

1.  on
the outside: on or for the outside of something • added
protection for the exterior walls of the building

2.  coming
from outside: coming from outside or beyond something
or somebody • There
must be some exterior cause for this.

3.  CINEMA outdoor:
taken out of doors or depicting an outdoor scene • an
exterior shot
noun
(plural ex·te·ri·ors)

1.  outside:
the outside surface, appearance, or coating of something

2.  outward
appearance:
somebody’s outward appearance as distinct from his or her inner thoughts

3.  CINEMA ARTS scene outside:
an outdoor scene, especially as represented in the visual arts
[Early
16th century. From Latin, literally “more outward,” from exter (see external ).]
—ex·te·ri·or·i·ty [ik stree áwrətee], noun[1]



exteriorangle

exteriorangle
ex·te·ri·or
an·gle
(plural ex·te·ri·or an·gles) noun

1.  angle
on the outside of a polygon: an angle on the outside of a
polygon, formed between a side and an extension of an adjacent side

2.  angle
formed by a line crossing lines: any of the four angles
formed on the outside of a pair of lines that are crossed by a third line

[1]



exteriorize

exteriorize
ex·te·ri·or·ize 
[ik stree ə rz] (past ex·te·ri·or·ized,
past participle ex·te·ri·or·ized, present participle ex·te·ri·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·te·ri·or·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  See
externalize

2.  SURGERY remove
an internal organ: to remove an internal organ
from the body, for example, to perform surgery on it
—ex·te·ri·or·i·za·tion
[ik stree əri záysh’n], noun[1]



exterminate

exterminate
ex·ter·mi·nate 
[ik stúrmə nàyt] (past ex·ter·mi·nat·ed,
past participle ex·ter·mi·nat·ed, present participle ex·ter·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ter·mi·nates) transitive verb

completely
destroy:
to kill or destroy somebody or something completely • a
species nearly exterminated by hunting
[Late
16th century. From Latin exterminat-, the past participle stem of exterminare,
literally “to drive beyond the boundaries,” from termen “boundary,” a
variant of terminus (see terminus ).]
—ex·ter·mi·na·tion
[ik stùrmə náysh’n], noun

—ex·ter·mi·na·to·ry [ik stúrmənə tàwree], adjective[1]



exterminator

exterminator
ex·ter·mi·na·tor 
[ik stúrmə nàytər] (plural ex·ter·mi·na·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
paid to kill vermin: somebody who kills insects,
rodents, and other vermin

2.  exterminating
person or thing: somebody or something that kills or
destroys somebody or something else
[14th century][1]



extern

extern
ex·tern
[ék stùrn] (plural ex·terns) or
ex·terne [ék stùrn] (plural ex·ternes)
noun

nonresident
hospital doctor: a nonresident doctor or other staff
member attached to a hospital
[Early
17th century. Via French externe from Latin externus (see external ).]
—ex·tern·ship (plural
ex·tern·ships), noun[1]



external

external
ex·ter·nal 
[ik stúrn’l] adjective

1.  outside:
situated on, happening on, or coming from the outside • The
sudden collapse of the empire should not be laid to external forces alone.

2.  for
use on the outside: suitable or designed for use
only on the outside or surface of something, especially the body

3.  outside
something’s scope: existing outside the body or
mind, or the limits of something • What
real evidence is there for the existence of the external world?

4.  visible
from outward appearance: conveyed by somebody’s or
something’s outward appearance, as opposed to what is inside or underneath

5.  outside
an organization: relating to, forming, or from a separate
or independent organization • The
investigation must be carried out by members of an external body.

6.  POLITICS relating
to foreign countries: dealing with or involving
relations with foreign countries
noun
(plural ex·ter·nals)

something’s exterior:
the outer surface of something
plural
noun
ex·ter·nals

1.  outward
appearances: the outward appearance of somebody or
something, especially when it is not considered to be a true indication of the
person’s or thing’s real nature

2.  surroundings:
somebody or something’s circumstances or environment
[Late
16th century. Partly formed from French externe and partly from Latin externus,
both ultimately from exter “outward, on the outside.”]
—ex·ter·nal·ly, adverb[1]



external-combustionengine

external-combustionengine
ex·ter·nal-com·bus·tion
en·gine
(plural ex·ter·nal-com·bus·tion en·gines) noun

engine using heat from
outside: an engine that converts into
power heat generated from fuel consumed outside the engine. A steam engine is a
type of external-combustion engine.
See also
internal-combustion engine[1]



externaldegree

externaldegree
ex·ter·nal
de·gree
(plural ex·ter·nal de·grees) noun

degree studied for outside an
university: a university degree awarded
to a candidate who, instead of taking traditional courses to fulfill degree
requirements, works and studies off campus[1]



externalear

externalear
ex·ter·nal
ear
(plural ex·ter·nal ears) noun

outer part of the ear:
the outside part of the ear, consisting of the auricle and auditory canal[1]



externalism

externalism
ex·ter·nal·ism 
[ik stúrn’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  excessive
concern about outward appearances: excessive concern
about outward forms and appearances, especially in religious matters

2.  PHILOSOPHY view
that thoughts depend on externals: the view that the
content of thoughts depends at least partly on relationships with objects
outside the mind
—ex·ter·nal·ist, noun[1]



externality

externality
ex·ter·nal·i·ty 
[èkstər nállətee] (plural ex·ter·nal·i·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being external: the fact or quality of being
external

2.  something
outside or external: an outward form or
appearance, or anything that is outside or external to somebody or something

3.  ECONOMICS consequence
of production ignored in pricing: a factor, for example,
environmental damage, that results from the way something is produced but is not
taken into account in establishing the market price of the goods or materials
concerned

[1]



externalize

externalize
ex·ter·nal·ize 
[ik stúrn’l z] (past ex·ter·nal·ized,
past participle ex·ter·nal·ized, present participle ex·ter·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·ter·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  give
outward expression to something: to express ideas or
feelings in some visible or perceptible way in order to communicate them to
others

2.  perceive
something as external: to attribute something to
causes in the outside world

3.  PSYCHOLOGY attribute
feelings to outside causes: to attribute emotions or
inner conflicts to outside causes, sources, or surroundings
—ex·ter·nal·i·za·tion
[ik stùrn’li záysh’n], noun[1]



externalrespiration

externalrespiration
ex·ter·nal
res·pi·ra·tion noun

gas exchange between an
organism and the atmosphere: the
exchange of gases between an organism’s respiratory system, for example, the
lungs in vertebrates, and the outside environment[1]



externe

externe
ex·terne
noun

See
extern[1]



exteroceptor

exteroceptor
ex·ter·o·cep·tor 
[èkstərō séptər] (plural ex·ter·o·cep·tors)
noun

sense
organ:
a body part or sensory organ such as the eye, ear, or any of the nerve endings
in the skin that is able to receive outside stimuli
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin exter (see external
) + receptor .]
—ex·ter·o·cep·tive, adjective[1]



exterritorial

exterritorial
ex·ter·ri·to·ri·al 
adjective

See
extraterritorial[1]



extinct

extinct
ex·tinct 
[ik stíngkt] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY having
no living members: having no members of the
species or family in existence, as is the case with many organisms known only
from fossils

2.  no
longer in existence: having died out or ceased to
exist • relics
of extinct and forgotten civilizations

3.  GEOLOGY no
longer erupting: no longer active or likely to erupt • an
extinct volcano

4.  SOCIAL SCIENCES LAW not
now valid:
no longer valid or practiced • This
custom has for many years been almost extinct.

5.  extinguished:
extinguished, quenched, or no longer burning
[15th
century. From Latin exstinctus, the past participle of exstinguere
(see extinguish ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



extinction

extinction
ex·tinc·tion 
[ik stíngkshən] (plural ex·tinc·tions)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY the
fact of becoming extinct: the death or ceasing to
exist of all members of a species or family of organisms

2.  obsolescence:
the process or fact of disappearing completely from use “Dominant languages and
dialects spread widely, and lead to the gradual extinction of other tongues.”
Charles Darwin The Descent of Man 1871

3.  GEOLOGY process
of becoming inactive: the permanent ceasing of
eruptions in a volcano

4.  SOCIAL SCIENCES LAW being
no longer used: the state of no longer being valid or
practiced, or the process of ceasing to be valid or practiced

5.  destruction:
the destruction or killing off of somebody or something • the
extinction of self and ego through meditation

6.  PHYSICS ASTRONOMY lowering of radiation
intensity:
reduction of radiation intensity because of absorption or scattering as it
passes through matter. This effect is observed in the reduction in the
intensity of electromagnetic radiation reaching Earth from celestial bodies
because of the interference of interstellar gas and dust.

7.  PSYCHOLOGY reduction
in response: the decreasing or dying out of a
behavioral response created by conditioning because of lack of reinforcement
—ex·tinc·tive, adjective[1]



extinguish

extinguish
ex·tin·guish 
[ik stíng gwish] (past ex·tin·guished,
past participle ex·tin·guished, present participle ex·tin·guish·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tin·guish·es) transitive verb

1.  put
out a fire or light: to put out something that is
burning or giving off light • The
lamps along the terrace had not been extinguished.

2.  end
something:
to take away or bring to an end something such as a hope, feeling, custom, or
practice • As
the days went by, hope for more survivors was extinguished.

3.  destroy
somebody or something: to kill or destroy somebody
or something completely • They
came with a large army in order to be certain of extinguishing the enemy by
force of numbers.

4.  outshine:
to outshine or eclipse something or somebody by having greater brilliance • Beauty
that extinguishes all others by comparison.

5.  LAW pay
debt:
to pay off a debt

6.  LAW make
something invalid: to make something no longer
valid or applicable

7.  PSYCHOLOGY decrease
response:
to cause a decrease in a conditioned response through lack of reinforcement
[Early
16th century. Formed from Latin exstinguere, literally “to quench
completely,” from stinguere “to quench, prick” (source of English distinguish and instinct
).]
—ex·tin·guish·a·ble,
adjective

—ex·tin·guish·ment, noun[1]



extinguisher

extinguisher
ex·tin·guish·er 
[ik stíng gwishər] (plural ex·tin·guish·ers)
noun

1.  See
fire extinguisher

2.  something
that ends or removes something: somebody or something
that puts an end to something else or eliminates its effects

[1]



extirpate

extirpate
ex·tir·pate 
[ékstər pàyt] (past ex·tir·pat·ed,
past participle ex·tir·pat·ed, present participle ex·tir·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tir·pates) transitive verb

1.  completely
remove something undesirable: to completely get rid of,
kill off, or destroy something or somebody considered undesirable (formal)

2.  SURGERY remove
by surgery:
to remove something surgically
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin exstirpat-, the past participle stem of exstirpare,
literally “to root out,” from stirps “stem, root,” of unknown origin.]
—ex·tir·pa·tion
[èkstər páysh’n], noun

—ex·tir·pa·tive
[ékstər pàytiv], adjective

—ex·tir·pa·tor [ékstər pàytər], noun[1]



extn.

extn.
extn.

Abbreviation of
extension[1]



extol

extol
ex·tol 
[ik stṓl] (past ex·tolled, past
participle ex·tolled, present participle ex·tol·ling, 3rd
person present singular ex·tols) or ex·toll [ik stṓl] (past ex·tolled, past
participle ex·tolled, present participle ex·toll·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·tolls) transitive verb

praise
somebody or something: to praise somebody or
something with great enthusiasm and admiration
[Early
16th century. From Latin extollere, literally “to raise up,” from tollere
“to raise.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English elate and toll
.]
—ex·tol·ler,
noun

—ex·tol·ment, noun[1]



extort

extort
ex·tort 
[ik stáwrt] (past ex·tort·ed, past
participle ex·tort·ed, present participle ex·tort·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·torts) transitive verb

obtain
something by force or coercion: to obtain something
such as money or information, from somebody by using force, threats, or other
unacceptable methods • I
wouldn’t want to speculate about what means were used to extort the
confessions.
[15th
century. From Latin extort-, the past participle stem of extorquere,
literally “to twist out,” from torquere “to twist” (see torque 1 ).]
—ex·tort·er,
noun

—ex·tor·tive, adjective[1]



extortion

extortion
ex·tor·tion 
[ik stáwrsh’n] (plural ex·tor·tions)
noun

1.  LAW obtaining
something by illegal threats: the crime of obtaining
something such as money from somebody using illegal methods of persuasion

2.  excessive
charging:
the charging of an excessive amount of money for something (informal)

3.  getting
something by force: the acquiring of anything
through the use of force or threats
—ex·tor·tion·ar·y,
adjective

—ex·tor·tion·er,
noun

—ex·tor·tion·ist, noun[1]



extortionate

extortionate
ex·tor·tion·ate 
[ik stáwrsh’nət] adjective

1.  excessive:
highly excessive, especially in price

2.  involving
extortion:
involving or using extortion
—ex·tor·tion·ate·ly, adverb[1]



extra-

extra-
extra-
or extro- prefix

beyond
or outside something • extraterrestrial
• extracurricular
[From Latin extra
“outside, beyond,” from exter “outer” (source of English exterior )][1]



extra

extra
ex·tra 
[ékstrə] adjective

1.  more
than usual:
added to, or over and above, the usual, original, or necessary amount • Take
extra precautions when traveling in bad weather.

2.  more
and better:
greater in degree and of better quality than is normal

3.  charged
for in addition: charged for in addition to the basic
cost • You
get one free drink with the meal; further drinks are extra.
adverb

exceptionally:
to a greater extent than is usual or expected • Be
extra careful at that crossing.
pronoun

more: more
than the usual amount or price • The
hotel charges extra for cable television.
noun
(plural ex·tras)

1.  something
additional:
something additional or unexpected • The
books at the end of the list are optional extras that you can read if you have time.

2.  something
charged in addition: something for which an
additional charge is made, or the additional charge itself • This
is the guaranteed full price and there are no hidden extras.

3.  CINEMA nonspeaking
movie actor: somebody employed in a minor, usually
nonspeaking, part in a movie, for example, in a crowd scene

4.  PRESS special
edition of a newspaper: a special edition of a
newspaper or magazine, often reporting later news or concentrating on a
particular subject • a sports extra

5.  something
of exceptionally high quality
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably shortening of extraordinary,
whose prefix comes from Latin extra (see extra-
).][1]



extra-basehit

extra-basehit
ex·tra-base
hit 
(plural ex·tra-base hits) noun

BASEBALL
hit for more than one base:
a hit that allows the batter to take more than one base, that is, a double,
triple, or home run[1]



extracellular

extracellular
ex·tra·cel·lu·lar 
[èkstrə séllyələr] adjective

outside
a cell:
situated or happening outside a cell or cells
—ex·tra·cel·lu·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



extrachromosomal

extrachromosomal
ex·tra·chro·mo·so·mal 
[èkstrə krōmə sṓm’l] adjective

not carried on chromosomes:
used to describe an inheritance of characteristics that is controlled by
factors that are not carried on chromosomes[1]



extracorporeal

extracorporeal
ex·tra·cor·po·re·al 
[èkstrə kawr páwree əl] adjective

situated
outside body: situated or happening outside the body
—ex·tra·cor·po·re·al·ly,
adverb[1]



extracranial

extracranial
ex·tra·cra·ni·al 
[èkstrə kráynee əl] adjective

outside skull:
situated or happening outside the skull[1]



extract

extract
ex·tract 
transitive verb [ik strákt] (past
ex·tract·ed, past participle ex·tract·ed, present
participle ex·tract·ing, 3rd person present singular ex·tracts)

1.  pull
something out: to pull something out, often using force
• have
a tooth extracted

2.  obtain
something from source: to obtain something from a
source, usually by separating it out from other material • a
few snippets of information that I managed to extract from the conversation

3.  get
something by force: to obtain something from
somebody who is unwilling to give it, often by using force or threats • After
a lengthy interrogation the police extracted a confession from him.

4.  copy
something out from something: to copy or remove a passage
from a text • This
passage is extracted from the author’s memoirs.

5.  derive
pleasure from: to obtain pleasure or enjoyment from
something

6.  CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY take
something out of compound: to obtain a substance from a
compound, in solid, liquid, or gas form, by using an industrial or chemical
process

7.  MATHEMATICS find
the root of number: to calculate the value of
the root, for example, the square root or cube root, of a number
noun
[ék stràkt] (plural ex·tracts)

1.  passage:
a passage taken from a publication, movie, or play • The
novelist read a few extracts from her forthcoming book.

2.  CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY something
separated from a compound: a substance obtained from a
compound by an industrial or chemical process • mineral
extracts

3.  purified
substance:
a concentrated or purified substance obtained by first using a solvent to
dissolve this substance when present in a mixture and then evaporating the
solvent • vanilla
extract

4.  concentrated
solution:
a preparation, usually in alcohol, containing the pharmaceutically active
components of a natural product such as a plant
[15th
century. From Latin extract-, the past participle stem of extrahere
“to pull out,” from trahere “to pull.”]
—ex·tract·a·ble, adjective[1]



extraction

extraction
ex·trac·tion 
[ik strákshən] (plural ex·trac·tions)
noun

1.  taking
out of something: the process of extracting something or
of being extracted, or a thing that has been extracted

2.  removal
of a tooth:
the removal of a tooth or teeth

3.  separation
of substances: the separation of a substance from a
mixture by dissolving one or more of the components in a solvent

[1]



extractive

extractive
ex·trac·tive 
[ik stráktiv] adjective

1.  extractable:
capable of being extracted

2.  used
in an extraction process: used in the process of
extraction

3.  obtained
by extraction: obtained as a result of extraction
noun
(plural ex·trac·tives)

1.  something
extractable: something that can be extracted

2.  CHEMISTRY part
of a chemical extract: the insoluble part of a
chemical extract
—ex·trac·tive·ly, adverb[1]



extractor

extractor
ex·tract·or
[ik stráktər] (plural ex·tract·ors)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that extracts: somebody who or something
that extracts something

2.  device
for taking out liquid: a device that removes a
liquid from a solid, for example, the juice out of a fruit

3.  ARMS part
of gun:
a part of a firearm that removes spent cartridges from the chamber

[1]



extracurricular

extracurricular
ex·tra·cur·ric·u·lar 
[èkstrə kə ríkyələr] adjective

1.  EDUCATION outside
curriculum:
done or happening outside the normal curriculum of a school, college, or
university

2.  outside
normal duties: not part of the normal duties of a job
or profession

3.  with
somebody other than a partner: involving somebody
other than a spouse or partner (informal)

[1]



extraditable

extraditable
ex·tra·dit·a·ble 
[ékstrə dtəb’l] adjective

1.  within
the terms of an extradition agreement: used
to describe a crime for which somebody may be extradited, or a person who has
committed such a crime

2.  able
to be extradited: able to be extradited

[1]



extradite

extradite
ex·tra·dite 
[ékstrə dt] (past ex·tra·dit·ed,
past participle ex·tra·dit·ed, present participle ex·tra·dit·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tra·dites) transitive verb

deliver
somebody to a different legal authority: to
return somebody accused of a crime by a different legal authority to that
authority for trial or punishment
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from extradition, probably on
the model of expedition and expedite .][1]



extradition

extradition
ex·tra·di·tion 
[èkstrə dísh’n] (plural ex·tra·di·tions)
noun

surrender
of a criminal to another authority: the
handing over by a government of somebody accused of a crime in a different
country for trial or punishment there
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from Latin ex- “out” + the stem tradition-
“deliverance” (see tradition ).][1]



extrados

extrados
ex·tra·dos 
[ékstrə dòss, ékstrə
dss] (plural ex·tra·dos [ékstrə
dz] or ex·tra·dos·es) noun

outside
of an arch:
the outer curve of an arch
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from Latin extra “outside” + French dos “back.”][1]



extragalactic

extragalactic
ex·tra·ga·lac·tic 
[èkstrə gə láktik] adjective

outside Earth’s galaxy:
existing, originating, or happening outside the Milky Way, the galaxy that
contains the solar system[1]



extrajudicial

extrajudicial
ex·tra·ju·di·cial 
[èkstrə joo dísh’l] adjective

1.  outside
normal legal proceedings: happening or originating
outside the normal course of legal proceedings

2.  outside
a court’s jurisdiction: outside the jurisdiction of
a court
—ex·tra·ju·di·cial·ly,
adverb[1]



extralegal

extralegal
ex·tra·le·gal 
[èkstrə lg’l] adjective

not
permitted by law: not permitted by or subject to the law
—ex·tra·le·gal·ly, adverb[1]



extralimital

extralimital
ex·tra·lim·i·tal
[èkstrə límmit’l] adjective

not in a given area:
used to describe a species or group of organisms found outside a given area,
for example, a population of bears outside a national park[1]



extramarital

extramarital
ex·tra·mar·i·tal 
[èkstrə mérrit’l] adjective

outside marriage:
involving sexual relations with somebody other than a marriage partner[1]



extramundane

extramundane
ex·tra·mun·dane 
[èkstrə mun dáyn, èkstrə
mún dàyn] adjective

not
part of the physical world: not belonging to the
physical world
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin extramundanus, from extra mundum “outside the world or
universe.”][1]



extramural

extramural
ex·tra·mu·ral 
[èkstrə myrəl] adjective

1.  EDUCATION outside
usual study courses: outside or additional to the
usual courses of study at a university, college, or other educational
institution, though usually connected with them

2.  outside
walls:
outside the walls or boundaries of something, for example, a castle, town, or
organization
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin extra muros “outside the walls.”][1]



extraneous

extraneous
ex·tra·ne·ous 
[ik stráynee əss] adjective

1.  not
relevant:
not relevant or applicable

2.  not
essential:
not essential or important

3.  coming
from outside: existing or coming from outside
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin extraneus “foreign, strange” (source of
English strange ), from extra
“outside” (see extra- ).]
—ex·tra·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—ex·tra·ne·ous·ness, noun[1]



extranet

extranet
ex·tra·net
[ékstrə nèt] (plural extranets)
noun

extension of organization’s
intranet: an extension of the intranet
of a company or organization. An extranet gives authorized outsiders, for
example, customers, suppliers, or business partners, controlled access to parts
of the intranet.[1]



extranuclear

extranuclear
ex·tra·nu·cle·ar 
[èkstrə nklee ər] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY outside
cell nucleus: existing in or affecting parts of a cell
outside the nucleus

2.  PHYSICS outside
atom nucleus: existing, happening, or originating
outside the nucleus of an atom

[1]



extraordinaire

extraordinaire
ex·tra·or·di·naire 
[èkstrə awrd’n áir, ik
stràwd’n áir] adjective

outstanding:
excellent or outstanding • a
piano player extraordinaire
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from Latin extraordinarius (see extraordinary
).][1]



extraordinary

extraordinary
ex·traor·di·nar·y 
[ik stráwrd’n èrree, èkstrə áwrd’n èrree] adjective

1.  very
unusual:
very unusual and deserving attention and comment because of being wonderful,
excellent, strange, or shocking • For a
ten-year-old, her mathematical abilities are quite extraordinary.

2.  additional:
additional and having a special purpose • an
extraordinary general meeting

3.  employed
for special purpose: employed for a special
purpose or to do additional work • ambassador
extraordinary

4.  additional
and greater: additional to and going beyond the scope
of something in ordinary or established use • Extraordinary
measures are necessary in these highly unusual circumstances.
[15th
century. From Latin extraordinarius, from extra ordinem “out of
order, exceptionally.”]
—ex·traor·di·nar·i·ly,
adverb

—ex·traor·di·nar·i·ness,
noun[1]



extrapoint

extrapoint
ex·tra
point
(plural ex·tra points) noun

FOOTBALL
point added by kicking field goal:
a point scored by kicking the field goal awarded after a touchdown[1]



extrapolate

extrapolate
ex·trap·o·late 
[ik stráppə làyt] (past ex·trap·o·lat·ed,
past participle ex·trap·o·lat·ed, present participle ex·trap·o·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·trap·o·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb infer:
to use known facts as the starting point from which to draw inferences or draw
conclusions about something unknown • If we
extrapolate from the data, we can come up with a reasonable prediction.

2.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS estimate
a value:
to estimate a value that falls outside a range of known values, for example, by
extending a curve on a graph
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from extra- + interpolate . In early use, it denoted the
insertion of intermediate terms in a mathematical series.]
—ex·trap·o·la·tion
[ik stràppə láysh’n], noun

—ex·trap·o·la·tive
[ik stráppə làytəv], adjective

—ex·trap·o·la·tor [ik stráppə làytər], noun[1]



extrasensory

extrasensory
ex·tra·sen·so·ry 
[èkstrə sénsəree] adjective

involving abilities beyond
normal senses: relating to or
involving powers of perception other than the normal five senses[1]



extrasensoryperception

extrasensoryperception
ex·tra·sen·so·ry
per·cep·tion noun

awareness beyond normal
senses: the apparent ability of some
people to become aware of things by means other than the normal senses, for
example, through clairvoyance or telepathy[1]



extraterrestrial

extraterrestrial
ex·tra·ter·res·tri·al 
[èkstrə tə réstree əl] adjective

outside
the Earth:
existing or coming from somewhere outside the Earth and its atmosphere
noun
(plural ex·trater·res·tri·als)

alien:
a supposed living creature that comes from outside the Earth[1]



extraterritorial

extraterritorial
ex·tra·ter·ri·to·ri·al 
[èkstrə terri táwree əl] or ex·ter·ri·to·ri·al
[èks terri táwree əl] adjective

1.  POLITICS outside
territorial boundary: situated or coming from
outside a country’s territorial boundary

2.  INTERNATIONAL LAW relating
to extraterritoriality: relating to or involving
exemption from the legal jurisdiction of a country of residence
—ex·tra·ter·ri·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



extraterritoriality

extraterritoriality
ex·tra·ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty 
[èkstrə terrə tawree állətee] noun

exemption from legal
jurisdiction: exemption from the
legal jurisdiction of a country of residence, as granted for example, to
foreign diplomats[1]



extratime

extratime
ex·tra
time
noun

U.K.
See overtime  noun 3[1]



extrauterine

extrauterine
ex·tra·u·ter·ine 
[èkstrə ytərin, èkstrə
ytə rn] adjective

outside the womb:
occurring or situated outside the womb • extrauterine
pregnancy[1]



extravagance

extravagance
ex·trav·a·gance 
[ik strávvəgəns] (plural ex·trav·a·gan·ces)
or ex·trav·a·gan·cy [ik strávvəgənsee]
(plural ex·trav·a·gan·cies) noun

1.  wasteful
spending:
excessive or wasteful spending of money • condemned
to poverty by their father’s extravagance

2.  expensive
thing:
something that is expensive or wasteful • A
car like that is an extravagance in today’s economic climate.

3.  extravagant
nature:
the exaggerated, excessive, or extremely flamboyant nature of something, for
example, a wild unreasonableness in somebody’s speech or behavior

[1]



extravagant

extravagant
ex·trav·a·gant 
[ik strávvəgənt] adjective

1.  spending
too much:
characterized by spending excessively or wastefully • I
think it’s extravagant to spend $500 on a shirt.

2.  beyond
what is reasonable: exaggerated or unreasonable
• The
scientific community has dismissed these claims as wildly extravagant.

3.  unreasonably
high in price: unreasonably high in price or cost • can’t
afford their extravagant asking price

4.  flamboyant:
profusely or exaggeratedly decorated, decorative, or showy • hair
dyed pink and done in the most extravagant coiffure

5.  abundant:
extremely abundant • The fire produced
extravagant quantities of smoke and very little heat.
[14th
century. From medieval Latin, from Latin extra “outside” + vagari
“to wander” (source of English vagabond
and vagrant ). An early meaning is
“uncodified,” referring to papal decrees.]
—ex·trav·a·gant·ly,
adverb

—ex·trav·a·gant·ness, noun[1]



extravaganza

extravaganza
ex·trav·a·gan·za 
[ik stràvvə gánzə] (plural ex·trav·a·gan·zas)
noun

1.  lavish
entertainment: a lavish and spectacular entertainment

2.  spectacular
display:
any spectacular or fanciful display
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian estravaganza “peculiar behavior,” from estravagante
“extravagant.” The English spelling with “x” was influenced by extravagance
.][1]



extravasate

extravasate
ex·trav·a·sate 
[ik strávvə sàyt] (past ex·trav·a·sat·ed,
past participle ex·trav·a·sat·ed, present participle ex·trav·a·sat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·trav·a·sates) intransitive and
transitive verb

seep
out into tissue: to leak, or cause blood or other fluid
to leak, from a vessel into the surrounding tissue, following injury, burns, or
inflammation
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from extra- + Latin vas
“vessel” + -ate .]
—ex·trav·a·sa·tion [ik stràvvə sáysh’n], noun[1]



extravascular

extravascular
ex·tra·vas·cu·lar 
[èkstrə váskyələr] adjective

outside blood or lymph
vessels: not contained in the body’s
blood vessels or lymph vessels[1]



extravehicularactivity

extravehicularactivity
ex·tra·ve·hic·u·lar
ac·tiv·i·ty 
[ekstrə vi hìkyələr ak tívvətee] noun

work outside a spacecraft:
an activity undertaken by an astronaut outside the spacecraft during a mission,
for example, a repair to the craft, or an experiment on the surface of the Moon[1]



extraversion

extraversion
ex·tra·ver·sion 
noun

See
extroversion[1]



extravert

extravert
ex·tra·vert 
noun (plural ex·tra·verts) adjective

See
extrovert[1]



extravirgin olive oil

extravirgin olive oil
ex·tra
vir·gin ol·ive oil (plural ex·tra
vir·gin ol·ive oils) noun

highest quality olive oil:
the highest quality of olive oil, made from the first cold pressing of ripe
olives[1]



extreme

extreme
ex·treme 
[ik strm] adjective

1.  high
in degree or intensity: highest in intensity or
degree • will
withstand extreme pressure

2.  not
reasonable:
going far beyond what is reasonable or normal • an
extreme reaction

3.  farthest
out:
farthest out, especially from the center • They
live in the extreme north of the country.

4.  severe:
very strict or severe • A
government must take extreme measures during wartime.

5.  LEISURE sensation-seeking:
denoting an activity in which participants actively seek out dangerous or even
life-threatening experiences
noun
(plural ex·tremes)

1.  furthest
limit:
the furthest limit or highest degree of something • the
extreme of bad taste

2.  end
of scale:
something or somebody that represents either of the two ends of a scale or
range, for example, the highest or lowest degree of something, or a quality and
its polar opposite • Between these two
extremes there must be a middle way.

3.  MATHEMATICS first
or last term: the first or last term in a mathematical
proportion or series
plural
noun
ex·tremes

drastic measures:
drastic or unreasonable measures • The
authorities have been driven to extremes by the widespread popular unrest.
[15th
century. Via French extrême from Latin extremus “farthest, last,”
literally “most out,” a superlative form of ex “out.”]
—ex·treme·ness, noun[1]



extremely

extremely
ex·treme·ly
[ik strmlee] adverb

very:
to a very high degree • She
plays the violin extremely well.[1]



extremelyhigh frequency

extremelyhigh frequency
ex·treme·ly
high fre·quen·cy noun

frequency between 30,000 and
300,000 Mhz: a radio frequency in
the range between 30,000 and 300,000 megahertz[1]



extremelylow frequency

extremelylow frequency
ex·treme·ly
low fre·quen·cy noun

frequency below 30 Hz:
a radio frequency below 30 hertz[1]



extremeunction

extremeunction
ex·treme
unc·tion
noun

anointing of the sick:
the sacrament of anointing the sick in the Roman Catholic Church (dated)[1]



extremist

extremist
ex·trem·ist 
[ik strmist] noun (plural ex·trem·ists)

somebody
with extreme opinions: somebody who holds extreme
or radical political or religious beliefs
adjective

beyond the moderate:
involving, typical of, or motivated by extreme opinions, especially in politics
or religion[1]



extremity

extremity
ex·trem·i·ty 
[ik strémmətee] noun (plural ex·trem·i·ties)

1.  farthest
point:
a point that is the farthest out, especially from the center • the
southernmost extremity of the continent

2.  highest
degree:
the highest degree or greatest intensity of something • in
the extremity of her grief

3.  danger:
a situation of great danger or distress • They
prayed for help in their extremity.

4.  limb:
a limb of a person or animal, or the part of a limb that is farthest from the
body, especially somebody’s hand or foot • Frostbite
attacks the extremities first.

5.  state
of being extreme: the state of being extreme, especially
extremely dangerous or severe • You
don’t seem to understand the extremity of the situation.
plural
noun
ex·trem·i·ties

drastic measures:
drastic or unreasonable measures (formal) • There
was no need for such extremities.

[1]



extricate

extricate
ex·tri·cate 
[ékstri kàyt] (past ex·tri·cat·ed,
past participle ex·tri·cat·ed, present participle ex·tri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·tri·cates) transitive verb

release
with difficulty: to release somebody or something with
difficulty from a physical constraint or an unpleasant or complicated situation
• It
took an hour to extricate the vehicle from the mud. • He
hoped their intervention might extricate him from his embarrassing predicament.
[Early
17th century. From Latin extricat-, past participle stem of extricare,
literally “to remove from perplexities,” from tricae (plural)
“perplexities.”]
—ex·tri·ca·ble
[ékstrikəb’l, ik
stríkəb’l], adjective

—ex·tri·ca·tion [èkstri káysh’n], noun[1]



extrinsic

extrinsic
ex·trin·sic 
[ik strínsik, ik
strínzik] adjective

1.  inessential:
that is not an essential part of something • It’s
a good point, but extrinsic to the argument.

2.  coming
from outside: coming or operating from outside
something • the
importance of extrinsic influences on a nation’s literature
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin extrinsecus “outer,” from Latin exter
“external” + adverb-forming ending -im + secus “alongside of.”]
—ex·trin·si·cal·ly, adverb[1]



extro-

extro-
extro-
prefix

See
extra-
[Alteration of extra-, on the model of its antonym intro-][1]



extrorse

extrorse
ex·trorse 
[ék stràwrs, ik
stráwrs] adjective

facing
outward:
facing or turning outward or away from a center
[Mid-19th century. From late
Latin extrorsus “in an outward direction,” from Latin extra
“outside” + versus “toward,” past participle of vertere “to
turn.”][1]



extroversion

extroversion
ex·tro·ver·sion
[ékstrə vùrzh’n, èkstrə
vúrzh’n] (plural ex·tro·ver·sions) or ex·tra·ver·sion
[ékstrə vùrzh’n, èkstrə
vúrzh’n] (plural ex·tra·ver·sions) noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY interest
in things outside the self: interest in and involvement
with people and things outside the self

2.  MEDICINE turning
inside out:
the turning inside out of an organ or other body part, especially the womb
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from extro- + the Latin stem
version “turning,” from vertere “to turn.”]
—ex·tro·ver·sive,
adjective

—ex·tro·ver·sive·ly, adverb[1]



extrovert

extrovert
ex·tro·vert 
[ékstrə vùrt] or ex·tra·vert [ékstrə vùrt] noun (plural ex·tro·verts)
(plural ex·tra·verts)

1.  outgoing
person:
somebody who is sociable, self-confident, and uninhibited when with other
people

2.  somebody
with interest outside self: somebody who goes beyond
self-interest and is involved with other people and things
adjective

1.  outgoing:
typical of a sociable or outgoing person

2.  typical
of somebody with outward interest: characteristic of
somebody who is interested in and involved with people and things outside the
self
[Early
20th century. Coined from extro- + Latin vertere
“to turn.”]
—ex·tro·vert·ed, adjective[1]



extrude

extrude
ex·trude 
[ik strd] (past ex·trud·ed, past
participle ex·trud·ed, present participle ex·trud·ing,
3rd person present singular ex·trudes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
force
something out: to force or squeeze something out

2.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY make
by forcing through mold: to make something by forcing
a semisoft material such as plastic or molten metal through a specially shaped
mold or nozzle

3.  intransitive
verb
See protrude
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
extrudere, literally “to thrust out,” from trudere “to thrust.”][1]



extrusion

extrusion
ex·tru·sion 
[ik strzh’n] (plural ex·tru·sions)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY something
formed by being extruded: something formed by forcing
semisoft material through a specially shaped mold or nozzle

2.  INDUSTRY process
of extruding: the process or an instance of making
something by forcing semisoft material through a specially shaped mold or
nozzle

3.  GEOLOGY igneous
rock:
an igneous rock formed by the emission of molten material ( magma ) through cracks in the earth’s surface
where it forms a lava flow

4.  GEOLOGY movement
of molten rock: the movement of molten material ( magma ) from a volcano or through cracks in the
earth’s surface to form solidified igneous rock
[Mid-16th century. From the
medieval Latin stem extrusion-, from Latin extrudere (see extrude ).][1]



extrusive

extrusive
ex·tru·sive 
[ik strssiv] adjective

formed from solidified magma:
used to describe rock formed from molten material ( magma
) that has flowed out of cracks in the Earth’s surface[1]



exuberant

exuberant
ex·u·ber·ant 
[ig zbərənt] adjective

1.  full
of enthusiasm: full of happy high spirits and vitality

2.  abundant:
growing in great abundance or profusion

3.  lavish:
lavish or elaborate, often to the point of being excessive
[15th
century. Via French from Latin exuberant-, the present participle stem
of exuberare “to be very fruitful,” from uberare “to be
fruitful,” from uber “fertile.”]
—ex·u·ber·ance,
noun

—ex·u·ber·ant·ly, adverb[1]



exudate

exudate
ex·u·date 
[éksyə dàyt] (plural ex·u·dates)
noun

exuded substance:
a substance such as sweat or a cellular waste product that is exuded from a
cell or organ.
Also called
exudation[1]



exudation

exudation
ex·u·da·tion 
[èksyə dáysh’n] (plural ex·u·da·tions)
noun

1.  release
through pores or cut: the release of a substance
through pores or a surface cut, for example, the release of sweat from the body
or resin from a tree

2.  See
exudate
—ex·u·da·tive [éksyə dàytiv], adjective[1]



exude

exude
ex·ude 
[ig zd] (past ex·ud·ed, past
participle ex·ud·ed, present participle ex·ud·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·udes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
show
a particular quality clearly: to communicate a particular
quality or feeling in abundance and very clearly, usually through general
behavior and body language • a
voice that exuded confidence

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb release
slowly:
to release something such as a liquid or an odor slowly from a gland, pore,
membrane, or cut, or ooze out slowly
[Late 16th century. From
Latin exudare, exsudare, literally “to ooze out like sweat,” from
sudare “to sweat.”][1]



exult

exult
ex·ult 
[ig zúlt] (past ex·ult·ed, past
participle ex·ult·ed, present participle ex·ult·ing, 3rd
person present singular ex·ults) intransitive verb

1.  be
very happy:
to be extremely happy or joyful about something • exulted
in his newfound freedom

2.  be
triumphant:
to be very happy or triumphant about something unpleasant that happens to
somebody else • The victors exulted
over their enemies’ annihilation.
[Late
16th century. Via French exulter from Latin exsultare, literally
“to keep leaping up,” from exsalire, literally “to leap out,” from salire
“to leap” (source of English salient
).]
—ex·ul·tance,
noun

—ex·ult·ing·ly, adverb[1]



exultant

exultant
ex·ul·tant 
[ig zúltənt] adjective

joyful:
extremely happy, joyful, or triumphant • an
exultant roar from the crowd
—ex·ul·tant·ly, adverb[1]



exultation

exultation
ex·ul·ta·tion 
[èksəl táysh’n, ègzəl
táysh’n] noun

great happiness:
a feeling or the expression of great happiness, triumph, or joy • jumping
in exultation at the news[1]



exurb

exurb
ex·urb 
[ék sùrb] (plural ex·urbs) noun

residential
area beyond suburbs: a prosperous residential
area outside a city, beyond the suburbs
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from exurban (from Latin ex “out of” + urbs
“city”) on the model of suburb .]
—ex·ur·ban [ek súrbən], adjective[1]



exurbanite

exurbanite
ex·ur·ban·ite 
[ek súrbə nt, eg
zúrbə nt] (plural ex·ur·ban·ites) noun

somebody living in exurb:
somebody who lives in a prosperous residential area outside a city, beyond the
suburbs[1]



exurbia

exurbia
ex·ur·bi·a 
[ek súrbee ə, eg
zúrbee ə] noun

residential
region beyond suburbs: the prosperous residential
area beyond the suburbs of a city
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ex- + -urbia, on the model of suburbia
.][1]



exuviae

exuviae
ex·u·vi·ae 
[ig zvee ] plural noun

shed
material:
a skin, shell, or other body covering cast off by an animal
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “things cast off,” formed from exuere “to divest
oneself of.”]
—ex·u·vi·al, adjective[1]



-ey

-ey
-ey
suffix

See
-y
[Variant][1]



eyas

eyas
ey·as 
[ əss] (plural ey·as·es) noun

young
hawk:
a young hawk or falcon, especially one bred for falconry
[15th century. Alteration of
obsolete nias, from French niais “bird taken from the nest,” from
Latin nidus “nest.” Initial “n” lost by misdivision (“an ias”), as in adder .][1]



Eyck,Jan van

Eyck,Jan van
Eyck
[īk], Jan van (1390?–1441)

Flemish painter. He painted
in vivid oil colors in a naturalistic style and is regarded as the greatest
Flemish artist of the 15th century.[1]



eye

eye

eye 
[ī] noun (plural eyes)

1.  ANATOMY organ
of vision:
the organ of sight or light sensitivity in vertebrates, usually occurring in
pairs. The eye is an approximately spherical organ with light-sensitive rod and
cone cells in the retina, which is responsible for converting light into
impulses that are transmitted to the brain for interpretation.

2.  visible
area of the eye: the externally visible part of the eye,
and the area of face around it, including the orbit, eyelid, and eyelashes

3.  power
of sight:
the ability to see (often used in the plural) • If
my eyes get any worse I’ll have to wear glasses.

4.  attention:
somebody’s attention or gaze • He
took his eye off the prisoners at the wrong moment.

5.  expression:
a look, or the facial expression of a person looking • She
looked me over with a cold eye.

6.  appreciation
of something: an ability to recognize and appreciate
something • He’s
got a good eye for spotting a talent.

7.  opinion:
a point of view or way of thinking • He can
do no wrong in her eyes.

8.  ZOOLOGY See eyespot  noun 2

9.  BOTANY new
shoot on potato: a dark round patch on a potato tuber,
from which a new shoot grows

10. SEWING hole
in needle:
a hole in the top of a needle for passing a thread through

11. CLOTHES loop
part of fastener: a loop, usually metal, into which a
small hook fits, used as a means of fastening two parts of a garment together

12. METEOROLOGY center
of a storm:
a calm area at the center of a storm

13. FOOD tasty
cut of meat: a choice central cut of meat
transitive verb
(past eyed, past participle eyed, present
participle eye·ing or ey·ing, 3rd person present
singular eyes)

look at something:
to look at something or somebody inquisitively • She
quickly eyed the building up and down.
[Old
English eage . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that produced the
word for “eye” in all Indo-European languages and is also the ancestor of
English atrocious, inoculate, and window
.]
close or shut your eyes to
something

to
ignore or overlook something obvious

cry your eyes out

to
cry bitterly

give somebody the eye

to
look at somebody in a way that signals sexual interest

keep your eye on the ball

1.  to
watch somebody or something closely

2.  to
take care of somebody or something, especially for a short time

turn a blind eye to something

to
pretend not to be aware of something

with an eye to something

having
something as a purpose or objective

with your eyes (wide) open

fully
aware of all that is involved in what you are doing

[1]



eyeball

eyeball
eye·ball 
[ bàwl] noun (plural eye·balls)

round
mass of the eye: the round mass of the eye within its
bony socket
transitive
verb
(past eye·balled, past participle eye·balled, present
participle eye·ball·ing, 3rd person present singular eye·balls)

stare at somebody:
to stare at somebody or something intently (informal)[1]



eyebank

eyebank
eye
bank
(plural eye banks) noun

storage place for corneas:
a place where human corneas taken from people who have recently died are stored
for use in corneal transplants[1]



eyebolt

eyebolt
eye·bolt 
[ blt] (plural eye·bolts) noun

bolt with ring at end:
a bolt with an eye or ring at the end instead of the usual head, used for
pulling, lifting, or fastening[1]



eyebright

eyebright
eye·bright 
[ brt] noun

flowering plant of snapdragon
family: a plant of the snapdragon
family with small white and purple flowers, used in the past for treating eye
diseases. Genus: Euphrasia[1]



eyebrow

eyebrow
eye·brow 
[ bròw] (plural eye·brows) noun

1.  hair
above eye socket: the arched line of hair above each eye
socket.
Also
called
brow

2.  bony
ridge above the eye: the upper bony ridge of the
eye socket. Technical name supraorbital ridge

[1]



eyebrowpencil

eyebrowpencil
eye·brow
pen·cil
(plural eye·brow pen·cils) noun

cosmetic for eyebrows:
a soft cosmetic pencil used to darken the eyebrows[1]



eyecandy

eyecandy
eye
can·dy
noun

something visually pleasing
but intellectually undemanding (slang)[1]



eye-catcher

eye-catcher
eye-catch·er
(plural eye-catch·ers) noun

somebody or something
striking: somebody who or something
that tends to attract people’s attention[1]



eye-catching

eye-catching
eye-catch·ing 
adjective

attracting attention:
that attracts people’s attention easily[1]



eyechart

eyechart
eye
chart
(plural eye charts) noun

printed sheet used in eye
tests: a sheet printed with
different sizes of letters, used to test eyesight[1]



eyecontact

eyecontact
eye
con·tact
noun

direct look into eyes:
the act of looking directly into the eyes of another person[1]



eyecup

eyecup
eye·cup 
[ kùp] (plural eye·cups) noun

small container for bathing
eye: a small container that fits
over the eye and is used to apply liquid medical treatment to it or cleanse it.

Also called
eyeglass
U.K. term
eyebath[1]



eyed

eyed
eyed 
[īd] adjective

having an eye or eyes:
having an eye or eyes, usually of a specified kind (usually used in
combination) • a
sharp-eyed observer • a
wide-eyed stare[1]



eyedialect

eyedialect
eye
di·a·lect
noun

phonetic spelling:
the use of spellings that represent the sound of dialectal or nonstandard
forms, for example, “enuff” or “wimmin”[1]



eyedrops

eyedrops
eye
drops
plural noun

liquid medication for the
eyes: liquid medication for the
eyes, usually applied with a dropper[1]



eyeful

eyeful
eye·ful 
[ fl] noun

1.  good
look:
a long steady look at something or somebody (informal) • Get
an eyeful of this!

2.  somebody
or something beautiful: somebody who or something
that is very beautiful, especially an attractive woman (slang offensive)

[1]



eyeglass

eyeglass
eye·glass 
[ glàss] noun (plural eye·glass·es)

1.  single
lens for correcting vision: a single framed lens for
correcting defective vision, for example, a monocle

2.  See
eyecup

3.  See
eyepiece
plural
noun
eye·glass·es

glasses: a
pair of glasses (formal)

[1]



eyehole

eyehole
eye·hole 
[ hl] (plural eye·holes) noun

See
peephole  noun 2[1]



eyehook

eyehook
eye·hook 
[ hk] (plural eye·hooks) noun

hook fixed to ring:
a hook that is fixed to a ring at the end of a rope or chain[1]



eyelash

eyelash
eye·lash 
[ làsh] (plural eye·lash·es) noun

1.  hair
at edge of eyelid: any of the short hairs that
grow out of the edge of the eyelid

2.  row
of hairs edging eyelid: the row of short hairs that
grow out of the edge of the eyelid

[1]



eyelet

eyelet
eye·let 
[lət] (plural eye·lets) noun

1.  hole
for cord:
a small hole, especially in fabric, for a lace or cord to be passed through

2.  metal
reinforcement for eyelet: a small ring of metal or
stiff fabric fixed to an eyelet to strengthen its edges

3.  ornamented
hole in embroidery: a small hole with ornamental
stitched edges in embroidered fabric

4.  See
peephole  noun 2
[14th century. Anglicization
of Old French oillet, literally “little eye,” from oil “eye,”
from Latin oculus .][1]



eyelid

eyelid
eye·lid
[ lìd] (plural eye·lids) noun

fold
of skin over eye: a protective fold of skin and muscle
that can be closed to cover the front of the eyeball
not
bat an eyelid

to show no sign of emotion,
especially of surprise or distress[1]



eyelift

eyelift
eye·lift 
[ lìft] (plural eye·lifts) noun

cosmetic surgery of eye area:
a surgical operation to improve the appearance of the area around the eyes, for
example by removing wrinkles[1]



eyeliner

eyeliner
eye·lin·er 
[ lnər] (plural eye·lin·ers)
noun

cosmetic around eyes:
a cosmetic worn along the edges of the eyelids to emphasize the eyes.
Also called
liner[1]



eyeopener

eyeopener
eye
o·pen·er
(plural eye o·pen·ers) noun

1.  something
surprising:
a surprising or revealing experience or piece of information

2.  morning
drink:
an alcoholic drink that is believed to help somebody to wake up, especially
first thing in the morning
—eye-o·pen·ing, adjective[1]



eyepatch

eyepatch
eye
patch
(plural eye patch·es) noun

covering worn over one eye:
a covering worn over one eye to protect it or as concealment[1]



eyepiece

eyepiece
eye·piece 
[ pss] (plural eye·piec·es) noun

lens:
the lens or group of lenses in an optical instrument on the side that the user
looks through.
Also called
eyeglass[1]



eye-popping

eye-popping
eye-pop·ping 
adjective

amazing:
so striking or unusual that eyes widen in amazement (informal) • an
eye-popping crimson dress
—eye-pop·per, noun[1]



eyerhyme

eyerhyme
eye
rhyme
(plural eye rhymes) noun

rhyme using words spelled the
same: the use of rhymes as words
that, because they are similarly spelled, look as if they rhyme but are in fact
pronounced differently, for example, “bough” and “enough.”
Also called
sight rhyme[1]



eyeshade

eyeshade
eye·shade 
[ shàyd] (plural eye·shades) noun

tinted visor:
a tinted or opaque visor worn around the head above the eyes to protect them
from glare[1]



eyeshadow

eyeshadow
eye
shad·ow
(plural eye shad·ows) noun

eye cosmetic:
a colored cosmetic for the area around the eyes, especially the eyelids[1]



eyeshot

eyeshot
eye·shot 
[ shòt] noun

range of vision:
the range over which the eye can see[1]



eyesight

eyesight
eye·sight 
[ st] noun

ability to see:
the power of sight[1]



eyesocket

eyesocket
eye
sock·et
(plural eye sock·ets) noun

area containing the eye:
either of the two bony recesses in the skull that contain the eyeballs[1]



eyes-only

eyes-only
eyes-on·ly 
adjective

for addressee only:
intended to be seen only by the person to whom it is addressed • an
eyes-only memo from the chief[1]



eyesore

eyesore
eye·sore 
[ sàwr] (plural eye·sores) noun

ugly sight:
an offensively ugly building or place • That
old office building is a real eyesore and ought to be pulled down.[1]



eyespot

eyespot
eye·spot 
[ spòt] (plural eye·spots) noun

1.  BIOLOGY light-sensitive
part:
a small pigmented area or organelle that is sensitive to light, found in some
algae and simple multicellular organisms, including some flatworms, and
jellyfish

2.  ZOOLOGY eye-shaped
marking:
a marking shaped like an eye, for example, on the wings of some butterflies or
on a peacock’s tail.
Also
called
eye

[1]



eyestalk

eyestalk
eye·stalk 
[ stàwk] (plural eye·stalks) noun

stalk with eye at tip:
a flexible stalk with a compound eye at the tip found in crustaceans and some
mollusks[1]



eyestrain

eyestrain
eye·strain 
[ stràyn] noun

tiredness or irritation in
the eyes: tiredness or irritation in
the eyes caused for example, by an uncorrected visual defect or by prolonged
close work. It is not recognized as a medical condition by ophthalmologists.[1]



eyetooth

eyetooth
eye·tooth 
[ tth] (plural eye·teeth [ tth]) noun

canine
tooth:
a canine tooth found on each side of the upper jaw
[From
its being directly below the eye]
give
your eyeteeth for something

to be prepared to do anything
to be able to do or have something[1]



eyewash

eyewash
eye·wash 
[ wòsh,  wàwsh]
noun

1.  cleansing
liquid:
a liquid used to cleanse or soothe the eyes

2.  nonsense:
pretentious nonsense that is intended to flatter or deceive (informal) • The
official version is just so much eyewash.

[1]



eyewear

eyewear
eye·wear 
[ wàir] noun

something worn over eyes:
something worn over the eyes to protect them or correct sight, for example,
glasses, goggles, or contact lenses[1]



eyewitness

eyewitness
eye·wit·ness 
[ī wítnəss] (plural eye·wit·ness·es)
noun

somebody seeing something
happen: somebody who sees something
happen and can give evidence about it[1]



eyra

eyra
ey·ra 
[áirə, áyrə]
(plural ey·ras) noun

jaguarundi:
a jaguarundi in its reddish-brown seasonal color phase. Latin name: Felis
yagouaroundi
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Tupi-Guarani (e)irára .][1]



Eyre,Lake

Eyre,Lake
Eyre,
Lake
[air]

the largest salt lake in
Australia, located in central South Australia. Area: 9,475 sq km/3,658 sq mi.[1]



EyrePeninsula

EyrePeninsula
Eyre
Penin·sula

peninsula in southern South
Australia that separates the Great Australian Bight from the Spencer Gulf[1]



eyrie

eyrie
ey·rie
[áiree, ree]
(plural ey·ries) noun

U.K.
brood
of bird of prey: the brood of a bird of prey
[15th century. From medieval
Latin aeria, which probably came via Old French aire from Latin area
“level ground, garden bed,” later “bird of prey’s nest” (source of English area ). The spelling “eyrie” was introduced in
the 17th century in the mistaken belief that the word was derived from Middle
English ey(e) “egg.”][1]



eyrie

eyrie
ey·rie 
noun

See
aerie[1]



eyrir

eyrir
ey·rir 
[áy rr] (plural au·rar [ṓ rr]) noun

1.  minor
unit of Icelandic currency: a minor unit of currency in
Iceland, 100 of which are worth a krona

2.  coin
worth an eyrir: a coin with a value of one eyrir
[Early 20th century. From
Icelandic, probably ultimately from Latin aureus “gold coin.”][1]



eyry

eyry
eyr·y 
noun

See
aerie[1]



Eysenck,H. J.

Eysenck,H. J.
Eys·enck
[ zèngk], H. J. (1916–1997)

German-born British
psychologist. He was an authority on personality studies and contributed to the
controversial area of the links between genetics and intelligence.[1]



Ez.

Ez.
Ez.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Ezra[1]



EZ

EZ
EZ
[zee] or E-Z [zee]

Abbreviation of
easy[1]



Ezek.

Ezek.
Ezek.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Ezekiel[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ezekiel

Ezekiel
E·ze·ki·el 
[i zkee əl] noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
a Hebrew priest and prophet who lived in the 6th century BC. As the Jews’ spiritual leader during
the Babylonian captivity, he foretold the creation of a Jewish nation.

2.  book
of Bible:
the book of the Bible that tells the story of the Jews’ exile in Babylon in the
6th century BC. It is
traditionally attributed to Ezekiel and contains his prophecies of the
destruction and subsequent rebuilding of Jerusalem and Judah.

[1]



e-zine

e-zine
e-zine
[ zn] (plural e-zines) noun

Web
site with magazine layout: a Web site with contents and
layout modeled on those of a print magazine. Some more ambitious e-zines charge
a subscription fee but many are devoted to a specific topic or field and are
distributed free to their readership.
[From e(lectronic)
(maga)zine][1]



Ezr.

Ezr.
Ezr.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Ezra[1]



Ezra

Ezra
Ez·ra 
[ézrə] noun

1.  Hebrew
priest:
a Hebrew high priest who lived in the 5th century BC . He led the Jews back to Jerusalem from their exile in
Babylon and founded a Jewish nation.

2.  book
of Bible:
the book of the Bible that tells the story of the rebuilding of the Jewish
state in Palestine 536–432 BC
after the Babylonian captivity. It is traditionally attributed to the prophet
Ezra.

[1]



e’en

e’en
e’en 
[een] noun

evening
(literary)
adverb

even (literary)[1]



e’er

e’er
e’er 
[air] adverb

ever:
ever (literary)
[Late 16th century.
Contraction.][1]



F-

F-
F-

Abbreviation of
fighter (plane)[1]



f

f2
f2

1.  OPTICS Symbol for f-number

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for focal length

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for frequency  noun 4

4.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for function

5.  Symbol
for
femto-

6.  CHESS Symbol for the sixth
vertical row of squares from the left on a chessboard

7.  PHYSICS Symbol for force

[1]



f

f3
f3

1.  Abbreviation
of
Fahrenheit

2.  Abbreviation
of
fluorine

3.  Abbreviation
of
franc

4.  MUSIC Abbreviation of forte

[1]



f/

f/
f/

PHOTOGRAPHY
Symbol for f-number[1]



F.

F.
F.

1.  Abbreviation
of
fathom

2.  Abbreviation
of
February

3.  Abbreviation
of
female

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of feminine

5.  METALLURGY Abbreviation of
fine

6.  Abbreviation
of
folio

7.  Abbreviation
of
Friday

[1]



F

F
F
(plural Fs or F’s) noun

1.  4th
note of scale in C: the 4th note of a scale in C
major

2.  something
that produces F: a string, key, or pipe tuned to produce
the note F

3.  scale
beginning on F: a scale or key that starts on the note F

4.  written
symbol for F: a graphic representation of the tone of
F

[1]



f.

f.
f.

1.  Abbreviation
of
following (page)

2.  Abbreviation
of
folio

3.  SPORTS Abbreviation of foul

[1]



f

f1

f1 [ef]
(plural f’s) or F [ef]
(plural F’s) noun

1.  6th
letter of English alphabet: the sixth letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “F”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “F”

3.        letter
“F” written: a written
representation of the letter “F”[1]



F2F

F2F
F2F

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of face-to-face[1]



f.a.

f.a.
f.a.

Abbreviation of
fire alarm[1]



FA

FA1
FA1

1.  Abbreviation
of
Football Association

2.  Abbreviation
of
field artillery

3.  Abbreviation
of
financial adviser

4.  Abbreviation
of
freight agent

[1]



FA

FA2
FA2 or F.A.

Abbreviation of
fine art[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fa

fa
fa 
[faa] noun

syllable used in singing:
a syllable that represents the fourth note in a scale, used for singing
solfege. In fixed solfege it represents the note C, while in solfege with
movable do it is used to represent the tonic of the key being sung.[1]



faa

faa
faa
or f.a.a.

INSURANCE
SHIPPING Abbreviation of
free of all average[1]



FAA

FAA
FAA

Abbreviation of
Federal Aviation Administration[1]



fab

fab
fab
[fab] adjective

fabulous:
fabulous (dated informal) • It was
a fab party!
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Fabergé,Peter Carl

Fabergé,Peter Carl
Fa·ber·gé 
[fàbber zháy], Peter Carl (1846–1920)

Russian
goldsmith and jeweler. He designed and produced highly decorative gifts,
notably gold-and-enamel Easter eggs, for European royalty.
Born
Fabergé, Karl Gustavovich[1]



Fabian

Fabian
Fa·bi·an 
[fáybee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Fabian Society: relating to, belonging to,
or typical of the Fabian Society

2.  cautious:
cautious, using delay, or avoiding direct confrontation
noun
(plural Fa·bi·ans)

member of Fabian Society:
a member of the Fabian Society, or somebody who sympathizes with its political
principles
[Late 16th century. From
Latin Fabianus “of Fabius”; from the cautious tactics of the Roman
general Quintus Fabius Maximus.][1]



Fabianism

Fabianism
Fa·bi·an·ism
[fáybee ə nìzzəm] noun

Fabian
beliefs:
the beliefs or tactics of the Fabian Society
—Fa·bi·an·ist, noun[1]



FabianSociety

FabianSociety
Fa·bi·an
So·ci·e·ty
noun

socialist organization:
a political organization founded in Britain in 1884 with the aim of bringing
about socialism by gradual and lawful means rather than by revolution[1]



FabiusMaximus, Quintus

FabiusMaximus, Quintus
Fa·bi·us
Max·i·mus 
[fàybee əss máksiməss], Quintus (?–203 BC)

Roman
commander and statesman. As a result of his delaying tactics, Rome countered
the invasion of Hannibal during the Second Punic War.
Full name
Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, Quintus Known as Fabius Cunctator (the
"Delayer")[1]



fable

fable
fa·ble 
[fáyb’l] noun (plural fa·bles)

1.  story
that teaches a lesson: a short story with a moral,
especially one in which the characters are animals

2.  legend:
a story about supernatural, mythological, or legendary characters and events

3.  false
account:
a false or improbable account of something • His
version of events turned out to be a complete fable.

4.  myths
and legends: myths and legends collectively • a
character out of fable
transitive
verb
(past fa·bled, past participle fa·bled, present participle
fa·bling, 3rd person present singular fa·bles)

tell in fable:
to tell the story of or describe something in a fable or similar type of
fictional work (usually passive) • Cerberus,
the three-headed dog fabled to guard the entrance to the underworld
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin fabula “story,” from fari “to
speak.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced English affable, fairy,
and profess . Originally “falsehood,
pretense.”]
—fa·bler,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Fables,
  a collection of stories attributed to Greek writer Aesop ( ?6th century BC ). Many of the tales feature
  animals as characters and each one illustrates a specific moral.
  Traditionally said to be the origin of the literary fable (although earlier
  examples have been found), they were used by the ancient Greeks for both
  educational and rhetorical purposes.

[1]



fabled

fabled
fa·bled 
[fáybəld] adjective

1.  legendary:
famous from being described or recounted in legends

2.  fictitious:
made-up or fictitious

[1]



fabliau

fabliau
fab·li·au 
[fáblee ] (plural fab·li·aux
[fábleez]) noun

comic
verse:
a comic and often bawdy story in verse, especially of a kind popular in 12th-
and 13th-century France
[Early 19th century. From
French, from the plural of Old French fablel, literally “little story,”
from fable (see fable ).][1]



fabric

fabric
fab·ric 
[fábbrik] (plural fab·rics) noun

1.  cloth:
cloth of any type made from thread or fibers, whether woven, knitted, or felted

2.  texture:
the particular texture or quality of a kind of cloth

3.  substance:
the fundamental structure or makeup of something • the
fabric of her being

4.  BUILDING structural
material:
the material from which something is constructed, especially a building, or the
physical structure of something • Has
there been any damage to the actual fabric of the church?

5.  GEOLOGY rock
composition: the texture of a rock with respect to
its macroscopic and microscopic arrangement of minerals and particles
[15th century. Via Old French
fabrique from Latin fabrica “trade, manufactured object,
workshop,” from faber “worker in metal or stone, artisan.” The meaning
“(manufactured) cloth” developed in the late 18th century.][1]



fabricate

fabricate
fab·ri·cate 
[fábbri kàyt] (past fab·ri·cat·ed,
past participle fab·ri·cat·ed, present participle fab·ri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular fab·ri·cates) transitive verb

1.  construct:
to make something from different parts

2.  invent:
to make up something that is not true • The
evidence against him has been fabricated.

3.  forge:
to make a fraudulent imitation of a signature or document
[15th
century. From Latin fabricat-, the past participle of fabricare
“to make” (source also of English forge
), from fabrica (see fabric ).]
—fab·ri·ca·tor, noun[1]



fabrication

fabrication
fab·ri·ca·tion
[fàbbri káysh’n] (plural fab·ri·ca·tions)
noun

1.  act
of making:
the construction of something, or something that has been constructed or made

2.  concocting
lies:
the invention of something that is not true • engaged
in the fabrication of stories to discredit him

3.  untruth:
something that is not true but has been made up • This
story is a mere fabrication.

4.  counterfeit:
a fraudulent imitation of a signature or document

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lie

[1]



fabulist

fabulist
fab·u·list 
[fábbyəlist] (plural fab·u·lists)
noun

1.  fable
writer:
somebody who composes or recites fables

2.  liar:
somebody who tells fanciful lies

[1]



fabulous

fabulous
fab·u·lous 
[fábbyələss] adjective

1.  excellent:
extremely good, pleasant, or enjoyable (informal)

2.  amazing:
amazingly or almost unbelievably great or wonderful

3.  typical
of a fable:
existing only in, described in, or typical of myths and legends
[15th
century. Directly or via French fabuleux from Latin fabulosus
“celebrated in fable,” from fabula (see fable
). The meaning “extremely good” developed in the mid-20th century.]
—fab·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—fab·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



Fac.

Fac.
Fac.

Abbreviation of
Faculty[1]



fac.

fac.
fac.

1.  Abbreviation
of
facsimile

2.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
factor

3.  Abbreviation
of
factory

[1]



face

face
face 
[fayss] noun (plural fac·es)

1.  front
of head:
the front of the human head, where the eyes, nose, mouth, chin, cheeks, and
forehead are

2.  person:
a person being looked at (informal) • It’s
nice to see so many familiar faces here today.

3.  countenance:
a facial expression or look of a specified kind • Why
the long face?

4.  unpleasant
facial expression: an expression in which the
face is distorted, for example, to show distaste or as a way of being rude to
somebody • The
children made faces at him behind his back.

5.  way
something looks: the general or outward appearance of
something • The
arrival of the automobile changed the face of the modern city.

6.  false
appearance:
an outward appearance that does not show the true nature of somebody’s feelings
or situation or is intended to deceive • Even
after a third defeat he was still putting on a brave face.

7.  reputation:
personal prestige, or the respect accorded to somebody by others • a
way of enabling her to back down without losing face

8.  boldness:
impudence or self-assurance (informal) • How
can he have the face to come back here after what he said?

9.  face
makeup:
makeup for the face (informal)

10. GEOMETRY surface
of object:
a plane surface or side of a three-dimensional object, for example, a geometric
figure, or gem, that is presented towards a particular direction • A
cube has six faces.

11. outside
of building: the exterior of the front or side of a
large building • the evening sun shining
on the west face

12. GEOGRAPHY side
of cliff:
the steep exposed side of a cliff

13. GEOGRAPHY side
of mountain: any of the steep sides of a mountain,
usually specified according to its orientation • the
north face of Mt. Rainier

14. MINING working
area in a mine: an area in a mine from which a mineral
such as coal is being extracted

15. PRINTING typeface:
a typeface, or the area of a printing character that actually prints

16. dial
on clock or instrument: the surface of a timepiece
or similar instrument that displays the time or other data

17. CARD GAMES side
of card showing value: the side of a playing card
that is marked with numbers and symbols

18. functional
side of an implement: the side of something such
as a tool or golf club that is most important in carrying out its function

19. COINS side
of coin:
either surface of a coin, especially one with somebody’s head on it
verb
(past faced, past participle faced, present
participle fac·ing, 3rd person present singular fac·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
toward somebody or something: to be positioned or turn so
that the face or front side is directed a particular way or toward something or
somebody • The
largest bedroom faces south.

2.  transitive
verb
be
looking at somebody or something: to be in a position
opposite somebody or something • The
boys faced each other.

3.  transitive
verb
come
up against somebody or something: to meet or confront
somebody or something directly and bravely • Their
retreat was cut off and they had no choice but to stand and face the enemy.

4.  transitive
verb
accept
the facts:
to accept the reality of a difficult or unpleasant situation • Let’s
face it, our chances of being on time are slim.

5.  transitive
verb
have
to contend with something: to have to deal with or
undergo something unpleasant or difficult • She
was faced with the task of breaking the news to her family.

6.  transitive
verb
be
encountered by somebody: to be met and overcome by
somebody • the
difficulties facing the new administration

7.  transitive
verb
expect
something bad: to have the prospect of experiencing
something unpleasant, usually within a short period of time • They
face ruin if the bank calls in the loan.

8.  transitive
verb
line
or decorate something: to line or trim the edge of
something with a contrasting material • The
cuffs were faced with velvet.

9.  transitive
verb
smooth:
to put a smooth surface on a piece of stone

10. intransitive
and transitive verb order
troops to turn: to order troops to turn in a specified
direction, or to turn in a specified direction when ordered to do so • The
captain ordered her troops to face left.
[13th
century. Via French (source also of English façade
and facet ) from Latin facies
“appearance, aspect, form,” hence “face.”]
—face·a·ble,
adjective
face
to face

1.  in
the actual presence of another person

2.  in
direct contact with, or having first-hand knowledge of, an unpleasant fact or
situation

fly
in the face of

to
defy something deliberately or recklessly

have
a long face

to
look miserable or disappointed

in
(the) face of something

when
confronted by or in spite of something (slang)

set
your face against something

to
oppose something with determination • He
won’t dare show his face at her house again after her brother threw him out.

show
your face somewhere or at something

to
put in an appearance somewhere





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin word facies from which face
  is derived is also the source of English façade,
  facet, superficial,
  and surface.

[1]



faceangle

faceangle
face
an·gle
(plural face an·gles) noun

angle in polyhedron:
an angle between two flat surfaces on a polyhedron[1]



facecard

facecard
face
card
(plural face cards) noun

king, queen, or jack:
a king, queen, or jack in a deck of cards.
Also called
picture card
U.K. term
court card[1]



face-centered

face-centered
face-cen·tered
adjective

describing a specific crystal
lattice: used to describe a crystal
lattice with an atom in the center of each unit cell face as well as at the
corners[1]



facecloth

facecloth
face·cloth
[fáyss klòth] (plural face·cloths)
noun

See
washcloth[1]



-faced

-faced
-faced
suffix

1.  with
so many faces: having a specified number of faces

2.  with
a certain kind of face: having a face of a specified
kind

[1]



facedown

facedown
face
down
transitive verb

confront:
to prevail against somebody in a direct confrontation[1]



facedown

facedown
face·down 
[fáyss dòwn] (plural face·downs)
noun

confrontation:
a determined confrontation between two adversaries[1]



faceless

faceless
face·less
[fáyssləss] adjective

anonymous
and characterless: lacking character or
distinction as an individual
—face·less·ly,
adverb

—face·less·ness, noun[1]



face-lift

face-lift
face-lift 
(plural face-lifts) noun

1.  SURGERY cosmetic
surgery of the face: a surgical operation in
which the skin of the face is pulled back and up to tighten it and remove
wrinkles. Technical name rhytidectomy

2.  sprucing
up:
a renovation or refurbishment of something for example, an area or a building • The
whole harbor area could use a face-lift.

[1]



facemask

facemask
face
mask
(plural face masks) noun

covering for face:
a covering for the whole head or the face alone, used either to protect or to
disguise the face[1]



faceoff

faceoff
face
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS begin play:
to start or restart play in ice hockey, lacrosse, and other sports by dropping
the puck or ball between two opposing players

2.  intransitive
verb
confront
somebody:
to confront each other, or confront somebody (informal)

[1]



face-off

face-off
face-off 
(plural face-offs) noun

1.  SPORTS beginning
of play:
a start or restart of play in ice hockey, lacrosse, and other sports in which
the referee drops the puck or ball between two opposing players

2.  confrontation:
a direct conflict

[1]



facepack

facepack
face
pack
(plural face packs) noun

cosmetic preparation for
cleansing pores: a cosmetic preparation
that cleanses the pores of the face and removes dead layers of skin[1]



faceplate

faceplate
face·plate 
[fáyss plàyt] (plural face·plates)
noun

1.  ENGINEERING part
of a lathe:
a perforated metal disk at the end of the spindle or headstock of a lathe for
holding a workpiece in place

2.  see-through
part of headgear: the transparent part of a piece of
protective headgear that protects the face while allowing the wearer to see

3.  front
of a cathode-ray tube: the front of a cathode-ray
tube, on which an image is seen

[1]



facepowder

facepowder
face
pow·der
(plural face pow·ders) noun

cosmetic powder:
a flesh-colored cosmetic powder applied to the face to make it look smoother or
less shiny[1]



facer

facer
fac·er 
[fáyssər] (plural fac·ers) noun

1.  lathe
tool:
a lathe tool used to smooth a surface

2.  U.K.
something
astonishing: something that is astonishing or very
difficult to deal with (dated informal) • This
latest development is a facer, and no mistake!

[1]



face-saving

face-saving
face-sav·ing
adjective

maintaining
somebody’s reputation: intended to preserve
somebody’s reputation and dignity • find a
face-saving compromise
—face-sav·er, noun[1]



facet

facet
fac·et 
[fássət] noun (plural fac·ets)

1.  an
aspect of something: any one of the several parts
or possible aspects of something

2.  face
of a gemstone: any of the faces of a cut gemstone

3.  ZOOLOGY INSECTS part of insect eye:
any of the separate lens segments in the compound eye of an insect or other
arthropod

4.  ANATOMY flat
area:
any smooth flat area on a hard surface such as a bone or a tooth
transitive
verb
(past fac·et·ed or fac·et·ted, past participle
fac·et·ed or fac·et·ted, present participle fa·cet·ing
or fa·cet·ting, 3rd person present singular fac·ets)

cut facets in something:
to cut facets in something, especially a precious stone such as a diamond
[Early 17th century. From
French facette, literally “little face,” from face (see face ).][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








facetiae

facetiae
fa·ce·ti·ae 
plural noun

witty
remarks:
witty or humorous remarks (literary)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin facetiae “jokes,” the plural of facetia (see facetious ).][1]



facetime

facetime
face
time
noun

1.  COMPUTING time
spent face-to-face: time spent dealing
face-to-face with other people (informal) • The
schedule calls for the weekly e-mail reports as well as some actual face time
between team members.

2.  time
spent on television: the amount of time that
somebody spends appearing on television • We
need more face time to sway public opinion on this issue.

3.  extra
time at place of employment: the amount of time somebody
spends at his or her place of employment, especially beyond normal working
hours • What
is she trying to prove with all this face time?

[1]



facetious

facetious
fa·ce·tious 
[fə sshəss] adjective

1.  supposed
to be funny: intended to be humorous but often silly
or inappropriate

2.  not
in earnest:
not to be taken seriously • a
facetious suggestion
[Late
16th century. From French facétieux, from facétie “joke,” from
Latin facetia, from facetus “graceful, witty.”]
—fa·ce·tious·ly,
adverb

—fa·ce·tious·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



face-to-face

face-to-face
face-to-face
adjective adverb

1.  in
each other’s presence: in the physical presence of
somebody else (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

2.  head-on:
in direct contact or confrontation • We
came face-to-face with the situation.

[1]



faceup to

faceup to
face
up to
transitive verb

1.  accept:
to accept having to deal with something unpleasant

2.  confront:
to confront somebody or something bravely

[1]



facevalue

facevalue
face
val·ue
(plural face val·ues) noun

1.  stated
value:
the value that is stated on something, especially a note, coin, or stamp

2.  seeming
worth:
what something seems to mean or be worth, which may be better than its true
worth or meaning • We’d be unwise to
accept his promises at face value.

[1]



Facey,Albert Barnett

Facey,Albert Barnett
Fa·cey
[fáyssee], Albert Barnett (1894–1982)

Australian writer. He is the
author of A Fortunate Life ( 1981 ), his autobiography.[1]



facial

facial
fa·cial 
[fáysh’l] adjective

on
the face:
relating to the face • an
unhappy facial expression
noun
(plural fa·cials)

beauty
treatment for face: a beauty treatment for the
face, usually consisting of a facial massage followed by cleansing and makeup
—fa·cial·ly, adverb[1]



facialnerve

facialnerve
fa·cial
nerve
(plural fa·cial nerves) noun

cranial nerve controlling
face muscles: a nerve of the seventh
cranial pair that controls the muscles of the face and jaw, and the sensory
abilities of the palate, front of the tongue, and nose[1]



-facient

-facient
-facient
suffix

making:
causing or making something
[From Latin facient-,
the present participle stem of facere “to do, make”][1]



facies

facies
fa·ci·es 
[fáyshee z, fáysheez]
(plural fa·ci·es) noun

1.  BIOLOGY general
appearance:
the general characteristic appearance of something for example, a plant or
animal species

2.  GEOLOGY rock
features indicating formation: the combined physical
and chemical features of a rock that indicate the manner of its formation or
deposition

3.  MEDICINE facial
appearance linked to disease: the appearance of somebody’s
face as a characteristic of a particular disease or condition
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “face” (see face ).][1]



facile

facile
fac·ile 
[fáss’l] adjective

1.  easy
to do:
requiring little effort

2.  fluent
but insincere: produced, spoken, or speaking so
fluently and easily as to seem insincere or superficial

3.  superficial:
made or arrived at without any serious thought or depth of feeling and
therefore of little value or significance

4.  working
easily:
working or acting smoothly and easily
[15th
century. Via French, “easy,” from Latin facilis “easy to do, pliant,
courteous,” from facere “to do, make.”]
—fac·ile·ly,
adverb

—fac·ile·ness, noun[1]



facileprinceps

facileprinceps
fac·il·e
prin·ceps
noun

obvious
leader:
somebody who is the obvious leader of a group (literary)
[From Latin, literally
“easily first”][1]



facilitate

facilitate
fa·cil·i·tate 
[fə sílli tàyt] (past fa·cil·i·tat·ed,
past participle fa·cil·i·tat·ed, present participle fa·cil·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular fa·cil·i·tates) transitive verb

simplify
a process:
to make something easy or easier to do
[Early
17th century. Via French faciliter from Italian facilitare “to
make easy,” from facile “easy,” from Latin facilis (see facile ).]
—fa·cil·i·ta·tive, adjective[1]



facilitation

facilitation
fa·cil·i·ta·tion 
[fə sìlli táysh’n] noun

1.  simplification:
the process of making something easy or easier

2.  MEDICINE easing
of nerve transmission: a decrease in the resistance
to a nerve impulse in a neural pathway, brought about by prior or repeated
stimulation

[1]



facilitator

facilitator
fa·cil·i·ta·tor 
[fə sílli tàytər] (plural fa·cil·i·ta·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
enabling something to happen: somebody who aids or assists
in a process, especially by encouraging people to find their own solutions to
problems or tasks

2.  meeting
organizer:
somebody who organizes and provides the services for a meeting, seminar, or
other event

[1]



facility

facility
fa·cil·i·ty 
[fə síllətee] noun (plural fa·cil·i·ties)

1.  skill:
an ability to do something easily

2.  effortlessness:
ease in doing something or in being done

3.  something
with a function: something designed or created to provide
a service or fulfill a need (often used in the plural) • A
wide range of facilities is available at the sports center, including a weight
room and saunas.
plural
noun
fa·cil·i·ties

toilet: a
toilet

[1]



facing

facing
fac·ing 
[fáyssing] noun (plural fac·ings)

1.  CLOTHES lining
that finishes edge: a lining that finishes the
edge of something, especially a piece of fabric sewn and turned in on a garment
to finish the edges neatly

2.  CLOTHES protective
or decorative covering: material, or a piece of it,
applied to part of an item of clothing for decoration or protection

3.  BUILDING wall
surface:
a layer of material that covers the outer surface of a wall, applied for
decoration or protection
plural
noun
fac·ings

CLOTHES cuffs
and collar of jacket: contrasting coverings on the
cuffs and collar of a jacket, especially a military jacket

[1]



-facing

-facing
-facing
suffix

that faces somewhere:
pointing in the specified direction[1]



fack

fack
fack
[fak] (past facked, past
participle facked, present participle fack·ing, 3rd
person present singular facks) intransitive verb

speak
truth:
to speak truthfully about something (slang)
[Alteration of fact][1]



FACP

FACP
FACP
or F.A.C.P.

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the American College of Physicians[1]



FACS

FACS
FACS
FACS F.A.C.S.

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons[1]



facsimile

facsimile
fac·sim·i·le 
[fak símməlee] noun (plural fac·sim·i·les)

1.  copy
of something: an exact copy of something, for example,
a document, a coin, or somebody’s handwriting

2.  fax:
a fax
transitive
verb
(past fac·sim·i·led, past participle fac·sim·i·led,
present participle fac·sim·il·ing, 3rd person present singular
fac·sim·i·les)

make copy of something:
to make an exact copy or reproduction of something
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin facere “to do, make” + simile, “similar.”][1]



fact

fact
fact 
[fakt] (plural facts) noun

1.  something
known to be true: something that can be shown to be true,
to exist, or to have happened

2.  truth
or reality of something: the truth or actual
existence of something, as opposed to the supposition of something or a belief
about something

3.  piece
of information: a piece of information such as a
statistic or a statement of the truth

4.  LAW actual
course of events: the circumstances of an event, motion,
occurrence, or state of affairs, rather than an interpretation of its
significance • Matters
of fact are issues for a jury, while matters of law are issues for the court.

5.  LAW something
based on evidence: something that is based on
or concerned with the evidence presented in a legal case
[15th
century. From Latin factum “deed,” from the past participle of facere
“to do.”]
after
the fact

after
something, especially a criminal act, has been done

before
the fact

before
something, especially a criminal act, has been done

in
(point of) fact

in
truth or reality





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word facere from which fact
  is derived is also the source of English difficult,
  effect, factor,
  fashion, feasible, feat,
  feature, and fetish.

[1]



fact-finding

fact-finding
fact-find·ing 
adjective

for gathering information:
intended to find out information about something
noun

1.  gathering
information: activity that is intended to find out
information about something

2.  (plural
fam·i·ly courts) LAW family-court
trial:
a trial in a family court
—fact-find·er, noun[1]



facticity

facticity
fac·tic·i·ty 
[fak tíssətee] noun

reality:
the reality, truth, or truthfulness of something (formal)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from fact .][1]



faction

faction1
fac·tion1 [fákshən]
(plural fac·tions) noun

1.  dissenting
minority within larger group: a group that is a minority
within a larger group and has specific interests or beliefs that are not always
in harmony with the larger group

2.  conflict
within group: conflict or dissension within a group
[15th
century. Via French from Latin faction-, literally “act of making,” from
fact-, past participle stem of facere (see fact ).]
—fac·tion·al,
adjective

—fac·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



faction

faction2
fac·tion2 [fákshən]
(plural fac·tions) noun

1.  technique
of dramatizing history: a type of writing or
filmmaking that portrays real people or events by dramatizing the facts using
the techniques of fiction

2.  dramatized
work based on real life: a piece of writing, a movie,
or a television program that portrays real people or events in a dramatized way
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of fact and fiction .]
—fac·tion·al, adjective[1]



-faction

-faction
-faction
suffix

making,
producing • rarefaction
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin facere “to do, make” (see fact
)][1]



factionalism

factionalism
fac·tion·al·ism 
[fákshənə lìzzəm] noun

existence
of factions: the existence of or conflict between
groups within a larger group
—fac·tion·al·ist, noun[1]



factionalize

factionalize
fac·tion·al·ize 
[fákshənə lz] (past fac·tion·al·ized,
past participle fac·tion·al·ized, present participle fac·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fac·tion·al·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

split into factions:
to split, or cause something to split, into factions[1]



factious

factious
fac·tious 
[fákshəss] adjective

causing
internal conflict: liable to cause, taking part
in, or typical of conflict within a group
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French factieux from Latin factiosus,
from faction- (see faction 1 ).]
—fac·tious·ly,
adverb

—fac·tious·ness, noun[1]



factitious

factitious
fac·ti·tious 
[fak tíshəss] adjective

1.  insincere:
contrived and insincere rather than genuine

2.  artificial:
not real or natural but artificial or invented (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, from faction- (see faction 1 ).]
—fac·ti·tious·ly,
adverb

—fac·ti·tious·ness, noun[1]



factitive

factitive
fac·ti·tive 
[fáktitiv] adjective

taking
both direct object and complement: used to describe a
verb that takes a direct object and a complement. An example is “appoint” in
“They appointed her Head of Department” where “her” is the direct object and
“Head of Department” is a noun complement.
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin factitivus, from factitare “to frequent.”]
—fac·ti·tive·ly, adverb[1]



factof life

factof life
fact
of life
noun (plural facts of life)

unavoidable
truth:
an unavoidable truth, especially an unpleasant one
plural
noun
facts of life

sex education:
basic information on sexual matters and reproduction[1]



factoid

factoid
fac·toid 
[fák tòyd] (plural fac·toids) noun

1.  unreliable
information: something that may not be true but is
widely accepted as true because it is repeatedly quoted, especially in the
media

2.  single
fact:
a small and often unimportant bit of information

[1]



factor

factor
fac·tor 
[fáktər] noun (plural fac·tors)

1.  influence:
something that contributes to or has an influence on the result of something • Access
to emergency exits is an important factor when planning the layout of a public
building.

2.  level:
a quantity or level of something

3.  MATHEMATICS quantity
multiplied with others: one of two or more numbers
or quantities that can be multiplied together to give a specified number or
quantity • 3
and 5 are factors of 15.

4.  amount
by which something is multiplied: an amount by which
something is multiplied to give a specific result • The
number of visitors to the museum has increased by a factor of three.

5.  BUSINESS somebody
trading for commission: a person who or organization
that buys and sells goods for a commission

6.  BUSINESS business
agent:
somebody who or an organization that carries out business for another

7.  FINANCE financing
company:
a business that makes loans to other businesses on the security of their
accounts receivable, or that buys their accounts receivable at a discounted
price

8.  BIOCHEMISTRY biological
substance:
a biological substance that promotes a physiological process, for example,
blood clotting.
See
also
factor VIII
verb
(past fac·tored, past participle fac·tored, present
participle fac·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular fac·tors)

1.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS work
out factors: to calculate the factors of a given
number or expression

2.  intransitive
verb
BUSINESS act
as factor:
to work as a factor
[15th
century. Via French from Latin, from fact-, past participle stem of facere
(see fact ).]
—fac·tor·a·bil·i·ty
[fàktərə bíllətee], noun

—fac·tor·a·ble [fáktərəb’l], adjective[1]



factorage

factorage
fac·tor·age 
[fáktərij] noun

1.  money
charged by factor: the fees or commission
charged by a factor

2.  work
of a factor: the business of working as a factor

[1]



factoranalysis

factoranalysis
fac·tor
a·nal·y·sis
noun

statistical technique:
a statistical technique used to determine the relative strength of various
influences on an outcome[1]



factorial

factorial
fac·to·ri·al 
[fak táwree əl] noun (plural fac·to·ri·als)

product of multiplication:
the number resulting from multiplying a whole number by every whole number
between itself and 1 inclusive. 6 factorial, or 6!, is 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 =
720. Symbol !
adjective

1.  relating
to factorial: relating to or involving a factorial

2.  BUSINESS involving
factor:
involving or typical of a commercial factor or the work of such a factor
—fac·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



factorin

factorin
factor
in
transitive verb

take something into account:
to include or consider something as contributing to or influencing something
else, for example, when making a decision[1]



factoring

factoring
fac·tor·ing
[fáktəring] noun

buying of debts:
the business of buying debts at a discount so as to make a profit from
collecting them[1]



factorize

factorize
fac·tor·ize 
[fáktə rz] (past fac·tor·ized,
past participle fac·tor·ized, present participle fac·tor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fac·tor·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

See
factor
—fac·tor·i·za·tion [fàktəri záysh’n], noun[1]



factorship

factorship
fac·tor·ship
[fáktər shìp] (plural fac·tor·ships)
noun

position as commercial
factor: the position or business of
being a factor for another person or business[1]



factorVIII

factorVIII
fac·tor
VIII
noun

substance needed for blood
clotting: a protein substance, one of
a number that promote clotting of blood. Its inherited absence causes
hemophilia.[1]



factory

factory
fac·to·ry 
[fáktəree] (plural fac·to·ries)
noun

1.  building
where goods are manufactured: a building or complex of
buildings where goods are manufactured on a large scale, for example, an
automobile assembly plant (often used before a noun) • a
factory worker

2.  productive
place:
a place where a lot of things of a particular kind are produced (informal)
• As
far as popular music was concerned, it was a hit factory.

3.  COMMERCE place
abroad where agents did business: in the past, a place
where business was carried out abroad by commercial agents ( factors ), especially a trading station

[1]



factoryfarm

factoryfarm
fac·to·ry
farm
(plural fac·to·ry farms) noun

farm
using intensive methods: a farm where animals are
raised by intensive methods and on a large scale using modern industrial
equipment
—fac·to·ry farm·ing, noun[1]



factoryfloor

factoryfloor
fac·to·ry
floor
(plural fac·to·ry floors) noun

See
shop floor  noun 1[1]



factoryship

factoryship
fac·to·ry
ship
(plural fac·to·ry ships) noun

fishing vessel that processes
catch: a large fishing vessel
equipped to process and freeze its own catch, or a whole fleet’s catch, of fish
or whales[1]



factotum

factotum
fac·to·tum 
[fak tṓtəm] (plural fac·to·tums)
noun

somebody
who does many jobs: somebody employed to do a
variety of jobs for somebody else
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “do everything!”, from fac “do!”, imperative of facere
(see fact ), + totum “all” (source of
English total ).][1]



factual

factual
fac·tu·al 
[fák choo əl, fákchəl]
adjective

1.  containing
facts:
involving, containing, or based on facts

2.  truthful:
consisting of the truth, or including only those things that are real or actual
[Mid-19th
century. Modeled on actual .]
—fac·tu·al·i·ty
[fàk choo állətee], noun

—fac·tu·al·ly
[fák choo əlee, fákchəlee],
adverb

—fac·tu·al·ness, noun[1]



factualism

factualism
fac·tu·al·ism 
[fák choo ə lìzzəm, fákchə
lìzzəm] noun

adhering
to facts:
a strict devotion to or adherence to facts
—fac·tu·al·ist, noun[1]



facula

facula
fac·u·la 
[fákyələ] (plural fac·u·lae [fákyə l]) noun

bright
region on Sun: a large bright extremely hot region on
the Sun’s surface, usually occurring near a sunspot
[Early
18th century. From Latin, literally “little torch.”]
—fac·u·lar, adjective[1]



facultative

facultative
fac·ul·ta·tive 
[fákəl tàytiv] adjective

1.  allowing
something to happen: enabling or capable of
permitting something to happen or be done, but not able to force its occurrence

2.  not
required:
optional rather than obligatory

3.  BIOLOGY associated
with a variety of conditions: able to live or take place
under a range of external conditions • a
facultative parasite.
See
also
obligate
—fac·ul·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



faculty

faculty
fac·ul·ty 
[fákəltee] (plural fac·ul·ties)
noun

1.  mental
ability:
a mental power or ability that somebody has, for example, reason or memory

2.  ability:
any capacity or ability that somebody is born with or learns • have
a great faculty for learning languages

3.  entire
teaching staff: the entire teaching staff of a
university, college, or school, including any administrators holding academic
rank

4.  teaching
staff for particular university division: the
teaching staff of a particular faculty in a university or college

5.  division
of university: a department or group of departments
dealing with a particular subject in a university or college

6.  all
members of profession: all of the people who
practice a particular profession, especially medicine

7.  power
granted by authority: a power or right given by an
authority
[14th century. Via French faculté
from Latin facultas, from facilis, “easy” (source of English facility ).][1]



fad

fad
fad 
[fad] (plural fads) noun

short-lived
fashion:
something that is embraced very enthusiastically for a short time, especially
by many people
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of fidfad, a shortening
of fiddle-faddle .]
—fad·dism,
noun

—fad·dist, noun[1]



Fadden,Arthur William

Fadden,Arthur William
Fad·den
[fádd’n], Sir Arthur William (1895–1973)

Australian statesman. He was
leader of the Country Party (1941–1958) and was briefly prime minister of
Australia in 1941.[1]



faddish

faddish
fad·dish 
[fáddish] adjective

1.  briefly
fashionable: very popular but only for a short time

2.  given
to fads:
tending to have strongly held, but brief, enthusiasms.
U.K.
term
faddy
—fad·dish·ly,
adverb

—fad·dish·ness, noun[1]



faddy

faddy
fad·dy
[fáddee] adjective

U.K.
See faddish  adjective 2[1]



fade

fade
fade 
[fayd] verb (past fad·ed,
past participle fad·ed, present participle fad·ing,
3rd person present singular fades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gradually
become less: to lose or make something lose
brightness, color, or loudness gradually • The
clothes had faded from months of washing.

2.  intransitive
verb
become
tired:
to lose strength, freshness, and vigor • His
concentration faded after about an hour.

3.  intransitive
verb
disappear
slowly:
to die away or vanish gradually • The
movie ends with a close-up that gradually fades to black.

4.  intransitive
verb
lose
effectiveness: to become less effective temporarily

5.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to leave or depart (slang) • They
faded sometime after midnight.

6.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL drop
back to pass: to drop back from the line of scrimmage
in a football game before passing the ball (refers to the quarterback)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS curve or cause to curve:
to curve, or cause a ball to curve, from a straight path

8.  transitive
verb
GAMBLING match
bet in dice game: to match the bet of an opponent in dice
(slang)
noun
(plural fades)

1.  gradual
lessening:
an instance of something gradually becoming quieter, less bright, or less
distinct

2.  SPORTS curving
path of ball: the curve of a ball, especially a golf
ball, away from a straight path or flight

3.  gradual
disappearance of image: a gradual disappearance of
an image in a film or television show

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a black person who has adopted white friends and
attitudes (offensive slang)
[14th
century. From French fade “weak, pale,” of uncertain origin: probably
from a Vulgar Latin blend of Latin fatuus “insipid” and vapidus
“flat.”]
—fad·a·ble,
adjective

—fad·ed·ness,
noun

—fad·er, noun[1]



fadeaway

fadeaway
fade
away
intransitive verb

1.  gradually
disappear:
to become gradually fainter or weaker and finally disappear

2.  waste
away:
to become thin and unhealthy

[1]



fadeaway

fadeaway
fade·a·way 
[fáydə wày] (plural fade·a·ways)
noun

1.  gradual
disappearance: a gradual decrease in the brightness,
color, or loudness of something until it disappears completely

2.  BASEBALL screwball:
a screwball (dated)

3.  BASEBALL dodge
by baseball runner: in baseball, a base runner’s
slide to one side to avoid being tagged out

[1]



fade-in

fade-in
fade-in
(plural fade-ins) noun

gradual introduction of sound
or image: the gradual introduction of
a sound until it is audible, or of an image until it is visible and clear[1]



fadein

fadein
fade
in
intransitive and transitive verb

emerge gradually:
to gradually make a sound audible or an image visible, or become gradually
audible or visible[1]



fadeless

fadeless
fade·less 
[fáydləss] adjective

not
fading:
not affected by fading from sunlight or washing
—fade·less·ly, adverb[1]



fade-out

fade-out
fade-out
(plural fade-outs) noun

1.  gradual
decrease in loudness or brightness: a
gradual decrease in loudness or brightness as a sound or image becomes fainter
and less distinct, and eventually disappears

2.  BROADCASTING weakening
of TV or radio signal: a gradual reduction in the
strength of a broadcast television or radio signal, especially with temporary
loss of reception, often because of interference in transmission

[1]



fadeout

fadeout
fade
out
intransitive and transitive verb

disappear gradually:
to gradually make an image or sound fainter until it disappears, or become
gradually fainter before disappearing[1]



fado

fado
fa·do 
[f ] (plural fa·dos) noun

sad
song:
a type of sad Portuguese folk song
[Early 20th century. From
Portuguese, literally “fate.”][1]



faeces

faeces
faeces
plural noun

U.K. =
feces[1]



faena

faena
fa·e·na 
[faa áynə] (plural fa·e·nas) noun

bullfighting
moves:
a series of maneuvers in the final stages of a bullfight, leading up to the
killing of the bull by the matador
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “task.”][1]



faerie

faerie
fa·er·ie
[fáyəree, fáiree]
(plural fa·er·ies) or fa·er·y [fáyəree, fáiree]
(plural fa·er·ies) noun (literary)

1.  fairyland:
the world of the fairies, or fairyland

2.  fairy:
a fairy
[Late 16th century. A
mock-medieval word based on French (source of English fairy ) introduced by the author Edmund
Spenser .][1]



FaeroeIslands

FaeroeIslands
Faer·oe
Is·lands
[fáirō ləndz]

See
Faroe Islands[1]



Faeroese

Faeroese
Faer·o·ese 
[fàirō z, fàirō
ss] noun adjective

See
Faroese[1]



FAF

FAF
FAF

Abbreviation of
financial aid form[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fag

fag3
fag3 [fag]
(plural fags) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a homosexual man (slang offensive)
[Early
20th century. Shortening of faggot .]
—faggy, adjective[1]



fag

fag2
fag2 [fag]
(plural fags) noun

U.K.
cigarette:
a cigarette (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of fag end .][1]



fag

fag1
fag1 [fag]
noun (plural fags) U.K.

1.  something
boring:
something that is tedious or that makes somebody weary (informal)

2.  errand
boy:
a schoolboy at a public school who in the past had to do menial jobs and run
errands for an older schoolboy (dated)
verb
(past fagged, past participle fagged, present
participle fag·ging, 3rd person present singular fags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb exhaust
through work: to tire out, or cause to become
exhausted, through drudgery or hard labor

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. act
as errand boy: to do menial jobs and run errands for an
older schoolboy (dated)
[Mid-16th century. Originally
the verb, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of flag . Current senses evolved from “to droop, decline” through
“bent over by weariness.”][1]



fagend

fagend
fag
end
(plural fag ends) noun

1.  last
and worst part of something: the last part of something
after the best of it has been used • the
fag end of the day

2.  remnant
of cloth:
the remaining part of a piece of cloth, most of which has been used
[Fag of unknown origin.
Originally “flap, something hanging down.”][1]



faggot

faggot1
fag·got1 noun transitive
verb

See
fagot[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








faggot

faggot2
fag·got2 [fággət]
(plural fag·gots) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a homosexual man (slang offensive)
[Early
20th century. From an earlier use of fagot,
“bundle of sticks,” as an offensive term for a woman. Compare baggage .]
—fag·got·ry,
noun

—fag·got·y, adjective[1]



faggoting

faggoting
fag·got·ing 
[fággəting] noun

decorative way of joining
fabric: a decorative way of sewing
two hemmed pieces of fabric together, leaving a gap between them that is filled
with an insertion. See fagoting[1]



faghag

faghag
fag
hag
(plural fag hags) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a woman who enjoys socializing with homosexual men (slang
offensive)[1]



fagot

fagot
fag·ot
[fággət] or fag·got [fággət] noun (plural fag·ots)
(plural fag·gots)

1.  bundle
of sticks for firewood: a bundle of sticks or twigs,
especially wood to be burned as fuel

2.  METALLURGY bundle
of pieces of metal: a bundle of pieces of metal,
especially pieces of iron or steel for welding
transitive
verb
(past fag·ot·ed, past participle fag·ot·ed, present
participle fag·ot·ing, 3rd person present singular fag·ots)
(past fag·got·ed, past participle fag·got·ed, 3rd
person present singular fag·gots)

1.  collect
something and tie into bundle: to collect things,
especially sticks, and tie them into a bundle or bundles

2.  SEWING stitch
with fagoting: to sew something using fagoting
[13th century. Via Old French
from Italian faggotto, ultimately from Greek phakelos “bundle.”][1]



fagoting

fagoting
fag·ot·ing 
[fággəting] or fag·got·ing [fággəting] noun

1.  SEWING decorative
way of joining fabric: a decorative way of sewing
two hemmed pieces of fabric together, leaving a gap between them that is filled
with an insertion stitch

2.  CRAFT embroidery
technique:
a technique of embroidery in which sections of lengthwise threads are pulled
out and the cross threads tied into bundles, producing a decorative openwork
effect
[Mid-19th century][1]



Fah.

Fah.
Fah.

Abbreviation of
Fahrenheit[1]



Fahd

Fahd
Fahd 
[faad], King of Saudi Arabia (1922– )

He succeeded to the throne in
1982, and was instrumental in stabilizing the Middle East.[1]



Fahr.

Fahr.
Fahr.

Abbreviation of
Fahrenheit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit
Fah·ren·heit 
[férrən ht] adjective

on
or of nonmetric temperature scale: using or measured on a
temperature scale on which water freezes at 32°F and boils at 212°F under
normal atmospheric conditions. In scientific and technical contexts
temperatures are now usually measured in degrees ( Celsius
) rather than Fahrenheit.
See
also
Celsius
See
also
kelvin Symbol F
[Mid-18th
century. Named for Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), the German physicist
who invented the thermometric Fahrenheit scale.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at centigrade.

[1]



FAIA

FAIA
FAIA
or F.A.I.A.

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects[1]



FAIC

FAIC
FAIC
or F.A.I.C.

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists[1]



faience

faience
fa·ience 
[fī ns, fay ns]
or fa·ïence [fī ns, fay ns] noun

pottery
with colored glaze: earthenware decorated with
colored opaque metallic glazes (often used before a noun) • a
faience bowl
[Late 17th century. From
French, named after Faïence “Faenza,” town in northern Italy where this
type of pottery was first made.][1]



fail

fail
fail 
[fayl] verb (past failed,
past participle failed, present participle fail·ing,
3rd person present singular fails)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
unsuccessful: to be unsuccessful in trying to do
something • This
plan can’t fail.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
unable to do something: to be incapable of doing
something, or choose not to do something • She
failed to see what the problem was.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb EDUCATION not pass exam or course:
to fall short of the standard required to pass an examination or course • He
failed English.

4.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION judge
student not good enough: to judge a student not good
enough to pass an examination or a course

5.  intransitive
verb
stop
functioning or growing: to stop working, or not
perform or grow as expected • The
brakes on the car failed.

6.  intransitive
verb
COMMERCE collapse
financially: to collapse financially, becoming
insolvent or bankrupt • The
business failed after six years.

7.  transitive
verb
let
somebody down: to let somebody down by not doing what
is expected or needed, or abandon or forsake somebody • My
courage failed me.

8.  intransitive
verb
become
weaker:
to lose strength, loudness, or brightness • The
light began to fail.
noun

STOCK EXCHANGE stockbroker’s
default:
the failure by a stockbroker to deliver stock to a purchaser within the normal
delivery period
[13th
century. Via Old French faillir from Latin fallere, “to deceive
somebody’s hopes, disappoint.”]
without
fail

for certain, or without any
possibility of something specified not happening[1]



failing

failing
fail·ing 
[fáyling] noun (plural fail·ings)

1.  failure:
the failure to do something, for example, pass a course or work properly

2.  shortcoming:
a fault or weakness
preposition

without: if
something does not happen • Failing
a resolution of the dispute by this afternoon, we will suspend you.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at flaw

[1]



faille

faille
faille 
[fīl] (plural failles) noun

closely
woven fabric: a closely woven silk, cotton, or rayon
fabric that is slightly ribbed
[Mid-16th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably via Old Northern French from Middle Dutch
falie “scarf.”][1]



fail-safe

fail-safe
fail-safe 
adjective

1.  switching
to safe condition: designed to switch equipment
or a system to a safe condition if there is a fault or failure, for example, as
a thermostat turns something off if it overheats

2.  with
fail-safe device: protected by or using a fail-safe
mechanism

3.  sure
to succeed:
not capable of failing
verb
(past fail-safed, past participle fail-safed, present
participle fail-saf·ing, 3rd person present singular fail-safes)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something fail-safe: to safeguard something from
failure through use of a fail-safe device or procedure

2.  intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING switch
to safe condition: to switch automatically to a
safe condition in the event of a failure in the supply, control, or structural
system of something
noun
(plural fail-safes)

something that safeguards:
a fail-safe device or procedure

[1]



fail-soft

fail-soft
fail-soft 
adjective

able to operate after
failure: used to describe electronic
equipment that can operate at a reduced level after the failure of a component
or power supply[1]



failure

failure
fail·ure 
[fáylyər] (plural fail·ures) noun

1.  lack
of success:
a lack of success in something, or an unsuccessful attempt at doing something

2.  something
less than that required: something that falls short
of what is required or expected • Failure
will not be tolerated.

3.  something
that fails:
somebody who or something that is unsuccessful

4.  breakdown
of something: a breakdown or decline in the
performance of something, or an occasion when something stops working or stops
working adequately • engine failure

5.  lack
of development or production: inadequate growth,
development, or production of something • crop
failure

6.  BUSINESS bankruptcy:
a financial collapse, usually leading to bankruptcy

[1]



failureto thrive

failureto thrive
fail·ure
to thrive
noun

below-average growth from
medical condition: pronounced
lack of growth in a child due to inadequate absorption of nutrients or a
serious heart or kidney condition, resulting in below-average height and weight[1]



fain

fain
fain 
[fayn] adverb (archaic)

1.  happily:
with gladness or eagerness

2.  preferably:
in preference
adjective
(archaic)

1.  eager:
willing or eager

2.  compelled:
forced by an obligation or circumstances
[Old English faegen
“glad,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fawn “to act slavishly”][1]



faint

faint
faint 
[faynt] adjective (comparative
faint·er, superlative faint·est)

1.  dim:
not bright, clear, or loud

2.  unenthusiastic:
feeble and done without conviction • damned
him with faint praise

3.  dizzy:
dizzy or weak, as if about to become unconscious • All
of a sudden he felt faint.

4.  slight:
remote or slight
intransitive
verb
(past faint·ed, past participle faint·ed, present
participle faint·ing, 3rd person present singular faints)

1.  MEDICINE lose consciousness
briefly:
to become unconscious, especially for a short time, because of a reduction in
the flow of blood to the brain

2.  weaken:
to become weak or lose courage (archaic)
noun
(plural faints)

MEDICINE sudden
loss of consciousness: a sudden, usually brief,
loss of consciousness, caused by a reduction in the flow of blood to the brain.
Technical name syncope
[13th
century. From Old French, from faindre “to pretend, shirk.” The meaning
“not bright” evolved from “cowardly, lazy” through “feeble.”]
—faint·er,
noun

—faint·ly,
adverb

—faint·ness, noun[1]



faint-hearted

faint-hearted
faint-heart·ed 
adjective

timid
or weak:
lacking courage, boldness, or enthusiasm
—faint-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—faint-heart·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



fainéant

fainéant
fai·né·ant 
[fáynee ənt] adjective

idle:
tending to do nothing, or unwilling to do anything (literary)
noun
(plural fai·né·ants)

somebody
lazy:
somebody who is idle or unwilling to do anything (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
French, alteration of fait-nient, literally “does nothing,” by folk
etymology from faignant “shirker.”][1]



fair

fair2
fair2 [fair]
(plural fairs) noun

1.  event
with farm competitions and amusements: an
annual outdoor event, held especially for a state or county, with competitions
for the best livestock, produce, and prepared foods and with entertainment,
rides, and other amusements.
U.K.
term
show

2.  U.K.
LEISURE See carnival

3.  livestock
market:
a large market selling a wide range of goods including livestock, sometimes
with amusements and sideshows

4.  commercial
exhibition:
an exhibition, often held annually, at which companies show their products to
potential buyers or inform people of business and job opportunities • a
book fair

5.  sale
to raise money: a sale of goods to raise money for
something, especially a charity
[13th century. Via Old French
feire from late Latin feria “holiday,” from Latin feriae
(plural) “holiday, religious festival.”][1]



fair

fair1
fair1 [fair]
adjective (comparative fair·er, superlative fair·est)

1.  reasonable
or unbiased: not exhibiting any bias, and therefore
reasonable or impartial

2.  done
properly:
according to the rules • fair
and free elections

3.  METEOROLOGY not
stormy or cloudy: sunny or clear, and without much wind

4.  SAILING good
for sailing: favorable for sailing or travel by ship
• a
fair wind

5.  pleasing
to look at:
beautiful or pleasing to the eye

6.  not
blocked:
clear and unobstructed • a fair
view of the enemy’s forces

7.  light-colored:
light-colored, or with light-colored hair or skin

8.  sizeable:
reasonably large in size or quantity • They
had a fair number of responses to the advertisement.

9.  BASEBALL in
fair territory: constituting a fair ball according to
the rules of baseball • The
ball’s not going to stay fair

10. acceptable:
no more than acceptable or average • Your
performance this year has only been fair.

11. better
than acceptable: quite good, or very reasonable • a
fair understanding

12. unsullied:
not marred by any blemish or stain

13. false
despite appearances: seemingly good or true, but
actually false or insincere
adverb

1.  properly:
in accordance with the rules or what is expected • He’s
always played fair with me.

2.  BASEBALL in fair
territory:
in or into fair territory on a baseball field

3.  directly:
in a direct or straight way, and squarely • hit
fair in the center of the board
verb
(past faired, past participle faired, present
participle fair·ing, 3rd person present singular fairs)

1.  intransitive
verb
Scotland METEOROLOGY improve:
to become bright after cloud or rain (refers to the weather or sky)

2.  transitive
verb
make
smooth and even: to smooth or streamline the surface of
something, for example, of an airplane wing or tabletop
[Old
English faeger “beautiful,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“suitable,” which is also the ancestor of English fake]
—fair·ish,
adjective
fair
and square

justly,
or according to the rules

fair’s
fair

used
to urge or appeal for just or even treatment (informal)

fair
to middling

reasonably
good or reasonably well (informal) (hyphenated when used before a
noun)

for
fair

utterly
or completely (informal)

no
fair

something that is unfair or
against the rules (informal)[1]



fairball

fairball
fair
ball
(plural fair balls) noun

baseball hit into fair
territory: a baseball batted into the
portion of the field within the foul lines, unless it subsequently crosses the
foul line between home and first or third base before being fielded[1]



Fairbanks

Fairbanks
Fair·banks
[fáir bànks]

city in eastern Alaska, on
the northern bank of the Tanana River, northeast of Anchorage. Population:
32,960 (1996)[1]



Fairbanks,Charles

Fairbanks,Charles

Fair·banks
[fáir bànks], Charles (1852–1918)
U.S.
politician. He was a U.S. senator (1897–1905) before serving as vice president
under Theodore Roosevelt (1905–1909).
Full name
Fairbanks, Charles Warren[1]



Fairbanks,Douglas

Fairbanks,Douglas
Fair·banks
[fáir bànks], Douglas (1883–1939)

U.S.
silent movie actor. He is best known for his swashbuckling performances in
movies such as The Mark of Zorro ( 1920 ).
Real name
Ulman, Douglas Elton[1]



faircatch

faircatch
fair
catch
(plural fair catch·es) noun

safe catch called by football
receiver: a catch of a kicked football
by the receiver who has signaled the he or she will not run. The receiver may
not be tackled.[1]



faircopy

faircopy
fair
cop·y
noun

corrected version of
document: an unmarked version of a
document that has been corrected and retyped or printed out again[1]



Fairfax,John

Fairfax,John
Fair·fax
[fáir fàks], John (1804–1877)

English-born Australian
newspaper proprietor. He was the owner of the Sydney Morning Herald and
founder of the Fairfax media dynasty.[1]



Fairfield

Fairfield
Fair·field
[fáir fld]

1.  city
in northern Alabama, a western suburb of Birmingham. Population: 11,490 (1996)

2.  city
in western California, northeast of San Francisco and southwest of Sacramento.
Population: 85,610 (1996)

3.  town
in southeastern Fairfield County, southwestern Connecticut, situated on Long
Island Sound. Population: 53,418 (1990)

[1]



fairgame

fairgame
fair
game
noun

legitimate target:
somebody who or something that it is considered permissible to pursue,
ridicule, or attack[1]



fairground

fairground
fair·ground 
[fáir gròwnd] (plural fair·grounds)
noun

place where fair is held:
a large open outdoor space where fairs or exhibitions may be held • fairground
attractions[1]



fair-haired

fair-haired
fair-haired 
adjective

with light hair:
with light-colored hair[1]



fair-hairedboy

fair-hairedboy
fair-haired
boy
(plural fair-haired boys) noun

favorite:
somebody who is the favorite of a person or a group.
U.K. term
blue-eyed boy[1]



fairing

fairing1
fair·ing1 [fáiring]
(plural fair·ings) noun

part added to reduce drag:
a streamlined structure added to an aircraft, car, or other vehicle to reduce
drag.
See also
cowling[1]



fairing

fairing2
fair·ing2 [fáiring]
(plural fair·ings) noun

U.K.
gift:
a gift, especially one brought back from, or given at, a fair (archaic)[1]



fairish

fairish
fair·ish 
[fáirish] adjective

U.K.
light
in color:
quite light in color
—fair·ish·ly, adverb[1]



FairIsle

FairIsle
Fair
Isle
noun

knitting
design:
any traditional Shetland Islands knitting design, used especially for sweaters,
that incorporates bands of repeated multicolored geometric motifs
[Mid-19th century. Named for Fair
Isle, one of the Shetland Islands off the Scottish coast, where garments in
this pattern were first knitted.][1]



FairLawn

FairLawn
Fair
Lawn
[fáir làwn]

borough in Bergen county,
northeastern New Jersey, situated 5 km3 mi northeast of Paterson. Population:
30,548 (1990)[1]



fairlead

fairlead
fair·lead 
[fáir ld] (plural fair·leads)
or fair·lead·er [fáir leedər]
(plural fair·lead·ers) noun

device for guiding rope:
a ring, hole, or other device through which a rope is guided in order to reduce
friction and prevent chafing, or to keep it in place[1]



fairly

fairly
fair·ly 
[fáirlee] adverb

1.  honestly:
in a just and honest, proper, or legitimate way

2.  moderately:
to a reasonable or moderate degree • a
fairly easy decision

3.  completely:
in a complete, full, or utter way • The
ground fairly shook with the impact.

[1]



fair-marketvalue

fair-marketvalue
fair-mar·ket
val·ue 
(plural fair-mar·ket val·ues) noun

agreed price:
a price for something that both buyer and seller willingly agree to when
neither party is under undue pressure to complete the transaction[1]



fair-minded

fair-minded
fair-mind·ed 
adjective

impartial:
able to make impartial and just judgments, or resulting from such a judgment
—fair-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



Fairmont

Fairmont
Fair·mont
[fáir mònt]

city in northern West
Virginia on the Monongahela River, southwest of Morgantown and northeast of
Parkersburg. Population: 19,731 (1996)[1]



fairness

fairness
fair·ness
[fáirnəss] noun

1.  quality
of being fair: the condition of being just or impartial

2.  beauty:
beauty, or the condition of being pleasing to look at
in
(all) fairness

being just and impartial[1]



fairnessdoctrine

fairnessdoctrine
fair·ness
doc·trine
noun

principle of equal media
exposure: the principle that licensed
broadcasters should give equal air time to opposing views on controversial
issues[1]



FairOaks

FairOaks
Fair
Oaks
[fáir ks]

area in northeastern
Virginia, just east of Richmond, that was the site of the Battle of Fair Oaks
and Seven Pines (1862)[1]



fairoff

fairoff
fair
off
or fair up intransitive verb

Southern
U.S.
clear
up:
to become bright after cloud or rain (refers to the weather or sky)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  An
  essentially Southern term concerning the weather clearing, fair off is used alongside less frequent fair up
  and fair . Today, fair off recurs
  most frequently in the Lower South, especially in Georgia, Alabama,
  Mississippi, and Louisiana, beyond the New Orleans focal area. Taken
  together, the incidence of fair off and
  fair up surpasses all synonyms except break, break off and the
  general currency term clear up.

[1]



fairplay

fairplay
fair
play
noun

proper conduct or play:
conduct that adheres to the rules or is just and equitable[1]



fairsex

fairsex
fair
sex
noun

women:
women and girls (dated)[1]



fairshake

fairshake
fair
shake
noun

reasonable chance:
just treatment, or a reasonable chance to attempt something (informal)[1]



fair-spoken

fair-spoken
fair-spo·ken 
adjective

polite
in speech:
speaking in a pleasant and polite way
—fair-spo·ken·ness, noun[1]



fairterritory

fairterritory
fair
ter·ri·to·ry noun

area within foul lines:
the area of a baseball field within the foul lines, including home plate, the
foul poles, and the foul lines themselves[1]



fair-tradeagreement

fair-tradeagreement
fair-trade
a·gree·ment
(plural fair-trade a·gree·ments) noun

pricing
agreement:
an agreement between a manufacturer of a product and distributors or retailers
that the product will not be sold for less than a price set by the manufacturer
—fair-trade, adjective[1]



fairway

fairway
fair·way 
[fáir wày] (plural fair·ways) noun

1.  GOLF grass
between golf tee and green: the closely mown area on a
golf hole that forms the main avenue between a tee and a green

2.  SHIPPING navigable
channel for boats: a navigable channel or the
usual course followed by vessels in a river, harbor, or other body of water

[1]



fair-weather

fair-weather
fair-weath·er 
adjective

1.  for
or in good weather: suitable, done, or taking
part only when the weather is fine

2.  not
steadfast:
able to be relied upon only when things are going well

[1]



FairweatherCape

FairweatherCape
Fair·weath·er
Cape

cape on the southeastern
coast of Alaska, approximately 55 km/35 mi south of Mount Fairweather[1]



Fairweather,Mount

Fairweather,Mount
Fair·weath·er,
Mount
[fáir wethər mòwnt]

mountain in the St. Elias
Mountains between Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. Part of Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve, it is the highest peak in southern Alaska. Height:
4,663 m/15,300 ft.[1]



fairy

fairy
fair·y 
[fáiree] noun (plural fair·ies)

1.  small
supernatural creature: an imaginary supernatural
being, usually resembling a small person, with magic powers. In folklore,
fairies may be kindly or malicious.

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a homosexual man (slang offensive)
adjective

of fairies:
relating to, belonging to, or typical of fairies • the
fairy folk
[14th
century. From Old French faerie “enchantment,” from fae “fairy,”
from Latin fata “the Fates,” plural of fatum “fate.”]
—fair·y·like, adjective[1]



fairygodmother

fairygodmother
fair·y
god·moth·er
(plural fair·y god·moth·ers) noun

1.  kind
fairy:
in some fairy stories, a kind fairy in the form of a woman who gives vital help
to somebody, especially to the hero or heroine. Perhaps the most famous fairy
godmother is the one who appears to Cinderella and enables her to attend the
prince’s ball.

2.  somebody
very helpful: somebody, especially a woman, who gives
generous help, often anonymously

[1]



fairyland

fairyland
fair·y·land 
[fáiri lànd] noun

1.  land
of fairies:
the imaginary country where fairies live

2.  enchanting
place:
any enchanting place, for example, a fantasy world existing in somebody’s
imagination

[1]



fairyring

fairyring
fair·y
ring
(plural fair·y rings) noun

circle of mushrooms or lush
grass: a ring of mushrooms or grass
darker than the surrounding grass, traditionally thought to be associated with
dancing fairies but actually marking the outer edge of growth of various
underground perennial fungi[1]



fairyshrimp

fairyshrimp
fair·y
shrimp
noun

small crustacean:
a tiny soft-bodied crustacean found in fresh or brackish water, with an
elongated body and eleven pairs of appendages. Order: Anostraca[1]



fairy-tale

fairy-tale
fair·y-tale 
adjective

1.  from
fairy tale:
derived from or typical of a fairy tale

2.  fortunate
and happy:
like something from a fairy tale, especially in being fortunate, happy, or
extravagantly beautiful





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Grimm’s
  Fairy Tales, a collection of folk tales compiled and edited by German
  scholars Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm ( 1812-1815 ). Based on written sources
  dating back to the 16th century and on German folk tales, it includes many
  stories now famous worldwide, including “Cinderella,” “Hansel and Gretel,”
  and “Rumpelstiltskin.” With their universal themes the tales were seen by the
  Grimms as repositories of the hopes, passions, and fears of humankind.

[1]



fairytale

fairytale
fair·y
tale
(plural fair·y ta·les) noun

1.  story
about fairies: a story for children about fairies or
other imaginary beings and events, often containing a moral message

2.  unlikely
explanation: an improbable invented account of
something, often a false excuse

[1]



Faisal

Faisal
Fai·sal
[fss’l], King of Saudi Arabia (1905–1975)

As
absolute ruler and king (1964–1975), he supported Middle Eastern nations in
their conflict with Israel.
Full name
Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz[1]



FaisalI

FaisalI
Fai·sal
I
[fss’l], King of Iraq (1885–1933)

An Arab nationalist leader,
he was the first king of Iraq (1921–1933), and son of the founder of the
Hashemite dynasty.[1]



FaisalII

FaisalII
Fai·sal
II
[fss’l], King of Iraq (1935–1958)

A minor during most of his
long reign (1939–1958), he was assassinated during a military coup.[1]



faitaccompli

faitaccompli
fait
ac·com·pli 
[fèt ə kom pl, fàyt
ə kawN pl] (plural faits ac·com·plis) noun

something
already done: something that is already done or
decided and seems unalterable
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “accomplished fact.”][1]



faith

faith
faith 
[fayth] (plural faiths) noun

1.  belief
or trust:
belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without
logical proof

2.  RELIGION religion
or religious group: a system of religious
belief, or the group of people who adhere to it

3.  RELIGION trust
in God:
belief in and devotion to God • Her
faith is unwavering.

4.  set
of beliefs:
a strongly held set of beliefs or principles • people
of different political faiths

5.  loyalty:
allegiance or loyalty to somebody or something
[13th
century. Via Old French feid from Latin fides “trust, belief”
(source of English confide and fealty ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English federal
.]
keep
faith with

be
loyal or true to a person or promise

on
faith

without demanding proof[1]



faithful

faithful
faith·ful 
[fáythfəl] adjective

1.  with
unwavering belief: believing firmly in
something or somebody, especially a religion

2.  consistently
loyal:
consistently trustworthy and loyal, especially to a person, a promise, or duty

3.  not
promiscuous: not having sexual relations with
somebody other than a spouse or partner

4.  conscientious:
displaying or resulting from a sense of responsibility or devotion to duty

5.  correct:
accurate and true • a faithful account of
the events
noun

somebody or something reliable:
somebody who or something that can be trusted or depended on
plural
noun
faith·ful Faith·ful

RELIGION religious
believers:
the believers in a religion considered as a group, especially Muslims or
Christians
—faith·ful·ly,
adverb

—faith·ful·ness, noun[1]



faithhealer

faithhealer
faith
heal·er
(plural faith heal·ers) noun

healer
through prayer: somebody who treats illness or disorders
in other people through prayer, sometimes also laying his or her hands on the
person being treated
—faith heal·ing, noun[1]



faithless

faithless
faith·less 
[fáythləss] adjective

1.  dishonest:
dishonest, or disloyal to somebody or something, for example, in not keeping a
promise or performing a duty

2.  untrustworthy:
not to be trusted or relied on

3.  RELIGION not
religious:
not believing in a religious faith
—faith·less·ly,
adverb

—faith·less·ness, noun[1]



fajita

fajita
fa·ji·ta 
[fə htə] (plural fa·ji·tas) noun

Mexican
meat dish:
a Mexican dish consisting of beef or other meat that has been marinated,
grilled, cut into strips, and served in a soft flour tortilla
[Late 20th century. From
Mexican Spanish, literally “little strip, belt.”][1]



fake

fake1
fake1 [fayk]
noun (plural fakes)

1.  something
not genuine: somebody who or something that is not
genuine but is presented as, or appears to be, genuine

2.  SPORTS move
to mislead sports opponent: a move made by a player in
attempt to mislead a sports opponent about the player’s intended play • He
made a fake to the right, and then charged to the hoop.
adjective

not genuine: not
genuine, but meant to be taken for genuine
verb
(past faked, past participle faked, present
participle fak·ing, 3rd person present singular fakes)

1.  transitive
verb
falsely
present something as genuine: to make or produce something
and claim it is genuine when it is not

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pretend
feeling or knowledge: to pretend to have, feel, or
know something • faked a knowledge of
Italian

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS perform fake to deceive
opponent:
to perform a fake in an attempt to deceive an opposing player in a sport • The
pitcher faked a throw to first base.

4.  transitive
verb
ARTS improvise
while performing: to improvise or ad-lib a piece of music
or lines in a play during a performance
[Late 18th century. From feague,
16th-century criminal slang for “to rob, tamper with,” of uncertain origin;
probably from German fegen “to polish, refurbish.”][1]



fake

fake2
fake2 [fayk]
transitive verb (past faked, past participle faked,
present participle fak·ing, 3rd person present singular fakes)

coil
rope:
to coil or loop a rope so that it will not tangle when used
noun
(plural fakes)

coil
of rope:
a single coil or loop of a rope that has been faked.
Also
called
flake
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fakeer

fakeer
fakeer
noun

See
fakir[1]



fakeout

fakeout
fake
out
transitive verb

mislead or deceive somebody:
to deceive or surprise somebody, especially by bluffing (informal)[1]



faker

faker
fak·er 
[fáykər] (plural fak·ers) noun

somebody
deceitful:
somebody who pretends that something such as an emotion is genuine when it is
not
—fak·er·y, noun[1]



fakir

fakir
fa·kir 
[fə kr] (plural fa·kirs) or
fa·qir [fə kr] (plural fa·qirs)
or fa·keer [fə kr] (plural
fa·keers) noun

1.  ISLAM mendicant
Muslim:
a religious Muslim, especially a Sufi, who lives by begging

2.  INDIAN RELIGION Hindu
mendicant:
a Hindu ascetic who lives by begging and whose religious practice often
includes the performance of extraordinary feats of physical endurance
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Arabic, literally “poor man.”][1]



falafel

falafel
fa·la·fel 
[fə lf’l] (plural fa·la·fels)
or fe·la·fel [fə lf’l] (plural
fe·la·fels) noun

deep-fried
ball of ground chickpeas: a deep-fried ball of ground
chickpeas seasoned with onions and spices, often eaten in pita bread with
lettuce and yogurt or tahini sauce. It was originally a Middle Eastern dish.
[Mid-20th century. Via
Egyptian Arabic falāfil from Arabic fulful “pepper.”][1]



Falange

Falange
Fa·lange
[fə lánj] noun

Spanish
fascist movement: a Spanish fascist movement founded in
1933 and dissolved in 1977. It was the official ruling party of Spain under
Francisco Franco.
[Mid-20th
century. From Spanish, “phalanx.”]
—Fa·lan·gist, noun[1]



Falasha

Falasha
Fa·la·sha 
[fə láshə] (plural Fa·la·shas or
Fa·la·sha) noun

Ethiopian
Jew:
a member of an Ethiopian Jewish religious group now largely living in Israel
[Early 18th century. From Amharic,
“exile.”][1]



falchion

falchion
fal·chion 
[fáwlchən] (plural fal·chions)
noun

short
medieval sword: a short sword with a broad slightly
curved blade, used in medieval times
[14th century. Via Old French
fauchon from, ultimately, Latin falc- .][1]



falcon

falcon

fal·con 
[fálkən] (plural fal·cons) noun

1.  BIRDS fast-flying
bird of prey: a bird of prey related to the hawk that
is fast and powerful and often catches birds as they fly. Family: Falconidae

2.  HUNTING hawk
trained to hunt: a hawk that is trained to hunt small
birds and animals. In falconry the term is used only for female hawks.
[13th
century. Via Old French fau(l)con from the late Latin stem falcon-,
of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from Latin falc-, stem of falx
“sickle,” because its talons resemble sickles.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Maltese Falcon, a movie by John Huston ( 1941 ). Based on Dashiell Hammett’s
  1930 detective novel, this is regarded as one of the finest examples of film
  noir. Private investigator Sam Spade’s attempts to track down the murderer of
  his partner lead to a group of people who share a common interest in a
  priceless statuette of a falcon.

[1]



falconer

falconer
fal·con·er 
[fálkənər] (plural fal·con·ers)
noun

somebody using falcons to
hunt: somebody who breeds falcons
or trains or uses them to hunt small birds and animals[1]



falconet

falconet
fal·con·et 
[fálkə nèt] (plural fal·con·ets)
noun

small falcon:
a small falcon, originally from Asia. Genus: Microhierax[1]



falconiform

falconiform
fal·con·i·form
[fal kṓni fàwrm] adjective

like falcon:
relating to or resembling birds of prey with strong and sharply hooked beaks,
strong feet and sharp claws for grasping prey, and large wings[1]



falconine

falconine
fal·co·nine
[fálkə nn] adjective

of falcons:
relating to, involving, or typical of a falcon[1]



falconry

falconry
fal·con·ry 
[fálkənree] noun

training and using falcons
for hunting: the breeding, training,
and use of falcons or other hawks to hunt small prey and return from flight at
a falconer’s direction[1]



faldstool

faldstool
fald·stool 
[fáwld stl] (plural fald·stools)
noun

1.  folding
seat for bishop: a folding seat, especially one used by a
bishop when officiating away from his throne or at another church

2.  folding
stool for worshiper: a small folding stool with a
raised desklike attachment at which a worshiper kneels to pray

3.  desk
in church:
a desk from which the liturgy is read during a church service
[Old English fældstōl,
from fold “to be collapsible” + stool “seat”; partly from medieval Latin faldistolium,
ultimately from prehistoric Germanic][1]



Faliscan

Faliscan
Fa·lis·can 
[fə lískən] noun

ancient
language of Italy: an ancient language spoken
in Italy before Latin, which was related to and replaced it
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin Faliscus “of Falerii,” important city of Etruria.][1]



FalklandIslands

FalklandIslands
Falk·land
Is·lands
[fáwlklənd ləndz]

group of islands and British
dependency in the South Atlantic Ocean, 483 km300 mi east of the Strait of
Magellan. Population: 2,100 (1993) Area: 12,173 sq km/4,700 sq mi. Spanish
Islas Malvinas[1]



Fall

Fall1
Fall1 noun

sin of Adam and Eve:
in Judaism and Christianity, the lapse of humankind into a sinful state as a
result of Adam and Eve’s sin in disobeying God[1]



fall

fall
fall 
[fawl] intransitive verb (past
fell, past participle fall·en, present participle fall·ing,
3rd person present singular falls)

1.  move
downward:
to come down freely from a higher to a lower position, moved by the force of
gravity • The
vase fell to the ground and shattered.

2.  drop
or be lowered: to drop or be dropped or lowered • The
curtain fell at the end of the performance.

3.  come
down suddenly from upright position: to
drop or come down suddenly from an upright position, especially by accident • The
horse fell at the first fence.

4.  become
lower:
to become lower or be reduced in amount, value, or quality • Prices
have fallen in the last year.

5.  ACOUSTICS become
lower in pitch: to become lower in pitch or volume

6.  MILITARY be
taken by force: to be conquered or captured by a
military force • The city fell despite
the best efforts of the army.

7.  MILITARY drop
to ground in battle: to drop to the ground in
battle after being wounded or having died • He
fell at the Battle of Waterloo.

8.  POLITICS collapse
politically: to lose political power or be defeated • The
administration fell after 18 months in office.

9.  be
draped:
to hang down • When
her hair is down it falls across her shoulders.

10. take
place:
to happen or occur as if falling on something and enveloping it • Night
fell suddenly.

11. display
disappointment: to show an expression of disappointment
• Their
faces fell when they heard the result.

12. grow
sad:
to become sad and gloomy or to lose hope • Our
hearts fell.

13. stop
to look:
to settle or come to rest • His
gaze fell on an open book.

14. be
averted:
to look away or downward • Her
eyes fell.

15. begin
to be in specified state: to begin to be in, or enter
into, a specified state or condition • The
class eventually fell silent.

16. CHRISTIANITY sin:
to sin, or give in to temptation (archaic)
See
also
Fall

17. GEOGRAPHY slope:
to slope downward and away • The
land falls gradually to the lake.

18. start:
to begin doing something vigorously • The
laborers fell to work on the ditch.
noun
(plural falls)

1.  act
of falling:
the act of falling or moving down freely or suddenly • She
broke her arm in a fall.

2.  something
fallen:
something that falls or has fallen, or the amount that has fallen • a
heavy fall of snow

3.  distance
down:
the distance that something drops or could fall • a
ten-foot fall

4.  lowering
of something: a decrease in the amount, size,
quantity, or quality of something • Even a
slight fall in prices is welcome.

5.  GEOGRAPHY slope:
a slope that heads downward and away

6.  fall
or Fall season between summer and
winter:
the season between summer and winter when leaves change color and fall to the
ground.
Also
called
autumn
U.K.
term
autumn

7.  GEOGRAPHY waterfall:
a waterfall or steep rapids (often used in the plural, often used in
placenames) • Niagara Falls

8.  MILITARY military
loss:
a military defeat or collapse, or the loss of something to an enemy • the
fall of Leningrad

9.  POLITICS political
collapse:
a loss of political power or control • the
fall of the government

10. RELIGION sinning:
a giving in to temptation, or the committing of a sin

11. end
of hoisting rope: the end of a rope or chain to which
power is applied when hoisting something

12. WRESTLING wrestling
move:
a scoring move in wrestling in which one wrestler forces his or her opponent’s
shoulders to the floor for a specified period

13. HAIRDRESSING hairpiece:
a hairpiece of long hair, usually attached to the top of the head and covered
over in front by the wearer’s own hair

14. CLOTHES ornamental
decoration of lace: an ornamental piece of lace,
veiling, or other light fabric, usually attached to hang draped from a collar
or hat

15. CLOTHES See falling band

16. PLANTS downward
facing part of iris blossom: the outer part of an iris
flower, resembling a petal that hangs down in front
adjective

for or of autumn:
appropriate for or associated with autumn
[Old
English feallan, from prehistoric Germanic]
fall
flat

to
fail to have the intended effect

fall
foul of

or fall
afoul of1.  to
come into conflict with somebody or something

2.  SAILING to collide with something

fall
short

1.  to
be less than is needed

2.
or fall short of to fail to meet a desired standard

[1]



Fall

Fall2
Fall2 [fawl]

city in southeastern
Massachusetts, just north of the Rhode Island border, on the eastern shore of
Mount Hope Bay, northwest of New Bedford. Population: 90,865 (1996)[1]



falla

falla
fal
la
noun

See
fa-la[1]



fallacious

fallacious
fal·la·cious 
[fə láyshəss] adjective

1.  containing
mistaken belief: containing or involving a mistaken
belief or idea

2.  deceptive:
deceptive or liable to mislead people
[Early
16th century. Via Old French fallacieux from Latin fallaciosus,
from fallacia (see fallacy ).]
—fal·la·cious·ly,
adverb

—fal·la·cious·ness, noun[1]



fallacy

fallacy
fal·la·cy 
[fálləssee] (plural fal·la·cies)
noun

1.  mistaken
belief or idea: something that is believed to be truth
but is erroneous

2.  LOGIC invalid
argument:
an argument or reasoning in which the conclusion does not follow from the
premises

3.  deceptiveness:
the condition of being misleading or deceptive

4.  LOGIC logical
error in argument: a mistake made in a line of
reasoning that invalidates it
[15th century. Via Old French
fallace from Latin fallacia “deception,” from fallere “to
deceive.”][1]



fallal

fallal
fal·lal 
[fa lál, fa ll,
fá làl] (plural fal·lals) noun

fancy
ornament or clothing: a fancy ornament or piece of
clothing
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain.]
—fal·lal·er·y [fa lálləree], noun[1]



Fall,Albert Bacon

Fall,Albert Bacon

Fall
[fawl], Albert Bacon (1861–1944)
U.S. politician. He was secretary of the
interior (1921–1923), and was convicted (1929) of accepting a bribe in
connection with the leasing of naval oil reserves during his administration.[1]



fallamong

fallamong
fall
among
transitive verb

become involved with group of
people: to become associated
unwittingly with somebody, something, or a group[1]



fallapart

fallapart
fall
apart
intransitive verb

1.  break
down:
to collapse, fail, or break into pieces

2.  be
distressed:
to be in a state of great emotional distress (informal)

[1]



fallaway

fallaway
fall·a·way
[fáwlə wày] adjective

done while moving away from
basket: occurring as a player moves
away from the basket in a basketball game[1]



fallaway

fallaway
fall
away
intransitive verb

1.  decrease:
to become smaller in number, quantity, or size • Attendance
fell away after the third week of the course.

2.  slope:
to slope downward

3.  stop
associating with somebody: to withdraw friendship,
devotion, or support

[1]



fallback

fallback
fall·back 
[fáwl bàk] (plural fall·backs)
noun

1.  replacement
or alternative: something that can be used as a
replacement or substitute if something else does not or would not work

2.  MILITARY retreat:
a retreat or withdrawal

[1]



fallback

fallback
fall
back
intransitive verb

1.  retreat:
to retreat or move back, for example, during a battle

2.  be
overtaken:
to be overtaken by others in a race or contest

[1]



fallback on

fallback on
fall
back on
or fall back up·on transitive verb

have recourse to something:
to resort to something, especially something familiar, if other plans do not
work out[1]



fallbehind

fallbehind
fall
behind
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
to keep up:
to fail to keep up with somebody or something

2.  intransitive
verb
be
late:
to be late in doing something, for example, making a regular payment or
completing a task • He fell behind with the
car payments.

[1]



fallboard

fallboard
fall·board 
[fáwl bàwrd] (plural fall·boards)
noun

cover of piano keyboard:
the hinged cover that protects a piano keyboard when it is not being played[1]



falldown

falldown
fall
down
intransitive verb

1.  collapse:
to collapse or drop to the ground

2.  fail:
to be invalid or unsuccessful

[1]



falldown on

falldown on
fall
down on
transitive verb

be unsuccessful:
to be unsuccessful or negligent in something[1]



fallen

fallen
fall·en
[fáwllən] noun

people who died in war:
those people killed in war, especially while fighting[1]



fallenarch

fallenarch
fall·en
arch
(plural fall·en arches) noun

flattening of foot arches:
a flattening of the arches of the foot (usually used in the plural)[1]



fallenwoman

fallenwoman
fall·en
wom·an
noun

woman who is promiscuous:
a woman who is seen as sinful or disgraced because she has had sexual relations
outside marriage (dated disapproving)[1]



faller

faller
fall·er
[fáwllər] (plural fall·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that falls: a person, animal, or thing
that falls

2.  Australian
feller
of trees:
somebody who cuts down trees

[1]



fallfish

fallfish
fall·fish 
[fáwl fìsh] (plural fall·fish or
fall·fish·es) noun

large minnow:
a large minnow native to eastern North America that is known for its
substantial nests, made by piling up small pebbles. Latin name: Semotilus
corporalis[1]



fallfor

fallfor
fall
for
transitive verb

1.  fall
in love with: to become infatuated with somebody or
something, or fall in love

2.  be
duped by something: to be deceived by something

[1]



fallguy

fallguy
fall
guy
(plural fall guys) noun (slang)

1.  somebody
who can be fooled: somebody who is easily
tricked or deceived

2.  scapegoat:
somebody who takes the blame for something that somebody else has done

[1]



fallible

fallible
fal·li·ble 
[fálləb’l] adjective

1.  tending
to err:
liable to make mistakes

2.  not
true:
liable to be wrong or misleading
[15th
century. From medieval Latin fallibilis, from fallere “to
deceive.”]
—fal·li·bil·i·ty
[fàllə bíllətee], noun

—fal·li·ble·ness
[fálləb’lnəss], noun

—fal·li·bly [fálləblee], adverb[1]



fallin

fallin
fall
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARMY form ranks:
to join or form an organized rank • The
whistle blew and the soldiers fell in.

2.  intransitive
verb
cave
in:
to collapse inward

[1]



fallingaction

fallingaction
fall·ing
ac·tion 
noun

events following climax of
story: the events that follow the
climax and lead to the denouement in a work of fiction or drama[1]



fallingband

fallingband
fall·ing
band
(plural fall·ing bands) noun

man’s collar worn in 17C:
a large collar, often trimmed with lace, turned down flat onto the shoulders
and worn by men in the 17th century.
Also called
fall[1]



falling-off

falling-off
fall·ing-off
noun

decrease:
a decline in quality or quantity[1]



falling-out

falling-out
fall·ing-out 
(plural fall·ings-out or fall·ing-outs) noun

dispute:
a quarrel or disagreement, especially one that leads to strained relations with
somebody[1]



fallingrhythm

fallingrhythm
fall·ing
rhythm
(plural fall·ing rhythms) noun

poetic meter stressing first
syllable: poetic meter in which the
stress falls consistently on the first syllable of a foot[1]



fallingstar

fallingstar
fall·ing
star
(plural fall·ing stars) noun

See
meteor[1]



fallin with

fallin with
fall
in with
transitive verb

1.  meet
and join:
to meet and start associating with somebody or a group

2.  agree
with:
to agree or comply with something or somebody

[1]



fallline

fallline

fall
line
(plural fall lines) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY line
along top of slope: an imaginary line along the
edge of higher land, marked by rapids and waterfalls, that indicates where
rivers begin to descend more steeply from a highland region to a lowland one

2.  SKIING GEOGRAPHY natural route of descent of
hill:
the natural route of descent on a hill between two given points

3.        MOUNTAINEERING
line connecting high and low point:
vertical line connecting a high and low point on a mountain or cliff[1]



falloff

falloff
fall
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
decline:
to decrease in size, number, or quality • Stock
prices have fallen off in the last couple of days.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING sail downwind:
to deviate from a course to sail downwind, or make a vessel sail downwind

[1]



falloff

falloff
fall·off 
[fáwl àwf, fáwl
òf] (plural fall·offs) noun

decrease:
a decrease or decline, especially in prices of something or demand for
something[1]



fallon

fallon
fall
on
transitive verb

1.  attack:
to attack somebody vigorously, especially by surprise (literary)

2.  U.K.
begin
something eagerly: to begin eating or doing
something eagerly

3.  See
fall to  verb 1

[1]



fallopiantube

fallopiantube
fal·lo·pi·an
tube 
[fə lpee ən tb] (plural fal·lo·pi·an
tubes) or Fal·lo·pi·an tube [fə
lpee ən tb] (plural Fal·lo·pi·an tubes) noun

tube
through which mammal’s eggs pass: either of two narrow
tubes through which a female mammal’s eggs pass from either of the ovaries to
the womb
[Early 18th century. Named
for Gabriele Fallopio (1523–1562), the Italian anatomist who is reputed
to have discovered the structures.][1]



fallout

fallout
fall·out 
[fáwl òwt] noun

1.  PHYSICS radioactive
particles:
a cloud of radioactive dust that is created by a nuclear explosion and settles
back down to the earth

2.  PHYSICS METEOROLOGY descent of radioactive
dust:
the descent to the earth of particles from a cloud of radioactive dust

3.  incidental
consequences: consequences, especially undesirable
ones, that result incidentally from a situation or event

[1]



fallout

fallout
fall
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
quarrel:
to have a quarrel with somebody, especially one that leads to strained
relations

2.  intransitive
verb
occur:
to happen

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
ranks:
to leave or break up an organized rank or position

[1]



falloutshelter

falloutshelter
fall·out
shel·ter
(plural fall·out shel·ters) noun

shelter from nuclear war:
a place of refuge built to protect people from the effects of a nuclear weapon[1]



fallow

fallow2
fal·low2  [fállō]
adjective

yellowish
brown:
of a light yellowish brown color
[Old
English fealu . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English appal, pale, and pallid
.]
—fal·low, noun[1]



fallow

fallow1
fal·low1  [fállō]
adjective

1.  AGRICULTURE left
unseeded after plowing: left unseeded after plowing
for a period of time in order to recover natural fertility

2.  currently
inactive:
currently inactive but with the possibility of activity or use in the future
noun

AGRICULTURE fallow
land:
land that has been left fallow
[13th
century. From Old English fealh, from fealgian “to break up land
by plowing.”]
—fal·low·ness, noun[1]



fallowdeer

fallowdeer
fal·low
deer
noun

deer of Europe and Asia:
a deer that lives in Europe and Asia, the male of which has broad flattened
antlers and a variably colored coat spotted with white in summer. Latin name: Dama
dama[1]



FallRiver

FallRiver
Fall
Riv·er

town in southeastern
Massachusetts, 19 km/12 mi northwest of New Bedford. Population: 92, 703 (1990)[1]



fallthrough

fallthrough
fall
through
intransitive verb

be unsuccessful:
to fail to work out successfully[1]



fallto

fallto
fall
to
verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
duty of somebody: to be the responsibility, obligation, or
duty of somebody or a group • It
falls to the council to decide the matter.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb start:
to begin doing something

3.  transitive
verb
be
given:
to be given by right or inheritance to somebody

[1]



fallupon

fallupon
fall
upon
transitive verb

1.  See
fall on

2.  See
fall to

[1]



Falmouth

Falmouth
Fal·mouth
[fálməth]

town on Cape Cod, in
southeastern Massachusetts, where the land narrows between Buzzards Bay and
Vineyard Sound. Population: 30,451 (1996)[1]



false

false
false 
[fawls] adjective (comparative
fals·er, superlative fals·est)

1.  incorrect:
not conforming to facts or truth

2.  mistaken:
resulting from a mistaken belief or misunderstanding

3.  artificial:
imitating, copying, or having the same function as the other thing named and
replacing or used alongside it

4.  deliberately
deceptive:
done with or having the intention of deceiving somebody

5.  not
genuine:
intentionally made or adopted to deceive somebody

6.  treacherous:
disloyal and untrustworthy

7.  BIOLOGY confusable
with named plant or animal: superficially resembling and
often mistaken for the plant or animal named • false
acacia
adverb
(comparative fals·er, superlative fals·est)

dishonestly: in a
dishonest and disloyal way (literary)
[Pre-12th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin falsus, from fallere
“to deceive” (source of English fail
and fault ).]
—false·ly,
adverb

—false·ness, noun[1]



falseacacia

falseacacia
false
a·ca·cia
(plural false a·ca·cias) noun

See
locust[1]



falsealarm

falsealarm
false
a·larm
(plural false a·larms) noun

1.  needless
alarm:
a situation in which an alarm goes off unnecessarily

2.  something
causing needless worry: something that appears to be
a problem but is not • The
company’s impending bankruptcy proved to be a false alarm.

[1]



falsearrest

falsearrest
false
ar·rest
noun

illegal arrest:
an arrest made without legal authority[1]



falsebedding

falsebedding
false
bed·ding
noun

See
cross-bedding[1]



false-card

false-card
false-card
(past false-card·ed, past participle false-card·ed,
present participle false-card·ing, 3rd person present singular
false-cards) intransitive verb

play misleading card in
bridge: to play a card in bridge to
mislead an opponent about the cards held in the suit led[1]



falsedawn

falsedawn
false
dawn
(plural false dawns) noun

1.  light
occurring before sunrise: light that appears in the
east just before dawn

2.  favorable
sign having expectations unfulfilled: a
sign that promises but does not deliver good results

[1]



falsefriend

falsefriend
false
friend
(plural false friends) noun

1.  deceptive
foreign word: a word in a second language that looks
as if it could be translated by the corresponding word in the first language
but actually has a different meaning.
Also
called
faux ami

2.  treacherous
friend:
a friend proven to be disloyal and untrustworthy

[1]



falsefruit

falsefruit
false
fruit
(plural false fruits) noun

See
pseudocarp[1]



falsehood

falsehood
false·hood 
[fáwls hd] (plural false·hoods)
noun

1.  lie:
a lying or erroneous statement

2.  untruth:
something that is untrue

3.  telling
of lies:
the telling of untruths

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lie

[1]



falseimprisonment

falseimprisonment
false
im·pris·on·ment noun

illegal imprisonment:
the unlawful confinement of somebody[1]



falsekeel

falsekeel
false
keel
(plural false keels) noun

extra keel:
an extension to a boat’s keel, added to protect the main keel or to increase
stability[1]



falsememory syndrome

falsememory syndrome
false
mem·o·ry syn·drome noun

having memories that may be
false: a situation in which
examination, therapy or hypnosis has elicited apparent memories, especially of
childhood abuse, that are disputed by family members and often traumatic to the
patient[1]



falsemiterwort

falsemiterwort
false
mi·ter·wort 
noun

See
foamflower[1]



falsemove

falsemove
false
move
(plural false moves) noun

careless act:
an action showing an error of timing or judgment[1]



falseposition

falseposition
false
po·si·tion
noun

situation of somebody’s
acting against principles: a situation
in which somebody is forced to act in an inconsistent or uncharacteristic way[1]



falsepregnancy

falsepregnancy
false
preg·nan·cy
noun

apparent but unreal
pregnancy: a condition in which a woman
has the delusional belief that she is pregnant and displays symptoms and signs
of pregnancy.
Also called
pseudopregnancy
Also called
phantom pregnancy
U.K. term
phantom pregnancy Technical name pseudocyesis[1]



falsepretenses

falsepretenses
false
pre·ten·ses
plural noun

deception:
deception or misrepresentation in order to gain something from somebody • He
gained her trust under false pretenses and didn’t tell her he was wanted by the
police.[1]



falserib

falserib
false
rib
(plural false ribs) noun

lower unconnected rib:
any of the lower ribs, the bottom five pairs in humans, not connected directly
to the sternum[1]



falsestart

falsestart
false
start
(plural false starts) noun

1.  abandoned
start of race: a situation in which a competitor in a
race breaks a regulation governing the starting procedure and the race has to
be restarted

2.  unsuccessful
start:
a failed attempt to begin something

[1]



falsestep

falsestep
false
step
(plural false steps) noun

1.  careless
act:
an action showing an error of judgment

2.  stumble:
an act of stumbling

[1]



falsetopaz

falsetopaz
false
to·paz
(plural false to·paz·es) noun

See
citrine[1]



falsetto

falsetto
fal·set·to 
[fawl sétt] noun (plural fal·set·tos)

1.  high
singing method: a method used by male singers to sing at
a very high pitch by using more air and a combination of vocal chord vibration
and head resonance. It is used by countertenors in classical music and has been
applied to pop music by groups such as the Beach Boys.

2.  falsetto
singer:
a male singer who sings in a very high voice

3.  falsetto
voice:
a very high voice used by a male singer
adverb

in falsetto voice:
in an artificially or unusually high voice
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “little false (one),” from falso “false,” from Latin falsus
(see false ).][1]



falsevampire

falsevampire
false
vam·pire
(plural false vam·pires) noun

bat:
a bat that hunts and feeds on smaller bats, and is therefore falsely believed
to feed on blood. There are five species of false vampires in Europe and Asia
and one in Central and South America. Families: Megadermatidae Phyllostomatidae[1]



falsework

falsework
false·work
[fáwls wùrk] (plural false·works)
noun

framework:
a structure or frame that supports something that is being built[1]



falsie

falsie
fals·ie 
[fáwlsee] (plural fals·ies) noun

padding for bra:
either of two pads worn inside a bra to make the breasts look larger or more
shapely (informal)[1]



falsification

falsification
fal·si·fi·ca·tion 
[fàwlsəfi káysh’n] (plural fal·si·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  fraudulent
alteration:
the alteration of documents or evidence for the purposes of deception

2.  lie:
a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth or facts

[1]



falsify

falsify
fal·si·fy 
[fáwlsə f] (past fal·si·fied,
past participle fal·si·fied, present participle fal·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular fal·si·fies) transitive verb

1.  alter
fraudulently: to alter something in order to deceive
somebody

2.  disprove:
to prove that something is incorrect

3.  misrepresent:
to misrepresent the facts in order to mislead • They
falsified every detail of their story.
[15th
century. Directly or via French falsifier from medieval Latin falsificare
“to act dishonestly,” from, ultimately, Latin falsus (see false ) + Latin facere “to make, do”
(source of fact ).]
—fal·si·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[fàwlsə fī ə bíllətee], noun

—fal·si·fi·a·ble
[fáwlsə f əb’l], adjective

—fal·si·fi·er [fáwlsə fr], noun[1]



falsity

falsity
fal·si·ty 
[fáwlsətee] (plural fal·si·ties)
noun

1.  being
untrue:
the fact or condition of being untrue

2.  something
untrue:
something that is incorrect or untrue
[13th century. Directly or
via French from Latin falsitas, from falsus (see false ).][1]



Falstaffian

Falstaffian
Fal·staff·i·an 
[fawl stáffee ən] adjective

resembling Sir John Falstaff:
typical of the Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff in being bawdy,
pleasure-loving, given to outlandish bragging, and of great size[1]



faltboat

faltboat
falt·boat 
[fólt bt, fáwlt
bt] (plural falt·boats) noun

See
foldboat
[Early 20th century. From
German Faltboot, literally “folding boat,” from falten “to fold”
+ Boot “boat.”][1]



falter

falter
fal·ter 
[fáwltər] (past fal·tered, past
participle fal·tered, present participle fal·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular fal·ters) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
lose
confidence:
to become unsure and hesitant

2.  intransitive
verb
begin
to fail:
to lose strength, power, or vitality

3.  intransitive
verb
stumble:
to move unsteadily

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb hesitate
in speech:
to speak or say something hesitatingly • Trembling
with shame, she faltered an apology.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Scandinavian.]
—fal·ter·er,
noun

—fal·ter·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hesitate

[1]



F.A.M.

F.A.M.
F.A.M.

Abbreviation of
Free and Accepted Masons[1]



fam.

fam.
fam.

1.  Abbreviation
of
familiar

2.  Abbreviation
of
family

[1]



fame

fame
fame 
[faym] noun

1.  renown:
the condition of being very well known

2.  reputation:
somebody’s reputation (archaic)

3.  rumor:
rumor or report (archaic)
[12th century. Via French
from Latin fama “talk, report, reputation” (source of English famous, infamous,
and defame ).][1]



famed

famed
famed 
[faymd] adjective

famous:
very well known • The
restaurant was famed for its steaks.[1]



familial

familial
fa·mil·ial 
[fə míllyəl] adjective

common to families:
relating to or involving a family[1]



familiar

familiar
fa·mil·iar 
[fə míllyər] adjective

1.  often
encountered: well known, commonly seen or heard, and
easily recognized

2.  acquainted
with something: with a thorough knowledge and good
understanding of something • Are
you familiar with the theory?

3.  friendly:
in or characteristic of a close personal relationship with somebody

4.  impertinently
intimate:
unduly friendly or intimate in a way that is seen as presumptuous or
impertinent (dated)

5.  familial:
relating to or involving a family (archaic)
noun
(plural fa·mil·iars)

1.  RELIGION spirit
helping witch: the supposed aid or helper of a witch,
usually supposed to be a spirit with supernatural powers that takes the form of
an animal, for example, a cat.
Also
called
familiar spirit

2.  intimate
friend:
a close friend and companion (formal)

3.  CHRISTIANITY lay
member of monastery: somebody who lives and works
in a monastic community but has not taken a vow

4.  CHRISTIANITY household
attendant of pope or bishop: somebody who undertakes
domestic duties in the household of a pope or Roman Catholic bishop
[13th
century. Via French familier from Latin familiaris, from familia
(see family ).]
—fa·mil·iar·ly,
adverb

—fa·mil·iar·ness, noun[1]



familiarity

familiarity
fa·mil·iar·i·ty 
[fə mìllee érrətee] noun

1.  good
knowledge:
thorough knowledge and understanding of something • Familiarity
with database systems would be an advantage.

2.  intimacy:
closeness and friendliness in a personal relationship

3.  familiar
quality:
the quality of being familiar • The
place had a strange familiarity about it.

4.  (plural
fa·mil·iar·i·ties) unwelcome intimacy:
an intimacy that is improper and presumptuous (dated)

[1]



familiarize

familiarize
fa·mil·iar·ize 
[fə míllyə rz] (past fa·mil·iar·ized,
past participle fa·mil·iar·ized, present participle fa·mil·iar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fa·mil·iar·iz·es) transitive verb

make
somebody familiar with something: to acquire or provide
somebody with information or experience necessary for understanding or doing
something • You
should familiarize yourself with the emergency procedure.
—fa·mil·iar·i·za·tion
[fə mìllyəri záysh’n], noun

—fa·mil·iar·iz·er [fə míllyə rzər], noun[1]



familiarspirit

familiarspirit
fa·mil·iar
spir·it
(plural fa·mil·iar spir·its) noun

See
familiar  noun 1[1]



family

family
fam·i·ly 
[fámməlee] noun (plural fam·i·lies)

1.  people
living together: a group of people living together and
functioning as a single household, usually consisting of parents and their
children

2.  group
of relatives: a group of people who are closely
related by birth, marriage, or adoption.
See
also
extended family
See
also
nuclear family

3.  others
in somebody’s family: the other members of the
family to which somebody belongs • He
always spends Sunday afternoon with his family.

4.  lineage:
all the people who are descended from a common ancestor

5.  offspring:
a child or set of children born to somebody • They’re
not ready to start a family.

6.  group
with something in common: a group whose members are
related in origin, characteristics, or occupation

7.  LINGUISTICS related
languages:
a group of languages that have a common origin

8.  BIOLOGY set of
related organisms: a category in the taxonomic
classification of related organisms, comprising one or more genera

9.  MATHEMATICS related
mathematical shapes or expressions: a set
of related mathematical curves, surfaces, or functions, usually expressed as a
single equation containing one or more parameters or arbitrary constants • a
family of concentric circles

10. CHEMISTRY chemical
elements with similar properties: a set of chemical
elements that have similar properties. See series

11. branch
of Mafia:
a branch of the Mafia or of a similar large criminal group (informal)
adjective

1.  used
by family:
used, owned, or employed by a family, or suitable for one

2.  appropriate
for children: suitable to be experienced by families
with children

3.  serving
families:
serving families not just businesses or institutions
[15th
century. From Latin familia “servants of a household, household,
family,” from famulus “servant.”]
in
the family way

pregnant (dated informal)[1]



familyBible

familyBible
fam·i·ly
Bi·ble
(plural fam·i·ly Bi·bles) noun

Bible with family records:
a large Bible handed down in a family from one generation to another. A family
Bible usually contains records of births, marriages, and deaths.[1]



familycircle

familycircle
fam·i·ly
cir·cle
noun

1.  close
relatives:
the members of a family who are closely related and usually who live together

2.  cheaper
seats:
an area or tier in a theater where the seats are less expensive

[1]



familycourt

familycourt
fam·i·ly
court
(plural fam·i·ly courts) noun

court dealing with families:
a court that rules on domestic disputes, especially those involving the care
and custody of children.
Also called
court of domestic relations[1]



familydoctor

familydoctor
fam·i·ly
doc·tor
(plural fam·i·ly doc·tors) noun

general practitioner:
a general practitioner[1]



familyleave

familyleave
family
leave
noun

LAW
leave from work for family concerns:
a temporary leave of absence for an employee, usually unpaid, so that he or she
can take care of family concerns such as emergency child care or a serious
illness[1]



familyman

familyman
fam·i·ly
man
noun

man fond of family life:
a married man who enjoys family life and spends a lot of time with his wife and
children[1]



familyname

familyname
fam·i·ly
name
(plural fam·i·ly names) noun

See
surname[1]



familyplanning

familyplanning
fam·i·ly
plan·ning 
noun

birth control:
the use of birth control methods to choose the number and timing of children
born into a family[1]



familyroom

familyroom
fam·i·ly
room
(plural fam·i·ly rooms) noun

room in house for family
activity: a room in a family home used
for relaxation, entertainment, or children’s play[1]



familystyle

familystyle
fam·i·ly
style
adjective adverb

having serving dishes on a
table: having food provided in
serving dishes on the table, so that people can serve themselves (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



familytree

familytree
fam·i·ly
tree
(plural fam·i·ly trees) noun

chart of family information:
a chart that shows the relationships of members of a family over time,
including dates of marriages, births, and deaths[1]



famine

famine
fam·ine 
[fámmin] (plural fam·ines) noun

1.  extreme
food scarcity: a severe shortage of food resulting in
widespread hunger

2.  deficiency
of something: a severe shortage of something

3.  extreme
hunger:
extreme hunger and starvation
[14th century. From French,
from faim “hunger,” from, ultimately, Latin fames (source of
English famish ).][1]



famish

famish
fam·ish 
[fámmish] (past fam·ished, past
participle fam·ished, present participle fam·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular fam·ish·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  starve:
to be extremely hungry, or make somebody extremely hungry (often passive)

2.  die
of hunger:
to die or kill somebody by starvation (archaic)
[14th
century. Formed from earlier fame, from Old French afamer, from
assumed Vulgar Latin affamare, literally “to hunger toward,” from Latin fames
.]
—fam·ish·ment, noun[1]



famous

famous
fa·mous 
[fáyməss] adjective

1.  very
well known:
known and recognized by many people

2.  excellent:
excellent and satisfying (dated)
[14th
century. Via Old French fameus from Latin famosus, from fama
(see fame ).]
—fa·mous·ly,
adverb

—fa·mous·ness, noun[1]



famulus

famulus
fam·u·lus 
[fámmyələss] (plural fam·u·li
[fámmyə l]) noun

assistant:
a personal secretary or attendant, especially to a scholar (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “servant” (see family ).][1]



fan

fan1

fan1 [fan]
noun (plural fans)

1.  device
for moving air: a device to cool or circulate currents
of air, especially one with rotating blades

2.  personal
cooling device: a flat disk on a handle or a
semicircular device of folding struts of paper, silk, or plastic for waving
back and forth in order to cool the face

3.  something
fan -shaped: something in the shape of an open
handheld fan, for example, the tail of a peacock

4.  AGRICULTURE winnowing
machine:
a series of revolving blades used to winnow or clean grain
verb (past
fanned, past participle fanned, present participle fan·ning,
3rd person present singular fans)

1.  transitive
verb
blow
on something: to blow a current of air steadily and
lightly across or around something, either cooling or agitating it • A
cool breeze fanned the shore.

2.  transitive
verb
move
air using fan: to move air around using a fan

3.  transitive
verb
stir
up:
to cause emotions to become more intense or a situation to become more volatile

4.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE separate
grain from chaff: to winnow grain by blowing away the
chaff

5.  transitive
verb
ARMS fire
gun with repeated chopping movement: to
fire a gun repeatedly by holding the trigger back and chopping at the hammer
with the open hand

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
across something: to spread or spread something out in the
shape of an open handheld fan

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL strike out:
to strike out a batter in baseball, or while at bat (slang)
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin vannus “device for winnowing grain.” The sense of
cooling device developed in the 16th century as a metaphorical extension.]
—fan·ner, noun[1]



fan

fan2
fan2 [fan]
(plural fans) noun

1.  enthusiastic
admirer:
an enthusiastic admirer of a celebrity or public performer

2.  See
fanatic  noun 2
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of fanatic . The word is first
recorded from the 17th century, but it was not used regularly until the 19th
century (referring to sports supporters).][1]



fanatic

fanatic
fa·nat·ic 
[fə náttik] noun (plural fa·nat·ics)

1.  extremist:
somebody who has extreme and sometimes irrational enthusiasms or beliefs,
especially in religion or politics

2.  fan
of something: somebody who is very enthusiastic about
a pastime or hobby.
Also
called
fan
adjective

See fanatical
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin fanaticus “inspired by a god, frenzied,” from fanum
“temple” (source of English profane
).][1]



fanatical

fanatical
fa·nat·i·cal 
[fə náttik’l] adjective

extremely
enthusiastic: excessively enthusiastic about a
particular belief, cause, or activity
—fa·nat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—fa·nat·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



fanaticism

fanaticism
fa·nat·i·cism 
[fə nátti sìzzəm] noun

being fanatical:
an extreme and often irrational enthusiasm or belief[1]



fanaticize

fanaticize
fa·nat·i·cize 
[fə nátti sz] (past fa·nat·i·cized,
past participle fa·nat·i·cized, present participle fa·nat·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular fa·nat·i·ciz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become fanatical:
to make somebody fanatical about something, or become fanatical[1]



fanbelt

fanbelt
fan
belt
(plural fan belts) noun

belt in motor vehicle engine:
a continuous belt that turns a fan, especially one turning the cooling fan in
the engine of a motor vehicle[1]



fancier

fancier
fan·ci·er 
[fánsee ər] (plural fan·ci·ers)
noun

1.  enthusiast:
somebody especially interested in or enthusiastic about something

2.  breeder
of plant or animal: somebody with a special
interest in the breeding of a particular animal or plant

[1]



fanciful

fanciful
fan·ci·ful 
[fánsif’l] adjective

1.  imaginary:
based on imagination or dreams

2.  imaginative
and impractical: led by imagination rather than realism
and practicality

3.  curiously
made:
strangely and imaginatively designed or made
—fan·ci·ful·ly,
adverb

—fan·ci·ful·ness, noun[1]



fanclub

fanclub
fan
club
(plural fan clubs) noun

group for fans of somebody:
an organization whose members are devoted to a celebrity or public performer,
providing information and sometimes organizing special events[1]



fancy

fancy
fan·cy 
[fánsee] adjective (comparative
fan·ci·er, superlative fan·ci·est)

1.  not
plain:
elaborately and ornately decorated

2.  intricate:
intricately and skillfully performed

3.  high
quality:
having superior quality (used especially of foods)

4.  expensive:
excessively priced or valued • fancy
prices
• fancy
restaurants charging high prices

5.  selectively
bred:
used to describe animals that have been bred for specific features and
qualities
transitive
verb
(past fan·cied, past participle fan·cied, present
participle fan·cy·ing, 3rd person present singular fan·cies)

1.  suppose:
to be inclined to think that something is the case • I
fancy that it will be bright and sunny tomorrow.

2.  imagine:
to form the idea of something in the imagination

3.  U.K.
wish
for something: to want to do or have something • I
fancy a walk this afternoon. • Do
you fancy a coffee?

4.  U.K.
desire
somebody:
to find somebody sexually desirable (informal) • I’m
sure he fancies you!

5.  U.K.
select
as winner:
to think that somebody will succeed • Who do
you fancy for the title?
interjection

U.K. expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise (informal) • Fancy!
All that money! • Fancy
that! I would never have believed it! • Fancy
them splitting up after all these years!
noun
(plural fan·cies)

1.  sudden
liking:
an impulsive desire for something • The
hat caught my fancy.

2.  notion:
an unfounded belief about something

3.  playful
imaginativeness: the faculty of using the imagination
playfully or inventively

4.  something
imaginary:
something created by the imagination, especially something of a playful or
superficial nature

5.  likely
winner:
something or somebody thought likely to succeed or win

6.  good
taste:
good critical taste and judgment (formal)

7.  boxing
enthusiasts: enthusiasts of a sport or pastime,
especially boxing (archaic)
[15th
century. A contraction of fantasy . The
adjective arose from the idea of something varied according to the fancy.]
—fan·ci·ly,
adverb

—fan·ci·ness, noun[1]



fancydress

fancydress
fan·cy
dress
noun

fanciful
costume:
unusual clothing worn to a social gathering, often depicting a famous person,
fictional character, or historical period
[Because it is a costume
arranged according to the wearer’s fancy][1]



fancy-free

fancy-free
fan·cy-free 
adjective

carefree:
free to go anywhere and do anything • footloose
and fancy-free
[Literally “free from the
power of love,” from fancy in an obsolete
sense of the word, “love, amorous inclination”][1]



fancyman

fancyman
fan·cy
man
noun (dated informal)

1.  woman’s
lover:
the lover or boyfriend of a woman, especially a married woman

2.  pimp:
a man who finds customers for prostitutes in return for part or all of their
earnings

[1]



fancyup

fancyup
fancy
up
transitive verb

decorate something:
to decorate something[1]



fancywoman

fancywoman
fan·cy
wom·an
noun (dated informal)

1.  man’s
lover:
the lover or girlfriend of a man, especially a married man

2.  prostitute:
a prostitute

[1]



fancywork

fancywork
fan·cy·work 
[fánsi wùrk] noun

decorative needlework:
embroidery and other decorative needlework[1]



fandance

fandance
fan
dance
(plural fan danc·es) noun

suggestive dance:
an erotic dance in which large fans are used to mask and reveal parts of the
dancer’s nude body[1]



fandango

fandango
fan·dan·go 
[fan dáng g] (plural fan·dan·gos)
noun

1.  DANCE Spanish
dance:
a vigorous Spanish or Latin American dance in triple time, traditionally
performed by a man and woman as a courtship ritual

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
a piece of music for the fandango, in triple time
[Mid-18th century. From
Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps African .][1]



fandom

fandom
fan·dom 
[fándəm] noun

large group of fans:
fans collectively, especially of a public entertainer such a movie or TV star[1]



fane

fane
fane
[fayn] (plural fanes) noun

temple:
a temple or shrine to a god or gods (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin fanum
“temple” (source of English fanatic
).][1]



fanfare

fanfare
fan·fare 
[fán fàir] (plural fan·fares) noun

1.  trumpet
flourish:
a short dramatic series of notes played on trumpets or other brass instruments,
especially to mark the arrival of somebody important

2.  showy
display:
any dramatic and ostentatious event, especially an announcement or publicity
stunt
[Mid-18th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from, ultimately, Arabic farfār
“chatterer”; or perhaps an imitation of the sound.][1]



fanfold

fanfold
fan·fold
[fán fld] adjective

pleated in folds:
folded into pleats by making alternate folds in opposite directions • fanfold
computer paper[1]



fang

fang
fang 
[fang] noun (plural fangs)

1.  canine
tooth:
a long pointed tooth of a mammal on each side of the mouth toward the front

2.  snake’s
tooth:
a tooth of a venomous snake, with a hollow or grooves through which venom is
injected

3.  spider’s
mouthpart:
either of the pair of mouthparts of a spider, from which poison is emitted
plural
noun
fangs

teeth: the
teeth (informal)
[Old English, “plunder,
booty.” In Middle English, the word also had the sense of “grasp” or “embrace,”
from which the meaning of “animal’s tooth” presumably derives.][1]



Fang

Fang
Fang 
[fang, faang]
(plural Fang or Fangs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of W African people: a member of a people who
live mainly in the rain forests of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon

2.  LANGUAGE W
African language: the language spoken by the Fang . It is
a Bantu language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family of African
languages. About two million people speak Fang.
[Mid-19th
century. From French Fan, of uncertain origin: probably from Fan Pangwe
.]
—Fang, adjective[1]



fanged

fanged
fanged
[fangd] adjective

with fangs:
having fangs[1]



fanheater

fanheater
fan·heat·er
[fán htər] (plural fan·heat·ers)
noun

U.K.
electric heater blowing out warm air:
an electric heater that blows out a current of warm air using a fan[1]



fanion

fanion
fan·ion 
[fánnyən] (plural fan·ions) noun

small
flag marker: a small marking flag used by surveyors
and soldiers
[Early 18th century. From
French, “small manciple,” from fanon, from assumed Frankish fano
“piece of fabric.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English vane .][1]



fanjet

fanjet
fan·jet
[fán jèt] (plural fan·jets) noun

Also
called
turbofan
U.K.
term
turbofan

1.  jet
engine with large frontal fan: a jet engine with a
large turbine-driven fan located in a forward duct that increases thrust and
reduces noise by forcing air back around the exhaust

2.  aircraft
powered by fanjet s: an aircraft powered by one
or more fanjet s

[1]



FanKuan

FanKuan
Fan
Kuan
[fn kwn] (lived 990–1030)

Chinese artist. He is noted
for his landscapes of mountains and streams, which he painted while living
alone in the mountains.[1]



fanletter

fanletter
fan
let·ter
(plural fan let·ters) noun

letter written by fan:
a letter written to a celebrity by a fan[1]



fanlight

fanlight

fan·light 
[fán lt] (plural fan·lights) noun

1.  fan-shaped
window:
a semicircular window above a door or another window, often with struts forming
the shape of an open handheld fan

2.        U.K.
See transom[1]



fanmail

fanmail
fan
mail
noun

letters from fans:
letters sent to celebrities by their fans[1]



FannieMae

FannieMae
Fan·nie
Mae
[fànni máy] noun

government-backed
mortgage provider: the Federal National
Mortgage Association, a private corporation sponsored by the U.S. government
that supplies funds for mortgages, or a publicly traded security backed by it
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the acronym FNMA short for Federal
National Mortgage Association][1]



fanny

fanny
fan·ny 
[fánnee] (plural fan·nies) noun

buttocks:
the buttocks (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Fanny, the nickname of Frances .][1]



fannypack

fannypack
fan·ny
pack
(plural fan·ny packs) noun

bag on belt:
a pouch for valuables, strapped around the waist.
U.K. term
bum bag[1]



fanout

fanout
fan
out
intransitive and transitive verb

spread in fan shape:
to spread or spread something out in the shape of an open handheld fan[1]



fanpalm

fanpalm

fan palm
(plural fan palms) noun
palm with fan-shaped leaves:
a palm tree such as the palmetto that has divided fan-shaped leaves[1]



fantabulous

fantabulous
fan·tab·u·lous 
[fan tábbyələss] adjective

excellent:
extremely good (humorous)
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
fantastic and fabulous
.][1]



fantail

fantail
fan·tail 
[fán tàyl] (plural fan·tails) noun

1.  fan-shaped
tail or end: a tail or the end of something shaped
like an open handheld fan

2.  BIRDS pigeon
with fan-shaped tail: a breed of domestic pigeon
with a broad fan-shaped tail

3.  BIRDS bird with
broad tail:
a small flycatcher of Australia, New Zealand, and Asia with a fan-shaped tail.
Genus: Rhipidura

4.  ZOOLOGY goldfish
with broad tail: a goldfish with a broad double tail fin

5.  SHIPPING rounded
part of stern: a rounded overhanging part of a ship’s
stern

6.  windmill
sail:
a secondary sail on a windmill that keeps the main sails facing into the wind

[1]



fan-tan

fan-tan
fan-tan 
[fán tàn] noun

1.  GAMBLING gambling
game:
a Chinese gambling game in which players bet on how many items that have been
concealed under a bowl remain after being counted off in fours

2.  CARD GAMES card
game:
a card game in which players seek to discard all their cards in a sequence
based on the same suit as a seven that has been led.
Also
called
sevens
[Late 19th century. From
Chinese, from fān “turn, chance” + tān “to spread out.”][1]



fantasia

fantasia
fan·ta·sia 
[fan táyzhə, fan
táyzhee ə] (plural fan·ta·sias) noun

fanciful
composition: an instrumental composition in a free
and improvisatory style, sometimes based on well-known melodies.
Also
called
fantasy
[Early
18th century. From Italian, literally “fantasy, imagination,” from Latin phantasia
(see fantasy ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Fantasia, a movie ( 1940 ) produced
  by Walt Disney. This ambitious attempt to popularize classical music consists
  of cartoon animation matched to eight famous musical compositions. Its
  best-known sequences include hippos dancing to Ponchielli’s “Dance of the
  Hours” and Mickey Mouse as the protagonist of Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s
  Apprentice.” .

[1]



fantasist

fantasist
fan·ta·sist 
[fántəssist] (plural fan·ta·sists)
noun

imaginer of fantasies:
somebody who imagines fantasies[1]



fantasize

fantasize
fan·ta·size 
[fántə sz] (past fan·ta·sized,
past participle fan·ta·sized, present participle fan·ta·si·zing,
3rd person present singular fan·ta·siz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

imagine:
to form or indulge in fantasies of the imagination[1]



fantast

fantast
fan·tast 
[fán tàst] (plural fan·tasts) noun

impractical
dreamer:
somebody who has impractical daydreams
[Late 16th century. Via
German Phantast from Greek phantastēs “boaster,” from phantazein
or phantazesthai (see fantasy ).][1]



fantastic

fantastic
fan·tas·tic 
[fan tástik] or fan·tas·ti·cal
[fan tástik’l] adjective

1.  excellent:
extraordinarily good

2.  incredible:
apparently impossible but real or true

3.  imaginary:
existing only in the imagination

4.  enormous:
much larger than is usual, expected, or desirable

5.  bizarre:
extremely strange or weird in appearance

6.  unlikely:
unusual and unlikely to be successful
interjection

expressing pleasure:
used to express amazement at and approval of some event or piece of information
(informal) • You won the game?
Fantastic!
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek phantastikos, from phantazein
or phantazesthai (see fantasy ).]
—fan·tas·ti·cal·i·ty
[fan tàsti kállətee], noun

—fan·tas·ti·cal·ness [fan tástik’lnəss], noun[1]



fantastically

fantastically
fan·tas·ti·cal·ly
[fan tástikəlee] adverb

1.  very:
extremely

2.  very
well:
in a superb way

3.  strangely:
in a weird and strange way

[1]



fantastico

fantastico
fan·tas·ti·co 
[fan tástikō] interjection

(informal)
See fantastic
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian, literally “fantastic,” from, ultimately, Greek phantazein or phantazesthai
(see fantasy ).][1]



fantasy

fantasy
fan·ta·sy 
[fántəssee] noun (plural fan·ta·sies)

1.  imaginative
power:
the creative power of the imagination

2.  mental
image or dream: an image or dream created by the
imagination

3.  PSYCHOLOGY creation
of mental images: the creation of exaggerated mental
images in response to an ungratified need

4.  impractical
idea:
an unrealistic and impractical idea

5.  LITERATURE genre
of fiction:
a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical or supernatural events

6.  MUSIC See fantasia
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fan·ta·sied,
past participle fan·ta·sied, present participle fan·ta·sy·ing,
3rd person present singular fan·ta·sies)

See fantasize
[14th century. Via Old French
from Greek phantasia, “appearance, imagination,” from, ultimately, phainein
“to show” (source of English phantom
and phenomenon ).][1]



Fanti

Fanti
Fan·ti
[fántee, fntee]
(plural Fan·ti or Fan·tis) or Fan·te
[fántee, fntee]
(plural Fan·te or Fan·tes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of an African
people living in the rain forests of Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire

2.  LANGUAGE W
African language: a dialect of Akan spoken in parts of
Ghana and the Côte d’Ivoire
[Early
19th century. From Fanti .]
—Fanti, adjective[1]



fantod

fantod
fan·tod 
[fán tòd] (plural fan·tods) noun

nervousness:
nervous anxiety (informal) • He had
a fit of the fantods.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fanvaulting

fanvaulting
fan
vault·ing
noun

system of fan-shaped vaults:
a form of vaulting in which ribs fan out from the four corners of a bay, like a
fan[1]



fanwort

fanwort
fan·wort 
[fán wùrt, fán
wàwrt] (plural fan·worts) noun

aquatic plant:
an aquatic plant of the lily family that has fan-shaped submerged and floating
leaves. Genus: Cambomba[1]



fanzine

fanzine
fan·zine 
[fán zn] (plural fan·zines) noun

fan
club magazine: an amateur magazine produced for fans of
a pastime or celebrity
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from fan 2 + magazine .][1]



FAO

FAO
FAO

Abbreviation of
Food and Agricultural Organization (of the UN)[1]



f.a.o.

f.a.o.
f.a.o.

Abbreviation of
for the attention of[1]



f.a.q.

f.a.q.
f.a.q.

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of fair average quality[1]



FAQ

FAQ
FAQ 
[fak, àf ay ky]

1.  FAQ
or FAQs COMPUT Abbreviation
of frequently asked questions

2.  SHIPPING Abbreviation of free
alongside quay

[1]



faqir

faqir
faqir
noun

See
fakir[1]



far

far
far 
[faar] (comparative far·ther [frər] or fur·ther [fúrər], superlative far·thest [frəst] or fur·thest [fúrəst]) CORE
MEANING:
an adverb and adjective indicating that something is a long way away in
distance or time • These vessels had been venturing
as far as Iceland for cod. • They
have been fishing in the area as far back as 1980.

1.
adverb a long way off:
at, to, or from a great distance • We saw
the first outline of the shore far away.

2.
adverb a long time off:
at or to a long time distant from the point of reference • The
well was contaminated as far back as 1986.

3.
adverb much or many: to or
by a considerable degree • Keeping
a dog healthy is far more complicated than it seems.
• There
are far fewer factory jobs available these days.

4.
adjective distant:
remote in space or time • He
stood there, gazing into the far distance.

5.
adjective more distant: more
distant from somebody or something • Becky
cowered in a far corner of the trailer.

6.
adjective extreme:
having an extreme position in a particular direction • His
politics are far left of center.
[Old
English feor(r), from the comparative of the assumed Germanic word for
“beyond.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English forth and prow .]
—far·ness,
noun
far
and away

without
a doubt and by a large margin • She is
far and away the best player that we have.

far
and near

everywhere
• Doctors
from far and near flocked to his bedside.

far
and wide

covering
a great distance • The church bells will
be heard far and wide.

far
from

indicates
that something is not the case • This
upscale meat market is far from an old style butcher shop.

far
from it

on
the contrary • He
was not the tallest boy in the class –far from it.

far
gone

1.  in
a state of deterioration and unable to function • These
shoes can’t be repaired –they’re too far gone.

2.  very
drunk (informal) • there’s
nothing pleasant about someone that far gone.

go
far

1.  to
be very successful • He is very talented and
I am sure he will go far in his chosen career.

2.  to
last or be sufficient • Three
loaves of bread won’t go far once my family gets going.

go
too far

or take
something too farto do or say something that is unacceptable or that
exceeds reasonable limits • Harriet
paused, and realized that she had gone too far.

in
so far as

to
the extent that

so
far

1.  up
to this moment • So far, 150 people have
shown an interest in the product.

2.  up
to a certain point, extent, or degree • Freedom
of information can only go so far.

so
far so good

indicates
satisfaction with progress made up to this point • So
far so good, but the last part of the climb is the hardest.

thus
far

up
to this point • The evidence thus far
pointed clearly and conclusively against him.

[1]



Farabi,al-

Farabi,al-
Fa·ra·bi
[fə rbee], al- (873?–950?)

Arabian philosopher. He
influenced Islamic philosophy with his studies of Plato and Aristotle.[1]



farad

farad
far·ad 
[fé ràd, férrəd]
(plural far·ads) noun

unit
of electrical capacitance: the SI unit of capacitance
equal to that of a capacitor carrying one coulomb of charge when a potential
difference of one volt is applied. Symbol F
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Michael Faraday .][1]



faradaic

faradaic
far·a·da·ic 
adjective

See
faradic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








faraday

faraday
far·a·day 
[férrə dày] (plural far·a·days)
noun

electricity
quantity on one mole electrons: a unit of electricity
equal to that needed to deposit a unit amount of singly charged substance
during electolysis, equivalent to 96,485 coulombs. Symbol F
[Early 20th century. Named
for Michael Faraday .][1]



Faraday,Michael

Faraday,Michael

Far·a·day 
[fárrə dày], Michael (1791–1867)
British physicist and chemist. He is best
known for his discoveries of electromagnetic induction and of the laws of
electrolysis. He also showed how electromagnetic induction could be used in
generators and transformers.[1]



faradic

faradic
fa·rad·ic 
[fə ráddik] or far·a·da·ic [fèrrə dáy ik] adjective

with
irregular alternating current: relating to an
intermittent alternating current produced in the secondary winding of an
induction coil
[Late 19th century. From
French faradique, named for Michael Faraday
.][1]



faradism

faradism
far·a·dism 
[férrə dìzzəm] noun

use
of alternating current: the therapeutic application
of an alternating electric current to stimulate nerve and muscle function
[Late 19th century. Named for
Michael Faraday . See -ism .][1]



faradize

faradize
far·a·dize 
[férrə dz] (past far·a·dized,
past participle far·a·dized, present participle far·a·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular far·a·diz·es) transitive verb

treat
with alternating current: to use an alternating
electric current to stimulate nerve and muscle function
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Michael Faraday .]
—far·a·di·za·tion
[fèrrədi záysh’n], noun

—far·a·diz·er [férrə dzər], noun[1]



farandole

farandole
far·an·dole 
[férrən dl] (plural far·an·doles)
noun

1.  DANCE Provençal
dance:
a lively dance from the Provence region of France in which dancers link hands
to form a weaving line following the leader

2.  MUSIC music
for farandole dance: a piece of music for the
farandole, in six-eight or four-four time
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from modern Provençal farandoulo, of unknown origin.][1]



faraway

faraway
far·a·way 
[frə wày] adjective

1.  remote:
a great distance away

2.  sounding
distant:
heard from a distance

3.  dreamy:
having a dreamy, absent-minded expression or appearance
—far·a·way·ness, noun[1]



farce

farce
farce 
[faars] (plural farc·es) noun

1.  absurd
situation:
a ridiculous situation in which everything goes wrong or becomes a sham • It
was a complete farce –the bride changed her mind at the last minute and the two
families ended up having a public shouting match.

2.  comic
play:
a comic play in which authority, order, and morality are at risk and ordinary
people are caught up in extraordinary goings on

3.  style
of comic drama: the style of comic drama in which
authority, order, and morality are at risk and ordinary people are caught up in
extraordinary goings on

4.  FOOD See forcemeat
[Early 16th century. Via
French, literally “stuffing,” from, ultimately, Latin farcire . In the
Middle Ages comical interludes were often inserted into religious plays.][1]



farceur

farceur
far·ceur 
[faar súr] (plural far·ceurs) noun

1.  somebody
involved with farces: an actor in or writer of
farces

2.  joker:
somebody who is intentionally comical
[Late 17th century. From
French, from farce (see farce ).][1]



farcical

farcical
far·ci·cal 
[frsik’l] adjective

1.  absurd
and mixed up: resembling a farce in being ridiculous
and confused

2.  in
style of farce: performed or written in the style of a
farce
—far·ci·cal·i·ty
[frsi kállətee], noun

—far·ci·cal·ly [frsik’l], adverb[1]



farcry

farcry
far
cry
noun

long way:
a long way in distance or character[1]



farcy

farcy
far·cy 
[frsee] noun

horse
disease:
a form of the infectious horse disease glanders
[14th century. Via French farcin
from, ultimately, Latin farcire “to stuff” (see farce
). The underlying idea is that of a swollen gland resembling a sausage or other
stuffed food.][1]



fardel

fardel
far·del 
[frd’l] (plural far·dels) noun
(archaic)

1.  tied
package:
a bundle or pack of something tied up for carrying

2.  load:
a heavy load
[14th century. From Old
French, “bundle, load,” the diminutive of farde “bundle,” of uncertain
origin; perhaps ultimately from Arabic fardah, farde “load.”][1]



fare

fare
fare 
[fair] noun (plural fares)

1.  cost
of travel:
the amount charged for a journey

2.  passenger:
a paying passenger in a taxi

3.  food:
food that is provided, especially when simple and substantial

4.  entertainment:
the range of entertainment provided
intransitive
verb
(past fared, past participle fared, present
participle far·ing, 3rd person present singular fares)

1.  manage
in doing something: to get on in a specified way
in doing or experiencing something • How did
she fare in the exam?

2.  happen:
to turn out in a specified way for somebody

3.  eat:
to dine or be given food

4.  travel:
to go on a journey
[Old English fær or faru
“journey,” from prehistoric Germanic. The sense “food” seems to derive from the
notion of “how well somebody is faring, how somebody is provided for.”][1]



farewell

farewell
fare·well 
[fair wél] interjection

goodbye:
used to express good wishes at parting (dated) • Farewell,
my friend!
noun
(plural fare·wells)

expression
of parting good wishes: an expression of good wishes
at parting
adjective

saying
goodbye:
marking an end, conclusion, or leave-taking
[14th century. From the
phrase fare well, originally addressed to somebody setting out on a
journey.][1]



Farewell,Cape

Farewell,Cape
Fare·well,
Cape
[fáir wel, fair
wél]

cape on the northern coast of
the South Island, New Zealand. It is the northernmost point of the South
Island.[1]



farfel

farfel
far·fel 
[frf’l] or far·fal [frf’l] noun

pellet-shaped
pasta:
pasta in the shape of small grains
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish farfl, from Middle High German varveln “noodles, noodle
soup.”][1]



far-fetched

far-fetched
far-fetched 
adjective

unconvincing:
exaggerated and unconvincing
[The first meaning of the
word was “brought from far”][1]



far-flung

far-flung
far-flung 
adjective

1.  widespread:
distributed over a wide area

2.  remote:
at a great distance

[1]



Fargo

Fargo
Far·go
[frgō]

city in southeastern North
Dakota, on the Minnesota border, south of Grand Forks. Population: 83,788
(1996)[1]



Fargo,William George

Fargo,William George
Far·go
[frgō], William George (1818–1881)

U.S. entrepreneur. In 1852,
he cofounded an express delivery company that shipped goods by stagecoach.[1]



farina

farina
fa·ri·na 
[fə rnə] noun

1.  flour:
flour or meal made from wheat, nuts, or vegetables, often used in pastries and
soups

2.  U.K.
starch:
starch, especially that made from potatoes
[14th century. From Latin farina
“ground corn, flour, meal,” from far (see farrago
).][1]



farinaceous

farinaceous
far·i·na·ceous 
[fèrrə náyshəss] adjective

containing
starch:
containing or consisting of starch
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin farinaceus, from Latin farina “flour.”][1]



farinose

farinose
far·i·nose 
[férrə nss] adjective

1.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY yielding
starch:
consisting of or yielding starch

2.  BOTANY floury
in appearance: with a powdery or floury appearance,
especially because of a covering of fine whitish hairs
[Early 18th century. From
late Latin farinosus, from Latin farina “flour.”][1]



farkleberry

farkleberry
far·kle·ber·ry 
[frk’l bèrree] (plural far·kle·ber·ries)
noun

shrub
with black berries: a shrub of the heath family,
native to the southeastern United States, that has leathery leaves and hard
black berries with stony seeds. Latin name: Vaccinium arboreum
Also
called
sparkleberry
[Mid-18th century. Farkle
of uncertain origin.][1]



farm

farm
farm 
[faarm] noun (plural farms)

1.  agricultural
land and buildings: an area of land where crops
are grown or animals are reared for sale, for commercial purposes, together
with appropriate buildings

2.  place
producing particular animals or crops: an
area of land or water where particular animals, birds, fish, or crops are
raised for commercial purposes (usually used in combination) • a
trout farm

3.  farm
buildings:
a farmhouse or group of farm buildings

4.  land
used by industry: a piece of land on which something is
stored, produced or processed, especially on an industrial scale (usually
used in combination) • an
antenna farm
verb
(past farmed, past participle farmed, present
participle farm·ing, 3rd person present singular farms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
land for agriculture: to use land for growing
crops and rearing animals for sale

2.  transitive
verb
rear
something commercially: to rear animals, birds, or
fish commercially

3.  transitive
verb
See farm out
[14th
century. Via French ferme “lease” from medieval Latin firma
“fixed payment,” from Latin firmare “to fix, settle, confirm,” from firmus
“firm.”]
—farm·a·ble,
adjective

—farm·ing,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Animal
  Farm, a novel ( 1945 ) by British writer George Orwell. A satirical allegory
  of Stalinist Russia, it describes how a group of farm animals, led by pigs,
  overthrow their human owner and try to run the farm on egalitarian
  principles. Corrupted by power, the pigs distort their ideology to support
  their increasingly brutal tyranny, justifying their actions with slogans such
  as “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” .

[1]



farmer

farmer
farm·er 
[frmər] (plural farm·ers) noun

cultivator of farm:
somebody who owns or operates a farm[1]



farmercheese

farmercheese
farm·er
cheese
(plural farm·er chees·es) noun

cheese made from curds:
a mild cheese made from pressing together milk curds[1]



Farmer,Fannie

Farmer,Fannie
Far·mer 
[frmər], Fannie (1857–1915)

U.S.
home economist. She edited The Boston Cooking School Cook Book ( 1896 ),
out of which grew the classic Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
Full name
Farmer, Fannie Merritt[1]



Farmer,James

Farmer,James
Far·mer
[frmər], James (1920– )

U.S.
civil rights leader. He founded the nonviolent Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE) (1942) and served as its national director (1961–1966).
Full name
Farmer, James Leonard[1]



farmers’market

farmers’market
farm·ers’
mar·ket
(plural farm·ers’ mar·kets) noun

market for farm produce:
an area, usually outdoors, where farmers gather to sell fresh produce direct to
the public[1]



farmer’slung

farmer’slung
farm·er’s
lung 
noun

inflammation of the lungs:
inflammation of the lungs marked by chronic shortness of breath and caused by
an allergic reaction to fungal spores from moldy hay[1]



farmer’smatch

farmer’smatch
farmer’s
match
(plural farmer’s matches) noun

Midwestern
U.S.
kitchen
match:
a match that ignites on any surface, as opposed to a safety match





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term farmer’s match is recurrent in the
  Upper Midwest, especially South Dakota.

[1]



farmhand

farmhand
farm
hand
(plural farm hands) noun

worker on farm:
somebody hired to work on a farm.
Also called
farmworker[1]



farmhouse

farmhouse
farm·house 
[frm hòwss] noun (plural farm·houses
[frm hòwzəz])

farmer’s
house:
a house on a farm, especially the main dwelling place of the farmer
adjective

made on farm:
produced on a farm or of a similar style or quality as that produced on a farm[1]



Farmington

Farmington
Far·ming·ton
[frmingtən]

city in northwestern New
Mexico, northeast of Gallup and northwest of Santa Fe. Population: 37,936
(1996)[1]



farmland

farmland
farm·land 
[frm lànd] noun

agricultural land:
land that is suitable for farming or used by farmers[1]



farmout

farmout
farm
out
transitive verb

1.  send
work out:
to send work out to be done by somebody else

2.  send
elsewhere for care: to send children or animals
to be looked after by somebody else

3.  reassign
player:
to assign a major league player to a minor league team

[1]



farmstay

farmstay
farm·stay
[frm stày] (plural farm·stays)
noun

Australia, New Zealand,
Canada vacation on farm:
a stay on a farm as a paying guest, providing some experience of rural life[1]



farmstead

farmstead
farm·stead 
[frm stèd] (plural farm·steads)
noun

farmland and farm buildings:
a farm and all its buildings, regarded as a unit[1]



farmteam

farmteam
farm
team
(plural farm teams) noun

minor league team:
a sports team in a minor league that is owned by or affiliated with a major
league team[1]



farmwoman

farmwoman
farm·wom·an 
[frm wmmən] (plural farm·wom·en
[frm wìmmin]) noun

woman farmer:
a woman who lives or works on a farm[1]



farmworker

farmworker
farm·work·er
[frm wùrkər] (plural farm·work·ers)
noun

See
farm hand[1]



farmyard

farmyard
farm·yard 
[frm yrd] (plural farm·yards)
noun

yard beside farm buildings:
an enclosed or surfaced area beside farm buildings[1]



faro

faro
far·o 
[fáirō] noun

gambling
card game:
a card game in which players bet against the dealer on the order in which cards
are turned up
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of earlier pharaoh, modeled on Italian
faraone .][1]



FaroeIslands

FaroeIslands
Far·oe
Is·lands
[fáirō ləndz] or Faer·oe Is·lands
[fáirō ləndz]

group of islands in the North
Atlantic Ocean, almost midway between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. The
islands have been Danish territory since 1814. Capital: Tórshavn. Population:
43,382 (1995) Area: 1,399 sq km/540 sq mi.[1]



Faroese

Faroese
Far·o·ese 
[fàirō z, fàirō
ss] (plural Far·o·ese) or Faer·o·ese [fàirō z, fàirō ss]
(plural Faer·o·ese) noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
of Faroe Islands: the language spoken in the Faroe
Islands. It is a member of the North Germanic group of the Germanic branch of
Indo-European. About 45,000 people speak Faroese.

2.  somebody
from Faroe Islands: somebody who was born in,
raised, or who lives in the Faroe Islands
—Far·o·ese, adjective[1]



far-off

far-off
far-off 
adjective

remote:
distant in location or time[1]



farouche

farouche
fa·rouche 
[fə rsh] adjective

1.  lacking
social skills: unsociable and lacking grace because of
fierceness, sullenness, or shyness

2.  menacing:
menacing in appearance or behavior
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from medieval Latin forasticus, from Latin foras “out of doors,
outside” (source of English foreign
).][1]



FaroukI

FaroukI
Fa·rouk
I
[fə rk], King of Egypt (1920–1965)

He was the last king of Egypt
(1936–1952), and after a coup lived in exile in Monaco.[1]



far-out

far-out
far-out 
adjective (slang)

1.  unusual:
strange and unconventional

2.  excellent:
extremely good or enjoyable
—far-out·ness,
noun
far
out!

used to express amazement and
approval (slang)[1]



farraginous

farraginous
far·rag·i·nous 
[fə rájjənəss] adjective

made of jumbled elements:
consisting of many things mixed together (formal)[1]



farrago

farrago
far·ra·go 
[fə r g, fə
ráy g] (plural far·ra·gos or far·ra·goes) noun

jumble:
a confused mixture of things
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “mixed fodder for cattle, medley,” from far “spelt, grain”
(source of English farina ).][1]



Farragut,David

Farragut,David

Far·ra·gut 
[férrəgət], David (1801–1870)
U.S.
admiral. He commanded Union ships during the Civil War and became a national
hero after the Battle of Mobile Bay (1864).
Full name
Farragut, David Glasgow[1]



Farrakhan,Louis Abdul

Farrakhan,Louis Abdul

Far·ra·khan
[férrə kn], Louis Abdul (1933– )
U.S.
religious leader. Long a member of the Nation of Islam, he led the organization
after 1978 and broadened its base with calls for African American
self-reliance. He organized the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., in 1995.
Born
Walcott, Louis Eugene[1]



far-reaching

far-reaching
far-reach·ing 
adjective

extensive:
with widespread implications, influences, or effects[1]



Farrell,James T.

Farrell,James T.
Far·rell
[férrəl], James T. (1904–1979)

U.S.
novelist. He is best known for his Studs Lonigan trilogy ( 1932–1935 ).
Full name
Farrell, James Thomas[1]



Farrer,William James

Farrer,William James
Far·rer
[férrər], William James (1845–1906)

English-born Australian
agricultural scientist, who was a pioneer of wheat breeding in Australia. He
developed domestic strains of wheat that produced greater yields than overseas strains.[1]



farrier

farrier
far·ri·er 
[férree ər] (plural far·ri·ers)
noun

U.K.
somebody
who shoes horses: somebody who makes and fits horseshoes
[Mid-16th
century. Via French ferrier from Latin ferrarius, from ferrum
“horseshoe, iron.”]
—far·ri·er·y [férree əree], noun[1]



farrow

farrow1
far·row1 [férrō]
intransitive verb (past far·rowed, past participle far·rowed,
present participle far·row·ing, 3rd person present singular
far·rows)

produce
piglets:
to give birth to a litter of piglets
noun
(plural far·rows)

litter
of pigs:
a litter of young pigs
[Old English fearh
“young pig.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
Latin porcus “pig” (source of English pork,
porcelain, and porcupine ).][1]



farrow

farrow2
far·row2 [férrō]
adjective

not
calving:
not pregnant with a calf
[15th century. Origin
uncertain; probably from Flemish verwe-, varwe-, in verwekoe,
varwekoe, verrekoe “cow that has become barren.”][1]



farruca

farruca
far·ru·ca 
[fə rkə] (plural far·ru·cas) noun

Spanish
dance:
a form of flamenco dance
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, “Galician or Asturian,” from Farruco, a pet-name of Francisco
“Francis.”][1]



farseeing

farseeing
far·see·ing 
[faar s ing] adjective

See
farsighted  adjective 2
See farsighted  adjective 3[1]



Farsi

Farsi
Far·si 
[frsee] noun

official
language of Iran: the official language of Iran, also
spoken in parts of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Tadzhikistan, and the United Arab
Emirates. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages.
Farsi is spoken by about 30 million native speakers and by around a further 55
million people who use it as a second language.
Also
called
Persian
[Late
19th century. Via Arabic, “Persia,” modern-day Iran, from Persian Pars
.]
—Far·si, adjective[1]



farsighted

farsighted
far·sight·ed
[faar stəd] adjective

1.  unable
to see nearby objects clearly: able to see distant
objects better than nearby ones.
U.K.
term
long-sighted

2.  far·sight·ed
or far·see·ing having sound judgment:
wise and able to anticipate the future

3.  far·sight·ed
or far·see·ing seeing far:
able to see a long way
—far·sight·ed·ly,
adverb

—far·sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



fart

fart
fart 
[faart] intransitive and transitive verb
(past fart·ed, past participle fart·ed, present
participle fart·ing, 3rd person present singular farts)

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to release intestinal gases through the anus, usually
with an accompanying sound (slang offensive)
noun
(plural farts)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a release of intestinal gases through the
anus (slang offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for somebody who is unpleasant, boring, or irritating (taboo
offensive)
[Old English feortan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Greek perdix
“partridge” (named for the sharp whirring sound it makes when suddenly
flushed).][1]



fartaround

fartaround
fart
around
intransitive verb

offensive term:
offensive term meaning to waste time by behaving foolishly (slang offensive)[1]



farther

farther
far·ther 
[frər] adverb
See
also
further

1.  to
greater distance: to or at a point that is more distant in
space or time

2.  to
greater extent: to a greater degree or extent
adjective

1.  more
distant:
more distant in space or time

2.  additional:
that is more than or adds to the quantity or extent of something (archaic)

See
also
further
[13th
century. From earlier ferther, a variant of further,
probably modeled on ferthren “to further.”]
—far·ther·most [frər mst], adjective[1]



farthest

farthest
far·thest 
[frəst] adverb
See
also
furthest

1.  to
greatest distance: to a more distant point in
space or time than anything else

2.  to
greatest extent: to a greater degree or extent than
anything else
adjective

most distant: more
distant in space or time than anything else.
See
also
furthest

[1]



farthing

farthing
far·thing 
[fring] (plural far·things) noun

1.  former
British coin: a former British coin worth a quarter of
the old penny

2.  the
least:
the lowest value or smallest amount
[Old English fēorthung
“quarter of a penny,” from fēortha “fourth” + -ing “fractional
part.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English four and tessera .][1]



farthingale

farthingale
far·thin·gale 
[fring gàyl] (plural far·thin·gales)
noun

structure
supporting skirt: a structure worn under the skirt by
women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries to give it the shape of a cone,
bell, or drum
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French verdugale from Spanish verdugado, from verdugo
“rod, stick” (from the wooden hoops used to sustain the structure).][1]



fartlek

fartlek
fart·lek 
[frtlək] noun

See
interval training
[Mid-20th century. From
Swedish, literally “speed-play,” formed from fart “speed” + lek
“play.”][1]



FarWest

FarWest
Far
West
noun

extreme west of United
States: the area of the continental
United States west of the Great Plains[1]



f.a.s.

f.a.s.
f.a.s.

SHIPPING
Abbreviation of free alongside ship[1]



FAS

FAS
FAS

1.  Abbreviation
of
fetal alcohol syndrome

2.  SHIPPING Abbreviation of free alongside ship

[1]



fasces

fasces
fas·ces 
[fá sz] plural noun

symbolic
rods:
a bundle of rods containing an ax with a projecting blade, carried in front of
magistrates in ancient Rome
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, plural of fascis (see Fascist
).][1]



fascia

fascia
fas·ci·a 
[(architecture) fáshee ə, fáyshee ə, (anatomy) fáshee ə] (plural fas·ci·ae [(architecture)
fáshee , fáyshee
, (anatomy) fáshee ] or
fas·cias) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE flat
surface on building: the flat horizontal surface
immediately below the edge of a roof

2.  ANATOMY connective
tissue:
a sheet or band of connective tissue covering or binding together parts of the
body, for example, muscles or organs

3.  band
of color:
a broad band of color, for example, on an insect
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “band, fillet, casing of a door” (source of English fess ).]
—fas·ci·al [fásh’l], adjective[1]



fasciate

fasciate
fas·ci·ate 
[fáshee àyt] or fas·ci·at·ed [fáshee àytəd] adjective

flattened:
used to describe plant stems or branches that have grown together and become
abnormally flattened
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin fasciare “to swathe,” from fascia (see fascia ).]
—fas·ci·ate·ly, adverb[1]



fasciation

fasciation
fas·ci·a·tion 
[fàshee áysh’n] noun

stem flattening:
abnormal fusion and flattening of several plant stems[1]



fascicle

fascicle
fas·ci·cle 
[fássik’l] (plural fas·ci·cles)
noun

1.  bundle:
a small bunch or bundle of something

2.  BOTANY plant
parts bunched together: a cluster of plant parts
such as branches, leaves, or stems

3.  ANATOMY bundle
of fibers:
a bundle of nerve, muscle, or tendon fibers

4.  PUBLISHING part
of book published as installment: a section of a book
published in installments as a volume or pamphlet
[15th
century. From Latin fasciculus “small bundle,” from fascis (see Fascist ).]
—fas·ci·cled, adjective[1]



fascicular

fascicular
fas·cic·u·lar 
[fə síkyələr] adjective

forming bundle:
forming a bundle or cluster[1]



fasciculate

fasciculate
fas·cic·u·late 
[fə síkyələt, fə
síkyə làyt] adjective

See
fascicular
—fa·sic·u·late·ly,
adverb

—fas·cic·u·la·tion [fə sìkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



fascicule

fascicule
fas·ci·cule 
[fássi kyl] (plural fas·ci·cules)
noun

PUBLISHING See fascicle  noun 4
[Late 19th century. From
Latin fasciculus (see fascicle ).][1]



fascinate

fascinate
fas·ci·nate 
[fássə nàyt] (past fas·ci·nat·ed,
past participle fas·ci·nat·ed, present participle fas·ci·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular fas·ci·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb captivate:
to hold somebody’s attention completely or irresistibly

2.  transitive
verb
immobilize
somebody or something: to make somebody or
something unable to move, especially out of fear
[Late
16th century. From Latin fascinare “to cast an evil eye on, bewitch,” from
fascinum “spell, witchcraft.”]
—fas·ci·nat·ed·ly,
adverb

—fas·ci·na·tor, noun[1]



fascinating

fascinating
fas·ci·nat·ing 
[fássə nàyting] adjective

captivating:
inspiring a great interest or attraction
—fas·ci·nat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



fascination

fascination
fas·ci·na·tion 
[fàssə náysh’n] (plural fas·ci·na·tions)
noun

1.  power
to capture attention: the power to hold somebody’s
attention completely or irresistibly

2.  something
fascinating: something that inspires great interest

3.  interest
in something: complete absorption in something
interesting • I
can’t understand his fascination with tarantulas.

[1]



fascine

fascine
fas·cine 
[fə sn] (plural fas·cines) noun

wood
lining trench: a long piece or bundle of wood used for
engineering purposes to line or fill a trench
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Latin fascina, from fascis “bundle” (see Fascist ).][1]



fascioliasis

fascioliasis
fas·ci·o·li·a·sis 
[fə s ə l əssiss, fə
s ə l əssis] noun

infestation
of liver flukes: a disease caused by an infestation of
parasitic liver flukes
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Fasciola hepatica “liver fluke,” from Latin fasciola
“small bandage,” from fascia (see fascia
).][1]



Fascism

Fascism
Fas·cism
[fá shìzzəm] noun

1.  dictatorial
government of Mussolini: a system of government
practiced by Benito Mussolini in Italy between 1922 and 1943 that was
characterized by dictatorship, centralized control of private enterprise,
repression of opposition, and extreme nationalism

2.  fas·cism
or Fas·cism dictatorial movement:
any movement, tendency, or ideology that favors dictatorial government,
centralized control of private enterprise, repression of all opposition, and
extreme nationalism
[Early 20th century. From
Italian fascismo, from fascio (see Fascist
).][1]



Fascist

Fascist
Fas·cist
[fáshist] (plural Fas·cists) noun

1.  supporter
of Fascism in Italy: somebody who belonged to
Benito Mussolini’s party or who supported Fascism in Italy between 1922 and
1943

2.  fas·cist
(plural fas·cists) or Fas·cist supporter
of fascism:
somebody who supports or advocates a system of government characterized by
dictatorship, centralized control of private enterprise, repression of all
opposition, and extreme nationalism
[Early
20th century. Via Italian Fascista, from fascio “group, bundle,”
from, ultimately, Latin fascis (see fasces
).]
—fas·cis·tic [fə shístik], adjective[1]



fash

fash
fash
[fash] noun

fashion:
fashion (slang)
adjective

fashionable:
fashionable (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



fashion

fashion
fash·ion 
[fásh’n] noun (plural fash·ions)

1.  clothing
styles:
style in clothing, hair, and personal appearance generally, or the business of
creating, promoting, or studying the latest styles • the
latest in men’s fashions

2.  current
style:
the style of dress, behavior, way of living, or other expression that is
popular at present • a way of speaking that
is no longer in fashion

3.  manner:
a particular way of behaving or doing something

4.  shape:
the form or shape of something

5.  type:
a type or variety
transitive
verb
(past fash·ioned, past participle fash·ioned, present
participle fash·ion·ing, 3rd person present singular fash·ions)

1.  make
something:
to give shape or form to something • fashion
a chair from some leftover pieces of wood

2.  influence
something:
to change somebody’s character or beliefs by influence or training • attitudes
fashioned by his grandparents

3.  adapt
something:
to adapt something or make something suitable • fashion
it to fit over the bump in the middle

4.  contrive
something:
to contrive or manage something (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French façon “shape” from the Latin stem faction-
“making,” from the past participle of facere “to make” (source of
English facile ).]
—fash·ion·er,
noun
after
a fashion

in
some way but not very well

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at make

[1]



-fashion

-fashion
-fashion
suffix

in the manner of[1]



fashionable

fashionable
fash·ion·a·ble 
[fásh’nəb’l] adjective

1.  currently
popular:
following a style or fashion that is currently popular • fashionable
ideas

2.  trendy:
popular with or frequented by rich, famous, or otherwise glamorous people • a
fashionable nightspot
—fash·ion·a·bil·i·ty
[fàsh’nə bíllətee], noun

—fash·ion·a·ble·ness
[fàsh’nəb’lnəss], noun

—fash·ion·a·bly [fàsh’nəblee], adverb[1]



fashionhouse

fashionhouse
fash·ion
house
noun

fashionable clothes company:
a business that designs, makes, and sells fashionable clothes, typically
associated with a named designer[1]



fashionista

fashionista
fash·ion·ista
[fàsh’n stə] (plural fash·ion·istas)
noun

follower
of fashion industry: somebody who is a devoted
enthusiast of the fashion industry (informal)
[Coined from fashion + Latin -ista][1]



fashionmodel

fashionmodel
fash·ion
mod·el
(plural fash·ion mod·els) noun

clothes model:
somebody who models clothes as a profession[1]



fashionphotography

fashionphotography
fash·ion
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

photographing clothes:
the art or practice of taking photographs of models wearing clothes or clothing
accessories, especially for fashion magazines[1]



fashionplate

fashionplate
fash·ion
plate
(plural fash·ion plates) noun

1.  fashionable
person:
somebody who wears the latest fashions or who is fashionably dressed

2.  picture
showing fashion: an illustration showing a style of
clothing, especially a current or new fashion

[1]



Fassbinder,Rainer Werner

Fassbinder,Rainer Werner
Fass·bind·er 
[fss bìndər], Rainer Werner (1946–1982)

German movie director. He is
renowned for politically controversial plays and films, such as The Marriage
of Maria Braun ( 1979 ), that often criticize social institutions.[1]



fast

fast2
fast2 [fast]
verb (past fast·ed, past participle fast·ed,
present participle fast·ing, 3rd person present singular fasts)

1.  intransitive
verb
abstain
from food:
to abstain from all or certain types of food, especially as an act of religious
observance

2.  transitive
verb
deprive
of food:
to deprive a person or animal of food
noun
(plural fasts)

period of fasting:
a period of time spent abstaining from food
[Old
English fæstan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “firm” (see fast 1 ). The underlying sense is
of “holding fast” to an observance.]
—fast·er, noun[1]



fast

fast1
fast1 [fast]
adjective (comparative fas·ter, superlative fas·test)

1.  acting
or moving rapidly: acting, functioning, or
moving quickly, or capable of doing this • a
fast car

2.  done
quickly:
lasting or taking a relatively short time • a
fast trip

3.  running
ahead of time: indicating a time that is later than the
correct time

4.  conducive
to rapid speed: adapted to or allowing rapid movement • driving
in the fast lane

5.  requiring
speedy movement: requiring agility and quickness of
movement and reaction

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY with
short exposure: used to describe photographic equipment
that requires or permits a relatively short exposure time

7.  debauched:
energetically pursuing excitement and enjoyment (informal) • a
fast crowd

8.  promiscuous:
wanting or tending to start sexual relationships with people very soon after
meeting them (informal)

9.  tricky:
using quick-wittedness to trick or cheat people (informal) • a
fast bargainer

10. made
easily:
acquired very easily and sometimes dishonestly (informal) • fast
money

11. unfading:
not liable to fade or change color

12. strong
and close:
strong, close, and steadfast, for example, in a relationship • fast
friends

13. fastened:
firmly attached, fastened, or fixed

14. shut:
firmly closed
adverb

1.  rapidly:
at great speed • You drive too fast.

2.  immediately:
in quick succession

3.  at
incorrect time: ahead of the correct time • The
clock is running a little fast.

4.  soundly:
deeply in a state of sleep

5.  firmly:
allowing no movement or no chance of slipping or escaping • held
fast by ice

6.  recklessly:
without regard to consequences (informal) • live
fast and die young

7.  close:
so as to be nearby (archaic)
[Old
English fæst “firm,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English avast]
pull
a fast one

to trick or cheat somebody (slang)[1]



fast-acting

fast-acting
fast-act·ing
adjective

soon taking effect:
beginning to take effect soon after being used • a
fast-acting analgesic[1]



fastback

fastback
fast·back 
[fást bàk] (plural fast·backs)
noun

1.  car
design feature: a back of a car that forms a continuous
curve downward from the rear edge of the roof

2.  car:
a car with a fastback

[1]



fastball

fastball
fast·ball 
[fást bàwl] (plural fast·balls)
noun

fast pitch:
a baseball pitch at top speed[1]



fastbreak

fastbreak
fast
break
(plural fast breaks) noun

quick
attack:
in team sports, a swift counterattack made in an attempt to score before the
opposing players have the chance to recover their defensive positions
—fast-break, intransitive
verb[1]



fast-breederreactor

fast-breederreactor
fast-breed·er
re·ac·tor 
(plural fast-breed·er re·ac·tors) noun

nuclear reactor not slowing
neutrons down: a nuclear reactor in
which the chain reaction is maintained mainly by fast neutrons. It is capable
of producing more fissionable material than it consumes.[1]



fasten

fasten
fas·ten 
[fáss’n] (past fas·tened, past
participle fas·tened, present participle fas·ten·ing, 3rd
person present singular fas·tens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb secure
something:
to attach something firmly, usually using parts or devices made to achieve
this, or become firmly attached in this way • These
snaps won’t fasten.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shut
tightly:
to close something firmly or securely, or become firmly or securely closed • fasten
the door shut

3.  transitive
verb
hold
something firmly: to use a tool, device, or body part to
hold somebody or something firmly

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb concentrate
attention:
to focus the mind or eyes concentratedly on something, or become focused in
this way • His
suspicions fastened upon the woman sitting opposite him.

5.  intransitive
verb
become
a nuisance:
to become associated closely with somebody in a persistent and usually
unwelcome manner • just some guy who
fastened onto me in the street
[Old English fæstnian,
literally “to make firm or fast,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “firm” (see fast 1 )][1]



fastener

fastener
fas·ten·er
[fáss’nər] (plural fas·ten·ers)
noun

means of fastening something:
a device, for example, a button, hook, or zipper, used to close something,
especially a piece of clothing[1]



fastening

fastening
fas·ten·ing 
[fáss’ning] (plural fas·ten·ings)
noun

something that fastens:
a device that fastens something, for example, a clasp, hook, or lock[1]



fastfood

fastfood
fast
food
noun

processed food prepared
quickly: highly processed restaurant
foods, for example, burgers, that are prepared quickly or are available on
demand (hyphenated when used before a noun) • a
fast-food diet[1]



fast-forward

fast-forward
fast-for·ward 
noun

1.  function
for winding tape forward: a function on an electronic
recording device, for example, a tape or videocassette recorder, that causes
the tape to wind forward quickly

2.  button
for fast-forward function: a mechanism, for example, a
button or switch, used to control the fast-forward function on an electronic
recording device
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fast-for·ward·ed,
past participle fast-for·ward·ed, present participle fast-for·ward·ing,
3rd person present singular fast-for·wards)

1.  advance
tape rapidly: to wind a tape forward quickly on an
electronic recording device

2.  advance
quickly:
to advance rapidly, or move something forward rapidly, for example, in time or
in rate of progress (informal) • decided
to fast-forward negotiations so as to avoid a strike

[1]



fastidious

fastidious
fas·tid·i·ous 
[fa stíddee əss] adjective

1.  demanding:
concerned that even the smallest details should be just right • fastidious
about his appearance

2.  delicate:
easily disgusted by things that are not perfectly clean

3.  scornful:
showing disdain or scorn (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin fastidiosus, from fastidium “disgust.”]
—fas·tid·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—fas·tid·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



fastigia

fastigia
fas·tig·i·a

Plural of
fastigium[1]



fastigiate

fastigiate
fas·tig·i·ate 
[fa stíjjee ət] or fas·tig·i·at·ed
[fa stíjjee àytəd] adjective

with
upright branches: used to describe a tree or other plant
with upright clustering branches that taper toward the top, for example, a
Lombardy poplar
—fas·tig·i·ate·ly, adverb[1]



fastigium

fastigium
fas·tig·i·um 
[fa stíjjee əm] (plural fas·tig·i·ums
or fas·tig·i·a [fa stíjjee ə])
noun

period
of intense illness: a period during which an
illness, often a fever, is at its most severe
[Late 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



fasting

fasting
fast·ing
[fásting] noun

going without food:
abstention from all or certain types of food, especially as an act of religious
observance[1]



fastlane

fastlane
fast
lane
(plural fast lanes) noun

1.  TRANSPORT See express lane

2.  hectic
lifestyle:
the kind of lifestyle that is busy, exciting, often highly stressful, and
sometimes devoted to pleasure (informal) • living
life in the fast lane

3.  route
to success:
a rapid but extremely competitive route to progress, promotion, or success
—fast-lane, adjective[1]



fastmotion

fastmotion
fast
mo·tion
noun

fast screen action:
filmed action that is faster than is naturally possible, achieved by shooting
the film at a rate slower than that projected. It is often used for comic
effect. (hyphenated when used before a noun) • a
fast-motion sequence[1]



fastness

fastness
fast·ness 
[fástnəss] (plural fast·ness·es)
noun

1.  fixedness:
the state or quality of being firm, fixed, or secure • deceived
about the fastness of their friendship

2.  unfading
quality:
the ability of a dye to retain its color and not to fade

3.  fortress:
a fortress, stronghold, or other secure place (archaic or literary)

4.  remote
place:
a remote and secluded or secret place (archaic or literary)

5.  rapidity:
swiftness of movement or progress (archaic)

[1]



fastneutron

fastneutron
fast
neu·tron
(plural fast neu·trons) noun

neutron that can cause
fission: a neutron that has energy in
excess of 1.5 MeV, sufficient to produce fission in Uranium-238[1]



fast-talk

fast-talk
fast-talk 
transitive verb

persuade
somebody cunningly: to influence or deceive
somebody with false but appealing arguments (informal) • fast-talked
them into parting with the car keys
—fast-talk·er, noun[1]



fast-track

fast-track
fast-track
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
quickly:
to advance, develop, or process something rapidly, or be handled rapidly • fast-tracking
the best of the new recruits

2.  transitive
verb
deal
with first:
to give priority to somebody or something • fast-track
an application
—fast-track·er, noun[1]



fasttrack

fasttrack
fast
track
(plural fast tracks) noun

1.  rapid
route to progress: a rapid and sometimes highly
competitive route to progress or advancement that exists alongside the slower
conventional one (informal) • a fast
track to promotion for the brightest recruits

2.  RAIL railroad
track for fast trains: a railroad track for fast
trains alongside one for slower trains
—fast-track, adjective[1]



fastuous

fastuous
fas·tu·ous 
[fáschoo əss] adjective (archaic)

1.  conceited:
excessively self-satisfied and disdainful of others

2.  ostentatious:
designed to impress others
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin fastuosus, from Latin fastus (see fash
).][1]



fat

fat
fat 
[fat] noun (plural fats)

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY nutritional
component of food: a greasy water-insoluble
solid or semisolid chemical compound that is among the chief nutritional
components of food. Fats are esters of glycerol and fatty acids. • a
diet that is lower in fat

2.  ANATOMY tissue
containing fat: animal or vegetable tissue made up of
cells that contain fat, especially the layer of cells under the skin that in
excess make somebody overweight

3.  COOKING cooking
medium:
a solid or liquid substance such as butter or sunflower oil that is derived
from animals or plants and is used as a cooking medium or ingredient • rub
the fat into the flour

4.  excess:
amounts that are surplus to what is needed or wanted (informal) • a
budget with little fat
adjective
(comparative fat·ter, superlative fat·test)

1.  overweight:
having a bodyweight greater than is considered desirable or advisable

2.  containing
fat:
containing a lot of fat or too much fat • pork
that was rather fat

3.  thick:
very wide or large • a fat book

4.  profitable:
bringing large profits or financial rewards • a
fat construction contract

5.  rewarding:
providing good opportunities • offered
a fat part in a movie

6.  rich:
owning great wealth • grown
fat on the profits of illegal arms deals

7.  plentiful:
with abundant contents, stocks, or supplies • a
fat savings account

8.  AGRICULTURE fertile:
land that is very productive for agricultural purposes (archaic)

9.  CHEMISTRY rich
in content:
with a high content of a particular material or substance, for example, resin
in wood or volatile hydrocarbons in coal
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fat·ted,
past participle fat·ted, present participle fat·ting,
3rd person present singular fats)

AGRICULTURE fatten
an animal:
to fatten an animal, usually before slaughtering it
[Old
English ft(t) . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “fat,”
which is probably also the ancestor of English pine
and pituitary .]
—fat·ly,
adverb

—fat·ness,
noun
chew
the fat

to
have a leisurely conversation (slang)

the
fat is in the fire

something irreversible has
happened that will cause trouble[1]



FAT

FAT
FAT
[fat] noun

table of computer
information: in the MS-DOS
disk-operating system on a computer, an internal store of information about the
structure of stored files on a disk (often used before a noun) Full
form file allocation table[1]



fatal

fatal
fa·tal 
[fáyt’l] adjective

1.  leading
to death:
causing death, or capable of causing death • a
fatal car crash

2.  ruinous:
causing destruction, disaster, or ruin • a
fatal mistake in calculations

3.  decisive:
at which time important decisions or choices are made • the
fatal day of his first treasonous act

4.  predestined:
arranged or controlled by fate
noun

instance of death:
an instance of death, especially one caused by an auto, plane, train, or bus
crash (informal) • a
fatal on the turnpike during rush hour
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fatalis, from fatum
(see fate ).]
—fa·tal·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deadly









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Fatal
  Attraction, a movie ( 1987 ) by British director Adrian Lyne. It portrays a
  married man’s brief but passionate involvement with a single woman and her
  violent reaction when he attempts to end their relationship.The spurned lover
  attacks the man’s family, and, having apparently been finally drowned by the
  husband, suddenly returns to life before being shot dead. This movie title
  quickly came to be used in the United States to indicate the wrath of a
  scorned woman: “There was no such attack rape, the defense will counter
  vehemently. The woman … will be proved to be a Fatal Attraction
  psychotic.” Washington Post ( December 1, 1991 ).

[1]



fatalism

fatalism
fa·tal·ism 
[fáyt’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
of fate:
the philosophical doctrine holding that all events are fated to happen and that
human beings cannot therefore change their destinies

2.  belief
in fate:
the belief that people are powerless against fate, or the attitude of
resignation and passivity that sometimes results from this belief

[1]



fatalist

fatalist
fa·tal·ist 
[fáyt’list] (plural fa·tal·ists)
noun

believer in fatalism:
somebody who believes in the philosophical doctrine of fatalism[1]



fatalistic

fatalistic
fa·tal·is·tic
[fàyt’l ístik] adjective

1.  submitting
to fate:
feeling or demonstrating resignation in the face of events regarded as
controlled by fate • a fatalistic attitude

2.  PHILOSOPHY of
fatalism:
relating to the philosophical doctrine of fatalism
—fa·tal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



fatality

fatality
fa·tal·i·ty 
[fay tállətee, fə
tállətee] (plural fa·tal·i·ties) noun

1.  unexpected
death:
a death resulting from accident or disaster • The
traffic accident resulted in three fatalities.

2.  deadliness:
the ability to cause death, disaster, or destruction • fatality
associated with toxic waste exposure

3.  predetermination
by fate:
the quality or state of being predetermined by fate

4.  events
thought fated: an event or train of events thought to
be determined by fate

[1]



fatalityrate

fatalityrate
fa·tal·i·ty
rate
(plural fa·tal·i·ty rates) noun

See
death rate[1]



fatally

fatally
fa·tal·ly 
[fáyt’lee] adverb

1.  so
as to cause death: in a manner that results in
death • fatally
wounded

2.  so
as to cause ruin: in a manner resulting in disaster or
ruin • fatally
mistaken

3.  inevitably:
as a result of unalterable fate

[1]



fatamorgana

fatamorgana
fa·ta
mor·ga·na 
[ftə mawr gnə] (plural fa·ta
mor·ga·nas) or Fa·ta Mor·ga·na [ftə
mawr gnə] (plural Fa·ta Mor·ga·nas) noun

mirage:
a mirage or an illusion (literary)
[From Italian, literally
“fairy Morgan,” in reference to the legendary magician Morgan
le Fay ; from the belief that a fairy caused the mirage frequently seen
near the Strait of Messina][1]



fatback

fatback
fat·back 
[fát bàk] noun

fatty
pork:
fatty meat from the upper part of a side of pork, usually dried and cured by
salt





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  upper part of a side of bacon, usually without lean, is also called fat
  meat, fat pork, boiling meat, dry salt meat, salt
  bacon, salt meat, seasoning meat, side meat, sowbelly,
  and white bacon . The meat is used in the South and West primarily to
  season boiled and steamed vegetables. Because the substance so closely
  approximates ordinary bacon, in both its location on the hog and its
  applications in cooking, fatback often
  merges with middling meat, streak of lean, and other bacon
  synonyms, all of which invariably include lean.

[1]



fatbody

fatbody
fat
bod·y
noun

1.  fatty
tissue in insects: a fatty tissue in the bodies
of insects, especially larvae, used as a source of energy during metamorphosis
and hibernation

2.  fatty
tissue in amphibians and reptiles: a fatty tissue found
near the genital glands of certain amphibians and reptiles

[1]



fatcamp

fatcamp
fat
camp
(plural fat camps) noun

diet camp for children:
a residential camp that helps children to lose undesired weight (slang)[1]



fatcat

fatcat
fat
cat
(plural fat cats) noun (slang)

1.  somebody
rich:
an extremely wealthy and privileged person (hyphenated when used before a
noun) • fees
charged by fat-cat lawyers

2.  contributor
to political campaign: somebody wealthy who
contributes a substantial amount of money to a political campaign

[1]



fatcell

fatcell
fat
cell
(plural fat cells) noun

cell for storing fat:
any cell that is specialized for the synthesis and storage of fat[1]



FatCity

FatCity
Fat
Cit·y
or fat cit·y noun

prosperous circumstances:
prosperous circumstances (slang)[1]



fate

fate
fate 
[fayt] noun (plural fates)

1.  force
predetermining events: the force or principle
believed to predetermine events • little
knew what fate had in store for him

2.  outcome:
a consequence or final result • What
was the fate of the mission?

3.  destiny:
something consequential that inevitably happens to somebody or something • felt
it was her fate to marry him

4.  unhappy
consequence: a disastrous or ruinous outcome
transitive
verb
(past fat·ed, past participle fat·ed, present
participle fat·ing, 3rd person present singular fates)

make something inevitable:
to predetermine something, usually with negative results (usually passive)
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin fatum, literally “something spoken (by
the gods),” from the past participle of fari “to speak” (source of
English fable and fairy ).]
tempt
fate

to do something risky that
might end in misfortune or disaster, and depend too much on luck[1]



fated

fated
fat·ed 
[fáytəd] adjective

apparently decided by fate:
believed to be controlled or predetermined by fate • fated
mishaps[1]



fateful

fateful
fate·ful 
[fáytfəl] adjective

1.  critically
important:
after which an important, often dire consequence seems to have been made
inevitable • a
fateful decision

2.  decided
by fate:
predetermined or controlled by fate

3.  ominous:
prefiguring what is to come, especially when it is something disastrous • a
fateful sign
—fate·ful·ly,
adverb

—fate·ful·ness, noun[1]



Fates

Fates
Fates
[fayts] plural noun

Greek goddesses of destiny:
in Greek mythology, the three goddesses, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, often
depicted as women of advanced years spinning, who were believed to decree the
events in and duration of somebody’s life. The Greeks believed that Clotho spun
the thread that represented somebody’s life, Lachesis decided the extent of it,
and Atropos was responsible for cutting it.
Also called
Moirai Roman equivalent Parcae[1]



fatface

fatface
fat
face
(plural fat fac·es) noun

dark typeface:
any typeface with wide main strokes and prominent serifs, producing a
relatively heavy and dark image when set as text[1]



fatfarm

fatfarm
fat
farm
(plural fat farms) noun

diet establishment:
a health spa dedicated to helping people lose weight (slang)[1]



fath

fath
fath
or fath.

Abbreviation of
fathom[1]



fathead

fathead
fat·head 
[fát hèd] (plural fat·heads) noun

unintelligent,
thoughtless person: an unintelligent or
thoughtless person who is extremely slow to understand things or makes very bad
decisions (slang insult)
—fat·head·ed
[fàt héddəd], adjective

—fat·head·ed·ly
[fàt héddədlee], adverb

—fat·head·ed·ness [fàt héddədnəss], noun[1]



fathen

fathen
fat
hen
noun

U.K.
See pigweed
[Origin uncertain; perhaps
from a fanciful likening of its seeds to hen’s eggs because they contain fat
and albumen and were formerly eaten as food][1]



Father

Father
Fa·ther
(plural Fa·thers) noun

1.  God:
in the Christian religion, God, especially when considered as the first person
of the Holy Trinity

2.  See
Church Father

3.  title
for Christian clergyman: a title and form of address
used for Christian clergymen, especially in the Roman Catholic, Eastern
Orthodox, and Episcopal churches

4.  respectful
title for man: a respectful term of address for a man
who is past middle age

5.  personification:
something personified as man of advanced years

[1]



father

father
fa·ther 
[fər] noun (plural fa·thers)

1.  male
parent:
a male parent of a human being or animal • been
like a father to me

2.  man
acting as parent: a man who brings up and looks after a
child as if he were its male parent

3.  man
ancestor:
a man who is an ancestor, especially the founder of a family or people • the
land of our fathers and mothers

4.  founder:
a man who establishes, founds, or originates something • the
father of modern linguistics

5.  precursor:
a precursor, prototype, or early version of something

6.  man
leader:
a man who is a community or civic leader • the
town fathers
verb
(past fa·thered, past participle fa·thered, present
participle fa·ther·ing, 3rd person present singular fa·thers)

1.  transitive
verb
have
offspring:
to beget offspring as a male parent

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb act as
father:
to act as a father to somebody, especially giving advice, comfort, and
protection

3.  transitive
verb
originate
something:
to create, found, or establish something • father
a plan
[Old
English fæder . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English patriarch, paternal, and perpetrate
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Fathers
  and Sons, a novel ( 1862 ) by Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. It deals with the
  conflicting attitudes toward social change (particularly the emancipation of
  serfs) among Russia’s younger radical intelligentsia, represented by the
  novel’s nihilistic protagonist, Bazarov, and the older liberal gentry, to
  which Turgenev himself belonged. The novel was seen as Turgenev’s
  acknowledgment that Russia’s future was now in the hands of a new generation.

[1]



FatherChristmas

FatherChristmas
Fa·ther
Christ·mas
noun

U.K.
See Santa Claus[1]



fatherconfessor

fatherconfessor
fa·ther
con·fes·sor
(plural fa·ther con·fes·sors) noun

priest:
a Roman Catholic priest who hears confessions and gives advice (literary)[1]



fatherfigure

fatherfigure
fa·ther
fig·ure
(plural fa·ther fig·ures) noun

man giving help:
a man whom other people look up to for advice, inspiration, or protection[1]



fatherhood

fatherhood
fa·ther·hood 
[fər hd] noun

status as father:
the status of a man who is somebody’s father, or the fact that he is a father[1]



father-in-law

father-in-law
fa·ther-in-law 
(plural fa·thers-in-law) noun

1.  spouse’s
father:
the father of somebody’s husband or wife

2.  stepfather:
a stepfather (archaic)

[1]



fatherland

fatherland
fa·ther·land 
[fər lànd] noun

1.  homeland:
somebody’s native land or country

2.  ancestral
country:
the native land of somebody’s ancestors

[1]



father-lasher

father-lasher
fa·ther-lash·er
(plural fa·ther-lash·ers) noun

sea scorpion:
a large sea scorpion with short spines, found in European and North Atlantic
coastal waters. Latin name: Myoxocephalus scorpius Myoxocephalus
bubalis[1]



fatherless

fatherless
fa·ther·less 
[fərləss] adjective

without
a father:
having no father, or no one identified as father
—fa·ther·less·ness, noun[1]



fatherly

fatherly
fa·ther·ly 
[fərlee] adjective

like
a father:
having or showing the qualities associated with a father, usually love,
support, and protection • fatherly
affection
—fa·ther·li·ness, noun[1]



FatherTime

FatherTime
Fa·ther
Time
noun

personification of time:
the personification of time as a bearded man of advanced years, usually wearing
a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass[1]



Father’sDay

Father’sDay
Fa·ther’s
Day 
noun

day honoring fathers:
the third Sunday in June, observed as a celebration of fatherhood in the United
States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and some other Commonwealth countries[1]



fathom

fathom
fath·om 
[fáəm] noun (plural fath·oms)

measure of water depth:
a unit of length equal to 1.83 m/6 ft, used mainly in nautical contexts for
measuring the depth of water
transitive
verb
(past fath·omed, past participle fath·omed, present
participle fath·om·ing, 3rd person present singular fath·oms)

1.  measure
water depth using sounding line: to measure the depth
of water, especially using a sounding line

2.  comprehend:
to understand something, usually something profound or mystifying • couldn’t
fathom why he came back
[Old
English fæþm, of uncertain origin: probably “length spanned by
outstretched arms,” ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to spread,”
which is also the ancestor of English petal
and patent]
—fath·om·a·ble,
adjective

—fath·om·er, noun[1]



fathomless

fathomless
fath·om·less 
[fáəmləss] adjective

1.  endlessly
deep:
too deep to be measured

2.  mystifying:
impossible to understand
—fath·om·less·ly,
adverb

—fath·om·less·ness, noun[1]



fatidic

fatidic
fa·tid·ic 
[fay tíddik, fə
tíddik] or fa·tid·i·cal [fay
tíddik’l] adjective

prophetic:
seeming to foretell the future (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin fatidicus, from fatum “fate” (see fate ) + dicere “to say” (source of English
diction ).]
—fa·tid·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



fatigable

fatigable
fat·i·ga·ble 
[fáttigəb’l] adjective

subject
to exhaustion: able or tending to become exhausted
—fat·i·ga·bil·i·ty
[fàttigə bíllətee], noun

—fat·i·ga·ble·ness [fáttigəb’lnəss], noun[1]



fatigue

fatigue
fa·tigue 
[fə tg] noun

1.  mental
or physical exhaustion: extreme tiredness or
weariness resulting from physical or mental activity • The
soldiers were weak with fatigue after the long march.

2.  PHYSIOLOGY inability
to respond to stimulus: temporary inability of an
organ or part such as a muscle or nerve cell to respond to a stimulus and
function normally, following continuous activity or stimulation

3.  inability
to respond to situation: temporary inability of
somebody to respond to a situation as a result of overexposure or excessive
activity (often used in combination) • compassion
fatigue

4.  weakening
of material under stress: the weakening or breakdown
of a material subjected to prolonged or repeated stress

5.  MILITARY nonmilitary
work:
manual or menial work done by soldiers, often as a punishment (often used
before a noun)
plural
noun
fa·tigues

MILITARY battledress:
informal military uniforms worn day to day and in battle, as distinct from
formal uniforms
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fa·tigued,
past participle fa·tigued, present participle fa·tigu·ing,
3rd person present singular fa·tigues)

1.  make
or become tired: to tire somebody out, or become tired
out, as a result of physical or mental activity

2.  weaken
under stress: to weaken or break something, or become
weakened or broken, when subjected to prolonged or repeated stress
[Mid-17th century. Via French
fatiguer, from Latin fatigare, of uncertain origin: probably “to
drive to the breaking point,” from ad fatim “to bursting” + agere
“to drive.”][1]



fatigued

fatigued
fa·tigued
[fə tgd] adjective

1.  exhausted:
exhausted or weary as a result of physical or mental activity

2.  weakened
under stress: weakened or broken as a result of being
subjected to prolonged or repeated stress

[1]



Fatima

Fatima
Fat·i·ma 
[fáttəmə] (606? BC–632 BC)

Arabian religious figure. The
youngest daughter of the prophet Muhammad, she is revered especially by Shiite
Muslims.[1]



Fatimid

Fatimid
Fat·i·mid 
[fáttə mìd] (plural Fat·i·mids)
or Fat·i·mite [fáttə mt] (plural
Fat·i·mites) noun

1.  member
of Muslim dynasty: a member of a Muslim
dynasty, descended from Muhammad’s daughter Fatima and her husband Ali, that
ruled North Africa and parts of Egypt and Syria from 909 to 1171 AD

2.  Fatima’s
descendant:
any descendant of Fatima and Ali
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Arabic Fāima “Fatima.”][1]



fatlip

fatlip
fat
lip
(plural fat lips) noun

fighting injury:
a lip swollen from having been hit in a fist fight (slang)[1]



fatmouse

fatmouse
fat
mouse
noun

African mouse:
a nocturnal short-tailed mouse found in dry regions of Africa and eaten as a
delicacy because of its high stored fat content. Genus: Steatomys[1]



fatpine

fatpine
fat
pine
noun

Southern
U.S.
kindling:
rich pinewood used as kindling
[From
its resinous nature]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the South, fat pine is also called fatwood,
  fat lighterd, and lightwood.

[1]



fatshedera

fatshedera
fats·hed·er·a 
[fàt séddərə, fàts
héddərə] (plural fats·hed·er·as) noun

ornamental
plant:
a hybrid ornamental plant with glossy leaves and pale green flowers. Latin
name: Fatsia japonica × Hedera helix
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Fatsia (genus of shrubs) + Hedera (genus of climbing
plants, from Latin, “ivy”).][1]



fatsia

fatsia
fat·si·a
[fátsee ə] (plural fat·sias) noun

shrub:
a shrub with leaves divided like the fingers on a hand and clusters of white
flowers, commonly grown as a houseplant. Latin name: Fatsia japonica
[From modern Latin, genus
name][1]



fatso

fatso
fat·so 
[fát s] (plural fat·soes) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to or address somebody who is overweight (slang
insult)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from fats, offensive term for an overweight person.][1]



fat-tailedsheep

fat-tailedsheep
fat-tailed
sheep
noun

sheep with fat in tail:
a sheep, found mostly in North Africa and the Middle East, that has coarse wool
and large quantities of fat stored in the tail and rump, and is raised for meat
and milk[1]



fatten

fatten
fat·ten 
[fátt’n] (past fat·tened, past
participle fat·tened, present participle fat·ten·ing, 3rd
person present singular fat·tens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become fat: to become fat or fatter, or make
somebody fat or fatter

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb feed
animal:
to make an animal fat by feeding it plentifully, usually for slaughter

3.  transitive
verb
enlarge:
to make something larger, richer, or fuller • fatten
your wallet

4.  transitive
verb
fertilize:
to make land or soil more fertile • fatten
the soil with manure
—fat·ten·a·ble,
adjective

—fat·ten·er, noun[1]



fattening

fattening
fat·ten·ing
[fátt’ning] adjective

1.  high
in fat:
high in fat or calorie content, and so likely to make some people gain weight

2.  growing
fat:
becoming fat in readiness for slaughter
—fat·ten·ing·ly, adverb[1]



fatty

fatty
fat·ty 
[fáttee] adjective (comparative
fat·ti·er, superlative fat·ti·est)

1.  containing
fat:
containing fat or grease, especially in large or distasteful amounts

2.  derived
from fat:
derived from fat, or chemically related to fat • fatty
alcohol

3.  with
accumulated fat: containing accumulated fat, sometimes in
undesirable amounts • fatty
tissue
noun
(plural fat·ties)

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer to or address somebody who is overweight (slang
insult)
—fat·ti·ness, noun[1]



fattyacid

fattyacid
fat·ty
ac·id
(plural fat·ty ac·ids) noun

organic acid occurring as
fats and oils: an organic acid
belonging to a group that may occur naturally as waxes, fats, and essential
oils, and are found in animal and plant materials. Fatty acids consist of a
straight chain of carbon atoms linked by single bonds and end in a carboxyl
group. CnHn + 1COOH[1]



fattydegeneration

fattydegeneration
fat·ty
de·gen·er·a·tion noun

organ malfunction caused by
fat deposits: deterioration in the
function of an organ, for example, the liver or heart, caused by the
accumulation of abnormally high levels of fats in its cells[1]



fattyoil

fattyoil
fat·ty
oil
(plural fat·ty oils) noun

See
fixed oil[1]



fatuity

fatuity
fa·tu·i·ty 
[fə t itee] (plural fa·tu·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  self-satisfied
unintelligence: complacency combined with lack of
intelligence or thought

2.  unintelligent
action:
an action or remark that is unintelligent or thoughtless
—fa·tu·i·tous, adjective[1]



fatuous

fatuous
fat·u·ous 
[fáchoo əss] adjective

unintelligent:
showing lack of intelligence coupled with a lack of awareness • a
fatuous joke
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin fatuus (source of English infatuate . Originally “tasteless, vapid.”]
—fat·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—fat·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



fatwa

fatwa
fat·wa 
[fáttwə] (plural fat·was) or
fat·wah [fáttwə] (plural fat·wahs)
noun

Islamic
decree:
a formal legal opinion or religious decree issued by an Islamic leader
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic, from aftā “to decide a point of law” (source of English mufti ).][1]



fatware

fatware
fatware
[fát wàir] noun

COMPUTING
See bloatware[1]



fatwitted

fatwitted
fat·wit·ted
[fát wìttəd] adjective

unintelligent:
tending to act in a thoughtless or unintelligent way (dated insult)[1]



fatwood

fatwood
fat·wood 
[fát wd] noun

Southern
U.S.
kindling:
wood used as kindling
[From its resinous nature][1]



faubourg

faubourg
fau·bourg 
[fṓ bùrg, fō br]
(plural fau·bourgs) noun

1.  Southern
U.S.
suburb
of New Orleans: a suburb or quarter situated just
outside New Orleans

2.  suburb:
an inner suburb or quarter of a city, especially in France
[15th century. From French,
an alteration (influenced by faux “false”) of Old French forsborc,
from Latin foris “outside” and late Latin burgus “fat” (of
prehistoric Germanic origin).][1]



Faubus,Orval E.

Faubus,Orval E.
Fau·bus
[fṓbəss], Orval E. (1910– )

U.S.
politician. While governor of Arkansas, he used the National Guard to try to
prevent the racial integration of Little Rock High School (1957).
Full name
Faubus, Orval Eugene[1]



faucal

faucal
fau·cal 
[fáwk’l] or fau·cial [fáwsh’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of
fauces:
relating to the fauces

2.  PHONETICS from
pharynx:
used to describe speech sounds that originate in the pharynx
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin fauces “throat” (see fauces
).][1]



fauces

fauces
fau·ces 
[fṓ sz] plural noun

part
of the throat: the passage between the back of the
mouth and the pharynx
[15th century. From Latin,
“throat” (source of English suffocate
), of unknown origin.][1]



faucet

faucet
fau·cet 
[fáwssit] (plural fau·cets) noun

water
valve:
a valve operated by a handle that controls the flow of a liquid, especially
from pipes supplying water.
Also
called
tap
U.K.
term
tap
[14th century. Via Old French
fausset or Provençal falset from falser “to bore in,” from
late Latin fausser falsare “to corrupt,” from Latin falsus
“false.”][1]



faucial

faucial
fau·cial
adjective

See
faucal[1]



Faulkner,William

Faulkner,William

Faulk·ner
[fáwknər], William (1897–1962)
U.S.
writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest American novelists for his
stream-of-consciousness works about Southern life, including The Sound and
the Fury ( 1929 ). He won the 1949 Nobel Prize in literature.
Full
name
Faulkner, William Cuthbert
—Faulk·ner·i·an [fawk nree ən], adjective[1]



fault

fault
fault 
[fawlt] noun (plural faults)

1.  responsibility:
responsibility for a mistake, failure, or act of wrongdoing

2.  personal
shortcoming: a failing or character weakness in
somebody • My
main fault is laziness.

3.  defect:
something that detracts from the integrity, functioning, or perfection of a
thing

4.  mistake:
an error, especially in calculation

5.  misdemeanor:
a wrongful action

6.  GEOLOGY displacement
in Earth’s crust: a displacement of rock layers in the
Earth’s crust in response to stress, accompanied by a break in the continuity
of the rocks on each side of the fault line.
Also
called
rift

7.  RACKET GAMES invalid
serve in racket games: a serve in certain racket
games, for example, tennis, that is invalid because it fails to land within a
prescribed area

8.  SHOWJUMPING penalty
mark in show jumping: a penalty mark awarded in
show jumping for various errors such as a failure or refusal to clear a fence
verb
(past fault·ed, past participle fault·ed, present
participle fault·ing, 3rd person present singular faults)

1.  transitive
verb
blame
somebody or something: to blame, criticize, or find
a defect in somebody or something • He
gave an excellent performance that could not be faulted.

2.  intransitive
verb
make
mistake:
to commit a fault or make a mistake (archaic)

3.  intransitive
verb
GEOLOGY displace:
to respond to stress by becoming displaced and developing as a geologic fault (refers
to rock layers)
[13th
century. Via Old French faut(e) “lack” from assumed Vulgar Latin fallitum
“failing,” from Latin fallere “to fail” (source of English fail ).]
find
fault with somebody or something

to
criticize somebody or something, often unfairly • She’s
always finding fault with the children’s work.

to
a fault

excessively
• She
was somewhat naive, and generous to a fault.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at flaw

[1]



faultfinder

faultfinder
fault·find·er 
[fáwlt fndər] (plural fault·find·ers)
noun

complaining person:
somebody who constantly complains or is given to petty criticism[1]



faultfinding

faultfinding
fault·find·ing 
[fáwlt fnding] noun

criticism:
constant and often petty complaining or criticism
adjective

critical:
given to complaining or finding fault[1]



faultless

faultless
fault·less 
[fáwltləss] adjective

perfect:
having no faults or defects • a
faultless performance
—fault·less·ly,
adverb

—fault·less·ness, noun[1]



faultline

faultline
fault
line
(plural fault lines) noun

line of rock displacement:
a linear feature on the Earth’s surface, occurring where displaced rock layers
have broken through the Earth’s surface[1]



faultplane

faultplane
fault
plane
(plural fault planes) noun

surface of rock displacement:
the surface along which displacement of rock layers has taken place in a
geologic fault[1]



faulttolerance

faulttolerance
fault
tol·er·ance
noun

recovery ability:
the ability of an individual computer or computer network to preserve the
integrity of data and continue operating when one or more components are
malfunctioning[1]



faulty

faulty
fault·y 
[fáwltee] (comparative fault·i·er,
superlative fault·i·est) adjective

1.  with
faults:
containing defects, especially ones that cause malfunctions • faulty
wiring

2.  blameworthy:
guilty or deserving blame (archaic)
—fault·i·ly,
adverb

—fault·i·ness, noun[1]



faun

faun
faun 
[fawn] (plural fauns) noun

rural
Roman god:
in Roman mythology, a rural god, often depicted as a creature with the body of
a man and the legs and horns of a goat. Greek equivalent satyr
[14th century. Directly or
via French faune from Latin Faunus Faunus
.][1]



fauna

fauna
fau·na 
[fáwnə] (plural fau·nas or
fau·nae [fáwnee]) noun

1.  animal
life in general: the animal life of a particular region
or period, considered as a whole.
See
also
flora

2.  list
of animals:
a catalog or list describing the animals of a particular region or period
[Late
18th century. Via modern Latin from late Latin Fauna “Fauna,” an ancient
Italian rural goddess, the sister of Faunus
.]
—fau·nal,
adjective

—fau·nal·ly, adverb[1]



Faunus

Faunus
Fau·nus 
[fáwnəss] noun

Roman god of nature:
in Roman mythology, the god of nature, farming, and fertility. He was the
grandson of Saturn. Greek equivalent Pan[1]



Fauré,Gabriel

Fauré,Gabriel
Fau·ré 
[faw ráy], Gabriel (1845–1924)

French
composer and organist. His best-known work is the Requiem ( 1887 ) for
solo voices, choir, and orchestra.
Full name
Fauré, Gabriel Urbain[1]



Faust

Faust
Faust 
[fowst] (1480?–1540?)

German
fortune-teller and magician. Reputed to have sold his soul to the devil, he is
most noted for the legends concerning him that formed the basis for numerous
literary and musical works.

—Faust·i·an, adjective[1]



fautede mieux

fautede mieux
faute
de mieux 
[ft də my] adverb

for
want of better: in the absence of something better (literary)
• the
feeling that she had married him faute de mieux
[From French, literally “lack
of better”][1]



fauteuil

fauteuil
fau·teuil 
[fō ty] (plural fau·teuils) noun

armchair:
an upholstered armchair, usually with open sides (literary or technical)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Old French faudestuel “folding chair,” from a prehistoric Germanic
compound word formed from the ancestors of English fold
+ stool .][1]



fautor

fautor
fau·tor
[fáwtər] (plural fau·tors) noun
(archaic)

1.  supporter:
somebody who supports a person or cause

2.  patron:
somebody who gives protection or material support, for example, in the form of
funding
[14th century. From Latin fautor,
from favere (see favor ).][1]



Fauve

Fauve
Fauve 
[fōv] (plural Fauves) or
fauve [fōv] (plural fauves)
noun

painter
of Fauvism movement: an artist belonging to a
20th-century movement in French painting ( Fauvism
) characterized by the use of simple forms and bright colors (often used before
a noun)
Also
called
Fauvist
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “wild animal,” via Old French falve “tawny” from
prehistoric Germanic; from the vivid colors the painters used.][1]



Fauvism

Fauvism
Fau·vism
[fṓ vìzzəm] or fau·vism [fṓ vìzzəm] noun

20thC artistic movement:
an early 20th-century movement in painting, begun in about 1905 by a group of
French artists, including Matisse, and characterized by the use of simple forms
and vivid colors[1]



Fauvist

Fauvist
Fau·vist
[fṓvist] noun

See
Fauve
—Fauv·ist, adjective[1]



faux

faux
faux 
[fō] adjective

imitation:
made in imitation of a natural material, for example, leather or fur
[Late 20th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin falsus (see false
).][1]



fauxami

fauxami
faux
a·mi
[f za m] (plural faux a·mis)
noun

LINGUISTICS See false friend  noun 1
[From French, literally
“false friend”][1]



faux-naïf

faux-naïf
faux-na·ïf 
[f naa f] adjective

falsely
unsophisticated: pretending to be simple or without
sophistication (literary)
noun
(plural faux-na·ïfs)

faux-naïf
person:
somebody who affects innocence or lack of sophistication (literary)
[From French, literally
“falsely naive”][1]



fauxpas

fauxpas
faux
pas 
[fō p] (plural faux pas) noun

social
blunder:
an embarrassing blunder that breaks a social convention of some kind (literary)
[From
French, literally “false step”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mistake

[1]



favabean

favabean
fa·va
bean 
[fvə bn] (plural fa·va beans)
noun

See
broad bean
[Early 20th century. Fava
via Italian from Latin faba .][1]



fave

fave
fave 
[fayv] noun (plural faves)
adjective

favorite:
favorite (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



favela

favela
fa·ve·la 
[fə véllə] (plural fa·ve·las) noun

shantytown:
a shantytown or slum area, especially in Brazil
[Mid-20th century. From
Brazilian Portuguese, of uncertain origin; perhaps named for Favela, a
hill near Rio de Janeiro where such towns were built.][1]



faveolate

faveolate
fa·ve·o·late 
[fə v ələt, fə
v ə làyt] adjective

honeycombed:
with a honeycomb or pitted pattern (formal)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin faveolus, literally “little honeycomb,” from Latin favus
“honeycomb.”][1]



favism

favism
fa·vism
[f vìzzəm] noun

hereditary
allergic disease: acute anemia caused by an allergic
reaction to fava beans or the plant’s pollen, usually as a result of a
hereditary enzyme deficiency
[Early 20th century. From
Italian favismo, from fava “broad bean” (see fava bean ).][1]



favonian

favonian
fa·vo·ni·an 
[fə vṓnee ən] adjective LITERATURE

1.  westerly:
blowing from the west, or relating to the west wind (literary)

2.  favorable:
benign or kind
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
favonianus, from Favonius “west wind” (source of English foehn .][1]



favor

favor
fa·vor 
[fáyvər] noun (plural fa·vors)

1.  kind
act:
an act of kindness performed or granted out of good will • lent
me the car as a favor

2.  attitude
or approval: an approving, friendly, or supportive
attitude • They
seem to be out of favor with the judges.

3.  preference:
preferential treatment shown to somebody

4.  token
of loyalty:
something given or worn as a token of love, allegiance, or good will

5.  small
gift:
a small gift given to each guest at a party

6.  appearance:
the way something or somebody looks to others (archaic)

7.  face:
a facial expression or feature (archaic)
plural
noun
fa·vors

sex:
sexual intimacy, especially when consented to by a woman (dated)
transitive
verb
(past fa·vored, past participle fa·vored, present
participle fa·vor·ing, 3rd person present singular fa·vors)

1.  prefer
somebody or something: to show a preference for or
to somebody or something • He
favored loud suits and colorful ties.

2.  support
somebody or something: to express support for
somebody or something • voters
who favored reform

3.  assist
somebody or something: to be advantageous to
somebody or something • tax
measures that favor the rich

4.  show
somebody preferential treatment: to distinguish
somebody by giving him or her something valuable • favored
him with a seat next to her

5.  be
careful with something: to treat or use something
gently • favoring
a bad knee

6.  treat
somebody or something well: to treat somebody or
something with particular approval or kindness • She
has been favoring him since he got a new car.

7.  resemble
somebody:
to resemble somebody, usually a parent, in appearance • favors
his uncle
[14th
century. Via Old French “friendly regard,” from Latin favor, from favere
“to be well disposed toward.”]
—fa·vor·er,
noun
curry
favor with somebody

to try to gain favor with a
superior by flattery and obsequiousness • They
put more energy into currying favor with the principal than they ever put into
their work.[1]



favorable

favorable
fa·vor·a·ble 
[fáyvərəb’l] adjective

1.  advantageous:
acting in a beneficial way • favorable
winds

2.  promising:
suggesting future improvement or good results • a
favorable outlook

3.  approving:
expressing approval or admiration • a
favorable reaction

4.  gaining
approval:
winning approval or favor

5.  consenting:
expressing agreement or consent • a
favorable response
—fa·vor·a·ble·ness,
noun

—fa·vor·a·bly, adverb[1]



favored

favored
fa·vored 
[fáyvərd] adjective

1.  chosen:
preferred to any other • The
favored plan is unfortunately the costliest.

2.  distinguished:
enjoying the advantages of a particular thing • a
child favored with his mother’s looks and father’s good nature

3.  privileged:
enjoying advantages or privileges denied to others
—fa·vored·ness, noun[1]



favorite

favorite
fa·vor·ite 
[fáyvərit, fáyvrit]
adjective

most liked: most
liked, or preferred above all others
noun
(plural fa·vor·ites)

1.  most
liked person or thing: somebody who or something
that is especially liked or preferred above others • Which
author is your favorite?

2.  one
most likely to win: a competitor considered to
be the most likely to win, especially in a horserace

3.  somebody
favored by superior: somebody who is treated with
special favor by a superior • a
cherished position as one of the King’s favorites
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French favorit from, ultimately, Italian favorito, the
past participle of favorire “to favor,” from favore “favor,” from
Latin favor (see favor ).][1]



favoriteson

favoriteson
fa·vor·ite
son
(plural fa·vor·ite sons) noun

1.  man
known to community: a successful man who is
admired by the people of his hometown or home state

2.  preferred
presidential candidate: a politician preferred for
nomination as a presidential candidate by delegates from his own state at a
national convention

[1]



favoritism

favoritism
fa·vor·it·ism 
[fáyvəri tìzzəm, fáyvri
tìzzəm] noun

1.  unfairly
favoring person or group: the practice of giving
special treatment or unfair advantages to a person or group • The
teacher was accused of showing favoritism toward certain students.

2.  status
as preferred person: the state of being a
favorite person • basking in your
favoritism

[1]



favour

favour
fa·vour 
noun transitive verb

U.K.
=
favor

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



favourite

favourite
fav·our·ite
adjective noun

U.K. =
favorite[1]



favus

favus
fa·vus 
[fáyvəss] (plural fa·vus·es) noun

skin
disease:
an infectious skin disease that affects people, especially on the scalp, and
some domestic animals, causing the formation of dry yellowish incrustations. It
is caused by a fungus, Trichophyton schoenleinii .
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “honeycomb”; from the appearance of the skin lesions.][1]



Fawkes,Guy

Fawkes,Guy
Fawkes 
[fawks], Guy (1570–1606)

English conspirator. He was
executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot against James I on November 5,
1605.[1]



fawn

fawn1
fawn1 [fawn]
noun (plural fawns)

1.  young
deer:
a young deer, especially one that is unweaned or less than a year old

2.  yellowish-brown
color:
a pale yellowish-brown color
adjective

of yellowish-brown color:
of a pale yellowish-brown color
intransitive
verb
(past fawned, past participle fawned, present
participle fawn·ing, 3rd person present singular fawns)

have young: to
give birth to a fawn
[14th century. Via French faon
“young animal,” from the assumed vulgar Latin stem feton-, from Latin fetus
“offspring” (source of English fetus
).][1]



fawn

fawn2
fawn2 [fáwn]
(past fawned, past participle fawned, present
participle fawn·ing, 3rd person present singular fawns)
intransitive verb

1.  seek
favor by flattery: to seek attention or curry
favor by flattery and obsequious behavior • admirers
fawning at his feet

2.  try
to please:
to attempt to please somebody by showing enthusiastic affection • started
fawning all over me as soon as I walked in
[Old
English fagnian “to rejoice,” from fægen “glad,” source also of
English fain]
—fawn·er,
noun

—fawn·ing·ly,
adverb

—fawn·ing·ness, noun[1]



fawnlily

fawnlily
fawn
lil·y
noun

N
American flowering plant: a North American plant with
cream- or yellow-colored flowers and mottled leaves. Genus: Erythronium
[From its mottled leaves][1]



fax

fax
fax 
[faks] noun (plural fax·es)

1.  message
sent electronically: an image or document that is
transmitted in digitized electronic form over telephone lines and reproduced in
its original form on the receiving end

2.  system
for transmitting documents: a system of transmitting
documents and images electronically over telephone lines (often used before
a noun) • sent
by fax

3.  transmitting
machine:
a machine incorporating a telephone that sends and receives documents or images
via fax.
Also
called
fax machine
transitive
verb
(past faxed, past participle faxed, present
participle fax·ing, 3rd person present singular fax·es)

send electronically:
to send a message or document electronically using a fax machine
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of facsimile .][1]



fax-modem

fax-modem
fax-mo·dem
(plural fax-mo·dems) noun

modem with fax capability:
a modem that enables a computer to send and receive faxes[1]



fax-on-demand

fax-on-demand
fax-on-demand
noun

TECHNOLOGY
TELECOMMUNICATIONS technology
sending facsimile automatically:
technology that will send a facsimile automatically to somebody who telephones
a particular number for information.
Also called
FOD[1]



fay

fay2
fay2 [fay]
noun

faith:
faith, religious or personal (archaic) “Ah, sirrah, by my fay, it waxes
late: I’ll to my rest.” Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet 1594
[14th century. From Old
French fei, earlier feid (see faith
).][1]



fay

fay1
fay1 [fay]
(plural fays) noun

fairy:
a fairy, elf, or other small supernatural being from folklore (literary)
“You are, upon the whole, a sort of fay, or sprite –not a woman!” Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure 1895
[14th century. Via Old French
fa(i)e “fairy” from Latin Fata, the goddess of fate, from fatum
(source also of English fairy ; see fate ).][1]



fay

fay3
fay3 [fay]
(past fayed, past participle fayed, present
participle fay·ing, 3rd person present singular fays) intransitive
and transitive verb

fit
tightly:
to join pieces of wood together tightly, or fit tightly inside another piece of
wood
[Old English fēgan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fasten,” which is also the
ancestor of English impale, compact, and peace
.][1]



fay

fay4
fay4 [fay]
(plural fays) noun

(slang
insult) See ofay
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Fayetteville

Fayetteville
Fay·ette·ville
[fáy ət vìl]

city in northwestern
Arkansas, northeast of Fort Smith and west of the White River. Population:
52,360 (1996)[1]



faze

faze
faze 
[fayz] (past fazed, past
participle fazed, present participle faz·ing, 3rd
person present singular faz·es) transitive verb

fluster
somebody:
to disconcert or disturb somebody • News
of the disaster didn’t seem to faze her.
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
dialectal feeze “to frighten,” from Old English fēsian “to drive
away,” from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



fazenda

fazenda
fa·zen·da 
[fə zéndə] (plural fa·zen·das)
noun

large
estate or farm: a large estate, farm, plantation, or
cattle ranch, especially in Brazil or Portugal
[Early 19th century. Via
Portuguese, originally “place with things to be done,” from Latin facienda
“things to be done,” from facere “to do” (source also of English hacienda ; see fact
).][1]



façade

façade
fa·çade 
[fə sd] (plural fa·çades) or
fa·cade [fə sd] (plural fa·cades)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE visible
surface:
the face of a building, especially the principal or front face showing its most
prominent architectural features

2.  deceptive
appearance:
the way something or somebody appears on the surface, especially when that
appearance is false or meant to deceive • Her
geniality is just a façade.
[Mid-17th century. From
French, formed from face (source of English face
) on the model of Italian facciata .][1]



F.B.

F.B.
F.B.

1.  Abbreviation
of
foreign body

2.  Abbreviation
of
freight bill

[1]



fb

fb
fb
or f.b.

Abbreviation of
fullback[1]



FBA

FBA
FBA

LAW
Abbreviation of Federal Bar Association[1]



fbd.

fbd.
fbd.

SHIPPING
Abbreviation of freeboard[1]



FBI

FBI
FBI
or F.B.I. noun

investigative arm of U.S.
Justice Department: a bureau of
the U.S. Department of Justice that deals with matters of national security,
interstate crime, and crimes against the government. Full form Federal Bureau of Investigation[1]



FBR

FBR
FBR

Abbreviation of
fast-breeder reactor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








f.c.

f.c.
f.c.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of follow copy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FCA

FCA
FCA

Abbreviation of
Farm Credit Administration[1]



fcap.

fcap.
fcap.

Abbreviation of
foolscap[1]



FCC

FCC
FCC
or F.C.C. noun

agency overseeing
telecommunications in U.S.: the federal
agency that oversees radio, television, and telecommunications in the United
States. Full form Federal Communications Commission[1]



Fclef

Fclef
F
clef
(plural F clefs) noun

See
bass clef[1]



fcp.

fcp.
fcp.

Abbreviation of
foolscap[1]



fcy.

fcy.
fcy.

Abbreviation of
fancy[1]



FD

FD
FD
or F.D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
fatal dose

2.  Abbreviation
of
Fidei Defensor

3.  Abbreviation
of
Fire Department

[1]



FDA

FDA
FDA
or F.D.A. noun

U.S. agency overseeing food
safety: the United States federal
agency that oversees trade in and the safety of food and drugs. Full form
Food and Drug Administration[1]



FDIC

FDIC
FDIC
or F.D.I.C. noun

U.S. agency insuring bank
deposits: the U.S. federally chartered
organization that insures deposits in banks. Full form Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation[1]



Fdistribution

Fdistribution
F
dis·tri·bu·tion (plural F dis·tri·bu·tions)
noun

probability
measure:
a statistical measure of the spread or scattering of members of two observed
random samples as a test of whether the samples have the same variability. The
F-distribution is obtained by taking the ratio of the chi-square distributions
of the samples divided by the number of their degrees of freedom.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Sir Ronald Fisher ( d . 1962), an English geneticist and statistician.][1]



FDR

FDR
FDR

Abbreviation of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt[1]



Fe

Fe
Fe

Symbol
for
iron
[From Latin ferrum
“iron”][1]



feal

feal
feal
[feel] adjective

faithful:
showing loyalty or faithfulness (archaic)[1]



fealty

fealty
fe·al·ty 
[f əltee] (plural fe·al·ties)
noun

1.  allegiance
to feudal lord: the loyalty sworn to a feudal lord by a
vassal or tenant

2.  faithfulness:
loyalty or allegiance shown to anyone (archaic or literary)
[13th century. Via Old French
feau(l)te from Latin fidelitas (see fidelity
).][1]



fear

fear
fear 
[feer] noun (plural fears)

1.  feeling
of anxiety:
an unpleasant feeling of apprehension or distress caused by the presence or
anticipation of danger • showed
no signs of fear

2.  frightening
thought:
an idea, thought, or other entity that causes feelings of fear • irrational
fears

3.  reverence:
awe or reverence, especially toward God

4.  worry:
a concern about something that threatens to bring bad news or results (often
used in the plural) • fears
for their safe return

5.  chance:
chance or likelihood of an undesirable thing happening • There’s
no fear that he’ll misunderstand.
verb
(past feared, past participle feared, present
participle fear·ing, 3rd person present singular fears)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
afraid:
to be frightened of somebody or something, or frightened about doing something
• She
fears going to the dentist.

2.  transitive
verb
express
regretfully: to be sorry to say something (formal)
• I
fear that you have not been successful on this occasion.

3.  transitive
verb
revere:
to show respect for or be in awe of somebody or something • fear
God

4.  transitive
verb
frighten:
to make somebody afraid (archaic)
[Old English fr
“calamity, danger” and fran “to frighten.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to try,” which is also the ancestor of English peril and experience
.][1]



fearfor

fearfor
fear
for
transitive verb

worry about:
to be worried or apprehensive about somebody who or something that appears to
be at risk or in danger[1]



fearful

fearful
fear·ful 
[frfəl] adjective

1.  frightening:
causing or likely to cause fear • a
fearful storm

2.  worried:
feeling anxiety or apprehension • fearful
for the safety of her investment

3.  timid:
nervous and easily frightened • a
fearful kitten

4.  showing
fear:
arising from or expressing fear • a
fearful expression

5.  reverential:
feeling awe or reverence for somebody or something • gazed
in fearful wonder

6.  very
bad:
extreme in degree, intensity, or badness (informal) • had
a fearful headache
—fear·ful·ly,
adverb

—fear·ful·ness, noun[1]



fearless

fearless
fear·less 
[frləss] adjective

courageous:
courageous in the face of dangers or challenges
—fear·less·ly,
adverb

—fear·less·ness, noun[1]



fearsome

fearsome
fear·some 
[frsəm] adjective

1.  frightening:
inspiring fear • a fearsome howling

2.  impressive:
evoking awe and respect

3.  timid:
easily frightened
adverb

very: used
to emphasize how severe something is (dated) (regional) • It
was fearsome cold.
—fear·some·ly,
adverb

—fear·some·ness, noun[1]



feasibility

feasibility
fea·si·bil·i·ty
[fzə bíllətee] (plural fea·si·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  feasible
quality:
the degree to which something can be carried out or achieved (often used
before a noun) • examining the
feasibility of the proposed merger

2.  something
feasible:
something that can be carried out or achieved • That
idea is not even a feasibility.

[1]



feasibilitystudy

feasibilitystudy
fea·si·bil·i·ty
stud·y
noun

preliminary study:
a preliminary study undertaken to assess whether a planned project is likely to
be practical and successful, and also estimating its cost[1]



feasible

feasible
fea·si·ble 
[fzəb’l] adjective

1.  possible:
capable of being accomplished or put into effect

2.  plausible:
reasonable enough to be believed or accepted • a
feasible plan
[15th
century. From French faisable, from fais-, the stem of faire
“to do,” from Latin facere (see fact
).]
—fea·si·bly,
adverb

—fea·si·ble·ness, noun[1]



feast

feast
feast 
[feest] noun (plural feasts)

1.  celebratory
meal:
an elaborate meal for many people that celebrates an occasion • a
wedding feast

2.  large
meal:
any large and elaborate meal

3.  something
very agreeable: something that provides a great deal of
pleasure • a
feast for the eyes

4.  RELIGION religious
celebration: a periodic religious celebration, often
marked by a special meal
verb
(past feast·ed, past participle feast·ed, present
participle feast·ing, 3rd person present singular feasts)

1.  intransitive
verb
attend
celebratory meal: to be present at a celebratory meal

2.  intransitive
verb
enjoy
eating:
to eat heartily or with enjoyment • feasting
on strawberries and cream

3.  transitive
verb
provide
feast for:
to entertain somebody with a feast

4.  intransitive
verb
take
delight:
to derive great pleasure from something, or enjoy something at length • feast
on the magnificent scenery
[12th
century. Via Old French feste from, ultimately, Latin festum
(source of English festival and festoon ).]
—feast·er, noun[1]



feastday

feastday
feast
day
(plural feast days) noun

1.  RELIGION day of
religious festival: a day on which a religious
festival takes place

2.  day
of eating:
a day on which an elaborate celebratory meal is enjoyed

[1]



Feastof Dedication

Feastof Dedication
Feast
of Ded·i·ca·tion  or Feast of Lights noun

JUDAISM
See Hanukkah[1]



Feastof Lots

Feastof Lots
Feast
of Lots
noun

JUDAISM
See Purim[1]



Feastof St. Michael and All Angels

Feastof St. Michael and All Angels
Feast
of Saint Mi·chael and All An·gels noun

CHRISTIANITY
See Michaelmas[1]



Feastof Tabernacles

Feastof Tabernacles
Feast
of Tab·er·na·cles noun

JUDAISM
See Sukkoth[1]



Feastof the Assumption

Feastof the Assumption
Feast
of the As·sump·tion noun

CHRISTIANITY
See Assumption of the Virgin Mary[1]



Feastof the Holy Innocents

Feastof the Holy Innocents
Feast
of the Ho·ly In·no·cents noun

CHRISTIANITY
See Holy Innocents’ Day[1]



Feastof Weeks

Feastof Weeks
Feast
of Weeks
noun

JUDAISM
See Shavuoth[1]



feat

feat2
feat2 [feet]
adjective (archaic)

1.  skillful:
possessing or demonstrating great skill

2.  stylishly
elegant:
elegant or neat in appearance
[Via
Old French fet from Latin factus, literally “made (for
something),” the past participle of facere (see fact
)]
—feat·ly, adverb[1]



feat

feat1
feat1 [feet]
(plural feats) noun

1.  notable
act:
a remarkable act or achievement involving courage, skill, or strength • She
achieved the impressive feat of winning three gold medals.

2.  activity:
an art, skill, or profession (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
fait “deed” from Latin factum (see fact
).][1]



feather

feather

feath·er 
[féər] noun (plural feath·ers)

1.  part
of bird’s plumage: an individual part of a
bird’s plumage, consisting of a hollow central shaft with numerous interlocking
fine strands on either side

2.  something
resembling feather: something, for example, the
leaf of a plant, with light or wispy strands that give it a superficial
resemblance to a feather

3.  flaw
in precious stone: a feather -shaped flaw,
especially one found in a precious stone

4.  unimportant
thing:
something small, trivial, or of minimal value

5.  ARCHERY arrow
attachment:
a piece of a feather attached to the end of an arrow or dart to make it fly
straight

6.  ARCHERY blunt
end of arrow: the end of an arrow that has a feather
fitted on it, as distinct from its head

7.  CONSTR part
of wood joint: a projecting strip of wood fitted into a
groove in the edge of a board to form a joint

8.  NAVY track
made by periscope: the track made on the
surface of the sea by a submarine’s periscope

9.  ROWING horizontal
oar position: the horizontal position of an oar, after
raising it from the water between strokes, that reduces wind resistance
plural noun feath·ers

1.  ZOOLOGY long
hair on animal’s legs: fringes of hair on the legs
or tails of certain dogs and horses

2.  attire:
the clothes that somebody is wearing (dated)
verb (past
feath·ered, past participle feath·ered, present
participle feath·er·ing, 3rd person present singular feath·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING cut
hair to form layers: to style hair by cutting and
thinning, giving a layered texture

2.  transitive
verb
fit
something with feathers: to fit something, for
example, an arrow, with a feather or feathers

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb fray:
to fray a surface or end by cutting it or wearing it away, or become frayed in
this way

4.  transitive
verb
cover
something with feathers: to cover or decorate
somebody or something with feathers

5.  intransitive
verb
spread:
to grow or move out at an angle from a central line, in a pattern resembling
the structure of a feather

6.  intransitive
verb
grow
feathers:
to grow or form feathers (refers to birds)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb ROWING turn oar blade horizontal:
to turn an oar with the blade face parallel to the water, after raising it from
the water between strokes, in order to reduce wind resistance

8.  transitive
verb
AIR alter
propeller blades: to change the angle of an aircraft’s
propeller so that the line of the blades is roughly parallel to the line of
flight and air resistance is minimized

9.  transitive
verb
CONSTR connect
boards with tongue-and-groove: to join two boards or
pieces of wood by using a tongue-and-groove joint
[Old
English feþer . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to fly,”
which is also the ancestor of English pen,
pterodactyl, and appetite .]
—feath·er·y,
adjective
a feather in somebody’s cap

an act or achievement that
gives somebody cause to be proud • Being
asked to give the after-dinner speech was a feather in my cap.[1]



featherbed

featherbed
feath·er·bed 
[féər bèd] (past feath·er·bed·ded,
past participle feath·er·bed·ded, present participle feath·er·bed·ding,
3rd person present singular feath·er·beds) verb

1.  transitive
verb
pamper
somebody:
to pamper somebody, or protect somebody from unpleasantness

2.  intransitive
verb
overstaff
or limit production: to overstaff or limit
production, especially in compliance with a union contract

[1]



featherbedding

featherbedding
feath·er·bed·ding 
[féər bèdding] noun

overstaffing or limiting
production: the practice of overstaffing
or limiting production, especially in compliance with a union contract, in
order to save or create jobs[1]



featherbrain

featherbrain
feath·er·brain 
[féər bràyn] (plural feath·er·brains)
noun

forgetful
person:
a forgetful, thoughtless, or inattentive person (informal insult)
Also
called
featherhead
—feath·er·brained, adjective[1]



featherduster

featherduster
feather
dust·er
(plural feather dust·ers) noun

brush with feathers:
a brush used for dusting, made of long feathers attached to a stick[1]



feathered

feathered
feath·ered 
[féərd] adjective

1.  with
feathers:
covered or decorated with feathers

2.  like
a feather:
with many fine parallel strands • a
feathered lace border

[1]



featheredge

featheredge
feath·er·edge 
[féər èj] noun (plural feath·er·edges)

1.  JOINERY tapered
board:
a board or plank with a thin tapering edge

2.  JOINERY tapering
edge of board: the thinner tapering edge of a
wedge-shaped board or plank

3.  PAPER See deckle edge
transitive
verb
(past feath·er·edged, past participle feath·er·edged,
present participle feath·er·edg·ing, 3rd person present
singular feath·er·edges)

JOINERY hone
to an edge:
to taper a side or end of a board to a very thin edge

[1]



feathergrass

feathergrass
feath·er
grass
(plural feath·er grass·es) noun

perennial grass:
a perennial grass plant that has feathery clusters of spikelets. Genus: Stipa

Also called
needle grass
Also called
spear grass[1]



featherhead

featherhead
feath·er·head 
[féər hèd] (plural feath·er·heads)
noun

(informal
insult) See featherbrain
—feath·er·head·ed [fèər héddəd], adjective[1]



feathering

feathering
feath·er·ing 
[féəring] noun

1.  plumage:
the feathers on a bird

2.  feathers
attached to arrow: the feathers attached to an
arrow or dart, or their arrangement

3.  ZOOLOGY long
hair on animal’s legs: fringes of hair on the legs
or tails of certain dogs and horses

4.  PRINTING printing
defect:
the spreading of ink in veiny lines through printed paper that is too absorbent

[1]



featherpalm

featherpalm
feath·er
palm
(plural feath·er palms) noun

palm tree:
a palm tree with leaves that resemble feathers, for example, a date palm[1]



featherstar

featherstar
feath·er
star
(plural feath·er stars) noun

marine invertebrate animal:
a free-swimming marine invertebrate animal related to the starfish, with
between five and ten feathery arms radiating from a central disk. Order:
Comatulida[1]



featherstitch

featherstitch

feath·er·stitch 
[féər stìch] noun
embroidery
stitch:
ornamental embroidery stitching with a zigzag pattern
transitive verb
(past feath·er·stitched, past participle feath·er·stitched,
present participle feath·er·stitch·ing, 3rd person present
singular feath·er·stitch·es)
sew something with featherstitch:
to sew or decorate something with featherstitch[1]



featherweight

featherweight
feath·er·weight 
[féər wàyt] (plural feath·er·weights)
noun

1.  light
boxer:
a professional boxer weighing not more than 57 kg126 pounds, between
bantamweight and lightweight

2.  sportsperson:
a competitor of light weight in other sports, for example, wrestling

3.  something
light:
somebody or something that is very light, small, or insignificant

[1]



feathery

feathery
feath·er·y 
[féəree] adjective

1.  resembling
feathers:
similar to a feather or feathers, especially in lightness or softness

2.  consisting
of feathers: made of or covered in feathers
—feath·er·i·ness, noun[1]



feature

feature
fea·ture 
[fchər] noun (plural fea·tures)

1.  part
of face:
a part of a face that contributes to its distinctiveness, especially the eyes,
nose, or mouth

2.  distinctive
part:
a part of something that distinguishes it

3.  CINEMA full-length
motion picture: a full-length motion picture or,
formerly, the main motion picture in a movie program

4.  PUBLISHING regular
article:
a regular item in a newspaper or magazine or on a broadcast

5.  PUBLISHING main
article:
an article that is given particular prominence in a newspaper or magazine

6.  BROADCASTING main
program:
a television or radio program that is considered especially important or
popular

7.  special
attraction:
something offered as a special attraction, for example, a particular aspect of
something • a
refrigerator with several energy-saving features

8.  LINGUISTICS property
of linguistic unit: a distinctive property of a
linguistic unit. Voicing is a feature of the consonants b, d, and
g .

9.  appearance:
the general appearance of somebody or something (archaic)
verb
(past fea·tured, past participle fea·tured, present
participle fea·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular fea·tures)

1.  transitive
verb
contain
something as important element: to have or present
somebody or something as an important element of something • This
week’s activities will feature horseback riding and golf.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
prominence to in performance: to give prominence to
somebody taking part in a performance or to something performed or portrayed in
a performance, or be given prominence in this way • a
movie featuring two of the most popular actors

3.  transitive
verb
imagine
or visualize something: to imagine or visualize
something mentally (informal) • Feature
this: You’ve just returned and can choose to live wherever you please.

4.  intransitive
verb
figure
in something: to figure in or be a part of something • Marriage
doesn’t feature in his plans.

5.  transitive
verb
resemble
somebody or something: to resemble somebody or
something (archaic) • The
baby features her father.
[14th century. Via Old French
faiture, from, ultimately, Latin facere “to do, make” (see fact ). Originally in English, “shape or
proportions,” especially of the body.][1]



featurecreature

featurecreature
feature
creature
noun

COMPUTING
somebody who overdesigns site:
somebody who adds excessive features to a design, software program, or Web
site, often at the expense of coherence or utility (slang)[1]



featured

featured
fea·tured 
[fchərd] adjective

1.  given
prominence:
given prominence or treated as a special attraction

2.  having
specified facial features: having facial features of a
particular kind (often used in combination) • a
sharp-featured man

[1]



featurefilm

featurefilm
fea·ture
film
(plural fea·ture films) noun

full-length movie:
a full-length motion picture[1]



feature-length

feature-length
fea·ture-length
adjective

long as full-length movie:
being as long as a feature film • a
feature-length episode of a TV show[1]



featureless

featureless
fea·ture·less 
[fchərləss] adjective

lacking distinctiveness:
lacking any characteristics or properties that can be considered distinctive[1]



Feb.

Feb.
Feb.
or Feb

Abbreviation of
February[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








febrific

febrific
fe·brif·ic 
[fə bríffik] adjective

1.  causing
fever:
capable of causing somebody to have a fever

2.  having
fever:
affected by a fever
[Early 18th century. From
French fébrifique (now obsolete), from Latin febris “fever” (see fever ).][1]



febrifuge

febrifuge
feb·ri·fuge 
[fébbrə fyj] noun (plural feb·ri·fuges)

drug
that reduces fever: a drug or treatment that is
capable of reducing a fever
adjective

reducing
fever:
capable of reducing a fever
[Late
17th century. From French fébrifuge, from Latin febris “fever”
(see fever ).]
—feb·ri·fug·al [fə bríffyəg’l, fébbrə
fyg’l], adjective[1]



febrile

febrile
fe·brile
[fébbrəl, fbrəl]
adjective

relating
to fever:
relating to, involving, or typical of fever
[Mid-17th century. From
French fébrile or medieval Latin febrilis, both formed from Latin
febris “fever.”][1]



February

February
Feb·ru·ar·y 
[fébroo èrree, fébbyoo
èrree] (plural Febru·ar·ies) noun

second
month in Gregorian calendar: the second month of the year
in the Gregorian calendar, between January and March. It has 28 days, except in
every fourth year, when it has 29.
[14th century. Via Old French
feverier from, ultimately, Latin februarius (mensis) “(month) of
purification,” from a Roman festival of purification held in this month.][1]



FEC

FEC
FEC

Abbreviation of
Federal Election Commission[1]



fec.

fec.
fec.

Abbreviation of
fecit[1]



fecal

fecal
fe·cal 
[fk’l] adjective

relating to feces:
relating to or consisting of feces[1]



feces

feces
fe·ces 
[fsseez] plural noun

body’s
solid waste: the body’s solid waste matter, composed
of undigested food, bacteria, water, and bile pigments and discharged from the
bowel through the anus
[14th
century. From Latin faeces, plural of faex “sediment, dregs.”]
—fe·cal [fk’l], adjective[1]



feckless

feckless
feck·less 
[fékləss] adjective

1.  ineffective:
unable or unwilling to do anything useful

2.  unlikely
to be successful: lacking the thought or organization
necessary to succeed • feckless
attempts at starting a business
[Late
16th century. From obsolete feck “value, efficacy,” a shortening of effect .]
—feck·less·ly,
adverb

—feck·less·ness, noun[1]



fecula

fecula
fec·u·la 
[fékyələ] (plural fec·u·lae [fékyəlee]) noun

1.  starch:
a starch extracted as sediment from a mixture of water and crushed plants

2.  insect
dropping:
a piece of excrement, especially an insect dropping
[Late 17th century. From
Latin faecula “crust of wine,” from faex “dregs, sediment”
(source of English feces ).][1]



feculent

feculent
fec·u·lent 
[fékyələnt] adjective

filthy:
very dirty or foul, especially when polluted by excrement (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French féculent from Latin faeculentus,
from faeces (see feces ).]
—fec·u·lence, noun[1]



fecund

fecund
fe·cund 
[fkənd, fékənd]
adjective

1.  fertile:
capable of producing much vegetation or many offspring (formal)

2.  highly
productive:
capable of producing many different works or works that are highly imaginative
• a
fecund liar
[14th century. Directly or
via French fécond from Latin fecundus .][1]



fecundate

fecundate
fe·cun·date 
[fkən dàyt, fékən
dàyt] (past fe·cun·dat·ed, past participle fe·cun·dat·ed,
present participle fe·cun·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular
fe·cun·dates) transitive verb (formal)

1.  make
somebody or something productive: to make somebody or
something fruitful or productive

2.  make
somebody pregnant: to fertilize something, or
make somebody pregnant
—fe·cun·da·tion [fkən dáysh’n, fèkən
dáysh’n], noun[1]



fecundity

fecundity
fe·cun·di·ty 
[fi kúndətee] noun

1.  ability
to produce offspring: the ability to produce
offspring, especially in large numbers

2.  creative
productivity: the ability to produce many different
and original ideas (formal)

[1]



fed

fed
fed


Past participle of
feed Past tense of feed[1]



Fed

Fed
Fed 
[fed] (plural Feds) or fed
[fed] (plural feds) noun
(informal)

1.  Federal
agent:
a Federal agent or official, especially an agent of one of the watchdog
agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Environmental
Protection Agency

2.  Federal
Reserve Board: the Federal Reserve Board

3.  Federal
Reserve System: the Federal Reserve System

[1]



Fed.

Fed.
Fed.
or fed.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Federal

2.  Abbreviation
of
Federated

[1]



fedayee

fedayee
fe·da·yee 
[fe d y, fe dà
y] (plural fed·a·yeen [fe d
yn, fe dà yn]) noun

Arab
commando:
an Arab commando or guerrilla, especially one who fights against Israel
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic and Persian fida’i “somebody who sacrifices himself or herself.”][1]



federacy

federacy
fed·er·a·cy 
[féddərəssee] (plural fed·er·a·cies)
noun

alliance:
an alliance of people or countries formed to achieve a shared purpose (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From federate, or a shortening of confederacy .][1]



Federal

Federal
Fed·er·al
adjective

of Union:
involving or supporting the Union during the Civil War in the United States • Federal
troops
noun
(plural Fed·er·als)

1.  Union
soldier:
a soldier or supporter of the Union during the United States Civil War

2.  See
federalist

[1]



federal

federal
fed·er·al 
[féddərəl, féddrəl]
adjective

1.  made
up of allies: relating to a form of government in
which several states or regions defer certain powers, for example, in foreign
affairs, to a central government while retaining some measure of
self-government

2.  central:
relating to a political unit established on a federal basis, especially its
central government

3.  associated:
relating to or characteristic of a unified body with constituent elements that
retain a measure of autonomy

4.  of
a U.S. architectural style: relating to, involving, or
typical of a classical style of architecture, decoration, and furniture popular
in the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
noun
(plural fed·er·als)

supporter of alliance:
somebody who supports joining an alliance
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
foeder-, the stem of foedus “treaty.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to trust,” which is also the ancestor of English confide, faith,
and abide ).][1]



FederalBureau of Investigation

FederalBureau of Investigation
Fed·er·al
Bu·reau of In·ves·ti·ga·tion noun

Full form of
FBI[1]



federalcase

federalcase
fed·er·al
case
(plural fed·er·al cas·es) noun

federal
legal matter: a matter in law that comes under the
jurisdiction of a federal court
make
a federal case out of

to make a fuss about
something trivial • Why
do you have to make a federal case out of everything?[1]



federaldistrict

federaldistrict
fed·eral
dis·trict
(plural fed·eral dis·tricts) noun

area for seat of central
government: an area in which the seat of
the national government of a federation, for example, the United States, is
located[1]



FederalFunds

FederalFunds
Fed·er·al
Funds
plural noun

bank-to-bank loans:
money lent overnight from one Federal Reserve bank to another. The rate of
interest charged on such loans is a key economic indicator.[1]



federalgovernment

federalgovernment
fed·er·al
gov·ern·ment (plural fed·er·al
gov·ern·ments) noun

central government:
the central government of a federation[1]



federalism

federalism
fed·er·al·ism 
[féddərə lìzzəm, féddrə
lìzzəm] noun

1.  political
system:
a political system in which several states or regions defer certain powers, for
example, in foreign affairs, to a central government while retaining a limited
measure of self-government

2.  political
principle:
the principle of a federal system of government, or support for such a system

[1]



Federalism

Federalism
Fed·er·al·ism
noun

political doctrine:
the political doctrine of the former Federalist Party[1]



Federalist

Federalist
Fed·er·al·ist
(plural Fed·er·al·ists) noun

Federalist Party supporter:
somebody who supported the former Federalist Party.
Also called
Federal[1]



federalist

federalist
fed·er·al·ist 
[féddərəlist, féddrəlist]
(plural fed·er·al·ists) noun

1.  supporter
of federalism: somebody who supports a federal system
of government

2.  Canada
supporter
of Confederation: in Canada, somebody who supports the
federation of the Canadian provinces and opposes separatism

[1]



FederalistParty

FederalistParty
Fed·er·al·ist
Par·ty
noun

U.S. political party:
a former political party of the United States advocating a strong centralized
government within the federal system. Founded in 1787, it declined in influence
after 1800.[1]



federalize

federalize
fed·er·al·ize 
[féddərə lz, féddrə
lz] (past fed·er·al·ized, past participle fed·er·al·ized,
present participle fed·er·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular fed·er·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  join
states in federal union: to bring various states
together in a federal union

2.  put
something under federal control: to place something
under the control of a federal government
—fed·er·al·i·za·tion [fèddərəli záysh’n, fèddrəli
záysh’n], noun[1]



FederalReserve Bank

FederalReserve Bank
Fed·er·al
Re·serve Bank noun

central bank:
one of the 12 reserve banks responsible for regulating the affiliated banks in
a Federal Reserve District in the United States[1]



FederalReserve Board

FederalReserve Board
Fed·er·al
Re·serve Board noun

supervising body:
the group responsible for supervising the Federal Reserve System[1]



FederalReserve note

FederalReserve note
Fed·er·al
Re·serve note (plural Fed·er·al Re·serve
notes) noun

bank note:
a bank note or certificate, sometimes used as money, issued by a Federal
Reserve Bank[1]



FederalReserve System

FederalReserve System
Fed·er·al
Re·serve Sys·tem noun

U.S. banking system:
the United States banking system that regulates the money supply and interest
rates, consisting of 12 Federal Reserve Districts in which a Federal Reserve
Bank regulates the activities of affiliated banks[1]



federate

federate
fed·er·ate 
[féddə ràyt] (past fed·er·ated,
past participle fed·er·ated, present participle fed·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular fed·er·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

unite
in federation: to join, or cause various bodies to join
together, in a federation
[Late 17th century. From
Latin foederare, from foedus (see federal
).][1]



federation

federation
fed·er·a·tion 
[fèddə ráysh’n] (plural fed·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  joining
in federal union: an act of joining in a federal union or
a federal system of government

2.  political
unit:
a political unit formed from smaller units on a federal basis

3.  alliance:
a group of various bodies or parties that have united to achieve a common goal

[1]



fedora

fedora

fe·do·ra 
[fə dáwrə] (plural fe·do·ras) noun
hat:
a soft felt hat with a brim and a crease along the length of its crown
[Late 19th century. From Fédora,
title of a drama by Victorien Sardou (1831–1908).][1]



fedup

fedup
fed
up
adjective

having had enough:
having reached the limits of tolerance or patience with somebody or something (informal)
• I know
she’s fed up with working all the time.[1]



fee

fee
fee 
[fee] (past feed, past
participle feed, present participle fee·ing, 3rd
person present singular fees, plural fees) noun

1.  payment
for services: a payment for professional services

2.  charge
made by institution: a charge made by an
institution, for example, for membership, entrance, or the administering of an
examination

3.  tip:
an extra sum of money given to somebody, for example, waitperson, for good
service (archaic)

4.  LAW heritable
interest in land: a right to land that can be passed on by
inheritance

5.  See
fief  noun 1
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from medieval Latin feudum (see feud 2 ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  word fee and its close relatives feudal and fief
  take us back to the very beginnings of feudal society in Europe, when the
  ownership of cattle was symbolic of wealth. The Indo-European source of fee, denoting “livestock,” is also the source of
  the German word Vieh, meaning “cattle.”

[1]



Feeb

Feeb
Feeb
[feeb] (plural Feebs) or
Fee·bie [f b] (plural Fee·bies)
noun

F.B.I. agent:
an agent of the F.B.I. (slang)[1]



feeble

feeble
fee·ble 
[fb’l] (comparative fee·bler,
superlative fee·blest) adjective

1.  physically
or mentally weak: lacking physical or mental strength or
health

2.  unconvincing:
unlikely to convince • a
feeble excuse
[12th
century. Via Old French fe(i)ble from, ultimately, Latin flebilis
“lamentable,” later “weak,” from flere “to weep.”]
—fee·ble·ness,
noun

—fee·bly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at weak

[1]



feeble-minded

feeble-minded
fee·ble-mind·ed 
adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for mentally challenged (offensive)

2.  unintelligent:
unintelligent or thoughtless (insult)

3.  not
well-thought-out: done without forethought, or lacking a
well-thought-out plan

4.  irresolute:
lacking in will or resolution (archaic)
—fee·ble-mind·edly,
adverb

—fee·ble-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



feed

feed
feed 
[feed] verb (past fed, past
participle fed [fed], present
participle feed·ing, 3rd person present singular feeds)

1.  transitive
verb
give
food to somebody: to give food to a person or an animal

2.  transitive
verb
give
something as food: to give something as food to
a person or an animal

3.  transitive
verb
serve
as food for somebody: to serve as or be enough
food for a person or an animal

4.  intransitive
verb
eat:
to eat food, or take in nourishment

5.  transitive
verb
support
something:
to sustain or encourage a specific belief or behavior • Compliments
merely feed vanity.

6.  transitive
verb
provide
something with necessary material: to provide the
necessary materials for something to operate

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
gradually:
to move something gradually into, through, or out of something, or be moved in
this way

8.  transitive
verb
ARTS give
performer cue: to deliver a line or cue to a fellow
performer

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS pass ball to fellow player:
to pass a ball to a teammate (informal)

10. transitive
verb
UTILITIES supply
something with power: to supply power or an
electrical signal to a system, component, or station

11. intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING send broadcast:
to provide a local television or radio broadcast to a larger audience by using
a satellite or network
noun
(plural feeds)

1.  act
of feeding:
an act or occasion of feeding

2.  food:
food, especially for animals or babies

3.  large
meal:
a meal, especially a large and satisfying one (dated informal)

4.  material
provider:
a device that supplies material to a machine, as does the paper tray on a
printer

5.  BROADCASTING network
signal:
the signal a network broadcasts to local radio or television stations for broadcast
• The
local television station lost the network’s feed for a few minutes.

6.  ARTS somebody
who provides cues: somebody who delivers a line
or cue to a fellow performer
[Old English fēdan ;
related to foda (see food )][1]



feedback

feedback
feed·back 
[fd bàk] noun

1.  return
of output:
the return of part of the output of a machine, system, or circuit to the input
in a way that affects its performance

2.  noise
in loudspeaker: the high whistling or howling noise
caused by feedback in a loudspeaker

3.  response:
comments in the form of opinions about and reactions to something, intended to
provide useful information for future decisions and development

[1]



feedbackcircuit

feedbackcircuit
feed·back
cir·cuit
(plural feed·back cir·cuits) noun

electric circuit:
a circuit in which a portion of the output signal is returned to the input,
often in order to control or stabilize the circuit[1]



feedbackcontrol loop

feedbackcontrol loop
feed·back
con·trol loop (plural feed·back con·trol
loops) noun

connection from output to
input: the connection or path that
forms an electrical loop from the output to the input of a feedback circuit[1]



feedbackfactor

feedbackfactor
feed·back
fac·tor
(plural feed·back fac·tors) noun

output signal combined with
input signal: a portion of an output
signal that is returned to and combined with the input signal[1]



feedbackinhibition

feedbackinhibition
feed·back
in·hi·bi·tion noun

slowing of activity:
an internal control on a hormone or enzyme that causes a reduction in activity
once the end product reaches a certain concentration[1]



feedbackloop

feedbackloop
feed·back
loop
(plural feed·back loops) noun

cycle of mutual
reinforcement: a cycle in which two
agents each act to reinforce the other’s action[1]



feedbag

feedbag
feed·bag 
[fd bàg] (plural feed·bags) noun

1.  U.K.
bag
for animal feed: a bag or sack containing food for
livestock

2.  horse’s
feeding bag: a bag placed over the muzzle of a horse
from which it can eat.
U.K.
term
nosebag

[1]



feeder

feeder
feed·er 
[fdər] (plural feed·ers) noun

1.  eater:
somebody who or something that eats, gives food to others, or is fed

2.  container
for animal’s food: a device that supplies food
for animals and birds • a bird
feeder in the garden

3.  AGRICULTURE livestock:
an animal that is fattened for sale or slaughter

4.  machine
part:
a part of a machine that accepts or controls the input of material to be
processed • a
document feeder

5.  GEOGRAPHY tributary:
a stream or river that joins the flow of a larger one

6.  TRANSPORT connecting
carrier:
a road, railroad, or airline that carries traffic from a relatively small place
to a city in order to connect with a larger carrier

7.  UTILITIES power
line:
a power line that carries power from a generating station to a substation or
network

8.  RADIO connection:
a line that connects an antenna to a receiver or transmitter

9.  EDUCATION primary
school:
a primary or middle school whose graduates go on to a particular secondary
school

10. GARDENING plant
requiring fertilizer: a plant that requires a
large amount of fertilizer to grow, and especially flower, well • Fuchsias
are gross feeders.

[1]



feedingbottle

feedingbottle
feed·ing
bot·tle
(plural feed·ing bot·tles) noun

bottle for feeding baby:
a bottle with a plastic or rubber nipple used to give milk or other liquids to
a baby or young animal[1]



feedingfrenzy

feedingfrenzy
feed·ing
fren·zy
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY violent
feeding by many animals: an intense violent period of
eating that occurs when a large number of animals of the same or related
species, for example, sharks or piranhas, converge on a food source

2.  instance
of frantic activity: an instance of frantic
activity centered on a person or organization that occurs when other people,
especially journalists, sense an opportunity they can exploit (informal)

[1]



feedingground

feedingground
feed·ing
ground
(plural feed·ing grounds) noun

eating place for wildlife:
an area where animals, birds, or fish regularly come to feed[1]



feedinto

feedinto
feed
into
transitive verb

1.  contribute
to something: to add weight and impetus to something

2.  join
with something larger: to connect with and
contribute to something larger, e.g., a road or river

[1]



feedlot

feedlot
feed·lot 
[fd lòt] (plural feed·lots) noun

stock area:
an area or building in which livestock are kept while being fattened for
slaughter[1]



feedstock

feedstock
feed·stock 
[fd stòk] (plural feed·stocks)
noun

raw material:
a raw material used in the industrial manufacture of a product[1]



feedstuff

feedstuff
feed·stuff 
[fd stùf] (plural feed·stuffs)
noun

livestock feed:
feed for livestock, especially consisting of processed and balanced ingredients[1]



feedthrough

feedthrough
feed·through 
[fd thr] (plural feed·throughs)
noun

electrical conductor:
an electrical conductor that connects two sides of a circuit board[1]



feel

feel
feel 
[feel] verb (past felt
[felt], past participle felt, present
participle feel·ing, 3rd person present singular feels)

1.  transitive
verb
touch
something:
to perceive something using the sense of touch

2.  transitive
verb
touch
somebody sexually: to touch somebody or a part
of somebody’s body for the purpose of sexual gratification

3.  transitive
verb
examine
something:
to test or examine something by touching it

4.  transitive
verb
advance
hesitantly:
to make your way forward slowly, guided by the sense of touch or tentatively,
because what is ahead is hard to see or uncertain

5.  intransitive
verb
use
touch in searching: to use the sense of touch to
try to find something • feel
around for my keys

6.  transitive
verb
have
sensation in body part: to have physical sensation
in a particular part of the body

7.  transitive
verb
experience
something:
to experience an emotion or physical sensation • I
feel no regret.

8.  intransitive
verb
seem
to yourself: to seem to yourself to be in a
particular physical or emotional state • Don’t
feel sad.

9.  intransitive
verb
cause
particular sensation: to cause a particular
physical or emotional sensation • The
water feels cold.

10. transitive
verb
be
aware of something: to be instinctively aware of
something, usually an emotion, that is not visible or apparent

11. transitive
verb
be
affected by something: to be deeply affected
emotionally by something painful

12. transitive
verb
think
something is true: to be convinced about
something by instinct or intuition rather than concrete evidence • I
feel you’re lying to me.

13. transitive
verb
believe
something:
to have the opinion or belief that something is the case • She
felt she could no longer carry on.
noun
(plural feels)

1.  act
of touching: an act of touching something

2.  impression
gained from touch: an impression of something
gained through touching or being touched by it • the
feel of wool against the skin

3.  impression
sensed from something: a particular impression, appearance,
effect, or atmosphere sensed from something • a
hotel with a more traditional feel

4.  sense
of touch:
the sensation felt on touching something • hot
to the feel

5.  instinct
for something: an instinctive understanding of, or
talent for, something • He has
a feel for these things.

6.  grope:
an uninvited sexual touch (informal)
[Old
English fēlan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English palpable .]
feel
like

1.  to
have an inclination or desire for something

2.  to
have or acknowledge a physical or emotional condition that is considered
comparable to something else

[1]



feeler

feeler
feel·er 
[flər] (plural feel·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who feels:
somebody who or something that feels something

2.  ZOOLOGY touching
organ:
an organ of touch in various animals, for example, an insect’s antenna

3.  attempt
to test others’ reaction: something said or done to
test the reaction of others to an idea, plan, or project

[1]



feelergauge

feelergauge
feel·er
gauge
(plural feel·er gaug·es) noun

metal measuring strip:
a thin strip of metal of a specific size used to measure or set a gap between
parts of a mechanism[1]



feelfor

feelfor
feel
for
transitive verb

have sympathy for somebody:
to experience sympathy or compassion for somebody[1]



feel-good

feel-good
feel-good
adjective

cheering:
causing, involving, or typical of a sense of well-being or satisfaction[1]



feeling

feeling
feel·ing 
[fling] noun (plural feel·ings)

1.  sense
of touch:
the sensation felt on touching something

2.  ability
to have physical sensation: the ability to perceive
physical sensation in a part of the body • Slowly
the feeling returned to his fingers.

3.  something
felt physically or mentally: a perceived physical or
mental sensation

4.  something
felt emotionally: a perceived emotion

5.  affection:
the emotional response of love, sympathy, or tenderness toward somebody

6.  ability
to express emotion: the capacity to experience
strong emotions

7.  impression
sensed from something: a particular impression,
appearance, effect, or atmosphere sensed from something • There
was a feeling of abandonment about the old house.

8.  instinctive
awareness:
an instinctive awareness or presentiment of something • I
have a feeling you’re going to be disappointed.

9.  instinctive
understanding or talent: an instinctive understanding
of, or talent for, something • has a
real feeling for this kind of work

10. expressiveness:
the ability to express strong emotion, especially in performance • Play
the piece again with more feeling.
plural
noun
feel·ings

sensibilities:
somebody’s emotional susceptibilities • I
didn’t want to hurt their feelings.
adjective

1.  sensitive
to touch:
able to experience the sensation of touch

2.  expressive:
expressing or full of strong emotion

3.  having
strong emotions: easily or strongly affected by emotion
—feel·ing·ly, adverb[1]



feelout

feelout
feel
out
transitive verb

try to find things out:
to try to establish, often in an indirect way, the nature of a situation or
somebody’s attitude or opinion about something[1]



feelup

feelup
feel
up
transitive verb

touch somebody sexually:
to touch somebody sexually, especially without permission (informal)[1]



feelup to

feelup to
feel
up to
transitive verb

feel capable of something:
to consider yourself ready for something or able to do something[1]



feesimple

feesimple
fee
sim·ple
(plural fees sim·ple) noun

outright ownership:
a form of property ownership in which the owner has outright and unconditional
disposal rights • The
deed transferred ownership in fee simple.

See also
fee tail[1]



feesplitting

feesplitting
fee
split·ting
noun

sharing payment:
the practice in which part of a client’s fee is paid by one professional to
another for having referred the client[1]



feet

feet
feet


Plural
of
foot
drag
your feet (on something)

to delay doing something[1]



feetail

feetail
fee
tail
(plural fees tail) noun

limited
ownership:
a form of property ownership in which the property may be inherited only by a
particular line of heirs.
See
also
fee simple
[From tail][1]



Fehling’ssolution

Fehling’ssolution
Feh·ling’s
so·lu·tion 
[fáylingz sə lsh’n] noun

test
solution for detecting sugars: a solution of copper
sulfate, sodium potassium tartrate, and sodium hydroxide used to detect the
presence of aldehydes, including sugars
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German chemist Hermann von Fehling (1812–1885).][1]



feign

feign
feign 
[fayn] (past feigned, past
participle feigned, present participle feign·ing, 3rd
person present singular feigns) transitive verb

1.  pretend
something:
to make a show or pretense of something • She
feigned ignorance.

2.  invent
something:
to make up or fabricate something

3.  copy:
to imitate or copy somebody or something
[13th century. From French feign-,
the present stem of feindre “to pretend, shirk” (source of English faint ), from Latin fingere “to
fabricate, form” (source of English fiction,
figure, and figment ).][1]



feijoa

feijoa
fei·jo·a
[fay yṓ ə, fay hṓ
ə] (plural fei·jo·as) noun

1.  American
tree:
a South American tree related to myrtle and cultivated for its edible fruit.
Latin name: Acca sellowiana

2.  fruit
tasting like pineapple: an edible green fruit of the
feijoa tree that has a flavor similar to pineapple and is eaten raw or used in
cooking or making jellies and preserves
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the Brazilian naturalist J. da Silva Feijó
( 1760–1824 ).][1]



feijoada

feijoada
fei·jo·a·da 
[fày  d, fàyə
wdə] (plural fei·jo·a·das) noun

Brazilian
party dish:
a Brazilian party dish consisting of meat with rice, black beans, green
vegetables such as kale, sliced oranges, and a hot pepper sauce, all served on
platters
[Mid-20th century. From
Portuguese, formed from feijão, any of various edible beans, from Latin phaseolus
.][1]



Feininger,Lyonel Charles Adrian

Feininger,Lyonel Charles Adrian
Fei·ning·er
[fningər], Lyonel Charles Adrian
(1871–1956)

U.S. artist. His work showed
a strong cubist influence in its geometric style and translucent colors.[1]



feint

feint
feint 
[faynt] noun (plural feints)

1.  MILITARY mock
attack:
a mock attack by a military force, intended to draw the enemy’s attention away
from the true attack

2.  SPORTS deceptive
move:
a deceptive move in a competitive sport

3.  deceptive
action:
a deceptive action made to disguise what is really intended
intransitive
and transitive verb (past feint·ed,
past participle feint·ed, present participle feint·ing,
3rd person present singular feints)

make feint: to
carry out a feint
[Late 17th century. From
French feinte “sham, pretense,” from the past participle of feindre
(see feign ).][1]



feist

feist
feist 
[fīst] (plural feists) noun

small
dog:
a small dog (regional)
Also
called
fice
[Late 18th century. Variant
of fist, a shortening of fisting cur, from obsolete fisten
“to break wind” (see fizzle ).][1]



feisty

feisty
feist·y 
[fstee] (comparative feist·i·er,
superlative feist·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  spirited:
characterized by spirited, sometimes aggressive, behavior

2.  irritable:
likely to respond in an irritable or touchy way
[Late 19th century. From feist (from the temperament of a small aggressive
pet dog).][1]



Feke,Robert

Feke,Robert
Feke
[feek], Robert (1705?–1750?)

U.S. artist, noted for his
colorful portraits of prominent colonial families. His first and largest
portrait was Family of Isaac Royall ( 1741 ).[1]



felafel

felafel
fe·la·fel 
(plural fe·la·fels) noun

See
falafel[1]



feldspar

feldspar
feld·spar 
[féld spr] (plural feld·spars)
or fel·spar [fél spr] (plural
fel·spars) noun

common
silicate mineral: an extremely common aluminosilicate
mineral found in most igneous and metamorphic rocks and many sediments. It
contains varying proportions of calcium, sodium, potassium, and other minerals.
Feldspar minerals are subdivided into two groups, orthoclase feldspars and
plagioclase feldspars.
[Late
18th century. Alteration of German Feldspath, literally “field mineral.”
Spelling variation fels- comes from a mistaken association with German Fels
“rock.”]
—feld·spath·ic [feld spáthik], adjective[1]



feldspathoid

feldspathoid
feld·spath·oid
[féld spà thòyd] (plural feld·spath·oids)
noun

mineral
with less silica than feldspar: a rock-forming mineral
found in silica-deficient alkaline igneous rocks
[Literally “similar to
feldspar”][1]



felicific

felicific
fe·li·cif·ic 
[fli síffik] adjective

causing
happiness:
creating or intended to cause happiness (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
felicificus, from felix “happy” (see felicity
).][1]



felicitate

felicitate
fe·lic·i·tate 
[fə líssi tàyt] (past fe·lic·i·tat·ed,
past participle fe·lic·i·tat·ed, present participle fe·lic·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular fe·lic·i·tates) transitive verb

congratulate
somebody:
to congratulate somebody, or wish somebody happiness (formal)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin felicitare “to make happy,” from Latin felix
“happy” (see felicity ).]
—fe·lic·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



felicitation

felicitation
fe·lic·i·ta·tion 
[fə lìssi táysh’n] noun (plural
fe·lic·i·ta·tions)

act
of congratulating: an act of congratulating or
wishing somebody happiness (formal)
plural
noun
fe·lic·i·ta·tions

friendly greeting:
used as a greeting or to wish somebody happiness (formal)[1]



felicitous

felicitous
fe·lic·i·tous 
[fə líssitəss] adjective

1.  appropriate:
appropriate or highly suitable • a
felicitous choice of words

2.  pleasant:
pleasing or agreeable

3.  fortunate:
happy or fortunate
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from felicity .]
—fe·lic·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—fe·lic·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



felicity

felicity
fe·lic·i·ty 
[fə líssətee] (plural fe·lic·i·ties)
noun

1.  happiness:
happiness or contentment

2.  something
producing happiness: something that creates
happiness

3.  appropriateness:
an appropriate or pleasing manner

4.  something
appropriate: something appropriate or pleasing
[14th century. Via Old French
félicité from, ultimately, Latin felix “fruitful, happy.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to suck, suckle,” which is also
the ancestor of English female, fetus,
fellatio, and fecund .][1]



felid

felid
fe·lid 
[flid] (plural fe·lids or
fe·lid) noun

member
of cat family: an animal belonging to the cat family.
Lions, tigers, and domestic cats are felids . Family: Felidae (technical)
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Felidae, family name, from, ultimately, Latin feles
“cat.”][1]



feline

feline
fe·line 
[f ln] adjective

1.  of
cat family:
belonging to or typical of animals of the cat family, including lions, tigers,
and domestic cats

2.  resembling
cat:
similar to a cat, especially in graceful movement or stealthiness • feline
suppleness
noun
(plural fe·lines)

member of cat family:
an animal belonging to the cat family. Domestic cats, lions, and tigers are
felines . Family: Felidae
[Late
17th century. From Latin felinus, from feles “cat.”]
—fe·line·ly,
adverb

—fe·line·ness,
noun

—fe·lin·i·ty [fi línnətee], noun[1]



felinedistemper

felinedistemper
fe·line
dis·tem·per
noun

viral disease of cats:
an infectious viral disease of cats that causes vomiting and diarrhea and is
often fatal[1]



fell

fell1
fell1

Past
tense of
fall
[13th century. Via Old Norse fjall
“hill” from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
German Fels “rock.”][1]



fell

fell4
fell4 [fel]
(plural fells) noun

1.  animal
hide:
the hide of an animal

2.  thin
membrane:
the thin membrane between an animal’s hide and its flesh
[Old English. Ultimately from
an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English pelt and film
.][1]



fell

fell3
fell3 [fel]
adjective (archaic or literary)

1.  fierce:
having an extremely cruel or vicious character

2.  lethal:
capable of killing somebody or destroying something

3.  inauspicious:
having a bad or malign outcome
[13th century. From Old
French fel, a form of felon (see felon 1 ).][1]



fell

fell2
fell2 [fel]
transitive verb (past felled, past participle felled,
present participle fell·ing, 3rd person present singular fells)

1.  chop
tree down:
to cut down a tree

2.  knock
somebody down: to knock somebody down, or cause
somebody to fall

3.  SEWING sew
seam flat:
to sew a seam by turning an edge over and sewing it down on the inside
noun
(plural fells)

1.  FORESTRY number
of trees cut down: an amount of timber cut down
at one time or over one period

2.  SEWING sewn
seam:
a seam sewn by turning an edge over and sewing it down on the inside
[Old
English fel(l) “to cause to fall” from, ultimately, prehistoric
Germanic]
—fell·a·ble, adjective[1]



fella

fella
fel·la 
[féllə] (plural fel·las) noun

man
or boy:
a man or boy (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of fellow .][1]



fellah

fellah
fel·lah 
[féllə, fə l]
(plural fel·la·hin [féllə hn,
fə l hn] or fel·la·heen) noun

Arab
farmer or farm worker: a member of the laboring
class in an Arab country who lives off the land
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic fallah “tiller of the soil,” from falahah “to split, till
the soil.”][1]



fellate

fellate
fel·late 
[fə láyt] (past fel·lated, past
participle fel·lated, present participle fel·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular fel·lates) intransitive and transitive
verb

perform
oral sex for man: to perform oral sex for a man (formal)
[Late
19th century. From Latin fellare “to suck.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to suck,” which is also the ancestor of English fetus, female,
and felicity .]
—fel·la·tion,
noun

—fel·la·tor, noun[1]



fellatio

fellatio
fel·la·ti·o 
[fə láyshi ] noun

oral
sex performed for man: sexual stimulation of a
man’s genitals using the tongue and lips (formal)
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin fellat- the past participle stem of fellare
(see fellate ).][1]



feller

feller2
fel·ler2 [féllər]
(plural fel·lers) noun

male
person:
a man or boy (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Representing a nonstandard pronunciation of fellow
.][1]



feller

feller1
fell·er1 [féllər]
(plural fell·ers) noun

1.  FORESTRY tree
cutter:
somebody who cuts down trees

2.  SEWING somebody
who fells seams: a person who or a machine attachment
that fells seams

[1]



Feller,Bob

Feller,Bob
Fel·ler 
[féllər], Bob (1918– )

U.S.
baseball player. A pitcher noted for his fastball, he pitched three no-hitters
and struck out 2,581 batters in 18 seasons with the Cleveland Indians
(1936–1956).
Full name
Feller, Robert William Andrew[1]



Felliniesque

Felliniesque
Fel·li·ni·esque
[fə lnee ésk] adjective

resembling Fellini’s works:
blending reality and fantasy as Federico Fellini does in his movies[1]



Fellini,Federico

Fellini,Federico

Fel·li·ni
[fə lnee], Federico (1920–1993)
Italian movie director. He was known for
his use of fantasy and satire, and won Academy Awards for La Strada (
1954 ), Nights of Cabiria ( 1957 ), 8½ ( 1963 ), and Amarcord
( 1974 ).[1]



fellmonger

fellmonger
fell·mon·ger 
[fél mùngər, fél
mòngər] (plural fell·mon·gers) noun

U.K.
somebody
who prepares skins: somebody who prepares and
sells animal skins
—fell·mon·ger·ing, noun[1]



felloe

felloe
fel·loe 
(plural fel·loes) noun

See
felly[1]



fellow

fellow
fel·low 
[féllō] noun (plural fel·lows)

1.  man
or boy:
a man or boy

2.  boyfriend:
somebody’s boyfriend (dated informal)

3.  one
of pair:
either one of a pair of objects

4.  companion:
a companion or colleague (dated)

5.  equal:
somebody or something of the same rank or quality

6.  low-class
person:
somebody considered to be socially inferior, especially in belonging to the
working class or not having money (archaic)

7.  EDUC graduate
student:
a graduate student who is supported by a university department to teach or do
research • a
research fellow
adjective

being in same group:
belonging to the same group, occupation, rank, or location
[Old English feolaga
“partner,” from Old Norse félagi, from fé “money” and a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to lay down.” The underlying idea is
“somebody laying down money in a joint venture.”][1]



Fellow

Fellow
Fel·low
(plural Fel·lows) noun

member of learned society:
a member of a learned or scientific society • Fellow
of the American College of Surgeons[1]



fellowservant

fellowservant
fel·low
ser·vant
(plural fel·low ser·vants) noun

employee with limited
protection under law: an employee
whose employer is not legally responsible for harm or injury done to him or her
by another employee[1]



fellowship

fellowship
fel·low·ship 
[féllō shìp] (plural fel·low·ships)
noun

1.  communion:
a sharing of common interests, goals, experiences, or views

2.  society:
a group of people who share common interests, goals, experiences, or views

3.  companionship:
companionship or friendly association

4.  similarity:
membership in a group, or the sharing of characteristics with others

5.  EDUC membership
of university staff: membership of the governing
board of a university or college usually also involving teaching duties

6.  EDUC graduate
post:
a university post awarded to a graduate student who is supported by a
university department to teach or undertake research

7.  EDUC financial
endowment:
a financial endowment set up to support graduate students

[1]



fellowtraveler

fellowtraveler
fel·low
trav·el·er
(plural fel·low trav·el·ers) noun

1.  somebody
on same journey: somebody who is making the same journey
as another at the same time

2.  Communist
sympathizer: somebody who sympathizes with the cause
of an organized group, especially the Communist Party, without becoming a
member

[1]



felly

felly

fel·ly 
[féllee] (plural fel·lies) or
fel·loe [féllee] (plural fel·loes)
noun
wheel
rim:
an outer rim of a wooden wheel, or a segment of this, with a metal tire shrunk
around it
[Old English][1]



felo-de-se

felo-de-se
fe·lo-de-se
[fe ldə sáy] (plural fe·lo·nes-de-se
[fe lneez də sáy] or fe·los-de-se)
noun

1.  somebody
who kills self: somebody who commits suicide

2.  killing
self:
an act of committing suicide
[Early 17th century. From
Anglo-Latin, “crime against yourself.”][1]



felon

felon1
fel·on1 [féllən]
noun (plural fel·ons)

1.  criminal:
somebody who is guilty of a felony

2.  somebody
evil:
somebody whose behavior and actions are evil or depraved (archaic)
adjective

evil:
characterized by evil or depravity (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin fello “evildoer” (source of English fell 3 ), of
uncertain origin.][1]



felon

felon2
fel·on2 [féllən]
(plural fel·ons) noun

See
whitlow
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin fel “gall, bile.”][1]



felonious

felonious
fe·lo·ni·ous 
[fə lṓnee əss] adjective

1.  relating
to felony:
relating to felonies, or constituting a felony

2.  evil:
characterized by evil or depravity (archaic)
—fe·lo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—fe·lo·ni·ous·ness, noun[1]



felonry

felonry
fel·on·ry
[féllənree] (plural fel·on·ries)
noun

group of felons:
a group of felons, especially the criminals in a penal colony (dated)[1]



felony

felony
fel·o·ny 
[féllənee] (plural fel·o·nies)
noun

serious
crime:
a serious crime, for example, murder, that is punished more severely than a
misdemeanor
[13th century. From Old
French felonie .][1]



felsic

felsic
fel·sic 
[félsik] adjective

containing
light-colored silicate minerals: used to describe
igneous rocks or minerals that are light in color, indicating relatively high
levels of quartz and feldspars
[Early 20th century. Coined
from feldspar + silica
.][1]



felsite

felsite
fel·site 
[fél st] (plural fel·sites) noun

igneous
rock:
a light-colored igneous rock consisting chiefly of feldspar and quartz, that
can only be precisely classified by microscopic examination
[Late
18th century. Formed from felspar .]
—fel·sit·ic [fel síttik], adjective[1]



felspar

felspar
fel·spar 
(plural fel·spars) noun

See
feldspar[1]



felt

felt1
felt1

Past tense of
feel Past participle of feel[1]



felt

felt2
felt2 [felt]
noun (plural felts)

1.  wool
or animal-hair fabric: a fabric made from wool or
animal hair by compressing, heating, or treating the natural fibers with
chemicals

2.  synthetic
fabric:
a synthetic fabric made by the process of matting, especially a heavy paper
permeated with asphalt, used to seal roofs • roofing
felt
verb
(past felt·ed, past participle felt·ed, present
participle felt·ing, 3rd person present singular felts)

1.  transitive
verb
make
into felt:
to make something into felt

2.  transitive
verb
cover
with felt:
to cover something with felt • felting
the roof

3.  intransitive
verb
become
matted:
to become matted, or come to resemble felt
[Old
English. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to strike, beat,
pound,” which is also the ancestor of English anvil,
push, pelt 2, and polish .]
—felt·y, adjective[1]



felting

felting
felt·ing 
[félting] (plural felt·ings) noun

1.  felt
fabric:
felt, or any material made in a similar way

2.  making
of felt:
the process of making felt

[1]



feltpen

feltpen
felt
pen
(plural felt pens) noun

See
felt-tipped pen[1]



felttip

felttip
felt
tip
(plural felt tips) noun

1.  felt
pen point:
a pen point made from felt or a similar compressed fiber

2.  See
felt-tipped pen

[1]



felt-tippedpen

felt-tippedpen
felt-tipped
pen
(plural felt-tipped pens) noun

felt-pointed pen:
a pen with a point made from felt or a similar compressed fiber.
Also called
felt pen
Also called
felt tip[1]



felucca

felucca
fe·luc·ca 
[fə lkə, fə lúkə]
(plural fe·luc·cas) noun

small
sailing boat: a small sailing boat with curving
triangular sails ( lateen-rigged ), used in
the Mediterranean Sea and on the Nile River
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Mediterranean Arabic fluka .][1]



felwort

felwort
fel·wort 
[fél wùrt, fél
wàwrt] (plural fel·worts) noun

gentian:
a plant of the gentian family that is native to Europe and China and has purple
flowers. Latin name: Gentianella amarella
[Old English feldwyrt,
literally “field plant”][1]



fem.

fem.
fem.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of feminine

2.  BIOLOGY Abbreviation of female

[1]



female

female
fe·male 
[f màyl] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY of sex
capable of childbearing: relating to, belonging to,
or characteristic of the sex that produces eggs or young

2.  relating
to women:
relating to or belonging to women or girls

3.  BOTANY producing
seeds:
used to describe the part of a plant, for example, a carpel, that produces the
female sex cells

4.  BOTANY having
carpels:
used to describe flowers that have carpels but no stamens

5.  ENGINEERING made
with a recess: used to describe a component or part of
a component, for example, an electric socket, that has a recess designed to
receive a corresponding projecting part
noun
(plural fe·males)

1.  BIOLOGY female
person:
a female person or animal

2.  girl
or woman:
a girl or woman (offensive)

3.  BOTANY plant
with female flowers: a plant that has only female
flowers
[14th
century. Alteration (under the influence of male
) of Old French femelle from Latin femella, from femina
“woman” (see feminine ).]
—fe·male·ness, noun[1]



femalecircumcision

femalecircumcision
fe·male
cir·cum·ci·sion (plural fe·male
cir·cum·ci·sions) or fe·male gen·i·tal mu·ti·la·tion (plural
fe·male gen·i·tal mu·ti·la·tions) noun

cutting of clitoris:
the practice of circumcision of adolescent women in some cultures that
generally involves the surgical removal of the clitoris or the sewing up of the
vaginal opening[1]



femaleimpersonator

femaleimpersonator
fe·male
im·per·son·a·tor (plural fe·male
im·per·son·a·tors) noun

transvestite male theatrical
performer: a man, often appearing as a
solo theatrical performer, who dresses as and imitates a woman[1]



femalesuffrage

femalesuffrage
fe·male
suf·frage
noun

See
women’s suffrage[1]



feme

feme
feme 
[fem] (plural femes) noun

woman:
in law, a woman or wife
[Mid-16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin femina (see feminine
).][1]



femecovert

femecovert
feme
cov·ert 
(plural femes cov·ert) noun

married
woman:
in law, a married woman
[From Anglo-Norman, literally
“covered woman”][1]



femesole

femesole
feme
sole
(plural femes sole) noun

single
woman:
in law, a single woman, including women not married, widows, divorcées, and
married women living independently and separately from their husbands
[From Anglo-Norman][1]



Femidom

Femidom
Fem·i·dom
[fémmədəm] Trademark

a trademark for a
contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber that is inserted
into a vagina before insertion of a penis[1]



femineity

femineity
fem·i·ne·i·ty
[fèmmə n itee] noun

conventional
femininity:
the quality of looking and behaving in ways conventionally thought to be
appropriate for a woman
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin femineus “womanish,” from femina (see feminine ).][1]



feminine

feminine
fem·i·nine 
[fémmənin] adjective

1.  conventionally
characteristic of women: conventionally believed to
be appropriate for a woman or girl

2.  attributed
to women:
considered to be specific to women

3.  effeminate:
used to describe qualities, actions, or types of behavior in a man or boy that
are conventionally associated with women or girls

4.  GRAMMAR classified
grammatically as female in gender: used to describe or
relating to a class of words or forms in various languages that includes the
majority of words referring to females
noun
(plural fem·i·nines)

GRAMMAR feminine
word or form: a word or form that in a particular
language is classified grammatically as feminine
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin femininus, from femina
“woman,” literally “she who suckles.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to suck,” which is also the ancestor of English fetus, fecund,
and felicity .]
—fem·i·nine·ly,
adverb

—fem·i·nine·ness, noun[1]



femininecaesura

femininecaesura
fem·i·nine
cae·su·ra
noun

pause not following stressed
syllable: a pause in a line of scanned
verse that does not come immediately after a stressed syllable[1]



feminineending

feminineending
fem·i·nine
end·ing
(plural fem·i·nine end·ings) noun

1.  GRAMMAR grammatically
feminine last part of word: an inflectional morpheme
attached to the end of a word that marks it as belonging to the feminine gender

2.  POETRY unstressed
last syllable of line: an ending of a line of verse
that ends with an extra unstressed syllable

[1]



femininerhyme

femininerhyme
fem·i·nine
rhyme
(plural fem·i·nine rhymes) noun

unstressed rhyme:
a rhyme scheme in which the lines containing rhyming words end in unstressed
syllables[1]



femininity

femininity
fem·i·nin·i·ty 
[fèmmə nínnətee] (plural fem·i·nin·i·ties)
noun

1.  conventionally
feminine quality: the quality of looking and behaving in
ways conventionally thought to be appropriate for a woman or girl

2.  women:
women as a group (dated)

3.  conventional
idea about women: a manner or feature commonly attributed
to women

4.  effeminacy:
the qualities, actions, or types of behavior in a man or boy that are
conventionally associated with women or girls

[1]



feminism

feminism
fem·i·nism 
[fémmə nìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in women’s rights: belief in the need to
secure, or a commitment to securing, rights and opportunities for women equal
to those of men

2.  movement
for women’s rights: the movement committed to
securing and defending equal rights and opportunities for women equal to those
of men
[Mid-19th century. From
French féminisme .][1]



feminist

feminist
fem·i·nist 
[fémmənist] noun (plural fem·i·nists)

believer
in women’s rights: somebody who believes in the
need to secure rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men, or
somebody who works to secure these rights and opportunities
adjective

relating
to women’s rights: relating to, believing in,
or working for rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men
[Late 19th century. From
French féministe .][1]



feminize

feminize
fem·i·nize 
[fémmə nz] (past fem·i·nized,
past participle fem·i·nized, present participle fem·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular fem·i·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something suitable for women: to cause somebody or
something to acquire characteristics considered suitable for women

2.  make
somebody conventionally like woman: to
make somebody behave in ways conventionally associated with women (often
passive)

3.  MEDICINE make
male develop female sexual characteristics: to
cause a man to develop secondary female sexual characteristics as a result of a
hormone imbalance
—fem·i·ni·za·tion [fèmməni záysh’n], noun[1]



femme

femme
femme 
[fem] noun (plural femmes)

1.  woman:
a woman or girl (dated informal)

2.  person
behaving in conventionally feminine way: a
person who behaves in a conventionally feminine way (slang)
adjective

behaving in feminine way:
used to describe a person, originally usually a lesbian, who behaves in a
conventionally feminine way (slang)
[Early 19th century.
Originally borrowed from the French “woman,” by Lord Byron (1788–1824), for
inclusion in his Journals .][1]



femmefatale

femmefatale
femme
fa·tale 
[fém fə tàl, fém
fə tl, fám fə tàl] (plural femmes
fa·tales) noun

very
attractive, dangerous woman: a woman who is considered to
be highly attractive and to have a destructive effect on those who succumb to
her charms (disapproving)
[Borrowed from the French
(literally “deadly woman”), by George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), who used the
term in his letters][1]



femora

femora
fem·o·ra


Plural of
femur[1]



femoral

femoral
fem·o·ral 
[fémmərəl] adjective

of
thigh:
relating to, in, or involving the thigh or femur
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin femor-, the stem of femur “thigh.”][1]



femto-

femto-
femto-
prefix

one
millionth of a billionth: one quadrillionth, or
millionth of a billionth (10 –15 ) • femtometer.
Symbol f
[Formed from Danish or
Norwegian femten “fifteen”][1]



femur

femur

fe·mur 
[fmər] (plural fe·murs) noun

1.  ANATOMY main
bone in human thigh: the main bone in the human
thigh, the strongest bone in the body.
Also
called
thighbone

2.  ZOOLOGY large
bone in vertebrate leg: a bone equivalent to the
human thighbone in other vertebrates

3.  INSECTS insect
leg part:
the third and largest segment of an insect’s leg, between the trochanter and
the tibia
[Mid-16th century. Originally
an architectural term from Latin femor-, femur “thigh,” of unknown
origin. The anatomical sense was first used in the late 18th century.][1]



fen

fen
fen 
[fen] (plural fens) noun

inland
marsh:
low-lying, inland marshy area, now often drained and cultivated because of its
nutrient-rich soil.
See
also
Fens
[Old English fen(n),
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



fence

fence
fence 
[fens] noun (plural fenc·es)

1.  enclosing
structure:
a structure erected to enclose an area and act as a barrier, especially one
made of wood or with posts and wire

2.  HORSERACING SHOWJUMPING obstacle:
a specially constructed obstacle that horses must jump over in a race or as
part of a show jumping circuit

3.  CRIMINOLOGY buyer
of stolen goods: somebody who buys stolen goods from
thieves and then sells the goods (slang)

4.  FENCING fencing:
the art or practice of fencing (archaic)
verb
(past fenced, past participle fenced, present
participle fenc·ing, 3rd person present singular fenc·es)

1.  transitive
verb
enclose
area with fence: to enclose an area or close a gap by
erecting a fence

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRIMINOLOGY deal in stolen goods:
to buy or sell stolen goods (slang)

3.  intransitive
verb
FENCING fight
with sword:
to fight using a slender sword, formerly in combat, now as a competitive sport

4.  intransitive
verb
evade
questioning: to avoid answering a question • a
candidate fencing with the press

5.  intransitive
verb
argue:
to engage in repartee or witty argument with somebody
[14th
century. Originally a shortening of defense
.]
—fence·less,
adjective

—fenc·er,
noun
mend
fences

to
restore good relations with a friend or neighbor after a dispute or quarrel

sit
or be on the fence

to refuse to make a choice
between sides in a dispute or contest[1]



fencein

fencein
fence
in
transitive verb

1.  enclose
something with fence: to enclose somebody or
something inside a fence

2.  restrict
somebody:
to limit or restrain somebody’s freedom of movement or action

[1]



fenceoff

fenceoff
fence
off
transitive verb

separate area with fence:
to enclose or separate something with a fence[1]



fencerow

fencerow
fence·row 
[féns r] (plural fence·rows) noun

uncultivated land around
fence: the uncultivated strip of
land on which a fence stands, including a narrow area on each side of it[1]



fencesitter

fencesitter
fence
sit·ter
(plural fence sit·ters) noun

indecisive person:
somebody who will not or cannot make a choice between sides in a dispute or
contest[1]



fencing

fencing
fenc·ing 
[fénsing] noun

1.  sword
fighting:
the art or practice of fighting with slender swords, formerly in combat, now as
a competitive sport

2.  fence
materials:
materials used in making fences, for example, posts and wire

3.  fences:
fences considered collectively

4.  evasiveness:
evasiveness in responding to questioning

5.  repartee:
repartee or witty argument

6.  CRIMINOLOGY dealing
in stolen goods: the business of buying and selling
stolen goods (slang)

[1]



fend

fend
fend 
[fend] (past fend·ed, past
participle fend·ed, present participle fend·ing, 3rd
person present singular fends, plural fends) verb

1.  transitive
verb
protect
somebody or something: to defend somebody or
something from harm (archaic)

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. strive:
to strive or make an effort (regional)
[13th century. Shortening of defend .][1]



fender

fender
fend·er 
[féndər] (plural fend·ers) noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE corner
of car:
any of the corner parts of the body of a motor vehicle, that surround each
wheel.
U.K.
term
wing

2.  bicycle
wheel covering: a curved piece of metal or plastic fixed
above the front and back wheels of a bicycle to protect the cyclist from being
splashed with mud.
U.K.
term
mudguard

3.  RAIL metal
guard at front of locomotive: a metal guard built onto the
front of a locomotive to push away any obstruction and lessen injury to people
or animals struck by the locomotive

4.  fire
guard:
a metal guard built onto the front of an open fire to prevent coals from
falling out

5.  NAUTICAL protective
cushion:
an inflatable cylinder, rubber tire, or something similar, hung over the side
of the vessel to protect it from rubbing against a pier or another ship

[1]



fender-bender

fender-bender
fend·er-bend·er
(plural fend·er-bend·ers) noun

minor collision:
a collision between vehicles in which only minor damage occurs (informal)[1]



fenderpile

fenderpile
fend·er
pile
(plural fend·er piles) noun

protecting pile:
a pile driven into the bottom of a body of water near a berth to protect the
pier or wharf against damage by incoming vessels[1]



fendfor

fendfor
fend
for
transitive verb

provide for somebody:
to support or provide for somebody, especially yourself • He’s
used to fending for himself.[1]



fendoff

fendoff
fend
off
transitive verb

1.  repulse
somebody or something: to push somebody or
something away, or turn somebody or something aside

2.  NAUTICAL push
off from:
to push against an approaching vessel or object in order to prevent a collision

[1]



fenestella

fenestella
fen·es·tel·la
[fènnə stéllə] (plural fen·es·tel·lae
[fènnə sté l]) noun

1.  part
of altar:
a small opening for holding relics at the south side of an altar in a Roman
Catholic church

2.  niche
in chancel wall: a niche in the wall of a chancel that
houses the piscina and credence table

3.  ARCHITECTURE window:
a small window or similar opening in a wall
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, diminutive of fenestra “window.”][1]



fenestra

fenestra
fe·nes·tra 
[fə néstrə] (plural fe·nes·trae
[fə nés tr]) noun

1.  ANATOMY small
anatomical opening: a small anatomical opening
covered by a membrane, for example, either of two cavities fenestra rotunda;
fenestra ovalis, inside the ear

2.  ZOOLOGY transparent
marking:
a transparent marking on a moth’s wing

3.  ARCHITECTURE window:
a window or similar opening on the outer wall of a building
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “window.”]
—fe·nes·tral, adjective[1]



fenestrated

fenestrated
fen·es·trat·ed 
[fénnə stràytəd] or fen·es·trate
[fénnə stràyt, fə
nés tràyt] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE having
windows:
made with windows or similar openings

2.  BIOLOGY with
openings:
with openings or perforations

3.  ZOOLOGY with
transparent markings: used to describe a moth’s
wing that has transparent markings

[1]



fenestration

fenestration
fen·es·tra·tion 
[fènnə stráysh’n] noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE window
design:
the design and placing of windows in a building

2.  SURGERY ear
operation:
the surgical cutting of an opening in the labyrinth of the inner ear to restore
somebody’s hearing

[1]



fenfluridine

fenfluridine
fen·flur·i·dine
[fen flrə dn] noun

appetite
suppressant: an appetite-suppressant drug taken to
help to lose weight
[Fen- an alteration of phen-][1]



fengshui

fengshui
feng
shui
[fəng shwáy] noun

study
of environmental balance: the Chinese system that
studies people’s relationships to the environment in which they live,
especially their dwelling or workspace, in order to achieve maximum harmony
with the spiritual forces believed to influence all places
[Late 18th century. From Chinese,
literally “wind water.”][1]



Fenian

Fenian
Fe·ni·an 
[fnee ən] (plural Fe·ni·ans) noun

1.  POLITICS Irish
revolutionary: a member of an Irish revolutionary
republican organization founded in the United States in 1857 to fight for Irish
independence

2.  MYTHOLOGY legendary
Irish warrior: a member of the legendary Irish
warriors, the Fianna
[Early
19th century. From Old Irish féne, a name for the ancient population of
Ireland.]
—Fe·ni·an·ism, noun[1]



fenland

fenland
fen·land
[fén lànd, fénlənd]
(plural fen·lands) noun

marshland:
a wide inland area of low-lying marshy land, especially in East Anglia[1]



fennec

fennec
fen·nec 
[fénnik] (plural fen·necs) noun

African
fox:
a small large-eared fox that lives in the deserts of North Africa and has light
tan fur and big pointed ears. Latin name: Vulpes zerda Fennecus zerda
[Late 18th century. Via
Arabic fanak from Persian.][1]



fennel

fennel

fen·nel 
[fénn’l] noun

1.  aromatic
plant:
an aromatic plant of European origin, the seeds and feathery leaves of which
have a light aniseed flavor and are used in cooking. Genus: Foeniculum

2.  edible
plant:
a type of fennel that produces a bulb and clump of short edible stalks
resembling celery but with an aniseed flavor. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
Latin name: Foeniculum vulgare azoricum
Also
called
finocchio
Also
called
Florence fennel
[Old English finugle,
from Vulgar Latin fenuculum, diminutive of faenum “hay,” said to
be so called because of its appearance and sweet odor][1]



fentanyl

fentanyl
fen·ta·nyl 
[féntənil] (plural fen·ta·nyls)
noun

painkilling
drug:
a narcotic drug used medicinally as a painkiller
[An alteration of the drug’s
chemical name][1]



fenugreek

fenugreek
fen·u·greek 
[fénnyə grk, fénnə
grk] noun

1.  Eurasian
plant:
a Eurasian plant with white flowers and aromatic seeds. Latin name: Trigonella
foenum-graecum

2.  aromatic
seeds:
the aromatic seeds of the fenugreek plant, used medicinally and to flavor food
• add
a pinch of fenugreek
[Old English fenogrecum,
superseded in Middle English by forms via Old French fenugrec from Latin
faenugraecum, literally “Greek hay,” dried and used by the Romans for
fodder][1]



fenuron

fenuron
fen·u·ron 
[fénnyə ròn] noun

herbicide:
a compound used as a herbicide. C9H12N2O
[Formed from fen-, an
alteration of phen- + urea + -on][1]



feoff

feoff
feoff 
[feef] noun (plural feoffs)

See
fief  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past feoffed, past participle feoffed, present
participle feoff·ing, 3rd person present singular feoffs)

grant
somebody fief: to grant a fief to somebody
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman feoffer from Old French feu, fieu “fee,” from
late Latin feudum (see feud 2 ).][1]



feoffee

feoffee
feoff·ee 
[fe f, fi f]
(plural feoff·ees) noun

fief holder:
a vassal holding a fief granted by a feudal lord[1]



feoffment

feoffment
feoff·ment 
[féfmənt, ffmənt]
noun

granting of fief:
an act or the process of granting a fief to somebody[1]



FEP

FEP
FEP

Abbreviation of
front-end processor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FEPA

FEPA
FEPA

Abbreviation of
Fair Employment Practices Act[1]



-fer

-fer2
-fer2 suffix

one
that bears • conifer
[From Latin, from ferre
“to carry” (see fertile )][1]



feraenaturae

feraenaturae
fe·rae
na·tu·rae
[fèrrī nə tree, fèrree
nə tree, frī nə tree, free nə tree] adjective

wild:
living in the wild (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “of wild nature.”][1]



feral

feral
fe·ral 
[frəl, férrəl]
or fe·rine [fí rn, fé rn] adjective

1.  gone
wild:
used to describe animals that live or grow in the wild after having been
domestically reared or cultivated

2.  savage:
similar to or typical of a wild animal
[Early 17th century. From
Latin fera “wild animal.”][1]



fer-de-lance

fer-de-lance
fer-de-lance 
[fàirdə láns] (plural fer-de-lance
or fer-de-lanc·es) noun

tropical
American snake: a large, highly venomous tropical
American snake that belongs to the pit viper family. It is mottled brown and
gray. Latin name: Bothops atrox
[Late 19th century. From
French, “spear head.”][1]



FerdinandI

FerdinandI
Fer·di·nand
I
[fúrd’n ànd], King of Spain (1005?–1065)

He
was king of Castile (1035–1065) and León (1037–1065), and reconquered much of
Portugal from the Moors.
Known as
Ferdinand the Great[1]



FerdinandIII

FerdinandIII
Fer·di·nand
III
[fúrd’n ànd], King of Hungary (1608–1657)

King of Bohemia (1627–1657)
and Holy Roman Emperor (1637–1657), he commanded the imperial armies fighting
the Thirty Years’ War.[1]



fere

fere
fere 
[feer] (plural feres) noun
(archaic)

1.  friend:
a friend or companion

2.  spouse:
a husband or wife
[Old English gefēra,
literally “fellow traveller”][1]



feretory

feretory
fer·e·to·ry 
[férrə tàwree] (plural fer·e·to·ries)
noun

reliquary:
a container or an area in a church where relics are kept
[14th century. Literally
“(object or place) for the purpose of carrying.” Via Old French fiertre,
from, ultimately, Greek pheretron “bier,” from pherein “to carry”
(see -phore ).][1]



Fergana

Fergana
Fer·ga·na 
[fur gnə]

city in eastern Uzbekistan,
about 420 km/260 mi east of the capital, Tashkent. Population: 226,500 (1991) Also
known as Farghona Formerly Skobelev[1]



feria

feria
fe·ri·a 
[free ə, férree
ə] (plural fe·ri·as or fe·ri·ae) noun

weekday
that is not feast day: in the Roman Catholic
Church, any weekday on which there is no feast
[14th
century. From Latin, “holiday.”]
—fe·ri·al, adjective[1]



fermata

fermata
fer·ma·ta 
[fer mtə] (plural fer·ma·tas)
noun

1.  time
extension in music: an act of holding a note,
chord, or pause longer than the indicated time value

2.  See
pause  noun 4
[Late 19th century. From
Italian.][1]



Fermat,Pierre de

Fermat,Pierre de
Fer·mat
[fer m], Pierre de (1601–1665)

French mathematician. One of
the greatest 17th-century mathematical theorists, he was a pioneer in the
fields of probability theory, analytic geometry, and differential calculus.[1]



ferment

ferment
fer·ment 
intransitive and transitive verb [fər mént]
(past fer·ment·ed, past participle fer·ment·ed, present
participle fer·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular fer·ments)

1.  subject
to fermentation: to subject something to fermentation, or
be subjected to fermentation

2.  stir
up:
to stir up somebody or something, or be stirred up

3.  develop:
to cause, develop or evolve something, or be developed or evolved • Her
brain was continually fermenting new schemes.
noun
[fúr mènt] (plural fer·ments)

1.  commotion:
a state or situation of extreme agitation or commotion about something

2.  substance
causing fermentation: an agent, an enzyme or cell
that causes fermentation.
Also
called
fermenter
[14th
century. Via Old French fermenter, from, ultimately, Latin fermentum
“yeast.”]
—fer·ment·a·bil·i·ty
[fər mèntə bíllətee], noun

—fer·ment·a·ble [fər méntəb’l], adjective[1]



fermentation

fermentation
fer·men·ta·tion 
[fùrmən táysh’n, fùr
men táysh’n] noun

chemical conversion into
simpler substances: the
biochemical process in which a microorganism breaks down a substance into
simpler ones, especially the creation of alcohol by the action of yeast on
sugar. Many pharmaceuticals are produced by fermentation.
Also called
ferment[1]



fermentationlock

fermentationlock
fer·men·ta·tion
lock
(plural fer·men·ta·tion locks) noun

valve used in winemaking:
a valve used in winemaking to seal a container of fermenting wine, allowing gas
to escape but no air to enter[1]



fermentative

fermentative
fer·men·ta·tive 
[fər méntətiv] adjective

relating to fermentation:
relating to or causing fermentation[1]



fermenter

fermenter
fer·ment·er 
[fər méntər] (plural fer·ment·ers)
noun

1.  See
ferment  noun 2

2.  fer·ment·er
or fer·men·tor (plural fer·men·tors) fermentation
apparatus:
an apparatus that maintains the ideal conditions for fermentation, for example,
the growing of microorganisms

[1]



fermi

fermi
fer·mi 
[fúrmee, férmee]
(plural fer·mis) noun

very
short unit of length: a unit of length used mainly
for nuclear distances, equivalent to 10 –15 meter
[Early 20th century. Named
for Enrico Fermi .][1]



Fermi,Enrico

Fermi,Enrico

Fer·mi
[fúrmee], Enrico (1901–1954)
Italian-born U.S. physicist. He received
the 1938 Nobel Prize for his work on particle physics and nuclear fission. He
constructed the first atomic pile at the University of Chicago (1942).[1]



fermion

fermion
fer·mi·on 
[fúrmee òn, férmee
òn] (plural fer·mi·ons) noun

elementary
particle:
an elementary particle with a half-integral spin that obeys the Pauli exclusion
principle. Electrons, protons, and neutrons are types of fermion .
[From the name of Enrico Fermi + -on][1]



fermium

fermium

fer·mi·um 
[fúrmee əm, férmee
əm] noun
artificial
radioactive element: a radioactive element
produced artificially by the bombardment of plutonium with neutrons. Symbol
Fm
[From the name of Enrico Fermi + -ium][1]



fern

fern

fern 
[furn] (plural ferns or
fern) noun
plant
without flowers: a plant that has roots, stems, and
fronds, but no flowers, and reproduces by means of spores. Order: Filicales
[Old
English fearn from Indo-European]
—fern·y, adjective[1]



Fernandode Noronha

Fernandode Noronha
Fer·nan·do
de No·ro·nha [fər nàndō də
nə rṓnyə]

island group in the Atlantic
Ocean off the coast of Brazil, approximately 400 km/250 mi northeast of Cape
São Roque. Population: 1,266 (1980) Area: 26 sq km/10 sq mi.[1]



fernbar

fernbar
fern
bar
(plural fern bars) noun

bar with decorative ferns:
a bar or restaurant with ferns for decoration[1]



fernery

fernery
fern·er·y 
[fúrnəree] (plural fern·er·ies)
noun

1.  place
for growing ferns: a container or cultivated
area in which ferns are grown

2.  fern
collection:
a collection of growing ferns

[1]



fernseed

fernseed
fern
seed
(plural fern seeds) noun

spore of fern:
a tiny spore by which a fern reproduces. Because their smallness makes them
difficult to see, at one time it was believed that carrying fern seeds made
somebody invisible. “We have the receipt of fern seed, we walk invisible”
William Shakespeare Henry IV Pt I 1597[1]



ferocious

ferocious
fe·ro·cious 
[fə rṓshəss] adjective

1.  fierce:
very fierce or savage

2.  extreme:
very intense
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin ferox, literally “wild-looking.”]
—fe·ro·cious·ly,
adverb

—fe·ro·cious·ness,
noun

—fe·roc·i·ty [fə róssətee], noun[1]



-ferous

-ferous
-ferous
suffix

bearing,
containing, producing • diamondiferous
[Coined from -fer + -ous][1]



ferr-

ferr-
ferr-
prefix

See
ferro-[1]



Ferrari,Enzo

Ferrari,Enzo
Fer·ra·ri
[fə rree], Enzo (1898–1988)

Italian race car driver and
automobile manufacturer. He designed and produced racing cars that have
achieved success in Grand Prix competitions since the 1950s.[1]



Ferraro,Geraldine

Ferraro,Geraldine

Fer·ra·ro
[fə r r], Geraldine (1935– )
U.S.
politician. A lawyer and Democratic member of the U.S. Congress from New York
(1979–1985), she was the first woman vice-presidential candidate of a major
political party (1984).
Full name
Ferraro, Geraldine Anne[1]



ferredoxin

ferredoxin
fer·re·dox·in 
[fèrrə dóksin] (plural fer·re·dox·ins)
noun

iron-containing
protein:
an iron-containing protein that occurs in plants and certain bacteria and is
active in the process of photosynthesis
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin ferrum “iron” + redox + -in .][1]



ferreous

ferreous
fer·re·ous
[férree əss] adjective

of
iron:
relating to or containing iron
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin ferreus “of iron.”][1]



ferret

ferret1
fer·ret1 [férrət]
noun (plural fer·rets or fer·ret)

1.  domesticated
polecat:
a typically albino polecat bred for use in hunting rabbits or rats and kept as
a pet. Latin name: Mustela eversmanni

2.  See
black-footed ferret

3.  persistent
searcher:
somebody who searches persistently
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fer·ret·ed,
past participle fer·ret·ed, present participle fer·ret·ing,
3rd person present singular fer·rets)

hunt using ferret:
to hunt rabbits or rats using a ferret
[14th
century. Via Old French furet from assumed Vulgar Latin furittus,
literally “little thief,” from Latin fur “thief” (see furtive ).]
—fer·ret·er,
noun

—fer·ret·y, adjective[1]



ferret

ferret2
fer·ret2 [férrət]
(plural fer·rets) noun

silk
tape:
a narrow silk tape used for edging or binding fabric.
Also
called
ferreting
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Italian fioretti “floss silk” (the
original sense in English ), literally “little flowers,” from fiore
“flower” (see florin ).][1]



ferretabout

ferretabout
ferret
about
or fer·ret a·round intransitive verb

search around:
to search in an area persistently • ferreting
about in a drawer[1]



ferret-badger

ferret-badger
fer·ret-badg·er
noun

badger of S E Asia:
a small tree-climbing badger native to Southeast Asia. Genus: Melogale[1]



ferreting

ferreting1
fer·ret·ing1 [férrəting]
noun

hunting with ferrets:
the practice of hunting rabbits or rats with ferrets[1]



ferreting

ferreting2
fer·ret·ing2 [férrəting]
noun

See
ferret 2 noun[1]



ferretout

ferretout
ferret
out
transitive verb

1.  locate
something by persistent searching: to force somebody or
something out of a hiding place by persistent searching

2.  discover
something secret: to discover something hidden by
persistent searching

[1]



ferri-

ferri-
ferri-
prefix

1.  See
ferro-

2.  ferric
iron • ferricyanide
[From Latin ferrum
“iron”][1]



ferriage

ferriage
fer·ri·age 
[férree ij] (plural fer·ri·ages)
noun

1.  transportation
by ferry:
the action or business of transporting passengers or cargo by ferry

2.  ferry
fee:
the fee charged for carrying somebody or something by ferry

[1]



ferric

ferric
fer·ric 
[férrik] adjective

containing
iron:
containing iron, especially with a valence of three
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin ferrum “iron.”][1]



ferricammonium citrate

ferricammonium citrate
fer·ric
am·mo·ni·um cit·rate noun

anemia drug:
a nontoxic iron-containing salt of iron used in low doses to treat the
iron-deficiency condition anemia. Fe(NH4)3(C6H5O7)2[1]



ferricchloride

ferricchloride
fer·ric
chlo·ride
noun

iron-containing salt:
a dark-red iron-containing salt. It is used in medicine as an astringent and in
industry as a coagulating agent. FeCl3[1]



ferricoxide

ferricoxide
fer·ric
ox·ide 
noun

oxidized iron:
a reddish-brown solid containing iron and oxygen. It occurs in rust and the
mineral hematite and is used as a pigment, in jeweler’s rouge for polishing,
and on magnetic recording tape. Fe2O3[1]



ferricsulfate

ferricsulfate
fer·ric
sul·fate
noun

chemical formed from iron:
a pale yellow solid chemical containing iron, oxygen, and sulfur. It is used in
pigments, water purification, dyeing, and in medicine. Fe2(SO4)3[1]



ferricyanide

ferricyanide
fer·ri·cy·a·nide 
[fèrri s ə nd] noun

iron-containing pigment:
any salt containing iron and six cyanide groups. They are used to make
pigments.[1]



ferriferous

ferriferous
fer·rif·er·ous 
[fə ríffərəss] adjective

containing
iron:
used to describe a rock or mineral deposit that contains iron, often at a level
high enough to make extraction economically worthwhile
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin ferrum “iron” + -ferous .][1]



ferrimagnetism

ferrimagnetism
fer·ri·mag·ne·tism
[fèrri mágnə tìzzəm] noun

magnetism
of ferrites: a property of some substances, for
example, ferrites, in which two different types of iron having unequal magnetic
moments occur aligned in antiparallel, giving an appreciable bulk magnetization
—fer·ri·mag·net,
noun

—fer·ri·mag·net·ic,
adjective, noun

—fer·ri·mag·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Ferriswheel

Ferriswheel

Fer·ris
wheel
[férris wl, férris
hwl] (plural Fer·ris wheels) or fer·ris wheel
[férris wl, férris
hwl] (plural fer·ris wheels) noun
amusement
ride:
a fairground ride consisting of a giant revolving wheel with seats that hang
down from its rim and stay horizontal as the wheel rotates
[Late 19th century. Named for
the American engineer G. W. G. Ferris ( 1859–1896 ), its inventor.][1]



ferrite

ferrite
fer·rite 
[fé rt] (plural fer·rites) noun

1.  magnetic
iron oxide:
a mixed oxide of iron and another metal such as cobalt or nickel. They are
ceramic materials with magnetic properties and are used in the electronics
industry and in magnets.

2.  form
of iron occurring in steel: a form of iron occurring in
steel, cast iron, and pig iron

3.  iron
mineral:
iron oxide containing mineral, for example, magnetite, found as small grains in
various types of rock
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin ferrum “iron.”][1]



ferritin

ferritin
fer·ri·tin 
[férrət’n] noun

iron-containing
protein:
a spherical complex of iron and protein mainly found in the liver and spleen
that is one of the forms in which iron is stored in the body. When required,
iron is released and used in the production of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ferri- + -t- + -in
.][1]



ferro-

ferro-
ferro-
prefix

1.  iron
• ferroalloy

2.  CHEMISTRY ferrous iron • ferrocyanide
[From Latin ferrum
“iron”][1]



ferroalloy

ferroalloy
fer·ro·al·loy 
[fèrrō á lòy] (plural fer·ro·al·loys)
noun

iron alloy used in steel
production: an iron alloy, containing a
large proportion of one or more other elements, that is added to molten metal
during iron and steel production to give the required composition[1]



ferrocene

ferrocene
fer·ro·cene
[férrō sn] noun

orange-red
crystalline compound: an orange-red crystalline
solid in which an atom of iron is situated between two rings that are composed
of five carbon and five hydrogen atoms. Fe(C5H5)2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ferro- + cene, a contraction of
cyclopentadiene, a hydrocarbon obtained in the cracking of petroleum
hydrocarbons.][1]



ferroconcrete

ferroconcrete
fer·ro·con·crete 
[fèrrō kóng krt] noun

See
reinforced concrete[1]



ferrocyanide

ferrocyanide
fer·ro·cy·a·nide 
[fèrrō s ə nd] noun

chemical salt used in
pigments: any salt containing iron and
six cyanide groups. They are used to make blue pigments.[1]



ferroelectric

ferroelectric
fer·ro·e·lec·tric 
[fèrrō i léktrik] adjective

with
spontaneous electric polarization: used to describe a
crystalline compound that has a natural spontaneous electric polarization that
can be reversed by the application of an electric field
noun
(plural fer·ro·e·lec·trics)

ferroelectric
substance:
a substance that is ferroelectric
—fer·ro·elec·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—fer·ro·e·lec·tric·i·ty
[fèrrō i lek tríssətee], noun[1]



ferromagnesian

ferromagnesian
fer·ro·mag·ne·sian 
[fèrrō mag nzh’n] adjective

containing much iron and
magnesium: used to describe silicate
minerals that contain high levels of iron and magnesium, for example, olivines[1]



ferromagnetic

ferromagnetic
fer·ro·mag·net·ic 
[fèrrō mag néttik] adjective

displaying ferromagnetism:
with the property of ferromagnetism. Iron, cobalt, and nickel are ferromagnetic
metals.[1]



ferromagnetism

ferromagnetism
fer·ro·mag·ne·tism
[fèrrō mágnə tìzzəm] noun

strong
magnetization induced by weak field: a
property of some substances, including iron and some alloys, in which
application of a weak magnetic field within a certain temperature range induces
high magnetism. Small discrete regions within the substance ( domains ) align with the direction of an applied
magnetic field and produce the bulk magnetization.
—fer·ro·mag·net,
noun

—fer·ro·mag·net·ic,
adjective, noun

—fer·ro·mag·net·ic·al·ly,
adverb[1]



ferromanganese

ferromanganese
fer·ro·man·ga·nese 
[fèrrō mángə nz] noun

iron and manganese alloy:
an alloy of iron and manganese used to add manganese during the making of steel
and cast iron[1]



ferronneries

ferronneries
fer·ron·ner·ies
noun

ceramics
resembling wrought iron: a variety of ceramics that
copies forms from metalwork, for example, candlesticks (takes a singular
verb)
[Early 20th century. From
French, “iron work, wrought iron.”][1]



ferrosilicon

ferrosilicon
fer·ro·sil·i·con 
[fèrrō síllikən] noun

iron and silicon alloy:
an alloy of iron and silicon, used in the production of steel and cast iron[1]



ferrotype

ferrotype
fer·ro·type 
[férrō tp] (plural fer·ro·types)
noun

photograph on iron:
a positive photograph made on a plate of sensitized iron.
Also called
tintype[1]



ferrous

ferrous
fer·rous 
[férrəss] adjective

containing
iron:
containing iron with a valence of two
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin ferrum “iron.”][1]



ferrousoxide

ferrousoxide
fer·rous
ox·ide
noun

black solid:
a black solid containing iron and oxygen. It is used in the manufacture of
steel and enamels. FeO[1]



ferroussulfate

ferroussulfate
fer·rous
sul·fate
noun

pale green salt of iron:
a white or pale green salt containing iron, oxygen, and sulfur. It occurs
naturally as the mineral copperas, and is used in inks, tanning, and in the
treatment of iron-deficient anemia. FeSO4.7H2O
Also called
copperas
Also called
green vitriol[1]



ferroussulfide

ferroussulfide
fer·rous
sul·fide
noun

black compound of iron:
a black solid containing iron and sulfur. It occurs naturally in pyrites and
marcasite, and is used in making hydrogen sulfide. FeS[1]



ferruginous

ferruginous
fer·ru·gi·nous 
[fə rjənəss] adjective

1.  containing
iron:
containing or resembling iron

2.  rust-colored:
of a reddish-brown color, like rust
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin ferrugin, the stem of ferrugo “iron rust,” from ferrum
“iron.”][1]



ferruginousduck

ferruginousduck
fer·ru·gi·nous
duck
noun

European duck:
a common European diving duck with reddish-brown plumage that lives in fresh or
blackish water. Latin name: Aythya nyroca[1]



ferrule

ferrule
fer·rule 
[férrəl] or fer·ule [férrəl] noun (plural fer·rules)
(plural fer·ules)

1.  protective
cap on shaft: a usually metal cap or ring attached to
the end of something long and thin, for example, a walking stick, in order to
strengthen it

2.  cylindrical
joint:
a metal cylinder used to make a pipe joint

3.  ANGLING connection
for fishing rod pieces: a connection that joins the
pieces of a fishing rod, consisting of male and female couplings that fit
together
transitive
verb
(past fer·ruled, past participle fer·ruled, present
participle fer·rul·ing, 3rd person present singular fer·rules)
(past fer·uled, past participle fer·uled, present
participle fer·ul·ing, 3rd person present singular fer·ules)

fit with ferrule:
to provide something with a ferrule
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of earlier virolle (influenced by Latin ferrum
“iron”), from, ultimately, Latin viriae “bracelets.”][1]



ferry

ferry
fer·ry 
[férree] noun (plural fer·ries)

1.  boat
making regular short crossing: a boat used to
transport passengers, vehicles, or goods across water, especially one operating
regularly across a river or narrow channel.
Also
called
ferryboat

2.  commercial
transport service: a commercial service
transporting passengers, vehicles, or goods across water

3.  place
where ferry berths: a place where passengers,
vehicles, or goods are transported across water by ferry

4.  right
to operate ferry: a legal right to operate and charge for
a ferry service
verb
(past fer·ried, past participle fer·ried, present
participle fer·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular fer·ries)

1.  transitive
verb
transport
somebody or something by ferry: to transport somebody
or something across water by ferry

2.  intransitive
verb
go
by ferry:
to travel by ferry

3.  transitive
verb
transport
passengers:
to transport passengers or goods back and forth by any vehicle • He
had to ferry his children to school every morning.

4.  transitive
verb
AIR deliver
aircraft:
to deliver an aircraft by flying it to its operator
[14th century. From Old Norse
ferja, or from ferju-, the stem of ferjuskip and ferjukarl
“ferryman.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



ferryboat

ferryboat
fer·ry·boat 
[férri bt] noun

See
ferry  noun 1[1]



ferryman

ferryman
fer·ry·man
[férri màn, férreemən]
(plural fer·ry·men [férree mèn,
férreemən]) noun

ferry operator:
somebody who owns, operates, or works on a ferry[1]



fertile

fertile
fer·tile 
[fúrt’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY able
to produce offspring: capable of breeding or
reproducing

2.  BOTANY able
to produce fruits or seeds: able to produce sex cells,
seeds, spores, or fruit

3.  BIOLOGY able
to develop:
used to describe an egg or seed that has the capacity to grow and develop

4.  reproducing
often:
producing many offspring

5.  AGRICULTURE producing
good crops:
used to describe an area that produces many plants, fruit, or crops

6.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING rich
in plant nutrients: used to describe soil or
land that is rich in the nutrients needed to sustain the growth of healthy
plants

7.  creative:
readily able to produce new ideas • a
fertile imagination

8.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS capable
of becoming fissile: capable of being converted
into fissile or fissionable material, typically in a nuclear reactor
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fertilis, from ferre
“to bear.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to carry” which is
also the ancestor of English bear, bier, burden,
and -phore .]
—fer·tile·ly,
adverb

—fer·tile·ness,
noun

—fer·til·i·ty [fur tíllətee], noun[1]



FertileCrescent

FertileCrescent
Fer·tile
Cres·cent 
noun

fertile area in Middle East:
an area of fertile land in the Middle East reaching from Israel to the Persian
Gulf and incorporating the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq. The
ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Hebrew civilizations
arose here.[1]



fertility

fertility
fer·til·i·ty 
[fur tíllətee] noun

1.  being
fertile:
the quality or condition of being fertile

2.  birthrate:
the birthrate of a population
[15th century. Via French fertilité
from Latin fertilitas, from fertilis (see fertile ).][1]



fertilitycult

fertilitycult
fer·til·i·ty
cult
noun

religion meant to ensure
fertility: a form of religion using
ceremonies meant to ensure the fertility of the people and agriculture of a
community[1]



fertilitydrug

fertilitydrug
fer·til·i·ty
drug
noun

drug for treating
infertility: a synthetic chemical
that enhances female fertility by stimulating the release of ova from the
ovaries. Some fertility drugs are also used in in vitro fertilization programs.[1]



fertilization

fertilization
fer·til·i·za·tion 
[fùrt’lə záysh’n] noun

1.  BIOLOGY starting
reproduction: the act or process of enabling
reproduction by insemination or pollination

2.  BIOLOGY union
of male and female gametes: the union of male and female
reproductive cells ( gametes ) to produce a
fertilized reproductive cell ( zygote )

3.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING applying
fertilizer:
the act or process of applying fertilizer to soil

[1]



fertilize

fertilize
fer·ti·lize 
[fúrt’l z] (past fer·ti·lized,
past participle fer·ti·lized, present participle fer·ti·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular fer·ti·liz·es) transitive verb

1.  BIOLOGY unite
female and male reproductive cells: to
unite a female gamete with a male gamete, thus enabling the development of a
new individual to take place. Fertilization can take place inside the female’s
body, as in humans, or outside the body, as in fish.

2.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING apply
fertilizer:
to apply fertilizer to soil or plants
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from fertile .]
—fer·ti·liz·a·ble, adjective[1]



fertilizer

fertilizer
fer·til·iz·er 
[fúrt’l zər] (plural fer·til·iz·ers)
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING substance
aiding plant growth: a substance usually added to
or spread onto soil to increase its ability to support plant growth.
Fertilizers include organic materials, for example, manure, and synthetic
chemicals, for example, nitrates.

2.  BIOLOGY fertilizing
agent:
an agent that fertilizes plants or animals, for example, an insect fertilizing
a plant

[1]



ferula

ferula
fer·u·la 
[férrələ] (plural fer·u·las or
fer·u·lae [férrə l]) noun

PLANTS thick-stemmed
Mediterranean plant: a Mediterranean plant of the
parsley family with thick stems and finely divided leaves from which
strong-smelling resinous gums are extracted that can be used medicinally.
Genus: Ferula
[14th
century. From Latin, “fennel stalk, rod.”]
—fer·u·la·ceous [fèrrə láyshəss], adjective[1]



ferule

ferule2
fer·ule2  noun transitive
verb

See
ferrule[1]



ferule

ferule1
fer·ule1  [férrəl]
(plural fer·ules) noun

instrument
of punishment: a cane, rod, or flat piece of wood used
to punish children by striking them, usually on the hand
[15th century. From Latin ferula
“fennel stalk,” formerly used by schoolmasters to punish children.][1]



ferulicacid

ferulicacid
fe·rul·ic
ac·id 
[fə rlik ássid] noun

plant-derived
carboxylic acid: a compound similar to the aromatic
chemical vanillin that is obtained from some plants. Ferulic acid is a
component of asafoetida, a bitter resin derived from a plant of the parsley
family. C10H10O4
[Ferulic formed from ferula][1]



fervency

fervency
fer·ven·cy 
[fúrvənsee] noun

See
fervor[1]



fervent

fervent
fer·vent 
[fúrvənt] adjective

1.  showing
passionate enthusiasm: showing ardent or extremely
passionate enthusiasm

2.  glowingly
hot:
so hot as to glow (archaic or literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin fervere “to boil.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bubble” which is also the
ancestor of English barm .]
—fer·vent·ly,
adverb

—fer·vent·ness, noun[1]



fervid

fervid
fer·vid 
[fúrvid] adjective

See
fervent
[Late
16th century. From Latin fervidus, from fervere “to boil” (see fervent ).]
—fer·vid·ly,
adverb

—fer·vid·ness, noun[1]



fervor

fervor
fer·vor 
[fúrvər] noun
Also
called
fervency

1.  intensity:
extreme intensity of emotion or belief

2.  great
heat:
intense heat (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin fervor, from fervere “to boil” (see fervent ).][1]



fervour

fervour
fer·vour 
noun

U.K. =
fervor[1]



fescennine

fescennine
fes·cen·nine 
[féssə nn, féssə
neen] or Fes·cen·nine [féssə
nn, féssə neen] adjective

indecent,
especially using coarse or vulgar language (archaic or literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin Fescenninus, “of Fescennia,” a town in ancient Etruria known for
its scurrilous verse.][1]



fescue

fescue
fes·cue 
[féskyoo] (plural fes·cues) noun

1.  BOTANY pasture
grass:
a perennial grass that has narrow spiky leaves and is often grown for lawns or
pasture. Several varieties have been developed that can be grown on soils
contaminated with heavy metals. Genus: Festuca

2.  EDUCATION pointer:
a pointer, for example, a stick or piece of straw, used to point out letters
for children learning to read
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier festu, from Old French, “straw,” from Latin festuca .][1]



fess

fess
fess
[fess] (plural fess·es) or
fesse [fess] (plural fess·es)
noun

wide
band on heraldic shield: a broad horizontal band
crossing the middle section of a heraldic shield
[15th century. Via Old French
fesse from, ultimately, Latin fascia “band, sash.”][1]



fesspoint

fesspoint
fess
point
noun

center of heraldic shield:
the central point of a heraldic shield[1]



fessup

fessup
fess
up
(past fessed up, past participle fessed up, present
participle fes·s·ing up, 3rd person present singular fesses
up) intransitive verb

confess:
to admit to something (informal) • Come
on, fess up, was it you?
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of confess .][1]



fest

fest
fest 
[fest] (plural fests) noun

social
gathering:
a gathering of people for a specific activity, or an event where a lot of a
particular activity goes on (informal; usually used in combination) • a
music fest
[Mid-19th century. Via German
Fest from Latin festum “feast.”][1]



-fest

-fest
-fest
suffix

something with plenty of
something: used in compounds such as
“gore-fest” and “horror-fest” by fans to denote movies filled with horrific
gory detail • “Night
of the Living Dead” is a real gore-fest.[1]



festal

festal
fes·tal 
[fést’l] adjective

festive:
festive (dated or literary)
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin festum “festival.”]
—fes·tal·ly, adverb[1]



fester

fester
fes·ter 
[féstər] verb (past fes·tered,
past participle fes·tered, present participle fes·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular fes·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
pus:
to produce pus because of an infection or ulceration, usually of the skin

2.  intransitive
verb
become
rotten:
to decay or rot

3.  intransitive
verb
deteriorate:
to be in or enter a state of decline

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb rankle:
to become, or make somebody become, increasingly bitter, irritated, or
resentful
noun
(plural fes·ters)

MEDICINE sore
discharging pus: a small sore or ulcer containing or
discharging pus
[14th century. Via Old French
festre “pipe-like ulcer,” from Latin fistula .][1]



festination

festination
fes·ti·na·tion
[fèstə náysh’n] noun

involuntary
tottering walk: a style of tottering walk that is
characteristic of people with Parkinson’s disease
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin festinare “to hurry.”][1]



festival

festival
fes·ti·val 
[féstəv’l] noun (plural fes·ti·vals)

1.  time
of celebration: a day or period of celebration, often
one of religious significance

2.  program
of cultural events: a program or series of
performances or other cultural events, usually held at regular intervals, often
in one place
adjective

appropriate to festival:
typical of or appropriate to a festival
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin festivus “festive,” from festum “feast.”][1]



festivalgoer

festivalgoer
fes·ti·val·go·er 
[féstəv’l g ər] (plural fes·ti·val·go·ers)
noun

somebody attending festival:
somebody who attends a festival[1]



festive

festive
fes·tive 
[féstiv] adjective

1.  relating
to celebration: relating to, suitable for, or typical of
a feast, festival, or holiday

2.  cheerful:
marked by cheerfulness and joy
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin festivus “festive,” from festum “feast.”]
—fes·tive·ly,
adverb

—fes·tive·ness, noun[1]



festivity

festivity
fes·tiv·i·ty 
[fe stívvətee] noun (plural fes·tiv·i·ties)

1.  celebration:
a celebration, feast, or party

2.  enjoyment:
the enjoyment or merrymaking typical of a celebration
plural
noun
fes·tiv·i·ties

celebrations:
celebrations or merrymaking
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin festivitas, from, ultimately, festum
“feast.”][1]



festoon

festoon
fes·toon 
[fe stn] noun (plural fes·toons)

1.  garland:
an ornamental chain of flowers, leaves, or ribbons hanging in a loop or curve
between two points

2.  artistic
representation of festoon: a carved or painted
representation of a festoon, for example, on a building, in a painting, or in
pottery
transitive
verb
(past fes·tooned, past participle fes·tooned, present
participle fes·toon·ing, 3rd person present singular fes·toons)

1.  hang
festoons on something: to decorate something with
festoons

2.  join
with festoons: to join things together with festoons

3.  shape
something into festoons: to make something into
festoons
[Mid-17th century. Via French
feston from Italian festone, originally “ornament for
festivities,” from assumed vulgate Latin festa “festivities” which was
formed from Latin festum (see festive
).][1]



festoonblind

festoonblind
fes·toon
blind
noun

type of window blind:
a blind for a window, made of cloth gathered into rows that can be drawn up to
hang in curves[1]



festooned

festooned
fes·tooned
[fe stnd] adjective

decorated:
covered with festoons or other things used as decorations • The
whole room was festooned with roses.[1]



festschrift

festschrift
fest·schrift 
[fést shrìft] (plural fest·schrifts)
or Fest·schrift [fést shrìft]
(plural Fest·schrifts or Fest·schrif·ten [fést shrìftən]) noun

book
in somebody’s honor: a volume of writings by
various people collected in honor of somebody, for example, a writer or scholar
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “celebration-writing.”][1]



FET

FET
FET

1.  FET,
F.E.T.
Abbreviation of federal excise tax

2.  Abbreviation
of
field-effect transistor

[1]



feta

feta
fet·a 
[féttə] noun

crumbly
cheese:
a firm crumbly salty cheese, originally from Greece, made from sheep’s or
goat’s milk and preserved in brine. It is now produced in other countries,
though still most often used as an ingredient in Greek dishes.
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek pheta .][1]



fetal

fetal
fe·tal
[ft’l] or foe·tal [ft’l] adjective

relating
to fetus:
relating to or characteristic of a fetus
[Early 19th century. Formed
from fetus .][1]



fetalalcohol syndrome

fetalalcohol syndrome
fe·tal
al·co·hol syn·drome noun

developmental problems caused
by alcohol: a condition affecting babies
born to women who drank excessive amounts of alcohol during pregnancy,
characterized by a range of effects including facial abnormalities and learning
difficulties[1]



fetalhemoglobin

fetalhemoglobin
fe·tal
he·mo·glo·bin noun

common hemoglobin in newborn:
a type of hemoglobin that is most common in the fetus and newborn, normally
present only in small amounts in adults except in certain forms of anemia[1]



fetalposition

fetalposition
fe·tal
po·si·tion
noun

curled up position of body:
a body position in which the body lies curled up on one side with the head
bowed and the legs and arms drawn in toward the chest. As well as being a
comfortable position for relaxation, the fetal position is often assumed by
people during intense emotional trauma.[1]



fetch

fetch2
fetch2 [fech]
(plural fetch·es) noun

apparition
of living person: a vision, apparition, or ghost appearing
as the doppelgänger of a living person
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from the verb, as somebody sent to fetch souls.][1]



fetch

fetch1
fetch1 [fech]
verb (past fetched, past participle fetched,
present participle fetch·ing, 3rd person present singular fetch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
go
and get something: to go after and bring back
somebody or something • She
went upstairs to fetch her car keys.

2.  transitive
verb
cause
to come:
to make somebody or something appear or come

3.  transitive
verb
sell
for:
to sell for a certain price • The
painting fetched $600 at an auction.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb retrieve
something:
to retrieve animals that have been shot or something that has been thrown, for
example, a stick or ball • The
boy threw the ball and told the dog to fetch it.

5.  transitive
verb
utter:
to utter a sigh or groan with a deep breath

6.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody a blow: to hit somebody with a blow (informal)
• fetched
the bully a slap on the face

7.  transitive
verb
draw
in breath:
to draw in a breath

8.  transitive
verb
please:
to attract or charm somebody (often passive) • fetched
by the notion of going to New York

9.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL arrive
somewhere by boat: to reach or arrive at a
place by sailing • fetched port at
nightfall
noun
(plural fetch·es)

1.  act
of fetching: the act or an instance of fetching
something or somebody

2.  stratagem:
a dodge, trick, or stratagem • They
used cunning fetches to swindle money out of the gullible.

3.  METEOROLOGY distance
wind travels unobstructed: the distance wind or waves
can travel without obstruction
[Old
English feccean]
—fetch·er,
noun
fetch
and carry (for somebody)

to do menial tasks for
somebody[1]



fetching

fetching
fetch·ing 
[féching] adjective

1.  good
looking:
pleasant, stylish, or becoming in appearance

2.  charming:
having a charming or captivating quality
—fetch·ing·ly, adverb[1]



fetchup

fetchup
fetch
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
arrive:
to arrive or come to a halt somewhere (informal) • After
a week on the road, we fetched up at a small coastal town.

2.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL halt
suddenly:
to come to a sudden halt • The
boat fetched up on a sandbar.

3.  transitive
verb
cause
to stop:
to make somebody or something come to a stop • His
abrupt tone fetched me up short.

4.  transitive
verb
raise
somebody:
to raise children or animals (dated) (regional)

[1]



fete

fete
fete 
[fayt] or fête [fayt] noun

1.  holiday:
a holiday or day of celebration

2.  religious
festival:
a religious festival such as a saint’s day
transitive
verb
(past fet·ed, past participle fet·ed, present
participle fet·ing, 3rd person present singular fetes)
(past participle fêt·ed, present participle fêt·ed,
3rd person present singular fêt·ing)

honor somebody with fete:
to entertain or honor somebody with a fete, feast, or other lavish
entertainment (usually passive)
[Mid-18th century. French
from, ultimately, Latin festum .][1]



fetich

fetich
fet·ich 
noun

See
fetish[1]



feticide

feticide
fe·ti·cide 
[ftə sd] (plural fe·ti·cides)
or foe·ti·cide [ftə sd] (plural
foe·ti·cides) noun

1.  destruction
of fetus:
the act of destroying a fetus

2.  agent
for destroying fetus: an agent or drug used to
destroy a fetus
—fe·ti·cid·al [ftə sd’l], adjective[1]



fetid

fetid
fet·id 
[féttid] or foe·tid [féttid] adjective

nauseating:
with a rotten or offensive smell • fetid
odor of rotten meat
[15th
century. From Latin fetidus, from fetere “to stink.”]
—fet·id·ly,
adverb

—fet·id·ness, noun[1]



fetiparous

fetiparous
fe·ti·pa·rous
[fi típpərəss] or foe·ti·pa·rous
[fi típpərəss] adjective

with
incompletely developed young: used to describe animals
that give birth to incompletely developed young. Kangaroos and other marsupials
are fetiparous.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from fetus + -parous
.][1]



fetish

fetish
fet·ish 
[féttish] (plural fet·ish·es) or
fet·ich [féttish] (plural fet·ich·es)
noun

1.  magical
object:
something, especially an inanimate object, that some people revere or worship
because they believe it has magical powers or is animated by a spirit

2.  object
of obsession: an object, idea, or activity that
somebody is irrationally obsessed with or attached to • make
a fetish of neatness

3.  PSYCHIATRY object
arousing sexual desire: something, for example, an
inanimate object or nonsexual part of the body that arouses sexual excitement
in some people
[Early 17th century. Via
French fétiche “charm, sorcery” from, ultimately, Latin factitius
“made by art, artificial” (see factitious
).][1]



fetishism

fetishism
fet·ish·ism 
[fétti shìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in fetish:
belief in, use of, or worship of a magical fetish

2.  obsession
with something: excessive or obsessive attachment or
devotion to something

3.  PSYCHIATRY sexual
arousal with fetish: the use of a fetish to
produce sexual arousal

[1]



fetishist

fetishist
fet·ish·ist
[féttishist] (plural fet·ish·ists)
noun

sexual
fetish user: somebody who uses a fetish for sexual
arousal
—fet·ish·is·tic
[fètti shístik], adjective

—fet·ish·is·ti·cal·ly
[fètti shístikəlee], adverb[1]



fetishize

fetishize
fet·ish·ize 
[fétti shz] (past fet·ish·ized,
past participle fet·ish·ized, present participle fet·ish·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fet·ish·iz·es) transitive verb

treat something as fetish:
to make a fetish of something[1]



fetlock

fetlock
fet·lock
[fét lòk] (plural fet·locks) noun

1.  projection
on horse’s leg: a part of the lower leg of a horse or
related animal situated above and behind the hoof and projecting down from the
associated joint

2.  hair
on fetlock:
the tuft of hair growing on a fetlock

3.  fet·lock
or fet·lock joint (plural fet·lock joints) leg
joint:
the joint at the fetlock
[14th century. Believed to be
from an earlier form of foot + lock “hair.”][1]



fetology

fetology
fe·tol·o·gy 
[fee tólləjee] or foe·tol·o·gy
[fee tólləjee] noun

study
of fetus:
a branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of the fetus
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from fetus + -logy .]
—fe·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



fetology

fetology
fe·tol·o·gy 
[fee tólləjee] or foe·tol·o·gy
[fee tólləjee] noun

study
of fetus:
a branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of the fetus
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from fetus + -LOGY .]
—fe·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



fetor

fetor
fe·tor 
[ftər] (plural fe·tors) or
foe·tor [ftər] (plural foe·tors)
noun

nauseating
smell:
a strong offensive smell
[15th century. From Latin,
from fetere “to stink” (source of English fetid
).][1]



fetoscope

fetoscope
fe·to·scope 
[ftə skp] (plural fe·to·scopes)
or foe·to·scope [ftə skp] (plural
foe·to·scopes) noun

device
for examining fetus: a fiber optic device that is
passed through a woman’s abdomen to view a fetus in the uterus, and sometimes
also to remove material for examination
—fe·tos·co·py [fee tóskəpee], noun[1]



fetter

fetter
fet·ter 
[féttər] noun (plural fet·ters)
(often used in the plural)

1.  shackle
for ankles:
a chain or shackle fastened to somebody’s ankles or feet

2.  restraint:
a means of confinement or restraint • These
harsh rules keep us in fetters.
transitive
verb
(past fet·tered, past participle fet·tered, present
participle fet·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular fet·ters)

1.  put
fetters on somebody: to shackle somebody with
fetters

2.  restrain
somebody or something: to confine, restrict, or
restrain somebody or something • fettered
by her own inhibitions
[Old English feter .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



fettle

fettle
fet·tle 
[fétt’l] noun

METALLURGY See fettling
transitive
verb
(past fet·tled, past participle fet·tled, present
participle fet·tling, 3rd person present singular fet·tles)

1.  MANUFACTURING trim
casting:
to remove molding or excess material from a ceramic or metal casting

2.  METALLURGY line
or repair furnace: to line the hearth of a
furnace with fettling, or repair the lining of a furnace
[Old
English fetel “girdle, strap”]
—fet·tler,
noun
in
fine or good fettle

in good health, condition, or
spirits[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fettling

fettling
fet·tling 
[fétt’ling] noun

lining for furnace hearth:
loose refractory material, typically sand or ore, used to line the hearths of
some types of furnace before adding the molten metal.
Also called
fettle[1]



fettuccine

fettuccine
fet·tuc·ci·ne 
[fèttə chnee] or fet·tuc·ci·ni
[fèttə chnee] noun

1.  narrow
flat pasta:
a type of pasta made in narrow flat strips, slightly narrower and thicker than
tagliatelle (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  dish
made with fettuccine: a pasta dish made with
fettuccine
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “little ribbons.”][1]



fettuccineAlfredo

fettuccineAlfredo
fet·tuc·ci·ne
Al·fre·do 
[fetə chnee al frédō] noun

fettuccine
in cream sauce: a pasta dish made with fettuccine tossed
in a cream sauce with Parmesan cheese and black pepper
[Named for Alfredo
all’Augusteo, a restaurant in Rome][1]



fetus

fetus

fe·tus 
[ftəss] (plural fe·tus·es) or
foe·tus [ftəss] (plural foe·tus·es)
noun
unborn
offspring:
an unborn vertebrate at a stage when all the structural features of the adult
are recognizable, especially an unborn human offspring after eight weeks of
development
[14th century. From Latin,
“offspring” (source of English fawn
“young deer”).][1]



feud

feud2
feud2 [fyood]
(plural feuds) noun

See
fief  noun 1
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin feudum, “land or other property used as a reward for
service.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting “wealth” or “cattle,”
which is also the ancestor of English fee,
pecuniary, and peculiar .][1]



feud.

feud.
feud.

1.  Abbreviation
of
feudal

2.  Abbreviation
of
feudalism

[1]



feud

feud1
feud1 [fyood]
noun (plural feuds)

1.  long
violent dispute: a bitter prolonged violent quarrel or
state of hostility between families, clans, or other groups

2.  continuous
hostility:
any prolonged dispute or quarrel
intransitive
verb
(past feud·ed, past participle feud·ed, present
participle feud·ing, 3rd person present singular feuds)

participate in feud:
to take part in or perpetuate a feud
[13th century. From Old
French fe(i)de “vendetta” (originally, “hostility”). Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English foe .][1]



feudal

feudal
feu·dal 
[fyd’l] adjective

1.  relating
to feudalism: relating to, typical of, or resembling
feudalism

2.  relating
to fief:
relating to a fief
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin feudalis, from feudum (see feud 2 ).]
—feu·dal·ly, adverb[1]



feudalism

feudalism
feu·dal·ism 
[fyd’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  medieval
social system: the legal and social system that existed
in medieval Europe, in which vassals held land from lords in exchange for
military service

2.  system
like feudalism: a system of economic, political, or
social organization resembling European feudalism, for example, in medieval
Japan
—feu·dal·ist,
noun

—feu·dal·is·tic [fyd’l ístik], adjective[1]



feudality

feudality
feu·dal·i·ty 
[fyoo dállətee] (plural feu·dal·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
feudal:
the quality or condition of being feudal

2.  feudal
regime:
a feudal holding or system

[1]



feudalize

feudalize
feu·dal·ize 
[fyd’l z] (past feu·dal·ized,
past participle feu·dal·ized, present participle feu·dal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular feu·dal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
feudal:
to make something feudal in nature
—feu·dal·i·za·tion [fyd’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



feudatory

feudatory
feu·da·to·ry 
[fydə tàwree] noun (plural feu·da·to·ries)

tenant of feudal land:
somebody holding land by feudal tenure
adjective

1.  involving
feudal relationship: relating to or typical of
the relationship between a feudal lord and vassal

2.  subject
to overlordship: owing feudal allegiance to an overlord
or another state
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin feudatorius, from the past participle of feudare
“to invest with feudal property.”][1]



feuilleton

feuilleton
feuil·le·ton 
[fú i tàwn, föy
tN] (plural feuil·le·tons) noun

1.  part
of European newspaper: a section of a European
newspaper containing reviews, serial fiction, and articles of general interest

2.  something
in feuilleton: an article, review, or other piece
published in a feuilleton
[Mid-19th century. Via French
feuillet, literally “little leaf” from, ultimately, Latin folium
(see folio ).][1]



fever

fever
fe·ver 
[fvər] noun (plural fe·vers)

1.  abnormally
high body temperature: a body temperature that is
abnormally high, usually caused by bacterial or viral infections and commonly
accompanied by shivering, headache, and an increased pulse rate. Technical
name pyrexia

2.  disease
with fever:
a disease in which people typically have an abnormally high body temperature,
for example, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and scarlet fever

3.  craze:
an intense and often brief enthusiasm or craze

4.  state
of excitement: a state of intense agitation,
excitement, or emotion (often used in combination)
verb
(past fe·vered, past participle fe·vered, present
participle fe·ver·ing, 3rd person present singular fe·vers)

1.  transitive
verb
affect
with fever:
to affect somebody or something with fever (archaic) (usually passive)

2.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE have
a fever:
to get or show the symptoms of a fever • She
fevered intermittently throughout the night.

3.  transitive
verb
agitate
somebody:
to throw somebody into a state of agitation or excitement
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
febris .][1]



feverblister

feverblister
fe·ver
blis·ter
noun

See
cold sore[1]



fevered

fevered
fe·vered
[fvərd] adjective

1.  affected
by fever:
affected by fever

2.  excited:
showing great activity, agitation, or excitement

[1]



feverfew

feverfew
fe·ver·few 
[fvər fy] (plural fe·ver·fews)
noun

flowering
European plant: a perennial European plant with small
white flowers, whose leaves are a popular remedy for headaches and migraine.
Latin name: Tanacetum parthenium
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
febris “fever” + -fuge .][1]



feverish

feverish
fe·ver·ish 
[fvərish] adjective

1.  having
fever:
affected by or having the symptoms of a fever

2.  relating
to fever:
relating to, causing, or caused by fever • a
feverish cold

3.  agitated:
showing agitation, excitement, or restlessness
—fe·ver·ish·ly,
adverb

—fe·ver·ish·ness, noun[1]



feverous

feverous
fe·ver·ous
[fvərəss] adjective

feverish:
feverish (archaic)
—fe·ver·ous·ly, adverb[1]



feverpitch

feverpitch
fe·ver
pitch
noun

highly agitated state:
a state of intense activity, agitation, or excitement • His
grand slam brought the crowd to a fever pitch.[1]



fevertree

fevertree
fe·ver
tree
noun

tree used in fever treatment:
a tree whose leaves or bark have been used to treat fevers, especially a tree
of the southeastern United States that was used to treat malaria. Latin name: Pinckneya
pubens[1]



feverwort

feverwort
fe·ver·wort 
[fvər wùrt, fvər
wàwrt] (plural fe·ver·worts) noun

medicinal plant:
any plant used medicinally, especially horse gentian and boneset[1]



few

few
few 
[fyoo] (comparative fewer, superlative
fewest) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that there are not many or hardly any
people or things • (adjective) There were
few books on the shelves. • (adjective)
spending her few free hours relaxing in front of the television
• (pronoun)
Many people have entered the contest, but few will win prizes.
• (pronoun)
Few of the gardens had been cared for.

1.
plural noun pronoun limited number:
a limited or exclusive number, for example, an elite or minority of people • (noun)
the fortunate few who managed to escape sickness this winter
• (noun)
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
• (pronoun)
Few would have thought it.

2.
adjective pronoun, a few some,
though not many: not very many people or things, but more
than two, and sometimes more than might be expected • (adjective)
We had a few meetings before signing the contract. • (pronoun)
Only a few ever achieve real artistic success. • (pronoun)
A few of the kids wanted to watch a video.
[Old
English fēawa . Ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting
smallness, which is also the ancestor of Latin paucus “little” (source
of English poor ).]
—few·ness,
noun
few
and far between

scarce
or infrequent (informal)

quite
a few

a fairly large number (informal)[1]



fey

fey
fey 
[fay] adjective

1.  apparently
irrational:
behaving or talking in very unusual, uninhibited ways that suggest possible
psychiatric disorder • Everyone
was convinced he was fey because he rehearsed his lines in the park

2.  supernatural:
relating to or typical of the supposedly magical or the supernatural

3.  clairvoyant:
supposedly able to see into the future

4.  Scotland
doomed
to die:
doomed or destined to die, especially as indicated by peculiar, usually elated,
behavior
[Old
English fge “fated to die,” of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—fey·ly,
adverb

—fey·ness, noun[1]



Feynmandiagram

Feynmandiagram
Feyn·man
di·a·gram
(plural Feyn·man di·a·grams) noun

diagram
of elementary particle interaction: a
diagrammatic representation of interactions between elementary particles
[Named for Richard Feynman][1]



Feynman,Richard

Feynman,Richard

Feyn·man
[fnmən], Richard (1918–1988)
U.S.
physicist. He shared a Nobel Prize in physics in 1965 for work on quantum
electrodynamics.
Full name
Feynman, Richard Phillips[1]



Fez

Fez
Fez
[fess] or Fès [fess]

city in northern Morocco,
northeast of Casablanca. The oldest of the country’s four imperial cities, it
is about 161 km/100 mi east of Rabat. Population: 564,000 (1993)[1]



fez

fez

fez 
[fez] (plural fez·zes) noun
flat-topped
conical hat: a brimless felt hat shaped like a cone
with a flat top, usually red with a black tassel, worn by men in eastern
Mediterranean and North African countries. In the past it was the national
headdress of Turkish men.
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Turkish fes . Probably named for Fez,
where they were originally made.][1]



ff.

ff.
ff.

1.
(used of lines or pages) Abbreviation of following

2.  Abbreviation
of
folios

[1]



FF

FF
FF
or ff.

MUSIC
Symbol for fortissimo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ffa

ffa
ffa

SHIPPING
Abbreviation of free from alongside[1]



f.f.a.

f.f.a.
f.f.a.
or F.F.A.

Abbreviation of
Future Farmers of America[1]



FFV

FFV
FFV

Abbreviation of
First Family of Virginia[1]



FG

FG
FG

1.  (plural
FGs) FOOTBALL BASKETBALL Abbreviation of field goal

2.  Abbreviation
of
fine grain

[1]



FGSA

FGSA
FGSA

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the Geological Society of America[1]



FGT

FGT
FGT

Abbreviation of
federal gift tax[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FHA

FHA
FHA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Federal Housing Administration

2.  Abbreviation
of
Future Homemakers of America

[1]



f.h.p

f.h.p
f.h.p

Abbreviation of
friction horsepower[1]



FHWA

FHWA
FHWA

Abbreviation of
Federal Highway Administration[1]



FIA

FIA
FIA

Abbreviation of
Federal Insurance Administration[1]



fiacre

fiacre
fi·a·cre 
[fee ákrə] (plural fi·a·cres) noun

hackney
carriage:
a small horse-drawn carriage with four wheels, used in the past for hire like a
taxi
[Late 17th century. From
French, named for the Hôtel de St. Fiacre, where it was first hired out.][1]



fianchetto

fianchetto
fi·an·chet·to 
[f ən chéttō, f
ən kéttō] noun (plural fi·an·chet·tos or fi·an·chet·ti)

chess
move of bishop: in chess, the development of a bishop by
moving it from its original position to the second square of the adjacent
knight’s file
transitive
verb
(past fi·an·chet·toed, past participle fi·an·chet·toed,
present participle fi·an·chet·to·ing, 3rd person present
singular fi·an·chet·tos)

move
bishop:
to move a bishop using a fianchetto
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “little flank,” from fianco “flank.”][1]



fiancé

fiancé
fi·an·cé 
[f on sáy, fee
ón sày] (plural fi·an·cés) noun

engaged
man:
the man to whom a woman is engaged to be married
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of fiancer “to betroth,” from, ultimately,
Old French fiance “a promise.”][1]



fiancée

fiancée
fi·an·cée 
[f on sáy, fee
ón sày] (plural fi·an·cées) noun

engaged
woman:
the woman to whom a man is engaged to be married
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the feminine form of fiancé (see fiancé
).][1]



Fianna

Fianna
Fi·an·na
[f ənə] plural noun

Irish
warriors:
in Irish mythology, a band of warriors led by the legendary Finn MacCool and
celebrated for feats of heroism
[Late 18th century. From
Irish, “band of warriors and hunters.”][1]



FiannaFáil

FiannaFáil
Fi·an·na
Fáil
[f ənə fl] noun

Irish
political party: an important Irish political party
founded in 1926
[From Irish, literally
“warriors of Ireland”][1]



fiasco

fiasco
fi·as·co 
[fee áskō] (plural fi·as·cos) noun

1.  humiliating
failure:
a total failure, especially a humiliating or ludicrous one

2.  straw-covered
wine bottle: a wine bottle having a round bottom and
often in a basketlike straw covering
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian, “bottle” from medieval Latin flasco “flask.” The sense
“failure” comes from far fiasco, literally “to make a bottle,” used in
theatrical slang for “to fail in a performance.”][1]



fiat

fiat
fi·at 
[f ət, f t]
(plural fi·ats) noun

1.  official
sanction:
a formal or official authorization of something

2.  arbitrary
order:
an authoritative and often arbitrary command
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “let it be done.”][1]



fiatmoney

fiatmoney
fi·at
mon·ey
noun

money decreed by government:
money that a government declares to be legal tender although it is not based on
or convertible into coin and therefore depends on government decree to
determine its value[1]



fib

fib
fib 
[fib] noun (plural fibs)

white
lie:
an insignificant, harmless, or small lie (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past fibbed, past participle fibbed, present
participle fib·bing, 3rd person present singular fibs)

tell
white lies:
to tell an insignificant, harmless, or small lie (informal)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of earlier fible-fable
“nonsense” (an alteration of fable ).]
—fib·ber,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lie

[1]



fiber

fiber
fi·ber 
[fbər] (plural fi·bers) or
fi·bre [fbər] (plural fi·bres)
noun

1.  thin
thread:
a long slender thread or filament

2.  INDUSTRY thread
for yarn:
a fine thread or filament of a natural or synthetic material, for example,
cotton or nylon, that can be spun into yarn

3.  TEXTILES cloth:
cloth or material made of fibers

4.  fibrous
structure:
the texture or structure of a material made of fibers

5.  essential
character:
the fundamental character, quality, or makeup of something

6.  strength
of character: somebody’s strength of character or
sense of right and wrong • the
moral fiber of the nation

7.  HEALTH coarse
fibrous substances in food: the coarse fibrous
substances in grains, fruits, and vegetables that aid digestion and clean out
the intestines. Primarily composed of cellulose, this largely indigestible
plant matter is considered to play a role in the prevention of many diseases of
the digestive tract. • Whole
wheat bread and brown rice are rich in fiber.
Also
called
dietary fiber
Also
called
roughage

8.  BOTANY long
thick-walled plant cell: a long narrow plant cell
that has walls thickened with lignin and is a major component of the plant’s
supporting and strengthening tissue. Fiber cells are frequently found in the
outer walls of plant stems.

9.  MANUFACTURING plant
cells making rope and textiles: strands of fiber cells
removed from the stems or leaves of some plants, for example, flax, that can be
separated and woven

10. BOTANY thin
root:
a thin narrow root of a plant

11. ANATOMY thread-shaped
body structure: a long thin structure of the body
tissues, for example, muscle cells and nerve cells
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin fibra “filament,” of uncertain origin.]
—fi·bered, adjective[1]



fiberboard

fiberboard
fi·ber·board 
[fbər bàwrd] noun

compressed wood fiber:
building material made by compressing wood fibers into sheets[1]



fiberbundle

fiberbundle
fi·ber
bun·dle
(plural fi·ber bun·dles) noun

bundle of optical fibers:
a flexible group of parallel optical fibers held in a fixed arrangement with
respect to each other[1]



fiberfill

fiberfill
fi·ber·fill 
[fbər fil] noun

synthetic stuffing material:
synthetic material used for stuffing or insulation, for example, in cushions,
comforters, or clothing[1]



Fiberglas

Fiberglas
Fi·ber·glas 
[fbər glàss] Trademark

a trademark for a material
made of glass fibers and plastic[1]



fiberglass

fiberglass
fi·ber·glass 
[fbər glàss] noun

1.  glass
fibers:
glass fibers compressed to make materials such as insulation.
Also
called
spun glass

2.  material
made from fiberglass: a material made from
fiberglass and used in the construction of many things including boat hulls and
car bodies.
Also
called
glass fiber

[1]



fiberoptics

fiberoptics
fi·ber
op·tics
noun

use
of light transmitted through fibers: the
technology of transferring information, for example, in communications or
computer technology, through a number of thin flexible glass or plastic tubes (
optical fibers ) using modulated light waves. Information is transmitted in the
form of coded pulses. (takes a singular verb)
—fi·ber-op·tic, adjective[1]



fiberscope

fiberscope
fi·ber·scope 
[fbər skp] (plural fi·ber·scopes)
noun

device for viewing
inaccessible places: an
instrument that uses fiber optics to transmit images from inaccessible places
such as the interior of the body. Thin flexible fibers can be introduced into
blood vessels, e.g., as a diagnostic tool or to assist in microsurgery.[1]



Fibonaccinumber

Fibonaccinumber
Fi·bo·nac·ci
num·ber
(plural Fi·bo·nac·ci num·bers) noun

number in Fibonacci sequence:
a number in the unending Fibonacci sequence[1]



Fibonaccisequence

Fibonaccisequence
Fi·bo·nac·ci
se·quence
noun

sequence
of numbers:
the unending series of numbers 0,1,1,2,3,5,8 … in which each number except for
the first two is the sum of the preceding two. This sequence frequently occurs
with applications in botany, psychology, and astronomy, for example, providing
a better correspondence for the distances between the Sun and the planets than
does Bode’s law.
[Named for Leonardo Fibonacci,
the 13th century Italian mathematician who first described it][1]



fibr-

fibr-2
fibr-2 prefix

(used before vowels)See
fibro-[1]



fibre

fibre
fi·bre 
noun

See
fiber[1]



fibri-

fibri-2
fibri-2 prefix

See
fibro-[1]



fibriform

fibriform
fi·bri·form
[fíbbrə fàwrm] adjective

like fiber:
in the form of a fiber or fibers[1]



fibril

fibril
fi·bril 
[f brəl, fíbbrəl]
(plural fi·brils) noun

small
fiber:
a small or delicate fiber or part of a fiber
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin fibrilla, literally “little fiber,” from fibra
“fiber.”]
—fi·bril·lar
[fíbbrələr], adjective

—fi·bril·lar·y
[fíbbrə lèrree], adjective

—fi·bril·li·form
[fíbbrələ fàwrm], adjective

—fi·bril·lose
[fíbbrə lss], adjective

—fib·ril·lous [fíbbrələss], adjective[1]



fibrillate

fibrillate
fi·bril·late 
[fíbbrə làyt] (past fi·bril·lat·ed,
past participle fi·bril·lat·ed, present participle fi·bril·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular fi·bril·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

beat
or contract rapidly and irregularly: to
undergo, or make the heart or muscles undergo, rapid irregular beating or
uncontrolled contraction ( fibrillation )
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin fibrilla (see fibril
).]
—fib·ril·la·tive, adjective[1]



fibrillation

fibrillation
fib·ril·la·tion 
[fìbbrə láysh’n] (plural fib·ril·la·tions)
noun

1.  rapid
irregular heartbeat: rapid chaotic beating of the
heart muscles in a nonsynchronous way such that normal heartbeat is not
maintained and the affected part of the heart may stop pumping blood

2.  rapid
contraction of muscle fibers: rapid uncontrolled
contraction of individual muscle fibers with little or no movement of the
muscle as a whole

3.  formation
of fibers:
the formation of fibers or fibrils

[1]



fibrin

fibrin
fi·brin 
[fbrin] noun

protein
helping blood to clot: an insoluble fibrous protein
produced in the liver from the soluble protein fibrinogen during the blood
clotting process. It forms a network of fibers in which blood cells become
trapped, thus producing a clot.
[Early 19th century. Coined
from fiber + -in
.][1]



fibrinogen

fibrinogen
fi·brin·o·gen 
[fī brínnəjən] noun

protein
important in blood clotting: a soluble protein in the
blood that is made in the liver and is converted to insoluble fibrin by the
action of the enzyme thrombin in response to tissue damage. Fibrinogen is a
clotting factor and is required to prevent major blood loss.
—fi·brin·o·gen·ic
[fbrənō jénnik], adjective

—fi·brin·o·gen·i·cal·ly
[fbrənō jénnikəlee], adverb

—fi·bri·nog·e·nous [fbrə nójjənəss], adjective[1]



fibrinoid

fibrinoid
fib·ri·noid 
[fbrə nòyd] adjective

resembling
fibrin:
relating to or resembling the protein fibrin
noun

material resembling fibrin:
a naturally occurring material resembling the protein fibrin, normally found in
the placenta and formed in connective tissue and blood vessel walls in some
diseases[1]



fibrinolysin

fibrinolysin
fi·bri·nol·y·sin 
[fbrə nólləsin] (plural fi·bri·nol·y·sins)
noun

enzyme that disperses blood
clots: any enzyme found in the
blood that breaks down the protein fibrin found in blood clots and disperses
them. Plasmin is a fibrinolysin.[1]



fibrinolysis

fibrinolysis
fi·bri·nol·y·sis 
[fbrə nólləssiss] noun

destruction
of fibrin:
the destruction of fibrin, especially its enzymatic breakdown by a fibrinolysin
such as plasmin
—fi·bri·no·lyt·ic [fbrənō líttik], adjective[1]



fibrinous

fibrinous
fi·bri·nous
[fíbbrənəss] adjective

relating to fibrin:
relating to or containing fibrin[1]



fibro-

fibro-
fibro-
prefix

1.  fibre:
used to mean fiber

2.  fibrous
tissue:
used to mean fibrous tissue
[From Latin fibra
“fiber”][1]



fibroblast

fibroblast
fi·bro·blast 
[fbrō blàst] (plural fi·bro·blasts)
noun

cell producing connective
tissue: a large flat cell that
secretes the proteins that form collagen and elastic fibers and the substance
between the cells of connective tissue[1]



fibrocartilage

fibrocartilage
fi·bro·car·ti·lage 
[fbrō krtəlij, fbrō
krtlij] noun

fibrous cartilage:
a type of strong, relatively inelastic cartilage containing bundles of collagen
fibers[1]



fibrocystic

fibrocystic
fi·bro·cys·tic 
[fbrō sístik] adjective

involving growth of fibrous
tissue: being an unusual growth of
fibrous tissue that contains cystic spaces, occurring particularly in glandular
tissue such as the breast. Fibrocystic disease of the pancreas is called cystic
fibrosis.[1]



fibroid

fibroid
fi·broid 
[f bròyd] adjective

like
fibers:
resembling or consisting of fibers or fibrous tissue
noun
(plural fi·broids)

fibrous tissue growth:
a benign growth composed of fibrous and muscle tissue, especially one that
develops in the wall of the womb and is associated with painful and excessive
menstrual flow. Fibroids can be removed surgically and are not
life-threatening, but fibroids in the womb reduce the chance of pregnancy.[1]



fibroin

fibroin
fi·bro·in 
[f br in] noun

protein in silk:
a tough insoluble white protein secreted by spiders and silkworms that quickly
solidifies into a strong thread, used to form cocoons and webs[1]



fibroma

fibroma
fi·bro·ma 
[fī brṓmə] (plural fi·bro·mas or
fi·bro·ma·ta) noun

benign
tumor:
a nonmalignant tumor of fibrous connective tissue such as cartilage
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin fibra “fiber” + -oma
.]
—fi·brom·a·tous [fī brómmətəss], adjective[1]



fibromyalgia

fibromyalgia
fi·bro·my·al·gi·a
[fbrō mī ál jee ə] noun

disorder causing aches and
tiredness: a disorder causing aching
muscles, sleep disorders, and fatigue, associated with abnormal levels of the
brain chemicals that transmit nerve signals ( neurotransmitters )[1]



fibrose

fibrose2
fi·brose2  [fbrōss]
adjective

containing fibers:
containing or resembling fibers (technical)[1]



fibrose

fibrose1
fi·brose1  [fbrōss]
(past fi·brosed, past participle fi·brosed, present
participle fi·bros·ing, 3rd person present singular fi·bros·es)
intransitive verb

form
fibrous tissue: to form tissue consisting of or
resembling fibers
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from fibrosis .][1]



fibrosis

fibrosis
fi·bro·sis 
[fī brṓssiss] noun

scarring
of connective tissue: an abnormal thickening and
scarring of connective tissue most often following injury, infection, lack of
oxygen, or surgery
—fi·brot·ic [fī bróttik], adjective[1]



fibrositis

fibrositis
fi·bro·si·tis 
[fbrə stiss] noun

muscle pain:
pain and stiffness, especially in the back muscles[1]



fibrous

fibrous
fi·brous 
[fbrəss] adjective

1.  consisting
of fibers:
consisting of or resembling fibers

2.  GEOLOGY in
elongated threads: used to describe a mineral
that crystallizes in thin elongated threads, for example, asbestos
—fi·brous·ly,
adverb

—fi·brous·ness, noun[1]



fibrousroot

fibrousroot
fi·brous
root
(plural fi·brous roots) noun

thin plant root:
any of the fine roots of some plants, for example, grasses, that are roughly
the same length and branch in all directions[1]



fibrovascular

fibrovascular
fi·bro·vas·cu·lar 
[fbrō váskyələr] adjective

giving support and conducting
sap: used to describe plant
tissue that provides structural support and conducts sap[1]



fibrovascularbundle

fibrovascularbundle
fi·bro·vas·cu·lar
bun·dle
noun

See
vascular bundle[1]



fibula

fibula

fib·u·la 
[fíbbyələ] (plural fib·u·lae [fíbbyə l] or fib·u·las) noun

1.  human
leg bone:
the outer and narrower of the two bones in the human lower leg, between the
knee and the ankle

2.  animal
leg bone:
the thinner outermost bone of the two bones that form the lower leg of
terrestrial vertebrates between the knee and ankle, or the hind leg of a
four-legged animal

3.  clasp:
a brooch or clasp shaped like a modern safety pin, worn by the ancient Greeks
and Romans to fasten cloaks
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “brooch, clasp,” perhaps formed from figere
“to fasten.” The sense “bone in the leg” comes from the two bones’ similarity
in shape to a Roman fibula .]
—fib·u·lar, adjective[1]



-fic

-fic
-fic
suffix

making,
causing • sudorific
[From Latin -ficus,
from facere “to make, do” (see fact
)][1]



FICA

FICA
FICA

Abbreviation of
Federal Insurance Contributions Act[1]



-fication

-fication
-fication
suffix

production,
process • versification
• unification
[From the Latin stem -fication-,
from -ficatus, the past participle stem of verbs ending in -ficare
“to make,” from, ultimately, facere “to make, to do”][1]



fice

fice
fice 
[fīss] (plural fic·es) noun

(regional)
See feist
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
feist .][1]



fiche

fiche
fiche 
[feesh] (plural fich·es) noun
(informal)

1.  microfiche:
a microfiche

2.  ultrafiche:
an ultrafiche
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



fichu

fichu
fich·u 
[fí sh, fee sh]
(plural fich·us) noun

lightweight
scarf:
a woman’s triangular scarf made of a lightweight material such as muslin or
lace, worn around the neck and shoulders, especially in the 18th and early 19th
centuries
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, “knotted,” from, ultimately, Latin figere “to fasten” (see fix ).][1]



fickle

fickle
fick·le 
[fík’l] (comparative fick·ler,
superlative fick·lest) adjective

changeable:
likely to change, especially in affections, intentions, loyalties, or
preferences
[Old
English ficol “deceitful.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“hostile.”]
—fick·le·ness, noun[1]



fictile

fictile
fic·tile 
[fíkt’l] adjective

1.  malleable:
molded or capable of being molded, as, for example, clay can be for making
pottery

2.  made
of clay:
molded in earth or clay by a potter

3.  relating
to pottery making: relating to the making of
earthenware or pottery
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin fictilis from, ultimately, fingere “to make, shape.”][1]



fiction

fiction
fic·tion 
[fíkshən] (plural fic·tions) noun

1.  literary
works of imagination: novels and stories that
describe imaginary people and events

2.  work
of fiction:
a novel, story, or other work of fiction

3.  untrue
statement:
something that is untrue and has been made up to deceive people • The
account she gave was pure fiction.

4.  act
of pretending: the act of pretending or inventing
something such as a story or explanation

5.  LAW something
assumed to be true: something that is assumed in
law to be true regardless of whether or not it is really true
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin fictio, from fingere “to make,
shape.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word fingere, from which fiction
  is derived, is also the source of English effigy,
  faint, feign,
  figment, and figure.

[1]



fictional

fictional
fic·tion·al
[fíkshən’l] adjective

1.  not
true:
not real or true but made up by somebody

2.  relating
to fiction:
occurring in, invented for, or relating to novels or stories
—fic·tion·al·i·ty
[fìkshə nállətee], noun

—fic·tion·al·ly [fíkshən’lee], adverb[1]



fictionalize

fictionalize
fic·tion·al·ize 
[fíkshən’l z] (past fic·tion·al·ized,
past participle fic·tion·al·ized, present participle fic·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fic·tion·al·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something into fiction: to make something into
fiction, or make a fictional version of something • a
fictionalized life of Shakespeare
—fic·tion·al·i·za·tion
[fìkshənəli záysh’n], noun[1]



fictitious

fictitious
fic·ti·tious 
[fik tíshəss] adjective

1.  false:
not true or genuine, and intended to deceive • He
gave a fictitious name when confronted.

2.  fictional:
invented by somebody’s imagination, especially as part of a work of fiction

3.  LAW assumed
to be so:
assumed to be true for legal purposes, regardless of whether or not it really
is
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin ficticius, from, ultimately, fingere
“to make, shape.”]
—fic·ti·tious·ly,
adverb

—fic·ti·tious·ness, noun[1]



fictive

fictive
fic·tive 
[fíktiv] adjective

1.  relating
to fiction:
relating to fiction or imaginative invention

2.  not
real:
not genuine or true
[Late
15th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin fictivus, from fingere
“to make, shape.”]
—fic·tive·ly, adverb[1]



fid

fid
fid 
[fid] (plural fids) noun

1.  topmast
support:
a bar used to support a topmast on a ship

2.  tapered
tool for splicing: a tapered wooden implement
used to separate the strands of a rope in splicing
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



-fid

-fid
-fid
suffix

divided
in parts • multifid
[From Latin -fidus,
from fid-, the stem of findere “to split” (see fissi- )][1]



fiddle

fiddle
fid·dle 
[fídd’l] noun (plural fid·dles)

1.  MUSIC violin:
a musical instrument of the viol or violin family, especially the violin.
Violins are often called fiddles in folk, bluegrass, or country music, but in
classical music this can sometimes be disparaging.

2.  fraudulent
activity:
a fraudulent or illegal way of getting money (informal)

3.  trivial
matters:
nonsensical or trivial matters or behavior

4.  NAUTICAL guardrail
on ship’s table: a small guardrail on top of a table or
stove on a ship, used to prevent things from sliding off in rough weather
verb
(past fid·dled, past participle fid·dled, present
participle fid·dling, 3rd person present singular fid·dles)

1.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC play
violin:
to play the fiddle

2.  transitive
verb
swindle:
to cheat or swindle somebody (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
falsify
something:
to falsify something, for example, financial accounts, especially for dishonest
personal gain (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
move
hands nervously: to move the hands or fingers nervously
or restlessly, or play with something in the hands in this way • The
schoolboy fiddled nervously with his pencil.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb waste
time:
to waste time doing unimportant things • fiddle
the day away

6.  intransitive
verb
tamper
with something: to interfere, meddle, or tamper with
something (informal) • Who’s
been fiddling with my computer?

7.  intransitive
verb
tinker
with something to fix it: to manipulate or tinker with
something to try to make it work properly • She
fiddled with the controls on the video recorder.
[Pre-12th century. From
medieval Latin vitula “instrument played at festivals,” from vitulari
“to hold celebrations” (source of English violin
).][1]



fiddlearound

fiddlearound
fid·dle
a·round
intransitive verb

fritter time away:
to waste time doing unimportant things (informal)[1]



fiddleback

fiddleback
fid·dle·back 
[fídd’l bàk] (plural fid·dle·backs)
or fid·dle·back chair [fídd’l bàk]
(plural fid·dle·back chairs) noun

chair with fiddle-shaped
back: a chair with a back shaped
like the body of a fiddle[1]



fiddle-de-dee

fiddle-de-dee
fid·dle-de-dee 
[fìdd’l dee d] interjection

used
to express impatience: used to express mild
annoyance, disagreement, or impatience (dated informal)
[From fiddle and a nonsensical ending][1]



fiddle-faddle

fiddle-faddle
fid·dle-fad·dle 
[fídd’l fàdd’l] noun

nonsense:
nonsense or trifling matters (informal)
interjection

nonsense!:
used to express the view that something is nonsense (dated informal)
intransitive
verb
(past fid·dle-fad·dled, past participle fid·dle-fad·dled,
present participle fid·dle-fad·dling, 3rd person present
singular fid·dle-fad·dles)

waste
time:
to waste time with unimportant matters (informal)
[Late
16th century. From fiddle and earlier faddle
“nonsense.”]
—fid·dle-fad·dler, noun[1]



fiddle-footed

fiddle-footed
fid·dle-foot·ed 
adjective

1.  skittish:
showing excitability or nervousness

2.  wandering:
having a tendency to roam

[1]



fiddlehead

fiddlehead

fid·dle·head 
[fídd’l hèd] (plural fid·dle·heads)
or fid·dle·neck [fídd’l nèk] (plural
fid·dle·necks) noun

1.  PLANTS edible
fern shoot:
the coiled frond of a young fern often cooked and eaten as a delicacy

2.        NAUTICAL carving
on ship’s bow: an ornamental carving
on a ship’s bow, shaped like the scroll at the end of the fingerboard of a
violin[1]



fiddlepattern

fiddlepattern
fid·dle
pat·tern
noun

style
of fork or spoon: the design of a fork or spoon with a
handle that has a tapering wide end
—fid·dle-pat·tern, adjective[1]



fiddler

fiddler
fid·dler
[fíddlər] (plural fid·dlers) noun

1.  MUSIC violin
player:
somebody who plays the violin

2.  time
waster:
somebody who idles or wastes time

3.  somebody
who toys with something: somebody who plays or
fidgets with something aimlessly

4.  swindler:
somebody who cheats or swindles others (informal)

5.  ZOOLOGY See fiddler crab

[1]



fiddlercrab

fiddlercrab
fid·dler
crab
(plural fid·dler crabs) noun

crab with large claw:
a small marine burrowing crab. Males have one enlarged claw that they move like
a violinist’s arm as a signal during courtship. Genus: Uca
Also called
fiddler[1]



fiddlestick

fiddlestick
fid·dle·stick
[fídd’l stìk] (plural fid·dle·sticks)
noun (informal)

1.  violin
bow:
a bow for playing a violin

2.  thing
of little value: something that is unimportant or
worthless • I
don’t care a fiddlestick what you think.

[1]



fiddlesticks

fiddlesticks
fid·dle·sticks 
[fídd’l stìks] interjection

used to express annoyance:
used to express mild annoyance, disagreement, or impatience (dated informal)[1]



fiddlewood

fiddlewood
fid·dle·wood
[fídd’l wd] (plural fid·dle·woods)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
tree:
a tropical American tree that yields a hard wood. Genus: Citharexylum

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of fiddlewood tree: the hard wood of the
fiddlewood tree

[1]



fiddling

fiddling
fid·dling 
[fíddling] adjective

insignificant:
petty or unimportant[1]



fiddly

fiddly
fid·dly
[fíddlee] (comparative fid·dli·er,
superlative fid·dli·est) adjective

U.K.
tricky to do:
difficult to do, handle, or use, usually because it involves small objects or
intricate work with the hands (informal) • Changing
the battery in this type of watch can be quite a fiddly job.[1]



FIDE

FIDE
FIDE

Abbreviation
of
International Chess Federation
[From French, an acronym
formed from Fédération Internationale des Échecs][1]



fideism

fideism
fi·de·ism 
[f day ìzzəm] noun

reliance
on faith for knowledge: the view that religious
knowledge depends on faith and revelation
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin fides “faith” (see faith ).]
—fi·de·ist,
noun

—fi·de·is·tic [f day ístik], adjective[1]



Fidelism

Fidelism
Fi·del·ism
[fi dé lìzzəm] noun

Castroism:
the practice or policies of Castroism
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Fidel Castro .][1]



fidelity

fidelity
fi·del·i·ty 
[fi déllətee] noun

1.  loyalty:
loyalty to an allegiance, promise, or vow

2.  sexual
faithfulness: faithfulness to a sexual partner,
especially a husband or wife

3.  factual
accuracy:
accuracy in describing or reporting facts or details

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING precision
of reproduction: the extent to which an electronic
device, for example, a stereo system or television, accurately reproduces sound
or images
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin fidelitas “faithfulness” from, ultimately, fides
“faith” (see faith ).][1]



fidget

fidget
fidg·et 
[fíjjət] intransitive verb (past
fidg·et·ed, past participle fidg·et·ed, present
participle fidg·et·ing, 3rd person present singular fidg·ets)

1.  move
around nervously: to move around in a restless,
absent-minded, or uneasy manner • The lecture
was so boring we couldn’t keep from fidgeting.

2.  fiddle
nervously:
to fiddle or play with something in a restless, absent-minded, or uneasy manner
• He
kept fidgeting with his glasses as he spoke to her.
noun
(plural fidg·ets)

somebody who fidgets:
somebody who fidgets in a restless, absent-minded, or uneasy manner
plural
noun
fidg·ets

uneasiness: a
state of restlessness or unease expressed by continual nervous movements • He
seems to have a case of the fidgets.
[Late
17th century. Alteration of earlier fidge “to twitch, fidget.”]
—fid·get·ing·ly, adverb[1]



fidgety

fidgety
fidg·et·y 
[fíjjətee] adjective

1.  inclined
to fidget:
tending to fidget

2.  uneasy:
restless or ill at ease
—fidg·et·i·ness, noun[1]



fido

fido
fi·do 
[fdō] (plural fi·dos) noun

coin
with error:
a coin with a minting error
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from freaks, irregulars, defects, and oddities .][1]



fiducial

fiducial
fi·du·cial 
[fi dsh’l] adjective

1.  founded
on trust:
founded on or relating to faith or trust (formal)

2.  used
as basis of reference: accepted or used as a
standard of comparison, measurement, or reference

3.  LAW resembling
legal trust: resembling a legal trust
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin fiducialis from, ultimately, Latin fidere
“to trust.”]
—fi·du·cial·ly, adverb[1]



fiduciary

fiduciary
fi·du·ci·ar·y 
[fi dshee èrree, fi
dshəree] adjective

1.  relating
to a trust relationship: relating to the relationship
between a trustee and the person or body for whom the trustee acts

2.  relating
to a trust:
relating to or based on a trust

3.  trusting
government to stand behind money: relating to or
depending on confidence in a government for the value of fiat money
noun
(plural fi·du·ci·ar·ies)

trustee:
somebody who is entrusted with the management of property or with the power to
act on behalf of and for the benefit of another
[Late
16th century. Via Latin fiduciarius “(holding) in a trust” from,
ultimately, fides “trust”. (see faith
)]
—fi·du·ci·ar·i·ly, adverb[1]



fie

fie
fie 
[fī] interjection

used
to express disapproval: used to express disapproval,
annoyance, or disgust with somebody or something (archaic)
[14th century. Via French fi
from Latin, an exclamation of disgust at a stench.][1]



Fiedler,Arthur

Fiedler,Arthur
Fied·ler
[fdlər], Arthur (1894–1979)

U.S. conductor. As director
of the Boston Pops Orchestra (1930–1979), he arranged programs that were a
mixture of light classics and popular tunes.[1]



fief

fief
fief 
[feef] (plural fiefs) noun

1.  piece
of land granted by lord: a piece of land, rather than
money, formerly granted by a feudal lord to somebody in return for service.
Also
called
fee
Also
called
feoff
Also
called
feud

2.  See
fiefdom
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Old French fieu, from medieval Latin feudum (see feud 2 ).][1]



fiefdom

fiefdom
fief·dom 
[ffdəm] (plural fief·doms) noun

Also
called
fief

1.  lands
of feudal lord: the lands controlled by a feudal lord

2.  something
under somebody’s influence or authority:
something such as territory or a sphere of activity that is controlled or
dominated by a particular person or group

[1]



field

field
field 
[feeld] noun (plural fields)

1.  AGRICULTURE area
of agricultural land: an area of open ground,
especially an area used to grow crops or graze livestock

2.  SPORTS playing
area:
an open expanse of ground kept or marked off as a playing area for a particular
sport

3.  GEOLOGY area
rich in resources: an area of land or seabed
that is rich in an exploitable natural resource

4.  GEOGRAPHY broad
area of something: an expanse of something such
as ice, snow, or lava

5.  area
of activity: an activity or subject, especially one
that is somebody’s particular responsibility, specialty, or interest

6.  place
outside institution: the setting outside a
workplace, office, school, or laboratory in which somebody has direct contact
with clients, the public, or the phenomena being studied

7.  MILITARY area
of military operations: the scene or location of
military operations or maneuvers

8.  MILITARY battlefield:
an area where a battle is fought

9.  MILITARY battle:
a battle (archaic literary)

10. SPORTS group
of contestants: all the participants in a race or other
competitive event

11. SPORTS all
participants except favorite: all the participants in a
race or competitive event except the favorite, winner, or leader • five
lengths ahead of the field

12. MATHEMATICS set
of mathematical elements: a set of mathematical
elements having two properties that are like addition and multiplication for
ordinary numbers

13. PHYSICS area
of force:
an area or region within which a force exerts an influence at every point

14. See
field of view

15. COMPUTING storage
area for information: an area in a computer memory
or program, or on a monitor screen, where information can be entered and
manipulated

16. HERALDRY background
for design:
the background surface or color on which a design is displayed, for example, on
a flag, coin, or coat of arms
verb
(past field·ed, past participle field·ed, present
participle field·ing, 3rd person present singular fields)

1.  transitive
verb
SPORTS retrieve
ball:
to retrieve, pick up, or catch a ball in play, usually after it has been struck
by a batter in baseball or a batsman in cricket

2.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS be a
fielder:
to act as a fielder in cricket or baseball

3.  transitive
verb
select
somebody for a competition: to select a person, group,
or team to participate in an event, especially a competitive event • We
did not have enough players to field a team

4.  transitive
verb
deploy
a group:
to send out a large number of people or things to accomplish a task, especially
to deploy military forces for action

5.  transitive
verb
deal
with question or complaint: to handle something such as
a question or complaint
[Old
English feld . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “flat,”
which also produced English flat, plate, and place
.]
play
the field

to avoid a romantic
relationship with one person by dating many people[1]



fieldartillery

fieldartillery
field
ar·til·ler·y noun

artillery for front-line use:
large guns mobile enough to be brought close to the front line of a battle[1]



fieldcoil

fieldcoil
field
coil
(plural field coils) noun

wire coil producing
magnetization in machine: the coil of
wire that, when carrying current, produces the magnetization inside an
electrical motor or generator needed for it to operate.
Also called
field winding[1]



fieldcorn

fieldcorn
field
corn
noun

livestock feed:
corn that is grown as feed for livestock[1]



Field,Cyrus West

Field,Cyrus West
Field
[feeld], Cyrus West (1819–1892)

U.S. entrepreneur. He
transmitted the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable (1856).[1]



Field,David Dudley

Field,David Dudley
Field
[feeld], David Dudley (1805–1894)

U.S. law reformer. His code
of U.S. civil procedure was enacted in 1848.[1]



fieldday

fieldday
field
day
(plural field days) noun

1.  time
of unrestrained activity: an opportunity for
unrestrained or rewarding activity • If the
slightest hint of this gets out, the press will have a field day.

2.  day
for amateur competitions: a day devoted to amateur
outdoor sports and competitions, especially at a school

3.  day
for outdoor activities: a day spent in outdoor
activities

4.  day
for military show: a day devoted to military
exercises and display, usually performed in front of spectators

[1]



field-effecttransistor

field-effecttransistor
field-ef·fect
tran·sis·tor (plural field-ef·fect
tran·sis·tors) noun

transistor with electric
field controlling output: a
transistor, with three or more electrodes, in which the output current is
controlled by a variable electric field[1]



fieldemission

fieldemission
field
e·mis·sion
(plural field e·mis·sions) noun

freeing of electrons by
electric field: the liberation of
electrons from the surface of a metallic conductor subjected to a strong
electric field[1]



fielder

fielder
field·er 
[fldər] (plural field·ers) noun

somebody who fields:
a player in cricket or baseball who is positioned on the field of play to catch
or retrieve the ball when it is struck by the batter or batsman[1]



fielder’schoice

fielder’schoice
field·er’s
choice 
(plural field·er’s choices) noun

option to put out base
runner: an attempt by a fielder in
baseball to put out a base runner when the ball is hit, allowing the batter to
reach first base safely[1]



Field,Eugene

Field,Eugene
Field
[feeld], Eugene (1850–1895)

U.S. writer. He is best known
for his witty newspaper columns and poetry for children such as “Little Boy
Blue” ( 1892 ).[1]



fieldevent

fieldevent
field
e·vent
(plural field events) noun

throwing or jumping
competition: an athletic event in a
track-and-field meet, for example, the discus, javelin, long jump, or high
jump, that takes place on an open area not on a track[1]



fieldfare

fieldfare
field·fare 
[fld fàir] (plural field·fares
or field·fare) noun

migrating
bird:
a migratory Eurasian thrush with reddish brown plumage and a gray head and rump
and a noisy call. Latin name: Turdus pilaris
[Assumed Old English feldefare
“field dweller”][1]



fieldglasses

fieldglasses
field
glass·es
plural noun

binoculars:
a pair of binoculars[1]



fieldgoal

fieldgoal
field
goal
(plural field goals) noun

1.  FOOTBALL goal
made with a kick: in football, a score worth three points,
made by kicking the ball over the crossbar from a point about ten yards behind
the line of scrimmage

2.  BASKETBALL goal
in normal play: in basketball, a goal made during normal
play by throwing the ball through the basket. It is worth two points, or three
points if scored from beyond a specified distance.

[1]



field-gradeofficer

field-gradeofficer
field-grade
of·fi·cer 
(plural field-grade of·fi·cers) noun

See
field officer[1]



fieldguide

fieldguide
field
guide
(plural field guides) noun

manual to identify plants or
animals: an illustrated manual that
is used to identify plants, animals, or birds in their natural habitats[1]



fieldhand

fieldhand
field
hand
(plural field hands) noun

farm laborer:
somebody who works on a farm cultivating or harvesting crops[1]



fieldhockey

fieldhockey
field
hock·ey
noun

hockey played on ground:
a game played outdoors in which two teams of 11 players each use curved sticks
to direct a ball into each other’s netted goal.
U.K. term
hockey[1]



fieldhospital

fieldhospital
field
hos·pi·tal
(plural field hos·pi·tals) noun

treatment center on
battlefield: a center for medical
treatment on a battlefield or in an isolated place[1]



fieldhouse

fieldhouse
field
house
(plural field hous·es) noun

1.  building
for teams:
a building equipped with storage facilities and dressing rooms for the use of
sports teams

2.  indoor
sports arena: a building containing a large space for
athletic events, often with seating for spectators

[1]



Fielding,Henry

Fielding,Henry
Field·ing
[flding], Henry (1707–1754)

British novelist and
dramatist. Of his 25 plays, the most popular was the farce Tom Thumb (
1730 ). He is also considered to be a founder of the English novel.[1]



fieldlens

fieldlens
field
lens
(plural field lens·es) noun

lens farthest from eye:
the lens that is farthest from the eye in the compound eyepiece of an optical
instrument[1]



fieldmagnet

fieldmagnet
field
mag·net
(plural field mag·nets) noun

magnet in electric machine:
an electromagnet or permanent magnet that supplies the magnetic field in an
electric machine[1]



fieldmarshal

fieldmarshal
field
mar·shal
(plural field mar·shals) noun

highest-ranking army officer:
an officer holding the highest rank in the British army or in the armies of
some other countries[1]



Field,Marshall

Field,Marshall
Field
[feeld], Marshall (1834–1906)

U.S. entrepreneur. After 1867
he headed the Chicago department store that was later to bear his name, and was
noted for its innovative merchandising practices.[1]



fieldmouse

fieldmouse
field
mouse 
noun

1.  U.K.
small
Eurasian mouse: a small Eurasian mouse with large eyes
and ears and a long tail that lives in fields and gardens. Genus: Apodemus

Also
called
wood mouse

2.  N
American vole: the most common North American vole.
Genus: Microtus
Also
called
meadow mouse

[1]



fieldofficer

fieldofficer
field
of·fi·cer
(plural field of·fi·cers) noun

middle-ranking officer:
a military officer of the middle rank, for example, a major or colonel.
Also called
field-grade officer[1]



fieldof honor

fieldof honor
field
of hon·or
(plural fields of hon·or) noun

battlefield or dueling place:
a battlefield, or the site of a duel (archaic)[1]



fieldof view

fieldof view
field
of view
(plural fields of view) noun

area where image visible:
the area in the eyepiece of an optical instrument in which the image is
visible.
Also called
field[1]



fieldof vision

fieldof vision
field
of vi·sion
(plural fields of vi·sion) noun

area visible to eyes:
the whole area that can be seen by the eyes when they are kept fixed in one
direction.
Also called
visual field[1]



fieldpoppy

fieldpoppy
field
pop·py
noun

See
corn poppy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Field,Sally

Field,Sally
Field
[feeld], Sally (1946– )

U.S. television and movie
actor. She won Academy Awards for Norma Rae ( 1979 ) and Places in
the Heart ( 1984 ).[1]



Field,Stephen J.

Field,Stephen J.
Field
[feeld], Stephen J. (1816–1899)

U.S.
jurist. He served on the U.S. Supreme Court (1863–1897). His decisions were
usually conservative.
Full name
Field, Stephen Johnson[1]



fieldstone

fieldstone
field·stone 
[fld stn] (plural field·stones)
noun

stone found in fields:
a stone found in fields and used, often in unfinished form, for building[1]



fieldstrip

fieldstrip
field·strip 
[fld strìp] (past field·stripped,
past participle field·stripped, present participle field·strip·ping,
3rd person present singular field·strips) transitive verb

disassemble weapon:
to take apart a weapon for inspection or for cleaning, lubrication, or repair[1]



Fields,W. C.

Fields,W. C.
Fields
[feeldz], W. C. (1880–1946)

U.S.
actor and comedian. He is best known for his portrayal of irascible,
irresponsible characters struggling to keep one step ahead of the law. One of
his most popular films is My Little Chickadee ( 1940 ).
Real name
Dukenfield, William Claude[1]



fieldtest

fieldtest
field
test
noun

test under normal conditions:
a test carried out on a product under normal conditions of use.
Also called
field trial[1]



field-test

field-test
field-test
transitive verb

test something by using it:
to test a device or product by using it under normal conditions[1]



fieldtrial

fieldtrial
field
tri·al
(plural field tri·als) noun

1.  See
field test

2.  contest
for hunting dogs: a competition to determine how well
hunting dogs perform

[1]



fieldtrip

fieldtrip
field
trip
(plural field trips) noun

excursion to study something:
a trip made by students or researchers to study something firsthand[1]



fieldwinding

fieldwinding
field
wind·ing
(plural field wind·ings) noun

See
field coil[1]



fieldwork

fieldwork
field·work 
[fld wùrk] noun

1.  work
done outside normal place of work: work undertaken
outside the school, office, or laboratory in order to gain knowledge through
direct contact and observation

2.  social
research among population: social or anthropological
research carried out among the subjects of the research, and done by observing
and interviewing them

3.  MILITARY temporary
fortification: a temporary defensive earthwork or
fortification
—field work·er, noun[1]



fiend

fiend
fiend 
[feend] (plural fiends) noun

1.  devil:
an evil supernatural being, especially a devil from hell

2.  somebody
evil:
somebody who is extremely wicked or cruel

3.  troublemaker:
somebody who is mischievous or annoying • Those
little fiends ate all the cake!

4.  person
with strong interest: somebody who is keen and
devotedly interested in a particular topic, occupation, or activity

5.  somebody
proficient at something: somebody who has a
specialized skill or talent (informal) • She’s
a real math fiend.
[Old English fēond
“hated person, enemy” (hence “the enemy of everyone,” the Devil), from fēogan
“to hate”; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



fiendish

fiendish
fiend·ish 
[fndish] adjective

1.  diabolical:
like a devil or demon

2.  cunning
and malicious: characterized by devilish cunning,
ingenuity, and malice

3.  perplexing:
extremely difficult to solve or analyze

4.  disagreeable:
extremely bad or unpleasant (informal)
—fiend·ish·ly,
adverb

—fiend·ish·ness, noun[1]



fierce

fierce
fierce 
[frs] (comparative fierc·er, superlative
fierc·est) adjective

1.  aggressive:
characterized by or showing aggression or anger • a
fierce guard dog

2.  violent
or intense:
characterized by the violence or intensity of the forces, activity, or
participants involved • It was
a fierce battle. • a
fierce storm

3.  profound:
deeply and intensely felt and often aggressively expressed • He
felt a fierce loyalty to his family.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman fers “brave, proud, hostile,” from,
ultimately, Latin ferus “wild, untamed” (source of English feral ).]
—fierce·ly,
adverb

—fierce·ness, noun[1]



fierifacias

fierifacias
fi·er·i
fa·ci·as 
noun

writ
to sell debtor’s property: a legal document that
authorizes a sheriff to sell enough of a debtor’s property to settle the claim
of a creditor
[From Latin, literally “you
should cause to be done”][1]



fiery

fiery
fier·y 
[f əree, free]
(comparative fier·i·er, superlative fier·i·est) adjective

1.  glowing
hot:
burning or full of fire

2.  red:
bright red in color

3.  showing
intense emotion: full of or prone to sudden extremes of
emotions

4.  spicy:
extremely hot or spicy to the taste

5.  inflamed:
red and inflamed
—fier·i·ly,
adverb

—fier·i·ness, noun[1]



fierycross

fierycross
fier·y
cross
(plural fier·y cross·es) noun

burning cross:
a burning wooden cross, originally carried by runners in the Scottish Highlands
to call men to arms and later adopted by the Ku Klux Klan[1]



fiesta

fiesta
fi·es·ta 
[fee éstə] (plural fi·es·tas) noun

1.  religious
festival:
a celebration or festival linked to a religious holiday and held especially in
Spanish-speaking countries

2.  festival:
any festival or celebration
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin festum .][1]



FIFA

FIFA
FIFA
[ffə] abbreviation

the
governing organization of international soccer
[From French, an acronym
formed from Fédération Internationale de Football Association][1]



fife

fife


fife 
[fīf] (plural fifes) noun
small
flute:
a small high-pitched flute without keys, often used in military and marching
bands
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain; via German Pfeife, or French fifre
“fife, fife player,” from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin pipa, from
Latin pipare “to peep, chirp” (source of English pipe .]
—fifer [ffər], noun[1]



fiferail

fiferail
fife
rail
(plural fife rails) noun

rail
around ship’s mast: a low rail around the lower
part of the mast of a sailing ship, with belaying pins to which running rigging
is attached
[Origin unknown][1]



FIFO

FIFO
FIFO 
[f f]

Abbreviation of
first in, first out[1]



fifteen

fifteen
fif·teen 
[fif tn] (plural fif·teens) noun

1.  number
15:
the number 15

2.  something
with value of 15: something in a numbered series with a
value of 15

3.  group
of 15:
a group of 15 objects or people
[Old
English fīftēne, from fīf “five” + -tēne (from a
prehistoric German word meaning “ten”]
—fif·teen, adjective,
pronoun[1]



fifteenth

fifteenth
fif·teenth 
[fif tnth] (plural fif·teenths)
noun

1.  one
of 15 parts of something: one of 15 equal parts of
something

2.  15
in a series: the ordinal number assigned to item
number 15 in a series
—fif·teenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



fifth

fifth
fifth 
[fifth] (plural fifths) noun

1.  one
of 5 parts of something: one of five equal parts of
something

2.  5
in a series: the ordinal number assigned to item
number five in a series

3.  measure
of liquor:
a fifth part of a gallon of alcoholic liquor

4.  MUSIC 5-note
interval:
in a diatonic scale, an interval stretching from one note to another five notes
higher, or the sound made when both these notes are played simultaneously

5.  AUTOMOTIVE 5th
gear:
in some cars or motor vehicles, the fifth gear

6.  BALLET See fifth position
[Old
English fīfta, from fīf (see five
)]
—fifth, adjective,
adverb[1]



Fifth

Fifth
Fifth
noun

Fifth
Amendment:
the Fifth Amendment (informal)
take
the Fifth

refuse to answer an awkward
or self-incriminating question (informal)[1]



FifthAmendment

FifthAmendment
Fifth
A·mend·ment
noun

constitutional amendment
protecting against self-incrimination:
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating, among other things, that
defendants or witnesses in criminal trials need not testify against themselves
and may not be subjected to double jeopardy[1]



fifthcolumn

fifthcolumn
fifth
col·umn
(plural fifth col·umns) noun

secret
or subversive group: a secret or subversive group
that seeks to undermine the efforts of others and promote its own ends
[Originally
denoting the supporters that General Mola claimed to have inside Madrid during
the Spanish Civil War, in addition to the four columns of his army besieging
the city]
—fifth col·um·nist, noun[1]



fifth-generation

fifth-generation
fifth-gen·er·a·tion
adjective

highly advanced:
used to describe a highly advanced and as yet undeveloped level of computer
technology, incorporating artificial intelligence[1]



fifthly

fifthly
fifth·ly
[fífthlee] adverb

in the fifth place:
used to introduce the fifth point in an argument or discussion[1]



fifthposition

fifthposition
fifth
po·si·tion
noun

ballet position with feet
touching: a position in ballet in
which the feet are turned outward with the heel of the front foot level with
and touching the base of the big toe of the back foot.
Also called
fifth[1]



fifthwheel

fifthwheel
fifth
wheel
(plural fifth wheels) noun

1.  somebody
or something unnecessary: somebody or something whose
presence is superfluous or unwanted

2.  spare
wheel:
a spare wheel for a four-wheeled vehicle

3.  articulated
bearing or coupling: a horizontal bearing that
allows a vehicle’s front axle to swivel left or right relative to its body, or
that allows a trailer attached to a tractor vehicle to pivot

[1]



fiftieth

fiftieth
fif·ti·eth 
[fíftee əth] (plural fif·ti·eths)
noun

1.  one
of 50 parts: one of 50 equal parts of something

2.  50
in a series: the ordinal number assigned to item
number 50 in a series

3.  50th
birthday:
somebody’s 50th birthday
—fif·ti·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



fifty

fifty
fif·ty 
[fíftee] noun (plural fif·ties)

1.  number
50:
the number 50, equal to 5 times 10

2.  group
of 50:
a group of 50 objects or people
plural
noun

1.  numbers
50 to 59:
the numbers 50 to 59, particularly as a range of temperature • in
the low fifties

2.  years
1950 to 1959: the years 1950 to 1959

3.  period
from age 50 to 59: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 50 to 59
[Old
English fīftig, from fīf (see five
)]
—fif·ty, adjective,
pronoun[1]



fifty-fifty

fifty-fifty
fif·ty-fif·ty
adjective adverb

in
exactly equal shares: in two equally divided parts
or shares • We’ll
split the profits fifty-fifty.
adjective

equal:
equally likely that either of two possibilities may come about • a
fifty-fifty chance[1]



fig

fig1

fig1 [fig]
(plural figs) noun

1.  sweet-tasting
fruit:
a pear-shaped fruit with sweet-tasting flesh and many seeds that is eaten
fresh, preserved, or dried

2.  tree:
a small tropical or subtropical tree of the mulberry family that bears figs.
Latin name: Ficus carica
[13th
century. Via Old French figue from, ultimately, Latin ficus .]
not give or care a fig for
somebody or something

not to care about somebody or
something at all[1]



fig.

fig.
fig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
figurative

2.  Abbreviation
of
figure

[1]



fig

fig2
fig2 [fig]
noun

dress:
the way somebody is dressed, usually in particularly grand or formal clothing (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. From
obsolete feague “to beat, to work at briskly,” of uncertain origin;
probably from German fegen “to polish.”][1]



fight

fight
fight 
[fīt] verb (past fought,
past participle fought, present participle fight·ing,
3rd person present singular fights)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
violence:
to use violent physical means such as blows with fists or a weapon to try to
overpower somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb go to
war:
to go to war, or engage in armed conflict with another country, force, or group
• In
the Civil War the Confederacy was fighting against the Union.

3.  intransitive
verb
take
part in war: to take part in a war or battle, for
example, as a member or unit of the armed forces involved in it

4.  transitive
verb
carry
on battle or contest: to enter into or carry on a
battle or other contest such as an election or court case

5.  intransitive
verb
struggle
determinedly: to make a strenuous effort to do,
obtain, achieve, or defend something

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb oppose
something:
to make vigorous efforts to oppose, resist, or overcome something or somebody • fight
injustice

7.  intransitive
verb
quarrel:
to argue or quarrel with somebody or with each other

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb box
against somebody: to take part in a boxing match against
somebody
noun
(plural fights)

1.  violent
encounter:
a conflict between individuals or groups in which each tries to do physical
harm to, or defeat, the other

2.  struggle:
a determined effort to achieve or gain something, or to resist or oppose
something or somebody

3.  verbal
confrontation: a verbal dispute or quarrel

4.  ability
or willingness to fight: the ability or willingness
to continue a battle or struggle • We’ve still
got a lot of fight left in us.

5.  boxing
match:
a boxing match or similar contest
[Old
English feohtan “to fight,” ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic
word]
—fight·a·ble,
adjective
fight
it out

to
fight or argue until a decisive result is obtained

fight
shy of something

to
try to avoid something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  fight, battle, war,
  conflict, engagement, skirmish, clash
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  struggle between opposing forces fight;
  a general word used to talk about a physical struggle between opponents. It
  can be used both of individuals or groups of people, such as battalions or
  armies; battle; a fight between
  large organized opposing forces that is part of an ongoing war or campaign; war; a state of hostilities between nations,
  states, or factions involving the use of arms and the occurrence of a series
  of fights or battles; conflict; a
  situation in which opposing forces struggle for supremacy. It is often used
  to talk about a prolonged and bitter struggle; engagement;
  a formal word used to describe a hostile encounter that is part of a
  continuing struggle such as a war and that suggests that the encounter has
  been anticipated and planned; skirmish;
  a brief minor fight, usually one that is part of an ongoing conflict; clash; a short, fierce encounter, usually
  involving physical combat and often forming part of an ongoing conflict

[1]



fightback

fightback
fight
back
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
get
back at somebody: to resist or retaliate when attacked

2.  intransitive
verb
counterattack:
to counterattack or make a determined effort to recover after initial defeat or
difficulty • They
fought back from being down 15 points to win the game.

3.  transitive
verb
restrain
tears or emotion: to suppress something such as tears or
the outward expression of an emotion or impulse

[1]



fighter

fighter
fight·er 
[ftər] (plural fight·ers) noun

1.  attacking
aircraft:
a fast armed military aircraft designed principally to attack enemy aircraft

2.  very
determined person: somebody who is very
determined and struggles hard to achieve or resist something

3.  boxer:
somebody who takes part in boxing matches

[1]



fighter-bomber

fighter-bomber
fight·er-bomb·er
(plural fight·er-bomb·ers) noun

fighter and bomber aircraft
in one: an aircraft designed to
combine the roles of fighter and bomber[1]



fightingchair

fightingchair
fight·ing
chair 
(plural fight·ing chairs) noun

angler’s chair on oceangoing
fishing boat: a chair attached to the
deck of an oceangoing fishing boat for an angler to sit in while struggling to
bring large game fish to the boat[1]



fightingchance

fightingchance
fight·ing
chance
(plural fight·ing chanc·es) noun

chance of success:
a possibility of success, but only with sustained effort[1]



fightingcock

fightingcock
fight·ing
cock
(plural fight·ing cocks) noun

U.K.
See gamecock[1]



fightingfish

fightingfish
fight·ing
fish
noun

aggressive tropical fish:
a small brightly colored, highly aggressive freshwater fish with long flowing
fins that is found in Southeast Asia and elsewhere and is also kept in
aquariums. Genus: Betta[1]



fightoff

fightoff
fight
off
transitive verb

1.  fend
off an attacker: to drive away or resist an attacker

2.  avoid
catching something: to make an effort not to
succumb to something such as an illness or an unpleasant feeling

[1]



fight-or-flightreaction

fight-or-flightreaction
fight-or-flight
re·ac·tion
(plural fight-or-flight re·ac·tions) noun

physical response to danger:
a set of physiological changes, including an increase in heart rate, blood
pressure, and the flow of adrenalin, that constitutes the body’s instinctive
response to impending danger or other stress[1]



figleaf

figleaf
fig
leaf
noun

1.  ARTS covering
for genitals in art: a stylized representation of
a leaf of the fig tree, formerly used as a covering for the genitals in
painting or sculpture

2.  something
meant to hide something else: an unconvincing or
inadequate attempt to conceal something considered shameful or wrong

[1]



figment

figment
fig·ment 
[fígmənt] (plural fig·ments) noun

purely
imaginary thing: something produced by or only existing
in somebody’s imagination • a
figment of her imagination
[15th century. From Latin figmentum
“formation, figure, creation,” from fingere “to form or shape.”][1]



FigueresOlsen, José María

FigueresOlsen, José María
Fi·gue·res
Ol·sen
[fi gàyrəss ṓls’n], José María (1954– )

Costa Rican government
leader. A member of the Partido de Liberacion Nacional (PLN), he was elected
president in 1994.[1]



figural

figural
fig·ur·al 
[fíggyərəl] adjective

See
figurative  adjective 2[1]



figurant

figurant
fig·u·rant 
[fíggyərənt] noun

dancer
who performs in group: a ballet dancer who performs
in group numbers but does not dance solo
[Late 18th century. From
French present participle of figurer “to represent,” from, ultimately,
Latin figura “ figure .”][1]



figurante

figurante
fig·u·rante
[fíggyə rnt, fìggyə
rntee] (plural fig·u·rantes) noun

woman
ballet dancer: a woman ballet dancer who performs in
group numbers but does not dance solo
[Late 18th century. From
French feminine form of figurant “ figurant
.”][1]



figuration

figuration
fig·u·ra·tion 
[fìggyə ráysh’n] (plural fig·u·ra·tions)
noun

1.  MUSIC use of
musical figures as embellishment: the use of musical
figures or other ornaments to embellish or vary a theme

2.  ARTS giving
something figurative form: the process of giving
allegorical or emblematic form to something abstract, especially by
representing it using human or animal figures

3.  figurative
representation of something: a depiction of something in
emblematic or allegorical form

[1]



figurative

figurative
fig·u·ra·tive 
[fíggyərətiv] adjective

1.  not
literal:
using or containing a nonliteral sense of a word or words

2.  representational:
relating to or representing form in art by means of human or animal figures

3.  representing
by allegorical figures: using an allegorical or
emblematic human or animal figure to represent an abstract idea or quality
—fig·u·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—fig·u·ra·tive·ness, noun[1]



figure

figure
fig·ure 
[fíggyər] noun (plural fig·ures)

1.  symbol
representing number: a symbol representing
something other than a letter of the alphabet, especially a number

2.  amount
expressed numerically: an amount or value expressed
as a number

3.  somebody’s
body shape:
the shape of an individual human body, especially with regard to its slimness
or attractiveness

4.  ARTS representation:
a representation of a human being in a picture or sculpture

5.  human
shape seen indistinctly: a human shape seen in
outline or indistinctly or that is unidentified

6.  somebody
within particular context: an individual, especially
with regard to status within a particular context, for example, in history or
in a community or profession • She
was a prominent figure in her community.

7.  somebody
serving as example: somebody regarded as having
qualities that exemplify a particular role in life (usually used in
combination) • father figure

8.  way
somebody appears to others: the general impression
somebody makes on other people • He cut
a dashing figure on the morning of his wedding.

9.  PUBLISHING illustrative
drawing or diagram: an illustrative drawing or
diagram in a book or article

10. shape
or outline of something: something represented by a
shape or outline

11. GEOMETRY geometrical
form:
any two- or three-dimensional geometrical form consisting of points, lines,
curves, or planes

12. CRAFT pattern
or design:
a pattern or design, especially on cloth or wood

13. DANCE ICE SKATING dance or skating
routine:
a particular sequence of movements carried out by dancers or ice skaters as
part of a dance or routine

14. MUSIC group
of musical notes: a short progression of musical notes
that produces a single and distinct impression

15. LOGIC form
of syllogism: the form of an Aristotelian syllogism as
determined by the position of the middle term
plural
noun
fig·ures

mathematical calculations:
calculations involving numbers (informal)
verb
(past fig·ured, past participle fig·ured, present
participle fig·ur·ing, 3rd person present singular fig·ures)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
included in something: to appear, take part, or be
included in something • did not
figure in the outcome

2.  transitive
verb
believe
or conclude: to believe or come to the conclusion
that something is the case (informal) • She
figured he must have meant something by it, but she didn’t know what.

3.  transitive
verb
believe
somebody to be something: to believe somebody or
something to be a particular type • I had
him figured for a lawyer or something like that.

4.  transitive
verb
imagine
something:
to form an idea about or envision something • The
way I figure it, she must have seen the guy somewhere before.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
unsurprising: to be or happen as expected • It
just figures she’d show up late.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb calculate:
to do mathematical calculations, or calculate something using mathematical
operations
[13th century. Via French
from Latin figura “form, shape, figure,” from fingere “to make or
shape” (source of English effigy, faint, and fiction
).][1]



figured

figured
fig·ured 
[fíggyərd] adjective

patterned:
decorated with a design or pattern[1]



figuredbass

figuredbass
fig·ured
bass
(plural fig·ured bass·es) noun

bass part with numbers above:
a bass part of a musical composition, typically baroque or classical, in which
the notes have numbers written above them to indicate which chords to play[1]



figureeight

figureeight
fig·ure
eight
(plural fig·ure eights) noun

outline of number eight:
an outline of the number eight formed with two loops and one continuous line,
for example, in figure skating or aerobatics.
U.K. term
figure of eight[1]



figurehead

figurehead

fig·ure·head 
[fíggyər hèd] (plural fig·ure·heads)
noun

1.  SHIPPING carved
figure on bow of ship: a carving, usually of a full
or half-length human figure, built into the bow of a sailing ship

2.        somebody
nominally in charge: somebody
who appears to be the head of an organization or institution but has no real
responsibility or authority[1]



figurein

figurein
figure
in
transitive verb

include:
to take something into account • She
failed to figure in all the consequences.[1]



figureof eight

figureof eight
fig·ure
of eight
noun


U.K. term
figure eight[1]



figureof merit

figureof merit
fig·ure
of mer·it
(plural fig·ures of mer·it) noun

measure of performance for
machine: a parameter or
characteristic of a machine, component, or instrument that is used as a measure
of its performance[1]



figureof speech

figureof speech
fig·ure
of speech
(plural fig·ures of speech) noun

nonliteral expression or use
of language: an expression or use of
language in a nonliteral sense in order to achieve a particular effect.
Metaphors, similes, and hyperbole are all common figures of speech.[1]



figureon

figureon
figure
on
transitive verb

plan on something:
to plan that something should happen, or assume that it will happen • We
can figure on running a loss this year.[1]



figureout

figureout
figure
out
transitive verb

1.  work
something out: to find a solution or explanation for
something

2.  decide:
to reach a decision or conclusion about something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



figureskating

figureskating
fig·ure
skat·ing
noun

ice
skating:
a form of competitive skating in which skaters trace patterns on the ice and
perform spins, jumps, and other maneuvers
—fig·ure skat·er, noun[1]



figurine

figurine
fig·u·rine 
[fìggyə rn] (plural fig·u·rines)
noun

small
figure:
a small ornamental figure, often of pottery or metal
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Italian figurina “small figure,” from, ultimately, Latin figura
(see figure ).][1]



figwasp

figwasp
fig
wasp
(plural fig wasps) noun

fig-pollinating wasp:
a wasp native to Europe that breeds in caprifigs and pollinates the flowers of
wild fig trees. Each species of fig is believed to be pollinated by a different
species of wasp. Genus: Blastophaga[1]



figwort

figwort
fig·wort 
[fíg wùrt, fíg
wàwrt] (plural fig·worts or fig·wort) noun

woodland
plant:
a tall woodland plant of the snapdragon family that has clusters of small
greenish flowers. Genus: Scrophularia
[Mid-16th century. From fig 1, used as a
dialect term for hemorrhoids, which it was used to treat.][1]



Fiji

Fiji


Fi·ji
[fjee]
island nation in the southern Pacific
Ocean north of New Zealand and east of northern Australia. A British colony
from 1874, it gained its independence in 1970. Language: English. Currency:
Fijian dollar. Capital: Suva. Population: 792,441 (1997) Area: 18,376 sq
km/7,095 sq mi. Official name Republic of Fiji[1]



Fijian

Fijian
Fi·ji·an 
[fjjee ən] (plural Fi·ji·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in Fiji: a language spoken on the islands of
Fiji, belonging to the eastern branch of the Austronesian family of languages.
About 400,000 people speak Fijian.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Fiji:
somebody who was born or raised on the islands of Fiji, or who has Fijian
citizenship
—Fi·ji·an, adjective[1]



filament

filament
fil·a·ment 
[fílləmənt] (plural fil·a·ments)
noun

1.  slender
strand or fiber: a slender strand or fiber of a material

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING wire
conductor in light bulb: a thin wire or ribbon that,
when an electric current passes through it, acts as the light-producing element
in an incandescent bulb or the electron-emitting element in a vacuum tube

3.  BOTANY flower
part:
the stalk that supports the pollen-bearing anther in the male reproductive
organ ( stamen ) of a flower.
See
also
anther

4.  BIOLOGY long
strand of cells: a long strand consisting of similar
cells joined end to end, as found, for example, in certain bacteria and algae
[Late
16th century. Via French, or modern Latin filamentum, from, ultimately,
Latin filum “thread.”]
—fil·a·men·ta·ry
[fìllə méntəree], adjective

—fil·a·men·tous [fìllə méntəss], adjective[1]



filaria

filaria
fi·lar·i·a 
[fi lérree ə] (plural fi·lar·i·ae
or fi·lar·i·a) noun

thin
parasitic worm: a parasitic nematode worm that is
carried as a larva by biting insects and lives as an adult in the blood or
tissues of vertebrates, causing filariasis. Family: Filaridae
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Filaria, former genus name, from Latin filum
“thread.”]
—fi·lar·i·al,
adjective

—fi·lar·i·an, adjective[1]



filariasis

filariasis
fil·a·ri·a·sis 
[fìllə r əssiss] noun

disease caused by parasites:
a disease caused by parasitic worms ( filaria
) that inflames and obstructs the lymphatic glands, sometimes resulting in
elephantiasis[1]



filature

filature
fil·a·ture 
[fíllə chr, fílləchər]
(plural fil·a·tures) noun

1.  reeling
of silk from cocoons: the process of reeling silk
fibers from cocoons

2.  silk
reel:
a reel used in reeling silk fibers

3.  silk
factory:
a factory for reeling silk fibers
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Italian filatura, from filare “to spin,” from, ultimately,
Latin filum “thread.”][1]



filbert

filbert
fil·bert 
[fílbərt] (plural fil·berts or
fil·bert) noun

1.  FOOD See hazelnut

2.  See
hazel
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman philbert, named for St. Philibert, whose feast day
falls on August 22, the month hazelnuts begin to ripen.][1]



filch

filch
filch 
[filch] (past filched, past
participle filched, present participle filch·ing, 3rd
person present singular filch·es) transitive verb

steal
something:
to steal something furtively, usually a small item or amount of little value (informal)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain, perhaps from Old English fylcian “to marshal
troops,” later changing meaning to “to attack, to take as booty.”]
—filch·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



file

file1
file1 [fīl]
noun (plural files)

1.  storage
for papers:
a folder, cabinet, or other container that holds papers for convenient storage
and reference

2.  ordered
collection:
a collection of related documents or papers arranged so they can be consulted
easily

3.  COMPUTING computer
information: a uniquely named collection of program
instructions or data stored on a hard drive, disk, or other storage medium and
treated as a single entity

4.  line:
a line of people or things standing or moving one behind the other
verb
(past filed, past participle filed, present
participle fil·ing, 3rd person present singular files)

1.  transitive
verb
store
something in order: to arrange and store
something in a file for future reference

2.  transitive
verb
LAW submit
something:
to submit something such as a claim or complaint to the appropriate authority
so that it can be put on record

3.  intransitive
verb
LAW bring
a lawsuit:
to make a formal application for something such as a divorce

4.  transitive
verb
PRESS send
in a news report: to send in a report or story to a
newspaper or news agency

5.  intransitive
verb
move
in line:
to move in line one behind the other
[15th
century. Via French filer “to thread on a string” (the original sense in
English ) from, ultimately, Latin filum “thread” (because documents were
hung on pieces of string for easy reference).]
—fil·er, noun[1]



file

file2
file2 [fīl]
noun (plural files)

ENGINEERING metal
tool:
a metal tool, usually long and narrow and with sharpened ridges on one or more
of its surfaces, that is used to smooth down or wear away wood or metal
intransitive
and transitive verb (past filed, past
participle filed, present participle fil·ing, 3rd
person present singular files)

make
something smooth using a file: to smooth or wear away
the surface of something using a file
[Old English fēol .
Ultimately via a prehistoric Germanic word from an Indo-European base meaning
“to cut or carve,” which also produced English depict
and pigment .][1]



fileaway

fileaway
file
away
transitive verb

1.  put
something away: to store something in a file for future
reference

2.  keep
something in mind: to take careful note of
something in order to remember it

[1]



filecabinet

filecabinet
file
cab·i·net
(plural file cab·i·nets) noun

See
filing cabinet[1]



fileextension

fileextension
file
ex·ten·sion
(plural file ex·ten·sions) noun

computer file’s identifying
letters: a combination of characters
following the period after the name of a file created with DOS-based software,
certain combinations identifying the file as being of a standardized type.
Also called
extension[1]



filefish

filefish
file·fish 
[fl fìsh] (plural file·fish or
file·fish·es) noun

slender tropical fish:
a long bony tropical fish with rough-edged scales, a tiny mouth, and a sharp
dorsal spine over the eye. Family: Balistidae[1]



Filegate

Filegate
File·gate
[fl gàyt] noun

White House FBI files
scandal: a scandal in the Clinton
White House involving the alleged improper acquisition and use by Clinton
staffers of FBI background files of people with access to the White House
property (slang)[1]



filemanager

filemanager
file
man·ag·er
(plural file man·ag·ers) noun

program to manage files:
a computer program that helps to arrange and manipulate files and directories
of files[1]



filename

filename
file·name
[fl nàym] (plural file·names)
noun

title for a computer file:
a set of characters, sometimes restricted in number, serving as an identifying
title for a computer file and often including a file extension[1]



fileserver

fileserver
file
serv·er
(plural file serv·ers) noun

computer that other computers
access: a computer in a network that
stores application programs and data files accessed by the other computers in
the network.
Also called
server[1]



filet

filet
fi·let
[fi láy, flày]
noun (plural fi·lets)

COOKING See fillet  noun 1
transitive
verb

COOKING See fillet  verb 1
[Mid-19th century. French
form of fillet .][1]



filetcrochet

filetcrochet
fi·let
cro·chet
noun

crochet
in a square, patterned mesh: crochet in the form of a
square mesh stitched with a double crochet stitch, in which the combination of
holes and filled-in squares creates the pattern
[From French][1]



filetmignon

filetmignon
fi·let
mi·gnon
(plural fi·let mi·gnons) noun

small boneless steak:
a small round boneless beefsteak cut from the inside of the loin and usually
grilled, fried, or broiled[1]



filial

filial
fil·i·al 
[fíllee əl] adjective

1.  of
children to parents: relating or appropriate to a
child’s relationship with, or feelings toward, his or her parents • filial
duty

2.  GENETICS describing
first hybrid generation: used to describe the first
generation that results from crossing two parental lines
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from late Latin filialis “of a son
or daughter,” from Latin filius “son” and filia “daughter.”]
—fil·i·al·ly,
adverb

—fil·ial·ness, noun[1]



filiation

filiation
fil·i·a·tion 
[fìllee áysh’n] noun

1.  process
of establishing paternity: the process of determining
legally who is the father of a child whose paternity is in dispute

2.  being
somebody’s child: the condition of being the child of
particular parents (formal)

[1]



filibuster

filibuster
fil·i·bus·ter 
[fílli bùstər] noun (plural fil·i·bus·ters)

1.  POLITICS political
delaying tactic: a tactic such as a long irrelevant
speech or several such speeches used to delay or prevent the passage of
legislation

2.  POLITICS legislative
obstructor:
somebody who uses obstructive tactics to prevent the passage of legislation

3.  MILITARY military
adventurer:
somebody who is a mercenary or irregular in a revolutionary army of a foreign
country
verb
(past fil·i·bus·tered, past participle fil·i·bus·tered,
present participle fil·i·bus·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular fil·i·bus·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb try to
block legislation with a filibuster: to
try to stop legislation being passed by making long speeches

2.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY be
a military adventurer abroad: to serve as a mercenary or
irregular in a revolutionary army of a foreign country
[Mid-19th
century. Via Spanish filibustero from, ultimately, Dutch vrijbuiter
“pirate” (source of English freebooter
).]
—fil·i·bus·ter·er,
noun

—fil·i·bus·ter·ism,
noun

—fil·i·bus·ter·ous, adjective[1]



filicide

filicide
fil·i·cide 
[fílli sd] (plural fil·i·cides)
noun (formal)

1.  killing
of own child: the killing by a parent of a son or
daughter

2.  killer
of own child: a parent who kills his or her own son or
daughter
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin filius “son” or filia “daughter.”]
—fil·i·cid·al [fìlli sd’l], adjective[1]



filiform

filiform
fil·i·form 
[fílli fàwrm, fli
fàwrm] adjective

BIOLOGY resembling
thread:
long, thin, and fine like a thread
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
filum “thread” + form .][1]



filigree

filigree

fil·i·gree 
[fílli gr] noun (plural fil·i·grees)

1.  lacy
metal ornamentation: delicate decorative openwork
made from thin twisted wire in silver, gold, or another metal

2.  delicate
work:
a delicate ornamental tracery
adjective

in a delicate pattern:
made in a delicate ornamental openwork design
transitive verb
(past fil·i·greed, past participle fil·i·greed, present
participle fil·i·gree·ing, 3rd person present singular fil·i·grees)

form something into a delicate pattern:
to form something into a delicate ornamental openwork design
[Late 17th century. An
alteration of French filigrane “filigree” from Italian filigrana,
from Latin filum “thread” + granum “grain.”][1]



filing

filing
fil·ing 
[fling] (plural fil·ings) noun

tiny particle of metal:
a tiny particle or shaving of metal, such as might have been removed with a
file (often used in the plural) • iron
filings[1]



filingcabinet

filingcabinet
fil·ing
cab·i·net
(plural fil·ing cab·i·nets) noun

storage cabinet for files:
a piece of office furniture containing drawers for storing files.
Also called
file cabinet[1]



filiopietistic

filiopietistic
fil·i·o·pi·e·tis·tic 
[fìllee ō pī ə tístik] adjective

respectful
of ancestors: having great reverence for ancestors (formal)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin filius “son,” filia “daughter” + pietistic .][1]



Filipino

Filipino
Fil·i·pi·no 
[fìllə p nō] or Pil·i·pi·no [fìllə p nō] adjective Fil·i·pi·no Phil·ip·pine

of the Philippines:
relating to the Philippines or their people or culture
noun
(plural Fil·i·pi·nos) (plural Pil·i·pi·nos)

1.  LANGUAGE official
language of the Philippines: the official language of the
Philippines, an Austronesian language based on Tagalog. Over 15,000,000 people
speak Filipino.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from the Philippines: somebody who was born or
raised in the Philippines, or who has Philippine citizenship

[1]



fill

fill
fill 
[fil] verb (past filled,
past participle filled, present participle fill·ing,
3rd person present singular fills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something full or become full: to make a container
full, or become full • The
bathtub filled rapidly.

2.  transitive
verb
take
up all the space: to take up all or most of the space
inside or cover the whole or most of the surface area of something • the
room was filled with light

3.  transitive
verb
cover
a blank area: to cover a page or a blank space on a
page with writing or drawing

4.  transitive
verb
become
abundant:
to become present and very noticeable throughout something • The
scent of spring filled the air.

5.  transitive
verb
make
somebody feel something powerfully: to
cause somebody to experience a strong emotion, usually to the exclusion of all
others • The
news filled me with dread.

6.  transitive
verb
close
up a hole:
to plug a hole, crack, or cavity in something

7.  transitive
verb
meet
a need:
to satisfy a need or requirement • The
retreat filled her need for solitude.

8.  transitive
verb
occupy
free time:
to occupy a period of time with an activity • They
filled their days with busywork until she returned.

9.  transitive
verb
provide:
to carry out somebody’s instructions to supply something • fill
a prescription

10. transitive
verb
POLITICS hold
office:
to hold a job or office and carry out the duties associated with it

11. transitive
verb
choose
somebody:
to elect or appoint somebody to a job or position

12. transitive
verb
COOKING put
a filling into something: to put a type of food into
something such as a cake or sandwich as its filling

13. transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION add
something to raise a surface level: to
build up the surface of something with earth, stones, or other materials until
it reaches a desired level

14. intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL power a sail with wind:
to stretch a sail and make it bulge out, or bulge out under the pressure of the
wind
noun
(plural fills)

1.  plenty
of something: a sufficient or excessive quantity of
something • I’ve
had my fill of his complaints.

2.  enough
to make a container full: enough of something to fill
a container, or the act of fill ing a container

3.  CONSTRUCTION material
to raise a surface: material, for example, earth
or stones, used to build up the surface of something to a desired level

4.  MUSIC improvised
music:
music improvised to fill designated spaces in a jazz or other musical score
[Old English fyllan,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



fillede joie

fillede joie
fille
de joie 
(plural filles de joie) noun

prostitute:
a woman prostitute (used euphemistically)
[From French, literally “girl
of pleasure”][1]



filledgold

filledgold
filled
gold
noun

gold composition:
a thin layer of gold bonded to a backing layer of brass or other base metal.
U.K. term
rolled gold[1]



filler

filler
fill·er 
[fíllər] (plural fill·ers) noun

1.  something
that fills:
somebody who or something that fills something

2.  plugging
or coating substance: a substance used to plug a
crack or cavity or smooth a surface before painting or varnishing

3.  substance
added for bulk: a substance such as sizing that is used
to fill spaces or add bulk or strength to a material

4.  PRESS BROADCASTING less important
material:
something, often relatively unimportant, added to fill space, for example, in a
newspaper or between items in a broadcast or performance

5.  tobacco
filling:
the tobacco inside a cigar or cigarette

6.  INDUSTRY padding:
a material such as cotton or down that is used to stuff something such as a
quilt or toy

[1]



fillet

fillet
fil·let
[fi láy] noun (plural fil·lets)

1.  COOKING boneless
portion of fish or meat: a boneless portion cut from
a fish, a poultry breast, or the rib area of beef, lamb, or pork.
Also
called
filet

2.  ACCESSORIES ribbon
worn around the head: a ribbon or narrow band of
fabric worn around the head across the forehead, as an ornament or to hold back
the hair

3.  ARCHITECTURE flat
narrow molding: a raised or sunken ornamental surface
set between larger surfaces.
Also
called
listel
Also
called
list

4.  PRINTING decorative
line on the cover of book: a thin decorative line
impressed onto the cover of a book, or the tool used to make it
transitive
verb
(past fil·let·ed, past participle fil·let·ed, present
participle fil·let·ing, 3rd person present singular fil·lets)

1.  FOOD cut a
fillet from something: to cut and prepare boneless
portions of fish, poultry, or meat

2.  use
a fillet as binding or decoration: to bind hair or
decorate a surface with a fillet
[14th century. Via Old French
filet, from, ultimately, Latin filum “thread.”][1]



fill-in

fill-in
fill-in
(plural fill-ins) noun

somebody to take another’s
place: a temporary replacement or
substitute for somebody[1]



fillin

fillin
fill
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
color
a blank space on something: to cover a blank space on
something with coloring or shading

2.  transitive
verb
plug
a cavity and make the surface level: to
put material into a cavity in a surface to make the surface level

3.  transitive
verb
occupy
time:
to spend a period of time that would otherwise be unoccupied in an activity

4.  intransitive
verb
substitute
for somebody: to act as a substitute for somebody

5.  transitive
verb
give
somebody information: to supply somebody with
information about something

6.  transitive
verb
See fill out  verb 1

[1]



filling

filling
fill·ing 
[fílling] noun (plural fill·ings)

1.  DENTISTRY plug
for a decayed tooth: a plug made of metal or
composite material, used to fill a cavity in a decayed tooth

2.  getting
something filled: the process or an instance of having
something such as a cavity in a tooth filled

3.  something
used to fill something: a substance or material used
to fill the space inside something, pad it, or add bulk to it

4.  FOOD food
mixture put inside something: a food mixture that is put
inside something else such as a pie, pastry case, or sandwich

5.  TEXTILES threads
going across fabric: the horizontal threads or
yarn in a woven fabric
adjective

satisfying hunger:
leaving somebody with the feeling of having eaten enough

[1]



fillingstation

fillingstation
fill·ing
sta·tion
(plural fill·ing sta·tions) noun

gas station:
a gas station[1]



fillip

fillip
fil·lip 
[fíllip] noun (plural fil·lips)

1.  feeling
of encouragement: something that stimulates or encourages
something or somebody

2.  snapping
movement of the fingertip against the thumb: a
snapping of the tip of one of the fingers against the ball of the thumb in
order to make a sound or to propel a small object
transitive
verb
(past fil·liped, past participle fil·liped, present
participle fil·lip·ing, 3rd person present singular fil·lips)

1.  propel
something with a fillip: to strike or propel
something by snapping the fingertip against the ball of the thumb

2.  give
somebody or something an incentive: to
provide a stimulus or encouragement to somebody or something
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound of flicking or snapping the fingers.][1]



filllight

filllight
fill
light
(plural fill lights) noun

light used to eliminate
shadows: in photography and
filmmaking, a secondary source of light used to eliminate, reduce, or soften
shadows[1]



Fillmore,Millard

Fillmore,Millard

Fill·more
[fíl màwr], Millard (1800–1874)
U.S. statesman and 13th president of the
United States. A member of the Whig Party, he served as vice president
(1849–1850) before assuming the presidency (1850–1853) upon the death of Zachary
Taylor.[1]



fillout

fillout
fill
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
complete
the blank spaces in something: to write information
into the blank spaces on a form or document

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something bigger: to become or make something
larger and more substantial

[1]



fillup

fillup
fill
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something full: to become full, or make
something full

2.  transitive
verb
satisfy
somebody’s hunger: to give somebody the feeling
of having eaten enough

3.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES make
fuel tank full: to fill a vehicle’s tank with fuel

[1]



fill-up

fill-up
fill-up
(plural fill-ups) noun

filling of fuel tank:
a filling of something, especially a vehicle’s fuel tank[1]



filly

filly
fil·ly 
[fíllee] (plural fil·lies) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY young
female horse: a female horse under four years of age

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a young woman or girl (dated informal offensive)
[15th century. From Old Norse
fylja . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English foal .][1]



fillér

fillér
fil·lér 
[fí làir] (plural fil·lérs) noun

1.  Hungarian
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Hungary one
hundred of which make a forint

2.  MONEY coin
worth a fillér: a coin worth one fillér
[Early 20th century. From
Hungarian.][1]



film

film
film 
[film] noun (plural films)

1.  CINEMA See movie

2.  CINEMA motion
pictures collectively: movies collectively,
considered as a medium for recording events, a form of entertainment, or an art
form

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY coated
strip for taking pictures: a thin translucent strip or
sheet of cellulose coated with an emulsion sensitive to light, used in a camera
to take still or moving pictures

4.  INDUSTRY very
thin sheet of something: material, especially a
plastic, in the form of a very thin, flexible, and usually translucent or
transparent sheet, often used for wrapping things

5.  thin
layer:
a thin coating of a substance such as dust, liquid, or ice covering the surface
of something

6.  something
making a view hazy: a thin haze or mist, or
something similar that blurs somebody’s view
plural
noun
films

U.K. CINEMA movie
industry:
the motion-picture industry (informal)
verb
(past filmed, past participle filmed, present
participle film·ing, 3rd person present singular films)

1.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY take
pictures of something: to record somebody or
something on film

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA make a motion picture:
to make or be involved in the making of a motion picture

3.  transitive
verb
CINEMA make
movie of something: to make a motion picture of
a book, story, or event

4.  intransitive
verb
CINEMA be
good for filming: to be a suitable subject for cinematic
treatment • a
story that would film well

5.  transitive
verb
cover
with a thin layer: to cover the surface of
something with a thin coating of a substance
[Old English filmen
“membrane, skin,” ultimately via a prehistoric Germanic word from an
Indo-European base that also produced English pelt][1]



filmbadge

filmbadge
film
badge
(plural film badg·es) noun

device registering exposure
to nuclear radiation: a piece of
photographic film incorporated into a badge and used to register the wearer’s
exposure to nuclear radiation[1]



filmgoer

filmgoer
film·go·er 
[fílm g ər] (plural film·go·ers)
noun

U.K.
See moviegoer[1]



filmic

filmic
film·ic 
[fílmik] adjective

characteristic
of a movie:
characteristic or reminiscent of a movie, especially in the techniques used to
tell a story or describe a scene
—film·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



filmlibrary

filmlibrary
film
li·brar·y
noun

archive collection of films:
a large collection of motion pictures or newsreels used as an archive[1]



filmmaker

filmmaker
film·mak·er 
[fílm màykər] (plural film·mak·ers)
noun

movie
producer or director: somebody who produces or
directs movies.
Also
called
moviemaker
—film·mak·ing, noun[1]



filmnoir

filmnoir
film
noir 
(plural films noirs) noun

shadowy,
pessimistic movie: a motion picture of a type
popular in the 1940s and 1950s, often filmed in urban settings with extensive
use of shadows, cynical in outlook, and featuring antiheroes
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “black film.”][1]



filmography

filmography
film·og·ra·phy 
[fil móggrəfee] (plural film·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  list
of movies:
a list of the motion pictures made by a particular actor or director, or on a
particular subject

2.  writing
about movies: writing about motion pictures
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
film and bibliography
.][1]



filmover

filmover
film
over
intransitive verb

become covered with a thin
layer: to become covered with a
thin or misty layer of something[1]



filmsetting

filmsetting
film·set·ting 
[fílm sètting] noun

See
photocomposition
—film·set,
transitive verb

—film·set·ter, noun[1]



filmstar

filmstar
film
star
(plural film stars) noun

U.K.
See movie star[1]



filmstrip

filmstrip
film·strip 
[fílm strip] (plural film·strips)
noun

strip of photographs shown as
slides: a length of developed
photographic film containing a series of still images to be projected on a
screen[1]



filmy

filmy
film·y 
[fílmee] (comparative film·i·er,
superlative film·i·est) adjective

1.  light
and airy:
consisting or made of very thin translucent material

2.  covered
with a film: covered or misted over with a thin layer
of something
—film·i·ly,
adverb

—film·i·ness, noun[1]



filo

filo
fi·lo 
[f l] or fi·lo pas·try [f l] noun

U.K.
See phyllo
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
phullo “leaf.”][1]



FILO

FILO
FILO
[f l]

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of first in, last out[1]



fils

fils2
fils2 [feess]
noun

junior:
in France and French-speaking countries, a word used after a man’s or boy’s
surname to distinguish him from his father of the same name • Henri
Dupont fils.
See
also
père
[Late 19th century. From
French, “son.”][1]



fils

fils1
fils1 [fils]
(plural filses or fils) noun MONEY

1.  Arab
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Iraq, Bahrain,
Jordan, Kuwait, and Yemen, one hundred of which are equivalent to one riyal

2.  coin
worth a fils: a coin worth one fils
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic fals, a small copper coin.][1]



filter

filter
fil·ter 
[fíltər] noun (plural fil·ters)

1.  straining
device:
a device made of or containing a porous material used to collect particles from
a liquid or gas passing through it

2.  porous
material used for straining: any porous layer or material
such as sand, paper, or cloth, used in or as a filter

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY tinted
screen:
a tinted glass or dyed gelatin screen placed on a camera lens to reduce light
intensity, exclude some types of light, control the rendering of color, or
distort an image

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
restricting the passage of frequencies: an
acoustic, electric, electronic, or optical device, instrument, or computer
program that allows the passage of some frequencies or digital elements and blocks
others

5.  See
filter tip  noun 1

6.  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING device
for removing particles: a separating medium or
device for removing small particles from a gas or liquid by mechanical
interception, based mainly on the difference between the size of the particles
and the openings in the filter medium, but sometimes also aided by
electrostatic forces
verb
(past fil·tered, past participle fil·tered, present
participle fil·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular fil·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
pass
something through a filter: to put something such as a
fluid, light, or electrical impulses through a filter to remove or recover
something

2.  intransitive
verb
pass
through something: to seep or pass through a
filter or something that is intended to act as a barrier • The
sunlight filtered in through the shutters.

3.  intransitive
verb
trickle:
to move or pass slowly and gradually • People
filtered into the auditorium.
[14th
century. Via Old French filtre “felt” (used for filtering liquids, the
original sense in English ), from medieval Latin filtrum . Ultimately,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced English felt .]
—fil·ter·er,
noun

—fil·ter·less, adjective[1]



filterable

filterable
fil·ter·a·ble 
[fíltərəb’l, fíltrəb’l]
or fil·tra·ble [fíltrəb’l] adjective

capable
of being filtered: capable of being passed
through a filter
—fil·ter·a·bil·i·ty [fìltərə bíllətee, fìltrə
bíllətee], noun[1]



filterbed

filterbed
fil·ter
bed
(plural fil·ter beds) noun

layer to filter water:
a thick layer of sand, gravel, charcoal, or other filtering material in a tank,
used to remove sewage or other impurities from liquids[1]



filtercoffee

filtercoffee
fil·ter
cof·fee
(plural fil·ter cof·fees) noun

See
drip coffee[1]



filterfeeder

filterfeeder
fil·ter
feed·er
(plural fil·ter feed·ers) noun

marine
animal that strains its food: an aquatic animal such as a
clam, sponge, or baleen whale that feeds on particles or small organisms that
it filters from the water
—fil·ter feed·ing, noun[1]



filterpaper

filterpaper
fil·ter
pa·per
(plural fil·ter pa·pers) noun

porous paper used as a
filter: a type of porous paper used
as or in a filter[1]



filtertip

filtertip
fil·ter
tip
(plural fil·ter tips) noun

1.  filtering
device on a cigarette: a small cylindrical
mouthpiece made of a dense porous material attached to the end of a cigarette
to remove tar and other impurities from the smoke.
Also
called
filter

2.  filtered
cigarette:
a cigarette with a filter tip
—fil·ter-tipped, adjective[1]



filth

filth
filth 
[filth] noun

1.  foul
dirt:
dirt or refuse that is disgusting or excessive

2.  morally
objectionable material: something considered
extremely morally objectionable or obscene, for example, coarse language or
explicit descriptions or depictions of sexual activity
[Old English fð,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English foul][1]



filthy

filthy
filth·y 
[fílthee] adjective (comparative
filth·i·er, superlative filth·i·est)

1.  extremely
dirty:
extremely or disgustingly dirty • Your
hands are filthy!

2.  morally
objectionable: considered extremely morally
objectionable or obscene

3.  despicable:
used to express contempt or strong disapproval (informal) • a
filthy liar
adverb

very: to an
extreme degree (informal) • filthy
rich
—filth·i·ly,
adverb

—filth·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dirty

[1]



filtrable

filtrable
fil·tra·ble 
adjective

See
filterable[1]



filtrate

filtrate
fil·trate 
[fíl tràyt] noun (plural fil·trates)

filtered
material:
the material that emerges from a filtering process, usually a liquid or gas
from which impurities have been removed
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fil·trat·ed,
past participle fil·trat·ed, present participle fil·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular fil·trates)

pass
through a filter: to pass through or put something through
a filter
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin filtrat-, past participle stem of filtrare “to
filter,” from medieval Latin filtrum (see filter
).][1]



filtration

filtration
fil·tra·tion 
[fil tráysh’n] noun

straining out something:
the process of passing through or putting something through a filter[1]



filum

filum
fi·lum 
[fləm] (plural fi·la [flə]) noun

filament:
a fine part or structure of a living organism that is long and thin like a
thread
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “thread, filament, fiber.”][1]



filé

filé
fi·lé 
[f lày, fi láy]
noun

powder
for cooking: a powder made from the ground leaves of
the sassafras tree that is used in Cajun cooking to thicken and flavor soups,
gumbos, and other dishes
[Mid-19th century. From
French, past participle of filer “to twist,” from, ultimately, Latin filum
“thread.”][1]



fimbria

fimbria
fim·bri·a 
[fímbree ə] (plural fim·bri·ae
[fímbree ]) noun

ANATOMY fringed
border:
a fringed border or part in the body, for example, that found at the entrance
to the fallopian tubes
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “border, fringe.”]
—fim·bri·al, adjective[1]



fimbriate

fimbriate
fim·bri·ate 
[fímbree ət] or fim·bri·at·ed
[fímbree àytəd] adjective

fringed
on the border: used to describe parts of organisms
having a fringed border
[15th
century. From Latin fimbriatus “fringed,” from fimbria “border,
fringe.”]
—fim·bri·a·tion [fìmbree áysh’n], noun[1]



fin.

fin.
fin.

1.  Abbreviation
of
finance

2.  Abbreviation
of
financial

3.  Abbreviation
of
finish

[1]



Fin.

Fin.
Fin.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Finland

2.  Abbreviation
of
Finnish

[1]



FIN

FIN
FIN

Abbreviation of
Finland[1]



fin

fin1

fin1 [fin]
noun (plural fins)

1.  ZOOLOGY part
of a fish used for motion: a flexible organ, sometimes
paddle-shaped, fan-shaped, or triangular, extending from the body of a fish or
aquatic animal and helping to balance it or propel it through the water

2.  SHIPPING part
attached to the hull of submarine: a wing-shaped often
movable blade attached low on the hull of a vessel such as a submarine that
helps to control and stabilize it

3.  AIR upright
part of aircraft’s tail: a fixed vertical surface at
the tail of an aircraft giving stability and to which the rudder is attached

4.  AIR AEROSPACE stabilizing structure on
rocket or missile: any small flat fixed
structure extending from the body of a rocket, missile, or aircraft, often near
the tail, to give stability in flight.
Also
called
vertical stabilizer

5.  rib
on a heating device: a flat metal part projecting
from a heating mechanism such as a radiator that helps to increase the transfer
of heat to the surrounding air

6.  SWIMMING See flipper

7.  AUTOMOBILES decorative
extension on an automobile body: an ornamental
extension on the body of a motor vehicle, especially on the rear fender
intransitive verb
(past finned, past participle finned, present
participle fin·ning, 3rd person present singular fins)

swim using fins:
to swim or beat the water with fins, or show a fin above water
[Old
English fin(n) . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that
probably came from Latin pinna “feather, wing” (source of English pin, pinion,
and pinnacle ).]
—finned, adjective[1]



fin

fin2
fin2 [fin]
(plural fins) noun

MONEY 5
dollars:
a five-dollar bill (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Yiddish finef “five,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English five
.][1]



finable

finable
fin·a·ble
[fnəb’l] adjective

subject to a fine:
subject to or punishable by a fine[1]



finagle

finagle
fi·na·gle 
[fi náyg’l] (past fi·na·gled, past
participle fi·na·gled, present participle fi·na·gling,
3rd person present singular fi·na·gles) intransitive and
transitive verb

get
something by trickery: to trick, cheat, or
manipulate somebody in order to obtain or achieve something (informal) • He
finagled his way out of the difficulty.
[Early
20th century. Probably from dialectal fainaigue, of unknown origin.]
—fi·na·gler, noun[1]



final

final
fi·nal 
[fn’l] adjective

1.  last:
last of a number or series of similar things • a
final reminder

2.  allowing
no change:
conclusive and allowing no further discussion • the
editor’s decision is final

3.  ending:
occurring at the end of something • the
final curtain
noun
(plural fi·nals)

end of a series:
the last and most important in a series of sports or other contests that
decides the winner of a tournament or competition
plural
noun
fi·nals

1.  SPORTS last
decisive rounds of a tournament: the last decisive
rounds of a tournament or competition during which the winners of previous
rounds play each other

2.  EDUCATION examinations
at the end of a university course: the examinations that
take place at the end of a course of study or studies for a professional
qualification
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin finalis “last,” from finis “final moment,
end” (source of English finance and finish ).][1]



finalapproach

finalapproach
fi·nal
ap·proach
noun

last stage of an aircraft’s
descent: the last stage of an
aircraft’s descent before landing, from its turning into line with the runway
to the procedures immediately preceding touchdown[1]



finalcut

finalcut
fi·nal
cut
(plural fi·nal cuts) noun

finished movie:
the approved and edited version of a movie prior to its being released for
viewing by the public[1]



finale

finale
fi·nal·e 
[fi nállee, fi
nlee] (plural fi·nal·es) noun

1.  THEATER final
theatrical number: a scene or number that
brings a stage performance or an act of a performance to an end

2.  MUSIC final
movement:
a final movement or section of a musical composition

3.  final
event in a series: an event that is the last or
climactic event in a series
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Latin finalis (see final
).][1]



finalist

finalist
fi·nal·ist 
[fn’list] (plural fi·nal·ists)
noun

competitor eligible for the
finals of competition: somebody
who has qualified to take part in the finals of a tournament or competition[1]



finality

finality
fi·nal·i·ty 
[fī nállətee, fi
nállətee] (plural fi·nal·i·ties) noun

1.  quality
of being final: the quality, state, or condition of
being concluded or decided, permitting no further progress or development • he
spoke with an air of finality

2.  final
action:
an act, belief, or statement that is final

[1]



finalize

finalize
fi·nal·ize 
[fn’l z] (past fi·nal·ized, past
participle fi·nal·ized, present participle fi·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fi·nal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
something into final form: to bring something to a
point at which everything has been agreed upon and arranged

2.  transitive
verb
complete
something:
to complete an agreement, sale, or other transaction
—fi·nal·i·za·tion
[fn’li záysh’n], noun

—fi·nal·iz·er
[fn’l zər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  finalize
  or make final ? Though finalize has been in use for many years,
  even increasing in currency by the end of the 20th century, it is regarded
  with extreme disdain by many people in spite of its obvious utility in being
  a more concise way of saying “make final.” Therefore, those people wanting
  their writing to be above reproach will avoid using it, substituting finish,
  complete, or make final.

[1]



finally

finally
fi·nal·ly
[fn’lee] adverb

1.  at
last:
after a long period of time or a long delay and often after previous
unsuccessful attempts • So
you’ve finally decided to ask her out, right?

2.  definitively:
in a way that rules out further continuance, change, or discussion • The
venue won’t be finally decided until the next meeting.

3.  as
last in the series: as the last in a series of
things or actions • We visited Belgium,
Holland, Germany, and finally Switzerland.

4.  as
the last thing to be said: used to introduce the last
in a series of things said by somebody • Finally,
I’d like to thank all of you for coming here tonight.

[1]



FinalSolution

FinalSolution
Fi·nal
So·lu·tion
or fi·nal so·lu·tion noun

systematic
killing of Jews: the plan to murder systematically all
the Jews of Europe, conceived and put into action by the Nazis during World War
II
[Translation of German Endlösung][1]



finance

finance
fi·nance 
[f nàns, fi
náns] noun

1.  control
of money:
the business or art of managing the monetary resources of an organization,
country, or individual • high
finance

2.  money
necessary to do something: the money necessary to do
something, especially to fund a project
plural
noun
fi·nanc·es

the money somebody has:
the money at the disposal of a person, organization, or country • It’ll
depend on the state of my finances at the end of the month.
transitive
verb
(past fi·nanced, past participle fi·nanced, present
participle fi·nanc·ing, 3rd person present singular fi·nanc·es)

provide money for something:
to raise or provide the money required for something or by somebody
[14th
century. From French, from finer “to end, settle” (the original sense in
English ), from, ultimately, Latin finis “end.” Its present-day monetary
connotation derived from the notion of settling a debt.]
—fi·nance·a·ble, adjective[1]



financebill

financebill
fi·nance
bill
(plural fi·nance bills) noun

legislative bill providing
money for government: an act
passed by a legislature to raise or provide money for public expenditure[1]



financecompany

financecompany
fi·nance
com·pa·ny
noun

business that loans money:
a business enterprise that loans money to individuals or companies against
collateral, especially to buy homes or items on an installment plan[1]



financial

financial
fi·nan·cial 
[fi nánshəl, fī
nánshəl] adjective

connected
with money:
relating to or involving money or finance
—fi·nan·cial·ly, adverb[1]



FinancialTimes Industrial Ordinary Share Index

FinancialTimes Industrial Ordinary Share Index
Fi·nan·cial
Times In·dus·tri·al Or·di·nar·y Share In·dex noun

London stock exchange price
index: an index of prices on the
London Stock Exchange based on the average price of thirty shares. It is
produced by the Financial Times .[1]



FinancialTimes Stock Exchange 100 Index

FinancialTimes Stock Exchange 100 Index
Fi·nan·cial
Times Stock Ex·change 100 In·dex noun

Full form of
FTSE 100 Index[1]



financialyear

financialyear
fi·nan·cial
year
(plural fi·nan·cial years) noun

U.K.
See fiscal year[1]



financier

financier
fin·an·cier 
[fìnnən sr, fínnən
sr] (plural financiers) noun

somebody
skilled in finance: somebody who is practiced or
skilled in financial matters and has considerable personal wealth
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from finance (see finance
).][1]



finback

finback
fin·back 
[fín bàk] (plural fin·backs) noun

large whale with a prominent
fin: a large baleen whale that
has a prominent dorsal fin. Latin name: Balaenoptera physalus
Also called
finner
Also called
fin whale
Also called
razorback
See also
rorqual[1]



finch

finch
finch 
[finch] (plural finch·es) noun

small
songbird:
a small songbird that has a short broad seed-eating bill and colorful plumage
in males. Family: Fringillidae
[Old English finc,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



Finch,Peter

Finch,Peter
Finch
[finch], Peter (1916–1977)

British
actor. A stage and screen performer, he received a posthumous Academy Award for
his role in Network ( 1976 ).
Full name
Finch, Peter George Frederick Ingle[1]



find

find
find 
[fīnd] verb (past found,
past participle found [fownd],
present participle find·ing, 3rd person present singular finds)

1.  transitive
verb
discover
something:
to discover something or somebody after a search • He
was found wandering a mile from his home.

2.  transitive
verb
get
something back: to recover something after losing it • I
can’t find my car keys.

3.  transitive
verb
discover
something for first time: to realize, understand, or
locate something for the first time, especially by studying or observing • We
have to find answers to the problem of global warming.

4.  transitive
verb
discover
something accidentally: to notice or come across
somebody or something by chance • I
found my glasses under the table.

5.  transitive
verb
experience
something:
to notice or experience something personally • They
found great comfort in their work. • I
think you’ll find them easy to get along with.

6.  transitive
verb
manage
to get something: to make a special effort to gather
something together or summon something up • I
don’t know where we’ll find the money.

7.  transitive
verb
reach
goal:
to succeed in reaching something aimed for • He
has finally found his place as a world-class tennis player.

8.  transitive
verb
SCIENCE record
as occurring: to observe something such as a natural
species as existing or occurring (often passive) • This
species is found all across the continent.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW reach a verdict:
to decide about something or somebody at the end of a legal procedure, or
announce the decision reached • The
jury found for the plaintiff.

10. transitive
verb
supply
need:
to bring or provide something that is necessary for a process to occur • You
will need to find your own transportation and equipment for the job.

11. reflexive
verb
become
conscious of your own condition: to become aware of
being in a particular place or state • He
found himself in an empty street.

12. reflexive
verb
make
decisions about your own life: to become more
self-aware and self-motivated (informal) • She
finally found herself and became a successful artist.
noun
(plural finds)

discovery:
something noteworthy or valuable that has been found, or somebody who is
talented and is brought to public attention • a
real find
[Old
English findan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to tread
or go,” which is also the ancestor of English path,
peripatetic, and pontiff .]
—find·a·ble, adjective[1]



finder

finder
find·er 
[fndər] (plural find·ers) noun

1.  somebody
finding things: somebody who or something that locates
something

2.  ASTRONOMY small
telescope attached to larger telescope: a
small wide-angle telescope attached parallel to the optical axis of a larger
telescope to help locate celestial objects

[1]



finde siècle

finde siècle
fin
de siè·cle
noun

last
years of 19thC: the final years of the 19th century,
characterized as being a time of decadence and self-doubt
[From French, literally “end
of the century”][1]



finding

finding
find·ing 
[fnding] noun (plural find·ings)

1.  research
result:
a piece of information obtained from an investigation, especially scientific
research

2.  LAW verdict:
a conclusion that is reached and recorded at the end of a judicial or other
formal inquiry
plural
noun

materials for craftwork:
small articles or tools used in making craftwork, for example, metal clips used
on earrings

[1]



findout

findout
find
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb discover
information: to get to know something, especially by
asking somebody or searching in an appropriate source, or just by chance • I
don’t know how they found out about the proposed merger.

2.  transitive
verb
detect
wrongdoing:
to detect and expose an offense • He was
quickly found out and his lies exposed.

[1]



fine

fine4
fine4 [f
này] noun

end
after repeated section: the place on a music score
that shows where the piece finishes after a repeated section, or the symbol
that marks the place
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, from Latin finis “end.”][1]



fine

fine3
fine3 [feen]
noun

See
fine champagne[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fine

fine2
fine2 [fīn]
noun (plural fines)

LAW cash
paid as punishment: a sum of money that somebody
is ordered to pay for breaking a law or rule
transitive
verb
(past fined, past participle fined, present
participle fin·ing, 3rd person present singular fines)

LAW punish
by imposing a payment: to take a fixed amount of
money from somebody who has broken a rule or a law
[13th century. Via French fin
from Latin finis “end,” used in medieval Latin to denote a sum to be
paid on completion of legal proceedings.][1]



fine

fine1
fine1 [fīn]
adjective

1.  very
well or satisfactory: in a good, acceptable, or
comfortable condition (informal) • The
patient is doing fine.

2.  not
coarse:
made up of tiny particles • fine
sand

3.  sunny:
with sunny and clear skies • a fine
morning

4.  thin:
very thin, sharp, or delicate • fine
features
• fine
hair

5.  good-looking:
very good to look at • a fine
view of the valley

6.  outstanding:
far better than the average • a fine
wine

7.  unpleasant:
extremely unsuitable or undesirable (informal) (used ironically)
• This
is a fine mess!

8.  spuriously
impressive:
sounding or looking good, but probably just for show (used ironically) • nothing
but fine gestures

9.  delicately
formed:
showing special skill, detail, or intricacy, especially in artistic work • fine
detail

10. small
and delicate: set very closely and carefully together
• fine
stitching

11. very
subtle:
so particular or small that it may hardly be noticeable • a
maze of fine legal detail • a
fine distinction

12. extremely
pure:
with any or most impurities removed, especially in a precious metal
adverb

1.  well:
very well (informal) • It
works just fine.

2.  into
small pieces: into tiny or delicate bits • Chop
the onions very fine.
verb
(past fined, past participle fined, present
participle fin·ing, 3rd person present singular fines)

1.  transitive
verb
sharpen:
to make something thinner or sharper (technical)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb purify:
to purify beer or wine
[13th
century. From French fin, from, ultimately, Latin finire “to
finish” (see finish ). The underlying sense
is of something finished.]
—fine·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word finire from which fine
  is derived is also the source of English affinity,
  confine, define, final, finance, finesse,
  finish, finite,
  paraffin, and refine.

[1]



fineart

fineart
fine
art 
(plural fine arts) noun

1.  ARTS creation
of beautiful objects: artistic work that is meant
to be appreciated for its own sake, rather than to serve some useful function

2.  EDUCATION college
course in art: a course of study designed to teach
students practical artistic skills as well as the theory and history of art

3.  ARTS pure
art:
any art form, for example, painting, sculpture, architecture, drawing, or
engraving, that is considered to have purely aesthetic value (often used in
the plural)

4.  impressively
detailed technique: something that requires
great skill, talent, or precision (informal) • the
fine art of public speaking

[1]



finechampagne

finechampagne
fine
cham·pagne
noun

brandy:
a liqueur brandy made in the Champagne region of France
[Mid-19th century. From
French fine champagne “fine (brandy from) Champagne.”][1]



finechemical

finechemical
fine
chem·i·cal
(plural fine chem·i·cals) noun

expensive chemical product:
a chemical product that is made in relatively small quantities and is typically
high in cost, for example, a flavoring or vitamin[1]



fine-grained

fine-grained
fine-grained 
or fine-grain adjective

with an unblemished texture:
formed with a smooth, even, or closely-patterned grain • fine-grained
wood[1]



finely

finely
fine·ly 
[fnlee] adverb

1.  into
small pieces: into small, thin, or delicate pieces

2.  skillfully:
in a careful, delicate, or sensitive way • an
actor finely tuned to her audience’s reactions • finely
wrought

[1]



fineprint

fineprint
fine
print 
noun

BUSINESS
details printed small:
the detailed part of a document that is printed in small characters, often
regarded with suspicion as containing unattractive conditions the author hopes
the signer will not notice.
Also called
small print[1]



finery

finery
fin·er·y 
[fnəree] noun

showy
clothes:
clothing, jewelry, or accessories that are especially dressy and stylish,
usually worn on special occasions
[Late 17th century. Formed
from fine, modeled on bravery .][1]



finesherbes

finesherbes
fines
herbes 
[fnz érb] plural noun

mixed
fresh herbs: a mixture of finely chopped herbs used
to flavor a dish
[From French, literally “fine
herbs”][1]



finespun

finespun
fine·spun
[fn spún] adjective

thinly spun:
spun or stretched out thinly • finespun
yarn[1]



finesse

finesse
fi·nesse 
[fi néss] noun (plural fi·ness·es)

1.  physical
skill:
elegant ability and dexterity • As a
top-flight tennis star, she made up in finesse what she lacked in power.

2.  tactful
treatment:
a delicate and skillful approach in dealing with a troublesome situation

3.  BRIDGE tactic
in bridge:
in bridge, an attempt to win a trick with a lower-value card while holding a
higher card not in sequence, hoping that your left-hand opponent will not play
a card of intervening value
verb
(past fi·nessed, past participle fi·nessed, present
participle fi·ness·ing, 3rd person present singular fi·ness·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BRIDGE try winning a trick with a
lower card:
in bridge, to attempt to win a trick with a lower-value card while holding a
higher card not in sequence, hoping that your left-hand opponent will not play
a card of intervening value

2.  transitive
verb
control
in a devious way: to use subtle tricks or deception to
manipulate something or somebody • He
finessed the competition by praising one course then doing quite the opposite.
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “fineness,” from fin (see fine 1 ). The word
originally denoted purity, especially of metals, or delicacy.][1]



finestructure

finestructure
fine
struc·ture 
(plural fine struc·tures) noun

splitting of light produced
by atoms: the separation of light of
particular wavelengths produced by atoms or molecules into two or more very
similar wavelengths, caused by the interaction of particular quantum mechanical
properties[1]



fine-toothcomb

fine-toothcomb
fine-tooth
comb
(plural fine-tooth combs) or fine-toothed comb (plural
fine-toothed combs) noun

1.  detailed
approach:
a thorough approach to an investigation or search, examining every detail • went
over the figures with a fine-tooth comb but failed to find the error

2.  tool
for combing thoroughly: a comb with very narrow
tightly-set teeth

[1]



fine-tune

fine-tune
fine-tune 
(past fine-tuned, past participle fine-tuned, present
participle fine-tun·ing, 3rd person present singular fine-tunes)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
improve
engine performance of: to adjust the engine of a
motor vehicle to improve its performance

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
something just right: to make tiny adjustments to
something in order to achieve the best possible performance or appearance
—fine-tun·ing, noun[1]



finfoot

finfoot
fin·foot
[fín ft] (plural fin·foots or
fin·foot) noun

BIRDS
See sungrebe[1]



Fingal’sCave

Fingal’sCave
Fin·gal’s
Cave
[fíng g’lz kàyv]

cave on Staffa Island in the
Inner Hebrides, off the western coast of Scotland. Height: 18 m/60 ft. Length:
70 m/228 ft.[1]



finger

finger
fin·ger 
[fíng gər] noun (plural fin·gers)

1.  ANATOMY digit
of the hand: any of the digits of the hand, sometimes
excluding the thumb (often used before a noun)

2.  CLOTHES part
of glove:
any of the long narrow parts of a glove that fits the finger

3.  narrow
strip:
something that resembles a finger in shape • a
finger of sand

4.  FOOD long
narrow portion of food: a small portion of food
about as long and thick as a finger

5.  BEVERAGES approximate
quantity of alcohol: an approximate measure of
alcoholic beverage in a glass, equal in depth to the width of a finger

6.  MEASUREMENTS approximate
unit of length: an approximate unit of measurement,
equal to the width or length of a finger.
Also
called
digit
verb
(past fin·gered, past participle fin·gered, present
participle fin·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular fin·gers)

1.  transitive
verb
touch:
to feel or move the fingers across something, often in a gentle, affectionate,
or thoughtful way • she fingered the fabric
lovingly

2.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY give
up to police: to tell the police about the whereabouts
or illegal activities of somebody (slang)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC play instrument using the
fingers:
to handle the strings or keys of a musical instrument with the fingers

4.  transitive
verb
MUSIC mark
with instructions for fingering: to show on a musical
score which fingers the musician should use

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING locate
computer users: to run a computer program that obtains
and displays information about other users on the same computer or on other
computers connected through a network or the Internet
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “five,” which is also
the ancestor of English five, fist, pentagon,
and quintet .]
—fin·ger·er,
noun
cross
your fingers

used
to express a hope that things will turn out well

give
(somebody) the finger

to
make an aggressively obscene gesture with the middle finger extended upwards and
held towards somebody (slang)

have
a finger in every pie

to
be involved in many advantageous or lucrative projects

have
a finger in the pie

to
be involved in a particular project, especially an advantageous or lucrative
one

let
something slip through your fingers

to
fail to take advantage of something that would have been of benefit to you

put
your finger on something

to
identify something, especially something difficult or elusive

twist
somebody around your little finger

to succeed in getting
somebody to do exactly as you wish[1]



fingerboard

fingerboard
fin·ger·board 
[fíng gər bàwrd] (plural fin·ger·boards)
noun

strip of wood on a stringed
instrument: a long strip of wood fixed
on the neck of string instruments against which strings are pressed in order to
vary the pitch[1]



fingerbowl

fingerbowl
fin·ger
bowl
(plural fin·ger bowls) noun

bowl for rinsing the fingers:
a small bowl of water set beside a place at a table so that fingers can be
cleaned, for example, after picking up food with the hands[1]



fingerfood

fingerfood
fin·ger
food
(plural fin·ger foods) noun

food eaten without cutlery:
small items of food made to be eaten with the fingers[1]



fingerhole

fingerhole
fin·ger
hole
(plural fin·ger holes) noun

hole for the finger on a
woodwind instrument: any one of
a series of holes on a woodwind instrument that a player covers with the
fingers in order to register a pitch[1]



fingering

fingering
fin·ger·ing 
[fíng gəring] noun

1.  MUSIC use of
fingers on musical instrument: the action or
technique of using the fingers in playing a musical instrument

2.  use
of fingers:
the use of the fingers to do something

[1]



FingerLakes

FingerLakes
Fin·ger
Lakes
[fíng gər làyks]

group of eleven glacial lakes
in western New York, the center of the state’s wine region[1]



fingerling

fingerling
fin·ger·ling 
[fíng gərling] (plural fin·ger·lings)
noun

small fish:
a small fish less than one year old, especially a salmon or trout[1]



fingermark

fingermark
fin·ger·mark
[fíng gər mrk] (plural fin·ger·marks)
noun

dirty mark made by a finger:
a smear or greasy mark left after somebody has touched something[1]



fingermillet

fingermillet
fin·ger
mil·let
noun

plant
grown for grain: a short-stemmed millet with an ear
divided into five parts, cultivated widely in southern India, Sri Lanka, and
parts of Africa. Latin name: Eleusine coracana
Also
called
ragi
[From its ears that resemble
the fingers of a hand][1]



fingernail

fingernail
fin·ger·nail 
[fíng gər nàyl] (plural fin·ger·nails)
noun

hard part growing on a
fingertip: a flat protective layer of
keratin that covers the end part of a finger’s upper surface[1]



finger-paint

finger-paint
fin·ger-paint 
(past fin·ger-paint·ed, past participle fin·ger-paint·ed,
present participle fin·ger-paint·ing, 3rd person present
singular fin·ger-paints) intransitive and transitive verb

paint
a picture using fingers: to put paint directly onto a
surface with the fingers
—fin·ger-paint·ing, noun[1]



fingerpick

fingerpick
fin·ger
pick
(plural fin·ger picks) noun

musical pick attached to the
finger: a musician’s pick with a
curved handle for attaching it to the finger[1]



fingerprint

fingerprint

fin·ger·print 
[fíng gər prìnt] noun (plural fin·ger·prints)

1.  pattern
on a fingertip: an impression of the curved lines of
skin at the end of a finger that is left on a surface or made by pressing an
inked finger onto paper

2.  distinguishing
characteristic: a unique characteristic, mark, or
pattern that can be used to identify somebody or something
transitive verb
(past fin·ger·print·ed, past participle fin·ger·print·ed,
present participle fin·ger·print·ing, 3rd person present singular
fin·ger·prints)

record the fingerprints of:
to press each of somebody’s fingertips in ink and then onto paper to make a set
of marks that can be used to identify the person[1]



fingerspelling

fingerspelling
fin·ger·spell·ing 
[fíng gər spèlling] noun

sign language communication
by spelling: a form of sign language
communication using the fingers to gesture the spelling of words[1]



fingerstall

fingerstall
fin·ger·stall
[fíng gər stàwl] (plural fin·ger·stalls)
noun

protective sheath for a
finger: a sheath-shaped protective
covering worn over an injured finger[1]



fingertip

fingertip
fin·ger·tip 
[fíng gər tìp] noun (plural fin·ger·tips)

finger’s
end:
the tip of a finger
adjective

using
the fingertips: involving the use of the fingertips and
so very sensitive or delicate • fingertip
controls
have
something at your fingertips

1.  to
know all the details of something thoroughly

2.  to
have something available and nearby

[1]



fingerwave

fingerwave
fin·ger
wave
(plural fin·ger waves) noun

hair wave made with fingers:
a wave made by shaping damp hair with the fingers and a comb[1]



Fingo

Fingo
Fin·go
[fíng gō] (plural Fin·go or
Fin·gos) noun

member
of an African people: a member of an African
people who live among the Xhosa in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa
[Early 19th century. From
Xhosa mfengu “destitute wanderer.”][1]



finial

finial

fin·i·al 
[fínnee əl] (plural fin·i·als)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE architectural
decoration:
a carved decoration at the top of a gable, spire, or arched structure

2.  FURNITURE furniture
decoration:
an ornamental feature, for example, a carved knob, on the top or end of a part
of a piece of furniture

3.  PRINTING curve
in a typeface: a curve that ends a main stroke in some
italic typefaces
[15th
century. Via assumed Anglo-Norman or Anglo-Latin, literally “final,” from,
ultimately, Latin finis “end.”]
—fin·i·aled, adjective[1]



finicky

finicky
fin·ick·y 
[fínnikee] (comparative fin·ick·i·er,
superlative fin·ick·i·est) or fin·ick·ing [fínniking] or fin·i·cal [fínnik’l] adjective

1.  fussy:
concentrating too much on small unimportant details

2.  too
detailed:
complicated by trivial details
[Late
16th century. Earliest occurrence as finical, probably coined from fine + -ical . Finicking is recorded from the
mid-17th century and finicky from the early 19th century.]
—fin·ick·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



fining

fining
fin·ing
[fning] noun

1.  clarification
of liquid:
the process of clarifying a liquid, especially wine or beer

2.  INDUSTRY removing
gas from molten glass: the process of removing
undissolved gas from molten glass

[1]



finis

finis
fin·is 
[fínniss, finee]
interjection

the
end:
used to indicate that something has or must come to an end completely
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “end.”][1]



finish

finish
fin·ish 
[fínnish] verb (past fin·ished,
past participle fin·ished, present participle fin·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular fin·ish·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb no
longer continue: to come to an end, or bring something to
an end • we
finished eating

2.  transitive
verb
consume:
to eat, drink, or use all of something • Who
finished the cake?

3.  transitive
verb
destroy:
to kill, ruin, or exhaust somebody or something (informal) • His
dishonesty finished him in business.

4.  transitive
verb
complete
the surface effect of: to treat something,
especially wood or metal, in order to achieve a desired surface effect

5.  transitive
verb
make
just right:
to give something or somebody the final touches, qualities, or skills that are
required to create a desired effect
noun
(plural fin·ish·es)

1.  end
part:
the terminating part of something

2.  special
top layer:
a surface texture or final coat applied to something, especially wood or metal
• a
mirror with a gilt finish

3.  SPORTS spurt
of speed at end: a final part of a race, especially a
sprint, acceleration, or challenge near the finish line

4.  CONSTRUCTION MANUFACTURING quality
of workmanship: the degree of care with which a product
has been manufactured or a job of work has been carried out, judged by its
final appearance • The finish on the
woodwork is poor.
[14th century. Via Old French
fenir from Latin finire, from finis “end.”][1]



finished

finished
fin·ished 
[fínnisht] adjective

1.  done
well:
produced and completed with skill and professionalism

2.  of
no further use: with no further prospect of success or
development

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at done.

[1]



finisher

finisher
fin·ish·er
[fínnishər] (plural fin·ish·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who completes something: somebody who completes
something, for example, a task or a race

2.  somebody
who adds finishing touches: somebody who completes the
final stage of a process in manufacturing or restoration

[1]



finishing

finishing
fin·ish·ing
[fínnishing] noun

final stage of manufacture:
the tasks that complete the production process of a garment, fabric, or
material[1]



finishingline

finishingline
fin·ish·ing
line
(plural fin·ish·ing lines) noun

U.K.
See finish line[1]



finishingnail

finishingnail
fin·ish·ing
nail
(plural fin·ish·ing nails) noun

small nail:
a slender nail with a small head that is used in carpentry[1]



finishingschool

finishingschool
fin·ish·ing
school 
(plural fin·ish·ing schools) noun

private school for girls:
a private school for girls close to school-leaving age in which social skills,
the arts, and academic courses are taught[1]



finishingtouch

finishingtouch
fin·ish·ing
touch
(plural fin·ish·ing touch·es) noun

final detail:
a final small change or addition made to something[1]



finishline

finishline
fin·ish
line
(plural fin·ish lines) noun

line where a race ends:
a real or imaginary line that marks the end of a race.
U.K. term
finishing line[1]



finishoff

finishoff
finish
off
transitive verb

1.  complete:
to bring something to an end, for example, by making it as complete as is
wished or needed

2.  use
up:
to eat, drink, or use up all of something

3.  destroy:
to kill, ruin, or exhaust somebody or something (informal)

[1]



finishup

finishup
finish
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
use
up:
to eat, drink, or use up all of something

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. arrive
finally:
to be in a particular place or condition in the end, often not the planned one

[1]



finishup with

finishup with
finish
up with
transitive verb

have in the end:
to be left with something • We
finished up with nothing.[1]



finishwith

finishwith
finish
with
transitive verb

1.  no
longer want to see: to end a relationship or
partnership with somebody (informal)

2.  not
need any more: to stop using, wanting, or being
interested in something

[1]



finite

finite
fi·nite 
[f nt] adjective

1.  limited:
with an end or limit • we
have only a finite amount of resources

2.  MATHEMATICS countable:
having a countable number of elements

3.  measurable:
subject to measurable limitations

4.  GRAMMAR using
verb:
appearing in a verb form that limits person, number, and tense
[14th
century. From Latin finitus, past participle of finire (see finish ).]
—fi·nite·ly,
adverb

—fi·nite·ness, noun[1]



finitude

finitude
fin·i·tude 
[fínni td] noun

finite condition:
the condition of being finite (formal)[1]



fink

fink
fink 
[fingk] noun (plural finks)

1.  somebody
loathsome:
somebody who is thought to be obnoxious or loathsome (dated slang insult)

2.  CRIMINOLOGY informer:
somebody who gives an authority such as a police officer information about
another’s criminal or bad behavior (dated slang disapproving)

3.  strikebreaker:
somebody who continues to work when fellow workers are on strike (dated
slang)
intransitive
verb
(past finked, past participle finked, present
participle fink·ing, 3rd person present singular finks)

1.  inform
on others:
to give an authority information about another’s criminal or bad behavior (dated
slang disapproving)

2.  be
a strikebreaker: to continue to work in defiance of a
strike (dated slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



finkeel

finkeel
fin
keel
(plural fin keels) noun

fin-shaped stabilizer on a
boat’s underside: a fin-shaped part that
extends downward from the underside of a sailboat to give extra stability[1]



Fink,Mike

Fink,Mike
Fink
[fingk], Mike (1770?–1823)

U.S. folk hero. His
adventurous life as a scout and trapper on the frontier attracted numerous
legends, and he became a popular hero.[1]



finkout

finkout
fink
out
intransitive verb

back out of something:
to fail to do something after previously agreeing or volunteering to do it (dated
slang)[1]



Finland




Back to definition

Finland

[1]



Finland

Finland



Fin·land
[fínnlənd]
republic in northern Europe on the Baltic
Sea. Approximately a third of the country lies within the Arctic Circle.
Language: Finnish, Swedish. Currency: markka. Capital: Helsinki. Population:
5,137,269 (1997) Area: 338,145 sq km/130,559 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Finland[1]



Finland,Gulf of

Finland,Gulf of
Fin·land,
Gulf of
[fínnlənd]

arm of the Baltic Sea,
extending about 400 km/250 mi east between Finland and Estonia. Area: 30,044 sq
km/11,600 sq mi.[1]



Finlandize

Finlandize
Fin·land·ize 
[fínnlən dz] (past Fin·land·ized,
past participle Fin·land·ized, present participle Fin·land·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Fin·land·iz·es) transitive verb

give
a reason to compromise: to make a small country or
power act in an accommodating way toward a superpower rather than confronting
it
[Mid-20th
century. So called because Finland was compelled to behave in this way toward
the Soviet Union after World War II.]
—Fin·land·i·za·tion [fìnnləndi záysh’n], noun[1]



Finlay

Finlay
Fin·lay
[fín lày]

river in north central
British Columbia, Canada, that flows southeast into Williston Lake. Length: 400
km/250 mi.[1]



Finn

Finn
Finn 
[fin] (plural Finns) noun

1.  somebody
from Finland: somebody who was born or raised in
Finland, or who has Finnish citizenship

2.  speaker
of a Finnic language: somebody who speaks a Finnic
language
[Old English Finnas][1]



Finn

Finn
Finn 
[fin] (plural Finns) noun

1.  somebody
from Finland: somebody who was born or raised in
Finland, or who has Finnish citizenship

2.  speaker
of a Finnic language: somebody who speaks a Finnic
language
[Old English Finnas][1]



finner

finner
fin·ner
[fínnər] (plural fin·ners) noun

See
finback[1]



Finnic

Finnic
Fin·nic 
[fínnik] noun

N European language group:
a group of languages that includes Finnish, Estonian, Lapp, and some other
northeastern European languages. The group is from the Finno-Ugric branch of
the Uralic family of languages and has about seven million speakers.
adjective

1.  of
Finnic:
relating to the Finnic group of languages

2.  See
Finnish  adjective 1

[1]



Finnish

Finnish
Finn·ish 
[fínnish] noun

official language of Finland:
the official language of Finland, also spoken in parts of Estonia and European
Russia. It is from the Finnic group of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic
family of languages. About six million people speak Finnish.
Also
called
Suomi
adjective

1.  of
Finland:
relating to Finland, or its people or culture

2.  of
the Finnish language: relating to the language
Finnish

[1]



Finno-Ugric

Finno-Ugric
Fin·no-U·gric 
[fìnnō grik, fìnnō
ygrik] or Fin·no-U·gri·an [fìnnō
gree ən, fìnnō ygree ən] noun

N
European language group: a group of languages that
includes Finnish, Estonian, Lapp, Hungarian, and some other northeastern
European languages. It is one of the two major branches of the Uralic family of
languages. About 22 million people speak one of the languages classified as Finno-Ugric.

See
also
Samoyed
—Fin·no-U·gric, adjective[1]



fino

fino
fi·no 
[fnō] (plural fi·nos) noun

kind
of dry sherry: a very pale dry sherry
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “fine,” from Latin finire (see finish ).][1]



finocchio

finocchio
fi·noc·chi·o 
[fi nṓkee ] (plural fi·noc·chi·o
or fi·noc·chi·os) noun

See
fennel  noun 2
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from Vulgar Latin feniculum (see fennel
).][1]



finwhale

finwhale
fin
whale
noun

See
finback[1]



FIO

FIO
FIO

Abbreviation of
for information only[1]



f.i.o.

f.i.o.
f.i.o.

Abbreviation of
for information only[1]



fiord

fiord
fiord 
(plural fiords) noun

See
fjord[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fioritura

fioritura
fio·ri·tu·ra 
[fee àwrə trə] (plural fio·ri·tu·re
[fee àwrə tray]) noun

vocal
embellishment in opera: an embellished vocal figure
in opera of the 17th and 18th centuries, similar to a cadenza and often
improvised. It was later applied to keyboard and violin music.
See
also
embellishment
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, from fiorire “to flower,” from, ultimately, Latin florere
(see flourish ).][1]



fipple

fipple
fip·ple 
[fípp’l] (plural fip·ples) noun

wooden
block in a musical instrument: a small wooden plug in
a woodwind instrument or organ pipe that redirects air and creates vibrations
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



fippleflute

fippleflute
fip·ple
flute
(plural fip·ple flutes) noun

end-blown flute with a
fipple: an end-blown flute
containing a fipple[1]



fir

fir
fir 
[fur] (plural firs or fir)
noun

1.  evergreen
tree with needle-shaped leaves: an evergreen tree with
single flat needle-shaped leaves and erect female cones. Genus: Abies

2.  evergreen
resembling a fir: an evergreen tree that resembles the
true fir, for example, the Douglas fir

3.  wood
of the fir:
the wood of the fir or a related tree
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Firdawsi

Firdawsi
Fir·daw·si
[feer dówssee] (940?–1020?)

Persian
poet. He is best known for the epic The Book of Kings ( 1010 ), which
traces the history of the Persian empire.
Full name
Abu al-Qasim Firdawsi[1]



fire

fire
fire 
[fīr] noun (plural fires)

1.  destructive
burning of something: a situation in which
something is destroyed or damaged by burning, for example, a building or an
area of land (often used before a noun) • destroyed
by fire
• fire
damage

2.  pile
of burning fuel: a collection of material such as logs or
coal that is set alight and used as fuel for heating, cooking, or burning
something • a
forest fire

3.  blaze:
the light, heat, and flames caused by something that is burning • sat
at a roaring fire

4.  gas
stove flame: the flame on the burners or in the oven
of a gas stove

5.  process
of burning:
the rapid production of light, heat, and flames from something that is burning,
for example, in the combustion of wood, coal, or petroleum

6.  ARMS launch
of a projectile: the process or timing of sending off a
missile or rocket

7.  ARMS discharge
from guns:
a discharge of ammunition from one or more guns • The
troops advanced under heavy fire.

8.  continuous
attack:
a series of things that follow each other quickly and relentlessly, especially
if hostile or intimidating • She
took heavy fire from her political opponents.

9.  gem’s
brilliance:
the shine and sparkle of a diamond or similar gemstone

10. passion:
energy, spirit, or intensity of feeling • the
composer’s creative fire
verb
(past fired, past participle fired, present
participle fir·ing, 3rd person present singular fires)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARMS discharge bullet:
to discharge ammunition or a projectile

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb launch
something forcefully: to launch something
powerfully through the air

3.  transitive
verb
dismiss
somebody from work: to dismiss somebody from
employment (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
start
up:
to begin to burn fuel and start working • The
engine fired and the racecar took off.

5.  transitive
verb
stoke
or fill with fuel: to keep supplying fuel to
something, for example, a furnace, engine, or oven

6.  transitive
verb
CERAMICS bake
in a kiln:
to put pottery into a kiln to be baked hard

7.  transitive
verb
strike
with force:
to hit or throw something forcefully

8.  transitive
verb
excite:
to arouse strong emotion in somebody (often passive) • She
was fired with enthusiasm.

9.  transitive
verb
destroy
with fire:
to cause something to burn, especially in order to destroy it (formal or
dated) • Crossing
the border, the invaders fired the first town they encountered.
interjection

1.  warning
cry:
used to tell others that a dangerous fire has started

2.  ARMS command
to shoot:
used to command that guns or other weapons, missiles, or projectiles are to be
discharged at somebody or something • Ready,
aim, and fire!
[Old
English fr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English pyre, pyrites, and empyreal
.]
—fir·er,
noun
open
fire (on somebody or something)

to
begin attacking somebody or something

on
fire

1.  in
a condition of combustion in which flames, heat, and usually smoke are being
produced

2.  full
of eagerness or passion

play
with fire

to
do something dangerous or risky

set
fire to something

to
make something start burning

set
the world on fire

to
do something remarkable or very successful

under
fire

1.  MILITARY shot at by weapons

2.  subject
to severe criticism

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  fire, blaze, conflagration,
  inferno
  CORE
  MEANING: referring
  to burning and flames fire; a
  general word, used to describe flames that were started deliberately and are
  under control, for example a bonfire. It can also be used to describe
  uncontrolled flames, whether caused accidentally or on purpose; blaze; used like fire
  but suggesting a greater degree of intensity and brightness, and more rapid
  burning; conflagration; a fairly
  formal word, used to describe a fierce, destructive fire, especially one that
  affects a large building or area; inferno;
  used especially in journalism to describe a fierce, destructive fire









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Pale
  Fire, a novel by Russian-born Vladimir Nabokov ( 1962 ). Partly an attack on
  parasitic critics, it is presented as a long poem by John Shade, with
  introduction, notes, and index by Charles Kinbote. Kinbote’s commentary
  gradually reveals him to be an unscrupulous critic, ready to use the work of
  others to further his own career.

[1]



firealarm

firealarm
fire
a·larm
(plural fire a·larms) noun

fire warning:
a bell or siren that is sounded if a fire starts[1]



fireand brimstone

fireand brimstone
fire
and brim·stone noun

damnation:
eternal punishment
[From the use of fire and
brimstone in the Bible (Genesis 19:24, Revelation 19:20) as instruments of
God’s punishment][1]



fireant

fireant
fire
ant
(plural fire ants) noun

ant
with painful sting: a predatory ant of tropical
or temperate regions that inflicts a painful sting. Genus: Solenopsis
[So called because of the
burning sensation its sting causes][1]



firearm

firearm
fire·arm 
[fr rm] (plural fire·arms) noun

gun:
a portable weapon such as a pistol or rifle that fires ammunition[1]



fireaway

fireaway
fire
away
intransitive verb

1.  ARMS begin
shooting:
to begin or keep on shooting

2.  begin:
to begin doing something, especially asking questions (informal)

[1]



fireback

fireback
fire·back
[fr bàk] (plural fire·backs) noun

lining behind an open fire:
a metal lining placed behind a fireplace, or the area of wall where it is
placed[1]



fireball

fireball
fire·ball 
[fr bàwl] (plural fire·balls)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY METEOROLOGY bright
meteor:
an exceptionally bright meteor

2.  (informal)
See ball of fire

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS center
of a nuclear explosion: the highly ionized spherical
region of bright hot gas and dust at the center of a nuclear explosion

4.  ball
lightning:
a discharge of ball lightning

[1]



fireblight

fireblight
fire
blight
noun

disease of apples and pears:
an infectious disease of apples, pears, and other fruit trees that blackens
leaves and kills branches and is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora[1]



fireboard

fireboard
fire·board 
[fr bàwrd] (plural fire·boards)
noun

Southern
U.S.
mantel:
a mantel over a fireplace





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term fireboard is largely restricted to
  the South Midland highlands of Appalachia in West Virginia, Kentucky,
  Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama, and the Ozarks of Arkansas.
  In these places, fireboard contrasts with
  the general currency word mantel, with Southern mantelpiece,
  and with the Piney Woods blend mantelboard.

[1]



fireboat

fireboat
fire·boat 
[fr bt] (plural fire·boats) noun

firefighting boat:
a vessel equipped with high-pressure hoses and pumps that take in and shoot
seawater, river water, or lake water onto other, burning vessels. Fireboats are
also used to spray water in the air in a port as an official welcoming gesture
to an important visiting vessel.[1]



firebomb

firebomb
fire·bomb 
[fr bòm] noun (plural fire·bombs)

bomb
starting a fire: a bomb designed to start a fire
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fire·bombed,
past participle fire·bombed, present participle fire·bomb·ing,
3rd person present singular fire·bombs)

place
a device to start a fire: to attack a target with a
device designed to start a fire
—fire·bomb·er,
noun

—fire·bomb·ing, noun[1]



firebox

firebox
fire·box 
[fr bòks] (plural fire·box·es)
noun

container for fire:
an enclosure for a fire in a stove, furnace, or the engine of a steam
locomotive[1]



firebrand

firebrand
fire·brand 
[fr brànd] (plural fire·brands)
noun

1.  agitator:
somebody with a strong or aggressive personality who encourages unrest

2.  burning
stick:
a burning stick carried by somebody as a torch or a weapon

[1]



firebrat

firebrat
fire·brat 
[fr bràt] (plural fire·brats)
noun

insect that likes warm
places: a small wingless insect
related to silverfish, found in warm moist places. Latin name: Thermobia
domestica[1]



firebreak

firebreak
fire·break 
[fr bràyk] (plural fire·breaks)
noun

cleared area to halt a forest
fire: a strip of land that has
been cleared of trees, bushes, and any other combustible material in order to
prevent a fire from spreading.
Also called
fireguard[1]



firebrick

firebrick
fire·brick 
[fr brìk] (plural fire·bricks)
noun

strong heat-resistant brick:
a type of brick that can withstand very high temperatures, used to make
fireplaces and furnaces[1]



firebrigade

firebrigade
fire
bri·gade
(plural fire bri·gades) noun

U.K.
See fire department[1]



firebug

firebug
fire·bug 
[fr bùg] (plural fire·bugs) noun

arsonist:
somebody who causes deliberate damage or destruction by starting fires,
especially repeatedly and for pleasure (slang)[1]



firechief

firechief
fire
chief
noun

leader of firefighters:
somebody who leads a fire company or department[1]



fireclay

fireclay
fire·clay
[fr klày] noun

heat-resistant clay:
a durable clay that can withstand great heat, used to make firebricks,
crucibles, and furnace linings[1]



firecompany

firecompany
fire
com·pa·ny
noun

group of firefighters:
a group of firefighters stationed in one location, along with their vehicles
and equipment[1]



firecontrol

firecontrol
fire
con·trol
noun

direction of military
gunfire: the control of naval or
artillery fire directed at a target[1]



firecracker

firecracker

fire·crack·er 
[fr kràkər] (plural fire·crack·ers)
noun
explosive paper cartridge:
a small paper or cardboard cylinder filled with an explosive that makes one or
several loud bangs when it is lit.
Also called
cracker[1]



fired

fired
fired
[frd] adjective

1.  fueled:
using a particular fuel to provide the heat or power (used in combination)
• a
gas-fired turbine

2.  kiln-baked:
baked hard in a kiln

[1]



firedamp

firedamp
fire·damp 
[fr dàmp] noun

dangerous
gas mixture: a mixture of methane and other
hydrocarbon gases that forms in coalmines. It becomes explosive when it mixes
with air.
[From an earlier sense of damp “noxious gas”][1]



firedepartment

firedepartment
fire
de·part·ment (plural fire de·part·ments)
noun

firefighting organization:
an organization of people trained to prevent, control, and extinguish fires and
to rescue people from fires and other dangerous situations.
U.K. term
fire brigade[1]



firedog

firedog
fire·dog 
[fr dòg] (plural fire·dogs) noun

Southern U.S.
See andiron[1]



firedoor

firedoor
fire
door
(plural fire doors) noun

1.  door
confining a fire: a fireproof door that is normally kept
closed or locked, ensuring that any fire is confined to one area

2.  emergency
exit:
an emergency exit opened from inside

[1]



firedrake

firedrake
fire·drake 
[fr dràyk] (plural fire·drakes)
or fire·drag·on [fr dràg’n] (plural
fire·drag·ons) noun

dragon:
a dragon that breathes fire (archaic or literary)
[Drake from draca
“dragon,” ultimately from Greek drakōn “serpent” (source of English dragon )][1]



firedrill

firedrill
fire
drill
(plural fire drills) noun

safety exercise:
a rehearsal for evacuating a building quickly and safely in the event of a fire
or other emergency[1]



fire-eater

fire-eater
fire-eat·er 
(plural fire-eat·ers) noun

1.  entertainer
using fire:
somebody who entertains by appearing to swallow flames from a burning stick

2.  somebody
easily provoked: somebody who is aggressive, angry, or
argumentative (informal)
—fire-eat·ing, noun[1]



fireengine

fireengine

fire en·gine
(plural fire en·gines) noun
firefighters’ truck:
a large road vehicle equipped with ladders, hoses, and other equipment to fight
fires and rescue people. See firetruck[1]



fireescape

fireescape
fire
es·cape
(plural fire es·capes) noun

quick way out of a building:
a specially designed means of getting out of a building if it catches fire,
especially an exterior metal stairway attached to the building[1]



fireextinguisher

fireextinguisher
fire
ex·tin·guish·er (plural fire ex·tin·guish·ers)
noun

device for putting out fire:
a cylindrical metal container holding a substance such as foam or vaporizing
liquid that can be sprayed onto a fire.
Also called
extinguisher[1]



firefight

firefight
fire·fight 
[fr ft] (plural fire·fights)
noun

MILITARY
fight with guns:
a fierce battle involving a heavy exchange of gunfire[1]



firefighter

firefighter
fire·fight·er
[fr ftər] (plural fire·fight·ers)
noun

somebody
who puts out fires: somebody who helps to
control and extinguish fires and rescue people trapped by fire or in other
dangerous situations
—fire·fight·ing, noun[1]



firefly

firefly
fire·fly 
[fr fl] (plural fire·flies) noun

nocturnal beetle that
produces light: a winged nocturnal
beetle that, during courtship, produces an intermittent light from luminescent
chemicals in its abdominal organs. Family: Lampyridae
Also called
lightning bug[1]



fireguard

fireguard
fire·guard 
[fr grd] (plural fire·guards)
noun

1.  screen
protecting from fire: a metal, usually meshed,
screen that is put around the front of an open fire, mainly to stop sparks from
flying out and to prevent people from going too close.
Also
called
fire screen

2.  See
firebreak

[1]



firehouse

firehouse
fire·house 
[fr hòwss] noun

See
fire station[1]



firehydrant

firehydrant
fire
hy·drant
(plural fire hy·drants) noun

firefighter’s emergency water
connection in a street: an upright
pipe, usually in a street, connected to a water main with a valve to which a
hose can be attached, for example, by firefighters.
Also called
fireplug[1]



fireinsurance

fireinsurance
fire
in·sur·ance
noun

insurance against fire risk:
insurance that offers coverage against damage or loss due to fire[1]



fireirons

fireirons
fire
i·rons
plural noun

tools for an open fire:
a set of implements used for tending a fire in a fireplace, especially a
shovel, tongs, poker, and brush[1]



FireIsland National Seashore

FireIsland National Seashore
Fire
Is·land Na·tion·al Sea·shore

sand barrier island off Long
Island, southeastern New York, that is a popular summer resort area. Area:
7,923 hectares/19,579 acres.[1]



firelight

firelight
fire·light 
[fr lt] noun

light from a fire:
the flickering light given off by an open fire[1]



firelock

firelock
fire·lock 
[fr lòk] (plural fire·locks) noun

detonating part of a gun:
in early firearms, a mechanism that struck a spark from flint or steel and
caused a charge to explode[1]



fireman

fireman
fire·man 
[frmən] (plural fire·men [frmən]) noun

1.  man
who is firefighter: a man who is firefighter,
especially one who works for a fire company

2.  NAVY ship’s
engineer:
an enlisted man in the U.S. Navy who operates and services engines and similar
machinery

3.  BASEBALL reliever:
a relief pitcher in baseball (slang)

4.  RAIL SHIPPING stoker:
a man who stokes a furnace, especially on a steam locomotive or steamboat

[1]



firemarshal

firemarshal
fire
mar·shal
(plural fire mar·shals) noun

1.  fire
investigator: a state or local official whose job it
is to investigate suspicious fires and work in the areas of fire prevention and
building inspection

2.  fire
safety officer: an employee of a plant or other
industrial site who is responsible for firefighting equipment and fire safety
procedures

[1]



Firenze

Firenze
Fi·ren·ze

Italian
Florence[1]



fireoff

fireoff
fire
off
transitive verb

1.  direct
in sharp bursts: to deliver a series of things,
especially questions or demands

2.  ARMS shoot:
to discharge a bullet or some other projectile

[1]



fireopal

fireopal
fire
o·pal
(plural fire o·pals) noun

red opal:
a translucent reddish opal.
Also called
girasol
Also called
girosol[1]



firepink

firepink
fire
pink
(plural fire pinks) noun

red-flowered plant:
a wild plant of the pink family with bright scarlet flowers. Latin name: Silene
virginica[1]



fireplace

fireplace
fire·place 
[fr plàyss] (plural fire·plac·es)
noun

low space in a wall for fire:
a recess, usually with a mantelpiece above it, built into the wall of a room as
a place to light an open fire[1]



fireplug

fireplug
fire·plug 
[fr plùg] (plural fire·plugs)
noun

See
fire hydrant[1]



firepower

firepower
fire·pow·er 
[fr pòwr] noun

1.  MILITARY destructive
military power: the capability of a military unit or
weapon to direct effective fire at an enemy

2.  power
to achieve results: the capability or potential
of an organization for effective action • The
new staff gave the company much-needed firepower.

[1]



fireproof

fireproof
fire·proof 
[fr prf] adjective

unburnable
or very resistant to fire: treated or manufactured so
as to be impossible or very difficult to burn and therefore destroy by fire
transitive
verb
(past fire·proofed, past participle fire·proofed, present
participle fire·proof·ing, 3rd person present singular fire·proofs)

make fireproof:
to make something such as a fabric fireproof[1]



fire-resistant

fire-resistant
fire-re·sis·tant
adjective

difficult to burn:
treated or made so that it is very slow to catch fire and burn[1]



fire-retardant

fire-retardant
fire-re·tar·dant
adjective

inhibiting the spread of
fire: tending not to catch fire
easily and therefore checking the spread of fire[1]



firesale

firesale
fire
sale
(plural fire sales) noun

sell-off:
a sale of goods or property damaged in a fire[1]



firescreen

firescreen
fire
screen
(plural fire screens) noun

See
fireguard  noun 1[1]



fireship

fireship
fire
ship
(plural fire ships) noun

HISTORY
burning ship used as a weapon:
in former times, a ship loaded with explosives or combustibles that was set on
fire and allowed to drift as a weapon among enemy ships[1]



fireside

fireside
fire·side 
[fr sd] noun (plural fire·sides)

place
by a fire:
the space around a fireplace or hearth.
Also
called
hearthside
adjective

safe and comfortable:
of a cozy, familiar, or homey nature[1]



firesidechat

firesidechat
fire·side
chat
(plural fire·side chats) noun

U.S. presidential talk to the
nation: an informal talk made to the
nation on radio or television by the President of the United States. During the
Great Depression Franklin D. Roosevelt gave fireside chats over the radio as a
way of raising national morale and explaining his policies.[1]



firesign

firesign
fire
sign
(plural fire signs) noun

ZODIAC
Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius:
one of the three signs of the zodiac Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius, traditionally
associated with a fiery, assertive, and dynamic temperament[1]



firestation

firestation
fire
sta·tion
(plural fire sta·tions) noun

headquarters for
firefighters: a building where
professional firefighters are stationed and their vehicles and equipment are
kept.
Also called
firehouse[1]



firestone

firestone
fire·stone 
[fr stn] noun

heat-resistant sandstone:
a form of sandstone that can withstand great heat, used to line kilns and
furnaces[1]



Firestone,Harvey Samuel

Firestone,Harvey Samuel
Fire·stone
[fr stn], Harvey Samuel (1868–1938)

U.S. entrepreneur. He became
president of his own tire and rubber company (1900) and established rubber
plantations in Liberia (1922).[1]



firestorm

firestorm
fire·storm 
[fr stàwrm] (plural fire·storms)
noun

1.  intense
disturbance: a strong, sometimes violent, upheaval or
outburst • a
firestorm of protest

2.  large
uncontrollable blaze: a large extremely intense
fire sustained by strong inwardly rushing winds that feed a rising column of
hot air

[1]



firethorn

firethorn
fire
thorn
noun

PLANTS
thorny shrub:
a thorny evergreen shrub of Europe and Asia that is often cultivated for its
bright orange or red fruits. Genus: Pyracantha
U.K. term
pyracantha[1]



firetrap

firetrap
fire·trap 
[fr tràp] (plural fire·traps)
noun

unsafe building:
any building or structure regarded as a fire hazard, either because it is built
of combustible materials or lacks adequate means of escape[1]



firetruck

firetruck
firetruck
(plural fire trucks) noun

See
fire engine[1]



fireup

fireup
fire
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
get
going:
to initiate the operation of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
to burn:
to begin to burn, or set something burning

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
enthusiastic: to cause somebody to become enthusiastic
(informal)

[1]



firewalking

firewalking
fire·walk·ing
[fr wàwking] noun

religious
practice:
the rite or practice of walking barefoot over hot coals, ashes, or stones
—fire·walk·er, noun[1]



firewall

firewall
fire·wall 
[fr wàwl] noun (plural fire·walls)

1.  BUILDING wall
preventing the spread of fire: a fireproof wall put
in place to ensure that if a fire occurs it is confined to one area

2.  COMPUTING security
software:
a piece of computer software intended to prevent unauthorized access to system
software or data
transitive
verb
(past fire·walled, past participle fire·walled, present
participle fire·walling, 3rd person present singular fire·walls)

AUTOMOBILES AIR accelerate
to top speed: to accelerate to the maximum speed (slang)

[1]



firewater

firewater
fire·wa·ter 
[fr wàwttər, fr
wòttər] noun

strong alcohol:
strong and harsh-tasting alcoholic liquor (dated slang)[1]



fireweed

fireweed
fire·weed 
[fr wd] (plural fire·weed or
fire·weeds) noun

plant
with spiky flowers: a perennial plant of the
evening primrose family that grows on recently cleared land. It has
spike-shaped clusters of purplish-red flowers. Genus: Epilobium
Also
called
willow herb
Also
called
rosebay
U.K.
term
rosebay willowherb
[So called because the plants
are often the first to grow on land that has been burned][1]



firewood

firewood
fire·wood 
[fr wd] noun

wood for fuel:
wood that is burned as fuel[1]



firework

firework
fire·work 
[fr wùrk] noun (plural fire·works)

bright exploding object:
a package of manufactured chemicals designed to make a loud and brilliant
explosion when lit (often used before a noun) • a
firework party
plural
noun
fire·works

1.  show
using fireworks: a display of many brilliant fireworks

2.  angry
outburst:
a display of violent temper (informal)

3.  spectacular
display:
any impressive display of talent (informal)

[1]



firing

firing
fir·ing 
[fring] (plural fir·ings) noun

process of baking ceramics:
the application of great heat to a ceramic object in a kiln, to harden it or to
fix an applied substance such as a glaze[1]



firingline

firingline
fir·ing
line
(plural fir·ing lines) noun

1.  MILITARY front
position in battle: an exposed position from
which guns are fired at an enemy, or the troops who occupy it

2.  vanguard
of action:
the forefront of a movement, operation, or activity, especially one that is
controversial

[1]



firingorder

firingorder
fir·ing
or·der
noun

ignition order:
the sequence of ignition of the cylinders in an internal-combustion engine[1]



firingpin

firingpin
fir·ing
pin
(plural fir·ing pins) noun

part of gun:
a pin behind the barrel of a firearm that strikes the container of explosive ( primer ) to make the cartridge fire[1]



firingsquad

firingsquad
fir·ing
squad
(plural fir·ing squads) noun

soldiers ordered to shoot:
a group of soldiers with the task of carrying out an execution by gunfire or
delivering a ceremonial volley over a grave[1]



firkin

firkin
fir·kin 
[fúrkin] (plural fir·kins) noun

1.  brewing
measure:
a British unit of capacity used especially in the brewing industry, equal to
nine U.K. gallons

2.  wooden
tub:
a small wooden tub (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Middle Dutch verdelkijn, literally
“small fourth,” from veerde “fourth.”][1]



firm

firm1
firm1 [furm]
adjective (comparative firm·er, superlative firm·est)

1.  not
yielding to the touch: compact and solid when
pressed • a
firm mattress

2.  secure:
fixed securely and unlikely to give way • a
firm hold

3.  determined:
showing certainty or determination • You
must be more firm with them.

4.  trustworthy:
reliable and able to be trusted

5.  steady:
showing no or few fluctuations
adverb
(comparative firm·er, superlative firm·est)

with determination:
in a determined and unshakable way • They
stood firm despite a wave of criticism.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past firmed, past
participle firmed, present participle firm·ing, 3rd
person present singular firms)

make or become firm:
to become firm or firmer, or make something firm or firmer
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin firmus .]
—firm·ly,
adverb

—firm·ness, noun[1]



firm

firm2
firm2 [furm]
(plural firms) noun

commercial
group:
a group of people who form a commercial organization selling goods or services
[14th century. From Italian firma,
late Latin firmare “to confirm by signing,” from Latin, “to strengthen,”
from firmus “strong.”][1]



firmament

firmament
fir·ma·ment 
[fúrməmənt] noun

1.  sky:
the sky, considered as an arch (literary)

2.  where
stars are:
the world occupied by all the stars in a particular field such as the theater
or sports • a
big name in the yachting firmament
[13th century. Via French
from Latin firmamentum, from, ultimately, firmus “firm, strong.”][1]



firmup

firmup
firm
up
transitive verb

settle:
to make something more definite, clear, or less liable to change • Let’s
firm up the date of the meeting.[1]



firmware

firmware
firm·ware 
[fúrm wàir] noun

software
stored on a memory chip: a set of computer
instructions used so frequently that it is stored on a memory chip in a
computer rather than being part of a program.
See
also
software
See
also
hardware
[Firm from the fact that the
instructions will not be lost when the power is shut off][1]



firn

firn
firn 
[furn] noun

GEOGRAPHY See névé
[Mid-19th century. Via
German, literally “of last year,” from Old High German firni “old.”][1]



firnwind

firnwind
firn
wind
(plural firn winds) noun

wind from a glacier:
a summer wind that blows downhill off a glacier during the day[1]



first

first
first 
[furst] adjective

1.  before
the rest:
preceding or ahead of any others in order

2.  earlier
than the rest: occurring before any others in a series

3.  most
important:
with a higher rank, significance, or authority than others in the same category

4.  fundamental:
forming a basis or foundation for something

5.  best:
best in quality or achievement
noun
(plural firsts)

1.  one
ahead of any other: somebody who or something that
is positioned before any other in achievement, rank, quality, or time

2.  new
thing:
something that has not been done before or has not occurred before (informal)

3.  AUTOMOBILES first
gear:
the lowest gear in a motor vehicle (informal)

4.  BALLET See first position

5.  BASEBALL first
base:
first base on a baseball diamond • He
grounded out to first.
adverb

1.  before
others:
earlier than something or somebody else

2.  originally:
for the first time

3.  initially:
at the start

4.  more
willingly:
used to indicate a preference
[Old English fyr(e)st
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fore, principal,
and priest .][1]



firstaid

firstaid
first
aid
noun

emergency medical help:
emergency medical treatment for somebody who is ill or injured, given before
more thorough medical attention can be obtained[1]



FirstAmendment

FirstAmendment
First
A·mend·ment
noun

part of the U.S.
Constitution: an amendment to the
U.S. Constitution that forbids Congress from interfering with a citizen’s
freedom of religion, speech, assembly, or petition[1]



firstbase

firstbase
first
base
noun

location
on a baseball diamond: the initial base that a
player attempts to reach in baseball
get
to first base

to succeed in the initial
phase of an activity, especially in making advances to a prospective girlfriend
(informal)[1]



firstbaseman

firstbaseman
first
base·man
noun

baseball infielder:
a baseball fielder responsible for the area near first base[1]



first-born

first-born
first-born 
noun

oldest
offspring:
the first offspring to be born to a set of parents
adjective

born first:
born first of all[1]



FirstCause

FirstCause
First
Cause
noun

God:
in Christianity, God as the originator of everything[1]



firstclass

firstclass
first
class
noun

1.  best
class:
the highest rank, standard, or quality

2.  best
accommodations: the best accommodations offered on an
airplane, ship, or train

[1]



first-class

first-class
first-class 
adjective

1.  best:
of the highest standard of excellence

2.  most
luxurious:
most exclusive and expensive

3.  MAIL given
priority in the mail service: costing more to mail and
given priority in delivery
adverb

1.  in
first class: expensively and exclusively

2.  MAIL with
postal priority: more expensively and with higher
priority as mail

[1]



firstclassman

firstclassman
first
class·man
noun

military college student:
a fourth-year student at a military college[1]



firstcourse

firstcourse
first
course
noun

food that begins meal:
a dish or selection of dishes served at the beginning of a meal[1]



firstcousin

firstcousin
first
cous·in
noun

See
cousin  noun 1[1]



first-daycover

first-daycover
first-day
cov·er
(plural first-day covers) noun

envelope bearing a newly
issued stamp: an envelope, often
specially designed, that bears a newly issued stamp and a postmark for the day
of issue[1]



first-degreeburn

first-degreeburn
first-de·gree
burn 
(plural first-de·gree burns) noun

mild burn:
a burn marked by pain and reddening of the skin but without blistering or
charring of tissue[1]



first-degreemurder

first-degreemurder
first-de·gree
mur·der
(plural first-de·gree mur·ders) noun

premeditated murder:
murder that is carried out with the planned and deliberate intention of killing
somebody[1]



firstdown

firstdown
first
down
(plural first downs) noun

1.  stage
in a football play: the first in a series of
four plays in football, or three plays in Canadian football, by which the
offensive team has to move the ball ten yards in order to maintain possession
of it

2.  gain
in football: ten or more yards gained by an offensive
football team during a series of plays from its starting point, entitling it to
keep the ball for another series of plays

[1]



firstedition

firstedition
first
e·di·tion
(plural first e·di·tions) noun

1.  original
copy of a book: a copy of a book in its original printed
and published format

2.  original
printing of a publication: the total number of copies
of a book issued by the original publisher in the first instance

3.  first
newspaper of day: the first batch or copy of a newspaper
on a day of publication

[1]



firstestate

firstestate
first
es·tate
noun

former social class:
in societies that date from feudal times, the social and political class that
consists of senior members of the clergy[1]



FirstFamily

FirstFamily
First
Fam·i·ly
noun

family of the U.S. President:
the U.S. President and the President’s spouse and children[1]



firstfamily

firstfamily
first
fam·i·ly
noun

well-established family:
a family with great social prestige, especially one with a long history and
residence in a place[1]



firstfinger

firstfinger
first
fin·ger
(plural first fin·gers) noun

ANATOMY
See index finger[1]



firstfloor

firstfloor
first
floor
(plural first floors) noun

1.  See
ground floor

2.  U.K.
See second floor

[1]



firstfruits

firstfruits
first
fruits
plural noun

1.  first
crop harvested: the first harvest of the season or year

2.  first
benefits:
the first results of an activity

[1]



first-generation

first-generation
first-gen·er·a·tion 
adjective

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES with
immigrant parents: relating to or being the
children of parents who have left one country to settle in another

2.  COMPUTING of
the earliest kind: used to describe the
earliest computers, which were based on vacuum tubes

[1]



firsthand

firsthand
first·hand 
[furst hánd] adjective adverb

from the original source:
obtained directly from an original source rather than via somebody else[1]



firstlady

firstlady
first
la·dy
noun

1.  first
la·dy
or First La·dy U.S. leader’s spouse or
hostess:
the wife or hostess of the President of the United States or of a U.S. state
governor, or the woman appointed by him to act as his official hostess

2.  government
leader’s partner: the wife or hostess of a high government
official, especially of a country’s leader

3.  woman
at the top:
the most important or respected woman member of a profession or field of
activity

[1]



firstlanguage

firstlanguage
first
lan·guage
noun

1.  native
language:
the language that somebody learned in infancy

2.  main
language:
the principal language in a neighborhood, district, region, or country

[1]



firstlieutenant

firstlieutenant
first
lieu·ten·ant (plural first lieu·ten·ants)
noun

1.  MILITARY rank
in the U.S. forces: a commissioned officer in
the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force ranking immediately below captain
and above second lieutenant

2.  NAVY naval officer
maintaining a ship: a naval officer in charge of
the upkeep and maintenance of a ship

[1]



firstlight

firstlight
first
light
noun

dawn:
the earliest part or time of the day, when the Sun begins to rise[1]



firstling

firstling
first·ling 
[fúrstling] (plural first·lings)
noun

something that appears first:
the first of something, for example, an offspring, product, or result (archaic
or literary)[1]



firstlove

firstlove
first
love
(plural first loves) noun

1.  first
recipient of love: the first object of
somebody’s romantic love or affectionate admiration

2.  first
experience of love: the experience of being in
love for the first time

3.  favorite:
the object of somebody’s greatest interest or affection • He
enjoyed playing tennis, but sailing was always his first love.

[1]



firstly

firstly
first·ly 
[fúrstlee] adverb

to start with:
used to introduce the first point in an argument or discussion[1]



firstmate

firstmate
first
mate
(plural first mates) noun

captain’s second-in-command:
an officer on a merchant ship or any nonnaval vessel who ranks immediately
below the captain.
Also called
first officer[1]



FirstMinister

FirstMinister
First
Minister
noun

leader of a National
Assembly: the title of the leader of
the National Assembly of Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales[1]



firstname

firstname
first
name
(plural first names) noun

name before a surname:
a personal name that accompanies a family name to identify somebody fully.
Also called
forename[1]



FirstNation

FirstNation
First
Na·tion
or first na·tion noun

Canada
Aboriginal community:
in Canada, a community of indigenous people who are bound by treaty to the
federal government[1]



firstnight

firstnight
first
night
(plural first nights) noun

occasion when a new show
opens: the first public performance
of a new production of a play or show, or the day on which this takes place.
Also called
opening night[1]



firstnighter

firstnighter
first
night·er 
(plural first night·ers) noun

enthusiastic theatergoer:
somebody who regularly attends the first night of new plays or shows[1]



firstoffender

firstoffender
first
of·fend·er
(plural first of·fend·ers) noun

first-time criminal:
somebody with no previous criminal record who breaks the law and is convicted
for the first time[1]



firstofficer

firstofficer
first
of·fi·cer
(plural first of·fi·cers) noun

1.  See
first mate

2.  aircraft
commander:
the aircraft commander, or captain, of a commercial aircraft

[1]



first-past-the-post

first-past-the-post
first-past-the-post
adjective

U.K.,
Canada with no absolute
majority required: used to
describe a voting system in which the winning candidate needs to receive more
votes than any other candidate but does not need to get an absolute majority of
the votes cast[1]



firstperson

firstperson
first
per·son
noun

verb form:
the style of verb and accompanying pronoun that is used when referring to the
speaker or writer, or a group including the speaker or writer[1]



firstposition

firstposition
first
po·si·tion
noun

ballet position with heels
touching: a position in ballet in
which the feet are turned outward with the heels touching.
Also called
first[1]



firstprinciple

firstprinciple
first
prin·ci·ple
(plural first prin·ci·ples) noun

something on which beliefs
are based: a fundamental rule
underlying a theory, faith, or procedure[1]



firstquarter

firstquarter
first
quar·ter
(plural first quar·ters) noun

Moon phase:
one of four phases of the Moon, during which one half of the Moon’s visible
surface is illuminated by the Sun[1]



first-rate

first-rate
first-rate 
adjective

best:
of the best quality or the highest standard[1]



firstreading

firstreading
first
read·ing
(plural first read·ings) noun

introductory stage for a law:
the introduction of a bill in a legislature prior to debate and a vote[1]



firstrefusal

firstrefusal
first
re·fus·al
noun

first chance to buy:
the right to decide whether or not to buy something before it is offered to
other potential buyers[1]



firstsergeant

firstsergeant
first
ser·geant
(plural first ser·geants) noun

military administrator:
a noncommissioned officer who holds a senior position administering a unit of
the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps[1]



firststrike

firststrike
first
strike
(plural first strikes) noun

tactic in nuclear warfare:
the use of nuclear weapons against an enemy that is similarly armed, intended
to destroy its military capacity and prevent it from attacking first (hyphenated
before a noun) • first-strike
capability[1]



firstwater

firstwater
first
wa·ter
noun

top quality in gems:
the highest grade in gemstones[1]



FirstWorld

FirstWorld
First
World
noun

main industrialized nations:
the principal industrialized countries of the world, including the United
States, the United Kingdom, the nations of Western Europe, Japan, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand[1]



FirstWorld War

FirstWorld War
First
World War
noun

See
World War I[1]



firth

firth
firth 
[furth] noun

Scotland
estuary:
a river estuary, or a wide inlet of the sea (often used in placenames)
[14th century. From Old Norse
fjörðr (see fjord ).][1]



fisc

fisc
fisc 
[fisk] noun

1.  treasury:
a public treasury

2.  royal
treasury:
royal funds, especially those belonging to a Roman emperor (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin fiscus, literally “rush basket,” later “purse, treasury.”][1]



fiscal

fiscal
fis·cal 
[fískəl] adjective

1.  financial:
relating to financial matters in general

2.  of
the public treasury: relating to public revenues,
especially the revenue from taxation • fiscal
prudence
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin fiscalis, from fiscus (see fisc ).][1]



fiscalyear

fiscalyear
fis·cal
year
noun

period for settling accounts:
a 12-month period at the end of which all accounts are completed in order to
furnish a statement of a company’s, organization’s, or government’s financial
condition, or for tax purposes. A fiscal year does not necessarily correspond
to a calendar year.
U.K. term
financial year[1]



Fischer,Bobby

Fischer,Bobby
Fi·scher
[físhər], Bobby (1943– )

U.S.
chess player. In 1972, he became the first chess player from the United States
to win the world championship, and he held the title until 1975.
Full name
Fischer, Robert James[1]



Fish

Fish
Fish
[fish] noun

ZODIAC
See Pisces[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fish

fish

fish 
[fish] noun (plural fish
or fish·es)

1.  ZOOLOGY aquatic
vertebrate with gills: any cold-blooded aquatic
vertebrate animal that typically has jaws, fins, scales, a slender body, a
two-chambered heart, and gills for providing oxygen to the blood (often used
before a noun) • a fish tank

2.  FOOD fish
consumed as food: the flesh of any edible fish consumed as
food, either cooked or raw (often used before a noun) • fish
soup

3.  somebody
unusual:
somebody who is unusual or regarded as strange (informal) • an
odd fish
verb (past
fished, past participle fished, present participle fish·ing,
3rd person present singular fish·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
catch
fish:
to use a rod, net, or some other method to bring fish out of the water

2.  transitive
verb
catch
fish in a place: to try to get fish from a particular
river, lake, or stream

3.  intransitive
verb
search:
to feel around with the hands in order to find something (informal)
[Old
English fisc . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English Pisces and porpoise .]
drink like a fish

to
habitually drink a lot of alcoholic liquor (informal)

have other fish to fry

to
have something else to do, usually something more interesting (informal)

like a fish out of water

ill at ease in a situation[1]



fishand chips

fishand chips
fish
and chips
noun

fried fish with French fries:
a fillet of fish deep-fried in batter, served with French fries (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



fishbowl

fishbowl
fish·bowl
[físh bl] (plural fish·bowls)
noun

1.  round
glass bowl:
a round clear open-topped container of water in which a pet goldfish is kept

2.  public
lifestyle:
a place or condition of high public visibility and little or no personal
privacy

[1]



fishcake

fishcake
fish
cake
(plural fish cakes) noun

individual fish-based cake:
a round flat individual cake made from cooked fish mixed with potato and other
ingredients, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried, baked, or grilled[1]



fishcrow

fishcrow
fish
crow
(plural fish crows) noun

N American crow:
a small crow native to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of North America that feeds
on fish and mollusks. Latin name: Corvus ossifragus[1]



fishduck

fishduck
fish
duck
noun

BIRDS
See merganser[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fisheagle

fisheagle
fish
ea·gle
(plural fish ea·gles) noun

BIRDS
See osprey[1]



fisher

fisher
fish·er 
[físhər] (plural fish·ers) noun

N
American carnivorous mammal: a carnivorous mammal of
northern North America, a species of marten, with dense dark brown fur. Latin
name: Martes pennanti
Also
called
pekan
[Old English][1]



fisherman

fisherman
fish·er·man 
[físhərmən] (plural fish·er·men
[físhərmən]) noun

somebody who catches fish:
somebody who fishes as a sport or occupation[1]



fisherman’sbend

fisherman’sbend

fish·er·man’s bend 
(plural fish·er·man’s bends) noun
knot tying a line to a spar:
a knot used to tie the end of a line to a ring or spar[1]



fisherman’sknot

fisherman’sknot

fish·er·man’s knot
(plural fish·er·man’s knots) noun
knot for joining ropes:
a knot for joining the ends of two ropes, consisting of one or two overhand
knots that tighten with tension on the line[1]



fishery

fishery
fish·er·y 
[físhəree] (plural fish·er·ies)
noun

1.  place
for rearing fish: a region of water or a tank in which
fish are reared

2.  region
of water for fishing: a region of water where
industrial fishing is practiced

3.  fish
business:
a business that harvests, processes, or sells fish

4.  fishing
industry:
the catching, processing, or selling of fish, including the industries and
occupations involved in these activities

5.  LAW right
to fish:
the right to fish in an area

[1]



Fishes

Fishes
Fish·es 
[físhəz] noun

ZODIAC
See Pisces[1]



fisheyelens

fisheyelens
fish·eye
lens
(plural fish·eye lens·es) noun

very wide-angle lens:
a wide-angle lens that gives an extremely wide field of view, up to 180
degrees. Straight lines are curved and distorted by this type of lens.[1]



fishfarm

fishfarm
fish
farm
(plural fish farms) noun

place
for rearing fish: a place with facilities for rearing fish
commercially
—fish
farm·er, noun

—fish farm·ing, noun[1]



fishfinger

fishfinger
fish
fin·ger
(plural fish fin·gers) noun

U.K.
See fish stick[1]



fishfor

fishfor
fish
for
transitive verb

search indirectly:
to search, especially in an indirect way or in difficult circumstances • fish
for compliments[1]



fishfry

fishfry
fish
fry
noun

meal of fried fish:
a meal with deep-fried fish as the main course[1]



fishgig

fishgig
fish·gig 
[físh gìg] (plural fish·gigs) noun

ANGLING pole
for spearing fish: a pole with barbs, used for
spearing fish
[Mid-16th century. By folk
etymology from earlier fizgig, by
association with fish .][1]



Fish,Hamilton

Fish,Hamilton
Fish 
[fish], Hamilton (1808–1893)

U.S. politician. He served as
a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1843–1845), governor of New York
(1849–1850), U.S. senator (1851–1857), and U.S. secretary of state (1869–1877).[1]



fishhawk

fishhawk
fish
hawk
(plural fish hawks) noun

See
osprey[1]



fishhook

fishhook
fish·hook 
[físh hk] (plural fish·hooks)
noun

1.  hook
for catching fish: a sharp metal hook used for
catching fish.
Also
called
hook noun 3

2.  LOGIC symbol
in logic:
a symbol used in logic to represent an “if-then” proposition

[1]



fishing

fishing
fish·ing 
[físhing] noun

1.  catching
fish:
the sport, industry, or occupation of catching fish

2.  place
for fishing: a place for fishing

[1]



fishingexpedition

fishingexpedition
fish·ing
ex·pe·di·tion (plural fish·ing
ex·pe·di·tions) noun

investigation with an
ulterior motive: an investigation or
line of questioning that strays from its ostensible purpose in order to uncover
incriminating or damaging information[1]



fishingrod

fishingrod
fish·ing
rod
(plural fish·ing rods) noun

flexible pole for fishing:
a long flexible pole to which a fishing line and usually a reel are attached
for catching fish.
Also called
rod[1]



fishjoint

fishjoint
fish
joint
(plural fish joints) noun

rails
joined by fishplates: a connection in which two
rails or beams are joined together by one or more fishplates
[Fish of uncertain origin:
probably from French fiche (see fishplate][1]



fishkettle

fishkettle
fish
ket·tle
(plural fish ket·tles) noun

pan for cooking fish:
an oblong pan, often with a rack inside, for cooking a whole fish[1]



fishknife

fishknife
fish
knife
noun

knife for eating fish:
a broad-bladed knife with blunt edges, used for eating fish[1]



fishladder

fishladder
fish
lad·der
(plural fish lad·ders) noun

series of pools for fish
passage: a series of pools on an
incline separated by short increments so as to enable fish to swim up past a
dam or other obstruction.
Also called
fishway[1]



fishlouse

fishlouse
fish
louse
noun

small parasite of fish:
a small flat rounded crustacean with sucking mouth parts that lives as a
parasite on fish. Class: Branchiura[1]



fishmeal

fishmeal
fish·meal 
[físh ml] noun

feed and fertilizer made from
fish: a substance prepared from
ground dried fish, used as an animal feed and a fertilizer[1]



fishmonger

fishmonger
fish·mon·ger
[físh mùngər, físh
mòngər] (plural fish·mon·gers) noun

fish seller:
somebody who sells fish to eat[1]



fishnet

fishnet
fish·net 
[físh nèt] (plural fish·nets) noun

1.  net
for fishing: a net used to catch fish

2.  TEXTILES fabric
similar to netting: an open mesh fabric that
looks like netting and is often used to make stockings and pantyhose

[1]



fishout

fishout
fish
out
transitive verb

find something or take
something out: to find something or
take something out, especially after searching with the hands (informal)
• He
fished out a coin from his pocket.[1]



fishplate

fishplate
fish·plate 
[físh plàyt] (plural fish·plates)
noun

piece
of metal joining two rails: a flat piece of metal bolted
between two abutting rails or beams to join them, especially on railroad track
[Mid-19th century. Fish of
uncertain origin: probably from French fiche “peg,” from fichier
“to drive in, fasten,” from, ultimately, Latin figere (source of English
fix ).][1]



fishpond

fishpond
fish·pond 
[físh pònd] (plural fish·ponds)
noun

pond for fish:
a pond where fish are found or kept[1]



fishprotein concentrate

fishprotein concentrate
fish
pro·tein con·cen·trate noun

food supplement rich in
protein: a food supplement that
contains high concentrations of protein and is prepared from fish[1]



fishskindisease

fishskindisease
fish·skin
dis·ease 
noun

ichthyosis:
ichthyosis (informal)[1]



fishstick

fishstick
fish
stick
(plural fish sticks) noun

processed fish food:
a rectangular piece of filleted or ground fish that is covered in breadcrumbs
or batter.
U.K. term
fish finger[1]



fishstory

fishstory
fish
sto·ry
noun

tall
tale:
an implausible story boasting about something that was nearly accomplished (informal)
[From fishermen’s traditional
exaggeration of the size of fish almost caught][1]



fishtail

fishtail
fish·tail 
[físh tàyl] intransitive verb (past
fish·tailed, past participle fish·tailed, present
participle fish·tail·ing, 3rd person present singular fish·tails)

1.  AUTOMOBILES swing
from side to side: to swing from side to side,
especially uncontrollably, while moving forward in a motor vehicle

2.  AIR swing
airplane’s tail to reduce speed: to move the tail of an
airplane from side to side in order to reduce speed
adjective

CLOTHES gathered
and flared:
used to describe the back of a skirt or dress that has a section that is
closely gathered or pleated and then flares out

[1]



fishway

fishway
fish·way
[físh wày] (plural fish·ways) noun

See
fish ladder[1]



fishwife

fishwife
fish·wife 
[físh wf] noun

1.  coarse
and loud woman: a woman who is seen as coarse and
loud-voiced (insult)

2.  woman
fish seller: a woman selling fish in former times (archaic)

[1]



fishworm

fishworm
fishworm
[físhwùrm] (plural fishworm) noun

earthworm:
an earthworm (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Fishworm has currency in most parts
  of the country, with the strongest concentrations in New England and the
  North Central States. In the South, earthworm, a general currency word
  elsewhere, is frequent in all types or speech and especially in folk speech.

[1]



fishy

fishy
fish·y 
[físhee] (comparative fish·i·er,
superlative fish·i·est) adjective

1.  dubious:
arousing suspicion (informal)

2.  like
fish:
like fish, especially in taste, smell, or coldness or sliminess to the touch

3.  expressionless:
cold and expressionless, like the eye of a fish • He
gave me a fishy look.
—fish·i·ly,
adverb

—fish·i·ness, noun[1]



Fisk,James

Fisk,James
Fisk
[fisk], James (1834–1872)

U.S. financier. A stock
market speculator, he and his partners caused Black Friday (1869) when they
tried to gain a monopoly on gold.[1]



fissi-

fissi-
fissi-
prefix

1.  cleft,
separated • fissipedal

2.  biological
fission • fissiparous
[From Latin fissus,
the past participle of findere “to split.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English bite and boat
.][1]



fissile

fissile
fis·sile 
[físs’l] adjective

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS See
fissionable

2.  GEOLOGY able
to be split: used to describe a rock that can be
split along a grain or a plane of cleavage, for example, slate or schist
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin fiss-, the past participle stem of findere
(see fission ).]
—fis·sil·i·ty [fi síllətee], noun[1]



fission

fission
fis·sion 
[físh’n] noun

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS splitting
of atomic nucleus releasing energy: the
spontaneous or induced splitting of an atomic nucleus into smaller nuclei,
usually accompanied by a significant release of energy.
Also
called
nuclear fission

2.  breaking
up:
the act or process of separating into parts

3.  BIOLOGY division
of an organism: the division of a single-celled organism
into two equal parts, each part growing into a complete organism
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem fission-, from fiss-, the past participle stem of findere
“to split” (source of English fissure
).][1]



fissionable

fissionable
fis·sion·a·ble 
[físh’nəb’l] adjective

capable
of nuclear fission: able to undergo nuclear
fission
—fis·sion·a·bil·i·ty [fìsh’nə bíllətee], noun[1]



fissionbomb

fissionbomb
fis·sion
bomb
(plural fis·sion bombs) noun

atomic bomb:
an atomic bomb (technical)[1]



fission-trackdating

fission-trackdating
fis·sion-track
dat·ing
noun

rock-dating method:
a method of determining the age of a mineral by observing the tracks made in it
by fission products of the uranium atoms it contains[1]



fissiparous

fissiparous
fis·sip·a·rous 
[fi síppərəss] adjective

BIOLOGY reproducing
by fission:
used to describe an organism that reproduces by dividing into two equal parts,
each of which grows into a complete organism
—fis·sip·a·rous·ly, adverb[1]



fissiped

fissiped
fis·si·ped 
[físsə pèd] adjective fis·si·ped
fis·si·ped·al

ZOOLOGY with
separated toes: used to describe animals that have toes
separated from each other, for example, dogs and cats
noun
(plural fis·si·peds)

separate-toed
animal:
an animal with separate toes. Suborder: Fissipedia
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin fissiped-, from, ultimately, Latin findere “to split” + ped-,
pes “foot.”][1]



fissure

fissure
fis·sure 
[físhər] noun (plural fis·sures)

1.  crack:
a long narrow crack or opening, especially in rock

2.  process
of splitting: the process of dividing along a line

3.  schism
in group:
a division in a group or party

4.  ANATOMY split
in body part: a natural or pathological division in a
body part
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fis·sured,
past participle fis·sured, present participle fis·sur·ing,
3rd person present singular fis·sures)

split or cause to split:
to split something along fairly regular lines, or undergo this process
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin fissura, from the stem fiss- (see fission ).][1]



fist

fist
fist 
[fist] noun (plural fists)

1.  clenched
hand:
a hand with the fingers closed in the palm

2.  hand:
a hand (informal)

3.  See
fistful

4.  PRINTING See index  noun 6
verb
(past fist·ed, past participle fist·ed, present
participle fist·ing, 3rd person present singular fists)

1.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody with the fist: to hit somebody or something
with a fist

2.  transitive
verb
handle:
to handle something roughly or carelessly (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb (offensive taboo) See
fistfuck
[Old English fst,
from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “five,” which is also the ancestor of English five][1]



fistfight

fistfight
fist·fight 
[físt ft] (plural fist·fights)
noun

fight with fists:
a fight in which bare fists are used[1]



fistful

fistful
fist·ful 
[físt fl] (plural fist·fuls) noun

amount in a fist:
the amount that can be held within a fist[1]



fistic

fistic
fist·ic 
[fístik] adjective

of boxing:
relating to boxing (informal)[1]



fisticuffs

fisticuffs
fist·i·cuffs 
[físti kùfs] plural noun

fighting
with fists:
fighting using the fists (archaic or humorous)
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from fisty “with the fists” + cuff “blow.”][1]



fistula

fistula
fis·tu·la 
[físchələ] (plural fis·tu·las or
fis·tu·lae [físchə l]) noun

passage
between organs: an abnormal opening or passage between
two organs or between an organ and the skin, caused by disease, injury, or
congenital malformation
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin fistula “pipe, flute” (source of English fester ).][1]



fistulous

fistulous
fis·tu·lous 
[físchələss] or fis·tu·lar [físchələr] or fis·tu·late [físchələt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE with a
fistula:
having or resembling a fistula

2.  ANATOMY tubular:
tubular

3.  ANATOMY made
up of tubes: composed of or containing tubes

[1]



fit

fit2
fit2 [fit]
(plural fits) noun

1.  sudden
outburst:
a sudden occurrence of a physical activity or an emotional mood • a
fit of laughing • a
coughing fit

2.  convulsions:
sudden violent convulsions, for example, in a child with a high fever or
somebody experiencing a seizure
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old English fitt “conflict.” The
meaning “sudden attack” evolved from “experience of hardship.”]
by
fits and starts

starting
and stopping repeatedly

throw
a fit

to show strong emotion,
especially anger (informal)[1]



fit

fit1
fit1 [fit]
verb (past fit·ted or fit, past
participle fit·ted or fit, present participle fit·ting,
3rd person present singular fits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be the
right size or shape: to be of a suitable size or
shape for something or somebody • See if
this jacket fits.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
appropriate: to be appropriate or suitable for
something • make
the punishment fit the crime

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
compatible:
to agree or be in accordance with something • no
one fitting that description

4.  transitive
verb
try
clothing on: to try clothing on somebody to determine
if changes are necessary

5.  transitive
verb
equip
somebody or something: to provide somebody or
something with equipment of a particular kind • fitted
with extra security features

6.  transitive
verb
make
something ready: to make somebody or something ready or
suitable for a task, function, or purpose • an
education that will fit her for a career in business

7.  transitive
verb
install
something:
to install something, or put something in place
adjective
(comparative fit·ter, superlative fit·test)

1.  appropriate:
suitable, acceptable, or appropriate for a purpose • dishes
fit for everyday use

2.  worthy:
worthy or deserving of something • not
fit to serve as an officer

3.  well
in health:
in good health

4.  strong
and healthy: physically strong and healthy,
especially because of taking regular exercise

5.  appearing
likely to do something: appearing likely to do
something because of being in an extreme condition (informal) • looked
fit to burst in a shirt too small for him
noun

1.  way
that something fits: the way in which something
conforms to standards of proper length, tightness, and shape • These
shoes are a better fit than the other pair.

2.  relationship
for best function: a relationship between
corresponding parts or related things that enables proper functioning • check
the replacement chassis for fit

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING closeness
of surfaces: the closeness of contact between
adjacent surfaces in a mechanical assembly

4.  Ireland
stanza:
a verse in poetry (formal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably originally in the sense “to marshal
troops,” later “to be suitable.”]
fit
to be tied

very
angry and exasperated (informal)

fit
to kill

to an extreme degree that
captures attention[1]



fitch

fitch
fitch 
[fich] (plural fitch·es) or
fitch·et [fich] (plural fitch·ets)
noun

See
polecat
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch fisse .][1]



Fitchburg

Fitchburg
Fitch·burg
[fích bùrg]

city in northern
Massachusetts, south of the border with New Hampshire and northwest of
Leominster. Population: 39,843 (1996)[1]



Fitch,John

Fitch,John
Fitch
[fich], John (1743–1798)

U.S. inventor, who built the
first successful steamboat (1787). His boats operated on the Delaware River
(1787–1790).[1]



fitful

fitful
fit·ful 
[fítfəl] adjective

in
bursts:
starting and stopping irregularly • a
fitful sleep
—fit·ful·ly,
adverb

—fit·ful·ness, noun[1]



fitin

fitin
fit
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
conform
well:
to conform harmoniously to other members of a group or other things in a
setting • She’s
been able to fit in well at her new school.

2.  transitive
verb
find
time for:
to find a time or place for somebody or something that does not disturb other
arrangements • The
dentist can fit you in at three. • I
love the theater but can’t fit it into my schedule.

[1]



fitly

fitly
fit·ly
[fítlee] adverb

rightly:
in an appropriate way or place (archaic)[1]



fitness

fitness
fit·ness 
[fítnəss] (plural fit·ness·es)
noun

1.  being
physically fit: the state of being physically fit

2.  suitability:
suitability of somebody or something to a particular purpose

3.  GENETICS ability
to reproduce successfully: the ability of an individual
to produce offspring that survive and reproduce

[1]



fitnesscenter

fitnesscenter
fit·ness
cen·ter
(plural fit·ness cen·ters) noun

place for exercise:
a place with facilities and equipment for people to maintain or improve their
physical fitness[1]



fitout

fitout
fit
out
transitive verb

equip with required items:
to equip or provide something or somebody with required items, for example,
supplies or clothes[1]



fitted

fitted
fit·ted
[fíttəd] adjective

1.  made
to fit:
tailored to fit closely to the body

2.  U.K.
built
for a space: built for and fixed into a designated
space

3.  U.K.
See wall-to-wall

[1]



fittedsheet

fittedsheet
fit·ted
sheet
(plural fit·ted sheets) noun

sheet with elastic:
a sheet with elastic at the corners that makes it fit snugly over a mattress[1]



fitter

fitter
fit·ter
[fíttər] (plural fit·ters) noun

1.  INDUSTRY somebody
who maintains machinery: somebody who maintains,
repairs, or assembles mechanical equipment

2.  CLOTHES somebody
who alters clothes: somebody who alters clothes
to make them fit

[1]



fitting

fitting
fit·ting 
[fítting] adjective

suitable:
appropriate for the circumstances • a
fitting end to her career
noun
(plural fit·tings)

1.  trying
on of clothes: the trying on of a piece of clothing to
see if it requires alteration

2.  detachable
part:
a detachable part, especially for a device or machine

3.  fitter’s
work:
the work performed by a fitter
plural
noun
fit·tings

associated parts:
decorations, furniture, and accessories that belong to a building, vehicle, or
machine
—fit·ting·ly,
adverb

—fit·ting·ness, noun[1]



fittingroom

fittingroom
fit·ting
room
(plural fit·ting rooms) noun

room for trying on clothes:
a room for trying on or fitting clothes in a store[1]



Fitzgerald,Ella

Fitzgerald,Ella

Fitz·ger·ald
[fits jérrəld], Ella (1917–1996)
U.S. jazz singer. She was known for her
scat singing and extensive song repertoire.[1]



Fitzgerald,F. Scott

Fitzgerald,F. Scott

Fitz·ger·ald
[fits jérrəld], F. Scott (1890–1940)
U.S.
writer. He penned novels and short stories that chronicled the mood and manners
of the 1920s. Among his works is The Great Gatsby ( 1925 ).
Full name
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott Key[1]



five

five
five 
[fīv] (plural fives) noun

1.  number
5:
the number 5

2.  group
of 5:
a group of five objects or people

3.  something
with value of 5: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 5 • the
five of clubs • to
throw a five
[Old
English fîf . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “five,”
which is also the ancestor of English pentagon,
punch “beverage,” and Pentecost .]
—five, adjective,
pronoun[1]



five-and-dime

five-and-dime
five-and-dime 
(plural five-and-dimes) noun

variety store:
a variety store of a type, now obsolete, that sold housewares, toys, candy,
small pets, and other assorted items at reasonable prices (dated)
Also called
five-and-ten
Also called
ten-cent store[1]



five-and-ten

five-and-ten
five-and-ten 
or five-and-ten-cent store noun

See
five-and-dime[1]



FiveCivilized Nations

FiveCivilized Nations
Five
Civ·i·lized Na·tions  or Five
Civ·i·lized Tribes plural noun

displaced Native N Americans:
five Native North American tribes, the Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, and
Seminole, who were briefly self-governing in the Indian Territory after being
displaced from their land in the southeastern United States[1]



five-finger

five-finger
five-fin·ger 
(plural five-fin·gers) noun

plant with five-lobed leaves
or flowers: a plant, for example,
cinquefoil, that has leaves or flowers with five segments[1]



five-fingerdiscount

five-fingerdiscount
five-fin·ger
dis·count
noun

shoplifting:
an act of shoplifting (slang)[1]



fivefold

fivefold
five·fold
[fv fld] adjective

1.  times
5:
with or equal to five times as much or as many

2.  with
5 parts:
composed of five parts or sections
adverb

by five times as much:
by five times as much or as many

[1]



fivehundred

fivehundred
five
hun·dred
noun

card game:
euchre or rummy in which the winner is the first to reach 500 points[1]



fiveof a kind

fiveof a kind
five
of a kind
noun

good poker hand:
a poker hand consisting of four cards of the same denomination plus a wild card[1]



fiveo’clock shadow

fiveo’clock shadow
five
o’clock shad·ow (plural five o’clock shad·ows)
noun

beard growth late in day:
beard growth noticeable late in the day on a man who shaved in the morning[1]



fivepenny

fivepenny
five·pen·ny
[fv pènnee] adjective

worth 5 pence:
costing or worth five pence[1]



fivepins

fivepins
five·pins
[fv pìnz] noun

bowling game:
a bowling game played in Canada in which five pins are used (takes a
singular verb)[1]



fiver

fiver
fiv·er 
[fvər] (plural fiv·ers) noun

1.  5-dollar
bill:
a banknote worth five dollars

2.  U.K.
5-pound
banknote:
in Britain, a banknote worth five pounds

[1]



five-spicepowder

five-spicepowder
five-spice
pow·der
noun

Chinese spice:
a Chinese mixed spice consisting of star anise, anise or Szechuan pepper,
cinnamon, fennel, and cloves[1]



five-spot

five-spot
five-spot 
[fv spòt] (plural five-spots)
or five·spot [fv spòt] (plural
five·spots) noun

5-dollar bill:
a banknote worth five dollars[1]



five-star

five-star
five-star
adjective

top-quality:
first-class, or offering the highest standards and quality[1]



five-stargeneral

five-stargeneral
five-star
gen·er·al
(plural five-star gen·er·als) noun

general with five stars:
a general of the highest rank, with an insignia of five stars[1]



fix

fix
fix 
[fiks] verb (past fixed,
past participle fixed, present participle fix·ing, 3rd
person present singular fix·es)

1.  transitive
verb
mend
or correct something: to repair, mend, or correct
something

2.  transitive
verb
cure
something:
to cure or bandage a small wound (babytalk)

3.  transitive
verb
prepare
something as food: to prepare something,
especially a meal or a drink (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
arrange
or order something: to arrange something, or put
something in order (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
agree
something:
to agree, arrange, or settle something, especially a time or a price

6.  transitive
verb
influence
something dishonestly: to influence a person or
outcome dishonestly (informal) • The
trial was fixed.

7.  transitive
verb
take
revenge on somebody: to take revenge on or punish
somebody (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
attribute
something:
to attribute something, especially blame • to
fix the blame on other people

9.  transitive
verb
direct
something:
to direct or concentrate the eyes, attention, or mind • She
fixed her eyes on the path ahead.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become secure: to make something stable, firm, or
secure, or become so

11. transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE sterilize
an animal:
to spay or castrate an animal (informal)

12. transitive
verb
hold
somebody’s attention: to hold or capture the
attention or interest of somebody • fixed
us with a baleful smile

13. transitive
verb
fasten
something:
to fasten something in place • She
fixed the notice to the door with a thumbtack.

14. transitive
verb
BIOCHEMISTRY convert
nitrogen to a stable form: to convert atmospheric
nitrogen to a stable or biologically available form (refers to soil bacteria)

15. transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY PAINTING make
permanent:
to treat something such as a photographic film or plate with chemicals in order
to make a permanent image

16. intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY make or become stable:
to make a chemical or compound stable and nonvolatile, or undergo this process

17. transitive
verb
BIOLOGY preserve
something for examination: to prevent change and decay
in a specimen by preserving it in a chemical solution, especially for study
under the microscope

18. intransitive
verb
DRUGS inject
a drug:
to inject an illegal drug (slang)
noun
(plural fix·es)

1.  predicament:
a predicament or difficult situation (informal) • in
a fix

2.  superficial
solution:
an immediate and often temporary solution (informal) • a
quick fix

3.  influencing
dishonestly: an instance of influencing an outcome or
person dishonestly (informal)

4.  DRUGS illegal
drug injection: an injection of an illegal drug (slang)

5.  stimulating
dose:
a dose of or exposure to something pleasurable and stimulating (humorous)
• a
chocolate fix

6.  NAVIGATION calculation
of position: a calculation of the position of an
object using radar or other forms of observation

7.  understanding:
an understanding or identification of something (informal) • Do
you have a fix on what the problem is?
[15th
century. Immediate origin uncertain: ultimately from Latin fix-, the
past participle stem of figere “to fix.”]
—fix·a·ble,
adjective
be
fixing to do something

to
be on the verge of doing something (regional) • They’re
fixing to get married.

the
fix is in

the case or other matter has
already been dishonestly decided, for example, by the use of bribes (slang)[1]



fixate

fixate
fix·ate 
[fík sàyt] (past fix·at·ed, past
participle fix·at·ed, present participle fix·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular fix·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb focus
on something: to focus exclusively on something

2.  transitive
verb
obsess
somebody:
to obsess or preoccupy somebody or something totally

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PSYCHOLOGY form a fixation:
to form or have a psychological fixation to a person or object

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make fixed: to make something stable or secure, or
become so
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the Latin stem fix- (see fix ).][1]



fixation

fixation
fix·a·tion 
[fik sáysh’n] (plural fix·a·tions)
noun

1.  obsession:
an obsession or preoccupation

2.  PSYCHOLOGY immature
psychosexual behavior: a theoretical abnormally
strong libidinal attachment to a person or object, formed during early
childhood, that results in neurotic or arrested psychosexual behavior in
adulthood

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY conversion
of nitrogen: the conversion by soil bacteria of atmospheric
nitrogen to a stable and biologically available form • nitrogen
fixation

4.  CHEMISTRY stabilization
of chemical: the process of stabilizing a chemical or
compound

5.  BIOLOGY preserving
for examination: the process of preserving a biological
specimen with a chemical

[1]



fixative

fixative
fix·a·tive 
[fíksətiv] noun (plural fix·a·tives)

1.  liquid
sprayed for protection: a liquid sprayed onto a
drawing, photograph, or other surface to protect it

2.  glue:
a substance used to hold something in place

3.  COSMETICS perfume
additive:
a substance added to a perfume to make it evaporate less rapidly

4.  BIOLOGY chemical
preservative: a chemical solution that preserves a
biological specimen for microscopic study

5.  TEXTILES fabric
additive:
a substance applied to dyed fabrics to make the dye colorfast
adjective

tending to fix:
acting or tending to fix something

[1]



fixed

fixed
fixed 
[fikst] adjective

1.  secure:
immovable or securely in position

2.  not
subject to change: not subject to change in
amount or time

3.  not
changing:
unchanging in expression

4.  agreed
on:
arranged or agreed upon

5.  held
in mind:
firmly or dogmatically held in the mind

6.  provided
with something: in the position of having something at
your disposal (informal) • How
are you fixed for money?

7.  dishonestly
arranged:
unfairly or illegally arranged (slang)

8.  CHEMISTRY chemically
stable:
combined in stable form • fixed
nitrogen

9.  ZODIAC stable
in zodiacal terms: used to describe Taurus,
Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, signs of the zodiac associated with stability
—fix·ed·ly
[fíksədlee], adverb

—fix·ed·ness [fíksədnəss], noun[1]



fixedasset

fixedasset
fixed
as·set
(plural fixed as·sets) noun

permanent owned thing:
an asset of a business that is central to its operation and is not traded (usually
used in the plural)[1]



fixedcost

fixedcost
fixed
cost
noun

unchanging expense:
a business expense that does not vary according to the amount of business (usually
used in the plural)[1]



fixedidea

fixedidea
fixed
i·de·a
(plural fixed i·de·as) noun

See
idée fixe[1]



fixedline

fixedline
fixed
line
adjective

having cables:
used to describe a telephone that is connected to a network via underground or
overground lines “The card is free and can be used from any mobile or fixed
line phone.” Marketing Week December 1998[1]



fixedoil

fixedoil
fixed
oil
(plural fixed oils) noun

natural nonvolatile oil:
a nonvolatile oil composed of fatty acids, usually of animal or vegetable
origin.
Also called
fatty oil[1]



fixedpenalty

fixedpenalty
fixed
pen·al·ty
noun

specific fine for offense:
a fine for a specific amount given for a particular offense, especially a
traffic violation[1]



fixedpoint

fixedpoint
fixed
point
(plural fixed points) noun

invariable temperature
standard: a temperature, for example,
boiling or freezing point, that has a fixed value under specific conditions and
can be used to calibrate instruments[1]



fixed-point

fixed-point
fixed-point 
adjective

of mathematical notation:
used to describe or relating to a mathematical notation system, for example,
the decimal system, in which the point separating whole numbers from fractional
values is in a fixed position[1]



fixed-wing

fixed-wing
fixed-wing
adjective

with stationary wings:
used to describe an aircraft that has stationary wings, especially as distinct
from rotor blades[1]



fixer

fixer
fix·er
[fíksər] (plural fix·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who arranges something dishonest: somebody who arranges
something, especially using dishonest or illegal means (slang)

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY chemical
in photography: a chemical that halts the development of
a photographic image on film or paper

3.  somebody
or something that fixes: a person who or an object
that fixes something

[1]



fixing

fixing
fix·ing
[fíksing] (plural fix·ings) plural
noun fix·ings

1.  COOKING ingredients:
the ingredients required for a dish

2.  food
accompaniments: the typical accompaniments for a
particular dish (informal)

[1]



fixity

fixity
fix·i·ty 
[fíksitee] (plural fix·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being fixed: the quality or state of being fixed and
unchanging

2.  something
not changing: something that is unchanging (formal)

[1]



fixon

fixon
fix
on
transitive verb

choose something:
to select something[1]



fixture

fixture
fix·ture 
[fíkschər] (plural fix·tures) noun

1.  object
in fixed position: an object with a fixed
position and function

2.  established
person:
somebody considered to be permanently established in a place or position
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration, on the model of mixture,
of fixure, from late Latin fixura, from Latin fix- (see fix ).][1]



fixup

fixup
fix
up
transitive verb

1.  arrange
a contact for somebody: to arrange a business or
social contact, or a romantic or sexual partner, for somebody

2.  repair
something:
to restore something to working order or proper order

3.  arrange
something:
to arrange something, for example, a meeting or a date

[1]



fizgig

fizgig
fiz·gig 
[fízgig] (plural fiz·gigs) noun

ANGLING See fishgig
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from fizz + gig
“giddy girl”; “fishgig” sense probably ultimately from Spanish fisga
“harpoon.”][1]



fizz

fizz

fizz 
[fiz] intransitive verb (past fizzed,
past participle fizzed, present participle fizz·ing,
3rd person present singular fizz·es)

1.  produce
gas bubbles: to produce bubbles of gas

2.  hiss:
to make a hissing or continuous soft crackling sound
noun (plural
fizz·es)

1.  effervescence:
the sparkling quality of a drink caused by bubbles of gas

2.  hissing
sound:
a hissing or continuous soft crackling sound

3.  liveliness:
a quality of liveliness or excitement • All
the fizz has gone out of the election campaign.

4.  BEVERAGES sparkling
drink:
a sparkling drink, especially champagne
[Mid-17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



fizzle

fizzle

fiz·zle 
[fízz’l] intransitive verb (past
fiz·zled, past participle fiz·zled, present participle
fiz·zling, 3rd person present singular fiz·zles)

1.  fail
after good start: to fail or peter out, especially after a
good start

2.  make
hissing sound: to make a gentle hissing sound
noun (plural
fiz·zles)

1.  failure:
a fiasco or total failure (informal)

2.  hissing
sound:
a gentle hissing sound
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from obsolete fist “to break wind” (source also of
English feist ), from prehistoric
Germanic.][1]



fizzler

fizzler
fiz·zler
[fízzlər] (plural fiz·zlers) noun

1.  failed
firecracker: a firecracker that sputters and hisses
but does not explode (informal)

2.  failed
event:
an event that is not as lively or exciting as expected

[1]



fizzy

fizzy
fizz·y
[fízzee] (comparative fizz·i·er,
superlative fizz·i·est) adjective

bubbly:
producing or containing gas bubbles
—fizz·i·ly,
adverb

—fizz·i·ness, noun[1]



fjord

fjord
fjord 
[fyawrd] (plural fjords) or
fiord [fyawrd] (plural fiords)
noun

narrow
inlet of the sea: a long narrow coastal inlet with steep
sides, often formed by glacial action, especially along the west coast of
Norway
[Late 17th century. Via
Norwegian from Old Norse fjörðr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is the ancestor of English fare,
firth, and ford .][1]



Fkr

Fkr
Fkr

Symbol for
Faroese krona[1]



FL

FL
FL

1.  Abbreviation
of
Florida

2.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of
foreign languages

3.  U.K.
Abbreviation of Flight Lieutenant

[1]



Fl.

Fl.
Fl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Flanders

2.  Abbreviation
of
Flemish

3.  Abbreviation
of
flanker

[1]



fl.

fl.
fl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
floor

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of florin

3.  Abbreviation
of
floruit

4.  MUSIC Abbreviation of flute

[1]



Fla.

Fla.
Fla.

Abbreviation of
Florida[1]



flab

flab
flab 
[flab] noun

unwanted
body fat:
excess or unwanted fat on somebody’s body (informal disapproving)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from flabby .][1]



flabbergast

flabbergast
flab·ber·gast 
[flábbər gàst] (past flab·ber·gast·ed,
past participle flab·ber·gast·ed, present participle flab·ber·gast·ing,
3rd person present singular flab·ber·gasts) transitive verb

astonish
somebody utterly: to amaze or astonish somebody completely
(informal) (usually passive)
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from flabby or flapper + aghast
.][1]



flabby

flabby
flab·by 
[flábbee] (comparative flab·bi·er,
superlative flab·bi·est) adjective

1.  having
excess fat:
having excess body fat or sagging flesh (informal disapproving)

2.  weak:
done without vitality or force (informal)
[Late
17th century. Alteration of flappy .]
—flab·bi·ly,
adverb

—flab·bi·ness, noun[1]



flabella

flabella
fla·bel·la

Plural of
flabellum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flabellate

flabellate
fla·bel·late 
[flə béllət, flábbə
làyt] or fla·bel·li·form [flə
béllə fàwrm] adjective

fan-shaped:
shaped like an open handheld fan
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin flabellum (see flabellum
).][1]



flabellum

flabellum
fla·bel·lum 
[flə bélləm] (plural fla·bel·la
[flə béllə]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY fan-shaped
body part:
fan-shaped organ or body part

2.  CHRISTIANITY fan
used in Roman Catholic Church: a fan with a long
handle, used in the past in the Roman Catholic Church to keep away insects
during the Communion service
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
flabellum “fan,” from flabrum “gust,” from flare “to blow”
(source of English flatulent ).][1]



flaccid

flaccid
flac·cid 
[fláksid, flássid]
adjective

1.  limp:
soft, limp, or lacking firmness

2.  lacking
vitality:
lacking energy, enthusiasm, or competence
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin flaccidus, from flaccus
“flabby.”]
—flac·cid·i·ty
[flak síddətee, fla
síddətee], noun

—flac·cid·ly, adverb[1]



flack

flack2
flack2 noun

See
flak[1]



flack

flack1
flack1 [flak]
noun (plural flacks)

press
agent:
a press agent or publicist (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past flacked,
past participle flacked, present participle flack·ing,
3rd person present singular flacks)

be
press agent: to act as a press agent or publicity
agent for somebody (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly a variant of flak,
from the supposed similarity between antiaircraft fire and the noisy babbling
of publicists.]
—flack·er,
noun

—flack·er·y, noun[1]



flacon

flacon
flac·on 
[flákən, flá kòn]
(plural flac·ons) noun

small
perfume bottle: a small, often decorated, stoppered
bottle used especially for perfume
[Early 19th century. From
French fla(s)con (see flagon ).][1]



flag

flag3
flag3 [flag]
noun (plural flags)

See
flagstone  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past flagged, past participle flagged, present
participle flag·ging, 3rd person present singular flags)

pave
area with flagstones: to pave a surface with
flagstones
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably of Scandinavian origin.][1]



flag

flag2
flag2 [flag]
(past flagged, past participle flagged, present
participle flag·ging, 3rd person present singular flags)
intransitive verb

1.  become
weak or tired: to become weak, tired, or less attentive

2.  hang
limply:
to hang down limply or droop
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of earlier flakken, flakeren “to
flutter,” both from a Scandinavian word.][1]



flag

flag1

flag1 [flag]
noun (plural flags)

1.  cloth
flown as emblem: a piece of cloth, often rectangular and
flown from a pole, carrying a distinctive design and used as an emblem or for
signaling

2.  decoration:
a small ornament, emblem, or pin showing the colors and design of a flag

3.  POLITICS national
identity symbolized by flag: national or group identity
symbolized by a flag

4.  marking
device:
a marking device, for example, a tab, attached to something to make it easier
to identify or more conspicuous

5.  COMPUTING computer
program marker: an indicator generated by a computer
program to indicate a certain condition, for example, an error

6.  TRANSPORT marker
showing a taxi for hire: formerly, a small marker on
a taximeter, raised to show a taxi’s availability for hire

7.  FOOTBALL penalty
marker:
a colored cloth thrown to the ground by a football official to indicate illegal
play

8.  MUSIC note
marker:
an angled line on the stem of a musical note, indicating its value

9.  NAVY See flagship  noun 1

10. PRESS See masthead  noun 1

11. ZOOLOGY hair
fringe beneath dog’s tail: a fringe of hair that grows
on the lower part of the tail in some dog breeds, for example, setters

12. ZOOLOGY deer’s
tail:
the tail of a deer
transitive verb
(past flagged, past participle flagged, present
participle flag·ging, 3rd person present singular flags)

1.  stop
vehicle by waving at driver: to make a vehicle or its
driver stop by making signs to the driver

2.  FOOTBALL indicate
penalty:
to indicate a penalty by throwing down a flag

3.  mark
something:
to mark something, for example, a page or a place, in order to draw attention
to it • I’ve
flagged the passages that need rewriting.

4.  indicate:
to draw somebody’s attention to something “The…service is quick to flag up
offers and discounts to new members.” Internet Magazine November 1998

5.  COMMUNICATION send
information by flag: to send information using a
flag or flags

6.  cut
somebody off from drink: to refuse to serve somebody
more alcoholic beverages because of apparent drunkenness (slang)

7.  decorate
something with flags: to decorate something with
flags

8.  HUNTING attract
animal’s attention: to attract the attention or
curiosity of wild game by waving something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown. The English word is perhaps the source of the related
forms found in all modern Germanic languages.]
—flag·ger,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Flag, a painting by Jasper Johns ( 1945 ).
  The first of many such variations that Johns created on this theme, it
  consists of a U.S. flag painted on canvas using encaustic. Its apparent
  banality infuriated many commentators; others responded positively to its
  playful ambiguity (is it a flag or a painting?) and saw it as Johns’ reaction
  to the emotionalism of Abstract Expressionism.

[1]



flag

flag4
flag4 [flag]
(plural flags) noun

1.  PLANTS iris
plant:
a plant of the iris family, usually one with large flowers and leaves

2.  BOTANY long
narrow plant leaf: a long narrow leaf of a
plant such as an iris or cattail
[14th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps originally “flutterer,” from Scandinavian .][1]



flagcaptain

flagcaptain
flag
cap·tain
(plural flag cap·tains) noun

captain of flagship:
the captain of the flagship of a fleet[1]



flagday

flagday
flag
day
(plural flag days) noun

U.K.
See tag day[1]



FlagDay

FlagDay
Flag
Day 
(plural Flag Days) noun

holiday honoring flag:
June 14, a holiday commemorating the official adoption of the design of the
United States flag in 1777. It is marked by flying the flag in public places
and by special activities in schools.[1]



flagella

flagella
fla·gel·la


Plural of
flagellum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flagellant

flagellant
flag·el·lant 
[flájjələnt] (plural flag·el·lants)
noun

1.  RELIGION self-punishing
penitent:
somebody who whips himself or herself as a form of penance

2.  PSYCHOLOGY somebody
sexually stimulated by whipping: somebody who finds
sexual gratification in whipping another or in being whipped
[Late
16th century. From Latin flagellant-, present participle stem of flagellare
“to whip,” from flagellum (see flagellum
).]
—flag·el·lant·ism, noun[1]



flagellar

flagellar
fla·gel·lar 
[flə jéllər] adjective

of flagellum:
relating to a flagellum[1]



flagellate

flagellate1
flag·el·late1  (past flag·el·lat·ed,
past participle flag·el·lat·ed, present participle flag·el·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular flag·el·lates, plural flag·el·lates)
transitive verb [flájjə làyt]

whip
somebody:
to whip somebody, especially for sexual or religious purposes
[Early 17th century. From
Latin flagellat-, the past participle stem of flagellare “to
whip,” from flagellum (see flagellum
).][1]



flagellate

flagellate2
flag·el·late2  [flájjələt,
flájjə làyt, flə
jéllət] adjective flag·el·late flag·el·lat·ed BIOLOGY

1.  resembling
a long thread: similar to a long thin cellular
appendage ( flagellum )

2.  with
appendages resembling threads: used to describe an
organism or cell that has long thin cellular appendages ( flagella )
noun

microorganism with flagella:
a microorganism with tiny cellular appendages ( flagella
). Some flagellates are pathogenic parasites that cause diseases such as giardiasis
in humans.

[1]



flagellation

flagellation1
flag·el·la·tion1  [flàjjə
láysh’n] noun

act of whipping:
the act of whipping yourself or somebody else, especially for sexual or
religious purposes[1]



flagellation

flagellation2
flag·el·la·tion2  [flàjjə
láysh’n] noun

formation of flagella:
the formation or arrangement of flagella on an organism[1]



flagelliform

flagelliform
fla·gel·li·form 
[flə jéllə fàwrm] adjective

BIOLOGY slender
and tapering: long, tapering, and very narrow
[Early 19th century. Coined
from flagellum + -form
.][1]



flagellum

flagellum
fla·gel·lum 
[flə jélləm] (plural fla·gel·la
[flə jéllə] or flag·el·lums) noun

1.  BIOLOGY slender
cellular appendage: a slender tapering narrow
outgrowth of the cells of many microorganisms, for example, protozoa, that is
by itself or in groups, a means of locomotion

2.  INSECTS antenna
part:
the very narrow terminal part of an insect’s antenna
[Early 19th century. From Latin
flagellum, literally “little scourge,” from flagrum “scourge”
(probably the source of English flail
).][1]



flageolet

flageolet2

flag·eo·let2  [flàjjə
lét, flàyjə lét] (plural flag·eo·lets)
noun
MUSIC old
musical instrument: a musical instrument of the
16th and 17th centuries similar to the flute
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “little flute,” from Old French flageol “flute,” of
uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Latin flare “to blow.”][1]



flageolet

flageolet1
flag·eo·let1  [flàjjə
lét, flàyjə lét] noun

PLANTS slender-podded
green bean:
a slender-podded variety of green bean that can be eaten either fresh or dried
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin phaseolus “bean.”][1]



flagfootball

flagfootball
flag
foot·ball
noun

gentle form of football:
a form of football in which play is stopped by the removal of a flag from the
waist of the player with the ball, rather than by tackling[1]



flagged

flagged
flagged
[flagd] adjective

having flagstones:
paved with flagstones[1]



flagging

flagging1
flag·ging1  [flágging]
adjective

1.  weakening:
decreasing in strength, power, or ability

2.  hanging
limply:
hanging down limply or drooping (archaic)
—flag·ging·ly, adverb[1]



flagging

flagging2
flag·ging2  [flágging]
noun

place with flagstones:
an area paved with flagstones[1]



Flagg,James Montgomery

Flagg,James Montgomery
Flagg
[flag], James Montgomery (1877–1960)

U.S. writer and illustrator.
He created the Uncle Sam “I Want You” poster (1917) to recruit soldiers during
World War I.[1]



flagitious

flagitious
fla·gi·tious 
[flə jíshəss] adjective (formal)

1.  cruel
or wicked:
extremely cruel, wicked, or vicious

2.  notorious:
notorious or infamous
[14th
century. From Latin flagitiosus, from flagitium “shameful crime,”
from flagitare “to demand vehemently.”]
—fla·gi·tious·ly,
adverb

—fla·gi·tious·ness, noun[1]



flagman

flagman
flag·man 
[flágmən] (plural flag·men [flágmən]) noun

somebody with flag for
signaling: somebody who carries a flag,
usually to make signals[1]



flagof convenience

flagof convenience
flag
of con·ven·ience noun

ship registration identifier:
a flag of a country under which a ship is registered chosen for its favorable
regulations, not for any real connection with the ship’s owners or business[1]



flagofficer

flagofficer
flag
of·fi·cer
(plural flag of·fi·cers) noun

Navy or Coast Guard officer:
in the Navy and Coast Guard, an officer above the rank of captain and, as an
admiral, equivalent to general officer in the Army and Marines[1]



flagof truce

flagof truce
flag
of truce
noun

white flag indicating
surrender or peace: a white
flag flown to indicate surrender, a request or offer of conference, or other
peaceful intent[1]



flagon

flagon
flag·on 
[flággən] (plural flag·ons) noun

1.  container
for beverages: a container for beverages with a handle,
narrow neck, spout, and sometimes a lid

2.  large
bottle for alcoholic drink: a large bottle with a short
or narrow neck for an alcoholic drink

3.  flagon’s
contents:
the amount that a flagon will hold
[14th century. Via French
from the late Latin flascon- “flask” (source of English flask ).][1]



flagpole

flagpole
flag·pole 
[flág pl] (plural flag·poles)
noun

pole
that flag is flown on: a pole on which a flag is
flown.
Also
called
flagstaff
run
something up the flagpole

to put forward an idea or
suggestion in order to gauge general reaction to it (informal)[1]



flagrank

flagrank
flag
rank
noun

admiral’s rank:
the rank of admiral, above captain, in the Navy or Coast Guard[1]



flagrant

flagrant
fla·grant 
[fláygrənt] adjective

1.  scandalous:
very obvious and contrary to standards of conduct or morality • a
flagrant violation of the suspect’s civil rights

2.  on
fire:
on fire or blazing (archaic)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin flagrant-, the present
participle stem of flagrare “to burn” (source of English conflagration ).]
—fla·grance,
noun

—fla·gran·cy,
noun

—fla·grant·ly, adverb[1]



flagrante

flagrante
fla·gran·te
[flə grntee]

See
in flagrante delicto[1]



flagship

flagship
flag·ship 
[flág shìp] (plural flag·ships)
noun

1.  NAVY commanding
ship:
the ship from which the admiral or unit commander controls the operation of a
fleet.
Also
called
flag

2.  SHIPPING main
commercial ship: the main ship in a commercial fleet

3.  most
important of group: the most important or
prestigious among a group of similar and related things • the
flagship of the hotel spa chain

[1]



flagstaff

flagstaff
flag·staff 
[flágstàf] (plural flag·staffs)
noun

See
flagpole[1]



Flagstaff

Flagstaff
Flag·staff
[flágstàf]

city in northern Arizona,
northeast of Phoenix and southwest of the Painted Desert. Population: 55,094
(1996)[1]



flagstick

flagstick
flag·stick 
[flág stìk] (plural flag·sticks)
noun

GOLF
pole with flag marking putting hole:
the flag pole that marks the position of the hole on a putting green[1]



flagstone

flagstone
flag·stone 
[flág stn] (plural flag·stones)
noun
Also
called
flag

1.  paving
stone:
a slab of stone or concrete used for making floors or paving

2.  GEOLOGY rock
that splits into slabs: fine-textured rock that can
be split into slabs suitable for use in paving
[Flag from flag 3][1]



flagstop

flagstop
flag
stop
(plural flag stops) noun

stop on request:
a station or place where a bus or train stops only when signaled.
U.K. term
request stop[1]



flag-waving

flag-waving
flag-wav·ing 
noun

excessive
patriotism:
an excessive and emotional display of patriotism
—flag-wav·er, noun[1]



Flaherty,Robert Joseph

Flaherty,Robert Joseph
Fla·her·ty
[flá ərtee], Robert Joseph (1884–1951)

U.S. documentary filmmaker.
He is known for his ethnographic documentary about Inuit life, Nanook of the
North ( 1920 ).[1]



flail

flail
flail 
[flayl] verb (past flailed,
past participle flailed, present participle flail·ing,
3rd person present singular flails)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb thrash
around:
to thrash or swing something around violently or uncontrollably, or move in
this way

2.  transitive
verb
hit
something:
to strike or hit something
noun
(plural flails)

1.  AGRICULTURE manual
threshing implement: a manual threshing implement
consisting of a wooden handle attached to a free-swinging wooden or metal bar

2.  ARMS weapon
shaped like flail: a weapon shaped like a
threshing flail, used especially in the Middle Ages
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an assumed Old English word (influenced by Old French flaiel
), from, ultimately, Latin flagellum “whip” (see flagellum ).][1]



flair

flair
flair 
[flair] noun

1.  talent:
a natural ability or aptitude

2.  elegance:
obvious elegance or stylishness
[Late
19th century. From French flair “sense of smell,” from Old French flairer
“to smell,” from late Latin flagrare, alteration of Latin fragrare
“to emit an odor.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talent

[1]



flak

flak
flak
[flak] or flack [flak] noun

1.  ARMS ground-based
antiaircraft fire: antiaircraft fire directed
from the ground

2.  criticism:
strong adverse criticism (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From
German, an acronym from Flieger “airplane” + Abwehr “defense” + Kanone
“canon.”][1]



flake

flake1
flake1 [flayk]
noun (plural flakes)

1.  small
flat piece:
a small flat piece or small part of a layer broken or detached from a larger
object • flakes
of paint

2.  small
manufactured item: a small thin flat object
that is manufactured, sold, and used or consumed in quantity • soap
flakes

3.  snowflake:
a snowflake

4.  odd
person:
somebody with unconventional and irrational behavior and ideas (insult)

5.  DRUGS cocaine:
cocaine (slang)
verb
(past flaked, past participle flaked, present
participle flak·ing, 3rd person present singular flakes)

1.  intransitive
verb
form
into flakes and fall off: to form into flakes and fall
or peel off

2.  transitive
verb
break
something into flakes: to break something into
flakes, or break flakes from something • flaked
stones to fashion arrowheads

3.  transitive
verb
cover
something with flakes: to cover or coat something
with flakes
[14th
century. Origin uncertain; probably from Scandinavian .]
—flak·er, noun[1]



flake

flake2
flake2 [flayk]
(plural flakes) noun

platform
for drying fish: a platform or frame for drying fish or
other food
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse flaki “wicker shield.”][1]



flake

flake3
flake3 [flayk]
noun (plural flakes) transitive verb (past flaked,
past participle flaked, present participle flak·ing,
3rd person present singular flakes)

NAUTICAL See fake 2
[Early 17th century. Related
to fake .][1]



flakeout

flakeout
flake
out
intransitive verb (slang)

1.  collapse
from exhaustion: to collapse or fall asleep because of
exhaustion

2.  lose
reason:
to behave in an irrational way that prevents normal functioning

[1]



flakewhite

flakewhite
flake
white
noun

pigment:
a pigment made from flakes of white lead[1]



flakey

flakey
flak·ey
adjective

See
flaky[1]



flakjacket

flakjacket
flak
jack·et
(plural flak jack·ets) noun

reinforced garment:
a reinforced vest or jacket for protection against gunfire or shrapnel[1]



flaky

flaky
flak·y 
[fláykee] (comparative flak·i·er,
superlative flak·i·est) or flak·ey [fláykee] (comparative flak·i·er, superlative
flak·i·est) adjective

1.  unconventional:
unconventional or irrational (informal)

2.  like
flakes:
made of or similar to flakes

3.  tending
to break off in flakes: forming or tending to break
off in flakes
—flak·i·ly,
adverb

—flak·i·ness, noun[1]



flam

flam
flam
[flam] (plural flams) noun

double
drumbeat:
a drumbeat of two nearly simultaneous strokes
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.][1]



flambeau

flambeau
flam·beau 
[flám b] (plural flam·beaux or
flam·beaus) noun

1.  torch:
a lighted torch made of wicks dipped in wax

2.  candlestick:
a large decorative candlestick

3.  Caribbean
torch
lit with kerosene: a torch made by stuffing
cloth into a bottle or sometimes a bamboo joint containing kerosene
[Mid-17th century. From
French, “torch, flame,” from flambe “flame,” from, ultimately, Latin flamma
“flame.”][1]



flamboyant

flamboyant
flam·boy·ant 
[flam bóy ənt] adjective

1.  showy:
showy and dashing in a self-satisfied way

2.  brightly-colored:
brightly-colored and striking

3.  highly
decorated:
elaborate or richly decorated

4.  audacious:
unrestrained by prevailing standards of propriety

5.  ARCHITECTURE of
French Gothic architecture: used to refer to the final
stage of French Gothic architecture from the 14th to the 16th centuries that is
noted for its fine detailing and pointed decoration
noun
(plural flam·boy·ants)

TREES See royal poinciana
[Mid-19th
century. From French, the present participle of flamboyer “to blaze,”
from flambe “flame,” ultimately from Latin flamma “flame.”]
—flam·boy·ance,
noun

—flam·boy·ant·ly, adverb[1]



flambé

flambé
flam·bé 
[flaam báy] transitive verb (past
flam·béd, past participle flam·béd, present participle
flam·bé·ing, 3rd person present singular flam·bés)

pour
liquor on food and ignite: to pour liquor over food and
light it in order to burn off the alcohol and impart the flavor of the liquor
to the food
adjective
flam·bé

served
in ignited liquor: served in liquor, usually
brandy, that has been burned off or is still burning • bananas
flambé
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of flamber “to singe, pass through flame,”
ultimately from Latin flamma “flame.”][1]



flame

flame
flame 
[flaym] noun (plural flames)

1.  hot
glowing body of burning gas: a hot glowing body of
burning gas, often carrying fine incandescent particles

2.  strong
feeling:
an intense feeling or emotion

3.  lover:
a sweetheart or lover (informal) • an
old flame

4.  reddish-orange
color:
a brilliant reddish-orange color
adjective

reddish-orange color:
of a brilliant reddish-orange color
verb
(past flamed, past participle flamed, present
participle flam·ing, 3rd person present singular flames)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
flame:
to burn producing flame

2.  intransitive
verb
have
fiery glow:
to have or develop a fiery glow, especially suddenly • Her
cheeks flamed as she spoke.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING criticize somebody electronically:
to deluge somebody with offensive and disparaging e-mail

4.  intransitive
verb
feel
strong emotion: to display or feel intense emotion

5.  transitive
verb
ignite:
to set fire to something

6.  transitive
verb
make
something burn: to make something burn (archaic)
noun
(plural flames)

COMPUTING angry
e-mail message: a rude, abusive, or threatening e-mail
message or newsgroup posting
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from French flamme, from Latin flammula
“little flame,” from flamma “flame.”]
—flam·er,
noun

—flamy,
adjective
fan
the flames

to
make a tense or difficult situation worse

shoot
somebody or something down in flames

to reject or refute an idea
or suggestion emphatically[1]



flame-arclamp

flame-arclamp
flame-arc
lamp
(plural flame-arc lamps) noun

electric arc light:
a lamp that uses an electric arc maintained between carbon electrodes that are
infused with metallic salts to provide color to the flame[1]



flamebait

flamebait
flame
bait
noun

TECHNOLOGY
inflammatory statement eliciting strong
reaction: an inflammatory statement
intentionally posted in an online discussion group that is designed to elicit a
strong response or start a flame war (informal)[1]



flamecarbon

flamecarbon
flame
car·bon
(plural flame car·bons) noun

arc lamp components:
a carbon electrode containing metallic salts that, with other similar carbon
electrodes, has the effect of coloring the arc produced between the electrodes[1]



flamecell

flamecell
flame
cell
(plural flame cells) noun

excretory
cell in flatworms: a hollow excretory cell in
certain invertebrates, for example, flatworms, that has a tuft of projections (
cilia ) resembling hairs whose movement
serves to force out waste products
[Flame from the movement of
the cilia, which resemble tongues of flame][1]



flamen

flamen
fla·men 
[fláymən] (plural fla·mens or
flam·i·nes [flámmə nz]) noun

Roman
priest:
a priest in ancient Rome belonging to a group of 15, each of whom oversaw the
rituals connected with a particular deity
[14th century. From Latin .][1]



flamenco

flamenco
fla·men·co 
[flə méngkō] (plural fla·men·cos)
noun

1.  DANCE vigorous
Spanish dance with hand clapping: a dance originating in
Spain that features hand clapping and stamping of the feet

2.  MUSIC music
for Spanish dance: the strongly rhythmic music
that accompanies flamenco dancing
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, “Flemish person,” from Middle Dutch Vlaming (see flamingo ).][1]



flamenettle

flamenettle
flame
net·tle
(plural flame net·tle) noun

See
coleus[1]



flameout

flameout
flame·out 
[fláym òwt] (plural flame·outs)
noun

jet engine failure:
the unintentional extinguishing of the flame of a jet engine in flight, for
example, through a failure of combustion or the fuel supply[1]



flameproof

flameproof
flame·proof 
[fláym prf] adjective

1.  resistant
to fire:
resistant to catching fire (often used of textiles and clothing)

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING not
explosive:
used to describe electrical apparatus that is designed so that an explosion of
inflammable gas inside will not ignite inflammable gas outside

3.  COOKING for
cooking with direct heat: used to describe containers
that can be used when cooking on a stove top or under a grill
transitive
verb
(past flame·proofed, past participle flame·proofed,
present participle flame·proof·ing, 3rd person present
singular flame·proofs)

make something flame resistant:
to make something resistant to flames or combustion
—flame·proof·er, noun[1]



flame-retardant

flame-retardant
flame-re·tard·ant 
adjective

resistant to catching fire:
made or chemically treated to resist catching fire[1]



flametest

flametest
flame
test
(plural flame tests) noun

test for metallic content:
a test for the presence of various metals in a substance by noting the colors
produced when a small amount is placed in a flame and vaporized[1]



flamethrower

flamethrower
flame·throw·er 
(plural flame·throw·ers) noun

weapon that projects burning
liquid: a weapon that projects a
stream of burning liquid[1]



flametree

flametree
flame
tree
(plural flame trees) noun

1.  tree
with reddish flowers: a tropical tree that is
cultivated for its bright orange, yellow, or red flowers. Royal poinciana is a
flame tree .

2.  flowering
Australian tree: an Australian tree noted for its bright
red flowers that bloom in spring when the tree is leafless. Latin name: Brachychiton
acerifolius

[1]



flamewar

flamewar
flame
war
(plural flame wars) noun

COMPUTING
electronic insult match:
a period of repeated exchanges of abusive and insulting e-mail between
individuals or groups[1]



flamines

flamines
flamines 
plural noun

Plural of
flamen  noun[1]



flaming

flaming
flam·ing 
[fláyming] adjective

1.  producing
flames:
burning and producing flames

2.  intense:
very angry, intense, or passionate • flaming
indignation

3.  glowing:
brightly glowing • flaming cheeks

4.  vivid
in color:
quite vivid in color
noun

COMPUT deluge
of critical e-mail: the directing of a large
volume of abusive and insulting e-mail at somebody, often as part of a flame
war

[1]



flamingo

flamingo
fla·min·go 
[flə míng gō] noun (plural fla·min·gos
or fla·min·goes or fla·min·go)

1.  BIRDS large
pink wading bird: a large wading bird native to tropical
brackish waters that has a long neck and legs, downward-curving bill, webbed
feet, and pinkish-white feathers with black wing quills. Family:
Phoenicopteridae

2.  COLORS deep
pink color:
a deep pink color tinged with orange
adjective

COLORS of
deep pink color: of a deep pink color tinged with orange
[Mid-16th
century. Via Portuguese from obsolete Spanish flamengo, of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Dutch Vlaming “Flemish person,” or ultimately from
Latin flamma (see flame ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Whether
  its ultimate source is Dutch or Latin, the motivation behind the bird’s name
  is its bright appearance. The Latin derivation would make it the
  “flame”-colored bird; the Dutch derivation would depend on the reputation the
  people of Flanders had in the Middle Ages for bright flamboyant dress (whence
  the Spanish dance, the flamenco ).

[1]



flamingsword

flamingsword
flam·ing
sword
(plural flam·ing swords) noun

cultivated bromeliad:
a bromeliad, or subshrub, with yellow flowers and reddish bract pigmentation,
native to French Guiana and cultivated elsewhere. Latin name: Vriesea
splendens[1]



flammable

flammable
flam·ma·ble 
[flámməb’l] adjective

able
to catch fire: readily capable of catching fire
—flam·ma·bil·i·ty [flàmmə bíllətee], noun[1]



flan

flan
flan 
[flan] (plural flans) noun

1.  FOOD custard
dessert:
a custard dessert topped with caramel syrup

2.  FOOD COOKING open filled pie:
an open, usually round, pie with a fruit or other filling

3.  METALLURGY metal
disk for stamping as coin: a circular metal blank ready
to be stamped as a coin
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from the medieval Latin stem fladon-, from a prehistoric Germanic base
that is also the ancestor of English flat
.][1]



Flanders

Flanders
Flan·ders
[flándərz]

former region in northwestern
Europe that was a powerful independent state between the 11th and 14th
centuries. It is equivalent to the present-day provinces of Flanders in
Belgium, Nord Department in France, and part of Zeeland Province in the
Netherlands.[1]



flange

flange
flange 
[flanj] (plural flang·es) noun

collar
for attaching or strengthening: a projecting collar,
rim, or rib on an object for fixing it to another object, holding it in place,
or strengthening it. Flanges are often found on pipes and shafts.
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of flanch “device at
the side of an escutcheon.” The current meaning evolved via “protruding rim”
from “part that widens out.”]
—flanged, adjective[1]



flangedrail

flangedrail
flanged
rail
(plural flanged rails) noun

rail with raised edge:
an early form of rail with a raised edge ( flange
) on one side to stabilize wheels traveling on it. On modern trains the flange
is on the wheel.[1]



flank

flank
flank 
[flank] noun (plural flanks)

1.  MILITARY side
of military formation: the left or right side of a
military formation

2.  ANATOMY side
of lower torso: either side of the body of a human or an
animal between the last rib and the hip

3.  COOKING cut of
meat from animal’s flank: a cut of meat, especially
beef, from an animal’s flank, that is typically tough and requires slow cooking
in liquid

4.  side
of something: the side of any object

5.  SPORTS side
of sports field: either of the sides of a sports field • not
used to playing on the left flank
transitive
verb
(past flanked, past participle flanked, present
participle flank·ing, 3rd person present singular flanks)

be by side of:
to be on or at the side of something or somebody • He
was flanked by secret service officers.
[Pre-12th century. From
French flanc, of uncertain origin: probably from assumed Old Frankish hlanca
“side,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English flinch .][1]



flanken

flanken
flan·ken 
[flnkən] (plural flan·kens) noun

cut
of meat:
a cut of meat taken from the short ribs of beef
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from German Flanken, plural of Flank “flank, side,”
ultimately from French flanc (see flank
).][1]



flanker

flanker
flank·er 
[flánkər] (plural flank·ers) noun

1.  FOOTBALL See split end  noun 1

2.  FOOTBALL See flankerback

3.  MILITARY soldier
in protective unit: one of the soldiers in a
unit that protects the flank of a military column on the march

[1]



flankerback

flankerback
flank·er·back 
[flánkər bàk] (plural flank·er·backs)
noun

FOOTBALL
offensive back:
an offensive back positioned outside the play formation.
Also called
flanker[1]



flannel

flannel
flan·nel 
[flánn’l] noun (plural flan·nels)

1.  soft
cotton cloth: a soft cotton cloth with a nap on one
side, used for warm clothing, sleepwear, and sheets

2.  soft
woolen cloth: a soft closely woven woolen or
wool-blend cloth used for clothing
transitive
verb
(past flan·neled, past participle flan·neled, present
participle flan·nel·ing, 3rd person present singular flan·nels)

wrap somebody in flannel:
to wrap or clothe somebody in flannel
plural
noun
flan·nels

1.  pants
made of flannel: clothing, especially slacks, made from
flannel

2.  flannel
underwear:
woolen underwear of thick flannel
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: ultimately from either Welsh gwlanen “woolen
article” (from gwlân “wool”) or French flaine, a kind of coarse
wool.]
—flan·nel·ly, adjective[1]



flannelboard

flannelboard
flan·nel·board
[flánn’l bàwrd] (plural flan·nel·boards)
noun

board that pictures stick to:
a board covered with flannel to which pictures and cloth cutouts will stick
that is used in primary education[1]



flannelcake

flannelcake
flan·nel
cake
(plural flan·nel cakes) noun

FOOD
pancake:
a pancake (regional)[1]



flannelette

flannelette
flan·nel·ette 
[flànn’l ét] noun

light cotton flannel:
a light cotton cloth with a soft brushed surface on one side.
Also called
swansdown[1]



flannelflower

flannelflower
flan·nel·flow·er
[flánn’l flòwr] (plural flan·nel·flow·ers)
noun

fuzzy Australian plant:
a plant that grows in eastern Australia and has white flowers covered with soft
white hairs. Latin name: Actinotus helianthi[1]



flannelleaf

flannelleaf
flan·nel
leaf
noun

See
mullein
[Flannel from its resemblance
to the material][1]



flannel-mouthed

flannel-mouthed
flan·nel-mouthed
adjective

1.  garbled:
garbled and indistinct

2.  deceptive:
speaking obsequiously and deceptively

[1]



flap

flap

flap 
[flap] verb (past flapped,
past participle flapped, present participle flap·ping,
3rd person present singular flaps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
wings up and down: to move something up and
down, especially wings or arms during or as if in flight, or to be moved up and
down in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
fly
by moving wings: to fly by moving the wings repeatedly

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
or sway repeatedly: to cause something to move
or sway in one direction and then another repeatedly and often noisily, or move
in this way • flags
flapping in the breeze

4.  transitive
verb
hit
with broad object: to hit somebody or something
with a broad flat object • He
flapped his hand on the table.

5.  transitive
verb
toss
something:
to fling down or toss something (informal) • flapped
the report on the table

6.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS make
an “r” sound: to make an “r” sound by briefly striking
the roof of the mouth with the tongue, as in “parrot”
noun (plural
flaps)

1.  flat
thin piece used as cover: a flat thin piece attached
along one edge, usually used as a cover for an opening • the
flap of an envelope

2.  PUBLISHING dust
jacket part: either of the two parts of a dust jacket
that fold inside a book’s cover and are usually printed with information about
the book or author

3.  act
or sound of flapping: an act of or the sound made
by flapping • The
bird disappeared with a flap of its wings.

4.  AIR aircraft
wing control surface: a narrow movable surface
attached to the rear edge of an aircraft wing that is used to create lift or
drag

5.  commotion:
a commotion or state of upset, especially a disordered argument (informal)
• Don’t
get into a flap about it.

6.  SURGERY mass
of tissue for grafting: a mass of tissue, used for
surgical grafting, that remains partially attached and retains its blood supply

7.  blow
from broad object: a blow or slap from a broad
object

8.  PHONETICS “r”
sound:
an “r” sound made by briefly striking the roof of the mouth with the tongue, as
in “parrot”
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: the noun first meant “blow, slap,” and so is probably imitative of
the sound.][1]



flapdoodle

flapdoodle
flap·doo·dle 
[fláp dd’l] noun

nonsense:
silly talk or nonsense (dated slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown: perhaps thought to suggest foolishness.][1]



flapjack

flapjack
flap·jack 
[fláp jàk] (plural flap·jacks)
noun

1.  See
pancake  noun 1

2.  U.K.
chewy
cake made with oats: a cake made of oats, syrup,
and butter and cut into squares before eating

[1]



flappable

flappable
flap·pa·ble 
[fláppəb’l] adjective

easily flustered:
tending to get flustered or panicky (informal)[1]



flapper

flapper
flap·per 
[fláppər] (plural flap·pers) noun

1.  young
unconventional woman of the 1920s: a young woman of the
1920s who disdained prior conventions of decorum and fashion. Flappers were
associated with the Charleston dance, bobbed hair, heavy make-up, and
drop-waisted very short dresses.

2.  young
bird:
a bird that is learning to fly

3.  something
flapping around: an object that flaps around

4.  broad
flat object: a broad flat object used for striking
something
[Late 16th century. “Young
unconventional woman” of uncertain origin: either from flapper “young
wild duck” (from flap ), or dialectal flap
“woman of loose character.”][1]



flappy

flappy
flap·py
[fláppee] (comparative flap·pi·er,
superlative flap·pi·est) adjective

flapping around:
flapping around, or likely to flap around[1]



flare

flare
flare 
[flair] verb (past flared,
past participle flared, present participle flar·ing,
3rd person present singular flares)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb burn
suddenly and brightly: to burn, or cause something
to burn, suddenly and brightly

2.  intransitive
verb
start
up again:
to recur, worsen, or intensify suddenly

3.  intransitive
verb
become
angry:
to become suddenly angry

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb widen
out:
to widen out, or to cause something to widen out • Her
nostrils flared.

5.  transitive
verb
signal
somebody for help: to signal somebody for help
by means of a device used to produce a light signal

6.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY burn
off gas:
to ignite and burn off unwanted waste gas in open air
noun
(plural flares)

1.  sudden
blaze of light: a sudden blaze of light or fire,
especially one used to signal distress or location or used for illumination • the
flare of naval signal lights

2.  device
for producing flare: a device used to produce a
light signal calling for help • a distress
flare

3.  flame:
a sudden or unsteady flame • the
flare of distant oil wells

4.  widening
shape:
a shape that widens out • a long
skirt with a flare

5.  FOOTBALL short
and wide pass: in football, a pass to a back running
laterally

6.  OPTICS PHOTOGRAPHY unwanted light in an
optical device: unwanted light reaching a photographic
image, especially when reflected from an internal lens

7.  outburst
of emotion:
a sudden outburst, especially of a negative emotion • a
flare of anger

8.  INDUSTRY flame for
burning off waste gas: a flame that burns off
unwanted waste gas in the open air

9.  MEDICINE inflammation:
an area of inflammation on the skin
plural
noun
flares

U.K. pants
with wide legs below knee: pants with legs that widen
significantly below the knee, first popular in the late 1960s
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



flareback

flareback
flare·back 
[fláir bàk] (plural flare·backs)
noun

1.  ARMS flame
inside gun’s breech: a flame inside a gun’s
breech caused by the ignition of gases remaining after the weapon has been
fired

2.  reaction
directed back toward origin: a reaction or effect
directed back toward a point of origin

[1]



flared

flared
flared
[flaird] adjective

widening:
widening out[1]



flarestack

flarestack
flare
stack
(plural flare stacks) noun

burning gas outlet:
a large open-air burner used to dispose of excess flammable gas at an oil
refinery, well, or platform[1]



flare-up

flare-up
flare-up 
(plural flare-ups) noun

1.  sudden
outburst of aggression: a sudden occurrence of
emotion or violence (informal)

2.  recurrence
of something: a recurrence of something, especially a
disease

3.  sudden
occurrence of fire or light: a sudden occurrence or
increase of fire or light

[1]



flaring

flaring
flar·ing
[fláiring] adjective

1.  burning
dimly:
burning dimly or unsteadily

2.  showy:
bright and showy

3.  becoming
wider:
widening out
—flar·ing·ly, adverb[1]



flash

flash
flash 
[flash] verb (past flashed,
past participle flashed, present participle flash·ing,
3rd person present singular flash·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb emit
light suddenly: to cause light to appear suddenly or in
brief bursts from something, or to appear in this way • We
could see the lights of police cars flashing in the distance.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb reflect
light from another source: to reflect light suddenly or
briefly, or make something such as a lamp reflect from a surface • sunlight
flashing on the water

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb catch
fire suddenly: to burst into flame suddenly, or cause
something to burst into flame

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMUNICATION signal to somebody with
lights:
to signal to somebody or communicate something by quickly turning lights on and
off

5.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move or pass very quickly in a particular direction

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb appear
momentarily: to appear briefly, or show something
briefly • flash
a message onto the screen

7.  intransitive
verb
expose
body indecently in public: to expose the genitals
briefly and intentionally in public (slang)

8.  transitive
verb
display
something ostentatiously: to show off or display
something in order to impress people (informal) • flashed
her vulgar jewelry

9.  transitive
verb
fill
something with rush of water: to fill something suddenly
with a great flow of water

10. transitive
verb
coat
something for protection: to cover the surface of an
object with a thin coating, usually for protection or as a stage in processing

11. transitive
verb
BUILDING protect
roof from leaking: to install flashing on a
roof joint or window joint to make it waterproof
noun
(plural flash·es)

1.  sudden
burst of light: a sudden bright display of light, fire,
or something bright • flashes
of lightning

2.  sudden
burst of mood or thought: a sudden occurrence of an
emotional mood or intellectual activity • a
flash of inspiration

3.  brief
moment:
a brief moment or instant • I’ll
be there in a flash.

4.  light
patch:
a patch of light or bright color on a dark background, for example, on an
animal’s coat

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY bright
lighting used in photography: the brief illumination of a
subject for photographic purposes

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY device
used to light photographic subject: a
device used in flash photography to produce a short, bright light (informal)

7.  flashlight:
a flashlight (informal)

8.  rush
of water:
a sudden rush of water down a watercourse, or a device that produces this

9.  BROADCASTING news
flash:
a sudden important news story requiring immediate broadcast (informal)

10. GYNECOLOGY (informal) See
hot flash

11. DRUGS rush:
the sudden effects felt when taking a mind-altering recreational drug (slang)

12. MILITARY badge
on uniform or vehicle: a badge or insignia on a
uniform or vehicle

13. CLOTHES colored
strip worn on socks: in Highland dress, a short
strip of colored material folded over the garter and protruding below the
folded-over top of the socks (usually used in the plural)

14. language
used in underworld: the language used by
criminals, thieves, and their associates (archaic slang)
adjective

U.K. insincere:
insincere, false, or counterfeit • an
outpouring of flash sentiment
[13th
century. Originally in the sense “to splash”; probably an imitation of the
sound. Later senses probably evolved from the idea of light suddenly and
briefly reflected from disturbed water.]
flash
in the pan

a
sudden brief success that is not, or not likely to be, repeated

in
a flash

1.  very
rapidly

2.  suddenly

[1]



flashback

flashback
flash·back 
[flásh bàk] (plural flash·backs)
noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY painful
memory:
an intensely vivid memory of a traumatic experience that returns repeatedly

2.  CINEMA LITERATURE earlier event or scene:
a scene or event from the past that appears in a narrative out of chronological
order, to fill in information or explain something in the present • Much
of the film’s exposition is handled through flashbacks.

3.  DRUGS drug
after-effect: the later experiencing of the effects of
a hallucinogenic drug such as LSD long after discontinuing use of the drug

[1]



flashback

flashback
flash
back
intransitive verb

1.  PSYCHOLOGY recall
painful memory: to recall an intensely vivid memory of a
traumatic experience

2.  CINEMA LITERATURE return to earlier event:
to go back to a scene at an earlier point in a narrative, out of chronological
order, to fill in information or explain something in the present

[1]



flashblindness

flashblindness
flash
blind·ness
noun

temporary blindness after
flash: temporary blindness after
the flash of a gun discharge or other explosion, particularly at night[1]



flashboard

flashboard
flash·board 
[flásh bàwrd] (plural flash·boards)
noun

boarding extending height of
dam: a structure made of boards
fitted at the top of a dam to add to its height and increase the amount of
water that can be held back[1]



flashbulb

flashbulb
flash·bulb
[flásh bùlb] (plural flash·bulbs)
noun

bulb producing bright light
for photography: a small glass bulb
filled with shredded metallic foil that produces a brief intense flash of light
for taking photographs.
Also called
photoflash[1]



flashburn

flashburn
flash
burn
(plural flash burns) noun

burn caused by brief intense
heat: a burn caused by brief
exposure to a source of intense heat[1]



flashcard

flashcard
flash·card
[flásh krd] (plural flash·cards
or flash cards) noun

card held up briefly for
learning: a card with words or numbers
printed on it that is briefly displayed as a learning device[1]



flasher

flasher
flash·er 
[fláshər] (plural flash·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who exposes private parts: somebody who gains sexual
pleasure from publicly exposing the genitals (slang)

2.  AUTOMOTIVE flashing
light:
a light that flashes as a signal, especially on a vehicle

3.  TECHNOLOGY device
making light flash: a device that switches a
light on and off automatically to make it flash

[1]



flashflood

flashflood
flash
flood
(plural flash floods) noun

sudden rush of water:
a sudden and often destructive surge of water down a narrow channel or sloping
ground, usually caused by heavy rainfall[1]



flashforward

flashforward
flash
forward
intransitive verb

jump to later event:
to jump forward in time to a scene at a later point in a narrative, out of
chronological order, usually for dramatic effect or irony[1]



flash-forward

flash-forward
flash-for·ward 
(plural flash-for·wards) noun

future event or scene:
a scene or event from the future that appears in a narrative out of
chronological order, usually for dramatic effect or irony[1]



flashgun

flashgun
flash·gun 
[flásh gùn] (plural flash·guns)
noun

device producing flash when
shutter opens: a device that holds a
flashtube or flashbulb and automatically discharges it as the attached camera’s
shutter opens[1]



flashing

flashing
flash·ing 
[fláshing] noun

metal making roof joints
waterproof: pieces of sheet metal
attached around the joints and angles of a roof to protect against leakage[1]



flashlight

flashlight
flash·light 
[flásh lt] (plural flash·lights)
noun

1.  portable
light source: a small hand-held lamp usually powered
by batteries.
U.K.
term
torch

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY burst
of bright light for photography: a brief intense flash
of light produced by a photographic lamp

3.  bright
flashing light: any bright light that flashes, for
example, a beacon

[1]



flashmemory

flashmemory
flash
mem·o·ry
noun

computer memory erased in
blocks: a programmable read-only
computer memory chip that can be erased and reprogrammed in blocks rather than
one byte at a time[1]



flashon

flashon
flash
on
transitive verb

recall something suddenly:
to remember or think of something suddenly (informal) • I
just flashed on my first day in school.[1]



flashover

flashover
flash·o·ver 
[flásh vər] (plural flash·o·vers)
noun

electric discharge around
insulator: an unintended electric arc
around or over the surface of an insulator[1]



flashphotography

flashphotography
flash
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

taking of photographs with
light burst: photography that
illuminates its subject with a brief flash of artificial light[1]



flashphotolysis

flashphotolysis
flash
pho·tol·y·sis (plural flash pho·tol·y·ses)
noun

method of analyzing gases:
a method of studying photochemical reactions in gases. The gas is exposed to
very brief intense flashes of light and the results are analyzed with a
spectroscope.[1]



flashpoint

flashpoint
flash·point
[flásh pòynt] (plural flash·points)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY temperature
of vapor ignition: the lowest temperature at
which a flammable liquid will give off enough vapor to ignite briefly when
exposed to a flame

2.  critical
stage:
the critical stage in some process, event, or situation at which action,
change, or violence occurs

3.  trouble
spot:
a place where violence is likely to break out suddenly, usually as a result of
social or political tension

[1]



flashtube

flashtube
flash·tube
[flásh tb] (plural flash·tubes)
noun

tube producing bright light
for photography: a glass or quartz tube
filled with xenon gas that emits a short intense burst of light for flash
photography when electric current is passed through it[1]



flashunit

flashunit
flash
u·nit
(plural flash u·nits) noun PHOTOGRAPHY

1.  flashtube
and power source: a flashtube and its power supply in a
single compact unit

2.  flashgun
with or without reflector: a flashgun, or a unit
comprising a flashgun and reflector

[1]



flashy

flashy
flash·y 
[fláshee] (comparative flash·i·er,
superlative flash·i·est) adjective

1.  ostentatiously
stylish:
stylish and expensive-looking in an obvious or ostentatious way

2.  momentarily
brilliant:
showing momentary or superficial brilliance
—flash·i·ly,
adverb

—flash·i·ness, noun[1]



flask

flask
flask 
[flask] (plural flasks) noun

1.  SCIENCE small
bottle:
a small glass bottle, often with a long neck, of the type used in laboratory
work

2.  HOUSEHOLD small
flat container for alcohol: a small thin flat container
with a narrow neck, carried in a pocket and usually used to hold liquor

3.  Caribbean
half
a bottle of rum: in Trinidad, half a bottle of rum (informal)

4.  ARMS See powder horn

5.  METALLURGY mold
used in foundry: a frame packed full of sand, used in a
foundry to make a mold

6.  ENERGY container
for spent nuclear fuel: a very strong container in
which irradiated nuclear fuel is transported.
Also
called
cask
[14th century. Immediate
origin uncertain: from medieval Latin flasca, ultimately, perhaps, from
prehistoric Germanic.][1]



flat

flat2
flat2 [flat]
(plural flats) noun

U.K.
See apartment
[Early 19th century.
Alteration, influenced by flat 1, of Scots flet
“interior of a house,” from Old English flet(t) “house,” earlier
“floor.” Ultimately from the same Indo-European word as English flat 1 .][1]



flat

flat1
flat1 [flat]
adjective (comparative flat·ter, superlative flat·test)

1.  level
and horizontal: level and horizontal, without any slope
• The
flat plains stretch for miles.

2.  even
and smooth:
even and smooth, without any bumps or hollows • back
on the flat road

3.  not
curved:
not curved inward or outward • a wok
with a flat bottom

4.  with
little curvature: with relatively little depth or
curvature • a
vase with flat sides

5.  lying
horizontal:
in a horizontal position, parallel with or stretched out on the ground • plants
lying flat after the heavy rain

6.  touching
something else: with whole extent touching another
surface at all points • Stand
it flat against the wall.

7.  BEVERAGES no
longer bubbly: having lost effervescence • flat
champagne

8.  not
full of air: no longer full of air • a
flat tire

9.  MUSIC below
correct pitch: sounded or sounding a little lower than
the intended pitch level • Your E
string is flat.

10. MUSIC one
half-step below natural: pitched one half-step below
the specified note • in the key of B flat
minor

11. lacking
excitement:
without any interest or excitement • Some
days life just seems flat.

12. COOKING flavorless:
without flavor or seasoning • This
soup tastes flat.

13. monotonous
in sound:
with no variation in pitch or intonation • expressed
her displeasure in a flat voice

14. COMMERCE commercially
inactive:
not commercially active • The
market is fairly flat at the moment.

15. FINANCE not
varying:
not varying in amount or level • They
charge a flat fee of $50.

16. emphatically
absolute:
categorical and without any qualification • a
flat denial of the charges

17. CLOTHES low-heeled:
with low heels or no heels at all • flat
shoes

18. not
shiny:
not shiny or glossy • a flat
white paint

19. SAILING tight:
stretched so as to be tight

20. MEDICINE indicating
cessation of physiological activity:
showing no variation on a monitoring machine, and thereby indicating that
physiological activity has stopped • a flat
EKG

21. PHONETICS resembling
vowel sound in “fat”: used to describe the vowel
“a” as it is pronounced in “fat” or “badge”
adverb
(comparative flat·ter, superlative flat·test)

1.  MUSIC below
pitch:
below the intended pitch • She
tends to sing flat.

2.  very:
used to add emphasis (informal) • flat
broke

3.  exactly:
no more and no less • He ran
the mile in four minutes flat.

4.  FINANCE without
interest:
not accruing any interest • The
bonds were trading flat.
noun
(plural flats)

1.  level
surface:
a flat part or surface • the
flat of a knife blade

2.  MUSIC note
lowered by half-step: a sign (♭) placed next to a
note to show that it is to be lowered by a half-step, or a note that is lowered
a half-step • a
key with four flats

3.  GEOGRAPHY large
stretch of level ground: a large level stretch of,
for example, mud, exposed at low tide or of salt deposits (usually used in
the plural) • the great salt flats

4.  TRANSPORT deflated
tire:
a tire that has become deflated (informal)

5.  GARDENING shallow
box for seedlings: a shallow lidless box or
frame for seedlings

6.  THEATER movable
scenery:
theatrical scenery mounted on a movable wooden frame

7.  RAIL See flatcar

8.  SHIPPING See flatboat

9.  MAIL big
flat envelope: a large flat piece of mail
plural
noun
flats

CLOTHES low-heeled
shoes:
shoes with low heels
verb
(past flat·ted, past participle flat·ted, present
participle flat·ting, 3rd person present singular flats)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flatten:
to make something flat or to become flat “in the winter the fur grew thick and
flatted out along her sides” Henry David Thoreau Walden 1854

2.  transitive
verb
MUSIC make
note flat:
to lower a note a half step.
U.K.
term
flatten  verb 5

3.  transitive
verb
MUSIC sing
or play something flat: to sing or play a note below
the intended pitch.
U.K.
term
flatten
[14th
century. From Old Norse flatr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English flounder,
flan, and plate
.]
—flat·ness, noun[1]



flatbed

flatbed
flat·bed 
[flát bèd] (plural flat·beds) noun

1.  See
flatbed trailer

2.  See
flatbed truck

[1]



flatbedpress

flatbedpress
flat·bed
press
(plural flat·bed press·es) noun

See
cylinder press[1]



flatbedtrailer

flatbedtrailer
flat·bed
trail·er
(plural flat·bed trail·ers) noun

trailer with no sides:
a trailer consisting of a completely open platform with no sides or railings.
Also called
flatbed[1]



flatbedtruck

flatbedtruck
flat·bed
truck
(plural flat·bed trucks) noun

truck with platform trailer:
a truck that has a completely open platform at the rear with no sides or
railings.
Also called
flatbed[1]



flatboat

flatboat
flat·boat 
[flát bt] (plural flat·boats)
noun

large flat-bottomed boat:
a large boat with a flat bottom used for transporting goods on shallow
waterways.
Also called
flat[1]



flatbread

flatbread
flat·bread 
[flát brèd] (plural flat·breads)
noun

bread in round flat loaves:
bread baked in round flat loaves and usually made with unleavened dough.
Examples are pitta, nan, chapatis, and tortillas.[1]



flatcar

flatcar
flat·car 
[flát kr] (plural flat·cars) noun

open railroad car without
sides: a railroad freight car that
has no roof or sides.
Also called
flat[1]



flat-chested

flat-chested
flat-chest·ed
adjective

with small breasts:
having small breasts[1]



flat-coatedretriever

flat-coatedretriever
flat-coat·ed
re·triev·er 
(plural flat-coat·ed re·triev·ers) noun

hunting dog:
a large dog with a thick, smooth, black or reddish-brown coat, belonging to a
breed originally developed in England for retrieving game[1]



flatfish

flatfish
flat·fish 
[flát fìsh] (plural flat·fish or
flat·fish·es) noun

fish with flat body:
any fish with a flat body and both eyes on the upper side. Flounder, sole, and
halibut are types of flatfish . Order: Pleuronectiformes[1]



flatfoot

flatfoot
flat·foot 
[flát ft] noun

1.  ANATOMY foot
problem:
an abnormal condition of the feet in which the arches are so low that all of
the sole makes contact with the ground.
See
also
splayfoot

2.  (plural
flat·foots or flat·feet) offensive
term:
an offensive term for a police officer, typically one on foot patrol (dated
slang offensive)

[1]



flat-footed

flat-footed
flat-foot·ed 
or flat·foot·ed adjective

1.  ANATOMY having
flat feet:
used to describe somebody with flat feet

2.  firmly
on the ground: with both feet on the ground

3.  unprepared:
unable to react or respond quickly • Her
question caught me flat-footed.
adverb

unequivocally:
without beating around the bush (informal) “a good many come out
flat-footed and said it was scandalous” Mark Twain The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn 1884
—flat-foot·ed·ly,
adverb

—flat-foot·ed·ness, noun[1]



Flathead

Flathead2
Flat·head2 [flát
hèd]

river in North America,
rising in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and flowing south into
Montana, where it joins the Clark Fork River after passing through Flathead
Lake. Length: 394 km/245 mi.[1]



Flathead

Flathead1
Flat·head1  [flát
hèd] (plural Flat·head or Flat·heads) noun

member of Native N American
people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally lived in western Montana and northern Idaho[1]



flatheadcatfish

flatheadcatfish
flat·head
cat·fish 
[flát hèd] noun

large U.S. catfish:
a large catfish that has a yellowish body with brown markings. It is found in
the streams of the Mississippi Valley and the southeastern United States. Latin
name: Pylodictis olivaris[1]



flatiron

flatiron
flat·i·ron 
[flát rn] (plural flat·i·rons)
noun

iron heated externally:
an iron used to press clothes, especially one that has to be heated on a hearth
or stove[1]



flatland

flatland
flat·land 
[flát lànd] (plural flat·lands)
noun

large stretch of level land:
an expanse of land that does not vary in height above sea level[1]



flatline

flatline
flat·line 
[flát ln] (past flat·lined, past
participle flat·lined, present participle flat·lin·ing,
3rd person present singular flat·lines) intransitive verb

be
in cardiac arrest: to show none of the
electrical currents associated with heart activity on a cardiac monitor (slang)
—flat·lin·er, noun[1]



flatling

flatling
flat·ling 
[fláttling] or flat·lings [fláttlingz] adverb

U.K.
with flat side of sword:
with the flat side of a sword (archaic)[1]



flatly

flatly
flat·ly
[fláttlee] adverb

1.  firmly:
firmly and without qualification • They
flatly rejected our offer.

2.  in
flat voice:
in a voice that shows no emotion

[1]



flatmate

flatmate
flat·mate
[flát màyt] (plural flat·mates)
noun

U.K.
somebody sharing apartment:
somebody with whom a person shares an apartment[1]



flatout

flatout
flat
out
adverb (informal)

1.  as
quickly as possible: as fast and energetically as
possible • The
factory is working flat out to finish the order.

2.  fast:
at top speed

3.  bluntly:
in a blunt manner • told me flat out he
didn’t trust me

[1]



flat-out

flat-out
flat-out 
or flat·out adjective

utter:
complete, utter, or absolute (informal) • a
flat-out lie[1]



flatrace

flatrace
flat
race
(plural flat rac·es) noun

horserace
without jumps: a horserace that is run over level
ground, without fences to be jumped.
See
also
steeplechase
—flat rac·ing, noun[1]



flatsilver

flatsilver
flat
sil·ver
noun

silver flatware:
utensils used for eating, for example, knives, forks, and spoons, made or
plated with silver[1]



flatten

flatten
flat·ten 
[flátt’n] (past flat·tened, past
participle flat·tened, present participle flat·ten·ing,
3rd person present singular flat·tens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become flat: to make something flat or flatter, or
become flat or flatter

2.  reflexive
verb
stand
flat against something: to press the body against a
flat surface

3.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to defeat somebody convincingly (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
crush
or humiliate somebody: to make somebody feel
crushed or humiliated

5.  transitive
verb
U.K. MUSIC See flat
—flat·ten·er, noun[1]



flattenout

flattenout
flatten
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
stable and lower: to become lower and relatively stable • Stock
prices have flattened out over the year.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
out:
to spread out, or spread something out, over an area

[1]



flatter

flatter2
flat·ter2  [fláttər]
(plural flat·ters) noun

INDUSTRY tool
that flattens something: any tool used to make
something flat, as used, for example, by a blacksmith
[From Old Norse flatr
(see flat 1 )][1]



flatter

flatter1
flat·ter1  [fláttər]
(past flat·tered, past participle flat·tered, present
participle flat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular flat·ters)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
compliment
somebody to win favor: to compliment somebody too
much, often without sincerity, especially in order to gain an advantage

2.  transitive
verb
appeal
to somebody’s vanity: to please somebody by paying
him or her particular attention, especially with a request to take some prominent
role • I
was flattered to be asked to judge the competition.

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something look good: to show somebody or
something to advantage, or make somebody or something seem better looking than
in reality • a
studio portrait that really flatters her

4.  reflexive
verb
congratulate
yourself excessively: to feel satisfied with some
aspect of yourself or with something you have done, especially when the
perception is false • He
flatters himself on being a good judge of character.
[12th
century. Origin unknown; perhaps a back-formation from flattery
.]
—flat·ter·er,
noun

—flat·ter·ing,
adjective

—flat·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



flattery

flattery
flat·ter·y 
[fláttəree] noun

1.  paying
of compliments to win favor: an act or instance of
complimenting somebody, often excessively or insincerely, especially in order
to get something

2.  compliments:
complimentary remarks, especially when excessive or insincere
[14th century. From Old
French flaterie, from flater “to flatter.” Probably ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English flat “made smooth.”][1]



flattish

flattish
flat·tish 
[fláttish] adjective

somewhat flat:
somewhat or relatively flat • a
flattish hairdo[1]



flattop

flattop
flat·top 
[flát tòp] (plural flat·tops) noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING flat
haircut:
a hairstyle in which the hair is brushed up and then cut short and flat across
the top

2.  NAVY aircraft
carrier:
an aircraft carrier (informal)

[1]



flattuning

flattuning
flat
tun·ing
noun

tuning at lower pitch than
normal: the tuning of a musical
instrument, or of a number of instruments playing together, such that the pitch
of all the notes is lower than normal. This is sometimes done by early-music
groups.[1]



flatulence

flatulence
flat·u·lence 
[fláchələns] noun

1.  MEDICINE gas in
digestive system: excessive gas in the stomach and
intestines that causes discomfort

2.  sense
of self-importance: an excessive sense of
self-importance

3.  LANGUAGE bombastic
style:
pretentiousness or pomposity in speech or writing

[1]



flatulent

flatulent
flat·u·lent 
[fláchələnt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE causing
gas in digestive system: causing excessive gas to be
created in the stomach and intestines

2.  MEDICINE full
of digestive gas: having excessive gas in the digestive
system

3.  pompous
or self-important: having or showing excessive
self-importance
[Late
16th century. Via French from modern Latin flatulentus, from Latin flatus
“blowing, blast,” from flare “to blow” (source of English flare ).]
—flat·u·lent·ly, adverb[1]



flatus

flatus
fla·tus 
[fláytəss] (plural fla·tus or
fla·tus·es) noun

intestinal
gas:
gas produced in the digestive system by bacterial fermentation and containing
high amounts of hydrogen sulfide and methane, usually expelled from the body
through the anus (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
(see flatulent ).][1]



flatware

flatware
flat·ware 
[flát wàir] noun

1.  knives,
forks, and spoons: knives, forks, and spoons
used for eating.
Also
called
cutlery
Also
called
silverware
U.K.
term
cutlery

2.  flat
or shallow tableware: dishes used for eating that
are flat or relatively shallow, for example, plates and saucers, as opposed to
deeper pieces such as cups and bowls ( hollowware
)

[1]



flat-water

flat-water
flat-wa·ter 
adjective

done on still water:
done on a calm or slow-moving body of water[1]



flatways

flatways
flat·ways
adverb

See
flatwise[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flatweave

flatweave
flat·weave
[flát wv] adjective

without a pile:
woven without a pile • flatweave
carpet[1]



flatwise

flatwise
flat·wise 
[flát wz] or flat·ways [flát wàyz] adverb

flat side down:
with the flat side down or foremost[1]



flatwork

flatwork
flat·work 
[flát wùrk] noun

flat items of laundry:
large pieces of laundry such as sheets and tablecloths that are easier to iron
in a mangle than by hand[1]



flatworm

flatworm
flat·worm 
[flát wùrm] (plural flat·worms)
noun

worm with flattened body:
a worm with a soft, flattened body. Some flatworms, for example, tapeworms, are
parasites. Phylum: Platyhelminthes[1]



Flaubert,Gustave

Flaubert,Gustave

Flau·bert
[flō báir], Gustave (1821–1880)
French
novelist. A dominant figure in the realist school, he achieved fame with his
first published novel, Madame Bovary ( 1856 ).

—Flau·ber·tian [flō bérsh’n, flō
bértee ən, flaw bérsh’n], adjective[1]



flaunt

flaunt
flaunt 
[flawnt] verb (past flaunt·ed,
past participle flaunt·ed, present participle flaunt·ing,
3rd person present singular flaunts)

1.  transitive
verb
show
something off: to display something ostentatiously • She
flaunts her wealth every chance she gets.

2.  reflexive
verb
parade
yourself:
to parade yourself without shame or modesty

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb wave
or make something wave: to wave or flutter in the
wind, or make something wave or flutter by moving it around (dated)
noun

display: an
ostentatious display
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown: perhaps a blend of flout
and vaunt .]
—flaunt·er,
noun

—flaunt·ing·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Flaunt or flout a rule? In
  terms of ignoring or showing gross contempt for a rule, for a convention, or
  for a law, only flout is the correct choice: • The
  motorist flouted the law when he double-parked.
  When expressing the idea of vulgar or ostentatious display, the writer’s only
  choice is flaunt : • He
  flaunted his ill-gotten riches by purchasing a vulgar mansion and seven
  luxury cars.

[1]



flaunty

flaunty
flaunt·y 
[fláwntee] (comparative flaunt·i·er,
superlative flaunt·i·est) adjective

showing
off:
inclined to show off • a
flaunty sway to the hips
—flaunt·i·ly,
adverb

—flaunt·i·ness, noun[1]



flauta

flauta
flau·ta 
[flów t] (plural flau·tas) noun

rolled
filled tortilla: a tortilla rolled around a filling,
usually beef or chicken, and fried
[From Spanish, literally
“flute,” probably from Provençal flaüt (see flute
)][1]



flautist

flautist
flau·tist 
noun

See
flutist[1]



flav-

flav-
flav-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
flavo-[1]



flavanone

flavanone
fla·va·none 
[fláyvə nn, flávvə
nn] noun

derivative
of flavone:
a colorless crystalline compound derived from flavone, or any plant substance
derived from flavone. C15H12O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from flavo- + -ane
+ -one .][1]



flavin

flavin
fla·vin 
[fláyvin] (plural fla·vins) noun

yellow
pigment:
a yellow pigment such as riboflavin that is soluble in water and occurs in
organic tissues.
Also
called
flavine
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin flavus “yellow” + -in .][1]



flavine

flavine
fla·vine 
[fláy vn] (plural fla·vines) noun

flavin:
flavin (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin flavus “yellow” + -ine .][1]



flavo-

flavo-
flavo-
prefix

1.  yellow
• flavin

2.  flavin
• flavoprotein
[From Latin flavus
“yellow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting a bright color, which
is also the ancestor of English blue
and bleach .][1]



flavone

flavone
fla·vone 
[fláy vn] noun

yellow
pigment:
a crystalline compound from which yellow pigments are derived, found on the
leaves or in the stems and seed capsules of primroses and some other plants. C15H10O2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from flavo- + -one
.][1]



flavonoid

flavonoid
fla·vo·noid 
[fláyvə nòyd] (plural fla·vo·noids)
noun

phenolic compound:
a naturally occurring phenolic compound belonging to a group that includes many
plant pigments[1]



flavoprotein

flavoprotein
fla·vo·pro·tein 
[flàyvō prṓ tn] (plural fla·vo·pro·teins)
noun

yellow enzyme:
an enzyme containing flavin that is linked chemically with a protein and is
active in cell respiration[1]



flavor

flavor
fla·vor 
[fláyvər] noun (plural fla·vors)

1.  characteristic
taste:
an identifiable or distinctive quality of food or drink perceived with the
combined senses of taste and smell • The
soup didn’t have much flavor.

2.  something
adding flavor to food: a substance used to give
food or drink an identifiable or distinctive taste

3.  unique
characteristic: the unique individual characteristic of
an artistic work, especially a work of literature “borrowing its flavor from
the works of William Gibson and Austin sci-fi author Bruce Sterling” John Perry
Barlow Crime and Puzzlement 1990

4.  type:
a type or kind of something (slang) “any flavor of mainframe you like”
The LOD/H Technical Journal, Issue 3 1988

5.  PHYSICS property
of elementary particles: a physical property that
distinguishes types of quarks and some types of lepton

6.  odor
or fragrance: a quality perceived with the sense of
smell alone (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past fla·vored, past participle fla·vored, present
participle fla·vor·ing, 3rd person present singular fla·vors)

1.  give
flavor to food: to give food or drink an identifiable or
distinctive taste, usually by adding something • Flavor
the stew with rosemary.

2.  give
something uniqueness: to give a unique
characteristic to an artistic work, especially a work of literature • A
certain terseness flavors her prose.
[14th
century. Alteration, influenced by savor, of Old French flaor “aroma”
(the original sense in English), ultimately from a blend of Latin flatus
“blowing” (see flatulent ), and foetor
“stench.”]
—fla·vor·er, noun[1]



flavorenhancer

flavorenhancer
fla·vor
en·hanc·er
(plural fla·vor en·hanc·ers) noun

additive enhancing flavor of
food: a substance added to
processed food or drink to improve or intensify its flavor[1]



flavorful

flavorful
fla·vor·ful 
[fláyvərfəl] adjective

tasty:
with a strong pleasant taste
—fla·vor·ful·ly,
adverb

—fla·vor·ful·ness, noun[1]



flavoring

flavoring
fla·vor·ing
[fláyvəring] (plural fla·vor·ings)
noun

something that adds flavor:
a natural or artificial substance added to food or drink to give it an
identifiable or distinctive taste[1]



flavorist

flavorist
fla·vor·ist 
[fláyvərist] (plural fla·vor·ists)
noun

professional producer of
artificial flavors: somebody
trained to isolate and blend chemicals in order to create artificially the
taste and smell of a specific food[1]



flavorless

flavorless
fla·vor·less
[fláyvərləss] adjective

with no taste:
without an identifiable or distinctive taste[1]



flavorsome

flavorsome
fla·vor·some
adjective

See
flavorful[1]



flavory

flavory
fla·vor·y
[fláyvəree] adjective

tasty:
rich in flavor[1]



flavour

flavour
fla·vour 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
flavor[1]



flaw

flaw1
flaw1 [flaw]
(past flawed, past participle flawed, present
participle flaw·ing, 3rd person present singular flaws,
plural flaws) noun

1.  blemish
making something imperfect: a defect in an object that
makes it imperfect or less valuable

2.  abstract
imperfection: an imperfection, shortcoming, or
weakness in something abstract • There’s
a flaw in your argument.

3.  LAW invalidating
defect in document: in a legal document, a
defect that can make it invalid
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse flaga “stone slab,”
ultimately from prehistoric Germanic. The original meaning was “flake”; the
sense “defect” probably originated in whitlow,
literally “white fissure.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  flaw, imperfection, fault, defect,
  failing, blemish
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  that detracts from perfection flaw;
  used to describe something such as an unintended mark or crack that prevents
  something from being totally perfect and detracts from its value. It can also
  be used to describe a weakness in somebody’s character or in a plan, theory,
  or system; imperfection; a more
  formal word for “flaw”; fault; used
  to describe something that prevents something or somebody from being perfect
  or from functioning correctly. It is usually used to talk about more serious
  problems than “flaw”; defect; used
  to describe a fault in a machine, system, or plan, especially one that
  prevents it from functioning correctly; failing;
  used to describe something that mars somebody or something in some way, often
  used to describe an unfortunate feature of somebody’s personality or
  character; blemish; used to
  describe a mark of some kind that detracts from something’s appearance, often
  used of the complexion or skin. It can also be used to describe something
  that detracts from somebody’s otherwise undamaged reputation or record

[1]



flaw

flaw2
flaw2 [flaw]
(plural flaws) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY gust
of wind:
a brief gust of wind.
Also
called
windflaw

2.  METEOROLOGY squall:
a short storm or spell of bad weather

3.  sudden
strong feeling: a sudden show of strong feeling (archaic)
[Early
16th century. Probably from Middle Low German vlāge, or from
Scandinavian. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to strike” that is
also the ancestor of English plague
.]
—flaw·y, adjective[1]



flawed

flawed
flawed
adjective

imperfect:
imperfect or defective • The
interpretation is seriously flawed.[1]



flawless

flawless
flaw·less 
[fláwləss] adjective

perfect:
without any blemish or imperfection • a
flawless performance
—flaw·less·ly,
adverb

—flaw·less·ness, noun[1]



flax

flax
flax 
[flaks] noun

1.  PLANTS plant
yielding linen fiber and oil: a plant with blue flowers
that is widely cultivated for its seeds, which produce linseed oil, and its
stems, from which the fiber to make linen is obtained. Latin name: Linum usitatissimum

2.  TEXTILES fiber
used to make linen: a fine light-colored textile
fiber obtained from flax

3.  COLORS pale
yellow:
the pale yellow color of flax fiber
[Old English flæx .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to braid” that was also the
ancestor of English plait, ply, complicate,
and perplexed .][1]



flaxen

flaxen
flax·en 
[fláksən] adjective

1.  COLORS pale
grayish-yellow: having the pale grayish-yellow color of
flax

2.  TEXTILES made
from flax:
made from flax fibers

[1]



flaxy

flaxy
flax·y 
[fláksee] (comparative flax·i·er,
superlative flax·i·est) adjective

looking or feeling like flax:
resembling flax in appearance or texture[1]



flay

flay
flay 
[flay] (past flayed, past
participle flayed, present participle flay·ing, 3rd
person present singular flays) transitive verb

1.  lash
or flog:
to whip or beat a person or animal severely

2.  strip
skin off:
to remove the skin or outer covering from somebody or something

3.  criticize
harshly:
to criticize somebody or something harshly and severely, and sometimes unfairly

4.  strip
of belongings: to take all the money or valuables from
somebody, especially by the use of deceit, intimidation, or similar means (dated)
[Old
English flēan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
strike” that was also the ancestor of English flaw 2 .]
—flay·er, noun[1]



Flayer

Flayer
F
lay·er
(plural F lay·ers) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY See F region

2.  GEOLOGY area
between Earth’s cores: the transition zone between
the solid inner core of the Earth and its more fluid outer layer, at a depth of
approximately 5,100 km/3,200 mi
[F following the system of
naming the three layers, beginning with D][1]



fld.

fld.
fld.

Abbreviation of
field[1]



fl.dr.

fl.dr.
fl.
dr.

Abbreviation of
fluid dram[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flea

flea
flea 
[flee] (plural fleas) noun

1.  INSECTS small
leaping bloodsucking insect: a small wingless insect with
legs adapted for jumping that sucks blood and lives as a parasite on
warm-blooded animals. Order: Siphonaptera

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
resembling flea: a small beetle or crustacean that
resembles or jumps like a flea, for example, a water flea, flea beetle, or sand
flea
[Old English flēa(h) .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that was also the ancestor of English puce .][1]



fleabag

fleabag
flea·bag 
[fl bàg] (plural flea·bags) noun
(informal)

1.  cheap
shabby hotel: a cheap shabby hotel or rooming house

2.  dirty
or flea-infested creature: a dirty or scruffy living
being, especially one that is infested with fleas

[1]



fleabane

fleabane
flea·bane 
[fl bàyn] noun

plant once believed to repel
fleas: a wild plant with yellow
flowers that was once believed to repel fleas. Cultivated varieties of fleabane
have flowers of different colors. Genus: Erigeron[1]



fleabeetle

fleabeetle
flea
bee·tle
noun

tiny jumping beetle:
a very small beetle with large hind legs adapted for jumping. The beetle and
its larvae are pests of vegetable crops. Subfamily: Halticinae[1]



fleabite

fleabite
flea·bite 
[fl bt] (plural flea·bites) noun

1.  bite
of flea:
the bite of a flea or the small red mark caused by this

2.  small
annoyance:
a small loss or petty annoyance (informal)

[1]



flea-bitten

flea-bitten
flea-bit·ten 
adjective

1.  covered
with fleas or fleabites: covered with fleabites or
infested with fleas

2.  cheap
and shabby:
cheap, shabby, or run-down (informal)

3.  ZOOLOGY with
pale flecked coat: used to describe a horse
that has a pale coat with reddish-brown flecks

[1]



fleacollar

fleacollar
flea
col·lar
(plural flea col·lars) noun

collar containing flea
repellent: a collar, usually for dogs
or cats, containing a chemical that repels or kills fleas[1]



flea-flicker

flea-flicker
flea-flick·er
(plural flea-flick·ers) noun

deceptive play:
a football play in which the ball is quickly passed laterally from one player
to another to confuse the defense[1]



fleam

fleam
fleam 
[fleem] (plural fleams) noun

1.  WOODWORK edge
of tooth on saw: a beveled cutting edge on a sawtooth

2.  SURGERY knife
used in bloodletting: a surgical knife formerly
used to open a vein in bloodletting
[15th century. Via Old French
flieme from, ultimately, Greek phlebotomon, literally
’vein-cutter’ (see phlebotomy ), from phlebos
“vein.”][1]



fleamarket

fleamarket
flea
mar·ket
(plural flea mar·kets) noun

market selling cheap or used
goods: a market, usually outdoors,
with individual stalls selling various kinds of merchandise, for example,
antiques, used household items, and cut-rate goods[1]



fleawort

fleawort
flea·wort
[fl wùrt, fl
wàwrt] (plural flea·wort or flea·worts) noun

See
psyllium
[Because the seeds look like
fleas][1]



fleck

fleck
fleck 
[flek] noun (plural flecks)

small
mark:
any one of a number of very small marks, streaks, or pieces scattered on a
surface or throughout a block of something • flecks
of mica in granite
transitive
verb
(past flecked, past participle flecked, present
participle fleck·ing, 3rd person present singular flecks)

streak
or spot:
to mark something with small streaks or spots • Sunlight
flecked the path ahead.
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



flection

flection
flec·tion 
noun

See
flexion[1]



fled

fled
fled


Past participle of
flee Past tense of flee[1]



fledge

fledge
fledge 
[flej] (past fledged, past
participle fledged, present participle fledg·ing, 3rd
person present singular fledg·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
BIRDS raise
young bird:
to raise a young bird until it can fly

2.  intransitive
verb
BIRDS grow flight
feathers:
to grow the wing and tail feathers necessary for flying

3.  transitive
verb
ARCHERY equip
arrow with feathers: to put feathers on an arrow

4.  transitive
verb
provide
with feathers: to provide or cover something with
feathers or something similar
[Mid-16th century. From the
obsolete adjective fledge “fledged, ready to fly.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fly .][1]



fledgling

fledgling
fledg·ling
[fléjjling] or fledge·ling [fléjjling] noun (plural fledg·lings)
(plural fledge·lings)

1.  BIRDS young
bird with new flight feathers: a young bird that has
recently developed the feathers necessary for flying

2.  somebody
inexperienced: a young or inexperienced person
adjective

inexperienced:
inexperienced because still learning or just starting • a
fledgling business

[1]



flee

flee
flee 
[flee] (past fled [fled], past participle fled, present
participle flee·ing, 3rd person present singular flees)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb run
away:
to run away from something • fled
the burning building

2.  intransitive
verb
disappear
quickly:
to pass or disappear quickly (literary)
[Old
English flēon . Ultimately from an Indo-European word also the ancestor
of English pneumonia .]
—fle·er, noun[1]



fleece

fleece
fleece 
[fleess] noun (plural fleec·es)

1.  ZOOLOGY woolly
coat of sheep: the coat of wool on a sheep or similar
animal

2.  AGRICULTURE wool
shorn from sheep: the wool shorn at one time from a sheep
or similar animal

3.  soft
covering:
a soft woolly covering or mass • rocks
with a fleece of moss

4.  TEXTILES soft
fabric with nap or pile: a soft warm fabric with a
brushed nap or woolly pile, especially one used to make or line outer garments

5.  CLOTHES warm
jacket:
a jacket made from a soft warm fabric with a brushed nap
transitive
verb
(past fleeced, past participle fleeced, present
participle fleec·ing, 3rd person present singular fleec·es)

1.  swindle
out of money: to take too much money from somebody by
cheating or overcharging (informal) • They
make their living by fleecing tourists.

2.  AGRICULTURE shear
sheep:
to shear wool from a sheep

3.  cover
with something resembling fleece: to cover something
with something soft and woolly in texture or appearance (literary) • Clouds
fleeced the summer sky.
[Old
English flēos . Probably ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English plume .]
—fleec·er, noun[1]



fleecy

fleecy
fleec·y 
[flssee] (comparative fleec·i·er,
superlative fleec·i·est) adjective

1.  made
of fleece:
consisting of fleece or something similar

2.  resembling
fleece:
soft and woolly in appearance or texture
—fleec·i·ly,
adverb

—fleec·i·ness, noun[1]



fleer

fleer
fleer 
[fleer] intransitive verb (past
fleered, past participle fleered, present participle
fleer·ing, 3rd person present singular fleers)

laugh
with contempt: to smile or laugh with contempt (formal)
noun
(plural fleers)

scornful
look or remark: a taunting or derisive look, smile, or
comment (formal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.]
—fleer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



fleet

fleet2
fleet2 [fleet]
adjective (literary)

1.  moving
quickly:
moving quickly or nimbly

2.  quickly
passing:
passing or fading quickly
verb
(past fleet·ed, past participle fleet·ed, present
participle fleet·ing, 3rd person present singular fleets)
(literary)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move quickly or nimbly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
quickly:
to pass or fade quickly, or cause something to pass or fade quickly
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse fljótr, and
ultimately from prehistoric Germanic (see fleet 1 ).]
—fleet·ly,
adverb

—fleet·ness, noun[1]



fleet

fleet1
fleet1 [fleet]
(plural fleets) noun

1.  NAVY group
of naval ships: a number of warships functioning as a
single unit under one command, or all the ships of a nation’s navy

2.  COMMERCE TRANSPORT vehicles or craft under
single ownership: a number of road vehicles, boats, or
aircraft owned, working, or managed as a unit, usually by a commercial
enterprise • The
company has a large fleet of service vehicles.
[Old English flēot
“ships,” from flēotan “to float, swim.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is the ancestor also of English float
and probably of fleet 2 .][1]



fleetadmiral

fleetadmiral
fleet
ad·mi·ral
(plural fleet ad·mi·rals) or Fleet Ad·mi·ral (plural
Fleet Ad·mi·rals) noun

highest U.S. Navy commander:
an officer in the United States Navy of the highest rank, with an insignia of
five stars[1]



fleeting

fleeting
fleet·ing 
[flting] adjective

passing:
passing or fading quickly
[Old
English, from flēotan (see fleet 1 ). The original sense was
“floating,” later “flowing”; hence “flowing or gliding quickly away.”]
—fleet·ing·ly,
adverb

—fleet·ing·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at temporary

[1]



FleetStreet

FleetStreet
Fleet
Street
noun

British
journalism and journalists: the people and practices
involved in the British newspaper industry
[Because most British
national newspapers were formerly produced on Fleet Street, central
London][1]



fleishig

fleishig
flei·shig 
[fláyshik, flshik]
adjective

relating
to meat:
under Jewish dietary laws, relating to, containing, or used as meat or meat
products.
See
also
milchig
See
also
parev
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish fleyshik, from fleysh “meat.” Utimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English flesh .][1]



Flem.

Flem.
Flem.

Abbreviation of
Flemish[1]



Fleming

Fleming
Flem·ing 
[flémming] (plural Flem·ings) noun

1.  somebody
from Flanders: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in Flanders

2.  Flemish
speaker:
a Belgian who speaks Flemish.
See
also
Walloon
[Old English Flæming .
Directly and via Old Norse from Middle Dutch Vlaminc .][1]



Fleming,Alexander

Fleming,Alexander

Flem·ing
[flémming], Sir Alexander (1881–1955)
British microbiologist. He shared a Nobel
Prize in medicine in 1945 for his discovery of the world’s first antibiotic,
penicillin.[1]



Fleming,Ian

Fleming,Ian
Flem·ing
[flémming], Ian (1908–1964)

British writer. His fictional
hero James Bond, secret agent 007, appeared in twelve novels and seven short
stories, beginning with Casino Royale ( 1953 ).[1]



Fleming,Sandford

Fleming,Sandford
Flem·ing
[flémming], Sir Sandford (1827–1915)

Scottish-born Canadian civil
engineer and railway surveyor. He was instrumental in the adoption of standard
time.[1]



Flemish

Flemish
Flem·ish 
[flémmish] adjective

of
Flanders:
relating to Flanders, the Flemings, or their language or culture
noun

LANGUAGE Belgian
language:
one of the official languages of Belgium. It is from the West Germanic group of
the Germanic branch of Indo-European and is very similar to Dutch. About five
million people speak Flemish.
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
of Flanders: the people of Flanders, or
Flemish-speaking people
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch Vlāmisch, from Vlāmland “Flanders.”][1]



Flemishbond

Flemishbond
Flem·ish
bond
noun

brickwork showing ends and
sides alternately: a style of
brickwork in which bricks laid with the end facing out ( headers ) alternate with those laid lengthwise ( stretchers ), horizontally and vertically[1]



Flemishschool

Flemishschool
Flem·ish
school
noun

Dutch art of 15C and 16C:
art and artists of the 15th and 16th centuries in The Netherlands. Artists of
the Flemish school, for example, Van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, combined
carefully observed subjects with complex religious iconography.[1]



flense

flense
flense 
[flens] (past flensed, past
participle flensed, present participle flens·ing, 3rd
person present singular flens·es) or flench [flench] (past flenched, past
participle flenched, present participle flench·ing, 3rd
person present singular flench·es) transitive verb

strip
skin or blubber from animal: to strip the skin or blubber
from a whale or seal
[Early
19th century. From Danish flensa .]
—flens·er, noun[1]



flesh

flesh
flesh 
[flesh] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY soft
tissue of body: the soft tissues, primarily muscle and
fat, that cover the bones of people and other animals

2.  PHYSIOLOGY human
skin as outer surface: the outer surface of the
human body

3.  unwanted
weight:
unwanted weight or fatty tissue (informal) • could
afford to lose some flesh

4.  COOKING meat
of animals:
the flesh of animals, including birds and fish, regarded as food

5.  COOKING meat
excluding birds and fish: the flesh of mammals, as
opposed to birds or fish, regarded as food (archaic)

6.  FOOD PLANTS pulp of fruits and
vegetables:
the soft pulpy edible parts of fruits and vegetables, as opposed to the skin,
core, pit, and other parts that are not usually eaten

7.  See
flesh and blood  noun 1

8.  people:
people in general (literary) • the
way of all flesh

9.  physical
aspect of humanity: the physical body along with
its needs and limitations, as opposed to the soul, mind, or spirit.
Also
called
flesh and blood

10. substance:
substance as distinct from form or style • Actions
give flesh to theory.

11. COLORS See flesh-color
transitive
verb
(past fleshed, past participle fleshed, present
participle flesh·ing, 3rd person present singular flesh·es)

1.  HUNTING instruct
animal by feeding: to teach a dog or bird to
hunt by feeding it the meat of a freshly killed animal

2.  accustom
to killing:
to accustom somebody to bloodshed and the killing of other people (literary)

3.  get
blood on weapon: to thrust a pointed weapon into
somebody’s flesh, especially when using it for the first time (literary)

4.  clean
inside of animal skin: in tanning, to scrape away
the soft tissue adhering to a hide
[Old
English flāsc “soft tissue, meat”]
in
the flesh

in
person

press
the flesh

to greet and shake the hands
of many people in public, as a political or promotional exercise (informal)[1]



fleshand blood

fleshand blood
flesh
and blood
noun

1.  relatives:
people, or a person, related to somebody by birth.
Also
called
flesh

2.  See
flesh  noun 9
adjective
flesh-and-blood

ARTS realistically
representing people: representing life, people,
and events in a way perceived as believable or realistic

[1]



flesh-color

flesh-color
flesh-col·or
noun

color
of skin:
a pink color with tinges of yellow or gray, like that of a white person’s skin.

Also
called
flesh
—flesh-col·ored, adjective[1]



flesher

flesher
flesh·er
[fléshər] (plural flesh·ers) noun

somebody or something that
cleans hides: in tanning, a person
who or a device that removes any flesh adhering to the inside of an animal hide[1]



fleshfly

fleshfly
flesh
fly
noun

fly with flesh-eating larvae:
a fly whose larvae feed on the flesh of living or dead animals. Family:
Sarcophagidae[1]



fleshings

fleshings
flesh·ings
[fléshingz] plural noun

1.  THEATER CLOTHES flesh-colored tights:
flesh-colored tights formerly worn by actors

2.  scraped
flesh:
flesh scraped from an animal’s hide

[1]



fleshly

fleshly
flesh·ly 
[fléshlee] (comparative flesh·li·er,
superlative flesh·li·est) adjective

1.  bodily:
relating to the human body • the
fleshly concerns of daily living

2.  relating
to physical pleasure: enjoying or concerned with
the pleasures of the body

3.  not
spiritual:
not focused on spiritual matters

4.  plump:
plump or fat (archaic)
—flesh·li·ness, noun[1]



fleshout

fleshout
flesh
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
amplify:
to add substance and detail to something • flesh
out a business proposal

2.  intransitive
verb
put
on weight:
to put on weight or become overweight (informal)

[1]



fleshpot

fleshpot
flesh·pot 
[flésh pòts] (plural flesh·pots)
noun

place
for sexual gratification: a place known to provide
sexual or sensual entertainment (usually used in the plural) • Police
keep an eye on the local fleshpots.
[Mid-16th century. Allusion
to the Bible, Exodus 16:3, where the Israelites remember past feasting.
Originally “cooking pot”; the underlying idea is of physical or sensual
gratification.][1]



fleshwound

fleshwound
flesh
wound 
(plural flesh wounds) noun

superficial wound:
a wound that penetrates the flesh but does not damage bones or vital organs[1]



fleshy

fleshy
flesh·y 
[fléshee] (comparative flesh·i·er,
superlative flesh·i·est) adjective

1.  plump:
plump or fat

2.  with
more flesh:
with thicker or softer flesh than other parts of the body • the
fleshy part of the hand at the base of the thumb

3.  soft
and juicy:
with thick soft juicy pulp • the
fleshiest peaches of the season
—flesh·i·ness, noun[1]



fletch

fletch
fletch 
[flech] (past fletched, past
participle fletched, present participle fletch·ing, 3rd
person present singular fletch·es) transitive verb

ARCHERY See fledge  verb 3
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of fledge, influenced by fletcher .][1]



fletcher

fletcher
fletch·er 
[fléchər] (plural fletch·ers) noun

arrow
maker:
somebody who makes arrows
[13th century. From Old
French flech(i)er, from flèche “arrow.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fly, fledge,
and flow .][1]



fletchings

fletchings
fletch·ings
[fléchingz] plural noun

feathers on arrow:
the feathered part of an arrow[1]



fleur-de-lis

fleur-de-lis

fleur-de-lis 
[flùr də l] (plural fleurs-de-lis
[flùr də lz]) or fleur-de-lys
[flùr də l] (plural fleurs-de-lys)
noun

1.  HERALDRY heraldic
device resembling lily or iris: a heraldic symbol or
design in the form of three tapering petals tied by a surrounding band,
formerly used by the kings of France.
Also
called
lily

2.  PLANTS See iris

3.  Canada
flag
of Quebec:
the flag of Quebec, which has four white fleurs-de-lis on a blue background
[From Old French flour de
lys, literally “flower of the lily”][1]



fleuret

fleuret
fleur·et 
[flur ét, fl
rét] (plural fleur·ets) or fleur·ette [flur ét, fl rét]
(plural fleur·ettes) noun

small
flower-shaped motif: a decorative motif in the
form of a small flower
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “little flower,” from fleur “flower,” from Old French flour
(see flower ).][1]



flew

flew
flew


Past tense of
fly 1[1]



flex

flex
flex 
[fleks] verb (past flexed,
past participle flexed, present participle flex·ing,
3rd person present singular flex·es)

1.  transitive
verb
bend
a body part: to bend something, especially a joint of
the body

2.  intransitive
verb
bend:
to bend or be able to be bent • The
board flexes as you step on it.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
muscular contraction: to move or tense a muscle,
or become tense or contracted
noun

bending ability:
bending or ability to bend
[Early 16th century. From
Latin flex- (see flexible ).][1]



flexatone

flexatone
flex·a·tone
[fléksə tn] (plural flex·a·tones)
noun

tunable metal strip as
percussion instrument: a musical
percussion instrument consisting of a handle with a narrow metal sheet attached
that is struck to produce a tunable sound[1]



flexibility

flexibility
flex·i·bil·i·ty
[flèksə bíllətee] (plural flex·i·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
able to bend without breaking: the ability to bend or
be bent repeatedly without damage or injury

2.  ability
to adapt to new situation: the ability to change or be
changed according to circumstances • The
proposed system lacks flexibility.

3.  being
subject to influence: the capacity to be persuaded
or influenced

[1]



flexible

flexible
flex·i·ble 
[fléksəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to bend without breaking: able to bend or be bent
repeatedly without damage or injury

2.  able
to adapt to new situation: able to change or be changed
according to circumstances

3.  subject
to influence: able to be persuaded or influenced
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin flexibilis, from flex-,
past participle stem of flectere “to bend” (source of English deflect, reflect,
and genuflect ).]
—flex·i·bly,
adverb

—flex·i·ble·ness, noun[1]



flexibletime

flexibletime
flex·i·ble
time
noun

See
flextime[1]



flexile

flexile
flex·ile 
[fléksəl, flék
sl] adjective

See
flexible  adjective 1
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
flexilis, from flex- (see flexible
).][1]



flexion

flexion
flex·ion 
[flékshən] (plural flex·ions) or
flec·tion [flékshən] (plural flec·tions)
noun

1.  bending
of limb:
the bending of a limb or joint

2.  position
of bent part: the position of a bent limb or joint

3.  bending
of something: the bending of something or its bent
state

4.  GRAMMAR inflection:
an inflection (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From the Latin stem flexion-, from flex- (see flexible ).]
—flex·ion·al, adjective[1]



flexitime

flexitime
flex·i·time 
noun

See
flextime[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flexography

flexography
flex·og·ra·phy 
[flek sóggrəfee] noun

printing
technique resembling letterpress: a relief printing
technique that uses a rotary press, a flexible plate, and a water-based ink
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Latin flexus (see flexor
) + -graphy .]
—flex·o·g·ra·pher,
noun

—flex·o·graph·ic
[flèksə gráffik], adjective

—flex·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



flexor

flexor
flex·or 
[fléksər] (plural flex·ors) noun

muscle
bending joint or limb: a muscle that bends a joint
or limb when it is contracted
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin flexus, past participle of flectere (see
flexible ).][1]



flextime

flextime
flex·time 
[fléks tm] or flex·i·time [fléksi tm] noun

system
giving employees adaptable working hours: a
system that allows employees to set their own daily times of starting and
finishing work, within certain limits.
Also
called
flexible time
[Late 20th century. Blend of flexible and time
.][1]



flexuous

flexuous
flex·u·ous 
[flékshoo əss] or flex·u·ose [flékshoo ss] adjective

bending
or winding:
curving, winding, or turning (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin flexuosus, from, ultimately, flectere
(see flexible ).]
—flex·u·os·i·ty
[flèkshoo óssətee], noun

—flex·u·ous·ly [flékshoo əsslee], adverb[1]



flexural

flexural
flex·ur·al
[flékshərəl] adjective

1.  bending:
turning, curving, or bending

2.  situated
in bodily crease: occurring at a crease or bend in part of
the body, for example, behind the knee

[1]



flexure

flexure
flex·ure 
[flékshər] (plural flex·ures) noun

1.  bending:
a bending or being flexed

2.  ANATOMY bend
or curve:
a bend or curve, for example, in a body part or organ
[Late 16th century. From
Latin flexura, from flex- (see flexible
).][1]



flg.

flg.
flg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
flagging

2.  Abbreviation
of
flooring

3.  Abbreviation
of
following

[1]



flibbertigibbet

flibbertigibbet
flib·ber·ti·gib·bet 
[flìbbərti jíbbit] (plural flib·ber·ti·gib·bets)
noun

flighty
person:
a silly, irresponsible, or scatterbrained person, especially one who chatters
or gossips (dated)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of meaningless chatter.][1]



flic

flic
flic 
[flik] (plural flics) noun

police
officer in France: a member of the French
police (slang)
[Late 19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



flick

flick2
flick2 [flik]
noun (plural flicks)

film:
a movie (dated slang)
plural
noun
flicks

the
movies:
the movies in general (dated informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of flicker 1 ; from the
flickering appearance of early films.][1]



flick

flick1
flick1 [flik]
noun (plural flicks)

1.  quick
movement:
a quick jerking movement

2.  quick
blow:
a sharp light blow made with a quick jerking movement, usually of the finger

3.  splash
of color:
a light splash or streak • flicks
of paint left on the floor
verb
(past flicked, past participle flicked, present
participle flick·ing, 3rd person present singular flicks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
with quick blow: to hit something sharply or lightly with
the end of something, usually in a quick jerking movement • He
flicked me with his towel.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
jerkily:
to move or make something move with a quick sharp jerk • The
cow’s tail flicked back and forth.

3.  transitive
verb
move
with quick blow: to move, propel, or remove something
with a sharp light blow or a quick movement of the finger or hand • Would
you flick that bug off me?
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound of a light blow.][1]



flick

flick3
flick3 [flik]
noun

Wales,
Southern England animal fat:
animal fat found round kidneys and other offal (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of flitch .][1]



flicker

flicker2
flick·er2 [flíkər]
(plural flick·ers) noun

N
American woodpecker: a multi-colored North
American woodpecker with wings that show yellow or red in flight, that lives in
deciduous woods. Latin name: Colaptes auratus
[Early 19th century. Origin uncertain:
probably an imitation of its call.][1]



flicker

flicker1
flick·er1 [flíkər]
intransitive verb (past flick·ered, past participle
flick·ered, present participle flick·er·ing, 3rd person
present singular flick·ers)

1.  shine
unsteadily:
to burn or shine unsteadily

2.  flutter
or move jerkily: to move with a fluttering or fast jerky
motion

3.  appear
briefly:
to appear or exist only briefly • A
smile flickered across her face.
noun
(plural flick·ers)

1.  fluctuating
light:
an unsteady or wavering light • the
flicker of candles in the dark

2.  quick
movement:
a quick fluttering movement

3.  transient
feeling or expression: a brief feeling that quickly
passes, or an indication of this on somebody’s face • A
flicker of joy briefly lit her eyes.
[Old
English flicorian “to flutter.” The underlying sense is of wavering
unsteady movement.]
—flick·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



flickertailsquirrel

flickertailsquirrel
flick·er·tail
squir·rel
[flíkər tàyl] (plural flick·er·tail
squir·rels) or flick·er·tail go·pher [flíkər tàyl] (plural flick·er·tail go·phers) noun

1.  ground
squirrel:
a ground squirrel (regional)

2.  See
Richardson’s ground squirrel

[1]



flickknife

flickknife
flick
knife
noun

U.K.
See switchblade[1]



flickthrough

flickthrough
flick
through
transitive verb

turn pages quickly:
to turn the pages of a book or magazine quickly • flicked
through a couple of magazines while I waited[1]



flier

flier
fli·er
[flīr] (plural fli·ers) or
fly·er [flīr] (plural fly·ers)
noun

1.  AIR aircraft
pilot:
the pilot of an aircraft

2.  AIR aircraft
passenger:
a passenger on an aircraft • frequent
fliers

3.  PRESS printed
sheet widely distributed: a short piece of printed
matter, usually an advertisement, that is widely distributed

4.  BUILDING step
in straight staircase: a rectangular step in a
straight flight of stairs

5.  risky
undertaking: a daring or risky financial undertaking
(informal)

6.  SPORT SWIMMING flying start:
a flying start (informal)
[13th century. Originally in
the general sense “something that flies.”][1]



flies

flies
flies

3rd person present singular
of fly 1 Plural
of fly 2[1]



flight

flight2
flight2 [flīt]
noun

running
away:
the act of running away from something or somebody
[12th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor of English flee .][1]



flight

flight1
flight1 [flīt]
noun (plural flights)

1.  process
or act of flying: the process or act of moving through the
air or through space

2.  air
trip:
a trip through air or space in a form of transport • daily
flights of a thousand miles or more

3.  scheduled
flight:
a scheduled flight with a commercial airline, usually designated by letters and
numbers • flight
TC546 to Vancouver

4.  ability
to fly:
the ability to travel through the air with wings • an
experimental ultralight tested for flight • an
ancient bird incapable of flight

5.  BUILDING series
of steps between floors: a group of stairs that go
from one level of a building to another • We
live three flights up.

6.  group
flying together: a group of aircraft or birds flying
together, sometimes in a set pattern

7.  AIR FORCE group
of military aircraft: a group of aircraft in the
U.S. Air Force that forms a subdivision of a squadron

8.  rapid
movement:
swift passage, progress, or motion, especially through the air

9.  extraordinary
mental feat: an act or the process of imagining
extraordinary things • flights
of the imagination

10. tail
of arrow or dart: the feathers on an arrow or dart
verb
(past flight·ed, past participle flight·ed, present
participle flight·ing, 3rd person present singular flights)

1.  intransitive
verb
fly
together:
to fly or migrate together

2.  transitive
verb
shoot
flying bird: in hunting, to shoot a bird as it flies

3.  transitive
verb
put
tail on arrow or dart: to put feathers on an arrow
or dart

4.  transitive
verb
SPORTS cause
to float toward target: to make a ball or dart seem
to float inexorably toward its target
[Old English flyht .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor of
English fly 1 .][1]



flightarrow

flightarrow
flight
ar·row
(plural flight ar·rows) noun

arrow for firing over long
distance: a light arrow used for
long-distance shooting[1]



flightattendant

flightattendant
flight
at·ten·dant
(plural flight at·ten·dants) noun

somebody assisting airline
passengers: somebody employed by an
airline to attend to the needs, comfort, and safety of passengers during
flights[1]



flightbag

flightbag
flight
bag
(plural flight bags) noun

small suitcase:
a soft suitcase of a size that can be carried on an aircraft[1]



flightdeck

flightdeck
flight
deck
(plural flight decks) noun

1.  NAVY runway
on aircraft carrier: the upper deck of an
aircraft carrier that is used as a runway

2.  AIR part
of airplane with the controls: the compartment at the
front of an airplane where the pilot, copilot, and flight engineer sit

[1]



flightengineer

flightengineer
flight
en·gi·neer
(plural flight en·gi·neers) noun

crew member of aircraft
monitoring systems: the crew
member of an airplane who monitors the performance of its systems including the
engines[1]



flightenvelope

flightenvelope
flight
en·ve·lope
(plural flight en·ve·lopes) noun

performance limits in
aircraft design: a set of limits to
performance, such as speed, altitude, range, payload, and maneuverability, that
exist in the design of an aircraft[1]



flightfeather

flightfeather
flight
feath·er
(plural flight feath·ers) noun

feather bird uses to fly:
any feather in a bird’s wing or tail that is necessary for flight. These
feathers are usually large and stiff.[1]



flightless

flightless
flight·less 
[fltləss] adjective

unable to fly:
used to describe birds that are incapable of flight. Ostriches, penguins, and
kiwis are flightless.[1]



flightlevel

flightlevel
flight
lev·el
(plural flight lev·els) noun

aircraft height:
the height at which a particular aircraft is allowed to fly at a particular
time[1]



flightlieutenant

flightlieutenant
flight
lieu·ten·ant (plural flight lieu·ten·ants)
noun

RAF officer:
a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force corresponding to the rank of
U.S. Air Force captain, or the person holding this rank[1]



flightline

flightline
flight
line
(plural flight lines) noun

airfield parking and
servicing area: the area of an
airfield, especially a military airfield, where airplanes are parked, serviced,
and loaded or unloaded[1]



flightof fancy

flightof fancy
flight
of fan·cy
(plural flights of fan·cy) noun

imaginative but impractical
idea: an idea or thought that is
very imaginative but completely impractical or even ridiculous[1]



flightpath

flightpath
flight
path
noun

course taken by aircraft:
the course taken by an aircraft, space vehicle, or projectile[1]



flightpay

flightpay
flight
pay
noun

aircrew’s salary:
pay in addition to the regular salary that the members of a U.S. military
aircrew get when they take part in authorized flights[1]



flightplan

flightplan
flight
plan
(plural flight plans) noun

information on proposed
flight: a record outlining the
details of a proposed flight[1]



flightrecorder

flightrecorder
flight
re·cord·er
(plural flight re·cord·ers) noun

instrument that records
details of flight: an
electronic instrument installed on an aircraft that records details of its
performance in flight. The details recorded can be used to discover the cause
of a crash.
Also called
black box
Also called
flight data recorder[1]



flightsimulator

flightsimulator
flight
sim·u·la·tor (plural flight sim·u·la·tors)
noun

device mimicking flight deck:
a computerized device that exactly reproduces the conditions that occur on the
flight deck of an aircraft and that can be used to train pilots[1]



flightsuit

flightsuit
flight
suit
(plural flight suits) noun

pilot’s garment:
a one-piece flame-retardant suit worn by military aircrews when flying[1]



flightsurgeon

flightsurgeon
flight
sur·geon
(plural flight sur·geons) noun

USAF medical officer:
a medical officer in the U.S. Air Force who practices aviation medicine and
looks after the health of flight crews[1]



flight-test

flight-test
flight-test 
(past flight-test·ed, past participle flight-test·ed,
present participle flight-test·ing, 3rd person present
singular flight-tests) transitive verb

test
aircraft performance: to test the performance of
an aircraft, spacecraft, missile, or component in flight
—flight test, noun[1]



flightworthy

flightworthy
flight·wor·thy 
[flt wùree] adjective

airworthy:
in sufficiently good mechanical and structural condition to fly
—flight·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



flighty

flighty
flight·y 
[fltee] (comparative flight·i·er,
superlative flight·i·est) adjective

changeable
and capricious: unreliable, capricious, and constantly
changing opinions, especially in choice of sexual partners
—flight·i·ly,
adverb

—flight·i·ness, noun[1]



flimflam

flimflam
flim·flam 
[flím flàm] noun (slang)

1.  trick
or swindle:
a trick or attempt to cheat or swindle somebody

2.  deceptive
talk:
talk that confuses or deceives
transitive
verb
(past flim·flammed, past participle flim·flammed, present
participle flim·flam·ming, 3rd person present singular flim·flams)

cheat or trick:
to swindle or cheat somebody (slang)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—flim·flam·mer,
noun

—flim·flam·mer·y, noun[1]



flimsy

flimsy
flim·sy 
[flímzee] (comparative flim·si·er,
superlative flim·si·est) adjective

1.  fragile:
weak and easily broken

2.  easily
torn:
light, thin, and easily torn

3.  unconvincingly
weak:
unconvincing and difficult to believe • The
grounds for an appeal are flimsy at best.
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from an alteration of film on the model of, e.g., clumsy .]
—flim·si·ly,
adverb

—flim·si·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fragile

[1]



flinch

flinch
flinch 
[flinch] (past flinched, past
participle flinched, present participle flinch·ing, 3rd
person present singular flinch·es) intransitive verb

1.  react
physically to pain or fear: to make an involuntary small
backward movement in response to pain or something frightening or shocking

2.  avoid
confronting: to avoid thinking about something,
confronting something, or doing something • We
will not flinch from danger.
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French flenchir “to turn aside.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to bend,” which is also the ancestor of
English link .]
—flinch·er,
noun

—flinch·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recoil

[1]



flinders

flinders
flin·ders 
[flíndərz] plural noun

small
bits and pieces: tiny fragments of something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps of Scandinavian origin.][1]



Flindersbar

Flindersbar
Flin·ders
bar
[flíndərz baar] (plural Flin·ders
bars) noun

device
to prevent compass error: a bar of soft iron mounted
under a compass to compensate for local magnetism and prevent it affecting the
reading of the compass
[Named for Matthew Flinders][1]



FlindersIsland

FlindersIsland
Flin·ders
Is·land

island off the northeastern
coast of Tasmania, Australia. Local industries include fishing, farming, and
tourism. Population: 924 (1996) Area: 1,359 sq km/525 sq mi.[1]



Flinders,Matthew

Flinders,Matthew
Flin·ders
[flíndərz], Matthew (1774–1814)

British explorer. He was the
first sailor to circumnavigate Tasmania (1798) and Australia (1802–1803).[1]



FlindersRanges

FlindersRanges
Flin·ders
Ranges

mountain chain in eastern
South Australia. More than 500 km/310 mi long, the highest point is Saint Mary
Peak, 1,166 m/3,825 ft .[1]



fling

fling
fling 
[fling] verb (past flung,
past participle flung [flung],
present participle fling·ing, 3rd person present singular flings)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
violently:
to throw something or somebody fast using a lot of force

2.  reflexive
verb
jump
quickly:
to jump forcefully in a way that seems impressive or dramatic, or to jump on
somebody or something in the same way • She
flung herself onto the chair and began to sob.

3.  transitive
verb
move
your head or arms: to move your head or arms in
a particular direction suddenly and dramatically

4.  reflexive
verb
work
enthusiastically and energetically: to
start doing something with great enthusiasm and energy • You
can depend on the fact that she will fling herself into every project she
undertakes.
noun
(plural flings) (informal)

1.  short
affair:
a brief sexual relationship

2.  time
for pleasure: a period of carefree enjoyment,
especially before a more serious or worried period
[13th
century. Of Scandinavian origin. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to strike,” which is also the ancestor of English complain,
plague, and apoplexy .]
—fling·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



flingoff

flingoff
fling
off
transitive verb

remove clothing quickly:
to take off a piece of clothing quickly or to remove forcefully something that
is covering you[1]



flint

flint
flint 
[flint] noun

1.  GEOLOGY very
hard quartz that makes sparks: a very hard
grayish-black fine-grained form of quartz that occurs widely as nodules and
bands in chalk. It produces a spark when struck with steel and was used in
prehistoric times to make tools.

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY tool
made of fine-grained quartz: a piece of fine-grained
quartz shaped into a tool by prehistoric people

3.  spark-making
rock:
a piece of flint used to make a spark

4.  part
of cigarette lighter: the part of a cigarette
lighter, consisting of a small iron alloy cylinder, that makes a spark • My
lighter’s not working, I think I need a flint.
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to split,” which is also the ancestor
of English split, splinter, splint,
and splice .][1]



flintcorn

flintcorn
flint
corn
noun

corn with hard kernels:
a type of corn with kernels that contain hard starch. Popcorn is a type of
flint corn. Latin name: Zea mays
See also
dent corn[1]



flintglass

flintglass
flint
glass
noun

colorless glass:
high-quality glass containing lead oxide that has a high index of refraction
and is used to make lenses, cut glass, and costume jewelry[1]



flinthead

flinthead
flint·head 
[flínt hèd] (plural flint·heads)
noun

See
wood stork
[Late 18th century. From its
black head; originally used for “flint arrow-head.”][1]



flint-hearted

flint-hearted
flint-heart·ed
adjective

harsh and unfeeling:
pitilessly lacking in feeling, caring, and compassion (literary)[1]



flint-knapping

flint-knapping
flint-knap·ping
noun

shaping
flint into tools: the activity, largely carried out by
prehistoric people, of chipping and splitting flint to make tools
—flint-knapper, noun[1]



flintlock

flintlock

flint·lock 
[flínt lòk] (plural flint·locks)
noun

1.  type
of firearm:
a firearm with a firing mechanism ( gunlock
) where a flint embedded in the hammer ignites a gunpowder charge

2.  early
firing mechanism: a firing mechanism ( gunlock ) that has a flint embedded in the hammer
to produce the spark
[Late 17th century][1]



flinty

flinty
flint·y 
[flíntee] (comparative flint·i·er,
superlative flint·i·est) adjective

1.  stern
and unemotional: hard, inflexible, and showing no emotion

2.  GEOLOGY containing
flint:
containing or related to flint
—flint·i·ly,
adverb

—flint·i·ness, noun[1]



flip

flip
flip 
[flip] verb (past flipped,
past participle flipped, present participle flip·ping,
3rd person present singular flips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
something over: to turn something over from one side to
the other with a quick movement of the wrist, hand, or fingers

2.  transitive
verb
move
with quick light motion: to move or flick something
with a small sharp quick motion • She
flipped the light on and walked in.

3.  transitive
verb
toss
carelessly:
to throw or toss something carelessly and lightly • flip
a pen across the table

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
pages of reading material: to turn the pages of a
magazine or book quickly • flipping
through a magazine • She
was standing at her desk flipping the pages of her appointments book.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb spin
coin:
to flick the edge of a coin with your thumb so that it spins in the air, using
the random nature of which side of the coin is uppermost when it lands to help
make a decision

6.  intransitive
verb
get
suddenly angry: to become very angry or upset suddenly (slang)
• When
I told her I wouldn’t help her, she just flipped.

7.  intransitive
verb
get
excited at something nice: to become excited over
something that is pleasurable or attractive (slang)
adjective

flippant:
showing a lack of seriousness that is considered inappropriate (informal)
• a
flip remark
noun
(plural flips)

1.  coin’s
spin:
the spin of a coin or other object as it is tossed or thrown • decided
by the flip of a coin

2.  GYMNASTICS turning
of body:
a turning of the body through 360 degrees by springing on the ground or in
diving

3.  BEVERAGES alcohol
and egg drink: an alcoholic drink containing beaten egg
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.]
flip
your lid

to react to something or
somebody in the strongest, most emotionally uncontrolled manner possible (slang)[1]



flipbook

flipbook
flip·book 
[flíp bk] (plural flip·books)
noun

book you flick:
a small book containing a series of images of the same thing in different
positions that create the illusion of movement when the pages are turned
quickly[1]



flipchart

flipchart
flip
chart
(plural flip charts) noun

visual aid:
a visual aid consisting of a large pad of paper mounted on an easel, used to
present information[1]



flip-flop

flip-flop
flip-flop 
noun (plural flip-flops)

1.  CLOTHES backless
sandal:
a backless foam-rubber sandal with a V-shaped strap secured between the toes
and at the sides of the foot (informal)

2.  change
of mind:
a change of opinion, especially by a politician (informal)

3.  GYMNASTICS backward
flip:
a backward flip of the body

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING circuit
with two stable states: an electronic circuit or
mechanical device that has two stable states and can be switched between the
two. Early computers used flip-flops as their memory storage units.
intransitive
verb
(past flip-flop·ped, past participle flip-flop·ped,
present participle flip-flop·ping, 3rd person present singular
flip-flops)

change opinion:
to change your opinion, especially when this leads to a change of policy (informal)

[1]



flippant

flippant
flip·pant 
[flíppənt] adjective

not
taking something seriously enough: showing a lack of
seriousness that is thought inappropriate
[Early
17th century. Formed from flip, on the model
of heraldic adjectives such as rampant .]
—flip·pan·cy,
noun

—flip·pant·ly, adverb[1]



flipper

flipper
flip·per 
[flíppər] (plural flip·pers) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY aquatic
animal’s limb: a broad flat limb that an aquatic
animal, such as a penguin, seal, or whale, uses for swimming.
Also
called
paddle

2.  SWIMMING diver’s
footwear:
a broad flat rubber extension worn on each of the feet to aid in swimming.
Also
called
fin

3.  LEISURE pinball
feature:
a small button-operated bat in a pinball machine that is used to keep the ball
in play

[1]



flipside

flipside
flip
side
noun

1.  the
disadvantages: the disadvantages involved in doing
something as opposed to the advantages that have previously been mentioned (slang)

2.  less
popular song on record: the song on a single record
that the record company thinks will be less popular with record buyers, or the
side of the record with that song on it (dated)

[1]



flirt

flirt
flirt 
[flurt] verb (past flirt·ed,
past participle flirt·ed, present participle flirt·ing,
3rd person present singular flirts)

1.  intransitive
verb
behave
in playful and alluring way: to behave in a playfully
alluring way

2.  transitive
verb
flick
something:
to flick or jerk something
noun
(plural flirts)

somebody behaving in a playfully alluring
way:
somebody who behaves in a playfully alluring way
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—flirt·er,
noun

—flirt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



flirtation

flirtation
flir·ta·tion 
[flur táysh’n] (plural flir·ta·tions)
noun

1.  playful
romantic involvement: a short playful interaction
based on lighthearted feeling or behavior

2.  period
of casual interest in something: a period of
considering or participating in something in a superficial way • a
flirtation with vegetarianism

[1]



flirtatious

flirtatious
flir·ta·tious 
[flur táyshəss] adjective

indicating
sexual liking for somebody playfully:
behaving playfully and in a way that gives the impression of sexual interest
—flir·ta·tious·ly,
noun

—flir·ta·tious·ness, adverb[1]



flirtwith

flirtwith
flirt
with
transitive verb

think about casually:
to consider an idea without doing anything serious about it or letting it have
an effect • flirted
with the idea of going to college, but decided not to[1]



flirty

flirty
flirt·y
[flúrtee] (comparative flirt·i·er,
superlative flirt·i·est) adjective

1.  (informal)
See flirtatious

2.  suitable
for a flirt: suitable for a flirtatious person or a
person in a flirtatious mood
—flirt·i·ly,
adverb

—flirt·i·ness, noun[1]



flit

flit
flit 
[flit] (past flit·ted, past
participle flit·ted, present participle flit·ting, 3rd
person present singular flits) intransitive verb

1.  move
from place to place: to move quickly from one
place to another without stopping for long

2.  be
briefly present: to be briefly present or visible
[12th
century. From Old Norse flytja “to carry about.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to float,” which is also the ancestor of
English float and flutter .]
—flit·ter, noun[1]



flitch

flitch
flitch 
[flich] (plural flitch·es) noun

1.  FORESTRY timber
cut lengthwise: a log cut lengthwise from a tree, ready
for further processing at a mill

2.  FOOD side
of bacon:
a side of bacon or one side of a pork carcass without the leg or shoulder
[Old English flicce .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to tear,” which is also
the source of English fleck, flay, and flesh
.][1]



flitter

flitter2
flit·ter2 [flíttər]
(plural flit·ters) noun

fritter:
any one of various types of fritter or small cake (regional)
[alteration
of fritter]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the Appalachian Highlands, flitter
  identifies a pancake or flapjack; especially in the Piedmont South, it
  signifies a fritter cake, often containing fruit or meat, fried in deep fat;
  in the Highlands, it also designates a fritter of fried corn meal.

[1]



flitter

flitter1
flit·ter1  [flíttər]
intransitive verb (past flit·tered, past participle
flit·tered, present participle flit·ter·ing, 3rd person
present singular flit·ters)

move
restlessly:
to move around in a restless or nervous way
noun
(plural flit·ters)

quick
movement:
a rapid, repetitive, or back-and-forth movement in something small
[14th century. Formed from flit .][1]



flivver

flivver
fliv·ver 
[flívvər] (plural fliv·vers) noun

small
car:
a small, cheap, and usually old car (archaic informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



float

float
float 
[flōt] verb (past float·ed,
past participle float·ed, present participle float·ing,
3rd person present singular floats)

1.  intransitive
verb
rest
on surface of liquid: to move or rest on the
surface of a liquid without sinking

2.  transitive
verb
move
on liquid:
to place something or make something move on the surface of a liquid

3.  intransitive
verb
stay
up in air:
to move slowly and lightly through the air

4.  intransitive
verb
be
heard or smelled faintly: to carry across a distance,
especially as a sound or smell • The
sound of laughter floated across the water.

5.  intransitive
verb
move
gracefully:
to move lightly and gracefully (literary) • They
floated across the dance floor.

6.  transitive
verb
propose
plan:
to propose a plan for consideration in order to see what response it receives (informal)

7.  intransitive
verb
live
aimlessly:
to live without a fixed purpose or plan

8.  transitive
verb
FINANCE sell
shares in company: to finance a company by
selling stock in it to the public

9.  transitive
verb
FINANCE sell
stocks or bonds: to offer stocks or bonds for sale on a
stock exchange

10. intransitive
and transitive verb ECONOMICS allow currency value to
change:
to allow the exchange rate value of a currency to fluctuate freely in an open
market

11. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE irrigate
land:
to flood or irrigate land
noun
(plural floats)

1.  floating
object:
an object or device that floats or is used to keep another object buoyant

2.  vehicle
in parade:
a truck or other large vehicle that has been disguised with elaborate
decorations, typically with a single theme, and then is driven as part of a
parade

3.  ANGLING See bobber

4.  BEVERAGES soft
drink with ice cream: a soft drink with a scoop of
ice cream floating in it

5.  BANKING period
between deposit and withdrawal: the period between the
deposit of funds by a customer and the availability of the funds to the customer

6.  BUILDING a
plasterer’s trowel: a tool with a handle and
flat rectangular blade for applying plaster to a wall

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ball
in flow-regulating device: the hollow ball that rests
on the water level in a tank as part of the device ( ballcock ) that regulates
the flow of water into the tank

8.  U.K.
SWIMMING See flutterboard

9.  SHIPPING paddle
wheel blade: a blade in a paddle wheel

10. BIOLOGY See air bladder
[Old
English flotian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is
also the ancestor of English fleet 1 .]
—float·a·bil·i·ty
[flōtə bíllətee], noun

—float·a·ble [flōtəb’l], adjective[1]



floataround

floataround
float
around
intransitive verb

be in the arena of
discussion: to be the subject of
frequent discussion or attention • a
rumor floating around about a pending engagement[1]



floatchamber

floatchamber
float
cham·ber
(plural float cham·bers) noun

carburetor chamber:
a chamber in a carburetor that has a floating valve to control the entry and
level of gasoline[1]



floater

floater
float·er 
[flṓtər] (plural float·ers) noun

1.  something
floating:
somebody or something that is floating

2.  HUMAN RESOURCES casual
worker:
a casual worker who goes from job to job (informal)

3.  HUMAN RESOURCES worker
shifting to various tasks: an employee who is switched
from job to job as needed

4.  dead
body:
a dead body found floating in the water (slang)

5.  POLITICS illegal
voter:
somebody who votes illegally in different polling stations using a false
registration or the name of somebody who hasn’t voted (informal)

6.  OPHTHALMOLOGY spot
interfering with vision: a shadow of opaque debris in
the vitreous humor of the eye seen as a moving dark spot, or as a group of
them, by the person affected. Technical name muscae
volitantes

[1]



floatglass

floatglass
float
glass
noun

flat polished transparent
glass: flat polished transparent
glass made by solidifying molten glass as it floats on liquid of higher
density, such as tin[1]



floating

floating
float·ing 
[flṓting] adjective

1.  not
fixed into position: not fixed but moving around

2.  MEDICINE out of
normal position: not in the normal place in the body,
having moved out of position • a
floating kidney

3.  FINANCE fluctuating
in monetary value: free to fluctuate in
exchange rate value in relation to other currencies • the
floating euro

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING operating
smoothly:
operating smoothly and without vibration

[1]



floatingdock

floatingdock
float·ing
dock
(plural float·ing docks) noun

1.  submersible
dock:
a large structure that can be submerged to let a ship enter and then raised
with the ship inside to be used as a dry dock

2.  movable
small dock:
a small dock supported by pilings on which it can move up and down with the
flow and ebb of the tide or changing water level caused by other means

[1]



floatingheart

floatingheart
float·ing
heart
(plural float·ing hearts) noun

aquatic plant:
a perennial freshwater plant that has floating heart-shaped leaves. Genus: Nymphoides[1]



floatingisland

floatingisland
float·ing
is·land
(plural float·ing is·lands) noun

thin custard with meringue:
a dessert consisting of custard on which are placed pieces of meringue or jelly
that appear to float[1]



floating-point

floating-point
float·ing-point 
adjective

relating to mathematical
notation: relating to the handling of
large numbers, in a computer with limited memory, by moving the decimal point
and calculating with each number expressed as a factor of 10[1]



floatingpolicy

floatingpolicy
float·ing
pol·i·cy
noun

marine insurance policy:
a marine insurance policy that covers loss of or damage to goods being
transported, regardless of the ship carrying them[1]



floatingrib

floatingrib
float·ing
rib
(plural float·ing ribs) noun

rib not attached to
breastbone: a rib not attached to the
breastbone. In humans the two lower ribs, the eleventh and twelfth, on each
side are floating ribs.[1]



floatingvoter

floatingvoter
float·ing
vot·er
(plural float·ing vot·ers) noun

U.K.
See swing voter[1]



floatplane

floatplane
float·plane 
[flṓt plàyn] (plural float·planes)
noun

seaplane with floats:
a seaplane that has one or more floats that enable it to land on water[1]



floattank

floattank
float
tank
(plural float tanks) noun

See
flotation tank[1]



floaty

floaty
float·y
[flṓtee] (comparative float·i·er,
superlative float·i·est) adjective

1.  very
light:
seeming to move slowly through the air

2.  able
to float:
capable of floating easily

[1]



floc

floc
floc 
[flok] (plural flocs) noun

fluffy
mass:
a woolly ( flocculent ) mass that forms in a
liquid as a result of precipitation or the aggregation of suspended particles
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of flocculus .][1]



floccillation

floccillation
floc·cil·la·tion 
[flòksi láysh’n] noun

sign
of impending death: aimless plucking at the
bedclothes, a sign that a person is approaching death
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin floccillus “little tuft of wool,” from Latin floccus
(see floccus ).][1]



floccose

floccose
floc·cose 
[fló kss] adjective

BOTANY covered
with down:
used to describe plant parts that are covered with tufts of soft hair
[Mid-18th century. From late
Latin floccosus, from Latin floccus (see floccus
).][1]



flocculate

flocculate
floc·cu·late 
[flókyə làyt] (past floc·cu·lat·ed,
past participle floc·cu·lat·ed, present participle floc·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular floc·cu·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  form
masses:
to cause particles suspended in water to aggregate into clumps or masses that
then sink or can be removed by filtering

2.  form
fluffy masses: to form or cause to form fluffy masses (refers
to clouds)
—floc·cu·la·tion [flòkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



floccule

floccule
floc·cule 
[fló kyl] (plural floc·cules)
noun

small
fluffy mass of particles: a small mass of wooly or
cloudy particles
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin flocculus (see flocculus
).][1]



flocculent

flocculent
floc·cu·lent 
[flókyələnt] adjective

1.  with
fluffy appearance: having a fluffy or wooly
appearance

2.  with
wooly masses: used to describe the wooly mass of
solids ( precipitate ) produced in a liquid
by a chemical reaction
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin floccus (See floccus
).]
—floc·cu·lence,
noun

—floc·cu·len·cy,
noun

—floc·cu·lent·ly, adverb[1]



flocculus

flocculus
floc·cu·lus 
[flókyələss] (plural floc·cu·li
[flókyə l]) noun

ASTRONOMY dark
or bright patch on sun: a mass of gas that appears
as either a dark or a bright spot on the surface of the Sun, often near to a
sunspot
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, literally “small tuft of wool,” from Latin floccus (see floccus ).][1]



floccus

floccus
floc·cus 
[flókəss] (plural floc·ci [fló k, fló k,
flók s, flók s])
noun

BOTANY ZOOLOGY fluffy covering:
a tuft of wooly hair or a fluffy or downy covering
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “tuft of wool,” of unknown origin.][1]



flock

flock
flock
[flok] noun (plural flocks)

1.  group
of birds or sheep: a group of birds, sheep, or
goats that travel, live, or feed together

2.  crowd
of people:
a large group of people of the same type

3.  CHRISTIANITY congregation:
the members of a church congregation under the leadership of a priest or pastor
intransitive
verb
(past flocked, past participle flocked, present
participle flock·ing, 3rd person present singular flocks)

go in large numbers to something:
to go to a place or event in large numbers
[Old English flocc][1]



flockpaper

flockpaper
flock
pa·per
noun

wallpaper:
a type of wallpaper with a raised pattern
[Flock “powdered wool” (with
which this sort of paper was originally made), from Latin floccus (see floccus )][1]



floe

floe
floe 
[flō] (plural floes) noun

See
ice floe
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Norwegian flo “layer.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to be flat,” which is also the ancestor of English flake, flag,
fluke, and plank .][1]



flog

flog
flog 
[flog] (past flogged, past
participle flogged, present participle flog·ging, 3rd
person present singular flogs) transitive verb

1.  beat
a person or animal very hard: to hit very hard using
something such as a whip, strap, or stick

2.  PRESS publicize
aggressively: to publicize or advertise something
aggressively (informal)

3.  U.K.
COMMERCE sell:
to sell something (informal)
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening and alteration of Latin flagellare
(see flagellate ), originally in school
slang.]
—flog·ger, noun[1]



flokati

flokati
flo·ka·ti 
[flō ktee] (plural flo·ka·tis)
noun

Greek
rug:
a handwoven woolen Greek rug with a shaggy pile
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek phlokatē, from, ultimately, Latin floccus (see floccus ).][1]



flong

flong
flong
[flawng] (plural flongs) noun

papier-mâchémold:
a sheet of papier-mâché used to make a mold for the metal plate used to print a
page of newspaper
[Late 19th century.
Anglicization of French flan “mold” (see flan
).][1]



flood

flood
flood 
[flud] noun (plural floods)

1.  water
covering previously dry area: a very large amount of water
that has overflowed from a source such as a river or a broken pipe onto a
previously dry area

2.  huge
number:
a very large number of people or things • a
flood of complaints

3.  high
tide:
the flowing in to land of water, associated with a rising tide

4.  See
floodlight  noun 1
verb
(past flood·ed, past participle flood·ed, present
participle flood·ing, 3rd person present singular floods)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
area with water: to cover a previously dry area with
large amounts of water, or to be covered with large amounts of water

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb overflow:
to undergo conditions in which water overflows banks or barriers

3.  intransitive
verb
arrive
in large numbers: to arrive somewhere in very large
numbers • Messages
of support are still flooding in.

4.  transitive
verb
send
lots of calls or letters to: to send a very large number
of calls, letters, or complaints to an organization (usually used in the
passive) • We
have been flooded with offers of help.

5.  intransitive
verb
feel
emotion suddenly and intensely: to feel a particular
emotion, sensation, or memory suddenly and intensely

6.  transitive
verb
ECONOMICS fill
market to excess: to supply too much of a product to a
market, pushing prices down and keeping them low

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES supply too much gas to
carburetor:
to send too much gas to a carburetor in a car engine, or be supplied with too
much, so that the car fails to start

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb fill
with light:
to shine strongly so that a place becomes filled with a bright or glowing light
(literary)

9.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE bleed
a lot from the womb: to bleed profusely from the
womb, for example, after childbirth (technical)

10. intransitive
verb
GYNECOLOGY bleed
a lot in menstruation: to bleed profusely during a
menstrual period (technical)
[Old
English flōd . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English flow .]
—flood·a·ble,
adjective

—flood·er,
noun
be
in flood

to be very full of water, so
that it overflows banks or barriers[1]



Flood

Flood
Flood
noun

devastating biblical flood:
in the Bible (Genesis 7–8), a devastating flood covering the earth, a sign of
God’s anger at humanity’s wickedness. The Flood was survived only by Noah, his
family, and pairs of all the animal species who took refuge in the ship ( ark ) that Noah built at God’s command.
Also called
the Deluge[1]



flooded

flooded
flood·ed
[flúddəd] adjective

1.  under
water:
covered with water as a result of a river overflowing or a pipe bursting

2.  AUTOMOBILES failing
to sustain ignition: failing to start after
having been supplied with too much fuel

[1]



floodgate

floodgate
flood·gate 
[flúd gàyt] (plural flood·gates)
noun

gate for water:
a gate in a watercourse that is used to control the flow.
Also called
head gate
Also called
water gate[1]



floodlight

floodlight
flood·light 
[flúd lt] noun (plural flood·lights)

1.  powerful
lamp used at night: a large powerful lamp that
produces a strong broad beam of artificial light and is used to illuminate the
outside of public buildings or sports events at night.
Also
called
flood

2.  powerful
beam of light: a broad powerful beam of intense bright
light produced artificially
intransitive
and transitive verb (past flood·light·ed
or flood·lit, past participle flood·light·ed or
flood·lit, present participle flood·light·ing, 3rd
person present singular flood·lights)

light something with floodlights:
to illuminate something with floodlights

[1]



floodmark

floodmark
flood·mark
[flúd mrk] (plural flood·marks)
noun

level reached by flood:
the highest level reached by a tide or flood water, or a mark that indicates
this level[1]



floodout

floodout
flood
out
transitive verb

force to leave because of
flooding: to force somebody to leave a
place or stop using something because flooding makes it impossible to stay or
continue[1]



floodplain

floodplain
flood·plain 
[flúd plàyn] (plural flood·plains)
or flood plain [flúd plàyn] (plural
flood plains) noun

flat land next to river:
an area of low-lying land across which a river flows that is covered with
sediment as a result of frequent flooding[1]



floodtide

floodtide
flood
tide
(plural flood tides) noun

1.  rising
tide:
the incoming tide or the period of time between low water and the following
high water

2.  irresistible
force:
an irresistible or overwhelming force of feeling, such as strong public outrage
or enthusiasm

[1]



floodwall

floodwall
flood·wall
[flúd wàwl] (plural flood·walls)
noun

antiflood barrier:
a wall built along the seashore or the bank of a river to prevent flooding of
adjacent land[1]



floodwater

floodwater
flood·wa·ter 
[flúd wàwtər, flúd
wòttər] (plural flood·wa·ters) noun

water of flood:
the water of a flood that is carried over river and stream banks to inundate
previously dry land[1]



flooey

flooey
floo·ey
[fl ee] adjective

awry
or askew:
in a disordered state or out of order (dated slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



floor

floor
floor 
[flawr] noun (plural floors)

1.  BUILDING part
of room to walk on: the flat horizontal part of
a room on which people walk

2.  BUILDING story:
all the rooms on one level of a building • an
office on the fourth floor

3.  GEOGRAPHY natural
ground level: the ground at the bottom of an ocean,
lake, cave, valley or forest

4.  level
area:
a flat open space for an activity or seating • Are
your seats in the stands or on the floor?

5.  POLITICS part
of legislature where members sit: the part of the
building housing a legislative body where the members sit and where official
debates and discussions take place • the
floor of the House

6.  STOCK EXCHANGE place
where securities are traded: the part of a stock exchange
where securities, futures, or options contracts are traded

7.  MANUFACTURING manufacturing
area of factory: the area of a factory where workers
manufacture or assemble products • the
factory floor

8.  COMMERCE part
of store for merchandise display: the part of a retail
store where merchandise is displayed and sold

9.  DANCE dance
floor:
a dance floor (informal)

10. people
present at meeting: all the people present in
the audience at a meeting as opposed to the main speakers • I’ll
take questions from the floor later.

11. FINANCE lowest
limit:
a lower limit on an interest rate or the value of an asset • The
floating rate loan has a floor of 6 percent.

12. AUTOMOBILES See floorboard  noun 2
transitive
verb
(past floored, past participle floored, present
participle floor·ing, 3rd person present singular floors)

1.  astonish:
to leave somebody astonished and unable to react • He
was floored by the announcement of the changes.

2.  BOXING knock
down:
to knock somebody down with a punch

3.  AUTOMOBILES press
accelerator down hard: to depress a motor vehicle’s
accelerator down as far as it will go in order to increase speed to the maximum
(slang)
[Old
English flōr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “flat,”
which is also the ancestor of English field,
plain, plane,
and palm .]
—floor·er,
noun
have
the floor

to
address a meeting or to have the right to address a meeting

take
the floor

1.  to
rise to speak to a group of people

2.  to
begin to dance, for example, in a ballroom or nightclub

take
to the floor

to
begin to dance, for example, in a ballroom or nightclub

wipe
or mop up the floor with somebody

to
defeat somebody completely and decisively (informal)

[1]



floorage

floorage
floor·age 
[fláwrij] noun

floor area:
the floor area of a building[1]



floorboard

floorboard
floor·board 
[fláwr bàwrd] (plural floor·boards)
noun

1.  BUILDING wooden
board in floor: one of the strips of wood that are used
to make a wood floor

2.  AUTOMOBILES car
floor:
the flat, lower part of a motor vehicle’s interior where the accelerator,
clutch, and brake pedals are found and where the driver and passengers put
their feet.
Also
called
floor

[1]



floorexercise

floorexercise
floor
ex·er·cise
(plural floor ex·er·cis·es) noun

gymnastic routine on mat:
an event in a gymnastics competition that consists of a series of tumbling
exercises in a timed routine performed on a mat[1]



floorhockey

floorhockey
floor
hock·ey
noun

indoor hockey:
a version of hockey played using hockey sticks and a plastic puck or ball in a
gymnasium. It is occasionally played with bladeless sticks and a rubber ring.[1]



flooring

flooring
floor·ing 
[fláwring] noun

floor-making materials:
the materials from which a floor is made[1]



floorlamp

floorlamp
floor
lamp
(plural floor lamps) noun

tall lamp:
a tall lamp with a base that stands on the floor.
U.K. term
standard lamp[1]



floorleader

floorleader
floor
lead·er
(plural floor lead·ers) noun

party leader in a legislative
body: a member of a legislative
body chosen by fellow party members to organize their activities and strategy
on the floor of the legislature[1]



floormanager

floormanager
floor
man·ag·er
(plural floor man·ag·ers) noun

1.  supervisor
in store:
an employee of a department store or large store who is in charge of one floor
or department, supervising staff and dealing with customers’ complaints.
Also
called
floorwalker

2.  convention
manager:
somebody who is in charge of the floor at a political convention, choosing
speakers and controlling the debate

[1]



floorplan

floorplan
floor
plan
(plural floor plans) noun

plan of room seen from above:
a plan of a room or floor of a building drawn to scale as if viewed from above[1]



floorsample

floorsample
floor
sam·ple
(plural floor sam·ples) noun

demonstration merchandise:
a piece of merchandise that is sold at a reduced price because it has been used
in store displays or as a demonstration model[1]



floorshow

floorshow
floor·show 
[fláwr sh] (plural floor·shows)
noun

entertainment
at nightclub: a series of shows featuring dancers,
singers, comedians, or magicians at a nightclub
[Early 20th century. Because
it is presented on the floor.][1]



floorwalker

floorwalker
floor·walk·er 
[fláwr wàwkər] (plural floor·walk·ers)
noun

See
floor manager  noun 1[1]



floozy

floozy
floo·zy 
[flzee] (plural floo·zies) noun

insulting
term:
an insulting term for a woman who wears vulgar gaudy clothes and frequents
places considered to be disreputable (slang insult)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



flop

flop
flop 
[flop] intransitive verb (past
flopped, past participle flopped, present participle
flop·ping, 3rd person present singular flops)

1.  sit
or lie down heavily: to sit or lie down heavily
by relaxing the muscles and letting the body fall

2.  move
limply:
to move limply or heavily

3.  fail
completely:
to be completely unsuccessful (informal)
noun
(plural flops)

1.  total
failure:
a complete failure (informal)

2.  heavy
dull sound:
the sound made by something falling heavily
[Early
17th century. Alteration of flap .]
—flop·per, noun[1]



flophouse

flophouse
flop·house 
[flóp hòwss] (plural flop·houses
[flóp hòwzəz]) noun

cheap
hotel:
a cheap hotel or rooming house (informal)
[Early 20th century. From flop “to lie down, sleep.”][1]



floppy

floppy
flop·py 
[flóppee] adjective (comparative
flop·pi·er, superlative flop·pi·est)

hanging
limply:
soft and tending to hang down limply or loosely
noun
(plural flop·pies)

COMPUTING (informal) See
floppy disk
—flop·pi·ly,
adverb

—flop·pi·ness, noun[1]



floppydisk

floppydisk
flop·py
disk
[flóppi dìsk] (plural flop·py
disks) noun

small
magnetic data storage disk: a small flexible
magnetically coated disk on which data can be stored or retrieved by a
computer, or the disk and the rigid protective plastic case in which it is
contained.
Also
called
diskette
Also
called
floppy
[Late 20th century. From its
flexibility, as opposed to a hard disk .][1]



flops

flops
flops 
[flops] or FLOPS [flops]

(used to indicate the
speed of a computer)Abbreviation of floating-point operations per
second[1]



floptical

floptical
flop·ti·cal
[flóptik’l] adjective

magnetic
and optical: relating to or being a system for
storing computer data on a disk that combines magnetic and optical technology
[Late 20th century. Blend of floppy and optical
.][1]



flor.

flor.
flor.
or fl.

Abbreviation of
floruit[1]



flora

flora
flo·ra 
[fláwrə] (plural flo·ras or
flo·rae [fláw r]) noun

1.  BOTANY plants:
plant life, especially all the plants found in a particular country, region, or
time regarded as a group (formal) • the
flora of Australia.
See
also
fauna

2.  BOTANY description
of plants:
a systematic set of descriptions of all the plants of a particular place or
time

3.  MICROBIOLOGY bacteria
that inhabit body organs: all the usually harmless
bacteria inhabiting an area or part of the body, regarded as a group or population
[Early 16th century. From
Latin Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, from flor-, the stem
of flos “flower” (source of English flower .][1]



floral

floral
flo·ral 
[fláwrəl] adjective

1.  PLANTS consisting
of flowers:
containing or made up of flowers

2.  decorated
with flowers: ornamented or decorated with flowers or
with representations of them

3.  BOTANY relating
to flowers:
relating to or being a part of a flower
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin Floralis “pertaining to the goddess Flora” (the
original English meaning), or formed from flor- (see flora ).]
—flo·ral·ly, adverb[1]



floralenvelope

floralenvelope
flo·ral
en·ve·lope
(plural flo·ral en·ve·lopes) noun

See
perianth[1]



FloralPark

FloralPark
Flo·ral
Park
[flàwrəl prk]

town in Nassau County, Long
Island, situated 1.6 km/1 mi east of New York City. Population: 15,947 (1990)[1]



Floreal

Floreal
Flo·re·al
[flàw ray áal] noun

CALENDAR 8th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
eighth month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
April 21 to May 20 in the Gregorian calendar
[Early 19th century. From
French Floréal, from Latin floreus “flowery,” from flor-
(see flora ).][1]



Florence

Florence
Flor·ence
[fláwrənss]

1.  capital
of Firenze Province and Tuscany Region, central Italy. Situated on the Arno
River, about 233 km/145 mi northwest of Rome, it is one of the world’s leading
artistic and cultural centers. Population: 397,434 (1992) Italian Firenze

2.  city
in northwestern Alabama on the northern bank of the Tennessee River, near
Wilson Dam. Population: 38,999 (1996)

3.  city
in northeastern South Carolina, northwest of Myrtle Beach and northeast of
Columbia. Population: 30,168 (1996)

[1]



Florencefennel

Florencefennel
Flor·ence
fen·nel
noun

See
fennel  noun 2
[Named for the city of Florence, Italy][1]



Florentine

Florentine
Flor·en·tine 
[fláwrən tn] adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Florence:
relating to the Italian city of Florence, or its people or culture

2.  ARTS of or
about art of Renaissance Florence: relating to or
characteristic of the style of art or architecture that flourished in Florence
during the Renaissance

3.  COOKING with
spinach:
cooked or served with spinach • eggs
Florentine
noun

PEOPLES somebody
from Florence: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the Italian city of Florence
[13th century. From Latin Florentinus,
from Florentia “Florence.”][1]



Florentinestitch

Florentinestitch
Flor·en·tine
stitch
(plural Flor·en·tine stitch·es) noun

See
bargello stitch[1]



Flores

Flores
Flo·res
[fláwrəss]

mountainous island in
southeastern Indonesia, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. The chief towns are
Ende and Ruteng. Population: 272,750 (1989) Area: 14,200 sq km/5,480 sq mi.[1]



florescence

florescence
flo·res·cence 
[flaw réssəns] noun

flowering:
flowering (formal)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin florescentia, from Latin florescent-,
the present participle stem of florescere (see flourish
).]
—flo·res·cent, adjective[1]



floret

floret
flo·ret 
[fláwrət] (plural flo·rets) noun

1.  PLANTS small
flower:
a small flower, especially one in a flowerhead consisting of many flowers

2.  COOKING piece
of cauliflower: a small part into which the edible
flower head of cauliflower or broccoli can be separated.
Also
called
floweret
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin flor- (see flora ).][1]



Florey,Howard Walter

Florey,Howard Walter
Flo·rey
[fláwree], Sir Howard Walter, Baron Florey
of Adelaide and Marston (1898–1968)

Australian scientist. He was
the codeveloper of the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin. He shared the
Nobel Prize in medicine in 1945.[1]



floriated

floriated
flo·ri·at·ed
[fláwree àytəd] adjective

ARCHITECTURE with
flower-and-leaf designs: decorated with designs based
on flowers and leaves
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin flor- (see flora ).][1]



floribunda

floribunda
flo·ri·bun·da 
[flàwrə búndə] (plural flo·ri·bun·das)
noun

hybrid
rose:
a hybrid type of cultivated rose that has small flowers growing in large sprays
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, feminine of floribundus, literally “flowering profusely,”
from Latin flor- (see flora ).][1]



floricane

floricane
flor·i·cane 
[fláwri kàyn] (plural flor·i·canes)
noun

fruiting
stem:
a plant stem that flowers and bears fruit in its second year, for example, in
raspberries
[Coined from Latin flor-
(see flora + cane
)][1]



floriculture

floriculture
flo·ri·cul·ture 
[fláwri kùlchər] noun

cultivation
of flowers:
the growing of flowers as a crop
[Early
19th century. Coined from Latin flor- (see flora
) on the model of horticulture .]
—flo·ri·cul·tur·al
[flàwri kúlchərəl], adjective

—flo·ri·cul·tur·al·ly
[flàwri kúlchərəlee], adverb

—flo·ri·cul·tur·ist [fláwri kùlchərist, flàwri
kúlchərist], noun[1]



florid

florid
flor·id 
[fláwrid] adjective

1.  of
ruddy complexion: having an unhealthily glowing pink or
red complexion

2.  ornate
in wording and style: ornate and overly
complicated in wording and general style

3.  healthy:
in a state of good health (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Latin floridus “flowery,” from flor-
(see flora ).]
—flo·rid·i·ty
[flə ríddətee], noun

—flor·id·ly
[fláwridlee], adverb

—flor·id·ness [fláwridnəss], noun[1]



Florida

Florida


Flor·i·da
[fláwridə]
state
in the southeastern United States bordered by Alabama, Georgia, the Atlantic
Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Capital: Tallahassee. Population: 14,653,945
(1997) Area: 155,213 sq km/59,928 sq mi.
—Flor·id·i·an [flə ríddee ən], adjective, noun[1]



Florida




Back to definition

Florida

[1]



Floridaarrowroot

Floridaarrowroot
Flor·i·da
ar·row·root
noun

See
coontie  noun 1
[Named for Florida, where it was originally found][1]



FloridaKeys

FloridaKeys
Flor·i·da
Keys

chain of islands and reefs in
southern Florida, extending southwestward in an arc from the southern end of
Biscayne Bay into the Gulf of Mexico. The islands, which include Key Largo and
Key West, are connected by bridges and causeways and are a popular vacation
destination. Length: 360 km/225 mi.[1]



floriferous

floriferous
flo·rif·er·ous 
[flaw ríffərəss] adjective

bearing
many flowers: bearing or able to bear many flowers
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin florifer, from flor- (see flora ).]
—flo·rif·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—flo·rif·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



florilegium

florilegium
flo·ri·le·gi·um 
[flàwrə ljee əm] (plural flo·ri·le·gi·a
[flàwrə ljee ə]) noun

anthology:
an anthology of literary extracts (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “a gathering of flowers,” a translation of Greek anthologion
.][1]



florin

florin
flor·in 
[fláwrin] (plural flor·ins) noun

1.  old
British coin: a unit of currency used in Britain
between 1849 and 1968, equivalent to two shillings

2.  gold
or silver coin: a gold or silver coin, especially a
Dutch guilder

3.  Florentine
coin:
a gold coin first minted in Florence in 1252, or any similar coin used
elsewhere in Europe
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Italian fiore “flower” (because the name was first
used for a coin bearing the figure of a fleur-de-lis), from Latin flor-
(see flora ).][1]



florist

florist
flo·rist 
[fláwrist] (plural flo·rists) noun

1.  somebody
who sells flowers: somebody who owns or works
in a shop that sells flowers and ornamental plants

2.  shop
selling flowers: a shop that sells flowers and other
ornamental plants
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin flor- (see flora ).][1]



floristics

floristics
flo·rist·ics 
[flaw rístiks] noun

study
of distribution of plants: a branch of botany dealing
with the types, numbers, distribution, and relationships of plant species in a
particular area or areas (takes a singular verb)
[Late 19th century. Coined
from flora + -istics .][1]



-florous

-florous
-florous
suffix

bearing
flowers • multiflorous
[Formed from Latin flor-,
the stem of flos (see flower )][1]



floruit

floruit
flo·ru·it 
[fláwryoo it] verb

flourished:
used, especially abbreviated as “fl.”, before the name or numeric designator of
the period in the past when a specified person or movement was most active. (literary
formal)
[Mid-19th century. From Latin,
literally “flourished.”][1]



flory

flory
flo·ry
[fláwree] adjective

HERALDRY with
fleur-de-lis: containing a fleur-de-lis
[14th century. Anglicization
of Old French floré, from flor (see flower
).][1]



floss

floss
floss 
[flawss] intransitive and transitive verb
(past flossed, past participle flossed, present
participle floss·ing, 3rd person present singular floss·es)

DENTISTRY clean
between teeth: to clean between individual teeth using
dental floss
noun

1.  DENTISTRY See dental floss

2.  TEXTILES silkworm
fibers:
short or waste fibers prepared from the the outer surface of the cocoon of a
silkworm

3.  PLANTS plant
fibers:
the mass of fine silk fibers that covers the seeds of the ceiba tree or of a
cotton plant

4.  SEWING embroidery
thread:
an embroidery thread made up of six strands loosely twisted together but which
can be separated for fine work
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly an alteration of French floche
“down, velvet pile,” from Latin floccus (see floccus
).]
—floss·er, noun[1]



flossy

flossy
floss·y 
[fláwssee] (comparative floss·i·er,
superlative floss·i·est) adjective

1.  flashily
ornate:
ornate or showy in a flashy, often almost vulgar way

2.  of
or like floss: consisting of or looking like floss
—floss·i·ly,
adverb

—floss·i·ness, noun[1]



flotage

flotage
flo·tage 
[flṓtij] noun

1.  See
flotation  noun 3

2.  See
flotsam  noun 1

[1]



flotation

flotation
flo·ta·tion 
[flō táysh’n] (plural flo·ta·tions)
noun

1.  floating:
the act, process, or condition of floating.
Also
called
flotage

2.  capability
of floating: the ability to float on a liquid or
remain on top of a soft surface (technical)
Also
called
flotage

3.  FINANCE selling
of stock in company: the financing of a company
by selling stock in it or a new debt issue, or the offering of stock and bonds
for sale on the stock exchange

4.  TRANSPORT adherence
of tire to surface: the ability of a tire tread
to adhere to and remain on top of a soft surface such as wet ground or snow

5.  CHEMISTRY separation
process:
a process for separating materials, such as a mixture of minerals in an ore,
according to their different abilities to float in a given liquid, such as
water.
Also
called
froth flotation
[Early 19th century. Formed
from float .][1]



flotationbags

flotationbags
flo·ta·tion
bags
plural noun

air bags to keep spacecraft
afloat: large bags that inflate when
a helicopter or spacecraft lands in the sea and keep it afloat and upright[1]



flotationdevice

flotationdevice
flo·ta·tion
de·vice
(plural flo·ta·tion de·vic·es) noun

life preserver:
a device to enable somebody to stay afloat in the sea, such as a life jacket or
seat cushion, kept in an aircraft or vessel (technical)[1]



flotationtank

flotationtank
flo·ta·tion
tank
(plural flo·ta·tion tanks) noun

antistress device:
a sealed tank filled with salt water and minerals that somebody can float in to
relieve stress.
Also called
float tank[1]



flotationtherapy

flotationtherapy
flo·ta·tion
ther·a·py
noun

stress relief method:
a method of relieving stress that involves floating in salt water in a sealed
tank while listening to music[1]



flotel

flotel
flo·tel
[flō tél] (plural flo·tels) noun

sea
lodging for offshore workers: a moored boat or an oil rig
that provides lodging by workers on offshore oil rigs
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of floating hotel .][1]



flotilla

flotilla
flo·til·la 
[flō tíllə] (plural flo·til·las)
noun

1.  SAILING fleet
of vessels:
a fleet of usually small vessels

2.  NAVY U.S.
naval unit:
a U.S. naval unit consisting of two squadrons of small warships

3.  group
of things:
a group of things operating or moving together
[Early 18th century. From
Spanish, literally “small fleet,” from flota “fleet,” which came via Old
French flote from Old Norse floti .][1]



flotsam

flotsam
flot·sam 
[flótsəm] noun

1.  SHIPPING wreckage
floating in sea: wreckage, debris, or refuse from a ship,
found floating in the water. In maritime law flotsam is what is found floating
after a ship has sunk and jetsam is what is thrown from a ship while it was in
trouble.
Also
called
flotage

2.  marginalized
people:
people who live on the margins of society, such as vagrants, the homeless, or
the destitute (considered offensive in some contexts)
[Early
17th century. From Anglo-Norman floteson, from floter “to float,”
of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
flotsam
and jetsam

discarded objects or odds and
ends[1]



flounce

flounce1
flounce1 [flowns]
intransitive verb (past flounced, past participle flounced,
present participle flounc·ing, 3rd person present singular
flounc·es)

move
with angry swagger: to move with exaggerated
angry swaggering motions showing displeasure or indignation
noun
(plural flounc·es)

jerky
movement:
an exaggerated movement of the body that shows displeasure or indignation
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian source.][1]



flounce

flounce2
flounce2 [flowns]
(plural flounc·es) noun

SEWING frill:
a strip of cloth that has been gathered into pleats on one side and then
stitched onto a garment or onto a set of curtains as a decoration
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of Old French fronce “pleat” (probably influenced by flounce 1 ), of
prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



flouncing

flouncing
flounc·ing 
[flównsing] noun

material for flounces:
material used to make flounces[1]



flounder

flounder2
floun·der2 [flówndər]
(plural floun·der or floun·ders) noun
Also
called
fluke

1.  edible
flatfish:
a flatfish that lives at the bottom of shallow coastal waters and is an
important food fish. Families: Pleuronectidae Bothidae

2.  edible
European flatfish: a European flatfish that has
grayish-brown mottled skin with orange spots, is covered with prickly scales,
and is edible. Latin name: Platichthys flesus
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman floundre from a Scandinavian source related to Old Swedish flundra
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be flat,” the ancestor of
English flat, plate, and plant.][1]



flounder

flounder1
floun·der1 [flówndər]
(past floun·dered, past participle floun·dered, present
participle floun·der·ing, 3rd person present singular floun·ders)
intransitive verb

1.  make
uncontrolled movements: to make clumsy uncontrolled
movements while trying to regain balance or move forwards

2.  hesitate
in confusion: to act in a way that shows confusion or
a lack of purpose

3.  be
in serious difficulty: to have serious problems and
be close to failing
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a blend of founder and blunder .][1]



flour

flour
flour 
[flowr] noun FOOD

1.  finely
ground cereal grains: a powder made by grinding
the edible parts of cereal grains and used to make bread, cakes, or pastry and
to thicken sauces

2.  ground
foodstuff:
a finely ground powder made from any dried vegetable such as chickpea, banana,
cassava, or potato
transitive
verb
(past floured, past participle floured, present
participle flour·ing, 3rd person present singular flours)

COOKING cover
with flour:
to cover or coat food, food preparation utensils, or a work surface with flour
[13th century. Variant of flower, in the sense “finest quality” (i.e. ground
meal).][1]



flourish

flourish
flour·ish 
[flúrrish] verb (past flour·ished,
past participle flour·ished, present participle flour·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular flour·ish·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
healthy or grow well: to be strong and healthy or
to grow well, especially because conditions are right

2.  intransitive
verb
do
well:
to sustain continuous steady strong growth

3.  transitive
verb
wave:
to wave something in a dramatic way that draws attention to it
noun
(plural flour·ish·es)

1.  hand
movement:
a dramatic body movement, such as a sweep of the hand, that attracts attention

2.  loop
or curl:
an embellishment to something handwritten, such as a loop or curly line

3.  MUSIC ornamental
trumpet call: a fanfare heralding the arrival of an
important person

4.  MUSIC short
prelude or postlude: a short, often improvised,
passage at the beginning or end of a piece of music

5.  MUSIC showy
musical interlude: brief, often showy,
technical passage within a piece of music
[13th
century. From Old French floriss-, the stem of florir “to bloom,”
from, ultimately, Latin florere, from flor- (see flora ).]
—flour·ish·er, noun[1]



flourmoth

flourmoth
flour
moth
(plural flour moths) noun

gray moth:
a gray moth with larvae that infest stored grain. Latin name: Ephestia
kuhniella[1]



floury

floury
flour·y
[flówree] (comparative flour·i·er,
superlative flour·i·est) adjective

FOOD
covered with flour:
covered or coated with flour or tasting of flour[1]



flout

flout
flout 
[flowt] (past flout·ed, past
participle flout·ed, present participle flout·ing, 3rd
person present singular flouts) transitive verb

openly
ignore law or convention: to show contempt for a law
or convention by openly disobeying or defying it
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from an earlier word meaning “to play the
flute,” as if in mockery.]
—flout·er,
noun

—flout·ing·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at flaunt.

[1]



flow

flow

flow 
[flō] intransitive verb (past flowed,
past participle flowed, present participle flow·ing,
3rd person present singular flows)

1.  move
freely from place to place: to move or be moved freely
from one place to another in large numbers or amounts in a steady unbroken
stream • measures
to allow traffic to flow freely

2.  PHYSIOLOGY circulate
in body:
to move through the veins and arteries of the body (refers especially to
blood)

3.  COMMUNICATION be
said fluently: to be expressed uninhibitedly and
eloquently • The
conversation began to flow.

4.  be
available in quantity: to be readily available and
consumed in large amounts • The
lemonade flowed freely.

5.  be
experienced intensely: to be experienced very
intensely, often in a way that is visible to other people • A
wave of love flowed across her face.

6.  emanate
as result:
to derive from something as a result or series of results (literary) • The
consequences that flowed from the decision were distressing.

7.  hang
loosely:
to fall or hang loosely and gracefully • Her
long hair flowed over her shoulders.

8.  OCEANOGRAPHY move
toward land: to move toward the land as the tide
rises (refers to the sea or tidal water)

9.  GEOLOGY change
shape under pressure: to change shape gradually in
response to pressure without the development of cracks or fissures
noun (plural
flows)

1.  movement
of fluid or electrical charge: the movement of
liquid, gas, or electrical charge

2.  mass
or quantity flowing: a mass or quantity of
material that is flowing or has flowed • a
giant lava flow pouring down into the valley

3.  menstrual
flow:
the flow or quantity of blood during menstruation

4.  unhindered
steady movement: the steady unbroken stream of people,
goods, vehicles, money, or information from one place to another • the
unending flow of refugees

5.  OCEANOGRAPHY tidal
movement toward land: the movement of a rising
tide toward the land

6.  COMMUNICATION eloquent
expression of thoughts: the continuous eloquent
expression of thoughts or ideas in speech or writing

7.  PSYCHOLOGY experience
of heightened awareness: psychological and physical
experience in which challenges presented are perfectly matched by the
participants’ skills, often resulting in heightened states of awareness,
confidence, and performance
[Old
English flōwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English flood and pluvial .]
go with the flow

to follow the lead of other
people and react to their opinions or actions passively[1]



flowage

flowage
flow·age 
[flṓwij] (plural flow·ag·es) noun

1.  flowing:
the act of flowing or overflowing

2.  overflowing
water:
the water resulting from overflow

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING gradual
deformation: the gradual change in shape that occurs
in certain solids, for example, asphalt, that can flow without breaking when,
for example, heat is applied

[1]



flowchart

flowchart
flow
chart
(plural flow charts) or flow·chart (plural flow·charts)
noun

diagram showing sequence of
actions: a diagram that represents
the sequence of operations in a process.
Also called
flow diagram
Also called
flow sheet[1]



flow-charting

flow-charting
flow-chart·ing
noun

creation of flow chart:
the designing of a flow chart or charts[1]



flowcytometry

flowcytometry
flow
cy·tom·e·try noun

diagnostic test for cancerous
cells: a diagnostic test revealing
the arrangement and amount of DNA in a cell, used to distinguish benign cells
from malignant ones or to monitor the effect of anticancer treatment[1]



flowdiagram

flowdiagram
flow
di·a·gram
(plural flow di·a·grams) noun

See
flow chart[1]



flower

flower

flow·er 
[flówr] noun (plural flow·ers)

1.  colored
part of plant: a colored, sometimes scented, part of a
plant that contains its reproductive organs. It consists of a leafy shoot with
modified leaves, petals, and sepals surrounding male or female organs, stamens,
and pistils.

2.  stem
with flower: a plant stem with one or more flowers
that has been picked from the plant on which it grew

3.  plant
with flowers: a small plant grown for the
attractiveness of its flowers

4.  best:
the best part of or most perfect example of something • the
flower of the nation’s youth
plural noun flow·ers

CHEMISTRY fine
chemical powder: a fine powder produced by sublimation or
condensation
intransitive verb
(past flow·ered, past participle flow·ered, present
participle flow·er·ing, 3rd person present singular flow·ers)

1.  BOTANY produce
blooms:
to begin to produce blooms

2.  develop
to maturity: to develop and reach maturity
[12th century. From
Anglo-Norman flur and Old French flour, both from Latin flor-
(see flora ).][1]



flowerbed

flowerbed
flow·er·bed
[flówr bèd] (plural flow·er·beds)
noun

ground planted with flowers:
a clearly delineated area of a garden or park planted with flowering plants[1]



flowerbug

flowerbug
flow·er
bug
(plural flow·er bugs) noun

insect that eats other
insects: an insect that feeds on
other small insects found in flowers. Family: Anthorcoridae[1]



flowerchild

flowerchild
flow·er
child
noun

young
1960s-1970s peace activist: a young person in the
1960s-1970s who rejected materialism and war, especially the Vietnam War, and
preached universal peace and love as the solution to the world’s problems (informal)
[From their custom of wearing
or carrying flowers as a symbol of peace][1]



flowered

flowered
flow·ered
[flówrd] adjective

1.  ornamented
with flowers: decorated with flowers or having a
floral pattern

2.  with
blooms:
having flowers (usually used in combination) • a
large-flowered variety

[1]



flowerer

flowerer
flow·er·er
[flówrər] (plural flow·er·ers)
noun

plant that flowers:
a plant that flowers, usually at a particular time or in a particular manner • a
late flowerer[1]



floweret

floweret
flow·er·et 
[flówrət] (plural flow·er·ets)
noun

COOKING
See floret  noun 2[1]



flowergirl

flowergirl
flow·er
girl
(plural flow·er girls) noun

girl who is bridal attendant:
a young girl who carries flowers in the procession preceding a bride at a
wedding[1]



flowerhead

flowerhead
flow·er
head
(plural flow·er heads) noun

1.  cluster
of small flowers: a cluster of small flowers on a single
stem

2.  cluster
of flower buds: a dense arrangement of flower buds, such
as in cauliflower or broccoli

[1]



flowering

flowering
flow·er·ing
[flówring] adjective

able
to produce blooms: capable of producing
noticeable flowers
noun

period of success:
the moment in the development of an idea, style, or movement when it gains
recognition and becomes successful[1]



floweringdogwood

floweringdogwood
flow·er·ing
dog·wood 
(plural flow·er·ing dog·woods) noun

type of deciduous tree:
a spreading deciduous tree with green oval leaves that turn red or purple in
the fall and small greenish flowers surrounded by four white or pink bracts
resembling petals. Latin name: Cornus florida[1]



floweringmaple

floweringmaple
flow·er·ing
ma·ple
(plural flow·er·ing ma·ples) noun

tropical plant:
a tropical plant that has lobed leaves like the maple and brightly colored
flowers. Genus: Abutilon
Also called
abutilon
Also called
Indian mallow
U.K. term
abutilon[1]



floweringquince

floweringquince
flow·er·ing
quince
(plural flow·er·ing quinc·es) noun

ornamental deciduous spiny
plant: a spiny deciduous plant,
native to Asia, that is grown for its attractive red or pink flowers and
fragrant yellow fruit. Genus: Chaenomeles[1]



floweringrush

floweringrush
flow·er·ing
rush
(plural flow·er·ing rush·es) noun

type of water plant:
a deciduous water plant similar to a rush that has narrow twisted leaves and is
grown for its pink flowers. Latin name: Butomus umbellatus[1]



floweringwintergreen

floweringwintergreen
flow·er·ing
win·ter·green (plural flow·er·ing
win·ter·greens) noun

See
fringed polygala[1]



flower-of-an-hour

flower-of-an-hour
flow·er-of-an-hour
or flow·er-of-the-hour (plural flow·ers-of-the-hour)
noun

type
of hibiscus: a European herbaceous annual plant that
has oval serrated leaves and is grown for its trumpet-shaped creamy-white or
pale yellow flowers. Latin name: Hibiscus trionum
[Because its petals are
short-lived][1]



flower-pecker

flower-pecker
flow·er-peck·er
(plural flow·er-peck·ers) noun

small songbird:
a small songbird found in Australia and southeast Asia that has a long tongue
and feeds on nectar, berries, and insects. Family: Dicaeidae[1]



flowerpeople

flowerpeople
flow·er
peo·ple
plural noun

flower children as a group:
young 1960s-1970s peace activists, the flower children, regarded as a group (informal)[1]



flowerpot

flowerpot
flow·er·pot 
[flówr pòt] (plural flow·er·pots)
noun

container for growing plants:
a clay or plastic container in which plants are grown[1]



flowerpower

flowerpower
flow·er
pow·er
noun

idea
of universal peace and love: the idea advocated by some
young people in the 1960s and 1970s that universal peace and love should
replace the materialism and militarism of Western society
[From its adherents’ custom
of wearing flowers as a symbol of peace and love][1]



flowerpressing

flowerpressing
flow·er
press·ing
noun

flower preservation:
the process of preserving cut flowers by laying them on a flat surface and
pressing them with a heavy object[1]



flowery

flowery
flow·er·y 
[flówree] (comparative flow·er·i·er,
superlative flow·er·i·est) adjective

1.  LITERATURE COMMUNICATION pompously
literary:
full of ornate, overly elaborate expressions

2.  ornamented
with flowers: decorated or patterned with flowers

3.  like
flowers:
relating to flowers
—flow·er·i·ness, noun[1]



flowmeter

flowmeter
flow·me·ter
[flów mtər] (plural flow·me·ters)
noun

device measuring liquid or
gas flow: an instrument for measuring
the rate of flow of liquids or gases, especially in a pipe[1]



flown

flown
flown

Past participle of
fly 1[1]



flowsheet

flowsheet
flow
sheet
(plural flow sheets) noun

1.  See
flow chart

2.  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING diagram
of pipework: a schematic diagram showing the
equipment and connecting pipes that make up a process plant and sometimes
showing flow rates and quantities of material

[1]



flowstone

flowstone
flow·stone 
[flṓ stn] noun

rock deposited by water:
a layered deposit of calcium carbonate ( calcite
) on rock where water has flowed or dripped, for example, on the walls or floor
of a cave.
See also
dripstone[1]



floz

floz
fl
oz
or fl. oz.

Abbreviation of
fluid ounce[1]



FLQ

FLQ
FLQ
noun

terrorist organization:
a terrorist organization seeking the secession of Québec from Canada. It was
particularly active during the 1960s and 1970s. Full form Front de
Lib&eaccute;ration du Qu&eaccute;bec[1]



FLRA

FLRA
FLRA

Abbreviation of
Federal Labor Relations Authority[1]



FLSA

FLSA
FLSA

Abbreviation of
Fair Labor Standards Act[1]



flu

flu
flu 
[floo] (plural flus) noun

widespread
viral illness: a viral illness producing a high
temperature, sore throat, running nose, headache, dry cough, and muscle pain.
The illness is widespread, especially during winter months, and can sometimes
be fatal.
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of influenza .][1]



flub

flub
flub 
[flub] intransitive and transitive verb
(past flubbed, past participle flubbed, present
participle flub·bing, 3rd person present singular flubs)

mess up something:
to blunder or make a mess of something (slang) • He
flubbed his lines and the audience booed.
noun
(plural flubs) (slang)

1.  blunder
or gaffe:
an embarrassing, clumsy mistake

2.  blunderer:
somebody who makes embarrassing blunders
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: probably thought to suggest clumsiness.]
—flub·ber (plural
flub·bers), noun[1]



flucloxacillin

flucloxacillin
fluc·lox·a·cil·lin
[floo klòksə síllən] noun

penicillin drug:
a penicillin drug used to treat streptococcal infections in wounds or sometimes
pneumonia. This form of penicillin is effective against bacteria resistant to
earlier forms of the drug.[1]



fluconazole

fluconazole
flu·con·a·zole
[floo kònnə zṓl] noun

antifungal drug:
a drug that is prescribed to combat and control fungi[1]



fluctuate

fluctuate
fluc·tu·ate 
[flúkchoo àyt] (past fluc·tu·at·ed,
past participle fluc·tu·at·ed, present participle fluc·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular fluc·tu·ates) intransitive verb

vary
in level, degree, or value: to change often from high to
low levels or from one thing to another in an unpredictable way
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin fluctuat-, the past participle stem of fluctuare,
from fluctus, the past participle of fluere “to flow” (see fluent ).]
—fluc·tu·ant, adjective[1]



fluctuation

fluctuation
fluc·tu·a·tion
[flùkchoo áysh’n] (plural fluc·tu·a·tions)
noun

constant change:
constant unpredictable change in the level, degree, or intensity of something[1]



flue

flue2
flue2 [floo]
(plural flues or flews) noun

fishing
net:
a type of fishing net, especially a dragnet
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch vluwe “fishing net.”][1]



flue

flue1
flue1 [floo]
(plural flues) noun

1.  smoke
or heat outlet: a shaft, tube, or pipe used as an outlet
to carry smoke, gas, or heat from a chimney or furnace

2.  flue
or flue pipe MUSIC type
of organ pipe: an organ pipe in which the sound is
produced by passing air across a lipped opening

3.  MUSIC opening
on organ pipe: the lipped opening on an organ pipe that
initiates vibrations and sound when air passes across it
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



flue-cure

flue-cure
flue-cure
(past participle flue-cured, present participle flue-cur·ing,
3rd person present singular flue-cures) transitive verb

cure
tobacco with heat: to cure tobacco with radiant
heat supplied through flues from a furnace
—flue-cured, adjective[1]



fluegas

fluegas
flue
gas
noun

kind of smoke:
the smoke in the uptake of a boiler fire that consists mainly of carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen[1]



fluellin

fluellin
flu·el·lin 
[floo éllin] (plural flu·el·lins)
or flu·el·len [floo éll ən] (plural
flu·el·lens) noun

annual
wild plant:
an annual wild plant related to the toadflax, foxglove, and snapdragon. Genus: Kickxia
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Welsh (llysiau) Llywelyn, literally “Llewelyn’s herbs,” named after
Llewelyn ap Gruffudd or Llewelyn ap Iorwerth .][1]



fluency

fluency
flu·en·cy
[fl ənsee] noun

1.  ability
to speak language: the ability to speak a
language effortlessly and correctly

2.  effortless
clear expression: the ability to express something
effortlessly and clearly

[1]



fluent

fluent
flu·ent 
[fl ənt] adjective

1.  able
to speak with ease: able to speak a language
effortlessly and correctly

2.  effortlessly
expressed:
spoken or expressed effortlessly and correctly

3.  smoothly
flowing:
flowing in a smooth graceful way (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin fluent-, the present participle stem of fluere
“to flow.”]
—flu·ent·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word fluere, from which fluent
  is derived, is also the source of English affluent,
  effluent, flu, fluctuate,
  fluid, fluorides, flush, fluvial,
  flux, influence,
  mellifluous, and superfluous.

[1]



fluepipe

fluepipe
flue
pipe
noun

See
flue 1 noun
2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fluestop

fluestop
flue
stop
(plural flue stops) noun

organ stop:
an organ stop that controls a set of flue pipes[1]



fluff

fluff
fluff 
[fluf] noun

1.  light
balls of thread: soft light balls of thread or fiber that
collect together on material such as wool or cotton

2.  BIRDS PLANTS downy fuzz:
the soft downy fuzz found on young birds or some seeds

3.  nonsense:
something that is of no importance or consequence (slang)
transitive
verb
(past fluffed, past participle fluffed, present
participle fluff·ing, 3rd person present singular fluffs)

1.  shake
so as to insert air: to shake, pat, or brush
something in order to get air into it

2.  do
badly:
to do something badly because of loss of concentration or forgetfulness (informal)

3.  BIRDS raise
feathers:
to raise the feathers in a way that makes the body appear bigger
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



fluffy

fluffy
fluff·y 
[flúffee] (comparative fluff·i·er,
superlative fluff·i·est) adjective

1.  soft
and light:
consisting of something soft and light to the touch such as wool or feathers

2.  downy
or feathery: covered in something soft and light to
the touch such as down or feathers

3.  COOKING soft
and light in texture: soft and light in texture
because air has been beaten or whisked in
—fluff·i·ly,
adverb

—fluff·i·ness, noun[1]



fluid

fluid
flu·id 
[fl id] noun (plural flu·ids)

1.  liquid:
anything liquid (not used in technical contexts)

2.  PHYSICS CHEMISTRY liquid or gas:
a substance such as a liquid or gas whose molecules flow freely, so that it has
no fixed shape and little resistance to outside stress
adjective

1.  PHYSICS flowing:
capable of flowing like a liquid or gas (technical)

2.  moving
or smoothly carried out: smooth and graceful in a way
that seems relaxed • a series of fluid arm
movements

3.  unstable:
likely to change • The situation in the
western sector is fluid.
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin fluidus “flowing,” from fluere
“to flow.”]
—flu·id·al,
adjective

—flu·id·al·ly,
adverb

—flu·id·i·ty
[floo íddətee], noun

—flu·id·ly
[fl idlee], adverb

—flu·id·ness [fl idnəss], noun[1]



fluidclutch

fluidclutch
flu·id
clutch
(plural flu·id clutch·es) noun

See
fluid drive[1]



fluiddram

fluiddram
flu·id
dram
(plural flu·id drams) noun


of a fluid ounce: a unit of liquid
capacity in the apothecary system, equal to 
of a fluid ounce.
U.K. term
drachm  noun 2[1]



fluiddrive

fluiddrive
flu·id
drive
(plural flu·id drives) noun

automotive transmission
coupling: a device for transmitting
rotation between two shafts by means of the acceleration and deceleration of a
hydraulic fluid by bladed turbines, used in automatic transmissions in motor
vehicles.
Also called
fluid clutch[1]



fluiddynamics

fluiddynamics
flu·id
dy·nam·ics
noun

study of fluid motion:
the scientific study of the forces acting on liquids and gases and the
resulting movements of these fluids (takes a singular verb)[1]



fluidextract

fluidextract
flu·id·ex·tract 
[fl id ék stràkt] (plural flu·id·ex·tracts)
noun

alcoholic solution of
vegetable drug: a solution of a
vegetable drug in alcohol with one milliliter of the solution having an
equivalent activity of one gram of the powdered drug[1]



fluidic

fluidic
flu·id·ic 
[floo íddik] adjective

1.  of
fluids:
relating to fluids

2.  operated
by fluidics: relating to or operated by fluidics

[1]



fluidics

fluidics
flu·id·ics 
[floo íddiks] noun

control of systems by using
fluids: the use of systems based on
the movements and pressure of fluids to control operations, instruments, and
industrial processes (takes a singular verb)[1]



fluidize

fluidize
flu·id·ize 
[fl i dz] (past flu·id·ized,
past participle flu·id·ized, present participle flu·id·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular flu·id·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  cause
to be fluid: to make something fluid

2.  make
solid behave like fluid: to make a solid move as a
fluid, for example, by pulverizing it into fine powder and passing a gas
through it to induce flow
—flu·id·i·za·tion
[fl idi záysh’n], noun

—flu·id·iz·er [fl i dzər], noun[1]



fluidizedbed

fluidizedbed
flu·id·iz·ed
bed
(plural flu·id·iz·ed beds) noun

bed of suspended particles:
a powder or other solid particulate material suspended in an upward flow of air
or other gas. The material behaves like a fluid and is an effective way to
transfer heat or moisture between a gas and a solid or to operate certain
chemical reactions.[1]



fluidmechanics

fluidmechanics
flu·id
me·chan·ics
noun

study of gaseous and liquid
properties: the branch of mechanics that
deals with the properties of gases and liquids and their application in
practical engineering (takes a singular verb)[1]



fluidounce

fluidounce
flu·id
ounce
(plural flu·id ounc·es) noun

1.  U.S.
unit of liquid measurement: a unit of volume measurement
in the U.S. Customary system equal to w of a
U.S. pint or 29.57 ml

2.  U.K.
unit of liquid measurement: a unit of liquid measurement
in the British Imperial system equal to 1/20 of an Imperial pint or 28.41 ml

[1]



fluke

fluke3

fluke3 [flook]
(plural flukes) noun

1.  SHIPPING part
of anchor:
either of the triangular blades at the end of each arm of an anchor

2.  ANGLING ARCHERY barb on harpoon:
a barb on the head of a harpoon or an arrow, or the barbed head itself

3.  ZOOLOGY part
of whale’s tail: either of the two horizontal lobes of
the tail of a whale or other similar sea animal, used in propelling the animal
through the water
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from fluke 2, because of
its shape.][1]



fluke

fluke2
fluke2 [flook]
(plural flukes) noun ZOOLOGY

1.  See
trematode

2.  See
flounder 2
[Old English flōc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be flat,” which is also the
ancestor of English flake, flag, and plank
.][1]



fluke

fluke1
fluke1 [flook]
noun (plural flukes)

1.  accidental
success:
something surprising or unexpected that happens by accident (informal)

2.  CUE GAMES shot
in billiards: a successful shot in pool, billiards, or
snooker that happens by accident
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fluked, past
participle fluked, present participle fluk·ing, 3rd
person present singular flukes)

CUE GAMES pot
ball by accident: to make a successful shot by accident in
pool, billiards, or pocket billiards
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fluky

fluky
fluk·y
[flkee] (comparative fluk·i·er,
superlative fluk·i·est) or fluk·ey [flkee] (comparative fluk·i·er, superlative
fluk·i·est) adjective

successful
by accident: accidentally and unexpectedly successful
(informal)
—flukily,
adverb

—fluk·i·ness, noun[1]



flume

flume
flume 
[floom] (plural flumes) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY narrow
gorge:
a narrow gorge with a stream running through it

2.  artificial
channel:
an artificial water channel or chute used, for example, to transport logs, for
studying water and sediment movement, or as part of an amusement park ride

3.  artificial
channel to measure river’s flow: an artificial channel
constructed in a river in order to measure water flow and movement of sediment

4.  ENGINEERING structure
for measuring water discharge: a structure in a river
that is used to measure water discharge
[12th century. Via Old French
flum from Latin flumen “river,” from fluere “to flow” (see
fluent ).][1]



flummery

flummery
flum·mer·y 
[flúmməree] noun

1.  meaningless
words:
meaningless words, statements, or language, especially when intended as
flattery (literary)

2.  FOOD cream
or custard dessert: a cream, milk, or custard
dessert set with gelatin and sometimes flavored with Madeira and lemon. It was
originally made with liquid from boiled oatmeal set with gelatin or isinglass.
[Early 17th century.
Anglicization of Welsh llymru .][1]



flummox

flummox
flum·mox 
[flúmməks] (past flum·moxed, past
participle flum·moxed, present participle flum·mox·ing,
3rd person present singular flum·mox·es) transitive verb

baffle
and confuse: to leave somebody confused or perplexed
and unable to react (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



flung

flung
flung


Past participle of
fling Past tense of fling[1]



flunk

flunk
flunk 
[flungk] (past flunked, past
participle flunked, present participle flunk·ing, 3rd
person present singular flunks) verb (informal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
academically: to fail an exam or subject

2.  transitive
verb
give
failing grade to: to give a student a failing grade
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]
—flunk·er, noun[1]



flunkey

flunkey
flun·key 
noun

See
flunky[1]



flunkout

flunkout
flunk·out 
[flúngk òwt] (plural flunk·outs)
noun

failed student:
a student who fails in school or college and has to leave because of it (disapproving)[1]



flunkout

flunkout
flunk
out
intransitive verb

fail academically and leave
school: to be expelled from a
school, college, or course because of failing grades (informal)[1]



flunky

flunky
flun·ky 
[flúngkee] (plural flun·kies) or
flun·key [flúngkee] (plural flun·keys)
noun

1.  servile
assistant:
an assistant who carries out unimportant jobs for somebody and who behaves
obsequiously to that person (informal)

2.  manservant
in livery:
a man who is a servant in livery, for example, a footman
[Mid-18th
century. From Scots, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of flanker “somebody who stands at your flank.”]
—flun·ky·ism, noun[1]



fluor

fluor
flu·or 
[fl àwr, fl ər]
noun

See
fluorite
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, “mineral used as a flux” (see fluoric
).][1]



fluor-

fluor-
fluor-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
fluoro-[1]



fluorapatite

fluorapatite
fluo·ra·pa·tite
[fl ráppə tt] noun

form of apatite:
a common form of the mineral apatite consisting of calcium fluorophosphate[1]



fluorene

fluorene
flu·o·rene 
[fl rn, fláw
rn] noun

chemical
in dyes:
a white insoluble crystalline solid obtained from coal tar and used in making
dyes. C13H10
[Late 19th century. Coined
from fluoro- (because the compound
fluoresces + -ene ).][1]



fluoresce

fluoresce
fluo·resce 
[fl réss, flaw
réss] (past fluo·resced, past participle fluo·resced,
present participle fluo·resc·ing, 3rd person present singular
fluo·resc·es) intransitive verb

PHYSICS experience
or show fluorescence: to exhibit or undergo the
phenomenon of fluorescence
[Late
19th century. Back-formation from fluorescent
.]
—fluo·resc·er, noun[1]



fluorescein

fluorescein
fluo·res·ce·in 
[fl réssee in, flaw
réssee in] or fluo·res·ce·ine [fl
réssee in, flaw réssee in] noun

orange-red
crystalline compound: an orange-red crystalline
compound that fluoresces green in blue light, used to detect defects in the
cornea in the eye. C20H12O5
[Late 19th century. Coined
from fluoresce + -ein
.][1]



fluorescence

fluorescence
fluo·res·cence 
[fl réss’ns, flaw
réss’ns] noun

1.  emission
of light:
the emission of electromagnetic radiation, especially light, by an object
exposed to radiation or bombarding particles

2.  light
emitted:
the radiation emitted as a result of fluorescence

[1]



fluorescent

fluorescent
fluo·res·cent 
[fl réss’nt, flaw
réss’nt] adjective

1.  PHYSICS capable
of fluorescing: exhibiting or able to undergo
fluorescence • a
fluorescent dye

2.  dazzling
in color:
very bright and dazzling in color • fluorescent
pink
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from fluorspar (because fluorspar has this
property) + -escent .][1]



fluorescentlamp

fluorescentlamp
fluo·res·cent
lamp
(plural fluo·res·cent lamps) or fluo·res·cent light
(plural fluo·res·cent lights) noun

type of electric lamp:
an electric lamp containing a low pressure vapor, usually mercury, in a glass
tube. When an electric current is passed, ultraviolet radiation is produced and
is converted into visible light by an internal coating on the tube.[1]



fluorescenttube

fluorescenttube
fluo·res·cent
tube
(plural fluo·res·cent tubes) noun

fluorescent-lamp tube:
the tube of a fluorescent lamp[1]



fluoric

fluoric
fluo·ric
[floo áwrik] adjective

of
fluorine:
relating to or produced from fluorine or fluorite
[Late 18th century. From
obsolete French fluorique, from modern Latin fluor “mineral used
as a flux,” from Latin, “flow,” from fluere “to flow” (see fluent ).][1]



fluoridate

fluoridate
fluor·i·date 
[flri dàyt] (past fluor·i·dat·ed,
past participle fluor·i·dat·ed, present participle fluor·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular fluor·i·dates) transitive verb

treat water by fluoridation:
to treat water by adding small quantities of fluoride salts to the water supply
in order to prevent tooth decay in a local population[1]



fluoridation

fluoridation
fluor·i·da·tion 
[flri dáysh’n] noun

addition of fluoride to water
supply: the addition of small
quantities of fluoride salts to the water supply as a public health measure to
help prevent tooth decay[1]



fluoride

fluoride
fluor·ide 
[fl rd, fláw
rd] noun

fluorine
plus another element: any chemical compound
consisting of fluorine and another element or group
[Early 19th century. Coined
from fluorine + -ide
.][1]



fluorimeter

fluorimeter
fluo·rim·e·ter
[fl rímmətər] (plural fluo·rim·e·ters)
noun

See
fluorometer[1]



fluorimetric

fluorimetric
fluo·ri·met·ric
[florə méttrik] adjective

See
fluorometric[1]



fluorimetry

fluorimetry
fluo·rim·et·ry
[fl rímmətree] noun

measurement of fluorescence:
the scientific measurement of fluorescence.
Also called
fluorometry[1]



fluorinate

fluorinate
fluor·i·nate
[flri nàyt, fláwri
nàyt] (past fluor·i·nat·ed, past participle fluor·i·nat·ed,
present participle fluor·i·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular fluor·i·nates) transitive verb

treat
with fluorine: to treat something, or cause something
to combine with fluorine or a fluorine compound
—fluor·i·na·tion [flri náysh’n, flàwri
náysh’n], noun[1]



fluorine

fluorine

fluor·ine 
[fl rn, fláw
rn] noun
toxic
reactive chemical element: a toxic pale yellow gaseous
chemical element of the halogen group that is the most reactive and oxidizing
agent known and occurs principally in fluorite and cryolite. Symbol F
[Early 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin fluor (see fluoric
) + -ine .][1]



fluorite

fluorite
fluor·ite 
[fl rt, fláw
rt] noun

mineral
form of calcium fluoride: a mineral form of calcium
fluoride, occurring in veins with other minerals as well-formed crystals of
various colors, including a banded purple variety, known as Blue John, used as
a flux. CaF2 
Also
called
fluor
Also
called
fluorspar
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from modern Latin fluor (see fluoric
) + -ite .][1]



fluoro-

fluoro-
fluoro-
prefix

1.  fluorine
• fluoride

2.  fluorescence
• fluoroscope
[From fluorine and fluor][1]



fluorocarbon

fluorocarbon
fluor·o·car·bon 
[flrō krbən, flàwrō
krbən] (plural flu·o·ro·car·bons) noun

inert chemical:
a chemically inert compound containing carbon and fluorine. Fluorocarbons are
used as nonstick coatings, lubricants, refrigerants, and solvents.[1]



fluorochemical

fluorochemical
fluor·o·chem·i·cal 
[flrō kémmik’l, flàwrō
kémmik’l] (plural fluor·o·chem·i·cals) noun

chemical containing fluorine:
any chemical compound containing fluorine[1]



fluorochrome

fluorochrome
fluor·o·chrome 
[flrō krṓm, flàwrō
krṓm] (plural fluor·o·chromes) noun

fluorescent molecule:
a molecule or part of a molecule that exhibits fluorescence, used as a marker
in biological specimens[1]



fluorography

fluorography
fluo·rog·ra·phy 
[floo róggrəfee, flaw
róggrəfee] noun

See
photofluorography[1]



fluorometer

fluorometer
fluo·rom·e·ter 
[floo rómmətər, Ûflaw
rómmətər] (plural fluo·rom·e·ters or fluo·rim·e·ters)
noun

fluorescence
detector:
an instrument used to detect and measure fluorescence.
Also
called
fluorimeter
—fluo·ro·met·ric
[flrō méttrik, flàwrō
méttrik], adjective

—fluo·rom·e·try [floo rómmətree, flaw
rómmətree], noun[1]



fluoroscope

fluoroscope
fluor·o·scope 
[flrə skp, fláwrə
skp] (plural fluor·o·scopes) noun

X-ray
device:
an instrument with which X-ray images of the body can be viewed directly on a
screen
—fluor·o·scop·ic
[flrō skóppik, flàwrō
skóppik], adjective

—fluor·o·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



fluoroscopy

fluoroscopy
fluo·ros·co·py 
[floo róskəpee, flaw
róskəpee] noun

examination
by fluoroscope: the examination of a person using a
fluoroscope
—fluo·ros·co·pist [floo róskəpist, flaw
róskəpist], noun[1]



fluorosis

fluorosis
fluo·ro·sis 
[floo rṓssiss, flaw
rṓssiss] noun

condition
caused by overexposure to fluorine: a
condition caused by excessive exposure to fluorine and marked by mottling of
the teeth and damage to the bones
—fluo·rot·ic [floo róttik, flaw róttik],
adjective[1]



fluorouracil

fluorouracil
fluor·o·u·ra·cil 
[flrō yrəssìl, flàwrō
yrəssìl] noun

cancer drug:
a chemical compound containing fluorine that is used as a treatment for certain
forms of cancer. C4H3FN2O2[1]



fluorspar

fluorspar
flu·or·spar 
[flr spr, fl ər
spr, fláwr spr] noun

See
fluorite
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin fluor, “mineral used as a flux” (see fluoric ) + spar
.][1]



fluphenazine

fluphenazine
flu·phen·a·zine 
[floo fénnə zn] noun

tranquilizing
drug:
an antipsychotic drug used as a tranquilizer in the treatment of schizophrenia
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of fluorophenothiazine, its chemical name.][1]



flurry

flurry
flur·ry 
[flúr ee, flúrree]
noun (plural flur·ries)

1.  burst
of activity: a short period when a lot of things
happen

2.  METEOROLOGY burst
of snow:
a short period of snowfall
verb
(past flur·ried, past participle flur·ried, present
participle flur·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular flur·ries)

1.  transitive
verb
make
uncertain:
to make somebody feel agitated and confused

2.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY snow
lightly:
to snow lightly and intermittently • It
flurried for an hour or so, then it stopped.
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of obsolete flurr “to flutter” and hurry .][1]



flush

flush3
flush3 [flush]
transitive verb (past flushed, past participle flushed,
present participle flush·ing, 3rd person present singular flush·es)

drive
out of hiding: to force a person or animal out of
hiding
noun
(plural flush·es)

HUNTING frightened
birds:
a bird or birds frightened out of hiding
[13th
century. Origin unknown.]
—flush·er, noun[1]



flush

flush4
flush4 [flush]
(plural flush·es) noun

cards
of one suit: in poker and other games, a hand
consisting of cards all in the same suit
[Early 16th century. Via
obsolete French flus from, ultimately, Latin fluxus (see flux ).][1]



flush

flush2
flush2 [flush]
adjective

1.  level:
completely level so as to form an even surface

2.  beside
or against:
directly next to or closely against something • The
chairs were flush against the wall.

3.  temporarily
rich:
having plenty of money temporarily (informal)

4.  abundant:
abundant or overflowing • a
party flush with celebrities

5.  PRINTING with
even margin: with an even margin on a printed page,
without any indentations
adverb

1.  completely
level:
so as to be completely level and form an even surface without sticking out

2.  BOXING directly:
directly or squarely • was
hit flush on the jaw
transitive
verb
(past flushed, past participle flushed, present
participle flush·ing, 3rd person present singular flush·es)

fit things completely level:
to fit two things so that they are completely level and form an even surface
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from flush 1 .]
—flush·ness, noun[1]



flush

flush1
flush1 [flush]
verb (past flushed, past participle flushed,
present participle flush·ing, 3rd person present singular flush·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
red:
to become or cause somebody to become red in the face or on the skin

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
rosy color:
to glow or cause something to glow with a reddish color

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
water flow through toilet: to clean a toilet by causing
water to flow into the bowl, or undergo this process

4.  transitive
verb
dispose
of in toilet: to put something into the toilet and
flush it

5.  transitive
verb
clean
with water:
to clean or clear something by liberally pouring water or another liquid into,
on, or through it
noun
(plural flush·es)

1.  sudden
feeling:
a sudden intense feeling

2.  beginning
of good time: the beginning of an exciting or
pleasurable period

3.  sudden
rush of things: a sudden increased number of things

4.  reddishness:
an appearance of reddish color

5.  surge
of heat:
a sudden surge of heat

6.  GARDENING new
growth:
a burst of new growth appearing rapidly on a plant
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from flush 3 .]
—flush·er, noun[1]



flushable

flushable
flush·a·ble
[flúshəb’l] adjective

able to be put down toilet:
that can be disposed of by flushing it down the toilet[1]



flushed

flushed
flushed
[flusht] adjective

1.  red-faced:
red in the face

2.  excited:
feeling excited or happy

[1]



fluster

fluster
flus·ter 
[flústər] intransitive and transitive
verb (past flus·tered, past participle flus·tered,
present participle flus·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
flus·ters)

make
or become nervous: to make somebody nervous or
agitated, or become so
noun

confused
state:
a nervous or agitated state
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain.]
—flus·tered, adjective[1]



flute

flute


flute 
[floot] noun (plural flutes)

1.  MUSIC wind
instrument with high sound: a woodwind instrument with a
cylindrical metal body usually held out to the right of the player, who blows
across a hole in the mouthpiece to generate a high-pitched sound. The flute
family includes the piccolo, the alto flute, and the bass flute.

2.  MUSIC reedless
instrument:
any wind instrument without a reed

3.  MUSIC organ
stop:
an organ stop with a tone like a flute

4.  ARCHITECTURE groove
in column:
a groove running down an architectural column

5.  decorative
groove:
a decorative groove or pleat

6.  HOUSEHOLD WINE tall
glass for sparkling wine: a tall narrow glass used for
sparkling wines
verb (past
flut·ed, past participle flut·ed, present participle
flut·ing, 3rd person present singular flutes)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
sound like flute: to whistle, sing, or speak in a way that
suggests the sound of a flute

2.  transitive
verb
make
furrows in:
to make rounded grooves in something
[14th century. Via Old French
flaute and Middle Dutch flute from Old Provençal flaut, of
uncertain origin: possibly a blend of flaujol “flageolet” and laut
“lute.”][1]



fluted

fluted
flut·ed
[fltəd] adjective

1.  decoratively
furrowed:
decorated with parallel grooves

2.  sounding
like flute:
similar in sound to a flute

[1]



fluter

fluter
flut·er
[fltər] (plural flut·ers) noun

1.  fluting
maker:
somebody who makes fluting in something

2.  MUSIC flute-player:
a flutist

[1]



fluting

fluting
flut·ing 
[flting] noun

1.  decorative
furrows:
decoration with parallel grooves

2.  making
decorative furrows: the forming of decorative
grooves

3.  making
flute sound: playing the flute, or making sounds like
those of the flute

[1]



flutist

flutist
flut·ist 
[fltist] (plural flut·ists) or
flau·tist [fláwtist, flówtist] (plural flau·tists) noun

flute
player:
somebody who plays the flute
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian flautisto, from flauto “flute,” from Provençal flaüt
(see flute ).][1]



flutter

flutter

flut·ter 
[flúttər] verb (past flut·tered,
past participle flut·tered, present participle flut·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular flut·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
wave
gently:
to move gently but with quick changes in direction or wavy motion

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
something light: to move something light or small in
quick back-and-forth motions

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb flap
wings:
to flap the wings rapidly

4.  intransitive
verb
fly:
to move by flapping the wings rapidly

5.  intransitive
verb
beat
rapidly:
to beat rapidly, either as a disorder of the heart or because of nervousness or
excitement

6.  intransitive
verb
quiver:
to have a quivering feeling because of nervousness or excitement

7.  transitive
verb
make
nervous:
to make somebody feel agitated or nervous (usually used in the passive)

8.  intransitive
verb
move
restlessly:
to move around in a restless or nervous way
noun

1.  quick
movement:
a rapid, repetitive, or back-and-forth movement in something small

2.  agitation:
a state of nervous excitement or agitation

3.  MEDICINE rapid
heartbeat:
a condition marked by rapid, but regular, heartbeat

4.  RECORDING sound
distortion:
a high frequency distortion in the pitch of recorded sound

5.  U.K.
BETTING small
bet:
a small bet on something (informal)
[Old
English floterian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English flit and
fleet .]
—flut·ter·er,
noun

—flut·ter·ing·ly,
adverb

—flut·ter·y, adjective[1]



flutterboard

flutterboard
flut·ter·board 
[flúttər bàwrd] (plural flut·ter·boards)
noun

swimming
aid:
a buoyant rectangular board that supports the arms and top of the body of a
swimmer practicing leg strokes.
Also
called
kickboard
U.K.
term
float
[Mid-20th century. From flutter kick + board
.][1]



flutterkick

flutterkick
flut·ter
kick
(plural flut·ter kicks) noun

swimming technique:
a swimming technique that consists of moving the legs rapidly up and down in
short strokes[1]



fluttertonguing

fluttertonguing
flut·ter
tongu·ing
noun

wind
instrument technique: a technique in
wind-instrument playing in which a fluttering tone is produced by making a
rolled “r” while blowing
—flut·ter-tongue, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



fluty

fluty
flut·y
[fltee] (comparative flut·i·er,
superlative flut·i·est) adjective

high-pitched:
high-pitched and clear, like a flute[1]



fluvial

fluvial
flu·vi·al 
[flvee əl] adjective

relating
to rivers:
produced by or found in a river or stream
[14th century. From Latin fluvialis,
from fluvius “river,” from fluere “to flow” (see fluent ).][1]



fluviomarine

fluviomarine
flu·vi·o·ma·rine 
[flvee ō mə rn] adjective

1.  of
rivers and seas: relating to water and sediment deposits
of rivers in a marine environment

2.  BIOLOGY See diadromous
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin fluvius “river” (see fluvial
) + marine .][1]



flux

flux
flux 
[fluks] noun (plural flux·es)

1.  constant
change:
constant change and instability

2.  soldering
aid:
a substance that promotes the fusion of two substances or surfaces, as in
soldering or welding

3.  PHYSICS rate
of flow across area: the rate of flow of
something, such as energy, particles, or fluid volume, across or onto a given
area

4.  PHYSICS strength
of field in particular area: the strength of a field
acting on a particular area, equal to the area size multiplied by the component
of the field acting at right angles to the area

5.  MEDICINE abnormal
bodily discharge: an abnormal discharge or flow from the
body, especially the bowels (dated)

6.  METALLURGY smelting
aid:
a substance added to molten ore that combines with impurities to form slag
which can be extracted

7.  CERAMICS glaze
component:
a substance added to a ceramic glaze to make it flow more readily

8.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of change:
the notion that change is the fundamental nature of reality, as described by
Heraclitus

9.  OCEANOGRAPHY quantity
of movement: the quantity of water or other material
moved in a given direction during a given time period
verb
(past fluxed, past participle fluxed, present
participle flux·ing, 3rd person present singular flux·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become fluid: to make something fluid, or become fluid

2.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING apply
flux to:
to apply flux to something, especially a joint being soldered

3.  intransitive
verb
flow
along or out: to move in a steady current or stream (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin fluxus, the past participle of fluere “to flow” (see fluent ).][1]



fluxdensity

fluxdensity
flux
den·si·ty
noun

rate of flow:
the amount of flux per unit area[1]



fluxion

fluxion
flux·ion 
[flúkshən] (plural flux·ions) noun

1.  flow
of something: a flow or discharge of liquid

2.  MATHEMATICS derivative
of function: a derivative, representing the rate of
change of a function in relation to an independent variable (dated)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin flux-, the past participle
stem of fluere (see fluent ).]
—flux·ion·al,
adjective

—flux·ion·al·ly,
adverb

—flux·ion·ar·y, adjective[1]



fly

fly4
fly4  [flī]
(plural flies) adjective

1.  U.K.
crafty:
shrewd and clever, in a crafty way (informal)

2.  stylish:
attractive and stylish (slang)

[1]



fly

fly3
fly3  [flī]
(comparative fly·er, superlative fly·est) adjective

hip:
stylish and fashionable (slang)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fly

fly1
fly1 [flī]
verb (past flew [floo],
past participle flown [flōn], present
participle fly·ing, 3rd person present singular flies)

1.  intransitive
verb
BIRDS AIR move through air:
to travel through the air using wings or an engine

2.  intransitive
verb
AIR travel
in aircraft: to travel in an aircraft

3.  transitive
verb
AIR take
or send by air: to take or send things or passengers in
an aircraft

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR be pilot:
to pilot an aircraft or spacecraft

5.  transitive
verb
AIR travel
over area by air: to travel over a particular area in an
aircraft

6.  intransitive
verb
AIR travel
with airline or in class: to travel with a particular
airline or in a particular class in an aircraft • She
always flies with the same airline.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb float
through air: to make something such as a kite move
through the air, or move in this way

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb display
flag on pole: to display a flag by attaching it to a
pole, building, or mast, or be displayed in this way

9.  transitive
verb
SHIPPING show
country of registration: to display a flag that
indicates the country of registration

10. intransitive
verb
move
freely in air: to move freely because of the speed of
the air • She
ran down the street, her hair flying.

11. intransitive
verb
go
very fast:
to go somewhere or leave somewhere at top speed

12. intransitive
verb
move
quickly and forcefully: to move with speed and
explosive force

13. intransitive
verb
pass
quickly:
to pass very fast • The weekend had simply
flown.

14. intransitive
verb
be
discussed increasingly: to be passed on or gossiped
about by a swiftly increasing number of people • Bad
news flies.

15. intransitive
verb
be
quick to do something: to rush to do something
quickly

16. intransitive
verb
be
acceptable:
to be acceptable, successful, or useful (informal) • come
up with a proposal that will fly

17. intransitive
verb
disappear:
to disappear or be used up quickly • Money
just flies out of her hands.

18. transitive
verb
THEATER hang
above stage: to suspend lights or set components
above a stage

19. transitive
verb
HUNTING use
hunting hawk: to cause a hawk to fly after prey

20. fly
(past flied, past participle flied) intransitive
verb BASEBALL hit
fly:
to hit a fly ball • She flied twice in the
second inning.
noun
(plural flies)

1.  CLOTHES front
opening of pants: an opening at the front of a pair of
pants with a fold of fabric that covers a zipper or row of buttons

2.  entrance
flap of tent: a flap at the entrance of a tent

3.  outer
roof of tent: a light tarpaulin secured over the top
of a tent.
U.K.
term
flysheet

4.  BASEBALL ball
hit high:
in baseball, a hit that goes high but usually not very far.
Also
called
fly ball

5.  width
of flag:
the distance between the outer edge of a flag and the staff it is attached to

6.  edge
of flag:
the outer edge of a flag

7.  See
flywheel

8.  U.K.
TRANSPORT horse-drawn
carriage:
in former times, a carriage for hire, drawn by one horse
plural
noun
flies

THEATER area
above stage: the space above a stage in a theater,
where lights, scenery, etc. are hung.
[Old
English flēogan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English fly 2, flee, flight,
and fledgling .]
—fly·able,
adjective
fly
high

to
enjoy a period of great success or happiness

let
fly (at somebody)

1.  to
speak angrily to somebody

2.  to
throw something

on
the fly

1.  while
in a hurry • caught
me on the fly

2.  while
flying • caught
the ball on the fly

3.  without
preparation, in the present moment • answered
all their questions on the fly

4.  COMPUTING while a computer
program is running (informal)

send
somebody or something flying

to
cause somebody or something to go through the air by force of impact

[1]



fly

fly2

fly2 [flī]
(plural flies) noun

1.  INSECTS small
two-winged insect: a two-winged insect. Many
flies, for example, houseflies, are pests. Order: Diptera

2.  INSECTS flying
insect:
any flying insect, for example, a caddis fly or dragonfly (usually used in
combination)

3.  ANGLING fly-fishing
lure:
a fishhook with feathers or other attachments to make it resemble a flying
insect, used in fly-fishing
[Old
English flēoge . Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base as fly 1 .]
a fly in the ointment

a
problem that spoils a good situation

there are no flies on somebody

used to say that somebody is
not lacking in intelligence or understanding[1]



flyagaric

flyagaric
fly
ag·a·ric
noun

poisonous
mushroom:
a poisonous mushroom with a bright red or orange cap and white spots. Latin
name: Amanita muscaria
[From its former use as an
insecticide][1]



flyash

flyash
fly
ash
noun

fine particles from
combustion: fine particles of ash
resulting from the combustion of a solid fuel[1]



flyat

flyat
fly
at
transitive verb

See
fly into[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








flyaway

flyaway
fly·a·way 
[fl ə wày] adjective

fine and light:
easily made airborne or affected by a breeze • flyaway
hair[1]



flyback

flyback
fly·back
[fl bàk] noun

electron beam return:
in a television tube, the rapid return of the electron beam in the direction
opposite to scanning[1]



flyball

flyball
fly
ball
(plural fly balls) noun

BASEBALL
See fly 1 noun
4[1]



flyblow

flyblow
fly·blow 
[fl bl] noun (plural fly·blows)

maggot
or maggots:
the egg or larva of a blowfly or flesh fly, or an infestation with such eggs or
larvae
transitive
verb
(past fly·blew [fl bl], past
participle fly·blown [fl bln], present
participle fly·blow·ing, 3rd person present singular fly·blows)

contaminate:
to contaminate something with something such as the eggs or larvae of a blowfly[1]



flyblown

flyblown
fly·blown 
adjective

1.  with
maggots:
containing maggots and therefore not fit to eat

2.  dirty:
dirty and in bad condition

3.  tainted:
contaminated with something undesirable

[1]



flyboat

flyboat
fly·boat 
[fl bt] (plural fly·boats) noun

speedy
boat:
a small fast boat
[Late 16th century. By folk
etymology from Dutch vlieboot, from Vlie, the name of a channel
off the northern coast of the Netherlands.][1]



flyboy

flyboy
fly·boy 
[fl bòy] (plural fly·boys) noun

pilot:
a man who is a pilot in the Air Force (informal)[1]



flybridge

flybridge
fly
bridge
(plural fly bridg·es) noun

See
flying bridge[1]



flyby

flyby
fly·by
[fl b] (plural fly·bys) noun

flight close to something:
a flight close to a particular position or object, usually by a space vehicle
to a planet, usually for observation purposes[1]



fly-by-night

fly-by-night
fly-by-night 
adjective

1.  unscrupulous
in business: unscrupulous or not creditworthy in
business or commerce

2.  ephemeral:
not lasting long
noun
(plural fly-by-nights) fly-by-night fly-by-night·er

1.  absconding
debtor:
somebody who leaves without paying debts

2.  dubious
or shaky business: a business with financial
problems or a bad reputation
[From the tactic of sneaking
away at night in order to avoid paying debts][1]



fly-by-wire

fly-by-wire
fly-by-wire
noun

electronic control system:
an aircraft flight control system that has electronic rather than mechanical
controls[1]



flycatcher

flycatcher
fly·catch·er 
[fl kàchər] (plural fly·catch·ers)
noun

1.  insect-eating
songbird:
a songbird that has a slender bill and feeds on insects caught in flight.
Families: Muscicapidae Tyrannidae

2.  American
bird:
any similar American bird of the Tyrannidae family.
Also
called
tyrant flycatcher

[1]



fly-drive

fly-drive
fly-drive
adjective

with flight and rental car:
including a flight and a rental car at the destination[1]



flyer

flyer
fly·er 
(plural fly·ers) noun

See
flier[1]



fly-fish

fly-fish
fly-fish 
intransitive verb

fish
with artificial fly: to fish using a rod, reel,
and line and a fishhook lure meant to resemble a fly
—fly-fish·er,
noun

—fly-fish·ing, noun[1]



flyfisherman

flyfisherman
fly·fish·er·man
(plural fly·fish·er·men) noun

fly-fisher:
somebody who fishes using a rod, reel, line, and fishhook lure meant to
resemble a fly[1]



flyfront

flyfront
fly
front
(plural fly fronts) noun

opening with fold:
an opening at the front of a garment, with a fold of fabric that covers a
zipper or row of buttons[1]



flygallery

flygallery
fly
gal·ler·y
noun

platform above stage:
a hidden platform above a stage from where objects suspended from the flies are
controlled[1]



flyin

flyin
fly
in
intransitive verb

arrive by plane:
to arrive by aircraft[1]



flying

flying
fly·ing 
[fl ing] adjective

1.  AIR BIRDS able to fly:
capable of flight

2.  moving
fast:
moving very quickly

3.  passing
quickly:
happening or passing very quickly

4.  SAILING not
held at edge: held at the corners only, not the edge (refers
to a sail)
noun

AIR air
travel:
travel by aircraft, or the piloting of aircraft





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Flying Dutchman, an opera by German composer Richard Wagner ( 1843 ). The
  protagonist of this three-act composition is a Dutch seaman who, as a result
  of an act of blasphemy, has been condemned to roam the oceans until he is
  saved by the love of a woman. In Norway, he meets Senta, who commits a
  desperate act of faith that results in his redemption.

[1]



flyingboat

flyingboat
fly·ing
boat
(plural fly·ing boats) noun

seaplane with boat-shaped
fuselage: a seaplane with a fuselage
that acts like a boat’s hull and provides buoyancy on water[1]



flyingbomb

flyingbomb
fly·ing
bomb
(plural fly·ing bombs) noun

powered bomb:
any explosive robot plane, guided missile, or rocket bomb (informal)[1]



flyingbridge

flyingbridge
fly·ing
bridge
(plural fly·ing bridges) noun

control area on boat:
an open deck of a boat or ship with a secondary set of navigational devices.
Also called
fly bridge[1]



flyingbuttress

flyingbuttress

fly·ing but·tress
(plural fly·ing but·tress·es) noun
support outside cathedral:
an exterior support for a wall ( buttress )
that sticks out from the wall and is typically arch-shaped, often used in
Gothic cathedrals to withstand the outward thrust of the very high walls[1]



flyingcolors

flyingcolors
fly·ing
col·orswith flying colors

very successfully[1]



flyingdragon

flyingdragon
fly·ing
drag·on
(plural fly·ing drag·ons) noun

See
flying lizard[1]



flyingfield

flyingfield
fly·ing
field
(plural fly·ing fields) noun

field for light aircraft:
a small airfield from which aircraft, usually light aircraft, can operate[1]



flyingfish

flyingfish
fly·ing
fish
noun

fish that leaps:
a fish found in warm or tropical seas with fins that can be held out like
wings, enabling it to glide short distances above the water. Family:
Exocoetidae[1]



flyingfox

flyingfox

fly·ing fox
noun
Australasian fruit bat:
a large Australasian fruit bat with a wingspan up to 152 cm/5 ft. Genus: Pteropus[1]



flyingfrog

flyingfrog
fly·ing
frog
(plural fly·ing frogs) noun

gliding frog:
an Asian frog that uses its webbed feet to glide between the trees in which it
lives. Latin name: Racophorus reinwardii[1]



flyinggurnard

flyinggurnard
fly·ing
gur·nard
noun

marine gliding fish:
a tropical marine fish that resembles the gurnard but has large fins enabling
it to glide short distances above the water. Family: Dactylopteridae
Also called
gurnard[1]



flyingjib

flyingjib
fly·ing
jib
(plural fly·ing jibs) noun

foremost sail:
on a boat or ship with more than one sail at the front, the foremost triangular
sail projecting from the vessel[1]



flyingleap

flyingleap
fly·ing
leap
(plural fly·ing leaps) noun

leap while running:
a jump or leap taken while running[1]



flyinglemur

flyinglemur
fly·ing
le·mur
(plural fly·ing le·murs) noun

gliding mammal:
a mammal of Southeast Asia with a flap of skin between its front and back limbs
that it uses to glide between the trees in which it lives. Family: Dermoptera
Also called
colugo[1]



flyinglizard

flyinglizard
fly·ing
liz·ard
(plural fly·ing liz·ards) noun

small gliding lizard:
a small tropical lizard with a flap of skin between its front and back limbs
that it uses to glide through the air. Genus: Draco
Also called
draco lizard
Also called
flying dragon[1]



flyingmachine

flyingmachine
fly·ing
ma·chine
(plural fly·ing ma·chines) noun

early aircraft:
an aircraft, especially a very early one (dated)[1]



flyingmare

flyingmare
fly·ing
mare
(plural fly·ing mares) noun

wrestling method:
a wrestling maneuver in which the attacker grasps the opponent’s arm and then
turns to throw the opponent over the shoulder[1]



flyingphalanger

flyingphalanger
fly·ing
pha·lan·ger
(plural fly·ing pha·lan·gers) noun

small gliding mammal:
a small Australasian marsupial that uses a flap of skin between its front and
back limbs to glide between trees. Family: Phalangeridae
Also called
petaurist[1]



flyingsaucer

flyingsaucer
fly·ing
sau·cer
(plural fly·ing sau·cers) noun

disk-shaped UFO:
a disk-shaped flying object believed to be an extraterrestrial spacecraft[1]



flyingsquad

flyingsquad
fly·ing
squad
(plural fly·ing squads) noun

police traveling quickly:
a group of troops or police officers who can be quickly deployed[1]



flyingsquirrel

flyingsquirrel
fly·ing
squir·rel
(plural fly·ing squir·rels) noun

gliding squirrel:
a nocturnal squirrel of northern Europe, North America, and Asia that uses a
flap of skin between its front and back limbs to glide between trees. Family:
Petauristinae[1]



flyingstart

flyingstart
fly·ing
start
(plural fly·ing starts) noun

start
while moving: a start of a race in which competitors
cross the starting line at racing speed.
Also
called
running start
off
to a flying start

or
off to a running startbegun or beginning very successfully[1]



flyingwedge

flyingwedge
fly·ing
wedge
(plural fly·ing wedg·es) noun

moving wedge-shaped formation
of police: a group of law-enforcement
officers in a wedge-shaped formation who are thus able to move into crowds
effectively[1]



flyingwing

flyingwing
fly·ing
wing
(plural fly·ing wings) noun

football player:
in Canadian football, the 12th player, who has a variable position behind the
scrimmage line[1]



flyinto

flyinto
fly
into
transitive verb

1.  feel
strongly and suddenly: to suddenly start feeling
and expressing a strong emotion • fly
into a rage

2.  attack
somebody physically or verbally: to attack somebody by
rushing toward that person, hitting him or her or speaking angrily

[1]



fly-kick

fly-kick
fly-kick
(plural fly-kicks) noun

mid-air kick:
in certain martial arts, a kick executed in mid-air with one leg straight and
the other flexed at the knee and hip[1]



flyleaf

flyleaf
fly·leaf 
[fl lf] (plural fly·leaves [fl lvz]) noun

first
page in book: the first page in a hardbound book,
which forms a continuous sheet with the page stuck inside the front cover
[From fly 1][1]



flyman

flyman
fly·man
[flmən] (plural fly·men) noun

stage helper:
somebody whose job is to operate scene elements from the flies in a theater[1]



flynet

flynet
fly
net
(plural fly nets) noun

protective covering:
a net or sheet of netting used to keep flying insects out of or away from
something[1]



Flynn,Errol

Flynn,Errol
Flynn
[flin], Errol (1909–1959)

Australian-born
U.S. actor. He played the swashbuckling hero in romantic costume dramas in
films such as Captain Blood ( 1935 ) and The Adventures of Robin Hood
( 1938 ).
Real name
Flynn, Leslie Thomas[1]



flyorchid

flyorchid
fly
or·chid
(plural fly or·chids) noun

European orchid:
a European orchid in which the lower part of the flower resembles an insect.
Latin name: Ophrys insectifera[1]



flyout

flyout
fly
out
intransitive verb

1.  AIR go by
plane:
to travel by plane to a particular destination or from a particular airport

2.  BASEBALL have
fly caught:
in baseball, to be put out when the ball you hit is caught by a fielder

[1]



flyover

flyover
fly·o·ver
[fl vər] (plural fly·o·vers)
noun

1.  AIR ceremonial
flight made by aircraft: the flight of an aircraft or
formation of aircraft over a place as a spectacle for people on the ground.
U.K.
term
fly-past

2.  U.K.
TRANSPORT road
on bridge:
a bridge with a main road on it crossing another main road.
See
also
overpass

[1]



flypaper

flypaper
fly·pa·per 
[fl pàypər] (plural fly·pa·pers)
noun

sticky paper for catching
flies: paper coated with a sticky
and poisonous substance that attracts and kills flies[1]



fly-past

fly-past
fly-past 
(plural fly-pasts) noun

U.K.
AIR See flyover  noun 1
[Modeled on flyover][1]



flyrod

flyrod
fly
rod
(plural fly rods) noun

rod for fly-fishing:
a long flexible fishing rod for use in fly-fishing[1]



flysch

flysch
flysch 
[flish] or Flysch [flish] noun

sedimentary
deposit:
a thick deposit of sedimentary rock formed in marine environments by erosion of
adjacent steep mountains
[Early 19th century. From
Swiss German .][1]



flysheet

flysheet
fly
sheet
(plural fly sheets) noun

U.K.
See fly 1 noun
3[1]



flysheet

flysheet
fly·sheet 
[fl sht] (plural fly·sheets)
noun

printed matter:
printed information or advertising on a sheet or pamphlet[1]



flyspeck

flyspeck
fly·speck 
[fl spèk] noun (plural fly·specks)

1.  fly’s
feces:
a tiny mark made by a fly’s feces

2.  tiny
mark:
any tiny mark or stain
transitive
verb
(past fly·specked, past participle fly·specked, present
participle fly·speck·ing, 3rd person present singular fly·specks)

mark with flyspecks:
to mark something with the tiny spots of flies’ feces or similar stains (usually
used in the passive)

[1]



flyswatter

flyswatter
fly
swat·ter
(plural fly swat·ters) noun

tool for swatting insects:
a tool used to strike and kill insects, consisting of a long flexible handle
with a flat piece of plastic net attached[1]



flytrap

flytrap
fly·trap 
[fl tràp] (plural fly·traps) noun

1.  PLANTS See Venus flytrap

2.  fly-catching
device:
a device for catching flies

[1]



fly-tying

fly-tying
fly-ty·ing 
noun

making
flies for angling: the making of artificial
flies that can be used to catch fish
—fly-ti·er, noun[1]



flyway

flyway
fly·way 
[fl wày] (plural fly·ways) noun

birds’ migration route:
a route taken by migrating birds[1]



flyweight

flyweight
fly·weight 
[fl wàyt] (plural fly·weights)
noun

lightest boxer:
a boxer of the lightest weight in professional competition, up to 51 kg112 lbs[1]



flywheel

flywheel

fly·wheel 
[fl wl, fl
hwl] (plural fly·wheels) noun
heavy wheel smoothing machine’s
operation: a heavy wheel or disk that
helps to maintain a constant speed of rotation in a machine or to store energy.

Also called
fly 1[1]



flânerie

flânerie
flâ·ne·rie
[flaan r, flaanə
r] noun

aimless
strolling:
aimless idling or strolling (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
French, from flâner “to stroll, lounge around.”][1]



flâneur

flâneur
flâ·neur
[flaa núr] (plural flâ·neurs) noun

idler:
somebody who is idling or loafing about (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from flâner (see flânerie ).][1]



flèche

flèche

flèche 
[flesh, flaysh]
(plural flèches) or fleche [flesh, flaysh] (plural
fleches) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE slender
church spire: a slender spire, especially one that
emerges from the roof of a church at the point where the ridges intersect.
Also
called
spirelet

2.  ARCHITECTURE buttress
feature:
a joint at the top of a buttress, designed to add weight and assist in
transferring load from roof to ground

3.  MILITARY pointed
fortification: a fortification with two faces that form
a jutting angle
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “arrow,” from Old French fleche (see fletcher ). Sense 2 of flèche,
the earliest modern sense, dates from the early 18th century.][1]



fléchette

fléchette
flé·chette 
[flay shét, fle
shét] (plural flé·chettes) or flé·chette [flay shét, fle shét]
(plural flé·chettes) noun

part
of antipersonnel missile: a small arrow or dart used
in various kinds of missiles or projectiles intended to kill or injure people
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “little arrow,” from flèche (see flèche ).][1]



flügelhorn

flügelhorn


flü·gel·horn 
[flg’l hàwrn] (plural flü·gel·horn)
or flu·gel·horn [flg’l hàwrn]
(plural flu·gel·horns) noun
brass
instrument with valves: a brass instrument with
valves, similar to a cornet but with a larger bell
[Mid-19th
century. From German Flügelhorn, literally “wing horn”; from its use to
signal to beaters on the flanks in a shoot.]
—flü·gel·horn·ist, noun[1]



fm

fm
fm

1.  fm.
Abbreviation of fathom

2.  Abbreviation
of
from

[1]



F.M.

F.M.
F.M.

Abbreviation of
field marshal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FM

FM
FM

1.  (plural
FMs) Abbreviation of field manual

2.  AERON Abbreviation of figure of merit

3.  fm.
RADIO Abbreviation of frequency modulation

[1]



Fm

Fm
Fm

Symbol for
fermium[1]



FMB

FMB
FMB

Abbreviation of
Federal Maritime Board[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FMCS

FMCS
FMCS

Abbreviation of
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service[1]



Fmk

Fmk
Fmk
or FMk

Abbreviation of
Finnish markka[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fml.

fml.
fml.

Abbreviation of
formal[1]



FMS

FMS
FMS

1.  AIR Abbreviation of
flight management system

2.  PSYCHOLOGY Abbreviation of
false memory syndrome

[1]



FMVSS

FMVSS
FMVSS

Abbreviation of
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards[1]



fn.

fn.
fn.

Abbreviation of
footnote[1]



FN

FN
FN
(plural FNs)

Abbreviation of
foreign national[1]



fndr.

fndr.
fndr.

Abbreviation of
founder[1]



FNMA

FNMA
FNMA

Abbreviation of
Federal National Mortgage Association[1]



f-number

f-number
f-num·ber 
(plural f-num·bers) noun

PHOTOGRAPHY camera
lens setting: the ratio of the focal length to the
effective diameter of a camera lens.
Also
called
focal ratio Symbol f Symbol f/
[f shortening of focal][1]



FO

FO
FO
or F.O.

1.  FO
or F.O. Abbreviation of field-grade
officer

2.  Abbreviation
of
field order

3.  Abbreviation
of
finance officer

4.  FO
or F/O. Abbreviation of flight officer

5.  Abbreviation
of
flying officer

[1]



F.O.

F.O.
F.O.

Abbreviation of
field-grade officer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fo.

fo.
fo.

Abbreviation of
folio[1]



foal

foal
foal 
[fōl] noun (plural foals)

young
horse:
an unweaned horse or related animal
intransitive
and transitive verb (past foaled, past
participle foaled, present participle foal·ing, 3rd
person present singular foals)

give
birth:
to give birth to a foal
[Old English fola .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “small,” also the ancestor of
English few, poor, and filly
.][1]



foam

foam
foam 
[fōm] noun

1.  mass
of bubbles:
a mass of bubbles of gas or air on the surface of a liquid

2.  thick
frothy substance: a thick but light mixture that contains
a lot of tiny bubbles • Beat
the egg whites into a foam.

3.  fire-extinguishing
substance:
a thick chemical froth used to extinguish flames

4.  material
containing bubbles: rubber, plastic, or other
material filled with many small bubbles of air to make it soft or light

5.  frothy
saliva:
frothy saliva produced as a result of exertion or disease

6.  sea:
the sea (literary)
verb
(past foamed, past participle foamed, present
participle foam·ing, 3rd person present singular foams)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
bubbles:
to produce a mass of bubbles

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
frothy saliva: to produce foam from the mouth

3.  intransitive
verb
be
angry:
to express great anger (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
teem:
to be packed with people (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
fill
with bubbles: to transform a material into foam by
aerating it in liquid form and then solidifying it
[Old
English fām . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English spume and pumice .]
foam
at the mouth

to produce foam from the
mouth as a result of exertion, illness, or anger[1]



foamedslag

foamedslag
foamed
slag
noun

aerated furnace slag:
slag from a blast furnace that is aerated while it is still molten, used as a
building or insulation material[1]



foamflower

foamflower
foam·flow·er 
[fṓm flòwr] (plural foam·flow·ers)
noun

plant with white flowers:
a perennial woodland plant in eastern North America with clusters of small
white flowers and indented leaves shaped like those of the maple. Latin name: Tiarella
cordifolia
Also called
false miterwort[1]



foamrubber

foamrubber
foam
rub·ber
noun

spongy material:
rubber that has been aerated to form a spongy material, used for mattresses,
padding, and insulation[1]



foamy

foamy
foam·y 
[fṓmee] (comparative foam·i·er,
superlative foam·i·est) adjective

having
foam:
covered with, full of, or consisting of foam
—foam·i·ly,
adverb

—foam·i·ness, noun[1]



fob

fob
fob
[fob] (plural fobs) noun

1.  chain
for pocket watch: a chain or ribbon used to attach a
pocket watch to a vest

2.  ornament
on key ring: an ornament attached to a key ring

3.  ornament
on chain:
a watch or ornament worn on the end of a chain or ribbon attached to clothing

4.  pocket
for watch:
a small pocket for a watch on a vest
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German dialect.][1]



f.o.b.

f.o.b.1
f.o.b.1 or F.O.B.

Abbreviation of
free on board[1]



f.o.b.

f.o.b.2
f.o.b.2 or F.O.B. or
fob or FOB

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of free on board[1]



foboff

foboff
fob
off
transitive verb

1.  mislead
so as to stall questioning: to give false or inadequate
information to somebody in order to stop further questions

2.  give
something inferior to: to provide somebody with
something different from and inferior to what the person wanted

3.  give
something unwanted to: to pass something unwanted
to somebody else, using deceitful persuasion
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete fob “to deceive,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from German foppen “to deceive.”][1]



fobwatch

fobwatch
fob
watch
(plural fob watch·es) noun

pocket watch:
a round watch kept in a special pocket on a vest[1]



f.o.c.

f.o.c.
f.o.c.
or F.O.C. or foc or FOC

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of free of charge[1]



focaccia

focaccia
fo·cac·cia
noun

flat
Italian bread: a type of flat Italian bread, sprinkled
with a topping before baking, and served hot or cold
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from assumed Vulgar Latin focacia, from, ultimately, Latin focus
(see focus ). The underlying idea is of
something baked in the hearth.][1]



focal

focal
fo·cal 
[fṓk’l] adjective

1.  principal:
main and most important

2.  relating
to focusing image: relating to bringing an
image into focus

3.  at
or from focal point: located at, passing through,
or measured from, a focal point
—fo·cal·ly, adverb[1]



focaldistance

focaldistance
fo·cal
dis·tance
noun

See
focal length[1]



focalinfection

focalinfection
fo·cal
in·fec·tion
(plural fo·cal in·fec·tions) noun

localized infection:
a bacterial infection in one part of the body that may cause symptoms elsewhere
in the body[1]



focalize

focalize
fo·cal·ize 
[fṓk’l z] (past fo·cal·ized, past
participle fo·cal·ized, present participle fo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fo·cal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb focus:
to focus something or bring something into focus

2.  transitive
verb
localize
something:
to limit something to a local area
—fo·cal·i·za·tion [fk’li záysh’n], noun[1]



focallength

focallength
fo·cal
length
noun

distance from lens to focal
point: the distance from the center
of a lens or the surface of a mirror to the point at which light passing
through the lens or reflected from the mirror is focused.
Also called
focal distance Symbol f[1]



focal-planeshutter

focal-planeshutter
fo·cal-plane
shut·ter
(plural fo·cal-plane shut·ters) noun

shutter next to film:
a camera shutter positioned just in front of the film, as opposed to one built
into the lens[1]



focalpoint

focalpoint
fo·cal
point
(plural fo·cal points) noun

1.  point
where rays from lens converge: the point at which
parallel rays meeting a lens, curved mirror, or other optical system converge
or appear to diverge.
Also
called
focus
Also
called
principal focus

2.  center
of attention: somebody or something receiving
concentrated attention, or to which attention is drawn

[1]



focalratio

focalratio
fo·cal
ra·tio
noun

See
f-number[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








focus

focus
fo·cus 
[fṓkəss] noun

1.  main
emphasis:
concentrated effort or attention on a particular thing • The
committee’s focus must be on finding solutions to the problem.

2.  (plural
fo·cus·es) area of concern:
an area of concern, responsibility, or investigation • an
inquiry with a narrow focus

3.  concentrated
quality:
a concentrated and unified quality • to
bring focus to the problem

4.  sharpness
of image:
the quality of being sharply defined with clear edges and contrast

5.  seeing
sharply:
the condition of seeing sharply and clearly

6.  (plural
fo·ci) See focal point

7.  (plural
fo·ci) MEDICINE disease
origin:
the point from which a disease spreads, or where it localizes

8.  (plural
fo·ci) GEOGRAPHY NUCLEAR PHYSICS earthquake
origin:
the point of origin within the earth of an earthquake or underground nuclear
explosion

9.  (plural
fo·ci) MATHEMATICS point
on cone:
a fixed point in a plane that in combination with a particular straight line
specifies a conic section. For any point on the conic section the ratio of the
distance from the focus to the nearest point on the line is constant.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fo·cused
or fo·cussed, past participle fo·cused or fo·cussed,
present participle fo·cus·ing or fo·cus·sing, 3rd
person present singular fo·cus·es or fo·cus·ses)

1.  concentrate
mainly on something: to give your main attention
to one thing or one aspect of a thing

2.  adjust
vision to see clearly: to adjust your vision so
that you see clearly and sharply, or to become adjusted for clear vision

3.  adjust
lens:
to adjust a lens so that the image viewed is clear and sharp
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin focus “hearth, fireplace” (source also of English foyer and fuel
), perhaps because it was the “center” of the home.]
—fo·cus·a·ble,
adjective

—fo·cus·er, noun[1]



focused

focused
fo·cused
[fṓkəst] or fo·cussed [fṓkəst] adjective

1.  concentrated:
concentrated on a single thing

2.  single-minded:
single-minded and determined

[1]



focusgroup

focusgroup
fo·cus
group
(plural fo·cus groups) noun

representative survey group:
a small group of representative people who are questioned about their opinions
as part of political or market research[1]



FOD

FOD
FOD
abbreviation

TECHNOLOGY
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Abbr for
fax-on-demand[1]



fodder

fodder
fod·der 
[fóddər] noun

1.  animal
food:
hay, straw, and similar food for livestock

2.  material
for stimulating response: people, ideas, or images
that are useful in stimulating a creative or critical response

3.  expendable
people or things: people or things regarded as the
necessary but expendable ingredient that makes a system or scheme work (usually
used in combination) • case
studies seized upon as thesis fodder
transitive
verb
(past fod·dered, past participle fod·dered, present
participle fod·der·ing, 3rd person present singular fod·ders)

feed livestock:
to give food to livestock
[Old
English fōdor . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to feed,”
which is also the ancestor of English food,
foster, repast,
and companion .]
—fod·der·er, noun[1]



foe

foe
foe 
[fō] (plural foes) noun

enemy:
an enemy or opponent of somebody or something (literary)
[Old English gefā .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “hostile,” which is also the
ancestor of English fey, feud, and fickle
.][1]



FOE

FOE
FOE
or FoE

Abbreviation of
Fraternal Order of Eagles[1]



foehn

foehn
foehn
[fayn, fön]
or föhn [fayn, fön] noun

warm
wind:
a warm dry wind blowing down the lee slope of a mountain range, originally and
especially the Alps
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from, ultimately, Latin favonius “west wind,” from favere “to
favor, be well disposed toward.”][1]



foetal

foetal
foe·tal 
adjective

See
fetal[1]



foetid

foetid
foe·tid 
adjective

See
fetid[1]



foetor

foetor
foe·tor 
noun

See
fetor[1]



foetus

foetus
foe·tus 
noun

See
fetus[1]



fog

fog
fog
[fawg, fog]
noun

1.  thick
mist:
condensed water vapor in the air at or near ground level

2.  cloud
of something: a cloud of something in the air, for
example, smoke, that reduces visibility

3.  hazy
confusion:
a state of confusion or lack of clarity

4.  obscuring
agent:
something that serves to obscure or conceal • a
fog of excuses

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY blurred
area:
an area on a photograph that is unclear or obscured by stray light

6.  CHEMISTRY suspended
particles:
a cloud or suspension of liquid particles
verb
(past fogged, past participle fogged, present
participle fog·ging, 3rd person present singular fogs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become obscured: to cause condensation to
form on a transparent surface, or to become covered with condensation

2.  transitive
verb
make
unclear:
to make something unclear or confused

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHOTOGRAPHY expose something to
light:
to contaminate film or a developing image with light, usually accidentally, or
to undergo this process
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]
—fogged, adjective[1]



fogbank

fogbank
fog
bank
(plural fog banks) noun

mass of thick fog:
a mass of thick fog, especially at sea[1]



fogbound

fogbound
fog·bound 
[fáwg bòwnd, fóg
bòwnd] adjective

1.  stopped
by fog:
unable to move or operate because of visibility diminished by fog

2.  shrouded
in fog:
enveloped in fog

[1]



fogbow

fogbow
fog·bow 
[fáwg b, fóg b]
(plural fog·bows) noun

arc
of light in fog: a faint arc of light seen in fog
opposite the sun.
Also
called
seadog
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
rainbow .][1]



fogdog

fogdog
fog·dog 
[fáwg dàwg, fóg
dòg] (plural fog·dogs) noun

bright
spot on horizon: a bright white spot seen in breaking fog
near the horizon
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
sun dog .][1]



fogey

fogey
fo·gey 
[fṓgee] noun

See
fogy[1]



foggy

foggy
fog·gy 
[fáwgee, fóggee]
(comparative fog·gi·er, superlative fog·gi·est) adjective

1.  characterized
by fog:
filled with or obscured by fog

2.  vague:
very unclear or hazy • We
only had a foggy idea of the visitor’s name.

3.  visually
unclear:
obscured or translucent because of a covering of condensation or something
similar
—fog·gi·ly,
adverb

—fog·gi·ness, noun[1]



FoggyBottom

FoggyBottom
Fog·gy
Bot·tom 
noun

U.S.
Department of State: the U.S. Department of State
in Washington, D.C. (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Originally
referring to the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., which often produces local
fog, the name later becoming a humorous pun on the government’s policies.][1]



foghorn

foghorn

fog·horn 
[fáwg hàwrn, fóg
hàwrn] (plural fog·horns) noun
warning of fog:
a horn sounded on a ship or boat when fog reduces visibility, as a warning to
other vessels[1]



foglight

foglight
fog
light
(plural fog lights) noun

light on car for fog:
a front or rear light on a car with a beam designed to penetrate fog[1]



fogy

fogy
fo·gy
[fṓgee] (plural fo·gies) or
fo·gey [fṓgee] (plural fo·geys)
noun

old-fashioned
person:
an old-fashioned person who resists change or novelty
[Late
18th century. From Scots, of uncertain origin.]
—fo·gy·ish,
adjective

—fo·gy·ism, noun[1]



FOIA

FOIA
FOIA

Abbreviation of
Freedom of Information Act[1]



foible

foible
foi·ble 
[fóyb’l] (plural foi·bles) noun

1.  weakness
or quirk:
an idiosyncrasy or small weakness (usually used in the plural)

2.  FENCING blade
part:
the weakest part of a sword blade from the middle to the point
[Mid-17th century. Via
obsolete French foible from Old French feble (see feeble ).][1]



foiegras

foiegras
foie
gras
noun

goose
liver:
goose liver swollen by force-feeding the bird on corn before slaughter. It is
usually eaten in the form of pâté.
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “fatted liver.”][1]



foil

foil1
foil1 [foyl]
noun (plural foils)

1.  metal
in thin sheets: metal in a thin flexible sheet

2.  metal
coating on mirror: the thin reflective metal
coating on the back of a mirror

3.  good
contrast:
a useful or interesting contrast to something

4.  SHIPPING See hydrofoil  noun 2

5.  AIR See airfoil

6.  ARCHITECTURE arc
in Gothic window: an arc at the top of a Gothic window
transitive
verb
(past foiled, past participle foiled, present
participle foil·ing, 3rd person present singular foils)

cover with foil:
to cover or coat something with foil
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin folium “leaf” and folia “leaves.”][1]



foil

foil3
foil3 [foyl]
(plural foils) noun

sword
for fencing: a long thin sword with a small disc on
the end, used in fencing
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



foil

foil2
foil2 [foyl]
(past foiled, past participle foiled, present
participle foil·ing, 3rd person present singular foils,
plural foils) transitive verb

1.  thwart
somebody’s success: to prevent somebody from
succeeding in something

2.  HUNTING obscure
trail:
to obscure the trail of prey in order to hinder pursuers
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps partly from French fouler “to full cloth,” and partly
from an early variant of defile .][1]



foils

foils
foils
noun

fencing
with foils:
the art or sport of fencing with foils (takes a singular verb)
—foils·man [fóylzmən], noun[1]



foist

foist
foist 
[foyst] (past foist·ed, past
participle foist·ed, present participle foist·ing, 3rd
person present singular foists) transitive verb

1.  impose
on somebody: to force somebody to accept something
undesirable

2.  insert
surreptitiously: to introduce or insert something
surreptitiously

3.  give
somebody something inferior: to give somebody something
inferior on the pretence that it is genuine, valuable, or desirable
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch dialect vuisten “to hold in one’s hand”
(as when hiding dice), from Middle Dutch vuist “fist.”][1]



Fokine,Michel

Fokine,Michel
Fo·kine
[faw kn, fō kn],
Michel (1880–1942)

Russian-born
U.S. dancer and choreographer. His work revitalized traditional classical
ballet by introducing increased expression into the predominantly technical
dance form.
Born
Fokine, Mikhail Mikhaylovich[1]



fol.

fol.
fol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
folio

2.  Abbreviation
of
followed

3.  fol.
Abbreviation of following

[1]



folacin

folacin
fol·a·cin 
[fólləsin] noun

See
folic acid
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from folic acid + -in
.][1]



folate

folate
fo·late 
[fṓ làyt] (plural fo·lates) noun

1.  See
folic acid

2.  folic
acid derivative: a salt or ester of folic acid
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from folic acid + -ate
.][1]



fold

fold2
fold2 [fōld]
noun (plural folds)

1.  group
with things in common: a group to which something
or somebody naturally belongs because of shared interests or traits

2.  enclosed
area for sheep: an enclosed area where sheep or other
livestock can be kept

3.  enclosed
animals:
sheep or other livestock in a fold

4.  flock:
a flock of sheep
transitive
verb
(past fold·ed, past participle fold·ed, present
participle fold·ing, 3rd person present singular folds)

enclose livestock:
to enclose livestock safely
[Old English fald, of
unknown origin][1]



fold

fold1
fold1 [fōld]
verb (past fold·ed, past participle fold·ed,
present participle fold·ing, 3rd person present singular folds)

1.  transitive
verb
bend
flat:
to bend something thin and flat over on itself

2.  transitive
verb
make
smaller by folding: to bend something over on
itself more than once

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
to make compact: to bend part of something so as to make
it more streamlined or more compact • a
bicycle that folds to fit into the car

4.  transitive
verb
bend
limbs together: to draw in the arms, legs, or hands
toward the body or place them together with the joints bent

5.  transitive
verb
bring
wings together: to bring the wings together or next to
the body

6.  transitive
verb
cover:
to wrap or cover something • folded
the note inside a magazine

7.  transitive
verb
put
arms around: to put your arms around somebody

8.  intransitive
verb
go
out of business: to fail and stop operating as a business

9.  intransitive
verb
accept
defeat:
to give in and accept defeat • folded
when he saw how many opposed him

10. intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES give
up hand:
in poker and other games, to stop playing your hand in the belief that it
cannot win

11. intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY bend rock:
to cause a layer of rock to bend, or to undergo this process
noun
(plural folds)

1.  bent
part:
a part of something folded

2.  crease:
a line, crease, or raised part made when something has been folded

3.  hanging
folded part: a part of something that hangs in a
folded shape • the
folds of his cassock

4.  coil:
a single coil in a rope or a snake lying in coils

5.  GEOLOGY bend
in rock:
a bend formed in a rock layer in response to forces in the rock

6.  U.K.
small
valley:
a small valley in a hilly area
[Old
English fealdan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
fold,” which is also the ancestor of the -ple of English triple, quadruple,
etc.]
—fold·a·ble, adjective[1]



-fold

-fold
-fold
suffix

1.  divided
into parts • manifold

2.  times
• tenfold
[Old English -feald ;
related to fealdan (see fold )][1]



foldaway

foldaway
fold·a·way 
[fṓldə wày] adjective

made to be folded:
designed to be folded for compact storage[1]



foldboat

foldboat
fold·boat 
[fṓld bt] (plural fold·boats)
noun

collapsible
boat:
a boat like a kayak consisting of a waterproof fabric that covers a collapsible
frame.
Also
called
faltboat
U.K.
term
faltboat
[Early 20th century.
Translation of German Faltboot .][1]



folder

folder
fold·er 
[fṓldər] (plural fold·ers) noun

1.  folded
cardboard to hold papers: a piece of cardboard folded
to make a file in which papers can be held

2.  COMPUTING file
container:
a conceptual container for computer files in some operating systems,
corresponding to a directory or subdirectory

3.  folded
pamphlet:
a circular printed on folded paper

[1]



folderol

folderol
fol·de·rol 
[fóldə ràwl] (plural fol·de·rols)
or fal·de·ral [fldə rl] (plural
fal·de·rals) noun

1.  silly
nonsense (dated)

2.  trinket:
an attractive but valueless object or trinket
[Early 19th century. From fol
de rol, a nonsense refrain in songs.][1]



foldin

foldin
fold
in
transitive verb

add ingredient carefully:
to add a food ingredient to a mixture carefully and lightly[1]



folding

folding
fold·ing
[fṓlding] adjective

designed to be folded:
designed to be folded for compact storage[1]



foldingdoor

foldingdoor
fold·ing
door 
(plural fold·ing doors) noun

door that opens by folding:
a door consisting of hinged panels that fold against each other[1]



foldingmoney

foldingmoney
fold·ing
mon·ey
noun

paper money:
money in the form of bills rather than coins (informal)[1]



foldingpress

foldingpress
fold·ing
press
(plural fold·ing press·es) noun

wrestling maneuver:
a wrestling maneuver in which the opponent is pressed into a fetal position and
held down[1]



foldout

foldout
fold·out 
[fṓld òwt] noun

1.  See
gatefold

2.  furniture
with folding part: a piece of furniture, or
part of it, that unfolds and opens out of its stored position for use
adjective

designed to fold:
used to describe a piece of furniture, or part of it, that is designed to be
unfolded and opened out for use

[1]



foldup

foldup
fold·up 
[fṓld up] adjective

designed
to be folded: designed to be folded for compact
storage
noun
(plural fold·ups)

end of business:
a failure of a business • foldups
brought on by adverse economic conditions[1]



foldup

foldup
fold
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fold
completely:
to fold something completely, or to become folded completely

2.  intransitive
verb
collapse:
to collapse from laughter, pain, or strong emotion

[1]



foleyartist

foleyartist
fo·ley
art·ist
(plural fo·ley art·ists) noun

sound
effects person: somebody who adds sound effects to a
filmed or taped performance as part of the postproduction process
[From the name of Jack Foley,
the U.S. sound engineer who developed modern techniques of adding sound
effects][1]



Foley,Thomas

Foley,Thomas

Fo·ley
[fṓlee], Thomas (1929– )
U.S.
politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from
Washington State (1965–1995) and was Speaker of the House (1989–1995).
Full name
Foley, Thomas Stephen[1]



foliaceous

foliaceous
fo·li·a·ceous 
[flee áyshəss] adjective

1.  of
or resembling a leaf: relating to or resembling a
plant leaf or leaves

2.  bearing
leaves:
bearing leaves or similar structures
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin foliaceus, from folium “leaf.”][1]



foliage

foliage
fo·li·age 
[fṓlee ij, fṓlij]
noun

1.  leaves:
the leaves of a plant or tree

2.  leafy
decoration:
decoration consisting of, or like, plant leaves

3.  ARCHITECTURE building
ornamentation: architectural ornamentation based on
leaves and stems
[Mid-15th
century. Alteration (influenced by Latin folium ) of Old French foillage,
from foille “leaf,” from Latin folium “leaf.”]
—fo·li·aged, adjective[1]



foliageplant

foliageplant
fo·li·age
plant
(plural fo·li·age plants) noun

GARDENING
plant with attractive leaves:
a plant cultivated for its good-looking leaves[1]



foliar

foliar
fo·li·ar 
[fṓlee ər] adjective

of
leaves:
relating to, producing, or being the leaves of a plant
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin foliaris, from Latin folium “leaf.”][1]



foliate

foliate
fo·li·ate 
adjective [fṓlee ət, fṓlee àyt]

1.  of
or like leaves: relating to or resembling leaves

2.  GEOLOGY See foliated  adjective 1

3.  leaf-shaped:
in the shape of a leaf
verb
[fṓlee àyt] (past fo·li·at·ed,
past participle fo·li·at·ed, present participle fo·li·at·ing,
3rd person present singular fo·li·ates)

1.  transitive
verb
decorate
with leaves: to decorate something with leaves or
very thin layers

2.  transitive
verb
make
metal into foil: to form metal into a thin sheet or foil

3.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING number
a book’s pages: to number the leaves of a book or
manuscript

4.  intransitive
verb
develop
foliage:
to develop foliage

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb layer:
to separate something into very thin layers, or to undergo this process
[Early 17th century. The
adjective is from Latin foliatus, from folium “leaf”; the verb is
formed directly from Latin folium .][1]



-foliate

-foliate
-foliate
suffix

having
leaves • bifoliate
[From foliate][1]



foliated

foliated
fo·li·at·ed 
[fṓlee àytəd] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY layered:
formed in or composed of separable layers

2.  ARCHITECTURE decorated
with leaves or foliage: decorated with stylized
architectural leaves or foliage

[1]



foliation

foliation
fo·li·a·tion 
[flee áysh’n] noun

1.  leaf
formation:
the formation of leaves

2.  leaf
bearing:
the state of being in leaf

3.  ARCHITECTURE ornamentation:
architectural ornamentation consisting of stylized foliage

4.  ARCHITECTURE Gothic
window decoration: architectural decoration
consisting of carving between two arches ( cusps
) and arcs ( foils ) at the top of Gothic
windows

5.  PUBLISHING numbering
of sheets:
the numbering of consecutive leaves in a book or manuscript

6.  GEOLOGY rock
texture:
a characteristic of metamorphosed rocks in which minerals are aligned in one
direction so that the rock can readily be split into thin layers

7.  leaf
decoration:
decoration with a design based on leaves

[1]



folicacid

folicacid
fo·lic
ac·id 
noun

B
vitamin:
a vitamin of the B complex, found in green vegetables, fruit, and liver.
Also
called
folacin
Also
called
follate
[Folic formed from Latin folium
“leaf”, because the vitamin is found in leafy green vegetables][1]



folieà deux

folieà deux
fo·lie
à deux 
(plural fo·lies à deux) noun

shared
psychiatric disorder: a psychiatric disorder with
symptoms common to two people who are very close. Often only one person
actually has a disorder, the other choosing to share the symptoms or delusions
of the first.
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “dual delusion.”][1]



folio

folio
fo·li·o 
[fṓlee ] noun (plural fo·li·os)

1.  large
book or manuscript: a book or manuscript in the
largest size usual for books, about 12 × 15 in

2.  large
sheet for book: a large sheet of paper that folds to
give four pages

3.  page
numbered on front: a paper or parchment page
that is numbered on the front but not the back

4.  page
number:
a page number (technical)

5.  LAW measurement
for legal documents: a unit for measuring the
length of legal documents, usually 100 words in the U.S. and 72 or 90 in
Britain

6.  ACCOUNTING ledger
page:
a page, or two facing pages, of a ledger
transitive
verb
(past fo·li·oed, past participle fo·li·oed, present
participle fo·li·o·ing, 3rd person present singular fo·li·os)

number pages: to
number the pages in a book
adjective

large-format:
printed in folio size
[Mid-15th century. From late
Latin folio, literally “at the page,” from Latin folium “leaf,
page.”][1]



foliose

foliose
fo·li·ose 
[fṓlee ss] adjective

with
flat body like leaf: used to describe the body ( thallus ) of a lichen or similar plant that is
thin, flattened, and lobed like a leaf
[Early 18th century. From
Latin foliosus, from folium “leaf.”][1]



folk

folk
folk 
[fōk] plural noun

1.  folk
or folks people in general:
people, especially people of the same type (both forms take a plural verb)

2.  folks
used
to address people: used to address a group of
people informally (informal) • Folks,
we’re ready to start now.

3.  folks
parents
or relatives: parents or close family
noun

MUSIC See folk music
adjective

1.  traditional
in community: traditional or passed down in a
community or country

2.  relating
to ideas of ordinary people: coming from the traditional
beliefs or ideas of ordinary people
[Old English folc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fill,” which is also the
ancestor of English fill, full, and possibly plebeian
.][1]



folkart

folkart
folk
art
noun

naive style of art:
paintings and decorative objects made in a naive style[1]



folkdance

folkdance
folk
dance
(plural folk danc·es) noun

1.  traditional
dance:
a dance that is traditional to a culture, community, or country

2.  music
for traditional dance: a piece of music that
accompanies a traditional folk dance

[1]



folketymology

folketymology
folk
et·y·mol·o·gy noun

1.  replacement
of unknown word: the replacement of an unfamiliar word or
form by a more familiar one. An example is the replacement of girasole
with Jerusalem in Jerusalem artichoke .

2.  incorrect
origin for word: an idea about the origin of a word that
is generally believed but is wrong

[1]



folkhero

folkhero
folk
he·ro
noun

figure of popular culture:
somebody who attains legendary status among the public[1]



folkie

folkie
folk·ie 
[fṓkee] (plural folk·ies) noun
(informal)

1.  folk
singer:
a folk singer or musician

2.  folk
music enthusiast: a fan of folk music

[1]



folklore

folklore
folk·lore 
[fṓk làwr] noun

1.  traditional
local stories: traditional stories and explanations
passed down in a community or country

2.  local
legends:
stories and gossip that become traditional within a group of people

3.  ETHNOLOGY study
of traditions: the study of traditional stories, music,
and customs
[Mid-19th
century]
—folk·lor·ic, adjective[1]



folklorist

folklorist
folk·lor·ist
[fṓk làwrist] (plural folk·lor·ists)
noun

somebody
who studies folklore: somebody who studies the
traditional stories, music, and customs of a particular culture or community,
or these phenomena generally
—folk·lor·is·tic [fk law rístik], adjective[1]



folkmass

folkmass
folk
mass
(plural folk mass·es) noun

mass with folk music:
a Christian mass in which folk music replaces some or all of the traditional
music[1]



folkmedicine

folkmedicine
folk
med·i·cine
noun

traditional medicine:
medicine based on traditional customs and belief. It often uses herbal remedies
and is usually practiced by healers not trained in conventional medicine.[1]



folkmemory

folkmemory
folk
mem·o·ry
noun

collective memory:
a memory kept alive by a community and passed from one generation to the next[1]



folkmusic

folkmusic
folk
mu·sic
noun

1.  traditional
songs and music: traditional songs and music, passed from
one generation to the next

2.  modern
music in traditional style: modern music composed in
imitation of traditional music

[1]



folk-rock

folk-rock
folk-rock
noun

hybrid pop music:
popular music that combines the melodies of folk music with the rhythms of rock
music[1]



folksinger

folksinger
folk
sing·er
(plural folk sing·ers) noun

performer
of folk songs: somebody who sings traditional or modern
folk songs
—folk sing·ing, noun[1]



folksong

folksong
folk
song
(plural folk songs) noun

1.  traditional
song:
a traditional song that has been passed down orally

2.  modern
song in traditional style: a modern song composed in
the style of traditional folk music. Modern folk songs are often performed by a
solo singer.

[1]



folksy

folksy
folk·sy 
[fṓksee] (comparative folk·si·er,
superlative folk·si·est) adjective

1.  in
style of folk traditions: simple and unsophisticated
in the tradition of folk crafts or folklore

2.  friendly:
friendly and informal

3.  affectedly
traditional: artificially or affectedly traditional
and homey
—folk·si·ly,
adverb

—folk·si·ness, noun[1]



foll.

foll.
foll.
foll. fol.

Abbreviation of
followed[1]



follicle

follicle
fol·li·cle 
[fóllik’l] (plural fol·li·cles)
noun

1.  ANATOMY small
sac:
a small anatomical sac, cavity, or gland, involved in secretion or excretion

2.  BOTANY dry
seed pod:
a dry case formed from a single fruit that splits along one side to release
seeds
[Early
15th century. From Latin folliculus “small sack,” from follis
“bellows.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to swell,” which is
also the ancestor of English belly, billow, and bulge
.]
—fol·lic·u·lar [fə líkyələr], adjective[1]



follicle-stimulatinghormone

follicle-stimulatinghormone
fol·li·cle-stim·u·lat·ing
hor·mone 
(plural fol·li·cle-stim·u·lat·ing hor·mones) noun

reproductive hormone:
a hormone that stimulates the growth of egg follicles in the ovaries and the
making of sperm in the testes[1]



folliculitis

folliculitis
fol·lic·u·li·tis 
[fə lìkyə ltəss] noun

inflammation of follicle:
inflammation of one or more follicles, especially of the hair, producing small
boils[1]



follies

follies
fol·lies
[fólleez] noun

theatrical revue:
a somewhat old-fashioned theatrical revue with elaborate costumes, music, and
dancing (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



follow

follow
fol·low 
[fóllō] (past fol·lowed, past
participle fol·lowed, present participle fol·low·ing, 3rd
person present singular fol·lows, plural fol·lows) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
after somebody/something: to come after somebody or
something in position, time, or sequence • We
had steak and salad followed by strawberries.

2.  transitive
verb
add
to something already done: to add to something already
done by doing something else, usually a related thing • She
followed her lecture with a demonstration.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
after:
to go after or behind somebody or something, moving in the same direction,
especially to find out where he, she, or it is going, or go to the same place • The
dog followed them home.

4.  transitive
verb
keep
under surveillance: to have somebody’s movements
under constant surveillance • We’ve
had the suspect followed for the past week.

5.  transitive
verb
watch
closely:
to watch, observe, or pay close attention to somebody or something • Her
eyes followed me around the room.

6.  transitive
verb
go
along:
to go along something such as a road or path • Follow
the footpath to the edge of the forest.

7.  transitive
verb
go
in same direction as: to take the same course or
go in the same direction as something else • The
road follows the river along the bottom of the valley.

8.  transitive
verb
go
as directed by: to go in the direction indicated by
something such as a signpost

9.  transitive
verb
obey:
to act in accordance with something, especially with instructions or directions
given by somebody else • If you
follow my instructions, nothing can go wrong.

10. transitive
verb
develop
in accordance with: to be or develop in
accordance with something, usually already known about or established • The
behavior of such children usually follows the same pattern.

11. transitive
verb
be
influenced by: to be led, guided, or influenced by
somebody or something • They
followed Plato in believing the material world to be essentially unreal.

12. intransitive
and transitive verb do the
same as:
to do the same as somebody or something, or take somebody or something as a
model to be imitated • She
followed her father into medicine.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb understand
something:
to understand something such as an explanation or narrative • He
couldn’t follow her explanation.

14. transitive
verb
engage
in activity: to engage in or practice something such
as a career, occupation, or lifestyle • I
decided to follow a career in law.

15. transitive
verb
keep
up to date with: to keep yourself informed about or up to
date with the progress of something you are interested in • Are
you following the television series about twins?

16. transitive
verb
be
about:
to be about somebody or something, especially to describe or depict what
happens to somebody or something over a period of time • The
story follows a typical American family.

17. intransitive
and transitive verb result
from something: to happen after and as a result of
something else • Issue too many
instructions and confusion invariably follows.

18. intransitive
and transitive verb be
logical result: to be a logical consequence of something
• That
follows logically from their decision to cancel the project.

19. transitive
verb
read
words or music: to read the words or music of something
while listening to it
[Old
English folgian, fylgan]
—fol·low·a·ble,
adjective
as
follows

as
listed or described next

follow
your nose

1.  to
go or continue straight ahead in the direction you are facing

2.  to
act in accordance with your instincts or intuition

follow
suit

1.  CARD GAMES to play a card of the
same suit as the previous player

2.  to
do the same thing as somebody else

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  follow, chase, pursue,
  tail, shadow, stalk,
  trail
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  go after follow; a general word
  used to talk about one person going after another, for example by walking
  down the street behind him or her or driving along the same route. It can be
  used whether this is deliberate or happens by chance, and does not
  necessarily suggest that the person going after the other wants or intends to
  catch up; chase; used to talk about
  one person following another and trying to reach or catch him or her. It
  usually suggests speed; pursue;
  suggesting a determination and an ongoing effort to catch up with the person
  being followed; tail; an informal
  word suggesting that somebody is following someone else secretly for purposes
  of surveillance; shadow; similar to
  “tail,” used especially to talk about the activities of spies and detectives;
  stalk; used to talk about the
  stealthy following of an animal, often by a hunter in search of prey. It is
  now also used to talk about the obsessive following of somebody and the
  harassment of that person, especially when this constitutes a criminal
  offense; trail; used to talk about
  following tracks or traces left by a person or animal, usually because the
  person or animal is no longer in sight

[1]



follower

follower
fol·low·er 
[fóllō ər] (plural fol·low·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
led by another: somebody who is led, guided, or
influenced by somebody, especially by a political or religious leader

2.  supporter:
a fan, supporter, or admirer of somebody or something, especially of a sports
team

3.  member
of entourage: a servant, attendant, or subordinate,
usually one of a number of people accompanying an important person

4.  imitator:
somebody or something that copies or imitates something else

[1]



followership

followership
fol·low·er·ship
[fóllō ər shìp] (plural fol·low·er·ships)
noun

1.  being
a follower:
the fact of being a follower, supporter, or disciple of somebody or something

2.  See
following  noun 1
[Early 20th century][1]



following

following
fol·low·ing 
[fóllō ing] adjective

1.  next:
coming after in time or sequence

2.  about
to be mentioned: about to be mentioned or listed • He
has visited the following countries: Canada, France, and Australia.

3.  moving
the same way: blowing or flowing in the same direction
as somebody or something, especially a boat or aircraft, is traveling • a
following wind
noun
(plural fol·low·ings)

1.  group
of followers: a group of people who admire or support
somebody or something over a period of time • The
band has a large following in this country.

2.  something
to be specified: the people or things about to be
mentioned or listed (takes a plural verb) • You
will need the following: a piece of wood, a saw, a hammer, and some nails.
preposition

after: after
something, or after something and as a result of it • Following
the accident it was months before he felt safe in a car.

[1]



followon

followon
follow
on
intransitive verb

continue:
to continue or resume a course of action, narrative, etc • I’ll
follow on from where you left off.[1]



follow-on

follow-on
fol·low-on
(plural fol·low-ons) adjective

continuing
or resulting: coming after as a continuation or
consequence
—fol·low-on, noun[1]



followout

followout
follow
out
transitive verb

implement or fulfill:
to carry something out in full, or to the end[1]



followshot

followshot
fol·low
shot
noun

1.  fol·low
shot
or fol·low type of shot in billiards:
in billiards and similar games, a shot that makes the cue ball continue to move
in the same direction as the target ball after striking it

2.  CINEMA shot
made with moving camera: a camera shot in which the
camera moves with the subject following alongside or behind

[1]



follow-the-leader

follow-the-leader
fol·low-the-lead·er
noun

game involving imitation:
a game in which the players, usually children, move along in a line, all
copying the actions of the person at the front[1]



followthrough

followthrough
follow
through
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  finish
doing something: to take further action as a consequence
or extension of a previous action, especially to continue something through to
completion

2.  continue
motion of swing or throw: to continue the movement of
the arm or leg past the point of contact or release after hitting, throwing, or
kicking a ball or other object in a sport

[1]



follow-through

follow-through
fol·low-through
(plural fol·low-throughs) noun

1.  continuation
and completion: further action continuing or completing
something previously done or begun • Your
follow-through on the project was less than satisfactory.

2.  concluding
part of stroke: the continuation of the movement of the
arm or leg past the point of contact or release after hitting, throwing, or
kicking a ball or other object in a sport

[1]



followup

followup
follow
up
transitive verb

1.  act
on information: to act or make further investigations on
the basis of information received • Police
are following up a new lead.

2.  do
something extra: to continue or add to something already
done by doing some related thing • I
followed up my phone call with a letter of confirmation.

[1]



follow-up

follow-up
fol·low-up
(plural fol·low-ups) noun

1.  continuation:
further action or investigation or a subsequent event that results from and is
intended to supplement something done before • The
conference was intended as a follow-up to the summit meeting in Vienna.

2.  something
giving more information: a book, film, article, or
report that continues a story or provides further information
—follow-up, adjective[1]



folly

folly
fol·ly 
[fóllee] (plural fol·lies) noun

1.  unreason:
thoughtlessness, recklessness, or thoughtless or reckless behavior • She
realized, too late, the folly of her course of action.
• It
would be folly to continue.

2.  irrational
thing:
a thoughtless or reckless act or idea (often used in the plural)

3.  ARCHITECTURE eccentric
building:
a building of eccentric or overelaborate design, usually built for decorative
rather than practical purposes

4.  misguided
undertaking: an undertaking that is excessively
costly or extravagant, especially one that leads to financial loss or ruin
[13th century. From Old
French folie, from fol “foolish” (see fool
).][1]



Folsom

Folsom
Fol·som 
[fṓlsəm] adjective

belonging
to N American prehistoric culture: belonging to or
typical of a prehistoric culture of the southern plains of North America that
made leaf-shaped flint projectile points with a concave base
[Early 20th century. Named
for Folsom, a village in northeast New Mexico, where remains typical of
the culture were found.][1]



foment

foment
fo·ment 
[fō mént] (past fo·ment·ed, past
participle fo·ment·ed, present participle fo·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular fo·ments) transitive verb

cause
trouble:
to cause or stir up trouble or rebellion (formal)
[14th
century. From late Latin fomentare, from Latin fomentum, “warm
soothing application,” from fovere, “to warm, keep warm.”]
—fo·men·ta·tion [fmən táysh’n, f men
táysh’n], noun[1]



fomites

fomites
fo·mites
[fṓ mts] plural noun

objects
carrying infection: inanimate objects capable of
carrying germs from an infected person to another person, for example, clothes
or bedding
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, plural of fomes “kindling wood.”][1]



fond

fond2
fond2 [fond]
(plural fonds) noun

background:
a background, especially of a piece of decorated lace
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin fundus “bottom” (see fund
).][1]



fond

fond1
fond1 [fond]
(comparative fond·er, superlative fond·est) adjective

1.  feeling
affection:
feeling love, affection, or a strong liking for somebody or something • I’ve
grown fond of this old house.

2.  liking
something:
liking something, or finding enjoyment in doing it • She’s
too fond of the sound of her own voice. • His
dog is fond of chasing rabbits.

3.  affectionate:
showing or characterized by affection, love, or pleasant feelings • fond
memories of the time we spent there

4.  overly
doting:
feeling or showing excessive affection, often to the point of being
overindulgent with somebody • Her
fond parents could deny her nothing.

5.  overoptimistic:
unrealistic, though often dearly wished for • fond
hopes

6.  uncritically
gullible:
gullible or easily led to believe something that is not true (archaic) (or
regional)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from the past participle of obsolete fonnen
“to be foolish,” from fonne “fool,” of unknown origin.]
—fond·ly,
adverb

—fondness, noun[1]



Fonda,Henry

Fonda,Henry
Fon·da
[fóndə], Henry (1905–1982)

U.S. movie and stage actor.
He is best known for films such as The Grapes of Wrath ( 1940 ) and On
Golden Pond ( 1981 ), for which he won an Academy Award.[1]



Fonda,Jane

Fonda,Jane
Fon·da
[fóndə], Jane (1937– )

U.S. movie actor and
political activist, The daughter of Henry Fonda, she won Academy Awards for Klute
( 1971 ) and Coming Home ( 1978 ). She also wrote and produced popular
exercise books and videotapes.[1]



fondant

fondant
fon·dant 
[fóndənt] (plural fon·dants) noun

1.  sugar
paste:
a smooth paste made from boiled sugar syrup, often colored or flavored, used as
a filling for chocolates or as a coating for cakes, nuts, or fruit

2.  soft
candy:
a candy made from or filled with fondant
[Late 19th century. From
French, present participle of fondre (see fondue
).][1]



Fonda,Peter

Fonda,Peter
Fon·da
[fóndə], Peter (1939– )

U.S. movie actor and
director. The son of Henry Fonda, he is best known for the biker film Easy
Rider ( 1969 ).[1]



Fonddu Lac

Fonddu Lac
Fond
du Lac
[foN d lák]

industrial city in eastern
Wisconsin, situated at the southern end of Lake Winnebago. Population: 37,757
(1990)[1]



fondle

fondle
fon·dle 
[fónd’l] (past fon·dled, past
participle fon·dled, present participle fon·dling, 3rd
person present singular fon·dles) verb

1.  transitive
verb
stroke
lovingly:
to stroke, handle, or touch something or somebody gently, in a loving or
affectionate way • idly fondling the cat’s
ears

2.  touch
in an aggressive way: to touch or caress somebody
in an aggressive or unwelcome way
[Late
17th century. Back-formation from obsolete fondling “foolish person,”
from fond 1 .]
—fon·dler, noun[1]



fondue

fondue
fon·due 
[fon d, fon dy]
(plural fon·dues) or fon·du [fon d, fon dy]
(plural fon·dus) noun

food
dipped into a pot: any of various dishes eaten
by dipping small pieces of food into the contents of a pot, usually melted
cheese, hot oil, or a sauce, placed on the table
[Late 19th century. From
French, a form of the past participle of fondre “to melt,” from Latin fundere
(source of English funnel, fusion, and confuse
).][1]



Fongafale

Fongafale
Fon·ga·fa·le
[fòngə flee]

capital of Tuvalu, located on
Funafuti Atoll in the western Pacific Ocean. It is the country’s only port of
entry. Population: 3,839 (1996)[1]



Fonseca,Gulf of

Fonseca,Gulf of
Fon·se·ca,
Gulf of
[fawn sáykə]

large inlet of the Pacific
Ocean on the western coast of Central America, south of El Salvador, west of
Honduras, and north of Nicaragua. Area: 1,940 sq km/750 sq mi.[1]



font

font1
font1 [font]
(plural fonts) noun

1.  receptacle
for baptismal water: a large container in a
church for the water used in baptisms. A font is usually made of stone,
sometimes ornately carved, and mounted on a stand.

2.  receptacle
for holy water: a container for holy water, usually
found at the entrance to a Roman Catholic church

3.  holder
for liquid:
any holder for liquid, for example, the part of an oil-burning lamp that
contains the oil

4.  abundant
source of something: somebody or something seen
as a source or inexhaustible supply of something (literary)

5.  fountain:
a fountain, spring, or well (literary)
[Pre-12th
century. From the font- Latin stem of fons “spring.”]
—font·al, adjective[1]



font

font2
font2 [font]
(plural fonts) noun

style
and size of type: a full set of printing type or of
printed or screen characters of the same design and size
[Late 16th century. From Old
French fonte “casting,” from fondre (see fondue
).][1]



Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau
Fon·taine·bleau
[fóntən bl, fàwN
ten blṓ]

town in the Ile-de-France
Region on the Seine River, about 64 km40 mi southeast of Paris, France, the
site of a magnificent 16th-century chateau. Population: 18,037 (1990)[1]



Fontana

Fontana
Fon·tan·a
[fon tánnə]

city in southern California,
directly southeast of the San Gabriel Mountain and west of San Bernardino.
Population: 104,124 (1996)[1]



fontanel

fontanel
fon·ta·nel 
[fòntə nél] (plural fon·ta·nels)
or fon·ta·nelle [fòntə nél] (plural
fon·ta·nelles) noun

soft
spot on baby’s head: a soft, membrane-covered
space between bones at the front and the back of a young baby’s skull
[15th century. From Old
French fontenel, literally “little spring,” from fontaine (see fountain ); originally applied to an outlet for
bodily secretions.][1]



Fontanne,Lynn

Fontanne,Lynn
Fon·tanne
[fon tán], Lynn (1887?–1983)

British-born U.S. stage
actress. She often worked with her husband, Alfred Lunt, on Broadway and in
touring productions.[1]



Fonteyn,Dame Margot

Fonteyn,Dame Margot

Fon·teyn
[fon táyn], Dame Margot (1919–1991)
British
ballet dancer She was known for her role as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty
and her partnership with Rudolf Nureyev during the 1960s and 1970s.
Born
Hookham, Margaret[1]



fontina

fontina
fon·ti·na 
[fon tnə] noun

creamy
cheese:
a semihard mild Italian cheese made from cows’ milk
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian dialect, of unknown origin.][1]



foo

foo
foo 
[foo] noun

TECHNOLOGY
substitute term for something real:
a term used as a universal substitute for something real, especially when
discussing technological ideas and problems (slang) • I
don’t know what’s wrong, maybe the computer has bad foo.
• Can
her foo be trusted with this software?[1]



food

food
food
[food] (plural foods) noun

1.  source
of nutrients for living things: material that provides
living things with the nutrients they need for energy and growth

2.  solid
nourishment: substances, or a particular substance,
providing nourishment for people or animals, especially in solid as opposed to
liquid form

3.  mental
or spiritual stimulus: something that sustains or
stimulates the mind or soul • food
for thought
[Old
English fōda . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English feed, fodder, and pastor
.]
—food·less, adjective[1]



foodadditive

foodadditive
food
ad·di·tive
(plural food ad·di·tives) noun

something added to food in
processing: a natural or artificial
substance that is added to food during processing to make it look or taste
better or last longer[1]



foodbank

foodbank
food
bank
(plural food banks) noun

emergency food service:
a place where food is collected before being distributed to people who have no
money[1]



foodchain

foodchain
food
chain
(plural food chains) noun

feeding relationships among
organisms: a hierarchy of different
living things, each of which feeds on the one below[1]



foodcourt

foodcourt
food
court
(plural food courts) noun

restaurant area of shopping
mall: the part of a shopping mall
where snacks and light meals can be bought from a number of different outlets,
often with a communal eating area[1]



foodfish

foodfish
food
fish
noun

edible fish:
any fish that people eat[1]



foodie

foodie
food·ie 
[fdee] (plural food·ies) or
food·y [fdee] (plural food·ies)
noun

somebody who enjoys good
food: somebody who takes an
enthusiastic interest in cooking or eating good food (informal)[1]



foodpoisoning

foodpoisoning
food
poi·son·ing
noun

gastroenteritis:
acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines caused
by eating food contaminated with toxic substances or with microorganisms that
generate toxins[1]



foodprocessor

foodprocessor
food
pro·ces·sor
(plural food pro·ces·sors) noun

appliance for preparing food:
an electrical kitchen appliance consisting of a container in which food is cut,
sliced, shredded, grated, blended, beaten, or liquidized automatically by a
variety of removable revolving blades.
Also called
processor[1]



foodstamp

foodstamp
food
stamp
(plural food stamps) noun

coupon exchangeable for food:
a coupon that can be used to buy food, given by the government to needy people
in the United States[1]



foodstuff

foodstuff
food·stuff 
[fd stùf] (plural food·stuffs)
noun

edible substance:
something that can be eaten, especially one of the basic elements of the human
diet (usually used in the plural)[1]



foodweb

foodweb
food
web
(plural food webs) noun

food chains within ecological
community: the interlocking food chains
within an ecological community[1]



foody

foody
food·y
noun

See
foodie[1]



foofaraw

foofaraw
foo·fa·raw 
[ffə ràw] noun

1.  showy
extravagance: ornate or excessive ornamentation or
finery

2.  great
fuss:
a great fuss over something trivial
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Spanish fanfarron “braggart.”][1]



fool

fool
fool 
[fool] noun (plural fools)

1.  unintelligent
or thoughtless person: somebody who lacks good
sense or judgment • Only a fool would
invest in a scheme like this.

2.  ridiculous
person:
somebody who looks or is made to appear ridiculous, or who behaves in a
ridiculous way • I feel such a fool
dressed like this.

3.  enthusiast:
somebody who is particularly talented at, interested in, or fond of something
specified • an
absolute fool for the finer things in life

4.  court
entertainer: somebody employed in the past to amuse a
monarch or noble, usually by telling jokes, singing comical songs, or
performing tricks

5.  FOOD creamy
fruit dessert: a cold dessert made from puréed fruit
mixed with cream or custard

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who has below average intelligence or a
psychiatric disorder (archaic offensive)
adjective

unintelligent and not sensible:
showing a lack of good sense or judgment (informal) • That
fool salesman said it would fit.
verb
(past fooled, past participle fooled, present
participle fool·ing, 3rd person present singular fools)

1.  transitive
verb
trick:
to trick or deceive somebody • Don’t
be fooled by her promises.

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
in jest:
to say something jokingly or not seriously, or pretend, jokingly, that
something false is true • I was
only fooling –of course you can come.

3.  intransitive
verb
behave
comically:
to behave in a comical, playful, or silly way
[13th
century. Via Old French fol from Latin follis “bellows, windbag”
(used by St. Augustine of Hippo in reference to a person).]
be
nobody’s fool

to
be wise enough not to be easily deceived

make
a fool (out) of somebody

to deceive or trick somebody,
or make somebody look ridiculous[1]



foolaround

foolaround
fool
around
intransitive verb

1.  behave
irresponsibly: to behave in a thoughtless or
irresponsible way • Don’t fool around with
those tools.

2.  clown
around:
to behave in a silly or comical way

3.  waste
time:
to waste time by doing silly or unimportant things

4.  have
casual sex:
to participate in casual or illicit sexual relationships

[1]



foolaway

foolaway
fool
away
transitive verb

fritter away:
to waste time or money in an aimless manner or on foolish things • She
fooled away her inheritance.[1]



foolery

foolery
fool·er·y 
[fləree] (plural fool·er·ies)
noun (dated)

1.  irresponsible
behavior:
irresponsible or playful behavior

2.  irresponsible
act:
an irresponsible or playful act

[1]



foolhardy

foolhardy
fool·har·dy 
[fl hrdee] adjective

bold
but reckless: showing boldness or courage but not
wisdom or good sense
—fool·har·di·ly,
adverb

—fool·har·di·ness, noun[1]



foolish

foolish
fool·ish 
[flish] adjective

1.  not
sensible:
showing, or resulting from, a lack of good sense or judgment

2.  seeming
ridiculous:
feeling or appearing ridiculous • Wipe
that foolish grin off your face!

3.  embarrassed:
unsure about the appropriateness of one’s actions or speech • I’ve
been foolish driving this enormous car.

4.  unimportant:
lacking importance or substance • a
foolish little worry
—fool·ish·ly,
adverb

—fool·ish·ness, noun[1]



foolproof

foolproof
fool·proof 
[fl prf] adjective

1.  designed
to function despite human error: designed to continue
working properly in the face of any kind of human error, incompetence, or
misuse

2.  infallible:
so well thought out that failure is thought to be impossible

[1]



foolscap

foolscap
fools·cap 
[flz kàp] (plural fools·caps)
noun

1.  large
paper size:
a large size of paper, approximately 13.5 in. by 17 in., mostly used for
writing and printing

2.  See
fool’s cap
[Late 17th century. So called
from the watermark of a fool’s cap originally on this paper.][1]



foolwith

foolwith
fool
with
transitive verb

play or tinker with:
to treat or handle somebody or something without due care or respect • Who’s
been fooling with the TV?[1]



fool’scap

fool’scap
fool’s
cap 
[flz kàp] (plural fool’s caps)
or fools·cap [flz kàp] (plural
fools·caps) noun

1.  jester’s
hat:
a brightly colored cap with points ending in bells or tassels, worn in the past
by court jesters

2.  See
dunce cap

[1]



fool’serrand

fool’serrand
fool’s
er·rand
(plural fool’s er·rands) noun

pointless task:
a task that is performed for no good reason or that fails to accomplish
anything useful[1]



fool’sgold

fool’sgold
fool’s
gold
noun

pyrite:
pyrite or any other iron or copper sulfide mineral that has a golden metallic
luster[1]



fool’smate

fool’smate
fool’s
mate
noun

quickest checkmate:
the quickest checkmate in chess, achieved on the second move by the player with
the black pieces[1]



fool’sparadise

fool’sparadise
fool’s
par·a·dise
noun

state of delusory happiness:
a state of happiness that is temporary and insubstantial because it is based on
illusions or unrealistic hopes • living
in a fool’s paradise[1]



fool’s-parsley

fool’s-parsley
fool’s-pars·ley 
noun

poisonous weed that resembles
parsley: a poisonous European weed,
naturalized in North America, with white flowers and finely divided leaves that
resemble parsley. Latin name: Aethusa cynapium[1]



foosball

foosball
foos·ball
[fz bàwl] noun

soccer played on table:
a game based on soccer that is played on a table with rows of small model
players. The models are attached to metal poles that pass through the sides of
the table and are spun and moved from side to side in order to hit the ball.
U.K. term
table football[1]



foot

foot
foot 
[ft] noun (plural feet
[feet])

1.  ANATOMY part
at end of leg: the part of the leg of a vertebrate
below the ankle joint that supports the rest of the body and maintains balance
when standing and walking • The
wave knocked me off my feet.

2.  ZOOLOGY organ
of attachment: an organ or muscle surface that an
invertebrate, such as a mollusk, uses to grip or move itself along

3.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of length:
a unit of length in the U.S. Customary and British Imperial systems equal to
.3048 m12 inches . There are three feet in a yard. • The
aircraft is cruising at 30,000 feet

4.  lowest
part:
the bottom or lowest part of something • a
note scribbled at the foot of the page

5.  part
of sock:
the part of a sock, stocking, or boot that is shaped to cover the foot

6.  part
resembling foot: something that is shaped like or acts
like a human or animal foot, for example, a shaped part at the end of the leg
of a chair

7.  BOTANY lower
part of plant: the lower part of the stem of a plant,
or the base of the spore-producing body ( sporophyte
) of mosses and liverworts

8.  SEWING part
of sewing machine: the part of a sewing
machine, close to the needle, that is lowered onto the material to hold it in
position. Most sewing machines have detachable and interchangeable feet for
different functions.

9.  way
of walking:
a particular way of walking

10. ARMY soldiers
who fight on foot: soldiers who fight
principally on foot, rather than on horses or in vehicles (takes a plural
verb) • an
officer commanding a company of foot

11. POETRY unit
of poetic meter: a basic unit of rhythm in poetry, made
up of a fixed combination of stressed and unstressed or long and short
syllables
plural
noun
foots

1.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY sediment
deposited in liquid: the solid material that
gradually falls to the bottom of various liquids, such as vegetable oil

2.  THEATER footlights:
footlights (informal)
transitive
verb
(past foot·ed, past participle foot·ed, present
participle foot·ing, 3rd person present singular foots)

1.  pay
full cost of: to pay the full amount of something • We
had to foot the bill for the party.

2.  add
up figures:
to add up the figures in a column • footed
the columns of the budget

3.  make
foot of sock: in knitting or sewing, to add the part
that will cover the foot to a sock or stocking
[Old
English fōt]
drag
your feet

to
move or do something slowly and reluctantly on purpose (informal)

fall
or land on your feet

to
end up healthy or in a good position, especially after having been sick or in a
difficult situation

find
your feet

1.  to
become accustomed to a new situation and able to cope with it

2.  to
manage to stand up, especially after having fallen

a
foot in the door

the
first stage toward a goal, especially when this is difficult to achieve

foot
it

1.  to
walk rather than ride in a vehicle or on a horse • We
had to foot it all the way home.

2.  to
dance (dated)

get
off on the wrong foot

to
begin something badly, such as a new relationship or job

get
on or to your feet

1.  to
rise from a reclining or sitting position

2.  to
return to a healthy or financially stable condition after a period of illness
or financial difficulty

have
somebody or something at your feet

to
be the object of enormous admiration and devotion from somebody or something

have
feet of clay

to
have a weakness or flaw that is not obvious at first

have
or keep both or your feet on the ground

to
act and think sensibly and realistically

on
foot

walking,
as opposed to riding on horseback or in a vehicle

put
your best foot forward

to
try as hard as you can to impress or please somebody

put
your feet up

to
stop working and relax

put
your foot down

1.  to
be firm about something and make sure your wishes are obeyed or respected

2.  to
make a motor vehicle travel faster by pressing the accelerator

put
your foot in it

or put
your foot in your mouthto make an embarrassing mistake, especially by being
tactless (informal)

shoot
yourself in the foot

to
do something that unexpectedly turns out to be disadvantageous or harmful to
your own interests

sweep
somebody off his or her feet

to
charm somebody completely or make somebody fall in love with you in a very
short time





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Indo-European ancestor of foot is also the
  ultimate source of English antipodes,
  impede, octopus,
  pawn, meaning “chess piece,” pedal, pedestal,
  pedestrian, pedigree, pioneer,
  podium, pajamas,
  quadruped, tripod, and vamp,
  meaning “shoe part.”

[1]



footage

footage
foot·age 
[ftij] noun

1.  CINEMA filmed
sequence showing event: a shot or sequence of shots
on film or videotape, usually of a particular scene or event, or the length of
film or videotape that contains these shots • They
had some good footage of the president’s visit to the island.

2.  BUILDING size
in feet:
the size or amount of something measured in feet

3.  CINEMA length
of piece of film: the length of a piece of film in feet

4.  payment
by size:
payment by the foot for work

5.  amount
paid:
the amount paid for work measured by the foot

[1]



foot-and-mouthdisease

foot-and-mouthdisease
foot-and-mouth
dis·ease
noun

viral disease of animals:
a highly contagious viral disease affecting animals with divided hooves,
especially cattle, sheep, and pigs, in which the animal develops ulcers in the
mouth and near the hooves.
Also called
hoof-and-mouth disease[1]



football

football

foot·ball 
[ft bàwl] (plural foot·balls)
noun

1.  game
with oval ball: a game in which two teams of 11 players
score points by carrying an oval ball across their opponents’ goal line or by
kicking the ball through the opponents’ goal posts.
U.K.
term
American football

2.  U.K.
See soccer

3.  FOOTBALL ball
game:
any of various games in which two teams kick or carry a ball into a goal or
over a line, such as rugby, Australian rules, or Gaelic football

4.  ball
used in football: the large oval ball used in the game of
football

5.  problem
passed around: a point or problem that is used as an
excuse for argument by opposing groups, without any real attempt at finding a
solution

6.  briefcase
with nuclear codes: a nickname for the briefcase
that holds the nuclear codes available to the president of the United States (informal)
—foot·ball·er, noun[1]



footbath

footbath
foot·bath 
[ft bàth] (plural foot·baths
[ft bàths, ft
bàz]) noun

1.  container
for washing feet: a bowl used when bathing the feet, or a
shallow pool where people can disinfect their feet before entering a swimming
pool

2.  bathing
of feet:
the action of bathing the feet

[1]



footboard

footboard
foot·board 
[ft bàwrd] (plural foot·boards)
noun

1.  board
at bottom of bed: a vertical part across the bottom end of
a bedstead

2.  support
for feet:
a board or small platform used to support the feet in a vehicle

[1]



footboy

footboy
foot·boy 
[ft bòy] (plural foot·boys) noun

boy servant:
a boy employed as a servant or page[1]



footbrake

footbrake
foot
brake
(plural foot brakes) noun

foot-operated stopping
device: a brake operated by pressing
a pedal with the foot, especially in a motor vehicle[1]



footbridge

footbridge
foot·bridge 
[ft brìj] (plural foot·bridg·es)
noun

bridge for people to walk
across: a narrow bridge suitable for
people walking and not for vehicles[1]



footcloth

footcloth
foot·cloth 
[ft klàwth] (plural foot·cloths)
noun

cloth for horse’s back:
a decorative cloth that is placed over the back of a horse and reaches the
ground on both sides (archaic)[1]



foot-dragger

foot-dragger
foot-drag·ger
(plural foot-drag·gers) noun

somebody
slow to act: somebody who is slow or reluctant to do
what is necessary (informal)
—foot-drag·ging, noun[1]



footed

footed
foot·ed 
[ftəd] adjective

having foot of particular
nature: having feet, a foot, or a
walk of a specified kind, or a specified number of feet (usually used in
combination) • leaden-footed
dancing[1]



footer

footer
foot·er 
[ftər] (plural foot·ers) noun

1.  text
at bottom of page: a piece of text, such as a
title or date, below the main text on a page, especially one that is
automatically inserted on each page by word-processing software

2.  somebody
or something measured in feet: somebody or something
of a specified height or length in feet (usually used in combination) • Both
of her sons were six-footers.

3.  ARCHITECTURE BUILDING See footing  noun 5

[1]



footfall

footfall
foot·fall 
[ft fàwl] (plural foot·falls)
noun

sound of footsteps:
the sound made by somebody’s foot striking the ground as he or she walks[1]



footfault

footfault
foot
fault
(plural foot faults) noun

wrong
position of tennis server’s foot: a fault committed in
tennis by a server whose foot touches any part of the baseline or court before
the ball has been hit
—foot-fault, intransitive
verb[1]



footgear

footgear
foot·gear 
[ft gr] noun

shoes and boots:
coverings worn on the feet, especially shoes and boots[1]



foothill

foothill
foot·hill 
[ft hìl] (plural foot·hills) noun

hill near mountain:
a hill at the bottom of a higher mountain or mountain range and forming part of
the approaches to it (often used in the plural)[1]



foothold

foothold
foot·hold 
[ft hld] (plural foot·holds)
noun

1.  place
for climber’s foot: a place or thing that will
support the foot of a climber, especially a crack, hollow, or ledge in a rock
face

2.  firm
base for progress: a secure starting position
from which further advances can be made • The
company has gained a foothold in the multimedia industry.

[1]



footing

footing
foot·ing 
[fting] (plural foot·ings) noun

1.  stability
of feet:
a stable secure position for or placement of the feet when standing or walking
• He
missed his footing on the icy slope.

2.  base
for progress: a foundation or basis for further
advancement or development • The
project began on a firm financial footing.

3.  status
of something: the status or condition of something,
often in relation to something else • The
government moved swiftly to place the armed forces on a war footing.

4.  status
of somebody: the position or status of people in
relation to one another • I’m
glad to be back on a friendly footing with her.

5.  ARCHITECTURE BUILDING foundation:
the foundation or base of a structure, such as a wall or column.
Also
called
footer

6.  condition
of surface:
the condition of a surface, such as that of a racetrack, for walking or running

7.  total:
the total of a column of figures

[1]



footle

footle
foo·tle 
[ft’l] intransitive verb (past
foo·tled, past participle foo·tled, present participle
foo·tling, 3rd person present singular foo·tles) (informal)

1.  act
aimlessly:
to waste time doing unnecessary or unimportant things

2.  act
or talk pointlessly: to talk nonsense or behave
in a pointless way
noun

nonsense: silly
nonsense
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from footer
.]
—foo·tler, noun[1]



footless

footless
foot·less 
[ftləss] adjective

1.  without
feet:
lacking a foot or feet

2.  lacking
substance:
lacking a firm foundation or basis • footless
speculation

3.  lacking
skill:
lacking competence or ability • a
footless plan to set things right
—foot·less·ly,
adverb

—foot·less·ness, noun[1]



footlights

footlights
foot·lights 
[ft lts] plural noun

1.  lights
along front of stage: a row of lights along the
front of the stage in a theater, directed away from the audience and toward the
performers

2.  theatrical
profession:
the theater as a profession

[1]



footling

footling
foo·tling 
[ftling] adjective (informal)

1.  unimportant:
having no importance or serious usefulness

2.  lacking
skill:
lacking skill or competence
[Late 19th century. Formed
from footle .][1]



footlocker

footlocker
foot·lock·er 
[ft lòkər] (plural foot·lock·ers)
noun

trunk at end of bed:
a strong case or box for personal belongings kept at the foot of somebody’s
bed, especially in a barracks or dormitory[1]



footloose

footloose
foot·loose 
[ft lss] adjective

free to travel:
free to go anywhere and do anything because not limited by personal ties or
responsibilities[1]



footman

footman
foot·man 
[ftmən] (plural foot·men) noun

1.  liveried
servant of aristocracy: a man employed as a servant,
especially a servant in uniform in a mansion or palace

2.  HOUSEHOLD fireside
stand:
a low metal stand, usually with four legs, for utensils in a fireplace

3.  ARMY soldier:
a soldier who fights on foot (archaic)

4.  walker:
somebody who travels by walking (archaic)

[1]



footmark

footmark
foot·mark 
[ft mrk] (plural foot·marks)
noun

See
footprint  noun 1[1]



footnote

footnote
foot·note 
[ft nt] noun (plural foot·notes)

1.  information
at foot of page: a note at the bottom of a page, giving
further information about something mentioned in the text above. A reference
number or symbol is usually printed after the relevant word in the text and
before the corresponding footnote.

2.  additional
detail:
an extra comment or information added to what has just been said • As
a footnote, let me say that I only found this out yesterday.

3.  minor
detail:
a relatively unimportant part of a larger issue or event • His
career, considered glorious at the time, is now but a footnote in history.
transitive
verb
(past foot·not·ed, past participle foot·not·ed, present
participle foot·not·ing, 3rd person present singular foot·notes)

supply with footnotes:
to provide a text with footnotes, or to provide a footnote for a particular
reference within the text

[1]



footpad

footpad1
foot·pad1 [ft
pàd] (plural foot·pads) noun

highwayman:
somebody who robs people who are traveling on foot (archaic)
[Late 17th century. Pad, from
obsolete pad “path, highway robbery, highwayman,” from Dutch .][1]



footpad

footpad2
foot·pad2 [ft
pàd] (plural foot·pads) noun

flat end of spacecraft leg:
a flat structure at the end of a leg of a spacecraft, designed to prevent the
craft sinking into the surface it has landed on[1]



footpassenger

footpassenger
foot
pas·sen·ger
(plural foot pas·sen·gers) noun

ferry passenger on foot:
a passenger on a car ferry who is not traveling with a motor vehicle[1]



footpath

footpath
foot·path 
[ft pàth] (plural foot·paths
[ft pàz, ft
pàths]) noun

path for walkers:
a narrow path for people on foot • Please
keep to the footpath.[1]



foot-pound

foot-pound
foot-pound
(plural foot-pounds) noun

unit of work:
a unit of work equal to the work done by lifting a mass of one pound vertically
against gravity through a distance of one foot[1]



foot-pound-second

foot-pound-second
foot-pound-sec·ond
adjective

belonging to system of
measurements: relating or belonging
to a system of measurements based on the foot, pound, and second as base units
of length, mass, and time[1]



footprint

footprint
foot·print 
[ft prìnt] (plural foot·prints)
noun

1.  outline
of foot:
a mark made by the foot of a person or animal or a shoe, especially an
indentation on something soft like snow or a dirty mark on a floor • footprints
in the ground below the window.
Also
called
footmark

2.  space
occupied by machine: the area covered by
something, especially the amount of space a piece of computer hardware occupies
on a desk, floor, or other surface

3.  broadcast
range:
the area over which something occurs or is effective, such as the area where a
signal from a communications satellite can be received

[1]



footrace

footrace
foot·race
[ft ràyss] (plural foot·rac·es)
or foot race [ft ràyss] (plural
foot rac·es) noun

race run on foot:
a race run by people on foot[1]



footrest

footrest
foot·rest 
[ft rèst] (plural foot·rests)
noun

something to rest feet on:
a support for both feet when sitting down, for example, beneath a desk, or for
one foot while standing, for example, a low rail at a bar[1]



footrope

footrope
foot·rope 
[ft rp] (plural foot·ropes) noun

1.  rope
at lower edge of sail: a rope to which the lower
edge of a sail is stitched

2.  rope
for standing on: a rope fixed beneath a ship’s yard for
sailors to stand on as they furl a sail

[1]



footrot

footrot
foot
rot
[ft ròt] or foot·rot [ft ròt] noun

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE AGRICULTURE infection
of sheep and cattle: a bacterial infection of
sheep and cattle that causes inflammation of the hooves

2.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a fungal disease that causes the roots and base of a plant to rot

[1]



footrule

footrule
foot
rule
(plural foot rules) noun

rule measuring in feet:
a strip of wood, metal, or plastic, used for measuring and drawing straight
lines, that is one foot long or is marked in feet[1]



footsie

footsie
foot·sie 
[ftsee] noun

flirtatious
play with feet: a form of flirtation in which people use
their feet to touch the feet and legs of somebody else, especially done
secretly while sitting at a table (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. A humorous formation from foot .]
play
footsie

1.  to
touch another person’s foot or leg with your own, often secretly under a table,
as a form of flirtation (informal)

2.  to
collaborate with another person or organization, often in an underhand way (informal)

[1]



footslog

footslog
foot·slog 
[ft slòg] (past foot·slogged,
past participle foot·slogged, present participle foot·slog·ging,
3rd person present singular foot·slogs) intransitive verb

walk
with great effort: to march, tramp, or trudge
on foot, especially over difficult ground, such as thick mud
—foot·slog·ger,
noun

—foot·slog·ging, noun[1]



footsoldier

footsoldier
foot
sol·dier
(plural foot sol·diers) noun

infantryman:
a soldier who fights principally on foot, not on horseback or in a vehicle[1]



footsore

footsore
foot·sore 
[ft sàwr] adjective

having
aching feet: with feet that are painful or tired,
usually from too much walking
—foot·sore·ness, noun[1]



footstall

footstall
foot·stall 
[ft stàwl] (plural foot·stalls)
noun

1.  base
of pillar:
the pedestal or base of a structure, especially a pillar or statue

2.  stirrup:
a stirrup on a sidesaddle

[1]



footstep

footstep

foot·step 
[ft stèp] (plural foot·steps)
noun

1.  sound
of feet:
the sound made when somebody’s foot hits the ground in walking • I
heard footsteps on the stairs.

2.  movement
of foot:
the action of raising a foot and putting it down somewhere else while walking

3.  distance
covered by step: the distance covered by a single step in
walking

4.  mark
made by foot: a mark left by the sole of a foot or
shoe

5.  step
or stair:
a single step or stair on which to put a foot while moving up or down
follow in somebody’s footsteps

to take the same course in
life or work as another person has done in the past[1]



footstone

footstone
foot·stone 
[ft stn] (plural foot·stones)
noun

stone at end of grave:
a memorial stone at the foot of a grave[1]



footstool

footstool
foot·stool 
[ft stl] (plural foot·stools)
noun

support for feet:
a low stool, often with a padded top, on which to rest the feet while sitting
down[1]



footwall

footwall
foot·wall 
[ft wàwl] (plural foot·walls)
noun

rock layer under ore:
the rock layer that lies immediately beneath a vein of ore or other mineral
deposit or a fault plane[1]



footway

footway
foot·way 
[ft wày] (plural foot·ways) noun

path for walking:
a narrow path or walk for people on foot, for example, beside a road or
railroad[1]



footwear

footwear
foot·wear 
[ft wàir] noun

outer covering for feet:
coverings worn on the feet, especially shoes, boots, sandals, or slippers, but
often including socks or stockings[1]



footwell

footwell
foot·well
[ft wèl] (plural foot·wells) noun

foot recess in vehicle:
the hollow space below a motor vehicle’s dashboard where people in the front
seats can put their feet[1]



footwork

footwork
foot·work 
[ft wùrk] noun

1.  motion
of feet:
the movement of somebody’s feet in sports or dancing, especially when this is
done with skill

2.  skillful
maneuvering: skillful or devious maneuvering in order
to achieve or avoid something (informal) • Their
fancy footwork helped get them out of the problem.

3.  work
that involves walking: work that involves a lot of
moving around, especially on foot

[1]



footworn

footworn
foot·worn
[ft wàwrn] adjective

1.  worn
down by feet: worn down or made thin by being walked
on by many people for a long time

2.  See
footsore

[1]



foozle

foozle
foo·zle 
[fz’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past foo·zled, past participle foo·zled, present
participle foo·zling, 3rd person present singular foo·zles)

bungle
something:
to do something badly or clumsily, especially to bungle a shot in golf
noun
(plural foo·zles)

something
done badly:
something done badly or clumsily, especially a bungled shot in golf
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from German dialect fuseln “to do bad
work.”]
—foo·zler, noun[1]



fop

fop
fop 
[fop] (plural fops) noun

fashion-conscious
man:
a man who is so obsessed by fashion and vain about his own appearance that he
becomes ridiculous
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—fop·pish,
adjective

—fop·pish·ly,
adverb

—fop·pish·ness, noun[1]



foppery

foppery
fop·per·y 
[fóppəree] (plural fop·per·ies)
noun

clothes or behavior of fop:
any or all of the characteristics of a fop, such as his extravagant style of
dress or affected manners[1]



for

for1
for1 [fawr,
unstressed fər] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating that something is directed at somebody, done to
benefit somebody, or done on somebody’s behalf • Look
–there’s a letter for you. • I’d
do anything for you. • The
lawyer acted for some of the heirs.

1.
preposition aimed at:
intended to be received or used by, or aimed at somebody • It’s
for you –it’s a present. • advice
for first-time buyers

2.
preposition to the benefit of:
intending or intended to benefit somebody or something • She
would make any sacrifice for the cause.

3.
preposition on behalf of:
on behalf of or instead of somebody or something • Would
you mind making my apologies for me?

4.
preposition in the service of:
in the service or employment of somebody or something • She
works for a large company.

5.
preposition toward:
in the direction of • The
following day, we headed for Paris.

6.
preposition lasting:
indicating how long something lasts, continues, or extends • The
interview only lasted for a few minutes. • There
was fog for the next mile or so.

7.
preposition because of:
indicating a reason why something happens or is done • I
did it for love.

8.
preposition designed with a purpose:
indicating the purpose of an object, action, or activity • That
towel is for drying your hands.

9.
preposition links concepts:
used to link two concepts, one of which is the object of the other • a
cause for concern • a
passion for opera

10.
preposition in exchange for:
at a cost of, or giving or receiving something in exchange • I
got this hat in the market for next to nothing

11.
preposition instead of:
instead of or in place of something, sometimes mistakenly • You’ll
have to find a stand-in for him while he’s away. • I
took her for the boss.

12.
preposition given what is usual:
with reference to the normal characteristics of something • It’s
very warm for April.

13.
preposition indicating occasion:
at, or planned to be at, a particular time, or on a particular occasion • The
meeting was scheduled for four o’clock. • Will
you be home for Christmas?

14.
preposition indicates comparison:
indicating a comparison or equivalence between two things • Pound
for pound, the elephant’s energy consumption is the lowest of all land animals.

15.
preposition in order to get:
in order to get, achieve, have, keep, or become something • Lee’s
hoping for promotion. • He
was searching for a place to sit.

16.
preposition despite:
in spite of or notwithstanding something • He
enjoyed himself very much, for all his complaining.

17.
preposition indicates responsibility:
indicating that somebody has the right or responsibility to do something • I
can’t help you –it’s for you to decide.

18.
preposition having the same meaning:
having the same meaning as another word or phrase • The
everyday term for rubella is German measles.

19.
preposition indicates cross-reference:
indicating that information can be found elsewhere • For
further details, consult the owner’s manual.

20.
adverb preposition in support of
something:
in favor of, or in support of something • (preposition)
Who’s for the motion and who’s against? • (adverb)
Ten voted for, and eleven against.

21.
conjunction because:
because, seeing that (formal) • I left
in haste, for I was already late for the appointment.
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “forward,” which is also the ancestor of
English forth, hausfrau, and paramount
.][1]



for

for2
for2 prefix

1.  away,
down, falsely • forfend
• forswear

2.  completely,
extremely • forgather
[Old English ; related to for
“before, in place of” (see for )][1]



FOR

FOR
FOR

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of free on rail[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








for.

for.
for.

1.  Abbreviation
of
foreign

2.  Abbreviation
of
forestry

[1]



for-

for-
for-
prefix

1.  forms
negative words: used to form words with a strong
negative content, for example, rejecting or prohibiting something • forbid
• forsake

2.  forms
intense words: used to form words that suggest
intensity or extremeness • forlorn
[Old English][1]



fora

fora
fo·ra 
plural noun

Plural of
forum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








forage

forage
for·age 
[fáwrij] noun (plural for·ag·es)

1.  food
for animals: food for animals, especially crops grown
to feed horses, cattle, and other livestock

2.  search:
a search or the process of searching for something, especially a search for
food and supplies or a search among a varied collection of things

3.  raid
by soldiers: a raid carried out by soldiers,
especially to seize food or supplies
verb
(past for·aged, past participle for·aged, present
participle for·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular for·ag·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
wander
around searching: to go from place to place looking for
food and supplies

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb raid
for food:
to raid a place, especially for food or supplies

3.  intransitive
verb
search
for something: to search or try to find something • He
foraged around in the drawer and pulled out a faded photograph.

4.  transitive
verb
find
by searching: to obtain something, especially food,
from a place by searching or rummaging • She
foraged a half-eaten cake from the trash can.

5.  transitive
verb
feed
animals:
to give fodder to horses, cattle, or other animals
[14th century. From Old
French fourrage, from fuerre “fodder, straw,” from, ultimately, a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fodder .][1]



foragecap

foragecap
for·age
cap
(plural for·age caps) noun

U.K.
See service cap[1]



forager

forager
for·ag·er
(plural for·ag·ers) noun

person or animal looking for
food: a person or animal that
forages for something, especially food[1]



Foraker

Foraker
For·a·ker
[fáwrəkər]

mountain of the Alaska Range
in Denali National Park and Preserve, southern Alaska. Height: 5,304 m/17,400
ft.[1]



foram

foram
for·am 
[fáwrəm] (plural for·ams) noun

foraminifer:
a foraminifer
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



foramen

foramen
fo·ra·men 
[fə ráymən] (plural fo·ram·i·na
[fə rámmənə] or fo·ra·mens) noun

natural
opening:
a natural opening or cavity in a human or animal body, usually one through
which blood vessels and nerves pass through bone
[Late
17th century. From Latin, from forare “to bore a hole.”]
—fo·ram·i·nal
[fə rámmən’l], adjective

—fo·ram·i·nous [fə rámmənəss], adjective[1]



foramenmagnum

foramenmagnum
fo·ra·men
mag·num
[fə ràymən mágnəm] (plural fo·ra·men
mag·nums) noun

opening
at base of skull: the opening at the base of the skull
through which the spinal cord passes to become the medulla oblongata of the
brain
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “large opening.”][1]



foramenovale

foramenovale
fo·ra·men
o·val·e
[fə ràymən ō vállee, fə ràymən ō váylee, fə ràymən ō
vlee] (plural fo·ra·men o·val·es) noun

opening
in fetal heart: an opening in the wall between the two
sides of the fetal heart that allows blood to pass from right to left.
Sometimes it fails to close after birth and persists into adulthood.
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, literally “oval opening.”][1]



foramina

foramina
fo·ram·i·na


Plural of
foramen[1]



foraminifer

foraminifer
for·a·min·i·fer 
[fàwrə mínnəfər] (plural for·a·min·i·fers,
unmarked inflection for·a·min·i·fera) noun

marine
organism:
a large, mainly marine protozoan that has a shell perforated with many small
holes through which temporary cytoplasmic protrusions ( pseudopodia ) project.
The calcium-containing shells of foraminifera are the main component of chalk
and certain limestone deposits. Order: Foraminfera
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Foraminifera (plural), order name, from Latin
foramen (see foramen ) + -fer
“bearing.”]
—fo·ram·i·nif·er·al
[fə ràmmə níffərəl], adjective

—fo·ram·i·nif·er·ous [fə ràmmə níffərəss], adjective[1]



forasmuchas

forasmuchas
for·as·much
as 
[fàwrəz múch əz] conjunction

since:
since, or in view of the fact that (formal)[1]



foray

foray
for·ay 
[fáw rày] noun (plural for·ays)

1.  sudden
raid:
a sudden attack or raid by a military force

2.  exploration
of something unfamiliar: an attempt at some new
occupation or activity • the
ex-player’s first foray into management

3.  brief
journey:
a short trip or visit to a place, usually for a particular purpose
verb
(past for·ayed, past participle for·ayed, present
participle for·ay·ing, 3rd person present singular for·ays)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
incursion:
to make a sudden attack or raid

2.  transitive
verb
raid:
to raid or loot a place
[14th
century. Back-formation from forayer “plunderer,” from Old French fourrier,
from fuerre (see forage ). The
underlying idea is of a search for food.]
—for·ay·er [fáw ràyr], noun[1]



forb

forb
forb 
[fawrb] (plural forbs) noun

broad-leaved
herbaceous plant: any broad-leaved herbaceous plant that
is not a grass, especially one that grows in a prairie or meadow
[Early 20th century. From
Greek phorbē “food,” from pherbein “to feed.”][1]



forbade

forbade
for·bade 
or for·bad transitive verb

Past tense of
forbid[1]



forbear

forbear2
for·bear2 [fáwr
bàir] (plural for·bears) noun

See
forebear[1]



forbear

forbear1
for·bear1 [fawr
báir, fər báir] (past for·bore
[fawr báwr, fər
báwr], past participle for·borne [fawr
báwrn, fər báwrn], present
participle for·bear·ing, 3rd person present singular for·bears)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
hold
back from something: to not do or say something
that you could do or say, especially when this shows self-control or
consideration for the feelings of others (formal) • I
forbore to criticize their efforts, though criticism was well deserved.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
tolerant:
to tolerate something with patience or endurance (formal) • patiently
forbore their failures

3.  transitive
verb
avoid:
to give up or avoid something (archaic) • I
must forbear jealousy.
[Old
English forberan, literally “to bear against”]
—for·bear·er,
noun

—for·bear·ing,
adjective

—for·bear·ing·ly, adverb[1]



forbearance

forbearance
for·bear·ance 
[fawr báirəns, fər
báirəns] noun

1.  patience:
patience, tolerance, or self-control, especially in not responding to
provocation

2.  refraining
from doing something: the fact of deliberately not
doing or saying something when you could do or say it (formal)

3.  refraining
from legal right: the fact of not exercising a legal
right, especially of not insisting on payment of a debt at the due date and
giving the debtor more time to pay

[1]



forbid

forbid
for·bid 
[fər bíd, fàwr
bíd] (past for·bade [fər bád,
fàwr bád, fər
báyd, fàwr báyd] or for·bad
[fər bád, fàwr
bád], past participle for·bid·den [fər bídd’n, fàwr bídd’n] or
for·bid, present participle for·bid·ding, 3rd person
present singular for·bids) transitive verb

1.  order
not to do something: to tell somebody, especially
forcefully, not to do or have something • I
forbid you to mention his name.

2.  not
allow:
to state authoritatively that something must not be done • The
rules of the game strictly forbid the use of a dictionary.

3.  make
something impossible: to make something impossible
or prevent it from happening (formal) • Discretion
forbids me to mention any names.
[Old
English forbēodan, literally “to command against”]
—for·bid·dance
[fər bídd’ns, fàwr
bídd’ns], noun

—for·bid·der
[fər bíddər, fàwr
bíddər], noun
God
or heaven(s) or Lord forbid

used to express the hope that
something will not happen or be done[1]



forbidden

forbidden
for·bid·den 
[fər bídd’n, fàwr
bídd’n] adjective

1.  not
permitted:
not allowed by order of somebody or by law • That’s
a forbidden subject in this company.

2.  out
of bounds:
to which entry is not allowed or allowed only to a certain person or group of
people • This
part of the temple was forbidden to everybody except the high priest.

3.  improbable
or disallowed level or transition: used to describe an
energy level or transition in a quantum mechanical system that is either highly
improbable or disobeys selection rules and is therefore not allowed

[1]



ForbiddenCity

ForbiddenCity

For·bid·den Cit·y 
noun
a walled complex of buildings (1421–1911)
in Beijing, China, that includes the former Imperial Palace. It was closed to
ordinary citizens until 1912 and is now a museum.[1]



forbiddenfruit

forbiddenfruit
for·bid·den
fruit
(plural for·bid·den fruits or for·bid·den fruit) noun

banned
object of desire: something desired or pleasurable that
somebody is not allowed to have or do, especially some form of sexual
indulgence that is illegal or considered immoral
[From the passage in the
Bible (Genesis 2:17) that tells of the fruit, forbidden to Adam and Eve, of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil][1]



forbidding

forbidding
for·bid·ding 
[fər bídding, fàwr
bídding] adjective

1.  hostile:
presenting an appearance that seems hostile or stern • The
mountains looked distant and forbidding.

2.  uninviting:
appearing to involve a great deal of unpleasantness or difficulty • the
forbidding prospect of further difficulties ahead

3.  dangerous
or threatening: appearing to present a danger or threat
• a
rocky and forbidding shore
—for·bid·ding·ly,
adverb

—for·bid·ding·ness, noun[1]



forbore

forbore
for·bore


Past tense of
forbear[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








forborne

forborne
for·borne


Past participle of
forbear[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








force

force
force 
[fawrs] noun (plural forc·es)

1.  power
or strength: the power, strength, or energy that
somebody or something possesses • Trees
were blown down by the force of the storm.

2.  physical
power:
physical power, effort, or violence used against somebody or something that
resists • The
use of force should be a last resort.

3.  effectiveness
or validity: the condition of being effective, valid,
or applicable • The new regulations
come into force next week.

4.  nonphysical
power:
power or strength that is intellectual or moral rather than physical • swayed
by the force of your argument

5.  somebody
or something with great influence: somebody or something
that has great power or influence, especially in a particular field • She
remained a force in local politics until her death.

6.  MILITARY group
organized to fight: a body of military
personnel, ships, or aircraft brought together to fight in a battle or a war • A
naval task force has been sent to the area.

7.  police
officers:
a professional body of police officers • He
left the force in 1985.

8.  people
working together: a group of people who work together for
a particular purpose

9.  PHYSICS influence
that moves something: a physical influence that
tends to change the position of an object with mass, equal to the rate of
change in momentum of the object. Symbol F

10. METEOROLOGY wind
strength:
the strength of the wind, especially as measured on the Beaufort scale, from 0
to 12 (often used in combination) • a
force nine gale
plural
noun
forc·es

organized military service:
the professional military organizations belonging to a particular country • Were
you in the forces?
transitive
verb
(past forced, past participle forced, present
participle forc·ing, 3rd person present singular forc·es)

1.  compel:
to use superior strength, violence, or any kind of physical or mental power to
make somebody or yourself do something against his, her, or your own will or
inclination • The
weather forced us to turn back. • She
forced herself to be polite to him.

2.  move
with strength: to use physical strength or violence to
move something or somebody that puts up resistance • If
the key won’t turn easily, don’t force it. • She
forced the dog back into the house.

3.  create
by strength: to create something, such as a way
through something, using physical strength or another kind of power • They
forced a path through the jungle.

4.  obtain
by pressure: to obtain something or make something
happen by using physical or mental pressure • She’s
been trying to force a confrontation all week.

5.  break
open:
to open something that is locked or jammed by using power or effort, often
breaking or damaging it in the process • This
door has been forced.

6.  strain:
to produce or use something in a strained or unnatural way • Just
agree with whatever she says and try to force a smile.

7.  GARDENING make
plant mature: to cause a plant to flower or mature
before its normal time

8.  rape:
to subject somebody to rape (dated)

9.  BASEBALL put
runner out:
to put out a runner in baseball on a force play

10. BASEBALL create
a run:
to create a run in baseball by walking a batter when the bases are full

11. CARD GAMES GAME make
player play certain way: to give a player in a game
no choice but to play a particular card or make a particular bid or move
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin fortis “strong” (source of English fortress, effort,
and fortitude ).]
—force·a·ble,
adjective

—force·less,
adjective

—forc·er,
noun
in
force

1.  in
a large or strong group

2.  effective
or valid

join
forces

to
combine together or combine with somebody else for a joint effort

[1]



forced

forced
forced 
[fawrst] adjective

1.  not
natural:
not natural or spontaneous, but produced by an act of will • The
courtiers greeted the king’s witticism with forced laughter.

2.  necessary:
not done voluntarily but out of necessity

3.  compelled:
done because somebody who has power requires it
—forc·ed·ly
[fáwrsədlee], adverb

—forc·ed·ness [fáwrsədnəss], noun[1]



forcedlabor

forcedlabor
forced
la·bor
noun

compulsory work:
work that somebody is made to do against his or her will, often as a punishment
or to repay a debt[1]



forcedlanding

forcedlanding
forced
land·ing
(plural forced land·ings) noun

emergency landing:
an unscheduled landing that a pilot is compelled to make, usually because of an
emergency[1]



forcedmarch

forcedmarch
forced
march
(plural forced march·es) noun

emergency march:
a march made as quickly as possible and without the normal amounts of rest[1]



forcedown

forcedown
force
down
transitive verb

1.  swallow
with difficulty: to eat or drink something very
reluctantly, often because pressured to do so or to avoid offending somebody

2.  make
aircraft land: to compel an aircraft to land, usually
because of lack of fuel, damage, or bad weather

[1]



force-feed

force-feed
force-feed
(past force-fed, past participle force-fed, present
participle force-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular force-feeds)
transitive verb

1.  compel
to take in nourishment: to make people or animals
swallow food, against their will, for example, by putting it directly down
their throat through a funnel or tube. Animals may be force-fed to fatten them
up, and people who refuse to eat because of a protest or a psychiatric disorder
may be force-fed to keep them alive.

2.  force
to learn:
to make people study or learn things, often without fully understanding or
appreciating them, that they might reject if given the choice

[1]



forcefield

forcefield
force
field
(plural force fields) noun

supposed invisible barrier:
in science fiction, an invisible protective barrier around something[1]



forceful

forceful
force·ful 
[fáwrsfəl] adjective

1.  powerful:
possessing or characterized by strength and power

2.  impressive
or persuasive: tending to make a powerful impression on
people or to persuade people • a
forceful argument for merging our businesses
—force·ful·ly,
adverb

—force·ful·ness, noun[1]



force-land

force-land
force-land
(past force-land·ed, past participle force-land·ed,
present participle force-land·ing, 3rd person present singular
force-lands) intransitive and transitive verb

make forced landing:
to land an aircraft before it gets to its destination because of an emergency • The
pilot had to force-land in a field.[1]



forcemajeure

forcemajeure
force
ma·jeure
[fàwrs maa zhúr] noun

1.  LAW event
that makes somebody do something: an unexpected event
that crucially affects somebody’s ability to do something and can be put
forward in law as an excuse for not having carried out the terms of an
agreement (formal)

2.  superior
power:
a force that is superior in power or impossible to resist
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “superior force.”][1]



force-march

force-march
force-march
(past force-marched, past participle force-marched,
present participle force-march·ing, 3rd person present
singular force-march·es) intransitive and transitive verb

make people march quickly:
to make soldiers or prisoners march somewhere in the shortest possible time and
without the normal amounts of rest • The
infantry escaped by force-marching back to the river crossing.
• The
captured personnel were force-marched north.[1]



forcemeat

forcemeat
force·meat 
[fáwrs mt] noun

type
of stuffing: finely chopped meat, fish, or vegetables
mixed with spices or other ingredients and used as a stuffing or garnish.
Also
called
farce
[Late 17th century. Force,
variant of farce .][1]



forceof habit

forceof habit
force
of hab·it
noun

habitual behavior:
the ability of a pattern of behavior that has become habitual to reassert
itself automatically even in situations where it is no longer appropriate • Even
after she retired, she woke at six every morning by force of habit.[1]



forceon

forceon
force
on
or force up·on transitive verb

impose on:
to make somebody or a group of people accept something unwillingly • This
method was forced upon us by head office.[1]



force-out

force-out
force-out
(plural force-outs) noun

putting runner out by force
play: in baseball, an act of
putting a base runner out by a force play[1]



forceplay

forceplay
force
play
(plural force plays) noun

play in which runner must
run: a baseball play in which a
runner, forced to run to the next base because the batter hits the ball, is put
out by a fielder at that base[1]



forceps

forceps
for·ceps 
[fáwrsəps, fáwr
sèps] (plural for·ceps) plural noun

1.  SURGERY surgical
instrument:
a specialized surgical instrument resembling tongs or tweezers, used for
grasping or moving tissues or organs or for applying materials such as gauze
pads during operations

2.  BIOLOGY body
part similar to pincer: a body part that is shaped
or works like pincers, such as the grasping parts of some insects
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “pincers,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from assumed formiceps,
from formus “warm” + capere “to take.”][1]



forcepump

forcepump
force
pump
(plural force pumps) noun

pump using pressure:
a pump that uses pressure to move a liquid[1]



forcible

forcible
forc·i·ble 
[fáwrsəb’l] adjective

1.  using
strength:
using physical power against somebody or something that resists • the
forcible removal of the lock

2.  persuasive:
powerful or tending to persuade people • It
was a forcible reminder that we must be on our guard.
—forc·i·bil·i·ty
[fàwrsə bíllətee], noun

—forc·i·ble·ness
[fáwrsəb’lnəss], noun

—forc·i·bly [fáwrsəblee], adverb[1]



ford

ford
ford 
[fawrd] noun (plural fords)

crossing
place through shallow water: a shallow part of a river or
stream where people, animals, or vehicles can cross it
transitive
verb
(past ford·ed, past participle ford·ed, present
participle ford·ing, 3rd person present singular fords)

cross
in shallow water: to walk, ride, or drive across a river
or stream at a place where the water is shallow
[Old
English, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fjord]
—ford·a·ble, adjective[1]



Ford,Gerald R.

Ford,Gerald R.

Ford 
[fawrd], Gerald R. (1913– )
U.S.
statesman and 38th president of the United States. He was the only president
(1974–1977) elected neither president nor vice president, having attained those
posts following the resignations of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew,
respectively.
Full name
Ford, Gerald Rudolph[1]



Ford,Glenn

Ford,Glenn
Ford
[fawrd], Glenn (1916– )

Canadian-born
U.S. movie actor. His movies include The Big Heat ( 1953 ) and Blackboard
Jungle ( 1955 ).
Real name
Newton, Gwyllyn Samuel[1]



Ford,Harrison

Ford,Harrison
Ford
[fawrd], Harrison (1942– )

U.S. movie actor. He is best
known for his roles as Han Solo in the Star Wars trilogy ( 1977–1983 )
and as Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark trilogy ( 1981–1989
).[1]



Ford,Henry

Ford,Henry

Ford
[fawrd], Henry (1863–1947)
U.S. industrialist, best known for his
pioneering achievements in the automobile industry. In 1903 he founded a major
motor company, introducing assembly-line production on a massive scale.[1]



Ford,John

Ford,John
Ford
[fawrd], John (1895–1973)

U.S.
movie director. Winner of six Academy Awards, he is best known for his work on
classic Westerns, including Stagecoach ( 1939 ).
Real name
Feeney, John Martin[1]



fore

fore
fore 
[fawr] noun (plural fores)

front:
the front of something, or something at the front (literary)
adjective

at
front of ship or aircraft: having a position at or near
the front of something, especially a ship, an aircraft, or an animal
adverb

toward
the front:
at or toward the front, especially of a ship or aircraft
interjection

GOLF warning
about golf ball: shouted to warn people that you are
hitting a golf ball in their direction
[Old
English, “before, previously”]
to
the fore

to a position of prominence
or importance[1]



fore-

fore-
fore-
prefix

1.  before,
earlier • forejudge

2.  front,
in front • forebrain
[Old English, from fore
(see fore )][1]



fore-and-aft

fore-and-aft
fore-and-aft 
adjective

along length:
parallel to or running along the length of something, especially a ship[1]



fore-and-after

fore-and-after
fore-and-af·ter 
(plural fore-and-af·ters) noun

fore-and-aft-rigged
ship:
a ship with a fore-and-aft rig
[“After,” from aft + -er][1]



fore-and-aftrig

fore-and-aftrig
fore-and-aft
rig
(plural fore-and-aft rigs) noun

sails arranged lengthwise:
an arrangement of a ship’s sails such that, when set, they are parallel to the
length of the vessel[1]



fore-and-aftsail

fore-and-aftsail
fore-and-aft
sail
(plural fore-and-aft sails) noun

four-sided sail:
a quadrilateral sail that extends behind the mast rather than across the boat.
The upper edge is supported by a pole ( gaff
) attached to the mast.
U.K. term
gaffsail[1]



forearm

forearm2
fore·arm2 [fawr
rm] (past fore·armed, past participle fore·armed,
present participle fore·arm·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·arms) transitive verb

prepare in advance:
to prepare or arm somebody in advance[1]



forearm

forearm1
fore·arm1 [fáwr
rm] (plural fore·arms) noun

lower arm:
the part of the human arm between the elbow and the wrist, or the corresponding
part of an animal’s foreleg[1]



forearmsmash

forearmsmash
fore·arm
smash
(plural fore·arm smash·es) noun

blow with forearm:
a blow struck with the forearm in wrestling[1]



forebear

forebear
fore·bear 
[fáwr bàir] (plural fore·bears)
or for·bear [fáwr bàir] (plural
for·bears) noun

long-dead
relative:
ancestor, especially one who died a long time ago (often used in the plural)
[15th century. From fore- + bear, variant of obsolete beer
“someone who is,” from be .][1]



forebode

forebode
fore·bode 
[fawr bṓd] (past fore·bod·ed, past
participle fore·bod·ed, present participle fore·bod·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·bodes) intransitive and
transitive verb (formal)

1.  portend
or predict:
to be or give an advance warning of something that may happen, especially
something undesirable • The
gathering clouds foreboded a terrible storm.

2.  have
premonition: to have a feeling that something bad is
going to happen before it does
—fore·bod·er, noun[1]



foreboding

foreboding
fore·bod·ing 
[fawr bṓding] noun (plural fore·bod·ings)

1.  premonition:
a feeling that something bad is going to happen

2.  bad
omen:
a sign or warning that something bad is going to happen
adjective

ominous:
indicating, warning, or suggesting that something undesirable is likely to
happen
—fore·bod·ing·ly,
adverb

—fore·bod·ing·ness, noun[1]



forebrain

forebrain
fore·brain
[fáwr bràyn] (plural fore·brains)
noun

front of brain:
the front section of the brain in adults or the frontmost of the three parts of
the brain in an embryo[1]



forecaddie

forecaddie
fore·cad·die 
[fáwr kàddee] (plural fore·cad·dies)
noun

ball spotter:
a caddie on a golf course who watches from the fairway to see where the balls
land[1]



forecast

forecast
fore·cast 
[fáwr kàst] transitive verb (past
fore·cast·ed, past participle fore·cast or fore·cast·ed,
present participle fore·cast·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·casts)

1.  suggest
what will happen: to predict or work out something that is
likely to happen, for example, the weather conditions for the days ahead

2.  be
early sign of something: to be an advance indication
of something that is likely or certain to happen
noun
(plural fore·casts)

1.  weather
prediction:
a prediction of weather conditions for the near future, usually broadcast on
television or radio or printed in a newspaper • Have
you heard the forecast for tomorrow?

2.  prediction
of future developments: an estimation or calculation
of what is likely to happen in the future, especially in business or finance
[15th
century. Originally “to contrive in advance.”]
—fore·cast·a·ble,
adjective

—fore·cast·er, noun[1]



forecastle

forecastle
fore·cas·tle 
[fṓks’l, fáwr
kàss’l] (plural fore·cas·tles) or fo’c’s’le
[fṓks’l] (plural fo’c’s’les) noun

1.  front
part of ship: the space at the front end of a ship
below the main deck, traditionally where the crew’s quarters were located

2.  raised
deck at bow: a raised section of deck at the bow of a
ship

[1]



fore-check

fore-check
fore-check 
(past fore-checked, past participle fore-checked, present
participle fore-check·ing, 3rd person present singular fore-checks)
intransitive verb

check
opponent:
to check a player of an opposing ice hockey team in the opposition’s defensive
zone
—fore-check·er, noun[1]



foreclose

foreclose
fore·close 
[fawr klṓz] (past fore·closed,
past participle fore·closed, present participle fore·clos·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·clos·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW FINANCE end
a mortgage:
to take away a mortgagee’s right to redeem a mortgage, usually because payments
have not been made • The bank foreclosed on
the property.

2.  transitive
verb
shut
out:
to bar or exclude somebody or something (formal)

3.  transitive
verb
settle
beforehand:
to settle or resolve something in advance (formal)

4.  transitive
verb
prevent:
to prevent or hinder something (formal)

5.  transitive
verb
hold
exclusively: to have an exclusive right or claim to
something (formal)
[13th
century. From Old French forclos, past participle of forclore,
ultimately from Latin foris “outside” + claudere “to close” (see close “to shut”).]
—fore·clos·a·ble, adjective[1]



foreclosure

foreclosure
fore·clo·sure 
[fawr klṓzhər] (plural fore·clo·sures)
noun

removal of right to redeem
mortgage: a legal process by which a
mortgagee’s right to redeem a mortgage is taken away, usually because of
failing to make payments[1]



forecourse

forecourse
fore·course
[fáwr kàwrs] (plural fore·cours·es)
noun

foresail:
a foresail, especially the lowest of a ship’s foresails[1]



forecourt

forecourt
fore·court 
[fáwr kàwrt] (plural fore·courts)
noun

1.  space
in front of building: an open area at the front of
a building, especially one in front of a service station, hotel, or railroad
station

2.  SPORTS front
section of court: the part of the court nearest the net or
front wall in games such as tennis, badminton, and handball

[1]



foredeck

foredeck
fore·deck 
[fáwr dèk] (plural fore·decks)
noun

front of deck:
the part of a ship’s deck between the bridge and the forecastle[1]



foredoom

foredoom
fore·doom 
[fawr dm] (past fore·doomed, past
participle fore·doomed, present participle fore·doom·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·dooms) transitive verb

doom beforehand:
to condemn something or somebody in advance to failure or destruction (literary)
(usually passive)[1]



fore-edge

fore-edge
fore-edge
(plural fore-edg·es) noun

outside edge of page:
the outer edge of a printed page[1]



forefather

forefather
fore·fa·ther 
[fáwr fər] (plural fore·fa·thers
(literary)) noun (often used in the plural)

1.  male
ancestor:
a male ancestor, usually one who died long ago (literary) • in
the proud tradition of our forefathers

2.  precursor:
a member of an earlier generation from whom traditions, values, or ideas have
been inherited

[1]



forefend

forefend
fore·fend 
[fawr fénd] (past participle fore·fend·ed,
present participle fore·fend·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·fends) transitive verb

(literary) See forfend[1]



forefinger

forefinger
fore·fin·ger 
[fáwr fìng gər] (plural fore·fin·gers)
noun

ANATOMY
See index finger[1]



forefoot

forefoot
fore·foot 
[fáwr ft] (plural fore·feet [fáwr ft]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
front foot:
either of the front feet of a four-legged animal

2.  NAUTICAL front
of keel:
the front end of a ship’s keel

[1]



forefront

forefront
fore·front 
[fáwr frùnt] (plural fore·fronts)
noun

1.  leading
position:
the most prominent, important, active, or responsible position in something.
Also
called
foreground

2.  foremost
part:
the part at or nearest the front of something

[1]



foregather

foregather
fore·gath·er 
(past fore·gath·ered, past participle fore·gath·ered,
present participle fore·gath·er·ing, 3rd person present
singular fore·gath·ers) intransitive verb

See
forgather[1]



forego

forego2
fore·go2 transitive verb

See
forgo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








forego

forego1
fore·go1 [fawr
gṓ] (past fore·went [fawr wént],
past participle fore·gone [fawr gón],
present participle fore·go·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·goes) intransitive and transitive verb

precede:
to go or come before something in position, time, or sequence (formal)
[Old
English foregan]
—fore·go·er, noun[1]



foregoing

foregoing
fore·go·ing 
[fawr gṓ ing, fáwr
g ing] adjective

previously
mentioned:
going or coming before something, especially in speech or writing
noun

preceding item:
in speech or writing, the thing that has just been mentioned • As
is evident from the foregoing, much remains to be done.[1]



foregone

foregone
fore·gone
adjective

1.  done
already:
previously completed or determined

2.  past:
previous or former (archaic)

[1]



foregoneconclusion

foregoneconclusion
fore·gone
con·clu·sion (plural fore·gone
con·clu·sions) noun

inevitable outcome:
something that will inevitably happen as a result of something else[1]



foreground

foreground
fore·ground 
[fáwr gròwnd] noun (plural fore·grounds)

1.  part
that appears nearest: the part of a picture or
scene that appears nearest the viewer

2.  See
forefront  noun 1
adjective

COMPUTING currently
receiving commands: currently receiving
commands, usually through the keyboard, at the same time as one or more other
programs or tasks are operating independently • foreground
processing
transitive
verb
(past fore·ground·ed, past participle fore·ground·ed,
present participle fore·ground·ing, 3rd person present
singular fore·grounds)

highlight: to
put something in an important position and so draw attention to it

[1]



foregut

foregut
fore·gut 
[fáwr gùt] (plural fore·guts) noun

part of embryonic intestine:
the front end of the embryonic gut in animals. In vertebrates it develops into
the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and top part of the intestines.[1]



forehand

forehand
fore·hand 
[fáwr hànd] noun (plural fore·hands)

1.  SPORTS stroke
in racket games: in racket games, a basic stroke played
with the palm of the racket hand facing forward

2.  EQUESTRIAN front
part of horse: the part of a horse in front of the
rider and saddle
adjective

SPORTS played
as forehand: in racket games, played with the palm of
the racket hand facing forward, or relating to a stroke played in this way
adverb

with forehand stroke:
in racket games, with a forehand stroke or action
transitive
verb
(past fore·hand·ed, past participle fore·hand·ed, present
participle fore·hand·ing, 3rd person present singular fore·hands)

SPORTS play
with forehand stroke: in racket games, to hit the
ball with a forehand stroke

[1]



forehanded

forehanded
fore·hand·ed 
[fawr hándəd] adjective adverb

See forehand
adjective
(literary)

1.  prudent:
prudent about saving money

2.  well-to-do:
financially well-off
—fore·hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—fore·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



forehead

forehead
fore·head 
[fáwrəd, fáwr
hèd] (plural fore·heads) noun

top
of face:
the part of the face above the eyebrows, below the hairline and between the
temples
[Old English foreheafod,
literally “front head,” from heafod, an earlier form of head][1]



forehoof

forehoof
fore·hoof
[fáwr hf] (plural fore·hooves
[fáwr hvz] or fore·hoofs) noun

front hoof:
the hoof of either of the two front legs of a four-legged animal ( quadruped )[1]



foreign

foreign
for·eign 
[fáwrən] adjective

1.  of
another country: relating to, from, or located in a
country or countries other than your own • She
speaks three foreign languages.

2.  dealing
with another country: dealing with or involved
with a country or countries other than your own • foreign
policy

3.  coming
from outside: introduced from outside into a place
where it does not belong, often in the human body • a
foreign body in her eye

4.  uncharacteristic:
not usually associated with a particular person or thing • Such
outbursts are quite foreign to her nature.

5.  irrelevant:
not related or relevant (formal) • observations
that are foreign to the matter in hand

6.  LAW beyond
jurisdiction: being beyond the jurisdiction of a
particular area or country
[13th
century. Via Old French forein from, ultimately, Latin foras foris
“out of doors, abroad,” from fores “door” (source of English forest ).]
—for·eign·ly,
adverb

—for·eign·ness, noun[1]



foreignbill

foreignbill
for·eign
bill
(plural for·eign bills) noun

bill of exchange:
a bill of exchange that is issued in one country but payable in another.
Also called
foreign draft[1]



foreigncorrespondent

foreigncorrespondent
for·eign
cor·re·spon·dent (plural for·eign
cor·re·spon·dents) noun

journalist reporting from
abroad: a journalist who sends news
reports from other countries for broadcast or publication in his or her own
country[1]



foreigndraft

foreigndraft
for·eign
draft
(plural for·eign drafts) noun

See
foreign bill[1]



foreigner

foreigner
for·eign·er 
[fáwrənər] (plural for·eign·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
from another country: somebody who was born in or
comes from a country other than your own

2.  outsider:
somebody who does not feel or is not considered to be part of a particular
group

[1]



foreignexchange

foreignexchange
for·eign
ex·change
noun

1.  dealings
in foreign money: the conversion of one currency into
another or the buying and selling of different currencies

2.  foreign
money:
the currencies of countries other than your own, or international currencies
generally

[1]



foreignism

foreignism
for·eign·ism 
[fáwrə nìzzəm] (plural for·eign·isms)
noun

something characteristically
foreign: something that is
characteristically foreign, especially a custom or idiom (formal)[1]



foreignlegion

foreignlegion
for·eign
le·gion
(plural for·eign le·gions) noun

section of army consisting of
foreign volunteers: a section
of an army consisting of foreign volunteers, especially that of the French army[1]



foreignminister

foreignminister
for·eign
min·is·ter
(plural for·eign min·is·ters) noun

government minister:
in many countries a minister in a government who is responsible for relations
with other countries[1]



foreignministry

foreignministry
for·eign
min·is·try
noun

government department:
in many countries, the department of government responsible for relations with
other countries[1]



foreignmission

foreignmission
for·eign
mis·sion
(plural for·eign mis·sions) noun

1.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS diplomatic
personnel:
diplomatic personnel sent to represent their country abroad

2.  CHRISTIANITY missionaries:
missionaries who try to convert the inhabitants of another country to
Christianity or another religion

[1]



foreignoffice

foreignoffice
for·eign
of·fice
noun

U.K. government department:
in the United Kingdom and some other countries, the department of the
government that is responsible for relations with other countries[1]



foreignsecretary

foreignsecretary
for·eign
sec·re·tar·y noun

British cabinet minister:
the cabinet minister in the United Kingdom government responsible for relations
with other countries[1]



foreignservice

foreignservice
for·eign
ser·vice
noun

diplomatic staff:
a country’s diplomatic and consular staff[1]



forejudge

forejudge
fore·judge
[fawr júj] (past fore·judged, past
participle fore·judged, present participle fore·judg·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·judg·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

prejudge:
to judge a matter before knowing all the facts or evidence (formal)
—fore·judg·ment, noun[1]



foreknow

foreknow
fore·know 
[fawr nṓ] (past fore·knew [fawr n], past participle fore·known
[fawr nṓn], present participle fore·know·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·knows) transitive verb

know
something before it happens: to have knowledge or
awareness that something is going to happen, either from information that has
been acquired, or by paranormal means (formal)
—fore·know·a·ble,
adjective

—fore·know·ing·ly, adverb[1]



foreknowledge

foreknowledge
fore·knowl·edge 
[fawr nóllij] noun

knowledge of something before
it happens: knowledge or awareness that
something is going to happen, either from information that has been acquired,
or by paranormal means (formal)[1]



forelady

forelady
fore·la·dy 
[fáwr làydee] (plural fore·la·dies)
noun

See
forewoman  noun 1[1]



foreland

foreland
fore·land 
[fáwrlənd] (plural fore·lands)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY headland:
a stretch of land that juts out into the sea or an estuary

2.  GEOGRAPHY land
in front:
land described in relation to what lies behind it, especially a plain in front
of mountains

3.  rock
in front of mountains: a stable undeformed mass of
rock that juts out in front of a mountain belt

[1]



foreleg

foreleg
fore·leg 
[fáwr lèg] (plural fore·legs) noun

front leg:
either of the two front legs of a four-legged animal ( quadruped
)[1]



forelimb

forelimb
fore·limb 
[fáwr lìm] (plural fore·limbs)
noun

front limb:
either of the two front limbs of a four-limbed vertebrate, for example, a
flipper, arm, wing, or fin[1]



forelock

forelock1

fore·lock1 [fáwr
lòk] (plural fore·locks) noun

1.  lock
of hair on forehead: a lock of hair that grows or
falls over the forehead

2.        ZOOLOGY front
of horse’s mane: the part of a horse’s
mane that falls forward between its ears[1]



forelock

forelock2
fore·lock2 [fáwr
lòk] (plural fore·locks) noun

linchpin:
a pin or wedge inserted through the end of a bolt to stop it being removed[1]



foreman

foreman
fore·man 
[fáwrmən] (plural fore·men) noun

1.  man
in charge of other workers: a man who is in charge of a
group of other workers, for example, on a construction site or in a factory

2.  LAW leader
of jury:
somebody chosen by the other members of a jury to be their leader
[13th
century. Because he is the most important man.]
—fore·man·ship, noun[1]



Foreman,George

Foreman,George
Fore·man
[fáwrmən], George (1949– )

U.S. professional boxer.
Winner of the world heavyweight championship title (1973–1974), he made a
comeback to regain the title in 1994 at the age of 45.[1]



foremast

foremast
fore·mast 
[fáwr màst, nautical usage fáwrməst] (plural fore·masts) noun

front mast:
the mast nearest the front or bow of a vessel with two or more masts[1]



foremilk

foremilk
fore·milk 
[fáwr mìlk] noun

milk at start of breast feed:
the relatively low-fat milk with a high sugar content that is produced by a
woman’s breast at the beginning of a breast feed[1]



foremost

foremost
fore·most 
[fáwr mst] adjective

1.  chief:
most important or notable

2.  furthest
forward:
nearest to the front • the
foremost section of the aircraft
adverb

1.  in
first position: most importantly, or in the most
important position • a partner who will put
your interests foremost

2.  to
the front:
at or toward the front
[Old English formest,
from forma “first” + -est, but later
understood as if from fore and -most][1]



foremother

foremother
fore·moth·er 
[fáwr mùər] (plural fore·moth·ers)
noun

ancestor:
a woman ancestor, usually one who died long ago[1]



forename

forename
fore·name 
[fáwr nàym] (plural fore·names)
noun

See
first name[1]



forenamed

forenamed
fore·named 
[fáwr nàymd] adjective

named before:
previously named or mentioned (formal)[1]



forenoon

forenoon
fore·noon 
[fáwr nn, fawr
nn] (plural fore·noons) noun

morning:
the period of time between dawn and noon or immediately before noon[1]



forensic

forensic
fo·ren·sic 
[fə rénsik, fə
rénzik] adjective

1.  crime-solving:
relating to the application of science to decide questions arising from crime
or litigation • forensic evidence

2.  of
debating:
relating to debate and formal argumentation • forensic
oratory
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin forensis “of legal proceedings,” originally “of the
forum (as a place of discussion),” from forum (see forum ).]
—fo·ren·si·cal·i·ty
[fə rènsi kállətee, fə
rènzi kállətee], noun

—fo·ren·si·cal·ly [fə rénzikəlee], adverb[1]



forensicmedicine

forensicmedicine
fo·ren·sic
med·i·cine
noun

medicine used in law cases:
the branch of medicine that has a specifically legal purpose, for example,
establishing the cause of a death.
Also called
medical jurisprudence
Also called
legal medicine[1]



forensics

forensics
fo·ren·sics 
[fə rénsiks, fə
rénziks] plural noun

study of debating:
the practice or study of formal debate (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



foreordain

foreordain
fore·or·dain 
[fàwr awr dáyn] (past fore·or·dained,
past participle fore·or·dained, present participle fore·or·dain·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·or·dains) transitive verb

determine
future events: to arrange or determine an event in
advance of its happening (formal)
—fore·or·dain·ment,
noun

—fore·or·di·na·tion [fàwr awrd’n áysh’n], noun[1]



forepart

forepart
fore·part 
[fáwr prt] (plural fore·parts)
noun

1.  front
part:
the front part of something or the part of something in front

2.  early
part:
the first or early part of a given period of time

[1]



forepaw

forepaw
fore·paw 
[fáwr pàw] (plural fore·paws) noun

front paw:
either of the two front feet of a land mammal that does not have hooves[1]



forepeak

forepeak
fore·peak 
[fáwr pk] (plural fore·peaks)
noun

front part of ship:
the interior part of a vessel nearest the bow[1]



foreperson

foreperson
fore·per·son 
[fáwr pùrs’n] (plural fore·per·sons
or fore·peo·ple [fáwr pp’l]) noun

1.  worker
in charge of others: a skilled worker who is in
charge of a group of other workers, for example, on a building site or in a
factory

2.  LAW jury leader:
somebody chosen by the other members of a jury to be their leader

[1]



foreplane

foreplane
fore
plane
(plural fore planes) noun

medium-sized plane:
a plane used in carpentry or joinery for preliminary smoothing, intermediate in
size between a jack plane and a jointer plane[1]



foreplay

foreplay
fore·play 
[fáwr plày] noun

sexual stimulation:
mutual sexual stimulation that takes place before intercourse[1]



forequarter

forequarter
fore·quar·ter 
[fáwr kwàwrtər] noun (plural fore·quar·ters)

carcass
portion:
half of the front half of a pork, lamb, or beef carcass
plural
noun
fore·quar·ters

front part of animal:
the front legs, shoulders, and adjoining parts of a horse or similar animal[1]



forereach

forereach
fore·reach 
[fawr rch] (past fore·reached,
past participle fore·reached, present participle fore·reach·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·reach·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sail
ahead:
to gain on or pass another sailing vessel, especially when sailing into the
wind

2.  intransitive
verb
move
on water without power: to continue moving in a ship
after the sails have been taken down or the engine switched off

[1]



forerun

forerun
fore·run 
[fawr rún] (past fore·ran [fawr rán], past participle fore·run,
present participle fore·run·ning, 3rd person present singular
fore·runs) transitive verb

1.  herald:
to serve as an indication of or anticipate something that is to happen (formal)

2.  go
before:
to go before something (archaic)

3.  prevent:
to prevent or forestall something (archaic)

[1]



forerunner

forerunner
fore·run·ner 
[fáwr rùnnər] (plural fore·run·ners)
noun

1.  predecessor:
an earlier person or thing that had a role or function similar to somebody or
something coming later • the
forerunner of the modern food processor

2.  somebody
or something showing future: somebody or something that
brings news of or is an indication of what is to happen • a
forerunner of unsettled weather

3.  one
ahead of others: somebody or something that goes ahead of
others, for example, a skier who skis down a course just before the beginning
of a race

[1]



foresaid

foresaid
fore·said 
[fáwr sèd] adjective

aforesaid:
aforesaid (archaic)[1]



foresail

foresail
fore·sail 
[fáwr sàyl, nautical usage fáwrs’l] (plural fore·sails) noun

1.  main
square sail: the main square sail on the front mast
of a square-rigged vessel

2.  main
triangular sail: the main or lowest triangular sail on a
fore-and-aft-rigged vessel

[1]



foresee

foresee
fore·see 
[fawr s] (past fore·saw [fawr sáw], past participle fore·seen
[fawr sn], present participle fore·see·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·sees) intransitive and
transitive verb

predict:
to know or expect that something is going to happen before it does • He
couldn’t have foreseen the consequences of his scheme.
[Old
English foresēon, literally “to see before”]
—fore·see·a·ble,
adjective

—fore·se·er, noun[1]



foreshadow

foreshadow
fore·shad·ow 
[fawr sháddō] (past fore·shad·owed,
past participle fore·shad·owed, present participle fore·shad·ow·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·shad·ows) transitive verb

be
warning of:
to indicate or suggest something, usually something unpleasant, that is going
to happen
—fore·shad·ow·er, noun[1]



foreshank

foreshank
fore·shank
[fáwr shàngk] (plural fore·shanks)
noun

1.  top
part of animal’s front leg: the upper part of either of
the two front legs of a four-legged animal

2.  cut
of meat:
a cut of meat taken from the foreshank of a lamb or sheep

[1]



foresheet

foresheet
fore·sheet 
[fáwr sht] noun (plural fore·sheets)

rope
for foresail: a rope used to keep a corner of a
foresail in place
plural
noun
fore·sheets

part of boat:
the part of an open boat that lies forward of the structural member used as the
foremost rower’s seat[1]



foreshock

foreshock
fore·shock 
[fáwr shòk] (plural fore·shocks)
noun

minor earthquake:
a slight tremor or minor earthquake, often one of many and usually preceding a
larger earthquake or volcanic eruption[1]



foreshore

foreshore
fore·shore 
[fáwr shàwr] (plural fore·shores)
noun

1.  shore
between high and low watermarks: the part of a shore
that lies between the highest and lowest watermarks

2.  dry
shore:
the part of a shore between the high watermark and cultivated or economically
exploited land

[1]



foreshorten

foreshorten

fore·short·en 
[fawr sháwrt’n] (past fore·short·ened,
past participle fore·short·ened, present participle fore·short·en·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·short·ens) transitive verb

1.  abridge:
to make a text shorter (formal)

2.        DRAWING show
something shorter than it is: in drawing,
to make something appear shorter than it actually is in order to create a
three-dimensional effect on the basis of the laws of perspective[1]



foreshow

foreshow
fore·show 
[fawr shṓ] (past fore·showed, past
participle fore·shown [fawr shṓn],
present participle fore·show·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·shows) transitive verb

indicate in advance:
to indicate something that is going to happen (archaic)[1]



foresight

foresight
fore·sight 
[fáwr st] (plural fore·sights)
noun

1.  ability
to think ahead: the ability to envision possible future
problems or obstacles

2.  premonition:
an act or instance of knowing something beforehand

3.  looking
forward:
the act of looking forward

4.  reading
taken in surveying: in surveying, an observation
or measurement made looking forward

5.  ARMS front
gunsight:
the front sight on a gun
—fore·sight·ed, adjective[1]



foreskin

foreskin
fore·skin 
[fáwr skìn] (plural fore·skins)
noun

skin covering tip of penis:
a fold of skin that covers the end of the penis[1]



forest

forest
for·est 
[fáwrəst] noun (plural for·ests)

1.  large
dense growth of trees: a large area of land covered
in trees and other plants growing close together, or the trees growing on it

2.  woodland
for hunting: especially in former times, an area of
woodland owned by a monarch and set aside for hunting

3.  large
number of upright objects: a collection of often tall
upright objects, densely packed and so resembling a forest of trees • a
forest of microphones
transitive
verb
(past for·est·ed, past participle for·est·ed, present
participle for·est·ing, 3rd person present singular for·ests)

create forest on land:
to plant an area with a large number of trees
[13th
century. Via Old French from late Latin forestis (silva), literally
“outside (woods),” from foris “out of doors” (see foreign ).]
—for·est·al,
adjective

—for·est·ed,
adjective

—fo·res·tial [fə réschəl], adjective[1]



forestall

forestall
fore·stall 
[fawr stáwl] (past fore·stalled,
past participle fore·stalled, present participle fore·stall·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·stalls) transitive verb

1.  prevent
or hinder:
to prevent or hinder somebody from doing something or something from happening
by acting in advance

2.  anticipate:
to think of or do something beforehand (archaic)

3.  COMMERCE hinder
sale of:
to stop or slow down sales of a product at a one-off event or market by buying
that product in large quantities beforehand
[14th
century. From Old English foresteall “ambush,” literally “position in
front,” from steall “standing position.”]
—fore·stall·er,
noun

—fore·stall·ment, noun[1]



forestation

forestation
for·es·ta·tion 
[fàwrə stáysh’n] noun

trees covering large area:
the planting or incidence of trees over a large area[1]



forestay

forestay
fore·stay 
[fáwr stày] (plural fore·stays)
noun

rope supporting foremast:
a rope or cable ( stay ) extending from the
head of the foremast to the deck of a ship and used for supporting the mast[1]



forester

forester
for·est·er 
[fáwrəstər] (plural for·est·ers)
noun

1.  manager
of forest:
somebody engaged in forest management and conservation

2.  forest
dweller:
a person or animal living in a forest (archaic)

3.  INSECTS woodland
moth:
a woodland moth that flies by day. Family: Zyglaenidae

[1]



forestfloor

forestfloor
for·est
floor
(plural for·est floors) noun

material on ground in forest:
the layer of organic matter on the ground in a forest[1]



forestgreen

forestgreen
for·est
green
adjective

of
dark green color: of a dark green color, like the foliage
on a pine tree • forest-green uniforms
—for·est green, noun[1]



ForestHills

ForestHills
For·est
Hills
[fàwrəst hílz]

residential area in the
borough of Queens, New York City, at the western end of Long Island. The U.S.
Open tennis championship was held there until 1978.[1]



forestland

forestland
for·est·land 
[fáwrəst lànd] (plural for·est·lands)
noun

land for trees:
a piece of land covered with trees or set aside for the cultivation of trees[1]



forestoriole

forestoriole
for·est
o·ri·ole
(plural for·est o·ri·oles) noun

See
oriole[1]



forestranger

forestranger
for·est
rang·er
(plural for·est rang·ers) noun

See
ranger  noun 1[1]



forestry

forestry
for·est·ry 
[fáwrəstree] noun

1.  planting
and growing trees: the science or skill of
planting and growing trees or managing forests

2.  forest
management:
the management of forests for profitable ends such as timber production

3.  commercial
forestland:
forestland, especially that planted and commercially managed rather than
growing naturally

[1]



foretaste

foretaste
fore·taste 
noun [fáwr tàyst] (plural fore·tastes)

sample
of future:
a sample or indication of what is to come
transitive
verb
[fawr táyst, fáwr
tàyst] (past fore·tast·ed, past participle fore·tast·ed,
present participle fore·tast·ing, 3rd person present singular
fore·tastes)

have foretaste of:
to have a sample or indication of what is to come[1]



foretell

foretell
fore·tell 
[fawr tél] (past participle fore·told
[fawr tṓld], present participle fore·tell·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·tells) transitive verb

predict:
to predict what is going to happen, especially by means of supposed magic or
supernatural powers (literary)
—fore·tell·er, noun[1]



forethought

forethought
fore·thought 
[fáwr thàwt] noun

thought
for the future: careful thought in order to be prepared
for the future
—fore·thought·ful,
adjective

—fore·thought·ful·ly,
adverb

—fore·thought·ful·ness,
noun[1]



foretime

foretime
fore·time
[fáwr tm] noun

past time:
time before the present (archaic)[1]



foretoken

foretoken
fore·to·ken 
noun [fáwr tkən] (plural fore·to·kens)

warning
sign:
a warning sign of what is to come (literary)
transitive
verb
[fawr tṓkən] (past fore·to·kened,
past participle fore·to·kened, present participle fore·to·ken·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·to·kens)

warn of:
to be or give a warning sign of what is to come (literary)[1]



foretold

foretold
fore·told


Past participle of
foretell Past tense of foretell[1]



foretop

foretop
fore·top 
[fáwr tòp, nautical usage fáwtəp] (plural fore·tops) noun

platform on foremast:
a platform at the top of a ship’s foremast[1]



foretopgallant

foretopgallant
fore·top·gal·lant
[fàwr top gállənt, nautical usage fàwtəp gállənt] adjective

being above foremast:
relating to the section of a mast directly above the foremast[1]



foretopmast

foretopmast
fore·top·mast
[fawr tóp màst, nautical usage fàwr tópməst] (plural fore·top·masts)
noun

high part of foremast:
the mast above the platform at the top of a ship’s foremast[1]



foretopsail

foretopsail
fore·top·sail
[fawr tóp sàyl, nautical usage fawr tóps’l] (plural fore·top·sails)
noun

sail above foresail:
a sail attached to the mast above the platform at the top of a ship’s foremast[1]



forever

forever
for·ev·er 
[faw révvər, fə
révvər] adverb

1.  for
all time:
for all future time

2.  for
very long time: for a very long time, or what seems to
be a very long time (informal) • If
we wait for him, we’ll be here forever.

3.  constantly:
regularly or constantly, and often annoyingly (informal)

4.  at
all times:
at all times or on every occasion (literary) • From
that moment on, she was forever careful.
[13th century. From for
ever, not used as one word until the late 17th century.][1]



forevermore

forevermore
for·ev·er·more 
[faw rèvvər máwr, fə
rèvvər máwr] adverb

for all time:
from now on and for all time (literary)[1]



forewarn

forewarn
fore·warn 
[fawr wáwrn] (past fore·warned,
past participle fore·warned, present participle fore·warn·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·warns) transitive verb

warn:
to warn somebody about something that is going to happen (often passive)
—fore·warn·er,
noun

—fore·warn·ing·ly, adverb[1]



forewing

forewing
fore·wing 
[fáwr wìng] (plural fore·wings)
noun

front wing:
either of the pair of front wings on a four-winged insect[1]



forewoman

forewoman
fore·wom·an 
[fáwr wmmən] (plural fore·wom·en
[fáwr wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
in charge of other workers: a woman who is in charge of
a group of workers, for example, on a construction site or in a factory.
Also
called
forelady

2.  LAW woman jury
leader:
a woman chosen by the other members of a jury to be their leader

[1]



foreword

foreword
fore·word 
[fáwr wùrd, fáwrwərd]
(plural fore·words) noun

introductory note:
an introductory note, essay, or chapter in a book, often written by somebody
other than the author[1]



foreyard

foreyard
fore·yard 
[fáwr yrd] (plural fore·yards)
noun

spar on foremast:
the lowest spar for supporting a sail on a foremast[1]



forfeit

forfeit
for·feit 
[fáwrfət] noun (plural for·feits)

1.  giving
something up: the act or an instance of giving
something up or being deprived of something as a punishment

2.  penalty
for wrongdoing: something that is taken away as a
punishment or has to be given up to make up for a mistake or wrongdoing

3.  LAW penalty
for breaking law: something that is taken away as a
penalty for breaking a law or contract

4.  LEISURE penalty
in game:
an object that a player must give up or a task that a player must perform as a
penalty in a game
adjective

taken away as punishment:
taken away or given up as a punishment for a mistake or wrongdoing
transitive
verb
(past for·feit·ed, past participle for·feit·ed, present
participle for·feit·ing, 3rd person present singular for·feits)

1.  lose:
to lose something or have something taken away as punishment for a mistake or
wrongdoing • forfeit
the right to your inheritance

2.  give
up:
to give something up willingly in order to pursue or obtain something else • forfeited
her inheritance and married outside her parents’ faith

3.  LAW take
away as penalty: to take something away as a penalty for
breaking a law or contract
[13th
century. From Old French forfet, past participle of forfaire “to
commit a crime,” literally “to do beyond,” from fors “beyond,” from
Latin foris (see foreign ).]
—for·feit·a·ble,
adjective

—for·feit·er, noun[1]



forfeits

forfeits
for·feits
noun

LEISURE
game of penalties:
a game in which a player must give something up or perform a task each time he
or she commits a fault or loses a round (takes a singular verb)[1]



forfeiture

forfeiture
for·fei·ture 
[fáwrfə chr, fáwrfəchər]
(plural for·fei·tures) noun LAW

1.  something
forfeited:
something that has been taken away or has had to be given up as a penalty for
breaking a law or contract

2.  giving
something up: the act of forfeiting something

[1]



forfend

forfend
for·fend
[fawr fénd] (past for·fend·ed,
past participle for·fend·ed, present participle for·fend·ing,
3rd person present singular for·fends) or fore·fend
[fawr fénd] (past fore·fend·ed,
past participle fore·fend·ed, present participle fore·fend·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·fends) verb (archaic)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb prevent
something happening: to protect or secure against
something happening • Heaven
forfend that I should end up like that!

2.  transitive
verb
forbid:
to forbid or prohibit something
[14th century. Literally “to
fend before,” formed from fend .][1]



forgather

forgather
for·gath·er
[fawr gáər] (past for·gath·ered,
past participle for·gath·ered, present participle for·gath·er·ing,
3rd person present singular for·gath·ers) or fore·gath·er
[fawr gáər] (past fore·gath·ered,
past participle fore·gath·ered, present participle fore·gath·er·ing,
3rd person present singular fore·gath·ers) intransitive verb
(formal)

1.  assemble
as group:
to come together as a group

2.  meet
by chance:
to meet, usually by chance

3.  associate
with:
to spend time socially with somebody
[15th century. By folk
etymology (by association with gather ) from
Dutch vorgaderen “to meet, assemble.”][1]



forgave

forgave
for·gave


Past tense of
forgive[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








forge

forge2
forge2 [fawrj]
(past forged, past participle forged, present
participle forg·ing, 3rd person present singular forg·es)
intransitive verb

1.  move
forward:
to move forward with a sudden increase of speed • forging
past the runner on the inside

2.  make
progress:
to move slowly and steadily “We were forging through a narrow passage,
rock-lined, and tube-like.” Edgar Rice Burroughs The Gods of Mars 1913
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of force .][1]



forge

forge1
forge1 [fawrj]
noun (plural forg·es)

1.  metal
workshop:
a workshop where metal is heated and shaped into objects by hammering

2.  furnace
for heating metal: a furnace used to heat metal
to a very high temperature

3.  machine
for hammering metal: a machine with two tool
faces that are brought together to hammer pieces of metal into specific shapes
verb
(past forged, past participle forged, present
participle forg·ing, 3rd person present singular forg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make illegal
copy of something: to make or produce an
illegal copy of something so that it looks genuine, usually for financial gain

2.  transitive
verb
establish
with effort: to establish and strive to develop
something with great effort • forge
a durable relationship with the community

3.  transitive
verb
shape
metal:
to shape or form metal by heating and hammering it
[13th
century. From French forger “to make,” from Latin fabricare
(source of English fabricate ).]
—forge·a·bil·i·ty
[fàwrjə bíllətee], noun

—forge·a·ble [fáwrjəb’l], adjective[1]



forgeahead

forgeahead
forge
ahead
intransitive verb

make good progress:
to move forward rapidly or steadily and persistently[1]



forger

forger
forg·er
[fáwrjər] (plural forg·ers) noun

somebody who makes illegal
copies: somebody who makes or
produces illegal copies, for example, of documents or signatures, usually for
financial gain[1]



forgery

forgery
for·ger·y 
[fáwrjəree] (plural for·ger·ies)
noun

1.  copying
something illegally: the act of making or
producing an illegal copy of something so that it looks genuine, usually for
financial gain

2.  illegal
copy:
an illegal copy of something, for example, a document or painting, that has
been made to look genuine

[1]



forget

forget
for·get 
[fər gét] (past for·got [fər gót], past participle for·got·ten
[fər gótt’n], present participle for·get·ting,
3rd person present singular for·gets) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
remember:
to fail or be unable to remember something • I’ll
never forget my first day in school.

2.  transitive
verb
leave
behind:
to leave something behind accidentally • I’ve
forgotten my keys.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb neglect
somebody or something: to fail to give due
attention to somebody or something • Don’t
just disappear and forget about us all.

4.  transitive
verb
stop
worrying:
to stop thinking or worrying about somebody or something • I’d
just forget about it if I were you.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
mention:
to fail to mention somebody or something

6.  reflexive
verb
lose
control of:
to lose control of your manners, emotions, or behavior • Oh
dear, I’m forgetting myself! Let me take your coat.
[Old
English forgietan, literally “to miss your hold on,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English get]
—for·get·ter,
noun
forget
it

1.  used
to let somebody know that something is not really very important and so not
worth worrying about (informal)

2.  used
to tell somebody that you are definitely not going to do something that has
been suggested, proposed, or asked of you (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at neglect

[1]



forgetful

forgetful
for·get·ful 
[fər gétfəl] adjective

1.  absent-minded:
tending to forget things

2.  neglectful:
not giving due attention to somebody or something (formal) • forgetful
of his contractual obligations

3.  causing
forgetfulness: causing somebody to forget something (archaic
literary)
—for·get·ful·ly,
adverb

—for·get·ful·ness, noun[1]



forget-me-not

forget-me-not

for·get-me-not 
(plural for·get-me-nots) noun
plant
with small pale blue flowers: a small herbaceous plant of
the borage family that has small delicate pale blue flowers. Genus: Myosotis

Also
called
scorpion grass
[A translation of Old French ne
m’oubliez mie, because the flower was worn by lovers][1]



forgettable

forgettable
for·get·ta·ble 
[fər géttəb’l] adjective

unmemorable:
not easily remembered or not worthy of being remembered[1]



forgive

forgive
for·give 
[fər gív] (past for·gave [fər gáyv], past participle for·giv·en
[fər gívvən], present participle for·giv·ing,
3rd person present singular for·gives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
being angry about something: to stop being angry about or
resenting somebody or somebody’s behavior

2.  transitive
verb
pardon:
to excuse somebody for a mistake, misunderstanding, wrongdoing, or an
inappropriateness

3.  transitive
verb
cancel
obligation:
to cancel an obligation, such as a debt
[Old
English forgiefan, literally “to abstain from giving.” The underlying
idea is of giving up resentment or a claim.]
—for·giv·a·ble,
adjective

—for·giv·a·bly,
adverb

—for·giv·er, noun[1]



forgiveness

forgiveness
for·give·ness 
[fər gívnəss] noun

1.  act
of pardoning somebody: the act of pardoning
somebody for a mistake or wrongdoing

2.  forgiving
quality:
the tendency to forgive offenses readily and easily • She
had little forgiveness in her nature.
[Old English forgiefenes,
formed from the past participle of forgiefan (see forgive ). Etymologically “forgiven-ness.”][1]



forgiving

forgiving
for·giv·ing 
[fər gívving] adjective

1.  inclined
to forgive:
willing to forgive, especially in most circumstances

2.  allowing
for degree of imperfection: allowing for or coping well
with a degree of imprecision, lack of skill, or other imperfection • You’ll
have to improve your technique or get a more forgiving fishing rod.
—for·giv·ing·ly,
adverb

—for·giv·ing·ness, noun[1]



forgo

forgo
for·go
[fawr gṓ] (past for·went [fawr wént], past participle for·gone
[fawr gón], present participle for·going,
3rd person present singular for·goes) or fore·go [fawr gṓ] (past fore·went, past
participle fore·gone, present participle fore·going, 3rd
person present singular fore·goes) transitive verb

abstain
from:
to do without something, especially voluntarily • forgo
the comforts of home while traveling
[Old English forgan,
literally “to go away from, pass by”][1]



forgot

forgot
for·got


Past tense of
forget[1]



forgotten

forgotten
for·got·ten


Past participle of
forget[1]



forgottenman

forgottenman
for·got·ten
man
(plural fore·got·ten men) noun

1.  former
prominent figure: a once prominent man no longer in the
news or the public’s awareness

2.  wage
earner:
during the Great Depression, an average worker considered by some to be
deprived and ignored by the federal government

[1]



ForillonNational Park

ForillonNational Park
Fo·ril·lon
Na·tion·al Park [fawri yàwN
nàshən’l prk]

national park and wildlife
sanctuary on the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada, in the gulf of St. Lawrence.
Area: 240 sq km/93 sq mi.[1]



forinstance

forinstance
for
in·stance
noun

example:
an example of something (informal) • Give
me a for instance.[1]



forint

forint
fo·rint 
[fáwrint] (plural fo·rints) noun

1.  unit
of Hungarian currency: the basic unit of Hungarian
currency, a coin equivalent to 100 fillér

2.  forint
coin:
a coin worth one forint
[Mid-20th century. From
Hungarian, from Italian fiorino “florin” (see florin
).][1]



fork

fork
fork 
[fawrk] noun (plural forks)

1.  utensil
for eating:
a small, usually metal utensil with a handle and two, three, or four prongs,
used for picking up food for eating or turning food in cooking

2.  garden
or agricultural tool: a garden or agricultural
tool with a handle and usually three or four prongs. It is used for digging,
lifting, and turning over.

3.  dividing
point in road or river: the point where a road or
river divides into two or more parts

4.  branch
of road or river: one of the branches that a road or river
divides into

5.  TECHNOLOGY part
of machine:
a part of a machine or device that has prongs or is fork -shaped

6.  CHESS chess
position:
a chess position in which two pieces are under attack from one of the
opponent’s pieces, usually the knight

7.  METEOROLOGY flash
of lightning: a branch or flash of forked lightning
verb
(past forked, past participle forked, present
participle fork·ing, 3rd person present singular forks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with fork:
to carry, pick up, dig, or turn something over using a fork

2.  intransitive
verb
divide
into two:
to split into two or more branches (refers to roads and rivers)

3.  intransitive
verb
go
along fork:
to take one of the branches that a road or river has divided into

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to branch:
to make something into a shape that branches in two

5.  transitive
verb
CHESS move
piece in chess: to position a piece so that it is
threatening two of the opponent’s pieces at the same time
[Old
English forca, via prehistoric Germanic from Latin furca
“pitchfork” (source of English bifurcate]
—fork·er,
noun

—fork·ful [fáwrk fl], noun[1]



forkball

forkball
fork·ball 
[fáwrk bàwl] (plural fork·balls)
noun

dipping
baseball pitch: in baseball, a pitch in which the ball
is held between the spread index and middle finger. It usually dips sharply
before reaching the batter.
—fork·ball·er, noun[1]



forked

forked
forked 
[fawrkt] adjective

divided:
divided into two or more branches
—fork·ed·ly,
adverb

—forked·ness, noun[1]



forkedlightning

forkedlightning
forked
light·ning
noun

U.K.
See chain lightning[1]



forkedtongue

forkedtongue
forked
tongue
(plural forked tongues) noun

lying tongue:
a tongue that speaks lies or words that are insincere or misleading (literary
or humorous)[1]



forklift

forklift
fork·lift 
[fáwrk lìft] noun (plural fork·lifts)

1.  lifting
device:
a lifting device with two long rigid steel bars that can be raised and lowered,
used especially to move pallets loaded with boxes or other goods

2.  See
forklift truck
transitive
verb
(past fork·lift·ed, past participle fork·lift·ed, present
participle fork·lift·ing, 3rd person present singular fork·lifts)

lift heavy goods:
to lift or move heavy loads using a forklift

[1]



forklifttruck

forklifttruck
fork·lift
truck
(plural fork·lift trucks) noun

vehicle for lifting:
a small motor-driven vehicle equipped with a forklift, used especially in
factories for moving goods on pallets.
Also called
forklift[1]



forkover

forkover
fork
over
or fork out or fork up intransitive and
transitive verb

hand over money for
something: to pay the money required
for something or spend a lot of money, often grudgingly (informal)[1]



forlorn

forlorn
for·lorn 
[fər láwrn, fawr
láwrn] adjective

1.  lonely
and miserable: lonely and miserable, as though deserted
or abandoned

2.  desolate:
deserted or abandoned and showing signs of neglect

3.  hopeless:
desperate and doomed to failure (literary)

4.  deprived:
deprived of something (archaic literary) “My only strength and stay:
forlorn of thee, Whither shall I betake me, where subsist?” John Milton
Paradise Lost 1667
[Old
English forloren, originally the past participle of forlēosan,
literally “to lose completely”]
—for·lorn·ly,
adverb

—for·lorn·ness, noun[1]



forlornhope

forlornhope
for·lorn
hope
(plural for·lorn hopes) noun

1.  futile
hope:
a desperate or futile hope

2.  desperate
undertaking: a desperate or doomed undertaking

3.  MILITARY soldiers
on desperate mission: a group of soldiers sent on
a very dangerous if not hopeless mission
[By folk etymology from Dutch
forloren hoop, literally “lost troop”][1]



form

form
form 
[fawrm] noun (plural forms)

1.  basic
structure:
the nature, structure, or essence of a thing, considered apart from its
content, color, texture, or composition

2.  manifestation:
the particular way that something is or appears to be • bonuses
in the form of extra days off or cash payments

3.  variety
of something: a type or kind of something that has
various different types or kinds • Friction
is a form of energy.

4.  shape
of something: the shape or appearance of a thing that
makes it identifiable • a
constellation in the form of a diamond

5.  indistinct
shape:
a shape like a person or other living thing that cannot be clearly made out • a
shadowy form in the distance

6.  document:
a document, usually with blank spaces for answers or information to be supplied
• fill
out the form

7.  condition
of somebody or something: the condition of an
organization, team, performer, athlete, or animal, with regard to fitness,
health, and ability to perform well • a
violinist at the top of her form

8.  SPORTS track
record:
the previous record of a horse, athlete, or team

9.  ARTS outline
structure:
the structure, design, or arrangement of a work of art or piece of writing, as
opposed to its content

10. ARTS mode
of expression: a fixed mode of literary or musical
expression • a
strict adherence to sonata form

11. mold
or frame:
a mold, frame, or model within which or around which something can be shaped • concrete
forms

12. BIOLOGY subdivision
of variety:
a subdivision of a classification of organisms, usually indicating a minor
difference among members, for example, in color

13. behavior:
behavior or manners with reference to propriety • It’s
considered bad form to cheat at games.

14. formula:
a fixed set of words or procedures, for example, in a religious ceremony or a
legal document

15. CLOTHES human
shape:
a model of a human body or torso, used for fitting or displaying clothes

16. FURNITURE bench:
a long low wooden seat or bench with no back rest

17. PRINTING printing
template:
a body of typographic elements assembled in a chase in preparation for
printing.
U.K.
term
forme

18. ZOOLOGY hare’s
lair:
the lair or nest in which a hare lives

19. LINGUISTICS word
in relation to its root: a word considered in
relation to its root or the word it is derived from

20. LINGUISTICS look
or sound of word: the way a word is written or how it
sounds, as opposed to its meaning

21. U.K.
EDUCATION British
school grade: British school grade
verb
(past formed, past participle formed, present
participle form·ing, 3rd person present singular forms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
shape to something: to give a shape or
arrangement to something, or take shape • A
circle of onlookers formed around the injured man.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
to exist:
to cause something to develop or exist, or begin to develop or exist,
especially as part of a natural process • Crystals
began to form at the bottom of the jar.

3.  transitive
verb
make:
to make or construct something, often by arranging or combining component parts
• The
plural is formed by adding an “s.”

4.  transitive
verb
conceive
of:
to develop an opinion, impression, or idea in the mind • not
enough information to form an opinion

5.  transitive
verb
cause
to develop:
to influence somebody strongly through teaching, discipline, or example, and
cause a particular personal development • an
early life in the country that formed his quiet nature

6.  transitive
verb
create:
to acquire or establish and develop something intangible, such as a habit or
relationship • form
an alliance with other family members

7.  transitive
verb
serve
as:
to constitute or be a basic element or characteristic of something • a
mountain range forming a natural boundary between the two countries

8.  transitive
verb
set
up:
to establish something, for example, a structure • form
a fan club
[13th
century. Via French forme from Latin forma “mold, shape, beauty”
(source of English formal, formula and uniform
).]
—form·a·ble,
adjective
take
form

to
become visible, distinct, or discernible • A
plan started to take form in his mind.

true
to form

as could be expected judging
from somebody’s past behavior • True
to form, she was exactly twenty minutes late.[1]



-form

-form
-form
suffix

having
a particular form • fibriform
[From Latin forma
“form”][1]



formal

formal
for·mal 
[fáwrm’l] adjective

1.  conventionally
correct:
characterized by or organized in accordance with conventions governing
ceremony, behavior, or dress • He’s
terribly formal.

2.  official:
done or carried out in accordance with established or prescribed rules • We
made a formal protest.

3.  methodical:
done in an organized and precise manner • We
don’t have the skills in this lab to do formal research in artificial
intelligence.

4.  not
familiar in style: used in serious, official,
or public communication but not appropriate in everyday contexts • a
formal word

5.  CLOTHES elegant
to wear:
suitable to wear for an important occasion, for example, a tuxedo for men and a
long dress or gown for women • formal
dress required

6.  EDUCATION acquired
in school or college: undertaken or acquired by
study in an educational institution, for example, a school, college, or
university • no
formal training as a journalist

7.  ordered:
arranged or laid out in a regular, ordered, or symmetrical way • a
formal garden

8.  of
form of something: relating to the form of
something

9.  officially
constituted: officially constituted or organized as
opposed to spontaneously developed • a
formal organization

10. LOGIC MATHEMATICS symbolic:
relating to or using symbols and abstract structures rather than natural
language

11. PHILOSOPHY of
essence rather than content: relating to the structure or
essence of something rather than its content
noun
(plural for·mals)

1.  important
occasion:
an important social or ceremonial occasion

2.  clothes:
an outfit of clothing for an important social occasion, especially a woman’s
full-length dress • a new formal for the
prom
[14th
century. From Latin formalis, from forma (see form ).]
—for·mal·ly,
adverb

—for·mal·ness, noun[1]



formaldehyde

formaldehyde
for·mal·de·hyde 
[fawr máldə hd] noun

pungent
gas:
a colorless gas with a distinctive smell that is used in making resins and
fertilizers and that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution in which
organic specimens are preserved. HCHO
Also
called
methanal
[Late 19th century. Coined
from formic + aldehyde
.][1]



formalin

formalin
for·ma·lin 
[fáwrməlin] noun

solution
of formaldehyde: a solution of formaldehyde in water,
used as a disinfectant and for preserving organic specimens
[Late 19th century. Coined
from formaldehyde + -in
.][1]



formalism

formalism
for·mal·ism 
[fáwrm’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  RELIGION ARTS emphasis on outward
appearance:
a strong or excessive emphasis on outward appearance or form instead of content
or meaning

2.  PHILOSOPHY MATHEMATICS theory
of symbols:
the view that mathematical symbols are meaningless, though mathematical
concepts and structures can be valuable

3.  THEATER stylization:
stylization and emphasis on symbolism in theatrical productions
—for·mal·ist,
noun

—for·mal·is·tic
[fàwrm’l ístik], adjective

—for·mal·is·ti·cal·ly
[fàwrm’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



formality

formality
for·mal·i·ty 
[fawr mállətee] (plural for·mal·i·ties)
noun

1.  formalness:
the quality or condition of being formal, or the degree to which something is
formal • dress
to suit the formality of the occasion

2.  official
procedure:
an official procedure that must be followed as part of a longer procedure or
event (often used in the plural) • several
formalities to complete at customs

3.  necessary
but insignificant procedure: a procedure that must be
followed because it is a rule or custom, but has little significance or effect
in itself • just
a formality

4.  attention
to propriety: strict or excessive attention to
propriety or ceremony

[1]



formalize

formalize
for·mal·ize 
[fáwrm’l z] (past for·mal·ized,
past participle for·mal·ized, present participle for·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular for·mal·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
official:
to make something official or valid, often by deciding on the details and then
signing a document

2.  transitive
verb
give
shape to:
to give a particular shape or form to something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something formal: to make something formal or more formal
• a
formalized version of his earlier account
—for·mal·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—for·mal·i·za·tion
[fàwrm’li záysh’n], noun

—for·mal·iz·er [fáwrm’l zər], noun[1]



formallogic

formallogic
for·mal
log·ic
noun

PHILOSOPHY
branch of logic concerned with form:
the branch of logic concerned with the formal methods of deducing conclusions
from propositions[1]



formalmethods

formalmethods
for·mal
meth·ods
plural noun

methods for evaluating
computer systems: methods of specifying
and evaluating computer systems that draw on techniques from mathematics and
logic[1]



formalwear

formalwear
for·mal·wear 
[fáwrm’l wàir] noun

formal clothes:
clothes suitable for an important occasion, for example, a tuxedo for men and a
long dress or gown for women[1]



formant

formant
for·mant 
[fáwrmənt] (plural for·mants) noun

frequency
range:
a frequency range where vowel sounds are at their most distinctive and
characteristic pitch
[Early 20th century. Via
German from Latin formant-, present participle stem of formare,
from forma (see form ).][1]



format

format
for·mat 
[fáwr màt] noun (plural for·mats)

1.  structure:
the way in which something is presented, organized, or arranged • change
the format of the conference to accommodate more speakers

2.  PUBLISHING layout:
the layout and presentation of a publication, including its size, and the type
of paper and type used • a
small-format reference work

3.  COMPUTING data
organization: the structure or organization of digital
data for storing, printing, or displaying • files
in ASCII format
transitive
verb
(past for·mat·ted, past participle for·mat·ted, present
participle for·mat·ting, 3rd person present singular for·mats)

1.  arrange
layout of:
to arrange the layout or organization of something

2.  COMPUTING organize
disk for data storage: to organize a disk in such a
way that data can be stored on it
[Mid-19th century. Via French
and German from Latin formatus (liber) “(book) shaped (in a special
way),” from formare (see formant ).][1]



formate

formate
for·mate 
[fáwr màyt] (plural for·mates)
noun

derivative
of formic acid: any salt or ester of formic acid
[Early 19th century. Coined
from formic + -ate
.][1]



formation

formation
for·ma·tion 
[fawr máysh’n] (plural for·ma·tions)
noun

1.  development:
the process by which something develops or takes a particular shape • a
strong influence on the formation of her character

2.  creation:
the process of creating something or coming into existence • the
formation of a bipartisan legislative committee

3.  shape
of something: the shape or structure that something
develops into • interesting cloud
formations

4.  formal
pattern:
the pattern into which a number of people or things is arranged • Twelve
planes flew past in formation.

5.  GEOLOGY rock
unit:
a unit of rock consisting of a succession of strata or an igneous intrusion
—for·ma·tion·al, adjective[1]



formative

formative
form·a·tive 
[fáwrmətiv] adjective

1.  influential:
important and influential, particularly in the shaping or development of
character • during
their formative years

2.  LINGUISTICS used
to form words: relating to or used in the formation of
derived words or inflected forms of words
noun
(plural form·a·tives)

LINGUISTICS word-forming
element:
an element such as a suffix or prefix used in the formation of derived words or
inflected forms of words
—form·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



formativeassessment

formativeassessment
form·a·tive
as·sess·ment noun

EDUCATION
assessment of student:
the assessment at regular intervals of a student’s progress with accompanying
feedback in order to help to improve the student’s performance[1]



formclass

formclass
form
class
(plural form clas·ses) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS part
of speech:
a part of speech

2.  set
of words:
a group of words with one or more grammatical characteristics in common

[1]



formcriticism

formcriticism
form
crit·i·cism
noun

1.  LITERATURE literary
criticism:
textual criticism that examines the literary conventions used in order to
discover the origin and history of a text or its creators

2.  BIBLE Bible
scholarship: a method of analyzing the Bible to
determine the presumed original oral form of the written text by removing known
historical conventions that emerged at a later period
—form
crit·ic, noun

—form crit·i·cal, adjective[1]



forme

forme
forme
[fawrm] (plural formes) noun

U.K.
PRINTING See form  noun 17
[15th century. Variant of form .][1]



former

former2
for·mer2 [fáwrmər]
(plural for·mers) noun

1.  shaper
of something: somebody or something that forms,
creates, or shapes something

2.  U.K.
school
student:
a member of a British school grade (always used in combination) • a
sixth former

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING shaping
tool:
a tool used for giving the correct shape to an electrical coil or winding

[1]



former

former1
for·mer1 [fáwrmər]
adjective

1.  previous:
occurring at or existing in an earlier time or period • met
her on a former occasion

2.  having
been something: having had the name or status specified
during an earlier period • the
former Soviet Union

3.  first
of two:
being the first of two things or people mentioned

4.  preceding:
earlier or near the beginning of a text or list • a
conclusion inconsistent with the argument in the former part of the paper
noun
(plural for·mer)

the first of two:
the first of two things or people mentioned • Smith
and Brown both work here, the former is an accountant and the latter is an
engineer.
[12th century. Literally
“more first,” formed from Old English forma “first,” literally “most
before,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English fore .][1]



formerly

formerly
for·mer·ly 
[fáwrmərlee] adverb

in the past:
during or at an earlier period, but no longer[1]



FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia




Back to definition

FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia

[1]



FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia

FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia



For·mer Yu·go·slav Re·pub·lic of
Mac·e·do·ni·a
Country in the Balkan region of
southeastern Europe. Formerly part of the Federal People's Republic of
Yugoslavia, it became independent in 1991. Language: Macedonian. Currency:
dinar. Capital: Skopje. Population: 1,980,000 (1996) Area: 25,713 sq km//9,928
sq mi. Full name of  FYROM[1]



formestane

formestane
for·mes·tane
noun

hormone inhibitor:
a drug used to treat certain breast cancers that works by blocking the
formation of the estrogen needed for the growth of the tumor[1]



formfitting

formfitting
form·fit·ting 
[fáwrm fìtting] adjective

fitting tightly:
fitting tightly around the contours of the body • formfitting
sportswear[1]



formgenus

formgenus
form
ge·nus
noun

taxonomic category:
an artificial taxonomic category based on similarities that may be superficial.
Imperfect fungi and fragmented plant fossils are grouped in form genera .[1]



formic

formic
for·mic 
[fáwrmik] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY of
ants:
relating to ants

2.  CHEMISTRY of
formic acid: relating to or containing formic acid
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin formica “ant.”][1]



Formica

Formica
For·mi·ca 
[fawr mkə] Trademark

a trademark for a strong
plastic laminate sheeting that is durable and easy to clean, and is often used
to cover work surfaces, for example, in kitchens[1]



formicacid

formicacid
for·mic
ac·id
noun

acid found in ants:
a colorless corrosive liquid that occurs naturally in ants and some plants. It
is commonly used in the paper and textile industries and in the manufacture of
insecticides and refrigerants. HCOOH
Also called
methanoic acid[1]



formicary

formicary
for·mi·car·y 
[fáwrmi kèrree] (plural for·mi·car·ies)
or for·mi·car·i·um [fàwrmi káiree əm]
(plural for·mi·car·i·a [fàwrmi káiree
ə]) noun

ant
hill:
an ant hill, including its subterranean passages (technical)
[Early 19th century. From
medieval Latin formicarium, from Latin formica “ant.”][1]



formication

formication
for·mi·ca·tion
[fàwrmi káysh’n] noun

feeling
of insects crawling on skin: a neurologically based
hallucination in which somebody feels as if insects are crawling on his or her
skin. It is found in some cases of chemical toxicity and among drug and alcohol
abusers.
[Early 18th century. From the
Latin stem formication-, from formicare “to crawl like an ant,”
from formica “ant.”][1]



formidable

formidable
for·mi·da·ble 
[fáwrmədəb’l, fər
míddəb’l, fàwr míddəb’l] adjective

1.  difficult
to deal with: difficult to deal with or overcome • a
formidable task

2.  awe-inspiring:
inspiring respect or wonder because of size, strength, or ability • a
formidable display of skill

3.  frightening:
causing fear, dread, or alarm
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin formidabilis, from formidare
“to fear,” from formido “terror.”]
—for·mi·da·bil·i·ty
[fàwrmədə bíllətee, fər
mìddə bíllətee, fàwr mìddə bíllətee],
noun

—for·mi·da·ble·ness
[fáwrmədəbəlnəss, fər
míddəbəlnəss, fàwr míddəbəlnəss], noun

—for·mi·da·bly [fáwrmədəblee, fər míddəblee,
fàwr míddəblee], adverb[1]



formless

formless
form·less 
[fáwrmləss] adjective

1.  shapeless:
lacking a clear shape or structure • a
formless figure in the mist

2.  disorganized:
lacking apparent organization or structure

3.  not
material:
existing without a physical form • formless
beings
—form·less·ly,
adverb

—form·less·ness, noun[1]



formletter

formletter
form
let·ter
(plural form let·ters) noun

standard letter:
a printed letter that is sent out to a large number of people, for example, one
dealing with a frequently arising complaint, or one used in advertising[1]



formula

formula
for·mu·la 
[fáwrmyələ] (plural for·mu·las
or for·mu·lae [fáwrmyə l]) noun

1.  plan
or method:
a plan for or method of doing something • draw
up a peace formula between two countries

2.  method
of doing something: a prescribed and more or
less invariable way of doing something to achieve a particular end

3.  established
form of words: an established and recognized form of
words, for example, in a ceremony or legal document

4.  CHEMISTRY set
of symbols representing chemical composition: a
representation of the chemical composition of a chemical compound using symbols
to represent the types of atom involved

5.  MATHEMATICS PHYSICS rule
expressed in symbols: a rule or principle
represented in symbols, numbers, or letters, often in the form of an equation • a
formula for calculating the distance between planets

6.  for·mu·la
(plural for·mu·las) or For·mu·la (plural For·mu·las)
MOTOR SPORTS category
of racing car: a category of racing car according to
technical specifications such as engine capacity, size, and weight, used as a
basis for professional competition (usually used in combination) • formula
one racing

7.  FOOD milk
for babies:
a preparation used as an alternative to human breast milk and intended to
provide all the nutrients an infant requires
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “little form,” from forma (see form
).][1]



formulaic

formulaic
for·mu·la·ic 
[fàwrmyə láy ik] adjective

1.  expressed
as formula:
having the nature of or expressed in terms of a formula

2.  unoriginal:
unoriginal and reliant on previous models or ideas • His
writing is stilted and formulaic.
—for·mu·la·i·cal·ly [fàwrmyə láy ikəlee], adverb[1]



formularize

formularize
for·mu·la·rize 
[fáwrmyələ rz] (past for·mu·la·rized,
past participle for·mu·la·rized, present participle for·mu·la·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular for·mu·la·riz·es) transitive verb

See
formulate  verb 3
—for·mu·la·ri·za·tion
[fàwrmyələri záysh’n], noun

—for·mu·la·riz·er [fáwrmyələ rzər], noun[1]



formulary

formulary
for·mu·lar·y 
[fáwrmyə lèrree] noun (plural for·mu·lar·ies)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY pharmaceutical
reference book: a reference book containing a list of
pharmaceutical products with details of their use, preparation, properties, and
formulas

2.  RELIGION religious
writings:
a book or collection of writings or procedures, especially ones connected with
a Church

3.  fixed
formula:
a fixed formula for doing something or dealing with something (archaic or
technical)
adjective

of formula:
relating to or having the nature of a formula

[1]



formulate

formulate
for·mu·late 
[fáwrmyə làyt] (past for·mu·lat·ed,
past participle for·mu·lat·ed, present participle for·mu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular for·mu·lates) transitive verb

1.  devise:
to draw something up carefully and in detail • formulated
his plan

2.  express:
to express or communicate something carefully or in specific words • formulate
an opinion

3.  MATHEMATICS PHYSICS express
in formula:
to express something by means of or as a formula
—for·mu·la·tion
[fàwrmyə láysh’n], noun

—for·mu·la·tor [fáwrmyə làytər], noun[1]



formulaweight

formulaweight
for·mu·la
weight
(plural for·mu·la weights) noun

See
molecular weight[1]



formulism

formulism
for·mu·lism 
[fáwrmyə lìzzəm] noun

belief
in formulas: a belief in or reliance on formulas,
especially inadequate or obsolete ones
—for·mu·list,
noun, adjective

—for·mu·lis·tic [fàwrmyə lístik], adjective[1]



formulize

formulize
for·mu·lize 
[fáwrmyə lz] (past for·mu·lized,
past participle for·mu·lized, present participle for·mu·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular for·mu·liz·es) transitive verb

See
formulate  verb 3
—for·mu·li·za·tion [fàwrmyəli záysh’n], noun[1]



formword

formword
form
word
(plural form words) noun

See
function word[1]



formwork

formwork
form·work 
[fáwrm wùrk] noun

mold for concrete:
a structure generally made of timber in which liquid concrete is placed,
compacted, and allowed to harden[1]



formyl

formyl
for·myl 
[fáwr mìl] noun

chemical
group:
a chemical group containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. HCO
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from formic + -yl
.][1]



Fornax

Fornax
For·nax
[fáwr naks] noun

small inconspicuous southern
constellation: a small inconspicuous
constellation of the southern hemisphere between Eridanus and Sculptor[1]



fornicate

fornicate2
for·ni·cate2  [fáwrni
kàyt , fáwrnikət] or for·ni·cat·ed
[fáwrni kàytəd] adjective

arched:
with an arched, vaulted, or bending form
[Early 19th century. From
Latin fornicatus, from the stem fornic- (see fornix ).][1]



fornicate

fornicate1
for·ni·cate1  [fáwrni
kàyt] (past for·ni·cat·ed, past participle for·ni·cat·ed,
present participle for·ni·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
for·ni·cates) intransitive verb

have
sex outside marriage: to have sexual intercourse
outside marriage
[Mid-16th
century. Ultimately from ecclesiastical Latin fornicari, from the Latin
stem fornic- “arch” (see fornix ),
later “brothel” because prostitutes in Rome solicited under building arches.]
—for·ni·ca·tor, noun[1]



fornication

fornication
for·ni·ca·tion 
[fàwrni káysh’n] noun

1.  LAW consenting
sex involving somebody unmarried: sexual intercourse
between two consenting adults, who are not married to each other

2.  BIBLE sexual
behavior considered immoral: in the Bible, sexual
intercourse between a man and woman who are not married, or any form of sexual
behavior considered to be immoral

[1]



fornix

fornix
for·nix 
[fáwrniks] (plural for·ni·ces
[fáwrni sz]) noun

ANATOMY arched
structure:
a structure or fold in the shape of an arch, especially either of two bands of
white fibers that meet at the base of the brain
[Late 17th century. From
Latin (stem fornic- ), “arch, vault,” of uncertain origin: probably from
furnus “oven with an arched shape” (source of English furnace ).][1]



for-profit

for-profit
for-prof·it 
adjective

profit-making:
established or designed to make a profit[1]



Forrestal,James Vincent

Forrestal,James Vincent
For·res·tal
[fáwrəstəl, fáwrə
stàwl], James Vincent (1892–1949)

U.S. public official. He was
U.S. secretary of the navy (1944–1947) and the first secretary of defense
(1947–1949).[1]



Forrest,Edwin

Forrest,Edwin
For·rest
[fáwrəst], Edwin (1806–1872)

U.S. stage actor, known for
his powerful tragedy acting. He encouraged drama writing in the United States
by offering prize money for plays.[1]



Forrest,Nathan Bedford

Forrest,Nathan Bedford
For·rest
[fáwrəst], Nathan Bedford (1821–1877)

U.S. general. He was one of
the Confederacy’s most daring cavalry commanders during the Civil War.[1]



forsake

forsake
for·sake 
[fər sáyk, fawr
sáyk] (past for·sook [fər sk,
fawr sk], past participle for·sak·en
[fər sáykəb, fawr
sáykən], present participle for·sak·ing, 3rd person
present singular for·sakes) transitive verb

1.  abandon:
to withdraw companionship, protection, or support from somebody

2.  give
up:
to give up, renounce, or sacrifice something that gives pleasure
[Old
English forsacan, literally “to abstain from disputing,” later “to give
up,” hence “to abandon,” from sacan “to dispute”]
—for·sak·en,
adjective

—for·sak·en·ly,
adverb

—for·sak·en·ness,
noun

—for·sak·er, noun[1]



forsooth

forsooth
for·sooth 
[fər sth, fawr
sth] adverb

indeed:
in truth (archaic)
[Old English forsoþ,
literally “for the truth”][1]



forspent

forspent
for·spent 
[fawr spént] adjective

exhausted:
exhausted or tired out (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From the
past participle of Old English forspendan “to spend completely,
exhaust.”][1]



Forster,E. M.

Forster,E. M.
For·ster
[fáwrstər], E. M. (1879–1970)

British
novelist. He was the author of A Room with a View ( 1908 ), Howards
End ( 1910 ), and A Passage to India ( 1924 ).
Full name
Forster, Edward Morgan[1]



forsterite

forsterite
for·ster·ite 
[fáwrstə rt] (plural for·ster·ites)
noun

mineral:
a magnesium silicate mineral of the olivine group
[Early 19th century. Named
for the German naturalist J.R. Forster (1729–1798).][1]



forswear

forswear
for·swear 
[fawr swáir] (past for·swore [fawr swáwr], past participle for·sworn
[fawr swáwrn], present participle for·swear·ing,
3rd person present singular for·swears) verb (archaic
or literary)

1.  transitive
verb
reject
strongly:
to vow to stop doing, having, or using something • forswear
political violence

2.  transitive
verb
deny:
to deny something under oath or completely • foreswore
all knowledge of the crime

3.  intransitive
verb
perjure
yourself:
to be guilty of giving false evidence under oath
[Old English forswerian,
literally “to renounce by swearing”][1]



forsythia

forsythia

for·syth·i·a 
[fər síthee ə, fàwr
síthee ə] (plural for·syth·i·as) noun
yellow-flowering
bush:
a shrub grown for its small bell-shaped bright yellow flowers that come out in
early spring before the leaves. Genus: Forsythia
[Mid-19th century. Named in
honor of the Scottish horticulturalist William Forsyth (1737–1804).][1]



fort

fort
fort 
[fawrt] (plural forts) noun

1.  fortified
position:
a building or group of buildings with strong defenses, usually strategically
located and guarded by troops

2.  military
compound:
a permanent military post consisting of several buildings • Fort
Bragg
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Italian forte “strong (place),”
from Latin fortis “strong.”]
hold
the fort

to
take charge of something in the absence of the person usually responsible





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word fortis from which fort
  is derived is also the source of English forte,
  fortitude, fortress, and pianoforte.

[1]



fort.

fort.
fort.

Abbreviation of
fortification[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Fortaleza

Fortaleza
For·ta·le·za
[fàwrtə láyzə]

port and capital city of
Ceará State, northeastern Brazil, situated at the mouth of the Paeju River on
the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 1,967,365 (1996)[1]



fortalice

fortalice
for·ta·lice 
[fáwrtəliss] (plural for·ta·lices)
noun

small
fort or part of fort: a small fort or part of the
fortifications of a larger fort (archaic)
[15th century. From medieval
Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis “strong.”][1]



Fortas,Abe

Fortas,Abe
For·tas
[fáwrtəss], Abe (1910–1982)

U.S.
jurist. He was forced to resign from the U.S. Supreme Court (1965–1969) for
financial improprieties.
Full name
Fortas, Abraham[1]



FortBragg

FortBragg
Fort
Bragg
[fawrt brág]

military reservation in
Cumberland County, central North Carolina, approximately 16 km/10 mi northwest
of Fayetteville[1]



FortCollins

FortCollins
Fort
Col·lins
[fawrt kóllinz]

city and county seat of
Larimer County, northern Colorado, 64 km/46 mi northeast of Boulder.
Population: 87,758 (1990)[1]



FortDodge

FortDodge
Fort
Dodge
[fawrt dój]

city in north central Iowa,
on the eastern bank of the Des Moines River, northwest of Des Moines.
Population: 24,755 (1996)[1]



forte

forte2
for·te2 [fáwr
tày, fáwrtee] adverb

loudly:
to be played or sung loudly (used as a musical direction) Symbol
f
noun
(plural for·tes)

loud
note or passage: a note or passage of music played or
sung, or to be played or sung, loudly
[Early
18th century. Via Italian, “strong, loud,” from Latin fortis .]
—for·te, adjective[1]



forte

forte1
for·te1 [fawrt,
fáwr tày] (plural for·tes) noun

1.  strong
point:
something that somebody is particularly good at • Cooking
is not really my forte.

2.  FENCING strong
part of sword: the strongest section of a sword’s
blade, between the middle and the hilt
[Mid-17th century. Via French
fort “strong” from Latin fortis ; later influenced by forte 2 .][1]



fortepiano

fortepiano
for·te·pi·an·o
[fàwr tay pyánnō, fàwr
tay pynō] (plural for·te·pi·an·os) noun

early
piano:
an early form of the piano, especially the piano of the 18th century
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, from forte “loud” + piano “soft.”][1]



forte-piano

forte-piano
for·te-pi·an·o 
adverb

loudly
then softly: starting loud and then becoming suddenly
soft (used as a musical direction) Symbol fp
—for·te-pi·a·no, adjective[1]



forth

forth
forth 
[fawrth] adverb

1.  onward:
forward in time, place, degree, or order (formal) • from
this day forth

2.  into
view:
out into view (formal) • brought
forth the prisoner

3.  abroad:
away from a particular place, for example, a country or region (archaic)
preposition

away from: out
of or away from (archaic)
[Old
English forþ . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English fore .]
and
so forth

used to indicate that there
are more things of the kind just mentioned, without having to name them • bottles,
cans, jars, and so forth[1]



forthcoming

forthcoming
forth·com·ing 
[fawrth kúmming, fáwrth
kùmming] adjective

1.  future:
about to appear or happen • plans
for the forthcoming celebration

2.  ready
when wanted: available when required or requested • We
were assured that the money would be forthcoming.

3.  informative:
willing to talk or give information • not
very forthcoming about his personal life

[1]



forthright

forthright
forth·right 
[fáwrth rt] adjective

1.  outspoken:
direct in speech or manner and very honest

2.  simple:
plain and simple in style
adverb

1.  outspokenly:
in a direct and very honest way

2.  immediately:
at once (archaic)
[Old
English, from forth + right in the sense “directly”]
—forth·right·ly,
adverb

—forth·right·ness, noun[1]



forthwith

forthwith
forth·with 
[fawrth wíth] adverb

immediately:
without delay (formal)
[13th century. From forth
with “along with.”][1]



fortieth

fortieth
for·ti·eth 
[fáwrtee əth] (plural for·ti·eths)
noun

1.  one
of 40 parts of something: one of 40 equal parts of
something

2.  40th
birthday:
somebody’s 40th birthday
—for·ti·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



fortification

fortification
for·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[fàwrtəfi káysh’n] (plural for·ti·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  structure
for defense: a structure or structures, for example,
a wall, ditch, or rampart, built in order to strengthen a place’s defenses (often
used in the plural)

2.  building
of defenses: the art or practice of strengthening or
creating defenses, for example, by building walls or digging ditches

3.  place
that can be defended: a position or place that can
be defended

[1]



fortifiedwine

fortifiedwine
for·ti·fied
wine 
(plural for·ti·fied wines) noun

wine with alcohol added:
a drink such as sherry, port, or Marsala that is made from wine to which a
strong alcohol, such as grape brandy, has been added. Fortified wines are
usually drunk as aperitifs, digestifs, or liqueurs.[1]



fortify

fortify
for·ti·fy 
[fáwrtə f] (past for·ti·fied,
past participle for·ti·fied, present participle for·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular for·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
place safer: to make a place less susceptible to
attack by building or creating defensive structures such as walls, ditches, or
ramparts

2.  make
structure stronger: to strengthen or reinforce
the structure of something • fortify
a seawall

3.  add
ingredients to food or drink: to add further ingredients
to food or drink in order to improve its flavor or add nutrients (usually
passive) • breakfast
cereal fortified with vitamins

4.  strengthen
or encourage: to give somebody physical, mental, or
moral strength or encouragement

5.  make
more powerful: to make something more powerful or
persuasive • fortify
an argument
[15th
century. From French fortifier, from late Latin fortificare,
literally “to make strong,” from Latin fortis “strong.”]
—for·ti·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—for·ti·fi·er,
noun

—for·ti·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fortis

fortis
for·tis 
[fáwrtiss] adjective

pronounced
forcefully:
denoting a consonant, for example, “p” or “t,” that is produced with great
muscular tension and pressure of breath
noun
(plural for·tes [fáwr tz])

forcefully
pronounced consonant: a fortis consonant, such as
“p” or “t”
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, “strong.”][1]



fortissimo

fortissimo
for·tis·si·mo 
[fawr tíssəmō] adverb

very
loudly:
extremely loudly (used as a musical direction) Symbol ff
noun
(plural for·tis·si·mos or for·tis·si·mi [fawr tíssə m])

fortissimo
piece of music: a passage of music, or an individual
note or chord, played fortissimo
[Early
18th century. From Italian, “loudest,” from forte “loud, strong” (see forte 2 ).]
—for·tis·si·mo, adjective[1]



fortitude

fortitude
for·ti·tude 
[fáwrtə td] noun

determination:
strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation
[14th
century. Via French from Latin fortitudo “strength, courage,” from fortis
“strong.”]
—for·ti·tu·di·nous [fàwrtə tdeenəss], adjective[1]



FortKnox

FortKnox
Fort
Knox
[fawrt nóks]

a military reservation in
northern Hardin County, central Kentucky. It has been the location of the U.S.
Gold Depository since 1936. Area: 13,350 hectares/33,000 acres.[1]



FortLauderdale

FortLauderdale
Fort
Lau·der·dale [fawrt láwdər
dàyl]

city and county seat of
Broward County, southeastern Florida, situated on the Atlantic Ocean 40 km/25
mi north of Miami. Population: 162,842 (1994)[1]



FortLee

FortLee
Fort
Lee
[fawrt l]

borough in Bergen County,
northeastern New Jersey, situated on the Palisades along the Hudson River 16
km/10 mi northeast of Jersey City. Population: 31,997 (1990)[1]



FortMcMurray

FortMcMurray
Fort
Mc·Mur·ray
[fawrt mək múr ee]

town on the Athabaska River
in northeastern Alberta, western Canada. Population: 34,706 (1991)[1]



FortMeade

FortMeade
Fort
Meade
[fawrt md]

city in Polk County, central
Florida, 40 km/25 mi south of Lakeland. Population: 4,976 (1990)[1]



FortMyers

FortMyers
Fort
My·ers
[fawrt mrz]

city and county seat of Lee
County, southwestern Florida, situated south of Charlotte Harbor. Population:
45,206 (1990)[1]



fortnight

fortnight
fort·night 
[fáwrt nt] (plural fort·nights)
noun

U.K.
two
weeks:
a period of 14 days
[Old English feowertine
niht “fourteen nights”][1]



fortnightly

fortnightly
fort·night·ly 
[fáwrt ntlee] adjective adverb

every
two weeks:
occurring once every 14 days
noun
(plural fort·night·lies)

publication appearing every
other week: a publication that appears
once every two weeks[1]



FortPierce

FortPierce
Fort
Pierce
[fawrt prss]

city and county seat of St.
Lucie County, eastern Florida, 48 km/30 mi northeast of Lake Okeechobee.
Population: 36,830 (1990)[1]



Fortral

Fortral
For·tral
[fáwrtrəl] Trademark

a trademark for a narcotic
pain reliever used for severe injury, cancer, or chronic pain[1]



FORTRAN

FORTRAN
FOR·TRAN 
[fáwr tràn] noun

early
computer programming language: the earliest
high-level computer programming language
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of formula + translation .][1]



fortress

fortress
for·tress 
[fáwrtrəss] (plural for·tress·es)
noun

1.  military
installation: a fortified place with a long-term
military presence, often including a town

2.  something
impossible to get into: something that is
impenetrable or acts as protection
[14th century. From Old
French forteresse “strong place,” from, ultimately, Latin fortis
“strong.”][1]



FortSaint John

FortSaint John
Fort
Saint John
[fawrt saynt jón]

town on the Peace River in
northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Population: 15,021 (1996)[1]



FortSaskatchewan

FortSaskatchewan
Fort
Sas·katch·e·wan

town in Alberta, Canada, 29
km/18 mi northeast of Edmonton. Population: 12,078 (1991)[1]



FortSmith

FortSmith
Fort
Smith
[fawrt smíth]

city at the confluence of the
Arkansas and Poteau rivers in western Arkansas on the border with Oklahoma. It
is the second largest city in the state. Population: 75,776 (1996)[1]



FortStanwix National Monument

FortStanwix National Monument
Fort
Stan·wix Nat·ion·al Mon·u·ment [fawrt stànwiks nàshən’l mónnyəmənt]

national monument on the site
of a reconstructed 18th-century fort in Rome, New York. Area: 6 hectares/16
acres.[1]



FortSumter National Monument

FortSumter National Monument
Fort
Sum·ter Na·tion·al Mon·u·ment [fawrt
sùmtər nàshən’l mónnyəmənt]

national monument on the site
of a historic fort situated on the southern side of the entrance to Charleston
Harbor, South Carolina. It was the site of the first battle of the Civil War in
1861.[1]



FortThomas

FortThomas
Fort
Thom·as
[fawrt tómməss]

city in northern Kentucky,
north of Independence and southeast of Covington, a southern suburb of
Cincinnati, Ohio. Population: 15,300 (1996)[1]



fortuitous

fortuitous
for·tu·i·tous 
[fawr t itəss] adjective

1.  accidental
or unplanned: happening by chance

2.  happening
by lucky chance: happening as a result of a lucky
accident

3.  lucky:
bringing or indicating good fortune
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin fortuitus, from, ultimately, fors “chance,
luck.”]
—for·tu·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—for·tu·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



fortuity

fortuity
for·tu·i·ty 
[fawr t itee] (plural for·tu·i·ties)
noun

1.  chance
occurrence:
something that happens by chance or accident

2.  lucky
chance:
lucky chance or accident

[1]



fortunate

fortunate
for·tu·nate 
[fáwrchənət] adjective

1.  lucky:
enjoying good luck

2.  resulting
from luck:
happening as a result of good luck

3.  bringing
luck:
bringing good luck
[14th
century. From Latin fortunatus, from fortuna “Fate, luck.”]
—for·tu·nate·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lucky

[1]



fortunately

fortunately
for·tu·nate·ly
[fáwrchənətlee] adverb

1.  luckily:
by lucky chance

2.  happily:
used to show that the speaker or writer is happy to be able to report something
• Fortunately,
we’ve been given more time to finish the job.

[1]



fortune

fortune
for·tune 
[fáwrchən] noun (plural for·tunes)

1.  great
wealth or property: a large amount of financial
wealth or material possessions

2.  large
sum of money: an extremely large amount of money

3.  for·tune
or For·tune fate:
chance, or the personification of chance, regarded as affecting human
activities

4.  luck:
luck, especially good luck

5.  destiny:
an individual’s destiny
plural
noun
for·tunes

life’s ups and downs:
chance happenings throughout life that may turn out well or badly
[13th century. Via French
from Latin fortuna “Fate, luck” (especially good luck).][1]



fortunecookie

fortunecookie
for·tune
cook·ie
(plural for·tune cook·ies) noun

Chinese cookie containing
message: a Chinese cookie folded and
baked around a piece of paper on which a saying or a prediction of somebody’s
fortune is written. Fortune cookies are served in Chinese restaurants.[1]



fortunehunter

fortunehunter
for·tune
hunt·er
(plural for·tune hunt·ers) noun

seeker
of wealth:
somebody who wants to become rich quickly and easily, especially by making a
deliberate attempt to marry a wealthy partner
—for·tune
hunt·ing, noun

—for·tune-hunt·ing, adjective[1]



fortune-teller

fortune-teller
for·tune-tell·er
(plural for·tune-tell·ers) noun

somebody
who claims to foretell future: somebody who makes
predictions about somebody’s future by such methods as reading palms, looking
into a crystal ball, using tarot cards, or examining tea leaves
—for·tune-tell·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



FortWalton Beach

FortWalton Beach
Fort
Wal·ton Beach [fawrt
wàwlt’n bch]

city on the Gulf of Mexico in
Oskaloosa County, northwestern Florida, east of Pensacola. Population: 24,471
(1990)[1]



FortWayne

FortWayne
Fort
Wayne
[fawrt wáyn]

city in northeastern Indiana,
southeast of Elkhart. The St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee rivers run through
the city. Population: 184,783 (1996)[1]



forty

forty
for·ty 
[fáwrtee] noun (plural for·ties)

1.  number
40:
the number 40

2.  group
of 40:
a group of 40 objects or people

3.  TENNIS tennis
point:
in a game of tennis, the score awarded to a player with a score of thirty on
winning a further point
plural
noun
for·ties

1.  numbers
40 to 49:
the numbers 40 to 49, for example, as a range of temperature • in
the low forties

2.  1940
to 1949:
the years 1940 to 1949

3.  period
from age 40 to 49: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 40 to 49
[Old
English feowertig, literally “four tens,” from feower “four”]
—for·ty, adjective,
pronoun[1]



forty-five

forty-five
for·ty-five 
(plural for·ty-fives) noun

1.  .45-caliber
pistol:
a pistol with a .45 caliber.

2.  small
phonograph record: a record smaller than an LP
that is played at 45 revolutions per minute

[1]



fortyish

fortyish
for·ty·ish
[fáwrtee ish] adjective

1.  approximately
40:
approximately 40 in number

2.  around
age 40:
around the age of 40

[1]



forty-niner

forty-niner
for·ty-nin·er 
(plural for·ty-nin·ers) noun

prospector in California gold
rush: a prospector in the gold
rush of 1849 in California[1]



forty-ninthparallel

forty-ninthparallel
for·ty-ninth
par·al·lel
noun

Canada
U.S.-Canadian border:
the border between the United States and Canada, that runs at 49° latitude
along most of its length[1]



fortysomething

fortysomething
for·ty·some·thing 
[fáwrti sùmthing] noun (plural
for·ty·some·things)

somebody
in forties:
somebody between 40 and 49 years of age (informal)
adjective

between 40 and 49:
between 40 and 49 years of age[1]



fortywinks

fortywinks
for·ty
winks
noun

nap:
a short sleep (informal; takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



forum

forum
fo·rum 
[fáwrəm] (plural fo·rums or
fora [fáwrə]) noun

1.  place
to express yourself: a medium, for example, a
magazine or newspaper, in which the public may debate an issue or express
opinions

2.  meeting
for discussion: a meeting to discuss matters of general
interest

3.  HISTORY public
square in Roman cities: a public square or
marketplace in ancient Roman cities where business was conducted and the law
courts were situated

4.  LAW law
court:
a law court or tribunal

5.  COMPUTING Internet
discussion group: an Internet discussion group for
participants with common interests
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “outdoor place,” denoting an enclosed space around a house, later a
marketplace. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that was the ancestor of
English door and foreign .][1]



forward

forward
for·ward 
[fáwrwərd] CORE
MEANING:
to or toward a front position or direction • (adverb)
Conover pushed his cup forward, but Johnny ignored it.
• (adjective)
Most of the energy in gasoline makes engines hot; less than half gets converted
to forward motion.

1.
adverb ahead: to or
toward what is ahead in space or time • (adverb)
He sprang forward and embraced his grandmother.

2.
adverb progressing:
towards a goal • The company has taken a
step forward in employee safety.

3.
adverb indicates improvement:
indicates that something progresses or improves • The
EU is moving forward on monetary union.

4.
adverb NAUTICAL to
front of vessel: toward the front of a boat or ship • I
was ordered forward to swab the deck.

5.
adverb towards the front:
toward the front of something such as an aircraft or a building • I’d
like to be seated further forward.

6.
adverb to public attention:
from obscurity into public view • The
unknown actor came forward and accepted the lead role.

7.
adjective ahead: directed
towards what is ahead in space and time • The
magnetic field exerts a forward force on charged particles.

8.
adjective relating to the future:
directed towards a future goal • forward
planning

9.
adjective NAUTICAL at
front of vessel: situated at or near the front of a boat
or ship • the
forward deck

10.
adjective at the front:
situated at or near the front of something such as an aircraft or a building • The
forward seats are the most popular.

11.
adjective unrestrained in behavior:
behaving boldly in defiance of moral or social restraints • I’m
not sure I approve of her behavior –she’s very forward.

12.
noun SPORTS attacking
player:
one of several players in some team sports, for example, basketball, hockey, or
soccer, who are the principal offensive players

13.
transitive verb, for·ward (past participle for·ward·ed,
present participle for·ward·ing, 3rd person present singular
for·wards) redirect mail:
to send on mail from the address to which it was originally sent • She
was anxious to know if any letters might have come that had not been forwarded
to her.

14.
transitive verb advance or promote:
to assist the progress of something • I will
do anything you like if it means we can forward your cause.
[Old English forweard,
literally “in the direction of the front,” from fore (see fore )][1]



forwardbias

forwardbias
for·ward
bi·as
(plural for·ward bi·as·es) noun

voltage in direction of
higher current: a voltage applied to a
semiconductor or a junction in such a device, in the direction that carries a
higher current[1]



forwarder

forwarder
for·ward·er 
[fáwrwərdər] (plural for·ward·ers)
noun

somebody who ships goods:
an individual or company whose business is the collection, shipment, and
delivery of goods[1]



forwarding

forwarding
for·ward·ing
[fáwrwərding] noun

shipping of goods:
the collection, shipment, and delivery of goods[1]



forwardingaddress

forwardingaddress
for·ward·ing
ad·dress
(plural for·ward·ing ad·dress·es) noun

new mailing address:
a new address to which mail is to be redirected[1]



forward-looking

forward-looking
for·ward-look·ing 
adjective

looking toward the future:
planning for or looking ahead to the future[1]



forwardly

forwardly
for·ward·ly
[fáwrwərdlee] adverb

boldly:
in a bold manner, defying moral or social restraints[1]



forwardness

forwardness
for·ward·ness
[fáwrwərdnəss] noun

boldness:
bold behavior in defiance of moral or social restraints[1]



forwardpass

forwardpass
for·ward
pass
(plural for·ward pass·es) noun

FOOTBALL
football pass toward opposing team’s
goal: in football, a pass thrown
from a position behind the line of scrimmage in the direction of the opposing
team’s goal[1]



Fosburyflop

Fosburyflop
Fos·bur·y
flop
[fòzbəri flóp] noun

high
jump technique: a technique used in the high jump in
which the contestant clears the bar with the back of the shoulders followed by
the arched body
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. athlete Richard (Dick) Fosbury (born 1947), who developed the
technique.][1]



foscarnet

foscarnet
fos·car·net
noun

antiviral drug:
a drug used to treat a type of herpes virus that is often associated with AIDS[1]



fossa

fossa2
fos·sa2  [fóssə]
(plural fos·sas or fos·sa) noun

wild
animal resembling cat: a slender reddish-brown
carnivorous mammal from Madagascar that resembles a cat, has sharp retractile
claws, and feeds on small animals, birds, and insects. Species: Cryptoprocta
ferox
[Mid-19th century. From
Malagasy fosa .][1]



fossa

fossa1
fos·sa1  [fóssə]
(plural fos·sae [fó s]) noun

anatomical
hollow:
a hollow, pit, or groove in a part of the body, for example, a bone
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “ditch” (see fosse ).][1]



fosse

fosse
fosse 
[fawss] (plural fosses) noun

trench:
a wide ditch, usually filled with water and used for defense
[Pre-12th century. Via French
from Latin fossa, from fodere “to dig” (source of English fossil ).][1]



Fosse,Bob

Fosse,Bob
Fos·se
[fáwssee], Bob (1927–1987)

U.S.
dancer, choreographer, and director. He won his first Tony Awards for his
imaginative dance sequences in the Broadway musicals Pajama Game ( 1953
) and Damn Yankees ( 1955 ), and he directed the Academy Award-winning
films Cabaret ( 1972 ) and All That Jazz ( 1980 ).
Full name
Fosse, Robert Louis[1]



fossil

fossil

fos·sil 
[fóss’l] (plural fos·sils) noun

1.  preserved
remains of animal or plant: the remains of an animal or
plant preserved from an earlier era inside a rock or other geological deposit,
often as an impression or in a petrified state

2.  somebody
who will not change: somebody who is hopelessly
out of date or unwilling to accept change (informal insult)

3.  something
outdated:
something that has outlived its usefulness, for example, a discredited theory

4.  LINGUISTICS old
word now used specifically: a word or part of a word
that was once used generally but now survives only in a few contexts, such as couth
in uncouth
[Mid-16th century. Via French
fossile from Latin fossilis “dug up,” from fodere “to
dig.” Originally denoting a fossilized fish that was believed to have lived
underground.][1]



fossilfuel

fossilfuel
fos·sil
fu·el
(plural fos·sil fu·els) noun

fuel derived from prehistoric
organisms: any carbon-containing fuel,
for example, coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas, derived from the
decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals[1]



fossiliferous

fossiliferous
fos·sil·if·er·ous 
[fòssə líffərəss] adjective

containing fossils:
having fossils within it ( refers to rocks or other geological deposits
)[1]



fossilize

fossilize
fos·sil·ize 
[fóss’l z] (past fos·sil·ized,
past participle fos·sil·ized, present participle fos·sil·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular fos·sil·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become fossil: to convert something into a fossil, to
preserve something as a fossil, or to become a fossil

2.  be
unable to change: to become outdated, fixed, or
unchanging, or to make somebody or something incapable of change
—fos·sil·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—fos·sil·i·za·tion
[fòss’li záysh’n], noun

—fos·sil·ized [fóss’l zd], adjective[1]



fossilwater

fossilwater
fos·sil
wa·ter
noun

ancient reserves of
underground water: water in
underground strata that has accumulated over millions of years and is therefore
not a renewable resource, unlike other ground water[1]



fossorial

fossorial
fos·so·ri·al 
[fo sáwree əl] adjective

adapted
for digging or burrowing: used to describe animals
that have large forelimbs or other adaptations for digging and burrowing, or to
describe the parts of the body used for this purpose
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from medieval Latin fossorius, from Latin fossor “digger,” from fodere
(see fossil ).][1]



foster

foster
fos·ter 
[fáwstər, fóstər]
transitive verb (past fos·tered, past participle fos·tered,
present participle fos·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
fos·ters)

1.  nurture
a child:
to provide a child with care and upbringing

2.  develop:
to encourage the development of something

3.  keep
alive feeling or thought: to keep a feeling or thought
alive
adjective

providing or receiving parental care:
giving or receiving a home and parental care and upbringing, usually on a
short-term basis, although unrelated by blood or adoption. Foster care is
provided for children whose natural parents are dead, absent, or unfit or
unable to look after them.
[Old
English fostrian “to nourish,” later “to raise a child,” from foster
“food.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor
of English food and forage .]
—fos·ter·er, noun[1]



fosterage

fosterage
fos·ter·age 
[fáwstərij, fóstərij]
noun

1.  caring
for another’s child: the act of looking after or
bringing up a child who is not one’s own, often on a short-term basis and in
exchange for payment by a local authority

2.  being
a foster child: the process of being looked after or
brought up in a home by parents who are not one’s own

3.  encouraging
development: the process of encouraging the
development of something beneficial

[1]



FosterCity

FosterCity
Fos·ter
Cit·y
[fáwstər sìtee, fóstər
sìtee]

city in California on the San
Mateo Peninsula, a southeastern suburb of San Francisco. Population: 29,698
(1996)[1]



Foster,Jodie

Foster,Jodie
Fos·ter 
[fóstər], Jodie (1962– )

U.S.
movie actor and director. She won the Academy Award for best actress for her
roles in The Accused ( 1988 ) and The Silence of the Lambs ( 1991
).
Real name
Foster, Alicia Christian[1]



Foster,Norman

Foster,Norman
Fos·ter 
[fóstər], Sir Norman (1935– )

British
architect. His designs such as the terminal building (1991) for Stansted
Airport, Essex, England, combine elegant forms with complex engineering and
technologically advanced materials. He won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in
1999.
Full name
Foster, Sir Norman Robert[1]



Foster,Stephen Collins

Foster,Stephen Collins
Fos·ter
[fóstər], Stephen Collins (1826–1864)

U.S. songwriter. His songs
include “My Old Kentucky Home” ( 1853 ) and “Beautiful Dreamer” ( 1864 ).[1]



FOT

FOT
FOT
or f.o.t.

Abbreviation of
free on truck[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Foucault,Michel

Foucault,Michel
Fou·cault
[foo kṓ], Michel (1926–1984)

French philosopher. He showed
how ideas of truth about human nature change in the course of history. His
chief works were Madness and Civilization ( 1960 ), The Order of
Things ( 1966 ), and Discipline and Punish ( 1975 ).[1]



Foucaultpendulum

Foucaultpendulum
Fou·cault
pen·du·lum
(plural Fou·cault pen·du·lums) noun

pendulum
showing earth’s rotation: a heavy free-swinging
pendulum suspended by a long thin wire, whose plane of motion appears to change
as the earth rotates
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French physicist Jean-Bernard Léon Foucault (1819–1868), who first
used such a pendulum to demonstrate the rotation of the earth.][1]



fouetté

fouetté
fouet·té 
[fwe táy, f ə
táy] (plural fouet·tés) noun

whipping
movement of leg in ballet: a ballet step in which the
dancer stands on one foot and moves the other leg quickly out and in again,
often while doing a pirouette
[Mid-19th century. From
French, past participle of fouetter “to whip.”][1]



fought

fought
fought


Past tense of
fight Past participle of fight[1]



foul

foul
foul 
[fowl] adjective (comparative foul·er,
superlative foul·est)

1.  disgusting:
disgusting to the senses

2.  filled
with dirt:
clogged with dirt or so obstructed as to be unusable

3.  dirty:
covered in dirt

4.  contaminated:
contaminated by impurities

5.  unpleasant:
extremely unpleasant or disagreeable in nature (informal)

6.  vulgar:
obscene or otherwise offensive in expression or behavior

7.  SPORTS illegal
in sport:
contrary to the rules of a sport

8.  outside
foul lines:
outside the foul lines in baseball

9.  dishonest:
behaving in an unfair and unacceptable way

10. inclement:
stormy or wet and unpleasant for outdoor activities (refers to weather)

11. rotten:
decaying and rotten

12. evil:
spiritually or morally vicious

13. ensnarled:
entangled with something and unable to move

14. unenjoyable:
extremely low in quality
noun
(plural fouls)

1.  SPORTS illegal
action in sport: an illegal action against an opposing
player or an action that breaks the rules of a sport

2.  foul
ball:
a foul ball in baseball

3.  NAUTICAL entanglement
preventing movement: in sailing, an entanglement
or collision that prevents movement
verb
(past fouled, past participle fouled, present
participle foul·ing, 3rd person present singular fouls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS act illegally in sport:
to act illegally against an opposing player or to violate a rule of a sport

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
ball from fair territory: in baseball, to hit a ball
outside a foul line

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ensnarl
and prevent movement: to entangle or catch
something so that it cannot move, or become entangled or caught and unable to
move

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb obstruct
or become obstructed: to clog or block something,
or to become clogged or blocked

5.  transitive
verb
make
dirty:
to make something dirty, especially by defecation

6.  transitive
verb
bring
disgrace on: to bring disgrace to a person or to
somebody’s reputation
[Old
English ful “filthy, decaying.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that was also the ancestor of English defile
and filth .]
—foul·er,
noun

—foul·ly,
adverb

—foul·ness, noun[1]



foulard

foulard
fou·lard 
[foo lrd] (plural fou·lards) noun

1.  soft
patterned cloth: a soft silk or rayon fabric, usually
patterned

2.  article
made of soft patterned fabric: something made of
foulard, especially a scarf or handkerchief
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



foulball

foulball
foul
ball
(plural foul balls) noun

ball hit out of bounds:
in baseball, a ball that is hit so as to land outside a foul line[1]



foulline

foulline
foul
line
(plural foul lines) noun

1.  BASEBALL line
showing fair or foul ball: either of the lines
extending from home plate through first and third bases to the end of the
playing field. A ball hit inside the lines is a fair ball.

2.  BASKETBALL line
for free throws: either of two lines on a court from
which players get unobstructed chances to make a basket after they have been
fouled.
Also
called
free-throw line

3.  designated
limit of play: in some sports, a boundary beyond which
a ball or player is not permitted, for example, the line in bowling where the
player must stop before releasing the ball

[1]



foul-mouthed

foul-mouthed
foul-mouthed 
adjective

using obscene language:
using obscene or otherwise offensive language, especially habitually[1]



foulout

foulout
foul
out
intransitive verb

be ejected from game:
to be forced to leave a game after committing more than the permitted number of
fouls[1]



foulplay

foulplay
foul
play
noun

1.  unfairness:
unfair action or behavior

2.  crime:
treachery or criminal violence

3.  SPORTS action
against rules: action that is contrary to the rules of
a sport

[1]



foulshot

foulshot
foul
shot
(plural foul shots) noun

See
free throw[1]



foultip

foultip
foul
tip
(plural foul tips) noun

baseball tipped behind foul
line: in baseball, a pitched ball
that glances off a bat and is deflected into foul territory, usually back
toward the catcher[1]



foulup

foulup
foul
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  handle
something poorly: to do something badly or incompetently,
or to be bungled or mismanaged (informal)

2.  obstruct
or become obstructed: to choke, clog, or entangle
something, or to become choked, clogged, or entangled

[1]



foul-up

foul-up
foul-up 
(plural foul-ups) noun

blunder or confusion:
a blunder or the confusion or failure that results from error (informal)[1]



found

found1
found1 [fownd]
(past found·ed, past participle found·ed, present
participle found·ing, 3rd person present singular founds)
transitive verb

1.  set
up institution: to establish and organize something for
the future, for example, an institution or business

2.  provide
with basis:
to support something, for example, a conclusion, with evidence or reasoning
[13th century. Via French fonder
from Latin fundare, from fundus “bottom, base” (source of English
fund, fundamental,
and profound ).][1]



found

found2
found2 [fownd]
(past found·ed, past participle found·ed, present
participle found·ing, 3rd person present singular founds)
transitive verb

1.  cast
metal or glass: to cast something, especially metal or
glass, by melting it and pouring it into a mold

2.  cast
from mold:
to produce objects, for example, machine parts, by melting metal or glass and
pouring it into molds
[14th century. Via French fondre
“to dissolve and blend” (the original sense in English) from Latin fundere
“to pour or melt” (source of English fuse,
diffuse, and confound ).][1]



found

found3
found3

Past tense of
find Past participle of find[1]



foundation

foundation
foun·da·tion 
[fown dáysh’n] (plural foun·da·tions)
noun

1.  support
for a building: a part of a building, usually below the
ground, that transfers and distributes the weight of the building onto the
ground (often used in the plural)

2.  support
for idea:
the basis of something, for example, a theory or an idea

3.  COSMETICS base
layer of makeup: a type of cosmetic in liquid, cream, or
cake form, usually colored, that is applied as a base for makeup

4.  establishing
of institution or organization: the setting up of an
institution or organization

5.  charitable
or educational organization: an institution, for example,
a school, research establishment, charitable trust, or hospital, that has been
formally set up with an endowment fund

6.  fund
supporting institution: an endowment fund that
supports an institution

7.  See
foundation garment

8.  base
fabric for patchwork: a type of fabric to which
other pieces of fabric are sewn, for example, in log-cabin patchwork or
appliqué
—foun·da·tion·al,
adjective

—foun·da·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



foundationgarment

foundationgarment
foun·da·tion
gar·ment
(plural foun·da·tion gar·ments) noun

women’s undergarment shaping
figure: a piece of women’s underwear
intended to control and shape the figure, for example, a corset.
Also called
foundation[1]



foundationstone

foundationstone
foun·da·tion
stone
(plural foun·da·tion stones) noun

1.  stone
beginning construction: a stone laid during a
ceremony to mark the start of construction of a building or institution

2.  basis
for something: the basis on which something is founded

[1]



foundationstop

foundationstop
foun·da·tion
stop
(plural foun·da·tion stops) noun

basic organ stop:
an organ stop with a strong fundamental tone[1]



founder

founder2
foun·der2 verb (past foun·dered,
past participle foun·dered, present participle foun·der·ing,
3rd person present singular foun·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sink
or cause to sink: to become filled with water and sink, or
to make something sink

2.  intransitive
verb
break
down:
to collapse and fail • Negotiations
foundered on a single issue.

3.  intransitive
verb
crumple:
to give way and fall to the ground

4.  intransitive
verb
be
bogged down: to become stuck in soft ground or snow

5.  intransitive
verb
stumble:
to stumble or injure a leg

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become ill by overfeeding: to make livestock ill by
overfeeding or to become ill by overfeeding
noun

VETERINARY MEDICINE See
laminitis
[14th century. From Old
French fondrer “to send or sink to the bottom, fall in ruins,” from,
ultimately, Latin fundus “bottom” (source of English found 2 ).][1]



founder

founder1
found·er1 [fówndər]
(plural found·ers) noun

somebody who founds
something: a person who establishes an
institution, business, or organization[1]



foundingfather

foundingfather
found·ing
fa·ther
(plural found·ing fa·thers) noun

founder of institution:
somebody who creates an important institution, movement, or organization[1]



FoundingFather

FoundingFather
Found·ing
Fa·ther 
(plural Found·ing Fa·thers) noun

drafter of U.S. Constitution:
one of the members of the convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution[1]



foundling

foundling
found·ling 
[fówndling] (plural found·lings)
noun

abandoned
baby:
an abandoned baby of unknown parentage (dated)
[13th century. Formed from
the past participle of find, possibly
influenced by Dutch vondeling .][1]



foundobject

foundobject
found
ob·ject
(plural found ob·jects) noun

ARTS
See objet trouvé[1]



foundry

foundry
found·ry 
[fówndree] (plural found·ries)
noun

1.  workplace
for casting metal or glass: a building equipped for the
casting of metal or glass

2.  making
castings:
the skill or practice of casting metal or glass

[1]



fount

fount2
fount2 noun

U.K.
See font 2[1]



fount

fount1
fount1 [fownt]
(plural founts) noun (literary)

1.  source:
a source of something

2.  fountain:
a fountain or spring of water
[16th century. Shortening of fountain .][1]



fountain

fountain
foun·tain 
[fównt’n] (plural foun·tains) noun

1.  ornamental
water feature: an ornamental structure featuring a jet
or jets of water, often emerging from a statue into a pool

2.  natural
spring:
a natural source of water

3.  drinking
fountain:
a small jet of drinking water, especially one in a public place that can be
activated by a button or handle

4.  spray
of liquid:
a jet of water or some other liquid

5.  spray
of substance: a sudden discharge of something into the
air, for example, sparks, lava, or steam

6.  source:
the source of something abstract

7.  reservoir
of liquid:
a reservoir of liquid for use as needed, for example, in an oil lamp or for
printing ink
[14th century. Via French fontaine
from Latin fontanus “of a spring,” from fons “spring” (also the
original sense in English).][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fountainhead

fountainhead
foun·tain·head 
[fównt’n hèd] (plural foun·tain·heads)
noun

1.  source
of stream:
a spring that is the source of a stream

2.  primary
source:
the primary source of something abstract

[1]



fountainpen

fountainpen

foun·tain pen
(plural foun·tain pens) noun
pen with flowing ink:
a pen with a pointed metal tip ( nib ) that
is supplied with ink from a refillable reservoir in the body of the pen or from
an inserted cartridge[1]



FountainValley

FountainValley
Foun·tain
Val·ley
[fównt’n vàlli|]

city on the Santa Ana River,
southwestern California, a southeastern suburb of Los Angeles. Population:
55,790 (1996)[1]



four

four
four 
[fawr] noun (plural fours)

1.  number
4:
the number 4

2.  something
with value of 4: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 4 • the
four of spades • throw
a four

3.  group
of 4:
a group of 4 objects or people • a four
for bridge

4.  ROWING 4-oared
racing boat: a light narrow racing boat with four
oars

5.  ROWING 4-member
rowing crew: a rowing crew with four members

6.  BOWLING bowling
team:
a team of four lawn bowling players
plural
noun
fours

ROWING boat
races:
races for boats with a crew of four
[Old
English fēower . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that was also the
ancestor of English square, quadrant, trapezium,
and tetra- .]
—four, adjective,
pronoun[1]



four-bagger

four-bagger
four-bag·ger 
(plural four-bag·gers) noun

BASEBALL
home run:
a home run (informal)[1]



four-by-four

four-by-four
four-by-four
(plural four-by-fours) noun

four-wheel-drive vehicle:
a four-wheel-drive motor vehicle[1]



four-by-two

four-by-two
four-by-two
noun

U.K.
See two-by-four[1]



fourchette

fourchette
four·chette 
[foor shét] (plural four·chettes)
noun

fork-shaped
fold of skin: a small band that joins the folds of
skin at the back of the opening to the vagina, sometimes torn in childbirth
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “small fork,” from fourche, from Latin furca
“pitchfork, forked stick” (source of English fork
).][1]



four-color

four-color
four-col·or 
adjective

using three colors and black:
used to describe a process by which full-color printing is achieved by
superimposing images in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black[1]



four-cycle

four-cycle
four-cy·cle 
adjective

requiring four strokes per
cycle: used to describe an
internal-combustion engine in which the piston makes four strokes to complete a
cycle.
U.K. term
four-stroke[1]



four-dimensional

four-dimensional
four-di·men·sion·al 
adjective

with height, width, depth,
and time: having or determined by four
dimensions, especially as in some formulations of relativity theory which use
three spatial dimensions and a mathematically modified form of time as the
fourth[1]



fourdrinier

fourdrinier
four·drin·i·er 
[foor drínnee ər, foor
drínnee ày] (plural four·drin·i·ers) or Four·drin·i·er
[foor drínnee ər, foor
drínnee ày] (plural Four·drin·i·ers) noun

continuous-web
paper machine: a type of paper-making machine that
produces a continuous web or roll of paper
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the 19th-century British papermakers, Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier, who
patented such a machine.][1]



four-eyedfish

four-eyedfish

four-eyed fish 
noun
Central American fish:
a fish from Central America whose eyes are divided into two lobes so that the
upper part can see above the water and the lower part can see below. Latin
name: Anableps anableps[1]



four-eyes

four-eyes
four-eyes
(plural four-eyes) noun

insulting term:
an insulting term for somebody who wears eyeglasses (informal insult)[1]



four-flush

four-flush
four-flush 
(past four-flushed, past participle four-flushed, present
participle four-flush·ing, 3rd person present singular four-flush·es)
intransitive verb

1.  CARD GAMES bet
boldly with losing hand: to bet coolly and boldly in
poker despite holding a bad hand, for example, a four flush

2.  brazenly
mislead:
to try to mislead somebody in a bold way (informal)
—four-flush·er, noun[1]



fourflush

fourflush
four
flush
(plural four flush·es) noun

losing poker hand:
a bad hand in poker, containing four cards of the same suit and one odd card[1]



fourfold

fourfold
four·fold
[fáwr fld] adjective adverb

multiplied by 4:
four times as great in size or amount
adjective

1.  with
4 elements:
with four elements or members

2.  consisting
of 4 parts:
consisting of four parts or made up of four parts

[1]



four-four-two

four-four-two
four-four-two
noun

outfield soccer formation:
one of the most common outfield team formations in soccer, comprising four
defenders, four midfielders, and two attackers[1]



four-handed

four-handed
four-hand·ed
adjective

1.  GAME having
4 players:
played by four people ( refers to a game, especially a card game )

2.  MUSIC for 2
piano players: composed or arranged for two people to
play at the piano

[1]



FourHundred

FourHundred
Four
Hun·dred
noun

the
rich:
the wealthiest or most exclusive group of people in a community
[Said to be the number of
people that would fill the ballroom of Mrs. William Astor, 19th-century
American socialite.][1]



Fourieranalysis

Fourieranalysis
Fou·ri·er
a·nal·y·sis
noun

mathematical
approximation: the analysis of a periodic function
using the terms of a Fourier series as an approximation
[Early 20th century. Named
for J. B. J. Fourier (see Fourier series
).][1]



Fourier,Charles

Fourier,Charles
Fou·rier
[free ày], Charles (1772–1837)

French
social scientist. His Theory of Four Movements and of General Destinies
( 1808 ) advocated a socialist reorganization of society.
Full name
Fourier, François Marie Charles[1]



Fourierseries

Fourierseries
Fou·ri·er
se·ries
noun

mathematical
series used in approximations: an infinite
trigonometric series of terms consisting of constants multiplied by sines or
cosines, used in the approximation of periodic functions
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French mathematician Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768–1830), who
devised the series.][1]



four-in-hand

four-in-hand
four-in-hand 
(plural four-in-hands) noun

1.  4-horse
carriage:
a carriage drawn by four horses with one driver.
Also
called
tallyho

2.  4
horses drawing carriage: a team of four horses
drawing a carriage

3.  way
of tying necktie: a necktie tied in a slipknot at the
collar with the ends left hanging

[1]



four-leafclover

four-leafclover
four-leaf
clo·ver 
(plural four-leaf clo·vers) noun

lucky clover leaf with 4
parts: a clover leaf divided into
four leaflets instead of the usual three, believed to bring good luck to the
person who finds it[1]



four-letterword

four-letterword
four-let·ter
word 
(plural four-let·ter words) noun

short
vulgar word: any short English word relating to sex
or excretion that is often used as a swearword and is generally regarded as
offensive or taboo
[From the fact that the most common
words of this kind consist of four letters][1]



four-o’clock

four-o’clock
four-o’clock 
(plural four-o’clock or four-o’clocks) noun

plant with colorful tubular
flowers: a tropical American plant
with tubular red, white, or yellow flowers that open in the late afternoon.
Latin name: Mirabilis jalapa[1]



fourpennynail

fourpennynail
four·pen·ny
nail 
[fáwrpənee nàyl, fáwr
pènnee nàyl] (plural four·pen·ny nails) noun

small
nail:
a nail 3.8 cm1.5 in. long
[From the medieval price,
fourpenny per hundred][1]



four-poster

four-poster

four-post·er 
(plural four-post·ers) or four-post·er bed (plural
four-post·er beds) noun
bed with 4 posts:
a bed with a tall post at each corner, from which a canopy and drapes are
sometimes hung[1]



fourragère

fourragère
four·ra·gère
[frə zháir] (plural four·ra·gères)
noun

military
decoration worn on shoulder: a braided cord awarded as a
military decoration to a unit or individual, and usually worn on the left
shoulder of a uniform
[Early 20th century. From
French, from fourrage (see forage ).][1]



fourscore

fourscore
four·score 
[fawr skáwr] adjective

former
term for 80: the number 80 or a quantity of 80 (archaic)
• fourscore
years and ten
[13th century][1]



foursome

foursome
four·some 
[fáwrsəm] (plural four·somes) noun

1.  group
of 4 people: a group of four people, usually taking
part in some activity together

2.  GOLF golf
game with partners: a game of golf between two
pairs of players, especially when each pair has one ball that the partners hit
alternately

[1]



foursquare

foursquare
four·square 
[fawr skwáir] adverb adjective

showing
determination: showing certainty and determination
[14th century. The main
modern meanings all derive from the original sense “having four equal sides,”
and hence, “stable and firm.”][1]



four-stroke

four-stroke
four-stroke
adjective

U.K.
See four-cycle[1]



fourteen

fourteen
four·teen 
[fawr tn] (plural four·teens)
noun

1.  number
14:
the number 14

2.  something
with value of 14: something in a numbered series with a
value of 14

3.  group
of 14:
a group of 14 objects or people
—four·teen, adjective,
pronoun[1]



fourteenth

fourteenth
four·teenth 
[fawr tnth] (plural four·teenths)
noun

1.  one
of 14 parts of something: one of 14 equal parts of
something

2.  14
in a series: the ordinal number assigned to item
number 14 in a series
—four·teenth, adjective[1]



fourth

fourth
fourth 
[fawrth] noun

1.  one
of 4 parts of something: one of four equal parts of
something

2.  BALLET See fourth position

3.  MUSIC interval
of 4 notes:
in a standard musical scale, the interval between one note and another that
lies three notes above or below it. In the scale of C major, C and F form a
fourth.

4.  MUSIC note a
4th away from another: in a standard musical scale,
a note that is a fourth away from another note
—fourth, adjective,
adverb[1]



fourthdimension

fourthdimension
fourth
di·men·sion
noun

time
in relativity theory: time in relativity theory
modified mathematically and used in combination with the usual three spatial
dimensions to specify the location in space and time of events
—fourth-di·men·sion·al,
adjective[1]



fourthestate

fourthestate
fourth
es·tate
or Fourth Es·tate noun

media:
journalists, the press, or the media in general
[Originally, any significant
power other than the three estates (the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal,
and the House of Commons); Edmund Burke
supposedly first applied it to the press][1]



fourth-generationlanguage

fourth-generationlanguage
fourth-generation
language
noun

advanced computer language:
an advanced computer programming language that is more like human language than
are the standard high-level programming languages.
Also called
4GL[1]



fourthly

fourthly
fourth·ly
adverb

used to introduce the fourth
point in an argument or discussion[1]



fourthposition

fourthposition
fourth
po·si·tion
noun

ballet position with right
leg extended: a position in ballet in
which the feet are turned outward with the right leg extended so that the right
foot is one step in front of the left foot.
Also called
fourth[1]



FourthWorld

FourthWorld
Fourth
World
noun

poorest nations of world:
the poorest or least developed countries in the Third World[1]



four-wheeldrive

four-wheeldrive
four-wheel
drive
noun

power transmitted to all 4
wheels: a system of transmitting
power from the drive shaft to all four wheels of a motor vehicle in order to
provide better traction under difficult conditions[1]



fovea

fovea
fo·ve·a 
[fṓvee ə] (plural fo·ve·ae) noun

1.  tiny
cavity:
a small hollow in the surface of a part of the body

2.  See
fovea centralis
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “small pit.”]
—fo·ve·al,
adjective

—fo·ve·ate [fṓvee àyt, fṓvee ət],
adjective[1]



foveacentralis

foveacentralis
fo·ve·a
cen·tra·lis 
noun

area
in retina of eye: a shallow pit in the center of the
retina that is free of blood vessels and has the highest concentration of cells
sensitive to color and bright light ( cones
). The fovea centralis is the area of most acute vision.
Also
called
fovea
[From Latin, “centra foveal”][1]



foveola

foveola
fo·ve·o·la 
[fō v ələ] (plural fo·ve·o·lae
[fō v ə l]) noun

little
fovea:
a small fovea
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, “small fovea,” from fovea (see fovea ).]
—fo·ve·o·lar,
adjective

—fo·ve·o·late
[fṓvee ə làyt, fō
v ələt], adjective

—fo·ve·o·lat·ed [fṓvee ə làytəd], adjective[1]



fowl

fowl
fowl 
[fowl] (plural fowl or fowls)
noun

1.  chicken:
a common domesticated chicken

2.  bird
related to chicken: a bird related to the
chicken, for example, a turkey, grouse, pheasant, or partridge. Order:
Galliformes

3.  edible
or game bird: any bird that is used as food or hunted
for sport, for example, a goose or duck

4.  bird’s
flesh:
the flesh of an edible bird, traditionally chicken, especially an old or male
bird

5.  bird:
any bird at all (archaic)
[Old English fugol
“bird.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also the ancestor
of English fly .][1]



Fowler,Daniel

Fowler,Daniel
Fow·ler
[fówlər], Daniel (1810–1894)

British-born Canadian artist.
His watercolors depict scenes of Lake Ontario’s Amherst Island, where he lived.[1]



Fox

Fox2
Fox2 [foks]

river of eastern Wisconsin,
rising in Columbia County and flowing southwestward before emptying into Lake
Michigan at Green Bay. Length: 282 km/175 mi.[1]



Fox

Fox1
Fox1  [foks]
noun (plural Fox)

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that lived in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, and
whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma and Iowa. Following U.S. attempts
under a spurious treaty to move the Fox from their lands in Illinois, they joined
with the Sauk in the Black Hawk War of 1832.

2.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
a language spoken in parts of Iowa and Oklahoma. It is one of the Algonquian
group of the Algonquian-Wakashan family of North American languages. About
2,000 people speak Fox.
adjective

relating to Fox:
relating or belonging to the Fox people, or their language or culture

[1]



fox

fox
fox 
[foks] noun (plural foxes)

1.  wild
animal with bushy tail: a carnivorous mammal of the
dog family that has a pointed muzzle, large ears, a long bushy tail, and
usually reddish-brown or gray fur. Foxes are found throughout most of the world
and hunt alone, mainly at night, relying on cunning and an acute sense of hearing
and smell. Genus: Vulpes

2.  fox
fur:
the fur of the fox

3.  trickster:
a sly and cunning person (informal)

4.  good-looking
person:
a good-looking young person (informal)
transitive
verb
(past foxed, past participle foxed, present
participle fox·ing, 3rd person present singular fox·es)

1.  deceive
or outwit:
to deceive or outwit somebody by means of sly trickery

2.  baffle:
to confuse or baffle somebody (often passive)
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word probably meaning “tail.”][1]



FoxeBasin

FoxeBasin
Foxe
Ba·sin
[fóks bàyss’n]

bay in Nunavut, northeastern
Canada, surrounded by Baffin Island, Melville Peninsula, and Hudson Bay. Depth:
90 m/295 ft.[1]



foxed

foxed
foxed 
[fokst] adjective

stained and spotted:
stained with yellowish-brown spots from having been kept in damp conditions (refers
to books or paper)[1]



foxfire

foxfire
fox·fire 
[fóks fr] noun

eerie glow produced by fungi:
a luminescent glow produced by some fungi when in contact with rotting wood[1]



foxglove

foxglove

fox·glove 
[fóks glùv] (plural fox·glove or
fox·gloves) noun
plant that is source of digitalis:
a tall plant that has numerous thimble-shaped purple or white flowers and is
the source of the drug digitalis. Latin name: Digitalis purpurea[1]



foxgrape

foxgrape
fox
grape
(plural fox grapes) noun

purplish grape of eastern
United States: a wild grape of the
eastern United States that has purplish fruits and is the source of many
cultivated grape varieties. Latin name: Vitis labrusca[1]



foxhole

foxhole
fox·hole 
[fóks hl] (plural fox·holes) noun

protective hole in ground:
a small hole dug in the ground to protect a sniper or other soldier from enemy
fire[1]



foxhound

foxhound

fox·hound 
[fóks hòwnd] (plural fox·hounds)
noun
hunting dog:
a small short-haired dog that has great speed and stamina, belonging to either
of two breeds that are used to hunt foxes[1]



foxhunter

foxhunter
fox
hunt·er
(plural fox hunt·ers) noun

1.  hunter
of foxes:
somebody who regularly hunts foxes for sport

2.  foxhunting
horse:
a horse used for foxhunting

[1]



foxhunting

foxhunting
fox·hunt·ing
noun

hunting foxes on horseback
with dogs: a sport in which mounted
hunters pursue a fox through open countryside with a pack of foxhounds[1]



Fox,Michael J.

Fox,Michael J.
Fox 
[foks], Michael J. (1961– )

Canadian-born U.S. television
and movie actor. He starred in the television show series Family Ties
and the movie trilogy Back to the Future ( 1985–1990 ).[1]



foxtail

foxtail
fox·tail 
[fóks tàyl] (plural fox·tails)
or fox·tail grass [fóks tàyl]
(plural fox·tail grass·es) noun

grass with bushy spikes:
a grass with soft cylindrical spikes resembling the tail of a fox. Genera: Alopecurus
Setaria Hordeum[1]



foxterrier

foxterrier
fox
ter·ri·er
(plural fox ter·ri·ers) noun

small dog:
a small wire-haired or smooth-haired dog belonging to a breed that has a white
coat with dark markings[1]



foxtrot

foxtrot
fox·trot 
[fóks tròt] noun

1.  DANCE ballroom
dance:
a ballroom dance that alternates longer slower walking steps and shorter
quicker running steps to music with four, or sometimes two, beats to the bar

2.  MUSIC music
for foxtrot: a piece of music for dancing the foxtrot

3.  EQUESTRIAN a
horse’s slow trotting pace: a slowish pace for a horse,
between a trot and a walk, in which it takes short steps in a broken rhythm
intransitive
verb
(past fox·trot·ted, past participle fox·trot·ted, present
participle fox·trot·ting, 3rd person present singular fox·trots)

dance the fox trot:
to dance the fox trot
[Early 20th C. From the short
steps of the fox; in the dance sense perhaps reinforced by the name of Harry Fox,
a vaudeville performer.][1]



Foxtrot

Foxtrot
Fox·trot
noun

code word for letter “F”:
a code word for the letter “F,” used in international radio communications[1]



foxy

foxy
fox·y 
[fóksee] (comparative fox·i·er,
superlative fox·i·est) adjective

1.  like
a fox:
like a fox, especially in appearance or through having a strong pungent smell

2.  COLORS reddish-brown:
of a reddish-brown color, like the fur of the fox

3.  crafty:
clever in a cunning or deceitful way

4.  alluring:
sensually alluring (informal)

5.  WINE sharp
or musky:
having the rather sharp, pungent, or musky flavor of fox grapes

6.  PAPER See foxed

[1]



foyer

foyer
foy·er 
[fóy ər, fw yày]
(plural foy·ers) noun

1.  public
lobby:
the lobby in a public building such as a hotel or theater

2.  entrance
hall:
the entrance hall or vestibule in a private house
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from medieval Latin focarius, from Latin focus “fireplace,
hearth” (see focus ).][1]



fo’c’s’le

fo’c’s’le
fo’c’s’le 
(plural fo’c’s’les) noun

See
forecastle[1]



FPC

FPC
FPC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Federal Power Commission

2.  Abbreviation
of
fish protein concentrate

[1]



fpm

fpm
fpm

Abbreviation of
feet per minute[1]



FPO

FPO
FPO

Abbreviation of
fleet post office[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fps

fps
fps

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
feet per second

2.  fps
or f.p.s. MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of foot-pound-second

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
frames per second

[1]



fpsunits

fpsunits
fps
u·nits
or fps sys·tem of u·nits noun

system of scientific units:
a system of units based on the foot, second, and pound mass that is now almost
wholly superseded by SI units.
Also called
foot-pound-second units
Also called
foot-pound-second system of units[1]



fr.

fr.
fr.

Abbreviation of
from[1]



Fr

Fr
Fr

Symbol for
francium[1]



f.r.

f.r.
f.r.

Abbreviation of
on the right-hand page[1]



Fr.

Fr.
Fr.

1.  RELIGION Abbreviation of Father

2.  Abbreviation
of
France

3.  Abbreviation
of
French

4.  Abbreviation
of
Friday

5.  Abbreviation
of
Friar

6.  Abbreviation
of
Frau

[1]



Fra

Fra
Fra 
[fraa] or fra [fraa] noun

Brother:
used as a title for an Italian monk or friar, the equivalent of the English
title “Brother”
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, shortening of frate “brother, friar,” from Latin frater
(source of English fraternal ).][1]



fracas

fracas
fra·cas 
[fráykəss, frákəss]
(plural fra·cas) noun

quarrel
or fight:
a noisy quarrel or fight
[Early 18th century. From
French, “crash, roar,” from, ultimately, Italian fracassare “to cause an
uproar.”][1]



fractal

fractal
frac·tal 
[frákt’l] noun (plural frac·tals)

repeating
geometric pattern: an irregular or fragmented
geometric shape that can be repeatedly subdivided into parts, each of which is
a smaller copy of the whole. Fractals are used in computer modelling of natural
structures that do not have simple geometric shapes, for example, clouds,
mountainous landscapes, and coastlines.
adjective

of
fractals:
involving or relating to fractals
[Late 20th century. From
French, coined by the mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot from Latin fract-,
the past participle stem of frangere (see fraction
).][1]



fraction

fraction
frac·tion 
[frákshən] (plural frac·tions)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS number
that is not a whole: a number that is not a whole
number, such as ½ ( vulgar fraction ) or 0.5
( decimal fraction ), formed by dividing one
quantity into another

2.  small
amount:
a small part, amount, or proportion of something • a
fraction of the cost

3.  part:
a part or element of a larger whole or group

4.  CHRISTIANITY breaking
of bread by priest: during Holy Communion in the
Roman Catholic tradition, the breaking off of a piece of bread by the priest
who places it in the chalice

5.  CHEMISTRY separated
component:
an individual component or portion of a mixture, separated by differences in
chemical or physical properties
[14th
century. Via Old French from the late Latin stem fraction-, from Latin fract-,
past participle stem of frangere “to break.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English break .]
a
fraction

by
or over a very small amount or distance





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin frangere, from which fraction
  is derived is also the source of English fracture,
  fragile, fragment, frail,
  and saxifrage.

[1]



fractional

fractional
frac·tion·al 
[frákshən’l] adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS of
fractions:
involving or relating to fractions

2.  slight:
very small or slight • a
fractional increase in temperature

3.  CHEMISTRY relating
to component separation: relating to the process of
separating individual components from a mixture on the basis of the chemical or
physical properties that make them different from other components

[1]



fractionaldistillation

fractionaldistillation
frac·tion·al
dis·til·la·tion noun

separation of components from
volatile liquid: the process of
separating components that have different boiling points from a volatile
liquid, by first heating the liquid and then condensing and collecting the
components as they vaporize[1]



fractionalize

fractionalize
frac·tion·al·ize 
[frákshən’l z] (past frac·tion·al·ized,
past participle frac·tion·al·ized, present participle frac·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular frac·tion·al·izes) transitive verb

divide
up:
to divide something into parts or sections
—frac·tion·al·i·za·tion,
noun[1]



fractionally

fractionally
frac·tion·al·ly
[frákshən’lee] adverb

very slightly:
very slightly, or to a very slight degree[1]



fractionate

fractionate
frac·tion·ate 
[frákshə nàyt] (past frac·tion·at·ed,
past participle frac·tion·at·ed, present participle frac·tion·at·ing,
3rd person present singular frac·tion·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
or break into parts: to divide or break, or to
divide or break something, into parts (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY separate
mixture into its components: to separate a mixture into
its components, for example, by crystallization or distillation
—frac·tion·a·tion
[fràkshə náysh’n], noun

—frac·tion·a·tor [frákshə nàytər], noun[1]



fractious

fractious
frac·tious 
[frákshəss] adjective

irritable
and complaining: irritable and likely to complain or
misbehave
[Late
17th century. Formed from fraction,
originally perhaps in the sense “disposed to break up relationships.”]
—frac·tious·ly,
adverb

—frac·tious·ness, noun[1]



fracture

fracture
frac·ture 
[frákchər] noun (plural frac·tures)

1.  break
of bone:
a break in a bone

2.  act
of breaking something: the act of breaking
something, especially a bone

3.  break
or crack:
a break, split, or crack in an object or a material

4.  split
in system or organization: a split or division in
something such as a system, organization, or agreement • the
fractures that are already starting to appear in the peace treaty

5.  GEOLOGY rock
break:
a break in a rock or mineral, across which there is a separation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past frac·tured,
past participle frac·tured, present participle frac·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular frac·tures)

1.  break:
to break or crack something, especially a particular bone or a bone in a
particular part of the body

2.  cause
or undergo damage: to cause damage or
disruption to something or destroy it, or to be damaged, disrupted, or
destroyed
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fractura, from, ultimately, frangere
“to break” (see fraction ).]
—frac·tur·a·ble, adjective[1]



frae

frae
frae 
[fray] preposition

Scotland
from:
from
[13th century. Variant of fro .][1]



frag

frag
frag 
[frag] noun (plural frags)

grenade:
a fragmentation grenade (slang)
transitive
verb
(past fragged, past participle fragged, present
participle frag·ging, 3rd person present singular frags)

kill
somebody with explosive: to kill or wound a soldier
on your own side with a fragmentation grenade or other explosive device (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening of fragmentation .]
—frag·ger,
noun

—frag·ging, noun[1]



fragile

fragile
frag·ile 
[frájjəl] adjective

1.  easily
broken:
easy to break, damage, or harm, usually because delicate or brittle • The
models were too fragile to be used as toys.

2.  easily
destroyed:
not strong, sound, or secure and unlikely to withstand any severe stresses and
strains that may be put on it • a
fragile peace

3.  physically
weak:
in a weak or delicate bodily state, usually as a result of illness • Her
mother’s in rather fragile health and doesn’t get out much.
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fragilis (source also of
English frail ), from, ultimately,
the same base as frangere “to break” (see fraction
).]
—frag·ile·ly,
adverb

—fra·gil·i·ty
[frə jíllətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  fragile, delicate, frail,
  flimsy, frangible, friable
  CORE
  MEANING: easily
  broken or damaged fragile; things
  that do not have a strong structure or are not made of robust materials, and
  are therefore easily broken or damaged; delicate;
  similar to “fragile,” used especially to talk about things that are beautiful
  or remarkable because of their fragility; frail;
  used especially in written English to talk about something easily broken or
  damaged. It is also used to talk about people who are so physically weak that
  they seem very vulnerable to injury; flimsy;
  used showing disapproval to describe something that is easily broken, torn,
  or damaged because it is badly or cheaply made. It can also be used to
  describe clothing that is light and insubstantial; frangible; a formal or technical word meaning brittle or
  easily broken; friable; a formal or
  technical word meaning likely or easy to crumble

[1]



fragile-Xsyndrome

fragile-Xsyndrome
frag·ile-X
syn·drome
noun

genetic condition causing
learning difficulty: a genetic
condition caused by an abnormal X chromosome with an apparently almost detached
part near the end of the long arm, that causes learning difficulties in boys
and men[1]



fragment

fragment
frag·ment 
noun [frágmənt] (plural frag·ments)

1.  broken
piece:
a piece, usually a small piece, broken off something or left when something is
shattered

2.  incomplete
piece:
an incomplete or isolated piece of something • I
noted down fragments of the conversation.
intransitive
and transitive verb [frag
mént] (past frag·ment·ed, past participle frag·ment·ed,
present participle frag·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular
frag·ments)

1.  break
into small pieces: to break, or break
something, into small pieces • The
metal is designed to fragment on impact.

2.  break
up:
to lose, or to cause something to lose, a sense of unity or cohesion, with the
result that something splits into isolated and often conflicting elements • Society
is starting to fragment.
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin fragmentum, from, ultimately, the same base as
produced frangere “to break” (see fraction
).][1]



fragmental

fragmental
frag·men·tal 
[frag mént’l] adjective

1.  See
fragmentary

2.  GEOLOGY made
up of rock fragments: used to describe rocks that
are made up of fragments of preexisting rocks

[1]



fragmentary

fragmentary
frag·men·tar·y 
[frágmən tèrree] adjective

consisting
only of fragments: consisting of the physical
fragments of something, or of small disconnected items that are usually
insufficient to form a whole or serve a satisfactory purpose
—frag·men·tar·i·ly [fràgmən térrilee], adverb[1]



fragmentation

fragmentation
frag·men·ta·tion 
[fràgmən táysh’n] noun

1.  breaking
up of something: the process of shattering or breaking up
into fragments

2.  loss
of unity and cohesion: the loss of unity and
cohesion and the breakup of something into isolated and often conflicting
elements • The
result, inevitably, would be social fragmentation.

3.  shattering
of explosive device: the scattering of the
shattered parts of a grenade or other explosive device

4.  COMPUTING breaking
up of data packet: a process in which packets
of computer data are broken up into smaller pieces for more efficient storage
and transmission. The danger inherent in this process is that the relationship
between the pieces may be lost.

[1]



fragmentationbomb

fragmentationbomb
frag·men·ta·tion
bomb
(plural frag·men·ta·tion bombs) noun

bomb with casing that
fragments: a bomb or shell with a thick
casing that is designed to shatter on detonation into many destructive
fragments in order to cause maximum damage or injury[1]



fragmentationgrenade

fragmentationgrenade
frag·men·ta·tion
gre·nade
(plural frag·men·ta·tion gre·nades) noun

grenade with casing that
fragments: a grenade with a thick
casing that is designed to shatter on detonation into many destructive
fragments, causing maximum damage or injury[1]



fragmented

fragmented
frag·ment·ed
[frag méntəd] adjective

lacking coherence:
made up of disconnected parts or elements and lacking overall coherence[1]



fragmentize

fragmentize
frag·men·tize 
[frágmən tz] (past frag·men·tized,
past participle frag·men·tized, present participle frag·men·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular frag·men·tiz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

See
fragment[1]



fragrance

fragrance
fra·grance 
[fráygrəns] (plural fra·grances)
noun

1.  nice
odor:
a pleasant smell

2.  sweetness
of smell:
the characteristic of being sweet-smelling.
Also
called
fragrancy

3.  perfume:
something such as a perfume or cologne, which has a distinctive smell • a
great new fragrance for men

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



fragrancestrip

fragrancestrip
fra·grance
strip
(plural fra·grance strips) noun

card impregnated with
fragrance: a sealed strip of card or
paper included with something such as a magazine advertisement and impregnated
with a fragrance that is released when the cover is peeled off[1]



fragrancy

fragrancy
fra·gran·cy
[fráygrənsee] noun

See
fragrance  noun 2[1]



fragrant

fragrant
fra·grant 
[fráygrənt] adjective

sweet-smelling:
having a pleasant or sweet smell
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fragrant-, the present
participle stem of fragrare “to emit a (good or bad) odor.”]
—fra·grant·ly, adverb[1]



fraidy-cat

fraidy-cat
fraid·y-cat
(plural fraid·y-cats) noun

scared
person:
somebody who is scared or who lacks courage (informal) (usually used
by or to children)
U.K.
term
scaredy-cat
[Fraidy formed from a
shortening of afraid . Cat perhaps
from that animal’s generally skittish nature.][1]



frail

frail
frail
[frayl] (comparative frail·er,
superlative frail·est) adjective

1.  weak:
in a weakened state or in bad health

2.  easy
to break or damage: made of weak or delicate
materials and easy, or apparently easy, to break or damage

3.  insubstantial:
lacking any substantial foundation in fact or reality and unlikely to be
realized or be successful • frail
hopes of success

4.  morally
weak:
easily tempted and led into sin or wrongdoing
[14th
century. Via Old French fraile from Latin fragilis (see fragile ).]
—frail·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fragile See Synonyms at weak

[1]



frailty

frailty
frail·ty 
[fráyltee] (plural frail·ties)
noun

1.  weakness:
physical weakness or weakness of materials and construction

2.  moral
weakness:
inherent moral weakness in humanity or in an individual leading to difficulty
in resisting temptation or avoiding wrongdoing

3.  character
flaw:
a character flaw arising out of moral weakness (often used in the plural)
• ordinary
human frailties

[1]



fraise

fraise
fraise 
[frayz] (plural fraises) noun

tool
for enlarging drillhole: a cone-shaped grooved drill
bit used for enlarging a previously drilled hole
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “abdominal lining of a calf”; from the numerous folds of this
lining.][1]



Fraktur

Fraktur
Frak·tur
[frak tr] or frak·tur [frak tr] noun

style
of printed letter: a thick ornate style of
printed letter, the standard typeface for all printing in German until around
the middle of the 20th century. It was used in the calligraphy and artwork of
the Pennsylvania Dutch.
[Late 19th century. Via
German from, ultimately, Latin fractura (see fracture
). The underlying sense is that the elaborate shape of the letters seems to
break up the words.][1]



FraMauro

FraMauro
Fra
Mauro
[fr máwrō] noun

eroded crater on Moon:
an eroded crater on the Moon north of Mare Nubium, approximately 95 km59 mi in
diameter. Apollo 14 landed close to Fra Mauro in 1971.[1]



frambesia

frambesia
fram·be·sia 
[fram bzhə] noun

MED See yaws
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, coined from French framboise “raspberry”; from the shape
and color of the sores produced by the disease.][1]



frame

frame
frame 
[fraym] noun (plural frames)

1.  supporting
structure:
an underlying or supporting structure that consists of solid parts such as
beams or struts with spaces between them and that has something built around or
on top of it • a
bike with a steel frame

2.  surrounding
structure:
a structure that surrounds or encloses a particular space • a
picture frame • a
door frame

3.  frame
or frames OPHTHALMOLOGY
lens-holding
part of eyeglasses: the part of a pair of
eyeglasses that holds the lenses and fits around the wearer’s face

4.  CRAFT hollow
shape for needlecrafts and painting: an
open structure across which a piece of material can be stretched to be painted
or embroidered, or across which threads can be stretched for weaving

5.  context:
the general background or context against or within which something takes place
• the
story’s historical frame

6.  human
body:
a person’s body, especially with reference to its size and shape • He
eased his enormous frame into the chair.

7.  CINEMA PHOTOGRAPHY single picture on strip
of film:
any one of the individual pictures that make up a strip of movie film, or a
single exposure on a strip of photographic negative or slide images

8.  CINEMA TV visible part of filmed
action:
in film, video, or TV, the particular area of action that is captured by the
camera and forms the rectangular image that appears on the screen • characters
moving out of the frame to the left

9.  PHOTOGRAPHY image
border:
the border or set of borders of a projected image

10. PUBLISHING single
picture in comic strip: any one of the individual
pictures that make up a comic strip

11. GARDENING See cold frame

12. BOWLING round
of bowling:
one of the 10 rounds in a bowling game

13. U.K.
CUE GAMES See rack

14. TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPUTING single
cycle of pulses: a single cycle of pulses in a string of
repeated pulses

15. (slang)
See frame-up  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past framed, past participle framed, present
participle fram·ing, 3rd person present singular frames)

1.  mount
in a frame:
to mount a picture in a frame

2.  form
surrounding framework for: to form a surrounding border
or a framework, especially a decorative or contrasting one, around something (often
passive) • a
delicate face framed by abundant black hair

3.  construct
idea or statement: to construct or compose
something that is to be written or spoken • She
framed her words carefully.

4.  express
in particular way: to express something in a
particular type of language • framed
the argument in legal language

5.  mouth
words:
to mouth words silently

6.  cause
to appear guilty: to make an innocent person appear
guilty, for example, by forging incriminating evidence (slang)

7.  arrange
result in advance: to use dishonest or illegal
methods to arrange the result of a contest in advance, for example, by paying a
player to lose deliberately (slang)
adjective

CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECTURE with
wooden framework: constructed on a framework of wooden
beams, then covered with boards or shingles • a
white frame house with black shutters
[Old
English framian “to make progress, be helpful,” hence “to prepare,
shape.” Formed from fram “forward” (related to modern English from
). The noun developed from the verb, originally in the sense “structure.”]
—frame·a·ble, adjective[1]



Frame,Janet

Frame,Janet
Frame 
[fraym], Janet (1924– )

New
Zealand writer. Her novels, short stories, and autobiographical works include To
the Island ( 1983 ) and An Angel at My Table ( 1984 ).
Real name
Clutha, Janet Paterson Frame[1]



frameof mind

frameof mind
frame
of mind
(plural frames of mind) noun

psychological state:
a person’s psychological state, attitude, or mood at a particular time[1]



frameof reference

frameof reference
frame
of ref·er·ence (plural frames of ref·er·ence)
noun

1.  standards
used for judging or deciding: the set of norms, values, or
ideas that affect the way somebody interacts with others, either in everyday
life or in particular situations

2.  GEOMETRY set of
geometric axes: a set of geometric axes used to
determine the location of a point in space

[1]



framer

framer
fram·er 
[fráymər] (plural fram·ers) noun

1.  person
fitting frames for pictures: a person who makes and fits
frames for pictures

2.  fram·er
or Fram·er writer of U.S. Constitution:
any one of the delegates who drew up the Constitution of the United States

[1]



framestory

framestory
frame
sto·ry
noun

linking narrative for several
tales: a narrative that provides
the framework within which a number of different stories, which may or may not
be connected, can be told. An example of a frame story is the pilgrims’ ride to
Canterbury, which provides the starting point for Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales.[1]



frame-up

frame-up
frame-up 
(plural frame-ups) noun (slang)

1.  plot
making somebody innocent appear guilty: a
conspiracy to make an innocent person appear guilty, for example, by forging
incriminating evidence

2.  dishonest
prearranging of contest result: a situation in which
the result of a contest is dishonestly or illegally arranged in advance

[1]



framework

framework

frame·work 
[fráym wùrk] (plural frame·works)
noun

1.  system
of interconnecting bars: a structure of connected
horizontal and vertical bars with spaces between them, especially one that
forms the skeleton of another structure

2.  underlying
set of ideas: a set of ideas, principles, agreements,
or rules that provides the basis or the outline for something that is more
fully developed at a later stage • The
purpose of this meeting is to provide a framework for the discussions at next
week’s conference.

3.  context:
the general background or context to a particular action or event • within
the framework of Jewish religious tradition

4.        CRAFT articles
woven or embroidered on frame:
articles produced by weaving or embroidering cloth on a frame[1]



framing

framing
fram·ing 
[fráyming] noun

1.  way
something is framed: the way that something is
framed

2.  CINEMA adjustment
of film projector settings: adjustment of the settings
on a film projector so that the image is in the correct position on the screen

3.  CINEMA composition
of film scene: the composition of a scene within the
visual field of the camera for shooting in a film

[1]



Framingham

Framingham
Fra·ming·ham
[fráyming hàm]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, a western suburb of Boston. Population: 64,536 (1996)[1]



franc

franc
franc 
[frangk] (plural francs) noun

1.  unit
of French currency: the basic unit of French
currency, worth 100 centimes

2.  franc
coin:
a coin worth a franc. Symbol F
[14th century. From French,
of uncertain origin: probably from the Latin phrase Francorum rex “King
of the Franks,” imprinted on a type of gold coin first minted in 1360.][1]



France




Back to definition

France

[1]



France

France



France 
[franss]
republic and the largest country in
western Europe. Its present constitution was established in 1958 with the
proclamation of the Fifth Republic. Language: French. Currency: franc. Capital:
Paris. Population: 58,609,285 (1997) Area: 543,965 sq km/210,026 sq mi. Official
name French Republic[1]



France,Anatole

France,Anatole

France
[franss], Anatole (1844–1924)
French
writer. He produced a large body of writings, including novels, drama, verse,
critical and philosophical essays, and historical works. He won the Nobel Prize
in literature in 1921.
Pseudonym of
Jacques Anatole François Thibault[1]



franchise

franchise
fran·chise 
[frán chz] noun (plural fran·chis·es)

1.  right
to vote:
the right to vote, especially to elect representatives to a national
legislature or a parliament

2.  privilege
granted by authority: a right or privilege, or an
exemption from a duty or obligation, granted by a government or other authority

3.  COMMERCE license
to sell company’s products: an agreement or license to
sell a company’s products exclusively in a particular area, or to operate a
business that carries that company’s name

4.  COMMERCE area
of commercial operation: the area in which somebody
has a commercial franchise

5.  SPORTS professional
team:
a professional sports team that is a member of an organized league

6.  fran·chise
or fran·chise play·er SPORTS
valuable
player:
a player who is valuable and important to the team
transitive
verb
(past fran·chised, past participle fran·chised, present
participle fran·chis·ing, 3rd person present singular fran·chis·es)

grant trading franchise to:
to grant a commercial franchise to a person or small company
[14th
century. From French, formed from franc “free” (see frank ).]
—fran·chise·ment [frán chzmənt, fránchizmənt],
noun[1]



franchisee

franchisee
fran·chis·ee 
[fràn chī z] (plural fran·chis·ees)
noun

person awarded franchise:
a person or small company granted a license to sell a company’s products or
operate under a company’s name exclusively within a stated area[1]



franchiser

franchiser
fran·chis·er
[frán chzər] (plural fran·chis·ers)
or fran·chi·sor [frán chzər]
(plural fran·chi·sors) noun

company awarding franchise:
a company that grants somebody an exclusive license to sell its products or
operate under its name in a stated area[1]



Franciscan

Franciscan
Fran·cis·can 
[fran sískən] noun (plural Fran·cis·cans)

member
of religious order: a member of an order of
friars and nuns, founded by St. Francis of Assisi, that now has three separate
branches and is largely devoted to missionary and charitable work.
adjective

relating
to St. Francis or Franciscan s: relating to St.
Francis of Assisi, or to the religious order he founded.
[Late 16th century. Via
French franciscain from modern Latin Franciscanus, from Franciscus
“Francis.”][1]



FrancisI

FrancisI
Fran·cis
I
[fránsiss], King of France (1494–1547)

French monarch. His reign
(1515–1547) was dominated by conflict with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[1]



Francisof Sales, Saint

Francisof Sales, Saint
Fran·cis
of Sales 
[frànsiss əv sl], Saint (1567–1622)

French churchman and writer.
A leader of the Counter-Reformation, he became bishop of Geneva (1602).[1]



francium

francium

fran·ci·um 
[fránsee əm] noun
unstable
radioactive element: an unstable radioactive
chemical element of the alkali-metal group, found in uranium ore and made
artificially from actinium and thorium. Symbol Fr
[Mid-20th century. Named
after France, home of the element’s discoverer.][1]



francization

francization
fran·ci·za·tion
[frànsissi záysh’n] noun

Canada
promotion of French language in Quebec:
the process of establishing French as the language of the workplace or
establishing French-language schools in places previously without them[1]



francize

francize
fran·cize
[frán sz] (past fran·cized, past
participle fran·cized, present participle fran·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular fran·cizes) transitive verb

Canada
promote
use of French: to enable a group in Canada to use
French, or ensure that they are doing so
[Late 20th century. From
French franciser, from français “French.”][1]



Franco-

Franco-
Franco-
prefix

France,
French • Francophile
[From late Latin Francus
“Frank,” of Germanic origin][1]



Franco,Francisco

Franco,Francisco
Fran·co
[frángkō], Francisco (1892–1975)

Spanish general and
authoritarian leader. He defeated the Republican army during the Spanish Civil
War (1936–1939) and established a dictatorship in Spain in 1939, ruling until
his death in 1975.[1]



Franconian

Franconian
Fran·co·ni·an
[frang kṓnee ən] noun

group
of medieval German dialects: a group of medieval dialects
of German that were spoken in an area stretching from present-day Bavaria and
Alsace, and up the Rhine valley
adjective

of Franconian:
relating to the Franconian group of dialects[1]



Francophile

Francophile
Fran·co·phile 
[frángkə fl] or Fran·co·phil
[frángkə fìl] noun (plural Fran·co·philes)
(plural Fran·co·phils)

person
who likes France: a person who likes France, the French
people, and the French way of life
adjective

liking France and French:
liking or admiring France, the French, or the French way of life[1]



Francophobe

Francophobe
Fran·co·phobe 
[frángkə fb] (plural Fran·co·phobes)
noun

person
disliking France: a person who dislikes France and the
French people
—Fran·co·pho·bi·a [fràngkə fṓbee ə], noun[1]



Francophobic

Francophobic
Fran·co·pho·bic
[fràngkə fṓbik] adjective

not liking France and French:
having an intense dislike of France, French people, or the French way of life[1]



Francophone

Francophone
Fran·co·phone
[frángkə fn] noun (plural Fran·co·phones)

speaker of French:
a person who speaks French, especially as his or her native language
adjective

1.  French-speaking:
having French as his or her native or main language

2.  of
French-speaking area: relating to a place where
French is used as the main language, the official language, or a lingua franca
• Francophone
Africa
—Fran·co·phon·ic [fràngkə fónnik], adjective[1]



frangible

frangible
fran·gi·ble 
[fránjəb’l] adjective

breakable:
capable of being broken or damaged
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from medieval Latin frangibilis,
from frangere “to break” (see fraction
).]
—fran·gi·bil·i·ty
[frànjə bíllətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fragile

[1]



frangipane

frangipane
fran·gi·pane 
[fránjə pàyn] noun

almond
cream filling: an almond-flavored cream or custard used
in pastries, cakes, and other sweet foods.
Also
called
frangipani
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “frangipani”; from the bitter almonds used in making the perfume
frangipani.][1]



frangipani

frangipani
fran·gi·pan·i 
[frànjə pánnee, frànjə
pnee] (plural fran·gi·pan·is) noun

1.  TREES tree
with perfumed flowers: a tropical American
deciduous tree with white, yellow, or pink flowers that have an extremely
strong sweet perfume. Genus: Plumeria

2.  perfume:
perfume made from the flowers of the frangipani tree, or in imitation of their
scent

3.  COOKING See frangipane
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Muzio Frangipani, an Italian marquis of the 16th century, who created a
perfume for scenting gloves.][1]



Franglais

Franglais
Fran·glais 
[frong gláy, fróng
glày] or fran·glais [frong
gláy, fróng glày] noun

mixture
of French and English: an informal form of French
that includes a liberal sprinkling of English loanwords and phrases. For French
traditionalists, it is a pejorative term, the concept seen as tangible evidence
of the extent to which American and British cultural imperialism has permeated
French and French-Canadian life.
adjective

of
Franglais:
relating to Franglais
[Mid-20th century. From
French, blend of français “French” and anglais “English.”][1]



frank

frank2
frank2 [frangk]
(plural franks) noun

frankfurter:
a frankfurter (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Frank

Frank
Frank
(plural Franks) noun

member
of ancient Germanic peoples: a member of any of several
Germanic peoples who originally lived along the Rhine valley, and spread
westward during the decline of the Roman Empire in the 4th century A.D. They conquered vast areas of
western Europe, taking over Gaul and becoming the dominant people in an area
covering much of present-day western Germany.
[Old English Franca .
Later reinforced by French Franc and medieval Latin Francus
(source of English franc and frank 1 ),
from the same prehistoric Germanic ancestor.][1]



frank

frank1
frank1 [frangk]
adjective (comparative franker, superlative frank·est)

1.  expressing
true opinion: open, honest, and sometimes forceful in
expressing true feelings and opinions

2.  open
and blunt:
allowing people’s true feelings and opinions to be openly and often bluntly
stated

3.  pleasingly
honest:
having or showing an appealingly open and honest nature • a
frank manner that won her many friends

4.  undisguised:
openly expressed, and so not concealed or disguised • regarded
him with frank loathing
transitive
verb
(past franked, past participle franked, present
participle frank·ing, 3rd person present singular franks)
MAIL

1.  print
mark over stamp: to print an official mark over the stamp
on a letter or package to show that payment has been formally accepted

2.  print
mark to show postage paid: to print a mark on a piece
of mail, instead of using a postage stamp, to show that postage has been paid
or that there is no postage charge
noun
(plural franks) MAIL

1.  official
mark on piece of mail: an official mark printed on
a piece of mail to show that postage has been paid or that postage is free of
charge

2.  right
to free mail delivery: the right to have mailed
items delivered free of charge
[14th
century. Via French, “free, generous, candid” from medieval Latin francus
“Frank, free” (see Frank ); from the
granting of full political freedom in Gaul only to the Franks.]
—frank·ness, noun[1]



frank

frank1
frank1 [frangk]
adjective (comparative franker, superlative frank·est)

1.  expressing
true opinion: open, honest, and sometimes forceful in
expressing true feelings and opinions

2.  open
and blunt:
allowing people’s true feelings and opinions to be openly and often bluntly
stated

3.  pleasingly
honest:
having or showing an appealingly open and honest nature • a
frank manner that won her many friends

4.  undisguised:
openly expressed, and so not concealed or disguised • regarded
him with frank loathing
transitive
verb
(past franked, past participle franked, present
participle frank·ing, 3rd person present singular franks)
MAIL

1.  print
mark over stamp: to print an official mark over the stamp
on a letter or package to show that payment has been formally accepted

2.  print
mark to show postage paid: to print a mark on a piece
of mail, instead of using a postage stamp, to show that postage has been paid
or that there is no postage charge
noun
(plural franks) MAIL

1.  official
mark on piece of mail: an official mark printed on
a piece of mail to show that postage has been paid or that postage is free of
charge

2.  right
to free mail delivery: the right to have mailed
items delivered free of charge
[14th
century. Via French, “free, generous, candid” from medieval Latin francus
“Frank, free” (see Frank ); from the
granting of full political freedom in Gaul only to the Franks.]
—frank·ness, noun[1]



Frank,Anne

Frank,Anne

Frank 
[frangk], Anne (1929–1945)
German-born Dutch writer. She kept a
diary during her years in hiding during the German occupation of the
Netherlands (1942–1944). She and her family were captured in 1944, and she died
in a concentration camp.[1]



Frankenstein

Frankenstein
Frank·en·stein 
[frángkən stn] (plural Frank·en·steins)
noun

1.  creator
of destructive thing: somebody who creates
something that causes widespread ruin or destruction, or that brings about the
creator’s own downfall

2.  Frank·en·stein
or Frank·en·stein’s mon·ster out-of-control
invention:
a creation or invention that may get beyond its maker’s control and cause
problems

3.  monster:
a monster in the shape of a very large coarse-featured person, often with
features such as bolts in the neck and a shambling walk
[Early 19th century. From the
title of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel in which the hero creates a living man.][1]



Frankenthaler,Helen

Frankenthaler,Helen
Frank·en·thal·er
[frángkən thàwlər, frángkən
thòllər], Helen (1928– )

U.S. artist. She is known for
her abstract expressionism and innovative techniques for applying color to
canvas.[1]



Frankfort

Frankfort
Frank·fort
[fránkfərt]

1.  city
in central Indiana, southeast of Lafayette and northwest of Indianapolis.
Population: 15,231 (1996)

2.  capital
of Kentucky, in the north central part of the state on the Kentucky River,
northwest of Lexington and east of Louisville. Population: 26,695 (1996)

[1]



Frankfurt

Frankfurt
Frank·furt
[frángkfərt, frángk
frt] or Frank·furt am Main [fràngk
frt aam mn]

city in the state of Hessen,
west central Germany. Situated on the Main River, it is a major commercial and
financial center. Population: 656,200 (1994)[1]



frankfurter

frankfurter
frank·furt·er 
[frángkfərtər] or frank·furt [frángkfərtər] (plural frank·furt·ers)
noun

wiener:
a thin-skinned sausage, originally from Germany, that is made of finely minced
smoked pork or beef and is often grilled, fried, or boiled.
Also
called
wiener
Also
called
hot dog
Also
called
wienerwurst
[Late 19th century. From
German Frankfurter Wurst, a smoked sausage first produced at Frankfurt
am Main.][1]



Frankfurter,Felix

Frankfurter,Felix
Frank·furt·er 
[frángkfərtər], Felix (1882–1965)

Austrian-born U.S. jurist. An
associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1939–1962), he advocated judicial
restraint.[1]



frankincense

frankincense
frank·in·cense 
[frángkən sèns] noun

aromatic
resin:
an aromatic gum or resin, often burned as an incense, especially in religious
ceremonies, and also used in perfumes. It is obtained from an African tree.
Latin name: Boswellia sacra
Also
called
olibanum
[14th century. From Old
French franc encens, literally “superior-quality incense.”][1]



Frankish

Frankish
Frank·ish 
[frángkish] noun

extinct Germanic language:
an extinct ancient language spoken by the Franks, one of the West Germanic
group of the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages. The French vocabulary
shows a huge Frankish influence.
adjective

1.  of
Franks:
relating to or typical of the Franks, or their culture or language

2.  of
Frankish language: relating to the Frankish
language

[1]



Franklin

Franklin
Frank·lin
[frángklən]

city in Williamson County on
the Harpeth River, Tennessee. Population: 20,098 (1990)[1]



Franklin,Aretha

Franklin,Aretha

Frank·lin
[frángklən], Aretha (1942– )
U.S.
soul singer. Known as “The Queen of Soul,” she began her recording career in
1960. Her most famous recordings include “Respect” ( 1967 ) and “I Never” (
1967 ).
Full name
Franklin, Aretha Louise[1]



Franklin,Benjamin

Franklin,Benjamin

Frank·lin
[frángklən], Benjamin (1706–1790)
U.S. statesman, printer, author, and
scientist. He helped draft, then signed, the Declaration of Independence (1776)
and was a U.S. diplomat to France (1776–1785). His famous autobiography was
published posthumously. Also renowned as a scientist, he invented the Franklin
stove (1740s), lightning rod (1752), and bifocal lens (1760).[1]



franklinite

franklinite
frank·lin·ite 
[frángkli nt] noun

black
magnetic mineral: a black weakly magnetic mineral of the
spinel group, consisting of an oxide of iron, manganese, and zinc. ZnFe2O4
[Early 19th century. Named
for Franklin, New Jersey, where it is found.][1]



Franklin,John

Franklin,John
Frank·lin
[frángklən], Sir John (1786–1847)

British naval officer and
explorer. He died during his fourth Arctic expedition, in which the Northwest
Passage was discovered (1845).[1]



FranklinSquare

FranklinSquare
Frank·lin
Square

residential town in Nassau
County, southeastern Long Island, New York. Population: 28,205 (1990)[1]



Franklinstove

Franklinstove
Frank·lin
stove
(plural Frank·lin stoves) noun

heating
stove:
a cast-iron heating stove with doors, whose interior is like an open fireplace
[Late 18th century. Named for
Benjamin Franklin, who invented it.][1]



FranklinStrait

FranklinStrait
Frank·lin
Strait

body of water in Nunavut
territory, north central Canada, between Prince of Wales Island and Boothia
Peninsula[1]



Franklin,William

Franklin,William
Frank·lin
[frángklən], William (1731–1813)

American colonial
administrator. The illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin, he was a Loyalist
governor of New Jersey (1763–1776) during the Revolution. After 1782 he lived
in England.[1]



frankly

frankly
frank·ly 
[frángklee] adverb

1.  honestly:
in an honest and sincere, and often in a blunt and forthright way, without
trying to hide true feelings or opinions • a
number of personal questions that he answered remarkably frankly

2.  introducing
honest opinion: used to indicate that you are expressing
an honest personal opinion, often a negative one • Most
of what she said was, frankly, a pack of lies.

[1]



frantic

frantic
fran·tic 
[frántik] adjective

1.  out
of control emotionally: in a state in which it is
impossible to keep feelings or behavior under control, usually through fear,
worry, or frustration

2.  excited,
hurried, and confused: characterized by great haste
and excitement and a lot of usually disorganized activity
[Early
16th century. Via French frénétique from Latin phreneticus (see frenetic ).]
—fran·ti·cal·ly [frántikəlee], adverb[1]



FranzJosef Land

FranzJosef Land
Franz
Jo·sef Land
[frànts jṓzəf làn, frnts
yṓssəf lànd]

archipelago of about 100
small ice-covered islands in the Arctic Ocean, northwestern Russia, including
Alexandra Land, George Land, Wilczek Land, and Graham Bell Island. Area: 20,700
sq km/8,000 sq mi.[1]



frap

frap
frap 
[frap] (past frapped, past
participle frapped, present participle frap·ping, 3rd
person present singular fraps) transitive verb

tie:
to tie something down, or tie things together, with ropes
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French fraper “to hit.”][1]



frappe

frappe
frappe 
[frapp]

See
frappé  noun 3[1]



frappé

frappé
frap·pé 
[fra páy] adjective

BEVERAGES chilled:
chilled, or poured over crushed ice • a café
frappé
noun
(plural frap·pés)

1.  BEVERAGES iced
alcoholic drink: an alcoholic drink, especially a
liqueur, served poured over crushed ice

2.  FOOD cold dessert:
a dish consisting of fruit-flavored water ice, served before a meal or as a
dessert

3.  New
England
BEVERAGES milk
shake:
a milk shake.
Also
called
frappe
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of frapper “to hit, chill.”][1]



Fraser

Fraser
Fra·ser
[fráyzèr]

river in south central
British Columbia, Canada. It rises in the Rocky Mountains and empties into the
Strait of Georgia, near Vancouver. Length: 1,370 km/850 mi.[1]



FraserIsland

FraserIsland
Fra·ser
Is·land

island off the coast of
southern Queensland, Australia. It is the largest sand island in the world.
Area: 1,662 sq km/642 sq mi.[1]



Fraser,Simon

Fraser,Simon
Fra·ser
[fráyzèr], Simon (1776–1862)

Canadian fur trader and
explorer. He founded settlements in British Columbia (1805–1808) and explored
the Fraser River.[1]



frass

frass
frass
[frass] noun

insect
refuse:
insect excrement or debris left behind by an insect or insect larva
[Mid-19th century. From
German, formed from fressen “to eat, devour.”][1]



frat

frat
frat 
[frat] (plural frats) noun

student
fraternity:
a fraternity at a college or university (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



fraternal

fraternal
fra·ter·nal 
[frə túrn’l] adjective

1.  of
brothers:
existing between brothers, or felt by one brother for another

2.  showing
friendship and mutual support: showing friendship and
mutual support between people or groups that share the same interests or aims • fraternal
greetings

3.  of
fraternities: relating to or organized as a fraternity

4.  EMBRYOLOGY from
two separate ova: used to describe twins that have developed
from two separate ova, rather than a single ovum
[15th
century. From medieval Latin fraternalis, from, ultimately, Latin frater
“brother.” Ultimately from the same Indo-European word as English brother .]
—fra·ter·nal·ism,
noun

—fra·ter·nal·ly, adverb[1]



fraternity

fraternity
fra·ter·ni·ty 
[frə túrnətee] (plural fra·ter·ni·ties)
noun

1.  society
for college men: a social society for men who are
students at a college or university, with a name consisting of individually
pronounced Greek letters.
See
also
sorority

2.  people
with something in common: a group of people with
something in common, for example, being in the same job or sharing the same
pastime • the
banking fraternity

3.  brotherly
love:
brotherly love, or feelings of friendship and mutual support between people • liberty,
equality, and fraternity

4.  society
formed for common purpose: a group or society formed by
people who share the same interests
[14th century. Via French fraternité
from Latin fraternitas, from, ultimately, frater (see fraternal ).][1]



fraternize

fraternize
frat·er·nize 
[fráttər nz] (past frat·er·nized,
past participle frat·er·nized, present participle frat·er·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular frat·er·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
time with people: to spend time with other people
socially, especially people with whom you should not be friendly • fraternizing
with the enemy

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY have sexual relationships
against regulations: to enter into a sexual
relationship with a person of a different rank against military regulations
[Early
17th century. Via French fraterniser from medieval Latin fraternizare,
from, ultimately, Latin frater (see fraternal
).]
—frat·er·ni·za·tion
[fràttərni záysh’n], noun

—frat·er·niz·er [fráttər nzər], noun[1]



fratricide

fratricide
frat·ri·cide 
[fráttri sd] (plural frat·ri·cides)
noun

1.  killing
a brother:
the crime in which somebody kills his or her own brother

2.  killer
of brother:
somebody who kills his or her own brother
[15th
century. Via French from Latin fratricida “brother-killer.”]
—frat·ri·cid·al [fràttri sd’l], adjective[1]



Frau

Frau
Frau
[frow] (plural Frau·en [frów ən] or Fraus) noun

title
for German woman: used as a title, equivalent to English
“Mrs.” or “Ms.”, before the name or professional title of a married woman in
German-speaking countries. Frau is also used as a courtesy title for
some unmarried women, especially of senior status. • Frau
Koch
[Early 19th century. From
German, “woman wife.”][1]



fraud

fraud
fraud 
[frawd] (plural frauds) noun

1.  crime
of cheating people: the crime of obtaining money
or some other benefit by deliberate deception

2.  somebody
who deceives by pretending: somebody who deliberately
deceives people by imitation or impersonation

3.  something
intended to deceive: something that is intended
to deceive people • a story that was
subsequently exposed as a fraud
[14th century. Via Old French
fraude from the Latin stem fraud- “cheating, fraud.”][1]



fraudulent

fraudulent
fraud·u·lent 
[fráwjələnt] adjective

designed
to deceive:
not honest, true, or fair, and intended to deceive people
—fraud·u·lence,
noun

—fraud·u·lent·ly, adverb[1]



fraught

fraught
fraught 
[frawt] adjective

1.  full
of:
full of or accompanied by problems, dangers, or difficulties • an
evening fraught with embarrassment

2.  tense
and anxious: full of, or expressing, nervous tension
and anxiety • looking
fraught and close to tears
[14th century. From the past
participle of obsolete English fraught “to load with cargo,” from Middle
Dutch or Middle Low German vrachten .][1]



Fraunhoferlines

Fraunhoferlines
Fraun·ho·fer
lines 
[frówn hfər lnz] plural noun

dark
lines in Sun’s spectrum: narrow dark lines in the
Sun’s spectrum, caused mainly by absorption in the cooler outer layers of the
Sun’s atmosphere
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German scientist, Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826).][1]



fraxinella

fraxinella
frax·i·nel·la 
[fràksə néllə] (plural frax·i·nel·las)
noun

PLANTS See gas plant
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “small ash tree,” from Latin fraxinus “ash”;
from the shape of the leaves.][1]



fray

fray2
fray2 [fray]
noun

1.  argument
or fight:
an argument, quarrel, or fight • Local
newspapers were not slow to join the fray.

2.  lively
activity or situation: an exciting, energetic, or
stressful activity or situation • back
into the fray
[14th century. Shortening of affray .][1]



fray

fray1
fray1 [fray]
intransitive and transitive verb (past frayed, past
participle frayed, present participle fray·ing, 3rd
person present singular frays)

1.  wear
away and hang in threads: to wear away the edge or
surface of cloth or rope by friction, or to be worn away, causing threads to
hang loose • The
jacket had frayed at the cuffs.

2.  become
strained or strain: to become strained, causing
irritability or anger, or to cause somebody’s nerves, temper, or patience to
become strained • Soon tempers would
start to fray.
noun
(plural frays)

worn part with loose threads:
a worn area on cloth or rope, with loose threads showing
[15th century. Via French frayer
from Latin fricare “to rub” (see friction
).][1]



frazil

frazil
fra·zil 
[fráyz’l, frázz’l]
noun

floating
ice plates:
ice that forms as small plates drifting in rapidly flowing water where it is
too turbulent for pack ice to form
[Late 19th century. From
Canadian French frasil .][1]



frazzle

frazzle
fraz·zle 
[frázz’l] noun

1.  exhausted
state:
a state of complete emotional and physical exhaustion

2.  frayed
state:
a frayed or tattered condition • drying
her hair reduced it to a frazzle
verb
(past fraz·zled, past participle fraz·zled, present
participle fraz·zling, 3rd person present singular fraz·zles)

1.  transitive
verb
exhaust:
to tire somebody out emotionally and physically

2.  intransitive
verb
be
frayed:
to fray or become worn • a perm
that frazzled under the drier
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of fray 1 and frizzle 1 or obsolete
fazle “to ravel.”][1]



frazzled

frazzled
fraz·zled
[frázz’ld] adjective

1.  exhausted
and confused or irritable: exhausted and in a very
confused or irritable state (informal)

2.  frayed:
frayed and in a generally worn, tangled, or otherwise unsatisfactory state

[1]



FRB

FRB
FRB

Abbreviation of
Federal Reserve Board[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FRCPC

FRCPC
FRCPC

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Canada[1]



FRCSC

FRCSC
FRCSC

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Canada[1]



freak

freak1
freak1 [freek]
noun (plural freaks)

1.  strikingly
unusual person, animal, plant: a person, animal, or
plant that is strikingly unusual, and appears to be unique or occurs very
rarely (offensive in some contexts)

2.  unusual
occurrence:
a highly unusual or unlikely occurrence, often brought about by a unique or
very rare combination of circumstances

3.  somebody
unconventional: somebody who behaves unusually or has
unusual tastes or habits (informal insult)

4.  fanatic:
somebody who is fanatical about something (informal) • a
club for fitness freaks

5.  drug
user:
an addict or user of a particular drug (slang)

6.  hippie:
a hippie (dated slang)

7.  impulse:
something somebody suddenly does or decides for no real reason
adjective

highly unusual or unlikely:
highly unusual or unlikely, and often brought about by a unique or very rare
combination of circumstances
intransitive
and transitive verb (past freaked,
past participle freaked, present participle freak·ing,
3rd person present singular freaks) (slang)

1.  become
or make overemotional: to become, or make somebody,
very nervous, upset, or angry • She’ll
freak when she hears what she missed by not going with us.

2.  DRUGS behave
strangely on drugs: to experience, or cause
somebody to experience, wild or irrational behavior, sometimes accompanied by
hallucinations or feelings of paranoia, often as a result of taking drugs
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally a dialect word, from Old English frician
“to dance.”][1]



freak

freak2
freak2 [freek]
(past freaked, past participle freaked, present
participle freak·ing, 3rd person present singular freaks)
transitive verb

streak
with color:
to streak or spot something with color (literary)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of obsolete freck “to dapple” (probably
a shortening of freckle ), by association
with streak .][1]



freaking

freaking
freak·ing 
[frking] adjective

used
as intensifier: offensive term used to express strong
feelings by similarity in sound to other offensive terms (slang offensive)
[Late 20th century. Formed
from freak 1 .][1]



freakish

freakish
freak·ish 
[frkish] adjective

1.  very
unusual:
extremely, disconcertingly, or ridiculously unusual (offensive in some
contexts) • a freakish accident

2.  suddenly
variable:
tending to change suddenly and unpredictably • freakish
weather
—freak·ish·ly, adverb[1]



freak-out

freak-out
freak-out
[frk owt] (plural freak-outs)
or freak·out [frk owt] (plural
freak·outs) noun (slang)

1.  emotional
outburst:
an outburst of emotion or wild behavior

2.  drug-induced
attack of paranoia: a drug-induced bout of
hallucination or paranoia, especially a frightening one

[1]



freaky

freaky
freak·y 
[frkee] (comparative freak·i·er,
superlative freak·i·est) adjective

bizarre
or strange:
unusual, strange, or bizarre (slang)
—freak·i·ly,
adverb

—freak·i·ness, noun[1]



freckle

freckle
freck·le 
[frék’l] noun (plural freck·les)

brown
skin spot:
a harmless small brownish patch on somebody’s skin, usually one of a cluster,
that becomes larger and deeper in color when the skin is exposed to the sun.
Freckles are caused by the presence of larger melanin-containing cells in the
basal layer of the skin.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past freck·led,
past participle freck·led, present participle freck·ling,
3rd person present singular freck·les)

mark
with freckles: to become marked with, or mark something
with, freckles
[15th
century. Alteration of obsolete frecken “freckle,” from Old Norse freknur
“freckles.”]
—freck·ly, adjective[1]



FreddieMac

FreddieMac
Fred·die
Mac
noun

government-backed mortgage
provider: the Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation, a private corporation sponsored by the U.S. government
that supplies funds for mortgages, or a publicly traded security backed by it[1]



Frederick

Frederick
Fred·er·ick
[fréddrik]

city in north central
Maryland, west of the Monocacy River. It is a trade and shipping center in an
agricultural region. Population: 46,227 (1996)[1]



FrederickII

FrederickII
Fred·er·ick
II
[fréddrik], King of Prussia (1712–1786)

Under
his political and military leadership (1740–1786), Prussia doubled in size and
became a major European power. He gathered a circle of writers and musicians
about him at his palace of Sans Souci.
Known as
Frederick the Great[1]



Fredericton

Fredericton
Fred·er·ic·ton
[fréddriktən]

capital of New Brunswick
Province, eastern Canada, situated in the south central part of the province,
on the St. John River. Population: 46,500 (1996)[1]



free

free
free 
[free] adjective (comparative fre·er,
superlative fre·est)

1.  not
regulated:
not controlled, restricted, or regulated by any external thing • You
are free to choose.

2.  not
a prisoner:
not, or no longer, physically bound or restrained, for example, as a prisoner
or in slavery • Once outside the prison
walls he would be a free man.

3.  not
restricted in rights: not subject to censorship or
control by a ruler, government, or other authority, and enjoying civil
liberties • It’s
a free country.

4.  self-ruling:
not ruled by a foreign country or power

5.  disregarding
traditional limitations: performed or written without
being subjected to traditional conventions or restraints • free
verse

6.  not
affected by something stated: not subject to or affected
by something specified, especially something undesirable • drinking
water that is free of contamination • free
of charge

7.  not
containing something: not containing something
specified (often used in combination) • a
salt-free diet

8.  costing
nothing:
requiring no money to be paid • Win a
free meal for two.

9.  not
busy:
not busy or working, or time during which somebody is not busy or working • She’ll
be free in a moment.

10. not
being used:
not being used, or not already reserved or taken by somebody else • no
free seats left

11. not
attached:
not tied or attached to something • grabbed
the free end of the rope

12. not
blocked:
not blocked or obstructed by anything • allowing
the free flow of electricity

13. not
physically restricted: not restricted by something
such as tight clothing, stiffness, or lack of space • a
layer of dirt interfering with the free movement of the mechanism

14. giving
something readily: giving or expending
something generously, or too readily • They’re
very free with their advice.

15. not
exact:
not following the original version of something word for word or very precisely
• a
free translation

16. open
and honest:
spontaneous, open, and without awkwardness or reserve in speaking to or dealing
with other people • an appealingly free
manner

17. CHEMISTRY not
chemically combined: not chemically combined with
another substance

18. PHYSICS not
attached to larger body: not permanently attached to
a larger body such as an atom or molecule, and thus having a relatively wide
range of movement

19. NAUTICAL favorable:
favorable to sailing • a free
wind

20. LINGUISTICS able
to be used alone: used to describe a unit of meaning ( morpheme ) that can be used on its own as a word,
rather than needing to be part of another word.
See
also
bound 4
adverb

without cost:
without paying any money • They
let you in free if you show your student card.
transitive
verb
(past freed, past participle freed, present participle
free·ing, 3rd person present singular frees)

1.  release
from captivity: to release somebody from physical bonds
or restrictions, captivity, or slavery • The
defendants were freed after having been found not guilty.

2.  rid
of something: to remove a restriction, a burden, or an
unwanted or undesirable thing from somebody or something • freed
from the cares of high public office

3.  make
available or enable: to make somebody or
something available for use or able to do something • This
should free you to do more of your own research.

4.  unclog
something obstructed: to clear something of an
obstruction
[Old
English freo . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “dear,
beloved,” which is also the ancestor of English friend
.]
—free·ness,
noun
for
free

without
paying

make
free with somebody

to
behave in too familiar and informal a way toward somebody

make
free with something

to
use something in an overfamiliar or overindulgent way, without showing respect
or restraint

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at gift.

[1]



freeagent

freeagent
free
a·gent
(plural free a·gents) noun

1.  somebody
able to act freely: somebody who is not
responsible to or for anyone else and can do as he or she pleases

2.  unattached
professional player: a professional athlete who
is in a position to sign a contract to play for any team

[1]



freealongside ship

freealongside ship
free
a·long·side ship adjective adverb

COMMERCE
delivered to dockside but not loaded:
with the cost of delivery to the dockside included, but not the cost of loading
onto a ship[1]



freeassociation

freeassociation
free
as·so·ci·a·tion noun

1.  spontaneous
expression of thoughts: the spontaneous and
uncensored expression of thoughts or ideas, allowing each one to lead to or
suggest the next

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS technique
for exploring the unconscious: in psychoanalysis, a
technique for exploring a patient’s unconscious by stimulating the spontaneous
and uncensored expression of thoughts or feelings through the use of stimuli
such as key words
—free-as·so·ci·ate, intransitive
verb[1]



freebase

freebase
free·base
[fr bàyss] noun

concentrated cocaine:
cocaine that has been concentrated using water and a volatile liquid such as
ether
verb
(past participle free·based, present participle free·based,
3rd person present singular free·bas·ing)

1.  transitive
verb
prepare
cocaine for smoking: to prepare cocaine for
smoking by heating it with water and a volatile liquid such as ether to
concentrate it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb smoke
cocaine:
to smoke freebased cocaine (slang)
[From the idea that the
concentrated cocaine base of the original mixture is “freed” in the process of
treatment with ether][1]



freebie

freebie
free·bie 
[frbee] (plural free·bies) noun

promotional gift:
something given or obtained free of charge, especially a promotional gift (informal)[1]



freeboard

freeboard
free·board 
[fr bàwrd] noun

space between deck and water
level: the distance between the
deck of a ship and the level of the water[1]



freeboot

freeboot
free·boot 
[fr bt] (past free·boot·ed, past
participle free·boot·ed, present participle free·boot·ing,
3rd person present singular free·boots) intransitive verb

live
off stolen things: to live off things stolen or
plundered
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from freebooter .][1]



freebooter

freebooter
free·boot·er 
[fr btər] (plural free·boot·ers)
noun

somebody
who plunders: somebody who lives by plundering others,
especially a pirate
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch vrijbuiter, literally “somebody who takes booty freely” (source
also of English filibuster ).][1]



freeborn

freeborn
free·born 
[fr bàwrn] adjective

1.  born
as free citizen: born as a free citizen, rather than in
slavery or serfdom

2.  relating
to free citizens: relating to or intended for people who
are freeborn

[1]



freeclimbing

freeclimbing
free
climb·ing
noun

mountain climbing without
aids: mountain or rock climbing
without aids such as spikes and ladders, though usually with ropes and other
safety equipment[1]



freedman

freedman
freed·man 
[frdmən, frd
màn] (plural freed·men [frdmən,
frd mèn]) noun

man set free:
a man who has been freed from slavery[1]



freedom

freedom
free·dom 
[frdəm] noun

1.  ability
to act freely: a state in which somebody is able to act
and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any, or to any undue,
restraints and restrictions • live
in freedom

2.  release
from captivity or slavery: release or rescue from being
physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned • hostages
enjoying their first taste of freedom for months

3.  country’s
right to self-rule: a country’s right to rule
itself, without interference from or domination by another country or power

4.  (plural
free·doms) right to act or speak freely:
the right to speak or act without restriction, interference, or fear • were
given the freedom to take photographs and interview workers

5.  absence
of something unpleasant: the state of being
unaffected by, or not subject to, something unpleasant or unwanted • Freedom
from want or fear is one of society’s four principal freedoms.

6.  ease
of movement: the ability to move easily without being
limited by something such as tight clothing or lack of space • Releasing
the catch allows complete freedom of movement in all directions.

7.  right
to treat place as own: the right to use or occupy a
place and treat it as your own • Off-season,
we had the freedom of the whole house and the beach.

8.  honorary
citizenship: citizenship of a town or city, together
with special privileges, formally awarded to somebody as an honor

9.  frankness:
openness and friendliness in speech or behavior

10. excessive
confidence or familiarity: overconfidence,
overfamiliarity, or a lack of proper restraint or decorum

11. PHILOSOPHY free
will:
the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any
external determining force

[1]



freedomfighter

freedomfighter
free·dom
fight·er
(plural free·dom fight·ers) noun

fighter in armed revolution:
somebody who participates in an armed revolution against a government or
political system regarded as unjust[1]



freedommarch

freedommarch
free·dom
march
(plural free·dom march·es) noun

march
by civil rights campaigners: an organized march by people
campaigning for civil rights, for example, any of the marches that took place
in the United States in the 1960s aimed at ending racial segregation
—free·dom march·er, noun[1]



freedomrider

freedomrider
free·dom
rid·er
(plural free·dom rid·ers) noun

protester
against racial segregation: a civil rights activist who,
during the early 1960s, joined one of the interracial groups riding buses
through parts of the southern United States to protest against racial
segregation
—free·dom ride, noun[1]



freedwoman

freedwoman
freed·wom·an 
[frd wmmən] (plural freed·wom·en
[frd wìmmin]) noun

HISTORY
woman set free:
a woman who has been freed from slavery[1]



freeelectron

freeelectron
free
e·lec·tron
(plural free e·lec·trons) noun

electron not bonded to an
atom: an electron that is not
bonded to an atom or molecule and so is free to move under external electric or
magnetic fields[1]



freeenergy

freeenergy
free
en·er·gy
noun

system’s work capacity:
a measure of the capacity of a system to do work, or a measure of the
likelihood of a particular chemical reaction to form products.
Also called
Gibbs free energy Symbol G[1]



freeenterprise

freeenterprise
free
en·ter·prise noun

freedom to trade without
government control: the
doctrine or practice of giving companies the freedom to trade and make a profit
without government control[1]



free-fall

free-fall
free-fall
(past free-fell, past participle free-fall·en, present
participle free-fall·ing, 3rd person present singular free-falls)
intransitive verb

1.  descend
with unopened parachute: to descend toward the ground
with an unopened parachute during the first part of a parachute jump

2.  drop
suddenly:
to undergo a sudden sharp drop in value, popularity, or credibility

[1]



freefall

freefall
free
fall
(plural free falls) or free-fall (plural free-falls)
noun

1.  descent
with unopened parachute: a descent through the air
with an unopened parachute as the first part of a parachute jump

2.  rapid
decline:
a sudden, rapid, and uncontrollable decline or descent in a particular system • The
news sent the stock market into a free fall.

3.  PHYSICS unrestricted
movement in gravitational field: an ideal state in
which the only force to which something is subjected is the earth’s
gravitational attraction. A craft in space, for example, is subject only to a
diminished gravitational force and is not restricted by buoyancy or air
resistance, producing near weightlessness.

[1]



free-firezone

free-firezone
free-fire
zone 
(plural free-fire zones) noun

zone where troops fire at
will: an area in a zone of
conflict where troops may fire on targets at will without requesting permission
from a higher command[1]



freeflight

freeflight
free
flight
noun

unpowered stage of rocket’s
flight: the movement of a rocket or
missile through the air after its engine has stopped[1]



free-floating

free-floating
free-float·ing 
adjective

not committed to particular
thing: not committed or dedicated
to one particular thing, especially a political party or cause[1]



free-floatinganxiety

free-floatinganxiety
free-float·ing
anx·i·e·ty
noun

PSYCHOANALYSIS
apparently causeless anxiety:
a state of anxiety that is not associated with any specific event or external
condition[1]



free-for-all

free-for-all
free-for-all 
(plural free-for-alls) noun

disorganized argument or
fight: a disorganized argument,
contest, or fight, usually with everybody present joining in (informal)[1]



freeform

freeform
free
form
(plural free forms) noun

1.  irregularly
shaped sculpture: a shape, especially a piece of
sculpture, that is asymmetrical and irregular though usually with a flowing
outline

2.  LINGUISTICS self-contained
linguistic unit: a unit of meaning ( morpheme ) that can be used on its own as a word,
rather than needing to be part of another
word

[1]



freeform

freeform
free·form 
[fr fàwrm] adjective

1.  with
flowing shapes or outlines: unconventional in shape or
design, especially flowing and curving as opposed to regular or geometrical

2.  original,
not standard: spontaneously or individually created,
rather than being produced in accordance with accepted or prescribed standards

[1]



freehand

freehand
free
hand
noun

freedom to act and decide:
complete freedom to take action or make decisions[1]



freehand

freehand
free·hand 
[fr hànd] adjective adverb

without drawing aids:
done by hand and without using drawing instruments such as rulers or compasses[1]



freehold

freehold
free·hold 
[fr hld] (plural free·holds)
noun

1.  legal
ownership of property: legal ownership of a
property giving the owner unconditional rights, including the right to grant
leases and take out mortgages

2.  freehold
property:
a property that has freehold status

[1]



freeholder

freeholder
free·hold·er
[fr hldər] (plural free·hold·er)
noun

owner of freehold:
a property owner who has a freehold[1]



freejazz

freejazz
free
jazz
noun

jazz without set harmonies or
melodies: a style of jazz, developed
in the 1960s, that has no set harmonies or melodic patterns[1]



freekick

freekick
free
kick
(plural free kicks) noun

unchallenged kick or shot:
in soccer, a kick of a stationary ball for an infringement by opponents, who
must stand at least 10 yards from where the kick is made. A goal can be scored
by a player making a direct free kick, whereas an indirect free kick requires
that the ball touch another player before entering the goal.[1]



freelance

freelance
free·lance 
[fr làns] noun (plural free·lan·ces)

1.  free·lance
(plural free·lanc·es) or free·lanc·er (plural
free·lanc·ers) somebody working for
different companies: a self-employed person
working, or available to work, for a number of employers, rather than being
committed to one, and usually hired for a limited period

2.  maverick:
somebody, especially a politician, who is not committed to any group and takes
action or forms alliances independently

3.  free·lance
(plural free·lanc·es) or free lance (plural free
lanc·es) HISTORY medieval
mercenary:
a mercenary soldier in medieval Europe
adjective

working as a freelance:
working or earning a living as a freelance
adverb

as a freelance:
independently, as a freelance • worked
freelance as a journalist
intransitive
verb
(past free·lanced, past participle free·lanced, present
participle free·lanc·ing, 3rd person present singular free·lanc·es)

work as a freelance:
to work independently as a freelance
[Early 19th century. From the
idea of a medieval knight with a lance offering his services to whoever was
willing to pay.][1]



free-living

free-living
free-liv·ing 
adjective

BIOLOGY
able to live independently:
able to live or move independently, rather than being parasitic, symbiotic, or
sessile • free-living
organisms[1]



freeload

freeload
free·load 
[fr ld] (past free·load·ed, past
participle free·load·ed, present participle free·load·ing,
3rd person present singular free·loads) intransitive verb

live
off somebody else: to live shamelessly on
somebody else’s generosity or hospitality, never sharing costs or
responsibilities (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from freeloader .]
—free·load·ing, noun[1]



freeloader

freeloader
freeloader
[fr ldər] noun

somebody
who lives off somebody else: somebody who lives on
somebody else’s generosity or hospitality without sharing costs or
responsibilities (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Originally
U.S. truckers’ slang for somebody who had goods carried along with somebody
else’s cargo at no charge.][1]



freelove

freelove
free
love
noun

sex without commitment:
sexual relationships without marriage or any commitment to a single partner,
especially as practiced by the 19th- and early-20th-century avant garde and in
the 1960s[1]



freelunch

freelunch
free
lunch
(plural free lunch·es) noun

something
for nothing: something given free and with nothing
expected in return (informal)
[From the expression “There’s
no such thing as a free lunch,” implying that recompense is always eventually exacted
for an apparent act of selfless generosity][1]



freely

freely
free·ly
[frlee] adverb

1.  without
restrictions: without restrictions, controls, or
limits • able
to move freely from country to country

2.  in
large amounts: in large or generous quantities • Conversation
flowed freely all night.

3.  openly:
honestly and openly • felt
able to speak freely about his ordeal for the first time

4.  without
tightness or stiffness: without being restricted by
something such as tight clothing, stiffness, or lack of space • clothes
that allowed him to move more freely

5.  used
to emphasize honesty: used to persuade others that
somebody is being open and honest by accepting criticism • I
freely admit that mistakes were made.

[1]



freeman

freeman
free·man 
[frmən] (plural free·men) noun

1.  HISTORY man
not enslaved: a man who is not enslaved or not in
serfdom

2.  man
given freedom of a place: a man who has been formally
given citizenship of a place, together with various special privileges, as an
honor • a
freeman of the city

[1]



Freeman,Morgan

Freeman,Morgan
Free·man 
[frmən], Morgan (1937– )

U.S. stage, television, and
movie actor, best known for his critically acclaimed character roles. Among his
movie credits are Driving Miss Daisy ( 1989 ) and The Shawshank
Redemption ( 1994 ).[1]



freemarket

freemarket
free
mar·ket
(plural free mar·kets) noun

trading
without government control: an economic system in which
businesses operate without government control in matters such as pricing and
wage levels
—free-mar·ket,
adjective

—free-mar·ket·eer, noun[1]



freemartin

freemartin
free·mar·tin 
[fr mrt’n] (plural free·mar·tins)
noun

sterile
female calf: a sterile female twin born with a male
calf
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from free + Irish mart
“cow.”][1]



Freemason

Freemason
Free·ma·son
[fr màyss’n] (plural Free·ma·sons)
noun

worldwide society of men:
a member of a worldwide society of men, the Free and Accepted Masons, that is
known particularly for its charitable work and for its secret rites.
Also called
mason
Also called
Mason[1]



Freemasonry

Freemasonry
Free·ma·son·ry
[fr màyss’nree] noun

1.  practices
of Freemasons: the institutions, beliefs, and practices
of the Freemasons

2.  Free·ma·son·ry
or free·ma·son·ry instinctive
understanding and comradeship: an instinctive
understanding and comradeship among people with something in common

[1]



freenet

freenet
free·net
[fr nèt] (plural free·nets) noun

free online computer
information network: an online
computer information network or service that charges low or no access fees and
is often run by volunteers as a public service[1]



freeon board

freeon board
free
on board
adjective adverb

with maritime loading costs
included: with the cost of delivery to
a port and loading onto a ship included[1]



freeon rail

freeon rail
free
on rail
adjective adverb

with rail loading costs
included: with the cost of delivery to
a railroad station and loading onto a train included[1]



Freeport

Freeport
Free·port
[fr pàwrt]

1.  city
in northern Illinois, east of Dubuque and west of Rockford. Population: 26,173
(1996)

2.  town
and tourist center situated on the southwestern coast of Grand Bahama Island,
the Bahamas. Population: 26,574 (1990)

3.  village
in southeastern New York, on the southern coast of Long Island. Population:
40,164 (1996)

[1]



freeport

freeport
free
port
(plural free ports) noun

1.  port
open to all shipping: a port open to commercial
ships from all countries on equal terms

2.  duty-free
zone:
a zone, connected to a port or airport, that allows the duty-free import of
goods that are to be reexported.
Also
called
entrepôt

[1]



freeradical

freeradical
free
rad·i·cal
(plural free rad·i·cals) noun

reactive atom or molecule:
a highly reactive atom or group of atoms with an unpaired electron[1]



free-range

free-range
free-range
adjective

1.  not
caged:
free to move about and feed at will, rather than being confined in a battery or
pen • free-range
chickens

2.  from
free-range animals: produced by free-range
poultry or livestock • free-range
eggs

[1]



freerein

freerein
free
rein
noun

freedom to act:
complete freedom to make decisions and take action without consulting anyone
else[1]



freeride

freeride
free
ride
(plural free rides) noun

something for nothing:
something obtained at no cost or with no effort[1]



freesia

freesia

free·sia 
[frzhə, frzee ə]
(plural free·sias) noun
plant
with fragrant flowers: a plant native to southern
Africa, popular for its clusters of fragrant flowers in a variety of bright
colors. Genus: Freesia
[Late 19th century. Named for
Friedrich H. T. Freese, German physician.][1]



freesize

freesize
free
size 
adjective

CLOTHES
in one size for all people:
made in one size only, a size large enough to fit most people • All
the T-shirts are free size.[1]



freeskating

freeskating
free
skat·ing 
noun

individually choreographed
competitive ice skating: competitive
ice skating in which the skater makes up his or her own program from a list of
approved moves[1]



freesoil

freesoil
free
soil
noun

U.S. states banning slavery:
those states in the United States in which slavery was prohibited before the
Civil War.
See also
Free State[1]



free-soil

free-soil
free-soil 
adjective

HISTORY
prohibiting or opposing slavery:
that prohibited slavery or opposed its extension to other states in the time
before the Civil War (refers to states in the United States)[1]



freespace

freespace
free
space
noun

region without matter or
energy: a region in which there is
no matter and no gravitational or electromagnetic fields[1]



freespeech

freespeech
free
speech
noun

right to express uncensored
opinions: the right to express any
opinion publicly[1]



freespirit

freespirit
free
spir·it
(plural free spir·its) noun

somebody not afraid to flout
convention: somebody who lives the way
he or she wants to, regardless of what convention dictates or what others
expect[1]



free-spoken

free-spoken
free-spo·ken 
adjective

speaking frankly:
expressing opinions frankly, without worrying about embarrassing or offending
others[1]



freestanding

freestanding
free·stand·ing 
[free stánding] adjective

1.  not
attached to a support: standing alone, and not
attached to a wall, floor, or other structure for support

2.  independent:
existing or operating as an independent unit or entity • a
freestanding hospital not associated with the nearby university medical school

3.  GRAMMAR grammatically
independent: grammatically independent and able to
function as a main clause

[1]



FreeState

FreeState
Free
State
(plural Free States) noun

1.  nonslave
state of pre-Civil War United States: any
one of the U.S. states that prohibited slavery before the Civil War.
See
also
free soil

2.  South
Africa
S
African province: a province of South Africa, in the
center of the country, north of the Orange River. Former name Orange
Free State

3.  U.K.
HISTORY Irish
Free State:
the Irish Free State

[1]



freestone

freestone
free·stone 
[fr stn] (plural free·stones)
noun

1.  BUILDING stone
that cuts without breaking: a variety of masonry stone
that has a uniform texture and can be chiseled without breaking or splitting,
for example, limestone or fine sandstone

2.  FOOD fruit
pit:
a pit to which the flesh of a fruit does not cling, or any fruit that has such
a pit

[1]



freestyle

freestyle
free·style 
[fr stl] adjective

1.  SPORTS with
free choice of style: in which each competitor may
use a style of his or her own choosing (refers to a sporting event)

2.  SWIMMING using
front crawl: in which the competitors use the fastest
swimming stroke, the front crawl stroke (refers to a swimming contest)

3.  WRESTLING no-holds-barred:
in which all legal holds and tactics are allowed (refers to a wrestling
style)
noun
(plural free·styles)

SPORTS freestyle
contest:
a freestyle race or event
—free·styl·er, noun[1]



free-swimming

free-swimming
free-swim·ming 
adjective

able to swim about freely:
able to swim about freely, as opposed to living attached to something or in one
position • free-swimming
larvae[1]



free-swinging

free-swinging
free-swing·ing 
adjective

blunt and bold:
bold and blunt in speech, style, or approach (informal)[1]



freethinker

freethinker
free·think·er 
[free thíngkər] (plural free·think·ers)
noun

somebody
who does not accept dogma: somebody who refuses to
accept established views or teachings, especially on religion, and forms
opinions as a result of independent inquiry
—free·think·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



freethought

freethought
free
thought
noun

independent inquiry and
speculation: thinking that does not
recognize the authority of, and is unrestricted by, established views or
teachings, especially in religious matters[1]



freethrow

freethrow
free
throw
(plural free throws) noun

opportunity to make a basket:
in basketball, an opportunity to shoot at the basket unhindered by the opposing
players, awarded to a player who has been fouled.
Also called
foul shot[1]



free-throwline

free-throwline
free-throw
line 
(plural free-throw lines) noun

See
foul line  noun 2[1]



Freetown

Freetown
Free·town
[fr tòwn]

capital, largest city, and
chief port of Sierra Leone, on the western coast of Africa. Founded in 1787 as
a settlement for freed slaves, it became the capital when Sierra Leone gained
independence in 1961. Population: 470,000 (1994)[1]



freetrade

freetrade
free
trade
noun

unrestricted
trade:
international trade that is not subject to protective regulations or tariffs
intended to restrict foreign imports
—free-trad·er, noun[1]



freeup

freeup
free
up
transitive verb

1.  make
available:
to make available for use something that is currently occupied, otherwise
employed, or subject to a restriction • I
need to free up some space on my hard disk.

2.  loosen
or unjam:
to enable something that is tightly fastened, jammed, or blocked to move freely
(informal)

[1]



freeverse

freeverse
free
verse
noun

nonmetrical verse:
verse without a fixed metrical pattern, usually having unrhymed lines of
varying length.
Also called
vers libre[1]



freeware

freeware
free·ware
[fr wàir] noun

computer software available
free: any computer program or
application that is available at no cost to the user[1]



freeway

freeway
free·way 
[fr wày] (plural free·ways) noun

1.  See
expressway

2.  toll-free
road:
a highway that can be used without paying a toll

[1]



free-weight

free-weight
free-weight
(plural free-weights) noun

unattached exercise weight:
a weight such as a dumbbell or barbell that is used for lifting exercises and
is not attached to any other piece of apparatus[1]



freewheel

freewheel
free·wheel 
[free wl, free
hwl] intransitive verb (past free·wheeled, past
participle free·wheeled, present participle free·wheel·ing,
3rd person present singular free·wheels)

1.  travel
without using power: to continue moving on a
bicycle or in a vehicle without using power to drive the wheels • Once
you get to the top, you can freewheel all the way down the other side.

2.  live
in carefree way: to live or act without conventional
constraints, purpose, or regard for responsibilities
noun
(plural free·wheels)

1.  device
on bicycle:
a mechanism in the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle that enables the rear
wheel to continue to rotate when the rider stops pedaling

2.  AUTOMOTIVE device
in motor vehicle transmission: a mechanism in the
transmission of a motor vehicle that disengages the drive shaft and allows it
to rotate freely when revolving at a higher speed than the engine shaft

[1]



freewheeling

freewheeling
free·wheel·ing 
[free wling, free
hwling] adjective

1.  traveling
without power: continuing to move without the use of
power

2.  carefree:
without conventional constraints, purpose, or regard for responsibilities • led
a freewheeling life of travel and adventure

3.  unstructured:
not restricted by rules, formal structure, or established procedures • a
freewheeling discussion that touched on many topics

4.  TRANSPORT with
a freewheel: relating to, having, or using a
freewheel mechanism on a bicycle or vehicle

[1]



freewill

freewill
free·will 
[fr wìl] adjective

done voluntarily:
done willingly rather than by compulsion[1]



freewill

freewill
free
will
noun

power
of independent action and choice: the ability to act or
make choices as a free and autonomous being and not solely as a result of
compulsion or predestination
of
your own free will

without being forced by
somebody or something else[1]



freeworld

freeworld
free
world
noun

countries with democratic
systems: the countries of the world
with democratic governments and capitalistic or moderately socialistic economic
systems, as opposed to those with totalitarian or Communist governments or
economic systems[1]



freeze

freeze
freeze 
[freez] verb (past froze
[frōz], past participle fro·zen
[frṓz’n], present participle freez·ing,
3rd person present singular freez·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY turn liquid to solid through
cold:
to be changed, or cause liquid to change, into a solid by the loss of heat,
especially to change water into ice • Salt
water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
or become covered with ice: to become covered, or cause
the surface of something to be covered, with ice • The
lake froze for only the second time in living memory.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb block
or become blocked with ice: to become blocked, or cause
something to become blocked, with ice • Do
you think it’s cold enough to freeze the pipes in the attic?

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
hard:
to harden, or cause something to harden, through the effects of cold or frost • We
couldn’t play because the ground was frozen solid.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb stick
to something because of cold: to become, or cause
something to become, fixed or stuck to something else as a result of cold • The
wipers were frozen to the windshield.

6.  transitive
verb
preserve
with extreme cold: to preserve something,
especially food, by subjecting it to and storing it at a temperature well below
freezing point • Store airtight up to
two weeks or freeze.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb feel
very cold:
to feel, or cause somebody to feel, extremely cold • They
left us to freeze outside, while they went into the house.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
harmed or killed by cold: to be harmed or killed, or
harm or kill somebody or something, with cold or frost

9.  intransitive
verb
drop
to freezing point: to be at or fall to a
temperature at or below freezing point • The
forecast says it’s likely to freeze again tonight.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb stop
moving:
to stop, or cause somebody to stop and remain still, for example, as a result
of fear or surprise or as part of a game • A
loose floorboard creaked in the hallway; Jenny froze.

11. intransitive
verb
come
to a standstill through shock: to become unable to act,
react, or speak in a normal way, usually through fear or shock • I
was OK in rehearsals, but in front of an audience, I simply froze.

12. transitive
verb
treat
icily:
to discourage or intimidate somebody by behaving in an unfriendly or hostile
way • She
froze him with an icy glare.

13. transitive
verb
halt
something before completion: to halt or limit the
development or production of something • The
talks remain frozen at the procedural stage.

14. transitive
verb
keep
at present level: to fix something such as prices, rents,
or wages at a particular level, usually by government action to prevent an
increase • Interest
rates were frozen at their 1996 level.

15. transitive
verb
keep
asset from disappearing: to prevent a financial asset
from being sold or liquidated • They
froze her bank account

16. transitive
verb
prohibit:
to stop the manufacture, sale, or use of something

17. intransitive
verb
become
unfriendly:
to become suddenly unfriendly and uncommunicative • When
I asked him about campaign contributions, he simply froze, and I couldn’t get
anything out of him for the rest of the interview.

18. transitive
verb
MEDICINE anesthetize
body part:
to anesthetize part of somebody’s body with a local anesthetic (informal)

19. transitive
verb
CINEMA VIDEO stop film at particular
frame:
to stop a moving film at a particular frame and show that frame as a still
image

20. transitive
verb
capture
instant of movement: to produce a still
photographic image of somebody or something in movement or action • He
pressed the Pause button, freezing her delighted expression.

21. transitive
verb
SPORTS keep
possession of puck or ball: in sports, to keep
possession of the puck or ball and prevent the other team from attempting to
score
noun
(plural freez·es)

1.  METEOROLOGY very
cold weather: a period when the temperature drops and
stays below freezing point especially for a long time

2.  restriction
on something: a restrictive measure that prevents
something such as prices, wages, or production from rising above a particular
level • a
temporary freeze on imports
intransitive
verb
(past froze [frōz], past
participle fro·zen [frṓz’n], present
participle freez·ing, 3rd person present singular freez·es)

to
stop responding (refers to computers) • The
screen freezes whenever I attempt to save a document.
[Old English frēosan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to freeze, burn,” which was also
the ancestor of English frost and prurient .][1]



freeze-dry

freeze-dry
freeze-dry 
transitive verb

preserve
by freezing and drying: to preserve something,
especially food, by first freezing it, then placing it in a vacuum to remove
moisture before returning it to room temperature. The low processing
temperature and absence of liquid water help to retain color, flavor, and
texture.
—freeze-dried,
adjective

—freeze-dry·ing, noun[1]



freeze-etching

freeze-etching
freeze-etch·ing 
noun

SCIENCE preparation
of specimen for electron miscroscope: the
preparation of a specimen for examination by an electron microscope by freezing
and fracturing it so that its internal structure can be seen and a replica made
of it
—freeze-etch,
transitive verb

—freeze-etched, adjective[1]



freeze-frame

freeze-frame
freeze-frame
noun

frame of film viewed singly:
a single frame of a film or video recording viewed as a static image[1]



freezeout

freezeout
freeze
out
transitive verb

not allow somebody to take
part: to exclude somebody from
participation in something by cold or unfriendly treatment • We
feel we are being frozen out of the negotiations.[1]



freeze-out

freeze-out
freeze-out
(plural freeze-outs) noun

prevention of participation:
an excluding of somebody from participation by cold or unfriendly treatment[1]



freezer

freezer
freez·er 
[frzər] (plural freez·ers) noun

very cold refrigerated
cabinet: a storage cabinet,
compartment, or room, where food or other perishable goods can be frozen and
preserved at a very low temperature[1]



freezerburn

freezerburn
freez·er
burn
noun

pale spots on frozen food:
the pale dry spots that form when moisture evaporates from frozen food that is
inadequately wrapped[1]



freezing

freezing
freez·ing
[frzing] adjective

very
cold:
extremely cold
noun

freezing point:
the freezing point of water[1]



freezingpoint

freezingpoint
freez·ing
point 
(plural freez·ing points) noun

temperature at which
something freezes: the
temperature at which a liquid solidifies, for example, the temperature at which
water turns to ice[1]



freezone

freezone
free
zone
(plural free zones) noun

customs-free zone:
an area at a port or in a city where goods may be received or stored without
payment of customs duties[1]



Fregion

Fregion
F
re·gion
noun

highest part of Earth’s
atmosphere: the highest part of the
ionosphere that reflects high-frequency radio waves. It is divided into two
layers, the F 1 that
extends upward from 180 km112 mi and is present only during the day, and the F 2 extending
upward from 300km186 mi .
Also called
F layer noun 1

Also called
Appleton layer[1]



freight

freight
freight 
[frayt] noun (plural freights)

1.  goods
for transportation: goods or cargo carried by a
commercial means of transportation

2.  common
class of transportation: the ordinary method or class
of commercial transportation for goods, slower and cheaper than express

3.  charge
for carrying goods: a charge paid for the
transportation of goods

4.  See
freight train

5.  burden:
a load or burden (literary)
transitive
verb
(past freight·ed, past participle freight·ed, present
participle freight·ing, 3rd person present singular freights)

1.  transport
goods:
to send or transport goods or cargo by commercial carrier

2.  load
transport with cargo: to load a ship, train,
aircraft, or vehicle with goods or cargo to be transported

3.  fill
or burden:
to load something said or done with something such as significance or emotion,
or to burden somebody or something with a feeling or emotion (literary)
(usually passive)
[15th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch vrecht, a variant of vracht (source of
English fraught ).][1]



freightage

freightage
freight·age 
[fráytij] noun

1.  transportation
charge:
a charge paid for the transportation of goods or cargo

2.  commercial
carriage of goods: the commercial
transportation of goods or cargo

3.  goods
carried:
the goods that are carried by a particular ship or vehicle

[1]



freightcar

freightcar
freight
car
(plural freight cars) noun

rail car for freight:
a railroad car that carries freight, usually one that is enclosed[1]



freighter

freighter
freight·er 
[fráytər] (plural freight·ers)
noun

1.  freight
carrier:
a ship or aircraft designed to carry freight

2.  shipper
or charterer: somebody who is responsible for sending,
forwarding, or receiving freight, or who charters a ship to carry freight

[1]



freightton

freightton
freight
ton
(plural freight tons) noun

unit for measuring freight on
ships: a unit used in measuring and
pricing freight in maritime shipping, varying according to the type of goods
carried but usually corresponding to 1000 kilograms or 40 cubic feet.
Also called
ton[1]



freighttrain

freighttrain
freight
train
(plural freight trains) noun

train carrying freight:
a railroad train that carries only freight.
Also called
freight[1]



FreiRuiz-Tagle, Eduardo

FreiRuiz-Tagle, Eduardo
Frei
Ru·iz-Ta·gle [frày roo
ss t glay], Eduardo (1942– )

Chilean government leader. He
became president in 1994 and attempted to curb military power by constitutional
reform.[1]



fremitus

fremitus
frem·i·tus 
[frémmitəss] (plural frem·i·tus)
noun

vibration
in body:
a vibration or tremor, resulting from a physical action such as speaking or
coughing, felt by hand and used to assess whether the chest is affected by
disease
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “roaring,” from fremere “to roar.”][1]



Fremont

Fremont
Fre·mont
[fr mònt]

city on San Francisco Bay in
western California, southeast of San Francisco. Population: 187,800 (1996)[1]



frena

frena
fre·na

Plural of
frenum[1]



French

French
French 
[french] noun

LANGUAGE language
of France:
the official language of France and many countries worldwide. It belongs to the
Romance group of Indo-European languages that developed from Latin. French is
spoken by about 70 million native speakers, with about a further 220 million
people using it as a second language.
plural
noun

PEOPLES French
people:
the people of France collectively
adjective

1.  of
France:
relating to France, or its people or culture

2.  of
French language: belonging or relating to the French
language
[Old
English frencisc . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was
also the ancestor of English Frank .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  French Connection, a movie by William Friedkin ( 1971 ). Set in New York, it
  depicts the attempts of an uncompromising policeman, Popeye Doyle, to break
  up an international drug ring originating in Marseille, France. It is
  memorable for Gene Hackman’s intense performance and a dramatic chase along
  elevated railway tracks. “ French Connection -style drug enforcement
  operations” and other such expressions soon came to be used regularly in the
  United States as a result of the movie’s fame.

[1]



Frenchbean

Frenchbean
French
bean
(plural French beans) noun

U.K.
See string bean[1]



Frenchbread

Frenchbread
French
bread
noun

long slim crusty loaf:
white bread in the form of a long slim cylindrical loaf with a crisp crust and
soft inside[1]



FrenchCameroons

FrenchCameroons
French
Cam·e·roons

former region in west central
Africa, administered by France from 1919 to 1960, and now part of Cameroon[1]



FrenchCanada

FrenchCanada
French
Can·a·da
noun

Canadian areas where French
is spoken: the parts of Canada where
French is spoken[1]



French-Canadian

French-Canadian
French-Ca·na·di·an
noun (plural French-Ca·na·di·ans)

1.  French-Ca·na·di·an
or French Ca·na·di·an (plural French Ca·na·di·ans) PEOPLES French-speaking
Canadian:
somebody who was born in or who lives in any of the French-speaking parts of
Canada

2.  LANGUAGE Canadian
form of French: the form of the French language spoken
in Canada
adjective

concerning French-speaking Canada or
Canadian French: relating to the French-speaking part of
Canada or to the form of French spoken there

[1]



Frenchchalk

Frenchchalk
French
chalk
noun

talc used on cloth:
a soft white variety of talc used by tailors to make marks on cloth and by dry
cleaners to remove grease stains from clothes[1]



FrenchCreole

FrenchCreole
French
Cre·ole
noun

somebody of French descent in
Caribbean: somebody of European and
African descent whose ancestors were French immigrants to Trinidad[1]



Frenchcuff

Frenchcuff
French
cuff
(plural French cuffs) noun

cuff folded back on itself:
a wide cuff, usually for a shirtsleeve, that is designed to be folded back upon
itself and fastened with a cuff link[1]



Frenchcurve

Frenchcurve

French curve
(plural French curves) noun
ARCHITECTURE
TECHNOLOGY flat
curved drawing instrument: a thin
piece of plastic or other material with curved edges and a number of curved
shapes cut out of it, designed to help designers and engineers draw curves[1]



French,Daniel Chester

French,Daniel Chester
French 
[french], Daniel Chester (1850–1931)

U.S. sculptor. The most
popular U.S. sculptor of his day, he is known for the Minute Man in
Concord, Massachusetts ( 1875 ) and his monumental sculpture of Abraham Lincoln
( 1919 ) in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.[1]



Frenchdoor

Frenchdoor
French
door
(plural French doors) noun

(usually used in the
plural)See French window[1]



Frenchdressing

Frenchdressing
French
dress·ing
noun

1.  mixture
of oil, vinegar, and seasoning: a salad dressing made
of oil and vinegar with seasoning, whisked or shaken until emulsified or mixed

2.  mixture
of mayonnaise and tomato: a creamy salad dressing,
usually made commercially, consisting of mayonnaise with tomato flavoring

[1]



FrenchForeign Legion

FrenchForeign Legion
French
For·eign Le·gion noun

See
Foreign Legion[1]



Frenchfries

Frenchfries
French
fries
plural noun

deep-fried potato strips:
thin strips of potato fried in deep fat.
Also called
fries[1]



FrenchGuiana

FrenchGuiana

French
Gui·an·a
[frènch gee ánnə, frènch
gee nnə, frènch gī ánnə]
overseas
region of France, situated on the northeastern coast of South America and
bordered by Brazil, Suriname, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is France’s oldest
overseas territory and the only French territory on the American mainland.
—French
Gui·an·ese [frènch g ə nz, frénch g ə nz], adjective, noun

—French Gui·an·an [frènch gee ánnən, frènch
gee nnən, frènch gī ánnən], adjective,
noun[1]



FrenchGuiana




Back to definition

FrenchGuiana

[1]



Frenchharp

Frenchharp
French
harp
(plural French harps) noun

harmonica:
a reed harmonica (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  incidence of this term is highest in the West Midlands, from Kentucky to
  Texas, including Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. In the Gulf
  States, French harp helps delimit the
  South Midland territory, as far east as Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

[1]



Frenchheel

Frenchheel
French
heel
(plural French heels) noun

curved medium-high shoe heel:
a curved heel of medium height for women’s shoes[1]



Frenchhorn

Frenchhorn


French horn
(plural French horns) noun
coiled brass orchestral instrument:
a brass musical instrument consisting of a long looped pipe ending in a wide
round bell, with additional straight or curved pipes and valves attached to it
within the loop[1]



Frenchify

Frenchify
French·i·fy 
[frénchə f] (past French·i·fied,
past participle French·i·fied, present participle French·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular French·i·fies) or french·i·fy
[frénchə f] (past french·i·fied,
past participle french·i·fied, present participle french·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular french·i·fies) transitive verb

give
French character to: to give a French appearance
or character to something or somebody
—French·i·fi·ca·tion [frènchəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



Frenchkiss

Frenchkiss
French
kiss
(plural French kiss·es) noun

kiss with tongue inserted:
a kiss in which one partner’s tongue is inserted in the other partner’s mouth.
Also called
soul kiss[1]



Frenchknot

Frenchknot
French
knot
(plural French knots) noun

embroidery stitch:
an ornamental embroidery stitch made by looping the thread three or four times
around the needle before inserting the needle in the fabric[1]



Frenchleave

Frenchleave
French
leave
noun

unannounced
departure:
a quick departure or absence, without explanation or permission
[From a supposed French
custom of leaving a party without saying goodbye to the host or hostess. The
French equivalent, however, filer à l’anglaise, translates as “to leave in the
English way.”][1]



Frenchman

Frenchman
French·man 
[frénchmən] (plural French·men)
noun

man from France:
a man who was born in or is a citizen of France[1]



Frenchmarigold

Frenchmarigold
French
mar·i·gold
(plural French mar·i·golds) noun

yellowish-orange garden
flower: a flower, originally from
Central America, that is widely cultivated in gardens for its flower heads of
yellowish-orange and red petals. Latin name: Tagetes patula[1]



French-polish

French-polish
French-pol·ish
transitive verb

apply French polish to:
to varnish something with French polish[1]



Frenchpolish

Frenchpolish
French
pol·ish
noun

wood varnish:
shellac dissolved in alcohol, used as a varnish for wood[1]



Frenchpress pot

Frenchpress pot
French
press pot
noun

plunger coffee pot:
a coffee pot fitted with a plunger that is used to push the floating coffee
grounds to the bottom of the pot when the coffee is ready to drink.
U.K. term
cafetiere[1]



Frenchprovincial

Frenchprovincial
French
pro·vin·cial noun

modern interpretation of old
French furnishings: a
contemporary style of architecture or furnishings based on those of the French
provinces in the 17th and 18th centuries[1]



FrenchRepublican Calendar

FrenchRepublican Calendar
French
Re·pub·li·can Cal·en·dar or French
Rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y Cal·en·dar noun

calendar of French
Revolution: the calendar adopted by the
French during and briefly after the French Revolution. It had 12 months of 30
days, each made up of three ten-day weeks. The months were given the names
Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire, Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse, Germinal, Floréal,
Prairial, Messidor, Thermidor, and Fructidor, alluding to nature and seasonal
weather.
Also called
Revolutionary Calendar[1]



Frenchseam

Frenchseam
French
seam
(plural French seams) noun

seam with raw edges not
visible: a seam stitched twice,
completely enclosing the raw or cut edges of the fabric[1]



Frenchtoast

Frenchtoast
French
toast
noun

bread and beaten egg fried:
sliced bread dipped in egg beaten with milk and lightly fried or grilled. It is
typically eaten with maple syrup.[1]



FrenchWest Africa

FrenchWest Africa
French
West Af·ri·ca

former French colonial
territory in western Africa between 1895 and 1958. It consisted of the present
countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger, and Senegal.[1]



Frenchwindow

Frenchwindow
French
win·dow
(plural French win·dows) noun

door of glass panels:
either of a pair of doors in an outside wall made of glass panels and opening
in the middle (usually used in the plural)
Also called
French door[1]



Frenchwoman

Frenchwoman
French·wom·an 
[frénch wmmən] (plural French·wom·en
[frénch wìmmin]) noun

woman from France:
a woman who was born in or is a citizen of France[1]



Freneau,Philip Morin

Freneau,Philip Morin
Fre·neau
[fri nṓ], Philip Morin (1752–1832)

U.S. journalist and poet. He
is known for his patriotic verse, written during and after the Revolution.[1]



frenetic

frenetic
fre·net·ic 
[frə néttik] adjective

frenzied
and frantic: characterized by feverish activity,
confusion, and hurry • frenetic
activity
[14th
century. Via French frénétique from, ultimately, Greek phrenitis
“delirium,” literally “brain disease,” from phrēn “mind.”]
—fre·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—fre·net·i·cism [frə nétti sìzzəm], noun[1]



frenulum

frenulum
fren·u·lum 
[frénnyələm] (plural fren·u·la
[frénnyələ]) noun

1.  bristle
on hind wing of moths: a small stiff bristle on the
hind wing of moths that keeps the forewings and hind wings together during
flight

2.  ANATOMY small
membrane:
a small fold of skin or membrane that limits the movement of an organ,
typically smaller than a frenum
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, literally “small frenum,” from Latin frenum (see frenum ).][1]



frenum

frenum
fre·num 
[frnəm] (plural fre·nums or
fre·na [frnə]) noun

restraining
fold of tissue: a small fold of skin or membrane that
limits the movement of an organ, especially the band of tissue connecting the
tongue to the floor of the mouth
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
frenum “bridle,” from frendere “to grind.”][1]



frenzied

frenzied
fren·zied 
[frénzeed] adjective

wildly excited or out of
control: characterized by
uncontrolled activity, agitation, or emotion such as excitement or rage[1]



frenzy

frenzy
fren·zy 
[frénzee] noun

1.  out-of-control
behavior:
a state of uncontrolled activity, agitation, or emotion such as excitement or
rage

2.  burst
of activity: a burst of energetic activity

3.  mental
illness:
a temporary period of symptoms of a psychiatric disorder (often considered
offensive)
[14th century. Via Old French
frenesie from, ultimately, Greek phrenitis (see frenetic ).][1]



Freon

Freon
Fre·on
[fr òn] Trademark

a trademark for any of a
number of chemical compounds containing fluorine, and often chlorine or
bromine, used, for example, as solvents, as aerosol propellants, and in
refrigeration[1]



freq.

freq.
freq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
frequency

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of frequentative

3.  Abbreviation
of
frequently

[1]



frequency

frequency
fre·quen·cy 
[frkwənssee] (plural fre·quen·cies)
noun

1.  frequency
or frequence frequent occurrence:
the fact of happening often or regularly at short intervals • quite
good friends, judging by the frequency of his visits

2.  rate
of occurrence: the number of times that something
happens during a particular period of time • We’re
trying to establish the frequency of his visits. Did he come once a month?

3.  BROADCASTING broadcasting
wavelength:
a wavelength on which a radio or television signal is broadcast and to which a
receiving set can be tuned

4.  PHYSICS rate
of recurrence: the number of times that something such
as an oscillation, a waveform, or a cycle is repeated within a particular
length of time, usually one second. Symbol &nu; Symbol f

5.  STATISTICS number
of occurrences of statistical result: the
number of times a particular result occurs in a statistical survey absolute
frequency, or the ratio of that number to the total results obtained in the
survey relative frequency

6.  MED See urinary frequency

[1]



frequencydistribution

frequencydistribution
fre·quen·cy
dis·tri·bu·tion (plural fre·quen·cy
dis·tri·bu·tions) noun

arrangement of statistical
data: a way of classifying
statistical data that allows comparisons of the results in each category[1]



frequencymodulation

frequencymodulation
fre·quen·cy
mod·u·la·tion noun

method of radio broadcasting:
a method of radio transmission in which the frequency of the wave carrying the
signal is varied in accordance with the particularities of the sound being
broadcast[1]



frequent

frequent
fre·quent 
adjective [frkwənt]

1.  occurring
often:
happening often or regularly at short intervals • Her
frequent appearances on television suggested she was moving up the party
hierarchy.

2.  habitual:
belonging to the class specified on a regular basis • a
frequent visitor to the museum
transitive
verb
[fri kwént, frkwənt]
(past fre·quent·ed, past participle fre·quent·ed, present
participle fre·quent·ing, 3rd person present singular fre·quents)

go often to place:
to go to or be in a place often
[15th
century. Via French fréquent from Latin frequent-, the stem of frequens
“crowded, numerous.”]
—fre·quen·ta·tion
[frkwən táysh’n], noun

—fre·quent·er
[fri kwéntər, frkwəntər],
noun

—fre·quent·ness [frkwəntnəss], noun[1]



frequentative

frequentative
fre·quen·ta·tive 
[fri kwéntətiv] adjective

LINGUISTICS expressing
repetition of action: that expresses repeated
action (refers to a verb, verb form, or affix)
noun
(plural fre·quen·ta·tives)

frequentative word:
a frequentative verb, verb form, or affix[1]



frequently

frequently
fre·quent·ly 
[frkwəntlee] adverb

on many occasions:
on many occasions with little time between them • They
change their address so frequently, it’s difficult to know where to send the
letter.[1]



fresco

fresco

fres·co 
[fréskō] noun (plural fres·coes
or fres·cos)

1.  painting
done on fresh plaster: a painting on a wall or
ceiling made by brushing watercolors onto fresh damp plaster, or onto partly
dry plaster

2.  technique
of painting on fresh plaster: the technique or method of
painting on fresh plaster
transitive verb
(past fres·coed, past participle fres·coed, present
participle fres·co·ing, 3rd person present singular fres·coes)

paint wall or ceiling with fresco:
to paint a fresco on a wall or ceiling
[Late
16th century. From Italian, “fresh” (referring to plaster). Ultimately of
prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—fres·co·er,
noun

—fres·co·ist, noun[1]



fresh

fresh
fresh 
[fresh] adjective (comparative
fresh·er, superlative fresh·est)

1.  not
old or stale: recently harvested or made and showing
no sign of staleness or decay • Peas
fresh from the pod.

2.  not
preserved, processed, or matured: that has not been
preserved, aged, or processed, for example, by canning or freezing • You
can’t get fresh peas here, only canned or frozen.

3.  additional
or as replacement: additional to or replacing
something that existed, was used before, or is past its best • I
took out the old ink cartridge and put in a fresh one.

4.  new
or good as new: new or clean and showing no signs of
previous use • The
hotel provides fresh towels.

5.  not
affected by time passing: not changed, diminished, or
spoiled by the passage of time • Write
it down while it’s still fresh in your memory.

6.  pure
and wholesome: natural, pure, and wholesome, especially
in smell • the
fresh smell of clean linen

7.  excitingly
different:
excitingly or refreshingly different from what somebody is used to or what has
been done previously • fresh
ideas.

8.  not
tired:
alert and full of energy • I’d
better get this done while my mind is still fresh.

9.  not
salt:
not salty (refers to water)

10. blowing
strongly:
blowing quite strongly (refers to a breeze or wind)
See
also
fresh breeze
See
also
fresh gale

11. cool:
cool or colder than usual

12. bright:
pleasantly bright, light, and pure or clear

13. youthful:
young and healthy-looking

14. making
unwanted sexual advances: making inappropriate sexual
overtures to somebody (informal)

15. overfamiliar:
bold and overfamiliar toward somebody, especially toward somebody considered a
superior (informal) • Don’t
you get fresh with me, young man.

16. recently
arrived:
having recently come from a place, activity, or production • Fresh
from his trip to the Antarctic, Sir Ronald is in the studio to tell us about
his experiences.

17. without
experience:
lacking experience

18. AGRICULTURE having
recently calved: having recently calved and able to give
milk
adverb

recently: very
recently
noun

cool period: the
cool early part of the day
[Partly
Old English fersc “pure, not salty,” and partly from Old French freis
“new, recent,” both ultimately of the same prehistoric Germanic origin]
—fresh·ness,
noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at new

[1]



freshbreeze

freshbreeze
fresh
breeze
(plural fresh breez·es) noun

force-five wind on Beaufort
Scale: a force-five wind on the
Beaufort Scale, blowing at between 30 and 38 km/h19 and 24 mph[1]



freshen

freshen
fresh·en 
[frésh’n] (past fresh·ened, past
participle fresh·ened, present participle fresh·en·ing,
3rd person present singular fresh·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become fresh: to make something fresh or fresher or to
become fresh or fresher

2.  intransitive
verb
increase
in strength: to blow more strongly (refers to wind)
• wind
force three, freshening from the south-west

3.  transitive
verb
refill
a drink:
to refill somebody’s glass or drink

4.  intransitive
verb
calve
and lactate: to calve and begin to produce milk

[1]



freshener

freshener
fresh·en·er
[frésh’nər] (plural fresh·en·ers)
noun

substance or device for
removing smells: a substance, or a
device releasing a substance, designed to remove or cover odors, for example,
in a carpet or room[1]



freshenup

freshenup
freshen
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
wash
and improve appearance: to become and feel clean and
neat by washing or changing clothes

2.  transitive
verb
See freshen  verb 3

[1]



fresher

fresher
fresh·er
[fréshər] (plural fresh·ers) noun

U.K.
(informal) See freshman
[Late 19th century. Formed
from a shortening of freshman .][1]



freshet

freshet
fresh·et 
[fréshət] (plural fresh·ets) noun

1.  sudden
flood:
a small sudden flood or rise in the level of a river, caused by heavy rainfall
or a rapid thaw, especially after a period of dry weather

2.  stream
of fresh water: a stream of fresh water emptying into a
body of salt water
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French freschete, from freis (see fresh ).][1]



freshgale

freshgale
fresh
gale
(plural fresh gales) noun

force-eight wind on Beaufort
Scale: a force-eight wind on the
Beaufort Scale, blowing at between 62 and 74 km/h39 and 46 mph[1]



freshly

freshly
fresh·ly
[fréshlee] adverb

recently or newly:
done recently[1]



freshman

freshman
fresh·man 
[fréshmən] (plural fresh·men) noun

1.  first-year
student:
a student in the first year of high school or college.
U.K.
term
fresher

2.  beginner:
somebody who is new in a particular job or position or is a beginner at
something

[1]



freshwater

freshwater
fresh·wa·ter 
[frésh wàwtər, frésh
wòttər] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY not
marine:
relating to, consisting of, or living in fresh water

2.  SAILING inland:
used on or accustomed to only inland waters, not the sea

3.  provincial:
located inland and considered provincial and unsophisticated (informal)

[1]



fresh-waterYankee

fresh-waterYankee
fresh-wa·ter
Yan·kee
(plural fresh-wa·ter Yan·kees) noun

Caribbean
offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody who returns to the Caribbean after a visit
abroad, usually to the United States, behaving and speaking like somebody from
the place visited (slang offensive)[1]



Fresnellens

Fresnellens
Fres·nel
lens 
[frə nél lènz] (plural Fres·nel
lens·es) noun

thin
lens with high magnification: a thin lens of short focal
length with a surface comprised of concentric rings, each having a curvature
corresponding to a similar ring of a plain convex lens
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French physicist, Augustin-Jean Fresnel who invented it.][1]



Fresno

Fresno
Fres·no
[fréznō]

city and county seat of
Fresno County, central California, 249 km155 mi southeast of San Francisco.
Population: 386,551 (1994)[1]



fret

fret2
fret2 [fret]
(plural frets) noun

MUSIC ridge
on fingerboard: a small ridge across the fingerboard of
a stringed instrument such as a guitar or sitar, indicating the position in
which to place the fingers to produce a particular note
[Early
16th century. Origin unknown.]
—fret·less,
adjective

—fret·ted, adjective[1]



fret

fret1
fret1 [fret]
verb (past fret·ted, past participle fret·ted,
present participle fret·ting, 3rd person present singular frets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb worry
or make somebody worry: to be or to cause somebody
to be worried, irritated, or agitated about something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb wear
away:
to wear away or corrode the surface of something or to become worn away or
corroded

3.  transitive
verb
make
by constant rubbing: to create a hole or groove
in something by constant wear or rubbing

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
in ripples or small waves: to flow, or to cause water
to flow, with a constant busy rippling motion or with small choppy waves (literary)
“I love the brooks that down their channels fret” Wordsworth Ode on Intimations
of Immortality 1807
noun
(plural frets)

hole made by fretting:
a hole, groove, or mark made by constant wear or rubbing
[Old English fretan
“to devour.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to eat up,”
formed from the ancestor of English eat
and etch .][1]



fret

fret3

fret3 [fret]
noun (plural frets)
ornament
or border with geometrical pattern: a
pattern of repeated geometrical figures, usually consisting of straight lines,
used as an ornament or in an ornamental border
transitive
verb
(past fret·ted, past participle fret·ted, present
participle fret·ting, 3rd person present singular frets)
decorate
with a fret: to decorate something with a fret or
with fretwork
[14th century. From Old
French frete “trellis,” of unknown origin.][1]



fretful

fretful
fret·ful 
[frétfəl] adjective

worried:
easily worried, irritated, or agitated by something
—fret·ful·ly,
adverb

—fret·ful·ness, noun[1]



fretman

fretman
fretman
(plural fretmen) noun

MUSIC
guitar player:
a musician who plays guitar, especially in jazz or pop music (slang)[1]



fretsaw

fretsaw
fret·saw
[frét sàw] (plural fret·saws) noun

thin-bladed
saw for cutting curves: a saw with a thin narrow
fine-toothed blade usually mounted across a U-shaped frame and used for cutting
curved shapes in wood
[Mid-19th century. From fret 3 .][1]



fretwork

fretwork
fret·work 
[frét wùrk] noun

1.  ornamental
woodwork with open pattern: ornamental woodwork made by
cutting many holes in a piece of wood with a fretsaw to create an intricate
pattern of wood and spaces

2.  fret
patterns:
decorative designs consisting of frets
[Early 17th century. From fret 3 .][1]



Freudian

Freudian
Freu·di·an 
[fróydee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Freud:
relating to Sigmund Freud, his writings, or his psychoanalytical theories and
methods

2.  concerning
role of sexuality in behavior: demonstrating or
understandable in terms of Freud’s theories, especially with regard to
sexuality and its role in human relations
noun
(plural Freu·di·ans)

follower of Freud:
somebody who follows Freud or is influenced by Freud’s theories or methods of psychoanalysis
—Freu·di·an·ism, noun[1]



Freudianslip

Freudianslip
Freu·di·an
slip
noun

psychologically significant
slip of tongue: an accidental mistake,
usually the use of the wrong word in a sentence, that is thought to betray
somebody’s subconscious preoccupations[1]



Freud,Sigmund

Freud,Sigmund

Freud
[froyd], Sigmund (1856–1939)
Austrian physician and founder of
psychoanalysis. He developed many theories central to psychoanalysis, the
psychology of human sexuality, and dream interpretation. His works include The
Interpretation of Dreams ( 1899 ) and Totem and Taboo ( 1913 ).[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








F.R.G.

F.R.G.
F.R.G.
or FRG

Abbreviation of
Federal Republic of Germany[1]



Fri.

Fri.
Fri.

Abbreviation of
Friday[1]



friable

friable
fri·a·ble 
[fr əb’l] adjective

crumbly:
easily reduced to tiny particles • sand
incorporated to make the soil more friable
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin friabilis, from friare
“to crumble.”]
—fri·a·bil·i·ty
[fr ə bíllətee], noun

—fri·a·ble·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fragile

[1]



friar

friar
fri·ar 
[frr] (plural fri·ars) noun

member
of Roman Catholic religious order: a man belonging to any
of several Roman Catholic religious orders
[13th
century. Via French frère from Latin frater “brother” (see fraternal ).]
—fri·ar·ly, adjective[1]



friary

friary
fri·ar·y 
[frree] (plural fri·ar·ies) noun

friars’ community or
building: a community of friars or the
buildings in which they live[1]



friar’slantern

friar’slantern
fri·ar’s
lan·tern 
(plural fri·ar’s lan·terns) noun

SCIENCE
See will-o’-the-wisp[1]



fribble

fribble
frib·ble 
[fríbb’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past frib·bled, past participle frib·bled,
present participle frib·bling, 3rd person present singular
frib·bles)

waste
something:
to waste or fritter something away (archaic)
noun
(plural frib·bles)

somebody
idle:
somebody who is idle or frivolous (archaic)
[Early 17th century.
Originally in the sense “to stammer, mumble,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



fricassee

fricassee
fric·as·see 
[frìkə s, fríkə
s] noun (plural fric·as·sees)

meat
stewed in white sauce: fish or meat such as chicken
or veal cooked in white stock, or a wine and stock mixture, that is thickened
with cream
transitive
verb
(past fric·as·seed, past participle fric·as·seed, present
participle fric·as·see·ing, 3rd person present singular fric·as·sees)

cook
as fricassee: to cook fish or meat as a fricassee
[Mid-16th century. From
French fricassée, the feminine past participle of fricasser “to
cut up and cook in sauce,” possibly a blend of frire “to fry” and casser
“to break.”][1]



fricative

fricative
fric·a·tive 
[fríkətiv] adjective

PHONETICS made
by breath friction: made by forcing the breath
through a narrow opening
noun
(plural fric·a·tives)

fricative
consonant:
a fricative consonant, for example, “f” or “z.”
Also
called
spirant
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin fricativus, from Latin fricare (see friction ).][1]



Frick,Henry Clay

Frick,Henry Clay

Frick
[frik], Henry Clay (1849–1919)
U.S. industrialist and philanthropist. He
amassed a fortune in the steel industry and bequeathed his Manhattan townhouse,
with its notable collection of paintings, to the city of New York.[1]



friction

friction
fric·tion 
[fríkshən] (plural fric·tions)
noun

1.  rubbing:
the rubbing of two objects against each other when one or both are moving

2.  PHYSICS resistance
encountered by moving object: the resistance encountered
by an object moving relative to another object with which it is in contact

3.  MEDICINE deliberate
rubbing:
deliberate rubbing of a body part as a way of stimulating blood circulation,
warming, or relieving pain

4.  disagreement:
disagreement or conflict, stopping short of violence, between individuals,
groups, or nations with differing aims or views
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from the Latin stem friction-, from fricare
“to rub” (source of English dentifrice
and fray ).]
—fric·tion·al, adjective[1]



frictionclutch

frictionclutch
fric·tion
clutch
(plural fric·tion clutch·es) noun

clutch working by friction
between plates: a clutch in a vehicle
or machine that transmits power through surface friction between two plates
covered with a layer of a fibrous material, for example, asbestos[1]



frictionmatch

frictionmatch
fric·tion
match
(plural fric·tion match·es) noun

match lit by striking:
a match that lights when rubbed against an abrasive surface[1]



frictiontape

frictiontape
fric·tion
tape
noun

insulating tape:
waterproof adhesive tape made of cloth or plastic and used to insulate
electrical conductors.
U.K. term
insulating tape[1]



Friday

Friday
Fri·day 
[fr dày, frdee]
(plural Fri·days) noun

fifth
day of week: the fifth day of the week, coming after
Thursday and before Saturday
[Old English Frīgedæg
“day of the goddess Frigg,” whose name comes ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic verb meaning “to love” that was also the ancestor of English friend and free][1]



Fridays

Fridays
Fri·days
adverb

1.  every
Friday

2.  each
Friday:
on every Friday

[1]



fridge

fridge
fridge 
[frij] (plural fridges) noun

refrigerator:
a refrigerator
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



fried

fried
fried 
[frīd] adjective

1.  cooked
by frying:
having been cooked by frying

2.  intoxicated:
incapacitated by alcohol or drugs (informal)

3.  exhausted:
incoherent from fatigue (slang)

[1]



Friedan,Betty

Friedan,Betty

Frie·dan
[free dán], Betty (1921– )
U.S.
feminist leader, author, and founder in 1966 of the National Organization for
Women (NOW). Her landmark book The Feminine Mystique ( 1963 ) challenged
the idealization of women’s traditional roles.
Born
Goldstein, Betty Naomi[1]



Friedman,Milton

Friedman,Milton

Fried·man
[frdmən], Milton (1912– )
U.S. economist and Nobel laureate (1976).
He is considered a leading protagonist of the theory that a free market, rather
than government intervention, can best produce a balanced rate of economic growth.[1]



Friend

Friend
Friend
(plural Friends) noun

Quaker:
a member of the Religious Society of Friends, called Quakers[1]



friend

friend
friend 
[frend] (plural friends) noun

1.  somebody
emotionally close to another: somebody who has a close
personal relationship of mutual affection and trust with another • I
know her, in fact she’s a friend of mine.

2.  acquaintance:
somebody who has a casual relationship with another, for example, a business
acquaintance • I’ve
got a friend at the office who might be able to help out.

3.  ally:
somebody who is not an enemy • You
can say what you like about the principal; you’re among friends here.

4.  advocate
of a cause:
somebody who defends or supports a cause, group, or principle • She’s
no friend of tax-and-spend policies.

5.  patron
of institution or organization: somebody who supports
a charity or institution by donating time or money • a
friend of the New York City Ballet
[Old
English frēond . Ultimately from the present participle of a prehistoric
Germanic verb meaning “to love” that was also the ancestor of English free, affray,
and Friday .]
fair-weather
friend

somebody
whose friendship with another is conditional upon the other’s good fortune

friends
(with)

a
friend of or on friendly terms with somebody

make
friends (with)

to begin a friendship or get
on friendly terms with somebody[1]



friendless

friendless
friend·less
[fréndləss] adjective

with
no friends:
without a friend
—friend·less·ness, noun[1]



friendly

friendly
friend·ly 
[fréndlee] adjective (comparative
friend·li·er, superlative friend·li·est)

1.  affectionate
and trusting: characteristic of or suitable to a
relationship between friends • She’s
been friendly to us since we moved in.

2.  helpful:
tending to be beneficial or favorable toward somebody or something • They’re
on quite friendly terms with one another, but I wouldn’t say they were close.

3.  on
the same side: not antagonistic toward or in conflict
with another • All
the aircraft we saw were friendly.

4.  pleasant
and welcoming: with a pleasant welcoming atmosphere

5.  not
fiercely competitive: not played or undertaken in
a fiercely competitive mood

6.  easy
to use:
safe or easy to use or operate or easy to understand (usually used in combination)
• made
of child-friendly materials
adverb
(comparative friend·li·er, superlative friend·li·est)

like a friend:
in a manner that befits friends
noun
(plural friend·lies)

1.  U.K.
SPORTS game
not forming part of competition: a game that is played
mainly for practice or entertainment and not as a scheduled event in a
competition or league • a
series of friendlies

2.  somebody
who behaves like a friend: somebody who is amicable and
shows no enmity (informal)
—friend·li·ly,
adverb

—friend·li·ness,
noun
friendly
with

being a friend of or on
friendly terms with somebody[1]



friendlyfire

friendlyfire
friend·ly
fire
noun

fire not from the enemy:
gunfire or artillery fire coming from your own or your allies’ forces, not the
enemy, and sometimes causing accidental death or injury[1]



FriendlyIslands

FriendlyIslands
Friend·ly
Is·lands
[frèndli ləndz]

See
Tonga[1]



friendof the court

friendof the court
friend
of the court (plural friends of the court)
noun

See
amicus curiae[1]



friendship

friendship
friend·ship 
[frénd shìp] (plural friend·ships)
noun

1.  relationship
between friends: a relationship between two or more
people who are friends • a
friendship that has lasted more than 40 years

2.  mutually
friendly feelings: the mutual feelings of trust
and affection and the behavior that typify relationships between friends • Any
feeling of friendship toward him had long since disappeared.

3.  friendly
relations:
a relationship between individuals, organizations, or countries that is
characterized by mutual assistance, approval, and support • Anglo-American
friendship

[1]



Friendsof the Earth

Friendsof the Earth
Friends
of the Earth noun

international environmental
organization: an international
organization that lobbies and campaigns on environmental matters (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



frier

frier
fri·er 
noun

See
fryer[1]



fries

fries
fries 
plural noun

See
French fries[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Friesian

Friesian
Frie·sian 
[frzh’n] noun (plural Frie·sians)

U.K.
See Holstein
noun
(plural Frie·sians) adjective

See
Frisian
[Early 20th century. Variant
of Frisian .][1]



Friesland

Friesland
Fries·land
[frzlənd]

coastal province in northern
Netherlands, that includes four of the West Frisian Islands. Population:
609,579 (1995) Area: 3,353 sq km/1,295 sq mi.[1]



frieze

frieze1

frieze1 [freez]
(plural friezes) noun

1.  decorative
band along wall: a band of decoration running along the
wall of a room, usually just below the ceiling

2.  horizontal
band on classical building: a horizontal band forming
part of the entablature of a classical building, situated between the
architrave and the cornice, and often decorated with sculpted ornaments or
figures
[Mid-16th century. Via French
frise from, ultimately, Latin Phrygium (opus) “Phrygian (work)”
(the Phrygians being famous for their craftmanship).][1]



frieze

frieze2
frieze2 [freez]
noun

1.  coarse
shaggy woolen cloth: coarse woolen cloth with a
long shaggy nap

2.  long
shaggy carpet pile: a carpet pile with a long
shaggy nap
[15th century. Via French frise
from medieval Latin frisia, literally “Frisian (cloth).”][1]



frig

frig
frig 
[frig] (past frigged, past
participle frigged, present participle frig·ging, 3rd
person present singular frigs) intransitive and transitive verb
(taboo)

1.  taboo
word meaning to have sex: a taboo term that means to
have sexual intercourse with somebody

2.  U.K.
taboo
word meaning to masturbate: a taboo term that means to
masturbate, or to masturbate somebody
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French friquer “to rub” from Latin fricare
(see friction ).][1]



frigate

frigate
frig·ate 
[fríggət] (plural frig·ates) noun

1.  medium-sized
warship:
a U.S. warship of medium size, larger than a destroyer but smaller than a
cruiser, and used mainly for escort duty

2.  U.K.
warship
between corvette and destroyer: a British warship next
in size below a destroyer and with a similar armament and function

3.  sailing
ship equipped for war: a fast square-rigged
fighting ship in the 18th and early 19th centuries, next in size below a ship
of the line
[Late 16th century. Via
French frégate from Italian fregata, of unknown origin. The word
originally denoted a light, fast rowboat or sailboat.][1]



frigatebird

frigatebird
frig·ate
bird
(plural frig·ate birds) noun

large
tropical seabird: a large tropical seabird with large
powerful wings, dark-colored plumage, a forked tail, and a down-turned beak.
Latin name: Family Fregatidae
Also
called
man-of-war bird
[Said to be so named because
of its swift flight][1]



frigging

frigging
frig·ging
[frígging] adjective adverb

swearword:
used as a swearword or to add emphasis (taboo offensive)[1]



fright

fright
fright 
[frīt] (plural frights) noun

1.  sudden
fear:
a sudden intense feeling of being threatened or in danger

2.  experience
of being afraid: an experience of fright

3.  something
very unpleasant looking: somebody or something that
looks grotesque, ludicrous, or extremely unattractive (informal) • My
hair’s a fright this morning.
[Old English fryhto][1]



frighten

frighten
fright·en 
[frt’n] (past fright·ened, past
participle fright·ened, present participle fright·en·ing,
3rd person present singular fright·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become afraid: to make somebody feel fear or to be made
to feel fear

2.  transitive
verb
scare
into leaving: to force or drive somebody or something
away through fear
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from fright .]
—fright·en·er, noun[1]



frightened

frightened
fright·ened
[frt’nd] adjective

afraid:
feeling afraid or alarmed[1]



frightening

frightening
fright·en·ing
[frtning] adjective

causing
fright:
causing fear or alarm
—fright·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



frightful

frightful
fright·ful 
[frtfəl] adjective

1.  very
serious:
used to indicate the seriousness or severity of something • now
faced the frightful prospect of losing their farm

2.  foul:
extremely bad or unpleasant • a
frightful odor

3.  very
great:
used to indicate that somebody or something is an extreme example of something
specified • a
frightful liar • The
speaker turned out to be a frightful bore.

4.  terrifying:
capable of causing fear, shock, or dread • looked
down from a frightful height
—fright·ful·ness, noun[1]



frightfully

frightfully
fright·ful·ly
[frtfəlee] adverb

extremely:
extremely or excessively[1]



frightwig

frightwig
fright
wig
(plural fright wigs) noun

wig with long sticking-out
hair: a wig that is intended to be
amusing, with long hair sticking out in all directions[1]



frigid

frigid
frig·id 
[fríjjid] adjective

1.  sexually
unresponsive: unable or unwilling to respond sexually,
to enjoy sexual intercourse, or to have orgasm during intercourse

2.  lacking
emotional warmth: without or behaving without warmth,
friendliness, or enthusiasm

3.  very
cold:
with a very cold temperature • I was
kept waiting in a frigid little room.
[15th
century. From Latin frigidus, from frigus “cold” (source of
English refrigerate ).]
—fri·gid·i·ty
[fri jíddətee], noun

—frig·id·ly,
adverb

—frig·id·ness, noun[1]



FrigidZone

FrigidZone
Frig·id
Zone 
(plural Frig·id Zones) noun

area beyond Arctic or
Antarctic Circles: either of
two areas of the Earth’s surface, one lying between the Arctic Circle and the
North Pole, the other lying between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole[1]



frigorific

frigorific
frig·o·rif·ic 
[frìggə ríffik] adjective

chilling:
producing extreme cold (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
frigorificus, from frigus (see frigid
).][1]



frijole

frijole
fri·jo·le
[fri hṓlee] (plural fri·jo·les)
or fri·jol [fri hṓl, fr hl] (unmarked inflection fri·jo·les
[free hṓleez, fr
hleez]) noun

a
Mexican bean: in the cooking of Mexico and the
southwestern United States, a bean such as the pinto, kidney, or black bean
[Late
16th century. Via Spanish, Catalan fesol, and Latin phaseolus
from, ultimately, Greek phasēlos “legume,” of unknown origin.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  name marks the Mexican American territory of South and West Texas, New
  Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. Frijoles are sometimes called Mexican
  beans.

[1]



frill

frill
frill 
[fril] noun (plural frills)

1.  decorative
band with many folds: a strip of material gathered
into many tight folds and sewn along one edge, and usually attached as a
decoration to something

2.  COOKING paper
band with fringed edge: a paper band with one edge
cut into a decorative fringe, placed on bone ends as decoration and to allow
the meat to be picked up by the bone end

3.  ZOOLOGY ruff
of feathers, fur, or skin: a ring of fur or feathers or
a fold of skin around the neck of a bird or animal that looks like a decorative
frill

4.  unnecessary
addition:
an addition to something that is unnecessary, though it may enhance its
appearance, interest, or value (usually used in the plural) • I
just want a basic, simple, no-frills stereo.
transitive
verb
(past frilled, past participle frilled, present
participle frill·ing, 3rd person present singular frills)

1.  make
into frill:
to make a strip of fabric or paper into a frill

2.  add
frill to:
to decorate something with a frill
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Flemish frul .]
—frilled,
adjective

—frill·y, adjective[1]



frilledlizard

frilledlizard
frilled
liz·ard 
(plural frilled liz·ards) noun

Australian lizard with
prominent ruff: a large Australian
lizard, with a broad membrane of skin around its neck that it can spread out
like a ruff. Latin name: Chlamydosaurus kingii[1]



Friml,Rudolf

Friml,Rudolf
Friml
[frímm’l], Rudolf (1879–1972)

Czech-born
U.S. composer. He wrote operettas, such as Rose Marie ( 1923 ), and
songs, including “Indian Love Call.”
Full name
Friml, Charles Rudolf[1]



fringe

fringe
fringe 
[frinj] noun (plural fring·es)

1.  decorative
edging of strands: a decorative border of short
parallel strands or raveled threads held closely together at one end by
stitching or a band of fabric and hanging loosely at the other end

2.  any
border or edging: something that serves as or resembles a
border

3.  outer
limit:
the outer edge or something considered to be on the outer edge and not central
to an activity, interest, or issue (often used in the plural) • outposts
on the fringes of civilization

4.  less
important area: an area of action that is far away from
the center of activity or interest in a particular field (usually used in
the plural) • on the fringes of
political life

5.  GOLF area
bordering putting green: the area surrounding a
putting green on a golf course where the grass is allowed to grow slightly
longer than it is on the green itself

6.  U.K.
hair
hanging over forehead: a border of hair cut to fall
over the forehead. See bangs

7.  POLITICS faction
within a group: members of a group or organization such
as a political party who hold views not representative of the group and usually
more extreme than those of the group

8.  OPTICS band
produced by diffraction of light: a light, dark, or
colored band of light produced by diffraction or interference

9.  (informal)
See fringe benefit
adjective

1.  outlying:
situated on the edge or away from the center of something

2.  LITERATURE THEATER minor:
playing a minor role in a play or story

3.  unconventional:
not part of the established or conventional mainstream of something such as the
movie industry, theater, or medicine

4.  not
in main part: not in the main part of something such
as a conference or organization, especially if putting forward or discussing
radical or unconventional ideas
transitive
verb
(past fringed, past participle fringed, present
participle fring·ing, 3rd person present singular fring·es)

1.  form
fringe round: to form a fringe or border around
something • A
thin mustache and beard fringed his lips.

2.  decorate
with fringe: to decorate something with a fringe
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin fimbriae “threads,” of
unknown origin.]
—fringed,
adjective

—fring·y, adjective[1]



fringearea

fringearea
fringe
ar·e·a
(plural fringe ar·e·as) noun

BROADCASTING
outlying zone with bad reception:
an area at or just beyond the edge of a radio or television transmitter’s range
where signals are likely to be weak or distorted[1]



fringebenefit

fringebenefit
fringe
ben·e·fit
(plural fringe ben·e·fits) noun

1.  additional
employee benefit: an additional benefit provided to an
employee, for example, a company car or health insurance

2.  additional
advantage:
any additional or incidental advantage derived from a particular activity

[1]



fringedgentian

fringedgentian
fringed
gen·tian 
noun

N American gentian with
fringed petals: a North American plant
with blue bell-shaped flowers and fringed petals. Latin name: Gentianopsis
crinita[1]



fringedorchis

fringedorchis
fringed
or·chis
noun

orchid with a fringed petal:
an orchid with a fringed lip. Different species have yellow, white, purple, or
greenish flowers. Genus: Habenaria[1]



fringedpolygala

fringedpolygala
fringed
po·lyg·a·la
noun

plant with fringed flowers:
a plant, growing mainly in eastern North America, that has fringed
reddish-purple flowers. Latin name: Polygala paucifolia
Also called
flowering wintergreen[1]



fringetree

fringetree
fringe
tree
(plural fringe trees) noun

tree with blossom resembling
fringes: either of two ornamental
small trees, one native to the eastern United States and the other to China,
that have hanging clusters of white flowers with narrow petals. Genus: Chionanthus[1]



fringingreef

fringingreef
fring·ing
reef 
(plural fring·ing reefs) noun

coral reef near shore:
a coral reef that borders or is directly attached to the shore of an island or
a continent[1]



frippery

frippery
frip·per·y 
[fríppəree] (plural frip·per·ies)
noun

1.  article
of adornment worn for show: a showy article of clothing
or an adornment worn for display or effect

2.  ostentation:
pretentious display or showiness

3.  something
trifling:
something of little value or importance
[Mid-16th century. Via French
friperie from, ultimately, Old French frepe “rag, old clothes,”
of uncertain origin.][1]



Fris.

Fris.
Fris.

Abbreviation of
Frisian[1]



Frisbee

Frisbee
Fris·bee 
[frízbee] Trademark

a trademark for a plastic
disk thrown from person to person in a game[1]



Frisian

Frisian
Fri·sian 
[frízh’n, frzh’n]
(plural Fri·sians) or Frie·sian [frízh’n, frzh’n]
(plural Frie·sians) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Germanic
language:
a language spoken in parts of the Netherlands and Germany. It belongs to the
West Germanic group of the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Friesland or Frisian Islands: somebody who was born
in or is a citizen of Friesland or the Frisian Islands
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin Frisii “the Frisians,” from Old Frisian Frīsa
.]
—Fri·sian, adjective[1]



FrisianIslands

FrisianIslands
Fri·sian
Is·lands

ISLANDS
group of islands in the North Sea off the coasts of the Netherlands,
northwestern Germany, and southwestern Denmark. They include the Dutch West
Frisian Islands, the German East Frisian Islands, and the North Frisian
Islands, divided between Germany and Denmark.[1]



frisk

frisk
frisk 
[frisk] verb (past frisked,
past participle frisked, present participle frisk·ing,
3rd person present singular frisks)

1.  intransitive
verb
leap
or dance around playfully: to leap, skip, or dance
around in a carefree way

2.  transitive
verb
search
quickly:
to search somebody with a quick pass of the hands over clothes and into pockets
noun
(plural frisks)

1.  playful
leap:
a playful leap, skip, or dance

2.  quick
search:
a quick search of somebody’s clothes and pockets
[Early
16th century. From Old French frisque “lively,” of uncertain origin:
probably from prehistoric Germanic.]
—frisk·er,
noun

—frisk·ing, noun[1]



frisket

frisket
fris·ket 
[frískət] (plural fris·kets) noun

mask
used on handpress: a thin frame that keeps a
sheet of paper in position and masks any portions not to be printed while the
sheet is being printed on a hand-operated press
[Late 17th century. From
French frisquette, from Old French frisque (see frisk ).][1]



frisky

frisky
frisk·y 
[frískee] (comparative frisk·i·er,
superlative frisk·i·est) adjective

feeling
playful:
behaving or tending to behave in a lively, playful way
—frisk·i·ly,
adverb

—frisk·i·ness, noun[1]



frisson

frisson
fris·son 
[fri sáwN] (plural fris·sons) noun

thrill:
a brief intense reaction, usually a feeling of excitement, recognition, or
terror, accompanied by a physical shudder or thrill
[Late 18th century. Via
French, literally “shiver,” from, ultimately, an assumed Vulgar Latin stem friction-,
from Latin frigere “to be cold.”][1]



frisé

frisé
fri·sé 
[free záy] noun

rug
and upholstery fabric: a fabric with long nap,
usually of uncut loops, used for upholstery and rugs
[Late 19th century. From
French, from the past participle of friser (see frizz 1 ).][1]



frit

frit
frit 
[frit] noun CERAMICS

1.  basic
materials for glass or glaze: the basic materials from
which glass, pottery glazes, or enamels are made, when they are in a partially
bonded state at the beginning of the manufacturing process

2.  ground
flux:
a flux that is stabilized by melting it with silica and regrinding it into a
fine powder
transitive
verb
(past frit·ted, past participle frit·ted, present
participle frit·ting, 3rd person present singular frits)

make into frit:
to fuse or partially fuse materials in order to make frit
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian fritta, the feminine past participle of friggere “to
fry,” from Latin frigere (source of English fry 1 ).][1]



fritfly

fritfly
frit
fly
noun

cereal
pest:
a small black fly whose larvae are destructive to cereal crops. Latin name: Oscinella
frit
[From Latin frit,
“speck on an ear of grain”][1]



fritillary

fritillary
frit·il·lar·y 
[frítt’l èrree] (plural frit·il·lar·ies)
noun

1.  PLANTS flower
with spotted petals: a plant of the lily family
with long narrow leaves and one or two bell-shaped flowers whose petals are
marked with a spotted or checkered pattern. Genus: Fritillaria

2.  ZOOLOGY spotted
butterfly:
a brownish butterfly with black spots or narrow bands on its wings and usually
silver spots on the underside of its hind wings. Family: Nymphalidae
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin Fritillaria, genus name, from Latin fritillus “dice
box”; probably because the flower of some varieties resembles a small checkered
box.][1]



frittata

frittata
frit·ta·ta 
[fri ttə, fri
ttə] (plural frit·ta·tas) noun

Italian
omelet:
a firm thick Italian omelet that may contain any of a variety of chopped
ingredients, including meat or vegetables
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from fritto, the past participle of friggere (see frit ).][1]



fritter

fritter2
frit·ter2 [fríttər]
(past frit·tered, past participle frit·tered, present
participle frit·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular frit·ters)
transitive verb

tear
into shreds: to break, cut, or tear something into
small pieces or shreds
[Early 18th century. From
obsolete fritters “fragments, scraps,” of unknown origin.][1]



fritter

fritter1
frit·ter1 [fríttər]
(plural frit·ters) noun

small
cake of fried batter: a cake formed by frying a
small amount of a soft batter and often containing chopped fruit, vegetables,
or meat
[14th century. From French friture,
from, ultimately, Latin frict-, the past participle stem of frigere
“to fry” (source of English fry 1 ).][1]



fritteraway

fritteraway
fritter
away
transitive verb

squander little by little:
to waste something by expending it in small quantities over a period of time on
things that are not worthwhile[1]



frittomisto

frittomisto
frit·to
mis·to 
[frìttō místō] (plural frit·to
mis·tos or frit·ti mis·ti [frìtti
místee]) noun

mixture
of deep-fried foods: an Italian dish consisting
of a mixture of bite-sized pieces of various foods such as seafood, meat, or
vegetables, and sometimes sweet things such as cake, deep-fried in light batter
[From Italian, literally
“mixed fry”][1]



fritz

fritz
fritz 
[frits][Early 20th century. Origin unknown.]
on
the fritz

out of order or not working
properly (informal)[1]



Friulian

Friulian
Fri·u·lian 
[free lee ən] (plural Fri·u·lians)
or Fri·u·lan [free lən] (plural
Fri·u·lans) noun

1.  LANGUAGE dialect
spoken in northern Italy: a dialect of Rhaetian spoken
in northwestern parts of Italy.
See
also
Ladin
See
also
Romansch

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Friuli or speaking Friulian: somebody who was born
in or is a citizen of Friuli or a speaker of the Friulian dialect
—Friu·lian, adjective[1]



frivol

frivol
friv·ol 
[frívvəl] (past friv·oled, past
participle friv·oled, present participle friv·ol·ing, 3rd
person present singular friv·ols) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
behave
frivolously: to behave or spend time in a frivolous
way

2.  transitive
verb
waste
foolishly:
to spend or waste something such as time or money foolishly or frivolously
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from frivolous .]
—friv·ol·er, noun[1]



frivolity

frivolity
fri·vol·i·ty 
[fri vóllətee] (plural fri·vol·i·ties)
noun

1.  frivolous
behavior:
silly and trivial behavior or activities

2.  something
frivolous:
a frivolous action or thing

3.  triviality:
the state of being trivial and unimportant
[Late 18th century. Via
French frivolité from, ultimately, Latin frivolus (see frivolous ).][1]



frivolous

frivolous
friv·o·lous 
[frívvələss] adjective

1.  not
worth taking seriously: lacking in intellectual
substance and not worth serious consideration

2.  silly:
silly and trivial
[15th
century. Formed from Latin frivolus “silly, unimportant,” of uncertain
origin.]
—friv·o·lous·ly,
adverb

—friv·o·lous·ness, noun[1]



frizz

frizz2
frizz2 [friz]
(past frizzed, past participle frizzed, present
participle frizz·ing, 3rd person present singular frizz·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

fry
and sizzle:
to sizzle while frying or cooking or to fry or cook something so that it
sizzles
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of frizzle 1 .][1]



frizz

frizz1
frizz1 [friz]
intransitive and transitive verb (past frizzed, past
participle frizzed, present participle frizz·ing, 3rd
person present singular frizz·es)

form
into tight curls: to form or to cause the hair to form a
mass of tight curls or tufts
noun
(plural frizz·es)

frizzed
hair:
a mass of tightly curled or tufted hair
[Late 16th century. From
French friser “to curl,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from fris-,
the stem of frire (see fry 1 ).][1]



frizzle

frizzle1
friz·zle1 [frízz’l]
(past friz·zled, past participle friz·zled, present
participle friz·zling, 3rd person present singular friz·zles)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  burn
or shrivel:
to burn or shrivel, or to cause to burn or shrivel, especially while cooking

2.  fry
and sizzle:
to sizzle while frying or cooking or to fry and cook something so that it
sizzles
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of fry and fizzle or sizzle
.][1]



frizzle

frizzle2
friz·zle2 [frízz’l]
intransitive and transitive verb (past friz·zled, past
participle friz·zled, present participle friz·zling, 3rd
person present singular friz·zles)

frizz:
to frizz hair or to become frizzed
noun
(plural friz·zles)

curl:
a short tight curl
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly formed from frizz 1 .][1]



frizzy

frizzy
friz·zy 
[frízzee] (comparative friz·zi·er,
superlative friz·zi·est) or frizz·ly [frízzee] (comparative friz·zli·er, superlative
friz·zli·est) adjective

in
tight curls: forming or styled in tight curls
—friz·zi·ly,
adverb

—friz·zi·ness,
noun

—friz·zli·ness, noun[1]



Frl.

Frl.
Frl.

Abbreviation of
Fräulein[1]



frm

frm
frm

Abbreviation of
from[1]



fro

fro1
fro1  [frō]
adverb

See
to and fro
[13th century. From Old Norse
frá “from.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also
the ancestor of English from .][1]



fro

fro2
fro2  [frō]
noun

Afro:
an Afro hairstyle (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



frock

frock
frock 
[frok] noun (plural frocks)

1.  dress:
a woman’s or girl’s dress (dated)

2.  loose
outer garment: a loose baggy outer garment with sleeves
that covers the top half of the body to below the waist, traditionally worn by
artists and farm workers

3.  CHRISTIANITY monk’s
gown:
the loose full-length gown with wide sleeves worn by the monks, friars, or
clerics of some religious orders

4.  CLOTHES HISTORY 18th-century man’s coat:
an informal coat with narrow skirts and collar worn by men in the 18th century
transitive
verb
(past frocked, past participle frocked, present
participle frock·ing, 3rd person present singular frocks)

CHRISTIANITY induct
as member of clergy: to invest somebody as a
member of the clergy
[14th century. From French froc,
ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








frockcoat

frockcoat
frock
coat
(plural frock coats) noun

19C man’s coat:
in the 19th century, a man’s knee-length coat for formal day wear[1]



froe

froe
froe 
[frō] (plural froes) or
frow [frō] (plural frows)
noun

woodworkers’
tool:
a cutting tool with one end of its blade fastened at right angles to a short
handle, used to split wood along the grain to make shingles or barrel staves
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from froward, in the
sense “turned away.”][1]



Froebelian

Froebelian
Froe·bel·i·an
[fray blee ən, frö
blee ən, fray blyən, frö blyən] adjective

relating to Froebel:
relating to Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, the German educator who
established the first kindergarten, or to the system of education through
kindergartens the Froebel system that he advocated[1]



frog

frog1

frog1  [frawg,
frog] (plural frogs) noun

1.  AMPHIBIANS small
web-footed water animal: a small tailless amphibious
animal with smooth moist skin, webbed feet, and long back legs used for
jumping. Family: Ranidae

2.  CRAFT support
for flowers in arrangement: an object, usually with
spikes or perforations, used to support the stems of flowers when making a
flower arrangement

3.  MUSIC nut on
bow:
a nut used to secure and tighten the strings of a violin bow and hold them away
from the bow stick
[Old
English frogga]
have a frog in the or your throat

to be hoarse and unable to
speak clearly[1]



frog

frog2
frog2  [frawg,
frog] (plural frogs) noun

ornamental
loop and button: a decorative fastening for the front of
a garment, consisting of a loop of braid or cord and a button, knot, or toggle
that fits into the loop
[Early
18th century. Origin unknown.]
—frogged, adjective[1]



Frog

Frog
Frog
[frawg, frog]
(plural Frogs) or frog [frawg,
frog] (plural frogs) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a French person (slang offensive)
[Late 18th century. From the
supposed prominence of frogs’ legs in the French diet.][1]



frog

frog4
frog4  [frawg,
frog] (plural frogs) noun

device
at rail intersection: a steel plate used to guide
the wheels of a train over a place where two rails cross one another
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from frog 1, because
the shape of the rails resembles a frog’s legs.][1]



frog

frog3
frog3  [frawg,
frog] (plural frogs) noun

pad
in horse’s hoof: a tough flexible pad in the middle of
the sole of a horse’s hoof
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration (influenced by frog 1 ) of
Italian forchetta or French fourchette of the same meaning, both
literally “little fork.”][1]



frogbit

frogbit
frog·bit
[fráwg bìt, fróg
bìt] noun

U.K.
See frog’s bit
[Late 16th century. Bit
in the obsolete sense “something bitten, food.”][1]



frogeye

frogeye
frog·eye 
[fráwg , fróg ]
noun

fungal disease of plants:
a fungal disease of plants that causes rounded spots to appear on the leaves[1]



frogfish

frogfish
frog·fish 
[fráwg fìsh, fróg
fìsh] (plural frog·fish or frog·fish·es) noun

globe-shaped prickly fish:
a fish living at the bottom of the sea that has a globe-shaped warty or prickly
body and fins adapted for catching its prey. Family: Antennariidae[1]



froghopper

froghopper
frog·hop·per 
[fráwg hòppər, fróg
hòppər] (plural frog·hop·pers) noun

See
spittlebug
[Early 18th century. Because
of their shape and because they leap.][1]



frogkick

frogkick
frog
kick
(plural frog kicks) noun

two-legged swimming kick:
a kick used especially in swimming the breaststroke, in which the legs are
first simultaneously bent, then straightened, to push the swimmer along[1]



frogman

frogman
frog·man 
[fráwgmən, frógmən]
(plural frog·men) noun

underwater swimmer:
an underwater swimmer equipped with breathing apparatus, a wet suit, flippers,
and other underwater gear, especially somebody engaged in military, police, or
rescue work[1]



frogmarch

frogmarch
frog·march
[fráwg mrch, fróg
mrch] (past frog·marched, past participle frog·marched,
present participle frog·march·ing, 3rd person present singular
frog·march·es) transitive verb

force forward:
to force somebody to walk with arms pinned behind the back[1]



frogspit

frogspit
frog
spit
noun

1.  mass
of aquatic plants: a foamy green mass of small
aquatic plants or algae floating on the surface of a pond

2.  INSECTS See cuckoo spit
[From its resemblance to
spittle][1]



frog’s-bit

frog’s-bit
frog’s-bit
noun

PLANTS
aquatic plant:
a floating plant that grows in stagnant water and has heart-shaped leaves and
white flowers. Latin name: Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
U.K. term
frogbit[1]



frolic

frolic
frol·ic 
[fróllik] intransitive verb (past
frol·icked, past participle frol·icked, present
participle frol·ick·ing, 3rd person present singular frol·ics)

play lightheartedly:
to frisk around, behave, or play in a carefree, uninhibited way • children
frolicking at the beach
noun
(plural frol·ics)

1.  something
lively and carefree: a lively carefree game,
action, or amusement

2.  carefree
play:
lively carefree play or behavior “As a result, Anne had the golden summer of
her life as far as freedom and frolic went.” Lucy Maud Montgomery Anne of Green
Gables 1908
[Early
16th century. From Dutch vrolijk “glad, joyous,” from vro
“happy.”]
—frol·ick·er, noun[1]



frolicsome

frolicsome
frol·ic·some 
[frólliksəm] adjective

frisky and full of fun:
frisky and full of fun and high spirits[1]



from

from
from 
[frum, from,
unstressed frəm] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition used to indicate the source or beginning of something, in terms
of location, situation, or time • The
condition can manifest itself anytime from adolescence onward.
• Most
funding comes from government and private grants and loans.
• highlights
from her latest novel • You
can connect to our computer network from home. preposition

1.  range:
used to indicate a range, either of time, amount, or things • We
are open from 2 to 4.30. • They
sell everything, from washing machines to magazines.

2.  distance:
used to indicate the distance between two things or places • The
nearest town is not far from here.

3.  using:
indicating the materials or substances used in order to make something • built
from native pine

4.  cause:
used to indicate the cause of or reason for something • low
morale resulting from staff cuts

5.  restraint:
used to indicate that an action does not happen or should not happen • prevented
from seeing her
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “forward, toward” that was also the ancestor
of English forth, before, primary,
and private .][1]



Fromm,Erich

Fromm,Erich
Fromm
[from], Erich (1900–1980)

German-born U.S.
psychoanalyst. He emphasized the link between human personalities and
socioeconomic patterns. His books include Escape from Freedom ( 1941 )
and The Sane Society ( 1955 ).[1]



frond

frond
frond 
[frond] (plural fronds) noun

1.  large
divided leaf: a large leaf divided into many thin
sections that is found on many flowerless plants, especially ferns and palms

2.  seaweed
resembling fern leaves: any growth that resembles
the leaf of a fern or palm tree, especially a growth of seaweed that resembles
leaves
[Late
18th century. From Latin frond-, the stem of frons “leaf,” of
unknown origin.]
—frond·ed, adjective[1]



front

front
front 
[frunt] noun (plural fronts)

1.  part
or surface facing forward: the part or surface that
faces forward, is intended to be seen first, has the main entrance, or is
facing the direction of motion or the direction people face • You
can only see the front of the house from here.

2.  forward
area, section, or position: the area, section, or
position just ahead of, close to, or at the forward part of something • You
sit in the front and I’ll ride in the back.

3.  front
door or yard: the front door or the area beyond it • I’ll
go out the front, and you go out the back.

4.  beginning
or first pages: the beginning or first pages of a book
or magazine

5.  façade
of building: a façade of a building, especially the
one that faces the street, or a part of it • bring
the car around to the front

6.  side
of property adjoining something: the side of a property
that borders something else, for example, a street, lake, or river

7.  forward
direction:
the direction straight ahead • face
the front

8.  position
ahead of somebody: a place or position
approximately ahead of somebody • Just
up to our front was a clump of trees.

9.  leading
position:
a prominent or leading position in any field of activity • companies
at the front of genetic research

10. noticeable
position:
a conspicuous position • a
disturbing aspect that came to the front

11. aspect
of something: a way of viewing a situation • Things
looked desperate on all fronts.

12. U.K.
seaside
promenade:
a street, area of land, or promenade running along beside the beach or shore at
a seaside or lakeside resort

13. MILITARY battle
zone:
an area where armies are facing one another or where fighting between armies is
taking place • soldiers
returning from the front

14. MILITARY space
defended by army unit: the width of territory
occupied or defended by an army or a military unit facing an enemy • Each
section was defending a front of some two miles.

15. MILITARY direction
in which troops are facing: the direction in which
troops are facing when formed in line

16. area
of activity: a stated area of activity or operations
• There
have been a lot of changes on the domestic front since we last got together.

17. METEOROLOGY interface
between differing air masses: a line along which one mass
of air meets another that is different in temperature or density

18. POLITICS group
with common purposes: a group of people or
organizations with a common purpose, especially a broad political coalition • a
national liberation front

19. CLOTHES front
part of garment: the part of a garment, or the clothing,
that covers the front part of the body, especially the chest • You’ve
got gravy all down your the front.

20. CLOTHES detachable
shirt front: a detachable shirt front, especially
part of a man’s formal dress shirt

21. deliberately
assumed behavior: a manner or type of behavior adopted by
somebody in order to deal with a situation or disguise the person’s true
feelings • put
on a brave front

22. cover
for illegal activities: an apparently respectable
person, organization, or business acting as a cover for illegal or secret
activities

23. figurehead:
a nominal leader or head who has no real authority

24. U.K.
impertinence:
cheek or cockiness • That took a bit of
front!

25. face:
the face or forehead (archaic)
adjective

1.  at
or near the front: situated at, on, or near the
front of something, or placed further forward than others

2.  LINGUISTICS produced
with tongue forward in mouth: produced with the back of
the tongue close to the forward part of the roof of the mouth
verb
(past front·ed, past participle front·ed, present
participle front·ing, 3rd person present singular fronts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb face
something:
to have a front that faces towards something • a
hotel fronting the ocean

2.  transitive
verb
give
front covering or appearance to: to give something a
front or visible surface of a particular kind • The
building is fronted with red brick.

3.  intransitive
verb
act
as respectable cover for: to act as a respectable
cover for something secret or illegal or for somebody doing something secret or
illegal

4.  transitive
verb
provide
something before payment: to provide something such as
money, or to provide a service in advance of payment (informal) • If
you can front me the money, I’ll rent some movies for the weekend.

5.  transitive
verb
be
the head of: to be the head, leader, or spokesperson
of a group or organization such as a band • a
group fronted by a young lawyer from Chicago

6.  transitive
verb
host
a show:
to act as the emcee or host of a television or radio program

7.  transitive
verb
confront:
to confront somebody or something (archaic)
[13th
century. Via French from Latin front-, the stem of frons
“forehead, front,” of unknown origin.]
in
front

1.  leading
or ahead of somebody or something else

2.  close
to or in the front of something or farther forward than somebody else

3.  in
the lead in a race or competition • Polls
show the current mayor far in front as the election nears.

in
front of

1.  ahead
of somebody or in the direction in which somebody is facing

2.  close
to the front of something

3.  in
the presence, sight, or hearing of somebody

out
front

1.  THEATER in front of the curtain or
in the auditorium, as opposed to on the stage

2.  at
or to the front of a building • I’ll
go out front and talk to them.

up
front

1.  close
to the front of something, or further forward than others

2.  in
advance, for example, before any work is done or any goods are delivered

3.  direct
and honest (informal) • He was
very up front about having no money.





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  All
  Quiet on the Western Front, a novel by German writer Erich Maria Remarque (
  1929 ). This classic anti war novel, which was based on the author’s own
  experiences as an 18-year-old soldier in the German army during World War I,
  is a grimly realistic account of trench warfare. It was made into a movie by
  Lewis Milestone in 1930.

[1]



front.

front.
front.

Abbreviation of
frontispiece[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








frontage

frontage
front·age 
[frúntij] (plural front·ages) noun

1.  front
of building: the front side of a building or piece of
property

2.  land
between building and street: the land between a building
and a street or road

3.  length
of front:
the length of the front of a building or piece of land next to a street, river,
or lake

4.  piece
of land adjoining something: a piece of land situated
next to a street, river, or lake

5.  exposure:
the direction in which a building faces or its exposure

[1]



frontageroad

frontageroad
front·age
road
(plural front·age roads) noun

See
service road[1]



frontal

frontal1
fron·tal1 [frúnt’l]
adjective

1.  at
or in the front: situated at or in the front of something

2.  showing
the front of something: showing or depicting the
front of somebody or of something, especially the full view of a naked body

3.  MILITARY toward
enemy front: directed against an enemy’s front,
usually across open ground • a
frontal attack

4.  direct
and forceful: direct, forceful, and intended to be
overwhelming

5.  ANATOMY relating
to forehead: relating to the forehead or the front
part of the skull

6.  METEOROLOGY relating
to weather fronts: involving or relating to
weather fronts
—fron·tal·ly, adverb[1]



frontal

frontal2
fron·tal2 [frúnt’l]
noun

1.  altar
cloth:
a cloth covering for the front of an altar

2.  façade
of building: the façade of a building or tomb
[14th century. Via Old French
frontel “ornament for the forehead” from Latin frontale, from front-
(see front ).][1]



frontalbone

frontalbone

fron·tal bone
(plural fron·tal bones) noun
forehead bone:
the bone forming the front part of the skull that shapes the forehead and part
of the eye sockets and nasal cavity[1]



frontallobe

frontallobe

fron·tal lobe
noun
part of brain:
the front part of each hemisphere of the brain[1]



frontallobotomy

frontallobotomy
fron·tal
lo·bot·o·my
noun

prefrontal lobotomy:
a prefrontal lobotomy (dated)[1]



frontbench

frontbench
front
bench
noun

bench for political
leadership: in a parliament, the bench
on each side nearest the floor of the House, reserved for government ministers
on one side and their opposition-party counterparts on the other[1]



frontburner

frontburner
front
burn·er
noun

priority
status:
a position of importance or priority (informal) • a
plan which seems to be no longer on the front burner
[From the part of a hob which
is used for rapid cooking][1]



frontcourt

frontcourt
front·court 
[frúnt kàwrt] or front court [frúnt kàwrt] noun

1.  target
half of basketball court: in basketball, the half of a
court containing the basket in which a team attempts to score

2.  front-playing
basketball players: the forwards and center of a
basketball team.
Also
called
front line

[1]



frontdoor

frontdoor
front
door
noun

1.  chief
entrance:
the main entrance to a house or other building, closed by a door

2.  chief
means:
the usual and unsuspicious way of achieving a position

[1]



frontend

frontend
front
end
(plural front ends) noun

1.  COMPUTING user
interface:
the user interface of a computer system

2.  See
front-end processor

[1]



front-end

front-end
front-end 
adjective

1.  AUTOMOBILES of
front of motor vehicle: relating to or located on or
in the forward part of a motor vehicle • sustained
front-end damage when running into a huge pothole

2.  FINANCE of
start of process: relating to the start of a process or
project, especially a commercial or financial one • heavy
front-end costs

3.  COMPUTING of
user interface: relating to the user interface of a
computer system

[1]



front-endload

front-endload
front-end
load
(plural front-end loads) noun

high early payment:
an amount, making up a large part of the initial payments, paid by an investor
in a mutual fund or other long-term investment, intended to cover commissions
and other expenses[1]



front-endloader

front-endloader
front-end
load·er
noun

excavating machine:
an excavating machine with a hydraulically operated shovel on the front[1]



front-endprocessor

front-endprocessor
front-end
pro·ces·sor 
noun

subsidiary computer:
a computer used to receive data and carry out preliminary processing on it
before passing it on to another computer for further processing.
Also called
front end[1]



frontenis

frontenis
fron·ten·is 
[frun ténniss, frón
tènniss] noun

indoor
tennis:
a Latin American form of tennis played in a court with three walls
[Late 20th century. From
American Spanish, a blend of frontón “jai-alai court” and tenis
“tennis.”][1]



frontier

frontier
fron·tier 
[frun tr] noun

1.  international
border:
a border between two countries, or the land immediately adjacent to this • cross
the frontier into Spain

2.  edge
of settlement: the part of a country with expanding
settlement that is being opened up by hunters, herders, and other pioneers in
advance of full urban settlement

3.  limit
of knowledge: the furthest limit of knowledge in a
particular field • pushing back the
frontiers of science
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman frounter, French frontière “front part (of an
army),” from front “forehead” (see front
). The original English sense was “front side, forepart.”][1]



frontiersman

frontiersman
fron·tiers·man 
[frun trzmən] (plural fron·tiers·men)
noun

man on frontier:
a man living in a frontier area, especially an area newly opened up for
settlement[1]



frontierswoman

frontierswoman
fron·tiers·wom·an 
[frun trz wmmən] (plural fron·tiers·wom·en
[frun trz wìmmin]) noun

woman on frontier:
a woman living in a frontier area, especially an area newly opened up for
settlement[1]



frontispiece

frontispiece
fron·tis·piece 
[frúntiss pss] noun

1.  PUBLISHING book
illustration: an illustration at the beginning of a
book, usually facing the title page

2.  ARCHITECTURE building
façade:
the principal façade of a building, treated as a separate element

3.  ARCHITECTURE pediment:
a pediment, usually ornamental, above a window or door
[Late 16th century. By folk
etymology from French frontispice (by association with piece ), from late Latin frontispicium
“façade” (literally “viewing the forehead”), from, ultimately, Latin frons
“forehead” + specere “to look at.”][1]



frontlet

frontlet
front·let 
[frúntlət] noun

1.  HISTORY decorative
band:
a decorative band worn on the forehead

2.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
forehead:
an animal’s forehead, especially when, as in certain birds, it has a different
color from the rest of the head

3.  CHRISTIANITY altar-cloth
border:
a decorated border on the frontal of an altar
[15th century. From Old
French frontelet “little forehead band,” from frontel (see frontal 2 ).][1]



frontline

frontline
front
line
[frúnt ln] or frontline [frúnt ln] noun

1.  MILITARY forward
line:
the forward line of a battle, position, or formation

2.  advanced
position:
the most advanced, important, or conspicuous position in any situation

3.  BASKETBALL See frontcourt  noun 2
adjective

1.  frontline
or front-line at limits of attainment:
that is the most advanced or important of its kind • a
frontline technological development

2.  frontline
or front-line bordering a trouble spot:
relating to countries that border another country in which an armed conflict is
taking place

3.  SPORTS regular:
belonging among or relating to regular members of a team • a
frontline pitcher

[1]



front-load

front-load
front-load 
transitive verb

assign costs to early stage:
to assign the bulk of the costs of something, for example, a mutual fund
investment, to an early stage[1]



frontman

frontman
front
man
noun (informal)

1.  figurehead:
somebody who is presented as being in charge of an organization or activity
while the real authority is, for reasons of illegality or secrecy, kept hidden

2.  MUSIC lead
singer:
the lead singer of a band or other musical group

[1]



frontmatter

frontmatter
front
mat·ter
noun

preliminary pages:
the material that appears in a book before the main text, for example, the
title page, the cataloguing-in-publication data, the table of contents, and the
preface[1]



frontmoney

frontmoney
front
mon·ey
noun

advance payment:
payment made in advance for services or goods[1]



frontoffice

frontoffice
front
of·fice
noun

management:
the management or executives of an organization who decide on policy[1]



frontogenesis

frontogenesis
fron·to·gen·e·sis 
[frùn tō jénnəssiss] noun

weather-front
formation:
the formation or development of a weather front
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from front + -genesis
.][1]



frontolysis

frontolysis
fron·tol·y·sis 
[frun tólləssiss] noun

weather-front
disappearance: the weakening or disappearance of a
weather front
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from front + -lysis
.][1]



fronton

fronton
fron·ton 
[frón tòn] noun

arena
for jai alai: a court used for the game of jai alai
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish “gable, wall of a frontón,” from fronte “forehead,” from the
Latin stem front- (see front ).][1]



front-page

front-page
front-page 
adjective

newsworthy:
important or interesting enough to appear on the front page of a newspaper
transitive
verb
(past front-paged, past participle front-paged, present
participle front-pag·ing, 3rd person present singular front-pag·es)

print on front page:
to print something on the front page of a newspaper[1]



frontroom

frontroom
front
room
noun

living room:
a living room in the front of a house[1]



frontrunner

frontrunner
front·run·ner
[frúnt rùnnər] or front-runner
[frúnt rùnnər] noun

leader:
somebody in a leading position in a race or contest (informal) • the
new frontrunner in the senatorial race[1]



frontward

frontward
front·ward 
[frúntwərd] or front·wards [frúntwərdz] adverb

toward
the front:
toward or in the direction of the front
—frontwards, adverb[1]



front-wheeldrive

front-wheeldrive
front-wheel
drive 
noun

power through front wheels:
a system of powering motor vehicles that uses the engine to drive the front
wheels only[1]



frosh

frosh
frosh 
[frawsh] (plural frosh) noun

freshman:
a freshman (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of freshman,
perhaps influenced by German Frosch “frog,” (dialect) “grammar-school
pupil.”][1]



frost

frost
frost 
[frawst] noun

1.  frozen
water:
crystals of frozen water deposited on a cold surface

2.  freezing
temperature: an outdoor temperature below freezing
point, resulting in the deposit of ice crystals • had
a hard frost as late as May

3.  chilly
manner:
a coldness of manner

4.  freezing:
the act or process of freezing

5.  failure
or flop:
something, for example, an artistic performance or a new book, that meets with
an unenthusiastic reception (informal) • The
opening night was a true frost.
verb
(past frost·ed, past participle frost·ed, present
participle frost·ing, 3rd person present singular frosts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb METEOROLOGY cover with frost:
to cover something with frost, especially hoarfrost, or become covered with
frost

2.  transitive
verb
make
opaque:
to make something, especially glass or a window, unable to be seen through by
giving its surface a rough or fine-grained texture

3.  transitive
verb
FOOD put
frosting on: to cover a cake or other pastry with
icing or frosting • a frosted sponge cake

4.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING tint
hair strands: to change the color of isolated strands
of hair by pulling the strands through a rubber or plastic cap with holes in it
and then dyeing or peroxiding the hair

5.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING kill
by freezing: to damage or kill crops or garden plants
by frost
[Old English forst, frost,
from a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced English freeze][1]



frostbite

frostbite
frost·bite 
[fráwst bt] noun

injury
by freezing: damage to body extremities caused by
prolonged exposure to freezing conditions, characterized by numbness, tissue
death, and gangrene
transitive
verb
(past frost·bit, past participle frost·bit·ten, present
participle frost·bit·ing, 3rd person present singular frost·bites)

injure
by freezing: to damage something by prolonged
exposure to freezing conditions (usually passive)
adjective

SPORTS
of winter sports:
relating to or involving sports pursued in extremely cold winter weather for
example, racing small boats or riding on frozen lakes on windsurfers equipped
with blades • a
frostbite derby on the frozen lake[1]



frost-free

frost-free
frost-free 
adjective

without need of defrosting:
used to describe an appliance such as a refrigerator or freezer that does not
need to be defrosted[1]



frostheave

frostheave
frost
heave
or frost heav·ing noun

cracking by freezing:
the cracking of the surface of a road or piece of ground by the freezing and
upward expansion of subsurface water, or a damaged surface resulting from this[1]



frosting

frosting
frost·ing 
[fráwsting] noun

1.  soft
icing:
a variety of soft icing for cakes made by whisking egg whites and sugar over
hot water or incorporating hot syrup into whisked egg whites

2.  rich
icing:
icing that is typically thick and rich from the addition of milk, eggs, butter,
or cream

3.  rough
surface:
a roughened or dull surface produced on something, especially glass or metal

[1]



frostline

frostline
frost
line
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY depth
limit of frost: the point below the surface of the
ground beyond which frost will not penetrate

2.  METEOROLOGY line
on map showing frost: a line on a map joining
places subject to the same number of frosts a year or to the same degree of
frost

[1]



Frost,Robert

Frost,Robert

Frost
[frawst], Robert (1874–1963)
U.S.
poet, best known for his spare poems about New England life, including
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “The Road Not Taken.” The unofficial
poet laureate of the United States, he won the Pulitzer Prize four times (1924,
1931, 1937, and 1943).
Full name
Frost, Robert Lee[1]



frostup

frostup
frost
up
intransitive verb

be covered with frost:
to become covered in frost or ice, especially in a way that hinders a function
• The
freezer has frosted up so much that the door won’t close.[1]



frostweathering

frostweathering
frost
weath·er·ing noun

frost damage to rock:
the shattering of rock caused by the freezing of water in surface cracks and
hollows, and in the pore spaces[1]



frostwork

frostwork
frost·work 
[fráwst wùrk] noun

1.  ARTS patterns
made by frost: the patterns made by frost on various
surfaces, especially windows, that often resemble tracery or the fronds of
ferns

2.  imitation
of frost patterns: decoration on metal or glass
imitating the patterns made naturally by frost

[1]



frosty

frosty
frost·y 
[fráwstee] (comparative frost·i·er,
superlative frost·i·est) adjective

1.  very
cold:
cold enough for the formation of frost

2.  covered
in frost:
covered in frost, especially hoarfrost

3.  cold
in manner:
cold and unwelcoming in manner

4.  white
like frost:
looking like hoarfrost, especially in whiteness • a
shock of matted frosty hair
—frost·i·ly,
adverb

—frost·i·ness, noun[1]



froth

froth
froth 
[frawth] noun

1.  foam:
a mass of bubbles in or on the surface of a liquid

2.  foamy
saliva:
a foamy mixture of saliva and air bubbles produced at the mouth in some
diseases or by exhaustion

3.  trivia:
anything seen as being insubstantial or trivial • The
conversation at the party was mostly froth and posturing.
verb
(past frothed, past participle frothed, present
participle froth·ing, 3rd person present singular froths)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
to foam:
to make something produce foam, or cover something with foam

2.  intransitive
verb
create
foam:
to produce foam or emerge as foam • froth
at the mouth
[14th century. From Old Norse
froða or frauð .][1]



frothflotation

frothflotation
froth
flo·ta·tion
noun

See
flotation  noun 5[1]



frothy

frothy
froth·y 
[fráwthee] (comparative froth·i·er,
superlative froth·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of foam:
characterized by, covered in, or producing foam

2.  trivial:
with no serious content or purpose • a
frothy sitcom
—froth·i·ly,
adverb

—froth·i·ness, noun[1]



frottage

frottage
frot·tage 
[fraw tzh] noun

1.  ARTS rubbing
in art:
an art technique in which a rubbing is taken of a surface to create a design

2.  PSYCHOLOGY sexual
rubbing:
the obtaining of sexual pleasure by rubbing the clothed body against that of
others, usually strangers in crowded places
[Mid-20th century. From
French, “rubbing, friction,” from frotter “to rub,” of unknown origin.][1]



froufrou

froufrou
frou·frou 
[fr fr] noun

1.  rustling
of silk:
the sound made by the rustling of silk, especially women’s dresses

2.  fancy
trimmings:
fancy trimmings or elaborate decoration, especially on women’s clothes
[Late 19th century. From
French, an imitation of the sound.][1]



froward

froward
fro·ward 
[frṓ ərd] adjective

difficult
to deal with: stubbornly disobedient or contrary (formal)
• always
a froward child
[Old
English frāward “in a direction leading away from,” formed from Old
Norse frá “from” (see fro ) + -ward]
—fro·ward·ly,
adverb

—fro·ward·ness, noun[1]



frown

frown
frown 
[frown] verb (past frowned,
past participle frowned, present participle frown·ing,
3rd person present singular frowns)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
displeased expression: to show a facial expression
of displeasure or concentration by wrinkling the brow

2.  transitive
verb
express
by frowning: to communicate something by frowning
noun

displeased expression:
a facial expression of displeasure or concentration made by wrinkling the brow
[14th
century. From Old French froignier “to frown, snort,” from froigne
“scowl.”]
—frown·er,
noun

—frown·ing·ly, adverb[1]



frownon

frownon
frown
on
or frown up·on transitive verb

disapprove
of:
to dislike or disapprove of something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at disapprove

[1]



frowsty

frowsty
frowst·y
[frówstee] (comparative frowst·i·er,
superlative frowst·i·est) adjective

U.K.
See frowzy  adjective 2
[Mid-19th
century. Originally a dialect word, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration
of frowzy .]
—frowst·i·ness, noun[1]



frowzy

frowzy
frowz·y 
[frówzee] (comparative frowz·i·er,
superlative frowz·i·est) or frows·y [frówzee] (comparative frows·i·er, superlative
frows·i·est) adjective

1.  messy:
messy or shabby in personal appearance or manner of dress • a
frowzy loafer

2.  stuffy:
unpleasant to be in because of mustiness, staleness, or a bad smell. See
frowsty
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—frowz·i·ness, noun[1]



froze

froze
froze


Past tense of
freeze[1]



frozen

frozen
fro·zen


Past participle of
freeze
adjective

1.  with
ice:
covered by or made into ice • a
frozen lake

2.  affected
by ice:
made inoperable, damaged, or obstructed by ice or freezing temperatures • All
trains are delayed because of frozen signals. • no
running water in the house because of frozen pipes

3.  extremely
cold:
characterized by extreme cold • the
frozen north

4.  preserved
by freezing: preserved by freezing for eating at a
later time • frozen
pizza

5.  immobile:
immobile or unable to move • She
stood there, frozen in terror.

6.  FINANCE fixed:
deliberately fixed at a given level to avoid undesirable economic or social
consequences

7.  FINANCE not to
be sold:
that cannot be sold or otherwise liquidated (refers to assets) • the
country’s frozen assets
—fro·zen·ly,
adverb

—fro·zen·ness, noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








frozenshoulder

frozenshoulder
fro·zen
shoul·der
noun

U.K.
stiff shoulder:
a condition in which a shoulder joint becomes stiff and painful, especially
after having been kept in one position for a time[1]



F.R.S.

F.R.S.
F.R.S.

Abbreviation of
Fellow of the Royal Society[1]



frt.

frt.
frt.

Abbreviation of
freight[1]



fructan

fructan
fruc·tan 
[frúktən] noun

compound
of fructose: a natural polymer, composed of units of
fructose arranged in a chain, that is an important source of stored energy for
some plants
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from fructose + -an
.][1]



Fructidor

Fructidor
Fruc·ti·dor 
[frùkti dáwr] noun

12th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
12th month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
August 18 to September 16 in the Gregorian calendar
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from Latin fructus “fruit” (see fruit
) + Greek dōron “gift” ; from its being the time when fruit is ripe for
gathering.][1]



fructiferous

fructiferous
fruc·tif·er·ous 
[fruk tíffərəss, frk
tíffərəss] adjective

bearing
fruit:
used to describe a tree or other plant that bears fruit
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin fructifer “fruit-bearing,” from fructus “fruit” (see fruit ).][1]



fructification

fructification
fruc·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[frùktəfi káysh’n, frktəfi
káysh’n] noun

1.  production
of fruit:
the production of fruit or fruits by a tree or other plant

2.  fruit
of seed-bearing plant: the fruit produced by a
seed-bearing plant

3.  seed-bearing
part:
a seed-bearing or spore-bearing part of a plant, alga, or fungus

[1]



fructify

fructify
fruc·ti·fy 
[frúktə f, frktə
f] (past fruc·ti·fied, past participle fruc·ti·fied,
present participle fruc·ti·fy·ing, 3rd person present singular
fruc·ti·fies) intransitive and transitive verb

become
productive:
to become, or cause to become, productive or fruitful
[14th century. Via French fructifier
from Latin fructificare, from fructus “fruit” (see fruit ).][1]



fructose

fructose
fruc·tose 
[frúk tz, frúk
tss, frk tz, frk tss] noun

sugar
in fruits and honey: a sugar found in certain
fruits and honey. C6H12O6 
Also
called
fruit sugar
Also
called
levulose
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin fructus “fruit” (see fruit
) + -ose .][1]



fructuous

fructuous
fruc·tu·ous 
[frúkchoo əss, frkchoo
əss] adjective

fertile
in fruit:
productive of much fruit, or full of fruit (literary)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin fructuosus, from fructus “fruit” (see fruit ).][1]



frugal

frugal
fru·gal 
[frg’l] adjective

1.  thrifty:
characterized by thriftiness and avoidance of waste

2.  meager:
involving very little expense
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin frugalis, from frugi
“economical, useful,” from frug, the stem of frux “fruit,
value.”]
—fru·gal·i·ty
[froo gállətee], noun

—fru·gal·ly
[frgəlee], adverb

—fru·gal·ness [frgəlnəss], noun[1]



frugivore

frugivore
fru·gi·vore
[frjə vàwr] (plural fru·gi·vores)
noun

fruit
eater:
an animal that eats mainly fruit
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from the Latin stem frug- “fruit” + -vore “eating” (via French
from Latin -vorus ; see -vorous ).][1]



frugivorous

frugivorous
fru·giv·o·rous 
[froo jívvərəss] adjective

fruit-eating:
used to describe an animal that eats mainly fruit
[Early 18th century. Coined
from the Latin stem frug- “fruit” (source of English frugal ) + -vorous
.][1]



fruit

fruit
fruit 
[froot] noun

1.  edible
part of plant: an edible part of a plant, usually
fleshy and containing seeds

2.  ovary
of plant:
the ripened seed-bearing ovary of a plant. It is usually considered to be sweet
and fleshy, as in plums, but may be dry, as in poppies, or be a simple edible
supporting structure, as in strawberries.

3.  produce:
the produce of any plant grown or harvested by humans • the
fruits of the field

4.  product
of something: the product or consequence of something
done • We
are now seeing the fruits of our efforts.

5.  offspring:
the offspring of humans or animals (dated)

6.  spore-producing
part:
a spore-producing part of a plant

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a gay man (offensive insult)

8.  WINE fruity
taste:
a fruity taste in wine • a big
red with lots of fruit
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fruit·ed,
past participle fruit·ed, present participle fruit·ing,
3rd person present singular fruits)

produce fruit:
to bear fruit, or cause a plant or tree to bear fruit • This
variety fruits in August.
[12th
century. Via French from Latin fructus “enjoyment, produce, fruit,” from
the past participle of frui “to enjoy, have the use of” ).]
bear
fruit

to be successful in the end,
typically after planning and effort have been expended[1]



fruitage

fruitage
fruit·age 
[frtij] noun

1.  fruit
production:
the production of fruit, the condition of a plant or tree when bearing fruit,
or the time when this happens

2.  fruits:
fruits as a group

3.  result
or effect:
the results or cumulative set of effects deriving from a usually long-term
process (formal)

[1]



fruitarian

fruitarian
frui·tar·i·an 
[froo táiree ən] noun

somebody
eating nothing but fruit: somebody who follows a rare
vegetarian diet consisting only of fruit, including nuts, seeds, and any other
form of plant fruit
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on vegetarian .][1]



fruitbat

fruitbat
fruit
bat
noun

large fruit-eating bat:
a large bat found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Most fruit bats eat fruit but
others eat pollen or nectar. Suborder: Megachiroptera[1]



fruitcake

fruitcake
fruit·cake 
[frt kàyk] noun

1.  FOOD cake
with dried fruit in it: a dense cake containing
dried fruit such as raisins, currants, and sultanas. Rich fruitcakes with a
high proportion of fruit have a long shelf life, as the high sugar content acts
as a preservative.

2.  somebody
irrational:
somebody considered to be irrational or out of touch with reality (informal
insult)

[1]



fruitcocktail

fruitcocktail
fruit
cock·tail
noun

fruit mixture:
a mixture of small or diced fruits such as pears, peaches, and pineapple,
typically sold canned in syrup[1]



fruitdrop

fruitdrop
fruit
drop
noun

premature falling of fruit:
the falling from the tree of fruit that is not fully ripe[1]



fruitfly

fruitfly
fruit
fly
noun

1.  plant-eating
fly:
a small insect that eats plant tissue. Order: Trypetidae

2.  fruit-eating
fly:
a small insect that eats decaying fruit. Genus: Drosophila

[1]



fruitful

fruitful
fruit·ful 
[frtfəl] adjective

1.  bearing
much fruit:
bearing fruit, especially in abundance

2.  prolific:
producing many offspring • a
fruitful marriage

3.  causing
fertility:
causing or promoting fertility or productivity • fruitful
soil

4.  creative:
highly productive or creative

5.  successful
or beneficial: producing useful results or benefits
—fruit·ful·ly,
adverb

—fruit·ful·ness, noun[1]



fruitingbody

fruitingbody
fruit·ing
bod·y 
noun

part producing spores:
a part of certain fungi from which spores are released[1]



fruition

fruition
fru·i·tion 
[froo ísh’n] noun

1.  completion:
a state or point in which something has come to maturity or had a desired
outcome • Our
plans have come to fruition.

2.  enjoyment
of intended outcome: the enjoyment of a desired
outcome when it happens

3.  BOTANY plant’s
fruit production: the production of fruit by a tree or
other plant
[15th century. Via French
from the late Latin stem fruition-, from, ultimately, Latin frui
“to enjoy” (see fruit ).][1]



fruitless

fruitless
fruit·less 
[frtləss] adjective

1.  unsuccessful:
producing nothing or nothing worthwhile • a
fruitless discussion

2.  not
bearing fruit: producing no fruit
—fruit·less·ly,
adverb

—fruit·less·ness, noun[1]



fruitlet

fruitlet
fruit·let 
[frtlət] noun

1.  small
fruit:
a fruit of smaller than normal size

2.  part
of multiple fruit: any of the parts that make
up a multiple fruit

[1]



fruitsalad

fruitsalad
fruit
sal·ad
noun

1.  salad
with fruit:
a dish of various pieces of fresh or canned fruit, often served with lettuce
and dressing

2.  military
decorations: the rows of small narrow colorful
campaign, service, and combat decorations worn by U.S. military personnel on
the left chest area of their uniforms (slang)

[1]



fruitsugar

fruitsugar
fruit
sug·ar
noun

See
fructose[1]



fruittree

fruittree
fruit
tree
noun

tree bearing fruit:
a tree that produces edible fruit and is cultivated for that reason[1]



fruitwood

fruitwood
fruit·wood 
[frt wd] noun

wood of fruit tree:
the wood of a fruit tree, especially when used in cabinetmaking[1]



fruity

fruity
fruit·y 
[frtee] (comparative fruit·i·er,
superlative fruit·i·est) adjective

1.  of
fruit:
relating to, resembling, or reminiscent of fruit

2.  rich
in tone:
rich and resonant in voice tone

3.  excessively
sentimental: excessively sentimental in behavior or
content (informal) • fruity
Victorian love poems

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning regarded by the speaker as excessively or
inappropriately effeminate (slang offensive)
—fruit·i·ly,
adverb

—fruit·i·ness, noun[1]



frumentaceous

frumentaceous
fru·men·ta·ceous 
[frmən táyshəss] adjective

made
from wheat:
made from, containing, or like wheat or any similar grain
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin frumentaceus, from frumentum “corn, grain” (see frumenty ).][1]



frumenty

frumenty
fru·men·ty 
[frməntee] or fur·mi·ty [fúrmətee] noun

wheat
dish:
a dish made from wheat cooked to a porridge, usually with milk added and
sweetened and flavored with spices
[14th century. From Old
French frumentee, fourmentee, from frument, fourment
“grain,” from Latin frumentum, perhaps from frui “to enjoy” (see fruit ).][1]



frump

frump
frump 
[frump] noun (informal insult)

1.  insult
to woman’s appearance: a term used to insult a
woman considered by the speaker not to be good looking or to dress well

2.  dull
person:
a drab, dull, or old-fashioned person
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of earlier frumple “wrinkle,” from,
ultimately, Middle Dutch verrompelen “to rumple completely.” The
original English meaning was “sneering speech.”][1]



frumpy

frumpy
frump·y
[frúmpee] (comparative frump·i·er,
superlative frump·i·est) or frump·ish [frúmpish] adjective

dowdy:
unattractive, drab, or dowdy
—frump·i·ly,
adverb

—frump·i·ness, noun[1]



frusemide

frusemide
fru·se·mide
[frússə md] noun

U.K.
See furosemide
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from fru- (alteration of the first syllable of furyl “chemical
derived from furan”) + -sem- (of unknown origin) + -ide .][1]



frustrate

frustrate
frus·trate 
[frú stràyt] transitive verb (past
frus·trat·ed, past participle frus·trat·ed, present
participle frus·trat·ing, 3rd person present singular frus·trates)

1.  thwart:
to prevent somebody or something from succeeding or something from coming to
fruition • All
attempts to put to sea were frustrated by high winds.

2.  discourage:
to make somebody feel discouraged, exasperated, or weary
adjective

thwarted:
thwarted or blocked (archaic) • All
their schemes for their new house were frustrated.
[15th
century. From Latin frustrari “to deceive, frustrate, render useless,”
from frustra “in vain, without effect.”]
—frus·trat·er,
noun

—frus·trat·ing,
adjective

—frus·trat·ingly, adverb[1]



frustrated

frustrated
frus·trat·ed
[frú stràytəd] adjective

unfulfilled:
feeling unfulfilled or unsatisfied[1]



frustration

frustration
frus·tra·tion 
[fru stráysh’n] noun

1.  frustrating
of somebody or something: an act or instance of
causing somebody or something to be dissatisfied or unfulfilled

2.  something
that thwarts: something that blocks, thwarts, and
upsets somebody all at the same time • His
lack of ambition was a frustration to his father.

3.  dissatisfaction:
a feeling of disappointment, exasperation, or weariness caused by aims being
thwarted or desires unsatisfied

[1]



frustule

frustule
frus·tule 
[frús chl] noun

cell
wall:
the hard cell wall of a microscopic organism ( diatom
)
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
frustulum “small piece,” from frustum “bit (cut off), piece (of a
whole).”][1]



frustum

frustum

frus·tum 
[frústəm] (plural frus·tums) noun
parallel-cutting
part of solid: the part of a solid between its base and
a plane that cuts it parallel to the base
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
“bit (cut off), piece (of a whole)” (source of English frustule ).][1]



frutescent

frutescent
fru·tes·cent 
[froo téss’nt] adjective

looking
like shrub:
looking or growing like a shrub
[Early
18th century. Coined from Latin frutex “shrub” + -escent .]
—fru·tes·cence, noun[1]



fruticose

fruticose
fru·ti·cose 
[frti kss] adjective

See
frutescent
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
fruticosus, from frutic-, the stem of frutex “shrub.”][1]



frwy.

frwy.
frwy.
or frwy

Abbreviation of
freeway[1]



fry

fry1
fry1 [frī]
verb (past fried, past participle fried, present
participle fry·ing, 3rd person present singular fries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cook
quickly in fat: to cook something in fat over high heat,
or be cooked in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
become
hot or overheated: to become extremely hot as a
result of the surrounding environment or temperature (informal) • We’ll
fry in this heat!

3.  transitive
verb
burn
out:
to burn out an electrical component or circuit by passing too much power
through it (slang) • Turn
it down before you fry the speakers.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb execute
or be executed: to execute somebody or be executed in an
electric chair (slang) (offensive in some contexts)
noun
(plural fries)

1.  fried
dish:
a fried dish, sometimes of various items mixed together • a
mixed fry of various kinds of shellfish, served with a light salad

2.  occasion
with fried food: a social occasion at which the food is
fried • a
fish fry on the beach
[13th century. Via French frire
from Latin frigere “to roast, fry” (source of English fritter 1 ).][1]



fry

fry2
fry2 [frī]
plural noun

1.  young
fishes:
the young of various fish

2.  young
animals:
the young of various animals that breed or hatch in large numbers

3.  children:
small offspring of human parents (humorous)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Anglo-Norman frei, Old French frai
“spawn,” from froier “to rub, spawn,” from Latin fricare “to rub”
(source of English friction ).][1]



Frye,Northrop

Frye,Northrop
Frye
[frī], Northrop (1912–1991)

Canadian
literary critic. He is best known as a proponent of archetypal criticism. His
most important work is his Anatomy of Criticism ( 1957 ).
Full name
Frye, Herman Northrop[1]



fryer

fryer
fry·er 
[frr] or fri·er [frr] noun

1.  vessel
for frying:
a vessel in which food is fried (usually used in combination)

2.  chicken:
a young chicken suitable for frying

[1]



fryingpan

fryingpan
fry·ing
pan 
noun

pan
for frying:
a shallow metal pan with a long handle, used for frying food.
Also
called
skillet
Also
called
fry pan
out
of the frying pan (and) into the fire

from one difficult or
dangerous situation to an even worse one[1]



Fräulein

Fräulein
Fräu·lein
[fróy ln, frów
ln] (plural Fräu·lein or Fräu·leins) noun

title
for young German woman: used as a title, equivalent
to the English “Miss,” before the name or professional title of a girl or an
unmarried woman in German-speaking countries, and also as a form of address • Fräulein
Bauer
[Late 17th century. From
German, literally “little woman,” from Frau (see Frau ).][1]



Fréchette,Louis Honoré

Fréchette,Louis Honoré
Fréch·ette
[fray shét], Louis Honoré (1839–1908)

French-Canadian poet and
politician. He is known for the epic cycle of historical poems, Story of a
People ( 1887 ).[1]



Frémont,John Charles

Frémont,John Charles

Fré·mont
[fr mònt], John Charles (1813–1890)
U.S. army officer, explorer, and
politician. He charted and mapped much of the Far West, including most of the
Oregon Trail (1842).[1]



FS

FS
FS

1.  Abbreviation
of
Foreign Service

2.  Abbreviation
of
Forest Service

[1]



FSH

FSH
FSH

Abbreviation of
follicle-stimulating hormone[1]



FSLIC

FSLIC
FSLIC

Abbreviation of
Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation[1]



f-stop

f-stop
f-stop 
noun

aperture setting:
any of the settings for a lens aperture that correspond with an f-number.
Also called
aperture stop[1]



ft.

ft.
ft.
or ft

1.  Abbreviation
of
foot Abbreviation of feet

2.  Abbreviation
of
fortification

[1]



FTC

FTC
FTC

Abbreviation of
Federal Trade Commission[1]



fth.

fth.
fth.

Abbreviation of
fathom[1]



ft-lb

ft-lb
ft-lb

Abbreviation of
foot-pound[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








FTP

FTP
FTP 
noun

standard
procedure for transferring files: a set of rules or
standard procedure that allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and
from another computer over a network, for example, the Internet. Full form
file-transfer protocol
transitive
verb
(past FTPed, past participle FTPed, present
participle FT·Ping, 3rd person present singular FTPs)

transfer using FTP:
to transfer data using FTP[1]



FTSE100 Index

FTSE100 Index
FTSE
100 In·dex

London stock exchange
average: an average of the London
stock exchange prices of the stocks of the 100 largest British companies,
published daily. Full form Financial Times
Stock Exchange 100 Index[1]



fuchsia

fuchsia

fuch·sia 
[fyshə] noun

1.  PLANTS flowering
plant:
a plant or shrub widely grown for its drooping purplish, reddish, or white
flowers. Genus: Fuchsia

2.  COLORS deep
pink color:
a brilliant deep pink color tinged with purple
adjective

COLORS of
deep pink color: of a brilliant deep pink color tinged
with purple
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Leonhard Fuchs (1501–1566), a German
botanist.][1]



fuchsin

fuchsin
fuch·sin
[fyksin] or fuch·sine [fyk sn, fyksin]
noun

bluish-red
dye:
a dark-green crystalline solid that when dissolved in water makes a bluish-red
solution. It is used to dye textiles, to stain bacteria, and as a disinfectant.
C20H19N3.HCl
Also
called
magenta
[Mid-19th century. Either
from French fuchsine, or formed from its source, German Fuchs
“fox” (a translation of French Renard, name of the company that first
produced the dye).][1]



fuci

fuci
fu·ci

Plural of
fucus[1]



fuck

fuck
fuck 
[fuk] verb (past fucked,
past participle fucked, present participle fuck·ing,
3rd person present singular fucks) (taboo offensive)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse, or have sexual
intercourse with a specified person

2.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term used like a command, often followed by you, it, or another
word to express anger, contempt, or rejection

3.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to ruin, botch, or destroy something

4.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to treat somebody unjustly or harshly
noun
(taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning an act of sexual intercourse

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning somebody considered as a sexual partner of a
specified quality

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning a person, usually of a specified nature

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning something of little or no value
interjection

offensive term:
an offensive term used without a following word to express anger, disgust,
fear, or surprise (taboo offensive)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian source, in which case the underlying
sense might be “to beat, bang.”][1]



fucoid

fucoid
fu·coid 
[fy kòyd] or fu·coi·dal [fyoo kóyd’l] adjective

like type of seaweed:
relating to, typical of, or resembling the seaweed fucus[1]



fucose

fucose
fu·cose 
[fy kss] noun

form
of sugar:
a sugar found in glycosides and polysaccharides associated with certain blood
groups
[Early 20th century. Coined
from fucus + -ose
; from its presence in brown algae.][1]



fucoxanthin

fucoxanthin
fu·co·xan·thin 
[fy kō zánthin] noun

brown
pigment:
a brown carotenoid pigment found in some algae
[Late 19th century. Coined
from fucus + xantho-
+ in ; from its presence in brown algae.][1]



fucus

fucus
fu·cus 
[fykəss] (plural fu·ci [fy s] or fu·cus·es) noun

seaweed:
a greenish-brown seaweed. Genus: Fucus
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, “rock lichen, red or purple color,” from
Greek phukos “seaweed.”][1]



fuddle

fuddle
fud·dle 
[fúdd’l] verb (past fud·dled,
past participle fud·dled, present participle fud·dling,
3rd person present singular fud·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
confuse
as if with drink: to make a person or mental faculty
confused, often through intoxication

2.  intransitive
verb
drink
too much:
to drink too much alcohol regularly (archaic)
noun

fuddled state:
a state of confusion or drunkenness
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps related to Low German fuddeln “to work carelessly as
if drunk.”][1]



fuddy-duddy

fuddy-duddy
fud·dy-dud·dy 
(plural fud·dy-dud·dies) noun

dull
person:
an old-fashioned or dull person, especially one past middle age (informal)
(offensive in some contexts) • This
is for kids, not fuddy-duddies like us.
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of fussy + dad .][1]



fudge

fudge
fudge 
[fuj] noun

1.  confection:
a type of soft candy made by boiling milk and sugar and then beating the liquid
until it crystallizes and becomes slightly grainy in texture. Many flavorings
and other ingredients can be added.

2.  nonsense:
nonsensical talk (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fudged, past
participle fudged, present participle fudg·ing, 3rd
person present singular fudg·es)

alter to deceive:
to fiddle with or otherwise alter something in order to deceive or remain
noncommittal (informal) • fudged
the figures to make the bottom line look better
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of earlier fadge “to make fit, adjust”;
the underlying meaning of the confectionery sense is perhaps “botched toffee.”][1]



Fuegian

Fuegian
Fu·e·gi·an 
[fyoo jee ən, fwáyjee
ən] adjective

of
Tierra del Fuego: relating to Tierra del Fuego, or its
people or culture
noun

S American from Tierra del
Fuego: a Native South American who
was born on or lives on any of the islands of Tierra del Fuego[1]



fuel

fuel
fu·el 
[fy əl] noun

1.  source
of energy:
something that is burned to provide power or heat

2.  source
of nuclear energy: the fissionable material
used to create power in a nuclear generator

3.  source
of stimulation: something that stimulates or maintains
something else, especially an emotion • Her
refusal to answer questions added fuel to his curiosity.
verb
(past fu·eled, past participle fu·eled, present
participle fu·el·ing, 3rd person present singular fu·els)

1.  transitive
verb
supply
with fuel:
to supply something with material to burn for power or heat

2.  transitive
verb
stimulate:
to stimulate or maintain something, especially an emotion

3.  intransitive
verb
obtain
fuel:
to take on supplies of fuel for running a vehicle
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman fuaille, Old French fouaille from
assumed Vulgar Latin focalia, literally “(things) for the fire,” from
Latin focus “fireplace, hearth” (see focus
).]
—fu·el·er, noun[1]



fuelcell

fuelcell
fu·el
cell
noun

energy cell:
a device that generates electricity by converting the chemical energy of a fuel
and an oxidant to electric energy[1]



fuelefficiency

fuelefficiency
fu·el
ef·fi·cien·cy noun

economy
of fuel:
the ability to make the best use of the fuel being used
—fu·el-ef·fi·cient, adjective[1]



fuelinjection

fuelinjection

fu·el
in·jec·tion
noun
internal
combustion without carburetor: a system for running
an internal-combustion engine without using a carburetor, forcing vaporized
fuel under pressure directly into the combustion chamber
—fu·el-in·ject·ed, adjective[1]



fueloil

fueloil
fu·el
oil
noun

liquid petroleum product:
a product of liquid petroleum, burned chiefly to power ships and locomotives
and to provide domestic heating[1]



fuelrod

fuelrod
fu·el
rod
noun

tube containing reactor fuel:
a metal tube containing nuclear fuel that is used in some types of nuclear
reactor[1]



Fuentes,Carlos

Fuentes,Carlos
Fu·en·tes
[foo én tàyss, fwén
tàyss], Carlos (1928– )

Mexican writer. He is known
for his metaphysical novel The Death of Artemio Cruz ( 1962 ).[1]



fug

fug
fug 
[fug] noun

stuffy
atmosphere:
a stale or airless atmosphere
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of fog .][1]



fugacious

fugacious
fu·ga·cious 
[fyoo gáyshəss] adjective

1.  brief:
fleeting or passing away quickly (formal)

2.  BOTANY quickly
withering:
lasting only briefly before withering or dropping
[Early
17th century. Formed from the Latin stem fugac- “fleeing swiftly,” from fugere
(see fugitive ).]
—fu·ga·cious·ly,
adverb

—fu·ga·cious·ness,
noun

—fu·gac·i·ty [fyoo gássətee], noun[1]



fugal

fugal
fu·gal
[fyg’l] adjective

like
fugue:
relating to or resembling a fugue
—fu·gal·ly, adverb[1]



fugato

fugato
fu·ga·to 
[foo gtō] adverb adjective

in
fugue style: in the style of a fugue
noun
(plural fu·ga·tos)

piece
in fugue style: a piece of music in the style of a fugue
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “fugued,” from the past participle of fugare “to
compose as a fugue,” from fuga “fugue” (see fugue
).][1]



-fuge

-fuge
-fuge
suffix

one
that drives out • febrifuge
[Via French from, ultimately,
Latin fugere “to flee” (see fugitive
) and fugare “to drive out” (from fuga “flight”)][1]



fugitive

fugitive
fu·gi·tive 
[fyjətiv] noun

1.  somebody
who runs away: somebody who is running away, for
example, from justice, enemies, or brutal treatment

2.  something
elusive:
an elusive or ephemeral thing
adjective

1.  running
away from something: fleeing, especially fleeing
arrest or punishment

2.  brief:
lasting only briefly • the
fugitive hours

3.  itinerant:
moving around from place to place

4.  difficult
to understand: difficult to understand or retain • the
fugitive nature of higher mathematics

5.  written
for particular occasion: written or composed for a
particular occasion or on a subject of only passing interest • a
collection of essays, letters, and fugitive pieces
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin fugitivus, from fugit-,
the past participle stem of fugere “to flee” (source of English fugacious, refuge,
and refugee ).]
—fu·gi·tive·ly,
adverb

—fu·gi·tive·ness, noun[1]



fugle

fugle
fu·gle 
[fyg’l] (past fu·gled, past
participle fu·gled, present participle fu·gling, 3rd
person present singular fu·gles) intransitive verb

be
trainer or leader: to act as or like a fugleman
in training or leading others
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from fugleman .][1]



fugleman

fugleman
fu·gle·man 
[fyg’l màn, fyg
’lmən] noun

1.  MILITARY soldier
training others: a soldier formerly used to teach drill
movements by performing them in front of trainees

2.  leader:
somebody acting as a leader or example to others
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of German Flügelmann, literally “wing man, man on the
flank.”][1]



fugu

fugu
fu·gu 
[f g] noun

poisonous
fish:
a poisonous pufferfish that is eaten, especially in Japan, after the poisonous
parts are removed
[Mid- 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



fugue

fugue

fugue 
[fyoog] noun

1.  MUSIC musical
form:
a musical form in which a theme is first stated, then repeated and varied with
accompanying contrapuntal lines

2.  fugue
(plural fugues) or fugue state (plural fugue
states) PSYCHIATRY selective
memory loss: a disordered state of mind, in which
somebody typically wanders from home and experiences a loss of memory relating
only to the previous, rejected, environment
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Italian fuga, from Latin, “flight.”][1]



Fujian

Fujian
Fu·jian
[foo jyn] or Fu·kien [foo kyén]

province of southeastern
China, on the coast opposite the island of Taiwan. Capital: Fuzhou. Population:
31,830,000 (1994) Area: 121,000 sq km/46,720 sq mi.[1]



Fujimori,Alberto

Fujimori,Alberto
Fu·ji·mo·ri
[fji máwree], Alberto (1938– )

Peruvian political leader. He
became president of Peru in 1990 and is the first person of Japanese descent to
lead a Latin American country.[1]



Fuji,Mount

Fuji,Mount
Fu·ji,
Mount
[fjee] or Fu·ji·ya·ma [fji ymə, fji y m]

the highest mountain in
Japan, on central Honshu Island, southwest of Tokyo. A dormant volcano in the
shape of an almost perfect cone, it is considered to be sacred by many Japanese
people. Height: 3,776 m/12,387 ft.[1]



Fujisawa

Fujisawa
Fu·ji·sa·wa
[fji swə, fji
s w]

city southwest of Yokohama in
Kanagawa Prefecture, southeastern Honshu, Japan. Population: 350,370 (1990)[1]



Fujiyama

Fujiyama
Fu·ji·ya·ma
[fji ymè]

See
Fuji [Mount][1]



Fukien

Fukien
Fu·kien

See
Fujian[1]



Fukui

Fukui
Fu·ku·i
[foo k ee]

capital city of Fukui
Prefecture, west central Honshu, Japan. Population: 252,743 (1990)[1]



Fukuoka

Fukuoka
Fu·ku·o·ka
[fkoo ṓkə, fkoo
ṓ k]

port and capital of Fukuoka
Prefecture on northern Kyushu, southwestern Japan. Kyushu University was
founded here in 1911. Population: 1,237,062 (1990)[1]



Fukushima

Fukushima
Fu·ku·shi·ma
[fkoo shmə, fkoo
sh m]

capital city of Fukushima
Prefecture, on the Abukuma River in north central Honshu, Japan. Population:
280,958 (1990)[1]



Fukuyama

Fukuyama
Fu·ku·ya·ma
[fkoo ymə, fkoo
y m]

city on the Inland Sea in
Hiroshima Prefecture, Honshu Island, Japan. Population: 365,612 (1990)[1]



-ful

-ful
-ful
suffix

1.  full
of • hateful

2.  having
the nature of • rightful

3.  tending
to • forgetful

4.  an
amount that fills • capful

5.  full
to • brimful
[Old English, from full
(see full )][1]



Fula

Fula
Fu·la
[flə] (plural Fu·la or
Fu·las) or Fu·lah [flə]
(plural Fu·lah or Fu·lahs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African nomadic people: a member of an ethnically
diverse nomadic people living in various parts of western and central Africa.
Also
called
Fulani

2.  LANGUAGE See Fulani  noun 1
[Late 18th century. From
Fulani pulo “person.”][1]



Fulani

Fulani
Fu·la·ni 
[f lnee, foo
lnee] (plural Fu·la·ni or Fu·la·nis) noun

1.  LANGUAGE W
African language: a language spoken over a large area of
West Africa, especially in Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina-Faso, Gambia, Benin,
Guinea, and Senegal. It is one of the Niger-Congo family of African languages.
About 15 million people speak Fulani.
Also
called
Fula

2.  PEOPLES See Fula  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. From Hausa
.][1]



Fulbright,J. William

Fulbright,J. William

Ful·bright
[fl brt], J. William (1905–1995)
U.S.
educator and statesman. As a U.S. Democratic senator from Arkansas (1945–1974)
and chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1959–1974), he
was a leading critic of the Vietnam War. He sponsored the Fulbright Act (1946),
which enacted a major U.S. program of international educational exchanges.
Full name
Fulbright, James William[1]



fulcrum

fulcrum
ful·crum 
[flkrəm, fúlkrəm]
(plural ful·crums or ful·cra [flkrə, fúlkrə])
noun

1.  pivot:
the point or support about which a lever turns

2.  prop:
something that supports something else revolving about it or depending on it • The
fulcrum of the building plan is the major retail tenant.

3.  ZOOLOGY support
in animal:
part of an animal that acts as a hinge or support, especially scales on the
fins of some fish
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “post or foot of a couch, bedpost,” formed from the base of fulcire
“to prop up, support.”][1]



fulfill

fulfill
ful·fill
[fl fíl] (past ful·filled, past
participle ful·filled, present participle ful·fill·ing,
3rd person present singular ful·fills) or ful·fil [fl fíl] (past ful·filled, past
participle ful·filled, present participle ful·fill·ing,
3rd person present singular ful·fils) verb

1.  transitive
verb
achieve
something desired: to do what is necessary to
bring about or achieve something expected, desired, or promised • went
on to fulfill her early promise of greatness

2.  transitive
verb
carry
out:
to do what is necessary to carry out a request or command • The
instructions have been fulfilled to the letter.

3.  transitive
verb
satisfy
requirement: to be good enough or of the type
necessary to meet a standard or requirement

4.  transitive
verb
complete:
to do what is necessary to complete or bring something to an end

5.  transitive
verb
supply
amount of order: to supply the full amount of something
ordered

6.  reflexive
verb
realize
ambitions:
to feel satisfied with what you are doing, or realize your expectations or
ambitions
[Old
English fullfyllan “to fill up, make full,” from earlier forms of full + fill]
—ful·fill·er,
noun

—ful·fill·ment, noun[1]



fulfilling

fulfilling
ful·fill·ing
adjective

satisfying:
giving satisfaction to somebody as an activity or goal in life • a
fulfilling job opportunity[1]



fulgent

fulgent
ful·gent 
[fljənt, fúljənt]
adjective

shining:
shining or gleaming brilliantly (literary)
[15th
century. From Latin fulgere “to flash, shine” (source of English effulgent
and refulgent ).]
—ful·gen·cy,
noun

—ful·gent·ly, adverb[1]



fulgurant

fulgurant
ful·gu·rant 
[flgərənt, fúlgərənt]
adjective

flashing:
flashing with or like lightning (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
fulgurant-, the present participle stem of fulgurare (see fulgurate ).][1]



fulgurate

fulgurate
ful·gu·rate 
[flgə ràyt, fúlgə
ràyt] (past ful·gu·rat·ed, past participle ful·gu·rat·ed,
present participle ful·gu·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular
ful·gu·rates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
flash:
to flash with or like lightning (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE destroy
by electricity: to destroy unwanted tissue, such as
warts, using a high-frequency electric current
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin fulgurat-, the past participle stem of fulgurare
“to lighten, flash,” from, ultimately, fulgere (see fulgent ).]
—ful·gu·ra·tion [flgə ráysh’n, fùlgə
ráysh’n], noun[1]



fulgurite

fulgurite
ful·gu·rite 
[flgə rt, fúlgə
rt] noun

glass
formed by lightning: a tube of hard, glassy
material formed by lightning striking sand
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin fulgur “lightning” + -ite
.][1]



fulgurous

fulgurous
ful·gu·rous 
[flgyərəss, fúlgyərəss]
adjective

(formal)
See fulgurant
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin fulgur “lightning.”][1]



fuliginous

fuliginous
fu·lig·i·nous 
[fyoo líjjənəss] adjective (formal)

1.  sooty:
having the color or consistency of soot or smoke

2.  obscure:
like soot in cloudiness or obscurity
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French fuligineux from late Latin fuliginosus,
from Latin fuligin-, the stem of fuligo “soot.”]
—fu·lig·i·nous·ly, adverb[1]



full

full1
full1 [fl]
adjective (comparative full·er, superlative full·est)

1.  filled
to capacity: holding as much or as many as is
possible

2.  with
much or many: having a large amount or number of
something • full
of mischief

3.  greatest
in extent:
being at the highest degree or largest extent • at
full speed
• I
like my coffee full strength.

4.  complete
with nothing missing: with nothing or nobody left
out or missing, or with no part uncompleted or used • the
full complement of staff

5.  completely
developed:
at the end or peak of development • roses
in full bloom

6.  completely
so:
having reached or fulfilled all requirements for a position, rank, or
description • a
full colonel

7.  having
eaten enough: satisfied by an amount eaten or drunk

8.  busy
with activity: filled with activity or achievement • live
a full life

9.  plump:
fleshy and with a rounded shape

10. with
same parents: sharing both natural parents • my
full brother

11. charged
with emotion: affected by strong deep emotion • We
left the place with full hearts and shining eyes.

12. preoccupied:
deeply preoccupied with a large filled agenda, or with some fact or idea to the
extent of being unable to think or talk about anything else • She’s
always full of her troubles.

13. sonorous:
with depth or power, for example, of sound

14. WINE richly
flavored:
with a rich strong flavor and substantial quality

15. CLOTHES with
much fabric: made with a lot of fabric and not
close-fitting

16. BASEBALL with
three runners: in baseball, with a runner at first,
second, and third base • bases
are full
adverb

1.  completely:
to the greatest or complete extent • turn
full around

2.  directly
or exactly:
in a precise or exact position • He
took a punch full on the mouth.

3.  very:
to a high degree • What happened next we
know full well.
noun

fullest state:
the greatest extent or highest degree • We
enjoyed ourselves to the full.
verb
(past fulled, past participle fulled, present
participle full·ing, 3rd person present singular fulls)

1.  transitive
verb
SEWING sew
gathers and tucks: to make a garment full by
sewing gathers or tucks in it

2.  intransitive
verb
become
full:
to wax and become full (refers to the moon)
[Old
English . From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English
fill ; ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English complete .]
be
full of yourself

to
be very conceited and arrogant

in
full

to the complete amount or
extent, omitting nothing • The
opera has never been performed in full.[1]



full

full2
full2 [fl]
(past fulled, past participle fulled, present
participle full·ing, 3rd person present singular fulls)
intransitive and transitive verb

TEXTILES make
cloth bulkier: to make cloth bulkier by dampening and
beating it, or become bulkier by being dampened and beaten
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from fuller 1,
perhaps influenced by French fouler “to press.”][1]



fullback

fullback
full·back
[fl bàk] (plural full·backs) noun

1.  football
player:
in football, a player in the offensive backfield, usually larger than other
backfield players

2.  football
position:
in football, the position of the player called a fullback

3.  defensive
player:
a player in a defensive position in sports such as soccer or field hockey

[1]



full-blooded

full-blooded
full-blood·ed 
adjective

1.  thoroughbred:
of unmixed breed

2.  vigorous:
healthily vigorous, or forceful
—full-blood·ed·ly,
adverb

—full-blood·ed·ness, noun[1]



full-blown

full-blown
full-blown 
adjective

1.  complete:
in its most complete, extreme, strongest, or developed form • full-blown
malaria

2.  fully
in bloom:
blooming and fully open

[1]



fullboard

fullboard
full
board
noun

See
American plan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








full-bodied

full-bodied
full-bod·ied 
adjective

1.  WINE richly
flavored:
with a rich strong flavor and substantial quality

2.  richly
sounding:
rich in tone and strong in volume

[1]



full-bottomed

full-bottomed
full-bot·tomed
adjective

full at the back:
long and full at the back (refers to a wig)[1]



fullcircle

fullcircle
full
cir·cle
adverb

back to starting point:
back to the starting point, usually after passing through various stages[1]



fullcount

fullcount
full
count
noun

3 balls, 2 strikes:
in baseball, the situation in which the batter has three balls and two strikes[1]



full-courtpress

full-courtpress
full-court
press 
noun

1.  widespread
pressure:
in basketball, the practice of putting pressure on opposing players in all
parts of the court as opposed to merely defending the backcourt

2.  major
effort:
any major effort involving several people (informal) • The
DA wants a full-court press on this case.

[1]



fulldress

fulldress
full
dress
noun

formal clothes:
clothes suitable or prescribed for a ceremony or formal occasion (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



full-dress

full-dress
full-dress 
adjective

important:
of considerable importance and often complete or exhaustive • a
full-dress investigation[1]



fuller

fuller2
full·er2 [fllər]
noun

METALLURGY blacksmith’s
hammer:
a hammer used by a blacksmith for forging grooves and spreading hot iron
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from full 1 in the
sense “to make full.”][1]



fuller

fuller1
full·er1 [fllər]
noun

TEXTILES somebody
who fulls cloth: somebody who makes cloth bulkier by
dampening and beating it
[Pre-12th century. Formed
from Latin fullo, of unknown origin.][1]



Fuller,Buckminster

Fuller,Buckminster

Ful·ler
[fllər], Buckminster (1895–1983)
U.S.
engineer, designer, architect, and writer. He is noted for his innovative use
of technology to deal with global problems facing humanity in the second half
of the 20th century.
Full name
Fuller, Richard Buckminster[1]



fullerene

fullerene
ful·ler·ene
[fllə rn] (plural ful·ler·enes)
noun

form
of carbon:
a form of carbon comprising up to 500 carbon atoms arranged in a sphere or
tube. Fullerenes are very heat resistant and have unique electrical properties,
with potential uses in electronics and as lubricants.
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Fuller,Margaret

Fuller,Margaret

Ful·ler
[fllər], Margaret (1810–1850)
U.S.
writer and critic. She was the founding editor of the transcendentalist journal
The Dial ( 1840–1842 ) and author of the classic feminist work Women
in the Nineteenth Century ( 1845 ).
Full name
Fuller, Sarah Margaret[1]



Fuller,Melville W.

Fuller,Melville W.
Ful·ler 
[fllər], Melville W. (1833–1910)

U.S.
politician and jurist. He was chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
(1888–1910).
Full name
Fuller, Melville Weston[1]



Fullerton

Fullerton
Ful·ler·ton
[fllərt’n]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, 27 km/17 mi northeast of Long Beach. Population:
116,863 (1994)[1]



fuller’searth

fuller’searth
ful·ler’s
earth 
noun

absorbent clay:
an absorbent clay used in fulling cloth and in filtering liquids[1]



fuller’steasel

fuller’steasel
ful·ler’s
tea·sel
noun

prickly Eurasian plant:
a plant of Europe and Asia with prickly flower heads, formerly used to raise
the nap on cloth. Latin name: Dipsacus sativus[1]



full-faced

full-faced
full-faced
adjective

facing somebody directly:
with the whole of the face visible, facing the viewer • a
full face portrait[1]



full-fashioned

full-fashioned
full-fash·ioned 
adjective

tailored to fit:
shaped to fit the lines of the body • full-fashioned
stockings.
U.K. term
fully-fashioned[1]



full-fledged

full-fledged
full-fledged
adjective

1.  BIRDS with
adult feathers: having grown adult feathers and so being
able to fly

2.  completely
developed:
at a point of complete development or maturity • a
full-fledged microelectronics industry

3.  fully
qualified:
with full status or rank • a
full-fledged helicopter pilot

[1]



full-frontal

full-frontal
full-fron·tal
adjective

1.  exposing
genitals:
showing the whole front of the body including the genitals

2.  unrestrained:
whole-hearted and uninhibited (informal) • She
made a full-frontal attack on her opponents.

[1]



fullhouse

fullhouse
full
house
noun

poker hand:
a poker hand containing three cards of the same value and a pair of a different
value[1]



full-length

full-length
full-length 
adjective

1.  falling
to ankles:
extending to the ankles or floor (refers to a garment, e.g. a coat or skirt)

2.  showing
whole body:
showing the whole length of the body (refers to a portrait mirror, or the
like)

3.  not
shortened:
consisting of the whole or usual amount or duration of something

[1]



fullmonty

fullmonty
full
mon·ty
noun

the
lot:
everything that is needed or appropriate or makes up a full set or the whole of
something (slang)
[Monty of uncertain origin:
perhaps a shortening of Montague, from Montague Burton, name of a
British firm of gentleman’s outfitters, with reference to a full suit of
clothes][1]



fullmoon

fullmoon
full
moon
noun

1.  Moon
appearing as complete circle: the phase of the Moon when
its surface as seen from the Earth is fully illuminated by the Sun

2.  time
of full Moon: the period of time during which the Moon
appears fully illuminated as a circle
[Origin uncertain][1]



full-mouthed

full-mouthed
full-mouthed 
adjective

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE with
all teeth:
having the complete set of adult teeth

2.  loud:
said loudly or vigorously

[1]



fullnelson

fullnelson
full
nel·son
noun

wrestling hold:
a wrestling hold in which one wrestler puts both arms beneath an opponent’s
arms from behind and then exerts pressure by clasping the hands at the back of
the opponent’s neck[1]



fullness

fullness
full·ness
[flnəss] noun

state of being full:
the quality or condition of being full or complete • the
fullness of her explanation[1]



full-rigged

full-rigged
full-rigged
adjective

with three masts:
having at least three square-rigged masts[1]



full-scale

full-scale
full-scale 
adjective

1.  life-size:
having exactly the same dimensions and proportions as the original

2.  total:
done with total commitment of effort and resources • a
full-scale manhunt

[1]



full-service

full-service
full-ser·vice 
adjective

providing complete service:
providing a complete range of services • a
full-service gas station[1]



full-size

full-size
full-size 
or full-sized adjective

1.  of
usual size:
being the normal size for its kind

2.  of
standard size for bed: measuring 137 by 190 cm54 by
75 in. or suitable as linen for this size of bed

[1]



fullstop

fullstop
full
stop
noun

1.  U.K.
GRAMMAR See period

2.  complete
stop:
a complete halt or an end • This
delay has brought production to a full stop.

[1]



fulltime

fulltime
full
time
adjective adverb full-time full time

for
the whole usual time: during all of the time
considered standard or appropriate for the activity in question
noun

end
of match:
the end of a match in soccer and other sports
—full-tim·er, noun[1]



full-waverectifier

full-waverectifier
full-wave
rec·ti·fi·er noun

positive and negative
alternating current circuit: a circuit
used in the design of electronic equipment such as radios, computers, and
televisions that operates on both the positive and negative cycles of an
alternating current[1]



fully

fully
ful·ly 
[fllee] adverb

1.  completely:
to the greatest extent possible or required • The
flight is fully booked.

2.  for
what is specified: to the full extent of the
time, quantity, or number specified • We
waited fully 40 minutes.

[1]



fullyfeatured

fullyfeatured
ful·ly
fea·tured
adjective

having all desirable
features: used to describe an
electronic device or piece of software that has all the features that a user
would hope for or expect “Manufacturers can offer high speed, fully featured
modems, suitable for existing or new computers.” Internet Magazine November 1998[1]



fully-fledged

fully-fledged
ful·ly-fledged
adjective

U.K. =
full-fledged[1]



fulmar

fulmar
ful·mar 
[flmər, fl mr]
noun

seabird:
a heavy short-tailed seabird living in polar regions. Genus: Fulmarus
[Late 17th century.
Originally a Hebridean Norn dialect word, from Old Norse fúll “foul”
(from the bird’s habit of regurgitating its stomach’s contents when disturbed)
+ már “gull.”][1]



fulminant

fulminant
ful·mi·nant 
[flmənənt, fúlmənənt]
adjective

1.  exploding:
exploding violently

2.  MEDICINE sudden
and severe:
coming on suddenly and with severe symptoms of short duration
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from, ultimately, Latin fulminare .][1]



fulminate

fulminate
ful·mi·nate 
[flmə nàyt, fúlmə
nàyt] intransitive and transitive verb (past ful·mi·nat·ed,
past participle ful·mi·nat·ed, present participle ful·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular ful·mi·nates)

1.  speak
scathingly:
to express forceful criticism • an
article fulminating against the arms trade

2.  explode:
to detonate or explode violently, or cause something to detonate or explode
violently
noun

CHEMISTRY explosive
salt or ester: any explosive salt or ester of fulminic
acid, especially fulminate of mercury
[15th
century. From Latin fulminare “to lighten, strike with lightning,” from fulmen
“lightning.”]
—ful·mi·na·tion
[flmə náysh’n, fùlmə
náysh’n], noun

—ful·mi·na·tor
[flmə nàytər, fúlmə
nàytər], noun

—ful·mi·na·to·ry [flmənə tàwree, fúlmənə
tàwree], adjective[1]



fulminateof mercury

fulminateof mercury
ful·mi·nate
of mer·cu·ry noun

explosive substance:
the mercury salt of fulminic acid, often used in explosives and detonators. HgC2N2O2[1]



fulminating

fulminating
ful·mi·nat·ing
[flmə nàyting, fúlmə
nàyting] adjective

1.  explosive:
able or likely to explode or detonate

2.  MEDICINE See fulminant  adjective 2

[1]



fulminicacid

fulminicacid
ful·min·ic
ac·id 
[fl mìnnik ássid, ful
mìnnik ássid] noun

unstable
chemical:
an unstable compound that smells of bitter almonds. It is used in the
manufacture of explosives. HONC
[Formed from the Latin stem fulmin-
the stem of fulmen “lightning that strikes” (see fulminate )][1]



fulsome

fulsome
ful·some 
[flsəm] adjective

1.  excessively
complimentary: effusive or fawning to the point of
being offensive • embarrassed by their
fulsome praise

2.  lavish:
great in amount or intensity
[13th
century. From full + -some .]
—ful·some·ly,
adverb

—ful·some·ness, noun[1]



Fulton

Fulton
Ful·ton
[flt’n]

city in Oswego County,
central New York, 39 km24 mi north of Syracuse. Population: 12,929 (1990)[1]



Fulton,Robert

Fulton,Robert

Ful·ton
[flt’n], Robert (1765–1815)
U.S. inventor and engineer. He built the
first efficient steamboat, the “Clermont” (1807), thus inaugurating a
new era of power-driven navigation.[1]



fulvous

fulvous
ful·vous
[flvəss] adjective

orange-brown:
of an orange-brown color (literary)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin fulvus “reddish-yellow.”][1]



FuManchu mustache

FuManchu mustache
Fu
Man·chu mus·tache  [foo mán
ch mù stash, f man ch mù stash] noun

drooping
mustache:
a mustache with long drooping ends
[Named for Fu Manchu,
a character with such a moustache in the novels of Sax Rohmer, pen name of
British writer Arthur Sarsfield Ward (1886–1959)][1]



fumaricacid

fumaricacid
fu·mar·ic
ac·id 
[fyoo mèrrik ássid] noun

naturally
occurring chemical: a colorless crystalline
solid that occurs naturally in certain plants and molds and is synthesized from
benzene. It is used in making resins. C4H4O4
[Formed from modern Latin Fumaria,
genus name or fumitory, from late Latin, “fumitory,” from Latin fumus
“smoke”][1]



fumarole

fumarole
fu·ma·role 
[fymə rl] noun

steam
vent:
a vent in a volcanic area from which steam and hot gases such as sulfur dioxide
are emitted
[Early
19th century. Via Italian fumaruolo from late Latin fumariolum
“vent, smoke-hole,” from, ultimately, Latin fumus “smoke.”]
—fu·ma·rol·ic [fymə róllik], adjective[1]



fumatory

fumatory
fu·ma·to·ry 
[fymə tàwree] (plural fu·ma·to·ries)
adjective

involving
fumigation:
relating to, involving, or typical of fumigation or smoking
[Mid-19th century. From
assumed Latin fumatorius, from fumare .][1]



fumble

fumble
fum·ble 
[fúmb’l] verb (past fum·bled,
past participle fum·bled, present participle fum·bling,
3rd person present singular fum·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grope
clumsily:
to grope clumsily in searching for something • He
fumbled in his pockets for his keys.

2.  intransitive
verb
hesitate:
to act clumsily, hesitantly, or unsuccessfully • She
fumbled through the introductions.

3.  transitive
verb
bungle:
to do something clumsily or inefficiently • This
is your last chance, so don’t fumble it.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS drop or mishandle ball:
in sports, to drop or fail to catch a ball
noun

1.  fumbled
action:
an act or instance of fumbling

2.  SPORTS fumbled
ball:
a ball in sports that is dropped or mishandled
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from a Scandinavian source.]
—fum·bler,
noun

—fum·blingl·y, adverb[1]



fume

fume
fume 
[fyoom] verb (past fumed,
past participle fumed, present participle fum·ing, 3rd
person present singular fumes)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
angry:
to feel great anger, especially anger that is not fully expressed

2.  intransitive
verb
emit
gas:
to emit gas, smoke, or vapor, or be emitted in this form

3.  transitive
verb
fumigate:
to treat something with a gas, smoke, or other fumigant
noun

1.  smoke:
smoke, gas, or vapor, especially when unpleasant or harmful (often used in
the plural) • a chemical that emits
noxious fumes when exposed to air

2.  acrid
smell:
an acrid or nauseating smell (often used in the plural)

3.  fit
of anger:
a state of great anger
[14th
century. Via Old French fum from Latin fumus “smoke” (source of
English perfume ).]
—fum·ing·ly,
adverb

—fum·y, adjective[1]



fumet

fumet
fu·met
[fymət] noun

cooking
stock:
a strongly-flavored stock obtained from cooking fish, meat, or vegetables
[Early 18th century. From
French, from fumer “to smoke,” ultimately from Latin fumus (see fume ).][1]



fumigant

fumigant
fu·mi·gant 
[fymigənt] noun

fuming
substance:
a substance that gives off fumes, especially one used as a disinfectant or to
kill pests
[Late 19th century. From
Latin fumigare (see fumigate ).][1]



fumigate

fumigate
fu·mi·gate 
[fymi gàyt] (past fu·mi·gat·ed,
past participle fu·mi·gat·ed, present participle fu·mi·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular fu·mi·gates) intransitive and
transitive verb

treat
with fumes:
to treat something with fumes, especially to disinfect it or to kill pests
[Mid-16th
century. From fumigare “to smoke,” from fumus “smoke.”]
—fu·mi·ga·tion
[fymi gáysh’n], noun

—fu·mi·ga·tor [fymi gàytər], noun[1]



fumingsulfuric acid

fumingsulfuric acid
fum·ing
sul·fu·ric ac·id noun

concentrated solution of
sulfuric acid: a very concentrated
solution of sulfuric acid that gives off fumes[1]



fun

fun
fun 
[fun] noun

1.  amusement:
a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement • Just
for fun, we wore silly hats.

2.  something
amusing:
something such as an activity that provides enjoyment or amusement • Skiing
is fun for the whole family.

3.  mockery:
playful joking, often at the expense of another • What’s
said in fun can still hurt.
adjective

1.  amusing:
providing enjoyment or amusement (informal) • We’ll
have a fun time tonight.

2.  cheap
and flamboyant: flamboyant in style and often made of
cheap synthetic materials, designed to be used or worn for fun • fun
jewelry
intransitive
verb
(past funned, past participle funned, present
participle fun·ning, 3rd person present singular funs)

behave playfully:
to behave in a playful or joking way (informal) • Don’t
pay any attention to him; he’s just funning.
[Late
17th century. From earlier English fon “fool,” the probable source of fond .]
fun
and games

1.  activity,
difficulty, or trouble (informal) (used ironically) • A
broken sprinkler in the stockroom overnight gave us some fun and games in the
morning.

2.  carefree
amusement (informal)

make
fun of somebody or something

to
make somebody or something appear ridiculous

poke
fun at somebody or something

to
mock or ridicule somebody or something

[1]



Funabashi

Funabashi
Fu·na·ba·shi
[fnə bshee]

city in Chiba Prefecture on
the northeastern coast of Tokyo Bay, Honshu Island, Japan. Population: 533,270
(1990)[1]



funambulist

funambulist
fu·nam·bu·list 
[fyoo námbyəlist] (plural fu·nam·bu·lists)
noun

rope-walker:
an acrobat who walks while balancing on a suspended rope
[Late
18th century. Formed from French funambule or its source, Latin funambulus,
from funis “rope” + ambulare “to walk” (source of English amble ).]
—fu·nam·bu·lism,
noun

—fu·nam·bu·late [fyoo námbyə làyt], intransitive verb[1]



function

function
func·tion 
[fúngkshən] noun (plural func·tions)

1.  purpose:
an action or use for which something is suited or designed • a
watch with an alarm function

2.  role:
an activity or role assigned to somebody or something

3.  event:
a social gathering or ceremony, especially a formal or official occasion • a
black-tie function

4.  MATHEMATICS variable
quantity determined by others’ values: a
variable quantity whose value depends upon the varying values of other
quantities

5.  dependent
factor:
a quality or characteristic that depends upon and varies with another • Success
is a function of determination and ability.

6.  MATHEMATICS correspondence
between members of different sets: a relationship between
two mathematical sets, in which each member of one set corresponds uniquely to
a member of the other set. Symbol f
Also
called
mapping
Also
called
map

7.  COMPUTING single
computer operation: a named and stored basic
operation of a computer yielding a single result when invoked

8.  COMPUTING computer
program’s main purpose: the purpose of a computer
program or piece of computer equipment, for example, database management or
printing

9.  LINGUISTICS role
of word or phrase: a grammatical role performed
by a word or phrase in a particular construction • Noun
phrases can fulfill many functions.
intransitive
verb
(past func·tioned, past participle func·tioned, present
participle func·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular func·tions)

1.  serve
purpose:
to serve a particular purpose or perform a particular role • hats
functioning both as fashion statements and as protection against the sun

2.  be
in working order: to operate normally, fulfilling a
purpose or role • When the heart ceases
to function, the patient is clinically dead.
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin stem function-, from funct-, the past
participle stem of fungi “to perform” (source of English defunct ).]
—func·tion·less, adjective[1]



functional

functional
func·tion·al 
[fúngkshən’l] adjective

1.  practical:
having a practical application or serving a useful purpose • designs
that are functional yet fun

2.  operational:
in good working order or working at the moment • The
elevator will not be functional for several hours.

3.  MEDICINE having
no organic cause: without apparent organic or structural
cause • a
functional disorder

4.  LINGUISTICS relating
to language as communication: relating to the function of
language as a communicating tool, rather than to its form • functional
linguistics
—func·tion·al·i·ty
[fùngkshə nállətee], noun

—func·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



functionalfood

functionalfood
func·tion·al
food
(plural func·tion·al foods) noun

food with nutritional
additives: food containing nutritional
additives that is promoted as being beneficial to health and able to prevent or
reduce certain diseases such as tooth decay and cancer “the first spread
formulated to act against cholesterol in a market for so-called functional
foods” The Guardian April 1999[1]



functionalgroup

functionalgroup
func·tion·al
group
(plural func·tion·al groups) noun

group of atoms reacting as
one: a group of atoms that reacts
as a single unit and determines the properties and structure of a particular
class of compounds, for example, a hydroxyl group in alcohols[1]



functionalilliterate

functionalilliterate
func·tion·al
il·lit·er·ate noun

somebody
with inadequate literacy: somebody whose reading and
writing abilities are inadequately developed to meet everyday needs
—func·tion·al·ly
il·lit·er·ate, adjective[1]



functionalism

functionalism
func·tion·al·ism 
[fúngkshən’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in function over form: belief that the intended
function of something should determine its design, construction, and choice of
materials, or a 20th-century design movement based on this

2.  PHILOSOPHY philosophy
emphasizing the practical: any philosophy or system
that gives practical and utilitarian concerns priority over esthetic concerns

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES assessment
of social institutions by role: the analysis and
explanation of social institutions according to the function they perform in
society, for example, the family seen as an institution for social stability
and cohesion
—func·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—func·tion·al·is·tic, adjective[1]



functionalliteracy

functionalliteracy
func·tion·al
lit·er·a·cy
noun

basic literacy for everyday
life: the level of skill in
reading and writing that an individual needs to cope with everyday adult life[1]



functionalshift

functionalshift
func·tion·al
shift
(plural func·tion·al shifts) noun

change in word’s grammatical
function: a change in the grammatical
function of a word, for example, from noun to verb, as happens when the noun
“wallpaper” is used as the verb “to wallpaper”[1]



functionary

functionary
func·tion·ar·y 
[fúngkshə nèree] (plural func·tion·ar·ies)
noun

official:
somebody who performs official duties, especially somebody whose duties are
regarded as trivial[1]



functionkey

functionkey
func·tion
key
noun

keyboard button with specific
function: a button on a computer
keyboard or terminal that instructs the computer to perform a specific task.
The same key may be programmed to perform different tasks in different
programs.[1]



functionword

functionword
func·tion
word
(plural func·tion words) noun

word performing function,
without intrinsic meaning: a word that
has little meaning on its own but serves a particular syntactic or semantic
function in a phrase or sentence, for example, conjunctions “such as” and
“but.”
Also called
functor
Also called
form word[1]



functor

functor
func·tor 
[fúngktər] (plural func·tors) noun

1.  something
performing function: somebody or something that
performs a function (formal)

2.  LINGUISTICS See function word
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from function, on the model of such words as
factor .][1]



fund

fund
fund 
[fund] noun (plural funds)

1.  supply:
a source or stock of something

2.  reserve
of money:
a sum of money saved or invested for a particular purpose • We’ve
started an education fund for our children.

3.  organization
administering reserve of money: an organization that
manages a sum of money for a particular purpose • a
mutual fund
plural
noun
funds

1.  money:
money, especially money that is available to spend • I’m
a bit short of funds at the moment.

2.  U.K.
government securities: British government
securities that finance the national debt and pay a fixed rate of interest
transitive
verb
(past fund·ed, past participle fund·ed, present
participle fund·ing, 3rd person present singular funds)

1.  provide
money for:
to provide money needed to finance a project or keep it running (often
passive) • environmental
projects funded by local government

2.  provide
money to pay debt: to provide a sum of money to
pay off a debt or its interest

3.  make
debt long-term: to convert a short-term debt into a
long-term debt with a fixed rate of interest

4.  put
in reserve:
to store something up for future use • a
notebook in which snippets of overheard conversations are funded
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
fundus “bottom” (source of English found 1 ).
The word was first borrowed in the Latin senses “bottom, basis”; the modern
meanings developed from the sense “source of supply.”][1]



fundament

fundament
fun·da·ment 
[fúndəmənt] (plural fun·da·ments)
noun

1.  ANATOMY buttocks:
the buttocks or the anus (archaic or humorous)

2.  GEOGRAPHY natural
landform:
a natural land surface that has not been altered by people

3.  founding
principle:
an underlying principle or theory on which something is founded (formal)
(often used in the plural)
[13th century. Via Old French
fondement from, ultimately, Latin fundus “bottom.”][1]



fundamental

fundamental
fun·da·men·tal 
[fùndə mént’l] adjective

1.  basic:
relating to or affecting the underlying principles or structure of something • We
need to make fundamental changes in our business.

2.  central:
serving as an essential part of something • Free
speech is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.

3.  MUSIC of a
chord’s lowest note: relating to the lowest note
of a chord in root position, the note that gives the chord its basic harmony

4.  PHYSICS of
lowest frequency: relating to or produced by the lowest
frequency component in a complex vibration
noun
(plural fun·da·men·tals)

1.  basic
principle or element: a basic and necessary
component of something, especially an underlying rule or principle (often
used in the plural) • The
class teaches the fundamentals of karate.

2.  MUSIC principal
tone:
the principal tone in a chord, from which other harmonics are generated

3.  PHYSICS lowest
frequency:
the lowest frequency in a vibration or periodic wave

[1]



fundamentalinteraction

fundamentalinteraction
fun·da·men·tal
in·ter·ac·tion (plural fun·da·men·tal
in·ter·ac·tions) noun

PHYSICS
See interaction  noun 3[1]



fundamentalism

fundamentalism
fun·da·men·tal·ism 
[fùndə mént’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  movement
advocating return to traditional principles: a
religious or political movement based on a literal interpretation of and strict
adherence to doctrine, especially as a return to former principles

2.  support
for literal explanation: the belief that religious or
political doctrine should be implemented literally, not interpreted or adapted
—fun·da·men·tal·ist,
noun, adjective

—fun·da·men·tal·ist·ic
[fùndə ment’l ístik], adjective[1]



fundamentallaw

fundamentallaw
fun·da·men·tal
law
(plural fun·da·men·tal laws) noun

basic principles of
government: the founding rules and
principles or constitution on which a government is based, as distinct from its
legislative acts[1]



fundamentally

fundamentally
fun·da·men·tal·ly
[fùndə mént’lee] adverb

at basic level:
in a way that relates to or affects something at its most basic level • Your
argument is fundamentally flawed.[1]



fundamentalparticle

fundamentalparticle
fun·da·men·tal
par·ti·cle
(plural fun·da·men·tal par·ti·cles) noun

See
elementary particle[1]



-funded

-funded
-funded
suffix

with money from:
with money provided by a particular institution or person • a
number of government-funded schemes[1]



fundi

fundi
fun·di


Plural of
fundus[1]



funding

funding
fund·ing
[fúnding] noun

money:
financial support[1]



fundraiser

fundraiser
fund·rais·er 
[fúnd ràyzər] (plural fund·rais·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who raises money: somebody who solicits money for a
nonprofit or political organization, especially somebody whose job is to
organize campaigns to raise money

2.  money-raising
activity:
an activity or event that is intended to generate money to support a non-profit
or political organization

[1]



fundraising

fundraising
fund·rais·ing
[fúnd ràyzing] noun

activity of raising money:
the organized activity of soliciting and collecting funds for a non-profit or
political organization[1]



fundus

fundus
fun·dus 
[fúndəss] (plural fun·di [fún d]) noun

base
of organ:
the part of a hollow organ farthest from its opening, for example, the part of
the eye’s retina opposite the pupil
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “bottom.”]
—fun·dic [fúndik], adjective[1]



Fundy,Bay of

Fundy,Bay of
Fun·dy,
Bay of
[fúndee]

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean
off Canada, separating New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. Its rapid tides
are among the highest in the world, reaching 18 m/60 ft . Depth: 200 m/650 ft.
Length: 150 km/94 mi.[1]



FundyNational Park

FundyNational Park
Fun·dy
Na·tion·al Park

national park and wildlife
reserve along the Bay of Fundy, southwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Area: 206
sq km/80 sq mi.[1]



funeral

funeral
fu·ner·al 
[fynərəl] (plural fu·ner·als)
noun

1.  ceremony
for somebody who has died: a rite held to mark the
burial or cremation of a corpse, especially a ceremony held immediately before
burial or cremation

2.  end:
an end to something’s existence • We
have witnessed the funeral of the amateur game.

3.  funeral
procession:
a procession of mourners following a body to its place of burial or cremation

4.  funeral
sermon or memorial service: a sermon or eulogy delivered
at a funeral ceremony or a memorial service held some time after the death (regional)
[14th
century. Via Old French funerailles “funeral rites” from medieval Latin funeralia,
from late Latin funeralis “of death rituals,” from Latin funer-,
the stem of funus “death ritual.”]
be
somebody’s funeral

to be somebody else’s problem
or worry (informal) • If
he wants to work extra hours, that’s his funeral.[1]



funeraldirector

funeraldirector
fu·ner·al
di·rec·tor
(plural fu·ner·al di·rec·tors) noun

somebody who arranges
funerals: somebody, especially the
proprietor of a funeral home, whose job is to manage funerals and often also to
prepare corpses for burial or cremation.
Also called
undertaker
U.K. term
undertaker[1]



funeralhome

funeralhome
fu·ner·al
home
(plural fu·ner·al homes) or fu·ner·al par·lor (plural
fu·ner·al par·lors) noun

business arranging or
performing funerals: a business
establishment where corpses are prepared for burial or cremation and where a
funeral service may also be held and the body viewed by mourners.
Also called
funeral parlor
U.K. term
funeral parlour[1]



funeralparlor

funeralparlor
fu·ner·al
par·lor
(plural fu·ner·al par·lors) noun

U.K.
See funeral home[1]



funerary

funerary
fu·ner·ar·y 
[fynə rèrree] adjective

relating
to funerals: relating to or suitable for a burial or
funeral • a
funerary urn
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin funerarius, from Latin funer-, the stem of funus
“funeral.”][1]



funereal

funereal
fu·ne·re·al 
[fyə nree əl] adjective

1.  of
or like a funeral: relating to or suitable for
a funeral

2.  gloomy:
very slow, solemn, mournful, or dismal
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin funereus, from funer-, the stem
of funus “funeral.”]
—fu·ne·re·al·ly, adverb[1]



funfest

funfest
fun·fest 
[fún fèst] (plural fun·fests) noun

party:
a party, especially one at which amusing activities are organized (informal)[1]



fungal

fungal
fun·gal 
[fúng g’l] or fun·gous [fúng g’l] adjective

1.  of
or like fungus: in the form of a fungus or similar to a
fungus in appearance or texture

2.  from
a fungus:
caused by a fungus • a fungal infection

[1]



fungi

fungi
fun·gi


Plural of
fungus[1]



fungible

fungible
fun·gi·ble 
[fúnjəb’l] adjective

1.  substitutable:
capable of being interchanged

2.  tradable
under a contract: used to described commodities that can
be traded or substituted for an equal amount of a like commodity, usually to
satisfy a contract
noun
(plural fun·gi·bles)

something traded or substituted:
a commodity that is fungible (often used in the plural)
[Late
17th century. From medieval Latin fungibilis, from Latin fungi
“to perform” (see function ).]
—fun·gi·bil·i·ty [fùnjə bíllətee], noun[1]



fungicide

fungicide
fun·gi·cide 
[fúnjə sd, fúng
gə sd] (plural fun·gi·cides) noun

chemical
that kills fungi: a substance used to destroy or inhibit
the growth of fungi
—fun·gi·cid·al
[fùnjə sd’l, fùng
gə sd’l], adjective

—fun·gi·cid·al·ly [fùnjə sd’lee, fùng gə
sd’lee], adverb[1]



fungiform

fungiform
fun·gi·form 
[fúnjə fàwrm, fúng
gə fàwrm] adjective

mushroom-shaped:
shaped like a mushroom[1]



fungistat

fungistat
fun·gi·stat 
[fúnjə stàt, fúng
gə stàt] (plural fun·gi·stats) noun

chemical
restricting spread of fungi: a substance that inhibits
the growth of fungi without killing them
—fun·gi·stat·ic [fùnjə státtik, fùng gə
státtik], adjective[1]



fungo

fungo
fun·go 
[fúng g] (plural fun·goes) noun
BASEBALL

1.  baseball
shot:
in baseball, an act of hitting the ball high into the air, usually to give
fielders catching practice

2.  See
fungo bat
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fungobat

fungobat
fun·go
bat
noun

BASEBALL
baseball bat used in practice:
a lightweight bat used in baseball practice to hit fungoes.
Also called
fungo[1]



fungoid

fungoid
fun·goid 
[fúng gòyd] adjective

of
or like fungus: resembling, characteristic of, or caused
by a fungus • a
fungoid growth
noun
(plural fun·goids)

fungus:
a fungus, or a growth resembling a fungus[1]



fungous

fungous
fun·gous 
adjective

See
fungal[1]



fungus

fungus
fun·gus 
[fúng gəss] (plural fun·gi [fún j, fúng g]
or fun·gus·es) noun

spore-producing
organism:
a single-celled or multicellular organism without chlorophyll that reproduces
by spores and lives by absorbing nutrients from organic matter. Fungi include
mildews, molds, mushrooms, rusts, smuts, and yeasts.
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



funhouse

funhouse
fun
house
(plural fun hous·es) noun

scary amusement attraction:
a building at an amusement park that customers walk or ride through,
encountering objects and devices designed to amuse or startle[1]



funicle

funicle
fu·ni·cle 
[fynik’l] (plural fu·ni·cles)
noun

See
funiculus
[Mid-17th century. An
anglicization of Latin funiculus (see funiculus
).][1]



funicular

funicular
fu·nic·u·lar 
[fyoo níkyələr] adjective

1.  of
rope’s tension: relating to a rope, especially its
tension

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING rope-operated:
operated by a rope or cable, especially one wound or pulled by a machine

3.  ANATOMY BOTANY of a funiculus:
relating to a funiculus
noun
(plural fu·nic·u·lars)

RAIL cable-operated
railway:
a funicular railway or railway car
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from funiculus .][1]



funicularrailway

funicularrailway
fu·nic·u·lar
rail·way
(plural fu·nic·u·lar rail·ways) noun

cable-operated railway on
hillside: a railway used on short
steep inclines in which cars that counterbalance each other run on parallel
tracks linked to a cable[1]



funiculus

funiculus
fu·nic·u·lus 
[fyoo níkyələss] (plural fu·nic·u·li
[fyoo níkyə l]) noun
Also
called
funicle

1.  ANATOMY cord-shaped
body part:
a cord-shaped part of the body such as the umbilical cord or a bundle of nerve
fibers in the spinal cord

2.  BOTANY ovule
stalk:
a stalk of a plant ovule that connects it or a seed to the placenta
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “little rope,” from funis “rope.”][1]



funk

funk1
funk1 [fungk]
noun

1.  MUSIC musical
style:
a type of popular music that derives from jazz, blues, and soul and is
characterized by a heavy rhythmic bass and backbeat

2.  MUSIC earthy
musical quality: a rhythmic earthy quality in music (slang)

3.  lack
of worldliness: lack of sophistication, especially the
kind of simplicity or naiveté thought by some to be typical of rural or
provincial areas (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from funky 1 .][1]



funk

funk3
funk3 [fungk]
noun

bad
smell:
a strong unpleasant odor (slang) • get
the funk out of my clothes
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via dialectal French funquer “to smoke” from,
ultimately, Latin fumigare (see fumigate
).][1]



funk

funk2
funk2 [fungk]
(past funked, past participle funked, present
participle funk·ing, 3rd person present singular funks,
plural funks) noun

melancholy:
a state of melancholy or hopeless sadness (informal) • He’s
been in a funk since the divorce.
[Mid-18th
century. Origin unknown.]
be
in a blue funk

to be in a melancholy state (dated
informal)[1]



funky

funky1
funk·y1 [fúngkee]
(comparative funk·i·er, superlative funk·i·est) adjective

1.  smelly:
with a strong odor (slang)

2.  casual:
down-to-earth and informal, sometimes in ways seen as lacking style or as
tasteless (slang) • These
clothes are too funky to wear to work.

3.  unconventional:
offbeat, creative, and novel (informal) • a
return to the funky styles of the 1970s

4.  MUSIC like
blues:
resembling blues music (slang)

5.  MUSIC like
funk:
with the backbeat and rhythmic bass typical of funk music (informal)

6.  uncomfortable:
causing discomfort or unease (informal) • Since
we broke up, any conversation has been pretty funky.
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from funk 3 .]
—funk·i·ly,
adverb

—funk·i·ness, noun[1]



funnel

funnel
fun·nel 
[fúnn’l] noun (plural fun·nels)

1.  utensil
used in pouring liquids: a cone-shaped utensil with a
large opening at the top and a small opening or tube at the bottom, used to
guide liquids and other substances into containers

2.  chimney:
a vertical pipe from which smoke and exhaust gases escape, especially one on a
steamship or steam engine
verb
(past fun·neled, past participle fun·neled, present
participle fun·nel·ing, 3rd person present singular fun·nels)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
into narrow space: to move or direct something
into and through a narrow space • an
efficient system for funneling crowds through the turnstiles

2.  transitive
verb
concentrate
resources somewhere: to direct or channel all of
something from one place or use to another • Funds
were funneled away from other projects.

3.  transitive
verb
make
funnel -shaped: to form something into the shape of a
funnel
[15th century. Via Provençal fonilh
from, ultimately, Latin infundibulum, from infundere “to pour
in,” from fundere “to pour” (source of English found, fuse,
and confuse ).][1]



funnelcloud

funnelcloud
fun·nel
cloud
(plural fun·nel clouds) noun

cloud formation preceding
tornado: a funnel-shaped cloud that
projects from the base of a thundercloud and often develops into a tornado[1]



funnelform

funnelform
fun·nel·form 
[fúnn’l fàwrm] adjective

funnel-shaped:
used to describe a flower or other plant part that is shaped like a funnel or
cone[1]



funnel-webspider

funnel-webspider
fun·nel-web
spi·der
(plural fun·nel-web spi·ders) or fun·nel-web (plural
fun·nel-webs) noun

large poisonous Australian
spider: a large black highly
venomous spider that is native to Australia and makes funnel-shaped webs.
Family: Dipluridae[1]



funnily

funnily
fun·ni·ly
[fúnnilee] adverb

1.  introducing
comment on something strange: used to introduce a comment
on something considered strange or odd • Funnily
enough, nobody seemed to notice.

2.  strangely:
in a way that seems strange or odd • She
has been acting funnily ever since the operation.

3.  comically:
in an amusing or humorous way

[1]



funny

funny
fun·ny 
[fúnnee] adjective (comparative
fun·ni·er, superlative fun·ni·est)

1.  comical:
causing amusement, especially enough to provoke laughter

2.  strange:
odd or perplexing • That’s funny, I can’t
find my keys.

3.  unconventional:
out of the ordinary in a quaint or comical way • a
funny little doorway through an arch

4.  unwell:
slightly ill, for example nauseated or faint (informal)

5.  tricky:
sly, deceitful, or dishonest (informal) • Don’t
try anything funny, or I’ll call the police.
noun
(plural fun·nies)

joke: an
amusing remark or joke (informal)
plural
noun
fun·nies

newspaper comic strips:
the section of a newspaper containing the comic strips
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from fun .]
—fun·ni·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  funny, comic, comical,
  droll, facetious, humorous, waggish, witty, hilarious,
  side-splitting
  CORE
  MEANING: causing
  or intended to cause amusement funny;
  a general word used to describe something that causes amusement or laughter,
  whether intentionally or not; comic;
  used in the same way as “funny,” especially to describe books, poems, or
  plays; comical; suggesting that
  somebody or something is funny to the extent of being absurd, especially if
  this is unintentional; droll; used
  to describe something that is funny because it is whimsical or odd. It is
  also used to suggest humor that is rather dry in tone; facetious; used showing disapproval to
  suggest that an attempt at humor is ill-timed, inappropriate or silly; humorous; giving rise to amusement, smiles,
  or laughter, but with the suggestion that this is more genial, sympathetic,
  or light-hearted than is necessarily the case with “funny”; waggish;
  suggesting humor with overtones of playfulness; witty;
  suggesting quick and clever, inventive verbal humor; hilarious; used to describe something that
  is very funny indeed; side-splitting; used to describe something that
  is very funny indeed, especially when it causes a great deal of
  uncontrollable laughter

[1]



funnybone

funnybone
fun·ny
bone
(plural fun·ny bones) noun

1.  elbow
point:
the point at the outside of the elbow where a nerve is so close to the longer
arm bone that a blow often causes a tingling sensation (informal)
Also
called
crazy bone

2.  sense
of humor:
somebody’s perception of what is amusing
[From the tingling feeling
when the nerve is hit, probably also with some punning reference to humerus “arm bone” and humorous][1]



funnybook

funnybook
fun·ny
book
(plural fun·ny books) noun

comic book:
a comic book (dated informal)[1]



funnybusiness

funnybusiness
fun·ny
busi·ness
noun

deceitful behavior:
dealings or goings-on that involve trickery, deceit, or dishonesty (informal)[1]



funnyfarm

funnyfarm
fun·ny
farm
(plural fun·ny farms) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term, once considered humorous, referring to a psychiatric
hospital (slang offensive)[1]



funnyman

funnyman
fun·ny·man 
[fúnni màn] (plural fun·ny·men
[fúnni mèn]) noun

comedian:
a man who is a comedian, clown, or humorist[1]



funnymoney

funnymoney
fun·ny
mon·ey
noun (informal)

1.  CRIMINOLOGY counterfeit
money:
counterfeit or forged currency

2.  CRIMINOLOGY illicitly
gained money: money obtained from a legally or morally
suspect source

3.  FINANCE currency
with little value: currency, especially an
unfamiliar one, with an inflated value

[1]



funnypaper

funnypaper
fun·ny
pa·per
(plural fun·ny pa·pers) noun

comic strip section of
newspaper: a section of a newspaper
that contains the comic strips (often used in the plural)[1]



funpark

funpark
fun
park
(plural fun parks) noun

park with amusements and
rides: an area with amusement
facilities, especially water slides and rides[1]



funrun

funrun
fun
run
(plural fun runs) noun

leisure run:
a noncompetitive run over a moderately long course, organized to promote health
and fitness or to raise money for charity[1]



funster

funster
fun·ster
[fúnstər] (plural fun·sters) noun

somebody who likes a good
time: somebody who enjoys telling
or playing jokes or who simply likes to have fun (informal)[1]



fur

fur
fur 
[fur] (plural furs) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY mammal’s
coat:
the soft dense coat of hair on a hairy mammal

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
hair:
hairs from an animal’s coat

3.  INDUSTRY dressed
pelt:
a dressed pelt from an animal such as a mink or seal that includes the animal’s
soft coat of hair and is used for garments and decoration

4.  CLOTHES fur
coat:
a garment made from fur pelts, especially a coat, jacket, or stole

5.  something
hairy:
something with a fuzzy or hairy texture or appearance

6.  MED coating
on the tongue: a whitish coating of dead cells on the
tongue that sometimes accompanies an illness (informal)

7.  HERALDRY pelt
on coat of arms: a representation of an animal skin on a
coat of arms
[14th
century. From Old French forrer “to line” (the original sense in English
), from forre “lining.” The noun came from the verb. Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “protector, feeder” (ancestor also of English
fodder ).]
—fur·less,
adjective

—furred,
adjective
make
the fur fly

to cause trouble or a
disturbance (informal)[1]



Fur

Fur
Fur
[fur] noun

Sudanese
language:
a language spoken in parts of Chad and in western Sudan. It belongs to the
Nilo-Saharan family of African languages. Fur is spoken by about 400,000
people.
—Fur, adjective[1]



fur.

fur.
fur.

Abbreviation of
furlong[1]



furan

furan
fu·ran 
[fyr àn, fyoor
án] noun

chemical
used in making nylon: a colorless flammable
liquid. It is used as a solvent and in the manufacture of polymers, especially.
C4H4O
Also
called
furfuran
[Late 19th century.
Contraction of furfuran .][1]



furanose

furanose
fu·ra·nose 
[fyrə nz] noun

type of sugar:
a sugar with a chemical structure that contains a ring of four carbon atoms and
one oxygen atom[1]



furbearer

furbearer
fur·bear·er
[fúr bàirər] (plural fur·bear·ers)
noun

animal
with commercially valuable fur: an animal with fur,
especially fur with a high commercial value such as that of a fox or mink
—fur·bear·ing, adjective[1]



furbelow

furbelow
fur·be·low 
[fúrbə l] noun (plural fur·be·lows)

1.  FASHION ruffle:
a gathered or pleated piece of material, especially as an ornament on a woman’s
garment • Her
dress was decorated with furbelows.

2.  flamboyant
behavior:
a showy or pretentious way of behaving (literary) (often used in the
plural)
transitive
verb
(past fur·be·lowed, past participle fur·be·lowed, present
participle fur·be·low·ing, 3rd person present singular fur·be·lows)

FASHION decorate
something with ruffle: to add a furbelow to a
garment for ornamentation
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of French dialect farbella or
Provençal farbello “fringe,” from Italian faldella, literally
“small fold,” from falda “fold.”][1]



furbish

furbish
fur·bish 
[fúrbish] (past fur·bished, past
participle fur·bished, present participle fur·bish·ing,
3rd person present singular fur·bish·es) transitive verb

1.  polish:
to brighten something by polishing

2.  refurbish:
to refurbish something (literary)
[14th
century. From the Old French verb stem fourbiss-, which was ultimately
of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—fur·bish·er, noun[1]



furcate

furcate
fur·cate 
[fúr kàyt] intransitive verb (past
fur·cat·ed, past participle fur·cat·ed, present
participle fur·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular fur·cates)

to
fork:
to divide into two separate strands or branches
adjective

forked:
divided into separate strands or branches • furcate
leaves
[Early
19th century. From late Latin furcatus “forked,” from Latin furca
“fork” (source of English fork ).]
—fur·cate·ly,
adverb

—fur·ca·tion, noun[1]



furcula

furcula
fur·cu·la 
[fúrkyələ] (plural fur·cu·lae
[fúrkyə l]) noun

wishbone:
the wishbone of a bird (technical)
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, literally “small fork,” from furca “fork.”]
—fur·cu·lar, adjective[1]



furfur

furfur
fur·fur 
[fúr fùr] (plural fur·fur·es) noun

DERMATOLOGY skin
particle:
a tiny piece of scaly or flaky skin, for example, a particle of dandruff (technical)
[From Latin, “bran, scales”][1]



furfuraceous

furfuraceous
fur·fu·ra·ceous 
[fùrfə ráyshəss, fùrfyə
ráyshəss] adjective

1.  DERMATOLOGY scaly:
covered with or resembling particles of dandruff

2.  BOTANY like
bran:
relating to or resembling bran

[1]



furfural

furfural
fur·fu·ral 
[fúrfərəl, fúrfyərəl]
noun

chemical occurring in plants:
a colorless liquid with a distinctive smell. It occurs widely in plants and is
used in making plastics, in oil refining, and in agriculture. C5H4O2[1]



furfuran

furfuran
fur·fu·ran 
[fúrfə ràn, fúrfyə
ràn] noun

See
furan[1]



Furies

Furies
Fu·ries
[fyreez] or fu·ries [fyreez] plural noun

Greek avenging goddesses:
in Greek mythology, three terrifying snake-haired winged goddesses who
mercilessly punished wrongdoing, especially when committed within families.
There were three Furies, named Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.
Also called
Erinyes
See also
Eumenides[1]



furioso

furioso
fu·ri·o·so 
[fyri ṓsō] adverb

with
passion:
to be played with vigor and passion (used as a musical direction)
[Mid-17th
century. Via Italian from Latin furiosus (see furious
).]
—fu·ri·o·so, adjective[1]



furious

furious
fu·ri·ous 
[fyree əss] adjective

1.  infuriated:
extremely or violently angry • I was
furious with him for spreading such lies.

2.  very
energetic:
involving a great deal of energy, violence, or speed • the
pianist’s furious assault on the keys
[14th
century. Via Old French furieus from Latin furiosus, from furia
“rage” (see fury ).]
—fu·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—fu·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



furl

furl
furl 
[furl] intransitive and transitive verb
(past furled, past participle furled, present
participle furl·ing, 3rd person present singular furls)

roll
or become rolled up: to roll up and secure
something made of fabric, for example, an umbrella, a flag, or a sail, or be
rolled up and secured
noun
(plural furls)

furled
section:
a rolled-up section of something such as a flag or sail
[Late 16th century. From
French ferler, from ferm “firm, firmly” (see firm 1 ) + lier
“to tie” (source of English liable
).][1]



furlong

furlong
fur·long 
[fúr làwng] (plural fur·longs)
noun

measure
of distance: a measure of distance equal to 220 yards
(approximately 201 meters ), now used mainly on racetracks
[Old English furlang,
from furh “furrow” (see furrow ) + lang
“long” (see long ). The original meaning was
“the length of a single furrow plowed across a field.”][1]



furlough

furlough
fur·lough 
[fúr l] noun (plural fur·loughs)

1.  leave
from duty:
leave of absence from duty, especially military duty, or an official paper
authorizing leave

2.  CRIMINOLOGY leave
from prison: a period of leave granted to a prisoner,
usually as a reward for good behavior and to reduce incarceration costs

3.  MANAGEMENT work
layoff:
a layoff of workers, especially one that is temporary
verb
(past fur·loughed, past participle fur·loughed, present
participle fur·lough·ing, 3rd person present singular fur·loughs)

1.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY give
leave to:
to grant leave of absence or other leave to somebody, especially a member of
the armed services or a prisoner

2.  transitive
verb
MANAGEMENT lay
worker off:
to lay workers off from work, especially temporarily • Sixty
workers were furloughed after the Christmas rush.

3.  intransitive
verb
go
somewhere on leave: to spend a leave in a
particular place • We furloughed for a
week in a beach house.
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch verlo “leave.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English leave .][1]



furmity

furmity
fur·mi·ty 
[fúrmətee] noun

See
frumenty[1]



furn.

furn.
furn.

Abbreviation of
furnished[1]



furnace

furnace
fur·nace 
[fúrnəss] (plural fur·nac·es) noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY enclosure
producing great heat: an enclosure in which heat
is produced by burning fuel, for example, to warm a building or smelt metal • an
oil furnace

2.  somewhere
hot:
an intensely hot place (informal) • This
kitchen is a furnace!
[13th century. Via Old French
fornais from Latin fornax . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to warm, heat” that is also the ancestor of English burn, brandy,
and brimstone .][1]



furnish

furnish
fur·nish 
[fúrnish] (past fur·nished, past
participle fur·nished, present participle fur·nish·ing,
3rd person present singular fur·nish·es) transitive verb

1.  put
furniture in a place: to provide and install
furniture and other fittings, for example, carpets and drapes, in a place • The
lobby is furnished in an Art Deco style.

2.  supply:
to supply something or to provide somebody with something (formal) • Could
you furnish us with the names and addresses of your clients?
[15th
century. From Old French furniss-, the stem of furnir (source
also of English veneer ). Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base denoting “furtherance, advance” that is also
the ancestor of English from .]
—fur·nish·er, noun[1]



furnishings

furnishings
fur·nish·ings
[fúrnishing] plural noun

1.  furniture:
articles of furniture and other useful or decorative items for a room, such as
carpets and drapes

2.  FASHION clothes:
clothes and clothing accessories, for example, belts and scarves

[1]



furniture

furniture
fur·ni·ture 
[fúrnichər] noun

1.  tables
and chairs:
the movable items such as chairs, desks, or cabinets in an area such as a room
or patio

2.  PRINTING type
separators:
strips of wood, metal, or plastic that are placed between type in order to make
spaces and hold the type in place in the frame ( chase
) in which they are arranged

3.  equipment:
the equipment or accessories used for an activity, for example a ship’s tackle
or a horse’s saddle and harnesses (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From Old
French fourniture, from furnir “to furnish” (see furnish ).][1]



furniturebeetle

furniturebeetle
fur·ni·ture
bee·tle
(plural fur·ni·ture bee·tles) noun

beetle with destructive
larvae: a borer beetle with larvae
that are destructive to furniture and other wood. Latin name: Anobium
punctatum[1]



furor

furor
fu·ror 
[fyr àwr] or fu·rore [fyr àwr] noun

1.  uproar:
an angry or indignant public reaction to something • The
verdict of not guilty created a furor in the courtroom.

2.  excitement:
a state of intense excitement or activity • the
furor surrounding the release of their latest album

3.  craze:
an enthusiastically embraced fad

4.  angry
outburst:
a violent outburst of anger (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin,
from furere “to rage.”][1]



furosemide

furosemide
fu·ro·se·mide 
[fyoo rṓssə md] noun

drug
inducing urination: a drug that induces
urination, used especially to treat edema.
U.K.
term
frusemide
[Mid-20th century][1]



furrier

furrier
fur·ri·er 
[fúrree ər] (plural fur·ri·ers)
noun

1.  fur
dealer:
somebody who buys and sells furs

2.  maker
or seller of fur garments: a person or establishment
that makes or sells clothes and accessories of animal fur
[14th century. Alteration (on
the model of clothier ) of earlier furrer,
from Old French forreor, from forrer “to line with fur” (see fur ).][1]



furriery

furriery
fur·ri·er·y 
[fúrree əree] noun

1.  CLOTHES fur
garments:
fur accessories and articles of clothing considered collectively

2.  BUSINESS furrier’s
business:
the business or craft of a furrier

[1]



furring

furring
fur·ring 
[fúrring] noun

1.  CLOTHES fur
part of clothing: fur trim or lining for a garment

2.  white
covering:
a whitish coating, for example, on the tongue of somebody who is sick

3.  CONSTRUCTION making
a surface of strips: the placing of strips of
wood, metal, or brick across the studs or joists in a building to create a firm
and level foundation for plaster, plasterboard, flooring, or another surface

4.  INDUSTRY strips
used under surface: strips used in a building
for furring (often used before a noun) • furring
strips

[1]



furrow

furrow
fur·row 
[fúrrō] noun (plural fur·rows)

1.  AGRICULTURE plow
trench:
a narrow trench in soil made by a plow

2.  groove:
a rut or groove in a surface

3.  forehead
wrinkle:
a wrinkle on the skin of the forehead
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fur·rowed,
past participle fur·rowed, present participle fur·row·ing,
3rd person present singular fur·rows)

make furrows in something:
to make furrows in something such as land or the forehead, or become marked
with furrows • He
furrowed his brow.
[Old
English furh]
—fur·rowed, adjective[1]



furry

furry
fur·ry 
[fúrree] (comparative fur·ri·er,
superlative fur·ri·est) adjective

1.  covered
in fur:
covered in or with a coat that is covered in fur • furry
animals

2.  looking
or feeling like fur: resembling fur in texture or
appearance

3.  blurred:
not clear or distinct, especially not seen or heard clearly • the
last few words of a pretty furry radio message

4.  MEDICINE covered
in whitish coating: covered with a whitish
coating of dead cells (refers to the tongue or the inside of the mouth)

[1]



furseal

furseal
fur
seal
(plural fur seals) noun

seal with furry undercoat:
a seal with a double coat of fur, including a dense soft underfur that is
highly valued for making garments. Many fur seal populations have been severely
decreased by commercial hunting. Genera: Arctocephalus Callorhinus[1]



FurSeal Islands

FurSeal Islands
Fur
Seal Is·lands [fur sl ləndz]

See
Pribilof Islands[1]



further

further
fur·ther 
[fúrər] adjective

additional: that
is more than or adds to the quantity or extent of something • until
further notice • Do
you have anything further to add?
adverb

1.  to
greater distance: to or at a point that is more distant in
place or time • further into the
future.

See
also
farther

2.  to
greater extent: to a greater degree or extent • Let’s
not pursue the matter any further.
See
also
farther

3.  in
addition:
used to introduce an additional statement or point • She
said further that she would not accept any excuses.
transitive
verb
(past fur·thered, past participle fur·thered, present
participle fur·ther·ing, 3rd person present singular fur·thers)

advance: to
help or give a boost to the progress of something • All
this media attention will further our cause.
[Old
English furþor, furþur “more forward.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English forth .]
—fur·ther·er,
noun

—fur·ther·most
[fúrər mst], adjective
further
to

following on from something
that has been written or discussed • Further
to our phone conversation, I would like to confirm the order.[1]



furtherance

furtherance
fur·ther·ance 
[fərərəns] noun

advancement:
the aiding or advancing of the progress of something • In
furtherance of our campaign, we ask that everyone make a contribution.[1]



furthermore

furthermore
fur·ther·more 
[fúrər màwr, fùrər
máwr] adverb

in addition:
used to introduce an additional statement or point • She
claimed furthermore that he did not own the business but only worked there.[1]



furthermost

furthermost
fur·ther·most
[fúrər mst] adjective

most distant:
most distant or remote • the
furthermost point on the pier[1]



furthest

furthest
fur·thest 
[fúrəst] adjective

most distant: more
distant in place or time than anything else • In
our solar system, Pluto is the furthest planet from the sun.

See
also
farthest
adverb

See
also
farthest

1.  to
greatest distance: to or at a more distant
point in space or time than anything else • Whoever
gets the furthest wins the prize.

2.  to
greatest extent: to a greater degree or extent than
anything else • The dollar has fallen
furthest against the pound in the last year.

[1]



furtive

furtive
fur·tive 
[fúrtiv] adjective

1.  secretive:
done in a way that is intended to escape notice • conspirators
exchanging furtive glances

2.  shifty:
with the appearance, or giving the impression, of somebody who has something to
hide
[Early
17th century. Via Old French furtif from Latin furtivus “hidden,
stolen,” from furtum “theft,” from fur “thief” (source of English
ferret ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to carry.”]
—fur·tive·ly,
adverb

—fur·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at secret

[1]



furuncle

furuncle
fu·run·cle 
[fy rùngk’l] (plural fu·run·cles)
noun

skin
inflammation: a boil on the skin (technical)
[Late
17th century. From Latin furunculus, literally “small thief,” hence
“knob on a vine” (because it “steals” the sap), from fur (see furtive ).]
—fu·run·cu·lar [fyə rúngkyələr], adjective[1]



furunculosis

furunculosis
fu·run·cu·lo·sis 
[fyə rùngkyə lṓssiss] noun

1.  DERMATOLOGY skin
disorder with multiple boils: a condition in which large
areas of the skin are covered in persistent boils

2.  BIOLOGY fish
disease:
a virulent bacterial disease that affects salmon and trout and can be
devastating in densely populated waters, for example, in fish farms

[1]



fury

fury
fu·ry 
[fyree] (plural fu·ries) noun

1.  rage:
violent anger • She could not contain
her fury any longer.

2.  burst
of anger:
a state or outburst of violent anger • He
stormed off in a fury.

3.  wild
force:
a state of excited or frenetic activity • debris
scattered in the wake of the tornado’s fury

4.  fu·ry
or Fu·ry See Furies

5.  offensive
term for angry woman: an offensive term for a
woman who is considered by the speaker to be malevolent and spiteful (offensive)
[14th
century. Via Old French furie from Latin furia, from furere
“to rage.”]
like
fury

with
great speed or energy

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Sound and the Fury, a novel by William Faulkner ( 1929 ). Set in the South,
  it recounts the financial and moral decline of a wealthy family. The story,
  which centers on the daughter Caddy, is told in four parts, three of which
  are narrated by family members, one of them a mentally challenged son, Benjy.

[1]



fusain

fusain
fu·sain 
[fyoo záyn, fy
zàyn] (plural fu·sains) noun

1.  DRAWING charcoal
stick:
a fine stick of charcoal for drawing, made from wood from the spindle tree

2.  DRAWING charcoal
drawing:
a drawing or sketch done with fusain charcoal

3.  MINERALS gray
coal:
dark gray bituminous carbon found in some kinds of coal
[Late 19th century. Via
French, “spindle tree, charcoal made from its wood” from, ultimately, Latin fusus
“spindle.”][1]



fuscous

fuscous
fus·cous 
[fúskəss] adjective

brownish
gray:
of a dark brown color tinged with gray
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin fuscus “dusky.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English dusk .][1]



fuse

fuse2
fuse2  [fyooz]
or fuze [fyooz] noun (plural
fus·es) (plural fuz·es)

1.  explosive
lead:
a cord or trail of a combustible substance that is ignited at one end to carry
a flame to an explosive device farther away

2.  detonator:
a mechanical or electrical detonator that triggers an exploding device such as
a bomb or grenade
transitive
verb
(past fused, past participle fused, present
participle fus·ing, 3rd person present singular fus·es)
(past fuzed, past participle fuzed, present
participle fuz·ing, 3rd person present singular fuz·es)

equip device with detonator:
to equip an exploding device such as a bomb or grenade with a mechanical or
electrical detonator
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian fuso “spindle” from Latin fusus (source of English fuselage ). So called because early bomb fuses
were spindle-shaped hollow tubes filled with gunpowder.][1]



fuse

fuse1
fuse1  [fyooz]
noun (plural fus·es)

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electrical
circuit breaker: an electrical safety device containing a
piece of a metal that melts if the current running through it exceeds a certain
level, thereby breaking the circuit
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fused, past
participle fused, present participle fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular fus·es)

1.  combine:
to unite or blend things, or become united or blended into a whole • sensations
and ideas fusing intimately together

2.  liquefy:
to melt something such as metal or plastic, or become melted at a very high
temperature
[Late
16th century. From Latin fus-, the past participle stem of fundere
“to melt, pour” (source of English foundry
and fusion ).]
blow
a fuse

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING to
overload an electric circuit causing the fuse to melt, thereby breaking the
circuit

2.  to
fly into a temper (informal) • She’ll
blow a fuse when you tell her.

[1]



fused

fused
fused
[fyoozd] adjective

fitted with electrical fuse:
fitted with a fuse for safety purposes (refers to an electrical appliance)[1]



fusedquartz

fusedquartz
fused
quartz 
or fused sil·i·ca noun

See
quartz glass[1]



fusee

fusee
fu·see 
[fyoo z] (plural fu·sees) or
fu·zee [fyoo z] (plural fu·zees)
noun

1.  flare:
a red flare used as a warning device on railroads or roads

2.  windproof
match:
a large-headed match that is not easily extinguished in the wind

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING clock
pulley:
a conical pulley with a spiral groove, used in clock and watch mechanisms

4.  ARMS explosives
fuse:
a combustible fuse leading to an explosive device
[Late 16th century. Via
French fusée “spindle, fuse, flare” from, ultimately, Latin fusus
“spindle” (source also of English fuse 2 ).][1]



fuselage

fuselage
fu·se·lage 
[fyssə lzh, fyzə
lzh] (plural fu·se·lages) noun

airplane
body:
an airplane’s body, containing the cockpit, passenger seating, and cargo hold
but excluding the wings
[Early 20th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Latin fusus “spindle” (source of English fuse 2 ).
The underlying meaning is “spindle-shaped.”][1]



fuseloil

fuseloil
fu·sel
oil 
[fyz’l òyl] noun

oily
liquid:
an oily liquid mixture that occurs in insufficiently distilled alcoholic
liquors. It is used as a solvent and in chemical manufacturing.
[Mid-19th century. Fusel from
German, “bad liquor.”][1]



Fushun

Fushun
Fu·shun
[f shn]

city and industrial center in
Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Population: 1,202,388 (1991)[1]



fusible

fusible
fu·si·ble 
[fyzəb’l] adjective

meltable:
easily melted or liquefied (refers to metals and other materials) • fusible
alloys
—fu·si·bil·i·ty [fyzə bíllətee], noun[1]



fusiform

fusiform
fu·si·form 
[fyzə fàwrm] adjective

spindle-shaped:
tapering at both ends, like a spindle • fusiform
bacteria
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin fusus “spindle.”][1]



fusil

fusil

fu·sil 
[fyz’l] (plural fu·sils) noun
kind
of musket:
a lightweight musket with a flintlock firing mechanism
[Late 16th century. From
French, “steel in a flintlock, musket,” from, ultimately, late Latin focus
“fire.”][1]



fusile

fusile
fu·sile 
[fy zl, fy
sl] or fu·sil [fyz’l]
adjective (archaic)

1.  made
by casting:
made by melting or casting metal

2.  meltable:
easily melted or liquefied

3.  made
liquid:
in a molten state
[14th century. From Latin fusilis
“melted,” from the stem fus- (see fuse 1 ).][1]



fusilier

fusilier
fu·sil·ier 
[fyzə lr] (plural fu·sil·iers)
or fu·sil·eer [fyzə lr] (plural
fu·sil·eers) noun

1.  soldier
with musket: in former times, a soldier armed with a
lightweight musket ( fusil )

2.  British
soldier in some regiments: a soldier in any of several
British army regiments that were formerly armed with lightweight muskets ( fusils )
[Late 17th century. From
French, formed from fusil “musket” (see fusil
).][1]



fusillade

fusillade
fu·sil·lade 
[fyssə ld, fyssə
làyd, fyzzə ld, fyzə làyd] noun (plural fu·sil·lades)

1.  ARMS blast
of gunfire:
a firing of several guns at once or in quick succession

2.  onslaught:
a sustained attack or barrage, for example, of missiles or words
transitive
verb
(past fu·sil·lad·ed, past participle fu·sil·lad·ed,
present participle fu·sil·lad·ing, 3rd person present singular
fu·sil·lades)

fire at enemy:
to subject an enemy to a sustained burst of gunfire
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from fusiller “to shoot,” from fusil “musket” (see
fusil ).][1]



fusilli

fusilli
fu·sil·li 
[fyoo zíllee] plural noun

spiral-shaped
pasta:
pasta in the form of short spiral shapes
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, literally “little spindles,” from, ultimately, Latin fusus
“spindle.”][1]



fusion

fusion
fu·sion 
[fyzh’n] noun

1.  heating
and liquefying something: the molten state of a
substance, or the change it undergoes to become molten

2.  blending
of things:
the merging or blending of two or more things, for example, materials or ideas
• a
fusion of vegetarianism and pacifism

3.  PHYSICS See nuclear fusion

4.  MUSIC combination
of musical styles: the blending or resulting
blend of musical styles or elements from more than one tradition, for example,
jazz and rock
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from the Latin stem fusion-, from fundere “to melt”
(see fuse 1 ).][1]



fusionbomb

fusionbomb
fu·sion
bomb
(plural fu·sion bombs) noun

hydrogen bomb using nuclear
fusion: a nuclear bomb, especially a
hydrogen bomb, whose explosion is caused by the energy released by a nuclear
fusion reaction[1]



fusionfood

fusionfood
fu·sion
food
or fu·sion cui·sine noun

food with international
influences: a style of cooking that uses
ingredients and techniques from around the world, especially one that combines
Eastern and Western influences[1]



fusionism

fusionism
fu·sion·ism 
[fyzh’n ìzzəm] noun

forming
of coalitions: the formation of political coalitions,
support for their formation, or belief in their effectiveness
—fu·sion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



fuss

fuss
fuss 
[fus] noun

1.  commotion:
needlessly or excessively busy or excited activity

2.  needless
worry:
excessive concern over details or trivial matters

3.  protest:
a complaint or protestation, often over something insignificant • The
kids made a fuss about going to bed early.

4.  argument:
a noisy disagreement or dispute • There’ll
be a fuss if he gets home late again.

5.  display
of affection or concern: an excited or abundant
display of affection or affectionate concern • irritated
by the fuss they make over her little brother
verb
(past fussed, past participle fussed, present
participle fuss·ing, 3rd person present singular fuss·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
worry
too much:
to be too concerned about details or trivial matters

2.  intransitive
verb
fiddle
with something: to keep moving or touching something
busily, nervously, or aimlessly • He
fussed with the dials, hoping he’d look like he knew what he was doing.

3.  transitive
verb
disturb
somebody:
to bother somebody with annoyingly trivial matters
[Early
18th century. Origin unknown.]
—fuss·er, noun[1]



fussbudget

fussbudget
fuss·budg·et 
[fúss bùjjət] (plural fuss·budg·ets)
noun

somebody
who worries: somebody who typically worries about
trivial things (informal)
Also
called
fusspot
U.K.
term
fusspot
[Early 20th century. From budget “bundle.”][1]



fusspot

fusspot
fuss·pot 
[fúss pòt] (plural fuss·pots) noun

(informal) See fussbudget[1]



fussy

fussy
fuss·y 
[fússee] (comparative fuss·i·er,
superlative fuss·i·est) adjective

1.  concerned
with minor things: tending to worry over
details or trivial things

2.  choosy:
very dogmatic about likes and dislikes • a
very fussy eater

3.  easily
upset:
frequently or easily irritated

4.  elaborate:
made or decorated with excessive detail • a
dress with a fussy lace collar

5.  demanding
and detailed: requiring or accomplished with care and
attention to details • I’d
better open that window for you —the lock is a bit fussy.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



fustian

fustian
fus·tian 
[fúschən] adjective

bombastic:
written or spoken with pretentiousness or pomposity
noun
(plural fus·tians)

1.  TEXTILES cotton-linen
cloth:
a coarse sturdy cloth of a cotton-linen blend

2.  TEXTILES cotton
fabric with nap: any durable fabric with a raised nap
made mainly from cotton, for example, corduroy or moleskin

3.  bombast:
pompous or pretentious speech or writing
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin fustaneum, perhaps from Latin fustis “wooden
club,” translation of Greek xulina (lina) “linen from wood.” The
underlying idea is “heavy, used as padding.”][1]



fustic

fustic
fus·tic 
[fústik] (plural fus·tics) noun

1.  TREES dye-yielding
tree:
a tropical American tree that belongs to the mulberry family. Its wood yields a
yellow dye. Latin name: Chlorophora tinctoria

2.  INDUSTRY wood
yielding yellow dye: the wood of the fustic tree

3.  INDUSTRY yellow
dye:
a yellow dye obtained from the wood of the fustic tree

4.  TREES tree
of Europe yielding dye: a European sumac tree whose
wood is a source of yellow dye. Latin name: Cotinus coggyria
[15th century. Via Old French
fustoc from Arabic fustu, from Greek pistakē “pistachio
tree.”][1]



fustigate

fustigate
fus·ti·gate 
[fústi gàyt] (past fus·ti·gat·ed,
past participle fus·ti·gat·ed, present participle fus·ti·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular fus·ti·gates) transitive verb

1.  club:
to beat somebody with a club (archaic)

2.  chastise:
to criticize somebody or something severely (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin fustigare, from Latin fustis “club” (see
fusty ) + agere “to do” (source of
English act ).]
—fus·ti·ga·tion [fùsti gáysh’n], noun[1]



fusty

fusty
fus·ty 
[fústee] (comparative fus·ti·er,
superlative fus·ti·est) adjective

1.  stale-smelling:
smelling of damp, dust, mildew, or age

2.  outdated:
old-fashioned and conservative in style, appearance, habits, or attitudes (disapproving)
• transform
a rather fusty image
[Late
15th century. Formed from obsolete fust “wine cask,” which came via Old
French from Latin fustis “wood, club.” The underlying meaning is “having
the musty smell of old wood.”]
—fus·ti·ly,
adverb

—fus·ti·ness, noun[1]



fut.

fut.
fut.

1.  Abbreviation
of
future

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of
futures

[1]



futhark

futhark
fu·thark 
[f thrk] or fu·thorc [f thàwrk] or fu·thork [f thàwrk] noun

runic
alphabet:
the common runic alphabet of 24 letters, used in northwestern Europe from the
3rd to 17th centuries
[Mid-19th century. From the
first six letters: f, u, þ, a or o, r, and k .][1]



futile

futile
fu·tile 
[fyt’l] adjective

1.  in
vain:
with no practical effect or useful result

2.  frivolous:
lacking serious value, substance, or a sense of responsibility
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin futilis “leaky, worthless.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to pour,” which is also the ancestor of English fuse 1 and gush .]
—fu·tile·ly,
adverb

—fu·tile·ness, noun[1]



futilitarian

futilitarian
fu·til·i·tar·i·an 
[fyoo tìllə térree ən] noun (plural
fu·til·i·tar·i·ans)

believer
in futility of human effort: somebody who believes that
human efforts are wasted and futile
adjective

believing
in human futility: holding or expressing the
belief that all human effort is futile
[Early
19th century. Formed from futility, on the
model of utilitarian .]
—fu·til·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



futility

futility
fu·til·i·ty 
[fyoo tíllətee] (plural fu·til·i·ties)
noun

1.  pointlessness:
lack of usefulness or effectiveness

2.  pointless
action:
an action that has no use, purpose, or effect

3.  frivolity:
lack of importance, seriousness, or sensibleness

[1]



futon

futon
fu·ton 
[f tòn] (plural fu·tons) noun

1.  Japanese-style
mattress:
a firm Japanese-style cotton-covered mattress used as a seat or bed, either on
the floor or on a wooden frame

2.  futon
with wooden frame: a futon together with the
wooden frame it sits on, especially a frame designed to convert from a sofa to
a bed
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



futtock

futtock
fut·tock 
[fúttək] (plural fut·tocks) noun

ribs
of ship:
any of the curved middle timbers that form the frame of a traditional wooden
boat or ship
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of assumed fothok, literally “foot-hook.”][1]



futtockplate

futtockplate
fut·tock
plate
(plural fut·tock plates) noun

plate on mast for attaching
ropes: any of the circular metal
plates fitted to the tops of a ship’s shorter masts. Ropes or rods supporting a
taller mast are secured to them.[1]



futtockshroud

futtockshroud
fut·tock
shroud
(plural fut·tock shrouds) noun

supporting rope for tall
mast: a rope or rod stretching
from the top of a taller mast to the top of a lower mast, to support the taller
mast[1]



future

future
fu·ture 
[fychər] noun (plural fu·tures)

1.  time
to come:
time that has yet to come • saving
money for the future

2.  happenings
to come:
events that have not yet happened • The
future will be shaped by our advancing technology.

3.  future
condition:
an expected or projected state • Her
future is bleak.

4.  GRAMMAR tense
referring to things to come: the tense or form of a verb
used to refer to events that are going to happen or have not yet happened.
Also
called
future tense
plural
noun
fu·tures

1.  FINANCE commodities
traded for later delivery: goods or stocks sold for
future delivery, or the contracts for them

2.  compensation
to come:
something to be given later as compensation (informal) • He
was willing to make the concession with the expectation that some futures would
be forthcoming.
adjective

1.  yet
to occur:
expected to be or happen at a time still to come • my
future sister-in-law

2.  GRAMMAR of or
in tense expressing future: in or relating to the form
of a verb that expresses actions or states that are going to happen or have not
yet happened
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin futurus “going to be.” Ultimately from an Indo-European verb
meaning “to grow, become, be,” which is also the ancestor of English be and build
.][1]



futureless

futureless
fu·ture·less 
[fychərləss] adjective

expected
to fail:
seeming to have no chance of developing or being successful • poured
money into futureless schemes
—fu·ture·less·ness, noun[1]



futureperfect

futureperfect
fu·ture
per·fect
noun

“will have” form of verb:
the form of a verb expressing a completed action in the future, as “will have
finished” does in the sentence “They will have finished by tomorrow”[1]



futureshock

futureshock
fu·ture
shock
noun

stress
caused by change: difficulty in and stress from coping
with rapid changes in society, especially with technological changes
[From the title of a book by
Alvin Toffler (b. 1928)][1]



futuretense

futuretense
fu·ture
tense
noun

See
future  noun 4[1]



futurism

futurism
fu·tur·ism 
[fychə rìzzəm] noun

1.  fu·tur·ism
or Fu·tur·ism ARTS artistic
movement valuing technology’s beauty: an
early 20th-century artistic movement that attempted to express the dynamic
nature of the modern age using technology as its subject

2.  belief
in need to look forward: belief in the need to look
to the future rather than reflect on the past, coupled with an optimism that
personal and social fulfillment lies in the future
[Early
20th century. Modeled on Italian futurismo and French futurisme
.]
—fu·tur·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



futuristic

futuristic
fu·tur·is·tic 
[fychə rístik] adjective

1.  ahead
of the times: suggesting some future time in its
design or technology, or using designs and technology thought likely to become
popular or commonplace in the future

2.  showing
future life: depicting life in some future time
—fu·tur·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



futurity

futurity
fu·tu·ri·ty 
[fyoo trətee, fyoo
chrətee] (plural fu·tu·ri·ties) noun

1.  future:
the future as a concept or state • a
grammatical construction expressing futurity

2.  future
event:
an event that is going to happen or has not happened yet (formal)

3.  See
futurity race

[1]



futurityrace

futurityrace
fu·tu·ri·ty
race
(plural fu·tu·ri·ty rac·es) noun

horse race with advance entry
date: a horse race in which horses
are entered well in advance, often before they are born. The race is usually
run when the horses are two years old.
Also called
futurity[1]



futurology

futurology
fu·tur·ol·o·gy 
[fychə rólləjee] noun

study
of future:
the study and forecasting of the future, with predictions based on the likely
outcomes of current trends
—fu·tur·o·log·i·cal
[fychərə lójjik’l], adjective

—fu·tu·rol·o·gist [fychə rólləjist], noun[1]



futz

futz
futz 
[futs] (past futzed, past
participle futzed, present participle futz·ing, 3rd
person present singular futz·es) intransitive verb

fritter
time away:
to spend time frivolously, lazily, or aimlessly (informal) • spends
hours futzing with that computer
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Yiddish arumfartzen “to fool
around.”][1]



Fuxin

Fuxin
Fu·xin
[f shín]

city in Liaoning Province,
northeastern China, west of Shenyang. Population: 635,473 (1990)[1]



fuze

fuze
fuze 
noun transitive verb

See
fuse 2[1]



fuzee

fuzee
fu·zee 
(plural fu·zees) noun

See
fusee[1]



Fuzhou

Fuzhou
Fu·zhou
[f jṓ]

city and capital of Fujian
Province, southeastern China, near the mouth of the Min River, northeast of
Taiwan. Population: 874,809 (1990)[1]



fuzz

fuzz1
fuzz1 [fuz]
noun

fluff: a
mass of short fine hairs or fibers
intransitive
and transitive verb (past fuzzed, past
participle fuzzed, present participle fuzz·ing, 3rd
person present singular fuzz·es)

1.  cover
something with fuzz: to become covered or cover
something with fuzz • sweaters
that fuzz after the first wash

2.  blur
or become blurred: to make something, for
example, an image or explanation, blurred or unclear, or become blurred or
unclear • All
this talk has fuzzed my brain.
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch or Low German .][1]



fuzz

fuzz2
fuzz2 [fuz]
noun

police:
the police (slang offensive)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fuzzbox

fuzzbox
fuzz·box
[fúz bòks] (plural fuzz·box·es)
noun

electrical sound-distorting
device: an electrical device that
distorts the sound that passes through it, especially a pedal-operated device
wired to an electric guitar[1]



fuzzy

fuzzy
fuzz·y 
[fúzzee] (comparative fuzz·i·er,
superlative fuzz·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with fuzz:
covered with a mass of short fine hairs or fibers

2.  consisting
of fuzz:
in the form of a mass of short fine hairs or fibers

3.  frizzy:
growing in a very tight curly mass (refers to hair)

4.  blurred:
not sharp enough to be seen or heard clearly • a
fuzzy picture

5.  incoherent:
not clearly thought out or set out • The
initial plan was fairly fuzzy.
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Low German fussig
“spongy.” The earliest meaning in English was “spongy, not firm.”]
—fuzz·i·ly,
adverb

—fuzz·i·ness, noun[1]



fuzzyheaded

fuzzyheaded
fuzz·y·head·ed 
adjective

confused:
not thinking clearly, or not expressing thoughts or ideas clearly (informal)
• a
fuzzyheaded notion
—fuzz·y·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



fuzzylogic

fuzzylogic
fuzz·y
log·ic
noun

logic allowing for
imprecision: logic that allows for
imprecise or ambiguous answers to questions. It forms the basis of the kind of
computer programming designed to allow computers to mimic human intelligence.[1]



f.v.

f.v.
f.v.

Abbreviation
of
folio verso
[Latin, “on the reverse (i.e.
left-hand) page”][1]



fwd.

fwd.
fwd.

Abbreviation of
forward[1]



FWD

FWD
FWD

1.  Abbreviation
of
four-wheel drive

2.  Abbreviation
of
front-wheel drive

[1]



FWIW

FWIW
FWIW

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of for what it’s worth[1]



fwy.

fwy.
fwy.

Abbreviation of
freeway[1]



FX

FX
FX

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of foreign exchange

2.  CINEMA Abbreviation of
(special) effects
[Late 20th century.
Representing a pronunciation of effects .][1]



FY

FY
FY

Abbreviation of
fiscal year[1]



-fy

-fy
-fy
suffix

to
make, cause to become • gasify
• ladify
[Via Old French -fier
from, ultimately, Latin facere “to do, make” (see fact )][1]



FYI

FYI
FYI

Abbreviation of
for your information[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








fyke

fyke
fyke 
[fīk] (plural fykes) noun

fishing
net:
a bag-shaped fishing net, held open by hoops
[Mid-19th century. Via Dutch fuik
from Middle Dutch fuke .][1]



fylfot

fylfot
fyl·fot 
[fíl fòt] (plural fyl·fots) noun

swastika:
an old decorative or religious symbol in the form of a swastika
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



fz.

fz.
fz.

Abbreviation of
sforzando[1]



fêtechampêtre

fêtechampêtre
fête
cham·pêt·re
[fàyt shaaN pétrə] (plural fêtes
cham·pêt·res [fàyt shaaN pétrə]) noun

outdoor
entertainment: an outdoor party or festival
[From French, literally
“rural festival”][1]



föhn

föhn
föhn 
noun

See
foehn[1]



Fürth

Fürth
Fürth
[fürt]

city in the state of Bavaria,
southern Germany, situated just northwest of Nuremburg. Population: 108,000
(1993)[1]



g

g2
g2 

PHYSICS
Symbol for acceleration of free fall as a result of gravity[1]



g

g1

g1  [jee]
(plural g’s) or G [jee]
(plural G’s or Gs) noun

1.  7th
letter of English alphabet: the seventh letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “G”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “G”

3.        letter
“G” written: a written
representation of the letter “G”[1]



G

G3
G3 

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
giga-

2.  EDU (used as a grade) Abbreviation
of good

[1]



g

g3
g3 

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of gram[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








G

G2
G2 

1.  ELECTRICITY Symbol for conductance

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for gauss

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for
gravitational constant

4.  BIOCHEMISTRY Symbol for guanine

[1]



G

G1
G1  (plural G’s or
Gs) noun

1.  CINEMA general-audience
movie rating: a movie rating meaning that a movie or
video is suitable for anyone to watch

2.  MONEY $1,000:
one thousand dollars (slang)

3.  MUSIC 5th
note of scale in C: the fifth note of a scale in
C major

4.  MUSIC something
that produces a G: a string, key, or pipe tuned
to produce the note G

5.  MUSIC scale
beginning on G: a scale or key that starts on the note G

6.  MUSIC written
symbol of G: a graphic representation of the tone of
G

[1]



G.

G.
G.

1.
(used in place names) Abbreviation of Gulf

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of guilder

3.  MONEY Abbreviation of guinea

[1]



g.

g.
g.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gauge

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of gender

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of genitive

4.  MONEY Abbreviation of guilder

5.  MONEY Abbreviation of guinea

[1]



G8

G8
G8
noun

eight
most industrialized nations: the group of the eight most
industrialized nations in the world, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Representatives from
these countries meet regularly to discuss and draw up global economic policies.
Full form Group of Eight
[G, a shortening of group][1]



Ga.

Ga.
Ga.

Abbreviation of
Georgia[1]



GA

GA
GA

1.  Abbreviation
of
general agent

2.  Abbreviation
of
General Assembly (of the United Nations)

3.  Abbreviation
of
Georgia

[1]



Ga

Ga
Ga

Symbol for
gallium[1]



ga.

ga.
ga.

Abbreviation of
gauge[1]



G.A.

G.A.
G.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
General Assembly (of the UN)

2.  SHIPPING INSURANCE Abbreviation of general
average

[1]



GAAP

GAAP
GAAP

Abbreviation of
generally accepted accounting principles[1]



gab

gab
gab 
[gab] intransitive verb (past gabbed,
past participle gabbed, present participle gab·bing,
3rd person present singular gabs)

chat
idly:
to talk at length about trivial matters (informal) • We
just sat there gabbing all afternoon.
noun

chitchat:
light conversation about nothing in particular (informal)
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain, possibly shortening of gabble
.]
—gab·ber, noun[1]



GABA

GABA
GABA

Abbreviation of
gamma-aminobutyric acid[1]



gabardine

gabardine
gab·ar·dine 
[gábbər dn] (plural gab·ar·dines)
noun

1.  TEXTILES smooth
twill fabric: a smooth durable cotton, wool, or
synthetic fabric woven with a pattern of parallel diagonal ridges ( twill ) • a
gabardine jacket.
Also
called
gaberdine

2.  CLOTHES gabardine
garment:
a garment made of gabardine.
Also
called
gaberdine

3.  CLOTHES See gaberdine  noun 1
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of gaberdine .][1]



gabble

gabble
gab·ble 
[gább’l] verb (past gab·bled,
past participle gab·bled, present participle gab·bling,
3rd person present singular gab·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
unintelligibly: to speak or say something rapidly and
incoherently

2.  intransitive
verb
BIRDS make
throaty goose sound: to make the high throaty
sounds that geese and some other birds make
noun

1.  fast
unintelligible talk: rapid incoherent talking

2.  BIRDS sound
geese make:
the high throaty sounds that geese and some other birds make
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain, possibly from Middle Dutch gabbelen, an
imitation of the sound.]
—gab·bler, noun[1]



gabbro

gabbro
gab·bro 
[gá br] noun

dark
grainy rock: a dark coarse-grained basic igneous rock
containing calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene
[Mid-19th
century. Via Italian dialect from, possibly, Latin glaber “smooth,
bald.”]
—gab·bro·ic [ga brṓ ik], adjective[1]



gabby

gabby
gab·by 
[gábbee] (comparative gab·bi·er,
superlative gab·bi·est) adjective

talking incessantly:
talking or inclined to talk to an excessive, irritating degree (informal)[1]



gabelle

gabelle
ga·belle 
[gə bél] (plural ga·belles) noun

1.  HISTORY salt
tax:
a French tax on salt imposed until 1790

2.  tax
in another country: any tax, especially a tax
imposed in a foreign country (literary)
[15th century. Via Old French
gabel from, ultimately, Arabic abāla “tax, duty.”][1]



gaberdine

gaberdine
gab·er·dine 
[gábbər dn] (plural gab·er·dines)
noun

1.  CLOTHES medieval
garment:
a long loose coat or smock made of coarse cloth, worn by men, especially Jewish
men, during the Middle Ages.
Also
called
gabardine

2.  TEXTILES See gabardine  noun 1

3.  CLOTHES See gabardine  noun 2
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French gauvardine from, ultimately, perhaps, Middle High German wallevart
“pilgrimage,” from wallōn “to wander” + vart “journey.” The
underlying meaning is thus “pilgrim’s garb.”][1]



gabfest

gabfest
gab·fest 
[gáb fèst] (plural gab·fests) noun
(informal)

1.  meeting
for chat:
an informal gathering where idle chat or gossip is exchanged

2.  long
conversation: a long informal chat or discussion • The
student’s simple question started a gabfest among the pundits.

[1]



gabion

gabion
ga·bi·on 
[gáybee ən] (plural ga·bi·ons)
noun

1.  MILITARY rock-filled
basket as fortification: a wickerwork basket filled
with rocks, used as a temporary fortification

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING stone-filled
drum in waterway construction: a cylindrical metal
container filled with earth and stones, used in the construction and rerouting
of waterways and in flood control
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian gabbione, literally “large cage,” from gabbia
“cage,” from Latin cavea (source of English cage
).][1]



gable

gable

ga·ble 
[gáyb’l] (plural ga·bles) noun

1.  peak
of building’s side wall: the triangular top section
of a side wall on a building with a pitched roof that fills the space beneath
where the roof slopes meet

2.  See
gable end

3.  triangular
building decoration: a triangular structure, for
example, a canopy over a door or window, added to a building for decoration
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Old Norse gafl . Possibly,
ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “head,” the underlying idea
being “something at the top.”]
—ga·bled,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Anne
  of Green Gables, a children’s story ( 1908 ) by Canadian writer Lucy Maud
  Montgomery . Set on Prince Edward Island in Canada, it is the story of a
  vivacious 11-year-old orphan, Anne Shirley, who is sent to live with farmers
  Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Having expected a boy, the Cuthberts cannot
  hide their disappointment, but Anne’s courage, spirit, and vivid imagination
  soon win them over.

[1]



Gable,Clark

Gable,Clark
Ga·ble 
[gáyb’l], Clark (1901–1960)

U.S.
movie actor. He won an Academy Award for his performance in the romantic comedy
It Happened One Night ( 1934 ), but he is best known for his role as
Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind ( 1939 ).
Full name
Gable, William Clark[1]



gableend

gableend
ga·ble
end
(plural ga·ble ends) noun

building’s side wall with
pointed top: a side wall that comes
to a peak where the slopes of a pitched roof meet.
Also called
gable[1]



gableroof

gableroof
ga·ble
roof
(plural ga·ble roofs) noun

sloped roof:
a roof with two slopes and a gable at each end[1]



Gabon

Gabon



Ga·bon 
[ga bón, gə bóN]
republic
in west central Africa on the Atlantic coast. It became independent from France
in 1960. Language: French. Currency: CFA franc. Capital: Libreville.
Population: 1,190,159 (1997) Area: 267,667 sq km/103,347 sq mi. Official
name Gabonese Republic Former name French Equatorial Africa
—Ga·bon·ese, noun,
adjective[1]



Gabon




Back to definition

Gabon

[1]



Gabo,Naum

Gabo,Naum
Ga·bo
[gbō], Naum (1890–1977)

Russian-born
U.S. sculptor, one of the founders of the constructivist school. His work drew
on cubism, and he experimented with kinetic art.
Real name
Pevsner, Neemia[1]



gaboon

gaboon
ga·boon 
[gə bn, ga bn,
gaa bn] (plural ga·boons) noun

spittoon:
a spittoon (dated) (regional)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from an alteration of gob “to spit,” on the model of spittoon and possibly influenced by Gaboon,
former name of Gabon.][1]



Gaborone

Gaborone
Ga·bo·rone 
[gàbbə rṓnee]

capital of Botswana, situated
in the southeast of the country, about 19 km/12 mi from the border with South
Africa. Population: 133,791 (1991)[1]



gad

gad1
gad1 [gad]
intransitive verb (past gad·ded, past participle gad·ded,
present participle gad·ding, 3rd person present singular gads)

be
out having fun: to go around having fun in a carefree
and aimless manner (dated) • gadding
about
noun

wandering:
carefree or aimless wandering (dated)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a back-formation from obsolete gadling
“wanderer,” from Old English gædeling “companion,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English gather .]
—gad·der, noun[1]



gad

gad2
gad2 [gad]
noun (plural gads)

1.  MINING heavy
tool used in mining: a heavy steel or iron wedge
with a pointed or chisel-shaped edge used in mining to break coal, rock, or ore
from the rock face

2.  AGRICULTURE cattle
prod:
a sharp pointed tool used to drive cattle
transitive
verb
(past gad·ded, past participle gad·ded, present
participle gad·ding, 3rd person present singular gads)

MINING separate
minerals from rock: to break up coal or ore
using a gad
[13th century. From a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “pointed stick” that is also the ancestor of
English yard (“three feet”).][1]



gadabout

gadabout
gad·a·bout 
[gáddə bòwt] (plural gad·a·bouts)
noun

somebody in search of
entertainment or activity: somebody
who goes about looking for pleasure in an aimless and restless way (dated
informal)[1]



gadarene

gadarene
gad·a·rene 
[gáddə rn] adjective

fast
and without thinking: rushing headlong en masse (literary)
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin from Greek Gadarēnos “inhabitant of Gadara,” the town that was the
site of the herd of swine’s headlong rush into the sea in Matthew 8:28 in the
Bible.][1]



Gaddafi

Gaddafi
Gad·da·fi

See
Qaddafi, Muammar al-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Gaddis,William

Gaddis,William
Gad·dis
[gáddiss], William (1922– )

U.S. writer. He is known for
darkly humorous novels such as The Recognitions ( 1955 ) and Carpenter’s
Gothic ( 1985 ).[1]



gadfly

gadfly
gad·fly 
[gád fl] (plural gad·flies) noun

1.  INSECTS fly
that bites livestock: a fly that irritates
livestock by biting them and sucking their blood. Horseflies are a type of
gadfly. Family: Tabanidae

2.  somebody
annoying:
somebody who persistently irritates or torments another person (dated)
[Gad from gad 2][1]



gadget

gadget
gadg·et 
[gájjət] (plural gadg·ets) noun

1.  ingenious
device:
a small device that performs or aids a simple task

2.  trivial
device:
a small object or device that appears useful but is often unnecessary or
superfluous
[Late
19th century. Origin unknown. Said to have started as a sailors’ slang term for
some unspecified tool.]
—gadg·et·y, adjective[1]



gadgeteer

gadgeteer
gadg·e·teer 
[gàjjə tr] (plural gadg·e·teers)
noun

maker or user of gadgets:
somebody who invents or enjoys using gadgets[1]



gadgetry

gadgetry
gadg·et·ry 
[gájjətree] noun

gadgets:
gadgets collectively, especially when perceived as impressively complicated[1]



Gadhelic

Gadhelic
Gad·hel·ic
[gə déllik] noun

LANGUAGE See Goidelic
[Early 16th century. Via
medieval Latin gathelicus, from Gathelus, from Irish Gaedheal,
plural of Gaedhil, which evolved from Old Irish Goídel (see Gael ).][1]



gadid

gadid
ga·did
[gáddid, gáydid]
or ga·doid [gá dyd] noun
(plural ga·dids) (plural ga·doids)

fish
of cod family: a sea fish of the family that includes
cod, haddock, and hake. Family: Gadidae
adjective

of
cod family:
belonging to the family of sea fish that includes cod, haddock, and hake
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin gadus “cod,” from Greek gados .][1]



gadolinite

gadolinite
gad·o·lin·ite 
[gádd’lə nt] noun

black
or brown mineral: a black or brown silicate of beryllium,
iron, and yttrium that occurs in pegmatite
[Early 19th century. Named
for Johan Gadolin ( 1760–1852 ), Finnish mineralogist.][1]



gadolinium

gadolinium

gad·o·lin·i·um 
[gàdd’l ínnee əm] noun
silvery-white
metallic element: a rare silvery-white metallic chemical
element that is used to improve the characteristics of alloys at high
temperatures. Because it is a strong neutron absorber, gadolinium is used in
control rods in nuclear reactors and in nuclear fuels to slow the chain
reaction. Symbol Gd
[Late 19th century. Formed
from gadolinite .][1]



gadroon

gadroon
ga·droon 
[gə drn] (plural ga·droons) or
go·droon [gə drn] (plural go·droons)
noun

curving
decoration:
an ornamental feature that consists of a series of convex curves or inverted
fluting. It is often applied as an edging to a curved surface, especially on
silver.
[Late
17th century. Formed from French godron “pucker, crease.”]
—ga·drooned,
adjective

—ga·droon·ing, noun[1]



Gadsden

Gadsden
Gads·den 
[gádzdən]

industrial city on the
northern bank of the Coosa River, in northeastern Alabama. Population: 41,155
(1996)[1]



gadwall

gadwall
gad·wall 
[gád wàwl] (plural gad·walls) noun

gray
or brown freshwater duck: a freshwater duck with gray
or brown plumage that is common in Europe and North America. Latin name: Anas
strepera
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gadzooks

gadzooks
gad·zooks 
[gad zks] interjection

exclamation
used as mild oath: used to express surprise or
as a mild oath (archaic or humorous)
[Late 17th century. From Gad
“God” + zooks, of unknown origin.][1]



Gael

Gael
Gael 
[gayl] (plural Gaels) noun

1.  somebody
who speaks Gaelic: somebody from Scotland,
Ireland, or the Isle of Man who speaks Gaelic

2.  Scottish
Highlander:
somebody from the Scottish Highlands
[Mid-18th century. From Scots
Gaelic Gael and Gàidheal, from Old Irish Goídel plural of
Gáidl.][1]



Gaelic

Gaelic
Gael·ic 
[gáylik] noun

LANGUAGE Celtic
language of British Isles: any of the Celtic languages
used in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man
adjective

1.  of
Gaelic:
belonging to or using any of the Celtic languages of Ireland, Scotland, or the
Isle of Man

2.  of
Gaelic -speaking people: relating to or typical of
Gaelic -speaking people or their culture

[1]



gaff

gaff2
gaff2 [gaf]
noun

U.K.
nonsense:
worthless nonsense (informal)
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]
blow
the gaff

U.K.
to reveal a secret (slang)[1]



gaff

gaff1

gaff1 [gaf]
noun (plural gaffs)

1.  ANGLING hooked
fish pole:
a pole with a large hook on the end that is used to hold and land a large fish

2.  SAILING pole
at top of sail: a pole attached to a mast and used to
support the upper edge of a fore-and-aft sail

3.  GAMBLING metal
spur on fighting cock: a metal spur that is fixed
to the leg of a fighting cock

4.  UTILITIES hook
for somebody maintaining overhead line: a
climbing hook used by somebody erecting or repairing a telephone or power line

5.  gimmick
used in a hoax: a gimmick or trick, often used in a hoax
or attempt at fraud
transitive verb
(past gaffed, past participle gaffed, present
participle gaf·fing, 3rd person present singular gaffs)

1.  ANGLING catch
fish with hooked pole: to catch and hold a fish
with a gaff

2.  arm
with a gaff: to provide or arm something, for
example, a fighting cock, with a gaff

3.  cheat
or swindle:
to cheat or swindle somebody (slang)
[14th century. From Old
French gaffe “boat hook” (see gaffe
).][1]



gaffe

gaffe
gaffe
[gaf] (plural gaffes) or
gaff [gaf] (plural gaffs)
noun

social
blunder:
a clumsy social mistake or breach of etiquette, for example, an insensitive
remark
[Early 20th century. From
French, originally “boat hook,” from Old French, from Old Provençal gaf,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



gaffer

gaffer
gaf·fer 
[gáffər] (plural gaf·fers) noun

1.  CINEMA chief
lighting electrician on movie set: the chief electrician
in charge of lighting on a movie or television set (informal)

2.  U.K.
man:
man of advanced years, especially a man from the country (informal)

3.  U.K.
boss:
the boss, owner, or supervisor of a workplace (informal)

4.  U.K.
husband:
somebody’s husband (regional)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a contraction of godfather,
with “ga-” by association with grandfather
.][1]



gaff-rig

gaff-rig
gaff-rig
(plural gaff-rigs) noun

vessel
rigged with fore-and-aft sails: a sailing vessel
rigged with fore-and-aft sails supported by a gaff
—gaff-rigged, adjective[1]



gaffsail

gaffsail
gaff·sail
[gáf sàyl, (nautical) gáfs’l] (plural gaff·sails) noun

U.K.
See fore-and-aft sail[1]



gaff-topsail

gaff-topsail
gaff-top·sail 
(plural gaff-top·sails) noun

triangular sail at top of
mast: a small, usually triangular
sail set above a gaff[1]



gag

gag
gag 
[gag] noun (plural gags)

1.  something
put over mouth: something, such as a piece of cloth that
is forcibly put over or into somebody’s mouth to prevent the person from
speaking or crying out

2.  restraint
of speech:
a restraint on free speech • put a
gag on a newspaper

3.  ARTS comic
words or action: a comic story, action, or incident told
or performed by an actor or comedian

4.  trick:
a trick, hoax, or practical joke (informal)

5.  SURGERY mouth
prop:
a device that is placed in a patient’s mouth to keep it open during surgical
work on the mouth or throat

6.  choking:
an instance or the action of choking or retching (informal)
verb
(past gagged, past participle gagged, present
participle gag·ging, 3rd person present singular gags)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something over somebody’s mouth: to put something over
or into somebody’s mouth to prevent the person from speaking or crying out

2.  transitive
verb
restrain
speech:
to prevent or restrain the free speech of somebody or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb choke
or retch:
to make somebody nearly choke or retch, or to choke or retch because of
something stuck in the throat or because of a very unpleasant sight or smell

4.  intransitive
verb
ARTS tell
jokes:
to tell jokes or perform as a comedian (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
SURGERY prop
somebody’s mouth open: to hold somebody’s mouth
open during surgery by means of a gag

6.  transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN put
strong bit on horse: to put a strong bit ( gag-bit ) on a horse

7.  transitive
verb
obstruct
pipe or valve: to stop up, block, or obstruct something
such as a pipe or valve
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of choking.][1]



gaga

gaga
ga·ga 
[g g] adjective

1.  offensive
term meaning irrational: an offensive term that
deliberately insults somebody’s mental abilities, especially those of a senior
citizen (informal offensive)

2.  very
enthusiastic: completely infatuated or very
enthusiastic (informal) • totally
gaga over his girlfriend
[Early 20th century. From
French, an imitation of the sound of mumbling.][1]



gagaku

gagaku
ga·ga·ku
[gaa g koo] noun

Japanese
court music: an ancient form of Japanese classical
music used at the imperial court and on ceremonial occasions
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, from ga “elegance” + gaku “court music.”][1]



Gagarin,Yuri

Gagarin,Yuri

Ga·ga·rin
[gə grən], Yuri (1934–1968)
Soviet
cosmonaut. He became the first person to be launched into space when he orbited
the earth in Vostok I on April 12, 1961.
Full name
Gagarin, Yuri Alekseyevich[1]



Gagauz

Gagauz
Ga·gauz
[gə gáwz] (plural Ga·gauz [gə gáw z] or Ga·gau·zi) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Turkic
language:
a Turkic language spoken in an area to the north of the Black Sea, especially
in southern parts of Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania. About 150,000 people speak
Gagauz.

2.  Ga·gauz
(plural Ga·gauz or Ga·gau·zi) or Ga·gau·zi·an
(plural Ga·gau·zi·ans) PEOPLES
member
of Turkic people: a member of a Turkic people who live in
the southwestern region of Moldova
—Ga·gauz, adjective[1]



gag-bit

gag-bit
gag-bit
(plural gag-bits) noun

strong bit for horse:
a strong bit sometimes used to help control an unruly horse[1]



gage

gage1
gage1 [gayj]
noun (plural gag·es) (archaic)

1.  pledge:
something that is given or left as security until a debt is paid or an
obligation is fulfilled

2.  token
of challenge: a glove or other object that is thrown
down or offered as a challenge to fight

3.  challenge:
a challenge to fight
transitive
verb
(past gaged, past participle gaged, present
participle gag·ing, 3rd person present singular gag·es)
(archaic)

1.  offer
something as pledge: to offer something as
security against a debt or other obligation

2.  BETTING offer
as stake in bet: to offer something as a stake in a bet
[13th century. From Old
French, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English wed .][1]



gage

gage2
gage2 noun transitive
verb

See
gauge[1]



gager

gager
gag·er 
[gáyjər] noun

See
gauger[1]



Gage,Thomas

Gage,Thomas
Gage 
[gayj], Thomas (1721–1787)

British-born general and
colonial administrator. He commanded British forces in North America
(1763–1772), and his actions as governor of Massachusetts colony (1774–1776)
helped precipitate the Revolution.[1]



gagger

gagger
gag·ger 
[gággər] (plural gag·gers) noun

wedge for foundry mold:
a piece of metal used to wedge the core of a casting mold in position[1]



gaggle

gaggle
gag·gle 
[gágg’l] (plural gag·gles) noun

1.  BIRDS group
of geese:
a flock of geese

2.  group
of people:
a group of people, especially a noisy or disorderly group • a
gaggle of children
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “to cry like a goose repeatedly,” an imitation of
the sound.][1]



gagman

gagman
gag·man 
[gág màn] (plural gag·men [gág mèn]) noun

comedian:
somebody who writes or tells jokes (informal)
[Early 20th century. “Gag”
from gag .][1]



gagorder

gagorder
gag
or·der 
(plural gag or·ders) noun

court order:
a court order that forbids any public commentary or media reporting on a case
that is currently being heard in court[1]



gagrule

gagrule
gag
rule
(plural gag rules) noun

rule to limit debate:
a rule in a legislative body that limits or prevents discussion or debate on a
particular issue[1]



gagster

gagster
gag·ster 
[gágstər] (plural gag·sters) noun
(informal)

1.  ARTS comedian:
somebody who writes or tells jokes

2.  prankster:
somebody who plays tricks or practical jokes

[1]



gahnite

gahnite
gahn·ite 
[g nt] noun

dark
green mineral: a dark green mineral consisting of zinc
aluminum oxide
[Early 19th century. Named
for J. G. Gahn ( 1745–1818 ), Swedish chemist.][1]



GAI

GAI
GAI

Abbreviation of
guaranteed annual income[1]



gaiety

gaiety
gai·e·ty 
[gáy ətee] (plural gai·e·ties)
or gay·e·ty [gáy ətee] (plural
gay·e·ties) noun

1.  joyfulness:
a lighthearted and lively feeling or way of behaving

2.  spirited
activity:
joyful and lively activity or festivity

3.  bright
or fancy appearance: the showiness or bright
colorful appearance of something such as clothing (dated)
[Mid-17th century. From Old
French gaieté, from gai (see gay
).][1]



gaijin

gaijin
gai·jin 
[g jin] (plural gai·jin) noun

foreigner
in Japan:
a foreigner in Japan or among Japanese
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, contraction of gaikoku-jin, literally “somebody from a foreign
country.”][1]



gaily

gaily
gai·ly
[gáylee] or gay·ly [gáylee] adverb

1.  joyfully
or lightheartedly: in a happy, cheerful, or
carefree manner

2.  in
bright colors: brightly or colorfully (dated)

[1]



gain

gain1
gain1 [gayn]
verb (past gained, past participle gained, present
participle gain·ing, 3rd person present singular gains)

1.  transitive
verb
acquire
something earned: to obtain something through effort,
skill, or merit • gain recognition as an
actor

2.  transitive
verb
win
something by competing: to win something in
competition or conflict • gained
second place in the dash

3.  transitive
verb
earn
something:
to earn or obtain something by work • gain a
living

4.  intransitive
verb
profit:
derive advantage from something • No one
stands to gain from the deal.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
greater:
to grow or increase, or acquire more of something • She
was steadily gaining in confidence.

6.  transitive
verb
make
arise:
to cause something to arise or become operative • gain
his confidence

7.  transitive
verb
establish
relationship: to begin to have or establish a
particular relationship with somebody • gain
a mentor and a friend

8.  intransitive
verb
get
better:
to improve or become better in some respect • gaining
in proficiency

9.  intransitive
verb
get
closer or farther away: to come closer to somebody
or something pursued, or increase the distance from a pursuer • They
are behind but they’re gaining on us.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in or by something: to come to have more of
something, or increase by a specified amount • The
dollar had gained two points

11. intransitive
and transitive verb TIME run ahead of correct time:
to run fast so as to record a time ahead, or a specified amount of time ahead,
of the correct one • My watch gains at least
10 minutes every day.

12. transitive
verb
reach:
to arrive at a place that it was intended or hoped to reach (literary) • once
we had finally gained the shore

13. intransitive
verb
add
weight:
to put on weight • I gain if I don’t
exercise regularly
noun
(plural gains)

1.  achievement:
an advantage or improvement that has been earned or acquired through effort • despite
the political gains of recent years

2.  amount
increased:
an increase or profit of a specified amount • a
small weight gain

3.  benefit:
financial profit or personal advantage

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING measure
of increase in signal strength: a ratio of the output
power to the input power of an amplifier that is more than one and indicates an
increase in signal strength

5.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
antenna gain
plural
noun
gains

earnings and acquisitions:
something acquired, earned, or won, especially money
[15th
century. Via Old French from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to graze,
hunt.”]
—gain·a·ble,
adjective  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at get

[1]



gain

gain2
gain2 [gayn]
noun (plural gains)

notch to fit something into:
a notch or groove cut into a board so that another part can be fitted into it
transitive
verb
(past gained, past participle gained, present
participle gain·ing, 3rd person present singular gains)

1.  cut
notch in something: to cut a notch or groove
into a board so that another part can be fitted into it

2.  fit
part in notch: to fit a part into a gain or connect
parts using a gain
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gainer

gainer
gain·er 
[gáynər] (plural gain·ers) noun

1.  somebody
gaining:
somebody who or something that gains

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE rising
stock:
a stock that increases in value during a trading period

3.  SWIMMING dive
with back somersault: a dive in which the diver
jumps forward, does a back somersault in the air, and enters the water feet
first, facing away from the board

[1]



Gainesville

Gainesville
Gaines·ville 
[gáynzvil]

1.  city
and county seat of Alachua County, northern Florida, 105 km/65 mi southwest of
Jacksonville. Population: 84,770 (1990)

2.  city
and county seat of Hall County, north central Georgia, 80 km/50 mi northeast of
Atlanta. Population: 17,885 (1990)

[1]



gainful

gainful
gain·ful 
[gáynfəl] adjective

profitable:
bringing profit or advantage
—gain·ful·ly,
adverb

—gain·ful·ness, noun[1]



gainsay

gainsay
gain·say 
[gayn sáy, gáyn
sày] (past gain·said, past participle gain·said
[gayn sáyd, gáyn
sàyd, gayn séd], present
participle gain·say·ing, 3rd person present singular gain·says
[gayn sáyz, gáyn
sàyz, gayn séz]) transitive verb
(formal)

1.  deny
something:
to say that something is false

2.  contradict
somebody or something: to deny the truth of
something or of what somebody says • I
won’t gainsay you.
[14th
century. Coined from gain-, from Old English gegn “against”
(source of English again ), + say .]
—gain·say·er, noun[1]



Gairdner,Lake

Gairdner,Lake
Gaird·ner,
Lake
[gáirdnər]

dry salt lake in south
central South Australia, about 385 km/240 mi northwest of Adelaide. Area: 4,766
sq km/1,840 sq mi.[1]



gait

gait
gait 
[gayt] (plural gaits) noun

1.  manner
of walking:
a way of walking, running, or moving along on foot • his
familiar unsteady gait

2.  RIDING pattern
of horse’s steps: any one of the four paces of a horse,
walk, trot, canter, and gallop, each having a specific pattern of leg movements

3.  speed
of progress: the speed at which something moves or
progresses • Work
proceeded at a steady gait.
[15th century. Variant of gate “way, street.”][1]



-gaited

-gaited
-gaited
suffix

with particular walk:
with a particular way of walking • slow-gaited[1]



gaiter

gaiter
gai·ter 
[gáytər] (plural gai·ters) noun
(usually used in the plural)

1.  leg
covering:
a strip of fabric, leather, or lightweight waterproof material covering the leg
from the instep to either the ankle or the knee. Modern gaiters are usually
made of waterproof fabric and worn by climbers, walkers, or skiers.

2.  elasticized
shoe:
an ankle-high shoe with elastic at the sides and no laces

3.  overshoe
with cloth upper: an overshoe with a fabric top
[Early
18th century. Via French from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “twist,”
later, “ankle.”]
—gaitered, adjective[1]



Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg
Gai·thers·burg 
[gáyərz burg]

city in central Maryland,
northwest of Rockville and Washington, D.C. Population: 45,361 (1996)[1]



gal

gal2
gal2  [gal]
(plural gals) noun

unit
of acceleration: a unit of acceleration in the
centimeter-gram-second system equal to 1 cm per second per second. It is
primarily used in gravitational field and geodetic measurements.
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of Galileo .][1]



gal

gal1
gal1  [gal]
(plural gals) noun

girl
or woman:
a girl or woman (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)
[Late 18th century.
Reproducing a certain pronunciation of girl
.][1]



gal.

gal.
gal.

Abbreviation of
gallon[1]



Gal.

Gal.
Gal.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Galatians[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gala

gala
ga·la 
[gáylə, glə]
(plural ga·las) noun

1.  party:
a special festive occasion that typically includes food and entertainment

2.  U.K.
sporting
competition: a sporting event, especially a swimming
contest with a variety of different races and competitions
[Early 17th century. Via Old
French gale “merrymaking” from, ultimately, Arabic khil’a “fine
garment given as a present,” hence “festive attire,” “festive occasion.”][1]



galact-

galact-
galact-
prefix

See
galacto-[1]



galactagogue

galactagogue
ga·lac·ta·gogue
[gə láktə gòg] adjective

BIOLOGY inducing
milk flow:
causing the production and secretion of milk
noun
(plural ga·lac·ta·gogues)

MEDICINE milk
stimulator:
an agent that stimulates the production and flow of breast milk
[Coined from galact- + Greek agōgos “leading,” from agein
“to lead”][1]



galactic

galactic
ga·lac·tic 
[gə láktik] adjective

1.  relating
to galaxy:
relating or belonging to a galaxy, especially the Milky Way

2.  huge:
of immense or enormous size or quantity (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from galakt-, the stem of gala “milk” (see galaxy ).]
—ga·lac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



galacticequator

galacticequator
ga·lac·tic
e·qua·tor
or ga·lac·tic cir·cle noun

circle on sky through Milky
Way: the imaginary circle on the
sky formed by extending the plane that passes through the center of the Galaxy.
It is inclined at approximately 62° to the celestial equator.[1]



galactopoiesis

galactopoiesis
ga·lac·to·poi·e·sis 
[gə làktō póyəssiss] noun

milk production by body:
the production of milk by the cells of the glandular structure of the breast[1]



galactopoietic

galactopoietic
ga·lac·to·poi·et·ic
[gə làktə poy éttik] adjective

of
milk production by body: relating to or stimulating
milk production in the mammary glands
noun
(plural ga·lac·to·poi·et·ics)

agent stimulating milk flow:
a substance that stimulates the secretion of milk[1]



galactorrhea

galactorrhea
ga·lac·tor·rhe·a 
[gə làktə r ə] noun

abnormal milk secretion:
excessive milk flow during lactation, or spontaneous milk flow in the absence
of childbirth and nursing[1]



galactorrhoea

galactorrhoea
ga·lac·tor·rhoe·a
noun

U.K. =
galactorrhea[1]



galactosamine

galactosamine
gal·ac·tos·am·ine 
[gə làk tṓssə mn, gàllək
tṓssə mn] noun

crystalline amino acid:
a crystalline amino acid derived from the sugar galactose and found in
cartilage and bacterial cell walls. C6H13O5N[1]



galactose

galactose
ga·lac·tose 
[gə lák tss, gə
lák tōz] noun

constituent of milk sugar:
a white crystalline sugar found in certain plant gums and mucilages and one of
the principal constituents of lactose, which is the main sugar of milk. C6H12O6[1]



galactosemia

galactosemia
ga·lac·to·se·mi·a 
[gə làk tō smee ə] noun

excess of milk-sugar
constituent: a genetic disorder
causing the absence of an enzyme necessary for the breakdown of galactose in
milk to glucose[1]



galactosidase

galactosidase
ga·lac·to·si·dase 
[gə làktə s dàyss, gə
làktə s dàyz] noun

enzyme that breaks down sugar
compound: an enzyme involved in the
breakdown of a galactoside[1]



galactoside

galactoside
ga·lac·to·side 
[gə láktə sd] (plural ga·lac·to·sides)
noun

sugar compound formed from
galactose: a sugar derivative ( glycoside ) that is formed by the chemical
combination of galactose with a non-sugar[1]



galago

galago
ga·la·go 
[gə láy gō] (plural ga·la·gos)
noun

See
bush baby
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name.][1]



galah

galah
ga·lah 
[gə l] (plural ga·lahs) noun

Australian
cockatoo:
an Australian cockatoo with a gray back and wings, a pink breast and head, and
a pale pink crest. It is the most common parrot in Australia. Latin name: Eulophus
roseicapillus
[Mid-19th century. From an
Aboriginal language.][1]



Galahad

Galahad
Gal·a·had 
[gállə hàd] (plural Gal·a·hads)
noun

1.  knight
of the Round Table: the purest knight of the
Round Table in Arthurian legend, who succeeded in his quest for the Holy Grail

2.  somebody
who acts nobly: a man considered to be chivalrous,
noble, or pure in actions or attitudes

[1]



galangal

galangal
ga·lan·gal 
[gə láng g’l] noun

1.  PLANTS plant
of ginger family: a plant of the ginger family grown in
eastern Asia for its pungent underground stem. Latin name: Alpinia
officinarum

2.  FOOD spice
resembling ginger: the underground stem of a
galangal plant, sold fresh, or dried and ground, and used in cookery and
medicine

3.  PLANTS See galingale
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French galingal from Arabic álanjān, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Chinese gāoliángjiāng, from gāoliáng, district in
Guangdong Province + jiāng “ginger.”][1]



galantine

galantine
gal·an·tine 
[gállən tn] (plural gal·an·tines)
noun

cold
pressed meat or fish: a dish of boned and cooked
white meat, poultry, or fish, usually stuffed, that is molded into shape and
served cold in its own jelly or coated with aspic
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin galatina .][1]



galantyshow

galantyshow
ga·lan·ty
show 
[gə lánti shòw] (plural ga·lan·ty
shows) noun

shadow
play:
a play performed by manipulating paper figures and casting their shadows on a
screen
[“Galanty” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Italian galanti, plural of galante][1]



Galapagosgiant tortoise

Galapagosgiant tortoise
Ga·la·pa·gos
gi·ant tor·toise [gə lpə
gss jənt tàwrtəss, gə lpəgəss jənt tàwrtəss]
(plural Ga·la·pa·gos gi·ant tor·toises) or Ga·la·pa·gos
tor·toise [gə lpə gss jənt tàwrtəss, gə lpəgəss jənt tàwrtəss] (plural Ga·la·pa·gos
tor·toises) noun

very large tortoise:
a giant tortoise that is native to the Galápagos Islands. It grows up to 1.2
m/4 ft long and weighs up to 225 kg/500 lb . Latin name: Geochelone
elephantopus[1]



galatea

galatea
gal·a·te·a 
[gàllə t ə] noun

strong
cotton fabric for clothing: a strong cotton fabric with
a twill weave that is often striped and is used to make clothes
[Late 19th century. Named for
HMS Galatea ; the fabric was originally used for children’s sailor
suits.][1]



Galatea

Galatea
Gal·a·te·a 
[gàllə t ə] noun

small moon of Neptune:
a small inner natural satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1989 by the
spacecraft Voyager 2. It is approximately 150 km95 mi in diameter.[1]



Galatians

Galatians
Ga·la·tians 
[gə láysh’nz] noun

book
of Bible:
a book of the Bible believed to be a letter from St. Paul to the people of
Galatia. (takes a singular verb)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Galatia, an ancient country of central Asia Minor.][1]



galavant

galavant
gal·a·vant 
intransitive verb

See
gallivant[1]



galax

galax
ga·lax 
[gáy làks] noun

glossy-leaved evergreen
plant: an evergreen plant of the
southeastern United States with glossy leaves and white berries. Genus: Galax[1]



galaxy

galaxy

gal·ax·y 
[gálləksee] (plural gal·ax·ies)
noun

1.  assembly
of stars, gas, and dust: a group of billions of stars
and their planets, gas, and dust that extends over many thousands of
light-years and forms a unit within the universe. Held together by
gravitational forces, most of the estimated 50 billion galaxies are shaped as
spirals and ellipses, with the remainder being asymmetrical.

2.  distinguished
assembly:
a gathering of famous, brilliant, or distinguished people or things
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek galaxias (kuklos), literally “milky (circle),”
from galakt-, the stem of gala “milk.”][1]



Galaxy

Galaxy
Gal·ax·y
[gálləksee] noun

See
Milky Way[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








galbanum

galbanum
gal·ba·num 
[gálbənəm] noun

gum
resin in incense: a yellowish to green or brown aromatic
bitter gum resin derived from several related Asian plants and used in incense
or medicinally as a counterirritant. Genus: Ferula
[12th century. Via Latin from
Greek khalbanē, from Semitic .][1]



gale

gale
gale
[gayl] (plural gales) noun

1.  wind
of force 8 or 9: an extremely strong wind that measures 8
or 9 on the Beaufort scale and has a speed of between 63 km/39 mi and 87 km/54
mi per hour

2.  strong
wind:
a very strong wind

3.  breeze:
a light breeze (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Norwegian galen “bad” (referring to wind).][1]



galea

galea
ga·le·a 
[gáylee ə] (plural ga·le·ae [gáylee ]) noun

helmet-shaped
part:
a part or organ shaped like a helmet, for example, the upper petal of some
flowers or one of the mouthparts of an insect
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, “helmet.”]
—ga·le·ate [gáylee àyt], adjective[1]



Galen

Galen
Ga·len
[gáylən] (129–199?)

Greek physician and scholar.
His anatomical studies formed the basis of European medical practice for 1,400
years.[1]



galena

galena
ga·le·na 
[gə lnə] noun

primary
ore of lead: a lustrous blue-gray crystalline mineral
that consists mainly of lead sulfide and is the main source of lead. Galena
crystals were once used as rectifiers in crystal radio sets.
Also
called
galenite
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “lead at a certain stage of smelting.”][1]



galenical

galenical
ga·len·i·cal 
[gə lnik’l] noun (plural ga·len·i·cals)

natural
drug:
any medicinal preparation that is made from plant or animal tissue, especially
vegetable matter, rather than being created synthetically
adjective

not
synthetic:
made from plant or animal tissue rather than synthesized
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Galen, because he prescribed such
remedies.][1]



galenite

galenite
ga·len·ite 
[gə l nīt] noun

See
galena[1]



Galesburg

Galesburg
Gales·burg 
[gáylz burg]

city in northwestern
Illinois, south of Moline and northwest of Peoria. Population: 33,162 (1996)[1]



Galibi

Galibi
Ga·li·bi 
[gə lbee] (plural Ga·li·bi or
Ga·li·bis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native S American people: a member of an indigenous
South American people who live in French Guiana

2.  LANGUAGE Carib
language:
a language spoken in French Guiana, one of the Carib group of American
languages. Galibi is spoken by fewer than a thousand people.
[Late
19th century. From Carib, literally “strong man.”]
—Ga·li·bi, adjective[1]



Galilean

Galilean2
Gal·i·le·an2  [gàllə
l ən] adjective

relating to Galileo:
relating to the Italian scientist Galileo, his theories, or his inventions[1]



Galilean

Galilean1
Gal·i·le·an1  [gàllə
l ən] or Gal·i·lae·an [gàllə
l ən] noun (plural Gal·i·le·ans) (plural Gal·i·lae·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Galilee: somebody who lives or was born or raised
in Galilee

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian:
a Christian (archaic)

3.  CHRISTIANITY Jesus
Christ:
Jesus Christ (archaic or literary)
adjective

relating to Galilee:
relating to or typical of Galilee, or its people or culture
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin Galilea “ Galilee .”][1]



Galilee

Galilee
Gal·i·lee 
[gálli lee]

region of ancient Palestine,
now part of northern Israel, situated between the Jordan River and the Sea of
Galilee. It was the scene of Jesus Christ’s ministry.[1]



galilee

galilee
gal·i·lee 
[gállə lee] (plural gal·i·lees)
noun

medieval
church porch or chapel: a small porch or chapel
found at the western end of some medieval churches or cathedrals
[15th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin galilea, named for Latin Galilea “ Galilee,” said to be from the position of Galilee
as the province most distant from Jerusalem.][1]



Galilee,Sea of

Galilee,Sea of
Gal·i·lee,
Sea of
[gálli lee]

freshwater lake on the Jordan
River in northeastern Israel. It is 209 m/686 ft below sea level. Area: 166 sq
km/64 sq mi.[1]



Galileo

Galileo

Ga·li·le·o
[gàlli láy ō] (1564–1642)
Italian
physicist and astronomer. One of the founders of Europe’s scientific
revolution, his main contributions include the application of the telescope to
astronomy and the discovery of the laws of falling bodies and the motions of
projectiles.
Born
Galilei, Galileo[1]



galingale

galingale
gal·in·gale 
[gállin gàyl] noun

plant
of sedge family: a plant of the sedge family with reddish
flowers growing in a cluster directly from the stem and aromatic roots that
were used medicinally in the past. Latin name: Cyperus longus
Also
called
galangal
[See galangal][1]



galiot

galiot
gal·i·ot 
[gállee ət, gállee
òt] (plural gal·i·ots) or gal·li·ot [gállee ət, gállee òt]
(plural gal·li·ots) noun

1.  light
fast galley: a light fast ship propelled by sails and
oars that was used in the past in the Mediterranean

2.  single-masted
ship:
a light shallow single-masted Dutch merchant ship used in the past
[15th century. Via Old French
(literally “little galley”) from, ultimately, medieval Latin galea
“galley.”][1]



galipot

galipot
gal·i·pot 
[gálli pòt] noun

resin
from pine:
crude turpentine in resin form that is obtained from several species of pine
found in southern Europe
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Provençal garapot “pine resin.”][1]



gall

gall3
gall3 [gawl]
(plural galls) noun

swelling
on tree:
a swelling on a tree or plant caused by insects, fungi, bacteria, or external
damage
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin galla “oak gall.”][1]



gall

gall2
gall2 [gawl]
noun (plural galls)

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE sore
caused by rubbing: a sore on the skin of an
animal that is caused by friction

2.  cause
of anger:
something that angers or irritates somebody (dated)

3.  anger:
a feeling of annoyance or anger (dated)
transitive
verb
(past galled, past participle galled, present
participle gall·ing, 3rd person present singular galls)

1.  anger
somebody:
to make somebody extremely angry

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE cause
friction sore on: to cause a sore on the skin by rubbing
[14th century. From Middle
Low German galle “sore,” of uncertain origin: perhaps originally
“astringent substance.”][1]



gall

gall1
gall1 [gawl]
noun

1.  audacity:
impudent boldness • And then he had the
gall to tell us to leave!

2.  bitter
feeling or experience: a feeling of bitterness or
resentment (literary) • Her
betrayal turned his love to gall.

3.  PHYSIOLOGY bile:
bile (archaic)
[12th century. From Old Norse
gall “bile,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “yellow.”][1]



gall.

gall.
gall.

Abbreviation of
gallon[1]



Galla

Galla
Gal·la 
[gállə] noun adjective

LANGUAGE PEOPLES See Oromo
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Arabic ġalīz “rough.”][1]



gallamine

gallamine
gal·la·mine
[gállə mn] noun

muscle
relaxant:
a short-acting but powerful muscle relaxant used by anesthetists during the
induction of general anesthesia
[Late 19th century. From gallic
(from gallium ) + amine
.][1]



gallant

gallant
gal·lant 
adjective [gə lánt, gə lnt]

1.  courteous:
courteous and thoughtful, especially toward women

2.  brave:
brave, spirited, and honorable (literary)

3.  majestic:
grand and majestic (archaic)

4.  stylish:
stylish or showy in dress (archaic)
noun
[gə lánt, gə
lnt, gállənt] (plural gal·lants)

1.  man
courteous to women: a man who is courteous and
thoughtful in his behavior toward women (dated)

2.  male
lover:
a man who is a woman’s lover (archaic)

3.  dandy:
a fashionable young man (archaic)

4.  brave
man:
a brave and honorable man (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb [gə
lánt, gə lnt] (past gal·lant·ed,
past participle gal·lant·ed, present participle gal·lant·ing,
3rd person present singular gal·lants)

woo: to
court a woman (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French, the present participle of galer “to make
merry.”]
—gal·lant·ly, adverb[1]



Gallant,Mavis

Gallant,Mavis
Gal·lant 
[gə lánt], Mavis (1922– )

Canadian
writer. She is known for her incisively written short stories, collected in
volumes such as Home Truths ( 1981 ).
Born
Young, Mavis[1]



gallantry

gallantry
gal·lant·ry 
[gálləntree] (plural gal·lant·ries)
noun

1.  courage:
bravery, especially in war or in a situation of great danger

2.  courtesy:
courteous and thoughtful behavior, especially toward women

3.  something
gallant said or done: a courageous or chivalrous
action or remark (dated)

[1]



Gallatin

Gallatin
Gal·la·tin 
[gállətin]

river that rises in
northwestern Wyoming and flows northward into Montana, where it joins the
Jefferson and Madison rivers to form the Missouri River. Length: 201 km/125 mi.[1]



Gallatin,Albert

Gallatin,Albert

Gal·la·tin 
[gállətin], Albert (1761–1849)
Swiss-born
U.S. statesman. As secretary of the treasury (1801–1814) he reduced the public
debt and oversaw the Louisiana Purchase (1803).
Full name
Gallatin, Abraham Alfonse Albert[1]



Gallaudet,Thomas

Gallaudet,Thomas
Gal·lau·det
[gàllə dét], Thomas (1787–1851)

U.S.
educator. He founded the first free school for hearing-impaired people in the
United States, in Hartford, Connecticut (1817).
Full name
Gallaudet, Thomas Hopkins[1]



gallbladder

gallbladder

gall·blad·der 
[gáwl blàddər] (plural gall·blad·ders)
noun
place where bile is stored:
a small muscular sac on the right underside of the liver, in which bile
secreted by the liver is stored and concentrated until needed for the digestive
process[1]



galleass

galleass
gal·le·ass 
[gállee əss] (plural gal·le·ass·es)
or gal·li·ass [gállee əss] (plural
gal·li·ass·es) noun

three-masted
warship:
a large fast warship with three masts, used in the Mediterranean in the 16th
and 17th centuries
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from Old Italian galeaza “large galley.”][1]



galleon

galleon
gal·le·on 
[gállee ən] (plural gal·le·ons)
noun

large
sailing ship: a large three-masted sailing ship used
especially by the Spanish between the 15th and 18th centuries
[Early 16th century. Either
via Middle Dutch galjoen from Old French galion “large galley,”
or from Spanish galeón .][1]



galleria

galleria
gal·le·ri·a 
[gàllə r ə] (plural gal·le·ri·as)
noun

indoor
court with shops: a roofed court with shops or businesses
opening onto it, usually at several levels
[Late 19th century. From
Italian .][1]



gallery

gallery
gal·ler·y 
[gálləree] noun (plural gal·ler·ies)

1.  ARTS place
for art exhibitions: a place where artwork is
exhibited and sometimes sold

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY studio:
a photographer’s studio

3.  ARCHITECTURE covered
walkway:
a long covered passageway that is open on one or both sides

4.  ARCHITECTURE enclosed
walkway:
a corridor, hall, or other enclosed passageway inside a building

5.  ARCHITECTURE long
narrow room: a long narrow space or room used for a
particular purpose

6.  ARCHITECTURE balcony:
a balcony or passage running along the wall of a large building

7.  Southern
U.S.
ARCHITECTURE veranda:
an open-roofed porch or veranda that runs along the side of a house

8.  Caribbean
ARCHITECTURE porch
at front of house: a porch at the front of a
house

9.  underground
tunnel or passage: an underground tunnel or
passage, especially one made by an animal or one that is part of a mine or a
military site

10. THEATER part
of theater:
a seating area projecting from the back and sides out over the main floor of a
theater or auditorium, especially the highest section of this area containing
the cheapest seats

11. THEATER seats
in the gallery: the seats located in the gallery of a
theater or auditorium

12. THEATER audience
in cheapest seats: the people who sit in the
gallery of a theater

13. offensive
term:
an offensive term applied to the general public, viewed as having no
discrimination or sophistication (offensive)

14. THEATER stage
rig:
a narrow platform above a stage from which technicians can adjust lights, move
props, or operate machinery

15. SPORTS spectators
at a competition: a group of spectators, especially at a
tennis or golf match

16. assorted
collection:
a varied collection of people or things • a
gallery of famous names

17. NAUTICAL ship’s
balcony:
a platform or balcony at the rear of a ship

18. FURNITURE decorative
rail:
a decorative metal or wooden rail on a table top, shelf, or tray
intransitive
verb

Caribbean show
off or boast: to show off or flaunt possessions or
status (informal)
[15th
century. Via Old French galerie “portico” from, ultimately, medieval
Latin galeria, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of galilea
(see galilee ).]
—gal·ler·ied,
adjective
play
to the gallery

to do or say something that
will appeal to those regarded as less educated, discriminating, or
sophisticated[1]



galleryforest

galleryforest
gal·ler·y
for·est
(plural gal·ler·y for·ests) noun

forest by river:
a strip of forest that grows along a river in an area where there are no other
trees[1]



galley

galley
gal·ley 
[gállee] (plural gal·leys) noun

1.  SHIPPING large
ship using oars or sails: a large ship propelled by
oars or sails or both, that was used in ancient and medieval times, especially
in the Mediterranean

2.  SHIPPING row
boat:
a long boat propelled by oars, especially in England

3.  TRANSPORT boat,
train, or aircraft kitchen: a kitchen on a boat, ship,
train, or aircraft

4.  PRINTING print
tray:
a long metal tray used for holding type that is ready for printing

5.  PRINTING See galley proof
[13th century. Via Old French
and medieval Latin from medieval Greek galea, of unknown origin.][1]



galleyproof

galleyproof
gal·ley
proof
(plural gal·ley proofs) noun

PRINTING
trial print run:
a first test copy of printed material, usually not divided into pages, on which
corrections are marked.
Also called
galley[1]



galleyslave

galleyslave
gal·ley
slave
(plural gal·ley slaves) noun

1.  HISTORY enslaved
oarsman:
one of a team of criminals or enslaved men forced in the past to row a galley

2.  drudge:
somebody who is given menial tasks to do (dated humorous)

[1]



galley-west

galley-west
gal·ley-west
adverb

into
confusion or destruction: into a state of disorder,
confusion, or destruction (archaic slang) “Then she grabbed up the
basket and slammed it across the house and knocked the cat galley-west” Mark
Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1884
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of Colly-west “awry,” from Collyweston, a village in
Northamptonshire, England.][1]



gallfly

gallfly
gall·fly 
[gáwl fl] (plural gall·flies)
noun

insect
causing swellings on plants: an insect such as the gall
midge or gall wasp that causes swellings ( galls
) on plants when it deposits its eggs on them
[Gall from gall 3][1]



galliard

galliard
gal·liard 
[gállyərd] noun (plural gal·liards)

1.  DANCE spirited
dance:
a lively dance popular in England, France, Spain, and Italy in the 16th and
17th centuries

2.  music
for galliard: the music for a galliard, written in
triple time, part of the baroque dance suite
adjective

lively:
lively or spirited (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from a Celtic word.][1]



galliass

galliass
gal·li·ass 
[gállee əss] noun

SHIPPING
See galleass[1]



Gallic

Gallic
Gal·lic 
[gállik] adjective

1.  French:
relating to or typical of France, or its people or culture

2.  Gaulish:
relating or belonging to ancient Gaul or the Gauls
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin Gallia “Gaul.”][1]



gallicacid

gallicacid
gal·lic
ac·id 
[gàllik ássid] noun

colorless
crystalline solid: a colorless crystalline
solid that occurs in plants and is obtained from tannin. It is used as a
tanning agent, in making inks and paper, and in photography. C7H6O5
[Gallic, formed from Latin galla
“oakgall” (because the acid is made from the oakgall and other vegetable
products)][1]



Gallican

Gallican
Gal·li·can 
[gállikən] noun (plural Gal·li·cans)

supporter of Gallicanism:
a supporter of Gallicanism in the Roman Catholic Church
adjective

1.  relating
to Gallicanism: relating to or advocating Gallicanism

2.  See
Gallic

[1]



Gallicanism

Gallicanism
Gal·li·can·ism 
[gállikə nìzzəm] noun

CHRISTIANITY
movement against centralized papal
control: a French movement in favor
of giving the Roman Catholic Church in individual countries more autonomy and
reducing the authority of the pope[1]



Gallicism

Gallicism
Gal·li·cism 
[gálli sìzzəm] (plural Gal·li·cisms)
noun

1.  expression
borrowed from French: a word or phrase of French
origin used in another language

2.  French
characteristic: a characteristic of the French

[1]



Gallicize

Gallicize
Gal·li·cize 
[gálli sz] (past Gal·li·cized,
past participle Gal·li·cized, present participle Gal·li·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular Gal·li·ciz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
something French by adoption: to become French or like
something French, or make something, for example, a word, custom, or
characteristic French
—Gal·li·ci·za·tion [gàllissi záysh’n], noun[1]



galligaskins

galligaskins
gal·li·gas·kins 
[gàlli gáskinz] plural noun CLOTHES

1.  breeches
or stockings: loose-fitting breeches or stockings that
were worn by men in the 16th and 17th centuries

2.  loose
trousers:
very loose-fitting trousers

3.  U.K.
leather
leggings:
leather leggings worn in the 19th century
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French garguesques, which is,
ultimately, from Latin Graecus “Greek.”][1]



gallimaufry

gallimaufry
gal·li·mau·fry 
[gàlli máwffree] (plural gal·li·mau·fries)
noun

hodgepodge:
a jumble of various things or people (dated)
[Mid-16th century. From
French galimafrée, of unknown origin.][1]



galling

galling
gall·ing 
[gáwlling] adjective

exasperating:
with the effect of frustrating and annoying somebody
—gall·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gallinipper

gallinipper
gal·li·nip·per
[gállə nìppər] (plural gal·li·nip·pers)
noun

biting
fly:
a large mosquito or biting fly (humorous) (regional)
[Late 17th century. Of
uncertain origin; partly influenced by nipper
.][1]



gallinule

gallinule
gal·li·nule 
[gállə nl] (plural gal·li·nules)
noun

wading
and swimming bird: an aquatic bird of swampy
regions that both wades and swims and typically has dark plumage and a
yellow-tipped red bill with a red shield above it. Family: Rallidae
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin gallinula “little hen.”][1]



galliot

galliot
gal·li·ot 
(plural gal·li·ots) noun

See
galiot[1]



Gallipoli

Gallipoli
Gal·lip·o·li 
[gə líppəlee]

peninsula in European Turkey,
extending into the Dardanelles, and including an important seaport of the same
name. It has historically been of great strategic importance to Istanbul. The
peninsula was the site of a major World War I campaign in 1915, when Allied
troops including many from Australia and New Zealand, failed to take control of
the Dardanelles.[1]



gallipot

gallipot
gal·li·pot 
[gállə pòt] (plural gal·li·pots)
noun

pot
for medicine: a small pot used by pharmacists as a
container for medications. In the past these were earthenware, but modern
gallipots are made of foil, stainless steel, or polypropylene.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably coined from galley + pot, with the idea that such pots were brought in
galleys from the Mediterranean.][1]



gallium

gallium

gal·li·um 
[gállee əm] noun
rare
metallic element: a rare metallic chemical element,
blue-gray when solid and silver when liquid, that is found in coal and ores. Symbol
Ga
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin Gallia “France.”][1]



galliumarsenide

galliumarsenide
gal·li·um
ar·se·nide
noun

compound used in
semiconductors: a dark-gray crystalline
solid containing gallium and arsenic. It is used in making semiconductors,
solar cells, and lasers. GaAs[1]



gallivant

gallivant
gal·li·vant 
[gállə vànt] (past gal·li·vant·ed,
past participle gal·li·vant·ed, present participle gal·li·vant·ing,
3rd person present singular gal·li·vants) or gal·a·vant
[gállə vànt] (past gal·a·vant·ed,
past participle gal·a·vant·ed, present participle gal·a·vant·ing,
3rd person present singular gal·a·vants) intransitive verb
(informal)

1.  travel
around for pleasure: to travel around with no
purpose except enjoyment

2.  play
around amorously: to flirt or play romantically
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps an alteration of gallant
.][1]



galliwasp

galliwasp
gal·li·wasp 
[gállə wàwsp] (plural gal·li·wasps)
noun

long-bodied
lizard:
a lizard with a long body that is related to the slowworm and is found in
marshes of Central America and the West Indies. Family: Anguidae
[Late 17th century. Origin unknown.][1]



gallmidge

gallmidge
gall
midge
(plural gall midges) noun

small fly:
a small fly resembling a mosquito whose larvae cause swellings ( galls ) on plants. Family: Cecidomyiidae[1]



gallmite

gallmite
gall
mite
(plural gall mites) noun

mite causing plant swellings:
a mite that causes swellings ( galls ) on
the fruits, leaves, or buds of plants. Family: Phytoptidae[1]



gallnut

gallnut
gall·nut 
[gáwl nùt] (plural gall·nuts) noun

swelling on plant:
a small round swelling ( gall ) on a plant[1]



galloglass

galloglass
gal·lo·glass 
[gállō glàss] (plural gal·lo·glass·es)
or gal·low·glass [gállō glàss]
(plural gal·low·glass·es) noun

medieval
soldier or servant: a medieval mercenary soldier
or armed servant of a Celtic chieftain, especially in Ireland
[15th century. From Irish gallóglach,
literally “young foreign servant, warrior.”][1]



gallon

gallon
gal·lon 
[gállən] noun (plural gal·lons)

1.  U.S.
unit of volume: a unit of capacity in the U.S. Customary
system equal to eight U.S. pints ( approximately 3.79 liters )

2.  U.K.
British
unit of volume: a unit of capacity in the British
imperial system equal to eight British imperial pints ( approximately 4.55
liters ).
Also
called
imperial gallon
adjective

holding a gallon:
with a capacity of one gallon • a
gallon jar
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin galleta “jug,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from
Celtic .][1]



gallonage

gallonage
gal·lon·age 
[gállənij] noun

1.  capacity
in gallons:
a capacity or amount measured in gallons

2.  rate
of liquid transfer: the rate at which a liquid
is used, pumped, or transmitted, measured in gallons per second, minute, or
hour

[1]



galloon

galloon
gal·loon 
[gə ln] (plural gal·loons) noun

decorative
trimming:
a narrow band of embroidery, lace, braid, or silver or gold thread, used as a
trimming on clothes or upholstery
[Early
17th century. From French galon, from galonner “to trim with
braid,” of unknown origin.]
—gal·looned, adjective[1]



galloot

galloot
gal·loot 
(plural gal·loots) noun

See
galoot[1]



gallop

gallop
gal·lop 
[gálləp] noun (plural gal·lops)

1.  fastest
pace of horse: the fastest pace of a horse, in which
all four feet are off the ground at the same time

2.  fast
pace of four-legged animal: a fast movement similar to a
horse’s gallop made by any four-legged animal

3.  fast
ride on horse: a ride on a horse at a gallop
verb
(past gal·loped, past participle gal·loped, present
participle gal·lop·ing, 3rd person present singular gal·lops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ride
horse fast:
to ride a horse at a gallop

2.  transitive
verb
move
something quickly: to move or transport
something at a gallop or at a very fast pace

3.  intransitive
verb
do
something very fast: to do something in a great
hurry • gallop
through lunch
[Early
16th century. From Old French galoper, a variant of waloper, of
prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—gal·lop·er, noun[1]



gallopade

gallopade
gal·lo·pade 
[gállə payd, gállə
paad, gàllə pd] (plural gal·lo·pades)
noun

DANCE MUSIC See galop
[Mid-18th century. From
French galopade, from galoper (see gallop
).][1]



galloping

galloping
gal·lop·ing 
[gálləping] adjective

1.  fast-developing:
proceeding or developing at a very fast rate • galloping
pneumonia

2.  like
gallop:
relating to or resembling a gallop, in speed or rhythm

[1]



Gallo-Romance

Gallo-Romance
Gal·lo-Ro·mance
or Gal·lo-Ro·man noun

group
of old French dialects: a group of dialects spoken
in France between the 7th and the 10th centuries AD. It constitutes an intermediate developmental stage
between the end of Vulgar Latin and the appearance of Old French.
—Gal·lo-Ro·mance, adjective[1]



gallowglass

gallowglass
gal·low·glass 
(plural gal·low·glass·es) noun

HISTORY
See galloglass[1]



gallows

gallows
gal·lows 
[gállōz] (plural gal·lows) noun

1.  frame
for hanging criminals: a wooden frame, usually made
of two upright posts and a crossbeam with a noose attached, used to execute
people by hanging.
Also
called
gallows tree

2.  structure
resembling gallows: a structure that resembles a
gallows, for example, one used to suspend slaughtered animals

3.  execution
by hanging:
death by hanging as capital punishment for a criminal offense
[13th century. Via Old Norse gálgi
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “pole.” The use of the plural form
developed because the structure has two upright posts.][1]



gallowsbird

gallowsbird
gal·lows
bird
(plural gal·lows birds) noun

criminal:
somebody who deserves to be hanged (archaic informal)[1]



gallowshumor

gallowshumor
gal·lows
hu·mor
noun

macabre humor:
macabre humor that finds irony or comedy in serious matters such as death[1]



gallowstree

gallowstree
gal·lows
tree
(plural gal·lows trees) noun

See
gallows  noun 1[1]



gallstone

gallstone
gall·stone 
[gáwl stn] (plural gall·stones)
noun

solid mass in gallbladder:
a small hard mass that forms in the gallbladder, sometimes as a result of
infection or blockage[1]



Gallup

Gallup
Gal·lup
[gálləp]

city in northwestern New
Mexico, near the Arizona border. It is located in a coal and uranium mining
region, and is an important Navajo and Zuñi trading center. Population: 20,591
(1996)[1]



Gallup,George

Gallup,George
Gal·lup
[gálləp], George (1901–1984)

U.S.
public opinion analyst and statistician. A pioneer in the use of statistical
methods for determining public opinion on social, economic, and political
issues, he is best known for founding the Gallup Poll (1935).
Full name
Gallup, George Horace[1]



GallupPoll

GallupPoll
Gal·lup
Poll 
(plural Gal·lup Polls) noun

opinion
poll:
a survey in which a sample of people taken as a representative cross section of
society are asked their opinions on a given subject
[Mid-20th century. Named for
George H. Gallup .][1]



galluses

galluses
gal·lus·es 
[gálləssəz] plural noun

U.S.,
Scotland suspenders:
suspenders for trousers
[Mid-19th century. Plural of gallus,
alteration of gallows ; from the two
supports.][1]



gallwasp

gallwasp
gall
wasp
(plural gall wasps) noun

wasp causing plant swellings:
a wasp that lays its eggs in plant tissue, causing swellings ( galls ). Family: Cynipidae[1]



galoot

galoot
ga·loot 
[gə lt] (plural ga·loots) or
gal·loot [gə lt] (plural gal·loots)
noun

awkward
person:
somebody who is clumsy or thoughtless (archaic slang insult)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



galop

galop
gal·op 
[gálləp] (plural gal·ops) noun

Also
called
gallopade

1.  DANCE lively
dance:
a lively dance that was popular in the 19th century

2.  MUSIC music
for dance:
the music for a galop, in double time
[Mid-19th century. From
French .][1]



galore

galore
ga·lore 
[gə láwr] adjective

plentiful:
in large quantities or numbers • There’ll
be food galore at the party.
[Early 17th century. From
Irish go leor, literally “to sufficiency.”][1]



galoshes

galoshes
ga·losh·es
[gə lóshəz] plural noun

waterproof
overshoes:
a pair of waterproof shoes, often made of rubber, worn over other shoes as
protection against rain or snow
[14th century. Via Old French
galoche “little sandal” from Latin gallicula, from gallica
(solea) “sandal (from Gaul).”][1]



Galt,Alexander Tilloch

Galt,Alexander Tilloch
Galt
[gawlt], Sir Alexander Tilloch (1817–1893)

British-born Canadian
statesman. He was a Liberal legislator and cabinet minister who helped
negotiate U.S. access to Canadian fisheries.[1]



galumph

galumph
ga·lumph 
[gə lúmf] (past ga·lumphed, past
participle ga·lumphed, present participle ga·lumph·ing,
3rd person present singular ga·lumphs) intransitive verb (informal)

1.  move
boisterously or clumsily: to walk or run in a
boisterous or clumsy way

2.  move
exultantly:
to stride or march in a prancing triumphant way
[Late 19th century. Blend of gallop and triumph,
coined by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass (1872).][1]



galuth

galuth
ga·luth 
[gaa lt, gaa
lth] noun

Diaspora:
the Jewish Diaspora
[Late 20th century. From
Hebrew gālūth, literally “exile.”][1]



galv.

galv.
galv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
galvanic

2.  Abbreviation
of
galvanized

[1]



galvanic

galvanic
gal·van·ic 
[gal vánnik] adjective

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING relating
to chemically produced direct current:
relating to or involving the direct-current electricity that is chemically
generated between dissimilar metals, for example, in a battery

2.  like
electric shock: sudden, startling, or convulsive, like
an electric shock or its effects
[Late
18th century. (See galvanism ).]
—gal·van·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



galvanicskin response

galvanicskin response
gal·van·ic
skin re·sponse (plural gal·van·ic skin
re·sponses) noun

change in skin’s
conductivity: a change in the
electrical conductivity of the skin caused by sweating and increased blood flow
and linked to a strong emotion such as fear. Lie detector tests use this change
as a way of measuring whether somebody is telling the truth.[1]



galvanism

galvanism
gal·va·nism 
[gálvə nìzzəm] noun

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING production
of electricity by chemical reaction: the
production of direct-current electricity from a chemical reaction, for example,
between dissimilar metals in a battery.
Also
called
voltaism

2.  MEDICINE electricity
as medical therapy: the application of
electricity to the human body to stimulate nerves and muscles as part of a
medical treatment
[Late 18th century. From
French, named for Luigi Galvani whose research led to the discovery that
electricity can result from chemical action.][1]



galvanize

galvanize
gal·va·nize 
[gálvə nz] (past gal·va·nized,
past participle gal·va·nized, present participle gal·va·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular gal·va·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  stimulate
to act:
to stimulate somebody or something into great activity

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING coat
metal with zinc: to coat a metal, usually iron or steel,
with zinc to prevent corrosion

3.  MEDICINE stimulate
electrically: to stimulate the nerves or muscles of
somebody’s body using an electric current
[Early
19th century. From French (see galvanism ).]
—gal·va·ni·za·tion
[gàlvəni záysh’n], noun

—gal·va·niz·er [gálvə nzər], noun[1]



galvanometer

galvanometer
gal·va·nom·e·ter 
[gàlvə nómmətər] (plural gal·va·nom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
to measure electric current: an instrument used to detect
or measure the strength and direction of small electric currents by means of a
coil in a magnetic field that moves a pointer or light
—gal·va·no·met·ric
[gàlvənə méttrik], adjective

—gal·va·nom·e·try [gàlvə nómmətree], noun[1]



Galway

Galway
Gal·way 
[gáwl way]

seaport on Galway Bay and
capital of Galway County, on the western coast of the Republic of Ireland.
Population: 50,853 (1991)[1]



GalwayBay

GalwayBay
Gal·way
Bay

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean
on the western coast of Ireland[1]



GalápagosIslands

GalápagosIslands
Ga·lá·pa·gos
Is·lands
[gə láppəgəss ləndz]

group of islands in the
Pacific Ocean approximately 1,050 km/650 mi west of Ecuador. They are known for
harboring unique species of wildlife, especially the giant tortoise. Area:
7,844 sq km/3,029 sq mi.[1]



galère

galère
ga·lè·re 
[gə láir] (plural ga·lè·res) noun

1.  group
of people with common feature: a group of people with
a particular attribute or interest, especially something undesirable, in common

2.  unpleasant
situation:
an unpleasant predicament
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, “galley,” from Catalan galera, from Middle Greek galea .][1]



gam

gam2
gam2 [gam]
(plural gams) noun

leg:
somebody’s leg, especially a woman’s (dated slang) (sometimes
considered offensive)
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of gamb, a heraldic term for a device
on a shield, resembling an animal’s leg.][1]



gam

gam1
gam1 [gam]
noun (plural gams)

1.  ZOOLOGY migrating
whales:
a group of migrating whales

2.  SHIPPING social
visit between whalers: a social visit between
whalers or other sailors, especially while at sea (informal)
verb
(past gammed, past participle gammed, present
participle gam·ming, 3rd person present singular gams)
(informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
SHIPPING meet
at sea:
to meet socially, especially at sea

2.  transitive
verb
to
visit or spend time chatting: to visit with somebody
socially or spend some time visiting or talking
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gamagrass

gamagrass
ga·ma
grass
[gámmə gràss] noun

grass
for fodder:
a tall coarse grass that is grown in North America for fodder. Latin name: Tripsacum
dactyloides
[Mid-19th century. Gama of
uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of grama
.][1]



gamay

gamay
ga·may 
[gá mày] (plural ga·mays) noun

wine
grape:
a red grape used in making wine, especially Beaujolais
[Mid-19th century. Named for Gamay,
the village in Burgundy, eastern France, where this grape is a native variety.][1]



gamba

gamba
gam·ba 
[gámbə] (plural gam·bas) noun

MUSIC
See viola da gamba[1]



gambade

gambade
gambade
(plural gambades) noun

See
gambado 2
[Early 16th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: possibly from Italian gambata, from gamba
“leg,” or via late Latin gamba “horse’s leg,” from Greek kampē
“bend.”][1]



gambado

gambado1
gam·ba·do1 [gam
báy d, gam báa d] (plural gam·ba·does
or gam·ba·dos) noun

1.  leather
foot protector: either of a pair of protective leather
holders for a rider’s feet attached to a horse’s saddle

2.  leg
covering:
either of a pair of rider’s leggings
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Italian gamba “leg” + -ado .][1]



gambado

gambado2
gam·ba·do2 [gam
báy d, gam b d] (plural gam·ba·does
or gam·ba·dos) or gam·bade [gam báyd, gam bd] (plural
gam·bades) noun

1.  DRESSAGE low
jump by horse: in dressage, a low leap in which the
horse has all four feet off the ground.
Also
called
gambade

2.  leap:
a leap or caper

3.  prank:
a prank or escapade
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish gambada, from gamba “leg.”][1]



gambeer

gambeer
gambeer
noun

See
gambier[1]



Gambia

Gambia
Gam·bi·a 
[gámbee ə]

river in western Africa that
rises in Guinea, flows westward through the Gambia, and empties into the
Atlantic Ocean near Banjul. Length: 1,100 km/700 mi.[1]



Gambia,The




Back to definition

Gambia,The

[1]



Gambia,The

Gambia,The



Gam·bi·a,
The
[gámbee ə]
republic
on the western coast of Africa, bordered on the north, east, and south by
Senegal. Language: English. Currency: dalasi. Capital: Banjul. Population:
1,248,085 (1997) Area: 11,295 sq km/4,361 sq mi.
—Gam·bi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



gambier

gambier
gam·bier 
[gám beer] or gam·bir [gám beer] or gam·beer [gám beer] noun

resin
from Asian vine: a resinous astringent substance obtained
from the leaves of a tropical Asian woody vine and used medicinally as an
astringent or tonic and also in tanning and dyeing. Latin name: Uncaria
gambir
[Early 19th century. From
Malay gambir, the name of the plant.][1]



gambit

gambit
gam·bit 
[gámbit] (plural gam·bits) noun

1.  stratagem:
a maneuver or stratagem used to secure an advantage

2.  conversational
opener:
a remark used to open a conversation

3.  CHESS opening
move in chess: in chess, an opening move in which a
player sacrifices a pawn or other minor piece in order to gain a strategic
advantage
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian gambetto “act of tripping someone up (in wrestling)” (modeled on
French gambit ), from gamba “leg.”][1]



gamble

gamble
gam·ble 
[gámb’l] verb (past gam·bled,
past participle gam·bled, present participle gam·bling,
3rd person present singular gam·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
play
games of chance: to play games such as poker or roulette
that involve risking money, or bet on horse races or other events, in the hope
of winning money

2.  transitive
verb
bet
money:
to bet a sum of money on the outcome of an event or competition

3.  intransitive
verb
take
a chance on something: to take a risk in the hope
and expectation of a desired result • gambling
on nice weather

4.  intransitive
verb
endanger
something:
to behave in a way that risks harming somebody or something • gambled
with the success of the show

5.  transitive
verb
put
something dangerously at risk: to lose or risk losing
something, especially money, by betting or doing something dangerous or rash • She
gambled her inheritance away.
noun
(plural gam·bles)

1.  bet:
a bet made in the hope of winning money

2.  something
done that is risky: an action whose outcome is
uncertain and very possibly undesirable
[Early
18th century. Coined from game + -le,
literally “to keep on playing.”]
—gam·bler, noun[1]



gambling

gambling
gam·bling
[gámbling] noun

betting money:
playing games of chance or betting in the hope of winning money[1]



gamboge

gamboge
gam·boge 
[gam bṓj] noun

1.  resin:
a resin obtained from an Asian tree that is the main constituent of a yellow
pigment

2.  pigment:
a yellow pigment made from gamboge resin

3.  COLORS yellow
color:
a strong yellow color
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from modern Latin gambaugium, from Cambodia, Cambodia, where the tree is native.][1]



gambol

gambol
gam·bol 
[gámb’l] intransitive verb (past
gam·boled or gam·bolled, past participle gam·boled
or gam·bolled, present participle gam·bol·ing or
gam·bol·ling, 3rd person present singular gam·bols)

leap
playfully:
to leap or skip about playfully
noun
(plural gam·bols)

playful
leaping:
an instance of leaping about playfully
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of gambade .][1]



gambrel

gambrel
gam·brel 
[gámbrəl] (plural gam·brels) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY joint
above horse’s foot: the joint of a leg of an
animal, especially a horse, that corresponds to the human ankle

2.  butcher’s
frame:
a frame in the shape of a horse’s hind leg used by butchers for hanging animal
carcasses

3.  ARCHITECTURE See gambrel roof
[Mid-16th century. From Old
Northern French gamberel, from gambier “forked stick,” from gambe,
a variant of jambe “leg.”][1]



gambrelroof

gambrelroof
gam·brel
roof
(plural gam·brel roofs) noun ARCHITECTURE
Also
called
gambrel

1.  roof
with two slopes: a roof that has two slopes on each side,
the lower slope being steeper than the upper

2.  U.K.
roof
with sloping ends and sides: a roof with sloping ends and
sides and a small gable at both ends

[1]



game

game1
game1 [gaym]
noun (plural games)

1.  something
played for fun: an activity that people participate in,
together or on their own, for fun • It’s
only a game!

2.  competitive
activity with rules: a sporting or other activity
in which players compete against one another by following a fixed set of rules
• How
many people do you need to play this game?

3.  competition:
a particular occasion when a competitive game is played • Saturday’s
game has been canceled.

4.  SPORTS part
of competition: in sports such as tennis, a specific
subsection of play that goes toward making up a set or match

5.  aspect
of game:
a particular aspect of a competition • They
lost because their offensive game was terrible.

6.  style
of playing:
the style or level of skill with which somebody plays a particular sport • raise
your game

7.  number
needed to win: the total number of points needed to win
a contest

8.  rules
governing sport: the rules governing a particular
competition or sport

9.  equipment:
an item or set of items such as a board, dice, counters, a deck of cards, or a
piece of computer software that is needed to play a particular game • “Did
you bring any games with you?” –“Yes, we brought Scrabble.”

10. activity
resembling game: any activity that resembles a game, for
example, one that involves intense interest and competitiveness and is carried
out by its own specific and often unspoken rules

11. stratagem
or tactic:
a way of behaving that is aimed at manipulating people or trying to deceive
them • So
that’s your game?

12. illegal
activity or racket: a strategy, activity, or
behavior that is questionable, and often illegal (informal)

13. occupation:
a business or occupation (informal) • the
advertising game

14. something
not taken seriously: an activity or situation
that somebody does not treat seriously • Life’s
a game as far as he’s concerned.

15. HUNTING animals
for hunting: wild animals, birds, or fish that are
hunted for sport

16. FOOD meat
of hunted animals: the meat of wild animals,
birds, or fish that have been killed for sport

17. ridicule
or the object of it: the act of ridiculing
somebody for fun, or the target of ridicule, criticism or trickery • She’s
easy game for a trickster like him.

18. MATHEMATICS mathematical
model of contest: a mathematical model describing a
contest played under specified rules in which each participant has only partial
control
plural
noun
games

event with many sporting contests:
an event that consists of many different sporting activities and usually lasts
for several days
adjective

1.  ready
and willing: ready and willing to do something,
especially something new or unusual

2.  brave:
brave in spirit or character
intransitive
verb
(past gamed, past participle gamed, present participle
gam·ing, 3rd person present singular games)

gamble: to
play games of chance for money
[Old
English, from a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning “people participating
together”]
—game·ly,
adverb

—game·ness,
noun
ahead
of the game

anticipating
and reacting more promptly than others to new developments

give
the game away

or
give away the gameto reveal a secret, usually without intending to

play
the game

to
follow the rules of a given situation, even if they are unspoken

the
game’s up

the
plan or trick has failed or been discovered (informal)

the
only game in town

the only possibility[1]



game

game2
game2 [gaym]
adjective

offensive
term for motion impairment: an offensive term meaning
injured or with impaired mobility, formerly applied to limbs • a
game left foot
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from Old French gambi “crooked.”][1]



gameball

gameball
game
ball
(plural game balls) noun

winning game ball:
the ball from a winning game given to one of the players or coaches in
recognition of a contribution to the victory[1]



gamebird

gamebird
game
bird
(plural game birds) noun

hunted bird:
a bird such as a pheasant or grouse that is hunted for sport[1]



Gameboy

Gameboy
Game·boy
[gáym bòy] Trademark

a trademark for a hand-held
video-game machine with a very small monochrome LCD screen, graphics
capability, and an extensive selection of games[1]



gamecock

gamecock
game·cock 
[gáym kòk] (plural game·cocks)
noun

rooster bred for fighting:
a rooster that has been bred and trained for fighting.
U.K. term
fighting cock[1]



gamefish

gamefish
game
fish
noun

1.  fish
caught for sport: any fish, particularly any sea fish,
that is caught for sport, especially one favored for its fighting ability.
Sharks are popular game fish.

2.  fish
reserved for anglers only: a fish that is reserved by
law or other regulation for anglers and that cannot be caught and sold
commercially
—game fish·ing, noun[1]



gamefowl

gamefowl
game
fowl
noun

fighting bird:
a domestic fowl bred and trained for fighting[1]



gamekeeper

gamekeeper
game·keep·er 
[gáym kpər] (plural game·keep·ers)
noun

somebody
who looks after game: somebody employed to look
after birds or animals hunted for sport, for example, on an estate or game
preserve
—game·keep·ing, noun[1]



gamelan

gamelan
gam·e·lan 
[gámmə làn] (plural gam·e·lans)
noun

Indonesian
percussion orchestra: an Indonesian orchestra that
consists mainly of percussion instruments such as chimes, gongs, and wooden
xylophones
[Early 19th century. From
Javanese .][1]



gamelaw

gamelaw
game
law
(plural game laws) noun

law about hunting or
shooting: a law that controls the
catching and killing of fish, birds, or other animals for sport, for example,
one that specifies the extent of a hunting or shooting season[1]



gameof chance

gameof chance
game
of chance
(plural games of chance) noun

game depending on luck:
a game, usually played for money, in which the outcome depends to some degree
on chance, for example, on the throw of dice[1]



gameof skill

gameof skill
game
of skill
(plural games of skill) noun

game depending on skill:
a game such as chess or bridge, in which the outcome depends entirely or
principally on the skill of the players[1]



gameplan

gameplan
game
plan
(plural game plans) noun

1.  SPORTS strategy
to win competition: the strategy that a team or
player devises beforehand to use during a game

2.  strategy
to achieve objective: a strategy that somebody
devises to achieve a particular goal

[1]



gamepoint

gamepoint
game
point
(plural game points) noun

1.  situation
with potential to win: in games such as tennis and
badminton, a situation in which one player or side has only to win the next
point to win the game

2.  winning
point:
the point that will decide the final outcome of a game

[1]



gamereserve

gamereserve
game
re·serve
(plural game re·serves) or game pre·serve (plural
game pre·serves) noun

protected area for wild
animals: a large area of land where
birds or animals are kept in protected conditions in the wild, either for
conservation purposes or to be hunted for sport[1]



gameroom

gameroom
game
room
(plural game rooms) noun

room where games are played:
a room in a house or public building that is set aside and equipped for games
such as pool or table tennis[1]



gameshow

gameshow
game
show
(plural game shows) noun

TV show with games and
prizes: a television program in
which people compete for money or prizes[1]



gamesmanship

gamesmanship
games·man·ship
[gáymzmən shìp] noun

1.  strategic
behavior:
the use of tactics or stratagems to gain an advantage in business, politics, or
life • political
gamesmanship

2.  play
of questionable fairness: the use of unconventional
but not strictly illegal tactics to gain an advantage in a competitive game
—games·man, noun[1]



gamesome

gamesome
game·some
[gáymsəm] adjective

playful:
eager to play or have fun (archaic)
—game·some·ly,
adverb

—game·some·ness, noun[1]



gamester

gamester
game·ster
[gáymstər] (plural game·sters)
noun

gambler:
somebody who plays gambling games (archaic)[1]



gamet-

gamet-
gamet-
prefix

See
gameto-[1]



gametangium

gametangium
gam·e·tan·gi·um
[gàmmə tánjee əm] (plural gam·e·tan·gi·a
[gàmmə tánjee ə]) noun

BOTANY part
where gametes are produced: the part of a plant,
especially an organ or cell in algae and fungi, where gametes are produced
[Late
19th century. Coined from modern Latin gameta (see gamete ) + Greek aggeion “vessel” + -ium .]
—gam·e·tan·gi·al, adjective[1]



gamete

gamete
gam·ete
[gá meet] (plural gam·etes) noun

GENETICS male
or female cell: a specialized male or female cell with
half the normal number of chromosomes that unites with another cell of the
opposite sex in the process of sexual reproduction. Ova and spermatozoa are
gametes that unite to produce a cell ( zygote
) that may develop into an embryo.
Also
called
generative cell
Also
called
sex cell
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, ultimately from Greek gamos
“marriage.”]
—ga·met·ic
[gə méttik], adjective

—ga·met·i·cal·ly [gə méttikəlee], adverb[1]



gametheory

gametheory
game
the·o·ry
noun

mathematical
theory to find best strategy: a mathematical theory
primarily concerned with determining an optimal strategy for situations in
which there is competition or conflict, such as in business activities or
military operations.
Also
called
theory of games
—game the·o·retic, adjective[1]



gameto-

gameto-
gameto-
or gamet- prefix

of
gamete:
relating to a gamete
[From gamete][1]



gametocyte

gametocyte
ga·me·to·cyte
[gə mtə st] (plural ga·me·to·cytes)
noun

1.  GENETICS cell
producing male or female cells: a cell that divides to
produce two specialized male or female cells ( gametes )

2.  MICROBIOLOGY malaria
organism:
the malaria organism in the stage in its life cycle during which it reproduces
in the blood of a mosquito

[1]



gametogenesis

gametogenesis
ga·me·to·gen·e·sis
[gə mtə jénnəssis] noun

GENETICS development
of gametes:
the production of gametes from gametocytes by cell division ( meiosis )
—ga·me·to·gen·ic,
adjective

—gam·e·tog·e·nous [gàmmə tójjənəss], adjective[1]



gametophore

gametophore
ga·me·to·phore
[gə mtə fàwr] (plural ga·me·to·phores)
noun

plant
part bearing reproductive organs: an upright branch in
plants such as mosses that bears the reproductive organs
—ga·me·to·phor·ic [gə mtə fáwrik], adjective[1]



gametophyte

gametophyte
ga·me·to·phyte
[gə mtə ft] (plural ga·me·to·phytes)
noun

phase
producing male and female cells: the phase in the life
cycle of a plant in which sex organs and gametes are produced
—ga·me·to·phyt·ic [gə mtə fíttik], adjective[1]



gamewarden

gamewarden
game
war·den
(plural game war·dens) noun

forest official:
a civil servant whose responsibility includes the welfare of fish, birds, and
other animals in a state or national forest[1]



gamey

gamey
gam·ey
adjective

See
gamy[1]



gamin

gamin
gam·in
[gámmin] (plural gam·ins) noun

boy
street urchin: a young child, usually a boy, often
homeless, who roams the streets (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from French dialect gamer “to
steal.”][1]



gamine

gamine
ga·mine
[gá mn] noun (plural ga·mines)

1.  boyish
girl:
a girl or young woman who is boyish in appearance

2.  girl
street urchin: a young girl, often homeless, who roams
the streets
adjective

appealingly boyish:
charmingly boyish in appearance
[Late 19th century. From
French, feminine of gamin (see gamin
).][1]



gaming

gaming
gam·ing
[gáyming] noun

gambling:
playing games such as poker or roulette for money
adjective

relating to gambling:
relating to or involving gambling games[1]



gamma

gamma
gam·ma
[gámmə] noun (plural gam·mas)

1.  3rd
letter of Greek alphabet: the third letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “g”

2.  third
item:
the third item in a classification system or in a series of things

3.  PHYSICS unit
of mass:
a unit of mass equal to 10 –6 gram

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY measure
of contrast of image: a measure of the degree of
contrast in a developed photograph or a television picture

5.  CHEMISTRY 3rd
in position in carbon chain: the third position in a
carbon chain or ring, starting from a particular group or atom. Symbol γ
adjective

CHEMISTRY 3rd
nearest to designated atom: used to describe the third
nearest atom to a designated atom or group of atoms in an organic molecule
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek .][1]



gamma-aminobutyric acid

gamma-aminobutyric acid
gam·ma-a·mi·no
bu·ty·ric a·cid noun

an amino acid that inhibits
the transmission of nerve impulses[1]



gammacamera

gammacamera
gam·ma
cam·er·a
(plural gam·ma cam·er·as) noun

apparatus detecting gamma
rays: an instrument used in
medicine to produce images of internal organs after the injection of a
radioactive drug into the body, where the drug releases gamma rays[1]



gammadion

gammadion
gam·ma·di·on 
[gə máydee òn, gə
máydee ən] (plural gam·ma·di·ons) noun

swastika
pattern:
a pattern consisting of four capital Greek gammas, especially when joined at
the center to form a swastika
[Mid-19th century. From late
Greek, from gamma (see gamma ).][1]



gammaglobulin

gammaglobulin
gam·ma
glob·u·lin
noun

antibody in blood serum:
a protein component of blood serum that contains the antibodies, the body’s
main defense against infection. It is also produced commercially from human
plasma and used in the treatment and prevention of diseases such as measles,
hepatitis, and poliomyelitis.[1]



gammahydroxybutyrate

gammahydroxybutyrate
gam·ma·hy·drox·y·bu·ty·rate
[gàmmə hī dròksee byóotə ràyt] noun

colorless chemical occurring
in animals: a colorless chemical
compound that occurs naturally in animals, used for treating anxiety and as an
anesthetic. C4O3H8[1]



gammaradiation

gammaradiation
gam·ma
ra·di·a·tion noun

high-energy electromagnetic
radiation: electromagnetic waves of
higher frequency and shorter wavelength than X-rays that is emitted by some
radioactive isotopes or in some nuclear reactions[1]



gammaray

gammaray
gam·ma
ray
(plural gam·ma rays) noun

high-energy electromagnetic
radiation: a high-energy photon emitted
after nuclear reactions or spontaneously from the nucleus of a radioactive atom
that lowers the energy level of the nucleus. Gamma rays do not carry any
electric charge or mass and share the high-frequency end of the electromagnetic
spectrum with X-rays, which have similar properties.[1]



gammon

gammon4
gam·mon4 [gámmən]
(past gam·moned, past participle gam·moned, present
participle gam·mon·ing, 3rd person present singular gam·mons)
transitive verb

attach
bowsprit:
to fasten a bowsprit to the front of a ship
[Late 17th century. From gammon 1, probably
with reference to the tying up of a ham.][1]



gammon

gammon2
gam·mon2 [gámmən]
noun (plural gam·mons)

win
at backgammon: a win in backgammon when the losing
player has not succeeded in removing any pieces from the board
transitive
verb
(past gam·moned, past participle gam·moned, present
participle gam·mon·ing, 3rd person present singular gam·mons)

beat
somebody at backgammon: to beat somebody in
backgammon before the person has managed to remove any pieces from the board
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Middle English gamen, earlier form of game
.][1]



gammon

gammon3
gam·mon3 [gámmən]
noun

U.K.
nonsense:
false or meaningless talk that is intended to deceive somebody (dated
informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gam·moned,
past participle gam·moned, present participle gam·mon·ing,
3rd person present singular gam·mons)

U.K.
deceive
somebody:
to trick or deceive somebody, especially by talking nonsense (dated informal)
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from gammon 2 .][1]



gammon

gammon1
gam·mon1 [gámmən]
noun

1.  bacon:
the lower part of a side of bacon, cooked whole or cut into slices

2.  ham:
cured or smoked ham
[15th century. From Old
Northern French gambon “ham,” from gambe “leg.”][1]



gamo-

gamo-
gamo-
prefix

1.  joined
together • gamophyllous

2.  sexual
• gamogenesis
[From Greek gamos
“marriage”][1]



gamogenesis

gamogenesis
gam·o·gen·e·sis
[gàmmō jénnəssis] noun

reproduction:
sexual reproduction (technical)
—gam·o·ge·net·ic
[gàmmō jə néttik], adjective

—gam·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[gàmmō jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



gamosepalous

gamosepalous
gam·o·sep·al·ous
[gàmmə séppələss] adjective

with joined sepals:
used to describe plants with sepals that are joined or partially joined
together[1]



gamp

gamp
gamp
[gamp] (plural gamps) noun

U.K.
umbrella:
an umbrella, especially a large old one (archaic informal)
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Sarah Gamp, a character in the Charles Dickens novel Martin
Chuzzlewit, who carries an umbrella.][1]



gamut

gamut
gam·ut
[gámmət] (plural gam·uts) noun

1.  full
range:
the entire range of something

2.  complete
range of musical notes: the whole series of
recognized musical notes, from lowest to highest

3.  lowest
medieval musical note: the lowest note of medieval
musical theory, two Gs below middle C

4.  medieval
musical scale system: the medieval scale system
based around a repeated series of six notes ( hexachord
)
[15th century. Contraction of
medieval Latin gamma ut, from Greek gamma, the letter
representing the musical note one below the top note in the medieval scale, + ut,
the lowest note.][1]



gamy

gamy
gam·y
[gáymee] (comparative gam·i·er,
superlative gam·i·est) or gam·ey [gáymee] (comparative gam·i·er, superlative
gam·i·est) adjective

1.  FOOD tasting
of or like game: having a strong flavor like that of a
wild bird or animal that is hunted for food

2.  rank-smelling:
having a strong bad smell

3.  lewd:
sexually suggestive or obscene
—gam·i·ly,
adverb

—gam·i·ness, noun[1]



-gamy

-gamy
-gamy
suffix

1.  marriage
• polygamy

2.  reproductive
union • syngamy

3.  reproductive
organs, method of fertilization • karyogamy
[Formed
from Greek gamos “marriage”]
—-gamic,
suffix

—-gamous, suffix[1]



ganache

ganache
ga·nache
[gaa nsh, gə
nsh] noun

chocolate
filling or frosting: a sweet creamy chocolate
filling or frosting for cakes and pastries
[Late 20th century. Via
French, literally “jaw,” and Italian ganascia from, ultimately, Greek gnathos
(see gnathic ).][1]



Ganapati

Ganapati
Ga·na·pa·ti
[gnə pátee] noun

EASTERN
RELIGION See Ganesha[1]



Ganda

Ganda
Gan·da
[gándə] noun

Bantu
language:
a language spoken in parts of Uganda that is a member of the Bantu group of the
Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family of African languages. About four
million people speak Ganda.
Also
called
Luganda
[Mid-20th
century. From Bantu .]
—Gan·da, adjective[1]



Gander

Gander
Gan·der 
[gándər]

town on Canada’s Island of
Newfoundland that is home to the region’s air traffic control center.
Population: 10,364 (1996)[1]



gander

gander
gan·der
[gándər] (plural gan·ders) noun

1.  male
goose:
an adult male goose

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used about or to somebody who is thought to be unserious and
frivolous

3.  look:
a look or glance at somebody or something (informal)
[Old English gandra .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “goose” that is also the ancestor
of English goose, gannet, and gunsel
.][1]



Gandhi,Indira

Gandhi,Indira

Gan·dhi
[gndee], Indira (1917–1984)
Indian
national leader. The daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, she was twice prime minister
of India (1966–1977, 1980–1984) and was assassinated by members of her Sikh
bodyguard.
Born
Nehru, Indira Priyadarshini[1]



Gandhi,Mohandas Karamchand

Gandhi,Mohandas Karamchand

Gan·dhi
[gndee], Mohandas Karamchand (1869–1948)
Indian
national leader. His campaign of nonviolent civil resistance to British rule
led to India’s independence (1947). He was assassinated by a Hindu extremist.
Known as
Gandhi, Mahatma “Great Soul”[1]



gandydancer

gandydancer
gan·dy
danc·er
[gándee daanssər] (plural gan·dy
danc·ers) noun

railroad
laborer:
a laborer in a railroad section gang who lays or maintains tracks (slang)
[Origin unknown][1]



ganef

ganef
ga·nef
[gánəf] (plural ga·nefs) or
ga·nev [gánəv] (plural ga·nevs)
or ga·nof [gónnəf] (plural
ga·nofs) or go·nif [gónnəf]
(plural gon·ifs) or gonof [gónnəf]
(plural gonofs) noun

somebody
dishonest:
a thief, cheater, or somebody who is unscrupulous (informal insult)
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish from Hebrew gannā .][1]



Ganesha

Ganesha
Ga·ne·sha 
[gə nshə] or Ga·ne·sa [gə nshə] or Ga·nesh [gə nsh] noun

elephant-headed Hindu god:
in Hinduism, the god of wisdom and problem-solving who is the son of Shiva and
Parvati and is represented as a pot-bellied man with an elephant’s head.
Also called
Ganapati[1]



ganev

ganev
ga·nev
noun

See
ganef[1]



gang

gang1
gang1 [gang]
noun (plural gangs)

1.  group
of troublemaking young people: a group of young
people who spend time together for social reasons and may engage in delinquent
behavior

2.  group
of criminals: a group of people who work together for
some criminal or antisocial purpose

3.  group
of workers:
a group of people working together, especially a group of laborers

4.  people
who enjoy each other’s company: a group of people with
similar interests who like to spend time together

5.  set
of tools:
a set of tools or devices arranged to be used or operated together
verb
(past ganged, past participle ganged, present
participle gang·ing, 3rd person present singular gangs)

1.  transitive
verb
put
objects in group: to group similar objects in a set

2.  intransitive
verb
form
group:
to form, act, or move in a gang • The
kids ganged together to clean the park.

3.  transitive
verb
attack
in gang:
to attack somebody as a group

4.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING combine
switches:
to combine several switches or devices on a single shaft so as to switch
multiple connections at one time
[12th century. From Old Norse
gangr “journey.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
go.” The underlying idea is of a group of people going about together.][1]



gang

gang2
gang2 [gang]
noun

See
gangue[1]



Ganga

Ganga
Gan·ga
[gúng gə] noun

South Asia
Ganges:
the Ganges River[1]



gangbang

gangbang
gang·bang
[gáng bàng] noun (plural gang·bangs)
(slang) (considered offensive by some people)

1.  serial
intercourse with one person: sexual intercourse between
one consenting person and several others in succession

2.  gang
rape:
a multiple rape by a gang of people
verb
(slang) (considered offensive by some people)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
multiple intercourse with one person: to
participate in an occasion where several people in succession have intercourse
with the same person

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb gang-rape:
to gang-rape somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
be
member of violent gang: to participate in the
activities of a criminal or violent gang
—gang·bang·er, noun[1]



gangbuster

gangbuster
gang·bus·ter
[gáng bùstər] noun (plural gang·bus·ters)

police
officer combating criminal gangs: a law-enforcement
officer charged with breaking up criminal gangs (dated slang)
adjective

(slang) See gangbusters[1]



gangbusters

gangbusters
gang·bus·ters
or gang·bus·ter adjective

especially good:
unusually successful or effective (slang) • It’s
a gangbusters promotion that brings the customers in.[1]



Ganges

Ganges
Gan·ges 
[gánj eez]

river in northern India,
regarded as sacred by Hindus. It rises in the Indian Himalayas, flows
southeastward through Bangladesh, and empties into the Bay of Bengal, forming
one of the world’s largest deltas. Length: 2,511 km/1,560 mi.[1]



gangland

gangland
gang·land
[gáng lànd, gánglənd]
noun

organized
crime:
the world of organized crime
—gang·land, adjective[1]



ganglia

ganglia
gan·gli·a

Plural of
ganglion[1]



gangling

gangling
gan·gling
[gáng gling] or gan·gly [gáng glee] (comparative gan·gli·er, superlative
gan·gli·est) adjective

awkwardly
tall and thin: tall and thin, with a loose awkward gait
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from gang 2 .][1]



ganglion

ganglion
gan·gli·on
[gáng glee ən] (plural gan·gli·a
[gáng glee ə] or gan·gli·ons) noun

1.  ANATOMY cluster
of nerve cells: a structure that contains a dense
cluster of nerve cells

2.  MEDICINE swelling
on joint or tendon: a harmless swelling similar
to a cyst that forms on a joint or tendon
[Late
17th century. From Greek gagglion “tumor, nerve bundle.”]
—gan·gli·al,
adjective

—gan·gli·on·at·ed
[gáng glee ə nàytəd], adjective

—gan·gli·on·ic [gàng glee ónnik], adjective[1]



gangly

gangly
gan·gly
adjective

See
gangling
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of gangling .][1]



gangplank

gangplank
gang·plank
[gáng plàngk] (plural gang·planks)
noun

gangway
to ship:
a movable structure such as a bridge or plank used when boarding or
disembarking from a ship.
Also
called
gangway
[Mid-19th century. Literally
“plank for going” (see gang 1 ).][1]



gangrape

gangrape
gang
rape
(plural gang rapes) noun

rape
by a group:
a rape of one person by several people in succession
—gang-rape, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



gangrene

gangrene
gan·grene
[gáng grn, gang
grn] noun

death
of tissue:
local death and decay of soft tissues of the body as a result of lack of blood
to the area. It has various causes, including extreme heat or cold, obstruction
of blood vessels by disease or a blood clot, or a neurological disorder.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gan·grened,
past participle gan·grened, present participle gan·gren·ing,
3rd person present singular gan·grenes)

get
gangrene:
to affect body tissue with gangrene, or become affected, with gangrene
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek gaggraina .]
—gan·gre·nous [gáng grənəss], adjective[1]



gangstarap

gangstarap
gang·sta
rap 
[gángstə ràp] noun

violent
rap music:
a type of rap music in which the lyrics tend to deal with gangs and killings
[Gangsta, alteration of gangster][1]



gangster

gangster
gang·ster
[gángstər] (plural gang·sters)
noun

member
of criminal gang: a member of an organized gang of
criminals, especially a racketeer
—gang·ster·ish,
adjective

—gang·ster·ism, noun[1]



gangue

gangue
gangue
[gang] or gang [gang] noun

worthless
rock:
worthless rock or other matter occurring in a vein or deposit within or
alongside a valuable mineral.
Also
called
veinstone
See
also
matrix
[Early 19th century. Via
French from German Gang “way, lode.”][1]



gangup

gangup
gang
up
intransitive verb

1.  join
together for attack: to join together to attack a
person or group

2.  act
together:
to join together to exert pressure or accomplish something

[1]



gangway

gangway
gang·way
[gáng wày] noun (plural gang·ways)

1.  narrow
walkway:
a narrow passageway, especially a temporary walkway

2.  entrance
in ship’s side: an opening in the side of a ship through
which it is boarded by means of a gangplank

3.  See
gangplank
interjection

make way: used
to indicate to people in a crowd that they should make way because somebody is
coming through
[Late 17th century. Literally
“way for going” (see gang 1 ).][1]



ganister

ganister
gan·is·ter
[gánnistər] (plural gan·is·ters)
noun

rock
used in furnaces: a hard silica-containing rock that can
endure high temperatures and is used to line furnaces.
Also
called
gannister
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



ganja

ganja
gan·ja
[gnjə, gánjə]
noun

marijuana:
a potent form of marijuana used for smoking
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi gājā .][1]



gannet

gannet
gan·net
[gánnət] (plural gan·nets) noun

fish-eating
seabird:
a large fish-eating seabird, typically white with black-tipped wings, that
lives in offshore colonies in oceanic regions. Genus: Morus
[Old English ganot .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “goose” (see gander ).][1]



GannettPeak

GannettPeak
Gan·nett
Peak
[gànnit pk]

mountain in the Central Rocky
Mountains, western Wyoming. It forms part of the Wind River Range and is the
highest peak in the state. Height: 4,207 m/13,804 ft.[1]



gannister

gannister
gan·nis·ter
noun

See
ganister[1]



ganof

ganof
ga·nof
noun

See
ganef[1]



ganoid

ganoid
gan·oid
[gá noyd] adjective

bony
and diamond-shaped: used to describe a type of
scale found on gars and other primitive fish, consisting of dentine-covered
bone with a thick outer layer of a substance ganoine similar to enamel
noun
(plural gan·oids)

fish
with ganoid scales: a primitive fish that has
ganoid scales
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek ganos “brightness.” From its shiny surface.][1]



gansey

gansey
gan·sey 
[gánzee] (plural gan·seys) noun

U.K.
CLOTHES fisherman’s
sweater:
a heavy sweater, especially one worn by a fisherman (regional)
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of Guernsey .][1]



Gansu

Gansu
Gan·su 
[gàn s]

province of northern China
dominated by semiarid plateaus and basins. It is a major agricultural region,
producing wheat, millet, kaoling, and soya beans. Industry has also developed
there from the 1950s. Capital: Lanzhou. Population: 23,780,000 (1994) Area:
454,000 sq km/175,300 sq mi.[1]



gantlet

gantlet1
gant·let1 [gáwntlət,
gntlət] noun (plural gant·lets)

type
of railroad track: a section of railroad track
where two parallel lines are arranged so that one rail of each line is between
the rails of the other line
transitive
verb
(past gant·let·ed, past participle gant·let·ed, present
participle gant·let·ing, 3rd person present singular gant·lets)

converge
lines in gantlet: to construct or merge two railroad
tracks to form a gantlet
[Variant of gauntlet 2 “type of
punishment involving men standing in two parallel lines”][1]



gantlet

gantlet2
gant·let2 [gáwntlət,
gntlət] (plural gant·lets) noun

MILITARY
See gauntlet 2 noun[1]



gantline

gantline
gant·line
[gánt ln] (plural gant·lines)
noun

rope
for hoisting: a rope run through a pulley on a mast
and used to hoist people or things
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of girtline, from a variant of girth .][1]



gantry

gantry
gan·try
[gántree] (plural gan·tries) noun

1.  RAIL support
framework for railroad signals: a frame spanning
railroad tracks and used to display signals

2.  ENGINEERING support
framework for machinery: a spanning framework used to
support machinery, for example, the platform that supports a crane or the
structure used to erect and service rockets
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Old Northern French gantier
“trellis” (via Latin cantherius from, ultimately, Greek kanthēlia
“carrying-baskets”), or from gawn “bucket” (alteration of gallon ) + tree
.][1]



Ganymede

Ganymede
Gan·y·mede
[gánnə md] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY cupbearer
of Greek gods: in Greek mythology, a beautiful young
Trojan prince whom Zeus carried off to Mount Olympus to be cupbearer to the
gods. In later times he symbolized homosexual love, or the spirit’s ascent to
heaven.

2.  ASTRONOMY moon
of Jupiter:
the largest of Jupiter’s moons

[1]



GAO

GAO
GAO

Abbreviation of
General Accounting Office[1]



GaoKegong

GaoKegong
Gao
Ke·gong
[gòw kə góng] (1248–1310?)

Chinese artist. He is noted
for his paintings of the mountain landscapes of southern China.[1]



gaol

gaol
gaol
noun transitive verb

U.K.
See jail
[13th
century. From Old Northern French gaiole, a variant of Old French jaiole
(see jail ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Ballad of Reading Gaol, a poem by English writer Oscar Wilde ( 1898 ).
  Wilde’s last work, written while he was incarcerated for “homosexual
  activities,” it is the story of the trial and execution of murderer Charles
  Thomas Wooldridge, a fellow inmate at the jail. It deals with the harshness
  of prison conditions and the idea of forgiveness.

[1]



gap

gap
gap
[gap] noun (plural gaps)

1.  break
in structure: a break or opening in a structure or
arrangement, for example, a fence or military defense line

2.  something
missing:
an area where there is a complete or partial absence of something, such as data
• gaps
in his employment record

3.  interval
of time:
an interval of time during which some action or event stops occurring • a
gap of three years

4.  disparity:
a significant difference between two things, attitudes, or perceptions • the
gap between rich and poor

5.  problem
caused by disparity: a problem caused by a
difference between things, attitudes, or perceptions • technology
gap
• generation
gap

6.  GEOGRAPHY opening
between mountains: a ravine or pass in a
mountain range

7.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
spark gap
verb
(past gapped, past participle gapped, present
participle gap·ping, 3rd person present singular gaps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
or develop gap: to create a gap or opening in a barrier,
or become open or separated by a gap

2.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING adjust
spark plug gap: to adjust the gap between the electrodes
of a spark plug
[14th
century. From Old Norse, “chasm.”]
—gap·py, adjective[1]



gape

gape
gape
[gayp] intransitive verb (past
gaped, past participle gaped, present participle gap·ing,
3rd person present singular gapes)

1.  stare
with mouth open: to stare in open-mouthed surprise or
wonder

2.  open
the mouth:
to open the mouth wide

3.  open
a gap:
to open or split apart with a gap
noun
(plural gapes)

1.  open-mouthed
stare:
a stare of wonder or surprise in which the mouth is wide open

2.  opening
of mouth:
an opening of the mouth wide, for example, when surprised

3.  yawn:
an opening of the mouth to yawn

4.  ZOOLOGY width
of open mouth: the width of the open mouth of an animal

5.  big
gap:
a wide opening in something
[13th
century. From Old Norse gapa “to open the mouth.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at gaze

[1]



gaping

gaping
gap·ing
[gáyping] adjective

large
as opening:
wide open and deep
—gap·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gap-toothed

gap-toothed
gap-toothed
adjective

with gaps in teeth:
with wide spaces between the teeth[1]



GAR

GAR
GAR
or G.A.R.

Abbreviation of
Grand Army of the Republic[1]



gar

gar
gar
[gaar] (plural gar or gars)
noun

1.  American
freshwater fish: a large primitive freshwater fish found
in North and Central America that has a heavy armor of bony scales and a long
toothy jaw. Family: Lepisosteidae
Also
called
garfish
Also
called
garpike

2.  fish
similar to gar: a fish such as a needlefish that is
similar in appearance to or related to a gar, such as a needlefish.
Also
called
garfish
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of garfish .][1]



garage

garage
ga·rage
[gə rzh, gə rj]
noun (plural ga·rag·es)

1.  building
for motor vehicles: a building for parking or
storing one or more motor vehicles

2.  establishment
repairing motor vehicles: an establishment that
repairs and often sells motor vehicles, and that sometimes sells oil, diesel,
and gasoline
transitive
verb
(past ga·raged, past participle ga·raged, present
participle ga·rag·ing, 3rd person present singular ga·rag·es)

put vehicle in garage:
to park or store a motor vehicle in a garage
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from garer “to shelter.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to protect” (see garret
).][1]



garagesale

garagesale
ga·rage
sale
(plural ga·rage sales) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand sale held in
garage of house: a sale of used or
unwanted household items that is held in the garage or driveway of the seller’s
home[1]



garammasala

garammasala
ga·ram
ma·sa·la 
[gaa rm mə slə] noun

spice
mixture:
a mixture of spices used in Indian cooking to impart a hot pungent flavor to a
dish
[Mid-20th century. From Hindi
garam masālā, literally “hot spices.”][1]



Garamond

Garamond
Gar·a·mond
[gérrə mònd, gaa
raa móN] or Gar·a·mond type [gérrə
mònd, gaa raa móN] noun

style
of typeface: a Roman typeface often used in books
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French type founder Claude Garamond ( 1499–1561 ).][1]



garb

garb
garb
[gaarb] noun (plural garbs)

1.  CLOTHES typical
outfit:
a particular type of clothing, especially the uniform or typical outfit worn by
a profession

2.  appearance:
the outward appearance that somebody or something has • The
garb of compromise concealed their war plans.
transitive
verb
(past garbed, past participle garbed, present
participle garb·ing, 3rd person present singular garbs)

1.  dress
somebody:
to clothe somebody or yourself in a particular type of clothing

2.  cover
something with something else: to cover or disguise
something as something else • garbed
his philanthropic activities in anonymity
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French garbe “elegance” from Italian garbo . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to make ready” that is also the
ancestor of English gear .][1]



garbage

garbage
gar·bage
[grbij] noun

1.  discarded
waste or useless material: discarded food waste, or any
other unwanted or useless material

2.  nonsense:
talk or writing that is worthless nonsense or lies

3.  somebody
or something worthless: somebody who or something
that is considered totally worthless

4.  COMPUTING worthless
data:
inaccurate, useless, or meaningless data in a computer
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman, of unknown origin.]
—gar·bag·y, adjective[1]



garbagecan

garbagecan
gar·bage
can
(plural gar·bage cans) noun

container for garbage or
trash: any container for waste
matter, especially one for food waste or one that is kept outside for
collection by a waste-disposal service.
U.K. term
dustbin[1]



garbagedisposal

garbagedisposal
gar·bage
dis·pos·al
(plural gar·bage dis·pos·als) noun

grinding device:
an electrical device, installed beneath a kitchen sink, that grinds up food so
that it can go into the waste pipe.
U.K. term
waste disposal unit[1]



garbageman

garbageman
gar·bage
man
noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia trash
collector: somebody employed to haul
away trash.
Also called
sanitation worker
Also called
trashman[1]



garbagetruck

garbagetruck
gar·bage
truck
(plural gar·bage trucks) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia vehicle
for collecting waste: a large
motor vehicle used to collect and compact waste materials left bagged or in
containers outside buildings[1]



garbanzo

garbanzo
gar·ban·zo
[gaar bn zō] (plural gar·ban·zos)
or gar·ban·zo bean [gaar bn zō]
(plural gar·ban·zo beans) noun

See
chickpea
[Mid-18th century. From
Spanish .][1]



garble

garble
gar·ble 
[grb’l] transitive verb (past
gar·bled, past participle gar·bled, present participle
gar·bling, 3rd person present singular gar·bles)

1.  jumble
meaning of something: to confuse something
unintentionally or through ignorance and thereby give the wrong impression

2.  COMMUNICATION scramble
transmission of something: to cause the corruption of a
transmitted message or signal • The
announcement was completely garbled.
noun
(plural gar·bles)

COMMUNICATION confusing
message:
a confused or jumbled message, piece of information, or signal, or the
confusing or jumbling of information
[15th
century. Via Italian garbellare “to sift” and Arabic ġarbala
from, ultimately, late Latin cribellum “small sieve,” from Latin cribrum
“sieve.”]
—gar·bled, adjective[1]



garboard

garboard
gar·board
[gr bàwrd] (plural gar·boards)
noun

band
of planking on ship: the continuous band of
planking on a ship’s hull next to its keel
[Early 17th century. From
obsolete Dutch gaarboord, of uncertain origin: perhaps from garen
“to gather” + boord “board.”][1]



Garbo,Greta

Garbo,Greta
Gar·bo
[grbō], Greta (1905–1990)

Swedish-born
U.S. movie actor, noted for her beauty and reticence. Her movies include Anna
Christie ( 1930 ), Grand Hotel ( 1932 ), Camille ( 1937 ),
and Ninotchka ( 1939 ). After her retirement in 1941, she lived as a
recluse.
Born
Gustaffson, Greta[1]



garbology

garbology
gar·bol·o·gy
[gaar bólləjee] noun

study
of waste materials: the study of a cultural
group by an examination of what it discards
[Late
20th century. Coined from garbage + -ology
.]
—gar·bol·o·gist, noun[1]



García,Carlos Poléstico

García,Carlos Poléstico
Gar·cí·a
[gr s ə], Carlos Poléstico (1896–1971)

Filipino statesman. He was
vice president of the Philippines (1953–1957) before serving as president
(1957–1961).[1]



GarcíaMárquez

GarcíaMárquez

Gar·cí·a Már·quez
See
Márquez, Gabriel García[1]



GarcíaRobles, Alfonso

GarcíaRobles, Alfonso
Gar·cí·a
Rob·les
[gr s ə rṓbləss], Alfonso (1911–1991)

Mexican statesman. He helped
draft the international Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (1968), and shared the
Nobel Peace Prize (1982) for his long campaign against nuclear weapons.[1]



Garda

Garda
Gar·da
[grdə] noun

Irish
police force: the police force of the Republic of
Ireland
[Early 20th century. From
Irish, shortening of Garda Síochána, literally “civic guard.”][1]



garda

garda
gar·da
[grdə] (plural gar·daí [gr d]) noun

Irish
police officer: a police officer in the Republic of
Ireland and a member of the Garda
[See Garda][1]



Garda,Lake

Garda,Lake
Gar·da,
Lake
[grdə]

the largest lake in Italy and
a major resort region. It is situated in northern Italy, between Brescia and
Verona. Area: 370 sq km/143 sq mi.[1]



gardaí

gardaí
gar·daí

Plural of
garda[1]



garden

garden
gar·den
[grd’n] noun (plural gar·dens)

1.  planted
area of ground: a plot of ground where plants such as
fruits, vegetables, and flowers are grown

2.  park:
a park or recreational area for the public, generally planted with flowers,
shrubs, and trees (often used in the plural)

3.  farming
region:
a fertile, well-cultivated region

4.  outdoor
eating and drinking establishment: an eating or drinking
establishment that serves its patrons outdoors

5.  U.K.
See yard
adjective

1.  relating
to gardens:
produced in, frequenting, or used in a garden

2.  U.K.
See garden-variety
intransitive
verb
(past gar·dened, past participle gar·dened, present
participle gar·den·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·dens)

look after garden:
to plan or tend a garden
[14th
century. Via Old Northern French gardin from Vulgar Latin (hortus)
gardinus “enclosed (garden).” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English yard
.]
lead
or take somebody up or down the garden path

to
mislead or deceive somebody, often gradually over a period of time





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Secret Garden, a children’s story by English writer Frances Hodgson Burnett (
  1911 ). It is the tale of a lonely orphan, Mary Lennox, who is sent to live
  with her uncle Archibald, a widower whose wife died as a result of a fall
  from a tree in her beloved garden. In restoring the garden, Mary finds
  happiness and helps the family recover from its misfortune.

[1]



Gardena

Gardena
Gar·de·na 
[gaar dnə]

city and suburb of Los
Angeles, situated in Los Angeles County, southwestern California. Population:
49,847 (1990)[1]



gardenapartment

gardenapartment
gar·den
a·part·ment
(plural gar·den a·part·ments) noun

1.  apartment
with garden access: an apartment on the ground
floor or in the basement of a building with access to a lawn or garden.
U.K.
term
garden flat

2.  apartment
building with garden: an apartment building that
has a garden or lawn

[1]



gardencenter

gardencenter
gar·den
cen·ter
(plural gar·den cen·ters) noun

establishment selling
gardening supplies: a retail
establishment that sells plants and gardening equipment[1]



GardenCity

GardenCity
Gar·den
Cit·y 
[grd’n síttee]

1.  city
near Detroit in Wayne County, southeastern Michigan. Population: 31,846 (1990)

2.  city
in southeastern New York, on Long Island, east of Queens. It is the site of
Adelphi University. Population: 21,721 (1996)

[1]



gardencity

gardencity
gar·den
cit·y 
noun

planned town with parks:
a planned residential community with landscaped gardens and parks[1]



gardener

gardener
gar·den·er
[grd’nər] (plural gar·den·ers)
noun

somebody who gardens:
somebody who tends a garden or lawn, either as a profession or a hobby[1]



gardenflat

gardenflat
gar·den
flat
(plural gar·den flats) noun

U.K.
See garden apartment[1]



GardenGrove

GardenGrove
Gar·den
Grove
[grd’n grṓv]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, south of Anaheim. Population: 147,958 (1994)[1]



gardenia

gardenia

gar·de·nia
[gaar dnee ə] (plural gar·de·nias)
noun
Also
called
Cape jasmine

1.  evergreen
tree bearing white flowers: an evergreen tree or shrub
native to warm regions of Africa and Asia and widely cultivated for its shiny
leaves and fragrant white flowers. Genus: Gardenia

2.  gardenia
flower:
the flower of a gardenia tree or shrub
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name. Named for the Scottish-American naturalist Alexander Garden
( 1730–1791 ).][1]



gardenparty

gardenparty
gar·den
par·ty
noun

social gathering in garden:
a party held in a garden or yard.
Also called
lawn party[1]



garden-variety

garden-variety
gar·den-va·ri·e·ty
adjective

common:
common or ordinary.
U.K. term
garden  adjective 2[1]



GardinersIsland

GardinersIsland
Gar·di·ners
Is·land 
[grdnərz lənd] or Gar·di·ner’s
Is·land [grdnərz lənd]

island off the eastern tip of
Long Island, New York, in Gardiners Bay. In 1639 it became the first English
settlement in the present-day state of New York. Area: 1,335 hectares/3,300
acres.[1]



Gardner,Erle Stanley

Gardner,Erle Stanley
Gard·ner
[grdnər], Erle Stanley (1889–1970)

U.S. writer. A practicing
attorney for twenty years, he is best known for his fictional sleuth Perry
Mason, who appeared in over 80 of his detective novels.[1]



Garfield

Garfield
Gar·field 
[gr feeld]

city in Bergen County,
northeastern New Jersey, situated on the Passaic River, southeast of Paterson.
Population: 26,727 (1990)[1]



Garfield,James A.

Garfield,James A.

Gar·field 
[gr feeld], James A. (1831–1881)
U.S.
statesman and 20th president of the United States. A Republican member of the
U.S. House of Representatives (1863–1880), he was president for only four
months before he was assassinated.
Full name
Garfield, James Abram[1]



garfish

garfish
gar·fish
[gr fìsh] (plural gar·fish·es
or gar·fish) noun

See
gar[1]



gargantuan

gargantuan
gar·gan·tu·an
[gaar gánchoo ən] adjective

huge:
tremendously large in amount, number, or size
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Gargantua, the name of the giant hero of Gargantua by Rabelais .][1]



gargle

gargle

gar·gle
[grg’l] verb (past gar·gled,
past participle gar·gled, present participle gar·gling,
3rd person present singular gar·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cleanse
mouth and throat: to rinse or disinfect the mouth and
throat by holding liquid in the back of the mouth and stirring it up with air
breathed out from the lungs

2.  intransitive
verb
make
guttural sound: to make a sound like that made when
rinsing the mouth with liquid
noun (plural
gar·gles)

1.  mouthwash:
a liquid used to rinse the mouth

2.  guttural
sound:
a sound like that made when rinsing the mouth with liquid
[Early 16th century. From
French gargouiller, from Old French gargouille “throat” (source
of English gargoyle ), from Latin gurgulio
“gullet” (source of English gurgle
).][1]



gargoyle

gargoyle

gar·goyle
[gr gòyl] (plural gar·goyles)
noun

1.  grotesque
drainage spout on building: a spout in the form of a
grotesque animal or human figure that projects from the gutter of a building
and is designed to cast rainwater clear of the building

2.  statue
of grotesque figure: a grotesque carved figure

3.  somebody
like carved figure: somebody who is said to
resemble a carved gargoyle (insult)
[15th century. From Old
French gargouille (see gargle ),
because the water seems to come out of its throat.][1]



garibaldi

garibaldi
gar·i·bal·di
[gèrrə báwldee] (plural gar·i·bal·dis)
noun

woman’s
loose-fitting blouse: a woman’s loose-fitting
blouse that imitates the red shirt worn by Giuseppe Garibaldi
[Mid-19th century. Named for Garibaldi .][1]



Garibaldi,Giuseppe

Garibaldi,Giuseppe

Gar·i·bal·di 
[gàrrə báwldee], Giuseppe (1807–1882)
French-born Italian patriot. He played a
leading role in the unification of Italy (1859–1861), defeating the rulers of
Sicily and Naples at the head of his army, the so-called “Red Shirts.”[1]



garish

garish
gar·ish
[gérrish] adjective

1.  gaudy:
crudely showy • a garish outfit

2.  overly
ornamented:
excessively ornate or elaborate • a
garish balcony and staircase

3.  dressed
too brightly: wearing clothing or makeup that is
extremely brightly colored

4.  too
bright:
excessively bright • a hideous garish yellow
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—gar·ish·ly,
adverb

—gar·ish·ness, noun[1]



garland

garland
gar·land
[grlənd] noun (plural gar·lands)

1.  flower
wreath:
a wreath of intertwined flowers or leaves worn as ornament or as a sign of
honor

2.  hanging
flower decoration: a festoon of flowers or
paper hung as decoration

3.  LITERATURE anthology:
a collection of short pieces of literature
transitive
verb
(past gar·land·ed, past participle gar·land·ed, present
participle gar·land·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·lands)

decorate with garland:
to decorate or adorn somebody or something with garlands
[14th century. From Old
French garlande, of unknown origin.][1]



Garland,Hamlin

Garland,Hamlin
Gar·land 
[grlənd], Hamlin (1860–1940)

U.S.
writer. A writer of harshly realistic social novels, he is remembered for his
autobiographical Son of the Middle Border ( 1917 ), and the Pulitzer
Prize-winning Daughter of the Middle Border ( 1921 ).
Full name
Garland, Hannibal Hamlin[1]



Garland,Judy

Garland,Judy
Gar·land 
[grlənd], Judy (1922–1969)

U.S.
movie actor and singer. She starred in films including The Wizard of Oz
( 1939 ), Meet Me in St. Louis ( 1944 ), and A Star is Born (
1955 ), and from the 1950s performed primarily as a singer.
Born
Gumm, Frances[1]



garlic

garlic

gar·lic
[grlik] (plural gar·lic or
gar·lics) noun

1.  PLANTS strong-tasting
plant used in cooking: a plant grown for its
strongly flavored bulbs that are used in cooking and medicine. Latin name: Allium
sativum

2.  COOKING bulb
of garlic:
a bulb or clove of garlic with a pungent odor and flavor that is commonly used
in cooking

3.  PLANTS plant
similar to garlic: any plant related to or
resembling true garlic
[Old
English gārlēac . From Old English gār “spear” + an earlier form
of leek . From its spearlike leaves.]
—gar·lick·y, adjective[1]



garlicbread

garlicbread
gar·lic
bread
(plural gar·lic breads) noun

garlic-flavored bread:
bread seasoned with butter and garlic and baked or toasted[1]



garlicpress

garlicpress
gar·lic
press
(plural gar·lic press·es) noun

kitchen tool for mincing
garlic: a small kitchen tool,
usually metal or plastic, that minces a clove of garlic by squeezing it through
small holes[1]



garlicsalt

garlicsalt
gar·lic
salt
noun

food seasoning:
a preparation of salt and powdered garlic used as a food seasoning[1]



garment

garment
gar·ment
[grmənt] noun (plural gar·ments)

clothing
item:
a piece of clothing
transitive
verb
(past gar·ment·ed, past participle gar·ment·ed, present
participle gar·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·ments)

dress
somebody:
to put clothing on somebody (literary) (often passive)
[14th century. From French garnement,
literally “equipment,” from garnir (see garnish
).][1]



garmentbag

garmentbag
gar·ment
bag
(plural gar·ment bags) noun

luggage for suits and
dresses: a piece of soft-sided
luggage specifically shaped for carrying dresses, suits, or other clothing on
hangers[1]



Garneau,François Xavier

Garneau,François Xavier
Gar·neau
[gaar nṓ], François Xavier (1809–1866)

Canadian historian.
Considered the first historian of French Canada, he wrote the History of
Canada ( 1845–1848 ).[1]



garner

garner
gar·ner
[grnər] transitive verb (past
gar·nered, past participle gar·nered, present
participle gar·ner·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·ners)

1.  gather
in something: to gather something into storage or into
a granary

2.  win
or gain something: to earn or acquire something
by effort

3.  gather
information: to collect or accumulate something such
as information or facts
noun
(plural gar·ners)

granary: a
storage place for grain (archaic)
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman gerner “storehouse” from, ultimately, Latin granarium
(see granary ).][1]



garnet

garnet
gar·net
[grnət] noun (plural gar·nets)

1.  red
semiprecious stone: a crystalline silicate
mineral common in metamorphic and some igneous rocks, whose color varies
according to its composition. Some deep red garnets are used as semiprecious
gemstones.

2.  COLORS dark
red color:
a dark red color
adjective

COLORS dark
red in color: of a dark red color
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Middle Dutch garnate from Old French grenat
“dark red,” from pome grenate “pomegranate,” because of its color.][1]



garnetiferous

garnetiferous
gar·net·if·er·ous
[grnə tíffərəss] adjective

containing garnet:
used to describe minerals that contain garnets[1]



garnierite

garnierite
gar·ni·er·ite
[grnee ə rt] (plural gar·ni·er·ites)
noun

nickel-containing
mineral:
a soft green mineral that consists of nickel-rich serpentine, a form of
hydrated nickel magnesium silicate, and is an important source of nickel
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French geologist Jules Garnier ( 1839?–1904 ), who discovered it.][1]



garnish

garnish
gar·nish
[grnish] transitive verb (past
gar·nished, past participle gar·nished, present
participle gar·nish·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·nish·es)

1.  enhance
food or drink: to add something as an accompaniment to
food or drink that enhances its flavor or appearance

2.  embellish
something:
to decorate something with an ornament

3.  LAW See garnishee  verb 1
See garnishee  verb 2
noun
(plural gar·nish·es)

1.  enhancement
for food or drink: something added as an
accompaniment to food or drink to enhance its flavor or appearance

2.  something
decorative:
an ornament or decoration for something
[14th
century. From French garniss-, the stem of garnir “to equip,
adorn, warn,” of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—gar·nish·ing, noun[1]



garnishee

garnishee
gar·nish·ee
[grni sh] transitive verb (past
gar·nish·eed, past participle gar·nish·eed, present
participle gar·nish·ee·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·nish·ees)

1.  confiscate
debtor’s money: to take the money or property of a
debtor by legal authority

2.  summons
debtor:
to serve somebody with a legal summons concerning the taking of wages or
property to satisfy a debt
noun
(plural gar·nish·ees)

summonsed debtor:
somebody who is served with a legal summons concerning the taking of wages or
property to satisfy a debt

[1]



garnishment

garnishment
gar·nish·ment
[grnishmənt] (plural gar·nish·ments)
noun

1.  LAW summons
for debtor:
a legal summons or warning concerning the taking of property or wages of a
debtor to satisfy a debt

2.  decoration:
an ornamentation or embellishment on or of something

[1]



garniture

garniture
gar·ni·ture
[grnichər, grnichr]
(plural gar·ni·tures) noun

ornament:
something that decorates or embellishes something
[15th century. From French,
formed from garnir (see garnish ).][1]



garpike

garpike
gar·pike
[gr pīk] (plural gar·pikes or
gar·pike) noun

See
gar  noun 1[1]



garret

garret
gar·ret
[gérrət] (plural gar·rets) noun

attic:
a room at the top of a house, immediately below the roof
[15th century. From Old
French garite “watchtower,” from garir “to defend.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to protect” that also produced
English warn .][1]



garrison

garrison
gar·ri·son
[gérriss’n] noun (plural gar·ri·sons)

1.  stationed
troops:
a body of troops stationed at a military post

2.  place
for stationing troops: a military post where troops
are stationed
transitive
verb
(past gar·ri·soned, past participle gar·ri·soned, present
participle gar·ri·son·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·ri·sons)

1.  supply
place with troops: to provide a fort or town
with a military post and troops

2.  station
troops at place: to station troops at a military post
[13th century. From Old
French, “fortification,” formed from garir (see garret
).][1]



garrisoncap

garrisoncap
garrison
cap
(plural garrison caps) noun

MILITARY
See overseas cap[1]



garrisonhouse

garrisonhouse
gar·ri·son
house
noun

New
England house with projecting second floor: a
style of house common in New England in which the second floor projects over
the first floor at the front
[From its resemblance to
early forts][1]



Garrison,William Lloyd

Garrison,William Lloyd

Gar·ri·son 
[gárriss’n], William Lloyd (1805–1879)
U.S. abolitionist and reformer. The
founding editor of the abolitionist journal The Liberator ( 1831–1865 ),
he was an uncompromising and eloquent opponent of slavery. He later campaigned
for the rights of women and Native Americans.[1]



garrote

garrote
gar·rote 
[gə rót, gə rṓt]
or gar·rotte [gə rót, gə rṓt] noun (plural gar·rotes)
(plural gar·rottes)

1.  method
of execution by strangulation: a method of execution
in which an iron band is tightened around the neck of the condemned person
until death occurs

2.  metal
band used to execute somebody: a band of metal placed
around the neck in order to execute somebody by strangulation

3.  weapon
for strangulation: a weapon consisting of a
wire or cord with handles at either end, used in strangulation
transitive
verb
(past gar·rot·ed, past participle gar·rot·ed, present
participle gar·rot·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·rotes)
(past gar·rot·ted, past participle gar·rot·ted, present
participle gar·rot·ting, 3rd person present singular gar·rottes)

strangle somebody:
to execute or kill somebody by strangling with a garrote
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish garrote “cudgel, stick for tightening a cord,” perhaps of Celtic
origin.][1]



garrulity

garrulity
gar·ru·li·ty
[gə rlətee] noun

verbosity:
excessive or pointless talkativeness[1]



garrulous

garrulous
gar·ru·lous
[gárrələss] adjective

1.  talking
too much:
excessively or pointlessly talkative

2.  wordy:
using many or too many words
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin garrulus, from garrire “to
chatter.”]
—gar·ru·lous·ly,
adverb

—gar·ru·lous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talkative

[1]



Garson,Greer

Garson,Greer
Gar·son
[grss’n], Greer (1908?–1996)

Irish-born U.S. actor, known
for her matriarchal movie roles in the 1940s and 1950s. She won an Academy
Award for Mrs. Miniver ( 1942 ).[1]



garter

garter
gar·ter
[grtər] noun (plural gar·ters)

1.  retaining
band:
an elastic band used to hold up a stocking, sock, or shirt sleeve

2.  clip
for stockings: a clip device, attached to a band,
girdle, or belt, that fastens to the top of socks or stockings to hold them up.

U.K.
term
suspender
transitive
verb
(past gar·tered, past participle gar·tered, present
participle gar·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular gar·ters)

support by garter:
to hold up a stocking, sock, or sleeve with a garter
[14th century. From Old
French gartier, from garet “bend of the knee,” of Celtic origin.][1]



garterbelt

garterbelt
gar·ter
belt
(plural gar·ter belts) noun

belt made to hold up
stockings: a woman’s undergarment in
the form of a belt to which two or more garters are attached to hold up
stockings.
U.K. term
suspender belt[1]



gartersnake

gartersnake
gar·ter
snake
(plural gar·ter snakes) noun

harmless American snake:
a small nonpoisonous snake of North and Central America whose back is typically
marked with yellow or red stripes running the length of the body. If disturbed,
it may emit a pungent odor. Genus: Thamnophis[1]



garth

garth
garth
[gaarth] (plural garths) noun

courtyard:
a small courtyard or enclosed space
[14th century. From Old Norse
garðr .][1]



Garvey,Marcus

Garvey,Marcus

Gar·vey
[grvee], Marcus (1887–1940)
Jamaican-born
U.S. civil rights advocate. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement
Association (1914) and created a “Back to Africa” movement in the United
States.
Full name
Garvey, Marcus Moziah[1]



Gary

Gary
Gar·y 
[gárree]

steel-producing city in
northwestern Indiana, on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, west of Portage.
Population: 110,975 (1996)[1]



Gary,Elbert Henry

Gary,Elbert Henry
Gar·y 
[gárree], Elbert Henry (1846–1927)

U.S. business executive. He
led the United States Steel Corporation (1903–1927). Gary, Indiana, is named
for him.[1]



garçon

garçon
gar·çon
[gaar sṓn, gaar
sáwN] (plural gar·çons) noun

French
waiter:
a waiter in a French restaurant or café
[Early 17th century. From
French .][1]



gas

gas
gas
[gass] noun (plural gas·es
or gas·ses)

1.  CHEMISTRY substance
such as air: a substance such as air that is neither
a solid nor a liquid at ordinary temperatures and that has the ability to
expand indefinitely

2.  UTILITIES GEOLOGY fossil
fuel:
a combustible gaseous substance such as natural gas or propane, used as a fuel

3.  AUTOMOTIVE gasoline:
gasoline for internal-combustion engines

4.  AUTOMOTIVE car
accelerator: the pedal used for accelerating a motor
vehicle (informal) • step
on the gas

5.  MILITARY CRIMINOLOGY gas for poisoning or
asphyxiating: a gaseous mixture used as a poison,
irritant, or asphyxiating agent

6.  PHARMACOLOGY anesthetic:
a gaseous substance used as an anesthetic

7.  PHYSIOLOGY flatulence:
gaseous product of digestion (informal)

8.  MINING methane
and air:
the highly explosive product of methane combined with air

9.  somebody
or something entertaining: somebody or something such
as an experience that is very thrilling or entertaining (slang)

10. nonsense:
meaningless empty talk (slang)
verb
(past gassed, past participle gassed, present
participle gas·sing, 3rd person present singular gas·es
or gas·ses)

1.  transitive
verb
to
harm somebody with gas: to attack, injure, or kill a
person or animal with a poisonous, irritating, or asphyxiating gas

2.  intransitive
verb
release
gas:
to give off gas or a gas

3.  intransitive
verb
talk
idly:
to talk too much, especially about unimportant matters (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Dutch, coined by the Flemish chemist J. B. van Helmont (
1577–1644 ), based on Greek khaos “empty space” (source of English chaos ).]
—gas·sing, noun[1]



gasbag

gasbag
gas·bag
[gáss bàg] (plural gas·bags) noun

idle talker:
somebody who talks too much, especially about unimportant matters (informal)[1]



gasburner

gasburner
gas
burn·er
(plural gas burn·ers) noun

nozzle for gas:
the nozzle or opening from which gas issues and burns, for example, on a stove.

Also called
gas jet[1]



gaschamber

gaschamber
gas
cham·ber
(plural gas cham·bers) noun

room where people are gassed:
a room in which people are killed by means of poisonous gas (technical) See
gas oven[1]



gaschromatograph

gaschromatograph
gas
chro·mat·o·graph (plural gas chro·mat·o·graphs)
noun

device using gas for
analyzing substances: a device
used in gas chromatography for separating the volatile constituents of a
substance[1]



gaschromatography

gaschromatography
gas
chro·ma·tog·ra·phy noun

method of analysis using gas:
a method of separating the volatile constituents of a substance by means of
gas, for the purpose of analysis.
Also called
gas-liquid chromatography[1]



Gascon

Gascon
Gas·con
(plural Gas·cons) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Gascony: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in Gascony, formerly a province in southwestern France

2.  LANGUAGE French
dialect:
a dialect of French spoken in Gascony
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin Vasco (source of English Basque ).]
—Gas·con, adjective[1]



gascon

gascon
gas·con
[gáskən] (plural gas·cons) noun

braggart:
somebody who is very boastful
[Late 18th century. From the
legendary boastfulness of the people of Gascony.][1]



gasconstant

gasconstant
gas
con·stant
noun

constant in gas equation:
the constant in an equation that describes the relation of the pressure and
volume of a gas to its absolute temperature. It equals 8.314 joules per kelvin.
Symbol R[1]



gas-cooledreactor

gas-cooledreactor
gas-cooled
re·ac·tor
(plural gas-cooled re·ac·tors) noun

nuclear reactor using gas as
coolant: a nuclear reactor that uses
carbon dioxide or helium as a coolant[1]



Gascoyne

Gascoyne
Gas·coyne
[gásk oyn]

river in northern Western
Australia, that rises between the Collier and Robinson ranges and empties into
the Indian Ocean at Shark Bay. Length: 760 km/472 mi.[1]



gas-dischargetube

gas-dischargetube
gas-dis·charge
tube
(plural gas-dis·charge tubes) noun

light-emitting gas tube:
a tube containing gas from which light is emitted when an electric current is
passed through the gas atoms and excites them[1]



gaseous

gaseous
gas·e·ous
[gássee əss, gáshəss]
adjective

1.  resembling
gas:
neither solid nor liquid and with a tendency to expand infinitely

2.  verbose:
having or using too many words, especially in a meaningless way (informal)

3.  containing
gas:
full of gas, or containing a gas such as carbon dioxide
[Late
18th century. Formed from gas, on the model
of aqueous .]
—gas·e·ous·ness, noun[1]



gasfitter

gasfitter
gas
fit·ter
(plural gas fit·ters) noun

gas-equipment repairer:
a worker who fits and repairs gas pipes, fittings, and appliances[1]



gasgangrene

gasgangrene
gas
gan·grene
noun

gangrene producing gas:
a form of gangrene, caused by aerobic clostridia bacteria, in which gas forms
in injured body tissue[1]



gas-guzzler

gas-guzzler
gas-guz·zler
(plural gas-guz·zlers) noun

car using large quantities of
gasoline: a motor vehicle that burns
comparatively large amounts of fuel (informal)[1]



gash

gash
gash
[gash] noun (plural gash·es)

deep
cut:
a long deep narrow slash or cut
transitive
verb
(past gashed, past participle gashed, present
participle gash·ing, 3rd person present singular gash·es)

make
cut in:
to make a long deep narrow slash or cut in flesh or a surface
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Old Northern French garser “to cut,” via late Latin charaxare
“to sharpen” from Greek kharassein (source of English character ).][1]



gasholder

gasholder
gas·hold·er
[gáss hldər] (plural gas·hold·ers)
noun

gas storage tank:
a very large tank used to store gas that is used as combustible fuel.
Also called
gasometer[1]



gashouse

gashouse
gas·house
[gáss howss] (plural gas·houses)
noun

See
gasworks[1]



gasiform

gasiform
gas·i·form
[gássə fawrm] adjective

See
gaseous  adjective 1[1]



gasify

gasify
gas·i·fy
[gássə f] (past gas·i·fied, past
participle gas·i·fied, present participle gas·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular gas·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
into or become gas: to convert a solid or liquid
into a gas, or become a gas
—gas·i·fi·ca·tion [gàssəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



gasjet

gasjet
gas
jet
(plural gas jets) noun

1.  See
gas burner

2.  gas
flame:
a flame of burning gas

[1]



gasket

gasket
gas·ket
[gáskət] (plural gas·kets) noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY rubber
seal:
a piece of material such as rubber, used to render a joint impermeable to gas
or liquid

2.  SAILING rope
for sail:
a light line for securing a furled sail
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French garcette
“thin cord,” literally “little girl,” (perhaps in allusion to a girl’s
pigtail).]
blow
a gasket

to explode in anger or rage (informal)[1]



gaskin

gaskin
gas·kin
[gáskin] noun (plural gas·kins)

ZOOLOGY part
of horse’s rear leg: the part of the back leg of
a four-legged hoofed animal, especially a horse, that is equivalent to the
lower thigh in humans
plural
noun
gas·kins

CLOTHES galligaskins:
galligaskins (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of galligaskins,
or an alteration of Gascon .][1]



gaslight

gaslight
gas·light
[gás lt] (plural gas·lights) noun

1.  illumination
from burning gas: light produced by burning coal gas or
natural gas

2.  lamp
fueled by gas: a lamp or fixture that produces light by
burning gas

[1]



gas-liquidchromatography

gas-liquidchromatography
gas-liq·uid
chro·ma·tog·ra·phy noun

See
gas chromatography[1]



gaslit

gaslit
gas·lit
[gáslit] adjective

lit by gaslight:
illuminated by light from lamps or fixtures that burn gas[1]



gasman

gasman
gas·man
[gáss màn] (plural gas·men [gáss mèn]) noun

gas-meter reader:
a worker who checks gas meters in order to note the amount of gas used in a
specific period[1]



gasmask

gasmask
gas
mask
(plural gas masks) noun

mask protecting against
poisonous gas: a mask provided with a
filter and worn to protect the wearer’s face and lungs from harmful gases[1]



gasmeter

gasmeter
gas
me·ter
(plural gas me·ters) noun

device for measuring gas
consumed: a device installed inside or
outside a residential or commercial building to measure the amount of gas
consumed in a specific period[1]



gasohol

gasohol
gas·o·hol
[gássə hàwl] noun

automobile
fuel:
a fuel used in motor vehicles that consists of 90 percent gasoline blended with
10 percent alcohol. The alcohol is produced by the fermentation of an
agricultural product high in sugar, for example, corn.
[Late 20th century. A blend
of gasoline and alcohol
.][1]



gasoline

gasoline
gas·o·line
[gássə ln, gàssə
ln] noun

automobile
fuel:
a volatile flammable liquid made from petroleum and used as fuel in
internal-combustion engines.
U.K.
term
petrol
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from gas + -ol
+ -ine .][1]



gasometer

gasometer
gas·om·e·ter
[ga sómmətər] (plural gas·om·e·ters)
noun

1.  gas-measuring
apparatus:
an apparatus for measuring and storing gas in a laboratory

2.  See
gasholder

[1]



gasp

gasp

gasp
[gasp] noun (plural gasps)

1.  sudden
breath:
a sudden short audible intake of breath, for example, in surprise or pain

2.  difficult
breathing:
a laborious effort to breathe
verb (past
gasped, past participle gasped, present participle gasp·ing,
3rd person present singular gasps)

1.  intransitive
verb
labor
to breathe:
to breathe with difficulty

2.  intransitive
verb
breathe
in sharply:
draw in breath loudly and spasmodically

3.  transitive
verb
say
something with gasp: to say something with a
sudden intake of breath
[14th
century. From Old Norse geispa “to yawn.”]
the last gasp

somebody’s final attempt or
action, or the final phase of something[1]



gasper

gasper
gasp·er
[gáspər] (plural gasp·ers) noun

U.K.
cigarette:
a cigarette, especially a cheap one (dated slang)[1]



gaspergou

gaspergou
gas·per·gou
[gàspər g] (plural gas·per·gous
or gas·per·gou) noun

Southern
U.S.
ZOOLOGY freshwater
fish:
the freshwater drum, native to North and Central America
[Early 19th century. From
Louisiana French casseburgau .][1]



gasplant

gasplant
gas
plant
(plural gas plants) noun

plant whose leaves emit
flammable gas: a Eurasian perennial
plant of the rue family with white flowers and strong-smelling leaves that give
off a flammable gas. Latin name: Dictamnus albus
Also called
burning bush
Also called
fraxinella
Also called
dittany[1]



Gaspé

Gaspé
Gas·pé
[ga spáy]

city in southeastern Quebec
Province, Canada, near Forillon National Park. Population: 16,517 (1996)[1]



GaspéPeninsula

GaspéPeninsula
Gas·pé
Pen·in·su·la

peninsula in southeastern
Quebec Province, Canada, bounded by the St. Lawrence River, Chaleur Bay, and
New Brunswick. Area: 29,500 sq km/11,390 sq mi.[1]



gasser

gasser
gas·ser
[gássər] (plural gas·sers) noun

1.  UTILITIES gas
well:
a well that produces natural gas

2.  fun
thing:
something, such as a joke, that is very thrilling or entertaining (slang)

[1]



gasstation

gasstation
gas
sta·tion
(plural gas sta·tions) noun

place where drivers can buy
fuel: a place at which drivers can
buy fuel, oil, and other motoring supplies, and sometimes also have car repairs
done.
Also called
filling station
U.K. term
petrol station
See also
service station[1]



gassy

gassy
gas·sy
[gássee] (comparative gas·si·er,
superlative gas·si·est) adjective

1.  full
of gas:
full of or containing gas such as carbon dioxide

2.  like
gas:
resembling gas

3.  verbose:
having or using too many words, especially in a meaningless way (informal)
—gas·si·ly,
adverb

—gas·si·ness, noun[1]



gastight

gastight
gas·tight
[gás tt] adjective

blocking passage of gas:
preventing any gas from passing through[1]



gastr-

gastr-
gastr-
prefix

See
gastro[1]



gastrectomy

gastrectomy
gas·trec·to·my
[gas tréktəmee] (plural gas·trec·to·mies)
noun

operation to remove
somebody’s stomach: surgical
removal of all or part of the stomach. It is usually performed in the treatment
of stomach cancer or severe stomach ulcers.[1]



gastric

gastric
gas·tric
[gástrik] adjective

of
stomach:
relating to, involving, or near the stomach
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin gastricus, from Greek gastēr “stomach.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to devour” that is also the ancestor of
English gangrene and cress .][1]



gastricjuice

gastricjuice
gas·tric
juice
(plural gas·tric juic·es) noun

digestive secretion in
stomach: the acidic digestive fluid
secreted by glands in the stomach[1]



gastriculcer

gastriculcer
gas·tric
ul·cer
(plural gas·tric ul·cers) noun

stomach ulcer:
an erosion in the stomach wall caused by gastric acid, digestive enzymes, and
other factors that may include bacterial infection[1]



gastrin

gastrin
gas·trin
[gástrin] noun

stomach hormone:
a hormone produced in the stomach and duodenum that increases the production of
gastric acid[1]



gastritis

gastritis
gas·tri·tis
[gass trtəss] noun

inflammation of the stomach
lining: inflammation of the mucous
membrane that lines the stomach. It may be acute or chronic, and it is often
associated with excessive intake of alcohol.[1]



gastro-

gastro-
gastro-
prefix

stomach,
belly • gastrectomy
[From Greek gastr-,
the stem of gastēr “belly” (see gastric
)][1]



gastrocnemius

gastrocnemius
gas·troc·ne·mi·us
[gàs trok nmee əss, gàstrək nmee əss] (plural gas·troc·ne·mi·i [gàs trok nmee , gàstrək
nmee ]) noun

muscle
in lower leg: the largest muscle in the calf of the
leg, extending from the thigh bone to the Achilles tendon. When it contracts it
causes the foot to point downward.
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek gastroknēmia “calf of the leg,” literally
“stomach of the leg” (from its bulging form).][1]



gastroenteritis

gastroenteritis
gas·tro·en·ter·i·tis
[gàstrō entə rtəss] noun

stomach and intestinal
inflammation: inflammation of the
stomach and the intestines, usually as a result of bacterial or viral
infection. The symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, and the illness
typically lasts three to five days.[1]



gastroenterology

gastroenterology
gas·tro·en·ter·ol·o·gy
[gàstrō entə rólləjee] noun

study
of intestinal-tract disorders: the branch of medicine
concerned with the study and treatment of diseases of the stomach and
intestines and their associated organs
—gas·tro·en·ter·o·log·ic
[gàstrō entərə lójjik], adjective

—gas·tro·en·ter·ol·o·gist
[gàstrō entə rólləjIst], noun[1]



gastrointestinal

gastrointestinal
gas·tro·in·tes·ti·nal
[gàstrō in téstən’l] adjective

of stomach and intestines:
relating to the stomach and intestines[1]



gastrolith

gastrolith
gas·tro·lith
[gástrə lìth] (plural gas·tro·liths)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY stone
swallowed to aid digestion: a stone swallowed by an
animal such as a bird or dinosaur, as an aid to the digestion of food

2.  MEDICINE stone
formed in stomach: a stone that has formed in
the stomach

[1]



gastronome

gastronome
gas·tro·nome
[gástrə nm] (plural gas·tro·nomes)
or gas·tron·o·mist [gas trónnəmist]
(plural gas·tron·o·mists) noun

gourmet:
a connoisseur of good food
[Early 19th century. From
French, back-formation from gastronomie (see gastronomy
).][1]



gastronomy

gastronomy
gas·tron·o·my
[gas trónnəmee] (plural gas·tron·o·mies)
noun

1.  gourmet
eating:
the art and appreciation of preparing and eating good food

2.  particular
cuisine:
a particular style of cooking or dining, for example, one that is typical of a
country or region
[Early
19th century. Via French gastronomie from Greek gastronomia, an
alteration of gastrologia, literally “study of the stomach.”]
—gas·tro·nom·ic
[gàstrə nómmik], adjective

—gas·tro·nom·i·cal·ly
[gàstrə nómmiklee], adverb[1]



gastroplasty

gastroplasty
gas·tro·plas·ty
[gástrə plàstee] (plural gas·tro·plas·ties)
noun

reconstructive stomach
surgery: a surgical operation to
repair a malformation of the stomach[1]



gastropod

gastropod

gas·tro·pod
[gástrə pòd] (plural gas·tro·pods)
noun
mollusk:
a mollusk that has a head with eyes, and a large flattened foot, and often a
single shell. Limpets, snails, and slugs are types of gastropod. Class:
Gastropoda
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin Gastropoda, class name, literally
“stomach-foot.”]
—gas·tro·pod,
adjective

—gas·trop·o·dan
[gas tróppəd’n], adjective

—gas·trop·o·dous [gass tróppədəss], adjective[1]



gastroscope

gastroscope
gas·tro·scope
[gástrə skp] (plural gas·tro·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining stomach: an instrument passed through
the mouth and used to examine the stomach, consisting of a flexible tube that
contains optical fibers coupled to an eyepiece and light source
—gas·tro·scop·ic
[gàstrə skóppik], adjective

—gas·tros·co·py [gas tróskəpee], noun[1]



gastrostomy

gastrostomy
gas·tros·to·my
[gas tróstəmee] (plural gas·tros·to·mies)
noun

surgery to create opening
into stomach: a surgical operation in
which an opening is made through the wall of the stomach and is joined to an
opening in the adjacent abdominal wall. It is performed to allow food and
liquids to be placed directly into the stomach via a tube when the esophagus is
affected by disease or recovering from surgery.[1]



gastrotomy

gastrotomy
gas·trot·o·my
[gas tróttəmee] (plural gas·trot·o·mies)
noun

incision into stomach:
a surgical incision into the stomach, for examination of the cavity or to
remove a foreign object[1]



gastrovascular

gastrovascular
gas·tro·vas·cu·lar
[gàstrō váskyələr] adjective

digestive and circulatory:
used to describe a part of the body involved in both digestion and circulation,
for example, the central body cavity of certain jellyfish[1]



gastrula

gastrula
gas·tru·la
[gástrələ] (plural gas·tru·las
or gas·tru·lae [gástrə l]) noun

stage
of embryo:
the stage in embryonic development after the blastula during which the embryo
develops two layers
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “little stomach,” formed from Greek gastēr
“stomach” (see gastric ).]
—gas·tru·lar, adjective[1]



gastrulation

gastrulation
gas·tru·la·tion
[gàstrə láysh’n] noun

development
of embryo:
the process of cell movements by which a developing embryo forms distinct
layers that later grow into particular organs
—gas·tru·late [gástrə làyt], intransitive verb[1]



gasturbine

gasturbine
gas
tur·bine
(plural gas tur·bines) noun

internal-combustion engine
operated by hot gases: an
internal-combustion engine in which a turbine is turned by hot gases consisting
of compressed air and the products of the fuel’s combustion[1]



gasup

gasup
gas
up
intransitive and transitive verb

put gas in car:
to fill the fuel tank of a motor vehicle with gasoline[1]



gasworks

gasworks
gas·works
[gás wùrks] (plural gas·works)
noun

place where gas is
manufactured: a factory where gas for
heating and illuminating is produced, especially from coal (takes a singular
or plural verb)
Also called
gashouse[1]



gat

gat1
gat1 [gat]
(plural gats) noun

narrow
channel of water: a passage or channel of water that
extends inland from a shore
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse gat “hole.”][1]



gat

gat2
gat2 [gat]
(plural gats) noun

pistol:
a handgun (dated slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of Gatling gun .][1]



gat

gat3
gat3

(archaic) Past
tense of get[1]



gate

gate
gate
[gayt] noun (plural gates)

1.  hinged
barrier across gap: a movable barrier, usually
on hinges, that closes a gap in a fence or wall

2.  opening
in wall:
an opening in a wall or fence

3.  opening
in defensive structure: an opening in a castle or
city wall or other defensive structure

4.  point
of access:
a means of access or entrance

5.  barrier
at tollbooth: a movable barrier restricting access,
for example, at a tollbooth

6.  starting
gate:
a starting gate (informal)

7.  TRANSPORT arrival
or departure point for passengers: the area at a railroad
or bus station or an airport where passengers arrive and depart

8.  barrier
for fluid:
a sliding barrier, valve, or other mechanism for regulating the passage of a
fluid

9.  spectators
admitted to event: the total number of persons
who pay for admission to an entertainment or sports event

10. total
money from tickets: the total amount of money
paid for tickets of admission to an entertainment or sports event

11. SKIING path between
poles in slalom: the space between two markers through
which a skier passes in a slalom race

12. COMPUTING logic
circuit:
a logical device in a computer, with one output channel and one or more input
channels, that emits a signal only when certain input conditions are met

13. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING regulating
switch:
an electronic switch that regulates the flow of current or the passage of a
signal in a circuit

14. ROWING hinged
fastening for oar: a fastening with a hinge
that serves to keep an oar in its oarlock

15. Northern
England,
Scotland way: a
path or road

16. Northern
England,
Scotland habit: a
habitual method or style of doing something
transitive
verb
(past gat·ed, past participle gat·ed, present
participle gat·ing, 3rd person present singular gates)

1.  control
using gate:
to control or regulate somebody or something with a gate

2.  put
gate in something: to install a gate in
something, for example, in a fence
[Old English geat .
Partly from, and influenced by, Old Norse gata “path” (source also of
English gait ). Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “opening in a wall.”][1]



gateau

gateau
ga·teau 
[ga tṓ, gaa tṓ]
(plural ga·teaux or ga·teaus) or gâ·teau
[ga tṓ, gaa tṓ]
(plural gâ·teaux [ga tṓ, gaa tṓ]) noun

1.  rich
cake:
a rich cake, usually consisting of several layers held together with a cream
filling

2.  baked
food:
food baked and served in a form resembling a cake
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “cake.”][1]



gatecrasher

gatecrasher
gate·crash·er
[gáyt kràshər] (plural gate·crash·ers)
noun

uninvited
guest or ticketless spectator: somebody who attends a
party, entertainment, or sports event without an invitation or ticket
—gate·crash [gáyt kràsh], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



gatefold

gatefold
gate·fold
[gáyt fld] (plural gate·folds)
noun

oversize page:
a page in a publication that is larger than the other pages and is folded to
fit.
Also called
foldout[1]



gatehouse

gatehouse
gate·house
[gáyt hòwss] (plural gate·hous·es
[gáyt hòwzəz]) noun

building at gate:
a building or house above or beside a gate[1]



gatekeeper

gatekeeper
gate·keep·er
[gáyt kpər] (plural gate·keep·ers)
noun

1.  guard
at gate:
a supervisor or guard who tends a gate

2.  access
controller:
an individual or group that controls access to somebody or something

[1]



gatelegtable

gatelegtable
gate·leg
ta·ble
[gàyt leg táyb’l] (plural gate·leg
ta·bles) noun

extendable folding table:
a drop-leaf table with movable legs that swing out to support the leaves[1]



gatepost

gatepost
gate·post
[gáyt pst] (plural gate·posts)
noun

post supporting a gate:
one of the posts on either side of a gate. One post supports the gate and the
gate closes against and is fastened to the other.[1]



gater

gater
ga·ter
or ’ga·ter noun

See
gator[1]



Gates,Bill

Gates,Bill

Gates 
[gayts], Bill (1955– )
U.S.
business executive. Chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft
Corporation, a leading software company, which he cofounded in 1975, and author
of The Road Ahead ( 1995 ; revised, 1996 ) and Business @ the Speed
of Thought  ( 1999 ).
Full name
Gates III, William Henry[1]



Gates,Horatio

Gates,Horatio
Gates 
[gayts], Horatio (1728?–1806)

British-born U.S. army
officer. A general in the Continental Army, he was credited with the American
victory at Saratoga in 1777.[1]



Gatesof the Arctic National Park and Preserve

Gatesof the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Gates
of the Arc·tic Na·tion·al Park and Pre·serve

national park consisting
mainly of tundra in northern Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle. Area: 30,448
sq km/11,756 sq mi.[1]



gateway

gateway
gate·way
[gáyt wày] (plural gate·ways) noun

1.  opening
fitted with gate: an opening that may be closed by a gate

2.  access
point:
a means of entrance or access to somebody or something

3.  COMPUTING computer-network
connection:
software or hardware that links two computer networks

[1]



gatewaydrug

gatewaydrug
gate·way
drug
(plural gate·way drugs) noun

drug leading to addictive
drugs: a drug that does not cause
physical dependence but may lead to the use of addictive drugs[1]



gather

gather
gath·er
[gáər] verb (past gath·ered,
past participle gath·ered, present participle gath·er·ing,
3rd person present singular gath·ers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
into group:
to bring people or things together, or come together, to form a group

2.  transitive
verb
harvest
something:
to pick or harvest a crop

3.  transitive
verb
collect
ideas or data: to compile something such as information
or ideas from various sources

4.  transitive
verb
attract
following:
to attract a group of people as supporters, followers, or an audience • The
street players have gathered quite a crowd.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb accumulate
something:
to accumulate a gradually increasing mass or quantity of something, or to be
accumulated gradually • clouds
gathered on the horizon

6.  transitive
verb
draw
on something: to summon up energies, courage, or
strength from within

7.  transitive
verb
surmise
something:
to conclude something from intuition or observation

8.  transitive
verb
bring
close:
to draw somebody or something close

9.  transitive
verb
lift
somebody or something up: to pick or scoop somebody or
something up

10. intransitive
and transitive verb wrinkle
brow:
to draw the brow into wrinkles, or be drawn into wrinkles

11. transitive
verb
SEWING pull
fabric together: to draw fabric together in a series of
folds along a line of stitching

12. transitive
verb
PRINTING put
pages in order: to assemble the printed sections of a
book in the correct order for binding

13. transitive
verb
CRAFT prepare
molten glass for blowing: to collect molten glass at
the end of a tube for blowing and shaping

14. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE form
pus-filled head: to form and fill with pus
noun
(plural gath·ers)

1.  SEWING fold
in fabric:
one in a series of folds in fabric

2.  CRAFT molten
glass ball:
a ball of molten glass collected on a tube for blowing and shaping
[Old
English gaderian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
bring together” that is also the ancestor of English together and good
.]
—gath·er·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at collect

[1]



gathering

gathering
gath·er·ing
[gáəring] (plural gath·er·ings)
noun

1.  assembly:
a meeting or crowd of people

2.  cluster
of things:
a collection of objects

3.  collecting
of something: the collecting of people or objects into
a group

4.  MEDICINE boil:
a pus-filled swelling

5.  SEWING folds
in cloth:
a series of folds in fabric

[1]



Gatlinggun

Gatlinggun
Gat·ling
gun
[gáttling gùn] (plural Gat·ling
guns) noun

early
machine gun: an early machine gun with multiple
barrels firing in rotation
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the U.S. inventor Richard Jordan Gatling (1818–1903), who developed it.][1]



gator

gator
ga·tor
[gáytər] (plural ga·tors) or
’ga·tor [gáytər] (plural ’ga·tors)
or ga·ter [gáytər] (plural
ga·ters) or ’ga·ter [gáytər]
(plural ’ga·ters) noun

alligator:
an alligator (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



GATT

GATT
GATT
[gat] or Gatt [gat]

HISTORY
Abbreviation of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade[1]



Gatwick

Gatwick
Gat·wick
[gáttwik]

London’s second largest
international airport, located to the south of the city on the border between
the counties of Surrey and Sussex, England. It is on the site of an old
racecourse.[1]



Gatún,Lake

Gatún,Lake
Ga·tún,
Lake
[ga tn láyk]

artificial lake on the
Chagres River in Panama, an important part of the Panama Canal system. Area:
430 sq km/166 sq mi.[1]



gauche

gauche
gauche
[gōsh] adjective

socially
awkward:
lacking grace or tact in social situations
[Mid-18th
century. From French, literally “left-handed.”]
—gauche·ly,
adverb

—gauche·ness, noun[1]



gaucherie

gaucherie
gau·che·rie
[gshə r] (plural gau·che·ries)
noun

1.  social
awkwardness: a lack of grace or tact in social
situations

2.  socially
awkward act: an act that is graceless or tactless
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from gauche (see gauche
).][1]



gaucho

gaucho
gau·cho
[gów ch] noun (plural gau·chos)

S
American cowboy: a cowboy of the South American pampas or
prairie
plural
noun
gau·chos gau·cho pants

CLOTHES type
of culottes: women’s culottes adapted from the
wide-bottomed mid-calf leather pants worn by South American cowboys and first
popular in the late 1960s
[Early 19th century. From
American Spanish, of uncertain origin: probably from Araucanian kauču .][1]



gaud

gaud
gaud
[gawd] (plural gauds) noun

gaudy
bauble:
a showy trinket or ornament
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French gaudir “to rejoice” from Latin gaudere
(source of English joy and rejoice ).][1]



gaudery

gaudery
gaud·er·y
[gáwdəree] (plural gaud·er·ies)
noun

gaudy things or show:
showy and ostentatious clothing or jewelry, or its display[1]



gaudy

gaudy1
gaud·y1 [gáwdee]
(comparative gaud·i·er, superlative gaud·i·est) adjective

showy:
brightly colored or showily decorated to an unpleasant or vulgar degree
[15th
century. From gaud .]
—gaud·i·ly,
adverb

—gaud·i·ness, noun[1]



gaudy

gaudy2
gaud·y2 [gáwdee]
(plural gaud·ies) noun

U.K.
celebratory
dinner:
an annual celebration or dinner held at certain universities and university
colleges
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
gaudium “joy” (source of English joy
), from gaudere “to rejoice.”][1]



gauge

gauge
gauge
[gayj] or gage [gayj] transitive verb (past gauged,
past participle gauged, present participle gaug·ing,
3rd person present singular gaug·es) (past gaged, past
participle gaged, present participle gag·ing, 3rd
person present singular gag·es)

1.  calculate:
to determine the amount, quantity, size, or extent of something • It’s
quite difficult to gauge the distance accurately.

2.  evaluate:
to form a judgment of something uncertain or variable, especially somebody’s
behavior, feelings, or abilities • Try to
gauge his mood before raising the proposal.

3.  ensure
conformity to standard: to ensure that something
conforms to a standard of measurement
noun
(plural gaug·es) (plural gag·es)

1.  measurement:
a standard measurement or scale of measurement

2.  measuring
device:
a device or instrument for measuring an amount or quantity or for testing
accuracy

3.  criterion:
a standard or system of measurement for assessing somebody or something • a
gauge of the applicant’s ability

4.  RAIL distance
between rails: the distance between the two rails of a
railroad track

5.  AUTOMOTIVE distance
between wheels: the distance between two wheels on an
axle of a vehicle

6.  thickness
of wire:
the diameter of something, especially of wire or a needle

7.  thickness
of a material: the thickness of a thin material such as
sheet metal or plastic film

8.  NAUTICAL relative
position:
the position of a ship in relation to another vessel and the wind

9.  TEXTILES fineness
of a knit:
the fineness of knitted fabric expressed in terms of the number of loops for
each unit of width

10. CONSTRUCTION added
proportion of plaster of Paris: the proportion of
plaster of Paris that is added to mortar to speed up the setting of the mixture
[14th
century. From Old Northern French, a variant of French jauge, of
uncertain origin: probably ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.]
—gauge·a·ble, adjective[1]



gauger

gauger
gaug·er
[gáyjər] (plural gaug·ers) or
gag·er [gáyjər] (plural gag·ers)
noun

1.  U.K.
customs
officer inspecting bulk goods: a customs officer
whose job is to inspect bulk goods on which duty is supposed to be paid

2.  something
for gauging: a person who or instrument that gauges
something

[1]



Gauguin,Paul

Gauguin,Paul

Gau·guin
[gō gáN], Paul (1848–1903)
French
painter. One of the most influential postimpressionist painters, he is known
for his use of flat fields of deep color. After 1891 he lived mostly in
Polynesia, the inspiration of many for his most powerful works.
Full name
Gauguin, Eugène Henri Paul[1]



Gauhati

Gauhati
Gau·ha·ti
[gow htee]

industrial city and port on
the Brahmaputra River in Assam State, northeastern India. Population: 584,342
(1991)[1]



Gaul

Gaul
Gaul
[gawl] (plural Gauls) noun

1.  HISTORY ancient
France:
in ancient times, a region of western Europe that covered roughly what is now
France, Belgium, and neighboring parts of Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany.
It was invaded and conquered by the Romans first before 100 B.C. and then again in the Gallic Wars
(58–51 B.C. ) under Julius Caesar.

2.  HISTORY PEOPLES somebody from Gaul:
somebody who was born in or lived in ancient Gaul

3.  PEOPLES French
person:
somebody who is French
[15th century. From Latin Gallus,
of uncertain origin: probably from Celtic.][1]



Gaulish

Gaulish
Gaul·ish
[gáwllish] noun

extinct
Celtic language: an extinct language spoken in Gaul
before the Roman conquest and belonging to the Celtic branch of the
Indo-European languages
adjective

of Gaul or Gaulish:
relating to or typical of ancient Gaul, or its people, language, or culture[1]



Gaullism

Gaullism
Gaull·ism
[gáw lìzzəm] noun

1.  beliefs
of Charles de Gaulle: the nationalist and
conservative principles and policies of General Charles de Gaulle, leader of
France after World War II, and his followers

2.  French
political movement: the political movement
founded on the principles of Charles de Gaulle
—Gaull·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



gaunt

gaunt
gaunt
[gawnt] adjective

1.  thin:
extremely thin and bony in appearance

2.  stark:
stark in outline or appearance
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—gaunt·ly,
adverb

—gaunt·ness, noun[1]



gauntlet

gauntlet1

gaunt·let1 [gáwntlət]
(plural gaunt·lets) or gant·let [gáwntlət] (plural gant·lets) noun
long
glove:
a glove with a long wide cuff that covers part of the forearm, usually made of
fabric, leather, or, in the past, metal, when worn as part of armor
[15th
century. From French gantelet “little glove,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word.]
throw
down the gauntlet

to issue a challenge[1]



gauntlet

gauntlet2
gaunt·let2 [gáwntlət]
or gant·let [gáwntlət] noun

military
punishment:
a punishment formerly used in the military in which somebody was forced to run
between two lines of men armed with weapons who beat him as he passed
[Mid-17th
century. Alteration, influenced by gauntlet 1, of gantlop, from
Swedish gatlopp “passageway.”]
run
the gauntlet

or
run the gantletto have to endure attack or criticism from all sides[1]



gaur

gaur
gaur
[gowr] (plural gaurs) noun

wild
ox of Asia:
a large wild ox with a dark coat that lives in the mountains of southeastern
Asia. Latin name: Bos gaurus
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit gaura ; ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English cow .][1]



Gause’sprinciple

Gause’sprinciple
Gause’s
prin·ci·ple
[gòwzəz prínsəp’l] or Gause
prin·ci·ple [gòwzəz prínsəp’l] noun

ECOLOGY See competitive exclusion
[Named for the Russian
biologist G. F. Gause ( born 1910 ), who established the principle.][1]



gauss

gauss
gauss
[gowss] (plural gauss or
gauss·es) noun

measure
of magnetism: the centimeter-gram-second unit of
magnetic flux density, equivalent to 10 –4 tesla. Symbol G
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss ( 1777–1855 ), who applied
mathematical principles to magnetism.][1]



Gaussian

Gaussian
Gauss·i·an
[gówssee ən] adjective

normal
in shape or distribution: with the characteristics or
shape of a normal curve or normal statistical distribution
[Late 19th century. Named for
K. F. Gauss (see gauss ).][1]



Gauteng

Gauteng
Gau·teng
[khow téng]

province created in 1994 in
northern South Africa, containing Johannesburg, the province’s capital, Soweto
and Pretoria. Population: 7,048,300 (1995) Area: 18,810 sq km/7,260 sq mi.[1]



gauze

gauze
gauze
[gawz] (plural gauz·es) noun

1.  TEXTILES finely
woven fabric: a thin loosely woven cloth, usually
cotton or silk, that is almost transparent and is used for curtains and clothes

2.  MEDICINE surgical
dressing:
a dressing made of loosely woven material such as cotton that is applied in
many layers to wounds

3.  INDUSTRY wire
mesh:
a thin mesh made of wire or other material

4.  haze:
a fine haze or mist
[Mid-16th
century. From French gaze, of uncertain origin: perhaps named for the
town of Gaza in Palestine, where fine fabrics were made, or perhaps
ultimately from Arabic qazz “raw silk.”]
—gauz·i·ly
[gáwzee], adverb

—gauz·y, adjective[1]



gavage

gavage
ga·vage
[gə vzh] (plural ga·vag·es) noun

feeding
through tube: the feeding of an animal or a person
through a tube passed into the stomach
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from gaver “to stuff down the throat.”][1]



gave

gave
gave

Past tense of
give[1]



gavel

gavel
gav·el
[gávvəl] noun (plural gav·els)

small
hammer:
a small hammer used by a judge, chair of a meeting, or auctioneer to draw
people’s attention or to mark the conclusion of a transaction
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gav·eled,
past participle gav·eled, present participle gav·el·ing,
3rd person present singular gav·els)

use
gavel:
to use a gavel to bring an end to something or to stop discussion
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gavel-to-gavel

gavel-to-gavel
gav·el-to-gav·el
adjective

beginning-to-end:
extending from the beginning to the end of a political meeting or similar event
(informal)[1]



gavial

gavial
ga·vi·al
[gáyvee əl] (plural ga·vi·als)
noun

reptile
related to crocodile: a large reptile resembling a
crocodile that has a very long narrow snout, feeds on fish and frogs, and is
native to India, Borneo, and Sumatra. Latin name: Gavialis gangeticus
Also
called
gharial
U.K.
term
gharial
[Early 19th century. Via
French (possibly as a scribal error) from Hindi ghaṛiyāl gharial .][1]



gavotte

gavotte
ga·votte
[gə vót] (plural ga·vottes) noun

1.  DANCE French
country dance: a French country dance popular in the
18th century and similar to the minuet but slightly faster in pace

2.  MUSIC music
for gavotte: a piece of music for the gavotte,
written in 4/4 time
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Provençal Gavot “an inhabitant of the Alps.”][1]



Gawain

Gawain
Ga·wain
[gə wáyn] noun

Arthurian knight:
in Arthurian legend, a knight who was the enemy of Sir Lancelot and who fought
a mysterious green knight[1]



Gawd

Gawd
Gawd
[gawd] or gawd [gawd] interjection noun

God:
God (slang) (used to suggest irony or rustic pronunciation in oaths)[1]



gawk

gawk
gawk
[gawk] intransitive verb (past
gawked, past participle gawked, present participle gawk·ing,
3rd person present singular gawks)

stare:
to stare stupidly (informal)
noun
(plural gawks)

clumsy
person:
somebody who is awkward or clumsy (dated insult)
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from, ultimately, Old Norse gá
“to heed.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at gaze

[1]



gawky

gawky
gawk·y
[gáwkee] (comparative gawk·i·er,
superlative gawk·i·est) adjective

ungainly:
awkward and clumsy, often because of being tall and not well coordinated (informal)
—gawk·i·ly,
adverb

—gaw·ki·ness, noun[1]



gay

gay
gay
[gay] adjective (comparative gay·er,
superlative gay·est)

1.  homosexual:
homosexual in sexual orientation

2.  merry:
full of light-heartedness and merriment (dated)

3.  bright
in color:
brightly colored (dated)

4.  carefree:
having or showing a carefree spirit (dated)

5.  debauched:
leading a debauched or dissolute life (dated)
noun
(plural gays)

somebody homosexual:
a homosexual, especially a male homosexual
[13th
century. From Old French gai “happy,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Frankish .]
—gay·ness, noun[1]



gayal

gayal
ga·yal
[gə yl] (plural ga·yal or
ga·yals) noun

S
Asian ox:
a wild or semidomesticated ox of India and Myanmar (Burma) with a dark coat and
white leg markings. Latin name: Bos frontalis
[Late 18th century. From
Bengali .][1]



Gaye,Marvin

Gaye,Marvin
Gaye
[gay], Marvin (1939–1984)

U.S. singer and songwriter.
He was one of the most successful soul singers from the 1960s and had an
international bestselling hit with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968).[1]



gayety

gayety
gay·e·ty
noun

See
gaiety[1]



gayly

gayly
gay·ly
adverb

See
gaily[1]



gaypride

gaypride
gay
pride
noun

movement fostering pride in
being gay: a movement in the gay
community that encourages gays to be open about their homosexuality and to be
proud of being gay (informal)[1]



gaz.

gaz.
gaz.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gazette

2.  Abbreviation
of
gazetteer

[1]



Gaza

Gaza
Ga·za 
[gzə]

seaport and principal city of
the Gaza Strip, on the Mediterranean coast. An important city in biblical
times, it has both historic and current political significance. Population:
293,000 (1990)[1]



gazar

gazar
ga·zar
[gə zr] noun

stiff
silk:
a stiff loosely woven kind of silk
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from, ultimately, Arabic qazz “raw silk.”][1]



GazaStrip

GazaStrip
Ga·za
Strip

region on the eastern
Mediterranean coast bordered on the south by Egypt and on the east and north by
Israel. Administered by Egypt from 1949 and Israel from 1967, it became an
autonomous zone under the control of the Palestinian National Authority in
1994. The city of Gaza is the region’s administrative center. Population:
731,296 (1994) Area: 360 sq km/139 sq mi.[1]



gaze

gaze
gaze
[gayz] intransitive verb (past
gazed, past participle gazed, present participle gaz·ing,
3rd person present singular gaz·es)

look
fixedly:
to look for a long time with a fixed stare • He
gazed longingly at the yacht.
noun
(plural gaz·es)

steady
look:
a long steady look or stare
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian language.]
—gaz·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  gaze, stare, gape,
  gawk, gawp, ogle, rubberneck
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  look at somebody or something steadily or at length gaze; to look at somebody or something
  steadily and for a long time, especially with great attention, admiration, or
  fascination; stare; to look at
  somebody or something fixedly and intently, often with wide-open eyes, in
  amazement, fear, or admiration. It can also be used to mean to look fixedly
  at somebody or something in a rude way or in a way that makes the person
  being looked at feel uncomfortable; gape;
  to look at somebody or something in amazement or wonder, usually with an open
  mouth; gawk; an informal word
  meaning to look at somebody or something fixedly and often rather rudely,
  especially with a stupid expression; gawp; an informal word used in
  British English with the same meaning as “gawk”; ogle;
  to look steadily at somebody in a lecherous, suggestive way; rubberneck; an informal word, usually used
  showing disapproval, meaning to look fixedly at somebody or something with
  great curiosity

[1]



gazebo

gazebo
ga·ze·bo
[gə zbō] (plural ga·ze·bos or
ga·ze·boes [gə zbōz]) noun

small
building with view: a small, usually open-sided
and slightly elevated building, situated in a spot that commands a pleasant
view
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from gaze on the model of
Latin future tenses in -ebo, intended to mean “I shall gaze.”][1]



gazehound

gazehound
gaze·hound
[gáyz hòwnd] (plural gaze·hounds)
noun

dog that hunts by sight:
a dog for example, a greyhound or Afghan hound that hunts by sight rather than
by smell[1]



gazelle

gazelle

ga·zelle
[gə zél] (plural ga·zelles or
ga·zelle) noun
small
fast antelope: a small graceful swift antelope, native
to the arid plains of Africa and Asia, that has long ringed horns and black
face markings. Genera: Gazella Procapra
[Early 17th century. From Old
French gazel, of uncertain origin: probably via Spanish from Arabic ghazāl
.][1]



gazette

gazette
ga·zette
[gə zét] noun (plural ga·zettes)

1.  newspaper:
a newspaper, especially the official paper of an organization • the
Medical Union Gazette

2.  U.K.
publication
with official news: an official publication in
which government appointments, public notices, lists of bankruptcies, and other
items appear
transitive
verb
(past ga·zet·ted, past participle ga·zet·ted, present
participle ga·zet·ting, 3rd person present singular ga·zettes)

U.K. publish
in gazette:
to publish or announce something or name somebody in a gazette (often
passive)
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Italian gazzetta, from Venetian dialect gazeta de
la novità “a pennyworth of news.”][1]



gazetteer

gazetteer
gaz·et·teer
[gàzzə tr] (plural gaz·et·teers)
noun

1.  geographical
reference book: a dictionary or index of places, usually
with descriptive or statistical information

2.  journalist:
a journalist (archaic)

[1]



gazpacho

gazpacho
gaz·pa·cho
[gə spchō, gəz
pchō] (plural gaz·pa·chos [gə
spchōz]) noun

cold
soup:
a chilled Mexican or Spanish soup based on stock or tomato juice and containing
chopped raw vegetables and seasoning
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



G.B.

G.B.
G.B.

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of gilbert

2.  Abbreviation
of
Great Britain

[1]



Gbyte

Gbyte
Gbyte

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of gigabyte[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GC

GC
GC

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of gigacycle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GCA

GCA
GCA

(plural GCAs) AIR Abbreviation of
ground-controlled approach[1]



G.C.D.

G.C.D.
G.C.D.

Abbreviation of
greatest common divisor[1]



G.C.F.

G.C.F.
G.C.F.
or g.c.f.

MATHEMATICS
Abbreviation of greatest common factor[1]



Gclef

Gclef
G
clef
noun

See
treble clef[1]



gd.

gd.
gd.

Abbreviation of
good[1]



GD

GD
GD

HOUSEHOLD
Abbreviation of garbage disposal[1]



Gd

Gd
Gd

Symbol for
gadolinium[1]



Gdańsk

Gdańsk
G·dańsk
[gə dánsk]

city, seaport, and
shipbuilding center in northern Poland. It is situated at the mouth of the
Vistula River, on the Baltic Sea. Population: 462,800 (1995) German Danzig[1]



GDP

GDP
GDP

Abbreviation of
gross domestic product[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GDR

GDR
GDR
or G.D.R.

Abbreviation of
German Democratic Republic[1]



gds.

gds.
gds.

Abbreviation of
goods[1]



Ge

Ge
Ge

Symbol for
germanium[1]



ge-

ge-
ge-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
geo-[1]



geanticline

geanticline
ge·an·ti·cline
[jee ánti kln] (plural ge·an·ti·clines)
noun

raised
area of earth’s crust: a large region of rock
raised up from the earth’s surface
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek gē “earth” + anticline
.]
—ge·an·ti·cli·nal [jee ànti kln’l], adjective[1]



gear

gear

gear
[geer] noun (plural gears)

1.  ENGINEERING device
to transmit motion: a mechanism that transmits
motion from one part to another part for performing a specific function • steering
gear

2.  ENGINEERING part
that transmits motion: a toothed mechanical part,
for example, a wheel or cylinder that engages with a similar toothed part to
transmit motion from one rotating body to another.
Also
called
gearwheel

3.  ENGINEERING fixed
transmission setting: one of several fixed
transmission settings in a vehicle that determine power or direction

4.  level
of efficiency: the particular speed or efficiency with
which somebody works (informal) • I
feel as if I’m still in first gear.

5.  AUTOMOTIVE engaged
state:
the state of a vehicle when one of its gears is engaged • The
car won’t start when it’s in gear.

6.  machinery:
a piece or system of machinery with a particular function

7.  equipment:
the equipment that is needed for a specific activity (informal) • hiking
gear

8.  FASHION clothes:
clothes and accessories of a particular kind (informal) • You’ve
got to have the right gear.

9.  NAUTICAL sailing
equipment:
the equipment, rigging, and other objects that belong to a particular boat or
sailor

10. RIDING harness:
a horse’s harness
transitive verb
(past geared, past participle geared, present
participle gear·ing, 3rd person present singular gears)

1.  ENGINEERING put
gears in something: to equip something with
gears

2.  AUTOMOTIVE engage
gear:
to put a vehicle into gear
[13th century. From Old Norse
gervi “to make ready.”][1]



gearbox

gearbox
gear·box
[gr bòks] (plural gear·box·es)
noun

1.  casing
around gears: the protective casing surrounding a set
of gears

2.  See
transmission

[1]



gearing

gearing
gear·ing
[gring] (plural gear·ings) noun

1.  set
of gears:
a set of mechanical gears, or the power that it provides • complaints
about the gearing on the older model

2.  providing
something with gears: the process or act of
providing a system with gears

3.  U.K.
FINANCE See leverage

[1]



gearlever

gearlever
gear
lev·er
(plural gear lev·ers) noun

U.K.
See gearshift[1]



gearshift

gearshift
gear·shift
[gr shìft] (plural gear·shifts)
noun

mechanism for shifting gears:
a lever or mechanism in a car or other vehicle or machine that is used to shift
or engage gears.
U.K. term
gear lever[1]



gearto/toward

gearto/toward
gear
to/toward
transitive verb

adapt:
to adapt or adjust something so that it fits in or works effectively with
something else (usually passive) • We’ve
tried to gear ourselves to the younger market.[1]



geartrain

geartrain
gear
train
(plural gear trains) noun

set of gears:
a collection of gears used to transmit power[1]



gearup

gearup
gear
up
intransitive and transitive verb

get ready for:
to prepare somebody or take action in preparation for something or to do
something (usually passive or continuous) • We’re
all geared up for the next round of talks.[1]



gearwheel

gearwheel
gear·wheel
[gr hwl] (plural gear·wheels)
noun

See
gear  noun 2[1]



gecko

gecko


geck·o
[gékō] (plural geck·os or
geck·oes [gékōz]) noun
small
tropical lizard: a small tropical or subtropical
nocturnal insect-eating lizard with hooked ridges on the pads of its feet that
permit it to climb smooth vertical surfaces. Family: Gekkonidae
[Late 18th century. From
Malay dialect geko(k) .][1]



gedankenexperiment

gedankenexperiment
ge·dank·en·ex·per·i·ment
[gə dngkən ik spèrrimənt] (plural ge·dank·en·ex·per·i·ments)
noun

thought
experiment:
a test of a hypothesis that can be performed only in the mind
[Mid-20th century. From
German .][1]



gee

gee
gee
noun

MONEY
(informal) See G[1]



geek

geek
geek
[geek] (plural geeks) noun

1.  somebody
awkward:
somebody who is considered unattractive and socially awkward (insult)

2.  ARTS outrageous
carnival performer: a carnival performer whose
act consists of outrageous feats such as biting the heads off live animals

3.  COMPUTING obsessive
computer user: somebody who enjoys or takes pride in
using computers or other technology, often to what others consider an excessive
degree (informal disapproving)
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from, ultimately, Low German gek
“fool.”]
—geek·y, adjective[1]



geese

geese
geese

Plural of
goose[1]



geewhiz

geewhiz
gee
whiz
interjection

See
gee[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gee-whiz

gee-whiz
gee-whiz
adjective

bringing wonder:
causing or characterized by wonderment (informal) • a
gee-whiz new electronic gadget[1]



Geez

Geez
Geez
[gee éz, gay éz]
or Ge’ez [gee éz, gay éz] noun

liturgical
Ethiopian:
an ancient language formerly spoken in Ethiopia and still the liturgical
language in the Ethiopian Christian Church.
Also
called
Ethiopic
[Late 18th century. From
Ethiopic .][1]



geezer

geezer
gee·zer
[gzər] (plural gee·zers) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man past middle age (informal offensive)
[Late 19th century.
Representing a dialect pronunciation of guiser (from guise
), literally “somebody in disguise,” later used to denote an odd-looking
person.][1]



gefiltefish

gefiltefish
ge·fil·te
fish
[gə fìltə físh] noun

Jewish
fish balls:
a Jewish dish consisting of finely chopped fish mixed with crumbs, eggs, and
seasoning and served as balls or cakes. Gefilte fish was originally a dish of
finely chopped or minced fish stuffed in a fish’s body cavity before boiling or
poaching.
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish, “stuffed fish.”][1]



gegenschein

gegenschein
ge·gen·schein
[gáygən shn] noun

faint
glow in night sky: a faint elliptical glow in
the night sky opposite the setting sun, caused by the reflection of sunlight by
dust in space.
Also
called
counterglow
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “opposite glow.”][1]



Gehrig,Lou

Gehrig,Lou
Geh·rig
[gérrig], Lou (1903–1941)

U.S.
baseball player. A star first baseman for the Yankees (1923–1939), he played in
2,130 consecutive games, retiring with a lifetime batting average of .340.
Full name
Gehrig, Henry Louis Known as the Iron Horse[1]



Geigercounter

Geigercounter
Gei·ger
count·er
[ggər kòwntər] (plural Gei·ger
coun·ters) noun

radiation
detector:
an instrument used to detect and measure the intensity of ionizing radiation,
for example, particles from a radioactive substance
[Early 20th century. Named
for the German physicist Hans Geiger (1882–1945), its inventor.][1]



geisha

geisha
gei·sha
[gáyshə, gshə]
(plural gei·sha or gei·shas) or gei·sha
girl [gáyshə, gshə]
(plural gei·sha girls) noun

1.  Japanese
hostess:
a Japanese woman educated to accompany men as a hostess, with skills such as
dancing, conversation, and music

2.  Japanese
prostitute:
a Japanese prostitute
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese geisha “entertainer.”][1]



gel

gel
gel
[jel] noun (plural gels)

1.  CHEMISTRY semisolid:
a semisolid mixture of small particles of a solid in a liquid ( colloid )

2.  THEATER light
filter:
a sheet of colored acetate used in theater, television, and film lighting to
create different lighting effects.
Also
called
gelatin

3.  HAIRDRESSING hair
styling cream: a substance with the consistency of
jelly that is used for styling hair
intransitive
verb
(past gelled, past participle gelled, present
participle gel·ling, 3rd person present singular gels)

1.  become
gel:
to become semisolid, having been in a liquid state

2.  take
form:
to take on a definite form (informal) • The
idea didn’t begin to gel until I’d gotten home.

3.  get
along:
to get along well together (informal)
[Late
19th century. Shortening of gelatin .]
—gel·a·ble, adjective[1]



gelada

gelada
ge·la·da
[jéllədə, jə ldə]
(plural ge·la·das or ge·la·da) or ge·la·da
ba·boon [jéllədə, jə ldə] (plural ge·la·da ba·boons) noun

N
African baboon: a large baboon with brown hair and a
bare red patch on its chest, native to northeastern Africa. Latin name: Theropithecus
gelada
[Mid-19th century. From
Amharic č’ällada .][1]



gelate

gelate
gel·ate
[jé làyt] (past gel·at·ed, past
participle gel·at·ed, present participle gel·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular gel·ates) intransitive verb

become
gel:
to become or form a gel
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from gelation .][1]



gelati

gelati
ge·la·ti

Plural of
gelato[1]



gelatin

gelatin
gel·a·tin 
[jéllət’n] (plural gel·a·tins)
or gel·a·tine [jéllət’n] (plural
gel·a·tines) noun

1.  semisolid
protein:
a transparent protein material made from boiling animal hides, bone, and
cartilage that forms a firm gel when mixed with water. It is used in foods,
medicine, glue, and photography.

2.  substance
with consistency of jelly: a substance, for example,
agar, that resembles gelatin

3.  FOOD jellylike
food:
a sweet food made of flavored gelatin

4.  THEATER See gel  noun 2
[Early 19th century. Via
French gélatine from Italian gelatina from, ultimately, Latin gelata
“frozen.”][1]



gelatindynamite

gelatindynamite
gel·a·tin
dy·na·mite
noun

See
gelignite[1]



gelatinize

gelatinize
ge·lat·i·nize
[jə látt’n z, jéllət’n
z] (past ge·lat·i·nized, past participle ge·lat·i·nized,
present participle ge·lat·i·niz·ing, 3rd person present
singular ge·lat·i·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
to the consistency of gelatin: to make something
gelatinous, or become gelatinous

2.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY coat
something with gelatin: to coat a photographic
medium with gelatin
—ge·lat·i·ni·za·tion
[jə làtt’ni záysh’n], noun

—ge·lat·i·niz·er, noun[1]



gelatinous

gelatinous
ge·lat·i·nous
[jə látt’nəss] adjective

1.  semisolid:
having a semisolid form resembling gelatin

2.  relating
to gelatin:
relating to or containing gelatin
—ge·lat·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—ge·lat·i·nous·ness, noun[1]



gelation

gelation2
ge·la·tion2 [jə
láysh’n] noun

becoming
a gel:
the process of becoming a gel
[Early 20th century. From gel .][1]



gelation

gelation1
ge·la·tion1 [jə
láysh’n] noun

freezing
of something: the solidification of a liquid by
freezing
[Mid-19th century. From the
Latin stem gelation-, from gelare “to freeze.”][1]



gelato

gelato
ge·la·to
[jə ltō] (plural ge·la·ti [jə ltee] or ge·la·tos) noun

Italian
ice cream:
an Italian ice cream made from milk, gelatin, sugar, and fruit
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “frozen,” from, ultimately, Latin gelare “to
freeze.”][1]



geld

geld1
geld1 [geld]
(past geld·ed or gelt, past participle geld·ed
or gelt [gelt], present
participle geld·ing, 3rd person present singular gelds)
transitive verb

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE castrate
animal:
to castrate an animal, especially a horse

2.  remove
somebody’s strength: to take away the strength or
virility of somebody or something
[13th century. From Old Norse
gelda, from geldr “barren.”][1]



geld

geld2
geld2 [geld]
noun

land
tax:
a land tax paid by landholders to the crown in late Anglo-Saxon and Norman
times
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin geldum from Old English gield “payment.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English yield .][1]



gelding

gelding
geld·ing
[gélding] (plural geld·ings) noun

castrated
horse:
a castrated horse or other animal.
See
also
stallion
[14th century. From geld 1 .][1]



Geldof,Bob

Geldof,Bob
Gel·dof
[géld awf], Bob (1954– )

Irish
musician and philanthropist. He was the leader of the rock group the Boomtown
Rats (1975–1986), founded the charity Band Aid for famine relief (1984), and
received an honorary knighthood (1986).
Full name
Geldof, Robert Frederick Xenon[1]



gelid

gelid
gel·id
[jéllid] adjective

very
cold:
exceedingly cold (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin gelidus, from gelu “frost, intense cold”
(source of English jelly ).]
—ge·lid·i·ty,
noun

—gel·id·ly [jə líddətee], adverb[1]



gelignite

gelignite
gel·ig·nite
[jéllig nt] noun

form
of dynamite: dynamite consisting of gelled
nitroglycerin, potassium nitrate, and wood pulp or guncotton. It is often used
under water.
Also
called
gelatin dynamite
[Late 19th century. Coined
from gelatin + Latin ignis “fire.”][1]



Gellhorn,Martha

Gellhorn,Martha
Gell·horn
[géll hàwrn], Martha (1908–1998)

U.S. journalist and novelist.
She became a war correspondent in 1937 and reported on the Spanish Civil War
(1936–1939) and World War II. Her novels include Stricken Field ( 1940 )
and Liana ( 1948 ).[1]



Gell-Mann,Murray

Gell-Mann,Murray
Gell-Mann
[gèl mán], Murray (1929– )

U.S. physicist. He proposed
the existence of quarks and won the Nobel Prize in physics (1969).[1]



gelt

gelt2
gelt2

Past participle of
geld Past tense of geld[1]



gelt

gelt1
gelt1 noun

money:
money (slang)
[Early 16th century. From
German Geld and Yiddish gelt, both ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English geld 2 and yield .][1]



gem

gem
gem
[jem] noun (plural gems)

1.  jewel:
a precious stone that has been cut and polished for use as jewelry or
decoration

2.  somebody
or something excellent: somebody or something
considered to be valuable, useful, or beautiful (informal) • Our
babysitter is such a gem!
transitive
verb
(past gemmed, past participle gemmed, present
participle gem·ming, 3rd person present singular gems)

decorate something with gems:
to decorate something with gems or with something resembling gems (literary)
(usually passive)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
gemma “bud, jewel.”][1]



GEM

GEM
GEM
(plural GEMs)

Abbreviation of
ground-effect machine[1]



Gemara

Gemara
Ge·ma·ra
[gə mrə] noun

JUDAISM second
part of Talmud: the second part of the Talmud, forming a
set of commentaries on the first part of the Talmud, the Mishnah
[Early
17th century. From Aramaic gĕmārâ “completion.”]
—gemaric,
adjective

—Ge·ma·rist, noun[1]



geminate

geminate
gem·i·nate
adjective [jémminət, jémmi nàyt] gem·i·nate gem·i·nat·ed

in
pairs:
growing or arranged in pairs • a
geminate leaf
intransitive
and transitive verb [jémmi
nàyt] (past gem·i·nat·ed, past participle gem·i·nat·ed,
present participle gem·i·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular
gem·i·nates)

double:
to make something paired, or become paired or doubled
[Late
16th century. From Latin geminat-, the past partiple stem of geminare,
from geminus “twin.”]
—gem·i·na·tion [jèmmi náysh’n], noun[1]



Gemini

Gemini

Gem·i·ni
[jémmə n, jémmə
n] noun (plural Gem·i·nis)

1.  ASTRONOMY the
Twins constellation: a constellation in the
northern hemisphere, also known as the Twins or Castor and Pollux, after its
two brightest stars

2.  ZODIAC third
zodiac sign: in astrology, the third sign of the
zodiac, falling between Taurus and Cancer, roughly between the dates May 21 and
June 20
noun (plural
Gem·i·nis) verb Gem·i·ni Gem·i·ni·an (plural
Gem·i·ni·ans)

ZODIAC somebody
born under Gemini: somebody whose birthday
falls between May 21 and June 20
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, plural of geminus “twin.”]
—Gem·i·ni, adjective[1]



gemma

gemma
gem·ma
[jémmə] (plural gem·mae [jé m]) noun

asexual
reproductive structure: an asexual bud-shaped
structure that can detach from the parent plant and form a new individual.
Liverworts and mosses produce gemmae.
[Late
18th century. From Latin, literally “bud, jewel.”]
—gem·ma·ceous [je máyshəss], adjective[1]



gemmate

gemmate
gem·mate
[jé màyt] adjective

reproducing
by gemmae:
forming gemmae or reproducing by means of gemmae
intransitive
verb
(past gem·mat·ed, past participle gem·mat·ed, present
participle gem·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular gem·mates)

reproduce
by gemmae:
to form gemmae or reproduce by means of gemmae
[Early
17th century. From Latin gemmat-, the past participle stem of gemmare
“to produce buds,” from gemma “bud, jewel.”]
—gem·ma·tion [je máysh’n], noun[1]



gemmiferous

gemmiferous
gem·mif·er·ous
[je míffərəss] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY producing
gems:
producing precious stones

2.  BIOLOGY with
gemmae:
bearing gemmae

[1]



gemmiparous

gemmiparous
gem·mip·a·rous
[je míppərəss] adjective

See
gemmate  adjective
—gem·mip·a·rous·ly, adverb[1]



gemmulation

gemmulation
gem·mu·la·tion
[jèmmyə láysh’n] noun

reproduction using gemmules:
production of gemmules, or reproduction by means of gemmules[1]



gemmule

gemmule
gem·mule
[jémmyool] (plural gem·mules) noun

BIOLOGY
reproductive bud:
a reproductive structure produced by asexual reproduction in freshwater and
marine sponges[1]



gemology

gemology
gem·ol·o·gy
[je mólləjee] or gem·mol·o·gy
[je mólləjee] noun

study
of gems:
the study of gems and gemstones
—gem·o·log·i·cal
[jèmmə lójjik’l], adjective

—gem·ol·o·gist [je mólləjist], noun[1]



gemot

gemot
ge·mot 
[gə mṓt] (plural ge·mots) or
ge·mote [gə mṓt] (plural ge·motes)
noun

Anglo-Saxon
assembly:
an assembly for judicial or legislative purposes in pre-Norman England
[Old English gemōt .
Formed from mōt (see moot ).][1]



gemsbok

gemsbok
gems·bok
[gémz bòk] (plural gems·boks or
gems·bok) noun

African
antelope with long horns: a large antelope with long
straight horns and broad black markings on its head and upper legs, found in
southwestern and eastern Africa. Latin name: Oryx gazella
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, literally “wild antelope buck.”][1]



gemstone

gemstone
gem·stone
[jém stn] (plural gem·stones)
noun

stone used in jewelry:
a mineral or stone suitable for use in jewelry after cutting and polishing[1]



gemütlich

gemütlich
ge·müt·lich
[gə mtlik, gə
mtlikh] adjective

congenial:
warm and friendly (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
German, formed from Gemüt “heart, spirit.”][1]



gemütlichkeit

gemütlichkeit
ge·müt·lich·keit
[gə mtlik kt, gə
mtlikh kt] noun

congeniality:
warmth and friendliness (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
German Gemütlichkeit, from gemütlich “ gemütlich
.”][1]



gen.

gen.
gen.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gender

2.  Abbreviation
of
general

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of genitive

4.  Abbreviation
of
genus

[1]



Gen.

Gen.
Gen.

1.  Abbreviation
of
General

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Genesis

[1]



-gen

-gen
-gen
suffix

1.  one
that produces • hallucinogen

2.  one
that is produced • cultigen
[Via
French -gène from Greek -genēs “born.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to beget,” which is also the ancestor of English kin, generic,
and gene .]
—-genic,
suffix

—-genous,
suffix

—-geny, suffix[1]



gendarme

gendarme
gen·darme
[zhón drm] (plural gen·darmes)
noun

French
police officer: a police officer in France and
French-speaking countries. In France gendarmes are part of the armed forces,
their responsibility being that of general law enforcement.
[Mid-16th century. From
French, a singular formed from gens d’armes, literally “men of arms.”][1]



gendarmerie

gendarmerie
gen·dar·me·rie
[zhon drməree] (plural gen·dar·me·ries)
noun

1.  gendarmes
collectively: gendarmes considered as a body

2.  French
police station: in France and French-speaking countries,
a police station or police barracks
[Mid-16th century. From
French, formed from gendarme “ gendarme
.”][1]



gender

gender
gen·der
[jéndər] (plural gen·ders) noun

1.  somebody’s
sex:
the sex of a person or organism, or of a whole category of people or organisms
(often used euphemistically to avoid the word “sex”)

2.  LINGUISTICS categorization
of nouns:
the classification of nouns and pronouns in certain languages according to the
forms taken by adjectives, modifiers, and other grammatical items associated
syntactically with them

3.  LINGUISTICS category
of noun:
any one of the categories, for example, masculine, feminine, neuter, or common
into which nouns and pronouns are divided in languages that have gender
[14th
century. Via Old French gendre from, ultimately, Latin gener-,
the stem of genus “birth, kind” (source of English genus ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  gender
  or sex ?
  Traditionally,
  gender has referred to grammatical
  classifications in languages that have masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns;
  and sex has referred to the biological
  classifications to which gender is analogous. For some time, however,
  anthropologists have used gender to
  distinguish cultural categories from biological ones ( • Gender
  roles are indistinct among the young of this society; the two sexes play
  together frequently ). Cultural and biological
  categories are interrelated, of course, and thus at times it can be difficult
  to decide which word is more appropriate. Sex
  is for the most part to be preferred, except where the word may be ambiguous
  ( • When
  you’re looking at résumés, does sex matter to you?
  ) and in idiomatic expressions such as • gender
  gap
  (“difference between the sexes”) and • gender-bending
  (“the blurring of distinctions between the sexes”).

[1]



genderbender

genderbender
gen·der
bend·er
(plural gen·der bend·ers) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who dresses or acts in a way that is intended to
blur the traditional distinctions between men and women (slang offensive)

2.  COMPUTING altering
device:
a device that converts a male plug or connector to female, or vice versa
—gen·der ben·ding, noun[1]



gendered

gendered
gen·dered
[jéndərd] adjective

of one particular gender:
relating to or appropriate to one gender rather than the other • gendered
clothing[1]



gendergap

gendergap
gen·der
gap
(plural gen·der gaps) noun

statistical differences
between sexes: a noticeable difference
in behavior or attitudes between men and women or boys and girls[1]



gender-neutral

gender-neutral
gen·der-neu·tral
adjective

not sexually biased:
avoiding references to masculinity and femininity and their cultural
associations[1]



gene

gene
gene
[jeen] (plural genes) noun

basic
unit of heredity: the basic unit capable of transmitting
characteristics from one generation to the next. It consists of a specific
sequence of DNA or RNA that occupies a fixed position ( locus ) on a chromosome.
[Early
20th century. Via German Gen from Greek genos “birth, race.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of gene is also the
  ultimate source of English gender, genealogy, generate,
  generous, genesis, genie,
  genital, genius, genocide,
  gingerly, gonorrhea, indigenous,
  ingenuous, jaunty, kin,
  kind, nation,
  and nature.

[1]



-gene

-gene
-gene
suffix

See
-gen[1]



genealogy

genealogy
ge·ne·al·o·gy
[jnee ólləjee] (plural ge·ne·al·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of the history of families: the study of the history of
families and the line of descent from their ancestors

2.  family
history:
a pedigree or line of descent that can be traced directly from an ancestor or
earlier form, especially that of an individual or family

3.  family
tree:
a chart or table that shows the line of descent from an ancestor or earlier
form, especially that of an individual or family
[14th
century. Via French généalogie from, ultimately, Greek genealogia,
from genea “race, generation.”]
—ge·ne·a·log·i·cal
[jnee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ge·ne·a·log·i·cal·ly
[jnee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ge·ne·al·o·gist, noun[1]



geneamplification

geneamplification
gene
am·pli·fi·ca·tion noun

multiple replication of DNA:
the production of many copies of a section of DNA, naturally or by
technological means[1]



geneflow

geneflow
gene
flow
noun

transfer of genes:
the natural transfer of genes from one population into the genetic makeup of
another population through hybridization and interbreeding[1]



genefrequency

genefrequency
gene
fre·quen·cy
noun

frequency of gene:
the ratio of a specific variation of a gene ( allele
) to the total number of variations in a particular population[1]



genegun

genegun
gene
gun 
noun

device for inserting DNA into
cells: a device that inserts DNA
directly into cells[1]



genepool

genepool
gene
pool
(plural gene pools) noun

1.  all
genes of population: the total of all genes
carried by all individuals in an interbreeding population

2.  all
genes of species: the total of all genes existing among
all individuals of a species

[1]



geneprobe

geneprobe
gene
probe
(plural gene probes) noun

tool for identifying gene:
a fragment of DNA or RNA marked by a chemical or radioactive substance that
will bind to a given gene, used as a tag in order to identify or isolate that
gene.
Also called
genetic probe[1]



genera

genera
gen·er·a

Plural of
genus[1]



generable

generable
gen·er·a·ble
[jénnərəb’l] adjective

able
to be generated: capable of being generated
[15th century. From Latin generabilis,
from generare (see generate ).][1]



general

general
gen·er·al
[jénnərəl] adjective

1.  overall:
relating to or including all or nearly all of the members of a category or
group, or all or nearly all parts of a whole • a
general increase in demand

2.  usual:
applying or happening in most cases • as a
general rule

3.  widespread:
shared or participated in by many • a
general sense that something ought to be done

4.  miscellaneous:
having a varied content or wide scope • a
general store

5.  not
specialized: not specialized, or lacking specialized
knowledge • a
book that was intended for the general reader

6.  not
specific:
not specific, detailed, or clearly defined • She
spoke in the most general terms.

7.  high-ranking:
with overall authority or of superior rank • a
general manager
noun
(plural gen·er·als)

1.  (plural
gen·er·als or Gen·er·als) MILITARY
high
military rank: a military rank above a lieutenant
general, or an officer who holds this rank

2.  MILITARY See general officer

3.  MEDICINE general
anesthetic:
a general anesthetic (informal)

4.  general
hospital:
a general hospital (informal)

5.  principle:
a general principle or fact (archaic) (usually plural)

6.  the
public:
the public as a whole (archaic)
[12th
century. Via French from Latin generalis “of the whole class,” from,
ultimately, genus “race, kind” (source of English genus ).]
—gen·er·al·ness,
noun
in
general

1.  as
a whole

2.  in
most cases or circumstances





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  General, a movie by director Buster Keaton ( 1926 ). Regarded as one of the
  greatest silent comedies, it is set during the Civil War and based on a
  historical incident: the hijack of a Confederate train by Union soldiers.
  Keaton plays railroad man Johnnie Gray, whose attempts to recapture the train
  involve superb visual gags, gripping drama, and brilliantly timed stunts.

[1]



generaladmission

generaladmission
gen·er·al
ad·mis·sion
noun

unreserved seating price:
the price for a seat in an unreserved area at a spectator event[1]



generalanesthetic

generalanesthetic
gen·er·al
an·es·thet·ic (plural gen·er·al
an·es·thet·ics) noun

drug producing
unconsciousness: an anesthetic that
produces loss of sensation in the whole body together with unconsciousness[1]



GeneralAssembly

GeneralAssembly
Gen·er·al
As·sem·bly
noun

INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS UN
assembly: the assembly of the United
Nations[1]



generalassembly

generalassembly
gen·er·al
as·sem·bly
or Gen·er·al As·sem·bly noun

1.  POLITICS state
legislature: any of various U.S. state legislatures

2.  highest
church legislative body: the highest governing body
of various Presbyterian churches, or the meeting of such a body

[1]



generalaverage

generalaverage
gen·er·al
av·er·age
noun

shared insurance loss:
liability for loss or damage to an insured ship or its cargo that is shared
among all those with an interest in the venture[1]



GeneralCourt

GeneralCourt
Gen·er·al
Court
(plural Gen·er·al Courts) noun

1.  POLITICS state
legislative body: a state legislative body in
Massachusetts or New Hampshire

2.  HISTORY New
England court: a legislative body in colonial New
England

[1]



generalcy

generalcy
gen·er·al·cy
[jénnərəlsee, jénnrəlsee]
noun

1.  office
of general:
the office of general, or the period during which this office is held

2.  generals:
generals considered collectively

[1]



generaldelivery

generaldelivery
gen·er·al
de·liv·er·y
noun

1.  MAIL general
address:
a service of the post office that holds mail for people without an address or
post office box.
U.K.
term
poste restante  noun

2.  mail
direction:
an address on an item of mail indicating that it should be held at a post
office until collection by the addressee.
U.K.
term
poste restante

[1]



generalelection

generalelection
gen·er·al
e·lec·tion
(plural gen·er·al e·lec·tions) noun

vote of entire country:
an election in which the citizens of a country or state vote to elect
representatives of most or all constituencies to a legislative body[1]



GeneralHeadquarters

GeneralHeadquarters
Gen·er·al
Head·quar·ters noun

MILITARY
Full form of GHQ[1]



generalhospital

generalhospital
gen·er·al
hos·pi·tal
(plural gen·er·al hos·pi·tals) noun

nonspecialist hospital:
a hospital that does not specialize in any one particular kind of medicine[1]



generalissimo

generalissimo
gen·er·al·is·si·mo
[jènnərə líssəmō] (plural gen·er·al·is·si·mos)
noun

top
military leader: in some countries, the supreme commander
of a combined military force consisting of the air force, navy, and army
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, literally “great general,” from, ultimately, Latin generalis
(see general ).][1]



generalist

generalist
gen·er·al·ist
[jénnərəlist] (plural gen·er·al·ists)
noun

nonspecialist:
somebody who has knowledge, skills, or interests in a variety of fields but no
specialist knowledge in any one field[1]



generality

generality
gen·er·al·i·ty
[jènnə rállətee] (plural gen·er·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being general: the quality or state of being general

2.  general
statement:
a statement or remark that concerns the main aspects of something rather than
the details

3.  general
principle:
a statement or principle that is true or applies in most cases

4.  unimportant
remark:
a remark about something that is not important in itself but is useful to open
or keep up a conversation

5.  majority:
the majority (archaic)

[1]



generalization

generalization
gen·er·al·i·za·tion
[jènnərəli záysh’n] (plural gen·er·al·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  general
statement:
a statement or conclusion that is derived from and applies equally to a number
of cases • not
enough data to permit a generalization

2.  sweeping
statement:
a statement presented as a general truth but based on limited or incomplete
evidence

3.  making
of generalizations: the making of general or
sweeping statements

4.  LOGIC inference
from instance: the application of the rules of
inference that go from an instance to a universal or to an existential
statement

5.  PSYCHOLOGY use
of learned response: the act of responding to a
new stimulus in a similar way as to a conditioned stimulus

[1]



generalize

generalize
gen·er·al·ize
[jénnərə lz] (past gen·er·al·ized,
past participle gen·er·al·ized, present participle gen·er·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular gen·er·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
something general: to express something general
on the basis of particulars

2.  intransitive
verb
make
sweeping statement: to state a supposed general
truth about something on the basis of limited or incomplete evidence

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
wider use to: to use something or be used in a wider
or different range of circumstances

4.  transitive
verb
make
generally known: to bring something into general use or
to general knowledge (usually passive)

5.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE spread:
to spread to other parts of the body

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb LOGIC make inference:
to infer a general conclusion from particulars, or a universal statement from
an instance
—gen·er·al·iz·a·ble, adjective[1]



generally

generally
gen·er·al·ly
[jénnərəlee] adverb

1.  usually:
in most cases or circumstances

2.  as
a whole:
as a whole or without exception • not
meant for the public generally

3.  vaguely:
without being specific, detailed, or clearly defined • spoke
generally about his life

4.  widespread:
so as to be widespread

[1]



generalmeeting

generalmeeting
gen·er·al
meet·ing
(plural gen·er·al meet·ings) noun

meeting for everyone:
a meeting to which all members of a group or organization are invited[1]



generalobligation

generalobligation
gen·er·al
ob·li·ga·tion adjective

fully supported by city:
supported by all the resources and revenue-raising powers of a municipality or
other issuer of a bond[1]



generalofficer

generalofficer
gen·er·al
of·fi·cer
(plural gen·er·al of·fi·cers) noun

high-ranking officer:
an officer of the army, navy, or air force who ranks above a colonel.
Also called
general[1]



Generalof the Air Force

Generalof the Air Force
Gen·er·al
of the Air Force noun

five-star general in Air
Force: the highest officer rank in
the Air Force, above that of general[1]



Generalof the Armies

Generalof the Armies
Gen·er·al
of the Ar·mies noun

top Army general:
the highest officer rank in the Army[1]



Generalof the Army

Generalof the Army
Gen·er·al
of the Ar·my noun

five-star general:
the next to highest officer rank in the Army, above that of general, below that
of General of the Armies[1]



generalpractice

generalpractice
gen·er·al
prac·tice
noun

nonspecialized medical work:
the work of a doctor who treats patients’ general medical problems, referring
them to hospitals for more specialized care[1]



generalpractitioner

generalpractitioner
gen·er·al
prac·ti·tion·er (plural gen·er·al
prac·ti·tion·ers) noun

family doctor:
a doctor who treats patients’ general medical problems, either at an office or,
sometimes, at patients’ homes (dated)[1]



generalpurpose

generalpurpose
gen·er·al
pur·pose
adjective

all-purpose:
useful for a wide variety of purposes[1]



generalrelativity

generalrelativity
gen·er·al
rel·a·tiv·i·ty noun

PHYSICS
See relativity  noun 2[1]



generalship

generalship
gen·er·al·ship
[jénnərəl shìp] noun

1.  MILITARY military
command:
the art or practice of exercising military leadership in a war

2.  (plural
gen·er·al·ships) MILITARY general’s
rank:
the rank or period of tenure of a general

3.  leadership:
skillful leadership or management of people or an organization

[1]



generalstaff

generalstaff
gen·er·al
staff
noun

officers helping commanders:
a group of military officers whose job is to assist senior officers in the
planning and coordination of military operations[1]



generalstore

generalstore
gen·er·al
store
noun

shop selling wide variety of
goods: a store that sells a wide
variety of goods such as groceries and household supplies, most often found in
small communities where there are no department stores or supermarkets[1]



generaltheory of relativity

generaltheory of relativity
gen·er·al
the·o·ry of rel·a·tiv·i·ty noun

See
relativity  noun 2[1]



generate

generate
gen·er·ate
[jénnə ràyt] (past gen·er·at·ed,
past participle gen·er·at·ed, present participle gen·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular gen·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  create:
to bring something into existence or effect • measures
to generate more income

2.  ENERGY produce
energy:
to produce or originate a form of energy through a chemical or physical process

3.  MATHEMATICS LINGUISTICS produce
set:
to produce a set or sequence by the application of defined rules or the
performance of defined operations

4.  GEOMETRY produce
form:
to create a curve with a moving point or a surface with a moving curve
[Early 16th century. From
Latin generat-, the past participle stem of generare “to beget,”
from, ultimately, genus “race, birth.”][1]



generation

generation
gen·er·a·tion
[jènnə ráysh’n] (plural gen·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  group
of contemporaries: all of the people who were
born at approximately the same time, considered as a group, and especially when
considered as having shared interests and attitudes • a
generation that grew up with rationing

2.  stage
in descent:
a single stage in the descent of a family or a group of people or animals or
plants, or the individuals belonging to the same stage • three
generations down the line

3.  time
taken to produce new generation: the period of time
that it takes for people, animals or plants to grow up and produce their own
offspring, in humans held to be between 30 and 35 years • after
three generations of war and conflict

4.  specific
generation:
a specified numbered stage in the sequence of generations born or living in a
country into which a family came as immigrants (usually used in combination)
• first-generation
immigrants

5.  TECHNOLOGY new
type:
a particular stage in the development of a product or technology, especially
one marking a significant advance • one of
the new generation of computers

6.  BIOLOGY phase
in life cycle: one of the successive phases that make
up the life cycle of certain organisms • the
gametophyte generation

7.  ENERGY production
of power:
the production of electricity, heat, or some other form of energy

8.  BIOLOGY production
of young:
the act or process of bringing offspring into being

9.  MATHEMATICS GEOMETRY generating
of group or shape: the act or process of
generating a set, sequence, curve, or surface

10. PHYSICS nuclei
in chain reaction: in a chain reaction, a group
of nuclei that come from a previous group
—gen·er·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



generationgap

generationgap
gen·er·a·tion
gap
noun

difference between
generations: the difference in
attitudes, behavior, and interests between people of different generations,
especially between parents and their children[1]



generationX

generationX
gen·er·a·tion
X
or Gen·er·a·tion X noun

young
adults at millennium: the generation of people
born roughly during the years 1965 to 1980 in Western countries, especially the
United States, often regarded as disillusioned, cynical, or apathetic
[From
the novel by Douglas Coupland, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture]
—gen·er·a·tion X·er (plural
gen·er·a·tion X·ers), noun[1]



generationY

generationY
gen·er·a·tion
Y 
or Gen·er·a·tion Y noun

people
born in or after 1980: the generation of people
born approximately in or after 1980 in Western countries, especially the United
States (informal)
[From generation X][1]



generative

generative
gen·er·a·tive
[jénnə ràytiv, jénnərətiv]
adjective

1.  BIOLOGY relating
to reproduction: relating to the production of young

2.  with
productive capability: involving the ability to
produce or originate something • generative
linguistic theory
—gen·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—gen·er·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



generativecell

generativecell
gen·er·a·tive
cell
(plural gen·er·a·tive cells) noun

BIOLOGY
See gamete[1]



generativegrammar

generativegrammar
gen·er·a·tive
gram·mar
(plural gen·er·a·tive gram·mars) noun

rules for producing
sentences: the rules from which all the
grammatical sentences, and only the grammatical sentences, of a language can be
generated.
Also called
grammar[1]



generator

generator
gen·er·a·tor
[jénnə ràytər] (plural gen·er·a·tors)
noun

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
for producing electricity: a machine or device that is
used to convert mechanical energy, for example, that provided by the combustion
of fuel, into electricity

2.  CHEMISTRY device
for producing gas: a device in which a gas is
formed

3.  originator:
somebody or something responsible for generating something such as an idea,
plan, or strategy

[1]



generatrix

generatrix
gen·er·a·trix
[jènnə ráytriks] (plural gen·er·a·tri·ces
[jènnə ráytri sz, jènnərə
tr sz]) noun

geometric template:
an element such as a point or line that is used in the production of a
geometric figure such as a curve or surface[1]



generic

generic
ge·ner·ic
[jə nérrik] adjective

1.  applying
generally:
applying to any member of a group or class • a
generic weakness in the design

2.  suitable
for a broad range: usable or suitable in a
variety of contexts • generic
software that can run on a variety of machines

3.  BIOLOGY of a
genus:
relating to or characteristic of a genus

4.  PHARMACOLOGY with
general name: used to describe a pharmaceutical
product that does not have a brand name or trademark
noun
(plural ge·ner·ics)

PHARMACOLOGY See generic drug
[Late
17th century. Via French générique from, ultimately, Latin genus
“race, kind.”]
—ge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



genericdrug

genericdrug
ge·ner·ic
drug
(plural ge·ner·ic drugs) noun

drug with general name:
a drug sold or dispensed under a name that is not protected by a trademark.
Examples are ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
Also called
generic[1]



generosity

generosity
gen·er·os·i·ty
[jènnə róssətee] (plural gen·er·os·i·ties)
noun

1.  kindness:
willingness to give money, help, or time freely

2.  nobility:
nobility of character

3.  substantial
size:
pleasingly large size or quantity • He ate
everything, despite the generosity of the portions.

4.  generous
act:
a generous, kind, or noble act
[15th century. From Latin generositas,
from generosus (see generous ).][1]



generous

generous
gen·er·ous
[jénnərəss] adjective

1.  kind:
having or showing a willingness to give money, help, or time freely • a
very generous offer

2.  noble:
having or showing nobility of character • a
generous gesture of forgiveness

3.  substantial:
pleasingly large in size or quantity • a
generous slice of cake

4.  WINE full-flavored:
used to describe wine that is rich and full-flavored
[Late
16th century. Via French généreux from Latin generosus “of noble
birth,” from, ultimately, genus “race, birth.”]
—gen·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—gen·er·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  generous, magnanimous, munificent, bountiful, liberal
  CORE
  MEANING: giving
  readily to others generous; used of
  somebody to suggest a warm-hearted desire to give and to help others. It is
  also used of something given, when the thing or amount given is considerably
  more than might have been anticipated; magnanimous;
  a formal word suggesting more a general generosity of mind and spirit than a
  desire to give generously to an individual. It is sometimes used to suggest
  paternalism or a tendency to patronize or condescend; munificent; more formal than “magnanimous”
  and used both of somebody giving and something given, to indicate generosity
  on a very grand scale, often indicating great wealth on the part of the
  giver; bountiful; a formal and
  literary word, not commonly used in modern English. It describes somebody who
  is exceptionally generous, particularly to less fortunate people; liberal; used to describe somebody who is
  exceptionally generous. It can be used of something given to indicate that it
  is substantial and freely given

[1]



Genesee

Genesee
Gen·e·see 
[jènnə s]

river in the northeastern
United States, rising in Pennsylvania and flowing northward past Rochester, New
York, before emptying into Lake Ontario. Length: 232 km/144 mi.[1]



genesequence

genesequence
gene
se·quence
(plural gene se·quenc·es) noun

order of nucleotides:
the order of nucleotides in a gene[1]



genesequencing

genesequencing
gene
se·quenc·ing  or ge·net·ic se·quenc·ing
noun

analysis of the order of
nucleotides: the process of
determining the individual arrangement of nucleotides that compose a given
gene, used especially in studying genetic changes in a virus[1]



Genesis

Genesis
Gen·e·sis
noun

1st
book of Bible: the first book of the Bible, in which
the story of the creation of the world is told
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek .][1]



genesis

genesis
gen·e·sis
[jénnississ] (plural gen·e·ses
[jénni sz]) noun

beginning:
the time or circumstances of something’s coming into being • the
genesis of this new project
[Early 17th century. From Genesis .][1]



-genesis

-genesis
-genesis
suffix

production,
origin • sporogenesis
[Via Latin from Greek,
“birth” (see genesis )][1]



genesplicing

genesplicing
genesplic·ing
noun

combining of gene segments:
a technique in which segments of DNA or RNA, often from different organisms,
are combined, in order to be introduced into an organism[1]



genet

genet2
gen·et2 (plural gen·ets)
noun

See
jennet[1]



genet

genet1

gen·et1 [jénnit]
(plural gen·ets) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY small
carnivore:
a small carnivorous mammal related to the civet that inhabits wooded regions of
southern Europe and Africa and has a ringed tail, spotted sides, and
retractable claws. Genus: Genetta

2.  genet
fur:
the fur of the genet
[14th century. From Old
French genette, of uncertain origin: probably from Arabic jarnai
.][1]



genetherapy

genetherapy
gene
ther·a·py
noun

treatment of disease by
replacing genes: the treatment of a
genetic disease through the insertion of normal or genetically altered genes
into cells in order to replace or make up for the nonfunctional or missing
genes[1]



genetic

genetic
ge·net·ic
[jə néttik] or ge·net·i·cal [jə néttik’l] adjective

of
genes:
involving, resulting from, or relating to genes or genetics
[Mid-19th
century. From genesis, modeled on words such
as antithesis, antithetic .]
—ge·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geneticallymodified

geneticallymodified
ge·net·i·cal·ly
mod·i·fied
adjective

with altered genetic makeup:
used to describe an organism that has received genetic material from another,
resulting in a permanent change in one or more of its characteristics[1]



geneticallymodified organism

geneticallymodified organism
ge·net·i·cal·ly
mod·i·fied or·gan·ism noun

something genetically
engineered: a plant, animal, or
microorganism produced by genetic engineering (usually plural)[1]



geneticcode

geneticcode
ge·net·ic
code
(plural ge·net·ic codes) noun

basis of heredity:
the specific order of the nucleotide sequences in DNA or RNA that form the
basis of heredity through their role in protein synthesis[1]



geneticcounseling

geneticcounseling
ge·net·ic
coun·sel·ing noun

counseling
on genetic disorders: counseling that concerns the
risks, treatments, and management of inherited genetic disorders for people
with some likelihood of being affected by them, either personally or as parents
—ge·net·ic coun·sel·or,
noun[1]



geneticdrift

geneticdrift
ge·net·ic
drift
noun

random changes in gene
frequency: the random changes that
occur in the gene frequency of small, isolated populations, resulting in the
loss or preservation of certain genes over the generations[1]



geneticengineering

geneticengineering
ge·net·ic
en·gi·neer·ing noun

See
genetic modification
—ge·net·ic en·gi·neer,
noun[1]



geneticfingerprint

geneticfingerprint
ge·net·ic
fin·ger·print (plural ge·net·ic
fin·ger·prints) noun

individual gene pattern:
a DNA sequence taken from a region of a chromosome that is known to be highly
variable, used as an accurate means of identifying an individual[1]



geneticfingerprinting

geneticfingerprinting
ge·net·ic
fin·ger·print·ing noun

identifying somebody from
DNA: the analysis and use of DNA
patterns from body tissues such as blood, saliva, or semen in order to
establish somebody’s identity.
Also called
DNA fingerprinting[1]



geneticist

geneticist
ge·net·i·cist
[jə néttəssist] (plural ge·net·i·cists)
noun

genetic specialist:
somebody who studies or is an expert in genetics[1]



geneticload

geneticload
genetic
load
noun

number of unfavorable
mutations in population: the average
number of unfavorable recessive mutations per individual in a population[1]



geneticmanipulation

geneticmanipulation
ge·ne·tic
ma·ni·pul·ation noun

See
genetic modification[1]



geneticmap

geneticmap
ge·net·ic
map
(plural ge·net·ic maps) noun

arrangement of genes:
a graphic representation of the specific arrangement of genes on a chromosome.
Also called
chromosome map[1]



geneticmapping

geneticmapping
ge·net·ic
map·ping
noun

gene identification:
the technique or process of identifying genes on a chromosome[1]



geneticmarker

geneticmarker
ge·net·ic
mark·er
(plural ge·net·ic mark·ers) noun

gene as indicator:
a known, usually dominant, gene that is used to identify specific genes,
chromosomes, and traits known to be associated with that gene[1]



geneticmodification

geneticmodification
ge·ne·tic
mo·di·fi·ca·tion noun

alteration of genetic
material: the alteration and
recombination of genetic material by technological means, with applications in
treating disease, enhancing desired plant and animal characteristics, and
manufacturing biological products such as insulin.
Also called
genetic engineering
Also called
genetic manipulation[1]



genetics

genetics
ge·net·ics
[jə néttiks] noun

1.  study
of heredity: a branch of biology dealing with
heredity and genetic variations (takes a singular verb)

2.  organism’s
genetic makeup: the genetic makeup of an organism or
group of organisms (takes a singular or plural verb)

[1]



geneticsequencing

geneticsequencing
ge·net·ic
se·quenc·ing  noun


Also called
gene sequencing[1]



Genet,Jean

Genet,Jean

Ge·net 
[ə náy], Jean (1910–1986)
French writer. He is best known for
existentialist dramas such as The Maid ( 1947 ) and The Balcony (
1957 ).[1]



genetransfer

genetransfer
gene
trans·fer
noun

transfer of genetic material
between organisms: the
insertion of genetic material from one organism into another in a laboratory
procedure, to produce a specific effect, for example, resistance to disease[1]



genetrix

genetrix
ge·net·rix
[jénnətriks] (plural ge·net·ri·ces
[jènnə tr sz]) noun

ANTHROPOLOGY natural
mother:
a biological mother (technical)
See
also
genitor
[15th century. Via Old French
genetris or directly from Latin genetrix, from gignere “to
beget.”][1]



Geneva

Geneva
Ge·ne·va 
[jə nvə]

city in western Switzerland,
capital of Geneva Canton, situated at the western end of Lake Geneva. It is the
headquarters of many international organizations, including the International
Red Cross and The World Health Organization. Population: 174,363 (1994) French
Genève[1]



Geneva,Lake

Geneva,Lake
Ge·ne·va,
Lake
[jə nvə]

the largest lake in central
Europe. It straddles the border between Switzerland and the Haut-Savoie
Department in southeastern France. Area: 583 sq km/225 sq mi.[1]



Genevan

Genevan
Ge·ne·van
[jə nvən] noun (plural Ge·ne·vans)

PEOPLES somebody
from Geneva: somebody who lives in or who was born or
raised in Geneva, Switzerland.
Also
called
Genevese
adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Geneva:
relating to or typical of the city of Geneva, Switzerland or its inhabitants or
culture

2.  Ge·ne·van
or Gen·e·vese RELIGION
of
Calvinism:
relating to the teachings of Protestant reformer John Calvin or to Calvinism

[1]



Genevese

Genevese
Gen·e·vese
[jènnə vz, jènnə
vss] plural noun

people
of Geneva:
the people of Geneva, Switzerland
adjective

See
Genevan[1]



GenghisKhan

GenghisKhan

Gen·ghis
Khan 
[jèng giss kn] (1167?–1227)
Mongol
conqueror. His conquests extended the Mongolian empire throughout Asia from the
Pacific to the Black Sea.
Real name
Temujin[1]



genial

genial
gen·ial
[jnyəl] adjective

1.  kind:
having a kind and good-natured disposition or manner

2.  mild:
pleasantly mild and warm so as to be conducive to life and growth • a
genial climate
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin genialis “nuptial,” from genius (see genius ).]
—ge·ni·al·i·ty
[jnee állətee], noun

—gen·ial·ly
[jnyəlee], adverb

—gen·ial·ness [jnyəlnəss], noun[1]



genic

genic
gen·ic
[jnik, jénnik]
adjective

relating
to genes:
relating to or produced by a gene or genes
—gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geniculate

geniculate
ge·nic·u·late
[jə níkyələt] adjective

1.  bent
like a knee: bent at an angle like a knee • geniculate
antennae

2.  with
joint that bends: with a joint or joints that can be bent
like a knee
[Early
17th century. From Latin geniculatus “knotted,” from, ultimately, genu
“knee.”]
—ge·nic·u·late·ly,
adverb

—ge·nic·u·la·tion [jə nìkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



genie

genie
ge·nie
[jnee] (plural ge·nies) noun

magical
spirit in stories: a magical spirit in Arabian
folklore that has supernatural powers and will obey the commands of the person
who summons it.
See
also
jinni
[Mid-17th century. Via French
génie from Latin genius (see genius
).][1]



genii

genii
ge·ni·i

Plural of
genius[1]



genipap

genipap
gen·i·pap
[jénnə pàp] (plural gen·i·paps)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
evergreen tree: a tropical American evergreen tree of
the madder family that has an edible fruit. Latin name: Genipa americana

2.  FOOD fruit
of the genipap: the edible reddish-brown fruit of the
genipap tree, resembling an orange and used in preserves and drinks
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese jenipapo from Tupi ianipaba .][1]



genital

genital
gen·i·tal
[jénnit’l] adjective

relating
to sex organs: relating to the external sexual organs
or to reproduction
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin genitalis, from, ultimately, gignere
“to beget.”]
—gen·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



genitalherpes

genitalherpes
gen·i·tal
her·pes
noun

sexually transmitted
blisters: a sexually transmitted
disease caused by the herpes simplex virus and affecting the genital and anal
regions with painful blisters[1]



genitals

genitals
gen·i·tals
[jénnit’lz] or gen·i·ta·li·a [jènni táylee ə] plural noun

reproductive organs:
the reproductive organs, especially the external sex organs[1]



genitalwart

genitalwart
gen·i·tal
wart
(plural gen·i·tal warts) noun

sexually transmitted wart:
a wart of the genital or anal area caused by a sexually transmitted virus[1]



genitive

genitive
gen·i·tive
[jénnitiv] noun

1.  possessive
grammatical case: a grammatical case in some languages
that affects nouns, pronouns, and adjectives and that usually indicates
possession

2.  (plural
gen·i·tives) instance of genitive:
a word, phrase, or form in the genitive
adjective

of the genitive:
belonging or relating to the genitive
[14th century. Directly or
via French génitif from Latin genitivus, from ultimately, gignere
“to beget.”][1]



genitor

genitor
gen·i·tor
[jénnitər] (plural gen·i·tors)
noun

ANTHROPOLOGY natural
father:
a natural or biological father (technical)
See
also
genetrix
[15th century. Directly or
via French géniteur from Latin genitor, from, ultimately, gignere
“to beget.”][1]



genitourinary

genitourinary
gen·i·to·u·ri·nar·y
[jènnitō yrə nèrree] adjective

of the genital and urinary
organs: relating to or affecting the
genital and urinary organs[1]



geniture

geniture
gen·i·ture 
[jénni chr, jénnichər]
noun

birth:
somebody’s birth (literary or archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin genitura, from gignere “to beget.”][1]



genius

genius
gen·ius
[jnyəss, jnee əss]
(plural gen·ius·es) noun

1.  somebody
with outstanding talent: somebody with exceptional
ability, especially somebody whose intellectual or creative achievements gain
worldwide recognition

2.  outstanding
talent:
exceptional talent of a particular kind

3.  somebody
with particular skill: somebody who has a
particular skill • a genius with computers

4.  (plural
ge·ni·i) quality: a
special quality that characterizes a place, period, or people

5.  (plural
ge·ni·i) guardian spirit:
in Roman mythology, a guardian spirit of a person, place, or institution

6.  (plural
ge·ni·i) demon: a
demon or supernatural being

7.  influence:
a strong influence, or somebody who exerts a strong influence • an
evil genius
[14th
century. From Latin, “guardian spirit,” from gignere “to beget.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talent

[1]



geniusloci

geniusloci
ge·ni·us
lo·ci
[jnee əss lṓ s] noun

1.  characteristic
atmosphere of a place: the atmosphere that
characterizes a place

2.  guardian
of a place:
the guardian spirit of a place
[From Latin, literally
“spirit of the place”][1]



Genoa

Genoa
Gen·o·a 
[jénnō ə] or Gen·o·va [jénnō və]

seaport
and industrial city on the Gulf of Genoa, northwestern Italy, the capital of
Genoa Province, Liguria Region. Population: 659,754 (1993)
—Gen·o·ese [jènnō z], noun, adjective[1]



genoa

genoa
gen·o·a
[jénnō ə] (plural gen·o·as) or
gen·o·a jib [jénnō ə] (plural gen·o·a
jibs) noun

large
front sail:
a particularly large triangular front sail on a sailboat, especially a racing
yacht
[Mid-20th century. Named for Genoa .][1]



genocide

genocide
gen·o·cide
[jénnə sd] noun

murder
of an entire ethnic group: the systematic killing of
all the people from a national, ethnic, or religious group, or an attempt to do
this
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek genos “race” + -cide
.]
—gen·o·cid·al
[jènnə sd’l], adjective

—gen·o·cid·al·ly [jènnə sdlee], adverb[1]



genome

genome
ge·nome
[j nm] (plural ge·nomes) noun

set
of chromosomes: the full complement of genetic
information that an individual organism inherits from its parents, especially
the set of chromosomes and the genes they carry
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek genos “offspring, race” + chromosome .]
—ge·nom·ic [ji nómmik], adjective[1]



genomics

genomics
ge·nom·ics
[ji nómmiks, ji
nṓmmiks] noun

study of gene structure:
the study of the relationships between gene structure and biological function
in organisms (takes a singular verb)[1]



genotype

genotype
gen·o·type
[jénnə tp] (plural gen·o·types)
noun

1.  genetic
makeup:
the genetic makeup of an organism, as opposed to its physical characteristics (
phenotype )

2.  genetic
group:
a group of organisms that share a similar genetic makeup
[Early
20th century. From German Genotypus, from Greek genos “offspring,
race” + Latin typus (see type ).]
—gen·o·typ·ic
[jènnə típpik], adjective

—gen·o·typ·i·cal·ly [jènnə típpikəlee], adverb[1]



-genous

-genous
-genous
suffix

suffix that forms adjectives:
a suffix that forms adjectives from nouns ending in -gen and -geny[1]



genre

genre
gen·re
[zhnrə, zhNrə]
(plural gen·res) noun

1.  category
of artistic works: one of the categories that
artistic works of all kinds can be divided into on the basis of form, style, or
subject matter. For example, detective novels are a genre of fiction.

2.  PAINTING paintings
of household scenes: a type of painting depicting
household scenes
[Early
19th century. Via French, “type,” from, ultimately, Latin genus (see gender ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



genro

genro
gen·ro
[gèn rṓ] (plural gen·ro) noun

1.  Japanese
emperor’s advisers: in Japan in the 19th and
early 20th centuries, a group of elder statesmen who advised the emperor (takes
a singular or plural verb)

2.  member
of the genro: a member of the genro advising the
Japanese emperor
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “first elders.”][1]



gens

gens
gens
[jenz] (plural gen·tes [jéntz]) noun

1.  Roman
clan:
in ancient Rome, a group of aristocratic families with the same name, descended
from a common ancestor on the male side

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY clan:
a clan, especially one that traces its descent on the male side (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “race, clan.”][1]



gent

gent
gent
[jent] (plural gents) noun

gentleman:
a humorous, sometimes ironic, term for “gentleman” (informal)
See also
gents[1]



gentamicin

gentamicin
gen·ta·mi·cin
[jèntə mss’n] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic used to treat many infections and usually administered by
injection. It can cause serious side effects.
[Mid-20th century. From
genta-, of uncertain origin, perhaps from gentian violet,
+ an alteration of -mycin .][1]



genteel

genteel
gen·teel
[jen tl] adjective

1.  well-mannered:
having or displaying refinement and good manners, especially manners that
suggest, or are thought typical of, an upper-class background

2.  pretentious:
overdoing the refinement, delicacy of behavior, or snobbishness thought typical
of the upper classes in order to create an impression of higher social status

3.  relating
to the upper classes: relating to the upper
classes (dated)
[Late
16th century. From French gentil (see gentle
).]
—gen·teel·ly,
adverb

—gen·teel·ness, noun[1]



genteelism

genteelism
gen·teel·ism
[jen t lìzzəm] (plural gen·teel·isms)
noun

polite word:
a word or phrase used in place of another one considered vulgar[1]



gentes

gentes
gen·tes

Plural of
gens[1]



gentian

gentian
gen·tian
[jénshən] (plural gen·tians) noun

1.  showy
flowering plant: a plant with bright blue, yellow, white,
or red trumpet-shaped flowers that belongs to either of two genera, one alpine
and arctic, the other temperate. Genera: Gentiana Gentianella

2.  root
of the gentian: the dried roots and rhizome of a
yellow-flowered gentian, used as a digestive stimulant in herbal medicine
[14th century. From Latin gentiana,
named for Gentius, the 2nd century BC
king of Illyria.][1]



gentianblue

gentianblue
gen·tian
blue
adjective

purplish-blue:
of a purplish-blue color
—gen·tian blue, noun[1]



gentianviolet

gentianviolet
gen·tian
vi·o·let 
noun

green dye:
a green dye derived from rosaniline that forms a violet solution in water and
is used as a biological stain. It was formerly used in antiseptic lotions.
Also called
crystal violet[1]



gentile

gentile
gen·tile
[jén tl] noun (plural gen·tiles)

1.  non-Jewish
person:
somebody who is not Jewish

2.  somebody
Christian:
somebody who is Christian, as distinguished from somebody who is Jewish

3.  non-Mormon:
in the Church of Latter Day Saints, somebody who is not a member of this church

4.  heathen:
somebody who does not believe in God (disapproving)
adjective

1.  not
Jewish:
not belonging to the Jewish people or faith

2.  Christian:
Christian, as distinguished from Jewish

3.  GRAMMAR denoting
place or people: used to describe a noun such as “Welsh”
or “Texan” that gives the name of a place or a people
[14th century. From Latin gentilis,
literally “of the same clan” (see gentle ).
The meaning “non-Jewish” evolved from its use in translations of biblical
Hebrew goy “(non-Jewish) nation.”][1]



gentility

gentility
gen·til·i·ty
[jen tíllətee] noun

1.  refinement:
courteous and well-mannered behavior, especially when it suggests an
upper-class background

2.  upper-class
status:
the status or way of life of somebody from the upper classes

3.  pretentiousness:
exaggeratedly refined, delicate, or snobbish behavior, affected in order to
create an impression of higher social status

4.  members
of the upper class: people from the upper
classes
[From French gentilité,
from gentil (see gentle )][1]



gentle

gentle
gen·tle
[jént’l] adjective (comparative
gen·tler, superlative gen·tlest)

1.  kind:
having a mild and kind nature or manner

2.  mild
or moderate: being moderate in force or degree so
that the effects are not severe • a
gentle reprimand

3.  using
little force: using little force or violence • a
gentle tap on the shoulder

4.  not
steep:
not very steep • a gentle slope

5.  chivalrous:
having a gracious and honorable manner (archaic)

6.  upper-class:
relating to or having a high social status or class
transitive
verb
(past gen·tled, past participle gen·tled, present
participle gen·tling, 3rd person present singular gen·tles)

1.  soothe
somebody:
to cause somebody to become less agitated by means of words or actions (literary)

2.  tame
an animal:
to calm an animal and make it domesticated (formal)

3.  raise
to the nobility: to raise somebody to the nobility (archaic)
noun
(plural gen·tles)

somebody from upper class:
somebody of high social class (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Via French gentil “well-born” from Latin gentilis,
literally “of the same clan,” from gens (see gens
). The underlying sense is of befitting a well-bred person.]
—gen·tle·ness, noun[1]



gentlebreeze

gentlebreeze
gen·tle
breeze
(plural gen·tle breez·es) noun

light wind:
a wind with a speed of between 13 and 19 km/8 and 12 mi per hour[1]



gentlefolk

gentlefolk
gen·tle·folk
[jént’l fk] or gen·tle·folks
[jént’l fk] plural noun

upper class people:
upper class people (archaic)[1]



gentleman

gentleman
gen·tle·man
[jént’lmən] (plural gen·tle·men
[jént’lmən]) noun

1.  polite
and cultured man: a cultured man who behaves with courtesy
and thoughtfulness

2.  man:
used as a polite term to refer to a man, regardless of social position or
behaviour • Good
morning, ladies and gentlemen.

3.  upper-class
man:
a man from a high social class, especially a man with an independent income

4.  HISTORY man
with a coat of arms: in English history, a man
who was not strictly of noble birth but was entitled to a coat of arms. He
ranked above a yeoman in the social order.
—gen·tle·man·li·ness,
noun

—gen·tle·man·ly, adjective[1]



gentleman-at-arms

gentleman-at-arms
gen·tle·man-at-arms
noun

British sovereign’s
bodyguard: a member of a troop of forty
men who act as a ceremonial guard for the British sovereign on state occasions[1]



gentlemanfarmer

gentlemanfarmer
gen·tle·man
farm·er
noun

1.  farmer
with independent means: a farmer with an independent
source of income who farms for pleasure rather than for money

2.  farm
owner:
a man who owns a farm but employs a manager and staff to work it

[1]



gentleman’sagreement

gentleman’sagreement
gen·tle·man’s
a·gree·ment 
(plural gen·tle·man’s a·gree·ments) or gen·tle·men’s
a·gree·ment (plural gen·tle·men’s a·gree·ments) noun

agreement based on trust:
an agreement based on trust, not written down, and not enforceable by law[1]



gentleman’sgentleman

gentleman’sgentleman
gen·tle·man’s
gen·tle·man
noun

valet:
the manservant of an upper-class man (dated)[1]



gentlewoman

gentlewoman
gen·tle·wom·an
[jént’l wmmən] (plural gen·tle·wom·en
[jént’l wìmmin]) noun

1.  polite
and cultured woman: a polite and cultured woman
who behaves with courtesy and thoughtfulness

2.  upper-class
woman:
a woman from a high social class, especially a woman with an independent income

3.  HISTORY lady’s
personal attendant: a woman acting as a personal
attendant to a lady of high social rank

[1]



gently

gently
gen·tly
[jéntlee] adverb

1.  softly:
softly, using little pressure • touched
him gently on the shoulder

2.  mildly:
mildly or moderately • gently
falling rain

3.  not
steeply:
not steeply or sharply • land
rising gently to the foothills

[1]



gentrification

gentrification
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
[jèntrəfi káysh’n] noun

renovation of an unprosperous
neighborhood: the process of
transforming an unprosperous neighborhood of buildings needing repair into a
more prosperous one, for example, through investment in remodeling buildings or
houses[1]



gentrify

gentrify
gen·tri·fy
[jéntrə f] (past gen·tri·fied,
past participle gen·tri·fied, present participle gen·tri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular gen·tri·fies) transitive verb

renovate an aging
neighborhood: to transform a run-down
or aging neighborhood into a more prosperous one, for example, through
investment in remodeling buildings or houses[1]



gentry

gentry
gen·try
[jéntree] noun

1.  the
upper classes: the group of people who make up the
upper social classes

2.  English
social class: the English social class that ranks just
below the aristocracy and consists of families who are not of noble birth but
are entitled to have a coat of arms

3.  people:
people of a particular kind
[14th century. From Old
French genterie “nobility,” from gentil (see gentle ).][1]



gents

gents
gents
[jents] noun

U.K.
See men’s room[1]



genuflect

genuflect
gen·u·flect
[jénnyə flèkt] (past gen·u·flect·ed,
past participle gen·u·flect·ed, present participle gen·u·flect·ing,
3rd person present singular gen·u·flects) intransitive verb

1.  kneel:
to bend the right knee to the floor and rise again as a gesture of religious
respect, particularly in a Roman Catholic or Anglican church

2.  show
excessive respect: to show undeserved or
unnecessarily deferential respect for somebody or something
[Mid-19th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin genuflectere, literally “to bend the
knee,” from genu “knee” + flectere “to bend.”]
—gen·u·flec·tion [jènnyə flékshən], noun[1]



genuine

genuine
gen·u·ine
[jénnyoo in] adjective

1.  real,
not artificial: having the qualities or value claimed • a
genuine Cézanne

2.  sincerely
felt:
not affected or pretended • a look
of genuine surprise

3.  candid:
honest and open in relationships with others • a
very genuine person

4.  of
unmixed breeding: being of unmixed breeding • of
genuine stock
[Late
16th century. From Latin genuinus, of uncertain origin: perhaps an
alteration of ingenuus “native.”]
—gen·u·ine·ly,
adverb

—gen·u·ine·ness, noun[1]



genus

genus
ge·nus
[jnəss] (plural gen·e·ra [jénnərə]) noun

1.  set
of closely related species: a category in the taxonomic
classification of related organisms, comprising one or more species. Similar
genera are grouped into families.

2.  LOGIC broader
term for something: the more general class or
kind in which something is included, for example, the species “dog” is included
in the genus “animal”

3.  group:
a class or group of any kind
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “birth, race, kind” (source of English general
).][1]



geo-

geo-
geo-
prefix

1.  earth,
soil • geomagnetic
• geophyte

2.  geography,
global • geostrategy
[From Greek gē “earth”
(source of English geode and apogee )][1]



geobotany

geobotany
ge·o·bot·a·ny
[j ō bótt’nee] noun

See
phytogeography
—ge·o·bo·tan·i·cal
[j ō bə tánnik’l], adjective

—ge·o·bot·a·nist [j ō bótt’nist], noun[1]



geocentric

geocentric
ge·o·cen·tric
[j ō séntrik] adjective

1.  having
Earth at its center: used to describe the solar
system when it is regarded as having the Earth as its center

2.  considered
from Earth’s center: measured from, or considered
as if viewed from, the center of the Earth

3.  with
Earth as the center of focus: having the Earth and its
inhabitants as the center of a theory or belief
—ge·o·cen·tri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geochemistry

geochemistry
ge·o·chem·is·try
[j ō kémmistree] noun

chemistry
of the Earth: the study of the chemical composition of
the Earth’s solid matter, as well as the solid matter of other planets,
meteors, and asteroids
—ge·o·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—ge·o·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ge·o·chem·ist, noun[1]



geochronology

geochronology
ge·o·chro·nol·o·gy
[j ō krə nólləjee] noun

studying
of the ages of geologic phenomena: the study of the ages
and relative ages of geologic events and rock formations
—ge·o·chron·o·log·i·cal
[j ō kronnə lójjik’l], adjective

—ge·o·chron·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ge·o·chro·nol·o·gist
[j ō krə nólləjist], noun[1]



geochronometry

geochronometry
ge·o·chro·nom·e·try
[j ō krə nómmətree] noun

measurement
of rock ages: the measurement of the age of a rock,
mineral, or sequence of rocks, or of an event such as a volcanic eruption
—ge·o·chron·o·met·ric
[j ō kronnə méttrik], adjective[1]



geocorona

geocorona
ge·o·co·ro·na
[j ō kə rṓnə] noun

outer region of Earth’s
atmosphere: the outermost region of the
Earth’s atmosphere reaching to approximately 15 Earth radii in height and
consisting mainly of hydrogen[1]



geode

geode

ge·ode
[j d] (plural ge·odes) noun

1.  hollow
rock with crystals: a roughly spherical rock
mass containing a cavity lined or filled with crystals that have grown
unimpeded and so are frequently perfectly formed

2.  cavity
in hollow rock: the crystal-lined cavity within a geode
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
geodes from Greek geōdēs “earthy,” from gē “earth.”][1]



geodesic

geodesic
ge·o·des·ic
[j ə déssik] adjective

1.  GEOMETRY relating
to the geometry of curves: relating to the geometry of
curved surfaces

2.  GEOLOGY See geodetic
noun
(plural ge·o·des·ics)

GEOMETRY shortest
line:
the shortest line between two points on a curved or flat surface.
Also
called
geodesic line

[1]



geodesicdome

geodesicdome

ge·o·des·ic dome
(plural ge·o·des·ic domes) noun
dome made of flat sections:
a dome that has many flat straight-sided faces formed by a framework of bars
that intersect to form equilateral triangles or polygons[1]



geodesicline

geodesicline
ge·o·des·ic
line
(plural ge·o·des·ic line) noun

See
geodesic  noun[1]



geodesy

geodesy
ge·od·e·sy
[jee óddəsee] noun

measurement
of Earth’s surface: the branch of science that
deals with the precise measurement of the size and shape of the Earth, the
mapping of points on its surface, and the study of its gravitational field
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek geōdaisia, from daiein
“to divide.”]
—ge·od·e·sist, noun[1]



geodetic

geodetic
ge·o·det·ic
[j ə déttik] or ge·o·det·i·cal
[j ə déttik’l] adjective

relating
to the measurement of Earth: relating to the precise
measurement of the Earth’s surface or of points on its surface
[Late
17th century. From Greek geōdaitēs “land surveyor,” from daiein
“to divide.”]
—ge·o·det·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geodeticsurvey

geodeticsurvey
ge·o·det·ic
sur·vey
(plural ge·o·det·ic sur·veys) noun

large-scale land survey:
a survey of a very large area of land, with the curvature of the Earth’s
surface taken into account[1]



geoduck

geoduck
geo·duck
[g i dùk] (plural geo·ducks) or
gwe·duc [g i dùk] (plural gwe·ducs)
noun

large
clam:
a very large edible clam found on the northwestern Pacific coast of North
America. Latin name: Panope generosa
[Late 19th century. From a
Salishan language.][1]



geoeconomics

geoeconomics
ge·o·ec·o·nom·ics
[j ō ekə nómmiks, j
ō eekə nómmiks] noun

relations
between world’s economies: the study of how the
economies of the world’s nations relate to and affect one another (takes a
singular verb)
—ge·o·ec·o·nom·ic,
adjective

—ge·o·ec·o·nom·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ge·o·e·con·o·mist [j ō i kónnəmist], noun[1]



geog.

geog.
geog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
geographic

2.  Abbreviation
of
geographical

3.  Abbreviation
of
geography

[1]



geographer

geographer
ge·og·ra·pher
[jee óggrəfər] (plural ge·og·ra·phers)
noun

somebody
who studies geography: somebody who studies
geography or is an expert in geography
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek geōgraphos, literally “writer about the Earth.”][1]



geographic

geographic
ge·o·graph·ic 
[j ə gráffik] or ge·o·graph·i·cal
[j ə gráffik] adjective

relating
to geography: relating to geography in general, or to
the geography of a specific region
[Mid-16th
century. Via French géographique or late Latin geographicus from
Greek geōgraphikos, from geōgraphos ( see geographer ).]
—ge·o·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geographicmile

geographicmile
ge·o·graph·ic
mile
(plural ge·o·graph·ic miles) noun

See
nautical mile[1]



geography

geography
ge·og·ra·phy
[jee óggrəfee] (plural ge·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  study
of Earth’s physical features: the study of all the
physical features of the Earth’s surface, including its climate and the
distribution of plant, animal, and human life

2.  physical
features:
the physical features of a place or region, for example, mountains and rivers

3.  book
on geography: a book on geography

4.  layout
of a place:
the arrangement of the different parts of a building, city, or other place

5.  arrangement:
the way that something is arranged and the relationships between its different
elements • the
geography of the criminal mind
[15th century. Via Latin geographia
from Greek geōgraphia, literally “writing about the Earth.”][1]



geohydrology

geohydrology
ge·o·hy·drol·o·gy
[j ō hī drólləjee] noun

See
hydrogeology
—ge·o·hy·dro·log·ic
[j ō hīdrə lójjik], adjective

—ge·o·hy·drol·o·gist [j ō hī drólləjist], noun[1]



geoid

geoid
ge·oid
[j òyd] (plural ge·oids) noun

1.  Earth’s
shape:
the slightly flattened sphere that is the shape of the Earth, used in
calculating the precise measurements of points on the Earth’s surface.
See
also
geodesy

2.  hypothetical
surface of Earth: a hypothetical surface of the Earth that
would exist if a cross section were taken at sea level. It is perpendicular to
the force of gravity at every point.
[Late
19th century. From Greek geoeidēs “earthlike,” from gē “Earth.”]
—ge·oi·dal, adjective[1]



geol.

geol.
geol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
geologic

2.  Abbreviation
of
geological

3.  Abbreviation
of
geology

[1]



geologictime

geologictime
ge·o·log·ic
time
noun

Earth’s history:
the period of time that extends from the beginning of the world to the present
day[1]



geologize

geologize
ge·ol·o·gize
[jee óllə jz] (past ge·ol·o·gized,
past participle ge·ol·o·gized, present participle ge·ol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular ge·ol·o·giz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

study geology:
to study geology in general, or the geology of a specific place[1]



geology

geology
ge·ol·o·gy
[jee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of rocks and minerals: the study of the structure
of the Earth or another planet, in particular its rocks, soil, and minerals,
and its history and origins

2.  structure
of an area:
the rocks, minerals, and physical structure of a particular area

3.  book
on geology:
a book on geology
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin geologia, literally “description of the
Earth.”]
—ge·o·log·ic
[j ə lójjik], adjective

—ge·o·log·i·cal
[j ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ge·ol·o·gically
[j ə lójjiklee], adverb

—ge·ol·o·gist [jee ólləjist], noun[1]



geom.

geom.
geom.

1.  Abbreviation
of
geometric

2.  Abbreviation
of
geometrical

3.  Abbreviation
of
geometry

[1]



geomagneticpole

geomagneticpole
ge·o·mag·net·ic
pole
(plural ge·o·mag·net·ic poles) noun

See
magnetic pole  noun 2[1]



geomagneticstorm

geomagneticstorm
ge·o·mag·net·ic
storm
(plural ge·o·mag·net·ic storms) noun

See
magnetic storm[1]



geomagnetism

geomagnetism
ge·o·mag·ne·tism
[j ō mágnə tìzzəm] noun

1.  Earth’s
magnetism:
the magnetic properties of the Earth

2.  study
of Earth’s magnetism: the study of the magnetic
properties of the Earth
—ge·o·mag·ne·tic
[j ō mag néttik], adjective

—ge·o·mag·net·i·cal·ly
[j ō mag néttikəlee], adverb[1]



geomancy

geomancy
ge·o·man·cy
[j ə mànsee] noun

prediction
using pattern of thrown earth: the art or practice of
making predictions based on patterns made by a handful of earth thrown on the
ground or by lines connecting randomly placed dots
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek geōmanteia, literally “divination
from the Earth,” from manteia “divination.”]
—ge·o·man·cer,
noun

—ge·o·man·tic [j ə mántik], adjective[1]



geometer

geometer
ge·om·e·ter
[jee ómmətər] (plural ge·om·e·ters)
noun

somebody
who studies geometry: somebody who studies, or is
an expert in, geometry.
Also
called
geometrician
[15th century. Via late Latin
from Greek geōmetrēs, literally “land measurer,” from, ultimately, gē
“Earth” + metrēs “measurer.”][1]



Geometric

Geometric
Ge·o·met·ric
[j ə méttrik] adjective

of an ancient Greek
decorative style: relating to a period of
ancient Greek culture, between 900 and 700 BC,
noted for its decorative use of simple lines and shapes, especially on pottery[1]



geometric

geometric
ge·o·met·ric
[j ə méttrik] or ge·o·met·ri·cal
[j ə méttrik] adjective

1.  relating
to geometry: conforming to the laws and methods of
geometry

2.  using
simple lines: using straight lines and simple shapes,
for example, circles or squares

3.  increasing
fast:
increasing or decreasing very rapidly • geometric
growth
[Mid-17th
century. Via French géométrique from, ultimately, Greek geōmetrikos,
from geōmetrēs (see geometer ).]
—ge·o·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geometricmean

geometricmean
ge·o·met·ric
mean
(plural ge·o·met·ric means) noun

mathematical average:
the average of a set of n values, described mathematically as the nth
root of their product[1]



geometricprogression

geometricprogression
ge·o·met·ric
pro·gres·sion (plural ge·o·met·ric
pro·gres·sions) noun

series of numbers:
a series of numbers in which each number is separated by a numerical step. In
the series 1, 4, 16, 64, the numerical step is 4.[1]



geometrics

geometrics
ge·o·met·rics
[j ə méttriks] plural noun

geometric patterns:
straight lines and simple shapes, for example, circles or squares, used in
design and decoration[1]



geometricseries

geometricseries
ge·o·met·ric
se·ries
noun

sum of geometric progression:
a series of numbers ( geometric progression
) separated by a constant numerical step expressed as a sum, for example,
1+4+16+64[1]



geometrid

geometrid
ge·om·e·trid
[jee ómmətrid] (plural ge·om·e·trids)
noun

moth
with broad wings: a moth with a slender body and broad
wings and larvae that crawl with a characteristic looping movement. Family:
Geometridae
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Geometridae, genus name, literally “land
measurers” (see geometry ). So called
because the caterpillar moves as though measuring the ground.]
—ge·om·e·trid, adjective[1]



geometrize

geometrize
ge·om·e·trize
[jee ómmə trz] (past ge·om·e·trized,
past participle ge·om·e·trized, present participle ge·om·e·triz·ing,
3rd person present singular ge·om·e·triz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
represent
in geometric form: to represent something in
geometric form

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb apply
rules of geometry: to apply the principles of
geometry to something
—ge·om·e·tri·za·tion [jee òmmətri záysh’n], noun[1]



geometry

geometry
ge·om·e·try
[jee ómmətree] noun

1.  mathematics
of shapes:
the branch of mathematics that is concerned with the properties and
relationships of points, lines, angles, curves, surfaces, and solids

2.  kind
of geometry: any subclass of geometry, for example, a
set of distinct theories or its application to a particular type of problem or
object

3.  book
on geometry: a book on geometry

4.  arrangement
of something: the way the different parts of something
fit together in relation to each other
[14th century. Via French géométrie
from, ultimately, Greek geōmetria, literally “measuring of the Earth,”
from gē “Earth” + metron “measure.”][1]



geomorphic

geomorphic
ge·o·mor·phic
[j ə máwrfik] adjective

of the surface features of a
planet: relating to the surface
features of the Earth or another planet[1]



geomorphology

geomorphology
ge·o·mor·phol·o·gy
[j ə mawr fólləjee] noun

geology
of the surface of a planet: the branch of geology that
examines the formation and structure of the features of the surface of the
Earth or another planet’s surface
—ge·o·mor·pho·log·ic
[j ə mawrfə lójjik], adjective

—ge·o·mor·pho·log·i·cal·ly
[j ə mawrfə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ge·o·mor·phol·o·gist
[j ə mawr fólləjist], noun

—ge·o·mor·pho·log·i·cal,
adjective[1]



geophagy

geophagy
ge·oph·a·gy
[jee óffəjee] noun

practice of eating soil:
the eating of soil, clay, or chalk[1]



geophone

geophone
ge·o·phone
[j ə fn] (plural ge·o·phones)
noun

instrument that detects Earth
tremors: an electronic instrument
that picks up vibrations in the Earth[1]



geophysics

geophysics
ge·o·phys·ics
[j ə fízziks] noun

science
of Earth’s physical processes: the branch of earth
science that deals with the physics and physical processes of the Earth,
especially using noninvasive techniques, for example, acoustic surveys of the
structure of rocks
—ge·o·phys·i·cal,
adjective

—ge·o·phys·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ge·o·phys·i·cist [j ə fízzəssist], noun[1]



geophyte

geophyte
ge·o·phyte
[j ə ft] (plural ge·o·phytes)
noun

plant with underground
organs: a perennial plant that
propagates from organs that are below ground, for example, bulbs, tubers, or
rhizomes[1]



geopolitics

geopolitics
ge·o·pol·i·tics
[j ō póllitiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  influences
of geography on politics: the relationships that exist
between a country’s politics and its geography and population distribution, or
the influences that geography and population distribution have on political
relations between countries

2.  study
of geopolitics: the study of geopolitics
[Early
20th century. Blend of geography and politics .]
—ge·o·po·lit·i·cal
[j ō pəlíttik’l], adjective

—ge·o·po·lit·i·cal·ly
[j ō pə líttikəlee], adverb

—ge·o·pol·i·ti·cian [j ō pollə tísh’n], noun[1]



geoponics

geoponics
ge·o·pon·ics
[j ə pónniks] noun

agriculture
studies:
the scientific study of agriculture (takes a singular verb)
—ge·o·pon·ic, adjective[1]



Geordie

Geordie
Geor·die
[jáwrdee] (plural Geor·dies) noun

1.  U.K.
somebody
from Tyneside: somebody who was born on or lives on
Tyneside in northeastern England, especially somebody who speaks the local
dialect of English

2.  dialect
spoken in Tyneside: the dialect of English
spoken in Tyneside in northeastern England
[Mid-19th
century. From the local pronunciation of Georgie, diminutive of the name George
.]
—Geor·die, adjective[1]



George,Henry

George,Henry
George 
[jawrj], Henry (1839–1897)

U.S. economist and social
philosopher. An influential writer and lecturer, he proposed to abolish poverty
by means of a “single-tax” on land in works such as Progress and Poverty
( 1879 ).[1]



GeorgeI

GeorgeI
George
I
[jawrj], King of Great Britain and Ireland
(1660–1727)

German-born British monarch.
The great-grandson of James I, he was the first of Britain’s Hanoverian kings
(1714–1727).[1]



GeorgeII

GeorgeII
George
II
[jawrj], King of Great Britain and Ireland
(1683–1760)

German-born British monarch.
As king (1727–1760), he was a field commander in the War of the Austrian
Succession (1740–1748).[1]



GeorgeIII

GeorgeIII

George III
[jawrj], King of the United Kingdom
(1738–1820)
He was the first British-born Hanoverian
king. His reign (1760–1820) was marked by the American Revolution. In later
years, he was increasingly affected by a psychiatric disorder that led finally
to the establishment of a regency (1811) under his son, later George IV.[1]



GeorgeIV

GeorgeIV
George
IV
[jawrj], King of the United Kingdom
(1762–1830)

Notorious for his extravagant
habits, he was regent for George III (1811–1820) and king (1820–1830).[1]



George,Lake

George,Lake
George,
Lake
[jawrj]

lake in the foothills of the
Adirondack Mountains, eastern New York State. Noted for its beauty, it has long
been a resort center and was of military importance during the French and
Indian War and the Revolution. Area: 114 sq km/44 sq mi.[1]



Georgetown

Georgetown
George·town 
[jáwrj town]

1.  port
and capital city of Guyana. It is on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the
Demerara River. Population: 248,500 (1992)

2.  affluent
residential and commercial district of northwestern Washington, D.C. and the home
of Georgetown University. Originally a Potomac River port, it was incorporated
into the District of Columbia in 1871.

[1]



GeorgeTown

GeorgeTown
George
Town
[jáwrj town]

town in northern Tasmania,
Australia. It is one of Australia’s oldest settlements. Population: 6,929
(1996)[1]



GeorgeV

GeorgeV
George
V
[jawrj], King of the United Kingdom
(1865–1936)

Notable for his naval career,
he reigned from 1910 to 1936, and renounced the family’s German titles during
World War I.[1]



GeorgeVI

GeorgeVI
George
VI
[jawrj], King of the United Kingdom
(1895–1952)

He succeeded to the throne
after the abdication of his brother Edward VIII (1936). He was greatly admired
for his national leadership during World War II.[1]



Georgia

Georgia


Geor·gia 
[jáwrjə]

1.  U.S.
state bordered by South Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean, Florida, Alabama, North
Carolina, and Tennessee. Capital: Atlanta. Population: 7,486,242 (1997) Area:
152,750 sq km/58,977 sq mi.




2.        republic
on the eastern coast of the Black Sea bordered on the north by Russia and on
the south by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The country is dominated by the
Greater Caucasus to the north and the Lesser Caucasus to the south. Language:
Georgian. Currency: lari. Capital: Tbilisi. Population: 5,160,042 (1997) Area:
69,700 sq km/26,900 sq mi. Official name Republic of Georgia[1]



Georgia(country)




Back to definition

Georgia(country)

[1]



Georgian

Georgian2
Geor·gian2 (plural Geor·gians)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE official
language of Georgia: the official language of the
Republic of Georgia. It belongs to the Kartvelian family of languages.

2.  somebody
from U.S. state of Georgia: somebody who was born in or
lives in the state of Georgia in the United States

3.  PEOPLES somebody
from Georgia: somebody who was born or lives in or is
a citizen of the Republic of Georgia
[15th
century. Formed from Georgia, a region in the Caucasus and a state of the
United States.]
—Geor·gian, adjective[1]



Georgian

Georgian1
Geor·gian1 [jáwrjən]
adjective

1.  HISTORY of
1714 to 1830 in Britain: relating to the time of
Kings George I, II, III, and IV of Great Britain and Ireland, who reigned
consecutively from 1714 to 1830

2.  ARCHITECTURE of
18thC architectural style: built in or imitating a
style of architecture or furniture that flourished in Great Britain and the
United States in the 18th and early 19th centuries

3.  LITERATURE relating
to 20thC literary movement: relating to a movement in
early 20th-century poetry that favored traditional styles
noun
(plural Geor·gians)

LITERATURE Georgian
writer:
a writer whose works belong to the Georgian literary movement

[1]



GeorgianBay

GeorgianBay
Geor·gian
Bay
[jàwrjən báy]

northeastern arm of Lake
Huron, in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Area: 15,000 sq km/5,800 sq mi.[1]



GeorgianBay Islands National Park

GeorgianBay Islands National Park
Geor·gian
Bay Is·lands Na·tion·al Park

national park incorporating
fifty nine islands on the eastern side of Georgian Bay in southeastern Ontario,
Canada. Area: 25 sq km/10 sq mi.[1]



Georgia(U.S. state)




Back to definition

Georgia(U.S. state)

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








georgic

georgic
geor·gic
[jáwrjik] adjective

rural:
relating to or depicting rural life (literary)
noun
(plural geor·gics)

POETRY poem
about rural life: a poem about rural life
adjective

AGRICULTURE of
agriculture: relating to agriculture
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek geōrgikos, from geōrgos “farmer,” from gē
“Earth.”][1]



geoscience

geoscience
ge·o·sci·ence
[j ō s əns] (plural ge·o·sci·ences)
noun

science
dealing with the Earth: a science such as geology or
geophysics that deals with the Earth
—ge·o·sci·en·tist, noun[1]



geosphere

geosphere
ge·o·sphere
[j ō sfeer] noun

Earth’s
solid matter: the solid matter of the Earth, as
distinct from the seas, plants, animals, and surrounding atmosphere
—ge·o·spher·ic [j ō sfírrik, j ō
sférrik], adjective[1]



geostationary

geostationary
ge·o·sta·tion·ar·y
[j ō stáysh’n èrree] adjective

appearing stationary over
point on Earth: used to describe the
orbit of satellite that circles the Earth above the equator at a speed matching
the Earth’s rotation, thus appearing to remain stationary, or the satellite
itself. Most communications satellites are in geostationary orbit.[1]



geostrategy

geostrategy
ge·o·strat·e·gy
[j ō stráttəjee] (plural ge·o·strat·e·gies)
noun

1.  strategy
in relation to geopolitics: the study of strategy in
relation to the geopolitical situation of a country or region

2.  policy
based on geopolitics: the policy of a nation based
on a combination of geographical and political factors
—ge·o·stra·te·gic
[j ō strə tjik], adjective

—ge·o·strat·e·gist [j ō stráttəjist], noun[1]



geostrophic

geostrophic
ge·o·stroph·ic
[j ə stróffik] adjective

caused
by Earth’s rotation: arising from the rotation of
the Earth
—ge·o·stroph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



geosynchronous

geosynchronous
ge·o·syn·chro·nous
[j ō síng krənəss] adjective

See
geostationary[1]



geosyncline

geosyncline
ge·o·syn·cline
[j ō síng kln] (plural ge·o·syn·clines)
noun

depression
in Earth’s crust: a long broad depression in the Earth’s
crust where it has sunk over time as it has accumulated a thick layer of
sedimentary deposits
—ge·o·syn·cli·nal [j ō sing kln’l], adjective[1]



geotaxis

geotaxis
ge·o·tax·is
[j ō tákssiss] noun

gravity-induced
movement:
movement by an organism or cell in response to the force of gravity
—ge·o·tac·tic,
adjective

—ge·o·tac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



geotectonic

geotectonic
ge·o·tec·ton·ic
[j ō tek tónnik] adjective

relating
to Earth’s crust: relating to the large-scale structure of
the Earth’s crust
—ge·o·tec·ton·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



geothermic

geothermic
ge·o·ther·mic
[j ō thúrmik] or ge·o·ther·mal
[j ō thúrm’l] adjective

relating
to Earth’s heat: relating to or produced by the heat in
the interior of the Earth
—ge·o·ther·mal·ly, adverb[1]



geotropism

geotropism
ge·ot·ro·pism
[jee óttrə pìzzəm] noun

plant
growth related to gravity: plant growth or movement in
response to gravity. Upward growth of plant parts, against gravity, is called
negative geotropism, and downward growth of roots, positive geotropism.
—ge·o·tro·pic
[j ə tróppik], adjective

—ge·o·tro·pi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ger.

ger.
ger.

Abbreviation of
gerund[1]



Ger.

Ger.
Ger.

1.  Abbreviation
of
German

2.  Abbreviation
of
Germany

[1]



gerah

gerah
ge·rah
[grə] (plural ge·rahs) noun

Hebrew
coin:
an ancient Hebrew coin worth one twentieth of a shekel
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew gērāh .][1]



geraniol

geraniol
ge·ra·ni·ol
[jə ráynee àwl] noun

alcohol
from essential oil: a pale yellow or colorless
alcohol that is found in many essential oils. It smells like geraniums and is
used in making perfumes and flavorings. C10H18O
[Late 19th century. Coined
from geranium + -ol
.][1]



geranium

geranium

ge·ra·ni·um
[jə ráynee əm] noun (plural ge·ra·ni·ums)

1.  PLANTS plant
with brightly colored flowers: a popular garden plant
with large rounded leaves and bright red, pink, or white flowers on tall
stalks. Genus: Pelargonium (not used technically)

2.  PLANTS plant
with saucer-shaped flowers: a plant with divided leaves
and pink, blue, white, or red saucer-shaped flowers. Cranesbill and herb Robert
are types of geranium. Genus: Geranium

3.  COLORS bright
red color:
a bright red color tinged with orange, similar to that of a scarlet geranium
adjective

bright red: of a
bright red color tinged with orange
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek geranion, from geranos “crane,” from the resemblance
of the spur on some species’ fruit to a crane’s bill.][1]



gerbil

gerbil

ger·bil
[júrb’l] (plural ger·bils) noun
small
rodent:
a small rodent resembling a mouse with long back legs that is native to hot dry
parts of Africa and Asia. Some species are popular as pets. Subfamily:
Gerbillinae
[Mid-19th century. Via French
gerbille from modern Latin gerbillus, diminutive of gerboa
(see jerboa ).][1]



gerent

gerent
ge·rent
[jérrənt] (plural ge·rents) noun

leader:
a ruler or leader (literary)
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Latin gerere “to carry on.”][1]



gerenuk

gerenuk
ge·re·nuk
[gérrə nk, gə
rénnək] (plural ge·re·nuks or ge·re·nuk) noun

long-horned
antelope:
a slender East African antelope, the male of which has long horns that curve
backward. Latin name: Litocranius walleri
[Late 19th century. From
Somali .][1]



gerfalcon

gerfalcon
ger·fal·con
noun

BIRDS
See gyrfalcon[1]



geriatric

geriatric
ger·i·at·ric
[jèrree áttrik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE relating
to senior citizens: relating to the diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of illness in senior citizens

2.  offensive
term referring to age: an offensive term meaning
very old, especially when somebody is considered too old to be useful or taken
seriously (offensive)
noun
(plural ger·i·at·rics)

MEDICINE senior
citizen:
a senior citizen, in a medical context (technical)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek gēras “old age” + -iatric
on the model of pediatric .][1]



geriatrician

geriatrician
ger·i·a·tri·cian
[jèrree ə trísh’n] (plural ger·i·a·tri·cians)
noun

doctor for seniors:
a doctor who specializes in medical care for senior citizens.
Also called
geriatrist[1]



geriatrics

geriatrics
ger·i·at·rics
[jèrree áttriks] noun

medical treatment for
seniors: the branch of medicine that
deals with the illnesses and medical care of senior citizens (takes a
singular verb)
See also
gerontology[1]



geriatrist

geriatrist
ger·i·at·rist
[jèrree áttrist] (plural ger·i·at·rists)
noun

See
geriatrician[1]



Gerin-Lajoie,Antoine

Gerin-Lajoie,Antoine
Ge·rin-La·joie
[ay fàN lə w], Antoine (1824–1882)

Canadian writer. He wrote
poems, novels, and plays, and founded two magazines.[1]



germ

germ
germ
[jurm] (plural germs) noun

1.  BIOLOGY microorganism:
a microorganism, especially one that can cause disease

2.  BIOLOGY cell:
the smallest element in an organism, for example, a spore or a fertilized egg,
that is capable of growing into a complete adult or part.
Also
called
germ cell

3.  beginning:
the first sign of something that will develop • the
germ of an idea
[Mid-15th century. Via French
germe from Latin germen “seed, sprout,” from gignere “to
beget.”][1]



german

german
ger·man
[júrmən] adjective

closely
related:
having the same parents, or closely related • brothers-german
[Via French germain
from Latin germanus “having the same parents,” from germen (see germ )][1]



German

German
Ger·man
noun (plural Ger·mans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Germany: somebody who was born or raised in
Germany, or who has German citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Germany: the official language of
Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein and one of the official languages of
Switzerland. It belongs to the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages and
is spoken in many parts of the world by about 100 million native speakers, with
approximately a further 100 million using it as a second language.

3.  somebody
who speaks German: somebody whose first
language is German
adjective

1.  relating
to Germany:
relating to or typical of Germany, or its people or culture

2.  relating
to German:
relating to the German language
[14th century. From Latin Germanus,
applied to a group of related peoples of northern and central Europe.][1]



Germancockroach

Germancockroach
Ger·man
cock·roach
(plural Ger·man cock·roach·es) noun

small cockroach:
a small brown cockroach that is a common pest throughout the world. Latin name:
Blattella germanica
Also called
Croton bug[1]



germander

germander
ger·man·der
[jər mándər] (plural ger·man·ders
or ger·man·der) noun

flowering
plant:
a flowering plant that has small pink, white, or pale purple flowers with a
small upper lip. Genus: Teucrium
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin germandr(e)a from, ultimately, Greek khamaidrus, literally
“ground oak.”][1]



germane

germane
ger·mane
[jər máyn] adjective

relevant:
suitably related to something, especially something being discussed (formal)
[Early
17th century. Variant of german .]
—ger·mane·ly,
adverb

—ger·mane·ness, noun[1]



Germanic

Germanic
Ger·man·ic
[jər mánnik] noun

European language group:
a group of languages spoken across northwestern Europe that forms a branch of
Indo-European and is conventionally divided into the three subgroups West,
North, and East Germanic. About 500 million people use one of the languages
classified as Germanic as their first language.
adjective

1.  of
Germanic:
relating to the group of languages classified as Germanic

2.  of
Germany:
of Germany, or its people or culture
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
Germanicus, from Germanus (see German
).][1]



Germanism

Germanism
Ger·man·ism
[júrmə nìzzəm] (plural Ger·man·isms)
noun

1.  German
word:
a word or phrase borrowed or adapted from the German language

2.  German
quality:
a custom or trait regarded as typically German

3.  liking
for Germany: fondness for Germany and all things
German

[1]



Germanist

Germanist
Ger·man·ist
[júrmənist] (plural Ger·man·ists)
noun

somebody studying German:
a student of or specialist in German language, literature, and culture[1]



germanium

germanium

ger·ma·ni·um
[jər máynee əm] noun
chemical
element:
a brittle gray crystalline chemical element that is a metalloid used as a
semiconductor and in alloys. Symbol Ge
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin Germanus “German” by Clemens Winkler, the German chemist who
discovered it (see German ).][1]



germanize

germanize
ger·man·ize
[júrmə nz] (past ger·man·ized,
past participle ger·man·ized, present participle ger·man·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ger·man·izes) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become more German: to adopt German styles,
tastes, institutions, or customs, or introduce them into something
—ger·man·i·za·tion [jùrməni záysh’n], noun[1]



Germanmeasles

Germanmeasles
Ger·man
mea·sles
noun

See
rubella[1]



Germanophile

Germanophile
Ger·man·o·phile
[jər mánnə fl] (plural Ger·man·o·philes)
noun

somebody pro-German:
an admirer of Germany and the Germans[1]



Germanophobe

Germanophobe
Ger·man·o·phobe
[jər mánnə fb] (plural Ger·man·o·phobes)
noun

somebody anti-German:
somebody who dislikes Germany and the Germans[1]



Germanshepherd

Germanshepherd
Ger·man
shep·herd
(plural Ger·man shep·herds) noun

large working dog:
a large working dog with medium-length hair, pointed ears, and a muscular
build, belonging to a breed of German origin that is often used as a guard dog
or police dog.
Also called
police dog
U.K. term
Alsatian[1]



Germansilver

Germansilver
Ger·man
sil·ver
noun

See
nickel silver[1]



Germantown

Germantown
Ger·man·town 
[júrmən town]

town near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, that was the site of an unsuccessful attack on the British camp
by Washington’s troops in the Revolution in 1777[1]



Germany

Germany



Ger·ma·ny 
[júrmənee]
federal republic in central Europe.
Divided into East and West Germany following World War II, it became a unified
country again in 1990. Language: German. Currency: deutsche mark. Capital:
Berlin. Population: 82,071,765 (1997) Area: 356,959 sq km/137,823 sq mi. Official
name Federal Republic of Germany[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Germany




Back to definition

Germany

[1]



germcell

germcell
germ
cell
(plural germ cells) noun

BIOLOGY
See germ  noun 2[1]



germicide

germicide
ger·mi·cide
[júrmə sd] (plural ger·mi·cides)
noun

germ-killing
substance:
a preparation that kills germs
—ger·mi·ci·dal [júrmə sd’l], adjective[1]



Germinal

Germinal
Ger·mi·nal
noun

7th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
seventh month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding
to March 22 to April 20 in the Gregorian calendar
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin germen (see germ
).][1]



germinal

germinal
ger·mi·nal
[júrmən’l] adjective

1.  of
reproductive cells: relating to reproductive
cells

2.  of
the early stages: relating to or belonging to the earliest
stage in the development of something (formal)
[Early
19th century. From Latin germen (see germ
).]
—ger·mi·nal·ly, adverb[1]



germinalvesicle

germinalvesicle
ger·mi·nal
ves·i·cle
(plural ger·mi·nal ves·i·cles) noun

nucleus of an egg:
the enlarged nucleus of an egg before it develops into an ovum[1]



germinate

germinate
ger·mi·nate
[júrmə nàyt] (past ger·mi·nat·ed,
past participle ger·mi·nat·ed, present participle ger·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular ger·mi·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
growing from seed: to start to grow from a seed
or spore into a new individual

2.  intransitive
verb
develop:
to be created and start to develop
[Late
16th century. From Latin germinare, from germen (see germ ).]
—ger·mi·na·tion
[jùrmə náysh’n], noun

—ger·mi·na·tive
[júrmə nàytiv], adjective

—ger·mi·na·tor [júrmə nàytər] (plural ger·mi·na·tors),
noun[1]



germlayer

germlayer
germ
lay·er
(plural germ lay·ers) noun

layer of embryo cells:
any of the three distinct layers of cells formed during an embryo’s early
stages of development ( gastrulation )[1]



germline

germline
germ
line
(plural germ lines) noun

cells in an embryo:
a group of cells in a developing embryo from which reproductive cells ( gametes
) develop, regarded as the line of descent from one generation to another[1]



germplasm

germplasm
germplasm
[júrm plàzzəm] noun

genetic material:
the hereditary material that is transmitted from one generation to another[1]



germtheory

germtheory
germ
the·o·ry
noun

1.  theory
that germs cause infections: the theory that all
infectious and contagious diseases are caused by microorganisms

2.  theory
of biological development: the theory that organisms
develop from previous generations through the growth of germ cells

[1]



germtube

germtube
germ
tube
(plural germ tubes) noun

tube on a germinating spore:
a hollow tube that grows from a germinating spore[1]



germwarfare

germwarfare
germ
war·fare
noun

See
biological warfare[1]



germy

germy
germ·y
[júrmee] (comparative germ·i·er,
superlative germ·i·est) adjective

full
of germs:
full of harmful microorganisms (informal)
—germ·i·ness, noun[1]



gerodontics

gerodontics
ger·o·don·tics
[jèrrə dóntiks] noun

dentistry
for seniors: the branch of dentistry focusing on the
needs of senior citizens (takes a singular verb)
[Late
20th century. Coined from Greek gēras “old age” + odonto- + -ics
.]
—ger·o·don·tic, adjective[1]



Geronimo

Geronimo

Ge·ron·i·mo
[jə rónnəmō] (1829–1909)
U.S.
Chiricahua Apache leader. He was a legendary warrior who led his people in
raids on settlers and U.S. troops before being captured in 1886.
Born
Goyathlay[1]



geront-

geront-
geront-
or geronto- prefix

aging,
old age • gerontology
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek geront-, the stem of gerōn “old man”; related to gēras
“old age” (source of English geriatrics
)][1]



gerontocracy

gerontocracy
ger·on·toc·ra·cy
[jèrrən tókrəssee] (plural ger·on·toc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  government
by elders:
a system of government in which the elders are chosen as rulers

2.  governing
elders:
a group of elders who make up a government
—ge·ron·to·crat
[jə róntə kràt], noun

—ge·ron·to·crat·ic [jə ròntə kráttik], adjective[1]



gerontology

gerontology
ger·on·tol·o·gy
[jèrrən tólləjee] noun

scientific
study of aging: the scientific study of aging and its
effects.
Also
called
nostology
See
also
geriatrics
—ge·ron·to·log·ic
[jə ròntə lójjik], adjective

—ge·ron·to·log·ic·al,
adjective

—ger·on·tol·o·gist [jèrrən tólləjist], noun[1]



Gerry,Elbridge

Gerry,Elbridge
Ger·ry
[gérree], Elbridge (1744–1814)

U.S. statesman and vice
president of the United States. He signed the Declaration of Independence and
the Articles of Confederation, and as governor of Massachusetts (1810–1812)
reorganized electoral districts in a process that came to be called
“gerrymandering.”[1]



gerrymander

gerrymander
ger·ry·man·der
[jérri màndər] intransitive and
transitive verb (past ger·ry·man·dered, past participle
ger·ry·man·dered, present participle ger·ry·man·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular ger·ry·man·ders)

try to get extra votes unfairly:
to manipulate an electoral area, usually by altering its boundaries, in order
to gain an unfair political advantage in an election
noun
(plural ger·ry·man·ders)

1.  act
of gerrymandering: an unfair manipulation of an
electoral area for political advantage

2.  manipulated
electoral area: an electoral area manipulated in such a
way as to give one political party an unfair advantage in an election
[Early 19th century. A blend
of Elbridge Gerry and salamander, from the shape of an electoral
district he created to favor his own party.][1]



Gershwin,George

Gershwin,George

Gersh·win
[gúrshwin], George (1898–1937)
U.S.
composer. Jazz, classical, and popular influences combined in his outstandingly
inventive works, many of which became American classics. He wrote Rhapsody
in Blue ( 1924 ), the opera Porgy and Bess ( 1935 ), and, with his
brother Ira Gershwin, songs including “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Born
Gershvin, Jacob[1]



Gershwin,Ira

Gershwin,Ira
Gersh·win
[gúrshwin], Ira (1896–1983)

U.S.
lyricist and dramatist. A collaborator with his brother George Gershwin and
other leading composers, he wrote lyrics for 20 Broadway musicals, and shared a
Pulitzer Prize for Of Thee I Sing ( 1931 ).
Born
Gershvin, Israel[1]



gerund

gerund
ger·und
[jérrənd] (plural ger·unds) noun

1.  noun
from a verb: a noun formed from a verb, describing an
action, state, or process. In English, it is formed from the verb’s -ing
form, as “smoking” is in the phrase “No smoking.”

2.  Latin
noun:
a Latin noun ending in “-ndum,” formed from a verb and describing an action,
state, or process
[Early
16th century. From late Latin gerundium, from, ultimately, Latin gerere
“to carry on.”]
—ge·run·di·al [jə rúndee əl], adjective[1]



gerundive

gerundive
ge·run·dive
[jə rúndiv] (plural ge·run·dives)
noun

Latin
adjective:
a Latin adjective ending in “-ndus,” formed from a verb and meaning “that must
or ought to be done”
[15th
century. From late Latin gerundivus modus “gerundive mood,” from gerundium
(see gerund ).]
—ge·run·di·val [jèrrən dv’l], adjective[1]



Gesell,Arnold

Gesell,Arnold
Ge·sell
[gi zél], Arnold (1880–1961)

U.S.
psychologist. He pioneered research into child development using movie cameras
and one-way mirrors.
Full name
Gesell, Arnold Lucius[1]



Gesner,Abraham

Gesner,Abraham
Ges·ner
[géssnər], Abraham (1797–1864)

Canadian inventor and
geologist. He is known as the founder of the modern petroleum industry because
of his patents for distilling bituminous material.[1]



gesso

gesso
ges·so
[jéssō] (plural ges·soes) noun

1.  plaster
used in art: a mixture of plaster and glue or size,
used in sculpture and as a background for paintings

2.  piece
of art using gesso: a painting done on gesso, or
a sculpture done in gesso
[Late
16th century. Via Italian from Latin gypsum (see gypsum ).]
—ges·soed, adjective[1]



gest

gest
gest
[jest] (plural gests) or
geste [jest] (plural gestes)
noun (archaic)

1.  adventure:
a heroic exploit or adventure

2.  tale
of adventure: a story or romance, especially one
written in verse
[12th century. Via Old French
from Latin gesta “actions,” from gerere “to carry, act.”][1]



gestalt

gestalt
ge·stalt 
[gə shtlt] (plural ge·stalts or
ge·stalt·en [gə shtlt’n]) or Ge·stalt
[gə shtlt] (plural Ge·stalts)
noun

set
regarded as a whole: a set of elements such as a
person’s thoughts and experiences considered as a whole and regarded as
amounting to more than the sum of its parts
[Early
20th century. From German, “shape.”]
—ge·stalt·ist, noun[1]



Gestaltpsychology

Gestaltpsychology
Ge·stalt
psy·chol·o·gy or ge·stalt psy·chol·o·gy noun

branch of psychology:
a branch of psychology that treats behavior and perception as an integrated
whole and not simply the sum of individual stimuli and responses[1]



Gestalttherapy

Gestalttherapy
Ge·stalt
ther·a·py
or ge·stalt ther·a·py noun

psychotherapy emphasizing
feelings: a form of psychotherapy in
which emphasis is placed on feelings and on the influence on personality
development of unresolved personal issues from the past[1]



Gestapo

Gestapo
Ge·sta·po
[gə st p, gə
sht p] noun

Nazi
secret police: the secret state police under the Nazi
regime in Germany, noted for its brutality
[Mid-20th century. A German
acronym, formed from Geheime Staatspolizei “Secret State Police.”][1]



gestate

gestate
ges·tate
[jés tàyt] (past ges·tat·ed, past
participle ges·tat·ed, present participle ges·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ges·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE carry
offspring in the womb: to carry offspring in the
womb, or develop as offspring in the womb

2.  develop
ideas in the mind: to develop in the mind, or
allow an idea or plan to develop in the mind
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
gestare (see gestation ).][1]



gestation

gestation
ges·ta·tion
[je stáysh’n] noun

1.  MEDICINE carrying
of offspring in the womb: the process of carrying
offspring in the womb during pregnancy

2.  MEDICINE period
of development of the fetus: the period of development of
the offspring during pregnancy

3.  development:
the development of an idea or plan in the mind, or the time it takes to develop
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin stem gestation-, from gestare “to carry
in the womb,” from gerere “to carry.”]
—ges·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—ges·ta·to·ry [jéstə tàwree], adjective[1]



geste

geste
geste 
[jest] (plural gestes) noun

See
gest[1]



gesticulate

gesticulate
ges·tic·u·late
[je stíkyə làyt] (past ges·tic·u·lat·ed,
past participle ges·tic·u·lat·ed, present participle ges·tic·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ges·tic·u·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
gestures:
to move the arms or hands when speaking, or express something with movements of
the arms or hands
[Early
17th century. From Latin gesticulari, from, ultimately, gestus
“action, gesture,” from gerere “to carry, act.”]
—ges·tic·u·la·tive,
adjective

—ges·tic·u·la·tor,
noun

—ges·tic·u·la·to·ry [je stíkyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



gesticulation

gesticulation
ges·tic·u·la·tion
[je stìkyə láysh’n] (plural ges·tic·u·la·tions)
noun

gesture
expressing something: movement with the hands or
arms, usually accompanying speech
[15th century. From the Latin
stem gesticulation-, from gesticulari (see gesticulate ).][1]



gesture

gesture
ges·ture
[jéschər] noun (plural ges·tures)

1.  body
movement:
a movement made with a part of the body in order to express meaning or emotion,
or to communicate an instruction

2.  action
communicating something: an action intended to
communicate feelings or intentions

3.  use
of gestures: the use of body movements to communicate
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ges·tured,
past participle ges·tured, present participle ges·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular ges·tures)

make a body movement:
to make a movement with a part of the body in order to express meaning or
emotion, or to communicate an instruction
[15th
century. From medieval Latin gestura “deportment,” from Latin gerere
“to carry, act” (source of English digest
and suggest ).]
—ges·tur·al,
adjective

—ges·tur·al·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word gerere from which gesture
  is derived is also the source of English congest,
  digest, gestation,
  gesticulate, ingest, jest,
  jester, and suggest.

[1]



gesundheit

gesundheit
ge·sund·heit
[gə znt ht] interjection

word
said after a sneeze: used as an expression of
good health to somebody who has just sneezed
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “health.”][1]



get

get1
get1 [get]
(past got, past participle got [got] or got·ten [gótt’n], present participle get·ting,
3rd person present singular gets) CORE
MEANING:
a verb indicating that somebody obtains, receives, earns, or is given
something. It is often used instead of more formal terms such as “obtain” or
“acquire.” • We’re
trying to ensure that our child gets a good education
• Where
will they get the money to buy the land?

1.
intransitive verb become:
to become, or begin to have a particular quality • When
I get nervous, I get scared.

2.
transitive verb cause something to be done:
to cause something to happen or be done • I
must get the car cleaned.

3.
transitive verb bring something:
to fetch or bring something • I’m
going back to my apartment to get my watch. • I’ll
get your coat for you.

4.
transitive verb catch an illness:
to be affected by an illness or medical condition • He
got chicken-pox last year.

5.
intransitive verb be in a particular state:
to enter or leave a particular state or condition • Get
ready to leave in five minutes.

6.
intransitive verb move somewhere:
to succeed in moving somewhere, or arrive somewhere • It
was already midnight when we got home.

7.
transitive verb begin something:
to begin doing something (informal) • Let’s
get going –we have to be there by eight.

8.
verb forms
passives:
used instead of “be” as an auxiliary verb to form passives • If
you play with matches you will get burned.

9.
transitive verb arrest somebody:
to arrest or capture somebody (informal) • They
got him just as he was running out of the bank.

10.
transitive verb manage something:
to manage or contrive something (informal) • How
did they get to be so successful?

11.
transitive verb prepare food:
to prepare a meal • I’ll get dinner
tonight.

12.
transitive verb persuade somebody:
to persuade somebody to do something • Colleagues
had tried to get her to take a vacation.

13.
transitive verb understand something:
to hear or understand something, for example, a joke or somebody’s point (informal)
• What’s
that? I didn’t get what you said.

14.
transitive verb use a form of transportation:
to take a particular form of transportation • I
don’t want to drive –I’d rather get a plane.

15.
transitive verb obtain a result:
to obtain a result, for example by experiment or calculation • What’s
the answer? I get nine.

16.
transitive verb receive a signal:
to receive a broadcast signal, for example a radio or television broadcast • I
can’t get Channel 5 with that antenna.

17.
transitive verb irritate somebody:
to annoy or irritate somebody (informal) • That
high whining noise really gets me.

18.
transitive verb have the time:
to have the time or opportunity to do something • I’ll
fix it as soon as I get the time.

19.
transitive verb have an idea:
to have or receive an idea, impression, feeling, or benefit • You’ve
got the wrong impression –I’m not like that at all. • I
get a lot of pleasure from his stories.

20.
transitive verb manage to see something:
to succeed in seeing something • get a
close-up look

21.
transitive verb hit somebody:
to hit somebody (informal) • The
blow got him in the face.

22.
transitive verb have revenge on somebody:
to have revenge on somebody, especially by killing the person (informal)
• The
heroes get Dracula in the end.

23.
intransitive verb gain access to somebody:
to gain access to somebody with intent to bribe him or her (informal) • I
thought he was incorruptible, but they finally got to him.

24.
intransitive verb to leave:
to leave (informal) (often used in commands) • Now
get!

25.
transitive verb conceive somebody:
to beget or conceive somebody (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old Norse geta from, ultimately, an Indo-European base
meaning “to seize,” which is also the ancestor of English guess .]
—get·a·ble,
adjective
get
with it

become
fashionable and responsive to new styles and ideas (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  got
  or gotten ?
  The
  past participles got and gotten convey slightly different ideas. • They
  have gotten an apartment in Boston
  means they have recently taken the apartment, whereas • they
  have got an apartment in Boston simply indicates
  that they have it. (There are those who would argue, with reason, that in a
  sentence like this one got is redundant,
  and that have alone would do the job.) In informal usage, have got
  can also be followed by an infinitive to denote obligation ( • I’ve
  got to go to the party means “I must”), whereas have
  gotten with an infinitive denotes opportunity ( • I’ve
  gotten to go to the party means “I’ve been given the
  chance to attend”).

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  get, acquire, obtain,
  gain, procure, secure
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  come into possession of something get;
  a general word, meaning to become the owner of something or to succeed in
  finding and possessing it, that can be substituted for any of the other words
  in this group; acquire; a more
  formal word than get, sometimes used to suggest that getting something
  took a lot of time or effort; obtain;
  a more formal word than get, sometimes
  used to emphasize the active seeking out of or striving to get something; gain; used to suggest greater effort than obtain
  and possibly that merit or expertise was involved in getting something, and
  is often used to emphasize that the thing gained is advantageous or
  profitable; procure; used to
  emphasize a great degree of effort that has gone into coming into possession
  of something; secure; used to
  suggest that something was difficult to get but that the ownership of it is
  now certain

[1]



get

get2
get2 [get]
(plural gets) noun

1.  Scotland,
Northern England brat:
an unpleasant child (often used as an insult, implying illegitimacy)

2.  male
animal’s offspring: the progeny sired by an
animal, especially a racehorse

3.  RACKET GAMES difficult
tennis return: in tennis and some other racket games, a
shot that makes a difficult return

[1]



geta

geta
ge·ta
[gé t] (plural ge·ta or
ge·tas) noun

Japanese
shoe:
a Japanese shoe with a wooden sole
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



getabout

getabout
get
about
intransitive verb

1.  move
around:
to be able to move with a medical condition

2.  See
get around  verb 1

[1]



getacross

getacross
get
across
intransitive and transitive verb

make something understood:
to make something understood or to communicate clearly • I
don’t seem to be getting across to you.[1]



getafter

getafter
get
after
transitive verb

nag somebody:
to keep telling somebody to do something in an annoying way (informal) • You’ll
have to get after him if you want it finished by the weekend.[1]



getahead

getahead
get
ahead
intransitive verb

be successful:
to become successful, especially when compared to others • He’s
a good worker, but he hasn’t got what it takes to get ahead in this line of
business.[1]



getalong

getalong
get
along
intransitive verb

1.  be
friendly with somebody: to be on good terms with
somebody socially

2.  manage:
to make progress in a situation • How’s
he getting along in the new job?

3.  leave:
to leave a place (often used in commands)

[1]



getaround

getaround
get
around
intransitive verb

1.  have
a social life: to be socially active and aware of what
is happening • I
have the feeling you don’t get around much.

2.  become
known:
to become widely known • If
news of this gets around, I may have to leave town. See
get round

3.  say
or do something at last: finally to say or do
something after delay, hesitation, or being involved with other things • I
wondered when you’d get around to telling me that.

[1]



getat

getat
get
at
transitive verb

1.  reach
somebody or something: to succeed in reaching,
finding, or making contact with somebody or something • I’m
determined to get at the truth if it takes all night.

2.  mean
something:
to imply, suggest, or be trying to say something • What
exactly are you getting at?

3.  criticize
somebody repeatedly: to criticize somebody
continually and unreasonably • You’re
always getting at me, and I’m sick of it.

4.  find
something out: to discover or find out something • We
were determined to get at the source of the rumors.

[1]



getaway

getaway
get·a·way
[géttə wày] (plural get·a·ways)
noun

1.  act
of leaving:
an act of leaving a place, especially a quick exit made by somebody who has
just committed a crime

2.  start
of movement: an act of starting to move, for example,
in a race

3.  short
vacation:
a short vacation or break • a
weekend getaway

4.  place
to escape to: a place remote from everyday life to use
for a vacation • It’s only a rough cabin
that we use as a getaway.

[1]



getaway

getaway
get
away
intransitive verb

1.  escape:
to escape from somebody or something • They
caught one man, but the rest got away.

2.  leave
a place:
to succeed in leaving or spending time away from a place • We
hope to get away for a few days next month.

[1]



getaway with

getaway with
get
away with
transitive verb

experience no bad results
from something: to manage to do
something without being blamed or penalized, or without experiencing some other
bad result that should have been expected • You
could get away with a phone call, but it would be better to write.[1]



getback

getback
get
back

recover something:
to recover something that has been given away, lent to somebody or lost[1]



getback at

getback at
get
back at
transitive verb

to take your revenge on
somebody[1]



getback to

getback to
get
back to
verb

1.  transitive
verb
return
to something: to return to a place, topic, or activity
• Let’s
get back to what Steve was saying earlier.

2.  intransitive
verb
reply
to somebody: to give somebody an answer or continue a
discussion, especially by letter, e-mail, or telephone • Leave
it with me, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

[1]



getby

getby
get
by
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
just
manage to keep going: to manage to survive or just
make ends meet • It’s hard to get by on
$100 a week.

2.  intransitive
verb
succeed
with minimal effort: to get through something by
doing as little work as possible

3.  transitive
verb
closely
pass somebody or something: to pass or move behind
somebody or something closely • We got
by that parked truck with only an inch to spare.

4.  transitive
verb
pass
inspection:
to pass somebody’s inspection or receive somebody’s approval, with the
implication that this should not have happened • How
on earth did those errors get by the proofreader?

[1]



getdown

getdown
get
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
demoralize
somebody:
to make somebody demoralized or discouraged • This
job is beginning to get me down.

2.  transitive
verb
write
something:
to write something down, especially immediately

3.  transitive
verb
swallow
something:
to swallow something, especially unwillingly or with difficulty • The
medicine smelled so bad I just couldn’t get it down.

4.  intransitive
verb
have
fun:
to relax and enjoy yourself in an unrestrained way (informal) • It’s
time to get down and party.

[1]



getdown to

getdown to
get
down to
transitive verb

start something:
to start concentrating seriously on something or getting something done[1]



get-go

get-go
get-go
or get·go noun

beginning:
the very beginning of something (informal) • I
knew from the get-go this thing wasn’t going to work.[1]



Gethsemane,Garden of

Gethsemane,Garden of
Geth·sem·a·ne,
Garden of
[geth sémmənee]

in a book of the Bible, the
olive grove just outside Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was betrayed after the
Last Supper (Matthew 26: 36)[1]



getin

getin
get
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
to
arrive:
to arrive somewhere, especially home • When
does your plane get in?

2.  intransitive
verb
be
chosen:
to succeed in being admitted to a group or organization, for example, by
election or interview • You know
if they get in they’ll change some of the old laws.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
involved with somebody or something: to
become involved, or let somebody become involved, with a group or in an
activity • She
got in with the golf club crowd.

4.  transitive
verb
manage
to do something: to succeed in finding or making an
opportunity to do something • I
don’t think we can get four interviews in before lunch.

[1]



getinto

getinto
get
into
transitive verb

1.  start
to be in a bad situation: to begin to experience
difficulties, or make somebody experience difficulties • You’ll
get into all kinds of trouble if you do that.

2.  get
involved or interested in something: to
become involved or absorbed in something • She’s
starting to get into programming.

[1]



getoff

getoff
get
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to leave a place or position • We
have to get off at the crack of dawn tomorrow.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
able to leave work: to be allowed to leave work,
especially at the end of the working day • What
time do you get off this afternoon?

3.  transitive
verb
send
a communication or package: to send a written
communication or package • I need
to get these letters off tonight.

4.  intransitive
verb
have
a lucky escape: to experience only minor consequences of
a mistake, misguided action, or accident • Considering
what might have happened, I think you got off very lightly.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb gain
an acquittal: to be acquitted in a court of law, or
successfully defend somebody in a court of law (informal) • A
good lawyer could get him off with no trouble.

6.  intransitive
verb
be
so bold:
to be bold enough to say or do something (informal) (usually
disapproving) • Where does he get off
thinking he can speak to me that way?

7.  intransitive
verb
be
aroused or excited: to experience excitement,
physical arousal, or the effects of a drug (slang)

8.  intransitive
verb
taboo
term:
taboo term for having an orgasm (taboo slang)

[1]



geton

geton
get
on
intransitive verb

1.  deal
with a situation: to deal with a situation and make
reasonable progress of a particular kind • How’s
Ben getting on in school?

2.  U.K.
be
friendly:
to have a reasonably friendly social relationship with somebody • She
gets on well with the neighbours.

3.  keep
going:
to continue doing something

4.  become
older:
to become more advanced in years • She’s
getting on, you know; you can’t expect her to do everything she used to.

[1]



getout

getout
get
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave
or make somebody leave: to leave a place or
situation, or enable somebody to leave one

2.  intransitive
verb
become
known:
to become widely known, especially contrary to somebody’s wishes • If
this ever gets out, I’ll be so embarrassed!

3.  transitive
verb
produce
or publish something: to produce or publish
something, especially a newspaper or magazine

4.  make
sound:
to make a sound or say something (informal) • too
choked up to get anything out
interjection

expressing disbelief:
used as an expression of disbelief (informal) • Get
out! You actually said that?

[1]



getout of

getout of
get
out of
transitive verb

avoid or let somebody avoid
something: to avoid doing or having to
experience something, or enable somebody to avoid something • He
got out of paying for the meal.[1]



getover

getover
get
over
transitive verb

1.  recover
from something: to recover from an illness or bad
experience • He’s
upset, but he’ll get over it.

2.  deal
with a difficulty: to overcome or cope with a
difficulty • Once
she’d gotten over her lack of confidence, she enjoyed the meeting.

3.  make
people understand or accept something: to
succeed in making something clear or persuasive • He’s
very good at getting his ideas over to an audience.

4.  get
something finished: to finish dealing with
something boring, annoying, or unpleasant • I
just want to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible.

[1]



getover

getover
get
over
transitive verb

1.  recover
from something: to recover from an illness or bad
experience • He’s
upset, but he’ll get over it.

2.  deal
with a difficulty: to overcome or cope with a
difficulty • Once
she’d gotten over her lack of confidence, she enjoyed the meeting.

3.  make
people understand or accept something: to
succeed in making something clear or persuasive • He’s
very good at getting his ideas over to an audience.

4.  get
something finished: to finish dealing with
something boring, annoying, or unpleasant • I
just want to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible.

[1]



getround

getround
get
round
transitive verb

U.K.
• There
must be some way of getting round the regulations.
See get around[1]



getter

getter
get·ter
[géttər] (plural get·ters) noun

absorber of by-product:
a substance added to absorb the unwanted product of a chemical process, for
example, the excess gas in a light bulb[1]



getthrough

getthrough
get
through
verb

1.  transitive
verb
survive
difficult time: to endure to the end of a difficult time
or situation • How
I got through those weeks I just don’t know.

2.  transitive
verb
finish:
to finish something • Did
you ever get through that novel?

3.  transitive
verb
use
or spend something: to use, eat, or spend
something, especially a large amount in a short time • We
seem to be getting through the copier paper at an alarming rate.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody understand: to make somebody understand
something that is being communicated • How
can I get it through to you that this is our only hope?

5.  intransitive
verb
succeed
in contacting somebody: to contact somebody,
especially by telephone • I
finally got through to her.

[1]



getto

getto
get
to
transitive verb

1.  start
dealing with something: to start dealing with
something • Leave
it with me; I’ll get to it later today.

2.  start
doing something: to start to do something • If
they get to arguing, we’ll never stop them.

3.  evoke
emotions:
to have an emotional impact on somebody • Goodbyes
always get to me.

4.  annoy
somebody:
to start to annoy somebody • His
whining was beginning to get to me.

[1]



get-together

get-together
get-to·geth·er
(plural get-to·geth·ers) noun

gathering:
a meeting or social gathering (informal)[1]



gettogether

gettogether
get
together
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
meet:
to meet for social or business purposes • The
project team needs to get together once a week or so.

2.  intransitive
verb
form
an alliance: to form an alliance or relationship • They
may be getting together to corner the market.

3.  intransitive
verb
reach
agreement:
to reach agreement with somebody • get
together on the major issues

4.  transitive
verb
gather
something:
to bring together or accumulate something, especially money • They
managed to get together enough capital to open a business.

5.  transitive
verb
get
something organized: to organize your personal
affairs or focus your approach to an activity (informal) • took
some time off to get her life together • better
get it together before his boss loses patience

[1]



get-tough

get-tough
get-tough
adjective

favoring decisive action:
taking a firm and decisive approach to social or political problems[1]



Getty,J. Paul

Getty,J. Paul
Get·ty
[géttee], J. Paul (1892–1976)

U.S.
oil executive. He became a multimillionaire at the head of his own oil company,
and he founded the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, to display his collection of
art.
Full name
Getty, Jean Paul[1]



getup

getup
get
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
out of bed:
to get out of bed, or make somebody get out of bed

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb climb:
to ascend or climb something

3.  intransitive
verb
stand
up:
to rise to your feet from a seated position

4.  transitive
verb
rouse
energy:
to rouse your energy, strength, courage, or similar qualities • I’m
trying to get up the enthusiasm to go back to work.

5.  transitive
verb
organize
something:
to organize something by persuading other people to take part • She
got up a collection to help homeless people.

6.  transitive
verb
dress
somebody:
to dress somebody in a particular way (informal) • She
was got up as Cleopatra.

7.  intransitive
verb
get
stronger:
to become stronger or more turbulent (refers to wind or the sea)

[1]



getup

getup
get·up
[gét ùp] (plural get·ups) or
get-up [gét ùp] (plural get-ups)
noun

costume or outfit:
the costume or clothes that somebody is wearing (informal)[1]



get-up-and-go

get-up-and-go
get-up-and-go
noun

liveliness:
energy and enthusiasm (informal)[1]



getup to

getup to
get
up to
transitive verb

do something:
to do something bad or annoying (informal) • I
have no idea what they’ve been getting up to while we’ve been away.[1]



get-well

get-well
get-well
adjective

sending good wishes to sick
person: expressing the hope that
somebody will soon recover from an illness • a
get-well card[1]



geullah

geullah
geul·lah 
[gə  l] noun

prayer of thanks:
a Jewish prayer of thanks to God for the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt[1]



GeV

GeV
GeV

Abbreviation of
giga-electron volt[1]



gevalt

gevalt
ge·valt
[gə vált] or ge·vald [gə vált] interjection

expression of alarm:
an expression of alarm, shock, or dismay[1]



gewgaw

gewgaw
gew·gaw
[gy gàw] (plural gew·gaws) noun

trinket:
a showy but inexpensive object, especially an ornament
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a doubled form of Old French gogue “joke” (source of
English agog ).][1]



Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer
Ge·würz·tra·mi·ner
[gə vùrts trámminər] (plural Ge·würz·tra·mi·ners)
noun

1.  white
grape:
a white grape used in winemaking, grown especially in Alsace and in Germany

2.  white
wine:
a medium-dry, slightly spicy, white wine made from the Gewürztraminer grape
[Mid-20th century. From
German, from Gewürz “spice” + Traminer, name of a type of grape,
from Termeno, a village in northern Italy where it was originally
identified.][1]



geyser

geyser

gey·ser
[gzər] (plural gey·sers) noun
GEOGRAPHY spring
gushing hot water and steam: a spring that throws a jet
of hot water or steam into the air at regular or irregular intervals
[Late 18th century. Named for
Geysir, a hot spring in Iceland, from Old Norse geysa “to gush.”][1]



geyserite

geyserite
gey·ser·ite
[gzə rt] noun

mineral deposited by hot
springs: a gray or white mineral
deposited by geysers and hot springs. It looks like opal and, like opal, is a
form of hydrated silica.[1]



GFE

GFE
GFE

Abbreviation of
government-furnished equipment[1]



G-force

G-force
G-force
(plural G-forc·es) noun

gravity:
the force of gravity
[Mid-20th century. G a
shortening of gravity .][1]



GGPA

GGPA
GGPA
(plural GGPAs)

Abbreviation of
graduate grade point average[1]



GH

GH
GH

1.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Ghana

2.  Abbreviation
of
growth hormone

[1]



Ghana

Ghana



Gha·na 
[gnə]
republic
on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa, bordered by
Burkina Faso, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. It became independent from Britain in
1957. Language: English. Currency: cedi. Capital: Accra. Population: 18,100,703
(1997) Area: 238,537 sq km/92,100 sq mi. Former name Gold Coast until 1957
—Gha·na·ian, noun,
adjective[1]



Ghana




Back to definition

Ghana

[1]



GhanaianEnglish

GhanaianEnglish
Ghan·ai·an
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in Ghana





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Ghanaian English is the English language as
  used in Ghana (population 17m), the largest English-speaking nation in West
  Africa after Nigeria. Local contact with the language dates from 1631.
  Standard English is official, West African Pidgin English is widespread, and
  indigenous languages include Ashanti, Ewe, Fanti, and Ga, all of which have
  an influence on English usage, especially in vocabulary. Ghanaians strongly
  resist the idea of a distinctive Ghanaian English, and although standard and
  pidgin shade into one another, many seek to maintain a sharp line between
  them. Local usage is non-rhotic, i.e. r is not pronounced in such
  words as art, door, worker . Usage includes expressions
  adopted from local languages, often as the first element in compounds, as in
  the terms bodom beads, kente cloth, and in localisms such as an
  airtight “a metal box,” an outdooring “a christening ceremony,”
  and to enskin “to enthrone a chief by draping him in an animal skin.”
  See AFRICAN ENGLISH.

[1]



gharial

gharial
gha·ri·al
[gérree əl] (plural gha·ri·als)
noun

See
gavial
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi ghariyāl .][1]



gharry

gharry
ghar·ry
[gérree] (plural ghar·ries) noun

South
Asia
horse-drawn
carriage:
a horse-drawn carriage in the Indian subcontinent, especially one for hire
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi gārī .][1]



ghastly

ghastly
ghast·ly
[gástlee] adjective (comparative
ghast·li·er, superlative ghast·li·est)

1.  horrifying:
horrifying, shocking, or very upsetting • She
had a ghastly experience with the last dentist she went to.

2.  terrible:
very bad or unpleasant • There’s
a ghastly smell coming from somewhere in this room.

3.  not
well:
very unwell (informal) • If I
drink too much, I always wake up feeling ghastly in the morning.

4.  very
pale:
very pale or white, reminiscent of a ghost or a corpse (literary)
adverb

extremely: used
to emphasize paleness or whiteness “Her eyes grew large, her face ghastly
pale.” Charlotte Gilman Herland 1915
[14th
century. Formed from obsolete gast “to frighten.” The gh- spelling was
first used in the late 16th century, under the influence of ghost .]
—ghast·li·ness, noun[1]



ghat

ghat
ghat
[gaat] (plural ghats) noun

steps
to a river bank: in the Indian subcontinent, a place on a
river bank with steps down to the water, especially one where people bathe as a
sacred rite or one near which the dead are cremated
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi ghāt .][1]



Ghats

Ghats
Ghats 
[gaats, gawts,
guts]

See
Eastern Ghats See Western Ghats[1]



Ghazali,al-

Ghazali,al-
Gha·za·li
[gə zlee], al- (1058–1111)

Islamic
theologian and philosopher. His Revival of the Religious Sciences is a
classic work of Islam.
Full name
Ghazali, Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Tusi al-[1]



ghazi

ghazi
gha·zi
[gzee] (plural gha·zis) noun

Muslim
warrior:
a warrior who has fought for Islam against non-Muslims
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic al-ġāzī, active participle of ġazā “to invade.”][1]



GHB

GHB
GHB

Abbreviation of
gamma hydroxybutyrate[1]



ghee

ghee
ghee
[gee] or ghi [gee] noun

clarified
butter:
clarified butter, especially as used in Indian cooking. Traditionally a mark of
generous hospitality, ghee is also used in Hindu religious observances.
[Mid-17th century. Via Hindi ghī
from Sanskrit ghṛtam, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from gharati
“to sprinkle.”][1]



Ghent

Ghent
Ghent
[gent]

capital of East Flanders
Province, northwestern Belgium. One of Belgium’s oldest cities, it is situated
about 56 km 35 mi northwest of Brussels. Population: 226,464 (1996)[1]



gherkin

gherkin
gher·kin
[gúrkin] (plural gher·kins) noun

1.  FOOD small
cucumber:
a small cucumber used for pickling

2.  FOOD prickly
fruit:
a prickly hard-skinned fruit from a West Indian climbing plant, used for
pickling when it is unripe.
Also
called
gooseberry gourd

3.  PLANTS tropical
climbing plant: a West Indian climbing plant of the
cucumber family that produces gherkins. Latin name: Cucumis anguria
[Early 17th century. From
assumed obsolete Dutch gurkkijn, literally “small cucumber,” from gurk
“cucumber,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from, ultimately, late Greek aggourion
“watermelon.”][1]



ghetto

ghetto
ghet·to
[géttō] (plural ghet·tos or
ghet·toes) noun

1.  minority’s
area of a city: an area of a city lived in by a minority
group, especially a run-down and densely populated area lived in by a group
that experiences discrimination

2.  Jewish
quarter:
in former times, an area in European towns in which the Jewish population was
required to live

3.  environment
of isolation: an environment where a group of people
live or work in isolation, whether by choice or circumstance
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, of uncertain origin: possibly an alteration of getto “foundry,”
after the site of a 16th century Venetian ghetto.][1]



ghettoblaster

ghettoblaster
ghet·to
blast·er
(plural ghet·to blast·ers) noun

portable
stereo system: a large radio and cassette or CD player
with a built-in speaker at each end, carried by a handle at the top (informal)
(often considered offensive)
Also
called
boombox
[From its popularity among
inner-city youth][1]



ghettoize

ghettoize
ghet·to·ize
[géttō z] (past ghet·to·ized,
past participle ghet·to·ized, present participle ghet·to·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ghet·to·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  segregate
a minority group: to restrict a minority group to a
specific area of a city

2.  limit
opportunities: to limit the opportunities of a group of
people (sometimes considered offensive)
—ghet·to·i·za·tion [gèttō i záysh’n], noun[1]



ghi

ghi
ghi 
noun

COOKING
See ghee[1]



ghillie

ghillie
ghil·lie
(plural ghil·lies) noun

CLOTHES
See gillie[1]



ghost

ghost
ghost
[gōst] noun (plural ghosts)

1.  supposed
spirit remaining after death: the spirit of somebody who
has died, supposed to appear as a shadowy form or to cause sounds, the movement
of objects, or a frightening atmosphere in a place

2.  trace:
a faint, weak, or greatly reduced appearance, trace, or possibility of
something • The
ghost of a smile hovered around her lips.

3.  weak
version:
a weakened or watered-down version of somebody or something

4.  secondary
image:
a faint duplicate image of something seen on a screen or through a telescope,
and caused by the reception of a double signal or by a mechanical defect

5.  nonexistent
person or thing: somebody who or something that seems to
exist but does not, for example, a name entered on a list by mistake

6.  absentee
reported to be present: somebody who is absent from
school or work but who is recorded as being present

7.  See
ghostwriter

8.  RELIGION soul:
somebody’s soul or spirit (archaic)
verb
(past ghost·ed, past participle ghost·ed, present
participle ghost·ing, 3rd person present singular ghosts)

1.  transitive
verb
See ghostwrite

2.  glide:
to glide silently like a ghost
[Old
English gāst . The gh- spelling appeared in the 15th century, probably
under the influence of Middle Dutch gheest .]
—ghost·y,
adjective
give
up the ghost

1.  to
die (literary)

2.  to
stop working or functioning for good (informal)

[1]



ghostbuster

ghostbuster
ghost·bust·er 
[gṓst bùstər] (plural ghost·bust·ers)
noun

somebody claiming to drive
away ghosts: somebody who is
supposed to be able to drive away ghosts, poltergeists, and other apparitions
from the places they haunt (informal)[1]



ghostcrab

ghostcrab
ghost
crab
(plural ghost crabs) noun

white
burrowing crab: a white burrowing crab that inhabits
sandy shorelines in many parts of the world. Genus: Ocypoda
Also
called
white crab
[From its pale appearance][1]



ghostdance

ghostdance
ghost
dance
(plural ghost danc·es) noun

1.  Native
N American dance: a religious dance of western Native
North Americans, performed with the spirits of all the Native Americans
murdered by the European immigrants

2.  ghost
dance
or Ghost Dance Native N American religious
movement:
a religious movement, widely spread among Plains Native American peoples in
North America in the late 19th century, that promised the revival of
traditional Native North American culture

[1]



ghosting

ghosting
ghost·ing
[gṓsting] noun

appearance of secondary
images: the appearance of faint
duplicate images on a screen or monitor, or through a telescope[1]



ghostly

ghostly
ghost·ly
[gṓstlee] (comparative ghost·li·er,
superlative ghost·li·est) adjective

1.  like
a ghost:
like a ghost in being insubstantial, pale, or apparently not of this world

2.  reminiscent
of ghosts:
having an atmosphere or quality that suggests ghosts or the presence of ghosts
• the
ghostly music that opens the symphony

3.  RELIGION of the
soul:
spiritual, or connected with the soul (archaic)
—ghost·li·ness, noun[1]



ghostsite

ghostsite
ghost
site
noun

viewable but obsolete Web
site: a Web site that is obsolete
and no longer updated but that is still available for viewing[1]



ghoststory

ghoststory
ghost
sto·ry
noun

story about ghosts:
a story about a ghost or ghosts, or a haunted place or person, intended to make
the reader or hearer feel frightened or uneasy[1]



ghosttown

ghosttown
ghost
town
(plural ghost towns) noun

1.  deserted
town:
a town with no inhabitants, or very few, especially one that was formerly a
busy prosperous place, for example, an abandoned mining town

2.  deserted
place:
a formerly or normally inhabited place that is deserted (informal) • The
business district is a ghost town on weekends.

[1]



ghostword

ghostword
ghost
word
(plural ghost words) noun

LINGUISTICS
nonexistent word:
a word created through a mistake that may be copied afterward into other texts
and eventually enter a language[1]



ghostwrite

ghostwrite
ghost·write
[gṓst rt] (past ghost·wrote, past
participle ghost·writ·ten, present participle ghost·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular ghost·writes) intransitive and
transitive verb

write as ghostwriter:
to write something as a ghostwriter[1]



ghostwriter

ghostwriter
ghost·writ·er
[gṓst rtər] (plural ghost·writ·ers)
noun

actual but not official
author: somebody who writes
something for or with another person on the understanding that the other person
will receive sole credit as the author[1]



ghoul

ghoul
ghoul
[gool] (plural ghouls) noun

1.  somebody
morbidly interested in repulsive things:
somebody who has a morbid fascination with death, disaster, or repulsive things
in general

2.  MYTHOLOGY evil
spirit:
an evil and terrifying spirit

3.  ISLAM body-snatching
demon:
an evil demon in Islamic folklore that eats freshly buried bodies, and often
abducts children or attacks unwary travelers
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic ġūl .][1]



ghoulish

ghoulish
ghoul·ish
[glish] adjective

1.  morbid:
showing an unpleasant or unhealthy fascination with death and destruction

2.  hideous:
terrifyingly hideous or cruel
—ghoul·ish·ly,
adverb

—ghoul·ish·ness, noun[1]



GHQ

GHQ
GHQ
noun

headquarters:
the headquarters of an organization, especially a military headquarters
commanded by a general. Full form General
Headquarters[1]



GHz

GHz
GHz

Abbreviation of
gigahertz[1]



GI

GI2
GI2 or g.i.

1.  Abbreviation
of
galvanized iron

2.  Abbreviation
of
gastrointestinal

[1]



GI

GI1
GI1  [g
] noun (plural GIs)

U.S. soldier: a
soldier in the United States armed forces
adjective

1.  for
soldiers:
provided or issued by the armed forces for the use of its members • a
GI hat

2.  for
veterans:
for veterans of the armed forces • GI benefits
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of government issue, a reinterpretation of GI “galvanized iron” written on
various items of U.S. Army equipment (e.g. GI can “galvanized iron trash
can”).][1]



gi

gi2
gi2 or gie noun

karate or judo outfit:
a uniform worn for karate or judo[1]



gi

gi1
gi1

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of gill[1]



giant

giant
gi·ant
[jənt] noun (plural gi·ants)

1.  MYTHOLOGY very
tall or large creature: in fairy tales and legends,
a being who is usually similar to a human in shape but is much taller, larger,
and stronger

2.  MYTHOLOGY mythological
creature:
in Greek mythology, a being of immense size and strength who fought against
Zeus and the other gods of Mount Olympus

3.  something
larger than the norm: a person, animal, plant, or
organization that is much larger than the norm

4.  somebody
extraordinarily accomplished: somebody whose talents or
achievements are particularly outstanding • one
of the giants of the silent-movie era

5.  MINING See monitor  noun 10

6.  ASTRONOMY See giant star
adjective

1.  very
big:
taller, larger, or more powerful than the norm • a
giant tidal wave

2.  larger
than usual:
greater than the usual number or amount • a
giant saving
[13th century. Via Old French
geant from, ultimately, Greek gigas (source of English giga- ).][1]



giantanteater

giantanteater
gi·ant
ant·eat·er
(plural gi·ant ant·eat·ers) noun

large anteater:
a large bushy-tailed anteater, now rare, of the pampas regions of South
America. Latin name: Myrmecophaga tridactyla[1]



giantclam

giantclam
gi·ant
clam
(plural gi·ant clams) noun

large species of clam:
an extremely large clam of the Pacific and Indian oceans, weighing as much as
230kg500 lbs. Latin name: Tridacna gigas[1]



giantism

giantism
gi·ant·ism
[jənt ìzzəm] noun

MEDICINE
See gigantism[1]



giantpanda

giantpanda
gi·ant
pan·da
(plural gi·ant pan·das) noun

See
panda  noun 1[1]



giantplanet

giantplanet
gi·ant
plan·et
(plural gi·ant plan·ets) noun

large planet:
any of the four largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
and Neptune[1]



giantsequoia

giantsequoia
gi·ant
se·quoi·a
(plural gi·ant se·quoi·as) or gi·ant red·wood (plural
gi·ant red·woods) noun

large tree of California:
a very tall coniferous evergreen tree of California that can reach a height of
80 m/260 ft and can measure 30 m/100 ft around the base. Latin name: Sequoiadendron
giganteum
Also called
big tree[1]



giantstar

giantstar
gi·ant
star
(plural gi·ant stars) noun

very large bright star:
a low-density star with a diameter up to 100 times greater than that of the
Sun.
Also called
giant[1]



Giant’sCauseway

Giant’sCauseway
Gi·ant’s
Cause·way 
[j ənts káwz way]

headland on the northern
coast of Northern Ireland, consisting of thousands of polygonal columns of
basalt, thought to be ancient lava formations[1]



giaour

giaour
giaour
[jowr] (plural giaours) noun

non-Muslim:
a non-Muslim, especially a Christian (archaic insult)
[Mid-16th century. Via
Turkish gâvur from, ultimately, Arabic kāfir “unbeliever.”][1]



giardia

giardia
gi·ar·di·a
[jee rdee ə, jrdee
ə] noun

1.  MICROBIOLOGY parasitic
organism:
a single-celled protozoan, some forms of which live as parasites in the gut of
humans and other vertebrates, causing an infection ( giardiasis
). Genus: Giardia

2.  MED See giardiasis
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for A. Giard ( 1846–1908 ), the French
biologist who discovered it.][1]



giardiasis

giardiasis
gi·ar·di·a·sis
[j aar d əssiss, jee
ər dəssiss, jaar dəssiss] noun

parasitic infection of the
gut: infection of the gut by a
water-borne microscopic protozoan giardia. It is usually caused by drinking
contaminated water and results in severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Also called
giardia[1]



gib

gib
gib
[gib] noun (plural gibs)

metal
wedge:
something such as a wedge, pin, bolt, or plate that is made of metal and holds
another piece of metal or a machine part in place
transitive
verb
(past gibbed, past participle gibbed, present
participle gib·bing, 3rd person present singular gibs)

secure
something with gib: to hold something in place
with a gib
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gibber

gibber
gib·ber
[jíbbər] intransitive verb (past
gib·bered, past participle gib·bered, present
participle gib·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular gib·bers)

be
incoherent:
to make sounds or speak words unintelligibly • Stop
gibbering and tell me what’s wrong.
noun
(plural gib·bers)

gibbering
speech:
rapid incoherent or unintelligible speech
[Early 17th century.
Supposedly imitative of the sound.][1]



gibberellicacid

gibberellicacid
gib·ber·el·lic
ac·id
[jibbə rèllik ássid] noun

plant growth hormone:
a plant growth hormone involved in stem elongation. C19H22O6[1]



gibberellin

gibberellin
gib·ber·el·lin
[jìbbə réllin] (plural gib·ber·el·lins)
noun

growth-regulating
plant hormone: a hormone that occurs in fungi and
plants that stimulates cell elongation and the growth of stems and leaves
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Gibbera, genus of fungi, from Latin gibbus
“hump.”][1]



gibberish

gibberish
gib·ber·ish
[jíbbərish] noun

nonsense:
spoken or written language perceived as incomprehensible, and probably not
worth comprehending
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from gibber on
the model of Spanish, Polish, etc.][1]



gibbet

gibbet
gib·bet
[jíbbit] noun (plural gib·bets)

1.  hanging
post:
an upright post with a beam projecting horizontally from its top, from which
the bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display

2.  See
gallows
transitive
verb
(past gib·bet·ed, past participle gib·bet·ed, present
participle gib·bet·ing, 3rd person present singular gib·bets)

1.  hang
somebody:
to execute somebody by hanging (archaic)

2.  display
somebody’s body after execution: to display the body of
a criminal on a gibbet after execution

3.  attack
somebody’s reputation: to expose somebody to
ridicule or contempt, especially in popular publications (archaic)
[12th century. From Old
French gibet “staff, gallows,” literally “small staff,” from gibe
“staff,” of uncertain origin: possibly from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



gibbon

gibbon
gib·bon
[gíbbən] (plural gib·bons) noun

long-armed
ape:
a small tree-dwelling ape of Southeast Asia with a slender body and long arms
that allow it to swing rapidly and agilely from branch to branch. Genus: Hylobates
[Late 18th century. From French,
of unknown origin.][1]



gibbous

gibbous
gib·bous
[gíbbəss] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY more
than half illuminated: used to describe the moon or
a planet before and after it is full, when it has more than half its disk
illuminated

2.  BIOLOGY bulging:
bulging outward, or swollen
[14th
century. From late Latin gibbosus “hunchbacked,” from Latin gibbus
“hump.”]
—gib·bos·i·ty,
noun

—gib·bous·ly,
adverb

—gib·bous·ness, noun[1]



Gibbsfree energy

Gibbsfree energy
Gibbs
free en·er·gy noun

See
free energy
[Named for J. W. Gibbs .][1]



gibbsite

gibbsite
gibb·site 
[gíb zt] noun

mineral
found in bauxite: a gray-white mineral that is a hydrated
aluminum oxide, found in deposits of laterite and bauxite. It is used as a
source of aluminum.
[Early 19th century. Named
for George Gibbs ( 1776–1833 ), the U.S. mineralogist who discovered
it.][1]



Gibbs,J. Willard

Gibbs,J. Willard
Gibbs
[gibz], J. Willard (1839–1903)

U.S.
mathematical physicist. He laid the foundation for the science of physical
chemistry in On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances ( 1876–1878
).
Full name
Gibbs, Josiah Willard[1]



gibe

gibe
gibe
[jīb] or jibe [jīb] noun (plural gibes) (plural
jibes)

mocking
remark:
a comment that is intended to hurt or provoke somebody or to show derision or
contempt
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gibed, past
participle gibed, present participle gib·ing, 3rd
person present singular gibes) (past jibed, past
participle jibed, present participle jib·ing, 3rd
person present singular jibes)

make
insulting remarks: to make deliberately
provocative or mocking remarks about somebody or something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old French giber “to handle
roughly.”]
—gib·ing·ly, adverb[1]



giblets

giblets
gib·lets
[jíbbləts] noun

innards
of edible fowl: the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck of a
bird that has been prepared for cooking. Giblets are often boiled to make stock
for gravy.
[14th century. From Old
French gibelet “game stew,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from gibier
“game.”][1]



Gibraltar

Gibraltar
Gib·ral·tar 
[ji bráwltər]

1.  British
dependency on a narrow promontory that is the southernmost point of the Iberian
Peninsula. It occupies a strategic position at the western entrance to the
Mediterranean Sea. Population: 27,170 (1995) Area: 5.8 sq km/2.3 sq mi.

2.  city
in Wayne County, southeastern Michigan, approximately 19 km/12 mi south of
Detroit. Population: 4,297 (1990)
—Gi·bral·tar·ian [jì brawl táiree ən], noun, adjective[1]



Gibraltar,Rock of

Gibraltar,Rock of
Gib·ral·tar,
Rock of
[ji bráwltər]

limestone and shale ridge at
the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.
Height: 426 m/1,396 ft.[1]



Gibraltar,Strait of

Gibraltar,Strait of
Gib·ral·tar,
Strait of
[ji bráwltər]

channel connecting the
Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and separating North Africa from the
Rock of Gibraltar. approximately Length: 65 km/40 mi.[1]



Gibson,Althea

Gibson,Althea

Gib·son 
[gíbs’n], Althea (1927– )
U.S. tennis player and golfer. She won
Wimbledon and the U.S. Open tennis championships in 1957 and 1958, and became a
professional golfer in 1963.[1]



Gibson,Charles Dana

Gibson,Charles Dana
Gib·son 
[gíbs’n], Charles Dana (1867–1944)

U.S. illustrator. He is known
for his sketches of the “Gibson girl,” an idealized fashionable young woman of
the late 1890s and early 1900s.[1]



GibsonDesert

GibsonDesert
Gib·son
Des·ert

desert in central Western
Australia, consisting mainly of sand ridges and plains. Area: 156,000 sq
km/60,200 sq mi.[1]



Gibsongirl

Gibsongirl
Gib·son
girl
(plural Gib·son girls) noun

fashionable U.S. woman of
1890s: an idealized fashionable
young woman of the late 1890s and early 1900s, as depicted in drawings of
illustrator Charles Dana Gibson. Gibson’s wife, Irene Langhorne, inspired the
drawings, which show clothes with a high neck, full sleeves, and a narrow waist.[1]



Gibson,Mel

Gibson,Mel
Gib·son 
[gíbs’n], Mel (1956– )

U.S.-born
Australian actor. Best known for his action roles in Mad Max ( 1979 )
and the Lethal Weapon series ( 1987–1998 ), he also directed and starred
in the Academy Award-winning Braveheart ( 1995 ).
Real name
Gibson, Columcille Gerard[1]



gid

gid
gid
[gid] noun

disease
of sheep:
a disease affecting primarily sheep that makes them walk and stand unsteadily.
It is caused by an infestation of the brain by the larva of a tapeworm.
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from giddy .][1]



giddap

giddap
gid·dap
[gi dáp, gi dúp]
interjection

See
giddyup[1]



giddy

giddy
gid·dy
[gíddee] (comparative gid·di·er,
superlative gid·di·est) adjective

1.  dizzy:
feeling unsteady and as if about to fall down

2.  causing
dizziness:
causing dizziness or a feeling of unsteadiness

3.  not
sensible:
not level-headed and sensible, and liable to act impulsively or behave
foolishly (dated)
[Old
English gidig “severely mentally challenged.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English God .]
—gid·di·ly,
adverb

—gid·di·ness, noun[1]



giddyup

giddyup
gid·dy·up
[gìddi úp] interjection

to
command horse: used to make horses go faster
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of get up .][1]



gie

gie
gie
noun

See
gi 2[1]



Gielgud,John

Gielgud,John
Giel·gud
[gl gd], Sir John (1904– )

English
actor. He was one of the leading Shakespearian interpreters of his generation.
Full name
Gielgud, Sir Arthur John[1]



GIF

GIF
GIF


Abbreviation of
graphic interchange format[1]



gift

gift
gift
[gift] noun (plural gifts)

1.  something
given to somebody: something that is given to
somebody, usually to give pleasure or to show gratitude • a
birthday gift

2.  special
talent:
a talent or skill that somebody appears to have been born with • a
gift for making people feel at ease

3.  something
easily gained: something that is obtained or achieved
easily, thus allowing an advantage (informal) • The
final goal was a gift from the Uruguay defense.

4.  act
of giving:
the act of giving something to somebody • her
gift of $500,000 to build a new school
transitive
verb
(past gift·ed, past participle gift·ed, present
participle gift·ing, 3rd person present singular gifts)

give something:
to give or concede something to somebody as a gift
[13th
century. From Old Norse gipt . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of English give
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Marketers
  are fond of the expression free gift, if the frequency with which they use it
  is any indication. But because any gift
  worthy of its name is free, the result of using the two words together is
  both illogical and exaggerated. The phrase free gift should be avoided.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at talent

[1]



GIFT

GIFT
GIFT
[gift] noun

assisted fertilization of
woman’s egg: a method designed to
aid conception in which eggs are removed from a woman’s ovary, mixed with
sperm, and placed in one of her fallopian tubes. Full form gamete
intrafallopian transfer[1]



giftcertificate

giftcertificate
gift
cer·tif·i·cate (plural gift cer·tif·i·cates)
noun

paper to be exchanged for
goods: a slip of paper issued by a
store that can be exchanged for goods worth its purchase price, usually bought
as a gift.
U.K. term
gift token[1]



gifted

gifted
gift·ed
[gíftəd] adjective

1.  talented:
having great natural talent or intelligence

2.  showing
talent:
showing that somebody has great natural talent • a
gifted performance

3.  EDUCATION exceptional:
requiring special education because of exceptional talent or intelligence • a
gifted student
—gift·ed·ly,
adverb

—gift·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



giftof gab

giftof gab
gift
of gab
noun

ability to talk fluently and
persuasively: a natural ability to
talk fluently, eloquently, or persuasively (informal)[1]



giftof tongues

giftof tongues
gift
of tongues
noun

holy speech:
a form of speech produced in a state of religious ecstasy or trance, usually
unintelligible and thought by some to manifest the influence of the Holy
Spirit.
See also
speaking in tongues[1]



gifttoken

gifttoken
gift
to·ken
(plural gift to·kens) or gift vouch·er (plural
gift vouch·ers) noun

U.K.
See gift certificate[1]



giftware

giftware
gift·ware
[gíft wàir] noun

goods suitable for giving:
goods such as china and crystal that are marketed to be bought as gifts for
other people[1]



giftwrap

giftwrap
gift·wrap 
[gíft ràp] noun gift·wrap gift·wrap·ping

decorated
wrapping paper: specially decorated paper used to wrap
gifts
transitive
verb
(past gift·wrapped, past participle gift·wrapped, present
participle gift·wrap·ping, 3rd person present singular gift·wraps)

wrap something in giftwrap:
to wrap something in specially decorated paper[1]



gig

gig1
gig1 [gig]
(plural gigs) noun

1.  one-horse
carriage:
a light open two-wheeled carriage pulled by a single horse. It was a popular
form of private transportation in 19th-century Europe and the United States.

2.  rowboat:
a small light rowboat carried on board a sailing ship

3.  racing
boat:
a light rowboat used for racing
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete gig “rotary machine for raising nap on
fabric, whirling thing” (now only in whirligig
).][1]



gig

gig5
gig5  [gig]
noun

gigabyte:
a gigabyte (informal)[1]



gig

gig4
gig4 [gig]
noun (plural gigs)

MILITARY demerit:
a military demerit (slang)
transitive
verb
(past gigged, past participle gigged, present
participle gig·ging, 3rd person present singular gigs)

MILITARY issue
soldier with a demerit: to give a soldier a demerit
(slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gig

gig2
gig2 [gig]
noun (plural gigs) (informal)

1.  musical
performance: a performance by a musician or group of
musicians at a place where they are booked to play but do not regularly perform

2.  temporary
job:
a temporary or short-term job
intransitive
verb
(past gigged, past participle gigged, present
participle gig·ging, 3rd person present singular gigs)

play a gig: to
give a musical performance to an audience in exchange for payment (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gig

gig3
gig3 [gig]
noun (plural gigs)

1.  pronged
spear:
a spear with a prong on one end used to catch fish or frogs

2.  arrangement
of hooks used for fishing: a system of barbless hooks
that is dragged through schools of fish in order to catch them
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gigged, past
participle gigged, present participle gig·ging, 3rd
person present singular gigs)

fish with a gig:
to catch fish using a gig
[Early 18th century.
Abbreviation of fishgig .][1]



giga-

giga-
giga-
prefix

1.  a
billion:
a billion (10 9 ) • gigaton

2.  a
binary billion • gigabyte
[From Greek gigas (see
giant )][1]



gigabit

gigabit
gig·a·bit
[gíggə bìt] (plural gig·a·bits)
noun

capacity unit of computer
network: a unit of capacity of a
computer local area network, equal to one megabyte of computer information, or
1,073,741,824 bits[1]



gigabyte

gigabyte
gi·ga·byte
[gíggə bt] (plural gi·ga·bytes)
noun

capacity unit of computer
memory: a unit of computer data or
storage space equivalent to 1,024 megabytes[1]



gigacycle

gigacycle
gig·a·cy·cle
[gíggə sk’l] (plural gig·a·cy·cles)
noun

unit of electric current:
a unit of electric oscillation equal to one billion cycles[1]



gigaflop

gigaflop
gig·a·flop
[gíggə flòp] (plural gig·a·flops)
noun

unit
of computing speed: a unit of measure of
computer processing speed equal to one billion floating-point operations per
second
[Late 20th century. Coined
from giga- + an acronym formed from floating-point
operations per second .][1]



gigahertz

gigahertz
gig·a·hertz
[gíggə hùrts] (plural gig·a·hertz)
noun

unit of frequency:
a unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz, or cycles, per second[1]



gigantesque

gigantesque
gi·gan·tesque
[j gan tésk, jgən
tésk] adjective

giant-sized:
as big as, or big enough for, a giant (literary)[1]



gigantic

gigantic
gi·gan·tic
[jī gántik] adjective

1.  very
big:
very large, tall, or bulky

2.  great:
very great • Clearing
the site is a gigantic task in itself.
[Early
17th century. Formed from the Latin stem gigant- “giant,” from Greek gigas
(source of English giant ).]
—gi·gan·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



gigantism

gigantism
gi·gan·tism
[jī gán tìzzəm, j
gàn tìzzəm] noun

abnormal growth:
excessive growth due to over-production of growth hormone by the pituitary
gland before the end of adolescence.
Also called
giantism[1]



gigaton

gigaton
gig·a·ton
[gíggə tùn] (plural gig·a·tons)
noun

unit of explosive force:
a unit of explosive force equal to one billion tons of TNT[1]



gigawatt

gigawatt
gig·a·watt
[gíggə wt] (plural gig·a·watts)
noun

unit of electric power:
a unit of electric power equal to one billion watts. Symbol GW[1]



giggle

giggle

gig·gle
[gígg’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past gig·gled, past participle gig·gled, present
participle gig·gling, 3rd person present singular gig·gles)
laugh
lightly:
to laugh audibly but not loudly, sometimes without meaning to, in a way that is
typical of children
noun
(plural gig·gles)
nervous
laugh:
a quiet laugh that is often nervous or half-suppressed
plural
noun
gig·gles
fit
of laughter: an uncontrollable and recurring urge to
laugh (informal)
[Early
16th century. Imitative of the sound.]
—gig·gler,
noun

—gig·gling,
adjective

—gig·gly, adjective[1]



GIGO

GIGO
GIGO 
[g g] noun

COMPUT
computing principle:
the principle in computer technology that a program or process is only as good
as the ideas and data put into it. Full form garbage in, garbage out[1]



gigolo

gigolo
gig·o·lo
[jíggə l] (plural gig·o·los) noun

1.  paid
man companion: a man who receives payments or gifts
from a woman in exchange for being her sexual or social partner

2.  professional
dancing partner: a man whose job is to be a dancing
partner or escort for a woman
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed as the masculine of gigole “professional woman dance
partner.”][1]



gigot

gigot
gig·ot
[jíggət, zhi gṓ]
(plural gig·ots) noun

lamb
or mutton:
a leg of lamb or mutton
[Early 16th century. From
French, literally “small leg,” formed from French dialect gigue “leg,”
from giguer “to hop.”][1]



gigotsleeve

gigotsleeve
gig·ot
sleeve
(plural gig·ot sleeves) noun

sleeve
full at top: a sleeve that is close-fitting on the
lower arm and full and loose on the upper arm
[From its shape][1]



Gilamonster

Gilamonster

Gi·la
mon·ster
[hlə mònstər] (plural Gi·la
mon·sters) noun
large
N American lizard: a large brightly colored
venomous lizard that lives in the desert areas of the southwestern United
States and Mexico and feeds on eggs and small mammals. Latin name: Heloderma
suspectum
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Gila River where the lizards are found.][1]



GilaRiver

GilaRiver
Gi·la
Riv·er
[hlə rívvər, glə
rívvər]

river that rises in
southwestern New Mexico and flows westward, crossing Arizona to join the River
Colorado near Yuma. It is an important source of irrigation water. Length:
1,014 km/630 mi.[1]



Gilbert

Gilbert
Gil·bert 
[gílbərt]

town in Maricopa County,
central Arizona, part of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Population:
64,326 (1996)[1]



gilbert

gilbert
gil·bert
[gílbərt] (plural gil·berts) noun

unit
of magnetomotive force: a unit of magnetomotive
force in the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns in the
SI system
[Late 19th century. Named for
William Gilbert ( 1544–1603 ), English physician and scientist.][1]



Gilbertand Ellice Islands

Gilbertand Ellice Islands
Gil·bert
and El·lice Is·lands [gìlbərt
ənd élliss īləndz]

former British colony
situated in the western Pacific Ocean. The group consisted of the Gilbert
Islands, now part of Kiribati, and the Ellice Islands, now Tuvalu. Area: 733 sq
km/283 sq mi.[1]



Gilbert,Cass

Gilbert,Cass
Gil·bert 
[gílbərt], Cass (1858–1934)

U.S. architect. He designed
the 60-storey Gothic Revival Woolworth Building in New York City (1909–1913)
and the U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (1924–1935).[1]



Gilbert,Humphrey

Gilbert,Humphrey
Gil·bert 
[gílbərt], Sir Humphrey (1539?–1583)

English navigator. The
half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, he claimed Newfoundland for England in 1583
and founded the first English colony in North America, near present-day St.
John’s.[1]



gild

gild
gild
[gild] (past gild·ed, past
participle gild·ed, present participle gild·ing, 3rd
person present singular gilds) transitive verb

1.  cover
something with gold: to cover something with a
thin layer of gold leaf or of a substance that looks like gold

2.  color
something gold: to give a golden color or tinge to
something (literary)
[Old
English gyldan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is
also the ancestor of English gold .]
—gild·er, noun[1]



gilded

gilded
gild·ed
[gíldəd] adjective

1.  ARTS See gilt 1 adjective

2.  wealthy:
wealthy and privileged • gilded
youth

[1]



gilding

gilding
gild·ing
[gílding] noun

1.  covering
something with gold: the process of applying a
thin layer of gold leaf, or something that looks like gold, to a surface

2.  See
gilt 1 noun 1

[1]



Gilead,Mount

Gilead,Mount
Gil·e·ad,
Mount
[mownt gíllee ad]

mountain in northwestern
Jordan that also gives its name to an area east of the Jordan River, the Dead
Sea, and the Sea of Galilee. Height: 1,096 m/3,597 ft.[1]



gill

gill1
gill1 [gil]
(plural gills) noun

1.  breathing
organ of fish: the organ that fish and some other
aquatic animals use to breathe, consisting of a membrane containing many blood
vessels through which oxygen passes. They are internal in most fish and
external in tadpoles and some mollusks.

2.  spore-producing
organ of mushroom: any of the thin radiating
plates on the underside of the cap of a mushroom or other fungus where its
spores are produced
[14th
century. From Old Norse .]
—gilled,
adjective
green
around the gills

or
white around the gillsappearing nauseated (informal)

to
the gills

to the fullest possible
extent[1]



gill

gill3
gill3 [gil]
(plural gills) or ghyll [gil]
(plural ghylls) noun

U.K.
wooded
ravine:
a ravine with tree-covered sides (regional)
[14th century. From Old Norse
gil .][1]



gill

gill2
gill2 [jil]
(plural gills) noun

liquid
measure:
a unit of liquid measure equal to a quarter of a pint ( 118 ml in the U.S. and
142 ml in Britain. [The U.K. pint is 1.201 times the volume of a U.S. pint].
[14th century. Via Old French
gille from, ultimately, late Latin gillo “water pot.”][1]



gill

gill4
gill4 [jil]
(plural gills) or jill [jil]
(plural jills) noun

young
woman:
a young woman (archaic) (sometimes considered offensive)
[15th century. Shortening of
the female given name Gillian from, ultimately, Latin Juliana,
from Julius, name of a Roman gens.][1]



gillarch

gillarch
gill
arch
[gíll rch] (plural gill arch·es)
noun

bone supporting gill slits:
the bony or cartilaginous arch supporting the filaments that make up the gill
of a fish[1]



Gillesde la Tourette syndrome

Gillesde la Tourette syndrome
Gilles
de la Tour·ette syn·drome [l
də laa T rét sìn drōm] noun

MED
Full form of Tourette’s syndrome[1]



Gillespie,Dizzy

Gillespie,Dizzy
Gil·les·pie
[gi léspee], Dizzy (1917–1993)

U.S.
jazz musician. A trumpeter with both large and small bands, he was a leading
exponent of bebop and pioneered Afro-Cuban jazz in the United States.
Full name
Gillespie, John Birks[1]



Gillette,William

Gillette,William
Gil·lette
[ji lét], William (1855–1937)

U.S.
actor and playwright. A successful adapter of works for the stage, he was best
known for his dramatic version of Sherlock Holmes ( 1899 ).
Full name
Gillette, William Hooker[1]



gillfungus

gillfungus
gill
fun·gus
[gíll fùng gəss] noun

fungus with gills:
a fungus that produces its spores from gills underneath a cap[1]



gillie

gillie
gil·lie
[gíllee] (plural gil·lies) or
ghil·lie [gíllee] (plural ghil·lies)
noun

light
shoe with long laces: a low-cut tongueless shoe
that laces across the foot and sometimes up the ankle
[Late 17th century. From
Gaelic gille .][1]



gillnet

gillnet
gill
net
[gíl nèt] (plural gill nets) noun

large
commercial fishing net: a net that is suspended
vertically in the water like a curtain in order to catch fish by their gills
—gill·net·ter, noun[1]



gillslit

gillslit
gill
slit
[gíl] (plural gill slits) noun

opening containing gills:
one of the openings on either side of the head of a fish or amphibian that
contain its gills[1]



gillyflower

gillyflower
gil·ly·flow·er
[jílli flòwr] (plural gil·ly·flow·ers)
noun

1.  sweet-scented
flower:
a scented flower, such as a stock or wallflower (archaic)

2.  clove-scented
pink:
a clove-scented pink or carnation
[14th century. By folk
etymology (by association with flower ) from
French girofle, via medieval Latin caryophyllum “clove” (its
original English meaning) from Greek karuophullon, literally “nut
leaf.”][1]



Gilroy

Gilroy
Gil·roy 
[gíl roy]

city in Santa Clara County,
western California, 48 km30 mi southeast of San Jose. Population: 31,487 (1990)[1]



Gilsonite

Gilsonite
Gil·son·ite
[gílsə nt] Trademark

a trademark for a pure
bitumen, used in manufacturing waterproof coatings[1]



gilt

gilt1
gilt1 [gilt]
noun (plural gilts)

1.  ARTS thin
layer of gold: a thin layer of gold, or a substance
that looks like gold, applied to a surface

2.  FINANCE government
bond:
a bond issued by the government in Britain, (often used in the plural)
adjective

covered with gilt:
covered with a thin layer of gold, or a substance that looks like gold
[15th century. From the past
participle of gild .][1]



gilt

gilt2
gilt2 [gilt]
(plural gilts) noun

young
female pig:
a young female pig, especially one that has not yet had a litter
[14th century. From Old Norse
gyltr .][1]



gilt-edged

gilt-edged
gilt-edged
adjective

1.  FINANCE very
safe financially: very safe as an investment

2.  ARTS with a
gold edge:
having a gilded edge

[1]



gimbal

gimbal
gim·bal
[gímb’l, jímb’l]
noun (plural gim·bals)
Also
called
gimmal

1.  NAVIGATION ring
for holding a compass steady: a pivoted ring mounted at
right angles to one or two others to ensure that something such as a ship’s
compass always remains horizontal

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING connection
of the revolving parts of a machine: an
interconnection that allows one part of a mechanism such as a clock’s works to
revolve independently of another revolving part that contains it
transitive
verb
(past gim·baled, past participle gim·baled, present
participle gim·bal·ing, 3rd person present singular gim·bals)

put on gimbals:
to support something on gimbals
[Late 16th century. Variant
of gimmal .][1]



gimcrack

gimcrack
gim·crack
[jím kràk] adjective

showy
but shoddily made: showy or superficially
appealing, but badly made and worthless
noun
(plural gim·cracks)

something
superficially appealing but shoddy:
something that is showy but cheap and badly made
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—gim·crack·er·y, noun[1]



gimlet

gimlet
gim·let
[gímmlət] noun (plural gim·lets)

1.  JOINERY tool
for boring holes in wood: a small tool for boring
holes in wood consisting of a slim metal rod with a sharp corkscrew end, fitted
in a handle at a right angle

2.  BEVERAGES cocktail
with lime juice: a cocktail made of vodka or gin with
lime juice
transitive
verb
(past gim·let·ed, past participle gim·let·ed, present
participle gim·let·ing, 3rd person present singular gim·lets)

bore into something:
to pierce or penetrate something
adjective

piercing:
seeming to penetrate or pierce somebody or something “to meet anew the gimlet
glances” Thomas Hardy Jude the Obscure 1895
[14th century. From Old
French guimbelet, literally “small auger,” from guimble “auger,”
of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



gimlet-eyed

gimlet-eyed
gim·let-eyed
adjective

with penetrating eyes:
having eyes that seem to pierce and penetrate or to notice everything[1]



gimmal

gimmal
gim·mal
[gímm’l, jímm’l]
(plural gim·mals) noun

See
gimbal
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of obsolete gemel “double ring,” via Old French from Latin gemellus,
literally “little twin,” from geminus “twin.”][1]



gimme

gimme
gim·me
[gímmee] contraction

give me: give
me (nonstandard)
noun
(informal)

1.  gimme
or gim·mie something easily gotten:
something easily gained or accomplished

2.  GOLF short
putt taken as successful: a short putt that is
considered successful without actually executing it

3.  greed:
greed or acquisitiveness

[1]



gimmick

gimmick
gim·mick
[gímmik] (plural gim·micks) noun

1.  dishonest
trick:
a piece of trickery or manipulation intended to achieve a result dishonestly • It’s
not a genuine offer, just a sales gimmick.

2.  hidden
disadvantage: a piece of concealed information that,
if known, would make an offer or opportunity less attractive • It
sounds great, but what’s the gimmick?

3.  something
attention-grabbing: something such as a new
technique or device that attracts attention or publicity

4.  gadget:
an ingenious device, mechanism, or ploy, especially one that works in a
concealed way
[Early
20th century. Origin unknown.]
—gim·mick·y, adjective[1]



gimmickry

gimmickry
gim·mick·ry
[gímmikree] noun

1.  gimmicks:
gimmicks in general

2.  use
of gimmicks: the use of a gimmick or gimmicks to
deceive or attract attention

[1]



gimp

gimp2
gimp2 [gimp]
noun (plural gimps)

1.  difficulty
in walking:
difficulty in walking, caused by injury, or stiffness (informal)

2.  offensive
term for physically challenged: a highly offensive
term for a physically challenged person, especially somebody who has difficulty
walking or who uses a wheelchair (slang offensive)

3.  clumsy
person:
somebody who is clumsy or ineffectual (slang insult) (often
considered offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past gimped, past participle gimped, present
participle gimp·ing, 3rd person present singular gimps)

walk with difficulty:
walk with difficulty (informal)
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of gammy .]
—gimp·y, adjective[1]



gimp

gimp1
gimp1 [gimp]
or guimpe [gimp] noun

trimming:
a silk or cotton trimming that has a wire or cord running through it
[Mid-17th century. From
Dutch, of unknown origin.][1]



gin

gin1
gin1 [jin]
(plural gins) noun

1.  BEVERAGES colorless
alcoholic drink: a strong colorless alcoholic drink
distilled from grain and flavored with juniper berries

2.  CARD GAMES gin
rummy:
gin rummy (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of genever .][1]



gin

gin2
gin2 [jin]
noun (plural gins)

1.  HISTORY See cotton gin

2.  hoist:
a simple hoist operated by hand

3.  HUNTING trap:
a snare or trap, usually one consisting of a noose made of wire for catching
small animals
transitive
verb
(past ginned, past participle ginned, present
participle gin·ning, 3rd person present singular gins)

1.  HUNTING catch
something in gin: to trap an animal with a gin

2.  clean
raw cotton:
to separate cotton from its seeds with a gin
[13th century. Shortening of
Old French engin “engine.” The underlying idea is of a clever device.][1]



ginger

ginger
gin·ger
[jínjər] noun

1.  PLANTS plant:
a widely cultivated Asian plant with an edible underground stem ( rhizome ). Latin name: Zingiber officinale

2.  FOOD hot-tasting
spice:
the hot-tasting edible underground stem ( rhizome
) of the ginger plant, used fresh in Asian cooking and as a spice in powdered
form

3.  COLORS orange-
or brownish-yellow color: a yellow color with an
orange or brownish tinge

4.  vigor
or pep:
excitement, liveliness, or animation (informal)
adjective

1.  flavored
with ginger: flavored with fresh or powdered ginger

2.  having
ginger color: of an orange- or brownish-yellow color
transitive
verb
(past gin·gered, past participle gin·gered, present
participle gin·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular gin·gers)

COOKING add
ginger to something: to add ginger as a spice to
something
[Pre-12th
century. From Old English gingifer and Old French gingi(m)bre,
via Latin and Greek from Pali singivera .]
—gin·ger·y,
adjective
ginger
up

to
liven or add excitement to something (informal)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  source of the Pali word from which ginger
  derives was a Sanskrit compound meaning literally “horn—body” –a reference to
  the shape of the edible ginger root. By the time it had passed through Greek ziggiberis
  into Latin, it had become zinziberi . In post-classical times this
  developed to gingiber or gingiver, which Old English borrowed
  as gingifer . English acquired the word again in the 13th century from
  Old French, and this combined with the descendant of the Old English form to
  produce Middle English gingivere, from which modern English “ginger”
  is derived.

[1]



gingerale

gingerale
gin·ger
ale
(plural gin·ger ales) noun

ginger-flavored soft drink:
an effervescent nonalcoholic drink, flavored with ginger[1]



gingerbeer

gingerbeer
gin·ger
beer
(plural gin·ger beers) noun

nonalcoholic ginger-flavored
drink: a nonalcoholic beverage
sometimes carbonated strongly flavored with fermented ginger[1]



gingerbread

gingerbread
gin·ger·bread
[jínjər brèd] noun

1.  ginger-flavored
cake:
a moist dark cake made with molasses and flavored with ginger

2.  ginger-flavored
cookie:
a ginger-flavored cookie, often cut into the stylized shape of a person,
animal, or Christmas tree

3.  ARCHITECTURE elaborate
decoration:
showy and elaborate decoration, especially on the outside of a building (often
used before a noun) • a
Victorian gingerbread style of cottage
[13th century. By folk
etymology (by association with bread ) from
Old French gingembrat “preserved ginger” from, ultimately, medieval
Latin gingiber “ginger.”][1]



gingerbreadman

gingerbreadman
gin·ger·bread
man
noun

person-shaped cookie:
a cookie in the stylized shape of a person, made from gingerbread and often
decorated[1]



gingergroup

gingergroup
gin·ger
group
(plural gin·ger groups) noun

U.K.,
Canada radical action group:
a group, often within a party or association, whose aim is to stimulate debate
and press for more radical or decisive action on something[1]



gingerly

gingerly
gin·ger·ly
[jínjərlee] adverb

very
cautiously:
in a very cautious, wary, or tentative way • He
gingerly unscrewed the radiator cap.
adjective

very
cautious:
very cautious, wary, or tentative • Not
for her the gingerly approach –she came right out with the question.
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from Old French gensor
“pretty.”]
—gin·ger·li·ness, noun[1]



gingerroot

gingerroot
gin·ger·root
[jínjər rt] noun

fresh ginger:
fresh ginger in the form of whole rhizomes[1]



gingersnap

gingersnap
gin·ger
snap
(plural gin·ger snaps) noun

U.K.
ginger cookie:
a small round crisp ginger-flavoured cookie[1]



gingham

gingham
ging·ham
[gíngəm] noun

checked
cotton fabric: a light plain-weave fabric with checks,
stripes, or plaids in white and colored cotton (often used before a noun)
• a
gingham dress
[Early 17th century. Via
Dutch gingang from Malay genggang “striped.”][1]



gingiva

gingiva
gin·gi·va
[jin jvə, jínjəvə]
(plural gin·gi·vae [jin jvee])
noun

gum:
gum around the roots of the teeth (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin .][1]



gingival

gingival
gin·gi·val
[jin jv’l] adjective

relating to the gums:
relating to or affecting the gums (technical)[1]



gingivectomy

gingivectomy
gin·gi·vec·to·my
[jìnjə véktəmee] (plural gin·gi·vec·to·mies)
noun

operation to remove part of
gum: a surgical operation to
remove tissue from the gums[1]



gingivitis

gingivitis
gin·gi·vi·tis
[jìnji vtiss] noun

gum inflammation:
inflammation of the gums around the roots of the teeth[1]



gingko

gingko
ging·ko
noun

See
ginkgo[1]



ginglymus

ginglymus
gin·gly·mus
[jíng gləməss] (plural gin·gly·mi
[jíng glə m]) noun

ANATOMY
hinge joint:
a hinge joint of the human body (technical)[1]



Gingrich,Newt

Gingrich,Newt

Gin·grich
[gíng rich], Newt (1943– )
U.S.
political leader. A Georgia Republican, he sat in the U.S. House of
Representatives for 20 years, and was Speaker of the House (1995–1998).
Full name
Gingrich, Newton Leroy[1]



gink

gink
gink
[gingk] (plural ginks) noun

awkward
person:
somebody, especially a man, who is considered strange, unintelligent, or clumsy
(informal insult)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



ginkgo

ginkgo
gink·go 
[gíng k] (plural gink·goes) or
ging·ko [gíng k] (plural ging·koes)
noun

Chinese
tree:
a tall deciduous tree with small fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds. Native to
China and widely cultivated elsewhere, it is the only remaining member of a
primitive order of trees. Latin name: Ginkgo biloba
Also
called
maidenhair tree
[Late 18th century. Via
Japanese ginkyō from Chinese yínxìng “silver apricot.”][1]



ginkgobiloba

ginkgobiloba
gink·go
bi·lo·ba
noun

herbal
remedy:
a herbal preparation made from the pulverized leaves of the ginkgo tree and
used to treat a variety of disorders
[From the Modern Latin genus
name][1]



ginmill

ginmill
gin
mill
(plural gin mills) noun

bar:
a low-class bar or saloon (dated slang)[1]



GinnieMae

GinnieMae
Ginnie
Mae
[jìnni máy] noun

government
mortgage provider: the Government National
Mortgage Association, a U.S. government agency that provides liquidity to the
mortgage market
[Late 20th century][1]



ginrummy

ginrummy
gin
rum·my
noun

rummy
for two players: a card game similar to rummy in which
two players collect sets and sequences of cards. A hand can be won if cards
totaling ten or fewer points are uncombined.
[From gin 1 ; a pun on rummy, as if it were formed from rum the alcoholic drink][1]



Ginsberg,Allen

Ginsberg,Allen

Gins·berg
[gínzbərg], Allen (1926–1997)
U.S. poet. His Howl ( 1956 )
launched the Beat movement.[1]



Ginsburg,Ruth Bader

Ginsburg,Ruth Bader
Gins·burg
[gínz bərg], Ruth Bader (1933– )

U.S. Supreme Court justice. A
legal activist on behalf of women’s rights, she was appointed to the U.S.
Supreme Court in 1993.[1]



ginseng

ginseng

gin·seng
[jín sèng] (plural gin·sengs or
gin·seng) noun

1.  tonic
medicine:
a forked aromatic root used in traditional Chinese medicine. Ginseng is now
widely used as a tonic, and is credited with stimulative and restorative
powers.

2.  medicinal
plant:
a plant that produces the ginseng root, found in Asia and in North America.
Genus: Panax
[Mid-17th century. From
Chinese rénshēn, from rén “man” + shēn a type of herb.
Perhaps from the shape of the root.][1]



ginzo

ginzo
gin·zo
[gín z] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody of Italian ancestry (dated
insult)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Guinea in its
offensive use denoting a Spanish or Italian immigrant.][1]



Giotto

Giotto


Giot·to 
[jáwtō, jee óttō]
(1266?–1337)
Italian
painter. One of the first European painters to portray human forms
naturalistically, he exerted a profound influence on artists of the
Renaissance.
Full name
Giotto di Bondone[1]



gip

gip
gip
transitive verb noun

See
gyp[1]



gippo

gippo
gip·po
[jíppō] (plural gippos) noun

U.K.
offensive term:
an offensive term for a Romany person (offensive) (regional)[1]



Gipsy

Gipsy
Gip·sy
noun adjective

See
Gypsy[1]



giraffe

giraffe
gi·raffe
[jə ráf] (plural gi·raffes or
gi·raffe) noun

African
animal with very long neck: an African ruminant mammal
with an extremely long neck, long legs, and a yellowish coat mottled with brown
patches that lives in open grassland. The giraffe is the tallest living animal.
Latin name: Giraffa camelopardalis
[Late 16th century. Via
French girafe or Italian giraffa, both from Arabic zarāfa
.][1]



girandole

girandole
gir·an·dole
[jírrəndōl] (plural gir·an·doles)
or gir·an·do·la [ji rándələ] (plural
gir·an·do·las) noun

1.  wall-mounted
candleholder: a wall-mounted branched candleholder
that often incorporates a mirror between the candlestick branches

2.  starburst
jewelry:
an earring or pendant with a large central stone surrounded by several smaller
ones

3.  rotating
firework:
an elaborate rotating firework

4.  water
jet:
a revolving water jet
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian girandola from, ultimately, late Latin gyrare “to
gyrate.”][1]



Girard,Stephen

Girard,Stephen

Gi·rard
[jə rrd], Stephen (1750–1831)
French-born U.S. banker. He was a
principal stockholder in both the First and Second Banks of the United States,
and largely financed the U.S. government during the War of 1812.[1]



girasol

girasol
gir·a·sol
[jírrə sàwl] (plural gir·a·sols)
or gir·o·sol [jírrə sàwl] (plural
gir·o·sols) noun

1.  MINERALS See fire opal

2.  gir·a·sol
or gir·a·sole PLANTS
See Jerusalem artichoke
[Late 16th century. From
Italian girasole “sunflower,” from girare “to turn” + sole
“sun.”][1]



gird

gird
gird
[gurd] (past gird·ed or
girt [gurt], past participle gird·ed
or girt, present participle gird·ing, 3rd person
present singular girds) verb

1.  reflexive
verb
get
ready:
to prepare yourself for conflict or vigorous activity

2.  transitive
verb
put
belt around somebody: to put a girdle or belt
around yourself or another person (literary)

3.  transitive
verb
fasten
something on: to secure something to yourself with a
belt, straps, or a girdle (literary)

4.  transitive
verb
surround
something:
to surround or encompass something (literary) • a
castle girded with a moat

5.  transitive
verb
invest
somebody:
to provide somebody with or dress somebody in something that is a sign of rank
or honor (literary)
[Old English gyrdan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English girth .][1]



girder

girder
gird·er
[gúrdər] (plural gird·ers) noun

large
beam:
a large strong beam, often of steel, forming a main spanning and supporting
element in a framework
[Early 17th century. Formed
from gird . Originally applied to a wooden
beam in a floor; from the idea that it “girds” or supports the joists.][1]



girdle

girdle

gir·dle
[gúrd’l] noun (plural gir·dles)

1.  CLOTHES woman’s
foundation garment: a woman’s elasticized
foundation garment or corset extending from the waist to the thigh

2.  ACCESSORIES narrow
belt:
a cord worn around the waist to hold in a large loose-fitting garment such as a
kaftan or a monk’s habit

3.  something
that surrounds: anything that surrounds or encircles
something (literary)

4.  ANATOMY ring
of bone:
a ring-shaped structure of bone, especially the pelvic girdle and pectoral
girdle that support the upper and lower limbs

5.  part
of cut gemstone: the outer edge of a gem, by which it is
held in its setting

6.  FORESTRY ring
around tree trunk: a ring around a tree trunk
made by removing the bark and a layer of the underlying cellular tissue ( cambium ) in order to kill the tree
transitive verb
(past gir·dled, past participle gir·dled, present
participle gir·dling, 3rd person present singular gir·dles)

1.  surround
something:
to surround or encircle something (literary)

2.  cut
ring of bark from tree: to remove a ring of bark and
a layer of the underlying cellular tissue ( cambium
) from a tree trunk in order to kill the tree
[Old English gyrdel,
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



girdler

girdler
gird·ler
[gúrdlər] (plural gird·lers) noun

insect cutting grooves in
branches: an insect that makes a
groove around a branch or twig in which to lay its eggs, thereby killing the
branch[1]



giri

giri
gir·i 
[gírree] (plural gir·is) noun

a
social obligation: a social obligation or debt
(informal)
[From Japanese][1]



girl

girl
girl
[gurl] (plural girls) noun

1.  female
child:
a human female from birth until the age at which she is considered an adult

2.  young
woman:
a young woman (often considered offensive)

3.  any
woman:
a woman of any age, especially one who is a friend, a contemporary, or younger
than the speaker (informal) (often considered offensive) • a
night out with the girls

4.  daughter:
somebody’s daughter, especially when a child (informal)

5.  girlfriend:
a man’s or boy’s girlfriend

6.  way
of addressing woman: used as a friendly,
intimate, or patronizing form of address to a woman (offensive in some
contexts)

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a young woman servant or employee (dated)
(offensive)

8.  female
creature:
a female animal or other creature, especially a young one (informal) (often
used before a noun) • a girl
kitten
[13th
century. Origin unknown. Originally denoting a child of either sex.]
—girl·hood,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  girl
  or woman ?
  Girl is used more often as an alternative
  for woman, especially in reference to a
  young woman, than boy is for man . ( Boy in reference to
  an adult is normally found only in the plural or in meanings associated with
  the word boyfriend .) The use of girl
  for an adult is sometimes regarded as patronizing or disrespectful,
  especially when it comes from a man.

[1]



girlFriday

girlFriday
girl
Fri·day
(plural girl Fri·days) noun

office
worker:
a young woman whose job is to be somebody’s personal assistant and to do
general office work (sometimes considered offensive)
[Modeled on “Man Friday,” the
hero’s all-around helper in Robinson Crusoe ( 1719 ) by the English
writer Daniel Defoe][1]



girlfriend

girlfriend
girl·friend 
[gúrl frènd] (plural girl·friends)
noun

1.  woman
or girl sweetheart or lover: a girl or woman with whom
somebody has a romantic or sexual relationship

2.  woman
friend:
a woman who is the friend of another woman

[1]



girlie

girlie
girl·ie
[gúrlee] adjective

showing nude women:
showing or involving naked or scantily dressed women (often considered
offensive)
noun
(plural girl·ies)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term of address when used by a man to a woman (offensive)

2.  little
girl:
a little girl (dated informal)
adjective

(comparative
girlier, superlative girliest) See girly

[1]



girlish

girlish
girl·ish
[gúrlish] adjective

1.  of
girls:
typical or characteristic of girls

2.  immature:
more suitable for a girl than for an adult woman
—girl·ish·ly,
adverb

—girl·ish·ness, noun[1]



GirlScout

GirlScout
Girl
Scout
noun

U.S. girl in Scouts:
a member of the Girl Scouts, an organization that aims to enable girls to
socialize and learn skills in a wholesome environment[1]



girly

girly
girl·y
[gúrlee] (comparative girl·i·er,
superlative girl·i·est or girl·i·est) adjective

very feminine:
extremely or deliberately feminine • a
girly lace collar[1]



girn

girn
girn
[gurn] (past girned, past
participle girned, present participle girn·ing, 3rd
person present singular girns) or gurn [gurn] (past gurned, past
participle gurned, present participle gurn·ing, 3rd
person present singular gurns) intransitive verb Scotland
Northern England

1.  complain:
to complain, whine, or grumble

2.  grimace:
to make a bad-tempered or discontented face
[14th century. Alteration of grin by changing the central sounds around.
Originally meaning “to snarl,” the present senses became current in the 18th
century.][1]



giro

giro
gi·ro
[j r] (past gi·roed, past
participle gi·roed, present participle gi·ro·ing, 3rd
person present singular gi·ros, plural gi·ros) noun

1.  bank
transfer system: in European countries and Great Britain,
a system that enables money to be transferred quickly and cheaply between
accounts or between the financial institutions of a country

2.  U.K.
benefit
check:
a check, cashable at a post office in European countries, for the payment of a
government benefit such as unemployment (informal)
[Late 19th century. Via
German from Italian, “circulation (of money).”][1]



giron

giron
gi·ron
noun

See
gyron[1]



girosol

girosol
gir·o·sol
noun

See
girasol[1]



girt

girt1
girt1

Past tense of
gird Past participle of gird[1]



girt

girt2
girt2 [gurt]
(past girt·ed, past participle girt·ed, present
participle girt·ing, 3rd person present singular girts)
transitive verb

1.  encircle
something:
to encircle or surround something (literary)

2.  measure
girth of body: to take the measurement around the body
(archaic)

[1]



girth

girth
girth
[gurth] noun (plural girths)

1.  distance
around:
the distance around something thick and cylindrical, for example, a tree trunk,
somebody’s waist or somebody • a man
of ample girth

2.  RIDING saddle
band:
a broad band fastened around the belly of a horse to keep a saddle in place
transitive
verb
(past girthed, past participle girthed, present
participle girth·ing, 3rd person present singular girths)

1.  saddle
a horse:
to put or fasten a girth on a horse

2.  surround
something:
to surround or encircle something (literary)
[14th century. From Old Norse
gjörð “girdle.”][1]



gisarme

gisarme
gi·sarme
[gi zrm, ji
zrm] (plural gi·sarmes) noun

battle-ax:
a medieval foot soldier’s weapon that had a long shaft and a head with an ax
blade on one side and a sharp point on the other
[13th century. From Old
French guisarme, of uncertain origin: probably from prehistoric
Germanic.][1]



Gish,Dorothy

Gish,Dorothy
Gish
[gish], Dorothy (1898–1968)

U.S.
actor. The sister of Lillian Gish, she was a star of silent movies and later of
the stage.
Born
de Guiche, Dorothy[1]



Gish,Lillian

Gish,Lillian
Gish
[gish], Lillian (1893?–1993)

U.S.
actor. Perhaps the greatest of all silent-movie actresses, she continued a long
career on both stage and screen, appearing on film for the last time in 1987.
Born
de Guiche, Lillian[1]



gismo

gismo
gis·mo
noun

See
gizmo[1]



gist

gist
gist
[jist] noun

1.  main
point:
the essential point or meaning of something

2.  grounds
for legal action: the essential grounds for a legal action
[Early 18th century. From the
Old French phrase cest action gist “this action lies,” from the idea of
the “basis” of a legal action, third person singular of gesir “to lie.”][1]



git

git2
git2 [git]
(past got·ten, past participle got·ten [gótt’n], present participle git·ting,
3rd person present singular gits) intransitive and transitive
verb

get:
to get (nonstandard) (regional)[1]



git

git1
git1 [git]
(plural gits) noun

U.K.
very
unpleasant unintelligent person: an annoying,
troublesome, unpleasant, or thoughtless person (informal insult)
[Mid-20th century. Variant of
get 2 .][1]



gite

gite
gite
[zheet] (plural gites) noun

vacation
accommodation in France: a house, cottage, or
apartment in France offering fairly simple accommodations that can be rented
for a vacation
[Late 18th century. From
French gîte “stopping place.”][1]



git-go

git-go
git-go
noun

See
get-go[1]



gittern

gittern
git·tern
[gíttərn] (plural git·terns) noun

medieval
instrument:
a medieval stringed instrument that was a forerunner of the guitar
[14th century. Via Old French
guiterne from, ultimately, Latin cithara (see cithara ).][1]



give

give
give
[giv] (past gave [gayv], past participle giv·en [gívvən], present participle giv·ing,
3rd person present singular gives) CORE
MEANING:
a verb used to indicate that somebody presents or delivers something that he or
she owns to another person to keep or use it • He
gave Brian $800 with the understanding he would pay the rest at a later date.
• The
program would give education grants to people who do community service.
• My
mother gave me this cardigan for Christmas. • What
will you give me for the car? • When
we arrived they gave us badges with our names onthem.

1.
transitive verb pass something to somebody:
to place something that you are holding in the temporary possession of another
person • Could
you give me the phone? • He
gave her the umbrella while he searched in his pockets for some loose change.

2.
transitive verb grant something to somebody:
to allow somebody to have something such as power or a right • Opponents
of the bill claimed it gave too much power to the mine owners.

3.
transitive verb communicate something:
to impart or convey something such as information, advice, or opinions

4.
transitive verb convey something:
to cause somebody to have an idea or impression • Whatever
gave you that idea?

5.
transitive verb impart something:
to make somebody experience a particular physical or emotional feeling • She
said the steady paycheck gave her a sense of security.

6.
transitive verb perform something:
to carry out or perform something in public • Not
one of these actors gave a performance that was worthy of the prize.

7.
transitive verb make or do something:
used with nouns referring to physical actions to indicate that the action is
being made or done • She gave Paul a quick,
accusing glance.

8.
transitive verb provide service:
to perform an action or service for somebody • He
gave her a foot massage to relax her. • The
guide gave us a tour of the ruins.

9.
transitive verb devote something:
to devote something such as time or effort, or sacrifice something for somebody
• He
gave his whole life to helping children in need.

10.
transitive verb organize something:
to spend time organizing a social event • They
gave her a great send off when she retired last year.

11.
transitive verb cause somebody to believe
something:
to lead somebody to have a particular understanding about something • I
was given to understand that they would be coming to us for one weekend.

12.
transitive verb value something:
to estimate something at a particular amount or value • What
do you give for his chances of getting her back?

13.
intransitive verb yield:
to collapse or break under pressure • The
wheel gave under the heavy load. • When
people are under constant pressure from work and home, something has to give.

14.
transitive verb concede something:
to yield to somebody, or admit that somebody has an advantage or a particular
characteristic or ability

15.
transitive verb toast somebody:
to propose a toast to somebody • I give
you the bride and groom!

16.
noun resilience:
the ability or tendency to yield under pressure
[Old
English giefan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
give,” which is also the ancestor of English habit
.]
give
it up for somebody or something

to
applaud somebody or something enthusiastically (slang)

give
me

I’d
rather do or have (informal) • Give
me a quiet evening with a book any time.

give
or take

used
to indicate that a figure given is fairly accurate, within the stated range • worth
about half a million, give or take a few thousand dollars  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  give, present, confer,
  bestow, donate, grant
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  hand over something to somebody give;
  a general word used to talk about the handing over of something to somebody
  else, often without compensation; present;
  used especially to talk about giving something in a formal or ceremonial way;
  confer; a fairly formal word used
  to talk about giving somebody an honor, privilege, or award, often at a
  formal ceremony; bestow; a formal
  word used, like confer, to talk about giving somebody an honor,
  privilege, or award. It can also be used to talk about giving a gift and is
  often used to suggest that this is an act of great generosity, or to suggest
  condescension on the part of the giver; donate;
  used to talk about giving a contribution to some kind of good cause. It is
  used specifically in a medical context to talk about the giving of blood for
  blood transfusions or of organs for purposes of transplant; grant; used to talk about giving something
  abstract such as permission or approval, especially at the discretion of a
  person in authority. It can also be used to talk about giving concrete gifts
  such as money

[1]



give-and-take

give-and-take
give-and-take
noun (informal)

1.  cooperation
and compromise: mutual cooperation and understanding
between people or groups, often involving concessions on all sides

2.  mutually
beneficial exchange of ideas: a useful exchange of ideas
or information in which everyone involved benefits

[1]



giveaway

giveaway
give·a·way
[gívvə wày] noun (plural give·a·ways)

1.  something
that reveals: something that serves to reveal, betray,
or expose something • Her
accent’s a dead giveaway.

2.  gift:
something that is offered free of charge or at very little cost, often as a
publicity gimmick or incentive to buy (informal)

3.  game
show:
a radio or TV game show that offers contestants the chance to win prizes,
especially cash prizes (informal)
adjective
(informal)

1.  very
inexpensive: extremely low in price

2.  free:
free of charge • a giveaway sample of a
new shampoo

[1]



giveaway

giveaway
give
away
transitive verb

1.  give
something as a present: to give or offer something
without charging for it

2.  disclose
by mistake:
to reveal information or a secret, often without meaning to

3.  betray:
to betray somebody by providing information

4.  present
bride to husband at wedding: to accompany a bride to her
future husband’s side and formally present her to him just before the words of
the wedding ceremony are spoken

5.  SPORTS let
opponent score point: to allow an opponent to get
an advantage, especially inadvertently, through poor or illegal play

[1]



giveback

giveback
give·back
[gív bàk] (plural give·backs) noun

1.  concession
by employees: a concession over wages or other gesture
of goodwill made by employees, often in return for later benefits from the
employer or management

2.  something
returned:
something that is or has been returned (informal)

[1]



giveback

giveback
give
back
transitive verb

return something:
to return something, especially to its rightful or original owner[1]



givein

givein
give
in
intransitive verb

1.  lose:
to admit defeat

2.  break:
to collapse or break under pressure

3.  accept
conditions:
to accept demands or conditions

[1]



given

given
giv·en
[gívvən]

Past participle of
give
adjective

1.  particular:
relating to a specific person, thing, or concept

2.  arranged
earlier:
previously arranged or specified

3.  validated:
validated or executed on the date mentioned (formal) • this
last will and testament given by my hand this 13th day of February 1898
preposition

1.  granted:
assuming that somebody has the opportunity or ability to do or have something • Given
time, I’m sure we can find a solution.

2.  in
view of:
taking into consideration • given
the uncertainty of the situation
noun
(plural giv·ens)

accepted fact:
a fact or event that is accepted as true or definite at the outset and that
affects following or subsequent reasoning
be
given to

to be inclined to something
or likely to do or be something[1]



givenname

givenname
giv·en
name
(plural giv·en names) noun

chosen name or names:
the name or names that somebody is given at birth or baptism in addition to the
family name[1]



giveof

giveof
give
of
reflexive verb

contribute time or energy:
to devote or dedicate your time or energy to something[1]



giveoff

giveoff
give
off
transitive verb

emit something:
to send out or emit something[1]



giveon to

giveon to
give
on to
transitive verb

U.K.
be near:
to overlook or lead to something • The
French windows give on to a small paved area.[1]



giveout

giveout
give
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
hand
over:
to hand over or distribute something

2.  transitive
verb
make
something known: to declare something or make something
known, especially publicly • She
gave out the exam grades in reverse order.

3.  transitive
verb
emit:
to send out or emit something

4.  intransitive
verb
be
used up:
to run out or be finished • My
courage gave out, and I couldn’t face her after all.

5.  intransitive
verb
stop
working:
to fail, or stop working

[1]



giveover

giveover
give
over
transitive verb

transfer something to
somebody: to hand somebody or
something over to somebody or something else[1]



giveover to

giveover to
give
over to
verb

1.  transitive
verb
reserve
something for a purpose: to dedicate or assign
something to a particular purpose or use • This
area will be given over to a children’s playground.

2.  reflexive
verb
abandon
yourself to something: to abandon yourself to an
emotion or experience (literary) • She
gave herself over to despair.

[1]



giver

giver
giv·er
[gívvər] (plural giv·ers) noun

somebody giving something:
somebody who gives something (often used in combination)[1]



giveup

giveup
give
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
surrender:
to surrender or admit defeat

2.  transitive
verb
hand
over somebody or something: to hand over or part with
somebody or something • She
gave up her seat to the man with a baby.

3.  transitive
verb
lose
hope for good outcome: to stop hoping for a good
outcome with regard to somebody or something • Where
have you been? We’d given you up as lost.

4.  transitive
verb
stop
using or doing something: to stop or renounce using or
doing something • give up chocolate for a
week

5.  transitive
verb
stop
trying:
to abandon a pursuit that has a goal • Darkness
fell, but they didn’t give up trying to finish the game or match.

6.  transitive
verb
devote
yourself to something: to devote or dedicate
yourself to an emotion, experience, or activity, especially exclusively • He
gave himself up to working for the cause.

7.  transitive
verb
reveal
information: to reveal information or a secret

8.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL allow
opponent something in baseball: in baseball, to allow
an opposing player something while pitching

[1]



giveup on

giveup on
give
up on
transitive verb

1.  abandon
plan:
to abandon something, especially a plan

2.  despair
of somebody or something: to lose hope about somebody
or something

[1]



giveway

giveway
give
way
intransitive verb

1.  to
become useless, break, or otherwise fail, especially under weight or pressure
or from age or wear

2.  TRANSPORT to slow down or stop
in order to let another vehicle pass

[1]



giveway to

giveway to
give
way to
transitive verb

1.  to
allow somebody or something to have priority or to take precedence

2.  to
be replaced or superseded by somebody or something • The
rain gave way to patchy sunshine.

3.  to
allow something, especially an emotion, to be expressed

[1]



Giza

Giza
Gi·za 
[gzə]

city in northern Egypt on the
western bank of the Nile River, southwest of Cairo. It is the site of the
Sphinx and Egypt’s three most famous pyramids. Population: 2,144,000 (1992)[1]



gizmo

gizmo
giz·mo 
[gíz mō] (plural giz·mos) or
gis·mo [gíz mō] (plural gis·mos)
noun

device
or piece of equipment: a gadget, especially a
mechanical or electrical device considered to be more complicated than
necessary (informal) • a new
video recorder with all the latest gizmos
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gizzard

gizzard
giz·zard
[gízzərd] (plural giz·zards) noun

1.  BIRDS part
of bird’s digestive tract: a thick-walled muscular sac
in the alimentary tract of birds, situated immediately behind the first chamber
of the stomach, where food is broken down by muscular action. The food is also
ground against small stones ingested for that purpose.

2.  ZOOLOGY ZOOLOGY digestive structure:
a structure in invertebrates and fish where digestion takes place

3.  ANATOMY stomach:
the stomach or alimentary canal generally (informal)
[14th century. Via Old French
giser from, ultimately, Latin gigeria “cooked poultry entrails.”][1]



Gk.

Gk.
Gk.

Abbreviation of
Greek[1]



glabella

glabella
gla·bel·la
[glə béllə] (plural gla·bel·lae
[glə bél l]) noun

part
of human forehead: the part of the human
forehead that lies just above the nose and between the eyebrows. It is one of
the crucial points used in measuring and classifying skull types in physical
anthropology and craniometry.
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Latin glaber (see glabrous ).]
—gla·bel·lar, adjective[1]



glabrate

glabrate
gla·brate
[gláy bràyt, gláybrət]
adjective

1.  See
glabrous  adjective

2.  almost
hairless:
almost completely smooth and hairless
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin glabrare “to make bald,” from glaber (see glabrous ).][1]



glabrescent

glabrescent
gla·bres·cent 
[glay bréss’nt] adjective

gradually becoming hairless:
becoming hairless over time[1]



glabrous

glabrous
gla·brous
[gláybrəss] adjective

hairless:
smooth and lacking hairs or bristles • glabrous
leaves
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin glaber “bald.”]
—gla·brous·ness, noun[1]



GlaceBay

GlaceBay
Glace
Bay 
[glàyssbáy]

town on the Atlantic coast in
Cape Breton County, northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada, situated on the Atlantic
Ocean 19 km/12 mi east of Sydney. Population: 19,501 (1991)[1]



glacial

glacial
gla·cial
[gláysh’l] adjective

1.  relating
to glacier:
relating to or caused by a glacier or glaciers • glacial
movements and deposits

2.  containing
expanses of ice: characterized by the presence of ice
masses

3.  GEOLOGY ice-age:
used to describe any geological time when a large part of the earth was covered
in ice

4.  frigid:
icily cold • a
glacial wind

5.  coldly
hostile:
unfriendly or hostile • a
glacial look

6.  detached:
characterized by detachment and an absence of emotion • glacial
determination

7.  slow:
moving or advancing extremely slowly • the
glacial pace of the negotiations
noun
(plural gla·cials) gla·cial Gla·cial

See glacial period
[Mid-17th
century. Via Old French from Latin glacialis “icy,” from glacies
(see glacier ).]
—gla·cial·ly, adverb[1]



glacialacetic acid

glacialacetic acid
gla·cial
a·ce·tic ac·id noun

pure
acetic acid: acetic acid that is 99.8 percent or more
pure
[Because it forms crystals
that resemble ice][1]



glacialperiod

glacialperiod
gla·cial
pe·ri·od
(plural gla·cial pe·ri·ods) or gla·cial ep·och (plural
gla·cial ep·ochs) noun

ice age:
any period of geological time when most of the earth was covered in ice.
Also called
glacial[1]



glaciate

glaciate
gla·ci·ate
[gláyshee àyt] (past gla·ci·at·ed,
past participle gla·ci·at·ed, present participle gla·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular gla·ci·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ice
over:
to cover something, or become covered, with a glacier

2.  transitive
verb
affect
by glacier:
to affect something by the action of a glacier, especially by erosion
[Early
17th century. From Latin glaciare “to freeze,” from glacies (see glacier ).]
—gla·ci·a·tion [glàyshee áysh’n], noun[1]



glacier

glacier
gla·cier
[gláyshər] (plural gla·ciers) noun

ice
mass:
a large body of continuously accumulating ice and compacted snow, formed in
mountain valleys or at the poles, that deforms under its own weight and slowly
moves
[Mid-18th
century. From French, formed from glace “ice,” from, ultimately, Latin glacies
.]
—gla·ciered, adjective[1]



GlacierBay National Park and Preserve

GlacierBay National Park and Preserve
Gla·cier
Bay Na·tion·al Park and Pre·serve [glàyssee ər bay násh’nəl prk ənd prə zúrv, glàssi ər bay násh’nəl prk ənd prə zúrv]

national park in southeastern
Alaska, established as a national monument in 1925 and a national park in 1980.
It is noted for its glaciers and wide variety of plant and animal life. Area:
1,328,651 hectares/3,283,168 acres.[1]



glaciermeal

glaciermeal
gla·cier
meal
noun

See
rock flour[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








glaciermilk

glaciermilk
gla·cier
milk
noun

stream of water from glacier:
water cloudy with particles of rock that flows from a melting glacier[1]



GlacierNational Park

GlacierNational Park

Gla·cier
Na·tion·al Park

1.  mountainous
park with about 50 glaciers and over 200 lakes in northwestern Montana,
established in 1910. Area: 4,102 sq km/1,584 sq mi.

2.        national
park in the Selkirk and Purcell mountains in southeastern British Columbia,
Canada, established in 1886. Area: 1,349 sq km/521 sq mi.[1]



glaciologist

glaciologist
gla·ci·ol·o·gist
[glàyshee ólləjist] (plural gla·ci·ol·o·gists)
noun

expert on glaciers:
somebody who studies the formation, movement, and effects of glaciers[1]



glaciology

glaciology
gla·ci·ol·o·gy
[glàyshee ólləjee] noun

study
of glaciers: the branch of scientific study concerned
with the formation, movement, and effects of glaciers and ice in general
—gla·ci·o·log·ic
[glàyshee ə lójjik], adjective

—gla·ci·o·log·i·cal [glàyshee ə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



glacis

glacis
gla·cis
[gla s, glássee,
gláyssiss] (plural gla·cis) noun

1.  gentle
incline:
a slope, especially one that is not very long or steep

2.  defensive
slope:
a slope in front of a fortification designed to make it easier to fire on
attacking forces

3.  neutral
territory:
a stretch of neutral ground between two opposing or warring forces

4.  See
glacis plate
[Late 17th century. From
French, formed from Old French glacier (see glance
).][1]



glacisplate

glacisplate
gla·cis
plate
(plural gla·cis plates) noun

defensive
plate on tank: the armored plate at the front of a
military tank.
Also
called
glacis
[From its slant][1]



Glackens,William

Glackens,William
Glack·ens
[glákənz], William (1870–1938)

U.S.
artist. Known for his impressionist paintings, he was a member of the group
called The Eight.
Full name
Glackens, William James[1]



glacé

glacé
gla·cé
[gla sáy] adjective

1.  glazed
with sugar solution: coated with a sugar solution
that results in a glazed finish • glacé
cherries

2.  made
from powdered sugar and liquid: made by mixing
powdered sugar and a liquid, usually water

3.  smoothly
glossy:
having a smooth glossy finish
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of glacer “to glaze,” from glace (see
glacier ).][1]



glad

glad1
glad1 [glad]
adjective (comparative glad·der, superlative glad·dest)

1.  delighted:
happy and pleased • I’m so glad you came.

2.  cheerfully
willing:
willing or ready to do something • always
glad to help

3.  grateful:
appreciative of or grateful for something • glad
of the chance to relax

4.  pleasing:
giving pleasure, delight, or happiness • on
this glad occasion

5.  bright:
bright and cheerful (literary) • this
glad June day
intransitive
and transitive verb (past glad·ded,
past participle glad·ded, present participle glad·ding,
3rd person present singular glads)

gladden: to
gladden somebody (archaic)
[Old
English glæd . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word. Originally
in the meaning “bright, shining.”]
—glad·ness, noun[1]



glad

glad2
glad2 [glad]
(plural glads) noun

PLANTS gladiolus:
a gladiolus (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



gladden

gladden
glad·den
[gládd’n] (past glad·dened, past
participle glad·dened, present participle glad·den·ing,
3rd person present singular glad·dens) intransitive and
transitive verb

be or make happy:
to feel or cause somebody to feel cheerful and hopeful • It
gladdens my heart to hear that.[1]



glade

glade
glade
[glayd] (plural glades) noun

1.  clearing
in forest:
an area in a wood or forest without trees or bushes

2.  everglade:
an everglade
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—glad·y, adjective[1]



glad-hand

glad-hand
glad-hand
(past glad-hand·ed, past participle glad-hand·ed, present
participle glad-hand·ing, 3rd person present singular glad-hands)
intransitive and transitive verb

shake
hands warmly but insincerely: to offer somebody a friendly
greeting or handshake, often insincerely or for motives of self-advancement
—glad-hand·er, noun[1]



gladhand

gladhand
glad
hand
(plural glad hands) noun

1.  warm
but insincere handshake: a hand extended in welcome
or greeting, especially one offered insincerely or for motives of
self-advancement

2.  convivial
hello:
a friendly welcome

[1]



gladiate

gladiate
glad·i·ate
[gláddee àyt, gláddee
ət] adjective

sword-shaped:
shaped like a sword • the
gladiate leaves of an iris
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin gladius (see gladiator ).][1]



gladiator

gladiator
glad·i·a·tor
[gláddee àytər] (plural glad·i·a·tors)
noun

1.  fighter
in Roman arena: a professional fighter in ancient Rome
who fought another combatant or a wild animal in public entertainments set in
an arena. Often gladiator s were criminals or enslaved men who were equipped
variously with nets, nooses, swords, or other weapons.

2.  avid
supporter or campaigner: somebody who vigorously
fights for or against a cause or actively campaigns for or against something

3.  boxer:
a professional boxer (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, formed from gladius “sword.”]
—glad·i·a·to·ri·al [glàddee ə táwree əl], adjective[1]



gladiolus

gladiolus

glad·i·o·lus
[gladee ṓləss] (plural glad·i·o·lus
or glad·i·o·li [gladee ṓ l] or
glad·i·o·lus·es) or glad·i·o·la [glàddi
ṓlə] (plural glad·i·o·las or glad·i·o·la) noun

1.  PLANTS tall
flowering garden plant: a tropical and southern
African plant with long sword-shaped leaves and large funnel-shaped flowers
growing in tall spikes that is widely grown as a garden flower. Genus: Gladiolus

Also
called
sword lily

2.  ANATOMY center
of breastbone: the large central part of the breastbone
( sternum )
[16th century. From Latin,
literally “little sword,” from gladius (see gladiator
).][1]



gladly

gladly
glad·ly
[gláddlee] adverb

1.  with
great willingness: more than willingly • I’ll
gladly help.

2.  happily:
in a pleased, cheerful, or happy way

[1]



gladrags

gladrags
glad
rags
plural noun

finest articles of clothing:
somebody’s best clothes, reserved for special occasions (informal)[1]



gladsome

gladsome
glad·some
[gládsəm] adjective

happy:
feeling, showing, or bringing happiness (literary) • gladsome
tidings
—glad·some·ly,
adverb

—glad·some·ness, noun[1]



Gladstone

Gladstone
Glad·stone
[glád stn] (plural Glad·stones)
noun

1.  passenger
vehicle pulled by horses: a small four-wheeled
horse-drawn carriage with a collapsible roof

2.  See
Gladstone bag
[Mid-19th century (see Gladstone bag )][1]



Gladstonebag

Gladstonebag
Glad·stone
bag
(plural Glad·stone bags) noun

small
item of luggage: a small suitcase or portmanteau
consisting of a rigid frame on which two compartments of the same size are
hinged together.
Also
called
Gladstone
[Late 19th century. Named for
William Ewart Gladstone, who was noted for
the unusual amount of traveling he undertook in the course of his public life.][1]



Gladstone,W. E.

Gladstone,W. E.
Glad·stone 
[glád stōn], W. E. (1809–1898)

British
statesman. The leader of the Liberal Party after 1867, he was four times prime
minister between 1868 and 1894. He introduced national education in Britain
(1870).
Full name
Gladstone, William Ewart[1]



Glagolitic

Glagolitic
Glag·o·lit·ic
[glàggə líttik] adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of or
in Slavonic alphabet: belonging or relating to or
written in the ancient Slavonic alphabet that was replaced by the Cyrillic
alphabet and survives only in certain Roman Catholic liturgical books

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
Croatian Catholic community: belonging or relating to a
Roman Catholic community of southwestern Croatia, whose liturgical books
continue to be written in the Glagolitic alphabet
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin glagoliticus and Serbo-Croatian glagŏljica from,
ultimately, Old Church Slavonic glagolǔ “word.”][1]



glair

glair
glair
[glair] or glaire [glair] noun (plural glairs) (plural
glaires)

1.  egg
white:
a sizing, glazing, or adhesive substance made from egg white and used
especially in bookbinding

2.  substance
similar to egg-white sizing: a substance that resembles
glair in appearance or function
transitive
verb
(past glaired, past participle glaired, present
participle glair·ing, 3rd person present singular glairs)
(past glaired, past participle glaired, present
participle glair·ing, 3rd person present singular glaires)

put glair on something:
to apply glair to something
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin clarus “clear.”][1]



glam

glam
glam
[glam] adjective

extremely
glamorous:
glamorous, especially in an overstated or ironic way (slang) • a
really glam dress
noun

extreme
glamour:
glamour, especially when it is overstated or ironic (slang)
transitive
verb
(past glammed, past participle glammed, present
participle glam·ming, 3rd person present singular glams)
glam glam up

glamorize
excessively: to make somebody or something glamorous,
especially in an overstated or camp way (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



glamorize

glamorize
glam·or·ize
[glámmə rz] (past glam·or·ized,
past participle glam·or·ized, present participle glam·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular glam·or·iz·es) or glam·our·ize
[glámmə rz] (past glam·our·ized,
past participle glam·our·ized, present participle glam·our·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular glam·our·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
glamorous:
to make somebody or something glamorous

2.  romanticize:
to make something seem more interesting, romantic, or glamorous than it really
is
—glam·or·i·za·tion
[glàmməri záysh’n], noun

—glam·or·iz·er [glámmə rzər], noun[1]



glamorous

glamorous
glam·or·ous
[glámmərəss] or glam·our·ous [glámmərəss] adjective

1.  artificially
good-looking: dressed or made up to be good-looking,
especially in a high-fashion manner • glamorous
models strutting down the runway

2.  exciting
and desirable: desirable, especially in an exciting,
stylish, or opulent way • a
glamorous life-style
—glam·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—glam·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



glamour

glamour
glam·our
[glámmər] or glam·or [glámmər] noun (plural glam·ours)
(plural glam·or)

1.  exciting
allure:
an irresistible alluring quality that somebody or something possesses by virtue
of seeming much more exciting, romantic, or fashionable than ordinary people or
things • the
glamour of a career in the movies

2.  high-fashion
and expensive good looks: striking physical good looks
or sexual impact, especially when it is enhanced with highly fashionable
clothes or makeup

3.  spell:
a magical spell or charm (archaic)
adjective

having stylish good looks or desirable
excitement:
characterized by glamour • a
glamour job in advertising
[Early 18th century.
Originally a Scottish English alteration of grammar,
meaning “enchantment, spell.”][1]



glamourous

glamourous
glam·our·ous
adjective

See
glamorous  adjective 2
See glamorous  adjective 1[1]



glance

glance
glance
[glans] verb (past glanced,
past participle glanced, present participle glanc·ing,
3rd person present singular glanc·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
look
quickly:
to look at something quickly, especially for only a second or two • He
glanced in our direction.

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a cursory examination: to look over or through
something without really studying it

3.  intransitive
verb
touch
on briefly:
to make a brief or passing allusion to something • an
introductory course that merely glances at the wider historical issues

4.  intransitive
verb
glint
or shine:
to reflect or shine, especially intermittently or for only a short time • green
feathers glancing in the sunlight

5.  transitive
verb
strike
at angle:
to strike something briefly or lightly at an angle • The
stone glanced his shoulder.
noun
(plural glanc·es)

1.  quick
look:
a quick look at somebody or something • a
glance in our direction

2.  passing
mention:
a brief mention of something • The
book takes only a brief glance at contemporary music.

3.  cursory
examination: a cursory quick examination of something
• I
haven’t even had a glance at the report yet.

4.  oblique
strike:
an act or instance of something striking another thing briefly or lightly at an
angle

5.  glint
of light:
a sudden or quick flash or gleam of light • glances
of sunlight through the trees
[15th
century. Alteration (influenced by glent “to shine”) of earlier glace,
from Old French glacier “to slide” (see glacier
.]
at
a glance

immediately
and without having to make a close study

at
first glance

initially or on first
examination[1]



glanceoff

glanceoff
glance
off
transitive verb

bounce lightly off:
to come into quick light contact with something and then deflect at an angle • The
stone glanced off the windshield.[1]



glancing

glancing
glanc·ing
[glánsing] adjective

1.  striking
obliquely:
coming into contact with another object and then deflecting at an angle • a
glancing blow

2.  flickering
or flashing: giving off light in a flickering or
flashing manner

3.  temporary:
lasting only a short time
—glanc·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gland

gland1
gland1 [gland]
(plural glands) noun

1.  ANATOMY secreting
cell mass:
a mass of cells or an organ that removes substances from the bloodstream and
excretes them, or secretes them back into the blood in concentrated or altered
form with a specific physiological purpose. Endocrine glands are ductless and
secrete directly into the bloodstream, while exocrine glands, for example, the
salivary glands, the pancreas, and the liver, secrete via ducts to a surface.

2.  ANATOMY organic
structure resembling gland: an organ or other anatomical
structure that resembles a gland, especially, in popular usage, a lymph node

3.  BOTANY plant
organ:
a secreting organ or structure of a plant, for example, a nectary gland
[Late
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin glandula, literally
“little acorn,” “tonsil” (from its shape), from glans “acorn.”]
—gland·less, adjective[1]



gland

gland2
gland2 [gland]
(plural glands) noun

leakproof
metal covering: a metal sleeve put around a rotating
shaft or rod to prevent leakage, for example, around a shaft emerging from a
ship’s hull
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from, ultimately, Old Norse glam “noise.”][1]



glanders

glanders
glan·ders
[glándərz] noun

infectious
horse disease: an infectious, often fatal disease of
horses, characterized by ulcers of the skin, lungs, or upper respiratory tract
and heavy discharge of mucus from the nose. It is caused by a bacterium Pseudomonas
mallei . (takes a singular verb)
[15th
century. Via Old French glandres “swelling of the glands” from,
ultimately, Latin glandula (see gland 1 ).]
—glan·dered,
adjective

—glan·der·ous, adjective[1]



glandes

glandes
glan·des

Plural of
glans[1]



glandes

glandes
glan·des

Plural of
glans[1]



glandular

glandular
glan·du·lar
[glánjələr] or glan·du·lous [glánjələss] adjective

1.  ANATOMY relating
to glands:
relating to, functioning as, or affecting a gland or glands

2.  MEDICINE resulting
from gland dysfunction: used to describe a condition
caused by a malfunctioning gland or glands

3.  having
gland:
characterized by the presence of a gland or glands

4.  bodily:
natural to the body, especially hormonally or sexually (informal)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
glandulaire from, ultimately, Latin glandula (see gland 1 ).][1]



glandule

glandule
glan·dule
[glán dl] (plural glan·dules)
noun

small
gland:
a small gland or a part resembling a small gland
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin glandula (see gland 1 ).][1]



glandulous

glandulous
glan·du·lous
adjective

ANATOMY See glandular  adjective 1
[14th
century. From Latin glandulosus, from glandula (see gland 1 ).]
—glan·du·lous·ly, adverb[1]



glans

glans
glans
[glanz] (plural glan·des [glándeez]) noun

1.  glans
or glans pe·nis tip of penis:
the rounded tip of a penis

2.  glans
or glans cli·tor·i·dis tip of
clitoris:
the erectile tissue at the tip of a clitoris
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “acorn.” From its shape.][1]



glare

glare1
glare1 [glair]
intransitive verb (past glared, past participle glared,
present participle glar·ing, 3rd person present singular glares)

1.  stare
stonily:
to stare intently and angrily

2.  look
angrily:
to express or signal anger, disapproval, contempt, or another negative emotion
by giving a steady stare

3.  be
unpleasantly bright: to shine brightly and
intensely, often dazzlingly

4.  stand
out obtrusively: to be very conspicuous, blatant, or
obtrusive • Mistakes
glared from every page of the report.
noun
(plural glares)

1.  angry
look:
a prolonged stare, usually expressing anger, disapproval, contempt, or another
negative emotion

2.  excessive
brightness:
dazzling or uncomfortable brightness • a
screen on the monitor to reduce glare

3.  media
spotlight:
excessive attention from the media

4.  gaudy
ornamentation: gaudy coloration or decoration
[13th century. From Middle
Low German glaren “to gleam.”][1]



glare

glare2
glare2 [glair]
noun (plural glares)

See
black ice
adjective

slippery:
having a smooth and slippery surface
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from glare 1 .][1]



glareice

glareice
glare
ice
noun

See
black ice
[From glare 2][1]



glaring

glaring
glar·ing
[gláiring] adjective

1.  obvious:
very obvious, or easily seen or detected • a
report full of glaring mistakes

2.  angry:
expressing anger, disapproval, contempt, or another negative emotion • a
glaring look of sheer contempt

3.  unpleasantly
bright:
intensely or dazzlingly bright

4.  garish:
gaudy or brash, especially in a tasteless way • painted
in glaring oranges and greens
—glar·ing·ly,
adverb

—glar·ing·ness, noun[1]



glary

glary
glar·y
[gláiree] (comparative glar·i·er,
superlative glar·i·est) adjective

1.  staring:
staring steadily and often angrily • glary
eyes

2.  excessively
bright:
dazzlingly or uncomfortably bright • a
glary computer screen

[1]



Glasgow

Glasgow
Glas·gow 
[glzgō, glàzgō,
glssgō, glàssgō]

1.  city
on the Clyde River, southwestern Scotland. An industrial and commercial center,
it has a cathedral and three universities. Population: 616,430 (1996)

2.  city
in southern Kentucky, northeast of Barren River Lake, east of Bowling Green and
near Mammoth Cave National Park. Population: 13,739 (1996)

[1]



Glasgow,Ellen

Glasgow,Ellen
Glas·gow 
[gláskō], Ellen (1873–1945)

U.S.
writer. Her novels critically examined the problems of the South. She won a
Pulitzer Prize for In This Our Life ( 1941 ).
Full name
Glasgow, Ellen Anderson Gholson[1]



glasnost

glasnost
glas·nost
[glz nst, glz
nòst] noun

policy
of openness: a policy that commits a government or
organization to greater accountability, openness, discussion, and freer
disclosure of information than previously, especially that of Mikhail Gorbachev
in the former Soviet Union.
See
also
perestroika
[Late 20th century. From
Russian, literally “publicness.”][1]



glass

glass
glass
[glass] noun (plural glass·es)

1.  transparent
solid substance: a hard, usually transparent, substance
that shatters easily and is used for making such objects as windows, bottles,
and lenses. It is made by melting sand in combination with other oxides such as
lime or soda without crystallizing them.

2.  uncrystallized
substance resembling glass: a solid substance similar to
glass formed by melting and cooling without crystallizing

3.  glass
container:
a container without a handle made from glass, for drinking from

4.  MEASUREMENTS amount
in glass:
the amount a drinking glass holds.
Also
called
glassful

5.  HOUSEHOLD See glassware

6.  GARDENING protecting
cover:
a glass cover, greenhouse, or other insulating material used to protect
germinating plants • Keep the seedlings
under glass for the first four weeks.

7.  See
looking glass

8.  barometer:
a barometer (dated)

9.  See
magnifying glass

10. See
volcanic glass

11. See
fiberglass
adjective

of glass: made
from or fit with glass
transitive
verb
(past glassed, past participle glassed, present
participle glass·ing, 3rd person present singular glass·es)

1.  cover
with glass:
to cover or fit something with glass • glassed
the porch

2.  insert
into a glass container: to put something into a
glass container or one made of a material resembling glass • glassed
the specimens in formalin
[Old English glæs .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English glare and German Glas
“glass.”][1]



glassblowing

glassblowing
glass
blow·ing
(plural glass blow·ings) noun

production
of glass objects by blowing: the forming or shaping of a
glass object by blowing air through a tube into a mass of semimolten glass
—glass blow·er, noun[1]



glassceiling

glassceiling
glass
ceil·ing
(plural glass ceil·ings) noun

barrier
to career advancement: an unofficial but real
impediment to somebody’s advancement into upper-level management positions
because of discrimination based on the person’s gender, age, race, ethnicity,
or sexual preference
[From the idea that it is an
invisible barrier][1]



glasschin

glasschin
glass
chin
(plural glass chins) noun

See
glass jaw[1]



glasscloth

glasscloth
glass
cloth
(plural glass cloths) noun

cloth for polishing:
a polishing cloth with fine particles of glass in it[1]



glasscutter

glasscutter
glass
cut·ter
(plural glass cut·ters) noun

1.  implement
for cutting glass: a tool used to cut glass or
to etch designs into glass

2.  somebody
who cuts glass: somebody whose job is to cut glass or to
make cut glass

[1]



glassed-in

glassed-in
glassed-in
adjective

enclosed with glass:
made using glass panes • a
glassed-in Florida room[1]



glasseel

glasseel
glass
eel
(plural glass eels) noun

young eel:
a larval form of the American or European eel with a flattened transparent
body, found in the Atlantic Ocean[1]



glasses

glasses
glass·es
[glássəz] plural noun

1.  outer
eyewear:
a pair of sight-correcting or protective lenses set in frames that fit over the
ears and sit on the bridge of the nose

2.  binoculars:
a pair of binoculars

[1]



glasseye

glasseye
glass
eye
(plural glass eyes) noun

prosthetic replacement eye:
an artificial eye made from glass, or material similar to glass, so as to
resemble a natural eye[1]



glassfiber

glassfiber
glass
fi·ber
noun

See
fiberglass  noun 2[1]



glassfish

glassfish
glass·fish
[gláss fìsh] (plural glass·fish
or glassfishes) noun

1.  tropical
fish popular for aquariums: a small transparent tropical
fish found along the coasts and rivers of Africa and the Indian and western
Pacific oceans that is commonly kept as an aquarium fish. Genus: Chanda

2.  Pacific
food fish:
a slender, almost transparent, food fish belonging to one of 14 species found
in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Family: Salangidae

[1]



glassful

glassful
glass·ful
[glássfl] (plural glass·fuls)
noun

See
glass  noun 4[1]



glassharmonica

glassharmonica
glass
har·mon·i·ca (plural glass har·mon·i·cas)
noun

musical glasses:
a set of drinking glasses or glass bowls, filled to graduated levels with
water, that produce sounds of different pitches when their rims are rubbed with
a moist finger. It was popular as a musical instrument in the 18th century when
various mechanical versions also existed, including one designed by Benjamin
Franklin.[1]



glasshouse

glasshouse
glass·house
[gláss hòws] (plural glass·hous·es
[gláss hòwzəz]) noun

1.  media
prominence:
a public position that brings somebody a high level of media attention and
scrutiny

2.  See
glassworks

3.  U.K.
See greenhouse

[1]



glassine

glassine
glass·ine
[gla sn] noun

glazed transparent paper:
a transparent paper treated with a glaze to make it greaseproof and resistant
to the passage of air, and used for book jackets and food packaging[1]



glassjaw

glassjaw
glass
jaw
(plural glass jaws) noun

boxer’s
weak jaw:
in boxing, a jaw that is highly vulnerable to an opponent’s punches (informal)

Also
called
glass chin
[From the idea that it is
easily broken][1]



glassmaker

glassmaker
glass·mak·er
[gláss màykər] (plural glass·mak·ers)
noun

maker
of glass:
somebody whose job is to make glass
—glass·mak·ing, noun[1]



Glass,Philip

Glass,Philip

Glass 
[glass], Philip (1937– )
U.S. composer. He is known for his
minimalist compositions, including the opera Einstein on the Beach (
1976 ).[1]



glasssnake

glasssnake
glass
snake
(plural glass snakes) noun

limbless
lizard:
a limbless lizard, or one with vestigial limbs, of Europe, Asia, and North
America that can, as a defense mechanism, snap off its tail to confuse
predators. Genus: Ophisaurus
[From its brittle tail][1]



glassware

glassware
glass·ware
[gláss wàir] noun

glass objects:
objects made of glass considered as a group.
Also called
glass noun 5

Also called
glasswork noun 3[1]



glasswool

glasswool
glass
wool
(plural glass wools) noun

mass of glass fibers:
fine-spun glass fibers formed into a woolly mass and used for insulation, as
air filters, or in the manufacture of fiberglass[1]



glasswork

glasswork
glass·work
[gláss wùrk] noun

1.  fitting
of glass:
the technique or result of cutting and fitting glass, especially glass panes
for windows and doors

2.  making
of glass:
the production or manufacture of glass or glass objects

3.  See
glassware
—glass·work·er, noun[1]



glassworks

glassworks
glass·works
[gláss wùrks] (plural glass·works)
noun

factory producing glass:
a factory for the manufacture of glass or glass objects.
Also called
glasshouse[1]



glasswort

glasswort
glass·wort
[gláss wùrt, gláss
wàwrt] (plural glass·wort or glass·worts) noun

salt-marsh plant:
a plant with fleshy stems and small leaves that grows in salt marshes and was
formerly a source of the soda used in making glass. Genus: Salicornia
Also called
samphire[1]



glassy

glassy
glass·y
[glássee] (comparative glass·i·er,
superlative glass·i·est) adjective

1.  smooth
and slippery: having a highly smooth, slippery, often
reflective, surface

2.  like
glass:
resembling glass in being smooth, reflective, or transparent

3.  blankly
expressionless: lacking expression or animation • a
blank glassy look
—glass·i·ly,
adverb

—glass·i·ness, noun[1]



glassy-eyed

glassy-eyed
glass·y-eyed
adjective

blankly staring:
having a blank staring expression[1]



Glaswegian

Glaswegian
Glas·we·gian
[glass wjən, glaz
wjən] (plural Glas·we·gians) noun

somebody
from Glasgow: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in Glasgow, Scotland
[Early
19th century. Formed from Glasgow, on the
model of Norwegian .]
—Glas·we·gian, adjective[1]



Glauber’ssalt

Glauber’ssalt
Glau·ber’s
salt
[glówbərz sàwlt, gláwbərz
sàwlt] or Glau·ber salt [glówbər
sàwlt, gláwbər sàwlt] noun

colorless
sodium sulfate: a colorless crystalline sodium sulfate.
It is used in solar energy systems, in making dyes, glass, and paper, and as a
laxative.
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the German chemist Johann Rudolf Glauber ( 1604–1668 ), who first produced it.][1]



glaucoma

glaucoma
glau·co·ma
[glaw kṓmə] noun

eye
disorder:
eye disorder marked by abnormally high pressure within the eyeball that leads
to damage of the optic disk and, if not treated, causes impaired vision and
sometimes blindness
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via Latin from Greek glaukōma, from glaukos
(see glaucous ).]
—glau·co·ma·tous, adjective[1]



glauconite

glauconite
glau·co·nite
[gláwkə nt] noun

green
mineral:
a clayey green mineral consisting of a silicate of iron, potassium, and
aluminum, and used as a fertilizer
[Mid-19th
century. Via German Glaukonit from Greek glaukos (see glaucous ).]
—glau·co·nit·ic [glàwkə níttik], adjective[1]



glaucous

glaucous
glau·cous
[gláwkəss] adjective

1.  covered
in grayish powder: covered in a grayish,
whitish, or bluish waxy or powdery substance that rubs off easily, for example,
the bloom on grapes

2.  COLORS grayish-green
or blue:
having a dull grayish-green or blue color
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin glaucus “blue-gray, green,” which came from Greek glaukos
.][1]



glaucousgull

glaucousgull
glau·cous
gull
(plural glau·cous gulls) noun

Arctic gull:
a large gull with a white head and tail and a light gray back and wings that is
found in northern regions. Genus: Larus hyperboreus[1]



glaze

glaze
glaze
[glayz] verb (past glazed,
past participle glazed, present participle glaz·ing,
3rd person present singular glaz·es)

1.  transitive
verb
CERAMICS cover
with finish like glass: to put a clear or colored
coating on a ceramic object and fire it in a kiln, in order to fix the
coloration, make it watertight, or give it a shiny appearance

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING coat
with milk or egg: to brush food with milk, egg, or sugar
before baking in order to produce a shiny brown finish

3.  transitive
verb
PAINTING coat
oil painting: to give something, especially an oil
painting, a transparent or semitransparent coating in order to enhance or
slightly alter the color tones

4.  transitive
verb
COVERINGS give
protective covering to material: to place a protective
or decorative coating on something, especially a natural material such as
leather, cotton, or paper

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become glassy in appearance: to become, or cause
the eyes to become, unfocused and expressionless as a result of loss of
interest, distraction, or tiredness

6.  transitive
verb
METEOROLOGY cover
with ice:
to put a thin layer of ice on something

7.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION fit
something with glass: to fit glass into or over
something, especially a window, door, or picture
noun
(plural glaz·es)

1.  CERAMICS covering
resembling glass: a shiny, smooth, transparent, or colored
glassy coating on a ceramic object, produced by firing the treated object in a
kiln, or the substance or process employed to achieve this

2.  COOKING coating
for food:
a shiny brown finish on food or the substance used for achieving this effect

3.  PAINTING coating
for oil painting: a transparent or semitransparent coating
on something, especially an oil painting, used to enhance or slightly alter the
color tones, or the substance used to achieve this effect

4.  COVERINGS protective
covering on material: a protective or decorative
coating on something, especially a natural material such as leather, cotton, or
paper, or the substance used for making this kind of coating

5.  METEOROLOGY layer
of ice:
a thin coating of ice formed when rain or moisture in the air comes into
contact with a surface that is cold enough to cause it to freeze.
U.K.
term
glaze ice
[14th
century. Formed from glass, on the model of graze from grass
.]
—glaz·er, noun[1]



glazeice

glazeice
glaze
ice
or glazed frost noun

U.K.
See glaze  noun 5[1]



glazeover

glazeover
glaze
over
intransitive verb

become glassy in appearance:
to become unfocused and expressionless as a result of loss of interest,
distraction, or tiredness (refers to eyes) • Her
eyes glazed over as the sedative began to take effect.[1]



glazier

glazier
gla·zier
[gláyzhər] (plural gla·ziers) noun

glass fitter:
somebody whose job is to install glass, especially in windows and doors[1]



glazing

glazing
glaz·ing
[gláyzing] (plural glaz·ings) noun

1.  hard
shiny coating: the glaze coating on an object

2.  covering
of something with glaze: an act or the process of
putting a glaze on something

3.  glass
for window:
glass in general, especially the type of glass used in doors or windows or
glass that has been installed in windows or doors

4.  installation
of glass:
an act or the process of installing glass

[1]



GLC

GLC
GLC

Abbreviation of
gas-liquid chromatography[1]



GLCM

GLCM
GLCM

Abbreviation of
ground-launched cruise missile[1]



gleam

gleam
gleam
[gleem] intransitive verb (past
gleamed, past participle gleamed, present participle
gleam·ing, 3rd person present singular gleams)

1.  shine
brightly:
to shine brightly and continuously

2.  flash
for short time: to flash, flicker, or appear briefly or
indistinctly
noun
(plural gleams)

1.  bright
shine:
a steady bright shine

2.  flash
of light:
a beam of light, especially one that is reflected, dim, or coming from an
indistinct source

3.  brief
show of something: a slight or momentary
indication of something • a
gleam of interest
[Old
English glm . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English glimmer and glimpse .]
—gleam·er,
noun
a
gleam in somebody’s eye

something at the very
earliest stage of planning or development[1]



gleaming

gleaming
gleam·ing
[glming] adjective

bright
and clean-looking: shining, especially with
health, cleanliness, or newness • gleaming
black hair
—gleam·ing·ly, adverb[1]



glean

glean
glean
[gleen] (past gleaned, past
participle gleaned, present participle glean·ing, 3rd
person present singular gleans) verb

1.  transitive
verb
accumulate
something:
to obtain information in small amounts over a period of time

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE gather after harvest:
to go over a field or area that has just been harvested and gather by hand any
usable parts of the crop that remain
[14th
century. Via Old French glener from late Latin glennare, of
Celtic origin.]
—glean·er, noun[1]



gleanings

gleanings
glean·ings
[glningz] plural noun

1.  things
collected:
objects or ideas that have been gathered or amassed over a period of time,
especially when they form a collection or comprehensive whole

2.  AGRICULTURE harvest
leftovers:
the usable parts of a crop that are left behind in a harvested field or area
and can be gathered in by hand

[1]



gleba

gleba
gle·ba
[glbə] (plural gle·bae [gl b]) noun

spore-producing
tissue in puffball: the mass of tissue in which
spores are formed in the fruiting bodies of certain fungi such as truffles and
puffballs
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see glebe ).][1]



glebe

glebe
glebe
[gleeb] (plural glebes) noun

1.  arable
land:
land or soil, especially when considered as a source of abundant natural
produce (literary)

2.  U.K.
British
church land: in Great Britain, a piece of land
belonging to a church and lent temporarily to a member of the clergy to provide
additional income
[14th century. From Latin gleba
“clod.”][1]



glee

glee
glee
[glee] (plural glees) noun

1.  great
delight:
joyful or animated delight

2.  gloatingly
jubilant feeling: jubilant, often smug pleasure,
especially as a result of somebody else’s bad luck or failure

3.  MUSIC song
for unaccompanied voices: a part song for three or
more unaccompanied voices, usually men’s, of a type that first became popular
in England in the 18th century
[Old English glēo .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “merriment.”][1]



gleeclub

gleeclub
glee
club
(plural glee clubs) noun

singing club:
a group of people who get together to sing, especially short part songs[1]



gleeful

gleeful
glee·ful
[glf’l] adjective

1.  joyfully
happy:
very happy or joyful

2.  gloatingly
jubilant:
jubilant and smugly pleased, especially as a result of somebody else’s bad luck
or failure
—glee·ful·ly,
adverb

—glee·ful·ness, noun[1]



gleet

gleet
gleet
[gleet] noun

1.  inflammation
of urethra:
inflammation of the urethra, accompanied by a discharge of pus and mucus, and
characteristic of a late stage in the development of gonorrhea

2.  discharge
of pus:
a discharge of pus and mucus in a late stage of gonorrhea
[14th century. Via Old French
glette “slime” from Latin glittus “sticky.”][1]



glei

glei
glei 
noun

See
gley[1]



Gleichschaltung

Gleichschaltung
Gleich·schal·tung 
[glk shl tung] noun

standardization:
the forced standardization and complete suppression of all opposition in the
political, social, and economic life and institutions of a country by an
oppressive government or regime
[Mid-20th century. From
German .][1]



glen

glen
glen
[glen] (plural glens) noun

valley:
a long narrow valley
[15th century. From Scottish
Gaelic gleann .][1]



GlenCove

GlenCove
Glen
Cove
[glèn kṓv]

city on the northern shore of
Long Island, southeastern New York. Population: 21,746 (1996)[1]



Glendale

Glendale
Glen·dale 
[glén dayl]

1.  city
in Los Angeles County, southwestern California, just north of Los Angeles.
Population: 178,481 (1994)

2.  city
in central Arizona, a western suburb of Phoenix. Population: 182,219 (1996)

[1]



GlendaleHeights

GlendaleHeights
Glen·dale
Heights

village in northeastern
Illinois, north of Wheaton, a western suburb of Chicago. Population: 30,321
(1996)[1]



Glendora

Glendora
Glen·do·ra 
[glen dáwrə]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, 27 km/17 mi northeast of Los Angeles. Population:
47,828 (1990)[1]



Gleneagles

Gleneagles
Glen·ea·gles
[glen g’lz]

picturesque valley in Perth
and Kinross, Scotland, the site of a well-known golf course[1]



GlenEllyn

GlenEllyn
Glen
El·lyn 
[glèn éllin]

village in northeastern
Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. Population: 25,759 (1996)[1]



glengarry

glengarry
glen·gar·ry
[glen gérree] (plural glen·gar·ries)
noun

small
brimless hat: a small brimless hat with a crown
creased from front to back and usually a pair of ribbons hanging from the back.
It forms part of the uniform of certain Scottish regiments and is sometimes
worn as part of Scottish highland dress.
[Mid-19th century. Named for Glengarry,
a valley in northern Scotland, where it originated.][1]



Glenn,John

Glenn,John

Glenn
[glen], John (1921– )
U.S.
astronaut and senator. He was the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the earth
(1962), and the oldest astronaut ever to go into space (1998). He was first
elected a Democratic U.S. senator from Ohio in 1975.
Full name
Glenn, John Herschel, Jr.[1]



glenoid

glenoid
gle·noid
[glé nòyd, gl
nòyd] adjective

1.  shaped
like small cup: shaped like a small shallow cup or
socket

2.  ANATOMY of
shoulder socket: relating to the cup-shaped socket in the
shoulder that holds the head of the humerus
[Early 18th century. Via
French glénoïde from, ultimately, Greek glēnē “eyeball, socket.”][1]



GlensFalls

GlensFalls
Glens
Falls 
[glènz fáwlz]

city in Warren County,
eastern New York, situated at a waterfall on the Hudson River, 61 km38 mi
northeast of Amsterdam. Population: 15,023 (1990)[1]



Glenview

Glenview
Glen·view 
[glen vy, glén
vyoo]

village on the Chicago River
in northeastern Illinois, northwest of Skokie, a northern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 39,159 (1996)[1]



gley

gley
gley
[glay] or glei [glay] noun

clay
soil:
a sticky bluish-gray clay soil or soil layer that forms in heavily waterlogged
areas
[Early 20th century. From
Ukrainian gle .][1]



glia

glia
gli·a
[gl ə, gl ə]
noun

See
neuroglia
[Late
19th century. From Greek (see gliadin ).]
—gli·al, adjective[1]



gliadin

gliadin
gli·a·din
[gl əd’n] (plural gli·a·dins)
or gli·a·dine [gl ə dn] (plural
gli·a·dines) noun

protein
from cereals: any of several simple cereal proteins,
for example, those from wheat or rye
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Greek glia “glue,” from Greek gloios “glutinous substance.”][1]



glib

glib
glib
[glib] (comparative glib·ber, superlative
glib·best) adjective

1.  slick:
fluent in a superficial or insincere way • a
glib talker

2.  superficial:
shallow and lacking thought or preparation • a
glib generalization

3.  casual
and relaxed: easy, unconcerned, and informal in
attitude • a
glib smile
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from, ultimately, Middle Low German glibberich
“slippery, smooth,” of unknown origin.]
—glib·ly,
adverb

—glib·ness, noun[1]



glide

glide
glide
[glīd] verb (past glid·ed,
past participle glid·ed, present participle glid·ing,
3rd person present singular glides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
smoothly:
to move, or cause something to move, in a smooth, effortless, and often
graceful way • seals
gliding through the water

2.  intransitive
verb
change
state smoothly: to pass smoothly, slowly, or gradually
into a specified state • gliding
in and out of consciousness

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR land without using engine:
to bring an aircraft in to land without using the engine, or come in to land in
this way

4.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC use
portamento:
to slide from one note to another in music

5.  intransitive
verb
PHONETICS make
intermediate speech sound: to produce an intrusive
speech sound when moving from one point of articulation to the next
noun
(plural glides)

1.  DANCE smooth
movement:
a smooth, effortless, and often graceful movement

2.  DANCE smooth
flowing dance: a dance characterized by smooth flowing
movement

3.  DANCE dance
step:
a dance step characterized by smooth flowing movement

4.  AIR landing
without using engine: a controlled aircraft
descent using no engine power

5.  GEOGRAPHY slow-moving
calm water:
a stretch of calm, slowly flowing water in a river or large stream

6.  MUSIC See portamento

7.  MUSIC extension
for trombone: a piece of metal tubing used to extend
the length of a trombone so that lower notes can be produced

8.  PHONETICS intermediate
speech sound: an intrusive speech sound produced when
a speaker is moving from one point of articulation to the next, for example,
the /w/ sound in the middle of “going”

9.  PHONETICS See semivowel

10. CRYSTALLOGRAPHY See
slip 1 noun 6

11. FURNITURE metal
disk on furniture leg bottom: a metal or plastic disk
affixed to the bottom of the leg of a piece of furniture, to facilitate moving
it across the floor

12. FURNITURE metal
track for drawer: a metal track along which a drawer can
be slid in or out easily
[Old English glīdan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English glissade and glitch .][1]



glidepath

glidepath
glide
path
noun

aircraft’s path of descent:
the prescribed descent of an aircraft coming in to land that is shown to the
pilot by means of a radio beam and acts as an aid to navigation.
Also called
glide slope[1]



glider

glider
glid·er
[gldər] (plural glid·ers) noun

1.  AIR aircraft
with no engine: an engineless aircraft that flies by
riding air currents. It becomes airborne by being towed up by an airplane or by
being catapulted into the air from the ground.
See
also
sailplane

2.  porch
swing:
a porch swing hung from an upright framework instead of from the ceiling

[1]



glideslope

glideslope
glide
slope
(plural glide slopes) noun

AIR
See glide path  noun[1]



glim

glim
glim
[glim] (plural glims) noun
(archaic slang)

1.  light
source:
something such as a candle or lamp that is a source of light

2.  light
from candle: light given off by a candle, lamp, or
other light source
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of glimmer
.][1]



glimmer

glimmer
glim·mer
[glímmər] intransitive verb (past
glim·mered, past participle glim·mered, present
participle glim·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular glim·mers)

1.  emit
dim glow:
to emit a faint or intermittent light

2.  be
present to small extent: to be present faintly or in
only a small amount • Hope
still glimmered in their hearts.
noun
(plural glim·mers)

1.  faint
flashing light: a faint or intermittent glowing light • a
glimmer of campfires in the distance

2.  small
amount of something: a faint sign or small amount
of something • a
glimmer of interest.
Also
called
glimmering
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the ancestor of Swedish glimra “to glimmer.”][1]



glimmering

glimmering
glim·mer·ing
[glímməring] noun (plural glim·mer·ings)

See
glimmer  noun 2
adjective

emitting dim glow:
emitting a faint or intermittent light[1]



glimpse

glimpse
glimpse
[glimps] noun (plural glimps·es)

1.  brief
look:
a quick or incomplete look or sighting of somebody or something

2.  small
indication:
a small, brief, or indistinct indication or appearance of something
verb
(past glimpsed, past participle glimpsed, present
participle glimps·ing, 3rd person present singular glimps·es)

1.  transitive
verb
catch
brief sight of: to see somebody or something briefly or
incompletely

2.  intransitive
verb
take
brief look:
to have a quick or incomplete look at or through something

3.  intransitive
verb
emit
faint light: to give off a faint or intermittent
light (archaic)
[14th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English gleam and glimpse
.][1]



glint

glint
glint
[glint] intransitive verb (past
glint·ed, past participle glint·ed, present participle
glint·ing, 3rd person present singular glints)

flash briefly:
to gleam or flash, especially brightly or momentarily • Anger
glinted in her eyes.
noun
(plural glints)

1.  brief
flash:
a slight or momentary gleam or flash • a
glint of daylight through the curtains

2.  slight
indication:
a slight sign or indication of something • a
glint of humor in his eyes

3.  shininess
or glossiness: a shiny or glossy appearance
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of earlier glent “to gleam,” of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



glioma

glioma
gli·o·ma
[glī ṓmə] (plural gli·o·mas or
gli·o·ma·ta [glī ṓmətə]) noun

brain
or spinal cord tumor: a tumor composed of
connective tissue ( neuroglial tissue ) of the nervous system and affecting the
brain or spinal cord
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek glia (see gliadin
).]
—gli·o·ma·tous, adjective[1]



glissade

glissade
glis·sade
[gli sd] noun (plural glis·sades)

1.  BALLET gliding
ballet step: a gliding ballet step in which one foot
slides forward, backward, or to one side

2.  act
of sliding on snow: a controlled slide down a
snowy slope made without skis by somebody in a standing or crouching position
intransitive
verb
(past glis·sad·ed, past participle glis·sad·ed, present
participle glis·sad·ing, 3rd person present singular glis·sades)

1.  BALLET make
gliding ballet step: to perform a glissade in
ballet

2.  to
slide on snow: to slide down a snowy slope in a
controlled manner without skis in a standing or crouching position
[Mid-19th
century. From French, formed from Old French glisser “to slide,” from,
ultimately, Old Dutch glissen .]
—glis·sad·er, noun[1]



glissando

glissando

glis·san·do
[gli sán d] (plural glis·san·di
[gli sán d] or glis·san·dos) noun

1.  sliding
movement on keyboard or harp: an act of sliding a finger
or thumb up or down a keyboard or harp strings from one note to another

2.  sliding
movement on violin or trombone: an act of sliding a
finger along a string instrument’s fingerboard or slowly moving a trombone’s
slide in and out to create a smooth change in pitch between two notes
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Old French glisser (see glissade ).][1]



glisten

glisten
glis·ten
[glíss’n] intransitive verb (past
glis·tened, past participle glis·tened, present
participle glis·ten·ing, 3rd person present singular glis·tens)

1.  be
shiny and wet-looking: to shine brightly, or
reflect light from a wet surface • leaves
glistening after the rain

2.  have
sheen:
to have a glossy sheen (refers to hair or an animal’s pelt)
noun

bright shine: a
bright shine or reflection of light from a wet surface
[Old English glisnian
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



glister

glister
glis·ter
[glístər] (past glis·tered, past
participle glis·tered, present participle glis·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular glis·ters, plural glis·ters)
intransitive verb

glitter:
to glitter brightly (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German glistern .][1]



glitch

glitch
glitch
[glich] (plural glitch·es) noun

1.  small
problem:
a minor hitch or technical problem • glitches
in the software

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING unwanted
electronic signal: a sudden unwanted electronic
signal such as results from a power surge or a temporary irregular supply of
power
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Yiddish glitsh “slip” from,
ultimately, Old High German glītan “to glide.”]
—glitch·y, adjective[1]



glitter

glitter
glit·ter
[glíttər] intransitive verb (past
glit·tered, past participle glit·tered, present
participle glit·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular glit·ters)

1.  sparkle:
to sparkle or shimmer brightly • an
evening gown glittering with sequins

2.  shine
with emotion: to look bright or expressive with an
emotion such as anger or love (refers to eyes)

3.  be
vivacious:
to exhibit liveliness and charm • a
radiant personality who glittered at every event she attended

4.  be
dazzling:
to be characterized by the presence of somebody or something glamorous • The
event glittered with Hollywood stars.
noun

1.  sparkly
decoration:
small pieces of reflective material, for example, sequins

2.  sparkling
light:
bright sparkling light

3.  glamour:
dazzling glamour • the glitter of a
command performance at the opera

4.  Canada
See glaze  noun 5
[14th
century. From Old Norse glitra .]
—glit·ter·ing·ly,
adjective

—glit·ter·y, adjective[1]



glitterati

glitterati
glit·te·ra·ti
[glìttə rtee] plural noun

glamorous
people:
famous, rich, or fashionable people thought of as a group, especially those who
are frequently photographed by the press
[Mid-20th century. Humorous
blend of glitter and literati .][1]



glitz

glitz
glitz
[glits] noun

1.  glamour:
glamour, especially that associated with show business or celebrities

2.  flashy
show of wealth: extravagant and often tasteless display,
especially of wealth
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from glitzy .][1]



glitzy

glitzy
glitz·y 
[glítsee] (comparative glitz·i·er,
superlative glitz·i·est) adjective

1.  glamorous:
glamorous, especially in relation to show business or celebrities

2.  showy:
extravagant and often tasteless, especially in the display of wealth
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from German glitzern “to
glitter.”]
—glitz·i·ness, noun[1]



gloaming

gloaming
gloam·ing
[glṓming] noun

twilight:
the period of fading light after sunset but before dark (literary)
[Old English glōmung,
from glōm “twilight.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



gloat

gloat
gloat
[glōt] intransitive verb (past
gloat·ed, past participle gloat·ed, present participle
gloat·ing, 3rd person present singular gloats)

be
smugly happy: to feel or express smug
self-satisfaction about something such as an achievement, a possession, or
somebody else’s misfortune
noun

act
of feeling smugly happy: the act or an instance of
feeling or expressing smug self-satisfaction about something
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—gloat·er,
noun

—gloat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



glob

glob
glob
[glob] (plural globs) noun

rounded
heap of soft material: an amount of something soft
or semiliquid (informal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Latin globus (see globe ).]
—glob·by, adjective[1]



global

global
glob·al
[glṓb’l] adjective

1.  worldwide:
relating to or happening throughout the whole world

2.  overall:
taking all the different aspects of a situation into account

3.  COMPUTING relating
to whole of system: covering or affecting the
whole of a computer system, program, or file

4.  spherical:
shaped like a globe or sphere
—glob·al·ly, adverb[1]



globalism

globalism
glob·al·ism
[glṓb’l ìzzəm] noun

global
political view: the belief that political policies
should take worldwide issues into account before focusing on national or state
concerns, or the advocacy of this belief
—glob·al·ist, noun[1]



globalization

globalization
glob·al·i·za·tion 
[glb’li záysh’n] noun

1.  global
adoption of social institutions: the process by which
social institutions become adopted on a global scale

2.  operation
at international level: the process by which a
business or company becomes international or starts operating at an
international level

[1]



globalize

globalize
glob·al·ize
[glṓb’l z] (past glob·al·ized,
past participle glob·al·ized, present participle glob·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular glob·al·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
something become adopted globally: to become, or cause
something, especially social institutions, to become adopted on a global scale

2.  become
or make something become international: to
become, or cause something, especially a business or company, to become
international or start operating at the international level
—glob·al·iz·er, noun[1]



globalvillage

globalvillage
glob·al
vil·lage
noun

whole world as single
community: the whole world considered
as a single community served by electronic media and information technology[1]



globalwarming

globalwarming
glob·al
warm·ing
noun

increase in world’s
temperatures: an increase in the
world’s temperatures, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect
and depletion of the ozone layer[1]



globe

globe
globe
[glōb] noun (plural globes)

1.  map
of Earth on sphere: a hollow sphere representing
the Earth and illustrated with the continents, seas, and islands, especially
one showing and labeling the countries

2.  Earth:
the planet Earth

3.  hollow
spherical object: a rounded hollow object, especially one
made of glass, for example, a cover for a lamp, or a goldfish bowl

4.  part
of monarch’s regalia: a hollow sphere, usually
made of gold or another precious metal, that forms part of a monarch’s regalia
and symbolizes the power or sovereignty of the ruler
intransitive
and transitive verb (past globed, past
participle globed, present participle glob·ing, 3rd
person present singular globes)

make into or become globe:
to form, or cause something to form, a globe
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via Old French from Latin globus “ball, sphere.”][1]



globeamaranth

globeamaranth
globe
am·a·ranth
noun

ornamental garden plant:
an ornamental garden plant with colorful whorls of leaves and flower heads made
up of several distinct blossoms. Latin name: Gomphrena globosa[1]



globeartichoke

globeartichoke
globe
ar·ti·choke
noun

See
artichoke[1]



globefish

globefish
globe·fish
[glṓb fish] (plural globe·fish
or globe·fish·es) noun

1.  See
puffer

2.  See
porcupine fish
[From the puffer’s shape when
inflated][1]



globeflower

globeflower
globe·flow·er
[glṓb flòwr] (plural globe·flow·ers)
noun

poisonous plant with
ball-shaped flowers: a poisonous
plant with ball-shaped flowers consisting of large white, pale-yellow, or
orange sepals that almost entirely enclose the smaller petals. Genus: Trollius[1]



globethistle

globethistle
globe
this·tle
noun

plant with bluish ball-shaped
flowers: a plant native to Asia and
the Mediterranean with jagged-edged leaves and large white or bluish
ball-shaped flowers. Genus: Echinops[1]



globetrot

globetrot
globe·trot 
[glṓb tròt] (past globe·trot·ted,
past participle globe·trot·ted, present participle globe·trot·ting,
3rd person present singular globe·trots) intransitive verb

travel
far and wide: to travel frequently and to a great
variety of distant destinations
[Back-formation from globetrotter][1]



globetrotter

globetrotter
globe·trot·ter 
[glṓb tròttər] noun

frequent traveler:
somebody who travels frequently and to a great variety of distant destinations[1]



globigerina

globigerina
glo·big·er·i·na
[glō bìjjə rnə, glō
bìjjə rnə] (plural glo·big·er·i·nas or glo·big·er·i·nae
[glō bìjjə r n, glō
bìjjə r n]) noun

marine
protozoan:
a marine protozoan with a spiny rounded spiral shell. Genus: Globigerina
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, genus name, from Latin globus “ globe ” + gerere “to carry,” because it
carries around its globe-shaped shell.]
—glo·big·er·i·nal, adjective[1]



globigerinaooze

globigerinaooze
glo·big·er·i·na
ooze
noun

ocean-floor deposit:
a deposit on the ocean floor that consists of globingerina shells and is found
almost worldwide[1]



globin

globin
glo·bin
[glṓbin] (plural glo·bins) noun

colorless
protein:
a colorless protein component of the oxygen-carrying pigments myoglobin and
hemoglobin
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of hemoglobin .][1]



globoid

globoid
glo·boid
[glṓ bòyd] adjective

ball-shaped:
shaped like a ball
noun
(plural glo·boids)

ball-shaped part:
a ball-shaped part, especially one found in plant granules[1]



globose

globose
glo·bose
[glṓ bōss] or glo·bous [glṓ bōss] adjective

See
globoid
[15th
century. From Latin globosus, from globus (see globe ).]
—glo·bose·ly,
adverb

—glo·bos·i·ty [glō bóssitee], noun[1]



globular

globular
glob·u·lar
[glóbbyələr] adjective

1.  spherical:
having the shape of a ball or globule

2.  having
globules:
containing or consisting of globules
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin globolus (see globule
).]
—glob·u·lar·i·ty
[glòbbyə lérrətee], noun

—glob·u·lar·ly [glóbbyələrlee], adverb[1]



globularcluster

globularcluster
glob·u·lar
clus·ter
(plural glob·u·lar clus·ters) noun

cluster of densely-packed
stars: an approximately spherical
cluster of densely-packed stars, located within a spherical halo around the
Milky Way galaxy[1]



globule

globule
glob·ule
[glóbbyool] (plural glob·ules)
noun

drop
of liquid:
a small ball-shaped object, especially one that is liquid or semiliquid
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin globulus, literally “little globe,” from globus “ globe .”][1]



globuliferous

globuliferous
glob·u·lif·er·ous
[glòbbyə líffərəss] adjective

having or generating
globules: composed of, containing, or
producing globules[1]



globulin

globulin
glob·u·lin
[glóbbyəlin] (plural glob·u·lins)
noun

simple protein:
a simple protein belonging to a class that is found in plant and animal tissue.
Globulins are soluble in weak salt solutions and form a mass when heated.[1]



glochidium

glochidium
glo·chid·i·um
[glō kíddee əm] (plural glo·chid·i·a
[glō kíddee ə]) noun

1.  glo·chid·i·um
or glo·chid (plural glo·chids) barbed
hair or bristle: a barbed hair or bristle that grows on
plants such as the prickly pear or among the spores on ferns

2.  mussel
larva:
the parasitic larva of certain mussels that has hooks or suckers that it uses
to attach itself to the fins or gills of fish. Family: Unionidae
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek glōkhis
“arrowhead.”]
—glo·chid·i·al,
adjective

—glo·chid·i·ate [glō kíddee ət], adjective[1]



glockenspiel

glockenspiel


glock·en·spiel
[glókən spl, glókən
shpl] (plural glock·en·spiels) noun
percussion
instrument:
a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned metallic bars, played by
striking the individual bars with small light hammers
[Early 19th century. From
German, literally “bell-play.”][1]



glogg

glogg
glogg
[glog] (plural gloggs) noun

mulled
wine:
a hot punch consisting of brandy, red wine, and sherry, and flavored with
sugar, spices, fruit pieces, and blanched almonds. It was originally served in
Scandinavia at Christmas.
[Early 20th century. From
Swedish glögg .][1]



glom

glom
glom
[glom] (past glommed, past
participle glommed, present participle glom·ming, 3rd
person present singular gloms) intransitive verb (slang)

1.  grab
something:
to grab or seize hold of something • businesspeople
who glom any idea that has been floated by a management guru

2.  begin
to understand: to begin to understand or realize • Kids
soon glom onto what’s considered to be cool.
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of Scottish English glaum “to snatch at,”
of unknown origin.][1]



glomerate

glomerate
glom·er·ate
[glómmərət, glómmə
ràyt] adjective

1.  made
into compact ball: formed into a tight ball or
cluster

2.  wound
into tight ball: tightly wound together, like a ball of
string
[Late 18th century. From
Latin glomerare “to make into a ball,” from glomus “ball of
thread.”][1]



glomerule

glomerule
glom·er·ule
[glómmə rl] (plural glom·er·ules)
noun

1.  head
of flower:
a flat-topped flower head formed by a compact cluster of short-stalked flowers

2.  spore
cluster:
a cluster of spores formed into a ball shape
[Late
18th century. Via French from modern Latin glomerulus (see glomerulus ).]
—glo·mer·u·late [glo mérrələt, glə mérrələt],
adjective[1]



glomerulonephritis

glomerulonephritis
glo·mer·ul·o·ne·phri·tis
[glo mèrrəlōnə frtəss, glə mèrrəlōnə frtəss] noun

kidney disease:
an inflammatory disease affecting the clusters of capillaries ( glomeruli ) in
the cortex of a kidney[1]



glomerulus

glomerulus
glo·mer·u·lus
[glo mérryələss, glə
mérryələss] (plural glo·mer·u·li [glo
mérryə l]) noun

1.  cluster
of nerves or blood vessels: a tightly packed cluster of
blood vessels, nerve fibers, or other cells

2.  round
structure in kidney: a round cluster of
interconnected capillaries found in the cortex of a kidney, that remove body
waste to be excreted as urine
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, literally “little ball,” from Latin glomus “ball of thread.”][1]



gloom

gloom
gloom
[gloom] noun (plural glooms)

1.  murky
darkness:
a state of darkness or partial darkness, especially one where shadows or poor
visibility create a cheerless or dispiriting atmosphere

2.  despondency:
a feeling or atmosphere of despair, despondency, or misery
verb
(past gloomed, past participle gloomed, present
participle gloom·ing, 3rd person present singular glooms)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
despondent:
to feel or look despondent or miserable

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become dark: to become, or cause something to become,
dark
[13th
century. Origin unknown.]
gloom
and doom

a feeling or expression of
despondency and a belief that disaster is about to strike[1]



gloomy

gloomy
gloom·y
[glmee] (comparative gloom·i·er,
superlative gloom·i·est) adjective

1.  murkily
dark:
dark in a way that creates a cheerless or dispiriting atmosphere

2.  sad:
sad and hopeless in offering little prospect that things will improve

3.  despondent:
feeling sad and without hope, often with a morbid or uninterested outlook on
life
—gloom·i·ly,
adverb

—gloom·i·ness, noun[1]



gloop

gloop
gloop
[gloop] noun

U.K.
(informal) See goop
[Late 20th century. An
imitation of the sound it makes when poured or handled.][1]



glop

glop
glop
[glop] noun (informal)

1.  soft
mass:
a soft lump or mixture of something, especially unappetizing food • a
glop of cold, greasy mashed potatoes

2.  something
worthless:
something such as a piece of music or writing that is considered to be overly
sentimental or of little value
[Early
20th century. (As gloop ).]
—glop·py, adjective[1]



Gloria

Gloria
Glo·ri·a
[gláwree ə] (plural Glo·ri·as)
noun

1.  Christian
religious words: a hymn or set of words in Latin that
begins with the word “Gloria” and is used in the Christian liturgy to praise
God

2.  musical
setting of Gloria: the words of the Gloria set
to music
[15th century. From Latin,
“glory.”][1]



Gloriain Excelsis

Gloriain Excelsis
Glo·ri·a
in Ex·cel·sis noun

1.  Christian
religious words: a hymn or set of words in Latin that
begins with the words “Gloria in Excelsis” and is used in the Christian liturgy
to praise God

2.  musical
setting of Gloria in Excelsis: the words of Gloria in
Excelsis set to music
[From Latin, literally “Glory
in the High Places”][1]



GloriaPatri

GloriaPatri
Glo·ri·a
Pa·tri
noun

1.  Christian
religious words: a short hymn or set of words in Latin
that begins with the words “Gloria Patri” and is used in the Christian liturgy
to praise God

2.  musical
setting of Gloria Patri: the words of Gloria Patri
set to music
[From Latin, literally “Glory
to the Father”][1]



glorified

glorified
glo·ri·fied
[gláwrə fd] adjective

made to appear superior:
described in much more grandiose or fanciful terms than are warranted • They
call it an antique auction, but it’s really just a glorified garage sale.[1]



glorify

glorify
glo·ri·fy
[gláwrə f] (past glo·ri·fied,
past participle glo·ri·fied, present participle glo·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular glo·ri·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
appear superior: to cause something to seem more
pleasant, important, or desirable than is actually the case

2.  extol:
to praise somebody or something highly

3.  RELIGION praise
deity:
to worship or offer praise to a deity
—glo·ri·fi·ca·tion
[glàwrəfi káysh’n], noun

—glo·ri·fi·er [gláwrə fr], noun[1]



gloriole

gloriole
glo·ri·ole
[gláwree àwl] (plural glo·ri·oles)
noun

halo:
a halo around somebody’s head
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin gloriola, literally “little glory,” from gloria (see glory ).][1]



gloriosa

gloriosa
glo·ri·o·sa
[glàwri ṓssə] (plural glo·ri·o·sas
or glo·riosa) noun

tropical
climbing plant: a tropical climbing plant of the lily
family that has large brightly colored, yellow, orange, or red flowers, and is
popular as a greenhouse plant. Genus: Gloriosa
[Via its modern Latin genus
name, from Latin gloriosus (see glorious
)][1]



glorious

glorious
glo·ri·ous
[gláwree əss] adjective

1.  exceptionally
lovely:
beautiful in a way that inspires wonder or joy • glorious
summer weather

2.  outstanding:
so good or distinguished as to merit praise and lasting fame • a
glorious career

3.  enjoyable:
highly enjoyable
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French glorios from Latin gloriosus,
from gloria “glory.”]
—glo·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—glo·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



GloriousRevolution

GloriousRevolution
Glo·ri·ous
Rev·o·lu·tion noun

English revolution of 1688:
in England, the overthrow of King James II in 1688 that established the power
of Parliament over the monarch[1]



glory

glory
glo·ry
[gláwree] noun (plural glo·ries)

1.  exaltation:
the fame, admiration, and honor that is given to somebody who does something
important

2.  achievement
or distinction: something that brings or confers
admiration, praise, honor, or fame

3.  praise
of deity:
praise and thanksgiving offered as an act of worship to a deity • Glory
to God in the highest.

4.  awesome
splendor:
majesty or splendor

5.  astounding
beauty:
beauty that inspires feelings of wonder or joy • the
glory of a bright spring morning

6.  heaven:
the idealized beauty and bliss of heaven

7.  ARTS CHRISTIANITY halo:
a halo around somebody’s head
interjection

expressing surprise:
used to express great surprise, shock, dismay, or pleasure (dated)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French glorie from Latin gloria
.]
glory
be

used
to express great surprise, shock, dismay, or pleasure (dated)

go
to glory

to
die (dated)

in
your glory

in a state of great
happiness, satisfaction, or triumph[1]



gloryin

gloryin
glory
in
transitive verb

enjoy something:
to derive great pride, pleasure, amusement, or satisfaction from something[1]



glory-of-the-snow

glory-of-the-snow
glo·ry-of-the-snow
(plural glo·ry-of-the-snow or glo·ry-of-the-snows) noun

early-blooming plant with
blue flowers: a small bulbous plant
of the lily family, native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia but
now cultivated in many regions for its early blue flowers. Latin name: Chionodoxa
luciliae[1]



gloss.

gloss.
gloss.

Abbreviation of
glossary[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gloss

gloss2
gloss2 [glawss,
gloss] noun (plural gloss·es)

1.  explanatory
word or phrase: a short definition, explanation, or
translation of a word or phrase possibly unfamiliar to the reader, often
located in a page margin or collected in an appendix or glossary

2.  interpretation:
an interpretation or explanation of something • Her
account provides an interesting gloss on the theme of widowhood.
transitive
verb
(past glossed, past participle glossed, present
participle gloss·ing, 3rd person present singular gloss·es)

1.  explain
word or phrase: to give a short definition, explanation,
or translation of a word or phrase that may be unfamiliar to the reader

2.  insert
explanations in a text: to add or enter the
necessary glosses in a manuscript or piece of writing

3.  give
deliberately misleading explanation of something: to
interpret or explain something in a deliberately misleading or negative way
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French glose from, ultimately, medieval Latin glossa “obscure
word,” from Greek glōssa, “tongue, language” (source of English epiglottis and polyglot
).][1]



gloss

gloss1
gloss1 [glawss,
gloss] noun (plural gloss·es)

1.  shininess:
a shiny quality, especially on a smooth surface

2.  deceptive
and superficial attractiveness: an attractive
appearance that often conceals something unattractive or inferior

3.  See
gloss paint
transitive
verb
(past glossed, past participle glossed, present
participle gloss·ing, 3rd person present singular gloss·es)

make shiny: to
apply a coating or gloss to a surface to make it shine
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



glossa

glossa
glos·sa
[gláwssə, glosse]
(plural glos·sae [glàwssee] or
glos·sas) noun

1.  ANATOMY tongue:
a tongue (technical)

2.  INSECTS insect’s
mouth structure: a structure resembling a tongue in the
mouth of an insect
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek glōssa (see gloss 2 ).]
—glos·sal, adjective[1]



glossary

glossary
glos·sa·ry
[gláwssəree, glóssəree]
(plural glos·sa·ries) noun

alphabetical
list of terms: an alphabetical collection of specialist
terms and their meanings, usually in the form of an appendix to a book
[14th
century. From Latin glossarium, from glossa (see gloss 2 ).]
—glos·sar·i·al
[glaw sáiree əl, glo
sáiree əl], adjective

—glos·sar·i·al·ly
[glaw sáiree əlee], adverb

—glos·sa·rist [gláwssərist, glóssərist],
noun[1]



glossectomy

glossectomy
glos·sec·to·my
[glaw séktəmee, glo
séktəmee] (plural glos·sec·to·mies) noun

tongue removal:
partial or total removal by surgery of the tongue[1]



glosseme

glosseme
glos·seme 
[gláw sm, gló
sm] (plural glos·semes) noun

smallest
language unit: the smallest meaningful unit of a
language
[Early 20th century. From
Greek glōssema “word requiring explanation,” from glōssa (see gloss 2 ).][1]



glossitis

glossitis
glos·si·tis
[glaw stiss, glo
stiss] noun

tongue
inflammation: inflammation of the tongue
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek glōssa (see gloss 2 ).]
—glos·sit·ic [glaw síttik, glo
síttik], adjective[1]



glossography

glossography
glos·sog·ra·phy
[glaw sóggrəfee, glo
sóggrəfee] noun

writing
of text commentaries: the writing of glosses,
glossaries, or commentaries as part of a text (formal)
[Early
17th century. Coined from Greek glōssa (see gloss 2 ) + -graphy
.]
—glos·sog·ra·pher, noun[1]



glossolalia

glossolalia
glos·so·la·li·a
[glàwssō láylee ə, glòssō
láylee ə] noun

1.  RELIGION See speaking in tongues

2.  PSYCHOLOGY nonsense
speech:
nonsensical or invented speech, especially resulting from a trance or
schizophrenia
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek glōssa (see gloss 2 ) + -lalia .][1]



glossopharyngeal

glossopharyngeal
glos·so·pha·ryn·ge·al 
[glàwssō fə rínj’l, glàwssō
fèrrin j əl, glòssō fə rínj’l] adjective

of
the pharynx and tongue: relating to the tongue and
pharynx
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek glōssa (see gloss 2 ) + pharyngeal .][1]



glossopharyngealnerve

glossopharyngealnerve
glos·so·pha·ryn·ge·al
nerve
(plural glos·so·pha·ryn·ge·al nerves) noun

nerve in the tongue and
pharynx: either of the ninth pair of
cranial nerves, which activate the muscles of the tongue, pharynx, and parotid
gland[1]



glossover

glossover
gloss
over
transitive verb

address too lightly or omit
entirely: to leave out negative
information on purpose, or address a subject superficially to make it appear
more attractive or acceptable[1]



glosspaint

glosspaint
gloss
paint
(plural gloss paints) noun

paint giving a shiny finish:
a paint that gives a smooth shiny durable surface, used especially as a final
coat on wood.
Also called
gloss[1]



glossy

glossy
gloss·y 
[gláwssee, glóssee]
adjective (comparative gloss·i·er, superlative gloss·i·est)

1.  shiny
and smooth:
having a smooth shiny surface or texture • a
glossy coat is the sign of a healthy animal

2.  superficially
stylish:
creating a superficial impression of wealth, beauty, or fashionable elegance (informal)
• a
glossy lifestyle that conceals years of financial struggle
noun
(plural gloss·ies)

PHOTOGRAPHY photo
with a shiny finish: a photograph printed on
shiny smooth paper • Please provide an 8 x
10 glossy.
—gloss·i·ly,
adverb

—gloss·i·ness, noun[1]



glossymagazine

glossymagazine
gloss·y
mag·a·zine
(plural gloss·y mag·a·zines) noun

U.K.
See slick  noun 2[1]



glottal

glottal
glot·tal 
[glótt’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of the
glottis:
relating to the glottis

2.  PHONETICS using
the glottis in speech: used to describe a speech
sound that is produced by wholly or partially closing the glottis

[1]



glottalstop

glottalstop
glot·tal
stop
(plural glot·tal stops) noun

speech sound from suddenly
released air: a consonantal speech
sound created by closing and then opening the glottis before a vowel, which
produces a sudden audible release of air as in “uh oh!” between “uh” and “oh.”
In some languages such as Arabic glottal stops are part of the standard consonant
system.[1]



glottis

glottis
glot·tis 
[glóttiss] (plural glot·tis·es
or glot·ti·des [glótti dz]) noun

1.  opening
between the vocal cords: the elongated opening
between the vocal cords at the upper part of a vertebrate’s windpipe ( larynx ). The glottis is open during breathing but
is closed by the epiglottis during swallowing.

2.  voice
box:
all of the anatomy of the larynx that is involved in producing the voice in a
human or vertebrate animal
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek glōtta, a variant of glōssa
(see gloss 2 ).][1]



Gloucester

Gloucester
Glouces·ter 
[glóstər]

resort city and port in
northeastern Massachusetts, on the southeastern side of Cape Ann, on the
Atlantic Ocean. Population: 29,267 (1996)[1]



glove

glove
glove 
[gluv] noun (plural gloves)

1.  shaped
covering for the hand: a shaped covering for the
hand that includes five separated sections for the thumb and fingers, and
extends to the wrist or the elbow

2.  See
gauntlet 1 noun

3.  protective
glove:
a padded glove worn to protect the hand in boxing, baseball, and cricket
transitive
verb
(past gloved, past participle gloved, present
participle glov·ing, 3rd person present singular gloves)

put a glove on something:
to cover the hand with a glove, or cover something with something that is like
a glove • Gloved
and hatted, the electrician climbed the power pole.
[Old
English glōf . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“hand.”]
—glove·less,
adjective
the
gloves are off

used to indicate that a
course of action is about to be pursued in a ruthless and uncompromisingly
aggressive way • The
gloves are off in the political debate.[1]



glovebox

glovebox
glove
box
(plural glove box·es) noun

1.  See
glove compartment

2.  box
for handling toxic materials: a sealed container that
allows radioactive or toxic substances to be handled safely using a pair of
gloves attached to openings in its sides

[1]



glovecompartment

glovecompartment
glove
com·part·ment (plural glove com·part·ments)
noun

dashboard storage space:
a small enclosed storage space in the dashboard of a vehicle.
Also called
glove box[1]



glovepuppet

glovepuppet
glove
pup·pet
(plural glove pup·pets) noun

U.K.
See hand puppet[1]



Glover,Danny

Glover,Danny
Glov·er
[glúvvər], Danny (1947– )

U.S. actor. He played a
variety of leading roles in movies including The Color Purple ( 1985 )
and the Lethal Weapon series ( 1987–1998 ).[1]



glow

glow
glow 
[glō] noun (plural glows)

1.  light
from something hot: a light produced by
something that has been heated to a high temperature but is not in flames • the
glow of the embers in the grate

2.  soft
steady light: a soft steady light, especially one
without heat or flames • the
glow of the neon lights

3.  soft
warm reflected light: a soft warm reflected light
• the
golden glow of the tapestries on the far wall

4.  rosiness
of complexion: a brightness or redness in somebody’s
complexion, for example, because of exercise or good health • the
healthy glow that exercise gives you

5.  redness
of embarrassment: a redness of the face or complexion,
especially one caused by embarrassment • face
suffused with a glow of shame

6.  happy
feeling:
a sense of happiness or wellbeing • a warm
glow of satisfaction
intransitive
verb
(past glowed, past participle glowed, present
participle glow·ing, 3rd person present singular glows)

1.  emit
light and heat: to emit light as a result of being
extremely hot • The embers of the fire
still glowed in the grate.

2.  emit
a soft steady light: to emit a soft steady light
without heat or flames • the
neon signs glowing red and blue

3.  reflect
light softly: to emit a soft warm reflected light • the
walls glowing orange and gold in the afternoon sun

4.  shine
with health or happiness: to show the bright eyes and
smooth skin that are a sign of good health, contentment, or high spirits

5.  be
flushed with embarrassment: to have a blood rush to the
face, especially because of embarrassment

6.  feel
warm and contented: to feel a pleasant warm
sensation owing to happiness, satisfaction, or love • The
winning team glowed with pride.
[Old English glōwan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is probably also the ancestor
of English glower .][1]



glower

glower
glow·er 
[glówr] intransitive verb (past
glow·ered, past participle glow·ered, present
participle glow·er·ing, 3rd person present singular glow·ers)

glare
silently:
to stare or look at somebody or something with sullen anger or strong
resentment
noun
(plural glow·ers)

angry
look:
a sullen or resentful stare or look
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word that had the same
prehistoric Germanic ancestor as English glow
.]
—glow·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



glowing

glowing
glow·ing
[glṓ ing] adjective

1.  shining
softly and steadily: emitting a soft steady light

2.  reddish-gold:
rich, strong, or bright in color, especially when reddish or gold • the
glowing colors of autumn

3.  full
of praise:
praising somebody or something in very warm appreciative terms • glowing
reports of the performance

4.  rosy:
red or rosy as a result of excitement, wellbeing, or good health
—glow·ing·ly, adverb[1]



glowplug

glowplug
glow
plug
(plural glow plugs) noun

plug warming a diesel engine:
a plug attached to a diesel engine that makes it easier to start in cold
weather by warming it up[1]



glowworm

glowworm
glow·worm 
[glṓ wùrm] (plural glow·worms)
noun

luminous larva:
a larva of some types of firefly, or a beetle of a closely related family, that
emits greenish light from organs in its abdomen. Families: Lampyridae
Phengodidae[1]



gloxinia

gloxinia

glox·in·i·a 
[glok sínnee ə] (plural glox·in·i·as)
noun
plant
with large bell-shaped flowers: a tropical American
plant popular as a house plant for its large colorful bell-shaped flowers.
Genus: Sinningia
[Early 19th century. Named
for the 18th century German botanist Benjamin P. Gloxin, who first
described it.][1]



gloze

gloze
gloze 
[glōz] (past glozed, past
participle glozed, present participle gloz·ing, 3rd
person present singular gloz·es, plural gloz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
gloss
over something: to attempt to underplay or minimize
something unpleasant or embarrassing • tried
to gloze over the scandalous story

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
flattery:
to use flattery on somebody (archaic)
[13th century. Via French glose
from, ultimately, Latin glossa (see gloss 2 ).][1]



gluc-

gluc-
gluc-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
gluco-[1]



glucagon

glucagon
glu·ca·gon 
[glkə gòn] noun

hormone
that raises the blood sugar level: a hormone produced by
the pancreas that raises the blood sugar level by promoting the conversion of
glycogen to glucose in the liver
[Early 20th century. Coined
from gluco- + Greek agōn, the present
participle of agein “to lead.”][1]



gluco-

gluco-
gluco-
prefix

glucose
• glucocorticoid
[From glucose][1]



glucocorticoid

glucocorticoid
glu·co·cor·ti·coid 
[gl kō káwrti kòyd] (plural glu·co·cor·ti·coids)
noun

anti-inflammatory hormone:
a steroid hormone ( corticoid ) that
controls the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Glucocorticoids
have anti-inflammatory properties useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis.[1]



gluconeogenesis

gluconeogenesis
glu·co·ne·o·gen·e·sis 
[gl kō nee ə jénnəssiss] noun

glucose
production:
the production of glucose by the liver from substances other than
carbohydrates, for example, proteins and fats
—glu·co·ne·o·ge·net·ic
[gl kō nee əjə néttik], adjective[1]



glucose

glucose
glu·cose 
[gl kss] noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY sugar
energy source: a simple sugar produced in plants by
photosynthesis and in animals by the conversion of carbohydrates, proteins, and
fats. The commonest form, dextrose, is used by all living organisms. C6H12O6

2.  FOOD syrupy
mixture:
a syrup containing dextrose, maltose, dextrin, and water that is obtained from
starch and used in food manufacture and in alcoholic fermentation
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Greek gleukos “sweet wine.”]
—glu·co·sic [gloo kóssik], adjective[1]



glucosidase

glucosidase
glu·co·si·dase
[gloo kṓssi dàyss, gloo
kṓssi dàyz] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme such as maltase that hydrolyzes glucosides[1]



glucoside

glucoside
glu·co·side 
[glkə sd] (plural glu·co·sides)
noun

glycoside:
a glycoside with glucose as the sugar component, which it yields upon reacting
chemically with water
—glu·co·si·dal
[glkə sd’l], adjective

—glu·co·sid·ic
[glkə síddik], adjective

—glu·co·sid·i·cal·ly [glkə síddikəlee], adverb[1]



glucosuria

glucosuria
glu·co·su·ri·a 
[gl kō shree ə, gl
kō sree ə] noun

See
glycosuria
—glu·co·su·ric, adjective[1]



glucuronicacid

glucuronicacid
glu·curonic
ac·id

glucose-derived
acid:
an acid derived from glucose, important in human metabolism for its ability to
combine with certain toxic substances, rendering them harmless. OC6H9O6
[Early 20th century. Coined
from gluco- on the model of glycuronic .][1]



glue

glue
glue 
[gloo] noun (plural glues)

1.  animal-based
adhesive:
an adhesive substance obtained by boiling animal parts such as bones, hides,
horns, and hooves

2.  adhesive:
a natural or synthetic substance used as an adhesive

3.  something
that unites people: a unifying factor or
influence • Mutual
love and understanding is the glue that holds this family together.
transitive
verb
(past glued, past participle glued, present
participle glu·ing, 3rd person present singular glues)

1.  stick
things together: to stick things together or reconstitute
something using an adhesive substance • It
took hours to glue the vase back together.

2.  keep
somebody still: to cause somebody to remain still
because of concentrating on something with full attention (informal) (often
passive) • You’ve
been glued to that computer all day!
[13th
century. Via French glu from, ultimately, Latin gluten (source of
English agglutinate and gluten ).]
—glu·ey,
adjective

—glu·i·ly,
adverb

—glu·i·ness, noun[1]



glue-sniffing

glue-sniffing
glue-sniff·ing
noun

inhaling
of glue fumes: the practice of inhaling the fumes from
glues and volatile solvents in order to become intoxicated
—glue-sniff·er, noun[1]



glum

glum
glum 
[glum] (comparative glum·mer, superlative
glum·mest) adjective

quietly
miserable:
quietly melancholic or miserable
[Mid-16th
century. From an earlier verb meaning “to look sullen,” which evolved from gloom .]
—glum·ly,
adverb

—glum·ness, noun[1]



glume

glume
glume 
[gloom] (plural glumes) noun

BOTANY base
leaf on an ear: either of a pair of dry leaves at the
base of the spikelet in an ear of grass
[Late
18th century. From Latin gluma “husk.”]
—glu·ma·ceous [gloo máyshəss], adjective[1]



gluon

gluon
glu·on 
[gl òn] (plural glu·ons) noun

elementary
particle:
an elementary particle, thought to be involved in binding nuclear subatomic
particles ( quarks ) together
[Late 20th century. Formed
from glue .][1]



glut

glut
glut 
[glut] noun (plural gluts)

oversupply: a
larger supply of something than is needed, especially of a crop or product • There
is usually a glut of fresh vegetables in August.
transitive
verb
(past glut·ted, past participle glut·ted, present
participle glut·ting, 3rd person present singular gluts)

1.  oversupply
something:
to supply a market with an excess of something, especially a product, leading
to a fall in price • Cheaper products from
abroad glutted the market, lowering profits.

2.  give
somebody enough or too much: to feed or supply somebody
with enough or more than enough of something
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French gloutir “to swallow” from Latin gluttire
(see glutton ).][1]



glutamate

glutamate
glu·ta·mate
[gltə màyt] (plural glu·ta·mates)
noun

salt of glutamic acid:
a salt or ester of glutamic acid, especially its sodium salt ( monosodium glutamate )[1]



glutamicacid

glutamicacid
glu·tam·ic
ac·id 
[gloo tàmmik ássid] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid found in plant and animal proteins that can also be synthesized
by humans and animals. It is used in the form of monosodium glutamate as a
flavoring in food. C5H9NO4
[Glutamic from gluten + amine
+ -ic][1]



glutamine

glutamine
glu·ta·mine 
[gltə mn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid found in proteins that can also be synthesized by humans and
animals. It is used in medicines and in biochemical research. C5H10N2O3
[Late 19th century. Blend of glutamic acid and amine
.][1]



glutaraldehyde

glutaraldehyde
glu·tar·al·de·hyde 
[gltə ráldə hd] noun

oily
liquid disinfectant: an oily water-soluble liquid
used as a disinfectant, a tanning agent, and a biological fixative. C5H8O2
[Mid-19th century. Blend of glutaric
(formed from gluten ) + aldehyde .][1]



glutathione

glutathione
glu·tath·i·one 
[gltə th n] noun

chemical
compound:
a chemical compound ( peptide ) found in
plant and animal tissues that consists of glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine.
It is important in biological oxidation-reduction reactions and the activation
of some enzymes. C10H17N3O6S
[Early 20th century. Coined
from glutamic + thio- + -one .][1]



glutei

glutei
glu·te·i


Plural of
gluteus[1]



gluten

gluten
glu·ten 
[glt’n] noun

protein
in cereals:
a protein combination found in some cereals, especially wheat. It makes dough
elastic, and enables it to rise by trapping gas. People who have celiac disease
are allergic to gluten and must avoid it in their diets.
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin (see glue ).][1]



gluteus

gluteus
glu·te·us 
[gltee əss] (plural glu·te·i
[gltee ]) noun

buttock
muscle:
any of the three large buttock muscles that move the thigh in humans,
especially the gluteus maximus. The other two muscles are the gluteus medius
and the gluteus minimus.
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek gloutos “buttock.”]
—glu·te·al, adjective[1]



gluteusmaximus

gluteusmaximus
glu·te·us
max·i·mus
[gltee əss máksiməss] (plural glu·te·i
max·i·mi [glti ī máksi m]) noun

buttock
muscle:
the outermost of the three large gluteus muscles that form each buttock in
humans
[Maximus from Latin,
“largest”][1]



glutinous

glutinous
glu·ti·nous 
[glt’nəss] adjective

sticky:
having a sticky consistency • glutinous
rice[1]



glutton

glutton
glut·ton 
[glútt’n] (plural glut·tons) noun

1.  greedy
person:
somebody who eats and drinks to excess

2.  ZOOLOGY See wolverine
[13th
century. Via Old French gluton from, ultimately, Latin gluttire
“to swallow,” from gula “throat” (source of English gullet ).]
—glut·ton·ous,
adjective

—glut·ton·ous·ly,
adverb
a
glutton for punishment

somebody who deliberately
takes on, and appears to need or enjoy, difficulty, discomfort, or stress[1]



gluttony

gluttony
glut·ton·y 
[glútt’nee] noun

excessive eating:
the act or practice of eating and drinking to excess. Gluttony is one of the
seven deadly sins in Christian tradition.[1]



glyc-

glyc-
glyc-
prefix

See
glyco-[1]



glyceride

glyceride
glyc·er·ide 
[glíssə rd] (plural glyc·er·ides)
noun

ester
of glycerol: an ester formed by the combination of
glycerol with an acid. They occur widely in animal and vegetable fats and oils.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from glycerin .][1]



glycerin

glycerin
glyc·er·in 
[glíssərin] or glyc·er·ine [glíssərin] noun

thick
sweet liquid: a thick, sweet, odorless, colorless, or
pale yellow liquid obtained from fats and oils as a byproduct of soap
manufacture. Used as a solvent, antifreeze, plasticizer, drug medium, and
sweetener, and in the manufacture of soaps, cosmetics, inks, lubricants, and
dynamite. C3H8O3
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from Greek glukeros, an alteration of glukus (see glyco- ).][1]



glycerol

glycerol
glyc·er·ol 
[glíssə ràwl] noun

glycerin:
glycerin (technical)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from glycerin .][1]



glyceryl

glyceryl
glyc·er·yl 
[glíssəril] (plural glyc·er·yls)
noun

chemical
group:
a chemical group derived from glycerol by removing or replacing hydroxide,
especially a trivalent group CH 2 CHCH
2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from glycerin + -yl
.][1]



glyceryltrinitrate

glyceryltrinitrate
glyc·er·yl
tri·ni·trate noun

See
nitroglycerin[1]



glycine

glycine
gly·cine 
[gl sn] noun

amino
acid:
a sweet crystalline amino acid that is found in most proteins and can also be
synthesized by humans and animals. It acts as a neurotransmitter. C2H5NO2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek glukus (see glyco- ).][1]



glyco-

glyco-
glyco-
or glyc- prefix

1.  sugar
• glycosuria

2.  glycogen
• glycolysis
[From Greek glukus
“sweet” (source of English licorice
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of glucose and dulcet
.][1]



glycogen

glycogen
gly·co·gen 
[glkəjən] noun

easily
converted store of energy: a white compound ( polysaccharide ) stored in the liver and muscles
of humans and animals and easily converted to glucose as a source of energy. (C6H10O5)n 
Also
called
animal starch
—gly·co·gen·ic [glkə jénnik], adjective[1]



glycogenesis

glycogenesis
gly·co·gen·e·sis 
[glkə jénnəssiss] noun

formation
or conversion of glycogen: the formation or conversion
of glycogen in the body
—gly·co·ge·net·ic [glkəjə néttik], adjective[1]



glycogenolysis

glycogenolysis
gly·co·gen·ol·y·sis 
[glkəjə nóllississ] noun

glycogen
conversion to glucose: the breakdown of glycogen,
especially to glucose, in the bodies of humans and animals
—gly·co·gen·o·lyt·ic [glkəjenn’l íttik], adjective[1]



glycol

glycol
gly·col 
[gl kol] noun

See
ethylene glycol
Also
called
diol
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from glycerin .]
—gly·col·ic, adjective[1]



glycolicacid

glycolicacid
gly·col·ic
ac·id 
[glī kòllik ássid] noun

compound in grapes and sugar
cane: a colorless crystalline
compound found in unripe grapes, sugar cane, and sugar beet. Used in tanning
and the manufacture of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and
plasticizers. C2H4O3[1]



glycolipid

glycolipid
gly·co·lip·id 
[glkə líppid] (plural gly·co·lip·ids)
noun

glucose or galactose:
a lipid that contains a carbohydrate group, especially glucose or galactose[1]



glycolysis

glycolysis
gly·col·y·sis 
[glī kóllississ] noun

production
of energy from carbohydrates: the breakdown of a compound
such as glycogen or glucose by enzymes, producing pyruvic or lactic acid and
releasing energy for use in the body. This metabolic process takes place in
nearly all living cells.
—gly·co·lyt·ic [glkə líttik], adjective[1]



glycoprotein

glycoprotein
gly·co·pro·tein 
[glkə prṓ tn] (plural gly·co·pro·teins)
noun

protein with carbohydrate
component: a complex protein in which
the nonprotein part is a carbohydrate[1]



glycoside

glycoside
gly·co·side 
[glkə sd] (plural gly·co·sides)
noun

sugar
derivative:
a sugar derivative that breaks down into a sugar and a nonsugar compound ( aglycone ). Some glycosides such as digitoxin are
used medicinally.
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from glycose, a variant of glucose
.]
—gly·co·sid·ic [glkə síddik], adjective[1]



glycosuria

glycosuria
gly·co·su·ri·a 
[gl kō shree ə, gl
kō sree ə] noun

sugar
in the urine: the presence of sugar in the urine,
usually a sign of diabetes.
Also
called
glucosuria
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from glycose (see glycoside
) + -uria .]
—gly·co·su·ric, adjective[1]



glycosylation

glycosylation
gly·co·sy·la·tion
[glkō sī láysh’n] noun

addition
of carbohydrate: the addition of a carbohydrate to an
organic molecule
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from glycose (see glycoside ) + -yl + -ation .][1]



glyph

glyph

glyph 
[glif] (plural glyphs) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE carved
groove in ancient Greek architecture: an
ornamental carved channel or groove, especially a vertical one like those on a
Doric frieze

2.  HISTORY carved
symbol or character: a symbol or character,
especially one that has been incised or carved out in a stone surface like the
characters of the ancient Mayan writing system

3.  modern
symbolic character: a nonverbal symbol such as
one used on a road sign

4.  COMPUTING character
in font:
the symbol or symbols that form a single character in a font
[Late
18th century. Via French glyphe from Greek gluphē “carving,” from
gluphein “to carve.”]
—glyph·ic, adjective[1]



glyptic

glyptic
glyp·tic 
[glíptik] adjective

of
engraving:
relating to the art of engraving or carving, especially on precious stones
[Early 19th century. Directly
or via French glyptique from Greek gluptikos, from gluptēs
“carver,” from gluphein (see glyph
).][1]



glyptics

glyptics
glyp·tics 
[glíptiks] noun

(takes a singular verb)See
glyptography[1]



glyptograph

glyptograph
glyp·to·graph 
[glíptə gràf] (plural glyp·to·graphs)
noun

engraving
on a precious stone: an engraving or carving on a
precious stone
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Greek gluptos “carved” + -graph
.][1]



glyptography

glyptography
glyp·tog·ra·phy 
[glip tóggrəfee] noun

carving
or engraving on precious stones: the art or process of
engraving or carving on precious stones.
Also
called
glyptics
—glyp·tog·ra·pher,
noun

—glyp·to·graph·ic
[gliptə gráffik], adjective

—glyp·to·graph·i·cal [gliptə gráffik’l], adjective[1]



gm.

gm.
gm.

Abbreviation of
gram[1]



GM

GM
GM

1.  Abbreviation
of
general manager

2.  Abbreviation
of
grand master

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of guided missile

4.  GENETICS Abbreviation of genetic modification

5.  Abbreviation
of
genetically modified

[1]



G-man

G-man
G-man 
(plural G-men) noun

FBI
agent:
an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (archaic slang)
[G from government][1]



GMAT

GMAT
GMAT

1.  Abbreviation
of
Graduate Management Admissions Test

2.  Abbreviation
of
Greenwich Mean Astronomical Time

[1]



GMO

GMO
GMO
(plural GMOs) noun

Abbreviation of
genetically modified organism[1]



GMP

GMP
GMP


BIOLOGY
Abbreviation of guanosine monophosphate[1]



GMT

GMT
GMT

Abbreviation of
Greenwich Mean Time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GMW

GMW
GMW

Abbreviation of
gram-molecular weight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gn.

gn.
gn.

Abbreviation of
guinea[1]



gnarl

gnarl2
gnarl2 [naarl]
intransitive verb

snarl:
to snarl or growl (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from gnar “to snarl, growl,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



gnarl

gnarl1
gnarl1 [naarl]
(past gnarled, past participle gnarled, present
participle gnarl·ing, 3rd person present singular gnarls,
plural gnarls) noun

hard
lump on a tree: a hard lump, knot, or swelling on a tree
trunk or branch
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from gnarled .][1]



gnarled

gnarled
gnarled 
[naarld] adjective

1.  knotted
and twisted: twisted and full of knots • an
ancient gnarled tree

2.  twisted,
misshapen, or weather-beaten: twisted, misshapen, or
weather-beaten because of age, hard work, or illness • gnarled
hands
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of knurled .][1]



gnarly

gnarly
gnarl·y
[nrlee] (comparative gnarl·i·er,
superlative gnarl·i·est) adjective (slang)

1.  highly
dangerous:
extremely difficult, risky, and challenging • gnarly
surf off Santa Monica beach

2.  excellent:
extraordinarily good or pleasurable • bought
a gnarly skateboard
[From gnarl 2][1]



gnash

gnash
gnash 
[nash] (past gnashed, past
participle gnashed, present participle gnash·ing, 3rd
person present singular gnash·es) transitive verb

grind
your teeth:
to grind your teeth together, especially in pain, anger, or frustration
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from an earlier verb gnast, of Scandinavian origin,
or, alternatively, an imitation of the sound.][1]



gnat

gnat
gnat 
[nat] (plural gnats) noun

small
biting fly:
a small two-winged biting fly such as a black fly or a midge
[Old English gnætt .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English gnaw .][1]



gnatcatcher

gnatcatcher
gnat·catch·er 
[nát kàchər] (plural gnat·catch·ers)
noun

small insect-eating songbird:
a small American songbird with a long tail and slender bill that feeds on
insects. Genus: Polioptila[1]



gnathic

gnathic
gnath·ic 
[náthik] or gna·thal [náth’l] adjective

of
the jaw:
relating to the jaw
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek gnathos “jaw.”][1]



gnathion

gnathion
gna·thi·on 
[náythee on] (plural gnathions)
noun

lowest
point on jaw: the lowest point on the midline of the
lower jaw
[Late 19th century. From
Greek gnathos (see gnathic ).][1]



gnathite

gnathite
gna·thite 
[náy tht, ná
tht] (plural gna·thites) noun

mouthpart
of an organism: a mouthpart similar to a jaw that is
used for grasping or chewing by insects, lobsters, and other arthropods
[Late 19th century. From
Greek gnathos (see gnathic ).][1]



gnathostome

gnathostome
gna·thos·tome 
[náythə stm, náthə
stm] (plural gna·thos·tomes) noun

animal
with a backbone and jaws: a vertebrate that has a
mouth with jaws, as do all vertebrates except agnathans such as lampreys and
hagfish. Superclass: Gnathostomata
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek gnathos (see gnathic ) + stoma
“mouth.”][1]



-gnathous

-gnathous
-gnathous
suffix

having
a particular kind of jaw • prognathous
[Formed from Greek gnathos
“jaw.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “jaw,” which is also the
ancestor of English chin .][1]



gnaw

gnaw
gnaw 
[naw] (past gnawed, past
participle gnawed, present participle gnaw·ing, 3rd
person present singular gnaws, plural gnaws) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb chew
at something: to chew or bite on something
persistently, often reducing it gradually to a particular state • a
terrier gnawing away at a huge bone

2.  transitive
verb
make
something by chewing: to make something by
grinding with the teeth and chewing • The
hamster escaped by gnawing a hole in its cage.

3.  transitive
verb
erode:
to wear something away often until it reaches a particular shape or size • The
wind and waves had gnawed the rocks into fantastic shapes.

4.  intransitive
verb
cause
somebody worry: to cause somebody constant anxiety or
distress • That
question still gnaws at me after all these years.

5.  intransitive
verb
gradually
reduce something’s power: to reduce the effectiveness
or influence of something bit by bit • a
profound sense of unease that gnaws at our sense of well-being
[Old
English gnagen . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word thought to
suggest the action.]
—gnaw·a·ble,
adjective

—gnaw·er, noun[1]



gnawing

gnawing
gnaw·ing
[náw ing] adjective

persistent
and troubling: persistent and troubling or
uncomfortable • gnawing doubts
—gnaw·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gneiss

gneiss
gneiss 
[nīss] noun

coarse
layered rock: a coarse-grained high-grade metamorphic
rock formed at high pressures and temperatures, in which light and dark mineral
constituents are segregated into visible bands
[Mid-18th
century. From German, of uncertain origin: probably an alteration of Old High
German gneisto “spark,” from its luster.]
—gneiss·ic,
adjective

—gneiss·ose, adjective[1]



gnocchi

gnocchi
gnoc·chi 
[nókee, nyókee]
plural noun

Italian
dumplings:
in Italian or Italian-style cookery, dumplings made of potato, semolina, or
flour, usually boiled and served with soup or a sauce
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of nocchio “knot in
wood.”][1]



gnome

gnome2
gnome2 [nōm]
(plural gnomes) noun

short
saying:
a short saying or proverb that expresses a general idea or principle
[Late 16th century. Via Greek
gnōmē “opinion, judgment” from, ultimately, gignōskein “to
know.”][1]



gnome

gnome1
gnome1 [nōm]
(plural gnomes) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY tiny
supernatural being: according to old folk tales,
one of a race of small beings usually portrayed as hunchbacked men with long
white beards who live in the earth guarding treasure

2.  statue
of gnome:
a small figure or statue representing a gnome, used as an ornament

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term deliberately insulting somebody thought of as small and,
often, ugly (insult)
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from modern Latin gnomus, which was coined by
Paracelsus .]
—gnome·like,
adjective

—gnom·ish,
adjective
the
gnomes of Zurich

international bankers and
financiers, especially those based in Switzerland (humorous)[1]



gnomic

gnomic
gno·mic 
[nṓmik] (plural gno·mics) adjective

1.  epigrammatic:
resembling or containing proverbs or other short pithy sayings that express
basic truths • his
gnomic utterances were widely quoted by journalists

2.  cryptic:
opaque or difficult to understand
—gnom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



gnomon

gnomon
gno·mon 
[nṓ mòn, nṓmən]
(plural gno·mons) noun

1.  TIME arm of
sundial:
the arm of a sundial, used to show the time of day by the position of its
shadow

2.  GEOMETRY part
of a parallelogram: the part of a parallelogram
that is left when a smaller similar parallelogram has been taken from its
corner
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French or Latin from Greek gnōmōn “indicator,”
from gignōskein (see gnome 2 ).]
—gno·mon·ic
[nō mónnik], adjective

—gno·mon·i·cal·ly [nō mónnikəlee], adverb[1]



gnosis

gnosis
gno·sis 
[nṓssiss] noun

understanding
of spiritual mysteries: knowledge of spiritual
truths reputedly possessed by the ancient Gnostics, who believed them to be
essential to salvation
[Late 16th century. From
Greek gnōsis “investigation, knowledge,” from gignōskein (see gnome 2 ).][1]



gnostic

gnostic
gnos·tic
[nóstik] adjective

of
knowledge:
relating to knowledge, especially knowledge of spiritual truths
[Mid-17th century. See Gnostic .][1]



Gnostic

Gnostic
Gnos·tic
noun (plural Gnos·tics)

believer
in Gnosticism: somebody who believes in Gnosticism
adjective

of
Gnosticism:
relating to Gnosticism
[Late 16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin and Greek gnōstikos from, ultimately, gignōskein
(see gnome 2 ).][1]



Gnosticism

Gnosticism
Gnos·ti·cism 
[nósti sìzzəm] noun

early religion:
a pre-Christian and early Christian religious movement teaching that salvation
comes by learning esoteric spiritual truths that free humanity from the
material world, believed in this movement to be evil[1]



gnotobiotics

gnotobiotics
gno·to·bi·ot·ics
[ntō bī óttiks] noun

study
of organisms in a controlled environment: the
scientific study of organisms living either in a germ-free or a controlled
environment, as when a known contaminant has been introduced
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek gnōtos “known” + biotic
.]
—gno·to·bi·ot·ic,
adjective

—gno·to·bi·ot·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



GNP

GNP
GNP

Abbreviation of
gross national product[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gnu

gnu
gnu 
[noo] (plural gnu or gnus)
noun

large
antelope:
a large African antelope with a head resembling that of an ox, short mane,
beard, downward curving horns, and tufted tail. Latin name: Connochaetes
gnou Connochaetes taurinus
Also
called
wildebeest
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Dutch gnoe from Khoisan .][1]



go

go2
go2 [gō]
noun

Japanese
board game with stones: a Japanese board game played
with black and white stones on a surface marked with 19 lines intersecting each
other to create 367 crossing points. The object of the game is to capture the
larger part of the board and the opponent’s stones.
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



go

go1
go1 [gō]
(past went [went], past
participle gone [gawn, gon], present participle going, 3rd
person present singular goes [gōz],
plural gos) CORE MEANING:
a basic intransitive verb of motion expressing movement from an unspecified
point of departure or from a place that is already known or assumed • Have
you any idea where he went? • She
never went anywhere without her spectacles. • Johnny
went back inside for another coffee. • I’ve
always wanted to go to Paris.

1.
intransitive verb depart:
to leave a place • Please don’t go.
• He’s
going tomorrow.

2.
intransitive verb move to do something:
to move toward a person or place with the intention of doing something specific
• We
had to go and pick up our young son who was playing at a friend’s house.
• After
the wedding they went to live in Spain.

3.
intransitive verb proceed to an activity:
to leave a place and proceed toward an activity, often a recreational activity
• They
go for a jog every morning.

4.
intransitive verb attend:
to attend a place regularly • She
went to Rutgers University at night to earn her teaching degree.

5.
intransitive verb take part in:
to take part in a television or radio program • The
President went on television to defend his government’s decision.

6.
intransitive verb lead to:
to lead to, or begin or end at, a particular place (refers to a route or
travel service) • Take
the road that goes into the city center. • The
new bus service will go from New York to Buffalo.

7.
intransitive verb elapse:
to elapse or pass (refers to time) • As
time went on, he pursued lesser jobs.

8.
intransitive verb be allotted to:
to be allotted to a particular recipient or used for a particular purpose (refers
to money or other resources) • The
house will go to his surviving children. • Much
of her income went on household bills.

9.
intransitive verb be given to:
to be given to somebody as a quality or attribute • The
credit should go to the one who tries hardest.

10.
intransitive verb be discarded:
to be eliminated, given up, or got rid of • This
old sweater has just got to go! • Thousands
of jobs will have to go, they say, if the company is to prosper.

11.
intransitive verb be spent:
to be spent or used up • By the
end of the evening all the food had gone.

12.
intransitive verb leave a job:
to leave a job or organization • He was
costing the company thousands and had to go.

13.
intransitive verb blend in:
to be suited in a place, or blend or harmonize with other things • They
wanted to find a carpet that would go with the existing decor.
• Those
pants just don’t go.

14.
intransitive verb fit in:
to fit in a place because of being the right shape or size • I
tried to push the package through the mailbox but it wouldn’t go.

15.
intransitive verb belong:
to have somewhere as a usual or proper place • The
towels go in the cupboard in the bathroom.

16.
intransitive verb be put:
to be put into something as one of the parts that form it • all
the elements that go into making a successful musical

17.
intransitive verb function:
to function or operate • Can
you get my car going again? • Without
capital to make it go, our business plan was merely hopes written out on paper.

18.
intransitive verb fail:
to get weaker and begin to fail or give way • My
eyesight is starting to go

19.
intransitive verb break down:
to stop working properly and start to break down • I
think the battery may be going

20.
intransitive verb die:
to die (used euphemistically) • I’m
afraid she has gone.

21.
intransitive verb become:
to change so as to come to be in a particular state or condition • Their
pet’s behavior went out of control.

22.
intransitive verb be dressed or equipped as
specified:
to be in a particular state with regard to dress or equipment • They
went barefoot on the beach.

23.
intransitive verb proceed:
to proceed or happen in a particular way • How
did it go at work today? • We
were trying to figure out what really went wrong. • The
intruder went unchallenged.

24.
intransitive verb make a noise as a signal:
to make a noise such as a ring or a knock to attract attention • She
had just closed the front door when the phone went.

25.
intransitive verb make a noise:
to make a particular noise • The
horn went beep. • Cows
go “moo.”

26.
intransitive verb reach a particular point:
to proceed to or reach a particular position or level “The freedom she
experienced, the indulgence with which she was treated, went beyond her
expectations.” Thomas Hardy The Mayor of Casterbridge 1886

27.
intransitive verb serve to do something:
to be of such a nature or quality as to do something • It
just goes to show how careful you have to be.

28.
intransitive verb compare:
to compare with other people or things of the same kind • As
vacations abroad go, it was probably the best we’ve ever had.

29.
intransitive verb sound:
to proceed in terms of sound or words (refers to a piece of music or writing)
• How
does that tune go again?

30.
intransitive verb accompany:
to occur with or be present at the same time as something else • It’s
not necessarily the case that intelligence and common sense go together.

31.
intransitive verb circulate:
to circulate as information around a place or among people • It
soon went around the whole village that she had inherited a fortune.

32.
intransitive verb have recourse to:
to turn to a procedure as a result of unresolved problems • They
couldn’t agree, so they went to arbitration.

33.
intransitive verb be the authority:
to be necessarily accepted as what will be the case in a given situation • Whatever
she says goes in our home.

34.
intransitive verb endure:
to continue surviving or succeeding in a difficult situation • Human
beings can go for much longer without food than without water.

35.
transitive verb bet in cards:
to bet or bid in a card game • I go
three clubs.

36.
transitive verb say:
to say something quoted (nonstandard) • So
she goes, “If you want it done then do it yourself.”

37.
intransitive verb expressing future action:
used to express future action or intent (used in progressive tenses) • What
are we going to do?

38.
noun attempt
at something: an attempt or chance to do something • She
passed the exam on the second go.

39.
noun move
or turn taken: a move or turn in a game • It’s
your go.

40.
noun energy:
energy and vibrancy (informal) • I’ve
had so much more go since changing my diet.

41.
adjective functioning: ready
and operating properly (informal) • All
systems are go.
[Old
English gān . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of German gehen “to go.”]
anything
goes

used
to indicate that anything is to be tolerated or accepted as the norm • In
this place almost anything goes!

on
the go

very
active and busy • a two-career couple,
always on the go

have
a go (at something)

to
make an attempt at something (informal) • He
said that he had never skied before but he was willing to have a go at it.

make
a go of something

to
make a success of something • They
couldn’t make a go of the relationship.

here
we go (again)!

used
to express displeasure or resignation that something, usually something bad,
that has happened before is now happening again • Here
we go again! This old car simply won’t start.

there
you go

used
to express general encouragement or approval to somebody else (informal)

there
you go again

used
to complain that somebody has done something bad or wrong yet again • There
you go again, misinterpreting and twisting what I’m saying

to
go

to be taken home rather than
consumed on the premises • one
pizza to go[1]



GO

GO
GO

MILITARY
Abbreviation of general order[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








goa

goa
go·a
[gṓ ə] (plural go·as) noun

Tibetan
gazelle:
a Tibetan gazelle with a brownish-gray coat, the male of which has backward
curving horns. Latin name: Procapra picticaudata
[Mid-19th century. From
Tibetan dgoba .][1]



Goa

Goa
Go·a 
[gṓ ə]

state on the western coast of
India. Formerly a Portuguese territory, it was incorporated into India in 1961
and became a separate Indian state in 1987. Capital: Panaji. Population:
1,235,000 (1994) Area: 3,813 sq km/1,472 sq mi.[1]



goabout

goabout
go
about
verb

1.  transitive
verb
deal
with something: to deal with a problem, assignment, or
task

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
widely known or current: to be experienced or known
by a lot of people, often in a particular place • wild
rumors going about Washington

3.  intransitive
verb
SAILING change
tack:
to change tack in a sailing boat

[1]



goad

goad
goad 
[gōd] transitive verb (past goad·ed,
past participle goad·ed, present participle goad·ing,
3rd person present singular goads)

1.  drive
somebody to do something: to provoke or incite
somebody into action (often passive)

2.  prod
with a stick: to prod an animal with a long pointed
stick
noun
(plural goads)

1.  pointed
animal prod: a long pointed stick used for prodding
cattle and other animals

2.  stimulus:
something used to motivate somebody or stir somebody into action
[Old
English gād . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced Old English gār “spear” (source of English garlic ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at motive

[1]



goafter

goafter
go
after
transitive verb

try to get something:
to make a deliberate effort to get or find something seen as desirable or
advantageous • I
decided to go after a teaching job I saw in the paper.[1]



goahead

goahead
go
ahead
intransitive verb

start or continue something:
to start or continue with something, especially after a period of uncertainty
or delay • We
decided to go ahead and start our meal without her.[1]



go-ahead

go-ahead
go-a·head
noun

permission to proceed:
permission or approval to proceed with something (informal) • Once
we get the go-ahead from the bank, we can get things moving.[1]



goal

goal
goal 
[gōl] (plural goals) noun

1.  SPORTS target
area:
the space or opening into which a ball or puck must go to score points in a
game such as football or hockey, usually a pair of posts with a crossbar and
often a net • The
kick landed just to the left of the goal.

2.  SPORTS score:
the score gained by getting the ball or puck into the goal • leading
by three goals to two

3.  SPORTS successful
shot:
a successful attempt at hitting, kicking, throwing, or passing a ball or
hitting a puck into or over a goal • one of
the greatest goals of all time

4.  aim:
something that somebody wants to achieve • One
of my goals for this year is to learn Spanish.

5.  race’s
end:
the end of a race • The runners are still
several minutes from the goal.
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



goal-directed

goal-directed
goal-di·rect·ed
adjective

organized to achieve
particular goals: strongly motivated and
highly organized in achieving tasks that are specified in advance[1]



goalie

goalie
goal·ie 
[gṓlee] (plural goal·ies) noun

goalkeeper:
a goalkeeper[1]



goalkeeper

goalkeeper
goal·keep·er 
[gṓl kpər] (plural goal·keep·ers)
noun

player who protects goal:
in games such as soccer and field hockey, a defensive player positioned in or
near a goal whose main task is to keep the ball or puck from crossing the goal
line into the goal.
Also called
goaltender[1]



goalkick

goalkick
goal
kick
(plural goal kicks) noun

1.  SOCCER free
kick by the defender near the goal: a
free kick taken from the six-yard-line by a defensive player when the ball has
been driven out of play over the end line ( goal
line ) by an opposing player

2.  RUGBY attacker’s
free kick to convert a try: in rugby, a free kick by a
member of the attacking team, aimed at clearing the defenders’ crossbar and
designed to convert a five-point try into a seven-point score

[1]



goalless

goalless
goal·less
[gṓləss] adjective

aimless:
having no goals to aim for in life or work[1]



goalline

goalline
goal
line
(plural goal lines) noun

line where the goalposts
stand: in games such as football
and field hockey, the line where goalposts are positioned and over which the
ball must pass or be carried to make a score. A touchdown can be scored
anywhere along the line; in other circumstances the ball may also have to pass
between the posts.
Also called
byline[1]



goalmouth

goalmouth
goal·mouth
[gṓl mòwth] (plural goal·mouths
[gṓl mouz]) noun

area in front of the goal:
in games such as soccer and hockey, the area directly in front of the goal[1]



goalong

goalong
go
along
intransitive verb

1.  accompany
somebody:
to accompany somebody on a trip • I
decided to go along just to keep her company.

2.  follow
another’s lead: to follow the lead of somebody else • When
she suggested that they study Chinese before the trip, he went right along.

3.  develop
in specified manner: to develop or progress in a
manner specified, especially favorably (informal) • Things
were going along reasonably well until she lost her job again.

[1]



goalong with

goalong with
go
along with
transitive verb

accept something or obey
somebody: to accept something or obey
somebody, especially reluctantly or to the surprise of others • You
can’t go along with it –it’s breaking the law.[1]



goal-oriented

goal-oriented
goal-o·ri·ent·ed
adjective

See
goal-directed[1]



goalpost

goalpost
goal·post
[gṓl pst] (plural goal·posts)
noun

post
marking the goal area: either of two posts, usually
supporting a crossbar between them, that together mark the boundary of the goal
in games such as football and field hockey
move
the goalposts

U.K.
to change the rules or conditions after a project has started or a course of
action has been embarked on • We’ll
never finish the software if Marketing keeps moving the goalposts.[1]



goaltender

goaltender
goal·tend·er 
[gṓl tendər] (plural goal·tend·ers)
noun

See
goalkeeper[1]



goaltending

goaltending
goal·tend·ing 
[gṓl tènding] noun

1.  guarding
the goal:
the act of trying to keep a puck or ball from entering a goal, especially in
hockey

2.  illegal
interference with a basketball in play: in
basketball, illegal interference with a ball that is in its downward arc toward
the basket or that is in or on the rim of the basket

[1]



goanna

goanna
goan·na
[gō ánnə] (plural goan·nas) noun

Australian
monitor lizard: a large Australian monitor lizard of
which there are several varieties. Genus: Varanus
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of iguana .][1]



go-around

go-around
go-a·round
noun (informal)

1.  one
instance:
an instance of something • The
question was settled during the first go-around of talks.

2.  circling
of something: the act or occurrence of going around
something • The
plane made one more go-around of the airport and landed.

3.  vocal
argument:
an argument, often a loud one • A
noisy go-around in the foyer was heard by all in the restaurant.

[1]



goaround

goaround
go
around
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
time with somebody: to spend a lot of time with
a particular person or as a member of a particular group (informal) • We
went around together all the time.

2.  intransitive
verb
travel
from place to place: to travel from one place to
another • We
tend to go around by taxi.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
widely known or shared: to be experienced or shared
by a lot of people • a flu virus that’s
going around at work

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
enough for everyone: to be able to be distributed
to everyone • There
aren’t enough pens to go around, so you’ll have to share.
what
goes around comes around

used to say that whatever
happens now will have an effect in the future (informal)[1]



goat

goat
go
at
transitive verb

try something with vigor:
to attempt something enthusiastically or energetically • He
went at the snow shoveling as if it were a race.[1]



Goat

Goat
Goat 
noun

ZODIAC
See Capricorn[1]



goat

goat
goat 
[gōt] (plural goats or goat)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY horned
mammal related to sheep: an agile ruminant mammal
that is related to sheep and has backward curving horns, straight hair, and a
short tail. Domestic goats are raised for their wool, meat, and milk. Genus: Capra

2.  lecher:
a lecherous man (insult)

3.  See
scapegoat
[Old
English gāt . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced
German Geiß “goat.” Originally in the meaning “she-goat,” it came to
denote both sexes by the 14th century.]
—goat·ish,
adjective
get
somebody’s goat

to annoy or irritate somebody
(informal) • Their
constant carping over trivia really gets my goat.[1]



goatcheese

goatcheese
goat
cheese
(plural goat chees·es) or goat’s cheese (plural
goat’s chees·es) noun

goat’s milk cheese:
cheese made from goat’s milk[1]



goatee

goatee
goat·ee 
[gō t] (plural goat·ees) noun

short
pointed beard: a short pointed beard on the chin but
not the cheeks
[From its resemblance to a
goat’s beard][1]



goatfish

goatfish
goat·fish 
[gṓt fìsh] (plural goat·fish or
goat·fish·es) noun

fish
with whiskers beneath the mouth: a distinctively
colored fish with two thin flexible appendages ( barbels
) beneath the mouth that are probably used as feelers. It lives near the sea
bed in warm seas. Family: Mullidae
Also
called
red mullet
Also
called
surmullet
U.K.
term
red mullet
[From the barbels beneath its
mouth][1]



goatherd

goatherd
goat·herd
[gṓt hùrd] (plural goat·herds)
noun

herder of goats:
somebody who looks after goats[1]



goatmoth

goatmoth
goat
moth
(plural goat moths) noun

European moth:
a large pale-gray European moth with wood-boring larvae that give off an odor
like that of goats. Latin name: Cossus cossus[1]



goatsbeard

goatsbeard
goats·beard
[gṓts brd] (plural goats·beards)
noun

1.  flower
like a dandelion: a Eurasian plant, now also growing in
the United States, that has woolly stems and large yellow flowers like those of
the dandelion. Latin name: Tragopogon pratensis

2.  plant
with white flowers: an eastern North American
plant that has long spikes of small white flowers. Latin name: Aruncus
dioicus
[From the down on the seeds][1]



goatskin

goatskin
goat·skin 
[gṓt skìn] (plural goat·skins)
noun

1.  skin
of a goat:
the skin or hide of a goat

2.  INDUSTRY CLOTHES leather:
leather made from the skin of a goat

3.  leather
wine flask:
a wine container made from the skin of a goat

[1]



goatsucker

goatsucker
goat·suck·er 
[gṓt sùkər] (plural goat·suck·ers)
noun

BIRDS See nightjar
[From the belief that it
sucked milk from goats][1]



goat’scheese

goat’scheese
goat’s
cheese
noun

See
goat cheese[1]



goat’smilk

goat’smilk
goat’s
milk
noun

milk from goats:
milk from a goat, used for drinking and for making cheese[1]



goat’srue

goat’srue
goat’s
rue 
noun

N American plant used as
animal food: a North American legume
plant with pink and yellow flowers, used for feeding livestock. Latin name: Teprosia
virginiana[1]



goaway

goaway
go
away
intransitive verb

1.  take
a vacation:
to leave the place where you live, especially in order to take a vacation (informal)
• Are
you going away this summer?

2.  get
out of here: used to tell somebody to get away from
you and leave the place where you are because he or she is annoying you • Go
away! I’m busy. • I
just had to tell him to go away, and so he went.

[1]



gob

gob1
gob1 [gob]
(plural gobs) noun

1.  clot:
a lump of a soft or wet substance (slang) • a
huge gob of whipped cream

2.  massive
amount:
a large quantity or amount (slang humorous) (often used in the plural)
• She
wears gobs of makeup. • They
made a gob of dough on that land deal.
[14th century. From Old
French gobe “mouthful,” from gober “to swallow,” of uncertain
origin.][1]



gob

gob3
gob3 [gob]
(plural gobs) noun

Navy
enlisted person: a sailor in the U.S. Navy (dated
slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of earlier gobby “coast guard.”][1]



gob

gob2
gob2 [gob]
(plural gobs) noun

U.K.
mouth:
the human mouth (slang disapproving)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scottish, Irish, and Gaelic .][1]



goback

goback
go
back
intransitive verb

originate from a time:
to originate from a particular date, period, or time • a
tradition that goes back to the time of George Washington[1]



goback on

goback on
go
back on
transitive verb

change your mind:
to change your mind about something you have agreed or promised to do • You
can’t go back on what we originally agreed –a deal’s a deal.[1]



gobbet

gobbet
gob·bet 
[góbbət] (plural gob·bets) noun

1.  quantity
of liquid:
a quantity of liquid, often in a sticky blotch • Gobbets
of grease covered the top of the stove.

2.  excerpt:
an extract from a text, especially one chosen for translation or comment in an
examination
[13th century. From Old
French gobet “a small gob,” from gobe (see gob 1 ).][1]



gobble

gobble2

gob·ble2 [góbb’l]
intransitive verb (past gob·bled, past participle gob·bled,
present participle gob·bling, 3rd person present singular gob·bles)
make
the sound of a turkey: to make the characteristic
gurgling sound of a male turkey, or a sound resembling this
noun
(plural gob·bles) interjection
turkey
sound:
the gurgling sound made by a male turkey
[Late 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



gobble

gobble1
gob·ble1 [góbb’l]
(past gob·bled, past participle gob·bled, present
participle gob·bling, 3rd person present singular gob·bles,
plural gob·bles) transitive verb

1.  eat
quickly and greedily: to eat something quickly and
greedily • He
gobbled up all the pizza.

2.  use
something up: to use something up quickly or in large
amounts (informal humorous) • watching
the pay phone gobble her money
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from gob 1 .][1]



gobbledygook

gobbledygook
gob·ble·dy·gook 
[góbb’ldi gk] or gob·ble·de·gook
[góbb’ldi gk] noun

nonsense
or jargon:
language that is difficult or impossible to understand, especially either
nonsense or long-winded technical jargon (informal disapproving) • This
manual is full of gobbledygook.
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound made by a male turkey.][1]



gobbler

gobbler
gob·bler 
[góbblər] (plural gob·blers) noun

male turkey:
a male turkey (informal)[1]



Gobelin

Gobelin
Go·be·lin 
[gṓbəlin] (plural Go·be·lins) noun

French tapestry:
a tapestry produced by the Gobelin factory in Paris, characterized by vivid
pictorial scenes[1]



go-between

go-between
go-be·tween
(plural go-be·tweens) noun

intermediary:
somebody who communicates or mediates between two groups or two individuals
during a negotiation, transaction, or secret operation • used
as a go-between to ease communication between the enemy generals prior to
surrender[1]



GobiDesert

GobiDesert
Go·bi
De·sert
[gbee dézzərt]

desert in northern China and
southern Mongolia, the coldest and one of the largest deserts in the world.
Area: 1,300,000 sq km/500,000 sq mi.[1]



goblet

goblet
gob·let 
[góbblət] (plural gob·lets) noun

1.  piece
of stemware: a drinking vessel with a stem and base,
especially one of metal or glass

2.  large
cup:
a large bowl-shaped cup used for drinking in former times (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French gobelet “small cup,” from gobel “cup.”][1]



gobletcell

gobletcell
gob·let
cell
(plural gob·let cells) noun

cell secreting mucus:
a cell shaped like a goblet that secretes mucus. Goblet cells are found in the
intestines and respiratory system of mammals and the epidermis of fish.[1]



goblin

goblin
gob·lin 
[góbblin] (plural gob·lins) noun

tiny
mischievous or evil creature: in folk tales, a creature
resembling a small man of unpleasant appearance, usually evil or mischievous.
Also
called
hobgoblin
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Anglo-Norman from medieval Latin gobelinus, the
name of a spirit that supposedly haunted the French town of Évreux in the 12th
century.][1]



gobo

gobo
go·bo
[gṓ b] (plural go·bos or
gob·oes) noun

1.  microphone
shield:
a shield that is placed around a microphone to keep out unwanted sounds

2.  lens
shield:
a black screen placed around the lens of a camera or video camera to keep out
unwanted light
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gobsmacked

gobsmacked
gob·smacked 
[gób smàkt] or gob·struck [gób strùk] adjective

U.K.
extremely shocked:
extremely surprised or shocked (slang)[1]



goby

goby
go
by
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
pass
in time:
to move onward in terms of time • As the
years go by he gets more and more mellow

2.  transitive
verb
regard
something as true: to treat advice or
information as reliable or true

3.  transitive
verb
use
particular source of information: to use a particular
way of doing something or finding something out • All
we had to go by was a soggy map.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
a brief visit: to pay a brief, often unannounced or
informal, visit to somebody • I’ll
go by your mother and give her the books.

[1]



goby

goby
go·by 
[gṓbee] (plural go·bies or
go·by) noun

small
spiny-finned fish: a small elongated
spiny-finned freshwater or marine fish whose pelvic fins form a sucker. Gobies
are usually found in burrows or crevices. Family: Gobiidae
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin gobius
from Greek kōbios, the name of a small fish.][1]



go-cart

go-cart
go-cart
(plural go-carts) noun

1.  child’s
car with an engine: a light open-framed car
large enough for a child or young teenager to sit in, containing a small engine
and used for racing

2.  MOTOR SPORTS See kart
Also
called
go-kart

3.  (informal
dated) See kart

[1]



God

God
God
noun

1.  RELIGION supreme
being:
the being believed in monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Islam, and
Christianity to be the all-powerful all-knowing creator of the universe,
worshiped as the only god

2.  CHRISTIANITY the
Trinity:
one supreme being worshiped by Christians in the form of three persons, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost
interjection

expression of strong feeling:
used to express or emphasize feelings such as anger, helplessness, and
frustration (sometimes considered offensive)

[1]



god

god
god 
[god] noun (plural gods)

1.  supernatural
being:
one of a group of supernatural male beings in some religions, each of which is
worshiped as the personification or controller of some aspect of the universe • Thor,
the Norse god of thunder.
See
also
goddess  noun 1

2.  figure
or image:
a representation of a god, used as an object of worship • the
little bronze god standing in a niche above the altar.

See
also
goddess  noun 2

3.  something
that dominates somebody’s life: something that is so
important that it takes over somebody’s life (informal) • worshiping
the false god of fame

4.  somebody
admired and imitated: a man who is widely admired
or imitated (informal) • He was
one of the rock music gods of the early Seventies.
See
also
goddess  noun 3
plural
noun
gods

fate: the
entire group of supernatural beings viewed as deciding human fate
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word, meaning “that which is invoked,” which is also the
ancestor of German Gott “god.”][1]



Godavari

Godavari
Go·da·va·ri 
[gō dvəree]

river in western India that
is sacred to Hindus. It rises in the Western Ghats and empties into the Bay of
Bengal. Length: 1,448/900 mi.[1]



god-awful

god-awful
god-aw·ful
or God-aw·ful adjective

really terrible:
extremely bad or unpleasant (slang) (sometimes considered offensive)
• a
god-awful racket[1]



godchild

godchild
god·child 
[gód chld] (plural god·chil·dren
[gód chìldrən]) noun

child with godparents:
somebody whose spiritual upbringing is made the responsibility of a godmother
or a godfather, or both. This arrangement is usually declared at the person’s
baptism or christening.[1]



goddamn

goddamn
god·damn
[gód dàm] adjective adverb god·damn
god·dam god·damned

expression
of strong feeling: used to emphasize a word or
idea, or to express anger, frustration, or some other strong emotion (slang)
(sometimes considered offensive)
interjection

expression of strong emotion:
used to express anger, frustration, or some other strong emotion (slang
offensive)[1]



Goddard,Robert

Goddard,Robert
God·dard
[góddərd], Robert (1882–1945)

U.S.
physicist. His innovations in rocket design included the development of
liquid-fuel rockets (1926), instrument-carrying rockets (1929), and the first
rocket to exceed the speed of sound (1935).
Full name
Goddard, Robert Hutchings[1]



goddaughter

goddaughter
god·daugh·ter 
[gód dàwtər] (plural god·daugh·ters)
noun

girl or woman godchild:
a girl or woman who is somebody’s godchild[1]



goddess

goddess
god·dess 
[góddəss] (plural god·dess·es)
noun

1.  supernatural
being:
one of the group of supernatural female beings in some religions, worshiped as
the personification or controller of some aspect of the universe.
See
also
god  noun 1

2.  figure
or image:
a representation of a goddess, used as an object of worship • the
statue of the goddess, standing in the temple’s first niche.

See
also
god

3.  somebody
admired and imitated: a woman who is widely
admired or imitated, especially for her beauty (informal) • a
screen goddess.
See
also
god  noun 4

[1]



Godey,Louis Antoine

Godey,Louis Antoine
Go·dey
[gṓdee], Louis Antoine (1804–1878)

U.S. publisher. He published Godey’s
Lady’s Book ( 1830–1877 ), the leading U.S. women’s magazine of its time.[1]



godfather

godfather
god·fa·ther 
[gód fər] (plural god·fa·thers)
noun

1.  man
godparent:
a man who is somebody’s godparent

2.  organized-crime
boss:
a man who heads a criminal organization, especially a Mafia leader (informal)

3.  patron
or founder:
a man who provides inspiration or support, especially financial help, for a
person or cause (informal) • the
godfather of the joint venture





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Godfather, a movie by Francis Ford Coppola ( 1972 ). Based on the novel by
  Mario Puzo ( 1969 ), it describes the attempts of the Sicilian Corleone
  family to maintain its control of the New York Mafia when a group of renegade
  families set up a drug-smuggling ring. Together with its two sequels, The
  Godfather Part II ( 1974 ) and The Godfather Part III ( 1990 ), it
  brought new meaning to terms such as “godfather” and “consigliere.”

[1]



God-fearing

God-fearing
God-fear·ing
adjective

deeply devout:
devout or deeply religious[1]



godforsaken

godforsaken
god·for·sak·en
[gódfər sàykən, gòdfər
sáykən] adjective

cheerless:
depressing, deserted, or empty • The
soldiers couldn’t wait to get out of that godforsaken desert.[1]



God-given

God-given
God-giv·en
adjective

basic:
existing or applying as part of the natural order of the universe rather than
arranged by humanity[1]



Godhead

Godhead
God·head
noun

Christian God:
the Christian God, especially when considered as the Holy Trinity (formal)[1]



godhead

godhead
god·head 
[gód hèd] noun

state of being God or a god:
the nature or essence of being divine (formal)
Also called
godhood[1]



godhood

godhood
god·hood 
[gód hd] noun

(formal) See godhead[1]



godless

godless
god·less 
[góddləss] adjective

1.  without
God or a god: not believing in or worshiping God, or
any god (disapproving)

2.  wicked:
of an evil or immoral character or nature (formal disapproving)
—god·less·ly,
adverb

—god·less·ness, noun[1]



godlike

godlike
god·like 
[gód lk] adjective

as if divine:
fit for God or a god, or having the qualities of a god or of God, for example,
superhuman power, beauty, or imagination[1]



godly

godly
god·ly 
[góddlee] (comparative god·li·er,
superlative god·li·est) adjective

1.  devout:
devoted to or worshiping God (formal)

2.  divine:
fit for God or a god, or having godlike qualities
—god·li·ness, noun[1]



godmother

godmother
god·moth·er 
[gód mùər] (plural god·moth·ers)
noun

woman godparent:
a woman who is somebody’s godparent[1]



godown

godown
go·down
[gṓ dòwn] (plural go·downs) noun

Eastern
warehouse:
a warehouse, especially in India and Malaysia
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese gudao from Tamil kitanku and Kannada gadangu
“store.”][1]



godown

godown
go
down
intransitive verb

1.  go
below horizon: to sink below the horizon • The
sun had already gone down by the time we got back.

2.  sink
beneath something: to sink beneath the surface
of a body of water • An oil tanker went down
off the coast of Alaska.

3.  crash:
to fall from the air and crash • The
kite went down in the treetops.

4.  suffer
disgrace:
to be disgraced or ruined (informal) • If
he goes down, he’ll take the whole department with him.

5.  be
remembered:
to be remembered in a specified way • She
will surely go down as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

6.  be
received:
to be received in a particular way • an
idea that didn’t go down at all well with the stockholders

7.  be
eatable or drinkable: to be able to be eaten or
drunk, especially easily or enjoyably (informal) • With
sick children, soup tends to go down more easily than solid foods.

8.  COMPUTING malfunction:
to break down or stop working • Since
the airline’s computers have gone down, we can’t get flight information yet.

9.  take
place:
to happen or be happening (slang) • Hey,
what’s going down? • When
the robbery went down, the cops rushed to the scene.

10. U.K.
EDUC leave
university at the end of term: to leave college or a
university at the end of term or the end of the academic year

11. BRIDGE fail
to achieve bridge tricks: in the game of bridge, to
fail to attain the number of tricks that has been contracted for

[1]



godown on

godown on
go
down on
transitive verb

offensive term:
offensive term for performing oral sex (taboo offensive)[1]



godparent

godparent
god·par·ent 
[gód pèrrənt] (plural god·par·ents)
noun

sponsor at baptism:
somebody who is named as a sponsor when a child is baptized. Godparents often
maintain close, almost familial relationships with a godchild.[1]



godroon

godroon
go·droon
[gə drn] noun

See
gadroon[1]



godsend

godsend
god·send 
[gód sènd] (plural god·sends) noun

1.  unexpected
good:
something good that happens unexpectedly

2.  something
or somebody very useful: something received that
proves extremely useful, or somebody who arrives and gives much-needed help
[Early 19th century. From God’s
send “something sent by God”: send from send 1 (noun) in
the obsolete sense “thing sent.”][1]



godson

godson
god·son 
[gód sùn] (plural god·sons) noun

man or boy godchild:
a man or boy who is somebody’s godchild[1]



Godspeed

Godspeed
God·speed 
[gód spd] interjection

expressing
wish for safe journey: used to wish somebody a safe
trip or successful endeavor (dated)
[15th century. From God
speed you “may God speed you.”][1]



GodwinAusten, Mount

GodwinAusten, Mount
God·win
Aus·ten, Mount [gòddwin
óstin]

See
K2[1]



godwit

godwit
god·wit 
[gód wìt] (plural god·wits) noun

long-billed
wading bird: a large wading bird, found worldwide,
that has a long slightly upturned bill and long legs and is related to curlews
and sandpipers. Genus: Limosa
[Mid-16th century. Origin unknown.][1]



God’sAcre

God’sAcre
God’s
A·cre 
[gòdz áykər] noun

churchyard:
any churchyard or cemetery (literary)
[From the German Gottesacker][1]



God’scountry

God’scountry
God’s
coun·try
noun

beloved place:
a nation or piece of land that is dearly loved[1]



god’seye

god’seye
god’s
eye
(plural god’s eyes) noun

small woven decoration:
a small object displaying the form of a circle within a rectangle, used as a
decoration and symbol of good fortune. A god’s eye is usually made with colored
yarns or thread wound around a framework of sticks.[1]



God’sgift

God’sgift
God’s
gift
noun

somebody wonderful:
an extremely admirable, valued, or talented person (often used ironically)
• He
thought he was God’s gift to the movie industry.[1]



Goebbels,Joseph

Goebbels,Joseph

Goeb·bels
[gbbl’z], Joseph (1897–1945)
German
Nazi politician. He was Adolf Hitler’s minister of propaganda (1933–1945).
Full name
Goebbels, Paul Joseph[1]



goer

goer
go·er
[gṓ ər] (plural go·ers) noun

1.  regular
attender:
somebody who attends performances or other events on a regular basis (usually
used in combination) • festival-goer

2.  fast
mover:
a spirited or fast-moving person or animal (informal)

[1]



Goethals,George Washington

Goethals,George Washington
Goe·thals
[gṓ’lz], George Washington (1858–1928)

U.S. engineer and army
officer. He was chief engineer of the Panama Canal (1907–1914).[1]



Goethe,Johann Wolfgang von

Goethe,Johann Wolfgang von

Goe·the
[gtə], Johann Wolfgang von (1749–1832)
German writer and scientist. A seminal
figure of European literature, he was a prolific writer of poems, novels,
plays, criticism, and letters. His masterwork is the dramatic poem Faust
( 1808–1832 ). He was also author of The Sorrows of Young Werther (novel,
1774).[1]



goethite

goethite
goe·thite 
[gṓ tht, g
tht] noun

iron
oxide:
an earthy, rust-colored hydrated iron oxide mineral formed by the alteration of
iron minerals
[Early 19th century. Named
for J. W. von Goethe (1749–1832), German writer.][1]



gofer

gofer
go·fer
[gōfər] (plural go·fers) noun

errand
runner:
somebody who runs errands, especially somebody employed to do this and other
low-level, basic tasks (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From a
reduced pronunciation of go for .][1]



goffer

goffer
gof·fer 
[góffər] or gauf·fer [góffər] transitive verb (past gof·fered,
past participle gof·fered, present participle gof·fer·ing,
3rd person present singular gof·fers) (past gauf·fered,
past participle gauf·fered, present participle gauf·fer·ing,
3rd person present singular gauf·fers)

1.  HAIRDRESSING crimp
hair:
to make hair wavy or crimped using a heated iron or similar device

2.  press
frills into fabric: to press pleats into fabric
to produce an ornamental frill using a heated iron or similar implement
noun
(plural gof·fers) (plural gauf·fers)

goffering tool:
a tool used for goffering frills
[Late 16th century. From
French gaufrer “mark with a decorative tool,” from gaufre
“honeycomb,” from, ultimately, Middle Low German wafel .][1]



gofor

gofor
go
for
transitive verb

1.  try
to obtain something you want: to make an effort to obtain
something because it is suitable for you or important to you (informal)
• I
really think you should go for that sales job.

2.  like
something or somebody a lot: to prefer, like, or be
interested in a particular thing or person (informal) • I
don’t really go for science fiction.

3.  choose
something:
to choose one particular thing rather than another (informal) • I
think I’ll go for the chocolate cheesecake –how about you?

4.  attack
somebody:
to attack somebody physically or verbally

5.  command
a price:
to be worth or sold for a particular amount • In
the end the house went for far less than its market value.

6.  be
relevant to somebody: to apply or be relevant to
somebody • She
needs to be more careful in her work –and that goes for you, too!
go
for it

not
to stop or relax until you aggressively reach your goal (slang) • The
coach told the team to get out there and go for it.

have
something going for you

to be in a situation where
something is useful or helpful to you to a particular extent (informal)
• She
has a lot going for her in the tennis championship, given her season’s record.[1]



Gogand Magog

Gogand Magog
Gog
and Ma·gog
noun

God’s enemies:
in the Bible, the name given to the enemies of God’s people. In the book of
Ezekiel, Gog is named as the ruler of a land named Magog, while Revelations
names Gog and Magog as nations that were under Satan’s rule.[1]



go-getter

go-getter
go-get·ter 
(plural go-get·ters) noun

enterprising person:
somebody who is enterprising and aggressive (informal)[1]



goggle

goggle
gog·gle 
[gógg’l] verb (past gog·gled,
past participle gog·gled, present participle gog·gling,
3rd person present singular gog·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
stare
wide-eyed:
to stare with eyes wide open, usually in astonishment

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb roll
the eyes:
to roll the eyes about, or roll about in the eye socket
adjective

bulging:
bulging from the eye socket • goggle
eyes
noun
(plural gog·gles)

wide-eyed stare:
a staring or leering at somebody with eyes wide
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “to move back and forth
repeatedly,” formed from assumed gog “to move back and forth,” an
imitation of the movement.]
—gog·gly, adjective[1]



goggle-eyed

goggle-eyed
gog·gle-eyed 
adjective

wide-eyed:
with staring eyes[1]



goggles

goggles
gog·gles
[gógg’lz] plural noun

protective eyeglasses:
protective eyeglasses, usually made of plastic or glass and fitting tight to
the face[1]



go-go

go-go
go-go
adjective

1.  energetic:
characterized by energy and forcefulness

2.  FINANCE speculative:
bringing or expected to bring quick or high returns on any investment • These
go-go stocks carry risk and are not for the timid investor.

3.  disco:
relating to or seen in discotheques or music clubs (dated)
noun

MUSIC type
of music:
type of U.S. popular music from the 1980s, an amalgamation of disco, funk, and
Latin sounds
[Doubling of go, probably referring to French à gogo
“galore”][1]



go-godancer

go-godancer
go-go
danc·er
(plural go-go danc·ers) noun

erotic dancer:
an energetic and usually scantily dressed dancer providing entertainment in a
nightclub (dated)[1]



Goidel

Goidel
Goi·del
[góyd’l] (plural Goi·dels) noun

speaker
of a Goidelic language: a Celt who speaks any one of
the northern branch of Celtic languages known as Goidelic
[Late 19th century. From Old
Irish Goídel (see Gael ).][1]



Goidelic

Goidelic
Goi·del·ic 
[goy déllik] noun

northern
Celtic languages: the northern branch of the Celtic family
of languages, comprising Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx.
Also
called
Gadhelic
—Goi·del·ic, adjective[1]



goin

goin
go
in
intransitive verb

1.  be
obscured by cloud cover: to become hidden by clouds • Once
the sun went in, it got really cold sitting in the ski lift.

2.  begin
an attack:
to launch an attack or begin another maneuver • After
the police went in, things rapidly got out of hand.

[1]



goin for

goin for
go
in for
transitive verb

1.  enjoy
doing something: to enjoy a particular activity • I
don’t really go in for team sports myself.

2.  SPORTS substitute
for another player: to substitute for another
player on a team such as an injured or ejected teammate • Number
8 went in for the injured first-string quarterback.

[1]



going

going
go·ing 
[gṓing] noun (plural go·ings)

1.  act
of leaving:
an act of leaving somewhere

2.  conditions
for progress: conditions for making progress of any
kind • The
going gets tough when you reach the rocky terrain.

3.  conditions
under foot:
the state of the ground as it affects ease and speed of movement, especially
for horses in a race • The
going is good.
adjective

1.  successful:
currently operating successfully

2.  accepted
as standard: currently accepted as standard or valid
• the
going rate for platinum

3.  existing:
currently in existence or available • the
best going

[1]



going-over

going-over
go·ing-o·ver 
(plural go·ings-o·ver) noun (informal)

1.  thorough
examination: a thorough examination or check • They
gave the results a thorough going-over before making their report.

2.  overhaul:
an action by which something is thoroughly improved or restored to a previous
condition such as an act of cleaning, polishing, or dusting something • The
house got a complete going-over before the arrival of the in-laws.

3.  scolding
or beating:
a verbal scolding or physical beating

[1]



goings-on

goings-on
go·ings-on 
plural noun

happenings:
events or activities, especially of a noteworthy or suspicious nature (informal)[1]



gointo

gointo
go
into
transitive verb

1.  enter
space:
to enter a place or building • Let’s
go into the house –it’s freezing out here.

2.  begin
a career:
to begin a job or career in a particular area of activity • She
went into advertising and made lots of money.

3.  look
into something: to examine or look into something in
detail and with thoroughness

4.  be
a factor of a number: to be a factor of a
particular number or amount • 15
won’t go into 125.

5.  be
spent on something: to be used or spent for a
particular purpose • Millions have gone into
finding a cure.

[1]



goin with

goin with
go
in with
transitive verb

begin a joint venture:
to begin participating in a project or venture with other people • I
went in with four friends to start a restaurant.[1]



goiter

goiter
goi·ter 
[góytər] (plural goi·ters) noun

enlargement
of the thyroid gland: enlargement of the thyroid
gland appearing as a swelling of the front of the neck. Iodine deficiency is
one of several causes.
Also
called
struma
[Early
17th century. From French, from, ultimately, Latin guttur “throat.”]
—goi·trous, adjective[1]



goitre

goitre
goi·tre
[góytər] noun

U.K. =
goiter[1]



Goiânia

Goiânia
Goi·â·ni·a
[goy nee ə, go
yánnyə]

capital city of Goiás State
in south central Brazil. Population: 972,766 (1996)[1]



go-kart

go-kart
go-kart
(plural go-karts) or go-cart (plural go-carts)
noun

See
go-cart  noun 1[1]



GolanHeights

GolanHeights
Go·lan
Heights 
[g laan hts]

disputed upland region on the
border between Israel and Syria, northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Administered
by Syria until 1967, it was first occupied and then, in 1981, annexed by
Israel. HP: 2,224 m./7,294 ft. Area: 1,250 ft./485 sq mi.[1]



gold

gold

gold 
[gōld] noun (plural golds)

1.  MINERALS soft
yellow metallic element: a soft heavy yellow metal
that is highly valued and widely used to make jewelry, often in alloy form. The
most ductile and malleable metal, it is corrosion-resistant and is found in
underground veins and alluvial deposits. Symbol Au

2.  COLORS deep
rich yellow hue: a deep rich yellow color that resembles
that of the metal gold

3.  things
made of gold: things made of gold, for example, coins
or pieces of jewelry

4.  wealth:
much money or wealth

5.  SPORTS gold
medal:
a gold medal (informal)

6.  ARCHERY bull’s
eye:
the bull’s eye of a target, which is usually gilt
adjective

1.  of
or like gold: made of, covered with, or looking like
gold, often as a symbol of high quality or achievement

2.  of
rich deep yellow hue: of a deep rich yellow color

3.  indicative
of top recording sales: used to describe a golden
replica of a recording that has achieved exceptionally high sales, the replica
being presented to the recording artist or artists. Sales of an album must
exceed 500,000 copies, or 250,000 in the U.K., and those of a single, one
million, or 500,000 in the U.K.
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English yellow and gild
.][1]



Goldberg,Arthur J.

Goldberg,Arthur J.
Gold·berg
[gṓldbərg], Arthur J. (1908–1990)

U.S. statesman and Supreme
Court justice. He sat on the U.S. Supreme Court (1962–1965), and was U.S.
delegate to the United Nations (1965–1968).[1]



Goldberg,Rube

Goldberg,Rube
Gold·berg
[gṓldbərg], Rube (1883–1970)

U.S.
cartoonist. He is known for his comic diagrams of complex contraptions that
performed ridiculously simple actions.
Full name
Goldberg, Reuben Lucius[1]



Goldberg,Whoopi

Goldberg,Whoopi
Gold·berg
[gṓldbərg], Whoopi (1949– )

U.S.
actor. Her movies include The Color Purple ( 1985 ) and an Academy
Award-winning performance in Ghost ( 1990 ).
Real name
Johnson, Caryn[1]



goldbrick

goldbrick
gold
brick
(plural gold bricks) noun

1.  something
only superficially valuable: a brick or other thing that
appears to be made of gold but is not actually valuable

2.  lazy
person:
a loafer or shirker (informal)
[From the gold rush era, when
cheaters sold fake gold bricks, or sold real gold bricks but later replaced
them with fake ones][1]



goldbrick

goldbrick
gold·brick 
[gṓld brìk] (past gold·bricked,
past participle gold·bricked, present participle gold·brick·ing,
3rd person present singular gold·bricks, plural gold·bricks)
intransitive verb

avoid
work:
to avoid work by making excuses (informal)
—gold·brick·er (plural
gold·brick·ers), noun[1]



goldbug

goldbug
gold
bug
(plural gold bugs) noun

advocate of the gold
standard: a supporter of a single gold
standard (dated informal)[1]



goldcertificate

goldcertificate
gold
cer·tif·i·cate (plural gold cer·tif·i·cates)
noun

special Treasury note:
a security representing ownership of a quantity of gold, with the actual
bullion held in a designated repository[1]



GoldCoast

GoldCoast
Gold
Coast 
[gṓld kōst]

1.  city
on the Pacific coast, southeastern Queensland, Australia. It straddles the
border between Queensland and New South Wales. Population: 311,932 (1996)

2.  Former
name for
Ghana 1874–1957

[1]



goldcoast

goldcoast
gold
coast
or Gold Coast noun

1.  exclusive
residential area: the most exclusive residential area of a
place

2.  exclusive
office space: the floor or area in an office building
where the top management of a company has its offices (slang)

[1]



goldcrest

goldcrest
gold·crest
[gṓld krèst] (plural gold·crests)
noun

small songbird:
a small, very active, olive-green songbird with a yellow-and-black crown,
common in Europe. Latin name: Regulus regulus[1]



golddigger

golddigger
gold
dig·ger
(plural gold dig·gers) noun

1.  somebody
who courts somebody for money: somebody, who pursues
personal relationships in order to obtain wealth (insult)

2.  gold
miner:
a miner looking for gold deposits
—gold-dig·ging, noun[1]



golddisk

golddisk
gold
disk 
(plural gold disks) noun

1.  U.K.
MUSIC See gold record

2.  COMPUT master
disk for CD: the master disk from which a CD-ROM is
made

[1]



golddust

golddust
gold
dust
noun

U.K.
See alyssum[1]



golden

golden
gold·en 
[gṓld’n] adjective

1.  colored
like gold:
with the deep rich yellow color or sheen of gold • golden
hair

2.  made
of gold:
made largely or wholly of gold • a
golden crown

3.  excellent:
especially good • a golden opportunity

4.  idyllic:
when there is general or individual success, happiness, or prosperity • the
golden years of their lives

5.  favored:
very popular or successful, or likely to become so • the
golden boys and girls of the downhill ski circuit

6.  50th:
that is fiftieth in a series • golden
jubilee
—gold·en·ly,
adverb

—gold·en·ness, noun[1]



Golden

Golden
Gold·en 
[gṓld’n]

city at the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains in Jefferson County, north central Colorado, 16 km/10 mi west
of Denver. Population: 15,021 (1996)[1]



goldenage

goldenage
gold·en
age
noun

1.  period
of excellence: a period of great prosperity or
achievement, especially in the arts

2.  earliest
and best age: the first age of the world in classical
mythology, characterized by idyllic happiness and innocence

[1]



goldenager

goldenager
gold·en
ag·er
(plural gold·en ag·ers) noun

senior citizen:
somebody over retirement age[1]



goldenAlexanders

goldenAlexanders
gold·en
Al·ex·an·ders (plural gold·en Al·ex·an·ders)
noun

perennial
yellow-flowered plant: a perennial North American
plant of the carrot family that has small yellow flowers and is found in woods
and meadows. Latin name: Zizia aurea (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Alexanders of uncertain
origin: probably from medieval Latin (petroselinum) Alexandrinum “horse
parsley,” named for Alexander III][1]



goldenanniversary

goldenanniversary
gold·en
an·ni·ver·sa·ry noun

50th anniversary:
a fiftieth anniversary, for example, of a wedding, or its celebration[1]



goldenaster

goldenaster
gold·en
as·ter
(plural gold·en as·ters) noun

yellow-flowered plant:
a North American plant with yellow flowers resembling those of daisies. Genus: Chrysopsis[1]



GoldenBay

GoldenBay
Gold·en
Bay

bay on the northern coast of
the South Island, New Zealand. It extends 40 km/25 mi from Farewell Spit in the
west to Separation Point in the east.[1]



goldenbrown

goldenbrown
gold·en
brown
noun

yellowish
brown:
a yellowish brown color
—gold·en-brown, adjective[1]



golden-brownalga

golden-brownalga
gold·en-brown
al·ga
noun

freshwater or marine alga:
a freshwater or marine alga that is yellow to golden-brown in color. Division: Chrysophyta
(often used in the plural)[1]



goldencalf

goldencalf
gold·en
calf
noun

materialistic
goal:
an unworthy object that is esteemed or worshiped, especially money
[From the golden calf made by
Aaron and worshiped by the Israelites (Exodus 32)][1]



goldenclub

goldenclub
gold·en
club
(plural gold·en clubs) noun

yellow-flowered aquatic
plant: an eastern North American
aquatic plant that has a yellow club-shaped floral spike and small blue-green
berries. Latin name: Orontium aquaticum[1]



GoldenDelicious

GoldenDelicious
Gold·en
De·li·cious
noun

yellowish eating apple:
a variety of eating apples with greenish or yellowish skin and a soft sweet
flesh[1]



goldeneagle

goldeneagle
gold·en
ea·gle
(plural gold·en ea·gles) noun

large eagle:
a large dark-brown eagle that has golden-brown feathers on its head and neck.
It is found in mountainous areas of the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Aquila
chrysaetos[1]



goldeneye

goldeneye
gol·den·eye 
[gṓld’n ] (plural gol·den·eyes)
noun

1.  black-and-white
duck:
a black-and-white diving duck with yellow eyes. There are two species, both
found in northern regions. Latin name: Bucephala clangula Bucephala
islandica

2.  insect
with yellow eyes: an insect with yellow eyes and delicate
lacy wings. Family: Chrysopidae

[1]



GoldenFleece

GoldenFleece
Gold·en
Fleece 
noun

prize stolen by Jason:
in Greek mythology, the fleece of the winged ram Chrysomallus, kept in a sacred
grove by King Aeëtes, from where it was stolen by Jason[1]



GoldenGate Bridge

GoldenGate Bridge
Gol·den
Gate Bridge

long suspension bridge across
the entrance to San Francisco Bay, California. It was opened in 1937 and links
San Francisco with Marin County.[1]



goldenglow

goldenglow
gold·en
glow
noun

yellow-flowered plant:
a tall plant grown for its attractive multiple yellow flower heads. Latin name:
Rudbeckia laciniata[1]



goldenhamster

goldenhamster
gold·en
ham·ster
(plural gold·en ham·sters) noun

small mammal with cheek
pouches: a small mammal with tan fur,
a short tail, and large cheek pouches for storing food that is often kept as a
pet or used as a laboratory animal. The widespread domestic population came
from a single female and 12 young caught in Syria in 1930. Latin name: Mesocricetus
auratus[1]



goldenhandcuffs

goldenhandcuffs
gold·en
hand·cuffs
plural noun

large payment on starting
employment: generous benefits promised
to an employee on joining a company to discourage him or her from leaving to
work elsewhere (informal)[1]



goldenhandshake

goldenhandshake
gold·en
hand·shake
(plural gold·en hand·shakes) noun

large payment on leaving
employment: a large sum of money given
to an employee to compensate for the loss of a job or compulsory early
retirement (informal)[1]



GoldenHorde

GoldenHorde
Gold·en
Horde
noun

invading Mongol army:
the Mongol army that invaded and dominated large parts of eastern Europe in the
13th century[1]



GoldenHorseshoe

GoldenHorseshoe
Gold·en
Horse·shoe
noun

Canada
prosperous part of S Ontario:
the prosperous region of southern Ontario running around the western end of
Lake Ontario from St. Catharines in the west to Oshawa in the east and
including Toronto and Hamilton.[1]



goldenlion tamarin

goldenlion tamarin
gold·en
li·on tam·a·rin (plural gold·en li·on
tam·a·rins) noun

rare Brazilian monkey:
a small monkey with brilliant golden fur and mane, found in the coastal forests
of Brazil. Although its survival is endangered, a 1996 zoo breeding program
successfully reintroduced it into its natural habitat. Latin name: Leontopithecus
rosalia[1]



goldenmean

goldenmean
gold·en
mean
noun

1.  moderation:
the middle course that avoids extremes in either direction

2.  ARTS See golden section

[1]



goldennematode

goldennematode
gold·en
nem·a·tode
(plural gold·en nem·a·todes) noun

worm damaging to potatoes:
a small worm that can infest potato fields, causing severe damage to crops and
loss of productive farm land. Latin name: Heterodera rostochiensis[1]



goldenoldie

goldenoldie
gold·en
old·ie 
(plural gold·en old·ies) noun

popular old song:
a song that was popular in the past and has remained popular or become popular
again (informal)[1]



goldenoriole

goldenoriole
gold·en
o·ri·ole
(plural gold·en o·ri·oles) noun

yellow bird:
a songbird found in warmer European and Asian climates, the male of which has
bright yellow plumage with a black tail and wings, while the female is
yellowish-green. Latin name: Oriolus oriolus[1]



goldenparachute

goldenparachute
gold·en
par·a·chute
(plural gold·en par·a·chutes) noun

promised payment for ousted
executive: an employment agreement that
gives generous benefits to a senior executive who is forced to leave a company
(informal)[1]



goldenpheasant

goldenpheasant
gold·en
pheas·ant
noun

brightly colored pheasant:
a brightly colored long-tailed pheasant native to the mountainous regions of
China and Tibet and often seen in aviaries elsewhere. Latin name: Chrysolophus
pictus[1]



goldenplover

goldenplover
gold·en
plov·er
(plural gold·en plov·ers) noun

golden-brown shore bird:
a northern European shore bird with brown and black plumage and gold spots on
its head and back. It migrates seasonally as far as the Mediterranean coast.
Latin name: Pluvialis apricaria[1]



goldenretriever

goldenretriever

gold·en re·triev·er
(plural gold·en re·triev·ers) noun
dog with gold fur:
a medium-sized dog of a breed with soft cream to golden hair. Its companionable
nature makes it a popular family pet.[1]



goldenrod

goldenrod

gold·en·rod 
[gṓld’n ròd] (plural gold·en·rods
or gold·en·rod) noun
tall yellow-flowered plant:
a tall-stemmed, late summer-blooming plant with clusters of small yellow
flowers. It is widespread in Europe and North America. Genus: Solidago[1]



goldenrule

goldenrule
gold·en
rule
(plural gold·en rules) noun

1.  essential
rule:
any basic rule that must be followed

2.  rule
of conduct:
the rule of conduct that advises people to treat others in the same manner as
they wish to be treated themselves

3.  MATHEMATICS See rule of
three

[1]



goldenseal

goldenseal
gold·en·seal 
[gṓld’n sl] (plural gold·en·seals)
noun

small woodland plant:
a small perennial woodland plant of the buttercup family that has small
greenish flowers and is native to eastern North America. Its thick yellow
rootstock is used in herbal medicine for its healing and antiseptic properties.
Latin name: Hydrastis canadensis
Also called
orangeroot[1]



goldensection

goldensection
gold·en
sec·tion
noun

ARTS
pleasing proportion:
the proportion arising from the division of a straight line into two, so that
the ratio of the whole line to the larger part is exactly the same as the ratio
of the larger part to the smaller part. It is considered to be the most
aesthetically pleasing proportion.
Also called
golden mean[1]



goldenshiner

goldenshiner
gold·en
shin·er
(plural gold·en shin·ers) noun

freshwater fish:
a common freshwater fish of the minnow family, native to eastern North America,
that has a deep body and a golden color. Latin name: Notemigonus crysoleucas[1]



goldentriangle

goldentriangle
gold·en
tri·an·gle
noun

opium-growing region:
the part of Southeast Asia where Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (formerly Burma)
meet and where much opium is grown[1]



goldfield

goldfield
gold·field 
[gṓld fld] (plural gold·fields)
noun

gold mining area:
an area with gold mines[1]



gold-filled

gold-filled
gold-filled 
adjective

covered with gold:
made of metal covered with a layer of gold[1]



goldfinch

goldfinch
gold·finch 
[gṓld fìnch] (plural gold·finch·es)
noun

small bird:
a small finch with yellow and black markings, found in North America, Europe,
and Asia. Genus: Carduelis[1]



goldfish

goldfish
gold·fish 
[gṓld fìsh] (plural gold·fish or
gold·fish·es) noun

small ornamental fish:
a small orange-red freshwater fish native to eastern Asia but commonly kept in
aquariums, ponds, and tanks. It is related to the carps and minnows. Latin
name: Carassius auratus[1]



goldfishbowl

goldfishbowl
gold·fish
bowl
(plural gold·fish bowls) noun

1.  U.K.
bowl
for goldfish: a clear glass or plastic bowl in which
to raise and keep goldfish

2.  place
without privacy: a situation or place that is always open
to public view or scrutiny

[1]



goldleaf

goldleaf
gold
leaf
noun

gold in thin sheets:
gold that is beaten out into very thin sheets and used for gilding and
lettering[1]



Goldman,Emma

Goldman,Emma

Gold·man
[gṓldmən], Emma (1869–1940)
Russian-born U.S. anarchist. A fiery
writer and lecturer, she was imprisoned and deported (1919) for her radical
political activities in the United States, and wrote the autobiographical Living
my Life ( 1931 ).[1]



goldmedal

goldmedal
gold
med·al
(plural gold med·als) noun

first
prize:
a medal that is made of gold or something representing gold, given as a first
prize for excellence or winning a competition
—gold med·al·ist, noun[1]



goldmine

goldmine
gold
mine
(plural gold mines) noun

rich source:
a rich source of something valuable, especially easily obtained wealth • Some
of the smaller shops are little gold mines.[1]



goldplate

goldplate
gold
plate
noun

1.  items
made of gold: bowls, goblets, and other utensils made
of gold

2.  thin
layer of gold: a thin coating of gold on another metal,
usually produced by electroplating

[1]



gold-plated

gold-plated
gold-plat·ed
adjective

coated
with gold:
having a thin coating of gold, usually produced by electroplating
—gold-plate, transitive
verb[1]



goldrecord

goldrecord
gold
record
noun

MUSIC
top-selling record:
a golden replica of a recording that has achieved exceptionally high sales.
Sales of an album must exceed 500,000, and those of a single one million.
U.K. term
gold disc[1]



goldreserve

goldreserve
gold
re·serve
(plural gold re·serves) noun

fund of gold:
a fund of gold in coins or bullion held by a central bank and regarded as
providing a foundation for a paper currency and security for borrowing[1]



goldrush

goldrush
gold
rush
(plural gold rush·es) noun

1.  rush
to a new goldfield: a sudden wave of migration
to new territory because gold has been discovered there. One of the most famous
gold rushes was to the Klondike in Yukon, Canada, from 1896.

2.  rush
for new wealth: a sudden rush to make money from a new
source or by a new means





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Gold Rush, a movie by director and actor Charles Chaplin ( 1925 ). Set during
  the California gold rush of 1849, it places Chaplin’s gentle and sensitive
  Tramp character in the materialistic, amoral environment of a mining town to
  great comic effect. In one famous scene, Chaplin is reduced to eating his
  shoes, but eventually he strikes it rich and returns home a wealthy man.

[1]



goldsmith

goldsmith
gold·smith 
[gṓld smìth] (plural gold·smiths)
noun

maker of gold articles:
somebody who makes articles out of gold or deals in them[1]



goldsmithbeetle

goldsmithbeetle
gold·smith
bee·tle
(plural gold·smith bee·tles) noun

golden-colored beetle:
a beetle of the scarab family that has a metallic gold color. Latin name: Cotalpa
lanigera[1]



goldstandard

goldstandard
gold
stan·dard
(plural gold stan·dards) noun

valuing of a currency in
gold: a system of defining
monetary units in terms of their value in gold, usually accompanied by the free
circulation of gold and free exchange of currency into it[1]



goldstone

goldstone
gold·stone 
[gṓld stn] noun

MINERALS
See aventurine[1]



goldthread

goldthread
gold·thread 
[gṓld thrèd] (plural gold·threads)
noun

low-growing evergreen plant:
a low-growing evergreen plant that is common in mossy woods or swamps in North
America and Europe. The yellow rootstock has provided a popular traditional
remedy for inflammation. Genus: Coptis
Also called
canker root[1]



Goldwater,Barry M.

Goldwater,Barry M.
Gold·wa·ter
[gṓld wawtər], Barry M. (1909–1998)

U.S.
politician. He was a conservative Republican U.S. senator from Arizona
(1953–1965, 1969–1987). He was defeated by Lyndon B. Johnson for the presidency
(1964).
Full name
Goldwater, Barry Morris[1]



Goldwyn,Samuel

Goldwyn,Samuel
Gold·wyn
[gṓldwin], Samuel (1882–1974)

Russian-born
U.S. movie producer. He was one of Hollywood’s most influential producers. His
movies include Stella Dallas ( 1937 ), The Best Years of Our Lives
( 1946 ), and Porgy and Bess ( 1959 ).
Real name
Gelbfisz, Schmuel[1]



golem

golem
go·lem 
[gṓləm] (plural go·lems) noun

magical
clay figure: in Jewish legend, a creature made of
clay and brought to life by magical incantations. The most famous was the golem
made by the Maharal, Rabbi Loew, in the 16th century to defend the Jews of
Prague from a pogrom.
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish goylem, from Hebrew golem “shape, mass.”][1]



golf

golf
golf 
[gawlf] noun

game
with ball and clubs: an outdoor game in which an
array of specially designed clubs with long shafts are used to hit a small ball
from a prescribed starting point into a hole. The object of the game is to
complete the course in as few strokes as possible.
intransitive
verb
(past golfed, past participle golfed, present
participle golf·ing, 3rd person present singular golfs)

play
golf:
to play the game of golf
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch kolf “club.”][1]



Golf

Golf
Golf 
noun

code word for letter “G”:
a code word for the letter “G,” used in international radio communications[1]



golfball

golfball
golf
ball
(plural golf balls) noun

ball used in golf:
a small hard ball used for playing golf[1]



golfcart

golfcart
golf
cart
(plural golf carts) noun

vehicle used on a golf
course: a motorized vehicle used to
drive around on a golf course during play[1]



golfclub

golfclub
golf
club
(plural golf clubs) noun

1.  stick
for hitting golf balls: a specially designed club
with a long shaft and a metal or wooden head, used in golf to strike the ball

2.  golfers’
association: an association of people who play golf,
usually on the same course

3.  premises
of golfers’ association: the premises or facilities
used by a golf club

[1]



golfcourse

golfcourse
golf
course
noun

ground for golf:
an area of land designed for playing the game of golf.
Also called
golf links[1]



golfer

golfer
golf·er
(plural golf·ers) noun

player of golf:
somebody who plays the game of golf[1]



golfing

golfing
golf·ing
[gáwlfing] noun

playing golf:
the activity of playing golf (often used before a noun) • a
golfing umbrella[1]



golflinks

golflinks
golf
links
plural noun

See
golf course[1]



golfwidow

golfwidow
golf
wid·ow
(plural golf wid·ows) noun

woman ignored for golf:
a woman whose husband or partner spends many hours playing golf (informal)[1]



Golgiapparatus

Golgiapparatus
Gol·gi
ap·pa·ra·tus [gáwljeeapə
ràytəss] or Gol·gi bod·y [gáwljeeapə
ràytəss] or Gol·gi com·plex [gáwljeeapə
ràytəss] noun

structure
in cytoplasm: a membranous structure in the cytoplasm
of cells consisting of layers of flattened sacs. It functions in the processing
and transporting of proteins.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Camillo Golgi (1844–1926), Italian histologist.][1]



Golgotha

Golgotha
Gol·go·tha 
[gólgəthə]

site outside the city of
Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was crucified, according to the Bible. Hebrew
for Calvary[1]



goliard

goliard
gol·iard 
[gṓlyərd, gṓl
yrd] (plural gol·iards) noun

medieval
scholarly jester: in 12th- and 13th-century Western
Europe, a wandering scholar who was noted for writing bawdy and satirical Latin
verses, and for buffoonery and riotous living
[Late 15th century. From Old
French, “glutton,” via Latin gula from Sanskrit gir-ami .][1]



Goliath

Goliath
Go·li·ath 
noun

giant warrior:
in the Bible, a giant Philistine who was slain by David using a sling and a
stone[1]



goliath

goliath
go·li·ath
[gə l əth] (plural go·li·aths)
or Go·li·ath [gə l əth] (plural
Go·li·aths) noun

gigantic
opponent:
a gigantic or overpowering opponent or competitor • a
corporation regarded as the goliath of the oil industry
[Late 16th century. The name
of the giant killed by David in the Bible (1 Samuel 17).][1]



Goliathbeetle

Goliathbeetle
Go·li·ath
bee·tle
(plural Go·li·ath bee·tles) noun

very large beetle:
a very large tropical African scarab beetle that can measure up to 15 cm6 in.
in length and has bold black, white, and brown markings. Latin name: Goliathus
giganteus[1]



Goliathfrog

Goliathfrog
Go·li·ath
frog
(plural Go·li·ath frogs) noun

very large frog:
a very large frog of central Africa that can measure up to 30 cm12 in. Latin
name: Rana goliath[1]



golliwog

golliwog
gol·li·wog 
[gólli wòg] (plural gol·li·wogs)
or gol·li·wogg [gólli wòg] (plural
gol·li·woggs) noun

offensively
grotesque doll: an offensively grotesque cloth doll with
a black face and hair and brightly colored clothes. Now rarely made, the dolls
are offensive to black people, as is the term itself. (offensive)
[Late 19th century. Named for
a fictional character in books by U.S. writer and illustrator Florence Upton
(1873–1922).][1]



golly

golly
gol·ly 
[góllee] interjection

expression
of surprise: used to express surprise, amazement, or
anxiety, or for emphasis (dated informal) • Golly,
we’re in real trouble now!
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of God .][1]



gomasio

gomasio
go·ma·sio
[gō mssee ō] or gho·ma·sio [gō mssee ō] noun

sesame salt:
a seasoning mixture made of ground sesame seeds and salt, used especially in
Japanese cooking[1]



gombroon

gombroon
gom·broon 
[góm brn] noun

white
Iranian pottery: pottery made in Iran and elsewhere in
imitation of white Chinese porcelain
[Late 17th century. Named for
Gombroon, a port in Iran, now called Bandar Abbas.][1]



Gomorrah

Gomorrah
Go·mor·rah 
[gə máwrə] (plural Go·mor·rahs)
noun

depraved
place:
a place or society marked by evil, depravity, and promiscuousness (disapproving)
[Early 20th century. Named
for an ancient biblical city destroyed by God because of its wickedness
(Genesis 19).][1]



Gompers,Samuel

Gompers,Samuel

Gom·pers
[gómpərz], Samuel (1850–1924)
British-born U.S. labor leader. As the
first president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) (1886–1895,
1896–1924), he was the dominant figure in the U.S. labor movement.[1]



gon-

gon-
gon-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
gono-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-gon

-gon
-gon
suffix

a
figure having a particular number of angles • undecagon
• polygon
[Via Greek -gōnon
from, ultimately, gōnia “angle, corner.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “knee, bend,” which is also the ancestor of English knee and genuflect
.][1]



gonad

gonad
go·nad 
[gṓ nàd] (plural go·nads) noun

reproductive
organ:
an organ that produces reproductive cells ( gametes ), for example, a testis or
an ovary.
Also
called
sex gland
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin gonad, stem of gonas, from Greek gonos
“seed, generation.”]
—go·nad·al
[gō nád’l], adjective

—go·nad·ic [gō náddik], adjective[1]



gonadotrophic

gonadotrophic
go·nad·o·troph·ic
adjective

See
gonadotropic[1]



gonadotrophin

gonadotrophin
go·nad·o·tro·phin
noun

See
gonadotropin[1]



gonadotropic

gonadotropic
go·nad·o·trop·ic 
[gō nàddə tróffik, gònədō
tróffik] or go·nad·o·troph·ic [gònədō
tróppik] adjective

affecting
the gonads:
stimulating or acting on the gonads
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from gonad + -tropic
or trophic .][1]



gonadotropin

gonadotropin
go·nad·o·tro·pin 
[gō nàddə trṓpin, gónnədə
trṓpin] (plural go·nad·o·tro·pins) or go·nad·o·tro·phin
[gónnədə trṓfin] (plural go·nad·o·tro·phins)
noun

gonad-stimulating
hormone:
a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, and in some mammals by the placenta
during pregnancy, that influences gonadal activity, including the onset of
sexual maturity and regulation of reproductive activity
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from gonad + -tropin or trophin .][1]



gondola

gondola
gon·do·la 
[gónd’lə, gən dṓlə]
(plural gon·do·las) noun

1.  Venetian
canal boat:
a narrow flat-bottomed boat, used on the canals of Venice, that has a curved
prow and stern and is moved along with a long pole

2.  cable
car:
a car or cabin suspended from cables, especially one attached to a ski lift

3.  AIR car
below a balloon: a basket or cabin suspended from a
balloon or airship, for carrying people or equipment

4.  flat-bottomed
riverboat:
a large, flat-bottomed riverboat

5.  RAIL See gondola car

6.  wide-mouthed
container:
a wide-mouthed vase or bowl, usually broader than it is high
[Mid-16th century. Via
Venetian Italian from Rhaeto-Romance gondolà “to roll, rock.”][1]



gondolacar

gondolacar
gon·do·la
car
(plural gon·do·la cars) noun

long open rail car:
a long, open, low-sided rail car.
Also called
gondola[1]



gondolier

gondolier
gon·do·lier 
[gònd’l r, gónd’l
r] (plural gon·do·liers) noun

somebody who propels gondola:
somebody who propels a gondola through the water, especially on the canals of
Venice[1]



Gondwanaland

Gondwanaland
Gond·wa·na·land 
[gon dwnə land]

ancient landmass, consisting
of the southern part of the supercontinent of Pangaea. Comprising South
America, Africa, peninsular India, Australia, and Antarctica, it began to break
up approximately 200 million years ago.
See also
Laurasia
See also
Pangaea[1]



gone

gone
gone


Past participle of
go
adjective

1.  absent:
absent after leaving somewhere • She
has been gone for hours.

2.  irrecoverable:
beyond hope of recovery • All
hopes for a truce are gone.

3.  used
up:
having been completely used up • If the
milk is all gone, we’ll drink our coffee black.

4.  pregnant:
having been pregnant for a particular number of months • She’s
eight months gone.

5.  dead:
no longer living (informal)

6.  uneasy:
giving a sensation of giddiness or mild nausea

7.  infatuated:
affected by a strong feeling of attraction toward somebody (informal) • He’s
gone on your sister.

8.  exhilarated:
excited or exhilarated, for example, while listening to music (slang)

[1]



goner

goner
gon·er 
[gónnər] (plural gon·ers) noun

dead
person:
somebody or something beyond hope of recovery, especially somebody who is dead
or about to die (slang) (used with the indefinite article) • It
looks like he’s a goner.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from gone + -er
.][1]



gonfalon

gonfalon
gon·fa·lon 
[gónfə ln] (plural gon·fa·lons)
noun

identifying
banner:
a banner suspended from a crossbar, often with an edge cut like streamers, used
especially as the standard of some medieval Italian republics or carried in
church processions
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian gonfalone from Frankish, ultimately from prehistoric Germanic
words meaning “war” and “banner.”][1]



gonfalonier

gonfalonier
gon·fa·lon·ier 
[gònfələ nr] (plural gon·fa·lon·iers)
noun

1.  gonfalon
carrier:
somebody who carries a gonfalon

2.  medieval
Italian magistrate: the chief magistrate of some
medieval Italian republics, who carried the republic’s gonfalon

[1]



gong

gong
gong 
[gawng] noun (plural gongs)

1.  resonant
bronze plate: a circular bronze plate that makes a
resonant sound when struck with a mallet, used especially as an orchestral
percussion instrument or to summon people to meals

2.  warning
bell:
a round metal bell that is struck by a mechanically operated hammer, used
especially as an alarm
verb
(past gonged, past participle gonged, present
participle gong·ing, 3rd person present singular gongs)

1.  intransitive
verb
sound
like a gong: to sound resonantly like a gong

2.  transitive
verb
summon:
to summon somebody with a gong
[Early 17th century. From
Malay, an imitation of the sound of striking a gong.][1]



Gongorism

Gongorism
Gon·gor·ism 
[gáwng gə rìzzəm] noun

ornate
Spanish literary style: a style in Spanish
literature characterized by ornate devices, classical allusions, and deliberate
obscurity
[Early
19th century. Named for the Spanish poet Góngora y Argote (1561–1627).]
—Gon·gor·is·tic, adjective[1]



gonidium

gonidium
go·nid·i·um 
[gō nídee əm] (plural go·nid·i·a
[gō nídee ə]) noun

1.  algal
reproductive cell: an asexual reproductive cell
in some algae, for example, a zoospore

2.  algal
cell in lichen: a chlorophyll-containing algal cell in
the body ( thallus ) of a lichen
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek gonos “offspring.”]
—go·nid·i·al, adjective[1]



gonif

gonif
go·nif 
noun

See
ganef[1]



goniometer

goniometer
go·ni·om·e·ter 
[gnee ómmətər] (plural go·ni·om·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
for measuring angles: an instrument for measuring
angles, especially those between crystal faces

2.  radio
signal direction finder: a device for establishing
the bearing of an incoming radio signal
[Mid-18th
century. From French goniomètre, from Greek gonia “angle” + meter .]
—go·ni·o·met·ric
[gnee ə méttrik], adjective

—go·ni·o·met·ri·cal
[gnee ə méttrik’l], adjective

—go·ni·om·e·try [gnee ómmətree], noun[1]



gonion

gonion
go·ni·on 
[gṓnee àn] (plural go·ni·ons) noun

point
on jaw:
the point on either side of the lower jaw where it turns upward
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Greek gonia “angle.”][1]



goniotomy

goniotomy
go·ni·ot·o·my 
[gnee óttəmee] (plural go·ni·ot·o·mies)
noun

operation for glaucoma:
an operation to treat glaucoma by cutting into the narrow angle between the
back of the cornea and the root of the iris to allow drainage of aqueous humor[1]



gonk

gonk
gonk 
[gawngk] (past gonked, past
participle gonked, present participle gonking, 3rd
person present singular gonks, plural gonks) intransitive
and transitive verb

COMPUTING lie
about something to somebody: to lie about something or
embellish the truth, especially in an online conversation in a chat room (slang)
• Are
you gonking me?
[Mid-20th
century. An invented word.]
—gonk, noun[1]



gonna

gonna
gon·na
[gónnə] contraction

going
to:
going to (nonstandard)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration.][1]



gono-

gono-2
gono-2 prefix

sex,
seed, reproduction • gonophore
[From Greek gonos
“offspring, procreation.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
beget,” which is also the ancestor of English kin,
genus, and germ .][1]



gono-

gono-1
gono-1 prefix

sexual,
generative, semen, or seed
[From Greek gonos or gonē
“generation, offspring, seed”][1]



gonococcus

gonococcus
gon·o·coc·cus 
[gònnə kókəss] (plural gon·o·coc·ci
[gònnə kók s, gònnə
kó k]) noun

bacterium
causing gonorrhea: a spherical bacterium that
causes gonorrhea. Latin name: Neisseria gonorrhoeae
[Late
19th century. From gonorrhoea + coccus .]
—gon·o·coc·cal,
adjective

—gon·o·coc·cic, adjective[1]



gonof

gonof
gon·of
noun

See
ganef[1]



go-no-go

go-no-go
go-no-go 
adjective

proceeding or not on a single
decision: requiring or involving a
definitive decision either to proceed with a course of action or to abandon it[1]



gonopore

gonopore
gon·o·pore 
[gónnə pàwr] (plural gon·o·pores)
noun

reproductive pore:
an external reproductive pore in some insects and worms through which
reproductive cells are secreted[1]



gonorrhea

gonorrhea
gon·or·rhe·a 
[gònnə r ə] or gon·or·rhoe·a
[gònnə r ə] noun

genital
disease:
a sexually transmitted disease that causes inflammation of the genital mucous
membrane, burning pain when urinating, and a discharge. It is caused by a
gonococcus bacterium.
[16th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek gonorrhoia, literally “flowing of
semen,” from gonos “semen.”]
—gon·or·rhe·al, adjective[1]



-gony

-gony
-gony
suffix

1.  origin
• cosmogony

2.  method
of reproduction • schizogony
[Formed from Greek gonos
“offspring, procreation” (see gono- )][1]



Gonzales,Pancho

Gonzales,Pancho
Gon·za·les
[gən zləss], Pancho (1928–1995)

U.S.
tennis player. He dominated men’s tennis in the 1950s, and in 1969 played the
longest ever match at Wimbledon, defeating Charlie Pasarell after 112 games.
Full name
Gonzales, Richard Alonzo[1]



gonzo

gonzo
gon·zo 
[gón zō] adjective (slang)

1.  idiosyncratically
subjective:
characterized by subjective interpretation and exaggeration • Gonzo
journalism is unlike the work of the impartial observer.

2.  unconventional:
unusual or strange
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Italian, “foolish,” or Spanish ganso “goose,
fool.”][1]



goo

goo
goo 
[goo] noun (informal)

1.  something
sticky:
any sticky substance, typically something unpleasant

2.  excess
emotion:
cloying emotionalism
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an abbreviation of burgoo
.][1]



goober

goober
goo·ber 
[gbər] (plural goo·bers) or
goo·ber pea [gbər] (plural goo·ber
peas) noun

Southern
U.S.
peanut:
a peanut
[Mid-19th century. From
Angolese nguba, Kikongo, and other West African languages.][1]



good

good
good 
[gd] (comparative bet·ter [béttər], superlative best [best]) CORE MEANING:
an adjective indicating that something is approved of or desirable • It’s
a good idea to change your password now and again. • It’s
good to talk.

1.
adjective of high quality:
of a high quality or standard, either on an absolute scale or in relation to
another or others • The meal wasn’t good.
• He’ll
make a very good doctor. • I
smashed one of my good plates.

2.
adjective suitable:
having the appropriate qualities to be something or to fit a particular purpose
• Futons
make good chairs as well as beds. • The
bicycle is good for short trips.

3.
adjective skilled:
possessing the necessary skill or talent to do something • I’m
not a very good driver. • She’s
good at science.

4.
adjective virtuous:
having or showing an upright and virtuous character • You’re
a good man, Joe.

5.
adjective kind:
having or showing a kind and generous disposition • She
was always very good to me.

6.
adjective affording pleasure:
affording pleasure or comfort • He’s a
man who insists on the finer things in life: good food, good books, and the
theater.

7.
adjective undamaged:
having undergone no deterioration or damage • I
smelled the meat and found it was still good.

8.
adjective ample:
sufficiently large, or providing more than enough of something • Between
them they have a good income.

9.
adjective honorable:
worthy of honor or high esteem • They
come from a good family.

10.
adjective valid:
acceptable as true or genuine and sufficient for the purpose • There
had better be a good explanation for this mess. • Don’t
travel unless your insurance is good.

11.
adjective helpful:
helping somebody to organize thoughts or make decisions • She
gave me some good advice.

12.
adjective pleasant:
pleasant to look at • Don’t
let her good looks distract you from her intelligence.

13.
adjective beneficial:
beneficial to health or well-being • Eating
lots of fruit is good for you.

14.
adjective favorable:
suitable and likely to produce the right results or conditions • a
good time to take a vacation

15.
adjective thorough: that
goes to the fullest extent of the action • Take
a good look around.

16.
adjective FINANCE financially
advantageous: financially or commercially advantageous
or reliable • I
made a few good investments last year.

17.
adjective genuine: that
is what it appears to be • a good
dollar bill

18.
adjective obedient: well
behaved and obedient • The
children are always good when we take them out.

19.
adjective well-mannered:
socially correct • very good behavior

20.
adjective able to do more:
remaining in operation or effect, or able to continue doing something • The
car will be good for another 6,000 miles.

21.
adjective FINANCE able
to pay:
able to pay or contribute something, or to allow a sum to be drawn • He’s
good for at least a thousand dollars.

22.
adjective FINANCE that
will be paid: that the debtor is expected to honor in
full • a
good debt

23.
adjective producing a result:
able to produce a particular result • John
is always good for a laugh.

24.
adjective sizable:
considerable in extent or size • a good
selection of books on computers

25.
adjective fully: at
least a particular time or length • It’s a
good 30 years since we met.

26.
adjective RACKET GAMES within
bounds:
inside the required area for the shot to be allowed • The
umpire said that the ball was good.

27.
adjective used in exclamations:
used in exclamations of surprise, dismay, or other strong feelings (informal)
• Good
heavens! I’ve won first prize!

28.
interjection used to express satisfaction:
used to express satisfaction or pleasure in something that has just been said,
or to confirm it • “They’ve just
arrived.”“Good.”

29.
noun beneficial
effect:
something resulting in a beneficial effect or state • the
common good
• What
good will complaining do?

30.
noun See goodness  noun
1

31.
noun positive
part:
the positive part or aspect of something • You
have to take the good with the bad in this agreement.

32.
noun something
worth having: something worth having or achieving • Let’s
work for the future good of the nation.
[Old
English god, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to unite,” which
is also the ancestor of English gather]
be
(all) to the good

to
be to somebody’s benefit

be
up to no good

to
be in the process of doing or planning something wrong or illegal (informal)

for
good

permanently
from the time in question • They’ve
gone for good.

give
as good as you get

to
contend as effectively as your opponent • Her
tennis opponent is tough, but she can give as good as she gets.

good
and

completely
and entirely (informal) • I’ll
get up in the morning when I’m good and ready, and not before.

make
good

to
become successful, often after an unpromising start • Though
he didn’t do very well at school, he made good as a businessman.

make
good something

1.  to
perform something successfully • We
must make good our attempt to win the trophy.

2.  to
carry out something intended or promised • She
made good her promise to repay the money on time.

3.  to
compensate for something, especially for damage or loss • They
made good the damage they had accidentally caused.

4.  to
demonstrate the truth or correctness of something • If
you cannot make good these charges, the defendant will not stand trial.

throw
good money after bad

to
put more money, better used elsewhere, into a bad investment • If
you have the car repaired again, you’ll just throw good money after bad.

to
the good

richer
by a particular amount of money • By the
end of the day, we were 50 dollars to the good.

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








goodafternoon

goodafternoon
good
af·ter·noon
interjection

greeting used during the
afternoon: used when people meet or
part, or begin or end a telephone conversation, during the afternoon[1]



GoodBook

GoodBook
Good
Book 
noun

Bible:
the Christian Bible[1]



goodbye

goodbye
good·bye
[gd b] or good-bye [gd b] interjection

farewell:
used when people part or end a telephone conversation • With
the hurricane approaching, it’s goodbye to our vacation at the beach.
noun
(plural good·byes) (plural good-byes)

act
of leaving:
an act of making a farewell • It’s
time to say our goodbyes and catch the plane.
[Late 16th century. From God
be with you .][1]



goodcause

goodcause
good
cause
(plural good caus·es) noun

1.  charity:
something or somebody deserving help, especially a charity

2.  legal
reason:
a sufficient legal standard or reason

[1]



goodevening

goodevening
good
eve·ning
interjection

greeting used during the
evening: used to convey good wishes
when people meet or part, or begin or end a telephone conversation, during the
evening[1]



goodfaith

goodfaith
good
faith
noun

honest intent:
honesty of intention • an
effort to fulfill the contract in good faith.[1]



good-for-nothing

good-for-nothing
good-for-noth·ing 
noun (plural good-for-noth·ings)

lazy
person:
somebody who is perceived as lazy and irresponsible (insult)
adjective

lazy:
lazy and irresponsible[1]



GoodFriday

GoodFriday
Good
Fri·day
(plural Good Fri·days) noun

Friday
before Easter: the Christian holy day observed on the
Friday before Easter, commemorating the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross ( Crucifixion )
[Good in the sense of “holy”][1]



GoodFriday plant

GoodFriday plant
Good
Fri·day plant (plural Good Fri·day plants)
noun

See
moschatel[1]



goodguy

goodguy
good
guy
(plural good guys) noun

somebody good:
somebody who is good or law-abiding, especially in a Western, crime novel, or
movie (informal)[1]



goodhearted

goodhearted
good·heart·ed 
[gd hrtəd] adjective

kindly:
having or showing a kind and generous nature
—good·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—good·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



GoodHope, Cape of

GoodHope, Cape of
Good
Hope, Cape of

See
Cape of Good Hope[1]



good-humored

good-humored
good-hu·mored 
adjective

cheerful:
disposed to be cheerful and friendly, or reflecting such an attitude
—good-hu·mored·ly, adverb[1]



goodie

goodie
good·ie 
noun

See
goody[1]



goodish

goodish
good·ish 
[gddish] adjective

1.  rather
good:
moderately good in quality

2.  rather
large:
moderately large in quantity or extent • a
goodish helping

[1]



goodlife

goodlife
good
life
noun

comfortable existence:
a life of carefree comfort and luxury • living
the good life in Palm Springs[1]



good-looking

good-looking
good-look·ing 
adjective

pleasant
to see:
having a pleasant personal, especially facial, appearance
—good-look·er
(plural good-look·ers), noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  good-looking, attractive, beautiful, handsome, lovely,
  pretty
  CORE
  MEANING: having
  a pleasing facial appearance good-looking;
  used of either men or women to indicate pleasing looks; attractive; used in a similar way to good-looking
  . It is also used to describe people who are not conventionally good-looking
  but who are still very appealing, especially to members of the opposite sex; beautiful; most often used to describe women
  or girls whose appearance is very pleasing, especially in a way that is
  generally considered ideal or perfect; handsome;
  used to talk about men whose appearance is very pleasing, especially men who
  have strong, rugged-looking features. It can also be used to describe women
  who have strong, imposing features; lovely;
  most often used to talk about women who are very pleasing to look at but
  possibly not beautiful; pretty;
  used to talk about women and especially girls who are very attractive,
  usually in a way that is not conventionally beautiful

[1]



goodlooks

goodlooks
good
looks
plural noun

pleasant appearance:
a pleasant personal appearance, especially facial appearance[1]



goodly

goodly
good·ly 
[gdlee] (comparative good·li·er,
superlative good·li·est) adjective

1.  somewhat
large:
moderately large in quantity or extent

2.  attractive:
having a fine appearance (archaic)

3.  pleasant:
of a pleasing quality (archaic) • the
goodly fellowship of the prophets
—good·li·ness, noun[1]



goodman

goodman
good·man 
[gdmən] (plural good·men [gdmən]) noun

man in charge of a household:
the man in charge of a household or family, especially a married man (archaic)[1]



Goodman,Benny

Goodman,Benny


Good·man 
[gdmən], Benny (1909–1986)
U.S.
jazz musician. A virtuoso clarinettist, he popularized swing music during the
1930s and 1940s leading his own band.
Full name
Goodman, Benjamin David Known as the King of Swing[1]



goodmorning

goodmorning
good
morn·ing
interjection

expression used during the
morning: used to convey good wishes
when people meet or part, or begin or end a telephone conversation, during the
morning[1]



goodname

goodname
good
name
noun

reputation:
somebody’s reputation for honesty and integrity[1]



goodnature

goodnature
good
na·ture
noun

nice disposition:
a pleasant and obliging disposition[1]



good-natured

good-natured
good-na·tured 
adjective

pleasant
and obliging: having or showing a pleasant and
obliging disposition
—good-na·tured·ly,
adverb

—good-na·tured·ness, noun[1]



goodness

goodness
good·ness 
[gdnəss] noun

1.  good
quality:
the quality of being good

2.  virtuousness:
personal virtue or kindness

3.  good
part:
the nutrition or other benefit to be derived from something • Vegetables
lose a lot of their goodness if you overcook them.
interjection

used to express surprise:
used to express surprise or amazement, or for emphasis • For
goodness sake, stop that!
goodness
knows

used to indicate bafflement
or lack of knowledge about something • Goodness
knows what they’re doing out there at midnight.[1]



goodnight

goodnight
good
night
interjection

expression used at night:
used to convey good wishes when people part or end a telephone conversation at
night, especially at bedtime[1]



goodoffices

goodoffices
good
of·fic·es
plural noun

mediation:
help or support, especially help in resolving a dispute[1]



goodold boy

goodold boy
good
old boy
(plural good old boys) or good ol’ boy (plural
good ol’ boys) or good ole boy (plural good ole
boys) noun

stereotypical Southern man:
stereotype of a man who is part of a peer group and conforms to the behavior
characteristic of the group, especially applied to a white man in parts of the
rural southern United States. The good old boy is often perceived as a
caricature of the relaxed, convivial, conservative southern white man. (often
offensive)[1]



goods

goods
goods
[gdz] plural noun

1.  merchandise:
articles for sale or use, often those produced for later consumption, as
opposed to services (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  portable
property:
portable personal property

3.  U.K.
merchandise
moved by rail: merchandise that is transported,
especially by rail, as opposed to passengers (often used before a noun)
• a
goods train

4.  commercial
fabrics:
commercial textile fabrics (takes a singular or plural verb)

5.  something
promised:
something promised or expected (informal) • You
can rely on her to come up with the goods.

6.  incriminating
evidence:
information or evidence that will incriminate somebody (slang)

[1]



GoodSamaritan

GoodSamaritan
Good
Sa·mar·i·tan (plural Good Sa·mar·i·tans)
noun

helpful
person:
somebody who voluntarily helps others who are in trouble.
Also
called
Samaritan
[From the parable of the Good
Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37), who helps a man beaten by robbers][1]



good-sized

good-sized
good-sized 
adjective

fairly large:
rather large in size • The
recipe called for a good-sized piece of chocolate.[1]



good-tempered

good-tempered
good-tem·pered 
adjective

of
a nice disposition: having or showing a placid
disposition
—good-tem·pered·ly,
adverb

—good-tem·pered·ness, noun[1]



goodturn

goodturn
good
turn
(plural good turns) noun

helpful act:
a friendly act that helps or benefits somebody else • One
good turn deserves another.[1]



goodwife

goodwife
good·wife 
[gd wf] (plural good·wives [gd wvz]) noun

housewife:
the woman in charge of a household or family, especially a married woman (archaic)[1]



goodwill

goodwill
good·will 
[gd wíl, gd
wil] noun

1.  friendly
disposition: friendly disposition toward somebody or
something (often used before a noun) • a
goodwill gesture

2.  willingness:
cheerful willingness to do something

3.  ACCOUNTING nontangible
value of business: the value of a business over
and above its tangible assets

4.  charity
shop:
a shop that sells donated goods in order to raise money for charity

[1]



goodword

goodword
good
word
noun

1.  favorable
comment:
a comment recommending somebody or made in favor or defense of somebody • He
promised to put in a good word for me.

2.  wanted
information: the information or answer to a question
that somebody would wish to have (informal) • What’s
the good word? Will the plane take off?

[1]



goody

goody
good·y
[gddee] or good·ie [gddee] noun (plural good·ies)
(plural good·ies)

something
sweet to eat: something desirable, especially
something sweet to eat (often used in the plural)
interjection

used
to indicate delight: used to express great
pleasure (informal) • Oh
goody, ice cream!
[Coined from good + -y][1]



Goodyear,Charles

Goodyear,Charles

Good·year
[gd yeer], Charles (1800–1860)
U.S. inventor. He discovered the
vulcanization process for rubber (1839).[1]



goody-goody

goody-goody
good·y-good·y 
noun (plural good·y-good·ies)

See
goody two-shoes
adjective

smugly
virtuous:
irritatingly well-behaved or smugly virtuous (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Reduplication of goody .][1]



goodytwo-shoes

goodytwo-shoes
good·y
two-shoes 
(plural good·y two-shoes) noun

somebody
smugly well-behaved: somebody smugly
well-behaved, irritatingly virtuous, or sanctimonious (informal)
Also
called
goody-goody
[Mid-20th century. From the
name of a character in a children’s book perhaps by Oliver Goldsmith .][1]



gooey

gooey
goo·ey 
[g ee] (comparative goo·i·er,
superlative goo·i·est) adjective

1.  sticky:
sticky and soft • gooey chocolate
frosting

2.  sentimental:
cloyingly sentimental (informal) • a
gooey romantic novel

[1]



goof

goof
goof 
[goof] noun (plural goofs)
(informal)

1.  mistake:
a mistake or blunder • A
colossal goof caused the whole computer system to crash.

2.  unintelligent
person:
an unintelligent or incompetent person (insult)
verb
(past goofed, past participle goofed, present
participle goof·ing, 3rd person present singular goofs)
(informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
mistake:
to make a thoughtless or unintelligent mistake

2.  transitive
verb
botch:
to spoil something through incompetence or lack of intelligence
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from dialect goff “simpleton.”][1]



goofaround

goofaround
goof
around
intransitive verb

be silly:
to behave in a playful or silly way (informal) • Once
the pressure of exams was off, the students just goofed around.[1]



goofball

goofball
goof·ball 
[gf bàwl] (plural goof·balls)
noun

1.  unintelligent
person:
a silly or unintelligent person (insult)

2.  drug
pill:
a barbiturate or other drug in the form of a pill (slang)

[1]



gooff

gooff
go
off
intransitive verb

1.  detonate:
to explode or be fired

2.  begin
sounding or vibrating: to start to ring, sound, or
vibrate • The
smoke alarm goes off whenever we make toast.

3.  be
carried out: to be carried out or conducted in a
particular manner • I think the conference
went off as well as could be expected.

4.  depart:
to set out, or set out for a particular place • There
were endless TV images of soldiers going off to war.

[1]



goofoff

goofoff
goof
off 
verb

waste time:
to waste time instead of working (informal) • The
crew goofed off when the boss left early.[1]



goof-off

goof-off
goof-off 
(plural goof-offs) noun

slacker:
somebody who does not work industriously (insult)[1]



goofproof

goofproof
goof·proof 
[gf proof] adjective

(informal) See foolproof[1]



goofy

goofy
goof·y 
[gfee] (comparative goof·i·er,
superlative goof·i·est) adjective

silly:
silly or unintelligent (informal insult)
—goof·i·ly,
adverb

—goof·i·ness, noun[1]



googol

googol
goo·gol 
[gg’l, g gàwl]
noun

1
followed by 100 zeros: the number equal to the
numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros, or 10 100
[Mid-20th century. Invented
word.][1]



googolplex

googolplex
goo·gol·plex 
[gg’l plèks, g
gawl plèks] noun

1
followed by googol: the number equal to the
numeral 1 followed by 10 100 zeros
[Mid-20th century. From googol + Latin plexus “intricate,
braided.”][1]



goo-goo

goo-goo
goo-goo 
adjective

sentimentally
affectionate: expressing affection or sentimental
attachment (informal) • goo-goo
eyes
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from goggle .][1]



gook

gook1
gook1 [gook]
noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for an Asian person or somebody of Asian descent (slang
offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gook

gook2
gook2 [gook]
(plural gooks) noun

See
guck
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



goombah

goombah
goom·bah 
[gm b] (plural goom·bahs) noun

close
friend:
a close friend or associate, especially an older person acting as somebody’s
mentor (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Italian dialect, an alteration of Italian compàre
“godfather, accomplice, friend.”][1]



goon

goon
goon 
[goon] (plural goons) noun

1.  thug:
a professional gangster whose work is beating up or terrorizing people

2.  clumsy
person:
somebody who is clumsy or uncouth (insult)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from goon(e)y, variant of gony “simpleton”; or
from Alice the Goon, a character invented by the U.S. cartoonist, E. C.
Segar (1894–1938).][1]



goon

goon
go
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
continue
right along: to continue to happen • The
dispute went on for another nine months before it was resolved.

2.  intransitive
verb
occur:
to happen or take place • I
asked him what was going on.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
public entrance: to make an entrance on a stage or other
public place • She
went on every night to rapturous applause.

4.  intransitive
verb
talk
too much:
to talk too much and much too long • She’s
always going on about her yacht.

5.  intransitive
verb
continue
speaking:
to continue speaking, especially after a pause • She
then went on about the latest international incident.

6.  intransitive
verb
do
something afterward: to do something after the
time or period you are referring to • She
finished fourth, but went on to win the championship the following year.

7.  transitive
verb
use
as reliable information: to use something as reliable
information • The
police have very little to go on at this stage.

8.  intransitive
verb
used
to express encouragement: used to encourage somebody
to do something, usually something the person is reluctant or afraid to try (informal)
• Go
on, you’ll have a great time skiing down that hill!

9.  transitive
verb
approximate
something:
to be close to a particular age, time, or number (used in progressive tenses)
• He
must be going on 50.

[1]



gooney

gooney
goo·ney
[gnee] (plural goo·neys) or
goo·ny [gnee] (plural goo·nies)
or goo·ney bird [gnee] (plural
goo·ney birds) or goo·ny bird [gnee]
(plural goo·ny birds) noun

albatross:
an albatross, especially the black-footed albatross. Latin name: Diomedea
nigripes
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



goop

goop
goop 
[goop] noun

sticky
mess:
a semiliquid sticky or messy substance (informal)
U.K.
term
gloop
[Early
20th century. Variant of goof .]
—goop·y, adjective[1]



goosander

goosander
goos·an·der 
[goo sándər] (plural goos·an·ders)
noun

U.K.
=
common merganser
[Early 17th century. Probably
ultimately from goose + Old Norse andar-,
stem of ond “duck.”][1]



goose

goose

goose 
[gooss] noun (plural geese
[geess])

1.  long-necked
water bird:
a large waterfowl with a long neck and webbed feet, noted for its seasonal
migrations and distinctive honking sound. Geese resemble swans but have shorter
necks. Subfamily: Anserinae

2.  female
goose:
a female goose.
See
also
gander

3.  FOOD flesh
of the goose: the flesh of the goose, cooked and eaten
as food

4.  silly
person:
somebody who is silly

5.  (plural
goos·es) tailor’s iron:
an iron with a long curved handle, used by tailors for pressing and smoothing
cloth

6.  (plural
goos·es) prod in the buttocks:
a poke between or pinch on the buttocks (slang)
transitive verb
(past goosed, past participle goosed, present
participle goos·ing, 3rd person present singular goos·es)
(slang)

1.  prod
somebody in the buttocks: to poke or pinch somebody on
the buttocks

2.  spur
somebody to action: to spur somebody on to
action
[Old
English gōs . Ultimately from an Indo-European word.]
kill the goose that laid the golden egg

to destroy something that is
or has been a regular, dependable source of profit or benefit[1]



goosebarnacle

goosebarnacle
goose
bar·na·cle
(plural goose bar·na·cles) noun

barnacle attached to wood:
a barnacle that has a flattened shell, feathery appendages, and a fleshy stalk
that it uses to attach itself to surfaces, especially floating wood. Genus: Lepas

Also called
gooseneck barnacle[1]



gooseberry

gooseberry

goose·ber·ry 
[gss bèrree] (plural goose·ber·ries)
noun

1.  spiny
fruit bush:
a spiny fruit bush, native to Europe and Asia, that produces green or sometimes
red edible berries. Latin name: Ribes uva-crispa

2.  fruit
of gooseberry: the acid-tasting fruit of a gooseberry
plant, usually eaten cooked and sweetened (often used before a noun) • gooseberry
pie

3.  plant
with berries like gooseberries: a plant bearing
berries similar to gooseberries, such as the currant
[Mid-16th century. Goose of
uncertain origin: perhaps from goose, or by
folk etymology from French groseille “redcurrant.”][1]



gooseberrygourd

gooseberrygourd
goose·ber·ry
gourd
(plural goose·ber·ry gourds) noun

See
gherkin  noun 2[1]



goosebumps

goosebumps
goose
bumps
plural noun

pimply condition of the skin:
temporary pimples on the skin brought on by cold or fear or by sudden
excitement, and caused by the contraction of connective tissues ( papillae ) at the base of hairs.
Also called
gooseflesh
Also called
goose pimples
U.K. term
goose pimples[1]



GooseCreek

GooseCreek
Goose
Creek 
[gss krk]

city in southeastern South
Carolina, directly northwest of Charleston and southeast of Columbia.
Population: 25,943 (1996)[1]



gooseegg

gooseegg
goose
egg
(plural goose eggs) noun

zero:
a zero, especially one or a set of them indicating no score in a game or
contest (slang)[1]



goosefish

goosefish
goose·fish 
[gs fìsh] (plural goose·fish or
goose·fish·es) noun

See
monkfish
[Early 19th century. From goose + fish .][1]



gooseflesh

gooseflesh
goose·flesh
[gs flèsh] noun

See
goose bumps  npl.[1]



goosefoot

goosefoot
goose·foot 
[gss ft] (plural goose·foots)
noun

wild plant with distinctive
leaves: a weed with small greenish
flowers and berries, and leaves that resemble a goose’s foot. Genus: Chenopodium[1]



goosegrass

goosegrass
goose·grass
[gss gràss] (plural goose·grass·es)
noun BOTANY

1.  See
cleavers

2.  See
yard grass

[1]



gooseneck

gooseneck
goose·neck 
[gss nèk] (plural goose·necks)
noun

curved part:
something curved like a goose’s neck or U-shaped such as a pipe joint or a
flexible neck on a lamp (often used before a noun) • a
gooseneck lamp[1]



gooseneckbarnacle

gooseneckbarnacle
goose·neck
bar·na·cle
(plural goose·neck bar·na·cles) noun

See
goose barnacle[1]



goosepimples

goosepimples
goose
pim·ples
plural noun

See
goose bumps[1]



goosestep

goosestep
goose
step 
(plural goose steps) noun

high
stiff marching step: a military marching step
performed with straight legs swung high in a forward movement
—goose-step, intransitive
verb[1]



goosy

goosy
goos·y
[gssee] (comparative goos·i·er,
superlative goos·i·est) or goos·ey [gssee] (comparative goos·i·er, superlative
goos·i·est) adjective

1.  resembling
a goose:
similar to a goose

2.  having
goose bumps: affected by goose bumps, or the
nervousness or fear that can cause them (informal)

3.  silly:
behaving in a silly or scatterbrained way

[1]



goout

goout
go
out
intransitive verb

1.  socialize:
to socialize and enjoy yourself away from home • She
loves going out, but he prefers to stay at home.

2.  flow
outward from shore: to flow away from the
shoreline • the
tide had gone out

3.  go
out of style: to stop being fashionable • Muttonchop
whiskers went out in the late 1800s.

4.  date
somebody:
to date somebody, or date each other • They’ve
been going out for six months.

5.  be
extinguished: to stop burning or functioning • the
fire has gone out

[1]



goout to

goout to
go
out to
transitive verb

be extended to somebody:
to be offered or extended to a person or group • Our
thoughts go out tonight to the friends and relatives of the victims.[1]



goover

goover
go
over
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
change
allegiance:
to change allegiance and start supporting somebody or something else • In
a surprise move, the Senator went over to the Republicans.

2.  transitive
verb
examine
something carefully: to examine or check
something carefully • The
police went over the car looking for fingerprints.

3.  transitive
verb
rehearse
and memorize: to practice or repeat something in order
to learn it • The
actors were all busy going over their lines.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
received:
to be received in a particular way • The
campaign platform went over well with the convention delegates.

[1]



GOP

GOP
GOP

Abbreviation of
Grand Old Party[1]



gopher

gopher
go·pher 
[gōfər] (plural go·phers) noun

1.  burrowing
rodent:
a small short-tailed rodent of North and Central America that has fur-lined
cheek pouches and short legs. It digs sizable burrows. Family: Geomyidae
Also
called
pocket gopher

2.  See
ground squirrel

3.  COMPUTING system
providing Internet links: an Internet system that
organizes files into menus containing links to text files, graphic images,
databases, and additional menus (often used before a noun) • a
gopher site

4.  Southern
U.S.
tortoise:
a large burrowing tortoise. Genus: Gopherus
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Canadian French gaufre “honeycomb,” referring to
the burrows made by the animals. For computing sense, alteration of gofer, from the idea that it tunnels from place to
place.][1]



gopherball

gopherball
go·pher
ball
(plural go·pher balls) noun

ball hit for a home run:
in baseball, a pitched ball that is hit for a home run (informal)[1]



gophersnake

gophersnake
go·pher
snake
(plural go·pher snakes) noun

See
bull snake[1]



gophertortoise

gophertortoise
go·pher
tor·toise
(plural go·pher tor·toises) noun

burrowing tortoise:
a burrowing tortoise found in the southeastern United States. Genus: Gopherus[1]



gopherwood

gopherwood
go·pher·wood
[gṓfər wd] noun

wood
of Noah’s ark: in the Bible, the wood from which Noah’s
ark was made, or the tree from which it came
[Early 17th century. Gopher
from Hebrew gōpher .][1]



goral

goral
gor·al
[gṓrəl] (plural gor·als) noun

Himalayan
antelope:
a small short-horned antelope found in the rugged country of the Himalayas and
adjacent Southeast Asia. Genus: Nemorhaedus
[Mid-19th century. From a
Himalayan language.][1]



Gorbachev,Mikhail

Gorbachev,Mikhail

Gor·ba·chev
[gáwrbə chàwf], Mikhail (1931– )
Soviet
statesman. As general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (1985–1991) and
president (1988–1991), he initiated democratic reforms that precipitated the
disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. He won the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
Full name
Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeyevich[1]



Gordianknot

Gordianknot
Gor·di·an
knot 
[gàwrdee ən nòt] (plural Gor·di·an
knots) noun

complicated
problem:
a problem for which it is very difficult to find a solution
[Late 16th century. From the
knot of Gordius, king of Gordium, that was to be loosened only by the
future ruler of Asia: Alexander the Great sliced through it.][1]



Gordimer,Nadine

Gordimer,Nadine

Gor·di·mer
[gáwrdəmər], Nadine (1923– )
South African novelist. Her works
examined the tensions of apartheid in South Africa. She won the Nobel Prize in
literature in 1991.[1]



Gordon,Charles William

Gordon,Charles William
Gor·don
[gáwrd’n], Charles William (1860–1937)

Canadian
missionary and novelist. He ministered to the workers in the mines and forests
of northwestern Canada and wrote, among other novels, Black Rock ( 1888
).
Pseudonym
Connor, Ralph[1]



Gordonsetter

Gordonsetter
Gor·don
set·ter
(plural Gor·don set·ters) noun

breed
of gun dog:
a gun dog with a long black-and-tan coat, belonging to a breed developed in
Scotland
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743–1827), who promoted the
breed.][1]



gore

gore2
gore2 [gawr]
noun

blood
from a wound: thick coagulating blood, especially
blood shed as a result of violence
[Old English gor
“dirt, dung,” from prehistoric Germanic. The meaning “blood” first appeared in
the mid-16th century.][1]



gore

gore1
gore1 [gawr]
(past gored, past participle gored, present
participle gor·ing, 3rd person present singular gores)
transitive verb

wound
with horns:
to pierce the flesh of a person or animal with horns or tusks
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of gore “spear,” from Old English gār
(source of English garlic ).][1]



gore

gore3
gore3 [gawr]
(plural gores) noun

triangular
section of skirt: a triangular piece of cloth used, for
example, in making a loose skirt
[Old
English gāra, of uncertain origin]
—gored, adjective[1]



Gore,Al

Gore,Al

Gore 
[gawr], Al (1948– )
U.S.
statesman and vice president of the United States. A Democrat from Tennessee,
he was a U.S. representative (1977–1985) and senator (1985–1993) before
becoming Bill Clinton’s vice president (1993).
Full name
Gore, Albert Arnold, Jr.[1]



Goren,Charles

Goren,Charles
Go·ren
[gáw ràyn], Charles (1901–1991)

U.S.
bridge player. He invented point-count bidding and wrote a popular newspaper
column and many books about contract bridge.
Full name
Goren, Charles Henry Known as Mr. Bridge[1]



Gorgas,William Crawford

Gorgas,William Crawford
Gor·gas
[gáwrgəss], William Crawford (1854–1920)

U.S. physician and army
officer. He rid Havana (1898) and the Panama Canal Zone (1904–1910) of
yellow-fever-carrying mosquitoes, and was the army surgeon general during World
War I.[1]



gorge

gorge
gorge 
[gawrj] noun (plural gorg·es)

1.  narrow
valley:
a deep narrow, usually rocky valley

2.  contents
of stomach:
the contents of the stomach, especially when they are perceived as rising in
the throat out of disgust or anger

3.  MILITARY entrance
to outwork:
a narrow entrance at the rear of an outwork in a fortification

4.  obstruction
in passage:
a mass of something obstructing a passage, especially a mass of ice obstructing
a river

5.  greedy
eating:
an act of eating greedily and to excess

6.  hawk’s
crop:
the crop of a hawk
verb
(past gorged, past participle gorged, present
participle gorg·ing, 3rd person present singular gorg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
greedily:
to eat something greedily and to excess • They
gorged on chocolates. • They
sat at the counter gorging meat and potatoes.

2.  transitive
verb
eat:
to devour something greedily • They
sat at the counter gorging meat and potatoes.

3.  transitive
verb
See engorge  verb 1
[14th
century. From French, “throat,” from Latin gurge “abyss, whirlpool.”]
—gorg·er, noun[1]



gorgeous

gorgeous
gor·geous 
[gáwrjəss] adjective

1.  beautiful:
outstandingly beautiful or richly colored • dressed
in gorgeous silks

2.  pleasing:
very pleasant (informal) • a
gorgeous spring morning
[15th
century. From Old French gorgias “stylish, elegant,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps formed from gorge “throat” (see gorge
), because the neck can be adorned with stylish things.]
—gor·geous·ly,
adverb

—gor·geous·ness, noun[1]



Gorges,Ferdinando

Gorges,Ferdinando
Gor·ges,
Sir Ferdinando (1566?–1647)

English soldier and
colonizer. He founded two companies (1606–1619 and 1620–1635) for colonizing
lands in present-day Maine.[1]



gorget

gorget
gor·get 
[gáwrjət] (plural gor·gets) noun

1.  MILITARY armor
for throat:
a crescent-shaped piece of armor for protecting the throat

2.  CLOTHES part
of nun’s headdress: the part of a nun’s
headdress that covers the neck and shoulders

3.  ACCESSORIES necklace:
a circular or crescent-shaped ornament worn around the neck

4.  ZOOLOGY colored
band on throat: a band or patch of distinctive color on
the throat of a bird or other animal
[15th century. From Old
French gorgete, from gorge “throat” (see gorge
).][1]



Gorgon

Gorgon

Gor·gon 
[gáwrgən] (plural Gor·gons) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
monster:
in Greek mythology, a monstrous woman with snakes for hair, who turned those
who looked at her into stone

2.  gor·gon
(plural gor·gons) or Gor·gon terrifying
woman:
a woman regarded as very frightening or ugly (insult)
[14th century. From Latin Gorgon-,
stem of Gorgo, from Greek Gorgō, from gorgos “terrible.”][1]



gorgonian

gorgonian
gor·go·ni·an 
[gawr gṓnee ən] (plural gor·go·ni·ans)
noun

coral
with branched skeleton: a coral with a flexible
horny branched skeleton. Family: Gorgonacea
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Gorgonia, genus name, ultimately from
Latin Gorgon- (see Gorgon ),
referring to its power to turn to stone.]
—gor·go·ni·an, adjective[1]



Gorgonian

Gorgonian
Gor·go·ni·an
adjective

of Gorgon:
relating to or resembling a mythological female monster called a Gorgon[1]



gorgonize

gorgonize
gor·gon·ize 
[gáwrgə nz] (past gor·gon·ized,
past participle gor·gon·ized, present participle gor·gon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular gor·gon·iz·es) transitive verb

frighten and stun:
to petrify or mesmerize somebody (literary)[1]



Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola
Gor·gon·zo·la 
[gàwrgən zṓlə] or gor·gon·zo·la
[gàwrgən zṓlə] noun

Italian
blue cheese: a moist Italian blue cheese with a
strong flavor
[Late 19th century. Named for
Gorgonzola, the Milanese village where the cheese was first made.][1]



Gorham

Gorham
Gor·ham
[gáwrəm]

city in southwestern Maine,
north of Saco and west of Portland. Population: 12,906 (1996)[1]



gorilla

gorilla
go·ril·la 
[gə ríllə] (plural go·ril·las)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY largest
ape:
the largest ape, native to central Africa, with a relatively short but very
powerful body and coarse dark hair. Latin name: Gorilla gorilla

2.  thug:
a large or brutal person, especially a hired thug (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek gorillas, from, ultimately, an assumed African word
meaning “wild or hairy man.”][1]



Gorki

Gorki
Gor·ki
[gáwrkee]

Former name for
Nizhi Novgorod[1]



Gorky

Gorky1, Arshile
Gor·ky1 [gáwrkee],
Arshile (1904–1948)

Armenian-born
U.S. painter. His work helped introduce European surrealism into American art
and influenced the abstract expressionists.
Real name
>Adoian, Vosdanig Manoog[1]



Gorky

Gorky2, Maksim
Gor·ky2 [gáwrki]
or Gorki [gáwrki], Maksim
(1868–1936)

Russian
writer. His works inaugurated Socialist Realism, and include the play The
Lower Depths ( 1902 ) and an autobiographical trilogy (1915-1923).
Pseudonym of
Peshkov, Aleksei Maksimovich[1]



gormandize

gormandize
gor·mand·ize 
[gáwrmən dz] (past gor·mand·ized,
past participle gor·mand·ized, present participle gor·mand·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular gor·mand·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

gorge
self on:
to eat food gluttonously
[Mid-16th
century. Ultimately from French gourmandise “gluttony,” from gourmand
(see gourmand ).]
—gor·mand·iz·er, noun[1]



gormless

gormless
gorm·less 
[gáwrmləss] adjective

U.K.
unintelligent:
lacking intelligence, common sense, or initiative (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
gaumless, literally “lacking understanding,” from gaum
“understanding, heed,” from Old Norse gaumr “heed.”][1]



go-round

go-round
go-round 
(plural go-rounds) noun

(informal) See go-around[1]



gorp

gorp
gorp 
[gawrp] noun

snack
food:
a snack mixture used especially by hikers and campers, often made of nuts,
seeds, dried fruits, and chocolate chips
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gorse

gorse
gorse 
[gawrs] (plural gors·es or
gorse) noun

spiny
shrub:
a shrub with fragrant yellow flowers, thick green spines, and black pods.
Genus: Ulex
Also
called
furze
[Old English gors .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be prickly or rough.”][1]



gory

gory
go·ry 
[gáwree] (comparative go·ri·er,
superlative go·ri·est) adjective

1.  bloody:
covered with blood or gore

2.  attended
by bloodshed: involving much bloodshed

3.  horrible:
arousing horror or terror • the
gory details
—gor·i·ly,
adverb

—gor·i·ness, noun[1]



Gosford

Gosford
Gos·ford
[góssfərd]

coastal city in eastern New
South Wales, Australia, situated 85 km/53 mi north of Sydney. Population:
144,840 (1996)[1]



gosh

gosh
gosh 
[gosh] interjection

expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise, amazement, or pleasure (informal)
[Mid-18th century.
Substitution for God .][1]



goshawk

goshawk
gos·hawk 
[góss hàwk] (plural gos·hawks)
noun

large
hawk:
a large fierce hawk with broad rounded wings and a long tail, found in Europe
and North America. Latin name: Accipiter gentilis
[12th century. From Old
English goshafoc, from gos + hafoc, earlier forms of goose and hawk
.][1]



Goshen

Goshen
Go·shen 
[gósh’n]

city in northern Indiana, on
the Elkhart River, northwest of Fort Wayne and southeast of Elkhart.
Population: 24,930 (1996)[1]



gosling

gosling
gos·ling 
[gózzling] (plural gos·lings) noun

immature
goose:
a young goose
[15th century. From Old Norse
gøslingr, from gas “goose.”][1]



go-slow

go-slow
go-slow 
(plural go-slows) noun

U.K.
See slowdown[1]



Gospel

Gospel
Gos·pel
(plural Gos·pels) noun

1.  teachings
of Jesus Christ: the teachings of Jesus Christ and the
story of his life

2.  book
of Bible:
any of one the biblical books Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John

3.  Bible
extract:
an extract from one of the Gospel s read as part of a Christian religious
service
[Old English gōdspel,
literally “good news,” from gōd “good” + spel “tidings” (see spell ), ultimately a translation of Greek euaggelion][1]



gospel

gospel
gos·pel 
[góspəl] (plural gos·pels) noun

1.  set
of beliefs:
a set of beliefs held strongly by a group or person

2.  absolute
truth:
something believed to be absolutely and unquestionably true.
Also
called
gospel truth

3.  See
gospel music

[1]



gospeler

gospeler
gos·pel·er
[góspələr] (plural gos·pel·ers)
or gos·pel·ler [góspələr] (plural
gos·pel·lers) noun

1.  Gospel
reader:
somebody who reads the Gospel in a Christian religious service

2.  preacher
of the Gospel: somebody who preaches the Gospel (disapproving)

[1]



gospelmusic

gospelmusic
gos·pel
mu·sic
noun

religious music:
highly emotional evangelical vocal music that originated among African American
Christians in the southern United States and was a strong influence in the
development of soul music.
Also called
gospel[1]



gospelside

gospelside
gos·pel
side
noun

left side of Christian altar:
in a Christian church, the left side of the altar as faced by the congregation.

See also
epistle side[1]



gospeltruth

gospeltruth
gos·pel
truth
noun

See
gospel  noun 2[1]



gossamer

gossamer
gos·sa·mer 
[góssəmər] noun

1.  fine
cobwebs:
a fine film of cobwebs, often seen floating in the air or covered with dew on
the ground

2.  delicate
fabric:
fabric or gauze that is delicate, sheer, and soft

3.  something
sheer and delicate: something delicate, sheer,
and filmy
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from goose
+ summer, a period of mild autumn weather
when goose was in season and such webs were often seen in the air.]
—gos·sa·mer·y, adjective[1]



gossan

gossan
gos·san 
[góss’n] noun

red
or yellow layer on mineral: a yellow or red layer on the
surface of minerals rich in iron oxide, produced by alteration and leaching of
sulfide ores
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Cornish, formed from gōs “blood.”][1]



Gossett,Louis, Jr.

Gossett,Louis, Jr.
Gos·sett
[góssət], Louis, Jr. (1936– )

U.S. actor. He won an Academy
Award for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman ( 1982 ).[1]



gossip

gossip
gos·sip 
[góssip] noun (plural gos·sips)

1.  conversation
about personal matters: conversation about personal
or intimate rumors or facts, especially when malicious

2.  casual
conversation: informal and chatty conversation or
writing about recent and often personal events

3.  habitual
talker:
somebody given to spreading personal or intimate information about other people
intransitive
verb
(past gos·siped, past participle gos·siped, present
participle gos·sip·ing, 3rd person present singular gos·sips)

spread rumors:
to tell people rumors or personal or intimate facts about other people,
especially maliciously
[Old
English godsibb “godparent,” later “close friend,” from god “god”
+ sibb “relative” (source of sibling
). The underlying meaning is “chat with a close friend.”]
—gos·sip·er,
noun

—gos·sip·ry,
noun

—gos·sip·y, adjective[1]



gossipcolumn

gossipcolumn
gos·sip
col·umn
(plural gos·sip col·umns) noun

press
feature about people’s private lives: a
regular feature in a magazine or newspaper where rumors and personal or
intimate facts about celebrities are exposed
—gos·sip col·um·nist, noun[1]



gossipmonger

gossipmonger
gos·sip·mong·er 
[góssip mùng gər, góssip
mòng gər] (plural gos·sip·mong·ers) noun

gossip:
somebody who is a gossip[1]



gossypol

gossypol
gos·sy·pol 
[góssə pàwl] noun

male
contraceptive substance: a substance extracted from
cotton seeds that has been shown to inhibit the production of sperm and has
been studied for possible use as a contraceptive. C30H30O8
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Gossypium, genus name of the cotton plant, from Latin gossypion
“cotton tree.”][1]



got

got
got


Past participle of
get Past tense of get[1]



gotcha

gotcha
got·cha
[gótchə] interjection

expressing
triumph over another: used to indicate that
somebody has been successfully tricked or caught out in some way, or to
indicate comprehension of something (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From a
pronunciation of got you .][1]



goth

goth
goth
[goth] (plural goths) noun

1.  somebody
uncivilized: somebody who is uncivilized

2.  goth
or Goth MUSIC musical
style:
a style of popular music that combines elements of heavy metal with punk.
Also
called
gothic

3.  goth
or Goth FASHION fashion
of dark clothes and make-up: a style of fashion popular
among men and women in the 1980s, characterized by black clothes, heavy silver
jewelry, black eye makeup and lipstick, and often pale face make-up.
Also
called
gothic

4.  goth
or Goth (plural Goths) somebody
following gothic music and fashion:
somebody who follows gothic music and fashion

[1]



Goth

Goth
Goth 
(plural Goths) noun

member
of ancient Germanic people: a member of an ancient
Germanic people who settled south of the Baltic and from the 3rd to the 5th
centuries founded kingdoms in many parts of the Roman Empire
[Old English gotan
“Goths.” From late Latin Gothi, of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



Goth.

Goth.
Goth.

Abbreviation of
Gothic[1]



Gotham

Gotham
Goth·am 
[góthəm] noun

New York:
a nickname for New York City[1]



Gothenburg

Gothenburg1
Goth·en·burg1 [góth’n
burg] or Göt·e·borg [góth’n
burg]

seaport and industrial city
on the Göta River estuary, southwestern Sweden. Population: 449,189 (1995) Swedish
Gšteborg[1]



Gothic

Gothic
Goth·ic 
adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE of
medieval architectural style: belonging to a style of
architecture used in Western Europe from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and
characterized by pointed arches, flying buttresses, and high curved ceilings

2.  ARTS of
medieval artistic style: belonging to a style of
music, painting, or sculpture practiced in parts of Europe from the 12th to the
15th centuries

3.  HISTORY of
Middle Ages: relating to the Middle Ages

4.  Goth·ic
or goth·ic LITERATURE
of
eerie fiction style: belonging to a genre of
fiction characterized by gloom and darkness, often with a grotesque or
supernatural plot unfolding in an eerie or lonely location such as a ruined
castle

5.  PEOPLES of the
Goths:
relating to or typical of the Goths, or their language or culture
noun

LANGUAGE extinct
language of ancient Goths: an extinct language formerly
spoken by the ancient Goths in parts of Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea.
It is one of the East Germanic group of the Germanic branch of Indo-European.
—Goth·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—Goth·ic·ness, noun[1]



gothic

gothic
goth·ic
[góthik] adjective

uncivilized:
barbarous or uncivilized
noun

1.  MUSIC FASHION See goth  noun
2
See goth  noun 3

2.  PRINTING simple
typeface:
a simple sans serif typeface with strokes of uniform width

3.  PRINTING heavy
angular typeface: a heavy bold angular early typeface.
Also
called
black letter
—goth·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—goth·ic·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  American
  Gothic, a painting by artist Grant Wood ( 1930 ). It portrays an elderly,
  rather dour farming couple standing in front of a gothic-style farmhouse.
  Initially criticized as a cruel caricature of country folk, it is now one of
  the best-known and most popular of all American paintings. A generic term, American
  gothic, came to mean very hard-working, conservative, and rigidly
  self-disciplined. It is one of the relatively few such terms whose meaning
  derives not merely from the title of a painting but from the visual
  representation in the painting.

[1]



Gothicarch

Gothicarch
Goth·ic
arch
(plural Goth·ic arch·es) noun

pointed arch:
a pointed arch, as found in Gothic churches[1]



Gothicism

Gothicism
Goth·i·cism 
noun

use
of Gothic style: use of the Gothic style of architecture,
art, or literature
—Goth·i·cist, noun[1]



gothicism

gothicism
goth·i·cism
[góthi sìzzəm] (plural goth·i·cisms)
noun

crudeness:
crudeness of style or manner, or an example of crudeness[1]



Gothicize

Gothicize
Goth·i·cize
[góthi sz] (past Goth·i·cized,
past participle Goth·i·cized, present participle Goth·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular Goth·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

make
Gothic:
to make something Gothic in style
—Goth·i·ciz·er, noun[1]



GothicRevival

GothicRevival
Goth·ic
Re·viv·al
noun

reintroduction of Gothic
architecture: a style of architecture
based on a reintroduction of the Gothic style, popular in the 18th and 19th
centuries[1]



gothrough

gothrough
go
through
verb

1.  transitive
verb
undergo
unpleasantness of some kind: to undergo hardship or
difficulties, usually in stages and over a period of time • They’re
going through a series of business setbacks.

2.  transitive
verb
examine
thoroughly and physically: to examine or inspect
something very carefully • The
police went through his luggage but found nothing suspicious.

3.  intransitive
verb
gain
official approval: to be accepted or approved
officially, after having gone through channels or set procedural stages

4.  transitive
verb
consume
in quantity: to use, eat, or spend something,
especially a large amount in a short time • They
go through hundreds of dollars of groceries a week.

[1]



Gotland

Gotland
Got·land 
[góttlənd] or Gott·land [góttlənd]

island and county of Sweden,
situated in the Baltic Sea about 80 km/50 mi from the mainland. Capital: Visby.
Population: 58,120 (1995) Area: 3,140 sq km/1,212 sq mi.[1]



gotta

gotta
got·ta
[góttə] intransitive verb

got
to:
used as a written representation of “got to,” reflecting popular pronunciation
(informal)
[Early 20th century. From a
pronunciation of got to .][1]



gotten

gotten
got·ten


Past
participle of get

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at got.

[1]



Gottschalk,Louis Moreau

Gottschalk,Louis Moreau
Gott·schalk
[góch àwk], Louis Moreau (1829–1869)

U.S. composer and pianist. He
was the first U.S. pianist to achieve international recognition. His own works
incorporated Caribbean rhythms and melodic styles.[1]



gouache

gouache
gouache 
[gwaash, goo sh]
(plural gouaches) noun

1.  painting
technique:
a method of painting in which opaque watercolors are mixed with gum

2.  paint
used in gouache: the paint used in the gouache technique

3.  a
gouache painting: a painting done with gouache
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Italian guazzo, “puddle,” of uncertain origin: probably via
Latin aquatio from, ultimately, aqua “water” (see aqua ).][1]



Gouda

Gouda2
Gou·da2  [gówdə,
gdə]

city in South Holland
Province, western Netherlands. Famous for its cheese, it is situated about 21
km13 mi northeast of Rotterdam. Population: 69,916 (1994)[1]



Gouda

Gouda1
Gou·da1  [gdə]
(plural Gou·das) noun

Dutch
cheese:
a mild Dutch cheese, typically sold in a flattened sphere covered in wax
[Mid-19th century. Named for Gouda, where it is made.][1]



Goudy,Frederic William

Goudy,Frederic William
Gou·dy
[gówdee], Frederic William (1865–1947)

U.S. typographer. He created
over 100 different typefaces and wrote a number of books, including A Half
Century of Type Design and Typography ( 1946 ).[1]



gouge

gouge
gouge 
[gowj] intransitive and transitive verb
(past gouged, past participle gouged, present
participle goug·ing, 3rd person present singular goug·es)

1.  carve
out hole:
to cut or scoop a hole or groove in something, usually using a sharp tool

2.  form
roughly by cutting: to form something by roughly
cutting it out of surrounding material

3.  overcharge
somebody:
to cheat somebody or act dishonestly by demanding an unreasonably high price
for services or goods (informal)

4.  injure
somebody’s eye: to attack somebody’s eye with the thumb
noun
(plural goug·es)

1.  WOODWORK chisel
with concave blade: a chisel with a concave
blade used for cutting grooves and holes in wood

2.  small
hole:
a mark, groove, or hole, usually made with a pointed tool

3.  act
of overcharging: an instance of paying too much or being
charged exorbitantly for goods or services (informal)

4.  GEOLOGY rock
fragments:
clay material produced by the grinding together of rock surfaces in a fault or
within a mineral vein
[Late
15th century. Via French from late Latin gubia, variant of gulbia,
of Celtic origin.]
—goug·er, noun[1]



goulash

goulash
gou·lash 
[g lsh, g
làsh] (plural gou·lash·es) noun

1.  COOKING Hungarian
stew:
a stew of Hungarian origin, made with beef, veal, lamb, or pork and seasoned
with paprika.
Also
called
Hungarian goulash

2.  mixture:
an eclectic and uncoordinated mixture of something

3.  BRIDGE dealing
of cards:
a way of dealing cards that have already been arranged in a specific order,
without shuffling them first
[Mid-19th century. From
Hungarian gulyás, a shortening of gulyás hús “herdsman’s meat.”][1]



Gould,Morton

Gould,Morton
Gould
[goold], Morton (1913–1996)

U.S. composer and conductor.
He used folk and jazz themes in works such as Fall River Legend ( 1948 )
and the Pulitzer Prize-winning String Music ( 1994 ).[1]



Gould,Stephen Jay

Gould,Stephen Jay

Gould
[goold], Stephen Jay (1941– )
U.S. paleontologist. He helped to
originate the "punctuated equilibrium" theory of evolution, and
reached a popular audience with his Natural History magazine column
(1974- ).[1]



gounder

gounder
go
under
intransitive verb

1.  sink
in water:
to sink below the surface of the water • I
managed to grab him as he went under for the third time.

2.  fail:
to close down, or be unable to keep going

3.  lose
consciousness: to lose consciousness, especially after
being given an anesthetic • They
began the operation as soon as she’d gone under.

[1]



goup

goup
go
up
intransitive verb

1.  be
built:
to be constructed • A new supermarket went
up where the theater used to be.

2.  be
displayed:
to be put on display • A
notice has gone up saying how we can be contacted.

3.  detonate
or ignite:
to explode or burst into flames • The
whole place went up in a matter of seconds.

4.  U.K.
EDUC go to
a university: to go to or return to a university at
the beginning of a term or academic year

[1]



gourami

gourami
gou·ra·mi 
[goo rmee] (plural gou·ra·mi or
gou·ra·mis) noun

popular
aquarium fish: a freshwater fish of Southeast Asia,
many species of which are capable of breathing air and are often kept in
aquariums. Family: Anabantidae
[Late 19th century. Via Malay
gurami “freshwater carp” from Javanese graméh .][1]



gourd

gourd

gourd 
[gawrd] (plural gourds) noun

1.  hard-skinned
fruit:
a hard-skinned fleshy fruit produced by several different plants related to
cucumbers and marrows, eaten when ripe or dried and used as decoration, bowls,
or cups

2.  gourd
-producing plant: a plant that produces gourds
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman gurde from, ultimately, Latin cucurbita (source also
of English courgette and zucchini ).][1]



gourde

gourde
gourde 
[goord] (plural gourdes) noun

1.  Haitian
currency unit: the basic unit of currency in Haiti

2.  bill
worth a gourde: a bill worth one gourde
[Mid-19th century. Via
Haitian Creole from French gourd “dull, heavy,” from Latin gurdus
“dolt,” later “dull, blunt.”][1]



gourmand

gourmand
gour·mand 
[gr mnd, grmənd]
(plural gour·mands) noun

food
lover:
somebody who loves food and often eats excessively or greedily
[15th century. From French,
“glutton,” of uncertain origin.][1]



gourmandise

gourmandise
gour·man·dise 
[grmən dz] noun

food
appreciation: an appreciation of good food and drink
[Mid-16th century. From
French, formed from gourmand “glutton.”][1]



gourmet

gourmet
gour·met 
[goor máy, gr
mày] noun (plural gour·mets)

FOOD food
expert:
somebody who has an expert knowledge and an enjoyment of good food and drink
adjective

COOKING of
special food: relating to or preparing high-quality
food that is sophisticated, expensive, rare, or meticulously prepared
[Early 19th century. From
French, an alteration (influenced by gourmand “ gourmand
”) of Middle French groumet “servant, vintner’s assistant,” from English
groom .][1]



gout

gout
gout 
[gowt] (plural gouts) noun

1.  disease
causing swollen joints: a metabolic disorder mainly
affecting men in which excess uric acid is produced and deposited in the
joints, causing painful swelling, especially in the toes and feet

2.  blob:
a large blob or clot of something, usually of blood
[13th century. Via Old French
goute from Latin gutta, literally “drop of liquid”; so called
from the idea that gout was caused by drops of a morbid fluid in the blood.][1]



goutweed

goutweed
gout·weed 
[gówt wd] (plural gout·weeds)
noun

plant
with small white flowers: a plant with clusters of
small white flowers that is found in Europe and North America and causes
problems as a weed in gardens. Latin name: Aegopodium podagraria
Also
called
bishop’s weed
U.K.
term
ground elder
[From its use in treating
gout][1]



gouty

gouty
gout·y
[gówtee] (comparative gout·i·er,
superlative gout·i·est) adjective

1.  with
gout:
resulting from or causing gout

2.  affected
by gout:
affected by or tending to contract gout
—gout·i·ness, noun[1]



gov.

gov.
gov.
[guv]

1.  Abbreviation
of
government

2.  Abbreviation
of
governor

[1]



govern

govern
gov·ern 
[gúvvərn] (past gov·erned, past
participle gov·erned, present participle gov·ern·ing, 3rd
person present singular gov·erns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb POLITICS have political authority:
to be responsible officially for directing the affairs, policies, and economy
of a state, country, or organization

2.  transitive
verb
control
something:
to control, regulate, or direct something

3.  transitive
verb
restrain
something:
to control something by restraint

4.  transitive
verb
have
influence over: to have or exercise an influence over
something

5.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING control
speed of:
to maintain the speed of an engine or keep it from going above a specific level
by controlling the fuel or steam supply

6.  transitive
verb
LAW be law
for:
to be the defining rule for something

7.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR determine
form of word: to dictate the inflection, mood, or case
of another word
[13th
century. Via Old French governer and Latin gubernare from Greek kubernan
“to steer” (source of English cybernetics
), of unknown origin.]
—gov·ern·a·ble, adjective[1]



governance

governance
gov·er·nance 
[gúvvərnəns] noun

1.  manner
of government: the system or manner of government

2.  state
of governing a place: the act or state of
governing a place

3.  authority:
control or authority (formal)

[1]



governess

governess
gov·ern·ess 
[gúvvərnəss] (plural gov·ern·ess·es)
noun

home
teacher:
especially in former times, a woman employed to teach children in their own
homes, and sometimes also to care for the children
[15th century. From Old
French governeresse, feminine of governeour “governor.”][1]



government

government
gov·ern·ment 
[gúvvərnmənt] noun (plural gov·ern·ments)

1.  POLITICS political
authority:
a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or
area

2.  POLITICS style
of government: a type of political system

3.  POLITICS the
state viewed as ruler: the state and its
administration viewed as the ruling political power

4.  POLITICS branch
of government: a branch or agency of a government,
taken as the whole (informal)

5.  control
of something: the management or control of something

6.  EDUCATION political
science:
political science as a subject of study

7.  GRAMMAR determination
of inflection: the determination of the inflection,
mood, or case of a word by another word
adjective

of government:
relating to or provided by a government, usually a national government
—gov·ern·ment·al
[gùvvərn mént’l], adjective

—gov·ern·ment·al·ly, adverb[1]



governmentalize

governmentalize
gov·ern·ment·al·ize
[gùvvərn mént’l z] (past gov·ern·ment·al·ized,
past participle gov·ern·ment·al·ized, present participle gov·ern·ment·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular gov·ern·ment·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

put under government:
to put a sphere of activity under the power of the government[1]



governmentese

governmentese
gov·ern·ment·ese
[gùvvərnmən tz, gùvvərnmən
tss] noun

government jargon:
language that is full of difficult jargon, thought to be typical of language
used by government, for example, in regulations and laws[1]



GovernmentHouse

GovernmentHouse
Gov·ern·ment
House
noun

Canada
Canadian official residence:
in Canada, the official residence of the governor general or, in some
provinces, the lieutenant governor[1]



governor

governor
gov·er·nor 
[gúvvərnər] (plural gov·er·nors)
noun

1.  POLITICS U.S.
state executive: the popularly elected executive of state
government in U.S. states

2.  POLITICS governing
official:
an appointed or elected official who governs a state, colony, or province for a
specified term

3.  governing
body member: a member of a governing body of an
institution

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING regulating
device:
a device for regulating the speed of an engine

5.  authority
figure:
an authority figure such as an employer or boss (informal)

6.  U.K.
CRIMINOLOGY See warden

[1]



governorgeneral

governorgeneral
gov·er·nor
gen·er·al
(plural gov·er·nors gen·er·al or gov·er·nor gen·er·als)
noun

1.  top
governor:
a governor who has authority over deputy governors

2.  Crown
representative: the representative of the British Crown
in some countries of the Commonwealth of Nations
—gov·er·nor-gen·er·al·ship,
noun[1]



governorship

governorship
gov·er·nor·ship 
[gúvvərnər shìp] noun

governor’s term or position:
the position, duties, or term of office of a governor[1]



GovernorsIsland

GovernorsIsland
Gov·er·nors
Is·land 
[gúvvərnərz lənd]

island in New York Bay, just
south of the tip of Manhattan Island, that was used as a military post until
the 19th century. Area: 70 hectares/175 acres.[1]



govt.

govt.
govt.

Abbreviation of
government[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GowerPeninsula

GowerPeninsula
Gow·er
Pen·in·su·la [gòw ər pə
nínssylə]

rocky peninsula on the coast
of Swansea district, southern Wales. Length: 24 km/15 mi.[1]



gowith

gowith
go
with
transitive verb

1.  date
somebody:
to spend time romantically and socially with somebody (informal) • Anna’s
been going with Alex for a month now.

2.  be
part of something: to be a normal or usual part
of something • The
long hours go with the job.

3.  adopt
or follow an idea: to adopt or follow a
particular approach or point of view • Just
go with the plan as it stands for the time being and we’ll see what happens.

[1]



gowithout

gowithout
go
without
transitive verb

not have something needed:
to be deprived financially, or be deprived of a particular thing • You’ll
have to go without breakfast if you want to catch the early train.
• Sometimes
the poor family just had to go without.[1]



gown

gown
gown 
[gown] noun (plural gowns)
CLOTHES

1.  elegant
or formal dress: a woman’s full-length elegant or formal
dress for special occasions

2.  long
robe:
a long robe, often dark in color, worn on official occasions by people such as
judges, professors, and university graduates

3.  loose
outer garment: a loose cloak or robe such as that worn
by surgeons that is worn to protect clothes
transitive
verb
(past gowned, past participle gowned, present
participle gown·ing, 3rd person present singular gowns)

dress in gown:
to dress somebody in a loose robe
[14th century. Via Old French
goune from late Latin gunna “fur or leather garment,” of unknown
origin.][1]



gownsman

gownsman
gowns·man 
[gównzmən] (plural gowns·men [gównzmən]) noun

man gown wearer:
a man, for example, an academic who wears a gown for professional reasons[1]



Goya,Francisco de

Goya,Francisco de


Go·ya
[góy ə], Francisco de (1746–1828)
Spanish
painter. One of the greatest Spanish masters, he was known for his naturalistic
tapestry designs, portraits, and several series of satirical etchings,
including The Caprices ( 1797–1799 ).
Full name
Goya y Lucientes, Francisco José de[1]



GP

GP
GP

1.  MUSIC Abbreviation of
general pause

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of general practice

3.  (plural
GPs) MEDICINE Abbreviation
of general practitioner

4.  SPORTS Abbreviation of Grand Prix

[1]



Gp.

Gp.
Gp.

STOCK
EXCHANGE Abbreviation of group[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GPA

GPA
GPA
(plural GPAs)

U.S.,
Australia Abbreviation of grade point
average[1]



g.p.d.

g.p.d.
g.p.d.
or G.P.D.

Abbreviation of
gallons per day[1]



g.p.h.

g.p.h.
g.p.h.
or G.P.H.

Abbreviation of
gallons per hour[1]



g.p.m.

g.p.m.
g.p.m.
or G.P.M.

Abbreviation of
gallons per minute[1]



GPO

GPO
GPO

Abbreviation of
Government Printing Office[1]



g.p.s.

g.p.s.
g.p.s.
or G.P.S. noun

NAVIGATION satellite
navigation system: a worldwide navigation
system that uses information received from orbiting satellites. Full form
Global Positioning System


Abbreviation
of
gallons per second

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at ATM.

[1]



GPU

GPU
GPU
noun

Soviet
secret police: the Soviet secret police, from 1922 to
1923. Full form Gosudarstvennoe politicheskoe upravlenie
[From Russian, “State
Political Directorate”][1]



GQ

GQ
GQ

Abbreviation of
General Quarters[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Gr.

Gr.
Gr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Greece

2.  Abbreviation
of
Greek

[1]



gr.

gr.
gr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
grade

2.  Abbreviation
of
grain

3.  Abbreviation
of
gram

4.  Abbreviation
of
gross

[1]



Graafianfollicle

Graafianfollicle
Graaf·i·an
fol·li·cle 
[grfee ən fóllik’l, gràffee ən fóllik’l] (plural Graaf·i·an fol·li·cles)
noun

small
fluid-filled sac in ovaries: a small fluid-filled sac ( vesicle ) containing a maturing ovum. Graafian
follicles are found in the ovaries of mammals.
See
also
ovisac
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Dutch anatomist Regnier de Graaf (1641–1673), who discovered the
vesicles.][1]



grab

grab
grab
[grab] verb (past grabbed,
past participle grabbed, present participle grab·bing,
3rd person present singular grabs)

1.  transitive
verb
grasp
something:
to grasp something quickly, suddenly, or forcefully • Grab
a pen and sit down.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb try to
grasp:
to try to grasp something that is hard to reach or in short supply • Stop
grabbing or I won’t give you any.

3.  transitive
verb
seize
something:
to take something violently or dishonestly • grab
the money and run

4.  transitive
verb
have
emotional impact on somebody: to appeal to, attract,
impress, or affect somebody emotionally (informal) • The
movie didn’t really grab me.

5.  transitive
verb
hurriedly
get something: to obtain something quickly and without
difficulty (informal) • I’ll
just grab a bite to eat.

6.  intransitive
verb
take
hold suddenly: to take hold suddenly or intermittently
• The
brakes grabbed and the car went into a skid.
noun
(plural grabs)

1.  grabbing:
the act of grabbing something • He
made a grab at my arm.

2.  something
grabbed:
something that is grabbed

3.  device
for grabbing: an apparatus or device used for grasping
hold of something

4.  grabbing
ability:
the ability or capacity to hold something fast
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German
grabben . Ultimately from a prehistoric base that is also the ancestor
of English grasp .]
—grab·ba·ble,
adjective

—grab·ber,
noun
up
for grabs

available
for the first comer to take or use (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



grabbag

grabbag
grab
bag
(plural grab bags) noun

1.  box
of objects:
a box full of sealed bags containing unknown objects that can be purchased for
a fixed price or are the prize of a party game.
U.K.
term
lucky dip

2.  miscellaneous
collection:
something composed of miscellaneous or mismatched components (informal)

[1]



grabbar

grabbar
grab
bar
(plural grab bars) noun

bar for holding:
a bar attached to a wall to provide a grip, for example, near a bath tub or
next to a toilet for people who have difficulty in standing up[1]



grabble

grabble
grab·ble 
[grább’l] (past grab·bled, past
participle grab·bled, present participle grab·bling, 3rd
person present singular grab·bles) intransitive verb

1.  grope
around:
to scratch or search around with the hands

2.  sprawl:
to tumble or fall to the ground on all fours
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Dutch grabbelen, from grabben
.]
—grab·bler, noun[1]



grabby

grabby
grab·by 
[grábbee] (comparative grab·bi·er,
superlative grab·bi·est) adjective

1.  grasping:
pushy and grasping (informal insult)

2.  adhering:
capable of holding fast or adhering (informal)

3.  drawing
attention:
drawing people’s attention (informal) • a
grabby headline

4.  overtly
sexual:
prone to making overt sexual advances (informal disapproving)
—grab·bi·ness, noun[1]



graben

graben
gra·ben 
[grbən] (plural gra·bens) noun

valley:
a broad valley, especially a rift valley
[Late 19th century. From
German Graben, literally “ditch.”][1]



Grable,Betty

Grable,Betty
Gra·ble
[gráyb’l], Betty (1916–1973)

U.S.
actor, dancer, and singer. She was a star of musical films in the 1940s.
Full name
Grable, Elizabeth Ruth[1]



Grace

Grace
Grace 
[grayss] (plural Grac·es) noun

form of address:
used as a title when addressing a duke, duchess, or archbishop[1]



grace

grace
grace 
[grayss] noun (plural graces)

1.  elegance:
elegance, beauty, and smoothness of form or movement

2.  politeness:
dignified, polite, and decent behavior • She
fended off queries with her usual grace.

3.  generosity
of spirit:
a capacity to tolerate, accommodate, or forgive people

4.  CHRISTIANITY prayer
at mealtimes: a short prayer of thanks to God said
before, or sometimes after, a meal

5.  FINANCE See grace period

6.  pleasing:
a pleasing and admirable quality or characteristic (usually plural)

7.  CHRISTIANITY gift
of God to humankind: in Christianity, the
infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown to humankind by God

8.  CHRISTIANITY freedom
from sin:
in Christianity, the condition of being free of sin, for example, through
repentance to God

9.  MUSIC See grace note
transitive
verb
(past graced, past participle graced, present
participle grac·ing, 3rd person present singular grac·es)

1.  contribute
pleasingly:
to make a pleasing contribution to an event, often by attending it (often
used ironically) • So
good of you to grace us with your presence.

2.  add
elegance:
to add elegance, beauty, or charm to something

3.  MUSIC ornament:
to add ornamental or decorative notes to a piece of music
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin gratia (source of English gracious ), from gratus “pleasing” (see
grateful ).]
fall
from grace

to
lose a favored or privileged position

with
(a) bad grace

in
a rude bad-tempered way

with
(a) good grace

in a polite and willing way[1]



gracecup

gracecup
grace
cup
(plural grace cups) noun

cup for making a toast:
a cup of wine or liquor passed around at the end of a meal for a final toast[1]



graceful

graceful
grace·ful 
[gráyssfəl] adjective

1.  elegant
and beautiful: showing elegance, beauty, and smoothness
of form or movement

2.  poised
and dignified: marked by poise, dignity, and politeness
—grace·ful·ly,
adverb

—grace·ful·ness, noun[1]



graceless

graceless
grace·less 
[gráyssləss] adjective

1.  without
elegance:
lacking elegance in form or movement

2.  lacking
dignity:
bad-mannered and undignified
—grace·less·ly,
adverb

—grace·less·ness, noun[1]



gracenote

gracenote

grace note
(plural grace notes) noun
ornamental note:
a note added to a piece of music as an embellishment, usually played quickly
before a principal note and written smaller than a normal note on the page.
Also called
grace[1]



graceperiod

graceperiod
grace
pe·ri·od
(plural grace pe·ri·ods) noun

extra time before paying:
the extra time allowed before having to pay a debt or complete a transaction.
Also called
grace[1]



Graces

Graces
Grac·es
[gráyssəz] noun

3 Greek goddesses:
in Greek mythology, three sister goddesses, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who
have the power to grant charm, happiness, and beauty[1]



gracile

gracile
grac·ile 
[gráss’l] adjective

gracefully
slender:
gracefully slender and slight (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin gracilis, of unknown origin.]
—grac·ile·ness,
noun

—gra·cil·i·ty [gra síllətee], noun[1]



gracious

gracious
gra·cious 
[gráyshəss] adjective

1.  kind
and polite:
full of tact, kindness, and politeness • a
gracious refusal

2.  condescendingly
polite:
condescendingly indulgent and generous to perceived inferiors

3.  elegant
and comfortable: luxurious and elegant • gracious
living

4.  CHRISTIANITY having
divine grace: displaying divine grace, mercy, or
compassion
interjection

expressing surprise:
used to express surprise, dismay, or indignation
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin gratiosus “agreeable,” from gratia
“grace” (see grace ).]
—gra·cious·ly,
adverb

—gra·cious·ness, noun[1]



grackle

grackle


grack·le 
[grák’l] (plural grack·les) noun

1.  N
American blackbird: a noisy North American
blackbird with metallic black plumage and a long keel-shaped tail. Genus: Quiscalus

2.  starling:
a European and Asian starling with mostly black plumage. Genus: Gracula
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin Gracula, genus name, from Latin graculus “jackdaw.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to croak,” which is also the
ancestor of English crow and crane .][1]



grad.

grad.
grad.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gradient

2.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
graduated

[1]



grad

grad
grad 
[grad] (plural grads) noun

graduate:
a graduate (informal)
[Shortening][1]



gradable

gradable
grad·a·ble
[gráydəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be graded: capable of being graded

2.  GRAMMAR allowing
variation of degree: capable of having a
comparative and superlative form
—grad·a·bil·i·ty [gràydə bíllətee], noun[1]



gradate

gradate
gra·date 
[gráy dàyt] (past participle gra·dat·ed,
present participle gra·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular
gra·dates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
imperceptibly: to pass imperceptibly from one shade or
degree of intensity to another, or cause something to do this

2.  transitive
verb
arrange
in degrees:
to arrange something in steps, grades, or ranks
[Mid-18th century.
Back-formation from gradation .][1]



gradation

gradation
gra·da·tion 
[gray dáysh’n] (plural gra·da·tions)
noun

1.  series
of degrees:
a series of gradual and progressive degrees, steps, or stages

2.  single
degree:
a degree, step, or stage in a gradual progression

3.  discrete
arrangement: the arrangement of something according
to size, rank, or quality

4.  color
change:
the gradual and progressive change from one color or tone to another

5.  PHONETICS vowel
change:
a change in the length or quality of a vowel within a word, signifying a change
in function such as tense or number

6.  GEOGRAPHY leveling
of land:
the process of leveling land by erosion or deposition of sediment
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem gradation-,
literally “making steps,” from gradus (see grade
).]
—gra·da·tion·al,
adjective

—gra·da·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



grade

grade
grade 
[grayd] noun (plural grades)

1.  EDUCATION year
in school:
a class or year in a school, especially in the U.S. and Canadian school systems
• She’ll
be in the tenth grade this year.

2.  EDUCATION mark
for quality of work: a mark or rating given for
work in school or college, usually using the descending scale of A, B, C, D,
and F

3.  level
in a scale of progression: a level, step, or stage in a
scale of progression, quality, or size (often used in combination) • low-grade
gasoline

4.  mark
showing a level: a mark to indicate a level, step, or
stage in a process

5.  rank:
a rank or class, for example, in the military

6.  people
in rank:
a group of people of the same rank

7.  FOOD food
classification: a category indicating the relative
quality of food as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture • grade
A eggs

8.  gradient:
a gradient or slope, especially on a road or railroad

9.  BUILDING ground
level:
the level at which the ground meets a building • below-grade
wiring

10. AGRICULTURE mixed
offspring:
an animal with one purebred parent and one of unknown breeding

11. PHONETICS vowel
form:
a form of vowel morpheme when a vowel varies owing to gradation
transitive
verb
(past grad·ed, past participle grad·ed, present
participle grad·ing, 3rd person present singular grades)

1.  arrange
by degrees:
to arrange or classify things or people according to rank, quality, or level

2.  assign
a grade:
to assign a mark or rating, for example, to a student’s work

3.  TRANSPORT make
a road level: to level a road or railroad by adjusting
its gradients

4.  AGRICULTURE improve
a breed:
to improve a breed by crossing with a purebred animal
[Early
16th century. Via French from Latin gradus “step, stage” (source also of
English degree ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to walk,” which is the ancestor of progress and transgress
).]
make
the grade

to
meet the required standard





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word gradus from which grade
  is derived, and its related verb gradi “to walk, go,” are also the
  sources of English aggression, congress, degrade,
  degree, digress,
  gradient, gradual, ingredient,
  progress, retrograde, and transgress.

[1]



gradecrossing

gradecrossing
grade
cross·ing
(plural grade cross·ings) noun

railroad crossing level with
road: a place where the road
crosses the railroad or two rail lines cross at the same level.
U.K. term
level crossing[1]



gradedsediment

gradedsediment
grad·ed
sed·i·ment
noun

sediment with coarse to fine
grains: a sediment deposited on land
or the seabed in which there is an upward gradation of the grains from coarse
to fine[1]



gradeinflation

gradeinflation
grade
in·fla·tion
noun

grading work too high:
the assignment of higher than deserved grades to students’ work in order to
compensate for diminishing expectations and falling educational standards (disapproving)[1]



gradepoint average

gradepoint average
grade
point av·er·age (plural grade point
av·er·ag·es) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia average
of grades: the average of a student’s
grades over a fixed period, calculated by assigning a value of 4 to A, 3 to B,
2 to C, 1 to D, and 0 to F[1]



grader

grader
grad·er 
[gráydər] (plural grad·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who or something that grades: a person who or machine that
grades something

2.  EDUCATION student:
a student in a particular grade in school • first
graders

3.  CONSTRUCTION earth
leveler:
a machine with a wide blade that levels ground, used in road construction

[1]



gradeschool

gradeschool
grade
school
(plural grade schools) noun

primary
school:
an elementary or primary school
—grade-school·er, noun[1]



gradeseparation

gradeseparation
grade
sep·a·ra·tion (plural grade sep·a·ra·tions)
noun

uneven crossing:
a crossing of roads or railroads requiring an overpass or underpass[1]



gradient

gradient
gra·di·ent 
[gráydee ənt] noun (plural gra·di·ents)

1.  slope:
an upward or downward slope, for example, in a road or railroad

2.  steepness:
the rate at which the steepness of a slope increases

3.  PHYSICS measure
of change:
a measure of change in a physical quantity such as temperature or pressure over
a specified distance

4.  BIOLOGY rate
of growth:
any of a series of changes in the rate of growth or metabolism of an organism,
cell, or organ

5.  MATHEMATICS slope
on a curve:
the slope of a line or a tangent at any point on a curve
adjective

sloping:
sloping evenly and uniformly
[Mid-17th century. Partly via
Latin gradient-, the present participle stem of gradi “to walk,”
(from gradus “step”; see grade ), and
partly formed from grade on the model of
“quotient.”][1]



gradientpost

gradientpost
gra·di·ent
post
(plural gra·di·ent posts) noun

signal of a gradient:
a small post with arms to represent gradients that is used beside a railroad
line to indicate where the gradient changes[1]



gradin

gradin
gra·din 
[gráyd’n] (plural gra·dins) or
gra·dine [gráy dn, grə dn] (plural gra·dines) noun

1.  step
near an altar: a raised step above or behind an altar

2.  step
on a slope:
one of a set of steps arranged on a slope
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Italian gradino, literally “small step,” from grado “step,”
from Latin gradus (see grade ).][1]



gradual

gradual
grad·u·al 
[grájjoo əl] adjective

1.  happening
slowly:
proceeding or developing slowly by steps or degrees • a
gradual improvement

2.  changing
slowly:
changing slowly • a gradual incline
noun
(plural grad·u·als) CHRISTIANITY

1.  sung
verses:
in some Christian services, a set of scriptural verses sung after the epistle
at Communion

2.  religious
music book:
a book of music for the sung parts of the Communion Service
[15th
century. From medieval Latin gradualis, from Latin gradus “step”
(see grade ).]
—grad·u·al·ness, noun[1]



gradualism

gradualism
grad·u·al·ism 
[grájjoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  gradual
change:
the principle, theory, or policy of allowing change, especially political
change, to take place gradually rather than suddenly or drastically.
Also
called
incrementalism

2.  GEOLOGY theory
of rock change: the theory that change in rocks and
fossils happens by a gradual historical process
—grad·u·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—grad·u·al·is·tic [gràjjoo ə lístik], adjective[1]



gradually

gradually
grad·u·al·ly
[grájjoo əlee] adverb

by slow change:
in a way that proceeds or develops slowly by steps or degrees[1]



graduate

graduate
grad·u·ate 
noun [grájjoo ət] (plural grad·u·ates)

1.  EDUCATION somebody
who has completed a course of studies:
somebody who has obtained a diploma or degree after completing a course of
study, for example, from high school or college

2.  EDUCATION holder
of a degree: somebody who has obtained a bachelor’s
degree from a college, university, or other higher education institution

3.  SCIENCE container
with markings: a container such as a flask or tube with
graduated markings that is used for measuring liquids
verb
[grájjoo àyt] (past grad·u·at·ed,
past participle grad·u·at·ed, present participle grad·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular grad·u·ates)

1.  intransitive
verb
EDUCATION finish
school or college: to receive a diploma or
degree after completing a course of study in a school, college, or university • We
both graduated from high school in 1996.

2.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION give
a certificate: to give a diploma or degree to a student
completing a course of study

3.  intransitive
verb
move
up:
to move upward from one level or activity to another • I’ve
graduated from skiing to snowboarding.

4.  transitive
verb
mark
with degrees or levels: to mark something with units
of measurement

5.  transitive
verb
sort
by differences: to sort something into groups according
to quality, size, or type
adjective
[grájjoo ət]

EDUCATION past
bachelor’s degree: relating to education for
students who have acquired a bachelor’s degree.
U.K.
term
postgraduate
—grad·u·a·tor, noun[1]



graduated

graduated
grad·u·at·ed
[grájjoo àytəd] adjective

1.  in
stages:
divided into regular steps or stages

2.  MEASUREMENTS marked
with lines:
marked with lines to enable measurement

3.  FINANCE based
on income:
used to describe or relating to a system of taxation under which those with the
greatest income or assets pay the highest percentage of tax

[1]



graduateschool

graduateschool
grad·u·ate
school
(plural grad·u·ate schools) noun

school for advanced study:
a university or university division for advanced students who have obtained a
bachelor’s degree[1]



graduation

graduation
grad·u·a·tion 
[gràjjoo áysh’n] (plural grad·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  EDUCATION completion
of studies:
the completion of a course of academic study • the
number of credits required for graduation

2.  EDUCATION degree
ceremony:
a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are awarded to students who have
successfully completed their studies • attended
her grandson’s graduation

3.  MEASUREMENTS mark
on an instrument: a unit of measurement or division marked
on an instrument

4.  MEASUREMENTS dividing
process:
the process of marking or dividing something according to quantity or quality

[1]



Graecism

Graecism
Graec·ism
noun

U.K. =
Grecism[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Graecize

Graecize
Grae·cize
transitive verb

U.K. =
Grecize[1]



Graeco-Roman

Graeco-Roman
Graec·o-Ro·man
adjective

U.K. =
Greco-Roman[1]



graffiti

graffiti
graf·fi·ti 
[grə ftee] noun

writing
on walls:
drawings or writing that is scratched, painted, or sprayed on walls or other
surfaces in public places (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, plural of graffito (see graffito
).][1]



graffitist

graffitist
graf·fi·tist
[grə ftist] (plural graf·fi·tists)
noun

graffiti producer:
somebody who makes graffiti[1]



graffito

graffito
graf·fi·to 
[grə f t] (plural graf·fi·ti
[grə ftee]) noun

1.  written
mark on wall: an instance of graffiti scratched,
painted, or sprayed on a surface (formal)

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY ancient
inscription: an ancient drawing or inscription on a
wall or rock surface
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “scribbling,” via graffio “scratching” from,
ultimately, Latin graphium “stylus,” from Greek grapheion, from graphein
“to write” (see graphic ).][1]



Graf,Steffi

Graf,Steffi

Graf
[graaf], Steffi (1969– )
German tennis player. She turned
professional at age 13, and went on to become only the fifth player to win the
tennis Grand Slam (1988). She won five singles titles at Wimbledon.[1]



graft

graft1

graft1  [graft]
noun (plural grafts)

1.  SURGERY transplanted
tissue:
a piece of living tissue or an organ that is transplanted to a part of a
patient’s body, either from a donor or another part of the patient’s body.
Grafts are used to replace damaged or diseased tissue or organs.

2.  BOTANY plant
tissue joined to another plant: a piece of living
tissue from the shoot of a plant that is joined to the stem and root system of
another plant, resulting in the growth of a single plant

3.  SURGERY BOTANY graft location:
the place where tissue is implanted by means of a graft

4.  BOTANY grafted
plant:
a plant that is the product of a graft

5.  joining
process:
the process of joining one thing to another
transitive verb
(past graft·ed, past participle graft·ed, present
participle graft·ing, 3rd person present singular grafts)

1.  SURGERY transplant
tissue:
to transplant a piece of living tissue or an organ to a part of a patient’s
body. The tissue or organ may be either from a donor or from another part of
the patient’s body.

2.  BOTANY unite
plant tissue: to join a piece of tissue from a part of
one plant to the stem and root system of another plant to produce desirable
characteristics such as vigor or resistance to disease in the new plant

3.  join
dissimilar things: to join two things that do
not share a natural relationship or affinity for each other
[15th
century. Via Old French grafe “pencil” (from a perceived similarity with
the shoot of a plant), from late Latin graphium “writing implement,
stylus” (see graffito ).]
—graft·er, noun[1]



graft

graft2
graft2  [graft]
noun

1.  cheating
by a corrupt individual: the use of dishonest or
illegal means to gain money or property by somebody in a position of power or
in elected office

2.  money
obtained corruptly: something obtained illegally
by taking advantage of high position or office
intransitive
and transitive verb (past graft·ed,
past participle graft·ed, present participle graft·ing,
3rd person present singular grafts)

get by deceit:
to obtain money or property by deceit (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from graft 1, the underlying idea being
“digging.”]
—graft·er, noun[1]



Graham,Billy

Graham,Billy
Gra·ham 
[gráy əm], Billy (1918– )

U.S.
evangelist. A charismatic preacher, he held large-scale evangelistic rallies
throughout the United States and Europe after 1949.
Full name
Graham, William Franklin[1]



grahamcracker

grahamcracker
gra·ham
crack·er
[gráyəm] (plural gra·ham crack·ers)
noun

sweet plain cracker:
a flat dry sweetened cracker, light brown in color and made from graham flour[1]



grahamflour

grahamflour
gra·ham
flour
noun

whole-wheat
flour:
unbolted whole-wheat flour
[Named for Dr. Sylvester
Graham (1794–1851), a North American dietary reformer.][1]



Graham,Katharine

Graham,Katharine
Gra·ham 
[gráy əm], Katharine (1917– )

U.S.
newspaper executive. She was publisher of the Washington Post
(1969–1979).
Born
Meyer, Katharine[1]



Graham,Martha

Graham,Martha

Gra·ham 
[gráy əm], Martha (1893–1991)
U.S. dancer, choreographer, and teacher.
The most influential figure in modern dance, she created a dance language using
flexible movements intended to express emotional power.[1]



Grail

Grail
Grail
noun

CHRISTIANITY Jesus
Christ’s cup: according to medieval legend, the cup
said to be used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, and by Joseph of Arimathea
to collect his blood and sweat at the Crucifixion. It was sought after by
medieval knights.
Also
called
Holy Grail
Also
called
Sangreal
[14th century. Via Old French
grael from medieval Latin gradalis “dish,” of uncertain origin.][1]



grail

grail
grail 
[grayl] noun

something desired:
something that is eagerly sought after[1]



grain

grain
grain 
[grayn] noun (plural grains)

1.  AGRICULTURE cereals:
cereal crops

2.  BOTANY small
seed:
a small hard seed or fruit

3.  tiny
single piece: a tiny individual piece of something,
for example, sand or salt

4.  small
amount:
a tiny amount of something • He
doesn’t have one grain of common sense!

5.  pattern
in material, especially wood: the arrangement, direction,
or pattern of the fibers in wood, leather, stone, or paper, typically aligned
along a single axis • When
painting, follow the grain of the wood.

6.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of weight:
the smallest unit of weight in the avoirdupois (1/7000 pound ) and
apothecaries’ systems (1/5760 pound ), equal to approximately 0.065 grams

7.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
particle:
any of the small particles in a photographic emulsion that form an image,
limiting the extent of possible enlargement

8.  TEXTILES direction
of threads:
the line of the threads in a fabric

9.  INDUSTRY side
of leather:
the side of leather from which hair has been removed

10. basic
quality:
the basic quality or characteristic of something or somebody • firmly
set in the grain

11. CHEMISTRY small
crystal:
a small crystal, especially one forming part of a crystalline solid

12. SPACE TECHNOLOGY propellant
for rocket:
a mass of solid propellant for a rocket or missile

13. CHEMISTRY dye:
red or purple dye made from cochineal insects (archaic)
verb
(past grained, past participle grained, present
participle grain·ing, 3rd person present singular grains)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb granulate:
to break down into small particles or grains, or make something break down into
small particles

2.  transitive
verb
mimic
pattern of wood: to paint or stain a material with a
pattern similar to wood or leather

3.  transitive
verb
CRAFT treat
leather:
to soften or raise the pattern of leather

4.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY remove
hair:
to remove the hair from leather

5.  transitive
verb
give
a grainy appearance: to give something a rough or
granular appearance

6.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE feed
grain:
to feed grain to an animal
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin granum “seed.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of corn
and kernel .]
—grain·er,
noun
go
against the grain

be
contrary to somebody’s natural inclinations, wishes, or feelings





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin word granum from which grain
  is derived is also the source of English filigree,
  garner, granary,
  grange, granite,
  gravy, grenade,
  ingrained, and pomegranate.

[1]



grainalcohol

grainalcohol
grain
al·co·hol
noun

alcohol made from cereal:
alcohol made from a fermented cereal[1]



grained

grained
grained
[graynd] adjective

with grain:
having grain of a particular type[1]



grainelevator

grainelevator
grain
el·e·va·tor
(plural grain el·e·va·tors) noun

See
elevator  noun 2[1]



Grainger,Percy

Grainger,Percy
Grain·ger
[gráynjər], Percy (1882–1961)

Australian-born
U.S. pianist and composer. His 400 compositions, many based on folk music,
include Green Bushes ( 1921 ) and Shepherds Hey ( 1922 ).
Born
Grainger, George Percy Full name Grainger, Percy Aldridge[1]



grainsof paradise

grainsof paradise
grains
of par·a·dise  plural noun

peppery-tasting seeds:
the peppery brown seeds of a West African plant, formerly used in veterinary
medicine and for adding piquancy to mulled wine and other drinks Aframomum
melegueta[1]



grainsorghum

grainsorghum
grain
sor·ghum
noun

grain-producing sorghum:
a variety of sorghum that is grown for grain or forage[1]



grainweevil

grainweevil
grain
wee·vil
(plural grain wee·vils) noun

beetle feeding on cereals:
a small beetle that feeds on and damages cereal grains. Latin name: Calendra
granaria[1]



grainy

grainy
grain·y 
[gráynee] (comparative grain·i·er,
superlative grain·i·est) adjective

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY not
clear:
unclear and poorly defined because of a large grain size or overenlargement

2.  resembling
grains:
resembling or composed of grains

3.  not
smooth:
having a granular rather than a smooth texture

4.  like
wood grain:
resembling the grain of wood, leather, stone, or paper
—grain·i·ness, noun[1]



gram

gram1
gram1 [gram]
(plural grams) noun

metric
unit of mass: a metric unit of mass, equal to 0.001 kg
or equivalent to approximately 0.035 oz. Symbol g
[Late 18th century. Via
French gramme and late Latin gramma from Greek gramma
“small weight.”][1]



gram

gram2
gram2 [gram]
noun

beans:
any of various edible beans, for example, the chickpea, lentil, or mung bean,
used as food
[Early 18th century. Via
obsolete Portuguese gram from Latin granum (see grain ).][1]



gram.

gram.
gram.

1.  Abbreviation
of
grammar

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of grammatical

[1]



-gram

-gram
-gram
suffix

1.  something
written, drawn, or recorded • trigram
• oscillogram

2.  a
message delivered by a third party • telegram
• kissagram
[From Greek gramma ;
related to graphein “to write” (see graphic
)][1]



grama

grama
gra·ma 
[grámə] or gram·ma [grámə] (plural gra·mas) or gra·ma
grass [grámə] or gram·ma grass
[grámə] noun

pasture
grass:
a pasture grass that grows in western North America and South America. Genus: Bouteloua
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from, ultimately, Latin gramen “grass” (see gramineous ).][1]



gramarye

gramarye
gram·a·rye 
[grámməree] or gram·a·ry [grámməree] noun

magic:
magic and enchantment (archaic)
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman gramarie “Latin grammar,” a variant of Old French gramaire
(see grammar ).][1]



gramatom

gramatom
gram
at·om
(plural gram at·oms) noun

quantity of an element:
a quantity of a chemical element whose mass in grams is the same as its atomic
weight[1]



gramcalorie

gramcalorie
gram
cal·o·rie
(plural gram cal·o·ries) noun

See
calorie  noun 1[1]



gramequivalent

gramequivalent
gram
e·quiv·a·lent (plural gram e·quiv·a·lents)
noun

quantity of substance:
the quantity of a substance whose mass in grams is the same as its chemical
equivalent weight[1]



gramercy

gramercy
gra·mer·cy 
[grə múrsee] interjection (archaic)

1.  expression
of thanks:
used as an expression of thanks

2.  expression
of wonder:
used as an expression of surprise or wonder
[14th century. From Old
French grant merci, literally “(God give you) great reward.”][1]



gramicidin

gramicidin
gram·i·ci·din 
[gràmmi sd’n] or gram·i·ci·din D
[gràmmi sd’n] noun

antibiotic
for external use only: an antibiotic too toxic for
internal use but widely sold as an ingredient of various ointments, creams, and
eye and ear drops
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Gram-positive + -cide + -in .][1]



gramineous

gramineous
gra·min·e·ous 
[grə mínnee əss] or gram·i·na·ceous
[gràmmə náyshəss] adjective

1.  in
grass family: belonging to the grass family

2.  grassy:
resembling grass (technical)
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin gramineus from gramin-, the stem of gramen
“grass, fodder.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to devour,”
ancestor also of English cress, gastric, and gangrene
.]
—gra·min·e·ous·ness, noun[1]



graminivorous

graminivorous
gram·i·niv·o·rous 
[gràmmi nívvərəss] adjective

grass-eating:
that feeds on grass (technical)
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from Latin gramin-, the stem of gramen “grass” (see gramineous ) + -vorous
.][1]



gramma

gramma
gram·ma
[grámmə] noun

BOTANY
See grama[1]



grammar

grammar
gram·mar 
[grámmər] (plural gram·mars) noun

1.  rules
for language: the system of rules by which words are
formed and put together to make sentences

2.  particular
set of language rules: the rules for speaking or
writing a particular language, or a particular analysis of the rules of
language • Spanish
grammar
• case
grammar

3.  quality
of language: the spoken or written form of language
somebody uses, as related to accepted standards of correctness

4.  grammar
book:
a book dealing with the grammar of a language

5.  analytical
system:
a systematic treatment of the elementary principles of a subject and their
interrelationships
[14th century. Via Old French
gramaire and Latin grammatica from, ultimately, Greek grammatikos,
“relating to letters,” from grammat-, the stem of gramma “written
character, letter” (see -gram ).][1]



grammarian

grammarian
gram·mar·ian 
[grə máiree ən] (plural gram·mar·ians)
noun

1.  grammar
expert:
somebody who is very skilled in grammar

2.  writer
on grammar:
a writer on grammar, especially one who espouses prescriptive rules

[1]



grammarschool

grammarschool
gram·mar
school
(plural gram·mar schools) noun

grade school:
an elementary school[1]



grammatical

grammatical
gram·mat·i·cal 
[grə máttik’l] adjective

1.  in
grammar:
in or relating to the rules of grammar

2.  correct
in terms of grammar: conforming to the accepted
rules of grammar
[Early
16th century. Via late Latin grammaticalis from, ultimately, Greek grammatikos
(see grammar ).]
—gram·mat·i·cal·i·ty
[grə màtti kállətee], noun

—gram·mat·i·cal·ly
[grə máttikəlee], adverb

—gram·mat·i·cal·ness [grə máttikəlnəss], noun[1]



grammatology

grammatology
gram·ma·tol·o·gy 
[gràmmə tólləjee] noun

study
of writing:
the study of writing systems
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek grammat-, the stem of gramma “written
letter” + -logy .]
—gram·ma·to·log·ic
[gràmmətə lójjik], adjective

—gram·ma·to·log·i·cal
[gràmmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—gram·ma·tol·o·gist [gràmmə tólləjist], noun[1]



grammolecule

grammolecule
gram
mol·e·cule
(plural gram mol·e·cules) noun

quantity
of chemical: a quantity of a molecular chemical
compound whose mass in grams is the same as its molecular weight
—gram-mo·lec·u·lar, adjective[1]



Grammy

Grammy
Gram·my


a service mark for an award
given annually for achievement in the recorded music industry[1]



grammy

grammy
gram·my
[grámmee] (plural gram·mies) noun

grandmother:
a grandmother (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[Shortening][1]



Gram-negative

Gram-negative
Gram-neg·a·tive
or gram-neg·a·tive adjective

losing purple dye:
used to describe bacteria that lose the color of a gentian violet stain, used
in Gram’s method of classifying bacteria[1]



gramophone

gramophone
gram·o·phone
[grámmə fn] (plural gram·o·phones)
noun

record
player:
a record player (dated)
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of phonogram .][1]



grampa

grampa
gram·pa
[grámpə] (plural gram·pas) noun

grandfather:
a grandfather (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[Contraction of grandpapa][1]



GrampianMountains

GrampianMountains
Gram·pi·an
Moun·tains 
[gràmpee ən mówntinz]

mountain range in central
Scotland that forms a natural division between the Highlands and Lowlands. The
highest peak is Ben Nevis, 1,343 m/4,406 ft .[1]



Gram-positive

Gram-positive
Gram-pos·i·tive
or gram-pos·i·tive adjective

retaining purple dye:
used to describe bacteria that retain the color of a gentian violet stain,
according to Gram’s method of classifying bacteria[1]



gramps

gramps
gramps
[grámps] noun

grandfather:
a grandfather (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[From a contraction of
grandpapa][1]



grampus

grampus
gram·pus 
[grámpəss] (plural gram·pus or
gram·pus·es) noun

large
dolphin:
a large gray dolphin with a blunt snout, short flippers, and a tall dark gray
fin. It is widely distributed throughout warm seas. Latin name: Grampus
griseus
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of Old French graspeis, from medieval Latin crassus piscis,
literally “fat fish.”][1]



Gram’smethod

Gram’smethod
Gram’s
meth·od 
or Gram’s stain noun

classification
of bacteria: a technique used to classify bacteria
according to their ability to lose or retain the color of a gentian violet
stain, applied within the framework of an established test procedure. The
retention or loss of stain indicates a particular cell-wall structure and
distinguishes two types of bacteria.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Danish physician H. C. J. Gram ( 1853–1938 ), who developed it.][1]



gran

gran
gran
[gran] noun

grandmother:
a grandmother (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



grana

grana
gra·na


Plural of
granum[1]



Granada

Granada
Gra·na·da 
[grə ndə]

city and capital of Granada
Province in the autonomous region of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is the site
of the Alhambra, a Moorish palace and citadel. Population: 272,738 (1995)[1]



granadilla

granadilla
gran·a·dil·la 
[grànnə díllə, grànnə
d yə] (plural gran·a·dil·las) noun

1.  PLANTS passion
fruit plant: a tropical passionflower with edible
egg-shaped fruit. Latin name: Passiflora quadrangularis

2.  FOOD fruit
of the granadilla: the fruit that grows on the
granadilla
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish, literally “little pomegranate,” formed from granada
“pomegranate.”][1]



granary

granary
gran·a·ry 
[gránəree, gráynəree]
(plural gran·a·ries) noun

1.  grain
warehouse:
a warehouse or storeroom for grain

2.  grain-growing
region:
a region where grain is abundant
[Late 16th century. From
Latin granarium, from granum (see grain
).][1]



GranChaco

GranChaco
Gran
Cha·co 
[gran chákō]

thinly populated region in
south central South America, extending from southern Bolivia through Paraguay
to northern Argentina. Area: 647,500 sq km/250,000 sq mi.[1]



grand-

grand-
grand-
prefix

one
generation further removed • grandniece
[From grand][1]



grand

grand
grand 
[grand] adjective (comparative
grand·er, superlative grand·est)

1.  outstanding:
outstanding and impressive in appearance, extent, or style • making
a grand entrance

2.  impressive:
impressive, ambitious, and far-reaching • a
grand plan

3.  worthy
of respect:
worthy of great respect by virtue of exceptional ability or high rank • among
the grandest orchestras of our time

4.  wonderful:
wonderful, enjoyable, and memorable • We had
a grand time.

5.  principal:
main or principal • And now we move into
the Grand Banqueting Hall.
noun
(plural grands) (informal)

1.  MONEY 1,000
dollars:
a thousand dollars • made ten grand on the
deal

2.  MUSIC See grand piano
[Early
16th century. Via Old French from Latin grandis “full grown,” of unknown
origin.]
—grand·ly,
adverb

—grand·ness, noun[1]



grandad

grandad
gran·dad
noun

See
granddad[1]



grandaddy

grandaddy
gran·dad·dy 
noun

See
granddaddy[1]



grandam

grandam
gran·dam 
[grán dàm, grándəm]
(plural gran·dams) or gran·dame [grán dàym, grándəm]
(plural gran·dames) noun

woman
of advanced years: a grandmother or woman who
is no longer young (archaic)
[13th century. From
Anglo-French graund dame “grandmother,” literally “great lady.”][1]



grandaunt

grandaunt
grand·aunt 
[grànd ánt] (plural grand·aunts)
noun

See
great-aunt[1]



grandbaby

grandbaby
grand·ba·by 
[gránd bàybee] noun

baby grandchild:
a grandchild who is still a baby[1]



GrandBahama

GrandBahama
Grand
Ba·ha·ma 
[grànd bə hmə]

island of the western Bahamas
in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of Florida. Population: 40,898
(1990) Area: 1,114 sq km/430 sq mi.[1]



GrandBanks

GrandBanks
Grand
Banks
[grand bángks]

shallow section of the
Atlantic Ocean, off southeastern Newfoundland, Canada, that is an important
fishing region. Area: 282,500 sq km/109,000 sq mi.[1]



GrandCanal

GrandCanal
Grand
Ca·nal
[grànd kə nál]

main thoroughfare of Venice,
Italy. There are almost 200 palaces on the banks of the canal. Length: 3 km/2
mi.[1]



GrandCanyon

GrandCanyon

Grand Can·yon
[grànd kánnyən]
spectacular natural gorge carved by the
Colorado River in northwestern Arizona. Its width varies from 8 to 29 km/5 to
18 mi, and its depth can exceed 1.6 km/1 mi . Length: 443 km/227 mi.[1]



GrandCanyon National Park

GrandCanyon National Park
Grand
Can·yon Na·tion·al Park [grand
kànnyən násh’nəl prk]

national park in northern
Arizona, established in 1919. Its primary feature is the Grand Canyon of the
Colorado River. Area: 4,930 sq km/1,904 sq mi.[1]



grandchild

grandchild
grand·child 
[gránd chld] (plural grand·chil·dren
[gránd chìldrən]) noun

child’s child:
a child of your son or daughter[1]



GrandCoulee Dam

GrandCoulee Dam
Grand
Cou·lee Dam
[grand kli dám]

dam in Washington State on
the Columbia River, 145 km/90 mi west of Spokane. Completed in 1942, it is the
world’s largest concrete structure and a major source of hydroelectric power.
Height: 168 m/550 ft.[1]



granddad

granddad
grand·dad 
[grán dàd] (plural grand·dads)
or gran·dad [grán dàd] (plural
gran·dads) noun (informal)

1.  grandfather:
a grandfather

2.  term
for man past middle age: used as a slightly
disrespectful name for a man of advanced years (sometimes considered
offensive)

[1]



granddaddy

granddaddy
grand·dad·dy
[grán dàddee] (plural grand·dad·dies)
or gran·dad·dy [grán dàddee] (plural
gran·dad·dies) noun

1.  grandfather:
a grandfather (informal)

2.  first
one:
something considered the oldest, first, or most important of its time

[1]



granddaughter

granddaughter
grand·daugh·ter 
[grán dàwtər] (plural grand·daugh·ters)
noun

child’s daughter:
a daughter of your son or daughter[1]



grandduchess

grandduchess
grand
duch·ess
noun

1.  grand
duke’s spouse: the wife or widow of a grand duke

2.  high
noblewoman:
a woman who holds a rank just below that of a queen

3.  Russian
princess:
in tsarist Russia, a daughter of a tsar, or a daughter of a tsar’s descendants

[1]



grandduchy

grandduchy
grand
duch·y
noun

territory of a grand duke or
duchess: a country, territory, or
estate that has a grand duke or a grand duchess as its ruler[1]



grandduke

grandduke
grand
duke
(plural grand dukes) noun

1.  high-ranking
nobleman:
a nobleman who holds a rank just below that of a king

2.  Russian
noble:
in tsarist Russia, a brother, son, uncle, or nephew of a tsar

[1]



grandedame

grandedame
grande
dame 
[gránd dàm, grnd
dm] (plural grande dames) noun

grand
woman:
a socially important, dignified, and usually older woman
[From French, “great lady”][1]



GrandeDixence Dam

GrandeDixence Dam
Grande
Dix·ence Dam [grand dìksənss
dám]

concrete dam on the Dixence
River, southwestern Switzerland. Completed in 1962, it is one of the world’s
highest dams. Height: 284 m/932 ft.[1]



grandee

grandee
gran·dee 
[gran d] (plural gran·dees) noun

1.  somebody
with power to persuade: somebody highly influential
and respected, especially a politician

2.  Spanish
or Portuguese nobleman: a high-ranking Spanish or
Portuguese nobleman
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese grande from Latin grandis “great” (source
of English grand ).][1]



GrandePrairie

GrandePrairie
Grande
Prai·rie 
[grand práiree]

city on the Trinity River in
northeastern Texas, on important manufacturing center. Population: 108,908
(1994)[1]



grandeur

grandeur
gran·deur
[gránjər, grán
jr] noun

grandness:
the quality of being great or grand and very impressive
[Early 16th century. From
French, formed from grand (see grand
).][1]



grandfather

grandfather
grand·fa·ther 
[gránd fər] noun (plural grand·fa·thers)

1.  father
of your parent: the father of your father or mother

2.  ancestor:
a man who is somebody’s ancestor

3.  used
to address man: used as a name for a man considered to
be advanced in years (dated informal)
transitive
verb
(past grand·fa·thered, past participle grand·fa·thered,
present participle grand·fa·ther·ing, 3rd person present
singular grand·fa·thers)

exempt: to
exempt somebody from something by means of a grandfather clause
—grandfa·ther·ly, adjective[1]



grandfatherclause

grandfatherclause
grand·fa·ther
clause
(plural grand·fa·ther claus·es) noun

1.  HISTORY voting
rights clause: a clause in some U.S. Southern states’
constitutions that waived electoral literacy requirements for descendants of
those allowed to vote before 1867, in effect enabling illiterate white people
to vote while excluding illiterate black people. It was declared
unconstitutional in 1915.

2.  LAW exempting
clause:
a clause in prohibitive legislation that makes exceptions for those already
engaged in the activity that it bans or regulates

[1]



grandfatherclock

grandfatherclock

grand·fa·ther clock
(plural grand·fa·ther clocks) noun
tall freestanding clock:
a large clock in a tall case that stands on the floor. See longcase clock[1]



grandfinal

grandfinal
grand
fi·nal
(plural grand fi·nals) noun

final round:
the last round in a series of contests, competitions, or sports matches[1]



grandfinale

grandfinale
grand
fi·nal·e
(plural grand fi·nal·es) noun

final scene:
the closing spectacular scene or section of a performance or other show[1]



GrandForks

GrandForks
Grand
Forks 
[grand fáwrks]

city on the Red River, in
eastern North Dakota, north of Fargo. Population: 50,675 (1996)[1]



GrandGuignol

GrandGuignol
Grand
Gui·gnol 
[grN gi nyáwl] noun

THEATER play
that aims to horrify audience: a sensational drama,
often structured in short scenes with violent or horrific subject matter, that
aims to horrify its audience
[Early
20th century. From Le Grand Guignol, the name of a theater in Paris that
specialized in short sensational dramas.]
—grand gui·gnol, adjective[1]



grandiloquence

grandiloquence
gran·dil·o·quence 
[gran dílləkwəns] noun

lofty
manner:
a pompous or lofty manner of speaking or writing
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin grandiloquus “speaking grandly,” from grandis
“great” + loqui “to speak.”]
—gran·dil·o·quent,
adjective

—gran·dil·o·quent·ly, adverb[1]



grandiose

grandiose
gran·di·ose 
[grándee ss] adjective

1.  pretentious
and pompous: pretentious, pompous, and imposing

2.  magnificent:
impressive and magnificent

3.  overly
complex:
too complicated and unrealistic • a
grandiose plan
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Italian grandioso “imposing,” from grande
“great,” from Latin grandis .]
—gran·di·ose·ly,
adverb

—gran·di·ose·ness,
noun

—gran·di·os·i·ty [gràndee óssətee], noun[1]



grandioso

grandioso
gran·di·o·so 
[gràndi ṓssō] adjective adverb

imposingly:
in a grand or imposing style (used as a musical direction)
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “grandly.”][1]



GrandJunction

GrandJunction
Grand
Junc·tion 
[grand júngksh’n]

city in Mesa County, western
Colorado, where the Gunnison and Colorado rivers meet. Population: 29,034
(1990)[1]



grandjury

grandjury
grand
ju·ry
noun

jury
to examine grounds for trial: in U.S. and Canadian law, a
panel of 12 to 23 jurors called to decide whether there are grounds for a
criminal prosecution in a case
—grand ju·ror, noun[1]



grandkid

grandkid
grand·kid 
[grán kìd] (plural grand·kids)
noun

grandchild:
a grandchild (informal)[1]



grandlarceny

grandlarceny
grand
lar·ce·ny
noun

high-value robbery:
a robbery or theft of money or property with a value over the amount specified
by law to constitute petit larceny[1]



grandma

grandma
grand·ma 
[grán m] (plural grand·mas) noun

grandmother:
a name for a grandmother (informal)
[Late 18th century.
Shortening.][1]



grandmal

grandmal
grand
mal 
[grànN ml] noun

serious
epilepsy:
a serious form of epilepsy in which there is loss of consciousness and severe
convulsions.
See
also
petit mal
[From French, literally
“great illness”][1]



GrandManan Island

GrandManan Island
Grand
Ma·nan Is·land  [grànd mə
nán lənd]

island at the entrance to the
Bay of Fundy in southwestern New Brunswick, southeastern Canada. Area: 137 sq
km/53 sq mi.[1]



grandmaster

grandmaster
grand
mas·ter
(plural grand mas·ters) or grand·mas·ter (plural
grand·mas·ters) noun

1.  CHESS top
chess player: a champion chess player who plays at an
international level

2.  somebody
outstanding: somebody who is at the highest level of
ability or achievement in a particular field

3.  group
head:
a head of a brotherhood of knights, or of a fraternal organization such as the
Masons

[1]



grandmother

grandmother
grand·moth·er 
[grán mùər] (plural grand·moth·ers)
noun

1.  parent’s
mother:
the mother of your father or mother

2.  ancestor:
a woman who is somebody’s ancestor

3.  used
to address woman: used to address a woman of advanced
years (dated informal) (sometimes considered offensive)
—grand·moth·er·ly, adjective[1]



grandmotherclock

grandmotherclock
grand·moth·er
clock
(plural grand·moth·er clocks) noun

freestanding clock:
a clock in a tall case that stands on the floor, smaller than a grandfather
clock[1]



grandnephew

grandnephew
grand·neph·ew 
[gràn néffyoo] (plural grand·neph·ews)
noun

nephew’s or niece’s son:
a son of somebody’s nephew or niece.
Also called
great-nephew[1]



grandniece

grandniece
grand·niece 
[grán nss] (plural grand·niec·es)
noun

nephew’s or niece’s daughter:
a daughter of somebody’s nephew or niece.
Also called
great-niece[1]



grandold man

grandold man
grand
old man
noun

respected man:
a man usually past middle age who is respected for his contribution to some
field of activity such as politics, music, or sports • the
grand old man of American jazz[1]



grandopera

grandopera
grand
op·er·a
(plural grand op·er·as) noun

serious opera:
an opera on a serious dramatic theme in which all the words are sung and there
is no spoken dialogue[1]



grandpa

grandpa
grand·pa 
[grán p, grám
p] (plural grand·pas) noun (informal)

1.  grandfather:
a name for a grandfather

2.  man
past middle age: a slightly disrespectful name for man of
advanced years (sometimes considered offensive)

[1]



grandparent

grandparent
grand·par·ent 
[grán pàirənt] (plural grand·par·ents)
noun

parent’s
parent:
the mother or father of your mother or father
—grand·pa·ren·tal
[grànpə rént’l], adjective

—grand·par·ent·hood [gránd pàirənt hd], noun[1]



grandpiano

grandpiano
grand
pi·an·o
noun

piano with horizontal
strings: a large piano in which the
strings are fixed horizontally behind the keyboard in a long harp-shaped frame.

Also called
grand[1]



GrandPrix

GrandPrix
Grand
Prix 
[gròn pr, gròN
pr] (plural Grand Prix or Grands Prix [gròn pr, gròN pr])
noun

1.  important
car race:
any one of a number of important international annual races for racing cars,
held to decide the world automobile-racing championship

2.  important
sports competition: any one of various
competitions in a variety of sports that have the same importance and prestige
as a Grand Prix in automobile racing
[From French, literally “big
prize”][1]



GrandPré

GrandPré
Grand
Pré 
[gron práy, graaN
práy]

village in central Nova
Scotia, Canada, on Minas Basin, the site of Grand Pré National Historic Park[1]



grandsire

grandsire
grand·sire 
[gránd sr] (plural grand·sires)
noun

1.  grandfather:
a grandfather (archaic)

2.  ancestor:
a man who is somebody’s ancestor (archaic or literary) (often used in
the plural)

3.  man
past middle age: a man of advanced years (archaic)

[1]



grandslam

grandslam
grand
slam
(plural grand slams) noun

1.  SPORTS winning
of all major competitions: in some sports, for example,
tennis and golf, the winning of all of a specified group of major competitions
by one player or team in one year

2.  SPORTS major competition:
any one of a specified group of major competitions in a particular sport

3.  BASEBALL 4
runs:
in baseball, a home run made when the bases are loaded

4.  CARD GAMES winning
of all tricks: in bridge and similar card games, the
winning of all 13 tricks in a game by one player or pair of players, or a
contract to do so

[1]



grandson

grandson
grand·son 
[grán sùn] (plural grand·sons)
noun

child’s son:
a son of your son or daughter[1]



grandstand

grandstand
grand·stand 
[gránd stànd] noun (plural grand·stands)

1.  structure
for spectators’ seats: an open building or
platform, usually with a roof, containing rows of seats for spectators at a
sports stadium or racetrack

2.  spectators
in a grandstand: the spectators sitting in a grandstand
adjective

unobstructed:
clear, close, and unobstructed • We had
a grandstand view of the proceedings.
intransitive
verb
(past grand·stand·ed, past participle grand·stand·ed,
present participle grand·stand·ing, 3rd person present
singular grand·stands)

seek attention or admiration:
to show off in order to impress people, especially spectators
—grand·stand·er, noun[1]



grandstandplay

grandstandplay
grand·stand
play
(plural grand·stand plays) noun

elaborate action:
an action or play, for example, in sports, that is made more elaborate than
necessary in order to gain attention or applause[1]



GrandTeton National Park

GrandTeton National Park

Grand Te·ton Na·tion·al Park
[grand tt’n násh’nəl prk]
national park south of Yellowstone in
northwestern Wyoming, established in 1929. The highest peak is Grand Teton,
4,197 m/13,771 ft . Area: 125,450 hectares/309,994 acres.[1]



grandtotal

grandtotal
grand
to·tal
(plural grand to·tals) noun

final total:
a final and complete total of all amounts to be added[1]



grandtour

grandtour
grand
tour
(plural grand tours) noun

1.  tour
of several places: a trip or tour that takes in
visits to several places, or a visit that allows a complete inspection of all
parts of one place

2.  tour
of European cities: in the past, a tour of the
main European cities and cultural centers undertaken by young upper-class
Englishmen as a way of completing their education

[1]



granduncle

granduncle
grand·un·cle 
[gránd ùngk’l] (plural grand·un·cles)
noun

See
great-uncle[1]



grange

grange
grange 
[graynj] (plural granges) noun

1.  U.K.
large
farmhouse:
a large farmhouse or country house with other buildings such as stables or
barns attached to it

2.  granary
or barn:
a large farm building used for storing grain or hay (archaic)
[13th century. Via French
from medieval Latin granica villa, literally “grain house” (the original
sense in English), from Latin granum (see grain
).][1]



Grange

Grange
Grange
noun

1.  farmers’
organization: the Patrons of Husbandry, an association
of U.S. farmers founded in 1867 for their mutual support

2.  branch
of the Grange: a local branch of the Grange
—Grang·er, noun[1]



granger

granger
grang·er
[gráynjər] (plural grang·ers) noun

farmer:
a farmer[1]



Grange,Red

Grange,Red

Grange 
[graynj], Red (1903–1991)
U.S.
football player. Playing mostly for the Chicago Bears during a 10-year career,
he was an early popularizer of the professional game, and later became a sports
announcer.
Real name
Grange, Harold Edward[1]



grani-

grani-
grani-
prefix

grain,
seed • granivorous
[From Latin granum
(see grain )][1]



granita

granita
gran·i·ta 
[grə ntə] (plural gran·i·tas)
noun

crunchy
sorbet:
a type of sweetened flavored water ice with a grainy texture, sometimes served
as a refresher between courses rather than as a dessert
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, the feminine form of granito (see granite
).][1]



granite

granite
gran·ite 
[gránnit] (plural gran·ites) noun

1.  MINERALS coarse-grained
igneous rock: a coarse-grained igneous rock made up of
feldspar, mica, and at least 20 percent quartz. It is used extensively in
building.

2.  toughness:
determination or toughness of character

3.  SPORTS stone
used in curling: the rounded stone used in the sport of
curling
[Mid-17th
century. Via Italian granito, literally “grainy,” from, ultimately,
Latin granum (see grain ).]
—gra·nit·ic
[gra níttik, grə
níttik], adjective

—gran·it·oid [gránni tòyd], adjective[1]



GraniteCity

GraniteCity
Gran·ite
City 
[grànnit síttee]

city in southwestern
Illinois, on the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Population: 31,449 (1996)[1]



GranitePeak

GranitePeak
Gran·ite
Peak
[grànnit pk]

mountain in the Northern
Rockies of southern Montana, the highest peak in the state. Height: 3,901
m/12,799 ft.[1]



graniteware

graniteware
gran·ite·ware 
[gránnit wàir] noun

1.  speckled
pottery:
a type of earthenware with a speckled glaze that gives it the appearance of
granite

2.  speckled
iron dishes: iron articles, for example, pots and
bowls, coated with a glaze that gives a finish with the appearance of granite

[1]



granivorous

granivorous
gra·niv·o·rous 
[grə nívvərəss] adjective

ZOOLOGY
seed-eating:
that eats seeds[1]



granny

granny
gran·ny
[gránnee] (plural gran·nies) or
gran·nie [gránnee] (plural gran·nies)
noun

1.  grandmother:
a grandmother (informal)

2.  woman
of advanced years: a slightly disrespectful
name for a woman of advanced years

3.  fussy
person:
an annoyingly fastidious or fussy person (insult)

4.  Southern
U.S.
midwife:
a nurse or midwife

5.  See
granny knot
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of grannam, a common pronunciation of grandam
.][1]



grannydress

grannydress
gran·ny
dress
(plural gran·ny dress·es) noun

old-fashioned dress:
a type of long dress in a style considered to have been worn by earlier
generations of women that was popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s[1]



grannydumping

grannydumping
gran·ny
dump·ing
(plural gran·ny dump·ings) noun

abandonment of senior citizen
by family: the abandonment of a senior
citizen who is in deteriorating mental or physical health by a family member or
members in a public place (disapproving)[1]



grannyflat

grannyflat
gran·ny
flat
(plural gran·ny flats) noun

U.K.
See mother-in-law apartment[1]



grannygear

grannygear
gran·ny
gear
noun

lowest gear on a bicycle:
the lowest gear on a bicycle that makes it possible to pedal up steep inclines
(informal)[1]



grannyglasses

grannyglasses
gran·ny
glass·es
plural noun

small metal-framed glasses:
eyeglasses consisting of small lenses set in gold or steel frames.
Also called
granny specs[1]



grannyknot

grannyknot

gran·ny knot
(plural gran·ny knots) noun
type of knot:
a square knot incorrectly tied and therefore likely to come apart.
Also called
granny[1]



GrannySmith

GrannySmith
Gran·ny
Smith
(plural Gran·ny Smiths) noun

green
apple:
a type of eating apple with green skin and crisp white flesh
[Late 19th century. From the
nickname of Maria Ann Smith (1801–1870), who first grew the apple in her
garden in Sydney, Australia.][1]



grannyspecs

grannyspecs
gran·ny
specs
plural noun

(informal) See granny glasses[1]



grano-

grano-
grano-
prefix

granite
• granolith
[Via German from, ultimately,
Italian granito (see granite )][1]



granodiorite

granodiorite
gran·o·di·or·ite 
[grànnō d ə rt] noun

coarse-grained
igneous rock: a coarse-grained igneous rock containing
plagioclase and orthoclase, whose composition is intermediate between granite
and diorite
—gran·o·di·or·it·ic [grànnō d ə ríttik], adjective[1]



granola

granola
gra·no·la 
[grə nṓlə] noun

oat
breakfast cereal: a breakfast cereal consisting of rolled
oats mixed with other ingredients such as brown sugar, dried fruit, nuts,
honey, and sesame seeds
[Early 20th century.
Originally a trade name.][1]



granolith

granolith
gran·o·lith 
[gránnə lìth] noun

material
for paths:
a paving material made from cement and granite chips
—gran·o·lith·ic [grànnə líthik], adjective[1]



granophyre

granophyre
gran·o·phyre 
[gránnə fr] noun

igneous
rock:
a medium-grained light-colored igneous rock consisting mainly of crystals of
feldspar and quartz that have crystallized together
[Late
19th century. From German Granophyr, from Granit “granite” + Porphyr
“porphyry.”]
—gran·o·phyr·ic [grànnə frik], adjective[1]



GranParadiso

GranParadiso
Gran
Pa·ra·di·so 
[gram pàrrə dzō]

mountain in the Western Alps,
northern Italy, situated within the Gran Paradiso National Park. Height: 4,061
m/13,323 ft.[1]



grant

grant
grant 
[grant] transitive verb (past grant·ed,
past participle grant·ed, present participle grant·ing,
3rd person present singular grants)

1.  comply
with a request: to carry out or comply with a request
for something

2.  allow
something as a favor or privilege: to give somebody
something or allow somebody to have something, especially as a favor or
privilege • She
refused to grant any interviews.

3.  agree
the truth of something: to acknowledge that what
somebody else has said, or what a person thinks somebody else is thinking, is
true

4.  LAW transfer
something legally: to transfer property or
rights in a legal transaction
noun
(plural grants)

1.  money
given for a purpose: a sum of money given by the
government or some other organization to fund such things as education or
research

2.  gift:
anything that is given to somebody as a favor or privilege, or the giving of it
• a
land grant

3.  LAW legal
transaction: something transferred from one person to
another in a legal transaction, or the transaction itself

4.  LAW transfer
document:
a legal document recording a transaction in which something is transferred from
one person to another

5.  area
of land:
a land division in New Hampshire, Maine, or Vermont
[13th
century. From Old French granter, a variant of creanter “to
guarantee,” via assumed Vulgar Latin credentare from, ultimately, Latin credere
(see credible ).]
—grant·a·ble,
adjective

—grant·er,
noun
take
somebody for granted

to
fail to realize or appreciate the value of somebody

take
something for granted

1.  to
assume that something is true without checking

2.  to
fail to appreciate or realize the value of something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at give

[1]



Grant,Cary

Grant,Cary
Grant 
[grant], Cary (1904–1986)

British-born
U.S. movie actor. He was a sophisticated leading man in movies including The
Philadelphia Story ( 1940 ) and North by Northwest ( 1959 ).
Real name
Leach, Alexander Archibald[1]



Grant,Cuthbert

Grant,Cuthbert
Grant 
[grant], Cuthbert (1793–1854)

Canadian fur trader. He led
the Metis attack on the Hudson’s Bay Company’s settlers at Seven Oaks (1816),
the site of present-day Winnipeg.[1]



granted

granted
grant·ed
[grántəd] adverb conjunction

it is true that:
used when acknowledging the truth of something somebody has said or is thinking[1]



grantee

grantee
grant·ee 
[gran t] (plural grant·ees) noun

recipient of a legal
transfer: somebody to whom something
is transferred in a legal transaction[1]



Granth

Granth
Granth
[graanth, granth]
noun

Sikh
scripture:
one of the sacred scriptures of Sikhism.
Also
called
Adi Granth
Also
called
Granth Sahib
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
from Sanskrit granthaḥ “book,” literally “binding.”][1]



grant-in-aid

grant-in-aid
grant-in-aid 
(plural grants-in-aid) noun

allocation of money:
a sum of money given as funding by a federal government to a state or local
government, or by federal or local government to a department or institution[1]



grantor

grantor
gran·tor 
[grántər, grán
tàwr] (plural gran·tors) noun

somebody making a legal
transfer: somebody from whom something
is transferred in a legal transaction[1]



grantsman

grantsman
grants·man
[grántsmən] (plural grants·men
[grántsmən]) noun

expert
in grants:
somebody who is skilled in obtaining grants, particularly for research
—grants·man·ship, noun[1]



Grant,Ulysses S.

Grant,Ulysses S.

Grant 
[grant], Ulysses S. (1822–1885)
U.S.
statesman and 18th president of the United States. As the Union army’s greatest
general, he led his troops to victory in the Civil War. His Republican
administration (1869–1877) is regarded as one of the most corrupt in U.S.
history.
Full name
Grant, Hiram Ulysses Simpson[1]



granular

granular
gran·u·lar 
[gránnyələr] adjective

1.  made
up of grains: consisting of small grains or particles

2.  with
texture of granules: appearing to consist of or
be covered in small grains or particles

3.  divisible:
made up of conveniently small and independent parts • a
granular interface
[Late
18th century. Formed from late Latin granulum (see granule ).]
—gran·u·lar·i·ty
[grànnyə lérrətee], noun

—gran·u·lar·ly [gránnyələrlee], adverb[1]



granulate

granulate
gran·u·late 
[gránnyə làyt] (past gran·u·lat·ed,
past participle gran·u·lat·ed, present participle gran·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular gran·u·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
into small particles: to form or cause something
to form into small grains or particles

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make grainy in texture: to become rough and grainy
in texture or appearance, or give something a rough and grainy texture or
appearance

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE form
healing wound tissue: to form the type of tissue
that grows over healing wounds ( granulation tissue
)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin granulum (see granule
).]
—gran·u·la·tive,
adjective

—gran·u·la·tor, noun[1]



granulatedsugar

granulatedsugar
gran·u·lat·ed
sug·ar
(plural gran·u·lat·ed sug·ars) noun

coarse white sugar:
white sugar in the form of a coarse powder with large particles[1]



granulation

granulation
gran·u·la·tion 
[grànnyə láysh’n] (plural gran·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  making
of small particles: the formation of small
grains or particles

2.  grainy
texture:
a grainy texture or appearance

3.  small
lump:
any one of the individual small lumps that, together, give something a rough
grainy texture or appearance

4.  MEDICINE formation
of tissue over healing wound: the formation of the type of
tissue that grows over healing wounds ( granulation
tissue ) or the tissue itself

5.  ASTRONOMY cellular
appearance of Sun’s surface: the cellular appearance of
the Sun’s disk when seen at high magnification
[Early 17th century. Formed
from late Latin granulum (see granule
).][1]



granulationtissue

granulationtissue
gran·u·la·tion
tis·sue
noun

healing tissue:
connective tissue in the form of small grainy particles along with masses of
tiny blood vessels that forms over healing wounds[1]



granule

granule
gran·ule 
[grán yl] (plural gran·ules) noun

1.  small
particle:
a small grain or particle

2.  GEOLOGY small
rock fragment: a mineral or rock particle that is the
size of a small grain

3.  ASTRONOMY temporary
bright region on Sun’s surface: a temporary bright
region on the Sun’s surface, typically having an approximate diameter of 1,000
km320 mi
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin granulum, literally “small seed,” from Latin granum (see grain ).][1]



granulite

granulite
gran·u·lite 
[gránnyə lt] noun

granular
metamorphic rock: a coarse-grained metamorphic rock in
which the minerals are of roughly equal size
—gran·u·lit·ic [grànnyə líttik], adjective[1]



granulocyte

granulocyte
gran·u·lo·cyte 
[gránnyə lō st] (plural gran·u·lo·cytes)
noun

type
of white blood cell: a white blood cell that
contains many granular particles in its cytoplasm
—gran·u·lo·cyt·ic [grànnyə lō síttik], adjective[1]



granuloma

granuloma
gran·u·lo·ma 
[grànnyə lṓmə] (plural gran·u·lo·mas
or gran·u·lo·ma·ta [grànnyə lṓmətə])
noun

granulation
tissue:
a small mass of granulation tissue caused by chronic infection
—gran·u·lo·ma·tous, adjective[1]



granulose

granulose
gran·u·lose 
[gránnyə lss] adjective

1.  made
up of small particles: consisting of small grains
or particles

2.  with
the texture of granules: appearing to consist of or
be covered in small grains or particles

[1]



granulosis

granulosis
gran·u·lo·sis 
[grànnyə lṓssiss] noun

disease of insect larvae:
a virus disease affecting insect larvae in which the infected cells contain
tiny granular particles[1]



granum

granum
gra·num 
[gráynəm] (plural gra·na [gráynə]) noun

layers
containing chlorophyll: a stack of thin layers in a
chloroplast in which the green pigment chlorophyll is contained
[Late 19th century. Via
German from Latin, “seed” (see grain ).][1]



grape

grape

grape 
[grayp] noun (plural grapes)

1.  edible
fruit:
an edible green or purple berry with sweet juicy flesh that grows in bunches on
a vine. It may be eaten fresh or used to make wine or grape juice. Raisins,
sultanas, and currants are dried grapes.

2.  See
grapevine  noun 1

3.  plant
with fruit resembling grapes: a plant that produces fruit
resembling grapes in some way • Oregon
grape

4.  BEVERAGES wine:
the drink wine (humorous)

5.  ARMS See grapeshot

6.  COLORS dark
purple color: a dark purple color
adjective

COLORS dark
purple in color: of a dark purple color
[13th
century. From Old French, “bunch of grapes,” ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “hook” (as used to harvest grapes), which was also the
ancestor of English cramp, crimp, and grapnel
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Grapes of Wrath, a novel ( 1939 ) by writer John Steinbeck. A sympathetic
  portrayal of the plight of the rural poor during the Depression and an attack
  on capitalism, it tells of the tribulations suffered by the Joad family when
  they leave drought-stricken Oklahoma in search of work. It was made into a
  film by John Huston in 1940.

[1]



grapefern

grapefern
grape
fern
noun

fern with spore capsules like
grapes: any one of various ferns
with fronds that bear clusters of spore capsules similar to grapes. Genus: Botrychium[1]



grapefruit

grapefruit

grape·fruit 
[gráyp frt] (plural grape·fruits
or grape·fruit) noun
Also
called
pomelo

1.  large
yellow or pinkish citrus fruit: a large round yellow
or pinkish citrus fruit with very tart juicy edible flesh

2.  citrus
tree:
an evergreen tree, related to oranges and lemons, that has dense dark green
foliage, large white flowers, and produces grapefruit. Latin name: Citrus
paradisi
[Early 19th century. Probably
so called because the fruit grows in bunches, like grapes.][1]



grapehyacinth

grapehyacinth
grape
hy·a·cinth
noun

plant with clusters of blue
flowers: a perennial plant belonging
to the lily family with dense clusters of cup-shaped, usually blue, flowers.
Genus: Muscari
Also called
muscari[1]



grapeivy

grapeivy
grape
i·vy
noun

evergreen climbing plant:
a South American evergreen climbing plant commonly kept as a house plant. Latin
name: Rhoicissus rhomboidea[1]



grapeshot

grapeshot
grape·shot 
[gráyp shòt] noun

small
balls fired from a cannon: a number of small iron balls
fired simultaneously from a cannon in order to kill enemy soldiers.
Also
called
grape
[From the resemblance of the
bunches of shot to a cluster of grapes][1]



grapesugar

grapesugar
grape
sug·ar
noun

sugar from grapes:
a fruit sugar obtained from grapes[1]



grapevine

grapevine
grape·vine 
[gráyp vn] (plural grape·vines)
noun

1.  vine
that bears grapes: a vine on which grapes grow.
Genus: Vitis
Also
called
grape
Also
called
vine

2.  path
along which information spreads: the path of
communication along which news, gossip, or rumor passes unofficially from
person to person within a group, organization, or community (informal) • I
heard through the office grapevine that she was leaving.

[1]



grapey

grapey
grap·ey
[gráypee] (comparative grap·i·er,
superlative grap·i·est) or grap·y [gráypee] (comparative grap·i·er, superlative
grap·i·est) adjective

like
grapes:
looking or tasting like a grape or grapes
—grap·i·ness, noun[1]



graph

graph2
graph2 [graf]
(plural graphs) noun

written
symbol:
a symbol, letter, or combination of letters used in writing to represent the
smallest discrete unit of speech
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
graphē (see graphic ).][1]



graph

graph1
graph1 [graf]
noun (plural graphs)

diagram
showing varying quantities: a diagram used to indicate
relationships between two or more variable quantities. The quantities are
measured along two axes, usually at right angles. A graph may consist, for
example, of a line joining points plotted between coordinates, a series of parallel
bars or boxes, or a circle divided into wedges.
transitive
verb
(past graphed, past participle graphed, present
participle graph·ing, 3rd person present singular graphs)

put
data on a graph: to represent data by means of a graph,
or add data to a graph
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of graphic formula .][1]



graph-

graph-
graph-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
grapho-[1]



-graph

-graph
-graph
suffix

1.  something
written or drawn • digraph
• zincograph

2.  an
instrument for writing, drawing, or recording • pantograph
• seismograph
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek graphein “to write” (see graphic
)][1]



grapheme

grapheme
graph·eme 
[grá fm] (plural graph·emes) noun

letter
representing a phoneme: any of a set of written
symbols, letters, or combinations of letters that represent the same sound, for
example, f in “fat,” ph in “photo,” and gh in “tough”
—gra·phe·mic
[gra fmik], adjective

—gra·phe·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



graphemics

graphemics
gra·phe·mics
[gra fmiks] noun

(takes a singular verb)See
graphology  noun 2[1]



-grapher

-grapher
-grapher
suffix

one
who writes, draws, or records • calligrapher
• cinematographer
[Formed from late Latin -graphus,
via Greek -graphos from graphein “to write” (see graphic )][1]



graphic

graphic
graph·ic 
[gráffik] adjective

1.  vividly
detailed:
including a number of vivid descriptive details, especially exciting or
unpleasant ones • her graphic description
of the accident

2.  shown
in writing:
representing something such as a sound by means of letters or other written
symbols. “Moo,” “woof,” and “meow” are graphic representations of the sounds
made by cows, dogs, and cats respectively.

3.  shown
in pictures: representing something in the form of
pictures or images

4.  MATHEMATICS relating
to graphs:
given in the form of a graph or diagram, or relating to graphs or diagrams

5.  of
graphic arts: relating to the graphic arts

6.  of
graphics:
relating to graphics

7.  GEOLOGY containing
crystals like letters: containing crystal
structures that resemble letters
noun
(plural graph·ics) (often used in the plural)

1.  COMPUTING picture
produced by computer: a picture, design, or visual
display of data produced by a computer program

2.  PUBLISHING book
illustration: an illustration or diagram in a book or
magazine

3.  CINEMA TV displayed text or drawing in
movie:
any part of a movie that consists of illustration and text, for example,
titles, credits, or drawings
[Mid-18th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek graphein “to write.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to scratch,” which is also the
ancestor of English carve .]
—graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—graph·ic·ness, noun[1]



graphicacy

graphicacy
graph·i·ca·cy
[gráffikəssee] noun

understanding
of symbols and diagrams: the ability to use and
understand such things as symbols, diagrams, plans, and maps
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from graphic, on the model of literacy .][1]



graphical

graphical
graph·i·cal
[gráffik’l] adjective

MATHEMATICS
See graphic  adjective 4[1]



graphicaluser interface

graphicaluser interface
graph·i·cal
us·er in·ter·face  noun

computer interface using
graphics: a user interface on a
computer that relies on icons, menus, and a mouse rather than on typing in
commands[1]



graphicarts

graphicarts
graph·ic
arts
plural noun

drawing,
printmaking, and calligraphy: any of the artistic
processes such as drawing, calligraphy, engraving, and printmaking that are
based on the use of lines rather than color.
Also
called
graphics
—graph·ic art·ist, noun[1]



graphicdesign

graphicdesign
graph·ic
de·sign
noun

producing
book layout: the art of integrating text, typography,
and illustrations in the production of books and magazines
—graph·ic de·sign·er, noun[1]



graphicequalizer

graphicequalizer
graph·ic
e·qual·iz·er (plural graph·ic e·qual·iz·ers)
noun

control for sounds of
different frequencies: a device,
for example, on a radio or CD player, that allows adjustments to be made to the
strength of sounds of different frequencies. The variable levels of the sounds
are often displayed electronically in graphical format.[1]



graphicnovel

graphicnovel
graph·ic
nov·el
(plural graph·ic nov·els) noun

comic book for adults:
a fictional story for adults published in the form of a comic book[1]



graphics

graphics
graph·ics 
[gráffiks] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  diagrams
and illustrations: the presentation of
information in the form of diagrams and illustrations as opposed to words and
numbers

2.  COMPUTING display
of computer data as symbols: the art and science of
storing, manipulating, and displaying computer data in the form of pictures,
diagrams, graphs, or symbols

3.  ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING mathematical
drawing:
the science of drawing something in accordance with mathematical principles,
for example, in architecture and engineering
plural
noun

ARTS See graphic arts

[1]



graphicstablet

graphicstablet
graph·ics
tab·let
(plural graph·ics tab·lets) noun

electronic drawing device:
a device consisting of an electronic pen and an electronically sensitive
surface, used to enter pictures or designs into a computer by drawing them[1]



graphite

graphite
graph·ite 
[grá ft] noun

soft
black form of carbon: a soft, dark gray or black
form of carbon that occurs naturally as a mineral and is also produced
industrially. It conducts electricity. Graphite is used in batteries,
lubricants, polishes, electric motors, nuclear reactors, and carbon fibers,
and, mixed with clay, is the lead of pencils.
Also
called
black lead
Also
called
plumbago
[Late
18th century. From German Graphit, from Greek graphein “to write”
(see graphic ).]
—gra·phit·ic [gra fíttik], adjective[1]



graphitize

graphitize
graph·i·tize 
[gráffi tz] (past graph·i·tized,
past participle graph·i·tized, present participle graph·i·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular graph·i·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
into graphite: to convert something into graphite

2.  cover
or combine with graphite: to coat something with
graphite, or mix graphite into it
—graph·i·tiz·a·ble,
adjective

—graph·i·ti·za·tion [gràffiti záysh’n], noun[1]



graphology

graphology
gra·phol·o·gy 
[gra fólləjee] noun

1.  study
of handwriting: the study of handwriting, especially in
order to make an assessment of an individual’s personality from characteristic
patterns or features of his or her writing

2.  LINGUISTICS linguistic
study of writing: the study of writing systems and their
relationship to the sound systems of languages.
Also
called
graphemics
Also
called
grammatology
—graph·o·log·i·cal
[gràffə lójjik’l], adjective

—gra·phol·o·gist [gra fólləjist], noun[1]



graphpaper

graphpaper
graph
pa·per
noun

squared paper:
paper on which a series of usually equally or logarithmically spaced vertical
and horizontal intersecting lines has been imprinted to facilitate the drawing
of graphs and diagrams[1]



-graphy

-graphy
-graphy
suffix

1.  a
method of writing or making an image by means of a particular process or
technique • chirography
• radiography

2.  writing
about or study of a particular subject • biography
• ethnography
[Via Latin -graphia
from, ultimately, Greek graphein “to write” (see graphic )][1]



grapnel

grapnel
grap·nel 
[grápnəl] (plural grap·nels) noun

1.  device
with hooks:
a device consisting of an iron shaft with several hooks at one end and a rope
at the other by which it can be thrown to attach itself to something.
Also
called
grapple
Also
called
grappling
Also
called
grappling iron

2.  NAUTICAL anchor
for a small boat: an anchor with three or more arms,
especially one for anchoring a small boat
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French grapon, from grape “hook” (see grape ).][1]



grappa

grappa
grap·pa 
[grpə] (plural grap·pas or
grap·pa) noun

Italian
brandy:
an Italian brandy that is distilled from what remains of grapes after they have
been pressed for winemaking
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “grape stalk, brandy.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English grape
.][1]



Grappelli,Stephane

Grappelli,Stephane
Grap·pel·li
[grə péllee], Stephane (1908–1997)

French musician, known for
his playing of the violin in the jazz style.[1]



grapple

grapple
grap·ple 
[grápp’l] verb (past grap·pled,
past participle grap·pled, present participle grap·pling,
3rd person present singular grap·ples)

1.  intransitive
verb
seize
and struggle with somebody: to grab hold of somebody and
struggle with him or her in a hand-to-hand fight

2.  intransitive
verb
struggle
to deal with something: to struggle with something
that is difficult to deal with, for example, a problem that is difficult to
solve or a concept or theory that is difficult to grasp

3.  transitive
verb
grab
somebody:
to grab hold of somebody

4.  transitive
verb
hold
something with a hooked device: to hook or hold
something with a grapnel or other hooked device
noun
(plural grap·ples)

1.  See
grapnel  noun 1

2.  struggle:
a close struggle

3.  WRESTLING grip
or hold:
in wrestling, a grip or hold on an opponent
[14th century. From Old
French grapil, literally “small hook,” from grape “hook” (see grape ).][1]



grappler

grappler
grap·pler 
[grápplər] (plural grap·plers)
noun

wrestler:
a wrestler (informal)[1]



grappling

grappling
grap·pling 
[gráppling] (plural grap·plings)
noun

See
grapnel  noun 1[1]



grapplingiron

grapplingiron
grap·pling
i·ron
(plural grap·pling i·rons) or grap·pling hook (plural
grap·pling hooks) noun

See
grapnel  noun 1[1]



graptolite

graptolite
grap·to·lite 
[gráptə lt] (plural grap·to·lites)
noun

extinct
sea creature: any one of various small floating sea
animals that lived in colonies that existed between about 550 million and 325
million years ago and are now found as fossils. Graptolite fossils are often
used to date rocks. Orders: Graptoloidea Dendroidea
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek graptos (the past participle of graphein “to write”;
see graphic ) + -lith
. So called because their fossils leave marks like pencil marks on the
surrounding rocks.][1]



grapy

grapy
grap·y 
adjective

See
grapey[1]



GRAS

GRAS
GRAS

(used on food labels to
show that the ingredients are not harmful to human beings)Abbreviation
of generally recognized as safe[1]



grasp

grasp
grasp 
[grasp] verb (past grasped,
past participle grasped, present participle grasp·ing,
3rd person present singular grasps)

1.  transitive
verb
take
hold of something: to take hold of somebody or
something firmly, especially with the hand or hands

2.  intransitive
verb
try
to take hold of something: to attempt to take hold of
somebody or something, especially with the hand or hands • he
grasped at the rope

3.  transitive
verb
hold
something:
to hold something, especially in the hand or hands

4.  transitive
verb
take
an opportunity: to take the opportunity to do something
when it arises

5.  intransitive
verb
try
to take opportunity: to attempt to take the
opportunity to do something when it arises

6.  transitive
verb
understand
something:
to manage to understand something • I just
can’t grasp what you’re getting at.
noun

1.  hand
grip:
a hold or grip, especially in the hand or hands

2.  understanding:
somebody’s understanding of something, or his or her ability to understand
something • a
poor grasp of the facts

3.  ability
to achieve something: ability to achieve or get
something • Success
was within her grasp.

4.  control:
power or control • in the tyrant’s grasp
[14th
century. Origin uncertain; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English grab .]
—grasp·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



grasper

grasper
grasp·er
[gráspər] (plural grasp·ers) noun

1.  greedy
person:
somebody who is greedy for money

2.  somebody
who grasps:
somebody who grasps something

[1]



grasping

grasping
grasp·ing 
[grásping] adjective

greedy:
greedy for money
—grasp·ing·ly,
adverb

—grasp·ing·ness, noun[1]



grass

grass
grass 
[grass] noun (plural grass·es)

1.  (plural
grass·es or grass) green
plant that forms lawns: a low green narrow-leaved
plant that grows in fields and gardens, is eaten by animals such as cows and
sheep, and is used to make lawns and playing fields

2.  grass
-covered area: an area of grass, for example, a lawn or
pasture • Keep
off the grass.

3.  hollow-stemmed
green plant: a plant with hollow jointed stems and
long narrow, usually green leaves and tiny flowers arranged in spikes. Grasses
include important food plants such as wheat, oats, barley, rice, rye, corn,
millet, and sorghum as well as sugar cane and bamboo. Family: Gramineae

4.  plant
resembling grass: a green plant such as cleavers or
knotgrass not related to the true grasses

5.  marijuana:
the drug marijuana (slang)

6.  U.K.
informer:
somebody who informs on somebody else, especially to the police (slang)
verb
(past grassed, past participle grassed, present
participle grass·ing, 3rd person present singular grass·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
or become covered with grass: to become covered with
grass, or to cause ground to become covered with grass

2.  transitive
verb
feed
an animal on grass: to put an animal into a
pasture to feed on grass

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. be
informer:
to inform on somebody, especially to the police (slang)
[Old
English graes . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English green and grow .]
not
let the grass grow under your feet

to
act without delay or wasting time





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Leaves
  of Grass, a collection of verse by poet Walt Whitman ( 1855-1892 ). Whitman
  constantly revised and expanded this collection to create a work that
  celebrates all aspects of human life from politics to the natural world and
  from procreation to mortality. Both its subject matter and its
  self-consciously modern style, based on long, loosely rhymed lines, were
  highly influential.

[1]



grassbox

grassbox
grass
box
(plural grass box·es) noun

U.K.
See grass catcher[1]



grasscarp

grasscarp
grass
carp
noun

weed-eating fish:
a plant-eating fish, originally from Russia and China, used for keeping water
weeds under control. Latin name: Ctenopharyngodon idella[1]



grasscatcher

grasscatcher
grass
catch·er
(plural grass catch·ers) noun

container for cut grass:
the container attached to a lawn mower that catches the grass cuttings.
U.K. term
grass box[1]



grasscloth

grasscloth
grass
cloth
noun

cloth made from plant fibers:
cloth made from loosely woven plant fibers[1]



grasscourt

grasscourt
grass
court
(plural grass courts) noun

grass tennis court:
a grass-covered tennis court[1]



grass-green

grass-green
grass-green
adjective

of
bright green: of the same color as green grass
—grass green, noun[1]



Grass,Günter

Grass,Günter
Grass 
[graass], Günter (1927– )

German writer and political
activist. His novels such as The Tin Drum ( 1963 ) combine fantasy and
symbolism with the theme of the materialism of modern life. He has also
campaigned for the Social Democratic Party in Germany.[1]



grasshopper

grasshopper

grass·hop·per 
[gráss hòppər] (plural grass·hop·pers)
noun

1.  INSECTS jumping
insect:
a slender plant-eating flying and jumping insect that produces a buzzing or
whirring sound by rubbing its back legs against its forewings. Order:
Orthoptera

2.  BEVERAGES creamy
cocktail:
a cocktail consisting of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream

3.  AIR reconnaissance
aircraft:
a light, unarmed military airplane used for reconnaissance
[14th century. Formed from
earlier grasshop, from Old English gærshoppa .][1]



grassland

grassland
grass·land 
[gráss lànd] (plural grass·lands)
noun

1.  grass-covered
land:
land on which grass or low green plants are the main vegetation

2.  pasture
land:
land kept for pasture or for the production of forage crops

[1]



GrasslandsNational Park

GrasslandsNational Park
Grass·lands
Na·tion·al Park [gràssləndz
násh’nəl prk]

national park in southwestern
Saskatchewan, Canada, on the border with the United States. It is a
conservation area for grasses, animals, and birds. Area: 907 sq km/350 sq mi.[1]



grassmoth

grassmoth
grass
moth
(plural grass moths) noun

moth that clings to grass:
a small straw-colored night-flying moth that spends the daytime clinging to
grass stems. Family: Pyralidae[1]



grass-of-Parnassus

grass-of-Parnassus
grass-of-Par·nas·sus
(plural grass-of-Par·nas·sus·es) noun

white-flowered marsh plant:
a white-flowered plant of the saxifrage family found in marshes and on wet
moorland. Latin name: Parnassia palustris[1]



grassroots

grassroots
grass·roots 
[gráss rts, gráss
rts] plural noun

1.  ordinary
people:
the ordinary people in a community or the ordinary members of an organization,
as opposed to the leadership

2.  basis
of something: the origin, basis, fundamental aim, or
basic meaning of something • the
grassroots of socialism

3.  rural
areas:
agricultural or rural areas

4.  rural
people:
the people living in rural areas

[1]



grasssnake

grasssnake
grass
snake
(plural grass snakes) noun

Eurasian and N African snake:
a nonpoisonous dark green snake found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. It is
the most common snake in Europe. Genus: Natrix[1]



grasstree

grasstree
grass
tree
(plural grass trees) noun

tree with grassy leaves:
an eastern Australian tree that has a thick unbranching trunk with a tuft of
leaves like grass at the top. Genus: Xanthorrhoea[1]



grasswidow

grasswidow
grass
wid·ow
(plural grass wid·ows) noun

woman
separated from husband: a woman whose husband is
frequently away from home or who has divorced or completely deserted her
[Originally denoting a
discarded mistress, thought of as having made love in a field][1]



grasswidower

grasswidower
grass
wid·ow·er
(plural grass wid·ow·ers) noun

man separated from wife:
a man whose wife is frequently away from home or who has divorced or completely
deserted him[1]



grassy

grassy
grass·y 
[grássee] (comparative grass·i·er,
superlative grass·i·est) adjective

1.  grass-covered:
covered with grass

2.  like
grass:
looking, tasting, or feeling like grass

[1]



grate

grate2
grate2  [grayt]
(past grat·ed, past participle grat·ed, present
participle grat·ing, 3rd person present singular grates)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
into or become small pieces: to shred something by
rubbing it against a rough surface or a tool with sharp-edged holes in it, or
be shredded in this way • He
chose a cheese that grates easily.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
noise of rubbing or vibrating: to make a rough,
vibrating, or creaking sound by being rubbed together, or cause things to make
such a sound by rubbing them against each other • Grasshoppers
make their characteristic sound by grating their back legs against their wings.

3.  transitive
verb
say
something in harsh voice: to say something in a harsh
rasping voice

4.  intransitive
verb
irritate:
to be a source of irritation • His
constant sniggering really grates on me.
[14th
century. From Old French grater “to scrape,” ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English scratch
.]
—grat·ed, adjective[1]



grate

grate1

grate1  [grayt]
(plural grates) noun

1.  bars
in front of fire: a framework of metal bars used to keep
solid fuel such as coal or wood within a fireplace, stove, or furnace

2.  fireplace:
a fireplace, stove, or furnace

3.  bars
over opening: a framework of bars covering and
blocking an opening

4.  MINING sieve
for grading ore: an iron plate with holes in it for
grading crushed ore
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin cratis “wickerwork” (see crate ).][1]



grateful

grateful
grate·ful 
[gráytfəl] adjective

1.  feeling
thanks:
having the desire or reason to thank somebody • I’m
very grateful to you for your help.

2.  comforting:
giving pleasure or comfort (archaic or literary)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from earlier grate “pleasing, thankful,” from Latin gratus
(source also of English grace, disgrace, and gratitude
).]
—grate·ful·ly,
adverb

—grate·ful·ness, noun[1]



grater

grater
grat·er 
[gráytər] (plural grat·ers) noun

1.  device
with sharp-edged holes: a device with many
sharp-edged holes against which something such as cheese can be rubbed to
reduce it to shreds or fine particles

2.  somebody
who grates:
a person who grates something

[1]



graticule

graticule
grat·i·cule 
[grátti kyl] (plural gratic·ules)
noun

U.K.
See reticle
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin craticula, literally “small grid,” from cratis
(see crate ).][1]



gratification

gratification
grat·i·fi·ca·tion 
[gràttəfi káysh’n] (plural grat·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  satisfaction:
pleasure or satisfaction

2.  act
of pleasing or satisfying: the act of giving somebody
pleasure or satisfaction

3.  something
satisfying:
something that gives pleasure or satisfaction

4.  tip:
a gratuity (archaic)

[1]



gratify

gratify
grat·i·fy 
[gráttə f] (past grat·i·fied,
past participle grat·i·fied, present participle grat·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular grat·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  please:
to make somebody feel pleased or satisfied (often passive)

2.  fulfill
a desire:
to satisfy a desire
[15th
century. Directly or via French gratifier from Latin gratificari,
from gratus “agreeable” (see grateful
).]
—grat·i·fi·er,
noun

—grat·i·fy·ing,
adjective

—grat·i·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gratin

gratin
gra·tin 
[grátt’n, grt’n,
gra táN] (plural gra·tins or
gra·tin) noun

1.  topping
of breadcrumb or melted cheese: a crust of browned
breadcrumbs or melted grated cheese on top of food.
See
also
au gratin

2.  dish
with breadcrumb or cheese crust: a cooked dish with a
breadcrumb or melted cheese crust
[Mid-17th century. From
French, formed from Old French grater (see grate 2 ).][1]



gratinee

gratinee
grat·i·nee 
[gràtt’n áy, grt’n
áy] adjective

with
breadcrumbs or grated cheese: cooked or served with
browned breadcrumbs or melted grated cheese on top.
See
also
au gratin
[Early 20th century. From
French gratinée, the feminine past participle of gratiner “to
cook au gratin.”][1]



grating

grating2
grat·ing2  [gráyting]
adjective

1.  rough:
unpleasantly rough, harsh, or vibrating

2.  irritating:
causing irritation or annoying
plural
noun
grat·ings

small grated pieces:
shreds or fine particles produced by grating something
—grat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



grating

grating1
grat·ing1  [gráyting]
(plural grat·ings) noun

1.  metal
grille:
a framework of metal bars covering an opening

2.  See
diffraction grating

[1]



gratis

gratis
grat·is 
[gráttiss, grtiss,
gráytiss] adjective adverb

free:
received or given without cost or payment
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “out of kindness,” formed from gratia (see grace ).][1]



gratitude

gratitude
grat·i·tude 
[grátti td] noun

thanks:
a feeling of being thankful to somebody for doing something • I’d
like to find some way of expressing my gratitude to her for all she did.
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin gratitudo, from gratus (see grateful ).][1]



gratuitous

gratuitous
gra·tu·i·tous 
[grə t itəss] adjective

1.  unnecessary:
unnecessary and unjustifiable • gratuitous
remarks

2.  free:
received or given without payment or obligation

3.  LAW without
return benefit: not requiring any benefit or
compensation in return
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Latin gratuitus “freely given,” from gratus
(see grateful ).]
—gra·tu·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—gra·tu·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



gratuity

gratuity
gra·tu·i·ty 
[grə t itee] (plural gra·tu·i·ties)
noun

money
given in appreciation: a small gift, usually of
money, given to somebody such as a waiter as thanks for service given
[15th century. Via French gratuité
from medieval Latin gratuitas “gift,” from Latin gratus (see grateful ). The word originally denoted the gift
of God’s grace.][1]



gratulatory

gratulatory
grat·u·la·to·ry
[gráchələ tàwree] adjective

congratulatory:
expressing congratulations (formal)[1]



graupel

graupel
grau·pel 
[grówp’l] noun

hail
or snow:
small soft white ice particles that fall as hail or snow.
Also
called
soft hail
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “small hulled grain,” ultimately from a Slavic word.][1]



GrauSan Martín, Ramón

GrauSan Martín, Ramón
Grau
San Mar·tín
[gròw san maar tn], Ramón (1887–1969)

Cuban statesman. He was twice
president of Cuba (1933–1934 and 1944–1948).[1]



Grau,Shirley Ann

Grau,Shirley Ann
Grau
[grow], Shirley Ann (1929– )

U.S. writer. Her fiction
portrays Southern life, and includes the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Keepers
of the House ( 1964 ).[1]



grav

grav
grav
[grav] (plural gravs) noun

unit
of acceleration: a unit of acceleration that corresponds
to the standard acceleration of free fall. Symbol g
[Shortening of gravity][1]



gravamen

gravamen
gra·va·men 
[grə váymən] (plural gra·va·mens
or gra·vam·i·na [grə vámmənə])
noun

1.  substance
of accusation: the most serious part of an accusation
or charge made against an accused person

2.  grievance:
a grievance against somebody (formal)
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin “grievance,” literally “obligation,” from, ultimately, Latin gravare
“to weigh upon,” from gravis “heavy” (see grave 2 ).][1]



grave

grave4
grave4 [grayv]
(past graved, past participle graved or grav·en
[gráyv’n], present participle grav·ing,
3rd person present singular graves) transitive verb

1.  fix
something in mind: to fix something firmly in
the mind (literary) • graved
it in her mind

2.  engrave
something:
to carve or engrave something (archaic)
[Old English grafan
“to dig, carve.” The underlying meaning is “to engrave on the mind.”][1]



grave

grave3
grave3 [grayv,
graav] noun

mark
indicating pronunciation: a mark used to indicate
pronunciation in some languages, consisting of a little line sloping downward
to the right above a letter, as in ò and è.
See
also
acute
See
also
circumflex
Also
called
grave accent
adjective

with
a grave accent: having or being a grave • e
grave
[Early 17th century. From
French, “heavy” (see grave 2 ).][1]



grave

grave1
grave1 [grayv]
(plural graves) noun

1.  burial
place of dead body: a hole dug in the ground for
a dead person’s body, or the place where a dead person’s body is buried

2.  last
resting place: any final resting place • the
sunken ship’s watery grave

3.  death:
the end of life • health care from the
cradle to the grave

4.  end
of something: the end or destruction of something • the
grave of his ambition
[Old
English græf . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
scratch, dig” that is also the ancestor of English groove,
grub, and engrave
.]
—grave·less,
adjective
turn
over in his or her grave

used to emphasize how
displeased or upset somebody who is dead would be if he or she knew what was
happening[1]



grave

grave2
grave2 [grayv]
(comparative grav·er, superlative grav·est) adjective

1.  serious
in manner:
solemn and serious in manner

2.  having
serious effect: very important and with serious
consequences, and therefore needing to be thought about carefully

3.  with
possible harm or danger: causing, involving, or
arising from a threat of danger or harm or other bad consequences • Things
are looking pretty grave here as the air raid sirens wail.
[15th
century. Via French from Latin gravis “heavy” (source also of English gravity and grief
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English baryon, brute,
and guru .]
—grave·ly,
adverb

—grave·ness, noun[1]



grave

grave5
grave5 [grayv]
(past graved, past participle graved, present
participle grav·ing, 3rd person present singular graves)
transitive verb

clean
bottom of ship: to clean the bottom of a wooden ship and
coat it with pitch
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French dialect grave “sand, shore,” from Old
French (see gravel ), because the work was
done while the ship was hauled up on a beach.][1]



grave

grave6
gra·ve6 [gr
vày] adverb

with
solemnity:
to be played seriously or solemnly (used as a musical direction)
[Late
16th century. Via Italian from Latin gravis “heavy” (see grave 2 ).]
—gra·ve, adjective[1]



graveaccent

graveaccent
grave
ac·cent
(plural grave ac·cents) noun

See
grave 3[1]



graveclothes

graveclothes
grave·clothes
[gráyv klz, gráyv
klz] plural noun

covering for corpse:
the clothes or other wrappings that a dead body is buried in[1]



gravedigger

gravedigger
grave·dig·ger 
[gráyv dìggər] (plural grave·dig·gers)
noun

somebody who digs graves:
somebody employed to dig graves[1]



gravel

gravel
grav·el 
[grávv’l] noun (plural grav·els)

1.  small
stones:
small stones used for paths or for making concrete

2.  GEOLOGY rock
fragments:
a deposit or stratum of loose fragmentary sedimentary material

3.  MEDICINE small
particles in kidney or bladder: hard particles in the
kidney or bladder that are much smaller than kidney stones and can pass through
the urinary tract without causing a blockage, although they may cause severe
pain
transitive
verb
(past grav·eled, past participle grav·eled, present
participle grav·el·ing, 3rd person present singular grav·els)

1.  cover
something with gravel: to cover a surface with
gravel

2.  bewilder
somebody:
to puzzle or confuse somebody

3.  annoy:
to annoy or irritate somebody (informal)
[13th century. From Old
French gravel, from grave “pebbles, shore,” of Celtic origin.][1]



gravel-blind

gravel-blind
grav·el-blind 
adjective

almost
sightless:
almost totally sightless (literary) (considered offensive in most
contexts)
[Modeled on sand-blind][1]



gravelly

gravelly
grav·el·ly 
[grávvəlee] adjective

1.  grating:
sounding rough or harsh • a
gravelly voice

2.  like
gravel:
like or covered with gravel

3.  with
gravel:
made or manufactured with gravel

[1]



graven

graven
grav·en 
[gráyv’n]

Past participle of
grave 4[1]



gravenimage

gravenimage
grav·en
im·age
(plural grav·en im·ag·es) noun

carving of a god:
a carving representing a god (literary)[1]



graver

graver
grav·er 
[gráyvər] (plural grav·ers) noun

carving tool:
a tool used for carving or engraving[1]



graverobber

graverobber
grave
rob·ber
(plural grave rob·bers) noun

somebody who loots graves:
somebody who steals things from graves or tombs, usually either valuable
artifacts or corpses for dissection[1]



Graves

Graves
Graves
[graav] (plural Graveses) noun

French wine:
a white or red wine from the district of Graves in southwestern France[1]



graveside

graveside
grave·side 
[gráyv sd] (plural grave·sides)
noun

area around grave:
the area surrounding a grave (often used before a noun) • a
graveside service[1]



gravesite

gravesite
grave·site 
[gráyv st] (plural grave·sites)
noun

place of burial:
the place where somebody’s grave is[1]



Graves,Robert

Graves,Robert
Graves 
[grayvz], Robert (1895–1985)

British
poet and novelist. A classical scholar, he was also a prolific writer of poetry
and fiction. His works include Goodbye to All That ( 1929 ), I,
Claudius ( 1934 ), and The White Goddess ( 1947 ).
Full name
Graves, Robert Ranke[1]



gravestone

gravestone
grave·stone 
[gráyv stn] (plural grave·stones)
noun

stone marking grave:
an ornamental piece of stone put at the head of a grave, on which are written
the name, birth date, and death date of the person buried there.
See also
headstone[1]



Graves’disease

Graves’disease
Graves’
dis·ease 
[gráyvz di zeez] noun

thyroid
condition:
an inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland commonly associated with
protrusion of the eyes
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Irish physician Robert J. Graves (1796–1853), who was one of the
first to describe the condition.][1]



graveyard

graveyard
grave·yard 
[gráyv yrd] (plural grave·yards)
noun

1.  area
where people are buried: a piece of ground, sometimes
beside a church, set aside for people to be buried in

2.  dumping
place:
a place where old, unwanted, useless objects, especially old cars, are left

[1]



graveyardpoetry

graveyardpoetry
grave·yard
po·et·ry
noun

poems
about death: sad reflective poems about death, often
set in graveyards and typically by 18th century English writers
—grave·yard po·et, noun[1]



graveyardshift

graveyardshift
grave·yard
shift
(plural grave·yard shifts) noun

period of work after
midnight: a shift of work running
through the early hours of the morning, especially one running from midnight
till eight o’clock the following morning, or the workers on such a shift[1]



gravid

gravid
grav·id 
[grávvid] adjective

pregnant:
carrying young or eggs (technical)
[Late
16th century. From Latin gravidus, from gravis “heavy” (see grave 2 ).]
—gra·vid·i·ty
[grə víddətee], noun

—grav·id·ly,
adverb

—grav·id·ness, noun[1]



gravida

gravida
grav·i·da 
[grávvədə] (plural grav·i·das or
grav·i·dae [grávvə d]) noun

pregnant
woman:
a pregnant woman (technical)
See
also
multigravida
See
also
primigravida
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, the feminine form of gravidus (see gravid
).][1]



gravimeter

gravimeter
gra·vim·e·ter 
[gra vímmətər, grávvə
mtər] (plural gra·vim·e·ters) noun

1.  device
for measuring gravitation: an instrument for measuring
variations in the strength of the Earth’s gravitational field from one place to
another

2.  device
for measuring specific gravity: an instrument used to
measure the relative density of a substance
[Late 18th century. From
French gravimètre, from Latin gravis (see grave 2 ).][1]



gravimetric

gravimetric
grav·i·met·ric 
[gràvvə méttrik] adjective

1.  relating
to measurement of weight: relating to or using the
measurement of weight

2.  measuring
gravitational variations: relating to the measurement
of variations in the strength of the Earth’s gravitational field from one place
to another

3.  of
chemical analysis and weight: relating to chemical
analysis involving the measurement of the weights of substances used in and produced
by a chemical reaction.
See
also
volumetric
—grav·i·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—grav·i·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



gravimetry

gravimetry
gra·vim·e·try
[gra vímmətree] noun

1.  measurement
of weight:
the measurement of density or weight

2.  measurement
of gravitational differences: the measurement of
variations in the strength of the Earth’s gravitational field from one place to
another
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from gravimeter .][1]



gravingdock

gravingdock
grav·ing
dock 
(plural grav·ing docks) noun

See
dry dock
[From grave 5][1]



gravitas

gravitas
grav·i·tas 
[grávvi tss] noun

seriousness
of behavior: a serious and solemn attitude or way of
behaving (formal)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin (see gravity ).][1]



gravitate

gravitate
grav·i·tate 
[grávvi tàyt] (past grav·i·tat·ed,
past participle grav·i·tat·ed, present participle grav·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular grav·i·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
move
steadily toward something: to move gradually and
steadily to or toward somebody or something as if drawn by some force or
attraction • guests
slowly gravitating to the kitchen

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS move because of gravity:
to move or cause something to move under the influence of the force of gravity
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin gravitat-, the stem of gravitare, from
Latin gravitas (see gravity ).]
—grav·i·tat·er,
noun

—grav·i·ta·tive, adjective[1]



gravitation

gravitation
grav·i·ta·tion 
[gràvvi táysh’n] noun

1.  moving
in direction of something: a gradual and steady
movement to or toward somebody or something as if drawn by some force or
attraction

2.  PHYSICS force
that attracts things: the mutual force of
attraction between all particles or bodies that have mass.
Also
called
gravity
—grav·i·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—grav·i·ta·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



gravitationalfield

gravitationalfield
grav·i·ta·tion·al
field
(plural grav·i·ta·tion·al fields) noun

area of gravitational
attraction: the region of space around
an object that has mass, within which another object that has mass experiences
the force of attraction[1]



gravitationallens

gravitationallens
grav·i·ta·tion·al
lens
(plural grav·i·ta·tion·al lens·es) noun

large celestial object
bending distant light: a large
celestial object, such as a galaxy, whose gravitational field focuses or
distorts the light from another object beyond it[1]



gravitationalwave

gravitationalwave
grav·i·ta·tion·al
wave
(plural grav·i·ta·tion·al waves) noun

wave propagating
gravitational field: a
hypothetical wave, predicted by relativity theory, that travels at the speed of
light and propagates a gravitational field[1]



graviton

graviton
grav·i·ton 
[grávvi tòn] (plural grav·i·tons)
noun

hypothetical
quantum of gravity: a hypothetical particle with
zero charge and rest mass that is considered to be the quantum particle of the
gravitational interaction
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from gravitation .][1]



gravity

gravity
grav·i·ty 
[grávvitee] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY gravitational
force of Earth: the attraction due to gravitation that
the Earth or another celestial body exerts on an object on or near its surface

2.  PHYSICS See gravitation  noun 2

3.  seriousness
or significance: the serious nature of something because
for example of the worrying or significant consequences it has or could have

4.  serious
behavior:
solemnity and seriousness in somebody’s attitude or behavior

5.  heaviness:
the quality of being heavy

6.  heaviness:
the heaviness of something (formal)
[15th
century. Via French gravité from Latin gravitas “heaviness,” from
gravis (see grave 2 ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Gravity’s
  Rainbow, a novel by writer Thomas Pynchon ( 1973 ). Set in Europe during
  World War II, it describes the attempts of various interest groups to exploit
  the extrasensory powers of U.S. soldier Tyrone Slothrop, whose sexual
  encounters reliably predict the impact sites of German V2 rockets. It is
  noted for its extraordinary erudition, broad range of styles, and complex
  characterization.

[1]



gravityfeed

gravityfeed
grav·i·ty
feed
(plural grav·i·ty feeds) noun

supply
using something’s own weight: a mechanism or process for
supplying something such as fuel to a boiler or materials to a manufacturing
process by their downward movement under the influence of gravity
—grav·i·ty-fed, adjective[1]



gravlax

gravlax
grav·lax 
[grv lks] noun

appetizer
of marinated dried salmon: a Scandinavian dish
consisting of thin slices of dried salmon marinated in sugar, salt, pepper, and
herbs, especially dill, and usually served as an appetizer
[Mid-20th century. From
Swedish or Norwegian gravlaks, literally “buried salmon” (because
originally the fish was marinated in a hole in the ground).][1]



gravure

gravure
gra·vure 
[grə vyr] (plural gra·vures) noun

1.  See
intaglio  noun 4

2.  plate
or print:
a plate used in or a print produced by intaglio printing

3.  See
photogravure
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from graver “to engrave.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that was also the ancestor of English grave 4 and engrave .][1]



gravy

gravy
gra·vy 
[gráyvee] (plural gra·vies) noun

sauce
made with meat juices: the juices produced by meat
while it is being roasted, fried, or broiled, or a sauce made with these juices
or another liquid and poured over cooked meat and vegetables
[14th century. From Old
French grave, of uncertain origin; perhaps a misreading of grane
“stew, sauce,” probably ultimately from Latin granum (see grain ).][1]



gravyboat

gravyboat
gra·vy
boat
(plural gra·vy boats) noun

container for serving gravy:
a small pitcher, usually long and narrow, in which gravy and other sauces are
served[1]



gravytrain

gravytrain
gra·vy
train
(plural gra·vy trains) noun

source of easy money:
a way of getting a large amount of money or other benefits for very little
effort (informal) • scrambling
to get on the gravy train[1]



gray

gray2
gray2  [gray]
(plural grays) noun

unit
of radiation dose: the derived SI unit for the
absorbed dose of ionizing radiation, equal to an absorption of 1 joule per
kilogram. Symbol Gy
[Late 20th century. Named for
the English radiobiologist L. H. Gray (1905–1965).][1]



gray

gray1
gray1  [gray]
adjective (comparative gray·er, superlative gray·est)

1.  of
the color of ash: having the color of ash or lead

2.  dismal:
dismal or gloomy

3.  dull:
dull and colorless
noun
(plural grays)

1.  color
of ash:
the color of ash or lead

2.  pigment
made from black and white: a pigment or dye that is
formed from a combination of black and white and is or is near to the color of
ash or lead

3.  gray
clothing:
fabric or clothing that is gray in color

4.  gray
or Gray (plural Grays) Confederate
soldier:
a soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil War.
See
also
blue  noun 5

5.  Confederate
army:
the Confederate army in the Civil War, because of its gray uniforms.
See
also
blue  noun 6

6.  something
gray:
a gray object
intransitive
verb
(past grayed, past participle grayed, present
participle gray·ing, 3rd person present singular grays)

turn gray: to
turn the color gray • His
hair is graying.
[Old
English gr_æg, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also
the ancestor of English grizzle ; in
the sense “soldier,” from the colour of their uniforms]
—grey·ness, noun[1]



grayarea

grayarea
gray
ar·e·a
(plural gray ar·e·as) noun

1.  unclear
situation:
a situation, subject, or category of something that is unclear or hard to
define or classify

2.  something
that cannot be classified: a part of something that
does not belong to any specific category but contains features of more than one

[1]



Gray,Asa

Gray,Asa

Gray 
[gray], Asa (1810–1888)
U.S. botanist. He replaced the Linnaean
taxonomic system with a new method of classification and wrote the classic Manual
of Botany of the Northern United States ( 1848 ), known as “Gray’s Manual.”[1]



grayback

grayback
gray·back
[gráy bàk] (plural gray·backs)
noun

1.  creature
with gray back: an animal, bird, fish, or insect with a
gray back

2.  Confederate
soldier:
a soldier of the Confederacy in the Civil War

[1]



graybarland

graybarland
gray·bar
land 
[gráy br land] noun

waiting state:
the state of waiting for the gray bar graphic device on a computer screen
slowly to fill up as a time-consuming computer process nears completion (informal)[1]



graybeard

graybeard
gray·beard 
[gráy brd] (plural gray·beards)
noun

1.  man
of advanced years: a man of advanced years (dated)

2.  container
for alcohol: an earthenware container for alcohol
—gray·beard·ed, adjective[1]



Gray,Elisha

Gray,Elisha
Gray 
[gray], Elisha (1835–1901)

U.S. inventor. An inventor of
telegraphic equipment, he filed his intent to patent the telephone two hours
after Alexander Graham Bell (1876).[1]



grayeminence

grayeminence
gray
em·i·nence
(plural gray em·i·nences) noun

See
éminence grise[1]



grayfox

grayfox
gray
fox
(plural gray fox·es) noun

American fox:
a fox with a gray and red coat that is found in woodlands throughout the United
States and Central America. Latin name: Urocyon cinereoargenteus[1]



grayhen

grayhen
gray·hen
[gráy hèn] (plural gray·hens or
gray·hen) noun

female grouse:
a female black grouse[1]



grayish

grayish
gray·ish 
[gráy ish] adjective

slightly gray:
slightly or somewhat gray in color[1]



grayjay

grayjay
gray
jay
(plural gray jays) noun

N American forest bird:
a North American bird of the crow family that is gray in color with black
markings on the head. It inhabits coniferous forests, especially spruce
forests. Latin name: Perisoreus canadensis
Also called
Canada jay
Also called
Canadian jay
Also called
whiskey jack[1]



graylag

graylag
gray·lag 
[gráy làg] (plural gray·lags) or
gray·lag goose [gráy làg] noun

common
wild goose:
a common Eurasian wild goose that is a light brownish gray in color with a
large orange or pink bill. It is the ancestor of the domestic farm goose. Latin
name: Anser anser
[Early 18th century. From grey + dialect lag “goose,” of unknown
origin.][1]



grayling

grayling
gray·ling 
[gráyling] (plural gray·lings or
gray·ling) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fish
resembling trout: a northern freshwater fish that
resembles the trout, with silvery scales and a large dorsal fin. It is valued
as a game and food fish. Genus: Thymallus

2.  INSECTS European
butterfly:
a common gray European butterfly. Latin name: Eumenis semele

[1]



graymail

graymail
gray·mail 
[gráy màyl] noun

threatened
revelation of state secrets: a maneuver used by the
defense in a spy trial whereby the government is threatened with the revelation
of national secrets unless the case against the defendant is dropped.
See
also
blackmail
See
also
greenmail
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on blackmail .][1]



graymarket

graymarket
gray
mar·ket
(plural gray mar·kets) noun

1.  STOCK EXCHANGE trading
in shares before issue: trading in new shares before
they have been officially issued on the stock exchange

2.  COMMERCE secret
trading in goods: clandestine but legal trading in goods
either at excessively high prices or at prices well below the manufacturer’s
recommended price.
See
also
black market

[1]



graymatter

graymatter
gray
mat·ter
noun

1.  intelligence:
intelligence or brains (informal)

2.  brownish-gray
tissue within brain: brownish-gray nerve tissue
consisting mainly of nerve cell bodies within the brain and spinal cord.
See
also
white matter

[1]



graymullet

graymullet
gray
mul·let
noun

See
mullet[1]



grayplover

grayplover
gray
plov·er
noun

See
black-bellied plover[1]



graysquirrel

graysquirrel
gray
squir·rel
noun

tree squirrel with gray fur:
a large tree squirrel of North America, Great Britain, Ireland, and South
Africa that has gray fur with a reddish tinge in the legs and head. Latin name:
Sciurus carolinensis
See also
red squirrel[1]



graywacke

graywacke
gray·wacke 
[gráy wàk, gráy
wàkə] noun

conglomerate
rock:
a conglomerate rock composed of well-rounded pebbles cemented by a sandy infill
[Late 18th century. From
German Grauwacke “gray sandstone.”][1]



graywagtail

graywagtail
gray
wag·tail
noun

small songbird with long
tail: a small songbird, found in
Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a gray back and head, yellow underside, and a
long tail that it wags to keep its balance. Latin name: Motacilla cinerea[1]



graywether

graywether
gray·weth·er
[gráy weər] noun

GEOLOGY
See sarsen[1]



graywhale

graywhale
gray
whale
noun

baleen whale of N Pacific:
a large baleen whale of coastal waters of the North Pacific that has no dorsal
fin but a line of bumps along part of its back. Latin name: Eschrichtius
gibbosus[1]



graywolf

graywolf
gray
wolf
noun

large wild dog:
a large intelligent highly social wild dog of North America, Europe, and Asia,
varying in color from white in the north of its range to black in the south.
Latin name: Canis lupus
Also called
wolf
Also called
timber wolf[1]



graze

graze2
graze2 [grayz]
verb (past grazed, past participle grazed, present
participle graz·ing, 3rd person present singular graz·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb touch
something lightly: to touch against the surface
of something lightly in passing

2.  transitive
verb
break
the skin slightly: to damage the surface of the
skin of a part of the body slightly when it is rubbed against something rough
and hard
noun
(plural graz·es)

1.  slight
break in skin: slight and shallow damage to the skin
caused by rubbing against something rough and hard

2.  touch
of something: the act of rubbing something or touching
it lightly • the
graze of a bullet
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps from graze 1, with the
idea of cropping grass very short.][1]



graze

graze1
graze1 [grayz]
(past grazed, past participle grazed, present
participle graz·ing, 3rd person present singular graz·es)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
grass in fields: to eat grass and other green plants in
fields, or eat the grass and plants of a particular field or fields

2.  transitive
verb
allow
animals to eat grass: to allow animals such as
cows and sheep to eat grass in fields

3.  transitive
verb
use
land for feeding animals: to allow animals such as
cows and sheep to eat the grass and green plants of a particular field or
fields • We
usually graze those two fields over there.

4.  intransitive
verb
eat
snacks:
to eat snacks throughout the day instead of regular meals, especially while
working (slang)

5.  intransitive
verb
eat
food in supermarket: to eat food from the shelves
of a supermarket while shopping without subsequently paying for it at the
checkout (slang)

6.  intransitive
verb
sample
different foods: to eat small portions of several
different appetizers or entrees instead of a complete meal (slang)

7.  intransitive
verb
change
TV channels: to switch television channels frequently
without watching much of any one program (slang)

8.  intransitive
verb
keep
stopping and starting: to perform an activity in a
desultory manner, for example, by picking up and putting down magazines without
reading much of any one (slang)
[Old
English grasian, from græs (see grass
)]
—graze·a·ble,
adjective

—graz·er,
noun
put
somebody out to graze

to cause somebody to retire[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








grazing

grazing
graz·ing
[gráyzing] noun

1.  eating
of snacks:
the eating of snacks throughout the day instead of regular meals, especially
while working (slang)

2.  eating
of food in supermarket: the eating of food from the
shelves of a supermarket while shopping without subsequently paying for it at
the checkout counter (slang)

3.  eating
different appetizers: eating small portions of
several different appetizers or entrees, especially instead of a complete meal
(slang)

4.  changing
of TV channels: the switching of television channels
frequently without watching much of any one program (slang)

5.  frequently
stopping and starting: performing an activity in a
desultory manner, for example, by picking up and putting down magazines without
reading much of any one (slang)

6.  food
for cows and sheep: grass and green plants for
animals such as cows and sheep to eat

7.  land
with grass:
land with grass suitable for animals such as cows and sheep to feed on

[1]



grazioso

grazioso
gra·zi·o·so 
[grtsi ṓssō] adverb

gracefully:
in a graceful way (used as a musical direction)
[Early
19th century. From Italian .]
—gra·zi·o·so, adjective[1]



GRE

GRE
GRE

Abbreviation of
graduate record examination[1]



grease

grease
grease 
noun [greess]

1.  animal
fat:
thick soft animal fat, for example, from cooked meat

2.  thick
lubricant:
a thick oily substance, especially one used to make machinery run smoothly

3.  oil
for hair:
an oily substance used as a cosmetic for the hair

4.  bribery:
bribes or bribery (slang)

5.  AGRICULTURE oily
wool:
untreated wool from sheep that still contains its natural oils, or the natural
oils in this wool
transitive
verb
[greess, grz]
(past greased, past participle greased, present
participle greas·ing, 3rd person present singular greas·es)

1.  put
grease on something: to put grease on something,
for example, in order to make it move smoothly or to stop something else from
sticking to it

2.  make
something easier or quicker: to make something such as
progress or promotion easier or quicker (informal) • His
mother’s money certainly greased his path to the boardroom.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman grece, from, ultimately, Latin crassus
“fat, thick” (source of English crass
).]
grease
somebody’s palm or hand

to bribe somebody to do
something (informal)[1]



greaseball

greaseball
grease·ball
[grss bàwl] (plural grease·balls)
noun
Also
called
greaser

1.  somebody
with greasy hair: somebody who has greasy hair, especially
somebody who rides a motorcycle and wears a leather jacket (slang insult)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for somebody of Mediterranean or Latin American,
especially Mexican, origin (slang offensive)

[1]



greasegun

greasegun
grease
gun
(plural grease guns) noun

1.  ENGINEERING device
for greasing something: a hand-held device for
forcing grease into machinery to lubricate it

2.  ARMS submachine
gun:
a submachine gun (dated slang)

[1]



greasemonkey

greasemonkey
grease
mon·key
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a mechanic, especially one who works on motor vehicles or
aircraft (slang offensive)[1]



greasepaint

greasepaint
grease·paint 
[grss pàynt] noun

actors’ makeup:
a thick, greasy, or waxy form of colored makeup used by actors[1]



greasepencil

greasepencil
grease
pen·cil
(plural grease pen·cils) noun

pencil with waxy core:
a pencil containing a core of a waxy colored substance that can write on glossy
surfaces[1]



greaseproof

greaseproof
grease·proof
[grss prf] adjective

resistant to grease:
not allowing oil or grease to soak into it or pass through it[1]



greaseproofpaper

greaseproofpaper
grease·proof
pa·per
noun

U.K.
See waxed paper[1]



greaser

greaser
greas·er 
[grssər, grzər]
(plural greas·ers) noun

1.  long-haired
motorcyclist: a usually young, long-haired,
leather-jacketed motorcyclist, especially a member of a motorcycle gang (slang
insult)

2.  mechanic
or engineer: somebody whose job involves greasing
machinery, especially a mechanic who works on motor vehicles (slang)

3.  See
greaseball

[1]



greasewood

greasewood
grease·wood 
[grss wd] (plural grease·woods)
noun

1.  spiny
N American shrub: a spiny shrub that grows in desert areas
of western North America and yields an oil that is used as a fuel. Latin name: Sarcobatus
vermiculatus

2.  shrub
related to greasewood: a shrub that is similar to
or related to the greasewood, for example, the creosote bush

[1]



greasy

greasy
greas·y 
[grssee, grzee]
(comparative greas·i·er, superlative greas·i·est) adjective

1.  thick
with grease: covered with or containing grease, often
a lot of grease or too much of it

2.  smarmy:
unpleasantly and insincerely flattering, friendly, or groveling

3.  made
of grease:
consisting of grease or something with the consistency of grease

4.  having
excessive natural oils: producing or containing a
lot of natural oils

5.  produced
by grease:
caused by grease or something with the consistency of grease

6.  slippery:
difficult to move, walk, or drive on because of wetness or iciness
—greas·i·ly,
adverb

—greas·i·ness, noun[1]



greasyspoon

greasyspoon
greas·y
spoon
(plural greas·y spoons) noun

cheap café:
a small, cheap, and often dirty café, especially one that serves fried food (informal)[1]



great-

great-
great-
prefix

1.  being
a parent of grandparent: being a parent of somebody’s
grandparent

2.  being
grandchild’s child: being a child of one of
somebody’s grandchildren

[1]



great

great
great 
[grayt] adjective (comparative
great·er, superlative great·est)

1.  exceptionally
talented:
with exceptional talents, or having made remarkable achievements • He
was a great humanitarian as well as a talented artist.

2.  important:
very significant or important • a
truly great novel

3.  powerful:
powerful and influential • in
this great nation

4.  very
good:
very good or pleasing (informal)

5.  much:
extreme or more than usual • It
gives me great pleasure to introduce our speaker tonight.

6.  impressively
large:
very large and impressive

7.  large
in number:
large in number or with many parts • a
great crowd of well-wishers

8.  being
a good example of something: doing something often,
enjoying something very much, or being a very good example of something

9.  good
at something: able to do something very well, or very
skillful with something (informal) • great
at spelling

10. bigger
than others: larger or more important than others of
the same kind

11. useful:
very useful or suitable for a particular task (informal) • This
cast-iron pan is great for making pancakes.

12. used
for emphasis: used to emphasize how much of a quality
somebody or something has (informal) • Their
new house is a great big place out in the country.

13. lasting
a long time: lasting a long time, or covering a long
distance • We
endured a great delay.

14. pregnant:
pregnant (archaic) • She
was great with child.
noun
(plural greats)

1.  somebody
great:
somebody whose fame or influence has proved to be long-lasting • one
of the all-time greats of blues music

2.  MUSIC part
of pipe organ: the principal division of a pipe organ
adverb

very well: very
well (informal) • That’s
it; you’re doing great. • Steve
and I get along just great.
[Old
English grēat “thick, coarse.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English grit,
groat, and grout .]
—great·ly,
adverb

—great·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  The
  Great Gatsby, a novel ( 1925 ) by U.S. writer F. Scott Fitzgerald . Set on
  Long Island, New York, it is the story of enigmatic businessman Jay Gatsby, a
  symbol of the American obsession with wealth and status, whose attempts to
  revive a relationship with an old girlfriend lead to his downfall. It was
  made into movies by Elliott Nugent in 1949 and by Jack Clayton in 1974. Terms
  such as Gatsbyesque, obsessed with social status and the acquisition
  of great riches, derive directly from the book title and the character.

[1]



greatape

greatape
great
ape
(plural great apes) noun

large ape:
any of the larger apes such as the gorilla, chimpanzee, or orangutan[1]



GreatAttractor

GreatAttractor
Great
At·trac·tor
noun

large aggregation of
galaxies: a large aggregation of
galaxies, approximately 150 to 350 million light years away, whose
gravitational pull might account for the unexpected motions of many galaxies
including our own[1]



greatauk

greatauk

great auk
noun
extinct sea bird:
a large flightless sea bird that was native to northern Atlantic coasts until
it was hunted to extinction in the middle of the 19th century. Latin name: Pinguinus
impennis[1]



great-aunt

great-aunt
great-aunt
(plural great-aunts) noun

parent’s aunt:
an aunt of somebody’s father or mother.
Also called
grandaunt[1]



GreatAustralian Bight

GreatAustralian Bight
Great
Aus·tra·lian Bight  [gràyt
o stráylee ən bt]

wide inlet of the Indian
Ocean off the southern coast of Australia. It stretches 1,100 km685 mi from
Cape Pasley in Western Australia to Cape Carnot in South Australia.[1]



GreatBarrier Reef

GreatBarrier Reef
Great
Bar·ri·er Reef [grayt
bàrree ər rf]

chain of coral reefs in the
Coral Sea, located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The largest deposit
of coral in the world, the reef extends for 2,010 km/1,250 mi . Area: 348,600
sq km/134,600 sq mi.[1]



GreatBasin

GreatBasin
Great
Ba·sin
[grayt báyssin]

area of inland drainage
covering most of Nevada and parts of Utah, Oregon, Idaho, and California. Area:
543,900 sq km/210,000 sq mi.[1]



GreatBasin National Park

GreatBasin National Park
Great
Ba·sin Na·tion·al Park [grayt
bàyssin násh’nəl prk]

national park established in
1986 in eastern Nevada, noted for its limestone formations. Area: 312 sq km/120
sq mi.[1]



GreatBear

GreatBear
Great
Bear
noun

See
Ursa Major[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GreatBear Lake

GreatBear Lake
Great
Bear Lake
[grayt bàir láyk]

freshwater lake in Canada’s
Northwest Territories, lying astride the Arctic Circle. It is the world’s
eighth largest lake. Area: 31,153 sq km/12,028 sq mi. Depth: 410 m/1,345 ft.[1]



GreatBend

GreatBend
Great
Bend 
[grayt bénd]

city in central Kansas, on
the northern bank of the Arkansas River, northeast of Dodge City. It is located
on the old Santa Fe Trail. Population: 14,718 (1996)[1]



greatblack-backed gull

greatblack-backed gull
great
black-backed gull (plural great black-backed
gulls) noun

large N Atlantic sea bird:
a large sea bird with a white head and body and black wings that is native to
the shores of the North Atlantic. Latin name: Larus marinus[1]



greatblue heron

greatblue heron
great
blue her·on
(plural great blue her·ons) noun

long-necked water bird:
a large long-legged long-necked North American heron with grayish-blue plumage.
Latin name: Ardea herodias[1]



GreatBritain

GreatBritain
Great
Brit·ain


the largest island of the
British Isles in northwestern Europe. It includes England, Scotland, and Wales.
See United Kingdom[1]



greatcircle

greatcircle
great
cir·cle
(plural great cir·cles) noun

circle on sphere:
a circle on the surface of a sphere such as the Earth that has a radius equal
to the radius of the sphere, and whose center is also the sphere’s center.
See also
small circle[1]



greatcoat

greatcoat
great·coat 
[gráyt kt] (plural great·coats)
noun

overcoat:
a long thick heavy overcoat worn especially by soldiers[1]



greatcrested grebe

greatcrested grebe
great
crest·ed grebe noun

large waterfowl:
a large diving waterfowl of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia with no tail
and a ruff on its head that is expanded during courtship rituals. Latin name: Podiceps
cristatus[1]



GreatDane

GreatDane
Great
Dane
(plural Great Danes) noun

very
large long-legged dog: a very large dog with long
legs, a square head and deep muzzle, and short hair, belonging to a breed
originating in Germany
[Because it was developed in
Germany, whose inhabitants were formerly called Danes][1]



GreatDepression

GreatDepression
Great
De·pres·sion noun

global depression of 1930s:
a drastic decline in the world economy resulting in mass unemployment and
widespread poverty that lasted from 1929 until 1939.
Also called
Depression[1]



GreatDismal Swamp

GreatDismal Swamp
Great
Dis·mal Swamp [grayt dìzməl
swómp]

low-lying marshland in
southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina that is densely forested
in parts and rich in wildlife. George Washington once owned most of the area.
Area: 1,940 sq km/750 sq mi.[1]



greatdivide

greatdivide
great
di·vide
(plural great di·vides) noun

1.  major
demarcation: a major demarcation between two
contrasting things, especially life and death

2.  line
between life and death: the boundary between life
and death

[1]



GreatDivide

GreatDivide
Great
Di·vide 
noun

See
Continental Divide[1]



GreatDividing Range

GreatDividing Range
Great
Di·vid·ing Range  [gràyt di
vding ráynj]

system of mountain ranges and
plateaus in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, extending along the
eastern border of Australia. The highest point is Mount Kosciusko, 2,228 m/7,310
ft .[1]



greatercelandine

greatercelandine
great·er
cel·an·dine
noun

See
celandine
See also
lesser celandine[1]



GreaterSunda Islands

GreaterSunda Islands
Great·er
Sun·da Is·lands  [gràytər
súndə ləndz]

See
Sunda Islands[1]



greateryellowlegs

greateryellowlegs
great·er
yel·low·legs noun

large wading bird:
a large North American wading bird of the sandpiper family that has a gray body
and long yellow legs. Latin name: Tringa melanoleuca
See also
lesser yellowlegs[1]



greatestcommon divisor

greatestcommon divisor
great·est
com·mon di·vi·sor  (plural great·est com·mon
di·vi·sors) or great·est com·mon fac·tor (plural great·est
com·mon fac·tors) noun

highest number that can
divide others: the highest number that
can be exactly divided into each member of a set of numbers. The highest common
factor of 12, 60, and 84 is 12.
Also called
highest common factor
U.K. term
highest common factor[1]



great-grandchild

great-grandchild
great-grand·child
noun

child of grandchild:
a son or daughter of your grandchild[1]



greathearted

greathearted
great
heart·ed 
[gràyt hrtəd] adjective

1.  large-spirited:
with a generous and forgiving nature

2.  undaunted:
not easily frightened or dispirited
—great heart·ed·ly, adverb[1]



GreatIndian Desert

GreatIndian Desert
Great
In·di·an Des·ert  [grayt
ìndee ən dézzərt]

See
Thar Desert[1]



GreatKaroo

GreatKaroo
Great
Ka·roo
[gràyt kə r]

See
Karoo[1]



GreatLakes

GreatLakes

Great Lakes
group of five freshwater lakes in north
central North America, interconnected by natural and artificial channels. The
largest group of lakes in the world, they are Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron,
Erie, and Ontario. Area: 244,108 sq km/94,251 sq mi.[1]



greatlaurel

greatlaurel
great
lau·rel
noun

See
rosebay rhododendron[1]



GreatLeap Forward

GreatLeap Forward
Great
Leap For·ward noun

1950s Chinese policy:
the attempt by the People’s Republic of China in 1958 to 1960 to modernize
agriculture by labor-intensive methods[1]



great-nephew

great-nephew
great-neph·ew
(plural great-neph·ews) noun

See
grandnephew[1]



great-niece

great-niece
great-niece
(plural great-nieces) noun

See
grandniece[1]



greatnorthern diver

greatnorthern diver
great
north·ern div·er (plural great north·ern
di·vers) noun

BIRDS
See common loon[1]



greatorgan

greatorgan
great
or·gan
(plural great or·gans) noun

main keyboard and mechanism
of organ: the main keyboard of an
organ, and the pipes and mechanism relating to it.
See also
choir organ[1]



GreatPlains

GreatPlains
Great
Plains
[gràyt pláynz]

vast high plateau region in
central North America that stretches from northeastern Canada to southern Texas
between the Canadian Shield and Central Lowlands on the east and the Rocky
Mountains on the west[1]



GreatPower

GreatPower
Great
Pow·er
(plural Great Pow·ers) noun

nation with extensive
influence: a nation that has a
far-reaching political, social, economic, and usually military influence
internationally (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



GreatRebellion

GreatRebellion
Great
Re·bel·lion
noun

English Civil War:
the Royalists’ name for the English Civil War[1]



GreatRift Valley

GreatRift Valley
Great
Rift Val·ley [grayt rìft
vállee]

depression extending more
than 4,830 km/3,000 mi from the valley of the Jordan River in Syria to
Mozambique, forming the most extensive rift in the earth’s surface. The area is
marked by a chain of seas and lakes and a series of volcanoes.[1]



GreatRussian

GreatRussian
Great
Rus·sian
noun

1.  LANGUAGE Russian
language:
the Russian language (dated)

2.  PEOPLES Russian:
a member of the main Russian-speaking ethnic group in Russia
adjective

of the Russian people:
relating to or belonging to the Great Russian people

[1]



GreatSalt Lake

GreatSalt Lake
Great
Salt Lake 
[grayt sàwlt láyk]

shallow body of salt water in
northwestern Utah, near Salt Lake City. It is the largest salt lake in North
America. Area: 4,403 km/1,700 sq mi.[1]



GreatSandy Desert

GreatSandy Desert
Great
San·dy Des·ert  [grayt
sàndi dézzərt]

desert in northwestern
Australia that contains large areas of sand dunes and salt marshes and some
grassland. Area: 310,000 sq km/150,000 sq mi.[1]



GreatSchism

GreatSchism
Great
Schism
noun

1.  time
of two popes: the period between 1378 and 1415 when
there were rival popes, one reigning in Rome and the other in Avignon

2.  historical
separation of churches: the separation of the Roman
Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches in 1054, as a result of theological
disagreement

[1]



GreatSeal

GreatSeal
Great
Seal
(plural Great Seals) noun

U.S. seal for important state
papers: in the United States, the
seal kept in the charge of the Secretary of State and used in sealing important
state papers[1]



greatskua

greatskua
great
sku·a
noun

predatory seabird:
a large brown predatory seabird of the North Atlantic that feeds on fish, eggs,
and other adult birds. Latin name: Catharacta skua[1]



GreatSlave Lake

GreatSlave Lake
Great
Slave Lake 
[grayt slàyv láyk]

freshwater lake in the
Northwest Territories, northwestern Canada. It is the deepest lake in North
America. Depth: 614 m/2,015 ft. Area: 28,570 sq km/11,031 sq mi.[1]



GreatSmoky Mountains National Park

GreatSmoky Mountains National Park
Great
Smok·y Moun·tains Na·tion·al Park [grayt smki mówntinz nàsh’nəl prk]

national park in the
southeastern United States, in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
Established in 1930, it contains some of the highest peaks in eastern North
America. Area: 2,106 sq km/813 sq mi.[1]



GreatSt. Bernard Pass

GreatSt. Bernard Pass
Great
Saint Ber·nard Pass [gràyt
s’nt búrnərd pss, grayt sàN bər nrd pss]

mountain pass in western
Europe, on the border between Valais, central Switzerland, and Aosta Province,
Piedmont, northern Italy. Founded in the 11th century, it is named for the
hospice founded at its summit by the French monk St. Bernard. Height: 2,468
m/8,090 ft.[1]



GreatTrek

GreatTrek
Great
Trek
noun

movement of Boer cattlemen:
a mass movement between 1836 and 1844 of Boer cattlemen in South Africa from
the Cape to the north that eventually resulted in the establishment of the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State[1]



great-uncle

great-uncle
great-un·cle
(plural great-un·cles) noun

parent’s uncle:
an uncle of your father or mother.
Also called
granduncle[1]



GreatVictoria Desert

GreatVictoria Desert
Great
Vic·to·ri·a Des·ert  [gràyt
vik táwree ə dézzərt]

desert in the states of
Western Australia and South Australia, consisting of sand dunes, salt lakes,
and low scrubland. Area: 650,000 sq km/250,000 sq mi.[1]



GreatWall

GreatWall
Great
Wall
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY immense
galactic supercluster: a huge expanse of thousands
of galaxies arranged in a supercluster that forms the largest system of
astronomical objects observed in the universe

2.  See
Great Wall of China

[1]



GreatWall of China

GreatWall of China
Great
Wall of Chi·na  noun

long Chinese fortification:
a vast Chinese defensive fortification begun in the 3rd century B.C. and running along the northern
border of the country for 2,400 km/1,500 mi.
Also called
Great Wall[1]



GreatWar

GreatWar
Great
War
noun

See
World War I[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








greatwhite shark

greatwhite shark
great
white shark
(plural great white sharks) noun

large aggressive shark:
a large shark of warm and tropical waters that is gray-brown with white
underparts. It preys on large fish, marine mammals, and carrion, and has a
reputation for eating human beings. Latin name: Carcharodon carcharias
Also called
white shark[1]



GreatWhite Way

GreatWhite Way
Great
White Way
noun

Broadway:
the historic entertainment district in Manhattan stretching along Broadway
north of Times Square and distinguished by its many brightly-lit signs and
marquees[1]



greatyear

greatyear
great
year
(plural great years) noun

period of about 25,800 years:
a period of about 25,800 years, representing a complete cycle of the precession
of the equinoxes[1]



greave

greave

greave 
[greev] (plural greaves) noun
shin
armor:
a piece of armor worn from the ankle to the knee (usually used in the plural)
[14th century. From Old
French greve “calf, shin.”][1]



grebe

grebe


grebe 
[greeb] (plural grebes or
grebe) noun
freshwater
diving bird: a freshwater diving bird with lobed toes
that is a strong swimmer. Family: Podicipedidae
[Mid-18th century. From
French grèbe .][1]



Grec-

Grec-
Grec-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
Greco-[1]



Grecian

Grecian
Gre·cian 
[grsh’n] adjective

1.  in
ancient Greek style: relating to or typical of
the ancient Greek style of architecture or sculpture

2.  See
Greek  adjective 1
noun
(plural Gre·cians)

1.  Hellenist:
a Hellenist (dated)

2.  See
Greek  noun 1
—Gre·cian·ize, transitive
verb[1]



Grecism

Grecism
Gre·cism 
[gr sìzzəm] (plural Gre·cisms)
noun

1.  Greek
idiom:
an idiom of the Greek language used in another language, often for stylistic
effect

2.  Greek
style and spirit: Greek style, spirit, or characteristics
as related to Greek culture, arts, architecture, and philosophy

[1]



Grecize

Grecize
Gre·cize 
[gr sz] (past Gre·cized, past
participle Gre·cized, present participle Gre·ciz·ing, 3rd
person present singular Gre·ciz·es) transitive verb

make Greek in style:
to make something Greek or Hellenic in style or form so that it becomes
characteristic of the culture, civilization, or language of the ancient Greeks.
U.K. = Graecize[1]



Greco-

Greco-
Greco-
prefix

Greece,
Greek • Greco-Roman
[From Latin Graecus
(see Greek )][1]



Greco,El

Greco,El
Gre·co
[grékō], El (1541–1614)

Greek-born
Spanish painter. His works combine the baroque style with exaggerated
mannerism, and are characterized by lambent lighting and elongated figures.
Real name
Theotokopoulos, Domenikos[1]



Greco-Roman

Greco-Roman
Gre·co-Ro·man 
or Grae·co-Ro·man adjective

1.  ancient
Greek and Roman: relating to, or typical of, both ancient
Greece and ancient Rome or the influence of their civilizations

2.  WRESTLING relating
to a wrestling hold: used to describe a style of
wrestling allowing no hold below the waist and no use of the legs to obtain a
fall

[1]



Greece

Greece



Greece 
[greess]
country in southeastern Europe, on the
southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and numerous islands in the Aegean,
Ionian, and Mediterranean seas. Language: Greek. Currency: drachma. Capital:
Athens. Population: 10,493,000 (1996) Area: 131,957 sq km/50,949 sq mi. Official
name Hellenic Republic[1]



Greece




Back to definition

Greece

[1]



greed

greed
greed 
[greed] noun

strong
desire for more: an overwhelming desire to have more of
something such as money than is actually needed
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from greedy .][1]



greedy

greedy
greed·y 
[grdee] (comparative greed·i·er,
superlative greed·i·est) adjective

1.  eating
too much:
eating to excess, or wanting to do so

2.  strongly
desiring more than required: having an overwhelming
desire to have more of something such as money than is actually needed
[Old
English grædig . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“hunger, greed.”]
—greed·i·ly,
adverb

—greed·i·ness, noun[1]



greegree

greegree
gree·gree 
(plural gree·grees) noun

See
grigri[1]



Greek

Greek

Greek 
[greek] noun (plural Greeks)

1.  somebody
from Greece: somebody who was born in or raised in
Greece, or who has Greek citizenship.
Also
called
Grecian

2.  language
of Greece:
the official language of Greece and part of Cyprus, spoken by about 12 million
people.
See
also
Ancient Greek
See
also
Demotic
See
also
Katharevousa
See
also
Late Greek
See
also
modern Greek

3.  fraternity
or sorority member: a member of a college or
university fraternity or sorority whose name consists of Greek letters
adjective

1.  of
Greece or Greeks: relating to or typical of Greece, or its
people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of the
Greek language: relating to the Greek language

3.  CHRISTIANITY of
Greek Orthodox Church: relating to or belonging to
the Greek Orthodox Church
[Old
English grecas . Ultimately from Latin Graecus, from Greek Graikos,
the prehistoric name for the Hellenic people.]
beware of Greeks bearing gifts

be
careful of possible treachery from somebody who appears to be kind

go Greek

to
pledge and then join a college fraternity or sorority (informal) • About
40 percent of the student body is expected to go Greek after rush.

it’s (all) Greek to me

used to say that you cannot
understand something[1]



GreekCatholic

GreekCatholic
Greek
Cath·o·lic
(plural Greek Cath·o·lics) noun

1.  member
of Eastern Orthodox Church: a member of the Eastern
Orthodox Church

2.  member
of Uniat Greek Church: a member of the Uniat Greek
Church

[1]



GreekChurch

GreekChurch
Greek
Church
noun

See
Greek Orthodox Church[1]



Greekcross

Greekcross

Greek cross
(plural Greek cross·es) noun
cross with 4 equal arms:
a cross consisting of four arms of the same length[1]



Greekkey

Greekkey
Greek
key
(plural Greek keys) noun

ornate band on border:
an ornate pattern for a cornice or border consisting of lines that change
direction at right angles to form a continuous band[1]



GreekOrthodox Church

GreekOrthodox Church
Greek
Or·tho·dox Church noun

1.  national
church of Greece: the national church of Greece, an
independent section of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Also
called
Greek Church

2.  See
Orthodox Church

[1]



Greeksalad

Greeksalad
Greek
sal·ad
(plural Greek sal·ads) noun

salad with olives and feta
cheese: a salad of tomatoes,
lettuce, cucumber, olives, oregano, and feta cheese[1]



Greeley

Greeley
Gree·ley 
[grlee]

city in northern Colorado,
founded as a farm cooperative and temperance colony in 1870. Population: 60,536
(1990)[1]



Greeley,Horace

Greeley,Horace

Gree·ley 
[grlee], Horace (1811–1872)
U.S. politician and journalist. He was
founding editor of the New York Tribune (1841–1872), and used the
newspaper and lectures to promote his liberal political views. He popularized
the phrase, “Go West, young man.”[1]



Greely,Adolphus Washington

Greely,Adolphus Washington

Gree·ly
[grlee], Adolphus Washington (1844–1935)
U.S. explorer and army officer. He led an
expedition to the Arctic (1881–1884) and established a meteorological base on
Ellesmere Island.[1]



green

green
green 
[green] adjective (comparative
green·er, superlative green·est)

1.  COLORS grass-colored:
of a color in the spectrum between yellow and blue, like the color of grass

2.  having
edible green leaves: consisting of or containing
green leaves of vegetables • a
green salad

3.  grassy
or leafy:
consisting of or containing grass, plants, or foliage

4.  green
or Green POLITICS advocating
protection of the environment: supporting or
promoting the protection of the environment

5.  ENVIRONMENT made
with little environmental harm: produced in an
environmentally and ecologically friendly way, for example, by using renewable
resources

6.  FOOD not
ripe:
unripe or not mature • green
bananas

7.  unseasoned:
newly cut and still unseasoned (refers to leather) • green
wood

8.  untanned:
not yet tanned (refers to leather)

9.  METALLURGY unfired:
not yet fired

10. jealous:
envious or jealous

11. sickly-looking:
pale and sickly-looking, especially as a result of nausea

12. innocent:
naive and lacking in experience, especially because of being new to something

13. new:
young, new, recent, or fresh
noun
(plural greens)

1.  COLORS the
color of grass: a primary color between yellow and blue
in the spectrum, like the color of grass

2.  green
coloring:
a green pigment or dye

3.  green
cloth:
green fabric or clothing

4.  something
green:
a green object

5.  grassy
area:
an area of ground that is covered with grass, especially a public or communal
area

6.  SPORTS grassy
area for lawn bowling: an area of grass that is
maintained for lawn bowling and similar games

7.  GOLF grassy
area surrounding a golf hole: the closely mowed area at
the end of a fairway on a golf course on which the hole for the ball is
located.
Also
called
putting green

8.  U.K.
See greens

9.  green
or Green (plural Greens) advocate
of protection of environment: somebody who supports or
promotes the protection of the environment, especially a member of a political
party concerned with environmental issues

10. money:
cash or paper money (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past greened,
past participle greened, present participle green·ing,
3rd person present singular greens)

1.  become
or make green: to become green, or make something green

2.  become
an environmental advocate: to become, or make somebody
become, aware of environmental issues
[Old
English grene . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also
the ancestor of English grass and grow .]
—green·ish,
adjective

—green·ly,
adverb
go
green

to become actively interested
in environmental issues and support environmental causes[1]



greenalga

greenalga
green
al·ga
noun

simple water plant:
an alga found mostly in fresh water. Division: Chlorophyta[1]



greenback

greenback
green·back 
[grn bàk] (plural green·backs)
noun

U.S. paper money:
a U.S. bank note of any denomination (slang)[1]



GreenbackParty

GreenbackParty
Green·back
Par·ty
noun

U.S. political party after
Civil War: a political party formed
after the Civil War that was against reducing the amount of paper money in
circulation and in favor of the use of fiat money[1]



GreenBay

GreenBay
Green
Bay 
[grn báy]

city in Brown County,
northeastern Wisconsin, on the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Population:
102,708 (1994)[1]



greenbean

greenbean
green
bean
(plural green beans) noun

bean with a green pod:
a type of bean such as string beans that is eaten complete with its pod[1]



greenbelt

greenbelt
green·belt 
(plural green·belts) noun

1.  undeveloped
land around a city: a strip of undeveloped land
around a city that contains parks, farms, or vacant land

2.  irrigated
land bordering a desert: an irrigated area of land on
the edge of a desert, designed to prevent any further encroachment by the
desert

[1]



Greenbelt

Greenbelt
Green·belt 
[grn belt]

city in west central
Maryland, northeast of Washington, D.C., developed in the 1930s to house
government employees. Population: 21,840 (1996)[1]



GreenBeret

GreenBeret
Green
Be·ret
(plural Green Be·rets) noun (informal)

1.  Special
Forces member: a U.S. Special Forces soldier

2.  commando:
a British commando
[From the regulation green
beret worn by members][1]



greenbottle

greenbottle
green·bot·tle
[grn bòtt’l] (plural green·bot·tles)
or green·bot·tle fly [grn bòtt’l]
noun

green fly:
a fly that is metallic green in color and lays its eggs in rotting vegetation
or flesh. Genus: Lucilia[1]



greencard

greencard
green
card
(plural green cards) noun

U.S.
identity card: in the United States, an identity card
and work permit issued to nationals of other countries
—green-card·er, noun[1]



greenChristmas

greenChristmas
green
Christ·mas
(plural green Christ·mas·es) noun

Canada
snowless Christmas:
a Christmas without snow[1]



greendragon

greendragon
green
drag·on
(plural green drag·ons) noun

tuberous plant with green
flowers: a tuberous North American
plant that has divided leaves and small green flowers arranged along a stalk
enclosed in a tight green sheath. Latin name: Arisaema dracontium
Also called
dragonroot[1]



greenearth

greenearth
green
earth
noun

PAINTING
See terre verte[1]



Greene,Graham

Greene,Graham
Greene
[green], Graham (1904–1991)

British
writer. His major novels, including Brighton Rock ( 1938 ) and The
Power and the Glory ( 1940 ), incorporate themes of spiritual and moral
struggle.
Full name
Greene, Henry Graham[1]



Greene,Nathanael

Greene,Nathanael

Greene
[green], Nathanael (1742–1786)
U.S. revolutionary soldier. He commanded
revolutionary armies in New Jersey and South Carolina.[1]



greenery

greenery
green·er·y 
[grnəree] noun

1.  green
plants:
growing green foliage and plants

2.  U.K.
See evergreens

[1]



green-eyedmonster

green-eyedmonster
green-eyed
mon·ster
noun

jealousy:
jealousy or envy personified[1]



Greenfield

Greenfield
Green·field 
[grn feeld]

town in northern
Massachusetts, on the western bank of the Connecticut River, north of
Northampton. Population: 18,580 (1996)[1]



greenfinch

greenfinch
green·finch 
[grn fìnch] (plural green·finch·es
or green·finch) noun

European finch:
a European green-gray and yellow finch. Latin name: Carduelis chloris[1]



greenfingers

greenfingers
green
fin·gers
plural noun

U.K.
See green thumb
—green-fin·gered, adjective[1]



greenfly

greenfly
green·fly 
[grn fl] (plural green·flies
or green·fly) noun

small green aphid:
a green winged aphid that is a pest of garden plants, houseplants, and crops[1]



greengage

greengage
green·gage 
[grn gàyj] (plural green·gages)
noun
Also
called
gage

1.  kind
of plum tree: a variety of plum tree that has roundish
sweet green fruits. Latin name: Prunus domestica italica

2.  plum
fruit:
the fruit of the greengage tree
[Early 18th century. Gage
from the name of Sir William Gage, who introduced it to England.][1]



greengrocer

greengrocer
green·gro·cer 
[grn grssər] (plural green·gro·cers)
noun

U.K.
fruit and vegetable seller:
somebody who sells fresh fruit and vegetables.
See also
grocer[1]



greenhead

greenhead
green·head 
[grn hèd] (plural green·heads)
noun

male mallard:
a male mallard duck[1]



greenheart

greenheart
green·heart 
[grn hrt] (plural green·hearts
or green·heart) noun

1.  tropical
American tree: an evergreen tropical American tree of
the laurel family with dark greenish wood. Latin name: Ocotea rodiaei
Also
called
bebeeru

2.  tree
resembling the greenheart: any of a number of trees
similar to the true greenheart.
See
also
African greenheart

3.  greenheart
tree wood:
the wood of any of the greenheart trees

[1]



greenhorn

greenhorn
green·horn 
[grn hàwrn] (plural green·horns)
noun

somebody
easily duped: somebody who is naive and
unsophisticated

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at beginner

[1]



greenhouse

greenhouse
green·house 
[grn hòwss] (plural green·hous·es
[grn howzizz]) noun

1.  hothouse:
a glass or transparent plastic structure, often on a metal or wooden frame, in
which plants that need heat, light, and protection from the elements are grown

2.  see-through
dome on aircraft: a transparent plastic dome or cover for
part of an aircraft (informal)

[1]



greenhouseeffect

greenhouseeffect
green·house
ef·fect
noun

warming of the Earth’s
atmosphere: warming of the Earth’s
surface as a result of atmospheric pollution by gases. It is now feared that
the warming effects are being undesirably increased, causing climate changes
and melting polar icecaps.[1]



greenhousegas

greenhousegas
green·house
gas
noun

gas that absorbs radiation:
a gas such as carbon dioxide, ozone, or water vapor that contributes to the
warming of the Earth’s atmosphere by reflecting radiation from the Earth’s
surface[1]



greenkeeper

greenkeeper
green
keep·er
(plural green keep·ers) noun

U.K.
See greenskeeper[1]



Greenland




Back to definition

Greenland

[1]



Greenland

Greenland

Green·land 
[grnlənd]
island
situated between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The largest island in
the world, it is a self-governing part of Denmark. Capital: Nuuk. Population:
58,000 (1996) Area: 2,175,600 sq km/840,000 sq mi.
—Green·land·er [grn ləndər], noun[1]



Greenlandic

Greenlandic
Green·land·ic
[grn lándik] noun

Inuit dialect:
a dialect of Inuit spoken in Greenland by about 60,000 people
adjective

1.  of
Greenland dialect: relating to the dialect
Greenlandic

2.  of
Greenland:
relating to or typical of Greenland or its people or culture

[1]



Greenlandright whale

Greenlandright whale
Green·land
right whale
(plural Green·land right whales) noun

ZOOLOGY
See bowhead[1]



GreenlandSea

GreenlandSea
Green·land
Sea
[grnlənd s]

section of the Atlantic Ocean
off the coast of northeastern Greenland that is covered by pack ice for most of
the year[1]



greenlight

greenlight
green·light 
[grn lt] (past green·light·ed,
past participle green·light·ed, present participle green·light·ing,
3rd person present singular green·lights) transitive verb

give
permission for something: to give approval or
permission for something to proceed (informal) • As
soon as you greenlight the project, we’ll start hiring people for it.
[From the traffic signal of
green meaning to proceed][1]



greenlight

greenlight
green
light
(plural green lights) noun

1.  signal
to proceed:
a light that is green in color and is used as a signal at intersections for
vehicles or pedestrians to proceed

2.  permission
to begin:
permission to start work on something, especially a project or plan

[1]



greenling

greenling
green·ling 
[grnling] (plural green·lings
or green·ling) noun

N Pacific fish with large
fins: a fish of coastal waters in
the northern Pacific Ocean with large pectoral fins, a large head, and a skin
flap over each eye. Family: Hexagrammidae[1]



greenmail

greenmail
green·mail 
[grn màyl] noun

business
pressure by threat of takeover: the purchase of enough
of a company’s stock to threaten it with takeover, thereby forcing the company
to buy back the stock at a higher price to avoid the takeover.
See
also
blackmail
See
also
graymail
transitive
verb
(past green·mailed, past participle green·mailed, present
participle green·mail·ing, 3rd person present singular green·mails)

greenmail
somebody:
to subject a company to greenmail
[Late
20th century. From green “money” + blackmail .]
—green·mail·er, noun[1]



greenmanure

greenmanure
green
ma·nure
noun

crop plowed back as
fertilizer: a growing crop that is
plowed directly back into the soil to act as a fertilizer[1]



greenmarket

greenmarket
green·mar·ket 
(plural green·mar·kets) noun

See
farmers’ market[1]



greenmonkey

greenmonkey
green
mon·key
(plural green mon·keys) noun

African monkey:
a small olive green African monkey that lives in large troops in woodlands or
on the edge of savanna grasslands. Latin name: Cercophithecus aethiops
sabaeus[1]



greenmonkey disease

greenmonkey disease
green
mon·key dis·ease noun

MEDICINE
See Marburg disease[1]



GreenMountains

GreenMountains
Green
Moun·tains
[grn mówntinz]

mountain range in the
Appalachian system, extending from Canada into western Massachusetts. The
highest point is Mount Mansfield, 1,339 m/4,393 ft .[1]



greenockite

greenockite
green·ock·ite 
[grnə kt] noun

yellowish
cadmium ore: a yellowish crystalline mineral
consisting of cadmium sulfide
[Mid-18th century. Named for
Charles Murray Cathcart, Lord Greenock .][1]



Greenough,Horatio

Greenough,Horatio
Gree·nough
[grnō], Horatio (1805–1852)

U.S. sculptor. He worked in
Italy from 1828 to 1851, and is known for his neoclassical statue of George
Washington ( 1832–1840 ) at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[1]



greenpaper

greenpaper
green
pa·per
noun

policy document for
discussion in parliament: in the
United Kingdom or Canada, a document that contains the government’s policy
proposals that are to be discussed in Parliament.
See also
white paper[1]



GreenParty

GreenParty
Green
Par·ty
noun

U.K. environmentalist
political party: a British political
party formed in 1985 whose primary policy is the protection of the environment[1]



Greenpeace

Greenpeace
Green·peace
[grn pss] noun

environmentalist pressure
group: an international
organization that advocates the protection of the environment and takes
nonviolent action to achieve its goals[1]



greenpepper

greenpepper
green
pep·per
(plural green pep·pers) noun

unripe sweet pepper:
an unripe sweet pepper eaten raw or cooked. Latin name: Capsicum annuum
See also
red pepper
See also
bell pepper[1]



greenplover

greenplover
green
plov·er
noun

BIRDS
See lapwing[1]



greenrevolution

greenrevolution
green
rev·o·lu·tion (plural green rev·o·lu·tions)
noun

introduction of modern
farming techniques: the
introduction of modern farming techniques and higher yielding, more
pest-resistant varieties of crops in order to significantly increase crop
production[1]



greenroom

greenroom
green·room 
[grn rm, grn
rm] (plural green·rooms) noun

performers’ lounge:
a room in a studio, theater, or concert hall where performers may relax before
or after a performance or appearance[1]



greens

greens
greens
[greenz] plural noun

1.  vegetables
with green leaves and stems: vegetables with green leaves
and stems, for example, cabbage and spinach

2.  decorative
greenery:
green foliage used for decoration.
U.K.
term
green  adjective 7

3.  green-colored
clothing:
green clothing, for example, Army uniforms or operating room scrubs (informal)

[1]



greensand

greensand
green·sand 
[grn sànd] noun

dark green sandstone:
sandstone flecked with the dark green clay mineral glauconite[1]



Greensboro

Greensboro
Greens·bor·o 
[grnz bùrə, grnz
bùrō]

city in northern North
Carolina, the site of the University of North Carolina. Population: 196,167
(1994)[1]



greenshank

greenshank
green·shank 
[grn shàngk] (plural green·shanks
or green·shank) noun

large long-legged sandpiper:
a large sandpiper of Europe and Asia with long greenish legs. Latin name: Tringa
nebularia[1]



greensickness

greensickness
green·sick·ness 
[grn sìknəss] noun

See
chlorosis  noun 2
—green·sick, adjective[1]



greenskeeper

greenskeeper
greens·keep·er 
[grnz kpər] (plural greens·keep·ers)
noun

somebody who tends golf
course: somebody employed to
maintain a golf course or bowling green.
U.K. term
green keeper[1]



greensnake

greensnake
green
snake
(plural green snakes) noun

N American snake:
a North American snake that is yellow-green in color and feeds on insects,
especially grasshoppers. Genus: Opheodryas[1]



greenstickfracture

greenstickfracture
green·stick
frac·ture 
[grn stik fràkchər] (plural green·stick
frac·tures) noun

bone
fracture:
a bone fracture usually occurring in children, in which one side of the bone is
broken and the other side is bent
[Greenstick from green “immature” + stick
because it resembles a stick][1]



greenstone

greenstone
green·stone 
[grn stn] noun GEOLOGY

1.  green
igneous rock: a green igneous rock containing the
minerals feldspar and hornblende

2.  rock
similar to jade: a rock that includes material similar to
jade and was used in antiquity to fabricate decorative objects such as
ceremonial axes

[1]



greenstrip

greenstrip
green·strip 
[grn strìp] noun

firebreak of living
vegetation: a firebreak on open
grassland, planted with vegetation that does not burn easily[1]



greensward

greensward
green·sward 
[grn swàwrd] (plural green·swards)
noun

grassy ground:
a grass-covered piece of ground, or an area of turf (archaic or literary)[1]



greentailing

greentailing
green·tail·ing 
[grn tàyling] noun

retailing
of environmentally friendly products:
environmentally responsible retailing that involves the sale of products with
the least impact on the environment or that increases the ecological awareness
of the consumer (informal)
[Coined from green + tailing from retail][1]



greentea

greentea
green
tea
(plural green teas) noun

unfermented tea leaves:
tea made from leaves that have been dried but not fermented, and that is pale
green in color.
See also
black tea[1]



greenthumb

greenthumb
green
thumb
noun

gardening skill:
a natural ability to make plants grow well.
U.K. term
green fingers[1]



greenturtle

greenturtle
green
tur·tle
(plural green tur·tles) noun

large
sea turtle:
a large marine turtle of warm waters, sometimes killed for food. It comes to
land only to bask, sleep, and lay eggs. Latin name: Chelonia mydas
[From its green shell][1]



Greenville

Greenville
Green·ville 
[grnvil]

industrial city on the Reedy
River in northwestern South Carolina, on the Piedmont Plateau. Population:
57,064 (1996)[1]



greenvitriol

greenvitriol
green
vit·ri·ol
noun

See
ferrous sulfate[1]



greenway

greenway
green·way 
[grn wày] (plural green·ways)
noun

undeveloped land close to
urban area: a stretch of undeveloped
land close to an urban area that is kept for recreational use[1]



Greenwich

Greenwich
Green·wich
[grénnich, grénnij]

1.  borough
of London, England, on the southern bank of the Thames River. It is the site of
the prime meridian, which passes through the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Population: 211,410 (1995)

2.  fashionable
residential community and resort town in southwestern Connecticut, on Long
Island Sound near the border with New York State. Population: 58,441 (1990)

[1]



GreenwichMean Time

GreenwichMean Time
Green·wich
Mean Time
[grìnnij mn tm] or Green·wich
Time [grìnnij mn tm] noun

base for international time
zones: the time in a zone that
includes the 0º meridian of Greenwich, London, England, used internationally as
the main standard from which the time in other zones is calculated.
Also called
universal time[1]



GreenwichVillage

GreenwichVillage
Green·wich
Vil·lage 
[grènnich víllij, grìnnich
víllij] noun

area in Manhattan:
a residential area in lower Manhattan, once popular with bohemians, artists,
and writers and now a tourist attraction[1]



greenwood

greenwood
green·wood 
[grn wd] (plural green·woods)
noun

forest when leaves are green:
a forest or woods in the summer when the leaves are green. It is the
traditional location for stories about outlaws such as Robin Hood. (archaic)[1]



Greenwood

Greenwood
Green·wood 
[grnwd]

city and county seat of
Greenwood County in western South Carolina, northwest of Columbia. Population:
20,807 (1990)[1]



greenwoodpecker

greenwoodpecker
green
wood·peck·er noun

large European woodpecker:
a large European woodpecker with green feathers and a red crown, often found
feeding on the ground. Latin name: Picus viridis[1]



Greer,Germaine

Greer,Germaine

Greer
[greer], Germaine (1939– )
Australian writer and feminist. She
launched her career as a passionate advocate of women’s empowerment with her
first book, The Female Eunuch ( 1970 ).[1]



greet

greet
greet 
[greet] (past greet·ed, past
participle greet·ed, present participle greet·ing, 3rd
person present singular greets) transitive verb

1.  welcome
somebody:
to welcome somebody in a cordial and usually conventional way

2.  address
somebody courteously: to address somebody in a
polite and usually conventional way on meeting

3.  address
somebody in a letter: to address a person or group
at the start of a letter using a set formula

4.  reply
to something: to receive or respond to something in a
particular way • the news was greeted
with dismay

5.  become
noticeable:
to become perceptible to somebody, especially by way of the senses such as
vision, hearing, or smell • The
smell of a cake baking greeted them.
[Old English gretan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word meaning “to resound.”][1]



greeter

greeter
greet·er
[grter, grtər]
noun

somebody who greets
customers: somebody employed to greet
customers in a restaurant or similar business[1]



greeting

greeting
greet·ing 
[grting] noun (plural greet·ings)

1.  friendly
gesture:
a cordial and often conventional gesture or expression used when welcoming,
meeting, or addressing somebody

2.  welcoming
somebody:
an act of welcoming or addressing somebody with a greeting
plural
noun

message: a
friendly message or good wishes
[Old English grēting][1]



greetingcard

greetingcard
greet·ing
card
(plural greet·ing cards) noun

decorated card used to send
greetings: a folded piece of heavy
paper with an image or design and a message to somebody to mark a special
occasion[1]



greetingscard

greetingscard
greet·ings
card
(plural greet·ings cards) noun

U.K. =
greeting card[1]



gregarine

gregarine
greg·a·rine 
[gréggə rn] noun (plural greg·a·rines)

parasitic
protozoan:
a protozoan that lives as a parasite in the digestive tracts of some insects,
arthropods, annelids, and other invertebrates. Order: Gregarinida
adjective
greg·a·rine greg·a·rin·i·an

of
gregarine protozoans: relating to or belonging to
the order that comprises the gregarines
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Gregarina, genus name, from Latin gregarius
(see gregarious ).][1]



gregarious

gregarious
gre·gar·i·ous 
[grə gáiree əss] adjective

1.  friendly:
very friendly and sociable

2.  ZOOLOGY living
communally:
used to describe organisms that live in groups

3.  PLANTS growing
together:
used to describe plants that grow in clusters
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin gregarius, from grex “flock.”]
—gre·gar·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—gre·gar·i·ous·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word grex from which gregarious
  is derived is also the source of English aggregate,
  congregation, and egregious.

[1]



Gregoriancalendar

Gregoriancalendar
Gre·go·ri·an
cal·en·dar 
[gri gàwree ən kálləndər] noun

calendar introduced in 1582:
the calendar introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII that is still in use and
is a modification of the previous Roman calendar.
See also
Julian calendar
See also
Hegira calendar[1]



Gregorianchant

Gregorianchant
Gre·go·rian
chant
(plural Gre·go·rian chants) noun

unaccompanied
chant:
a liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church that is sung without
accompaniment
[From its supposedly having
been introduced by Pope Gregory I][1]



Gregoriantelescope

Gregoriantelescope
Gre·go·ri·an
tel·e·scope
(plural Gre·go·ri·an tel·e·scopes) noun

astronomical
telescope:
an astronomical telescope that has a concave primary mirror with a central hole
through which light is reflected from a smaller secondary concave mirror
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the Scottish mathematician J. Gregory (1638–1675) who invented it.][1]



greisen

greisen
grei·sen 
[grz’n] noun

rock
composed of quartz and mica: a granite-derived rock
consisting of mica and quartz
[Late 19th century. From
German, probably formed from greis “gray with age.”][1]



gremlin

gremlin
grem·lin 
[grémmlin] (plural grem·lins) noun

imaginary
creature that damages machinery: a tiny imaginary
mischievous creature that is blamed for faults in tools, machinery, and
electronic equipment (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably modeled on goblin, first
used by air force personnel in World War II.][1]



Grenada

Grenada



Gre·na·da 
[gri náydə]
independent
state in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, comprising the island of Grenada and
some of the southern Grenadines. Language: English. Currency: East Caribbean
dollar. Capital: St. George’s. Population: 95,535 (1997) Area: 344 sq km/133 sq
mi.
—Gre·na·di·an [grə náydee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Grenada




Back to definition

Grenada

[1]



grenade

grenade
gre·nade 
[grə náyd] (plural gre·nades) noun

1.  hand-thrown
bomb:
a small bomb that is thrown by hand or shot from a rifle or other weapon

2.  sealed
glass projectile: a sealed glass projectile that breaks on
impact, releasing tear gas or chemicals to put out fires
[Mid-16th century. From
French, an alteration of grenate “pomegranate” (influenced by Spanish granada
), from pome grenate . The powder capsules in a grenade were thought to
resemble the seeds in the fruit.][1]



Grenadier

Grenadier
Gren·a·dier
(plural Gren·a·diers) or Gren·a·dier guard (plural
Gren·a·dier guards) noun

soldier in Guards:
a British soldier belonging to the first regiment of the Guards Division, the
troops of the Royal Household[1]



grenadier

grenadier
gren·a·dier 
[grènnə dr] (plural gren·a·diers
or gren·a·dier) noun

1.  grenade-carrying
soldier:
formerly, a soldier armed with grenades

2.  tall
strong soldier: formerly, a soldier assigned to a
special company of a regiment on the basis of exceptional height and ability

3.  ZOOLOGY bottom-dwelling
fish:
a bottom-dwelling marine fish with a tapering body and no tail fin. Family:
Macrouridae
Also
called
rat-tail

4.  BIRDS East
African finch: an East African finch with purple
patches, a red beak, and a tapering tail. Latin name: Uraeginthus
ianthinogaster

5.  BIRDS African
weaverbird:
an African weaverbird with a black head and bright red plumage on its crown and
back. Latin name: Euplectes orix
[Late 17th century. Formed
from grenade .][1]



grenadine

grenadine2
gren·a·dine2  [grènnə
dn, grénnə dn] noun

dress
fabric:
a dress fabric of silk or wool woven like gauze
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “silk having a texture like grain,” from, ultimately, grain (see
grain ).][1]



grenadine

grenadine1
gren·a·dine1  [grènnə
dn, grénnə dn] noun

1.  pomegranate
syrup:
a syrup made from pomegranates, used especially in cocktails

2.  red-orange:
a reddish-orange color
adjective

red-orange: of a
reddish-orange color
[Late 19th century. From
French ( sirop de ) grenadine, from grenade (see grenade ).][1]



Grenoble

Grenoble
Gre·no·ble 
[gri nṓb’l, grə
nóbb’l]

industrial city and capital
of Isère Department, in the Rhône-Alpes Region, southeastern France.
Population: 150,758 (1990)[1]



Gresham’slaw

Gresham’slaw
Gresh·am’s
law 
[gréshəmz làw] or Gresh·am’s
the·o·rem [gréshəmz làw] noun

theory
that bad money replaces good: the theory that bad money
drives good money out of circulation because a currency of lower intrinsic
value will be used while one of higher intrinsic value will be hoarded
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Sir Thomas Gresham (1519?-1579), the founder of the Royal Exchange in London,
England, sub-financial advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.][1]



Gretna

Gretna
Gret·na 
[grétnə]

city in the southeastern
corner of Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Population:
16,862 (1996)[1]



Gretzky,Wayne

Gretzky,Wayne
Gret·zky
[grétskee], Wayne (1961– )

Canadian
ice hockey player. He led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup
championships. He was named the NHL’s most valuable player nine times and
became the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Known as
the Great One[1]



grew

grew
grew


Past tense of
grow[1]



grey

grey
grey 
adjective noun intransitive and transitive verb

See
gray[1]



Grey,Albert Henry George

Grey,Albert Henry George
Grey
[gray], Albert Henry George, 4th Earl
(1851–1917)

British colonial
administrator. He was governor-general of Canada (1904–1911).[1]



greyhound

greyhound

grey·hound 
[gráy hòwnd] (plural grey·hounds)
noun
slim
fast dog:
a tall slim fast-running dog with a smooth coat, narrow head, and long legs,
widely used for racing
[Old English grīghund
. Grey- ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of Old Norse grey “bitch.”][1]



Grey,Lady Jane

Grey,Lady Jane
Grey
[gray], Lady Jane, Queen of England
(1537–1554)

The great-granddaughter of
Henry VII, she was named as the successor of Edward VI in 1553. She ruled for
only nine days before being forced to abdicate, and was executed for treason.[1]



greymail

greymail
grey·mail
[gráy mayl] noun

U.K. =
graymail[1]



Greymouth

Greymouth
Grey·mouth
[gráyməth]

town on the western coast of
the South Island, New Zealand. A former gold-mining town, it is now the
commercial center of a mining and industrial region. Population: 10,191 (1996)[1]



Grey,Zane

Grey,Zane
Grey
[gray], Zane (1872–1939)

U.S.
writer. His dozens of popular "dime novels", including Riders of
the Purple Sage ( 1912 ), helped define the Western as a literary genre.
Full name
Grey, Pearl Zane[1]



gribble

gribble
grib·ble 
[gríbb’l] (plural grib·bles) noun

wood-boring
crustacean:
a small marine crustacean of the wood louse family that burrows into submerged
wooden structures. Genus: Limnoria
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



grid

grid
grid 
[grid] (plural grids) noun

1.  MAPS reference
lines on a map: a network of evenly spaced horizontal
and vertical lines on a map, used as a basis for finding specific points

2.  adjacent
squares:
a network of squares formed by horizontal and vertical lines

3.  grating
made of bars: a set of parallel or crisscrossing bars
that form a grating

4.  UTILITIES network:
a network of cables, lines, or pipes for distributing electricity, gas, or
water • the
Northeast power grid

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING control
electrode:
the part of a vacuum tube that controls the flow of current between the other
electrodes, usually constructed as a metal screen or coil.
Also
called
control grid

6.  MOTOR SPORTS See starting grid

7.  FOOTBALL See gridiron  noun 3
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening of gridiron .]
—grid·ded, adjective[1]



gridbias

gridbias
grid
bi·as
noun

voltage between control
electrode and cathode: a fixed
voltage applied between the control electrode and the cathode in a vacuum tube[1]



gridder

gridder
grid·der 
[gríddər] (plural grid·ders) noun

football
player:
a football player (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from grid .][1]



griddle

griddle
grid·dle 
[grídd’l] noun (plural grid·dles)

heated
cooking surface: a heavy flat metal plate heated and used
for cooking food
transitive
verb
(past grid·dled, past participle grid·dled, present
participle grid·dling, 3rd person present singular grid·dles)

cook
something on a griddle: to cook something on a flat
hot surface
[Pre-12th century. From Old
French gredil “gridiron,” from, ultimately, Latin cratis
“crate.”][1]



gridiron

gridiron
grid·i·ron 
[gríd rn] (plural grid·i·rons)
noun

1.  See
grill 1 noun 2

2.  grating:
a structure consisting of parallel bars

3.  FOOTBALL football
field:
a field marked with parallel white lines, on which football is played.
Also
called
grid

4.  FOOTBALL football:
the game of football (informal)

5.  THEATER structure
above a theater stage: a structure of beams or bars
above a theater stage from which lighting and scenery are suspended
[13th century. Alteration of griddle, by association with iron .][1]



gridlock

gridlock
grid·lock 
[gríd lòk] noun

1.  traffic
jam:
a traffic jam in which congestion at one or two intersections affects a wide
area so that traffic is unable to move in any direction

2.  deadlock:
a situation in which no progress can be made
—grid·locked, adjective[1]



gridreference

gridreference
grid
ref·er·ence
(plural grid ref·er·enc·es) noun

specification of position on
a map: a reference, usually using
numbers or letters, that specifies a position on a map or chart by referring to
the superimposed grid[1]



grief

grief
grief 
[greef] (plural griefs) noun

1.  intense
sorrow:
great sadness, especially as a result of a death

2.  cause
of intense sorrow: the cause of intense, deep,
and profound sorrow, especially a specific event or situation

3.  trouble:
annoyance or trouble (informal)
[Pre-12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman gref from Old French grief “grieved,”
from grever (see grieve ).]
come
to grief

to
suffer misfortune or ruin

good
grief!

used to express surprise,
exasperation, or dismay (dated informal)[1]



grief-stricken

grief-stricken
grief-strick·en
adjective

extremely sad:
deeply affected by sadness[1]



Grieg,Edvard

Grieg,Edvard
Grieg
[greeg], Edvard (1843–1907)

Norwegian
composer. His work was permeated by the melodies and harmonies of Norwegian
folk music. He was a noted composer of songs, and wrote the music to Henrik
Ibsen’s Peer Gynt ( 1875 ).
Full name
Grieg, Edvard Hagerup[1]



grievance

grievance
griev·ance 
[grvənss] (plural griev·ances)
noun

1.  something
thought reason enough to complain: a cause for complaint
or resentment that may or may not be well-founded

2.  resentment:
bitterness or anger at having received unfair treatment

3.  formal
objection:
a formal complaint made on the basis of something that somebody feels is unfair

[1]



grievancecommittee

grievancecommittee
griev·ance
com·mit·tee
(plural griev·ance com·mit·tees) noun

group to settle workers’
complaints: a committee in the workplace
formed by management and employees to resolve workers’ grievances[1]



grieve

grieve
grieve 
[greev] (past grieved, past
participle grieved, present participle griev·ing, 3rd
person present singular grieves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
intense sorrow: to experience great sadness, for
example, at a death

2.  transitive
verb
make
sad:
to cause great sadness to somebody
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French grever “to burden” from Latin gravare,
from gravis “heavy, grave” (source of English gravity ).]
—griev·er, noun[1]



grievous

grievous
griev·ous 
[grvəss] adjective

1.  very
serious:
extremely serious or significant

2.  severe:
very bad or severe
—griev·ous·ly,
adverb

—griev·ous·ness, noun[1]



Griffin

Griffin
Grif·fin 
[gríffin]

city and county seat of
Spalding County, central Georgia, situated 68 km42 mi southeast of Atlanta.
Population: 21,347 (1990)[1]



griffin

griffin

grif·fin 
[gríffin] (plural grif·fins) or
grif·fon [gríffin] (plural grif·fons)
or gryph·on [gríffin] (plural
gryph·ons) noun
monster
part eagle and part lion: a mythical monster with the
head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion
[13th century. Via Old French
grifoun from Latin gryphus, from Greek grups .][1]



Griffith,D. W.

Griffith,D. W.
Grif·fith 
[gríffith], D. W. (1875–1948)

U.S.
movie director. He originated many now-standard cinematic techniques, including
the close-up, fade-out, and flashback. Notable films include The Birth of a
Nation ( 1915 ) and Intolerance ( 1916 ).
Full name
Griffith, David Lewelyn Wark[1]



GriffithJoyner, Florence

GriffithJoyner, Florence
Grif·fith
Joy·ner
[grìffith jóynər], Florence (1959–1998)

U.S.
athlete. A sprinter, she was an Olympic gold and silver medallist who was also
known for her eye-catching running clothes.
Born
Griffith, Delorez Florence Known as Flojo[1]



Griffith,Melanie

Griffith,Melanie
Grif·fith 
[gríffith], Melanie (1957– )

U.S. movie actor. She made
her mark in such films as Something Wild ( 1986 ) and Working Girl
( 1988 ).[1]



griffon

griffon
grif·fon 
[gríffən] (plural grif·fons) noun

1.  small
dog:
a small dog like a terrier belonging to a breed with wiry hair and a short
muzzle

2.  MYTHOLOGY See griffin
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Old French grifoun (see griffin
).][1]



griffonvulture

griffonvulture
grif·fon
vul·ture
(plural grif·fon vul·tures) noun

vulture with dark wings and
tail: a large light-colored
vulture with dark wing and tail feathers, found in southern Europe, North
Africa, and the Middle East. Genus: Gyps[1]



grift

grift
grift 
[grift] noun (plural grifts)
(informal)

1.  fraud:
a swindle or confidence game

2.  proceeds
from fraud:
money made from a swindle or confidence game
intransitive
and transitive verb (past grift·ed,
past participle grift·ed, present participle grift·ing,
3rd person present singular grifts)

swindle somebody:
to carry out a swindle or obtain something by swindling (informal)
[Early
20th. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of graft .]
—grift·er, noun[1]



grigri

grigri
gri·gri 
[gr gree] (plural gri·gris [gr gree]) or gree·gree [gr gree] (plural gree·grees) or
gris-gris [gr gree] (plural gris-gris)
noun

magical
object:
an African talisman or fetish
[Late 18th century. Via
American Spanish from Caribbean grugru “palm.”][1]



grill

grill2
grill2  (plural grills)
noun

See
grille[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








grill

grill1
grill1  [gril]
verb (past grilled, past participle grilled,
present participle grill·ing, 3rd person present singular grills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cook
over direct heat: to cook food or be cooked by direct heat

2.  transitive
verb
interrogate:
to interrogate or cross-examine somebody in a persistent manner (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb subject
to great heat: to subject somebody or something or be
subjected to great heat, especially from the sun

4.  transitive
verb
mark
something using gridiron: to mark a gridiron pattern
on something
noun
(plural grills)

1.  U.K.
See broiler

2.  plate
for grill ing: flat plate made of parallel metal bars
used for grill ing.
Also
called
gridiron

3.  INDUSTRY gridiron
pattern:
a pattern made on a surface by a grill or gridiron

4.  FOOD food
cooked on grill: a dish or portion of food cooked on a
grill

5.  COOKING restaurant
serving grilled food: an establishment that serves
food cooked on a grill.
Also
called
grillroom
[Mid-17th
century. From French griller, from grille (see grille ).]
—grill·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at question

[1]



grillage

grillage
gril·lage 
[gríllij] (plural gril·lages) noun

framework of beams:
a framework of beams and crossbeams built as a foundation for a building on
soft ground[1]



grille

grille
grille
[gril] (plural grilles) or
grill [gril] (plural grills)
noun

1.  BUILDING crisscrossed
bars:
a pattern or lattice of bars, especially in front of a window.
Also
called
grillwork

2.  AUTOMOTIVE part
of cooling system: a metal grating that allows
cooling air into the radiator of a vehicle’s engine

3.  TENNIS court
tennis wall opening: in court tennis, the opening
in one corner of an end wall of the court
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Old French graille, from, ultimately, Latin cratis
“grating, hurdle.”]
—grilled, adjective[1]



grillroom

grillroom
grill·room 
[gríl rm, gríl
rm] (plural grill·rooms) noun

See
grill 1 noun
5[1]



grillwork

grillwork
grill·work 
[gríl wùrk] noun

See
grille  noun 1[1]



grilse

grilse
grilse 
[grils] (plural grils·es or
grilse) noun

young
salmon:
a salmon the first time it returns from the sea
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



grim

grim
grim 
[grim] (comparative grim·mer, superlative
grim·mest) adjective

1.  depressing:
depressingly gloomy • a grim
economic forecast

2.  forbidding:
forbidding and unattractive in appearance • a
grim mining town of Great Depression times

3.  sternly
serious:
stern in a frightening and unnerving way • a
grim, set look on his face

4.  unpleasant:
extremely unpleasant, distressing, or sinister • a
grim accident scene

5.  ironic:
disquietingly ironic • a grim
reminder of humankind’s penchant for folly
[Old
English . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English grumble and Spanish grima
“fright” (source of English grimace
).]
—grim·ly,
adverb

—grim·ness, noun[1]



grimace

grimace
grim·ace 
[grímməss, gri
máyss] noun (plural grim·ac·es)

expression
on face:
contorted twisting of the face that expresses disgust or pain
intransitive
verb
(past grim·aced, past participle grim·aced, present
participle grim·ac·ing, 3rd person present singular grim·ac·es)

make
a grimace:
to twist the face in a grimace
[Mid-17th
century. Via French grimache from Spanish grimazo “caricature,”
from grima (see grim ).]
—grim·ac·er,
noun

—gri·mac·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Grimaldi

Grimaldi
Grim·al·di
[gri máwldee] noun

ASTRONOMY
dark area on Moon:
a very large, dark-floored enclosure near the western edge of the moon,
approximately 220 km/135 mi in diameter[1]



grimalkin

grimalkin
gri·mal·kin 
[gri máwlkin, gri
málkin] (plural gri·mal·kins) noun

old
cat:
an old female cat
[Late 16th century. From gray + obsolete malkin “cat” (from a pet
form of the female names Maud or Matilda ).][1]



grime

grime
grime 
[grīm] noun

accumulated
dirt:
dirt or soot, usually accumulated in a black layer or ingrained into a surface
transitive
verb
(past grimed, past participle grimed, present
participle grim·ing, 3rd person present singular grimes)

cover
with grime:
to coat something with dirt or soot
[13th century. From Middle
Low German greme .][1]



Grimké,Angelina Emily

Grimké,Angelina Emily
Grim·ké
[grímkee], Angelina Emily (1805–1879)

U.S. abolitionist and
reformer. She was a leading abolitionist and women’s rights campaigner whose
works include the antislavery tract Appeal to the Christian Women of the
South ( 1836 ). Sarah Moore Grimké was her sister.[1]



Grimké,Sarah Moore

Grimké,Sarah Moore
Grim·ké
[grímkee], Sarah Moore (1792–1873)

U.S. abolitionist and
reformer. The sister of Angelina Emily Grimké, she lectured and wrote in
support of women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.[1]



Grimm,Jakob

Grimm,Jakob
Grimm
[grim], Jakob (1785–1863)

German
philologist and folklorist. He was the founder of comparative linguistics, and
formulated Grimm’s Law. In collaboration with his brother, Wilhelm Karl Grimm (
1786–1859 ), he collected old German folk tales and published them in
collections now known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales ( 1812–1822 ).
Full name
Grimm, Jakob Ludwig Karl[1]



GrimReaper

GrimReaper
Grim
Reap·er
noun

death personified:
a personification of death, shown as a cloaked man or skeleton holding a scythe[1]



grimy

grimy
grim·y 
[grmee] (comparative grim·i·er,
superlative grim·i·est) adjective

covered
with grime:
heavily soiled, usually with dirt or soot
—grim·i·ly,
adverb

—grim·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dirty

[1]



grin

grin
grin 
[grin] intransitive verb (past
grinned, past participle grinned, present participle
grin·ning, 3rd person present singular grins)

smile
broadly:
to smile broadly, usually showing the teeth
noun
(plural grins)

broad
smile:
a broad smile that usually shows the teeth
[Old
English grennian “to bare your teeth.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to be open,” ancestor also of English groan
. The underlying idea is “opening the mouth.”]
—grin·ner,
noun
grin
and bear it

to tolerate something
unpleasant without complaining (informal)[1]



grinch

grinch
grinch 
[grinch] (plural grinch·es) noun

somebody
who ruins enjoyment: somebody grouchy and
contrary who spoils the fun of others (informal)
[Late 20th century. From the
character in the children’s story How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr.
Seuss (1957), pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel .][1]



grind

grind

grind 
[grīnd] verb (past ground,
past participle ground, present participle grind·ing,
3rd person present singular grinds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pulverize
something:
to crush something into very small pieces by rubbing it between two hard
surfaces, or to be crushed in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
rasping noise: to rub two surfaces together with a
grating noise or make a grating noise by rubbing things together • He
ground the gears every time he shifted.

3.  transitive
verb
push
down with twisting motion: to push something down
firmly or crush something on a surface with a twisting or rotating motion • ground
the cigarette out on the pavement

4.  transitive
verb
chop
into tiny pieces: to chop food, especially meat, into tiny
pieces, using a mechanical device.
U.K.
term
mince

5.  transitive
verb
smooth
or sharpen something: to make something smooth or
sharp by rubbing it against an abrasive surface

6.  intransitive
verb
move
noisily:
to move with a grating noise

7.  transitive
verb
turn
a handle to run something: to operate something such as
a barrel organ by turning its handle

8.  intransitive
verb
labor
at something: to study or work hard, especially too
hard (informal)

9.  intransitive
verb
dance
erotically:
to dance erotically with a circling of the hips (informal)
noun (plural
grinds)

1.  something
boring and repetitive: something that is routine,
dull, and tedious (informal)

2.  grinding:
an act of grinding

3.  grinding
noise:
a grating noise like that of something grinding

4.  texture:
the texture of something that is ground

5.  hard
worker:
somebody who works or studies too hard (informal)

6.  erotic
dance movement: an erotic circling and thrusting of the
hips in dancing (informal)
[Old English grindan][1]



grinddown

grinddown
grind
down
transitive verb

oppress somebody:
to weaken somebody gradually by persistent oppression[1]



grinder

grinder
grind·er 
[grndər] (plural grind·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that grinds: somebody or something that
grinds something • a coffee grinder

2.  tooth:
a molar tooth

3.  New
England
large
sandwich:
a sandwich with a filling of meat or seafood, chopped raw vegetables, cheese,
and dressing, served on a long roll
[Old English grindere
. Originally, “somebody who grinds anything in a mill.”][1]



grinding

grinding
grind·ing
[grnding] adjective

1.  oppressive:
oppressive and relentless • grinding
poverty

2.  gratingly
noisy:
characterized by a grating sound
—grind·ing·ly, adverb[1]



grindon

grindon
grind
on
intransitive verb

continue:
to continue in an unrelenting way[1]



grindout

grindout
grind
out
transitive verb

1.  do
something by rote: to perform or produce
something mechanically as a result of boredom or excessive familiarity with the
process

2.  say
with rough voice: to say something with a rough or grating
voice

3.  put
something out by crushing: to extinguish something by
crushing it on a surface with a twisting motion

[1]



grindstone

grindstone
grind·stone 
[grnd stn] (plural grind·stones)
noun

1.  stone
wheel for sharpening: an abrasive wheel that
sharpens or polishes something

2.  stone
for sharpening: any stone used for sharpening or
polishing something

3.  See
millstone
keep
or put your nose to the grindstone

to keep working hard without
taking a break[1]



gringo

gringo
grin·go 
[gríng gō] (plural grin·gos) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term in Spain and Latin America for an English-speaking foreigner
(slang offensive)
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, “foreigner.”][1]



grinnie

grinnie
grin·nie
(plural grin·nies) noun (regional)

1.  chipmunk:
a chipmunk

2.  ground
squirrel:
a ground squirrel
[Of unknown origin][1]



griot

griot
gri·ot 
[gr , gree ót]
noun

professional
oral historian: a member of a caste of professional oral
historians in the Mali Empire
[Early 19th century. From
French .][1]



grip

grip
grip
[grip] noun (plural grips)

1.  grasping
or holding action: an act of taking or keeping
a firm hold of something

2.  manner
of holding:
the way that somebody holds something • a
firm grip.

Also
called
handgrip

3.  grasp:
a grasp or hold of something

4.  See
handgrip  noun 2

5.  See
handgrip  noun 3

6.  holding
device:
any device for holding something firmly

7.  ability
not to slip: the ability of something to adhere to a
surface without slipping

8.  control:
power over somebody or something • The
dictator had millions of lives in his grip.

9.  comprehension:
a proper understanding of something

10. small
suitcase:
a bag or small holdall.
Also
called
handgrip

11. CINEMA TV member of film crew:
a stagehand on a movie or television set who moves equipment

12. THEATER stagehand:
somebody who moves sets and props in a theater
verb
(past gripped, past participle gripped, present
participle grip·ping, 3rd person present singular grips)

1.  transitive
verb
grasp
something firmly: to take or keep a firm hold of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stick
to something: to adhere to a surface without slipping

3.  transitive
verb
take
charge of somebody or something: to take control of
somebody or something • I was
gripped by a sudden, awful realization

4.  transitive
verb
capture
interest:
to capture somebody’s interest, imagination, or attention • a
performance that gripped the audience
[Partly
from Old English gripe “grasp” and partly from Old English gripa
“handful,” both ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base]
—grip·per,
noun
come
to grips with something

to
begin to understand and deal with something

lose
your grip

to
stop being as effective or as much in control as formerly  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



gripe

gripe
gripe 
[grīp] verb (past griped,
past participle griped, present participle grip·ing,
3rd person present singular gripes)

1.  intransitive
verb
grumble
constantly:
to complain continually and irritatingly (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
or cause stomach pains: to experience or cause
somebody to suffer severe stomach pains (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
annoy
somebody:
to irritate somebody intensely (slang) • It
really gripes me when you do something selfish like that.
noun
(plural gripes)

minor complaint:
a minor but irritating grievance (informal)
[Old
English grīpan “to seize.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
that was also the ancestor of English grip
and grope . The sense “to complain”
probably evolved from “to cause stomach pain.”]
—grip·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



griping

griping
grip·ing
[grping] adjective

sudden
and intense: sudden, sharp, and intense (refers to
stomach pain)
—grip·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gripman

gripman
grip·man
[grípmən, gríp
màn] (plural grip·men [grípmən,
gríp mèn]) noun

operator of cable car grip:
a cable car operator who starts or stops the car by releasing or engaging a
gripping device on the moving cable[1]



grippe

grippe
grippe
[grip] or grip [grip] noun

flu:
influenza (archaic)
[Late
18th century. From French, literally “seizure.”]
—grip·py, adjective[1]



gripping

gripping
grip·ping
[grípping] adjective

intensely interesting:
holding the interest and attention completely[1]



grisaille

grisaille
gri·saille 
[gri z, gri
záyl] (plural gri·sailles) noun

1.  painting
technique:
a method of painting that uses shades of gray

2.  work
in grisaille style: a work of art produced by
the grisaille method
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from gris “gray.”][1]



griseofulvin

griseofulvin
gris·e·o·ful·vin
[grìzzee ō flvin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic used to treat external fungal infections, obtained from a fungus Penicillium
griseofulvum
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin griseofulvum, species name (from medieval Latin griseus
“gray” + Latin fulvus “reddish-yellow”) + -in
.][1]



grisette

grisette
gri·sette 
[gri zét] (plural gri·settes) noun

young
French woman: formerly, a young working-class French
woman
[Early 18th century. From
French, from gris “gray.”][1]



gris-gris

gris-gris
gris-gris 
noun

See
grigri[1]



Grisham,John

Grisham,John
Grish·am
[gríshəm], John (1955– )

U.S. writer. His bestselling
legal thrillers include The Firm ( 1991 ).[1]



Gris,Juan

Gris,Juan
Gris
[greess], Juan (1887–1927)

Spanish-born
French artist. After 1906 he lived in Paris, where he was much influenced by
cubism. In addition to paintings and collages, he designed sets for Diaghilev’s
ballets.
Real name
González, José Vittoriano[1]



grisly

grisly
gris·ly 
[grízzlee] (comparative gris·li·er,
superlative gris·li·est) adjective

repugnant
or horrible: gruesomely unpleasant or creating a
sense of horror
[12th
century. Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic base denoting “terror,”
which was also the ancestor of Old English āgrīsan “to terrify.”]
—gris·li·ness, noun[1]



grison

grison
gri·son 
[grss’n, grízz’n]
(plural gri·sons or gri·son) noun

S
American weasel: a South American weasel that has
striking gray, white, and black markings, and is sometimes used to hunt
chinchillas. There are two species. Latin name: Galictis vittata Galictis
cuja
[Late 18th century. From
French, from gris “gray.”][1]



grist

grist
grist 
[grist] (plural grists) noun

1.  grain
ground into flour: grain that is ground into
flour

2.  grain
produced at one grinding: the quantity of grain that
is ground in one batch
[Old
English . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that was also the
ancestor of English grind .]
grist
for the mill

or
grist for somebody’s milla potential source of advantage or profit to
somebody[1]



gristle

gristle
gris·tle 
[gríss’l] noun

inedible
part of meat: tough cartilage, especially in meat
prepared for eating
[Old English, of unknown
origin][1]



gristly

gristly
gris·tly 
[grísslee] (comparative gris·tli·er,
superlative gris·tli·est) adjective

of
or like gristle: consisting of, containing, or resembling
gristle
—gris·tli·ness, noun[1]



gristmill

gristmill
grist·mill 
[gríst mìl] (plural grist·mills)
noun

mill for grinding grain:
a mill where grain or corn is ground[1]



grit

grit
grit 
[grit] noun (plural grits)

1.  sand
or stone grains: small pieces of sand or stone

2.  texture
of grains:
the texture of stone used for grinding

3.  particle
size:
a measure of the size of particles • coarse
grit

4.  firmness
of character: determination or strength of character
transitive
verb
(past grit·ted, past participle grit·ted, present
participle grit·ting, 3rd person present singular grits)

1.  clench
teeth:
to clench the teeth, especially when under stress

2.  U.K.
cover
with grit:
to cover something with grit, especially an icy road
[Old English grēot .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English groats “husked grain.”][1]



grits

grits
grits 
[grits] plural noun

1.  coarsely
ground corn: coarsely ground hulled corn that is
boiled and eaten hot with butter, especially at breakfast in the southern
United States (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  grain
with husks removed: grain that has had its husks
removed or been coarsely ground
[Late 16th century. Plural of
obsolete grit “chaff,” from Old English grytta “coarse meal.”][1]



gritty

gritty
grit·ty 
[gríttee] (comparative grit·ti·er,
superlative grit·ti·est) adjective

1.  resolute:
courageous, resolute, or persistent

2.  realistic:
having a stark realism

3.  like
or with grit: resembling, containing, or covered with
grit
—grit·ti·ly,
adverb

—grit·ti·ness, noun[1]



grizzle

grizzle
griz·zle 
[grízz’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past griz·zled, past participle griz·zled,
present participle griz·zling, 3rd person present singular
griz·zles)

become or make gray:
to make something gray, or become gray
noun
(plural griz·zles)

1.  COLORS gray:
a gray color

2.  gray
hair:
hair that is gray or streaked with gray

3.  gray
wig:
a gray-colored wig
[14th century. From Old
French grisel, from gris “gray.”][1]



grizzled

grizzled
griz·zled 
[grízz’ld] adjective

1.  streaked
with gray:
streaked with gray, especially with gray hair

2.  gray-haired:
having hair that is gray or streaked with gray

[1]



grizzlybear

grizzlybear
griz·zly
bear
[grízzlee] or griz·zly [grízzlee] noun

N American bear:
a variety of brown bear found in northwestern North America that has brown fur
tipped with white. Latin name: Ursus arctos horribilis
Also called
silvertip[1]



groan

groan

groan 
[grōn] noun (plural groans)

1.  mournful
sound:
a long low cry expressing pain or misery

2.  loud
creaking sound: a loud creaking sound of something
affected by pressure • the
ship’s timbers groaned and creaked

3.  grievance:
an aggrieved complaint (informal)
verb (past
groaned, past participle groaned, present participle
groan·ing, 3rd person present singular groans)

1.  intransitive
verb
moan:
to utter a moan

2.  transitive
verb
express
with groan:
to express something by means of a groan

3.  intransitive
verb
make
a loud creaking sound: to make a loud creaking
sound as a result of pressure

4.  intransitive
verb
complain:
to complain in an aggrieved way (informal)
[Old
English grānian . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be
open,” which is also the ancestor of English grin,
the underlying idea being “open-mouthed.”]
—groan·er,
noun

—groan·ing·ly, adverb[1]



groats

groats
groats 
[grōts] plural noun

crushed
or husked grain: grain, especially oats, that has been
crushed or has had the husks removed (takes a singular or plural verb)
[14th century. From Old
English grotan ; related to grit
.][1]



grocer

grocer
gro·cer 
[grṓssər] (plural gro·cers) noun

food
seller:
somebody who owns or runs a store selling food and other household goods
[13th century. Via Old French
grossier from medieval Latin grossarius “wholesale dealer,” from grossus
“large” (source of English gross ).][1]



grocery

grocery
gro·cer·y 
[grṓssəree] noun (plural gro·cer·ies)

1.  See
grocery store

2.  grocer’s
trade:
the trade or profession of a grocer
plural
noun
gro·cer·ies

food sold in grocery store:
goods, especially food, sold in a grocery store

[1]



grocerystore

grocerystore
gro·cer·y
store
(plural gro·cer·y stores) noun

store selling food and
household goods: a store that sells food
and other household goods.
Also called
grocer[1]



grody

grody
gro·dy
[grṓdee] (comparative gro·di·er,
superlative gro·di·est) adjective

very
distasteful: disgusting or extremely unpleasant (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Formed by
alteration from grotesque .][1]



Groening,Matt

Groening,Matt
Groen·ing
[grṓning], Matt (1954– )

U.S. cartoonist. He created
the comic strips “Life in Hell” (1980) and television’s animated cartoon family
“The Simpsons” (1987).[1]



Grofé,Ferde

Grofé,Ferde
Gro·fé
[grṓ fày], Ferde (1892–1972)

U.S.
composer and arranger. A pianist and orchestrator for Paul Whiteman’s
orchestra, he wrote the atmospheric Grand Canyon Suite ( 1931 ).
Full name
Grofé, Ferdinand Rudolph von[1]



grog

grog
grog 
[grog] noun

hot
alcoholic drink: a mixture of alcohol, especially rum,
and water, now often served hot with sugar and lemon juice
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of Old Grogram, the nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon (from the grogram
cloak he wore), who introduced the practice of watering down rum served to
sailors.][1]



groggy

groggy
grog·gy 
[gróggee] (comparative grog·gi·er,
superlative grog·gi·est) adjective

weak
or dizzy:
feeling weak or dizzy, especially because of illness, or overindulgence
—grog·gi·ly,
adverb

—grog·gi·ness, noun[1]



grogram

grogram
grog·ram 
[gróggrəm, grṓgrəm]
(plural grog·rams) noun

stiff
fabric:
a stiff fabric of silk and wool or mohair.
See
also
grosgrain
[Mid-16th century. From
French gros grain “coarse grain.”][1]



groin

groin
groin 
[groyn] noun

1.  area
between thighs and abdomen: the area between the tops of
the thighs and the abdomen

2.  genitals:
the genitals, especially the testicles

3.  construction
protecting beach from erosion: a narrow wooden or
concrete construction that extends from a shore into the sea to protect a beach
from erosion.
U.K.
term
groyne

4.  ARCHITECTURE edge
between vaults: a curved line forming the edge between
two intersecting vaults
[14th century. Origin uncertain:
possibly from Old English grynde “depression, hole,” the underlying idea
being “depression between the thighs.”][1]



grok

grok
grok 
[grok] (past grok·ked, past
participle grok·ked, present participle grok·king, 3rd
person present singular groks) transitive verb

understand
intuitively: to understand something completely by
intuition (slang) • Do you
grok that?
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
Robert Heinlein in the novel Stranger in
a Strange Land, 1961.][1]



grommet

grommet
grom·met 
[grómmət, grúmmət]
(plural grom·mets) or grum·met [grúmmət] (plural grum·mets) noun

1.  protective
eyelet:
a protective eyelet in a material that prevents tearing either of the material
or of a rope passed through it

2.  reinforcement
around eyelet: a small ring of metal or plastic that
reinforces an eyelet

3.  SAILING ring
to fasten a sail: a ring used to fasten the edge of a sail
to its stay
[Early 17th century. From
obsolete French gromette “curb of a bridle,” from gourmer “to
curb.”][1]



gromwell

gromwell
grom·well 
[grómmwəl, gróm
wèl] (plural grom·wells) noun

plant
with smooth white seeds: a hairy flowering plant of
the borage family that produces hard smooth white seeds. Genus: Lithospermum
[13th century. Anglicization
of Old French gromil, of uncertain origin: perhaps from a variant of graine
“grain” + mil “millet,” from Latin milium .][1]



groom

groom
groom 
[groom, grm]
noun (plural grooms)

1.  See
bridegroom

2.  EQUESTRIAN somebody
who cares for horses: somebody whose job is to
look after horses by cleaning them and their stables

3.  officer
in royal household: any of various officers in a
royal household
verb
(past groomed, past participle groomed, present
participle groom·ing, 3rd person present singular grooms)

1.  transitive
verb
care
for an animal’s appearance: to clean and brush or comb
an animal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY clean its body:
to clean the fur, skin, or feathers of another animal or of itself, often with
the tongue (refers to an animal, especially a dog or cat)

3.  transitive
verb
care
for your personal appearance: to keep somebody else’s or
your own personal appearance neat

4.  transitive
verb
train:
to train and prepare somebody for a particular position

5.  transitive
verb
SKIING make a
path in snow: to clear a path or track in snow by
compacting the snow
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from assumed Old English groma “boy,
male servant,” related to grow .]
—groom·er, noun[1]



groomsman

groomsman
grooms·man 
[grmzmən, grmzmən]
(plural grooms·men [grmzmən])
noun

man attending at wedding:
a man who is an attendant to a bridegroom[1]



GrooteEylandt

GrooteEylandt
Groote
Ey·landt 
[groot áy lant]

island in the Gulf of
Carpentaria, off the northeastern coast of the Northern Territory of Australia.
Population: 14,209 (1996) Area: 2,285 sq km/882 sq mi.[1]



groove

groove
groove 
[groov] noun (plural grooves)

1.  narrow
passage:
a narrow channel or path in a surface

2.  track
cut in a record: a spiral track cut into a vinyl record
along which the needle of the record player passes

3.  regularly
followed procedure: a routine into which
somebody has settled (informal)

4.  activity
fitted to somebody: an activity or situation
suited to somebody’s talents or tastes (slang)

5.  MUSIC musical
beat:
a strong beat or rhythm in music (slang)
verb
(past grooved, past participle grooved, present
participle groov·ing, 3rd person present singular grooves)

1.  transitive
verb
make
a groove:
to cut a groove in a surface

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC play music rhythmically:
to play jazz or dance music with a strong beat (slang)
[14th
century. From Dutch groeve . Ultimately from the same prehistoric
Germanic base as English grave 1 .]
—groov·er,
noun
in
the groove

1.  functioning
perfectly and with great ease (slang)

2.  MUSIC playing or performing in a
highly accomplished manner (dated slang)

3.  up-to-date
and in fashion (dated slang)

[1]



groovy

groovy
groov·y 
[grvee] (comparative groov·i·er,
superlative groov·i·est) adjective

excellent:
used, often as an exclamation, to describe somebody or something that is
fashionable, excellent, or pleasing (dated slang)
[Mid-20th
century. From the phrase in the groove, originally referring to the
grooves on a vinyl record.]
—groov·i·ly,
adverb

—groov·i·ness, noun[1]



grope

grope
grope 
[grōp] verb (past groped,
past participle groped, present participle grop·ing,
3rd person present singular gropes)

1.  intransitive
verb
search
by feeling:
to search for something blindly or uncertainly by feeling with the hands

2.  intransitive
verb
be
without guidance: to strive blindly or uncertainly for
something • groping
for inspiration

3.  transitive
verb
explore
uncertainly: to feel your way forward slowly and
hesitantly, for example, in the dark • They
groped their way back out of the tunnel.

4.  transitive
verb
fondle
somebody:
to caress or touch somebody’s body for sexual pleasure, often roughly,
awkwardly, or without the person’s consent (slang)
noun
(plural gropes)

1.  act
of groping:
an act or instance of groping

2.  a
fondle:
a rough or unsolicited caress or touch for sexual pleasure (slang)
[Old
English grāpian “to grasp at.” Ultimately from the same prehistoric
Germanic base as English grip and gripe .]
—grop·er, noun[1]



Gropius,Walter

Gropius,Walter
Gro·pi·us
[grṓpee əss], Walter (1883–1969)

German-born
U.S. architect and educator. A pioneer of the international style, he directed
the Bauhaus design school in Weimar, Germany (1919–1928). As head of Harvard
University’s architecture department (1938–1952) he trained a generation of
U.S. architects in the modernist idiom.
Full name
Gropius, Walter Adolph[1]



grosbeak

grosbeak
gros·beak 
[grṓss bk] (plural gros·beaks)
noun

kind
of finch:
a finch found in Europe and North America with a large beak that it uses to
crush seeds. Some classifications also include the cardinals. Family:
Fringillidae Emberizidae
[Late 17th century. From
French grosbec, literally “large-beak.”][1]



groschen

groschen
gro·schen 
[grṓsh’n] (plural gro·schen) noun

1.  Austrian
currency unit: a minor unit of currency in Austria, one
hundred of which are worth a schilling

2.  coin
worth one groschen: a coin worth one groschen

3.  coin
worth ten pfennigs: a coin in Germany worth 10
pfennigs (informal)

4.  old
German coin: a silver coin issued in various regions
of Germany from the 13th century
[Early 17th century. Via
German from, ultimately, medieval Latin (denarius) grossus “thick
(penny).”][1]



grosgrain

grosgrain
gros·grain 
[grṓ gràyn] noun

heavy
fabric:
a heavy corded silk or rayon fabric used mainly for trimmings and ribbons.
See
also
grogram
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “coarse grain,” which is also the source of English grogram .][1]



GrosMorne National Park

GrosMorne National Park
Gros
Morne Na·tion·al Park [gr
máwrn nàsh’nəl prk]

national park that is
situated on the western coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It contains lakes and
part of the Long Range Mountains. Area: 1,805 sq km/697 sq mi.[1]



grospoint

grospoint
gros
point 
[grṓ pòynt] noun

See
raised point
[From French gros point
(de Venise), literally “large stitch (from Venice),” applied to a type of
lace first manufactured in Venice][1]



gross

gross
gross 
[grōss] adjective (comparative
gross·er, superlative gross·est) adverb

without deductions:
before any usual deductions such as tax or expenses have been made
adjective
(comparative gross·er, superlative gross·est)

1.  vulgar:
vulgar or coarse

2.  obviously
wrong:
flagrantly wrong or unmitigated • a
gross breach of the rules

3.  disgusting:
disgusting or highly unpleasant (slang) • The
coffee in here is totally gross.

4.  without
good taste or appreciation: not sensitive to, or not
able to appreciate, the finer things in life

5.  extremely
overweight:
overweight to an unhealthy or repellent degree (informal)

6.  luxuriant:
growing thickly or densely
noun
(plural gross·es)

1.  (plural
gross) MEASUREMENTS twelve
dozen:
a quantity of 144 or twelve dozen

2.  sum
before deductions: a total, especially a total
amount of money before usual deductions are made
transitive
verb
(past grossed, past participle grossed, present
participle gross·ing, 3rd person present singular gross·es)

earn money: to
earn or make an amount of money as profit before usual deductions are made • This
games arcade grosses more in a week than I make in a year.
[14th
century. Via French from late Latin grossus “bulky, coarse” (source of
English engross and grocer ).]
—gross·ly,
adverb

—gross·ness, noun[1]



grossanatomy

grossanatomy
gross
a·nat·o·my
noun

anatomy of large body parts:
a branch of anatomy dealing with body parts that are visible to the naked eye.
Also called
macroscopic anatomy[1]



Gross,Chaim

Gross,Chaim
Gross 
[grōss], Chaim (1904–1991)

Austrian-born U.S. sculptor.
He is noted for his flowing expressionist figures sculpted from wood and,
later, stone and clay.[1]



grossdomestic product

grossdomestic product
gross
do·mes·tic prod·uct (plural gross
do·mes·tic prod·ucts) noun

country’s income minus
foreign investments: the total
value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year, minus net
income from investments in other countries[1]



grossnational product

grossnational product
gross
na·tion·al prod·uct (plural gross
na·tion·al prod·ucts) noun

country’s income including
foreign investments: the total
value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year, including
net income from investments in other countries[1]



gross-out

gross-out
gross-out 
(plural gross-outs) noun

something very offensive:
something considered disgusting or repellent (slang)[1]



grossout

grossout
gross
out
transitive verb

disgust:
to be disgusting or repellent to somebody (slang) • language
that really grossed me out[1]



grossprofit

grossprofit
gross
prof·it
(plural gross prof·its) noun

difference between revenue
and cost: the difference between sales
revenue and the cost of goods sold[1]



grossularite

grossularite
gros·su·la·rite 
[gróssyələ rt] (plural gros·su·la·rites)
or gros·su·lar [gróssyələr] noun

kind
of garnet:
a yellow, green, or brown garnet found in chalky rock. The green variety often
used as a gemstone.
Also
called
gooseberry stone
[Early 19th century. Via
German from modern Latin grossularia “gooseberry” (because of the gem’s
color), from French groseille (a possible source of English gooseberry
).][1]



Grosvenor,Gilbert

Grosvenor,Gilbert
Grosve·nor
[grṓvnər], Gilbert (1875–1966)

Turkish-born
U.S. editor and geographer. He edited National Geographic Magazine
(1903–1954). As president of the National Geographic Society (1920–1954), he
developed it into a major research organization.
Full name
Grosvenor, Gilbert Hovey[1]



grosz

grosz
grosz 
[grawsh] (plural gro·szy [grawshee] or grosze) noun

1.  Polish
currency unit: a minor unit of Polish currency, one
hundred of which are worth one zloty

2.  coin
worth one grosz: a coin worth one grosz
[Mid-20th century. Via Polish
grosz and Czech groš from medieval Latin (denarius) grossus
(see groschen ).][1]



Grosz,George

Grosz,George
Grosz 
[grōss], George (1893–1959)

German-born
U.S. artist. He is known for his satirical caricatures of Berlin life during
the 1920s and 1930s.
Born
Grosz, Georg[1]



grot

grot
grot 
[grot] noun

grotto:
a grotto (literary)
[Early 16th century. Via
French grotte from Italian grotta (see grotto
).][1]



grotesque

grotesque
gro·tesque 
[grō tésk, grə
tésk] adjective

1.  distorted:
misshapen, especially in a strange or disturbing way • The
flames cast grotesque shadows on the wall.

2.  incongruous:
seeming strange or ludicrous through being out of place or unexpected

3.  ARTS blending
realistic and fantastic: relating to or typical of a
style of art that mixes the realistic and the fantastic
noun
(plural gro·tesques)

1.  ARTS art
mixing realistic and fantastic: a style of art,
especially in 16th-century Europe, in which representations of real and
fantastic figures are mixed

2.  ARTS grotesque
artistic piece: a piece of art in the grotesque style

3.  something
grotesque:
somebody or something considered to be grotesque
[Mid-16th
century. Via French crotesque from Italian grottesca “like a
grotto,” from grotta “grotto,” referring to the fanciful wall paintings
found in excavated Roman ruins (see grotto
).]
—gro·tesque·ly,
adverb

—gro·tesque·ness, noun[1]



grotesquerie

grotesquerie
gro·tes·que·rie 
[grō téskəree, grə
téskəree] (plural gro·tes·que·ries) or gro·tes·que·ry
[grō téskəree, grə
téskəree] (plural gro·tes·que·ries) noun

1.  grotesque
quality:
the grotesque quality of something

2.  something
strange or fantastic: something grotesque,
especially a piece of art in the grotesque style

[1]



Groton

Groton
Grot·on 
[grṓt’n]

town in southeastern
Connecticut, situated on Long Island Sound opposite New London. Population:
45,144 (1990)[1]



grotto

grotto
grot·to 
[gróttō] (plural grot·toes or
grot·tos) noun

1.  cave:
a cave, especially one with interesting natural features

2.  imitation
cave:
an imitation cave, especially as an ornamental shelter in a formal garden
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian grotta from, ultimately, Latin crypta (see crypt ).][1]



grotty

grotty
grot·ty 
[gróttee] (comparative grot·ti·er,
superlative grot·ti·est) adjective U.K.

1.  dirty
or shabby:
distastefully dirty, shabby, or in poor condition (informal)

2.  generally
unpleasant:
generally unpleasant or despicable (informal)

3.  dirty
(regional)
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from grotesque .]
—grot·ti·ly,
adverb

—grot·ti·ness, noun[1]



grouch

grouch
grouch 
[growch] intransitive verb (past
grouched, past participle grouched, present participle
grouch·ing, 3rd person present singular grouch·es)

complain: to
complain or grumble (informal)
noun
(plural grouch·es) (informal)

1.  complaint:
an instance of complaining

2.  complainer:
somebody who is habitually bad-tempered or complaining

3.  bad
mood:
a mood characterized by complaining or sulking • a
day-long grouch
[Late
19th century. Variant of earlier grutch, of uncertain origin: possibly
from Old French groucher (see grudge
).]
—grouch·i·ly,
adverb

—grouch·i·ness,
noun

—grouch·y, adjective[1]



ground

ground2
ground2 [grownd]

Past participle of
grind Past tense of grind[1]



ground

ground1
ground1 [grownd]
noun (plural grounds)

1.  land
surface:
the surface of the land

2.  earth:
the earth or soil

3.  land
for a purpose: an area of land used for a particular
purpose (often used in the plural) • burial
ground

4.  battle
area:
the land held or fought over in battle • The
partisans retreated, yielding ground to the government troops.

5.  subject:
an area of knowledge or debate • Most
of the ground had been covered in an earlier lecture.

6.  foundation:
a reason or basis (often used in the plural) • There
are grounds for believing his story.

7.  PAINTING painting
surface:
an underlying surface or prepared area that paint is applied to

8.  background:
a background, for example, the background of a painting or the background color
of a flag

9.  PAINTING first
coat of paint: a first coat of paint applied to a
surface being decorated

10. sea
bottom:
the bottom of the sea, a river, or a lake

11. MUSIC See ground bass

12. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING conducting
body:
a large conducting body, especially the earth, or a connection with this,
considered as being at zero potential.
U.K.
term
earth
plural
noun
grounds

1.  surrounding
land:
the land surrounding and belonging to a building (sometimes singular)

2.  BEVERAGES dregs:
the sediment or dregs of a drink, especially coffee
adjective

on the ground:
happening, living, or operating on the ground • ground
crews
verb
(past ground·ed, past participle ground·ed, present
participle ground·ing, 3rd person present singular grounds)

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody foundation: to teach somebody the basics
about something • He had been well
grounded in the techniques.

2.  transitive
verb
support
something:
to base ideas, arguments, or beliefs on something • Her
beliefs are grounded on an unshakable faith.

3.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING connect
with the ground: to connect a circuit or appliance with
the ground.
U.K.
term
earth

4.  transitive
verb
AIR stop a
pilot or plane from flying: to prevent or forbid an
aircraft or aviator from flying • Bad
weather grounded all outgoing flights.

5.  transitive
verb
forbid
to go out:
to restrict somebody to a place, especially a child to his or her home, as a
punishment (informal) • My dad
grounded me for a week.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING run vessel aground:
to become stranded in a vessel or cause a vessel to become stranded by running
aground • The
ferry grounded on a reef.

7.  intransitive
verb
land
on the ground: to land on the ground or hit the ground

8.  transitive
verb
put
something on the ground: to put something on the
ground • ground
your rifles

9.  transitive
verb
fix:
to fix something on or in something else as a foundation • The
fence posts are grounded in concrete.

10. transitive
verb
FOOTBALL throw
a ball to the ground: to throw the ball against
the rules to the ground to avoid being tackled

11. intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL hit a ball to the ground:
to strike a ball so that it hits or rolls along the ground

12. transitive
verb
PAINTING prepare
a painting surface: to apply a preparatory coat
to a surface that is to be painted
[Old
English grund]
break
fresh or new ground

to
do or discover something new

get
(something) off the ground

to
get something started or operating

hit
the ground running

to
begin to deal with a new situation with great energy and without delay,
generally because of good prior preparation (informal)

hold
or stand your ground

to
stick resolutely to decisions, attitudes, or principles in the face of pressure
to abandon them

run
somebody or something to ground

to
find somebody or something finally, after a long and determined search

suit
somebody down to the ground

to
be perfectly suited to or suitable for somebody

the
moral high ground

a position of moral
superiority in relation to other people[1]



groundball

groundball
ground
ball
(plural ground balls) noun

rolling ball in baseball:
in baseball, a ball that bounces on the ground or rolls along it after being
hit.
Also called
grounder[1]



groundbass

groundbass
ground
bass 
(plural ground bass·es) noun

repeated bass part:
a short bass part continually repeated as the basis for a changing melody.
Also called
ground[1]



groundbeetle

groundbeetle
ground
bee·tle
(plural ground bee·tles) noun

See
carabid[1]



groundbreaker

groundbreaker
ground·break·er 
[grównd bràykər] (plural ground·break·ers)
noun

innovator:
somebody or something that invents, discovers, or develops something new[1]



groundbreaking

groundbreaking
ground·break·ing 
[grównd bràyking] adjective

new
and innovative: new and pioneering or innovative
[Early 20th century. From the
expression break ground “turn the first spade of earth for a new building.”][1]



groundburst

groundburst
ground·burst
[grównd bùrst] (plural ground·bursts)
noun

explosion on ground:
an explosion of a bomb or warhead on the ground rather than in the air[1]



groundcherry

groundcherry
ground
cher·ry
noun

1.  fruit
with a papery husk: a small round cherryshaped
fruit that has a papery husk

2.  plant
with edible berries: a plant found mainly in
North America on which ground cherries grow. Genus: Physalis
Also
called
husk tomato

[1]



groundcloth

groundcloth
ground
cloth
noun

1.  waterproof
sheet as tent floor: a sheet of waterproof
material placed on the ground to protect a sleeping bag or the floor of a tent
from ground dampness.
Also
called
groundsheet

2.  SPORTS waterproof
cover protecting sports field: a sheet of waterproof
material spread over a playing surface to protect it against rain

[1]



groundcontrol

groundcontrol
ground
con·trol
noun

monitors on the ground:
the staff and equipment on the ground that monitor or guide the flight of an
aircraft or spacecraft (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



groundcover

groundcover
ground
cov·er
noun

dense low plants:
plants that grow densely and close to the ground, especially growing wild in a
forest or deliberately planted in a garden to prevent weeds or soil erosion[1]



groundcrew

groundcrew
ground
crew
(plural ground crews) noun

nonflying aviation workers:
people working in aviation, especially technicians or mechanics, who do not
normally work in the air[1]



grounded

grounded
ground·ed
[grówndəd] adjective

in touch with reality:
having a secure feeling of being in touch with reality and personal feelings[1]



ground-effectmachine

ground-effectmachine
ground-ef·fect
ma·chine
(plural ground-ef·fect ma·chines) noun

See
hovercraft[1]



groundelder

groundelder
ground
el·der
noun

U.K.
BOTANY See goutweed[1]



grounder

grounder
ground·er 
[grówndər] (plural ground·ers)
noun

See
ground ball[1]



groundfish

groundfish
ground
fish
noun

bottom fish:
any fish that inhabits the bottom of a body of water, especially a marine fish
such as a cod or flounder.
Also called
groundling[1]



groundfloor

groundfloor
ground
floor
(plural ground floors) noun

street-level
floor:
the floor of a building that is level with or nearest to street level.
Also
called
first floor
in
on the ground floor

involved in something,
especially a business venture, at the earliest stage[1]



groundfog

groundfog
ground
fog
(plural ground fogs) noun

fog near ground:
fog lying at or near ground level[1]



groundfrost

groundfrost
ground
frost
(plural ground frosts) noun

below-freezing temperature:
a temperature below freezing as registered on a thermometer at or near the
ground[1]



groundglass

groundglass
ground
glass
noun

1.  roughened
glass:
glass with a roughened nontransparent surface produced by abrading or etching

2.  glass
particles:
glass that has been ground into fine particles, used as an abrasive

[1]



groundhemlock

groundhemlock
ground
hem·lock
noun

N. American yew:
a low-growing yew tree found in northeast North America. Latin name: Taxus
canadensis[1]



groundhog

groundhog
ground·hog
[grównd hàwg] (plural ground·hogs)
noun

ZOOLOGY
See woodchuck[1]



GroundhogDay

GroundhogDay
Ground·hog
Day 
noun

day when groundhogs predict
spring: February 2, when groundhogs
emerge from hibernation to test the weather. In sunshine, they supposedly sense
a late spring and return to their burrows. The day is celebrated annually in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.[1]



grounding

grounding
ground·ing
[grównding] noun

basics:
training in or knowledge of the basics of something • had
a good grounding in math[1]



groundivy

groundivy
ground
i·vy
noun

creeping plant:
an invasive evergreen ivy native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North
America. It has scalloped leaves and small purple-blue flowers. Latin name: Glechoma
hederacea[1]



groundkeeper

groundkeeper
ground·keep·er 
[grównd keepər] (plural ground·keep·ers)
noun

See
groundskeeper[1]



groundless

groundless
ground·less 
[grówndləss] adjective

not
justified:
not based on evidence or reason and not justified or true
—ground·less·ly,
adverb

—ground·less·ness, noun[1]



groundling

groundling
ground·ling 
[grówndling] (plural ground·lings)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY animal
or plant near the ground: an animal or plant that
lives on or near the ground, or at the bottom of a river, lake, or the sea

2.  THEATER standing
spectator:
a member of an Elizabethan theater audience standing in front of the stage in
the cheapest part of the theater (archaic)

3.  uncultured
person:
somebody disdained for having little or no appreciation of culture • a
movie pitched firmly at the groundlings

4.  AIR aviation
worker on ground: a member of the ground crew at an
airport or air force base (slang)

[1]



groundloop

groundloop
ground
loop
noun

aircraft’s involuntary turn
on the ground: a sharp involuntary
turn made by an aircraft that is taxiing, taking off, or landing, caused by
unbalanced drag[1]



groundmass

groundmass
ground·mass 
[grówndmass] (plural ground·mass·es)
noun

fine-grained base rock:
in some kinds of rock, the fine-grained base rock in which larger crystals are
embedded[1]



groundmeristem

groundmeristem
ground
mer·i·stem
noun

plant tissue:
tissue in the stems and roots of plants consisting of actively dividing cells
that become new tissue[1]



groundnut

groundnut
ground·nut 
[grównd nùt] (plural ground·nuts)
noun

1.  (plural
ground·nuts or ground·nut) N
American climbing plant: a North American climbing
vine with fragrant brownish flowers and edible tubers. Latin name: Apios
americana

2.  edible
tuber of groundnut plant: the edible tuber of a
groundnut plant

3.  plant
with edible tubers: a plant that produces
underground pods or tubers containing edible nuts.
Also
called
peanut plant

4.  FOOD See peanut

[1]



groundout

groundout
ground
out
intransitive verb

be put out in baseball:
to be put out in baseball after hitting a ground ball that is fielded and
thrown to first base[1]



groundout

groundout
ground·out 
[grównd òwt] (plural ground·outs)
noun

batter’s out:
in baseball, a play in which a batter is put out after hitting a ground ball
that is fielded and thrown to first base[1]



groundpea

groundpea
ground
pea
(plural ground peas) noun

Southern U.S.
peanut:
a peanut[1]



groundpine

groundpine
ground
pine
(plural ground pines) noun

1.  plant
with pine smell: a variety of bugle plant, native to
Europe and North Africa, that has two-lipped yellow flowers with red spots. The
flowers smell of pine if crushed. Latin name: Ajuga chamaepitys

2.  N
American moss: a North American moss with
spore-producing tissues grouped in cones. Genus: Lycopodium

[1]



groundplan

groundplan
ground
plan
(plural ground plans) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE plan
of floor of building: a scale drawing of a floor
of a building, especially the ground floor

2.  first
plan:
a preliminary plan or general outline of something • a
ground plan for corporate expansion

[1]



groundplum

groundplum
ground
plum
(plural ground plums) noun

N American plant with edible
fruit: a flowering plant native to
central and western regions of the United States, with edible green fruits that
resemble plums. Genus: Astragalus[1]



groundrule

groundrule
ground
rule
(plural ground rules) noun (often used in the plural)

1.  fundamental
rule:
a basic rule of procedure • Let’s
establish a few ground rules before we go any further.

2.  SPORTS specific
rule:
a rule that applies to the conduct of a game or race on a particular court,
field, or course

[1]



groundsel

groundsel
ground·sel
[grównds’l, grówns’l]
(plural ground·sels) noun

yellow-flowered
weed:
a yellow-flowered plant native to Europe and Asia, generally regarded as a
weed. Genus: Senecio
[Old English grundeswylige,
an alteration of gundeswilgie, literally “pus-swallower,” because of its
use in poultices][1]



groundsheet

groundsheet
ground·sheet
[grównd sht] (plural ground·sheets)
noun

See
ground cloth[1]



groundsill

groundsill
ground·sill 
[grównd sìl] (plural ground·sills)
noun

foundation timber:
the joist that is nearest the ground in a timber structure[1]



groundskeeper

groundskeeper
grounds·keep·er 
[grówndz kpər] (plural grounds·keep·ers)
noun

somebody
who cares for land: somebody who maintains a
playing field or the grounds of a property.
Also
called
groundkeeper
U.K.
term
groundsman
—grounds·keep·ing, noun[1]



groundsloth

groundsloth
ground
sloth
(plural ground sloths) noun

extinct mammal:
an extinct ground-dwelling sloth that lived in North, Central, and South
America, and is believed to be the ancestor of modern tree sloths. Family:
Megalonychoidea[1]



groundsman

groundsman
grounds·man
[grówndzmən] (plural grounds·men)
noun

U.K.
See groundskeeper[1]



groundspeed

groundspeed
ground
speed
(plural ground speeds) noun

aircraft’s speed relative to
ground: the speed of a flying
aircraft measured in relation to the ground it is traveling over and used for
calculating flight times[1]



groundsquirrel

groundsquirrel
ground
squir·rel
(plural ground squir·rels) noun

1.  burrowing
squirrel:
a ground-dwelling burrowing rodent related to the tree squirrels and found in
North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Family: Sciuridae

2.  chipmunk:
a chipmunk (regional)

[1]



groundstate

groundstate
ground
state
(plural ground states) noun

PHYSICS
lowest energy of particle or system:
the state of lowest energy for a particle, atom, molecule, or system[1]



groundstroke

groundstroke
ground·stroke 
[grównd strk] (plural ground·strokes)
noun

return of bounced ball:
in tennis, a shot played from any part of the court after the ball has bounced[1]



groundsubstance

groundsubstance
ground
sub·stance
noun

material between body’s
cells: the solid, semi-solid, or
liquid material that exists between the cells in connective tissue, cartilage,
or bone[1]



groundswell

groundswell
ground·swell 
[grównd swèl] noun

1.  deep
waves:
a deep wide up-and-down movement of the sea, often caused by a far-off storm or
an earthquake

2.  rising
feeling:
a strong growth of feeling or opinion that is evident but not always
attributable to a specific source • a
groundswell of public opinion against the new measures

[1]



groundwater

groundwater
ground
wa·ter
noun

underground water:
water held underground in soil or permeable rock, often feeding springs and
wells[1]



groundwave

groundwave
ground
wave
(plural ground waves) noun

radio wave not reflected:
a radio wave transmitted directly from a transmitter to a receiver, without
reflection from the ionosphere[1]



groundwork

groundwork
ground·work 
[grównd wùrk] noun

preparation:
basic preparatory tasks that form a foundation for something else[1]



groundzero

groundzero
ground
ze·ro
noun

point of nuclear explosion:
the point on the surface of land or water that is precisely the site of
detonation of a nuclear weapon, or the point immediately above or below it.
Also called
hypocenter[1]



group

group
group 
[groop] noun (plural groups)

1.  set
of people or things: a number of people or things
considered together or regarded as belonging together

2.  people
with something in common: a number of people sharing
something in common such as an interest, belief, or political aim • an
unemployed workers’ group

3.  MUSIC band
of musicians: a small number of musicians, especially
in pop music, who play together as a unit

4.  COMMERCE companies
under common control: a number of companies all
controlled by a single company or common owner

5.  ARTS set of
figures in artistic work: a number of figures forming
a distinct unit in a painting, sculpture, or other artistic composition

6.  MILITARY set of
two or more battalions: a military formation made up
of two or more battalions and a headquarters

7.  AIR FORCE air
formation between squadron and wing: an
air force formation made up of two or more squadrons, but smaller than a wing

8.  CHEMISTRY collection
of atoms:
a collection of atoms that is a distinct chemical unit, such as the hydroxy
group

9.  CHEMISTRY collection
of similar elements: a set of chemical elements
classified according to the vertical column they occupy in the periodic table.
There are 18 such groups, and elements in the same group have similar
properties. • the
alkaline earth group of elements

10. GEOLOGY set of
rock formations: a collection of rock formations that
date from the same geological era and are considered as a stratigraphic unit

11. MATHEMATICS mathematical
set under an operation: a set of mathematical
entities that are related by a particular operation. For example, consecutive
numbers are a group under addition but not under multiplication. (often used
before a noun)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past grouped,
past participle grouped, present participle group·ing,
3rd person present singular groups)

form group: to
come together as a unit, or to bring people or things together to form a unit • spectators
grouped in ones and twos on the sidelines
adjective

of groups:
relating to groups or forming a group • group
tours
[Late
17th century. Via French groupe from Italian gruppo, “group,
knot.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.]
—group·a·ble, adjective[1]



groupcaptain

groupcaptain
group
cap·tain
(plural group cap·tains) or Group Cap·tain (plural
Group Cap·tains) noun

U.K.
AIR FORCE RAF
officer: an officer in the Royal Air
Force senior to a wing commander and junior to an air commodore[1]



groupdynamics

groupdynamics
group
dy·nam·ics
noun

behavior of individuals
within groups: the interpersonal
processes, conscious and unconscious, that take place in the course of
interactions among a group of people (takes a singular verb)[1]



grouper

grouper

grou·per 
[grpər] (plural grou·pers or
grou·per) noun

1.  large
wide-mouthed fish: a heavy-bodied large-jawed
food fish that lives in tropical and temperate seas. Family: Serranidae

2.  rockfish:
a rockfish of Southern California. Family: Scorpaenidae (regional)
[Early 17th century. From
Portuguese garupa .][1]



groupie

groupie
group·ie 
[grpee] (plural group·ies) noun
(informal)

1.  adoring
fan:
an enthusiastic fan of a pop group, especially a teenager seeking a sexual
relationship with the object of her adulation

2.  enthusiastic
fan:
any enthusiastic fan or supporter

[1]



grouping

grouping
group·ing 
[grping] (plural group·ings) noun

set:
a set of people or things gathered into a group[1]



Groupof Eight

Groupof Eight
Group
of Eight

Full form of
G8[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








grouppractice

grouppractice
group
prac·tice
(plural group prac·tic·es) noun

several medical practitioners
working together: a medical, dental, or
veterinary practice operated by several doctors, dentists, or vets working
together[1]



grouptheory

grouptheory
group
the·o·ry
noun

study of mathematical groups:
the study of the formation and properties of mathematical groups. It has
applications in the study of the symmetry of molecules and crystal shapes.[1]



grouptherapy

grouptherapy
group
ther·a·py
noun

group
sessions for discussing personal problems: the
treatment of psychological problems by placing patients in groups and, under
the guidance of a trained therapist, encouraging them to discuss their problems
with each other
—group ther·a·pist, noun[1]



groupthink

groupthink
group·think 
[grp thìngk] noun

unquestioning conformity:
conformity in thought and behavior among the members of a group, especially an
unthinking acceptance of majority opinions[1]



groupware

groupware
group·ware
[grp wàir] noun

software for use by groups:
software designed to be shared collaboratively by a number of users on a
network. It may offer such features as e-mail, scheduling capabilities, and
file distribution.[1]



grouse

grouse2
grouse2 [growss]
intransitive verb (past groused, past participle groused,
present participle grous·ing, 3rd person present singular grous·es)

complain:
to complain in a grumbling, often self-serving way (informal)
noun
(plural grous·es)

grumble:
a grumbling complaint (informal)
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old French grouchier “to
grumble” (see grudge ).]
—grous·er, noun[1]



grouse

grouse1


grouse1 [growss]
(plural grouse) noun
BIRDS reddish
brown game bird: a large game bird that nests on the
ground on moors and in forests. Most species are reddish brown in color with
feathered feet and legs. Family: Tetraonidae
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Latin gruta, name of a game
bird, or grus “crane,” or from Welsh grugiar “heath hen.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



grout

grout
grout 
[growt] noun

1.  mortar
for filling gaps: thin mortar used to fill gaps,
especially between tiles

2.  plaster:
fine plaster used to finish ceilings and walls
plural
noun
grouts

U.K. dregs:
the sediment that lies at the bottom of a liquid
transitive
verb
(past grout·ed, past participle grout·ed, present
participle grout·ing, 3rd person present singular grouts)

apply grout to:
to use grout to fill gaps, especially between tiles, or to finish a ceiling or
wall
[Old
English grūt . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English grit and groats .]
—grout·er, noun[1]



grove

grove
grove 
[grōv] (plural groves) noun

1.  group
of trees:
a small group of trees • a
grove of maples

2.  AGRICULTURE orchard:
an area where many trees are commercially grown, for example, for their fruit
[Old English grāf, of
unknown origin][1]



Grove,Frederick Philip

Grove,Frederick Philip
Grove 
[grōv], Frederick Philip (1871–1948)

Russian-born Canadian writer.
He is known for novels about life on the Canadian prairies such as Our Daily
Bread ( 1928 ).[1]



grovel

grovel
grov·el 
[gróvv’l, grúvv’l]
(past participle grov·eled, present participle grov·el·ing,
3rd person present singular grov·els) intransitive verb

1.  behave
servilely:
to act in a servile way, showing exaggerated and false respect in order to
please somebody or out of fear • I’ve
already apologized but now he wants me to grovel.

2.  crawl:
to crawl or lie face down on the ground in humility or fear

3.  wallow:
to indulge in something unworthy (literary)
[Late
19th century. From obsolete groof “face downward,” from, ultimately, Old
Norse á grúfu, from grúfa “proneness,” of unknown origin.]
—grov·el·er,
noun

—grov·el·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Grove,Lefty

Grove,Lefty
Grove 
[grōv], Lefty (1900–1975)

U.S.
baseball player. One of the best left-handed pitchers in the game, he played
for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox.
Real name
Grove, Robert Moses[1]



grow

grow
grow 
[grō] (past grew [groo], past participle grown [grōn], present participle grow·ing, 3rd
person present singular grows) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
get
bigger:
to become larger in size through natural development

2.  intransitive
verb
become
larger:
to expand or become larger in any way • The
number of members will grow rapidly.

3.  intransitive
verb
increase:
to increase in degree • Excitement
is growing.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
able to develop naturally: to be capable of developing
naturally and remaining in a naturally healthy state • Flowers
won’t grow in this soil.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
product of something: to develop from something
else • Hatred
grew out of mutual ignorance.

6.  intransitive
verb
become:
to move from one condition to another, especially gradually • The
night grew cold.

7.  transitive
verb
cause
to grow:
to make something, especially plants, grow and develop • We
grow tomatoes in the greenhouse.

8.  transitive
verb
develop
naturally:
to produce something as part of a natural process, or allow it to be produced • He
thought he might grow a mustache.

9.  transitive
verb
expand:
to develop, expand, and stimulate something, especially a business, a line of
business, or an economic market • She
was brought in to grow the firm’s market share.
[Old
English grōwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English green and grass .]
—grow·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Object
  of the verb:
  Metaphorical
  uses of grow as a transitive verb are
  widely disliked: • grow the economy
  and • grow
  a stock portfolio, for example, strike many
  as uncouth, even wrong. There are no grounds for objecting to literal
  physical senses of the transitive verb: • grow
  a beard,
  • grow
  corn.
  Nor are there grounds for objecting to metaphorical uses of the intransitive
  verb: • The
  economy grew rapidly.

[1]



growingpains

growingpains
grow·ing
pains 
plural noun

1.  adolescent
pain:
pains in the limbs that adolescents are sometimes affected by, thought to be
caused by rapid bodily growth

2.  early
problems:
problems associated with the early stages of something such as a developing
project

[1]



growingpoint

growingpoint
grow·ing
point
(plural grow·ing points) noun

plant part where new growth
develops: the area in a plant where
the cells are actively dividing to produce new tissue in the stems and roots[1]



growingseason

growingseason
grow·ing
sea·son
(plural grow·ing sea·sons) noun

part of year when plants
grow: the time of year during
which annual plants, especially farm crops, develop to maturity. It may be
defined according to mean air temperature or the absence of frost.[1]



growinto

growinto
grow
into
transitive verb

develop to fit:
to develop in size, maturity, or capability to suit something[1]



growl

growl

growl 
[growl] verb (past growled,
past participle growled, present participle growl·ing,
3rd person present singular growls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hostile sound: to make, or communicate something by
means of, a low nonverbal sound in the throat that expresses hostility

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in hostile way: to speak, or say something, in a deep
voice that expresses impatience or hostility • He
was growling at the children.

3.  intransitive
verb
make
rumbling noise: to make a low rumbling noise
noun (plural
growls)

1.  animal’s
hostile noise: the low throaty noise made by a hostile
animal, especially a dog

2.  hostile
utterance:
something said in a hostile throaty voice
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old French grouler, of
prehistoric Germanic origin; ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—growl·ing,
adjective

—growl·ing·ly,
adverb

—growl·y, adjective[1]



growler

growler
growl·er 
[grówlər] (plural growl·ers) noun

1.  Canada
small
iceberg:
a small iceberg with very little showing above water

2.  beer
container:
a container for beer such as a pitcher, brought by a customer (informal)

3.  growling
person or animal: a person or animal that growls

[1]



growlight

growlight
grow
light
(plural grow lights) noun

light simulating sunlight for
plants: a fluorescent lamp giving
out light similar to sunlight and used to grow plants indoors[1]



grown

grown
grown


Past
participle of grow
adjective

having matured:
having developed and matured[1]



grown-up

grown-up
grown-up 
adjective

1.  fully
mature:
fully developed and mature

2.  for
adults:
relating to or for adults
noun
(plural grown-ups)

adult: an
adult person (usually used by or to children) • Ask
a grown-up to put it in the oven for you.

[1]



growon

growon
grow
on
transitive verb

1.  gradually
become pleasing to: to become gradually more
acceptable or pleasing to somebody

2.  become
apparent to: to become gradually more apparent or
powerful to somebody

[1]



growout of

growout of
grow
out of
transitive verb

get too big for:
to become too mature or too big in size for something[1]



growth

growth
growth 
[grōth] noun (plural growths)

1.  growing
process:
the process of becoming larger and more mature through natural development • A
child needs protein for healthy growth.

2.  increase:
an increase in numbers, size, power, or intensity

3.  something
that grows:
something that grows or has grown • three
days’ growth of beard on his chin

4.  MEDICINE abnormal
tissue:
an abnormal formation of tissue such as a tumor growing in or on an organ
adjective

expanding: in
the process of expanding or developing, especially rapidly • growth
industries

[1]



growthfactor

growthfactor
growth
fac·tor
(plural growth fac·tors) noun

substance promoting growing:
a substance produced by cells that stimulates them to multiply. When produced
in excessive amounts, a growth factor may be associated with abnormal growth
such as that seen in cancer.[1]



growthfund

growthfund
growth
fund
(plural growth funds) noun

mutual fund with good capital
growth: a mutual fund offering
long-term appreciation of capital invested, rather than a high income[1]



growthhormone

growthhormone
growth
hor·mone
noun

hormone stimulating growth:
a hormone, made and stored in the pituitary gland in the brain, that stimulates
protein synthesis and the growth of the long bones of the limbs.
Also called
somatotrophin[1]



growthregulator

growthregulator
growth
reg·u·la·tor (plural growth reg·u·la·tors)
noun

substance controling plant
growth: a natural or synthetic
preparation that promotes or inhibits plant growth[1]



growthring

growthring
growth
ring
(plural growth rings) noun

ring seen in tree’s
cross-section: a sheath of cells
forming concentric rings in the cross-section of a woody stem or trunk, and
representing the result of the yearly growth spurt that begins in the spring.
The age of a tree can be determined by counting its growth rings.
Also called
annual ring
Also called
tree ring
Also called
ring[1]



growthsubstance

growthsubstance
growth
sub·stance
(plural growth sub·stances) noun

plant hormone:
a chemical produced by a plant that regulates its growth and development, and
is usually made in the shoot tip and transported to other regions[1]



growup

growup
grow
up
intransitive verb

1.  become
adult:
to develop into an adult

2.  behave
more maturely: to behave in a more mature and sensible
way

3.  come
into existence: to come into existence and develop • A
town had grown up at the junction of the two rivers.

[1]



groyne

groyne
groyne
(plural groynes) noun

See
groin
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete groin “pig’s snout,” which came via Old French from Latin grunnire
“to grunt” (see grunion ).][1]



Grozny

Grozny
Groz·ny
[gróznee] or Groz·nyy [gróznee]

city at the foot of the
Caucasus Mountains in southeastern Europe. It is the capital of the Russian
republic of Chechnya. Population: 388,000 (1992)[1]



GRP

GRP
GRP

Abbreviation of
glass-reinforced plastic[1]



grub

grub
grub 
[grub] verb (past grubbed,
past participle grubbed, present participle grub·bing,
3rd person present singular grubs)

1.  transitive
verb
dig
up:
to dig or pull something out of the ground, especially without proper tools • grubbing
potatoes in rock-hard soil

2.  transitive
verb
clear
ground:
to remove roots and stumps from an area of ground

3.  intransitive
verb
search
on ground:
to search on or in the ground for something

4.  intransitive
verb
search
laboriously: to search for something laboriously,
usually by moving things and looking under things • grubbing
around in the archives for evidence

5.  intransitive
verb
toil:
to work hard, especially at something dull or arduous

6.  transitive
verb
scrounge
something:
to obtain something by scrounging or begging (slang) • grub
a couple of bucks
noun
(plural grubs)

1.  INSECTS larva:
the wormlike larva of various insects, especially beetles

2.  food:
food, especially a meal (informal)
[14th
century. From assumed Old English grybban . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to scratch, dig” that was also the ancestor of
English grave 1, groove, and engrave
. In the sense “food,” perhaps from the eating of larvae by birds.]
—grub·ber, noun[1]



grubby

grubby
grub·by 
[grúbbee] (comparative grub·bi·er,
superlative grub·bi·est) adjective

1.  dirty:
dirty or slovenly

2.  having
grubs:
infested with grubs

3.  contemptible:
disliked or despised, especially for being sordid or dishonorable • articles
in his grubby little newsletter
—grub·bi·ly,
adverb

—grub·bi·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dirty

[1]



grubstake

grubstake
grub·stake 
[grúb stàyk] noun (plural grub·stakes)

1.  MINING money
advanced to prospector: supplies or money given to a
prospector in return for a share in any profits.
Also
called
stake

2.  COMMERCE advance
for starting up business: money or materials given to
somebody starting a business in return for a share in any profits
transitive
verb
(past grub·staked, past participle grub·staked, present
participle grub·stak·ing, 3rd person present singular grub·stakes)

advance money to:
to give money or supplies to somebody in business in return for a share of any
profits
[Mid-19th
century. From grub “food” + stake 2 .]
—grub·stak·er, noun[1]



GrubStreet

GrubStreet
Grub
Street 
noun

literary
hackwork:
the world of literary hackwork and those who work at it
[Named for a former street in
London, England, once well known for its population of hack writers][1]



grudge

grudge
grudge 
[gruj] noun (plural grudg·es)

resentment: a
feeling of resentment or ill will, especially one lasting for a long time
transitive
verb
(past grudged, past participle grudged, present
participle grudg·ing, 3rd person present singular grudg·es)

1.  give
reluctantly: to allow or give something reluctantly • I
grudge the price of the air fare.

2.  envy:
to be envious or resentful of somebody for something
[14th
century. From Old French grouchier “to grumble” (possible source of
English grouch and grouse 2 ). Probably ultimately
of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—grudg·er, noun[1]



grudgematch

grudgematch
grudge
match
(plural grudge match·es) noun

SPORTS
match between bitter enemies:
a match between players or teams who have a long-standing animosity between
them or who have a particular score to settle[1]



grudging

grudging
grudg·ing
[grújjing] adjective

reluctant:
done or given reluctantly, or doing or giving something reluctantly
—grudg·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gruel

gruel
gru·el 
[gr əl, grl]
noun

1.  thin
porridge:
a thin porridge made by boiling meal, especially oatmeal, in water

2.  U.K.
severe
punishment:
severe punishment or harsh treatment (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



grueling

grueling
gru·el·ing
[gr əling, grling]
adjective

requiring
great effort: extremely arduous or exhausting
[Mid-19th
century. From gruel in the obsolete verb
sense “to punish,” from the idea of giving gruel as a punishment.]
—gru·el·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gruesome

gruesome
grue·some 
[grssəm] adjective

horrifying:
involving or depicting death or injury in a disturbing or sickening way
[Late
16th century. Formed from obsolete grue “to shudder,” of Scandinavian
origin.]
—grue·some·ly,
adverb

—grue·some·ness, noun[1]



gruff

gruff
gruff 
[gruf] (comparative gruff·er, superlative
gruff·est) adjective

1.  surly:
abrupt, angry, or impatient in manner or speech

2.  harsh-sounding:
harsh-sounding or throaty • a
gruff voice
[15th
century. From Flemish or Dutch grof, “rough, harsh.”]
—gruff·ly,
adverb

—gruff·ness, noun[1]



grumble

grumble
grum·ble 
[grúmb’l] verb (past grum·bled,
past participle grum·bled, present participle grum·bling,
3rd person present singular grum·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
express
dissatisfaction: to complain or mutter in a discontented
way

2.  transitive
verb
say
as complaint: to say something as a complaint • Some
entrants grumbled that there wasn’t enough time.

3.  intransitive
verb
make
rumbling noises: to make rumbling or growling noises • thunder
grumbling in the distance
noun
(plural grum·bles)

1.  complaint:
a complaint or expression of discontent

2.  rumbling
noise:
a rumbling or growling noise
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch grommelen “to
mumble, grunt.” Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base as English grim and grimace
.]
—grum·bler,
noun

—grum·bly,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



grumbling

grumbling
grum·bling
[grúmbling] noun (plural grum·blings)

complaint:
a muted complaint or protest • grumblings
of discontent
adjective

tending
to complain: with a tendency to complain
—grum·bling·ly, adverb[1]



grummet

grummet
grum·met 
(plural grum·mets) noun

See
grommet[1]



grump

grump
grump 
[grump] noun (plural grumps)

somebody
in a bad mood: somebody who is bad-tempered or sullen (informal)
plural
noun
grumps

bad-tempered
mood:
a bad-tempered or sullen mood (informal) • a
fit of the grumps
intransitive
verb
(past grumped, past participle grumped, present
participle grump·ing, 3rd person present singular grumps)

complain:
to complain or be sullen (informal)
[Early 18th century. An
imitation of the sound of someone expressing displeasure.][1]



grumpy

grumpy
grump·y 
[grúmpee] (comparative grump·i·er,
superlative grump·i·est) adjective

in
bad mood:
bad-tempered or sullen
—grump·i·ly,
adverb

—grump·i·ness, noun[1]



Grundyism

Grundyism
Grun·dy·ism 
[grúndee ìzzəm] noun

prudishness:
a prudish narrow-minded attitude toward other people (disapproving)
[Mid-19th century. From the
name of “Mrs. Grundy,” a character in Thomas Moreton’s play Speed the Plough
(1798), who was noted for her prudish attitude.][1]



grunge

grunge
grunge 
[grunj] (plural grunges) noun

1.  filth:
filth or garbage (informal)

2.  MUSIC kind
of rock music: a variety of rock music that emerged in
the 1980s in the United States and owes much to punk and heavy metal (often
used before a noun) • grunge
rock

3.  FASHION unkempt
fashion style: a style of dress, popularized by fans of
grunge music, typified by second-hand clothes worn in layers, heavy footwear,
unkempt hair, and an overall scruffy appearance • designer
grunge

4.  somebody
objectionable: somebody who is regarded as undesirable,
especially somebody who is or looks dirty (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from grungy .][1]



grungy

grungy
grun·gy 
[grúnjee] (comparative grun·gi·er,
superlative grun·gi·est) adjective

1.  dirty
or inferior: dirty, shabby, inferior, or otherwise
undesirable (informal)

2.  MUSIC FASHION of grunge music or fashions:
relating to or typical of grunge music or grunge fashions
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of grubby and dingy .][1]



grunion

grunion
grun·ion 
[grúnnyən] (plural grun·ions) noun

small
California fish: a small fish, native to the coastal
waters of California and Mexico, that spawns on beaches. Latin name: Leuresthes
tenuis
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Spanish gruñón, literally “grunter,” from,
ultimately, Latin grunnire “to grunt.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is the ancestor of English grunt
and grudge .][1]



grunt

grunt2
grunt2  noun

MILITARY infantryman:
an infantryman in the United States Army or Marine Corps, especially one
serving in Vietnam
[Mid-20th century. From
earlier grunt “unskilled assistant, dogsbody,” alteration of ground,
from ground man “low-ranking railway worker.”][1]



grunt

grunt1

grunt1  [grunt]
verb (past grunt·ed, past participle grunt·ed,
present participle grunt·ing, 3rd person present singular grunts)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
noise of or like a pig: to make the half-nasal,
half-throaty noise that a pig makes

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something in throaty burst: to make a deep sound in the
throat as an annoyed, half-hearted, or inattentive response to what somebody
has said, or to indicate or say something in this way • He
grunted in acknowledgment of my greeting.
noun (plural
grunts)

1.  noise
of or like pig: a half-throaty, half-nasal noise that a
pig makes, or a speech sound that resembles it

2.  ZOOLOGY marine
fish:
a bony tropical marine fish that grunts when taken out of the water. Some
species have patterns of bright colors. Family: Pomadasyidae

3.  somebody
doing menial tasks: somebody who does routine
unexciting work (slang)
[Old
English grunettan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English grudge and grunion .]
—grunt·er, noun[1]



gruntled

gruntled
grun·tled
[grúnt’ld] adjective

contented:
pleased or happy (informal humorous)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from disgruntled .][1]



Grus

Grus
Grus
[gruss, grooss]
noun

small southern constellation:
a small constellation of the southern hemisphere situated between Tucana and
Piscis Austrinus[1]



Gruyère

Gruyère
Gru·yère
[groo yáir] noun

Swiss
cheese:
a hard cheese with occasional holes in it, originally made in Switzerland, that
has a mild nutty slightly sweet flavor. It is often used in cooking, for
example, in fondues.
[Early 19th century. Named
for Gruyère, the town in Switzerland where it was first produced.][1]



gryphon

gryphon
gryph·on 
(plural gryph·ons) noun

MYTHOLOGY
See griffin[1]



GS

GS
GS

1.  Abbreviation
of
General Secretary

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of general staff

3.  Abbreviation
of
ground speed

[1]



GSA

GSA
GSA

Abbreviation of
Girl Scouts of America[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GSC

GSC
GSC

MILITARY
Abbreviation of general staff corps[1]



GSL

GSL
GSL

Abbreviation of
guaranteed student loan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GSO

GSO
GSO

MILITARY
Abbreviation of General Staff Officer[1]



G-spot

G-spot
G-spot
(plural G-spots) noun

area
of sexual pleasure: a highly sensitive small
area in the vagina that, when stimulated, gives extreme sexual pleasure (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of Gräfenberg spot, named for Ernst Gräfenberg 1881–1957, the
German gynecologist who first identified this spot.][1]



GSR

GSR
GSR

Abbreviation of
galvanic skin response[1]



Gstaad

Gstaad
Gstaad
[gə stt]

alpine ski resort in Bern
Canton, western Switzerland. Population: 2,500 (1980)[1]



G-string

G-string
G-string 
(plural G-strings) noun

piece
of material covering pubic area: a piece of material
covering only the pubic area, supported by a narrow cord between the buttocks
and around the waist. It is worn, for example, by striptease dancers.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



G-suit

G-suit
G-suit 
(plural G-suits) noun

garment
countering effects of gravity: a close-fitting
garment worn by pilots and astronauts that counters the blackout effects of
high acceleration by applying pressure to the legs and lower body, thereby
reducing blood supply loss to the head
[Mid-20th C. Shortening of gravity-suit
.][1]



GT

GT
GT

(used
as part of the name of a fast car)Abbreviation of Gran Turismo
[Italian, “grand touring”][1]



gt.

gt.
gt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gilt

2.  PHARMACOLOGY (on prescriptions)
Abbreviation of drop
[Latin, gutta][1]



G.T.C.

G.T.C.
G.T.C.

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of good till canceled[1]



gtd.

gtd.
gtd.

Abbreviation of
guaranteed[1]



GTP

GTP
GTP


BIOCHEMISTRY
Abbreviation of guanosine triphosphate[1]



GTS

GTS
GTS

Abbreviation of
gas turbine ship[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GTT

GTT
GTT

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of glucose tolerance test[1]



gtt.

gtt.
gtt.

PHARMACOLOGY (on prescriptions)
Abbreviation of drops
[Latin, guttae][1]



GU

GU
GU
or g.u.

1.  Abbreviation
of
genitourinary

2.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
Guam

[1]



guacamole

guacamole
gua·ca·mo·le 
[gwkə mṓlee] noun

mashed
avocado:
avocado mashed or puréed with tomato and lightly spiced with chili, and served
as a dip or in salads
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish from Nahuatl ahuacamolli, literally “avocado paste.”][1]



guacharo

guacharo
gua·cha·ro 
[gwchə rò] (plural gua·cha·ros)
noun

See
oilbird
[Early 19th century. Via
American Spanish guácharo from, ultimately, Quechua wáhcha
“orphan.”][1]



Guadalajara

Guadalajara
Gua·da·la·ja·ra 
[gwd’lə hrə]

city in west central Mexico,
capital of Jalisco State, and the country’s second largest city. Founded in
1530, it is a holiday resort and commercial center. Population: 1,628,617
(1990)[1]



Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal
Gua·dal·ca·nal 
[gwòdd’lkə nál]

mountainous island in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is the largest island of the Solomon Islands. In
World War II, heavy fighting took place there between the United States and
Japanese forces. Area: 5,336 sq km/2,060 sq mi.[1]



Guadalupe

Guadalupe
Gua·da·lupe
[gwdə lp]

1.  river
in southeastern Texas that rises north of Austin and empties into the Gulf of
Mexico south of Houston. Length: 402 km//250 mi.

2.  island
off the Baja California coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. Area: 207 sq
km/80 sq mi.

3.  city
near Monterrey in Nuevo León State, northeastern Mexico. Population: 534,782
(1990)

[1]



GuadalupeMountains

GuadalupeMountains
Gua·da·lupe
Moun·tains 
[gwdə lp mówntinz]

mountain range of the Rocky
Mountains that runs from New Mexico to Texas. The highest peak is Guadalupe
Peak, 2,667 m/8,749ft .[1]



GuadalupeMountains National Park

GuadalupeMountains National Park
Gua·da·lupe
Moun·tains Na·tion·al Park [gwdə
lp mòwntinz násh’nəl prk]

national park in southwestern
Texas that was established in 1972 and is noted for its limestone formations
and unusual wildlife. The highest point is Guadalupe Peak, 2,667 m/8,749 ft .
Area: 34,971 hectares/86,416 acres.[1]



Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Gua·de·loupe 
[gwdə lp]
an overseas department of France
consisting of a group of islands in the eastern Caribbean. Capital:
Basse-Terre. Population: 418,000 (1993) Area: 1,780 sq km/687 sq mi.[1]



Guadeloupe




Back to definition

Guadeloupe

[1]



guaiac

guaiac
guai·ac 
[gw ak, gw ək]
noun

See
guaiacum  noun 3[1]



guaiacol

guaiacol
guai·a·col 
[gw ə kàwl] noun

oily
liquid:
a yellowish oily liquid extracted from guaiacum resin or wood creosote and used
medicinally as an expectorant, antiseptic, and local anesthetic. C7H8O2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from guaiacum + -ol
.][1]



guaiacum

guaiacum
guai·a·cum 
[gw əkəm] (plural guai·a·cums)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
American tree: a tropical American evergreen tree with
small leaves that grow in clusters. One species yields the resin that contains
guaiacol. Genus: Guaiacum
See
also
lignum vitae

2.  INDUSTRY guaiacum
wood:
the hard dense oily wood of the guaiacum tree

3.  PHARMACOLOGY guaiacum
resin:
the brownish green resin of the guaiacum tree, used in medicine and in making
varnishes.
Also
called
guaiac
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from American Spanish guayacán, from Taino .][1]



Guam

Guam

Guam 
[gwaam]
island
and tourist resort in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. An unincorporated
territory of the United States, it is the largest of the Mariana Islands.
Capital: Agana. Population: 156,974 (1996) Area: 541 sq km/209 sq mi.
—Gua·ma·ni·an [gwaa máynee ən], noun, adjective[1]



guan

guan
guan 
[gwaan] (plural guans) noun

large
fruit-eating bird: a large tree-dwelling
fruit-eating bird found in Central and South America. Family: Cracidae
[Late 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Miskito kwamu .][1]



guanaco

guanaco
gua·na·co 
[gwə n k] (plural gua·na·cos)
noun

animal
resembling llama: a South American animal that looks like,
and is related to, the domesticated llama and alpaca. It lives in the arid
regions of the Andes mountains. Latin name: Lama guanaco
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua huanacu .][1]



guanethidine

guanethidine
gua·neth·i·dine 
[gwaa néthə dn] noun

drug
for treating high blood pressure: a drug used in its
sulfate form in the treatment of high blood pressure. C10H22N4
[Mid-20th century. Blend of guanidine and ethyl
.][1]



Guangdong

Guangdong
Guang·dong 
[gwng dng]

province of southern China,
on the South China Sea. Capital: Guangzhou. Population: 66,890,000 (1994) Area:
197,100 sq km/76,100 sq mi.[1]



Guangzhou

Guangzhou
Guang·zhou 
[gwng jṓ]

capital of Guangdong Province
and the chief port in southeastern China. It lies about 129 km/80 mi northwest
of Hong Kong. A major international trade fair is held here twice yearly.
Population: 3,560,000 (1993)[1]



guanidine

guanidine
gua·ni·dine 
[gwni dn] noun

substance
in plants and animals: a strongly alkaline
substance found in urine as a product of protein metabolism and also found in
plant tissues. It is used in the manufacture of plastics and resins. CH5N3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from guano + -ide
+ -ine .][1]



guanine

guanine
gua·nine 
[gw nn] noun

substance
that codes genetic information: a component of nucleic
acids that pairs with cytosine to carry hereditary information in DNA and RNA
in cells. Chemically, it is a purine derivative. C5H5N5O Symbol G
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from guano + -ine
.][1]



guano

guano
gua·no 
[gw nō] noun

1.  animal
droppings:
accumulated droppings of birds, bats, and seals, occurring where large
established colonies of these animals are situated

2.  AGRICULTURE guano
fertilizer:
fertilizer consisting of dried bird or bat droppings, and rich in nutrients,
including urates, oxalates, and phosphates, or a synthetic fertilizer with
properties similar to those of natural guano
[Early 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Quechua huanu “dung.”][1]



guanosine

guanosine
gua·no·sine 
[gwnə sn, gwnəssin]
noun

compound
of guanine and sugar: a nitrogen-containing
compound formed from guanine and the sugar ribose. C10H13N5O5
[Early 20th century. Coined
from guanine + ribose
+ -ine .][1]



guanosinemonophosphate

guanosinemonophosphate
gua·no·sine
mon·o·phos·phate  noun

component of DNA and RNA:
a constituent of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA that plays a part in various
metabolic reactions and is composed of guanosine linked to a phosphate group.
Also called
guanylic acid[1]



guanosinetriphosphate

guanosinetriphosphate
gua·no·sine
tri·phos·phate noun

metabolic substance:
a constituent of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA that participates in various
metabolic reactions, including the formation of proteins, and consists of
guanosine linked to three phosphate groups[1]



GuantánamoBay

GuantánamoBay
Guan·tá·na·mo
Bay
[gwan tnəmō báy]

sheltered inlet of the
Caribbean Sea, southeastern Cuba. It is the site of a major U.S. naval base.
Area: 78 sq km/30 sq mi.[1]



Guanxiu

Guanxiu
Guan·xiu
[gwn sy] (832–912)

Chinese artist. He is noted
for his paintings of Buddhist monks with exaggerated and grotesque features.[1]



guanylicacid

guanylicacid
gua·nyl·ic
ac·id 
[gwaa nìllik ássəd] noun

See
guanosine monophosphate
[Late 19th century. Guanylic
coined from guanosine + -yl + -ic .][1]



Guaporé

Guaporé
Gua·po·ré 
[gwàppō ráy, gwàppə
ráy]

river in central South
America that rises in western Brazil and flows northwest along the
Brazil-Bolivia border before joining the Mamoré River. Length: 1,530 km/950 mi.[1]



guar

guar
guar 
[gwaar] (plural guars) noun

1.  PLANTS Indian
fodder plant: a plant originally from India but widely
cultivated in arid conditions as fodder and for its seeds, which are used to
make a gum with numerous commercial applications. Latin name: Cyamopsis
tetragonolobus

2.  INDUSTRY See guar gum
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi guār .][1]



Guarani

Guarani
Gua·ra·ni 
[gwaarə n] (plural Gua·ra·ni or
Gua·ra·nis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native S American people: a member of a Native South
American people who live in parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Brazil,
and belong to the Tupi-Guaranian group of peoples

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Paraguay: an official language of Paraguay, also
spoken in other parts of central South America. It is one of the Tupi-Guarani
branch of the Andean-Equatorial family of Native South American languages.
About three million people speak Guarani.
[Mid-20th
century. Via Spanish Guaraní from Guarini, the name of a Native
South American people of Paraguay.]
—Gua·ra·ni, adjective[1]



guarani

guarani
gua·ra·ni 
[gwaarə n] (plural gua·ra·nies
or gua·ra·nis) noun

1.  currency
unit of Paraguay: the standard unit of currency of
Paraguay, made up of 100 centimos

2.  coin
worth one guarani: a coin worth one guarani

[1]



guarantee

guarantee
guar·an·tee 
[gèrrən t] noun (plural guar·an·tees)

1.  assurance:
something that assures a particular outcome • There’s
no guarantee that the plan will work.

2.  COMMERCE promise
of quality:
a formal promise that a product will be repaired free of charge if it breaks or
fails within a stated period, or that substandard work will be redone • a
five-year guarantee.

3.  guar·an·tee
LAW promise
to be responsible for another: a formal promise by one
person to take responsibility for the debts or obligations of another person if
that person fails to meet them.
Also
called
guaranty

4.  LAW somebody
receiving formal assurance: a person or company given an
assurance that somebody’s debts or obligations will be dealt with

5.  COMMERCE certificate
stating promise of quality: a document setting out a
promise of quality made by a manufacturer or the provider of a service

6.  See
guarantor
transitive
verb
(past guar·an·teed, past participle guar·an·teed, present
participle guar·an·tee·ing, 3rd person present singular guar·an·tees)

1.  assure:
to promise something or make something certain • We
can’t guarantee availability of seats on tomorrow’s flight.

2.  COMMERCE promise
quality of goods or services: to give a formal, usually
printed promise that a product will be repaired free of charge if it fails
within a specified period, or that substandard work will be redone

3.  LAW to
accept responsibility for somebody: to
promise to fulfill another person’s debts or obligations if that person fails
to meet them
[Late 17th century.
Alteration (on the model of guaranty ) of
earlier garant, from Old French (see guaranty
).][1]



guaranteedinvestment certificate

guaranteedinvestment certificate
guar·an·teed
in·vest·ment cer·tif·i·cate (plural guar·an·teed
in·vest·ment cer·tif·i·cates) noun

Canada
investment with guaranteed return:
an investment that provides a guaranteed rate of interest over a certain term,
usually one to five years[1]



guarantor

guarantor
guar·an·tor 
[gèrrən táwr, gérrəntər]
(plural guar·an·tors) noun

somebody
who assumes debts: somebody who gives a
guarantee, especially a formal promise to be responsible for somebody else’s
debts or obligations.
Also
called
guarantee
Also
called
guaranty
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from guarantee .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at backer

[1]



guaranty

guaranty
guar·an·ty 
[gérrəntee] noun (plural guar·an·ties)

1.  LAW See guarantee  noun 3

2.  security:
something used as security for a formal promise

3.  pledging:
the giving of something as security for a promise

4.  See
guarantor
transitive
verb
(past guar·an·tied, past participle guar·an·tied, present
participle guar·an·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular guar·an·ties)

LAW See guarantee  verb 3
[Early 16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman guarantie from Old French garantir “to warrant,”
from garant (see warrant ).][1]



guard

guard
guard 
[gaard] transitive verb (past guard·ed,
past participle guard·ed, present participle guard·ing,
3rd person present singular guards)

1.  protect:
to protect somebody or something against danger or loss

2.  prevent
escape of:
to watch over and prevent the escape of somebody held captive • Two
MPs were guarding the prisoner.

3.  control
passage through place: to watch over and control
passage through an entrance or across a boundary • All
of the mountain passes are guarded by troops.

4.  BASKETBALL hamper
opponent:
in basketball, to prevent an opponent from scoring or playing effectively

5.  control:
to control or restrain something such as speech or behavior • guard
your tongue

6.  put
protective cover on: to equip a machine or device
with a protective cover

7.  escort:
to escort somebody (archaic)
noun
(plural guards)

1.  act
of guarding: an act of guarding somebody or something
or the responsibility of guarding somebody or something

2.  protector:
a person or group that protects, watches over, restrains, or controls somebody
or something • The
prisoner broke away from his guards.

3.  defense:
a defensive posture or state of mind • Her
guard was up.

4.  ceremonial
escort:
a usually mounted or motorized group forming a ceremonial escort

5.  body
protection:
a piece of tough material worn to protect a part of the body from injury

6.  U.K.
RAIL See conductor

7.  BASKETBALL defensive
position in basketball: either of the two players in
basketball who regularly defend the backcourt and initiate offensive plays

8.  FOOTBALL lineman:
either of two offensive linemen on either side of the center

9.  guard
or Guard MILITARY soldier:
in the British army and other armies, a soldier who belongs to any regiment
originally formed to provide protection for the sovereign

10. way
to protect somebody or something: any means of
protection • The
snow fence serves as a guard against drifts.

11. protective
device:
a device or part intended to protect the user against injury • a
guard on a lathe

12. Ireland
gardai:
a member of the Garda (informal)
[15th
century. From French garde (noun) and garder (verb), both
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English ward, warden, and wary
.]
stand
guard

to
keep a watch or defensive posture

off
(your) guard

having
relaxed the usual precautions against attack

on
(your) guard

prepared
against attack  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at safeguard

[1]



guardagainst

guardagainst
guard
against
transitive verb

take precautions against:
to be wary of something or take precautions against it[1]



guardant

guardant
guar·dant
[grd’nt] or gar·dant [grd’nt] adjective

full
face:
having the face turned toward the observer (refers to an animal on a coat of
arms) • a
lion guardant
[Late 16th century. From
French gardant, the present participle of garder (see guard ).][1]



guardcell

guardcell
guard
cell
(plural guard cells) noun

plant cell:
either of two specialized cells bordering pores in the epidermis of leaves that
move to control the size of the aperture in response to changes in water
levels. The guard cells and pore are called the stoma, and are situated on the
underside, and sometimes the top side, of leaves and on young shoots.[1]



guarddog

guarddog
guard
dog
(plural guard dogs) noun

dog for protection:
a dog used for guarding property or people[1]



guarded

guarded
guard·ed 
[grdəd] adjective

wary:
wary, cautious, or noncommittal
—guard·ed·ly,
adverb

—guard·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



guardhair

guardhair
guard
hair
(plural guard hairs) noun

animal’s coarse outer hair:
the long coarse outer hair on mammals that forms a protective layer over the
softer underfur[1]



guardhouse

guardhouse
guard·house 
[grd hóws] (plural guard·houses
[grd hówzəz]) noun

military building:
a building used to house soldiers acting as guards and as a place for detaining
military prisoners[1]



guardian

guardian
guard·i·an 
[grdee ən] noun (plural guard·i·ans)

1.  protector:
a person who watches over or protects somebody or something, or an organization
with a protecting role

2.  LAW legally
responsible individual: somebody who is legally
appointed to look after the affairs of another, especially those of a minor

3.  CHRISTIANITY superior
in Franciscan hierarchy: a superior in a Franciscan
monastery
adjective

protecting:
acting as somebody’s protector
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman gardein, from, ultimately, Old French garder
(see guard ).]
—guard·i·an·ship, noun[1]



guardianangel

guardianangel
guard·i·an
an·gel
(plural guard·i·an an·gels) noun

1.  personal
angel:
an angel believed to look after a particular individual

2.  protector:
somebody seen as the special protector of somebody’s interests (informal)

[1]



GuardianAngel

GuardianAngel
Guard·i·an
An·gel
(plural Guard·i·an An·gels) noun

member of volunteer crime
prevention squad: a member of a vigilante
group that patrols the streets of a city as a volunteer crime prevention squad.
New York was the birthplace of the first such group.[1]



Guardi,Francesco

Guardi,Francesco
Guar·di
[gwrdee], Francesco (1712–1793)

Italian painter. He painted
romantic landscapes of his native city, Venice, which are characterized by
lively line and color and a mood of fantasy.[1]



Guardmember

Guardmember
Guard·mem·ber 
[grd membər] (plural Guard·mem·bers)
noun

somebody in National Guard:
somebody who serves in the National Guard[1]



guardof honor

guardof honor
guard
of hon·or
(plural guards of hon·or) noun

formal escort:
a body of troops acting as a formal escort for somebody important during a
ceremony.
Also called
honor guard[1]



guardrail

guardrail
guard·rail 
[grd ràyl] (plural guard·rails)
noun

1.  safety
rail:
a rail acting as a safety barrier at the side of a freeway, highway, road, or
ship’s deck

2.  RAIL extra
rail giving train stability: an additional rail laid
close inside the main running rail on tight curves and at a junction to help a
train’s wheels stay on the track

[1]



guardring

guardring
guard
ring
(plural guard rings) noun

ring to hold another on:
a ring worn to stop another ring from slipping off the finger[1]



guardroom

guardroom
guard·room 
[grd rm, grd
rm] (plural guard·rooms) noun

room for guards:
a room used by soldiers acting as guards and as a place for detaining military
prisoners[1]



guardsman

guardsman
guards·man 
[grdzmən] (plural guards·men
[grdzmən]) noun

1.  MILITARY member
of National Guard: a member of the National
Guard

2.  U.K.
soldier
in guards regiment: a soldier who belongs to any
of several regiments of the British army originally formed to provide
protection for the sovereign

[1]



guargum

guargum
guar
gum
[gwr gùm] noun

gum from guar plant:
gum extracted from the seeds of the guar plant, added to processed food as a
thickener and stabilizer and also used in paper manufacture.
Also called
guar[1]



Guatemala

Guatemala



Gua·te·ma·la 
[gwtə mlə]
the
third largest country in central America, bordered on the north and east by
Belize, Mexico, and the Gulf of Honduras and on the south and west by Honduras
and El Salvador. About two thirds of the total land area of Guatemala is
mountainous. Language: Spanish. Currency: quetzal. Capital: Guatemala City.
Population: 11,685,695 (1997) Area: 108,889 sq km/42,042 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Guatemala
—Gua·te·ma·lan [gwtə mlən], adjective, noun[1]



Guatemala




Back to definition

Guatemala

[1]



GuatemalaCity

GuatemalaCity
Gua·te·ma·la
Cit·y


capital city of Guatemala,
located in the south central part of the country. It is the largest city in
Central America and the nation’s economic center. It was the capital of the
United Provinces of Central America between 1823 and 1834. Population:
1,167,495 (1994)[1]



guava

guava

gua·va 
[gwvə] noun

1.  FOOD tropical
fruit:
the large pear-shaped edible fruit of a tropical American tree that has red or
yellow-green skin and cream or pink flesh, and is eaten raw and often made into
jelly

2.  TREES tropical
tree bearing guavas: a small tropical American
tree related to the myrtle, that has guavas as fruit. Genus: Psidium
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Spanish guayaba, of Caribbean Native American origin.][1]



guayabera

guayabera
gua·ya·be·ra 
[gwyə bérrə] (plural gua·ya·be·ras)
noun

sports
shirt:
a light short-sleeved sports shirt, usually worn outside the trousers
[From American Spanish,
formed from guayaba “guava”][1]



guayule

guayule
gua·yu·le 
[gwaa ylee] (plural gua·yu·les)
noun

1.  shrub
that provides rubber: a bushy shrub found in the
southwestern United States and Mexico whose sap is a source of rubber. Latin
name: Parthenium argentatum

2.  rubber:
rubber made from the sap of the guayule shrub
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish from Nahuatl cuauhuli, literally “gum tree.”][1]



gubernatorial

gubernatorial
gu·ber·na·to·ri·al 
[gbərnə táwree əl] adjective

of
governor:
relating to, involving, belonging to, or typical of a governor
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin gubernator “governor,” from gubernare (see govern ).][1]



guck

guck
guck 
[guk] noun

unpleasant
substance:
any slimy, oily, gooey, or otherwise unpleasant substance (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of goo and muck .][1]



gudgeon

gudgeon1
gudg·eon1 [gújjən]
(plural gudg·eons) noun

small
fish:
a small European freshwater fish that belongs to the minnow family and is often
used as bait. Latin name: Gobio gobio
[14th century. Via Old French
goujon from, ultimately, Latin gobius (see goby ).][1]



gudgeon

gudgeon2
gudg·eon2 [gújjən]
(plural gudg·eons) noun

socket
for pin:
a socket that a pin fits into, for example, the pin of a hinge or the pivoting
bolt of a ship’s rudder
[15th century. From Old
French goujon, literally “little gouge,” from late Latin gubia
(see gouge ).][1]



gudgeonpin

gudgeonpin
gudg·eon
pin
(plural gudg·eon pins) noun

U.K.
See wrist pin[1]



guelderrose

guelderrose
guel·der
rose 
[géldər rz] (plural guel·der
roses) noun

shrub
with white flowers: a deciduous bushy Eurasian
shrub with lacy clusters of white flowers that are followed by bunches of
rounded red fruit. Latin name: Viburnum opulus
[Late 16th century. Named for
the Dutch province of Gelderland, where the flower originated.][1]



Guelph

Guelph1
Guelph1  [gwelf]
(plural Guelphs) or Guelf [gwelf]
(plural Guelfs) noun

medieval
supporter of pope: a member of a political
party in medieval Italy that supported the authority of the pope and opposed
the Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor’s claim to rule Italy
[Late
16th century. Via Italian Guelfo from Middle High German Welf,
name of a leading dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire.]
—Guelph·ism, noun[1]



Guelph

Guelph2
Guelph2  [gwelf]

industrial city on the Speed
River in southeastern Ontario, Canada, 96 km/60 mi west of Toronto. Population:
95,821 (1996)[1]



guenon

guenon
gue·non 
[gə nón] (plural gue·nons) noun

tree-dwelling
African monkey: a small long-tailed African monkey that
lives in trees. Genus: Cercopithecus
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin.][1]



guerdon

guerdon
guer·don 
[gúrd’n] noun (plural guer·dons)

reward:
a reward or recompense (literary)
transitive
verb
(past guer·doned, past participle guer·doned, present
participle guer·don·ing, 3rd person present singular guer·dons)

give
reward to:
to give somebody a reward or recompense (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin widerdonum “repayment,” a partial translation of Old
High German widarlōn, literally “giving back.”][1]



guereza

guereza
guer·e·za 
[gə rézzə] (plural guer·e·zas)
noun

forest-dwelling
African monkey: a large long-haired monkey that lives in
the forests of East and Central Africa. Latin name: Colobus abyssinicus
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



gueridon

gueridon
gue·ri·don 
[gérri dòn, gèrri
dáwn] (plural gue·ri·dons) noun

small
decorative table: a small, round, ornate table or stand
with a central pedestal
[Mid-19th century. From
French Guéridon, a person’s name.][1]



guerilla

guerilla
gue·ril·la 
(plural gue·ril·las) noun

See
guerrilla[1]



Guernsey

Guernsey
Guern·sey 
[gúrnzee]

island in the English
Channel, the second largest of the Channel Islands. Dairy farming, tourism, and
banking are the main trades. Capital: St. Peter Port. Population: 58,867 (1991)
Area: 64 sq km/25 sq mi.[1]



guernsey

guernsey
guern·sey
[gúrnzee] (plural guern·seys) noun

AGRICULTURE
dairy cow:
a light-brown and white dairy cow that produces rich milk, belonging to a breed
originating on the island of Guernsey[1]



guerrilla

guerrilla
guer·ril·la
[gə ríllə] (plural guer·ril·las)
or gue·ril·la [gə ríllə] (plural
gue·ril·las) noun

irregular
soldier, usually politically motivated: a
member of an irregular paramilitary unit, usually with some political objective
such as the overthrow of a government. Guerrillas usually operate in small
groups to harass and carry out sabotage. • guerrilla
warfare
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, “raiding party, skirmish,” from guerra “war.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English war .][1]



guerrillatheater

guerrillatheater
guer·ril·la
the·a·ter
noun

See
street theater[1]



guess

guess
guess 
[gess] verb (past guessed,
past participle guessed, present participle guess·ing,
3rd person present singular guess·es)

1.  transitive
verb
predict:
to form an opinion about something without enough evidence to make a definite
judgment • She
guessed the playing card he’d turn up.

2.  transitive
verb
conclude
correctly:
to arrive at a correct answer or to conjecture about something • I
guessed it would be you.

3.  transitive
verb
suppose:
to think or suppose something • I
guess I’ll have the steak.

4.  intransitive
verb
form
opinion:
to form an opinion without knowing for sure

5.  intransitive
verb
find
correct answer: to be correct in your thinking about
what might be the case
noun
(plural guess·es)

1.  opinion:
an opinion or answer arrived at by guessing • My
guess is she’ll head for home.

2.  act
of guessing: an act or the process of guessing • Take
another guess.
[13th
century. Of Scandinavian origin; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “to try to get.”]
—guess·a·ble,
adjective

—guess·er,
noun
anybody’s
or anyone’s guess

something that cannot be
reliably predicted (informal)[1]



guesstimate

guesstimate
guess·ti·mate 
noun [géstimət] (plural guess·ti·mates)

estimate
based on conjecture: an estimate based largely on
incomplete information or evidence (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb [gésti
màyt] (past guess·ti·mat·ed, past participle guess·ti·mat·ed,
present participle guess·ti·mat·ing, 3rd person present
singular guess·ti·mates)

make
conjecture about: to make an estimate of something based
largely on incomplete evidence or information (informal)
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
guess and estimate
.][1]



guesswork

guesswork
guess·work 
[géss wùrk] noun

guessing:
the process of making guesses, or the conclusions arrived at by guessing[1]



guest

guest
guest 
[gest] noun (plural guests)

1.  recipient
of hospitality: somebody who receives hospitality at the
home of somebody else

2.  somebody
entertained at another’s expense: somebody who receives
entertainment such as a meal or attendance at a social event that is paid for
by somebody else • Club members are
allowed to sign two people in as guests.

3.  customer:
somebody who pays to use the facilities of a hotel, restaurant, or other
establishment

4.  somebody
asked to join others: somebody who is invited by
an organization or institution to receive hospitality • We
have a distinguished guest at the meeting tonight.

5.  BROADCASTING somebody
making special appearance: somebody who appears on a
radio or television program who does not appear on it regularly • our
special guest for tonight’s show

6.  ZOOLOGY animal
using another’s nest: a creature, especially an
insect, that shares the shelter of another or lives alongside the other as a
parasite
verb
(past guest·ed, past participle guest·ed, present
participle guest·ing, 3rd person present singular guests)

1.  intransitive
verb
BROADCASTING make
special appearance: to appear as a guest on a
radio or television program • the
trend for big-time movie stars to guest on sitcoms

2.  transitive
verb
entertain
somebody:
to entertain or play host to somebody
adjective

1.  appearing
as guest:
appearing or invited as a guest

2.  for
guests:
for guests to use
[13th
century. From Old Norse gestr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “stranger” that is also the ancestor of English host, hostile,
and xenophobia .]
be
my guest

used to tell people that they
are welcome to do as they please (informal)[1]



guestbook

guestbook
guest
book
(plural guest books) noun

book that visitors or guests
sign: a book or register that
visitors or guests sign, for example, at a bed-and-breakfast.
Also called
visitor’s book[1]



Guest,Edgar A.

Guest,Edgar A.
Guest 
[gest], Edgar A. (1881–1959)

British-born
U.S. poet. His popular verses were collected in anthologies such as A Heap
o’ Livin’ ( 1916 ).
Full name
Guest, Edgar Albert[1]



guesthouse

guesthouse
guest·house 
[gést hòws] (plural guest·hous·es
[gést hòwzəz]) noun

1.  house
for visitors: a small house used to accommodate
visitors to a main house

2.  U.K.
small
hotel:
a small hotel or private home that offers accommodations to paying guests

[1]



guestnight

guestnight
guest
night
(plural guest nights) noun

club’s night for invited
guests: an evening during which
nonmembers are welcome to participate in the activities of a club or society[1]



guestof honor

guestof honor
guest
of hon·or
(plural guests of hon·or) noun

important invitee:
somebody invited to attend a gathering or event who is seen as highly important
or the most important of the invited guests[1]



guestroom

guestroom
guest·room
[gést rm, gést
rm] (plural guest·rooms) or guest room [gést rm, gést rm]
(plural guest rooms) noun

visitors’ bedroom:
a bedroom for visitors who stay for a short time[1]



gueststar

gueststar
guest
star
(plural guest stars) noun

performer making special
appearance on show: a
well-known performer who makes a single or occasional appearance in a
television or radio program[1]



guest-star

guest-star
guest-star
intransitive and transitive verb

be or feature guest star:
to appear as a guest star, or feature somebody as a guest star[1]



guestworker

guestworker
guest
work·er
(plural guest work·ers) noun

nonresident foreign worker:
a foreign national allowed to come and work, but not take up permanent
residence, in a European country[1]



Guevara,Che

Guevara,Che

Gue·va·ra
[gə vrə], Che (1928–1967)
Argentine-born
South American revolutionary leader. A radical political theorist and guerrilla
fighter, he played a significant part in Fidel Castro’s revolution (1956–1959)
and early administration in Cuba. He was executed while planning an uprising in
Bolivia.
Real name
Guevara de la Serna, Ernesto[1]



guff

guff
guff 
[guf] (plural guffs) noun

foolish
talk:
nonsense or empty talk (informal)
[Early 19th century. Thought
to suggest a whiff of bad smelling air.][1]



guffaw

guffaw
guf·faw 
[gə fáw] intransitive verb (past
guf·fawed, past participle guf·fawed, present
participle guf·faw·ing, 3rd person present singular guf·faws)

laugh
loudly:
to laugh loudly and raucously
noun
(plural guf·faws)

raucous
laugh:
a loud and raucous laugh
[Early 18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Guggenheim,Meyer

Guggenheim,Meyer
Gug·gen·heim 
[gggən hīm], Meyer (1828–1905)

Swiss-born U.S. financier and
industrialist. With his seven sons, he established large mining and
metal-processing companies.[1]



Guggenheim,Peggy

Guggenheim,Peggy
Gug·gen·heim
[gggən hīm], Peggy (1898–1979)

U.S. art collector and
philanthropist. She helped to promote the careers of such avant-garde artists
as Max Ernst and Jackson Pollock and was one of the earliest collectors of
surrealist and abstract art.[1]



GUI

GUI
GUI 
[g ee]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of graphical user interface[1]



guidance

guidance
guid·ance 
[gd’ns] noun

1.  leadership:
leadership or direction

2.  advice:
advice or counseling, especially counseling given to students on academic
matters • the
school’s guidance counselor

3.  systems
that control flight: the systems and devices that
control the flight of an aircraft, missile, or spacecraft • onboard
guidance

[1]



guide

guide
guide 
[gīd] verb (past guid·ed,
past participle guid·ed, present participle guid·ing,
3rd person present singular guides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb show
somebody the way: to lead somebody in the right direction

2.  transitive
verb
steer:
to steer a vehicle or animal

3.  transitive
verb
help
somebody learn something: to teach somebody or oversee
training in something • A
tutor guided me through the intricacies of calculus.

4.  transitive
verb
run
organization: to control the affairs of an
organization or body

5.  transitive
verb
advise
or influence: to advise or counsel somebody, or
influence the way somebody behaves or acts • Be
guided by your conscience.
noun
(plural guides)

1.  somebody
who shows the way: somebody who leads others in
the right direction

2.  somebody
who leads tourists: somebody who supervises a
tour

3.  influence
on decision: somebody who or something that strongly
affects the decisions and behavior of another • Her
grandmother’s wisdom was her guide throughout life.

4.  guidebook:
a guidebook to a place. See guidebook

5.  source
of information: a publication or a section of a magazine
or newspaper giving information on a subject • a
movie guide

6.  controlling
device:
a device that controls the movement or operation of a machine

7.  MILITARY soldier
controlling march: a soldier stationed at the
side of a column of marching soldiers to control alignment and lead the way
[14th
century. From Old French guider, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic
origin.]
—guid·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  guide, conduct, direct,
  lead, steer, usher
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  show somebody the way to somewhere guide;
  used to talk about a situation where somebody shows somebody else or a group
  of people the way somewhere, or gives a tour of a particular place. It is
  used especially when the person showing the way has personal knowledge of the
  place and is able to supply detailed information; conduct;
  used when the person showing the way has some kind of authority or
  specialized knowledge, for example, the guide in a museum; direct; used to talk about one person
  showing another the way somewhere, usually without going there with that
  person; lead; used to suggest that
  the person showing the way is out in front of the person or people being
  shown the way, and often implying that he or she is in charge or control; steer; used in a similar way to guide,
  especially to talk about showing somebody to a particular place or location; usher; used specifically to talk about
  showing somebody to a seat in a place such as a church, theater, or
  restaurant

[1]



guidebook

guidebook
guide·book 
[gd bk] (plural guide·books)
noun

tourists’ information book:
a book containing information for tourists about a country, area, city, or
institution[1]



guidedmissile

guidedmissile
guid·ed
mis·sile 
(plural guid·ed mis·siles) noun

steerable missile:
a self-propelled missile that can be steered in flight by remote control or by
an onboard homing device[1]



guidedog

guidedog
guide
dog
(plural guide dogs) noun

dog leading sightless person:
a dog trained to lead a sightless person[1]



guidefossil

guidefossil
guide
fos·sil
(plural guide fos·sils) noun

See
index fossil[1]



guideline

guideline
guide·line 
[gd ln] (plural guide·lines)
noun

1.  official
advice:
an official recommendation indicating how something should be done or what sort
of action should be taken in a particular circumstance

2.  line
marking correct position: a line that shows a correct
position, route, or alignment, for example a fine line printed as an aid to
lining up text or illustrations on a page

[1]



guidepost

guidepost
guide·post 
[gd pst] (plural guide·posts)
noun

1.  direction
sign:
a direction sign at a roadside

2.  guideline:
something that serves as an example or is recommended as a rule to live by

[1]



guiderope

guiderope
guide
rope
(plural guide ropes) noun

rope used to position
something: a rope attached to an object
or to another rope or cable and used to maneuver it into position or to steady
a load[1]



guideway

guideway
guide·way
[gd wày] (plural guide·ways) noun

groove directing movement:
a groove or channel that controls the direction in which a moving object
travels[1]



guideword

guideword
guide
word
(plural guide words) noun

word marking range of
material covered: a word printed at the
top of a page in a dictionary or other reference book, usually the first or
last entry for that page.
U.K. term
catchword[1]



guidinglight

guidinglight
guid·ing
light
(plural guid·ing lights) noun

example and inspiration:
somebody who or something that serves as a guide, example, or inspiration[1]



guidon

guidon
gui·don 
[g dòn, gd’n]
(plural gui·dons) noun

army
flag:
a regimental flag or pennant, or the soldier who carries it
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian guidone, from guida “guide.”][1]



guild

guild
guild 
[gild] (plural guilds) or
gild [gild] noun

1.  association
of people with similar interests: a club, society, or
other organization of people with common interests or goals

2.  medieval
trade association: an association of merchants
or craftspeople in medieval Europe, formed to give help and advice to its
members and to make regulations and set standards for a particular trade

3.  group
of organisms: a group of organisms that use the same
environmental resources in a similar way
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch gilde,
of the same prehistoric Germanic origin as German Geld “money.” Probably
named from the members’ subscriptions.]
—guild·ship, noun[1]



guilder

guilder
guil·der 
[gíldər] (plural guil·ders) noun

1.  currency
unit of Netherlands: the standard unit of
currency of the Netherlands, made up of 100 cents

2.  guilder
coin:
a coin worth one guilder

3.  old
coin:
a gold or silver coin formerly used as a unit of currency in Germany, Austria,
or the Netherlands
[15th century. Alteration of
Dutch gulden, literally “golden.”][1]



guildhall

guildhall
guild·hall 
[gíld hàwl] (plural guild·halls)
noun

guild’s meeting place:
the meeting place of a modern or medieval guild[1]



guildsman

guildsman
guilds·man 
[gíldzmən] (plural guilds·men
[gíldzmən]) noun

guild member:
a man who is member of a guild[1]



guildsocialism

guildsocialism
guild
so·cial·ism
noun

form
of socialism: a socialist movement in Great Britain in
the early 20th century advocating state ownership of industry but with each
branch managed by guilds of workers
—guild so·cial·ist, noun[1]



guildswoman

guildswoman
guilds·wo·man
(plural guilds·wo·men) noun

guild member:
a woman who is a member of a guild[1]



guile

guile
guile 
[gīl] noun

cunning
and deceitfulness: a cunning, deceitful, and
treacherous quality or type of behavior, or particular skill and cleverness in
tricking or deceiving people
[13th
century. Via Old French from Old Norse .]
—guile·ful,
adjective

—guile·ful·ly,
adverb

—guile·ful·ness, noun[1]



guileless

guileless
guile·less 
[gl ləss] adjective

naive
and trusting: having or showing no deceit or
expectation of being deceived
—guile·less·ly,
adverb

—guile·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naive

[1]



Guilford

Guilford
Guil·ford
[gílfərd]

town in southern Connecticut,
situated on Long Island Sound east of New Haven. Population: 19,848 (1990)[1]



guillemot

guillemot
guil·le·mot 
[gíllə mòt] (plural guil·le·mots)
noun

sea
bird:
a black-and-white or grayish narrow-billed diving sea bird of the auk family,
found in northern Atlantic and northern Pacific waters. Genera: Uria Cepphus
[Late 17th century. From French,
literally “little William,” perhaps from the custom of using male names such as
Robin for birds.][1]



guilloche

guilloche
guil·loche 
[gi lṓsh, gi yṓsh]
(plural guil·loches) noun

ARCHITECTURE decorative
border of interlaced bands: an ornamental border formed
by two or more interlaced bands around a series of interlocking circles
[19th century. From French,
of uncertain origin: possibly the personal name Guillaume “William.”][1]



guillotine

guillotine
guil·lo·tine 
[gíllə tn] noun (plural guil·lo·tines)

1.  machine
for beheading people: a machine for executing
people by beheading, consisting of a vertical wooden frame with grooves for a
heavy sliding blade to be dropped from a height onto a person’s neck. It became
famous for its use during the French Revolution.

2.  execution
by guillotine: execution by means of the guillotine

3.  instrument
for cutting metal or paper: a cutting instrument,
especially one for cutting sheet metal or paper, consisting of a platform with
a blade attached to one side that is pulled down like a lever

4.  U.K.
time
limit on legislative debate: a limit on the time
available for debate on a piece of legislation, designed to speed up
parliamentary proceedings and prevent opponents of the legislation from
obstructing its progress
transitive
verb
(past guil·lo·tined, past participle guil·lo·tined,
present participle guil·lo·tin·ing, 3rd person present
singular guil·lo·tines)

1.  behead
somebody:
to execute somebody using a guillotine

2.  cut
metal or paper with machine: to cut something such as
paper or sheet metal using a guillotine

3.  U.K.
limit
legislative debate: to set a time limit on the
discussion of a piece of legislation
[Late 18th century. Named for
the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738–1814), who suggested
its use as a more humane means of beheading in 1789.][1]



guilt

guilt
guilt 
[gilt] noun

1.  awareness
of wrongdoing: an awareness of having done wrong or
committed a crime, accompanied by feelings of shame and regret • feelings
of guilt

2.  fact
of wrongdoing: the fact of having committed a crime or
done wrong • an
admission of guilt

3.  responsibility
for wrongdoing: the responsibility for committing a
crime or doing wrong • Some
of the guilt must attach to the parents.

4.  LAW legal
culpability: the responsibility, as determined by a
court or other legal authority, for committing an offense that carries a legal
penalty
[Old English gylt, of
unknown origin][1]



guiltless

guiltless
guilt·less 
[gíltləss] adjective

not
to blame:
not responsible for a crime or wrongdoing, or not deserving blame or criticism
—guilt·less·ly,
adverb

—guilt·less·ness, noun[1]



guilttrip

guilttrip
guilt
trip
(plural guilt trips) noun

exaggerated guilty feelings:
an exaggerated feeling or display of shame and regret, usually lasting for a
considerable time (slang)[1]



guilty

guilty
guilt·y 
[gíltee] (comparative guilt·i·er,
superlative guilt·i·est) adjective

1.  responsible
for wrongdoing: responsible for a crime, wrong action,
or error and deserving punishment, blame, or criticism • He
was guilty of a serious error of judgment.

2.  LAW officially
found responsible for crime: found and declared
responsible for committing an offense by a court or other legal authority

3.  ashamed
of wrongdoing: aware of having done wrong or committed
a crime and regretful and ashamed about it • I
still feel guilty about having forgotten your birthday.

4.  showing
guilt:
indicating or suggesting that somebody feels guilt, has done wrong, or has
something to hide • a guilty look on his
face

5.  causing
guilt:
causing or likely to cause emotions of shame and regret • a
guilty secret
—guilt·i·ly,
adverb

—guilt·i·ness, noun[1]



guiltyconscience

guiltyconscience
guilt·y
con·science
(plural guilt·y con·sciences) noun

secret feelings of guilt:
a feeling of having done wrong, especially something that is hidden from others
or denied[1]



guimpe

guimpe
guimpe 
[gamp, gimp]
(plural guimpes) noun

1.  short
blouse:
a short blouse designed to be worn under a jumper or pinafore

2.  part
of nun’s habit: a starched cloth that covers the neck
and shoulders and is worn by some nuns as part of their habit

3.  See
gimp 1 noun
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Old French guimple “wimple.”][1]



Guin.

Guin.
Guin.

Abbreviation of
Guinea[1]



Guinea




Back to definition

Guinea

[1]



Guinea

Guinea



Guin·ea 
[gínnee]
republic
on the Atlantic coast in western Africa, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra
Leone. It became independent from France in 1958. Language: French. Currency:
Guinean franc. Capital: Conakry. Population: 7,405,375 (1997) Area: 245,857 sq
km/94,926 sq mi. Official name Republic of Guinea
—Guin·e·an, adjective,
noun[1]



guinea

guinea1
guin·ea1  [gínnee]
(plural guin·eas) noun

1.  old
unit of British currency: a gold coin worth 21
shillings (&pound;1.05) that was a British unit of currency between 1663
and 1813

2.  amount
equivalent to &pound;1.05: an amount equivalent
to &pound;1.05 or 21 shillings, the value of a guinea
[Mid-16th century. Because
they were first made for trade with the African country of Guinea and made from
Guinean gold.][1]



guinea

guinea2
guin·ea2  [gínnee]
(plural guin·eas) noun

offensive
term for Italian person: a highly offensive term
referring to an Italian person or a person of Italian descent (slang
offensive)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of the personal name “Gianni.”][1]



Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau



Guin·ea-Bis·sau 
[gìnni bi sów]
republic on the Atlantic coast in western
Africa, between Senegal and Guinea. It became independent from Portugal in
1974. Language: Portuguese. Currency: Guinea-Bissau peso. Capital: Bissau.
Population: 1,096,000 (1996) Area: 36,125 sq km/13,948 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Guinea-Bissau[1]



Guinea-Bissau




Back to definition

Guinea-Bissau

[1]



guineafowl

guineafowl


guin·ea
fowl
noun
plump
bird bred for food: a plump short-tailed bird
with a bare head and neck, typically black with white speckles, and related to
the pheasant. It is native to Africa, but bred worldwide for food. Subfamily:
Numidinae
[18th century. Named for the Guinea coast of Africa.][1]



guineagrass

guineagrass
guin·ea
grass
noun

grass
used as fodder: a tall grass, native to Africa but grown
in Central and South America and parts of the United States as animal fodder.
Latin name: Panicum maximum
[Mid-18th century. See guinea fowl .][1]



guineahen

guineahen
guin·ea
hen
(plural guin·ea hens) noun

female guinea fowl:
a female guinea fowl[1]



guineapig

guineapig
guin·ea
pig
(plural guin·ea pigs) noun

1.  rodent
kept as pet: a plump short-eared furry domesticated
rodent, native to South America, that is larger than a hamster, widely kept as
a pet, and used as a subject in scientific experiments. Latin name: Cavia
porcellus

2.  somebody
or something experimented on: somebody or something used
as the subject of an experiment, or used for any kind of test or trial
[17th century. Named for Guinea in Africa, probably from confusion with
Guiana in South America.][1]



guineaworm

guineaworm
guin·ea
worm
(plural guin·ea worms) noun

parasitic
worm:
a long thin worm, found in Africa and Asia, that lives as a parasite under the
skin of people and animals and can grow to several feet in length. Latin name: Dracunculus
medinensis
[Late 17th century. Named
after the Guinea coast of Africa.][1]



Guinevere

Guinevere
Guin·e·vere 
[gwínni veer] noun

legendary English queen:
in English legend, she was the wife of King Arthur and the lover of the knight
Sir Lancelot[1]



Guinness,Alec

Guinness,Alec
Guin·ness
[gínnəss], Sir Alec (1914– )

British actor. He won an
Academy Award for The Bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ). Among his
numerous other movie roles, he was identified particularly closely with John Le
Carré’s fictional hero George Smiley.[1]



guipure

guipure
gui·pure 
[gi pr] noun

heavy
lace:
a heavy large-patterned lace that is not made on a mesh base but joined
together by threads
[Mid-19th century. From
French guiper “to cover with cloth or yarn,” from, ultimately, a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to wind around.”][1]



guiro

guiro
gui·ro 
[gw r] (plural gui·ros) noun

gourd
scraped to make music: a musical instrument,
popular throughout Central and South America, made from a gourd with grooves
cut into its surface that creates a rasping sound when a stick is scraped
across it
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “gourd.”][1]



guise

guise
guise 
[gīz] (plural guises) noun

1.  deceptive
outward appearance: a false outward appearance • hiding
her treacherous intentions under the guise of friendship

2.  form
or appearance: a shape or form, especially a changed
one, in which something presents itself or is presented • old
ideas in a new guise

3.  costume:
a style of dress or personal appearance
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English wise “manner,” the original
sense in English .][1]



guitar

guitar


gui·tar 
[gi tr] (plural gui·tars) noun
stringed
musical instrument: a musical instrument with a
long neck, a flat body shaped like a figure eight, and usually six strings that
are plucked or strummed
[Early
17th century. Via Spanish guitarra from Greek kithara “cithara,”
an ancient musical instrument (source also of English zither ).]
—gui·tar·ist, noun[1]



guitarfish

guitarfish
gui·tar·fish 
[gi tr fìsh] (plural gui·tar·fish·es
or gui·tar·fish) noun

ray with guitar-shaped body:
a ray found in tropical and subtropical seas, with large curving pectoral fins
that give its body a guitar shape when seen from above. Family: Rhinobatidae[1]



Gujarat

Gujarat
Gu·ja·rat 
[gjjə rt]

state in western India,
bordered in the northwest by Pakistan and in the south and southwest by the
Arabian Sea. Capital: Gandhinagar. Population: 44,235,000 (1994) Area: 196,024
sq km/75,685 sq mi.[1]



Gujarati

Gujarati
Gu·ja·ra·ti 
[gjə rtee] (plural Gu·ja·ra·ti)
or Gu·je·ra·ti [gjə rtee] (plural
Gu·je·ra·ti) noun

1.  Indian
language:
a language spoken in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and in
southern parts of Pakistan. It belongs to the Indic group of the Indo-Iranian
branch of Indo-European. Gujarati is spoken by about 35 million people.

2.  member
of Indian people: a member of a people living mainly in
the Indian state of Gujarat
[Early
19th century. From Hindi .]
—Gu·ja·ra·ti, adjective[1]



gul

gul
gul 
[gool, gl]
(plural guls) noun

octagonal
rug design:
a large octagonal motif used in the patterns on Oriental rugs and resembling a
rose with straight-sided petals
[Early 20th century. From
Persian, “rose” (source also of English julep
.][1]



gulag

gulag
gu·lag 
[g lg] (plural gu·lags) noun

1.  political
prison in former USSR: a prison or labor camp in
the former Soviet Union, to which opponents of the government were sent

2.  prison
camp network in former USSR: the network of political
prisons and labor camps in the former Soviet Union

3.  former
Soviet department administering prisons: the
department of the former Soviet security service that was responsible for
running the network of political prisons

4.  prison
for dissenters: any place that dissenters are sent to,
or the isolating or imprisoning of dissenters
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, an acronym of Glavnoe upravlenie ispravitelno-trudovykh lagerei
“Chief Administration for Corrective Labor Camps.”][1]



gulch

gulch
gulch 
[gulch] (plural gulch·es) noun

ravine:
a small rocky ravine, especially one with a fast-flowing stream running through
it (often used in placenames)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete gulch “to gush.”][1]



gulden

gulden
gul·den 
[gldən] (plural gul·dens or
gul·den) noun

See
guilder
[Late 19th century. From
German and Dutch (source of English guilder
), “golden.”][1]



gules

gules
gules 
[gyoolz] noun

red
in heraldry: the color red on a coat of arms
[14th century. From Old
French go(u)les “red fur neckpiece,” a plural use of go(u)le (see
gullet ).][1]



Gulf

Gulf
Gulf 
[gulf]

county on the northwestern
coast of Florida. Population: 11,504 (1990) Area: 1,463 sq km/565 sq mi.[1]



gulf

gulf
gulf 
[gulf] (plural gulfs) noun

1.  inlet
of sea:
a large inlet of a sea similar to a bay but often longer and more enclosed by
land (often used in placenames) • the
Gulf of Mexico

2.  wide
hole:
a deep wide hole in the ground

3.  vast
difference:
a great difference, for example, in points of view, regarded as dividing or
separating people or groups
[14th century. Via French golfe
from, ultimately, Greek kolfos, originally “bosom,” hence “bag, trough
between waves, abyss.”][1]



Gulfport

Gulfport
Gulf·port 
[gúlf pawrt]

1.  city
in Pinellas County, west central Florida, a suburb of St. Petersburg.
Population: 11,727 (1990)

2.  city
and port in Harrison County, southeastern Mississippi, situated on the Gulf of
Mexico. Population: 40,775 (1990)

[1]



GulfStates

GulfStates
Gulf
States
noun

1.  oil-producing
countries bordering Persian Gulf: the countries that
border the Persian Gulf, considered as an economic or geopolitical unit,
especially as oil producers. The Gulf States include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

2.  U.S.
states bordering Gulf of Mexico: the states of the
southern United States that border the Gulf of Mexico, including Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas

[1]



GulfStream

GulfStream
Gulf
Stream
[gúlf streem]

warm current of the Atlantic
Ocean, originating in the Gulf of Mexico and flowing northeastward along the
coast of North America toward Newfoundland[1]



GulfWar

GulfWar
Gulf
War
noun

1.  conflict
in Gulf involving U.S. forces: the war that took
place in the Persian Gulf between United Nations forces and Iraq, following the
invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990. Fighting took place in January and
February 1991 and resulted in the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait.

2.  See
Iran-Iraq War

[1]



GulfWar syndrome

GulfWar syndrome
Gulf
War syn·drome noun

illness suffered by Gulf War
veterans: a group of medical symptoms,
including fatigue, skin disorders, and muscle pains, experienced by some
soldiers who fought in the Gulf War of 1991. These conditions are believed by
some people to have been caused by exposure to pesticides, vaccines, and chemical
and biological warfare agents.[1]



gulfweed

gulfweed
gulf·weed
[gúlf wd] noun

floating brown seaweed:
a brown seaweed that forms thick floating masses in tropical Atlantic waters.
Genus: Sargassum
Also called
sargasso
Also called
sargassum[1]



gull

gull1

gull1 [gul]
(plural gulls) noun
sea
bird:
a fairly large web-footed white-and-gray sea bird with a yellow beak. Gulls are
the commonest birds in coastal North America and Europe. Genus: Larus
Also
called
seagull
[15th
century. From Celtic .]
—gull·er·y, noun[1]



gull

gull2
gull2 [gul]
transitive verb (past gulled, past participle gulled,
present participle gull·ing, 3rd person present singular gulls)

deceive:
to trick or deceive somebody (often passive)
noun
(plural gulls)

a
dupe:
somebody who is easily deceived
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Gullah

Gullah
Gul·lah 
[gúllə] (plural Gul·lahs or
Gul·lah) noun

1.  African
Americans of SE U.S. coast: a member of a people of
African descent who live along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and
northern Florida, and on the neighboring Sea Islands

2.  creole
language of Gullah people: the creole language of the
Gullah people. It is a form of English that has been influenced by several West
African languages in its vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammatical structure.
About 300,000 people speak Gullah.
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Angola or from Gola, a
people of Sierra Leone and Liberia.]
—Gul·lah, adjective[1]



gullet

gullet
gul·let 
[gúllət] (plural gul·lets) noun

1.  throat:
the esophagus or throat

2.  indentation
in a protozoan: a groove or indentation in the
protoplasm of certain protozoans that has a function in the intake of food
[14th century. From Old
French goulet, literally “little throat,” from go(u)le “throat,”
from Latin gula (source also of English glutton
).][1]



gullible

gullible
gul·li·ble 
[gúlləb’l] adjective

easily
duped:
tending to trust and believe people, and therefore easily tricked or deceived
[Early
19th century. Formed from gull 2 .]
—gul·li·bil·i·ty
[gùllə bíllətee], noun

—gul·li·bly [gúlləblee], adverb[1]



gullwing

gullwing
gull·wing 
[gúl wìng] adjective

upward-opening:
hinged at the top and opening upward (refers to a type of car door)
noun

upward-slanting aircraft
wing: an aircraft wing in which
the section attached to the fuselage slants upward and the outer section is
horizontal, or an aircraft with such a wing[1]



gully

gully
gul·ly
[gúllee] noun (plural gul·lies)

1.  small
valley:
a channel or small valley, especially one carved out by persistent heavy
rainfall

2.  narrow
mountain passage: a narrow passage between two rocky
slopes on a mountain

3.  channel
made for water: a gutter, open drain, or other
artificial channel for water, especially one at a roadside
intransitive
and transitive verb (past gul·lied,
past participle gul·lied, present participle gul·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular gul·lies)

cut out channels:
to wear away channels in land or soil, or be worn into channels, by heavy
rainfall
[Mid-17th century. From
French goulet (see gullet ).][1]



gullywasher

gullywasher
gul·ly·wash·er
[gúlli wòshər, gúllee
wàwshər] noun

heavy rain:
a heavy rain or its runoffs (informal)[1]



gulosity

gulosity
gu·los·i·ty 
[gyoo lóssətee] noun

gluttony:
gluttony or greed (archaic)
[15th century. From late
Latin gulositas from, ultimately, Latin gula “throat, appetite.”][1]



gulp

gulp
gulp 
[gulp] verb (past gulped,
past participle gulped, present participle gulp·ing,
3rd person present singular gulps)

1.  transitive
verb
swallow
fast:
to swallow something greedily, hurriedly, or frantically, taking in large
amounts at a time • She gulped down her
coffee and grabbed her coat.

2.  intransitive
verb
gasp:
to gasp or choke

3.  intransitive
verb
make
swallowing motion: to make a swallowing
movement with the throat, especially because of being frightened or nervous • He
gulped and looked around nervously for the exit.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
swallowing sound: to make a loud swallowing sound with the
throat, especially because of drinking too fast
noun
(plural gulps)

1.  swallowing
motion or sound: a swallowing movement or noise made with
the throat

2.  amount
swallowed:
a quantity of something, especially drink, consumed in one large swallow
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch gulpen “to
swallow, guzzle.”]
—gulp·er,
noun

—gulp·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gulpback

gulpback
gulp
back
transitive verb

suppress tears or sobs:
to attempt to stifle tears or sobs[1]



gum

gum1
gum1 [gum]
noun (plural gums)

1.  BOTANY sticky
plant substance that hardens: a sticky substance found
inside some plants, especially trees, that hardens when it is exposed to air
and dissolves when put in water

2.  BOTANY any
sticky plant substance: any sticky substance found
inside plants, for example, resins

3.  something
sticky:
any sticky substance or deposit

4.  INDUSTRY adhesive:
glue made from or containing a sticky plant substance, or any soft synthetic
glue used for sticking paper or other lightweight materials

5.  PLANTS tree
producing gum: any of numerous trees that produce gum.
Genera: Eucalyptus Liquidambar Nyssa

6.  chewing
gum:
chewing gum (informal)
transitive
verb
(past gummed, past participle gummed, present
participle gum·ming, 3rd person present singular gums)

stick something to something else:
to stick something to something else, with or without gum or glue
[14th century. Via Old French
gomme, from, ultimately, Greek kommi, from Egyptian kemai
.][1]



gum

gum2
gum2 [gum]
noun (plural gums)

flesh
around teeth: the firm flesh that surrounds the roots
of the teeth (often used in the plural)
transitive
verb

eat
without teeth: to be without teeth and chew food with
the gums (informal)
[Old English goma, of uncertain
origin][1]



gum

gum1
gum1 [gum]
noun (plural gums)

1.  BOTANY sticky
plant substance that hardens: a sticky substance found
inside some plants, especially trees, that hardens when it is exposed to air
and dissolves when put in water

2.  BOTANY any
sticky plant substance: any sticky substance found
inside plants, for example, resins

3.  something
sticky:
any sticky substance or deposit

4.  INDUSTRY adhesive:
glue made from or containing a sticky plant substance, or any soft synthetic
glue used for sticking paper or other lightweight materials

5.  PLANTS tree
producing gum: any of numerous trees that produce gum.
Genera: Eucalyptus Liquidambar Nyssa

6.  chewing
gum:
chewing gum (informal)
transitive
verb
(past gummed, past participle gummed, present
participle gum·ming, 3rd person present singular gums)

stick something to something else:
to stick something to something else, with or without gum or glue
[14th century. Via Old French
gomme, from, ultimately, Greek kommi, from Egyptian kemai
.][1]



gumaccroides

gumaccroides
gum
ac·croi·des 
noun

See
acaroid gum[1]



gumammoniac

gumammoniac
gum
am·mo·ni·ac
noun

See
ammoniac[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gumarabic

gumarabic
gum
a·ra·bic
noun

sticky
substance from acacia tree: a sticky substance taken
from some acacia trees and used as an ingredient in adhesives, confectionery,
and medicines.
Also
called
gum acacia
[Because the trees that
produce it grow in the Middle East and near Arabia][1]



gumball

gumball
gum·ball 
[gúm bàwl] (plural gum·balls) noun

ball of candy-coated chewing
gum: a ball of chewing gum coated
with a thin candy shell, bought from a machine[1]



Gumbo

Gumbo
Gum·bo
noun

French
patois:
a French patois that incorporates aspects of African languages and is spoken in
parts of Louisiana and the French West Indies
—Gum·bo, adjective[1]



gumbo

gumbo
gum·bo 
[gúm b] (plural gum·bos) noun

1.  FOOD thick
stew with okra: a stew of fish, poultry, or meat that
has been thickened with okra.
Also
called
okra

2.  PLANTS See okra  noun 2
See okra  noun 1

3.  sticky
soil:
silty soil that turns very sticky and muddy when it becomes wet, and is found
throughout the central United States

4.  mixture:
a mixture or hodgepodge (informal) • The
band played a gumbo of Cajun, zydeco, and jazz music.
[Early 19th century. From
Louisiana French gombo, of African, probably Bantu origin.][1]



gumboil

gumboil
gum·boil 
[gúm bòyl] (plural gum·boils) noun

mouth abscess:
an abscess on the gum, especially near the root of a decayed tooth[1]



gumbo-limbo

gumbo-limbo
gum·bo-lim·bo 
noun

American
tree yielding reddish resin: a deciduous tree with small
white flowers that is found in Florida, Central America, and the West Indies
and produces the reddish aromatic resin elemi, used in varnishes and ointments.
Latin name: Bursera simaruba
[Mid-19th century. “-limbo”
of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of elemi
“resin,” or perhaps from a Bantu language.][1]



gumboot

gumboot
gum
boot
(plural gum boots) noun

waterproof boot:
a waterproof boot made of rubber or plastic, especially one coming to just
below the knee[1]



gumdrop

gumdrop
gum·drop 
[gúm dròp] (plural gum·drops) noun

fruit-flavored candy:
a chewy fruit-flavored candy coated with sugar[1]



gumma

gumma
gum·ma 
[gúmmə] (plural gum·ma·ta [gúmmətə] or gum·mas) noun

syphilitic
tumor:
a rubbery tumor that can occur in the tertiary stage of syphilis.
Also
called
syphiloma
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin, from, ultimately, Greek kommi (see gum 1 ).]
—gum·ma·tous, adjective[1]



gummite

gummite
gum·mite 
[gú mt] noun

mixture
of uranium oxides: a brownish-yellow to orange
mixture of naturally occurring hydrated oxides of uranium, thorium, and lead
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from gum 1 (because of
its appearance) + -ite .][1]



gummosis

gummosis
gum·mo·sis 
[gə mṓssiss] noun

tree’s
excessive gum production: the production of too much
gum by a tree, especially a fruit tree, as a result of infection, a wound, or
adverse weather
[Late 19th century. Coined
from gum 1 + -osis .][1]



gummous

gummous
gum·mous 
[gúmməss] adjective

1.  resembling
gum:
sticky like the gum from a tree

2.  having
gum:
containing gum

[1]



gummy

gummy2
gum·my2  [gúmmee]
(comparative gum·mi·er, superlative gum·mi·est) adjective

with
only the gums showing: with only the gums showing,
but no teeth, usually because the person concerned has no teeth
—gum·mi·ly, adverb[1]



gummy

gummy1
gum·my1  [gúmmee]
(comparative gum·mi·er, superlative gum·mi·est) adjective

1.  sticky
like gum:
like gum, especially in being sticky or thick and slow-flowing

2.  stuck
or blocked with gum: covered, clogged, or stuck
together with a sticky substance of some kind
—gum·mi·ness, noun[1]



gump

gump
gump
[gump] intransitive verb

muddle
through:
to muddle through difficult situations thanks to a series of lucky chances
[Late
20th century. From the 1994 movie Forrest Gump .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Forrest
  Gump, a movie by Robert Zemeckis ( 1994 ). It is the sentimental tale of a
  mentally challenged boy who grows up to become a sports star, war hero, and
  successful businessman thanks to his uncomplicated worldview, traditional
  moral values, and uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.

[1]



gumplant

gumplant
gum
plant
(plural gum plants) noun

plant with sticky flowers or
leaves: a yellow-flowered North
American plant with sticky flower heads or leaves. Genus: Grindelia[1]



gumption

gumption
gump·tion 
[gúmpshən] noun (informal)

1.  courage
to act:
the courage to take what action is needed • He
wouldn’t have the gumption to say so, even if he disagreed.

2.  common
sense:
practical common sense and presence of mind • Luckily,
he had the gumption to call the police.
[Early 18th century.
Originally Scots, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from obsolete gome
“attention, heed,” of Scandinavian origin.][1]



gumresin

gumresin
gum
res·in
noun

natural mixture of gum and
resin: a naturally occurring
mixture of gum and resin taken from some plants and trees, for example, the
yellow pigment gamboge[1]



gumshield

gumshield
gumshield
[gúm shld] (plural gumshields)
noun

U.K.
See mouth guard[1]



gumshoe

gumshoe
gum·shoe 
[gúm sh] (plural gum·shoes) noun

detective:
a detective, especially a private investigator (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Originally in the sense “galosh”; the modern meaning arose from the idea of
moving with stealth, as if wearing gumshoes.][1]



gumtree

gumtree
gum
tree
(plural gum trees) noun

tree producing gum:
any of numerous trees that produce gum. Genera: Eucalyptus Liquidambar
Nyssa[1]



gumturpentine

gumturpentine
gum
tur·pen·tine noun

See
turpentine[1]



gumup

gumup
gum
up
transitive verb

obstruct
with sticky substance: to block or immobilize
something with a sticky substance that prevents parts from moving • eyes
all gummed up
gum
up the works

to bring everything to a
halt, usually by being obstructive or incompetent (informal)[1]



gumwood

gumwood
gum·wood 
[gúm wd] noun

wood of gum tree:
wood from any gum tree, especially a eucalyptus tree[1]



gun

gun
gun 
[gun] noun (plural guns)

1.  weapon
that fires bullets: a weapon, from a small
handheld pistol to a large piece of artillery, with a metal tube through which
bullets or missiles are fired by an explosive charge

2.  device
that fires something: any tool or instrument that
forces something out under pressure

3.  shot
from gun:
a shot fired from a gun, for example, as a military salute or a signal for a
race to begin, or the sound of the shot • Wait
for the gun.

4.  somebody
with gun:
somebody who is armed with a gun (informal) • the
fastest gun in the West

5.  gas
pedal:
a vehicle’s gas pedal (informal) • Give
it the gun.

6.  hunter:
a member of a party of hunters armed with shotguns
transitive
verb
(past gunned, past participle gunned, present participle
gun·ning, 3rd person present singular guns)

press throttle:
to rev up an engine (informal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a pet form of the Scandinavian female
name Gunnhildr (itself from gunnr “battle” + hildr “war”), from
the custom of giving women’s names to weapons.]
go
great guns

to
be working, operating, or doing something at great speed or very effectively
and successfully

jump
the gun

1.  to
start a race before the starting gun goes off

2.  to
act prematurely

stick
to your guns

to
refuse to change your plans or opinions even though under attack

with
(both) guns blazing

in
a determined aggressive way

[1]



gunboat

gunboat
gun·boat 
[gún bt] (plural gun·boats) noun

small ship fitted with guns:
a small fast ship with large guns mounted on it, used for example by the Coast
Guard[1]



gunboatdiplomacy

gunboatdiplomacy
gun·boat
di·plo·ma·cy noun

diplomacy using threat of
attack: negotiations between nations
that involve threats to use military force[1]



guncarriage

guncarriage
gun
car·riage
(plural gun car·riages) noun

wheeled mount for artillery
gun: a platform with wheels on
which a large military gun is mounted and transported or on which a coffin is
laid during state funerals[1]



guncontrol

guncontrol
gun
con·trol
noun

law controlling gun
ownership: legal measures to control,
license, review, put conditions on, or restrict the ownership of firearms by
members of the public[1]



guncotton

guncotton
gun·cot·ton 
[gùn kótt’n] noun

See
nitrocellulose[1]



gundeck

gundeck
gun
deck
(plural gun decks) noun

warship’s deck with cannons:
a deck of an old-fashioned sailing warship, below the main deck, where the
cannons were situated[1]



gundog

gundog
gun
dog
(plural gun dogs) noun

1.  hunter’s
or gamekeeper’s dog: a dog trained to find game
and to bring back any game shot by a hunter or gamekeeper

2.  dog
of hunting breed: a dog of a breed such as a pointer that
is traditionally regarded as suitable for training as a hunter’s or
gamekeeper’s dog

[1]



gundown

gundown
gun
down
transitive verb

shoot:
to shoot and kill or severely injure somebody (informal)[1]



gunfight

gunfight
gun·fight 
[gún ft] (plural gun·fights) noun

fight
between people with guns: a fight between two or more
people armed with handguns, especially in the days of the Wild West
—gun·fight·er, noun[1]



gunfire

gunfire
gun·fire 
[gún fr] noun

shots from gun:
shots fired from a gun or guns, or the sound of shots[1]



gunflint

gunflint
gun·flint 
[gún flìnt] (plural gun·flints)
noun

flint used as gunpowder
igniter: a small piece of flint that
ignites the gunpowder in an old-fashioned flintlock gun[1]



gunfor

gunfor
gun
for
transitive verb (informal)

1.  intend
to harm:
to set out to attack or criticize somebody, or bring about somebody’s downfall

2.  intend
to get:
to plan or intend to get something for yourself • She’s
gunning for a position in the Paris office.

[1]



gunge

gunge
gunge 
[gunj] noun

U.K.
sticky
substance:
an unpleasantly sticky, slimy, or messy semi-liquid substance (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps thought to suggest stickiness, or perhaps a
blend of goo and sponge
.]
—gungy, adjective[1]



gungho

gungho
gung
ho 
adjective (informal) (hyphenated when used before a noun)

1.  very
enthusiastic: extremely or excessively enthusiastic or
eager

2.  wanting
to fight:
eager to fight, especially in a military conflict
[Mid-20th century. From
Mandarin Chinese honghé, literally “work together” (a motto of the U.S.
marines in Asia in World War II), a shortening of gōngyèhézuòshè
“Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society.”][1]



gunite

gunite
gun·ite 
[gú nt] noun

sprayed
concrete material: a concrete building material
that is sprayed from a high-pressure gun onto a mold, or over reinforced
concrete or steel in light construction
[Early 20th century. Coined
from gun + -ite,
originally as a trademark.][1]



gunk

gunk
gunk 
[gunk] noun

greasy
stuff:
a greasy messy near-solid mass (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Originally the trademark of a degreasing solvent, probably thought to
suggest lumpy grease.]
—gunk·y, adjective[1]



gunlap

gunlap
gun
lap
(plural gun laps) noun

last lap of race:
in track, the last lap of a race, sometimes signaled by the firing of a gun,
more often by the ringing of a bell, as the lead runner begins it[1]



gunlobby

gunlobby
gun
lob·by
noun

supporters of unrestricted
gun ownership: lobbyist groups who
argue for the right of ordinary members of the public to buy and own guns, and
who resist legislative attempts to put conditions on the ownership and
availability of firearms and ammunition[1]



gunlock

gunlock
gun·lock 
[gún lòk] (plural gun·locks) noun

gun ignition mechanism:
the mechanism by which the gunpowder charge was exploded in early types of gun,
such as flintlock, matchlock, or wheel lock[1]



gunman

gunman
gun·man 
[gúnmən] (plural gun·men [gúnmən]) noun

1.  man
with gun:
a man armed with a gun, especially a criminal or an assassin

2.  skillful
shooter:
a man skilled in firing guns

[1]



gunmetal

gunmetal
gun·met·al 
[gún mètt’l] noun

1.  gray
bronze for cannons: a dark gray bronze formerly
used to make cannons

2.  any
dark gray metal: any of various dark gray alloys formerly
widely used to make household and industrial items and especially children’s
toys

3.  gun·met·al
or gun·met·al gray COLORS
dark
gray color:
a dark gray color with a tinge of blue
—gun·met·al-gray, adjective[1]



Gunneffect

Gunneffect
Gunn
ef·fect 
[gún i fèkt] noun

microwave
oscillation in a semiconductor: in a semiconductor,
the microwave oscillation produced by a steady electric field that is larger
than the normal threshold value
[Mid-20th century. Named for
J.B. Gunn, (1928-), an Egyptian-born British physicist.][1]



gunnel

gunnel1
gun·nel1 (plural gun·nels)
noun

See
gunwale[1]



gunnel

gunnel2
gun·nel2 [gúnn’l]
(plural gun·nels or gun·nel) noun

fish
similar to an eel: a small fish that is similar
to an eel and is found in coastal areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Family: Pholidae
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



gunner

gunner
gun·ner 
[gúnnər] (plural gun·ners) noun

1.  soldier
who fires large gun: a soldier who operates a
large gun

2.  NCO
with gun-related responsibilities: a warrant officer in
the United States Marines or the British navy who is responsible for training
gun operators and running the ammunition stores

3.  artillery
soldier:
a soldier in an artillery regiment, especially a private

[1]



gunnera

gunnera
gun·ner·a 
[gúnnərə] (plural gun·ner·as) noun

large-leafed
plant:
a tropical plant with huge leaves that resemble the leaves of a palm,
especially a gigantic South American variety. Genus: Gunnera
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the Norwegian botanist J.E. Gunnerus,
(1718–1773).][1]



gunnery

gunnery
gun·ner·y 
[gúnnəree] noun

1.  science
of guns and their use: the knowledge and techniques
involved in the effective use of guns or in their design and construction

2.  use
of guns:
the use of guns, especially of large guns in battle

[1]



gunnerysergeant

gunnerysergeant
gun·ner·y
ser·geant
(plural gun·ner·y ser·geants) noun

non-commissioned officer in
U.S. Marines: a noncommissioned
officer in the U.S. Marines, equivalent to an Army sergeant first class[1]



gunny

gunny
gun·ny 
[gúnnee] (plural gun·nies) noun

1.  coarse
cloth:
coarse jute or hemp cloth, commonly used for making sacks

2.  See
gunnysack
[Early 18th century. From
Hindi gonī .][1]



gunnysack

gunnysack
gun·ny·sack 
[gúnni sàk] (plural gun·ny·sacks)
noun

coarse cloth sack:
a sack made from coarse jute or hemp.
U.K. term
gunny  noun 2[1]



gunplay

gunplay
gun·play 
[gún plày] noun

shooting of guns:
the shooting of guns, especially by armed criminals[1]



gunpoint

gunpoint
gun·point 
[gún pòynt] noun

gunmuzzle:
the muzzle of a firearm
at
gunpoint

under the threat of being
shot and killed if orders are not obeyed[1]



gunpowder

gunpowder
gun·pow·der 
[gún pòwdər] noun

explosive powder:
an explosive mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur, formerly used
as the charge in firearms, and still used in fireworks and other explosives,
for example, in quarry blasting[1]



GunpowderPlot

GunpowderPlot
Gunpowder
Plot
noun

plot to blow up the British
parliament: a conspiracy by a group of
Roman Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, to blow up the British parliament in
1605[1]



gunpowdertea

gunpowdertea
gun·pow·der
tea
noun

Chinese green tea:
a kind of Chinese green tea with individual leaves rolled into small pellets[1]



gunroom

gunroom
gun·room 
[gún rm, gún
rm] (plural gun·rooms) noun

1.  room
for guns:
a room in a house where guns are kept, especially shotguns

2.  navy
officers’ quarters: the quarters of midshipmen
and junior officers on a ship in the British navy

[1]



gunrunning

gunrunning
gun·run·ning
[gún rùnning] noun

smuggling
of guns:
the smuggling of illegal arms into a country, usually in order to supply
terrorist or insurrectionist organizations
—gun·run·ner, noun[1]



gunsel

gunsel
gun·sel 
[gúns’l] (plural gun·sels) noun
(slang)

1.  armed
thug:
a thug or criminal, especially one who carries a gun

2.  young
homosexual supported by a man: a homosexual young man
who is living with and supported by an older man
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish gendzel from German Gänslein “gosling.”][1]



gunship

gunship
gun·ship 
[gún shìp] (plural gun·ships) noun

aircraft fitted with guns:
a military aircraft, usually a helicopter, that is fitted with guns for
intrinsic use against ground targets[1]



gunshot

gunshot
gun·shot 
[gún shòt] (plural gun·shots) noun

1.  gun’s
noise:
the sound of a gun being fired

2.  bullets
fired:
bullets or shot fired from a gun

3.  gun’s
range:
the maximum distance that a bullet fired from a gun can travel

[1]



gun-shy

gun-shy
gun-shy 
adjective

1.  timid:
extremely cautious, timid, or wary of taking risks

2.  scared
of guns:
afraid of guns or the noise they make when fired

[1]



gunslinger

gunslinger
gun·sling·er 
[gún slìngər] (plural gun·sling·ers)
noun

armed
fighter:
an armed fighter or criminal, especially in the frontier days of the Wild West
(informal)
—gun·sling·ing, noun[1]



gunsmith

gunsmith
gun·smith 
[gún smìth] (plural gun·smiths)
noun

maker or seller of guns:
somebody who makes and repairs firearms, or sells them in a store[1]



gunstock

gunstock
gun·stock 
[gún stòk] (plural gun·stocks)
noun

handle of a rifle:
the shaped wooden or metal handle of a rifle that is pressed against the
shoulder when the rifle is being fired[1]



gunwale

gunwale
gun·wale
[gúnn’l] (plural gun·wales) noun

ledge
around ship: the top edge of a ship’s sides that
forms a ledge around the whole ship above the deck (often used in the plural)

Also
called
gunnel
[15th century. From gun + wale “strip, stripe” (from Old English walu
); because it was used in the past to support guns.][1]



GuoXi

GuoXi
Guo
Xi
[gw sh] (lived 1060–1075)

Chinese artist. He is noted
for his large landscape murals and scrolls.[1]



guppy

guppy
gup·py 
[gúppee] (plural gup·pies) noun

small
brightly colored fish: a small freshwater fish with
a brightly colored tail, native to the West Indies and South America, that is
popular in aquariums and produces live young, rather than eggs. Latin name: Poecilia
reticulata
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Reverend R. J. Lechmere Guppy (1836–1916), who sent the first
specimen from Trinidad to the British Museum.][1]



Gupta

Gupta
Gup·ta 
[gptə] noun

Indian
dynasty:
an Indian dynasty of the 3rd to 6th centuries that established a loose empire
in much of the subcontinent
[Late 19th century. Named for
Chandragupta, the dynasty’s founder.][1]



Gur

Gur
Gur
[goor] noun

branch
of Niger-Congo family of languages: a
group of around about 70 languages, including Mossi, Dagomba, and Mamprusi,
spoken in western parts of Central Africa. It is a branch of the Niger-Congo
family of African languages. About 10 million people speak one of the languages
classified as being in the Gur group.
—Gur, adjective[1]



gurdwara

gurdwara
gur·dwa·ra 
[goor dwrə] (plural gur·dfwa·ras)
noun

Sikh
place of worship: a Sikh temple or other place of worship
where Sikh scriptures are kept
[Early 20th century. From
Punjabi gurduārā .][1]



gurgitation

gurgitation
gur·gi·ta·tion 
[gùrji táysh’n] (plural gur·gi·ta·tions)
noun

swirling
of liquid:
the swirling or surging movement of liquid flowing fast (literary)
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin gurgitare “to engulf,” from Latin gurges “whirlpool.”][1]



gurgle

gurgle

gur·gle 
[gúrg’l] verb (past gur·gled,
past participle gur·gled, present participle gur·gling,
3rd person present singular gur·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
bubbling noise: to make the deep bubbling noise that
liquid makes when it is poured from a bottle

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
bubbling water sound: to make a bubbling sound in
the throat, or to say something with a bubbling sound
noun (plural
gur·gles)

gurgling sound:
the sound or act of gurgling
[Mid-16th
century. Via assumed Vulgar Latin gurguliare from Latin gurgulio
“gullet” (source of English gorge and
regurgitate ).]
—gur·gling·ly, adverb[1]



Gurkha

Gurkha
Gur·kha 
[gúrkə] (plural Gur·kha or
Gur·khas) noun

1.  member
of Hindu people: a member of a Hindu people living mainly
in Nepal, with small communities in Bhutan

2.  Gurkha
in army:
a Gurkha serving in the British or Indian army
[Early
19th century. From Nepalese Gurkha, a place name.]
—Gur·kha, adjective[1]



gurnard

gurnard
gur·nard 
[gúrnərd] (plural gur·nards or
gur·nard) noun

1.  fish
with spiny fins: a widely distributed spiny-finned marine
fish with an armored head and sets of pectoral fins modified for crawling on
the sea bottom. Family: Triglidae

2.  See
flying gurnard
[14th century. From Old
French gornart, from, ultimately, Latin grunnire “to grunt,” from
the sound it makes when caught.][1]



gurney

gurney
gur·ney 
[gúrnee] (plural gur·neys) noun

wheeled
hospital stretcher: a wheeled stretcher for
transporting hospital patients.
U.K.
term
trolley
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for J.T. Gurney of Boston who patented a new
cab design in 1883. Originally used for a type of cab.][1]



guru

guru
gu·ru 
[g r] (plural gu·rus) noun

1.  Hindu
or Sikh religious teacher: in Hinduism and Sikhism, a
religious leader or teacher

2.  leader
of religious group: a spiritual leader of or
intellectual guide for a religious group or movement especially one being
described as non-mainstream

3.  somebody
influential: somebody who is prominent and
influential in a specific field and sets a trend or starts a movement • a
meeting of the world’s software gurus

4.  individual’s
revered teacher and counselor: a teacher or counselor
in spiritual or intellectual matters who is especially revered and followed by
an individual
[Early 17th century. From
Sanskrit, “elder, teacher.”][1]



GuruNanak Jananti

GuruNanak Jananti
Gu·ru
Na·nak Ja·nan·ti [groo nnək
jə nntee] noun

INDIAN
RELIGION an annual Hindu festival
held on the anniversary of the birthday of Guru Nanak[1]



gusano

gusano
gu·sa·no 
[g snō, g z
nō] noun

anti-Castro Cuban:
a Cuban, usually living in exile, who is opposed to the regime of Fidel Castro[1]



gush

gush
gush 
[gush] intransitive and transitive verb
(past gushed, past participle gushed, present
participle gush·ing, 3rd person present singular gush·es)

1.  flow
out fast:
to flow out, or to send a liquid out, rapidly and in large quantities

2.  speak,
behave, or say effusively: to speak or behave in an
extremely or exaggeratedly enthusiastic, affectionate, or sentimental way • “Your
children are simply delightful!”, she gushed.
noun
(plural gush·es)

1.  flow
of liquid:
a fast or copious flow of liquid from somewhere

2.  emotional
outburst:
an outburst of overenthusiastic or overemotional speech or behavior
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of liquid
gushing.]
—gush·ing,
adjective

—gush·ing·ly, adverb[1]



gusher

gusher
gush·er 
[gúshər] (plural gush·ers) noun

1.  free-flowing
oil well:
an oil well from which oil flows freely and in large amounts, without having to
be pumped

2.  effusive
person:
somebody who tends to speak or behave in an exaggeratedly emotional or
enthusiastic way

[1]



gushy

gushy
gush·y 
[gúshee] (comparative gush·i·er,
superlative gush·i·est) adjective

effusive:
characterized by overenthusiastic or overemotional speech or behavior
—gush·i·ly,
adverb

—gush·i·ness, noun[1]



gusset

gusset
gus·set 
[gússət] noun (plural gus·sets)

1.  inset
piece of fabric: a piece of fabric, usually triangular in
shape, inserted in a garment where added strength or freedom of movement is
needed

2.  flat
plate reinforcing a joint: a flat, often triangular
plate, usually of steel or plywood, used to connect and reinforce a joint where
several members meet at different angles, for example, in a pitched roof

3.  chain
mail at an armor joint: a section of chain mail
protecting the unarmored joints of a suit of armor
transitive
verb
(past gus·set·ed, past participle gus·set·ed, present
participle gus·set·ing, 3rd person present singular gus·sets)

fit something with a gusset:
to fit a garment, a wooden joint, or a suit of armor with a gusset
[14th century. From French gousset,
literally “little pod,” from gousse “pod, shell,” of unknown origin.][1]



gussyup

gussyup
gussy
up
[gússee up] (past gussied up, past
participle gussied up, present participle gussying up,
3rd person present singular gussies up) transitive verb

dress
or decorate fancily: to dress somebody in fancy
clothes, or decorate something elaborately (informal) (often passive)
• all
gussied up in a frilly dress • The
city was gussied up for the visit of the mayor.
[Mid-20th century. Gussy of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Australian slang gussie “an effeminate
man,” a pet form of the male first name Augustus .][1]



gust

gust
gust
[gust] noun (plural gusts)

1.  burst
of wind:
a sudden violent rush of wind

2.  emotional
outburst:
an outburst of emotion such as anger
intransitive
verb
(past gust·ed, past participle gust·ed, present
participle gust·ing, 3rd person present singular gusts)

blow in bursts:
to blow, or be blown by the wind, in sudden violent bursts
[Late 16th century. From Old
Norse gustr, from gjósa “to gush.”][1]



gustation

gustation
gus·ta·tion 
[gu stáysh’n] noun

tasting:
the action of tasting, or the sense or faculty of taste (formal)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from the Latin stem gustation-, from gustare “to
taste.”][1]



gustatory

gustatory
gus·ta·to·ry 
[gústə tàwree] or gus·ta·to·ri·al
[gùstə táwree əl] adjective

of
taste or tasting: relating to the sense of taste or to the
action or experience of tasting something (formal)
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin gustare (see gustation
).]
—gus·ta·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



GustavoA. Madero

GustavoA. Madero
Gu·stav·o
A. Ma·der·o 
[g stvō aa mə dérrō]

city in south central Mexico,
near Mexico City. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the Mexican War was
signed here in 1848. Population: 1,268,068 (1990) Former name Guadalupe
Hidalgo[1]



gusto

gusto
gus·to 
[gústō] noun

hearty
enjoyment:
lively enthusiasm or enjoyment
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin gustus “taste.”][1]



gusty

gusty
gust·y 
[gústee] (comparative gust·i·er,
superlative gust·i·est) adjective

blowing in bursts:
blowing or arising in gusts, or characterized by gusts • a
gusty day[1]



GUT

GUT
GUT 
[gut]

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of Grand Unified Theory[1]



gut

gut
gut 
[gut] noun (plural guts)

1.  alimentary
canal:
the whole of the alimentary canal in people and animals, from the mouth to the
anus, or the lower part of it, ( the intestine ), from the stomach to the anus

2.  See
catgut

3.  fishing
cord:
cord made of fibrous material taken from silkworms, used to make fishing lines

4.  place
where instincts are felt: somebody’s deepest
instinctively felt emotions or responses, as distinct from rational or logical
responses (often used in the plural) • a
gut reaction

5.  abdomen:
somebody’s belly, especially if it is noticeably large (slang disapproving)
• I’ve
got to work off this gut.
plural
noun
guts

1.  intestines:
the insides of a person or animal, especially the intestines

2.  inner
or central parts: the inner or central parts of something
such as the working parts of a machine or the basic principles that a theory is
based on

3.  strength
of character: courage or boldness (slang)
transitive
verb
(past gut·ted, past participle gut·ted, present participle
gut·ting, 3rd person present singular guts)

1.  remove
an animal’s insides: to remove the insides of a
dead animal

2.  destroy
a building’s interior: to destroy the internal
parts of a building, leaving only the outer walls standing • The
factory was completely gutted in the fire.

3.  empty:
to remove all the internal fixtures and furnishings from a room or building

4.  take
extracts from a text: to select extracts from a
piece of writing for use elsewhere

5.  make
something ineffective: to make something powerless
or ineffective, especially by removing essential parts or features from it
[Old
English guttas . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
pour,” which was also the ancestor of English funnel
. The underlying meaning is “tube through which something flows.”]
bust
a gut

to
struggle or work exceptionally hard to get something done (slang)

hate
somebody’s guts

to dislike somebody very much
(slang)[1]



gutbucket

gutbucket
gut·buck·et 
[gút bùkət] (plural gut·buck·ets)
noun

1.  homemade
bass:
a homemade instrument played like a double bass, made by fixing a stick to an
upturned basin and stretching a string along its length

2.  kind
of jazz:
a simple but highly emotional style of jazz or blues
[Early 20th century.
Originally a bucket used for carrying beer, or for catching the slops from a
barrel, later used for the instrument made from the bucket.][1]



gutcourse

gutcourse
gut
course
(plural gut cours·es) noun

easy course to pass:
a college or university course that is very easy to pass (informal)[1]



Gutenberg,Johannes

Gutenberg,Johannes

Gu·ten·berg
[gt’n bùrg], Johannes (1400?–1468)
German
printer. He is credited with the invention of moveable type, which he used in
his Mainz printing press to print the 42-line Bible, known as the Gutenberg
Bible.
Full name
Gutenberg, Johannes Gensfleisch[1]



Guthrie,Tyrone

Guthrie,Tyrone
Guth·rie
[gúthree], Sir Tyrone (1900–1971)

British
stage director. He was closely identified with the Old Vic-Sadler’s Wells
Company, London, in the 1940s and 1950s, and founded the Tyrone Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis in 1963.
Full name
Guthrie, Sir William Tyrone[1]



Guthrie,Woody

Guthrie,Woody


Guth·rie
[gúthree], Woody (1912–1967)
U.S.
folk singer and composer. Many of his hundreds of songs protested the social
injustice of the Depression. He wrote “This Land Is Your Land” ( 1940 ).
Full name
Guthrie, Woodrow Wilson[1]



Guthrun

Guthrun
Guth·run 
noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Gudrun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








gutissue

gutissue
gut
is·sue
noun

emotionally charged political
topic: a political issue that
causes an emotional response rather than a strictly rational one[1]



gutjob

gutjob
gut
job 
noun

radical alteration to a
building: the restoration or repair of
a building that includes the removal and rebuilding of the interior (informal)

Also called
gut rehabilitation
Also called
gut renovation[1]



gutless

gutless
gut·less 
[gútləss] adjective

spineless:
lacking in courage and determination
—gut·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



gutrehabilitation

gutrehabilitation
gut
re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion  or gut
ren·o·va·tion noun

(informal) See gut job[1]



gutsy

gutsy
guts·y 
[gútsee] (comparative guts·i·er,
superlative guts·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  courageous:
showing courage, boldness and determination

2.  done
with emotion: done or performed with a great deal of
vigor, passion, or emotion
—guts·i·ly,
adverb

—guts·i·ness, noun[1]



gutta

gutta
gut·ta 
[gúttə] (plural gut·tae [gú t]) noun

1.  ornament
carved on a Doric entablature: one of a series of
ornaments shaped like drops that are attached to the underside of a Doric
entablature

2.  drop
of medicine: a drop of medicine (dated) (formerly
used in the instructions on prescriptions to indicate the dose to be taken)
[14th century. From Latin,
“drop.”][1]



gutta-percha

gutta-percha
gut·ta-per·cha 
[gùttə púrchə] (plural gut·ta-per·chas)
noun

1.  pliable
substance made from latex: a soft pliable substance
made from the latex taken from a Malaysian tree, used in golf balls, for
waterproofing substances, and as insulation for electrical wires

2.  tree
from which gutta-percha comes: a tree from which
gutta-percha is taken. Genera: Palaquium Payena
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
(by influence of Latin gutta “drop”) of Malay getah perca,
literally “gum strips of cloth,” because it resembles cloth.][1]



guttate

guttate
gut·tate 
[gú tàyt] or gut·tat·ed [gú tàytəd] adjective

BIOLOGY spotted:
having or resembling drops or spots
[Early 19th century. From
Latin guttatus, from gutta (see gutta
).][1]



guttation

guttation
gut·ta·tion 
[gu táysh’n] noun

exudation of water droplets:
the oozing out of water droplets from the uninjured surface of a plant leaf[1]



gutter

gutter
gut·ter 
[gúttər] noun (plural gut·ters)

1.  rainwater
channel on a road: a channel at the edge of a
road that carries water into a drain

2.  rainwater
channel on a roof: a metal or plastic channel
on a roof for carrying away rainwater

3.  poor
or degraded state: an impoverished and degraded
existence or way of life • She
dragged me out of the gutter and made me respect myself.

4.  BOWLING channel
on bowling lane: the channel on either side of a bowling
lane

5.  PRINTING inner
margins of book: the blank space formed by the inner
margins of two facing pages of a book

6.  STAMPS space
between stamps on sheet: the space between the
printed design of one stamp and the next one on the sheet, where the
perforations lie
verb
(past gut·tered, past participle gut·tered, present
participle gut·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular gut·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
melt
quickly:
to burn down more quickly than usual because the melting wax has formed a
channel on one side (refers to a candle)

2.  intransitive
verb
flicker:
to flicker when on the point of being extinguished

3.  transitive
verb
form
channels in: to wear away channels in the surface of
something

4.  intransitive
verb
trickle:
to run in a narrow stream or trickle
adjective

of the worst kind:
of the most vulgar, corrupt, or morally degraded kind (disapproving) • the
gutter press
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman gotere, from, ultimately, Latin gutta “drop” (source
of English gout ). The underlying
sense is of something along which “drops” of water run.][1]



gutterball

gutterball
gut·ter
ball
(plural gut·ter balls) noun

bowling ball that rolls into
the gutter: in bowling, a ball that,
when bowled, rolls into the gutter and does not knock over any pins[1]



gutterout

gutterout
gutter
out
intransitive verb

1.  stop
burning:
to go out after flickering for a while

2.  come
to a gradual finish: to come to an end finally,
after gradually declining

[1]



guttersnipe

guttersnipe
gut·ter·snipe 
[gúttər snp] (plural gut·ter·snipes)
noun (insult)

1.  dirty
child without means: a child who wears dirty
ragged clothes, has rough manners, and lives in the streets

2.  somebody
from lower class: somebody with a rough or vulgar manner,
especially somebody with a lower-class background
[Mid-19th
century. The modern sense evolved from “the common snipe” (a bird that likes
wet muddy conditions) via “street cleaner.”]
—gut·ter·snip·ish, adjective[1]



guttural

guttural
gut·tur·al 
[gúttərəl] adjective

1.  gruff-sounding:
characterized by harsh and grating speech sounds made in the throat or toward
the back of the mouth

2.  PHONETICS See velar  adjective 1
noun
(plural gut·tur·als)

guttural speech sound:
a speech sound produced in the throat or at the back of the mouth
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin gutturalis,
from Latin guttar “throat.”]
—gut·tur·al·ism,
noun

—gut·tur·al·i·ty
[gùttə rállətee], noun

—gut·tur·al·ly,
adverb

—gut·tur·al·ness, noun[1]



gutturalize

gutturalize
gut·tur·al·ize 
[gúttərə lz] (past gut·tur·al·ized,
past participle gut·tur·al·ized, present participle gut·tur·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular gut·tur·al·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
say
in guttural way: to pronounce a speech sound in the
throat or toward the back of the mouth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
or say harshly: to speak or say something in a harsh
rasping way
—gut·tur·al·i·za·tion
[gùttərəli záysh’n], noun[1]



gut-wrenching

gut-wrenching
gut-wrench·ing
adjective

emotional:
having a very powerful effect on the feelings, especially in stirring up pity
or sympathy[1]



guy

guy1
guy1 [gī]
(past guyed, past participle guyed, present
participle guy·ing, 3rd person present singular guys, plural
guys) noun (informal)

1.  man:
a man

2.  person:
somebody of either sex, especially one of a group of people

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Informal
  uses:
  Guy in reference to a person is not
  standard English. In informal usage the word has two contrary meanings. It is
  used to mean “man,” often in contexts relating to the two sexes: • Guys
  like her because she’s smart. And, almost always
  in the plural, it can mean people of either sex: • You
  guys are my best friends.

[1]



guy

guy2
guy2 [gī]
noun (plural guys)

See
guywire
transitive
verb
(past guyed, past participle guyed, present
participle guy·ing, 3rd person present singular guys)

support
with guywires: to support or anchor something using
ropes, cables, or chains
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Low German word that is, perhaps, also the source of
Dutch gei and German Geitau “brail” (a type of rope).][1]



Guy.

Guy.
Guy.

Abbreviation of
Guyana[1]



Guyana




Back to definition

Guyana

[1]



Guyana

Guyana



Guy·a·na 
[gee ánnə, gee
nə]
republic
on the North Atlantic coast of South America bordered on the northwest by
Venezuela, on the southwest by Brazil and on the east by Suriname. Formerly a
British colony, it gained independence in 1966. Venezuela claims Guyana's
territory west of the Essequibo river. Language: English. Currency: Guyana
dollar. Capital: Georgetown. Population: 711,759 (1997) Area: 215,000 sq
km/83,000 sq mi. Official name Cooperative Republic of Guyana
—Guy·a·nese, adjective,
noun[1]



GuyFawkes Night

GuyFawkes Night
Guy
Fawkes Night [gī fáwks
dày] noun

See
Bonfire Night
[Named for Guy Fawkes
(1570–1606), one of the conspirators who tried to blow up Parliament (see Gunpowder Plot )][1]



guyline

guyline
guy·line
noun

See
guywire[1]



guyot

guyot
guy·ot 
[gee ṓ] (plural guy·ots) noun

underwater
mountain:
a flat-topped underwater mountain, commonly found in the Pacific Ocean and
considered to be an extinct volcano
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Arnold Henri Guyot, (1807–1884), a Swiss-born U.S. geologist and
geographer.][1]



guyrope

guyrope
guy·rope
[g rp] noun

U.K. =
guywire[1]



guywire

guywire
guy·wire
[g wr] (plural guy·wires) or
guy·line [g ln] (plural guy·lines)
noun

supporting wire:
a wire or chain tightened to hold something in position, for example, any of
the wires that hold up a telephone pole.
Also called
guy[1]



GuzmánBlanco, Antonio

GuzmánBlanco, Antonio
Guz·mán
Blan·co
[gooss mn blngkō], Antonio (1829–1899)

Venezuelan statesman. As
president of Venezuela (1870–1877, 1879–1884, 1886–1888), he promoted public
education and foreign investment.[1]



guzzle

guzzle
guz·zle 
[gúzz’l] (past guz·zled, past
participle guz·zled, present participle guz·zling, 3rd
person present singular guz·zles) intransitive and transitive
verb

drink
or consume something greedily: to drink something
greedily, or consume something rapidly and in large quantities (informal)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old French gosillier “to
chatter, vomit,” from, ultimately, late Latin geusiae “cheeks.”]
—guz·zler, noun[1]



GVW

GVW
GVW

Abbreviation of
gross vehicular weight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








GW

GW
GW

Symbol for
gigawatt[1]



gweduc

gweduc
gwe·duc 
[gee dùk] noun

ZOOLOGY
See geoduck[1]



Gwinnett,Button

Gwinnett,Button
Gwin·nett
[gwə nét], Button (1735?–1777)

British-born American
patriot. A member of the Continental Congress, he was one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence.[1]



GWRBI

GWRBI
GWRBI

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of game winning run batted in[1]



Gy

Gy
Gy

NUCLEAR
PHYSICS Symbol for gray[1]



gybe

gybe
gybe 
intransitive and transitive verb noun

NAUTICAL
See jibe 1[1]



gym

gym
gym 
[jim] (plural gyms) noun

1.  gymnasium:
a gymnasium (informal)

2.  physical
education:
physical education, especially as a school subject (informal)

3.  child’s
climbing structure: a sturdy metal or hard
plastic frame designed for children’s outdoor play and exercise (often used
in combination)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



gymkhana

gymkhana
gym·kha·na 
[jim knə] (plural gym·kha·nas)
noun

1.  sporting
contest:
a sporting event or contest

2.  athletics
meeting or facility: a place where a sporting
event or contest is held (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
(by influence of words such as gymnast ) of
Urdu gendānah, literally “ball house.” Originally used for a public
sports facility.][1]



gymnasium

gymnasium
gym·na·si·um 
[jim náyzee əm] (plural gym·na·si·ums
or gym·na·si·a [jim náyzee ə])
noun

1.  large
exercise room: a large room equipped for physical
exercise or training of various kinds, for example, in a school or a private
club

2.  European
academic secondary school: in Europe, principally
Germany and other German-speaking countries, a secondary school where the
emphasis is on academic subjects rather than on technical training
[Late 16th century. Via
Latin, “school,” from, ultimately, Greek gumnazein “to exercise naked”
(a custom in ancient times), hence “to train,” from gumnos “naked.”][1]



gymnast

gymnast
gym·nast 
[jím nàst, jímnəst]
(plural gym·nasts) noun

expert
in gymnastics: somebody who is good at gymnastics,
especially somebody involved in gymnastics as a competitive sport
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Greek gumnastēs “trainer of athletes,” from gumnazein
(see gymnasium ).][1]



gymnastic

gymnastic
gym·nas·tic 
[jim nástik] adjective

1.  involving
gymnastics:
relating to or involving gymnastics • gymnastic
equipment

2.  involving
athleticism: involving or demonstrating athleticism
and agility • a
gymnastic dancing style
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek gumnastikos, from gumnazein
(see gymnasium ).]
—gym·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



gymnastics

gymnastics
gym·nas·tics 
[jim nástiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  exercise
using gymnastic equipment: exercise using equipment
such as bars, rings, and vaulting horses, designed to develop agility and
muscular strength

2.  competitive
sport using gymnastic equipment: the competitive sport
in which athletes perform a series of exercises on pieces of gymnastic
equipment
plural
noun

1.  physical
exercises:
movements, exercises, or activities that involve feats of physical strength and
agility

2.  actions
demonstrating agility and skill: the performance of a
series of complex mental or physical operations of a particular kind, usually
rapidly and with great agility and skill • verbal
gymnastics

[1]



gymnosperm

gymnosperm
gym·no·sperm 
[jímnə spùrm] (plural gym·no·sperms)
noun

woody
cone-bearing plant: a woody vascular plant such
as a conifer, cycad, or ginkgo in which the ovules are carried naked on the
scales of a cone.
See
also
angiosperm
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin gymnospermus from Greek gumnospermos,
literally “naked seed.”]
—gym·no·sper·mous
[jìmnə spúrməss], adjective

—gym·no·sper·my [jímnə spùrmee], noun[1]



Gympie

Gympie
Gym·pie
[gímpee]

town in southeastern
Queensland, Australia, that is an agricultural center. Population: 10,813
(1996)[1]



gymrat

gymrat
gym
rat 
(plural gym rats) noun

somebody who is often in a
gymnasium: somebody who spends a great
deal of time exercising or playing a sport at a gymnasium (informal)[1]



gyn.

gyn.
gyn.

1.  Abbreviation
of
gynecological

2.  Abbreviation
of
gynecologist

3.  Abbreviation
of
gynecology

[1]



gyn-

gyn-
gyn-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
gyno-[1]



gynaeco-

gynaeco-
gynaeco-
prefix

U.K. =
gyneco-[1]



gynaecol.

gynaecol.
gynaecol.

U.K. =
gynecol.[1]



gynaecology

gynaecology
gy·nae·col·o·gy
[gnə kólləjee] noun

(informal) U.K. =
gynecology[1]



gynandromorph

gynandromorph
gy·nan·dro·morph 
[ji nándrə màwrf] (plural gy·nan·dro·morphs)
noun

creature
with features of both sexes: creature, especially an
insect, that has both male and female characteristics in a way abnormal for its
species
[Late
19th century. Coined from gynandrous + morph .]
—gy·nan·dro·mor·phic
[ji nàndrə máwrfik], adjective

—gy·nan·dro·mor·phous
[ji nàndrə máwrfəss], adjective

—gy·nan·dro·mor·phism
[ji nàndrə máwr fìzzəm], noun

—gy·nan·dro·mor·phy [ji nándrə màwrfee], noun[1]



gynandrous

gynandrous
gy·nan·drous 
[ji nándrəss] adjective

BOTANY with
pistils and stamens united: used to describe flowers
such as orchids that have pistils and stamens united in a column
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek gunandros “of doubtful sex,” from gunē “woman, female”
+ the stem andr- “man.”][1]



gynarchy

gynarchy
gyn·ar·chy 
[gnərkee] (plural gyn·ar·chies)
noun

See
gynecocracy
—gyn·ar·chic [gī nrkik], adjective[1]



-gyne

-gyne
-gyne
suffix

1.  female
• androgyne

2.  female
reproductive organ • trichogyne
[From
Greek gunē (see gyno- )]
—-gynous,
suffix

—-gyny, suffix[1]



gynec-

gynec-
gynec-
or gyneco- prefix

woman
• gynecology
[From Greek gunaik-,
the stem of gunē (see gyno- )][1]



gynecocracy

gynecocracy
gyn·e·coc·ra·cy 
[gnə kókrəssee] (plural gyn·e·coc·ra·cies)
noun

political dominance by women:
an actual or theoretical political dominance by women, or a political system
that gives supremacy to women.
Also called
gynarchy
Also called
gynocracy[1]



gynecoid

gynecoid
gy·ne·coid 
[gnə kòyd] adjective

resembling a woman:
physically resembling or typical of a woman • a
gynecoid pelvis[1]



gynecol.

gynecol.
gynecol.


1.  Abbreviation
of
gynecological

2.  Abbreviation
of
gynecologist

3.  Abbreviation
of
gynecology

[1]



gynecological

gynecological
gy·ne·co·log·i·cal
[gnəkə lójjik’l] or gy·ne·co·log·ic
[gnəkə lójjik] adjective

of women’s health:
relating to women’s health, especially to diseases of the reproductive organs[1]



gynecology

gynecology
gy·ne·col·o·gy 
[gnə kólləjee] noun

medicine
treating women: the branch of medicine that deals with
women’s health, especially with the health of women’s reproductive organs
—gy·ne·col·o·gist, noun[1]



gynecomastia

gynecomastia
gy·ne·co·mas·ti·a 
[gnə kō mástee ə] noun

enlargement
of a man’s breasts: enlarged breasts on a man
caused by hormonal imbalance or hormone therapy
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from gyneco- + Greek mastos “breast.”][1]



gynecopathy

gynecopathy
gyn·e·cop·a·thy 
[gnə kóppəthee] (plural gyn·e·cop·a·thies)
noun

woman’s disease:
any disease that affects only women[1]



gynephobia

gynephobia
gy·ne·pho·bi·a
[gnə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of women:
an irrational and pathological fear of women[1]



gyno-

gyno-
gyno-
prefix

1.  female
reproductive organ • gynophore

2.  woman
• gynocracy
[From Greek gunē
“woman.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “woman,” which is also the
ancestor of English queen and banshee .][1]



gynocracy

gynocracy
gy·noc·ra·cy 
[gī nókrəssee] (plural gy·noc·ra·cies)
noun

See
gynecocracy[1]



gynodioecious

gynodioecious
gyn·o·di·oe·cious 
[gnō dī shəss] adjective

having
bisexual and single-sex flowers: used to describe a
plant species that has bisexual flowers on some plants and single-sex flowers
on others
—gy·no·di·oe·cism [gnō dī  sìzzəm], noun[1]



gynoecium

gynoecium
gy·noe·ci·um 
[gī nshee əm, gī
nshəm] (plural gy·noe·ci·a [gī
nshə]) noun

carpels
collectively: the carpels of a plant considered
together
[Mid-19th century. From an
alteration (influenced by Greek oikos “house”) of modern Latin gynaeceum
“women’s apartments,” from the neuter of Greek gunaikeios “of women,”
from gunē “woman.”][1]



gynogenesis

gynogenesis
gyn·o·gen·e·sis 
[gnə jénnəssiss] noun

ovum development without
fusion of the nuclei: the
development of an embryo without fusion of the egg and sperm nuclei, so that
the embryo has only maternal chromosomes[1]



gynophore

gynophore
gyn·o·phore 
[gnə fàwr] (plural gyn·o·phores)
noun

pistil
stalk with a raised gynoecium: a pistil stalk that
has its gynoecium raised above the rest of the flower
—gyn·o·phor·ic [gnə fáwrik], adjective[1]



gyoza

gyoza
gyo·za 
[gyōzə] noun

Japanese
stuffed dumplings: a Japanese dish consisting
of cases of dough stuffed with minced meat, fish, or vegetables, and fried
[From Japanese][1]



gyp

gyp
gyp
[jip] or gip [jip] transitive verb (past gypped,
past participle gypped, present participle gyp·ping,
3rd person present singular gyps) (past gipped, past
participle gipped, present participle gip·ping, 3rd
person present singular gips)

cheat: to
cheat somebody, especially by overcharging (informal)
noun
(plural gyps) (plural gips)

1.  scam:
a scheme to trick or swindle people (informal) (sometimes considered
offensive)

2.  cheater:
somebody who cheats or swindles people (insult)
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a derogatory shortening of gypsy .]
—gyp·per, noun[1]



gypsiferous

gypsiferous
gyp·sif·er·ous 
[jip síffərəss] adjective

having gypsum:
containing gypsum[1]



gypsophila

gypsophila
gyp·soph·i·la 
[jip sóffilə] noun

flowering
plant with tiny flowers: a plant of the carnation
family native to the Mediterranean, with delicate tiny white or pink flowers on
long branching stalks. It is popular in bouquets. Genus: Gypsophila
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “chalk-loving,” from Greek gupsos
“chalk,” because it grows in chalky soil.][1]



gypsum

gypsum
gyp·sum 
[jípsəm] noun

1.  white
mineral:
a naturally occurring colorless or white mineral, hydrated calcium sulfate,
that is used to make cement, plaster of Paris, chalk, and agricultural
fertilizers. CaSO4.2H2O

2.  plasterboard:
plasterboard (informal)
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek gupsos “chalk, gypsum.”][1]



gypsumboard

gypsumboard
gyp·sum
board
noun

See
plasterboard[1]



Gypsy

Gypsy
Gyp·sy 
[jípsee] (plural Gyp·sies) or
Gip·sy [jípsee] (plural Gip·sies)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the Romany people (offensive)
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of Egyptian, because
Gypsies were once thought to have come from Egypt.]
—Gyp·sy, adjective[1]



gypsy

gypsy
gyp·sy
[jípsee] (plural gyp·sies) noun

somebody with nomadic
lifestyle: somebody who has a nomadic
or unconventional lifestyle[1]



gypsycab

gypsycab
gyp·sy
cab
(plural gyp·sy cabs) noun

taxi with restricted license:
a taxi that has a license to pick up only passengers who call by telephone, not
passengers who hail it in the street[1]



gypsymoth

gypsymoth
gyp·sy
moth
(plural gyp·sy moths) noun

moth with a caterpillar that
is pest: a European tussock moth,
common in North America since the 19th century, where its hairy caterpillar has
become a serious pest of trees. The caterpillar is grayish with bright red and
blue spots and stiff hairs. Latin name: Lymantria dispar[1]



gyral

gyral
gy·ral 
[jrəl] adjective

moving
in a spiral or circle: moving in a path that is
spiral or circular
—gy·ral·ly, adverb[1]



gyrate

gyrate
gy·rate 
[j ràyt] intransitive verb (past
gy·rat·ed, past participle gy·rat·ed, present
participle gy·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular gy·rates)

move
in circle or spiral: to move with a circular or
spiral motion, especially around a fixed central point
adjective

BIOLOGY growing
in a spiral: growing in a winding spiral or coil
[Early
19th century. From late Latin girat-, the past participle stem of gyrare,
“to revolve,” from Latin gyrus “circle” (see gyrus
).]
—gy·ra·tor, noun[1]



gyration

gyration
gy·ra·tion 
[jī ráysh’n] (plural gy·ra·tions)
noun

1.  circular
movement:
movement in a circle around a fixed center • the
gyration of the rotor

2.  something
gyrate:
a spiral or coil-shaped thing or part

[1]



gyratory

gyratory
gy·ra·to·ry 
[jrə tàwree] adjective

spiral:
moving in a spiral or circle or involving movement in a circle or spiral[1]



gyre

gyre
gyre 
[jr] (plural gyres) noun

spiral:
a circle or spiral (literary)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
gyrus “circle” (see gyrus ).][1]



gyrene

gyrene
gy·rene 
[j rn, jī rn]
(plural gy·renes) noun

U.S.
marine:
a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of GI and marine .][1]



gyrfalcon

gyrfalcon
gyr·fal·con 
[júr fàlkən] noun

large
falcon:
a large powerful falcon of cold northern regions, varying in color from white
to dark brown. Latin name: Falco rusticolus
[14th century. By folk
etymology (by association with Latin gyrare “to revolve”) from Old
French gerfaucon ; ger- of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old
High German gir “vulture.”][1]



gyro-

gyro-
gyro-
prefix

1.  spinning
or rotating in a circle • gyrostatics

2.  gyroscope,
gyroscopic • gyrostabilizer
[From Greek guros
“ring, circle”][1]



gyro

gyro
gy·ro
[j r, (sandwich) j r, j r] (plural
gy·ros) noun

pita
sandwich of minced lamb: minced lamb that has been
cooked on a spit in a molded block, then sliced thin and served in pita bread
with onion and tomato.
U.K.
term
doner kebab
[Late 20th century. From
modern Greek guros, literally “turning.”][1]



gyrocompass

gyrocompass
gy·ro·com·pass 
[j rō kùmpəss, j
rō kòmpəss] (plural gy·ro·com·pass·es) noun

compass with a gyroscope
inside: a navigational compass
fitted with a gyroscope instead of a magnet[1]



gyromagnetic

gyromagnetic
gy·ro·mag·net·ic 
[j rō màg néttik] adjective

relating to magnetism caused
by spin: relating to or caused by the
magnetism produced by the spinning motion of a charged particle • gyromagnetic
effect[1]



gyromagneticratio

gyromagneticratio
gy·ro·mag·net·ic
ra·tio
noun

PHYSICS
magnetic momentum ratio:
the ratio of the magnetic moment to the angular momentum of a system[1]



gyron

gyron
gy·ron 
[jrən, j ròn]
(plural gy·rons) or gi·ron [jrən, j ròn] (plural
gi·rons) noun

triangular
part of shield: in heraldry, a triangular form made by
two blinds drawn from the edge of an escutcheon to meet at the fesse-point and
occupying half of the quarter
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “gusset”; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the source of English gore 2 .][1]



gyroplane

gyroplane
gy·ro·plane 
[jrə plàyn] (plural gy·ro·planes)
noun

aircraft fitted with an
unpowered rotor: an aircraft fitted with
an unpowered rotor for producing lift.
See also
autogiro[1]



gyroscope

gyroscope

gy·ro·scope 
[jrə skp] (plural gy·ro·scopes)
noun
self-stabilizing
device:
a device consisting of a rotating heavy metal wheel pivoted inside a circular
frame. The wheel’s rotation enables it to retain its original orientation in
space when the frame turns. Gyroscopes are used in compasses and other
navigational aids, and in stabilizing mechanisms on ships and aircraft.
—gy·ro·scop·ic
[jrə skóppik], adjective

—gy·ro·scop·i·cal·ly [jrə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



gyrostabilizer

gyrostabilizer
gy·ro·sta·bi·liz·er 
[j rō stàbb’l zər] (plural gy·ro·sta·bi·liz·ers)
noun

device controlling a ship’s
rolling: a stabilizing system that
uses gyroscopes to compensate and reduce the rolling or pitching motion of a
ship or aircraft[1]



gyrostat

gyrostat
gy·ro·stat 
[j rō stàt] (plural gy·ro·stats)
noun

type
of gyroscope or gyrostabilizer: a type of gyroscope or
gyrostabilizer in which the rotating wheel is pivoted within a rigid case
[Late 19th century. Coined
from gyro- + Greek statos
“standing.”][1]



gyrostatics

gyrostatics
gy·ro·stat·ics
[j rō státtiks] noun

science
of rotating bodies: the science that deals with
rotating bodies (takes a singular verb)
—gy·ro·stat·ic,
adjective

—gy·ro·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



gyrus

gyrus
gy·rus 
[jrəss] (plural gy·ri [j r]) noun

ridge
of brain cortex: any of the rounded ridges on the outer
layer of the brain
[Mid-19th century. Via Latin,
literally “circle,” from Greek guros “ring, circle” (source of English gyro- ).][1]



GySgt

GySgt
GySgt

Abbreviation of
gunnery sergeant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Gyumri

Gyumri
Gyum·ri
[gymree]

city in northwestern Armenia,
the country’s second most populated urban area. Population: 123,000 (1990) Former
name Leninakhan[1]



gyve

gyve
gyve 
[jīv] noun (plural gyves)

leg
shackle:
a shackle or fetter, usually for the leg (archaic) (usually used in
plural)
transitive
verb
(past gyved, past participle gyved, present
participle gyv·ing, 3rd person present singular gyves)

shackle:
to shackle or fetter somebody, especially by the leg (archaic)
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Gödel,Kurt

Gödel,Kurt
Gö·del
[gṓd’l], Kurt (1906–1978)

Austrian-born
U.S. mathematician. He is noted for his theories about the completeness of
logic and the consistencies of arithmetic.
Full name
Gödel, Kurt Friedrich[1]



GötaCanal

GötaCanal
Gö·ta
Ca·nal
[yùrtə kə nál, yötə
kə nál]

waterway in southwestern
Sweden, linking Gothenburg on the western coast with Stockholm on the Baltic
coast. Length: 558 km/347 mi.[1]



götterdämmerung

götterdämmerung
göt·ter·däm·mer·ung 
[gòttər dámmə rng] or Göt·ter·däm·mer·ung
[gòttər dámmə rng] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY destruction
of German gods: in Germanic mythology, the destruction
of the gods after battle with the forces of doom.
Also
called
Twilight of the Gods

2.  violent
end of regime: the overthrow or violent ending of a
regime or institution
[Early 20th century. From
German, “twilight of the gods.”][1]



Göttingen

Göttingen
Göt·tin·gen
[gúrtingən, gtingən]

university town in Lower
Saxony, central Germany. It is situated about 89 km55 mi south of Hanover.
Population: 127,900 (1994)[1]



g’day

g’day
g’day
[gə dáy] interjection

Australian
hello:
hello or good day (informal)
[Contraction][1]



h

h1

h1  (plural h’s) or
H (plural H’s or Hs) noun

1.  8th
letter of English alphabet: the eighth letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to the letter “H”: the
speech sound that corresponds to the letter “H”

3.        letter
“H” written: a written
representation of the letter “H”[1]



h

h2
h2 

1.  Symbol
for
Planck’s constant

2.  Symbol
for
hecto-

[1]



H

H
H


1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Symbol
for henry

2.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for hydrogen

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for enthalpy

4.  Symbol
for
Hamiltonian

5.  Symbol
for
magnetic field strength

[1]



H.

H.
H.

Abbreviation of
hospital[1]



h.

h.
h.

1.  h.
or H. Abbreviation of harbor

2.  h.
or H. Abbreviation of hard

3.  h.
or H. Abbreviation of hardness

4.  h.
or H. Abbreviation of height

5.  h.
or H. Abbreviation of high

6.  h.
or h Abbreviation of hit

7.  Abbreviation
of
hospital

8.  Abbreviation
of
horizontal

9.  MUSIC Abbreviation of horn

10. Abbreviation
of
hundred

11. Abbreviation
of
husband

[1]



Ha.

Ha.
Ha.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Haiti

2.  Abbreviation
of
Haitian

3.  Abbreviation
of
Hawaii

4.  Abbreviation
of
Hawaiian

[1]



ha

ha3
ha3 

1.  ARMS Abbreviation of high
angle

2.  Abbreviation
of
hoc anno

3.  ASTRONOMY Abbreviation of
hour angle

[1]



ha

ha1
ha1  [haa]
or hah [haa] interjection

1.  expressing
various emotions: used to express surprise, triumph,
scorn, or happiness, depending on the way the speaker says it

2.  representing
laughter:
a word repeated to represent in writing the sound of laughter
[13th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



ha

ha2
ha2 

Symbol for
hectare[1]



HAA

HAA
HAA

Abbreviation of
heavy anti-aircraft[1]



Hab.

Hab.
Hab.

Abbreviation of
Habakkuk[1]



Habakkuk

Habakkuk
Ha·bak·kuk 
[hábbə kk, hə
bákək] or Hab·a·cuc [hábbə kk,
hə bákək] noun

1.  biblical
Hebrew priest: in the Bible, a Hebrew priest who lived
in the seventh century BC

2.  book
of the Bible: one of the prophetic books of the Bible

[1]



habanera

habanera
ha·ba·ne·ra 
[hbə nérrə] (plural ha·ba·ne·ras)
noun

1.  slow
dance:
a slow dance in two-four time, originally from Cuba

2.  MUSIC dance
music for habanera: a piece of music for the
habanera, which has a characteristic dotted rhythm

3.  a
hot chili pepper: a hot chili pepper, originally from Cuba
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish habanera, “Havana.”][1]



hab.corp.

hab.corp.
hab.
corp.

LAW
Abbreviation of habeas corpus[1]



habdalah

habdalah
hab·da·lah 
[hvdə l, haav
dáwlə] (plural hab·da·lahs) or hav·da·lah [hvdə l, haav dáwlə]
(plural hav·da·lahs) noun

Jewish
ceremony marking the end of the Sabbath: a
Jewish ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath or another holy day, or a
prayer said during the ceremony
[Mid-18th century. From
Hebrew hadālāh “separation, division.”][1]



habeascorpus

habeascorpus
ha·be·as
cor·pus 
noun

writ
ordering a detained person into court: a
writ issued in order to bring somebody who has been detained into court,
usually for a decision on whether the detention is lawful
[From Latin, literally “you
may have the body”][1]



Haber-Boschprocess

Haber-Boschprocess
Ha·ber-Bosch
proc·ess 
[hàybər báwsh pròssəss, háybər bósh pròssəss] noun

CHEMISTRY See Haber process
[Named for the German
chemists Fritz Haber (1869–1934) and Karl Bosch (1874–1940)][1]



haberdasher

haberdasher
hab·er·dash·er 
[hábbər dàshər] (plural hab·er·dash·ers)
noun

1.  dealer
in men’s clothing: somebody who owns or works
in a store that sells men’s clothing and accessories

2.  U.K.
dealer
in sewing articles: somebody who deals in small
articles used in sewing, for example, thread, ribbons, and buttons
[14th century. Probably from
Anglo-Norman hapertas “small items of merchandise,” of unknown origin.][1]



haberdashery

haberdashery
hab·er·dash·er·y 
[hábbər dàshəree] (plural hab·er·dash·er·ies)
noun

1.  goods
sold by a haberdasher: the items sold by a
haberdasher

2.  store
selling haberdashery: a store that sells
haberdashery

[1]



habergeon

habergeon
hab·er·geon 
[hábbərjən, hə
búrjən] (plural ha·ber·geons) noun

jacket
of chain mail: a sleeveless chain mail jacket worn
under armor
[14th century. From French haubergeon,
from Old French hauberc, literally “a little hauberk” (see hauberk ).][1]



Haberprocess

Haberprocess
Ha·ber
proc·ess
noun

ammonia-producing
technique:
a commercial process for catalytically producing ammonia from atmospheric
nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperature and pressure.
Also
called
Haber-Bosch process
[See Haber-Bosch
process][1]



habile

habile
hab·ile 
[hább’l] adjective

adroit:
able to do something with ease (literary)
[Late 15th century. Via
French from Latin habilis “able, easy to hold” (source of English able ), from habere “to have, hold.”][1]



habiliment

habiliment
ha·bil·i·ment 
[hə bílləmənt] noun (plural ha·bil·i·ments)

garment or garments:
clothing, or an item of clothing (formal) (usually used in the plural)
plural
noun
ha·bil·i·ments

1.  specialized
equipment:
the equipment and gear needed for a task or activity

2.  special
clothes:
items of clothing associated with somebody’s work or position, or an occasion
[Early 17th century. From Old
French habillement, from habiller “to fit out,” from habile
(see habile ). The sense “clothing”
developed in French, probably by association with “habit.”][1]



habilitate

habilitate
ha·bil·i·tate 
[hə bíllə tàyt] (past ha·bil·i·tat·ed,
past participle ha·bil·i·tat·ed, present participle ha·bil·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ha·bil·i·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
prepare
for position: to qualify for employment or an office (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
clothe:
to clothe somebody in a particular way (literary)

3.  transitive
verb
equip
a mining operation: to provide a mine with the
equipment and money needed for operation
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin habilitare, from Latin habilitas
“ability,” from habilis (see habile
).]
—ha·bil·i·ta·tion
[hə bìllə táysh’n], noun

—ha·bil·i·ta·tor [hə bíllə tàytər], noun[1]



habit

habit
hab·it 
[hábbit] noun (plural hab·its)

1.  something
done all the time: an action or behavior
pattern that is regular, repetitive, and often unconscious • I
really need to get into the habit of writing down what I spend.
• He
has a really annoying habit of finishing your sentences for you.

2.  addiction:
an addiction to a drug (slang)

3.  RELIG clothing
of religious order: a long loose gown, usually
black, brown, gray, or white, traditionally worn by nuns and monks

4.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY growth pattern:
the characteristic appearance, behavior, or growth pattern of a plant or animal

5.  shape
of a crystal: the characteristic growth pattern or
shape of a crystal

6.  attitude:
somebody’s attitude or general disposition
transitive
verb
(past hab·it·ed, past participle hab·it·ed, present
participle hab·it·ing, 3rd person present singular hab·its)

clothe somebody specially:
to dress somebody in clothing distinctive to a particular position or office (literary)
[12th
century. Via Old French abit from Latin habitus from, ultimately,
habere “to have, wear.”]
kick
the habit

to
become free of an addiction, or stop doing something that has been a
long-standing practice

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  habit, custom, tradition,
  practice, routine, wont
  CORE
  MEANING: established
  pattern of behavior habit;
  something that is done on such a regular basis that it becomes normal to act
  in this way and can be difficult to stop. It can be used to suggest that
  something is done compulsively; custom;
  something that somebody regularly does at a particular time or on a
  particular occasion. It is also used to describe something that is an
  established action or pattern of behavior for a particular community or group
  of people; tradition; an
  established action or pattern of behavior in a particular community or group
  of people, especially one that has existed for a long time and is considered
  an important part of a particular culture or way of life; practice; an established way of doing
  something, especially a way that has developed through experience and
  knowledge; routine; a sequence of
  actions that is regularly followed on a day-to-day basis, sometimes with the
  suggestion that this is monotonous and tedious; wont;
  a formal or literary word used to describe something that somebody does
  regularly or habitually

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word habere from which habit
  is derived was used reflexively to mean “to be,” and so its past participle habitus
  came to be used as a noun for “how you are,” that is, your “state” or
  “condition.” Subsequently this developed along the lines of both “outward
  condition or appearance,” hence “clothing,” and “inner condition, quality,
  nature, character,” and later came to mean “usual way of behaving.” (The
  notion of adapting a verb meaning “to have” to express “how you are, how you
  comport yourself” is duplicated in English “behave.”)

[1]



habitable

habitable
hab·it·a·ble 
[hábbitəb’l] adjective

fit
to live in:
considered fit to be lived in • A lot
of structural work will be needed before the house is habitable.
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin habitabilis, from habitare “to
possess, inhabit” (see habitat ).]
—hab·it·a·bil·i·ty
[hàbbitə bíllətee], noun

—hab·it·a·ble·ness
[hábbitəb’lnəss], noun

—hab·it·a·bly [hábbitəblee], adverb[1]



habitant

habitant
hab·i·tant 
[hábbit’nt] (plural hab·i·tants)
noun

1.  N
American farmer of French origin: a farmer of French
descent living in Canada or the United States

2.  inhabitant:
somebody living in a place
[15th century. From French,
from the present participle of Old French habiter “to dwell,” from Latin
habitare (see habitat ).][1]



habitat

habitat
hab·i·tat 
[hábbi tàt] (plural hab·i·tats)
noun

1.  home
environment: the natural conditions and environment,
for example, forest, desert, or wetlands, in which a plant or animal lives

2.  typical
location:
the place in which a person or group is usually found

3.  artificially
created environment: a sealed controlled
environment in which people can live, for example, to do research on the sea
floor
[Late 18th century. 3rd
person present singular form of Latin habitare “to possess, inhabit,”
literally “to keep having” (source also of English inhabit
), from habere “to have.”][1]



habitation

habitation
hab·i·ta·tion 
[hàbbi táysh’n] (plural hab·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  occupancy:
the occupancy of a place by people or animals

2.  living
place:
a place in which to live • The
squirrels found a new habitation in a hollow tree.

3.  dwellings:
a group of dwellings and their inhabitants • There
is little evidence remaining of the ancient habitation.
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately Latin habitare (see habitat ).]
—hab·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



habit-forming

habit-forming
hab·it-form·ing 
adjective

causing continued use:
capable of causing a physiological or psychological need in somebody[1]



habitual

habitual
ha·bit·u·al 
[hə bíchoo əl] adjective

1.  regular:
done regularly and frequently

2.  persisting
in some behavior: continuing in some practice as a result
of an ingrained tendency

3.  characteristic:
typical of somebody’s character or behavior • She
tackled the problem with her habitual single-mindedness.
—ha·bit·u·al·ly
[hə bíchoo əlee], adverb

—ha·bit·u·al·ness
[hə bíchoo əlnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at usual

[1]



habituate

habituate
ha·bit·u·ate 
[hə bíchoo àyt] (past ha·bit·u·at·ed,
past participle ha·bit·u·at·ed, present participle ha·bit·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ha·bit·u·ates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody used to something: to accustom a person or
animal to something through prolonged and regular exposure (formal) • People
living in cities become habituated to crowds.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PSYCHOLOGY learn or teach somebody to
ignore something: to learn or teach a person or animal not
to respond to a stimulus that is frequently repeated

3.  intransitive
verb
become
accustomed to: to become dependent on or less affected
by a medical or illegal drug through frequent use
[16th century. From late
Latin habituare “to bring into a state,” from Latin habitus (see habit ).][1]



habituation

habituation
ha·bit·u·a·tion 
[hə bìchoo áysh’n] noun

1.  getting
used to something: the act of becoming
accustomed to something through prolonged and frequent exposure (formal)

2.  PSYCHOLOGY decreased
response to repeated stimulus: a basic form of
learning in which an organism’s response to a repeated stimulus decreases in
strength

3.  drug
tolerance or dependency: tolerance to or dependence
on a medical or illegal drug, through frequent and prolonged use

[1]



habitude

habitude
hab·i·tude 
[hábbi td] (plural hab·i·tudes)
noun

habitual
behavior:
a tendency to act in a particular way (literary)
—hab·i·tu·di·nal [hàbbi td’nəl], adjective[1]



habitus

habitus
hab·i·tus 
[hábbitəss] (plural hab·i·tus)
noun

general
physical state: the general appearance, posture, or
physical state of a patient, especially with regard to susceptibility to
disease
[Late 19th century. From
Latin (see habit ).][1]



habitué

habitué
ha·bit·u·é 
[hə bíchoo ày, hə
bìchoo áy] (plural ha·bi·tu·és) noun

frequent
visitor:
somebody who visits a place regularly
[Early 19th century. From
French, from the past participle of habituer, from late Latin habituare
(see habituate ).][1]



haboob

haboob
ha·boob 
[hə bb] (plural ha·boobs) noun

wind
blowing desert sand: a violent sandstorm or dust
storm that sweeps across the deserts of northern Africa and Arabia and the
plains of India
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic habub “violent storm.”][1]



Habsburg

Habsburg
Habs·burg 
(plural Hab·s·burgs) noun

HISTORY
See Hapsburg[1]



habu

habu
ha·bu
[h b] (plural ha·bus) noun

poisonous
snake:
a large poisonous snake native to Okinawa and neighboring Pacific islands.
Latin name: Trimeresurus flavoviridis
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



hacendado

hacendado
ha·cen·da·do 
[h sen ddō] (plural ha·cen·da·dos)
or ha·ci·en·da·do [hssee en ddō]
(plural ha·ci·en·da·dos) noun

head
of an estate: an owner or operator of a hacienda
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from hacienda “ hacienda .”][1]



hachure

hachure
ha·chure 
[ha shr, háshər]
noun (plural ha·chures)

short
line showing a slope: any of the short parallel
lines used for shading on a map to indicate the direction and steepness of a
slope
transitive
verb
(past ha·chured, past participle ha·chured, present
participle ha·chur·ing, 3rd person present singular ha·chures)

shade:
to shade a map with hachure lines to show the direction and steepness of slopes
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from hacher “to mark with hatches” (see hatch 3 ).][1]



hacienda

hacienda
ha·ci·en·da 
[hssee éndə, hàssee
éndə] (plural ha·ci·en·das) noun

1.  large
estate:
a large estate, farm, or ranch in Spain or Spanish-speaking parts of America

2.  house
on a large estate: the main residence on a
hacienda
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish, “domestic work, large estate,” from Latin facienda “things
needing to be done,” from facere “to do” (see fact
).][1]



haciendado

haciendado
ha·ci·en·da·do
noun

See
hacendado[1]



HaciendaHeights

HaciendaHeights
Ha·ci·en·da
Heights 
[hssee éndə hts]

unincorporated area of Los
Angeles County, southwestern California. Population: 52,354 (1990)[1]



hack

hack1
hack1 [hak]
verb (past hacked, past participle hacked, present
participle hack·ing, 3rd person present singular hacks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
using repeated blows: to cut or chop something by
striking it with short repeated blows using a sharp tool such as a knife or an
ax

2.  transitive
verb
clear
a way:
to open a path by cutting through an obstruction • I
had to hack my way through the bureaucracy to get the job done.

3.  transitive
verb
chop
off or into parts: to cut, shape, or divide
something roughly or carelessly (informal) • He’s
hacked a whole chunk off that article I wrote for the magazine.

4.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING get
into a computer system: to explore and manipulate
the workings of a computer or other technological device or system, either for
the purpose of understanding how it works or to gain unauthorized access

5.  transitive
verb
cope
with something: to succeed at or endure something (informal)
• I
wonder if he can hack it.

6.  intransitive
verb
make
a coughing noise: to cough persistently in short dry
bursts with a rasping noise

7.  transitive
verb
kick
soccer player’s shins: to commit a foul by kicking
the shins of an opposing player in soccer

8.  transitive
verb
BASKETBALL hit
a basketball player’s arm: to commit a foul in
basketball by striking another player on the arm
noun
(plural hacks)

1.  quick
chop:
a short violent blow with a sharp tool

2.  coughing
noise:
a short dry cough

3.  cut
made by hacking something: a rough cut made by a quick
blow with a sharp tool, for example, a notch in a tree made with an ax

4.  tool
for hacking: a tool, for example, a pickax, used for
chopping something or breaking up hard ground

5.  wound
from a kick: a wound from being kicked

6.  disabling
kick in soccer: a kick on the shins in soccer, meant to
disable a player temporarily

7.  COMPUTING successful
effort:
an extremely good, often very time-consuming, work effort that produces exactly
what is needed (informal)
[Old English haccian
“to cut in pieces.” Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word.][1]



hack

hack2
hack2 [hak]
noun (plural hacks)

1.  POLITICS loyal
party worker: a political party member who serves the
party unquestioningly (disapproving)

2.  taxicab:
a taxicab (informal)

3.  (informal)
See hackie

4.  drudge:
somebody who does dull and tedious work

5.  hired
writer:
a writer paid to produce routine often down-market writing, for example, for
newspapers or movies (disapproving)

6.  car
or carriage for hire: an automobile or a carriage
for hire.
Also
called
hackney

7.  old
horse:
a horse that is in bad condition through age or overwork

8.  horse
for hire:
a horse that is hired out

9.  horse
for riding:
a horse for riding or driving
adjective

trite:
lacking quality and originality • The
movie had a really hack plot.
verb
(past hacked, past participle hacked, present
participle hack·ing, 3rd person present singular hacks)

1.  intransitive
verb
drive
a taxicab:
to drive a taxicab (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN go
horseback riding: to ride a horse for exercise at a normal
pace

3.  transitive
verb
make
something hackneyed: to make an expression or
phrase trite through overuse
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of hackney .][1]



hackamore

hackamore
hack·a·more 
[hákə màwr] (plural hack·a·mores)
noun

simple
bridle for breaking horses: a bridle without a bit but
with an adjustable band by which a rider can exert pressure on a horse’s nose,
used especially to break young horses
[Mid-19th
century. By folk etymology (by association with hack 2 ) from Spanish jaquima,
from, ultimately, Arabic shaqīmah “restraint, bit.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Hackamore had currency in the
  western states before the Civil War. Not limited to the Mexican-American
  settlements, this ranching term spread from Texas and New Mexico to Oregon,
  but is virtually unknown east of Texas.

[1]



hackberry

hackberry
hack·ber·ry 
[hák bèrree] (plural hack·ber·ries)
noun

tree
with a fruit resembling the cherry: a
North American tree of the elm family that has soft yellowish wood, small
flowers, and small round or egg-shaped dark-red edible fruit. Latin name: Celtis
occidentalis
Also
called
sugarberry
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
hagberry “bird cherry”; hag of Scandinavian origin.][1]



hackbut

hackbut
hack·but 
[hák bùt] (plural hack·buts) noun

See
harquebus
[15th
century. From French haquebut(e), alteration of haquebusche, from
Middle Dutch hakebus, literally “hook-gun,” from hake(n) “hook” +
bus(se) “gun,” from the hook cast on the gun as a fixture.]
—hack·but·eer
[hàkbə tr], noun

—hack·but·ter [hák bùttər], noun[1]



Hackensack

Hackensack
Hack·en·sack 
[hákən sàk]

city in northeastern New
Jersey, originally settled by the Dutch and now a suburb of New York City.
Population: 37,049 (1990)[1]



hacker

hacker
hack·er
[hákər] (plural hack·ers) noun

1.  COMPUTING somebody
accessing another’s computer: somebody who uses computer
expertise to gain unauthorized access to a computer system belonging to
another, either to learn about the system or to examine its data

2.  COMPUTING computer
enthusiast:
somebody who is very interested or skilled in computer technology and
programming

3.  SPORTS amateur
player:
somebody who enjoys a sport but is not very good at it

4.  somebody
who chops:
somebody who cuts or chops something

[1]



hackie

hackie
hack·ie 
[hákee] (plural hack·ies) noun

taxicab driver:
a taxicab driver (informal)
Also called
hack[1]



hackingcough

hackingcough
hack·ing
cough
[hàking káwf] noun

dry
cough:
a repeated cough that is short, dry, and rasping
[Late 19th century. From hack 1 .][1]



hackle

hackle1
hack·le1 [hák’l]
noun (plural hack·les)

1.  BIRDS bird’s
neck feather: any of the long slender feathers on the
neck or lower back of a male bird, especially a fowl

2.  ANGLING feathers
used in a fishing fly: a tuft of feathers from the
neck of a bird used in making an artificial fly for fishing

3.  ANGLING fishing
fly made from feathers: an artificial fly for
fishing made from the neck feathers of a bird

4.  TEXTILES flax
comb:
a steel comb with long teeth used to comb out flax, hemp, or jute fibers
plural
noun
hack·les

hairs on an animal’s neck:
the hairs on the back of the neck and along the spine of an animal, especially
a dog or cat, that stand on end when it is threatened or angry
transitive
verb
(past hack·led, past participle hack·led, present
participle hack·ling, 3rd person present singular hack·les)

1.  ANGLING put
feathers on a fishing fly: to trim an artificial fly
with the neck feathers from a bird

2.  TEXTILES comb flax
before spinning: to comb out flax, hemp, or jute fibers
using a hackle
[15th
century. Variant of earlier heckle, probably from an Old English word
meaning literally “little hook,” from the prehistoric Germanic ancestor of
English hook .]
—hack·ler,
noun
make
somebody’s hackles rise

to produce anger or hostility
in somebody[1]



hackle

hackle2
hack·le2 [hák’l]
(past hack·led, past participle hack·led, present
participle hack·ling, 3rd person present singular hack·les)
intransitive and transitive verb

cut
roughly:
to mangle something by cutting it roughly
[Late 16th century. From hack 1 .][1]



hackly

hackly
hack·ly 
[háklee] (comparative hack·li·er,
superlative hack·li·est) adjective

rough and jagged:
having a rough jagged surface[1]



hackman

hackman
hack·man
[hák mən] (plural hack·men [hák mən]) noun

cabdriver:
a man who drives a taxicab[1]



Hackman,Gene

Hackman,Gene
Hack·man
[hákmən], Gene (1930– )

U.S. movie actor. He won
Academy Awards for The French Connection ( 1971 ) and Unforgiven
( 1992 ).[1]



hackmatack

hackmatack
hack·ma·tack 
[hákmə tàk] (plural hack·ma·tacks)
noun TREES

1.  See
tamarack

2.  See
balsam poplar
[Late 18th century. From
Algonquian akemantek “snowshoe wood.”][1]



hackney

hackney
hack·ney 
[háknee] noun (plural hack·neys)

1.  vehicle
for hire:
an automobile or carriage for hire

2.  horse
for riding:
a horse for riding or driving
adjective

trite:
ordinary and boring
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably named for Hackney, area of
northeastern London where horses were formerly grazed.]
—hack·ney·ism, noun[1]



hackneyed

hackneyed
hack·neyed 
[hákneed] adjective

ordinary and unimaginative:
made commonplace and stale by overuse • the
same old hackneyed sales talk[1]



hacksaw

hacksaw
hack·saw 
[hák sàw] noun (plural hack·saws)

saw
for cutting metal: a handsaw with a
small-toothed steel blade stretched taut across a frame, used for cutting metal
transitive
verb
(past hack·sawed, past participle hack·sawn or
hack·sawed, present participle hack·saw·ing, 3rd person
present singular hack·saws)

cut something with a hacksaw:
to cut something using a hacksaw[1]



hacktivism

hacktivism
hack·tiv·ism
[háktə vìzzəm] noun

political
activism using computer networks: the activity of
breaking into and sabotaging the computer system of a government or
organization via the Internet as a form of political protest “The apparent
increase in hacktivism may be due in part to the growing importance of the
Internet as a means of communication.” Wired Web site April 1999
[Late
20th century. Formed from hacker + activism .]
—hack·tiv·ist (plural
hack·tiv·ists), noun[1]



hackwork

hackwork
hack·work 
[hák wùrk] noun

hired literary work:
ordinary literary, artistic, or professional work that somebody is hired to do
(disapproving)[1]



had

had
had


Past tense of
have Past participle of have[1]



haddock

haddock
had·dock 
[háddək] (plural had·dock or
had·docks) noun

edible
fish:
a North Atlantic fish that is related to but smaller than the cod. It is a
popular food fish. Latin name: Melanogrammus aeglefinus
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman hadoc from Old French (h)adot, whose origin is
unknown.][1]



hade

hade
hade 
[hayd] noun (plural hades)

GEOLOGY angle
of a fault plane: the angle between the vertical plane and
a plane containing a vein, fault, or lode
intransitive
verb
(past had·ed, past participle had·ed, present
participle had·ing, 3rd person present singular hades)

slope
from the vertical: to be at an angle with the
vertical
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps from a dialect form of head
.][1]



Hades

Hades
Ha·des 
[háy dz] noun

1.  ha·des
or Ha·des hell:
hell (informal)

2.  Greek
underworld:
in Greek mythology, the underworld kingdom inhabited by the souls of the dead

3.  Greek
god of the underworld: in Greek mythology, the god
of the underworld and husband of Persephone. Roman equivalent Pluto
[Late
16th century. From Greek Haidēs god of the dead; ultimate origin
unknown.]
—Had·e·an [hay d ən], adjective[1]



Hadhramaut

Hadhramaut
Ha·dhra·maut
[hdrə máwt] or Ha·dra·maut [hdrə máwt]

coastal region in the
southern Arabian peninsula, shared between Yemen and Oman. The ancient
civilization that flourished there is called “Hazarmaveth” in the Bible. Area:
155,400 sq km/60,000 sq mi.[1]



Hadith

Hadith
Ha·dith 
[hə dth] or ha·dith [hə dth] noun

collection
of Islamic traditions: the collected traditions,
teachings, and stories of the prophet Muhammad, accepted as a source of Islamic
doctrine and law second only to the Koran
[Early 18th century. From
Arabic ḥadī “tradition.”][1]



hadj

hadj
hadj 
noun

See
hajj[1]



hadji

hadji
hadj·i 
noun

See
hajji[1]



hadn’t

hadn’t
had·n’t 
[hád’nt] contraction

had not:
had not[1]



Hadramaut

Hadramaut
Had·ra·maut

See
Hadhramaut[1]



Hadrian

Hadrian

Ha·dri·an 
[háydree ən], Emperor of Rome (76–138)
As emperor (117–38) he ended Rome’s
policy of territorial expansion.[1]



Hadrian’sWall

Hadrian’sWall
Ha·dri·an’s
Wall 
[hàydree inz wáwl] noun

ancient Roman wall in
northern England: a fortified wall built
across northern England in the early 2nd century AD as a defense against invasion by the Picts. It was built
on the orders of Roman emperor Hadrian and marked the northern boundary of the
Roman Empire.[1]



hadron

hadron
had·ron 
[háddrən, hád
ròn] (plural had·rons) noun

subatomic
particle:
an elementary particle that is subject to the strong nuclear interaction
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek hadros “bulky” + -on
.]
—had·ron·ic [had rónnik, hə drónnik],
adjective[1]



hadrosaur

hadrosaur
had·ro·saur 
[háddrə sàwr] (plural ha·dro·saurs)
noun

type
of dinosaur: an amphibious plant-eating dinosaur with
a snout resembling a duck’s bill and strong hind legs for walking in swamps.
Hadrosaur fossils have been found in sediments from the Upper Cretaceous
period. Genus: Anatosaurus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin hadrosaurus, formed from Greek hadros “bulky” + sauros
“lizard.”][1]



hadst

hadst
hadst 
[hadst] transitive verb

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of have[1]



haecceity

haecceity
haec·ce·i·ty 
[hek s ətee] (plural haec·ce·i·ties)
noun

PHILOSOPHY property
of self:
the essential property that makes an individual uniquely that individual
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin heicceitas, formed from Latin haec, feminine
singular form of hic “this.”][1]



Haeckel,Ernst

Haeckel,Ernst
Haeck·el
[hék’l], Ernst (1834–1919)

German
zoologist and evolutionist. He was an early advocate of Charles Darwin, and is
chiefly remembered for producing genealogical trees of species development.
Full name
Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August[1]



Haeckel’slaw

Haeckel’slaw
Haeck·el’s
law 
[hék’lz làw] noun

theory
of embryo development: the theory proposing as a
law that an embryo in each stage of development resembles an organism that its
species descended from
[Late 19th century. Named for
Ernst Heinrich Haeckel .][1]



haem

haem
haem 
[heem] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
U.K. = heme[1]



haema-

haema-
haema-
prefix

See
hema-[1]



haemat-

haemat-
haemat-
prefix

See
hemat-[1]



haemato-

haemato-
haemato-
prefix

See
hemato-[1]



-haemia

-haemia
-haemia
suffix

See
-hemia[1]



haemo-

haemo-
haemo-
prefix

See
hemo-[1]



hafiz

hafiz
ha·fiz 
[hfiz] noun

memorizer
of the Koran: the title used to address somebody who
has committed the Koran to memory
[Mid-17th century. Via
Persian from Arabic ḥāfiẓ “guardian.”][1]



hafnium

hafnium

haf·ni·um 
[háfnee əm] noun
metallic
element:
a bright silvery metallic chemical element found in zirconium ores. It is used
to absorb neutrons in nuclear reactor rods and in the manufacture of tungsten
filaments. Symbol Hf
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen,
Denmark, where the element was discovered.][1]



haft

haft
haft 
[haft] noun (plural hafts)

handle:
the handle of a knife, ax, or other weapon or tool (literary)
transitive
verb
(past haft·ed, past participle haft·ed, present
participle haft·ing, 3rd person present singular hafts)

provide
with handle: to fit a weapon or tool with a handle (literary)
[Old
English hæft(e) . From a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced
English heave .]
—haft·er, noun[1]



haftarah

haftarah
haf·ta·rah 
[hàftə r] (plural haf·ta·rahs
or haf·ta·roth [hàftə rṓth] or
haf·ta·rot [hàftə rṓt]) or haf·to·rah
[hàftə r] (plural haf·to·rahs
or haf·to·roth or haf·to·rot) or haph·ta·rah
[hàftə r] (plural haph·ta·rahs
or haph·ta·roth or haph·ta·rot) noun

reading
from the Prophets: a reading from the Prophets
following each lesson from the Torah in synagogue services on the Sabbath
[Early 18th century. From
Hebrew haphārāh “conclusion.”][1]



Hag.

Hag.
Hag.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Haggai[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hag

hag
hag
[hag] (plural hags) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s appearance, temperament,
and age

2.  witch:
a witch, especially one late in life

3.  ZOOLOGY See hagfish

4.  a
woman demon: a demon in the shape of a woman (archaic)
[14th
century, but rare before the 16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps shortening
of Old English hægtesse “witch,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that
also produced German Hexe “witch.”]
—hag·gish, adjective[1]



Hagar

Hagar
Ha·gar 
[háy gr, háygər]
noun

mother
of Ishmael:
in the Bible, an Egyptian servant of Sarah who bore Sarah’s husband, Abraham, a
son named Ishmael (Genesis 16, 21:1–21)
[From Hebrew Haghar][1]



Hagen,Walter

Hagen,Walter
Ha·gen 
[háygən], Walter (1892–1969)

U.S.
golfer. He won the U.S. Open (1914 and 1919) and the British Open (1922, 1924,
and 1928–1929).
Full name
Hagen, Walter Charles[1]



Hagerstown

Hagerstown
Hag·ers·town 
[háygərz town]

industrial city in
northwestern Maryland, near the Potomac River, founded in 1762. Population:
34,633 (1996)[1]



hagfish

hagfish
hag·fish 
[hág fìsh] (plural hag·fish or
hag·fish·es) noun

fish resembling an eel:
a primitive jawless marine fish with an elongated body and a sucking mouth that
it uses for feeding off other fishes. Family: Myxinidae
Also called
hag[1]



Haggadah

Haggadah
Hag·ga·dah 
[ha gdə] (plural Hag·ga·dahs
[ha gdōth] or Hag·ga·doth [ha gdōt]) or Hag·ga·da [ha gdə] (plural Hag·ga·das or
Hag·ga·doth) noun

1.  book
containing the Passover service: the service for the
ritual meal ( Seder ) celebrated by Jews at
Passover, or the book containing this service. It includes the story of the
Exodus from Egypt.
Also
called
Aggadah

2.  rabbinical
literature on biblical stories: those sections of the
Talmud and other rabbinical literature that deal with biblical narrative and
stories and legends on biblical themes rather than with religious law and
regulations

3.  story
of Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt: the account of the
Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt that is central to the Jewish Passover
ritual.
Also
called
Aggadah
[Mid-19th
century. From Hebrew haggāḍāh “tale,” formed from higgīḍ “to
tell.”]
—hag·gad·ic [ha gáddik], adjective[1]



Haggai

Haggai
Hag·ga·i 
[há g, hággee ]
noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
in the Bible, a Hebrew prophet who urged the Israelites to rebuild their temple
in Jerusalem in prophecies believed to have been made in 520 BC

2.  book
of the Bible: a book of the Bible that tells the story
of the rebuilding of the Israelites’ temple after their return to Jerusalem
from exile in Babylon and records Haggai ’s prophecies
[From Hebrew][1]



haggard

haggard
hag·gard 
[hággərd] adjective

1.  tired-looking
and thin in the face: showing signs of tiredness,
anxiety, or hunger on the face, for example, dark rings around the eyes

2.  unruly:
wild and unruly in appearance

3.  unmanageable:
used in falconry to describe a hawk that has reached maturity before being
captured and is therefore wild and unmanageable
noun
(plural hag·gards)

hawk: a
captured wild adult hawk
[Late
16th century. From French hagard “untamed” (used of hawks), perhaps
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “hedge”; the underlying
meaning would be “like a wild hawk of the woods.”]
—hag·gard·ly
[hággərdlee], adverb

—hag·gard·ness [hággərdnəss], noun[1]



haggis

haggis
hag·gis 
[hággiss] (plural hag·gis·es) noun

Scottish
round sausage: a Scottish dish made from the chopped
heart, lungs, and liver of lamb or beef mixed with suet, oats, onions, herbs,
and spices and packed into a round sausage skin and usually boiled. Haggis is
traditionally cooked in a cleaned sheep’s stomach, but artificial casings are
now frequently used.
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  One
  possible source of haggis is Middle
  English haggen, meaning “to chop,” a northern variant of HACK 1 . From this view, its name
  would refer to its chopped-up contents. An alternative possibility is Old
  French agace, meaning “magpie.” This is supported by a parallel
  semantic development of English “pie,” which originally meant “magpie” but
  was apparently applied to a “pastry case with a filling” from the notion that
  the collection of edible odds and ends in a pie resembles the collection of
  trinkets assembled by the acquisitive magpie. The miscellaneous assortment of
  sheep’s entrails and other ingredients in a haggis therefore would represent
  the magpie’s hoard.

[1]



haggle

haggle
hag·gle 
[hágg’l] verb (past hag·gled,
present participle hag·gling or hag·gled, 3rd
person present singular hag·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
try
to settle on a price: to argue over something, for
example, a price or contract, in order to reach an agreement

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
roughly:
to cut something roughly (regional)
noun
(plural hag·gles)

argument leading to agreement:
an argument over something in an attempt to reach an agreement
[Late
16th century. Literally “to keep chopping,” from Middle English haggen
“to chop,” a variant of hack 1 . The modern meaning may
have developed via the idea of “chopping away” at a price.]
—hag·gler, noun[1]



hagio-

hagio-
hagio-
prefix

saints,
holy • hagiolatry
• hagioscope
[From Greek hagios
“holy”][1]



hagiocracy

hagiocracy
hag·i·oc·ra·cy 
[hàggee ókrəssee, hàyjee
ókrəssee] (plural hag·i·oc·ra·cies) noun

1.  government
by holy people: government by saints, prophets, or other
holy people

2.  place
governed by holy people: a state or community
governed by holy people

[1]



Hagiographa

Hagiographa
Hag·i·og·ra·pha 
[hàggee óggrəfə, hàyjee
óggrəfə] noun

3rd
part of Hebrew Bible: the last of the three main
parts into which the Hebrew Bible is divided.
Also
called
Writings
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek hagios “holy” + grapha “writings.”][1]



hagiographer

hagiographer
hag·i·og·raph·er
[hàggee óggrəfər, hàyjee
óggrəfər] (plural hag·i·og·raph·ers) or hag·i·og·raph·ist
[hàggee óggrəfist, hàyjee
óggrəfist] (plural hag·i·og·raph·ists) noun

1.  biographer
of saints:
somebody who writes biographies of the saints

2.  reverential
biographer:
somebody who writes biographies that treat their subjects with undue reverence

3.  writer
of part of the Hebrew Bible: any of the writers of the
Hagiographa

[1]



hagiography

hagiography
hag·i·og·ra·phy 
[hàggee óggrəfee, hàyjee
óggrəfee] (plural hag·i·og·ra·phies) noun

1.  biography
of saint:
biography of a saint or the saints

2.  biography
revering its subject: biography that treats its
subject with undue reverence
—hag·i·o·graph·ic [hàggee ə gráffik, hàyjee
ə gráffik], adjective[1]



hagiolatry

hagiolatry
hag·i·ol·a·try 
[hàggee óllətree, hàyjee
óllətree] noun

worship of saints:
the worship or idolizing of saints[1]



hagiology

hagiology
hag·i·ol·o·gy 
[hàggee ólləjee, hàyjee
ólləjee] (plural hag·i·ol·o·gies) noun

1.  writings
about saints: literature about the lives of the saints

2.  biography
of a saint:
a biography of a saint, or a collection of such biographies

3.  list
of saints:
an authoritative list of saints

4.  collection
of sacred writings: a collection or history of
sacred writings
—hag·i·o·log·ic
[hàggee ə lójjik, hàyjee
ə lójjik], adjective

—hag·i·ol·o·gist [hàggee ólləjist, hàyjee
ólləjist], noun[1]



hagioscope

hagioscope
hag·i·o·scope 
[hággee ə skp, háyjee
ə skp] (plural hag·i·o·scopes) noun

opening
giving a view of the altar: a narrow opening in an
interior wall of a church that allows members of the congregation seated at the
sides to see the altar.
Also
called
squint
—hag·i·o·scop·ic [hàggee ə skóppik, hàyjee
ə skóppik], adjective[1]



hag-ridden

hag-ridden
hag-rid·den
adjective

tormented by fear:
plagued by fear or mental anguish (literary)[1]



Hague,The

Hague,The
Hague,
The
[ə háyg]

city in the western
Netherlands, seat of the Dutch government and capital of South Holland
Province. Population: 444,661 (1993)[1]



hah

hah
hah 
interjection

See
ha[1]



ha-ha

ha-ha1
ha-ha1 (plural ha-has)
or haw-haw (plural haw-haws) interjection

1.  representation
of laughter: used in writing to indicate the sound of
somebody laughing

2.  used
to mock somebody: used to tease or ridicule somebody (informal)
• “Where
is it?”“Ha-ha, wouldn’t you like to know?”
[Old English . An imitation
of the sound.][1]



ha-ha

ha-ha2
ha-ha2 (plural ha-has)
or haw-haw (plural haw-haws) noun

ditch
that serves as a barrier: a deep ditch or steep change
in level, sometimes supported by a wall, that marks the boundary of a large
garden but is not visible from within it
[Early 18th century. From
French ; presumably from a cry of surprise when finding one.][1]



hahnium

hahnium
hah·ni·um 
[hnee əm] noun

dubnium
or hassium:
dubnium or hassium (dated) Symbol Hn
[Late 20th century. Named for
Otto Hahn (1879–1968), German chemist.][1]



Haida

Haida
Hai·da 
[hdə] (plural Hai·da or
Hai·das) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people living along the coast of British Columbia in Canada, the
adjoining Alaskan coast, and the islands lying off these areas. The Haida are
particularly noted for their intricately carved dugout canoes and miniature totems.

2.  LANGUAGE Haida
language:
the language of the Haida, now spoken by very few people
[Early
20th century. From Haida, “people.”]
—Hai·da,
adjective

—Hai·dan, adjective[1]



HaidaGwai’i

HaidaGwai’i
Hai·da
Gwai’i
[hdə gw] noun

home of Haida:
the traditional territory of the Haida, including the Queen Charlotte Islands
off the Pacific coast of Canada[1]



Haifa

Haifa
Hai·fa 
[hfə]

city and chief seaport of
Israel, situated in the northern part of the country. Population: 252,300
(1996)[1]



haik

haik

haik 
[hīk, hayk]
(plural haiks) or haick [hīk,
hayk] (plural haicks) noun
N
African loose-fitting garment: a loose-fitting
garment made from a rectangle of cloth, usually white, that is wrapped around
the head and body. It is worn by men and women in North Africa.
[Early 18th century. From
Arabic hā’ik .][1]



Haikou

Haikou
Hai·kou 
[h k]

capital of Hainan Province in
China, on the northern side of the island of Hainan. Population: 280,153 (1990)[1]



haiku

haiku
hai·ku 
[h k] (plural hai·ku) noun

short
Japanese poem: a form of Japanese poetry with 17
syllables in three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, often
describing nature or a season.
Also
called
hokku
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, shortening of haikai no ku, literally “not serious verse.”][1]



hail

hail1
hail1 [hayl]
noun

1.  pellets
of ice:
small balls of ice and hardened snow that fall like rain

2.  pouring
down of something harmful: a barrage of something, for
example, missiles or insults
intransitive
verb
(past hailed, past participle hailed, present
participle hail·ing, 3rd person present singular hails)

rain ice pellets:
to rain small balls of ice or hardened snow
[Old English hagol, hægl
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced Greek kakhlēx
“pebble.”][1]



hail

hail2
hail2 [hayl]
transitive verb (past hailed, past participle hailed,
present participle hail·ing, 3rd person present singular hails)

1.  greet:
to welcome or greet somebody upon meeting • We
hailed each other like long-lost buddies.

2.  acclaim:
to praise or approve a person, action, or accomplishment with enthusiasm • The
press hailed her as a child prodigy.

3.  shout
or signal for attention: to attract the attention of
somebody or something, for example, a taxicab or ship, by calling or signaling
noun
(plural hails)

1.  greeting:
an expression of greeting or acclamation

2.  shout
or signal:
a shout or signal to attract attention
interjection

exclamation of greeting:
used to greet, welcome, or acclaim somebody (archaic or literary)
[12th
century. Variant of hale 1, originally used as an
interjection for wishing somebody good health.]
—hail·er,
noun
within
hail

near enough to hear a shout
or see a signal (dated)[1]



hail-fellow-well-met

hail-fellow-well-met
hail-fel·low-well-met
or hail-fel·low adjective

excessively
friendly:
very friendly, especially in a way that presumes an intimacy that does not
exist
noun

very
friendly person: an exuberantly friendly person (old)
[From the greeting Hail,
fellow! Well met!][1]



hailfrom

hailfrom
hail
from
transitive verb

come from:
to live in or come from a particular place, especially as a birthplace or place
of origin • Her
husband hails from Seattle.[1]



HailMary

HailMary
Hail
Mar·y 
(plural Hail Mar·ys) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY prayer
invoking Virgin Mary’s intercession: a
Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary based on Gabriel’s and Elizabeth’s
greetings to her as recorded in the Gospel of Luke in the Bible. Churchgoers
are often required to repeat the prayer as a penance, given in the sacrament of
reconciliation.
Also
called
Ave Maria

2.  FOOTBALL last-minute
pass:
a long high pass into the end zone in football, in an effort to score a
touchdown before time runs out in the half or game (slang)

3.  last-ditch
effort or plan: a proposition, plan, request, or effort
that is made as a last resort or final recourse (informal)
[Translation of medieval
Latin Ave, Maria, the opening words of the prayer][1]



hailstone

hailstone
hail·stone 
[háyl stn] (plural hail·stones)
noun

ice pellet:
a pellet of ice and hardened snow that falls like rain[1]



hailstorm

hailstorm
hail·storm 
[háyl stàwrm] (plural hail·storms)
noun

storm with hail:
a storm that includes a downpour of hail[1]



haimish

haimish
haim·ish 
[háymish] or heim·ish [háymish] adjective

friendly
and relaxed: having qualities associated with home,
for example, warmth and informality (informal) • The
inn was very haimish and comfortable.
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish heymish “homelike,” from Middle High German heimisch,
literally “of the home.”][1]



Hainan

Hainan
Hai·nan 
[h nn]

province in southeastern
China comprising the island of Hainan in the South China Sea. Capital: Haikou.
Population: 7,110,000 (1994) Area: 34,300 sq km/13,240 sq mi.[1]



haint

haint
haint 
[haynt] noun

Southern U.S.
ghost:
a ghost or other phenomenon believed to be supernatural[1]



Haiphong

Haiphong
Hai·phong 
[h fóng]

city and seaport in northern
Vietnam, on the Red River delta. Population: 1,447,523 (1989)[1]



hair

hair

hair 
[hair] (plural hairs) noun

1.  strands
growing on the head or body: the mass of fine flexible
protein strands that grow from follicles on the skin of a person or animal,
especially those on somebody’s head

2.  single
strand:
any of the fine strands that grow on the skin of a person or animal • The
rug was covered with dog hairs.

3.  BOTANY growth
on a plant resembling hair: a thin flexible growth on a
plant resembling a human or animal hair

4.  TEXTILES fabric:
fabric made from animal hair

5.  tiny
amount:
a tiny amount or degree
[Old
English hr . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German Haar . There is no general Indo-European word for
“hair.”]
—hair·less,
adjective
be tearing your hair out

to
be very irritated or frustrated

not turn a hair

to
remain completely calm

split hairs

to
argue about or give undue significance to fine distinctions and details

the hair of the dog (that bit you)

an alcoholic drink taken as a
supposed cure for a hangover[1]



hairball

hairball
hair·ball 
[háir bàwl] (plural hair·balls)
noun

hair in an animal’s stomach:
a ball of hair that accumulates in the stomach of some animals, for example,
cats and cows, when they clean themselves. It often causes indigestion and
retching.[1]



hairbreadth

hairbreadth
hair·breadth 
[háir brèdth] noun

See
hairsbreadth
adjective

very narrow:
exceedingly narrow[1]



hairbrush

hairbrush
hair·brush 
[háir brùsh] (plural hair·brush·es)
noun

brush to make hair neat:
a brush for smoothing and styling hair[1]



haircell

haircell
hair
cell
(plural hair cells) noun

sensory cell in the ear:
a sensory cell with fine projections resembling hairs, especially one in the
inner ear that transmits information on sound or movement to the brain[1]



haircloth

haircloth
hair·cloth 
[háir klàwth] (plural hair·cloths)
noun

coarse fabric:
a thick coarse fabric made from horse’s or camel’s hair, used in upholstery[1]



haircut

haircut
hair·cut 
[háir kùt] (plural hair·cuts) noun

Also
called
cut

1.  cutting
of somebody’s hair: a session in which
somebody’s hair is cut

2.  way
somebody’s hair is cut: the shape or style in which
somebody’s hair is cut • How do
you like my new haircut?
—hair·cut·ter,
noun

—hair·cut·ting, noun,
adjective[1]



hairdo

hairdo
hair·do 
[háir d] (plural hair·dos) noun

style of hair:
the way in which somebody’s hair has been cut or styled (informal)[1]



hairdresser

hairdresser
hair·dress·er 
[háir drèssər] (plural hair·dress·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
whose work is styling hair: somebody who cuts, styles,
colors, or curls hair as a profession

2.  hairdresser’s
place of business: a shop or salon where a
hairdresser works

[1]



hairdressing

hairdressing
hair·dress·ing 
[háir drèssing] (plural hair·dress·ings)
noun

1.  care
of the hair: the cutting, styling, coloring, or
curling of hair

2.  hairdresser’s
profession:
the occupation of a hairdresser

3.  hair
care product: a preparation, for example, an oil or
gel, used to style or care for the hair

[1]



hairdryer

hairdryer
hair
dry·er
(plural hair dry·ers) noun

appliance for drying hair:
a device that uses heated air for drying hair, either handheld or in the shape
of a dome that fits over the head[1]



haired

haired
haired 
[háird] adjective

having a particular kind of
hair: having hair of a particular
length, color, type, or style (used in combination) • long-haired[1]



hairfollicle

hairfollicle
hair
fol·li·cle
noun

cavity in the skin
surrounding hair base: a small
tubular pit in the outer layer of skin ( epidermis
) enclosing the base of a growing hair[1]



hairgrip

hairgrip
hair·grip
[háir grìp] (plural hair·grips)
noun

U.K.
See bobby pin[1]



hairline

hairline
hair·line 
[háir ln] (plural hair·lines)
noun

1.  where
hair begins on head: the line across the top of
the forehead behind which the hair grows

2.  thin
line:
a very narrow line that is barely visible

3.  PRINTING thin
stroke:
a very thin line on a typeface, or a typeface containing thin lines

4.  TEXTILES fabric
with fine stripes: a textile pattern of very
thin stripes, usually one thread wide, or a fabric with such stripes

[1]



hairnet

hairnet
hair·net
[háir nèt] (plural hair·nets) noun

netting to hold hair:
a circular piece of fine netting with an elastic edge, worn to hold the hair in
place, especially in bed[1]



hairpiece

hairpiece
hair·piece 
[háir pss] (plural hair·pieces)
noun

false hair:
a wig, toupee, or other piece of false hair, worn to conceal hair loss or to
add bulk or length to somebody’s natural hair[1]



hairpin

hairpin
hair·pin 
[háir pìn] (plural hair·pins) noun

1.  bent
wire for holding hair: a U-shaped piece of metal
wire used to hold the hair in place.
Also
called
pin

2.  something
with a sharp bend: something with a U-shape
resembling a hairpin, especially a sharp bend in a road

3.  MUSIC symbol
for crescendo or diminuendo: a long V-shaped mark used in
written music to indicate an increase or decrease in loudness (informal)

[1]



hair-raising

hair-raising
hair-rais·ing 
adjective

terrifying
or thrilling: causing intense fear or excitement • Landing
on that makeshift runway was the most hair-raising experience of my life.
—hair-rais·er,
noun

—hair-rais·ing·ly, adverb[1]



hairsbreadth

hairsbreadth
hairs·breadth
[háirz brèdth] or hair’s-breadth
[háirz brèdth] noun

small margin:
a very small margin or distance.
Also called
hairbreadth[1]



hairshirt

hairshirt
hair
shirt
noun

1.  haircloth
shirt:
a shirt made from a harsh scratchy haircloth that was once worn next to the
skin by religious people as a form of self-imposed punishment

2.  personal
punishment:
a self-imposed punishment in the form of private suffering

[1]



hairspace

hairspace
hair
space
(plural hair spac·es) noun

very thin space:
the thinnest space used to separate words and letters in typesetting[1]



hairsplitting

hairsplitting
hair·split·ting 
[háir splìtting] noun

arguing
over details: overattention to unimportant details and
fine distinctions, especially in an argument • Whether
it was five after or ten after is just hairsplitting: you kept me waiting for
over an hour.
adjective

concerned
too much with details: giving undue significance to
fine distinctions and details
[From
the phrase split hairs “to make too fine distinctions”]
—hair·split·ter, noun[1]



hairspray

hairspray
hair
spray
(plural hair sprays) noun

spray for holding hairstyle:
a substance sprayed onto the hair to hold it in place[1]



hairspring

hairspring
hair·spring 
[háir sprìng] (plural hair·springs)
noun

watch spring:
a very fine coiled spring that controls the movement of the balance wheel in a
watch or clock[1]



hairstreak

hairstreak
hair·streak 
[háir strk] (plural hair·streaks)
noun

butterfly with fringed wings:
a brown or grayish tropical American butterfly with delicate streaks on the
underside of its wings and fine tails resembling hairs on its hind wings.
Subfamily: Theclinae[1]



hairstroke

hairstroke
hair
stroke
noun

thin line:
a very fine line in writing or printing[1]



hairstyle

hairstyle
hair·style 
[háir stl] (plural hair·styles)
noun

how
somebody’s hair is worn: the way in which somebody’s
hair is cut and arranged • How do
you like my new hairstyle?
—hair·styl·ing,
noun

—hair·styl·ist, noun[1]



hairtrigger

hairtrigger
hair
trig·ger
noun

1.  sensitive
trigger:
a gun trigger that needs very little pressure to activate it

2.  quick
response:
a response or mechanism that reacts to the slightest provocation or impulse (hyphenated
before a noun)
[From the thin spring that it
activates][1]



hairweave

hairweave
hair
weave
(plural hair weaves) noun

attachment of false hair:
the process of braiding false hair to somebody’s own hair in order to conceal
hair loss[1]



hairweaving

hairweaving
hair·weav·ing 
[háir wving] noun

adding
hair by weaving: the interweaving of a hairpiece with
somebody’s own hair, often done to disguise hair loss
—hair·weave,
transitive verb

—hair·weav·er, noun[1]



hairworm

hairworm
hair·worm 
[háir wùrm] (plural hair·worms)
noun

1.  parasitic
nematode:
a nematode worm that lives as a parasite in the digestive tracts of domestic
animals. Genus: Trichostrongylus

2.  parasite
of arthropods: a long slender aquatic worm whose larva
lives as a parasite on arthropods. Phylum: Nematomorpha
Also
called
horsehair worm

[1]



hairy

hairy
hair·y 
[háiree] (comparative hair·i·er,
superlative hair·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with hair:
covered with hair or filaments resembling hair

2.  made
of hair:
made of hair, or similar in texture to something made of hair

3.  frightening:
filled with dangers or difficulties (informal)
—hair·i·ness, noun[1]



hairyvetch

hairyvetch
hair·y
vetch
(plural hair·y vetch·es) noun

ground-cover and forage
plant: a type of vetch with hairy
stems and purplish flowers that is native to Europe and Asia. It is widely
grown for ground cover and forage. Latin name: Vicia villosa[1]



hairywoodpecker

hairywoodpecker
hair·y
wood·peck·er (plural hair·y wood·peck·ers)
noun

black and white N American
woodpecker: a common North American
woodpecker with black and white markings that, except for its long bill and
larger size, looks like the downy woodpecker[1]



Haiti




Back to definition

Haiti

[1]



Haiti

Haiti



Hai·ti 
[háytee]
republic occupying the western third of
the island of Hispaniola in the northern Caribbean. Language: French. Language:
Haitian Creole. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Population:
6,732,000 (1996) Area: 27,750 sq km/10,714 sq mi. Official name Republic
of Haiti[1]



Haitian

Haitian
Hai·tian 
[háysh’n] (plural Hai·tians) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Haiti:
somebody who was born or raised in Haiti, or who has Haitian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE See Haitian Creole
—Hai·tian, adjective[1]



HaitianCreole

HaitianCreole
Hai·tian
Cre·ole
noun

language
of Haiti:
the French-based creole spoken on the island of Haiti. It has about four
million speakers.
Also
called
Haitian
—Hai·tian Cre·ole, adjective[1]



haj

haj
haj 
noun

See
hajj[1]



haji

haji
haj·i 
noun

See
hajji[1]



hajj

hajj
hajj
[haj] (plural ha·j·jes) or
hadj [haj] (plural had·jes)
or haj [haj] (plural ha·jes)
noun

pilgrimage
to Mecca:
the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that is a principal religious obligation
of adult Muslims
[Late 17th century. From
Arabic, “pilgrimage.”][1]



Hajjaj

Hajjaj
Haj·jaj
[ha jj, kha jj]
noun

Arab governor in India:
the governor of the eastern provinces of India during the Arab Umayyad dynasty,
the first time the Indian subcontinent was occupied by a Muslim force[1]



hajji

hajji
haj·ji
[hjee] (plural haj·jis) or
hadj·i [hjee] (plural had·jis)
or haj·i [hjee] (plural
haj·is) noun

Muslim
pilgrim:
a Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca (also used as a title)
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Turkish from Persian ḥājī “pilgrim,” formed from Arabic ḥajj
“pilgrimage.”][1]



hake

hake
hake 
[hayk] (plural hake or hakes)
noun

marine
fish resembling cod: a marine fish similar to the
cod, with two dorsal fins and an elongated body. It is a valuable food fish.
Genus: Merluccius
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps shortening of assumed hakefish, from dialectal hake
“hook,” from Old Norse haki, from the shape of its lower jaw.][1]



hakim

hakim1
ha·kim1  [h
km, hə km] (plural ha·kims)
or ha·keem [h km, hə km] (plural ha·keems) noun

Muslim
doctor:
a Muslim doctor who uses traditional remedies
[From Arabic ḥakīm
“wise man”][1]



hakim

hakim2
ha·kim2 [hkim]
(plural ha·kims) noun

Muslim
judge:
a Muslim judge, ruler, or administrator
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic ḥākim “ruler.”][1]



Hakodate

Hakodate
Ha·ko·da·te 
[hkō dt ay]

seaport on Tsugaru Strait in
southern Hokkaido, Japan. Population: 307,249 (1990)[1]



haku

haku
ha·ku 
[h k] (plural ha·kus) noun

Hawaii
garland:
a crown made of fresh flowers[1]



hal-

hal-
hal-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
halo-[1]



Halacha

Halacha
Ha·la·cha 
[h laa kh, haa
lkhə] or Ha·la·kha [h laa
kh, haa lkhə] or Ha·la·khah
[h laa kh, haa
lkhə] noun

Jewish
law:
the body of Jewish law beginning with the Pentateuch and developed by the
rabbis
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew hă lāāh “law.”][1]



halal

halal
ha·lal 
[hə ll] adjective

suitable
for Muslims: used to describe meat from animals that
have been slaughtered in the ritual way prescribed by Islamic law, or relating
to such meat
noun

halal
meat:
halal meat
transitive
verb
(past ha·lalled, past participle ha·lalled, present
participle ha·lal·ling, 3rd person present singular ha·lals)

slaughter
animals in the Islamic way: to slaughter animals for
meat in the ritual way prescribed by Islamic law
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic ḥalāl “lawful.”][1]



halala

halala
ha·la·la 
[hə llə] (plural ha·la·la or
ha·la·las) noun

1.  minor
unit of Saudi Arabian currency: a minor unit of
currency in Saudi Arabia, one hundred of which are worth one rial

2.  coin
worth one halala: a coin worth one halala
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic .][1]



halation

halation
ha·la·tion 
[hə láysh’n] noun

1.  fuzzy
glow in a photograph: a blurred bright patch
around a light source on a photographic image. It is caused by light being
reflected off the film base and back onto the light-sensitive layer.

2.  halo
around a bright television image: a patch or ring of
glowing light around a bright object on a television screen
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from halo + -ation
.][1]



halberd

halberd

hal·berd 
[hálbərd, háwlbərd]
(plural hal·berds) or hal·bert [hálbərt] (plural hal·berts) noun
long-handled
medieval weapon: an ax blade and pick with a spearhead on
top, mounted on a long handle and used as a weapon in the 15th and 16th
centuries
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Middle High German helmbarde, from
helm “handle” + barde “hatchet.”]
—hal·ber·dier [hàlbər dr, hàwlbər
dr], noun[1]



halcyon

halcyon
hal·cy·on 
[hálsee ən] adjective

tranquil:
tranquil and free from disturbance or care (literary)
noun
(plural hal·cy·ons)

1.  MYTHOLOGY mythological
bird that calmed the sea: in Greek mythology, a bird
resembling the kingfisher, believed to have had the power to calm the waves at
the time of the winter solstice when it nested at sea

2.  kingfisher:
a kingfisher
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek (h)alkuōn “mythical bird,” of unknown origin.][1]



halcyondays

halcyondays
hal·cy·on
days
plural noun

1.  tranquil
happy time:
a time of happiness and tranquility (literary)

2.  calm
days at winter’s start: two weeks of calm weather
during the winter solstice

[1]



hale

hale2
hale2 [hayl]
(past haled, past participle haled, present
participle hal·ing, 3rd person present singular hales)
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody go somewhere: to compel somebody to go
somewhere, especially to court

2.  haul
somebody or something: to pull or drag somebody or
something with great effort (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French haler from Old Norse hala .]
—hal·er, noun[1]



hale

hale1
hale1 [hayl]
(comparative hal·er, superlative hal·est) adjective

fit
and strong:
in robust good health
[Old
English hāl “whole, healthy” (also the source of modern English whole
), later reinforced by Old Norse heill]
—hale·ness, noun[1]



HaleakalaNational Park

HaleakalaNational Park
Ha·le·a·ka·la
Na·tion·al Park [hlee aak
aa l nàsh’nəl prk, hlee aakə l nàsh’nəl
prk]

park on the island of Maui,
Hawaii, established in 1916. Its main feature is the large crater of an
inactive volcano. Area: 11,371 hectares/28,099 acres.[1]



Hale,Edward Everett

Hale,Edward Everett
Hale
[hayl], Edward Everett (1822–1909)

U.S. clergyman and writer. A
noted abolitionist, he was a prolific and influential writer. His works include
“The Man Without a Country” ( 1863 ).[1]



Hale,George Ellery

Hale,George Ellery
Hale
[hayl], George Ellery (1868–1938)

U.S. astronomer. He
established the Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin (1895) and Mount Wilson
Observatory, California (1904) and designed the reflecting telescope for Mount
Palomar, near San Diego (1948).[1]



Hale,Nathan

Hale,Nathan
Hale
[hayl], Nathan (1755–1776)

American revolutionary hero.
He was captured by the British as a spy and hanged.[1]



haler

haler
ha·ler 
[hlər] (plural hal·ers or
ha·le·ru [hlə r]) noun

1.  minor
unit of Czech currency: a minor unit of currency of
the Czech Republic, one hundred of which are worth one koruna.
Also
called
currency

2.  coin
worth a haler: a coin worth a haler.
Also
called
heller
[Mid-20th century. Via Czech
from Middle High German haller “silver coin,” named for Hall, a
Swabian town where they were minted.][1]



Haley,Alex

Haley,Alex
Ha·ley
[háylee], Alex (1921–1992)

U.S.
writer. He is best known for his autobiographical novel Roots ( 1976 ).
Full name
Haley, Alexander Murray Palmer[1]



Haley,Bill

Haley,Bill
Ha·ley
[háylee], Bill (1927–1981)

U.S.
musician. He drew on his background in country and western and rhythm and blues
in recording some of the first rock-and-roll hits, including “Rock Around the
Clock” (1955), with the Comets, the band he formed in 1952.
Full name
Haley, William John[1]



half

half
half 
[haf] noun (plural halves
[havz]) adjective adjective pronoun

one of two equal parts:
either of two equal or nearly equal parts into which a whole can be divided • Arrange
the apricot halves, skin uppermost, in a gratin dish.
• The
recession began in the second half of 1990. • (adjective)
You don’t have to pay for the first half hour. • (adjective)
I’ll pay half the bill. • (pronoun)
I invited 20, but only half showed up.
noun
(plural halves [havz])

1.  SPORTS time
between periods: the break between two playing periods in
a game • The
score was tied at the half.
U.K.
term
halftime

2.  SPORTS halfback:
a halfback in any sport

3.  U.K.
EDUCATION See semester

4.  U.K.
half
fare:
a fare costing more or less half the ordinary amount, for example, for a child
or senior citizen, on public transport • Two
and two halves please.

5.  MONEY a half-dollar
adjective
adverb

1.  partial:
to some extent but not complete or completely • (adjective)
She gave me a half-smile • (adverb)
She was half laughing, half crying

2.  equally:
in equal parts • (adjective) We each
have half ownership in the building. • (adverb)
He’s half French, half Spanish.
[Old
English healf . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German halb . The original meaning was “side.”]
by
half

to
a too great extent • I don’t trust him –he’s
too friendly by half.

go
halves (with somebody)

to
share something equally with somebody • If
we go halves on the gas the trip shouldn’t be too expensive.

not
do things by halves

to
do things thoroughly and often on a large scale

not
half

1.  not
at all • Mmm!
This cake’s not half bad!

2.  much
less than half • She’s not half as busy
as you are.
• This
isn’t half the fun I thought it would be.

3.  U.K.
used as an understatement to indicate enthusiasm (informal) • Just
look at them –his new girlfriend can’t half dance!

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Singular
  or plural?
  The
  noun half is singular, but the word is
  treated as plural when it is followed by a plural noun (with or without of
  ) or when it refers back to a plural: • Half
  the people are late. • The
  other half of them aren’t coming at all. • At
  least half are behaving inexcusably.
  With many singular nouns, half can be used
  in the form • half a share,
  • half
  of a share, or • a
  half share.

[1]



half-and-half

half-and-half
half-and-half 
noun (plural half-and-halfs)

1.  dairy
product for coffee: a mixture of cream and milk
in equal parts, used in coffee and tea

2.  two
things mixed equally: a mixture of two things in
equal parts
adjective

with half of each:
containing half each of two things
adverb

in half: in
two equal portions

[1]



half-assed

half-assed
half-assed 
adjective (offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
offensive term for badly organized or carried out

2.  weak:
lacking forcefulness or effectiveness

[1]



halfback

halfback
half·back 
[háf bàk] (plural half·backs) noun

1.  football
player behind the front line: in football, the player who
is positioned next to the fullback and behind the front line at the start of
play

2.  soccer
midfielder:
a midfielder in soccer

3.  player
forward of the last defensive line: any
player in a team sport who is positioned just in front of the last defensive
line

4.  position
of a halfback: the position of somebody playing as a
halfback

[1]



half-baked

half-baked
half-baked 
adjective

1.  poorly
planned:
not well thought out and likely to fail (informal)

2.  unintelligent:
lacking the ability to act with reason and common sense (informal) • That’s
about what you’d expect from a department run by a bunch of half-baked
idealists.

3.  undercooked:
not baked enough

[1]



halfbeak

halfbeak
half·beak
[háf bk] (plural half·beaks) noun

fish with an elongated lower
jaw: a small fish with a short
upper jaw and long lower jaw, found in warm seas, lakes, and rivers. Family:
Hemiramphidae[1]



halfbinding

halfbinding
half
bind·ing
noun

bookbinding using two
materials: a type of bookbinding in
which the back and sometimes the corners of a book are bound in one material
and the sides in another[1]



halfblood

halfblood
half
blood
(plural half bloods) noun

1.  half
brother or half sister: somebody who is related to
somebody else by having one parent in common

2.  half
blood
or half-blood relationship sharing one
parent:
the relationship between two people who have one parent in common

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody of racially mixed parentage, especially
Native American and Caucasian (offensive)

[1]



half-blooded

half-blooded
half-blood·ed 
adjective

1.  with
one parent in common: with only one parent in
common

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning with racially different parents (offensive)

3.  ZOOLOGY See half-bred

[1]



halfboot

halfboot
half
boot
(plural half boots) noun

short boot:
a boot that reaches anywhere from the top of the ankle to mid-calf[1]



half-bound

half-bound
half-bound 
adjective

bound in two materials:
used to describe a book that is bound on the back and sometimes the corners in
one material and on the sides in another[1]



half-bred

half-bred
half-bred 
adjective

ZOOLOGY
with only one purebred parent:
used to describe a domestic animal that has only one parent of a known pedigree[1]



half-breed

half-breed
half-breed 
(plural half-breeds) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a person of mixed racial parentage, especially
Native American and Caucasian (offensive)

2.  ZOOLOGY offspring
of only one purebred parent: a domestic animal with only
one parent of known pedigree

3.  ZOOLOGY BOTANY hybrid animal or plant:
an animal or plant that is a hybrid product of two distinct types

[1]



halfbrother

halfbrother
half
broth·er
noun

brother with one parent in
common: a son of one of your parents
by a different partner[1]



half-caste

half-caste
half-caste 
(plural half-castes) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody of mixed racial parentage (offensive)
—half-caste, adjective[1]



halfcock

halfcock
half
cock
noun

locked trigger position:
a position on a single-action firearm in which the hammer is half-raised and
locked so that the trigger cannot be pulled[1]



half-cocked

half-cocked
half-cocked
adjective

1.  with
the trigger in locked position: used to describe a
single-action firearm with the hammer half-raised and locked so that the
trigger cannot be pulled

2.  unprepared:
lacking adequate planning, thought, or preparation
go
off half-cocked

to start doing something too
soon, especially without adequate planning (informal)[1]



half-day

half-day
half-day
(plural half-days) noun

half a regular workday:
either the morning or the afternoon of a regular workday, especially when taken
as vacation time[1]



half-dead

half-dead
half-dead
adjective

exhausted:
tired and worn-out (informal)[1]



halfdime

halfdime
half
dime
(plural half dimes) noun

old U.S. coin:
a U.S. coin worth five cents that was minted in the United States in 1792 and
again from 1794 to 1873[1]



half-dollar

half-dollar
half-dol·lar 
(plural half-dol·lars) noun

U.S. 50-cent coin:
a U.S. coin worth 50 cents[1]



half-dugout

half-dugout
half-dug·out
(plural half-dug·outs) noun

underground
log shelter: a house, shelter, or dwelling built
several feet underground with logs (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Once
  common as far north as Montana, the term half-dugout
  today marks Oklahoma speech.

[1]



halfeagle

halfeagle
half
ea·gle
noun

old U.S. coin:
a U.S. coin worth five dollars that was minted between 1795 and 1916 and again
in 1929[1]



halfgainer

halfgainer
half
gain·er
(plural half gain·ers) noun

type of dive:
a type of dive in which the diver jumps from the board facing forward and then
does a half backward somersault to enter the water headfirst, facing the board[1]



half-hardy

half-hardy
half-hard·y
adjective

not killed by light frost:
used to describe a plant that can survive outdoors in mild frosts[1]



half-hearted

half-hearted
half-heart·ed
adjective

with
little enthusiasm: with little enthusiasm and
no real interest in the result
—half-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—half-heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



halfhitch

halfhitch

half hitch
(plural half hitch·es) noun
type of knot:
a knot made by looping a piece of rope around an object then passing the end of
the rope around itself and through the loop[1]



half-hour

half-hour
half-hour 
(plural half-hours) noun

1.  30
minutes:
a period of 30 minutes • I’ll
be gone for about a half-hour.

2.  point
in time halfway between hours: the point in time 30
minutes after the start of an hour • Isn’t
that clock supposed to chime on the half-hour?
—half-hour·ly, adverb,
adjective[1]



half-inch

half-inch
half-inch
noun

half an inch:
a measurement of length equal to half an inch or roughly 13 mm[1]



half-length

half-length
half-length 
adjective

1.  PAINTING shown
above the waist: used to describe a portrait depicting
the subject from the waist up but including the hands

2.  CLOTHES reaching
to the knee: coming down to the knee rather than the
ankles
noun

portrait from waist up:
a portrait depicting the subject from the waist up but including the hands

[1]



half-life

half-life
half-life 
(plural half-lives) noun

1.  PHYSICS time
taken to lose half of radioactivity: the
time a radioactive substance takes to lose half its radioactivity through
decay. Symbol T ½

2.  PHYSIOLOGY time
taken to lose half of drug: the time it takes for half a
given amount of a substance such as a drug to be removed from living tissue
through natural biological activity

[1]



half-light

half-light
half-light 
noun

fading light:
the soft dim light seen at dawn and dusk[1]



half-line

half-line
half-line
(plural half-lines) or half line (plural half
lines) noun

MATHEMATICS
See ray 1 noun
4[1]



half-marathon

half-marathon
half-mar·a·thon 
(plural half-mar·a·thons) noun

foot race:
a race on foot covering 21.243 km/13 mi 352 yd[1]



half-mast

half-mast
half-mast 
noun

flag
position as a tribute to somebody: the position, roughly
halfway down a flagpole, to which a flag is lowered as a sign of respect when
an important person dies.
Also
called
half-staff
transitive
verb
(past half-mast·ed, past participle half-mast·ed, present
participle half-mast·ing, 3rd person present singular half-masts)

lower a flag as a tribute:
to position a flag roughly halfway down a flagpole as a mark of respect when an
important person dies[1]



halfmeasure

halfmeasure
half
meas·ure
(plural half meas·ures) noun

something inadequate:
an inadequate or ineffectual action[1]



half-moon

half-moon
half-moon 
(plural half-moons) noun

1.  moon
seen as a semicircle: the moon when only half its
face is illuminated during the first or last quarter

2.  something
semicircular: anything with the shape of a semicircle
or crescent

3.  area
of the fingernail: a pale semicircle at the
base of the fingernail

[1]



halfnelson

halfnelson
half
nel·son
(plural half nel·sons) noun

wrestling
hold:
a hold in which a wrestler passes an arm under the opponent’s arm from behind
to the back of the neck and then levers the opponent’s arm backward
[From the fact that only one
arm is held, not both, as in a full nelson][1]



halfnote

halfnote
half
note
(plural half notes) noun

division of a whole note:
a note that has the time value of one half of a whole note.
U.K. term
minim[1]



halfpenny

halfpenny
half·pen·ny 
[háypnee, háypənee]
noun

(plural half·pen·ny
or half·pen·nies) old
unit of British currency: a former
British coin worth half an old or new penny, finally withdrawn in 1985.
Also called
ha’penny[1]



half-pint

half-pint
half-pint 
(plural half-pints) noun

1.  half
a pint:
half of a pint

2.  short
person:
a small or unimposing person (informal insult)

[1]



halfpipe

halfpipe
half·pipe
(plural half·pipes) noun

SPORTS
snow structure for snowboarding:
a large frozen snow structure in the shape of the bottom half of a pipe, built
for freestyle snowboarding[1]



half-price

half-price
half-price
noun

half
regular price: half the regular price
adjective
adverb

for half the price:
at half the regular price[1]



halfrhyme

halfrhyme
half
rhyme
(plural half rhymes) noun

imperfect rhyme:
an imperfect rhyme where there is a similarity in the sounds but not the
identity of stressed vowels that is found in full rhymes.
Also called
slant rhyme[1]



half-runner

half-runner
half-run·ner
(plural half-run·ners) noun

Southern
U.S.
running
bean:
a rambling white bean





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term half-runner is used in the South
  Midland and Southern regions, being most common in West Virginia, Kentucky,
  and Tennessee. Sometimes called half-white runner, white
  half-runner, and half-runner bean, the legume takes its name from
  its growing closer to the ground than higher-rising running beans.

[1]



halfshell

halfshell
half
shell
noun

half a clam or oyster shell:
one half of the shell of a bivalve mollusk, often served containing the soft
edible part of the animal, eaten raw as an appetizer • Do
you like oysters on the half shell?[1]



halfsister

halfsister
half
sis·ter
(plural half sis·ters) noun

sister with one parent in
common: a daughter of one of your
parents by a different partner[1]



half-size

half-size
half-size
(plural half-siz·es) noun

1.  size
for short-waisted larger women: any clothing size that
is designed for a short-waisted full-figured woman

2.  size
in between:
a size that is halfway between two whole-numbered sizes • Do
you have half-sizes in this style?

[1]



half-slip

half-slip
half-slip 
(plural half-slips) noun

woman’s undergarment
resembling a skirt: a woman’s
undergarment that hangs from the waist and is worn as a lining for a skirt or
dress[1]



halfsole

halfsole
half
sole
(plural half so·les) noun

sole covering shank to toe:
a sole on a shoe that covers the wide part at the front of the base[1]



half-sole

half-sole
half-sole 
(past half-soled, past participle half-soled, present
participle half-sol·ing, 3rd person present singular half-soles,
plural half-soles) transitive verb

resole the front portion of a
shoe: to put a new half sole on a
shoe or boot[1]



half-staff

half-staff
half-staff 
noun

See
half-mast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








halfstep

halfstep
half
step
(plural half steps) noun

1.  MUSIC See semitone

2.  march
step:
a marching step that is 38 cm15 in. long in quick time and 46 cm18 in. long in
double time

[1]



halftide

halftide
half
tide
noun

tide midway between high and
low: the time during which the
tide is halfway between its high and low levels[1]



half-timbered

half-timbered
half-tim·bered 
or half-tim·ber adjective

with
exposed beams: built with a visible frame of wooden
beams as well as plaster, stone, or brick. Many Tudor buildings in England were
half-timbered.
—half-tim·ber·ing, noun[1]



halftime

halftime
half·time 
[háf tm] noun

rest period midway through a
game: a short break between the
halves of a game during which players rest.
Also called
half[1]



halftitle

halftitle
half
ti·tle
(plural half ti·tles) noun

title on the page before the
title page: the title of a book printed
on the right-hand page before the main title page[1]



halftone

halftone
half
tone
noun

MUSIC
See semitone[1]



halftone

halftone
half·tone 
[háf tn] (plural half·tones) noun

1.  intermediate
shade:
a shade or tone halfway between light and dark

2.  PRINTING process
for reproducing shading in print: a photoengraving
process by which shading is produced by photographing an image through a
screen, then etching a plate so that the shading is reproduced as dots

[1]



half-track

half-track
half-track 
(plural half-tracks) noun

military vehicle:
a military vehicle with wheels on the front axles and Caterpillar TM treads on
the axles that supply motive power[1]



half-truth

half-truth
half-truth 
(plural half-truths) noun

statement holding back
details: a statement that includes
only some of the relevant facts or information and so is intended or likely to
be misleading[1]



halfvolley

halfvolley
half
vol·ley
noun

stroke
in ball or racket games: a stroke or shot that makes
contact with the ball immediately after it has bounced
intransitive
and transitive verb half-vol·ley (past
half-vol·leyed, past participle half-vol·leyed, present
participle half-vol·ley·ing, 3rd person present singular half-vol·leys)

strike a ball immediately
after bounce: to strike a ball
immediately after it has bounced[1]



halfway

halfway
half·way 
[hàf wáy, háf
wày] adverb adjective

1.  midway
between:
at or to the middle point between two things in space or time • reach
the halfway point

2.  only
part way:
to only some extent, degree, or distance

[1]



halfwayhouse

halfwayhouse
half·way
house
(plural half·way hous·es) noun

1.  rehabilitation
center:
a residence or center designed to ease people back into society after their
release from an institution, for example, prison or a psychiatric hospital

2.  stopping
place:
a resting place for travelers halfway through a long journey

3.  halfway
to the end of something: the halfway point in
progress toward a goal

[1]



halfwit

halfwit
half·wit
[háf wìt] (plural half·wits) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who behaves in a thoughtless or unintelligent
way (offensive)
—half-wit·ted,
adjective

—half-wit·ted·ly,
adverb

—half-wit·ted·ness, noun[1]



Haliburton,Thomas Chandler

Haliburton,Thomas Chandler
Hal·i·bur·ton
[hálli bùrt’n], Thomas Chandler (1796–1865)

Canadian jurist and writer.
He created the Yankee peddler and philosopher Sam Slick ( 1835–1855 ).[1]



halibut

halibut
hal·i·but 
[hálləbət] (plural hal·i·buts or
hal·i·but) noun

large
flatfish:
a large edible flatfish of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Genus: Hippoglossus
[15th century. From an
earlier form of holy + dialect butt
“flatfish” (from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch ), perhaps because it was
eaten on holy days.][1]



Halicarnassus

Halicarnassus
Ha·li·car·nas·sus 
[hàlli kaar nássəss]

ancient city in the
southwestern part of present-day Turkey. It was the site of the Mausoleum, the
tomb of King Mausolus, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.[1]



halide

halide
hal·ide 
[há ld, háy ld]
(plural hal·ides) noun

compound
of halogen:
a chemical compound of a halogen with another element or group of atoms
[Late 19th century. Coined
from halogen + -ide
.][1]



Halifax

Halifax
Hal·i·fax 
[hálli fàks]

Atlantic seaport and capital
of Nova Scotia Province, Canada. Population: 332,518 (1996)[1]



haliplankton

haliplankton
hal·i·plank·ton
[hàlli plángktən] noun

saltwater plankton:
plankton found in the sea[1]



halite

halite
hal·ite 
[há lt, háy lt]
noun

sodium
chloride from dry lake beds: a colorless or white mineral
found on dried-up lake beds in the form of cubic crystals. It is mined for use
as table salt and to make chlorine. NaCl
Also
called
rock salt
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek hals “salt” + -ite .][1]



halitosis

halitosis
hal·i·to·sis 
[hàlli tṓssiss] noun

See
bad breath
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin halitus “breath” + -osis
.][1]



hall

hall
hall 
[hawl] (plural halls) noun

1.  corridor:
a connecting passage or corridor with doors leading to other rooms.
Also
called
hallway

2.  entrance
room:
an entrance room in a house, apartment, or building, with doors leading to
other rooms

3.  building
with a large public room: a building with a large room
used for public events or activities such as meetings, entertainment, and
exhibitions

4.  large
room:
a large room in a building such as a school, university, or castle, used for
such purposes as dining or receptions

5.  large
house:
the main house on a large estate

6.  U.K.
See hall of residence

7.  campus
building:
a building at a university, college, or school used as a dormitory or for
classrooms

8.  dining
room:
a large dining room in a university, college, or school
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to cover, conceal,” the underlying
meaning being “roofed space.”][1]



hallah

hallah
hal·lah 
noun

JUDAISM
See challah[1]



Hallandale

Hallandale
Hal·lan·dale 
[hállən dàyl]

city in southeastern Florida
on the Atlantic Ocean, north of Miami. Population: 30,996 (1990)[1]



Halleck,Henry Wager

Halleck,Henry Wager
Hal·leck
[hállik], Henry Wager (1815–1872)

U.S. army officer. He served
as general in chief (1862–1864) and chief of staff (1864–1865) of the Union
army during the Civil War.[1]



Hallel

Hallel
Hal·lel
[haa láyl, h
làyl] or hal·lel [haa láyl,
h làyl] noun

joyful
recitation of Psalms: Psalms 113 through 118,
recited during the Jewish morning service at festivals as an expression of joy
[Early 18th century. From
Hebrew, “praise.”][1]



hallelujah

hallelujah
hal·le·lu·jah 
[hàllə lyə] or hal·le·lu·iah
[hàllə lyə] or al·le·lu·ia [àllə lyə] interjection

1.  used
to express praise to God: used to express praise or
thanks to God

2.  used
to express relief: used to express relief,
welcome, or gratitude • Hallelujah!
The old car finally started on the fifth try.
noun
(plural hal·le·lu·jahs) (plural hal·le·lu·iahs) (plural
al·le·lu·ias)

1.  cry
of “hallelujah!”: a thankful cry of “hallelujah!”

2.  hymn
of praise:
a song or piece of religious music expressing praise to God
[Old English, via Latin from,
ultimately, Hebrew hallĕlūyāh, literally “praise ye the Lord”][1]



halliard

halliard
hal·liard 
(plural hal·liards) noun

See
halyard[1]



Hall,Lyman

Hall,Lyman
Hall 
[hawl], Lyman (1724–1790)

U.S. patriot, statesman, and
physician. He signed the Declaration of Independence (1776) and served as
governor of Georgia (1783).[1]



hallmark

hallmark
hall·mark 
[háwl mrk] noun (plural hall·marks)

1.  mark
of quality:
a mark showing that something is of high quality

2.  distinguishing
mark:
a feature of something that distinguishes it from others • Discreet
service is the hallmark of a fine restaurant.

3.  official
mark on precious metal: in Great Britain, a mark
stamped on articles made of gold, silver, or platinum to show that the metal
used meets the proper standards of purity.
Also
called
platemark
transitive
verb
(past hall·marked, past participle hall·marked, present
participle hall·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular hall·marks)

stamp with a mark of quality:
to stamp an article made of gold, silver, or platinum to show that the metal
used meets the proper standards of purity
[Early 18th century. Named
for Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, where the Goldsmiths’ Company assayed
and stamped gold and silver articles.][1]



halloa

halloa
hal·loa 
interjection noun intransitive and transitive verb

See
halloo[1]



hallof fame

hallof fame
hall
of fame
(plural halls of fame) noun

museum dedicated to famous
people: a museum where portraits,
memorabilia, or belongings of people who have excelled in a particular sphere
of activity, such as baseball, are displayed • the
Baseball Hall of Fame • the
Football and Basketball Halls of Fame[1]



hallof residence

hallof residence
hall
of res·i·dence (plural halls of res·i·dence)
noun

U.K.
See dormitory[1]



halloo

halloo
hal·loo 
[hə l] or hal·loa [hə lṓ] interjection

1.  call
to attract attention: used to try to attract
somebody’s attention

2.  call
to urge on hunting dogs: used to spur on dogs in a
hunt
noun
(plural hal·loos) (plural hal·loas)

cry of “halloo!”:
a cry of “halloo!” used to attract attention or spur on dogs.
Also
called
hallo
verb
(past hal·looed, past participle hal·looed, present
participle hal·loo·ing, 3rd person present singular hal·loos)
(past hal·loaed, past participle hal·loaed, present
participle hal·loa·ing, 3rd person present singular hal·loas)

1.  intransitive
verb
call
out “halloo!”: to utter a call of “halloo!”

2.  transitive
verb
spur
on with halloos: to spur hunting dogs on by shouting
halloos

3.  transitive
verb
shout
something:
to shout out something to somebody • hallooed
a warning from the shore
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier holla, from French holà .][1]



hallow

hallow
hal·low 
[hállō] (past hal·lowed, past
participle hal·lowed, present participle hal·low·ing, 3rd
person present singular hal·lows) transitive verb

1.  make
holy:
to make somebody or something holy

2.  respect
greatly:
to have great respect or reverence for somebody or something
[Old
English hālgian . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English holy, whole, and health
.]
—hal·low·er, noun[1]



hallowed

hallowed
hal·lowed 
[hállōd] adjective

1.  sanctified:
holy or kept for religious use • buried
in hallowed ground

2.  respected:
regarded with great respect or reverence • the
hallowed pages of our country’s history
—hal·lowed·ness, noun[1]



Halloween

Halloween
Hal·low·een 
[hàllə wn] (plural Hal·low·eens)
or Hal·low·e’en [hàllə wn] (plural
Hal·low·e’ens) noun

October
31:
the night of October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, originally celebrated by
Celtic peoples but now popular in the United States, Canada, and the United
Kingdom. Traditionally, children dress up as witches or ghosts and go from door
to door asking for candy and threatening to play tricks if refused.
Also
called
Allhallows Eve
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of All Hallow Even, from Allhallowmas + even .][1]



Hallowmas

Hallowmas
Hal·low·mas
[hállōməss, hállō
màss] noun

(archaic)
See All Saints’ Day
[14th century. Shortening of
Allhallowmas .][1]



hallsof ivy

hallsof ivy
halls
of i·vy
plural noun

college
or university: institutions or an institution of higher
learning, especially those regarded as especially prestigious • After
four years in the halls of ivy, she had to adjust to life with a 9 to 5 job.

Also
called
ivied halls
[From the traditional
ivy-covered buildings at universities][1]



hallstand

hallstand
hall
stand
(plural hall stands) noun

U.K.
See hall tree[1]



Hallstatt

Hallstatt
Hall·statt 
[háwl stàt, hl
shtt] or Hall·stat·ti·an [hàwl
státtee ən, hl shttee ən] adjective

of
late Bronze Age culture: relating to or typical of a
European culture of the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Hallstatt in Austria, where a large burial site of the
period was found.][1]



halltree

halltree
hall
tree
(plural hall trees) noun

piece of furniture in a hall:
a piece of furniture, usually kept in the hall of a house, on which people can
hang their coats, hats, and umbrellas.
U.K. term
hall stand[1]



halluces

halluces
hal·lu·ces


Plural of
hallux[1]



hallucinate

hallucinate
hal·lu·ci·nate 
[hə lss’n àyt] (past hal·lu·ci·nat·ed,
past participle hal·lu·ci·nat·ed, present participle hal·lu·ci·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular hal·lu·ci·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

imagine
sensing something: to imagine seeing, hearing,
or otherwise sensing people, things, or events that are not present or actually
occurring at the time
[Early
19th century. From Latin hallucinari “to dream, be distracted.”]
—hal·lu·ci·na·tor,
noun

—hal·lu·ci·na·tive, adjective[1]



hallucination

hallucination
hal·lu·ci·na·tion 
[hə lss’n áysh’n] (plural hal·lu·ci·na·tions)
noun

1.  false
sense perception: the perception of somebody or something
that is not really there, often as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder or as a
response to certain drugs

2.  something
imagined:
something that somebody imagines seeing, hearing, or otherwise sensing when it
is not present or actually occurring at the time (often used in the plural)
—hal·lu·ci·na·tion·al,
adjective[1]



hallucinatory

hallucinatory
hal·lu·ci·na·to·ry 
[hə lss’nə tàwree] adjective

1.  relating
to false sense perception: relating to or involving the
belief that something is being seen, heard, or otherwise sensed when it is not
present or actually occurring

2.  causing
false sense perception: causing somebody to believe
that he or she is seeing, hearing, or otherwise sensing things that are not
present or actually occurring at the time

[1]



hallucinogen

hallucinogen
hal·lu·cin·o·gen 
[hə lss’nəjən] (plural hal·lu·cin·o·gens)
noun

chemical
inducing hallucinations: a substance, especially a
drug, that causes hallucinations, for example, LSD
—hal·lu·cin·o·gen·ic [hə lss’nə jénnik], adjective[1]



hallucinosis

hallucinosis
hal·lu·ci·no·sis 
[hə lss’n ṓssiss] noun

psychiatric disorder:
a psychiatric disorder that involves hallucinations[1]



hallux

hallux
hal·lux 
[hálləks] (plural hal·lu·ces [hállyə sz, hállə sz])
noun

first
digit on the foot: the big toe on the human
foot, or the first digit on the hind foot of some mammals, birds, reptiles, and
amphibians (technical)
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin hallus .][1]



halluxvalgus

halluxvalgus
hal·lux
val·gus 
noun

abnormal
bending of the toe: an abnormal bending of the
big toe in which its tip points toward the little toe and its base sticks out
on the inner edge of the foot
[Valgus from Latin
“bowlegged”][1]



hallway

hallway
hall·way 
[háwl wày] (plural hall·ways) noun

See
hall  noun 2[1]



halma

halma
hal·ma
[hálmə] noun

board
game:
a board game similar to Chinese checkers
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “leap.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English salient and assail .][1]



halo

halo
ha·lo 
[háylō] noun (plural ha·loes
or ha·los)

1.  circle
of light around a saint’s head: a ring or circle of
light around the head of a saint in a religious painting

2.  imagined
aura of glory: an aura of glory imagined to surround
somebody or something famous or revered

3.  something
resembling a ring of light: something that resembles or
suggests a ring of light

4.  ASTRONOMY light
circle around Moon or Sun: a circle of light around the
Moon or Sun, caused by light refracting from ice crystals in the atmosphere

5.  ASTRONOMY body
of stars:
a thinly populated spherical region of stars and other luminous objects
surrounding a galaxy
transitive
verb
(past ha·loed, past participle ha·loed, present participle
ha·lo·ing, 3rd person present singular ha·los)

surround with halo:
to surround somebody or something with a halo
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek halos “disk around the Sun or
Moon.”][1]



halo-

halo-
halo-
prefix

1.  salt
• halobiont

2.  halogen
• halocarbon
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek hals . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “salt,” which is
also the ancestor of English salt and
saline .][1]



halobiont

halobiont
hal·o·bi·ont 
[hàllō b ònt] (plural hal·o·bi·onts)
noun

organism
living in a salty environment: an organism that lives
in a salty environment, especially the sea
—hal·o·bi·on·tic [hàllō bī óntik], adjective[1]



halocarbon

halocarbon
hal·o·car·bon 
[hállə krbən] (plural hal·o·car·bons)
noun

compound containing carbon
and a halogen: a compound, for
example, fluorocarbon, containing carbon and a halogen[1]



halocline

halocline
hal·o·cline 
[hállə kln] (plural hal·o·clines)
noun

gradient in saltiness of
ocean: a vertical gradient in the
saltiness of the ocean[1]



haloeffect

haloeffect
ha·lo
ef·fect
noun

generalization
from one good trait: the tendency to judge
somebody as being totally good because one aspect of his or her character is
good
[From the halos of angels][1]



halogen

halogen
hal·o·gen 
[hálləjən] noun (plural hal·o·gens)

electronegative
chemical element: any of the five electronegative
elements, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, or astatine
adjective

using
halogen:
used to describe lamps or heat sources having a filament surrounded by halogen
vapor • a
halogen uplighter/bulb
[Mid-19th century. So called
because the elements readily form salts when combined with metals.][1]



halogenate

halogenate
hal·o·ge·nate 
[hálləjə nàyt, hə
lójjə nàyt] (past hal·o·ge·nat·ed, past participle hal·o·ge·nat·ed,
present participle hal·o·ge·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular hal·o·ge·nates) transitive verb

treat
with halogen: to treat something or combine it with a
halogen
—hal·o·ge·na·tion [hàlləjə náysh’n, hə
lòjjə náysh’n], noun[1]



halon

halon
ha·lon 
[háy lòn] noun

substance in fire
extinguishers: a stable halocarbon
used to put out fires[1]



haloperidol

haloperidol
hal·o·per·i·dol 
[hàllō pérri dàwl] noun

tranquilizing
drug:
a drug used as a tranquilizer, especially in the treatment of schizophrenia,
mania, organic psychoses, delirium tremens, and behavioral disorders in
children. C21H23ClFNO2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from halo- + piperidine
+ -ol .][1]



halophile

halophile
hal·o·phile 
[hállə fl] (plural hal·o·philes)
noun

salt-loving
plant:
a plant that thrives in salty soil
—hal·o·phil·ic [hàllə fíllik], adjective[1]



halophyte

halophyte
hal·o·phyte 
[hállə ft] (plural hal·o·phytes)
noun

salt-tolerating
plant:
a plant capable of growing in salty soil
—hal·o·phyt·ic
[hàllə fíttik], adjective

—ha·lo·phyt·ism [hállō fī tìzzəm], noun[1]



halothane

halothane
hal·o·thane 
[hállə thàyn] noun

anesthetic:
a colorless liquid used as an inhaled anesthetic. C2HBrClF3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from halo- + ethane
.][1]



haloumi

haloumi
ha·lou·mi
(plural ha·lou·mis) noun

Greek cheese:
a salty white Greek cheese with a tough rubbery texture that is usually grilled
until a crust has formed on both sides and eaten hot[1]



Halsey,William F.

Halsey,William F.
Hal·sey
[háwlzee], William F. (1884–1959)

U.S.
admiral. In 1944 he commanded the U.S. Third Fleet in the battle for the
Philippines.
Full name
Halsey, William Frederick[1]



halt

halt2
halt2 [hawlt]
intransitive verb (past halt·ed, past participle halt·ed,
present participle halt·ing, 3rd person present singular halts)

1.  act
hesitantly:
to act or behave without certainty or confidence

2.  be
defective:
to have defects or inconsistencies in logical development or in poetic rhythm

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have mild, moderate, or severe difficulty in
walking (archaic offensive)
plural
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to people who have difficulty in walking (offensive)
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning walking with difficulty (archaic offensive)
[Old English healtian
“to walk with a limp”][1]



halt

halt1
halt1 [hawlt]
noun (plural halts)

temporary
stop:
an end or temporary stop • The
sudden rain brought the game to a halt.
interjection

command
used to make somebody stop: used to command somebody to
stop • Halt!
Identify yourself!
intransitive
and transitive verb (past halt·ed,
past participle halt·ed, present participle halt·ing,
3rd person present singular halts)

stop:
to stop, or make somebody or something stop
[Late 16th century. From
German halten “to stop, hold.”][1]



halter

halter1
hal·ter1 [háwltər]
noun (plural hal·ters)

1.  rope
or leather device for a horse: an arrangement of
ropes or leather straps put over the head of an animal, especially a horse, and
used to lead it

2.  backless
garment:
a woman’s garment, worn between the shoulders and waist, that fastens or passes
behind the neck and leaves the arms, shoulders, and back bare • wore
shorts and a halter on hot summer days.
Also
called
halter-top

3.  rope
for hanging somebody: a rope with a noose, used to
hang somebody

4.  hanging:
death by hanging • destined for the halter
transitive
verb
(past hal·tered, past participle hal·tered, present
participle hal·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular hal·ters)

1.  put
a halter on: to put a halter on an animal

2.  hang
somebody:
to execute somebody by hanging
[From Old English hælftre
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to hold on to,” which is
also the ancestor of English helm and
halberd .][1]



halter

halter2
hal·ter2 [háwltər]
noun

See
haltere[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








haltere

haltere
hal·tere
[háwl tr] (plural hal·ter·es)
or hal·ter [háwl tr] (plural
hal·ter·es) noun

insect
body part aiding balance: either of a pair of
projecting parts in insects of the fly family that are rudimentary hind wings
and are used to maintain balance in flight.
Also
called
balancer
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
. Formed from hallesthai “to jump.” The word originally denoted weights
athletes held in their hands to gain extra impetus in jumping.][1]



halter-top

halter-top
hal·ter-top
(plural hal·ter-tops) noun

CLOTHES
See halter 1 noun
3[1]



halting

halting
halt·ing 
[háwlting] adjective

1.  containing
frequent stops: hesitant or done with frequent irregular
pauses • halting
speech

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having difficulty in walking (archaic offensive)
—halt·ing·ly,
adverb

—halt·ing·ness, noun[1]



halutz

halutz
ha·lutz 
noun

See
chalutz[1]



halvah

halvah
hal·vah 
[hl v, hl v]
(plural hal·vahs) or hal·va [hl v, hl v]
(plural hal·vas) noun

Middle
Eastern confection: a confection, originally
from the Middle East, made from crushed sesame seeds and honey with various
flavorings such as chocolate or nuts
[Mid-17th century. Via
Turkish from, ultimately, Arabic alwā .][1]



halve

halve
halve 
[hav] (past halved, past
participle halved, present participle halv·ing, 3rd
person present singular halves) verb

1.  transitive
verb
divide
in two:
to divide something into two equal parts

2.  transitive
verb
split
equally:
to divide something equally between two people

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
by half:
to reduce something by half, or be reduced by half

4.  transitive
verb
GOLF score
evenly at:
to draw at a hole or match by playing the same number of strokes as an opponent
[14th century. Formed from half .][1]



halves

halves
halves


Plural of
half[1]



halyard

halyard
hal·yard 
[hállyərd] (plural hal·yards) or
hal·liard [hállyərd] (plural hal·liards)
noun

rope
for raising or lowering: a rope used to raise or
lower something, for example, a sail or flag
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier halier, from halen “to pull,” from Old French haler
(see haul ).][1]



ham

ham3
ham3  [ham]
(plural hams) noun

amateur
radio operator: a licensed amateur radio operator
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of amateur
.][1]



ham

ham2
ham2  [ham]
noun (plural hams)

somebody
who overacts: somebody, especially an actor, who
performs in an exaggerated showy style
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hammed, past
participle hammed, present participle ham·ming, 3rd
person present singular hams)

overact:
to behave, overact, or perform a role in an exaggerated showy style
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a shortening of ham-fatter “amateurish actor,” which
might derive from blackface minstrels’ practice of cleaning their faces with
ham fat after the show.][1]



Ham

Ham
Ham


in the Bible, he was the
second son of Noah and was formerly considered to be the ancestor of the Hamite
people (Genesis 10:1)[1]



ham

ham1
ham1  [ham]
(plural hams) noun

1.  meat
from a hog’s thigh: meat cut from the thigh of
the hind leg of a hog after curing by salting or smoking • a
slice of ham • a
ham sandwich

2.  hog’s
thigh:
the thigh of the hind leg of a hog

3.  back
of the leg:
the back of somebody’s leg from the knee up to and including the buttock

4.  hollow
area behind the knee: a hollow area behind
somebody’s knee
[Old English hamm
“back of the knee.” The meaning developed from “back of the knee” to “back of
the thigh” to “thigh.”][1]



Hama

Hama
Ha·ma
[hm aa] or Ha·māh [hm aa]

ancient city in west central
Syria, 121 km/75 mi southwest of Aleppo. Population: 254,000 (1992)[1]



hamadryad

hamadryad
ham·a·dry·ad 
[hàmmə dr əd] (plural ham·a·dry·ads)
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY wood
nymph:
in Greek and Roman mythology, a minor deity who lives in a tree and dies when
the tree dies.
Also
called
dryad

2.  ZOOLOGY See king cobra
[14th century. Via Latin from
the Greek stem Hamadruad-, from hama “together” + Druas
(see Dryad ).][1]



hamadryasbaboon

hamadryasbaboon
ham·a·dry·as
ba·boon
[hàmmə dr əss bə bn] noun

N
African baboon: a baboon native to northeastern Africa
and Arabia that was sacred to the ancient Egyptians. The adult male has a long
silvery mane. Latin name: Papio hamadryas
Also
called
sacred baboon
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin Hamadryas (see hamadryad
).][1]



hamal

hamal
ha·mal 
[hə ml] (plural ha·mals) or
ham·mal [hə ml] (plural ham·mals)
noun

porter
in a Muslim country: somebody who works as a
porter or servant in a Muslim country
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic ammāl, formed from amala “to carry.”][1]



Hamamatsu

Hamamatsu
Ha·ma·ma·tsu 
[hàmmə mát soo]

coastal manufacturing city in
southern Honshu, Japan. Population: 534,624 (1990)[1]



hamantasch

hamantasch
ha·man·tasch 
[hmən tsh] (plural ha·man·tasch·en
[hmən tshən]) noun

Jewish
pastry:
a triangular pastry filled with spiced dried fruit or poppy seeds and eaten
during the Jewish feast of Purim
[From Yiddish, from Haman,
the persecutor of the Jews in the Book of Esther (in the Bible) + tasch,
from German Tasche “bag, pocket”][1]



hamartia

hamartia
ha·mar·ti·a 
[haa mrtee ə] (plural ha·mar·ti·as)
noun

LITERATURE tragic
flaw:
a defect in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings about his
or her downfall.
Also
called
tragic flaw
[Late 18th century. From
Greek hamartia “error, sin,” from hamartanein “to miss the mark,
make a mistake.”][1]



hamate

hamate
ha·mate 
[háy màyt] adjective

having
a hook shape: shaped like a hook
noun
(plural ha·mates)

hooked
bone in the wrist: a hook-shaped bone in the
wrist.
Also
called
unciform
[Early 18th century. From
Latin hamatus, from hamus “hook.”][1]



hamburg

hamburg
ham·burg
[hám burg] (plural ham·burgs) or
ham·burg steak [hám burg] (plural
ham·burg steaks) noun

(regional)
See hamburger
[Late
19th century. Shortening of hamburger .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term hamburg is used in New England and
  the North Central States, as far west as Michigan. The Northern usage
  contrasts with the general-currency terms hamburger and hamburger
  steak used elsewhere in the United States. And in the North, especially
  among the young, the hamburg forms yield
  to the primary American terms.

[1]



Hamburg

Hamburg
Ham·burg 
[hám burg]

city and major seaport in
north central Germany, situated on the Elbe and Alster rivers. Population:
1,703,800 (1994)[1]



hamburger

hamburger
ham·burg·er 
[hám bùrgər] (plural ham·burg·ers)
noun

1.  ground
beef:
ground beef.
Also
called
burger, hamburg

2.  patty
of ground meat: a flat patty of ground meat, usually
beef, that is broiled, grilled, or fried and usually served in a bun.
Also
called
burger
Also
called
beefburger
Also
called
hamburg
Also
called
hamburger steak

3.  ground-beef
sandwich:
a sandwich containing a flat patty of broiled, grilled, or fried ground beef or
other meat in a bun, usually with other ingredients such as lettuce and
condiments.
Also
called
burger
Also
called
beefburger
Also
called
hamburg
Also
called
hamburger steak
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Hamburg steak, named for Hamburg,
Germany.][1]



hamburgersteak

hamburgersteak
ham·burg·er
steak
(plural ham·burg·er steaks) noun

See
hamburger  noun 2
See hamburger  noun 3[1]



Hamden

Hamden
Ham·den 
[hámdən] noun

town in southern Connecticut
near New Haven, first settled in 1664. Population: 52,434 (1990)[1]



hame

hame
hame 
[haym] (plural hames) noun

curved
bar for a draft animal: either of a pair of metal or
wooden bars curved to fit over the neck of a draft animal and to which the
traces are attached
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch .][1]



HamersleyRange

HamersleyRange
Ham·er·sley
Range
[hàmmərzlee ráynj]

range of mountains in
northwestern Western Australia, containing large iron ore deposits[1]



hametz

hametz
ha·metz
noun

JUDAISM
See chametz[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ham-fisted

ham-fisted
ham-fist·ed
adjective

(informal)
See ham-handed
—ham-fist·ed·ly,
adverb

—ham-fist·ed·ness, noun[1]



ham-handed

ham-handed
ham-hand·ed
adjective

1.  clumsy:
clumsy with the hands (informal)

2.  having
big hands:
having hands that are very large
—ham-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—ham-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



Hamilton

Hamilton
Ham·il·ton 
[hámm’ltən]

industrial town in central
Scotland, near Glasgow. Population: 49,991 (1991)[1]



Hamilton,Alexander

Hamilton,Alexander

Ham·il·ton 
[hámm’ltən], Alexander (1757?–1804)
U.S. lawyer and statesman. He was the
principal author of The Federalist (1787–1788) and the first secretary
of the U.S. Treasury (1789–1795).[1]



Hamiltonianfunction

Hamiltonianfunction
Ham·il·to·ni·an
func·tion
[hàmm’l tōnee ən fúgksh’n] (plural Ham·il·to·ni·ans)
noun

mathematical
function:
a mathematical function used to describe the dynamics of a system, for example,
particles in motion, that uses momentum and spatial coordinates. Symbol H
[Mid-19th
century. Named for the Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton .]
—Ham·il·to·ni·an·ism, noun[1]



HamiltonIsland

HamiltonIsland
Ham·il·ton
Is·land

island and tourist
destination, situated 1,160 km/719 mi north of Brisbane off the eastern coast
of Queensland, Australia[1]



Hamilton,William Rowan

Hamilton,William Rowan
Ham·il·ton 
[hámm’ltən], Sir William Rowan (1805–1865)

Irish mathematician. He
introduced the method of quaternions into algebra and helped to discover the
wave theory of light.[1]



Hamite

Hamite
Ham·ite 
[há mt] (plural Ham·ites) noun

member
of a N African people: a member of a group of
peoples who live in various parts of North Africa
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Ham .][1]



Hamitic

Hamitic
Ha·mit·ic 
[ha míttik] noun

group of African languages:
a group of languages spoken in parts of northeastern Africa that is sometimes
regarded as a branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of African languages. About six
million people speak a Hamitic language.
adjective

1.  of
the Hamites: relating to the Hamites, their culture,
or their language

2.  of
or in Hamitic: relating to the Hamitic group of
languages

[1]



Hamito-Semitic

Hamito-Semitic
Ham·i·to-Se·mit·ic 
noun adjective

(no longer used
technically)See Afro-Asiatic[1]



hamlet

hamlet
ham·let 
[hámmlət] (plural ham·lets) noun

1.  small
village:
a small village or group of houses

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY group
of homesteads: a group of homesteads or households
[14th century. Via Old French
hamelet “small village” from, ultimately, ham “village.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English home .][1]



Hamlin,Hannibal

Hamlin,Hannibal
Ham·lin
[hámlin], Hannibal (1809–1891)

U.S. statesman and vice
president of the United States. A Democrat from Maine, his long congressional
career (1843–1881) was interrupted by a term as Abraham Lincoln’s vice
president (1861–1865).[1]



hammal

hammal
ham·mal 
(plural ham·mals) noun

See
hamal[1]



Hammarskjöld,Dag

Hammarskjöld,Dag

Ham·mar·skjöld
[hámmər shld], Dag (1905–1961)
Swedish diplomat. He was known as a
skillful mediator as secretary general of the United Nations (1953–1961), and
won a Nobel Peace Prize posthumously in 1961.[1]



hammer

hammer

ham·mer 
[hámmər] noun (plural ham·mers)

1.  pounding
tool:
a hand tool consisting of a shaft with a metal head at right angles to it, used
mainly for driving in nails and beating metal

2.  mechanical
striking tool: a powered mechanical striking tool used,
for example, in forging metal • a
steam hammer

3.  striking
part:
a part that strikes another in various devices, for example, in a piano or
striking clock

4.  ARMS part
of gun:
the part of the firing mechanism of a gun that delivers the impact that
detonates the cartridge

5.  SPORTS object
for throwing in a sports event: a heavy metal ball
attached to a handle of flexible wire, thrown in an athletics field event

6.  SPORTS See hammer throw

7.  auctioneer’s
gavel:
a gavel used by an auctioneer

8.  ANATOMY See malleus
verb (past
ham·mered, past participle ham·mered, present
participle ham·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular ham·mers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pound
something in: to force something such as a nail into
something else by pounding it with a hammer

2.  transitive
verb
beat
into shape:
to beat something with a hammer, especially to shape it • hammering
tin into bowls

3.  transitive
verb
cause
something to be remembered: to cause something to be
remembered, realized, or understood by repeating it forcefully and frequently • They
had caution hammered into them by the driving instructor.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
something hard and repeatedly: to hit or strike
something hard and repeatedly • hammering
at the door

5.  intransitive
verb
produce
a rhythmic movement or beat: to produce fast, powerful,
rhythmic movements or beats

6.  transitive
verb
damage
something severely: to inflict serious damage on
something

7.  transitive
verb
give
somebody a beating: to beat or batter somebody
severely (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody by large margin: to inflict a convincing
defeat on somebody, especially an opponent in a competitive sport (informal)
• Our
team got hammered in last week’s game.

9.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody or something heavily: to subject somebody or
something to severe criticism (informal) • The
critics really hammered his last play.
[Old
English hamor . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “stone, stone
tool” that is also the ancestor of English heaven
.]
—ham·mer·er,
noun
go or come under the hammer

to
be up for auction or sale

go at it hammer and tongs

1.  to
do something with maximum energy and force

2.  to
fight or argue violently

[1]



hammerand sickle

hammerand sickle
ham·mer
and sick·le
noun

Soviet symbol:
a symbol of Soviet Communism representing industrial and agricultural workers,
used on the flag of the former Soviet Union[1]



Hammer,Armand

Hammer,Armand
Ham·mer 
[hámmər], Armand (1898–1990)

U.S. industrialist, art
collector, and philanthropist. He established trade links with the Soviet Union
in the 1920s and increased his personal fortune as the chair and CEO of
Occidental Petroleum (1956–1989). He made major philanthropic gifts to art and
educational institutions.[1]



hammeraway at

hammeraway at
hammer
away at
transitive verb

work hard:
to work hard, determinedly, and steadily at something • hammering
away at the new novel[1]



hammerdulcimer

hammerdulcimer
ham·mer
dul·ci·mer
(plural ham·mer dul·ci·mers) noun

dulcimer played with light
hammers: a large dulcimer played with
light hammers and supported by a stand[1]



hammerhead

hammerhead
ham·mer·head 
[hámmər hèd] (plural ham·mer·heads
or ham·mer·head) noun

1.  tropical
African wading bird: a large brown wading bird of
tropical African wetlands, ponds, and lakes that has a prominent crest on the
back of its head. Latin name: Scopus umbretta
Also
called
umbrette
Also
called
hammerkop

2.  See
hammerhead shark

3.  African
fruit bat:
a fruit bat native to Africa, the male of which has an enlarged square head and
a muzzle shaped like the head of hammer. Latin name: Hypsignathus monstrosus

[1]



hammerheaded

hammerheaded
ham·mer·head·ed
[hàmmər héddəd] adjective

having a hammer-shaped head:
having a head shaped like a hammer[1]



hammerheadshark

hammerheadshark
ham·mer·head
shark
noun

shark with a hammer-shaped
head: a shark with a head that has
a lateral extension on each side with an eye at the end. Genus: Sphyrna
Also called
hammerhead[1]



hammerkop

hammerkop
ham·mer·kop 
[hámmər kòp] (plural ham·mer·kops
or ham·mer·kop) noun

See
hammerhead  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. From
Afrikaans hamerkop, literally “hammerhead.”][1]



hammerlock

hammerlock
ham·mer·lock 
[hámmər lòk] (plural ham·mer·locks)
noun

wrestling
hold:
a wrestling hold in which an opponent’s arm is twisted upward behind the back
[Possibly because the
position of the wrestler’s arms resembles the head of a claw hammer][1]



hammerout

hammerout
hammer
out 
transitive verb

1.  shape
with a hammer: to shape or reshape metal with a hammer

2.  agree
on or establish: to agree on or establish something after
prolonged discussion or argument • hammer
out a revised contract

3.  play
music energetically: to play a piece of music on
a piano energetically and forcefully • She
can really hammer out a tune.

[1]



Hammerstein,Oscar

Hammerstein,Oscar
Ham·mer·stein
[hámmər stn], Oscar (1846?–1919)

German-born U.S. impresario.
He founded New York City’s Harlem Opera House (1880) and Manhattan Opera House
(1906).[1]



Hammerstein,Oscar II

Hammerstein,Oscar II

Ham·mer·stein
[hámmər stn], Oscar II (1895–1960)
U.S. librettist. He collaborated with
Richard Rodgers on some of the classics of the musical stage, including the
Pulitzer Prize-winning Oklahoma! ( 1943 ) and South Pacific (
1949 ).[1]



hammerthrow

hammerthrow
ham·mer
throw
noun

athletics field event:
a field event in which competing athletes try to throw a heavy metal ball
attached to a handle of flexible wire as far as they can.
Also called
hammer[1]



hammertoe

hammertoe
ham·mer·toe
[hámmər t] (plural ham·mer·toes)
noun

1.  toe
condition:
an abnormal condition of a toe in which the joint between the two small bones
of the toe is permanently bent downward in a claw shape

2.  toe
in an abnormal condition: a toe affected by hammertoe

[1]



Hammett,Dashiell

Hammett,Dashiell
Ham·mett
[hámmit], Dashiell (1894–1961)

U.S.
writer. He helped to establish and define the detective genre with The
Maltese Falcon ( 1930 ) and The Thin Man ( 1932 ).
Full name
Hammett, Samuel Dashiell[1]



hammock

hammock2
ham·mock2 [hámmək]
(plural ham·mocks) noun

forested
area above a marsh: in the southern United
States, an area of forested land that rises above a marsh (regional)
Also
called
hummock
[Mid-16th century. Original
form of hummock .][1]



hammock

hammock1
ham·mock1 [hámmək]
(plural ham·mocks) noun

hanging
bed:
a hanging bed made of canvas or netting and suspended at both ends by ropes
tied between two supports
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish hamaca from Taino .][1]



Hammond

Hammond
Ham·mond 
[hámmənd]

1.  industrial
city in northwestern Indiana on Lake Michigan, near Chicago. Population: 80,081
(1996)

2.  city
in southeastern Louisiana, east of Baton Rouge. Population: 16,689 (1996)

[1]



Hammurabiccode

Hammurabiccode
Ham·mu·ra·bic
code
[hàmmə rbik kṓd] noun

Babylonian law code:
the first known code of law, written down in the 18th century BC by Hammurabi, king of Babylonia[1]



hammy

hammy
ham·my 
[hámmee] (comparative ham·mi·er,
superlative ham·mi·est) adjective

exaggerated:
performing something such as a role in an exaggerated showy style (informal)
—ham·mi·ly,
adverb

—ham·mi·ness, noun[1]



h& c

h& c
h
& c

Abbreviation of
hot and cold (water)[1]



hamper

hamper2
ham·per2 [hámpər]
(plural ham·pers) noun

1.  large
food basket: a large basket with a cover that is used
for carrying food, especially for picnics

2.  large
basket for laundry: a large basket with a cover
that is used for holding soiled laundry.
U.K.
term
laundry basket
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman hanaper “basket for holding goblets” from Old French hanap
“goblet,” of Germanic origin.][1]



hamper

hamper1
ham·per1 [hámpər]
transitive verb (past ham·pered, past participle ham·pered,
present participle ham·per·ing, 3rd person present singular
ham·pers)

impede:
to prevent the free movement or action of somebody or something
noun

ship’s
equipment:
equipment on board a ship that is essential but likely to get in the way
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—ham·per·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hinder

[1]



Hampshire

Hampshire
Hamp·shire 
[hámpshər] (plural Hamp·shires
or Hamp·shire) noun

1.  black-and-white
pig:
a black-and-white pig of a breed developed in the United States from stock
imported from Hampshire, England

2.  hornless
black-faced sheep: a large English sheep of a
breed with a black face and no horns.
Also
called
Hampshire Down
[Mid-17th century. Named for
the English county where the breed originated.][1]



HampshireDown

HampshireDown
Hamp·shire
Down
noun

See
Hampshire  noun 2[1]



Hampton

Hampton
Hamp·ton 
[hámptən]

city and port in southeastern
Virginia, situated on the Hampton Roads opposite Norfolk. It is the home of
Langley Air Force Base and Hampton University. Population: 139,628 (1994)[1]



HamptonCourt

HamptonCourt
Hamp·ton
Court

royal palace by the Thames
River in southwestern London, mainly dating from the Tudor period[1]



Hampton,Wade

Hampton,Wade
Hamp·ton 
[hámptən], Wade (1818–1902)

U.S. army officer. He led the
Confederate cavalry (1864–1865) during the Civil War and later served as U.S.
senator for South Carolina (1879–1891).[1]



hamster

hamster
ham·ster 
[hámstər] (plural ham·sters) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY small
rodent with cheek pouches: a small Eurasian rodent with
a short tail and large cheek pouches for storing food. Golden hamsters are
often kept as pets. Family: Muridae

2.  COMPUTING mouse
device with no cord: a cordless mouse device for
a computer that operates through an infrared connection
[Early 17th century. Via
German from Old High German hamustro, possibly of Slavic origin.][1]



hamstring

hamstring
ham·string 
[hám strìng] noun (plural ham·strings)

1.  ANATOMY leg
tendon:
either of the two prominent common tendons of the three ham muscles behind the
knee

2.  ANATOMY See hamstring muscle

3.  ZOOLOGY tendon
in an animal’s leg: a large tendon at the back
of the hock of an animal’s hind leg
transitive
verb
(past ham·strung, past participle ham·strung [hám strùng], present participle ham·string·ing,
3rd person present singular ham·strings)

1.  cut
the hamstring: to cut the hamstring of a person or
animal causing inability to use the leg normally (often considered offensive)

2.  thwart:
to make somebody or something powerless or ineffective • hamstrung
by lack of funds

[1]



hamstringmuscle

hamstringmuscle
ham·string
mus·cle
(plural ham·string mus·cles) noun

muscle used to flex the knee:
any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that control certain leg
movements, for example, flexing the knee[1]



hamstrung

hamstrung
ham·strung


Past tense of
hamstring Past participle of hamstring[1]



hamulus

hamulus
ham·u·lus 
[hámmyələss] (plural ham·u·li
[hámmyə l]) noun

hook-shaped
part of bone: a hook-shaped part at the end of a bone
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “small hook,” from hamus “hook.”]
—ham·u·lar,
adjective

—ham·u·late,
adjective

—ham·u·lose,
adjective

—ham·u·lous, adjective[1]



hamza

hamza
ham·za 
[hámzə, hm z]
(plural ham·zas) or ham·zah [hámzə, hm z]
(plural ham·zahs) noun

Arabic
sign:
the sign (ʔ) used in Arabic script to represent a glottal stop
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic .][1]



Han

Han
Han 
[han] (plural Han or Hans)
noun

1.  ancient
Chinese dynasty: a member of a Chinese dynasty that ruled
from 206 BC to AD 220 and was responsible for
systematizing Chinese bureaucracy, promoting Confucianism, and consolidating
Chinese government and territory

2.  See
Han Chinese
[Mid-18th
century. From Chinese Hàn .]
—Han, adjective[1]



HanabusaItcho

HanabusaItcho
Ha·na·bu·sa
It·cho
[hànnəbssə íchō] (1652–1724)

Japanese
painter. He was noted for his caricatures and his depictions of city life.
Real name
Tage, Shinko[1]



HanChinese

HanChinese
Han
Chi·nese
(plural Han Chi·nese) noun

member
of China’s largest ethnic group: a member of the
largest ethnic group in China, making up approximately 93 percent of the
Chinese population.
Also
called
Chinese
Also
called
Han
—Han Chi·nese, adjective[1]



Hancock,John

Hancock,John
Han·cock
[hán kòk], John (1737–1793)

U.S. patriot and statesman.
As president of the Continental Congress (1775–1777) he was the first to sign
the Declaration of Independence (1776). He was the first governor of
Massachusetts (1780–1785, 1789–1793).[1]



Hancock,Winfield Scott

Hancock,Winfield Scott
Han·cock
[hán kòk], Winfield Scott (1824–1886)

U.S. army officer. A Union
commander during the Civil War, he was noted for rallying his troops at the
Battle of Gettysburg (1863).[1]



hand

hand
hand 
[hand] noun (plural hands)

1.  end
of the human arm: the part of the human arm below the
wrist, consisting of a thumb, four fingers, and a palm and capable of holding
and manipulating things

2.  animal
part corresponding to the human hand: the
part of an animal’s limb that corresponds to a human hand in shape or function

3.  pointer
on a clock:
a pointer on a clock, watch, dial, or gauge

4.  player’s
cards:
the cards dealt to a player in a card game • a
losing hand

5.  round
in a card game: a round in a card game

6.  card
player:
in cards, somebody who plays a particular card game

7.  influence:
the influence or directing action of somebody or something

8.  part
in doing something: a share in the performance
of an action • Who
else had a hand in this?

9.  help:
help to do something • Give
me a hand moving this table.

10. offer
of agreement: a sign of agreement or acceptance,
especially of an offer of marriage • Here’s
my hand on it.

11. side:
side or direction • surrounded by enemies
at every hand

12. clap:
a round of applause • a big
hand for our next contestant

13. TEXTILES feel
of a fabric: the feel of a textile, used to determine
its quality.
U.K.
term
handle  noun 4

14. possession
or power:
the possession, power, responsibility, or care of somebody • Your
future is in your own hands.

15. degree
of closeness to a source: a degree of closeness to
actual involvement in something being talked about • I
heard about it third hand.

16. sailor:
a member of the crew of a vessel • Attention,
all hands!

17. somebody
doing or making something: somebody who does or makes
something, especially with a particular level of competence or experience • I’m
not much of a hand at hanging wallpaper. • an
old hand at white-water kayaking

18. worker:
a worker, especially one doing manual or farm work • a
ranch hand

19. handwriting:
somebody’s handwriting • an
admirably clear hand

20. skill:
ability or skill • She has a good hand for
gardening.

21. approach
or method:
a distinctive way of doing something • the
bungling hand of an amateur

22. measure
of a horse’s height: a measure of the height of a
horse, equal to 10.2 cm4 in

23. PRINTING See index  noun 6

24. bunch:
a bunch of something, especially bananas

25. cut
of pork:
a cut of pork from the front leg of the animal
verb
(past hand·ed, past participle hand·ed, present
participle hand·ing, 3rd person present singular hands)

1.  transitive
verb
pass
by hand:
to pass something to somebody by hand • She
handed me a glass.

2.  transitive
verb
lead
by the hand: to help or lead somebody by the hand • She
handed her aunt into the taxi.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb furl:
to furl a sail
[Old
English, of prehistoric German origin]
—hand·less,
adjective
at
hand

1.  nearby

2.  about
to happen

be
hand in glove (with somebody)

to
cooperate with somebody, usually for some secret or illegal purpose

change
hands

to
pass to a different owner

force
somebody’s hand

to
pressure somebody to do something against his or her will or earlier than
planned

hand
in hand

1.  in
close cooperation

2.  inseparably
closely

3.  holding
hands

(from)
hand to mouth

with
barely enough to live on for your daily needs

hold
somebody’s hand

to
provide reassurance, guidance, and support to somebody

in
hand

1.  under
control

2.  remaining
or unused

not
turn a hand (to do something)

make
no attempt to help somebody

off
somebody’s hands

no
longer somebody’s responsibility or problem

on
hand

near
and available

on
the one hand…on the other hand

used
to present two conflicting aspects of a situation • On
the one hand we have plenty of time, but on the other hand our resources are
limited.

out
of hand

immediately
and without consideration or explanation

out
of somebody’s hands

have
no influence over future developments • It’s
out of my hands.

take
somebody or something in hand

to
begin to bring somebody or something under control

the
upper hand

the
advantage in a given situation

try
your hand at something

to
make an attempt at something, usually for the first time

turn
your hand to something

to
do something for the first time and be competent at it





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE








  Referring
  to a farm worker, the term hand has
  highest currency in the South Midland territory, from Kentucky to Texas, and
  the Lower South. The terms cowhand, farm hand, and field
  hand respectively mark Western, Northern, and Southern dialects. The
  general-currency word is hired man, which recurs throughout the
  country, but is most common in the North.

[1]



handax

handax
hand
ax
(plural hand ax·es) noun

1.  short-handled
ax:
an ax with a short handle, for use with one hand

2.  prehistoric
stone tool:
a chipped stone tool rounded at one end and pointed at the other, used for a
variety of purposes during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic periods

[1]



handaxe

handaxe
hand
axe
noun

U.K. =
hand ax[1]



handbag

handbag
hand·bag 
[hánd bàg] (plural hand·bags) noun

1.  woman’s
small bag:
a small bag, with or without a strap or handle, used by women to carry personal
items such as keys, money, and cosmetics.
Also
called
purse

2.  traveling
bag:
a small light traveling bag that is easily carried by hand

[1]



handball

handball
hand·ball 
[hánd bàwl] (plural hand·balls)
noun

1.  ball
game played against a wall: a game for two or four
people in which players hit a small hard ball against a wall with their hands

2.  ball
used in handball: the small hard rubber or synthetic ball
used in the game of handball

3.  goal-scoring
ball game:
a team game similar to basketball in which players dribble the ball and pass
it, and goals are scored by hitting the ball into the goal with the hand
—hand·ball·er, noun[1]



handbarrow

handbarrow
hand·bar·row 
[hánd bèrrō] (plural hand·bar·rows)
noun

wheelless barrow:
a flat rectangular board for transporting loads that has a pair of handles at
either end and is carried by two people[1]



handbasket

handbasket
hand·bas·ket
[hánd bàskət] (plural hand·bas·kets)
noun

small
basket:
a small basket carried by hand
go
to hell in a handbasket

to deteriorate quickly and
utterly[1]



handbell

handbell
hand·bell
[hánd bèl] (plural hand·bells)
noun

small bell rung by shaking:
a small bell held in the hand to be rung, often one of a tuned set used to play
a musical piece or to practice change ringing[1]



handbill

handbill
hand·bill 
[hánd bìl] (plural hand·bills)
noun

printed sheet of paper:
a small sheet of paper with a notice or advertisement printed on it,
distributed by hand[1]



handblown

handblown
hand·blown
[hánd bln] adjective

blown using a hand-held tube:
used to describe glassware blown using a hand-held tube • a
handblown vase[1]



handbook

handbook
hand·book 
[hánd bk] (plural hand·books)
noun

1.  reference
book:
a reference book, especially one small enough to be carried in the hand, giving
concise information on a particular subject • Where’s
my handbook of English–French expressions?

2.  short
travel guide: a concise guide designed to help
travelers and tourists find their way around a region, city, or other
geographic location

3.  bookmaker’s
record:
a notebook in which a bookmaker records bets, or a place where bets are taken

4.  U.K.
See manual
[Early 19th century. A
translation of German Handbuch, which in turn was translated from
medieval Latin manualis liber “manual.”][1]



handbrake

handbrake
hand
brake
(plural hand brakes) noun

1.  handlebar
brakes:
either of two manual brakes on the handlebars of a bicycle or motorcycle, used
to slow or stop the vehicle

2.  U.K.
See emergency brake

[1]



handbreadth

handbreadth
hand·breadth 
[hánd brèdth] (plural hand·breadths
[hándz brèdth]) or hand’s-breadth
[hánd brèdth] (plural hand’s-breadths)
noun

width of a hand:
the width of a hand, used as an approximate measure of length[1]



handcar

handcar
hand·car
[hánd kr] (plural hand·cars) noun

small railroad vehicle:
a small, open, four-wheeled railroad vehicle propelled by a manual pumping
mechanism or a small motor[1]



handcart

handcart
hand·cart
[hánd krt] (plural hand·carts)
noun

cart pulled or pushed by
hand: a small cart with two or
four wheels, pulled or pushed by hand[1]



handclap

handclap
hand·clap 
[hánd klàp] (plural hand·claps)
noun

clapping of the hands:
a clapping of the hands, done to gain attention, applaud, or keep a rhythm.
See also
slow handclap[1]



handclasp

handclasp
hand·clasp 
(plural hand·clasps) noun

See
handshake[1]



handcraft

handcraft
hand·craft 
[hánd kràft] noun (plural hand·crafts)

See
handicraft  noun 3
transitive
verb
(past hand·craft·ed, past participle hand·craft·ed,
present participle hand·craft·ing, 3rd person present singular
hand·crafts)

make by handicraft:
to make something using manual skill[1]



handcuff

handcuff

hand·cuff 
[hánd kùf] plural noun hand·cuffs

device for restraining the hands:
a pair of strong usually metal rings joined by a chain or bar, placed as a
restraint around somebody’s wrists and locked
transitive verb
(past hand·cuffed, past participle hand·cuffed, present
participle hand·cuff·ing, 3rd person present singular hand·cuffs)

1.  put
in handcuffs: to restrain somebody by using handcuffs

2.        make
ineffective: to make somebody or
something ineffective • handcuffed
by bureaucratic regulations[1]



handdown

handdown
hand
down
transitive verb

1.  bequeath:
to pass something on to a later generation or time

2.  pass
clothes on:
to pass clothes on from an older to a younger child

3.  pronounce
a verdict or sentence: to decide on a verdict or
sentence and announce it in court

[1]



handedness

handedness
hand·ed·ness 
[hándədnəss] noun

1.  use
of a favorite hand: the tendency to prefer the
use of one hand over the other

2.  CHEMISTRY property
of being asymmetric: the property of some objects
whereby they cannot be superimposed on their mirror images

[1]



Handel,George Frederick

Handel,George Frederick


Han·del
[hánd’l], George Frederick (1685–1759)
German-born British composer. He is best
known for his oratorio Messiah ( 1742 ) and the orchestral suites Music
for the Royal Fireworks ( 1749 ) and Water Music ( 1717 ).[1]



hand-feed

hand-feed
hand-feed
(present participle hand-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular
hand-feeds) transitive verb

1.  give
food to somebody by hand: to feed a person or an
animal by hand

2.  feed
a machine by hand: to feed material into a
machine by hand rather than by means of an automatic or machine feed

[1]



handful

handful
hand·ful 
[hánd fl] (plural hand·fuls) noun

1.  amount
contained by the hand: an amount that can be held
in the hand

2.  small
amount or number: a small amount or number of people or
things • Only
a handful of students turned up for the lecture.

3.  somebody
or something difficult: a somebody or something that
is difficult to cope with or control (informal) • Together
those two are a real handful!





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Handful of Dust, a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh ( 1934 ). One of
  Waugh’s early satires, it tells the story of Tony Last, a haughty country
  gent whose wife leaves him for a young socialite. His response is to set off
  on an ill-advised expedition to South America, where he ends up the captive
  of an eccentric local with a penchant for Dickens.

[1]



handglass

handglass
hand
glass
(plural hand glass·es) noun

1.  magnifying
glass:
a magnifying glass with a handle for holding in the hand.
Also
called
hand lens

2.  hand
mirror:
a small mirror for holding in the hand (dated)

[1]



handgrenade

handgrenade
hand
gre·nade
(plural hand gre·nades) noun

bomb thrown by hand:
a small bomb designed to be thrown by hand and detonated by a time fuse[1]



handgrip

handgrip
hand·grip 
[hánd grìp] noun (plural hand·grips)

1.  See
grip  noun 2

2.  handle:
a handle or the part of something that can be held with the hand • My
motorcycle needs a new handgrip.
Also
called
grip

3.  covering
for a handle: a piece of material that covers a handle
and makes it easier to keep hold of.
Also
called
grip

4.  traveling
bag:
a small light traveling bag that is easily carried by hand
plural
noun
hand·grips

hand-to-hand fighting:
fighting carried out hand-to-hand

[1]



handgun

handgun
hand·gun 
[hánd gùn] (plural hand·guns) noun

gun held in one hand:
a gun that can be held and fired in one hand[1]



handheld

handheld
hand·held
[hánd hèld] or hand-held [hánd hèld] adjective

1.  held
in the hand: made to be operated while held in the
hand

2.  CINEMA TV shot with a portable camera:
filmed with a camera that is carried by the operator rather than mounted on a
support • black-and-white
handheld footage

[1]



handhold

handhold
hand·hold 
[hánd hld] (plural hand·holds)
noun

1.  something
to hold on to: something for somebody climbing to grasp
for support, for example, a projecting piece of rock or a fissure in a cliff
face

2.  grip:
a firm grip with the hand or hands

[1]



handholding

handholding
hand·hold·ing 
[hánd hlding] noun

supportive care and
attention: the giving of reassurance
and guidance to somebody[1]



handicap

handicap
hand·i·cap 
[hándee kàp] noun (plural hand·i·caps)

1.  hindrance:
something that hinders or is a disadvantage to somebody or something

2.  SPORTS balanced
contest:
a contest in which individual competitors are given an advantage or
disadvantage in an attempt to give every contestant an equal chance • a
handicap race

3.  SPORTS added
advantage or disadvantage: an advantage or disadvantage
given to a competitor in a handicap

4.  GOLF golfer’s
compensation in strokes: a compensation in strokes
given to a golfer on the basis of skill in past performances

5.  physical
or mental challenge: a particular way in which
somebody is physically or mentally challenged (often considered offensive)
transitive
verb
(past hand·i·capped, past participle hand·i·capped,
present participle hand·i·cap·ping, 3rd person present
singular hand·i·caps)

1.  hinder:
to hinder or be a disadvantage to somebody or something

2.  give
sports handicaps: to give an advantage or disadvantage to
a competitor in a contest

3.  assess
chances:
to assess the chances of competitors in a contest
[Mid-17th
century. From hand in cap “betting game in which contestants place their
hands in a hat with their wagers.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  the original game of handicap, one
  contestant put up an item of personal property against something belonging to
  the other contestant, offering to exchange the one for the other. An umpire
  adjudicated on the difference in value between the two articles. The
  contestants then placed their hands in a hat, along with some forfeit money,
  and the way in which they withdrew their hands - full or empty - signified
  whether they accepted the adjudication. If they both either accepted or
  rejected it, the umpire got the forfeit money; if they disagreed, the one who
  accepted it got the money. The application to horseracing arose in the 18th
  century from the notion of an umpire adjudicating on the weight disadvantage
  to be given to a particular horse.

[1]



handicapped

handicapped
hand·i·capped 
[hándee kàpt] adjective

physically
or mentally challenged: physically or mentally
challenged (often considered offensive)
plural
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for people who are physically challenged (offensive)[1]



handicapper

handicapper
hand·i·cap·per 
[hándee kàppər] (plural hand·i·cap·pers)
noun

1.  somebody
who assigns sports handicaps: somebody who assigns
handicaps to competitors in a contest

2.  somebody
who predicts the winner of a horse race:
somebody who tries to forecast the outcome of a horse race, especially one who
provides published advice to people betting

[1]



handicraft

handicraft
hand·i·craft 
[hándee kràft] (plural hand·i·crafts)
noun

1.  craft:
a craft or occupation in which manual skill is needed, for example, weaving

2.  object
made by hand: something made using manual skill

3.  manual
skill:
skill in making things with the hands.
Also
called
handcraft
[13th
century. An alteration of handcraft, modeled
on handiwork .]
—hand·i·craft·er, noun[1]



handily

handily
hand·i·ly 
[hándilee] adverb

1.  conveniently:
in a convenient way • handily
close to the train station

2.  skillfully:
in a skillful way

3.  easily:
in an easy way • She took the second set
handily.

[1]



handin

handin
hand
in
transitive verb

1.  submit
something:
to give or submit something to somebody • She
handed in her resignation.

2.  surrender
something:
to return or surrender something, especially something lost or illegal

[1]



handiwork

handiwork
hand·i·work 
[hándee wùrk] noun

1.  somebody’s
action:
action taken by somebody, or the result of somebody’s action • The
broken window was the handiwork of local vandals.

2.  work
done by hand: work done or produced by hand

3.  skill
with which something is done: the skill with which
something is done, especially manual skill
[From Old English handgeweorc,
from hand “hand” + geweorc, literally “body of work,” from weorc
(see work )][1]



hand-jam

hand-jam
hand-jam
(plural hand-jams) noun

CLIMBING
wedging of the hand into rock crack:
an act of wedging the hand into a rock crack to aid in climbing[1]



handkerchief

handkerchief
hand·ker·chief 
[hángkərchif, hángkər
chf] (plural hand·ker·chiefs or hand·ker·chieves
[hángkərchivz, hángkər
chvz]) noun

1.  cloth
for wiping the nose: a square of cloth or
absorbent paper used mainly to wipe areas of the face, especially the nose

2.  scarf:
a large, often brightly colored square of cloth used as a clothing accessory or
to cover the hair.
Also
called
kerchief
U.K.
term
kerchief

[1]



hand-knit

hand-knit
hand-knit
intransitive and transitive verb

knit by hand:
to knit something by hand, not on a machine[1]



handle

handle
han·dle 
[hánd’l] noun (plural han·dles)

1.  part
for holding or operating something: a
part of a thing by which it is held, moved, or operated

2.  name:
somebody’s name (slang) • What’s
your handle?

3.  means:
an opportunity, pretext, or means of doing something

4.  U.K.
TEXTILES See hand  noun 13

5.  GAMBLING total
amount bet:
the total sum of money bet on a race, series of races, or other event
verb
(past han·dled, past participle han·dled, present
participle han·dling, 3rd person present singular han·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
touch:
to touch, pick up, or move something with the hands • Don’t
handle the merchandise.

2.  transitive
verb
operate:
to operate or make use of something with the hands

3.  transitive
verb
take
charge of:
to take care of or be responsible for something • Who
handles the import side of the business?

4.  transitive
verb
deal
with:
to deal with or cope with somebody or something • She’s
good at handling difficult customers.

5.  transitive
verb
be
manager of:
to manage or supervise somebody • He
handles a string of professional boxers.

6.  transitive
verb
be
about something: to discuss or deal with a subject • The
novel handles the theme of unrequited love in an original way.

7.  transitive
verb
trade
in:
to deal in particular goods

8.  intransitive
verb
respond
to control:
to respond to control or use, often in a particular way • The
little yacht handled like a dream.
[Old
English . The noun is handle and the verb handlian, both of which
were formed from hand “hand.”]
—han·dle·a·bil·i·ty
[hànd’lə bíllətee], noun

—han·dle·a·ble
[hánd’ləb’l], adjective

—han·dle·less
[hánd’l ləss], adjective
fly
off the handle

to
lose your temper, especially without justification (informal)

get
a handle on something

to understand a situation
fully or be able to control it fully • It’s
a difficult problem to get a handle on.[1]



Hand,Learned

Hand,Learned
Hand 
[hand], Learned (1872–1961)

U.S.
jurist. His 3,000 opinions, issued during the course of a 52-year career in
district and appeals courts, were important contributions to U.S.
jurisprudence.
Full name
Hand, Billings Learned[1]



handlebarmustache

handlebarmustache
han·dle·bar
mus·tache
(plural han·dle·bar mus·taches) noun

curling mustache:
a thick broad mustache that curls up at the ends like handlebars[1]



handlebars

handlebars
han·dle·bars
[hánd’l brz] plural noun

steering handles:
a bar with handles at each end, used to steer a vehicle such as a bicycle or
motorcycle[1]



handlens

handlens
hand
lens
(plural hand lens·es) noun

See
hand glass  noun 1[1]



handler

handler
han·dler 
[hándlər] (plural han·dlers) noun

1.  animal
trainer:
somebody who trains or manages animals that perform in movies, television
programs, or judged shows

2.  somebody
using a trained dog: somebody who uses a
specially trained dog, for example, in the police or armed forces

3.  boxer’s
trainer:
a boxer’s trainer or second

4.  manager:
somebody who manages the career of somebody or the running of something

5.  somebody
working with something: somebody who works or deals
with a particular thing • a
baggage handler for an airline

[1]



handling

handling
han·dling 
[hándling] noun

1.  way
somebody handles something: the way in which somebody
handles or deals with something • The
report criticized his handling of the affair.

2.  treatment:
the way in which a subject is treated or dealt with in a written work or other
work of art

3.  COMMERCE transport
and packaging: the transportation and packaging of
goods • The
cost includes a charge for handling.

4.  U.K.
See fencing

[1]



handmade

handmade
hand·made 
[hand máyd, hánd
màyd] adjective

made by hand:
made by hand, not by machine • handmade
furniture[1]



handmaid

handmaid
hand·maid 
[hánd màyd] (plural hand·maids)
or hand·maid·en [hánd màyd’n]
(plural hand·maid·ens) noun

1.  woman
servant:
a woman or girl servant (archaic)

2.  something
helpful:
something that provides help or support in a subsidiary role (literary)
• Hard
work and focus are the handmaids of genius.
[The underlying meaning is
“somebody who is at hand when needed”][1]



hand-me-down

hand-me-down
hand-me-down
(plural hand-me-downs) noun

1.  used
garment:
an item of clothing, usually outgrown, passed down from a family member or
friend to another

2.  something
previously discarded: something taken up or used
by a person or group that has been used before and discarded

[1]



handoff

handoff
hand·off
(plural hand·offs) noun

1.  FOOTBALL giving
of the ball to another: in football, a handing of
the ball to another teammate during play

2.  FOOTBALL ball
in a handoff: the ball played in a handoff

3.  relinquishment
of control:
the passage of control over something from one party to another • The
handoff of flight 796 occurred at exactly midnight, and the receiving tower
confirmed it.

[1]



handoff

handoff
hand
off
transitive verb

1.  FOOTBALL give
the ball to another player: in football, to hand the
ball to a teammate during play • The
quarterback handed off the ball to the running back.

2.  relinquish
control:
to pass control of something to another party • We’ve
handed off the disks to the printer.

[1]



handon

handon
hand
on
transitive verb

pass something on:
to pass something to the next person or generation[1]



handorgan

handorgan
hand
or·gan
(plural hand or·gans) noun

musical instrument:
a mechanical musical instrument with a bellows, played by turning a crank.
Also called
barrel organ
U.K. term
barrel organ[1]



handout

handout
hand
out
transitive verb

1.  distribute:
to distribute or give something by hand

2.  award:
to administer or award something

[1]



handout

handout
hand·out 
[hánd òwt] (plural hand·outs) noun

1.  charitable
gift:
something such as money or food given as charity to somebody in need

2.  document
distributed to a group: a document, such as a press
release, an advertisement, or material accompanying a meeting or lecture that
is distributed to a group

[1]



handover

handover
hand·o·ver
[hánd vər] (plural hand·o·vers)
noun

1.  surrendering:
a surrendering of somebody, or a giving away of something to somebody else • the
handover of power to the civilian authorities

2.  BROADCASTING transfer
of commentary: a transfer of the control of the
commentary during a broadcast to somebody else

[1]



handover

handover
hand
over
verb

1.  transitive
verb
surrender
somebody or something: to surrender somebody, or
give something away to somebody else • Hand
over the money and nobody gets hurt.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING transfer a commentary:
to transfer control of a commentary during a broadcast to somebody else • Now
we’ll hand you over to our reporter at the scene.

[1]



handpick

handpick
hand·pick 
[hánd pìk] (past hand·picked, past
participle hand·picked, present participle hand·pick·ing,
3rd person present singular hand·picks) transitive verb

1.  choose
somebody or something carefully: to choose somebody or
something carefully and personally, for example, members of a team

2.  pick
or harvest by hand: to pick or harvest something
by hand, not by machine

[1]



handplant

handplant
hand
plant
(plural hand plants) noun

skateboarding
trick involving one-handed handstand: in
skateboarding, a move in which the board is held to the feet with one hand
while performing a handstand on a ramp or obstacle with the other
[Late 20th century][1]



handpress

handpress
hand
press
[hánd prèss] (plural hand press·es)
or hand·press [hánd prèss] (plural
hand·presses) noun

hand-operated printing press:
a printing press operated by hand[1]



handprint

handprint
hand·print 
[hánd prìnt] (plural hand·prints)
noun

mark made with the hand:
a mark or impression made by the palm of the hand and fingers[1]



handpuppet

handpuppet
hand
pup·pet
(plural hand pup·pets) noun

puppet fitting over the hand:
a puppet that fits over the hand like a glove and is operated by the user’s
thumb and fingers.
U.K. term
glove puppet[1]



handrail

handrail
hand·rail 
[hánd ràyl] (plural hand·rails)
noun

rail for holding onto:
a rail to hold with the hand for support, for example, at the side of stairs or
a ramp[1]



handsaw

handsaw
hand·saw 
[hánd sàw] (plural hand·saws) noun

small saw:
a saw for use with one hand[1]



handsdown

handsdown
hands
down 
adverb

1.  easily:
without encountering any problems, obstacles, or opposition

2.  unquestionably:
without any doubt whatsoever • they
won hands down

[1]



hands-down

hands-down
hands-down
adjective

1.  unquestionable:
accepted without any question

2.  very
easy:
having no trouble doing something
[From horseracing, when a
jockey wins by such a wide margin that he can relax his grip on the reins][1]



handset

handset
hand·set 
[hánd sèt] (plural hand·sets) noun

speaking and listening part
of a phone: the part of a telephone that
is held in the hand and contains the parts used for speaking into and listening
to[1]



handshake

handshake
hand·shake 
[hánd shàyk] (plural hand·shakes)
noun

1.  grip
with the hand: a gesture of gripping and shaking
another person’s hand, used as a greeting or farewell and to seal an agreement.

Also
called
handclasp

2.  COMPUTING exchange
of signals:
an exchange of signals between a computer and another computer or external
device indicating that a link is established and communication is possible

[1]



handshaking

handshaking
hand·shak·ing
[hánd shàyking] noun

exchanging of signals:
the exchanging of signals between a computer and another computer or external
device indicating that a link is established and communication is possible[1]



hands-off

hands-off
hands-off
adjective

having no involvement:
not wanting or needing to interfere in or control something • The
boss has a hands-off policy with respect to the day-to-day running of the
business.[1]



handsome

handsome
hand·some 
[hándsəm] adjective

1.  good-looking:
with good-looking facial features or a pleasing general appearance

2.  generous:
amounting to a higher sum than expected

3.  impressive:
well-made or skillfully executed
[Mid-16th
century. The underlying meaning is “handy, skilled.”]
—hand·some·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at goodlooking

[1]



handsomely

handsomely
hand·some·ly
[hándsəmlee] adverb

1.  generously:
in an amount that is more than expected

2.  impressively:
in a way that requires great skill or agility

3.  of
great size or extent: in a way that is very large
in extent or size

[1]



hands-on

hands-on
hands-on
adjective

1.  using
something:
involving the actual use of something • Learning
computer skills is a hands-on process.

2.  involving
physical touching: involving physical touching
of something • The
children’s science museum has many hands-on exhibits.

3.  personally
involved:
giving personal attention to or taking personal control of somebody or
something • She’s
very much a hands-on manager.

[1]



handspike

handspike
hand·spike 
[hánd spk] (plural hand·spikes)
noun

lever:
a metal bar used as a lever
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of Dutch handspaak, from hand “hand” + spaak
“spoke.”][1]



handspring

handspring
hand·spring 
[hánd sprìng] (plural hand·springs)
noun

body flip:
a gymnastic movement in which somebody flips the body forward or backward and
lands briefly on the hands before continuing the flip so as to land on the feet
again[1]



handstand

handstand
hand·stand 
[hánd stànd] (plural hand·stands)
noun

balancing on the hands:
an act of balancing the body on the hands with the legs straight up in the air[1]



hand-to-hand

hand-to-hand
hand-to-hand
adjective

involving
bodily contact: taking place at close quarters and
involving bodily contact
—hand to hand, adverb[1]



hand-to-mouth

hand-to-mouth
hand-to-mouth
adjective

poor:
having barely enough money or food for daily needs
adverb

in
poverty:
with only just enough money or food for daily needs
[From the idea that
everything somebody earns goes to meet the immediate need for food][1]



handtruck

handtruck
hand
truck
(plural hand trucks) noun

erect vehicle:
an upright vehicle with two wheels and a shallow platform, used to carry heavy
loads to be moved by hand[1]



handup

handup
hand
up
transitive verb

deliver
indictment:
to deliver an indictment, especially from a grand jury to a court for further
action
[Because the judge’s bench is
higher than the jury box][1]



handwork

handwork
hand·work 
[hánd wùrk] noun

work
done by hand: work done by hand, not by a machine
—hand·work·er, noun[1]



handwoven

handwoven
hand·wo·ven 
[hánd wvən] adjective

1.  woven
by hand loom: woven on a hand-operated loom, not a
mechanical one

2.  woven
by hand:
woven using the hands

[1]



handwringing

handwringing
hand·wring·ing
[hánd rìnging] noun

1.  demonstration
of concern:
the demonstration or expression of concern about something, often without any
constructive action being taken

2.  nervous
clasping of the hands: the repeated clasping and
squeezing of the hands together as a result of anxiety or grief

[1]



handwrite

handwrite
hand·write
[hánd rt] (past hand·wrote [hánd rt], past participle hand·writ·ten
[hánd rìtt’n], present participle hand·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular hand·writes) transitive verb

write by hand:
to use a writing implement such as a pen or pencil to put words on paper[1]



handwriting

handwriting
hand·writ·ing 
[hánd rting] noun

1.  writing
done by hand: writing done by hand using a pen or
pencil

2.  manner
of writing:
somebody’s individual way of writing by hand • I
recognized my father’s handwriting on the envelope.
[Early
16th century. Translation of Latin manuscriptum .]
handwriting
on the wall

something that predicts a
future disaster or decline in somebody’s fortunes • She
saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned before they could fire her.[1]



handwrought

handwrought
hand·wrought 
[hand ráwt, hánd
ràwt] adjective

shaped by hand:
shaped by hand, especially by hammering[1]



handy

handy
hand·y
[hándee] (comparative hand·i·er,
superlative hand·i·est) adjective

1.  convenient:
located in a convenient place, especially nearby and easy to reach

2.  useful:
useful or easy to use

3.  skillful:
skillful at doing a number of different things
—hand·i·ness, noun[1]



handyman

handyman
hand·y·man
[hándee màn] (plural hand·y·men
[hándee mən]) noun

1.  somebody
who does small jobs: somebody who earns money by
doing a variety of small jobs

2.  somebody
skillful:
somebody who has the experience and skill to perform a variety of small jobs

[1]



Handy,W. C.

Handy,W. C.


Han·dy 
[hándee], W. C. (1873–1958)
U.S.
composer. He was known for blues compositions including “St. Louis Blues” (
1914 ), and brought blues to a wide audience.
Full name
Handy, William Christopher[1]



hand’s-breadth

hand’s-breadth
hand’s-breadth
(plural hand’s-breadths) noun

See
handbreadth[1]



Hanford

Hanford
Han·ford 
[hánfərd]

city in central California,
49 km/30 mi south of Fresno. Population: 30,897 (1990)[1]



hang

hang
hang 
[hang] verb (past hung,
past participle hung [hung], present
participle hang·ing, 3rd person present singular hangs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb suspend:
to suspend or fasten something so that it is held up from above and not
supported from below

2.  transitive
verb
put
on hinges:
to put something such as a door on hinges so that it can move freely

3.  (past
hanged, past participle hanged) intransitive and transitive
verb kill
somebody with rope: to kill somebody or yourself
by fastening a rope around the neck and removing any other support for the
body, or die in this way, especially as a form of legal execution

4.  transitive
verb
decorate
with something: to decorate or furnish a place or object
with something • hang the Christmas tree
with lights and decorations

5.  transitive
verb
put
up wallpaper: to attach wallpaper to walls

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb display
a painting:
to put pictures or paintings on display, or be put on display

7.  transitive
verb
put
up artwork:
to put paintings or other artwork on walls for exhibit

8.  transitive
verb
let
droop:
to let something, especially the head, droop • They
should hang their heads in shame.

9.  transitive
verb
suspend
a gutted animal: to suspend meat or a recently killed
game animal until the flesh begins to decompose slightly and becomes more
tender and highly flavored

10. intransitive
verb
LAW prevent
a jury from deciding: to prevent a jury from
reaching a verdict (usually used in the passive)

11. intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL pitch a ball that fails to
break:
in baseball, to pitch the ball in such a way that it fails to break, or be
pitched in this way

12. (past
hanged, past participle hanged) transitive verb exclamation
indicating annoyance: used as a euphemism for damn
(dated informal) • Hang
it all!
• I’ll
be hanged if I’ll let them get away with this!

13. transitive
verb
make
a turn:
to make a particular turn, especially when driving a car (informal) • Hang
a right at the next street.

14. intransitive
verb
be
unresolved:
to be unresolved or in doubt • His
academic future hangs in the balance.

15. intransitive
and transitive verb fold
or droop:
to fold or bend something over or across something, or be folded or bent over
or across something

16. intransitive
verb
drape:
to drape from a point of suspension in a particular way • The
jacket hung badly on her.

17. intransitive
verb
elapse
slowly:
to pass by or elapse slowly • Time
hung heavily when she was away.

18. intransitive
verb
COMPUTING allow
no input or output: to refuse additional input
and be unable to generate output until rebooted (refers to a computer)

19. intransitive
verb
(slang) See hang out
noun
(plural hangs)

1.  way
of hanging something: the way that something hangs

2.  slope:
a downward slope

3.  exhibition
of artwork:
an exhibition of artwork, especially paintings
[Old
English hangian (intransitive), from a prehistoric West Germanic base]
get
the hang of something

to
learn a skill or activity thoroughly

not
give or care a hang (for or about somebody or something)

to be completely unconcerned
or indifferent about somebody or something (dated informal)[1]



hangar

hangar
han·gar 
[hángər] (plural han·gars) noun

building
housing aircraft: a large building in which aircraft are
kept or repaired
[Late 17th century. Via
French, “shed,” from Old French hangard, possibly from medieval Latin angarium
“shed for shoeing horses,” or of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



hangaround

hangaround
hang
around
intransitive verb

1.  waste
time:
to loiter or waste time • She
doesn’t like her kids hanging around in the mall all day Saturday.

2.  associate
regularly:
to spend time regularly with somebody • He
hangs around with the drama crowd.

[1]



hangback

hangback
hang
back
intransitive verb

be reluctant:
to show reluctance to do something[1]



hangdog

hangdog
hang·dog
[háng dòg] (plural hang·dogs) adjective

looking
guilty or sad: having an expression that indicates
guilt or sadness
[Late 17th century.
Originally referring to somebody who deserved to be hanged like a dog.][1]



hanger

hanger
hang·er 
[hángər] (plural hang·ers) noun

1.  nail
or hook for hanging something: a support from which
something can be hung, for example, a nail or hook

2.  frame
for hanging a garment: a triangular frame of metal,
wood, or plastic over which clothes can be draped for storage or display.
Also
called
coat hanger
Also
called
clothes hanger

3.  somebody
who hangs something: somebody who hangs or
suspends something

4.  short
sword:
a short sword worn on a belt

[1]



hanger-on

hanger-on
hang·er-on 
(plural hang·ers-on) noun

follower:
somebody who latches on to a richer or more prominent person or group in the
hope of personal gain[1]



hangglider

hangglider
hang
glid·er
(plural hang glid·ers) noun

unpowered
aircraft:
an aircraft without an engine that consists of a rigid frame in the shape of a
wing, with the pilot usually suspended in a harness below the wing. Hang
gliders can be launched by foot, with the pilot running down a slope, or by
being towed by a truck, winch, or ultralight aircraft.
—hang glid·ing, noun[1]



hangin

hangin
hang
in
transitive verb

persevere:
to endure or persevere in doing something (informal) • She
hung in as long as she could.[1]



hanging

hanging
hang·ing 
[hánging] noun (plural hang·ings)

1.  method
of killing:
the act of killing somebody by putting the neck in a noose and removing the
support, especially as a form of legal execution

2.  fabric
hung on a wall: a drapery, tapestry, or decorative
fabric hung on a wall (often used in the plural)
adjective

1.  punishable
by death:
punishable by death, or seen as deserving the death penalty • a
hanging offense

2.  severe
or unmerciful: tending to impose severe punishments,
especially the death penalty • a
hanging judge

3.  at
the top of a slope: positioned at the top of a
steep slope or height

[1]



hangingindentation

hangingindentation
hang·ing
in·den·ta·tion noun

lines spaced inward:
an indenting of all the lines of a paragraph of text except the first[1]



hangingwall

hangingwall
hang·ing
wall
(plural hang·ing walls) noun

rock formation:
the rocks that hang over a seam of coal or other mineral vein[1]



hangman

hangman
hang·man 
[hángmən, háng
màn] (plural hang·men [hángmən,
háng mèn]) noun

1.  executioner:
an official who carries out the death penalty of hanging

2.  GAMES letter
game:
a game in which one player has to guess a word, letter by letter, while the
other player draws a sketch of a hanged person. To win, the player has to guess
the word before the drawing is complete.

[1]



hangnail

hangnail
hang·nail 
[háng nàyl] (plural hang·nails)
noun

peeling
skin on a finger: a small piece of skin partly detached
from the side or base of a fingernail
[Late 17th century. By folk
etymology from agnail “corn on the foot,” from Old English angnægl,
from ang-, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “tight,” + nail .][1]



hangon

hangon
hang
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
hold
on tightly:
to hold on tightly to something

2.  intransitive
verb
keep
going:
to persist in an endeavor in spite of obstacles or difficulties

3.  transitive
verb
depend
on something: to depend on something

4.  transitive
verb
cling:
to cling to somebody in a possessive or dependent way

5.  intransitive
verb
wait:
to wait or show patience for a short time

6.  transitive
verb
listen
closely to:
to listen attentively to what somebody says

[1]



hangonto

hangonto
hang
onto
transitive verb

See
hang on  verb 1
See hang on  verb 5[1]



hangout

hangout
hang
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
suspend
outside:
to put something outside, for example, on a line, pole, or balcony, so that it
will dry or so that it can be seen

2.  intransitive
verb
be
around somewhere: to be regularly present somewhere (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
spend
time somewhere: to spend time somewhere in a casual or
relaxed way (informal) • Do you
want to hang out at the mall?

4.  intransitive
verb
associate:
to spend time regularly with somebody (informal)

[1]



hangover

hangover
hang
over
transitive verb

be imminent for:
to be imminent or threatening for, or be unwelcomely associated with, somebody
or something[1]



hangover

hangover
hang·o·ver 
[háng vər] (plural hang·o·vers)
noun

1.  illness
after drinking: the symptoms of headache, nausea,
thirst, and sickness that result from drinking too much alcohol

2.  aspect
rooted in the past: something that remains from
an earlier time.
Also
called
holdover

[1]



HangSeng index

HangSeng index
Hang
Seng in·dex
[hàng séng ín dèks] noun

average of prices on the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange: an index
based on the relative prices of selected stocks on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange[1]



hangtag

hangtag
hang·tag 
[háng tàg] (plural hang·tags) noun

tag attached to merchandise:
a small paper, plastic, or fabric slip attached to an item being sold and
giving information about it[1]



hangtime

hangtime
hang
time
(plural hang times) noun

1.  time
a kicked ball is in the air: the amount of time a ball
remains in the air after being kicked, or an athlete remains in the air after
leaping

2.  MILITARY time
missile is airborne: the time that a missile,
especially a nuclear missile, is airborne between its launch and its landing

[1]



hangtogether

hangtogether
hang
together 
intransitive verb

be consistent:
to be consistent or cohesive[1]



Hangul

Hangul
Han·gul 
[hng gl, háng
gl] or han·gul [hng gl,
háng gl] noun

Korean
alphabet:
the alphabet used for Korean writing
[Mid-20th century. From
Korean han kul, literally “Korea alphabet.”][1]



hangup

hangup
hang
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
suspend:
to put something on a peg, hook, nail, or hanger

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb replace
a phone in its cradle: to end a telephone call by
returning the receiver to its original position, often abruptly

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
delay:
to cause or be caused delay

[1]



hang-up

hang-up
hang-up 
(plural hang-ups) noun

1.  continuing
anxiety about something: a psychological or emotional
problem or fixation about something (informal)

2.  cause
of problems: a persistent impediment or source of
delay • Bureaucratic
inefficiency was the main hang-up.

[1]



hangupon

hangupon
hang
upon
transitive verb

See
hang on  verb 4
See hang on  verb 6[1]



Hangzhou

Hangzhou
Hang·zhou 
[hàng jṓ]

seaport and capital city of
Zhejiang Province in southeastern China. Population: 1,340,000 (1991)[1]



HanJiang

HanJiang
Han
Jiang
[hn jyng] or Han [hn jyng]

river of central China, a
tributary of the Yangtze River and major trade artery. Length: 1,532 km/952 mi.[1]



hank

hank
hank 
[hangk] (plural hanks) noun

1.  loose
ball of something: a piece of something such as
hair, rope, or wool that has been wrapped around itself to form a loose ball

2.  SAILING attachment
for a sail:
a ring-shaped fitting that can be opened to secure the leading edge of a sail

3.  MEASUREMENTS length
of something: a length of yarn when reeled. A hank of
cotton is 767 m 840 yd.
[14th century. From Old Norse
hönk, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English hook .][1]



hanker

hanker
han·ker 
[hángkər] (past han·kered, past
participle han·kered, present participle han·ker·ing, 3rd
person present singular han·kers) intransitive verb

want
something:
to want something very badly and persistently • hankering
after something I can’t have
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Dutch dialect hankeren .]
—hank·er·er, noun[1]



hankie

hankie
han·kie
[hángkee] (plural han·kies) or
han·ky [hángkee] (plural han·kies)
noun

handkerchief:
a handkerchief (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



Hanks,Tom

Hanks,Tom
Hanks
[hangks], Tom (1956– )

U.S. actor, who won Academy
Awards for Philadelphia ( 1993 ) and Forrest Gump ( 1994 ).[1]



hanky-panky

hanky-panky
han·ky-pan·ky 
[hàngkee pángkee] noun

1.  suspicious
activity:
illicit or suspicious behavior

2.  frivolous
sexual behaviour: frivolous and slightly indecent sexual
activity
[Mid-19th century. An
alteration, via the form hokey-pokey, of hocus pocus, the earliest uses of the
word being for “juggling, conjuring.”][1]



Hanna,Mark

Hanna,Mark
Han·na
[hánnə], Mark (1837–1904)

U.S.
entrepreneur and statesman. He took U.S. presidential campaigns to new levels
of sophistication and expense in masterminding the election of William McKinley
(1896).
Full name
Hanna, Marcus Alonzo[1]



Hannibal

Hannibal
Han·ni·bal 
[hánnəb’l] (247 BC–183 BC)

Carthaginian general. At the
beginning of the Second Punic War (218–202 BC
), he marched across the Alps to northern Italy with elephants and a
40,000-strong army. It was one of the most famous military exploits in history.
He was less successful in a subsequent African campaign against Scipio, and
died in exile.[1]



Hannibal

Hannibal
Han·ni·bal 
[hánnəb’l]

city and port in eastern
Missouri, on the Mississippi River. It was the boyhood home of Mark Twain.
Population: 18,004 (1990)[1]



Hanoi

Hanoi
Ha·noi 
[ha nóy]

capital city of Vietnam,
located in the north of the country. Population: 2,154,900 (1993)[1]



Hanover

Hanover1
Han·o·ver1  [hánnōvər]

city in northwestern Germany,
situated on the Leine River. Population: 517,476 (1992)[1]



Hanover

Hanover2
Han·o·ver2  [hánnōvər]
noun

royal family of Britain:
the royal house of Great Britain from 1714, when the elector of Hanover
ascended the British throne as George I, until 1901, when Queen Victoria died[1]



Hanoverian

Hanoverian
Han·o·ve·ri·an 
[hànnə vérree ən] adjective

1.  of
house of Hanover: relating to or characteristic of the
British rulers from 1714 to 1901

2.  of
Hanover:
relating to Hanover, Germany, or of its inhabitants or culture
noun
(plural Han·o·ve·ri·ans)

Hanoverian monarch:
a supporter or monarch of the British Hanoverian line

[1]



HanoverPark

HanoverPark
Han·o·ver
Park
[hànnōvər prk]

village in northeastern
Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. Population: 35,599 (1996)[1]



Hansa

Hansa
Han·sa
[hánsə, hnzə]
(plural Han·sas) or Han·se [hans, hnzə] (plural Han·ses)
noun

1.  See
Hanseatic League

2.  fee
for Hansa membership: the fee paid by a new member
of the Hansa
[12th century. From Old High
German, “troop, company.”][1]



Hansard

Hansard
Han·sard 
[hánsərd] noun

parliamentary
reports:
the official published reports of proceedings in the British or Canadian
parliaments or of similar legislative bodies in the British Commonwealth
[Late 19th century. Named for
the British printer Luke Hansard (1752–1828), who first published it.][1]



Hanse

Hanse
Han·se
noun

See
Hansa[1]



Hanseatic

Hanseatic
Han·se·at·ic 
[hànsee áttik] adjective

relating
to Hanseatic League: relating to the Hanseatic
League or one of the towns in it
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin Hanseaticus, from Hansa (see Hansa ).][1]



HanseaticLeague

HanseaticLeague
Han·se·at·ic
League 
noun

towns in trade network:
an organized network of towns in northern Europe from the 15th to the 16th
centuries that protected each other and promoted trade with each other.
Also called
Hansa[1]



hansel

hansel
han·sel 
(plural han·sels) noun

See
handsel[1]



Hansen’sdisease

Hansen’sdisease
Han·sen’s
dis·ease 
[hàns’nz də zz] noun

See
leprosy
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Norwegian physician Gerhard Hansen (1841–1921), who described
it.][1]



hansom

hansom
han·som 
[hánsəm] (plural han·soms) or
han·som cab [hánsəm] (plural han·som
cabs) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a covered two-wheeled vehicle drawn by one horse and carrying two passengers
inside while the driver sits outside on a raised seat at the rear
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the British architect Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803–1882), who patented
an improved design of cab in 1834.][1]



hantavirus

hantavirus
han·ta·virus
[hántə vrəss] noun

rodent virus causing illness:
a virus belonging to a group that affects small rodents and can be passed to
humans by inhalation or ingestion of their secretions or excreta. Symptoms
include fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting.[1]



Hanukkah

Hanukkah
Ha·nuk·kah 
[hánnəkə, hnəkə,
khnəkə] or Ha·nu·kah [hánnəkə, hnəkə,
khnəkə] or Cha·nu·kah [hánnəkə, hnəkə,
khnəkə] or Cha·nuk·kah [hánnəkə, hnəkə,
khnəkə] noun

Jewish
festival:
an eight-day Jewish festival beginning on the 25th day of Kislev in December
and commemorating the rededication to Judaism of the Temple in Jerusalem. The
temple was rededicated in 165 BC
after a period during which it had been used for the worship of Greek gods
under Antiochus Epiphanes.
Also
called
Feast of Dedication
Also
called
Feast of Lights
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew hanukkah “consecration.”][1]



Hanuman

Hanuman
Han·u·man
[hún mn, hn
mn] (plural Han·u·mans) noun

1.  Han·u·man
or han·u·man (plural han·u·mans) sacred
monkey:
a slender long-tailed langur monkey of southern Asia, considered sacred in
India. Latin name: Presbytis entellus

2.  INDIAN RELIGION monkey
chief:
in Hinduism, a leader of monkeys who assists Rama
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit, literally “large-jawed.”][1]



hao

hao
hao 
[how] (plural hao) noun

1.  subunit
of Vietnamese currency: a minor currency unit of
Vietnam, ten of which are worth one dong

2.  coin
worth a hao: a coin worth one hao
[Mid-20th century. From
Vietnamese .][1]



haole

haole
hao·le 
[hówlee] (plural hao·les) noun

non-Polynesian
resident of Hawaii: somebody, especially a white
person, who lives in Hawaii but is not a Polynesian
[Mid-19th
century. From Hawaiian .]
—hao·le, adjective[1]



hap

hap1
hap1  [hap]
noun (plural haps)

happening:
a happening or occurrence (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past happed, past participle happed, present
participle hap·ping, 3rd person present singular haps)

happen:
to happen or occur (archaic)
[13th century. From Old Norse
happ .][1]



hap

hap2
hap2  [hap]
noun (plural haps)

Scotland
covering:
something used to cover a person or bed, for example, a cloak or comforter
transitive
verb
(past happed, past participle happed, present
participle hap·ping, 3rd person present singular haps)

Scotland,
U.S. wear
warm clothes: to wrap up in warm clothes (regional)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



hapaxlegomenon

hapaxlegomenon
ha·pax
le·go·me·non  [hà paks lə
gómmə nòn, hà paks lə gómmənən] (plural
ha·pax le·go·me·na [hà paks lə gómmənə])
noun

rare
word:
a word of which there is only one recorded use
[Mid-17th century. From
Greek, “said only once.”][1]



haphazard

haphazard
hap·haz·ard 
[hap házzərd] adjective

unplanned:
happening or done in a way that has not been planned
[Late
16th century. From hap 1 + hazard,
literally “hazard of chance.”]
—hap·haz·ard·ly,
adverb

—hap·haz·ard·ness, noun[1]



haphtarah

haphtarah
haph·ta·rah
noun

JUDAISM
See haftarah[1]



hapl-

hapl-
hapl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
haplo-[1]



hapless

hapless
hap·less 
[háppləss] adjective

unlucky:
unlucky or unfortunate
—hap·less·ly,
adverb

—hap·less·ness, noun[1]



haplite

haplite
hap·lite 
[há plt] noun

See
aplite
—hap·lit·ic [ha plíttik], adjective[1]



haplo-

haplo-
haplo-
prefix

1.  single
• haplology

2.  haploid
• haplont
[From Greek haplous .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English simple .][1]



haplography

haplography
hap·log·ra·phy 
[hap lóggrəfee] noun

writing
mistake:
the accidental omission of a letter or syllable that should be repeated, for
example, “mispell” for “misspell”
[Late 19th century][1]



haploid

haploid
hap·loid 
[háp lòyd] adjective hap·loid hap·loid·ic

with
single set of chromosomes: having a single set of
unpaired chromosomes
noun
(plural hap·loids)

organism
with unpaired chromosomes: a cell or organism with a
single set of unpaired chromosomes
[Early 20th century][1]



haplology

haplology
hap·lol·o·gy 
[hap lólləjee] noun

speaking
mistake:
the accidental omission of one or more repeated syllables or sounds when
speaking
[Late
19th century]
—hap·lo·log·ic [hàplə lójjik], adjective[1]



haplont

haplont
hap·lont 
[há plònt] (plural hap·lonts) noun

alga
with a haploid phase: an organism, especially an
algal plant, that is haploid at one stage of its life cycle
[Early
20th century. Coined from haploid + -ont .]
—hap·lon·tic [ha pláwntik], adjective[1]



haplosis

haplosis
hap·lo·sis 
[ha plṓssiss] noun

production
of haploids: the production of haploids during cell
division ( meiosis )
[Coined from haploid + -osis][1]



haply

haply
hap·ly 
[hápplee] adverb

maybe:
used to express the possibility or hope that something is or will be the case (archaic)
“I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them” William
Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet 1594[1]



happen

happen
hap·pen 
[hápp’n] (past hap·pened, past
participle hap·pened, present participle hap·pen·ing, 3rd
person present singular hap·pens) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
occur:
to take place • How did it happen?

2.  transitive
verb
do
something by chance: to do something by chance
and without a previous plan • If you
happen to see him, give him these keys.

3.  intransitive
verb
affect
somebody:
to affect somebody or something, especially in an unpleasant way • If
anything happens to me, you’ll regret it.

4.  intransitive
verb
occur
by chance:
to occur or exist by chance
[14th century. Formed from hap 1 .][1]



happenalong

happenalong
happen
along
or hap·pen by intransitive verb

appear by chance:
to appear or pass by chance or unexpectedly (informal)[1]



happenchance

happenchance
hap·pen·chance 
[hápp’n chàns] noun

See
happenstance
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of happenstance .][1]



happening

happening
hap·pen·ing 
[háppəning] noun (plural hap·pen·ings)

1.  occurrence:
something that occurs

2.  artistic
performance: an improvised or informal performance or
demonstration, often dramatic in form and using audience participation (informal)
adjective

fashionable: at
the forefront of what is fashionable and exciting (informal)

[1]



happenon

happenon
happen
on
transitive verb

discover something by chance:
to discover or encounter something or somebody by chance[1]



happenstance

happenstance
hap·pen·stance 
[háppən stàns] (plural hap·pen·stanc·es)
noun

chance
occurrence:
a chance occurrence or event.
Also
called
happenchance
[Late 19th century. Blend of happening and circumstance
.][1]



happenupon

happenupon
happen
upon
transitive verb

See
happen on[1]



happicoat

happicoat
hap·pi
coat 
[háppee kt] (plural hap·pi coats)
noun

Japanese
jacket:
an open Japanese jacket that has wide loose sleeves and is usually tied with a
sash, or a fashion garment resembling this
[Late 19th century. Happi
from Japanese .][1]



happily

happily
hap·pi·ly
[háppilee] adverb

1.  fortunately:
used to indicate that something that could have been difficult or disastrous is
luckily the reverse • Happily,
no one was hurt.

2.  willingly:
with willingness • I’d happily contribute.

3.  in
a happy way: in a pleased, contented, or joyful way

[1]



happy

happy
hap·py 
[háppee] (comparative hap·pi·er,
superlative hap·pi·est) adjective

1.  feeling
pleasure:
feeling or showing pleasure, contentment, or joy • happy
smiling faces

2.  causing
pleasure:
causing or characterized by pleasure, contentment, or joy • a
happy childhood

3.  satisfied:
feeling satisfied that something is right or has been done right • Are
you happy with your performance?

4.  willing:
willing to do something • I’d be
only too happy to help.

5.  fortunate:
resulting in something pleasant or welcome • a
happy coincidence

6.  tipsy:
slightly drunk (informal)

7.  used
in greetings: used in formulae to express a hope that
somebody will enjoy a special day or holiday • Happy
birthday!

8.  too
ready to use something: inclined to use a particular
thing too readily or be too enthusiastic about a particular thing (used in
combination) • trigger-happy
[14th
century. Formed from hap 1 .]
—hap·pi·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lucky

[1]



happyevent

happyevent
hap·py
e·vent
(plural hap·py events) noun

U.K.
baby’s birth:
the birth of a baby (informal)[1]



happy-go-lucky

happy-go-lucky
hap·py-go-luck·y 
adjective

cheerful:
tending not to worry about the future[1]



happyhard core

happyhard core
hap·py
hard core
noun

uplifting hard core music:
uplifting hard core music, often achieving its emotional effect by the use of
piano riffs over straightforward rhythms[1]



happyhour

happyhour
hap·py
hour
(plural hap·py hours) noun

time when drinks are cheap:
a period of time, usually in the late afternoon or early evening, during which
a bar serves alcoholic drinks at reduced prices[1]



happyhunting ground

happyhunting ground
hap·py
hunt·ing ground (plural hap·py hunt·ing
grounds) noun

1.  hunting
and feasting paradise: among some Native American
peoples, a place of peace and abundance to which people go after death

2.  place
with abundant supply: a place that provides plenty
of something desired

[1]



happymedium

happymedium
hap·py
me·di·um 
(plural hap·py me·di·ums) noun

compromise:
a satisfying compromise[1]



Hapsburg

Hapsburg
Haps·burg 
[háps bùrg, hps
brg] (plural Haps·burgs) or Habs·burg [háps bùrg, hps brg]
(plural Habs·burgs) noun

member of German royalty:
a member of a German royal family, prominent between the 13th and 20th
centuries in Europe, that included rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and
Austria-Hungary[1]



hapten

hapten
hap·ten 
[háp tèn] (plural hap·tens) or
hap·tene [háp tn] (plural hap·tenes)
noun

partial
antigen:
an antigen that can stimulate production of antibodies only in combination with
a specific protein
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek haptein “to fasten.”][1]



hapteron

hapteron
hap·ter·on 
[háptə ròn] (plural hap·ter·ons)
noun

BOTANY See holdfast  noun 2
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek haptein “to fasten.”][1]



haptic

haptic
hap·tic 
[háptik] adjective

relating
to touch:
relating to the sense of touch
[Late 19th century. From
Greek haptikos, from haptesthai “to grasp, touch,” from haptein
“to fasten.”][1]



haptoglobin

haptoglobin
hap·to·glo·bin 
[hàptə glṓbin] (plural hap·to·glo·bins)
noun

plasma
protein:
any of several plasma proteins that combine with free hemoglobin in the
bloodstream
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek haptein “to fasten” + globin
.][1]



haptotropism

haptotropism
hap·to·trop·ism 
[hàp tóttrə pìzzəm] noun

BIOLOGY See thigmotropism
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek haptein “to fasten” + -tropism .][1]



hara-kiri

hara-kiri
ha·ra-ki·ri 
[hèrrə kree] noun

Japanese
ritualistic suicide: a traditional form of
suicide, sometimes ritually performed as a point of honor in Japan, involving
disembowelment with a sword.
Also
called
seppuku
[Mid-19th century. From Japanese,
literally “belly-cutting.”][1]



harangue

harangue
ha·rangue 
[hə ráng] intransitive and transitive
verb (past ha·rangued, past participle ha·rangued,
present participle ha·rangu·ing, 3rd person present singular
ha·rangues)

address
somebody loudly and forcefully: to criticize or
question somebody or try to persuade somebody to do something in a forceful
angry way
noun
(plural ha·rangues)

forceful
criticism or persuasion: a loud, forceful, and angry
speech criticizing somebody or trying to persuade somebody to do something
[15th
century. Via French from medieval Latin harenga of uncertain origin:
possibly ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.]
—ha·rangu·er, noun[1]



Harare

Harare
Ha·ra·re 
[hə rree]

capital city of Zimbabwe,
located in the northeastern part of the country. Population: 1,184,169 (1992)[1]



harass

harass
ha·rass 
[hérrəss, hə
ráss] (past ha·rassed, past participle ha·rassed,
present participle ha·rass·ing, 3rd person present singular
ha·rass·es) transitive verb

1.  keep
bothering or attacking somebody: to persistently annoy,
attack, or bother somebody

2.  exhaust
an enemy with repeated attacks: to exhaust an enemy by
repeatedly attacking
[Early
17th century. From French harasser, from harer “to set a dog on
(by crying “hare”),” ultimately of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old High
German haren .]
—ha·rass·er,
noun

—ha·rass·ment,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at embarrass.

[1]



Harbin

Harbin
Har·bin 
[hr bn, hr
bín]

capital city of Heilongjiang
Province in northeastern China. Population: 2,830,000 (1991)[1]



harbinger

harbinger
har·bin·ger 
[hrbinjər] noun (plural har·bin·gers)

somebody
or something that announces something:
somebody or something that foreshadows or anticipates a future event
transitive
verb
(past har·bin·gered, past participle har·bin·gered,
present participle har·bin·ger·ing, 3rd person present
singular har·bin·gers)

herald
something:
to herald or foreshadow somebody or something
[12th century. From Old
French herberger, from herbergier “to provide shelter for an
army,” ultimately from prehistoric Germanic words meaning “army” and
“protect.”][1]



harbor

harbor
har·bor 
[hrbər] noun (plural har·bors)

Also
called
harborage

1.  port:
part of a body of water near a coast in which ships can anchor safely (often
used in placenames)

2.  place
of refuge:
any place that is safe and sheltered
verb
(past har·bored, past participle har·bored, present
participle har·bor·ing, 3rd person present singular har·bors)

1.  transitive
verb
keep
something in mind: to continue to think
privately about an emotion or thought for a long time • had
harbored a secret fear of the dark since childhood

2.  transitive
verb
shelter
somebody:
to provide somebody with shelter or sanctuary

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL keep a ship in harbor:
to take shelter in a harbor, or shelter a ship in a harbor
[Old
English herebeorg “lodging,” literally “army shelter,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English harbinger]
—har·bor·er,
noun

—har·bor·less, adjective[1]



harborage

harborage
har·bor·age 
[hrbərij] noun

See
harbor  noun 1
See harbor  noun 2[1]



harbormaster

harbormaster
har·bor
mas·ter
(plural har·bor mas·ters) noun

port official:
an official who supervises and administers the general activities of a port or
harbor[1]



harborseal

harborseal
har·bor
seal
(plural har·bor seals) noun

small seal:
a small seal that is grayish black with paler spots and lives on the northern
coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Latin name: Phoca vitulina[1]



harbour

harbour
har·bour 
noun intransitive and transitive verb intransitive and
transitive verb

U.K. =
harbor[1]



hard

hard
hard 
[haard] adjective (comparative
hard·er, superlative hard·est)

1.  not
easily bent: firm, stiff, or rigid and not easily
cut, pierced, or bent • a hard
mattress

2.  difficult
or awkward:
difficult or awkward to do or achieve • a
hard decision

3.  involving
effort:
involving a great deal of labor or effort • a
hard climb

4.  performing
energetically: acting or producing something with
energy or industriousness • a hard
worker

5.  mighty:
using a lot of force or violence

6.  demanding
and strict:
making inflexible and heavy demands • a hard
taskmaster

7.  problematic:
difficult and full of problems • a hard
life

8.  unsympathetic:
showing little or no sympathy, compassion, or gentleness • She’s
as hard as nails.

9.  resentful:
marked by resentment or bitterness • no
hard feelings

10. real
or true:
demonstrably real, true, or certain • cold,
hard facts

11. difficult
to understand: difficult to understand or explain

12. POLITICS radical:
politically radical or extreme • the
hard left

13. severe:
marked by weather conditions such as extreme cold or severe storms • a
hard winter

14. visually
harsh:
harsh and glaring to the sight

15. toughened:
rough or leathery, and unyielding • hard
skin

16. CHEMISTRY containing
mineral salts: containing mineral salts and preventing
soap from lathering well

17. penetrating:
seeming to penetrate and discover intentions or thoughts • a
hard stare

18. firm
or crisp in texture: having a crisp, firm, or
stale crust or texture

19. erect:
stiff and erect (informal)

20. PHYSICS readily
able to penetrate substances: used to describe radiation,
especially high frequency X-rays, that has a high energy and is thus readily
able to penetrate substances including metals, or relating to this • hard
vacuum

21. FINANCE strong
and stable:
stable in value and in demand by currency traders

22. FINANCE in
cash:
in the form of coins and paper money rather than, for example, checks

23. BEVERAGES high
in alcohol:
having a high alcoholic content, especially alcohol produced by distillation

24. DRUGS addictive
and dangerous to health: highly addictive and
particularly dangerous to the health

25. PHONETICS pronounced
like “k” or “g”: used to describe the consonants “c” and
“g” when they are pronounced with a “k” sound, as in “come,” and a “g” sound,
as in “go.”
See
also
soft
adverb
(comparative hard·er, superlative hard·est)

1.  forcefully:
with a lot of force • hit
the ball hard

2.  intensely:
to an extreme degree • pulled
the truck over hard

3.  energetically:
with vigor and energy or industriousness • worked
hard

4.  with
concentration: with great mental concentration

5.  with
difficulty:
with effort and great difficulty

6.  compactly:
into a solid or compact state • set
hard

7.  painfully:
in a way that causes anguish or hardship • hit
hard by the recession

8.  slowly:
slowly and with difficulty • hatred
that dies hard
[Old
English heard . Ultimately meaning “resistant to pressure,” from an
Indo-European word meaning “strength,” which is also the ancestor of English democracy .]
be
hard on somebody

1.  to
treat somebody severely

2.  to
be unfortunate for somebody

be
hard put to do something

to
find it difficult to do something

hard
by

close
by  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  hard, difficult, strenuous, tough,
  arduous, laborious
  CORE
  MEANING: requiring
  effort or exertion hard; a general
  word used to describe something that requires effort or exertion to do or
  achieve; difficult; similar in
  meaning to hard, but suggesting more complexity and a need for skill
  or patience; strenuous; used to
  describe something that requires a great deal of physical effort and stamina;
  tough; used to describe something
  that is extremely difficult or strenuous; arduous;
  a fairly formal word used to describe something that requires great energy,
  effort, and often physical exertion to do or achieve; laborious; a fairly formal word, emphasizing
  the need for physical effort and great exertion in order to do something, and
  also suggesting tedium









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  Hard
  Times, a novel by English writer Charles Dickens ( 1854 ) was the story of
  the loveless upbringing of Tom and Louisa Gradgrind to contrast the
  soullessness of utilitarianism, as personified by their father Thomas
  Gradgrind, with the natural warmth and generosity of the human spirit,
  symbolized by their adopted sister Sissy Jupe, a member of a traveling
  circus.

[1]



hard-and-fast

hard-and-fast
hard-and-fast 
adjective

rigidly
enforced:
unable to be changed or adapted
[Originally a nautical phrase
referring to a ship run aground][1]



hard-ass

hard-ass
hard-ass
(plural hard-ass·es) noun

offensive
term:
offensive term for somebody who is perceived as inflexible and uncompromising (slang
offensive)
—hard-assed, adjective[1]



hardback

hardback
hard·back 
[hrd bàk] (plural hard·backs)
noun

book with a stiff cover:
a book with a rigid cover.
Also called
hardcover[1]



hardball

hardball
hard·ball 
[hrd bàwl] noun

1.  See
baseball

2.  ruthless
behavior:
tough or ruthless behavior, especially in politics or business (informal)
• These
guys play hardball.

[1]



hard-bitten

hard-bitten
hard-bit·ten 
adjective

experienced:
tough and experienced[1]



hardboard

hardboard
hard·board 
[hrd bàwrd] noun

reconstituted wood board:
thin stiff sheets of compressed sawdust and wood chips, often used in
constructing walls[1]



hard-boil

hard-boil
hard-boil 
(past hard-boiled, past participle hard-boiled, present
participle hard-boil·ing, 3rd person present singular hard-boils)
transitive verb

cook until firm:
to boil an egg until both the white and the yolk are firm[1]



hard-boiled

hard-boiled
hard-boiled 
adjective

1.  cooked
until firm:
used to describe an egg boiled until the yolk and white are firm

2.  unsentimental:
tough, realistic, and unsentimental (informal)

[1]



hardbound

hardbound
hard·bound 
[hrd bòwnd] adjective

in a hard cover:
bound as a book in a stiff cover[1]



hardcider

hardcider
hard
ci·der
(plural hard ci·ders) noun

fermented apple juice:
apple juice that has an alcoholic content[1]



hardcoal

hardcoal
hard
coal
noun

See
anthracite[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hardcopy

hardcopy
hard
cop·y
noun

printed-out data:
data from a computer that is printed out, usually on paper, rather than read
from the screen[1]



hardcore

hardcore
hard
core
noun

1.  committed
nucleus of a group: the most committed,
faithful, and active members of a group or organization

2.  MUSIC type
of fast rock music: a type of dance music
notable for its repetitive rhythmic synthesized sounds and fast tempo

3.  U.K.
TRANSPORT foundation
for roads or paving: stones and other rubble used
to form a foundation under roads or paving

[1]



hard-core

hard-core
hard-core
adjective

1.  uncompromising:
uncompromising and committed

2.  showing
explicit sex: depicting sexual acts in an explicit way

[1]



hardcover

hardcover
hard·cov·er 
[hrd kuvər] (plural hard·cov·ers)
noun

See
hardback[1]



harddisk

harddisk
hard
disk 
(plural hard disks) or hard drive (plural hard
drives) noun

information storage unit in a
computer: a rigid disk inside a
computer that is magnetized to hold a large quantity of computer data and
programs[1]



hard-edge

hard-edge
hard-edge
adjective

abstract, with clearly
defined outlines: used to describe a U.S.
style of abstract painting that arose in the 1960s and is marked by sharply
outlined colored forms[1]



hard-edged

hard-edged
hard-edged
adjective

brutally honest:
realistic, direct, and uncompromising[1]



harden

harden
hard·en 
[hrd’n] (past hard·ened, past
participle hard·ened, present participle hard·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular hard·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make hard: to become hard, firm, or solid, or make
something become hard, firm, or solid • The
glue hardened overnight.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become less sympathetic: to become or make somebody
become more tough, callous, or unfeeling

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become more determined: to become or make somebody
become more determined and resolute

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become stronger: to become or make somebody
or something become stronger or more resistant

5.  intransitive
verb
COMMERCE stabilize:
to become stable after fluctuation • Prices
are hardening.

[1]



hardener

hardener
hard·en·er 
[hrd’nər] (plural hard·en·ers)
noun

hardening agent:
an ingredient or element that makes something hard, for example, a substance
added to paint to make it more durable[1]



hardeningof the arteries

hardeningof the arteries
hard·en·ing
of the ar·ter·ies noun

arterial disorder:
loss of elasticity in the walls of the arteries, formerly believed to be a
major cause of heart disease (dated) (no longer used technically)[1]



hardenoff

hardenoff
harden
off
intransitive and transitive verb

accustom plants to outdoor
conditions: to accustom a plant grown
indoors to outdoor conditions by gradually exposing it to cold, wind, or
sunlight before planting it out, or become accustomed to outdoor conditions in
this way[1]



hard-fisted

hard-fisted
hard-fist·ed 
adjective

stingy:
not generous with money[1]



hardgoods

hardgoods
hard
goods
plural noun

COMMERCE
See durables[1]



hardhack

hardhack
hard·hack 
[hrd hàk] (plural hard·hacks or
hard·hack) noun

flowering
shrub:
a North American shrub that belongs to the rose family and has short downy
leaves and tapering clusters of small pink or white flowers. Latin name: Spiraea
tomentosa
Also
called
steeplebush
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “hard to hack,” from hard
+ hack .][1]



hardhanded

hardhanded
hard·hand·ed
[hrd hàndəd] adjective

unsympathetic:
showing little or no sympathy or pity
—hard·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



hardhat

hardhat
hard·hat
[hrd hàt] (plural hard·hats) noun

1.  protective
helmet:
a helmet made of metal or plastic worn for protection by workers in a factory
or on a construction site

2.  worker:
a construction worker (informal)

3.  conservative:
a politically very conservative patriot (informal)

[1]



hardhead

hardhead
hard·head 
[hrd hèd] (plural hard·heads)
noun

shrewd unsentimental person:
somebody who is strictly logical and unsentimental[1]



hardheaded

hardheaded
hard·head·ed 
[hrd héddəd] adjective

1.  realistic:
behaving in a shrewd, tough, and logical way that is not influenced by emotions

2.  stubborn:
determined not to give in
—hard·head,
noun

—hard·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—hard·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



hardhearted

hardhearted
hard·heart·ed 
[hrd hrtəd] adjective

cruel:
showing no sympathy for other people’s feelings
—hard·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—hard·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



hard-hitting

hard-hitting
hard-hit·ting 
adjective

brutally honest:
direct and uncompromising • a
hard-hitting documentary[1]



hardihood

hardihood
har·di·hood 
[hrdi hd] noun

1.  resoluteness:
the quality of being tough and able to withstand difficulty or hard work

2.  audacity:
bold audacity

[1]



Harding,Warren G.

Harding,Warren G.

Har·ding
[hrding], Warren G. (1865–1923)
U.S.
statesman and 29th President of the United States. A conservative Republican
from Ohio elected on the promise of a “return to normalcy” after World War I,
he presided (1921–1923) over a federal administration distinguished primarily
by its flagrant corruption.
Full name
Harding, Warren Gamaliel[1]



hardlabor

hardlabor
hard
la·bor
noun

prison sentence imposing
physical work: a sentence of
compulsory work imposed in addition to a term of imprisonment[1]



hardlanding

hardlanding
hard
land·ing
(plural hard land·ings) noun

1.  AIR uncontrolled
landing:
an uncontrolled landing by an aircraft or spacecraft that results in its being
damaged or destroyed

2.  ECONOMICS economic
downturn after success: a downward trend in economic
activity after a period of expansion

[1]



hardline

hardline
hard·line
[hrd ln] adjective

inflexible:
inflexible and uncompromising
—hard·lin·er, noun[1]



hardly

hardly
hard·ly 
[hrdlee] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb with negative meaning, used to indicate that something is true or
exists to a very minimal extent • She
lived so privately, hardly anyone even spoke to her.
• Though
we hardly knew him, we could sense his good humour. • I
looked out of the window; it was hardly raining. adverb

1.  not:
indicates that something is almost entirely untrue or impossible • We
are hardly going to give up with success in view. • It’s
hardly likely that I would tell you.

2.  only
with difficulty: only with great awkwardness, difficulty,
or embarrassment • I was so shocked I
could hardly speak.

3.  seldom:
indicates that something seldom occurs (used with a negative such as
“without”) • Hardly a day passes
without acclaim for this exciting new invention.

4.  as
soon as:
indicates that one event follows quickly after another • Hardly
had I rung the bell when the bolt was shot back.

5.  used
to disagree: used to indicate surprise, disagreement
or annoyance • “I
thought you were going at about sixty miles an hour.”“Well, hardly. Maybe
forty.”
[13th
century. Coined from hard + -ly . Originally “vigorously, with energy,” hence
“not easily,” hence “almost not.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Grammar:
  Hardly, like barely and scarcely,
  has a negative force, rendering unnecessary the use of another negative in
  the clause or sentence: • I
  can [not: can’t ] hardly see you.
  Note that when and not than is used in any continuation of the
  sentence: • Hardly
  [or barely or scarcely ] had I begun to speak when [not than ] she
  interrupted me. (After no sooner, however, than
  is correct.) Hardly is limited to these
  special uses; the routine adverb from the adjective hard is hard
  : • They
  are all working hard to get ready for their exams.

[1]



hardman

hardman
hard
man
noun

bruiser:
a man who is perceived as vicious and ruthless, probably with criminal
tendencies[1]



hardmaple

hardmaple
hard
ma·ple
noun

See
sugar maple[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hardmouth

hardmouth
hard
mouth
noun

insensitive mouth:
a horse’s mouth that is insensitive to pressure from the bit, or a horse’s
ability to resist this pressure[1]



hardmouthed

hardmouthed
hard·mouthed
[hrd mòwd, hrd
mòwtht] adjective

disobeying a rider or driver:
used to describe a horse that fails to respond when the rider pulls on the bit
in the horse’s mouth[1]



hardness

hardness
hard·ness 
[hrdnəss] noun

1.  firmness,
solidity, and compactness: the state or quality of
being firm, solid, and compact

2.  unyielding
toughness:
the state or quality of being tough and unyielding

3.  CHEMISTRY water
quality:
the degree to which water contains mineral salts

4.  METALLURGY MEASUREMENTS degree
to which a metal is hard: the degree to which a metal
may be scratched, abraded, indented, or machined, measured according to any of
several scales

[1]



hardnews

hardnews
hard
news
noun

factual
news:
news that concerns specific events and is strictly factual
—hard-news, adjective[1]



hard-nosed

hard-nosed
hard-nosed 
adjective

tough and shrewd:
tough, realistic, and unsentimental (informal)[1]



hard-of-hearing

hard-of-hearing
hard-of-hear·ing
adjective

hearing-impaired:
unable to hear as much as others do (often considered offensive)[1]



hard-on

hard-on
hard-on 
(plural hard-ons) noun

taboo term:
taboo term for an erect penis (slang taboo)[1]



hardpalate

hardpalate
hard
pal·ate
(plural hard pal·ates) noun

part of the mouth:
the bony front portion of the roof of the mouth[1]



hardpan

hardpan
hard·pan 
[hrd pàn] noun

hard layer below the soil:
a layer of hard matter, especially clay, that lies under soft soil and that
plant roots cannot penetrate.
Also called
pan[1]



hard-pressed

hard-pressed
hard-pressed 
adjective

1.  without
sufficient resources: under a lot of pressure and
without sufficient resources

2.  having
difficulty:
finding something very difficult

[1]



hardrock

hardrock
hard
rock
noun

loud aggressive rock music:
a form of rock music that has simple lyrics and a strong insistent beat, and
that is usually very loud[1]



hardrock

hardrock
hard·rock
[hrd ràwk] adjective

Canada
using blasting and drilling:
relating to the extraction of minerals from igneous and metamorphic rocks by
blasting or drilling[1]



hardrubber

hardrubber
hard
rub·ber
noun

vulcanized rubber:
rubber treated with sulfur to make it hard and stiff[1]



hardsauce

hardsauce
hard
sauce
noun

butter, sugar, and brandy
paste: butter creamed with sugar
and often flavored with brandy or whiskey, usually served with plum pudding.
U.K. term
brandy butter[1]



hardscience

hardscience
hard
sci·ence
(plural hard sci·enc·es) noun

natural or physical science:
any science in which data can be precisely quantified and theories tested.
Physics, chemistry, geology, and astronomy are hard sciences .[1]



hardscrabble

hardscrabble
hard·scrab·ble 
[hrd skràbb’l] adjective

giving back little:
not yielding or earning a return for hard effort (informal)[1]



hardsell

hardsell
hard
sell
noun

insistent marketing:
a direct, aggressive, and insistent way of selling or advertising.
See also
soft sell[1]



hard-set

hard-set
hard-set 
adjective

firmly fixed:
firmly or rigidly in place[1]



hard-shell

hard-shell
hard-shell 
or hard-shelled adjective

dogmatic:
rigid and uncompromising in attitude[1]



hard-shellclam

hard-shellclam
hard-shell
clam
noun

See
quahog[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hard-shellcrab

hard-shellcrab
hard-shell
crab
(plural hard-shell crabs) noun

crab with an extra tough
shell: a crab that has not recently
shed its shell and as a result has a shell that is particularly tough[1]



hardship

hardship
hard·ship 
[hrd shìp] (plural hard·ships)
noun

1.  difficulties:
difficulty or suffering caused by a lack of something, especially money

2.  cause
of hardship: something that causes hardship

[1]



hardstand

hardstand
hard·stand 
[hrd stànd] (plural hard·stands)
noun

parking area:
a hard surface on which aircraft or heavy motor vehicles may be parked.
U.K. term
hard standing[1]



hardstuff

hardstuff
hard
stuff
noun

something intoxicating or
addictive: something that is
intoxicating, addictive, and potentially very dangerous to the health (informal)[1]



hardtack

hardtack
hard·tack 
[hrd tàk] noun

ship’s biscuit:
a hard thin unsalted bread or biscuit formerly eaten aboard ships and as
military rations.
Also called
ship biscuit
Also called
sea biscuit
Also called
pilot bread[1]



hard-timestoken

hard-timestoken
hard-times
to·ken
(plural hard-times to·kens) noun

old U.S. token used as a
coin: any of several U.S. copper
tokens, issued between 1834 and 1841, that carried an advertising or political
message and served as currency during coin shortages[1]



hardup

hardup
hard
up
adjective

poor:
short of money (informal)[1]



hardware

hardware
hard·ware 
[hrd wàir] noun

1.  tools
and implements: tools and implements that are typically
made of metal, for example, hinges, screws, and hammers

2.  MILITARY military
weapons:
heavy military weapons and equipment

3.  COMPUTING computer
equipment and peripherals: the equipment and devices
that make up a computer system as opposed to the programs that are used on it

4.  ARMS gun:
a gun or guns (informal)

[1]



hardwheat

hardwheat
hard
wheat
noun

high-gluten wheat:
a kind of wheat with hard kernels and a high gluten content that is used to
make the flour for bread[1]



hardwire

hardwire
hard·wire
[hrd wr] (past hard·wired, past
participle hard·wired, present participle hard·wir·ing,
3rd person present singular hard·wires) transitive verb

build a computer function
with hardware: to build a function
into a computer with hardware rather than programming[1]



hardwood

hardwood
hard·wood 
[hrd wd] noun (plural hard·woods)

wood
like oak:
wood from a broad-leaved tree, for example, oak, ash, or birch, as opposed to
from a conifer
adjective

tree producing hardwood:
a tree that produces hardwood[1]



hard-working

hard-working
hard-work·ing
adjective

working industriously:
tending to work industriously[1]



hardy

hardy
har·dy
[hrdee] (comparative har·di·er,
superlative har·di·est) adjective

1.  robust:
sufficiently robust to withstand fatigue, hardship, or adverse physical
conditions

2.  PLANTS not
sensitive to cold: used to describe plants that
are able to live outdoors during the winter • a
hardy shrub

3.  courageous:
courageous and daring
[13th
century. From French hardi, from hardir “to become bold,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English hard .]
—har·di·ly,
adverb

—har·di·ness, noun[1]



Hardy,Oliver

Hardy,Oliver
Har·dy 
[hrdee], Oliver (1892–1957)

U.S. actor. He appeared with
Stan Laurel in a series of classic movies in the 1920s and 1930s.[1]



Hardy,Thomas

Hardy,Thomas

Har·dy 
[hrdee], Thomas (1840–1928)
British novelist and poet. He wrote
brooding novels of the British West Country including The Mayor of
Casterbridge ( 1886 ), and from the 1890s devoted himself to poetry.[1]



Hardy-Weinberglaw

Hardy-Weinberglaw
Har·dy-Wein·berg
law 
[hrdi wn burg làw] or Har·dy-Wein·berg
dis·tri·bu·tion [hrdi wn burg làw] noun

law
of population genetics: a principle of genetics
stating that gene frequencies remain constant from one generation to the next
if mating is random and there are no outside influences such as mutation and
immigration
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the British mathematician G. H. Hardy (1877–1947) and the German
physician Wilhelm Weinberg (1862–1937), who each formulated the law
independently in 1908.][1]



hare

hare
hare 
[hair] (plural hare or hares)
noun

large
member of rabbit family: a fast-running animal that
resembles a rabbit but is larger, has longer ears and legs, and does not
burrow. Genus: Lepus
[Old English hara,
from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “gray,” from its color][1]



hareand hounds

hareand hounds
hare
and hounds
or hare and hounds race noun

game of chase:
an outdoor game in which one group of players, the hounds, follow a trail of
scattered scraps of paper left by another group of players, the hares. The
hares attempt to reach a designated point before the hounds catch them.[1]



harebell

harebell
hare·bell 
[háir bèl] (plural hare·bells)
noun

plant
with blue bell-shaped flowers: a low-growing plant
found in northern temperate regions that has narrow leaves and blue bell-shaped
flowers. Latin name: Campanula rotundiflora
[Perhaps because the plant
grows in places frequented by hares][1]



harebrained

harebrained
hare·brained 
[háir bràynd] adjective

silly:
impractical and likely to fail (insult)[1]



HareKrishna

HareKrishna
Ha·re
Krish·na 
[hree kríshnə] (plural Ha·re
Krish·nas) noun

1.  Hindu
religious group: a religious group that bases its
practice on worship of the god Krishna

2.  member
of Hare Krishna: somebody who is a member of Hare Krishna
[Late 20th century. From
Sanskrit, “O Lord Krishna,” a chant used by devotees.][1]



harelip

harelip
hare·lip 
[háir lìp] (plural hare·lips) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a facial deformity, now rare, in which somebody born with
the upper lip in two parts has had the separation incompletely rectified by
surgery. It is often associated with a cleft palate. (offensive)
—hare·lipped, adjective[1]



harem

harem
har·em 
[háirəm] (plural har·ems) noun

1.  women’s
part of a house: the separate private quarters reserved
for wives and concubines in a Muslim home

2.  group
of women:
the wives and concubines who live in a harem

3.  ZOOLOGY group
of animals:
a group of female animals of the same species associated for breeding purposes
with one male

4.  women
followers:
any group of women admirers or followers (humorous) (sometimes
considered offensive)
[Mid-17th century. Via
Turkish from, ultimately, Arabic ḥaram “prohibited (place), women’s
quarters.”][1]



harempants

harempants
har·em
pants
plural noun

baggy pants:
women’s pants made of soft thin cloth and having wide legs that are gathered at
the ankle[1]



harestail

harestail
hares·tail
[háirz tàyl] noun

single-flowered
cotton grass: a variety of cotton grass that grows on
moors and has a single flower head
[From the similarity of the
plant to a hare’s tail][1]



harewood

harewood
hare·wood
[háir wd] noun

kind
of hardwood: the greenish-colored wood of the
sycamore maple, used in making furniture
[Late 17th century. Hare
by folk etymology from German dialect Ehre, from, ultimately, Latin acer
“maple, sycamore.”][1]



hare’s-foot

hare’s-foot
hare’s-foot
(plural hare’s-foot or hare’s-foots) or hare’s-foot
clo·ver (plural hare’s-foot clo·vers) noun

flowering
clover:
a clover that grows on sandy soil and has white or pink flowers almost hidden
by its calyx. Latin name: Trefolium arvense
[From the soft hair around
the flowers, giving the plant the appearance of a hare’s foot][1]



haricot

haricot
har·i·cot
[hérri k, hérri
kòt] (plural har·i·cots) noun

1.  white
bean:
a small white oval dried bean, cooked and eaten as a vegetable

2.  plant
producing edible seeds: a bean plant whose seeds are
dried and stored as haricots. Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Nahuatl ayacotli .][1]



harissa

harissa
ha·ris·sa
[hə ríssə] noun

spicy chili paste:
a hot spicy oily paste used as an ingredient in North African and Middle
Eastern cooking or served as an accompaniment for dishes, especially for
couscous[1]



hark

hark
hark 
[haark] (past harked, past
participle harked, present participle hark·ing, 3rd
person present singular harks) intransitive verb

listen:
to listen to something or somebody (literary or humorous)
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Old English heorcnian, from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English hearken and hear
.][1]



harkback

harkback
hark
back
intransitive verb

1.  revert
to something: to think or speak again about something
from the past

2.  be
similar to a past thing: to be similar in some
respects to something in the past

[1]



harken

harken
har·ken 
intransitive verb

See
hearken[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Harkness,Edward Stephen

Harkness,Edward Stephen
Hark·ness
[hrknəss], Edward Stephen (1874–1940)

U.S. philanthropist, who gave
funds to U.S. and European educational and medical institutions.[1]



Harlan,John Marshall

Harlan,John Marshall
Har·lan
[hrlən], John Marshall (1833–1911)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
He was a Kentucky politician before his appointment to the Supreme Court
(1877–1911).[1]



Harlan,John Marshall

Harlan,John Marshall
Har·lan
[hrlən], John Marshall (1899–1971)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
The grandson of John Marshall Harlan, he held government positions before his
tenure on the Supreme Court (1955–1971).[1]



Harlem

Harlem
Har·lem
[hrləm]

district of New York City, on
Manhattan Island, originally named Nieuw Haarlem by Dutch settlers in 1658[1]



HarlemGlobetrotters

HarlemGlobetrotters
Har·lem
Globe·trot·ters plural noun

famous basketball team:
a U.S. basketball team that tours widely to play exhibition matches during
which the team displays skilled comic maneuvers[1]



harlequin

harlequin
har·le·quin 
[hrləkwin, hrləkin]
noun (plural har·le·quins)

clown:
a clown or buffoon
adjective

having
multicolored shapes: varied in color and having a
pattern of irregular shapes
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French from Hellequin, legendary leader of night-raiding demon
horsemen.][1]



Harlequin

Harlequin
Har·le·quin 
noun Har·le·quin har·le·quin

comic actor in tights and
mask: a comic dramatic character
featured in the Italian commedia dell’arte and the English harlequinade,
usually shown wearing multicolored diamond-patterned tights and a black mask[1]



harlequinade

harlequinade
har·le·quin·ade 
[hrləkwə náyd, hrləkə
náyd] (plural har·le·quin·ades) noun

1.  entertainment
featuring a harlequin: a pantomime, play, or other
performance featuring a harlequin as a character

2.  clownish
behavior:
the action of clowning around or acting in a silly way

[1]



harlequinbug

harlequinbug
har·le·quin
bug
(plural har·le·quin bugs) noun

cabbage pest:
a black bug of North and Central America that has black and red markings and
feeds on cabbages and similar plants. Latin name: Murgantia histrionica[1]



harlequinduck

harlequinduck
har·le·quin
duck
(plural har·le·quin ducks) noun

diving duck:
a small duck native to North America, Iceland, and eastern Siberia that dives
for its food and has blue and red plumage with black and white markings. Latin
name: Histrionicus histrionicus[1]



harlot

harlot
har·lot 
[hrlət] (plural har·lots) noun

prostitute:
a prostitute (archaic or literary)
[13th century. From Old
French, “vagabond, rogue, beggar,” of unknown origin.][1]



Harlow,Jean

Harlow,Jean
Har·low 
[hrlō], Jean (1911–1937)

U.S.
actor. Her platinum-blond hair and frankly sexual screen presence characterized
her movies, including Dinner at Eight ( 1933 ).
Real name
Carpenter, Harlean[1]



harm

harm
harm 
[haarm] noun

damage
or injury:
physical or mental damage or injury
transitive
verb
(past harmed, past participle harmed, present
participle harm·ing, 3rd person present singular harms)

injure
somebody or something: to injure or damage somebody
or something physically, mentally, or morally
[Old
English hearm, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “harm, grief”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  harm, damage, hurt,
  injure, wound
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  weaken or impair something or somebody harm;
  a general term meaning to cause physical, emotional, or mental impairment or
  deterioration of health in living things. It can also refer to weakening or
  impairing something such as a system; damage;
  a slightly narrower term meaning to weaken or spoil objects or plants, not
  usually used with reference to people or animals. It can also refer to
  weakening or impairing something abstract such as a chance or somebody’s
  reputation; hurt; a general word
  meaning to cause pain and physical damage to people and animals. It can also
  mean upsetting or offending somebody; injure;
  to cause physical damage to a person or animal, usually serious enough to
  cause at least a temporary loss of function or use. Like damage, it
  can also apply to abstract things such as somebody’s reputation or pride; wound; a narrower term than hurt
  meaning to cause physical damage to somebody, especially as a result of the
  use of a weapon, a violent incident, or a serious accident. It can also refer
  to upsetting or offending somebody

[1]



harmattan

harmattan
har·mat·tan 
[hrmə tn, haar
mátt’n] (plural har·mat·tans) noun

dry
wind:
an extremely dry dusty wind from the Sahara that blows toward the western coast
of Africa, especially between November and March
[Late 17th century. From Twi haramata,
of uncertain origin: possibly from Arabic ḥaram “evil or prohibited
(thing)” (source of harem ).][1]



harmful

harmful
harm·ful 
[hrmfəl] adjective

damaging:
causing damage or injury • The
plant is harmful to humans.
—harm·ful·ly,
adverb

—harm·ful·ness, noun[1]



harmless

harmless
harm·less 
[hrmləss] adjective

1.  unobjectionable:
not likely to cause offense or upset • Don’t
worry; he’s harmless enough.

2.  not
dangerous:
not likely to cause damage or injury
—harm·less·ly,
adverb

—harm·less·ness, noun[1]



harmonic

harmonic
har·mon·ic 
[haar mónnik] adjective

1.  produced
by harmony:
relating to, produced, or marked by harmony

2.  relating
to integral multiple of frequency: used to describe a
frequency that is an integral multiple of a fundamental frequency
noun
(plural har·mon·ics)

1.  multiple
of a fundamental frequency: a single oscillation having
a frequency that is an integral multiple of a fundamental frequency, for
example 220 Hz and 330 Hz are both harmonics of 110 Hz

2.  overtone
on a stringed instrument: an overtone produced on an
instrument, for example, by lightly touching a vibrating string at a point
where the string to either side will continue to vibrate
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
harmonicus from Greek harmonika “theory of music,” from harmonia
(see harmony ).][1]



harmonica

harmonica


har·mon·i·ca 
[haar mónnikə] (plural har·mon·i·cas)
noun
small
wind instrument: a musical instrument consisting of a
small narrow metal case containing a set of metal reeds that are made to sound
by exhaling or inhaling air past them.
Also
called
mouth organ
Also
called
reed harmonica
See
also
glass harmonica
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian armonica from Latin harmonicus harmonic
.][1]



harmonicanalysis

harmonicanalysis
har·mon·ic
a·nal·y·sis
noun

MATHEMATICS
representation of a periodic function:
the representation of a periodic function by a series of sines and cosines,
especially by a Fourier series[1]



harmonicdistortion

harmonicdistortion
har·mon·ic
dis·tor·tion (plural har·mon·ic
dis·tor·tions) noun

undesired sounds from an
amplifier: the unwanted presence of
distorted frequencies at the output of an electronic device, for example, the
output of an audio amplifier[1]



harmonicmean

harmonicmean
har·mon·ic
mean
(plural har·mon·ic means) noun

reciprocal of an arithmetic
mean: the reciprocal of the
arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of a finite set of numbers[1]



harmonicmotion

harmonicmotion
har·mon·ic
mo·tion
(plural har·mon·ic mo·tions) noun

symmetrical periodic motion:
a periodic vibration, for example, of a violin string or pendulum, that has a
single frequency or an even multiple of one or is symmetrical about a point of
equilibrium.
Also called
simple harmonic motion
U.K. term
simple harmonic motion[1]



harmonicprogression

harmonicprogression
har·mon·ic
pro·gres·sion (plural har·mon·ic
pro·gres·sions) noun

progression of reciprocal
numbers: any sequence of numbers
whose reciprocals form an arithmetic progression, for example, 1/2, 1/5, 1/8,
1/11[1]



harmonics

harmonics
har·mon·ics
noun

science of music:
the branch of science that deals with the physical properties of musical sound
(takes a singular verb)[1]



harmonicseries

harmonicseries
har·mon·ic
se·ries
noun

series of numbers:
any infinite series of numbers constructed by adding the numbers in a harmonic
progression to one another, for example, 1/2+1/5+1/8+ 1/11[1]



harmonious

harmonious
har·mo·ni·ous 
[haar mṓnee əss] adjective

1.  relating
to harmony:
relating to or sounding in harmony

2.  blending
pleasantly:
having a pleasing combination of parts or colors

3.  showing
accord:
characterized by friendly agreement or accord
—har·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—har·mo·ni·ous·ness, noun[1]



harmonist

harmonist
har·mo·nist 
[hrmənist] (plural har·mo·nists)
noun

1.  maker
of harmony:
somebody who creates musical harmony well

2.  somebody
studying parallel texts: somebody who researches and
tries to find similarities in parallel texts, especially the four Gospels
—har·mo·nis·tic
[hrmə nístik], adjective

—har·mo·nis·ti·cal·ly
[hrmə nístikəlee], adverb[1]



harmonium

harmonium

har·mo·ni·um 
[hr mṓnee əm] (plural har·mo·ni·ums)
noun
type
of organ:
a type of organ in which a pair of bellows operated by the player’s feet blow
air into the reeds to produce sound
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from either Latin harmonia “harmony” or Greek harmonios
“harmonious.”][1]



harmonize

harmonize
har·mo·nize 
[hrmə nz] (past har·mo·nized,
past participle har·mo·nized, present participle har·mo·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular har·mo·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb blend
pleasingly:
to blend pleasingly, be in a pleasant combination, or make things combine
pleasantly

2.  transitive
verb
make
systems similar: to make rules, regulations, or systems
similar or in accord with each other

3.  transitive
verb
add
harmony to a melody: to provide a harmony for a
melody

4.  intransitive
verb
play
in harmony:
to sing or play musical instruments together in harmony
—har·mo·niz·a·ble
[hrmə nzəb’l], adjective

—har·mo·ni·za·tion
[hrməni záysh’n], noun

—har·mo·niz·er [hrmə nzər], noun[1]



harmonizedsales tax

harmonizedsales tax
har·mo·nized
sales tax
noun

value-added tax in some
Canadian provinces: in the
Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland, a tax
combining the goods and services tax and the provincial sales tax[1]



harmony

harmony

har·mo·ny 
[hrmənee] (plural har·mo·nies)
noun

1.  pleasing
combination of sounds: a pleasing combination of
musical sounds

2.  notes
sung or played together: any combination of notes
that are sung or played at the same time. Changing harmony is one of the most
characteristic features of Western music, providing momentum and richness to
the melody.

3.  study
of chords in music: the study of the way in
which musical chords are constructed and function in relation to one another

4.  happy
agreement:
a situation in which there is agreement

5.  pleasantness
in the arrangement of parts: a pleasing effect produced
by an arrangement of things, parts, or colors

6.  study
of texts:
a study or collation of the similarities in parallel texts, particularly the
four Gospels

7.  parallel
text:
a book or manuscript in which several versions of the same text, often a
biblical text, are laid out in parallel columns • a
Gospel harmony
[14th century. Via French harmonie
from Greek harmonia “agreement, concord,” from harmozein “to fit
together.”][1]



harness

harness
har·ness 
[hrnəss] noun (plural har·ness·es)

1.  leather
straps for an animal: a set of straps fixed
together and fitted to an animal such as a horse so that it can be attached to
a cart or carriage for pulling

2.  straps
fitted to a person: an arrangement of straps
fitted to somebody to fasten the person to something or to keep the person in
position

3.  armor:
the armor worn by a soldier, or by a mounted soldier and the soldier’s horse (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past har·nessed, past participle har·nessed, present
participle har·ness·ing, 3rd person present singular har·ness·es)

1.  fit
an animal with a harness: to put a harness on an
animal

2.  get
control of and use something: to gain control of something
and use it for some purpose

3.  fit
somebody with armor: to equip somebody with armor
(archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French harneis from assumed Old Norse hernest
“provisions for an army,” from herr “army.”]
—har·ness·er,
noun
in
harness

1.  doing
your usual work

2.  working
together cooperatively with a person or group

[1]



harnesshitch

harnesshitch
har·ness
hitch
(plural har·ness hitch·es) noun

knot with a loop:
a knot with one loop and no free ends, used in tying harnesses[1]



harnesshorse

harnesshorse
har·ness
horse
(plural har·ness hors·es) noun

horse for pulling a vehicle:
a horse that is used to pull a vehicle or for racing[1]



harnessrace

harnessrace
har·ness
race
(plural har·ness rac·es) noun

horse-driving race:
a horse race in which trotters or pacers pull small carriages around a course
wearing special harnesses to ensure that they move as required by rule[1]



HarneyPeak

HarneyPeak
Har·ney
Peak 
[hrni pk]

mountain in the Black Hills,
southwestern South Dakota, and the highest point in the state. Height: 2,207
m/7,242 ft.[1]



harp

harp


harp 
[haarp] noun (plural harps)

1.  triangular
stringed instrument: a triangular-shaped
instrument that has a curved neck and strings stretched between the neck and
the body, at an angle to the sound box. The modern orchestral harp is large and
played by a seated player.

2.  harmonica:
a reed harmonica (informal)
intransitive verb
(past harped, past participle harped, present
participle harp·ing, 3rd person present singular harps)

play the harp:
to play the harp
[Old
English hearpe, from prehistoric Germanic]
—harp·er,
noun

—harp·ist, noun[1]



HarpersFerry

HarpersFerry
Har·pers
Fer·ry 
[hrpərz férree]

historic town and tourist
resort in eastern West Virginia, situated at the confluence of the Potomac and
Shenandoah rivers. Population: 308 (1990)[1]



harpon

harpon
harp
on
intransitive and transitive verb

repeat something:
to repeat or stress something in a way that becomes tiresome[1]



harpoon

harpoon

har·poon 
[haar pn] noun (plural har·poons)
weapon
similar to spear: a long pointed piece of metal that is
attached to a cord and thrown or fired from a gun in order to capture whales or
other large sea animals
transitive
verb
(past har·pooned, past participle har·pooned, present
participle har·poon·ing, 3rd person present singular har·poons)
catch
something using harpoon: to catch a whale or other
large sea animal using a harpoon
[Early
17th century. From Old French harpon “clamp,” from harpe “dog’s
claw, clamp” from, ultimately, Greek harpē “sickle.”]
—har·poon·eer
[hr poo nr], noun

—har·poon·er [haar pnər], noun[1]



harpseal

harpseal
harp
seal
noun

seal
formerly hunted for fur: a brownish-gray earless seal
that is whitish when very young and lives in coastal regions and on ice floes
of the North Atlantic Ocean. It was formerly hunted for its fur but is now
protected from large-scale commercial hunting. Latin name: Pagophilus groenlandicus
[Harp from the shape of the
seal’s markings][1]



harpsichord

harpsichord


harp·si·chord 
[hrpsi kàwrd] (plural harp·si·chords)
noun
plucked
keyboard instrument: a keyboard instrument
resembling a piano and having horizontal strings plucked by leather or quill
points connected to the keys. It was superseded by the piano in the 19th
century.
[Early
17th century. From French harpechorde, from Latin harpa “harp” + chorda
“string.”]
—harp·si·chord·ist, noun[1]



Harpur,Charles

Harpur,Charles
Har·pur
[hrpər], Charles (1813–1868)

Australian poet and
playwright. Considered by many to be Australia’s first major poet, he wrote The
Bushranger ( 1853 ).[1]



harpy

harpy
har·py
[hrpee] (plural har·pies) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her attitude toward
others in the pursuit of personal goals (insult)
[From Harpy][1]



Harpy

Harpy
Har·py 
[hrpee] (plural Har·pies) noun

flying
monster, in Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, a
monster that was half woman half bird of prey. The Harpies were thought to live
on the Strophades Islands and carry out acts of vengeance on behalf of the
gods.
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin harpyia, from Greek harpuiai (plural)
“snatchers,” from harpazein “to seize.”][1]



harpyeagle

harpyeagle
har·py
ea·gle
(plural har·py ea·gles) noun

crested tropical eagle:
a huge eagle with a black back, white underparts, and a gray head with a double
crest, native to lowland forests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It
feeds on monkeys, sloths, opossums, and snakes. Latin name: Harpia harpyja[1]



harquebus

harquebus
har·que·bus 
[hrkəbəss, hrkwəbəss]
(plural har·que·bus·es) or ar·que·bus [rkəbəss] (plural ar·que·bus·es) noun

heavy
portable gun: an early type of portable gun supported
on a tripod by a hook, or on a forked post.
Also
called
hackbut
[Mid-16th
century. Via French (h)arquebuse from, ultimately, Middle Dutch hakebus,
Middle High German hake(n)bühse, or Middle Low German hakebusse,
literally “hook-gun” (because supported by a hook); see hackbut .]
—har·que·bus·ier [hrkəbə sr, hrkwəbə sr]
(plural har·que·bus·iers), noun[1]



harridan

harridan
har·ri·dan 
[hérrid’n] (plural har·ri·dans)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her age and temperament
(offensive)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French haridelle “old horse, gaunt
woman,” of unknown origin.][1]



harrier

harrier1
har·ri·er1 [hérree
ər] (plural har·ri·ers or har·ri·er) noun

slender
hawk:
a slender hawk with long wings and tail that hunts by flying low over marshland
and grassland to catch mice, snakes, frogs, and fish. The northern harrier or
marsh hawk is the only harrier native to North America. Genus: Circus
[Mid-16th century. Formed from
harrow “to rob,” variant of harry ;
later influenced by harrier 3 .][1]



harrier

harrier2
har·ri·er2 [hérree
ər] (plural har·ri·ers) noun

dog
for rabbit hunting: a small hound, resembling a
foxhound, used for hunting hares or rabbits
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from hare (later
influenced by harrier 3 ) on the
model of French lévrier “greyhound,” literally “dog for hunting hares.”][1]



harrier

harrier3
har·ri·er3  [hérree
ər] noun

somebody who harries somebody
or something: somebody who harries
somebody with repeated verbal or physical attacks, or somebody who raids or
pillages a place[1]



Harriman,Edward H.

Harriman,Edward H.
Har·ri·man
[hárrimən], Edward H. (1848–1909)

U.S.
financier and railroad executive. He reorganized the Union Pacific Railroad
(1895). He was renowned for his ruthlessness in pursuing his extensive business
interests.
Full name
Harriman, Edward Henry[1]



Harrisburg

Harrisburg
Har·ris·burg 
[hárrəss bùrg]

city and capital of
Pennsylvania, located in the southern part of the state. Population: 52,376
(1990)[1]



Harris,Frank

Harris,Frank
Har·ris
[hárriss], Frank (1856–1931)

British
journalist and writer. He gained notoriety for his scandalous semifictional
autobiography, My Life and Loves ( 1923–1927 ).
Full name
Harris, Frank James Thomas[1]



Harris,Joel Chandler

Harris,Joel Chandler
Har·ris
[hérriss], Joel Chandler (1848–1908)

U.S. writer. He published
several collections of folksy Southern tales narrated by the fictional Uncle
Remus.[1]



Harris,Lawren

Harris,Lawren
Har·ris
[hérriss], Lawren (1885–1970)

Canadian
artist. A founder member of the Group of Seven, he is noted for his Arctic
landscapes such as Icebergs ( 1930 ).
Full name
Harris, Lawren Stewart[1]



Harrison

Harrison
Har·ri·son 
[hárriss’n]

1.  town
in northeastern New Jersey, on the Passaic River opposite Newark. Population:
23,308 (1990)

2.  village
in southeastern New York. It is a northeastern suburb of New York City.
Population: 23,658 (1996)

[1]



Harrison,Benjamin

Harrison,Benjamin

Har·ri·son 
[hérriss’n], Benjamin (1833–1901)
U.S. statesman and 23rd President of the
United States. The grandson of William Henry Harrison, he was a Republican
senator (1881–1887) before his election as president. His administration
(1889–1893) enacted protectionist tariffs and other pro-business legislation.[1]



Harrison,Benjamin

Harrison,Benjamin
Har·ri·son 
[hárriss’n], Benjamin (1726?–1791)

American patriot. A longtime
member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (1749–1775), he presided over the
Continental Congress (1774–1777) and signed the Declaration of Independence (1776).
He was governor of Virginia (1781–1784).[1]



Harrison,George

Harrison,George
Har·ri·son 
[hérriss’n], George (1943– )

British musician. The lead
guitarist with The Beatles, he later turned to solo music projects and movie
production.[1]



Harrison,Rex

Harrison,Rex
Har·ri·son 
[hérriss’n], Sir Rex (1908–1990)

British
actor. He starred in comedies including Blithe Spirit ( 1945 ) and My
Fair Lady ( 1964 ), for which he won an Academy Award.
Full name
Harrison, Sir Reginald Carey[1]



Harrison,William Henry

Harrison,William Henry

Har·ri·son 
[hérriss’n], William Henry (1773–1841)
U.S. statesman and 9th President of the
United States. He was elected president in 1840 on the strength of his military
successes against the Native North Americans and in the War of 1812, but died
after one month in office.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Harris,Townsend

Harris,Townsend
Har·ris
[hérriss], Townsend (1804–1878)

U.S. diplomat. As U.S. consul
to Japan (1856–1860), he negotiated a treaty that greatly increased Japan’s
international trade.[1]



Harristweed

Harristweed
Har·ris
tweed
[hérriss twd] (plural Har·ris
tweeds) noun

thick Scottish cloth:
a thick woven woolen cloth that is traditionally made in Harris, the southern
part of the island of Lewis, in the Western Isles of Scotland[1]



harrow

harrow1
har·row1 [hárrō]
noun (plural har·rows)

farm
machine for breaking up soil: a piece of farm equipment
with sharp teeth or disks that is used to break up soil and clods of dirt and
to even up a plowed field
intransitive
and transitive verb (past har·rowed,
past participle har·rowed, present participle har·row·ing,
3rd person present singular har·rows)

break
up land:
to break up land by pulling a harrow over it, or be broken up with a harrow
[12th
century. From Old Norse herfi .]
—har·row·er, noun[1]



harrow

harrow2
har·row2 transitive verb

(archaic) See harry[1]



harrowing

harrowing
har·row·ing 
[hérrō ing] adjective

upsetting:
evoking feelings of fear, horror, or disgust • harrowing
scenes of hurricane devastation[1]



HarrowSchool

HarrowSchool
Har·row
School
[hèrrō skl] noun

private school in England:
a private school for boys in northwestern London, England. It was founded in
1571.[1]



harrumph

harrumph
har·rumph 
[hə rúmf] (past har·rumphed, past
participle har·rumphed, present participle har·rumph·ing,
3rd person present singular har·rumphs) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  clear
the throat:
to clear the throat, or make a noise that resembles the sound of clearing the
throat

2.  mutter
critical remarks: to make comments of criticism and
displeasure, often muttering so that listeners are aware of the tone but cannot
hear the exact words
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



harry

harry
har·ry 
[hérree] (past har·ried, past
participle har·ried, present participle har·ry·ing, 3rd
person present singular har·ries) or har·row (archaic)
[hérrō] (past har·rowed, past
participle har·rowed, present participle har·row·ing, 3rd
person present singular har·rows) transitive verb

1.  cause
distress by repeated attacks: to cause somebody mental,
emotional, or physical distress by repeated verbal or physical attacks • The
crows have harried the cat so badly that it no longer goes outside.

2.  raid
or pillage:
to raid or pillage an area, or a town or village, especially during a war
[Old English hergian
“to ravage (literally as an army does),” from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “army,” which is also the ancestor of English harangue and herald][1]



harsh

harsh
harsh 
[hrsh] (comparative harsh·er,
superlative harsh·est) adjective

1.  difficult
to endure:
difficult to live in or endure because very uncomfortable or inhospitable • a
harsh winter • harsh
prison conditions

2.  severely
critical:
severely scrutinizing, critical, and rigid in manner

3.  punitive:
extremely exacting to the point of being punitive • Harsh
penalties will be imposed.

4.  jarring:
jarring or unpleasant to the senses
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .]
—harsh·ly,
adverb

—harsh·ness, noun[1]



Harsha

Harsha
Har·sha
[hrshə] (plural Har·shas) noun

member of Indian dynasty:
a descendant of the Guptas in India, who created a loose empire in northern
India between AD 616 and 654[1]



harshen

harshen
harsh·en 
[hrsh’n] (past harsh·ened, past
participle harsh·ened, present participle harsh·en·ing,
3rd person present singular harsh·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make harsh:
to make or become harsh or harsher[1]



harslet

harslet
hars·let 
noun

See
haslet[1]



hart

hart
hart
[haart] (plural harts or
hart) noun

male
deer:
a male deer, especially a male red deer over five years of age
[Old English heor(o)t
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “horn, head,” which is also the
ancestor of English carrot, rhinoceros, and reindeer
.][1]



hartebeest

hartebeest
har·te·beest 
[hrtə bst, hrt
bst] (plural har·te·beests or har·te·beest)
noun

large
African antelope: a large social antelope of African
sub-Saharan grasslands that is fawn to dark brown in color, with high
shoulders, a sloping back, and a long head with large ringed horns. Genus: Alcelaphus
[Late 18th century. From
obsolete Afrikaans, “deer, hart,” literally “hart-beast.”][1]



Harte,Bret

Harte,Bret
Harte
[haart], Bret (1836–1902)

U.S.
writer. He is best known for his colorful stories set in California’s mining
towns.
Born
Harte, Francis Brett[1]



Hartford

Hartford
Hart·ford 
[hrtfərd]

city and capital of
Connecticut, situated on the Connecticut River 58 km/36 mi northeast of New
Haven. Population: 124,195 (1994)[1]



Hart,John

Hart,John
Hart 
[haart], John (1711?–1779)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) as a New Jersey delegate to the
Continental Congress.[1]



Hartley,Marsden

Hartley,Marsden
Hart·ley
[hrtlee], Marsden (1877–1943)

U.S.
painter. Strongly influenced by contemporary European artists, he developed a
bold personal style exemplified in works such as Evening Storm, Schoodic,
Maine ( 1942 ).
Full name
Hartley, Edmund Marsden[1]



Hart,Lorenz

Hart,Lorenz
Hart 
[haart], Lorenz (1895–1943)

U.S.
lyricist. He collaborated with Richard Rodgers for 20 years, producing a string
of classic musicals including On Your Toes ( 1936 ) and Pal Joey
( 1940 ).
Full name
Hart, Lorenz Milton[1]



Hart,Moss

Hart,Moss

Hart 
[haart], Moss (1904–1961)
U.S. playwright and director. In the
1930s he collaborated with George S. Kaufman on witty social comedies,
including the Pulitzer Prize-winning You Can’t Take It With You ( 1936
).[1]



hart’s-tongue

hart’s-tongue
hart’s-tongue 
(plural hart’s-tongues or hart’s-tongue) noun

Eurasian
evergreen fern: a Eurasian evergreen fern that has
narrow undivided fronds bearing rows of spore-producing organs. Latin name: Phyllitis
scolopendrium
[Translation of medieval
Latin lingua cervi (from the shape of its fronds)][1]



harum-scarum

harum-scarum
har·um-scar·um 
[hàirəm skáirəm] adjective

careless
and disorganized: exhibiting reckless disorganized abandon
• Her
outfit looks harum-scarum, but it’s a planned effect.
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably a rhyming alteration of hare (verb) + scare
.]
—har·um-scar·um, adverb[1]



Harunar-Rashid

Harunar-Rashid
Ha·run
ar-Ra·shid
[ha rn al ra shd] (766–809)

Abbasid caliph of Baghdad.
His splendid court, a center of Islamic culture, is the one depicted in the Arabian
Nights.[1]



haruspex

haruspex
ha·rus·pex 
[hə rú spèks, hérrə
spèks] (plural ha·rus·pi·ces [hə
rúspi sz]) or a·rus·pex [ə rú
spèks, érrə spèks] (plural a·rus·pi·ces
[ə rúspi sz]) noun

priest
who foretold future: in ancient Rome, a priest
who attempted to foretell the future, especially by examining the entrails of
animals
[15th century. From Latin, of
uncertain origin: perhaps literally “somebody who looks at entrails.”][1]



Harvardsystem

Harvardsystem
Har·vard
sys·tem
[hrvərd sìstəm] noun

method of giving
bibliographic references: a
bibliographic reference system in academic publishing, in which the author and
date are given in the text, and the full reference is supplied in a general
list of references[1]



HarvardUniversity

HarvardUniversity
Har·vard
U·ni·ver·si·ty [hrvərd ynəvérsitee]

the oldest university in the
United States, founded in 1636 in Massachusetts[1]



harvest

harvest
har·vest 
[hrvəst] noun (plural har·vests)

1.  quantity
of crop:
the quantity of a crop that is gathered or ripens during a particular season • a
record harvest of wheat for Midwestern grain farmers

2.  crop
that is gathered or ripens: the crop that is gathered or
ripens during a particular season • A few
days of rain can destroy an entire harvest of strawberries.

3.  season
in which crops are gathered: the season during which crop
plants mature and crops are gathered

4.  consequences
of previous action: the results of past or prior
actions or behavior

5.  MEDICINE removal
of organ for transplantation: the removal of an organ,
fluid, or tissue for transplantation, testing, or research.
Also
called
bone marrow harvest
verb
(past har·vest·ed, past participle har·vest·ed, present
participle har·vest·ing, 3rd person present singular har·vests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gather
crop:
to gather a crop for use or sale

2.  transitive
verb
gather
nonplant items: to collect or gather something other
than a plant crop, for example, fish raised commercially in a hatchery

3.  transitive
verb
reap
results:
to reap the results of past or prior actions or behavior, whether good or bad

4.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE remove
organ for transplantation: to remove an organ, fluid,
or tissue for transplantation, testing, or research
[Old
English hærfest “autumn” (“time for gathering crops”). Ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “to gather,” which is also the ancestor of
English carpet and scarce .]
—har·vest·a·bil·i·ty
[hrvəstə bíllətee], noun

—har·vest·a·ble [hrvəstəb’l], adjective[1]



harvester

harvester
har·vest·er 
[hrvəstər] (plural har·vest·ers)
noun

1.  machine
that gathers crops: a machine that gathers crops
from the fields, especially a combine harvester

2.  somebody
who gathers crops: somebody who gathers crops,
especially by hand

[1]



harvestfly

harvestfly
har·vest
fly
noun

American cicada:
a cicada, native to the United States, that sings loudly near the end of the
summer. Genus: Tibicen[1]



harvesthome

harvesthome
har·vest
home
noun

gathering of harvest:
the gathering of the harvest, especially its safe completion[1]



harvestman

harvestman
har·vest·man 
[hrvəstmən] (plural har·vest·men
[hrvəstmən]) noun

1.  INSECTS See daddy longlegs  noun 1

2.  AGRICULTURE agricultural
worker:
an agricultural worker, especially, before agriculture became mechanized, one
who left home to find work at harvest time

[1]



harvestmite

harvestmite
har·vest
mite
(plural har·vest mites) noun

See
chigger
[Harvest from its being
common at harvest time][1]



harvestmoon

harvestmoon
har·vest
moon 
(plural har·vest moons) noun

full moon nearest autumnal
equinox: the full moon nearest to the
autumnal equinox. It rises for several nights at nearly the same time at points
successively further north on the eastern horizon.[1]



harvestmouse

harvestmouse
har·vest
mouse
noun

small reddish-brown mouse:
a small reddish-brown Eurasian mouse that often lives in fields of corn and
other grain. Latin name: Micromys minutus[1]



Harvey

Harvey
Har·vey 
[hrvee]

1.  city
in northeastern Illinois, an industrial center near Chicago. Population: 29,097
(1996)

2.  city
in Jefferson County, Louisiana. Population: 21,222 (1990)

[1]



Harwich

Harwich
Har·wich
[hárrij, hárrich]

town and summer resort in
southeastern Massachusetts, on south central Cape Cod. Population: 11,328
(1996)[1]



HarzMountains

HarzMountains
Harz
Moun·tains 
[hrts mówntinz]

mountain range in central
Germany, between the Elbe and Weser rivers south of Brunswick. The highest peak
is Brocken. Height: 1,141 m/3,743 ft.[1]



has

has
has


3rd person present singular
of have[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








has-been

has-been
has-been 
(plural has-beens) noun

somebody no longer important:
somebody who was popular or important in the past but is now largely forgotten
(informal) • It’s
hard to be a hero one day and a has-been the next.[1]



HasbrouckHeights

HasbrouckHeights
Has·brouck
Heights
[házbrk hts]

borough in northeastern New
Jersey, southeast of Paterson. Population: 11,488 (1990)[1]



HasegawaTohaku

HasegawaTohaku
Ha·se·ga·wa
To·ha·ku
[hssə gwə to h koo] (1539–1610)

Japanese artist. He was noted
for his ink screen paintings, which often featured monkeys, and founded his own
school of painting.[1]



hasenpfeffer

hasenpfeffer
ha·sen·pfef·fer 
[hz’n fèffər, hss’n
fèffər] (plural ha·sen·pfef·fers) noun

seasoned
rabbit stew: marinated rabbit, highly seasoned and
served as a hot stew
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “hare’s pepper,” from a form of Hase “hare” + Pfeffer
“pepper.”][1]



hash

hash1
hash1 [hash]
noun (plural hash·es)

1.  COOKING fried
dish of potatoes and meat: a dish made of cooked
potatoes or other vegetables, usually combined with chopped-up pieces of cooked
meat, and reheated, usually by frying until golden brown • corned-beef
hash.

See
also
hash browns

2.  U.K.
See pound sign
transitive
verb
(past hashed, past participle hashed, present
participle hash·ing, 3rd person present singular hash·es)

COMPUTING apply
algorithm to a string: to apply an algorithm to a
character string, especially in order to find an address of a record
[Late
16th century. From French hacher “to hack, cut into small pieces,” from hache
“ax” (see hatchet ).]
make
a hash of something

to
do something very badly (informal) • I
made a real hash of the exam –I couldn’t answer any questions.

settle
somebody’s hash

to assert yourself over
somebody, especially somebody hostile or troublesome (informal)[1]



hash

hash2
hash2 [hash]
noun

hashish:
hashish (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



hashbrowns

hashbrowns
hash
browns 
plural noun

fried potato dish:
cooked potatoes that are chopped up, sometimes with onions, and fried until
golden brown. Occasionally, hash browns are formed into small cakes or patties.[1]



HaShem

HaShem
Ha·Shem
[haa shém] noun

God:
in Judaism, a substitute word used when referring to God in contexts other than
prayers or scriptural readings, because the name for God is too holy for such
use
[From Hebrew, literally “the
name”][1]



hashhouse

hashhouse
hash
house
(plural hash hous·es) noun

cheap restaurant:
a restaurant that serves cheap food (informal)[1]



hashish

hashish
hash·ish 
[há shsh, há
shìsh, haa shsh] or hash·eesh
[há shsh, haa
shsh] noun

cannabis
drug:
a purified resin, prepared from the flowering tops of the female cannabis
plant, that is smoked or chewed for its narcotic and intoxicating properties
and is widely illegal.
Also
called
hash
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic ḥašīš, literally “dry herb, powdered hemp” (source of English assassin ).][1]



hashmark

hashmark
hash
mark 
noun (plural hash marks)

MILITARY longevity
stripe on uniform: a stripe sewn on U.S. Army
uniforms, one for every two years of active duty


FOOTBALL
line for football position:
a line indicating how close to a sideline a football may be at the start of a
play[1]



hashout

hashout
hash
out
or hash over transitive verb

spend time resolving
something: to have a long, drawn-out,
and usually involved discussion of a matter or a problem • They
hashed out their differences with an arbitrator.

U.K. term
thrash out[1]



hashslinger

hashslinger
hash
sling·er
(plural hash sling·ers) noun

cheap restaurant cook:
a cook in a cheap restaurant (slang)[1]



Hasid

Hasid
Ha·sid 
[khssid, hssid]
(plural Ha·si·dim [khaa sdim])
or Has·sid [khssid, hssid] (plural Has·si·dim) or
Chas·sid [khssid, hssid] (plural Chas·si·dim) or
Cha·sid [khssid, hssid] (plural Cha·si·dim) noun

member
of Jewish mystical movement: a member of a Jewish
movement of popular mysticism founded in Eastern Europe in the 18th century. It
emphasized the individual’s emotional relationship with God, and is now
represented by a number of different religious groups.
[Early
19th century. From Hebrew ḥāsîḏ, literally “pious.”]
—Ha·si·dic
[khaa síddik, haa
síddik], adjective

—Ha·si·dism [khaa sí dìzzəm, haa sí
dìzzəm], noun[1]



Haskalah

Haskalah
Ha·ska·lah
[hàskə l] or Ha·ska·la [hàskə l] noun

18thC
Jewish enlightenment movement: the Jewish
enlightenment movement, originating in 18th-century Germany under the influence
of Moses Mendelssohn. It aimed to integrate Jews into Western European society,
for example, by the use of German, not Yiddish, and by emphasizing secular
intellectualism rather than religious learning.
[From Hebrew haśkālāh
“enlightenment”][1]



haslet

haslet
has·let 
[hásslət, házzlət]
(plural has·lets) or hars·let [hrslət] (plural hars·lets) noun

edible
internal organs of hog: internal organs such as the
heart and liver, usually of a hog, used as food
[14th century. From Old
French hastelet, literally “small piece of meat roasted on a spit,” from
haste “spit,” of uncertain origin.][1]



hasn’t

hasn’t
has·n’t 
[házz’nt] contraction

has not:
has not[1]



hasp

hasp
hasp 
[hasp] noun (plural hasps)

hinged
metal fastening: a hinged metal fastening that fits over
a staple and is secured by a pin, bolt, or padlock
transitive
verb
(past hasped, past participle hasped, present
participle hasp·ing, 3rd person present singular hasps)

close
something with a hasp: to close something,
especially a door or window, with a hasp
[Old English hæpse
“fastening” ( hæpsian, verb), from prehistoric Germanic][1]



Hassam,Childe

Hassam,Childe
Has·sam
[hássəm], Childe (1859–1935)

U.S.
artist. His impressionist paintings are distinctive for the brilliant coloring
of their street scenes and landscapes.
Full name
Hassam, Frederick Childe[1]



Hassid

Hassid
Has·sid 
noun

See
Hasid[1]



hassium

hassium

has·sium
[hássee əm] noun
synthetic
chemical element: an extremely rare, unstable chemical
element produced in high-energy atomic collisions. Symbol Hs
[Late 20th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin Hassias “Hesse,” German state where it was
discovered.][1]



hassle

hassle
has·sle 
[háss’l] noun (plural has·sles)

difficulty,
trouble, or aggravation: a source or the experience
of aggravation or annoying difficulty (informal) • It’s
just not worth the hassle.
transitive
verb
(past has·sled, past participle has·sled, present
participle has·sling, 3rd person present singular has·sles)

keep
bothering or annoying somebody: to bother or annoy
somebody, especially by continually asking that person to do something (informal)
• Stop
hassling me about washing the car.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of haggle and tussle . Originally a dialect verb meaning “to
hack at.”][1]



hassock

hassock
has·sock 
[hássək] (plural has·socks) noun

1.  FURNITURE padded
stool:
a piece of furniture that is round or square, and padded, with an upholstered
cover, used as a seat or footrest.
U.K.
term
pouf

2.  cushion
on which to kneel: a thick firm cushion used
for kneeling on, especially in church.
Also
called
kneeler

3.  grass
clump:
a thick clump of grass
[Old English hassuc
“clump of grass,” of unknown origin][1]



hast

hast
hast 
[hast] transitive verb

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of have[1]



hastate

hastate

has·tate 
[hás tàyt] adjective
having
a pointed tip: having a pointed tip and two
outward-pointing basal lobes at right angles (refers to leaves) • hastate
leaves
[Late 18th century. From
Latin hastatus “armed with a spear,” from hasta “spear” (possible
source of English haslet ).][1]



haste

haste
haste 
[hayst] noun

great
speed:
great speed, especially in situations where time is limited (formal) • Act
in haste, repent at leisure.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hast·ed,
past participle hast·ed, present participle hast·ing,
3rd person present singular hastes)

hurry:
to hasten (archaic literary)
[13th century. Via Old French
from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



hasten

hasten
has·ten 
[háyss’n] (past has·tened, past
participle has·tened, present participle has·ten·ing, 3rd
person present singular has·tens) verb

1.  transitive
verb
speed
something up: to make something happen more quickly • A
vacation would hasten his recovery.

2.  intransitive
verb
go
somewhere quickly: to go somewhere quickly or
without delay

3.  intransitive
verb
do
something immediately: to do or say something
without delay, often in order to correct what might otherwise be a misleading
impression • “But
she’s perfectly right,” he hastened to add.

[1]



hasty

hasty
hast·y 
[háystee] (comparative hast·i·er,
superlative hast·i·est) adjective

done
in a hurry:
done, taking place, or acting in a hurry because of impetuosity or lack of time
• a
hasty marriage
—hast·i·ly,
adverb

—hast·i·ness, noun[1]



hastypudding

hastypudding
hast·y
pud·ding
(plural hast·y pud·dings) noun

type
of mush:
mush made from crushed cereal grains and milk. It is usually made with cornmeal
and sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup.
[Hasty of uncertain origin:
perhaps because the pudding can be made speedily][1]



hat

hat

hat 
[hat] (plural hats) noun

1.  head
covering:
a covering for the head, worn for protection from the weather or as a fashion
accessory

2.  area
of responsibility: used for a single area of
interest, knowledge, or responsibility in an individual with many interests and
responsibilities • She put on her
accountant’s hat and gave the committee some suggestions for maximizing
profits.
[Old
English hæt(t) “hat, head covering,” via a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “hood, cowl” from an Indo-European base meaning “to cover,” which is
also the ancestor of English hood]
—hat·ted,
adjective
hang up your hat

1.  to
retire from work • When this project’s
finished he’s going to hang up his hat and retire to the country.

2.  to
settle down to a calmer, more stable lifestyle following an extended period of
stress or activity • Children of military
personnel move so frequently that they’d like to find just one place in which
to hang up their hats.

hat in hand

asking
or begging for something such as assistance or money • He
had to go hat in hand to the courthouse, asking for legal relief in the matter.

hats off to somebody

a
way of saying that somebody has gained your respect or admiration

keep something under your hat

to
keep something secret

pass the hat around

to
collect contributions for somebody or something

pull something out of your hat

to
do, accomplish, make, or get something as if by a magic trick when the
resources appear to be unavailable (informal)

take your hat off to somebody

to
acknowledge admiration or respect for somebody

talk through your hat

to
talk nonsense

throw your hat into the ring

to
volunteer to take part in a particular contest

[1]



hatband

hatband
hat·band 
[hát bànd] (plural hat·bands) noun

strip of material around a
hat: a thin strip of leather,
cloth, ribbon, or other material that is attached to and wound around a hat
just above the brim[1]



hatbox

hatbox
hat·box 
[hát bòks] (plural hat·box·es)
noun

box for storing hats:
a large hard box with a removable or liftable lid, used for storing, carrying,
and protecting a hat or hats[1]



hatch

hatch1
hatch1 [hach]
(plural hatch·es) noun

1.  type
of door:
a door cut into the floor or ceiling of something, especially on a boat or an
aircraft. It is lifted to provide access to the area below or above it. A hatch
may also provide access to an attic or cellar in a building.

2.  small
hole between two rooms: a small connecting hole in a
wall between two rooms, or the small doors that cover this hole • an
escape hatch.
Also
called
hatchway

3.  AUTOMOBILES See hatchback
[Old English hæcc
“lower half of a door, wicket.” From a prehistoric Germanic base of unknown
origin that is also the ancestor of Dutch hek “gate.”][1]



hatch

hatch2
hatch2 [hach]
verb (past hatched, past participle hatched,
present participle hatch·ing, 3rd person present singular hatch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
come
out of egg:
to emerge from an egg

2.  transitive
verb
cause
young to emerge from egg: to cause a young organism,
for example, a chick, fish, or insect, to emerge from its egg • Birds
hatch their chicks by sitting on the nests.

3.  transitive
verb
secretly
devise a plot: to secretly devise a plot, plan, or
scheme, usually an illicit or illegal one, or one that is ill-advised in some
way

4.  intransitive
verb
break
open for release of young: to break open so that the
young inside may be released
noun
(plural hatch·es)

young organisms newly hatched:
a group of young organisms, for example, chicks, fish, or insects, that have
just recently emerged from eggs
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



hatch

hatch3
hatch3 [hach]
(past hatched, past participle hatched, present
participle hatch·ing, 3rd person present singular hatch·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

mark
something with parallel crossed lines: in
graphic art, to mark or cover something with parallel crossed lines to show
shading, or be marked in this way
[15th
century. From French hacher “to chop,” from hache “ax” (see hatchet ).]
—hatch·ing, noun[1]



hatchback

hatchback
hatch·back 
[hách bàk] (plural hatch·backs)
noun

car with hinged rear door:
a type of car with a door at the back that is hinged from the roof to allow
easy access to storage space behind the rear seats. The storage space usually
has a removable shelf between the top of the seats and the rear window, which
hides what is being kept below. • a
five-door hatchback.
Also called
hatch[1]



hatcheck

hatcheck
hat·check 
[hát chèk] (plural hat·checks)
noun

room where outerwear is
checked: a room where hats, coats,
and other outerwear are checked with an attendant for safekeeping, for example,
in a bar or restaurant[1]



hatchery

hatchery
hatch·er·y 
[háchəree] (plural hatch·er·ies)
noun

place where eggs are hatched:
a place where fish or poultry eggs are hatched commercially under artificial
conditions • a
fish hatchery[1]



hatchet

hatchet
hatch·et 
[háchət] (plural hatch·ets) noun

small
short-handled ax: a small ax that can be used with one
hand • wield
a hatchet
[14th
century. From French hachette, literally “small ax,” from hache
“ax” (source of English hash 1 ), from medieval Latin
hapia, from prehistoric Germanic.]
bury
the hatchet

to
make peace with somebody after a disagreement

do
a hatchet job on somebody or something

criticize somebody or
something unfairly, especially in print (informal) • The
reviewer did a hatchet job on the author of the novel.[1]



hatchetface

hatchetface
hatch·et
face
(plural hatch·et fac·es) noun

sharp-featured
face:
an unpleasantly long thin face with sharp or gaunt features
—hatch·et-faced, adjective[1]



hatchetman

hatchetman
hatch·et
man
noun

1.  hired
killer:
somebody who is hired to murder another person (slang)

2.  somebody
hired to make cuts: somebody who is hired to do
something unpopular or unscrupulous, especially to make cuts in staff or
funding (informal)

[1]



hatchling

hatchling
hatch·ling 
[háchling] (plural hatch·lings)
noun

newly hatched organism:
a bird, fish, insect, or other organism that has just hatched from an egg[1]



hatchment

hatchment
hatch·ment 
[háchmənt] (plural hatch·ments)
noun

panel
with coat of arms: a diamond-shaped panel
bearing the coat of arms of somebody who has died
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from obsolete French hachement, alteration of Old
French acesmement “adornment,” from acesmer “to adorn,” of
unknown origin.][1]



hatchway

hatchway
hatch·way 
[hách wày] (plural hatch·ways)
noun

See
hatch 1 noun
2[1]



hate

hate
hate 
[hayt] verb (past hat·ed,
past participle hat·ed, present participle hat·ing,
3rd person present singular hates)

1.  transitive
verb
dislike
somebody or something intensely: to dislike somebody or
something intensely, often in a way that evokes feelings of anger, hostility,
or animosity

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
strong distaste for: to have strong distaste or
aversion for something, somebody, or something that has to be done • I
hate this show; it’s so boring. • They
hate cleaning the horse stall every day. • I
hate to say it, but I know we’re going to lose.
noun
(plural hates)

1.  feeling
of intense dislike or anger: a feeling of intense
dislike, anger, hostility, or animosity • You
could see the hate in his eyes.

2.  something
hated:
something that is hated
[Old
English hete (noun) and hatian (verb). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word perhaps meaning “strong feeling,” which is also the ancestor
of English heinous .]
—hate·a·ble,
adjective

—hat·ed,
adjective

—hat·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



hatecrime

hatecrime
hate
crime
(plural hate crimes) noun

crime motivated by hate for
group: a crime that is motivated by
hate, prejudice, or intolerance of somebody’s race, religion, ethnicity, or
sexual orientation[1]



hateful

hateful
hate·ful 
[háytfəl] adjective

1.  spitefully
malevolent:
characterized by malevolence or spite

2.  evoking
feelings of hatred: eliciting feelings or
reactions of hatred, detestation, or abhorrence
—hate·ful·ly,
adverb

—hate·ful·ness, noun[1]



hatemail

hatemail
hate
mail
noun

malevolent mail:
mail that expresses the sender’s anger about something, usually toward the
recipient, in a threatening or offensive way[1]



hatful

hatful
hat·ful
[hát fl] (plural hat·fuls) noun

large quantity:
a large quantity or number of something • received
a hatful of compliments on the performance[1]



hath

hath
hath 
[hath]

(archaic) 3rd
person present singular of have[1]



hathayoga

hathayoga
ha·tha
yo·ga 
[hàthə yṓgə, hùttə
yṓgə] noun

low-impact
yoga exercises: a low-impact yoga that helps to regulate
breathing by exercises consisting of postures and stretches intended to sustain
healthy bodily functioning and induce emotional calmness
[From Sanskrit, literally
“force yoga”][1]



hatpin

hatpin
hat·pin 
[hát pìn] (plural hat·pins) noun

pin for securing hat:
a long thin pin, often with a decoration at the end, that is pushed through a
hat and into the hair to keep the hat securely on the head[1]



hatred

hatred
ha·tred 
[háytrəd] noun

intense
dislike or hostility: a feeling of intense
dislike, anger, hostility, or animosity
[12th
century. From hate + a suffix formed from
Old English rden “state, condition” (found also in English kindred ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut
Hat·shep·sut 
[hàt shép soot], Queen of Egypt (1520? BC–1483? BC)

She crowned herself pharaoh
in 1503 BC after years of ruling
jointly with her husband, Thutmose II, and his son, Thutmose III.[1]



hatstand

hatstand
hat
stand
(plural hat stands) noun

something on which to hang
outerwear: a tall freestanding piece of
furniture consisting of a base with a pole embedded in it with hooks around the
top on which hats, coats, and umbrellas can be hung.
Also called
hat tree[1]



hatter

hatter
hat·ter 
[háttər] (plural hat·ters) noun

maker of hats:
somebody who makes and sells hats[1]



Hatteras,Cape

Hatteras,Cape

Hat·ter·as, Cape
[kàyp háttərəss]
headland projecting into the Atlantic
Ocean in eastern North Carolina renowned for treacherous weather conditions[1]



hattree

hattree
hat
tree
(plural hat trees) noun

See
hat stand[1]



hattrick

hattrick
hat
trick
(plural hat tricks) noun

three
wins or successes, especially goals: a
series of three wins or successes, especially three goals scored by the same
player in a game of ice hockey or soccer
[Origin uncertain: probably
from the former cricketing practice of awarding a hat to a bowler who took
three wickets with three consecutive balls][1]



hauberk

hauberk

hau·berk 
[háwbərk] (plural hau·berks) noun
knight’s
chain-mail tunic: a long, often sleeveless, tunic made of
chain mail. It was originally intended as protection just for the neck and
shoulders but it developed into a longer tunic in the 12th and 13th centuries.
[13th century. Via Old French
hau(s)berc from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning literally
“neck-protector,” the first element of which is also the ancestor of English hawse .][1]



haugh

haugh
haugh 
[haw, hawkh]
(plural haughs) noun

Scotland
wetland
in river valley: a low-lying stretch of land in a river
valley, often unproductive because of frequent flooding
[Origin uncertain: probably
from Old English healh “corner, nook, small hollow in a slope”][1]



haughty

haughty
haugh·ty 
[háwtee] (comparative haugh·ti·er,
superlative haugh·ti·est) adjective

condescending:
behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way • She
always took a haughty tone
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from archaic haught, from French haut(e) “high.”]
—haugh·ti·ly,
adverb

—haugh·ti·ness, noun[1]



haul

haul
haul 
[hawl] verb (past hauled,
past participle hauled, present participle haul·ing,
3rd person present singular hauls)

1.  transitive
verb
move
something with effort: to transport something that
is heavy and bulky from one place to another

2.  transitive
verb
pull
or drag something: to pull or drag something
with continuous and laborious movements

3.  transitive
verb
SAILING change
course:
to change a vessel’s course so as to sail closer to the wind

4.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL blow
closer to bow: to blow from a direction that is closer
to a vessel’s bow

5.  transitive
verb
SHIPPING hoist
into dry dock: to hoist a vessel from the water into a
dry dock, for example, to make repairs
noun
(plural hauls)

1.  stolen
items:
goods that have been stolen, or the value of these stolen goods

2.  TRANSPORT distance
something is transported: a distance over which
something is transported or pulled, or which somebody travels with difficulty • a
long haul

3.  FISHING single
catch of fish: the amount of fish caught in a single
catch

4.  confiscated
contraband:
illegal goods that are confiscated by the authorities
[13th
century. Variant of hale .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



haulage

haulage
haul·age 
[háwlij] noun

1.  transporting
goods:
the business or process of transporting goods, usually by road or rail

2.  cost
of transporting goods: the cost of transporting
goods, or the rate charged for transporting goods

[1]



hauler

hauler
haul·er
[háwlər] (plural haul·ers) noun

transporter of goods:
a person or company whose business is transporting goods, especially by road.
U.K. term
haulier[1]



haulier

haulier
haul·ier 
[háwlyər, háwlee
ər] (plural haul·iers) noun

U.K.
See hauler[1]



haulm

haulm
haulm 
[hawm] (plural haulms) or
halm [hawm] (plural halms)
noun

U.K.
stems
or stalks:
the stems or stalks of grain, beans, peas, potatoes, or grasses, especially
after harvesting and used for thatching or litter
[Old English h(e)alm .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English culm and calamus
.][1]



hauloff

hauloff
haul
off
intransitive verb

1.  get
ready to strike somebody: to pull back the arm in
preparation for striking somebody (informal) • If
you do that again, I’ll haul off and sock you.

2.  NAUTICAL maneuver
vessel to avoid something: to maneuver a vessel in
order to avoid something

[1]



haulup

haulup
haul
up
transitive verb

force to go into court:
to force somebody to appear before a court or some other disciplinary body for
judgment[1]



haunch

haunch
haunch 
[háwnch] (plural haunch·es) noun

1.  hip,
buttock, and upper thigh: the part of the body
comprising the hip, buttock, and upper thigh • She
sat back on her haunches.

2.  FOOD ZOOLOGY animal leg:
one of the back legs of a four-legged animal, either when it is alive, or as a
cut of meat

3.  ARCHITECTURE upper
part of arch: the upper curving part of either side of
an arch
[12th century. Via French hanche
from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



haunt

haunt
haunt 
[hawnt] transitive verb (past haunt·ed,
past participle haunt·ed, present participle haunt·ing,
3rd person present singular haunts)

1.  PARANORMAL appear
to somebody as a ghost: to frequent a place or
appear to somebody in the form of a ghost or other supposed supernatural being

2.  discomfit
somebody by unpleasant reminders: to cause somebody
unease, worry, or regret by continual presence or recurrence in his or her life
• haunted
by doubt

3.  visit
somewhere continually: to go often to a place
noun
(plural haunts)

1.  place
somebody often visits: a place that somebody likes
and often visits

2.  PARANORMAL ghost:
a supposed supernatural being or a manifestation of one, especially one
associated with a particular place
[12th
century. Via French hanter “to frequent a place” (literally “as a home”)
from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English home .]
—haunt·er, noun[1]



haunted

haunted
haunt·ed
[háwntəd] adjective

1.  PARANORMAL frequented
by a ghost:
inhabited by or visited regularly by a ghost or other supposed supernatural
being

2.  strangely
terrified in appearance: looking strangely frightened
or worried

[1]



haunting

haunting
haunt·ing 
[háwnting] (plural haunt·ings)
adjective

evoking
sadness:
evoking strong emotion, especially a sense of sadness, that persists for a long
time • a
tender, haunting melody
—haunt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



HaurakiGulf

HaurakiGulf
Hau·ra·ki
Gulf 
[how ràki gúlf]

bay on the northeastern coast
of North Island, New Zealand. The city of Auckland is located on its
southwestern shore. Area: 2290 sq km/884 sq mi.[1]



Hausa

Hausa
Hau·sa 
[hówssə, hówzə]
(plural Hau·sa or Hau·sas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of W African people: a member of a people living
mainly in northern Nigeria and southern Niger

2.  LANGUAGE language
of eastern W Africa: a language widely spoken in
Nigeria, Niger, and other parts of eastern West Africa. It is one of the Chadic
branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages. Hausa is spoken by about 25
million native speakers, with approximately a further 40 million people using
it as a second language.

3.  spiritual
tradition of Nigeria: the tradition combining
elements of Islam and of local religious beliefs associated with the Hausa,
after the collapse of the Songhay Empire
[Early
19th century. From Hausa .]
—Hau·sa, adjective[1]



hausfrau

hausfrau
haus·frau 
[hówss fròw] (plural haus·fraus)
noun

traditional
housewife:
a traditional housewife, conventionally believed to be interested mostly in her
home and family (disapproving) (offensive in some contexts) • She
wanted a career, not a life as a hausfrau.
[Late 18th century. From
German, from Haus “house” and Frau “wife, woman.”][1]



haustellum

haustellum
haus·tel·lum 
[haw stélləm] (plural haus·tel·la
[haw stéllə]) noun

tip
of proboscis: the tip of the proboscis, or elongated
mouthpart, that is adapted for sucking food in many insects, for example, flies
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “small scoop,” from Latin haustrum “scoop,”
from, ultimately, haurire “to draw up” (source of English exhaust ).][1]



haustorium

haustorium
haus·to·ri·um 
[haw stáwree əm] (plural haus·to·ri·a
[haw stáwree ə]) noun

parasitic
plant structure: a food-absorbing structure of a
parasitic plant or fungus. It penetrates host tissues and obtains food and
water from a host plant.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin haustor “water-drawer, drinker,” from, ultimately, haurire
“to draw up” (see haustellum ).][1]



hautboy

hautboy
haut·boy 
[ṓ bòy, hṓ bòy]
(plural haut·boys) or haut·bois [ṓ bòy, hṓ bòy]
(plural haut·bois) noun

1.  MUSIC oboe:
an oboe (archaic)

2.  type
of strawberry: a strawberry, native to central Europe
and Asia, with large fruit. Latin name: Fragaria moschata
[Mid-16th century. From
French hautbois “oboe” (source of English oboe
), from haut “high” (from its high pitch) + bois “wood,” from
Germanic.][1]



hautecouture

hautecouture
haute
cou·ture 
[t koo tr] noun

top
fashion:
exclusive and expensive clothing made for an individual customer by a fashion
designer, or the industry that produces such clothing.
Also
called
high fashion
[Early 20th century. From French,
literally “high dressmaking.”][1]



hautecuisine

hautecuisine
haute
cui·sine 
[t kwi zn] noun

classic
French cooking: classic high-quality French cooking (hyphenated
when used before a noun)
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “high cooking.”][1]



hauteur

hauteur
hau·teur 
[hō túr, haw túr]
noun

haughtiness:
a haughty manner, feeling, or quality (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
French, from haute “high,” feminine of haut, from, ultimately,
Latin altus (source of English altitude
and haughty ).][1]



hauteécole

hauteécole
haute
é·cole 
[t ay káwl] noun

expert
horsemanship: the skill and art of expert horsemanship
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “high school.”][1]



hautmonde

hautmonde
haut
monde
[ máwNd] noun

high
society:
the highest stratum of society, international or domestic, and those in it
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “high world.”][1]



Havana

Havana2
Ha·van·a2  [hə
vánnə] (plural Ha·van·as) or Ha·van·a ci·gar
[hə vánnə] (plural Ha·van·a
ci·gars) noun

high-quality Cuban cigar:
a high-quality cigar made in Cuba[1]



Havana

Havana1
Ha·van·a1  [hə
vánnə, hə vnə]

capital,
port, and largest city of Cuba, on the northwestern coast of the country.
Population: 2,241,000 (1995)
—Ha·van·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Havarti

Havarti
Ha·var·ti
[hə vrtee] noun

semihard
cheese from Denmark: a moist pale semihard cheese
with lots of tiny holes and a slightly rubbery texture, made in Denmark. It has
a mild buttery flavor.
[Mid-20th century. Named for Havarti,
the farm of Hanne Nielsen, the 19th-century Danish cheese maker who popularized
it.][1]



Havasupai

Havasupai
Ha·va·su·pai 
[hvə s p] (plural Ha·va·su·pai)
noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
American from Arizona: a member of a Native
American people living in Arizona, southeast of the Grand Canyon

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Havasupai: the language of the Havasupai, belonging
to the Yuman family of languages
[Late
19th century. From Yuma, literally “blue or green water people.”]
—Ha·va·su·pai, adjective[1]



havdalah

havdalah
hav·da·lah
noun

See
habdalah[1]



have

have
have 
[(stressed) hav, (unstressed) həv, əv] (past
had, past participle had [(stressed) had, (unstressed) həd,
əd], present participle hav·ing,
3rd person present singular has [(stressed) haz, (unstressed) həz,
əz], plural haves) CORE
MEANING:
a verb indicating that somebody possesses something, either materially or as a
characteristic or attribute • She
has a small cottage in the country. • He
has beautiful eyes.

1.
transitive verb own something:
to be the owner or possessor of something • I
don’t have a lot of money.

2.
transitive verb possess a characteristic:
to be the possessor of a quality or characteristic • She
had long blond hair.

3.
verb forms
perfect tenses: used to form the following tenses or
aspects: the present perfect, the past perfect, the future perfect, and the
continuous forms of these (used before the past participle of a verb or at
the beginning of a question, or with “got” to indicate possession) • I
have finished my dinner, thank you. • Have
you finished yet? • I
have got a new car.

4.
verb expresses
compulsion:
expresses compulsion, obligation, or necessity • We
have to do the economic analysis.

5.
verb expresses
certainty:
expresses conviction or certainty • There
just has to be a solution to the problem.

6.
transitive verb receive:
to receive or obtain something • I had
a Christmas card from him.

7.
transitive verb eat something:
to eat or drink something • We
have breakfast at eight.

8.
transitive verb think of something:
to think of something, or hold something in the mind • Listen!
I have a good idea.

9.
transitive verb experience something:
to experience or undergo something • He
went to the carnival to have a good time. • I
had a shock.

10.
transitive verb be affected by:
to be affected by something, especially something of a medical nature • I’ve
had the flu for the last week.

11.
transitive verb engage in something:
to engage or participate in something • We
had a long talk about cars.

12.
transitive verb arrange something:
to organize or arrange something • We had
a party last week.

13.
transitive verb arrange for something to be
done:
to arrange for somebody to do something for you or on your behalf • I’ve
just had my hair cut.

14.
transitive verb tolerate something:
to tolerate or put up with something (usually used in negative statements)
• I
won’t have such behavior any longer!

15.
transitive verb receive somebody:
to receive somebody as a guest • We had
Mother to stay over Christmas.

16.
transitive verb bring a child into existence:
to be the parent of a child, or conceive, carry, or give birth to a child • She’s
had three children and now she’s having another one.

17.
transitive verb put somebody or something
somewhere:
to put or place somebody or something in a particular place • I’ll
have you two in the front row, please. • I’ll
have the desk over there.

18.
transitive verb undergo something:
to be the victim of an unpleasant action or experience • I
had my car stolen.

19.
transitive verb make something happen:
to direct or cause somebody to do something, or cause something to happen • If
you see him tomorrow, have him call me.

20.
transitive verb cheat somebody:
to cheat or outwit somebody (usually passive) • I
think you’ll find that you’ve been had in this deal.

21.
plural noun, haves privileged people:
people who are rich and privileged, especially compared with those who are not
[Old
English habban . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
grasp,” which is also the ancestor of English capable
and heave .]
has
or had it

declares
or asserts, or declared or asserted • Rumor
has it that they are planning to get engaged.

have
done with something

to
finish with something • Let’s
put everything else in this box and have done with it.

have
had it

1.  to
have no prospect of success • We’ve
had it now.

2.  to
be too worn out, damaged, or exhausted to function properly (informal) • I’m
afraid this printer has just about had it. • I’ve
had it –you go on, I’m turning back.

have
had it with

to
have lost patience with somebody or something • I’ve
had it with delays.

have
it coming

to
be about to receive punishment or retribution, or deserve it • He
has it coming to him.

have
it in for somebody

to
hold hard feelings against somebody and intend to do that person harm • She
has it in for him, and you can expect that she will seek revenge soon.

have
it out (with somebody)

to
engage in a spirited, aggressive argument over an issue with somebody • OK,
let’s have it out now and get this settled once and for all.

have
to do with

1.  to
be relevant to • Does your question have
anything to do with the topic under discussion?

2.  to
have a friendship or relationship with • She
will have nothing to do with him anymore.

have
what it takes

to
have the necessary skills, personality, or attitude to be successful at
something • He
doesn’t really have what it takes to be a professional actor.

let
somebody have it

to
deliver an attack on somebody • He
refused to change his behavior, and in the end I let him have it.

never
had it so good

to
have not possessed so many benefits before • Look
at these sales figures –we’ve never had it so good!

not
having any

refusing
to take part or become involved in something • They
tried to involve him in the conspiracy, but it soon became clear that he wasn’t
having any.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at do.

[1]



haveat

haveat
have
at
transitive verb

attack:
attack somebody (informal)
have
at it

to set about something with
vigor • Let’s
have at it –this project has to be done in June.[1]



Havel,Václav

Havel,Václav
Ha·vel
[hávvəl], Václav (1936– )

Czech statesman and
dramatist. He was a dissident playwright who became a leader of the Charter 77
democracy movement under Communist rule. After the democratic revolution in
1989 he became president of Czechoslovakia (1989) and then of the Czech
Republic (1993).[1]



haven

haven
ha·ven 
[háyv’n] (plural ha·vens) noun

1.  sheltered
place:
a place sought for rest, shelter, or protection • a
haven for wildlife

2.  NAUTICAL anchorage:
a harbor or port facility where ships and boats come in and tie up (literary)
[Pre-12th century. From Old
Norse höfn, literally “place that holds (ships).”][1]



have-nots

have-nots
have-nots
plural noun

underprivileged people:
people who are not rich or privileged, especially compared with those who are • a
country with the highest income inequality between the haves and have-nots[1]



haven’t

haven’t
have·n’t 
[hávv’nt] contraction

have not:
have not[1]



haveon

haveon
have
on
intransitive and transitive verb

wear:
to have an article of clothing on your body[1]



Haverhill

Haverhill
Hav·er·hill 
[háyvəril]

city in northeastern
Massachusetts on the Merrimack River. Population: 53,952 (1996)[1]



haversack

haversack
hav·er·sack 
[hávvər sàk] (plural hav·er·sacks)
noun

bag
carried on back: a strong bag carried on the back or the
shoulder, used especially by travelers or hikers
[Mid-18th century. Via French
havresac from obsolete German Habersack, from Haber “oats”
+ Sack “bag”; originally used by cavalrymen to hold oats for their
horses.][1]



Haversiancanal

Haversiancanal
Ha·ver·sian
ca·nal 
[hə vùrzh’n kə nál] (plural Ha·ver·sian
ca·nals) noun

tiny
channel in bone: a tiny longitudinal channel in bone
tissue. The canals form a network that contains blood vessels and nerve fibers.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Clopton Havers (1650?-1702), the English physician and anatomist who
discovered them.][1]



Haversiansystem

Haversiansystem
Ha·ver·sian
sys·tem 
noun

section of bone:
a Haversian canal along with the concentric layers of compact bone surrounding
it[1]



haversine

haversine
hav·er·sine 
[hávvər sn] noun

half
the value of versed sine: in mathematics, half the
value of the versed sine
[Late 19th century.
Contraction of half versed sine .][1]



havoc

havoc
hav·oc 
[hávvək] noun

1.  devastation:
widespread damage, destruction, or devastation • the
havoc wreaked by the storm

2.  chaos:
a condition or situation of disruptive chaos
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman (crier) havok “(to cry) havoc,” signal to an army to seize
plunder, alteration of Old French havo(t) “pillage,” of uncertain
origin: probably from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



Havrede Grace

Havrede Grace
Ha·vre
de Grace
[hàvvər də gráss]

city in northeastern
Maryland, on Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Susquehanna River. Population:
10,092 (1996)[1]



haw

haw2
haw2 [haw]
noun (plural haws)

utterance
showing hesitation: a sound that people make
when they are hesitating to speak
intransitive
verb
(past hawed, past participle hawed, present
participle haw·ing, 3rd person present singular haws)

make
hesitating sound: to make a sound indicative of hesitation
while speaking
[Mid-17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



haw

haw3
haw3 [haw]
interjection

turn
left:
used to command an animal or a team of animals to turn left
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



haw

haw4
haw4 [haw]
(plural haws) noun

See
nictitating membrane
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



haw

haw1
haw1 [haw]
(plural haws) noun

1.  See
hawthorn

2.  fruit
of hawthorn: the round or oval fruit of the hawthorn,
usually red or yellow and containing seeds
[Old English haga, of
uncertain origin: perhaps the same word as Old English haga “hedge”][1]



Hawaii

Hawaii


Ha·wai·i 
[hə w ee]
state
of the United States in the northern Pacific Ocean, consisting of eight main
islands and over 100 others. Capital: Honolulu. Population: 1,183,723 (1997)
Area: 16,729 sq km/6,459 sq mi.

the largest island in the state of
Hawaii. Population: 120,317 (1990) Area: 10,443 sq km/4,028 sq mi.[1]



Hawaii




Back to definition

Hawaii

[1]



Hawaii-AleutianStandard Time

Hawaii-AleutianStandard Time
Ha·wai·i-A·leu·tian
Stan·dard Time noun

standard time in Hawaii:
the standard time in the time zone centered on longitude 150° W, which includes
an area of the Pacific Ocean that includes Hawaii and the western Aleutian
Islands. It is ten hours earlier than Universal Coordinated Time.
Also called
Hawaii Standard Time
Also called
Hawaii Time[1]



Hawaiian

Hawaiian
Ha·wai·ian 
[hə w yən] (plural Ha·wai·ians)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Hawaii: somebody who was born in or raised in
the state of Hawaii, especially somebody of Melanesian or Tahitian descent

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in Hawaii: a language spoken in Hawaii and other
neighboring islands, belonging to the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian
family of languages. Hawaiian is spoken by about 70,000 people.
—Ha·wai·ian, adjective[1]



Hawaiianappliqué

Hawaiianappliqué
Ha·wai·ian
ap·pli·qué
noun

appliqué developed in Hawaii:
an appliqué developed in Hawaii, consisting of a large central motif, from a
design cut from folded paper, which is applied to a foundation fabric and made
into a quilt. Traditional Hawaiian appliqué is made in two solid colors,
typically red, green, orange, or blue on white.[1]



HawaiianEnglish

HawaiianEnglish
Ha·wai·ian
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in Hawaii





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Hawaiian English is the English language as
  used, mainly in speech, in Hawaii, a state of the United States. It ranges
  from Hawaii Pidgin English to standard U.S. English, and is influenced by
  Hawaiian, a Polynesian language, and by the languages of immigrants from China,
  Japan, and the Philippines among others, as well as by usage from the U.S.
  mainland. Expressions from Hawaiian include aloha “love, sympathy,
  welcome, farewell,” haole “foreigner, especially a Caucasian,” heiau,
  “a temple,” hula (a graceful swaying dance), kahuna (a
  traditional priest or shaman), lei (a garland of flowers), wahine
  “a girl, a woman.” Hybrid expressions are commonplace, usually with the
  Hawaiian element first, as in aloha party, kukui nut, Waikiki
  Beach, and Waimea Arboretum.

[1]



Hawaiiangoose

Hawaiiangoose
Ha·wai·ian
goose
noun

See
nene[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Hawaiianguitar

Hawaiianguitar
Ha·wai·ian
gui·tar
(plural Ha·wai·ian gui·tars) noun

small steel guitar:
a small steel-strung guitar with a sliding glass or metal bar that fits across
the strings in order to change the pitch of the whole instrument. It is usually
played horizontally on a stand, and the strings are plucked with a thimble.[1]



Hawaiianshirt

Hawaiianshirt
Ha·wai·ian
shirt
(plural Ha·wai·ian shirts) noun

shirt printed with brightly
colored designs: a short-sleeved shirt
with brightly colored designs, often featuring Hawaiian motifs, printed on it.
Also called
Aloha shirt[1]



HawaiiStandard Time

HawaiiStandard Time
Ha·wai·i
Stan·dard Time or Ha·wai·i Time noun

See
Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time[1]



HawaiiVolcanoes National Park

HawaiiVolcanoes National Park
Ha·wai·i
Vol·ca·noes Na·tion·al Park [hə
w i vol kàynōz násh’nəl prk]

national park on the island
of Hawaii, Hawaii, established in 1916. Its features include the active
volcanoes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Area: 84,861 hectares/209,695 acres.[1]



hawfinch

hawfinch
haw·finch 
[háw fìnch] (plural haw·finch·es
or haw·finch) noun

Eurasian
bird:
a Eurasian bird that has a thick conical silvery beak, brown plumage,
black-and-white wings, and a white-tipped tail. Latin name: Coccothraustes
coccothraustes
[Haw from haw 1][1]



haw-haw

haw-haw
haw-haw
(plural haw-haws) noun

See
ha-ha 1 See ha-ha 2[1]



Hawick

Hawick
Haw·ick
[háw ik]

historic town in the Scottish
Borders district on the Teviot River. Population: 15,812 (1991)[1]



hawk

hawk4
hawk4  [hawk]
(plural hawks) noun

plasterer’s
trowel:
a metal square with a wooden handle underneath, used by a plasterer to hold wet
plaster or mortar before applying it to a surface
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps the same word as hawk 1 .][1]



hawk

hawk3
hawk3 [hawk]
verb (past hawked, past participle hawked, present
participle hawk·ing, 3rd person present singular hawks)

1.  intransitive
verb
clear
the throat:
to clear the throat noisily of phlegm

2.  transitive
verb
cough
up phlegm:
to clear the throat and noisily cough up phlegm
noun
(plural hawks)

attempt at clearing throat:
a noisy attempt to clear the throat of phlegm
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.][1]



hawk

hawk2
hawk2 [hawk]
(past hawked, past participle hawked, present
participle hawk·ing, 3rd person present singular hawks)
intransitive and transitive verb

sell
wares on streets: to engage in selling merchandise on the
street or from door to door
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a back-formation from hawker,
probably from Middle Low German höker, from höken “to peddle.”]
—hawk·er, noun[1]



hawk

hawk1

hawk1 [hawk]
noun (plural hawks)

1.  BIRDS bird
of prey:
a diurnal bird of prey, typically having broad wings, a short hooked bill,
strong talons, and a long tail. Subfamilies: Accipitridae Buteoninae

2.  BIRDS small
bird of prey: any one of various small birds of prey,
including the falcons but not the larger birds such as the eagle. Order:
Falconiformes

3.  POLITICS MILITARY somebody favoring force:
somebody who favors the use of military force in implementing foreign policy
rather than diplomatic solutions.
See
also
dove

4.  aggressive
competitor:
a fiercely competitive, aggressive, predatory, or combative person • a
marketing hawk who wanted to put the competition out of business

5.  ruthless
swindler:
a ruthless con man or other swindler who preys on unsuspecting victims.
Also
called
shark
verb (past
hawked, past participle hawked, present participle hawk·ing,
3rd person present singular hawks)

1.  intransitive
verb
HUNTING hunt
with hawks:
to hunt for prey on the wing, or hunt for prey using hawks and similar birds of
prey

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIRDS attack on the wing:
to pursue or attack while flying in a way similar to that of a hawk • tiny
birds hawking insects in the morning sky
[Old
English h(e)afoc . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
grasp” (see have ).]
—hawk·er,
noun

—hawk·ing, noun[1]



hawkbill

hawkbill
hawk·bill
(plural hawk·bills) noun

See
hawksbill[1]



hawkbit

hawkbit
hawk·bit
[háwk bìt] (plural hawk·bits or
hawk·bit) noun

perennial
grassland plant: a perennial plant found in grasslands
that has yellow flowers and lobed leaves. There are three varieties. Genus: Leontodon
[Early 18th century. Blend of
hawkweed and devil’s bit .][1]



HawkeBay

HawkeBay
Hawke
Bay 
[hàwk báy]

bay on the eastern coast of
North Island, New Zealand. It extends from Mahia Peninsula in the north to Cape
Kidnappers in the south.[1]



Hawkesbury

Hawkesbury
Hawkes·bury
[háwksbəree]

river in eastern New South
Wales, Australia, which rises in the Great Dividing Range. Length: 480 km/300
mi.[1]



Hawkeye

Hawkeye
Hawk·eye
[háwk ] (plural Hawk·eyes) noun

somebody
from Iowa:
somebody who was born in or who lives in the state of Iowa (informal)
[Early 19th century. From
Iowa’s popular name “the Hawkeye State.”][1]



hawk-eyed

hawk-eyed
hawk-eyed 
adjective

quick to see things:
quick to see things that are not obvious, often as a result of having very keen
eyesight • The
hawk-eyed appraiser spotted a tiny chip in the antique teapot.[1]



Hawke’sBay

Hawke’sBay
Hawke’s
Bay
[hàwks báy]

administrative region of New
Zealand, located in eastern North Island and bordering Hawke Bay. Population:
144,292 (1996) Area: 21,178 sq km/8,177 sq mi.[1]



Hawking,Stephen

Hawking,Stephen

Hawk·ing
[háwking], Stephen (1942– )
British
physicist and mathematician. His research focused on space-time and unified
field theory. His lectures, films, and books, including his best-selling A
Brief History of Time ( 1988 ), made difficult concepts in physics
accessible to the public.
Full name
Hawking, Stephen William[1]



Hawkins,Coleman

Hawkins,Coleman

Haw·kins
[háwkinz], Coleman (1904–1969)
U.S. musician. His technique and
improvisational skills laid the foundations for the tenor saxophone in bebop
jazz. His best known album is Body and Soul ( 1939 ).[1]



hawkish

hawkish
hawk·ish
[háwkish] adjective

favoring use of military
force: favoring the use of military
force in implementing foreign policy rather than diplomatic solutions • The
senator was hawkish on Iraq.
See also
dovish[1]



hawkmoth

hawkmoth
hawk
moth
noun

stout-bodied moth:
a moth with a thick body and long narrow wings that enable it to hover over
flowers and feed on their nectar. Family: Sphingidae
Also called
hummingbird moth
Also called
sphinx moth[1]



hawkowl

hawkowl
hawk
owl
noun

owl resembling a hawk:
an owl with a long slender tail and brownish speckled plumage that resembles a
hawk when in flight. It is found in North America and northern Eurasia. Latin
name: Surnia ulula[1]



hawksbill

hawksbill
hawks·bill 
[háwks bìl] (plural hawks·bills
or hawks·bill) or hawks·bill tur·tle [háwks bìl] (plural hawks·bill tur·tles)
or hawk·bill [háwk bìl] (plural
hawk·bills or hawk·bill) noun

tropical
sea turtle:
a tropical sea turtle, reaching 61 cm/2 ft in length and now classified as
endangered, that has a yellowish-brown shell of overlapping plates once valued
as a source of tortoiseshell. Latin name: Eretmochelys imbricata
Also
called
tortoiseshell
[From the shape of its mouth,
likened to a hawk’s beak][1]



Hawks,Howard

Hawks,Howard
Hawks
[hawks], Howard (1896–1977)

U.S.
movie director. During his 45-year career, he directed many Hollywood classics,
including Bringing Up Baby ( 1938 ) and The Big Sleep ( 1946 ).
Full name
Hawks, Howard Winchester[1]



hawkweed

hawkweed
hawk·weed 
[háwk wd] (plural hawk·weed or
hawk·weeds) noun

plant
with yellow or orange flowers: a composite plant that
is typically hairy and has yellow or orange rayed flowers. Genus: Hieracium
[Translation of Latin hieracium,
from Greek ierakion, from ierax “hawk”][1]



hawk’sbeard

hawk’sbeard
hawk’s
beard 
(plural hawk’s beards or hawk’s beard) noun

plant with small yellow
flowers: a plant with small yellow
flowers resembling those of the dandelion. Genus: Crepis[1]



hawk’s-eye

hawk’s-eye
hawk’s-eye 
(plural hawk’s-eyes) noun

dark blue gemstone:
a semiprecious gemstone that is a dark blue variety of the mineral crocidolite[1]



Hawn,Goldie

Hawn,Goldie
Hawn
[hawn], Goldie (1945– )

U.S. actor and producer. She
achieved fame on television’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In ( 1968–1970 )
and went on to a movie career. She won an Academy Award for Cactus Flower
( 1969 ).[1]



haworthia

haworthia
ha·wor·thi·a 
[haw wúrthee ə, haw
wúree ə] (plural ha·wor·thi·as or ha·wor·thi·a)
noun

succulent
herb:
a succulent herb, native to South Africa, with densely overlapping, often warty
leaves, clustered in rosettes. Genus: Haworthia
[Named for Adrian Hardy Haworth
(1768–1833), who wrote extensively on succulent plants][1]



hawse

hawse
hawse 
[hawz] noun (plural haws·es)

1.  location
of ship’s hawseholes: the area of a ship in which
the hawseholes are to be found

2.  See
hawsehole

3.  space
between bow and anchor: the space between the bow
and the anchors of a ship lying at anchor

4.  anchor
deployment:
the way in which a ship’s anchor lines are deployed, starboard and port, when
both are deployed together at the same time
intransitive
verb
(past hawsed, past participle hawsed, present
participle haws·ing, 3rd person present singular haws·es)

pitch violently when at anchor:
to pitch violently when lying at anchor
[Origin uncertain: either
13th century, from Old Norse hals, or from Old English h(e)als,
both “neck, ship’s prow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
revolve.”][1]



hawsehole

hawsehole
hawse·hole 
[hawz hl] (plural hawse·holes)
noun

opening in ship’s bow for
line: an opening in the bow of a
ship through which a large heavy line is passed for towing or mooring the ship.

Also called
hawse[1]



hawsepipe

hawsepipe
hawse·pipe 
[háwz pp] (plural hawse·pipes)
noun

pipe for anchor lines:
a pipe on each side of a ship’s bow for use in deploying and weighing anchor,
with the anchor lines running through each pipe[1]



hawser

hawser
haw·ser 
[háwzər] (plural haw·sers) noun

cable
for mooring or towing ship: a large heavy cable that is
used when mooring or towing a ship
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman haucer, from Old French haucier “to hoist,”
literally “to make high,” ultimately from Latin altus “high” (see altitude ).][1]



hawser-laid

hawser-laid
haw·ser-laid
adjective

with three strands:
used to describe rope composed of three strands, each of which has been made by
being twisted in a left-handed direction. The three strands are then twisted
together in a right-handed direction.[1]



hawthorn

hawthorn
haw·thorn 
[háw thàwrn] (plural haw·thorns)
noun

thorny tree with small
reddish fruits: a thorny tree or shrub
of the rose family that has clusters of white or pink flowers and small reddish
fruits. Genus: Crataegus
Also called
haw 1[1]



Hawthorne

Hawthorne
Haw·thorne
[háwth awrn]

industrial and residential
city in southwestern California, situated 8 km/5 mi south of the city of Los
Angeles. Population: 71,349 (1990)[1]



Hawthorneeffect

Hawthorneeffect
Haw·thorne
ef·fect
[háw thàwrn i fèkt] noun

effect
resulting from conducting study: social research
findings attributable to the attention of researchers to the subjects of their
research rather than to factors significant to the research topic. An example
would be when variables of both a positive and a negative nature produce the
same effect.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in Cicero (Chicago,
Illinois), where it was first observed.][1]



Hawthorne,Nathaniel

Hawthorne,Nathaniel

Haw·thorne
[háw thawrn], Nathaniel (1804–1864)
U.S.
writer. His novels and short stories frequently deal with Puritan sin and
atonement, and include The Scarlet Letter ( 1850 ).
Born
Hathorne, Nathaniel[1]



hay

hay
hay
[hay] noun

1.  cut
and dried grass: grass or other plants that are cut,
dried, and then often used as fodder

2.  minuscule
amount of money: a very small amount of money (slang)
(almost always used in negative statements) • He
made five thousand bucks out of the deal, and that isn’t hay.
verb
(past hayed, past participle hayed, present
participle hay·ing, 3rd person present singular hays)

1.  intransitive
verb
cut,
bale, and store hay: to mow hay and bale or roll
it, and then store it • He’s
been haying all day.

2.  transitive
verb
feed
with hay:
to feed animals with hay
[Old
English hēg, literally “something that can be cut down.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “to hew, strike,” which is also the ancestor of
English haggle, hew, and hoe
.]
a
roll in the hay

an
instance of having sex with somebody (slang)

hit
the hay

to
go to bed (informal)

make
hay while the sun shines

to take advantage of all
opportunities when they present themselves (informal)[1]



haycock

haycock
hay·cock 
[háy kòk] (plural hay·cocks) noun

U.K.
cone-shaped pile of hay:
a cone-shaped pile of hay that is left in a field until it is dry enough to be
stored[1]



Hayden,Melissa

Hayden,Melissa
Hay·den
[háyd’n], Melissa (1928– )

Canadian
ballet dancer. She danced with the New York City Ballet from 1950 and appeared
in the movie Limelight ( 1952 ).
Real name
Herman, Mildred[1]



Haydiet

Haydiet
Hay
di·et
[háy] noun

separate
eating of proteins and carbohydrates: a way
of eating in which protein and carbohydrate foods are not eaten at the same
time, claimed to be helpful for digestive complaints and weight loss
[Mid-20th century. Named for
William Howard Hay (1866–1940), who devised it.][1]



Haydn,Joseph

Haydn,Joseph


Haydn
[hd’n], Joseph (1732–1809)
Austrian
composer. His hundreds of symphonies, concertos, string quartets, and operas
helped define the classical style, and include the popular oratorio The
Creation ( 1798 ).
Full name
Haydn, Franz Joseph[1]



Hayes,Helen

Hayes,Helen
Hayes
[hayz], Helen (1900–1993)

U.S.
actor. One of the most distinguished stage performers of the century, she was
closely identified with the title role in Victoria Regina ( 1935 ). She
won Academy Awards for The Sin of Madelon Claudet ( 1931 ) and Airport
( 1970 ).
Born
Brown, Helen Hayes[1]



Hayes,Rutherford B.

Hayes,Rutherford B.

Hayes
[hayz], Rutherford B. (1822–1893)
U.S.
statesman and 19th president of the United States. A Republican, he reformed
the civil service and withdrew the last federal troops from the Reconstruction
South during his presidential term (1877–1881).
Full name
Hayes, Rutherford Birchard[1]



hayfever

hayfever
hay
fe·ver
noun

allergic reaction to pollen:
an allergic reaction to pollen that irritates the upper respiratory tract and
the eyes, resulting in symptoms including a runny and itchy nose, itchy and
watering eyes, and sneezing. Technical name pollinosis[1]



hayfork

hayfork
hay·fork 
[háy fàwrk] (plural hay·forks)
noun

1.  See
pitchfork

2.  hay-moving
machine:
a machine-operated fork for moving hay

[1]



Hay,John

Hay,John
Hay
[hay], John (1838–1905)

U.S.
diplomat and writer. He was Abraham Lincoln’s private secretary (1861–1865),
and wrote a monumental 10-volume biography of him (1890).
Full name
Hay, John Milton[1]



haylage

haylage
hay·lage 
[háylij] noun

grass
silage:
silage made from partially dried grass
[Mid-20th century. Blend of hay and silage
.][1]



hayloft

hayloft
hay·loft 
[háy lòft] (plural hay·lofts) noun

loft for hay:
a loft for storing hay over a stable or a barn.
Also called
haymow[1]



haymaker

haymaker
hay·mak·er 
[háy màykər] (plural hay·mak·ers)
noun

1.  BOXING powerful
swinging punch: a powerful swinging punch, especially in
a boxing match (slang)

2.  AGRICULTURE machine
processing hay: a machine for breaking down stems of hay
to improve the drying process

3.  AGRICULTURE worker
processing hay: an agricultural worker whose job it is
to cut, turn, toss, spread, or carry hay after it has been mown

[1]



haymow

haymow
hay·mow 
[háy m] (plural hay·mows) noun

1.  See
hayloft

2.  quantity
of hay stored in barn: a quantity of hay stored in
a barn or loft

[1]



hayrack

hayrack
hay·rack 
[háy ràk] (plural hay·racks) noun

1.  rack
holding feed: a rack that holds hay and from which
livestock feed

2.  rack
on wagon:
a rack attached to a wagon to increase its capacity for carrying hay

3.  wagon
with hayrack: a wagon equipped with a hayrack

[1]



hayrick

hayrick
hay·rick 
[háy rìk] (plural hay·ricks) noun

See
haystack[1]



hayride

hayride
hay·ride 
[háy rd] (plural hay·rides) noun

pleasure ride in hay wagon:
a ride taken for pleasure by a group of people in a wagon or other vehicle that
is full of hay or straw[1]



Hays

Hays
Hays 
[hayz]

city in central Kansas, west
of Salina and northwest of Great Bend. Population: 17,991 (1996)[1]



hayseed

hayseed
hay·seed 
[háy sd] (plural hay·seeds) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s rural residence or
background and his or her intelligence and level of sophistication (slang
insult)

2.  grass
seed from hay: grass seed that is shaken out of hay

3.  pieces
of grass:
pieces of grass or straw that fall from hay

[1]



haystack

haystack
hay·stack 
[háy stàk] (plural hay·stacks)
noun

stack of hay:
a large pile of hay, especially one that is built in the open and covered with
thatch for winter storage.
Also called
hayrick[1]



Hayward

Hayward
Hay·ward 
[háywərd]

city in northwestern
California, on San Francisco Bay. Population: 115,590 (1994)[1]



Hayward,Susan

Hayward,Susan
Hay·ward 
[háywərd], Susan (1918–1975)

U.S.
actor. She won an Academy Award for I Want to Live! ( 1958 ).
Real name
Marrener, Edythe[1]



haywire

haywire
hay·wire 
[háy wr] adjective (informal)

1.  functioning
erratically: functioning erratically, or not
functioning at all • A powerful magnet can
make the television set go haywire.

2.  behaving
oddly:
behaving unpredictably or extravagantly
[From the springy nature of
wire used to tie up bundles of hay, and sometimes for makeshift repairs][1]



Haywood,William Dudley

Haywood,William Dudley
Hay·wood
[háy wd], William Dudley (1869–1928)

U.S.
labor leader. He cofounded the radical Industrial Workers of the World (1905)
and advocated the violent overthrow of capitalism.
Known as
Big Bill[1]



Hayworth,Rita

Hayworth,Rita
Hay·worth
[háywərth], Rita (1918–1987)

U.S.
actor. A dancer from her childhood, she appeared in movies including Gilda
( 1946 ).
Real name
Cansino, Margarita Carmen[1]



hazard

hazard
haz·ard 
[házzərd] noun (plural haz·ards)

1.  potential
danger:
something that is potentially very dangerous

2.  ENGINEERING dangerous
outcome:
a dangerous or otherwise unwanted outcome, especially one resulting from the
failure of an engineered system

3.  GOLF obstacle
on golf course: a natural or constructed obstacle on a
golf course, for example, a sand trap or a lake

4.  GAMBLING dice
game:
a dice game resembling craps

5.  CUE GAMES scoring
stroke in billiards: a scoring stroke in
billiards, made when a ball is pocketed, either a ball other than the striker’s
winning hazard or the striker’s cue ball itself losing hazard

6.  TENNIS receiver’s
side in court tennis: in court tennis, the
receiver’s side of the court
transitive
verb
(past haz·ard·ed, past participle haz·ard·ed, present
participle haz·ard·ing, 3rd person present singular haz·ards)

1.  suggest
tentatively: to offer a tentative explanation of
something • Would
anyone like to hazard a guess as to what this could possibly mean?

2.  risk
loss of something: to chance or risk something,
especially in order to gain something else
[13th century. Via Old French
hasard “game of chance played with dice” from, ultimately, Arabic az-zahr,
literally “the die” or “the chance.”][1]



hazardlight

hazardlight
haz·ard
light
(plural haz·ard lights) noun

warning light on car:
either of a pair of car lights, usually the blinkers, that flash on and off to
warn other drivers of potential danger.
Also called
hazard warning light[1]



hazardous

hazardous
haz·ard·ous 
[házzərdəss] adjective

of
potential danger: potentially very dangerous to living
beings or the environment
—haz·ard·ous·ly,
adverb

—haz·ard·ous·ness, noun[1]



hazardouswaste

hazardouswaste
haz·ard·ous
waste
noun

toxic by-product of various
processes: a by-product of
manufacturing processes or nuclear processing that is toxic and presents a
potential threat to people and the environment[1]



hazardpay

hazardpay
haz·ard
pay
noun

money for dangerous work:
extra money given to employees because of the dangerous nature of their work.
U.K. term
danger money[1]



hazardwarning light

hazardwarning light
haz·ard
warn·ing light (plural haz·ard warn·ing
lights) noun

See
hazard light[1]



haze

haze1
haze1 [hayz]
noun (plural haz·es)

1.  particles
in the atmosphere: mist, cloud, or smoke
suspended in the atmosphere and obscuring or obstructing the view

2.  vague
obscuring factor: something that is vague and serves to
obscure something

3.  disoriented
mental or physical state: a mental or physical state
or condition when feelings and perceptions are vague, disorienting, or obscured
intransitive
verb
(past hazed, past participle hazed, present
participle haz·ing, 3rd person present singular haz·es)

become saturated with particles:
to become filled with suspended atmospheric particulate matter such as
pollution • It’s
going to be hot and muggy and in the afternoon it will begin to haze over.
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from hazy
.][1]



haze

haze2
haze2 [hayz]
(past hazed, past participle hazed, present
participle haz·ing, 3rd person present singular haz·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

persecute
or torture:
to persecute or torture somebody in a subordinate position, for example, a
fraternity pledge or a first-year military academy cadet. Hazing may be
illegal, and many institutions have prohibited it.
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from obsolete French haser “to
tease, annoy,” ultimately of unknown origin. First attested in English as a
dialect verb meaning “to frighten, scold.”]
—haz·er,
noun

—haz·ing, noun[1]



hazel

hazel
ha·zel 
[háyz’l] noun (plural ha·zels
or ha·zel)

1.  TREES small
tree with edible nuts: a shrub or small tree of the
birch family that has edible brown nuts. Genus: Corylus
Also
called
filbert

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of hazel:
the wood of the hazel tree

3.  FOOD See hazelnut

4.  COLORS light
brown color: a light-brown color with a tinge of
green or gold, like a ripe hazelnut • hazel
eyes
adjective

COLORS hazel
-colored:
of the color hazel
[Old English hæsel .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word.][1]



hazelnut

hazelnut
ha·zel·nut 
[háyz’l nùt] (plural ha·zel·nuts)
noun

edible nut:
an edible nut from a hazel tree.
Also called
hazel
Also called
filbert[1]



Hazelwood

Hazelwood
Ha·zel·wood
[háyz’lwd]

1.  village
in eastern Missouri, northwest of the city of St. Louis. Population: 15,324
(1990)

2.  city
in northwestern Oregon, a suburb of Portland. Population: 11,480 (1998)

[1]



Hazlitt,William

Hazlitt,William
Haz·litt
[házlit], William (1778–1830)

British essayist. He is
regarded as one of the most brilliant English prose stylists. His collections
of essays include Table Talk ( 1821–1822 ) and The Spirit of the Age
( 1825 ).[1]



HAZMAT

HAZMAT
HAZ·MAT
[ház màt]

Abbreviation of
hazardous material[1]



hazy

hazy
haz·y 
[háyzee] (comparative haz·i·er,
superlative haz·i·est) adjective

1.  visually
obscured:
unclear, especially because partially obscured or obstructed by mist, cloud, or
smoke

2.  imprecise:
not specific or clearly remembered • I have
a hazy recollection of having met her.

3.  not
knowledgeable: showing a lack of understanding or
knowledge
[Early
17th century. Origin unknown. Originally in the sense “foggy.”]
—haz·i·ly,
adverb

—haz·i·ness, noun[1]



hazzan

hazzan
haz·zan
noun

See
chazan[1]



ha’penny

ha’penny
ha’pen·ny
[háyp’nee] (plural ha’pen·nies)
noun

U.K.
See halfpenny
[Mid-16th century.
Contraction.][1]



HB

HB
HB
or H/B

Abbreviation of
hatchback[1]



Hb

Hb
Hb

Abbreviation of
hemoglobin[1]



hb

hb
hb
or hb.

Abbreviation of
halfback[1]



H-beam

H-beam
H-beam
(plural H-beams) noun

H-shaped structural part:
a structural steel member shaped like an H in section. It is similar to an
I-beam.[1]



H-bomb

H-bomb
H-bomb 
(plural H-bombs) noun

See
hydrogen bomb[1]



H.C.

H.C.
H.C.

Abbreviation of
House of Commons[1]



H.C.F.

H.C.F.
H.C.F.
or h.c.f. or hcf

Abbreviation of
highest common factor[1]



HCG

HCG
HCG

Abbreviation of
human chorionic gonadotrophin[1]



HCI

HCI
HCI

Abbreviation of
human-computer interaction[1]



hd.

hd.
hd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
hand

2.  Abbreviation
of
head

[1]



HD

HD
HD

1.  Abbreviation
of
hard disk

2.  Abbreviation
of
heavy-duty

3.  Abbreviation
of
high density

4.  Abbreviation
of
hard drive

[1]



hdbk.

hdbk.
hdbk.

Abbreviation of
handbook[1]



hdkf.

hdkf.
hdkf.

Abbreviation of
handkerchief[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HDL

HDL
HDL

Abbreviation of
high-density lipoprotein[1]



hdqrs.

hdqrs.
hdqrs.

Abbreviation of
headquarters[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HDTV

HDTV
HDTV


Abbreviation of
high-definition television[1]



hdwe.

hdwe.
hdwe.

Abbreviation of
hardware[1]



he

he1
he1 [(stressed) hee, (unstressed) hee,
ee] pronoun

male
not referred to by name: used to refer to a male
person or animal who has been previously mentioned or whose identitiy is known
(used as the subject of a verb)
noun

male
animal or boy: a male animal or boy, especially used of
a new baby • Is
your pup a he or a she?
[Old English he .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “this (here),” which is also the
ancestor of English hence, here, and her
.][1]



H.E.

H.E.
H.E.

1.  Abbreviation
of
His Eminence

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Excellency

[1]



he

he2
he2 [hay]
noun

5th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the fifth letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “h”
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew hē’ .][1]



He

He
He

Symbol for
helium[1]



head

head
head 
[hed] noun (plural heads)

1.  ANATOMY top
part of body: the topmost part of a vertebrate body,
where the brain, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and jaws are situated

2.  ZOOLOGY most
forward section of body: the section of the body of
an invertebrate that is forward of all other segments

3.  center
of intellect: the center of a human being’s faculties
of intellect, emotion, and reasoning • a good
head for figures

4.  ARTS representation
of human head: an artistic, photographic, or televised
representation or image of a human being’s face, hair, eyes, mouth, nose, and
ears

5.  leader
of others:
somebody who is in charge of, has responsibility for, and supervises others • All
department heads attended the meeting.

6.  crisis
point:
a critical juncture in a series of events, at which time some action must be
taken, however painful • The
looming deadline for a budget brought matters to a head.

7.  more
important end: the more important end of something • Our
guest sat at the head of the table.

8.  top
of long thin object: the wider, often flattened,
top of a long thin object • He hit
the nail on the head.

9.  highest
part:
the highest or uppermost part of something • the
head of the valley

10. BEVERAGES froth
on beer:
the froth that forms on the top of beer when it is poured into a glass

11. (plural
head) countable unit:
a single unit in a number of people or animals, especially when they are being
counted • 500
head of cattle

12. measure
of distance: the height or length of a head, used as
a measure of distance between two individuals, especially racehorses at the
winning post • The
favorite won by a head.

13. BOTANY flower
or vegetable: the top part of a plant where a flower
or a cluster of leaves grows

14. MEDICINE top of
pimple or boil: the visible pus-filled center of a
pimple or boil

15. DRUGS drug
user:
somebody who habitually uses drugs (slang)

16. COINS obverse
of coin:
the side of a coin that shows a leader’s head or other main design

17. NAUTICAL ship’s
toilet:
a lavatory on a ship (slang)

18. ENGINEERING See cylinder head

19. PRINTING title:
a heading, either like a newspaper headline or before a section in a text

20. GEOGRAPHY source
of river:
the source of a river or stream

21. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING device
for holding cutting tools: a part of a boring or
turning machine, for example, a lathe, that holds cutting tools to the work in
progress

22. TRANSPORT terminal:
the destination point of a transport route

23. GEOGRAPHY promontory:
a headland that juts out into the sea or other stretch of water (often used
in placenames)

24. MUSIC part
of drum:
the stretched membrane of a drum or tambourine

25. MED headache:
a headache (informal) • I’ve
got a terrible head.

26. taboo
term:
taboo term for the act of oral sex (slang taboo)

27. COMMUNICATION section
in speech or text: one of the main sections or
topics of a written or spoken discourse

28. PHYSICS pressure
of liquid:
the pressure at the lower of two points in a column of liquid resulting from
the difference in height

29. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electromagnetic
recording device: the part of a machine such as a tape
recorder that uses, for example, magnetic tape to record, read, or erase
sounds, images, or data (often used in the plural)

30. PHYSICS pressure:
the pressure exerted by a liquid or gas • a
head of steam

31. MINING part
of coal mine: a passage where coal is mined
underground

32. PHYSICS required
height of liquid surface: the height that the surface
of a liquid has to be above a specified level to produce a stated pressure at
the specified level

33. Caribbean
state
of mind:
somebody’s specified state of mind at a given time, especially as perceived by
others • Wha’
head you pushing?
verb
(past head·ed, past participle head·ed, present
participle head·ing, 3rd person present singular heads)

1.  intransitive
verb
go
in certain direction: to move or go in a specified
direction or to a specified position • He
headed toward the station.

2.  transitive
verb
control
others or organization: to be in the first position
of authority and exercise control over people or an organization

3.  transitive
verb
SOCCER hit
with head:
to use the head to hit a soccer ball • He
headed the ball into the goal.

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to go somewhere: to make something move in a specified
direction or to a certain place • The
pilot headed the plane in a northeasterly course.

5.  transitive
verb
PRINTING be
or give a heading: to act as or supply a
heading on a written page • Let’s
head the letter with our logo.

6.  transitive
verb
be
at front of group: to be at the front or the
top of something • The mayor headed the
procession as it entered the town.
[Old
English hēafod . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English captain, cattle, chapter,
and chief .]
above
somebody’s head

too
difficult for somebody to understand

be
head and shoulders above somebody

to
be notably superior to somebody

be
off your head

to
be mentally disturbed

give
somebody his or her head

to
relax control or supervision of somebody

go
off your head

to
become completely irrational (informal)

go
to somebody’s head

1.  to
make somebody conceited or overconfident

2.  to
make somebody dizzy or lightheaded • The
champagne went right to my head.

head
over heels

1.  completely
• They
fell head over heels in love.

2.  in
a headfirst rolling movement

keep
your head

to
remain calm or unexcited

let
somebody have his or her head

See give somebody his  or her head

lose
your head

to
panic or lose self-control

over
somebody’s head

See above somebody’s head

[1]



headache

headache
head·ache 
[héd àyk] (plural head·aches) noun

1.  MED pain
in the head: a pain in the head caused, for example,
by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle tightness

2.  source
of worry:
something that causes worry or difficulty (informal)
—head·ach·y, adjective[1]



headbag

headbag
head
bag
[héd bàg] or head·bag [héd bàg] noun

1.  bag
covering head: a bag that is placed over the head in
order to prevent somebody from being identified • the
suspect wore a head bag when leaving the court

2.  AUTOMOTIVE airbag
to protect head: an automobile airbag that is designed to
protect the head in the event of a collision

[1]



headband

headband
head·band 
[héd bànd] (plural head·bands)
noun

band of material worn around
head: a band of material that is
worn around the head across the forehead, especially to keep hair off the face[1]



headbang

headbang
head·bang
[héd bàng] (past head·banged, past
participle head·banged, present participle head·bang·ing,
3rd person present singular head·bangs) intransitive verb

dance to heavy metal music:
to dance to heavy metal music by moving the head violently backward and forward
to the beat of the music (slang)[1]



headbanger

headbanger
head·bang·er
[héd bàngər] (plural head·bang·ers)
noun

fan of heavy metal music:
somebody whose favorite music is heavy metal (slang)[1]



headboard

headboard
head·board 
[héd bàwrd] (plural head·boards)
noun

board at head of bed:
an upright board, often padded or covered in fabric, used to form the head of a
bed[1]



head-butt

head-butt
head-butt
transitive verb (past head-butt·ed, past participle
head-butt·ed, present participle head-butt·ing, 3rd
person present singular head-butts)

hit
somebody with head: to hit somebody a deliberate
hard blow with the forehead or the top of the head
noun
(plural head-butts)

blow with the head:
a deliberate blow with the forehead or the top of the head[1]



headcase

headcase
head·case
[héd kàyss] (plural head·cas·es)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately shows contempt for or ridicules somebody’s
mental condition (slang insult)[1]



headcheese

headcheese
head·cheese 
[héd chz] (plural head·chees·es
or head·cheese) noun

type
of cooked meat: a mixture of chopped cooked meat, mainly
from the head and feet of a hog, that is pressed into the form of a loaf or
sausage and eaten cold.
U.K.
term
brawn
[Cheese
from the ingredients being pressed together as in cheese-making]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  word headcheese prevails in all parts of
  the country except in the South Midland and Southern regions. In the South
  Midland, usual terms include press meat, pressed meat, souse,
  souse meat, hog souse, and pressed souse meat . The souse
  forms prevail across all of the South, as well, except in the coastal
  regions. There, the terms hoghead cheese and hog’s head cheese
  are mainly used.

[1]



headcold

headcold
head
cold
(plural head colds) noun

viral infection of nose and
throat: a viral infection of the
nose, throat, and bronchial tubes, characterized by coughing, sneezing,
headaches, and nasal congestion[1]



headcount

headcount
head
count
(plural head counts) noun

act of determining number of
people: the process of counting the
people in a group one by one, or the number arrived at by this process • After
a head count, we found there were 265 people in the hall.[1]



headdress

headdress
head·dress 
[héd drèss] (plural head·dress·es)
noun

elaborate head covering:
a decorative covering worn on the head, usually as a sign of rank, for
ceremonial purposes, or as personal display[1]



headed

headed
head·ed 
[héddəd] adjective

1.  with
a heading:
with a heading, for example, a letterhead, title, or similar inscription

2.  with
a particular head: with a specified kind of
head or heads (usually used in combination)

3.  with
hair of particular kind: with a specified color or
type of hair (usually used in combination)

4.  with
a particular temperament: with a specified
temperament, characteristic, or ability (usually used in combination)

[1]



Head,Edmund Walker

Head,Edmund Walker
Head 
[hed], Edmund Walker, 8th Baronet
(1805–1868)

British-born Canadian
administrator, who served as Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick (1848–1854),
Governor-General of British North America (1854–1861), and Governor of the Hudson’s
Bay Company (1863–1868).[1]



header

header
head·er 
[héddər] (plural head·ers) noun

1.  SOCCER shot
or pass with head: a deliberate use of the head
to play, pass, or shoot the ball in soccer • He
scored with a flying header.

2.  headlong
fall:
a headlong plunge or fall

3.  PRINTING heading
for page:
a heading for each page of a word-processed or faxed document, usually
automatically inserted and consisting of text or a page number

4.  COMPUTING place
for information about message: a place at the top of
a piece of electronic mail where the sender can state what a message is about
and where it is being sent from and to

5.  CONSTRUCTION crosswise
brick in wall: a brick or stone positioned crosswise in
a wall and level with its outer surface

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AUTOMOBILES pipe
connecting other pipes: a pipe that links other
pipes to direct the flow of fluid to a system, especially an exhaust system

7.  ENGINEERING See header tank

8.  INDUSTRY maker,
fitter, or remover of tops: a person who, or a machine
that, makes, fits, or removes the tops of something

[1]



headertank

headertank
head·er
tank
[héddər] (plural head·er tanks)
noun

tank maintaining constant
pressure: a raised tank that ensures a
constant pressure or supply of fluid to a system, especially water to a central
heating system.
Also called
header[1]



headfast

headfast
head·fast 
[héd fàst] (plural head·fasts)
noun

bow mooring:
a mooring rope at the bow of a ship[1]



headfirst

headfirst
head·first 
[hed fúrst] adverb adjective

with
the head leading: in a movement or position where the head
is in front of the rest of the body and is the first thing that reaches,
enters, or strikes something • He
insisted on going down the slide headfirst. • taking
a headfirst dive into the pool
adverb

rashly and thoughtlessly:
abruptly and without taking time to think about or prepare for something • They
rush into things headfirst and think about the consequences afterward.[1]



headforemost

headforemost
head·fore·most
[hed fáwrmōst] adverb adjective

See
headfirst[1]



headful

headful
head·ful 
[héd fl] noun

1.  large
amount:
a large amount of something that has been learned, thought, or imagined (informal)
• a
headful of facts

2.  mass
of hair:
a thick mass of hair • a
headful of curls

[1]



headgate

headgate
head
gate
(plural head gates) noun

1.  upstream
gate of lock: the gate that controls the flow of water
into the upstream end of a canal lock

2.  See
floodgate

[1]



headgear

headgear
head·gear 
[héd gr] noun

1.  CLOTHES something
covering the head: something worn on the head,
especially a hat • wearing some pretty
impressive headgear

2.  MINING hoisting
mechanism at mineshaft: an apparatus at the top of a
mineshaft for lifting things out of and lowering them into a mine

3.  RIDING part
of harness:
the part of a harness that fits over a horse’s head

[1]



headhunt

headhunt
head·hunt 
[héd hùnt] (past head·hunt·ed,
past participle head·hunt·ed, present participle head·hunt·ing,
3rd person present singular head·hunts) verb

1.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES recruit somebody from
another company: to recruit, or attempt to recruit, an
executive or highly valued employee from one company to fill a similar position
in another enterprise • The
agency headhunted her to work for an investment bank.

2.  intransitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES engage
in employee recruiting: to engage in the profession
of employee recruitment • an
agency that headhunts for engineers only

3.  intransitive
verb
ANTHROPOLOGY collect
heads:
to seek, collect, and preserve the heads of enemies as trophies or ceremonial
objects

[1]



headhunter

headhunter
head·hunt·er
[héd hùntər] (plural head·hunt·ers)
noun

1.  BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES recruiter:
somebody whose job is to seek personnel for a company

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY somebody
who collects heads: a member of a people
practicing headhunting

[1]



headhunting

headhunting
head·hunt·ing 
[héd hùnting] noun

1.  BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES recruitment of
employees:
the business of recruiting people who already hold positions in companies or
who are unemployed to fill positions in other enterprises

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY head-collecting:
the practice among some peoples of cutting off the heads of enemies killed in
battle and preserving them as trophies or ceremonial objects

[1]



heading

heading
head·ing 
[hédding] (plural head·ings) noun

1.  title:
something that forms the head, top, edge, or front of something, especially as
a title for a paragraph, section, chapter, or page • The
chapter headings are to be set in 24-point bold.

2.  category
of subject matter: any of the divisions into
which the subject matter of a document, discourse, or discussion is divided • That
information definitely comes under the heading of matters not to be aired in
public.

3.  NAVIGATION course:
the direction in which a ship or aircraft is traveling, often given as a
compass bearing • If we continue on our
present heading we should sight land in one hour.

4.  MINING mine
tunnel:
a horizontal tunnel in a mine, or the end of such a tunnel

[1]



headlamp

headlamp
head·lamp 
[héd lamp] (plural head·lamps)
noun

See
headlight[1]



headland

headland
head·land 
[héddlənd, héd
lànd] (plural head·lands) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY promontory:
a narrow piece of land jutting out into water, usually with steep, high cliffs

2.  AGRICULTURE unplowed
strip:
a strip of land left unplowed at the edge of a field

[1]



headless

headless
head·less 
[héddləss] adjective

1.  without
head:
without a head on the body

2.  without
leader:
having no leader, guide, or director
—head·less·ness, noun[1]



headlight

headlight
head·light 
[héd lt] (plural head·lights)
noun

strong light on front of
vehicle: a powerful light attached to
the front of a motor vehicle or a locomotive, or the beam of light cast by it • He
was driving without headlights.
Also called
headlamp[1]



headline

headline
head·line 
[héd ln] noun (plural head·lines)

1.  PRESS title
of newspaper article: a caption printed at the top
of a page or article in a newspaper, usually in large heavy letters and often
summarizing the content that follows it • an
article with the headline “Sharp Fall in Stock Prices”

2.  PRINTING line
at top of page: a line printed at the top of a page of a
book or document giving the page number and sometimes other information such as
the title or the author’s name
plural
noun
head·lines

PRESS BROADCASTING main news items:
the most important items of news covered by a newspaper or a news broadcast • Her
name has seldom been out of the headlines since she announced her intention to
sue.
• We
bring you the headlines every hour on the hour.
transitive
verb
(past head·lined, past participle head·lined, present
participle head·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular head·lines)

1.  PRESS provide
prominent heading: to give a prominent title or
caption to something • They
headlined the story POP STAR ENTERS HOSPITAL.

2.  publicize
as star:
to present somebody as the leading attraction of a show

3.  ARTS appear
as star:
to appear as the leading attraction of a show

[1]



headliner

headliner
head·lin·er 
[héd lnər] (plural head·lin·ers)
noun

star of show:
a performer who is advertised as a leading attraction in a show[1]



head-load

head-load
head-load
transitive verb

South Africa
carry something on head:
to transport something by carrying it on the head[1]



headlock

headlock
head·lock 
[héd lòk] (plural head·locks) noun

wrestling hold:
a hold in which a wrestler tightly grips an arm around an opponent’s head[1]



headlong

headlong
head·long 
[hèd láwng] adverb adjective

1.  with
head foremost: with the head in front of the rest of
the body, especially in a rapid uncontrolled movement

2.  moving
fast and out of control: moving or traveling in a
fast uncontrolled way

3.  with
too much haste: acting, happening, or done in an
impetuous way with little or no thought for the consequences • She
had thrown herself headlong into an even worse situation.
adjective

very steep: very
steep (archaic)
[14th century. By folk
etymology from earlier headling, by association with -long “foremost,”
in, for example, sidelong .][1]



headlouse

headlouse
head
louse
noun

louse living in human hair:
a louse that lives on a human head among the hair, feeding by sucking blood and
gluing its eggs to the hair shafts near the skin surface. Latin name: Pediculus
humanus capitis[1]



headman

headman
head·man 
[héd màn] (plural head·men [héd mèn]) noun

1.  chief:
the leader of a community or village in some small-scale societies

2.  leader:
a leader or overseer

[1]



headmaster

headmaster
head·mas·ter
[héd màstər] (plural head·mas·ters)
noun

man in charge of private
school: a man who is in charge of a
private school[1]



headmistress

headmistress
head·mis·tress
[héd mìstriss] (plural head·mis·tress·es)
noun

woman principal of private
school: a woman who is in charge of
a private school[1]



headmoney

headmoney
head
mon·ey
noun

1.  bounty:
a reward paid for the capture or killing of a fugitive or outlaw

2.  poll
tax:
a tax on individuals (archaic)

[1]



headmost

headmost
head·most 
[héd mst] adjective

farthest forward:
forward to the greatest extent[1]



headnote

headnote
head·note
[héd nt] (plural head·notes) noun

note at head of chapter:
a brief note at the top of a chapter or a page that summarizes what follows,
especially points of law or a legal decision[1]



headoff

headoff
head
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
intercept:
to stop a person or animal from proceeding in a particular direction by placing
yourself between the person or animal and the goal sought • Let’s
try to head the rustlers off at the pass. • We
took a shortcut to head her off before she reached the station.

2.  transitive
verb
forestall:
to try in advance to prevent something from taking place, or to prevent
somebody from doing something, that might prove difficult or unpleasant • We
need to head off any attempt to have the matter raised again in committee.

3.  intransitive
verb
go:
to go, or leave a place and go, in a particular direction • The
others headed off down the hill while we stayed to enjoy the view a little
longer.

[1]



headof programming

headof programming
head
of pro·gram·ming noun

U.K.
See program director[1]



headof state

headof state
head
of state
noun

state leader:
the chief representative of a country or state, who may or may not also be the
head of government[1]



head-on

head-on
head-on 
adverb adjective

with
front facing forward: with the front facing toward
something • We
were sailing head-on into the teeth of the gale. • a
head-on collision
adverb

without
evasion or compromise: making no attempt to avoid
the dangers or difficulties involved in something • addressed
the controversy head-on
adjective

uncompromising:
involving direct, fundamental, and uncompromising opposition • He
tried to avoid a head-on clash with his business partner.[1]



headover heels

headover heels
head
o·ver heels 
adverb

rolling
or turning over: rolling or turning so that the feet are
in the air and the head below them so as to land on the back or the feet
[From
earlier heels over head]
head
over heels in love

completely and rapturously in
love[1]



headphones

headphones
head·phones
[héd fnz] plural noun

earphones:
a pair of listening devices joined by a band across the top of the head and
worn in or over the ears[1]



headpiece

headpiece
head·piece 
[héd pss] (plural head·pieces)
noun

1.  PRINTING design
at top of page: an ornamental design printed at the
beginning of a text

2.  CLOTHES head
protector:
a covering for the head, especially a protective one

3.  EQUESTRIAN bridle
part:
the part of a horse’s bridle that fits around the head.
Also
called
headstall

[1]



headpin

headpin
head
pin
(plural head pins) noun

See
kingpin  noun 3[1]



headquarter

headquarter
head·quar·ter 
[héd kwàwrtər] (past head·quar·tered,
past participle head·quar·tered, present participle head·quar·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular head·quar·ters) verb (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
provide
with base:
to provide somebody with a center of operations • They
headquartered their office in a former barracks.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
based:
to set up a headquarters • She
headquartered in Paris.

[1]



headquarters

headquarters
head·quar·ters 
[héd kwàwrtərz] plural noun (takes
a singular or plural verb)

1.  BUSINESS main
office:
the administrative center from which the affairs of an organization are
directed

2.  MILITARY commander’s
operational base: a military commander’s central office,
from which operations are controlled and orders issued • Napoleon’s
headquarters were in a disused windmill. • Headquarters
is on the radio; they want to know our precise position.

[1]



headrace

headrace
head·race 
[héd ràyss] (plural head·races)
noun

channel for inflow:
a channel conveying water to a water wheel or turbine[1]



headrail

headrail
head·rail
[héd ràyl] (plural head·rails)
noun

1.  CUE GAMES starting
end of billiard table: the end of the table from
which a game of billiards is started, nearest the balk line

2.  SAILING railing
on sailing ship: a railing on a sailing vessel extending
from the rear of the bow to the back of the figurehead

[1]



headreach

headreach
head·reach
[héd rch] noun (plural head·reach·es)

distance
made to windward: the distance that a sailboat makes to
windward when tacking
transitive
verb
(past head·reached, past participle head·reached, present
participle head·reach·ing, 3rd person present singular head·reach·es)

outdistance other boat:
to make a better distance than another boat when tacking[1]



headregister

headregister
head
reg·is·ter
noun

upper voice register:
the higher register or falsetto of men’s and boys’ singing voices in which tone
production is concentrated in the head and assisted by sympathetic vibration of
the nasal and skull cavities.
Also called
head voice[1]



headrest

headrest
head·rest 
[héd rèst] (plural head·rests)
noun

support for head:
an often padded support for the head, usually on the back of a seat, especially
in a motor vehicle[1]



headrestraint

headrestraint
head
re·straint
(plural head re·straints) noun

safety headrest:
an adjustable headrest fitted to the back of a seat of a motor vehicle,
designed to prevent neck injuries in an accident[1]



headrhyme

headrhyme
head
rhyme
(plural head rhymes) noun

See
alliteration[1]



headroom

headroom
head·room 
[héd rm, héd
rm] noun

overhead clearance:
the space or clearance overhead, for example, in a room, doorway, the interior
of a motor vehicle, or the underside of a bridge • There’s
plenty of headroom in this car, even in the back seat.

Also called
headway[1]



headsail

headsail
head·sail 
[héd sàyl] (plural head·sails)
noun

forward sail:
a sail attached to or set forward of the foremast[1]



headscarf

headscarf
head·scarf 
[héd skrf] (plural head·scarves
[héd skrvz]) noun

scarf covering head:
a woman’s scarf in the form of a square of fabric, for wearing on the head or
tied around the neck[1]



headsea

headsea
head
sea
(plural head seas) noun

contrary wave direction:
waves or a current running in a direction opposite to the course of a ship[1]



headset

headset
head·set 
[héd sèt] (plural head·sets) noun

set of earphones:
a pair of earphones, often with a small mouthpiece attached to enable two-way
communication[1]



headshaking

headshaking
head·shak·ing
[héd shàyking] (plural head·shak·ings)
noun

side-to-side movements of the
head: a series of side-to-side
movements of the head, communicating or suggesting something such as
disagreement, doubt, or refusal • I
noticed a lot of headshaking in the audience as you made that claim.[1]



headship

headship
head·ship 
[héd shìp] (plural head·ships)
noun

1.  position
of leader:
somebody’s position or authority as a leader

2.  U.K.
EDUCATION post
of principal: a position as the principal of a school

[1]



headshop

headshop
head
shop
(plural head shops) noun

shop selling drug
paraphernalia: a shop that specializes
in selling articles associated with the use of drugs such as hashish and
marijuana (slang)[1]



headshot

headshot
head·shot 
[héd shòt] (plural head·shots)
noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY CINEMA photo
of head:
a photograph or cinematic shot of a head, especially a person’s head

2.  ARMS gunshot
to head:
a gunshot aimed to hit the head of a person or animal

[1]



headshrinker

headshrinker
head·shrink·er
[héd shrìngkər] (plural head·shrink·ers)
noun

psychiatrist:
a psychiatrist (dated informal insult)[1]



headsman

headsman
heads·man 
[hédzmən] (plural heads·men [hédzmən]) noun

executioner:
a public executioner who beheaded prisoners condemned to death[1]



headstall

headstall
head·stall 
[héd stàwl] (plural head·stalls)
noun

See
headpiece  noun 3
[Stall “stable” in the
earlier sense of “position, place”][1]



headstand

headstand
head·stand 
[héd stànd] (plural head·stands)
noun

position balancing on head:
a position in gymnastics or yoga in which the body is balanced upside down on
the head, usually using the hands for support[1]



headstart

headstart
head
start
(plural head starts) noun

competitive advantage:
an advantage in a competition or endeavor • A
good education gives you a head start when it comes to getting a job.[1]



headstock

headstock
head·stock 
[héd stòk] (plural head·stocks)
noun

support for revolving part of
machine: an assembly or part of a
machine, especially in a lathe, that holds and supports a revolving part[1]



headstone

headstone
head·stone 
[héd stn] (plural head·stones)
noun

1.  gravestone:
a slab of stone placed at the head of a grave as a memorial to the person or
people buried there

2.  head·stone
or head stone ARCHITECTURE
See keystone

[1]



headstream

headstream
head·stream
[héd strm] (plural head·streams)
noun

source stream of river:
a stream that is the source, or one of the sources, of a river[1]



headstrong

headstrong
head·strong 
[héd stràwng] adjective

willful
and stubborn: self-willed and determined not to follow
orders or advice
—head·strong·ly,
adverb

—head·strong·ness, noun[1]



headsup

headsup
heads
up 
interjection

command to watch out:
a command to watch out, especially for danger from overhead, for example, a
falling object or a ball coming through the air[1]



heads-up

heads-up
heads-up 
noun

1.  warning:
an early warning to somebody that something, typically something undesirable,
is soon to happen • gave the law firm a
heads-up on the impending subpoena

2.  something
requiring attention: something that requires
alert attention
adjective

alert and resourceful:
showing quick resourcefulness and alertness in doing or observing something

[1]



heads-updisplay

heads-updisplay
heads-up
dis·play
(plural heads-up dis·plays) noun

eye-level data display:
a display of instrument data projected onto a screen at eye level so that a
pilot or driver does not have to look down to see it[1]



headteacher

headteacher
head
teach·er
(plural head teach·ers) noun

U.K.
school principal:
somebody who is in charge of the teaching staff of a school and who oversees
its day-to-day running.
Also called
head[1]



head-to-head

head-to-head
head-to-head 
adverb adjective

with
a direct encounter: in or involving direct
contact or confrontation
adverb

with
heads adjacent: placed or arranged with heads adjacent • We
put the beds head-to-head.
noun
(plural head-to-heads)

direct encounter:
a direct and immediate encounter[1]



headtrip

headtrip
head
trip
(plural head trips) noun (dated slang)

1.  mentally
stimulating experience: an experience that
stimulates or excites somebody mentally

2.  something
done for personal gratification: something done or a
way of behaving that is intended mainly for personal gratification

[1]



head-updisplay

head-updisplay
head-up
dis·play
(plural head-up dis·plays) noun

U.K.
See heads-up display[1]



headvoice

headvoice
head
voice
noun

MUSIC
See head register[1]



headwaiter

headwaiter
head·wait·er 
[héd wàytər] (plural head·wait·ers)
noun

chief waiter in restaurant:
the person in charge of a group of servers at a restaurant. The headwaiter is
often also responsible for taking reservations and seating customers. • She
has been head waiter at the club for five years.[1]



headwall

headwall
head
wall
(plural head walls) noun

cliff at end of valley:
a cliff forming one end of a valley[1]



headwaters

headwaters
head·wa·ters
[héd wàwtərz] plural noun

source waters of river:
the streams that make up the beginnings of a river[1]



headway

headway
head·way 
[héd wày] noun

1.  progress:
progress toward achieving something • We’re
unable to make much headway with the project.

2.  forward
movement:
movement or rate of progress forward

3.  See
headroom

4.  TRANSPORT difference
in time or distance: the interval or distance
between two vehicles, trains, or ships traveling in the same direction along
the same route
make
headway

to make progress in doing
something or going somewhere[1]



headwind

headwind
head·wind 
[héd wìnd] (plural head·winds)
noun

wind from in front:
a wind blowing against the direction of travel[1]



headword

headword
head·word 
[héd wùrd] (plural head·words)
noun

key word at head of entry:
a word or phrase that forms a heading at the start of a text and is usually
printed in distinctive type, especially a main entry word in a dictionary[1]



headwork

headwork
head·work 
[héd wùrk] noun

1.  mental
effort:
mental activity or effort

2.  ARCHITECTURE architectural
decoration:
decoration on the keystone of an arch

[1]



heady

heady
head·y 
[héddee] (comparative head·i·er,
superlative head·i·est) adjective

1.  exhilarating:
causing or involving a feeling of energy, confidence, and elation

2.  intoxicating:
causing a feeling of light-headedness or intoxication

3.  impetuous:
impulsive and rash in behavior
—head·i·ly,
adverb

—head·i·ness, noun[1]



heal

heal
heal 
[heel] (past healed, past
participle healed, present participle heal·ing, 3rd
person present singular heals) verb

1.  transitive
verb
cure
from ailment: to make a person or injury healthy and
whole

2.  intransitive
verb
repair
naturally:
to be repaired and restored naturally, for example, by the formation of scar
tissue • The
broken bone seems to be healing up quite nicely.

3.  transitive
verb
settle
or rectify:
to repair or rectify something that causes discord and animosity • Unless
she can heal the rift within her party, she stands little chance in the
election.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb emotionally
recover:
to get rid of a wrong, evil, or painful affliction • After
losing his job, he’s taken a while to heal.
[Old
English hlan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also
the ancestor of English health and whole .]
—heal·a·ble, adjective[1]



heal-all

heal-all
heal-all 
(plural heal-alls) noun

See
selfheal[1]



healer

healer
heal·er 
[hlər] (plural heal·ers) noun

specialist in healing:
somebody who cures or treats illnesses or injuries, often using spiritual
rather than scientific methods[1]



healing

healing
heal·ing
[hling] noun

process
of curing or becoming well: the process of curing
somebody or something, or of becoming well • spiritual
healing
adjective

curative:
with the effect of curing or improving something • the
healing process[1]



health

health
health 
[helth] noun (plural healths)

1.  MEDICINE presence
or absence of well-being: the general condition of the
body or mind, especially in terms of the presence or absence of illnesses,
injuries, or impairments

2.  overall
condition of something: the general condition of
something in terms of soundness, vitality, and proper functioning • There
is concern about the financial health of the company.

3.  drinking
toast:
a toast drunk to wish for somebody’s well-being and prosperity • He
drank a health to all his guests.
adjective

1.  MEDICINE devoted
to general well-being: with the function of
maintaining physical and mental well-being among the general public and the
administration of medical and related services

2.  good
for people:
promoting physical and mental well-being
[Old English hlþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English heal and whole, the underlying idea being of
“wholeness.”][1]



healthcamp

healthcamp
health
camp
(plural health camps) noun

New Zealand
camp for children in bad health:
a camp for children who need health care, usually located on the coast[1]



healthcare

healthcare
health
care
noun

activities to maintain
health: the provision of medical and
related services aimed at maintaining good health in individuals or the public,
especially through the prevention and treatment of disease[1]



healthcare

healthcare
health·care
[hélth kàir] adjective

aimed at providing health:
concerned with or involved in providing physical and mental services,
preventive medicine, and treatment to individuals or the public[1]



healthcareassistant

healthcareassistant
health·care
as·sis·tant
(plural health·care as·sis·tants) noun

U.K.
See nurses’ aide[1]



healthcenter

healthcenter
health
cen·ter
(plural health cen·ters) noun

place offering student health
services: a place, operated by a
school or university, that houses a medical practice and other healthcare
services for students[1]



healthfarm

healthfarm
health
farm
(plural health farms) noun

U.K.
See health spa[1]



healthfood

healthfood
health
food
(plural health foods) noun

food to improve or maintain
health: food that is considered to
be more beneficial to health than ordinary food, especially products that are
organically grown or without chemical additives[1]



healthful

healthful
health·ful 
[hélthfəl] adjective

beneficial
to health:
beneficial to physical or mental health
—health·ful·ly,
adverb

—health·ful·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at healthy.

[1]



healthinsurance

healthinsurance
health
in·sur·ance
noun

insurance against ill health:
insurance to cover the costs or losses incurred if an insured person falls ill[1]



healthmaintenance organization

healthmaintenance organization
health
main·te·nance or·gan·i·za·tion  (plural health
main·te·nance or·gan·i·za·tions) noun

Full form of
HMO[1]



healthspa

healthspa
health
spa
noun

establishment with health
facilities: a commercial establishment
similar to a hotel, usually rural, that offers ways of improving health and
fitness, such as a controlled diet, exercise, and massage.
Also called
spa
U.K. term
health farm[1]



healthy

healthy
health·y 
[hélthee] (comparative health·i·er,
superlative health·i·est) adjective

1.  in
good condition: in good physical or mental condition

2.  beneficial
to health:
helping to maintain or bring about good health • a
healthy diet • This
is not a very healthy place to live.

3.  suggestive
of good health: showing that somebody is in good health

4.  morally
or psychologically sound: showing or encouraging moral
or psychological soundness

5.  functioning
well:
in a prosperous and efficient condition • My
bank balance isn’t looking very healthy at the moment.

6.  considerable:
large, usually satisfyingly large, in size or quantity (informal) • a
healthy dose of contrition
—health·i·ly,
adverb

—health·i·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  healthy
  or healthful ?
  It
  is sometimes argued that healthy should be
  used only to describe a living being that is in good health, and that healthful is the word for such things as habits
  or foods that promote good health. There is nothing wrong with observing this
  distinction, but there is also nothing wrong with using healthy as a synonym for healthful, as reputable writers have been doing for
  centuries. Indeed, this usage received federal sanction in 1995, when the
  U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration issued
  regulations governing the ways healthy may
  be used on labels to describe food products.

[1]



heap

heap
heap 
[heep] noun (plural heaps)

1.  rounded
pile:
a large number of things lying on top of one another, or a large quantity of
material, forming a roughly rounded shape • They’d
left all their dirty clothes in a heap on the floor.

2.  large
amount:
a large quantity or amount (informal) • I’ve
got a heap of things to see to before I can go home.

3.  something
old or battered: something that is old, dilapidated, or
messy, especially an old building or car (slang) • You’ll
never get to California in this old heap.
transitive
verb
(past heaped, past participle heaped, present
participle heap·ing, 3rd person present singular heaps)

1.  put
in a pile:
to collect or arrange something into a loose pile • heaping
the stuff all together in the middle of the yard

2.  pile
up:
to load or put a lot of something into a shallow container, forming a roughly
rounded mound

3.  give
in abundance: to give or supply something in large
quantities or amounts • They
heaped scorn on my suggestion.
[Old English hēap .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of Dutch hoop
“hope,” the underlying idea being of something forlorn.][1]



heaped

heaped
heaped
[heept] adjective

U.K.
See heaping[1]



heaping

heaping
heap·ing
[hping] adjective

more than filled:
in sufficient quantity to rise above the rim of the spoon in a small heap.
U.K. term
heaped[1]



heaps

heaps
heaps
[heeps] adverb

U.K.
very much:
very much or greatly (informal) • I
feel heaps better since I went to the doctor.[1]



heapup

heapup
heap
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
into heap:
to accumulate something, or be gathered, into a roughly rounded mound

2.  transitive
verb
collect:
to collect or acquire something in large amounts

[1]



hear

hear
hear 
[heer] (past heard, past
participle heard [hurd], present
participle hear·ing, 3rd person present singular hears)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb perceive
sounds:
to perceive or be able to perceive sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get to
know something: to be informed of something, especially
by being told about it

3.  transitive
verb
listen
to something: to listen to somebody or something • I’m
sure I’ve heard him on the radio.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb understand:
to understand fully by listening attentively • Did
you hear what I just said? • I
won’t stand for it, do you hear?

5.  transitive
verb
LAW preside
over something: to consider something officially as a
judge, commissioner, or member of a jury • the
judge who heard the case

6.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY attend
Mass:
to attend Mass in a Roman Catholic church • The
congregation heard Mass at ten o’clock.
[Old
English hīeran . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word (source
also of German hören ) of uncertain origin.]
—hear·a·ble,
adjective

—hear·er,
noun
hear,
hear!

used as an exclamation to
show great approval[1]



hearfrom

hearfrom
hear
from
transitive verb

get news from:
to receive a communication, for example, a letter or telephone call, from a
person, place, or organization[1]



hearing

hearing
hear·ing 
[hring] (plural hear·ings) noun

1.  awareness
of sound:
the perception of sound, made possible by vibratory changes in air pressure on
the ear drums • My hearing’s going, so
you’ll have to speak louder.

2.  earshot:
the range within which something can be heard • She
moved out of hearing and I lost the end of the sentence.

3.  chance
to be heard: an opportunity to be heard, especially a
chance to state an opinion or fact • All I
want is for my views to get a fair hearing.

4.  LAW trial:
the trial of a case in a court of law

5.  LAW preliminary
examination of accused: a preliminary judicial
examination of an accused person to decide whether the case should proceed to
trial

6.  LAW session
to hear evidence: a session of an investigative or
legislative body at which witnesses are heard
hard
of hearing

unable to hear well[1]



hearingaid

hearingaid
hear·ing
aid
(plural hear·ing aids) noun

device to improve hearing:
a small amplifying device to enable somebody to hear better, usually worn in or
behind the ear[1]



hearingdog

hearingdog
hear·ing
dog
(plural hear·ing dogs) noun

help dog for hearing-impaired
person: a dog trained to help a
hearing-impaired person by indicating that it has heard a certain sound, for
example, the ringing of a telephone or doorbell[1]



hearing-impaired

hearing-impaired
hear·ing-im·paired 
adjective

with reduced hearing:
with a reduced or deficient ability to hear[1]



hearingloss

hearingloss
hear·ing
loss
noun

reduction of ability to hear:
a measurable reduction of the ability to hear or distinguish sounds, especially
of a specific frequency[1]



hearken

hearken
hear·ken 
[hrkən] (past hear·kened, past
participle hear·kened, present participle hear·ken·ing,
3rd person present singular hear·kens) or har·ken [hrkən] (past har·kened, past
participle har·kened, present participle har·ken·ing, 3rd
person present singular har·kens) intransitive verb

listen:
to listen and pay attention (archaic)
[Old
English he(o)rcnian (from an earlier form of hark
), by folk etymology from association with hear]
—hear·ken·er, noun[1]



Hearne,Samuel

Hearne,Samuel
Hearne
[hurn], Samuel (1745–1792)

British explorer. Working for
the Hudson’s Bay Company, he was the first European to travel overland to the
North American coast on the Arctic Ocean (1770–1772).[1]



Hearn,Lafcadio

Hearn,Lafcadio
Hearn
[hurn], Lafcadio (1850–1904)

Greek-born
U.S. writer and teacher. A translator and journalist, he moved to Japan in
1890, became a Japanese citizen, and wrote a stream of books that introduced
Japanese culture and literature to the West.
Full name
Hearn, Patricio Lafcadio Tessima Carlos Japanese name Koizumi, Yakumo[1]



hearof

hearof
hear
of
transitive verb

consider:
to consider something as a possibility • She
wouldn’t hear of their paying their own way.[1]



hearout

hearout
hear
out
transitive verb

listen until the end:
to continue listening until somebody or something has finished[1]



hearsay

hearsay
hear·say 
[hr sày] noun

second-hand
information: information that is heard from other
people
adjective

heard
second-hand: being or containing information heard
from other people
[Mid-16th century.
Translation of Old French par ouïr dire, literally “by hear say.”][1]



hearsayevidence

hearsayevidence
hear·say
ev·i·dence
noun

second-hand evidence:
evidence consisting of testimony about other people that is not based on direct
or personal knowledge. Hearsay evidence is not usually admissible in a court of
law.[1]



hearse

hearse
hearse 
[hurs] (plural hears·es) noun

mortuary
transport vehicle: a vehicle in which a
decedent is carried to a funeral and in which a decedent is transported to a
funeral home immediately after death
[13th
century. Originally “toothed frame for holding candles over coffins,” via
French herse from, ultimately, Latin hirpex “rake, harrow,” of
uncertain origin: probably from Oscan hirpus “wolf,” from the teeth.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Agricultural
  harrows in the Middle Ages were typically toothed triangular frames, so the
  word for a harrow came to be applied in French to a triangular toothed frame
  for holding candles, as used in a church, and particularly as placed over a
  coffin at funeral services. This was the meaning of hearse
  when English acquired it, and it only gradually developed via “canopy placed
  over a coffin” and “coffin, bier” to the modern sense “funeral vehicle”
  (first recorded in the mid-17thC).

[1]



Hearst,William Randolph

Hearst,William Randolph

Hearst
[hurst], William Randolph (1863–1951)
U.S. publisher and politician. He built
up a vast national newspaper and media empire, and after 1927 lived in
seclusion at his California castle, San Simeon. Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane
( 1941 ) is based on his career.[1]



heart

heart
heart 
[haart] (plural hearts) noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY blood-pumping
organ:
a hollow muscular organ that pumps blood around the body, in humans situated in
the center of the chest with its apex directed to the left

2.  ANATOMY position
of chest above heart: the area on the front of the
human body that corresponds roughly to the position of the heart

3.  basis
of emotional life: the human heart, considered
as the source and center of emotional life, where the deepest and sincerest
feelings are located and an individual is most vulnerable to pain

4.  character:
somebody’s essential character • He’s
an abrupt-sounding cuss, but he’s got a very good heart.

5.  compassion:
the ability to feel humane and altruistic feelings • If
she had any heart she would forgive him.

6.  affection:
affection, love, or warm admiration • The
chorus’s singing won the hearts of the audience.

7.  spirit:
the capacity for courage and determination • The
team played with a lot of heart. • They
put their whole hearts into making a go of the business.

8.  disposition:
a mood, mental state, or frame of mind

9.  essential
part of something: the distinctive,
significant, and characteristic center of something • the
heart of rural America

10. PLANTS part
of vegetable around core: the often tasty or succulent
compact central part of a vegetable, for example, a lettuce or cabbage, where
the leaves curl in tightly • artichoke
hearts

11. FOOD animal
heart used as food: the heart of an animal that
is cleaned and trimmed, then roasted, stewed, or braised as food

12. symbolic
depiction of heart: a simplified and
conventionalized picture of a heart as a rounded, roughly triangular shape,
often used to signify love

13. CARD GAMES playing
card:
any one of a suit of cards marked with a symbolic depiction of one or more
hearts.
See
also
hearts

14. beloved
person:
somebody who is dearly loved • Come
to me, dear heart.
[Old
English heorte . Related to German Herz .]
at
heart

in
essence or reality, and despite contrary appearances

break
somebody’s heart

to
cause somebody intense unhappiness and suffering

do
somebody’s heart good

to
make somebody feel happy or satisfied

eat
your heart out

1.  to
brood about something that makes you feel unhappy (informal)

2.  to
be consumed with envy

from
the bottom of your heart

with
the utmost sincerity

have
somebody’s welfare or interests at heart

to
have somebody’s well-being or interests in mind

heart
and soul

completely,
or with the greatest devotion

in
your heart of hearts

in
your deepest inner feelings

learn
or know something by heart

to
memorize or have memorized something

lose
heart

to
become discouraged

not
have the heart to do something

to
be unable to bring yourself to do something that is liable to hurt somebody
else

set
your heart on something

or have
your heart set on somethingto have something as your ambition or greatest
wish

take
heart

to
become encouraged and more confident

take
something to heart

1.  to
take something seriously

2.  to
be upset by something

wear
your heart on your sleeve

to
reveal your feelings openly

with
all your heart

completely
or very willingly





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Indo-European ancestor of heart is also
  the ultimate source of English cardiac,
  concord, cordial, courage,
  quarry, and record.

[1]



heartache

heartache
heart·ache 
[hrt àyk] (plural heart·aches)
noun

emotional pain:
a powerful feeling of sorrow, anguish, or regret[1]



heartattack

heartattack
heart
at·tack
(plural heart at·tacks) noun

1.  MEDICINE damage
to heart:
a sudden, serious, painful, and sometimes fatal interruption of the heart’s
normal functioning, especially due to a blockage in the coronary artery

2.  sudden
shock:
a sudden severe shock (informal) • I
had a heart attack when I looked in the drawer and saw that the money was gone.

[1]



heartbeat

heartbeat
heart·beat 
[hrt bt] (plural heart·beats)
noun

1.  contraction
of heart muscle: a vigorous contraction of the lower
chambers of the heart that drives blood through the body

2.  continuous
pulsation of heart: the continuous pulsating
movement and sound made by a beating heart • Her
rapid heartbeat gradually slowed.

3.  driving
force:
the driving force behind something • Caucus
discussion was the party’s heartbeat, he said.

[1]



heartblock

heartblock
heart
block
noun

disrupted heartbeat:
a condition in which the nerve impulses that control the heartbeat are abnormal
so that the ventricles and the atria no longer beat in time with one another[1]



heartbreak

heartbreak
heart·break 
[hrt bràyk] (plural heart·breaks)
noun

intense grief:
intense unhappiness or grief[1]



heartbreaker

heartbreaker
heart·break·er
(plural heart·break·ers) noun

somebody or something that
hurts others: somebody who or
something that makes people very unhappy, especially somebody with whom many
people fall in love and by whom they are subsequently hurt[1]



heartbreaking

heartbreaking
heart·break·ing 
[hrt bràyking] adjective

extremely
distressing: causing intense sadness or distress
—heart·break·ing·ly, adverb[1]



heartbroken

heartbroken
heart·bro·ken 
[hrt brkən] adjective

extremely
sad:
feeling intensely unhappy or disappointed because of something that has
happened • The
children were heartbroken when we had to cancel the trip.
—heart·bro·ken·ly,
adverb

—heart·bro·ken·ness, noun[1]



heartburn

heartburn
heart·burn 
[hrt bùrn] noun

unpleasant
sensation in chest: an uncomfortable burning
sensation in the lower chest, usually caused by stomach acid flowing back into
the lower end of the esophagus. Technical name cardialgia
Technical name pyrosis
[Formed from heart in the obsolete sense “stomach”][1]



heartcherry

heartcherry
heart
cher·ry
noun

heart-shaped cherry:
a variety of sweet cherries that is heart-shaped and soft-fleshed[1]



heartdisease

heartdisease
heart
dis·ease
noun

diseased condition of heart:
an abnormal condition of the heart or the blood vessels supplying it that
impairs cardiac functioning[1]



hearten

hearten
heart·en 
[hrt’n] (past heart·ened, past
participle heart·ened, present participle heart·en·ing,
3rd person present singular heart·ens) transitive verb

encourage:
to make somebody feel more cheerful and hopeful
[Formed from heart in the obsolete sense “to encourage”][1]



heartening

heartening
heart·en·ing
[hrt’ning] adjective

encouraging:
giving somebody optimism or encouragement[1]



heartfailure

heartfailure
heart
fail·ure
noun

1.  end
of heartbeat: cessation of the normal functioning of
the heart, leading to death • He
died from heart failure at 92, while gardening.

2.  heart
insufficiency: a condition in which the heart cannot
pump blood in sufficient volume to meet the needs of the body, causing
breathlessness, enlargement of the liver, swollen ankles, and other symptoms

[1]



heartfelt

heartfelt
heart·felt 
[hrt fèlt] adjective

deeply felt:
arising from strong and sincere emotion[1]



hearth

hearth
hearth 
[haarth] (plural hearths) noun

1.  floor
of fireplace: the floor of a fireplace, especially
when it extends into the room

2.  home
and family life: the fireplace of a home, thought of as a
symbol of the home and the life of the family who live in it

3.  METALLURGY part
of foundry furnace: the lowest part of a foundry
furnace where molten metal collects or ore is smelted
[Old English heorþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word, (which also produced German herd
), of uncertain origin.][1]



hearthrug

hearthrug
hearth
rug
(plural hearth rugs) noun

small rug:
a rug for the floor in front of a fireplace[1]



hearthside

hearthside
hearth·side 
[hrth sd] noun

See
fireside[1]



hearthstone

hearthstone
hearth·stone 
[hrth stn] (plural hearth·stones)
noun

1.  stone
forming hearth: a large stone used to form the hearth in
a fireplace

2.  cleansing
stone for hearths: a soft variety of stone or a
compound of pipe clay and stone used to clean and whiten fireplaces and
doorsteps

[1]



heartily

heartily
heart·i·ly 
[hrtilee] adverb

1.  enthusiastically:
in a sincere and enthusiastic way

2.  good-naturedly:
in a loud, vigorous, good-natured way

3.  completely:
in a full and complete way

4.  hungrily:
with a good appetite

[1]



heartland

heartland
heart·land 
[hrt lànd] (plural heart·lands)
noun

central part of country:
a central area of a country or region, or an area of it that has special
economic, political, military, or sentimental significance[1]



heartleaf

heartleaf
heart·leaf 
[hrt lf] noun

See
wild ginger
[From the heart-shaped
leaves][1]



heartless

heartless
heart·less 
[hrtləss] adjective

unfeeling:
having or showing no pity or kindness
—heart·less·ly,
adverb

—heart·less·ness, noun[1]



heart-lungmachine

heart-lungmachine
heart-lung
ma·chine 
(plural heart-lung ma·chines) noun

machine that pumps blood
during surgery: a machine that is used
to take over the functions of the heart and lungs in pumping and oxygenating
the blood, chiefly during heart surgery[1]



heartmassage

heartmassage
heart
mas·sage
(plural heart mas·sag·es) noun

See
cardiac massage[1]



heartmurmur

heartmurmur
heart
mur·mur
(plural heart mur·murs) noun

unusual sound coming from
heart: an unusual sound coming from
the heart that can be detected by a stethoscope and may indicate the presence
of a heart defect[1]



heartof palm

heartof palm
heart
of palm
noun

edible bud of cabbage palm:
the terminal bud of the cabbage palm, cooked and served as a vegetable or in
salads[1]



heartrate

heartrate
heart
rate
(plural heart rates) noun

heartbeats during specified
time: the number of heartbeats
occurring within a specified length of time[1]



heartrending

heartrending
heart·rend·ing
[hrt rènding] adjective

causing
extreme sadness: causing intense sadness or distress,
especially in sympathy with somebody else’s unhappiness or hardship
—heart·rend·ing·ly, adverb[1]



hearts

hearts
hearts
[hrts] noun

1.  suit
of cards:
a suit of cards marked with red heart symbols (takes a singular or plural
verb)

2.  card
game:
a card game in which players try to avoid winning cards of the suit hearts or
the queen of spades, or else to win all of these (takes a singular verb)

[1]



heart-searching

heart-searching
heart-search·ing 
[hrt sùrching] noun

mental self-examination:
a thorough and often painful examination of your own conscience, feelings, or
motives[1]



heartsease

heartsease
hearts·ease 
[hrts z] (plural hearts·eas·es
or hearts·ease) noun

pansy:
a pansy, especially the wild pansy. Latin name: Viola tricolor[1]



heartsick

heartsick
heart·sick 
[hrt sìk] adjective

despondent:
deeply disappointed or sad • I’m
heartsick when I think of how things ought to have been.
—heart·sick·ness, noun[1]



heartsmart

heartsmart
heart
smart
adjective

helping to prevent heart
disease: used to describe food that
is low in fat and cholesterol and therefore reduces the risk of heart disease (informal)[1]



heartsore

heartsore
heart·sore
[hrt sàwr] adjective

very sad:
extremely sad or regretful (archaic or literary)[1]



heartstrings

heartstrings
heart·strings
plural noun

deepest
feelings:
somebody’s feelings, especially tender emotions
[String in the obsolete sense
“tendon,” from the earlier belief that tendons brace the heart][1]



heartthrob

heartthrob
heart·throb 
[hrt thròb] (plural heart·throbs)
noun

somebody considered
romantically attractive: somebody
who is thought to be extraordinarily attractive, especially a young movie star
or singer (dated informal)[1]



heart-to-heart

heart-to-heart
heart-to-heart 
adjective

very
frank and intimate: frank and intimate, often
about personal matters
noun
(plural heart-to-hearts)

frank talk:
a frank, intimate conversation[1]



hearturchin

hearturchin
heart
ur·chin
(plural heart ur·chins) noun

sea urchin with heart-shaped
body: a variety of sea urchins
with a heart-shaped body. Genus: Echinocardium[1]



heartwarming

heartwarming
heart·warm·ing
[hrt wàwrming] adjective

gratifying:
inspiring warm or kindly feelings, usually by showing life and human nature in
a positive and reassuring light[1]



heartwood

heartwood
heart·wood 
[hrt wd] noun

central wood of tree:
the wood at the center of a tree trunk or branch that is older, darker, and
harder than the wood surrounding it[1]



heartworm

heartworm
heart·worm 
[hrt wùrm] (plural heart·worms
or heart·worm) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY parasitic
worm:
a parasitic filarial worm that lives in the heart and associated blood vessels
of members of the dog family, and occasionally in cats and seals

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE heart
infection in dogs: an infection of the heart in
members of the dog family, and occasionally in cats and seals, that is caused
by parasitic worms

[1]



hearty

hearty
heart·y 
[hrtee] (comparative heart·i·er,
superlative heart·i·est) adjective

1.  sincere
and enthusiastic: sincere and expressed in a cheerful,
enthusiastic way

2.  loud
and enthusiastic: done in an unrestrainedly loud,
vigorous, but usually good-humored way

3.  healthy:
showing physical health, strength, and vigor

4.  strongly
felt:
sincerely and strongly felt

5.  substantial
and nourishing: substantial, or giving great
satisfaction and nourishment • I need
a hearty breakfast to get my day started.

6.  U.K.
overloud
and overenthusiastic: annoyingly or boorishly loud
or boisterous, and usually overenthusiastic about sports or outdoor activities
(informal)
—heart·i·ness, noun[1]



heat

heat
heat 
[heet] noun (plural heats)

1.  energy
perceived as temperature: a form of transferred energy
that arises from the random motion of molecules and is felt as temperature,
especially as warmth or hotness. Heat is transmitted by conduction, convection,
or radiation. • There was virtually no
heat coming from the fire. Symbol Q

2.  degree
of hotness:
the perceptible degree of hotness • The
heat in that kitchen is absolutely unbearable. • At
what heat do I cook this?

3.  source
of higher temperature: a source of warmth, for
example, to cook something or to keep a building warm • The
heat turns off automatically when the room reaches a certain temperature.

4.  intense
emotion:
emotional intensity, especially in the form of anger or excitement • I
replied with some heat that my conscience was perfectly clear.
• in
the heat of the moment

5.  time
of most activity and excitement: the period or phase of
something at which activity and excitement is at its most intense • During
the heat of the campaign, many rash promises were made.

6.  FOOD spicy
hotness felt in mouth: the hot or burning sensation
produced in the mouth by certain spicy foods

7.  ZOOLOGY sexually
receptive stage: a time during a female mammal’s
reproductive cycle when she is fertile and ready to mate

8.  SPORTS GAME preliminary round:
one of several preliminary rounds before a race or contest, especially one in
which competitors are eliminated, or one that determines the main event’s
starting order

9.  mental
pressure:
psychological pressure on a person or group, especially to produce or achieve
something (informal) • We’re
beginning to feel the heat as the deadline gets closer and closer.

10. criticism:
harsh criticism or reproach (slang) • What’s
your problem? Can’t you take the heat?

11. CRIMINOLOGY intense
police activity: intensive police activity carried out in
order to catch criminal suspects (slang)

12. CRIMINOLOGY police:
the police (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past heat·ed,
past participle heat·ed, present participle heat·ing,
3rd person present singular heats)

raise temperature:
to become or make something warm or hot
[Old
English htu . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was
formed from a word meaning “hot” (the ancestor of English hot ).]
—heat·less,
adjective
turn
on or up the heat (on somebody)

to apply increased pressure
on somebody (slang)[1]



heatbarrier

heatbarrier
heat
bar·ri·er
noun

See
thermal barrier[1]



heatcapacity

heatcapacity
heat
ca·pac·i·ty
noun

heat that raises temperature
one degree: the quantity of heat
required to raise the temperature of one mole or gram of a substance by one
degree Celsius. Symbol C[1]



heatdeath

heatdeath
heat
death
noun

condition of uniform energy
distribution: a condition of a closed
system in which energy is uniformly distributed throughout it, with none
available for use. The universe might ultimately suffer heat death if the
universe is a closed system.[1]



heated

heated
heat·ed 
[htəd] adjective

1.  made
warm:
made warm by artificially generated heat

2.  intense
or angry:
showing emotional intensity or anger
—heat·ed·ness, noun[1]



heatedly

heatedly
heat·ed·ly
[htədlee] adverb

intensely:
with anger or emotional intensity[1]



heatengine

heatengine
heat
en·gine
(plural heat en·gines) noun

machine powered by heat:
a machine that transforms heat into mechanical power, for example, a steam or
gasoline engine[1]



heater

heater
heat·er 
[htər] (plural heat·ers) noun

1.  heating
device:
a device that uses fuel to produce heat in order to make something else warm or
hot, especially a device to heat the air in a room or vehicle

2.  heating
element in vacuum tube: an element in a vacuum tube
that carries the current for heating a cathode

3.  handgun:
a revolver or other handgun (dated slang)

[1]



heatexchanger

heatexchanger
heat
ex·chang·er
(plural heat ex·chang·ers) noun

heat transfer device:
a device, for example, a car radiator, that transfers heat from one medium to
another, usually by conduction through a solid barrier[1]



heatexhaustion

heatexhaustion
heat
ex·haus·tion noun

physical exhaustion due to
heat: a condition of physical
weakness or collapse often accompanied by nausea, muscle cramps, and dizziness,
that is caused by exposure to intense heat.
Also called
heat prostration[1]



heath

heath
heath 
[heeth] (plural heaths) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY grassy
and shrubby uncultivated land: a tract of
uncultivated, open land with infertile, often sandy soil covered with rough
grasses and small shrubs or heather

2.  PLANTS low
evergreen shrub: a plant of a family that includes
heather and some other low-growing evergreen shrubs with small bell-shaped
flowers, commonly found on heaths. Genera: Erica Calluna

3.  INSECTS brown
butterfly:
a butterfly with coppery-brown wings. Genus: Coenonympha
[Old English hāþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “unplowed land,” which is
also the ancestor of German and Dutch heide, and English heathen .][1]



heathcock

heathcock
heath·cock 
[hth kòk] (plural heath·cocks)
noun

male black grouse:
the male of the black grouse (archaic)[1]



heathen

heathen
hea·then 
[hən] (plural hea·thens) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody who does not acknowledge
the God of the Bible, Torah, or Koran

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s nonbelief in religion,
way of life, or degree of knowledge
[Old
English hāþen . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“inhabiting heaths,” hence “uncivilized,” from a word meaning “heath” (source
also of English heath ).]
—heathen,
adjective

—heathenish,
adjective

—heathenishly,
adverb

—heathenishness,
noun

—heathenize, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



heather

heather
heath·er 
[héər] noun (plural heath·ers)

1.  PLANTS small-flowered
shrub:
a low shrubby evergreen plant with spiky leaves and small bell-shaped purple,
pink, or white flowers, that grows in clusters on heaths and mountainsides in
Europe and Asia. Latin name: Calluna vulgaris
Also
called
ling

2.  COLORS purple
color:
a purple color tinged with pink and blue
adjective

COLORS of
purple color: of a purple color tinged with pink and
blue
[14th
century. By folk etymology from earlier Scottish and northern English hadder
or hathir, by association with heath
(on which it grows), of unknown origin.]
—heath·er·y, adjective[1]



heathergrass

heathergrass
heath·er
grass
(plural heath·er grass·es) noun

perennial
grass:
a European perennial grass with flat hairless leaves. Latin name: Sieglingia
decumbens
Also
called
heath grass
[Because it grows in the same
places as heather][1]



heathgrass

heathgrass
heath
grass
(plural heath grass·es) noun

See
heather grass[1]



heathhen

heathhen
heath
hen 
(plural heath hens) noun

1.  U.K.
female
black grouse: the female of the black grouse

2.  extinct
grouse:
an extinct grouse native to New England and related to the prairie chicken.
Latin name: Typanuchus cupido cupido

[1]



HeathRobinson

HeathRobinson
Heath
Rob·in·son
[heeth ráwbəns’n] adjective

U.K.
(humorous) See Rube Goldberg
[Early 20th century. Named
for W. Heath Robinson ( 1872–1944 ), a British humorous artist whose
illustrations featured humorously overcomplex devices.][1]



HeathrowAirport

HeathrowAirport
Heath·row
Air·port
[hth r áir pawrt]

the largest and busiest
airport serving London, England, situated on the western outskirts of the
capital[1]



heating

heating
heat·ing
[hting] noun

1.  process
of warming something: the operation of warming
something, for example, food, a room, or the interior of a building

2.  equipment
that creates heat: the equipment that produces
heat to warm something, for example, a central heating system • The
heating doesn’t come on again until six o’clock in the evening.

[1]



heatingelement

heatingelement
heat·ing
el·e·ment
(plural heat·ing el·e·ments) noun

wire supplying heat to
materials: an insulated or covered wire
whose high resistance to an electrical current causes its temperature to rise,
providing heat to surrounding materials, for example, an electric blanket[1]



heatingpad

heatingpad
heat·ing
pad
(plural heat·ing pads) noun

pad that heats body:
a fabric-covered pad that encloses an electric heating element and is used to
apply heat to various parts of the body[1]



heatisland

heatisland
heat
is·land
(plural heat is·lands) noun

area of higher temperature:
an urban area where the air temperature is consistently higher than in the
surrounding region because of the generation and retention of heat created by
human activity and human-made structures[1]



heatlightning

heatlightning
heat
light·ning
noun

lightning without thunder:
lightning seen near the horizon, especially on hot evenings, without the sound
of thunder. It is thought to be a reflection of lightning on clouds. The
thunder accompanying the lightning is too distant to be heard.[1]



heatof combustion

heatof combustion
heat
of com·bus·tion noun

heat produced by combustion:
the amount of heat produced when one mole of a substance is burned in oxygen[1]



heat-proof

heat-proof
heat-proof
adjective

not affected by heat:
not damaged or affected when exposed to heat, for example in an oven or over a
flame[1]



heatprostration

heatprostration
heat
pros·tra·tion noun

See
heat exhaustion[1]



heatpump

heatpump
heat
pump
(plural heat pumps) noun

heat-transferring device on
refrigerator principle: a
mechanical or chemical device used to heat and air-condition buildings. In
heating a building, for example, it extracts heat from a low-temperature source
and expels it elsewhere at a higher temperature.[1]



heatrash

heatrash
heat
rash
(plural heat rash·es) noun

See
prickly heat[1]



heat-seal

heat-seal
heat-seal 
transitive verb

seal plastic packaging by
heat: to make packaging material,
usually a thin clear plastic film, airtight around something by applying heat
and pressure[1]



heatseeker

heatseeker
heat·seek·er
(plural heat·seek·ers) noun

customer wanting newest
technology: a customer who always
purchases the latest version of most recent update of an existing product (slang)[1]



heat-seeking

heat-seeking
heat-seek·ing
adjective

able to detect infrared
radiation: able to detect and follow
infrared radiation from heat • The
aircraft was brought down by a heat-seeking missile.[1]



heatshield

heatshield
heat
shield
(plural heat shields) noun

protective barrier against
heat: a coating or structure
designed to protect against the effects of very high temperatures, especially
the coating that protects spacecraft during re-entry into the Earth’s
atmosphere[1]



heatsink

heatsink
heat
sink
(plural heat sinks) noun

heat-regulating device:
a device, often a metal plate, that conducts and dissipates unwanted heat
generated by an electronic component or power supply[1]



heatstroke

heatstroke
heat·stroke 
[héet strk] noun

physical exhaustion caused by
heat: a condition caused by
prolonged exposure to high temperatures, in which people experience high fever,
headaches, hot dry skin, physical exhaustion, and sometimes physical collapse
and coma[1]



heat-treat

heat-treat
heat-treat 
transitive verb

1.  METALLURGY temper
metal by heating and cooling: to bring metal to the
desired hardness by alternately heating and cooling it

2.  MEDICINE treat
muscular pains by heat: to use heat, for example,
generated by massage, as a means of treating rheumatism or muscular injuries
—heat treat·ment, noun[1]



heatup

heatup
heat
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become hotter: to make something hotter, or become
hotter

2.  make
or become more intense: to become or make something
more intense, exciting, or excited

[1]



heatwave

heatwave
heat
wave
(plural heat waves) noun

hot period:
a period of unusually hot weather[1]



heave

heave
heave 
[heev] verb (past heaved,
past participle heaved, present participle heav·ing,
3rd person present singular heaves)

1.  transitive
verb
move
using much effort: to pull, push, lift, or
throw something heavy by exerting great physical effort, especially in a
concentrated or concerted burst • We
picked up the sack between us and heaved it into the truck.

2.  intransitive
verb
exert
physical effort in rhythmic burst: to exert great
physical effort, especially in concentrated or concerted rhythmic bursts, when
pulling on a rope or attempting to move something heavy • All
together now, heave! • We
heaved and heaved, but the car remained firmly stuck in the mud.

3.  transitive
verb
direct
by tossing something: to throw something fairly
heavy in a particular direction, often in a casual way (informal) • Heave
the empty boxes into that corner.

4.  intransitive
verb
rise
and fall rhythmically: to rise and fall in a
rhythmic or spasmodic way • After
the footraces his chest was heaving, and he was covered in sweat.

5.  intransitive
verb
make
a sudden involuntary movement: to move suddenly in a
violent involuntary motion, often associated with feelings of nausea • The
sight made my stomach heave.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb vomit:
to vomit something up, or try to vomit (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
laboriously
utter something: to utter a sound, especially a sigh,
with a long outflow of breath or with effort and pain • We
can heave a sigh of relief now that the waiting is over.

8.  (past
hove) intransitive and transitive verb NAUTICAL move a ship:
to move or make a ship move in a particular direction

9.  (past
hove) intransitive verb appear:
to become visible, like a ship appearing over the horizon • An
enemy ship hove into sight. • Gradually,
the end of summer hove into sight.

10. transitive
verb
GEOLOGY displace
horizontally: to displace rock strata or a mineral
lode in a horizontal direction, usually by the intersection of other strata or
another lode
noun
(plural heaves)

1.  effortful
burst:
a burst of physical effort to pull on something or move something heavy • We
gave one final heave and the tree began to topple over.

2.  throw:
an act of throwing something fairly heavy, or the distance something is thrown

3.  up-and-down
movement:
a rhythmic or spasmodic movement that rises and falls • the
heave of a heavy ocean swell

4.  GEOLOGY horizontal
displacement: rock strata or a lode that is displaced
horizontally

5.  act
of vomiting: an act of or attempt at vomiting (informal)
interjection

Caribbean used
to report fight: in Trinidad, used to report that a fight
has started (informal)
plural
noun
heaves

vomiting attack:
an attack of vomiting or retching (slang)
[Old
English hebban “to lift.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
(source also of German heben ).]
—heav·er,
noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



heavedown

heavedown
heave
down
transitive verb

upturn boat for cleaning:
to turn a boat over for cleaning[1]



heave-ho

heave-ho
heave-ho 
interjection

NAUTICAL command
to pull:
used to command or encourage sailors to pull together on a rope
noun

dismissal or rejection:
dismissal from something, or rejection by somebody (informal) • He’s
just been given the heave-ho from his job.[1]



heaven

heaven
heav·en 
[hévv’n] noun

1.  Heaven
or heaven RELIGION perfect
dwelling place after death: a place or condition of
supreme happiness and peace where good people are believed to go after death,
and, especially in Christianity, the dwelling place of God and the angels

2.  blissful
experience:
an experience of blissful happiness • It’s
heaven not to have get up early in the morning. • This
place would be heaven, if it weren’t for the people who live here.

3.  sky
overarching Earth: the sky by day or at night
as seen from Earth (often used in the plural) • After
weeks of drought the heavens opened.

4.  Heaven
or heaven CHRISTIANITY
power
of God:
in Christian belief, the power of God to direct events on earth • Heaven
protect us!
• a
gift from heaven
interjection
heav·en heav·ens

expressing astonishment:
used to express great surprise, annoyance, or gratitude (informal) • Good
heavens, is that the time?
[Old
English heofon, of uncertain origin]
for
heaven’s sake

used
to express annoyance or exasperation

heaven
knows

used
to emphasize the truth of what somebody is saying • Heaven
knows, I’ve warned you about that already.

heaven
(only) knows

used
to emphasize the fact that somebody is unable even to make a reasonable guess
at something unknown or mysterious • Heaven
only knows what he’s done with my keys.

move
heaven and earth

to do everything possible to
make something happen[1]



heavenly

heavenly
heav·en·ly 
[hévv’nlee] (comparative heav·en·li·er,
superlative heav·en·li·est) adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY of
God and heaven: belonging to the heaven and God of
Christian belief • A heavenly voice spoke
to him out of the clouds.

2.  lovely:
supremely delightful, delicious, or beautiful (informal) • The
chocolate mousse was heavenly. • a
sweet little cottage with the most heavenly view

3.  in
the sky:
in the sky or space as seen from Earth
—heav·en·li·ness, noun[1]



heavenlybody

heavenlybody
heav·en·ly
bod·y
noun

ASTRONOMY
See celestial body[1]



heaven-sent

heaven-sent
heav·en-sent 
adjective

opportune:
happening or arriving at just the right time to help or benefit somebody
greatly[1]



heavenward

heavenward
heav·en·ward 
[hévv’nwərd] or heav·en·wards
[hévv’nwərdz] adverb adjective

toward the sky:
moving or directed upward toward the sky or heaven • He
rolled his eyes heavenward, shrugged his shoulders, and said “That’s the way
the cookie crumbles!”[1]



heaves

heaves
heaves
[heevz] noun

horse disease:
a chronic lung disorder in horses marked by difficulty in breathing and
believed to be caused by dust, molds, or other air pollutants. The heaves
resembles asthma in human beings. (informal) (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



heaveto

heaveto
heave
to
intransitive and transitive verb

stop ship’s movement:
to bring a ship to a stop • We
hove to about a cable’s length from her stern.[1]



heavier-than-air

heavier-than-air
heav·i·er-than-air 
adjective

weighing more than displaced
air: unable to float in air
because it weighs more than the air it displaces, and thus only able to fly
under power using aerodynamic lift[1]



heavily

heavily
heav·i·ly 
[hévvilee] adverb

1.  with
great weight: with a great weight

2.  laboriously:
in a slow, clumsy, or laborious way

3.  severely:
in a severe, onerous, or comprehensive way

4.  in
large numbers: in large numbers or quantities

5.  sadly:
in a sad and resigned way • “It
was my fault,” he replied heavily.

6.  seriously:
in a serious or enthusiastic way (informal) • I
didn’t know you were heavily into astrology.

[1]



Heavisidelayer

Heavisidelayer
Heav·i·side
lay·er
[hévvi sīd làyər] noun

See
E layer
[Early 20th century. Named
for Oliver Heaviside, its discoverer.][1]



heavy

heavy
heav·y 
[hévvee] adjective (comparative
heav·i·er, superlative heav·i·est)

1.  weighing
a lot:
weighing a relatively large amount and thus difficult to lift, carry, or move • Daddy
can’t carry you any more, you’re too heavy. • We
put heavy stones on the corners of the rug to stop it from blowing away.

2.  present
in large amounts: occurring or produced in large amounts
or in greater amounts than normal

3.  full,
thick, or dense: involving or using a larger amount of
material or having a thicker, denser texture than usual

4.  abundantly
using something: using or consuming something a great
deal

5.  needing
strength:
needing much strength and effort • heavy
road work

6.  demanding:
difficult to fulfill or cope with, and often burdensome or oppressive

7.  busy:
filled with a large or larger than normal amount of activity, business, or
commitments

8.  powerful:
struck or striking with a great deal of weight or force

9.  broad
and dark:
thick and dark-colored, or made with thick dark lines

10. explicit:
intended to give emphasis to something and to make the meaning or intention
obvious

11. unsubtle:
lacking subtlety or delicacy • heavy
sarcasm

12. fleshy:
large and solidly fleshy • a
huge, heavy body

13. clumsy:
typical of somebody who is large and who moves slowly and deliberately or
clumsily

14. sounding
loud and dull: loud and dull in sound, as if produced
by something large hitting or falling onto something

15. INDUSTRY extensively
producing or refining something: involved in
large-scale industrial processes requiring large premises and a lot of
equipment

16. rugged
and strong:
specially adapted for rough work or for carrying large loads • heavy
excavating equipment

17. MILITARY large-caliber:
firing large-caliber ammunition

18. MILITARY NAVY with large weapons:
carrying more or larger guns and armaments than is standard • building
a new heavy cruiser

19. sad:
sad, or likely to make somebody feel sad

20. serious
and requiring concentration: requiring concentrated
attention to be understood or appreciated • a
heavy novel

21. turgid:
difficult and requiring effort rather than being pleasurable • I’m
trying to finish reading the novel, but it’s heavy going.

22. strict:
strict or severe in behavior

23. violent:
using or prepared to use violence (informal)

24. powerful
and lingering: strong and lingering in smell • a
heavy odor of leeks

25. NAUTICAL rough:
with large waves causing difficulties for boats

26. METEOROLOGY dark
and overcast: dark in color and threatening rain or
snow

27. METEOROLOGY sultry
and threatening: sultry and overcast, as if threatening a
storm or thunder

28. FOOD hard
to digest:
large in quantity and difficult to digest

29. MUSIC with
powerful beat: used to describe rock music with a
powerful, insistent beat

30. serious
and oppressive: significant, oppressively serious, or
emotionally demanding (slang) • I had
a heavy scene with my friend tonight.

31. CHEMISTRY with
high atomic weight: with a higher than normal
atomic weight

32. PHYSICS with
high specific gravity: with a higher than normal
specific gravity
noun
(plural heav·ies)

1.  ARTS villain:
a villain in a play, movie, or other dramatic performance • He
played the heavy in a couple of westerns.

2.  somebody
who is violent: somebody hired to persuade people, by
threats or violence, to do something (slang) (often used in the
plural) • He
sent in a bunch of heavies to do his dirty work.

3.  important
person:
somebody who is important or influential (informal)

4.  SPORTS heavyweight:
a heavyweight, for example, a heavyweight boxer (informal)
adverb

heavily: in a
heavy way
[Old
English hefig . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“weighty” (ancestor also of Dutch hevig ), from, ultimately, a word
meaning “to lift” (source also of English heave
).]
—heav·i·ness, noun[1]



heavybreather

heavybreather
heav·y
breath·er
(plural heav·y breath·ers) noun

1.  nuisance
caller:
somebody who makes anonymous nuisance calls, breathing loudly into the
telephone in a way that is intended to suggest sexual excitement or a physical
threat

2.  noisy
breather:
somebody who breathes noisily or with difficulty, usually because of a medical
condition
—heav·y breath·ing, noun[1]



heavychain

heavychain
heav·y
chain
(plural heav·y chains) noun

larger polypeptide chain:
either of the larger polypeptide chains in an antibody.
See also
light chain[1]



heavycream

heavycream
heav·y
cream
(plural heav·y creams) noun

cream with high fat content:
cream with a high fat content that can be whipped to make it thicker[1]



heavy-duty

heavy-duty
heav·y-dut·y 
adjective

1.  tough
and durable: designed for hard wear or use in rough
conditions

2.  U.K.
serious:
more serious, substantial, or intensive than usual (informal) • a
heavy-duty meeting

[1]



heavy-footed

heavy-footed
heav·y-foot·ed 
[hèvvee fttəd] (comparative heav·i·er-foot·ed,
superlative heav·i·est-foot·ed) adjective

walking slowly and clumsily:
slow, lumbering, or clumsy in walking[1]



heavy-handed

heavy-handed
heav·y-hand·ed 
[hèvvi hándəd] (comparative heav·i·er-hand·ed,
superlative heav·i·est-hand·ed) adjective

1.  physically
or socially clumsy: lacking skill or delicacy in
handling objects or dealing with people

2.  harsh
and oppressive: relying on force or intimidation to
exercise authority
—heav·y-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—heav·y-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



heavy-hearted

heavy-hearted
heav·y-heart·ed 
(comparative heav·i·er-heart·ed, superlative heav·i·est-heart·ed)
adjective

sad:
feeling or showing sadness (literary)
—heav·y-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—heav·y-heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



heavyhitter

heavyhitter
heav·y
hit·ter
(plural heav·y hit·ters) noun

1.  powerful
person:
somebody with power or influence (slang)

2.  BASEBALL powerful
batter:
a batter of great strength, capable of hitting long balls and home runs
[Probably from the idea of a boxer
who relies on powerful slugging rather than skill][1]



heavyhydrogen

heavyhydrogen
heav·y
hy·dro·gen
noun

isotope of hydrogen:
an isotope of hydrogen with a mass number greater than 1, especially deuterium[1]



heavy-laden

heavy-laden
heav·y-lad·en 
(comparative heav·i·er-lad·en, superlative heav·i·est-lad·en)
adjective

bearing a heavy load:
carrying a heavy burden, for example, of sorrow or guilt (literary)[1]



heavylifting

heavylifting
heav·y
lift·ing
noun

1.  strenuous
lifting:
the lifting of heavy objects

2.  sustained
effort:
serious or sustained effort in a demanding task • Who’s
going to do the heavy lifting on this project?

3.  work
requiring mental or physical effort: work
that requires labor- or brain-intensive activity (slang) • wanted
a position involving no heavy lifting

[1]



heavymetal

heavymetal
heav·y
met·al 
(plural heav·y met·als) noun

1.  MUSIC type
of rock music: a style of loud rock music with a very
strong beat (hyphenated when used before a noun)

2.  METALLURGY metal
with high relative density: a metal, often toxic to
organisms, that has a relative density of 5.0 or higher, for example, lead,
mercury, copper, and cadmium

[1]



heavyoil

heavyoil
heav·y
oil
noun

hydrocarbon mixture:
a mixture of hydrocarbons distilled from coal tar that is heavier than water[1]



heavyparticle

heavyparticle
heav·y
par·ti·cle
(plural heav·y par·ti·cles) noun

See
baryon[1]



heavyset

heavyset
heav·y·set 
[hèvvi sét] (comparative heav·i·er-set,
superlative heav·i·est-set) adjective

solidly built:
with a compact and powerful-looking build[1]



heavyspar

heavyspar
heav·y
spar
noun

form of barium sulfate:
a mineral form of barium sulfate. BaSO4[1]



heavywater

heavywater
heav·y
wa·ter
noun

water with deuterium not
hydrogen: water that has had its
hydrogen atoms replaced with the hydrogen isotope deuterium. It is used in some
nuclear reactors. D2O
Also called
deuterium oxide[1]



heavy-waterreactor

heavy-waterreactor
heav·y-wa·ter
re·ac·tor
(plural heav·y-wa·ter re·ac·tors) noun

nuclear reactor:
a nuclear reactor in which heavy water is used as a moderator[1]



heavyweight

heavyweight
heav·y·weight 
[hévvi wàyt] (plural heav·y·weights)
noun

1.  BOXING boxer
in highest weight category: a boxer of the heaviest
weight class. Professional heavyweight boxers must weigh more than 79.5 kg175
lbs.

2.  SPORTS contestant
in heaviest weight class: a contestant in the heaviest
weight class of a sport

3.  heavy
person or thing: somebody or something whose weight is
considerably above the average

4.  somebody
or something powerful or influential: a
person or organization with considerable power or influence, usually in a
specified area (slang)

[1]



Heb.

Heb.
Heb.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Hebrew

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Hebrews

[1]



hebdomad

hebdomad
heb·do·mad 
[hébdə màd] (plural heb·do·mads)
noun (formal)

1.  group
of seven:
a group of seven people or things

2.  week:
a period of seven days
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from the Greek stem hebdomad- “the number seven, a period of seven
days,” from hepta “seven” (source of English heptagon
).][1]



hebdomadal

hebdomadal
heb·dom·a·dal 
[heb dómməd’l] adjective

weekly:
occurring on a weekly basis (formal)[1]



hebe

hebe
he·be
[hbee] (plural he·bes) noun

flowering
shrub:
a flowering evergreen shrub with drooping spikes of blue, mauve, or white
flowers and overlapping leaves resembling scales. Genus: Hebe
[Mid-20th century. Named for Hebe .][1]



Hebe

Hebe
He·be 
noun

Greek
goddess of youth: in Greek mythology, the goddess of youth
and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She married Hercules.
[Early 17th century. From
Greek Hēbē, literally “youthful prime.”][1]



Hebei

Hebei
He·bei 
[hö báy]

province in northern China.
Its territories include the economic heartland of ancient Chinese civilization.
Capital: Shijiazhuang. Population: 63,880,000 (1994) Area: 188,000 sq km/72,600
sq mi.[1]



hebetate

hebetate
heb·e·tate 
[hébbə tàyt] (past heb·e·tat·ed,
past participle heb·e·tat·ed, present participle heb·e·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular heb·e·tates) adjective

blunt:
used to describe a plant part that has a blunt or soft point
[Late 16th century. From
Latin hebetat-, the past participle stem of hebetare, from the
stem hebet- “blunt, dull,” of unknown origin.][1]



hebetic

hebetic
he·be·tic 
[hə béttik] adjective

happening
at puberty:
occurring at or concerning puberty (formal)
[From Greek hēbētikos,
from, ultimately, hēbē “youth,” from Hēbē “ Hebe ”][1]



hebetude

hebetude
heb·e·tude 
[hébbə td] noun

mental
dullness:
mental lethargy (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin hebetudo, from the Latin stem hebet- “dull,” of
unknown origin.][1]



Hebr.

Hebr.
Hebr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Hebrew

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Hebrews

[1]



Hebraic

Hebraic
He·bra·ic 
[hi bráy ik] or He·bra·i·cal [hi bráy ik’l] adjective

of
Hebrews:
relating to the Hebrews or their language or culture
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek Hebraikos, from Hebraios (see Hebrew ).]
—He·bra·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Hebraism

Hebraism
He·bra·ism 
[h bray ìzzəm] (plural He·bra·isms)
or He·bra·i·cism [h bray ìzzəm]
noun

Hebrew
idiom:
a characteristic feature of the Hebrew language, especially one borrowed by
another language, or something frequently found among the Hebrew people or
their culture
[Late 16th century. Via
French or modern Latin from late Greek Hebraismos, from Hebraios (see
Hebrew ).][1]



Hebraist

Hebraist
He·bra·ist 
[h brày ist] (plural He·bra·ists)
noun

scholar
of Hebrew:
a scholar who specializes in the study of Hebrew
—He·bra·is·ti·cal·ly [h bray ístikəlee], adverb[1]



Hebraize

Hebraize
He·bra·ize 
[h bray z] (past He·bra·ized,
past participle He·bra·ized, present participle He·bra·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular He·bra·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
resemble Hebrew: to give a language or culture Hebrew
characteristics

2.  intransitive
verb
become
like Hebrew: to adopt Hebrew idioms or customs
[Mid-17th
century. From late Greek Hebraizein, from Hebraios (see Hebrew ).]
—He·bra·i·za·tion
[h bray i záysh’n], noun

—He·bra·iz·er [h bray zər], noun[1]



Hebrew

Hebrew

He·brew 
[h broo] noun (plural He·brews)

1.  LANGUAGE one of
official languages of Israel: one of the official
languages of Israel, also spoken in the United States and parts of Europe. It
is one of the Canaanitic subgroup of the Semitic group of the Afro-Asian family
of African languages. Hebrew is spoken by about five million people.

2.  PEOPLES HISTORY See Israelite
adjective

LANGUAGE HISTORY See Hebraic
[13th century. Via Old French
ebreu from, ultimately, late Greek Hebraios, from Aramaic irāy,
a rendering of Hebrew irī “Israelite,” literally “somebody from the
other side (of the Euphrates river).”][1]



Hebrewcalendar

Hebrewcalendar
He·brew
cal·en·dar
noun

See
Jewish calendar[1]



Hebrews

Hebrews
He·brews
[h brooz] noun

book in Bible:
in the Bible, an epistle that is thought to have been written toward the end of
the first century A.D. (takes a
singular verb)[1]



HebrewScriptures

HebrewScriptures
He·brew
Scrip·tures
plural noun

Bible of Judaism:
the Bible of Judaism, consisting of the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the
Hagiographa.
See also
Torah[1]



Hebrides

Hebrides
Heb·ri·des 
[hébbrə deez]

collective
name for the islands off the western coast of Scotland, comprising an outer
chain of islands, the Outer Hebrides, separated by a sea channel from the Inner
Hebrides nearer the mainland
—He·bri·de·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Hebron

Hebron
He·bron 
[hb ron, hébbron]

town in the West Bank region,
situated 32 km/20 mi southwest of Jerusalem. Population: 70,400 (1994)[1]



Hecate

Hecate
Hec·a·te 
[hékətee] or Hek·a·te [hékətee] noun

Greek
goddess of darkness: in Greek mythology, the
goddess of darkness and the underworld. She was the daughter of the Titans
Perses and Asteria.
[Late 16th century. From
Greek Hekatē, a form of hekatos “far-darting.”][1]



hecatomb

hecatomb
hec·a·tomb 
[hékə tm] (plural hec·a·tombs)
noun

1.  ancient
Greek or Roman sacrifice: a public sacrifice and feast
in ancient Greece or Rome, originally involving the slaughter of 100 oxen

2.  great
sacrifice:
any large-scale sacrifice (literary)
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek hekatombē, from hekaton “hundred” + bous “ox.”][1]



Hecht,Ben

Hecht,Ben
Hecht
[hekt], Ben (1894–1964)

U.S. writer. The author of
fiction, plays, and screenplays, he is best remembered for his collaborations
with Charles MacArthur on the plays The Front Page ( 1928 ) and Twentieth
Century ( 1933 ).[1]



heck

heck
heck 
[hek] interjection

expressing
irritation or emphasis: used as a mild way of
expressing annoyance or frustration, or emphasizing a statement (informal)
• Oh
heck, I suppose that means we can’t go.
noun

exclamation:
sometimes used as a less offensive alternative for the word “hell” (informal)
• What
the heck is going on?
[Late
19th century. Euphemistic alteration of hell
.]
a
heck of a

or
one heck of aused to indicate that something is particularly large,
intense, or impressive (informal) • There’s
still a heck of a lot to do before closing time.[1]



heckelphone

heckelphone
heck·el·phone 
[hék’l fn] (plural heck·el·phones)
noun

musical
instrument like bass oboe: a bass musical instrument of
the oboe family, in pitch between the English horn and the bassoon
[Early 20th century. From
German Heckelphon, named for the German instrument maker Wilhelm Heckel
( 1856–1909 ), its inventor. Modeled on saxophone
.][1]



heckle

heckle
heck·le 
[hék’l] verb (past heck·led,
past participle heck·led, present participle heck·ling,
3rd person present singular heck·les)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrupt
somebody with shouting: to shout remarks, insults,
or questions in order to disconcert somebody who is making a speech or giving a
performance • A
very angry crowd of voters heckled the candidate for mayor.

2.  transitive
verb
dress
flax or hemp: to comb flax or hemp
noun
(plural heck·les)

comb for flax or hemp:
a comb used for dressing flax or hemp
[14th century. Variant of hackle . The underlying idea of the interrupting
sense is “scratching, irritating.”][1]



heckler

heckler
heck·ler
[héklər] (plural heck·lers) noun

interrupter:
somebody who deliberately interrupts a speaker or performer by shouting[1]



hect-

hect-
hect-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hecto-[1]



hectare

hectare
hec·tare 
[hék tr] (plural hec·tares) noun

metric
unit of area: a metric unit of area equal to 100 ares
or 10,000 sq m (2.471 acres )
[Early 19th century. From
French, from Greek hekaton “hundred” + French are “unit of area,”
from Latin area “open space” (source of English area ).][1]



hectic

hectic
hec·tic 
[héktik] adjective

1.  constantly
busy and hurried: characterized by continual activity and
haste, the lack of any time to rest or relax, and a sense of things barely
under control • Things have been pretty
hectic at work this week.

2.  MED feverish:
symptomatic of or involving a recurrent afternoon fever, especially one
accompanying tuberculosis • hectic
fever
• a
hectic flush
[14th century. Via Old French
etique from, ultimately, Greek hektikos “habitual, consumptive,”
from, ultimately, Greek ekhein “to have.”][1]



hecto-

hecto-
hecto-
prefix

one
hundred • hectogram.
Symbol h
[Via French from Greek hekaton
. Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “hundred,” which is also the
ancestor of English hundred and centum .][1]



hectocotylus

hectocotylus
hec·to·cot·y·lus 
[hèktō kótt’ləss] (plural hec·to·cot·y·li
[hèktō kótt’lī]) noun

specialized
tentacle:
a tentacle with which male octopuses and related mollusks transfer sperm to the
female during mating
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name (given in the mistaken belief that the tentacles were
separate organisms), from French hecto- “ hecto-
” + Greek kotulē “cup, something hollow.”][1]



hectogram

hectogram
hec·to·gram 
[héktə gràm] (plural hec·to·grams)
noun

unit
of mass:
a metric unit of mass equal to 100 grams
[Late 18th century. From
French hectogramme, from hecto- “ hecto-
” + -gram .][1]



hectoliter

hectoliter
hec·to·li·ter 
[héktə ltər] (plural hec·to·li·ters)
noun

unit
of capacity: a metric unit of capacity equal to 100
liters
[Early 19th century. From
French, from hecto- “ hecto- ” + liter .][1]



hectometer

hectometer
hec·to·me·ter 
[héktə mtər] (plural hec·to·me·ters)
noun

unit
of length:
a metric unit of length equal to 100 meters
[Early 19th century. From
French hectomètre, from hecto- “ hecto-
” + meter .][1]



Hector

Hector
Hec·tor 
noun

mythological
Trojan hero: in Greek mythology, the main Trojan hero
in the Trojan War and the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. He was killed by
Achilles.
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek Hektōr, literally “holding fast,” ultimately from ekhein
“to hold.”][1]



hector

hector
hec·tor 
[héktər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past hec·tored, past participle hec·tored, present
participle hec·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular hec·tors)

speak
in intimidating way: to speak to somebody in a
loud, threatening, or domineering tone intended to intimidate
noun
(plural hec·tors)

bully:
a bully (archaic or literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Hector . The name became associated with a London
gang.][1]



Hecuba

Hecuba
Hec·u·ba 
[hékyəbə] noun

mythological
queen of Troy: in Greek mythology, the queen of Troy
and wife of King Priam. She had 16 children, including Cassandra, Hector, and
Paris.
[Via Latin from Greek Hekabē][1]



heddle

heddle
hed·dle 
[hédd’l] (plural hed·dles) noun

part
of loom:
one of the sets of vertical cords or wires in the frame on a loom that guides
the warp threads
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English hefeld, related to English heave .][1]



hedge

hedge
hedge 
[hej] noun (plural hedg·es)

1.  row
of shrubs:
a close-set row of bushes, usually with their branches intermingled, forming a
barrier or boundary in a garden, lawn, or field

2.  FINANCE protective
method:
a means of protection against something, especially a means of guarding against
financial loss • a hedge against
inflation

3.  evasive
statement:
an evasive or noncommittal statement
verb
(past hedged, past participle hedged, present
participle hedg·ing, 3rd person present singular hedg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
put
bushes around something: to put a row of intermingled
shrubs around an area of ground

2.  intransitive
verb
work
on hedges:
to work at repairing, trimming, or planting a hedge

3.  transitive
verb
restrict
something:
to restrict the scope or applicability of something by means of something else,
for example, a set of regulations, conditions, or qualifications • It
was a promise, but hedged in with so many ifs and buts that I wouldn’t rely on
it.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
evasive:
to avoid answering a question directly or definitely • She
could have given a straight answer, but instead she hedged.

5.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE try
to offset possible losses: to take measures to offset
any possible loss on a financial transaction, especially by investing in
counterbalancing securities as a guard against price fluctuations
[Old
English hegg . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
grasp.”]
—hedg·y, adjective[1]



hedgeapple

hedgeapple
hedge·ap·ple
[héj àpp’l] (plural hedge·ap·ples)
or hedge·ball [héj àpp’l] (plural
hedge·balls) noun

inedible
fruit:
the inedible fruit of the Osage orange (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Hedgeapple
  is a West Midland designation for the fruit of the Osage orange, most common
  in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Hedgeball is used
  in Illinois, Kentucky, and Kansas.

[1]



hedgefund

hedgefund
hedge
fund
(plural hedge funds) noun

risk-taking investment
company: an investment company that
is organized as a limited partnership and uses high-risk techniques in the hope
of making large profits[1]



hedgehog

hedgehog
hedge·hog 
[héj hòg] (plural hedge·hogs) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY small
spiny animal: any of various small mammals of Europe,
Africa, and Asia that have a small pointed head and a round body with stiff
spines on the back. Hedgehogs eat insects, eggs, and mice, frogs, and other
small animals, and can roll into a ball when attacked to protect themselves by
means of their spines. Family: Erinaceidae

2.  MILITARY defense
against landing craft: an underwater obstacle
designed to keep landing craft from reaching a beach by ripping holes in the
hulls

[1]



hedgehogcactus

hedgehogcactus
hedge·hog
cac·tus
noun

low-growing cactus:
any of various low-growing round or cylindrical cacti of Mexico and the
southwestern United States, with white, yellow, red, or purple bell-shaped
flowers. Genus: Echinocereus[1]



hedgehop

hedgehop
hedge·hop 
[héj hòp] (past hedge·hopped, past
participle hedge·hopped, present participle hedge·hop·ping,
3rd person present singular hedge·hops) intransitive verb

fly
at low altitude: to fly very low above the ground, often
so low that the aircraft must ascend to avoid obstacles on the ground
—hedge·hop·per, noun[1]



hedgerow

hedgerow
hedge·row 
[héj r] (plural hedge·rows) noun

hedge:
a row of bushes or small trees forming a hedge, especially around a field or
along a rural road or path[1]



hedge-school

hedge-school
hedge-school
(plural hedge-schools) noun

unofficial school:
in 17th- and 18th-century Ireland, an unofficial school for Catholic children
designed to evade legal restrictions on their education, often held out of
doors[1]



hedgesparrow

hedgesparrow
hedge
spar·row
(plural hedge spar·rows) noun

See
dunnock[1]



hedonic

hedonic
he·don·ic 
[hi dónnik] adjective

1.  of
pleasure:
concerned with pleasure

2.  hedonistic:
characteristic of or relating to hedonism or hedonists
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
hēdonikos, from hēdonē, “pleasure.”][1]



hedonism

hedonism
he·don·ism 
[hd’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  seeking
of pleasure: a devotion, especially a self-indulgent
one, to pleasure and happiness as a way of life

2.  PHILOSOPHY philosophy
of pleasure: a philosophical doctrine that holds that
pleasure is the highest good or the source of moral values
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek hēdonē “pleasure.”]
—he·don·ist,
noun

—he·don·is·tic
[hd’n ístik], adjective

—he·don·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



-hedron

-hedron
-hedron
suffix

a
figure or crystal having a particular number or kind of surfaces • pentahedron
[Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek hedra “face” (see cathedral )]
—-hedral, suffix[1]



heebie-jeebies

heebie-jeebies
hee·bie-jee·bies 
[hbi jbeez] plural noun

nervousness:
uncomfortable nervous or anxious feelings (slang) • There’s
something about thick fog that gives me the heebie-jeebies.
[Early 20th century. Coined
by the U.S. cartoonist Billy DeBeck ( 1890–1942 ) in his comic strip Barney
Google .][1]



heed

heed
heed 
[heed] intransitive and transitive verb
(past heed·ed, past participle heed·ed, present
participle heed·ing, 3rd person present singular heeds)

pay
attention to advice: to give serious attention to
a warning or advice and take it into account when acting
noun

serious
attention:
serious attention paid to somebody or to something such as a warning, piece of
advice, or request
[Old
English hēdan, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word]
—heed·er, noun[1]



heedful

heedful
heed·ful 
[hdfəl] adjective

paying
attention to something: paying attention to somebody
or to something such as a warning, piece of advice, or danger
—heed·ful·ly,
adverb

—heed·ful·ness, noun[1]



heedless

heedless
heed·less 
[hdləss] adjective

not
paying attention to something: not paying attention
to somebody or to something such as a warning, piece of advice, or danger
—heed·less·ly,
adverb

—heed·less·ness, noun[1]



heehaw

heehaw

hee·haw 
[h hàw] noun (plural hee·haws)

1.  donkey’s
bray:
the natural sound made by a donkey

2.  noisy
laugh:
an unrefined noisy laugh (informal)
intransitive verb
(past hee·hawed, past participle hee·hawed, present
participle hee·haw·ing, 3rd person present singular hee·haws)

1.  bray
like donkey: to make a natural heehaw

2.  laugh
noisily:
to laugh in an unrefined noisy way
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



heel

heel1
heel1 [heel]
noun (plural heels)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY back
part of foot: the back part of a person’s foot
immediately below the ankle, or the same part of an animal’s foot or paw

2.  CLOTHES back
of shoe or sock: the part of a sock, stocking, shoe, or
boot that covers the back part of somebody’s foot

3.  CLOTHES back
of shoe sole: the back, usually thicker, portion of
the sole of a shoe or other footwear that raises the foot off the ground • I’ll
need to get new heels on these boots.

4.  CLOTHES part
of glove:
the part of a glove that covers the part of the palm located next to the wrist

5.  FOOD bread
crust:
a crusty end of a loaf of bread

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term, especially for a man, that deliberately insults somebody’s
behavior (informal insult)

7.  GOLF part
of golf club: the part of the head of a golf club
where the shaft is attached

8.  PHYSIOLOGY thicker
part of palm: the thicker part of the palm of the
hand, located next to the wrist

9.  MUSIC end of
violin bow:
the end of a violin bow that is held while playing the violin

10. FOOD cheese
rind:
the hard rind from a wedge of cheese

11. GARDENING piece
attached to cutting: a small piece of a plant
stem or tuber left attached to a cutting to promote the growth of new roots

12. SAILING bottom
of mast:
the bottom end of a ship’s or boat’s mast

13. NAUTICAL stern:
the stern end of a ship’s keel
plural
noun
heels

CLOTHES high heels:
high-heeled shoes
verb
(past heeled, past participle heeled, present
participle heel·ing, 3rd person present singular heels)

1.  transitive
verb
fit
or repair shoe’s heel: to fit, replace, or repair
the heel of a shoe or boot

2.  intransitive
verb
follow
by somebody’s heels: to follow closely at
somebody’s heels when commanded (refers to dogs)

3.  transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN dig
heels into mount: to hit or prod an animal being ridden
with the heel

4.  intransitive
verb
DANCING move
heels in dance: to move the heels in time with music, or
touch the ground with the heels when dancing

5.  transitive
verb
GOLF mishit
golf ball:
to mishit a golf ball with the heel of a club
[Old
English hēla . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English hough .]
—heel·less,
adjective
cool
your heels

to
wait or be kept waiting for a long time (informal)

dig
in your heels

to
hold stubbornly to a position or attitude

(hard)
on the heels of somebody or something

1.  close
behind somebody or something

2.  soon
after somebody or something

take
to your heels

to
run off

to
heel

1.  directly
behind the person with whom a dog is walking

2.  under
control or discipline

turn
on your heel

to
turn around suddenly

[1]



heel

heel2
heel2 [heel]
intransitive and transitive verb (past heeled, past
participle heeled, present participle heel·ing, 3rd
person present singular heels)

lean
to one side: to lean over to one side so far as to be
in danger of falling, or cause something such as a ship to lean in this way • The
ship heeled in the wind.
noun
(plural heels)

sideways
lean:
a leaning to one side, or the degree to which something such as a ship is
leaning
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Middle English helden (taken to be a past participle),
from Old English hieldan “to lean or bend.”][1]



heel-and-toe

heel-and-toe
heel-and-toe 
adjective

SPORT constituting
walking not running: used to describe walking or
racing that requires the heel of one foot to touch the ground before the toe of
the other is lifted from the ground
intransitive
verb
(past heel-and-toed, past participle heel-and-toed,
present participle heel-and-toe·ing, 3rd person present
singular heel-and-toes)

MOTOR
SPORTS press
brake and accelerator: to operate
the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time with one foot, usually to keep
the engine revolutions high when shifting to a lower gear while racing[1]



heelball

heelball
heel·ball
[hl bàwl] noun

black waxy substance:
a black waxy substance used by shoemakers to blacken the edges of the heels and
soles of shoes and boots, or a similar substance used for making brass rubbings[1]



heelbone

heelbone
heel
bone
(plural heel bones) noun

bone in heel:
the quadrangular bone that forms the heel of the foot. Technical name calcaneus[1]



heeled

heeled
heeled
[heeld] adjective

with heels:
with a heel or heels, often of a specified type (often used in combination)
• a
high-heeled shoe[1]



heeler

heeler
heel·er 
[hlər] (plural heel·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that heels shoes: a person or machine
that fits, replaces, or repairs the heels of shoes or boots • the
quickest heeler in the shoe factory

2.  (informal)
See ward heeler

[1]



heelin

heelin
heel
in
[heel ín] (past participle heeled
in, present participle heeling in, 3rd person present
singular heels in) transitive verb

plant
something temporarily: to place a bare-root plant
at a sharp angle in a holding bed and cover the roots with soil until it can be
planted properly
[Old English helian
“to conceal”; ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English hell . Originally
spelt hele ; the current spelling arose by association with heel 1 .][1]



heelpiece

heelpiece
heel·piece 
[hl pss] (plural heel·pieces)
noun

shoe or sock part:
the part of a sock, stocking, shoe, or boot that fits around the heel of the
foot[1]



heelpost

heelpost
heel·post 
[hl pst] (plural heel·posts)
noun

post supporting hinges:
a post to which the hinges of a gate or door are attached[1]



heeltap

heeltap
heel·tap 
[hl tàp] (plural heel·taps) noun

1.  drink
left in glass: a small quantity of an alcoholic drink
remaining at the bottom of a glass after the rest has been swallowed

2.  layer
of material in shoe heel: a layer of leather or other
material in the heel of a shoe or boot.
Also
called
lift

[1]



Hefei

Hefei
He·fei 
[hö fáy]

capital city of Anhui
Province, west of Nanjing, eastern China. Population: 1,000,000 (1991)[1]



Hefner,Hugh

Hefner,Hugh
Hef·ner
[héfnər], Hugh (1926– )

U.S.
publisher. He founded Playboy in 1953, and through the magazine a string
of related nightclubs. His own much publicized hedonistic lifestyle epitomized
the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.
Full name
Hefner, Hugh Marston[1]



heft

heft
heft 
[heft] transitive verb (past heft·ed,
past participle heft·ed, present participle heft·ing,
3rd person present singular hefts)

1.  lift
something:
to lift up something heavy, especially with a burst of effort • He
hefted the load onto his back and slowly started up the mountain.

2.  estimate
weight of something: to lift something in order
to estimate its weight
noun

great weight:
substantial heaviness or bulk
[15th
century. Originally as the noun. Of uncertain origin; probably from heave, modeled on pairs of words such as cleave,
cleft .]
—heft·er, noun[1]



hefty

hefty
heft·y 
[héftee] (comparative heft·i·er,
superlative heft·i·est) adjective

1.  powerfully
built:
big and strong in physique

2.  heavy:
large and heavy to lift

3.  expensive:
involving a large sum of money

4.  forceful:
delivered with or characterized by great force and power

5.  strenuous:
requiring a lot of effort to do

6.  larger
than usual:
much larger than is usual or required
—heft·i·ly,
adverb

—heft·i·ness, noun[1]



hegari

hegari
he·ga·ri 
[hə gérree, héggəree]
noun

type
of sorghum:
any of various originally Sudanese varieties of sorghum grown for grain
[Early 20th century. From
Arabic (Sudanese) dialect hegiri .][1]



Hegel,G. W. F.

Hegel,G. W. F.

He·gel
[háyg’l], G. W. F. (1770–1831)
German
philosopher. His idealist metaphysics exerted an enormous influence on
19th-century European thought. His works include The Phenomenology of Mind
( 1807 ) and the Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences in Outline (
1817 ).
Full
name
Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich
—He·ge·li·an [hə gáylee ən], adjective, adjective,
noun[1]



Hegelianism

Hegelianism
He·ge·li·an·ism 
[hə gáylee ə nìzzəm] noun

Hegel’s philosophical system:
the philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel, which proposes a unified solution to all
philosophical problems through development of a reasoning process that
ultimately interprets reality by way of the dialectic method[1]



hegemony

hegemony
he·gem·o·ny 
[hə jémmənee, héjjə
mnee] noun

authority
or control:
control or dominating influence by one person or group over others, especially
by one political group over society or one nation over others (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Greek hēgemonia “leadership,” ultimately from hēgisthai
“to lead.”]
—heg·e·mon·ic
[hèjjə mónnik], adjective

—he·gem·o·nism
[hə jémmə nìzzəm], noun

—he·gem·o·nist [hə jémmənist], noun[1]



Hegira

Hegira
He·gi·ra
or He·ji·ra noun

1.  Muhammad’s
withdrawal from Mecca: the withdrawal of the
Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution

2.  Muslim
era:
the Muslim era, dated from the first day of the lunar year in which Muhammad’s
withdrawal to Medina took place. This was July 16, AD 622 in the Gregorian calendar.

[1]



hegira

hegira
he·gi·ra
[hə jrə, héjjərə]
(plural he·gi·ras) or he·ji·ra [hə jrə, héjjərə]
(plural he·ji·ras) noun

flight
or withdrawal: a flight or withdrawal from somewhere,
especially to escape from danger
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin from Arabic hijra, literally “the leaving of home and
friends.”][1]



Heian

Heian
Hei·an
[háyən] adjective

of
early Japan: characteristic of or relating to Japan
from AD 794–1185, when
Confucianism and other Chinese influences were at their height
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese Heian-kyo, now Kyoto, former capital of Japan.][1]



Heidelberg

Heidelberg
Hei·del·berg 
[hd’l burg]

university city in
Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany, situated on the Neckar River.
Population: 139,392 (1992)[1]



Heidelbergman

Heidelbergman
Hei·del·berg
man
[hd’l bùrg màn] noun

early
human:
an extinct early human of the Pleistocene epoch that is known mainly from a
fossilized jawbone
[Early 20th century. Named
for the city of Heidelberg in southwestern
Germany, near where a jawbone from Heidelberg man was found.][1]



Heiden,Eric

Heiden,Eric
Hei·den
[hd’n], Eric (1958– )

U.S.
ice skater. He was world speed-skating champion (1977–1979) and won five gold
medals in the 1980 Olympics.
Full name
Heiden, Eric Arthur[1]



heifer

heifer
heif·er 
[héffər] (plural heif·ers) noun

young
cow:
a young cow, especially one that has never had a calf
[Old English heahfore,
of unknown origin][1]



Heifetz,Jascha

Heifetz,Jascha
Hei·fetz
[hfits], Jascha (1901–1987)

Lithuanian-born U.S.
violinist. Noted for his technical mastery, he was considered one of the
greatest classical violinists of his time.[1]



heigh-ho

heigh-ho
heigh-ho 
interjection

1.  expressing
disappointment: used to express boredom, disappointment,
or weary resignation • Heigh-ho.
Here we go again.

2.  expressing
encouragement: used to express happiness or
encouragement

[1]



height

height
height 
[hīt] noun (plural heights)

1.  length
upward:
the distance between somebody or something’s lowest point and highest point • a
steep cliff about 200 feet in height

2.  distance
above something: the distance that somebody or something
is above the ground, sea, or another reference point

3.  noticeable
tallness:
the condition of being noticeably high or tall compared to others • His
height makes him stand out in a crowd.

4.  highest
point:
the top or highest point of something • When
you reach the height, you’ll get a wonderful view.

5.  high
position:
a high place or position, especially one where somebody can see a view or how
high up he or she is (often used in the plural)

6.  highest
level:
the time of greatest intensity, activity, importance, or success • She
was at the height of her powers.

7.  high
level:
a high level of intensity or severity (often used in the plural) • Their
arrogance is reaching new heights.

8.  extreme:
the most extreme example of something • It
was the height of folly to have gone there on your own.
plural
noun
heights

hills or mountains:
an area of hilly or mountainous terrain, especially one that is noticeably
elevated above the surrounding region (often used in place names)
[Old
English hēhþu “the highest part.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English high
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Wuthering
  Heights, a novel ( 1847 ) by English writer Emily Brontë. Brontë’s only novel,
  it is the story of a foundling, Heathcliff, whose mistreatment at the hands
  of his adoptive family leads him to seek revenge later in life. The novel is
  noted for its evocative descriptions of the Yorkshire moors, its complex
  morality, and its intensity of feeling.

[1]



heighten

heighten
height·en 
[ht’n] (past height·ened, past
participle height·ened, present participle height·en·ing,
3rd person present singular height·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become greater: to make something such as a
feeling or emotion greater or more intense, or become greater or more intense • His
attempts to reassure them served only to heighten their fears.

2.  make
or become higher: to make something higher, or become
higher • As
protection, they heightened the city walls by a further three feet.

3.  appear
brighter or make something brighter: to
make something such as a color appear brighter or stronger, or appear to become
brighter or stronger • The
sunlight heightened the flush on her cheeks.
—height·ened,
adjective

—height·en·er, noun[1]



heightof land

heightof land
height
of land
(plural heights of land) noun

Canada
watershed:
a ridge of high land that is a watershed[1]



Heilongjiang

Heilongjiang
Hei·long·jiang 
[hày lng jyng]

province in the Manchurian
region of northeastern China, bordering Russia. Capital: Harbin. Population:
36,720,000 (1994) Area: 463,600 sq km/179,000 sq mi.[1]



Heimdall

Heimdall
Heim·dall
[háym dl] or Heim·dal [háym dl] or Heim·dallr [háym dlər] noun

Norse
god of light and dawn: in Norse mythology, a giant
warrior who was the god of light and dawn
[From Old Norse Heimdallr,
from heimr “home, world” + dallr, of uncertain origin: perhaps
related to Old English deall “bold”][1]



Heimlichmaneuver

Heimlichmaneuver

Heim·lich
ma·neu·ver 
[hmlik mə nvər] noun
emergency
treatment for choking: a emergency method for
treating choking that uses an upward thrust immediately below the breastbone to
expel food or another blockage from the windpipe
[Late 20th century. Named for
the American surgeon Henry J. Heimlich (born 1920), who devised it.][1]



heinie

heinie
hei·nie 
[hnee] (plural hei·nies) noun

buttocks:
the human buttocks (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of hinder .][1]



Heinlein,Robert

Heinlein,Robert
Hein·lein
[hn līn], Robert (1907–1988)

U.S.
writer. His many works of science fiction, known for their technological
sophistication, include Stranger in a Strange Land ( 1961 ).
Full name
Heinlein, Robert Anson[1]



heinous

heinous
hei·nous 
[háynəss] adjective

utterly
evil:
shockingly evil or wicked
[14th
century. From Old French haineus, from hair “to hate,” ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English hate .]
—hei·nous·ly,
adverb

—hei·nous·ness, noun[1]



heir

heir
heir 
[air] (plural heirs) noun

1.  legal
inheritor of something: somebody who receives or who
has by law the right to receive the property, position, or title of another
when that person dies

2.  recipient
of tradition: somebody who or something that inherits
something such as a tradition, problem, or characteristic from a predecessor • Our
generation is the unfortunate heir to decades of pollution.
[14th
century. Via Old French (h)eir from, ultimately, Latin heres .]
—heir·less,
adjective

—heir·ship, noun[1]



heirapparent

heirapparent
heir
ap·par·ent
(plural heirs ap·par·ent) noun

1.  undoubted
legal heir:
an heir whose entitlement to receive an inheritance cannot be altered by the
birth of another heir

2.  expected
successor:
somebody who is expected to inherit another’s position, status, or influence

[1]



heirat law

heirat law
heir
at law
(plural heirs at law) noun

heir of somebody without
will: the heir of somebody’s
property under the law if that person dies without a valid will[1]



heiress

heiress
heir·ess 
[áirəss] (plural heir·ess·es) noun

woman legal inheritor of
something: a woman or girl who receives
or has by law the right to receive the property, position, or title of another
when that person dies[1]



heirloom

heirloom
heir·loom 
[áir lm] (plural heir·looms) noun

1.  something
handed down: something valuable that has been in the
possession of a family for a long time and has been passed on from one
generation to the next

2.  LAW something
inherited by law: an item of personal property that is
attached to the estate that the legal heir will inherit
[ loom2, in an
obsolete sense “tool, utensil”][1]



heirpresumptive

heirpresumptive
heir
pre·sump·tive (plural heirs pre·sump·tive)
noun

possible heir:
an heir whose entitlement to an inheritance will cease if another heir is born
whose entitlement is greater[1]



Heisenberguncertainty principle

Heisenberguncertainty principle
Hei·sen·berg
un·cer·tain·ty prin·ci·ple [hz’n
burg un súrt’nti prinsəp’l] noun

See
uncertainty principle
[Named for the German
physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), who deduced it][1]



heist

heist
heist 
[hīst] noun (plural heists)

theft:
a theft or robbery, especially of money or valuables, usually involving the use
of weapons (slang)
transitive
verb
(past heist·ed, past participle heist·ed, present
participle heist·ing, 3rd person present singular heists)

steal
something:
to steal or rob something, especially money or valuables, usually while
carrying weapons (slang)
[Mid-19th
century. Representing a local American pronunciation of hoist .]
—heist·er, noun[1]



Hejaz

Hejaz
He·jaz
[he jáz]

province of western Saudi
Arabia, bordering the Red Sea. Area: 348,600 sq km/134,600 sq mi.[1]



hejira

hejira
he·ji·ra 
or He·ji·ra noun

See
hegira See Hegira[1]



Hekate

Hekate
Hek·a·te 
noun

See
Hecate[1]



Hekla

Hekla
Hek·la 
[héklə]

active volcano in
southwestern Iceland. Height: 1,491 m/4,892 ft.[1]



Hel

Hel
Hel 
[hel] or Hel·a [hel] noun

1.  Norse
goddess of the dead: in Norse mythology, the
daughter of Loki, and the goddess of the dead and the underworld

2.  Norse
underworld:
in Norse mythology, the underworld of the dead
[From Old Norse, related to
English hell][1]



HeLacell

HeLacell
He·La
cell 
[héllə sèl] (plural He·La cells)
or He·la cell [héllə sèl] (plural
He·la cells) noun

cultured
cancer cell: a cell from a strain of human cervical
cancer cells that is used in medical and biological research
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from the name of Henrietta Lacks, the patient from whom the
original cells were taken.][1]



held

held
held


Past tense of
hold Past participle of hold[1]



heldentenor

heldentenor
hel·den·te·nor 
[hèld’ntə náwr] (plural hel·den·te·nors)
or Hel·den·te·nor [hèld’ntə náwr]
(plural Hel·den·te·nors) noun

Wagnerian
tenor:
a tenor or tenor voice with a robust dramatic quality that is suited especially
for heroic roles in the operas of Richard Wagner.
Also
called
heroic tenor
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “hero tenor.”][1]



Helen

Helen
Hel·en
[héllən] or Hel·en of Troy [héllən] noun

mythological Greek beauty:
in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Leda and the most beautiful woman
in Greece. Her husband was Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Her abduction by Paris
sparked the Trojan War.[1]



Helena

Helena
Hel·e·na 
[héllənə]

city and capital of Montana,
located in the western part of the state. Population: 24,569 (1990)[1]



Helene

Helene
He·le·ne
[hə lnee] noun

small moon of Saturn:
a very small natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980. It is irregular
in shape, with a maximum dimension of 36 km/22 mi and occupies an intermediate
orbit.[1]



helenium

helenium
he·le·ni·um 
[hə lnee əm] (plural he·le·ni·ums
or he·le·ni·um) noun

flowering
plant:
a plant of the daisy family that is native to North and South America and has
yellow or dark reddish flowers, or in cultivated varieties sometimes bicolored
flowers. Genus: Helenium
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek helenion, perhaps named for Helen of Troy .][1]



Helensvale

Helensvale
He·lens·vale
[héllənz vayl]

town in southeastern
Queensland, Australia, a residential, tourist, and cattle grazing center.
Population: 13,823 (1996)[1]



heli

heli
hel·i
[héllee] (plural hel·is) noun

helicopter:
a rotary-wing aircraft (informal)
[Shortening of helicopter][1]



heli-

heli-
heli-
prefix

helicopter
• helipad
[From helicopter][1]



heliacal

heliacal
he·li·a·cal 
[hə l ək’l] adjective

with
sun:
used to describe the rising or setting of a star that occurs at the same time
as the rising or setting of the sun, because of their near conjunction
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin heliacus from, ultimately, Greek hēlios
“sun.”]
—he·li·a·cal·ly, adverb[1]



helianthemum

helianthemum
he·li·an·the·mum
[hlee ánthəməm] (plural he·li·an·the·mums)
noun

flowering
perennial plant: any of various evergreen perennials
native to the United States, Europe, and Asia Minor with white, yellow, pink,
or orange flowers. Genus: Helianthemum
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek hēlios “sun” + anthemon “flower”
(because the flower turns to follow the path of the sun).][1]



helianthus

helianthus
he·li·an·thus 
[hlee ánthəss] (plural he·li·an·thus·es
or he·li·an·thus) noun

yellow-flowered
perennial:
a tall perennial plant related to the sunflower with yellow flowers resembling
those of the daisy. Some cultivated varieties have double flowers. Genus: Helianthus
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek hēlios “sun” + anthos “flower” (because
the flower turns to follow the path of the sun).][1]



heliborne

heliborne
hel·i·borne 
[héllə bàwrn] adjective

carried by helicopter:
transported by helicopter[1]



helic-

helic-
helic-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
helico-[1]



helical

helical
hel·i·cal 
[héllik’l, hlik’l]
adjective

spiral-shaped:
in the shape of a helix or spiral
[Late
16th century. From Latin helix (see helix
).]
—hel·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



helicalgear

helicalgear
hel·i·cal
gear
(plural hel·i·cal gears) noun

gear with spiral-shaped
teeth: a gear whose teeth are
formed to curve along a spiral path on the surface of the gear on an axis
oblique to the axis of the gear itself[1]



helices

helices
hel·i·ces


Plural of
helix[1]



helichrysum

helichrysum
he·li·chry·sum 
[hèllə krssəm] (plural he·li·chry·sums
or he·li·chry·sum) noun

plant
used for dried flowers: an annual or perennial plant
of the daisy family grown especially for its variously colored flowers that
retain their color when dried. Genus: Helichrysum
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “golden spiral.”][1]



helico-

helico-
helico-
prefix

helix,
spiral • helicograph
[From Greek helik-,
the stem of helix (see helix )][1]



helicograph

helicograph
he·li·co·graph 
[héllikə gràf, hlikə
gràf] (plural he·li·cographs) noun

instrument for drawing
spirals: an instrument for drawing
spiral curves on a flat surface[1]



helicoid

helicoid
hel·i·coid 
[hélli kòyd, hli
kòyd] adjective

BIOLOGY spiral:
shaped or coiled like a spiral (technical) • a
helicoid shell
noun
(plural hel·i·coids)

GEOMETRY spiral
surface:
a spiral geometric surface that resembles a thread on a screw
[Late
17th century. From Greek helicoidēs, from helix “ helix .”]
—he·li·coid·al
[hèllə kóyd’l, hlə
kóyd’l], adjective

—he·li·coid·al·ly, adverb[1]



helicon

helicon
hel·i·con 
[hélli kòn, héllikən]
(plural hel·i·cons) noun

bass
tuba:
a large bass tuba that encircles the player’s body, used in marching bands
[Late 19th century. From
Helicon ; influenced by helix (because of
the shape).][1]



helicopter

helicopter
hel·i·cop·ter 
[hélli kòptər] noun (plural hel·i·cop·ters)

aircraft
with rotors: an aircraft without wings that moves by
means of large blades ( rotors ) that spin
around above it. It can fly vertically and horizontally and can hover.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hel·i·cop·tered,
past participle hel·i·cop·tered, present participle hel·i·cop·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular hel·i·cop·ters)

fly
in helicopter: to travel or transport somebody or
something in a helicopter • The
survivors were helicoptered to a hospital.
[Late 19th century. From
French hélicoptère, from Greek helix “spiral” + pteron
“wing.”][1]



helicoptergunship

helicoptergunship
hel·i·cop·ter
gun·ship
(plural hel·i·cop·ter gun·ships) noun

armed helicopter:
a large heavily armed helicopter used to protect troops on the ground[1]



heliculture

heliculture
hel·i·cul·ture 
[hélli kùlchər, hli
kùlchər] noun

snail
farming:
the science or the profession of raising snails for food
[From
modern Latin Helix, a genus of spiral-shelled mollusks (from Greek helix
“ helix ”) + culture]
—hel·i·cul·tur·al
[hèlli kúlchərəl, hli
kúlchərəl], adjective

—he·li·cul·tur·al·ist,
noun[1]



helideck

helideck
hel·i·deck
[héllə dèk] (plural hel·i·decks)
noun

helicopter platform:
a deck on something such as a ship or offshore oil platform that is used as a
landing site for helicopters[1]



helio-

helio-
helio-
prefix

sun
• heliostat
[From Greek hēlios
(source of English helium ).
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “sun,” which is also the ancestor of
sun and solar
.][1]



heliocentric

heliocentric
he·li·o·cen·tric 
[hlee ə séntrik] or he·li·o·cen·tri·cal
[hlee ə séntrik’l] adjective

1.  with
the sun central: with the sun at the center • a
heliocentric orbit

2.  from
center of sun: measured from or considered as if viewed
from the center of the sun
—he·li·o·cen·tri·cal·ly
[hlee ə séntrikəlee], adverb

—he·li·o·cen·tric·i·ty
[hlee ə sen tríssətee], noun[1]



heliodor

heliodor
he·li·o·dor 
[hlee ə dàwr] (plural he·li·o·dors)
noun

yellow
gemstone:
a clear yellow variety of beryl found in southwestern Africa, used as a
gemstone
[Early 20th century. Coined
from helio- + Greek dōron “gift.”][1]



heliograph

heliograph
he·li·o·graph 
[hlee ə gràf] (plural he·li·o·graphs)
noun

1.  COMMUNICATION signaling
apparatus:
an apparatus that is used to send messages in Morse code by flashes of
reflected sunlight

2.  ASTRONOMY photographing
apparatus:
an apparatus used to photograph the sun.
Also
called
photoheliograph
—he·li·og·raph·er
[hlee óggrəfər], noun

—he·li·o·graph·ic [hlee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



heliolatry

heliolatry
he·li·o·la·try 
[hlee óllətree] noun

sun
worship:
worship of the sun
—he·li·o·lat·er,
noun

—he·li·o·la·trous, adjective[1]



heliolithic

heliolithic
he·li·o·li·thic
[hlee ə líthik] adjective

with sun worship and stone
monuments: used to describe a culture
or society characterized by worship of the sun and the construction of
monuments or temples using huge stones ( megaliths
)[1]



heliometer

heliometer
he·li·om·e·ter 
[hlee ómmətər] (plural he·li·om·e·ters)
noun

telescope
for measuring angular distance: a refracting telescope
with a divided objective that is used to measure small angular distances
between celestial objects or points on the moon
—he·li·o·met·ric
[hlee ə méttrik], adjective

—he·li·o·met·ri·cal
[hlee ə méttrik’l], adjective

—he·li·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—he·li·om·e·try [hlee ómmətree], noun[1]



heliophyte

heliophyte
he·li·o·phyte
[hlee ə ft] (plural he·li·o·phytes)
noun

plant that likes sunlight:
a plant that can survive and grow in direct sunlight or that grows best in
direct sunlight[1]



Heliopolis

Heliopolis
He·li·op·o·lis 
[hlee óppəliss]

city of ancient Egypt,
northeast of present-day Cairo in the Nile delta. The great temple there was
the center of sun worship, and reached the height of its influence in the 13th
century BC.[1]



Helios

Helios
He·li·os 
[hlee òss] noun

Greek sun god:
in Greek mythology, the god of the sun. The son of Hyperion and Thea, he drove
his golden chariot across the sky from east to west each day. Roman
equivalent Sol[1]



helioseismology

helioseismology
he·li·o·seis·mol·o·gy
[hlee ō sīz mólləjee] noun

study of sun’s sound waves:
the scientific study of the sound waves in the sun’s atmosphere[1]



heliosphere

heliosphere
he·li·o·sphere 
[hlee ə sfr] (plural he·li·o·spheres)
noun

spherical area around the
sun: a spherical region around
the sun, approximately 100 astronomical units in radius, outside which
interstellar space begins[1]



heliostat

heliostat
he·li·o·stat 
[hlee ə stàt] (plural he·li·o·stats)
noun

astronomical
instrument:
an instrument with an automatically rotated mirror that reflects the sun’s
light in a constant direction, used to measure the sun’s radiation
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin heliostata or French héliostat, both
formed from Greek hēlios “sun” + statos “standing.”]
—he·li·o·stat·ic [hlee ə státtik], adjective[1]



heliotaxis

heliotaxis
he·li·o·tax·is 
[hlee ə táksiss] noun

movement
in response to sunlight: movement toward or away from
sunlight in an organism that is able to move about freely
—he·lio·tac·tic, adjective[1]



heliotherapy

heliotherapy
he·li·o·ther·a·py 
[hlee ə thérrəpee] noun

therapy employing sun:
treatment of illness by exposure to direct sunlight[1]



heliotrope

heliotrope

he·lio·trope 
[hlee ə trp] noun (plural he·lio·tropes
or he·lio·trope)

1.  PLANTS plant
with purple flowers: any of various hairy herbs
or shrubs of the borage family, especially a South American species cultivated
for its small, very fragrant purple flowers. Genus: Heliotropium

2.  PLANTS flower
that turns toward sun: any of a number of plants
with flowers that turn toward the sun

3.  COLORS bluish
color:
a bluish purple color

4.  (plural
he·li·o·tropes) MINERALS See
bloodstone

5.  (plural
he·li·o·tropes) CIVIL ENGINEERING
survey
instrument:
an instrument used in geodesic surveying to reflect the sun’s rays over long
distances
adjective

COLORS of
bluish color: of a bluish purple color
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin heliotropium
from Greek heliotropion, literally “sun turning.”][1]



heliotropism

heliotropism
he·li·ot·ro·pism 
[hlee óttrə pìzzəm] noun

response
to sunlight: growth toward sunlight by a plant.
See
also
phototropism
—he·li·o·trop·ic
[hlee ə tróppik], adjective

—he·li·o·trop·i·cal,
adjective

—he·li·o·trop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



heliozoan

heliozoan
he·li·o·zo·an 
[hlee ə zṓ ən] (plural he·li·o·zo·ans)
noun

freshwater
microorganism: a free-living, usually freshwater,
protozoan that has a spherical shell and radiating projections ( pseudopodia ).
Class: Heliozoa
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Heliozoa, class name, from Greek hēlios
“sun” + zōion “animal.”]
—he·li·o·zo·ic, adjective[1]



helipad

helipad
hel·i·pad 
[héllə pàd] (plural hel·i·pads)
noun

helicopter landing place:
an area where helicopters take off and land[1]



heliport

heliport
hel·i·port 
[héllə pàwrt] (plural hel·i·ports)
noun

airport for helicopters:
an airport designed for helicopters[1]



heli-skiing

heli-skiing
hel·i-ski·ing 
[hélli skèe ing] noun

skiing after helicopter lift:
skiing in which skiers are taken to a usually remote ski slope by helicopter[1]



helistop

helistop
hel·i·stop 
[héllə stòp] (plural hel·i·stops)
noun

helicopter landing place:
a place where helicopters can take off and land, usually without the support
facilities found at a heliport[1]



helium

helium

he·li·um 
[hlee əm] noun
inert
gas:
a nonflammable inert gas that is colorless and odorless. Symbol He
[Late 19th century. From
Greek hēlios “sun” (because its existence was deduced from its emission
line in the solar spectrum).][1]



helix

helix

he·lix 
[hliks] (plural he·lix·es or
hel·i·ces [hélli sz, hlə sz]) noun

1.  spiral
or coil:
something in the form of a spiral or coil, for example, a corkscrew or a coiled
spring

2.  GEOMETRY spiral
curve:
a mathematical curve that lies on a cylinder or cone and makes a constant angle
with the straight lines lying in the cylinder or cone

3.  ANATOMY rim of
ear:
the rim of the external ear
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek .][1]



hell

hell
hell 
[hel] noun (plural hells)

1.  hell
or Hell place of punishment after
death:
according to many religions, the place where the souls of people who are damned
suffer eternal punishment after death

2.  hell
or Hell devilish power:
according to some religions, Satan or the powers of evil that live in hell

3.  underworld:
according to some religions, the place where the spirits of all people go after
death

4.  suffering
or its cause: a state or place of extreme pain or
misery, or something or somebody that causes extreme pain or misery • I
tell you, migraine is just hell. • Finals
are absolute hell. • She
went through hell until she heard they were safe.
interjection

expressing annoyance:
used to express annoyance or surprise or for emphasis (sometimes considered
offensive) • Hell! I’ve lost the
key.
• Oh,
hell. The store is closed. • Hell,
no. I don’t want that.
intransitive
verb
(past helled, past participle helled, present
participle hell·ing, 3rd person present singular hells)

behave wildly:
to live or behave recklessly or riotously (slang) • sailors
helling around port while on leave
[Old
English hel(l) . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
conceal,” which is also the ancestor of English conceal,
occult, eucalyptus,
and apocalypse .]
a
hell of a

or one
hell of aused as an intensifier (informal)

come
hell or high water

whatever
difficulties there may be

from
hell

of
the worst sort imaginable (informal) • The
bus ride in the blizzard was a trip from hell.

give
somebody hell

1.  to
scold somebody severely (informal)

2.  to
cause somebody trouble or pain (informal)

hell
to pay

serious
trouble or punishment that is sure to result from something (informal)

(just)
for the hell of it

just
for amusement or excitement (informal)

like
hell

1.  very
fast or very intensely (informal)

2.  used
to emphasize disagreement or denial (informal)

play
or raise hell with something

to
cause harm, disruption, or damage to something (informal)

raise
hell

1.  to
object to something strongly and loudly (informal)

2.  to
celebrate or party wildly (informal)

the
hell

1.  used
to emphasize annoyance (informal)

2.  used
to emphasize disagreement or denial (informal)

[1]



hellacious

hellacious
hel·la·cious 
[he láyshəss] adjective

1.  extremely
bad:
extremely bad, unpleasant, or unbearable (informal)

2.  extremely
large:
extremely large (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From hell, perhaps modeled on bodacious .][1]



Helladic

Helladic
Hel·lad·ic 
[he láddik] adjective

of
Bronze Age Greece: associated with or
characteristic of the Bronze Age civilization that flourished in Greece from
3000 to 1100 BC
[Early 19th century. From
Greek Helladikos, from Hellas “Greece.”][1]



Hellas

Hellas
Hel·las 
[hélləss] noun

1.  Greece:
the ancient name for Greece

2.  ASTRONOMY plain
on Mars:
an extensive plain on the surface of Mars in the southern hemisphere,
approximately 1800 km/1100 mi across

[1]



hellbender

hellbender
hell·bend·er 
[hél bèndər] (plural hell·bend·ers)
noun

American salamander:
a large, dark gray salamander found in rivers in eastern and central parts of
the United States. Latin name: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis[1]



hell-bent

hell-bent
hell-bent
adjective

determined:
absolutely determined to do something, regardless of the consequences[1]



hell-bent-for-leather

hell-bent-for-leather
hell-bent-for-leath·er
adverb adjective

(informal) See hell-for-leather[1]



hellcat

hellcat
hell·cat
[hél kàt] (plural hell·cats) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s temper and suggests that
she is violent (offensive)[1]



hellebore

hellebore

hel·le·bore 
[héllə bàwr] (plural hel·le·bores
or hel·le·bore) noun

1.  early-flowering
plant:
an early-flowering, often poisonous perennial plant, native to Europe and Asia,
that has large divided leaves and drooping white, pink, dark purple, or
sometimes green flowers. The Christmas rose is a hellebore. Genus: Helleborus

2.  greenish-flowered
plant:
any of various poisonous plants of North America with greenish flowers. Genus: Veratrum
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French ellebre from, ultimately, Greek helleboros .][1]



Hellen

Hellen
Hel·len
[héllən] noun

ancestor of ancient Hellenic
peoples: in Greek mythology, a king
of Thessaly and ancestor of the ancient Hellenic peoples[1]



Hellene

Hellene
Hel·lene 
[hé ln] (plural Hel·lenes) or
Hel·le·ni·an [he lnee ən] (plural
Hel·le·ni·ans) noun (formal)

1.  ancient
Greek:
an ancient Greek

2.  somebody
from modern Greece: somebody who was born or
raised in modern Greece
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
Hellēn “a Greek.”][1]



Hellenic

Hellenic
Hel·len·ic 
[he lénnik] adjective

PEOPLES of
ancient Greece: relating to or typical of ancient
Greece, or its people, languages, or culture
noun

LANGUAGE group
of Greek languages: the branch of Indo-European
consisting of the ancient and modern forms of Greek
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek Hellēnikos, from Hellēn (see Hellene ).]
—Hel·len·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Hellenism

Hellenism
Hel·le·nism 
[héllə nìzzəm] (plural Hel·le·nisms)
noun

1.  ancient
Greek culture: the culture and civilization of ancient
Greece, especially in the period after Alexander the Great when it spread to
other parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East and North Africa

2.  admiration
for ancient Greek culture: the enthusiasm for or
adoption of ancient Greek culture or customs

3.  Greek
characteristic: a Greek custom or idiom

4.  Greek
national character: the national character of
the Greeks
[Early 17th century. From
Greek Hellēnismos (see Hellenize ).][1]



Hellenist

Hellenist
Hel·le·nist 
[héllənist] (plural Hel·le·nists)
noun

1.  Greek
expert:
somebody who is a specialist in the study of Greek language, literature,
culture, or history, or somebody who has a great enthusiasm for things Greek

2.  HISTORY adopter
of Greek ways: somebody, especially a Jew, who adopted
Greek customs, language, and culture during the 4th to 1st centuries BC
[Early 17th century. From
Greek Hellēnistēs (see Hellenize ).][1]



Hellenistic

Hellenistic
Hel·le·nis·tic 
[hèllə nístik] adjective

1.  of
ancient Greek civilization: characteristic of or
concerned with ancient Greek civilization from the late 4th to 1st centuries BC

2.  of
Greeks:
characteristic of or associated with the Greeks

3.  preferring
Greek culture: enthusiastic for or adopting ancient
Greek culture or customs • the
Hellenistic Jews of Alexandria
—Hel·len·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Hellenize

Hellenize
Hel·le·nize 
[héllə nz] (past Hel·le·nized,
past participle Hel·le·nized, present participle Hel·le·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular Hel·le·niz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become Greek: to adopt the language and culture of the
ancient Greeks, or make something such as a culture more like that of the
ancient Greeks
[Early
17th century. From Greek Hellēnizein “to speak Greek, to make Greek,”
from Hellēn (see Hellene ).]
—Hel·le·ni·za·tion
[hèlləni záysh’n], noun

—Hel·le·niz·er [héllə nzər], noun[1]



heller

heller2
hell·er2  [héllər]
(plural hell·ers) noun

(informal)
See hellion
[Formed from hell][1]



heller

heller1
hel·ler1  [héllər]
(plural hel·ler) noun

1.  old
German or Austrian coin: any of several obsolete
German or Austrian coins

2.  See
haler
[Late 16th century. From
German, ultimately named for the town of Schwäbisch Hall in Germany,
where it was first minted.][1]



helleri

helleri
hel·ler·i 
[héllə r] (plural hel·ler·is)
noun

hybrid
aquarium fish: a brightly colored freshwater aquarium
fish that is a hybrid of a swordtail and platy
[Mid-20th century. Named
after C. Heller, tropical fish collector.][1]



Heller,Joseph

Heller,Joseph
Hel·ler 
[héllər], Joseph (1923– )

U.S. writer. He is best known
for his antiwar novel Catch-22 ( 1961 ).[1]



hellfire

hellfire
hell·fire
[hél fr] noun

fiery
punishment in hell: punishment in hell, often
described as eternal torment in the flames of hell’s fires
adjective

emphasizing punishment in
hell: detailing the punishment
sinners can expect in hell in a vigorous and emotional way[1]



hell-for-leather

hell-for-leather
hell-for-leath·er 
adverb adjective

extremely quickly:
extremely quickly and often recklessly (informal)[1]



hellgrammite

hellgrammite
hell·gram·mite 
[hélgrə mt] (plural hell·gram·mites)
noun

dobsonfly
larva:
the large aquatic carnivorous larva of the North American dobsonfly, often used
as fish bait
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hellhole

hellhole
hell·hole 
[hél hl] (plural hell·holes) noun

dreadful place:
a terrifying, unbearable, or evil place[1]



hellhound

hellhound
hell·hound 
[hél hòwnd] (plural hell·hounds)
noun

1.  fiend:
a fiend or fiendish, wicked person

2.  MYTHOLOGY hound
guarding hell: a hound said to guard the gates of hell,
especially in Greek mythology

[1]



hellion

hellion
hel·lion 
[héllyən] (plural hel·lions) noun

troublesome
child:
a troublesome or rowdy person, especially a child (informal)
Also
called
heller 2
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; probably an alteration, influenced by hell,
of Scots and northern English dialect hallion “idler.”][1]



hellish

hellish
hell·ish 
[héllish] adjective

1.  vile:
so wicked or cruel that it seems characteristic of the devil

2.  of
hell:
like, from, or typical of hell

3.  dreadful:
extremely unpleasant or difficult (informal) • The
exam was absolutely hellish.
—hell·ish·ly,
adverb

—hell·ish·ness, noun[1]



Hellman,Lillian

Hellman,Lillian

Hell·man
[hélmən], Lillian (1905–1984)
U.S.
playwright. She was known for her powerful moral dramas such as Watch on the
Rhine ( 1941 ) and Toys in the Attic ( 1960 ).
Full name
Hellman, Lillian Florence[1]



hello

hello
hel·lo 
[hə lṓ, he lṓ]
interjection noun (plural hel·los)

1.  word
used as greeting: a word used to greet somebody you meet,
to answer a telephone call, or to begin a radio or television program • Hello.
Pleased to meet you. • Hello,
and welcome to the show. • After
we had all said our hellos, we settled down to eat.

2.  word
to attract attention: a word used to attract
attention • Hello!
Is anyone there ?

3.  word
expressing surprise: a word used to express
surprise • Hello!
What’s that doing here?
interjection

used to add ironic emphasis:
used to add ironic, sarcastic, or sometimes angry emphasis (slang) • He’s
like, hello? who do you think you are? • I’m
living my own life now, hello? Please mind your own business.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain; probably ultimately from French holá, literally “stop
there!”, used to attract attention.][1]



hell-raiser

hell-raiser
hell-rais·er
(plural hell-rais·ers) noun

somebody who behaves
riotously: somebody whose idea of
having a good time involves behaving in ways that other people consider
drunken, rowdy, and disruptive[1]



HellsCanyon

HellsCanyon
Hells
Can·yon 
[hèlz kánnyən]

gorge of Snake River on the
Idaho-Oregon border, and the deepest canyon in the United States. Depth: 2,400
m/7,900 ft. Length: 64 km/40 mi.[1]



helluva

helluva
hell·uv·a 
[hélləvə] adjective

very
notable:
used as an intensifier (informal) • a
helluva party
[Early 20th century.
Representing “hell of a.”][1]



hellweek

hellweek
hell
week
noun

fraternity hazing:
the week when college fraternity or sorority pledges are subjected to hazing
before their initiation[1]



helm

helm2
helm2 [helm]
noun (plural helms)

helmet:
an ancient or medieval helmet (archaic or literary)
transitive
verb
(past helmed, past participle helmed, present
participle helm·ing, 3rd person present singular helms)

provide
somebody with helmet: to provide a soldier or
knight with a helmet (archaic or literary)
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to conceal or cover,” which is also
the ancestor of English hell and helmet .][1]



helm

helm1
helm1 [helm]
noun (plural helms)

1.  NAUTICAL ship’s
steering apparatus: the apparatus used to steer
a ship, especially the wheel or handle ( tiller
) by which the rudder is turned

2.  position
of control:
a position of leadership or control within an organization, country, or
endeavor • The
failing company needed a new chief at its helm.
transitive
verb
(past helmed, past participle helmed, present
participle helm·ing, 3rd person present singular helms)

1.  NAUTICAL steer
ship:
to be at the helm of a ship steering it

2.  direct
something:
to be at the head of an organization, country, or endeavor directing it
[Old
English helma, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “handle” that is
also the ancestor of English halter
and helve]
—helm·less, adjective[1]



helmet

helmet

hel·met 
[hélmət] (plural hel·mets) noun

1.  hard
protective head covering: a hat or other head covering
made of a hard material and worn to protect the head from injury, often part of
a uniform, suit of armor, or protective clothing

2.  protective
hat:
any of various types of hats worn to give protection, for example, against cold
weather or the heat of the sun

3.  BIOLOGY part
shaped like helmet: a part of an organism, for
example, a flower’s sepal or corolla, resembling a helmet
[15th
century. From Old French, diminutive of helme “helmet.” Ultimately from
the same prehistoric Germanic word as English helm
.]
—hel·met·ed, adjective[1]



helminth

helminth
hel·minth 
[hélminth] (plural hel·minths)
noun

parasitic
worm:
any of various parasitic worms, for example, a fluke, nematode, or tapeworm
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek helminth- “intestinal worm.”]
—hel·min·thoid [hel mín thòyd, hélmin
thòyd], adjective[1]



helminthiasis

helminthiasis
hel·min·thi·a·sis 
[hèlmin th əssiss] noun

worm infestation:
infestation by parasitic worms, or a disease caused by this[1]



helminthic

helminthic
hel·min·thic 
[hel mínthik] adjective

1.  of
parasitic worms: caused by or relating to flukes,
nematodes, or other parasitic worms ( helminths
)

2.  used
against parasitic worms: eradicating or expelling
parasitic worms
noun
(plural hel·min·thics)

See vermifuge

[1]



helminthology

helminthology
hel·min·thol·o·gy 
[hèlmin thólləjee] noun

study
of parasitic worms: the scientific study of
parasitic worms
—hel·min·thol·o·gist, noun[1]



helmsman

helmsman
helms·man 
[hélmzmən] (plural helms·men) noun

1.  NAUTICAL steersman:
somebody who steers a ship.
Also
called
wheelman

2.  leader:
somebody who directs an organization, country, or endeavor • the
country’s helmsman in the crisis
—helms·man·ship, noun[1]



helo

helo
hel·o 
[héllō] (plural hel·os) noun
(informal)

1.  helicopter:
a rotary-winged aircraft

2.  heliport:
an airport designed for helicopters
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and alteration.][1]



Helot

Helot
Hel·ot
(plural Hel·ots) noun

ancient
Greek serf:
in ancient Sparta, a member of a class of serfs claimed as property by the
state but assigned to individual Spartans to work on their land
[Late 16th century. (See helot ).][1]



helot

helot
hel·ot 
[héllət] (plural hel·ots) noun

serf:
a serf or enslaved person
[Late
16th century. Via Latin Helotes from Greek Heilotēs, said to be
named for Helos, a town in Laconia whose inhabitants were enslaved.]
—hel·ot·age, noun[1]



helotism

helotism
hel·ot·ism 
[héllə tìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS sociopolitical
system:
a political or social system in which one group, class, or nation is
systematically oppressed by another

2.  BIOLOGY animal
symbiosis:
a type of symbiosis found especially among ants, in which one species acts as
workers for another, dominant species

[1]



help

help
help 
[help] verb (past helped,
past participle helped, present participle help·ing,
3rd person present singular helps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb assist
somebody with activity: to make it easier for
somebody to do something, or possible for somebody to do something that one
person cannot do alone, by providing assistance of some sort • Let
me help you with those packages. • Can
you help me solve this problem?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb advise:
to provide somebody with advice, directions, or other information • I
wonder if you could help me? I’m trying to find Belmont Road.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
useful:
to make something easier or more likely • It
would help if you didn’t keep shaking the ladder. • Would
a business degree help me get a better job?

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
things better: to bring about an improvement in
something unpleasant, unbearable, or unfortunate • I
took two pills, but they didn’t help my headache. • You
look ridiculous in that dress, and the hat doesn’t help.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
for somebody’s needs: to provide somebody with
something that he or she needs, especially money

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb advance
something:
to promote the advancement or improvement of something • Opening
a new sports center won’t end teenage crime, but it might help.

7.  transitive
verb
wait
on somebody: to wait on somebody in a store,
restaurant, or other establishment • Can I
help you, sir?

8.  transitive
verb
serve
food:
to give somebody or yourself a serving of food • He
helped himself to some cake.

9.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody from doing something: to keep somebody or
yourself from doing something (usually used in negative statements) • We
couldn’t help overhearing your conversation. • I
didn’t want to laugh, but I couldn’t help myself.

10. transitive
verb
prevent
something:
to prevent something from happening (usually used in negative statements)
• The
child couldn’t have helped the accident.
noun
(plural helps)

1.  assistance:
something that is done for or given to somebody in order to make something
easier, possible, or better • I
could do with some help in the kitchen.

2.  somebody
or something that assists: somebody who or something
that provides aid or assistance to somebody else • The
headaches are pretty bad, but the new medicine is a help.

3.  way
out of something: a way of avoiding doing something or of
undoing something (often used in negative statements) • a
situation for which there was no help

4.  servant
or laborer:
a person or persons who are paid to help, especially servants or farm hands (often
considered offensive) • He
treated all the employees like help, and they resented it.
interjection

call for assistance:
used to call for assistance when somebody is in danger or difficulty
[Old
English helpan, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word]
—help·er,
noun
help
yourself

take
something for your own use, usually without permission

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  can’t
  help but
  Traditionally,
  speakers and writers had a choice between, for example, • can’t
  help doing and • can’t
  [or cannot] but do . The latter is now very
  uncommon. • Can’t
  help but do is often seen, but it is a redundant,
  improper mixture of the two forms, and should be avoided in favor of • can’t
  help doing.

[1]



helpdesk

helpdesk
help
desk
(plural help desks) noun

provider of information for
computer users: a service providing
technical help and support for people using a computer package or network[1]



helperT cell

helperT cell
help·er
T cell
(plural help·er T cells) or help·er cell (plural
help·er cells) noun

white blood cell:
a white blood cell that is part of the body’s immune response, recognizing
foreign antigens and stimulating the production of cells to control them[1]



helpful

helpful
help·ful 
[hélpfəl] adjective

providing
help:
providing or willing to provide assistance, information, or other aid • You
might find this book helpful.
—help·ful·ly,
adverb

—help·ful·ness, noun[1]



helping

helping
help·ing 
[hélping] (plural help·ings) noun

amount served:
an amount of food served to somebody at one time[1]



helpinghand

helpinghand
help·ing
hand
noun

assistance:
something done to assist somebody else[1]



helpless

helpless
help·less 
[hélpləss] adjective

1.  needing
help:
unable to manage without help

2.  defenseless:
unprotected and unable to provide an adequate defense against an attack

3.  unable
to act effectively: unable to do anything to
protect somebody or prevent something happening • He
was helpless to stop the assault.

4.  unrestrained:
unable to exert control or restraint • His
jokes had us absolutely helpless.
—help·less·ly,
adverb

—help·less·ness, noun[1]



helpline

helpline
help·line
[hélp ln] (plural help·lines)
noun

telephone advice service:
a telephone service that provides advice or information to people who call in
with problems or questions[1]



helpmate

helpmate
help·mate 
[hélp màyt] (plural help·mates)
noun

helpful companion:
a helpful companion or partner, especially a spouse[1]



helpmeet

helpmeet
help·meet 
[hélp mt] (plural help·meets)
noun

helpmate:
a helpmate, especially a wife (archaic) (sometimes considered
offensive)
[Late 17th century. From meet 2 “suitable,”
from the biblical phrase “an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18, 20).][1]



helpout

helpout
help
out
intransitive and transitive verb

give somebody help:
to give somebody some help, for example, by doing some work or giving money[1]



Helsingborg

Helsingborg
Hel·sing·borg 
[hélssing bawrg]

city and seaport in Malmöhus
province, southern Sweden, on the Öresund, opposite Denmark. Population:
111,853 (1993)[1]



Helsingør

Helsingør
Hel·sing·ør
[hèlseng úr, hélseng
r]

town and seaport in eastern
Denmark on the island of Zealand, the setting of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.
Population: 43,302 (1992)[1]



Helsinki

Helsinki
Hel·sin·ki 
[hel síngkee]

capital city and chief
seaport of Finland, situated on the Gulf of Finland in the south of the
country. Population: 497,542 (1991)[1]



helter-skelter

helter-skelter
hel·ter-skel·ter 
[hèltər skéltər] adverb adjective

1.  hurriedly
or hurried:
with hurry and confusion • The
prairie dogs rushed helter-skelter down their burrows.

2.  haphazardly
or haphazard: without order or organization • The
winds had knocked the huge trees helter-skelter all over the park.
noun
(plural hel·ter-skel·ters)

confused state:
a hurried or disorganized situation or state • the
helter-skelter in the junk shop
[Late 16th century. A playful
formation thought to suggest hurried action, perhaps formed on Middle English skelten
“to come, go.”][1]



helve

helve
helve 
[helv] (plural helves) noun

tool
handle:
the handle of a tool such as an ax, pick, or hammer
[Old English helfe .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English halter and, probably, helm 1 .][1]



Helvetian

Helvetian
Hel·ve·tian 
[hel vsh’n] noun (plural Hel·ve·tians)

1.  somebody
from Switzerland: somebody who was born in or is a citizen
of Switzerland

2.  HISTORY member
of Helvetii: a member of the ancient Celtic people
the Helvetii
adjective

1.  Swiss:
relating to Switzerland

2.  HISTORY of
Helvetii:
relating to the Helvetii
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
Helvetia “Switzerland,” from Helvetius “of or with the
Helvetii.”][1]



Helvetic

Helvetic
Hel·ve·tic 
[hel véttik] adjective

1.  Swiss:
relating to Switzerland

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
Swiss Protestantism: following or relating to the
religious teachings of Ulrich Zwingli and other Swiss Protestant reformers
noun

PEOPLES somebody
from Switzerland: somebody who was born or raised in
Switzerland, or who has Swiss citizenship
[Early 18th century. (See Helvetian ).][1]



Helvetii

Helvetii
Hel·ve·ti·i 
[hel vshi ] plural noun

ancient
Celtic people from S Germany: a Celtic people who
originally came from southern Germany and migrated to Helvetia where they
settled during the second century BC
[Late 19th century. From
Latin .][1]



hem

hem2
hem2 [hem]
interjection noun (plural hems)

noise
made in throat: a word used to represent the sound made
by somebody clearing his or her throat or coughing quietly in order to attract
attention, warn somebody else, or hide embarrassment or uncertainty
intransitive
verb
(past hemmed, past participle hemmed, present
participle hem·ming, 3rd person present singular hems)

hesitate
in speech:
to make the sound “ hem ” or otherwise hesitate in speech
[15th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
hem
and haw

to hesitate while speaking or
deciding about something[1]



hem

hem1
hem1 [hem]
noun (plural hems)

1.  folded
fabric edge: a neat nonfraying edge on something made
of cloth, for example, at the bottom of a skirt or dress, made by folding the
fabric over and stitching it down

2.  See
hemline  noun 1
verb
(past hemmed, past participle hemmed, present
participle hem·ming, 3rd person present singular hems)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hem on something: to fold over and stitch down fabric to
make a hem on something • hem
curtains

2.  transitive
verb
enclose
somebody or something: to surround and enclose
somebody or something • The
small yard was hemmed about by a tall hedge.
[Old English, related to Old
Frisian hemme “enclosed land”][1]



hem-

hem-
hem-
prefix

See
hemo-[1]



hem-

hem-
hem-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hemo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hemagglutinate

hemagglutinate
he·mag·glu·ti·nate 
[hmə glt’n àyt] (past he·mag·glu·ti·nat·ed,
past participle he·mag·glu·ti·nat·ed, present participle he·mag·glu·ti·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular he·mag·glu·ti·nates) intransitive
and transitive verb

clump
blood cells together: to cause red blood cells to
clump together, or become clumped together
—he·mag·glu·tin·a·tion
[hmə gloot’n áysh’n], noun[1]



hemagglutinin

hemagglutinin
he·mag·glu·ti·nin 
[hmə glt’nin] noun

blood cell clumping agent:
an agent such as a virus or an antibody that causes red blood cells to clump
together[1]



hemal

hemal
he·mal 
[hm’l] adjective

1.  of
blood:
found in or associated with the blood or blood vessels

2.  associated
with heart’s position: located on or associated
with the side of the body where the heart and major arteries and veins are
found
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
haima “blood.”][1]



he-man

he-man
he-man 
[h man] (plural he-men [h mən]) noun

muscle man:
a strong, muscular man (informal)[1]



hemangioma

hemangioma
he·man·gi·o·ma 
[hi mànjee ṓmə] (plural he·man·gi·o·mata
or he·man·gi·o·ma·s [hi mànjee ṓmətə])
noun

cluster of blood vessels:
a benign tumor or birthmark consisting of a dense, often raised cluster of
blood vessels in the skin[1]



hemapheresis

hemapheresis
he·ma·pher·e·sis 
noun

MEDICINE
See apheresis[1]



hemat-

hemat-
hemat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hemato-[1]



hematein

hematein
he·ma·te·in 
[hmmə t in, hmə
tn] noun

reddish-brown chemical:
a chemical compound consisting of reddish-brown crystals, used to stain samples
for microscope study. C16H12O6[1]



hematic

hematic
he·mat·ic 
[hi máttik] (plural he·mat·ics
or hae·mat·ics) adjective

of blood:
relating to or acting on blood[1]



hematin

hematin
he·ma·tin 
[hmətin] noun

hemoglobin derivative:
a bluish- to brownish-black compound derived from the decomposition of
hemoglobin. C34H33N4O5Fe[1]



hematinic

hematinic
he·ma·tin·ic 
[hmə tínnik] (plural he·ma·tin·ics
or hae·ma·tin·ics) adjective

increasing hemoglobin:
used to describe a drug or other agent that causes an increase in the amount of
hemoglobin in the blood[1]



hematite

hematite
he·ma·tite 
[hmə tt] (plural he·ma·tites
or hae·ma·tites) noun

iron
ore:
a mineral that is an important iron ore and occurs as black, brown, or red
crystals or in a massive uncrystallized form, often in very large deposits. Fe2O3
[15th
century. Via Latin hematites and Greek, “blood-like stone.”]
—he·ma·tit·ic [hmə títtik], adjective[1]



hemato-

hemato-
hemato-
prefix

blood
• hematoblast
[From Greek haimat-,
the stem of haima][1]



hematoblast

hematoblast
he·ma·to·blast 
[hmətə blàst, hi
máttə blàst] (plural he·ma·to·blasts or hae·ma·to·blasts)
noun

immature blood cell:
an immature blood cell, especially a red blood cell[1]



hematocrit

hematocrit
he·mat·o·crit 
[hi máttəkrit] noun

1.  percentage
of blood that is cells: the percentage of a blood
sample that consists of red blood cells, measured after the blood has been
centrifuged and the cells compacted

2.  centrifuge
that compacts red blood cells: a centrifuge used to
compact the red blood cells in a blood sample in order to determine the
percentage of the blood that consists of cells
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hemato- + Greek kritēs “judge”
(see critic ).][1]



hematogenesis

hematogenesis
he·ma·to·gen·e·sis 
[hmətō jénnəssiss, hi
màttə jénnessiss] noun

See
hematopoiesis
—he·ma·to·gen·ic, adjective[1]



hematogenous

hematogenous
he·ma·tog·e·nous 
[hmə tójjənəss] adjective

1.  making
blood:
producing blood

2.  of
blood:
originating in or derived from blood

3.  spread
by blood:
spread by means of blood

[1]



hematology

hematology
he·ma·tol·o·gy 
[hmə tólləjee] noun

branch
of medicine: the branch of medicine devoted to the
study of blood, blood-producing tissues, and diseases of the blood
—he·ma·to·log·ic
[hmətə lójjik], adjective

—he·ma·to·log·i·cal·ly
[hmətə lójjikəlee], adverb

—he·ma·tol·o·gist [hmə tólləjist], noun[1]



hematoma

hematoma
he·ma·to·ma 
[hmə tṓmə] (plural he·ma·to·mas
or he·ma·to·ma·ta [hmə tṓmətə])
noun

mass of blood:
a semisolid mass of blood in the tissues, caused by injury, disease, or a
clotting disorder[1]



hematophagous

hematophagous
he·ma·to·pha·gous
[hmə tóffəgəss] adjective

consuming
blood:
feeding on blood
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hemat- + Greek phagein “to
eat.”][1]



hematopoiesis

hematopoiesis
he·ma·to·poi·e·sis 
[hmətō poy ssiss, hi
màttə poy ssiss] or he·mo·poi·e·sis [hmə poy ssiss] noun

red
blood cell formation: the formation of red blood
cells in the blood-forming tissues of the body.
Also
called
hematogenesis
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hemat- + poiēsis
“making.”]
—he·ma·to·poi·et·ic [hmətō poy éttik], adjective[1]



hematoxylin

hematoxylin
he·ma·tox·y·lin 
[hmə tóksəlin] noun

pigment
obtained from logwood: a chemical compound in the
form of yellow or red crystals, derived from logwood and used as a pigment in
inks, dyes, and stains. C16H14O6·3H2O
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Haematoxylum, genus name of logwood, from the Greek
stem haimat- “blood” + xulon “wood.”][1]



hematozoon

hematozoon
he·ma·to·zo·on 
[hmətō zṓ òn, hi
màttə zṓ òn] (plural he·ma·to·zo·a [hmətō zṓ ə, hi màttə
zṓ ə]) noun

protozoan
living in blood: a parasitic protozoan or other
microorganism that lives in blood
—he·ma·to·zo·al, adjective[1]



hematuria

hematuria
he·ma·tu·ri·a 
[hmə tree ə] noun

blood
in urine:
the presence of blood in the urine, as a result of injury to or disease of the
kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra.
See
also
hemoglobinuria
[Early
19th century. Coined from hemat- + Latin urina
“urine.”]
—he·ma·tu·ric, adjective[1]



heme

heme
heme 
[heem] noun

part
of hemoglobin: the deep red, nonprotein portion of
hemoglobin that contains iron
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from hemoglobin .][1]



hemeralopia

hemeralopia
hem·er·a·lo·pi·a 
[hèmmərə lṓpee ə] noun

vision
impairment:
impaired vision in daylight (technical)
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek hēmeralōps, literally
“day-blind eye.”]
—hem·er·a·lop·ic [hèmmərə lóppik], adjective[1]



hemerocallis

hemerocallis
hem·er·o·cal·lis 
[hèmmə rō kálləss] (plural hem·er·o·cal·lis·es)
noun

See
day lily
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
hēmerokallis “lily that flowers for a day,” from hēmera “day” + kallos
“beauty.”][1]



Hemet

Hemet
Hem·et 
[hémmət]

city in southeastern
California, situated southeast of San Bernardino. Population: 36,094 (1990)[1]



hemi-

hemi-
hemi-
prefix

half,
partial • hemihydrate
• hemimetabolous
[From Greek hēmi- .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English semi- and sand-blind
.][1]



-hemia

-hemia2
-hemia2 suffix

See
-hemia[1]



-hemia

-hemia1
-hemia1 suffix

See
-emia[1]



hemic

hemic
he·mic 
adjective

of
blood:
relating to blood
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
haima “blood.”][1]



hemicellulose

hemicellulose
hem·i·cel·lu·lose 
[hèmmi séllyə lss, hèmmi
séllyə lz] (plural hem·i·cel·lu·loses) noun

substance
in plants:
any of a group of polysaccharides found in plants, especially in the cell wall
[So called because it is less
complex than cellulose][1]



hemichordate

hemichordate
hem·i·chor·date 
[hèmmi káwr dàyt, hèmmi
káwrdət] (plural hem·i·chor·dates) noun

marine
animal resembling a worm: a marine animal resembling a
worm that has a rudimentary cartilaginous skeleton ( notochord
) and numerous gill slits. Phylum: Hemichordata
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Hemichordata, phylum name, from Greek hemi-
“ hemi- ” + Latin chorda “ cord .”]
—hem·i·chor·date, adjective[1]



hemicycle

hemicycle
hem·i·cy·cle 
[hémmi sk’l] (plural hem·i·cy·cles)
noun

semicircular
structure:
a structure or arrangement that has a semicircular shape (formal)
[15th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek hēmikuklion “semicircle.”]
—hem·i·cy·clic [hèmmi sklik, hèmmi
síklik], adjective[1]



hemidemisemiquaver

hemidemisemiquaver
hem·i·dem·i·sem·i·qua·ver 
[hèmmi demmi semmi kwáyvər] (plural hem·i·dem·i·sem·i·qua·vers)
noun

U.K.
MUSIC See sixty-fourth note[1]



hemihedral

hemihedral
hem·i·he·dral 
[hèmmi hdrəl] adjective

not
fully symmetrical: used to describe crystals
that have only half the number of faces needed for complete symmetry
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hemi- + -hedral from -hedron .][1]



hemihedral

hemihedral
hem·i·he·dral 
[hèmmi hdrəl] adjective

not
fully symmetrical: used to describe crystals
that have only half the number of faces needed for complete symmetry
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hemi- + -hedral from -hedron .][1]



hemihydrate

hemihydrate
hem·i·hy·drate 
[hèmmi h dràyt] (plural hem·i·hy·drates)
noun

type of hydrate:
a hydrate, for example, plaster of Paris, that consists of two parts compound
to one part water[1]



hemimetabolous

hemimetabolous
hem·i·me·tab·o·lous 
[hèmmi mə tábbələss] or hem·i·met·a·bol·ic
[hèmmi mettə bóllik] adjective

undergoing incomplete
metamorphosis: used to describe winged
insects that lack complete metamorphosis, as do grasshoppers, whose
increasingly larger nymphs approach adult form without going through a pupal
stage[1]



hemimorphic

hemimorphic
hem·i·mor·phic 
[hèmmi máwrfik] adjective

different
at each end: used to describe crystals that do not
have a horizontal axis of symmetry, so that the top and bottom of the crystal
display different forms
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hemi- + Greek morphē “form.”][1]



hemin

hemin
hem
in
transitive verb

confine somebody or
something: to confine and restrict
somebody or something[1]



Hemingway,Ernest

Hemingway,Ernest

Hem·ing·way
[hémming wày], Ernest (1899–1961)
U.S.
writer. He wrote fiction including A Farewell to Arms ( 1929 ) and For
Whom the Bell Tolls ( 1940 ) in a distinctive terse style that complemented
his own macho image and made him one of the century’s leading novelists. He won
the Nobel Prize in literature in 1954.
Full name
Hemingway, Ernest Miller[1]



hemiola

hemiola
hem·i·o·la 
[hèmmee ṓlə] (plural hem·i·o·las)
noun

rhythmic
alternation: a rhythmic alternation of two notes in
the place of three, or three notes in place of two
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin hemiolia from Greek hēmiolia “in the ratio of one and a
half to one,” from holos “whole.”][1]



hemiplegia

hemiplegia
hem·i·ple·gia 
[hèmmi pljə] noun

inability
to move one side: total or partial inability to move,
experienced on one side of the body, and caused by brain disease or injury.
See
also
paraplegia
See
also
quadriplegia
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek hēmiplēgia, from plēgē
(see -plegia ).]
—hem·i·ple·gic, adjective,
noun[1]



hemipode

hemipode
hem·i·pode
[hémmi pd] (plural hem·i·podes)
or hem·i·pod [hémmi pòd] (plural
hem·i·pods) noun

ground-dwelling
bird:
a small round-bodied ground-dwelling bird of the grasslands of Africa,
Australasia, and southern Europe and Asia. Family: Turnicidae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin hemi- + Greek podos
“foot.”][1]



hemipteran

hemipteran
he·mip·ter·an 
[hə míptərən] noun (plural he·mip·ter·ans)

insect
belonging to bug order: any insect that has
mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking and two pairs of wings, belonging
to an order that includes stinkbugs, bedbugs, and other true bugs. Order:
Hemiptera
adjective

See
hemipterous
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Hemiptera, order name, literally “with half a wing,”
from Greek pteron “wing”; from the partly hardened forewings of bugs.][1]



hemipterous

hemipterous
he·mip·ter·ous 
[hə míptərəss] adjective

of
sucking insects: relating to or belonging to an order of
insects that have mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin Hemiptera (see hemipterous
).][1]



hemisphere

hemisphere
hem·i·sphere 
[hémmi sfr] (plural hem·i·spheres)
noun

1.  half
of the Earth: one half of the Earth, especially a half
north or south of the equator or west or east of the prime meridian

2.  half
of sphere:
one half of a sphere or of anything spherical in shape

3.  ANATOMY See cerebral hemisphere

4.  ASTRONOMY half
of celestial sphere: either half of the celestial
sphere north or south of the celestial equator
[14th
century. Via French or Latin from Greek hēmisphairion, from sphaira
“ sphere .”]
—hem·i·spher·ic
[hèmmi sfr ik, hèmmi
sférrik], adjective

—hem·i·spher·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hemistich

hemistich
hem·i·stich 
[hémmi stìk] (plural hem·i·stichs)
noun

half
line of poetry: half of a line of poetry, usually
separated from the rest by a caesura
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin hemistichium from Greek hēimstikhion, from stikhos “
stich .”][1]



hemizygous

hemizygous
hem·i·zy·gous 
[hèmmi zgəss] adjective

lacking a gene:
having only one of a specified pair of genes, as, for example, do the unpaired
X chromosomes of male mammals[1]



hemline

hemline
hem·line 
[hém ln] (plural hem·lines) noun

1.  clothes’
bottom edge: the bottom edge of a skirt, dress, or
coat.
Also
called
hem

2.  height
of hem:
the height of the hem of an item of women’s clothing, especially the typical
height of hems on fashionable women’s clothing during a certain period • Hemlines
are up again.

[1]



hemlock

hemlock

hem·lock 
[hém lòk] (plural hem·locks or
hem·lock) noun

1.  See
poison hemlock

2.  poisonous
plant:
a very poisonous herb of the carrot family that has small white flowers and
finely cut leaves, especially poison hemlock. Genus: Conium

3.  poison:
a poison obtained from the fruit of the poison hemlock plant. Hemlock was used
in ancient Greece to execute people. Socrates was forced to drink hemlock when
he was condemned to death.

4.  evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree of the pine family that has small cones and short blunt
needles. Genus: Tsuga
Also
called
hemlock fir
Also
called
hemlock spruce
See
also
western hemlock

5.  hemlock
wood:
the wood of the hemlock tree
[Old English hymlic(e),
hemlic, of unknown origin][1]



hemlockfir

hemlockfir
hem·lock
fir
(plural hem·lock firs) or hem·lock spruce (plural
hem·lock spruces) noun

See
hemlock  noun 3[1]



hemmer

hemmer
hem·mer
[hémmər] (plural hem·mers) noun

1.  sewer
of hems:
somebody who hems clothes or other items

2.  device
for sewing hems: a sewing machine attachment for sewing
hems

[1]



hemo-

hemo-
hemo-
prefix

blood
• hemolysis
[From Greek haima, of
unknown origin][1]



hemochromatosis

hemochromatosis
he·mo·chro·ma·to·sis 
[hmə krōmə tṓssiss] noun

excess
storage of iron in body: a genetic disorder in which
there is excess accumulation of iron in the body leading to damage of many
organs, especially the liver and pancreas
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek khroma “color.”][1]



hemocoel

hemocoel
he·mo·coel 
[hmə sl] (plural he·mo·coels
or hae·mo·coels) noun

invertebrate
body cavity: a body cavity in spiders, crustaceans,
and other arthropods through which the blood or hemolymph circulates
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek koilos “hollow.”][1]



hemocyanin

hemocyanin
he·mo·cy·a·nin 
[hmō s ənin] noun

substance
like hemoglobin: a bluish pigment found in the blood or
hemolymph of certain arthropods and mollusks that functions like hemoglobin,
transporting oxygen to tissues
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek kuan(e)os “dark
blue” + -in .][1]



hemocyte

hemocyte
he·mo·cyte 
[hmə st] (plural he·mo·cytes
or hae·mo·cytes) noun

blood
cell:
blood cell (technical)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek kutos
“receptacle.”][1]



hemodialysis

hemodialysis
he·mo·di·al·y·sis 
[hmō dī állississ] noun

dialysis:
dialysis of the blood (technical)[1]



hemoflagellate

hemoflagellate
he·mo·flag·el·late 
[hmō flájjə làyt, hmō
flájjələt, hmō flə jéllət] (plural
he·mo·flag·el·lates or hae·mo·flag·el·lates) noun

microorganism living in
blood: a flagellate protozoan that
lives as a parasite in blood[1]



hemoglobin

hemoglobin
he·mo·glo·bin 
[hmō glṓbin] noun

oxygen-transporting substance
in blood: an iron-containing protein
in red blood cells that combines reversibly with oxygen and transports it from
the lungs to body tissues[1]



hemoglobinuria

hemoglobinuria
he·mo·glo·bi·nu·ri·a 
[hmō glōbə nree ə] noun

hemoglobin
in urine:
the presence in the urine of hemoglobin that has been freed from red blood
cells.
See
also
hematuria
—he·mo·glo·bi·nu·ric, adjective[1]



hemolymph

hemolymph
he·mo·lymph 
[hmə lìmf] noun

invertebrate
circulatory fluid: a fluid in certain
invertebrates that functions like the blood in vertebrates
[Late
19th century. Coined from hemo- + Latin lympha
“clear liquid.”]
—he·mo·lym·phat·ic [hmə lim fáttik], adjective[1]



hemolysin

hemolysin
he·mo·ly·sin 
[hmə lssin, hi
móllissin] (plural he·mo·ly·sins or hae·mo·ly·sins)
noun

agent that destroys blood
cells: a bacterial toxin, antibody,
or other agent that destroys red blood cells, releasing free hemoglobin[1]



hemolysis

hemolysis
he·mol·y·sis 
[hi móllississ, hmə
lssiss] noun

destruction
of blood cells: the destruction of red blood cells and
the release of the hemoglobin they contain
—he·mo·lyt·ic [hmə líttik], adjective[1]



hemolyticanemia

hemolyticanemia
he·mo·lyt·ic
a·ne·mi·a
noun

red-blood-cell anemia:
anemia that results from the destruction of red blood cells and may be caused
by bacteria, genetic disorders, or toxic chemicals[1]



hemolyze

hemolyze
he·mo·lyze 
[hmə lz] (past he·mo·lyzed, past
participle he·mo·lyzed, present participle he·mo·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular he·mo·lyz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

destroy
red blood cells: to destroy red blood cells and release
hemoglobin, or undergo destruction and release hemoglobin
[Early 20th century. hemo- + -lyze
.][1]



hemophilia

hemophilia
he·mo·phil·i·a 
[hmə fíllee ə, hmə
flyə] noun

blood-clotting
disorder:
a disorder linked to a recessive gene on the X-chromosome and occurring almost
exclusively in men and boys, in which the blood clots much more slowly than
normally, resulting in extensive bleeding from even minor injuries
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek philia
“friendship,” formed from Greek philos “dear.”][1]



hemophiliac

hemophiliac
he·mo·phil·i·ac 
[hmə fíllee àk, hmə
flee àk] (plural he·mo·phil·i·acs or hae·mo·phil·i·acs)
noun

somebody with hemophilia:
somebody who has hemophilia[1]



hemophilic

hemophilic
he·mo·phil·ic 
[hmə fíllik] adjective

1.  of
hemophilia:
relating to, resembling, or affected with hemophilia

2.  MICROBIOLOGY preferring
blood:
used to describe bacteria that are adapted to thrive in blood or a medium rich
in blood

[1]



hemopoiesis

hemopoiesis
he·mo·poi·e·sis 
noun

See
hematopoiesis[1]



hemoptysis

hemoptysis
he·mop·ty·sis 
[hi móptississ] noun

coughing
up of blood: the coughing up of blood or mucus
containing blood (technical)
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from hemo- + Greek ptysis “act of
spitting.”][1]



hemorrhage

hemorrhage
hem·or·rhage 
[hémmərij] noun (plural hem·or·rhag·es
or haem·or·rhages)

1.  MEDICINE excessive
bleeding:
the loss of blood from a ruptured blood vessel, either internally or externally

2.  uncontrolled
loss:
a large uncontrolled loss of something valuable • a
hemorrhage of cash that threatened the firm
verb
(past hem·or·rhaged or haem·or·rhaged, past
participle haem·or·rhaged, present participle hem·or·rhag·ing
or haem·or·rhag·ing, 3rd person present singular hem·or·rhag·es
or haem·or·rhages)

1.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE bleed
heavily:
to bleed profusely and uncontrollably

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
something valuable: to experience a sudden,
uncontrolled, and massive loss of something valuable • The
failed business had been hemorrhaging money for months.
[15th
century. Via Old French or Medieval Latin emorosagia, from Greek haimorrhagia,
from haima “blood”+ rhēgnunai, “break, burst.”]
—hem·or·rhag·ic [hèmmə rájjik], adjective[1]



hemorrhagicfever

hemorrhagicfever
hem·or·rhag·ic
fe·ver
(plural hem·or·rhag·ic fe·vers) noun

viral infection with profuse
bleeding: a viral infection such as
dengue or Ebola that results in fever, chills, and profuse internal bleeding
from the capillaries[1]



hemorrhoidectomy

hemorrhoidectomy
hem·or·rhoid·ec·to·my 
[hèmmə roy déktəmee] (plural hem·or·rhoid·ec·to·mies
or haem·or·rhoid·ec·to·mies) noun

operation to remove
hemorrhoids: a surgical procedure to
remove hemorrhoids[1]



hemorrhoids

hemorrhoids
hem·or·rhoids
[hémmə ròydz] plural noun

swollen
anal veins:
painful varicose veins in the canal of the anus
—hem·or·rhoid·al [hèmmə róyd’l], adjective[1]



hemosiderin

hemosiderin
hem·o·sid·er·in 
[hèmmō síddərin] noun

iron-storing protein:
a protein that stores iron[1]



hemostasis

hemostasis
he·mo·sta·sis 
[hmə stáyssiss, hi
móstəssiss] or he·mo·sta·sia [hmə
stáyzhə] noun

1.  stopping
of bleeding: the stopping of bleeding or hemorrhaging
in an organ or body part

2.  stopping
of blood flow: the stopping of the blood flow through
an organ or body part

[1]



hemostat

hemostat
he·mo·stat 
[hmə stàt] (plural he·mo·stats
or hae·mo·stats) noun

1.  SURGERY surgical
clamp:
a surgical instrument that stops bleeding by clamping a blood vessel

2.  CHEMISTRY chemical
antibleeding agent: a chemical agent that stops
bleeding

[1]



hemostatic

hemostatic
he·mo·stat·ic 
[hmə státtik] adjective

stopping
blood flow:
stopping or slowing down the flow of blood
noun
(plural he·mo·stat·ics or he·mo·stat·ics)

hemostatic agent:
an agent that stops or slows down the flow of blood[1]



hemp

hemp

hemp 
[hemp] noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with tough fibers: a plant native to Asia,
widely grown for the tough fibers obtained from its stems and as the source of
marijuana or cannabis.
Also
called
cannabis
Also
called
Indian hemp
Also
called
marijuana

2.  TEXTILES tough
fiber from hemp plant: the tough fiber from the
stems of the hemp plant, used in making canvas, rope, paper, and cloth

3.  TEXTILES tough
fiber from plants: any of several types of
strong fibers obtained from plant stems and used like hemp

4.  DRUGS narcotic
drug from hemp plant: any of several narcotic
drugs made from various parts of the hemp plant, smoked, chewed, eaten, or
drunk to produce a mildly euphoric reaction and illegal in many countries.
See
also
bhang
See
also
cannabis
See
also
ganja
See
also
hashish
See
also
marijuana
[Old
English henep . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Greek kannabis (source of English cannabis and canvas
).]
—hemp·en, adjective[1]



hempagrimony

hempagrimony
hemp
ag·ri·mo·ny
noun

flowering plant:
a tall Eurasian or North African plant with clusters of red, pink, or purple
composite flowers and leaves like those of the hemp plant. Latin name: Eupatorium
cannabinum[1]



hempnettle

hempnettle
hemp
net·tle
noun

1.  flowering
plant:
a bristly Eurasian plant resembling the nettle, with red, pink, purple, or
white two-lipped flowers and serrated leaves, now naturalized in the United
States. Latin name: Galeopsis tetrahit

2.  bristly
plant:
any one of several Eurasian bristly plants that resemble the nettle. Genus: Galeopsis

[1]



Hempstead

Hempstead
Hemp·stead 
[hémpstid, hémpsted]

village on western Long
Island, southeastern New York, a residential suburb of New York City.
Population: 46,609 (1996)[1]



hemstitch

hemstitch

hem·stitch 
[hém stìch] noun (plural hem·stitch·es)

1.  stitch
used for hemming: a small overcast stitch used to secure a
hem

2.  decorative
stitch:
a decorative stitch used to ornament the edge of a piece of material, in which,
after horizontal threads are removed, vertical threads are gathered in small
regular bunches
intransitive and transitive verb
(past hem·stitched, past participle hem·stitched, present
participle hem·stitch·ing, 3rd person present singular hem·stitch·es)

edge something with hemstitch:
to hem or decorate an edge of material using hemstitch
—hem·stitch·er (plural
hem·stitch·ers), noun[1]



hen

hen
hen 
[hen] (plural hens) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE chicken:
an adult female chicken

2.  BIRDS female
bird:
any adult female bird

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY female
aquatic animal: the female of some aquatic animals, for
example, the octopus, crab, and lobster

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s personality, activity,
and age (offensive dated)
[Old
English henn . Ultimately from an Indo-European word with the basic
meaning “to sing” that is also the ancestor of Latin cantare (source of
English canticle and chant ).]
—hen·nish,
adjective

—hen·nish·ly,
adverb

—hen·nish·ness, noun[1]



Henan

Henan
He·nan 
[hö nn]

densely populated province in
eastern China, including important sites of early Chinese civilization.
Capital: Zhengzhou. Population: 90,270,000 (1994) Area: 167,000 sq km/64,500 sq
mi.[1]



hen-and-chickens

hen-and-chickens
hen-and-chick·ens 
(plural hen-and-chick·ens or hens-and-chick·ens) noun

plant
whose shoots form new plants: any one of several plants,
especially the houseleek, producing new plants as offsets that grow at the end
of horizontal shoots or runners from the main plant
[From the resemblance to
young chicks surrounding the mother hen][1]



henbane

henbane
hen·bane 
[hén bàyn] (plural hen·banes) noun

poisonous plant:
a poisonous Eurasian plant of the nightshade family with hairy, sticky leaves,
a strong unpleasant smell, and greenish-yellow flowers. It is a source of the
drugs hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Latin name: Hyoscyamus niger[1]



henbit

henbit
hen·bit 
[hén bìt] (plural hen·bits) noun

mint
plant:
a plant of the mint family with small white or reddish-purple lipped flowers.
It was originally native to Europe and Asia, but is now naturalized in the
United States. Latin name: Lamium amplexicaule
[Bit in the obsolete sense
“morsel of food”][1]



hence

hence
hence 
[henss] adverb

1.  because
of this:
from this cause, or for this reason (formal) • I
lent him money before, and he never paid it back; hence my reluctance to lend
him more.
• Her
grandfather was Polish, hence her interest in Polish culture

2.  later
than now:
later than the present time (formal) • I’m
sure the company will be in a much better financial position a year hence.

3.  away
from here:
away from this place (archaic) • Get
you hence.
[13th century. Formed from
Old English heonan “hence” + the adverb suffix -s (as in
“backwards,” “besides”). Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative pronoun
meaning “this” that is also the ancestor of English he
.][1]



henceforth

henceforth
hence·forth 
[hénss fàwrth] or hence·for·ward
[henss fáwrwərd] adverb

from now on:
from this time forward (formal)[1]



henchman

henchman
hench·man 
[hénchmən] (plural hench·men) noun

1.  supporter
of someone dubious: a supporter or associate of
somebody in a dubious cause, for example, a member of a criminal’s entourage,
or somebody whose status comes from supporting a politician (disapproving)

2.  loyal
follower:
a loyal supporter or follower, especially of somebody who holds a high office
or position

3.  page
or squire:
a page or squire to somebody of high rank (archaic)
[14th century. Hench
from Old English hengest “stallion.”][1]



hencoop

hencoop
hen·coop 
[hén kp] (plural hen·coops) noun

cage for hens:
a cage, hutch, or small building where hens or other domestic birds are kept[1]



hendeca-

hendeca-
hendeca-
prefix

signifying
eleven:
forming words that signify eleven of something such as sides, facets, or units
[From Greek hendeka
“eleven”][1]



hendecasyllable

hendecasyllable
hen·dec·a·syl·la·ble 
[hen dèkə sílləb’l] (plural hen·dec·a·syl·la·bles)
noun

verse
line with 11 syllables: a line of verse that
consists of 11 syllables
—hen·dec·a·syl·lab·ic
[hen dèkəsi lábbik], adjective[1]



Henderson

Henderson
Hen·der·son 
[héndərss’n]

city in northwestern Kentucky
on the Ohio River, on the border with Indiana. Population: 26,456 (1996)[1]



hendiadys

hendiadys
hen·di·a·dys 
[hen d ədiss] noun

figure
of speech with “and”: a literary device expressing
an idea by means of two words linked by “and,” instead of by a grammatically
more complex form such as an adverb qualifying an adjective. Everyday examples
of hendiadys are the expressions “nice and soft,” rather than “nicely soft,”
and “good and tight.”
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin, coined from Greek hen dia duoin “one through two.”][1]



Hendrix,Jimi

Hendrix,Jimi
Hen·drix
[héndriks], Jimi (1942–1970)

U.S.
musician. A virtuoso blues-rock guitarist, he was known for songs like “Wild
Thing” and albums including Are You Experienced? ( 1967 ). His
charismatic stage performance was captured in the movie Woodstock ( 1970
).
Full name
Hendrix, James Marshall[1]



henequen

henequen
hen·e·quen 
[hénnikwin] (plural hen·e·quens)
or hen·e·quin [hénnikwin] (plural
hen·e·quins) noun

1.  PLANTS Mexican
plant:
a tropical American plant that has large thick fibrous leaves shaped like
swords and is found chiefly in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Latin name: Agave
fourcroydes

2.  TEXTILES fiber
obtained from henequen plant: the reddish fiber obtained
from the leaves of the henequen plant, used in making rope, twine, and coarse
fabric.
See
also
sisal
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from perhaps, ultimately, Arawakan .][1]



henharrier

henharrier
hen
har·ri·er
(plural hen har·ri·ers) noun

U.K.
See northern harrier[1]



henhouse

henhouse
hen·house
[hén hòwss] (plural hen·hous·es
[hén hòwzəz]) noun

shelter for hens:
a shelter or small shed where hens or other domestic birds are housed[1]



Henle’sloop

Henle’sloop
Hen·le’s
loop
[hènleez lp] (plural Hen·le’s
loops) noun

ANATOMY
See loop of Henle[1]



henna

henna
hen·na 
[hénnə] noun (plural hen·nas)

1.  PLANTS shrub:
a shrub of the loosestrife family that grows in Asia and North Africa and has
fragrant white or reddish flowers and leaves that are used to make a dye. Latin
name: Lawsonia inermis

2.  MANUFACTURING red
dye:
a strong red dyestuff made from the leaves of the henna plant, used primarily
as a hair dye. Henna is also used to stain the skin or nails, in cosmetics, and
in coloring fabric.

3.  COLORS reddish-brown
color:
a rich reddish-brown color
adjective

COLORS of
reddish-brown color: of a rich reddish-brown
color
transitive
verb
(past hen·naed, past participle hen·naed, present
participle hen·na·ing, 3rd person present singular hen·nas)

COLORS color
something with henna: to dye or color something
with henna
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic ḥinnā’ .][1]



Hennepin,Louis

Hennepin,Louis
Hen·ne·pin
[hénnəpin], Louis (1626–1705?)

Flemish-born
American missionary and explorer. A missionary among the Iroquois people, he
explored the upper Mississippi River.
Real name
Hennepin, Johannes[1]



Henning,Doug

Henning,Doug
Hen·ning
[hénning], Doug (1947– )

Canadian magician and
performer on television and in movies and the Broadway musicals The Magic
Show ( 1974 ) and Merlin ( 1983 ).[1]



henotheism

henotheism
hen·o·the·ism 
[hénnə thee ìzzəm] noun

worship
of one god among several: the worship of one god, for
example, as the special god of a social group or occupation, while
acknowledging or believing in the existence of other gods
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from the Greek stem heno- “one” + theos “god” + -ism .]
—hen·o·the·ist,
noun

—hen·o·the·is·tic [hènnə thee ístik], adjective[1]



henpeck

henpeck
hen·peck 
[hén pèk] (past hen·pecked, past
participle hen·pecked, present participle hen·peck·ing,
3rd person present singular hen·pecks) transitive verb

offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to annoy or torment a husband or partner through
continual nagging and faultfinding (offensive)
[Back-formation from hen-pecked,
from the hens’ practice of plucking the rooster][1]



Henri,Robert

Henri,Robert
Hen·ri
[hénree], Robert (1865–1929)

U.S. artist. He was the
guiding force behind the Eight, the so-called Ashcan school of realistic
painting formed in 1908.[1]



henry

henry
hen·ry 
[hénree] (plural hen·ries) noun

unit
of inductance: the SI unit of electrical inductance,
equal to an electrical potential of one volt induced in a closed circuit by a
current varying uniformly by one ampere per second. Symbol H
[Late 19th century. Named for
Joseph Henry .][1]



Henry,Alexander

Henry,Alexander
Hen·ry 
[hénree], Alexander (1739–1824)

Canadian fur trader. He wrote
of his experiences in Travels and Adventures in Canada and the Indian
Territories ( 1809 ).[1]



HenryI

HenryI
Hen·ry
I
[hénree], King of the English (1068–1135)

He was the youngest son of
William the Conqueror. His reign (1100–1135) is notable for his conquest of
Normandy (1106) and consolidation of his English and French realms.[1]



HenryII

HenryII
Hen·ry
II
[hénree], King of the English (1133–1189)

French-born English monarch.
The first Plantagenet English king (1154–1189), he imposed a strong central
administration and judicial reform and annexed Ireland (1171–1172). His knights
murdered Thomas à Becket (1170) after a long dispute over the power of the
church.[1]



HenryIII

HenryIII
Hen·ry
III
[hénree], King of England (1207–1272)

The son of King John, he
began his long reign (1216–1272) at the age of nine. His rule was marked by
tensions with the nobility, which came to a head in 1264 with Simon de
Montfort’s rebellion; this was defeated in 1265 and royal power was restored.[1]



HenryIV

HenryIV
Hen·ry
IV
[hénree], King of England (1367–1413)

The
son of John of Gaunt, he was the first Lancastrian English king. His reign
(1399–1413) was marked by baronial revolts, Owen Glendower’s Welsh rebellion
(1400–1409), and conflicts with Parliament over royal finance.
Born
Bolingbroke, Henry[1]



Henry,Joseph

Henry,Joseph
Hen·ry 
[hénree], Joseph (1797–1878)

U.S. physicist. He discovered
electromagnetism independent of Michael Faraday, and developed the first
electric motor (1829), telegraph (1831), and electric relay (1835). He was the
Smithsonian Institution’s first secretary and director (1846–1877).[1]



Henry,O.

Henry,O.

Hen·ry 
[hénree], O. (1862–1910)
U.S.
writer. His short stories relied heavily on coincidence and surprise endings.
Pseudonym of
Porter, William Sydney[1]



Henry,Patrick

Henry,Patrick

Hen·ry 
[hénree], Patrick (1736–1799)
American orator and revolutionary. He is
famous for his revolutionary declaration to the Virginia assembly in 1775,
“Give me liberty or give me death.” He was Virginia’s first governor
(1776–1779, 1784–1786).[1]



Henry(the Lion)

Henry(the Lion)
Hen·ry
(the Lion)
[hénree], Duke of Saxony and Duke of Bavaria
(1129?–1195)

He expanded his territories
to the east of Saxony and challenged the power of the Holy Roman Empire, but
lost his duchies in 1180 to Frederick I.[1]



HenryV

HenryV
Hen·ry
V
[hénree], King of England (1387–1422)

He was the son of Henry IV.
During his reign (1413–1422) he invaded France, winning the Battle of Agincourt
(1415) against superior forces, conquering Normandy (1417–1420), and being
declared heir to the French throne (1420).[1]



HenryVI

HenryVI
Hen·ry
VI
[hénree], King of England (1421–1471)

The son of Henry V, he lost
all of England’s French possessions except Calais during his reign (1422–1461,
1470–1471). His ineffectual leadership at home sparked the Wars of the Roses
(1455–1485).[1]



HenryVI

HenryVI
Hen·ry
VI
[hénree], King of Germany and Holy Roman
Emperor (1165–1197)

As German king (1169–1197),
he conquered and annexed Sicily (1194).[1]



HenryVII

HenryVII
Hen·ry
VII
[hénree], King of England (1457–1509)

He
ended the Wars of the Roses by defeating Richard III at Bosworth (1485), and
founded the Tudor dynasty. His reign (1485–1509) was noted for national unity
and efficient government administration.
Born
Tudor, Henry[1]



HenryVIII

HenryVIII
Hen·ry
VIII
[hénree], King of England and Ireland
(1491–1547)

He succeeded his father,
Henry VII. During his reign (1509–1547), he broke with the Catholic Church
(1534) and assumed control over the Church of England. He is notorious for his six
marriages and execution of two of his wives.[1]



Henson,Jim

Henson,Jim
Hen·son
[hénss’n], Jim (1936–1990)

U.S.
puppeteer. He invented the Muppets, which appeared on the television programs Sesame
Street and The Muppet Show ( 1976–1981 ).
Full name
Henson, James Maury[1]



Henson,Matthew

Henson,Matthew
Hen·son
[hénss’n], Matthew (1866–1955)

U.S.
explorer. As Robert Peary’s assistant, he participated in seven polar
expeditions, including the one credited with the discovery of the North Pole
(1909).
Full name
Henson, Matthew Alexander[1]



hent

hent
hent 
[hent] (past hent·ed, past
participle hent·ed, present participle hent·ing, 3rd
person present singular hents, plural hents) transitive
verb

seize
something:
to take hold of somebody or something (archaic)
[Old English hentan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



hep

hep1
hep1  [hep]
(comparative hep·per, superlative hep·pest) adjective

hip:
hip (dated slang)[1]



hep

hep2
hep2 [hep]
noun

hepatitis:
hepatitis (informal)[1]



heparin

heparin
hep·a·rin 
[héppərin] noun

natural
blood-clot preventative: a polysaccharide present in
living tissue, especially the lungs and liver, that functions naturally as an
anticoagulant and is used medicinally to treat thrombosis
[Early
20th century. Coined from obsolete hepar “sulfur compound” (which came
via late Latin from Greek hēpar “liver”) + -in
.]
—hep·a·rin·oid [héppəri nòyd], adjective[1]



hepat-

hepat-
hepat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hepato-[1]



hepatectomy

hepatectomy
hep·a·tec·to·my
[hèppə téktəmee] (plural hep·a·tec·to·mies)
noun

liver surgery:
surgical removal of all or part of the liver[1]



hepatic

hepatic
he·pat·ic 
[hi páttik] adjective

1.  ANATOMY MEDICINE of the liver:
relating to or affecting the liver

2.  COLORS liver-colored:
of a deep brownish-red color like that of liver

3.  BOTANY of or
like liverwort family: relating to, belonging to,
or resembling the members of the liverwort family of flowerless green plants
noun
(plural he·pat·ics)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY drug
for treating liver disease: any of several drugs that
combat diseases of the liver

2.  PLANTS See liverwort
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek hēpatikos, from the stem hēpat- “liver.”][1]



hepatica

hepatica

he·pat·i·ca 
[hi páttikə] (plural he·pat·i·cas)
noun
woodland
plant:
any of a group of woodland plants of northern temperate regions, related to the
buttercup, that have three-lobed leaves and white, lilac, or purple flowers.
Genus: Hepatica
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin from Greek hēpatikos (see hepatic
); from the shape of the leaves.][1]



hepatitis

hepatitis
hep·a·ti·tis 
[hèppə ttiss] noun

inflammation of the liver:
inflammation of the liver, causing fever, jaundice, abdominal pain, and
weakness[1]



hepatitisA

hepatitisA
hep·a·ti·tis
A 
noun

mild form of hepatitis:
a relatively mild form of hepatitis that is caused by a virus and transmitted
through contaminated food and water.
Also called
infectious hepatitis
See also
hepatitis B[1]



hepatitisB

hepatitisB
hep·a·ti·tis
B 
noun

severe form of hepatitis:
a sometimes chronic or fatal form of hepatitis that is caused by a virus and
transmitted through contact with infected blood, blood products, and bodily
fluids.
Also called
serum hepatitis
See also
hepatitis A[1]



hepato-

hepato-
hepato-
prefix

liver
• hepatotoxic
[From Greek hēpat-,
the stem of hēpar . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “liver”
that is also the ancestor of English gizzard
.][1]



hepatocellular

hepatocellular
hep·a·to·cel·lu·lar
[hèppətō séllyələr, hi
pàttə séllyələr] adjective

of liver cells:
relating to liver cells[1]



hepatocyte

hepatocyte
hep·a·to·cyte 
[héppətə st, hi
páttə st] (plural hep·a·to·cytes) noun

liver cell:
a cell of the liver[1]



hepatogenous

hepatogenous
hep·a·tog·e·nous
[hèppə tójjənəss] adjective

from the liver:
originating in the liver[1]



hepatoma

hepatoma
hep·a·to·ma 
[hèppə tṓmə] (plural hep·a·to·mas
or hep·a·to·ma·ta [hèppə tṓmətə])
noun

liver tumor:
a tumor of the liver[1]



hepatomegaly

hepatomegaly
hep·a·to·meg·a·ly 
[hèppətō méggəlee, hi
pàttə méggəlee] noun

liver enlargement:
enlargement of the liver[1]



hepatotoxic

hepatotoxic
hep·a·to·tox·ic
[hèppətō tóksik, hi
pàttə tóksik] adjective

toxic to the liver:
a condition in which the liver is damaged[1]



hepatotoxicity

hepatotoxicity
hep·a·to·tox·ic·i·ty 
[hèppətō tok síssətee, hi pàttə tok síssətee] (plural hep·a·to·tox·ic·i·ties)
noun

1.  damage
to the liver: a condition in which the liver is
damaged

2.  ability
to damage the liver: the capacity or tendency of
something to damage the liver

[1]



hepatotoxin

hepatotoxin
hep·a·to·tox·in 
[hèppətō tóksin, hi
pàttə tóksən] (plural hep·a·to·tox·ins) noun

something damaging to the
liver: a substance that causes
damage to the liver[1]



Hepburn,Audrey

Hepburn,Audrey

Hep·burn
[hép bùrn], Audrey (1929–1993)
Belgian-born
U.S. actor. She starred in numerous movies, including Funny Face ( 1957
) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s ( 1961 ). During her last years she was a
roving ambassador for UNICEF.
Real name
Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston, Edda van[1]



Hepburn,Katharine

Hepburn,Katharine
Hep·burn
[hép bùrn], Katharine (1907?– )

U.S.
actor. She was known for her roles as strong-willed heroines, and won Academy
Awards for Morning Glory ( 1933 ), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (
1967 ), The Lion in Winter ( 1968 ), and On Golden Pond ( 1981 ).
Full name
Hepburn, Katharine Houghton[1]



hepcat

hepcat
hep·cat 
[hép kàt] (plural hep·cats) noun

somebody considered to be
cool: somebody who is considered
to be cool, especially a jazz fan in the 1940s (dated slang)[1]



Hephaestus

Hephaestus
He·phaes·tus 
[hi féstəss] or He·phais·tos [hi féstəss] noun

Greek god of fire:
in Greek mythology, the son of Hera and Zeus and the god of fire and fire-based
arts such as metalwork. Roman equivalent Vulcan[1]



Hepplewhite

Hepplewhite
Hep·ple·white 
[hépp’l wt, hépp’l
hwt] adjective

in
18C furniture style: in or relating to the style
of the 18th-century English cabinet-maker George Hepplewhite. Pieces typically
have graceful curving lines and delicate inlays, often featuring floral or
ribbon designs. Open chairbacks, heart- or shield-shaped, are a feature of the
style.
noun
(plural Hep·ple·whites)

furniture in 18C style:
furniture or a piece of furniture made by or in the style of Hepplewhite[1]



hept-

hept-
hept-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hepta-[1]



hepta-

hepta-
hepta-
prefix

seven
• heptahedron
[From Greek hepta .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “seven” that is also the ancestor of
English seven and septet .][1]



heptachlor

heptachlor
hep·ta·chlor
[héptə klàwr] (plural hep·ta·chlors)
noun

pesticide with chlorine:
a pesticide containing chlorine[1]



heptad

heptad
hep·tad 
[hép tàd] (plural hep·tads) noun

group
of seven:
set or series of seven
[Mid-17th century. From the
Greek stem heptad- “the number seven,” from hepta “seven.”][1]



heptagon

heptagon

hep·ta·gon 
[héptə gòn] (plural hep·ta·gons)
noun
seven-sided
shape:
a two-dimensional shape with seven angles and seven sides
[Late
16th century. Via French heptagone or medieval Latin heptagonum
from, ultimately, Greek heptagōnos “having seven angles.”]
—hep·tag·o·nal [hep tággən’l], adjective[1]



heptahedron

heptahedron
hep·ta·he·dron 
[hèptə hdrən] (plural hep·ta·he·drons
or hep·ta·he·dra [hèptə hdrə])
noun

object
with seven faces: a solid figure with seven plane faces
—hep·ta·he·dral, adjective[1]



heptamerous

heptamerous
hep·tam·er·ous 
[hep támmərəss] adjective

in groups of seven:
used to describe plant parts, for example, petals or sepals, that grow or are
arranged in groups of seven[1]



heptameter

heptameter
hep·tam·e·ter 
[hep támmətər] (plural hep·tam·e·ters)
noun

verse
line with 7 feet: a line of poetry or verse composed of
seven metric feet
[Late
19th century. Via late Latin from Greek heptametron, from hepta
“seven” + metron “meter.”]
—hep·ta·met·ri·cal [hèptə méttrik’l], adjective[1]



heptane

heptane
hep·tane 
[hép tàyn] noun

chemical obtained from
petroleum: an isomeric form of an
organic chemical obtained from petroleum, especially a colorless flammable
liquid alkane hydrocarbon used as a solvent and anesthetic and to determine
octane ratings. C7H16[1]



heptarch

heptarch
hep·tarch 
[hép trk] (plural hep·tarchs)
noun

one of seven rulers:
one of the seven rulers in a heptarchy[1]



heptarchy

heptarchy
hep·tar·chy 
[hép trkee] (plural hep·tar·chies)
noun

1.  government
by seven rulers: government by seven rulers or leaders

2.  state
with seven rulers: a state governed by seven
rulers or one divided into seven parts, each ruled by a different head
—hep·tar·chic
[hep trkik], adjective

—hep·tar·chic·al, adjective[1]



Heptarchy

Heptarchy
Hep·tar·chy
noun

seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms:
the association consisting of the seven English kingdoms of Kent, Sussex,
Wessex, Essex, Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia during the period from the
5th to the 9th centuries AD[1]



heptastich

heptastich
hep·ta·stich 
[héptə stìk] (plural hep·tas·tichs)
noun

seven-line poem:
a seven-line stanza or poem[1]



Heptateuch

Heptateuch
Hep·ta·teuch 
[héptə tk, héptə
tyk] noun

first
seven books of Bilble: the first seven books of the
Bible, comprising Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and
Judges.
See
also
Hexateuch
See
also
Pentateuch
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek heptateukhos, from hepta “seven” + teukhos
“book.”][1]



heptathlon

heptathlon
hep·tath·lon 
[hep táth lòn, hep
táthlən] (plural hep·tath·lons) noun

athletic
contest with seven events: an athletic competition,
often for women, in which each contestant must compete in seven events, which
are typically the javelin, hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put, sprint, and
800-meter race.
See
also
pentathlon
See
also
decathlon
[Late
20th century. Coined from hepta- + Greek athlon
“contest.”]
—hep·tath·lete [hep táth lt] (plural hep·tath·letes),
noun[1]



heptose

heptose
hep·tose 
[hép tss, hép
tz] noun

sugar with seven carbon
atoms: any of a group of
carbohydrates that are simple sugars ( monosaccharides
) with seven carbon atoms per molecule[1]



Hepworth,Dame Barbara

Hepworth,Dame Barbara

Hep·worth
[hépwərth], Dame Barbara (1903–1975)
British
sculptor. Many of her works, for example, the Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial (1964)
at the U.N. headquarters in New York, are massive abstract shapes in stone or
wood, pierced by holes.
Full name
Hepworth, Dame Jocelyn Barbara[1]



her

her
her 
[hur, unstressed form hər, ər] pronoun
adjective

1.  woman
or girl not referred to by name: used to refer to a
woman, girl, or female animal who has been previously mentioned or whose
identity is known (used as the object of a verb or preposition) • (det)
Tell her I’ll be there in ten minutes. • (det)
We left the report with her. • (det)
What is her name? • (pronoun)
He handed her the car keys. • (pronoun)
I know it’s her.

2.  country:
used to refer to a country or nation when it has been mentioned or its identity
is known (formal) • (adjective)
Britain’s dealings with her EU partners have often been complex.

3.  machine:
used to refer to a car, machine, or ship • (pronoun)
Fill her up, will you? • (adjective)
Sea water washed across her decks.
[Old English hire .
Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative pronoun meaning “this” that is
also the ancestor of English he and hence .][1]



her.

her.
her.

1.  Abbreviation
of
heraldic

2.  Abbreviation
of
heraldry

[1]



Hera

Hera
He·ra 
[hrə, hérrə]
or He·re [hree, hérree] noun

Greek queen of gods:
in Greek mythology, the wife of Zeus and goddess of marriage. She was often
portrayed as jealous and resentful of infidelity. Roman equivalent Juno[1]



Heracles

Heracles
Her·a·cles
[hérrə klz] or Her·a·kles [hérrə klz] noun

Greek
mythological hero: in Greek mythology, the son
of Zeus and a mortal woman, Alcmene. He was noted for his courage and great
strength and was required to perform 12 near-impossible labors. Roman
equivalent Hercules
—Her·a·cle·an [hèrrə kl ən], adjective[1]



Heraclid

Heraclid
Her·a·clid
[hérrəklid] (plural Her·a·cli·dae
[hèrrə kldee]) noun

descendant
of Hercules: in Greek mythology and ancient Greek
history, somebody who was descended, or claimed descent from, the hero Heracles
—Her·a·clid·an [hèrrə kld’n], adjective[1]



Heraclitus

Heraclitus
Her·a·cli·tus 
[hérrə kltəss] (lived 500? BC)

Greek
philosopher. He was an early metaphysician. Only fragments remain of his major
work, On Nature.

—He·ra·cli·te·an [hèrrə kltee ən], adjective[1]



Herakles

Herakles
Her·a·kles
noun

See
Heracles[1]



Heraklion

Heraklion
Her·ak·li·on
[he rklee on]

seaport and the largest city
on the Greek island of Crete. Population: 117,167 (1991) Greek Iráklion[1]



herald

herald
her·ald 
[hérrəld] noun (plural her·alds)

1.  bringer
of news:
somebody who brings or announces important news

2.  sign
of what will happen: somebody or something that
is a forerunner of something or gives an indication of something that is going
to happen (literary) • The
robin is the herald of spring.

3.  official
messenger:
an official messenger and representative of a king or leader in former times

4.  heraldic
official:
in England, an official who is concerned with heraldry

5.  official
at medieval tournaments: somebody who performed
official duties at medieval tournaments and jousting contests
transitive
verb
(past her·ald·ed, past participle her·ald·ed, present
participle her·ald·ing, 3rd person present singular her·alds)

1.  signal
something:
to give or be a sign that something is going to happen

2.  welcome
somebody or something: to welcome or announce
somebody or something with enthusiasm
[14th century. Via Old French
herault from a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning “commander of the
army,” whose elements are also the ancestors of English harangue, harbor,
and wield .][1]



heraldic

heraldic
he·ral·dic 
[hə ráldik] adjective

connected
with heraldry or heralds: belonging or relating to
heraldry or heralds
—he·ral·di·cal·ly, adverb[1]



heraldmoth

heraldmoth
her·ald
moth
(plural her·ald moths) noun

European moth:
a nocturnal hibernating moth of northern Europe marked by mottled brown
forewings and dull gray hind wings. Latin name: Scoliopteryx libatrix[1]



heraldry

heraldry
her·ald·ry 
[hérrəldree] (plural her·ald·ries)
noun

1.  study
of coats of arms: the profession or study of the devising
and granting of coats of arms and of determining who is entitled to bear them

2.  coats
of arms:
coats of arms and the symbols and conventions connected with them

3.  pomp:
pomp and ceremony

[1]



Herat

Herat
He·rat
[he rát]

city in northwestern
Afghanistan, situated on the Hari River. Population: 177,300 (1988)[1]



herb

herb
herb 
[urb, hurb]
(plural herbs) noun

1.  culinary
and medicinal plant: a low-growing aromatic plant
used fresh or dried for seasoning in cooking, for its medicinal properties, or
in perfumes. Sage and rosemary are herbs. (often used before a noun)

2.  BOTANY plant
without woody stems: a seed-producing flowering
plant that does not produce woody stems and that forms new stems and leaves
each season

3.  DRUGS marijuana:
marijuana (slang)
[13th century. Via Old French
erbe from Latin herba “grass, herb.”][1]



herbaceous

herbaceous
her·ba·ceous 
[hur báyshəss, ur
báyshəss] adjective

1.  without
woody stems: used to describe plants or plant parts
that are fleshy and wither after each growing season, as opposed to plants such
as trees that grow woody stems and are persistent

2.  resembling
leaves:
similar to leaves in color and general appearance

3.  of
aromatic plants: relating to aromatic herbs such as sage,
dill, or thyme
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin herbaceus, from herba “grass, herb.”]
—her·ba·ceous·ly, adverb[1]



herbaceousborder

herbaceousborder
her·ba·ceous
bor·der
(plural her·ba·ceous bor·ders) noun

flower bed:
a flower bed that is mainly planted with perennial plants rather than with
annuals[1]



herbage

herbage
herb·age 
[úrbij, húrbij]
noun

1.  herbaceous
plants:
herbaceous plants, especially their leafy or succulent and edible parts

2.  vegetation
growing in fields: grass and other vegetation
growing in fields, pasture land, and meadows
[14th century. Via Old French
erbage from medieval Latin herbagium, from Latin herba
“grass, herb.”][1]



herbal

herbal
herb·al 
[úrb’l, húrb’l]
adjective

of
aromatic herbs: characteristic of, consisting of, or
made with aromatic herbs
noun
(plural herb·als)

book
listing herbs: a book that lists individual herbs and
describes their particular properties and possible uses
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin herbalis, from Latin herba “grass, herb.”][1]



herbalist

herbalist
herb·al·ist 
[úrbəlist, húrbəlist]
(plural herb·al·ists) noun

1.  somebody
knowledgeable about herbs: somebody who grows,
collects, sells, or dispenses aromatic herbs, especially those considered to
have medicinal properties

2.  botanist:
a botanist, especially one concerned with the classification of plants (archaic)

[1]



herbalmedicine

herbalmedicine
herb·al
med·i·cine
noun

1.  treatment
with herbs:
a system of medical treatment based on the properties of medicinal herbs

2.  medicine
from herbs:
a medication made from an herb or herbs

[1]



herbarium

herbarium
her·bar·i·um 
[hur báiree əm, ur
báiree əm] (plural her·bar·i·ums or her·bar·i·a
[hur báiree ə]) noun

1.  collection
of dried plants: a collection of dried plants, especially
one in which the plants have been mounted, systematically classified, and
labeled for use in scientific studies

2.  home
of dried plant collection: a building, room, or other
place where an herbarium is kept
[Late
18th century. From late Latin, formed from Latin herbarius “herbalist,”
from herba “grass, herb.”]
—her·ba·ri·al, adjective[1]



herbbennet

herbbennet
herb
ben·net
[ùrb bénnət] (plural herb ben·nets)
noun

woodland plant:
a common wild plant of Europe, Asia, and North Africa that has small yellow
flowers, long hairy stems, and hooked seeds. Its sweet-smelling roots were
formerly used medicinally and thought to give protection against the devil.
Latin name: Geum urbanum
Also called
bennet[1]



herbdoctor

herbdoctor
herb
doc·tor
(plural herb doc·tors) noun

expert on medicinal
properties of herbs: somebody
who is an expert on the properties of aromatic herbs, especially somebody who
makes and dispenses herbal preparations, remedies, and medicines[1]



herbed

herbed
herbed 
[urbd, hurbd]
adjective

herb-flavored:
flavored with herbs[1]



Herbert,Victor

Herbert,Victor
Her·bert
[húrbərt], Victor (1859–1924)

Irish-born U.S. composer. He
wrote more than 40 operettas including Babes in Toyland ( 1903 ) and Naughty
Marietta ( 1910 ).[1]



herbicide

herbicide
her·bi·cide 
[húrbə sd, úrbə
sd] (plural her·bi·cides) noun

chemical
substance for killing unwanted plants: a
chemical preparation designed to kill plants, especially weeds, or to inhibit
their growth
—her·bi·cid·al
[hùrbi sd’l, ùrbi
sd’l], adjective

—her·bi·ci·dal·ly [hùrbi sdəlee, ùrbi
sdəlee], adverb[1]



herbivore

herbivore
her·bi·vore 
[húrbi vàwr, úrbi
vàwr] (plural her·bi·vores) noun

animal
that only eats plants: an animal that feeds only or
mainly on grass and other plants
[Mid-19th century. From
French, or back-formation from herbivorous
.][1]



herbivorous

herbivorous
her·biv·o·rous 
[hur bívvərəss, ur
bívvərəss] adjective

plant-eating:
eating only or mainly grass or other plants, or relating to the eating of such
plants
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin herbivorus, literally “eating grass,” from Latin herba
“grass, herb.”][1]



herbof grace

herbof grace
herb
of grace
(plural herbs of grace) noun

U.K.
rue:
rue (archaic)
[From the formal identity
between the plant name rue and rue “regret, repentance,” a different word][1]



herbParis

herbParis
herb
Par·is 
(plural herbs Par·is) noun

European
woodland plant: a tall woodland plant that grows
throughout Europe, characterized by a whorl of four leaves and a single
greenish-yellow flower similar to an eight-pointed star. The flower is made up
of four sepals and four petals, and the fruit is a single black berry. Latin
name: Paris quadrifolia
[Partial translation of
medieval Latin herba paris, literally “herb of a pair,” probably because
the configuration of its leaves resembles a true lover’s knot][1]



herbRobert

herbRobert
herb
Rob·ert 
(plural herbs Rob·ert) noun

wild
plant with strong-smelling leaves: a common plant of the
cranesbill family native to temperate northern Europe and Asia, with red-tinged
leaves and stems and small pink or purple flowers. The stems and the leaves,
which are divided and delicate, have a strong and rather unpleasant odor. Latin
name: Geranium robertianum
[Translation of medieval
Latin herba Roberti . The identity of the Robert for whom the
plant is named is uncertain, perhaps Robert, Duke of Normandy, or St. Robert
.][1]



herby

herby
herb·y
[úrbee, húrbee]
(comparative herb·i·er, superlative herb·i·est) adjective

1.  with
herbal taste or smell: tasting or smelling of herbs

2.  of
aromatic herbs: associated with aromatic or medicinal
herbs

3.  full
of growing herbs: with a lot of growing herbs or grass

[1]



Herculaneum

Herculaneum
Her·cu·la·ne·um 
[hùrkyə láynee əm]

ancient Roman town near
modern Naples, destroyed with its neighbor Pompeii in the eruption of Vesuvius
in AD 79[1]



Herculean

Herculean
Her·cu·le·an 
adjective

connected with Hercules:
relating to or resembling Hercules[1]



herculean

herculean
her·cu·le·an
[hùrkyə l ən, hur
kylee ən] or Her·cu·le·an [hùrkyə
l ən, hur kylee ən] adjective

needing great strength or
effort: requiring a great deal of
strength, effort, stamina, or resources[1]



Hercules

Hercules

Her·cu·les 
[húrkyə lz] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
mythological hero: in Roman mythology, the son
of Jupiter and a mortal woman, Alcmene. He was noted for his courage and great
strength and was required to perform 12 near-impossible tasks, called the
labors of Hercules . Greek equivalent Heracles

2.  (plural
Her·cu·les or Her·cu·les·es) very
strong man:
a man with great or unusual strength

3.        ASTRONOMY northern
constellation: a large northern
constellation between Lyra and Corona Borealis[1]



herculesbeetle

herculesbeetle
her·cu·les
bee·tle
(plural her·cu·les bee·tles) noun

large beetle:
an exceptionally large South American beetle of the scarab family that can grow
to over 15 cm6 in. in length. The male has two large projecting horns. Latin
name: Dynastes hercules[1]



Hercules’club

Hercules’club
Her·cu·les’
club 
noun

1.  tree
related to ginseng: a small tree or shrub of the
ginseng family, native to the southeastern United States, that has prickly
leaves and bark that has medicinal properties. Latin name: Aralia spinosa

Also
called
devil’s walking stick
Also
called
prickly ash

2.  tree
related to citrus: a small spiny tree or shrub
related to the citrus family and native to the southern United States, with
bark and berries that have medicinal properties. Latin name: Zanthoxylum
clava-herculis
Also
called
Southern prickly ash

[1]



Hercynian

Hercynian
Her·cy·ni·an 
[hur sínnee ən] adjective

of
mountain-forming period in Europe: relating to the period
during the late Paleozoic era when some of the major European mountain ranges
were being formed
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin Hercynia (silva), from Greek Herkunios drumos, the
name given to a forested mountain region situated between the Carpathian
Mountains and the Rhine River.][1]



herd

herd1
herd1  [hurd]
noun (plural herds)

1.  AGRICULTURE large
group of domestic animals: a large number of domestic
animals, especially cattle, often of the same breed, that are kept, driven, or
reared together

2.  ZOOLOGY large
group of wild animals: a large number of wild
animals of the same kind that live, feed, and travel as a group

3.  large
group of people: a large group of people, often with a
common interest, purpose, or bond • herds
of eager shoppers

4.  ordinary
people acting as group: ordinary people, considered
as acting or thinking as a group and lacking the ability to think as
individuals (disapproving) • She
was never one to follow the herd.
verb
(past herd·ed, past participle herd·ed, present
participle herd·ing, 3rd person present singular herds)

1.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE control
group of animals: to drive, keep, or look after domestic
animals as a group

2.  transitive
verb
move
or collect a group: to move people or animals
somewhere as a group, or collect them into a group • We
were herded onto buses.

3.  intransitive
verb
form
or move in a group: to gather together or go
somewhere as a group
[Old
English heord . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “row,
group” that is also the ancestor of German Herde .]
ride
herd on somebody

to supervise somebody
strictly[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








herd

herd2
herd2  [hurd]
(plural herds) noun

somebody
who tends animals: somebody who looks after
domestic animals (archaic) (usually used in combination)
See
also
cowherd
See
also
goatherd
See
also
shepherd
[Old English hirdi .
Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic word that produced herd 1 “group of
animals.”][1]



herdbook

herdbook
herd·book
[húrd bk] (plural herd·books)
noun

book containing pedigrees:
a book that gives details of the pedigrees of domestic animals, especially
cattle or hogs[1]



herder

herder
herd·er 
[húrdər] (plural herd·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who tends domestic animals: somebody who tends or drives
domestic animals in groups, especially on open pasture or land.
Also
called
herdsman
U.K.
term
herdsman  noun 2

2.  See
herdsman  noun 1

[1]



herdinstinct

herdinstinct
herd
in·stinct
noun

instinct to follow group:
the innate desire to belong to or be associated with a group, or to imitate the
general behavior of a group[1]



herdsman

herdsman
herds·man 
[húrdzmən] (plural herds·men) noun

1.  rearer
of livestock: somebody who owns or breeds cattle or
other livestock.
Also
called
herder

2.  See
herder  noun 1
[Alteration of Old English heordman
“herdsman” on the model of such words as craftsman][1]



here

here
here 
[heer] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb used to refer to this place or this time • How
long have you been waiting here? • Winter
is here.
adverb

1.  this
place:
in, at, or to the place where you are, or at a place near you • Have
you been here before? • Come
and sit here, beside me.

2.  point
or stage:
used to draw attention to a particular point or stage in a situation • I
want to say here, before I go further, that only part of the credit should be
mine.

3.  now:
indicates a situation or event that is happening at the present time • The
time for celebrations is here.

4.  indicates
an offer:
indicates that somebody is offering something to somebody • Here
are some general guidelines. • Here’s
my card.

5.  introduces
something:
used to introduce or draw attention to a topic • Now,
here is a question for everybody.

6.  life
on Earth:
used to refer to people in general and their life on Earth • Where
did we come from? Why are we here? That’s the big question.
[Old
English hēr . Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative pronoun
meaning “this” that is also the ancestor of English he
and hence .]
(the)
here and now

used
to emphasize that you are talking about the present time • I’m
entitled to an explanation, and I want one here and now.
• He
outlined all sorts of schemes, but hadn’t much practical advice about the here
and now.

here
and there

in
different places or at different points • She’d
picked up some general knowledge here and there.

here
goes

used
to indicate that somebody is about to perform an action • This
is my first move on the chessboard –here goes!

here
we go again

used
to indicate that an event or situation is, tiresomely or irritatingly, about to
repeat itself • Here we go again
–making a mountain out of a molehill.

neither
here nor there

not important or relevant • Why
she wants this is neither here nor there, but we have to decide how we’re going
to reply.[1]



hereabout

hereabout
here·a·bout 
[hrə bòwt] or here·a·bouts [hrə bòwt] adverb

near here:
near here, or in this neighborhood or area[1]



hereafter

hereafter
here·af·ter 
[heer áftər] adverb (formal)

1.  after
the present time: from now on or at a time in the future • He
believes this to be a universal law of nature; and we may hope hereafter to see
the law proved true. • No
one of us knows what may happen hereafter.

2.  in
any following part: in any following part of an
article or document • Here
is established a Commerce Technology Advisory Board (hereafter in this section
referred to as the "Advisory Board").
adverb
noun

life after death:
the life that is thought by some to exist after death (formal) • (adverb)
Mercy and forgiveness will be ours hereafter. • (noun)
Your deeds will be judged in the hereafter.

[1]



hereby

hereby
here·by 
[heer b] adverb

by this means:
by means of this declaration, document, or ruling (formal) • I
hereby renounce all claim to the estate.[1]



hereditable

hereditable
he·red·it·a·ble
[hə rédditəb’l] adjective

able
to be inherited: capable of being inherited
[15th
century. From obsolete French héréditable or medieval Latin hereditabilis,
both from ecclesiastical Latin hereditare “to inherit” (see hereditament ).]
—he·red·it·a·bil·i·ty
[hə rèdditə bíllətee], noun[1]



hereditament

hereditament
her·e·dit·a·ment 
[hèrrə díttəmənt] (plural her·e·dit·a·ments)
noun

inheritable
property:
a piece of property that can be inherited
[15th century. From medieval
Latin hereditamentum, from ecclesiastical Latin hereditare “to
inherit,” from the Latin stem hered- “heir.”][1]



hereditarian

hereditarian
he·red·i·tar·i·an 
[hə rèddi táiree ən] (plural he·red·i·tar·i·ans)
noun

somebody
emphasizing heredity over environment:
somebody who believes that inherited characteristics play a more important part
in forming people’s characters and determining human behavior than do
environmental and social factors.
See
also
environmentalist
—he·red·i·tar·i·an,
adjective

—he·red·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



hereditary

hereditary
he·red·i·tar·y 
[hə réddi tèrree] adjective

1.  GENETICS passed
on genetically: passed genetically, or capable of being
passed genetically, from one generation to the next

2.  handed
down through generations: handed down, or legally
capable of being handed down, through generations by inheritance

3.  having
inherited status: holding a right, function, or property
by right of inheritance

4.  traditionally
held:
possessed by or characteristic of both ancestors and descendants although not
physically transmitted • the
family’s hereditary fondness for city life

5.  relating
to inheritance: relating to inheritance or heredity

6.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC sharing
a relationship or property: sharing or transmitting a
particular relationship or property
[15th
century. From Latin hereditarius, from hereditas “inheritance”
(see heredity ).]
—he·red·i·tar·i·ly
[hə rèddi táirilee], adverb

—he·red·i·tar·i·ness [hə rèddi táireenəss], noun[1]



heredity

heredity
he·red·i·ty 
[hə réddətee] (plural he·red·i·ties)
noun GENETICS

1.  passing
on of genetic factors: the passing on of genetic
factors such as the color of hair or eyes from one generation to the next,
resulting in similarities between members of one family or strain

2.  set
of inherited characteristics: the complete set of
inherited characteristics of an organism
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin hereditas “inheritance,” from the stem hered-
“heir.”][1]



Hereford

Hereford
Here·ford 
[hérrifərd, hurfərd]
(plural Here·fords) noun

red
and white cow: a hardy cow that has a distinctive red
coat with white markings, belonging to a breed originating in England and bred
for beef
[Early 19th century. Named
for Hereford the English county where the animal was first bred.][1]



herein

herein
here·in 
[heer ín] adverb (formal)

1.  in
this document: in this document, article, or proceeding
• Disclaimer:
The views represented herein do not necessarily represent the views of the
moderators.

2.  in
this respect: introduces a clause in which somebody
states an opinion about the nature or cause of something or goes on to give
further detail • People are not always
conscious of the effect their behavior is having on others, and herein lies the
main problem.

[1]



hereinafter

hereinafter
here·in·af·ter 
[hrin áftər] adverb

later in this document:
later in this document, article, or proceeding (formal) • the
Federal Reserve Board (hereinafter referred to as FRB)[1]



hereinbefore

hereinbefore
here·in·be·fore 
[hrinbi fáwr] adverb

earlier in this document:
earlier in this document, article, or proceeding (formal)[1]



hereinto

hereinto
here·in·to 
[heer ín t] adverb

into this matter:
into this matter, situation, or place (formal)[1]



herem

herem
he·rem
noun

JUDAISM
See cherem[1]



hereof

hereof
here·of 
[heer úv, heer
óv] adverb

concerning this:
of or concerning this (formal)[1]



hereon

hereon
here·on 
[heer ón] adverb

after this:
following immediately after this (archaic)[1]



Herero

Herero
He·re·ro 
[hə ráirō, hérrə
r] (plural He·re·ro or He·re·ros) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a largely
cattle-rearing people living mainly in Namibia and Botswana

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Herero people: a Bantu language spoken by the Herero
people. It belongs to the Benue-Congo group of the Niger-Congo family of
African languages, and is spoken by about 25,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Bantu.]
—He·re·ro, adjective[1]



heresiarch

heresiarch
he·re·si·arch 
[hə rzee rk, hérrəssee
rk] (plural he·re·si·archs) noun

leader
of heretical religious group: somebody who leads or
instigates a heretical religious group or movement
[Mid-16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek hairesiarkhēs, from Greek
hairesis “choice, group” (see heresy
) + -arkhēs “ruler” (see -arch ).][1]



heresy

heresy
her·e·sy 
[hérrəssee] (plural her·e·sies)
noun

1.  RELIGION unorthodox
religious opinion: an opinion or belief that
contradicts established religious teaching, especially one that is officially
condemned by a religious authority

2.  RELIGION holding
of unorthodox religious belief: the holding of, or
adherence to, an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious
teaching, especially one that is officially condemned by religious authorities
• guilty
of heresy

3.  unorthodox
opinion:
an opinion or belief that does not coincide with established or traditional
theory, especially in philosophy, science, or politics

4.  holding
of unorthodox opinion: the holding of an unorthodox
opinion that is in conflict with established or traditional theory
[12th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek hairesis “choice, sect,” from haireisthai
“to choose.” The underlying idea is of somebody’s choice of a way of thinking.][1]



heretic

heretic
her·e·tic 
[hérrətik] (plural her·e·tics)
noun

1.  RELIGION somebody
who holds unorthodox religious belief:
somebody who holds or adheres to an opinion or belief that contradicts
established religious teaching, especially one that is officially condemned by
religious authorities

2.  somebody
with unconventional beliefs: somebody whose opinions,
beliefs, or theories in any field are considered by others in that field to be
extremely unconventional or unorthodox
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek hairetikos “able to choose,” from haireisthai
(see heresy ).][1]



heretical

heretical
he·ret·i·cal 
[hə réttik’l] adjective

1.  RELIGION seriously
unorthodox in religious views: at variance with
established religious teaching in such a way or to such an extent as to attract
official condemnation

2.  not
following established views: going against established or
traditional theories, especially in philosophy, science, or politics
—he·ret·i·cal·ly
[hə réttikəlee], adverb

—he·ret·i·cal·ness [hə réttik’lnəss], noun[1]



hereto

hereto
here·to 
[heer t] adverb

to this document or matter:
to this document, proceeding, or matter (formal)[1]



heretofore

heretofore
here·to·fore 
[hrtə fáwr] adverb

up until now:
up until this time (formal) • He
had more liberty now than he had known heretofore.[1]



hereunder

hereunder
here·un·der
[heer úndər] adverb (formal)

1.  after
this:
after this introduction, heading, or sentence

2.  by
the terms of this: by the terms of this
instruction, agreement, or ruling

[1]



hereunto

hereunto
here·un·to 
[heer ún t] adverb

to this document:
to this document, proceeding, or matter (formal)[1]



hereupon

hereupon
here·up·on 
[hrə pón] adverb

1.  at
this:
immediately after or in response to this • Hereupon
the entire delegation left.

2.  on
this matter: on this point, subject, or matter (formal)
• retired
to deliberate before pronouncing hereupon

[1]



herewith

herewith
here·with 
[heer wí, heer
wíth] adverb

1.  with
this communication: with this letter or other
written, typed, or printed message • Herewith
the documents you requested.

2.  by
this statement: by this statement, ruling, or document (formal)
• I
herewith pronounce sentence of banishment.

[1]



Herez

Herez
He·rez
[hə réz] (plural He·rez·es) or
He·riz [hə ríz] (plural He·riz·es)
noun

Persian
rug:
a Persian rug of high quality that is woven with a pattern of flowers or trees
[Named for Heris, an
Iranian town][1]



heriot

heriot
her·i·ot 
[hérree ət] (plural her·i·ots)
noun

death
duty in medieval England: in feudal England, a tribute
or gift, often a prized animal or a treasured possession, given by a tenant’s
or villein’s family to his lord at the tenant’s death
[Old English heregeatwa,
literally “army trappings.” In origin, the word referred to the return of
weapons.][1]



heritable

heritable
her·i·ta·ble 
[hérritəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be inherited: able to be passed on to an heir by the
laws of inheritance

2.  able
to inherit:
having the legal right or qualification to inherit something
[14th
century. From French, formed from hériter “to inherit,” from
ecclesiastical Latin hereditare (see hereditament
).]
—her·i·ta·bil·i·ty
[hèrritə bíllətee], noun

—her·i·ta·bly [hérritəblee], adverb[1]



heritage

heritage
her·i·tage 
[hérritij] (plural her·i·tag·es)
noun

1.  something
somebody is born to: the status, conditions, or
character acquired by being born into a particular family or social class • the
responsibilities that were his heritage

2.  riches
of past:
a country’s or area’s history and historical buildings and sites that are
considered to be of interest and value to present generations (often used
before a noun) • the town’s heritage
trail

3.  something
passing from generation to generation:
something such as a way of life or traditional culture that passes from one
generation to the next in a social group • The
celebration of Passover is part of the Jewish heritage.

4.  legal
inheritance: property or land that is or can be
passed on to an heir
[13th century. From Old
French, formed from hériter (see heritable
).][1]



heritageindustry

heritageindustry
her·i·tage
in·dus·try
noun

industry responsible for
preserving history: a branch of
the the tourism industry responsible for preserving the art and artefacts of a
place[1]



heritor

heritor
her·i·tor 
[hérritər] (plural her·i·tors)
noun

inheritor:
an inheritor of property by law (archaic or technical)
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from French héritier, from hériter (see heritable ).][1]



heritress

heritress
her·i·tress
[hérritrəss] (plural her·i·tress·es)
noun

woman inheritor:
a woman or girl who is inheritor of property by law (archaic or technical)[1]



Heriz

Heriz
He·riz 
noun

TEXTILES
See Herez[1]



Herkimer,Nicholas

Herkimer,Nicholas
Her·ki·mer
[húrkimər], Nicholas (1728–1777)

American soldier. Defending
the Mohawk Valley in New York during the Revolution, his troops weakened
British forces at the Battle of Oriskany (1777).[1]



herky-jerky

herky-jerky
herk·y-jerk·y 
[hùrki júrkee] adjective

irregular
in movement: moving in an irregular or spasmodic way
(informal)
[Late 20th century. Rhyming
expansion of jerky .][1]



herl

herl
herl 
[hurl] (plural herls) noun

1.  feather
barb:
the barb or barbs of a feather used for trimming an artificial fishing fly

2.  fishing
fly:
a fishing fly trimmed with a barb or barbs of a feather
[Origin uncertain: probably
from Middle Low German herle “fiber of hemp or flax”][1]



herm

herm
herm
[hurm] (plural herms) or
her·ma [húrmə] (plural her·mae
[húr m] or her·mai [húr m]) noun

pillar
with bust on top: a square pillar topped with a bust,
usually of the god Hermes, used as a marker in ancient Greece and Rome, and as
an ornament in classical architecture
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Hermēs Hermes .][1]



hermaphrodite

hermaphrodite
her·maph·ro·dite 
[hər máffrə dt] noun (plural her·maph·ro·dites)

1.  BIOLOGY organism
having both sexes: a plant or animal having
both male and female reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics.
Also
called
androgyne

2.  PHYSIOLOGY person
having both sexes: somebody who has both male
and female elements of genital structure and both male and female secondary
sexual characteristics.
Also
called
androgyne

3.  somebody
or something combining contradictory elements:
somebody or something that combines two very different elements or qualities,
or seems to belong to two different classifications at once
adjective

with hermaphrodite’s characteristics:
having the characteristics of a hermaphrodite
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek Hermaphroditos Hermaphroditus
.]
—her·maph·ro·dism,
noun

—her·maph·ro·dit·ic
[hər máffrə dī tìzzəm], adjective

—her·maph·ro·dit·i·cal
[hər màffrə díttik], adjective

—her·maph·ro·dit·i·cal·ly
[hər màffrə díttik’l], adverb

—her·maph·ro·dit·ism [hər màffrə díttikəlee], noun[1]



hermaphroditebrig

hermaphroditebrig
her·maph·ro·dite
brig
(plural her·maph·ro·dite brigs) noun

ship with differently rigged
masts: a two-masted sailing vessel
with a square-rigged foremast and a square-rigged topsail above a schooner rig
on the mainmast[1]



Hermaphroditus

Hermaphroditus
Her·maph·ro·di·tus 
[hər màffrə dtəss] noun

mythological Greek character:
in Greek mythology, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, whose body was merged with
the body of the nymph Salmacis to become half male and half female[1]



hermeneutic

hermeneutic
her·me·neu·tic 
[hùrmə ntik] or her·me·neu·ti·cal
[hùrmə ntik’l] adjective

1.  of
interpretation of texts: relating to or consisting in
the interpretation of texts, especially the books of the Bible

2.  serving
to explain:
serving to interpret or explain something (formal)
[Late
17th century. From Greek hermēneutikos “of interpreting,” from hermēneuein
“to interpret,” from hermēneus “interpreter.”]
—her·me·neu·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—her·me·neu·tist, noun[1]



hermeneutics

hermeneutics
her·me·neu·tics 
[hùrmə ntiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  science
of interpreting texts: the science and methodology
of interpreting texts, especially the books of the Bible

2.  theology
of religious concepts: the branch of theology that
is concerned with explaining or interpreting religious concepts, theories, and
principles

[1]



Hermes

Hermes
Her·mes 
[húr mz] noun

Greek messenger god:
in Greek mythology, the messenger of the gods and a son of Zeus. He was the
patron of athletes, thieves, and trade, and was usually depicted with wings on
his cap and sandals. Roman equivalent Mercury[1]



HermesTrismegistus

HermesTrismegistus
Her·mes
Tris·me·gis·tus  [hùr meez
trismə jístəss, hùr meez trizmə jístəss]
noun

Egyptian god:
a name given to the Egyptian god Thoth by Greek neo-Platonists, who regarded
him as a teacher of religion, magic, and alchemy[1]



hermetic

hermetic
her·met·ic 
[hər méttik] or her·met·i·cal
[hər méttik’l] adjective

1.  airtight:
so tightly or perfectly fitting as to exclude the passage of air

2.  protected
from outside influence: protected from or preventing
any outside interference or influence • lead
a solitary, hermetic existence

3.  hard
to understand: obscure and difficult for outsiders to
understand

4.  her·met·ic
or Her·met·ic involving alchemy or magic:
associated with alchemy or magic
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin hermeticus, from Hermes
Trismegistus . The meaning “airtight” comes from a magic seal supposedly
invented by Hermes Trismegistus.]
—her·met·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hermit

hermit
her·mit 
[húrmit] (plural her·mits) noun

1.  somebody
who chooses to live alone: somebody who chooses to live
alone and to have little or no contact with other people

2.  CHRISTIANITY HISTORY early
Christian living apart from society:
somebody who, in early Christian times, chose to reject material things and to
live apart from the rest of society, especially in order to be completely
devoted to God

3.  FOOD soft
spicy cookie: a soft cookie containing molasses,
raisins, nuts, and various spices
[12th
century. Via Old French hermite or medieval Latin heremita from
Greek erēmitēs, from erēmia “desert,” from erēmos
“solitary.”]
—her·mit·ic
[hur míttik], adjective

—her·mit·i·cal
[hur míttik’l], adjective

—her·mit·i·cal·ly [hur míttikəlee], adverb[1]



hermitage

hermitage
her·mit·age 
[húrmitij] (plural her·mit·ag·es)
noun

1.  place
where hermit lives: a building or shelter where
a hermit lives, or where a group of people live an isolated religious life

2.  isolated
place:
a place of isolation or solitude where somebody can live apart from society
[13th century. From Old
French, from hermite “hermit” (see hermit
).][1]



Hermitage

Hermitage
Her·mit·age
noun

Russian art museum:
a museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, that contains one of the world’s major
collections of paintings. The nucleus of its collection was the art collection
of Catherine the Great.[1]



hermitcrab

hermitcrab

her·mit crab
(plural her·mit crabs) noun
crab that lives in empty shells:
a soft-bodied crab that takes over an empty mollusk shell, usually a whelk
shell, and carries it around on its back for protection and to retire into. It
starts off with a small shell that, as it grows, is discarded for increasingly
larger ones, so that it may change shells several times during its life span.
Order: Decapoda[1]



hermitthrush

hermitthrush
her·mit
thrush
(plural her·mit thrush·es) noun

N American songbird:
a brownish North American songbird with a speckled breast, reddish tail, and a
distinctive spiraling song reminiscent of the sound of a flute. Latin name: Catharus
guttatus[1]



Hermon,Mount

Hermon,Mount
Her·mon,
Mount
[mownt húrmən]

the highest peak in the
Anti-Lebanon Mountains, on the Syria-Lebanon border. It has many associations
with ancient Palestine. Height: 2,814 m/9,232 ft.[1]



HermosaBeach

HermosaBeach
Her·mo·sa
Beach 
[hur mssə bch]

city and coastal resort in
southwestern California, southwest of the city of Los Angeles. Population:
18,219 (1990)[1]



hern

hern
hern 
[hurn] (plural herns) noun

heron:
a heron (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Variant of heron .][1]



hernia

hernia
her·ni·a 
[húrnee ə] (plural her·ni·as or
her·ni·ae [húrnee ]) noun

injury
to container of internal organ: a condition in which
part of an internal organ projects abnormally through the wall of the cavity
that contains it, especially the projection of the intestine from the abdominal
cavity. It may be present at birth, especially in the region of the navel, or
caused by muscular strain or injury, or result from a congenital weakness in
the cavity wall.
Also
called
rupture
See
also
hiatal hernia
[14th
century. From Latin . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “gut” that
is also the ancestor of English yarn
and Greek khorion “afterbirth” (source of English chorion ).]
—her·ni·al, adjective[1]



herniate

herniate
her·ni·ate 
[húrnee àyt] (past her·ni·at·ed,
past participle her·ni·at·ed, present participle her·ni·at·ing,
3rd person present singular her·ni·ates) intransitive verb

project
through a hernia: to project through an abnormal opening
in the wall of a body cavity, or through a normal or potential opening that has
become abnormally enlarged (refers to an organ or body part)
—her·ni·at·ed,
adjective

—her·ni·a·tion [hùrnee áysh’n], noun[1]



herniorrhaphy

herniorrhaphy
her·ni·or·rha·phy
[hùrnee áwrəfee] (plural her·ni·or·rha·phies)
noun

repair of hernia:
the surgical repair of an abnormal opening in the wall of a body cavity[1]



hero

hero
he·ro 
[hrō] (plural he·roes) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY legendary
man with superhuman powers: in classical mythology, a
man, especially the son of a god and a mortal, who is famous for possessing
some extraordinary gift, for example, superhuman strength • the
Greek heroes

2.  remarkably
brave person: somebody who commits an act of
remarkable bravery or who has shown great courage, strength of character, or
another admirable quality • a war
hero

3.  somebody
admired:
somebody who is admired and looked up to for outstanding qualities or
achievements • heroes
of the war against poverty.
See
also
superhero

4.  LITERATURE CINEMA main
character in fictional plot: the principal man or boy
character in a movie, novel, or play, especially one who plays a vital role in
plot development or around whom the plot is structured “Whether I shall turn
out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by
anybody else, these pages must show.” Charles Dickens David Copperfield
1849–1850
See
also
antihero

5.  FOOD long
sandwich:
a sandwich made from a long roll or loaf of bread, typically with a filling of
meat and cheese with lettuce and tomato
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek hērōs “hero, warrior.” Possibly related to Latin servare
“to protect” (see serve ).][1]



Hero

Hero
He·ro 
[hrō] noun

mythological Greek heroine:
in Greek mythology, a priestess of Aphrodite whose lover Leander swam the
Hellespont to visit her every night, and who drowned herself after he drowned
in the strait[1]



Herodotus

Herodotus
He·rod·o·tus 
[hə róddətəss] (484?–425? BC)

Greek historian. Known as
“the father of history,” his anecdotal History includes a description of
the war between the Greeks and Persians in the 5th century BC.[1]



Herod(the Great)

Herod(the Great)
Her·od
(the Great)
[hèrrəd ə gráyt], King of Judea (73 BC–4 BC)

Born in Palestine and
supported by the Romans, he ruled Judea (37 BC
-4 BC ) over a period of relative
prosperity. He is remembered in Jewish and Christian tradition as a tyrant and,
according to the Bible, ordered the massacre of every male baby in Jerusalem
(Matthew 2:16) .[1]



heroic

heroic
he·ro·ic 
[hi rṓ ik] or he·ro·i·cal [hi rṓ ik’l] adjective

1.  courageous:
showing great bravery, courage, or determination • a
heroic fight against a disease

2.  suitable
for a hero:
characteristic of or suitable for a hero

3.  large
or extreme:
large, extensive, or extreme, often daunting in aspect or done in response to a
desperate situation • heroic
measures to save a person’s life

4.  MYTHOLOGY relating
to mythical hero: characteristic of or involving the
heroes of legend or mythology

5.  POETRY in or
of heroic verse: written in or characteristic of heroic
verse.
See
also
mock-heroic

6.  SCULPTURE larger
than life-size: used to describe a piece of sculpture
that is larger than life-size.
See
also
colossal
—he·ro·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—he·ro·i·cal·ness,
noun

—he·ro·ic·ness, noun[1]



heroicage

heroicage
he·ro·ic
age
(plural he·ro·ic ag·es) noun

time of heroes:
a time in a culture’s mythology when heroes were believed to exist, especially
the time in ancient Greek legend up to and including the return from Troy[1]



heroical

heroical
he·ro·i·cal
adjective

See
heroic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








heroiccouplet

heroiccouplet
he·ro·ic
cou·plet
(plural he·ro·ic cou·plets) noun

two lines of verse that
rhyme: two lines of verse in iambic
pentameters that rhyme, usually part of a series of rhyming pairs[1]



heroicdrama

heroicdrama
he·ro·ic
dra·ma
(plural he·ro·ic dra·mas) noun

Restoration play:
a type of play popular during the Restoration period, especially one written by
John Dryden, generally involving a warrior hero who must find a way to resolve
a dilemma. This often involves finding a way of preserving both his honor and
his love for a woman.[1]



heroicmeter

heroicmeter
he·ro·ic
me·ter
noun

See
heroic verse[1]



heroicquatrain

heroicquatrain
he·ro·ic
quat·rain
(plural he·ro·ic quat·rains) noun

4-line unit of poetry:
a four-line unit of verse in which each line consists of five iambic feet and
either alternate or adjacent lines rhyme[1]



heroics

heroics
he·ro·ics
[hi rṓ iks] plural noun

1.  overdramatic
behavior or talk: rash, inappropriate, or extravagantly
courageous behavior or talk • There
is no room for heroics on this expedition.

2.  See
heroic verse

[1]



heroicstanza

heroicstanza
he·ro·ic
stan·za
(plural he·ro·ic stan·zas) noun

stanza with 4 alternately
rhyming lines: four lines of verse in
which the first and third lines and the second and fourth lines rhyme[1]



heroictenor

heroictenor
he·ro·ic
ten·or
(plural he·ro·ic ten·ors) noun

See
heldentenor[1]



heroicverse

heroicverse
he·ro·ic
verse
noun

verse form for narrative
poetry: a verse form used in epic
poetry or other narrative poetry on heroic subjects, especially the ancient
Greek and Latin hexameter, the iambic pentameter, or the alexandrine.
Also called
heroic meter
Also called
heroics[1]



heroin

heroin
her·o·in 
[hérrō in] noun

addictive
narcotic:
a white powder derived from morphine that is a highly addictive narcotic drug.
It is prohibited for medical use in most countries. (often used before a
noun)
[Late 19th century. From
German . Coined from Greek hērōs “hero, warrior” (see hero ), reputedly because of the delusions of
heroism that affect those who use it.][1]



heroine

heroine
her·o·ine 
[hérrō in] (plural her·o·ines)
noun

1.  remarkably
brave woman: a woman who commits an act of remarkable
bravery or who has shown great courage, strength of character, or another
admirable quality

2.  admired
woman:
a woman who is admired or looked up to for her qualities or achievements • heroines
of the women’s suffrage movement

3.  LITERATURE CINEMA main
woman character in fictional plot: the principal woman or
girl character in a movie, novel, or play, especially one who plays a vital
role in plot development or around whom the plot is structured

[1]



heroism

heroism
her·o·ism 
[hérrō ìzzəm] noun

great courage:
remarkable physical or moral courage[1]



heron

heron
her·on 
[hérrən] (plural her·ons) noun

wading
bird:
any of several long-legged wading birds with long necks and tapered beaks that
live in a range of freshwater habitats and feed mainly on fish, frogs, and
small mammals. They have rather unkempt drooping feathers, and many species
have crested heads. Family: Ardeidae
[14th century. Via Old French
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of Swedish häger
“heron.”][1]



heronry

heronry
her·on·ry 
[hérrənree] (plural her·on·ries)
noun

herons’ breeding place:
an area where herons nest and raise their young[1]



hero-worship

hero-worship
he·ro-wor·ship 
transitive verb

admire
somebody greatly: to admire somebody, often to the extent
of obsession
—hero-wor·ship·er, noun[1]



heroworship

heroworship
he·ro
wor·ship
noun

1.  great
admiration for somebody: great admiration for
somebody, especially if it borders on the excessive

2.  MYTHOLOGY worshiping
of heroes:
the ancient Greek or Roman practice of worshiping a mythological hero or heroes

[1]



herp.

herp.
herp.

Abbreviation of
herpetology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








herpes

herpes
her·pes 
[húrpeez] noun

viral
skin disease: a viral infection causing small painful
blisters and inflammation, most commonly at the junction of skin and mucous
membrane in the mouth or nose or in the genitals
[14th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek herpein “to creep.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to creep” that is also the ancestor of English serpent .][1]



herpessimplex

herpessimplex
her·pes
sim·plex 
[hùrpeez sím plèks] noun

viral
skin disease: either of two viral diseases marked by
clusters of small watery blisters, one affecting the area of the mouth and lips
and the other the genitals
[From modern Latin, literally
“simple herpes”][1]



herpesvirus

herpesvirus
her·pes·vi·rus 
[húrpeez vrəss] (plural her·pes·vi·rus·es)
noun

animal virus:
any of various related DNA-containing animal viruses that replicate in cell
nuclei and cause such diseases as chickenpox, herpes, and shingles[1]



herpeszoster

herpeszoster
her·pes
zos·ter 
[hùrpeez zóstər] noun

shingles:
shingles (technical)
[From modern Latin ; zoster
via Latin from Greek, “girdle”][1]



herpet.

herpet.
herpet.

Abbreviation of
herpetology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








herpetic

herpetic
her·pet·ic
[hər péttik] (plural her·pet·ics)
adjective

of herpes:
relating to, affected by, or indicative of herpes[1]



herpetol

herpetol
her·pet·ol

Abbreviation of
herpetology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








herpetology

herpetology
her·pe·tol·o·gy 
[hùrpə tólləjee] noun

study
of reptiles and amphibians: the scientific study of
reptiles and amphibians
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek herpeton “creeping thing, reptile,” from
herpein “to creep” (see herpes ) +
-o- + -logy .]
—her·pe·to·log·ic
[hùrpətə lójjik], adjective

—her·pe·to·log·i·cal
[hùrpətə lójjik’l], adjective

—her·pe·to·log·i·cal·ly
[hùrpətə lójjikəlee], adverb

—her·pe·tol·o·gist [hùrpə tólləjist], noun[1]



Herr

Herr
Herr 
[hair, hur]
(plural Her·ren [hérrən]) noun

German
equivalent of “Mr.”: the German equivalent of
“Mister,” used as a title before a surname or profession
[Mid-17th century. From
German .][1]



Herrenvolk

Herrenvolk
Her·ren·volk 
[hérrən fk, hérrən
fàwlk] noun

term
meaning master race: in Nazi ideology the Germans
as a master race (often considered offensive)
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “master people.”][1]



herring

herring
her·ring 
[hérring] (plural her·rings or
her·ring) noun

1.  fish
of N Atlantic: a small edible fish with silvery scales
that lives in large shoals in the North Atlantic and is commercially very
important to the area’s fishing industry. Latin name: Clupea harengus
See
also
red herring

2.  fish
related to herring: any fish related to and
resembling the herring. Family: Clupeidae
[Old English hāring,
of prehistoric West Germanic origin][1]



herringbone

herringbone
her·ring·bone 
[hérring bn] noun (plural her·ring·bones)

1.  pattern
of interlocking V shapes: a regular geometric pattern
made by placing two contrasting rows of slanting lines or blocks together so
that they form rows of Vs, zigzags, or chevrons. The technique is used in
bricklaying, textiles, parquet flooring, weaving, and embroidery.

2.  TEXTILES fabric
with herringbone pattern: fabric woven in a
herringbone pattern (often used before a noun) • a
herringbone jacket

3.  SKIING method
for ascending on skis: a method for climbing a
slope by facing the peak, with skis pointing out at an angle, and moving them
upward one step after the other
verb
(past her·ring·boned, past participle her·ring·boned,
present participle her·ring·bon·ing, 3rd person present
singular her·ring·bones)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb decorate
something with herringbone: to decorate or make
something such as cloth with a herringbone pattern

2.  intransitive
verb
SKIING go up
slope on skis: to ascend a slope on skis using the
herringbone method

[1]



herringbonebond

herringbonebond
her·ring·bone
bond
noun

angled bricklaying:
a type of decorative bricklaying in which the bricks are placed at an angle to
one another to form a herringbone pattern[1]



herringbonestitch

herringbonestitch
her·ring·bone
stitch
noun

embroidery stitch:
an embroidery stitch made with overlapping cross stitches that form a zigzag
line, often used as a border stitch or hemming stitch[1]



herringchoker

herringchoker
her·ring
chok·er
(plural her·ring chok·ers) noun

Canada
Canadian from eastern coast:
somebody from New Brunswick, or, less often, the Maritime Provinces in Canada (informal)[1]



herringgull

herringgull
her·ring
gull
(plural her·ring gulls) noun

large common gull:
a common gull that is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, with a
body that is mainly white, a gray back, and gray wings with black tips. Latin
name: Larus argentatus[1]



Herriot,Édouard

Herriot,Édouard
Her·ri·ot
[hérree ət], Édouard (1872–1957)

French statesman. He served
as premier of France (1924–1925, 1926, 1932) and was imprisoned (1942–1945) for
resisting the Vichy government during World War II.[1]



hers

hers
hers 
[hurz] pronoun

1.  something
belonging to her: indicates that something belongs or
relates to a woman, girl, or female animal who has been previously mentioned or
whose identity is known • She
drew my face to hers and kissed me. • I
knew an uncle of hers.

2.  belonging
to a country: belonging to or associated with a
country or nation when its identity is known (formal)

3.  belonging
to a machine: belonging to or associated with a car,
machine, or ship
[14th century. Formed from her + -’s .][1]



herself

herself
her·self 
[hər sélf] CORE
MEANING:
the form of “her” used in reflexive and emphatic contexts • She
did it herself. pronoun

1.  referring
to female subject of verb: used to refer to the same
woman, girl, or female animal as the subject of the verb • She
put her hand on the rail to support herself. • She
decided to treat herself.

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize or clarify which
woman, girl, or female animal is being referred to, often introducing a note of
surprise or awe • I received a letter
from the author herself.

3.  alone
or without help: used to show that a woman, girl or
female animal is alone or unaided • sitting
by herself in the garden • wrote
the song herself

4.  country:
used to refer to a nation or country whose identity is known (formal) • Britain
is causing problems for herself with this policy.

5.  machine:
used to refer to a car, machine, or ship

6.  normal
self:
her normal self in terms of personality, health, or behavior • She’s
not herself today –I don’t know what’s the matter with her.

[1]



Hersey,John

Hersey,John
Her·sey
[húrssee, húrzee],
John (1914–1993)

U.S.
writer and journalist. His most famous work is his documentary fiction of
nuclear war, Hiroshima ( 1946 ).
Full name
Hersey, John Richard[1]



Hershey

Hershey
Her·shey
[húrshee]

town in central Pennsylvania,
center of confectionery manufacture. Population: 11,860 (1990)[1]



herstory

herstory
her·sto·ry 
[húrstəree] (plural her·sto·ries)
noun

1.  history
from women’s perspective: history as it affects women
or looked at from the point of view of women, especially in contrast to
conventional treatment of history, seen in feminist terms as having favored men

2.  life
experiences of woman or women: the study or recording
of the life experiences, achievements, or expectations of a particular woman or
group of women
[Late 20th century. Formed on
the model of history as if his- were the
masculine possessive pronoun.][1]



hertz

hertz
hertz 
[hurts] (plural hertz) noun

unit
of frequency: the SI unit of frequency equal to one
cycle per second. Symbol Hz
[Late 19th century. Named for
Heinrich Hertz .][1]



Hertz,Heinrich

Hertz,Heinrich
Hertz 
[hurts], Heinrich (1857–1894)

German
physicist. He was the first to produce electromagnetic waves under laboratory
conditions, leading to the development of the telegraph and radio. The unit of
frequency, hertz, is named for him.
Full name
Hertz, Heinrich Rudolf[1]



Hertzianwave

Hertzianwave
Hertz·i·an
wave 
[hùrtsee ən wáyv, hàirtsee
ən wáyv] (plural Hertz·i·an waves) noun

radio
wave:
a radio wave (archaic)
[See hertz][1]



Hertzog,J. B. M.

Hertzog,J. B. M.
Hert·zog
[húrts og], J. B. M. (1866–1942)

South
African politician. He founded the Nationalist Party (1914). As South African
prime minister (1924–1939), he secured the rights of Dutch-descended Afrikaners
in South Africa while pursuing a policy of racial segregation.
Full name
Hertzog, James Barry Munnik[1]



Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram

Hertzsprung-Russelldiagram
Hertzsprung-Rus·sell
di·a·gram 
(plural Hertzsprung-Rus·sell di·a·grams) noun

star graph of brightness
against color: a graph that plots the
brightness of stars against their spectral type or color[1]



HerveyBay

HerveyBay
Her·vey
Bay
[hrvi báy, hùrvee
báy]

town located on a bay of the
same name in southern Queensland, Australia. Population: 32,054 (1996)[1]



Herzberg,Gerhard

Herzberg,Gerhard
Herz·berg
[húrts bùrg], Gerhard (1904–1999)

German-born Canadian
physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1971 for his work in
molecular spectroscopy.[1]



Herzegovina

Herzegovina
Her·ze·go·vi·na 
[hùrtsə gō vnə]

See
Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]



he-said-she-said

he-said-she-said
he-said-she-said
adjective

involving conflicting
accounts of something: involving
conflicting accounts of events from the parties in a dispute[1]



Heshvan

Heshvan
Hesh·van 
[héshvən, khésh
vaan, khéshvən] or Hesh·wan
[héshvən, khésh
vaan, khéshvən] noun

CALENDAR
JUDAISM See Cheshvan[1]



Hesione

Hesione
He·si·on·e 
[hi s ənee] noun

mythological Greek princess:
in Greek mythology, a princess whom Hercules rescued from a sea monster[1]



hesitant

hesitant
hes·i·tant 
[hézzit’nt] adjective

not
quick or confident: hesitating or reluctant to
do or say something because of indecision or lack of confidence
—hes·i·tance,
noun

—hes·i·tan·cy,
noun

—hes·i·tant·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unwilling

[1]



hesitate

hesitate
hes·i·tate 
[hézzi tàyt] (past hes·i·tat·ed,
past participle hes·i·tat·ed, present participle hes·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular hes·i·tates) intransitive verb

1.  be
slow to act: to be slow in doing something, or pause
while doing or saying something, often because of uncertainty or doubt

2.  not
be eager to do something: to be reluctant to do or say
something • If
you’re puzzled by anything, don’t hesitate to ask.
[Early
17th century. From Latin haesitat-, the past participle stem of haesitare
“to stick fast,” from haerere “to stick” (source of English adhere and cohere
).]
—hes·i·tat·er,
noun

—hes·i·tat·ing·ly,
adverb

—hes·i·ta·tive,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  hesitate, pause, falter,
  stumble, waver, vacillate
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  show uncertainty or indecision hesitate;
  to take or cause a short break in an activity, as a result of uncertainty or
  reluctance to continue; pause; to
  cause an interruption in an activity that is already under way. It can be
  used to describe an interruption that is intentional, for example, to allow
  somebody time to do something. It can also be used to describe an
  interruption that is due to hesitation or uncertainty; falter; used to describe a series of short
  stoppages and a failure to run smoothly, for example, because of nervousness,
  fear, awkwardness, or incompetence; stumble;
  meaning the same as falter, used especially to talk about hesitation and
  noticeable awkwardness in saying something; waver;
  to hesitate or be undecided about a course of action, sometimes after the
  course of action has begun; vacillate;
  used to describe a process of indecision and hesitation that involves veering
  between extremes

[1]



hesitation

hesitation
hes·i·ta·tion 
[hèzzi táysh’n] (plural hes·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  act
of hesitating: the act of hesitating or pausing

2.  reluctance:
the state of being reluctant or undecided

[1]



Hesperia

Hesperia
Hes·pe·ri·a
[he spree ə]

city in southeastern
California, north of San Bernardino. Population: 50,418 (1990)[1]



Hesperian

Hesperian
Hes·pe·ri·an 
[he spree ən] adjective

1.  western:
belonging to or connected with the west (literary)

2.  of
Hesperides:
relating to the Hesperides
[Late 15th century. Via Latin
from Greek hesperios “western,” from hesperos “western, evening”
(see Hesperides ).][1]



Hesperides

Hesperides
Hes·per·i·des 
[he spérri dz] plural noun

1.  mythological
Greek nymphs: in Greek mythology, the daughters of
Atlas and Hesperus and the guards of a tree bearing golden apples from which
Hercules was required to gather fruit as one of his twelve labors

2.  islands
of Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, islands
far to the west in which a tree with golden apples grew.
Also
called
Islands of the Blessed
[Late
16th century. From Greek, the plural of hesperis “western,” from hesperos
“western, evening.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced
English west and vespers .]
—Hes·per·id·e·an [hèspə ríddee ən], adjective[1]



hesperidin

hesperidin
hes·per·i·din 
[he spérridin, he
spérrəd’n] noun

chemical
compound from citrus fruits: a white or colorless
crystalline glycoside obtained from citrus fruits and used medicinally to treat
capillary disease
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem hesperid- “western” (see Hesperides
) + -in .][1]



hesperidium

hesperidium
hes·per·id·i·um 
[hèspə ríddee əm] (plural hes·per·id·i·ums)
noun

fruit
with rind:
a fruit, for example, a citrus fruit, made up of a thick leathery rind and soft
segmented pulp
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Hesperides, with reference to the
golden apples, + -ium .][1]



Hesperus

Hesperus
Hes·per·us 
[héspərəss] noun

planet
Venus:
the planet Venus, especially just after sunset when it shines brightly (literary)
[From Latin, from Greek hesperos
“western, evening”][1]



Hesse

Hesse
Hes·se 
[hess, héssə]

state and historic duchy in
west central Germany. Largely an agricultural region, it is drained by the
Rhine and Main rivers in the west and, in the northeast, by the Weser River.[1]



Hesse,Hermann

Hesse,Hermann
Hes·se 
[hess, héssə],
Hermann (1877–1962)

German novelist and poet. His
spiritually probing novels include Siddhartha ( 1922 ) and Steppenwolf
( 1927 ). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1946.[1]



Hessian

Hessian
Hes·sian 
noun (plural Hes·sians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Hesse:
somebody who lives in or was born or raised in the central German state of
Hesse

2.  MILITARY German
mercenary soldier: a German mercenary soldier,
especially one from the kingdom of Hesse, who fought for the British army
during the American Revolution or the Napoleonic Wars

3.  MILITARY mercenary:
any mercenary soldier
adjective

of Hesse:
relating to Hesse, or its people or culture

[1]



hessian

hessian
hes·sian
[hésh’n] noun

U.K.
coarse
fabric:
a coarse strong fabric made from jute or hemp and used for making bags and in
upholstery. It was also formerly used as a backing for linoleum.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German state of Hesse, where the fabric originated. Compare the
origins of denim, jersey,
and worsted .][1]



Hessianboot

Hessianboot
Hes·sian
boot
(plural Hes·sian boots) noun

men’s knee-high boot with
tassels: a men’s knee-high boot with
a tasseled top, first worn by Hessian soldiers and fashionable at the beginning
of the 19th century[1]



Hessianfly

Hessianfly
Hes·sian
fly
noun

small
fly destructive to crops: a small fly of the gallfly
family that lays its eggs on the stems of grain plants, where the larvae bore
into the stems and weaken them. It causes severe damage to crops, especially
wheat, barley, and rye. Latin name: Mayetiola destructor
[From having been
inadvertently brought to North America by Hessian troops][1]



hessite

hessite
hes·site
[hé st] noun

metallic
mineral:
a gray metallic mineral composed of silver telluride
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Russian chemist G. H. Hess (1802–1850).][1]



hessonite

hessonite
hes·so·nite 
[héssə nt] noun

See
essonite[1]



Hess,Rudolf

Hess,Rudolf
Hess
[hess], Rudolf (1894–1987)

German
Nazi deputy leader. Adolf Hitler’s private secretary and deputy in the 1920s
and 1930s, he was captured as a prisoner of war in Scotland (1941), convicted
of war crimes at Nuremberg (1945–1946), and imprisoned for life in Spandau
Prison, West Berlin.
Full name
Hess, Walter Richard Rudolf[1]



hest

hest
hest 
[hest] noun

behest:
somebody’s order, command, or pressing request (archaic)
[Old English hās .
Possibly from an Indo-European word meaning “to set in motion” that is also the
ancestor of Latin citare “to urge” (see cite
).][1]



Hestia

Hestia
Hes·ti·a 
[héstee ə] noun

Greek goddess:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of the hearth. Roman equivalent Vesta[1]



Heston,Charlton

Heston,Charlton
Hes·ton
[hést’n], Charlton (1923– )

U.S.
actor. He specialized in heroic roles that capitalized on his rugged good looks
and powerful physique, and won an Academy Award for Ben-Hur ( 1959 ). In
his later years he made frequent public appearances on behalf of conservative
political causes.
Real name
Carter, John Charlton[1]



Hesychast

Hesychast
Hes·y·chast 
[héssi kàst] (plural Hes·y·chasts)
noun

Greek
Orthodox monk: a member of a school of meditative
devotion developed by monks of the Greek Orthodox Church on Mount Athos
—Hes·y·chas·tic [hèssi kástik], adjective[1]



hetaera

hetaera
he·tae·ra 
[hə trə] (plural he·tae·rae [hə tr ] or he·tae·ras) or he·tai·ra
[hi trə] (plural he·tai·rai [hi t r] or he·tai·ras) noun

female
prostitute in ancient Greece: one of a special class of
women who were used by the men of ancient Greece as prostitutes, and who were
valued as intelligent, witty, educated, and highly cultured companions
[Early
19th century. From Greek, the feminine form of hetairos “companion.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English idiot and sodality
.]
—he·tae·ric, adjective[1]



hetaerism

hetaerism
he·tae·rism 
[hi tr ìzzəm] or he·tai·rism
[hi t rìzzəm] noun

1.  life
as or with concubine: the social condition or
institution of concubinage

2.  custom
of sharing sexual partners: the practice in some
societies of sharing spouses or sexual partners
—he·tae·rist,
noun

—he·tae·ris·tic [hèttə rístik], adjective[1]



heter-

heter-
heter-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hetero-[1]



hetero

hetero
het·er·o 
[héttərō] noun (plural het·er·os)

heterosexual
person:
somebody who is heterosexual (informal)
adjective

heterosexual:
heterosexual (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



hetero-

hetero-
hetero-
prefix

1.  different,
other • heterochromatic

2.  containing
atoms of different kinds • heterocyclic
[From Greek heteros
“other.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “one of two.”][1]



heteroatom

heteroatom
het·er·o·at·om 
[héttərō àttəm] (plural het·er·o·at·oms)
noun

noncarbon atom:
a noncarbon atom in a heterocyclic compound[1]



heterocercal

heterocercal

het·er·o·cer·cal 
[hèttərō súrk’l] adjective
like
a shark’s tail: used to describe a fish’s tail in which
the vertebral column bends upward and extends into the upper and larger lobe of
the tail fin, as in some sharks
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from hetero- + Greek kerkos “tail.”][1]



heterochromatic

heterochromatic
het·er·o·chro·mat·ic 
[hèttərō krō máttik] adjective

having
many colors: containing many different colors
—het·er·o·chro·ma·tism
[hèttərō krṓmə tìzzəm], noun[1]



heterochromatin

heterochromatin
het·er·o·chro·ma·tin 
[hèttərō krṓmətin] (plural het·er·o·chro·ma·tins)
noun

chromatic material that
stains readily: chromatic material that
contains few genes but stains readily with basic dyes and appears as nodules
between chromosomes.
See also
euchromatin[1]



heterochromosome

heterochromosome
het·er·o·chro·mo·some 
[hèttərō krṓmə sm] (plural het·er·o·chro·mo·somes)
noun

sex chromosome:
a chromosome consisting mainly of heterochromatin, especially a sex chromosome[1]



heterochromous

heterochromous
het·er·o·chro·mous
[hèttərə krṓməss] adjective

differently colored:
used to describe plant parts that exhibit different colors[1]



heteroclite

heteroclite
het·er·o·clite
[héttərə klt] or het·er·o·clit·ic
[hèttərō klíttik] adjective

of
unusual formation: used to describe a word that
is formed in an unusual or irregular way
noun
(plural het·er·o·clites) (plural het·er·o·clit·ics)

irregularly
formed word: a word that is formed in an unusual or
irregular way
[Late 15th century. Via late
Latin from Greek heteroklitos, from heteros “the other one of
two” + klīnein “to lean” (source of English climax
).][1]



heterocyclic

heterocyclic
het·er·o·cy·clic 
[hèttərō sklik, hèttərō
síklik] adjective

containing noncarbon atom:
used to describe or relating to a ring system composed of atoms in which at
least one is not a carbon atom[1]



heterodactylous

heterodactylous
het·er·o·dact·y·lous
[hèttərō dákt’ləss] or het·er·o·dact·yl
[hèttərō dákt’l] adjective

with toes pointing in
opposite directions: used to
describe the feet of certain birds, for example, the trogons, in which the
first and second toes point backward and the third and fourth toes point
forward.
See also
zygodactyl[1]



heterodont

heterodont
het·er·o·dont 
[héttərə dònt] adjective

having different types of
teeth: used to describe a mammal
that has teeth of different types, for example, incisors, canines, premolars,
and molars[1]



heterodox

heterodox
het·er·o·dox 
[héttərə dòks] adjective

disagreeing
with established opinions: at variance with established
or accepted beliefs or theories, especially in the field of religion (formal)
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek heterodoxos, from heteros “the other one of two”
+ doxa “opinion” (source of English doxology
).][1]



heterodoxy

heterodoxy
het·er·o·dox·y 
[héttərə dòksee] (plural het·er·o·dox·ies)
noun (formal)

1.  disagreement
with established opinions: the condition of being at
variance with established or accepted beliefs or theories, especially in the
field of religion

2.  unorthodox
opinion:
an opinion, belief, or theory that is at variance with established or accepted
ones

[1]



heterodyne

heterodyne
het·er·o·dyne 
[héttərə dn] transitive verb (past
het·er·o·dyned, past participle het·er·o·dyned, present
participle het·er·o·dyn·ing, 3rd person present singular het·er·o·dynes)

combine
radio-frequency waves: to combine a received
radio-frequency wave with a wave of a different frequency to produce
frequencies equal to the sum of and the difference between the original two
signals
adjective

involving combined radio
waves: consisting of, produced by,
or operated by heterodyning signals[1]



heteroecious

heteroecious
het·er·oe·cious 
[hèttə rshəss] adjective

living
on different hosts: used to describe a parasite
such as a tapeworm that lives in two or more hosts in the course of its life
cycle
[Late
19th century. Coined from hetero- + Greek oikia
“house.”]
—het·er·oe·cism [hèttə r sìzzəm], noun[1]



heterogamete

heterogamete
het·er·o·gam·ete 
[hèttərō gá mt, hèttərōgə
mt] (plural het·er·o·gam·etes) noun

1.  either
of uniting reproductive cells: either of two
reproductive cells ( gametes ) that differ
in size, structure, and function, and that unite in the process of
reproduction, for example, the small sperm and large ova in humans

2.  sex-determining
reproductive cell: a reproductive cell produced
by the sex that carries the chromosomes that determine the sex of the offspring

[1]



heterogametic

heterogametic
het·er·o·ga·met·ic 
[hèttərōgə méttik] adjective

1.  producing
two different reproductive cells: used to describe the
sex that produces reproductive cells ( gametes
) of two different types, one type producing males and the other females

2.  of
heterogametes: relating to heterogametes

[1]



heterogamy

heterogamy
het·er·og·a·my 
[hèttə róggəmee] noun

1.  BIOLOGY union
of dissimilar reproductive cells: in sexual
reproduction, the union of two types of sex cell ( heterogamete
) that are dissimilar in size, structure, and function

2.  BIOLOGY alternating
of forms of reproduction: the alternation of sexual
and asexual reproduction in certain species, for example, aphids, in which
every other generation is produced from the female with no need for a male

3.  BOTANY having
different flowers on one plant: the production on the
same plant of two kinds of flower, one bearing both male and female organs and
the other bearing only female organs or being asexual
—het·er·o·gam·ic
[hèttərō gámmik], adjective

—het·er·og·a·mous [hèttə róggəməss], adjective[1]



heterogeneity

heterogeneity
het·er·o·ge·ne·i·ty 
[hèttə rō jə n itee] noun

1.  diversity:
the diverse nature of something

2.  CHEMISTRY heterogeneous
state:
the state of being chemically heterogeneous

[1]



heterogeneous

heterogeneous
het·er·o·ge·ne·ous 
[hèttərō jnee əss] or het·er·og·e·nous
[hèttə rójjənəss] adjective

1.  consisting
of dissimilar parts: consisting of parts or
individual elements that are unrelated or unlike each other

2.  unrelated:
not related or similar

3.  CHEMISTRY with
two or more phases: used to describe a chemical
substance that has two or more phases
[Early
17th century. Formed from medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenēs,
literally “other kind,” from heteros “other” + genos “kind.”]
—het·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—het·er·o·ge·ne·ous·ness,
noun[1]



heterogenesis

heterogenesis
het·er·o·gen·e·sis
[hèttərō jénnəssiss] noun

mutation:
the appearance of a mutation in a population[1]



heterogenetic

heterogenetic
het·er·o·ge·net·ic
[hèttərō jə néttik] adjective

1.  of
heterogenesis: relating to heterogenesis

2.  BIOLOGY from
disparate ancestors: derived from ancestors not
closely related

3.  mutating:
reproducing by heterogenesis
—het·er·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



heterogenic

heterogenic
het·er·o·gen·ic 
[hèttərō jénnik] adjective

with more than one genetic
variant: used to describe a
reproductive cell ( gamete ), individual, or
population that has more than one variant ( allele
) of a particular gene[1]



heterogenous

heterogenous
het·er·og·e·nous
[hèttə rójjənəss] adjective

1.  See
heterogeneous

2.  MEDICINE not
from the same body: originating outside the
body, from another individual or species
[Late
17th century. Variant of heterogeneous .]
—het·er·og·e·ny, noun[1]



heterogony

heterogony
het·er·og·o·ny
[hèttə róggənee] noun

periodic
parasitism:
a life cycle involving alternating parasitic and free-living generations
—het·er·og·o·nous,
adjective

—het·er·og·o·nous·ly, adverb[1]



heterograft

heterograft
het·er·o·graft 
[héttərō gràft] (plural het·er·o·grafts)
noun

graft from different species:
a graft of living tissue from one animal to another of a different species.
Also called
heteroplasty
Also called
xenograft[1]



heterography

heterography
het·er·og·ra·phy
[hèttə róggrəfee] (plural het·er·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  different
letters for same sound: the use of different letters
or groups of letters to represent the same sound or sounds

2.  writing
system with heterography: a writing system that uses
different combinations of letters to represent the same sound or sounds
[Late
18th century. Coined from hetero- + -graphy on the model of orthography
.]
—het·er·o·graph·ic [hèttərō gráffik], adjective[1]



heterokaryon

heterokaryon
het·er·o·kar·y·on 
[hèttərō kérree òn] (plural het·er·o·kar·y·a
[hèttərō kérree ə]) noun

cell containing unlike
nuclei: a cell that has two or more
genetically different nuclei[1]



heterokaryosis

heterokaryosis
het·er·o·kar·y·o·sis
[hèttərō kerree ṓssiss] noun

presence
of dissimilar nuclei: the presence in a cell of
two or more nuclei of different genetic origin. Heterokaryosis occurs naturally
in certain fungi when cells fuse but their nuclei do not, and can be induced
artificially to study the interaction of cellular components of different
species.
—het·er·o·kar·y·ot·ic
[hèttərō kerree óttik], adjective[1]



heterologous

heterologous
het·er·ol·o·gous 
[hèttə rólləgəss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE from
different species: derived or taken from a
different species

2.  IMMUNOLOGY not
corresponding: used to describe an antigen and an
antibody that do not correspond to each other

3.  BIOLOGY in
abnormal location: not normally found in the
particular part of the body in which it has been found

4.  BIOLOGY differing
in structure and origin: used to describe organisms
or parts that differ from each other in structure or origin
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hetero- + Greek logos
“relation, ratio.”]
—het·er·ol·o·gous·ly, adverb[1]



heterolysis

heterolysis
het·er·ol·y·sis 
[hèttə rólləssiss] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY formation
of oppositely charged particles: the breaking of a
chemical bond in a compound, producing particles or ions of opposite charge,
for example, the formation of sodium and chloride ions in a salt solution

2.  BIOLOGY cell
destruction: the destruction of cells or proteins of
one species by the action of enzymes or lysins from another, for example, when
the blood of one species causes the red blood cells of another species to
rupture
—het·er·o·lyt·ic [hèttərō líttik], adjective[1]



heteromerous

heteromerous
het·er·om·er·ous 
[hèttə rómmərəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY with
different parts: with parts of different types

2.  BOTANY with
different numbers of parts: with flowers that do not
have the same number of petals in each case, or with other parts that are made
up of different numbers of elements

[1]



heteromorphic

heteromorphic
het·er·o·mor·phic 
[hèttərō máwrfik] or het·er·o·mor·phous
[hèttərō máwrfəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY taking
different forms during life cycle: taking different forms
at different stages of its life cycle

2.  GENETICS of
different size or shape: differing in size or shape,
as the X and Y sex chromosomes do

3.  BIOLOGY PATHOLOGY abnormal:
differing in shape, size, or structure from the normal form of an organism

4.  PATHOLOGY involving
abnormal form: characterized by an abnormal form or
forms
—het·er·o·mor·phism,
noun

—het·er·o·mor·phy [héttərō màwrfee], noun[1]



heteronomous

heteronomous
het·er·on·o·mous 
[hèttə rónnəməss] adjective

1.  POLITICS under
other laws:
subject to other laws or rules or to laws and rules imposed by other people or
institutions

2.  BIOLOGY growing
or developing differently: used to describe parts of an
organism that have different modes of development, growth, and different
functions
[Early
19th century. Coined from hetero- + Greek nomos
“law.”]
—het·er·on·o·mous·ly,
adverb

—het·er·on·o·my, noun[1]



heteronym

heteronym
het·er·o·nym 
[héttərənim] (plural het·er·o·nyms)
noun

similarly
spelled word: either of two or more words that are
spelled the same, but differ in meaning and often in pronunciation, for
example, “bow” (a ribbon) and “bow” (of a ship)
[Late
19th century. Coined from hetero- + -nym .]
—het·er·on·y·mous
[hèttə rónniməss], adjective

—het·er·on·y·my [hèttə rónnimee], noun[1]



heteroousian

heteroousian
het·er·o·ou·si·an
[hèttərō ssee ən, hèttərō
ówssee ən] (plural het·er·o·ou·si·ans) or het·er·ou·si·an
[hèttə rssee ən, hèttə
rówssee ən] (plural het·er·ou·si·ans) noun

somebody
with particular belief about God: in Christian theology,
somebody who believes that God the Father and God the Son are not formed of the
same substance
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek heter(o)ousios, literally “other
substance,” from heteros “other” + ousia “substance.”]
—het·er·o·ou·si·an, adjective[1]



heterophyllous

heterophyllous
het·er·o·phyl·lous 
[hèttərō fílləss] adjective

with
differently shaped leaves: used to describe plants such
as the sassafras tree that have different shapes of leaves on the same plant
—het·er·o·phyl·ly [héttərō fìllee], noun[1]



heteroplasty

heteroplasty
het·er·o·plas·ty 
[héttərō plàstee] (plural het·er·o·plas·ties)
noun

1.  grafting
from somebody or something else: a surgical procedure
to graft or transplant tissues or organs from one person or animal to another

2.  See
heterograft
—het·er·o·plas·tic [hèttərō plástik], adjective[1]



heteroploid

heteroploid
het·er·o·ploid 
[héttərō plòyd] adjective

with
abnormal chromosome number: with a number of chromosomes
that is, unusually, not an exact multiple of the basic chromosome number for
that species
noun
(plural het·er·o·ploids)

heteroploid cell:
a heteroploid cell or organism[1]



heteropolar

heteropolar
het·er·o·po·lar
[hèttərō pṓlər] adjective

CHEMISTRY See polar
—het·er·o·po·lar·i·ty
[hèttərō pō lérrətee, hèttərōpə lérrətee], noun[1]



heteropteran

heteropteran
het·er·op·ter·an 
[hèttə róptərən] (plural het·er·op·ter·ans)
noun

insect
with sucking mouthparts: an insect, for example, a
bedbug or another true bug, with mouthparts adapted for piercing and sucking,
and partially hardened forewings with membranous tips. Order: Heteroptera
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hetero- + Greek pteron
“wing.”]
—het·er·op·ter·an, adjective[1]



heterosexism

heterosexism
het·er·o·sex·ism 
[hèttərō sék sìzzəm] noun

discrimination
against gays and lesbians: discrimination against gays
and lesbians by heterosexuals
—het·er·o·sex·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



heterosexual

heterosexual
het·er·o·sex·u·al 
[hèttərō sékshoo əl] noun (plural
het·er·o·sex·u·als)

somebody sexually desiring opposite sex:
somebody who sexually desires members of the opposite sex
adjective

1.  desiring
opposite sex: sexually desiring members of the
opposite sex

2.  involving
both sexes:
relating to sexual desire or sexual relations between people of opposite sexes
—het·er·o·sex·u·al·ly,
adverb[1]



heterosexuality

heterosexuality
het·er·o·sex·u·al·i·ty 
[hèttərō sekshoo állətee] noun

sexual relations between
opposite sexes: sexual desire or sexual
relations between people of opposite sexes[1]



heterosis

heterosis
het·er·o·sis 
[hèttə rṓssiss] noun

BIOLOGY See hybrid vigor
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
heterōsis, literally “making different,” from heteros
“different.”][1]



heterosporous

heterosporous
het·er·o·spo·rous 
[hèttərō spáwrəss, hèttə
róspərəss] adjective

producing
two kinds of spore: producing two types of
spore, microspores and megaspores, on the same plant
—het·er·o·spo·ry [héttərō spàwree, hèttə
róspəree], noun[1]



heterostyly

heterostyly
het·er·o·sty·ly
[héttərō stlee] noun

BOTANY different
lengths of style in plant: the possession of styles of
different lengths on different plants of the same species, which is an aid to
cross-pollination by insects
—het·er·o·styled
[héttərō stld], adjective

—het·er·o·sty·lous [hèttərō stləss], adjective[1]



heterotrophic

heterotrophic
het·er·o·tro·phic
[hèttərō tróffik] adjective

getting
nutrients through food digestion: obtaining nourishment
by digesting plant or animal matter, as animals do, as opposed to
photosynthesizing food, as plants do
—het·er·o·troph
[héttərə tròf], noun

—het·er·ot·ro·phy [hèttə róttrəfee], noun[1]



heterotropia

heterotropia
het·er·o·trop·i·a
[hèttərō trṓpee ə] (plural het·er·o·trop·i·as)
noun

abnormal eye alignment:
an abnormal alignment of the eyes[1]



heterotypic

heterotypic
het·er·o·typ·ic 
[hèttərō típpik] or het·er·o·typ·i·cal
[hèttərō típpik’l] adjective

1.  abnormal:
differing from the standard or normal type in an organism

2.  GENETICS of
type of cell division: relating to a form of
division of the nucleus of a cell in which the nucleii produced contain half
the chromosomes of the parent cell

[1]



heterousian

heterousian
het·er·ou·sian
noun adjective

See
heteroousian[1]



heterozygote

heterozygote
het·er·o·zy·gote 
[hèttərō zgət] (plural het·er·o·zy·gotes)
noun

organism
with variants of gene: an animal or plant
possessing two forms of a particular gene encoding some inheritable
characteristic, which may therefore produce offspring differing from their
parents and each other in that characteristic
[Early 20th century. Coined
from hetero- + zygote
.][1]



heterozygous

heterozygous
het·er·o·zy·gous 
[hèttərō zgəss] adjective

having
genetic variants: used to describe a cell or organism that
has two or more different versions ( alleles ) of at least one of its genes.
The offspring of such an organism may thus differ with regard to the
characteristics determined by the gene or genes involved, depending on which
version of the gene they inherit.
—het·er·o·zy·gote [hèttərō zgət], noun[1]



heth

heth
heth 
[het, heth,
khet, kheth]
(plural heths) noun

8th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the eighth letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “h”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew ḥēth .][1]



hetman

hetman
het·man 
[hétmən] (plural het·mans) noun

See
ataman
[Mid-18th century. Via
Polish, of uncertain origin: probably from German Hauptmann “headman,
captain.”][1]



hetup

hetup
het
up
adjective

agitated:
extremely excited as a result of anticipation, anger, or anxiety (regional)
[Het originally the past
participle of heat][1]



heuchera

heuchera
heu·che·ra
[hykərə] (plural heu·che·ras)
noun

N
American garden plant: a plant native to North
America but grown elsewhere that has sprays of small, usually red, flowers and
low-growing heart-shaped leaves. Genus: Heuchera
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, named for the German botanist J. H. Heucher ( 1677–1747
).][1]



heulandite

heulandite
heu·land·ite 
[hylən dt] noun

mineral
of various shades: a mineral of the zeolite
family, consisting of a hydrated silicate of calcium, sodium, and aluminum,
occurring in rock cavities as long white, yellow, red, or brown crystals
[Early 19th century. Formed
from the name of the English mineralogist H. Heuland ( 1777–1856 ).][1]



heuristic

heuristic
heu·ris·tic 
[hyoo rístik] adjective

1.  EDUCATION encouraging
discovery of solutions: relating to or using a
method of teaching that encourages learners to discover solutions for
themselves

2.  PHILOSOPHY SCIENCE involving
trial and error: using or arrived at by a process of
trial and error rather than set rules

3.  COMPUTING able
to change:
used to describe a computer program that can modify itself in response to the
user, for example, a program for checking spelling
noun
(plural heu·ris·tics)

LOGIC procedure
for getting solution: a helpful procedure for
arriving at a solution but not necessarily a proof
[Early
19th century. Alteration of Greek heuriskein “to find” (source of
English eureka ).]
—heu·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



heuristics

heuristics
heu·ris·tics
[hyoo rístiks] noun

problem-solving by trial and
error: a method of solving a
problem for which no formula exists, based on informal methods or experience,
and employing a form of trial and error ( iteration
) (takes a singular verb)[1]



hevea

hevea
he·ve·a 
[hvee ə] (plural he·ve·as) noun

tropical
tree with milky sap: a tree native to the Amazon
jungle, whose bark contains a milky sap that provides rubber. The best known
species is the rubber tree, widely planted throughout the tropics as a source
of natural rubber. Genus: Hevea
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Quechua hyeve .][1]



hew

hew
hew 
[hyoo] (past hewed, past
participle hewn [hyoon] or
hewed, present participle hew·ing, 3rd person present
singular hews) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
down or up:
to cut, break, or destroy something, especially wood or stone, with a cutting
implement, especially an ax

2.  transitive
verb
make
by cutting or carving: to form or create something
by cutting wood or stone • hewed
a path through the forest

3.  transitive
verb
sever
from something else: to cut something off from a
larger block or mass
[Old
English hēawen, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—hew·er, noun[1]



Hewes,Joseph

Hewes,Joseph
Hewes
[hyooz], Joseph (1730–1779)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) as a North Carolina delegate to the
Continental Congress.[1]



hewto

hewto
hew
to
transitive verb

conform to:
to conform closely to something, for example, a code or procedure (formal)[1]



hex.

hex.
hex.

1.  Abbreviation
of
hexagon

2.  Abbreviation
of
hexagonal

[1]



hex

hex2
hex2 [heks]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of hexadecimal[1]



hex-

hex-
hex-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hexa-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hex

hex1
hex1 [heks]
noun (plural hex·es)

1.  curse:
a curse or evil spell

2.  bringer
of bad luck: somebody believed to bring bad luck or
misfortune
transitive
verb
(past hexed, past participle hexed, present
participle hex·ing, 3rd person present singular hex·es)

1.  curse
or bewitch:
to put a curse or spell on somebody or something

2.  have
bad effect on: to appear to have a bad effect on
something, as if it were cursed or bewitched • A
string of accidents hexed their first attempt to climb the mountain.
[Mid-19th
century. Via Pennsylvanian Dutch from German Hexe “witch.”]
—hex·er, noun[1]



hexa-

hexa-
hexa-
prefix

six
• hexapod
[From Greek hex .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “six” that is also the ancestor of
English six and sextet .][1]



hexachlorophene

hexachlorophene
hex·a·chlo·ro·phene 
[hèksə kláwrə fn] noun

antiseptic
chemical:
a white odorless organic compound that has antiseptic properties and is used as
an antibacterial agent in soaps and toothpaste and as an antiseptic in
deodorants. (C6HCl3OH)2CH2
[Late 20th century. Coined
from hexa- + chloro-
+ Greek phaino- “shining.”][1]



hexachord

hexachord
hex·a·chord 
[héksə kàwrd] (plural hex·a·chords)
noun

series of musical notes:
a series of six adjacent diatonic notes forming the basis of medieval and
classical Greek music theory. There were three variants, the so-called natural,
hard, and soft hexachords, which approximate to the modern C major, G major,
and F major scales respectively.[1]



hexadecimal

hexadecimal
hex·a·dec·i·mal 
[hèksə déssim’l] adjective

COMPUTING based
on number 16: used to describe a number system based
on the number 16, in which the letters A to F are used as digits in addition to
the digits 0 to 9. It is used especially to represent binary code in computers.
noun
(plural hex·a·dec·i·mals)

1.  number
with base 16: a number expressed using the base 16
rather than, for example, the usual base 10

2.  notation
for numbers with base 16: the notation used to
represent numbers with a base 16

[1]



hexagon

hexagon

hex·a·gon 
[héksə gòn] (plural hex·a·gons)
noun
six-sided
figure:
a two-dimensional figure that has six sides
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin hexagonum from, ultimately, Greek hexagōnos “six-cornered,”
from hexa- “six.”][1]



hexagonal

hexagonal
hex·ag·o·nal 
[hèk sággən’l] adjective

1.  GEOMETRY six-sided:
with six straight sides and six angles

2.  GEOMETRY containing
or based on hexagon: containing a hexagon, or
having a hexagon as a base

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY having
a six-sided cross section: belonging to one of the
seven crystal systems, the members of which are six-sided in cross section, are
elongated perpendicular to that cross section, and have sixfold symmetry around
the long axis
—hex·ag·o·nal·ly, adverb[1]



hexagram

hexagram

hex·a·gram 
[héksə gràm] (plural hex·a·grams)
noun

1.  GEOMETRY six-pointed
geometric figure: a six-pointed star-shaped figure formed
by extending the sides of a regular hexagon until they meet at six points

2.        EASTERN RELIGION
pattern of six lines:
any of the 64 possible combinations of six broken or unbroken lines, used in
divination, especially in the I Ching[1]



hexahydrate

hexahydrate
hex·a·hy·drate
[hèksə h dràyt] (plural hex·a·hy·drates)
noun

compound containing water:
a crystalline compound, each molecule of which contains six loosely bound water
molecules ( water of crystallization ) from
which the water escapes when the compound is heated, leaving the compound
unchanged[1]



hexamerous

hexamerous
hex·am·er·ous 
[hek sámmərəss] or hex·am·er·al
[hek sámmərəl] adjective

with
parts in sixes: with parts, especially petals or
stamens, arranged in sets of six
—hex·am·er·ism, noun[1]



hexameter

hexameter
hex·am·e·ter 
[hek sámmətər] (plural hex·am·e·ters)
noun

verse
line of six feet: a line of verse that has six metrical
feet, usually all in the same or a related meter. The classical Greek and Latin
epic poems, the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid, are composed
in dactylic hexameters.
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek hexametros “of six measures,” from hexa-
“six” + metron “measure.”]
—hex·a·met·ric [hèksə méttrik], adjective[1]



hexane

hexane
hex·ane 
[hék sàyn] noun

colorless solvent:
a volatile hydrocarbon found in petroleum that is a major ingredient of
gasoline and is commonly used as a solvent. C6H14[1]



Hexapla

Hexapla
Hex·a·pla 
[héksəplə] noun

six-text
edition of Hebrew Scriptures: an ancient version of the
Hebrew Scriptures, compiled by the early Christian theologian, Origen, that
contains six parallel versions of the text
[Early 17th century. From (ta)
hexapla, its Greek title, the neuter plural of hexaplous “sixfold,”
from hexa- “six.”][1]



hexapody

hexapody
hex·a·po·dy
[hek sáppədee] (plural hex·a·po·dies)
noun

six-foot
line:
a line of poetry consisting of six feet
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hexa- + -pod on the model of words such as tetrapody .]
—hex·a·po·dic [hèksə póddik], adjective[1]



hexastich

hexastich
hex·a·stich 
[héksə stìk] (plural hex·a·stichs)
or hex·a·sti·chon [hek sásti kòn]
(plural hex·a·sti·cha [hek sásti kə])
noun

six-line
verse:
a unit of verse, for example, a stanza or a short poem, that contains six lines
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin hexastichon from Greek, “of six rows,” from hexa-
“six” + stichos “row.”][1]



hexastyle

hexastyle
hex·a·style
[héksə stl] adjective

ARCHITECTURE with
six columns: with six architectural columns, or in
the form of six columns
noun
(plural hex·a·styles)

ARCHITECTURE
construction with six columns:
a building, or a portico or other part, that has six columns[1]



Hexateuch

Hexateuch
Hex·a·teuch 
[héksə tk] noun

first
six books of Bible: the first six books of the
Bible, comprising Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua.

See
also
Heptateuch
See
also
Pentateuch
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hexa- + Greek teuchos “book,” on
the model of Pentateuch .][1]



hexavalent

hexavalent
hex·a·va·lent
[hèksə váylənt] adjective

with valence of six:
with a chemical valence of six[1]



hexcentric

hexcentric
hex·cen·tric
[hèksə séntrik] (plural hex·centrics)
noun

six-sided climbing aid:
a six-sided metal chock used in rock climbing[1]



hexosan

hexosan
hex·o·san 
[héksō sàn] (plural hex·o·sans)
noun

plant carbohydrate:
a complex carbohydrate ( polysaccharide )
found in the cell walls of plants that breaks down to form a hexose. C6H10O5[1]



hexose

hexose
hex·ose 
[hék sss] (plural hex·oses) noun

simple sugar:
a simple sugar, for example, glucose, that contains six carbon atoms per
molecule[1]



hexsign

hexsign
hex
sign
(plural hex signs) noun

sign
used against evil: any one of various stylized
signs incorporating a circle and other elements that were formerly painted on
barns to ward off evil or bad luck
[See hex 1][1]



hexyl

hexyl
hex·yl 
[héksəl] (plural hex·yls) noun

organic group or radical:
an organic group or radical derived from hexane and containing six carbon
atoms. C6H13[1]



hey

hey
hey 
[hay] interjection

1.  demanding
attention:
used to get somebody’s attention (informal)

2.  expressing
various emotions: used to express amazement, delight,
disappointment, or irritation

3.  greeting:
used as a greeting (informal)
[12th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



heyday

heyday
hey·day 
[háy dày] noun

somebody’s
or something’s prime: the time of somebody’s or
something’s greatest success, popularity, or power
[Late 16th century. By folk
etymology from earlier heyda “hurrah” (by association with day ), of uncertain origin: probably an extension
of hey, modeled partly on Low German heida
.][1]



Heyerdahl,Thor

Heyerdahl,Thor
Hey·er·dahl
[háy ər dl, h ər
dl], Thor (1914– )

Norwegian anthropologist. He
successfully crossed the Pacific in the balsa raft Kon-Tiki (1947) in an
attempt to prove that Native South Americans could have migrated to Polynesia.[1]



Heyward,Thomas Jr.

Heyward,Thomas Jr.
Hey·ward
[háywərd], Thomas Jr. (1746–1809)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) as a South Carolina delegate to the
Continental Congress.[1]



Hezekiah

Hezekiah
Hez·e·ki·ah 
[hèzzi k ə] (lived 715 BC)

Judean king. An important
religious reformer, he ruled Judah from 715 BC
to 687 BC.[1]



he’d

he’d
he’d 
[heed] contraction

1.  he
had:
he had

2.  he
would:
he would

[1]



he’ll

he’ll
he’ll 
[heel] contraction

1.  he
will:
he will

2.  he
shall:
he shall

[1]



he’s

he’s
he’s 
[heez] contraction

1.  he
is:
he is • He’s
not the man I saw.

2.  he
has:
he has • He’s
finished his lunch.

[1]



HF

HF
HF

1.
(used to indicate hardness of lead on pencils) Abbreviation of
hard firm

2.  RADIO Abbreviation of high frequency

[1]



Hf

Hf
Hf

Symbol for
hafnium[1]



hf

hf
hf

RADIO
Abbreviation of high frequency[1]



hf.

hf.
hf.

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of half[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hg

hg2
hg2

BIOCHEMISTRY
Abbreviation of hemoglobin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HG

HG
HG
or H.G.

LANGUAGE
Abbreviation of High German[1]



hg

hg1
hg1

MEASUREMENTS
Symbol for hectogram[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hgb.

hgb.
hgb.

Abbreviation of
hemoglobin[1]



HGH

HGH
HGH

Abbreviation of
human growth hormone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hgt.

hgt.
hgt.

Abbreviation of
height[1]



hgwy.

hgwy.
hgwy.

Abbreviation of
highway[1]



H.H.

H.H.
H.H.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Highness

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Highness

3.  LAW Abbreviation of Her
Honor

4.  LAW Abbreviation of His
Honor

5.  RELIGION Abbreviation of His
Holiness

[1]



hhd

hhd
hhd

Abbreviation of
hogshead[1]



HH.D.

HH.D.
HH.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Humanities
[Latin, Humanitatum Doctor][1]



H-Hour

H-Hour
H-Hour
noun

agreed
time:
the appointed time for a military event, for example, a planned attack, to take
place
[H abbreviation of “hour”][1]



HHS

HHS
HHS

Abbreviation of
(Department of) Health and Human Services[1]



HI

HI
HI

1.  MAIL Abbreviation of Hawaii

2.  MED Abbreviation of hearing-impaired

3.  METEOROLOGY Abbreviation of
humidity index

[1]



H.I.

H.I.
H.I.

GEOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of Hawaiian Islands[1]



hi

hi
hi 
[hī] interjection

hello!:
used as an informal greeting (informal)
[12th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



Hialeah

Hialeah
Hi·a·le·ah 
[h ə l ə]

city in southeastern Florida,
8 km/5 mi north and west of Miami. Population: 194,120 (1994)[1]



hiatal

hiatal
hi·a·tal 
[hī áyt’l] adjective

relating to opening in bodily
organ: relating to an opening, gap,
or aperture in an organ of the body[1]



hiatalhernia

hiatalhernia
hi·a·tal
her·ni·a
(plural hi·a·tal her·ni·as) noun

hernia of upper stomach:
a hernia in which the part of the stomach around the esophagus entrance is
forced up into the chest cavity through the normal opening in the diaphragm for
the esophagus. Hiatal hernia is associated with heartburn and can usually be
corrected by surgery.
U.K. term
hiatus hernia[1]



hiatus

hiatus
hi·a·tus 
[hī áytəss] (plural hi·a·tus·es
or hi·a·tus) noun

1.  unexpected
gap:
a break in something where there should be continuity

2.  ANATOMY opening:
an opening or aperture in an organ, for example, the opening in the diaphragm
for the esophagus

3.  LINGUISTICS separation
between consecutive vowels: a break in pronunciation
between two vowels that are next to each other in consecutive syllables without
an intervening consonant, as in “re-examine”

4.  PRINTING omission:
a gap where something is missing, especially in manuscripts
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “gaping, opening,” from hiare “to gape,” from, ultimately, an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English yawn .][1]



hiatushernia

hiatushernia
hi·a·tus
her·ni·a
(plural hi·a·tus her·ni·as) noun

See
hiatal hernia[1]



Hiawatha

Hiawatha
Hi·a·wa·tha 
[h ə wáwthə] (lived 1550)

Native
North American leader. He was instrumental in uniting the Iroquois League of
Five Nations in about 1550. Known only through Iroquois legend, he is
nevertheless believed by historians to have been a real person.
Born
Heowenta[1]



hibachi

hibachi
hi·ba·chi 
[hi btchee] (plural hi·ba·chis)
noun

barbecue:
a portable barbecue of Japanese design, with a base for the fire with vents
under it, and one or more adjustable cooking racks
[Mid-19th century. From
Japanese, literally “fire bowl.”][1]



hibakusha

hibakusha
hi·ba·ku·sha
(plural hi·ba·ku·sha or hi·ba·ku·shas) noun

survivor
of atomic bomb: somebody who survived the atomic bombing
of Hiroshima or Nagasaki in 1945
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “somebody who suffers an explosion.”][1]



hibernaculum

hibernaculum
hi·ber·nac·u·lum 
[hbər nákyələm] (plural hi·ber·nac·u·la
[hbər nákyələ]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY hibernation
place:
the winter den of a hibernating animal or insect

2.  BOTANY bud
cover:
the covering of a plant bud that protects it during its dormant phase
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, from hibernare (see hibernate
).][1]



hibernal

hibernal
hi·ber·nal 
[h búrn’l] adjective

of
winter:
relating to winter as one of the six divisions of the year used to describe
ecological communities
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin hibernalis, from hibernus “wintry.”][1]



hibernate

hibernate
hi·ber·nate 
[hbər nàyt] (past hi·ber·nat·ed,
past participle hi·ber·nat·ed, present participle hi·ber·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular hi·ber·nates) intransitive verb

1.  BIOLOGY pass
winter asleep: to be in a sleeplike dormant state over
the winter while living off reserves of body fat, with a decrease in body
temperature and pulse rate and slower metabolism. Animals that hibernate
include bears, bats, and many amphibians.

2.  become
less active: to become less active, especially by
staying at home rather than going out to socialize (informal humorous)
[Early
19th century. From Latin hibernare, from hiberna “winter
quarters,” a noun use of a form of hibernus “wintry.”]
—hi·ber·na·tion
[hbər náysh’n], noun

—hi·ber·na·tor, noun[1]



Hibernia

Hibernia
Hi·ber·ni·a 
[hī búrnee ə] noun

Ireland:
Ireland (archaic or literary)
[From Latin, “Ireland,”
alteration of Iverna, which came via Greek I(w)ernē from Celtic][1]



Hibernian

Hibernian
Hi·ber·ni·an
[hī búrnee ən] noun

PEOPLES somebody
from Hibernia: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of Hibernia
adjective

Irish:
relating to Ireland (archaic or literary)
—Hi·ber·ni·an, noun[1]



Hibernicism

Hibernicism
Hi·ber·ni·cism
[hī búrni sìzzəm] (plural Hi·ber·ni·cisms)
or Hi·ber·ni·an·ism [hī búrnee ə nìzzəm]
(plural Hi·ber·ni·anisms) noun

See
Irishism[1]



Hiberno-

Hiberno-
Hiberno-
prefix

Irish
[Formed from medieval Latin Hibernus
“Irish,” from Latin Hibernia “ Hibernia
”][1]



Hiberno-English

Hiberno-English
Hi·ber·no-Eng·lish 
noun

English
spoken in Ireland: the variety of English
spoken in Ireland with features from Irish Gaelic, including intonation and
some Gaelic words and phrases
—Hi·ber·no-Eng·lish, adjective[1]



hibiscus

hibiscus

hi·bis·cus 
[hī bískəss, hi
bískəss] (plural hi·bis·cus·es) noun
shrub
with large flowers: a shrub or small tree of the
mallow family that has large brightly-colored flowers with prominent stamen
tubes. It is pollinated by birds. Genus: Hibiscus
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek hibiskos, “marshmallow,” perhaps of Celtic origin.][1]



hic

hic
hic
[hik] interjection

sound
of hiccup:
used to represent the sound of a hiccup
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



hiccup

hiccup

hic·cup 
[hí kùp, híkəp]
or hic·cough [hí kùp, híkəp] noun (plural hic·cups)
(plural hic·coughs)

1.  MEDICINE convulsive
gasp:
an abrupt involuntary contraction of the diaphragm that causes an intake of
breath and closes the sound-producing folds at the top of the windpipe ( vocal cords ), resulting in a convulsive gasp

2.  gulping
sound:
the gulping sound that accompanies a hiccup, or a sound like this

3.  hitch
in arrangements: a temporary setback to somebody’s plans
or arrangements (informal)
plural noun hic·cups
hic·coughs

gulping intakes of breath:
an attack of repeated involuntary spasms of the diaphragm, resulting in
periodic noisy gulps of breath
verb (past
hic·cuped or hic·cupped, past participle hic·cuped
or hic·cupped, present participle hic·cup·ing or
hic·cup·ping, 3rd person present singular hic·cups) (past
hic·coughed, past participle hic·coughed, present
participle hic·cough·ing, 3rd person present singular hic·coughs)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
hiccup:
to have a spasm of the diaphragm resulting in a hiccup

2.  intransitive
verb
make
hiccup noises: to make the sound of, or a sound like, a
hiccup

3.  transitive
verb
talk
while hiccupping: to say something while hiccupping
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



hicjacet

hicjacet
hic
ja·cet 
[hìk jáyssət]

here
lies:
an inscription often found on gravestones, meaning “here lies”
[From Latin][1]



hick

hick
hick 
[hik] noun (plural hicks)

bumpkin:
an unsophisticated and uncultured rural or small-town person (informal
insult)
adjective

rural,
rustic, and unsophisticated: remote from big cities and
lacking in sophistication (informal insult)
[Mid-16th century. From Hick,
an old nickname for “Richard.”][1]



hickey

hickey
hick·ey 
[híkee] (plural hick·eys or
hick·ies) noun

1.  (informal)
See doohickey

2.  mark
on skin:
a mark on the skin caused by kissing, biting, or sucking and associated with
physical intimacy (informal)
U.K.
term
lovebite

3.  pimple:
a pimple (informal)

4.  PRINTING printing
error:
a printing error or imperfection

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING pipe-bending
tool:
a device for bending pipes

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING threaded
fitting:
a threaded fitting for joining two parts
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Hickok,Wild Bill

Hickok,Wild Bill

Hick·ok
[hík ok], Wild Bill (1837–1876)
U.S.
law enforcer, gunfighter, and scout. He was a Union spy and scout during the
Civil War and later a Kansas marshal known for his marksmanship. His touring
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (1872–1873) was a popular attraction.
Real name
Hickok, James Butler[1]



hickory

hickory

hick·o·ry 
[híkəree] (plural hick·o·ries)
noun

1.  TREES N
American nut tree: a deciduous North American
tree of the walnut family with compound leaves and nuts that are edible in some
species. Genus: Carya

2.  INDUSTRY hickory
wood:
the hard light-colored wood of a hickory tree, used in tool handles and
agricultural implements

3.  hickory
stick:
a walking stick or switch made of hickory wood
[Late 17th century. From
Algonquian, a shortening of pockerchicory, pohickery, a type of walnut.][1]



Hickory

Hickory
Hick·o·ry 
[híkəree]

city in central North
Carolina, west of Statesville. Population: 28,301 (1990)[1]



Hicksville

Hicksville
Hicks·ville 
[híksvil]

unincorporated village in
southeastern New York, on Long Island, a residential and industrial center.
Population: 40,174 (1990)[1]



hid

hid
hid


Past tense of
hide 1 Past
participle of hide 1[1]



hidalgo

hidalgo
hi·dal·go 
[hi dálgō] (plural hi·dal·gos)
noun

Spanish
nobleman:
a man belonging to the lowest rank of Spanish nobility
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, a contraction of hijo de algo, literally “son of something.”][1]



Hidalgo

Hidalgo
Hi·dal·go 
[hi dálgō]

state in east central Mexico.
Capital: Pachuca. Population: 2,100,000 (1995) Area: 20,987 sq km/8,103 sq mi.[1]



Hidatsa

Hidatsa
Hi·dat·sa 
[hi dtsə] (plural Hi·dat·sa or
Hi·dat·sas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people now living along the Missouri valley in South Dakota

2.  LANGUAGE Hidatsa
language:
the Siouan language of the Hidatsa people. It belongs to the Siouan group of
Hokan Siouan family of Native American languages.
[Late
19th century. From Hidatsa hiratsa, literally “willow wood lodge.”]
—Hi·dat·sa, adjective[1]



hidden

hidden
hid·den


Past
participle of hide 1
—hid·den·ness, noun[1]



hiddenagenda

hiddenagenda
hid·den
a·gen·da
(plural hid·den a·gen·das) noun

undisclosed motive or aim:
a plan, motive, or aim underlying somebody’s actions that is kept secret from
others[1]



hiddenite

hiddenite
hid·den·ite 
[hídd’n t] noun

green
mineral:
a rare green variety of the mineral spodumene, used as a gemstone. It is an
aluminum lithium silicate found in hydrothermal deposits.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the name of U.S. minerologist W. E. Hidden, who discovered it.][1]



hiddentax

hiddentax
hid·den
tax
(plural hid·den tax·es) noun

See
indirect tax[1]



hide

hide1
hide1 [hīd]
verb (past hid, past participle hid·den [hidd’n] or hid [hid], present participle hid·ing, 3rd
person present singular hides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
out of sight: to conceal yourself, or something or
somebody else, from view

2.  transitive
verb
keep
secret:
to prevent something from becoming known

3.  transitive
verb
block
view of something: to obscure something by
passing, or passing something, in front of it, or by being temporarily or
permanently in front of it • The
clouds hid the sun for a while.

4.  transitive
verb
turn
away:
to turn away or cover the face or eyes with the hands, for example, so that the
expression cannot be seen or in order to avoid seeing something
noun
(plural hides)

U.K. HUNTING LEISURE
See blind  noun 5
[Old English hdan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English hoard, huddle, and hut
.][1]



hide

hide3
hide3 [hīd]
(plural hides) noun

measure
of land:
in Old English law, a measure of land equal to 120 acres
[Old English hīd,
“measure of land for supporting a family,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



hide

hide2
hide2 [hīd]
(plural hides) noun

1.  animal
skin:
the skin of some larger animals, for example, deer, cow, or buffalo (often
used in combination)

2.  human
skin:
a person’s skin (informal) “A vengeance on your crafty wither’d hide!”
William Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew 1593
[Old
English hd . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of hide 1 and of Latin cutis
(source of English cuticle ), the
underlying idea being “covering.”]
neither
hide nor hair of somebody or something

no
trace of somebody or something

tan
somebody’s hide

to beat or whip somebody (informal)[1]



hide-and-seek

hide-and-seek
hide-and-seek 
or hide-and-go-seek noun

hiding game:
a children’s game in which one player lets the others hide, and then tries to
find them[1]



hideaway

hideaway
hide·a·way 
[hdə wày] (plural hide·a·ways)
noun

secret refuge:
a secluded place of retreat or concealment[1]



hidebound

hidebound
hide·bound 
[hd bòwnd] adjective

1.  narrow-minded
and conservative: unwilling to consider new ideas or new
ways of doing things (disapproving)

2.  AGRICULTURE with
dry, stiff skin: with skin that is dry, stiff, and
closely attached to the flesh, as a result of poor feeding • hidebound
cattle

[1]



hideous

hideous
hid·e·ous 
[híddee əss] adjective

1.  horrible
to see:
extremely unpleasant or horrible to see

2.  horrible
to hear:
frighteningly horrible to hear • a
hideous shriek

3.  morally
repulsive:
morally repulsive or disgusting

4.  causing
suffering:
causing a great deal of suffering
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman hidous and Old French hidos, from hi(s)de
“fear.”]
—hid·e·ous·ness, noun[1]



hideously

hideously
hid·e·ous·ly
[híddee əsslee] adverb

1.  frighteningly
or revoltingly: in an extremely unpleasant, frightening,
or revolting way

2.  extremely:
to a frightening or revolting extent

[1]



hideout

hideout
hide
out
intransitive verb

be in hiding:
to be in, or go into, hiding[1]



hideout

hideout
hide·out 
[hd òwt] (plural hide·outs) noun

place to hide:
a place where somebody is hiding, especially somebody wanted by the police[1]



hidey-hole

hidey-hole
hid·ey-hole 
(plural hid·ey-holes) or hid·y-hole (plural hid·y-holes)
noun

place
to hide in:
a place of concealment for somebody or something (informal)
[Hidey a variant of hiding][1]



hiding

hiding1
hid·ing1 [hding]
noun

place
or state of concealment: a place where somebody is
hiding or can hide, or the state of being hidden
[From hide 1][1]



hiding

hiding2
hid·ing2 [hding]
(plural hid·ings) noun

beating:
the punishment of being beaten (informal)
[From hide 2][1]



hidrosis

hidrosis
hi·dro·sis 
[hī drṓssiss] noun

1.  sweat
production:
the production or excretion of sweat (technical)

2.  disease
of sweat glands: a skin disease that affects the sweat
glands
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek, from hidrōs “sweat.”]
—hi·drot·ic [hī dróttik], adjective[1]



hidy-hole

hidy-hole
hid·y-hole
noun

See
hidey-hole[1]



hie

hie
hie 
[hī] (past hied, past
participle hied, present participle hie·ing or hy·ing,
3rd person present singular hies) intransitive verb

hurry:
to go somewhere in a hurry (archaic)
[Old English, of unknown
origin][1]



hiemal

hiemal
hi·e·mal 
[h əməl] adjective

of
winter:
relating to or occurring in winter (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
hiemalis, from hiems “winter.”][1]



hier-

hier-
hier-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hiero-[1]



hierarch

hierarch
hi·er·arch 
[h rrk, h ə
rrk] (plural hi·er·ar·chs) noun

somebody
of high rank: somebody of high rank in a hierarchy,
especially a priestly hierarchy
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin hierarcha from Greek hierarkhēs, literally “ruling sacred
person,” from hieros “sacred” + arkhēs “ruling.”][1]



hierarchical

hierarchical
hi·er·ar·chi·cal 
[h rrkik’l, h
ə rrkik’l] or hi·er·ar·chic [h
rrkik, h ə rrkik] adjective

1.  rigidly
graded in order: relating to or arranged in a formally
ranked order

2.  RELIGION administered
by ranked clergy: administered by a hierarchy composed of
members of the clergy
—hi·er·ar·chi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hierarchize

hierarchize
hi·er·ar·chize 
[h raar kz, h
ə raar kz] (past hi·er·ar·chized, past participle hi·er·ar·chized,
present participle hi·er·ar·chiz·ing, 3rd person present
singular hi·er·ar·chiz·es) transitive verb

make
hierarchical: to arrange something, for example, an
organization, in graduated ranks
—hi·er·ar·chi·za·tion
[h raarki záysh’n, h
ə raarki záysh’n], noun[1]



hierarchy

hierarchy
hi·er·ar·chy 
[h rrkee, h ə
rrkee] (plural hi·er·ar·chies) noun

1.  formally
ranked group: an organization or group whose members
are arranged in ranks, for example, in ranks of power and seniority

2.  formal
grading of a group: categorization of members of
a group according to the importance of each

3.  BIOLOGY animal
group organization: a form of social
organization in animals in which different members of a group possess different
levels of status, affecting their feeding and mating behavior

4.  RELIGION ranked
group of clergy: a body of clergy organized into ranks

5.  BIOLOGY subset
within a ranked system: a subset within a
classification system, for example, that for plants or animals

6.  controlling
group in formal organization: those who are in charge of a
formally organized group, especially the priests in control of the Roman
Catholic Church or a local part of it

[1]



hieratic

hieratic
hi·er·at·ic 
[h ráttik, h ə
ráttik] or hi·er·at·i·cal [h
ráttik’l, h ə ráttik’l] adjective

1.  RELIGION of
priests:
relating to priests

2.  LINGUISTICS of
ancient writing system: relating to a cursive
version of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics

3.  ARTS in
stylized form: fixed, formal, and stylized in a
traditional way, for example, as ancient Egyptian art is
noun

LINGUISTICS ancient
writing system: a cursive version of ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphics
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin hieraticus from Greek hieratikos “priestly,”
from hiereus, literally “sacred person,” from hieros “sacred.”]
—hi·er·at·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hiero-

hiero-
hiero-
prefix

holy,
sacred • hierocracy
[From Greek hieros .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting strong feeling that is also the
ancestor of English irate, iron, and estrus
.][1]



hierocracy

hierocracy
hi·er·oc·ra·cy 
[hī rókrəssee, h
ə rókrəssee] (plural hi·er·oc·ra·cies) noun

1.  clerical
government:
government by clergy

2.  ruling
clergy:
a body of clergy that rules a place or country
—hi·er·o·crat·ic [hrə kráttik, h ərə
kráttik], adjective[1]



hierodule

hierodule
hi·er·o·dule 
[hrə dl, h ərə
dl] (plural hi·er·o·dules) noun

enslaved
person in temple: in ancient Greece, an enslaved person
kept in or associated with a temple, especially a prostitute
[Mid-19th
century. Via late Latin hierodulus from Greek hierodoulos “temple
slave,” from hieron, literally “sacred place,” from hieros
“sacred” + doulos “slave.”]
—hi·er·o·du·lic [hrə dlik, h ərə
dlik], adjective[1]



hieroglyph

hieroglyph

hi·er·o·glyph 
[hrə glìf, h ərə
glìf] (plural hi·er·o·glyphs) noun
picture
writing symbol: a symbol or picture used in a writing
system to denote an object, concept, sound, or sequence of sounds, originally
and especially in the writing system of ancient Egypt.
Also
called
hieroglyphic
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from hieroglyphic .][1]



hieroglyphic

hieroglyphic
hi·er·o·glyph·ic 
[hrə glíffik, h
ərə glíffik] adjective

1.  hi·er·o·glyph·ic
or hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal in
hieroglyphs: relating to or written in hieroglyphs

2.  hard
to read:
difficult to read (informal)
noun

See hieroglyph
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French hiéroglyphique, from Late Latin hieroglyphicus
from Greek hierogluphikos, literally “sacred carving,” from hieros
“sacred” + gluphē “carving,” because hieroglyphs were associated with
priests.]
—hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hieroglyphics

hieroglyphics
hi·er·o·glyph·ics
[hrə glíffiks, h
ərə glíffiks] noun

picture
writing system: a writing system that uses symbols or
pictures to denote objects, concepts, or sounds, originally and especially in
the writing system of ancient Egypt (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

something hard to decipher:
writing that is difficult to decipher, or other indecipherable symbols (informal)
(takes a plural verb)[1]



hierogram

hierogram
hi·er·o·gram 
[hrə gràm, h ərə
gràm] (plural hi·er·o·grams) noun

sacred symbol:
a symbol with religious significance[1]



Hieronymian

Hieronymian
Hi·er·o·nym·i·an
[hrə nímmee ən, h
ərə nímmee ən] or Hi·er·o·nym·ic [hrə
nímmik, h ərə nímmik] adjective

of
St. Jerome:
relating to St. Jerome.
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin Hieronymus “ Jerome .”][1]



hierophant

hierophant
hi·er·o·phant 
[hrə fànt, h ərə
fànt, hī érrə fànt] (plural hi·er·o·phants)
noun

1.  explainer
of mysteries: somebody who interprets and expounds the
meaning of obscure and mysterious matters, especially sacred doctrines or
mysteries

2.  interpreter
of events:
somebody who explains or comments on everyday matters (formal)

3.  ancient
Greek priest: a priest who revealed the mysteries at
the annual festival of Eleusis in ancient Greece
[Late
17th century. Via late Latin hierophanta from Greek hierophantēs,
literally “sacred person who reveals something” from hieros “sacred” + phen-,
the stem of phainein “to reveal.”]
—hi·er·o·phan·tic
[hrə fántik, h
ərə fántik, hī èrrə fántik], adjective

—hi·er·o·phan·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hifalutin

hifalutin
hi·fa·lu·tin 
adjective

See
highfalutin[1]



hi-fi

hi-fi
hi-fi 
[h f] (plural hi-fis) noun

1.  high-quality
audio equipment: a set of high-quality equipment for
reproducing and usually recording sound, which may include a CD player, tape
deck, turntable, tuner, amplifier, and speakers (dated)

2.  See
high fidelity
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of high fidelity .][1]



Higginson,Thomas Wentworth

Higginson,Thomas Wentworth
Hig·gin·son
[hígginss’n], Thomas Wentworth (1823–1911)

U.S.
writer and reformer. He led the first black regiment in the U.S. army and wrote
about his experience in Army Life in a black Regiment ( 1870 ). He also
championed women’s rights and edited Emily Dickinson’s poetry.
Full name
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth Storrow[1]



higgle

higgle
hig·gle 
[hígg’l] intransitive verb

haggle:
to haggle (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Variant of haggle .]
—hig·gler, noun[1]



higgledy-piggledy

higgledy-piggledy
hig·gle·dy-pig·gle·dy 
[hìgg’ldi pígg’ldee] adjective

disorganized:
disorganized and messy
adverb

messily:
in a disorganized, messy state “Jasper had already unpacked her young lady’s
things and laid them higgledy-piggledy in the spacious wardrobe.” L. T. Meade A
Very Naughty Girl 1907
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the idea of pigs being messy, or being huddled
together when herded.][1]



high

high
high 
[hī] adjective (comparative high·er,
superlative high·est)

1.  of
great height: extending a long way from bottom to top,
especially when viewed from the bottom

2.  above
somebody or something: situated in a position above
the onlooker or above somebody or something else referred to • The
window was too high for him to see in.

3.  in
height above something: above or stretching upward
from a known base level such as sea or ground level • ten
feet high

4.  above
average:
greater than the normal or average, for example, in quantity, number, quality,
intensity, or cost, or well above a smaller or lower level or amount • a
high cost of living

5.  MUSIC raised
in pitch:
raised in pitch toward the upper end of a range of sound • can
hit the high notes

6.  METEOROLOGY blowing
strongly:
blowing with a great deal of force • a high
wind

7.  advanced:
advanced in development or complexity • high
finance

8.  better:
superior in quality, character, or morals • sets
a high example

9.  with
elevated rank: important in status or rank • a
high official

10. very
favorable:
considering somebody or something to be particularly good • held
in high esteem

11. at
a peak:
at the busiest or most important stage • high
summer

12. happy:
animated and cheerful • in
high spirits

13. overexcited:
overexcited or overly stimulated

14. DRUGS intoxicated:
under the influence of alcohol or drugs (slang)

15. GEOGRAPHY far
from equator: at a considerable distance either north
or south of the equator • high
latitude

16. PHONETICS with
tongue raised in mouth: formed with the back of the
tongue close, or relatively close, to the roof of the mouth • high
vowel sounds

17. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING producing
top speeds:
resulting in a relatively large number of revolutions of the driven part as
compared with the driving part in a transmission gear, and giving the top speed
of travel or rotation
adverb
(comparative high·er, superlative high·est)

way up: at,
in, or into a high position • The
balloon rose high in the sky.
noun
(plural highs)

1.  top
place:
a high level or position • an
all-time high

2.  METEOROLOGY See anticyclone

3.  METEOROLOGY top
temperature: the highest temperature reached or
expected to be reached in a particular period • Today’s
high will be in the nineties.

4.  elated
state:
a state of euphoria (informal)

5.  intoxicated
state:
a state of intoxication by drugs or alcohol

6.  EDUCATION high
school:
a particular high school (informal) • She
goes to Valley High.

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING high
gear:
the top gear of a vehicle, allowing the greatest speed (informal)
U.K.
term
top
[Old
English hēah . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German hoch and Dutch hoog .]
high
and dry

1.  stranded
and abandoned, and perhaps helpless

2.  beyond
the reach of water

high
and mighty

arrogant
and self-important

run
high

to
be at a level of great intensity





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  High Noon, a film by director Fred
  Zinnemann ( 1952 ). In this classic Western, lawman Will Kane (Gary Cooper)
  valiantly awaits and then confronts a killer seeking revenge for his recent incarceration.
  Shot in real time, the film’s suspense is heightened by close-ups of Kane’s
  anxious expressions and of clocks ticking steadily toward the moment of
  truth.

[1]



highball

highball
high·ball 
[h bàwl] noun (plural high·balls)

1.  BEVERAGES liquor
with water or carbonated drink: a drink consisting of
liquor mixed with ice and water or a carbonated drink, usually served in a tall
glass

2.  RAIL railroad
signal:
a railroad signal indicating that the way ahead is clear and that a train may
go ahead at full speed
intransitive
and transitive verb (past high·balled,
past participle high·balled, present participle high·ball·ing,
3rd person present singular high·balls)

TRANSPORT go
at high speed: to travel, or drive a vehicle, at high
speed (slang)
[From the earlier sense “a
type of poker played with balls and a tall glass receptacle”][1]



highbeam

highbeam
high
beam
noun

long-distance headlights:
the setting of a vehicle’s headlights that sheds light far in front of the
vehicle.
U.K. term
full beam[1]



highbinder

highbinder
high·bind·er 
[h bndər] (plural high·bind·ers)
noun

1.  POLITICS corrupt
politician:
a corrupt politician (informal dated)

2.  CRIMINOLOGY gangster:
a thug or gangster (informal dated)

3.  CRIMINOLOGY Chinese
gangster in U.S.: a member of a Chinese secret society of
blackmailers and murderers operating in U.S. cities and victimizing especially
gamblers and prostitutes (dated)
[Early 19th century. From Highbinders,
the name of a New York gang of the time, probably an alteration of hellbender
.][1]



highblood pressure

highblood pressure
high
blood pres·sure noun

abnormal condition of
circulatory system: abnormally
high arterial blood pressure. It encompasses abnormal elevation of either
systolic pressure, the peak blood pressure with each beat, or diastolic
pressure, the running pressure between heart beats, or both.[1]



highborn

highborn
high·born 
[h bàwrn] adjective

born rich or noble:
born into an aristocratic or wealthy family (literary)[1]



highboy

highboy
high·boy 
[h bòy] (plural high·boys) noun

tall chest of drawers:
a tall chest of drawers, sometimes in two sections.
U.K. term
tallboy[1]



highbred

highbred
high·bred 
[h brèd] adjective

1.  AGRICULTURE from
good stock:
born of or descended from superior breeding stock

2.  refined:
showing or having refined manners (archaic)

[1]



highbrow

highbrow
high·brow 
[h bròw] adjective

intellectual:
dealing with serious subjects, especially cultural subjects, in an intellectual
way “conceits which would be only highbrow wisecracks in inferior writing have
fused into a form that can only be called inevitable, the way it should be”
Northrop Frye The Bush Garden 1972
noun
(plural high·brows)

intellectual
person:
somebody with highbrow interests or tastes
[From
the idea that a high forehead signifies greater brain power]
—high·brow·ism, noun[1]



highbushblueberry

highbushblueberry
high·bush
blue·ber·ry
[h bsh bl bèrree] noun

N
American shrub: a shrub of eastern North America that is
cultivated for the commercial production of blueberries. Latin name: Vaccinium
corymbosum
[From high + bush][1]



highbushcranberry

highbushcranberry
high·bush
cran·ber·ry 
noun

See
cranberry bush[1]



highchair

highchair

high·chair 
[h chàir] (plural high·chairs)
noun
baby’s chair:
a small chair with long legs and often a detachable tray, for older babies and
toddlers to use at mealtimes[1]



HighChurch

HighChurch
High
Church
noun

section of Episcopal Church:
a section of the Episcopal Church that stresses the essential unity of
Episcopal Christianity with Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, holds traditional
views about the sacraments, and favors ritual and ceremony[1]



high-class

high-class
high-class 
adjective

1.  for
the rich:
appealing to the rich or sophisticated, and therefore usually expensive

2.  sophisticated:
showing or having the kind of sophistication associated with wealth

[1]



highcomedy

highcomedy
high
com·e·dy
noun

witty comedy:
comedy with humor depending on witty dialogue and a clever plot rather than
slapstick[1]



highcommand

highcommand
high
com·mand
(plural high com·mands) noun

1.  senior
officers:
the senior officers in a country’s armed forces, who jointly make decisions on
strategy and tactics

2.  military
headquarters: the main headquarters of a military
force

[1]



HighCommission

HighCommission
High
Com·mis·sion noun

embassy:
the embassy of one country of the British Commonwealth of Nations in another
Commonwealth country[1]



highcommissioner

highcommissioner
high
com·mis·sion·er (plural high com·mis·sion·ers)
noun

1.  head
of international commission: the person leading an
international commission

2.  ambassador:
the chief representative of a country of the British Commonwealth of Nations in
another Commonwealth country

[1]



high-concept

high-concept
high-con·cept
adjective

aimed at attracting large
audience: used to describe a movie
that contains features likely to attract a large audience, for example, big
stars, fast action, and glamour[1]



high-count

high-count
high-count 
adjective

TEXTILES
with many threads:
having a large number of threads per square inch[1]



highcountry

highcountry
high
coun·try
noun

mountainous area:
lands that are in a mountainous region, but not so high as to have no pastoral
or agricultural use (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



highcourt

highcourt
high
court
(plural high courts) noun

main or supreme court:
a principal or supreme court, especially the Supreme Court of the United States[1]



high-definitiontelevision

high-definitiontelevision
high-def·i·ni·tion
tel·e·vi·sion  noun

TV system with high quality
picture: a television system with
twice the scanning capacity of normal television systems, allowing for far
greater definition and less flickering[1]



high-densitylipoprotein

high-densitylipoprotein
high-den·si·ty
lip·o·pro·tein (plural high-den·si·ty
lip·o·pro·teins) noun

substance that removes
cholesterol: a complex composed of
fat and protein molecules that is responsible for transporting cholesterol away
from the arteries. High levels of high-density lipoproteins are associated with
a decreased risk of heart disease.[1]



high-end

high-end
high-end 
adjective

sophisticated:
sophisticated and discerning, or likely to appeal to sophisticated and
discerning people[1]



high-energy

high-energy
high-en·er·gy 
adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY releasing
a lot of energy: used to describe chemical reactions that
take place with the release of substantial amounts of energy

2.  FOOD providing
energy easily: used, especially in marketing, to
describe foods that can be broken down by the body to provide a ready supply of
energy, for example, glucose drinks or high-sugar items such as honey

[1]



high-energyphysics

high-energyphysics
high-en·er·gy
phys·ics
noun

See
particle physics[1]



highercriticism

highercriticism
high·er
crit·i·cism 
noun

textual
criticism of Bible: the establishment of the
sources of biblical texts, using the techniques of textual criticism
—high·er crit·ic, noun[1]



highereducation

highereducation
high·er
ed·u·ca·tion noun

post-secondary school
education: education generally begun
after high school, usually carried out at a university or college, and usually
involving study for a degree or diploma[1]



higherlaw

higherlaw
high·er
law
(plural high·er laws) noun

principle overruling ordinary
laws: a moral law or ethical
principle that is believed to be of greater validity than civil law[1]



higherlearning

higherlearning
high·er
learn·ing
noun

advanced study:
education or study at college or university level (formal or literary)[1]



highermathematics

highermathematics
high·er
math·e·mat·ics noun

abstract mathematics:
mathematics at an abstract and sophisticated level, including number theory and
topology (takes a singular verb)[1]



higher-up

higher-up
high·er-up 
(plural high·er-ups) noun

authority:
somebody in a position of authority or at a higher level in a hierarchy (informal)[1]



highestcommon factor

highestcommon factor
high·est
com·mon fac·tor  (plural high·est com·mon
fac·tors) noun

U.K.
See greatest common divisor[1]



highexplosive

highexplosive
high
ex·plo·sive
(plural high ex·plo·sives) noun

chemical that causes
explosion: a liquid or solid substance
that undergoes explosive decomposition detonation without burning to produce a
large release of energy. High explosives are used for rock blasting and have
military applications.[1]



highfalutin

highfalutin
high·fa·lu·tin 
[h fə lt’n] or hi·fa·lu·tin
[h fə lt’n] or highfaluting
[h fə lting] adjective

pretentious:
affecting a grand style in an unconvincing way (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin of falutin
uncertain: perhaps from fluting, the present participle of flute .][1]



highfashion

highfashion
high
fash·ion
noun

See
haute couture[1]



highfidelity

highfidelity
high
fi·del·i·ty
noun

best possible sound
reproduction: extremely high-quality
sound reproduction with minimal distortion, achieved with electronic equipment
(hyphenated when used before a noun)
Also called
hi fi[1]



high-five

high-five
high-five 
(plural high-fives) noun

gesture
of greeting: an informal greeting or gesture of
elation or victory in which somebody slaps a raised palm against the raised
palm of somebody else (slang)
—high-five, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



high-flier

high-flier
high-fli·er
(plural high-fli·ers) or high-fly·er (plural
high-fly·ers) noun

high achiever:
somebody who enjoys great success, especially professional success, or who
seems destined for great achievement[1]



high-flown

high-flown
high-flown 
adjective

exalted:
giving an unconvincing appearance of being elegant, refined, or exalted “a
warning against high-flown pretensions” Henry James Roderick Hudson 1876[1]



high-flyer

high-flyer
high-fly·er
noun

See
high-flier[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








highfrequency

highfrequency
high
fre·quen·cy
noun

radio frequency:
a radio frequency in the range 3–30 MHz or of wavelength 10–100 meters (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



highgear

highgear
high
gear
(plural high gears) noun

1.  highest
gear of system: the highest gear of a transmission
system, giving the greatest speed of travel.
U.K.
term
top gear

2.  fast
pace:
a very quick pace or rate of development

[1]



HighGerman

HighGerman
High
Ger·man 
noun

standard
German:
the form of German spoken originally in the southern part of the country that
gave rise to a literary and cultured form of the language that has become
standard German
—High-Ger·man, adjective[1]



high-grade

high-grade
high-grade 
adjective

high-quality:
of a high quality, especially because of purity or concentration of contents[1]



highground

highground
high
ground
noun

1.  raised
area:
an area of land higher than its surroundings

2.  superiority:
a position of superiority or advantage over others

[1]



high-handed

high-handed
high-hand·ed
adjective

dismissing
others’ views: overbearing and inconsiderate of other
people’s views or feelings
—high-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—high-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



high-hat

high-hat
high-hat 
adjective

snobbish:
snobbish and arrogant (archaic informal)
noun
(plural high-hats)

1.  snob:
a snob (archaic informal)

2.  MUSIC See high-hat cymbals
intransitive
and transitive verb (past high-hat·ted,
past participle high-hat·ted, present participle high-hat·ting,
3rd person present singular high-hats)

behave snobbishly:
to treat somebody in a haughty, disdainful way (dated)

[1]



high-hatcymbals

high-hatcymbals
high-hat
cym·bals
plural noun

pair of cymbals on a stand:
a pair of cymbals on a stand, with the upper one made to rise and fall against
the lower one by the drummer’s foot.
Also called
high-hat[1]



highheels

highheels
high
heels
noun

women’s shoes with high
heels: women’s shoes with tall,
often slender, heels that raise the back of the foot off the ground[1]



HighHolidays

HighHolidays
High
Hol·i·days
or High Ho·ly Days plural noun

Jewish religious festival
period: the Jewish festivals of Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur, along with the days in between.
Also called
Days of Awe[1]



highhorse

highhorse
high
horse
noun

haughty attitude:
an attitude of arrogance and haughty disregard for others (informal) • is
on her high horse this morning • told
him to get off his high horse[1]



highhurdles

highhurdles
high
hur·dles
noun

men’s sprint over hurdles:
a track event for men, in which the athletes cover a distance of 110 m
outdoors, jumping over hurdles 107 cm42 in. high (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



highjack

highjack
high·jack 
verb

See
hijack[1]



highjinks

highjinks
high
jinks
[hjìngks] or hijinks [hjìngks] noun

fun and games:
good-humored boisterousness, frequently including mischievousness and pranks (informal)
(takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



highjump

highjump
high
jump
noun

track-and-field
event:
a track-and-field event in which the athletes run forward to gain momentum, and
then jump over a horizontal pole. The pole is raised higher in each successive
round until all competitors have failed to get over it.
—high
jump·er, noun

—high jump·ing, noun[1]



Highland

Highland
High·land 
[hlənd]

city in northwestern Indiana,
south of Lake Michigan, part of the suburban area of Chicago. Population:
23,569 (1996)[1]



highland

highland
high·land 
[hlənd] noun

hilly
land:
hilly ground, higher than its surroundings
plural
noun
high·lands

hilly
area:
an area or region that is largely hilly or mountainous.
See
also
Highlands
adjective

relating to highlands:
relating to or coming from highlands[1]



highlander

highlander
high·land·er 
[hləndər] (plural high·land·ers)
noun

somebody from highland area:
somebody who was born in or lives in a highland area[1]



Highlandfling

Highlandfling
High·land
fling
(plural High·land flings) noun

Scottish dance:
an energetic Scottish solo dance originally danced by men in Highland dress,
but now also by women and children[1]



HighlandPark

HighlandPark
High·land
Park
[hlənd prk]

city in northeastern
Illinois, on Lake Michigan, a northern suburb of Chicago. Population: 30,998
(1996)[1]



Highlands

Highlands
High·lands 
[hləndz]

mountainous area of mainland
Scotland, north and west of a line from Dumbarton in the west to Stonehaven in
the east[1]



high-level

high-level
high-lev·el 
adjective

involving senior people:
involving participation by people at a high level in their organization or
country, for example, politicians, civil servants, or corporate directors[1]



high-levellanguage

high-levellanguage
high-lev·el
lan·guage
(plural high-lev·el lan·guag·es) noun

computer programming
language: a computer programming
language that has syntax and grammar crudely approximating a natural language,
for example, English, and requires translation to a low-level language that a
computer can recognize. The pioneering high-level languages, FORTRAN, COBOL,
and ALGOL, have largely been supplanted by BASIC, FORTH, PASCAL, and C,
especially for educational and personal-computer applications.[1]



high-levelwaste

high-levelwaste
high-lev·el
waste
noun

radioactive waste:
radioactive waste material retaining sufficient activity that it needs to be
continuously cooled[1]



highlife

highlife
high·life
[h lf] noun

W African music:
a style of music that blends West African elements with American jazz forms and
is popular in West Africa[1]



highlife

highlife
high
life
noun

life
of fashionable people: the luxurious lifestyle of
fashionable society (often used ironically)
—high lif·er, noun[1]



highlight

highlight
high·light 
[h lt] noun (plural high·lights)

1.  best
part:
the most memorable, important, or exciting part of an experience or event

2.  representative
part:
an exemplary extract from a larger work that, along with others, is meant to
represent it • gave
us highlights of the President’s speech

3.  PAINTING PHOTOGRAPHY contrasting pale area:
an area in a very light tone in a painting or photograph that provides contrast,
illumination, or the appearance of illumination

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY reflection:
the reflection of a light source in a picture, for example, the reflection of a
studio light in shiny hair or the reflection of light in somebody’s eye
plural
noun
high·lights

HAIRDRESSING light
streaks in hair: strands of hair that are deliberately
made lighter than the rest of the hair
transitive
verb
(past high·light·ed, past participle high·light·ed,
present participle high·light·ing, 3rd person present singular
high·lights)

1.  emphasize:
to draw attention to something, or make something particularly prominent or
noticeable • The
report highlights the problems of inner-city areas.

2.  mark
with highlighter: to mark something, for example, parts of
a text, with a highlighter pen

3.  HAIRDRESSING put
streaks in:
to put highlights in somebody’s hair

4.  PAINTING add
light areas in: to add highlights to parts of a picture
to provide contrast, illumination, or the appearance of illumination

[1]



highlighter

highlighter
high·light·er 
[h ltər] (plural high·light·ers)
noun

1.  marker
pen:
a broad-tipped felt pen, often with transparent, brightly colored ink, for
marking important passages of text

2.  COSMETICS face
cosmetic:
a cosmetic for the face that is used to emphasize features such as the eyes or
cheekbones

[1]



high-low

high-low
high-low 
(plural high-lows) noun

1.  CARD GAMES variant
of poker:
a variety of poker in which both high and low hands win

2.  BRIDGE signal
in bridge:
a signal to a bridge partner to lead a particular suit

[1]



highly

highly
high·ly
[hlee] adverb

1.  extremely:
very much • highly
likely to succeed

2.  favorably:
very favorably • highly regarded

3.  in
high place:
in a high position or rank • highly
placed officials who denied the story

4.  greatly:
to a great extent or in many ways • highly
improbable

[1]



highly-strung

highly-strung
high·ly-strung
adjective

U.K.
See high-strung[1]



HighMass

HighMass
High
Mass
(plural High Masses) noun

elaborate Roman Catholic
Mass: an elaborate Roman Catholic
Mass in which a choir sings much of the service. It is usually celebrated by
more than one priest.[1]



high-minded

high-minded
high-mind·ed 
adjective

with
principles:
having or showing high moral principles
—high-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—high-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



highmost

highmost
high·most
[h mst] adjective

highest:
highest (literary)[1]



high-muck-a-muck

high-muck-a-muck
high-muck-a-muck
[h mùkə múk] (plural high-muck-a-mucks)
or high-muck·et·y-muck [h mùkəti múk]
(plural high-muck·et·y-mucks) noun

person
in authority: somebody in a position of importance and
authority who behaves in an overbearing way (informal)
Also
called
muckamuck
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably by folk etymology from Chinook Jargon hiyu muckamuck,
literally “ten portions of choice whalemeat,” by association with high .][1]



Highness

Highness
High·ness 
[hnəss] (plural High·nesses) noun

royal person:
a title and style of address for members of a royal family other than a
sovereign[1]



highnoon

highnoon
high
noon
noun

1.  noon
exactly:
the exact moment of noon

2.  peak
of achievement: the high point or most creative part of
somebody’s career or achievements

3.  high
noon
or High Noon crucial time:
a time of confronting a serious problem or making a hard decision

[1]



high-octane

high-octane
high-oc·tane 
adjective

1.  ENERGY with
high octane content: used to describe fuel that
has a high octane content

2.  dynamic:
showing or demanding a high degree of commitment and effort in a drive for
success (informal)

[1]



high-pitched

high-pitched
high-pitched 
adjective

1.  at
top of sound range: toward the upper end of the
range of audible sound

2.  BUILDING with
steep slope: having a very steep slope

3.  emotional:
extremely emotional and intense

[1]



highplaces

highplaces
high
plac·es
plural noun

powerful positions:
positions of power, authority, or influence[1]



HighPoint

HighPoint
High
Point
[h póynt]

city in central North
Carolina, a major furniture-manufacturing center. Population: 69,496 (1990)[1]



high-powered

high-powered
high-pow·ered 
or high-pow·er adjective

1.  BUSINESS dynamic:
possessing great energy and impressive ability, especially as displayed in a
professional environment • a
high-powered sales pitch

2.  influential:
having a lot of power or influence

3.  OPTICS greatly
enlarging:
giving a high magnification

4.  TECHNOLOGY very
powerful:
operating much more powerfully, or able to handle material of greater
complexity and more quickly, than others of the same type

5.  ENGINEERING needing
or making lots of power: requiring or producing a lot
of power

[1]



high-pressure

high-pressure
high-pres·sure 
adjective

1.  TECHNOLOGY operating
at greater than normal pressure: using, or designed to
withstand, forces exerted by liquid or gas at pressures higher than normal
atmospheric pressure

2.  stressful:
causing stress, for example from deadlines or excessive demands • She’s
at her best in high-pressure situations.

3.  persistent:
aggressively persistent in seeking to bring about a result

[1]



highpriest

highpriest
high
priest
(plural high priests) noun

1.  main
proponent:
the leading figure propounding a doctrine or ideology

2.  JUDAISM Jewish
chief priest: a chief priest, especially the head of
the priestly caste at the time of the Temple in Jerusalem

3.  CHRISTIANITY Mormon
priest:
a man who is a priest in the Church of the Latter Day Saints, belonging to the
order of Melchizedek
—high priest·hood, noun[1]



highpriestess

highpriestess
high
priest·ess
(plural high priest·ess·es) noun

1.  RELIGION woman
religious leader: a woman who leads a religion, or a
religious group

2.  main
proponent:
the leading woman propounding a doctrine or ideology

[1]



high-profile

high-profile
high-pro·file
adjective

very public:
in or intended to be in the public eye, for example, to attract attention,
support, or business[1]



highprofile

highprofile
high
pro·file
(plural high pro·files) noun

public prominence:
a prominent position or presence in the public eye[1]



highrelief

highrelief
high
re·lief
noun

strongly projecting carving:
a version of relief sculpture in which the carving projects from the background
to more than half its natural depth.
Also called
alto-relievo[1]



HighRenaissance

HighRenaissance
High
Re·nais·sance noun

period in art history:
the period in European art between about 1490 and 1520, when the work of
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and other great artists reached the
highest point of Renaissance perfection[1]



high-rent

high-rent
high-rent
adjective

expensive:
expensive or pricey (informal)[1]



highresolution

highresolution
high
res·o·lu·tion noun

detailed image:
the use in a video display or printed image of a large number of dots or lines
to portray an image in great detail[1]



high-rise

high-rise
high-rise 
adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE multistory:
consisting of several stories, but usually fewer than for a skyscraper

2.  TRANSPORT with
high handlebars: used to describe a child’s bicycle that
has small wheels, very high handlebars, and a long narrow seat
noun
(plural high-ris·es)

1.  ARCHITECTURE tall
building:
a multistory building

2.  TRANSPORT high-rise
bicycle:
a child’s high-rise bicycle

[1]



highroad

highroad
high·road
[h rd] (plural high·road) or
high road [h rd] (plural high
roads) noun

1.  direct
route:
the easiest or most direct way to somewhere

2.  U.K.
TRANSPORT main
road:
a main road, usually in a town or village

[1]



highroller

highroller
high
roll·er
(plural high roll·ers) noun (slang)

1.  FINANCE big
spender:
a person or organization that spends money freely and extravagantly

2.  LEISURE gambler:
a gambler who plays for high stakes
—high-roll·ing, adjective[1]



highschool

highschool
high
school
(plural high schools) noun

upper
secondary school: a school that includes grades 9 or 10
through 12
—high school·er, noun[1]



highseas

highseas
high
seas
plural noun

open sea:
the open ocean, not under any nation’s jurisdiction[1]



highseason

highseason
high
sea·son
noun

See
peak season[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








highsign

highsign
high
sign
noun

secret signal:
a secret signal, often prearranged, given as a warning or to convey information[1]



highsociety

highsociety
high
so·ci·e·ty
noun

fashionable people:
the fashionable wealthy people in society as a group[1]



high-sounding

high-sounding
high-sound·ing 
adjective

sounding good but probably
empty: grandiose and pretentious
but unlikely to come to anything[1]



high-spirited

high-spirited
high-spir·it·ed 
adjective

lively:
lively and full of fun or mischief
—high-spir·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—high-spir·it·ed·ness,
noun[1]



high-stakes

high-stakes
high-stakes
adjective

involving a lot of risk:
in which somebody is likely to win or lose a great deal “Everyone is getting in
the starting blocks for a high-stakes fight.” The Washington Post November 1998[1]



high-sticking

high-sticking
high-stick·ing 
noun

holding stick too high:
in ice hockey, the offense of holding the hockey stick higher than is allowed
by the rules[1]



highstreet

highstreet
high
street
(plural high streets) noun

U.K.
main street in town:
in the United Kingdom, a principal street where the main stores are located[1]



high-strung

high-strung
high-strung 
adjective

nervous:
tense, nervous, or easily upset by nature.
U.K. term
highly-strung[1]



highstyle

highstyle
high
style
noun

smart up-to-the-minute
fashion: the most up-to-date and
stylish fashion, especially in clothing (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



hightable

hightable
high
ta·ble
(plural high ta·bles) noun

U.K.
dining table for senior people:
in the United Kingdom, a table in a large dining hall in some schools and
university colleges at which the staff, principal teachers, or fellows sit[1]



hightail

hightail
high·tail 
[h tàyl] (past high·tailed, past
participle high·tailed, present participle high·tail·ing,
3rd person present singular high·tails) intransitive and
transitive verb

leave
quickly:
to rush away from a place (slang)
[With reference to the erect
tail of a fleeing animal][1]



hightea

hightea
high
tea
(plural high teas) noun

U.K.
early evening meal:
in the United Kingdom, a meal served in the late afternoon or early evening,
consisting of a cooked dish, usually hot, with bread and butter, cakes, and tea[1]



hightech

hightech
high
tech 
or hi-tech noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY advanced
technology:
advanced technology and state-of-the-art techniques, especially in electronic
engineering.
Also
called
high technology

2.  DESIGN plain
and simple design: a style of architecture and
interior design that makes use of metal, glass, and plastic in a simple
utilitarian way
—high-tech, adjective[1]



hightechnology

hightechnology
high
tech·nol·o·gy noun

1.  See
high tech  noun 1

2.  modern
industry:
the computing and telecommunications industries, collectively

[1]



high-tension

high-tension
high-ten·sion 
adjective

ELECTRICITY
high-voltage:
designed for or operating at high voltage[1]



high-test

high-test
high-test 
adjective

ENERGY
See high octane[1]



hightide

hightide
high
tide
(plural high tides) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY highest
point of tide: the tide at its highest level.
Also
called
high water

2.  NAUTICAL moment
of highest tide: the time when the tide reaches its
highest level.
Also
called
high water

3.  peak
of something: the culmination or high point of
something

[1]



high-toned

high-toned
high-toned 
adjective

superior:
culturally, morally, or socially superior (dated)[1]



high-tops

high-tops
high-tops 
plural noun

high-sided sneakers:
sneakers or athletic shoes such as those worn by basketball players that cover
the foot up to the ankle[1]



hightreason

hightreason
high
trea·son
noun

treason against homeland:
treason against somebody’s own country[1]



high-voltage

high-voltage
high-volt·age
adjective

ELECTRICITY
at level above 650 volts:
involving a voltage higher than 650 volts[1]



highwater

highwater
high
wa·ter
noun GEOGRAPHY NAUTICAL

1.  See
high tide  noun 1
See high tide  noun 2

2.  highest
water level: the highest level reached by any stretch
of water, for example, during a flood (hyphenated when used before a noun)

3.  time
of highest water: the time when the water level of a river
or other stretch of water is at its highest

[1]



high-watermark

high-watermark
high-wa·ter
mark 
(plural high-wa·ter marks) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY NAUTICAL highest
water level: the highest level reached by any natural
stretch of water, principally by the sea at high tide, but also, for example, a
river during a flood

2.  GEOGRAPHY NAUTICAL mark
showing highest level: a mark drawn to indicate the
highest level reached by any natural stretch of water

3.  peak
of something: a high point in an enterprise • Winning
the book award was the high-water mark in her career.

[1]



high-waterpants

high-waterpants
high-wa·ter
pants
plural noun

pants worn too short:
pants that are too short, especially because the person wearing them has grown
out of them (informal)[1]



highway

highway
high·way 
[h wày] (plural high·ways) noun

1.  TRANSPORT main
road:
a principal road, especially one that connects towns or cities and is part of a
numbered system (often used before a noun)

2.  direct
way:
a direct route or course • the
highway to fame

[1]



highwayman

highwayman
high·way·man 
[h wàymən] (plural high·way·men)
noun

roadside robber:
formerly, somebody who forced people traveling by road to stop, usually at
gunpoint, and robbed them[1]



highwaypatrol

highwaypatrol
high·way
pa·trol
(plural high·way pa·trols) noun

police who patrol the roads:
the law enforcement agency that patrols the public highways in some states of
the United States[1]



highwayrobbery

highwayrobbery
high·way
rob·ber·y 
noun

1.  overcharging:
the charging of inflated prices for goods or services (informal)
U.K.
term
daylight robbery

2.  theft
from a traveler: a robbery, usually of a traveler,
committed on or near a public road

[1]



high-wire

high-wire
high-wire
(plural high-wires) adjective

hazardous:
holding the possibility of great risk, for example, to life or reputation[1]



highwire

highwire
high
wire
(plural high wires) noun

tightrope used in circus act:
a tightrope stretched high above the ground on which circus performers balance
and perform acrobatics[1]



hijack

hijack
hi·jack 
[h jàk] or high·jack [h jàk] transitive verb (past hi·jacked,
past participle hi·jacked, present participle hi·jack·ing,
3rd person present singular hi·jacks) (past high·jacked,
past participle high·jacked, present participle high·jack·ing,
3rd person present singular high·jacks)

1.  seize
aircraft, ship, or train: to take control of a public
transport vehicle, for example, a passenger aircraft, while in transit, taking
the people on board hostage, and diverting it to another destination

2.  stop
a vehicle to rob it: to seize a motor vehicle,
for example, an armored car carrying money, in order to rob it of its contents

3.  steal
something from a seized vehicle: to steal merchandise,
money, or any other items from a hijacked motor vehicle

4.  steal
idea:
to take somebody else’s idea and use it, especially to the exclusion or
detriment of the person from whom it was taken (informal)
noun
(plural hi·jacks) (plural high·jacks)

See hijacking
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain.]
—hi·jack·er, noun[1]



hijacking

hijacking
hi·jack·ing
[h jàking] (plural hi·jack·ings)
noun

seizure of vehicle in
transit: the forcible seizure of a
public transport vehicle, for example, a passenger aircraft, while in transit,
taking those on board hostage, and compelling diversion of the vehicle to
another destination.
Also called
hijack[1]



hijiki

hijiki
hi·ji·ki 
[he jkee] (plural hi·ji·kis or
hi·ji·ki) or hi·zi·ki [he
jkee] (plural hi·zi·kis or hi·zi·ki) noun

edible
Japanese seaweed: a Japanese seaweed that turns black when
dried. It is sold shredded, and when soaked and cooked has a light, slightly
sweet flavor.
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



hijinks

hijinks
hi·jinks 
plural noun

See
highjinks[1]



hike

hike
hike 
[hīk] verb (past hiked,
past participle hiked, present participle hik·ing, 3rd
person present singular hikes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take a
long walk:
to go for a long walk in the countryside, usually for pleasure

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY go on a training march:
to march in a training exercise

3.  transitive
verb
raise
amount of something: to increase taxes, prices,
or the level or quantity of something suddenly and by a large amount • rumors
that the Fed plans to hike interest rates

4.  transitive
verb
pull
something upward: to pull or raise something with a sudden
strong movement

5.  transitive
verb
See snap  verb 12
noun
(plural hikes)

1.  pleasurable
long walk:
a long walk, usually in the country for pleasure

2.  MILITARY military
march:
a long military march, usually as a training exercise

3.  sudden
large increase in something: a sudden large increase in
prices, taxes, or the level or quantity of something • an
unexpected hike in interest rates

4.  See
snap  noun 9
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of hitch .]
take
a hike

to leave abruptly, or, more
often, used to tell somebody who is unwelcome to leave (slang)[1]



hikeout

hikeout
hike
out
intransitive verb

SAILING
keep sailboat upright:
to lean backwards over the side of a sailboat to counterbalance the wind in the
sails and keep the boat flat in the water[1]



hiker

hiker
hik·er
[hkər] (plural hik·ers) noun

somebody taking long walks:
somebody who takes long walks in the country, usually for pleasure[1]



hikeup

hikeup
hike
up
intransitive and transitive verb

raise up:
to move up or become moved up from the proper position • Her
coat had hiked up at the back.[1]



hilahila

hilahila
hi·la·hi·la
adjective

Hawaii
shy:
bashful, shy, or ashamed
[From Hawaiian][1]



Hilarion,Saint

Hilarion,Saint
Hi·lar·i·on
[hi lárree ən], Saint (290?–371)

Palestinian monk. He was
educated in Alexandria, Egypt, where he converted to Christianity. On his
return to Palestine, he lived as a hermit in marshes near Gaza.[1]



hilarious

hilarious
hi·lar·i·ous 
[hi láiree əss] adjective

very
funny:
causing great amusement
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin hilaris “cheerful,” from Greek hilaros
.]
—hi·lar·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—hi·lar·i·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



hilarity

hilarity
hi·lar·i·ty 
[hi lérrətee] noun

laughter:
amusement or merry laughter
[15th century. Via French hilarité
from Latin hilaritas, from hilaris (see hilarious
).][1]



hill

hill
hill 
[hil] noun (plural hills)

1.  high
land:
an area of land, usually rounded in shape, that is higher than the surrounding
land but not as high as a mountain • the
hills surrounding Colorado Springs

2.  gradient
in road:
a slope or gradient in a road • You’ll
need to shift down into second gear for this hill.

3.  pile
of earth:
a pile of something such as earth

4.  group
of plants or seeds: plants or seeds arranged in
a cluster rather than planted in rows • a
hill of squash
transitive
verb
(past hilled, past participle hilled, present
participle hill·ing, 3rd person present singular hills)

make earth into pile:
to pile up earth, especially around the base of plants
[Old
English hyll . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be
prominent” that is also the ancestor of English column,
culminate, and excellent .]
—hill·er,
noun
over
the hill

at an age considered too
advanced in years for something or supposedly past the prime of life[1]



Hill

Hill
Hill
noun

Capitol Hill:
Capitol Hill (informal) • has
worked on the Hill for two years[1]



Hill,Ambrose

Hill,Ambrose
Hill
[hil], Ambrose (1825–1865)

U.S.
army officer. A Confederate corps commander, he initiated the battle of
Gettysburg (1863) and died when his troops were defeated at the Siege of
Petersburg (1865).
Full name
Hill, Ambrose Powell[1]



Hillary,Edmund

Hillary,Edmund
Hil·la·ry 
[hílləree], Sir Edmund (1919– )

New
Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On May 29, 1953, he and Tenzing Norgay became
the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Full name
Hillary, Sir Edmund Perceval[1]



hillbilly

hillbilly
hill·bil·ly 
[híl bìllee] (plural hill·bil·lies)
noun

country
person:
a term used by people from the country to describe themselves with pride, but
used by others as an insult to mean somebody ignorant and unsophisticated (informal)
(offensive in some contexts)
[Early 20th century. Billy
pet-form of the name William .][1]



hillbillymusic

hillbillymusic
hill·bil·ly
mu·sic
noun

type of country music:
a variety of country music, especially the music of the Appalachian Mountains,
that features fiddles, banjos, guitars, or hammer dulcimers[1]



hillclimb

hillclimb
hill
climb
(plural hill climbs) noun

motor race up hill:
a competition in which automobile or motorcycle drivers compete to set the
fastest time in reaching the top of a steep slope[1]



hillcrest

hillcrest
hill·crest 
[híl krèst] (plural hill·crests)
noun

top of hill:
the summit or the highest ridge of a hill[1]



Hillel(the Elder)

Hillel(the Elder)
Hil·lel
(the El·der) [hìl el ee
éldər] (70? BC–AD 10?)

Jewish rabbi and teacher. He
founded a liberal school of scriptural interpretation that influenced later
Jewish religious leaders.[1]



Hill,James Jerome

Hill,James Jerome
Hill 
[hil], James Jerome (1838–1916)

Canadian-born U.S.
entrepreneur and financier. He managed and controlled the Great Northern
Railway Company (1890–1912).[1]



Hillman,Sidney

Hillman,Sidney
Hill·man
[hílmən], Sidney (1887–1946)

Lithuanian-born U.S. labor
leader. A skilled negotiator, he was president of the Amalgamated Clothing
Workers of America (1914–1946).[1]



hillmyna

hillmyna
hill
my·na
(plural hill my·nas) or hill my·nah (plural hill
my·nahs) noun

popular talking cage bird:
a black bird belonging to the starling family and native to southern Asia,
often kept as a cage bird because of its ability to mimic human words. Latin
name: Gracula religiosa[1]



hillock

hillock
hill·ock 
[híllək] (plural hill·ocks) noun

small
hill:
a small hill or mound
—hill·ocked,
adjective

—hill·ock·y, adjective[1]



Hillsborough

Hillsborough
Hills·bor·ough
[hìlzbərə, hílzbərō]

town in northern North
Carolina, a site of Patriot resistance before and during the Revolution.
Population: 4,263 (1990)[1]



Hillside

Hillside
Hill·side 
[híl sīd]

town in northeastern New
Jersey, north of Elizabeth. Population: 21,044 (1990)[1]



hillside

hillside
hill·side 
[híl sīd] (plural hill·sides) noun

side of hill:
the slope or side of a hill[1]



hilltop

hilltop
hill·top 
[hìl tòp] (plural hill·tops) noun

summit of hill:
the summit of a hill[1]



hilly

hilly
hill·y 
[híllee] (comparative hill·i·er,
superlative hill·i·est) adjective

1.  with
many hills:
having many hills • hilly countryside

2.  with
steep slope: having a steep incline

[1]



Hilo

Hilo
Hi·lo 
[hlō]

city and county seat of the
island of Hawaii, situated on the eastern coast of the island. Population:
37,808 (1990)[1]



hilt

hilt

hilt 
[hilt] (plural hilts) noun
sword
handle:
the handle of a sword, knife, or dagger
[Old
English hilt(e) . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
perhaps also the ancestor of English helve
.]
(up)
to the hilt

to the maximum[1]



HiltonHead

HiltonHead
Hil·ton
Head
[hìltən héd]

See
Sea Islands[1]



hilum

hilum
hi·lum 
[hləm] (plural hi·la [hlə]) noun

1.  BOTANY scar
on seed:
a scar on the seed of a plant indicating where it was attached to the ovule

2.  ANATOMY opening
for vessels and nerves: an opening through which
blood vessels and nerves enter and leave an organ
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “trifle.” The current meanings evolved from the belief that the Latin
word originally meant “something that adheres to a bean.”][1]



him

him
him 
[him, unstressed im] pronoun

male not referred to by name:
used to refer to a man, boy, or male animal who has been previously mentioned
or whose identity is known (used as the object of a verb or preposition)
• She
handed him the phone without a word.
• John
closed the door behind him.[1]



Himalaya

Himalaya
Him·a·la·ya
[hìmmə láy ə] or Him·a·la·yas
[hìmmə láy əz]

mountain
system in Asia, forming the northern boundary of the Indian subcontinent. Its
highest peak, and the highest mountain in the world, is Mount Everest, 8,848
m/29,028 ft . Length: 2,414 km/1,500 mi.
—Him·a·la·yan [hìmmə láy ən], adjective[1]



Himalayancat

Himalayancat
Him·a·la·yan
cat
(plural Him·a·la·yan cats) noun

cross between Persian and
Siamese cats: a long-haired cat with
the markings of a Siamese cat, bred by crossing a Persian cat with a Siamese
cat[1]



Himalia

Himalia
Hi·ma·lia 
[hi mlyə] noun

moon
of Jupiter:
a small natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1904. It is approximately
180km112 mi in diameter.
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Greek himalis, a name for Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, fertility,
and marriage, from, ultimately, himalios “abundant.”][1]



himation

himation
hi·mat·i·on 
[hi máttee òn, hə
máttee ən] (plural hi·mat·i·ons) noun

ancient
Greek garment: a loose outer garment worn by men and
women in ancient Greece, consisting of a large rectangular piece of cloth
draped over one shoulder and under the opposite arm
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, literally “small garment,” formed from hima “garment,” from hennunai
“to clothe.”][1]



him/her

him/her
him/her
[hìm ər húr] pronoun

him or her:
him or her, used to avoid the sexist use of “him” in reference to somebody
whose sex is unknown[1]



Himmler,Heinrich

Himmler,Heinrich
Himm·ler
[hímmlər], Heinrich (1900–1945)

German Nazi politician. The
head of the Nazi police forces (1936–1945), he committed suicide rather than
face trial for his part in the Holocaust.[1]



himself

himself
him·self 
[him sélf, unstressed im sélf] CORE MEANING:
the form of “him” used in reflexive and emphatic contexts • After
a final struggle with himself, he handed the papers over.
• If
he himself doesn’t know what he’s doing, I don’t see how I can help her.
• He
did it himself. pronoun

1.  referring
to male subject of verb: used to refer to the same
man, boy, or male animal as the subject of the verb • He
decided to treat himself. • his
sense of pride in himself

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize or clarify which man,
boy, or male animal is being referred to, often introducing a note of surprise
or awe • a
visit from the Prince himself

3.  alone
or without help: used to show that a man, boy, or male
animal is alone or unaided • sitting
by himself in a corner • tied
his shoelaces himself

4.  normal
self:
his normal self in terms of personality, health, or behavior • not
feeling himself

5.  Scotland,
Ireland important male person:
an important, or often self-important, man or boy (informal) (often
used ironically) • Himself
is wanting a word.

[1]



Himyarite

Himyarite
Him·yar·ite 
[hímmyə rt] noun (plural Him·yar·ites
or Him·yar·ite)

member
of ancient Arabian people: a member of an ancient
people who lived in southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula
adjective

relating
to Himyarites: relating to the Himyarites or their
culture
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Himyar, the name of a legendary king of Yemen.]
—Him·yar·ite, adjective[1]



Himyaritic

Himyaritic
Him·yar·it·ic
[hìmmyə ríttik] noun

Himyarite
language:
an extinct language spoken by the ancient Himyarites in southwestern Arabia. It
belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of African languages.
—Him·yar·it·ic, adjective[1]



Hinayana

Hinayana
Hi·na·ya·na 
[hnə ynə] noun

conservative
form of Buddhism: the form of Buddhism, mainly found in
Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, characterized by adherence to the early Pali
scriptures and the nontheistic pursuit of purification through Nirvana
[Mid-19th
century. From Sanskrit, literally “lesser vehicle.” From its fewer followers
when compared with Mahayana Buddhism.]
—Hi·na·ya·nist,
noun

—Hi·na·ya·nis·tic [hnə yaa nístik], adjective[1]



HinchinbrookIsland

HinchinbrookIsland
Hinch·in·brook
Is·land
[hìnchinbrk lənd]

island off the northeastern
coast of Australia, near the town of Caldwell in northern Queensland. Area: 394
sq km/152 sq mi.[1]



Hincks,Francis

Hincks,Francis
Hincks
[hingks], Sir Francis (1807–1885)

Irish-born Canadian colonial
administrator. He advocated a bicultural nation and cofounded the Reform Party
in 1841.[1]



hind

hind1
hind1 [hīnd]
adjective

at
the back:
at or forming the back part of an animal • the
hind legs of a donkey
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of Old English behindan “ behind .”][1]



Hind.

Hind.
Hind.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Hindi

2.  Abbreviation
of
Hindu

3.  Abbreviation
of
Hindustan

4.  Abbreviation
of
Hindustani

[1]



hind

hind2
hind2 [hīnd]
(plural hinds) noun

1.  female
deer:
a female red deer

2.  spotted
marine fish: a spotted marine fish that is a type of
grouper, found in the Atlantic Ocean. Genus: Epinephelus
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “hornless” that is also the ancestor of
English scant .][1]



hindbrain

hindbrain
hind·brain 
[hnd bràyn] (plural hind·brains)
noun

part of brain in embryo:
the rearmost part of the brain in a vertebrate embryo, that develops into the
cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata.
Also called
rhombencephalon[1]



Hindenburgline

Hindenburgline
Hin·den·burg
line
[híndən bùrg ln] noun

defensive
line of fortifications: a strong defensive line of
fortifications built by the German Army near the border with France and Belgium
in 1916–1917 and breached by an Allied offensive in 1918
[Early 20th century. Named
for Paul von Hindenburg, who devised the
plan.][1]



Hindenburg,Paul von

Hindenburg,Paul von
Hin·den·burg
[híndən bùrg], Paul von (1847–1934)

Prussian-born German
statesman. A general in World War I, he became second president of the German
Republic in 1925, and appointed Hitler chancellor in 1933.[1]



hinder

hinder2
hind·er2 [hndər]
adjective

U.K.
at
the back:
at or toward the rear of something • at the
hinder end of the conference
[Old English . Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of Old English hinderweard “backward.”][1]



hinder

hinder1
hind·er1 [híndər]
intransitive and transitive verb (past hin·dered, past
participle hin·dered, present participle hin·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular hin·ders)

get
in the way of: to delay or obstruct the development or
progress of somebody or something • A
heavy snowfall has hindered rescuers’ attempts to reach the stranded climbers.
noun

SPORTS interference
with ball:
in squash and handball, an opponent’s accidental interference, preventing fair
and unobstructed return of the ball
[Old
English hindrian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English behind .
The underlying idea is of keeping something or somebody behind.]
—hin·der·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  hinder, block, hamper,
  hold back, impede, obstruct
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  put difficulties in the way of progress hinder;
  to delay or slow down the progress of something, either accidentally or by
  deliberate interference; block; to
  cause a complete stoppage of progress; hamper;
  to create or cause restraints or obstacles that may make action or progress
  extremely difficult; hold back; an
  expression used to describe the prevention or restriction of the advance of
  somebody or something; impede; a
  fairly formal word used to describe the prevention of progress, usually to a
  greater extent than is suggested by “hinder” or “hamper”; obstruct; used to suggest a serious delay in
  action or progress to a much greater extent than “hinder,” and often, like
  “block,” a complete stoppage

[1]



Hindi

Hindi
Hin·di 
[híndee] noun

one
of official languages of India: an official language
of India that developed from a literary form of Hindustani and is widely used
as a lingua franca in many parts of the world. Of the Midland subgroup of the
Indic group of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European, Hindi is spoken by about
200 million native speakers, and by about 700 million people as a second
language.
[Early
19th century. From Urdu hindī, from Hind “India.”]
—Hin·di, adjective[1]



hindmost

hindmost
hind·most 
[hnd mst] adjective

farthest back:
farthest back or last (dated)[1]



hindquarter

hindquarter
hind·quar·ter 
[hnd kwàwrtər] noun (plural hind·quar·ters)

back
part of carcass: either of the two back quarters of a
carcass of beef, lamb, veal, or mutton consisting of one leg and one or two
ribs
plural
noun
hind·quar·ters

rear of four-legged animal:
the hind legs and adjoining parts of a four-legged animal[1]



hindrance

hindrance
hin·drance 
[híndrəns] (plural hin·dranc·es)
noun

1.  something
in the way:
somebody or something that prevents or makes it difficult for somebody to do
something

2.  obstruction
of progress: the act of obstructing progress

[1]



hindsight

hindsight
hind·sight 
[hnd st] noun

understanding after the fact:
the ability or opportunity to understand and judge an event or experience after
it has occurred • easy
to say with the benefit of hindsight[1]



Hindu

Hindu
Hin·du 
[híndoo] noun (plural Hin·dus)

1.  follower
of Hinduism: somebody who practices the religion of
Hinduism

2.  somebody
from Hindustan: somebody who was born in or raised in
the Indian region of Hindustan
adjective

1.  of
Hinduism:
relating to or following Hinduism

2.  of
Hindus or their culture: relating to Hindus or their
culture

3.  relating
to India or its people: relating to or found in
India, especially Hindustan, or its people or culture
[Mid-17th century. Via Urdu
from Persian Hindū, from Hind “India.”][1]



Hinduism

Hinduism
Hin·du·ism 
[híndoo ìzzəm] noun

main Indian religion:
the religion of India and the oldest of the worldwide religions, characterized
by a belief in reincarnation and the essential unity of forms and theories.
Hinduism has a large pantheon of gods and goddesses, and traditionally had a
caste system.[1]



HinduKush

HinduKush
Hin·du
Kush 
[hìndoo ksh, hin
d ksh]

mountain system in central
Asia mainly in Afghanistan but extending into Jammu and Kashmir. The highest
peak is Tirich Mir, 7,690 m/25,230 ft . Length: 800 km/500 mi.[1]



Hindustan

Hindustan
Hin·du·stan 
[hìndoo stn] noun

northern India:
a loosely defined term that usually refers to the northern Hindi-speaking
region of India, stretching from the Himalayas southward to the Deccan and from
Assam in the east to Punjab in the west. The term is sometimes used to indicate
the Ganges Plain, or sometimes the whole of India or the Indian subcontinent.[1]



Hindustani

Hindustani
Hin·du·sta·ni 
[hìndoo stánee] noun

group of Indian languages:
a group of Indian languages and dialects that includes all forms of both Urdu
and Hindi
adjective

1.  relating
to Hindustan: relating to Hindustan or its language,
people, or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Hindustani:
relating to the group of languages and dialects that includes all forms of both
Urdu and Hindi
[Early 17th century. Via Urdu
from Persian Hindūstānī, literally “of the Indian country.”][1]



Hine,Lewis

Hine,Lewis
Hine
[hīn], Lewis (1874–1940)

U.S.
photographer. His works show a concern for social justice, frequently depicting
subjects such as child laborers in sweatshops and mines.
Full name
Hine, Lewis Wickes[1]



Hines,Earl

Hines,Earl

Hines
[hīnz], Earl (1905–1983)
U.S.
musician. A jazz pianist, he formed his own band (1928) and collaborated with
Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong.
Full name
Hines, Earl Kenneth Known as Fatha Hines[1]



Hines,Gregory

Hines,Gregory
Hines
[hīnz], Gregory (1946– )

U.S. dancer and actor. A
skilled tap dancer, he is known for his appearances in the musicals Sophisticated
Ladies ( 1981 ) and Jelly’s Last Jam ( 1992 ).[1]



Hinesville

Hinesville
Hines·ville
[hnzvil]

city in southeastern Georgia.
Population: 21,603 (1990)[1]



hinge

hinge

hinge 
[hinj] (past hinged, past
participle hinged, present participle hing·ing, 3rd
person present singular hing·es, plural hing·es) noun

1.  joint
that fastens door to frame: a movable joint of metal or
plastic used to fasten two things, for example, a box and its lid, together and
allow one of them to pivot • The
hinges on the door need oiling.

2.  ZOOLOGY ligament
for pivoting: a part in animals that operates like a
hinge, as does the ligament that opens and closes the two halves of a clam or
other bivalve mollusk

3.  ANATOMY See hinge joint

4.  something
vital to outcome: something on which a subsequent action
or an outcome depends

5.  sticky
paper strip: a thin gummed paper strip that is folded
in half to affix postage stamps to the pages of an album
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English hang .]
—hinge·less, adjective[1]



hingejoint

hingejoint
hinge
joint
(plural hinge joints) noun

elbow or knee joint:
a joint, for example, a knee or elbow joint, that allows movement in only one
plane. Technical name ginglymus
Also called
hinge[1]



hingeon

hingeon
hinge
on
transitive verb

depend on something:
to depend completely on something • The
success of the plan hinges on your full cooperation.[1]



Hingham

Hingham
Hing·ham 
[híngəm]

coastal town in eastern
Massachusetts southeast of Boston, first settled about 1633. Population: 20,265
(1996)[1]



hinny

hinny
hin·ny 
[hínnee] (plural hin·nies) noun

cross
between horse and donkey: the offspring of a stallion
and a female donkey
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin hinnus from Greek (g)innos .][1]



Hinsdale

Hinsdale
Hins·dale 
[hínz dayl]

village in northeast
Illinois, northeast of Downers Grove, a western suburb of Chicago. Population:
16,353 (1996)[1]



hint

hint
hint 
[hint] intransitive verb (past
hint·ed, past participle hint·ed, present participle
hint·ing, 3rd person present singular hints)

suggest something indirectly:
to convey an idea or information in a roundabout way • The
President hinted that he might not seek a second term.
noun
(plural hints)

1.  indirect
suggestion:
an idea or information conveyed in a roundabout way • Our
daughter has been dropping hints that she’d like a guitar for her birthday.

2.  piece
of advice:
a useful piece of advice, or a practical suggestion • The
book had lots of useful hints on how to grow vegetables.

3.  very
small amount: an amount or trace of something that is
so small that it can only just be noticed • The
walls need a hint of yellow.
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of obsolete hent
“grasp.” Originally meaning “opportunity,” the underlying idea is of something
that may be seized.]
—hint·ing·ly,
adverb
take
the hint

to understand what is being
implied or suggested and to act accordingly[1]



hinterland

hinterland
hin·ter·land 
[híntər lànd] (plural hin·ter·lands)
noun

1.  remote
country region: a region that is remote from cities or
their cultural influence

2.  land
adjacent to water: the land that lies next to
coastline or a river
[Late 19th century. From
German, from hinter “behind” + Land “land.”][1]



hip

hip1
hip1 [hip]
(plural hips) noun

1.  side
of body below waist: the region on either side of
the body between the waist and the thigh

2.  See
hip joint

3.  ARCHITECTURE roof
angle:
the angle formed where two adjacent sides of a sloping roof meet

4.  pointed
end of obstacle: in skateboarding, the place where a ramp
or obstacle comes to a point
[Old English hype .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German
Hüfte “hip.”][1]



HIP

HIP
HIP

Abbreviation of
health insurance plan[1]



hip

hip2
hip2 [hip]
(comparative hip·per, superlative hip·pest) adjective

fashionable:
aware of and influenced by the latest fashions in clothes, music, or ideas (slang)
• He’s
one hip dude.
[Early
20th century. Alteration of earlier hep, of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Wolof hepi “to be aware.”]
—hip·ly,
adverb

—hip·ness,
noun
be
hip to something

to be aware of something that
is going on (informal)[1]



hip

hip3
hip3 [hip]
(plural hips) noun

See
rose hip
[Old English hēope .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “thorn.”][1]



hipbone

hipbone
hip·bone 
[híp bn] (plural hip·bones) noun

large bone of the pelvis:
either of the two large bones forming the sides of the pelvis and made up of
the ilium, ischium, and pubis, fused together in adults. Technical name innominate bone[1]



hipboot

hipboot
hip
boot
(plural hip boots) noun

waterproof boot:
a boot reaching to the hip, usually worn by people who fish[1]



hipflask

hipflask
hip
flask
(plural hip flasks) noun

flat flask for alcohol:
a small flat metal flask, usually containing an alcoholic beverage, that can be
carried in a pocket (dated)[1]



hiphip hooray

hiphip hooray
hip
hip hoo·ray
interjection

joyful
cheer:
used as a cheer to express joy or approval of somebody or something
[Hip of unknown origin][1]



hip-hop

hip-hop
hip-hop 
noun

popular
music, art, and dance: a form of popular culture
that started in the United States in the 1980s in African American inner-city
areas. Its elements include rap music, graffiti art, and breakdancing.
[From hip 2][1]



hip-huggers

hip-huggers
hip-hug·gers 
plural noun

pants up to the hips:
pants that end at the hips instead of the waist.
U.K. term
hipsters[1]



hipjoint

hipjoint
hip
joint
(plural hip joints) noun

joint where hip meets thigh:
the joint formed between the head of the thigh bone and the hipbone.
Also called
hip[1]



hippeastrum

hippeastrum
hip·pe·as·trum 
[hìppee ástrəm] (plural hip·pe·as·trums)
noun

S
American plant with huge flowers: a plant belonging to
the daffodil family and native to Central and South America, often grown for
its huge red or pink funnel-shaped flowers. Genus: Hippeastrum
See
also
amaryllis
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek hippeus “horseman” + astron
“star.”][1]



hipped

hipped1
hipped1 [hipt]
adjective

with hips:
having hips, especially of a particular kind (usually used in combination)
• narrow-hipped[1]



hipped

hipped2
hipped2 [hipt]
adjective

preoccupied
or obsessed with something • She’s
just hipped on clothes.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from hip 2 .][1]



hippedroof

hippedroof
hipped
roof
noun

See
hip roof[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hippie

hippie
hip·pie
[híppee] (plural hip·pies) or
hip·py [híppee] (plural hip·pies)
noun

unconventional
young person of the 1960s: a young person, especially
in the 1960s, who rejected accepted social and political values and proclaimed
a belief in universal peace and love. Hippies often dressed unconventionally,
lived communally, and used psychedelic drugs. (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from hip 2 .]
—hip·pie·dom,
noun

—hip·pie·hood,
noun

—hip·pie·ness, noun[1]



hippo

hippo
hip·po 
[híppō] (plural hip·pos) noun

hippopotamus:
a hippopotamus (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



hippocampus

hippocampus
hip·po·cam·pus 
[hìppə kámpəss] (plural hip·po·cam·pi
[hìppə kám p]) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY sea
creature in myths: a mythological sea creature
with the head and forelegs of a horse and the tail of a fish

2.  ANATOMY area
of brain associated with memory: either of two curved
ridges of tissue in the brain, located in the floor of the cavity ( ventricle ) within each of the cerebral
hemispheres and concerned with basic drives, emotions, and short-term memory.
Together with the hypothalamus, the hippocampi and their connections form part
of the limbic system.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek hippokampos, from hippos (see
hippo- ) + kampos “sea monster.”]
—hip·po·cam·pal, adjective[1]



hippocras

hippocras
hip·po·cras 
[híppə kràss] noun

spiced
wine:
a medieval drink of spiced wine sweetened with honey
[14th century. Via Old French
hypocras from medieval Latin (vinum) Hippocraticum, literally
“(wine of) Hippocrates.” Named for Hippocrates,
because he supposedly invented the filter used for straining the wine.][1]



Hippocrates

Hippocrates
Hip·poc·ra·tes 
[hi pókrə tz] (460?–377? BC)

Greek
physician. Known as the father of medicine, he gave his name to the Hippocratic
Oath.

—Hip·po·crat·ic [hìppə kráttik], adjective[1]



Hippocraticoath

Hippocraticoath
Hip·po·crat·ic
oath
noun

doctor’s
promise to uphold medical standards: an
oath taken by newly graduated physicians to observe the ethical standards of
their profession, specifically to seek to preserve life
[Because Hippocrates was the
supposed author of such an oath][1]



hippodrome

hippodrome
hip·po·drome 
[híppə drm] (plural hip·po·dromes)
noun

1.  stadium
used for horseracing: an open-air stadium in
ancient Greece or Rome with an oval track that was used for horse or chariot
racing

2.  arena
for horses:
an arena for equestrian events
[Late 16th century. Via
French and Latin from Greek hippodromos, from hippos (see hippo-
) + dromos “racecourse.”][1]



hippogriff

hippogriff
hip·po·griff 
[híppə grìf] (plural hip·po·griffs)
noun

winged
clawed monster of myths: a monster from Greek
mythology with the body of a horse and the head, wings, and claws of a griffin
[Mid-17th century. Via French
hippogriffe from Italian ippogrifo, from Greek hippos (see
hippo- ) + Italian grifo “ griffin
.”][1]



Hippolyta

Hippolyta
Hip·pol·y·ta 
[hi páwlətə] noun

mythological Amazon queen:
in Greek mythology, a queen of the Amazons. The daughter of Ares, the god of
war, she was killed by Hercules when, as one of his labors, he took her girdle.[1]



hippopotamus

hippopotamus


hip·po·pot·a·mus 
[hìppə póttəməss] (plural hip·po·pot·a·mus·es
or hip·po·pot·a·mi [hìppə póttəmī])
noun
large
amphibious African mammal: a large amphibious mammal of
the rivers of eastern equatorial Africa that has a large head with a wide
mouth, short legs, and a thick gray skin. Latin name: Hippopotamus amphibius
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek hippopotamos, from hippos “horse” + potamos
“river.”][1]



hippy

hippy2
hip·py2  [híppee]
noun

See
hippie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hippy

hippy1
hip·py1  [híppee]
(comparative hip·pi·er, superlative hip·pi·est) adjective

with wide hips:
having wide hips[1]



hiproof

hiproof
hip
roof
(plural hip roofs) noun

sloped roof:
a roof with sloping ends as well as sides.
Also called
hipped roof[1]



hipshooter

hipshooter
hip
shoot·er
(plural hip shoot·ers) noun

hasty
decision-maker: somebody who thinks and moves quickly,
often making rash decisions (slang) • The
auto company CEO is very able, but he’s a hip shooter who has made some
avoidable mistakes.
[(See hip-shooting )][1]



hip-shooting

hip-shooting
hip-shoot·ing
adjective

hasty:
too quick to take action or make decisions (slang)
noun

hastiness:
taking action or making decisions hastily (slang)
[The underlying idea is of
shooting without taking formal aim][1]



hipster

hipster
hip·ster 
[hípstər] (plural hip·sters) noun

somebody
up-to-date:
somebody who is up-to-date with the latest fashions in music, clothes, and
social attitudes, especially somebody who is interested in modern jazz (dated
slang)
[Formed from hip 2 + -ster][1]



hipsterism

hipsterism
hip·ster·ism 
[hípstər ìzzəm] noun

being hip:
the quality of being hip (dated slang)[1]



hipsters

hipsters
hip·sters
[hípstərz] plural noun

U.K.
See hip-huggers
[Formed frm hip 1 + -ster][1]



hiragana

hiragana
hi·ra·ga·na 
[hrə gnə] noun

Japanese
symbols for writing: a cursive set of symbols
used by the Japanese primarily for inflections.
See
also
kana
See
also
katakana
[Early 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “plain syllabary.”][1]



hire

hire
hire 
[hīr] verb (past hired,
past participle hired, present participle hir·ing, 3rd
person present singular hires)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
somebody work: to employ somebody to work for you, or
pay somebody to do a job for you

2.  transitive
verb
pay
for the use of something: to rent something from
somebody for a period of time • hired
the Women’s Club for the wedding reception
noun
(plural hires)

1.  act
of hiring something or somebody: the activity of
renting something to somebody or of making the services of somebody available
to another for pay

2.  employee:
somebody who is employed
[Old
English hr . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of German Heuer “sailor’s wages.”]
—hir·a·ble, adjective[1]



hiredgun

hiredgun
hired
gun 
(plural hired guns) noun (slang)

1.  professional
killer:
a professional killer.
Also
called
hit man

2.  problem-solver:
an expert brought in to solve a particularly complex or intractable problem • The
law firm brought in a hired gun from New York to handle the cross-examination
of the prosecution’s genetics expert.

[1]



hiredhand

hiredhand
hired
hand
(plural hired hands) noun

paid farm worker:
a paid employee, usually on a farm or ranch[1]



hireling

hireling
hire·ling 
[hrling] (plural hire·lings) noun

somebody motivated by money:
somebody who works only for money, especially somebody who will do menial or
unpleasant tasks (disapproving)[1]



hireon

hireon
hire
on
intransitive and transitive verb

get or give work:
to obtain work, or provide work for somebody • He
hired on as an oil rig wildcatter.[1]



hireout

hireout
hire
out
transitive verb

rent or make available for
work: to rent something to
somebody, or make the services of somebody available to another for pay[1]



hirepurchase

hirepurchase
hire
pur·chase
(plural hire pur·chas·es) noun

U.K.
See installment plan[1]



hi-res

hi-res
hi-res 
[hī réz] adjective

high-resolution:
high-resolution and therefore showing a lot of detail (informal) • a
hi-res graphic
[Shortening][1]



HiriMotu

HiriMotu
Hi·ri
Mo·tu 
[hri mṓ t] noun

pidginized
form of Motu: a pidginized form of Motu that has now
acquired the status of one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea. Hiri
Motu is spoken by about 150,000 people.
Also
called
Police Motu
—Hi·ri Mo·tu, adjective[1]



hiringhall

hiringhall
hir·ing
hall 
(plural hir·ing halls) noun

employment agency for union
members: a union-operated employment
agency where registered applicants are given jobs on a seniority basis or by
rotation[1]



Hirohito

Hirohito

Hi·ro·hi·to 
[hrō htō], Emperor of Japan (1901–1989)
His reign (1926–1989) was the longest in
Japanese history. He renounced the belief that Japanese rulers are divine at
the end of World War II (1945) and oversaw the transition to a constitutional
monarchy.[1]



Hiroshima

Hiroshima
Hi·ro·shi·ma 
[hi róshimə, hìrrə
shmə]

city in southwestern Honshu,
Japan, devastated by the first atomic bomb to be used in war, August 1945.
Population: 1,085,705 (1990)[1]



hirsute

hirsute
hir·sute 
[húr st, hr
st, hər st] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY with
a lot of hair: having a large amount of hair • a
hirsute young man

2.  BOTANY covered
with stiff hairs: used to describe a plant or plant part
covered with long stiff hairs • a hirsute
leaf
[Early
17th century. From Latin hirsutus “shaggy.”]
—hir·sute·ness, noun[1]



hirsutism

hirsutism
hir·sut·ism 
[húr soo tìzzəm, hr
sootìzzəm, hər s tìzzəm] noun

abnormal growth of hair:
an abnormal growth of hair, for example, on a woman’s face or body[1]



hirudin

hirudin
hir·u·din 
[hrəd’n, hi
rd’n] noun

anticoagulant
from leeches: a substance produced by the salivary
glands of leeches that prevents blood from clotting
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin hirudo “leech.”][1]



his

his
his 
[(stressed) hiz, (unstressed) iz] adjective pronoun

belonging to him:
indicates something belonging or relating to a man, boy, or male animal who has
been previously mentioned or whose identity is known • He
stood at the sink washing his hands.
• The
fault was all his. • I
went to school with a cousin of his.[1]



His-an

His-an
His-an
[hì sán]

city and capital of Shaanxi
province, central China, situated on the southern bank of the Wei approximately
130 km/80 mi above its junction with the Huang[1]



his/her

his/her
his/her
[hìz ər húr] pronoun

his or her:
his or her, used to avoid the sexist use of “his” in reference to somebody
whose sex is unknown[1]



Hispanic

Hispanic
His·pan·ic 
[hi spánnik] noun (plural His·pan·ics)

See Hispanic American
adjective

1.  of
Spain and Spanish people: relating to Spain, or its
people or culture

2.  of
Spanish-speaking people: relating to Spanish-speaking
people or their culture

3.  of
people of Spanish descent: relating to people descended
from Spanish or Latin American people or their culture
[Late 16th century. From
Latin Hispanicus, from Hispania “Spain.”][1]



HispanicAmerican

HispanicAmerican
His·pan·ic
A·mer·i·can
(plural His·pan·ic A·mer·i·cans) noun

U.S.
citizen of Spanish descent: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of the United States and who is of Spanish or Latin American
descent.
Also
called
Hispanic
Also
called
Hispano American
—His·pan·ic-A·mer·i·can,
adjective[1]



Hispanicism

Hispanicism
His·pan·i·cism 
[hi spánni sìzzəm] (plural His·pan·i·cisms)
noun

borrowed Spanish term:
a Spanish word, expression, or other linguistic feature that has been adopted
into another language.
Also called
Hispanism[1]



Hispanicist

Hispanicist
His·pan·i·cist
[hi spánnissist] (plural His·pan·i·cists)
noun

scholar of languages of
Spain: a scholar of the languages
and cultures of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.
Also called
Hispanist[1]



Hispanicize

Hispanicize
His·pan·i·cize 
[hi spánni sz] (past His·pan·i·cized,
past participle His·pan·i·cized, present participle His·pan·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular His·pan·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

make
something Spanish in character: to make somebody or
something Spanish in character, style, or culture
—His·pan·i·ci·za·tion
[hi spànnəssi záysh’n], noun[1]



Hispanism

Hispanism
His·pan·ism 
[híspənìzəm] (plural His·pan·isms)
noun

See
Hispanicism
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin Hispania “Spain.”][1]



Hispanist

Hispanist
His·pa·nist 
[híspənist] noun

See
Hispanicist[1]



Hispano

Hispano
His·pa·no 
[hi spánnō, hi
spnō] (plural His·pa·nos) noun

1.  descendent
of Spaniards: somebody of Spanish descent who lives in
the southwestern United States. Many Hispanos are descended from people who
lived in the region before its annexation by the United States.

2.  See
Hispanic  adjective 1
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of Hispano American .][1]



Hispano-American

Hispano-American
His·pa·no-A·mer·i·can
[hi spànnō ə mérrəkən, hi spnō ə mérrəkən, hìspənō
ə mérrəkən] (plural His·pa·no-A·mer·i·cans) noun

See
Hispanic American
—His·pa·no-A·mer·i·can,
adjective[1]



hispid

hispid
his·pid 
[híspid] adjective

rough:
rough, especially covered with stiff hairs or bristles • a
hispid leaf
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin hispidus .]
—his·pid·i·ty [his píddətee], noun[1]



hiss

hiss

hiss 
[hiss] verb (past hissed,
past participle hissed, present participle hiss·ing,
3rd person present singular hiss·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
“s” sound:
to make a sound like a loud continuous “s” • the
sound of car tires hissing over a wet road

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb show
negative opinion of something: to show disapproval or
dislike of somebody or something, for example, a performance, by making a
hissing sound

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb whisper
loudly:
to whisper loudly and angrily • “Stop
biting your nails,” she hissed.
noun (plural
hiss·es)

1.  sound
like “s”:
a sound like a loud continuous “s” • the
hiss of escaping air

2.  sound
expressing disapproval: a hissing sound used to
express disapproval or dislike of something or somebody
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—hiss·er, noun[1]



Hiss,Alger

Hiss,Alger
Hiss 
[hiss], Alger (1904– )

U.S. lawyer and government
official. A former senior State Department official, he was accused by
Whittaker Chambers (1948) of spying for the Soviet Union, and imprisoned for
perjury despite his protestations of innocence.[1]



hisself

hisself
his·self
[hiss sélf, unstressed iss sélf] pronoun

(nonstandard) See
himself[1]



hissyfit

hissyfit
his·sy
fit 
[híssee fit] (plural his·sy fits)
noun

Southern
U.S.
tantrum:
a temper tantrum
[Hissy of uncertain origin:
perhaps a shortening and alteration of hysterical][1]



hist-

hist-
hist-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
histo-[1]



hist.

hist.
hist.

1.  Abbreviation
of
histology

2.  Abbreviation
of
historic

3.  Abbreviation
of
historical

4.  Abbreviation
of
history

[1]



histaminase

histaminase
his·tam·i·nase 
[hi stámmi nàyss, hístəmi
nàyss, hi stámmi nàyz] noun

enzyme inactivating
histamine: an enzyme found in the
digestive system that inactivates histamine and certain diamines[1]



histamine

histamine
his·ta·mine 
[hístə mn] noun

substance
released by the body: an amine compound released
by cells of the body’s immune system in allergic reactions that causes
irritation, contraction of smooth muscle, stimulation of gastric secretions,
and dilation of blood vessels. C5H9N3
[Early
20th century. A blend of histidine and amine .]
—his·ta·min·ic [hìstə mínnik], adjective[1]



histidine

histidine
his·ti·dine 
[hísti dn] noun

amino acid involved in tissue
growth: an essential amino acid
involved in the growth and repair of tissues and important as the iron-binding
site for hemoglobin. C6H9N3O2[1]



histiocyte

histiocyte
his·ti·o·cyte 
[hístee ə st] (plural his·ti·o·cytes)
noun

cell
found in connective tissue: a large immobile scavenging
cell ( macrophage ) found in connective
tissue
—his·ti·o·cyt·ic [hìstee ə síttik], adjective[1]



histo-

histo-
histo-
prefix

living
tissue • histochemistry
[From Greek histos
“web”; related to histanai “to set up” (see apostasy
)][1]



histochemistry

histochemistry
his·to·chem·is·try 
[hìstō kémmistree] noun

biochemistry
of cells:
the biochemistry of cells and tissues
—his·to·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—his·to·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



histocompatibility

histocompatibility
his·to·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty 
[hìstō kəm pattə bíllətee] noun

degree
of compatibility of tissues: the degree of similarity
between certain antigens ( histocompatibility antigens ) that determines the
degree of success of a tissue graft or blood transfusion
—his·to·com·pat·i·ble
[hìstō kəm páttəb’l], adjective[1]



histocompatibilityantigen

histocompatibilityantigen
his·to·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty
an·ti·gen
(plural his·to·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty an·ti·gens) noun

cell identifiers:
an antigen occurring on the surface of tissue cells that is used in
self-identification and determines the acceptance of a tissue graft or blood
transfusion[1]



histodialysis

histodialysis
his·to·di·al·y·sis 
[hìstō dī álləssəss] noun

See
histolysis[1]



histogenesis

histogenesis
his·to·gen·e·sis 
[hìstō jénnəssiss] noun

tissue
development: the formation and development of tissues
and organs from undifferentiated cells
—his·to·ge·net·ic
[hìstōjə néttik], adjective

—his·to·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—his·to·gen·ic
[hìstə jénnik], adjective

—his·to·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



histogram

histogram
his·to·gram 
[hístə gràm] (plural his·to·grams)
noun

statistical bar graph:
a statistical graph of a frequency distribution in which vertical rectangles of
different heights are proportionate to corresponding frequencies[1]



histology

histology
his·tol·o·gy 
[hi stólləjee] noun

microscopic
tissue study: a branch of anatomy concerned with the
study of the microscopic structures of animal and plant tissue.
Also
called
microanatomy
—his·to·log·ic
[hìstə lójjik], adjective

—his·to·log·i·cal,
adjective

—his·to·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—his·tol·o·gist [hi stólləjəst], noun[1]



histolysis

histolysis
his·tol·y·sis 
[hi stóllississ] noun

breakdown
of bodily tissue: the breakdown and disintegration of
bodily tissue.
Also
called
histodialysis
—his·to·lyt·ic
[hìstə líttik], adjective

—his·to·lyt·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



histone

histone
his·tone 
[h stn] (plural his·tones) noun

protein
in cell nuclei: a protein whose molecules organize and
pack the DNA in chromosomes into the greatly condensed form ( chromatin ) it normally adopts. There are five
types, together constituting about half the mass of chromosomes.
[Late 19th century. From
German Histon, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Greek histanai
or from histos (see histo- ).][1]



histopathology

histopathology
his·to·pa·thol·o·gy 
[hìstōpə thólləjee] noun

microscopic
pathology of diseased tissue: a branch of pathology
concerned with the study of the microscopic changes in diseased tissues
—his·to·path·o·log·ic
[hìstō pathə lójjik], adjective

—his·to·path·o·log·i·cal,
adjective

—his·to·path·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—his·to·pa·thol·o·gist
[hìstō pə thólləjist], noun[1]



histophysiology

histophysiology
his·to·phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[hìstō fizee ólləjee] noun

physiology
of tissues:
a branch of physiology concerned with the structure and function of tissues
—his·to·phys·i·o·log·ic
[hìstō fizee ə lójjik], adjective

—his·to·phys·i·o·log·i·cal,
adjective[1]



histoplasmosis

histoplasmosis
his·to·plas·mo·sis 
[histō plaz mōssiss] noun

fungal
lung disease: a severe disease of the lungs with
symptoms resembling flu, caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Histoplasma, genus name.][1]



historian

historian
his·to·ri·an 
[hi stáwree ən] (plural his·to·ri·ans)
noun

1.  student
and scholar of history: somebody who is
knowledgeable in history and who may write about or teach it

2.  recorder
of events:
somebody who writes an account of historical events
[15th century. From French historien,
from Latin historia, on the model of logicien “logician” (see history ).][1]



historiated

historiated
his·to·ri·at·ed
[hi stáwree àytəd] adjective

illustrated
with symbolic flowers and animals: used to describe
decorative initials in books or maps and plans that are illustrated with
symbolic flowers and animals or symbols in the form of flowers or animals
[Late 19th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin historiare “to adorn (with historical
scenes), relate,” from Latin historia (see history
).][1]



historic

historic
his·tor·ic 
[hi stáwrik] adjective

1.  significant
in history:
important in or affecting the course of history • a
historic decision affecting world peace

2.  See
historical  adjective 1

[1]



historical

historical
his·tor·i·cal 
[hi stáwrik’l] adjective

1.  existing
or happening in the past: existing, happening, or
relating to the past • an
important historical personage

2.  used
in the past: worn or used by people in the past • historical
uniforms of the 18th century

3.  supported
by facts from history: based on or describing
people who lived in the past or events that happened in the past • historical
fiction
• a
historical movie

4.  relating
to study of history: relating to or involving the
study of history

5.  relating
to the evolution of phenomena: relating to the
gradual change and development of phenomena, for example, languages or
societies • historical
sociology
—his·tor·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



historicalgeology

historicalgeology
his·tor·i·cal
ge·ol·o·gy
noun

branch of geology:
a branch of geology that deals with the geological history of the earth[1]



historicallinguistics

historicallinguistics
his·tor·i·cal
lin·guis·tics noun

study of language change
through time: the study of language
as it changes and develops through time[1]



historically

historically
his·tor·i·cal·ly
[hi stáwriklee] adverb

1.  regarding
history:
according to or with reference to history or its course • The
law will prove to be historically significant.

2.  many
times before: used to indicate that something has
happened often in the past • Historically,
a rise in interest rates slows the rate of inflation.

[1]



historicalmaterialism

historicalmaterialism
his·tor·i·cal
ma·te·ri·al·ism noun

Marx’s theory of social
history: the part of Marx’s theory of
dialectical materialism that maintains that the development of social thought
and institutions is based on material economic forces[1]



historicalnovel

historicalnovel
his·tor·i·cal
nov·el
(plural his·tor·i·cal nov·els) noun

novel set in the past:
a novel set in the past that includes real events and people from that period[1]



historicalpresent

historicalpresent
his·tor·i·cal
pres·ent
noun

present tense that narrates
past events: the present tense used
to narrate actions that happened in the past to make them seem more vivid[1]



historicism

historicism
his·tor·i·cism 
[hi stáwrə sìzzəm] noun

1.  theory
that natural laws govern history: the belief that
natural laws beyond human control determine historical events

2.  belief
in uniqueness of historical periods: the
theory that each period of history has its own unique beliefs and values and
can only be understood in its historical context
—his·tor·i·cist, noun[1]



historicity

historicity
his·to·ric·i·ty 
[hìstə ríssitee] noun

historical authenticity:
the state or fact of being historically authentic[1]



historicize

historicize
his·tor·i·cize 
[hi stáwrə sz] (past his·tor·i·cized,
past participle his·tor·i·cized, present participle his·tor·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular his·tor·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

make
something seem true: to give something the
appearance of historical truth
—his·tor·i·ci·za·tion
[hi stàwrəssi záysh’n], noun[1]



historiography

historiography
his·to·ri·og·ra·phy 
[hi stàwree óggrəfee] noun

1.  methods
of historical research: the principles, theories, or
methods of historical research or writing

2.  the
writing of history: the writing of history based
on scholarly disciplines such as the analysis and evaluation of source
materials

3.  available
data on historical topic: the existing findings and
interpretations relating to a particular historical topic

4.  historical
literature:
a body of historical literature
[Mid-16th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek historiographia, from historia
(see history ) + graphia “writing.”]
—his·to·ri·o·graph·ic
[hi stàwree ə gráffik], noun

—his·to·ri·o·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—his·to·ri·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



history

history
his·to·ry 
[hístəree] (plural his·to·ries)
noun

1.  what
has happened in the past: the past events of a period
in time or in the life or development of a people, an institution, or a place

2.  study
of the past: the branch of knowledge that records and
analyzes past events

3.  record
of events:
a chronological account of past events of a period or in the life or
development of a people, an institution, or a place • a
history of Byzantium

4.  personal
background:
the events and experiences of an individual’s past • We
don’t know very much about her personal history.

5.  SCIENCE systematic
record of natural phenomena: an account of related
natural phenomena based on observation and investigation • a
history of volcanoes

6.  interesting
past:
an interesting or colorful past • The
car has something of a history attached to it.

7.  something
no longer important: something that belongs to
the past and is no longer important • The
scandal is history, as far as I’m concerned.

8.  somebody
no longer important: somebody who has suffered
total loss of power, high position, or importance (slang) • If
he’s found guilty of bribery, he’s history as far as the Senate is concerned.

9.  LITERATURE historical
play:
a play that deals with historical events

10. LITERATURE life
story:
a narrative that deals with the events of a fictional character’s life (archaic)
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek historia “history, knowledge, narrative”
(source of English story ), from histōr
“learned man.”]
be
ancient history

to be something that happened
a long time ago, or perhaps only recently in the past, and is no longer
important or relevant[1]



histrionic

histrionic
his·tri·on·ic 
[hìstree ónnik] or his·tri·on·i·cal
[hìstree ónnik’l] adjective

1.  overdramatic:
overdramatic in reaction or behavior • Paul
gave a histrionic sigh and slumped in his chair.

2.  THEATER relating
to acting:
relating to acting or actors (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin histrionicus, from the Latin stem histrion-
“actor.”]
—his·tri·on·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



histrionics

histrionics
his·tri·on·ics 
[hìstree ónniks] noun

overdone
emotion:
exaggerated emotional behavior done for show or to get a reaction from somebody
(takes a singular or plural verb) • Let’s
hope there won’t be any histrionics when you tell them.
plural
noun

THEATER
dramatic performances:
performances of dramatic works (formal) (takes a plural verb)[1]



hit

hit
hit 
[hit] verb (past hit, past
participle hit, present participle hit·ting, 3rd
person present singular hits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
somebody or something deliberately: to
strike somebody or something deliberately with the hand or something held in it
• He
hit me on the jaw.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
into contact: to come into violent contact with
something • His
van skidded and hit a parked car.

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS make
ball move:
to make something such as a ball move by striking it with a bat or racket • She
kept hitting the ball over the fence into the next yard.

4.  transitive
verb
strike
button or key: to press or push a button or part of a
machine (informal) • Hit
the accelerator.

5.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL make
base hit:
to make a base hit • hit a double

6.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL bat:
to be at bat

7.  transitive
verb
strike
target:
to reach an intended target with a ball or missile

8.  transitive
verb
reach
a place:
to reach a particular place (slang) • You’ll
hit a toll-free road about five miles farther on.

9.  transitive
verb
arrive
at specified level: to reach a particular level
on a scale • Unemployment
has hit the 2 million mark.

10. intransitive
verb
happen:
to take place, usually with undesirable or adverse effects (informal) • The
storm hit before we could get home.

11. transitive
verb
produce
something accurately: to render or represent
something accurately • hit a
high C

12. intransitive
and transitive verb come
to mind:
to realize or become conscious of something • It
suddenly hit him that he was unlikely to see her again.

13. transitive
verb
affect
somebody or something badly: to have an adverse effect on
somebody or something • The
rise in interest rates is going to hit exporters hard.

14. transitive
verb
give
somebody information: to tell somebody something
that may be of interest (slang) • “I’ve
got a great idea. Want to hear it?” “OK, hit me. I’m listening.”

15. transitive
verb
conform
to something: to conform to or agree with something • Your
comments hit a sympathetic note.

16. transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY to
kill somebody using hired hand: to murder somebody,
especially by employing a professional killer (slang)

17. transitive
verb
give
somebody something: to give somebody something,
for example, a drink or a card in the game of twenty-one (slang)

18. intransitive
verb
MILITARY attack:
to launch an attack on something or somebody • The
troops hit before daylight.

19. transitive
verb
SPORTS make a
score with ball: to score points in a sport by striking a
ball well or delivering it successfully to a target • She
hit the first goal in the second minute of the game.

20. intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES ignite
and start:
to ignite the fuel and air mixture in the cylinders (refers to internal
combustion engines) • The
engine finally hit and we could leave. See
base hit

21. transitive
verb
view
Web page:
to visit or view a particular Web page (informal)
noun
(plural hits)

1.  BASEBALL See base hit

2.  success:
somebody who or something that is popular and successful • That
rock band had a big hit with its last CD. • The
clown was a hit with the kids.

3.  something
that hits target: a ball or missile that successfully
strikes the target • We’ve taken a couple of
hits, but nothing serious.

4.  hard
blow:
a hard blow delivered with the hand or something held in it • That
was some hit.

5.  collision:
a violent impact between things

6.  COMPUT accessing
of database or Internet file: an instance of a user
retrieving an item from a database or contacting a file, for example, a home
page, through the Internet • Her
home page has received 3,000 hits since she opened it last month.

7.  something
given:
a single item given or taken, for example, a drink or a card at the game of
twenty-one (slang)

8.  DRUGS effect
of drug:
a sense of a drug’s effect (slang)

9.  CRIMINOLOGY professional
killing:
a murder, especially one committed by a professional killer (slang)
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse hitta “to find.” Originally used in the Old
Norse sense (which survives in hit on ), the
underlying idea of its current meaning is “to reach.”]
—hit·ta·ble,
adjective
hit
it off

to get on very well with
somebody (informal)[1]



Hitachi

Hitachi
Hi·ta·chi 
[hi táchee]

coastal industrial city in
eastern Honshu, Japan. Population: 202,141 (1990)[1]



hit-and-miss

hit-and-miss
hit-and-miss 
adjective

1.  with
variable success: sometimes successful and sometimes not • He
ran a hit-and-miss travel agency, never making much money.

2.  U.K.
See hit-or-miss

[1]



hit-and-run

hit-and-run
hit-and-run 
adjective

1.  not
stopping after causing an accident: used
to describe or relating to a road accident in which the driver who has hit
another person or motor vehicle leaves the scene without stopping • a
hit-and-run driver

2.  fast
and without warning: relying on surprise and
speed to overcome an enemy • Three
fighter planes launched a hit-and-run attack at dawn.

3.  BASEBALL swinging
at baseball to protect runner: used to describe a
baseball play in which a base runner starts for the next base as the pitcher
throws the ball, which the batter must swing at to protect the runner from
being thrown out
noun
(plural hit-and-runs)

hit-and-run accident:
a hit-and-run road accident

[1]



hitback

hitback
hit
back
intransitive verb

get even with somebody:
to retaliate against somebody or something for an attack[1]



hitch

hitch
hitch 
[hich] verb (past hitched,
past participle hitched, present participle hitch·ing,
3rd person present singular hitch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT hitchhike:
to hitchhike a ride (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
join
something powered to something else: to
connect two things so that one can move the other, for example, a horse to a
wagon or a trailer to a car

3.  transitive
verb
fasten
something to stop it: to fasten or tie something
temporarily to keep it from moving away • Hitch
the boat to the dock before the current catches it.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
in jerky way: to move in an awkward jerky way
noun
(plural hitch·es)

1.  obstacle:
an obstacle in the way of progress • There’s
been a slight technical hitch.

2.  means
of connecting two things: a device used to connect two
things, for example, a ball on a vehicle for connecting a trailer

3.  MILITARY time
in the military: a period of time spent in military
service

4.  TRANSPORT free
ride:
a ride solicited by means of hitchhiking (informal)

5.  knot
that unties easily: a knot that can be easily
untied, used for temporarily securing a line to something

6.  tug:
a sudden pull on something

7.  way
of walking:
an awkward jerky manner of walking
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—hitch·er, noun[1]



Hitchcock,Alfred

Hitchcock,Alfred
Hitch·cock
[hích kok], Sir Alfred (1899–1980)

British
movie director. A prolific director and master of suspense, his movies include The
Thirty-Nine Steps ( 1935 ), Rebecca ( 1940 ), and Psycho (
1960 ).
Full name
Hitchcock, Sir Alfred Joseph[1]



hitchhike

hitchhike
hitch·hike 
[hích hk] (past hitch·hiked, past
participle hitch·hiked, present participle hitch·hik·ing,
3rd person present singular hitch·hikes) intransitive and
transitive verb

get
a free ride: to get a ride from a passing vehicle,
usually by standing at the side of the road and holding out the hand with the
thumb raised
—hitch·hik·er, noun[1]



hitchingpost

hitchingpost
hitch·ing
post 
(plural hitch·ing posts) noun

place to tie a horse:
a post or rail used to tie the reins of a horse to[1]



hitchup

hitchup
hitch
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
join:
get together with somebody else, especially in partnership or marriage (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
pull
up clothing: to pull up an article of clothing

[1]



hi-tech

hi-tech
hi-tech 
[hī ték] noun adjective

See
high tech See high-tech[1]



hither

hither
hith·er 
[híər] adverb

here:
to this place (archaic) • Come
hither, child.
adjective

on
near side:
on the near side of something (archaic)
[Old English hider .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “here, this.”][1]



hithermost

hithermost
hith·er·most 
[híər mst] adjective

nearest here:
nearest this direction (archaic)[1]



hitherto

hitherto
hith·er·to 
[hìər t, híər
t] adverb

up to now or then:
up to the present time or the time in question (formal)[1]



hitherward

hitherward
hith·er·ward 
[híərwərd] adverb

toward here:
in this direction (archaic)[1]



hitin

hitin
hit
in
(plural hit ins, unmarked inflection hits in) noun

hit from sideline:
in field hockey, a hit from the sideline awarded to the opposition when the
team in possession of the ball fails to keep it on the pitch[1]



Hitler,Adolf

Hitler,Adolf

Hit·ler
[hítlər], Adolf (1889–1945)
Austrian-born German Nazi leader. He
cofounded the Nazi party in Germany (1919) and became chancellor in 1933. His
invasion of Poland in 1939 led to the outbreak of World War II. He implemented anti-Semitic
policies that led to the Holocaust.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Hitlerism

Hitlerism
Hit·ler·ism 
[híttlə rìzzəm] noun

Nazism:
the extreme nationalistic ideology and fascistic policies developed by the Nazi
Party under Adolf Hitler
—Hit·ler·ist,
noun

—Hit·ler·ite, adjective[1]



hitlist

hitlist
hit
list
(plural hit lists) noun (slang)

1.  list
of problems needing eliminating: a list of things or
people considered problems to be dealt with in the near future

2.  CRIMINOLOGY list
of possible murder victims: a list of potential murder
victims

[1]



hitman

hitman
hit
man
noun

(slang) See hired gun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hiton

hiton
hit
on
transitive verb

1.  approach
sexually:
to make sexual advances to somebody (slang)

2.  ask
favor:
to ask somebody a favor (slang)

3.  hit
on
or hit up·on find an answer:
to think of a solution to a problem • She
then hit on the idea of painting the inside of the box black.

[1]



hit-or-miss

hit-or-miss
hit-or-miss 
adjective

carelessly done:
done in a careless haphazard way • The
survey was hit-or-miss, so we cannot trust the results.

U.K. term
hit-and-miss[1]



hitout

hitout
hit
out
(plural hit outs or hits out) noun

hit from 16-yard line:
in field hockey, a hit taken from the 16-yard line that is awarded to the
defence when the attacking team hit the ball over the goal line without scoring
a goal[1]



hitparade

hitparade
hit
pa·rade
(plural hit pa·rades) noun

pop music’s bestsellers:
a list of the best-selling pop records in the previous week (dated)[1]



hitsquad

hitsquad
hit
squad
(plural hit squads) noun (slang)

1.  hired
killers:
a team of hired assassins or other killers

2.  hired
problem-solvers: a team of experts sent in to solve
serious problems

[1]



Hittite

Hittite
Hit·tite 
[hí tt] (plural Hit·tites) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Anatolian people: a member of an ancient
people of Anatolia whose empire flourished in parts of western Asia during the
second millennium BC

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
Anatolian language: an extinct language spoken
in Anatolia, parts of Syria, and the surrounding areas during the second
millennium BC. Linguists agree
that it is an Indo-European language, but, despite evidence from ample
cuneiform inscriptions, there is no consensus over which branch of
Indo-European it belongs to.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Hebrew &Hdotunder;ittīm, from Hittite Hatti
.]
—Hit·tite, adjective[1]



hitup

hitup
hit
up
transitive verb

ask:
to ask somebody for something (slang) • How
come you’re suddenly hitting me up for the cab fare?[1]



HIV

HIV
HIV 
noun

virus disabling immune
system: either of two strains of a
retrovirus, HIV-1 or HIV-2, that destroys the immune system’s helper T cells,
the loss of which causes AIDS. Full form human
immunodeficiency virus
Also called
AIDS virus[1]



hive

hive2
hive2  [hīv]
(plural hives) noun

lesion
from hives:
a lesion due to urticaria
[Back-formation from hives][1]



hive

hive1
hive1  [hīv]
noun (plural hives)

1.  home
for bees:
a shelter in which a colony of social bees, especially honeybees, builds its
nest

2.  colony
of bees:
a colony of honeybees
verb
(past hived, past participle hived, present
participle hiv·ing, 3rd person present singular hives)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
bees into hive: to gather in a hive, or cause bees to
gather in a hive • hive a swarm

2.  transitive
verb
keep
honey in hive: to store honey in a hive

3.  transitive
verb
keep
something to use later: to store something for later
use

4.  intransitive
verb
live
closely together: to live closely in a group
[Old
English hf . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “round
container,” which also produced Latin cupa “barrel” (source of English coop ).]
—hive·less,
adjective
a
hive of industry or activity

a very busy, active place[1]



hiveoff

hiveoff
hive
off
transitive verb

split something off from
whole: to separate something from
the whole or from a larger group, for example, to divert work to a subsidiary
company or to split a branch of knowledge into specialties[1]



hives

hives
hives 
[hīvz] noun

MED See urticaria
[Early 16th century.
Originally a Scottish dialect word, of unknown origin.][1]



HIV-negative

HIV-negative
HIV-neg·a·tive
adjective

uninfected with HIV:
having taken a test that revealed no antibodies to HIV in the bloodstream[1]



HIV-positive

HIV-positive
HIV-pos·i·tive
adjective

infected with HIV:
shown by a test for antibodies to HIV in the bloodstream to be infected with
the HIV virus[1]



hiziki

hiziki
hi·zi·ki
noun

See
hijiki[1]



hizzoner

hizzoner
hiz·zon·er 
[hi zónnər] noun

humorous
title for mayor: used jokingly to refer to a man who is a
mayor (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of his honor .][1]



HJ

HJ
HJ

(on
gravestones)Abbreviation of hic jacet
[Latin, “here lies”][1]



HK

HK
HK

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Hong Kong[1]



HKJ

HKJ
HKJ

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of (Hashemite Kingdom of) Jordan[1]



hl

hl
hl

Symbol for
hectoliter[1]



H.L.

H.L.
H.L.

Abbreviation of
House of Lords[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HLA

HLA
HLA
noun

major human antigen
compatibility complex: the major
antigen compatibility complex in humans that is genetically determined and is
involved in cell self-identification and histocompatibility. Full form
human lymphocyte antigen[1]



HLL

HLL
HLL

Abbreviation of
high-level language[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








H.M.

H.M.
H.M.

1.  Abbreviation
of
headmaster

2.  Abbreviation
of
headmistress

3.  MUSIC Abbreviation of heavy metal

[1]



hm

hm
hm

Abbreviation of
hectometer[1]



HMAS

HMAS
HMAS
or H.M.A.S. U.K.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Majesty’s Australian ship

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Majesty’s Australian ship

[1]



HMCS

HMCS
HMCS
or H.M.C.S. U.K.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Majesty’s Canadian Ship

[1]



HMF

HMF
HMF
or H.M.F.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Majesty’s Forces

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Majesty’s Forces

[1]



HMI

HMI
HMI

Abbreviation of
human-machine interface[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HMO

HMO
HMO 
noun

group health insurance:
a form of health insurance that combines a range of coverage, usually on a
group basis in order to alleviate medical costs. Full form health maintenance organization[1]



Hmong

Hmong
Hmong 
[máwng, hə máwng]
(plural Hmongs or Hmong) noun
Also
called
Miao

1.  PEOPLES member
of people of S China: a member of a people living
in southern parts of China and northern parts of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam,
where they tend to inhabit the more remote, mountainous areas of these regions

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in S China: a language spoken in parts
of southern China and by scattered communities in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and
the United States. Hmong forms one main branch of the Miao-Yao language family.
Over five million people speak Hmong.
—Hmong, adjective[1]



HMS

HMS
HMS
or H.M.S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Majesty’s Ship

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Majesty’s Ship

[1]



HN

HN
HN

Abbreviation of
head nurse[1]



Hn

Hn
Hn

Symbol
Hn[1]



h.o.

h.o.
h.o.

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of hold over[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HO

HO
HO
or H.O.

Abbreviation of
head office[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ho

Ho
Ho

Symbol for
holmium[1]



ho.

ho.
ho.

Abbreviation of
house[1]



ho

ho1
ho1  [hō]
(plural hos or hoes) noun

1.  prostitute:
a prostitute (slang)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman (slang offensive)
[Late 20th century.
Pronunciation of whore .][1]



ho

ho2
ho2  [hō]
interjection

1.  expressing
various emotions: used to express surprise, triumph,
admiration or derision, depending on the way the speaker says it

2.  call
for attention: used to attract somebody’s attention

3.  used
to point out something: used to draw somebody’s
attention to something (used in combinations) • Land
ho!

[1]



Ho.

Ho.
Ho.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Hosea[1]



hoactzin

hoactzin
hoac·tzin
noun

See
hoatzin[1]



hoagie

hoagie
hoa·gie 
[hṓgee] (plural hoa·gies) noun

Northeastern
U.S.
roll
filled with meat, cheese, salad: a large sandwich made
from a long roll split lengthwise and filled with layers of meat, cheese, and a
variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, and onions.
Also
called
submarine
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of hoggy .][1]



hoar

hoar
hoar 
[hawr] adjective

white
or grayish white: white or grayish white in color, usually
as a result of age or frost (literary)
[Old English hār .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “shine,” which also produced
English hue and German heiter
“merry.”][1]



hoard

hoard
hoard 
[hawrd] intransitive and transitive verb
(past hoard·ed, past participle hoard·ed, present
participle hoard·ing, 3rd person present singular hoards)

store
a supply of something: to collect and store, often
secretly, a large quantity of something such as food or money for use in the
future
noun
(plural hoards)

secret
store:
a store of something such as food or money that has been hidden for use in the
future
[Old
English hord . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English hide and obscure .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at collect

[1]



hoarfrost

hoarfrost
hoar
frost
noun

dew turned to frost:
the white frost that forms on grass or leaves in the morning when the dew
freezes.
Also called
white frost[1]



hoarse

hoarse
hoarse 
[hawrss] (comparative hoars·er,
superlative hoars·est) adjective

1.  sounding
rough:
sounding rough and grating

2.  with
harshly grating voice: having a rough, harsh,
grating voice
[Old
English hās, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—hoarse·ly,
adverb

—hoarse·ness, noun[1]



hoarsen

hoarsen
hoars·en 
[háwrss’n] (past hoars·ened, past
participle hoars·ened, present participle hoars·en·ing,
3rd person present singular hoars·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

become husky-voiced:
to become hoarse, or make the voice hoarse[1]



hoary

hoary
hoar·y 
[háwree] (comparative hoar·i·er,
superlative hoar·i·est) adjective

1.  overused:
old and stale from overuse • Do we
have to hear those hoary knock-knock jokes again?

2.  white
with age:
used to describe hair that has become white or gray with age

3.  BIOLOGY covered
with pale hairs: covered with gray or white hairs • a
plant with hoary leaves
—hoar·i·ly,
adverb

—hoar·i·ness, noun[1]



hoarymarmot

hoarymarmot
hoar·y
mar·mot
(plural hoar·y mar·mots) noun

N American marmot:
a marmot found in the mountains of northwestern North America, with a grayish
coat and a shrill cry. Latin name: Marmota caligata
Also called
whistler[1]



hoatzin

hoatzin
hoat·zin 
[wt sn] (plural hoat·zins) or
hoac·tzin [wk sn, wkt sn] (plural hoac·tzins) noun

S
American bird: a South American bird with brownish
plumage, a very small crested head, and a specialized digestive system for
leaves. Young birds have a clawlike digit on each wing, used for climbing and
swimming. Latin name: Opisthocomus hoazin
[Mid-17th century. Via American
Spanish from Nahuatl uatzin, of uncertain origin: probably an imitation
of the sound made by the bird.][1]



hoax

hoax
hoax 
[hōks] noun (plural hoax·es)

deception:
an act intended to trick people into believing something is real that is not
transitive
verb
(past hoaxed, past participle hoaxed, present
participle hoax·ing, 3rd person present singular hoax·es)

deceive
people:
to trick people into believing something is real that is not
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of hocus .]
—hoax·er, noun[1]



hob

hob1

hob1 [hob]
(plural hobs) noun
place
to keep pans warm: a small shelf or rack level
with the top of the grate of a fireplace on which to set pans to keep them warm
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier hub, of unknown origin.][1]



hob

hob2
hob2 [hob]
(plural hobs) noun

elf:
a hobgoblin or elf (archaic)
[15th century. Formed from
the name Robert or Robin .][1]



Hoban,James

Hoban,James
Ho·ban
[hṓbən], James (1762?–1831)

Irish-born U.S. architect. He
designed and supervised the construction of the White House (1792–1799 and
1815–1829) and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.[1]



Hobart

Hobart
Ho·bart 
[hṓ baart]

1.  capital
city of the island state of Tasmania in Australia, located on the Derwent
River. Population: 126,118 (1996)

2.  city
in northwestern Indiana, southeast of Gary. Population: 24,463 (1996)

[1]



Hobbes,Thomas

Hobbes,Thomas
Hobbes
[hobz], Thomas (1588–1679)

English
philosopher and political theorist. In Leviathan ( 1651 ) he advocated
absolute monarchy as the only means of controlling clashing human interests and
desires and guaranteeing their rights of self-preservation and happiness.

—Hobbes·i·an,
adjective, noun

—Hobb·ism,
noun

—Hobb·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



hobbit

hobbit
hob·bit 
[hóbbit] (plural hob·bits) noun

imaginary
little person: a member of an imaginary kind of
good-natured little people who have brown furry legs and live underground.
Hobbits are the creation of writer J. R. R. Tolkien, whose most famous hobbit
is Bilbo Baggins, the hero of The Hobbit.
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
J. R. R. Tolkien .][1]



hobble

hobble
hob·ble 
[hóbb’l] verb (past hob·bled,
past participle hob·bled, present participle hob·bling,
3rd person present singular hob·bles)

1.  transitive
verb
restrict
somebody’s actions: to put restrictions on
somebody or something to slow or prevent progress

2.  intransitive
verb
limp
along:
to walk haltingly and unsteadily, taking short steps

3.  transitive
verb
limit
horse’s movement: to tie the legs of a horse loosely
together with a rope or strap to prevent it from moving away
noun
(plural hob·bles)

1.  rope
or strap:
something such as a loop of rope or a strap used to tie the legs of a horse.
Also
called
hopple

2.  unsteady
walk:
a halting unsteady walk
[13th century. Origin uncertain:
probably from Low German .][1]



hobblebush

hobblebush
hob·ble·bush 
[hóbb’l bsh] (plural hob·ble·bush·es)
noun

N
American bush with red berries: a deciduous bush of
eastern North America with clusters of white flowers, rounded leaves, and red
berries. Latin name: Viburnum alnifolium
[Mid-19th century. From the
fact that it obstructs the way with its branches.][1]



hobbledehoy

hobbledehoy
hob·ble·de·hoy 
[hóbb’ldi hòy] (plural hob·ble·de·hoys)
noun

rude
young man:
a clumsy or rude young man (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hobbleskirt

hobbleskirt
hob·ble
skirt
(plural hob·ble skirts) noun

skirt narrow at the ankles:
a long skirt designed to be full at the hips but narrow at the ankles, first
popular between 1910 and 1914[1]



Hobbs

Hobbs
Hobbs 
[hobz]

city in southeastern New
Mexico, on the Texas border, northeast of Carlsbad. Population: 27,986 (1996)[1]



hobby

hobby
hob·by
[hóbbee] (plural hob·bies) noun

1.  enjoyable
activity:
an activity engaged in for pleasure and relaxation during spare time

2.  BIRDS small
gray falcon: a small gray falcon with chestnut legs
that breeds in Europe and Asia and winters in Africa. Its speed and deftness
make it popular as a hunting bird. Latin name: Falco subbuteo
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Hobin, a variant of the name Robin .
Originally a nickname for a horse, the word in its main current meaning is a
shortening of hobbyhorse .][1]



hobbyhorse

hobbyhorse
hob·by·horse 
[hóbbi hàwrss] (plural hob·by·horses)
noun

1.  See
rocking horse

2.  toy
horse from a stick: a toy consisting of a long
stick with the shape of a horse’s head at one end

3.  horse
figure used in folk dances: a representation of a horse
that a Morris dancer or mummer wears around the waist so that it appears that
the horse is being ridden

4.  favorite
topic:
a favorite subject about which somebody will talk given the slightest
opportunity

[1]



hobgoblin

hobgoblin
hob·gob·lin 
[hób gòbblin] (plural hob·gob·lins)
noun

1.  See
goblin

2.  something
troubling:
a source of fear or worry
[Hob from hob 2][1]



hobnail

hobnail
hob·nail 
[hób nàyl] (plural hob·nails) noun

nail that protects sole of
boot: a short nail with a broad
head that is used to protect the soles of boots • the
sound of hobnails on stone barracks stairs[1]



hobnob

hobnob
hob·nob 
[hób nòb] (past hob·nobbed, past
participle hob·nobbed, present participle hob·nob·bing,
3rd person present singular hob·nobs) intransitive verb

get
together with somebody informally: to socialize in a
familiar manner with somebody, especially somebody considered to be of a higher
social class (disapproving)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from obsolete hob or nob, literally “have or not
have.” Originally in the meaning “to drink together” (perhaps from the notion
of buying alternate rounds).][1]



hobo

hobo
ho·bo 
[hṓ b] (plural ho·boes) noun

homeless
traveler:
somebody who is poor and homeless, especially somebody who traveled around the
United States looking for work in the 1920s and 1930s by hiding on freight
trains
[Late 19th century. Origin unknown.][1]



Hoboken

Hoboken
Ho·bo·ken 
[hṓbōkən]

city in northeastern New
Jersey, on the Hudson River opposite New York City. Population: 33,397 (1990)[1]



Hobson’schoice

Hobson’schoice
Hob·son’s
choice 
[hòbsənz chóyss] noun

something
or nothing:
a choice between what is offered and nothing at all
[Mid-17th century. Named for
the English liveryman Thomas Hobson (1554–1631), who would let his
customers take only the horse nearest the door.][1]



HoChi Minh

HoChi Minh

Ho
Chi Minh 
[h ch mín] (1890–1969)
Vietnamese
statesman. A founder member of the Communist Party (1918), he led Vietnamese
resistance to French colonial rule (1941–1954) and was prime minister
(1954–1955) and president (1945–1969) of North Vietnam.
Real name
Nguyen Tat Thanh[1]



HoChi Minh City

HoChi Minh City
Ho
Chi Minh Cit·y

the largest city of Vietnam,
located in the south of the country. Population: 4,22,300 (1993) Former name
Saigon[1]



hock

hock1
hock1 [hok]
(plural hocks) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
lower leg joint: the joint in the hind leg of a
four-legged animal such as a horse or cow, corresponding to the human ankle

2.  BIRDS fowl’s
ankle:
the ankle joint in the leg of a fowl

3.  FOOD leg of
meat:
a cut of cured meat, especially ham, taken from the lower joint of the leg
immediately above the foot. It contains a comparatively small amount of meat
but has a good flavor and jelly properties and is often used in stocks and
soups.
[16th century. Shortening of
obsolete hockshin, from Old English hōhsinu, literally
“heel-sinew,” from hōh “heel” (related to English heel ).][1]



hock

hock2
hock2 [hok]
(plural hocks) noun

German
white wine:
German white wine, especially from the Rhineland and strictly from Hochheim in
the Rheingau
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of obsolete English hockamore, an Anglicization of German Hochheimer,
from Hochheim, a German town that is a center of wine production.][1]



hock

hock3
hock3 [hok]
(past hocked, past participle hocked, present
participle hock·ing, 3rd person present singular hocks)
transitive verb

pawn:
to deposit something as security against money borrowed, with the risk of
losing it if the money is not paid back by a certain time (slang)
[Mid-19th
century. From Dutch hok “prison,” hence “debt.”]
in
hock

1.  left
as security against money borrowed (slang) • With
so many things in hock, the shelves were quite bare.

2.  in
debt (informal) • in
hock to finance an expensive car

[1]



hockey

hockey
hock·ey 
[hókee] noun

1.  team
sport played on ice: a game played on ice between
two teams of six players. The aim is to hit a small hard rubber disk into the
opposing goal using the curved end of a long wooden stick.
Also
called
ice hockey

2.  U.K.
See field hockey

3.  See
street hockey
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Hockney,David

Hockney,David
Hock·ney
[hóknee], David (1937– )

British painter. He was
closely associated with the Pop Art movement. His fascination with water
inspired “swimming pool” paintings such as A Bigger Splash ( 1967 ).[1]



hockshop

hockshop
hock·shop 
[hók shòp] (plural hock·shops)
or hock shop [hók shòp] (plural
hock shops) noun

pawnshop:
a pawnshop (slang)[1]



hocus

hocus
ho·cus 
[hṓkəss] (past ho·cused, past
participle ho·cused, present participle ho·cus·ing, 3rd
person present singular ho·cus·es) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  deceive:
to deceive or trick somebody

2.  dope
somebody:
to drug somebody or an animal by deception

3.  add
drug to alcoholic drink: secretly to add a drug to an
alcoholic drink
[Late 17th century.
Shortening of hocus-pocus .][1]



hocus-pocus

hocus-pocus
ho·cus-po·cus 
[hkəss pṓkəss] noun (plural ho·cus-po·cuse·s)

1.  conjurer’s
incantation: a phrase or chant used by a magician or
conjurer during a performance

2.  magic
trick:
a trick performed by a magician or conjurer

3.  trickery:
a hoax or trickery • The negotiations were
ruined by the parties’ hocus-pocus.
Also
called
hokey-pokey

4.  conjurer:
a juggler or magician (dated)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ho·cus-po·cused,
past participle ho·cus-po·cused, present participle ho·cus-po·cus·ing,
3rd person present singular ho·cus-po·cus·es)

deceive: to
deceive or trick somebody • It was
something to see a rookie player hocus-pocus an old pro.
[Formed from pseudo-Latin hax
pax max Deus adimax, used by conjurers to impress audiences. Originally in
the meaning of “conjurer, trickster.”][1]



hod

hod
hod 
[hod] (plural hods) noun

1.  trough
on a pole:
a V-shaped tray on the end of a long pole, usually carried on the shoulder. It
is used to carry bricks, mortar, and other building materials.

2.  See
coal scuttle
[Late 16th century.
Originally a dialect word meaning “pannier, basket,” from Old French hotte,
of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



hodcarrier

hodcarrier
hod
car·ri·er
(plural hod car·ri·ers) noun

laborer:
somebody hired to carry bricks and mortar in a hod[1]



Hodeida

Hodeida
Ho·dei·da 
[hō dáydə]

seaport in western Yemen,
situated on the Red Sea. Population: 292,392 (1986)[1]



hodgepodge

hodgepodge
hodge·podge 
[hój pòj] (plural hodge·podg·es)
noun

jumble:
a mixture of several unrelated things.
Also
called
hodgepodge
[14th century. Variant of hotchpotch .][1]



Hodgkin,Alan

Hodgkin,Alan
Hodg·kin
[hójkin], Alan (1914– )

British
physiologist. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1963) for
his research into the chemical processes of nerve impulses.
Full name
Hodgkin, Alan Lloyd[1]



Hodgkin,Dorothy Mary

Hodgkin,Dorothy Mary
Hodg·kin
[hójkin], Dorothy Mary (1910–1994)

Egyptian-born
British chemist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry (1964) for work
on X rays, molecular science, and penicillin.
Born
Crowfoot, Dorothy Mary[1]



Hodgkins,Frances Mary

Hodgkins,Frances Mary
Hodg·kins
[hójkinz], Frances Mary (1869–1947)

New Zealand painter. Noted
for her watercolor still lifes and landscapes, she spent most of her working
life in Europe.[1]



Hodgkin,Thomas

Hodgkin,Thomas
Hodg·kin
[hójkin], Thomas (1798–1866)

British pathologist. He was
the first person to detect the glandular disease of the lymph tissue later
named Hodgkin’s disease.[1]



Hodgkin’sdisease

Hodgkin’sdisease
Hodg·kin’s
dis·ease 
[hòjkinz di zz] noun

tumor
of lymph nodes: a malignant form of lymphoma marked by
progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes and spleen and sometimes of the
liver
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Thomas Hodgkin .][1]



hoe

hoe
hoe 
[hō] noun (plural hoes)

weeding
tool:
a garden implement used for weeding or turning over soil. It consists of a long
pole with a small flat metal blade set into one end at a right angle to the
pole.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hoed, past
participle hoed, present participle hoe·ing, 3rd
person present singular hoes)

dig
using hoe:
to dig or weed using a hoe
[14th
century. Via Old French houe from assumed Frankish, “to cut,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to cut down,” which is also the ancestor of
English haggle .]
—ho·er, noun[1]



hoecake

hoecake
hoe·cake 
[hṓ kàyk] (plural hoe·cakes) noun

Southern
U.S.
corn
bread:
a bread made with cornmeal, originally baked in a fireplace on the blade of a
hoe
[Hoe because it was
originally baked on the blade of a hoe][1]



hoedown

hoedown
hoe·down 
[hṓ dòwn] (plural hoe·downs) noun
Southern U.S. Canada

1.  country
dance:
a noisy lively dance, especially a square dance, or a party that includes
square dancing

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
music used at or intended for use at a hoedown
[From the idea of stopping
work][1]



Hoe,Richard M.

Hoe,Richard M.
Hoe
[hō], Richard M. (1812–1886)

U.S.
inventor. He revolutionized the daily newspaper industry from 1847 with his new
printing presses.
Full name
Hoe, Richard March[1]



Hofei

Hofei
Ho·fei 
[h fáy]

See
Hefei[1]



Hoffa,Jimmy

Hoffa,Jimmy
Hof·fa
[hóffə], Jimmy (1913–1975?)

U.S.
labor leader. He was president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
(1957–1971) and disappeared in 1975, presumed murdered.
Full name
Hoffa, James Riddle[1]



Hoffman,Dustin

Hoffman,Dustin
Hoff·man
[hóffmən], Dustin (1937– )

U.S.
actor. He starred in The Graduate ( 1967 ), and won Academy Awards for Kramer
vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) and Rain Man ( 1988 ).
Full name
Hoffman, Dustin Lee[1]



HoffmanEstates

HoffmanEstates
Hoff·man
Es·tates
[hòfmən i stáyts]

village in northeastern
Illinois, a residential suburb of Chicago. Population: 48,708 (1996)[1]



Hofmann,Hans

Hofmann,Hans
Hof·mann
[hóffmən], Hans (1880–1966)

German-born U.S. painter. He
opened the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Art in New York. He was a pioneer of
improvisatory abstract painting.[1]



Hofstadter,Robert

Hofstadter,Robert
Hof·stadt·er
[hóf stàttər], Robert (1915–1990)

U.S. physicist. He was joint
winner of the Nobel Prize in physics (1961) for his research into the structure
of atom nuclei.[1]



hog

hog
hog 
[hog] noun (plural hogs)

1.  ZOOLOGY pig:
a full-grown domestic pig, especially a castrated male pig

2.  member
of the pig family: any of various mammals of
the pig family, including both domesticated and wild species, for example, the
wild boar. Family: Suidae

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s appetite, consideration
for others, tidiness, or cleanliness (informal offensive)

4.  hog
or hogg (plural hoggs) Australia, New Zealand,
U.K. young
sheep:
a young sheep that is older than a lamb and that has not yet been sheared (regional)

Also
called
hogget

5.  NAUTICAL ship’s
broom:
a broom used to clean the bottom of a ship while it is in the water

6.  large
motorcycle:
a large powerful motorcycle or any large car or truck that consumes a large
amount of gas (slang)
verb
(past hogged, past participle hogged, present
participle hog·ging, 3rd person present singular hogs)

1.  transitive
verb
take
an excess of something: to take more of something or
keep something for longer than is fair or polite (informal) • He’s
been hogging the fast lane for the past two miles.

2.  transitive
verb
arch
the back:
to arch the back upward

3.  transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN trim
a horse’s mane: to trim the mane of a horse very short,
causing it to stand up like the bristles of a hog’s back

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL warp:
to cause the keel or plank of a ship to curve upward in the middle, or curve in
this way

5.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL scrub
with a broom: to clean a ship’s bottom with a broom
while the ship is in the water
[Pre-12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Celtic . The word probably
originally applied in English to the age of a pig or sheep.]
—hog·like,
adjective
go
the whole hog

or
go whole hogto do something wholeheartedly or completely and without
restraint (slang)

live
high off or on the hog

to have a luxurious standard
of living (slang)[1]



hogan

hogan
ho·gan 
[hṓgən] (plural ho·gans) noun

Navajo
house:
a traditional Navajo dwelling made of logs and mud, with a roof of earth
[Late 19th century. From
Navajo .][1]



Hogan,Ben

Hogan,Ben
Ho·gan 
[hṓgən], Ben (1912–1997)

U.S.
golfer. He won over 60 major golfing tournaments including four U.S. Open
championships (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953).
Full name
Hogan, William Benjamin[1]



Hogan,Paul

Hogan,Paul
Ho·gan 
[hṓgən], Paul (1940– )

Australian actor. Originally
a television performer, he starred in the movie Crocodile Dundee ( 1986
) and cowrote and produced Crocodile Dundee II ( 1988 ).[1]



hogback

hogback
hog·back 
[hóg bàk] (plural hog·backs) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY low
narrow ridge: a steep and narrow low ridge produced by
the erosion of the softer surrounding rock strata.
Also
called
hog’s back

2.  arched
back:
an arched back, similar to a hog’s back (slang)

[1]



hogbadger

hogbadger
hog
badg·er
(plural hog badg·ers) noun

nocturnal
badger of SE Asia: a nocturnal badger native to
Southeast Asia that has an elongated snout with which it roots for insects and
grubs. Latin name: Arctonyx collaris
[Hog from its cloven hooves][1]



hogcholera

hogcholera
hog
chol·er·a
noun

viral disease of hogs:
a very infectious often fatal viral disease of hogs marked by fever, weakness,
lesions, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
U.K. term
swine fever[1]



hogfish

hogfish
hog·fish 
[hóg fìsh] (plural hog·fish or
hog·fish·es) noun

1.  fish
of coral reefs: a fish in the wrasse family found on
tropical coral reefs and often brightly colored, especially one with the first
three spines of its dorsal fin thickened and elongated. Latin name: Lachnolaimus
maximus

2.  See
pigfish
[Hog from the grunting sound
it makes][1]



hogg

hogg
hogg 
noun

Australia, New Zealand,
U.K. (regional) See hog  noun
4[1]



hogget

hogget
hog·get
[hóggit] (plural hog·gets) noun

Australia, New Zealand,
U.K., U.S. (regional) See hog
 noun 4[1]



hoggish

hoggish
hog·gish 
[hóggish] adjective

1.  greedy
or slovenly: greedy, selfish, or slovenly

2.  filthy:
filthy dirty
—hog·gish·ly,
adverb

—hog·gish·ness, noun[1]



hogheaven

hogheaven
hog
heav·en
noun

blissful state:
a state of complete contentment or satiation (slang)[1]



Hogmanay

Hogmanay
Hog·ma·nay 
[hógmə này, hògmə
náy] or hog·ma·nay [hógmə này,
hògmə náy] noun

Scotland
Scottish
New Year’s Eve: New Year’s Eve as celebrated in Scotland
and in parts of northern England
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Norman dialect hoguinané, said when exchanging
New Year’s gifts, from Old French aguillanneuf, a contraction of accueillis
l’an neuf “welcome the new year.”][1]



hognosedskunk

hognosedskunk
hog·nosed
skunk
[hòg nōzd skúngk] (plural hog·nosed
skunks) noun

large skunk:
a large skunk of Central and South America that has a broad white stripe down
its back and a snout resembling a hog’s with which it roots for insects and
grubs. Latin name: Conepatus mesoleucas[1]



hognosesnake

hognosesnake
hog·nose
snake 
[hòg nōz snáyk] (plural hog·nose
snakes) or hog·nosed snake [hòg
nōzd snáyk] (plural hog·nosed snakes) noun

nonvenomous
N American snake: a nonvenomous North American snake with
a stout body and an upturned snout resembling a hog’s that is used for
burrowing. Genus: Heterodon
Also
called
puff adder
[Hognose from its upturned
snout][1]



hognut

hognut
hog·nut
[hóg nut] (plural hog·nuts) noun

See
pignut[1]



hogpeanut

hogpeanut
hog
pea·nut
(plural hog pea·nuts) noun

N American vine:
a North American vine of the legume family that has clusters of white or
pinkish flowers and edible, fleshy, single-seeded pods that ripen on or beneath
the ground. Latin name: Amphicarpaea bracteata[1]



hogshead

hogshead
hogs·head 
[hógz hèd] (plural hogs·heads)
noun

1.  liquid
measure:
a unit of capacity for liquids or dry goods, used especially for alcohol,
having various values but typically 63 U.S. gallons or 54 British imperial
gallons

2.  large
cask:
a large cask or barrel, especially one having a capacity of one hogshead
[14th century. Literally
“head of a hog” (the reason for the name is unknown).][1]



hog-tie

hog-tie
hog-tie
transitive verb

1.  truss:
to tie the legs of an animal or the feet and hands of a person together

2.  impede:
to hamper somebody in his or her actions, or impede the progress of something (informal)
• Without
that evidence, I’m hog-tied.

[1]



hogwash

hogwash
hog·wash 
[hóg wòsh] noun

1.  nonsense:
worthless stuff or nonsense (informal) • What
a pile of hogwash!

2.  pigswill:
leftovers of food that are given to hogs to eat

[1]



hogweed

hogweed
hog·weed 
[hóg wd] (plural hog·weeds) noun

coarse weed:
any of several coarse weeds such as sow thistle and knotweed[1]



hog-wild

hog-wild
hog-wild
adjective

wildly excited:
excited or enthusiastic to the point of losing any inhibitions (slang) • That
man’s gone hog-wild ever since he inherited some money.[1]



hog’sback

hog’sback
hog’s
back
[hògz bák] (plural hog’s backs)
noun

See
hogback[1]



Hohhot

Hohhot
Hoh·hot 
[h hṓt]

capital city of Inner
Mongolia, an autonomous region in northeastern China. Population: 652,534
(1990)[1]



hohum

hohum
ho
hum 
[h húm] interjection

oh
well:
used to express boredom, disappointment, or resignation (informal)
[Thought to suggest a yawn][1]



ho-hum

ho-hum
ho-hum 
adjective

1.  dull:
boring or lacking in originality (informal) • All
in all it was a pretty ho-hum affair.

2.  indifferent:
indifferent or lacking enthusiasm (slang) • He
had a very ho-hum attitude toward my project.

[1]



hoick

hoick
hoick
[hoyk] (past hoicked, past
participle hoicked, present participle hoick·ing, 3rd
person present singular hoicks) intransitive and transitive verb

yank:
to pull or lift something or somebody violently or suddenly (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of hike “to
pull up.”][1]



hoicks

hoicks
hoicks 
[hoyks] noun

call
to move faster: a shout in hunting, used to urge hounds
to move along faster
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hoipolloi

hoipolloi
hoi
pol·loi 
[hòy pə lóy] noun

the
masses:
ordinary people as opposed to the wealthy, well-educated, and cultivated elite
[From Greek, literally “the
many”][1]



hoisinsauce

hoisinsauce
hoi·sin
sauce 
[hoy sín sàwss, hóyssin
sàwss] noun

sweet
and sour Chinese sauce: a dark sweet and spicy sauce
of thick consistency made from fermented soy beans and used to flavor Chinese
dishes and as a condiment
[Hoisin from Chinese (Cantonese),
literally “delicacy of the sea”][1]



hoist

hoist
hoist 
[hoyst] transitive verb (past hoist·ed,
past participle hoist·ed, present participle hoist·ing,
3rd person present singular hoists)

lift up: to
raise or lift somebody or something up, especially using a mechanical device
such as a winch
noun
(plural hoists)

1.  device
for lifting: a mechanical device or apparatus such as
a winch or elevator designed for lifting people or heavy objects

2.  lifting
up:
an act of hoisting somebody or something

3.  SHIPPING signal:
a message or signal conveyed from ship to ship by flags hoisted up the mast

4.  measure
of a sail:
the height of a sail or flag
[16th
century. Alteration of hoise, itself an alteration of obsolete heise,
of uncertain origin: probably from Dutch hijsen or Low German hissen
“to raise.”]
—hoist·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at raise

[1]



hoity-toity

hoity-toity
hoi·ty-toi·ty 
[hòyti tóytee] adjective

1.  self-important:
arrogant and self-important (informal disapproving)

2.  frivolous:
silly, giddy, or frivolous • We
were confronted by giggling, hoity-toity nonsense.
[Alteration and repetition of
obsolete hoit “to romp,” of uncertain origin. Originally in the meaning
of “flighty behavior.”][1]



Hokan

Hokan
Ho·kan 
[hṓkən] noun

group
of Native American languages: a group of Native American
languages of the southwestern United States, including Chumash, Yuman, and
other languages and linguistic groups
[Early
20th century. Formed from Hokan hok “two.”]
—Ho·kan, adjective[1]



hoke

hoke
hoke 
[hōk] (past hoked, past
participle hoked, present participle hok·ing, 3rd
person present singular hokes) transitive verb

make
more dramatic: to introduce highly melodramatic or
broadly comic elements into a story, play, or speech, in order to captivate an
audience
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from hokum .][1]



hokey

hokey
hok·ey 
[hṓkee] (comparative hok·i·er,
superlative hok·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  contrived:
obviously contrived or clearly not genuine

2.  corny:
corny, sentimental, or melodramatic
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from hoke or hokum .]
—hok·ey·ness,
noun

—hok·i·ly, adverb[1]



hokeycokey

hokeycokey
hok·ey
cok·ey
[hki kṓkee] noun

U.K.
See hokey-pokey  noun 1
[Origin uncertain: perhaps by
repetition and alteration from hokey][1]



hokey-pokey

hokey-pokey
hok·ey-poke·y
[hki pṓkee] (plural hok·ey-po·keys)
noun

1.  See
hocus-pocus  noun 3

2.  children’s
dance:
a dance done especially by children in which a circle of people sing out the
instructions for movements that they perform at the same time.
U.K.
term
hokey cokey
[In the sense of “trickery,”
an alteration of hocus-pocus ; other sense
of unknown origin][1]



Hokkaido

Hokkaido
Hok·kai·do 
[ho kdō]

the second largest island of
Japan, situated north of the main island of Honshu. Population: 5,643,647
(1990) Area: 83,520 sq km/32,247 sq mi.[1]



hokku

hokku
hok·ku 
[hṓkoo] (plural hok·ku) noun

See
haiku
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, “opening verse (of a sequence of comic verses).”][1]



hokum

hokum
ho·kum 
[hṓkəm] noun

1.  bunk:
something that on the surface appears to be true or credible but is in fact
meaningless or untrue (informal disapproving) • a
load of hokum

2.  unnecessary
theatrics:
highly melodramatic or broadly comedic elements introduced into a story, play,
or speech, in order to captivate an audience
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of hocus-pocus
and bunkum .][1]



Hokusai

Hokusai
Ho·ku·sai 
[hk s] (1760–1849)

Japanese
painter and book illustrator. The finest Japanese printmaker of his time, he
was the leading member of the “Ukiyo-e” school. His best known work is Views
of Mount Fuji ( 1835 ).
Full name
Hokusai, Katsushika[1]



hol-

hol-
hol-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
holo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








holandric

holandric
ho·lan·dric 
[hō lándrik, ho
lándrik] adjective

inherited
between males: used to describe genetic traits carried
on the Y chromosome and therefore carried and inherited only by males
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from holo- + andro-
+ -ic .][1]



Holarctic

Holarctic
Hol·arc·tic 
[hō lrktik, hō
lrtik, ho lrktik, ho lrtik] adjective

of N America and Eurasia:
found in the regions of North America and Eurasia combined, which share many
faunal characteristics[1]



hold

hold2
hold2 [hōld]
(plural holds) noun

ship’s
or plane’s cargo space: the area below the deck of a
ship or the area inside an aircraft in which cargo is carried
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of hole, influenced by hold 1 .][1]



hold

hold1
hold1 [hōld]
verb (past held [held],
past participle held, present participle hold·ing, 3rd
person present singular holds)

1.  transitive
verb
grasp
something:
to take something firmly and retain it in the hand or arms

2.  transitive
verb
lift
and keep in position: to carry, lift, or support
temporarily an object or part of the body in a particular position • Hold
the rope a bit higher.

3.  transitive
verb
fix:
to keep something fixed in a particular position • The
picture is held in place by two large hooks.

4.  transitive
verb
embrace:
to bring or have somebody within an embrace or supported by the arms

5.  transitive
verb
contain:
to be the place where something is or can be kept • a
basket to hold all your sewing equipment

6.  transitive
verb
keep
in custody:
to keep somebody in a particular place or condition, especially in custody

7.  transitive
verb
delay:
to cause delay to somebody • What
held you so long?

8.  transitive
verb
retain:
to retain or reserve something for later use or collection by somebody else • Ask
if they can hold the tickets for us at the box office.

9.  transitive
verb
refrain:
to refrain from doing or saying something • The
captain told his soldiers to hold their fire.

10. transitive
verb
stop
leaving:
to stop something leaving or happening at the appointed time, usually for a
particular purpose • The conductor held the
train so that we could board.

11. transitive
verb
MILITARY keep
by force:
to keep possession of something by force, especially while under attack • The
insurgents held the town for some time before retreating.

12. transitive
verb
have
certain capacity: to contain or be able to contain a
particular number or amount • This
cup holds eight ounces.

13. transitive
verb
be
able to consume: to consume something, especially
alcohol, without ill effect

14. transitive
verb
arrange:
to arrange, take part in, or observe an activity or event • They
hold a party every Friday night.

15. transitive
verb
possess:
to have the right to something as a possession or achievement • The
author holds the copyright to this book.

16. transitive
verb
have
particular position: to fulfill the duties of a
particular title, office, or position • She
has held the position of vice president since 1994.

17. intransitive
and transitive verb keep
promise:
to keep a promise, or make sure that somebody keeps a promise or is true to a
stated intention • The prosecutor held to
his promise to bring them to justice.

18. transitive
verb
believe
or feel:
to have a particular belief, opinion, or feeling • As
Jefferson expressed it in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these
truths to be self-evident.”

19. transitive
verb
regard:
to regard somebody or something in a particular way • She
holds her professor in very high esteem.

20. transitive
verb
have
a particular bearing: to keep or carry the body or
a part of it in a particular attitude or position • The
old general holds himself stiffly.

21. transitive
verb
engross:
to engage or captivate somebody or somebody’s attention • She
held their attention with the dramatic tale of her rescue.

22. transitive
verb
keep
somebody going: to be enough to satisfy or sustain
somebody • Such
a huge breakfast will hold us all day.

23. transitive
verb
LAW decide
legally:
to decide or lay down something legally or authoritatively • The
appeals court held that the lower court acted properly.

24. transitive
verb
LAW bail:
to bind somebody to or in bail • The
court will hold the prisoner for $50,000.

25. transitive
verb
MUSIC sustain:
to keep singing or playing a note or a chord without stopping • The
trumpeter held the note for at least a full minute.

26. intransitive
verb
persist:
to continue in a particular state or course • I
can’t believe this run of bad luck will hold. • The
snow still holds on the mountains.

27. intransitive
verb
remain
firm:
to remain fast or firm and not break or give way • The
levee held throughout the flooding. • I
don’t think the rope is going to hold for much longer.

28. intransitive
verb
stand
firm:
to maintain a position against attack or opposition • Their
defensive line held, despite heavy losses.

29. intransitive
verb
remain
valid:
to remain in force or continue to be valid • Many
old sayings still hold true.

30. intransitive
verb
stay
fine:
continue to be fine and, for example, not rain, snow, or become cold (refers
to the weather) • We’re
going to a picnic on Saturday so I hope the weather holds.

31. transitive
verb
lease
property:
to maintain the right to use property by some kind of tenure, for example, a
lease or easement • They held the farm
under a very long lease.

32. intransitive
and transitive verb COMMUNICATION wait on telephone:
to wait during a telephone call and not break the connection, usually so that
the person being called can speak to somebody else or transfer the call • Hold,
please, while I try to connect you? • Hold
the line please.
noun
(plural holds)

1.  grasp
on something: the act or position of grasping or
keeping possession of something • a firm
hold on the child’s arm • no
hold on reality

2.  WRESTLING wrestling
technique:
a position or manner of grasping an opponent in wrestling

3.  something
giving support: something that may be grasped or used as
a support • There
were few holds on the sheer rock face.

4.  something
that restrains: a structure or receptacle used for
keeping something in check, for example, a lock on a canal

5.  control
over somebody: a controlling power or influence • a
firm hold on the public’s imagination

6.  delaying
something:
an act of delaying or restraining something, or an order to effect this • Because
of excessive traffic, there was a hold put on the plane’s takeoff.
• Put
a hold on their dinner order.

7.  MUSIC music
notation:
a symbol appearing above or below a note or rest, signaling that it can be
prolonged beyond its prescribed time

8.  prison:
a prison cell or place of confinement

9.  stronghold:
a fortified place in a castle or other structure (dated)
[Old
English haldan, healdan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“to guard, watch,” which is also the ancestor of English behold and halt]
get
hold of somebody or something

to
succeed in finding somebody or obtaining something

hold
good

to
apply, or be true or valid

hold
it

used
to tell somebody to stop or wait

hold
something against somebody

to
resent something that somebody has done and to bear a grudge because of it

on
hold

1.  COMMUNICATION waiting to be
connected or reconnected to somebody during a telephone call

2.  into
or in a state of suspension or postponement

no
holds barred

with
no restrictions on what is allowed or included

[1]



holdall

holdall
hold·all 
[hṓld àwl] (plural hold·alls) noun

1.  See
carryall

2.  medley:
a group of various unrelated objects or ideas • The
essay was a disorganized holdall of the writer’s frustrations.

[1]



holdback

holdback
hold
back
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb restrain:
to keep back or restrain somebody from doing something • His
shyness holds him back from making friends.

2.  transitive
verb
keep
back:
to withhold something or retain something within your own control • accused
of holding back vital information • holding
back tears

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hinder

[1]



holdback

holdback
hold·back 
[hṓld bàk] (plural hold·backs)
noun

1.  something
that hinders: something that prevents somebody from
doing or achieving something or that prevents an event or plan from going ahead

2.  device
on a wagon or carriage: a device on the shaft of a
wagon or carriage that attaches to the horse’s harness, allowing the horse to
hold back or back up the vehicle

3.  something
held back:
something withheld, usually wages or money

[1]



holdbutton

holdbutton
hold
but·ton
(plural hold but·tons) noun

phone button for putting on
hold: a button on a telephone that
allows somebody to put a caller on hold[1]



hold-down

hold-down
hold-down
(plural hold-downs) noun

restraint on wages or prices:
a restraint or limitation of price increases or pay raises[1]



holddown

holddown
hold
down
transitive verb

keep a job:
to do enough in a job or position to keep it (informal) • She
is holding down two jobs.[1]



Holden,William

Holden,William
Hol·den 
[hṓld’n], William (1918–1981)

U.S. actor. He was a popular
clean-cut hero in many 1940s and 1950s Hollywood movies such as Sunset
Boulevard ( 1950 ) and Bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ).[1]



holder

holder
hold·er 
[hṓldər] (plural hold·ers) noun

1.  container:
something designed to hold another thing (often used in combination) • a
candle holder • pot
holders

2.  owner:
somebody who owns, occupies, or is in possession of something, for example,
property or a title • the
current holder of the world title

3.  FINANCE somebody
with a promise of payment: somebody in possession of
and legally entitled to receive payment on or negotiate a note, bill, or check

[1]



holdfast

holdfast
hold·fast 
[hṓld fàst] (plural hold·fasts)
noun

1.  clamp:
a device such as a clamp or grip designed to hold something securely

2.  BOTANY plant’s
means of attaching itself: an organ at the base of a
seaweed, aquatic plant, or fungus that attaches the organism to a surface.
Also
called
hapteron

3.  firm
grasp:
the action or fact of holding something fast or firmly

[1]



holdforth

holdforth
hold
forth
intransitive verb

lecture about something:
to speak at length and sometimes tediously on a particular subject (formal)
• holding
forth for hours about their flashy new car[1]



holdin

holdin
hold
in
transitive verb

1.  keep
in check:
to keep back or in check • It was
nearly impossible to hold in the hounds until the hunt began.

2.  restrain
emotions:
to suppress something such as an emotion or feeling • They
held in their emotions throughout the crisis.

[1]



holding

holding
hold·ing 
[hṓlding] (plural hold·ings) noun

1.  leased
land:
a piece of land that is leased from somebody else, especially when used for
agricultural purposes

2.  property:
legally owned property of any kind, but especially stocks or bonds (often used
in the plural)

3.  SPORTS illegal
use of the arms: use of the arms to hold or obstruct an
opponent when such use is not allowed in the rules of a game, for example, in
basketball or football

4.  PSYCHOLOGY sense
of security: the ability of a therapist or parent to
make a client or child feel contained and secure during times of growth or
change

[1]



holdingcompany

holdingcompany
hold·ing
com·pa·ny
noun

controlling company:
a company that has a controlling interest in one or more other companies
through ownership of stocks or bonds[1]



holdingoperation

holdingoperation
hold·ing
op·er·a·tion (plural hold·ing op·er·a·tions)
noun

effort to maintain status
quo: a procedure or operation
designed to maintain the present situation as it is[1]



holdingpattern

holdingpattern
hold·ing
pat·tern
(plural hold·ing pat·terns) noun

1.  AIR waiting
path of plane: a usually circular course taken by an
aircraft while awaiting permission to land

2.  limbo:
a state of suspended action or progress • He’s
in a holding pattern until he knows whether he’s been given the scholarship.

[1]



holdoff

holdoff
hold
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb refrain:
to refrain from doing something • We
decided to hold off until after the election. • It
might be wise to hold off making any decisions until after the results come
out.

2.  transitive
verb
resist:
to keep somebody or something away, or prevent somebody from approaching too
close • A
handful of soldiers held off several enemy attacks.

3.  intransitive
verb
not
happen:
to not produce bad weather conditions after threatening to do so • The
rain held off, and the barbecue went ahead as planned.

[1]



holdon

holdon
hold
on
intransitive verb

1.  wait:
to wait, especially for a short while • Hold
on, and let’s see if we can figure out this problem.

2.  persist:
to continue on a course of action or direction, or maintain something such as a
set of principles or a particular state of mind • He
held on until he knew all was lost. • The
scientist held on to her theory and finally proved it correct.

[1]



holdout

holdout
hold
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
extend:
to stretch out or extend a part of the body, or offer something to somebody in
doing this • She
held out her hand.

2.  intransitive
verb
last:
to keep up or continue to be in supply • The
water supply will hold out only until tomorrow night.

3.  intransitive
verb
endure:
to continue to resist and not give in to something • We
managed to hold out for three days against the enemy.

4.  intransitive
verb
withhold:
to keep back something such as information which is wanted, expected, or needed
• It
was pretty clear that she was holding out on the interviewer.

5.  intransitive
verb
resist:
to refuse to settle something or accept something until all demands or
conditions are met • holding out for a 6
percent pay raise

[1]



holdout

holdout
hold·out 
[hṓld òwt] (plural hold·outs) noun

1.  refusal
to agree:
a refusal to agree or compromise in order to obtain better terms in any kind of
settlement • The
holdout lasted three weeks.

2.  somebody
who holds out: an individual or group that refuses to
submit to or comply with a situation, trend, or order • a
small group of holdouts who refuse to leave the building

[1]



holdover

holdover
hold·o·ver 
[hṓld vər] (plural hold·o·vers)
noun

1.  retained
official:
somebody who continues to hold an office after its term has expired • The
Attorney General is a holdover from the last administration.

2.  EDUCATION repeating
student:
a student who repeats a course or grade • Five
of my students are inattentive holdovers.

3.  TREES lone
tree:
a tree left standing after others surrounding it have been felled • The
trees that dot the meadow are holdovers from a stand of maples.

4.  ARTS something
or somebody given extended run: a performer or a
presentation such as a play or series of concerts that continues beyond the
term originally agreed

[1]



holdover

holdover
hold
over
verb

1.  transitive
verb
defer:
to postpone action on or consideration of something until a later date

2.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC hold
note to next bar: to hold a note from one bar of music to
the next

3.  transitive
verb
not
let somebody forget something: to blackmail somebody
with information, or not let somebody forget something embarrassing or shameful
in order to have power over him or her (informal) • You’re
not going to keep holding that over me, are you?

[1]



holdtogether

holdtogether
hold
together
intransitive and transitive verb

keep united:
to remain united, or cause a group of people to remain united, often despite
problems or disagreements • He
held the family together single-handed.
• It was
nothing more than a desire to earn money that held them together.[1]



holdup

holdup
hold
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
cause
delay:
to cause somebody or something to be late or take longer than intended • Minor
disagreements hold up any negotiation. • I
was held up in traffic.

2.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY rob:
to rob a person or place using violence or threats, usually at gunpoint

3.  transitive
verb
present:
to show or display somebody or something for a specific reason • The
firefighter was held up as a good example of bravery.

4.  intransitive
verb
endure:
to continue to function or survive • How’s
the bike holding up? • You’ve
been holding up well under the strain.

5.  intransitive
verb
remain
same:
to remain or be maintained at a particular level or in a particular state • Prices
have not held up well in this recession.

6.  intransitive
verb
stand
up to scrutiny: to remain persuasive or convincing even
after closer examination • I
don’t think these ideas will hold up.

7.  intransitive
verb
BRIDGE not
play high card: to delay playing a high card in order to
prevent a suit from being established

[1]



holdup

holdup
hold·up 
[hṓld ùp] (plural hold·ups) noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY robbery:
an act of robbing a person or place using violence or threats, usually at
gunpoint

2.  delay:
an act of causing somebody or something to be late or take longer than planned
• Travel
was slowed by holdups on the interstate.

3.  BRIDGE withholding
of card:
the holding back of a card rather than playing it to take a trick early in the
play of a hand

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at theft

[1]



holdwith

holdwith
hold
with
transitive verb

agree with something:
to approve or agree with something • She
doesn’t hold with that kind of thinking.[1]



hole

hole
hole 
[hōl] noun (plural holes)

1.  cavity:
a hollow space in a solid object or area • The
hole had filled with water.

2.  aperture:
a gap or opening in or through something • a
hole in my socks

3.  burrow:
a hollowed-out area in the ground where an animal such as a rabbit or mouse
lives • a
rabbit hole

4.  unpleasant
place to be: a dark or dirty place, especially a
place where somebody lives (informal)

5.  flaw:
a fault or flaw in something such as logic, an argument, or a position • But
there are so many holes in her theory.

6.  awkward
situation:
an awkward or embarrassing situation (informal)

7.  prisoner’s
cell:
a prison cell or dungeon, or solitary confinement (informal)

8.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING mobile
space in semiconductor: a space normally occupied by
an electron in the lattice structure of a semiconductor material that is mobile
and can act as a carrier of a positive charge

9.  GOLF target
in golf:
a small round cavity or cup on a golf course into which the ball is hit

10. GOLF area
of golf course: a part of a golf course that consists of
a tee, a fairway, and a green with a hole and is a basic element in scoring. A
golf course usually has 18 holes.

11. GEOGRAPHY cove:
a small bay or harbor on the coast
verb
(past holed, past participle holed, present
participle hol·ing, 3rd person present singular holes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb perforate:
to make a hole or holes in something • This
new device holes a ream of paper perfectly.

2.  transitive
verb
GOLF put in
a hole:
to hit or drive a ball into one of the holes of a golf course

3.  intransitive
verb
go
into a hole: to go or climb into a hole
[Old
English hol “hollow,” ultimately of uncertain origin: probably from an
Indo-European word meaning “to hide” (ancestor of English conceal )]
make
a hole in something

to
use up a large part of something (slang) • The
monthly rent makes a considerable hole in my salary.

pick
holes in something

to find fault with something,
often over minor imperfections[1]



holein one

holein one
hole
in one
(plural holes in one) noun

golf shot:
a shot in golf that enters the hole directly from the tee[1]



hole-in-the-wall

hole-in-the-wall
hole-in-the-wall
(plural holes-in-the-wall) noun

modest establishment:
a small unpretentious out-of-the-way place such as a little restaurant or other
business (informal) • It’s
only a little hole-in-the-wall, but they serve great food.[1]



holeout

holeout
hole
out
intransitive verb

hole a golf ball:
to hit a golf ball into a hole[1]



holeup

holeup
hole
up
intransitive verb

1.  hide
away:
to hide away somewhere (slang)

2.  shelter:
to go into a hole, cave, or other similar place to shelter or hibernate

[1]



holey

holey
hol·ey 
[hṓlee] adjective

full of holes:
having or full of holes[1]



Holi

Holi
Hol·i
[hṓlee] noun

Hindu
spring festival: the Hindu festival of spring that honors
the time when Krishna paid amorous attention to young women tending cows. As
part of the celebrations people spray colored water over each other.
[Late 17th century. From
Hindi holī .][1]



holiday

holiday
hol·i·day 
[hóllidày] noun (plural hol·i·days)

1.  day
of leisure:
a day taken off or set aside for leisure and enjoyment, when somebody is exempt
from work or normal activity

2.  U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand See vacation

3.  legal
day off:
a day set aside by law or statute as exempt from regular labor or business
activities, usually to celebrate or commemorate something that happened on or
near that date. In the United States, public holidays include Memorial Day and
Labor Day.

4.  holy
day:
the day or days of a religious festival
intransitive
verb
(past hol·i·dayed, past participle hol·i·dayed, present
participle hol·i·day·ing, 3rd person present singular hol·i·days)

U.K. See
vacation  verb
[Old English hāligdæg,
literally “holy day,” a day set aside as a religious festival, and hence when
no work was done][1]



Holiday,Billie

Holiday,Billie

Hol·i·day 
[hóllə dày], Billie (1915–1959)
U.S.
jazz singer. Known for her emotionally charged renditions of popular songs, she
collaborated with Count Basie and Artie Shaw. Her autobiography Lady Sings
the Blues ( 1956 ) was later made into a movie.
Real name
Holiday, Eleanora Fagan McKay Known as Lady
Day[1]



holidaymaker

holidaymaker
hol·i·day·mak·er 
[hólliday màykər] (plural hol·i·day·mak·ers)
noun

U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand See vacationer[1]



holier-than-thou

holier-than-thou
ho·li·er-than-thou 
adjective

self-righteous:
aggressively or offensively pompous or self-righteous (informal) • Her
holier-than-thou attitude puts people off.
noun
(plural ho·li·er-than-thous)

self-righteous person or
organization: an aggressively or
offensively pompous or self-righteous person or organization (informal)
• The
chairman is regarded as one of the bigger holier-than-thous.[1]



Holiness

Holiness
Ho·li·ness
[hṓleenəss] noun

the Pope:
a title used in addressing or referring to the Pope[1]



holiness

holiness
ho·li·ness 
[hṓlinəss] noun

holy state:
the state or quality of being holy[1]



holism

holism
ho·lism 
[hṓ lìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY philosophical
theory:
the view that a whole system of beliefs must be analyzed rather than simply its
individual components

2.  MEDICINE theory
of health:
the theory of the importance of taking all of somebody’s physical, mental, and
social conditions, not just physical symptoms, into account in the treatment of
illness
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek holos “whole” + -ism
.]
—ho·list, noun[1]



holistic

holistic
ho·lis·tic 
[hō lístik] adjective

relating
to a whole:
including or involving all of something, especially all of somebody’s physical,
mental, and social conditions, not just physical symptoms, in the treatment of
illness
—ho·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Holland

Holland
Hol·land 
[hóllənd]

See
Netherlands[1]



holland

holland
hol·land 
[hóllənd] noun

linen
cloth:
a type of strong smooth linen fabric used especially for upholstery
[14th century. Named for Holland, where it was originally produced.][1]



hollandaisesauce

hollandaisesauce
hol·lan·daise
sauce 
[hóllən dàyz sàwss] (plural hol·lan·daises
sauc·es) or hol·lan·daise [hóllən
dàyz sàwss] (plural hol·lan·dais·es) noun

rich
butter sauce: a rich creamy piquant sauce made from
butter, egg yolks, and vinegar or lemon juice. It is served with many different
foods.
[Hollandaise from French, the
feminine of Hollandais “Dutch”][1]



Hollander

Hollander
Hol·lan·der
[hólləndər] (plural Hol·lan·ders)
noun

Dutch person:
somebody born, raised, or living in the Netherlands (dated)[1]



Hollands

Hollands
Hol·lands
[hólləndz] noun

Dutch
gin:
genever, or Dutch gin (archaic)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from obsolete Dutch Hollandsch genever “Dutch gin.”][1]



holler

holler2
hol·ler2 [hóllər]
(plural hol·lers) noun

valley
or hollow:
small valley or hollow (regional)
[Variant of hollow][1]



holler

holler1
hol·ler1 [hóllər]
intransitive and transitive verb (past hol·lered, past
participle hol·lered, present participle hol·ler·ing, 3rd
person present singular hol·lers)

yell: to
call out or shout something (informal) • If
you need me, just holler!
noun
(plural hol·lers) (informal)

1.  loud
cry:
a loud cry or shout

2.  work
song:
a type of work song originally sung by enslaved and laboring black American
people
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from both Old French halloer “to pursue
with shouting,” an imitation of the sound, and French holà “stop!”, from
ho “ho” + là “there.”][1]



Holliday,Judy

Holliday,Judy
Hol·li·day
[hóllə dày], Judy (1922–1965)

U.S. actor. She is known for
her roles in the stage and screen versions of Born Yesterday ( 1946,
1950 ) and Bells are Ringing ( 1956, 1960 ).[1]



Hollins

Hollins
Hol·lins
[hóllinz]

unincorporated settlement in
Roanoke County, central Virginia, situated just north of the city of Roanoke[1]



Holliston

Holliston
Hol·lis·ton
[hóllistən]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, south of Framingham and southwest of Boston. Population: 13,381
(1996)[1]



hollow

hollow
hol·low 
[hóllō] adjective (comparative
hol·low·er, superlative hol·low·est)

1.  not
solid:
having empty space inside • The
tree trunk was hollow inside.

2.  concave:
sunk deep into the surface of something

3.  not
full-toned:
resonating or echoing as if in an empty space • It
gave a huge, hollow, booming sound.

4.  insincere:
not sincere, genuine, or significant • He
gave a hollow laugh.

5.  hungry:
having the feeling of an empty stomach
noun
(plural hol·lows)

1.  cavity:
a hollow or concave place or area, as in a tree trunk or somebody’s back • The
child held the chick in the hollow of his hand.

2.  valley:
a sunken or low-lying area of the earth’s surface
verb
(past hol·lowed, past participle hol·lowed, present
participle hol·low·ing, 3rd person present singular hol·lows)

1.  transitive
verb
make
a cavity in something: to form something by
removing contents to leave a concave area or cavity

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become hollowed: to make something hollow or
become hollow • hollow out a pumpkin
• eyes
hollowed from lack of sleep
adverb

hollowly: in a
hollow way • Their
voices rang hollow in the emptied streets.
[Old
English holh “hollow place, hole, cave,” of uncertain origin: probably
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English hole]
—hol·low·ly,
adverb

—hol·low·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at vain









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Hollow Men, a poem by U.S.-born British writer T. S. Eliot ( 1925 ). One of
  Eliot’s most pessimistic works, it depicts a barren, ghostly land peopled by
  soulless beings. Its imagery and concern with the sterility of modern
  civilization link it to “The Waste Land,” but in “The Hollow Men” the
  message, conveyed in short lines and repetitive phrases, is more direct and
  bereft of any hope of redemption. The oft-quoted words “This is the way the
  world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper” come from this poem.

[1]



hollowware

hollowware
hol·low·ware 
[hóllō wàir] noun

hollow tableware:
articles of tableware and kitchenware such as pots, bowls, cups, vases, and
pitchers that are hollow, as opposed to items such as plates and saucers[1]



holly

holly

hol·ly 
[hóllee] (plural hol·lies) noun

1.  evergreen
shrub with red berries: an evergreen tree or shrub
with glossy, prickly leaves and bright red berries. Genus: Ilex

2.  decorative
foliage:
the leaves and berries of holly used especially as a Christmas decoration
[12th century. Shortening of
Old English hole(g)n, from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



Holly,Buddy

Holly,Buddy
Hol·ly 
[hóllee], Buddy (1938–1959)

U.S.
musician. His band, the Crickets, was one of the earliest rock-and-roll groups,
and helped establish the standard lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums. His
hit songs included “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” (both 1957).
Real name
Holley, Charles Hardin[1]



hollyhock

hollyhock

hol·ly·hock 
[hólli hòk] (plural hol·ly·hocks)
noun
tall
plant with showy flowers: a plant of the mallow family
that has very tall hairy stems and is often grown for its spikes of variously
colored flowers. Latin name: Alcea rosea
[13th century. From an
alteration of holy (perhaps from its being
connected with a saint) + obsolete hock “mallow,” of unknown origin.][1]



hollyoak

hollyoak
hol·ly
oak
(plural hol·ly oaks) noun

See
holm oak
[Because its foliage
resembles holly][1]



Hollywood

Hollywood2
Hol·ly·wood2  [hólliwd]

district
of Los Angeles, California, a center of the U.S. movie and television industry


city in southeastern Florida
on the Atlantic Ocean north of Miami. Population: 124,992 (1994)[1]



Hollywood

Hollywood1
Hol·ly·wood1  [hólliwd]
noun

U.S. movie industry:
the U.S. movie industry as a whole[1]



holm

holm2
holm2  [hōm]
(plural holms) noun

1.  See
holm oak

2.  holly:
a holly plant (regional)
[14th century. Alteration of
obsolete hollin, from Old English hole(g)n, an earlier form of holly .][1]



holm

holm1
holm1  [hōm,
hōlm] (plural holms) or
holme [hōm, hōlm]
(plural holmes) noun

1.  flat
land by river: low-lying flat land next to a river or
stream

2.  small
island:
a small island in a river, lake, estuary, or near the coastal mainland
[Old English, from Old Norse holmr
“islet in a bay, meadow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be
prominent” (ancestor of English hill
).][1]



holme

holme
holme
(plural holmes) noun

See
holm 1[1]



Holmes,Oliver Wendell

Holmes,Oliver Wendell
Holmes
[hōmz], Oliver Wendell (1809–1894)

U.S. physician and writer. He
is best known for his essays collected in volumes including The Autocrat of
the Breakfast-Table ( 1858 ). His poems “Old Ironsides” and “Chambered
Nautilus” are considered classics of American literature.[1]



Holmes,Oliver Wendell, Jr.

Holmes,Oliver Wendell, Jr.

Holmes
[hōmz], Oliver Wendell, Jr. (1841–1935)
U.S.
jurist. Known for his liberal interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, he was
associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1902–1932).
Known as
the Great Dissenter[1]



holmic

holmic
hol·mic 
[hṓlmik] adjective

of metallic element holmium:
resembling or containing the metallic element holmium[1]



holmium

holmium

hol·mi·um 
[hṓlmee əm] noun
soft
metallic element: a silvery-white malleable metallic
chemical element of the rare-earth group often found with yttrium in gadolinite
and monazite. Symbol Ho
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Holmia (a Latinized form of “Stockholm,” the capital city of
Sweden), + -ium .][1]



holmoak

holmoak
holm
oak
(plural holm oaks) noun

ornamental
oak:
a broad-leaved evergreen tree native to southern Europe but grown widely
elsewhere for ornament. Latin name: Quercus ilex
Also
called
holly oak
Also
called
holm
Also
called
ilex
[From holm 2 because its
foliage resembles holly][1]



holo-

holo-
holo-
prefix

whole,
complete • hologynic
[From Greek holos
“whole, entire.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English solid, safe, and catholic
.][1]



holocaust

holocaust
hol·o·caust
[hóllə kàwst, hṓlə
kàwst] (plural hol·o·causts) noun

1.  complete
destruction by fire: complete consumption by
fire, especially of a large number of human beings or animals

2.  total
destruction: wholesale or mass destruction of any
kind

3.  burnt
offering:
a sacrifice that is totally consumed by fire
[13th
century. Via Old French holocauste from, ultimately, Greek holokaustos,
literally “burned whole,” from, ultimately, kaiein “to burn.”]
—ho·lo·caus·tal
[hòllə káwst’l, hṓlə
káwst’l], adjective

—ho·lo·caus·tic
[hòllə káwstik, hṓlə
káwstik], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Holocaust was originally used in
  English for a “burnt offering,” a “sacrifice completely consumed by fire”
  (Mark 12:33, “more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices,” in the
  King James Version of the Bible, was translated by William Tyndale in 1526 as
  “a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices”). John Milton is the
  first English writer recorded as using it in the wider sense “complete
  destruction by fire,” in the late 17th century, and in the succeeding
  centuries several precedents were set for its modern application to “nuclear
  destruction” and “mass murder” — Bishop Ken, for instance, wrote in 1711
  “Should general Flame this World consume … An Holocaust for Fontal Sin,” and
  Leitch Ritchie in 1833 refers to Louis VII making “a holocaust of thirteen hundred
  persons in a church.” The specific application to the mass murder of the Jews
  by the Nazis during World War II was introduced by historians during the
  1950s, probably as an equivalent to Hebrew ḥurban and shoah
  “catastrophe” (used in the same sense).

[1]



Holocaust

Holocaust
Hol·o·caust
noun

genocide of European Jews and
others: the systematic extermination
of millions of European Jews, Romany people, Slavs, intellectuals, gay people,
and political dissidents by the Nazis and their allies during World War II. In
popular usage, especially in the United States, Holocaust refers particularly
to the extermination of European Jews. • Holocaust
survivors[1]



Holocene

Holocene
Hol·o·cene 
[hóllə sn, hṓlə
sn] noun

most
recent geologic period: the most recent epoch of the
Quaternary period, extending to the present day.
Also
called
Recent
[Late
19th century. From French from an earlier form of holo-
+ Greek kainos “new, recent.”]
—Hol·o·cene, adjective[1]



holocrine

holocrine
hol·o·crine 
[hólləkrin, hóllə
krn, hṓləkrin, hṓlə kree] adjective

secreting own substance:
relating to a gland such as a sebaceous gland whose secretions are derived from
the substance of the gland itself[1]



holoenzyme

holoenzyme
hol·o·en·zyme 
[hòllō én zm, hṓlō
én zm] (plural ho·lo·en·zymes) noun

enzyme complex:
an active enzyme comprising a protein and coenzyme[1]



hologram

hologram

hol·o·gram 
[hóllə gràm, hṓlə
gràm] (plural hol·o·grams) noun
Also
called
holograph

1.  three-dimensional
photographic image: a three-dimensional image of
an object that is a photographic record of light interference patterns produced
using a photographic plate and light from a laser

2.        hologram
image: the image produced by a
hologram[1]



holograph

holograph
hol·o·graph 
[hóllə gràf, hṓlə
gràf] noun (plural hol·o·graphs)

1.  original
manuscript:
a manuscript or other document entirely handwritten by its author. This term is
used especially in reference to manuscripts and letters, and to unwitnessed
wills.

2.  See
hologram  noun 1
See hologram  noun 2
adjective

in the handwriting of the author:
used to describe a manuscript or other document wholly written in the
handwriting of its author
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin holographus from Greek holographos, literally “written
whole.”][1]



holography

holography
ho·log·raph·y 
[hō lóggrəfee] noun

process
of making or using holograms: a method of recording and
showing a three-dimensional image of an object using a photographic plate and
light from a laser
—hol·o·graph·ic
[hòllə gráffik, hlə
gráffik], adjective

—ho·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[hòllə gráffikəlee, hlə
gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



hologynic

hologynic
hol·o·gyn·ic 
[hòllə jínnik, hòllə
gnik, hlə jínnik, hlə gnik] adjective

inheritable
only through females: used to describe genetic
traits that are inherited and passed on only by females
[Coined from holo- + Greek gunē “woman” (see gyno- ) + -ic][1]



holohedral

holohedral
hol·o·he·dral 
[hòllə hdrəl, hlə
hdrəl] adjective

absolutely symmetrical:
used to describe crystals having all the faces required for complete symmetry[1]



holometabolism

holometabolism
hol·o·me·tab·o·lism 
[hòllə mə tábbə lìzzəm, hlə mə tábbə lìzzəm] noun

change
from larva to adult: the condition of developing
by metamorphosing from a distinct larval into a distinct adult stage
—hol·o·me·tab·o·lous, adjective[1]



holomorphic

holomorphic
hol·o·mor·phic 
[hòllə máwrfik, hōlə
máwrfik] adjective

See
holohedral
—hol·o·mor·phism, noun[1]



holophrastic

holophrastic
hol·o·phras·tic 
[hòllə frástik, hlə
frástik] adjective

expressing
a sentence in one word: containing the idea of a
sentence or phrase in one word, for example, “goodbye”
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from holo- + Greek phrastikos, from phrazein
“to tell.”][1]



holophyte

holophyte
hol·o·phyte
[hóllə ft, hṓlə
ft] (plural hol·o·phytes) noun

photosynthesizing organism:
an organism that synthesizes complex organic molecules by photosynthesis[1]



holophytic

holophytic
hol·o·phyt·ic
[hòllə fíttik, hlə
fíttik] adjective

using photosynthesis:
able to synthesize complex organic molecules by photosynthesis.
See also
holozoic[1]



holoplankton

holoplankton
hol·o·plank·ton 
[hòllə plángktən, hlə
plángktən] noun

type of plankton:
organisms that remain free-swimming plankton throughout their life cycle[1]



holothurian

holothurian
hol·o·thu·ri·an 
[hòllə three ən, hlə
three ən] (plural hol·o·thu·ri·ans) noun

marine
invertebrate: a marine invertebrate animal ( echinoderm ) of the class that includes the sea
cucumber. Holothurians have a mouth surrounded by tentacles at one end, an anus
at the other, and a body that contains calcitic material but is not rigid.
Class: Holothuroidea
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Holothuria, genus name, from Latin holothurion,
a marine creature.]
—hol·o·thu·ri·an, adjective[1]



holotype

holotype
hol·o·type 
[hóllə tp, hṓlə
tp] (plural hol·o·types) noun

See
type specimen
—hol·o·typ·ic [hòllə típpik, hlə
típpik], adjective[1]



holozoic

holozoic
hol·o·zo·ic 
[hòllə zṓ ik, hlə
zṓ ik] adjective

consuming organic matter:
obtaining nutrition from other organisms or organic matter, as most animals do.

See also
holophytic[1]



holp

holp
holp 
[hōlp]

(archaic) Past
tense of help[1]



holpen

holpen
hol·pen 
[hṓlpən]

(archaic) Past
participle of help[1]



Holstein

Holstein
Hol·stein 
[hṓl stn, hṓl
stn] (plural Hol·steins) or Hol·stein-Frie·sian
[hṓl stn, hṓl
stn] (plural Hol·stein-Frie·sians) noun

black-and-white
cow:
a large black-and-white dairy cow belonging to a breed known for its abundant
milk production.
U.K.
term
Friesian
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the region, formerly of the Netherlands, now of northern Germany, from which it
originates.][1]



holster

holster
hol·ster 
[hṓlstər] noun (plural hol·sters)

gun
holder:
a holder for a pistol, usually worn on the hip or shoulder
transitive
verb
(past hol·stered, past participle hol·stered, present
participle hol·ster·ing, 3rd person present singular hol·sters)

put
gun in holder: to put a pistol in a holster
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Dutch, from, ultimately, an
Indo-European word meaning “to cover” (ancestor of English conceal ).]
—hol·stered, adjective[1]



holt

holt
holt
[hōlt] (plural holts) noun

1.  wooded
area:
a wood or copse (archaic)

2.  U.K.
wooded
hill:
a wooded hill (regional)
[Old English, of prehistoric
Germanic origin][1]



holus-bolus

holus-bolus
ho·lus-bo·lus
[hləss bṓləss] adverb

all
together:
all at once or all together (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly pseudo-Latin for “whole bolus,” or humorously representing
Greek holos bōlos “the whole lump” (see bolus
).][1]



holy

holy
ho·ly 
[hṓlee] adjective (comparative
ho·li·er, superlative ho·li·est)

1.  sacred:
relating to, belonging to, or coming from a divine being or power • holy
relics

2.  saintly:
devoted to the service of God, a god, or a goddess

3.  pure:
morally and spiritually perfect and of a devoutly religious character • a
holy man

4.  consecrated:
dedicated or set apart for religious purposes • holy
water
• Native
American holy ground

5.  awe-inspiring:
of a unique character, evoking reverence • Gettysburg
is a holy place for many people of the United States.
noun
(plural ho·lies)

1.  holy
thing:
something sanctified or venerated

2.  holy
person:
a devoutly religious, saintly person
interjection

used in expressions of surprise:
used in various expressions to show surprise (informal) • Holy
cow!
• Holy
smoke!
[Old
English hālig, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is the ancestor of
English whole, the underlying idea
being “unimpaired”]
—ho·li·ly, adverb[1]



HolyAlliance

HolyAlliance
Ho·ly
Al·li·ance
noun

19C European alliance:
an alliance among Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1815 advocating government
according to Christian principles[1]



HolyArk

HolyArk
Ho·ly
Ark
noun

See
ark  noun 4[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HolyCity

HolyCity
Ho·ly
Cit·y
noun

1.  RELIGION Jerusalem:
Jerusalem as a city of great religious significance

2.  CHRISTIANITY heaven:
heaven in Christian tradition

[1]



HolyCommunion

HolyCommunion
Ho·ly
Com·mu·nion
(plural Ho·ly Com·mu·nions) noun

CHRISTIANITY
See Communion[1]



HolyCross

HolyCross
Ho·ly
Cross
noun

cross of Jesus’s crucifixion:
in Christianity, the cross that Jesus Christ died on[1]



holyday

holyday
ho·ly
day
(plural ho·ly days) noun

religious holiday:
a day set aside for the celebration of a religious festival[1]



holyday of obligation

holyday of obligation
ho·ly
day of ob·li·ga·tion (plural ho·ly days
of ob·li·ga·tion) noun

Roman Catholic festival:
a Roman Catholic festival on which Catholics are required to attend mass and
abstain from certain types of work[1]



HolyFamily

HolyFamily
Ho·ly
Fam·i·ly
noun

family of Jesus Christ:
in Christianity, the young Jesus Christ, his mother Mary, and Mary’s husband
Joseph, especially as represented in art[1]



HolyFather

HolyFather
Ho·ly
Fa·ther
noun

the Pope:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope[1]



HolyGhost

HolyGhost
Ho·ly
Ghost
noun

See
Holy Spirit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HolyGrail

HolyGrail
Ho·ly
Grail
noun

See
Grail
Also called
Sangreal[1]



HolyInnocents’ Day

HolyInnocents’ Day
Ho·ly
In·no·cents’ Day  noun

day remembering Herod’s
massacre: in the Christian church,
December 28, the day that commemorates the order given by Herod to massacre all
baby boys in Bethlehem.
Also called
Feast of the Holy Innocents[1]



HolyIsland

HolyIsland
Ho·ly
Is·land

See
Lindisfarne[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HolyJoe

HolyJoe
Ho·ly
Joe
(plural Ho·ly Joes) noun (dated slang)

1.  armed
forces chaplain: a chaplain in the armed forces

2.  clergyman:
a clergyman

3.  somebody
sanctimonious: a sanctimonious or self-righteous person

[1]



HolyOffice

HolyOffice
Ho·ly
Of·fice
noun

1.  committee
of cardinals: a permanent committee of the Roman
Catholic College of Cardinals that deals with doctrine and morals. It was
established in 1542, and was also called the Inquisition. In 1965 its title was
changed to Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

2.  HISTORY See Inquisition

[1]



holyof holies

holyof holies
ho·ly
of ho·lies
noun

1.  inner
sanctum for Ark: the inner chamber inside the Sanctuary
in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.
Also
called
sanctum sanctorum

2.  sacred
place:
any place considered to be especially sacred

[1]



Holyoke

Holyoke
Hol·yoke 
[hṓl yōk, hṓlee
ōk]

manufacturing city in
southwestern Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River. Population: 41,461 (1996)[1]



holyorders

holyorders
ho·ly
or·ders
plural noun
Also
called
orders

1.  rite
of ordination: the rite or sacrament of ordination as a
Christian minister or priest

2.  minister’s
or priest’s rank: the rank or position of a Christian
minister or priest

3.  Roman
Catholic or Anglican ranks: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the ranks of priest, deacon, and subdeacon, or in the Anglican Church,
the ranks of bishop, priest, and deacon

[1]



HolyRoller

HolyRoller
Ho·ly
Roll·er
(plural Ho·ly Roll·ers) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of a Christian group that worships in what is
perceived to be an ecstatic or frenzied way, with shouting, bodily movements,
and trances (slang offensive)
[From the movement of the
body during worship][1]



HolyRoman Empire

HolyRoman Empire
Ho·ly
Ro·man Em·pire  noun

former European empire:
an empire in Germany and northern Italy (800–1806). Initially a revival of the
Western Roman Empire, it became confined to Germany, and the emperor’s
authority was negligible after 1254. From 1438 the imperial crown, although
elective, was held almost continuously by the Hapsburg family.
See also
Roman Empire[1]



HolySaturday

HolySaturday
Ho·ly
Sat·ur·day
noun

Saturday preceding Easter:
in Christianity, the Saturday preceding Easter Sunday[1]



HolyScripture

HolyScripture
Ho·ly
Scrip·ture
noun

Christian Bible:
the Christian Bible, or a particular part of it that is being cited or referred
to[1]



HolySee

HolySee
Ho·ly
See
noun

1.  papacy:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the see of the Pope as Bishop of Rome

2.  papal
court:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the government departments, jurisdiction, and
authority of the Vatican

[1]



HolySepulchre

HolySepulchre
Ho·ly
Sep·ul·chre
noun

Jesus’s tomb:
in Christianity, the tomb in which the body of Jesus Christ was laid after the
Crucifixion[1]



HolySpirit

HolySpirit
Ho·ly
Spir·it
noun

third person of Trinity:
in Christianity, the third person of the Trinity, understood as the spiritual
force of God.
Also called
Holy Ghost[1]



holystone

holystone
ho·ly·stone 
[hṓli stn] noun (plural ho·ly·stones)

deck
scourer:
a piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the decks of ships
transitive
verb
(past ho·ly·stoned, past participle ho·ly·stoned, present
participle ho·ly·ston·ing, 3rd person present singular ho·ly·stones)

clean
with holystone: to scour the deck of a ship with a
holystone
[Holy perhaps because it is
used while kneeling][1]



HolySynod

HolySynod
Ho·ly
Syn·od
noun

Eastern Orthodox Church
council: the governing body of any of
the Eastern Orthodox Christian churches[1]



holyterror

holyterror
ho·ly
ter·ror
(plural ho·ly ter·rors) noun

somebody troublesome:
somebody who is especially difficult or frightening to deal with (informal)
• That
child is a holy terror.[1]



HolyThursday

HolyThursday
Ho·ly
Thurs·day
noun

1.  Ascension
Day:
in the Anglican Church, Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter

2.  Maundy
Thursday:
in the Roman Catholic Church, Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter
commemorating the Last Supper and the day before Jesus Christ was crucified

[1]



holytide

holytide
ho·ly·tide
[hṓli td] noun

holy
season:
a period having particular religious significance (archaic)
[12th century. Tide from tide in the obsolete sense of “period of time.”][1]



HolyTrinity

HolyTrinity
Ho·ly
Trin·i·ty
noun

CHRISTIANITY
See Trinity[1]



holywar

holywar
ho·ly
war
(plural ho·ly wars) noun

religious war:
a war undertaken in the name of a particular religion[1]



holywater

holywater
ho·ly
wa·ter
noun

blessed water in church:
water that has been blessed by a priest and is used in a church for blessings,
baptisms, and other holy rituals[1]



HolyWeek

HolyWeek
Ho·ly
Week
noun

week leading up to Easter:
in the Christian calendar, the final week of Lent, beginning on Palm Sunday and
including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday[1]



HolyWrit

HolyWrit
Ho·ly
Writ
noun

Bible:
sacred Christian writings, especially the Bible[1]



HolyYear

HolyYear
Ho·ly
Year
(plural Ho·ly Years) noun

one year’s remission from
sin: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a period of remission from sin declared by the Pope with certain
conditions attached, usually at 25 year intervals[1]



hom-

hom-
hom-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
homo-[1]



homage

homage
hom·age 
[hómmij, ómmij]
(plural hom·ages) noun

1.  deference:
a show of reverence and respect toward somebody

2.  HISTORY vassal’s
respect due to lord: allegiance or a formal
public acknowledgment of allegiance on the part of a vassal toward a feudal
lord
[13th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: probably from homme “man,” from the
allegiance of one person to another.][1]



hombre

hombre
hom·bre
[óm brày, ómbree]
(plural hom·bres) noun (informal)

1.  man:
a man

2.  he-man:
a macho or very strong, tough, and masculine man
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin homo “human being” (source of English homicide ).][1]



homburg

homburg
hom·burg 
[hóm bùrg] (plural hom·burgs) noun

felt
hat:
a man’s felt hat with an upturned brim and a lengthwise crease in the crown
[Late 19th century. Named for
the town in western Germany where it was first worn.][1]



home

home
home 
[hōm] noun (plural homes)

1.  residence:
the place where a person, family, or household lives

2.  family
group:
a family or any other group that lives together • Theirs
was a happy home, full of love.

3.  birthplace:
where somebody was born or raised or feels he or she belongs • Home
is New York.

4.  native
habitat:
the place where something is most common or indigenous, or where something had
its origins

5.  safe
place:
a place where a person or animal can find refuge and safety or live in security

6.  place
of assistance: an establishment where somebody who is
in need of care, rest, or medical attention can stay or find help • My
grandmother moved into a home.

7.  grave:
the place where somebody is imagined to dwell after death (literary)

8.  SPORTS goal:
the place or point that must be hit in order to score in many games, or that
must be reached in order to be safe from attack

9.  BASEBALL See home plate
adjective

1.  domestic:
related in some way to somebody’s own home or country

2.  of
a household: for or belonging to or produced in a
dwelling or household • He
loved his wife’s home cooking.

3.  native:
happening in or coming from somebody’s native territory or permanent base,
especially a sports team’s own ground • The
home team usually has the advantage in a game.

4.  effective:
to the point, or central to achieving a goal • She
won the argument with that home thrust.

5.  principal:
belonging or relating to the headquarters of a business or enterprise • She
was promoted to the company’s home office.

6.  BASEBALL involving
the scoring base: at or near the scoring base or plate • Jim
made a home play and the game was over.
adverb

1.  at
or to somebody’s home: at or to the house,
household, or country where somebody lives • He
desperately wanted to get home.

2.  effectively:
to the point or desired goal • Her
criticisms of his behavior hit home.

3.  to
the center:
to the center or heart of something, or as far as possible into a desired
position • In
one stroke, she drove the nail home.
verb
(past homed, past participle homed, present
participle hom·ing, 3rd person present singular homes)

1.  intransitive
verb
go
home:
to go back to the house, household, or country where somebody lives

2.  intransitive
verb
return
home:
to return home, especially to fly home accurately (refers to animals and
birds)

3.  intransitive
verb
dwell:
to have a home and live in it (dated)

4.  transitive
verb
take
or send home: to take or send somebody or something
home (dated)

5.  transitive
verb
provide
with a home: to give a home to somebody or something
(dated)
[Old
English hām, from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“home,” which is also the ancestor of English hamlet
and hangar]
—home·like,
adjective
at
home

1.  staying
or working in the home

2.  ready
to receive visitors

3.  at
ease or in a familiar and friendly place

4.  having
knowledge of or familiarity with a subject or activity

home
free

with
something successfully completed

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at hone.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  home
  or house ?
  Many
  consider home an affectation when used
  anywhere that house would be appropriate (
  • Home
  for Sale
  ). Home is nonetheless useful to express
  the idea of dwelling places of various sorts, including apartments and
  condominiums, hogans and huts, and other dwellings that are not accurately
  described as houses. House, in many
  contexts, suggests a single-family dwelling. For example, if • The
  tornado destroyed 17 homes is meant to convey that 17
  residential structures were demolished, the word should have been houses . • Most
  homes in town lost electricity, however, no doubt
  refers to households of all descriptions, so here homes is the better choice.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Home
  Alone, a movie by Chris Columbus ( 1990 ). A comedy set in Chicago at
  Christmas time, it portrays the adventures of a young boy, Kevin (Macauley
  Culkin), who is inadvertently left at home by his family when they go on
  vacation in Europe. Delighting in his new-found independence, the boy manages
  not only to take care of himself but also to outwit a pair of hapless
  burglars. In U.S. popular culture, Home Alone soon came to mean not
  only children left alone by negligent traveling parents but also the parents
  themselves, as this headline indicates: “‘Home Alone’ Parents Indicted by
  States on 64 Criminal Counts,” Washington Post ( February 10, 1993 ).

[1]



homebanking

homebanking
home
bank·ing
noun

computer banking from home:
an electronic banking system that allows a customer to carry out transactions
at home[1]



homebase

homebase
home
base
(plural home ba·ses) noun

1.  BASEBALL See home plate

2.  See
headquarters

[1]



homebody

homebody
home·bod·y 
[hṓm bòdee] (plural home·bod·ies)
noun

home lover:
somebody who likes to stay at home (informal) • Greg
likes to go out on Friday nights, but I’m a real homebody.[1]



homebound

homebound
home·bound
[hṓm bòwnd] adjective

confined to home:
confined to the home, usually because of illness, age, or inability to travel • The
state provides funds for the homebound.

U.K. term
housebound[1]



homeboy

homeboy
home·boy 
[hṓm bòy] (plural home·boys) noun

man or boy from same place:
a man or boy from somebody’s home town, state, or neighborhood, especially
somebody who shares that person’s own culture and customs (slang)
Also called
homey[1]



homebred

homebred
home·bred 
[hm bréd] adjective

1.  bred
at home:
bred or raised at home

2.  unsophisticated:
without worldly experience

[1]



homebrew

homebrew
home·brew
[hṓm br] (plural home·brews) noun

homemade
beer:
an alcoholic beverage, especially beer, that has been brewed at home for
personal consumption
—home·brewed, adjective[1]



homebuilder

homebuilder
home·build·er 
[hṓm bìldər] (plural home·build·ers)
noun

somebody
who builds houses: somebody who builds or
designs houses
—home·build·ing, noun[1]



homebuyer

homebuyer
home·buy·er 
[hṓm br] (plural home·buy·ers)
noun

somebody who may buy a home:
somebody who is buying or interested in buying a house or apartment[1]



homecoming

homecoming
home·com·ing 
[hṓm kùmming] (plural home·com·ings)
noun

1.  return
home:
the arrival home of somebody who has been away • a
party to celebrate his homecoming

2.  return
to old school: the annual return to somebody’s old
school or college, usually at a prescribed time of year, for celebrations with
other alumni

[1]



HomeCounties

HomeCounties
Home
Coun·ties

the counties nearest to
London, England, usually taken to include Kent, Surrey, Essex, Buckinghamshire,
Berkshire, Hertfordshire, and East and West Sussex. Middlesex, formerly
included, is now part of London.[1]



homeeconomics

homeeconomics
home
ec·o·nom·ics noun

school study of household
management: the science or study of
food, diet, cookery, sewing, childcare, and other subjects related to the
running of a home, as taught in schools[1]



homefries

homefries
home
fries
plural noun

fried potatoes:
boiled sliced potatoes fried in butter or oil, sometimes with onions and
seasonings[1]



homefront

homefront
home
front
noun

civilian activities during
war: the civilian effort and
activity at home in support of a war waged overseas • Back
on the home front, factories worked around the clock to provide everything from
bandages to ammunition.[1]



homegirl

homegirl
home·girl 
[hṓm gùrl] (plural home·girls)
noun

girl from somebody’s home
territory: a girl or woman from
somebody’s home town, state, or neighborhood, especially one who shares that
person’s own culture and customs (slang)
Also called
homey[1]



homegrown

homegrown
home·grown 
[hṓm gròwn] adjective

1.  grown
in somebody’s own garden: grown in somebody’s own
garden or on somebody’s own land

2.  locally
produced:
produced by or coming from the area or region in question • homegrown
talent

[1]



homein

homein
home
in
intransitive verb

1.  proceed
towards target: to locate and proceed straight toward a
target

2.  direct
attention to something: to direct all attention or
energy toward something • She
instinctively homed in on the weakest aspects of the production.

[1]



homeland

homeland
home·land 
[hṓm lànd] (plural home·lands)
noun

1.  native
country:
the country where somebody was born or where somebody lives and feels that he
or she belongs

2.  HISTORY self-governing
territory for black people: any of the partially
self-governing regions of South Africa created and set aside for the black
population under the former policy of racial apartheid

[1]



homeless

homeless
home·less
[hṓmləss] adjective

with
no home:
without a home of any kind
plural
noun

people
with no home: people without a home of any kind
—home·less·ness, noun[1]



homely

homely
home·ly 
[hṓmlee] (comparative home·li·er,
superlative home·li·est) adjective

1.  not
good-looking: plain or less than pleasing in
appearance • a
homely face

2.  cozy:
simple, comfortable, and unpretentious, as if it were somebody’s home or part
of one

3.  unpretentious
in manner:
having a simple, unpretentious, and warm-hearted manner
—home·li·ness, noun[1]



homemade

homemade
home·made 
[hṓm màyd] adjective

1.  made
at home:
made at home using traditional methods rather than by a manufacturer • Have
you tried some of my homemade marmalade?

2.  makeshift:
roughly or crudely constructed to perform a specific function or purpose,
usually by an individual in his or her home

[1]



homemaker

homemaker
home·mak·er 
[hṓm màykər] (plural home·mak·ers)
noun

housewife or househusband:
somebody who stays at home to manage the household affairs and often the
child-rearing[1]



homeo-

homeo-
homeo-
prefix

similar,
alike • homeotherm
[From Greek homoios
“similar,” from homos “same” (see homo-
)][1]



HomeOffice

HomeOffice
Home
Of·fice
noun

U.K. government department:
in the United Kingdom, the department of the government that is responsible for
domestic and internal affairs[1]



homeopathy

homeopathy
ho·me·op·a·thy 
[hmee óppəthee] noun

complementary
disease treatment system: a complementary disease
treatment system in which a patient is given minute doses of natural drugs that
in larger doses would produce symptoms of the disease itself. The system was
created by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) on the assumption that like can be
cured by like.
—ho·me·o·path
[hṓmee ə pàth], noun

—ho·me·o·path·ic
[hmee ə páthik], adjective

—ho·me·o·path·i·cal·ly
[hmee ə páthikəlee], adverb

—ho·me·op·a·thist [hmee óppəthist], noun[1]



homeostasis

homeostasis
ho·me·o·sta·sis 
[hmee ō stáyssiss] noun

state
of equilibrium: a state of equilibrium, or a tendency to
reach equilibrium. Such equilibrium may be reached or maintained metabolically
through biochemical reactions within a cell or organism, or socially and
psychologically within an individual, group, or population.
[Early
20th century. Coined from homeo- + Greek stasis
“standing still” (see stasis ).]
—ho·me·o·stat·ic [hmee ō státtik], adjective[1]



homeotherm

homeotherm
ho·me·o·therm 
[hṓmee ə thùrm] (plural ho·me·o·therms)
or ho·moi·o·therm [hō móyə thùrm]
(plural ho·moi·o·therms) noun

organism
with stable independent body temperature: an
organism whose stable body temperature is generally independent of the
temperature of its surrounding environment
[Late
19th century. Coined from homeo- + Greek thermē
“heat” (see therm ).]
—ho·me·o·therm·ic
[hmee ō thúrmik], adjective

—ho·me·o·therm·y [hṓmee ō thùrmee], noun[1]



homeotic

homeotic
ho·me·o·tic 
[hmee óttik] adjective

of
part mutation: used to describe mutation in which one
part or organ is transformed into another part associated with a different
segment of the organism. It was originally discovered in the fruit fly.
[Late 19th century. Via Greek
homōiotikos “becoming like” from, ultimately homōios “like” (see homeo- ).][1]



homepage

homepage
home
page 
(plural home pag·es) noun

1.  Web
site opening page: the opening page of an
Internet Web site.
Also
called
welcome page

2.  personal
site on Internet: somebody’s personal Web site on the
Internet, often containing personal data, photographs, or contact information

[1]



homeplate

homeplate
home
plate
(plural home plates) noun

slab marking home in
baseball: a flat slab marking the area
over which a pitcher must throw the ball for a strike and on which a base
runner must land in order to score.
Also called
home
Also called
home base
Also called
plate[1]



homeport

homeport
home
port
(plural home ports) noun

ship’s place of registry or
base: the place of registry or
regular base of a ship[1]



home-port

home-port
home-port
(past home-port·ed, past participle home-port·ed, present
participle home-port·ing, 3rd person present singular home-ports)
transitive verb

operate ship from particular
port: to base a vessel at a
particular port[1]



Homer

Homer
Ho·mer 
[hṓmər]

city in southern Alaska on
the southeastern shore of Cook Inlet. Population: 4,608 (1996)[1]



homer

homer
hom·er 
[hṓmər] noun (plural hom·ers)

1.  BASEBALL home
run:
a home run in baseball (informal)

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING homing
device:
a device that provides signals for guiding missiles, ships, or aircraft to
their destinations

3.  ZOOLOGY homing
pigeon:
a homing pigeon (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past hom·ered, past participle hom·ered, present
participle hom·er·ing, 3rd person present singular hom·ers)

BASEBALL make
home run:
to score a home run in baseball (slang) • He
homered in the last seconds of the third inning.

[1]



Homer

Homer

Ho·mer 
[hṓmər] (lived 8th century BC)
Greek poet. He is credited as the author
of the great epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey.[1]



homerange

homerange
home
range
(plural home rang·es) noun

area over which animal
ranges: the specific geographic area
to which an animal generally restricts its activities[1]



Homeric

Homeric
Ho·mer·ic 
[hō mérrik] adjective

1.  of
Homer:
relating to or belonging to Homer, his work, or his times “Thus vain and false
are the mere human surmises and doubts which clash with Homeric writ!”
Alexander William Kinglake Eothen 1844

2.  of
Homer’s Greek: relating to the early form of ancient
Greek used in Homer’s poetry

3.  heroic:
characteristic or worthy of a hero (literary)
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek Homērikos, from Homēros Homer .]
—Ho·mer·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Homericlaughter

Homericlaughter
Ho·mer·ic
laugh·ter
noun

loud roars of laughter:
loud continuous laughter, like that of the gods in Homer’s epic poems (literary)[1]



Homericsimile

Homericsimile
Ho·mer·ic
sim·i·le
(plural Ho·mer·ic sim·i·les) noun

See
epic simile[1]



homeroom

homeroom
home·room 
[hṓm rm, hṓm
rm] (plural home·rooms) or home room [hṓm rm, hṓm rm]
(plural home rooms) noun

classroom:
the room to which a class of secondary-school students must report at specified
times each day[1]



homerule

homerule
home
rule
noun

1.  self-government:
the principle or practice of self-government by a part of a larger country or
commonwealth such as a municipality, colony, territory, or principality

2.  partial
autonomy of cities: the partial autonomy granted
to cities and some counties, under which they manage their own affairs, in
accordance with the Constitution

[1]



HomeRule

HomeRule
Home
Rule
noun

aim of Irish nationalists:
the political aim of the Irish nationalists between 1870 and 1920 in their
struggle to secure self-government for Ireland[1]



homerun

homerun
home
run
(plural home runs) noun

hit that scores run in
baseball: in baseball, a hit that
allows a player to make a circuit of all four bases and score a run, usually by
hitting the ball out of the playing area[1]



Homer,Winslow

Homer,Winslow
Ho·mer 
[hṓmər], Winslow (1836–1910)

U.S. artist. He is best known
for his use of light and color in his watercolor seascapes and landscapes such
as Gulf Stream ( 1899 ).[1]



homeschool

homeschool
home·school 
[hṓm skl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past home·schooled, past participle home·schooled,
present participle home·school·ing, 3rd person present
singular home·schools)

teach
or be taught at home: to teach children at home,
or be taught at home rather than in the public school system • She’s
homeschooling her boys from K through 12.
noun
(plural home·schools)

school run at home:
a school run typically by parents in the home for their children, using an
approved curriculum[1]



homeschooler

homeschooler
home·school·er
[hṓm sklər] (plural home·school·ers)
noun

1.  child
educated at home: a child who is undergoing or has
undergone private education, typically by the parents, at home rather than in
the public schools

2.  parent
educator:
a parent who educates his or her child or children at home rather than in the
public school system

[1]



homeschooling

homeschooling
home·school·ing
[hṓm skling] noun

education at home:
the philosophy, curriculum, practice, or result of educating children at home,
using typically an approved study plan • The
product of homeschooling, she later became a nurse.[1]



homeshopping

homeshopping
home
shop·ping
noun

shopping done electronically
from home: shopping done electronically
from home either through an on-line retail service or a television shopping
channel[1]



homesick

homesick
home·sick 
[hṓm sìk] adjective

unhappy
and longing for home: feeling sadness and longing
to be at home with family and friends when away from them
—home·sick·ness, noun[1]



homesite

homesite
home·site
[hṓm st] (plural home·sites) noun

building site:
a plot of land on which a new home can be or is constructed[1]



homespun

homespun
home·spun 
[hṓm spùn] adjective

1.  plain
and simple:
simple and unpretentious

2.  CRAFT made
by hand at home: spun or woven by hand at home

3.  CLOTHES HOUSEHOLD made of homespun fabric:
made of fabric woven or spun by hand at home
noun
(plural home·spuns) TEXTILES

1.  rough
cloth:
a coarse plain, usually woolen or linen, cloth woven from homespun thread

2.  rough
cloth woven on power loom: a cloth similar to homespun,
but woven on an automatic or electric loom

[1]



homestand

homestand
home
stand
(plural home stands) noun

number of games played at
home: a series of games played on
a team’s home field, especially in baseball[1]



homestay

homestay
home·stay 
[hṓm stày] (plural home·stays)
noun

time spent with a foreign
family: a visit to somebody’s home
in a foreign country, often a stay by an exchange student in a family’s home (informal)[1]



homestead

homestead
home·stead 
[hṓm sted] noun (plural home·steads)

1.  house,
outbuildings, and land: a house, especially a
farmhouse, with its dependent buildings and land, considered as a whole

2.  LAW residence
exempt from forced sale: a house, adjoining land, and
buildings declared as the owner’s fixed residence and therefore exempt from
seizure and forced sale for the recovery of debts

3.  HISTORY land
claimed by settler: a piece of land occupied by
a settler or squatter under the terms of the U.S. Homestead Act or the Canadian
Dominion Lands Act
intransitive
verb
(past home·stead·ed, past participle home·stead·ed,
present participle home·stead·ing, 3rd person present singular
home·steads)

claim and work farmland:
to settle and farm land, especially under the terms of the Homestead Act

[1]



Homestead

Homestead
Home·stead 
[hṓm sted]

city in southeastern Florida,
southwest of Miami. Population: 26,866 (1990)[1]



HomesteadAct

HomesteadAct
Home·stead
Act
noun

1.  act
granting land to settlers: an act passed by Congress in
1862, promising ownership of 160 acres of public land to a citizen who lived on
the land and cultivated it for five years

2.  Canadian
act granting land to settlers: the Dominion Lands
Act, passed by the Canadian Parliament in 1872, and modeled after the U.S.
Homestead Act of 1862

[1]



homesteader

homesteader
home·stead·er
[hṓm stèddər] (plural home·stead·ers)
noun

1.  owner
of homestead: somebody who owns and manages a
homestead

2.  settler
granted government land: somebody who settles and
farms land under the terms of either the U.S. Homestead Act or the Canadian
Dominion Lands Act

[1]



homesteadlaw

homesteadlaw
home·stead
law
(plural home·stead laws) noun

law conferring rights on
homesteaders: any one of several laws
granting privileges to homesteaders such as exemption from having their
property sold to recover debts[1]



homestraight

homestraight
home
straight
noun

U.K.
See home stretch[1]



homestretch

homestretch
home
stretch
(plural home stretch·es) noun
U.K.
term
home straight

1.  last
section of racecourse: the part of a racecourse
between the last turn and the finish line

2.  last
stage of undertaking: the last part of a trip,
task, or operation

[1]



home-style

home-style
home-style 
adjective

prepared
or served as at home: made or presented as it
would be in somebody’s home • served
a home-style meal in the inn
adverb

as at home:
in a way that is like the way something is prepared or served at home • served
the meal home-style even though the inn was huge[1]



hometeacher

hometeacher
home
teach·er
(plural home teach·ers) noun

U.K.
See visiting teacher[1]



hometown

hometown
home·town 
[hṓm tòwn] (plural home·towns)
or home town [hṓm tòwn] (plural
home towns) noun

town or city of somebody’s
birth: the town or city where
somebody was born or raised[1]



hometruth

hometruth
home
truth
noun

unpleasant fact:
an unpleasant but true basic fact about somebody’s character or behavior[1]



homeward

homeward
home·ward 
[hṓmwərd] adverb

toward
home:
in the direction of home • homeward
bound
adjective

going home:
going home, or in the direction of home[1]



Homewood

Homewood
Home·wood 
[hṓmwd]

1.  village
in northeastern Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago. Population: 19,279
(1996)

2.  city
in northern Alabama, a southeastern suburb of Birmingham. Population: 23,156
(1996)

[1]



homework

homework
home·work 
[hṓm wùrk] noun

1.  EDUCATION schoolwork
done at home: schoolwork that students do after school
at home or outside of class

2.  preliminary
or preparatory work: facts that are found out
about a particular subject, especially in preparation for writing or talking
about it (informal)

3.  paid
work done at home: work done at home for money,
especially piecework
do
your homework

to do all the necessary
research and preparation for something in a thorough manner[1]



homey

homey1
hom·ey1 [hṓmee]
(comparative hom·i·er, superlative hom·i·est) or
hom·y [hṓmee] (comparative hom·i·er,
superlative hom·i·est) adjective

feeling
like home:
feeling as comfortable and familiar as somebody’s own home • a
homey little hotel
—hom·ey·ness, noun[1]



homey

homey2
hom·ey2 [hṓmee]
(plural hom·eys) noun

(slang)
See homeboy See homegirl
[Late 20th century.
Shortening and alteration.][1]



homicidal

homicidal
hom·i·cid·al 
[hòmmi sd’l] adjective

intending
or likely to commit murder: capable of or intending to
kill another human being unlawfully
—hom·i·cid·al·ly, adverb[1]



Homicide

Homicide
Hom·i·cide
noun

police section:
the part of a police department, including its personnel, that investigates
unlawful killings (informal) (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



homicide

homicide
hom·i·cide 
[hómmi sd] (plural hom·i·cides)
noun

1.  killing
of somebody: the act or an instance of unlawfully
killing another human being

2.  somebody
who has committed homicide: somebody who has killed
another human being unlawfully
[13th century. Via French
from Latin homicidium and Latin homicida, both from homo
“human being” (see hominoid ) + caedere
“to kill” (see -cide ).][1]



homiletic

homiletic
hom·i·let·ic 
[hòmmə léttik] or hom·i·let·i·cal
[hòmmə léttik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to homiletics: relating to the art of writing and
preaching sermons

2.  relating
to homilies: relating to, or in the style of, a
sermon or homily
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Greek homilein “to associate
with, converse,” from homilos “crowd” (see homily
).]
—hom·i·let·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



homiletics

homiletics
hom·i·let·ics 
[hòmmə léttiks] noun

preaching of sermons:
the art of writing and preaching sermons (takes a singular verb)[1]



homily

homily
hom·i·ly 
[hómməlee] (plural hom·i·lies)
noun

1.  moral
or religious lecture: a sermon or other piece of
writing on a moral or religious topic

2.  moralizing
speech:
a speech or other piece of writing with a moralizing theme

3.  short
saying:
a short inspirational saying • a
calendar that gives a little homily for each day
[14th
century. Via Old French omilie from, ultimately, Greek homilia
“sermon,” from homilos “crowd.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “together” that is also the ancestor of English same .]
—hom·i·list, noun[1]



homing

homing
hom·ing
[hṓming] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY relating
to ability to return home: relating to or possessing
the ability to find the way home after traveling a long distance

2.  AEROSPACE able
to guide itself to target: used to describe a missile
or aircraft that has equipment that enables it to guide itself to its target

[1]



homingguidance

homingguidance
hom·ing
guid·ance
noun

aircraft or missile guidance
system: a system that enables a
missile or aircraft to guide itself to its target[1]



homingpigeon

homingpigeon
hom·ing
pi·geon 
(plural hom·ing pi·geons) noun

pigeon trained to return
home: a pigeon, used in racing and
carrying messages, that is trained to return to its roost[1]



hominid

hominid
hom·i·nid 
[hómmənid] noun (plural hom·i·nids)

member
of a primate family including humans: a
primate belonging to a family of which the modern human being is the only
species still in existence. Family: Hominidae
adjective

of
hominids:
relating to the hominids
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Hominidae, family name, from, ultimately, Latin homo
“human being” (see hominoid ).][1]



hominization

hominization
hom·i·ni·za·tion 
[hòmməni záysh’n] noun

theorized
human evolutionary process: the theorized evolutionary
development of human characteristics that set hominids apart from other
primates
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from Latin homin-, the stem of homo “human being” (see hominoid ).][1]



hominoid

hominoid
hom·i·noid 
[hómmə nòyd] adjective

1.  similar
to human:
resembling a human being

2.  of
human beings and apes: belonging or relating to the
superfamily that includes human beings and apes. Superfamily: Hominoidea
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin homin-, the stem of homo “human being,” literally
“earthling.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “earth,” also the
ancestor of English human and humble .][1]



hominy

hominy
hom·i·ny 
[hómmənee] (plural hom·i·nies)
noun

dried
corn:
puffed and dried hulled whole kernels of corn that are eaten boiled, especially
in the Southwestern dish known as “posole”
[Early 17th century.
Contraction of Virginia Algonquian uskatahomen .][1]



hominygrits

hominygrits
hom·i·ny
grits
plural noun

FOOD
grits:
grits (dated)[1]



hommos

hommos
hom·mos 
noun

See
hummus[1]



homo-

homo-
homo-
prefix

alike,
same • homograph
[From Greek homos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “one,” which is also the ancestor
of English same, some, similar,
and hetero- .][1]



homo

homo
ho·mo
[hṓ m] (plural ho·mos) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a man who is gay (dated slang offensive)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



homocentric

homocentric
ho·mo·cen·tric 
[hmə séntrik] adjective

sharing common center:
used to describe circles and spheres that have the same center[1]



homocercal

homocercal

ho·mo·cer·cal 
[hmə súrk’l, hòmmə
súrk’l] adjective
having a two-lobed tailfin:
used to describe a fish that has a tail with two symmetrical lobes that extend
beyond the end of the vertebral column, or a tail of this kind[1]



homochromatic

homochromatic
ho·mo·chro·mat·ic 
[hmə krō máttik] adjective

See
monochromatic  adjective 1[1]



homochromous

homochromous
ho·mo·chro·mous
[hmə krṓməss, hòmmə
krṓməss] adjective

single-colored:
being of just one color
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from homo- + Greek khrōma “color.”][1]



homocyclic

homocyclic
ho·mo·cy·clic
[hmə sklik, hmə
síklik, hòmə sklik] adjective

having molecules in ring:
used to describe a chemical compound in which molecules take the form of a ring
in which all the atoms are the same[1]



homodont

homodont
ho·mo·dont 
[hṓmə dònt] adjective

having
teeth all similar in shape: used to describe vertebrates
that have teeth that are all similar in shape and not of different shapes as in
most nonmammalian vertebrates
[Late 19th century. Coined
from homo- + the Greek stem odont-
“tooth.”][1]



Homoerectus

Homoerectus

Ho·mo
e·rec·tus 
[hmō i réktəss] noun
extinct
ancestor of Homo sapiens: an extinct ancestor of the
modern human being ( Homo sapiens ) living
approximately 1.5 million years ago and known by fossils to have had an upright
stature, a smallish brain, and a low forehead
[From modern Latin, literally
“upright man”][1]



homoerotic

homoerotic
ho·mo·e·rot·ic 
[hmō i róttik] adjective

of homosexual eroticism:
relating to or characterized by homosexual eroticism[1]



homoeroticism

homoeroticism
ho·mo·e·rot·i·cism 
[hmō i rótti sìzzəm] or ho·mo·er·o·tism
[hmō é rrə tìzzəm] noun

homosexual eroticism:
eroticism that is focused on or inspired by people of the same sex[1]



homogametic

homogametic
ho·mo·ga·met·ic 
[hmō gə méttik] adjective

having same type of sex
chromosomes: producing gametes that
have the same type of sex chromosome[1]



homogamy

homogamy
ho·mog·a·my 
[hō móggəmee, ho
móggəmee] noun

simultaneous maturing:
the condition of a flower in which male and female organs mature at the same
time[1]



homogenate

homogenate
ho·mog·e·nate
[hō mójjə nàyt, hə
mójjə nàyt] (plural ho·mog·e·nates) noun

homogenized substance:
a substance produced by homogenizing[1]



homogeneity

homogeneity
ho·mo·ge·ne·i·ty 
[hmə jə n ətee, hòmmə
jə n ətee] noun

1.  quality
of being the same: the quality of being of the
same or a similar nature

2.  quality
of being uniform: the quality of having a uniform
appearance or composition
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin homogeneitas, from homogeneus (see homogeneous ).][1]



homogeneous

homogeneous
ho·mo·ge·ne·ous 
[hmə jnee əss, hòmmə
jnee əss] adjective

1.  of
same kind:
having the same kind of constituent elements, or being similar in nature

2.  having
uniform composition: having a uniform composition
or structure
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from medieval Latin homogeneus, from Greek homogenēs,
literally “of the same kind.”]
—ho·mo·ge·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—ho·mo·ge·ne·ous·ness,
noun[1]



homogenize

homogenize
ho·mog·e·nize 
[hə mójjə nz, hō
mójjə nz] (past ho·mog·e·nized, past participle ho·mog·e·nized,
present participle ho·mog·e·niz·ing, 3rd person present
singular ho·mog·e·niz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
milk or cream even consistency: to emulsify the fat
particles in milk or cream so as to give it an even consistency and prevent
cream from separating from the rest of the milk

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make homogeneous: to become or cause something
to become homogeneous
[Late
19th century. Formed from homogeneous .]
—ho·mog·e·ni·za·tion
[hə mòjjəni záysh’n, hō mòjjəni záysh’n], noun

—ho·mog·e·niz·er [hə mójjə nzər, hō
mójjə nzər], noun[1]



homogenous

homogenous
ho·mog·e·nous
[hə mójjənəss, hō
mójjənəss] adjective

See
homogeneous
—ho·mog·e·nous·ly, adverb[1]



homogeny

homogeny
ho·mog·e·ny 
[hə mójjənee, hō
mójjənee] noun

similarity
in structure: a similarity in individuals, organs, or
parts caused by a common ancestry
[Late 19th century. Coined
from homo- + -geny .][1]



homograft

homograft
ho·mo·graft 
[hómmə gràft, hṓmə
gràft] (plural ho·mo·grafts) noun

tissue graft:
a graft of tissue from one organism to another of the same species.
See also
allograft[1]



homograph

homograph
hom·o·graph 
[hómmə gràf, hṓmə
gràf] (plural hom·o·graphs) noun

word
with same spelling as another: a word that is spelled
in the same way as one or more other words but is different in meaning, for
example, the verb “project” and the noun “project.”
See
also
homophone
See
also
homonym
—hom·o·graph·ic [hòmmə gráffik, hmə
gráffik], adjective[1]



Homohabilis

Homohabilis
Ho·mo
hab·i·lis 
[hmō hábbiliss] noun

extinct
ancestor of Homo sapiens: an extinct ancestor of the
modern human being ( Homo sapiens ) living
approximately 1.5 million years ago and characterized by its ability to make
and use tools
[From modern Latin, literally
“skillful man”][1]



homoio-

homoio-
homoio-
prefix

See
homeo-[1]



homoiotherm

homoiotherm
ho·moi·o·therm 
(plural ho·moi·o·therms) noun

See
homeotherm[1]



Homoiousian

Homoiousian
Ho·moi·ou·si·an 
[h moy ssee ən, h
moy zee ən] noun (plural Ho·moi·ou·si·ans)

Christian
believing Jesus Christ is not God: a Christian who
believes that Jesus Christ is of a similar, but not identical, substance to
God.
See
also
Homoousian
adjective

of
doctrine of Homoiousians: relating to the doctrine of
the Homoiousians.
See
also
Homoousian
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek homoiousios “of similar substance,” from
homoios “similar” + ousia “substance.”]
—Ho·moi·ou·si·an·ism, noun[1]



homolog

homolog
hom·o·log 
(plural hom·o·logs) noun

See
homologue[1]



homologate

homologate
ho·mol·o·gate 
[hə móllə gàyt, hō
móllə gàyt] (past ho·mol·o·gat·ed, past participle ho·mol·o·gat·ed,
present participle ho·mol·o·gat·ing, 3rd person present
singular ho·mol·o·gates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW confirm something:
to confirm or sanction the validity of something

2.  transitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES officially
recognize car model or component: to give official
recognition to a prototype car or car component, thus allowing it to be used in
a race
[Early 16th century. Via
medieval Latin homologare “to agree,” from, ultimately, Greek homologos
“agreeing” (see homologous ).][1]



homological

homological
ho·mo·log·i·cal 
[hmə lójjik’l, hòmmə
lójjik’l] adjective

See
homologous
—ho·mo·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



homologize

homologize
ho·mol·o·gize 
[hə móllə jz, hō
móllə jz] (past ho·mol·o·gized, past participle ho·mol·o·gized,
present participle ho·mol·o·giz·ing, 3rd person present
singular ho·mol·o·giz·es) transitive verb

make
something homologous: to make something have a
similar or related structure, position, function, or value to something else
—ho·mol·o·giz·er, noun[1]



homologous

homologous
ho·mol·o·gous 
[hə mólləgəss, hō
mólləgəss] adjective

1.  similar:
sharing a similar or related structure, position, function, or value

2.  BIOLOGY having
same origin but different function:
sharing the same origin but having a different function, as do, for example,
the wing of a bird and the fin of a fish

3.  CHEMISTRY of
related chemical compounds: relating to a series of
organic chemical compounds such as a methylene group, each of which differs
from the preceding by the addition of a constant component

4.  MEDICINE having
identical tissue: produced from identical tissue
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin from Greek homologos “agreeing,” literally “speaking the
same,” from homos “same” and legein “to speak.”][1]



homolographic

homolographic
hom·o·lo·graph·ic 
[hòmmələ gráffik] adjective

MAPS See equal-area
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
(under the influence of homo- ) of homalographic, from Greek homalos
“even, level” + -graphic .][1]



homologue

homologue
hom·o·logue 
[hómmə làwg, hṓmə
làwg] (plural hom·o·logues) or hom·o·log [hómmə làwg, hṓmə làwg]
(plural hom·o·logs) noun

1.  BIOLOGY homologous
part or organ: a part or organ that has the same
evolutionary origin as another but differs in function, for example, a bird’s
wing in relation to the fin of a fish

2.  CHEMISTRY homologous
compound:
a homologous chemical compound
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek homologos “agreeing” (see homologous ).][1]



homology

homology
ho·mol·o·gy 
[hə mólləjee, hō
mólləjee] noun

1.  BIOLOGY likenesses
between animals: similar characteristics in two animals
that are a product of descent from a common ancestor rather than a product of a
similar environment

2.  CHEMISTRY similarity
between compounds: the correspondence between
chemical compounds in a homologous series
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek homologia “agreement,” from homologos (see homologous .][1]



homolosineprojection

homolosineprojection
ho·mol·o·sine
pro·jec·tion  [hō mòllə
sīn prə jékshən] (plural ho·mol·o·sine pro·jec·tions) noun

representation
of earth’s surface: a map of the Earth’s surface
that distorts the oceans in order to represent the continents with a minimum of
distortion
[Coined from homolographic + sine,
because it is a homolographic projection based on sinusoidal curves][1]



homolysis

homolysis
ho·mol·y·sis 
[hō mólləssiss] noun

molecular
breakdown:
the breakdown of a molecule into neutral atoms or radicals
—ho·mo·lyt·ic [hmə líttik, hòmmə
líttik], adjective[1]



homonym

homonym
hom·o·nym 
[hómmənim] (plural hom·o·nyms)
noun

1.  word
with same spelling or sound: a word that is spelled or
pronounced in the same way as one or more other words but has a different
meaning. “Fleet” (group of vehicles) and “fleet” (swift), “plane” and “plain,”
and the verb “sow” (plant seeds) and the noun “sow” (female swine) are homonyms
of three types.
See
also
homograph
See
also
homophone

2.  somebody
with same name: somebody with the same name as somebody
else

3.  BIOLOGY duplicate
taxonomic name: a taxonomic name that is the same as one
already designating a different species or genus and cannot therefore be used
[Late
17th century. Via Latin homonymum from, ultimately, Greek homōnumos
(see homonymous ).]
—hom·o·nym·ic
[hòmmə nímmik], adjective

—hom·o·nym·i·ty
[hòmmə nímmətee], noun

—ho·mon·y·my [hə mónnimee], noun[1]



homonymous

homonymous
ho·mon·y·mous 
[hə mónniməss] adjective

1.  of
homonyms:
relating to homonyms or in the form of a homonym • The
words “peace” and “piece” are homonymous.

2.  having
same name:
having the same name as somebody or something else
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek homōnumos, literally
“having the same name,” from onuma “name” (see onomastic
).]
—ho·mon·y·mous·ly, adverb[1]



Homoousian

Homoousian
Ho·mo·ou·si·an 
[hmō ssee ən, hmō
zee ən] noun (plural Ho·mo·ou·si·ans)

Christian
believing Jesus Christ is God: a Christian who
believes that Jesus Christ is of the same substance as God, in accordance with
the Council of Nicaea’s definition of the Trinity.
See
also
Homoiousian
adjective

of
doctrine of Homoousians: relating to the doctrine of
the Homoousians.
See
also
Homoiousian
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Greek homoousios “of the same substance,” from homos
“same” + ousia “substance.”]
—Ho·mo·ou·si·an·ism, noun[1]



homophile

homophile
ho·mo·phile 
[hṓmə fl] adjective

1.  advocating
gay and lesbian rights: supporting the rights of gay
and lesbian people and appreciating their culture

2.  gay
or lesbian:
relating to or being gay or lesbian
noun
(plural ho·mo·philes)

somebody gay or lesbian:
a gay man or lesbian woman, or a supporter of gay and lesbian rights

[1]



homophobia

homophobia
ho·mo·pho·bi·a 
[hmə fṓbee ə] noun

irrational
hatred of homosexuality: an irrational hatred,
disapproval, or fear of homosexuality, gay and lesbian people, and their
culture
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from homosexual + -phobia
.][1]



homophobic

homophobic
ho·mo·pho·bic 
[hmə fṓbik] adjective

having
irrational hatred of homosexuality:
showing an irrational hatred, disapproval, or fear of homosexuality, gay and
lesbian people, and their culture
—ho·mo·phobe (plural
ho·mo·phobes), noun[1]



homophone

homophone
hom·o·phone 
[hómmə fn, hṓmə
fn] (plural hom·o·phones) noun

1.  word
with same pronunciation: a word that is pronounced in
the same way as one or more other words but is different in meaning and
sometimes spelling, as are “hair” and “hare.”
See
also
homograph
See
also
homonym

2.  letter
with same sound: a letter or diphthong that has the same
sound as one or more other letters or diphthongs
[Early 17th century. From
Greek homophōnos “having the same sound.”][1]



homophonic

homophonic
hom·o·phon·ic 
[hòmmə fónnik, hmə
fónnik] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS sounding
the same:
sharing the same sound

2.  MUSIC relating
to homophony: relating to part music in which the
parts move together in simple harmonization
—ho·mo·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



homophony

homophony
ho·moph·o·ny 
[hō móffənee, hə
móffənee] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS identical
pronunciation of words: the quality of having the
same pronunciation as one or more other words with a different origin and
meaning

2.  MUSIC homophonic
music:
music of a largely chordal style in which there is no independence of voice
parts, but rather a simple harmonization of a melody
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
homophōnia “unison,” from homophōnos (see homophone ).][1]



homoplastic

homoplastic
ho·mo·plas·tic 
[hmə plástik, hòmmə
plástik] adjective

from
member of same species: used to describe a tissue
graft that is obtained from a member of the same species as the recipient
—ho·mo·plas·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



homopolar

homopolar
ho·mo·po·lar
[hmə pṓlər, hòmmə
pṓlər] adjective

with
uniform polarity: having uniform polarity
—ho·mo·po·lar·i·ty [hmə pō lérrətee, hòmmə
pō lérrətee], noun[1]



homopteran

homopteran
ho·mop·ter·an 
[hō móptərən] noun (plural ho·mop·ter·ans)

insect
sucking plant juices through mouthparts: any
insect that has the ability to suck plant juices through its mouthparts, for
example, the cicada, scale insect, or aphid. Order: Homoptera
adjective

of
homopterans: being or relating to a homopteran
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Homoptera, order name, from Greek homos “same” and pteron
“wing.” So called because their wings have a uniform texture.][1]



Homosapiens

Homosapiens
Ho·mo
sa·pi·ens 
[hmō sáypee ənz, hmō
sáypee ènz] noun

human
beings:
the species of modern human beings, the only extant species of the family that
also included other species named Homo. Family: Hominidae
[From modern Latin, literally
“wise man”][1]



homoscedastic

homoscedastic
ho·mo·sce·das·tic 
[hmōsə dástik, hmōskə
dástik] adjective

having
equal statistical variances: characterized by equal
statistical variances
[Early
20th century. Coined from homo- + Greek skedastos
“able to be scattered,” from skedannunai “to scatter.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European base that also produced English scatter
and shingle .]
—ho·mo·sce·das·tic·i·ty
[hmō sə das tíssətee, hmō skə das tíssətee], noun[1]



homosexual

homosexual
ho·mo·sex·u·al 
[hmə sékshoo əl, hmō
sékshoo əl] noun (plural ho·mo·sex·u·als)

somebody attracted to same sex:
somebody who is sexually attracted to members of his or her own sex
adjective

1.  attracted
to same sex: sexually attracted to members of the
same sex

2.  of
homosexuality: relating to sexual attraction or
activity among members of the same sex

[1]



homosexuality

homosexuality
ho·mo·sex·u·al·i·ty 
[hmə sekshoo állətee, hmō sekshoo állətee] noun

attraction to same sex:
sexual attraction to, and sexual relations with, members of the same sex[1]



homosporous

homosporous
ho·mo·spo·rous 
[hmō spáwrəss, hòmmō
spáwrəss, ho móspərəss] adjective

producing one kind of spore:
producing asexual spores of only one type[1]



homotaxis

homotaxis
ho·mo·tax·is 
[hmō táksiss, hòmmō
táksiss] noun

similarity
of rock strata: a similarity of composition,
arrangement, or fossil content among rock strata of different ages or locations
—ho·mo·tax·i·al,
adjective

—ho·mo·tax·i·al·ly,
adverb

—ho·mo·tax·ic, adjective[1]



homothallic

homothallic
ho·mo·thal·lic 
[hmō thállik, hòmō
thállik] adjective

able
to fertilize itself: used to describe a plant
that has both male and female reproductive organs on one thallus and is
therefore able to fertilize itself
—ho·mo·thal·lism, noun[1]



homozygote

homozygote
ho·mo·zy·gote 
[hmō z gt, hòmmō
z gt] (plural ho·mo·zy·gotes) noun

organism
with two identical genes: an organism that has two
identical genes at the same place on two corresponding chromosomes
—ho·mo·zy·got·ic [hmō zī góttik, hòmmō
zī góttik], adjective[1]



homozygous

homozygous
ho·mo·zy·gous 
[hmō zgəss, hòmmō
zgəss] adjective

having
two identical genes: having two identical genes
at the corresponding loci of homologous chromosomes
—ho·mo·zy·gous·ly, adverb[1]



Homs

Homs
Homs 
[homz]

historic city in western
Syria, situated on the Orontes River. Population: 518,000 (1992)[1]



homunculus

homunculus
ho·mun·cu·lus 
[hō múngkyələss] (plural ho·mun·cu·li
[hō múngkyə l]) or ho·mun·cule
[hō múng kyl] (plural ho·mun·cules)
noun

1.  very
small human being: a diminutive human being
without any deformity of physiology

2.  miniature
person inside egg or sperm: in early biological theory,
the fully formed human being that was thought to exist inside an egg or
spermatozoon
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin homunculus, literally “little person,” from homo
(see hominoid ).]
—ho·mun·cu·lar, adjective[1]



homy

homy
hom·y 
adjective

See
homey 2[1]



Hon.

Hon.
Hon.

Abbreviation of
Honorable[1]



hon.

hon.
hon.

1.  Abbreviation
of
honorary

2.  Abbreviation
of
honorable

[1]



hon

hon
hon
[hun] noun

(informal)
See honey  noun 3
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



honan

honan
ho·nan
[h nn] noun

silk
fabric:
a rough-woven raw silk fabric, originally from China
[Early 20th century. Named
for Honan, a province of northern China where the fabric was originally
manufactured.][1]



honcho

honcho
hon·cho 
[hón chō] noun (plural hon·chos)

somebody
in charge:
somebody who is in charge of a project or situation, or of other people, or who
behaves in a self-important way (slang) • Who’s
the head honcho around here?
transitive
verb
(past hon·choed, past participle hon·choed, present
participle hon·cho·ing, 3rd person present singular hon·chos)

be
in charge of something: to manage or organize people
or events (slang) • He’s
the one who honchoed their election campaign.
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese hanchō “group leader.” The term was adopted by U.S. soldiers
during the Korean War.][1]



Hond.

Hond.
Hond.

Abbreviation of
Honduras[1]



Honda,Soichiro

Honda,Soichiro
Hon·da
[hóndə], Soichiro (1906–1992)

Japanese engineer and
business executive. He founded the Honda Motor Company to manufacture
motorcycles (1948) and cars (1963).[1]



Honduras

Honduras



Hon·du·ras 
[hon dyrəss]
republic
in Central America, with coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Language: Spanish. Currency: lempira. Capital: Tegucigalpa. Population:
5,666,000 (1996) Area: 112,088 sq km/43,277 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Honduras
—Hon·du·ran [hon drən], adjective, noun[1]



Honduras




Back to definition

Honduras

[1]



Honduras,Gulf of

Honduras,Gulf of
Hon·du·ras,
Gulf of
[hon dyrəss]

inlet of the Caribbean Sea,
situated between southern Belize, eastern Guatemala, and northern Honduras[1]



hone

hone2
hone2 [hōn]
(past honed, past participle honed, present
participle hon·ing, 3rd person present singular hones)
intransitive verb (regional)

1.  want
very much:
to long for somebody or something

2.  complain
continuously: to complain about somebody or something,
especially in a whining manner
[Early 17th century. From Old
French hognier “to grumble,” of uncertain origin.][1]



hone

hone1
hone1 [hōn]
transitive verb (past honed, past participle honed,
present participle hon·ing, 3rd person present singular hones)

1.  improve
something with refinements: to bring something to a
state of increased intensity, excellence, or completion, especially over a
period of time

2.  sharpen
blade on whetstone: to sharpen a blade on a fine
whetstone
noun
(plural hones)

1.  whetstone:
a fine-grained sedimentary rock used as a whetstone for sharpening razors and
other cutting tools. Emery and silicon carbide products are now largely used
instead.

2.  machine
tool:
a tool with a rotating abrasive head, used to bore holes
[Old
English hān “whetstone.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to sharpen,” which may also be the ancestor of English cone .]
—hon·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  hone
  in
  and home in
  It
  is hard to imagine any context in which hone in could be correct. Hone is a transitive verb that means “sharpen” (
  • hone
  a blade
  ) or, in a metaphorical extension of that idea, “perfect, refine” ( • hone
  his ideas before speaking out ). It is the verb home, generally intransitive, whose meanings
  include “be guided toward, move toward,” that makes sense with the particle in
  : as in • home
  in on his enemy’s weaknesses.

[1]



honest

honest
hon·est 
[ónnəst] adjective

1.  morally
upright:
never cheating, lying, or breaking the law

2.  truthful
or true:
expressing or embodying the truth

3.  impartial:
presenting information in an impartial way

4.  reasonable
in a particular situation: reasonable and acceptable,
given the circumstances • an
honest mistake

5.  unpretentious:
having simple manners and no pretensions • honest
country folk

6.  respectable:
respectable and virtuous (dated)
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin honestus “honorable,” from honos
“honor” (source of English honor ).]
—hon·est·ness,
noun
honest
to God or goodness

1.  used
to express surprise or shock

2.  used
to emphasize the truth of a statement

[1]



honestbroker

honestbroker
hon·est
bro·ker
(plural hon·est bro·kers) noun

arbitrator:
a person, country, or organization that mediates in disputes
[Translation of German ehrlicher
Makler, a phrase describing the German statesman Otto von Bismarck
(1815–1898)][1]



honestly

honestly
hon·est·ly 
[ónnəstlee] adverb

1.  fairly
or justly:
in a way that is fair, just, truthful, and morally upright

2.  genuinely:
really and truly • Can you honestly say
that you care?
interjection

used to express surprise:
used to express surprise, annoyance, or disapproval

[1]



honest-to-God

honest-to-God
hon·est-to-God
or hon·est-to-good·ness adjective

genuine:
completely real or authentic (informal) • You
made a real, honest-to-God mess of that.[1]



honesty

honesty
hon·es·ty 
[ónnəstee] (plural hon·es·ties)
noun

1.  moral
uprightness: the quality, condition, or
characteristic of being fair, just, truthful, and morally upright

2.  truthfulness:
truthfulness, candor, or sincerity • In all
honesty, I really didn’t know.

3.  PLANTS plant
with flat papery seed pods: a hardy European plant with
purplish or white flowers and flat silvery seed pods that are often used for
indoor decoration. Latin name: Lunaria annua
Also
called
silver dollar
Also
called
money plant
Also
called
satin flower

[1]



honewort

honewort
hone·wort 
[hṓn wùrt, hṓn
wàwrt] (plural hone·worts) noun

1.  N
American flowering plant: a perennial plant native to
eastern North America that has clusters of small white flowers and compound
leaves. Latin name: Cryptoaenia canadensis

2.  European
flowering plant: a European plant that has clusters of
small white flowers. Latin name: Trinia glauca
[Mid-17th century. Hone, of
unknown origin.][1]



honey

honey
hon·ey 
[húnnee] noun

1.  FOOD sweet
sticky substance made by bees: a sweet sticky
golden-brown fluid produced by bees from the nectar of flowers, used especially
in cooking, spread on bread, or added to tea

2.  sweet
substance made by other insects: a sweet sticky
substance produced from nectar by insects other than bees

3.  affectionate
term of address: a term of affection or endearment used
to address somebody (informal)
Also
called
hon
Also
called
honeybun
Also
called
honeybunch

4.  somebody
very nice:
somebody who is considered to be very nice or sweet (informal)

5.  something
extremely good: an object, situation, or idea that is
exceptionally good (informal) • That’s
a honey of a motorboat!

6.  COLORS yellowish-brown
color:
a yellowish-brown color, like that of honey
adjective

COLORS of
yellowish-brown color: yellowish brown in color,
like honey
transitive
verb
(past hon·eyed or hon·ied, past participle hon·eyed
or hon·ied, present participle hon·ey·ing, 3rd
person present singular hon·eys)

talk flatteringly to somebody:
to talk to somebody in an affectionate and flattering way, especially
insincerely and for selfish reasons (informal)
[Old English hunig, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



honeybadger

honeybadger
hon·ey
badg·er
(plural hon·ey badg·ers) noun

See
ratel
[From its fondness for honey][1]



honeybear

honeybear
hon·ey
bear
(plural hon·ey bears) noun

See
kinkajou
[From its practice of sucking
honey from the nests of bees][1]



honeybee

honeybee
hon·ey·bee 
[húnni b] (plural hon·ey·bees)
noun

bee that makes honey:
a honey-producing bee that lives in organized groups and has been domesticated
for its honey and beeswax since ancient times. Latin name: Apis mellifera[1]



honeybun

honeybun
hon·ey·bun
[húnni bun] or hon·ey·bunch [húnni bùnch] noun

(informal) See honey  noun 3[1]



honey-buzzard

honey-buzzard
hon·ey-buz·zard
(plural hon·ey-buz·zards) noun

European bird of prey:
a bird of prey that is native to Europe and feeds on honey from bees’ nests.
Latin name: Perno apivorus[1]



honeycomb

honeycomb

hon·ey·comb 
[húnni km] noun (plural hon·ey·combs)

1.  structure
of six-sided cells: a collection of hexagonal
cells constructed of wax by bees inside a hive or nest in which honey is
stored, eggs are laid, and larvae develop

2.  FOOD cells containing
honey eaten as food: a structure made up of waxy
hexagonal cells containing honey that is extracted from a bees’ hive or nest
and eaten by animals and humans

3.  something
resembling honeycomb: an object resembling a
honeycomb in pattern or structure, especially by consisting of a network of
hexagons

4.  TEXTILES honeycomb
-patterned fabric: a soft fabric woven in a
pattern of ridges and hollows similar to those in a honeycomb, usually used for
towels and bedspreads
transitive verb
(past hon·ey·combed, past participle hon·ey·combed,
present participle hon·ey·comb·ing, 3rd person present
singular hon·ey·combs)

1.  provide
something with holes: to fill a wall, cliff, or
structure with many cavities

2.  infiltrate
something thoroughly: to infiltrate a place or
organization thoroughly • an
intelligence agency honeycombed by double agents
[Possibly
so called because the arrangement of the plates hanging from the roof of a hive
resembles a comb with its teeth]
—hon·ey·combed, adjective[1]



honeycombmoth

honeycombmoth
hon·ey·comb
moth
(plural hon·ey·comb moths) noun

See
wax moth[1]



honeycreeper

honeycreeper
hon·ey·creep·er 
[húnni krpər] (plural hon·ey·creep·ers)
noun

1.  small
tropical American bird: a small tropical American
bird that has brightly-colored plumage and a long slender beak for sucking
nectar from flowers. Family: Coerebidae

2.  small
Hawaiian bird: a Hawaiian bird that resembles the
honeycreeper of tropical America. Family: Drepanididae

[1]



honeydew

honeydew
hon·ey·dew 
[húnni d] (plural hon·ey·dews)
noun

1.  INSECTS sweet
substance produced by aphids: a sweet sticky substance
deposited on leaves by aphids and certain other insects as a by-product of the
juices they suck from plants

2.  BOTANY sweet
substance exuded by plants: a sweet sticky substance
produced by the leaves of some plants

3.  FOOD See honeydew melon
[From
the belief that the substance was distilled from the air like dew]
—hon·ey·dewed, adjective[1]



honeydewmelon

honeydewmelon
hon·ey·dew
mel·on
(plural hon·ey·dew mel·ons) noun

melon with sweet green flesh:
a melon with sweet green flesh and a smooth greenish-white rind. Latin name: Cucumis
melo
Also called
honeydew[1]



honeyeater

honeyeater
hon·ey·eat·er 
[húnnee tər] (plural hon·ey·eat·ers)
noun

slender Australasian bird:
a slender bird, found from Australia to Hawaii, that has a long beak and a long
brush-tipped tongue for extracting nectar from flowers. Family: Meliphagidae[1]



honeyed

honeyed
hon·eyed 
[húnneed] or hon·ied [húnneed] adjective

1.  ingratiating:
intended to flatter or soothe

2.  pleasant-sounding:
sweet and pleasant to hear

3.  sweetened
with honey:
containing or sweetened with honey
—hon·eyed·ly, adverb[1]



honeyfungus

honeyfungus
hon·ey
fun·gus
noun

edible
mushroom that grows in clusters: a mushroom that has a
golden or brown cap and is edible when cooked. It grows in small tight clusters
at the base of trees, and is possibly the most serious fungal parasite
affecting coniferous trees. Latin name: Armillaria mellea
[From its color][1]



honeyguide

honeyguide
hon·ey
guide
(plural hon·ey guides) noun

1.  BIRDS small
tropical bird feeding on beeswax: a small bird of
tropical African and Asian forests that feeds on the wax and larvae remaining
after people or animals have removed the honey from bees’ nests. Family:
Indicatoridae

2.  BOTANY markings
on flower:
dots or lines on the perianth of a flower that guide insects toward the nectar.
They are sometimes only visible to the human eye in ultraviolet photographs.

[1]



honeylocust

honeylocust
hon·ey
lo·cust
(plural hon·ey lo·custs) noun

thorny tree with long pods:
a thorny tree native to eastern North America with compound leaves and long
pods containing a sweet pulp. Genus: Gleditsia[1]



honeymesquite

honeymesquite
hon·ey
mes·quite
(plural hon·ey mes·quites) noun

tree
with edible pods: a species of mesquite tree found in the
southwestern United States, with an edible, nutritious pod. Latin name: Prosopis
juliflora
[So called because of the sweet-tasting
pulp of its edible pods][1]



honeymoon

honeymoon
hon·ey·moon 
[húnni mn] noun (plural hon·ey·moons)

1.  vacation
for newly-married couple: a period of time spent alone
together, especially away, by a newly-married couple, usually immediately
following the wedding or reception

2.  period
of good feeling: a short period of harmony or goodwill at
the beginning of a relationship, especially in politics or business
intransitive
verb
(past hon·ey·mooned, past participle hon·ey·mooned,
present participle hon·ey·moon·ing, 3rd person present singular
hon·ey·moons)

go on honeymoon:
to go on vacation just after getting married
[Originally
in the sense “waning affection,” from the idea that although married love is at
first as sweet as honey, it soon wanes like the moon]
—hon·ey·moon·er, noun[1]



honeymouse

honeymouse
hon·ey
mouse
noun

small marsupial with long
snout: a small Australian marsupial
with a very long snout adapted for feeding on pollen and honey, a long tail,
and light brown fur with dark stripes. Latin name: Tarsipes spenserae
Also called
honeysucker[1]



honeyplant

honeyplant
hon·ey
plant
(plural hon·ey plants) noun

plant producing nectar:
a plant that provides bees with nectar[1]



honeysucker

honeysucker
hon·ey·suck·er
[húnni sukər] (plural hon·ey-suck·er)
noun

See
honey mouse[1]



honeysuckle

honeysuckle

hon·ey·suck·le 
[húnni sùk’l] (plural hon·ey·suck·les)
noun

1.  climbing
shrub with fragrant flowers: a climbing shrub that has
twining stems and fragrant tubular flowers with spreading twin-petal lobes.
Genus: Lonicera

2.  Australian
plant:
an Australian plant with flowers that grow in spike-shaped clusters. Genus: Banksia

3.  Ireland
fuchsia:
a fuchsia plant
[Old English hunigsūce,
from honey + suck
. So called from the belief that bees extract honey from it.][1]



honeysuckleornament

honeysuckleornament
hon·ey·suck·le
or·na·ment
(plural hon·ey·suck·le or·na·ments) noun

See
anthemion[1]



honey-sweet

honey-sweet
hon·ey-sweet
adjective

sweet and attractive:
sounding or appearing sweet and attractive[1]



HongKong




Back to definition

HongKong

[1]



HongKong

HongKong

Hong Kong 
[hóng kòng]
seaport and major commercial center on
the southeastern coast of China. A former British colony, it is now a Chinese
Special Administrative Region. Population: 6,189,800 (1995) Area: 1,076 sq
km/415 sq mi.[1]



HongKong English

HongKong English
Hong
Kong Eng·lish noun

a
variety of English spoken in Hong Kong





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Hong Kong English is the English
  language as used in Hong Kong, ranging from forms close to British, U.S., and
  Australian usage to those influenced by and mixed with Cantonese, the
  language of some 98 percent of the population. Hong Kong English
  pronunciation is “nonrhotic,” that is, “r” is not pronounced in such words as
  art, door, and worker . It generally shares features
  with English as used in mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore: e.g. glottal
  stops replacing the /p, t, k/ consonants at the ends of such words as map,
  pat, and tack . In grammar, there is a tendency to use the
  present tense when describing events in the past and future (“When I see him
  in school yesterday” and “Tomorrow I ask him about it”). Hong Kong English
  has three sources of distinctive vocabulary. The first is represented by
  items taken directly from Chinese (especially Cantonese), e.g. gweilo
  ghost man/person for “a European” and feng shui wind-water denoting a
  system of laws that govern spatial relationships with respect to the flow of
  energy, used in situating buildings advantageously. The second vocabulary
  source is represented by items that translate Chinese words and phrases, such
  as dragon boat a long decorated boat configured as a dragon, used in
  racing at festivals and snakehead a smuggler of illegal immigrants
  from mainland China. A third vocabulary source is represented by items common
  to former British colonies, especially in Asia, e.g. expat (English),
  short for “expatriate,” godown (probably from Tamil), “warehouse,” and
  shroff (from Arabic through Indian languages), “cashier.”

[1]



honied

honied
hon·ied 
adjective

See
honeyed[1]



honk

honk

honk 
[hongk] noun (plural honks)

1.  sound
of car horn: the sound made by a car horn

2.  cry
of goose:
the raucous sound made by a goose

3.  sound
resembling goose or car horn: any sound, for example, a
laugh or a blowing of the nose, that resembles the sound made by a goose or a
car horn
verb (past
honked, past participle honked, present participle honk·ing,
3rd person present singular honks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sound
car horn:
to cause a car horn to make a honk

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
honk:
to let out or give out a honk
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



honker

honker
honk·er
[hóngkər] (plural honk·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that honks: a person, animal, or object,
for example, a goose or a car horn, that makes a honking sound

2.  large
nose:
a nose, especially a large one (informal)

3.  Canada
Canada
goose:
a Canada goose (informal)

[1]



honky

honky
hon·ky
[hóngkee] (plural hon·kies) or
hon·kie [hóngkee] (plural hon·kies)
or hon·key [hóngkee] (plural
hon·keys) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a Caucasian (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Wolof (an African language) honq “pink,”
perhaps also influenced by hunky .][1]



honky-tonk

honky-tonk
hon·ky-tonk 
[hóngki tòngk] noun (plural hon·ky-tonks)

1.  cheap
nightclub:
a cheap, noisy, and often disreputable bar or nightclub (slang)

2.  ragtime
piano-playing: a style of ragtime with a heavy beat,
usually played on an upright piano with a tinny sound

3.  country
music:
a style of country music associated with honky-tonks • honky-tonk
blues
intransitive
verb
(past hon·ky-tonked, past participle hon·ky-tonked,
present participle hon·ky-tonk·ing, 3rd person present
singular hon·ky-tonks)

visit honky-tonks:
to frequent cheap noisy bars and nightclubs
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Honolulu

Honolulu
Hon·o·lu·lu 
[hònnə l loo]

urban area and capital of
Hawaii, located on Oahu Island, Hawaii. Population: 365,272 (1990)[1]



honor

honor
hon·or 
[ónnər] noun (plural hon·ors)

1.  personal
integrity:
strong moral character or strength, and adherence to ethical principles • It’s
a matter of honor.

2.  respect:
great respect and admiration

3.  dignity
or distinction: personal dignity that sometimes leads to
recognition and glory • Although
defeated, he accepted the loss with honor

4.  reputation:
somebody’s good name or good reputation • My
honor is at stake.

5.  woman’s
reputation:
a woman’s virginity or reputation for chastity (dated)

6.  source
of pride:
somebody or something that brings respect or glory and is a source of pride to
somebody or something else • Your
achievements are an honor to your parents and school.

7.  mark
of distinction: something such as a gift, award, or
gesture that signifies high achievement or respect

8.  great
privilege:
a special privilege that is cherished, for example, an opportunity to be
introduced to somebody admired or respected or an opportunity to serve a worthy
cause • It
is indeed an honor to have you here today.

9.  men’s
code of integrity: a code of integrity in some
societies, for example, in feudal Europe and medieval Japan, that men upheld by
force of arms

10. dignity
of high position: a certain high degree of dignity with
which high positions, for example, the Presidency, are regarded by those
elected to them and by the people they serve • actions
detrimental to the honor of his office

11. GOLF right
to tee off first: the right to drive off first from the
tee in golf
plural
noun

1.  hon·ors
or Hon·ors EDUCATION
academic
distinction: official recognition of academic
excellence given to students by colleges and universities at graduation

2.  honors
BRIDGE four
or five highest cards: four or five of the highest
cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit
transitive
verb
(past hon·ored, past participle hon·ored, present
participle hon·or·ing, 3rd person present singular hon·ors)

1.  esteem
somebody or something: to have or show great
respect and admiration for somebody or something

2.  distinguish,
exalt, or ennoble somebody: to recognize somebody
publicly or elevate somebody’s status officially, usually by giving that person
a title or an award

3.  pay
tribute to somebody: to praise publicly and pay
respect to somebody who has died

4.  dignify
person or event: to give prestige to somebody or
something such as an occasion by choosing to appear, accompany, or take part

5.  FINANCE treat
something as money: to accept a check or other
financial instrument as money or as a substitute for money and pay it when it
is due • The
bank won’t honor a check without a signature.

6.  keep
promise:
to keep a promise or fulfill the terms of an agreement or contract

7.  DANCE bow to
dancing partner: to bow to another dancer in square
dancing
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin honor-, the stem of honos
(source also of English honest ), of
unknown origin.]
—hon·or·er,
noun

—hon·or·less,
adjective
do
somebody the honor of doing something

to
make somebody feel proud and pleased by agreeing to do something for that
person (formal) • Will
you do me the honor of dancing the last waltz with me?

do
the honors

to
act as host or hostess by doing something for a group of guests, for example,
pouring wine, carving meat, or cutting a cake (informal)

honor
bound

obligated
by a promise or ethical principles to do something

in
honor of somebody or something

in
recognition of or for the glorification of somebody or something • I’d
like to propose a toast in honor of the bride and groom.

on
your honor

1.  staking
your reputation on something • On my
honor, I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

2.  being
trusted to act in a particular way • You
are on your honor to behave well while I am gone.

[1]



Honor

Honor
Hon·or
(plural Hon·ors) noun

form of address to judge:
used as a form of address to dignitaries such as judges and mayors • Your
Honor, may we approach the bench?[1]



Honorable

Honorable
Hon·or·a·ble
adjective

1.  used
as title of respect: used as a title of respect
before somebody’s name to indicate entitlement to respect because of an
official position held or to address a parliamentary colleague • The
Honorable Mr. Smith, the presiding judge, is on the bench.

2.  U.K.
used
as courtesy title for nobility: used as a courtesy
title in the United Kingdom for the children of some members of the aristocracy

[1]



honorable

honorable
hon·or·a·ble 
[ónnərəb’l] adjective

1.  having
personal integrity: guided by, or with a
reputation for having, strong moral and ethical principles

2.  deserving
or gaining honor: worthy of or winning honor, respect,
recognition, or glory

3.  morally
upright:
upright and moral in intent (formal) • I
hope his intentions are honorable.
—hon·or·a·bil·i·ty
[ònnərə bíllətee], noun

—hon·or·a·ble·ness
[ónnərəb’lnəss], noun

—hon·or·a·bly, adverb[1]



honorabledischarge

honorabledischarge
hon·or·a·ble
dis·charge
(plural hon·or·a·ble dis·charg·es) noun

regular release from military
service: an official separation from
the armed forces, signifying that all duties have been honorably fulfilled[1]



honorablemention

honorablemention
hon·or·a·ble
men·tion
(plural hon·or·a·ble men·tions) noun

praise instead of prize:
an official or public commendation, usually granted to somebody who has done
well in a competition but not actually won an award[1]



honorarium

honorarium
hon·o·rar·i·um 
[ònnə ráiree əm] (plural hon·o·rar·i·ums
or hon·o·rar·i·a [ònnə ráiree ə])
noun

fee
for service: an amount of money paid to somebody,
especially a professional or famous person, for providing a service such as
addressing a conference
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin, “gift made on being admitted to a post of honor,” from,
ultimately, honor “ honor .”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

[1]



honorary

honorary
hon·or·ar·y 
[ónnə rèrree] adjective

1.  awarded
as honor:
given, elected, or awarded for outstanding service or distinguished
achievements, rather than for the completion of formal educational or legal
requirements

2.  symbolizing
honor conferred: representing the bestowal of an honor or
distinction on somebody

3.  unpaid:
holding an office awarded as an honor and receiving no payment for services
provided in that office

4.  not
legally enforceable: dependent on somebody’s
sense of honor and honesty for fulfillment, rather than on a legal agreement

[1]



honoree

honoree
hon·or·ee 
[ònnə r] (plural hon·or·ees) noun

somebody being honored:
somebody who is receiving an award or being distinguished in some way, for
example, at a ceremony[1]



honorguard

honorguard
hon·or
guard
(plural hon·or guards) noun

military guard assigned to
ceremony: a group of soldiers,
sailors, air force personnel, or Marines who perform a ceremonial duty, for
example, attending a casket at a military funeral or raising and lowering a
flag[1]



honorific

honorific
hon·or·if·ic 
[ònnə ríffik] adjective

conferring or showing honor:
given as a mark of distinction, or reflecting esteem and respect
noun
(plural hon·or·if·ics)

1.  title
of respect:
a title of respect, for example, “The Honorable,” used in speech or writing
before the full name or the surname of a social or governmental superior

2.  GRAMMAR grammatical
form acknowledging inferiority of speaker: a
phrase or word, for example, a pronoun or a verb inflection, that is used to
show respect to somebody of a higher status

[1]



honoriscausa

honoriscausa
hon·or·is
cau·sa 
[o nàwriss kówssə, o
nàwriss ków z] adverb

as
honor:
as a mark of honor (formal) • a
doctorate in humane letters conferred honoris causa
[From Latin, “for the sake of
honor”][1]



honorroll

honorroll
hon·or
roll
(plural hon·or rolls) noun

roster of best students:
a list of secondary-school students, for example, in high school, who have
excellent grades or a high grade point average • Seven
seniors made the honor roll first semester.[1]



honorsociety

honorsociety
hon·or
so·ci·e·ty
noun

society for recognition of
student achievement: a club,
usually in high school, of students who have excellent grades or a high grade
point average[1]



honorsof war

honorsof war
hon·ors
of war
plural noun

1.  privileges
accorded to defeated enemy: certain privileges that are
accorded members of a defeated army

2.  respect
to dead soldier: marks of respect paid by troops at the
burial of another soldier

[1]



honorsystem

honorsystem
hon·or
sys·tem
(plural hon·or sys·tems) noun

system of trust:
a system under which people are relied on to be honest without direct
supervision[1]



honour

honour
hon·our 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
honor[1]



HonoursList

HonoursList
Hon·ours
List
(plural Hon·ours Lists) noun

list of people receiving
honors: a list of individuals who
have been or are to be awarded honors such as a peerage or membership in a
chivalric order by the British monarch[1]



Honshu

Honshu
Hon·shu 
[hón shoo]

the largest and most populous
island of Japan. Area: 230,940 sq km/89,166 sq mi. Population: 99,254,194
(1990)[1]



hoo

hoo
hoo
[hoo] (plural hoos) noun

owl’s
sound:
the hooting sound made by an owl
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



hooch

hooch2
hooch2 [hooch]
(plural hooch·es) or hootch [hooch] (plural hootch·es) noun

troops’
quarters in SE Asia: a semipermanent structure
such as a hut used as a quarters for troops in Southeast Asia (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Japanese uchi “dwelling,” influenced by English
hut .][1]



hooch

hooch1
hooch1  [hooch]
(plural hooch·es) or hootch [hooch] (plural hootch·es) noun
(slang)

1.  cheap
or illegal alcohol: hard liquor, especially when
very cheap or illegally obtained or distilled

2.  marijuana:
marijuana
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of hoochinoo, from Hoochinoo, a Tlingit village in
Alaska where illegal liquor was made, from Tlingit xutsnu:wú, literally
“brown bear’s fort.”][1]



hood

hood2
hood2 [hd]
(plural hoods) noun

hoodlum:
a hoodlum (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



hood

hood1
hood1 [hd]
noun (plural hoods)

1.  loose
covering for head: a covering for the head that
is usually attached to the neck of a coat

2.  cover
for device:
a cover for an appliance or machine, or a device such as a camera lens

3.  AUTOMOTIVE engine
cover:
the hinged cover over the engine of a car or other vehicle • Let’s
check under the hood to see what’s wrong.
U.K.
term
bonnet  noun 2

4.  part
of academic robe: an ornamental piece of cloth, often
trimmed with fur or luxurious fabric, that hangs from the shoulders of an
academic or ecclesiastical robe to indicate the status of the wearer

5.  folding
roof:
the folding roof of a vehicle such as a carriage or convertible car

6.  cover
for chimney: a fixed or revolving cover attached to
the top of a chimney to prevent downdrafts

7.  head
covering for falcon: a bag placed over the head
of a falcon to keep it calm when it is not hunting

8.  ZOOLOGY growth
or marking on animal’s head: a crest, marking, or other
conspicuous part on the head of an animal
transitive
verb
(past hood·ed, past participle hood·ed, present
participle hood·ing, 3rd person present singular hoods)

cover something with hood:
to cover the head of a person, animal, or bird with a hood
[Old
English hōd . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cover,”
which is also the ancestor of English hat
and heed .]
—hood·less,
adjective

—hood·like, adjective[1]



hood

hood3
hood3 [hd]
(plural hoods) noun

neighborhood:
a neighborhood (slang)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



-hood

-hood
-hood
suffix

1.  quality,
state, condition • knighthood

2.  a
group of people • brotherhood
[Old English -hād
(related to German -heit )][1]



hooded

hooded
hood·ed 
[hdəd] adjective

1.  covered
by a hood:
covered by or having a hood

2.  partly
hidden:
partly concealed or covered • dark,
hooded eyes

3.  ZOOLOGY having
crest:
having a crest, markings, or a specialized structure on the head
—hood·ed·ness, noun[1]



hoodedcrow

hoodedcrow
hood·ed
crow
(plural hood·ed crows) noun

black-headed and gray-bodied
crow: a crow of Europe and Asia
with a black head, tail, and wings, and a gray body. It is a subspecies of the
carrion crow. Latin name: Corvus corone cornix[1]



hoodedseal

hoodedseal
hood·ed
seal
(plural hood·ed seals) noun

seal of northern oceans:
a large gray-spotted seal of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The mature
male has an inflatable sac near its nose that it uses in fighting. Latin name: Cystophora
cristata[1]



Hoodless,Adelaide

Hoodless,Adelaide
Hood·less
[hdləss], Adelaide (1857–1910)

Canadian
educational reformer. She campaigned for improved education for women and
founded the first Women’s Institute in Canada (1897).
Born
Hunter, Adelaide[1]



hoodlum

hoodlum
hood·lum 
[hdləm, hdləm]
(plural hood·lums) noun

1.  gangster:
a criminal or gangster, especially one prone to violence

2.  young
vandal or criminal: a young person who is
violent or prone to committing crimes
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a word related to German dialect hudelum
“disorderly” or huddelumpe “rags, careless person.”]
—hood·lum·ish,
adjective

—hood·lum·ism, noun[1]



hoodmold

hoodmold
hood·mold 
(plural hood·molds) noun

See
dripstone[1]



hoodoo

hoodoo
hoo·doo 
[h d] noun (plural hoo·doos)

1.  See
voodoo

2.  bad
luck:
bad luck or misfortune

3.  bringer
of bad luck: somebody or something believed to bring
bad luck

4.  oddly-shaped
rock column: in the western United States and Canada,
a column of rock that has been weathered into a strange shape
transitive
verb
(past hoo·dooed, past participle hoo·dooed, present
participle hoo·doo·ing, 3rd person present singular hoo·doos)

jinx somebody or something:
to appear to bring bad luck or misfortune to somebody or something
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: possibly an alteration of voodoo .]
—hoo·doo·ism, noun[1]



hoodwink

hoodwink
hood·wink 
[hd wìngk] (past hood·winked,
past participle hood·winked, present participle hood·wink·ing,
3rd person present singular hood·winks) transitive verb

1.  trick
somebody:
to deceive or dupe somebody, especially by trickery

2.  blindfold
somebody:
to put a blindfold on somebody (archaic)

3.  conceal
something:
to conceal or hide something (archaic)
—hood·wink·er, noun[1]



hooey

hooey
hoo·ey 
[h ee] noun

nonsense:
empty or nonsensical talk or ideas (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hoof

hoof
hoof 
[hf, hoof]
noun (plural hooves [hvz,
hoovz] or hoofs)

1.  animal’s
foot of horny material: the foot of a horse, deer,
cow, or similar animal, covered with horny material

2.  horny
covering of foot: the horny material covering the feet of
animals such as horses, deer, and cattle

3.  animal
with hooves: an animal such as a horse, deer, or cow
that has hooves

4.  human
foot:
the foot of a human being (slang humorous)
transitive
verb
(past hoofed, past participle hoofed, present
participle hoof·ing, 3rd person present singular hoofs)

1.  travel
distance on foot: to walk a specified distance (slang)

2.  kick
somebody or something: to kick or trample a person
or animal
[Old
English hōf . Ultimately from an Indo-European word.]
—hoof·less,
adjective
hoof
it

1.  to
walk (slang)

2.  to
dance (slang)

hoof
it up

to
dance (slang)

on
the hoof

1.  alive
and not yet butchered

2.  without
sufficient thought or attention (informal)

[1]



hoof-and-mouthdisease

hoof-and-mouthdisease
hoof-and-mouth
dis·ease 
noun

See
foot-and-mouth disease[1]



hoofed

hoofed
hoofed 
[hft, hooft]
or hooved [hft, hooft] adjective

having hooves:
having hooves, or having hooves of a particular size and type[1]



hoofer

hoofer
hoof·er 
[hfər, hfər]
(plural hoof·ers) noun

professional dancer:
a professional dancer, especially a tap dancer (slang)[1]



hoofprint

hoofprint
hoof·print
[hf print, hf
print] (plural hoof·prints) noun

footprint of hoofed animal:
an imprint of an animal’s hoof[1]



hoo-hah

hoo-hah
hoo-hah 
[h h] (plural hoo-hahs) or
hoo-ha [h h] (plural hoo-has)
noun

fuss:
a loud noisy aggressive public fuss, controversy, or disturbance (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Yiddish hu-ha, ultimately an imitation of the
sound.][1]



hook

hook
hook 
[hk] noun (plural hooks)

1.  bent
piece of metal: a bent or curved piece of metal or other
material, used to attach, suspend, fasten, or lift another object

2.  something
resembling hook: something resembling a curved piece of
metal, especially a plant or animal part

3.  ANGLING See fishhook

4.  AGRICULTURE See sickle  noun 1

5.  trap
or snare:
a stratagem for trapping or snaring somebody

6.  something
that attracts: a means of attracting or interesting
somebody, especially a potential customer (informal)

7.  BOXING short
swinging blow: in boxing, a short blow to an opponent
delivered with a swing and a bent arm

8.  GOLF golf
shot curving sharply: a golf shot that swerves
sharply from right to left in the case of a right-handed player

9.  BASEBALL See curve ball

10. BASKETBALL See hook shot

11. crest
of breaking wave: the crest of a wave that is about to
break

12. HOCKEY act of
restraining ice hockey player: the act of using an
ice hockey stick to prevent another player from moving freely.
Also
called
hookcheck

13. part
of letter:
in writing or printing, a short curve of a letter that extends above or below
the line • the
hook of the “g”

14. MUSIC catchy
refrain:
a pleasing and easily remembered refrain in a pop song
verb
(past hooked, past participle hooked, present
participle hook·ing, 3rd person present singular hooks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
with hook:
to fasten by means of hooks or hooks and eyes

2.  transitive
verb
attach
one thing to another: to attach one thing to
another by means of a specially designed mechanical device • hook
the trailer to the car

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
like hook:
to curve or cause something to curve in the shape of a hook • The
road hooks sharply to the left.

4.  transitive
verb
ensnare
something:
to catch or ensnare something using a hook

5.  transitive
verb
catch
somebody’s attention: to attract and hold
somebody’s interest or attention

6.  transitive
verb
DRUGS make
somebody addicted: to cause somebody to become
addicted or dependent on something, especially a drug (slang)

7.  transitive
verb
BOXING hit
somebody with curving blow: in boxing, to deliver a
sharp curving blow to an opponent, using a curved or bent arm

8.  transitive
verb
GOLF strike
swerving ball in golf: in golf, to strike the ball
so that it swerves sharply from right to left in the case of a right-handed
player

9.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL throw
curved ball in baseball: in baseball, to pitch the
ball with a curve

10. transitive
verb
BASKETBALL shoot
ball in basketball: in basketball, to shoot the
ball by sweeping the hand upward and farther away from the basket while moving
sideways toward the basket

11. transitive
verb
HOCKEY restrain
player with ice hockey stick: to use an ice hockey stick
to prevent another player from moving freely

12. intransitive
verb
be
prostitute:
to work as a prostitute (slang)

13. transitive
verb
gore
somebody or something: to gore a person or animal
with the horns or tusks

14. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE cut
something with sickle: to cut grass or similar
plants with a sickle

15. transitive
verb
CRAFT make
rug:
to make a rug by pulling pieces of wool through holes in stiff canvas using a
special hook

16. transitive
verb
steal
something:
to seize and steal something (slang)
[Old
English hōc . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “hook,
tooth,” which is also the ancestor of English hack
and heckle .]
—hook·less,
adjective
by
hook or by crook

by
some means or other

get
the hook

to
be removed unceremoniously from a place or position (slang)

hook,
line, and sinker

to
a complete and total degree (informal)

off
the hook

1.  free
of a difficult situation (informal)

2.  with
the receiver off its cradle so that no telephone calls can be received

on
the hook

caught
in a difficult situation (informal)

[1]



hookah

hookah
hook·ah 
[hkə, hkə]
(plural hook·ahs) noun

Eastern
water pipe for smoking: an Asian pipe for smoking
tobacco or marijuana, consisting of a flexible tube with a mouthpiece attached
to a container of water through which smoke is drawn and cooled.
Also
called
hubble-bubble
Also
called
narghile
[Mid-18th century. Via Urdu
from Arabic ua “jar.”][1]



hookand eye

hookand eye
hook
and eye
(plural hooks and eyes) noun

1.  clothes
fastener:
a fastening for clothes consisting of a small hook inserted into a metal or
thread loop

2.  latch:
a latch for a gate or door consisting of a metal hook inserted into a metal
loop

[1]



hook-and-laddertruck

hook-and-laddertruck
hook-and-lad·der
truck 
(plural hook-and-lad·der trucks) noun

fire engine:
a fire engine equipped with extension ladders and hooked poles.
Also called
ladder truck[1]



hookcheck

hookcheck
hook·check
(plural hook·checks) noun

HOCKEY
See hook  noun 12[1]



hooked

hooked
hooked 
[hkt] adjective

1.  DRUGS addicted:
addicted to a drug (slang)

2.  obsessed
with somebody or something: in love with or compulsively
attracted to somebody, or obsessed with something (slang)

3.  shaped
like hook:
bent or shaped like a hook

4.  having
hook at end: ending in a hook

5.  CRAFT made
using yarn hook: made by hooking yarn through canvas

[1]



hooker

hooker1
hook·er1 [hkər]
(plural hook·ers) noun

prostitute:
a prostitute (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from an earlier meaning “sneak thief.”][1]



hooker

hooker2
hook·er2 [hkər]
(plural hook·ers) noun

drink
of liquor:
a drink of hard liquor, typically a big one (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hooker

hooker3
hook·er3  [hkər]
(plural hook·ers) noun

somebody or something that
hooks: a person, animal, or object
that catches something by hooking it[1]



hooker

hooker4
hook·er4  [hkər]
(plural hook·ers) noun

1.  fishing
boat:
a commercial fishing vessel that uses hooks and lines instead of nets

2.  cargo
boat:
a large cargo boat with several sails, formerly used off the western coast of
Ireland and now used as a pleasure craft

3.  shabby
boat:
an old, shabby, or ungraceful boat
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
hoeker, a shortening of Middle Dutch hoeckboot “fishing boat,”
from hoec “fishhook.”][1]



Hooker,Joseph

Hooker,Joseph
Hook·er 
[hkər], Joseph (1814–1879)

U.S.
general. Known as an aggressive leader, he was put in command of the Army of
the Potomac (1863).
Known as
Fighting Joe[1]



hookey

hookey
hook·ey
noun

See
hooky[1]



hooknose

hooknose
hook·nose 
[hk nz] (plural hook·nos·es)
noun

aquiline
nose:
a nose with a noticeable curve at the end, like an eagle’s beak
—hook·nosed, adjective[1]



Hookof Holland

Hookof Holland
Hook
of Hol·land


1.  cape
on the North Sea coast of South Holland province, southwestern Netherlands. Dutch
Hoek van Holland

2.  seaport
on the Hook of Holland, situated approximately 10 km/6 mi northwest of
Rotterdam

[1]



hookshot

hookshot
hook
shot
(plural hook shots) noun

basketball shot:
a shot that is made by sweeping the hand upward and farther away from the
basket while moving sideways toward the basket.
Also called
hook[1]



hooktip

hooktip
hook·tip
[hk tìp] (plural hook·tips) noun

moth with hooked forewings:
a moth that has forewings ending in a hooked point. Genus: Daepana[1]



hookup

hookup
hook·up 
[hk ùp] (plural hook·ups) noun

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
system:
a number of items of electronic equipment designed to operate together (informal)

2.  UTILITIES link
between source and user: a connection allowing a user
access to a utility such as electricity, gas, or water • a
gas hookup

3.  relationship:
an alliance between people, groups, or things, especially an unlikely one (informal)
• a
bizarre hookup between political enemies over an issue

4.  ANGLING catch
in offshore fishing: in offshore big game
fishing, an act of catching a fish on the end of the line

[1]



hookup

hookup
hook
up
verb (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
connect
electronic devices: to set up or connect
electronic or electric devices • Is the
microphone hooked up?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
together:
to meet and become associated, or cause somebody to meet and become associated
with somebody else

[1]



hookworm

hookworm
hook·worm 
[hk wùrm] (plural hook·worms)
noun

1.  parasitic
worm:
a blood-sucking, disease-causing nematode worm that bores through the skin,
attaching itself to the intestinal walls with its hooked mouthparts. Family:
Ancylostomatidae

2.  See
ancylostomiasis
Also
called
hookworm disease

[1]



hookwormdisease

hookwormdisease
hook·worm
dis·ease
noun

See
ancylostomiasis[1]



hooky

hooky
hook·y 
[hkee] or hook·ey [hkee] noun

truancy:
absence, especially from school, without permission (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from hook
in the meaning “to run away.”]
play
hooky

to be absent without
permission, especially from school (informal)[1]



hooligan

hooligan
hoo·li·gan 
[hligən] (plural hoo·li·gans)
noun

young
vandal or criminal: a young person who is
violent or prone to committing crimes (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Hooligan, surname of a fictional rowdy Irish family
in a music-hall song, and name of a comic Irish character in a cartoon.][1]



hooliganism

hooliganism
hoo·li·gan·ism
[hligə nìzzəm] noun

rowdy criminal behavior:
acts of vandalism and violence in public places, committed especially by youths[1]



hoop

hoop
hoop 
[hoop, hp]
noun (plural hoops)

1.  ring
holding barrel together: the metal or wooden ring
used to hold the staves of a barrel in place

2.  ring
jumped through in circus: a large light ring, often
with paper stretched over it, through which trained animals or performers jump

3.  ACCESSORIES support
for petticoat or skirt: a lightweight cane, wire, or
whalebone ring, or a structure made of several such rings, used, especially
formerly, to stiffen a woman’s skirt or petticoat

4.  CLOTHES wide
stiff petticoat or skirt: a petticoat or skirt
stiffened by cane, wire, or whalebone rings

5.  SEWING band
for keeping embroidery fabric taut:
either of a pair of wooden or metal bands used to keep fabric taut when it is
being embroidered

6.  earring:
an earring formed from a continuous ring of metal

7.  circular
part of finger ring: the part of a ring that the
finger fits through

8.  BASKETBALL metal
ring holding net in basketball: in basketball, the
metal ring from which an open-bottomed net is suspended, through which the ball
is thrown in order to score points

9.  BASKETBALL basketball
game:
the game of basketball (slang)

10. SPORTS croquet
wicket:
in croquet, a metal arch through which the ball is driven
transitive
verb
(past hooped, past participle hooped, present
participle hoop·ing, 3rd person present singular hoops)

put hoop around something:
to surround something with a hoop or band
[Old
English hōp, of prehistoric West Germanic origin]
jump

or
go through hoops (for somebody)to go to extreme lengths to gain favor
with somebody or to carry out somebody’s wishes (informal)[1]



hooper

hooper
hoop·er 
[hpər, hpər]
(plural hoop·ers) noun

maker of barrels:
somebody who makes or repairs barrels[1]



hoopla

hoopla
hoop·la 
[hp l, hp l]
noun

1.  loud
celebration: noisy excited commotion or joyous
celebrating (slang)

2.  great
public uproar: a great amount of public fuss,
commotion, or uproar with attendant publicity or media interest (slang)

3.  misleading
talk:
intentionally misleading talk or propaganda (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French houp-là “upsy-daisy!”][1]



hoopoe

hoopoe

hoo·poe 
[h p, h p]
(plural hoo·poes or hoo·poe) noun
crested
bird with downward-curving bill: a Eurasian bird with a
pinkish-brown head and back, a very prominent crest, a downward-curving bill,
and a loud cry. Latin name: Upupa epops
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of earlier hoop, via Old French huppe from, ultimately, Latin upupa,
an imitation of the bird’s cry.][1]



hooppine

hooppine
hoop
pine
noun

Australian timber tree:
an Australian timber tree with rough bark. Latin name: Araucaria
cunninghamii[1]



hoopskirt

hoopskirt

hoop skirt
(plural hoop skirts) noun
long bell-shaped skirt:
a long full skirt held out in the shape of a bell by a series of connected
hoops, fashionable in the 18th and early 19th centuries[1]



hoopsnake

hoopsnake
hoop
snake
(plural hoop snakes) noun

harmless N American snake:
any harmless North American snake such as the mud snake that was once believed
to be able to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop[1]



hoopster

hoopster
hoop·ster 
[hpstər] (plural hoop·sters) noun

basketball player:
a basketball player (informal)[1]



hooray

hooray
hoo·ray 
[h ráy] or hoo·rah [h ráy] or hur·ray [h ráy] interjection

used
as shout of joy: used as a shout of happy excitement,
victory, or jubilation
noun
(plural hoo·rays) (plural hoo·rahs)

shout
of joy:
a shout of happy excitement, victory, or jubilation.
Also
called
hurrah
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of hurrah .][1]



hoosegow

hoosegow
hoose·gow 
[hss gòw] (plural hoose·gows)
noun

jail:
a jail (slang)
[Early 20th century. From
Mexican Spanish jusgado, from Spanish juzgado, “courtroom,” from
the past participle of juzgar “to judge,” from Latin judicare
(see judge ).][1]



Hoosier

Hoosier
Hoo·sier 
[hzhər] (plural Hoo·siers) noun

somebody
from Indiana: somebody who was born or who lives in
the state of Indiana (slang)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from an English dialect word meaning “something large of its
kind.”][1]



hoot

hoot

hoot
[hoot] noun (plural hoots)

1.  owl’s
cry:
the long cry, including a sound like “hoo,” of some owls

2.  sound
like owl’s cry: a sound similar to an owl’s cry, for
example, the sound made by a train whistle or car horn

3.  laughing
sound:
a shout, especially of laughter, derision, or scorn

4.  somebody
or something hilarious: a highly amusing person,
object, or situation (slang)
verb (past
hoot·ed, past participle hoot·ed, present participle
hoot·ing, 3rd person present singular hoots)

1.  intransitive
verb
emit
hoot:
to emit or produce a hoot

2.  intransitive
verb
make
laughing sound: to utter a sound of laughter, derision,
or scorn

3.  transitive
verb
drive
performer off stage: to drive a public performer
or speaker off a stage by jeering

4.  transitive
verb
express
feeling with jeers: to express a feeling such as
contempt, derision, or scorn by jeering
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound.]
not care or give a hoot

not care at all[1]



hootch

hootch2
hootch2 (plural hootch·es)
noun

See
hooch 2[1]



hootch

hootch1
hootch1 (plural hootch·es)
noun

See
hooch 1[1]



hootchy-kootchy

hootchy-kootchy
hootch·y-kootch·y 
[hchi kchee] (plural hootch·y-kootch·ies)
noun

sensual
dance:
a sensual belly dance (dated slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hootenanny

hootenanny
hoot·en·an·ny 
[ht’n ànnee] (plural hoot·en·an·nies)
noun (informal)

1.  performance
by folk singers: an informal or impromptu performance by
folk singers, in which the audience often participates

2.  unnamed
object:
an object or gadget for which the name is not known
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hooter

hooter
hoot·er
[htər] noun

somebody
or something that hoots: a person, animal, or object
that hoots, especially a horn
plural
noun
hoot·ers

offensive term:
an offensive term for a woman’s breasts, especially when large (slang
offensive)[1]



hootowl

hootowl
hoot
owl
(plural hoot owls) noun

owl with hooting call:
an owl that has a hooting call[1]



hooved

hooved
hooved
adjective

See
hoofed[1]



Hoover

Hoover2
Hoo·ver2  [hvər]

city in northern Alabama, a
suburb of Birmingham. Population: 55,464 (1996)[1]



Hoover

Hoover1
Hoo·ver1 [hvər]
Trademark

a trademark for a vacuum
cleaner[1]



HooverDam

HooverDam
Hoo·ver
Dam
[hvər dám]

dam on the Colorado River, on
the Arizona-Nevada border, completed in 1936. Height: 221 m/726 ft.[1]



Hoover,Herbert

Hoover,Herbert

Hoo·ver 
[hvər], Herbert (1874–1964)
U.S.
statesman and 31st president of the United States. A Republican president
(1929–1933), he opposed government assistance during the Great Depression. This
made him unpopular, and he was defeated after one term by Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
Full name
Hoover, Herbert Clarke[1]



Hoover,J. Edgar

Hoover,J. Edgar

Hoo·ver 
[hvər], J. Edgar (1895–1972)
U.S.
lawyer. During his remarkably long and powerful directorship of the FBI
(1924–1972), he targeted gangsters in the 1930s, Communists in the 1940s and
1950s, and liberals and opponents of the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
Full name
Hoover, John Edgar[1]



Hooverville

Hooverville
Hoo·ver·ville 
[hvər vìl] (plural Hoo·ver·villes)
noun

camp for destitute people:
a camp erected on the outskirts of a city during the Great Depression of the
1930s to house the poor and homeless, named after the then-president, Herbert
Hoover[1]



hooves

hooves
hooves


Plural of
hoof[1]



hop

hop1
hop1  [hop]
verb (past hopped, past participle hopped, present
participle hop·ping, 3rd person present singular hops)

1.  intransitive
verb
jump
lightly on one foot: to jump lightly or quickly,
especially on one foot

2.  intransitive
verb
jump
lightly with all feet: to move in a series of small
jumps using both or all feet

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb leap
over something: to jump quickly or lightly over
something

4.  intransitive
verb
get
on or off:
to move quickly or lightly into, onto, out of, or off something, especially a
vehicle (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
jump
aboard:
to get on a plane, train, bus, or other vehicle, usually quickly or after a
sudden decision to do so (informal) • hop
a plane to California

6.  transitive
verb
RAIL ride
train without ticket: to ride on a train secretly
without paying (informal)

7.  intransitive
verb
AIR travel
by airplane: to make a short trip by airplane (informal)
• hop
to Chicago for the convention
noun
(plural hops)

1.  small
quick jump:
a small jump on one, both, or all feet

2.  AIR flight:
a flight or leg of a flight in an airplane (informal) • a
short hop from New York to Chicago

3.  TRANSPORT journey:
a usually short journey (informal) • a
weekend hop to the mountains

4.  LEISURE dance:
a social occasion at which people dance together, usually to popular music (dated
informal)

5.  SPORTS bounce:
a bounce or rebound of a ball • caught
the grounder on its second hop

6.  free
ride:
a free ride in a vehicle
[Old English hoppian
“to leap, limp,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English hip 1 . The
sense “to jump on one foot” dates from the early 18th century.][1]



hop

hop2
hop2 [hop]
noun (plural hops)

1.  PLANTS climbing
vine:
a climbing vine of the mulberry family that has lobed leaves and green female
flowers arranged in spikes that look like pine cones. Latin name: Humulus
lupulus

2.  DRUGS drug:
a narcotic drug such as opium (dated slang)
plural
noun
hops

BEVERAGES dried
hop flowers: the dried flowers of the hop plant, used
in brewing to add a distinctive bitter taste to beer
[15th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch hoppe .][1]



HOP

HOP
HOP

Abbreviation of
high oxygen pressure[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hopclover

hopclover
hop
clo·ver
(plural hop clo·vers) noun

plant with flowers like hops:
a plant of northern temperate grasslands that is related to peas, beans, and
clover and has yellow flowers that resemble hops. Latin name: Trifolium
campestre
U.K. term
hop trefoil[1]



hope

hope
hope 
[hōp] intransitive and transitive verb
(past hoped, past participle hoped, present
participle hop·ing, 3rd person present singular hopes)

want or expect something:
to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true,
especially something that seems possible or likely
noun

1.  confident
desire:
a feeling that something desirable is likely to happen • The
research offers hope to sufferers.

2.  likelihood
of success:
a chance that something desirable will happen or be possible • There’s
not much hope that things will improve.

3.  wish
or desire:
something that somebody wants to have or do or wants to happen or be true • My
hope is that she will change her mind.

4.  source
of success or relief: somebody or something that
seems likely to bring success or relief • We
have to do this, it’s our only hope.

5.  trust:
a feeling of trust (archaic)
[Old
English hopian “to hope” and hopa “hope,” of uncertain origin:
probably from Low German]
—hop·er, noun[1]



HOPE

HOPE
HOPE
[hōp] noun

Abbreviation of
Health Opportunity for People Everywhere[1]



Hope,Bob

Hope,Bob
Hope 
[hōp], Bob (1903– )

British-born
U.S. comedian. He is best known for his “Road” pictures with Bing Crosby and
Dorothy Lamour (1940–1952) including Road to Singapore ( 1940 ) and Road
to Bali ( 1953 ).
Real name
Hope, Leslie Townes[1]



hopechest

hopechest
hope
chest
(plural hope chests) noun

1.  household
items collected before marriage: a collection of
household items such as linens, silver, and clothing that a young woman
traditionally accumulates in anticipation of marriage.
U.K.
term
bottom drawer

2.  chest
for storing household items: a chest used to store
household items traditionally accumulated by a young woman before marriage

[1]



hopeful

hopeful
hope·ful 
[hṓpfəl] adjective

1.  having
hope:
feeling fairly sure that something that is wanted will happen

2.  giving
hope:
making somebody feel confident that something desirable will happen • It
looks hopeful that she’ll be able to dance again.

3.  showing
hope:
showing a desire for something
noun
(plural hope·fuls)

somebody desiring success:
somebody who wants to achieve something, especially somebody who hopes to be
successful in acting, music, sport, politics, or some other endeavor
—hope·ful·ness, noun[1]



hopefully

hopefully
hope·ful·ly 
[hṓpfəlee] adverb

1.  in
hopeful way: in a way that shows somebody’s hope of
having or receiving something

2.  it
is hoped:
used to indicate that somebody hopes something will happen or will be the case

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sentence
  adverb:
  Many
  adverbs that express a wish or comment, for example, clearly, obviously,
  and thankfully, are routinely used to qualify a whole sentence: • They
  clearly haven’t understood the issue ; • Obviously,
  there is a problem ; • Thankfully,
  they didn’t arrive too late. Many people object
  when hopefully is used in this way —in,
  for example, • Hopefully, someone
  can resolve this —typically on the grounds
  that there is no one present in the sentence who is meant to be doing the
  hoping. This argument would tell against a number of the well-established
  sentence adverbs as well. For example, in • They
  clearly haven’t understood the issue,
  “they” are not finding anything clear. The grounds on which to object to the
  sentence-adverbial hopefully may be
  illogical, therefore, but many well-educated, well-spoken people revile it
  regardless. A recommendation often made is to replace the word with it is
  to be hoped . That, however, strikes many people as stilted and even
  worse than hopefully . Frequently the best
  choice is let’s hope.

[1]



Hopeh

Hopeh
Ho·peh
[h páy]

See
Hebei[1]



hopeless

hopeless
hope·less 
[hṓpləss] adjective

1.  with
no hope of success: unable to succeed or
improve, or be resolved, helped, or cured

2.  despairing:
feeling no hope, or showing that somebody has no hope

3.  very
bad:
showing a complete lack of ability, competence, or efficiency
—hope·less·ness, noun[1]



hopelessly

hopelessly
hope·less·ly
[hṓpləsslee] adverb

1.  in
way showing lack of hope: in a way that shows somebody
has no hope of success, relief, or of getting what he or she wants

2.  very
badly:
actually or supposedly to too great a degree to be improved or of use

[1]



Hopewell

Hopewell2
Hope·well2  [hṓp
wel]

city in eastern Virginia,
used as a base by Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. Population: 23,101
(1990) Area: 18 sq km/7 sq mi.[1]



Hopewell

Hopewell1
Hope·well1  [hṓp
wel] adjective

relating
to mound-building Native American culture:
relating to an early Native North American culture of the Ohio and Illinois
river valleys from AD 300 to AD 500, known especially for large-scale
earthworks such as burial mounds
[Late 19th century. Named for
Cloud Hopewell, owner of a farm in Ohio where remains were first
identified.][1]



hophead

hophead
hop·head 
[hóp hèd] (plural hop·heads) noun

drug addict:
somebody addicted to a narcotic drug such as heroin (slang)[1]



hophornbeam

hophornbeam
hop
horn·beam
(plural hop horn·beams) noun

tree with fruit clusters
resembling hops: a tree of the birch
family found in the eastern United States that has fruit clusters resembling
hops. Latin name: Ostrya virginiana[1]



Hopi

Hopi
Ho·pi 
[hṓpee] (plural Ho·pi or
Ho·pis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of northeastern Arizona

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a language spoken in
northeastern Arizona that is one of the Shoshonean group of the Uto-Aztecan
branch of the Aztec-Tanoan family of Native North American languages. Hopi is
spoken by about 5,000 people.
[Late
19th century. From Hopi, literally “peaceable.”]
—Ho·pi, adjective[1]



Hopkins,Anthony

Hopkins,Anthony
Hop·kins 
[hópkinz], Sir Anthony (1937– )

Welsh actor. His movies
include Silence of the Lambs ( 1991 ), Remains of the Day ( 1993
), and Shadowlands ( 1993 ).[1]



Hopkins,Harry Lloyd

Hopkins,Harry Lloyd
Hop·kins 
[hópkinz], Harry Lloyd (1890–1946)

U.S. administrator and
presidential aide. He headed the Works Progress Administration (1935–1938),
working closely with Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1]



Hopkinson,Francis

Hopkinson,Francis
Hop·kin·son
[hópkinss’n], Francis (1737–1791)

U.S. writer and composer. He
wrote satires, for example, The Battle of the Kegs ( 1778 ) attacking
British rule, composed the first American opera, and signed the Declaration of
Independence.[1]



Hopkins,Stephen

Hopkins,Stephen
Hop·kins 
[hópkinz], Stephen (1707–1785)

U.S. patriot. One of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence (1776), he served as governor of
Rhode Island (1755–1767).[1]



Hopkinsville

Hopkinsville
Hop·kins·ville 
[hópkinzvil]

city in southwestern
Kentucky, a manufacturing and tobacco marketing center. Population: 28,317
(1996)[1]



hoplite

hoplite
hop·lite 
[hó plt] (plural hop·lites) noun

ancient
Greek infantryman: a heavily armed foot soldier
in ancient Greece
[Early
18th century. From Greek hoplitēs, from hoplon “weapon,” from hepein
“to care for, work at.”]
—hop·lit·ic [hop líttik], adjective[1]



hoplology

hoplology
ho·plol·o·gy
[hop lólləjee] noun

study
of weapons:
the study of weapons and armor
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek hoplon “weapon” (see hoplite ) + -logy
.]
—ho·plol·o·gist, noun[1]



hop-o’-my-thumb

hop-o’-my-thumb
hop-o’-my-thumb
[hòppə mə thúm, hòppə
mī thúm] (plural hop-o’-my-thumbs) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is extremely small (offensive)
[From a 16th-century
instruction hop on my thumb, directed at somebody so small that he or
she might fancifully be thought able to do so][1]



hopper

hopper1
hop·per1  [hóppər]
(plural hop·pers) noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY funnel-shaped
dispenser:
a large funnel-shaped container for storing and dispensing grain, fuel, or
other materials

2.  RAIL FREIGHT vehicle that discharges load
through floor: a wagon or railroad car with sloping
floors designed to carry dry bulk goods such as grain or cement that are
discharged through an opening in the bottom

3.  somebody
or something that hops: somebody who or something
that hops

4.  INSECTS jumping
insect:
a jumping insect such as a leafhopper, treehopper, or froghopper. Order:
Homoptera

[1]



hopper

hopper2
hop·per2  [hóppər]
(plural hop·pers) noun

hop harvester:
a machine used to harvest hops[1]



Hopper,Edward

Hopper,Edward

Hop·per 
[hóppər], Edward (1882–1967)
U.S. artist. His work, for example, Nighthawks
( 1942 ) is known for its stark realism.[1]



hop-picker

hop-picker
hop-pick·er
(plural hop-pick·ers) noun

hop harvester:
a person or machine that harvests hops[1]



hopping

hopping
hop·ping
[hópping] adjective

busy:
very active or busy (informal)
noun

going from place to place:
going from one place of a specified kind to another of the same kind (usually
used in combination) • job-hopping[1]



hoppingJohn

hoppingJohn
hop·ping
John
or hop·pin’ John noun

traditional black-eyed pea
dish: a dish of black-eyed peas,
spices, and bacon or salt pork, traditionally served with rice and cooked
greens on New Year’s Day in the South for good luck[1]



hoppingmad

hoppingmad
hop·ping
mad
adjective

angry:
extremely angry (informal)
[Hopping from the bodily
movements often accompanying extreme anger][1]



hopple

hopple
hop·ple
transitive verb noun

See
hobble  verb 3
See hobble  noun 1
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German .]
—hop·pler, noun[1]



hoppy

hoppy
hop·py
[hóppee] (comparative hop·pi·er,
superlative hop·pi·est) adjective

tasting of hops:
with a strong taste of hops[1]



hopsack

hopsack
hop·sack
[hóp sàk] noun

1.  fabric
for clothing: a coarsely woven cotton or woolen fabric
used to make clothes

2.  fabric
for sacks:
a coarse fabric of hemp or jute, used to make sacks or bags

[1]



hopscotch

hopscotch
hop·scotch 
[hóp skòch] noun

game
of hopping over squares: a children’s game in which
players hop along squares marked in a pattern on the ground to pick up a small
object thrown into one of the squares
[Early 19th century. Scotch
from scotch in the sense “scratched line.”
The game was formerly called scotch-hoppers and hop-scot .][1]



hop,skip, and jump

hop,skip, and jump
hop,
skip, and jump noun

short way:
a short distance • It’s
just a hop, skip, and jump to the station.[1]



hop,step, and jump

hop,step, and jump
hop,
step, and jump noun

SPORT
See triple jump[1]



hoptrefoil

hoptrefoil
hop
tre·foil
(plural hop tre·foils) noun

U.K.
See hop clover[1]



hopup

hopup
hop
up
transitive verb (slang)

1.  intoxicate
with drugs:
to make somebody excited, or intoxicated, especially with drugs (often
passive)

2.  AUTOMOTIVE See soup up

[1]



hor.

hor.
hor.

1.  Abbreviation
of
horizon

2.  Abbreviation
of
horizontal

3.  Abbreviation
of
horology

[1]



hora

hora
ho·ra 
[háwrə] (plural ho·ras) or
ho·rah [háwrə] (plural ho·rahs)
noun

1.  DANCE circle
dance:
a traditional dance of Israel and Romania, performed in a circle

2.  MUSIC music
for hora:
the traditional music to which the hora is danced
[Late 19th century. From
Romanian horă and Hebrew hōrāh .][1]



Horace

Horace
Hor·ace 
[háwrəss] (65 BC–8 BC)

Roman
poet. The son of a slave, he was educated in Rome and Athens, and became the
preeminent lyric poet of his time. His most famous works are Odes ( 23 BC ) and Epistles ( 20? BC ).
Full name
Flaccus, Quintus Horatius[1]



Horae

Horae
Ho·rae
[háw r] noun

Greek goddesses of seasons:
in ancient Greece, the goddesses of the seasons and the order of nature[1]



horah

horah
ho·rah 
noun

See
hora[1]



horal

horal
ho·ral
[háwrəl] adjective

hourly:
hourly (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
late Latin horalis, from Latin hora (see hour
).][1]



horary

horary
ho·ra·ry 
[háwrəree] adjective (formal)

1.  relating
to hour:
relating to an hour or hours

2.  hourly:
hourly
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin horarius, from Latin hora (see hour ).][1]



Horatian

Horatian
Ho·ra·tian
[hə ráysh’n] adjective

in
Horace’s style: written by or in the style of the
ancient Roman poet Horace • Alexander
Pope’s Horatian odes
[Early 17th century. From
Latin Horatianus, from Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Latin name of Horace .][1]



Horatianode

Horatianode
Ho·ra·tian
ode
(plural Ho·ra·tian odes) noun

ode with stanzas with same
pattern: an ode that has several
stanzas, each of which has the same rhythmic pattern[1]



horde

horde
horde 
[hawrd] noun (plural hordes)

1.  throng:
a large group of people (often used in the plural)

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY nomadic
group:
a group of nomads, especially of a people who live by hunting and foraging for
food ( hunter-gatherers )

3.  ZOOLOGY swarm
or pack:
a large group of insects or other animals moving in a mass
intransitive
verb
(past hord·ed, past participle hord·ed, present
participle hord·ing, 3rd person present singular hordes)

1.  form
or live in crowd: to gather together, move, or live in a
large crowd or mass

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY live
in group:
to live together in a nomadic group
[Mid-16th century. Directly
and via French and German from Polish horda, from, ultimately, Turkish ordu
“camp, army” (source of English Urdu
).][1]



horehound

horehound
hore·hound 
[háwr hòwnd] (plural hore·hounds)
noun

1.  PLANTS mint
plant easing coughs: a bitter perennial mint of
Europe and Asia that has downy leaves, square stems, and small white flowers
whose juice was used as a flavoring and is used in cough remedies. Latin name: Marrubium
vulgare

2.  something
prepared from horehound: an extract of the horehound
plant, or something flavored with it, for example, cough drops
[Old English hāre hūne,
from hār “ hoar ” + hūne
“horehound,” of unknown origin][1]



horizon

horizon
ho·ri·zon 
[hə rz’n] noun (plural ho·ri·zons)

1.  place
where earth meets sky: the line in the furthest
distance where the land or sea seems to meet the sky.
Also
called
apparent horizon

2.  ASTRONOMY circle
on apparent sphere of sky: a circle formed on the
celestial sphere by a plane tangent to a point on the earth’s surface.
Also
called
sensible horizon

3.  ASTRONOMY circle
on celestial sphere: a circle formed on the
celestial sphere by a plane through the center of the earth and parallel to the
tangent of a point on the earth’s surface.
Also
called
celestial horizon

4.  GEOGRAPHY distinct
layer of soil: a layer of soil having characteristics
that distinguish it from other layers

5.  ARCHAEOLOGY geological
layer:
a distinct layer of rock or geological deposit within a stratum that can be
dated, for example, by its fossil content
plural
noun
ho·ri·zons

range of experience:
the range or limits of somebody’s interests, knowledge, or experience
[14th
century. Via Old French orizon(te) from, ultimately, Greek horizōn
(kuklos), literally “limiting (circle),” present participle of horizein
“to limit,” from horos “limit.”]
—ho·ri·zon·al, adjective[1]



horizontal

horizontal
hor·i·zon·tal 
[hàwri zónt’l] adjective

1.  level:
parallel to the horizon

2.  measured
in horizontal plane: measured or operating in a
plane parallel to the horizon

3.  lying
down:
lying down or in a reclining position (informal)

4.  BUSINESS being
or having same status: being at or having the same
level within a group of people • a
horizontal promotion

5.  BUSINESS applied
to all:
applied equally to all members, parts, or aspects of something • a
horizontal bonus

6.  of
horizon:
relating to the horizon
noun
(plural hor·i·zon·tals)

something horizontal:
a horizontal line, surface, or position
[Mid-16th
century. From French, or modern Latin horizontalis, from the late Latin
stem horizont- of horizon “horizon,” from Greek horizōn
(see horizon ).]
—hor·i·zon·tal·i·ty
[hàwri zon tállətee], noun

—hor·i·zon·tal·ness,
noun

—hor·i·zon·tal·ly, adverb[1]



horizontalbar

horizontalbar
hor·i·zon·tal
bar
(plural hor·i·zon·tal bars) noun

1.  raised
metal bar:
a metal bar fixed in a horizontal position and used for gymnastic exercises

2.  gymnastics
event:
a competitive gymnastics event involving feats of skill and strength on the
horizontal bar

[1]



horizontalmobility

horizontalmobility
hor·i·zon·tal
mo·bil·i·ty
noun

social change neither upward
nor downward: a change in social
situation that does not involve a change in social status[1]



horizontalunion

horizontalunion
hor·i·zon·tal
un·ion
noun

HUMAN
RESOURCES See craft union[1]



hormogonium

hormogonium
hor·mo·go·ni·um 
[hàwrmə gṓnee əm] (plural hor·mo·go·ni·a
[hàwrmə gṓnee ə]) noun

reproductive
part of alga: a section of a filament of blue-green
algae that detaches and reproduces by cell division
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek hormos “chain” + gonos “generation,
seed” (see gonad ).][1]



hormone

hormone
hor·mone 
[háwr mn] (plural hor·mones) noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY regulating
chemical in body: a chemical substance produced in the
body’s endocrine glands or certain other cells that exerts a regulatory or
stimulatory effect, for example, in metabolism

2.  PLANTS regulating
chemical in plants: a nonnutrient substance
synthesized by plants that regulates growth and development

3.  INSECTS regulating
chemical in insects: a substance produced in the
body of an insect that regulates various aspects of growth and development such
as the change from larva to adult

4.  CHEMISTRY synthetic
regulating chemical: a synthetic chemical that
acts like a hormone
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek hormōn, present participle of horman
“to set in motion,” from hormē “assault.”]
—hor·mon·al
[hawr mṓn’l], adjective

—hor·mon·al·ly, adverb[1]



hormonereplacement therapy

hormonereplacement therapy
hor·mone
re·place·ment ther·a·py noun

U.K.
See estrogen-replacement therapy[1]



Hormuz,Strait of

Hormuz,Strait of
Hor·muz,
Strait of
[hawr mz, háwr
mooz]

narrow waterway between Iran
and the Arabian Peninsula, linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Formerly
Ormuz[1]



horn

horn
horn 
[hawrn] noun (plural horns)

1.  AUTOMOBILES EMERGENCIES noise-making
warning device: a device, for example, in a car, that
produces a loud noise as a warning or signal (often used in combination)

2.  ZOOLOGY projection
on animal’s head: one of a permanent pair of pointed
projections on the head of certain mammals, for example, the cow, sheep, or
antelope, made of a sheath of hardened protein over bone

3.  ZOOLOGY projection
from nose of rhinoceros: a solid outgrowth of keratin
and fused hair from the nasal bone of a rhinoceros

4.  ZOOLOGY projection
resembling horn: any of various hard, pointed, or horn
-shaped projections on animals, birds, reptiles, fish, or insects

5.  MUSIC brass
musical instrument: a wind instrument usually
made of brass and consisting of a long tube with a flared end that produces a
sound when the player’s lips vibrate together into the mouthpiece

6.  MUSIC jazz
instrument:
any wind instrument played in a jazz band (informal)

7.  MUSIC simple
wind instrument: a simple or early type of musical
instrument made from an animal’s horn

8.  INDUSTRY hard
substance of horns: the hard substance that
covers an animal’s horns, consisting mainly of a tough protein ( keratin )

9.  something
made of horn: something made with a piece of horn or
from a synthetic substance resembling it

10. projection
on devil’s head: either of a pair of parts resembling an
animal’s horns supposed to grow on the head of a cuckold or the devil

11. horn-shaped
thing:
something shaped like a horn, for example, either of the tips of a crescent
moon, the pommel of a saddle, or the pointed end of an anvil

12. GEOGRAPHY sharp
peak:
a sharp pyramid-shaped mountain peak

13. GEOGRAPHY horn-shaped
area:
a horn-shaped body of water or land

14. UTILITIES telephone:
a telephone (slang)
transitive
verb
(past horned, past participle horned, present
participle horn·ing, 3rd person present singular horns)

1.  provide
with horns:
to give something a horn or horns

2.  attack
with horns:
to butt or gore somebody with the horns

3.  Caribbean,
U.S. have
sex with somebody else’s partner: to make a cuckold of
somebody by having a sexual relationship with the spouse or partner (informal)
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “horn, head.”]
pull
in your horns

1.  to
spend or invest less money than usual or before

2.  to
adopt a less active or less assertive position

on
the horns of a dilemma

faced
with making a decision between two things or two courses of action, each of which
is problematic or unattractive





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of horn is also the
  ultimate source of English carrot, corn, cornea,
  corner, cornet,
  cranium, ginger, hart, hornet, keratin,
  rhinoceros, and triceratops.

[1]



hornbeam

hornbeam
horn·beam 
[háwrn bm] (plural horn·beams)
noun

1.  TREES tree
with smooth bark: a tree that has smooth grayish bark and
hard white wood. Genus: Carpinus

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of hornbeam: the hard white wood of the hornbeam tree

[1]



hornbill

hornbill
horn·bill 
[háwrn bìl] (plural horn·bills)
noun

bird with large curved bill:
a noisy tropical bird that has a very large curved bill with a horny
protuberance. Hornbills are often found in large groups. Family: Bucerotidae[1]



hornblende

hornblende
horn·blende 
[háwrn blènd] (plural horn·blendes)
noun

variety
of amphibole: a variety of a silicate mineral ( amphibole ) ranging in color from dark green to
black and containing aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium
[Late
18th century. From German, literally “horn blende.”]
—horn·blend·ic [hawrn bléndik], adjective[1]



hornbook

hornbook
horn·book 
[háwrn bk] (plural horn·books)
noun

1.  text
protected by horn: a page of text formerly made
for the teaching of reading, usually printed with the alphabet, letter
combinations, and a religious passage, and covered with a thin layer of horn

2.  EDUCATION beginners’
textbook:
a book containing elementary teaching material for those learning a particular
subject or skill

[1]



Horn,Cape

Horn,Cape
Horn,
Cape
[hawrn]

cape at the southern tip of
South America, on an island now belonging to Chile. It was notorious for
shipwrecks in the age of sailing ships.[1]



horned

horned
horned 
[hawrnd] adjective

with horns:
having a horn or horns, or one or more projections that resemble horns[1]



hornedlizard

hornedlizard
horned
liz·ard
(plural horned liz·ards) noun

small lizard with spikes on
head: a small insect-eating lizard
of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico that has a
flattened body, a short tail, and spikes like horns on its head. Genus: Phrynosoma

Also called
horned toad[1]



hornedowl

hornedowl
horned
owl
(plural horned owls) noun

large owl with ear tufts:
a large owl that has prominent ear tufts resembling horns. Latin name: Bubo
virginianus[1]



hornedpout

hornedpout
horned
pout
(plural horned pouts) noun

See
hornpout[1]



hornedtoad

hornedtoad
horned
toad
(plural horned toads) noun

See
horned lizard[1]



hornedviper

hornedviper

horned vi·per
noun
poisonous snake with spines like horns:
a poisonous snake of the desert regions of the Near East and Africa that has
spines on its head that look like horns. Latin name: Cerastes cornutus
Also called
sand viper
See also
cerastes[1]



Horne,Marilyn

Horne,Marilyn
Horne
[hawrn], Marilyn (1934– )

U.S. mezzo-soprano. She is
known for her roles in operas by Rossini, Berg, and Stravinsky.[1]



hornet

hornet
hor·net 
[háwrnət] (plural hor·nets) noun

stinging
wasp:
a large social stinging wasp that builds large group nests underground or
hanging from a tree. Family: Vespidae
[Old English hyrnet(u)
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English horn .][1]



hornet’snest

hornet’snest
hor·net’s
nest
(plural hor·net’s nests) noun

potentially explosive
situation: a highly controversial issue
or situation that is likely to lead to confrontation, opposition, or argument[1]



Horney,Karen

Horney,Karen

Hor·ney
[háwrnee], Karen (1885–1952)
German-born U.S. psychoanalyst. She
advanced and developed Freudian theory in books such as New Ways in
Psychoanalysis ( 1939 ).[1]



hornfels

hornfels
horn·fels 
[háwrn fèlz] (plural horn·fels)
noun

fine-grained
rock:
a fine-grained metamorphic rock composed of silicate minerals and formed
through the action of heat and pressure on shale.
Also
called
hornstone
[Mid-19th century. From German,
literally “horn rock.”][1]



hornfly

hornfly
horn
fly
noun

small
bloodsucking fly: a small bloodsucking black fly that is a
pest of cattle. Latin name: Haematobia irritans
[Horn from its sucking blood
from the base of the horns of cattle][1]



hornin

hornin
horn
in
intransitive verb

get involved:
to intrude, interfere, or get involved in something without invitation (informal)[1]



horning

horning
horn·ing 
[háwrning] noun

Northeastern U.S.
See shivaree[1]



hornist

hornist
hor·nist
[háwrnist] (plural hor·nists) noun

horn player:
a musician who plays a horn[1]



horn-mad

horn-mad
horn-mad
adjective

angry:
extremely angry or enraged (archaic)
[The word originally
described the rage of horned beasts][1]



hornof plenty

hornof plenty
horn
of plen·ty
(plural horns of plen·ty) noun

1.  See
cornucopia

2.  FUNGI horn-shaped
edible fungus: a funnel-shaped, black and brown edible
fungus found in deciduous woodland in fall. Latin name: Craterellus
cornucopioides

[1]



hornpipe

hornpipe
horn·pipe 
[háwrn pp] (plural horn·pipes)
noun

1.  DANCE sailors’
dance:
a lively British dance traditionally performed by sailors

2.  MUSIC music
accompanying hornpipe: the music for a hornpipe, or
an orchestral piece based on this

3.  MUSIC reed
instrument:
a musical instrument with a single reed and a mouthpiece made of horn,
traditionally used to play the music for a hornpipe

[1]



hornpout

hornpout
horn·pout 
[háwrn pòwt] (plural horn·pouts)
noun

small fish:
a small North American fish with a large head and eight barbels. Latin name: Ictalurus
nebulosus
Also called
pout[1]



horn-rims

horn-rims
horn-rims
or horn-rimmed glasses plural noun

glasses
with horn frames: glasses with frames made from
dark-colored horn or a synthetic substance made to resemble this
—horn-rimmed, adjective[1]



Hornsby,Rogers

Hornsby,Rogers

Horns·by
[háwrnzbee], Rogers (1896–1963)
U.S. baseball player and manager.
Considered one of the best batters of all time, he was inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame (1942).[1]



hornstone

hornstone
horn·stone
[háwrn stn] (plural horn·stones)
noun

See
hornfels
[Early 18th century.
Translation of German Hornstein, literally “horn stone.”][1]



hornswoggle

hornswoggle
horn·swog·gle 
[háwrn swògg’l] (past horn·swog·gled,
past participle horn·swog·gled, present participle horn·swog·gling,
3rd person present singular horn·swog·gles) transitive verb

trick
somebody:
to cheat, trick, or deceive somebody (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



horntail

horntail
horn·tail 
[háwrn tàyl] (plural horn·tails)
noun

insect resembling wasp:
an insect that resembles a wasp and whose larvae burrow in wood. The female has
a specialized egg-laying organ ( ovipositor
) used to lay eggs in wood. Family: Siricidae[1]



hornworm

hornworm
horn·worm 
[háwrn wùrm] (plural horn·worms)
noun

hawkmoth caterpillar:
the caterpillar of certain hawk moths, with a projection on its tail that
resembles a horn. Hornworms are often destructive agricultural pests.[1]



hornwort

hornwort
horn·wort 
[háwrn wùrt, háwrn
wàwrt] (plural horn·worts) noun

submerged
aquatic plant: a rootless aquatic plant that grows in
branching submerged masses and has finely dissected leaves and tiny flowers.
Genus: Ceratophylum
[Modeled on Greek keratophullon,
literally “horn leaf”; from the appearance of its branching stem][1]



horny

horny
horn·y 
[háwrnee] (comparative horn·i·er,
superlative horn·i·est) adjective

1.  as
tough as horn: hard or rough like horn

2.  of
or like horn: made of or resembling horn

3.  feeling
sexy:
sexually excited, or easily aroused sexually (slang)

4.  with
horns:
having a horn or horns
—horn·i·ly,
adverb

—horn·i·ness, noun[1]



horol.

horol.
horol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
horological

2.  Abbreviation
of
horology

[1]



horologe

horologe
hor·o·loge 
[háwrə lòj] (plural hor·o·loges)
noun

timepiece:
any device used to tell the time, for example, a clock or sundial (formal)
[13th century. Via Old French
or(i)loge from, ultimately, Greek hōrologion, literally “little
time-telling (instrument),” ultimately from hōra “time, hour” (source of
English hour ).][1]



horologist

horologist
ho·rol·o·gist 
[haw rólləjist] (plural ho·rol·o·gists)
or ho·rol·o·ger [haw rólləjər]
(plural ho·rol·o·gers) noun

1.  TIME studier
of time:
somebody who studies the science of measuring time

2.  CRAFT clockmaker:
somebody skilled in making clocks and watches

[1]



Horologium

Horologium
Hor·o·lo·gi·um 
[hàwrə lṓjee əm, hàwrə
lṓjəm] noun

faint southern constellation:
a faint constellation of the southern hemisphere situated between Hydrus and
Eridanus[1]



horology

horology
ho·rol·o·gy 
[haw rólləjee] noun

1.  TIME time
measurement: the study or science of measuring time

2.  CRAFT clockmaking:
the art or skill of making clocks, watches, and other devices for telling the
time
[15th
century. Coined from Greek hōra “time, hour” (source of English hour ) + -logy
.]
—hor·o·log·ic
[hàwrə lójjik], adjective

—hor·o·log·i·cal,
adjective

—hor·o·log·i·cal·ly [hàwrə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



horoscope

horoscope
hor·o·scope 
[háwrə skp] (plural hor·o·scopes)
noun

1.  diagram
of planetary relationship: the relative position of the
stars or planets at a particular moment, especially somebody’s time of birth,
or a diagram showing this

2.  astrological
forecast:
an astrologer’s description of an individual’s personality and future based on
the position of the planets in relation to the sign of the zodiac under which
the person was born
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin horoscopus from Greek hōroskopos, literally
“time observer,” from hōra “time, hour” (source of English hour ), referring to the time of birth.]
—hor·o·scop·ic [hàwrə skóppik], adjective[1]



horoscopy

horoscopy
ho·ros·co·py
[hə róskəpee] noun

working with horoscopes:
the making and interpretation of horoscopes[1]



Horowitz,Vladimir

Horowitz,Vladimir
Ho·ro·witz
[háwrə wits], Vladimir (1904–1989)

Russian-born U.S. pianist. He
was known for his brilliant virtuosity. His interpretations of works by Liszt
and Rachmaninoff achieved popular and critical acclaim.[1]



horrendous

horrendous
hor·ren·dous 
[hə réndəss, haw
réndəss] adjective

1.  dreadful:
sufficiently unpleasant, frightening, or shocking as to provoke horror

2.  very
large:
very large, great, or high, often unreasonably or excessively so (informal)
• horrendous
prices
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin horrendus “to be shuddered at,” a form of horrere (see
horrible ).][1]



horrendously

horrendously
hor·ren·dous·ly
[hə réndəsslee, haw
réndəsslee] adverb

very:
to a very great, and often unreasonable or excessive, degree[1]



horrent

horrent
hor·rent 
[háwrənt] adjective

bristling:
standing on end like bristles (archaic) “With bright imblazonrie, and
horrent arms” John Milton Paradise Lost 1667
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
horrent-, the present participle stem of horrere (see horrible ).][1]



horrible

horrible
hor·ri·ble 
[háwrəb’l] adjective

1.  very
unpleasant:
very bad, very unpleasant, or caused by anxiety or fear about something bad • a
horrible smell

2.  causing
horror:
sufficiently frightening, distressing, or shocking as to provoke horror • a
horrible crime

3.  nasty:
unkind, rude, or ill-behaved (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French (h)orrible from Latin horribilis, from horrere
“to bristle, shudder with fear at” (source of English horror and ordure
).]
—hor·ri·ble·ness, noun[1]



horribly

horribly
hor·ri·bly
[háwrəblee] adverb

1.  in
unpleasant way: in an unpleasant, disagreeable,
distressing, or shocking way

2.  very:
to a great or excessive extent • horribly
late

[1]



horrid

horrid
hor·rid 
[háwrid] adjective

1.  nasty:
callously unkind or nasty (informal) • a
horrid thing to say

2.  causing
disgust:
provoking disgust or extreme displeasure • a
horrid taste

3.  causing
horror:
dreadful, shocking, or frightening enough to cause horror • a
horrid accident

4.  bristly:
rough, shaggy, or bristly (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From Latin horridus “bristly, rough, horrid,” from horrere
(see horrible ).]
—hor·rid·ly,
adverb

—hor·rid·ness, noun[1]



horrific

horrific
hor·rif·ic 
[haw ríffik] adjective

very
disturbing or frightening: frightening or disturbing
enough to cause horror
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French horrifique from Latin horrificus,
from horrere (see horrible ).]
—hor·rif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



horrify

horrify
hor·ri·fy 
[háwrə f] (past hor·ri·fied, past
participle hor·ri·fied, present participle hor·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular hor·ri·fies) transitive verb

1.  cause
somebody to feel horror: to make somebody feel
horror, disgust, or fright

2.  dismay
somebody:
to make somebody shocked or dismayed
[Late
18th century. From Latin horrificare, literally “to cause horror,” from,
ultimately, horrere (see horrible ).]
—hor·ri·fi·ca·tion
[hàwrəfi káysh’n], noun

—hor·ri·fied
[háwrə fd], adjective

—hor·ri·fy·ing
[háwrə f ing], adjective

—hor·ri·fy·ing·ly [háwrə f inglee], adverb[1]



horripilation

horripilation
hor·rip·i·la·tion 
[haw rìppi láysh’n] noun

hair
standing up: the standing on end of somebody’s hair,
for example, because of fear or cold
[Mid-17th century. From the
late Latin stem horripilation-, from, ultimately, Latin horripilare
“to become hairy,” from horrere “to stand on end” (see horrible ) + pilus “hair.”][1]



horror

horror
hor·ror 
[háwrər] noun (plural hor·rors)

1.  intense
fear or shock: a very strong, painful feeling of fear,
shock, or disgust

2.  intense
dislike or dismay: a feeling of distress or
distaste

3.  something
causing horror: something, or an aspect of something,
that causes a feeling of great fear or disgust • the
horrors of war

4.  something
unpleasant:
a very unpleasant or unattractive thing (informal) • The
new building is an absolute horror.
plural
noun
hor·rors (informal)

1.  feeling
of terror:
a feeling of intense fear, anxiety, or hopelessness

2.  See
delirium tremens
adjective

CINEMA LITERATURE grotesque and terrifying:
used to describe a genre of motion picture or literature intended to thrill
viewers or readers by provoking fear or revulsion through the portrayal of
grotesque, violent, or supernatural events.
See
also
horror story
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French (h)orrour from Latin horror, from horrere
(see horrible ).][1]



horrorstory

horrorstory
hor·ror
sto·ry
noun

1.  LITERATURE frightening
fictional tale: a story that is intended to frighten
people, usually by describing gruesome or supernatural events

2.  report
of horrifying experience: a true account of something
very unpleasant or shocking

[1]



horror-struck

horror-struck
hor·ror-struck
or hor·ror-strick·en adjective

feeling horror:
suddenly shocked, frightened, or dismayed[1]



horsconcours

horsconcours
hors
con·cours
[àwr kawN kr] adjective

not
competing:
in the capacity or manner of somebody who is not competing
[From French, literally “out
of the competition”][1]



horsde combat

horsde combat
hors
de com·bat 
[àwr də kawN b] adjective

no
longer able to participate: out of action and often in a
seriously wounded condition
[From French, literally “out
of the fight”][1]



horsd’oeuvre

horsd’oeuvre
hors
d’oeuvre 
[awr dúrv] (plural hors d’oeuvre
or hors d’oeuvres) noun

appetizer:
a small portion of food served cold or hot before a meal to stimulate the
appetite
[From French, literally
“outside the work”][1]



horse

horse

horse 
[hawrss] noun (plural hors·es)

1.  ZOOLOGY four-legged
solid-hoofed animal: a large four-legged animal
with a mane, tail, hooves, and a long head. Horses are kept as domestic animals
for riding, pulling vehicles, and carrying loads. Latin name: Equus caballus

2.  ZOOLOGY stallion
or gelding:
an adult male horse

3.  ZOOLOGY animal
of the horse family: an animal, for example, a
donkey or zebra, that belongs to the family including the horse. Family:
Equidae

4.  GYMNASTICS See vaulting horse

5.  frame
or support:
a type of frame or support, especially one mounted on four legs

6.  ARMY mounted
soldiers:
soldiers riding horses (takes a singular verb)

7.  GEOLOGY rock
mass in an ore vein: a mass of rock located in an
ore vein

8.  DRUGS heroin:
heroin (dated slang)

9.  AUTOMOTIVE horsepower:
horsepower (informal) (usually used in the plural)
plural noun hors·es

horseracing:
horseracing, especially as a gambling activity (informal)
verb (past
horsed, past participle horsed, present participle hors·ing,
3rd person present singular hors·es)

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody a horse: to provide somebody with a horse

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb RIDING put or get on a horse:
to put a rider on a horse’s back, or mount a horse

3.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY be
in heat:
to be ready to mate with a male horse (refers to a mare)
[Old
English hors, from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin]
get on your high horse

to
adopt an arrogant attitude

beat a dead horse

to
pursue a topic or course of action that is likely to be totally unproductive

from the horse’s mouth

from
a well-informed and reliable source

look a gift horse in the mouth

to criticize something that
has been given to you[1]



horse-and-buggy

horse-and-buggy
horse-and-bug·gy
adjective

1.  from
before the automobile: belonging or relating to the
era before the invention of the automobile

2.  old-fashioned:
adhering to things, fashions, or ideas that are old-fashioned and out of date
[From the obsolescence of
this means of transportation][1]



horsearound

horsearound
horse
around
intransitive verb

fool around:
to play or fool around in a boisterous manner[1]



horseback

horseback
horse·back 
[háwrss bàk] adjective adverb

on
horse:
on a horse’s back
on
horseback

sitting on or riding a horse[1]



horsebean

horsebean
horse
bean
(plural horse beans) noun

See
broad bean
[From its use as fodder for
horses][1]



horsecar

horsecar
horse·car
[háwrss kr] (plural horse·cars)
noun

vehicle for transporting
horses: a vehicle, such as a truck
or railroad car, used to transport horses.
U.K. term
horsebox[1]



horsechestnut

horsechestnut

horse
chest·nut
(plural horse chest·nuts) noun

1.  TREES tree
with large shiny brown seeds: a large tree of Europe and
Asia that has five-lobed leaves, conical clusters of flowers, and shiny brown
seeds that resemble nuts. Latin name: Aesculus hippocastanum

2.  a
fruit of horse chestnut tree: the shiny brown inedible
fruit of the horse chestnut tree.
See
also
conker

3.  INDUSTRY horse
chestnut wood: the soft wood of the horse chestnut tree
[Translation of obsolete
modern Latin Castanea equina ; equina “horse” perhaps because the
leaf stalk bears the image of a horse’s hock and foot with shoe and nails][1]



horsefeathers

horsefeathers
horse·feath·ers 
[háwrss fèərz] noun interjection

nonsense:
nonsense (humorous slang) (takes a singular verb)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of horseshit.][1]



horseflesh

horseflesh
horse·flesh 
[háwrss flèsh] noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN horses
or horse:
horses collectively

2.  FOOD meat
from a horse: the flesh of a horse, especially when
sold or eaten as meat

[1]



horsefly

horsefly
horse·fly
[háwrss fl] (plural horse·flies)
noun

large biting fly:
a large two-winged fly, the female of which sucks the blood of horses and other
mammals. Genus: Tabanus[1]



horsegentian

horsegentian
horse
gen·tian
(plural horse gen·tians) noun

N
American honeysuckle: a North American plant of
the honeysuckle family with purplish-brown flowers and orange fruit. Genus: Triosteum
[See horseleech][1]



horsehair

horsehair
horse·hair 
[háwrss hàir] noun

1.  INDUSTRY long
hair from a horse: hair from a horse’s mane and
tail, used to upholster furniture, to fill mattresses, and to make cloth

2.  TEXTILES horsehair
cloth:
fabric woven from the hair of a horse’s mane and tail

[1]



horsehairworm

horsehairworm
horse·hair
worm
(plural horse·hair worms) noun

See
hairworm
[Horsehair from its form,
likened to a hair of a horse][1]



Horseheadnebula

Horseheadnebula
Horse·head
neb·u·la
[háwrss hed nèbbləyə] noun

nebula in Orion:
a dark nebula in the constellation Orion, shaped like a horse’s head[1]



horsehide

horsehide
horse·hide 
[háwrss hd] (plural horse·hides)
noun

1.  skin
of a horse:
the tough thick skin of a horse, or leather made from a horse’s skin

2.  BASEBALL baseball:
the ball used in the game of baseball (informal)

[1]



horselatitudes

horselatitudes
horse
lat·i·tudes
plural noun

calm
areas at sea: either of two regions at sea near the
latitudes 30º S and 30º N marked by high atmospheric pressure and light
variable winds or calms
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



horselaugh

horselaugh
horse·laugh 
[háwrss làf] (plural horse·laugh)
noun

harsh laugh:
a loud, coarse, and often scornful laugh[1]



horseleech

horseleech
horse·leech 
[háwrss lch] (plural horse·leech·es)
noun

freshwater
leech:
a large freshwater leech. Genus: Haemopis
[Horse in animal and plant
names usually denotes “large size” or “coarseness,” the horse typifying a large
creature][1]



horselesscarriage

horselesscarriage
horse·less
car·riage 
(plural horse·less car·riages) noun

car:
an automobile, at a time when horse-drawn vehicles were still the usual form of
transport (archaic)[1]



horsemackerel

horsemackerel
horse
mack·er·el
(plural horse mack·er·els) noun

torpedo-shaped
fish:
a swift torpedo-shaped fish found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea,
and the Black Sea. Latin name: Trachurus trachurus
Also
called
scad
Also
called
saurel
[See horseleech][1]



horseman

horseman
horse·man 
[háwrssmən] (plural horse·men
[háwrssmən]) noun

1.  rider
of horses:
a man who rides or is riding a horse, especially a man who does so with skill

2.  horse
owner:
a man who owns or breeds horses

[1]



horsemanship

horsemanship
horse·man·ship 
[háwrssmən shìp] noun

riding ability:
skill in riding horses[1]



horsemint

horsemint
horse·mint 
[háwrss mìnt] (plural horse·mints)
noun

1.  N
American mint: a coarse North American mint that has
showy yellow flowers with purple spots. Latin name: Monarda punctata

2.  Eurasian
wild mint:
a hairy wild mint of Europe and Asia that has elongated clusters of small
pinkish-purple flowers. Latin name: Mentha longifolia
[See horseleech][1]



horsenettle

horsenettle
horse
net·tle
(plural horse net·tles) noun

N
American weed: a coarse prickly North American weed of
the nightshade family with white or blue flowers and yellow berries. Latin
name: Solanum carolinese
[See horseleech][1]



horseopera

horseopera
horse
o·pe·ra
(plural horse o·pe·ras) noun

Western:
a Western movie (informal)
[Horse from the ubiquity in
such works of horses; opera from the use of dramatic music and themes][1]



horsepistol

horsepistol
horse
pis·tol
(plural horse pis·tols) noun

horseman’s gun:
a large pistol formerly used by horsemen and carried in a holster[1]



horseplay

horseplay
horse·play 
[háwrss plày] noun

boisterous play:
rough, boisterous, playful behavior[1]



horseplayer

horseplayer
horse·play·er 
[háwrss plàyr] (plural horse·play·ers)
noun

horseracing gambler:
somebody who frequently bets on horse races[1]



horsepower

horsepower
horse·pow·er 
[háwrss pòwr] noun

unit
of power:
a unit of power equal in the United States to 745.7 watts and in the United
Kingdom to 550 foot-pounds per second
[Horse from one such unit
being supposedly equivalent to the work rate of a horse][1]



horserace

horserace
horse·race
noun

race for horses and riders:
a race between horses ridden by jockeys on a flat circuit or over obstacles[1]



horseracing

horseracing
horseracing
noun

racing for horses and riders:
a sport in which horses ridden by jockeys race against each other, usually with
spectators and others betting on the result[1]



horseradish

horseradish
horse·rad·ish 
[háwrss ràddish] (plural horse·rad·ish·es)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with pungent roots: a tall coarse plant that has
white flowers and thick white pungent roots. Latin name: Amoracia
lapathifolia

2.  FOOD horseradish
root as food: the long slim pungent root of the
horseradish plant used in cooking, especially peeled and grated to make a hot,
sharp-tasting sauce often served with beef
[See horseleech][1]



horsesense

horsesense
horse
sense
noun

common sense:
common sense (informal)[1]



horseshoe

horseshoe
horse·shoe 
[háwrss sh] noun (plural horse·shoes)

1.  EQUESTRIAN protection
for a horse’s hoof: a flat U-shaped piece of
iron nailed to the bottom of a horse’s hoof to protect it against hard
surfaces. Horseshoes are regarded as symbols of good luck.
Also
called
shoe

2.  good-luck
token:
a representation of a horseshoe regarded as a symbol of good luck

3.  horseshoe-shaped
thing:
something that has the curved shape of a horseshoe “… every known superstition
in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians …” Bram Stoker
Dracula 1897
transitive
verb
(past horse·shoed, past participle horse·shoed, present
participle horse·shoe·ing, 3rd person present singular horse·shoes)

EQUESTRIAN See shoe  verb 1
—horse·sho·er, noun[1]



horseshoearch

horseshoearch
horse·shoe
arch
(plural horse·shoe arch·es) noun

arch shaped like a horseshoe:
an arch that narrows slightly below the upper rounded part. Horseshoe arches
are characteristic of the Islamic architecture of southern Spain and North
Africa.[1]



horseshoebat

horseshoebat
horse·shoe
bat
(plural horse·shoe bats) noun

bat with a horseshoe shape
around the nostrils: a bat that
has a horseshoe-shaped appendage that surrounds the nostrils. Horseshoe bats
are found in Europe, but most abundantly in the tropics and subtropics. Family:
Rhinolophidae[1]



horseshoecrab

horseshoecrab
horse·shoe
crab
(plural horse·shoe crabs) noun

horseshoe-shaped sea animal:
a large marine arthropod of eastern North America and Asia that has a stiff
pointed tail and rounded brown body resembling a horseshoe. Class: Merostomata
Also called
king crab[1]



HorseshoeFalls

HorseshoeFalls
Horse·shoe
Falls 
[hàwrss shoo fáwlz]

crescent-shaped Canadian
section of the Niagara Falls on the U.S.-Canadian border. Height: 49 m/161 ft.[1]



horseshoes

horseshoes
horse·shoes
noun

LEISURE
game involving horseshoes:
a game in which players throw horseshoes at a post and score points based on
how close they land to the post (takes a singular verb)[1]



horseshow

horseshow
horse
show
(plural horse shows) noun

horseback-riding competition:
a sporting event in which horses and usually riders are judged on their skills
in a variety of competitions such as riding or jumping[1]



horsetail

horsetail
horse·tail 
[háwrss tàyl] (plural horse·tails)
noun

1.  PLANTS nonflowering
plant:
a nonflowering plant that has a hollow jointed stem, tiny thin leaves, and
spore-producing cones produced at the top of the stems. Genus: Equisetum

2.  HISTORY Turkish
emblem of rank: a former emblem of rank of Turkish
pashas in the Ottoman Empire.
Also
called
tail

[1]



horse-trading

horse-trading
horse-trad·ing 
noun

hard
bargaining:
negotiation that involves hard bargaining and mutual compromise, shrewdness,
and sometimes unscrupulous tactics such as secret or unofficial deals
—horse-trade,
intransitive verb

—horse-trad·er, noun[1]



horseweed

horseweed
horse·weed 
[háwrss wd] (plural horse·weeds)
noun

N
American weed: a North American fleabane that has thin
hairy leaves and clusters of small greenish or white flowers. Latin name: Erigeron
canadensis
[Late 18th century. See horseleech .][1]



horsewhip

horsewhip
horse·whip 
[háwrss wìp, háwrss
hwìp] noun (plural horse·whips)

1.  whip
for a horse: a whip formerly used to keep a horse
under control, for example, when being driven, and usually made of a long strip
of leather attached to a short handle

2.  Caribbean
ZOOLOGY W
Indian snake: a long thin snake common in the forests
of Trinidad and frequently found in bushes near homes
transitive
verb
(past horse·whipped, past participle horse·whipped,
present participle horse·whip·ping, 3rd person present singular
horse·whips)

beat severely:
to flog a person or animal with a horsewhip or with something similar, usually
as a punishment
—horse·whip·per, noun[1]



horsewoman

horsewoman
horse·wom·an 
[háwrss wmmən] (plural horse·wom·en
[háwrss wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
rider of horses: a woman who rides or is riding a horse,
especially one who does so with skill

2.  woman
horse owner: a woman who owns or breeds horses

[1]



horsey

horsey
hors·ey 
[háwrsee] adjective

See
horsy[1]



horse’sass

horse’sass
hors·e’s
ass
(plural hors·e’s ass·es) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a person who is disliked or objectionable because of
being mean, conceited, unintelligent, or obnoxious (offensive insult)[1]



horst

horst
horst 
[hawrst] (plural horsts) noun

ridge
of the Earth’s crust: an elevated block of the
Earth’s crust forced upward between faults
[Late 19th century. From
German, “heap, mass.”][1]



horsy

horsy
hors·y
[háwrssee] (comparative hors·i·er,
superlative hors·i·est) or hors·ey [háwrssee] (comparative hors·i·er, superlative
hors·i·est) adjective

1.  relating
to horses:
belonging to, relating to, or characteristic of a horse

2.  looking
like a horse: heavy, awkward, and unattractive in
appearance

3.  interested
in horses:
very fond of horses and interested in activities involving horses such as
riding, racing, show jumping, or hunting
—hors·i·ness, noun[1]



hort.

hort.
hort.

1.  Abbreviation
of
horticulture

2.  Abbreviation
of
horticultural

[1]



hortative

hortative
hor·ta·tive 
[háwrtətiv] adjective

(formal)
See hortatory
[Early
17th century. Via Latin hortativus from, ultimately, hortari “to
exhort” (see hortatory ).]
—hor·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



hortatory

hortatory
hor·ta·to·ry 
[háwrtə tàwree] adjective

urging
a course of action: urging, encouraging, or
strongly advising a course of action to somebody (formal)
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin hortatorius from, ultimately, Latin hortari
“to urge strongly, exhort” (source of English exhort
).]
—hor·ta·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



horticulture

horticulture
hor·ti·cul·ture 
[háwrti kùlchər] noun

1.  BOTANY GARDENING cultivation of gardens:
the science, skill, or occupation of cultivating plants, especially flowers,
fruit, and vegetables, in gardens or greenhouses

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY simple
agriculture without many tools: a simple form of
agriculture based on working small plots of land without using draft animals,
plows, or irrigation
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin hortus “garden” (source of English orchard ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to enclose,” which is also the ancestor of English yard and garden
.]
—hor·ti·cul·tur·al
[hàwrti kúlchərəl], adjective

—hor·ti·cul·tur·al·ly
[hàwrti kúlchərəlee], adverb

—hor·ti·cul·tur·ist [hàwrti kúlchərist], noun[1]



Horus

Horus
Ho·rus 
[háwrəss] noun

Egyptian sun god:
in Egyptian mythology, the god of the sun, the sky, and goodness, usually
depicted as having a falcon’s head. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris.[1]



Hos.

Hos.
Hos.

Abbreviation of
Hosea[1]



hosanna

hosanna
ho·san·na
[hō zánnə] or ho·san·nah [hō zánnə] noun (plural ho·san·nas)
(plural ho·san·nahs) interjection

shout
of praise:
a cry of praise to God
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin from Greek hōsanna, from Rabbinic Hebrew hōša’nā,
shortening of Hebrew hōšī’ā-nnā “save, (we) pray” (Psalm 118:25) .][1]



Hosay

Hosay
Ho·say
[hō sáy] or Ho·sein [hō sáyn] noun

Islamic religious festival:
an Islamic religious festival held on the tenth day of the month of Moharram
celebrating the martyrdom of Imam Hosein. In Port of Spain, Trinidad, floats
depicting religious sites and figures are paraded through the streets and
thrown into the sea as a symbol of the vanity of worldly things.[1]



hose

hose
hose 
[hōz] noun (plural hos·es)

flexible tube:
a flexible tube or pipe, often made of rubber or plastic, through which fluids
such as water or gasoline can flow
plural
noun

1.  CLOTHES leg
covering:
a skintight leg covering such as stockings or socks (takes a plural verb)

2.  CLOTHES HISTORY tight-fitting trousers:
a garment formerly worn by men, fitting closely to the legs and attaching to a
doublet
transitive
verb
(past hosed, past participle hosed, present
participle hos·ing, 3rd person present singular hos·es)

1.  direct
water on somebody or something: to spray, soak, wash,
or rinse something or somebody with water from a hose

2.  trick
somebody:
to deceive or trick somebody (slang)

3.  degrade
a computer’s performance: to make a computer system
nonfunctional or greatly degrade the performance of a system (slang)
[Old English hosa “leg
covering, husk” (hence “flexible tube”). Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to cover,” which is also the ancestor of English hut, scum,
and sky .][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Hosea

Hosea
Ho·se·a 
[hō záy ə] noun

book in Bible:
in the Bible, a short prophetic book[1]



Hosein

Hosein
Ho·sein
noun

See
Hosay[1]



hosel

hosel
ho·sel
[hṓz’l] (plural ho·sels) noun

socket
in the head of a golf club: the socket in the head of a
golf club where the shaft is attached
[Late 19th century. Formed
from hose + the suffix -el “small”
(from Latin -ellus ).][1]



hoser

hoser
hos·er
[hṓzər] (plural hos·ers) noun

Canada
offensive term:
an offensive term for a person who is considered to be unintelligent and
vulgar, especially a man whose main interests are hockey and drinking beer (insult
offensive slang)[1]



hosier

hosier
ho·sier
[hṓzhər] (plural ho·siers) noun

hosiery seller:
somebody who makes or sells hosiery (archaic)[1]



hosiery

hosiery
ho·sier·y 
[hṓzhəree] noun

socks and stockings:
socks, stockings, pantyhose, and tights, considered collectively[1]



hosp.

hosp.
hosp.

Abbreviation of
hospital[1]



hospice

hospice
hos·pice 
[hóspiss] (plural hos·pic·es) noun

1.  MEDICINE SOCIAL WELFARE nursing home for the
dying:
a usually small residential institution for terminally ill patients where
treatment focuses on the patient’s well-being rather than a cure and includes
drugs for pain management and often spiritual counseling

2.  MEDICINE home
care for the dying: a program of hospice care
for the terminally ill that includes home visits by professionals such as
nurses and clergy to provide for the person’s physical and emotional needs.
Also
called
home hospice

3.  HISTORY refuge
for travelers and destitute: in former times, a place
where pilgrims, travelers, and the homeless or destitute were offered lodging,
usually by a religious order
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin hospitium “guesthouse, hospitality,” from the stem hospit-
of hospes “host, guest” (source of English host 1 ).][1]



hospitable

hospitable
hos·pi·ta·ble 
[ho spíttəb’l, hóspitəb’l]
adjective

1.  treating
visitors well: friendly, welcoming, and generous to
guests or strangers • That’s
very hospitable of you.

2.  agreeable:
pleasant, agreeable, and providing what somebody needs to live comfortably • a
hospitable climate
[Late
16th century. From French, from obsolete hospiter “to receive a guest,”
from, ultimately, the Latin stem hospit- of hospes (see host 1 ).]
—hos·pi·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—hos·pi·ta·bly, adverb[1]



hospital

hospital
hos·pi·tal 
[hóspit’l] (plural hos·pi·tals)
noun

1.  MEDICINE building
for medical care: an institution where people receive
medical, surgical, or psychiatric treatment and nursing care

2.  place
of repair:
a place where something is repaired

3.  SOCIAL WELFARE charitable
home or school: a charitable institution providing
shelter, care, or education for orphaned children, senior citizens, or the
homeless or destitute (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old
French, “hostel,” from medieval Latin hospitale “guesthouse, inn,” from
the Latin stem hospit- of hospes (see host 1 ).][1]



hospital-acquiredinfection

hospital-acquiredinfection
hos·pi·tal-ac·quired
in·fec·tion
(plural hos·pi·tal-ac·quired in·fec·tions) noun

illness resulting from stay
in hospital: a disease caught while
being treated in the hospital for something else “Each year, nearly 90,000
patients in the United States die of a hospital-acquired infection…” New York
Times Magazine February 1998[1]



hospitalcorner

hospitalcorner
hos·pi·tal
cor·ner
(plural hos·pi·tal cor·ners) noun

corner
of a neatly made bed: either of the corners at the
foot of a bed in which the sheets and blankets are tucked under the mattress in
neat triangular folds
[Hospital from its use in
hospitals][1]



Hospitaler

Hospitaler
Hos·pi·tal·er 
[hóspitlər] (plural Hos·pi·tal·ers)
or Hos·pi·tal·ler [hóspitlər]
(plural Hos·pi·tal·lers) noun

1.  RELIGION HISTORY member of a crusading order:
a member of a military religious order, the Knights of the Hospital of St John,
founded in the late 11th century by European crusaders to care for sick
pilgrims in Jerusalem

2.  religious
or charitable caregiver: a member of a religious
order or charitable institution involved in the care of the sick, especially in
the hospital
[14th century. Via Old French
hospitalier from medieval Latin hospitalarius, from hospitale
“guesthouse, inn” (see hospital ).][1]



hospitality

hospitality
hos·pi·tal·i·ty 
[hòspi tállətee] noun

kindness to visitors:
a friendly welcome and kind or generous treatment offered to guests or
strangers[1]



hospitalitysuite

hospitalitysuite
hos·pi·tal·i·ty
suite
(plural hos·pi·tal·i·ty suites) noun

visitors’ reception room:
a room or suite of rooms where invited guests or clients of a company,
delegates to a conference, or other official visitors are welcomed and usually
provided with free refreshments[1]



hospitalize

hospitalize
hos·pi·tal·ize 
[hóspit’l z] (past hos·pi·tal·ized,
past participle hos·pi·tal·ized, present participle hos·pi·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular hos·pi·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

put
somebody in the hospital: to admit somebody to the
hospital for treatment, diagnosis, or observation, usually as an inpatient
—hos·pi·tal·i·za·tion
[hòspit’li záysh’n], noun[1]



Hospitaller

Hospitaller
Hos·pi·tal·ler 
noun

See
Hospitaler[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hospodar

hospodar
hos·po·dar
[hóspə dr] (plural hos·po·dars)
noun

Moldavian
or Wallachian governor: a prince or governor of
Moldavia or Wallachia during the time of Ottoman rule
[Late 16th century. Via
Romanian from Ukrainian .][1]



Host

Host
Host 
or host noun

consecrated
bread:
the bread or wafer consecrated and eaten during the Christian ceremony of
Communion
[14th century. Via Old French
(h)oiste from Latin hostia “sacrificial animal, victim.”][1]



host

host1
host1 [hōst]
noun (plural hosts)

1.  somebody
entertaining guests: somebody who invites,
welcomes, and entertains guests, often providing them with food and drink

2.  BROADCASTING somebody
introducing guests on a show: somebody who presents and
interviews guests on a radio or television program

3.  place
where an event is held: a place or organization that
provides the space and facilities for a special event, for example, an
international sporting competition

4.  BIOLOGY organism
infected by a parasite: a human, animal, plant, or
other organism in or on which another organism, especially a parasite, lives

5.  MEDICINE graft
or transplant recipient: the recipient of a
transplanted or grafted embryo, tissue, or organ

6.  landlord
of an inn:
somebody who owns or runs a bed and breakfast, guest house, or hotel

7.  restaurant
greeter:
somebody employed in a restaurant to greet and seat customers

8.  host
or host com·pu·ter COMPUTING
main
computer in a network: in a computer network, the
main computer that controls certain functions or files
transitive
verb
(past host·ed, past participle host·ed, present
participle host·ing, 3rd person present singular hosts)

1.  accommodate
an event:
to provide the space and facilities for a special event, for example, an
international sporting competition

2.  BROADCASTING introduce
guests on a show: to act as the host of a television or
radio program

3.  entertain
guests:
to be the host of a social or official gathering

4.  COMPUTING create
a Web site for somebody: to provide the service of
creating a Web site on the Internet for somebody
[13th century. Via Old French
(h)oste “host, guest” from the Latin stem hospit- of hospes
(source of English hospital and hotel ), of uncertain origin: probably from hostis
“stranger, enemy.”][1]



host

host2
host2  [hōst]
(plural hosts) noun

1.  large
group:
a very large number of people or things

2.  MILITARY army:
an army (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin hostis “stranger, enemy” (in medieval Latin, “army”) (source
of English hostile ).][1]



hosta

hosta
hos·ta 
[hṓstə, hóstə]
(plural hos·tas) noun

See
plantain lily
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin (genus name), named for Nicolaus T. Host (1761–1834), an
Austrian botanist.][1]



hostage

hostage
hos·tage 
[hóstij] (plural hos·tages) noun

1.  captive
held for ransom: somebody held prisoner by a person or
group, for example, a criminal or a terrorist organization, until certain
demands are met or money is handed over

2.  somebody
manipulated by another: a person or group of people
whose freedom of action is restricted or controlled by a more powerful
organization by implied threats or other means

3.  security
or pledge:
a person or thing given or held as security (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old French (h)ostage, from late Latin obsidiatus
“hostageship,” literally “sitting in the way of,” from, ultimately, sedere
“to sit.”]
a
hostage to fortune

a remark or action that could
potentially lead to trouble or difficulty and so is better avoided[1]



hostcomputer

hostcomputer
host
com·puter
noun

See
host 1 noun
8[1]



hostel

hostel
hos·tel 
[hóst’l] (plural hos·tels) noun

1.  See
youth hostel

2.  cheap
inn:
an inexpensive inn or place of lodging
[13th century. From Old
French (h)ostel, from medieval Latin hospitale “guesthouse, inn”
(see hospital ).][1]



hosteler

hosteler
hos·tel·er 
[hóstələr] (plural hos·tel·ers)
noun

1.  hostel
lodger:
somebody who stays at hostels while traveling, especially a young person who
stays at youth hostels

2.  landlord
of inn:
somebody who owns or runs an inn or a cheap hotel (archaic)

[1]



hosteling

hosteling
hos·tel·ing
[hóstəling] noun

staying at hostels:
staying at hostels, especially youth hostels, while traveling around for
pleasure[1]



hosteller

hosteller
hos·tel·ler
noun

U.K. =
hosteler[1]



hostelling

hostelling
hos·tel·ling
noun

U.K. =
hosteling[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hostelry

hostelry
hos·tel·ry 
[háwstəlree] (plural hos·tel·ries)
noun

inn:
a hotel, pub, or inn (archaic)[1]



hostess

hostess
host·ess 
[hṓstəss] noun (plural host·ess·es)

1.  woman
entertaining guests: a woman who invites,
welcomes, and entertains guests, often providing them with food and drink

2.  BROADCASTING woman
introducing guests on show: a woman who presents a
television or radio program in which invited guests take part, for example, a
talk show or game show

3.  paid
dance partner: a woman who is paid to be a man’s
dancing partner at a nightclub or dance hall

4.  woman
greeter in a restaurant: a woman who is employed in a
restaurant to greet and seat customers

5.  TRANSPORT woman
attendant for passengers: a woman who is employed to
provide for the safety and comfort of passengers on an aircraft, ship, train,
or bus
intransitive
and transitive verb (past host·essed,
past participle host·essed, present participle host·ess·ing,
3rd person present singular host·ess·es)

act as hostess:
to act as the hostess to an event, or perform the duties of a hostess
[12th century. From Old
French (h)ostesse, from (h)oste “host” (see host 1 ).][1]



hostile

hostile
hos·tile 
[hóst’l] adjective

1.  very
unfriendly:
showing or feeling hatred, enmity, antagonism, or anger toward somebody

2.  against:
strongly opposed to somebody or something • hostile
to the idea

3.  MILITARY relating
to an enemy: relating to, characteristic of, or
belonging to an enemy, especially in warfare • hostile
fire

4.  adverse:
not favorable to life, health, development, or success • a
hostile environment

5.  COMMERCE against
a management’s will: opposed by the owner or management
of a corporation • a hostile takeover
noun
(plural hos·tiles)

1.  MILITARY enemy:
an enemy in warfare

2.  hostile
person:
somebody who is antagonistic or opposed to somebody or something
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin hostilis, from hostis
“enemy, stranger” (source of English host 2 ).]
—hos·tile·ly, adverb[1]



hostilewitness

hostilewitness
hos·tile
wit·ness
(plural hos·tile wit·ness·es) noun

LAW
unfavorable witness:
a witness called by an opposing party who gives evidence against that party[1]



hostility

hostility
hos·til·i·ty 
[ho stíllətee] noun (plural hos·til·i·ties)

1.  intense
aggression or anger: a feeling or attitude of
hatred, enmity, antagonism, or anger toward somebody

2.  strong
opposition:
strong opposition to somebody or something

3.  hostile
act:
an aggressive act against somebody
plural
noun
hos·til·i·ties

MILITARY attacks:
open acts of warfare

[1]



hostler

hostler
hos·tler 
[hósslər, ósslər]
(plural hos·tlers) or os·tler [hósslər, ósslər]
(plural os·tlers) noun

1.  engineer:
somebody employed to service a large vehicle or machine, for example, a
locomotive or crane

2.  horse
minder:
a person employed to look after horses at an inn (archaic)

[1]



hot

hot
hot 
[hot] adjective (comparative hot·ter,
superlative hot·test)

1.  very
warm:
at a high, relatively high, or very high temperature • the
hottest day of the year

2.  too
warm for comfort: feeling warmer than normal or desirable

3.  FOOD very
spicy or peppery: spicy or peppery enough to cause a
burning sensation in the mouth or throat

4.  causing
controversy: causing much discussion, disagreement,
or controversy • a hot topic

5.  unpleasant
or dangerous: unpleasant or uncomfortable because of
antagonism, trouble, or danger (informal) • It
got too hot for him to handle.

6.  quickly
angered:
easily provoked or aroused • a hot
temper

7.  intense
or violent:
felt, done, or expressed with forceful, intense energy • hot
competition

8.  COLORS intense:
very bright and vivid • hot
pink

9.  close:
following somebody or something very closely • hot
on the trail

10. requiring
attention:
requiring immediate attention and offering potential success or good fortune • a
hot tip

11. current
or topical:
very recent or new and therefore of interest or importance • hot
off the press

12. exciting:
new, fresh, and exciting (informal) • a
hot new talent

13. successful:
very popular or successful (informal) • one
of the hottest items in the range

14. knowledgeable:
having or showing particular skill or knowledge (informal) • not
very hot at math

15. lucky:
very lucky, for example, in gambling (informal)

16. wise:
very good, wise, or sensible (informal) • That
idea’s not so hot.

17. well:
well or good (informal) • I
don’t feel too hot.

18. angry:
angry or agitated about something (informal) • Watch
out, the captain is hot!

19. keen:
enthusiastically eager (informal) • She’s
really hot on jazz.

20. physically
attracted:
physically attracted or aroused (slang)

21. physically
attractive:
physically attractive or exciting (slang)

22. stolen:
obtained illegally, especially by stealing (slang) • hot
jewels

23. on
the run:
wanted by the police (slang) • a hot
suspect

24. eager:
full of activity, energy, enthusiasm, or excitement • I’m
really hot to get started.

25. MUSIC inventive
and exciting: with strong rhythms or exciting
improvisation (informal)

26. AUTOMOBILES powerful:
very fast and powerful (slang)

27. ELECTRICITY live:
electrically charged • a hot
wire

28. U.K.
strict:
very strict about something (informal) • He’s
hot on getting the paperwork right.

29. NUCLEAR PHYSICS radioactive:
dangerously radioactive

30. BIOLOGY infectious
or lethal:
extremely infectious or lethal, or containing infectious viruses

31. PHYSICS in an
elevated energy state: in an elevated energy state,
usually caused by nuclear processes • a hot
atom

32. near
the answer or a missing object: very close to
something to be found or discovered in a hunting or guessing game (informal)
• You’re
getting hotter.

33. absurd:
funny, absurd, or unbelievable (slang)
plural
noun
hots

desire:
strong physical desire (informal)
adverb

intensely: in an
eager, intense, or angry way • They
argued hot and long.
[Old
English hāt, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English heat]
—hot·ness,
noun
blow
or run hot and cold

to
keep changing your mind, for example, by being enthusiastic about something
then unenthusiastic

hot
to trot

eager and willing (slang)[1]



hotair

hotair
hot
air
noun

empty statements or promises:
impressive or boastful talk about achievements or intentions that has no
substance (informal)[1]



hot-airballoon

hot-airballoon
hot-air
bal·loon
(plural hot-air bal·loons) noun

lighter-than-air craft:
a lighter-than-air craft in which a compartment for pilot and passengers is
suspended from a large nylon balloon that holds heated air or helium[1]



hotbed

hotbed
hot·bed 
[hót bèd] (plural hot·beds) noun

1.  center
of activity: an environment where something
flourishes or happens frequently, especially something undesirable • a
hotbed of corruption.

2.  GARDENING heated
glass-covered soil bed: a planting bed covered with
glass and heated with electricity or by the action of fermenting manure to aid
in quick germination of seeds and growth of plants

[1]



hot-blooded

hot-blooded
hot-blood·ed 
adjective

easily
aroused emotionally: easily angered, excited, or
physically aroused
—hot-blood·ed·ness, noun[1]



hotbutton

hotbutton
hot
but·ton
(plural hot but·tons) noun

something
triggering reaction: something that is known or
likely to provoke a strong response, especially among voters or consumers
press
somebody’s hot button

to provoke a strong immediate
reaction, usually a predictable one[1]



hot-button

hot-button
hot-but·ton
adjective

arousing strong feelings (slang)[1]



hotchpot

hotchpot
hotch·pot
[hóch pòt] noun

gathering
of property: in law, the gathering together of
property belonging to different people in order to divide it equally
[14th century. Ultimately
from Old French hochepot “hotchpotch,” from hocher “to shake”
(see hotch ) + pot “pot” (from assumed Vulgar Latin pottus,
source of English pot ).][1]



hotchpotch

hotchpotch
hotch·potch 
[hóch pòch] noun

See
hodgepodge
[Late 16th century. Rhyming
alteration of hotchpot .][1]



hot-comb

hot-comb
hot-comb
transitive verb

use hot comb:
to style or straighten the hair using a hot comb[1]



hotcomb

hotcomb
hot
comb
(plural hot combs) noun

heated styling device:
a comb that can be heated, usually electrically, and used to style or
straighten the hair[1]



hotcorner

hotcorner
hot
cor·ner
noun

3rd base:
in baseball, the fielding position of third base[1]



hotcross bun

hotcross bun
hot
cross bun
(plural hot cross buns) noun

bun with a cross:
a sweet bun containing yeast, spices, and dried fruit and marked with a cross
on the top, traditionally eaten hot on Good Friday[1]



hot-desking

hot-desking
hot-desk·ing
noun

BUSINESS sharing
a desk at work: the practice of sharing the same work
desk among several employees at different times in the work day
—hot-desk, intransitive
verb[1]



hot-dog

hot-dog
hot-dog 
(past hot-dog·ged, past participle hot-dog·ged, present
participle hot-dog·ging, 3rd person present singular hot-dogs)
intransitive verb

perform
stunts:
to perform difficult, dangerous, or acrobatic stunts in a showy or impressive
manner in skiing, surfing, and similar sports (slang)
—hot-dog·ger,
noun

—hot-dog·ging, noun[1]



hotdog

hotdog
hot
dog
noun (plural hot dogs)

1.  wiener
in a bun:
a type of long wiener typically served hot on a bread roll with toppings such
as mustard, ketchup, or relish

2.  See
frankfurter  noun

3.  performer
of stunts:
somebody who performs difficult, dangerous, or acrobatic stunts in skiing,
surfing, and similar sports (slang)
interjection

expression of enthusiastic pleasure:
used to express strong approval, delight, or surprise (informal)

[1]



hotel

hotel
ho·tel 
[hō tél] (plural ho·tels) noun

1.  place
for an overnight stay: a building or commercial
establishment where people pay for lodging, and where meals and other
facilities such as conference rooms are often available

2.  Australia
pub:
an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages

3.  South
Asia
restaurant:
a restaurant

4.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “H”: a code word for the letter
“H,” used in international radio communications
[Mid-17th century. Via French
hôtel from Old French hostel “lodging, hostel,” from medieval
Latin hospitale (see hospital ).][1]



hotelier

hotelier
ho·te·lier 
[àw tel yáy, hō
téllyər] (plural ho·te·liers) noun

hotel
proprietor:
somebody who owns or runs a hotel.
Also
called
hotelkeeper
[Early 20th century. Via
French hôtelier from Old French hostelier “hosteler,” from,
ultimately, medieval Latin hospitale (see hospital
).][1]



hoteling

hoteling
ho·tel·ing
noun

BUSINESS providing
temporary desk space for somebody: the practice of
providing temporary desk space for an employee
[From the idea that a hotel
is a temporary place to stay][1]



hotelkeeper

hotelkeeper
ho·tel·keep·er
[hō tél kpər] (plural ho·tel·keep·ers)
noun

See
hotelier[1]



hotflash

hotflash
hot
flash
(plural hotflash·es) noun

sensation of body heat:
a sudden hot feeling, sometimes accompanied by sweating and redness of the
face, experienced by some women during menopause and caused by an endocrine
imbalance.
U.K. term
hot flush[1]



hotfoot

hotfoot
hot·foot 
[hót ft] adverb

quickly:
as quickly as possible
noun
(plural hot·foots)

lighting
of a match in somebody’s shoe: a practical joke in
which a match is put between the sole and upper of somebody’s shoe, without the
person’s knowledge, and then lit
hotfoot
it

to go with great haste and
eagerness, usually on foot (informal)[1]



hot-gospeler

hot-gospeler
hot-gos·pel·er
(plural hot-gos·pel·ers) noun

zealous evangelist or
propagandist: somebody who preaches
religion or spreads propaganda in a very forceful or enthusiastic manner (informal)
(offensive in some contexts)[1]



hothead

hothead
hot·head 
[hót hèd] (plural hot·heads) noun

rash or quick-tempered
person: somebody who acts hastily
without thinking or who is too easily angered or excited[1]



hotheaded

hotheaded
hot·head·ed 
[hot héddəd] adjective

impetuous:
too easily angered or excited and usually acting impetuously
—hot·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—hot·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



hothouse

hothouse
hot·house 
[hót hòwss] noun (plural hot·hous·es
[hót hòwzəz])

1.  GARDENING heated
greenhouse:
a heated building, usually with glass walls and roof, in which tropical or
delicate plants can grow at a stable warm temperature

2.  center
of activity: a place where a particular thing
flourishes and develops, usually in an intensive way • a
hothouse of technological innovation
adjective

sensitive:
sensitive and delicate (informal) • hothouse
views on political strategy

[1]



hothousing

hothousing
hot·hous·ing
[hót hòwzing] noun

intensive education program:
a program of providing children with intensive education[1]



hotkey

hotkey
hot
key
(plural hot keys) noun

key enabling immediate access
to function: a key or combination of
keys on a computer keyboard that provide a shortcut for performing a particular
function[1]



hotline

hotline
hot·line
[hót ln] (plural hot·lines) noun

1.  communications
link between leaders: a telephone connection or
similar link that allows direct communication between heads of government or
other important people, especially in an emergency • The
Chief of Staff has a hotline to the President.

2.  direct
telephone link to a service: a telephone number that
enables members of the public to make direct contact with a special service
offering information, advice, or help, usually on a serious or urgent matter

[1]



hotly

hotly
hot·ly 
[hóttlee] adverb

1.  angrily:
in an angry way

2.  fiercely:
in an intense and committed way • hotly
contested

[1]



hot-melt

hot-melt
hot-melt
(plural hot-melts) noun

molten adhesive:
a fast-drying adhesive applied in a molten state[1]



hotmetal

hotmetal
hot
met·al
noun

1.  metal
printing type: printing type cast from molten metal in
a crucible beside the printing machine

2.  method
of printing: printing using hot metal type

[1]



hotmoney

hotmoney
hot
mon·ey
noun

funds transferred for
short-term gain: funds transferred from
one form of currency to another in order to take advantage of better exchange
rates[1]



hotpants

hotpants
hot
pants
plural noun

1.  CLOTHES tight
shorts:
very brief close-fitting shorts for women, first fashionable in the early 1970s

2.  physical
desire:
very strong physical desire (slang)

[1]



hotpepper

hotpepper
hot
pep·per
noun

1.  PLANTS pungent
pepper plant: a pungent variety of the pepper plant.
Latin name: Capsicum frutescens

2.  FOOD pungent
fruit of hot pepper plant: the hot-tasting fruit of the
hot pepper plant, used in cooking, especially Mexican, Southwestern U.S.,
Indian, or Chinese cooking

[1]



hotplate

hotplate
hot
plate
(plural hot plates) noun

1.  heated
cooking surface: a flat heated surface, usually iron and
part of a stove, on which food can be cooked

2.  device
for keeping food warm: a portable device with a
flat heated surface on which cooked food can be heated or kept warm

[1]



hotpot

hotpot
hot
pot
(plural hot pots) noun

pot for cooking at table:
a small heated pot of boiling water or broth used to cook pieces of food at the
table, especially in Asian cooking[1]



hotpotato

hotpotato
hot
po·ta·to
noun

topic hard to handle:
a sensitive or controversial issue that is awkward or difficult to deal with[1]



hotpress

hotpress
hot
press
noun

machine
applying heat and pressure: a machine used to apply heat
and pressure to a material such as paper or cloth
—hot-press, transitive
verb[1]



hotrod

hotrod
hot
rod
(plural hot rods) noun

very powerful car:
a car that has been modified to make it go very fast (slang)[1]



hot-rod

hot-rod
hot-rod
(past hot-rod·ded, past participle hot-rod·ded, present
participle hot-rod·ding, 3rd person present singular hot-rods)
verb (slang)

1.  transitive
verb
increase
a car’s power: to modify a car or its engine to make it
very fast or powerful

2.  intransitive
verb
drive:
to drive a hot rod

[1]



hot-rodder

hot-rodder
hot-rod·der
(plural hot-rod·ders) noun

car driver:
somebody who drives a hot rod (slang)[1]



hotseat

hotseat
hot
seat
(plural hot seats) noun

the
electric chair (slang)
in
the hot seat

facing or liable to face
criticism or difficult questioning • in
the hot seat after the latest round of allegations[1]



hotshoe

hotshoe
hot
shoe
(plural hot shoes) noun

camera accessory:
a camera accessory used to connect the camera and an electric flash[1]



hotshot

hotshot
hot·shot 
[hót shòt] (plural hot·shots) noun

1.  self-assured
expert:
a successful, important, or highly skilled person, especially one who is
showily confident (informal)

2.  FREIGHT RAIL fast train:
a very fast freight train

[1]



hotspot

hotspot
hot
spot
(plural hot spots) noun

1.  MILITARY place
of potential unrest: an area where fighting or
trouble is likely to break out

2.  LEISURE center
of entertainment: a place that is a center of
entertainment and social activity, for example, a popular nightclub (informal)

3.  ENGINEERING small
area of intense heat: a small area of something,
for example, an engine, that is at a much higher temperature than the rest

4.  GEOGRAPHY area
of geothermal activity: a part of the Earth’s
surface subject to greater than usual geothermal activity

[1]



hotspring

hotspring
hot
spring
(plural hot springs) noun

spring heated geothermally:
a spring of water heated by geothermal energy.
See also
geyser[1]



HotSprings

HotSprings
Hot
Springs 
[hòt spríngz]

city in central Arkansas in
the eastern Ouachita Mountains, on the Ouachita River. Population: 36,255
(1996)[1]



HotSprings National Park

HotSprings National Park
Hot
Springs Na·tion·al Park

national park in west central
Arkansas, established in 1921, with 47 thermal springs that have an average
temperature over 60°C / 140°F . Area: 2,243 hectares/5,543 acres.[1]



hotspur

hotspur
hot·spur
[hót spùr] (plural hot·spurs) noun

impetuous
person:
a rash or impetuous person
[From Hotspur, the
nickname of Henry Percy (1364–1403), English rebel][1]



hotstuff

hotstuff
hot
stuff
noun (informal)

1.  very
good person or thing: somebody who or something
that is particularly impressive, attractive, exciting, or important

2.  attractive
person:
a physically attractive person

[1]



Hottentot

Hottentot
Hot·ten·tot 
[hótt’n tòt] (plural Hot·ten·tot
or Hot·ten·tots) noun (dated offensive)

1.  PEOPLES Khoikhoi:
a former name of the Khoikhoi people

2.  LANGUAGE Khoikhoi
language:
the language of the Khoikhoi people
[Late 17th century.
Ultimately from Dutch, of uncertain origin: probably originally a formula in a
Nama song used by Dutch sailors to refer to the people themselves.][1]



Hottentotfig

Hottentotfig
Hot·ten·tot
fig
(plural Hot·ten·tot figs) noun

S African plant:
a low-growing succulent plant that has purplish or yellowish flowers resembling
daisies, and edible fruit. It is native to South Africa, but is now grown in
many frost-free places. Latin name: Carpobrotus edulis[1]



hotticket

hotticket
hot
tick·et
(plural hot tick·ets) noun

fashionably popular person or
thing: somebody who or something
that is very popular at a particular time[1]



hottish

hottish
hot·tish 
[hóttish] adjective

fairly hot:
fairly but not excessively hot[1]



hottoddy

hottoddy
hot
tod·dy
noun

See
toddy[1]



hottub

hottub
hot
tub
(plural hot tubs) noun

bath:
a large round bathtub filled with hot water for one or more people to relax,
bathe, or socialize in[1]



hotwar

hotwar
hot
war
noun

open warfare:
armed conflict between groups or nations, as opposed to political hostility.
See also
cold war[1]



hotwater

hotwater
hot
wa·ter
noun

trouble:
a situation of trouble or difficulty, usually resulting from doing something
wrong (informal)[1]



hot-waterbottle

hot-waterbottle
hot-wa·ter
bot·tle 
(plural hot-wa·ter bot·tles) noun

warming water-filled
container: a container, usually made of
rubber, filled with hot water and used to warm part of the body[1]



hot-wire

hot-wire
hot-wire 
(past hot-wired, past participle hot-wired, present
participle hot-wir·ing, 3rd person present singular hot-wires)
transitive verb

start a car without a key:
to start a car by bringing the ignition wires into contact (informal)[1]



Houdan

Houdan
Hou·dan 
[h dàn] (plural Hou·dans) noun

breed
of fowl:
a breed of domestic fowl that has black and white plumage and a characteristic
full crest
[Late 19th century. Named for
Houdan, village in the French department of Seine-et-Oise, where the breed
originated.][1]



Houdini,Harry

Houdini,Harry

Hou·di·ni
[h dnee], Harry (1874–1926)
Hungarian-born
U.S. magician. President of the Society of American Magicians, he was a master
escapologist and specialized in escaping from various locked containers.
Real name
Weiss, Ehrich[1]



houhigh

houhigh
hou
high
[h h] noun

Hong Kong
intoxication:
a state of intoxication or excitement, for example, from a drug (slang)[1]



houinch

houinch
hou
inch
noun

Hong Kong
proud person:
somebody who is aloof or arrogant (slang insult)[1]



Houma

Houma
Hou·ma 
[hṓmə]

city in southeastern
Louisiana, southeast of Baton Rouge and southwest of New Orleans. It is on the
Intracoastal Waterway. Population: 30,148 (1996)[1]



hound

hound
hound 
[hownd] noun (plural hounds)

1.  ZOOLOGY dog
bred for hunting: a dog originally bred for hunting, with
floppy ears, short hair, and a deep bark (often used in combination)

2.  ZOOLOGY dog:
any domestic dog, especially one viewed with disapproval (informal)

3.  unpleasant
person:
a contemptible or despicable person (dated)

4.  enthusiast:
somebody who pursues, seeks, or collects something with great enthusiasm or
determination (informal)
transitive
verb
(past hound·ed, past participle hound·ed, present
participle hound·ing, 3rd person present singular hounds)

1.  pursue
doggedly:
to follow, chase, or pester somebody in a persistent or relentless manner

2.  urge
or nag somebody: to urge or force somebody to do
something by nagging or harassment • he was
hounded out of office by a hostile press
[Old
English hund “dog.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base.]
—hound·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European word that is the ancestor of hound
  is also the ultimate source of English canary,
  canine, chenille,
  corgi, cynic,
  dachshund, and kennel.

[1]



houndfish

houndfish
hound·fish
[hównd fìsh] (plural hound·fish
or hound·fish·es) noun

shark:
a small shark or dogfish[1]



hounds

hounds
hounds
[howndz] plural noun

support
for a mast and rigging: the part of a ship’s
masthead that supports the topmast and the rigging
[15th century. By folk
etymology from hune “wooden projection below a masthead,” of uncertain
origin: probably from Old Norse húnn “knob at the top of a masthead.”][1]



houndstoothcheck

houndstoothcheck
hound·stooth
check
[hówndz tth chèk] or hound’s-tooth
check [hówndz tth chèk] noun

jagged check design:
a fabric design of small jagged checks[1]



hound’s-tongue

hound’s-tongue
hound’s-tongue 
(plural hound’s-tongues) noun

coarse
plant:
a coarse plant of the borage family, native to Europe and Asia, that has small
reddish-purple flowers and spiny clinging fruit. Latin name: Cynoglossum
[Translation of Latin cynoglossus
“dog-tongued,” from the shape and texture of its leaves, likened to the tongue
of a dog][1]



hour

hour
hour 
[owr] (plural hours) noun

1.  60
minutes:
3,600 seconds, or one of 24 equal parts of a day

2.  60-minute
interval shown on a timepiece: one of the intervals
of 60 minutes shown on a clock or watch • There’s
a bus at 20 past the hour.

3.  time
of day:
time of day, with emphasis on the general portion of day or night being
referred to • at
this unearthly hour

4.  regular
time for something: a time at which something
usually takes place or is done • my
lunch hour

5.  significant
period:
a period during which something particularly significant happens • Enjoy
your hour of glory while it lasts.

6.  time
of success:
a time when somebody is powerful, successful, or famous • This
is your hour, so seize the opportunity!

7.  time
of death:
the time when somebody is going to die • As
he started falling, he thought his hour had surely come.

8.  work
done in 60 minutes: the amount of work done in a
period of sixty minutes • I have
a couple of hours left to do in the yard.

9.  distance
traveled in 60 minutes: the distance that can be
traveled in sixty minutes • My
office is only an hour away.

10. MEASUREMENTS NAVIGATION measure
of longitude: a measure of longitude equal to 15
degrees or one twenty-fourth of a great circle

11. single
session:
one meeting of a class or course of therapeutic treatment, usually 50 or 55
minutes • I
missed my hour with the therapist last week.

12. See
credit hour
[12th
century. Via Old French houre from Latin hora, from Greek hōra
“time period, season.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “season,”
which is also the ancestor of English year
.]
at
any hour

at
any time, day or night

of
the hour

enjoying the highest degree
of relevance, importance, or popularity at the current moment or particular
time • She
is clearly the woman of the hour.[1]



hourangle

hourangle
hour
an·gle
(plural hour an·gles) noun

ASTRONOMY
angle between meridian and hour circle:
the angle, measured positively westward, between the plane containing the
observer and the Earth’s poles and the plane containing a particular celestial
body and the Earth’s poles[1]



hourcircle

hourcircle
hour
cir·cle
(plural hour cir·cles) noun

ASTRONOMY
great circle:
a great circle passing through the poles of the celestial sphere and
intersecting the celestial equator at right angles, containing a point on the
celestial sphere such as a star[1]



hourglass

hourglass
hour·glass 
[ówr glàss] (plural hour·glass·es)
noun

time-measuring device:
a time-measurement device consisting of two transparent bulbs connected by a
narrow tube and containing an amount of sand that takes a specified time to
flow between the bulbs after inversion.
Also called
sandglass[1]



hourglassfigure

hourglassfigure
hour·glass
fig·ure
noun

woman’s body shape:
a woman’s body shape, curving out above and below a narrow waist like the shape
of an hourglass[1]



hourhand

hourhand
hour
hand
(plural hour hands) noun

short hand on a timepiece:
the shorter, wider hand of a nondigital clock or watch, which indicates the
hour[1]



houri

houri
hou·ri 
[hree] (plural hou·ris) noun

1.  ISLAM young
woman in paradise: in Islamic belief, one of
the beautiful young women who attend Muslim men in paradise

2.  lovely
woman:
an attractive woman (dated) (sometimes considered offensive)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Arabic ḥawrā’ “woman with dark eyes.”][1]



hourly

hourly
hour·ly 
[ówrlee] adjective

1.  each
hour:
happening at sixty-minute intervals • hourly
news

2.  occurring
a lot:
happening frequently or continually • hourly
changes

3.  calculated
by the hour: calculated as a particular amount for
each hour worked • hourly wages

4.  paid
by the hour: working for pay that is calculated as a
particular amount for each hour worked
adverb

1.  once
an hour:
happening once during an hour • The
news is broadcast hourly.

2.  soon:
at any time shortly from now • Her
arrival is expected hourly.

3.  often:
frequently or continually • The
situation is changing hourly.

4.  by
the hour:
with a particular amount being paid for each hour worked
noun
(plural hour·lies)

worker paid by the hours worked:
an employee paid by the number of hours worked • The
factory is hiring more hourlies.

[1]



hours

hours
hours
[owrz] plural noun

1.  long
time:
a long but unspecified amount of time (informal)

2.  times
for doing particular things: the times of day during
which particular things are done • during
school hours

3.  time
in a 24-hour clock: the time of day, when using
a 24-hour clock • The flight leaves at
1300 hours.

4.  canonical
hours:
the canonical hours taken as a whole

[1]



Housatonic

Housatonic
Hou·sa·ton·ic 
[hòssə tónnik]

river in northwestern
Massachusetts and Connecticut, rising in the Berkshire Hills. Length: 240
km/150 mi.[1]



house

house
house 
noun [howss] (plural hous·es
[howzəz])

1.  dwelling:
a building made for people to live in, especially one built for a single group
of occupants

2.  occupants
of a house:
all of the people who are in a house at one time, particularly the people who
usually live there

3.  community
dwelling:
a building in which a community of people lives • a
sorority house

4.  building
for animals: a building where animals are kept,
especially in a zoo • the
monkey house

5.  place
where people pay to eat: a place where members of the
public pay for food, drink, or entertainment, for example, a restaurant or club
• the
specialty of the house

6.  THEATER theater:
a theater, or the audience at a theater • The
dancers performed to an appreciative house.

7.  BUSINESS business
operation:
a company or a corporation creating or selling a particular product • a
publishing house

8.  gambling
casino:
a gambling casino or the people who manage it • The
odds always favor the house.

9.  college
or university residence hall: a residential college or a
residence hall within a university

10. house
or House POLITICS legislative
group:
a legislative group in a government or the place where it meets

11. family
line:
a family line, including ancestors and descendants, especially a royal family

12. brothel:
a brothel (dated)

13. ZODIAC division
of the zodiac: one of the 12 divisions of the zodiac in
astrology

14. ZODIAC zodiac
sign where a planet lies: the sign of the zodiac in
which a planet is found at a specific time.
Also
called
mansion

15. SPORTS curling
target:
an area of concentric circles at either end of an ice rink marked out for
curling, with the target in its center
transitive
verb
[howz] (past housed, past
participle housed, present participle hous·ing, 3rd
person present singular hous·es)

1.  give
somewhere to live: to provide somebody with a
place to live

2.  contain:
to contain, keep, or store something

3.  NAUT put
away safely: to put something away safely, for
example, oars or an anchor
[Old
English hūs, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
on
the house

given
free by somebody who would normally be paid

bring
the house down

to
provoke a great deal of laughter or applause

like
a house on fire

very
quickly, successfully, or strongly • They
got along like a house on fire.

play
house

to
take part in a children’s game of pretending to be a family, with children
playing the roles of both adults and children (informal)

put
your house in order

to
organize your life properly

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at home.

[1]



housearrest

housearrest
house
ar·rest
noun

confinement at home:
a form of legal confinement in which people who have been arrested are not
allowed to leave their own homes[1]



houseboat

houseboat
house·boat 
[hówss bt] (plural house·boats)
noun

boat used as a home:
a boat, especially a flat-bottomed river boat or barge, that is permanently
moored and used as a house[1]



housebound

housebound
house·bound 
[hówss bòwnd] adjective

See
homebound[1]



houseboy

houseboy
house·boy 
[hówss bòy] (plural house·boys)
noun

man servant:
a term, often considered offensive, referring to a man employed to perform
various household tasks[1]



housebrand

housebrand
house
brand
(plural house brands) noun

product sold by only one
retailer: a product made by or for a
specific retailer and often sold under that retailer’s name[1]



housebreak

housebreak
house·break 
[hówss bràyk] transitive verb (past
house·broke, past participle house·bro·ken, present
participle house·break·ing, 3rd person present singular house·breaks)

1.  teach
an animal to excrete outdoors: to teach an animal to
excrete outdoors or in a place.
Also
called
housetrain

2.  make
somebody behave: to teach acceptable behavior to somebody
(informal humorous) • Do you
think we will ever housebreak those kids?
noun
(plural house·breaks)

See break-in

[1]



housecall

housecall
house
call
(plural house calls) noun

professional visit:
a visit made by a doctor or other professional to a patient or client at home[1]



housecat

housecat
house
cat
(plural house cats) noun

domestic cat:
a cat that lives with people as a pet[1]



housecleaning

housecleaning
house·clean·ing 
[hówss klning] noun

1.  making
a house clean: the performance of a range of tasks to
make a house clean, for example, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and washing
windows

2.  making
a business more efficient: the process of getting rid
of unwanted employees, policies, or other aspects of a business in order to
improve the quality of a product or to increase profits (informal)

[1]



housecoat

housecoat
house·coat 
[hówss kt] (plural house·coats)
noun

woman’s outer garment:
a woman’s outer garment, often loose and comfortable, worn at home[1]



housecricket

housecricket
house
crick·et
(plural house crick·ets) noun

dark brown cricket:
a dark brown cricket found throughout North America and Europe where it can
become a nuisance indoors. Latin name: Acheta domesticus[1]



housedetective

housedetective
house
de·tec·tive
(plural house de·tec·tives) noun

security officer:
somebody employed by a business, for example, a hotel or department store, to
patrol the premises and guard against theft or other unlawful behavior[1]



housedoctor

housedoctor
house
doc·tor
(plural house doc·tors) noun

hotel or corporate doctor:
a physician on duty in a hotel or other business organization.
Also called
house physician[1]



housedress

housedress
house·dress 
[hówss drèss] (plural house·dresses)
noun

dress worn at home only:
a loose comfortable dress worn around the house[1]



housefather

housefather
house·fa·ther
[hówss fthər] (plural house·fa·thers)
noun

man responsible for young
people: a man who is responsible for
a group of young people living in a dormitory or an institution such as a
hostel.
See also
houseparent[1]



housefinch

housefinch
house
finch
(plural house finch·es) noun

small common finch:
a small common finch native to the western United States and Mexico, now also
found in the eastern United States. Males have a red forehead, throat, breast,
and rump. Latin name: Carpodacus mexicanus[1]



housefly

housefly
house·fly 
[hówss fl] (plural house·flies)
noun

common fly:
a common fly that lives in and around human dwellings in most parts of the
world and is responsible for spreading numerous diseases. Latin name: Musca
domestica[1]



houseguest

houseguest
house·guest 
(plural house·guests) noun

visitor to somebody’s home:
somebody who stays in somebody else’s home as a guest[1]



household

household
house·hold 
[hówss hld] noun (plural house·holds)

people who live together:
the people who live together in a single home
adjective

1.  belonging
to a household: relating to, belonging to, or used in a
household

2.  familiar
to all:
very widely known • Thanks to the media,
their personal problems are household knowledge.

[1]



householdarts

householdarts
house·hold
arts
plural noun

skills of running house:
all the skills useful or essential in running a house, for example, cooking,
cleaning, and child care.
See also
home economics[1]



householder

householder
house·hold·er 
[hówss hldər] (plural house·hold·ers)
noun

1.  house
owner or renter: somebody who owns or rents a house,
either alone or as the head of a family

2.  head
of family:
the head of a household

[1]



householdgods

householdgods
house·hold
gods
plural noun

deities protecting the home:
the deities believed to protect the home and its inhabitants, especially in the
religion of ancient Rome.
See also
lares and penates[1]



householdgoods

householdgoods
house·hold
goods
plural noun

See
housewares[1]



householdname

householdname
house·hold
name
(plural house·hold names) noun

somebody or something
well-known: somebody or something that
most people know about[1]



householdword

householdword
house·hold
word
(plural house·hold words) noun

something very well known:
a popular saying, the name of a famous person, or an event that is very well
known[1]



househusband

househusband
house·hus·band 
[hówss hùzbənd] (plural house·hus·bands)
noun

man
managing a household: a man who does not go out to
work but stays at home to manage a household
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
housewife .][1]



housekeeper

housekeeper
house·keep·er 
[hówss kpər] (plural house·keep·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
running a household: somebody who performs the
work of taking care of a house and the people who live there

2.  somebody
running somebody else’s house: somebody employed to
perform or manage the work of taking care of somebody else’s house and the
people who live there

3.  manager
of cleaning personnel: somebody employed by a
hotel, hospital, or other establishment to manage the people who clean and do
other housekeeping tasks

[1]



housekeeping

housekeeping
house·keep·ing 
[hówss kping] noun

1.  household
maintenance: the maintenance of a household, or the
range of tasks involved in this

2.  commercial
cleaning department: a work unit in a hotel or
other such establishment tasked with cleaning rooms, changing linens, and
related jobs

3.  management
of property and equipment: the management and upkeep of
equipment and property for a business or other organization

4.  COMPUTING maintenance
of computer system: the performance of routine
tasks needed to keep a computer system working efficiently, for example,
deletion of unwanted files

[1]



HouseLeader

HouseLeader
House
Lead·er
noun

Canada
person initiating business in a
legislature: a member of the
Canadian government who initiates and supervises business in the legislature[1]



houseleek

houseleek
house·leek 
[hówss lk] (plural house·leeks)
noun

succulent
plant:
any one of various European flowering succulent plants that have rosettes of
leaves at the base of the stems. Genus: Sempervivum
Also
called
live-forever
[So called because it was
formerly planted on walls and roofs, in the belief that it protected the house
from lightning][1]



houselights

houselights
house·lights 
[hówss lts] plural noun

lights inside a theater:
the lights inside a theater or auditorium that illuminate the area where the
audience sits[1]



houselights

houselights
house·lights 
[hówss lts] plural noun

lights inside a theater:
the lights inside a theater or auditorium that illuminate the area where the
audience sits[1]



housemaid

housemaid
house·maid 
[hówss màyd] (plural house·maids)
noun

woman servant:
a woman employed to do housework (dated)[1]



housemaid’sknee

housemaid’sknee
house·maid’s
knee 
noun

painful knee condition:
a swelling of the fluid-filled sac in front of the kneecap, caused by kneeling
too much[1]



houseman

houseman
house·man 
[hówssmən] (plural house·men [hówssmən]) noun

male maintenance worker:
a man whose job is to perform routine tasks of cleaning and maintenance in a
house or hotel[1]



housemanager

housemanager
house
man·ag·er
(plural house man·ag·ers) noun

THEATER
person in charge of a theater:
the person in charge of managing the ushers and the area in a theater where the
audience sits[1]



housemartin

housemartin
house
mar·tin
(plural house mar·tins) noun

small
swallow:
a small swallow, native to Europe, China, and Africa that has blue-black
feathers, a white rump, and a forked tail. Latin name: Delichon urbica
[From its habit of nesting
under the eaves of houses][1]



housemaster

housemaster
house·mas·ter 
[hówss màstər] (plural house·mas·ters)
noun

man responsible for boarders:
a man who is in charge of the students living together in a dormitory or
residence hall at certain prep schools and colleges or universities[1]



housemate

housemate
house·mate 
[hówss màyt] (plural house·mates)
noun

somebody sharing a house:
somebody who shares a house with one or more other people who are not relatives[1]



housemother

housemother
house·moth·er 
[hówss mùər] (plural house·moth·ers)
noun

woman responsible for young
people: a woman who is responsible
for a group of young people living in an institution such as a college
residence hall or a sorority house.
See also
houseparent[1]



housemouse

housemouse
house
mouse
noun

common mouse:
a gray or brownish-gray mouse that is common worldwide and is a household pest.
Latin name: Mus musculus[1]



housemusic

housemusic
house
mu·sic
noun

dance
music:
a style of dance music first developed by adding electronic beats to disco
records, and later characterized by the addition of repetitive vocals, extracts
from other recordings, or synthesized sounds
[Origin uncertain: probably
named for the Warehouse, a nightclub in Chicago, where this style of music
originated][1]



Houseof Assembly

Houseof Assembly
House
of As·sem·bly noun

legislature in Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland: the provincial
legislative body in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland[1]



houseof assembly

houseof assembly
house
of as·sem·bly noun

lawmaking body in a
Commonwealth country: the
lawmaking body or lower house of the legislature in some countries of the
Commonwealth of Nations[1]



Houseof Burgesses

Houseof Burgesses
House
of Bur·gess·es noun

colonial Virginian
legislature: the lower house of the
colonial legislature in Virginia[1]



houseof cards

houseof cards
house
of cards
noun

unstable thing:
something that is unstable and likely to fall down, like a structure built of
playing cards[1]



Houseof Commons

Houseof Commons
House
of Com·mons
noun

lower house of Parliament:
the lower house of Parliament in the United Kingdom and Canada[1]



houseof correction

houseof correction
house
of cor·rec·tion (plural hous·es of
cor·rec·tion) noun

prison:
an institution where people convicted of minor offenses are imprisoned[1]



Houseof Delegates

Houseof Delegates
House
of Del·e·gates noun

lower house in some states:
the lower house in the legislatures of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia[1]



houseofficer

houseofficer
house
officer
(plural house officers) noun

U.K.
junior hospital doctor:
a junior doctor at a hospital.
See also
intern  noun 1[1]



houseof God

houseof God
house
of God
noun

See
house of worship[1]



houseof ill repute

houseof ill repute
house
of ill re·pute or house of ill fame noun

brothel:
a brothel (dated)[1]



Houseof Lords

Houseof Lords
House
of Lords
noun

upper house of Parliament:
the nonelected upper house of Parliament in the United Kingdom, made up of
hereditary peers, life peers, and certain bishops[1]



Houseof Representatives

Houseof Representatives
House
of Rep·re·sen·ta·tives noun

lower house of Congress:
the lower house of Congress and of most state legislatures in the United States[1]



houseof worship

houseof worship
house
of wor·ship
(plural hous·es of wor·ship) or house of God (plural
hous·es of God) noun

building for religious
services: a church, temple, synagogue,
or other building used for religious services[1]



houseorgan

houseorgan
house
or·gan
(plural house or·gans) noun

magazine:
a magazine published by a business or other organization for its employees or
customers, containing information about the company, its products, and its
employees[1]



housepainter

housepainter
house·paint·er
[hówss pàyntər] (plural house·paint·ers)
noun

professional painter of
houses: somebody who paints houses
for a living[1]



houseparent

houseparent
house·par·ent
[hówss pèrrənt] (plural house·par·ents)
noun

one of a married couple who
is responsible for a group of young people living in an institution such as a
dormitory or hostel.
See also
housefather
See also
housemother[1]



houseparty

houseparty
house
par·ty
noun

1.  party
at somebody’s home: a party at somebody’s home
or at a residence, for example, a fraternity or sorority house, at which the
guests stay overnight or for several days

2.  guests
at a house party: the group of guests attending a house
party

[1]



housephysician

housephysician
house
phy·si·cian
(plural house phy·si·cians) noun

1.  resident
or intern:
a medical doctor, especially a resident or an intern in a hospital, who cares
for patients under the supervision of the regular medical staff

2.  See
house doctor

[1]



houseplant

houseplant
house·plant 
[hówss plànt] (plural house·plants)
noun

plant grown indoors:
a decorative plant grown indoors, especially one that would die if planted
outdoors in a cold climate[1]



house-poor

house-poor
house-poor
adjective

financially strapped by house
purchase: financially encumbered
because of having purchased property, especially a house for which mortgage
payments must be made and on which expensive repairs and maintenance must be
done[1]



house-proud

house-proud
house-proud 
adjective

proud of your home:
taking pride in the appearance of your home and its state of cleanliness or
repair, sometimes in an excessive or fussy way[1]



house-raising

house-raising
house-rais·ing 
(plural house-rais·ings) noun

communal building of a house:
a gathering of friends and neighbors, especially in a rural community, to help
somebody build a house[1]



houserule

houserule
house
rule
(plural house rules) noun

agreed-upon gaming rule:
a rule, usually not one of the regular rules in a game, that is observed in a
casino or among a group of friends[1]



houseseat

houseseat
house
seat
(plural house seats) noun

reserved theater seat:
a seat in a theater reserved for friends of members of the cast or producers
and other special guests[1]



house-sit

house-sit
house-sit
intransitive and transitive verb

take care of somebody’s
house: to live in temporarily and
take care of somebody else’s house and property while that person is away[1]



housesitter

housesitter
house
sit·ter
(plural house sit·ters) noun

somebody
temporarily taking care of a house:
somebody who lives in and takes care of a house while its usual occupants are
away
[Modeled on baby-sitter][1]



Housesof Parliament

Housesof Parliament
Houses
of Par·lia·ment plural noun

parliamentary buildings in
the United Kingdom: the
building in which the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the United
Kingdom meet and work[1]



housesparrow

housesparrow
house
spar·row
(plural house spar·rows) noun

small
black-throated sparrow: a small hardy brown and gray
bird with a black throat, originally European and Asian but now common in many
areas of the world. Latin name: Passer domesticus
Also
called
English sparrow
[From its habit of living in
or near human settlements][1]



house-to-house

house-to-house
house-to-house
adjective

from one house to next:
going or done from one house to the next • a
house-to-house search[1]



housetop

housetop
house·top 
[hówss tòp] (plural house·tops)
noun

roof of house:
the very top or roof of a house[1]



housetrailer

housetrailer
house
trail·er
(plural house trail·ers) noun

trailer with living
accommodations: a trailer used as a
dwelling or an office and containing facilities such as a bathroom, bedroom,
and kitchen (dated)[1]



housetrain

housetrain
house·train 
[hówss tràyn] (past house·trained,
past participle house·trained, present participle house·train·ing,
3rd person present singular house·trains) transitive verb

See
housebreak  verb 1
—house·trained, adjective[1]



HouseUn-American Activities Committee

HouseUn-American Activities Committee
House
Un-A·mer·i·can Ac·tiv·i·ties Com·mit·tee noun

committee that investigated
subversive activities: a former
Congressional committee created in 1938 to investigate possibly subversive
activities. Renamed the House Internal Security Committee in 1969, it was
abolished in 1975.[1]



housewares

housewares
house·wares 
[hówss wàirz] plural noun

things used in house:
things that people use in a house, especially kitchen utensils and small
electrical appliances.
Also called
household goods[1]



housewarming

housewarming
house·warm·ing 
[hówss wàwrming] (plural house·warm·ings)
or house·warm·ing par·ty [hówss
wàwrming] noun

party in a new house:
a party that somebody gives to celebrate moving into a new house[1]



housewife

housewife
house·wife 
[hówss wf] (plural house·wives
[hówss wvz]) noun

woman managing a household:
a woman who does not go out to work but stays at home to manage a household (dated)[1]



housewifely

housewifely
house·wife·ly 
[hówss wflee] adjective

of or for a housewife:
relating to, belonging to, done by, or thought appropriate for a housewife[1]



housework

housework
house·work 
[hówss wùrk] noun

household chores:
tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, washing clothes, and cooking that are
regularly done in a house[1]



housing

housing2
hous·ing2 [hówzing]
(plural hous·ings) noun

1.  covering
for a horse’s back: a piece of cloth that covers
the back of a horse, used for protection or decoration

2.  horse
trappings:
the ornamental trappings for a horse (often used in the plural)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Old French houce, from medieval Latin hultia “protective
covering,” ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



housing

housing1
hous·ing1 [hówzing]
(plural hous·ings) noun

1.  accommodation:
houses and other buildings where people live, considered collectively • Decent
housing is often hard to find.

2.  provision
of accommodation: the provision of places to live • Housing
of the homeless is our first priority.

3.  ENGINEERING machine’s
protective structure: a frame or structure that
protects part of a machine • a
wheel housing

4.  WOODWORK place
where a piece fits: a slot, groove, or hole in
one piece of wood into which another piece is inserted

5.  niche
for a statue: a small recess or hollow in which a
statue can be placed

6.  SHIPPING below-deck
part of a mast: the portion of a mast that is below the
deck

[1]



housingdevelopment

housingdevelopment
hous·ing
de·vel·op·ment (plural hous·ing
de·vel·op·ments) noun

area of houses:
an area of houses or apartment buildings, usually built at the same time to a
similar design and managed by the same person or company[1]



housingestate

housingestate
hous·ing
es·tate
(plural hous·ing es·tates) noun

planned area of housing:
a planned area of houses or apartment buildings, usually built at the same time
to a similar design, sometimes with a number of small shops[1]



housingproject

housingproject
hous·ing
pro·ject
(plural hous·ing pro·jects) noun

low-cost housing area:
a group of houses or apartment buildings built with public money for low-income
families.
Also called
project[1]



Houston

Houston

Hou·ston 
[hyst’n]
city in Texas, the fourth largest city in
the United States. Population: 1,630,553 (1990)[1]



Houston




Back to definition

Houston

[1]



houstonia

houstonia
hous·to·nia 
[hyoo stṓnee ə, yoo
stṓnee ə] (plural hous·to·nias) noun

N
American flowering plant: a small North American
flowering plant of the mallow family such as the common bluet. Genus: Houstonia
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from the name of the Scottish botanist William Houston
(died 1733).][1]



Houston,Sam

Houston,Sam

Hous·ton 
[hystən], Sam (1793–1863)
U.S.
frontiersman and politician. He served as president of the Republic of Texas
(1836–1838 and 1841–1844) and was one of the state’s first senators after its
admission to the Union (1845).
Full name
Houston, Samuel[1]



houting

houting
hout·ing 
[hówting] (plural hout·ings or
hout·ing) noun

edible
fish:
an edible European fish of the whitefish family that lives in salt water but
produces its young in fresh water. Latin name: Coregonus oxyrhynchus
[Late 19th century. Via Dutch
from Middle Dutch houtic, of uncertain origin.][1]



Houyhnhnm

Houyhnhnm
Houy·hn·hnm 
[hwínnəm] (plural Houy·hn·hnms)
noun

fictional
being resembling a horse: a wise being looking like a
horse in Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
[Early 18th century. Coined
as an imitation of the sound of a horse’s neigh.][1]



HOV

HOV
HOV

Abbreviation of
high-occupancy vehicle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hove

hove
hove 
[hōv]

(literary) Past
participle of heave  verb 8
Past tense of heave  verb 9[1]



hovel

hovel
hov·el 
[húvv’l] (plural hov·els) noun

shack:
a small, dirty, or poorly built house
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German .][1]



hover

hover
hov·er 
[húvvər] intransitive verb (past
hov·ered, past participle hov·ered, present participle
hov·er·ing, 3rd person present singular hov·ers)

1.  float
in the air:
to float in the air without moving very far from the same spot

2.  be
flying in one spot: to stay in the air in the
same position by rapidly beating the wings (refers to birds)

3.  wait
near somebody or something: to wait near a person or
place, usually in a nervous, inquisitive, or expectant way

4.  be
undecided:
to be unable to decide between alternatives

5.  be
in an unstable condition: to be in a condition that is
neither one of two alternatives nor the other • He
hovered between life and death.

6.  stay
around the same level: to stay near a particular
point, changing only slightly • Inflation
has been hovering at the same level for several months.
noun

act of hovering:
an act or the condition of floating in the air without moving very far from the
same spot
[14th
century. Formed from obsolete hove “to linger,” of unknown origin.]
—hov·er·er,
noun

—hov·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



hovercraft

hovercraft
hov·er·craft 
[húvvər kràft] (plural hov·er·crafts
or hov·er·craft) noun

vehicle on an air cushion:
a vehicle that can travel over land and water supported by a cushion of air
that it creates by blowing air downward.
Also called
air cushion vehicle
Also called
ground-effect machine[1]



hoverport

hoverport
hov·er·port
[húvvər pàwrt] (plural hov·er·ports)
noun

port
for hovercrafts: a place where hovercrafts load and
unload
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from hovercraft + airport
.][1]



how

how
how 
[how] adverb

1.  in
what way:
used to ask or report questions or to introduce statements about the manner in
which something happens or is done • How do
I open the window here? • I
don’t know how you manage to sew so neatly.

2.  to
what extent: used to ask or report questions or to
introduce statements about the quantity or degree of something • How
high is the roof? • Tell
me honestly how serious the situation is.

3.  what
is something like: used to ask or report
questions or to introduce statements about the quality or success of something
• How
was the movie?

4.  used
in exclamations: used in exclamations to emphasize a word
or statement • How
beautiful she was!

in whatever way:
used to indicate that it does not matter in what way somebody does something • Fix
it how you want –just as long as it gets fixed.
conjunction

that: used
to mention a fact or event • Do you
remember how we were ridiculed and derided?
[Old
English hū . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English what, when, where,
why, and who
.]
and
how

used
to show strong agreement with or to emphasize something that has just been said
(informal)

how
about

1.  used
to make a suggestion (informal) • How
about some lunch?

2.  used
to change the subject of conversation (informal) • That’s
enough of my ideas. How about your own policies?

how
are you?

or how
are you doing?used to ask about somebody’s health, or simply as a greeting
when you meet somebody, especially somebody already known

how
come?

used
to ask the reason for something (informal) • How
come the meeting’s been canceled?

how
do you do?

used
when meeting somebody for the first time

[1]



Howard,Leslie

Howard,Leslie
How·ard
[hów ərd], Leslie (1893–1943)

British
actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Higgins in Pygmalion (
1938 ) and Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind ( 1939 ).
Real name
Steiner, Leslie Howard[1]



Howard,Trevor

Howard,Trevor
How·ard
[hów ərd], Trevor (1916–1988)

British
actor. An accomplished stage and screen performer, his movies include Brief
Encounter ( 1945 ) and Mutiny on the Bounty ( 1962 ).
Full name
Howard, Trevor Wallace[1]



howbeit

howbeit
how·be·it 
[how b it] adverb

however:
however or nevertheless (formal)
conjunction

though:
although (archaic)
[14th century. Formed from how + be + it, meaning literally “however it may be.”][1]



howdah

howdah
how·dah
[hówdə] (plural how·dahs) noun

seat
for riding an elephant: a large seat for several
people, often with a canopy, that rests on the back of an elephant
[Late 18th century. Via Urdu haudah
from Arabic hawdaj “litter carried by a camel.”][1]



how-do-you-do

how-do-you-do
how-do-you-do
(plural how-do-you-dos) noun

1.  greeting:
a greeting or welcome • got to
business as soon as the how-do-you-dos were finished

2.  bothersome
situation:
a difficult or unsatisfactory situation (informal) • a
fine how-do-you-do
[From the greeting how do you
do?][1]



howdy

howdy
how·dy 
[hówdee] interjection

hello:
used as a greeting (informal)
noun
(plural how·dies)

welcoming
greeting:
a greeting or welcome (informal) • “Give
your granddad a big howdy!”
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of how d’ye, a variant of how do you do?][1]



Howe,Elias

Howe,Elias
Howe
[how], Elias (1819–1867)

U.S. inventor. He developed
and patented the first sewing machine (1846).[1]



Howe,Gordie

Howe,Gordie
Howe
[how], Gordie (1928– )

Canadian
ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings (1946–1971), the Houston
Aeros (1973–1977), and the Hartford Whalers (1977–1980).
Full name
Howe, Gordon[1]



Howe,Joseph

Howe,Joseph
Howe
[how], Joseph (1804–1873)

Canadian journalist and
statesman. He served as prime minister of Nova Scotia (1860–1863) and president
of the council in the first Canadian government (1869–1873).[1]



Howe,Julia Ward

Howe,Julia Ward
Howe
[how], Julia Ward (1819–1910)

U.S. writer and reformer. She
wrote the poem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (1862) and was the first woman
to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1908).[1]



Howells,William Dean

Howells,William Dean
How·ells
[hów əlz], William Dean (1837–1920)

U.S. writer and critic. He is
best known for his novel The Rise of Silas Lapham ( 1885 ).[1]



however

however
how·ev·er 
[how évvər] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb introducing some form of contrast • I’m
not sure how effective the campaign has been. I do however think that it has
been distinctively different.

1.
adverb to whatever degree:
used to indicate that no matter what happens, a situation remains the same • However
objective it may believe itself to be, it is still only an opinion.

2.
adverb in whatever way:
used to indicate that it does not matter in what way somebody does something • Peel
and prepare the potatoes however you like.

3.
adverb how: used
as an emphatic form of “how” • What a
surprise to see you! However did you find us?

[1]



howe’er

howe’er
how·e’er
[how áir] contraction

however:
however (literary)
[Contraction of however][1]



howitzer

howitzer

how·it·zer 
[hówitsər] (plural how·it·zers)
noun
combat
cannon:
a cannon with a bore diameter greater than 30 mm and a maximum elevation of 60
degrees that fires projectiles in a curved trajectory. Self-propelled or towed,
it also has a muzzle velocity lower than that of a gun.
[Late 17th century. Via Dutch
houwitser from, ultimately, Czech haufnice “catapult,” from hauf
“heap” (of stones), of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



howl

howl

howl 
[howl] verb (past howled,
past participle howled, present participle howl·ing,
3rd person present singular howls)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a wavering sound: to make a long wavering or whining sound
• a
coyote howling

2.  intransitive
verb
cry
out:
to cry out in pain, anger, or distress

3.  intransitive
verb
roar
with laughter: to laugh loudly and unrestrainedly (slang)

4.  intransitive
verb
carouse:
to go on a spree (slang) • out
howling all night

5.  transitive
verb
call
out:
to call something out in a long wavering way
noun (plural
howls)

1.  long
moaning cry: a long sad wavering cry

2.  loud
cry:
a cry of pain, anger, or distress

3.  drawn-out
wavering sound: a long high loud wavering noise • the
howl of the wind

4.  something
or somebody hilarious: an extremely funny person or
thing (slang)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately an imitation of the sound, and possibly related
to English owl .][1]



howldown

howldown
howl
down
transitive verb

drown out:
to prevent somebody or something from being heard by making loud cries of
protest or mockery[1]



howler

howler
howl·er 
[hówlər] (plural howl·ers) noun

1.  laughable
mistake:
a mistake that is so bad that it is funny (slang)

2.  somebody
or something that howls: somebody who or something
that makes a howling noise

3.  ZOOLOGY See howler monkey

[1]



howlermonkey

howlermonkey
howl·er
mon·key
noun

tropical arboreal monkey:
any one of various tropical mainly leaf-eating monkeys of Central and South
America that live in trees and have a very loud booming call. Genus: Alouatta

Also called
howler[1]



howling

howling
howl·ing 
[hówling] adjective

1.  loud
and wavering: making a loud high wavering noise • a
howling gale

2.  dismally
desolate:
dismal, or empty of human beings (literary) • alone
in the howling desert

3.  very
great:
extreme or great in degree (informal) • Our
presentation was a howling success!
noun

noise: a
succession of long high wavering noises, for example, animal cries or the sound
of a strong wind • the howling of the wind
—howl·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Howlin’Wolf

Howlin’Wolf
Howl·in’
Wolf
[hówlən wlf] (1910–1976)

U.S.
musician. He was an electric blues singer who profoundly influenced rock’n’roll
during its early years. His most famous song was “Smokestack Lightnin’” (1956).
Real name
Burnett, Chester Arthur[1]



howsoever

howsoever
how·so·ev·er 
[hòwssō évər] adverb

however:
however (formal or archaic)[1]



how-to

how-to
how-to 
adjective

showing
how something is done: giving practical information
and instructions on the way to do something (informal) • another
how-to guide on home decorating
noun
(plural how-tos)

book giving practical
information: a book, manual, or
experience that gives practical information and detailed instructions (informal)
• Before
you tinker with your car, read a how-to first.[1]



hoya

hoya
hoy·a 
[hóyə] (plural hoy·as) noun

See
wax plant
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from the name of the English gardener Thomas Hoy
(died 1821).][1]



hoyden

hoyden
hoy·den 
[hóyd’n] (plural hoy·dens) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a young woman’s self-control and
thoughtfulness (dated offensive)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch heiden “lout, heathen.”][1]



h.p.

h.p.
h.p.

Abbreviation of
high pressure[1]



HP

HP
HP

1.  BOTANY Abbreviation of hardy
perennial

2.  Abbreviation
of
high pressure

[1]



hp

hp
hp

Abbreviation of
horsepower[1]



HPF

HPF
HPF

Abbreviation of
highest possible frequency[1]



HPV

HPV
HPV
noun

Abbreviation of
human papilloma virus[1]



HQ

HQ
HQ
or H.Q. or h.q.

Abbreviation of
headquarters[1]



hr.

hr.
hr.
or hr

Abbreviation of
hour[1]



HR

HR
HR

Abbreviation of
homeroom[1]



h.r.

h.r.
h.r.

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of home run[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








H.R.

H.R.
H.R.

Abbreviation of
House of Representatives[1]



H.R.E.

H.R.E.
H.R.E.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Holy Roman Emperor

2.  Abbreviation
of
Holy Roman Empire

[1]



H.Rept.

H.Rept.
H.
Rept.

POLITICS
Abbreviation of House Report[1]



H.Res.

H.Res.
H.
Res.

POLITICS
Abbreviation of House Resolution[1]



H.R.H.

H.R.H.
H.R.H.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Royal Highness

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Royal Highness

[1]



hrs.

hrs.
hrs.
or hrs

Abbreviation of
hours[1]



HRT

HRT
HRT

Abbreviation of
hormone replacement therapy[1]



Hs

Hs
Hs

Symbol for
hassium[1]



HS

HS
HS
or H.S.

Abbreviation of
High School[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HSGT

HSGT
HSGT

Abbreviation of
high-speed ground transit[1]



H.S.H.

H.S.H.
H.S.H.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Her Serene Highness

2.  Abbreviation
of
His Serene Highness

[1]



HsienNien

HsienNien
Hsi·en
Nien
[syèn nyén] noun

See
Chinese New Year[1]



HST

HST
HST
or H.S.T.

1.  Abbreviation
of
harmonized sales tax

2.  Abbreviation
of
hypersonic transport

[1]



HT

HT
HT

1.  Abbreviation
of
halftime

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Abbreviation
of high tension

3.  Abbreviation
of
high tide

[1]



ht

ht
ht

1.  Abbreviation
of
heat

2.  Abbreviation
of
height

[1]



HTH

HTH
HTH

Abbreviation of
hope this helps[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HTLV

HTLV
HTLV

Abbreviation of
human T-cell lymphotropic virus[1]



HTLV-I

HTLV-I
HTLV-I 
noun

virus of the lymphatic
system: a virus associated with
cancers of the lymphatic system. Full form human T-cell lymphotropic
virus I[1]



HTLV-II

HTLV-II
HTLV-II
noun

leukemia virus:
a virus associated with leukemia. Full form human T-cell lymphotropic
virus II[1]



HTML

HTML
HTML
noun

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of hypertext markup language[1]



Hts.

Hts.
Hts.

GEOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of Heights[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








HTTP

HTTP
HTTP

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of hypertext transfer protocol[1]



HUAC

HUAC
HUAC

Abbreviation of
House Un-American Activities Committee[1]



huaca

huaca
hua·ca 
[wkə] (plural hua·cas) noun

S
American sacred spirit: any one of the sacred
spirits and powers whom Native South American peoples of the Andes believe to
live in caves, rocks, and other natural formations
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish huaca guaca from Quechua waca, “god of the
house.”][1]



Huainan

Huainan
Huai·nan 
[hw nn]

industrial city in Anhui
Province, eastern China, the center of a large coalmining area. Population:
1,200,000 (1991)[1]



HuangHe

HuangHe
Huang
He 
[hwng h, hwng
háy]

China’s second longest river,
flowing through the north central part of the country. Length: 4,667 km/2,900
mi.[1]



huarache

huarache
hua·ra·che 
[wə r chee] (plural hua·ra·ches)
noun

Mexican
sandal:
a sandal originally worn in Mexico, with the upper part made of woven leather
straps
[Late 19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from, probably, Japanese warachi “straw sandal.”][1]



hub

hub
hub 
[hub] (plural hubs) noun

1.  central
part:
the central part of a wheel or a similar device that rotates, for example, a
propeller

2.  center
of activity: a place that is a center of activity or
interest

3.  hub
or hub airport AIR central
airport in a network: a central airport that
passengers can fly to from smaller local airports in order to catch an
international or long-distance flight
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain; probably an alteration of hob ;
the underlying meaning is perhaps “lump, mass.”][1]



Hub

Hub
Hub
[hub] noun

Boston:
the city of Boston, Massachusetts (informal)
[So called because most of
its main roads lead into the central city like the spokes of a wheel][1]



hubba-hubba

hubba-hubba
hub·ba-hub·ba 
[hùbbə húbbə] interjection

expression
of approval: used to express approval, enthusiasm, or
pleasure (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Hubbardsquash

Hubbardsquash
Hub·bard
squash 
[húbbərd skwawsh] (plural Hub·bard
squash·es) or hub·bard squash [húbbərd
skwawsh] noun

(regional)
See winter squash
[Mid-19th century. From the
name Hubbard .][1]



hubble-bubble

hubble-bubble
hub·ble-bub·ble 
[hùbb’l búbb’l] (plural hub·ble-bub·bles)
noun

1.  See
hookah

2.  See
hubbub
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of bubble .][1]



Hubbleconstant

Hubbleconstant
Hub·ble
con·stant
[húbb’l kònstənt] or Hub·ble’s
con·stant [húbb’l kònstənt] noun

measure
of the universe’s expansion: the ratio that expresses the
rate of the universe’s expansion, equal to the speed at which galaxies appear
to be moving away from the Earth divided by their distance
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, who
discovered the relationship.][1]



Hubble,Edwin

Hubble,Edwin
Hub·ble
[húbb’l], Edwin (1889–1953)

U.S.
astronomer. Through his study of galaxies he proved the universe to be larger
than had previously been thought, and still expanding. The Hubble Space
Telescope is named for him.
Full name
Hubble, Edwin Powell[1]



HubbleTelescope

HubbleTelescope
Hub·ble
Tel·e·scope
or Hub·ble Space Tel·e·scope noun

telescope
on a satellite: a telescope mounted on a satellite that
orbits the Earth, used to observe distant parts of the universe and photograph
them. It was launched in 1990.
[Late 20th century. Named in
honor of Edwin P. Hubble .][1]



Hubble’slaw

Hubble’slaw
Hub·ble’s
law
noun

scientific
law of galaxy speed: the law holding that the
speed at which distant galaxies are moving away from the Earth is proportional
to their distance from the observer
[Mid-20th century. See Hubble constant .][1]



hubbub

hubbub
hub·bub 
[hú bùb] (plural hub·bubs) noun

1.  confusion
of voices:
a confused din, especially a number of voices speaking at once

2.  excited
fuss:
a fuss or period of excitement.
Also
called
hubble-bubble
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Celtic.][1]



hubby

hubby
hub·by 
[húbbee] (plural hub·bies) noun

husband:
a husband (informal)
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of husband .][1]



hubcap

hubcap
hub·cap 
[húb kàp] (plural hub·caps) noun

cover for the center of a
wheel: a round cover that protects
the outside of the central part of a vehicle’s wheel[1]



Hubei

Hubei
Hu·bei 
[h báy]

province in central China
comprising both mountainous territory and the lake-studded plain of the Yangtze
River. Capital: Wuhan. Population: 57,190,000 (1994) Area: 187,500 sq km/72,394
sq mi.[1]



hubris

hubris
hu·bris 
[hybriss] noun

1.  pride:
excessive pride or arrogance

2.  excessive
ambition:
the excessive pride and ambition that usually leads to the downfall of a hero
in classical tragedy
[Late
19th century. From Greek .]
—hu·bris·tic
[hyoo brístik], adjective

—hu·bris·tic·al·ly [hyoo brístiklee], adverb[1]



huckaback

huckaback
huck·a·back 
[húkə bàk] or huck [huk] noun

coarse
fabric for towels: a coarse absorbent type of
cotton or linen fabric used mainly for towels
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



huckleberry

huckleberry
huck·le·ber·ry 
[húk’l bèrree] (plural huck·le·ber·ries)
noun

1.  plant
like a blueberry: a North American shrub that is related
to the blueberry and bears edible fruit. Genus: Gaylussacia

2.  fruit:
the edible, dark blue fruit of the huckleberry
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of hurtleberry “whortleberry.”][1]



huckster

huckster
huck·ster 
[húkstər] noun (plural huck·sters)

1.  aggressive
salesperson: somebody who uses aggressive methods to
sell or promote something

2.  retailer:
somebody who sells small articles, especially a street peddler

3.  copywriter:
somebody who writes advertising copy, especially for the broadcast media (informal)
verb
(past huck·stered, past participle huck·stered, present
participle huck·ster·ing, 3rd person present singular huck·sters)

1.  transitive
verb
peddle
merchandise: to sell or peddle something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
aggressively: to use aggressive methods to sell or
promote something
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch hokester, from hoeken “to
peddle.”][1]



HUD

HUD
HUD

1.  Abbreviation
of
heads-up display

2.  Abbreviation
of
(Department of) Housing and Urban Development

[1]



huddle

huddle
hud·dle 
[húdd’l] noun (plural hud·dles)

1.  tight
group:
a group of people or things gathered closely together

2.  FOOTBALL gathering
of football players: a group of football players
gathered behind the line of scrimmage to hear what the next play will be

3.  brief
talk:
a quick private talk or gathering (informal)
verb
(past hud·dled, past participle hud·dled, present
participle hud·dling, 3rd person present singular hud·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gather
tightly together: to gather together in a tightly packed
group, or make people or things do this • The
small crowd of spectators huddled together for warmth.

2.  intransitive
verb
crouch:
to draw your arms and legs tightly into your body, or move in close to
something, often for shelter or comfort • He
huddled in a doorway to get out of the rain.

3.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL gather
to plan play: in football, to gather together behind
the line of scrimmage in order to plan the next play

4.  intransitive
verb
talk
privately:
to gather privately to confer, make plans, or gossip (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German hudeln “to crowd together,”
ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cover, conceal.”][1]



Hudibrastic

Hudibrastic
Hu·di·bras·tic 
[hydi brástik] or hu·di·bras·tic
[hydi brástik] adjective

mock-heroic:
mock-heroic, especially written in the style or meter used by Samuel Butler in
his poem Hudibras[1]



Hudson

Hudson
Hud·son 
[húdss’n]

river in eastern New York,
and the longest in the state, flowing into the sea at New York City. Length:
492 km/306 mi.[1]



HudsonBay

HudsonBay
Hud·son
Bay
[hùdss’n báy]

almost landlocked inland sea
of east central Canada, rich in wildlife. Native Americans and Inuit are the
chief inhabitants of the region. Area: 730,000 sq km/280,000 sq mi. Depth: 258
m/846 ft.[1]



Hudson,Henry

Hudson,Henry

Hud·son 
[húdss’n], Henry (1565?–1611?)
English navigator. Attempting to find a
northeastern passage to the Far East, he traveled the river, bay, and strait
that are now named for him.[1]



Hudson,Rock

Hudson,Rock
Hud·son 
[húdss’n], Rock (1925–1985)

U.S.
actor. He was a handsome romantic lead in movies such as Pillow Talk (
1959 ).
Real name
Scherer, Roy Harold, Jr.[1]



HudsonStrait

HudsonStrait
Hud·son
Strait

body of water in northeastern
Canada connecting Hudson Bay with the Atlantic Ocean and separating Baffin
Island from northern Quebec. Depth: 880 m/2,890 ft. Length: 720 km/450 mi.[1]



Hudson’sBay blanket

Hudson’sBay blanket
Hud·son’s
Bay blan·ket (plural Hud·son’s Bay
blan·kets) noun

Canada
wool
blanket:
a wool blanket, usually cream-colored with distinctive red, black, yellow, and
indigo stripes. First introduced as a trade item in the 18th century, it is
still made today.
[Late 19th century. So called
because it was originally traded by the Hudson’s Bay Company.][1]



Hudson’sBay Company

Hudson’sBay Company
Hud·son’s
Bay Com·pa·ny noun

fur-trading
company:
a fur-trading company chartered in England in 1670 to trade in North America
and later much involved in fur trading, exploring, and claiming territory for
the British crown
[Late 17th century. So called
because its original charter was to trade in the areas of North America
adjacent to Hudson Bay.][1]



Hue

Hue
Hue 
[hway]

historic city in central
Vietnam on the Huong River, near the South China Sea. The Nguyen royal capital
from 1802 to 1945, it was heavily damaged during the Vietnam War. Population:
260,489 (1989)[1]



hue

hue
hue 
[hyoo] (plural hues) noun

1.  color:
a color • flowers
of every hue

2.  shade
of color:
a specific shade of a particular color • a
pleasing hue of green

3.  COLORS property
of a color:
a property of a color that enables it to be perceived, for example, as red or
green and that is determined by its dominant wavelength

4.  type:
a type or kind in a particular range • All
hues of political opinion should be represented in the discussions.

5.  aspect:
an aspect, or the way that something looks • This
puts a completely different hue on the matter.
[Old English hē(o)w,
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



hueand cry

hueand cry
hue
and cry
noun

1.  uproar:
a great uproar or commotion about something

2.  pursuit:
in the past, a pursuit of somebody accused of a crime, with the pursuers
calling on bystanders to join in the chase
[From Anglo-Norman hu e
cri, literally “outcry and cry.” Hu “outcry” is from Old French huer
“to shout,” an imitation of the sound of hunting or battle cries.][1]



-hued

-hued
-hued
suffix

of a particular color:
of a particular color or number of colors • the
many-hued rainbow • a
rose-hued sunset[1]



Huerta,Victoriano

Huerta,Victoriano
Huer·ta
[wértə], Victoriano (1854–1916)

Mexican revolutionary and
politician. He became provisional president of Mexico (1913), but resigned and
fled amid rebellions (1914).[1]



huevosrancheros

huevosrancheros
hue·vos
ran·che·ros 
[wàyvōs ran chérrōs] plural noun

egg
dish:
a Mexican dish of fried or poached eggs covered with chili or tomato sauce and
cheese, often served on a corn tortilla and accompanied by refried beans and
sour cream
[From American Spanish,
“ranch-style eggs”][1]



huff

huff
huff 
[huf] noun (plural huffs)

fit of anger: a
brief mood of anger or resentment at something somebody has done
verb
(past huffed, past participle huffed, present
participle huff·ing, 3rd person present singular huffs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb anger
somebody or get angry: to anger or offend somebody,
or become angry or offended

2.  intransitive
verb
blow
or pant:
to blow, pant, or breathe laboriously
[Late
16th century. An imitation of the sound of blowing.]
huff
and puff

1.  to
blow or pant, or do this while moving with great difficulty

2.  to
make noisy but empty threats, or raise objections without any intention of
taking action

[1]



huffy

huffy
huff·y 
[húffee] (comparative huff·i·er,
superlative huff·i·est) adjective

1.  touchy:
easily offended or put into a huff

2.  irritated:
annoyed or irritated about something

3.  arrogant:
haughtily arrogant and condescending
—huff·i·ly,
adverb

—huff·i·ness, noun[1]



hug

hug
hug 
[hug] verb (past hugged,
past participle hugged, present participle hug·ging,
3rd person present singular hugs)

1.  transitive
verb
embrace
affectionately: to put your arms around somebody’s body
and hold the person tight to show affection or pleasure

2.  transitive
verb
put
your arms around: to clasp your arms around a part of your
own body • hugging
her knees to her chest

3.  reflexive
verb
put
your arms around yourself: to put your arms around your
own body, especially to keep warm

4.  reflexive
verb
congratulate
yourself:
to congratulate yourself or show great delight

5.  transitive
verb
keep
close:
to remain in close linear proximity to something while moving in a forward
direction • The
sailboat hugged the coastline.
noun
(plural hugs)

affectionate embrace:
an affectionate embrace
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.]
—hug·ga·ble,
adjective

—hug·ger, noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








huge

huge
huge 
[hyooj] (comparative hug·er, superlative
hug·est) adjective

1.  enormous:
very big in size or amount

2.  large
in scope:
very large in scope or scale • huge
talent

3.  significantly
successful:
very important or successful (informal) • This
band is going to be huge.
[12th
century. Shortening of Old French ahuge, of unknown origin.]
—huge·ness, noun[1]



hugely

hugely
huge·ly
[hyjlee] adverb

extremely:
to a great degree • hugely
successful[1]



huggermugger

huggermugger
hug·ger·mug·ger
[húggər mùggər] noun (plural hug·ger·mug·gers)

1.  muddled
mess:
a disorderly mess or muddle

2.  secrecy:
secretive behavior or concealment
adjective

1.  disordered:
confused or jumbled

2.  secretive:
clandestine or secret
verb
(past hug·ger·mug·gered, past participle hug·ger·mug·gered,
present participle hug·ger·mug·ger·ing, 3rd person present
singular hug·ger·mug·gers)

1.  transitive
verb
conceal:
to keep something secret

2.  intransitive
verb
act
secretively: to behave in a secretive manner
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—hug·ger·mug·ger, adverb[1]



Hughes,Charles

Hughes,Charles
Hughes
[hyooz], Charles (1862–1947)

U.S.
jurist and statesman. He served as secretary of state (1921–1925) and chief
justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1930–1941).
Full name
Hughes, Charles Evans[1]



Hughes,Howard

Hughes,Howard

Hughes
[hyooz], Howard (1905–1976)
U.S.
industrialist. He became one of the richest people in the United States by
expanding his family manufacturing business into a huge corporate conglomerate.
A record-setting pilot during the 1930s, he was notorious for his reclusiveness
and eccentricity in his later years.
Full name
Hughes, Howard Robard[1]



Hughes,Langston

Hughes,Langston

Hughes
[hyooz], Langston (1902–1967)
U.S.
writer. A leader of the Harlem Renaissance, he incorporated the rhythms of jazz
into his poems and stories about black urban life.
Full name
Hughes, James Mercer Langston[1]



Hughes,Ted

Hughes,Ted
Hughes
[hyooz], Ted (1930–1998)

British
poet. He was poet laureate (1984–1998) and married the poet Sylvia Plath in
1956. His works include Lupercal ( 1960 ) and Wodwo ( 1967 ).
Full name
Hughes, Edward James[1]



Hugo,Victor

Hugo,Victor
Hu·go
[hygō], Victor (1802–1885)

French
poet, novelist, and dramatist. A leading writer of the 19th century, he wrote The
Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1831 ) and Les misérables ( 1862 ).
Full name
Hugo, Victor Marie[1]



Huguenot

Huguenot
Hu·gue·not 
[hygə nòt] noun (plural Hu·gue·nots)

French
Protestant:
a French Protestant, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries
adjective

of
the French Protestant Church: relating to or belonging to
the French Protestant Church
[Mid-16th
century. From French, an alteration (based on the name of Besançon Hugues,
leader of a Swiss political movement) of obsolete eiguenot, from,
ultimately, Swiss German Eidgenosse “confederate,” literally
“oath-companion.”]
—Hu·gue·not·ism, noun[1]



huh

huh
huh 
[hu] interjection

1.  expression
of surprise or disdain: used to show surprise,
inquiry, disdain, or lack of interest

2.  invitation
to agree:
used after giving an opinion to invite comment, especially agreement • Great
shot, huh?
[Early 17th century. A
natural exclamation.][1]



huia

huia
hui·a 
[hyə] (plural hui·a) noun

extinct
bird:
a New Zealand bird, now thought to be extinct, with tail feathers that were
much prized by Maoris. Latin name: Heteralocha acutirostris
[Mid-19th century. From
Hawaiian ; an imitation of the sound of its whistle.][1]



huisache

huisache
hui·sa·che 
[wee s chee] (plural hui·sa·ches)
noun

thorny
yellow-flowered shrub: a thorny shrub with fragrant
clusters of deep yellow flowers, found in the southern United States and
Mexico. Latin name: Acacia farnesiana
Also
called
sweet acacia
[Mid-19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl huixachi, literally “many-thorn(ed)
shrub.”][1]



hula

hula
hu·la 
[hlə] noun (plural hu·las)

Polynesian
dance:
a Polynesian or Hawaiian dance, often accompanied by drumming and chanting, in
which the performers move their hips back and forth and make miming gestures
with their hands
intransitive
verb
(past hu·laed, past participle hu·laed, present
participle hu·la·ing, 3rd person present singular hu·las)

perform
a hula:
to dance a hula
[Early 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



Hula-Hoop

Hula-Hoop
Hu·la-Hoop 
Trademark

a trademark for a plastic
ring that is placed around the waist and kept twirling by rhythmically moving
the hips[1]



hulk

hulk
hulk 
[hulk] noun (plural hulks)

1.  somebody
big:
somebody who is big, powerful, and often clumsy

2.  empty
hull:
the empty hull of a ship that has been wrecked or is too old to be sailed

3.  unwieldy
ship:
a heavy ship that is difficult to steer

4.  shell
of a structure: the shell of any old, abandoned, or
burned-out structure or vehicle
intransitive
verb
(past hulked, past participle hulked, present
participle hulk·ing, 3rd person present singular hulks)

1.  appear
as a large object: to appear as a large looming
object • Suddenly,
a huge truck hulked up on the horizon.

2.  move
clumsily:
to move in a clumsy or awkward way
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Anglo-Latin hulcus from Greek holkas
“merchant barge, ship that is towed,” from helkein “to pull.”][1]



hulking

hulking
hulk·ing 
[húlking] or hulk·y [húlkee] (comparative hulk·i·er, superlative
hulk·i·est) adjective

huge:
large, bulky, and often clumsy[1]



hull

hull

hull 
[hul] noun (plural hulls)

1.  body
of ship:
the body of a ship, excluding other parts, for example, the masts and engines

2.  body
of a vehicle: the main body of a large vehicle such as
a tank or airplane

3.  AEROSPACE rocket
casing:
the external casing of a rocket, missile, or spaceship

4.  outer
covering:
the outer covering of a seed or fruit

5.  calyx
on a strawberry: the calyx on a strawberry that stays
attached to the fruit when it is picked but is not eaten
transitive verb
(past hulled, past participle hulled, present
participle hull·ing, 3rd person present singular hulls)

1.  remove
the outer rind from fruit: to remove the outer rind or
shell from a fruit or vegetable

2.  take
off a strawberry calyx: to remove the calyx from a
strawberry
[Old English hulu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cover, conceal,” which is
also the ancestor of English helmet, hole, and hell
.][1]



Hull

Hull
Hull 
[hul]

city in southwestern Quebec,
Canada, situated on the Ottawa River opposite Ottawa. Population: 60,707 (1991)[1]



hullabaloo

hullabaloo
hul·la·ba·loo 
[hùlləbə l] (plural hul·la·ba·loos)
or hul·la·bal·loo [hùlləbə l]
(plural hul·la·bal·loos) noun

hubbub:
noisy excitement or fuss
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of earlier hollo-ballo, from holla, an early variant of hello .][1]



Hull,Cordell

Hull,Cordell
Hull 
[hul], Cordell (1871–1955)

U.S. statesman. He was
secretary of state from 1933 to 1944 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1945.[1]



hullo

hullo
hul·lo 
interjection noun

U.K.
See hello[1]



hum

hum

hum 
[hum] verb (past hummed,
past participle hummed, present participle hum·ming,
3rd person present singular hums)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sing
with the lips closed: to sing with lips closed and
without words, or sing something in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a droning sound: to make a steady prolonged droning sound
• bees
humming

3.  intransitive
verb
give
off a low steady sound: to be filled with a low,
continuous, indistinct noise • a room
that hummed with strange electronic equipment

4.  intransitive
verb
be
extremely busy: to be very busy or active (informal)
• This
place is really humming.
noun

droning noise:
a steady droning sound
interjection

expression of displeasure or indecision:
a low sound made to express displeasure, doubt, surprise, or indecision
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



human

human
hu·man 
[hymən] adjective

1.  of
people:
relating to, involving, or typical of human beings • human
nature
• human
frailty

2.  made
up of people: composed of people • the
human race
• a
human chain of protesters

3.  compassionately
kind:
showing kindness, compassion, or approachability

4.  imperfect:
having the imperfections and weaknesses of a human being rather than a machine
or divine being • Remember he’s only
human, so don’t expect too much.
noun
(plural hu·mans)

person: a
human being
[14th
century. Via French humain from Latin humanus .]
—hu·man·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Human Comedy, a collection of novels and stories by French writer Honoré de
  Balzac (published 1833-1850). By linking his novels and stories through the
  use of common themes and characters, Balzac planned an oeuvre that would
  portray the human species in all stages of its development and aspects of its
  behavior. At the time of his death, the collection included a hundred novels
  and stories and about fifty incomplete works.

[1]



humanbeing

humanbeing
hu·man
be·ing
(plural hu·man be·ings) noun

1.  member
of the human species: a member of the species to
which men and women belong. Latin name: Homo sapiens

2.  person:
a person, viewed especially as having imperfections and weaknesses • I’m
a human being, not a machine.

[1]



humane

humane
hu·mane 
[hyoo máyn] adjective

1.  compassionate:
showing the better aspects of the human character, especially kindness and
compassion

2.  involving
minimal pain: without inflicting any more pain than is
necessary

3.  with
an emphasis on liberal values: with an emphasis on
respect for other people’s views
[15th
century. Variant of human .]
—hu·mane·ly,
adverb

—hu·mane·ness, noun[1]



humanecology

humanecology
hu·man
e·col·o·gy
noun

study of people within an
environment: a branch of sociology
that studies the relationships between human beings and their natural and
social environments[1]



humanengineering

humanengineering
hu·man
en·gi·neer·ing noun

See
ergonomics[1]



humanesociety

humanesociety
hu·mane
so·ci·e·ty
noun

organization promoting
kindness to animals: any one of
various organizations that promote compassionate treatment of animals[1]



humanethology

humanethology
hu·man
e·thol·o·gy
noun

study of human behavior:
the study of human behavior, especially aggressive and submissive behavior in
social contexts.
Also called
ethology[1]



humanfactors engineering

humanfactors engineering
hu·man
fac·tors en·gi·neer·ing noun

See
ergonomics[1]



humanimmunodeficiency virus

humanimmunodeficiency virus
hu·man
im·mun·o·de·fi·cien·cy vi·rus  noun

Full form of
HIV[1]



humaninterest

humaninterest
hu·man
in·ter·est 
noun

something
appealing to public curiosity: an element in
something, especially a news report, that is about somebody’s personal life or
feelings and is expected to appeal to the public’s sympathy or curiosity
—hu·man-in·ter·est, adjective[1]



humanism

humanism
hu·man·ism 
[hymə nìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in a human-based morality: a system of thought that is
based on the values, characteristics, and behavior that are believed to be best
in human beings, rather than on any supernatural authority

2.  concern
for people:
a concern with the needs, well-being, and interests of people

3.  hu·man·ism
or Hu·man·ism Renaissance cultural
movement:
the secular cultural and intellectual movement of the Renaissance that spread
throughout Europe as a result of the rediscovery of the arts and philosophy of
the ancient Greeks and Romans
—hu·man·ist
[hymənist], noun, adjective

—hu·man·ist·ic
[hymə nístik], adjective

—hu·man·is·ti·cal·ly [hymə nístikəlee], adverb[1]



humanitarian

humanitarian
hu·man·i·tar·i·an 
[hoo mànni táiree ən] adjective

1.  caring:
committed to improving the lives of other people • a
humanitarian organization

2.  human:
involving and affecting human beings, especially in a harmful way (informal)
• a
humanitarian disaster
noun
(plural hu·man·i·tar·i·ans)

1.  caring
person:
somebody who is committed to improving the lives of other people

2.  somebody
believing in humanitarianism: somebody who believes in a
philosophical theory of humanitarianism
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from human, on the model of unitarian and egalitarian
.][1]



humanitarianism

humanitarianism
hu·man·i·tar·i·an·ism 
[hoo mànni táiree ənìzzəm] noun

desire
to help others: a commitment to improving the lives of
other people
—hu·man·i·tar·i·an·ist,
noun[1]



humanities

humanities
hu·man·i·ties 
[hyoo mánniteez] or Hu·man·i·ties
[hyoo mánniteez] plural noun

1.  liberal
arts:
the liberal arts as subjects of study, as opposed to the sciences

2.  classical
studies:
the study of the language and literature of the ancient Greeks and Romans

[1]



humanity

humanity
hu·man·i·ty 
[hyoo mánnitee] noun

1.  human
race:
the human race considered as a whole

2.  qualities
of a human being: the qualities or characteristics
considered as a whole to be typical of human beings

3.  kindness:
kindness or compassion for others

[1]



humanize

humanize
hu·man·ize 
[hymə nz] (past hu·man·ized,
past participle hu·man·ized, present participle hu·man·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular hu·man·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become human: to make something human or like humans,
or become human or like humans

2.  make
or become humane: to make or become humane in character,
characteristics, or nature
—hu·man·i·za·tion
[hyməni záysh’n], noun

—hu·man·iz·er [hymə nzər], noun[1]



humankind

humankind
hu·man·kind 
[hoomən knd] (plural hu·man·kinds)
noun

people:
all human beings considered as a whole “Human kind cannot bear very much
reality.” T. S. Eliot Four Quartets, Burnt Norton 1935[1]



humanly

humanly
hu·man·ly 
[hymənlee] adverb

1.  in
a way typical of humans: in a way generally
considered to be typical of humans

2.  within
the limits of human ability: within the limits of human
ability and knowledge • They
did all that was humanly possible to save him.

3.  according
to human experience: as far as human knowledge or
experience can judge

[1]



humanmade

humanmade
hu·man·made 
[hymən màyd] adjective

made by human beings:
made by human beings and not occurring naturally “Human-made materials
gradually deteriorate even when exposed to unpolluted rain, but acid rain
accelerates this process.” United States Environmental Protection Agency Web
site April 1999 See manmade[1]



humannature

humannature
hu·man
na·ture
noun

character of human beings:
the typical character that all human beings share, often seen as being
imperfect[1]



humanoid

humanoid
hu·man·oid
[hymə nòyd] adjective

resembling
a human:
used to describe a being from another planet that has the appearance or
characteristics of a human
noun
(plural hu·man·oids)

human-like
creature from another planet: a being from another planet
that has the appearance or characteristics of a human
[Early 20th century. Formed
from human + -oid
.][1]



humanpapilloma virus

humanpapilloma virus
hu·man
pap·il·lo·ma vi·rus noun

virus causing genital warts:
a virus that causes warts in the genital area of humans[1]



humanresources

humanresources
hu·man
re·sourc·es
noun

employee
recruitment and management: the field of business
concerned with recruiting and managing employees (takes a singular verb)
• a
career in human resources
plural
noun

personnel:
all the people who work in a business or organization, considered as a whole (takes
a plural verb)[1]



humanrights

humanrights
hu·man
rights
plural noun

freedom, justice, and
equality: the rights that are
considered by most societies to belong automatically to everyone, for example,
the rights to freedom, justice, and equality (sometimes singular)[1]



humble

humble
hum·ble 
[húmb’l] adjective (comparative
hum·bler, superlative hum·blest)

1.  modest:
modest and unassuming in attitude and behavior

2.  respectful:
feeling or showing respect and deference toward other people

3.  lowly:
relatively low in rank and without pretensions • of
humble origins
transitive
verb
(past hum·bled, past participle hum·bled, present
participle hum·bling, 3rd person present singular hum·bles)

1.  make
somebody feel less important: to make somebody feel less
proud or convinced of his or her own importance

2.  degrade:
to lower somebody in rank or importance
[13th
century. Via Old French (h)umble from Latin humilis “lowly”
(source of English humiliate ), from humus
“earth”; the underlying idea is “close to the ground.”]
—hum·ble·ness,
noun

—hum·bly, adverb[1]



humblebee

humblebee
hum·ble·bee 
[húmb’l b] (plural hum·ble·bees)
noun

See
bumblebee
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Middle Low German hummelbē,
literally “humming bee,” from hummel “hum, buzz” + bē “bee.”][1]



humbled

humbled
hum·bled
[húmb’ld] adjective

made to feel less important:
made to feel less important, proud, or confident[1]



humblepie

humblepie
hum·ble
pie
noun

pie
of animal entrails: a pie made in the past using
the entrails of a newly killed animal, especially a deer (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Alteration (modeled on humble ) of
earlier umble pie, from umbles “edible animal entrails,” via
French dialect nombles from, ultimately, Latin lumbulus “small
loin.”]
eat
humble pie

to apologize or admit you
have been wrong, especially in a way that makes you feel humiliated[1]



humbling

humbling
hum·bling
[húmbling] adjective

making
somebody less proud: making somebody lose
confidence, self-importance, or pride
—hum·bling·ly, adverb[1]



HumboldtCurrent

HumboldtCurrent
Hum·boldt
Cur·rent
[húm blt kùrrənt] noun

cold
current in Pacific: a cold current of the South
Pacific Ocean that flows north along the coastline of South America.
Also
called
Peru Current
[Named for the German
scientist Baron Friedrich von Humboldt (1769–1859), who explored the
coasts of Central and South America in the early 19th century][1]



humbug

humbug
hum·bug 
[húm bùg] noun (plural hum·bugs)

1.  nonsense:
something that is silly or makes no sense

2.  deception:
something that is meant to deceive or cheat people

3.  fraud:
somebody who deceives others by taking on a false identity or pretending to
have a certain background or skills
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hum·bugged,
past participle hum·bugged, present participle hum·bug·ging,
3rd person present singular hum·bugs)

deceive: to
take part in a deception, or deceive somebody
interjection

nonsense!: used
to express the opinion that something is nonsense or deception (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



humdinger

humdinger
hum·ding·er 
[hùmdíngər] (plural hum·ding·ers)
noun

somebody
or something exceptional: an exceptional or
outstanding person or thing (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from hum in the sense of
an approving murmur + dinger “superlative thing” (formed from ding in the sense “to beat, excel”).][1]



humdrum

humdrum
hum·drum 
[húm drùm] adjective

dull:
dull because of being too familiar and lacking variety
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an expressive alteration of hum
.][1]



Hume,Basil

Hume,Basil
Hume
[hyoom], Basil, Cardinal (1923– )

British
Roman Catholic cardinal. He became Archbishop of Westminster in 1976, the first
Benedictine monk to hold this office.
Full name
Hume, George Basil[1]



humectant

humectant
hu·mec·tant 
[hyoo méktənt] noun (plural hu·mec·tants)

absorbent
substance:
a substance such as a skin lotion that absorbs or helps retain moisture
adjective

moisture-absorbing:
capable of absorbing or retaining moisture
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin (h)umectare “to moisten,” from (h)umectus “moist,”
from (h)umere “to be moist” (see humid
).][1]



Hume,David

Hume,David

Hume
[hyoom], David (1711–1776)
Scottish philosopher and historian. His
major works were A Treatise of Human Nature ( 1739–1740 ) and An
Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding ( 1748 ).[1]



humeral

humeral
hu·mer·al 
[hymərəl] adjective

of the humerus:
relating to, involving, or located in the humerus of the upper arm or forelimb
• a
humeral injury[1]



humeralveil

humeralveil
hu·mer·al
veil
(plural hu·mer·al veils) noun

part of ecclesiastical
vestments: a silk shawl covering the
shoulders and hands, worn by a Roman Catholic priest while holding sacred
vessels.
Also called
veil[1]



humerus

humerus
hu·mer·us 
[hymərəss] (plural hu·mer·i [hymə r]) noun

bone
of the upper arm: the long bone of the human upper arm or
in a forelimb in other animals
[14th century. From Latin,
“upper arm.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “shoulder.”][1]



humic

humic
hu·mic 
[hymik] adjective

of
humus:
relating to, involving, containing, or typical of humus
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from humus .][1]



humid

humid
hu·mid 
[hymid] adjective

damp:
with a relatively high level of moisture in the air
[14th
century. From Latin (h)umidus, from (h)umere “to be moist.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “wet,” which is also the ancestor
of English wake, humor, and hygro-
.]
—hu·mid·ly,
adverb

—hu·mid·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



humidex

humidex
hu·mi·dex 
[hymi dèks] noun

Canada
index
of humidity and heat: an index of the level of
discomfort likely to be experienced as a result of the combined effects of
humidity and heat
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of humidity index .][1]



humidifier

humidifier
hu·mid·i·fi·er 
[hyoo míddi fr] (plural hu·mid·i·fi·ers)
noun

device for keeping air moist:
a device or machine that keeps the air moist inside an enclosed space[1]



humidify

humidify
hu·mid·i·fy 
[hyoo míddi f] (past hu·mid·i·fied,
past participle hu·mid·i·fied, present participle hu·mid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular hu·mid·i·fies) transitive verb

make
moist:
to make something, especially the air, more moist or damp
—hu·mid·i·fi·ca·tion [hyoo mìddifi káysh’n], noun[1]



humidistat

humidistat
hu·mid·i·stat 
[hyoo míddi stàt] (plural hu·mid·i·stats)
noun

instrument
for measuring humidity: an instrument that measures
or controls the relative humidity of air.
Also
called
hygrostat
[Early 20th century. Formed
from humidity, on the model of thermostat .][1]



humidity

humidity
hu·mid·i·ty 
[hyoo míddətee] noun

1.  atmospheric
moisture:
the amount of moisture in the air

2.  high
moisture level: the condition of having a high amount of
moisture in the air

3.  See
relative humidity

[1]



humidor

humidor
hu·mi·dor 
[hymi dàwr] (plural hu·mi·dors)
noun

container
for keeping cigars moist: a container, often a box or
jar, in which tobacco products, especially cigars, can be stored to prevent
them from drying out
[Early 20th century. Formed
from humid, on the model of cuspidor .][1]



humify

humify
hu·mi·fy
[hymi f] (past hu·mi·fied, past
participle hu·mi·fied, present participle hu·mi·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular hu·mi·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

turn into humus:
to turn a substance into humus, or turn into humus[1]



humiliate

humiliate
hu·mil·i·ate 
[hyoo míllee àyt] (past hu·mil·i·at·ed,
past participle hu·mil·i·at·ed, present participle hu·mil·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular hu·mil·i·ates) transitive verb

degrade:
to damage somebody’s dignity or pride, especially publicly
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin humiliare, from Latin humilis (see humble ).]
—hu·mil·i·at·ing,
adjective

—hu·mil·i·at·ing·ly,
adverb

—hu·mil·i·a·tor, noun[1]



humiliation

humiliation
hu·mil·i·a·tion 
[hyoo mìllee áysh’n] (plural hu·mil·i·a·tions)
noun

1.  loss
of dignity:
the feeling or condition of being lessened in dignity or pride

2.  lessening
of somebody’s dignity: the act of damaging
somebody’s dignity or pride

3.  something
that humiliates: something that damages somebody’s pride
or dignity

[1]



humility

humility
hu·mil·i·ty 
[hyoo míllitee] noun

modesty
or respectfulness: the quality of being modest
or respectful
[13th century. Via French humilité
from Latin humilitas, from humilis (see humble
).][1]



hummable

hummable
hum·ma·ble
[húmməb’l] adjective

memorable and melodious:
memorable and melodious enough to make people want to hum it (informal)[1]



hummingbird

hummingbird
hum·ming·bird 
[húmming bùrd] (plural hum·ming·birds)
noun

small hovering bird:
a small brightly colored bird of North, Central, and South America that can
beat its wings rapidly, making a humming sound and allowing it to hover.
Family: Trochilidae[1]



hummingbirdmoth

hummingbirdmoth
hum·ming·bird
moth
noun

See
hawk moth
[From its flight, likened to
that of a hummingbird][1]



hummock

hummock
hum·mock 
[húmmək] (plural hum·mocks) noun

1.  small
hill:
a small hill or mound

2.  See
hammock 2

3.  ice
ridge:
a ridge of ice in an ice field
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown. Originally a nautical term for a coastal hillock.]
—hum·mock·y, adjective[1]



hummus

hummus
hum·mus
[hməss, húmməss]
or hu·mus [hməss, húmməss] or hom·mos [hməss, húmməss]
noun

Middle
Eastern dip: a Middle Eastern dip made with mashed
chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic, combined into a thick paste
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic ḥummuṣ “chickpea.”][1]



humongous

humongous
hu·mon·gous 
[hyoo múngəss] or hu·mun·gous
[hyoo múngəss] adjective

enormous:
extremely large in size or amount (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of huge
and monstrous .]
—hu·mon·gous·ly, adverb[1]



humor

humor
hu·mor 
[hymər] noun (plural hu·mors)

1.  funny
quality:
the quality or content of something, for example, a story, performance, or
joke, that elicits amusement and laughter

2.  ability
to see something as funny: the ability to see that
something is funny, or the enjoyment of things that are funny • He
has no sense of humor.

3.  funny
things as a genre: writings and other material
created to make people laugh

4.  somebody’s
usual temperament: somebody’s character or
usual attitude • a writer of melancholy
humor

5.  mood:
a temporary mood or state of mind

6.  HISTORY body
fluid:
according to medieval science and medicine, any of the four main fluids of the
human body, blood, yellow bile, black bile, or lymph, that determined a
person’s mood and temperament (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past hu·mored, past participle hu·mored, present
participle hu·mor·ing, 3rd person present singular hu·mors)

1.  do
what somebody wants: to do what somebody wants in
order to keep him or her happy

2.  comply:
to act in accordance with something
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin humor “body fluid,” from humere “to be
wet” (see humid ).][1]



humoral

humoral
hu·mor·al 
[hymərəl] adjective

of body fluids:
relating to, involving, or typical of body fluids, especially blood serum[1]



humored

humored
hu·mored
[hymərd] adjective

with a particular character
or mood: with a particular character
or frame of mind (usually used in combination) • good-humored[1]



humoresque

humoresque
hu·mor·esque 
[hymə résk] (plural hu·mor·esques)
noun

whimsical
piece of music: a light or whimsical piece of music,
especially in 19th-century music
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of German Humoreske, from Humor “humor,” from English
.][1]



humorist

humorist
hu·mor·ist 
[hymərist] (plural hu·mor·ists)
noun

1.  funny
person:
somebody known to be amusing and to have a quick wit

2.  comic
writer:
somebody who writes or performs comic material

[1]



humorless

humorless
hu·mor·less 
[hymərləss] adjective

1.  without
a sense of humor: lacking a sense of humor

2.  not
funny:
having no amusing aspect
—hu·mor·less·ly,
adverb

—hu·mor·less·ness, noun[1]



humorous

humorous
hu·mor·ous 
[hymərəss] adjective

1.  funny:
amusing, or intended to make people laugh

2.  witty:
witty, or able to make people laugh
—hu·mor·ous·ly,
adverb

—hu·mor·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



humour

humour
hu·mour 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
humor[1]



hump

hump
hump 
[hump] noun (plural humps)

1.  bump
on an animal’s back: a rounded protuberance on
the back of some animals, for example, camels and some cattle

2.  curve
of the back: a pronounced convex curvature of
somebody’s upper spine resulting from injury or disease, a congenital
abnormality, or an accumulation of fat.
Also
called
hunch

3.  bump
in the surface of something: a rounded protruding mass
such as a mound of earth
verb
(past humped, past participle humped, present
participle hump·ing, 3rd person present singular humps)

1.  transitive
verb
move
something with effort: to carry something heavy
with difficulty (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang offensive)

3.  transitive
verb
make
something into a hump: to form something into a
hump
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from or related to Dutch homp or Low
German humpe .]
over
the hump

past the worst or most
difficult part of something[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








humpback

humpback
hump·back 
[húmp bàk] (plural hump·backs)
noun

1.  See
hunchback

2.  ZOOLOGY See humpback whale

3.  ZOOLOGY See pink salmon

[1]



humpbacksalmon

humpbacksalmon
hump·back
salm·on
noun

See
pink salmon
[Humpback because the male
develops a humped back during the breeding season][1]



humpbackwhale

humpbackwhale
hump·back
whale
or hump·back noun

large dark-colored whale:
a large dark gray or black whale, up to 15.2 m/50 ft long, with a humped back
and long white flippers, that feeds by sieving plankton and fish through baleen
plates. Humpback whales communicate with one another using distinctive complex
sounds that can travel over considerable distances. Latin name: Megaptera
novaengliae[1]



humph

humph
humph 
[humf] interjection

expression
of displeasure: used to express annoyance, doubt, or
dissatisfaction
[Mid-16th century. A natural
exclamation.][1]



Humphrey,Hubert H.

Humphrey,Hubert H.
Hum·phrey 
[húmfree], Hubert H. (1911–1978)

U.S.
statesman. He served as Democratic vice president (1965–1969), and ran for the
presidency in 1968.
Full name
Humphrey, Hubert Horatio, Jr.[1]



HumphreysPeak

HumphreysPeak
Hum·phreys
Peak 
[hùmfriz pk]

mountain in northern Arizona
in the San Francisco Mountains, and the highest point in the state. Height:
3,851 m/12,633 ft.[1]



humpy

humpy
hump·y 
[húmpee] (comparative hump·i·er,
superlative hump·i·est) adjective

with
humps:
having or full of humps
—hump·i·ness, noun[1]



humungous

humungous
hu·mun·gous 
adjective

See
humongous[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








humus

humus1
hu·mus1 [hyməss]
noun

organic
component of soil: a dark brown organic
component of soil that is derived from decomposed plant and animal remains and
animal excrement. Humus improves the water-retaining properties of soil, making
it more fertile and workable.
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “soil.”][1]



humus

humus2
hu·mus2  noun

FOOD
See hummus[1]



Humvee

Humvee
Hum·vee 
[húmvee] (plural Hum·vees) or
hum·vee [húmvee] (plural hum·vees)
noun

military
ultility vehicle: a military vehicle for transporting
troops and supplies that combines the features of a light truck and a
four-wheel-drive vehicle
[Late 20th century. From HMMWV,
abbreviation of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle .][1]



Hun

Hun
Hun 
[hun] (plural Huns) noun

1.  member
of an early Asian nomadic people: a member of a nomadic
people, probably originating in northern central Asia, who invaded China in the
3rd century BC and then spread
westward to Asia and Europe. During the 4th century AD, under their leader, Attila, they overran much of the
Roman Empire.

2.  barbarically
cruel person: a barbaric destructive person

3.  HISTORY offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a German person or the German people,
especially by the Allies during World Wars I and II (dated slang offensive)
[Old English Hūne, via
a prehistoric Germanic word from late Latin Hunni, from, ultimately,
Sogdian xwn][1]



Hunan

Hunan
Hu·nan 
[h nn]

province in central China,
and an important agricultural and mineral producing region. Capital: Changsha.
Population: 63,550,000 (1994) Area: 210,500 sq km/81,270 sq mi.[1]



hunch

hunch
hunch 
[hunch] noun (plural hunch·es)

1.  feeling:
an intuitive feeling about something

2.  stoop:
a curved posture of the body with the head down and shoulders forward

3.  MEDICINE See hump  noun 2

4.  piece:
a large lump or slice of something (archaic)
verb
(past hunched, past participle hunched, present
participle hunch·ing, 3rd person present singular hunch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
upper body forward: to bend the head down and
the shoulders forward, for example, because of bad posture, illness, or the
cold • a
typist hunching over the keyboard • hunched
her shoulders against the wind

2.  transitive
verb
push
or shove somebody: to push or jostle somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
push
self forward: to lunge or push yourself forward in a
clumsy manner
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



hunchback

hunchback
hunch·back 
[húnch bàk] (plural hunch·backs)
noun

1.  humped
back:
a back that shows a pronounced curvature of the spine.
Also
called
humpback
Also
called
kyphosis

2.  somebody
with hump on back: somebody who has a hump on
his or her back.
Also
called
humpback
—hunch·backed,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Hunchback of Notre Dame, a novel by French writer Victor Hugo ( 1831 ). In
  this richly evocative medieval tragedy, Quasimodo, the hunchbacked
  bell-ringer at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, falls in love with a
  beautiful girl, Esmerelda. When corrupt priest Claude Frollo’s harassment of
  Esmerelda results in her being executed for sorcery, Quasimodo murders Frollo
  by pushing him off the bell tower.

[1]



hundred

hundred
hun·dred 
[húndrəd] noun (plural hun·dreds)

1.  number
100:
the number 100

2.  group
of 100:
a group of a hundred objects or people

3.  large
number:
an unspecified large number (usually used in the plural) • attended
by hundreds

4.  number
third from decimal point: the number that is three
places to the left of the decimal point in an Arabic numeral

5.  position
third from decimal point: the position that is three
places to the left of the decimal point in an Arabic numeral

6.  MONEY $100
note:
a bill worth a hundred dollars

7.  HISTORY county
subdivision: a historical subdivision of English,
Irish, and some North American counties
plural
noun
hun·dreds

1.  numbers
100 to 999:
the numbers 100 to 999

2.  years
of a century: the years of a particular century,
regarded as those beginning with a particular number • the
seventeen hundreds
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is related to Latin centum (source of
English cent and century .][1]



hundredth

hundredth
hun·dredth 
[húndrədth] (plural hun·dredths)
noun

one of 100 parts of
something: one of 100 equal parts of
something[1]



hundredweight

hundredweight
hun·dred·weight 
[húndrəd wàyt] (plural hun·dred·weights)
noun

1.  weight
of 100 lb, used in U.S.: a unit of mass in the U.S.
customary system equal to 100 lb ( 45.36 kgs ).
Also
called
short hundredweight
Also
called
cental

2.  weight
of 112 lb, used in U.K.: a unit of mass in the
British imperial system equal to 112 lb ( 50.80 kg ).
Also
called
long hundredweight
[Early 16th century. The
exact weight has varied from time to time; it was probably originally 100
pounds.][1]



HundredYears’ War

HundredYears’ War
Hun·dred
Years’ War
noun

lengthy Anglo-French
conflict: a series of wars fought
between England and France from 1337 to 1453 that resulted in the final
expulsion of England from all French territories except Calais[1]



Hung.

Hung.
Hung.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Hungarian

2.  Abbreviation
of
Hungary

[1]



hung

hung2
hung2  adjective

1.  without
consensus:
unable to form a required consensus to make decisions or reach a verdict • a
hung jury
• a
hung parliament

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having male sexual organs of a particular size (offensive
slang)

[1]



hung

hung1
hung1 

Past participle of
hang Past tense of hang[1]



Hungarian

Hungarian
Hun·gar·i·an 
[hung gáiree ən] (plural Hun·gar·i·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Hungary: somebody who was born or raised in
Hungary, or who is a Hungarian citizen

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Hungary: the official language of
Hungary, also spoken in parts of neighboring countries, belonging to one of the
Ugric subgroups of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic family of languages. It
is spoken by about 14 million people.
Also
called
Magyar
—Hungarian, adjective[1]



Hungariangoulash

Hungariangoulash
Hun·gar·i·an
gou·lash
noun

See
goulash[1]



Hungary




Back to definition

Hungary

[1]



Hungary

Hungary



Hun·ga·ry 
[húng gəree]
republic in central Europe, first united
as a country around AD 1000.
Language: Hungarian. Currency: forint. Capital: Budapest. Population:
10,225,000 (1995) Area: 93,030 sq km/35,919 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Hungary[1]



hunger

hunger
hun·ger 
[húng gər] noun

1.  need
to eat:
the need or desire for food

2.  craving:
a great need or desire for something • a
hunger for knowledge

3.  starvation:
lack of food leading to sickness or death • children
dying of hunger
intransitive
verb
(past hun·gered, past participle hun·gered, present
participle hun·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular hun·gers)

crave: to
feel a very strong need or desire for something
[Old English hungur,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



hungerstrike

hungerstrike
hun·ger
strike
(plural hun·ger strikes) noun

not
eating as a protest: a refusal to eat over a
period of time as a form of protest, especially by a prisoner
—hun·ger strik·er, noun[1]



hung-over

hung-over
hung-o·ver
[hung ṓvər] or hung o·ver [hung ṓvər] or hungo·ver [hung ṓvər] adjective

suffering from hangover:
suffering from the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol or using drugs[1]



hungry

hungry
hun·gry 
[húng gree] (comparative hun·gri·er,
superlative hun·gri·est) adjective

1.  wanting
to eat:
wanting or needing food

2.  avid:
wanting or desiring something very much • hungry
for new experiences

3.  ambitious:
having great ambition or a powerful desire to win (informal) • They
won because they were hungrier than we were.

4.  causing
hunger:
using up a lot of energy and making somebody feel hungry • hungry
work
[Old
English hungrig, related to hungur (see hunger
)]
—hun·gri·ly,
adverb

—hun·gri·ness,
noun
go
hungry

to go without food[1]



hungup

hungup
hung
up
adjective (informal)

1.  obsessed:
obsessed with somebody or something • He’s
completely hung up on her.

2.  worried:
in a state of worry or anxiety over something • hung
up over minor details

3.  delayed:
held up or otherwise delayed • hung
up in rush hour traffic

[1]



hunk

hunk
hunk 
[hungk] (plural hunks) noun

1.  chunk:
a large piece of something such as bread or cheese that is cut or torn off a
larger portion

2.  male
with a good physique: used to describe a man who
is well-built and very physically impressive (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Flemish hunke “piece of food.”][1]



hunker

hunker
hun·ker 
[húngkər] (past hun·kered, past
participle hun·kered, present participle hun·ker·ing, 3rd
person present singular hun·kers) intransitive verb

crouch:
to squat down close to the ground
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



hunkerdown

hunkerdown
hunker
down
intransitive verb

1.  settle
into serious work: to apply yourself seriously
to something • time
to hunker down and start studying

2.  hold
stubbornly to an opinion: to hold your ground and
refuse to change your mind (informal)

[1]



hunkers

hunkers
hun·kers
[húngkərz] plural noun

hips,
buttocks, and thighs: the hips, buttocks, and
upper thighs of humans or animals (dated informal)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from hunker in the sense
of “thing with which you hunker.”][1]



Hunkpapa

Hunkpapa
Hunk·pa·pa 
[húngk ppə] (plural Hunk·pa·pa
or Hunk·pa·pas) noun

member
of a Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally lived in the border regions between Montana and
North and South Dakota. The Hunkpapa now live in an area that straddles the
border between North and South Dakota.
[Literally
“at the end of the circle,” referring to the position of the Hunkpapa in the
great camping circle of the Teton]
—Hunk·pa·pa, adjective[1]



hunky

hunky
hunk·y 
[húngkee] (comparative hunk·i·er,
superlative hunk·i·est) adjective

with good physique:
masculine, well-built, and very physically attractive (informal)[1]



Hunky

Hunky
Hun·ky
(plural Hun·kies) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a laborer or other worker of eastern European origins (dated
slang offensive)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from Hungarian .][1]



hunky-dory

hunky-dory
hun·ky-do·ry 
[hùngkee dáwree] adjective

fine:
absolutely fine or satisfactory (informal)
[Origin uncertain: probably
an alteration of hunky “all right,” from obsolete hunk “place
where a game player is safe from capture,” from Dutch honk “home”][1]



Hunnish

Hunnish
Hun·nish 
[húnnish] adjective

1.  relating
to Huns:
relating to the Huns

2.  Hun·nish
or hun·nish destructively cruel:
destructive and barbarous

[1]



hunt

hunt
hunt 
[hunt] verb (past hunt·ed,
past participle hunt·ed, present participle hunt·ing,
3rd person present singular hunts)

1.  transitive
verb
seek
prey:
to pursue an animal with the intention of capturing or killing it for sport or
food • Cats
hunt mice and small birds.

2.  transitive
verb
seek
out:
to search for and try to capture somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
search:
to search persistently for something difficult to find • hunting
for his missing keys

4.  transitive
verb
hound
somebody:
to seek out and harass or persecute somebody

5.  intransitive
verb
chase
animals with hounds: to engage in a sport
involving the pursuit of an animal, usually a fox, on horseback and with the
aid of hounds

6.  transitive
verb
hunt
in a particular place: to search a particular area
for animals to capture or kill for sport or food

7.  intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING oscillate
around position: to oscillate around a fixed point
noun
(plural hunts)

1.  act
of searching: the act of looking for somebody or
something carefully, thoroughly, and persistently

2.  seeking
of prey:
a pursuit of animals to capture or kill them for sport or food • a
deer hunt

3.  organized
group of hunters: a group of people engaged in hunting as
a sport • She
joined the local hunt.
[Old
English huntian, from prehistoric Germanic]
hunt
high and low for somebody or something

to
search extremely thoroughly for somebody or something

that
dog won’t hunt

Southern U.S.
that person or thing will not perform up to expectations or perform the job as
required (informal)[1]



hunt-and-peck

hunt-and-peck
hunt-and-peck 
noun

slow inexpert typing:
a slow and inefficient typing technique used by untrained typists in which each
key is laboriously searched for before being struck (informal)[1]



hunted

hunted
hunt·ed
[húntəd] adjective

full of fear:
startled and panic-stricken, as if being pursued or hunted • a
hunted look[1]



hunter

hunter
hunt·er 
[húntər] (plural hunt·ers) noun

1.  predator:
a person or animal that hunts birds or animals for food or sport

2.  horse:
a powerful fast horse that is bred for and used in hunting

3.  dog:
a dog that is specially bred for and used in hunting

4.  seeker:
somebody who seeks out somebody or something specific, especially as an
occupation or hobby

5.  watch:
a watch with a hinged metal cover to protect the watch face.
Also
called
hunting watch





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Heart is a Lonely Hunter, a novel by writer Carson McCullers ( 1940 ). A work
  about isolation, alienation, and the search for love, it is the story of four
  lonely individuals, all of whom find themselves drawn to a local boy who is
  unable to hear or speak. The novel’s central irony is that the boy is even
  more isolated than they are, his loneliness eventually leading him to
  suicide.

[1]



hunter-gatherer

hunter-gatherer
hunt·er-gath·er·er 
(plural hunt·er-gath·er·ers) noun

forager for sustenance:
a member of a society in which people live by hunting and gathering only, with
no crops or livestock being raised for food[1]



huntergreen

huntergreen
hunt·er
green
adjective

dark green:
a dark green color[1]



hunter-killer

hunter-killer
hunt·er-kill·er
(plural hunt·er-kill·ers) adjective

used against submarines:
used to describe a naval force consisting of an antisubmarine warfare carrier
and its associated elements[1]



hunter’smoon

hunter’smoon
hunt·er’s
moon 
(plural hunt·er’s moons) noun

full moon after harvest moon:
the first full moon directly following the harvest moon[1]



hunting

hunting
hunt·ing 
[húnting] noun

1.  killing
of animals for sport: the sport or practice of
pursuing and killing or capturing wild animals

2.  seeking
out:
the process of searching carefully for something, usually over a period of time
• job
hunting

[1]



huntingand gathering

huntingand gathering
hunt·ing
and gath·er·ing noun

seeking of game and edible
plants: seeking game and edible
plants for subsistence, as practiced by pre-agricultural and nomadic people,
rather than raising livestock and crops for food[1]



huntingground

huntingground
hunt·ing
ground
(plural hunt·ing grounds) noun

1.  area
for hunting: a place where hunting takes place or
that is suitable for hunting

2.  source
of something: a source of useful or desired objects or
information • The
town is a great hunting ground for antiques.

[1]



huntingknife

huntingknife
hunt·ing
knife
noun

game-gutting knife:
a broad knife used for killing or gutting game[1]



huntingspider

huntingspider
hunt·ing
spi·der
(plural hunt·ing spi·ders) noun

See
wolf spider[1]



Huntington

Huntington
Hunt·ing·ton 
[húntingtən]

1.  town
on the northern shore of Long Island, southeastern New York. Population:
191,474 (1990)

2.  city
and river port in West Virginia on the Ohio River, near the Kentucky border.
Population: 53,941 (1996)

[1]



HuntingtonBeach

HuntingtonBeach
Hunt·ing·ton
Beach
[hùntingtən bch]

coastal city in southern
California, 23 km/14 mi southeast of Long Beach, that was formerly an
oil-producing center. Population: 189,220 (1994)[1]



HuntingtonPark

HuntingtonPark
Hunt·ing·ton
Park
[hùntingtən prk]

city in southwestern
California, near Los Angeles. Population: 56,065 (1990)[1]



HuntingtonStation

HuntingtonStation
Hunt·ing·ton
Sta·tion
[hùntingtən stáysh’n]

town in southeastern New
York, on the northern shore of Long Island. Population: 28, 247 (1990)[1]



Huntington’schorea

Huntington’schorea
Hunt·ing·ton’s
cho·re·a 
noun

neurological
disorder:
a hereditary disorder of the nervous system that manifests as jerky involuntary
movements in early middle age, with behavioral changes and progressive dementia
[Late 19th century. Named for
the American neurologist George Huntington (1851–1916), who first
described it.][1]



huntingwatch

huntingwatch
hunt·ing
watch
(plural hunt·ing watch·es) noun

See
hunter  noun 5[1]



huntress

huntress
hunt·ress 
[húntrəss] (plural hunt·ress·es)
noun

hunting woman or goddess:
a woman or goddess who hunts[1]



Hunt,Richard Morris

Hunt,Richard Morris
Hunt 
[hunt], Richard Morris (1827–1895)

U.S. architect. He is known
for his addition to the Louvre in Paris (1854–1855) and the Great Hall
(1895–1902) of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.[1]



huntsman

huntsman
hunts·man 
[húntsmən] (plural hunts·men) noun

1.  hunt
official:
an official who is in charge of the hounds belonging to a hunt

2.  hunting
man:
a man who hunts, either for a living or for a pastime

[1]



huntsman’s-cup

huntsman’s-cup
hunts·man’s-cup
(plural hunts·man’s-cups) noun

See
pitcher plant[1]



Huntsville

Huntsville
Hunts·ville 
[húnts vìl]

city in northern Alabama, a
major center of aerospace research and manufacture. Population: 170,424 (1996)[1]



Huonpine

Huonpine
Hu·on
pine
[hy ən pn] (plural Hu·on pines)
noun

evergreen
tree:
a large coniferous tree that grows in South America, Australia, and Southeast
Asia and is used for timber. Latin name: Dacrydium franklinii
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Huon River in southern Tasmania, where it was first found.][1]



hup

hup
hup
[hup] interjection

used
when lifting: used when marching to mark time or when
lifting or raising something (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of hep, used when marching to mark
time, of unknown origin.][1]



huppah

huppah
hup·pah 
[khpə, kh p]
(plural hup·pahs or hup·pot or hu·pot)
or chup·pah [kh pt, kh pṓt] (plural chup·pahs or
chup·pot or chu·pot) noun

1.  Jewish
wedding canopy: a canopy under which a Jewish wedding
ceremony is performed

2.  Jewish
wedding:
a Jewish wedding ceremony
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew ḥuppāh “cover, canopy.”][1]



hurdle

hurdle
hur·dle 
[húrd’l] noun

1.  SPORTS frame
for runner to jump: one of a number of light
barriers over which runners have to jump in some track-and-field events

2.  SPORTS race
over barriers: a track-and-field event in which runners
have to race to clear a series of light barriers

3.  difficulty
or obstacle: a difficulty or obstacle that has to be
overcome

4.  HORSERACING fence
used in horse race: a fence of intertwined
branches or wattle that horses race over, or a race over fences of this type
verb
(past hur·dled, past participle hur·dled, present
participle hur·dling, 3rd person present singular hur·dles)

1.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS race
over hurdles: to run in a track-and-field event in
which hurdles must be jumped

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS clear
racing barrier: to clear a barrier in a race

3.  transitive
verb
overcome
a difficulty: to overcome an obstacle or difficulty
[Old
English hyrdel . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn”
that is also the ancestor of English grate 1 and grille .]
—hur·dler, noun[1]



hurdy-gurdy

hurdy-gurdy


hur·dy-gur·dy 
[hùrdi gúrdee, húrdi
gùrdee] (plural hur·dy-gur·dies) noun

1.  barrel
organ:
a mechanical musical instrument such as a barrel organ that is played by
turning a handle

2.  medieval
musical instrument: a medieval string instrument
played by turning a wheel with one hand and depressing keys on a keyboard with
the other. Sound was produced by adding violin-bow rosin to the outer edge of
the wheel, which made the strings vibrate when it was turned against them.
[Mid-18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



hurl

hurl
hurl 
[hurl] verb (past hurled,
past participle hurled, present participle hurl·ing,
3rd person present singular hurls)

1.  transitive
verb
fling
something:
to throw something with great force

2.  transitive
verb
yell
something:
to utter something with great violence or vehemence • hurling
abuse

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL pitch:
to pitch a baseball

4.  intransitive
verb
vomit:
to vomit, especially with considerable force (slang)
noun
(plural hurls)

strong throw: a
forceful throw, or the act of throwing something with great force
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably suggests the action.]
—hurl·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



hurley

hurley
hurl·ey
[húrlee stìk] (plural hurl·eys)
noun

stick used in playing
hurling: a long wooden stick with a
curved end used in the game of hurling[1]



hurling

hurling
hurl·ing 
[húrling] noun

Irish team game:
an Irish field sport resembling hockey and lacrosse that is played with broad
sticks and a leather ball that is passed from player to player through the air[1]



hurly-burly

hurly-burly
hur·ly-bur·ly 
[hùrlee búrlee, húrlee
bùrlee] noun

bustle:
noisy and bustling activity
[Alteration of hurling and
burling, a playful formation ultimately based on hurl][1]



Hurok,Sol

Hurok,Sol
Hur·ok
[hyr òk], Sol (1888–1974)

Russian-born
U.S. impresario. He brought entertainers from around the world to the United
States.
Full name
Hurok, Solomon[1]



Huron

Huron2
Hu·ron2  [hy
ron]

city in eastern South Dakota,
east of Pierre and northwest of Sioux Falls. Population: 12,428 (1996)[1]



Huron

Huron1
Hu·ron1  [hy
ron] (plural Hu·ron or Hu·rons) noun

member
of a Native N American confederacy: a
member of a confederacy of four Native North American peoples who originally
lived around the Great Lakes but today live in Quebec, Ontario, and Oklahoma.
During the 17th century, the Huron population was greatly reduced by continual
warring with the Iroquois and the arrival of smallpox and other European
diseases.
[Mid-17th
century. From French, literally “boar,” from Old French hure “bristling
hair.”]
—Hu·ron, adjective[1]



Huron,Lake

Huron,Lake
Hu·ron,
Lake
[hyrən]

second largest of the Great
Lakes, lying between the state of Michigan, United States, and the province of
Ontario, Canada. Area: 59,600 sq km/23,000 sq mi. Depth: 229 m/751 ft.[1]



hurrah

hurrah
hur·rah 
[h r, hə r]
(past hur·rahed, past participle hur·rahed, present
participle hur·rah·ing, 3rd person present singular hur·rahs)
interjection

See
hooray
[Late
17th century. Alteration of archaic huzza (see huzzah
).]
(the)
last hurrah

a final experience in the
limelight, brush with fame, or spree (informal)[1]



hurray

hurray
hur·ray
[h ráy, hə ráy]
interjection intransitive verb

See
hooray[1]



Hurrian

Hurrian
Hur·ri·an
[hree ən] (plural Hur·ri·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Syrian people: a member of an ancient
people who lived in Syria and Mesopotamia around 1500 BC

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Hurrian:
the language of the Hurrian s. Its affinities are unknown.
[Early
20th century. Formed from Hittite and Assyrian Harri and Hurri .]
—Hur·ri·an, adjective[1]



hurricane

hurricane
hur·ri·cane 
[húrri kàyn] (plural hur·ri·canes)
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY severe
storm:
a severe tropical storm with torrential rain and winds above 119 km/74 mi per
hour. Hurricanes originate in areas of low pressure in equatorial regions of
the Atlantic or Caribbean, then strengthen, traveling northwest, north, or
northeast.

2.  METEOROLOGY high
wind:
a wind with speeds above 119 km/74 mi per hour and a force of 12 or above on
the Beaufort scale

3.  fast
forceful thing: somebody or something resembling a
violent storm in force, speed, or effect
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish huracán from Taino hurakán “god of the storm.”][1]



hurricanedeck

hurricanedeck
hur·ri·cane
deck
(plural hur·ri·cane decks) noun

covered deck:
a deck on a ship with a cover from the sun[1]



hurricanelamp

hurricanelamp
hur·ri·cane
lamp
(plural hur·ri·cane lamps) noun

storm lantern:
an oil or kerosene lamp with a glass cover to prevent the wick from being
extinguished in wind or rain[1]



hurried

hurried
hur·ried 
[húrreed] adjective

over-hasty:
done, made, or performed too quickly because of a real or perceived lack of
time
—hur·ried·ly,
adverb

—hur·ried·ness, noun[1]



hurry

hurry
hur·ry 
[húrree] verb (past hur·ried,
past participle hur·ried, present participle hur·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular hur·ries)

1.  intransitive
verb
rush:
to move or do something with great or excessive speed because of a real or
perceived lack of time

2.  transitive
verb
speed
up:
to make or encourage somebody or something to act with greater speed
noun

1.  haste:
a state in which somebody is doing something or moving at a great or excessive
speed • We
were in such a hurry we left the tickets behind.

2.  urgency:
the need to do something quickly • What’s
the hurry?
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain; perhaps suggests the action.]
—hur·ri·er, noun[1]



hurry-scurry

hurry-scurry
hur·ry-scur·ry
noun

rush:
an undue rush to do something
[Mid-18th century. Repetition
of hurry .][1]



Hurst,Fannie

Hurst,Fannie
Hurst 
[hurst], Fannie (1889–1968)

U.S.
writer. A prolific and popular writer, she is best known for her novels Back
Street ( 1931 ) and Imitation of Life ( 1933 ).
Born
Danielson, Fannie[1]



hurt

hurt
hurt 
[hurt] verb (past hurt,
past participle hurt, present participle hurt·ing, 3rd
person present singular hurts)

1.  transitive
verb
injure
somebody or something: to cause physical pain in
somebody or in yourself or part of the body • hurt
his back when he fell down

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
pain:
to experience physical pain, or cause somebody to experience physical pain • Ouch!
That hurts!

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb upset:
to feel emotional pain, or make somebody feel emotional pain • hurt
by his unkind remarks

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb impair:
to have a negative effect on something • This
could hurt her chances of reelection.

5.  intransitive
verb
experience
difficulties: to undergo or experience difficulties or
setbacks, for example, in business or financial affairs (informal) • too
much competition, so the business is really hurting
noun
(plural hurts)

1.  pain:
emotional or mental pain or suffering • after
all the hurt he’s caused

2.  injury:
an injury or wound, whether emotional or physical • old
hurts
adjective

1.  injured:
injured or in physical pain

2.  upset:
feeling or showing emotional pain or suffering
[12th
century. From Old French hurter “to ram, collide,” probably ultimately
from prehistoric Germanic.]
—hurt·er,
noun
in
a world of hurt

in
a condition of great physical, emotional, or financial distress (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at harm

[1]



hurtful

hurtful
hurt·ful 
[húrtfəl] adjective

upsetting:
causing emotional pain or suffering
—hurt·ful·ly,
adverb

—hurt·ful·ness, noun[1]



hurtle

hurtle
hur·tle 
[húrt’l] (past hur·tled, past
participle hur·tled, present participle hur·tling, 3rd
person present singular hur·tles) intransitive verb

rush:
to move or travel at very high speed
[13th century. Formed from hurt .][1]



husband

husband
hus·band 
[húzbənd] noun (plural hus·bands)

woman’s
spouse:
the man to whom a woman is married
transitive
verb
(past hus·band·ed, past participle hus·band·ed, present
participle hus·band·ing, 3rd person present singular hus·bands)

be
thrifty with something: to use and manage something
economically, for example, resources or money
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse húsbóndi “man in charge of the house, farmer,”
from hús “house” + bóndi “dweller,” present participle of búa
“to dwell.”]
—hus·ban·dage,
noun

—hus·ban·der, noun[1]



husbandman

husbandman
hus·band·man 
[húzbəndmən] (plural hus·band·men)
noun

farmer:
a farmer (archaic)[1]



husbandry

husbandry
hus·band·ry 
[húzbəndree] noun

1.  farming:
the science, skill, or art of farming

2.  frugal
management:
the frugal and sensible management of resources

[1]



hush

hush
hush 
[hush] intransitive and transitive verb
(past hushed, past participle hushed, present
participle hush·ing, 3rd person present singular hush·es)

make
somebody be quiet: to become silent, or make
somebody become quiet or silent
interjection

be
quiet:
used as a request or demand for silence
noun
(plural hush·es)

silence:
a stillness or silence, especially after a period of noise or in expectation of
something
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain; probably a back-formation from archaic husht “silent,”
earlier “hush!”, a natural exclamation.][1]



hush-hush

hush-hush
hush-hush 
adjective

secret:
secret or confidential (informal)[1]



hushmoney

hushmoney
hush
mon·ey
noun

bribe for silence:
money paid as a bribe not to disclose information (informal)[1]



hushpuppy

hushpuppy
hush
pup·py
noun

small ball of fried cornmeal:
a small deep-fried ball of cornmeal dough, originally a strictly Southern form
of bread[1]



hushup

hushup
hush
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
keep
secret:
to prevent something, especially something dishonorable or discreditable, from
becoming publicly known (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
request
silence:
to ask or tell somebody to become silent or quieter

[1]



husk

husk
husk 
[husk] (plural husks) noun

1.  BOTANY outer
plant covering: the outer membranous covering of some
fruits, nuts, and grains

2.  useless
outer shell: an empty outer shell or covering that no
longer serves any useful purpose
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German hūske “little house,
cover.”]
—husk·er, noun[1]



huskie

huskie
hus·kie 
noun

See
husky[1]



huskingbee

huskingbee
husk·ing
bee 
[húsking bee] (plural husk·ing
bees) noun

gathering of people to husk
corn: a gathering of people,
usually farm families, for the purpose of husking corn[1]



husktomato

husktomato
husk
to·ma·to
noun

See
ground cherry[1]



husky

husky2
hus·ky2 [húskee]
(plural hus·kies) or hus·kie [húskee] (plural hus·kies) noun

large
working dog: a large long-haired dog with a curled
tail and pricked ears, originally bred in Arctic regions and trained to pull
sleds.
Also
called
Siberian husky
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening and alteration of Eskimo,
the original name being Eskimo dog .][1]



husky

husky1
husk·y1 [húskee]
(comparative husk·i·er, superlative husk·i·est) adjective

1.  burly
and compact in physique: with a solid, burly, strong,
and compact physique • a
husky boy

2.  throaty:
hoarse and dry, either naturally or as a result of illness or emotion • a
husky voice

3.  relating
to husks:
containing or resembling husks
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from husk .]
—husk·i·ly,
adverb

—husk·i·ness, noun[1]



hussar

hussar
hus·sar 
[hə zr, h zr]
(plural hus·sars) noun

1.  Hungarian
cavalry member: a member of the Hungarian cavalry in the
15th century

2.  European
cavalry soldier: a soldier in any European light cavalry
unit in the 18th and 19th centuries that adopted an ornate uniform similar to
that of the Hungarian cavalry in the 15th century
[Mid-16th century. Via
Hungarian huszár “light horseman” from, ultimately, Italian corsaro
“corsair.”][1]



HusseinI

HusseinI

Hus·sein I
[h sáyn], King of Jordan (1935–1999)
Throughout his reign (1952–1999), he was
a moderating influence in Middle East politics.[1]



Hussein,Saddam

Hussein,Saddam

Hus·sein
[h sáyn], Saddam (1937– )
Iraqi president. As leader of the Baath
party, he became president in 1979. Two years after the end of the Iran-Iraq
War (1980–1988), his invasion of Kuwait led to the Persian Gulf War.[1]



Hussite

Hussite
Huss·ite 
[hú st, h st]
(plural Huss·ites) noun

follower
of John Huss: a follower of the teachings of the
Bohemian nationalist and religious reformer John Huss (1372?-1415)
—Huss·it·ism [hússi tìzzəm, hssi
tìzzəm], noun[1]



Huss,John

Huss,John
Huss
[huss], John (1372?–1415)

Bohemian religious reformer.
He was burnt at the stake for supporting the teachings of the English reformer,
Wycliffe. His execution led to the outbreak of the Hussite Wars (1419–1434).[1]



hussy

hussy
hus·sy 
[hússee] (plural hus·sies) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s manner or behavior (insult)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a young woman that deliberately insults her tact and
self-restraint
[Mid-16th century.
Contraction of housewife (the original
sense).][1]



hustings

hustings
hust·ings 
[hústingz] plural noun

1.  electioneering
circuit:
the rounds of political activities, for example, speech-making and the
organization of public rallies, that take place before an election

2.  election
platform formerly used in Britain: in Great Britain
before 1872, a platform from which parliamentary candidates were nominated and
addressed electors (archaic)
[Pre-12th century. From Old
Norse húsþing “council held by a king and his immediate followers,” from
hús “house” + þing “meeting.”][1]



hustle

hustle
hus·tle 
[húss’l] verb (past hus·tled,
past participle hus·tled, present participle hus·tling,
3rd person present singular hus·tles)

1.  intransitive
verb
hurry:
to go somewhere or do something fast or hurriedly (informal) • We’d
better hustle, or we’ll be late.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRIMINOLOGY engage in small-time
illegal deals: to engage in small-time crimes, for
example, petty theft or prostitution (slang)

3.  transitive
verb
sell
something aggressively: to sell something
aggressively, for example, drinks in a bar

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRIMINOLOGY solicit customers in
shady deals: to solicit customers in shady or illegal
deals, for example, as a prostitute (slang)

5.  transitive
verb
propel:
to convey somebody roughly or hurriedly from a place • hustled
her into a waiting car

6.  transitive
verb
deal
with something fast: to deal with something
hurriedly • Let’s
hustle this project along.

7.  intransitive
verb
play
sport aggressively: to play a sport with great
aggressiveness, intensity, and concentration
noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY racket
or swindle:
an act or scheme involving deceit, swindling, fraud, or petty theft (slang)

2.  noisy
activity:
lively, noisy, continual activity • enjoyed
the hustle of the big city

3.  initiative:
personal aggressive initiative, for example, in advancing your career (slang)
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch hutselen “to shake or toss,” literally “to shake repeatedly,”
ultimately from hotsen “to shake.”][1]



hustler

hustler
hus·tler
[hússlər] (plural hus·tlers) noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY petty
criminal:
a small-time operator who engages in illegal activities, for example, petty
theft or illegal gambling (informal)

2.  CRIMINOLOGY prostitute:
a prostitute, especially a streetwalker or one who solicits in bars (slang)

3.  aggressive
person:
a person who works aggressively and consistently, especially to advance his or
her career (informal)

[1]



Huston,John

Huston,John
Hus·ton
[hystən], John (1906–1987)

U.S. movie director and
actor. The son of Walter Huston, he directed Maltese Falcon ( 1941 ), The
African Queen ( 1952 ), and won two Academy Awards for The Treasure of
the Sierra Madre ( 1948 ).[1]



Huston,Walter

Huston,Walter
Hus·ton
[hystən], Walter (1884–1950)

Canadian-born U.S. actor. He
won an Academy Award for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ( 1948 ).[1]



hut

hut1
hut1  [hut]
noun (plural huts)

one-room
building:
a small single-story building, often made of wood, that is used as a simple
house or shelter, or for storage, temporary accommodation, or leisure
activities • a
fishing hut
transitive
verb
(past hut·ted, past participle hut·ted, present
participle hut·ting, 3rd person present singular huts)

provide
with huts:
to provide huts for a place, especially for accommodation
[Mid-16th century. Via French
hutte from High German hütte, of uncertain origin.][1]



hut

hut2
hut2  [hut]
interjection

used
when marching: used to mark time while marching (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of hep, of unknown origin.][1]



hutch

hutch
hutch 
[huch] (plural hutch·es) noun

1.  cage:
a small shelter, usually constructed from wire and wood, for keeping small
animals such as rabbits

2.  HOUSEHOLD china
cabinet:
a cupboard with drawers and usually open shelves on top, often used for storing
and displaying dishes and kitchen utensils
[12th century. Via French huche
from medieval Latin hutica, of unknown origin.][1]



Hutchinson

Hutchinson
Hutch·in·son 
[húchinss’n]

city in central Kansas on the
Arkansas River. Population: 39,015 (1996)[1]



Hutchinson,Anne

Hutchinson,Anne
Hutch·in·son 
[húchinss’n], Anne (1591–1643)

English-born
U.S. colonial religious reformer. She was banished from Massachusetts for
preaching her liberal religious doctrine that was opposed to the Puritans.
Born
Marbury, Anne[1]



Hutchinson-Gilfordsyndrome

Hutchinson-Gilfordsyndrome
Hutch·in·son-Gil·ford
syn·drome 
[hùchinssən gílfərd sìn drōm] noun

MEDICINE See progeria
[Named for the British
physicians Sir Jonathan Hutchinson (1828–1913) and Hastings Gilford
(1861–1941)][1]



Hutchins,Robert Maynard

Hutchins,Robert Maynard
Hutch·ins
[húchinz], Robert Maynard (1899–1977)

U.S. educator. He was a
reforming president and chancellor of the University of Chicago (1929–1951),
where he introduced, most notably, the Great Books program.[1]



hutment

hutment
hut·ment 
[hútmənt] (plural hut·ments) noun

military encampment:
a group of huts forming a military encampment[1]



Hutterite

Hutterite
Hut·ter·ite 
[húttə rt] (plural Hut·ter·ites)
noun

Moravian
Anabaptist:
a member of an Anabaptist religious group that immigrated from Moravia mainly
to Alberta and Manitoba in Canada but also to areas of the northwestern United
States where they formed farming communities
[Late 19th century. Named for
Jacob Hutter (d. 1536), Moravian Anabaptist leader.][1]



HuttValley

HuttValley
Hutt
Val·ley
[hùt vállee]

urbanized region in the south
of the North Island, New Zealand, near the city of Wellington[1]



Hutu

Hutu
Hu·tu
[h t] (plural Hu·tu or
Hu·tus) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Rwandan and Burundian people: a member of a people
who make up the majority of the population of Rwanda and Burundi.
See
also
Tutsi

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Rwanda and Burundi: a language spoken in Rwanda
and Burundi that is one of the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family of African
languages. Hutu is spoken by about 14 million people.
[Mid-20th
century. From a Bantu language.]
—Hu·tu, adjective[1]



hutzpah

hutzpah
hutz·pah 
noun

See
chutzpah[1]



Huxley,Aldous

Huxley,Aldous

Hux·ley
[húkslee], Aldous (1894–1963)
British
novelist and essayist. His novels include Point Counter Point ( 1928 ), Brave
New World ( 1932 ), and Eyeless in Gaza ( 1936 ).
Full name
Huxley, Aldous Leonard[1]



Huxley,Julian

Huxley,Julian
Hux·ley
[húkslee], Sir Julian (1887–1975)

British
biologist. He was the first director-general of UNESCO (1947–1948) and the
author of Essays of a Biologist ( 1923 ).
Full name
Huxley, Sir Julian Sorrell[1]



Huxley,T. H.

Huxley,T. H.
Hux·ley
[húkslee], T. H. (1825–1895)

British
biologist. A supporter of Darwin, he wrote Zoological Evidences as to Man’s
Place in Nature ( 1863 ) and Collected Essays ( 1893–1894 ).
Full name
Huxley, Thomas Henry[1]



Huygens’eyepiece

Huygens’eyepiece
Huy·gens’
eye·piece 
[hgənz  peess] (plural Huy·gens’
eye·piec·es) noun

eyepiece
consisting of two lenses: an eyepiece consisting of
two planoconvex lenses with their flat sides toward the eye, fitted mainly on
optical instruments that are used for observation rather than measurement
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Dutch physicist and astronomer Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695), who
invented it.][1]



Huygens’principle

Huygens’principle
Huy·gens’
prin·ci·ple
noun

PHYSICS principle
of light waves: the proposition that every point on a
wavefront acts as a source of secondary waves of light and that the wavefront
at a later time is the envelope of these secondary waves
[See Huygens’
eyepiece][1]



huzzah

huzzah
huz·zah
[hə z] (past huz·zahed, past
participle huz·zahed, present participle huz·zah·ing, 3rd
person present singular huz·zahs, plural huz·zahs) noun

(archaic)
See hooray
[Late 16th century. Variant
of huzza, of uncertain origin: perhaps a sailor’s work-chant when
hauling on ropes; or related to German Hussa, a hunting cry.][1]



H.V.

H.V.
H.V.

1.  Abbreviation
of
high velocity

2.  Abbreviation
of
high voltage

[1]



HVAC

HVAC
HVAC

Abbreviation of
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning[1]



hvy.

hvy.
hvy.

Abbreviation of
heavy[1]



HW

HW
HW

1.  Abbreviation
of
hazardous waste

2.  Abbreviation
of
high water

3.  Abbreviation
of
hot water

[1]



HwangeNational Park

HwangeNational Park
H·wan·ge
Na·tion·al Park [hwàng gay
násh’nəl prk]

the largest national park in
Zimbabwe, established in 1929. Area: 14,651 sq km/5,657 sq mi.[1]



HWM

HWM
HWM

Abbreviation of
high-water mark[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hwy

hwy
hwy

Abbreviation of
highway[1]



hyacinth

hyacinth

hy·a·cinth 
[h əsinth] (plural hy·a·cinths)
noun
lily
with spikes of flowers: a plant of the lily family,
native to the northeastern Mediterranean, cultivated widely for its spikes of
highly fragrant pink, white, or blue flowers. Latin name: Hyacinthus
orientalis
Also
called
jacinth
[Mid-16th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek huakinthos “plant sprung from
the blood of Hyacinthus,” also “blue stone”
(source of English jacinth ).]
—hy·a·cin·thine [h ə sínthin, h ə sín
thn], adjective[1]



hyacinthbean

hyacinthbean
hy·a·cinth
bean
(plural hy·a·cinth beans) noun

woody-stemmed plant with
pods: a deciduous woody-stemmed
leguminous climbing plant with attractive pink or white flowers. Latin name: Dolichos
lablab
Also called
lablab[1]



Hyacinthus

Hyacinthus
Hy·a·cin·thus 
[h ə sínthəss] noun

accidental victim of Apollo:
a young boy in Greek mythology who was loved and accidentally killed by the god
Apollo, who made a flower grow on the spot where the boy died[1]



Hyades

Hyades
Hy·a·des 
[h ə dz] noun

star cluster:
a cluster of over 200 stars in the constellation Taurus. Its five brightest
members form a V-shaped group that is visible to the naked eye.[1]



hyaena

hyaena
hy·ae·na 
(plural hy·ae·nas) noun

See
hyena[1]



hyal-

hyal-
hyal-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hyalo-[1]



hyalin

hyalin
hy·a·lin 
[h əlin] noun

clear tissue by-product:
a clear glassy material found in hyaline cartilage or formed as a product of
some skin diseases[1]



hyaline

hyaline
hy·a·line 
[h əlin, h ə
ln] adjective

clear without fibers:
clear, translucent, and containing no fibers or granular material[1]



hyalinecartilage

hyalinecartilage
hy·a·line
car·ti·lage
noun

common form of cartilage:
the most common type of cartilage, consisting of a bluish-white elastic
material containing fine collagen fibers that provides flexibility and support
at the joints. Hyaline cartilage is found at the ends of the long bones and in
the nose and the larynx, and forms most of the fetal skeleton.[1]



hyalinemembrane disease

hyalinemembrane disease
hy·a·line
mem·brane dis·ease noun

See
respiratory distress syndrome[1]



hyalite

hyalite
hy·a·lite 
[h ə lt] noun

type of opal:
a clear colorless variety of the semiprecious gemstone opal[1]



hyalitis

hyalitis
hy·a·li·tis 
[h ə ltiss] noun

inflammation of the eye:
inflammation of the transparent jelly ( vitreous
humor ) that fills the chamber of the eye behind the lens[1]



hyalo-

hyalo-
hyalo-
prefix

glass,
glassy • hyaloplasm
[From Greek hualos
“glass,” of unknown origin][1]



hyaloid

hyaloid
hy·a·loid 
[h ə lòyd] adjective

glassy:
clear and glassy in appearance[1]



hyaloidmembrane

hyaloidmembrane
hy·a·loid
mem·brane
noun

membrane of the eye:
a transparent insubstantial membrane surrounding the transparent jelly ( vitreous humor ) of the eye and separating it from
the retina[1]



hyaluronicacid

hyaluronicacid
hy·al·u·ron·ic
ac·id 
[hə l ronnik ássid] noun

thick
fluid in body parts: a viscous slippery complex
sugar that lubricates joints and helps maintain the shape of the eyeballs. It
is present in connective tissue, and also plays a role in the healing of
wounds.
[Hyaluronic from hyaloid (because the substance was first isolated
in the vitreous humor) + uronic “connected with urine”][1]



hyaluronidase

hyaluronidase
hy·a·lu·ron·i·dase 
[h əl rónni dàyss, h əl rónni dàyz] noun

body enzyme:
an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, increasing the permeability of
connective tissues.
Also called
spreading factor[1]



Hyannis

Hyannis
Hy·an·nis 
[hī ánniss, hee
ánniss]

resort village and commercial
center in southeastern Massachusetts, on the southern coast of Cape Cod.
Population: 14,120 (1990)[1]



Hyattsville

Hyattsville
Hy·atts·ville
[h əts vìl]

city in west central
Maryland, a northeastern suburb of Washington, D.C. Population: 14,674 (1996)[1]



hybrid

hybrid
hy·brid 
[hbrid] noun (plural hy·brids)

1.  BOTANY plant
resulting from crossing: a plant produced from a
cross between two plants with different genetic constituents. Hybrids from
crosses between crop varieties are often stronger and produce better yields
than the original stock.

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
resulting from cross-species mating: an
animal that results from the mating of parents from two distinct species or
subspecies

3.  compound:
something made up of a mixture of different elements

4.  LINGUISTICS word
derived from two languages: a word that has derived from
two different languages, for example, “appendicitis,” in which “appendic” is
from Latin and “itis” is from Greek

5.  AUTOMOTIVE using
two fuels:
a vehicle with an engine that runs on electricity and gasoline, which it can
alternate between
adjective

1.  BIOLOGY crossbred:
bred from two distinct species or subspecies

2.  containing
mixed elements: made up of different elements or
components • a
hybrid literary form

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING unusual
as an electronic circuit: used to describe an
electronic circuit that consists of two or more components not ordinarily
combined with one another, for example, a circuit that has integrated
circuitry, transistors, and vacuum tubes

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING with
multiple integrated circuitry: used to describe an
electronic circuit containing more than one integrated circuit, all of which
are attached to the same ceramic substrate
[Early
17th century. From Latin hybrida, of uncertain origin: probably from
Greek hubrida “mongrel.”]
—hy·brid·ism,
noun

—hy·brid·ist,
noun

—hy·brid·i·ty [hī bríddətee], noun[1]



hybridantibody

hybridantibody
hy·brid
an·ti·bod·y
noun

artificial antibody:
an artificial antibody synthesized to attach to two different antigens[1]



hybridcomputer

hybridcomputer
hy·brid
com·put·er
(plural hy·brid com·put·ers) noun

analog and digital computer:
a computer employing both analog and digital techniques[1]



hybridize

hybridize
hy·brid·ize 
[hbri dz] (past hy·brid·ized,
past participle hy·brid·ized, present participle hy·brid·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·brid·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

crossbreed
a plant or animal: to generate a new form of
plant or animal, either by human intervention or naturally, by combining the
genes of two different species or subspecies
—hy·brid·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—hy·brid·i·za·tion
[hbridi záysh’n], noun

—hy·brid·iz·er [hbri dzər], noun[1]



hybridoma

hybridoma
hy·brid·o·ma 
[hbri dṓmə] (plural hy·brid·o·mas)
noun

hybrid cell:
a hybrid cell produced by the fusion of a tumor cell with a normal
antibody-producing cell, which then proliferates and yields large amounts of a
monoclonal antibody[1]



hybridrock

hybridrock
hy·brid
rock
noun

mixed rock type:
rock formed when molten magma incorporates solid material from the rock through
which it flows, yielding a mixture of rock types[1]



hybridvigor

hybridvigor
hy·brid
vig·or
noun

improved traits resulting
from crossbreeding: the
increased growth, disease resistance, and fertility seen in hybrid species.
Mules, the offspring of mares and donkeys, are stronger and longer-lived than
the parent animals.
Also called
heterosis[1]



hyd.

hyd.
hyd.

Abbreviation of
hydraulics[1]



hydathode

hydathode
hy·da·thode 
[hdə thd] (plural hy·da·thodes)
noun

leaf
pore:
a pore in the outer layer of a leaf that secretes water when the rate of
transpiration is low, for example, in humid conditions
[Late 19th century. From
Greek hudat-, stem of hudōr “water,” + hodos “way.”][1]



hydatid

hydatid
hy·da·tid 
[hdətid] (plural hy·da·tids) or
hy·da·tid cyst [hdətid] (plural
hy·da·tid cysts) noun

cyst
caused by a tapeworm: a cyst formed in human
tissue that contains the larvae of a tapeworm
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek hudatis “drop of water, watery vesicle,” from hudat-,
stem of hudōr “water.”][1]



hydatiddisease

hydatiddisease
hy·da·tid
dis·ease
noun

illness caused by cysts:
a condition resulting from the presence of hydatid cysts in the liver, lungs,
or brain, which can cause malignancies, blindness, epilepsy, and fever.
Also called
hydatid[1]



Hyderabad

Hyderabad
Hy·der·a·bad
[hdərə bad] or Hy·der·ā·bād [hdərə bad]

1.  former
state in central India, now divided between the states of Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, and Maharashtra

2.  city
and capital of Andhra Pradesh, India, founded in 1589, situated on the Musi
River. Population: 3,145,939 (1991)

3.  city
in Sind Province, southeastern Pakistan, situated on the Indus River.
Population: 795,000 (1981)

[1]



hydnocarpate

hydnocarpate
hyd·no·car·pate
[hìdnə kr pàyt] (plural hyd·no·car·pates)
noun

salt of a fatty acid:
a salt of hydnocarpic acid[1]



hydnocarpicacid

hydnocarpicacid
hyd·no·carp·ic
ac·id
[hidnə krpik ássid] noun

fatty
acid:
a fatty acid containing a carbon ring in its structure, occurring as glycerides
in chaulmoogra oil. C16H28O2
[Hydnocarpic from hydnocarpus,
plant yielding an oil containing this acid, ultimately from Greek hudnon
“truffle” + karpos “fruit,” from the fruit’s appearance][1]



hydr-

hydr-
hydr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hydro-[1]



hydra

hydra
hy·dra 
[hdrə] (plural hy·dras or
hy·drae [hdree]) noun

freshwater
organism:
a freshwater polyp with a cylindrical body at one end and a mouth surrounded by
tentacles at the other. Genus: Hydra
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Greek hudra “water snake.”][1]



Hydra

Hydra
Hy·dra 
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY largest
constellation: the largest constellation, between Leo
in the northern hemisphere and Centaurus in the southern hemisphere

2.  MYTHOLOGY many-headed
monster:
a monster in Greek mythology that had nine heads and was killed by Hercules.
When one head was cut off, another grew instantly in its place.

[1]



hydracid

hydracid
hy·drac·id 
[hī drássid] (plural hy·drac·ids)
noun

kind of acid:
an acid in which the hydrogen atoms are bound to an atom other than oxygen, for
example, hydrochloric acid[1]



hydragogue

hydragogue
hy·dra·gogue
[hdrə gòg] (plural hy·dr·a·gogues)
noun

type
of laxative: a laxative that acts osmotically by
drawing water into the intestinal canal from the blood, thereby softening the
contents. Epsom salts was once the principal hydragogue but has now been
superseded by complex sugars such as lactulose that work in the same way.
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin hydragogus from Greek hudragōgos “conveying water,” from
the stem hudr- “water.”][1]



hydra-headed

hydra-headed
hy·dra-head·ed
adjective

with many heads:
with many heads or parts like heads[1]



hydralazine

hydralazine
hy·dral·a·zine 
[hī drállə zn] noun

blood-pressure
medication:
a drug that lowers blood pressure, usually given with drugs that cause
increased urine output
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from hydro + phthalic
acid + azine .][1]



hydrangea

hydrangea

hy·dran·gea 
[hī dráynjə] (plural hy·dran·geas)
noun
flowering
shrub:
an erect or climbing evergreen or deciduous shrub, native to Asia, that has
large clusters of white, pink, or blue flowers in a variety of shapes. Genus: Hydrangea
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “water pot”; from its cup-shaped seed pod.][1]



hydrant

hydrant
hy·drant 
[hdrənt] (plural hy·drants) noun

water
source in the street: an upright pipe, usually in
a street, connected to a water main with a valve to which a hose can be
attached, for example, by the fire department
[Early 19th century. Formed
from hydro- .][1]



hydranth

hydranth
hy·dranth 
[h drànth] (plural hy·dranths)
noun

sedentary
form of cnidarian: the sedentary form in the
life cycle of a cnidarian such as a sea anemone or a hydra
[Late 19th century. From hydra + Greek anthos “flower.”][1]



hydrarch

hydrarch
hy·drarch 
[h drrk] adjective

starting
in fresh water: used to describe the development of a
sequence of ecological stages that begins in a freshwater habitat such as a
pond
[Early 20th century. Coined
from hydro- + Greek arkhē
“beginning.”][1]



hydrargyrum

hydrargyrum
hy·dra·rgy·rum 
[hī drrjərəm] noun

CHEMICAL ELEMENTS mercury:
mercury (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Greek hydrarguros, from the stem hudr-
“water” + arguros “silver.”][1]



hydrase

hydrase
hy·drase 
[h dràyss, h
dràyz] noun

enzyme controlling water
assimilation: an enzyme that
catalyzes the addition or removal of water[1]



hydrastine

hydrastine
hy·dras·tine 
[hī drá stn, hī
drástin] noun

poisonous
plant extract used medicinally: a poisonous white
substance extracted from the thick yellow roots of the goldenseal plant, once
used medicinally to stop hemorrhaging, shrink the uterus, and reduce
inflammation of mucous membranes. C21H21NO6
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from hydrastis, plant genus name, formed from hydro-
+ astis, of unknown origin.][1]



hydrastinine

hydrastinine
hy·dras·ti·nine
[hī drásti nn, hī
drástinin] noun

organic compound:
an organic compound forming colorless crystals, soluble in water and resembling
hydrastine in its medicinal properties. C11H13NO3[1]



hydrate

hydrate
hy·drate 
[h dràyt] transitive verb (past
hy·drat·ed, past participle hy·drat·ed, present
participle hy·drat·ing, 3rd person present singular hy·drates)

1.  give
water to:
to provide water for somebody or something in order to reestablish or maintain
a correct fluid balance

2.  CHEMISTRY add
water to:
to add water to a chemical compound so that different crystals are formed
noun
(plural hy·drates)

CHEMISTRY compound
containing water: a chemical compound containing water
molecules that can usually be expelled by heating, without decomposition of the
compound
—hy·dra·tor, noun[1]



hydrated

hydrated
hy·drat·ed 
[h dràytəd] adjective

CHEMISTRY
combined with water:
used to describe a compound that contains water[1]



hydraulic

hydraulic
hy·drau·lic 
[hī dróllik] adjective

driven
by fluid:
relating to or operated by a device in which pressure applied to a piston is
transmitted by a fluid to a larger piston, giving rise to a larger force
[Early
17th century. Via Latin hydraulicus from Greek hudraulikos, from hudōr
“water” + aulos “pipe.”]
—hy·drau·li·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hydraulicbrake

hydraulicbrake
hy·drau·lic
brake
(plural hy·drau·lic brakes) noun

fluid-driven brake:
a brake in which force applied to a pedal is transmitted to the brake pads by
an enclosed liquid, usually a glycol mixture[1]



hydrauliccoupling

hydrauliccoupling
hy·drau·lic
cou·pling
(plural hy·drau·lic cou·plings) noun

piston arrangement with
liquid: an arrangement in which two
pistons of different sizes are connected by an enclosed fluid that can transmit
pressure from one piston to the other[1]



hydraulicpress

hydraulicpress
hy·drau·lic
press
(plural hy·drau·lic press·es) noun

machine part:
a device in which a relatively small force applied to a piston results in
movement of a larger piston to which it is hydraulically coupled by an enclosed
liquid. A hydraulic press is often the key part of machinery that forces
materials to flow plastically into a preformed shape.[1]



hydraulicram

hydraulicram
hy·drau·lic
ram
(plural hy·drau·lic rams) noun

1.  hydraulic-press
piston:
the larger working piston of a hydraulic press

2.  reservoir
water-level controlling device: a device that uses the
kinetic energy of a flow of water to raise water to a reservoir that is higher
than the water source itself

[1]



hydraulics

hydraulics
hy·drau·lics 
[hī drólliks] noun

study of fluids:
the study of water or other fluids at rest or in motion, especially with
respect to engineering applications (takes a singular verb)[1]



hydrazide

hydrazide
hy·dra·zide 
[hdrə zd] (plural hy·dra·zides)
noun

hydrazine
derivative:
a compound formed when one of the hydrogen atoms in hydrazine is replaced by a
radical containing the CO moiety
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hydr- + azo-
+ -ide .][1]



hydrazine

hydrazine
hy·dra·zine 
[hdrə zn] noun

highly
reactive chemical: a highly reactive colorless
liquid or white crystalline solid made from sodium hypochlorite and ammonia,
used in rocket fuel. H2N.NH2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from hydr- + azo-
+ -ine .][1]



hydrazoicacid

hydrazoicacid
hy·dra·zo·ic
ac·id
[hīdrə z ik ássid] noun

explosive
liquid:
a colorless liquid that is highly toxic and explosive in the presence of
oxygen. HN3
[Hydrazoic coined from hydr- + azo- +
-ic][1]



hydric

hydric
hy·dric 
[hdrik] adjective

1.  with
much water:
containing or using considerable amounts of water

2.  ECOLOGY very
wet:
used to describe or relating to an environment that is extremely wet

[1]



hydride

hydride
hy·dride 
[h drd] (plural hy·drides) noun

compound containing hydrogen
ions: a chemical compound formed
between hydrogen and a more electropositive atom, for example, sodium hydride,
or via a covalent bond, for example, boron hydride. Hydrides can also be formed
with transition metals such as platinum and palladium.[1]



hydrilla

hydrilla
hy·dril·la 
[hī dríllə] (plural hy·dril·las
or hy·dril·la) noun

aquatic
plant:
a plant that grows underwater in large masses and oxygenates the water.
Introduced into the southern United States, it has proliferated to such an
extent that in some places it chokes fish and blocks water traffic. Genus: Hydrilla
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “little hydra,” from Latin hydra
(see hydra ).][1]



hydriodicacid

hydriodicacid
hy·dri·od·ic
ac·id 
[hīdree òddik ássid] noun

strong
acid:
a colorless or pale yellow strong acid formed when hydrogen iodide gas
dissolves in water
[Hydriodic coined from hydr- + iodine
+ -ic][1]



hydro

hydro
hy·dro 
[hdrō] (plural hy·dros) noun

1.  hydroelectric
power plant: a power plant that generates electricity
using water pressure

2.  hydroelectric
power:
power generated using water pressure

3.  Canada
electric
power:
electricity from an electric utility • the
hydro bill
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of hydroelectric .][1]



hydro-

hydro-
hydro-
prefix

1.  water,
liquid, moisture • hydrobiology

2.  hydrogen
• hydrocarbon
[From Greek hudr-, the
stem of hudōr “water.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for
“water,” which is also the ancestor of English water,
undulate, otter,
and vodka .][1]



hydroacoustics

hydroacoustics
hy·dro·a·cous·tics
[hdrō ə kstiks] noun

study of sound in water:
the branch of acoustics that studies how sound travels in water (takes a
singular verb)[1]



hydrobiology

hydrobiology
hy·dro·bi·ol·o·gy 
[hdrō bī ólləjee] noun

study
of aquatic plants and animals: the branch of biology
that studies aquatic animals and plants
—hy·dro·bi·o·log·i·cal
[hdrō b ə lójjik’l], adjective

—hy·dro·bi·ol·o·gist [hdrō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



hydrobromicacid

hydrobromicacid
hy·dro·bro·mic
ac·id 
[hīdrə brmik ássid] noun

acid used in making bromides:
a colorless or pale yellow strong acid formed when hydrogen bromide gas is
dissolved in water[1]



hydrocarbon

hydrocarbon
hy·dro·car·bon 
[hdrə krbən] (plural hy·dro·car·bons)
noun

chemical
containing hydrogen and carbon: an organic chemical
compound containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms, arranged in rows, rings, or
both, and connected by single, double, or triple bonds. Hydrocarbons constitute
a very large group including alkanes, alkenes, and alykynes.
—hy·dro·car·bo·na·ceous
[hdrə kaarbə náyshəss], adjective

—hy·dro·car·bon·ic
[hdrō kaar bónnik], adjective

—hy·dro·car·bon·ous [hdrə krbənəss], adjective[1]



hydrocele

hydrocele
hy·dro·cele 
[hdrə sl] (plural hy·dro·celes)
noun

watery liquid in body cavity:
an abnormal accumulation of watery liquid in a body cavity, especially in the
sac around the testes. It is a painless condition that can be treated
surgically by drainage of the fluid.[1]



hydrocellulose

hydrocellulose
hy·dro·cel·lu·lose
[hdrə séllyə lss] noun

gelatinous substance:
a gelatinous substance formed when cellulose is mixed with water, acids, or
alkalis, for example, in the manufacture of paper or rayon[1]



hydrocephalus

hydrocephalus
hy·dro·ceph·a·lus 
[hdrō séffələss] or hy·dro·ceph·a·ly
[hdrō séffəlee] noun

increased
fluid around the brain: an abnormal increase of
cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, resulting in infants in an enlargement of
the head because the bones of the skull are still unfused. The fluid is blocked
by a congenital condition or a disease, and can be drained into the abdominal
cavity.
Also
called
water on the brain
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek hudōr “water” + kephalē
“head.”]
—hy·dro·ce·phal·ic
[hdrō sə fállik], adjective

—hy·dro·ceph·a·loid
[hdrō séffə lòyd], adjective

—hy·dro·ceph·a·lous [hdrō séffələss], adjective[1]



hydrochloricacid

hydrochloricacid
hy·dro·chlo·ric
ac·id 
[hdrə kláwrik ássid] noun

strong acid:
a strong colorless acid formed when hydrogen chloride gas dissociates in water,
used in industrial and laboratory processes. Hydrochloric acid is also produced
in the stomach, where it initiates the digestion of proteins.
Also called
muriatic acid[1]



hydrochloride

hydrochloride
hy·dro·chlo·ride 
[hdrə kláw rd] (plural hy·dro·chlo·rides)
noun

salt formed from hydrochloric
acid: a salt formed when
hydrochloric acid reacts with an organic base, for example, aniline[1]



hydrochlorothiazide

hydrochlorothiazide
hy·dro·chlo·ro·thi·a·zide 
[hdrə klàwrə th ə zd] noun

drug for treating fluid
retention: a drug used in the treatment
of fluid retention and high blood pressure[1]



hydrocolloid

hydrocolloid
hy·dro·col·loid 
[hdrə kó lòyd] (plural hy·dro·col·loids)
noun

gelling
substance:
a substance that forms a gel when mixed with water
—hy·dro·col·loid·al [hdrəkə lóyd’l], adjective[1]



hydrocoral

hydrocoral
hy·dro·cor·al 
[hdrə káwrəl] (plural hy·dro·cor·als)
noun

marine organism:
a marine multicellular organism that lives in colonies and builds calcareous
skeletons within which the animals live. Order: Milleporina Stylasterina[1]



hydrocortisone

hydrocortisone
hy·dro·cor·ti·sone 
[hdrə káwrti sn, hdrə
káwrti zn] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY hormone
associated with inflammation: a steroid hormone secreted
by the adrenal glands in response to tissue damage causing inflammation. It is
important in the stress reaction and in regulating blood sugar and fat
deposition.
Also
called
cortisol

2.  PHARMACOLOGY hydrocortisone
drug:
a synthetic form of hydrocortisone used as a drug to treat inflammatory and
allergic conditions and adrenal failure

[1]



hydrocracking

hydrocracking
hy·dro·crack·ing 
[hdrō kràking] noun

conversion of hydrocarbons:
an industrial process in which the action of hydrogen under high pressure
fragments long-chain hydrocarbons to produce more volatile compounds, for
example, gasoline and kerosene[1]



hydrocyanicacid

hydrocyanicacid
hy·dro·cy·an·ic
ac·id 
[hdrō sī ànnik ássid] noun

weak acid smelling of
almonds: a colorless weak acid that
smells of almonds, formed when hydrogen cyanide is dissolved in water.
Also called
prussic acid[1]



hydrodynamic

hydrodynamic
hy·dro·dy·nam·ic 
[hdrō dī námmik] or hy·dro·dy·nam·i·cal
[hdrō dī námmik’l] adjective

1.  of
liquids’ mechanical properties: relating to the
mechanical properties of liquids

2.  moved
by liquid:
operated by a moving liquid
—hy·dro·dy·nam·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hydrodynamics

hydrodynamics
hy·dro·dy·nam·ics 
[hdrō dī námmiks] noun

study
of liquids in fluid dynamics: the area of fluid dynamics
that is concerned with the study of liquids (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
hydromechanics
—hy·dro·dy·nam·i·cist
[hdrō dī námmissist], noun[1]



hydroelectric

hydroelectric
hy·dro·e·lec·tric 
[hdrō i léktrik] adjective

1.  generated
by water power: generated by converting the pressure of
falling or running water to electricity by means of a turbine coupled to a
generator

2.  of
hydroelectric power generation: relating to the
generation of electricity by means of water pressure
—hy·dro·e·lec·tri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hydrofluoricacid

hydrofluoricacid
hy·dro·fluor·ic
ac·id 
[hdrō fláwrrik ássid, hīdrō flàwrik ássid] noun

poisonous corrosive acid:
an extremely poisonous corrosive colorless liquid formed by solution of
hydrogen fluoride in water. It is used to etch glass, treat metal surfaces, and
clean masonry.[1]



hydrofoil

hydrofoil

hy·dro·foil 
[hdrə fòyl] (plural hy·dro·foils)
noun

1.  high-speed
boat:
a boat with wing-shaped blades attached to struts under the hull that lift the
boat out of the water as speed increases.
Also
called
hydroplane

2.        wing-shaped
blade on hydrofoil: a
wing-shaped blade that lifts a hydrofoil out of the water[1]



hydroforming

hydroforming
hy·dro·form·ing 
[hdrə fàwrming] noun

1.  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING conversion
of hydrocarbons: a high-temperature process in which
hydrogen, with other catalysts, causes certain hydrocarbons to break down, lose
hydrogen, and rearrange themselves into aromatic or cyclic forms. It is used in
the petroleum industry to impart better antiknock properties to gasoline.

2.  METALLURGY metal
shaping process: a process in which sheet metal is shaped
by a punch forced against a flexible shaped block resting on a fluid-filled bag

[1]



hydrogel

hydrogel
hy·dro·gel
[hdrə jèl] (plural hy·dro·gels)
noun

substance like jelly:
a thick fluid like a jelly, formed by the addition of a substance to water[1]



hydrogen

hydrogen

hy·dro·gen 
[hdrəjən] noun
reactive
gaseous element: a highly reactive colorless gas, the
lightest chemical element and the most abundant in the universe, occurring
mainly in water and in most organic compounds. Hydrogen is widely used in many
industrial processes, especially in the production of ammonia and in the
reduction of metal ores to metals. Symbol H
[Late
18th century. From French hydrogène, from Greek hudōr “water” +
French -gène (see -gen ).]
—hy·drog·e·nous [hī drójjənəss], adjective[1]



hydrogenase

hydrogenase
hy·drog·e·nase 
[hī drójjə nàyss, hī
drójjə nàyz] noun

catalyzing enzyme:
an enzyme that catalyzes reduction reactions by hydrogen[1]



hydrogenate

hydrogenate
hy·dro·gen·ate 
[hī drójjə nàyt] (past hy·dro·gen·at·ed,
past participle hy·dro·gen·at·ed, present participle hy·dro·gen·at·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·dro·gen·ates) transitive verb

add
hydrogen:
to add hydrogen to a compound in a chemical reaction
—hy·dro·gen·a·tion
[h dròjjə náysh’n], noun

—hy·dro·gen·a·tor [hī drójjə nàytər], noun[1]



hydrogenbomb

hydrogenbomb
hy·dro·gen
bomb
(plural hy·dro·gen bombs) noun

extremely potent nuclear
weapon: an explosive weapon of mass
destruction in which huge amounts of energy are released by the fusion of
hydrogen nuclei.
Also called
H-bomb[1]



hydrogenbond

hydrogenbond
hy·dro·gen
bond
(plural hy·dro·gen bonds) noun

chemical bond in hydrogen:
an electrostatic interaction between molecules of compounds in which hydrogen
atoms are bound to electronegative atoms, for example, oxygen and nitrogen. The
attraction between water molecules due to hydrogen bonds accounts for the
relatively high boiling point of water.[1]



hydrogenbromide

hydrogenbromide
hy·dro·gen
bro·mide
noun

colorless gas:
a colorless gas usually made by combination of hydrogen and bromine in the
presence of a catalyst such as platinum. It forms hydrobromic acid in water
solution. HBr[1]



hydrogencarbonate

hydrogencarbonate
hy·dro·gen
car·bon·ate
(plural hy·dro·gen car·bon·ates) noun

carbonic acid salt:
a salt of carbonic acid in which one hydrogen atom has been replaced, usually
by a metal.
Also called
bicarbonate[1]



hydrogenchloride

hydrogenchloride
hy·dro·gen
chlo·ride
noun

corrosive gas:
a colorless fuming corrosive gas made by heating sodium chloride with sulfuric
acid or by a combination of hydrogen and chlorine at high temperatures.
Hydrogen chloride, which forms hydrochloric acid in water, is used in the
manufacture of PVC. HCl[1]



hydrogencyanide

hydrogencyanide
hy·dro·gen
cy·a·nide
noun

very poisonous gas:
an extremely poisonous colorless liquid or gas with a characteristic smell of
almonds that is formed by the reaction between an acid and a metal cyanide. HCN[1]



hydrogenembrittlement

hydrogenembrittlement
hy·dro·gen
em·brit·tle·ment noun

metal weakening process:
a process in which a metal is weakened by incorporation of hydrogen in or below
its surface, for example, during plating or etching[1]



hydrogenfluoride

hydrogenfluoride
hy·dro·gen
fluor·ide
noun

corrosive liquid:
a colorless corrosive liquid formed by the action of sulfuric acid on a metal
fluoride. Hydrofluoric acid is formed when it dissolves in water. HF[1]



hydrogeniodide

hydrogeniodide
hy·dro·gen
i·o·dide
noun

colorless gas:
a colorless gas formed by direct reaction of hydrogen and iodine in the
presence of a catalyst, usually platinum. HI[1]



hydrogenion

hydrogenion
hy·dro·gen
i·on
(plural hy·dro·gen i·ons) noun

positively charged ion of
hydrogen: a positively charged ion of
hydrogen that is formed by the removal of an electron from a hydrogen atom and
is present in solutions of acids in water. The degree to which a compound
produces hydrogen ions in solution is measured on the pH scale, 1 being highly
acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being highly alkaline.[1]



hydrogenize

hydrogenize
hy·dro·ge·nize
[hī drójjə nz, hdrəjə
nz] (past hy·dro·ge·nized, past participle hy·dro·ge·nized,
present participle hy·dro·ge·niz·ing, 3rd person present
singular hy·dro·ge·niz·es) transitive verb

See
hydrogenate
—hy·dro·ge·ni·za·tion
[hī dròjjəni záysh’n, hdrəjəni záysh’n], noun[1]



hydrogenolysis

hydrogenolysis
hy·dro·gen·ol·y·sis 
[hdrəjə nóllississ] noun

destruction of a chemical
bond: the breaking of a bond in a
molecule of an organic compound by the action of hydrogen, accompanied by the
addition of a hydrogen atom to each of the fragments[1]



hydrogenous

hydrogenous
hy·drog·e·nous 
[hī drójjənəss] adjective

with hydrogen:
containing hydrogen[1]



hydrogenperoxide

hydrogenperoxide
hy·dro·gen
per·ox·ide
noun

liquid used as a bleach:
a colorless viscous unstable liquid that readily decomposes in water and
oxygen. A strong oxidizing agent, it is used as a bleach, as a mild antiseptic,
and as a component in rocket fuel. H2O2[1]



hydrogensulfate

hydrogensulfate
hy·dro·gen
sul·fate
noun

salt formed from sulfuric
acid: a salt containing the ion
HSO 4 O –, formed
when one hydrogen atom is removed from sulfuric acid by reaction with a metal,
metal salt, or organic group.
Also called
bisulfate[1]



hydrogensulfide

hydrogensulfide
hy·dro·gen
sul·fide
noun

poisonous gas smelling like
rotten eggs: a colorless flammable
poisonous gas with a characteristic smell of rotten eggs that is formed by the
action of a mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid on a metal sulfide. North
Sea gas contains hydrogen sulfide, and so do volcanic emissions. H2S[1]



hydrogensulfite

hydrogensulfite
hy·dro·gen
sul·fite
noun

chemical salt:
a salt containing the ion HSO 3 – .
Also called
bisulfite[1]



hydrogentartrate

hydrogentartrate
hy·dro·gen
tar·trate
noun

salt or ester of tartaric
acid: a salt or ester of tartaric
acid, for example, potassium hydrogen tartrate, that forms deposits in wine
vats[1]



hydrogeology

hydrogeology
hy·dro·ge·ol·ogy 
[hdrō jee ólləjee] noun

study
of water movement through rock: a branch of geology
that studies the movement of subsurface water through rocks, either as
underground streams or percolating through porous rocks. Hydrogeology also
considers the effect of moving water on rocks, including their erosion.
—hy·dro·ge·o·log·ic
[hdrō jee ə lójjik], adjective

—hy·dro·ge·o·log·i·cal,
adjective

—hy·dro·ge·ol·o·gist [hdrō jee ólləjist], noun[1]



hydrograph

hydrograph
hy·dro·graph
[hdrə gràf] (plural hy·dro·graphs)
noun

graph of river water flow:
a graph showing the change over time in the amount of water flowing down a
river[1]



hydrography

hydrography
hy·drog·ra·phy 
[hī dróggrəfee] noun

study
of seas, lakes, and rivers: the scientific study of
seas, lakes, and rivers, especially the charting of tides and changes in
coastal bathymetry or the measurement and recording of river flow
—hy·drog·ra·pher
[hī dróggrəfər], noun

—hy·dro·graph·ic
[hdrə gráffik], adjective

—hy·dro·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hydroid

hydroid
hy·droid 
[h dròyd] (plural hy·droids) noun

1.  marine
invertebrate animal: a marine invertebrate animal
with an internal body cavity that lives in colonies, forming growths like
tufts. Order: Hydroida

2.  polyp:
an asexual polyp that is part of the life cycle of hydrozoans
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from hydra .][1]



hydrokinetic

hydrokinetic
hy·dro·ki·net·ic 
[hdrōki néttik, hdrō
kī néttik] or hy·dro·ki·net·i·cal [hdrōki néttik’l] adjective

1.  of
hydrokinetics: relating to or involving hydrokinetics

2.  of
fluid in motion: relating to, involving, or typical of
fluids in motion

[1]



hydrokinetics

hydrokinetics
hy·dro·ki·net·ics 
[hdrōki néttiks, hdrō
kī néttiks] noun

study of moving fluids:
the branch of physics concerned with the scientific study of the properties and
behavior of fluids in motion (takes a singular verb)[1]



hydrolase

hydrolase
hy·dro·lase
[hdrə làyss, hdrə
làyz] (plural hy·dro·lases) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that controls hydrolysis, for example, an esterase
[Early 20th century. Formed
from hydrolysis .][1]



hydrologiccycle

hydrologiccycle
hy·dro·log·ic
cy·cle
[hdrə lójjik sk’l] or hy·dro·log·i·cal
cy·cle [hdrə lòjjik’l sk’l] noun

water cycle:
the water cycle (technical)[1]



hydrology

hydrology
hy·drol·o·gy 
[hī drólləjee] noun

study
of earth’s water: the scientific study of the properties,
distribution, use, and circulation of the water of the earth and the atmosphere
in all of its forms
—hy·drol·o·gist, noun[1]



hydrolysate

hydrolysate
hy·drol·y·sate 
[hī dróllə sàyt] (plural hy·drol·y·sates)
noun

product of hydrolysis:
a substance produced by hydrolysis[1]



hydrolyse

hydrolyse
hy·drol·yse
intransitive and transitive verb

U.K. =
hydrolyze[1]



hydrolysis

hydrolysis
hy·drol·y·sis 
[hī drólləssiss] noun

reaction
with water:
a chemical reaction in which a compound reacts with water, causing
decomposition and the production of two or more other compounds, for example,
the conversion of starch to glucose
—hy·dro·lyt·ic
[hdrə líttik], adjective

—hy·dro·lyt·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hydrolyze

hydrolyze
hy·dro·lyze 
[hdrə lz] (past hy·dro·lyzed,
past participle hy·dro·lyzed, present participle hy·dro·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·dro·lyz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

undergo
hydrolysis:
to undergo hydrolysis, or make a substance undergo hydrolysis
[Late
19th century. Formed from hydrolysis on the
model of analysis, analyze
.]
—hy·dro·lyz·a·ble,
adjective

—hy·dro·ly·za·tion [hdrəli záysh’n], noun[1]



hydromagnetics

hydromagnetics
hy·dro·mag·net·ics 
[hdrō mag néttiks] noun

(takes
a singular verb)See magnetohydrodynamics
—hy·dro·mag·net·ic, adjective[1]



hydromancy

hydromancy
hy·dro·man·cy 
[hdrə mànsee] noun

divination
by water:
the attempt to find out about future events or unknown knowledge by studying
the appearance or movement of water
—hy·dro·manc·er,
noun

—hy·dro·man·tic [hdrə mántik], adjective[1]



hydromechanics

hydromechanics
hy·dro·me·chan·ics 
[hdrō mə kánniks] noun

(takes
a singular verb)See hydrodynamics
—hy·dro·me·chan·i·cal,
adjective[1]



hydromedusa

hydromedusa
hy·dro·me·du·sa 
[hdrōm dssə, hdrōmi
dyóo ssə] (plural hy·dro·me·du·sae [hdrōmə dzee, hdrōmə
dssee]) noun

reproductive stage of
hydroid: a free-swimming marine
invertebrate animal, resembling a tiny jellyfish, that is the reproductive
stage of a hydroid[1]



hydromel

hydromel
hy·dro·mel 
[hdrə mèl] noun

honey
in water:
a drink made of honey mixed in water. If allowed to ferment, it turns into
mead. (archaic)
[15th century. Via Latin hydromeli
from Greek hudromeli, literally “water honey,” from meli
“honey.”][1]



hydrometallurgy

hydrometallurgy
hy·dro·met·al·lur·gy 
[hdrō métt’l ùrjee] noun

extracting
metals from solution: the extraction of metals
from ores by treating them with aqueous chemical solutions, including
extraction by electrolysis and ion exchange
—hy·dro·met·al·lur·gi·cal
[hdrō mètt’l úrjik’l], adjective[1]



hydrometeor

hydrometeor
hy·dro·me·te·or 
[hdrō mtee ər] (plural hy·dro·me·te·ors)
noun

water
in atmosphere: a weather condition caused by
condensation of water in the atmosphere, for example, rain, snow, or fog
—hy·dro·me·te·or·o·log·i·cal
[hdrō meetee ərə lójjik’l], adjective

—hy·dro·me·te·or·ol·o·gist
[hdrō meetee ə rólləjist], noun

—hy·dro·me·te·or·ol·o·gy
[hdrə meetee ə rólləjee], noun[1]



hydrometer

hydrometer
hy·drom·e·ter 
[hī drómmətər] (plural hy·drom·e·ters)
noun

density-determining
instrument:
a device used to determine the specific gravity, or density, of a liquid, for
example, battery acid. It consists typically of a sealed graduated tube
containing a weighted bulb.
—hy·dro·met·ric
[hdrə méttrik], adjective

—hy·dro·met·ri·cal·ly
[hdrə méttrikəlee], adverb

—hy·drom·e·try [hī drómmətree], noun[1]



hydromorphic

hydromorphic
hy·dro·mor·phic
[hdrə máwrfik] adjective

relating to soil in wet
environment: relating to or typical
of a soil that has built up in the presence of excess water[1]



hydroniumion

hydroniumion
hy·dro·ni·um
i·on
(plural hy·dro·ni·um i·ons) noun

positive
ion:
the positive ion that is formed by the addition of a proton to a water
molecule, usually in solutions of acids. H3O+
[Early 20th century.
Hydronium coined from hydro- + oxonium,
from oxy- on the model of ammonium .][1]



hydropathy

hydropathy
hy·drop·a·thy 
[hī dróppəthee] noun

water
therapy:
the treatment of injuries or disease by applying water both internally and
externally
—hy·dro·path
[hdrə pàth], noun

—hy·dro·path·ic
[hdrə páthik], adjective

—hy·dro·path·i·cal
[hdrə páthik’l], adjective

—hy·dro·path·i·cal·ly
[hdrə páthikəlee], adverb[1]



hydroperoxide

hydroperoxide
hy·dro·per·ox·ide
[hdrōpə rók sd] noun

compound from oxidation of
organic substances: an
intermediate compound formed during the oxidation of unsaturated organic
substances and containing the group -OOH[1]



hydrophane

hydrophane
hy·dro·phane 
[hdrə fàyn] noun

form
of opal:
a translucent form of opal that has a pearly luster and becomes transparent in
water
—hy·droph·a·nous [hī dróffənəss], adjective[1]



hydrophilic

hydrophilic
hy·dro·phil·ic 
[hdrə fíllik] adjective

having
affinity for water: dissolving in, absorbing, or
mixing easily with water
—hy·dro·phile
[hdrə fl], noun

—hy·dro·phi·lic·i·ty [hdrə fi líssətee], noun[1]



hydrophobia

hydrophobia
hy·dro·pho·bi·a 
[hdrə fṓbee ə] noun

1.  See
rabies

2.  fear
of fluids:
an extremely intense aversion to water, especially the fear of drinking water
or other liquids

[1]



hydrophobic

hydrophobic
hy·dro·pho·bic 
[hdrə fṓbik] adjective

1.  afraid
of water:
relating to or affected by an extreme fear of water

2.  CHEMISTRY not
compatible with water: not dissolving in,
absorbing, or mixing easily with water
—hy·dro·phobe
[hdrəfō bíssətee], noun

—hy·dro·pho·bic·i·ty [hdrə f bíssətee], noun[1]



hydrophone

hydrophone
hy·dro·phone 
[hdrə fn] (plural hy·dro·phones)
noun

underwater receiver:
an electronic receiver that can pick up sound traveling through water by
converting acoustic energy into electromagnetic waves. It is used, for example,
to track submarines.[1]



hydrophyte

hydrophyte
hy·dro·phyte 
[hdrə ft] (plural hy·dro·phytes)
noun

plant
growing in water: a plant that will only grow in water or
in a very damp environment.
Also
called
hygrophyte
—hy·dro·phyt·ic [hdrə fíttik], adjective[1]



hydroplane

hydroplane
hy·dro·plane 
[hdrə plàyn] noun (plural hy·dro·planes)

1.  fast
boat:
a motorboat designed so that it rises up out of the water at high speed and
skims along the surface

2.  See
hydrofoil  noun 1

3.  diving
plane on submarine: a horizontal diving plane on
a submarine, used to control its vertical movement

4.  See
seaplane
intransitive
verb
(past hy·dro·planed, past participle hy·dro·planed,
present participle hy·dro·plan·ing, 3rd person present
singular hy·dro·planes)

1.  skim
the surface: to skim along on the surface of the
water, especially in a hydroplane

2.  skid
on wet road: to skid on a wet road because a film of
surface water prevents a vehicle’s tires from making firm contact with the road
surface.
U.K.
term
aquaplane

[1]



hydroponics

hydroponics
hy·dro·pon·ics 
[hdrə pónniks] noun

growing
plants in liquid nutrient: the growing of plants in a
nutrient liquid with or without gravel or another supporting medium (takes a
singular verb)
Also
called
aquaculture
Also
called
tank farming
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from hydro- + Greek ponos
“work” + -ics .]
—hy·dro·pon·ic,
adjective

—hy·dro·pon·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—hy·dro·pon·i·cist,
noun

—hy·dro·pon·ist [hī dróppənist], noun[1]



hydropower

hydropower
hy·dro·pow·er 
[hdrə pòwr] noun

hydroelectric power:
electric power generated using water power[1]



hydroquinone

hydroquinone
hy·dro·qui·none 
[hdrəkwi nṓn, hdrə
kwí nn] or hy·dro·quin·ol [hdrō
kwín àwl] noun

photographic developer:
a white crystalline compound used as a photographic developer, in paints, in
motor oils, and in some medicines. C6H4(OH)2[1]



hydroscope

hydroscope
hy·dro·scope 
[hdrə skp] (plural hy·dro·scopes)
noun

underwater
optical instrument: an optical instrument for
observing objects that are deep beneath the surface of a body of water. It is
constructed from a series of mirrors encased in a tube.
—hy·dro·scop·ic
[hdrə skóppik], adjective

—hy·dro·scop·i·cal
[hdrə skóppik’l], adjective

—hy·dro·scop·i·cal·ly
[hdrə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



hydroski

hydroski
hy·dro·ski 
[hdrō sk] (plural hy·dro·skis)
noun

seaplane hydrofoil:
a hydrofoil on a seaplane, usually ski-shaped and retractable, used to give
extra lift on takeoff[1]



hydrosol

hydrosol
hy·dro·sol 
[hdrə sàwl] (plural hy·dro·sols)
noun

colloidal
solution:
a colloidal solution in which the particles are suspended in water
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hydro- + solution .]
—hy·dro·sol·ic [hdrə sóllik], adjective[1]



hydrospace

hydrospace
hy·dro·space 
[hdrə spàyss] noun

area beneath water’s surface:
the area beneath the surface of the seas[1]



hydrosphere

hydrosphere
hy·dro·sphere 
[hdrə sfr] noun

all
water on earth: the portion of the earth’s surface that
is water, including the seas and water in the atmosphere
—hy·dro·spher·ic [hdrə sfrik, hdrə
sférrik], adjective[1]



hydrostat

hydrostat
hy·dro·stat
[hdrə stàt] (plural hy·dro·stats)
noun

regulating instrument:
a device designed to regulate the height of fluid in a column or container[1]



hydrostatic

hydrostatic
hy·dro·stat·ic 
[hdrə státtik] or hy·dro·stat·i·cal
[hdrə státtik’l] adjective

1.  of
fluids at rest: relating to, involving, or typical of
fluids that are at rest and the forces and pressures they exert

2.  of
hydrostatics: relating to, involving, or typical of
hydrostatics
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from modern Latin hydrostaticus or
formed from its source Greek hudrostatēs “hydrostatic balance,” from statikos
“causing to stand.”]
—hy·dro·stat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hydrostatics

hydrostatics
hy·dro·stat·ics 
[hdrə státtiks] noun

study of liquids at rest:
the scientific study of the equilibrium of liquids at rest and the forces and
pressures exerted by them (takes a singular verb)[1]



hydrotaxis

hydrotaxis
hy·dro·tax·is 
[hdrə táksiss] noun

response
to water:
the response of an organism or cell to the presence of water or moisture,
usually detected as movement
—hy·dro·tac·tic [hdrə táktik], adjective[1]



hydrotherapeutics

hydrotherapeutics
hy·dro·ther·a·peu·tics 
[hdrə therrə pytiks] noun

study
of hydrotherapy: the scientific study and theory of the
external use of water for healing (takes a singular verb)
—hy·dro·ther·a·peu·tic,
adjective[1]



hydrotherapy

hydrotherapy
hy·dro·ther·a·py 
[hdrə thérrəpee] noun

use
of water for healing: the treatment of disease by
the external use of water, for example, by exercising weakened limbs in a pool
—hy·dro·ther·a·pist, noun[1]



hydrothermal

hydrothermal
hy·dro·ther·mal 
[hdrə thúrm’l] adjective

of
hot water:
relating to or produced by extremely hot water, as are, for example, rock
formations
—hy·dro·ther·mal·ly, adverb[1]



hydrothorax

hydrothorax
hy·dro·tho·rax 
[hdrə tháw ràks] noun

fluid
in pleural cavity: an abnormal build-up of
fluid in a pleural cavity, for example, as a result of failing circulation
caused by heart disease
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, from Latin thorax “chest.”]
—hy·dro·tho·rac·ic [hdrə thaw rássik], adjective[1]



hydrotropism

hydrotropism
hy·drot·ro·pism 
[hī dróttrə pìzzəm] noun

movement
influenced by water: movement in a plant, for
example, by roots, toward or away from a source of water
—hy·dro·tro·pic
[hdrə tróppik], adjective

—hy·dro·tro·pi·cal·ly
[hdrə tróppikəlee], adverb[1]



hydrous

hydrous
hy·drous 
[hdrəss] adjective

1.  containing
water:
containing water or moisture

2.  mixed
with water:
containing or combined chemically with water molecules

[1]



hydroxide

hydroxide
hy·drox·ide 
[hī drók sd] (plural hy·drox·ides)
noun

chemical compound:
a compound containing the hydroxyl group -OH, specifically an acid or base
containing the hydroxyl ion. OH-[1]



hydroxideion

hydroxideion
hy·drox·ide
i·on
(plural hy·drox·ide i·ons) noun

See
hydroxyl[1]



hydroxy

hydroxy
hy·drox·y 
[hī dróksee] adjective

having hydroxyl groups:
containing one or more hydroxyl groups[1]



hydroxyapatite

hydroxyapatite
hy·drox·y·a·pa·tite 
[hī dròksee áppə tt] noun

calcium phosphate:
naturally occurring hydrated calcium phosphate, the mineral constituent of bone
and enamel. Ca5(PO4)3OH[1]



hydroxyl

hydroxyl
hy·drox·yl 
[hī dróksil] noun

negative
ion:
the negative ion formed by the attachment of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen
atom. OH- 
Also
called
hydroxyl ion
Also
called
hydroxide ion
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hydro- + oxy- + -yl .]
—hy·drox·yl·ic [h drok síllik], adjective[1]



hydroxylamine

hydroxylamine
hy·drox·yl·a·mine 
[hī dròksələ mn, h
drok síllə mn, h dròksə lá mn] noun

colorless crystalline
chemical: a colorless crystalline
compound that decomposes at room temperature and explodes on heating, used as a
reducing agent and in the synthesis of organic molecules. NH2OH[1]



hydroxylate

hydroxylate
hy·drox·yl·ate 
[hī dróksə làyt] (past hy·drox·yl·at·ed,
past participle hy·drox·yl·at·ed, present participle hy·drox·yl·at·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·drox·yl·ates) transitive verb

introduce
hydroxyl:
to introduce hydroxyl into a compound
—hy·drox·y·la·tion [hī dròksə láysh’n], noun[1]



hydroxylion

hydroxylion
hy·drox·yl
i·on
(plural hy·drox·yl i·ons) noun

See
hydroxyl[1]



hydroxyproline

hydroxyproline
hy·drox·y·pro·line
[hī dròksi prṓ ln] noun

amino acid in collagen:
an amino acid derived from proline residues within protein molecules, occurring
in gelatin and collagen[1]



hydrozoan

hydrozoan
hy·dro·zo·an 
[hdrə zṓ ən] (plural hy·dro·zo·ans)
noun

marine
invertebrate animal: a marine or freshwater
invertebrate animal such as a polyp or jellyfish. Class: Hydrozoa
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Hydrozoa, class name, literally “water animals,” from
Greek zōia, the plural of zōion “animal” (source of English zoology ).][1]



Hydrus

Hydrus
Hy·drus 
[hdrəss] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a constellation in the
southern hemisphere near the south celestial pole[1]



hyena

hyena


hy·e·na 
[hī nə] (plural hy·e·nas) or
hy·ae·na [hī nə] (plural hy·ae·nas)
noun
wild
mammal resembling dog: a carnivorous scavenging
mammal resembling a dog, with a sloping back and loping gait, found in Africa
and southern Asia. Family: Hyaenidae
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French hyene from Latin hyaena, from
Greek huaina, the feminine of hus “pig.”]
—hy·en·ic, adjective[1]



hyetal

hyetal
hy·e·tal 
[h ət’l] adjective

relating
to rain:
relating to rain, or having high rainfall
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek huetos “rain.”][1]



hyeto-

hyeto-
hyeto-
prefix

rain
• hyetograph
[From Greek huetos,
from huein “to rain”][1]



hyetograph

hyetograph
hy·e·to·graph 
[h éttə gràf] (plural hy·e·to·graphs)
noun

1.  rain
chart:
a chart or graph showing the pattern of rainfall in an area

2.  device
that measures rainfall: an instrument that
automatically collects rain and measures its amount
—hy·e·to·graph·i·cal·ly
[h èttə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



hyetography

hyetography
hy·e·tog·ra·phy
[h ə tóggrəfee] noun

study of rainfall patterns:
the scientific study of rainfall, including its distribution and variation over
a specific area[1]



Hygeia

Hygeia
Hy·ge·ia 
[hī j ə] noun

Greek goddess of health:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of health. The daughter of Asclepius, she is
often represented as a maiden feeding a snake.[1]



Hygiea

Hygiea
Hy·gi·ea
[hì j ə] noun

fourth-largest asteroid:
the fourth-largest asteroid, discovered in 1849. It has a diameter of
approximately 420 km (260 mi ).[1]



hygiene

hygiene
hy·giene 
[h jn] noun

1.  preservation
of health:
the science dealing with the preservation of health.
Also
called
hygienics

2.  cleanliness:
the practice or principles of cleanliness
[Late 17th century. Directly
or via French hygiène from modern Latin (ars) hygieina, literally
“healthful art,” a partial translation of Greek hugieinē tekhnē ; the
first word came ultimately from hugiēs “healthy.”][1]



hygienic

hygienic
hy·gi·en·ic 
[hī jénnik, hī
jnik] adjective

1.  of
cleanliness: relating to the scientific study or
principles of cleanliness

2.  promoting
health:
promoting health or cleanliness

3.  germ-free:
clean or free from disease-causing microorganisms
—hy·gi·en·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hygienics

hygienics
hy·gi·en·ics 
[hī jénniks, hī
jniks] noun

(takes a singular verb)See
hygiene  noun 1[1]



hygienist

hygienist
hy·gien·ist 
[hī jnist, hī
jénnist] (plural hy·gien·ists) noun

somebody trained in hygiene:
somebody who has studied and become a specialist in the maintenance of hygiene[1]



hygro-

hygro-
hygro-
prefix

moisture,
humidity • hygrometer
[From Greek hugros
“moist.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English humid .][1]



hygrograph

hygrograph
hy·gro·graph 
[hgrə gràf] (plural hy·gro·graphs)
noun

automatic hygrometer:
an automatic hygrometer that records the humidity of the air[1]



hygrometer

hygrometer
hy·grom·e·ter 
[hī grómmətər] (plural hy·grom·e·ters)
noun

humidity
instrument:
an instrument used to measure humidity
—hy·gro·met·ric
[hgrə méttrik], adjective

—hy·gro·met·ri·cal·ly
[hgrə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



hygrophilous

hygrophilous
hy·groph·il·ous
[hī gróffələss] adjective

moisture-loving:
adapted to growing in damp places[1]



hygrophyte

hygrophyte
hy·gro·phyte
[hgrə ft] (plural hy·gro·phytes)
noun

PLANTS See hydrophyte
—hy·gro·phyt·ic [hgrə fíttik], adjective[1]



hygroscope

hygroscope
hy·gro·scope 
[hgrə skp] (plural hy·gro·scopes)
noun

humidity indicator:
an instrument that shows changes in the humidity of the air but does not
measure the changes[1]



hygroscopic

hygroscopic
hy·gro·scop·ic 
[hgrə skóppik] or hy·gro·scop·i·cal
[hgrə skóppik’l] adjective

absorbing
moisture:
capable of easily absorbing moisture, for example, from the air
—hy·gro·scop·i·cal·ly
[hgrə skóppikəlee], adverb

—hy·gro·sco·pic·i·ty [hgrə skō píssətee], noun[1]



hygrostat

hygrostat
hy·gro·stat 
[hgrə stàt] (plural hy·grostats)
noun

See
humidistat[1]



Hyksos

Hyksos
Hyk·sos 
[híksōss] (plural Hyk·sos) noun

member
of ancient nomadic people: a member of an ancient
nomadic Asian group of people, probably of Semitic ancestry, who conquered and
ruled Egypt between 1720 BC and
1560 BC
[Early
17th century. Via Greek Huksōs from Egyptian heqa khoswe “foreign
rulers.”]
—Hyk·sos, adjective[1]



hyla

hyla
hy·la
[hlə] (plural hy·las) noun

tree
frog:
a tree frog of a genus found all over the world. Genus: Hyla
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek hulē “wood.”][1]



hylo-

hylo-
hylo-
prefix

matter
• hylotheism
[From Greek hulē
“wood, matter”][1]



hylomorphism

hylomorphism
hy·lo·mor·phism
[hlə máwr fìzzəm] noun

belief in matter and form:
the belief that all material objects are made up of matter, which is only
potential, and form, which makes the object an actuality[1]



hylotheism

hylotheism
hy·lo·the·ism
[hlə th ìzzəm] noun

belief that God is matter:
the belief that God and the material world are the same[1]



hylozoism

hylozoism
hy·lo·zo·ism 
[hlə zṓ ìzzəm] noun

belief
that matter has life: the belief that all matter
is living
[Late
17th century. Coined from hylo- + Greek zōē
“life” + -ism .]
—hy·lo·zo·ic [hlə zṓ ik], adjective[1]



hymen

hymen
hy·men 
[hmən] (plural hy·mens) noun

vaginal
membrane:
a thin mucous membrane that completely or partially covers the opening of the
vagina
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from late Latin, from Greek humēn “membrane.”][1]



Hymen

Hymen
Hy·men 
noun

Greek god of marriage:
in Greek mythology, the god of marriage, often represented as a youth holding a
torch[1]



hymeneal

hymeneal
hy·me·ne·al 
[hmə n əl] adjective

of
marriage:
relating to, involving, or typical of marriage (literary)
noun
(plural hy·me·ne·als)

wedding
song:
a song or poem celebrating a wedding (literary)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin hymenaeus “wedding song, wedding,” from
Greek humenaios, from Humēn Hymen
.]
—hy·me·ne·al·ly, adverb[1]



hymenium

hymenium
hy·me·ni·um 
[hī mnee əm] (plural hy·me·ni·a
[hī mnee ə] or hy·me·ni·ums) noun

spore-bearing
surface:
a layer of spore-bearing structures within or on the surface of the fruiting
body of a fungus
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek humenion, literally “small
membrane,” from humēn “membrane” (source of English hymen ).]
—hy·me·ni·al, adjective[1]



hymenopteran

hymenopteran
hy·me·nop·ter·an 
[hmə nóptərən] (plural hy·me·nop·ter·ans)
or hy·me·nop·ter·on [hmə nóptə ròn,
hmə nóptərən] (plural hy·me·nop·ter·ons)
noun

insect:
an insect such as the wasp, ant, and sawfly that has two pairs of membranous
wings and a very thin waist and that lives in socially complex colonies. Order:
Hymenoptera
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Hymenoptera, order name, from the
neuter plural of Greek humenopteros “membrane-winged,” from humēn
“membrane” + -pteros from pteron “wing.”]
—hy·me·nop·ter·an,
adjective

—hy·me·nop·ter·ous, adjective[1]



Hymie

Hymie
Hy·mie 
[hmee] (plural Hy·mies) noun

taboo
and offensive term: a highly offensive term for
a Jew (taboo offensive)
[Late 20th century.
Alteration of Hyman, a Jewish man’s name.][1]



hymn

hymn
hymn 
[him] noun (plural hymns)

1.  religious
song:
a song of praise to God, a god, or a saint

2.  song
of praise:
a song of praise to somebody or something other than a deity
verb
(past hymned, past participle hymned, present
participle hymn·ing, 3rd person present singular hymns)

1.  transitive
verb
sing
in praise:
to sing in praise of somebody or something

2.  intransitive
verb
sing
hymns:
to sing songs of praise
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin hymnus
from Greek humnos “song in praise of gods or heroes,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps formed from Humēn Hymen
.][1]



hymnal

hymnal
hym·nal 
[hímnəl] (plural hym·nals) noun

book of hymns:
a book of church hymns[1]



hymnist

hymnist
hym·nist 
[hímnist] (plural hym·nists) noun

hymn writer:
somebody who composes hymns[1]



hymnody

hymnody
hym·no·dy 
[hímnədee] (plural hym·no·dies)
noun
Also
called
hymnology

1.  composing
of hymns:
the composing or singing of hymns

2.  hymns
collectively: hymns collectively, usually a group that
share a specific characteristic such as time of composition or use in a
particular church
[Early 18th century. Via
medieval Latin hymnodia from Greek humnōidia “singing of hymns,”
from humnos “song in praise of gods or heroes” (see hymn ).][1]



hymnology

hymnology
hym·nol·o·gy 
[him nólləjee] (plural hym·nol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of hymns:
the study of religious hymns

2.  See
hymnody
—hym·no·log·ic
[hìmnə lójjik], adjective

—hym·no·log·i·cal,
adjective

—hym·nol·o·gist [him nólləjist], noun[1]



hyoid

hyoid
hy·oid 
[h òyd] adjective

of
the hyoid bone: relating to or involving the U-shaped
hyoid bone
noun
(plural hy·oids)

See
hyoid bone
[Early 19th century. Via
French hyoïde from, ultimately, Greek huoeidēs “shaped like the
Greek letter upsilon,” from hu “the letter upsilon.”][1]



hyoidbone

hyoidbone
hy·oid
bone
(plural hy·oid bones) noun

bone at base of tongue:
a U-shaped bone positioned at the base of the tongue and above the thyroid
cartilage that supports the tongue and its muscles.
Also called
hyoid[1]



hyoscine

hyoscine
hy·o·scine 
[h ə sn] noun

CHEMISTRY See scopolamine
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Hyoscyamus (see Hyoscyamine ).][1]



hyoscyamine

hyoscyamine
hy·o·scy·a·mine 
[h ə sə mn] noun

poisonous
alkaloid used as drug: a poisonous alkaloid,
resembling atropine and used medicinally in similar ways, that occurs naturally
in henbane and belladonna. C17H23NO3
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Hyoscyamus, genus name of the henbane, from Greek huoskuamos,
literally “pig’s bean,” from the genitive of hus “pig” + kuamos
“bean.”][1]



hyp.

hyp.
hyp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
hypotenuse

2.  Abbreviation
of
hypothesis

3.  Abbreviation
of
hypothetical

[1]



hyp-

hyp-
hyp-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hypo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








hypabyssal

hypabyssal
hyp·a·bys·sal 
[hìppə bíss’l, hpə
bíss’l] adjective

near
earth’s crust: used to describe igneous rocks,
especially in the form of dikes or sills, created when molten magma rose to the
surface of the earth but solidified before reaching it
—hyp·a·bys·sal·ly, adverb[1]



hypaesthesia

hypaesthesia
hy·paes·the·sia
noun

U.K. =
hypoesthesia[1]



hypaethral

hypaethral
hy·pae·thral 
[hī pthrəl, hi
pthrəl] or hy·pe·thral [hī
pthrəl, hi pthrəl] adjective

without
roof:
with no roof or a roof that is partly open to the sky, in the style, for
example, of a classical temple
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin hypaethrus “in the open air,” from Greek hupaithros,
literally “under the air,” from aithēr “air” (source of English ether ).][1]



hypallage

hypallage
hy·pal·lage 
[hi pálləjee, hī
pálləjee] noun

interchange
of words:
a figure of speech in which the usual relations of words or phrases are
interchanged
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek hupallagē, literally “interchange,” from allag-,
the stem of allassein “to exchange,” from allos “other.”][1]



hypanthium

hypanthium
hy·pan·thi·um 
[hī pánthee əm] (plural hy·pan·thi·a
[hī pán thee ə]) noun

part
of flower:
the flat or cup-shaped area that bears the stamens, petals, and sepals of some
plants, for example, a rose or cherry
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “structure under the flower,” from Greek anthos
“flower” (source of English anther
).]
—hy·pan·thi·al, adjective[1]



hype

hype1
hype1 [hīp]
noun (plural hypes)

1.  publicity:
greatly exaggerated publicity intended to excite public interest in something
such as a movie or theatrical production

2.  somebody
or something overpublicized: somebody who or something
that is extensively publicized

3.  deception:
a deception or dishonest scheme
transitive
verb
(past hyped, past participle hyped, present
participle hyp·ing, 3rd person present singular hypes)

1.  publicize:
to promote somebody or something with intense publicity

2.  artificially
boost sales: to boost sales of a pop recording
artificially by employing people to buy quantities of it at numerous outlets
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: partly a back-formation from hyperbole
and from slang hyper “somebody giving short change” (from hyper- ). First recorded in the senses “instance
of short-changing” and “to short-change.”][1]



hype

hype2
hype2 [hīp]
(plural hypes) noun (slang)

1.  hypodermic:
a hypodermic needle or injection

2.  drug
addict:
a drug addict

[1]



hyped-up

hyped-up
hyped-up 
adjective

stimulated:
highly stimulated or excited, especially by drugs (slang)
[Early 20th century. Hyped
formed from a shortening of hypodermic .][1]



hyper

hyper
hy·per 
[hpər] adjective (informal)

1.  excessively
active:
behaving in an overexcited or hyperactive way

2.  excitable:
easily excited, or having a high-strung temperament
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of hyperactive .][1]



hyper-

hyper-
hyper-
prefix

1.  over,
above, beyond • hyperextension

2.  excessive,
abnormally high • hypertension
[From Greek huper
“above, beyond.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English over and super .][1]



hyperacidity

hyperacidity
hy·per·a·cid·i·ty
[hpər ə síddətee] noun

production of excess acid:
a condition in which there is abnormal production of stomach acid, usually
associated with the formation of a peptic or duodenal ulcer.
Also called
acidity[1]



hyperactive

hyperactive
hy·per·ac·tive 
[hpər áktiv] adjective

abnormally
active:
abnormally active, restless, and lacking the ability to concentrate for any
length of time, especially as a result of deficit disorder
—hy·per·ac·tion,
noun

—hy·per·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

—hy·per·ac·tiv·i·ty [hpər ak tívvətee], noun[1]



hyperaemia

hyperaemia
hy·per·ae·mi·a
noun

U.K. =
hyperemia[1]



hyperaesthesia

hyperaesthesia
hy·per·aes·the·sia 
noun

See
hyperesthesia[1]



hyperbaric

hyperbaric
hy·per·bar·ic 
[hpər bérrik] adjective

of
high pressure: relating to, involving, occurring at, or
operating at pressures higher than normal
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from hyper- + Greek baros
“heavy” (source of English barometer
) + -ic .]
—hy·per·bar·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hyperbaton

hyperbaton
hy·per·ba·ton 
[hī púrbə tòn] noun

inversion
of word order: a figure of speech in which the expected
word order is inverted for emphasis, for example, in “you I hate”
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek huperbaton “overstepping,” from huperbainein “to step
over,” from bainein “to step, walk.”][1]



hyperbola

hyperbola

hy·per·bo·la 
[hī púrbələ] (plural hy·per·bo·las
or hy·per·bo·lae [hī púrbəlee])
noun
conic
section:
a conic section formed by a point that moves in a plane so that the difference
in its distance from two fixed points in the plane remains constant
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek huperbolē “excess” (see hyperbole
).][1]



hyperbole

hyperbole
hy·per·bo·le 
[hī púrbəlee] noun

exaggeration:
deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect, for example, “I could eat
a million of these”
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek huperbolē “excess,” literally “overthrow,” from ballein “to
throw.”][1]



hyperbolic

hyperbolic

hy·per·bol·ic 
[hpər bóllik] or hy·per·bol·i·cal
[hpər bóllik’l] adjective

1.  of
hyperbola:
relating to, involving, or typical of a hyperbola

2.  of
geometric system: produced by or relating to a geometric
system in which two lines can pass through any point in a plane without
intersecting a specific line in the same plane

3.  of
hyperbolic function: connected with or relating
to a hyperbolic function

4.  of
hyperbole:
relating to, involving, or typical of hyperbole
—hy·per·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hyperbolicfunction

hyperbolicfunction
hy·per·bol·ic
func·tion
(plural hy·per·bol·ic func·tions) noun

mathematical function:
any of six functions analogous to trigonometric functions but related to a
hyperbola rather than a circle. Hyperbolic functions include the hyperbolic
sine, hyperbolic cosine, hyperbolic tangent, hyperbolic cotangent, hyperbolic
secant, and hyperbolic cosecant.[1]



hyperbolize

hyperbolize
hy·per·bo·lize 
[hī púrbə lz] (past hy·per·bo·lized,
past participle hy·per·bo·lized, present participle hy·per·bo·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·per·bo·liz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

exaggerate:
to use deliberate and obvious exaggeration for effect, or describe something in
obviously exaggerated terms[1]



hyperboloid

hyperboloid

hy·per·bo·loid 
[hī púrbə lòyd] (plural hy·per·bo·loids)
noun
mathematical
surface:
a mathematical surface whose sections parallel to one coordinate plane form
ellipses and those parallel to the other two coordinate planes form hyperbolas
—hy·per·bo·loid·al [hī pùrbə lóyd’l], adjective[1]



hyperborean

hyperborean
hy·per·bo·re·an
[hpər báwree ən] adjective

1.  of
far northern regions: relating to or in the far
northern regions

2.  of
Arctic peoples: relating to peoples who live in the
Arctic
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin hyperboreanus, from Latin hyperboreus, from Greek huperbore(i)os,
from boreios “northern” or Boreas “north wind.”][1]



Hyperborean

Hyperborean
Hy·per·bo·re·an 
(plural Hy·per·bo·re·ans) noun

member of legendary northern
people: in Greek legend, a member of
a people who lived beyond the north wind in a land that was always sunny and
warm[1]



hypercalcemia

hypercalcemia
hy·per·cal·cemia 
[hpər kal smee ə] noun

too much calcium in blood:
an abnormally high amount of calcium in the blood[1]



hypercapnia

hypercapnia
hy·per·cap·ni·a 
[hpər kápnee ə] noun

too
much carbon dioxide in blood: an abnormally high level of
carbon dioxide in the blood
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of excessive smoke,” from
Greek kapnos “smoke.”]
—hy·per·cap·nic, adjective[1]



hypercharge

hypercharge
hy·per·charge 
[hpər chrj] noun

property
of particles: a property of elementary particles that
is calculated by adding together a particle’s baryon number and its quantum
property of strangeness
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of hyperonic charge ( hyperonic being formed from hyperon ).][1]



hypercholesterolemia

hypercholesterolemia
hy·per·cho·les·ter·ol·e·mi·a 
[hpərkə lestərə lmee ə] noun

high
cholesterol in blood: an abnormally high level of
cholesterol in the blood
—hy·per·cho·les·ter·ol·em·ic
[hpərkə lestərə lmik], adjective[1]



hypercorrect

hypercorrect
hy·per·cor·rect 
[hpərkə rékt] adjective

1.  excessively
correct:
too greatly concerned about correctness

2.  showing
hypercorrection: showing or being the result of
hypercorrection
—hy·per·cor·rect·ly,
adverb

—hy·per·cor·rect·ness,
noun[1]



hypercorrection

hypercorrection
hy·per·cor·rec·tion 
[hpərkə rékshən] (plural hy·per·cor·rec·tions)
noun

mistaken correction:
a grammatical mistake or mispronunciation made by correcting something that is
not actually wrong, for example, saying “between you and I” instead of “between
you and me.”
Also called
overcorrection[1]



hypercritical

hypercritical
hy·per·crit·i·cal 
[hpər kríttik’l] adjective

excessively
critical:
criticizing somebody or something too severely or too much
—hy·per·crit·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—hy·per·crit·i·cism [hpər krítti sìzzəm], noun[1]



hypercube

hypercube
hy·per·cube 
[hpər kyb] (plural hy·per·cubes)
noun

geometric figure:
a figure in four or more dimensions with sides that are all of the same length
and angles that are all right angles[1]



hyperemia

hyperemia
hy·per·e·mi·a 
[hpə rmee ə] noun

too
much blood:
an abnormally high level of blood in some part of the body
—hy·per·e·mic, adjective[1]



hyperesthesia

hyperesthesia
hy·per·es·the·sia
[hpərə sthzhə] or hy·per·aes·the·sia
[hpərə sthzhə] noun

abnormally
high sensitivity: an abnormally heightened sensitivity of
some part of the body, for example, the skin, or any of the senses
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of extreme sensation,” from
Greek aisthēsis “sensation.”]
—hy·per·es·thet·ic [hpərə sthéttik], adjective[1]



hypereutectic

hypereutectic
hy·per·eu·tec·tic 
[hpəryoo téktik] or hy·per·eu·tec·toid
[hpəryoo ték tòyd] adjective

containing high amount of
minor component: used to describe a
compound or alloy that contains a minor component in a higher proportion than
in the mixture of the same elements that has the lowest melting point[1]



hyperextension

hyperextension
hy·per·ex·ten·sion 
[hpərik sténshən] noun

overextension:
the movement of a limb beyond its normal range
—hy·per·ex·tend,
transitive verb

—hy·per·ex·tend·ed, adjective[1]



hyperfinestructure

hyperfinestructure
hy·per·fine
struc·ture 
[hpər fn strúkchər] (plural hy·per·fine
struc·tures) noun

splitting of spectral lines:
the splitting of lines in a spectrum into two or more closely spaced fine
lines, caused by magnetic interactions within atoms[1]



hyperfocaldistance

hyperfocaldistance
hy·per·fo·cal
dis·tance
[hīpər fk’l dístəns] noun

distance from lens to focus:
the distance between a camera lens and the closest object that is in focus when
the lens is focused at infinity[1]



hypergamy

hypergamy
hy·per·ga·my 
[hī púrgəmee] noun

marriage custom:
a custom in some societies that requires a woman to marry a man of a higher
social class than the one to which she belongs[1]



hyperglycemia

hyperglycemia
hy·per·gly·ce·mi·a 
[hpər glī smee ə] noun

too
much sugar in blood: an abnormally high level of
sugar in the blood
—hy·per·gly·ce·mic, adjective[1]



hypergolic

hypergolic
hy·per·gol·ic 
[hpər góllik] adjective

igniting
easily:
used to describe a rocket propellant that ignites on contact with an oxidizer
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from German Hypergol “hypergolic fuel,” from hyper-
“hyper-” + erg- “work” (from Greek ergon ) + -ol (see -ol ).]
—hy·per·gol
[hpər gàwl], noun

—hy·per·gol·i·cal·ly [hpər góllikəlee], adverb[1]



hyperhidrosis

hyperhidrosis
hy·per·hi·dro·sis
[hpər hī drṓssiss] noun

excessive sweating:
excessive sweating, either generalized or localized to a particular part of the
body[1]



hypericum

hypericum
hy·per·i·cum
[hī pérrikəm] (plural hy·per·i·cums)
noun

herbaceous
plant:
an herbaceous plant that grows in temperate regions, for example, St. John’s
wort. Genus: Hypericum
[15th century. Via Latin,
genus name, from Greek hupereikon, from huper “over” + ereikē
“heath, heather.”][1]



hyperinflation

hyperinflation
hy·per·in·fla·tion 
[hpərin fláysh’n] noun

high
inflation:
very high and rapid monetary inflation, or the period during which this occurs
—hy·per·in·fla·tion·ar·y,
adjective[1]



hyperinsulinism

hyperinsulinism
hy·per·in·su·lin·ism 
[hpər ínsələ nìzzəm] noun

too much insulin in blood:
an abnormally high level of insulin in the blood, causing hypoglycemia[1]



Hyperion

Hyperion
Hy·pe·ri·on 
[hī pree ən] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY moon
of Saturn:
the seventh moon of Saturn, discovered in 1848

2.  MYTHOLOGY Titan:
in Greek mythology, one of the Titans. He was the son of Gaea and Uranus and
the father of Helios, god of the sun, Selene, goddess of the moon, and Eos,
goddess of the dawn.

[1]



hyperirritability

hyperirritability
hy·per·ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ty 
[hpər irrətə bíllətee] noun

extreme
response to stimuli: an abnormally extreme
response to stimuli
—hy·per·ir·ri·ta·ble [hpər rətəb’l], adjective[1]



hyperkeratosis

hyperkeratosis
hy·per·ker·a·to·sis 
[hpər kerrə tṓssiss] noun

skin
thickening:
an excessive thickening of the outer layer of the skin
—hy·per·ker·a·tot·ic [hpər kerrə tóttik], adjective[1]



hyperkinesia

hyperkinesia
hy·per·ki·ne·sia 
[hpərki nzhə] or hy·per·ki·ne·sis
[hpərki nssiss] noun

1.  abnormal
movement:
abnormally increased movement in a muscle, for example, in a spasm

2.  hyperactivity:
excessive activity in children, for example, those affected by attention
deficit disorder
[Mid-19th
century. Hyperkinesis, literally “extreme movement,” coined from hyper- + Greek kinēsis “movement” (see kinesis ); hyperkinesia, coined from
hyperkinesis + -ia .]
—hy·per·ki·net·ic [hpərki néttik], adjective[1]



hyperlink

hyperlink
hy·per·link
[hpər lìngk] noun

link in hypertext:
a word, symbol, image, or other element in a hypertext document that links to
another such element in the same document or in another hypertext document. The
hyperlink is activated with a mouse click.[1]



hyperlipemia

hyperlipemia
hy·per·li·pe·mi·a 
[hpərli pmee ə] noun

excessive
fats in blood: an excessive level of fats or lipids in
the blood
—hy·per·li·pe·mic, adjective[1]



hypermarket

hypermarket
hy·per·mar·ket 
[hpər mrkət] (plural hy·per·mar·kets)
noun

very
large store: a very large self-service store that
sells products usually sold in department stores as well as those sold in
supermarkets, for example, clothes, hardware, electrical goods, and food
[Late 20th century.
Translation of French hypermarché, from marché “market,” from
Latin mercatus (see market ).][1]



hypermedia

hypermedia
hy·per·me·di·a 
[hpər mdee ə] noun

COMPUTING
multi-media hypertext system:
a hypertext system that supports the linking of graphics, audio and video
elements, and text. The World Wide Web has many aspects of a complete
hypermedia system.[1]



hypermeter

hypermeter
hy·per·me·ter
[hī púrmətər] (plural hy·per·me·ters)
noun

part
of verse with extra syllable: a line or metric foot of
poetry that has one or more syllables in addition to those usually occurring in
a metric foot or completed line of verse
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin hypermetrus from Greek hupermetros
“beyond measure,” from metron “measure.”]
—hy·per·met·ric
[hpər méttrik], adjective

—hy·per·met·ri·cal, adjective[1]



hypermetropia

hypermetropia
hy·per·me·tro·pi·a 
[hpərmə trṓpee ə] or hy·per·met·ro·py
[hpər méttrəpee] noun

(technical)
See hyperopia
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek hupermetros “beyond
measure,” from metron “measure” (see meter
).]
—hy·per·me·tro·pic
[hpərmə tróppik], adjective

—hy·per·me·tro·pi·cal,
adjective[1]



hypermnesia

hypermnesia
hy·perm·ne·sia
[hpərm nzhə] noun

abnormally
powerful memory: an unusually powerful ability to
remember exactly, sometimes a symptom of a psychiatric disorder
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of extreme memory,” from Greek
mnēsis “memory.”]
—hy·perm·ne·sic [hpərm nzik], adjective[1]



hypernym

hypernym
hy·per·nym
[hpərnim] noun

LINGUISTICS
See superordinate  noun 1[1]



hyperon

hyperon
hy·per·on 
[hpə ròn] (plural hy·per·ons)
noun

heavy
elementary particle: a kind of baryon, a
comparatively massive elementary particle that may be unstable or partially
stable and is short-lived
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from hyper- + -on
.][1]



hyperopia

hyperopia
hy·per·o·pi·a 
[hpə rṓpee ə] noun

far-sightedness:
far-sightedness (technical)
Also
called
hypermetropia
—hy·per·ope
[hpə rp], noun

—hy·per·o·pic [hpə róppik], adjective[1]



hyperostosis

hyperostosis
hy·per·os·to·sis 
[hpə ro stṓssiss] noun

abnormal
growth of bone: an abnormal growth or thickening of bone
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of excessive bone,” from Greek
osteon “bone” (source of English osteo-
).]
—hy·per·os·tot·ic [hpə ro stóttik], adjective[1]



hyperparasite

hyperparasite
hy·per·par·a·site
[hpər pèrrə st] (plural hy·per·par·a·sites)
noun

parasite
living on another: a parasite living on another
parasite
—hy·per·par·a·sit·ic
[hpər perrə síttik], adjective

—hy·per·par·a·sit·ism
[hpər pérrəsi tìzzəm, hpər pérrə s tìzzəm], noun[1]



hyperparathyroidism

hyperparathyroidism
hy·per·par·a·thy·roid·ism
[hpər perrə th ròy dìzzəm] noun

too much parathyroid hormone:
an abnormally high level of parathyroid hormone in the body, causing various
disorders including kidney damage[1]



hyperphagia

hyperphagia
hy·per·pha·gia 
[hpər fáyjə] noun

long-term
compulsive overeating: a condition in which
somebody compulsively overeats over a long period
—hy·per·phag·ic [hpər fájjik], adjective[1]



hyperphysical

hyperphysical
hy·per·phys·i·cal
[hpər fízzik’l] adjective

beyond
the physical: not governed by the natural laws of
physics
—hy·per·phys·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hyperpituitarism

hyperpituitarism
hy·per·pi·tu·i·ta·rism 
[hpərpi t itə rìzzəm] noun

overactivity
of pituitary gland: excessively high activity of
the pituitary gland, sometimes causing abnormal bodily growth
—hy·per·pi·tu·i·tar·y
[hpərpi t i tèrree], adjective[1]



hyperplane

hyperplane
hy·per·plane
[hpər plàyn] (plural hy·per·planes)
noun

mathematical figure:
a figure in hyperspace that is the three-dimensional equivalent of a plane in
ordinary space[1]



hyperplasia

hyperplasia
hy·per·pla·sia 
[hpər pláyzhə] noun

enlargement
caused by increased cells: abnormal growth in a part of
the body, caused by an excessive multiplication of cells
—hy·per·plas·tic [hpər plástik], adjective[1]



hyperploid

hyperploid
hy·per·ploid 
[hpər plòyd] adjective

having
extra chromosome: having an extra chromosome or section of
a chromosome, for example, in Down syndrome, in which there is an extra copy or
segment of chromosome 21
—hy·per·ploi·dy, noun[1]



hyperpnea

hyperpnea
hy·perp·ne·a 
[hpər n ə, hpərp
n ə] noun

faster
breathing:
unusually deep or fast breathing, for example, after physical exertion.
U.K.
term
hyperpnoea
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “extreme breathing,” from Greek pnoē
“breathing.”]
—hy·perp·ne·ic, adjective[1]



hyperpyrexia

hyperpyrexia
hy·per·py·rex·i·a 
[hpər pī réksee ə] noun

fever:
a very high fever
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “extreme fever,” from pyrexia
“fever” (see pyrexia ).]
—hy·per·py·ret·ic
[hpər pī réttik], adjective

—hy·per·py·rex·i·al [hpər pī réksee əl], adjective[1]



hyperrealism

hyperrealism
hy·per·re·al·ism
[hpər rəlìzzəm] noun

special
use of realism: a style in the visual arts that uses
realism to achieve a striking effect rather than photographic representation of
real life
—hy·per·re·al·ist
[hpər rələst], adjective, noun

—hy·per·re·al·is·tic [hpər rə lístik], adjective[1]



hypersensitive

hypersensitive
hy·per·sen·si·tive 
[hpər sénsitiv] adjective

1.  easily
upset:
very easily upset or offended

2.  MEDICINE susceptible:
easily affected by a drug, allergen, or other agent
—hy·per·sen·si·tive·ness,
noun

—hy·per·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[hpər sensi tívvətee], noun[1]



hypersexual

hypersexual
hy·per·sex·u·al 
[hpər sékshoo əl] adjective

obsessed
with sex:
interested in or engaging in sexual activity to an abnormal extent
—hy·per·sex·u·al·i·ty
[hpər sekshoo állətee], noun[1]



hypersonic

hypersonic
hy·per·son·ic 
[hpər sónnik] adjective

faster
than sound:
relating to or moving at a speed of at least five times the speed of sound
—hy·per·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hyperspace

hyperspace
hy·per·space 
[hpər spàyss] noun

1.  MATHEMATICS space
of more than three dimensions: space with more than
three dimensions

2.  theoretical
dimension:
in science fiction, a theoretical dimension in which things not physically
possible in ordinary space such as intergalactic travel can happen
—hy·per·spa·tial [hpər spáysh’l], adjective[1]



hypersthene

hypersthene
hy·per·sthene 
[hpər sthn] noun

pyroxene
mineral:
a green, brown, or black pyroxene mineral, consisting of silicate of magnesium
and iron
[Early
19th century. From French hypersthène, literally “extremely strong
(mineral),” from Greek sthenos “strength.”]
—hy·per·sthen·ic [hpər sthénnik], adjective[1]



hypersurface

hypersurface
hy·per·sur·face
[hpər sùrfəss] (plural hy·per·sur·faces)
noun

mathematical surface:
a mathematical surface in hyperspace, analogous to a surface in
three-dimensional space[1]



hypertension

hypertension
hy·per·ten·sion 
[hpər ténshən] noun

1.  high
blood pressure: abnormally high blood pressure

2.  arterial
disease:
arterial disease accompanied by high blood pressure

[1]



hypertext

hypertext
hy·per·text 
[hpər tèkst] noun

data storage system:
a system of storing images, text, and other computer files that allows direct
links to related text, images, sound, and other data[1]



hypertextmarkup language

hypertextmarkup language
hy·per·text
mark·up lan·guage noun

markup for World Wide Web:
the markup language used for creating documents on the World Wide Web[1]



hypertexttransfer protocol

hypertexttransfer protocol
hy·per·text
trans·fer pro·to·col noun

protocol for World Wide Web:
the client/server protocol that defines how messages are formatted and
transmitted on the World Wide Web[1]



hyperthermia

hyperthermia
hy·per·ther·mi·a 
[hpər thúrmee ə] noun

very
high body temperature: abnormally high body
temperature, especially when induced for therapeutic reasons
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of extreme heat,” from
Greek thermē “heat.”]
—hy·per·ther·mal,
adjective

—hy·per·ther·mic, adjective[1]



hyperthyroidism

hyperthyroidism
hy·per·thy·roid·ism 
[hpər th ròy dìzzəm] noun

1.  excessive
thyroid hormones: the overproduction of thyroid hormones
at dangerously high levels.
Also
called
thyrotoxicosis

2.  thyroid
condition:
the condition in which basal metabolism increases as a result of overactivity
of the thyroid gland
—hy·per·thy·roid, adjective[1]



hypertonic

hypertonic
hy·per·ton·ic 
[hpər tónnik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE excessively
tense:
used to describe a body part, for example, a muscle or artery, that is under
abnormally high tension

2.  CHEMISTRY having
higher osmotic pressure: having a higher osmotic
pressure than another fluid
—hy·per·to·ni·a
[hpər tō níssətee], noun

—hy·per·to·nic·i·ty [hpər tṓnee ə], noun[1]



hypertrophy

hypertrophy
hy·per·tro·phy 
[hī púrtrəfee] noun

1.  BIOLOGY enlargement
by cell growth: a growth in size of an organ through an
increase in the size, rather than the number, of its cells

2.  unnecessary
complexity:
exaggerated or unnecessary growth or complexity
intransitive
and transitive verb (past hy·per·tro·phied,
past participle hy·per·tro·phied, present participle hy·per·tro·phy·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·per·tro·phies)

BIOLOGY get
bigger by cell growth: to grow larger through an
increase in the size, rather than the number, of cells
—hy·per·tro·phic [hpər tróffik], adjective[1]



hyperventilate

hyperventilate
hy·per·ven·ti·late 
[hpər vént’l àyt] (past hy·per·ven·ti·lated,
past participle hy·per·ven·ti·lated, present participle hy·per·ven·ti·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·per·ven·ti·lates) intransitive
verb

lose too much carbon dioxide:
to breathe unusually deeply or rapidly because of anxiety or organic disease
and in excess of the body’s requirements, causing too much loss of carbon
dioxide[1]



hyperventilation

hyperventilation
hy·per·ven·ti·la·tion 
[hpər vent’l áysh’n] noun

unusually deep or rapid
breathing: unusually deep or rapid
breathing, caused by extreme anxiety or an organic disease, that leads to loss
of carbon dioxide from the blood and often faintness[1]



hypervitaminosis

hypervitaminosis
hy·per·vi·ta·min·o·sis 
[hpər vtəmə nṓssiss] noun

consumption of too much
vitamin: a condition in which
abnormal effects are caused by taking in too much of one or more vitamins[1]



hypesthesia

hypesthesia
hy·pes·the·sia
[hpə sthzhə, hpə
sthzhee ə, hìppə sthzhə, hìppə sthzhee ə] noun

See
hypoesthesia[1]



hypethral

hypethral
hy·pe·thral 
[hi pthrəl] adjective

(technical) See
hypaethral[1]



hypha

hypha
hy·pha 
[hfə] (plural hy·phae [hfee]) noun

part
of fungus:
a threadlike part of the vegetative portion of a fungus
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek huphē “web.”]
—hy·phal, adjective[1]



hyphen

hyphen
hy·phen 
[hfən] noun (plural hy·phens)

dash
showing word break: a punctuation mark (-) used
at the end of a line when a word must be divided, or to link elements in a
compound word or phrase
transitive
verb
(past hy·phened, past participle hy·phened, present
participle hy·phen·ing, 3rd person present singular hy·phens)

See
hyphenate
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from late Greek huphen “sign joining two syllables or words”
(literally “under one”), from, ultimately, hupo hypo-
+ hen, the neuter of heis “one.”][1]



hyphenate

hyphenate
hy·phen·ate 
[hfə nàyt] (past hy·phen·at·ed,
past participle hy·phen·at·ed, present participle hy·phen·at·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·phen·ates) transitive verb

use
hyphen in:
to separate or join words or parts of words using a hyphen
—hy·phen·a·tion [hfə náysh’n], noun[1]



hyphenated

hyphenated
hy·phen·at·ed
[hfə nàytəd] adjective

1.  with
hyphen:
split or joined by a hyphen

2.  belonging
to two categories: belonging to a group of
people identified in two ways that may be joined as one term

[1]



hypn-

hypn-
hypn-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hypno-[1]



hypnagogic

hypnagogic
hyp·na·gog·ic 
[hìpnə gójjik] or hyp·no·gog·ic
[hìpnə gójjik] adjective

before
sleep:
in or relating to the state of drowsiness immediately before sleep
[Late 19th century. From
French hypnagogique, literally “of leading to sleep,” from Greek hupno-
hypno- + agōgos “leading” (from agein
“to lead”; see agony ).][1]



hypnagogicimage

hypnagogicimage
hyp·na·gog·ic
im·age
(plural hyp·na·gog·ic im·ag·es) noun

something seen before sleep:
something of the nature of hallucination seen or imagined by somebody just
before falling asleep[1]



hypno-

hypno-
hypno-
prefix

1.  sleep
• hypnopompic

2.  hypnosis
• hypnoanalysis
[From Greek hupnos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to sleep,” which is also the
ancestor of English soporific and insomnia .][1]



hypnoanalysis

hypnoanalysis
hyp·no·a·nal·y·sis 
[hìpnō ə nálləssiss] (plural hyp·no·a·nal·y·ses
[hìpnō ə nállə sz]) noun

psychoanalysis
while hypnotized: psychoanalysis carried out on people who
are in a state of hypnosis
—hyp·no·an·a·lytic [hìpnō annə líttik], adjective[1]



hypnogenesis

hypnogenesis
hyp·no·gen·e·sis 
[hìpnō jénnəssiss] noun

producing
sleep:
the process of inducing sleep or a state of hypnosis
—hyp·no·ge·net·ic
[hìpnōjə néttik], adjective

—hyp·no·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[hìpnōjə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



hypnogogic

hypnogogic
hyp·no·gog·ic
adjective

See
hypnagogic[1]



hypnoid

hypnoid
hyp·noid 
[híp nòyd] or hyp·noi·dal [hip nóyd’l] adjective

like sleep or hypnosis:
relating to, involving, or resembling sleep or hypnosis[1]



hypnology

hypnology
hyp·nol·o·gy 
[hip nólləjee] noun

study
of sleep:
the scientific study of sleep or hypnosis
—hyp·no·log·ic
[hìpnə lójjik], adjective

—hyp·nol·o·gist [hip nólləjist], noun[1]



hypnopedia

hypnopedia
hyp·no·pe·di·a 
[hìpnə pdee ə] noun

sleep-learning:
sleep-learning (technical)
U.K.
term
hypnopaedia
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from hypno- + Greek paideia
“education” (source of English encyclopedia
).][1]



hypnopompic

hypnopompic
hyp·no·pom·pic 
[hìpnə pómpik] adjective

between
sleeping and waking: involving, typical of, or in
the state between sleeping and waking
[Early 20th century. Coined
from hypno- + Greek pompē “a sending
away” (source of English pomp ) + -ic
.][1]



Hypnos

Hypnos
Hyp·nos 
[híp nòss] noun

Greek
god of sleep: in Greek mythology, the god of sleep,
and the father of Morpheus, god of dreams
[From Greek Hupnos,
literally “sleep”][1]



hypnosis

hypnosis
hyp·no·sis 
[hip nṓssiss] (plural hyp·no·ses
[hip nṓ sz]) noun

1.  sleeplike
condition:
a sleeplike condition that can be artificially induced in people, in which they
can respond to questions and are very susceptible to suggestions from the
hypnotist

2.  putting
people in sleeplike condition: the technique or
practice of inducing a state of hypnosis in people.
Also
called
hypnotism

[1]



hypnotherapy

hypnotherapy
hyp·no·ther·a·py 
[hìpnō thérrəpee] noun

treating
illness with hypnosis: the use of hypnosis in
treating illness, for example, in dealing with physical pain or psychological
problems
—hyp·no·ther·a·pist, noun[1]



hypnotic

hypnotic
hyp·not·ic 
[hip nóttik] adjective

1.  of
sleep or hypnosis: relating to, involving, or
producing sleep or hypnosis

2.  susceptible
to hypnosis: susceptible to being hypnotized

3.  fascinating:
so fascinating that the attention of people watching or listening is absorbed
completely (informal)
noun
(plural hyp·not·ics)

1.  something
causing sleep: a drug or other agent that causes sleep
or drowsiness

2.  somebody
easily hypnotized: somebody who is susceptible
to being hypnotized
[Early
17th century. Via French hypnotique from, ultimately, Greek hupnōtikos
“putting to sleep,” from hupnoun “to put to sleep,” from hupnos
“sleep.”]
—hyp·not·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hypnotism

hypnotism
hyp·no·tism 
[hípnə tìzzəm] noun

1.  See
hypnosis  noun 2

2.  theory
of hypnosis: the theory and practice of hypnotizing
people
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening of neuro-hypnotism .]
—hyp·no·tist, noun[1]



hypnotize

hypnotize
hyp·no·tize 
[hípnə tz] (past hyp·no·tized,
past participle hyp·no·tized, present participle hyp·no·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular hyp·no·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  put
somebody into hypnosis: to put somebody into the
sleeplike state of hypnosis

2.  fascinate:
to fascinate or charm somebody utterly
—hyp·no·tiz·a·bil·i·ty
[hìpnə tīzə bíllətee], noun

—hyp·no·tiz·a·ble
[hípnə tzəb’l, hìpnə
tzəb’l], adjective

—hyp·no·ti·za·tion
[hìpnəti záysh’n], noun

—hyp·no·tiz·er [hípnə tzər], noun[1]



hypo

hypo2
hy·po2 [hpō]
noun

photographic
fixing agent: sodium thiosulfate, used in photographic
processing as a fixing agent (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of hyposulfite, another name for thiosulfate.][1]



hypo

hypo1
hy·po1 [hpō]
noun (plural hy·pos)

hypodermic
syringe:
a hypodermic syringe or injection (informal)
transitive
verb
(past hy·poed, past participle hy·poed, present
participle hy·po·ing, 3rd person present singular hy·pos)

get
somebody or something moving: to stimulate somebody or
something to action in order to achieve some purpose or goal (dated informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of hypodermic .][1]



hypo-

hypo-
hypo-
prefix

1.  under,
below • hypodermis

2.  abnormally
low • hypotonia

3.  in
a lower state of oxidation
[From Greek hupo .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “under,” which is also the
ancestor of English up, above, and opal
.][1]



hypoacidity

hypoacidity
hy·po·a·cid·i·ty 
[hpō ə síddətee] noun

low acidity:
an abnormally low level of acidity, especially in the stomach[1]



hypoallergenic

hypoallergenic
hy·po·al·ler·gen·ic 
[hpō allər jénnik] adjective

unlikely to cause allergic
reaction: not likely to cause an
allergic reaction[1]



hypoblast

hypoblast
hy·po·blast 
[hpə blàst] (plural hy·po·blasts)
noun

layer
of embryo:
the inner germ layer of an embryo, which develops into the endoderm
—hy·po·blas·tic [hpə blástik], adjective[1]



hypocalcemia

hypocalcemia
hy·po·cal·ce·mi·a
[hpō kal smee ə] noun

low
calcium in blood: an abnormally low level of calcium in
the blood
—hy·po·cal·ce·mic, adjective[1]



hypocenter

hypocenter
hy·po·cen·ter 
[hpə sèntər] (plural hy·po·cen·ters)
noun

ARMS See ground zero
—hy·po·cen·tral [hpə séntrəl], adjective[1]



hypochlorite

hypochlorite
hy·po·chlo·rite 
[hpə kláw rt] (plural hy·po·chlo·rites)
noun

salt or ester:
a salt or ester of hypochlorous acid[1]



hypochlorousacid

hypochlorousacid
hy·po·chlo·rous
ac·id 
[hīpə klàwrəss ássid] noun

weak acid:
a weak unstable greenish-yellow acid that occurs only in solution or in its
salts, formed when chlorine dissolves in water. It is commonly used in bleach
and disinfectants. HOCl[1]



hypochondria

hypochondria
hy·po·chon·dri·a 
[hpə kóndree ə] noun

imagined
illness:
an abnormal, usually long-term preoccupation with health and bodily sensations,
accompanied by a deluded conviction of having a serious disease without
objective evidence.
Also
called
hypochondriasis


Plural
of
hypochondrium
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin (plural) “upper abdomen,” formerly believed to be the seat of melancholy,
from, ultimately, Greek hupokhondrios, literally “under the cartilage of
the breastbone,” from khondros “cartilage.”][1]



hypochondriac

hypochondriac
hy·po·chon·dri·ac 
[hpə kóndree àk] noun (plural
hy·po·chon·dri·acs [hpəkən dr ək’l])

PSYCHOLOGY somebody
with imaginary illness: somebody who is excessively
preoccupied with health and persistently believes that he or she is ill or in
danger of becoming ill
adjective

1.  PSYCHOLOGY believing
in nonexistent illness: excessively preoccupied with
health and persistently believing in a nonexistent illness, or relating to the
attitudes or state of mind of somebody with this condition

2.  ANATOMY of the
hypochondrium: relating to, involving, or typical of
the hypochondrium
—hy·po·chon·dri·a·cal
[hpəkən dr ək’l], adjective

—hy·po·chon·dri·a·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hypochondriasis

hypochondriasis
hy·po·chon·dri·a·sis 
[hpəkən drəssiss] (plural hy·po·chon·dri·as·es
[hpəkən drə sz]) noun

See
hypochondria  noun[1]



hypochondrium

hypochondrium
hy·po·chon·dri·um 
[hpə kóndree əm] (plural hy·po·chon·dri·a
[hpə kóndree ə]) noun

abdominal
area:
the area of the upper abdomen on either side of the epigastrium below the lower
ribs
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from hypochondria (which was
originally a plural form).][1]



hypocorism

hypocorism
hy·poc·o·rism 
[hī pókə rìzzəm, hpə
káw rìzzəm] (plural hy·poc·o·risms) noun

1.  pet
name:
a pet name, especially a diminutive or abbreviated form of somebody’s full name
(formal)

2.  use
of pet name: the use of a pet name to address
somebody, instead of his or her full name
[Early
16th century. Via late Latin hypocorisma from Greek hupokorisma,
from hupokorizesthai “to play the child,” from, ultimately, korē
“child.”]
—hy·po·co·ris·tic
[hpəkə rístik], adjective

—hy·po·co·ris·ti·cal,
adjective

—hy·po·co·ris·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



hypocotyl

hypocotyl
hy·po·cot·yl 
[hpə kòtt’l] (plural hy·po·cot·yls)
noun

part
of embryo plant: the part of an embryo plant lying
between its cotyledons and its radicle
[Late
19th century. Coined from hypo- + cotyledon .]
—hy·po·cot·y·lous [hpə kótt’ləss], adjective[1]



hypocrisy

hypocrisy
hy·poc·ri·sy 
[hi pókrəssee] (plural hy·poc·ri·sies)
noun

1.  feigned
high principles: the false claim to or pretense of having
admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings • It
would be sheer hypocrisy for them to turn around and do what they criticize in
others.

2.  hypocritical
act:
an act or instance of hypocrisy • After
his hypocrisies became widely known, he decided not to run for re-election.
[12th century. Via Old French
ypocrisie from, ultimately, Greek hupokrisis “acting a part,”
from hupokrinesthai “to dispute subordinately, act a part,” literally
“to separate under,” from krinein “to separate.”][1]



hypocrite

hypocrite
hyp·o·crite 
[híppəkrit] (plural hyp·o·crites)
noun

somebody
feigning high principles: somebody who gives a false
appearance of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings • nothing
but a bunch of hypocrites
[12th century. Via Old French
ypocrite from, ultimately, Greek hupokritēs “actor, pretender,”
from hupokrinesthai (see hypocrisy
).][1]



hypocritical

hypocritical
hy·po·crit·i·cal 
[hìppə kríttik’l] adjective

falsely
claiming high principles: showing, originating from or
of the nature of hypocrisy • It
would be hypocritical of me to congratulate you on defeating me.
—hyp·o·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hypocycloid

hypocycloid

hy·po·cy·cloid 
[hpə s klòyd] (plural hy·po·cy·cloids)
noun
geometric
curve:
a curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle as it rolls along
the inside circumference of another circle
—hy·po·cy·cloid·al [hpə sī klóyd’l], adjective[1]



hypoderm

hypoderm
hy·po·derm 
(plural hy·po·derms) noun

See
hypodermis[1]



hypodermal

hypodermal
hy·po·der·mal 
[hpə dúrm’l] adjective

1.  of
hypodermis:
relating to the layer of fatty tissue ( hypodermis
) beneath the skin

2.  under
the skin:
located beneath the skin

[1]



hypodermic

hypodermic
hy·po·der·mic 
[hpə dúrmik] adjective

ANATOMY involving
area beneath skin: relating to or involving the
area of tissue lying beneath the skin
noun
(plural hy·po·der·mics)

injection
or needle used: a hypodermic injection, needle, or
syringe (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hypo- + Greek derma
“skin” (source of English -derm ) +
-ic .]
—hy·po·der·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hypodermicinjection

hypodermicinjection
hy·po·der·mic
in·jec·tion
(plural hy·po·der·mic in·jec·tions) noun

injection under skin:
an injection into tissue under the skin[1]



hypodermicneedle

hypodermicneedle
hy·po·der·mic
nee·dle
(plural hy·po·der·mic nee·dles) noun

1.  needle
for injections: a thin hollow needle used with a
syringe, suitable for administering hypodermic injections

2.  syringe
complete with needle: a hypodermic syringe to
which a needle has been fitted (informal)

[1]



hypodermicsyringe

hypodermicsyringe
hy·po·der·mic
sy·ringe
(plural hy·po·der·mic sy·rin·ges) noun

syringe used for injections:
a plastic or glass syringe to which a thin hollow needle is attached, used to
inject medicine under the skin or to withdraw fluids, especially blood, from
under the skin[1]



hypodermis

hypodermis
hy·po·der·mis 
[hpə dúrmiss] or hy·po·derm [hpə dùrm] noun

1.  ANATOMY tissue
under skin:
the layer of fatty tissue beneath the skin

2.  ZOOLOGY skin
beneath animal’s shell: the epidermis of some
animals, for example, arthropods, that secretes a shell or other outer covering

3.  BOTANY cells
under plant surface: the usually supportive and
protective layer of cells immediately under the outer covering of a plant
[19th century. Coined from hypo- + -dermis, on the model of epidermis .][1]



hypoesthesia

hypoesthesia
hy·po·es·the·sia 
[hpō is thzhə] or hy·pes·the·sia
[hìppə sthzhee ə] noun

reduced
sensitivity to touch: an abnormally reduced
sensitivity to touch
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “condition of sensation being below
normal,” from Greek aisthēsis “sensation.”]
—hy·poes·thet·ic [hpō is théttik], adjective[1]



hypoeutectic

hypoeutectic
hy·po·eu·tec·tic 
[hpə yoo téktik] or hy·po·eu·tec·toid
[hpə yoo ték tòyd] adjective

containing less of substance:
containing less of the minor component in a mixture or alloy than in the
mixture of the same elements that has the lowest melting point[1]



hypogastrium

hypogastrium
hy·po·gas·tri·um 
[hpə gástree əm] (plural hy·po·gas·tri·a
[hpə gástree ə]) noun

part
of abdomen:
the part of the front of the human abdomen that lies below the navel
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek hupogastrion “lower part of
the belly,” literally “under-belly,” from the stem gastr- “belly”
(source of English gastric ).]
—hy·po·gas·tric, adjective[1]



hypogea

hypogea
hy·po·ge·a


Plural of
hypogeum[1]



hypogeal

hypogeal
hy·po·ge·al 
[hpə j əl] or hy·po·ge·an [hpə j ən] or hy·po·ge·ous [hpə j əss] adjective

1.  underground:
happening or living below ground

2.  BOTANY remaining
underground: remaining below ground while the stem of
the plant grows.
See
also
epigeal
[Late
17th century. Formed from late Latin hypogeus, from Greek hupogeios
“underground,” from gē “ground, earth” (source of English geo- ).]
—hy·po·ge·al·ly, adverb[1]



hypogene

hypogene
hy·po·gene 
[hpə jn] adjective

beneath
earth’s surface: used to describe rocks that are formed
or lying beneath the earth’s surface
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from hypo- + -gene .]
—hy·po·gen·ic [hpə jénnik], adjective[1]



hypogenous

hypogenous
hy·pog·e·nous 
[hī pójjənəss] adjective

growing on the underside:
on or growing on the undersurface of something, for example, a leaf[1]



hypogeous

hypogeous
hy·po·ge·ous 
[hpə j əss] adjective

See
hypogeal[1]



hypogeum

hypogeum
hy·po·ge·um 
[hpə j əm] (plural hy·po·ge·a
[hpə j ə]) noun

underground
chamber:
an underground room or space in an ancient building, or an ancient underground
burial chamber
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek hupogeion, originally a form of hupogeios
“underground” (see hypogeal ).][1]



hypoglossal

hypoglossal
hy·po·glos·sal 
[hpə glóss’l] (plural hy·po·glos·sals)
adjective

1.  under
the tongue:
beneath or on the underside of the tongue

2.  relating
to hypoglossal nerve: relating to or involving the
hypoglossal nerve
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from hypoglossus “either of the hypoglossal nerves,” from hypo- + Greek glōssa “tongue” (source of
English gloss “translation”).][1]



hypoglossalnerve

hypoglossalnerve
hy·po·glos·sal
nerve
(plural hy·po·glos·sal nerves) noun

nerve supplying tongue
muscles: either of the 12th pair of
cranial nerves that serve the muscles of the tongue.
Also called
hypoglossal[1]



hypoglycemia

hypoglycemia
hy·po·gly·ce·mi·a 
[hpō glī smee ə] noun

too
little blood sugar: the medical condition of
having an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood. See hypoglycemia
—hy·po·gly·ce·mic, adjective[1]



hypogynous

hypogynous
hy·pog·y·nous 
[hī pójjənəss] adjective

having
petals below ovary: used to describe a flower
such as a buttercup that has its petals, sepals, or other parts situated below
and apart from its ovary
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin hypogynus, from hypo-
“below” + Greek gunē “woman,” used to mean “pistil.”]
—hy·pog·y·ny, noun[1]



hypoidgear

hypoidgear
hy·poid
gear
[h pòyd gr] (plural hy·poid
gears) noun

type
of motor gear: a type of gear often used in the
transmission of motor vehicles, in which a hypocycloidal curve is used in
arranging the meshing of the teeth
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a contraction of hypocycloid
.][1]



hypolimnion

hypolimnion
hy·po·lim·ni·on 
[hpə límnee òn, hpə
límnee ən] (plural hy·po·lim·nia [hpə
límnee ə]) noun

water
at lake bottom: the lower and colder layer of water in a
lake, largely stagnant and remaining at a constant temperature
[Early 20th century. Coined
from hypo- + Greek limnion “small
lake,” from limnē “lake.”][1]



hypomania

hypomania
hy·po·ma·ni·a 
[hpō máynee ə] noun

mild
mania:
a condition of mild mania or abnormal excitement, especially when part of a
bipolar manic-depressive cycle
—hy·po·man·ic [hpō mánnik], adjective[1]



hyponasty

hyponasty
hy·po·nas·ty 
[hpə nàstee] noun

bending
of plant part: greater than normal growth on the
underside of a plant part, causing the part to bend upward
[Late
19th century. Coined from hypo- + Greek nastos
“pressed close, compact.”]
—hy·po·nas·tic
[hpə nástik], adjective

—hy·po·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hyponym

hyponym
hy·po·nym 
[hpənim] (plural hy·po·nyms) noun

word
with narrower meaning: a word whose meaning is both
narrower than and included in the meaning of a more general term. The words
“tulip” and “rose” are hyponyms of “flower.”
See
also
superordinate
—hy·po·ny·my [hī pónnə mee], noun[1]



hypophysectomy

hypophysectomy
hy·po·phy·sec·to·my
[hī pòffi séktəmee] (plural hy·po·phy·sec·to·mies)
noun

removal of pituitary gland:
surgical removal of the pituitary gland[1]



hypophysis

hypophysis
hy·poph·y·sis 
[hī póffəssiss] (plural hy·poph·y·ses
[hī póffəsseez]) noun

pituitary
gland:
the pituitary gland (technical)
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek hupophusis “offshoot,”
literally “growth from under,” from phusis “growth” (source of English physic ).]
—hy·po·phys·e·al [hī póffəsee əl, hpə
fízzee əl], adjective[1]



hypopituitarism

hypopituitarism
hy·po·pi·tu·i·ta·rism 
[hpōpi t itə rìzzəm] noun

deficiency
of pituitary hormones: failure of the pituitary
gland to produce hormones, especially a deficiency in growth hormone, which can
result in dwarfism
—hy·po·pi·tu·i·tar·y [hpōpi t i tèrree], adjective[1]



hypoplasia

hypoplasia
hy·po·pla·sia 
[hpə pláyzhə] or hy·po·plas·ty
[hpə plàstee] noun

incomplete
development of organ: the failure of an organ or
body part to grow or develop fully
—hy·po·plas·tic [hpə plástik], adjective[1]



hypoploid

hypoploid
hy·po·ploid 
[hpə plòyd] adjective

having
fewer chromosomes: having a chromosome number
slightly less than the diploid number
—hy·po·ploi·dy, noun[1]



hypopnea

hypopnea
hy·pop·ne·a 
[hī pópnee ə, hpō
n ə] noun

shallow
slow breathing: breathing that is abnormally shallow and
slow. See hypopnea
[Via
modern Latin from Greek, formed from pnoia “breathing”]
—hy·pop·ne·ic [hpō n ik], adjective[1]



hyposensitivity

hyposensitivity
hy·po·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[hpō sensi tívvətee] noun

low
sensitivity: an abnormally low sensitivity to stimuli
such as allergens
—hy·po·sen·si·tive [hpō sénsitiv], adjective[1]



hyposensitize

hyposensitize
hy·po·sen·si·tize 
[hpō sénsi tz] (past hy·po·sen·si·tized,
past participle hy·po·sen·si·tized, present participle hy·po·sen·si·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·po·sen·si·tiz·es) transitive
verb

make
somebody less sensitive: to lower somebody’s
sensitivity to something, for example, in the treatment of allergies
—hy·po·sen·si·ti·za·tion
[hpō sensiti záysh’n], noun[1]



hypostasis

hypostasis
hy·pos·ta·sis 
[hī póstəssiss] (plural hy·pos·ta·ses
[hī póstə sz]) noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY essence:
the essence or reality of something

2.  CHRISTIANITY one
of Trinity:
any of the three persons of the Christian Trinity

3.  CHRISTIANITY essential
nature of Jesus Christ: the essential nature of
Jesus Christ, in which the divine and the human are believed to be combined

4.  MEDICINE settling
of body fluid: the abnormal settling of fluid in an
organ or other part of the body, as a result of poor circulation, in patients
kept in bed, and after death
[Early
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek hupostasis “sediment,
foundation,” later “essence,” from huphistasthai “to stand under,
support,” from histasthai “to stand.”]
—hy·po·stat·ic
[hpə státtik], adjective

—hy·po·stat·i·cal,
adjective

—hy·po·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hypostatize

hypostatize
hy·pos·ta·tize 
[hī póstə tz] (past hy·pos·ta·tized,
past participle hy·pos·ta·tized, present participle hy·pos·ta·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·pos·ta·tiz·es) transitive verb

give
idea concrete existence: to treat something
conceptual as if it is real
—hy·pos·ta·ti·za·tion
[hī pòstəti záysh’n], noun[1]



hypostyle

hypostyle
hy·po·style 
[hpə stl] adjective

with
roof on columns: with a roof or ceiling that rests on
many columns
noun
(plural hy·po·styles)

columned
space:
a building or space with a roof or ceiling that rests on columns
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
hupostulos “resting upon pillars,” literally “pillar under,” from stulos
“pillar.”][1]



hypotaxis

hypotaxis
hy·po·tax·is 
[hpə táksiss] noun

subordinate
status of clause: the subordinate status of one clause in
relation to another separated from it by a subordinating conjunction
[Late
19th century. From Greek hupotaxis “subjection,” from hupotassein
“to arrange under,” from tassein “to arrange.”]
—hy·po·tac·tic, adjective[1]



hypotension

hypotension
hy·po·ten·sion 
[hpō ténshən] noun

low
blood pressure: abnormally low blood pressure
—hy·po·ten·sive, adjective,
noun[1]



hypotenuse

hypotenuse

hy·pot·e·nuse 
[hī pótt’n ss] (plural hy·pot·e·nuses)
noun
longest
side of right triangle: the longest side of a right
triangle, opposite the right angle
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
hypotenusa from Greek hupoteinousa “(line) stretching under (the
right angle),” from the present participle of hupoteinein “to stretch
under,” from teinein “to stretch.”][1]



hypoth.

hypoth.
hypoth.

1.  Abbreviation
of
hypothesis

2.  Abbreviation
of
hypothetical

[1]



hypothalamus

hypothalamus
hy·po·thal·a·mus 
[hpə thálləməss] (plural hy·po·thal·a·mi
[hpə thállə m]) noun

part
of brain:
a central area on the underside of the brain, controlling involuntary functions
such as body temperature and the release of hormones
—hy·po·tha·lam·ic, adjective[1]



hypothecate

hypothecate
hy·poth·e·cate 
[hī póthə kàyt] (past hy·poth·e·cat·ed,
past participle hy·poth·e·cat·ed, present participle hy·poth·e·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·poth·e·cates) transitive verb

pledge
something as security: to pledge property or goods
as security for a debt without surrendering ownership
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin hypothecare, from late Latin hypotheca
“deposit,” from Greek hupothēkē, from hupotithenai “to deposit as
a pledge.”]
—hy·poth·e·ca·tion
[hī pòthə káysh’n], noun

—hy·poth·e·ca·tor [hī póthə kàytər], noun[1]



hypothermal

hypothermal
hy·po·ther·mal 
[hpō thúrm’l] adjective

formed underground:
used to describe rocks and minerals formed deep underground at high
temperatures[1]



hypothermia

hypothermia
hy·po·ther·mi·a 
[hpō thúrmee ə] noun

1.  abnormally
low body temperature: dangerously low body
temperature caused by prolonged exposure to cold

2.  deliberately
reduced body temperature: lower-than-normal body
temperature induced medically, for example, to slow a patient’s metabolism
during heart surgery
[Late
19th century. Coined from hypo- + Greek thermē
“heat” (source of English thermal ) +
-ia .]
—hy·po·ther·mic, adjective[1]



hypothesis

hypothesis
hy·poth·e·sis 
[hī póthəssiss] (plural hy·poth·e·ses
[hī póthə sz]) noun

1.  theory
needing investigation: a tentative explanation for
a phenomenon, used as a basis for further investigation • The
hypothesis of the big bang is one way to explain the beginning of the universe.

2.  assumption:
a statement that is assumed to be true for the sake of argument • That
is what would logically follow if you accepted the hypothesis.

3.  LOGIC antecedent
clause:
the antecedent of a conditional statement
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek hupothesis “foundation, base,”
literally “placing under,” from thesis “placing.”]
—hy·poth·e·sist, noun[1]



hypothesize

hypothesize
hy·poth·e·size 
[hī póthə sz] (past hy·poth·e·sized,
past participle hy·poth·e·sized, present participle hy·poth·e·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·poth·e·siz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
a hypothesis: to offer something as or form a
hypothesis • Let
us, for the moment, hypothesize that the earth is flat.
—hy·poth·e·siz·er, noun[1]



hypothetical

hypothetical
hy·po·thet·i·cal 
[hpə théttik’l] or hy·po·thet·ic
[hpə théttik] adjective

1.  involving
ideas or possibilities: existing as or involving
something that exists as an unproven idea, theory, or possibility • the
hypothetical existence of a Loch Ness monster

2.  assumed
for the sake of argument: assumed or proposed for
further investigation • The
question is purely hypothetical.
—hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hypotheticalimperative

hypotheticalimperative
hy·po·thet·i·cal
im·per·a·tive (plural hy·po·thet·i·cal
im·per·a·tives) noun

something conditional on
something else: an imperative that
depends on a condition, for example, “be kind to people if they are kind to
you.”
See also
categorical imperative[1]



hypothyroid

hypothyroid
hy·po·thy·roid 
[hpō th ròyd] (plural hy·po·thy·roids)
adjective

affected by hypothyroidism:
relating to, characteristic of, or affected by hypothyroidism[1]



hypothyroidism

hypothyroidism
hy·po·thy·roid·ism 
[hpō th roy dìzzəm] noun

low thyroid hormone
production: a deficiency or the bodily
condition resulting from a deficiency in the production of thyroid hormones by
the thyroid gland, resulting in a slowing of the metabolic rate. A severe
deficiency can result in myxedema.[1]



hypotonic

hypotonic
hy·po·ton·ic 
[hpə tónnik] adjective

1.  lacking
muscle tone: with low or diminished muscle tone or
tension

2.  lower
in osmotic pressure: with a lower osmotic
pressure than another fluid
—hy·po·to·nia
[hpə tṓnee ə], noun

—hy·po·to·nic·i·ty [hīpōtō níssətee], noun[1]



hypoventilate

hypoventilate
hy·po·ven·ti·late
[hpō vént’l àyt] (past hy·po·ven·ti·lat·ed,
past participle hy·po·ven·ti·lat·ed, present participle hy·po·ven·ti·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular hy·po·ven·ti·lates) intransitive
verb

breathe too shallowly:
to breathe in an abnormally slow and shallow way[1]



hypoventilation

hypoventilation
hy·po·ven·ti·la·tion 
[hpō vent’l áysh’n] noun

slow breathing:
abnormally slow and shallow breathing leading to a dangerous buildup of carbon
dioxide in the blood[1]



hypoxaemia

hypoxaemia
hy·pox·ae·mi·a
noun

U.K. =
hypoxemia[1]



hypoxanthine

hypoxanthine
hy·po·xan·thine 
[hpə zán thn] noun

white chemical compound:
a white powdery substance that is a by-product of metabolism in plants and
animals. C5H4N4O[1]



hypoxemia

hypoxemia
hy·pox·e·mi·a 
[h pok smee ə] noun

low
blood oxygen: inadequate oxygen in the blood
[Late
19th century. Coined from hyp- + oxygen + -emia .]
—hy·pox·e·mic, adjective[1]



hypoxia

hypoxia
hy·pox·i·a 
[hī póksee ə] noun

inadequate
oxygen in body tissue: an inadequacy in the oxygen
reaching the body’s tissues
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from hyp- + oxygen + -ia .]
—hy·pox·ic, adjective[1]



hypso-

hypso-
hypso-
prefix

height
• hypsometer
[From Greek hupsos ;
ultimately related to hupo “under, below” (see hypo-
)][1]



hypsography

hypsography
hyp·sog·ra·phy 
[hip sóggrəfee] (plural hyp·sog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  measuring
and mapping earth’s features: the measurement and mapping
of the contours and elevations of natural features of the earth above sea level

2.  showing
earth’s features in relief: the depiction of the
contours and elevations of the natural features on the surface of the land

3.  See
hypsometry
—hyp·so·graph·ic
[hìpsə gráffik], adjective

—hyp·so·graph·i·cal, adjective[1]



hypsometer

hypsometer
hyp·som·e·ter 
[hip sómmətər] (plural hyp·som·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
for measuring altitude: an instrument that uses the
boiling point of water at different altitudes to measure the elevation of a
given point on the earth’s surface

2.  instrument
measuring tree height: an instrument for
calculating the heights of trees by using the principles of geometric
triangulation

[1]



hypsometry

hypsometry
hyp·som·e·try 
[hip sómmətree] noun

measurement
of land altitude: the measurement of the elevation of land
above sea level.
Also
called
hypsography
—hyp·so·met·ric
[hìpsə méttrik], adjective

—hyp·so·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—hyp·so·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—hyp·som·e·trist [hip sómmətrist], noun[1]



hyrax

hyrax
hy·rax 
[h ràks] (plural hy·rax·es or
hy·ra·ces [hrə sz]) noun

small
Mediterranean mammal: a small gregarious
plant-eating mammal that resembles a rabbit with short ears and has toenails
resembling hooves. Hyraxes live around the Mediterranean Sea and in
southwestern Asia. Family: Procaviidae
Also
called
coney
Also
called
dassie
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek hurax “shrew mouse,” of unknown origin.][1]



hyson

hyson
hy·son 
[hss’n] (plural hy·sons) noun

Chinese
tea:
a Chinese green tea
[Mid-18th century. From
Chinese xīchūn, literally “bright spring.”][1]



hyssop

hyssop
hys·sop 
[híssəp] (plural hys·sops) noun

1.  aromatic
herb:
a fragrant blue-flowered plant of Europe and Asia, similar to mint, cultivated
since medieval times as a medicinal herb and still used today in aromatherapy
and alternative medicine. Latin name: Hyssopus officinalis

2.  plant
similar to hyssop: a plant related to or
similar to true hyssop

3.  biblical
plant:
an unidentified plant whose twigs are described in the Bible as being used to
sprinkle water during Hebrew religious ceremonies
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin hyssopus
from Greek hussōpos, of uncertain origin: probably from Semitic.][1]



hyster-

hyster-
hyster-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
hystero-[1]



hysterectomy

hysterectomy
hys·ter·ec·to·my 
[hìstə réktəmee] (plural hys·ter·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of uterus:
a surgical operation to remove a woman’s uterus
—hys·ter·ec·to·mize, transitive
verb[1]



hysteresis

hysteresis
hys·ter·e·sis 
[hìstə rssiss] noun

lag
in effect:
a delayed response by an object to changes in the forces acting on it,
especially magnetic forces
[Late
19th century. From Greek husterēsis “deficiency,” from husterein
“to be behind, come late,” from husteros “late.”]
—hys·ter·et·ic [hìstə réttik], adjective[1]



hysteria

hysteria
hys·ter·i·a 
[hi stree ə] noun

1.  emotional
instability caused by trauma: an emotionally unstable
state brought about by a traumatic experience

2.  state
of extreme emotion: a state of extreme or
exaggerated emotion such as excitement or panic, especially among large numbers
of people • press
hysteria about the latest scandals

3.  laughing
or crying:
uncontrollable laughter or crying

4.  PSYCHIATRY conversion
disorder:
conversion disorder (dated)
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin hystericus (see hysteric
).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Studies
  in Hysteria, a book by Austrian psychologists Joseph Bauer and Sigmund Freud
  ( 1895 ). A pioneering work in the field of psychoanalysis, it suggests that
  hysterical symptoms are the result of the memory’s suppression of earlier
  traumatic events. The authors recommend that patients recall and confront
  these experiences in the hope of achieving catharsis.

[1]



hysteric

hysteric
hys·ter·ic 
[hi stérrik] noun (plural hys·ter·ics)

somebody
with hysteria: somebody affected by hysteria (dated)
(sometimes considered offensive)
adjective

See
hysterical  adjective 1
See hysterical  adjective 2
See hysterical  adjective 3
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin hystericus
from Greek husterikos “affected in the womb,” from hustera
“uterus” (see hystero- ). From the belief
that hysteria was caused by malfunction of the uterus.][1]



hysterical

hysterical
hys·ter·i·cal 
[hi stérrik’l] adjective

1.  affected
by hysteria: in a state of hysteria • hysterical
with grief

2.  relating
to hysteria: relating to, caused by, or subject to
hysteria

3.  uncontrollable:
impossible to hold back or control • hysterical
sobbing coming from the next room

4.  extremely
funny:
causing uncontrollable laughter (informal) • one
hysterical sketch after another
—hys·ter·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



hysterics

hysterics
hys·ter·ics
[hi stérriks] noun (takes a
singular or plural verb)

1.  laughter:
a state of uncontrollable laughter (informal) • had
them in hysterics with her stories

2.  state
of hysteria: a state of hysteria or an episode of
hysterical behavior

[1]



hystero-

hystero-
hystero-
prefix

1.  uterus
• hysterotomy

2.  hysteria
• hysterogenic
[From Greek hustera
“womb.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English uterus .][1]



hysterogenic

hysterogenic
hys·ter·o·gen·ic 
[hìstərō jénnik] adjective

causing hysteria:
bringing about a state of emotional instability or hysteria[1]



hysteronproteron

hysteronproteron
hys·ter·on
prot·er·on 
[hìstə ròn próttə ròn] noun

figure
of speech:
a figure of speech in which the order of words or phrases is the reverse of
what is usual, for example, “photographed in white and black”
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek husteron proteron “latter first.”][1]



hysterotomy

hysterotomy
hys·ter·ot·o·my 
[hìstə róttəmee] (plural hys·ter·ot·o·mies)
noun

cutting into uterus:
a surgical incision into a woman’s uterus, especially in order to perform a
cesarean section[1]



Hz

Hz
Hz

Symbol for
hertz[1]



háček

háček
há·ček
[há chèk] (plural há·čeks) noun

mark
changing letter’s sound: a mark (ˇ) placed over a
letter in some Slavic and other languages to indicate a change in
pronunciation. In Czech, for example, if placed over the letter “c” it changes
the sound to “ch.”
[Mid-20th century. From
Czech, literally “small hook,” formed from hak “hook.”][1]



Hémon,Louis

Hémon,Louis
Hé·mon
[ay mn], Louis (1880–1913)

French writer. He went to
Canada in 1911, and is best known for his novel of French-Canadian pioneer
life, Maria Chapdelaine ( 1914 ).[1]



i.

i.
i.

1.  Abbreviation
of
incisor

2.  Abbreviation
of
indicate

3.  BANKING Abbreviation of interest

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of intransitive

5.  Abbreviation
of
island

6.  Abbreviation
of
isle

[1]



I.

I.
I.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Imperial

2.
(of an advertisement) Abbreviation of (single column) inch

3.  Abbreviation
of
incumbent

4.  Abbreviation
of
independence

5.  Abbreviation
of
Independent

6.  Abbreviation
of
India

7.  Abbreviation
of
Indian

8.  Abbreviation
of
Inspector

9.  Abbreviation
of
Institute

10. Abbreviation
of
Instructor

11. Abbreviation
of
intelligence

12. Abbreviation
of
International

13. Abbreviation
of
interpreter

14. Abbreviation
of
Ireland

15. Abbreviation
of
Irish

16. Abbreviation
of
Island

17. Abbreviation
of
Isle

18. Abbreviation
of
issue

19. Abbreviation
of
Italian

[1]



I

I3
I3

1.  Symbol
for
electric current

2.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for iodine

3.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for
ionization potential

4.  QUANTUM PHYSICS Symbol
for isospin

5.  PHYSICS Symbol for moment of inertia

6.  Symbol
for
one

7.  LOGIC Symbol for a
particular affirmative categorial statement

8.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for unit
matrix

[1]



I

I4
I4

1.  Abbreviation
of
interstate

2.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Italy

[1]



i

i2
i2

1.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for imaginary unit

2.  Symbol
for
one

3.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for
van’t Hoff’s factor

[1]



i

i1

i1 [ī]
(plural i’s) or I [ī]
(plural I’s or Is) noun

1.  9th
letter of English alphabet: the ninth letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to “I”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “I”

3.        letter
“I” written: a written
representation of the letter “I”[1]



I

I1
I1 pronoun

first
person singular: a pronoun used by a speaker or writer to
refer to himself or herself (used as the subject of a verb)
[Old English ic . Via
prehistoric Germanic from an Indo-European word meaning “I,” which is also the
ancestor of English ego and egotism .][1]



I

I2
I2 or i noun

Roman numeral for 1:
the Roman numeral for one[1]



-i-

-i-
-i-

used
as a connector to join word elements • fossiliferous
[Via Old French from Latin][1]



i.a.

i.a.
i.a.

Abbreviation of
in absentia[1]



Ia.

Ia.
Ia.

Abbreviation of
Iowa[1]



IA

IA
IA

1.  Abbreviation
of
infected area

2.  Abbreviation
of
Institute of Actuaries

3.  MAIL Abbreviation of Iowa

[1]



-ia

-ia
-ia
suffix

1.  place
names • Australia
• India

2.  a
plural • Saturnalia

3.  diseases
or medical conditions • dyslexia

4.  classes
or genera • mammalia
• gardenia

5.  things
belonging to or associated with something • memorabilia
[Directly or via modern Latin
from Latin and Greek][1]



IAA

IAA
IAA

1.  Abbreviation
of
indoleacetic acid

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Advertising Association

[1]



IAAE

IAAE
IAAE

Abbreviation of
Institution of Automotive and Aeronautical Engineers[1]



IAAF

IAAF
IAAF

Abbreviation of
International Amateur Athletic Federation[1]



IAB

IAB
IAB

1.  Abbreviation
of
Industrial Advisory Board

2.  Abbreviation
of
Industrial Arbitration Board

3.  Abbreviation
of
Inter-American Bank

[1]



IABA

IABA
IABA

Abbreviation of
International Amateur Boxing Association[1]



Iacocca,Lee

Iacocca,Lee
Ia·coc·ca
[ ə kṓkə], Lee (1924– )

U.S.
automobile executive. After a 32-year career at Ford, he became the president
and chief executive officer of Chrysler Corporation (1978–1992), which he
rescued from failure.
Full name
Iacocca, Lido Anthony[1]



IACP

IACP
IACP

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Association of Chiefs of Police

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Association of Computer Programmers

[1]



IADB

IADB
IADB

1.  Abbreviation
of
Inter-American Defense Board

2.  Abbreviation
of
Inter-American Development Bank

[1]



IAEA

IAEA
IAEA

Abbreviation of
International Atomic Energy Agency[1]



IAF

IAF
IAF

Abbreviation of
Indian Air Force[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








IAL

IAL
IAL

Abbreviation of
International Algebraic Language[1]



-ial

-ial
-ial
suffix

connected
with or belonging to something • secretarial
• imperial
[Directly or via French from
Latin -ialis and -iale, adjective suffixes][1]



IAM

IAM
IAM

1.  Abbreviation
of
Institute of Administrative Management

2.  Abbreviation
of
internal auditory meatus

[1]



IAMAW

IAMAW
IAMAW

Abbreviation of
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers[1]



iamb

iamb
i·amb 
[ àm] (plural i·ambs) noun

rhythm
unit in poetry: a unit of rhythm in poetry, consisting
of one short or unstressed syllable or group followed by one long or stressed
syllable. “The ploughman homeward plods his weary way” consists of five iambs.
Also
called
iambus
Also
called
iambic
[Mid-19th century. Anglicized
form of iambus .][1]



iambic

iambic
i·am·bic 
[ī ámbik] adjective

using iambs:
relating to or consisting of iambs
noun
(plural i·am·bics)

1.  See
iamb

2.  poem
consisting of iambs: a poem or a line of poetry
written in iambs (often used in the plural)

[1]



iambicpentameter

iambicpentameter
i·am·bic
pen·tam·e·ter noun

five-beat poetic line:
the most common rhythm in English poetry, consisting of five iambs in each
line. “The quality of mercy is not strained” is an iambic pentameter .[1]



iambus

iambus
i·am·bus 
[īám bəss] (plural i·am·bus·es
or i·am·bi [īám bī]) noun

See
iamb
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek iambos “iamb, lampoon,” from iaptein “to attack in
words.” From the tradition that iambic verse was first used by satirists.][1]



-ian

-ian
-ian 
(plural -ians) suffix

belonging
to, coming from, being involved in, or being like something • Italian
• Smithsonian
• mathematician
[Directly or via French -ien
from Latin -ianus, which was formed by adding the adjective suffix -anus
to nouns with stems ending in i][1]



Iapetus

Iapetus
I·ap·e·tus 
[ī áppətəss] noun

moon of Saturn:
a natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1671. It is 1,436 km/892 mi in
diameter and occupies an outer orbit.[1]



IARC

IARC
IARC

Abbreviation of
International Agency for Research on Cancer[1]



IARU

IARU
IARU

Abbreviation of
International Amateur Radio Union[1]



IAS

IAS
IAS

1.  Abbreviation
of
image analysis system

2.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
immediate access store

3.  AIR Abbreviation of
indicated air speed

[1]



-iasis

-iasis
-iasis
(plural -iases) suffix

disease:
forms words for diseases characterized by or caused by something specified • filariasis
[Coined from -i- + Latin or Greek -asis, used to form
nouns of state or process][1]



IATA

IATA
IATA

Abbreviation of
International Air Transport Association[1]



-iatric

-iatric
-iatric
suffix

of a particular field of
medicine • psychiatric[1]



-iatrics

-iatrics
-iatrics
suffix

a particular field of
medicine • pediatrics[1]



iatrogenic

iatrogenic
i·at·ro·gen·ic 
[ī àttrə jénnik] adjective

caused
by a doctor: used to describe a symptom or illness
brought on unintentionally by something that a doctor does or says • iatrogenic
disorders
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek iatros “doctor” + -genic .]
—i·at·ro·gen·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



-iatry

-iatry
-iatry
suffix

a
particular field of medicine or medical treatment • podiatry
• psychiatry
[From Greek -iatreia
“art of healing,” from iatros “doctor”][1]



IAU

IAU
IAU

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Association of Universities

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Astronomical Union

[1]



Iaşi

Iaşi
Ia·şi
[yshee]

city and capital of the
county of the same name in eastern Romania, situated on a tributary of the Prut
River. Population: 342,994 (1992)[1]



ib.

ib.
ib.

Abbreviation of
ibidem[1]



IB

IB
IB

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of in
bond

2.  Abbreviation
of
incendiary bomb

3.  Abbreviation
of
industrial business

4.  Abbreviation
of
International Baccalaureate

5.  Abbreviation
of
invoice book

[1]



IBA

IBA
IBA

1.  Abbreviation
of
indolebutyric acid

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Bar Association

3.  Abbreviation
of
Investment Bankers’ Association

[1]



Ibadan

Ibadan
I·ba·dan 
[ee bd’n, ee
bdaan]

city and capital of Oyo
State, southwestern Nigeria, situated 143 km/89 mi northeast of Lagos.
Population: 1,295,000 (1992)[1]



IBD

IBD
IBD

1.  Abbreviation
of
inflammatory bowel disease

2.  Abbreviation
of
ion-beam deposition

[1]



I-beam

I-beam
I-beam 
(plural I-beams) noun

I-shaped metal beam:
a metal beam or girder that is shaped like a capital “I” in cross section[1]



Iberia

Iberia
I·be·ri·a 
[ī bree ə] noun

1.  See
Iberian Peninsula the

2.  ancient
Caucasian region: an ancient region in the Caucasus,
roughly equivalent to present-day eastern Georgia

[1]



Iberian

Iberian
I·be·ri·an 
[ī bree ən] noun (plural I·be·ri·ans)

1.  member
of ancient people: a member of one of the
ancient peoples who lived either on the Iberian Peninsula or in the
Transcaucasian state of Iberia

2.  somebody
from Iberian Peninsula: somebody who lives in or was
born or raised in Spain or Portugal
adjective

1.  of
ancient Iberians: relating to the ancient peoples who
lived either on the Iberian Peninsula or in the Transcaucasian state of Iberia

2.  of
Iberian Peninsula: relating to Spain or
Portugal, or their people or culture
[Early 16th century. Formed
from Latin Iberia “land of the Iberes,” from Greek Ibēres
“Spaniards.”][1]



IberianPeninsula

IberianPeninsula
I·be·ri·an
Pen·in·su·la [ī bree èn
pə nínnsələ]

peninsula in southwestern
Europe, divided into Spain and Portugal, together with Gibraltar[1]



Ibero-

Ibero-
Ibero-
prefix

Iberia or Iberian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ibex

ibex
i·bex 
[ bèks] (plural i·bex or
i·bex·es) noun

wild
goat with long horns: a wild mountain goat with
long knobbly backward-curving horns that lives in Europe, Asia, and northern
Africa. Genus: Capra
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, of uncertain origin.][1]



IBF

IBF
IBF

Abbreviation of
International Boxing Federation[1]



IBG

IBG
IBG

Abbreviation of
interblock gap[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ibibio

Ibibio
I·bib·i·o 
[i bíbbee ] (plural I·bib·i·o
or I·bib·i·os) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a people living
in southeastern parts of Nigeria, especially in the region around the port of
Calabar

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Ibibio:
the language of the Ibibio belonging to the Benue-Congo group of languages.
About two million people speak Ibibio.
[Early
19th century. From Ibibio .]
—I·bib·i·o, adjective[1]



ibid.

ibid.
ibid.
[íbbid]

Abbreviation of
ibidem[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ibidem

ibidem
i·bi·dem 
[íbbi dèm] adverb

from
same source: used to cite the same book, publication,
chapter, or page previously cited
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “in the same place,” from ibi “there” + -dem “that.”][1]



-ibility

-ibility
-ibility
(plural -ibilities) suffix

See
-ability
[Via French -ibilité
from the Latin stem -ibilitat-, from -ibilis][1]



ibis

ibis

i·bis 
[biss] (plural i·bis·es or
i·bis) noun
tropical
wading bird: a gregarious wading bird with a
downward-curving bill. Ibises live in warm and tropical climates. Family:
Threskiornithidae
[14th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Egyptian hbj .][1]



Ibiza

Ibiza
I·bi·za
[ee bthè]

1.  third
largest island in the Balearic group, Baleares Province, Spain, situated in the
western Mediterranean Sea approximately 96 km/60 mi from the eastern coast of
Spain. Area: 596 sq km/230 sq mi.

2.  seaport
and capital of the island of Ibiza, situated 129 km/80 mi southwest of Palma.
Population: 29,447 (1996)

[1]



Ibizanhound

Ibizanhound
I·bi·zan
hound 
[ī bz’n hòwnd] (plural I·bi·zan
hounds) noun

smooth-haired
dog:
a smooth-haired dog similar to, but smaller than, a German shepherd, with a
light brown or reddish, sometimes spotted, coat. It was originally bred in the
Balearic Islands for hunting.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Ibiza, the westernmost of the Balearic Islands.][1]



-ible

-ible
-ible
suffix

See
-able
[From Latin -ibilis,
adjective suffix][1]



IBM

IBM
IBM

Abbreviation of
intercontinental ballistic missile[1]



IBMBR

IBMBR
IBMBR

Abbreviation of
interbank market bid rate[1]



IbnSaud, Abdul Aziz

IbnSaud, Abdul Aziz
Ibn
Sa·ud
[ìbbən saa d, ìbbən
sówd], Abdul Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia (1880?–1953)

As the first king of Saudi
Arabia (1932–1953), he helped to found the Arab League (1945) and opened up his
country’s oil reserves.[1]



Ibo

Ibo
I·bo 
[ b] (plural I·bo or I·bos)
or Ig·bo [íg b] (plural
Ig·bo or Ig·bos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Nigerian people: a member of a people living
in parts of western Africa, especially in southeastern Nigeria. During the
1960s, the Ibo formed the breakaway state of Biafra. Fighting with Nigerian
troops and severe famine led to enormous loss of life and the Ibo capitulated
in 1970.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Ibo:
a language spoken in southern parts of Nigeria and in some areas of Niger. It
is one of the Kwa group of the Niger-Congo family of African languages. Ibo is
spoken by about 17 million people.
[Mid-18th
century. From Ibo .]
—I·bo, adjective[1]



IBRD

IBRD
IBRD

Abbreviation of
International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development[1]



IBS

IBS
IBS

Abbreviation of
irritable bowel syndrome[1]



Ibsen,Henrik

Ibsen,Henrik

Ib·sen
[íbss’n], Henrik (1828–1906)
Norwegian
playwright. The pioneering psychological realism of such works as A Doll’s
House (1879) and Hedda Gabler (1890) had a profound impact on
20th-century drama.
Full name
Ibsen, Henrik Johan[1]



ibuprofen

ibuprofen
i·bu·pro·fen 
[byoo prṓfən] noun

pain-relieving
and anti-inflammatory drug: a drug used to relieve pain
and reduce inflammation, widely used in the treatment of arthritis and
rheumatism. It is a member of a class of drugs known as NSAIDs, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, which also includes aspirin. C13H18O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from iso- + butyl
+ propionic + an alteration of phenyl .][1]



i/c

i/c
i/c

1.  Abbreviation
of
in charge (of)

2.  Abbreviation
of
in command

[1]



ICA

ICA
ICA

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Coffee Agreement

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Commodity Agreement

3.  Abbreviation
of
International Cooperation Administration

[1]



ICAO

ICAO
ICAO

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Civil Aeronautics Organization

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Civil Aviation Organization

[1]



Icarus

Icarus
Ic·a·rus 
[íkərəss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY character
in Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, the son
of Daedalus, who drowned in the sea while attempting to escape from Crete after
the sun melted his wings of wax and feathers

2.  ASTRONOMY asteroid:
an asteroid whose orbit is within 30 million km19 million mi of the sun, closer
than any other orbiting object
—I·car·i·an [i káiree ən], adjective[1]



ICBM

ICBM
ICBM

Abbreviation of
intercontinental ballistic missile[1]



ICC

ICC
ICC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Indian Claims Commission

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Chamber of Commerce

3.  Abbreviation
of
Interstate Commerce Commission

[1]



Ice.

Ice.
Ice.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Iceland

2.  Abbreviation
of
Icelandic

[1]



ICE

ICE
ICE

1.
(used as a treatment for injuries and bruises) Abbreviation of
ice, compress, elevation

2.  Abbreviation
of
Institution of Civil Engineers

3.  Abbreviation
of
internal-combustion engine

4.  Abbreviation
of
International Cultural Exchange

[1]



ice

ice
ice 
[īss] noun (plural ic·es)

1.  frozen
water:
water that has frozen into solid form • puddles
turning to ice

2.  expanse
of frozen water: an area, layer, or body of frozen water
• a
polar bear far out on the ice

3.  substance
like ice:
any substance resembling ice, for example, the frozen form of carbon dioxide,
known as dry ice

4.  pieces
of frozen water: ice, either crushed or in cubes, used to
cool drinks or food

5.  FOOD frozen
dessert:
a dessert or snack of crushed ice flavored with sweetened juice.
U.K.
term
water ice

6.  SPORTS skating
surface:
a prepared frozen surface for ice skaters or ice-hockey players

7.  coldness:
animosity or excessive formality between people • The
room’s atmosphere turned to ice when the two adversaries met.

8.  diamonds:
diamonds, or jewelry in general, especially stolen merchandise (slang)

9.  DRUGS illegal
drug:
a concentrated form of the drug methamphetamine (slang)

10. illegal
money:
money obtained illegally, especially protection money paid to criminals (slang)

11. CRIMINOLOGY illegal
profit:
profit made on the illegal diversion of tickets for the theater, a movie, or a
sporting event to a ticket broker (slang)
adjective

made of ice: made
of, containing, using, or for use on ice • an
ice cube
• an
ice sculpture • an
ice ax
verb
(past iced, past participle iced, present
participle ic·ing, 3rd person present singular ic·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
freeze
up:
to sustain freezing and the development of a thin coating of ice on the surface
• The
bridge iced, making it dangerous. • Bridges
ice before roads.

2.  transitive
verb
put
icing on cake: to cover something such as a cake with
icing

3.  transitive
verb
cool
a drink:
to chill a drink with ice, or stir ice cubes into it

4.  transitive
verb
kill
somebody:
to kill somebody (slang)

5.  transitive
verb
HOCKEY send
puck out of defensive territory: to shoot an ice-hockey
puck out of defensive territory and far into the opposing team’s territory

6.  transitive
verb
make
certain of something: to make certain of
something, especially of winning a game (slang) • They
iced the game with a late field goal.
[Old
English īs . From prehistoric Germanic, of uncertain origin.]
—ice·less,
adjective
break
the ice

to
overcome the initial restraint felt by people who have just met or who are
meeting under awkward circumstances

cut
no ice

to
fail to impress or make a difference

on
ice

1.  in
abeyance or in a state of being postponed

2.  in
a place of safekeeping (slang)

3.  being
chilled in a freezer, refrigerator, or among ice cubes

on
thin ice

in
an unsafe, difficult, or vulnerable situation (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  ice
  or iced ?
  For
  most cold beverages, iced is by far the
  more common form for the adjective: • iced
  tea,
  • iced
  coffee
  . • Ice
  beer
  and • ice
  wine
  are exceptions; here the meaning is not that the drink is being served with
  ice but that ice figured in the production of it.

[1]



iceage

iceage
ice
age
(plural ice ag·es) noun

period of extreme cold:
any of the periods in the Earth’s history when temperatures fell worldwide and
large areas of the Earth’s surface were covered with glaciers[1]



IceAge

IceAge
Ice
Age
noun

part of Pleistocene epoch:
the most recent ice age during which most of the northern hemisphere was
covered with glaciers, occurring during the Pleistocene epoch[1]



iceax

iceax
ice
ax
(plural ice ax·es) noun

mountaineer’s ax:
a lightweight tool resembling an ax, used by mountaineers to cut handholds and
footholds in ice and provide additional balance during a slide down a
snow-covered slope[1]



icebag

icebag
ice
bag
(plural ice bags) noun

bag used as ice pack:
a waterproof bag filled with ice and held against an injured part of the body
to ease pain or reduce swelling[1]



icebeer

icebeer
ice
beer
(plural ice beers) noun

beer frozen during brewing:
beer brewed by a process that freezes the beer and removes some of the ice,
thus increasing the beer’s alcohol content[1]



iceberg

iceberg
ice·berg 
[ss bùrg] (plural ice·bergs) noun

1.  mass
of floating ice: a large mounded mass of ice that has
broken away from a glacier and floats in the sea, with the greater part of its
bulk under the water

2.  FOOD (informal) See
iceberg lettuce

3.  somebody
with cool manner: somebody who is unemotional or
unfriendly (informal)
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch ijsberg, literally “ice mountain.”][1]



iceberglettuce

iceberglettuce
ice·berg
let·tuce
(plural ice·berg let·tuc·es) noun

crisp lettuce:
a large round kind of lettuce with pale crisp juicy leaves, somewhat like
cabbage leaves, that form a tight head when the lettuce is mature.
Also called
iceberg[1]



iceblink

iceblink
ice·blink 
[ss blìnk] (plural ice·blinks)
noun

reflected light from ice
field: a yellowish glow in the sky,
occurring when sunlight is reflected by a distant ice field.
Also called
blink[1]



iceboat

iceboat
ice·boat 
[ss bt] (plural ice·boats) noun

1.  boat
used on ice: a boat or simple frame with runners,
usually propelled by a sail and used on ice for recreation or travel

2.  See
icebreaker  noun 1
—ice·boat·er,
noun

—ice·boat·ing, noun[1]



icebound

icebound
ice·bound 
[ss bòwnd] adjective

immobilized by ice:
unable to move because of being covered with or surrounded by ice[1]



icebox

icebox
ice·box 
[ss bòks] (plural ice·box·es)
noun

1.  See
refrigerator

2.  cool
container for food: an insulated container
filled with ice and used to keep food and drinks cool and fresh

[1]



icebreaker

icebreaker
ice·break·er 
[ss bràykər] (plural ice·break·ers)
noun

1.  SHIPPING ship
for breaking ice: a ship with a reinforced bow used to
break up ice and cut a passage through frozen navigable waters.
Also
called
iceboat

2.  something
that relaxes group: something such as a joke or
game used to ease the initial tension, restraint, or awkwardness of a meeting
or social gathering

[1]



icecap

icecap
ice·cap
[ss kàp] (plural ice·caps) or
ice cap [ss kàp] (plural ice
caps) noun

permanent covering of ice:
a thick permanent covering of ice and snow extending outward in every
direction, for example, from the North and South Poles or from a mountain top[1]



ice-cold

ice-cold
ice-cold 
adjective

very cold:
extremely cold[1]



icecream

icecream
ice
cream
(plural ice creams) noun

frozen
dessert made with cream: a sweet frozen dessert or
snack traditionally made with cream and egg yolks and flavored with a variety
of fruits or other extracts
[Alteration of iced cream][1]



ice-creamchair

ice-creamchair
ice-cream
chair 
(plural ice-cream chairs) noun

armless chair:
a wire chair with a round seat and without arms, once popular in ice-cream
parlors and used in a variety of cafés[1]



ice-creamcone

ice-creamcone
ice-cream
cone
(plural ice-cream cones) noun

1.  cone-shaped
wafer:
a hollow cone-shaped wafer designed to hold a serving of ice cream

2.  cone-shaped
wafer containing ice cream: an ice-cream cone containing
a serving of ice cream.
Also
called
cone

[1]



ice-creamsoda

ice-creamsoda
ice-cream
so·da
(plural ice-cream so·das) noun

drink with ice cream:
a refreshment consisting of ice cream in any kind of soda, sometimes with the
addition of a flavored syrup, and served in a tall glass[1]



iced

iced
iced 
[īst] adjective

1.  chilled
or with ice: chilled or poured over ice cubes

2.  with
icing:
decorated with icing • iced
cinnamon buns

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at ice.

[1]



icedancing

icedancing
ice
danc·ing
noun

kind of ice skating:
figure skating in which a pair of skaters perform routines based on ballroom
dancing, and in which the height of lifts is restricted in competition.
Competitive ice dancing also requires that the two skaters remain in close
physical contact throughout their routine.[1]



icefall

icefall
ice·fall 
[ss fòl] (plural ice·falls) noun

1.  frozen
waterfall:
a waterfall that has frozen solid

2.  sloping
face of a glacier: a face of a glacier on which
the gradient is so steep that the ice breaks up into a jumble of blocks.
See
also
serac
[Modeled on waterfall][1]



icefield

icefield
ice
field
(plural ice fields) noun

large area of ice:
a large, flat expanse of ice formed where the land surface is level, therefore
making it easy for ice to accumulate[1]



icefloe

icefloe
ice
floe
(plural ice floes) noun

ice floating in sea:
a sheet of floating ice smaller than an ice field[1]



icefog

icefog
ice
fog
noun

fog of ice particles:
a fog that is made up of ice particles rather than water droplets[1]



icefoot

icefoot
ice
foot
noun

coastal band of ice:
a permanent band of ice along the coast of a polar region[1]



icehockey

icehockey
ice
hock·ey
noun

See
hockey[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








icehouse

icehouse
ice·house 
[ss hòwss] (plural ice·hous·es
[ss hòwzəz]) noun

place to keep ice:
a building where ice is made, stored, and sometimes sold[1]



Icel.

Icel.
Icel.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Iceland

2.  Abbreviation
of
Icelandic

[1]



Iceland

Iceland



Ice·land 
[slènd, s land]
island
republic in the North Atlantic Ocean, 300 km/185 mi east of Greenland and 1,000
km/620 mi west of Norway. Language: Icelandic. Currency: króna. Capital:
Reykjavik. Population: 269,697 (1997) Area: 103,000 sq km/39,800 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Iceland
—Ice·land·er [sləndər], noun[1]



Iceland




Back to definition

Iceland

[1]



Icelandic

Icelandic
Ice·land·ic 
[īs lándik] adjective

of
Iceland:
relating to Iceland, or its people or culture
noun

LANGUAGE
language of Iceland:
the North Germanic language of modern Iceland[1]



Icelandmoss

Icelandmoss
Ice·land
moss
noun

Arctic
lichen:
a grayish-brown lichen found in the Arctic and northern Europe, grown as a food
and also used medicinally. Latin name: Cetraria islandica
[From the fact that it is
found in Iceland][1]



Icelandpoppy

Icelandpoppy
Ice·land
pop·py
noun

Arctic
poppy:
a poppy of Arctic regions, often grown for its white or yellow flowers on
leafless stems. Latin name: Papaver nudicaule
[From the fact that it is
found in Iceland][1]



Icelandspar

Icelandspar
Ice·land
spar
noun

transparent
calcite:
a transparent form of calcite used in optical instruments for its refractive
properties
[From the fact that it is
found in Iceland][1]



icemachine

icemachine
ice
ma·chine
(plural ice ma·chines) noun

See
icemaker[1]



icemaker

icemaker
ice·mak·er 
[ss màykər] (plural ice·mak·ers)
noun

machine that produces ice
cubes: a machine that produces ice
cubes, often built into a refrigerator.
Also called
ice machine[1]



iceman

iceman
ice·man 
[ss màn] (plural ice·men [ss mèn]) noun

1.  somebody
who sells or delivers ice: somebody who sells or
delivers ice, in the past primarily to homes, but now chiefly to establishments
that sell packaged ice to the public and in large quantities to commercial
fishing boats

2.  expert
in icy conditions: an explorer or mountaineer
experienced in traveling on ice

[1]



icemilk

icemilk
ice
milk
(plural ice milks) noun

frozen food made from skim
milk: a frozen food like ice cream
but made with skim milk[1]



iceneedle

iceneedle
ice
nee·dle
(plural ice nee·dles) noun

thin ice crystal:
a tiny needle-shaped ice crystal that forms in cold moist air and gathers with
others into masses resembling clouds, often at high altitudes and in otherwise
clear weather[1]



Iceni

Iceni
I·ce·ni 
[ī s n] plural noun

ancient British people:
an ancient people of Britain who, under Queen Boudicca, attempted to overthrow
the Romans in AD 61. The Romans
fought off the Iceni and Boudicca committed suicide.[1]



ice-out

ice-out
ice-out 
(plural ice-outs) noun

thawing of ice on water:
a thawing of ice covering a lake or other body of water[1]



iceover

iceover
ice
over
intransitive verb

become covered with ice:
to become covered with a layer of ice • As
soon as the lake iced over, people were out there with their skates.[1]



icepack

icepack
ice
pack
(plural ice packs) noun

1.  MEDICINE ice
used for an injury: an ice-filled cloth or bag
held against an injured part of the body to ease pain or reduce swelling

2.  GEOGRAPHY pack
ice:
an area of pack ice

[1]



icepick

icepick
ice
pick
(plural ice picks) noun

pick for breaking ice:
a lightweight hand-held pick for chipping away or breaking up ice[1]



iceplant

iceplant
ice
plant
(plural ice plants) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with thick leaves and pink flowers: a
clump-forming plant with thick, pale-green leaves and flat heads of pink
flowers on long stalks. Latin name: Sedum spectabile

2.  plant
with glistening leaves: a low-growing succulent
plant native to southern Africa with pink or white flowers and leaves that are
covered with fine protruding sacs that glisten like ice crystals. Latin name: Mesembryanthemum
crystallinum

[1]



icepoint

icepoint
ice
point
noun

freezing point:
the temperature, 0°C or 32°F, at which water freezes under a pressure of one
atmosphere[1]



iceroad

iceroad
ice
road
(plural ice roads) noun

Canada
road on frozen water:
a stretch of road that runs on a frozen body of water[1]



icesheet

icesheet
ice
sheet
(plural ice sheets) noun

long-lasting expanse of ice:
a thick covering of ice over a large area that remains for a long period of
time[1]



iceshelf

iceshelf
ice
shelf
noun

ice projecting over sea:
a thick mass of ice covering coastal land and extending out over the sea so
that the extended portion floats[1]



iceshow

iceshow
ice
show
(plural ice shows) noun

performance on ice:
an entertainment performed by skaters on ice[1]



iceskate

iceskate
ice
skate
noun

boot fitted with blade:
a boot with a metal blade fixed along the length of its sole, allowing the
wearer to glide over an ice-covered surface[1]



ice-skate

ice-skate
ice-skate 
(past participle ice-skat·ed, present participle ice-skat·ing,
3rd person present singular ice-skates) intransitive verb

glide
on ice skates: to glide over an ice-covered surface on
ice skates
—ice-skat·er, noun[1]



iceskating

iceskating
ice
skat·ing
noun

gliding over ice on skates:
the sport or pastime of using ice skates to glide over an ice-covered surface[1]



icestorm

icestorm
ice
storm
(plural ice storms) noun

storm when rain turns to ice:
a rainstorm in conditions so cold that the rain freezes as it hits the ground,
forming sheets of ice[1]



iceup

iceup
ice
up
intransitive verb

become coated with ice:
to become coated with a layer of ice • The
car’s windshield will ice up if you don’t park it in the garage.[1]



icevolcano

icevolcano
ice
vol·ca·no
noun

volcano of plastic ice magma:
a volcano-like formation composed of plastic ice magma, found on the two moons
of Uranus[1]



icewater

icewater
ice
wa·ter
(plural ice wa·ters) noun

1.  drink
of chilled water: very cold water or water chilled in a
refrigerator or with ice cubes, served as a drink

2.  melted
ice:
water produced when ice melts

[1]



ICFTU

ICFTU
ICFTU

Abbreviation of
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions[1]



IChing

IChing
I
Ching 
[ee jíng] noun

1.  Chinese
system of fortune-telling: an ancient Chinese system of
divination, based on a book of Taoist philosophy and expressed in hexagrams
chosen at random and interpreted to answer questions and give advice

2.  book
of I Ching:
the book containing the symbols used in I Ching divination and an accompanying
text that the reader may consult for help in interpreting the symbols
[Late 19th century. From
Chinese, literally “Book of Changes.”][1]



ichneumonfly

ichneumonfly
ich·neu·mon
fly
[ik nmən flī] or ich·neu·mon wasp
[ik nmən flī] (plural ich·neu·mon
wasps) or ich·neu·mon [ik nmən
flī] (plural ich·neu·mons) noun

parasite of other insects:
a slender insect related to and resembling a wasp. The various species are
parasites of many insect pests, laying their eggs in insect larvae. Family:
Ichneumonidae[1]



ichnography

ichnography
ich·nog·ra·phy 
[ik nóggrəfee] (plural ich·nog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  drawing
ground plans: the art or practice of drawing ground
plans of the layout of buildings

2.  ground
plan:
a ground plan of the layout of a building
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin ichnographia, from Greek
ikhnographia, literally “track-drawing,” from ikhnos “track.”]
—ich·no·graph·ic
[ìknə gráffik], adjective

—ich·no·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—ich·no·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ichnology

ichnology
ich·nol·o·gy 
[ik nólləjee] noun

study
of fossil footprints: the scientific study of
fossilized footprints
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek ikhnos “track, footprint” + -logy .]
—ich·no·log·i·cal [ìknə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



ichor

ichor
i·chor 
[ kàwr, kər]
noun

1.  MEDICINE discharge
from sore:
a watery or slightly bloody discharge from a wound or an ulcer

2.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
gods’ blood: the fluid said to run, instead of body
fluid, through the veins of the gods in Greek mythology
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek ikhōr, of unknown origin.]
—i·chor·ous [kərəss], adjective[1]



ichth.

ichth.
ichth.

Abbreviation of
ichthyology[1]



ichthus

ichthus
ich·thus
[íkthəss] or ich·thys [íkthiss] noun

fish
symbol:
a simple symbol that resembles a fish, consisting of two curves that bisect
each other. It is a symbol of Christianity.
[From Greek ikhthus
“fish”][1]



ichthy-

ichthy-
ichthy-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
ichthyo-[1]



ichthyo-

ichthyo-
ichthyo-
prefix

fish
• ichthyology
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek ikhthus “fish”][1]



ichthyofauna

ichthyofauna
ich·thy·o·fau·na 
[ìkthee ə fáwnnə] noun

area’s
fish life:
all fish that live in a particular area
—ich·thy·o·fau·nal, adjective[1]



ichthyoid

ichthyoid
ich·thy·oid 
[íkthee òyd] (plural ich·thy·oids)
noun

fish,
or animal like fish: a fish, or a vertebrate such
as a lamprey or hagfish that is similar to a fish
—ich·thy·oid,
adjective

—ich·thy·oi·dal [ìkthee óyd’l], adjective[1]



ichthyol.

ichthyol.
ichthyol.

Abbreviation of
ichthyology[1]



ichthyology

ichthyology
ich·thy·ol·o·gy 
[ìkthee ólləjee] noun

study
of fish:
the branch of zoology that deals with the scientific study of fish
—ich·thy·o·log·ic
[ìkthee ə lójjik], adjective

—ich·thy·o·log·i·cal,
adjective

—ich·thy·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ich·thy·ol·o·gist [ìkthee ólləjist], noun[1]



ichthyophagous

ichthyophagous
ich·thy·oph·a·gous 
[ìkthee óffəgəss] adjective

fish-eating:
eating or feeding on fish[1]



ichthyornis

ichthyornis
ich·thy·or·nis 
[ìkthee áwrniss] (plural ich·thy·or·nis·es)
noun

prehistoric
bird:
a prehistoric toothed bird, similar to a gull, that lived during the Cretaceous
period. Genus: Ichthyornis
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “fish-bird,” from Greek ikhthus
“fish” + ornis “bird” (source of English ornitho-
).][1]



ichthyosaur

ichthyosaur
ich·thy·o·saur 
[íkthee əsàwr] (plural ich·thy·o·saurs)
or ich·thy·o·sau·rus [ìkthee ə sáwrəss]
(plural ich·thy·o·sau·rus·es or ich·thy·o·sau·ri [ìkthee ə sáw r]) noun

prehistoric
reptile:
a prehistoric reptile with a long snout and paddle-shaped limbs that lived in
the sea during the Mesozoic era. Order: Ichthyosauria
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Ichthyosauria, order name, literally
“fish-lizards,” from Greek ikhthus “fish” + sauros “lizard.”]
—ich·thy·o·sau·ri·an [ìkthee ə sáwree ən], adjective[1]



ichthyosis

ichthyosis
ich·thy·o·sis 
[ìkthi ṓssiss] noun

skin disease:
a disease that causes the skin to become dry, thick, and scaly[1]



ichthys

ichthys
ich·thys
noun

See
ichthus[1]



-ician

-ician
-ician
suffix

one
who practices or specializes in • musician
• statistician
[From Old French -icien,
from -ique (see -ic )][1]



icicle

icicle
i·ci·cle 
[ssik’l] (plural i·ci·cles) noun

1.  hanging
ice:
a hanging tapered rod of ice, formed when dripping water freezes

2.  somebody
very reserved: somebody who is aloof or unemotional (informal)

3.  decoration
on Christmas tree: a decoration for Christmas
trees resembling an icicle, made of a thin strip of foil or formed from plastic
or glass
[14th century. From ice + obsolete ickle “icicle,” from Old
English gicel, of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



icily

icily
i·ci·ly
[ssilee] adverb

in unfriendly manner:
in a very aloof or unfriendly manner[1]



iciness

iciness
i·ci·ness
[sseenəss] noun

1.  being
covered with ice: the state of being covered with ice

2.  extreme
coldness:
extreme coldness, usually to the point of freezing • the
wind’s iciness

3.  unfriendliness:
extreme aloofness or unfriendliness of manner • the
iciness of her tone

[1]



icing

icing
ic·ing 
[ssing] noun

1.  FOOD glazing
or frosting for cakes: a sugar-based decorative
coating for cakes, either soft or hardened, made by mixing powdered sugar with
water or another binding substance and often other ingredients or flavorings

2.  METEOROLOGY formation
of ice:
the formation of ice on surfaces, for example, on aircraft or ships • Some
bridges and overpasses are more predisposed to icing than paved roads.

3.  HOCKEY shooting
puck into opposing territory: in ice hockey, the action of
shooting the puck out of defensive territory and far into the opposing team’s
territory
the
icing on the cake

something additional that
makes something that was already good even better[1]



icingsugar

icingsugar
ic·ing
sug·ar
noun

U.K.
See confectioners’ sugar[1]



ICJ

ICJ
ICJ

Abbreviation of
International Court of Justice[1]



Ickes,Harold L.

Ickes,Harold L.
Ickes
[íkəss], Harold L. (1874–1952)

U.S.
lawyer and public official. He was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of the
Interior (1933–1946).
Full name
Ickes, Harold Leclair[1]



icky

icky
ick·y 
[íkee] (comparative ick·i·er, superlative
ick·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  sticky:
disgustingly and messily sticky

2.  nasty:
generally nasty or unpleasant • I had
an icky feeling in their presence.

3.  sentimental:
sentimental in a silly or childish way • a
script with some pretty icky lines
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain.]
—ick·i·ness, noun[1]



ICM

ICM
ICM

1.  Abbreviation
of
Institute of Credit Management

2.
(part of the UN) Abbreviation of Intergovernmental Committee for
Migrations

[1]



icon

icon
i·con
[ kòn] (plural i·cons) noun

1.  i·con
or i·kon RELIGION image
of holy person: a holy picture, carving, or statue of
Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint, especially an oil painting on a
wooden panel, used in worship in the Eastern Orthodox churches

2.  somebody
famous for something: somebody or something widely
and uncritically admired, especially somebody or something symbolizing a
movement or field of activity • the
all-time rock ’n’ roll icon.

3.  COMPUTING picture
on computer screen: a small image on a computer
screen that represents something, for example, a program or device that is
activated by a mouse click or a trash bin for unwanted files • Open
the program by clicking on its icon.

4.  COMMUNICATION recognizable
symbol:
a picture or symbol that is universally recognized to be representative of
something • The
icon of a walking person is the international symbol to indicate that it’s safe
to cross the street.

5.  sign:
a word or sign that stands for something else, for example, the Roman numeral
“II” representing the number two
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek eikōn “likeness, image.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to be like.”][1]



icon-

icon-
icon-
prefix

See
icono-[1]



iconic

iconic
i·con·ic 
[ī kónnik] adjective

1.  characterized
by fame:
relating to or characteristic of somebody or something admired as an icon • Their
fame has grown to iconic proportions.

2.  RELIGION typical
of a religious icon: relating to or
characteristic of a religious icon • iconic
images

3.  SCULPTURE conventional:
made in a conventional style or pose, especially that of ancient Greek statues
of athletes
—i·con·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



iconicmemory

iconicmemory
i·con·ic
mem·o·ry
noun

use of images in memory:
a form of memory in which objects are retained briefly but clearly as a visual
image after the stimulus has been removed. It develops between the ages of two
and six when a child begins to use images to stand for objects.[1]



icono-

icono-
icono-
prefix

icon,
image • iconolatry
• iconoscope
[From Greek eikōn][1]



iconoclasm

iconoclasm
i·con·o·clasm 
[ī kónnə klàzzəm] noun

1.  challenge
to tradition: a challenge to and overturning of
traditional beliefs, customs, and values

2.  RELIGION breaking
of religious images: the destruction of religious
images used in worship, or opposition to their use in worship

[1]



iconoclast

iconoclast
i·con·o·clast 
[ī kónnə klàst] (plural i·con·o·clasts)
noun

1.  somebody
challenging tradition: somebody who challenges or
overturns traditional beliefs, customs, and values

2.  RELIGION destroyer
of religious images: somebody who destroys
religious images used in worship or is opposed to their use in worship

3.  HISTORY heretic
in Greek Orthodox Church: a member of an 8th-century
movement in the Greek Orthodox Church that tried to end the use of icons
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin iconoclastes from medieval Greek eikonoklastēs
“image-breaker,” from Greek eikōn (see icon
) + klan “to break.”]
—i·con·o·clas·tic
[ī kònnə klástik], adjective

—i·con·o·clas·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



iconography

iconography
i·co·nog·ra·phy 
[kə nóggrəfee] noun

1.  COMMUNICATION set
of recognized images: the set of symbols or images
used in a particular field of activity, for example, music or the movies, and
recognized by people as having a particular meaning • In
the 1960s, peace signs, long hair, work shirts, and blue jeans were part of the
iconography of rebellion.

2.  PAINTING symbols
in painting: the symbols and images used
conventionally in a genre of painting, or the study and interpretation of these
symbols and images • the iconography used in
Renaissance paintings of the Virgin and Child

3.  images
of somebody or something specific: the collection,
description, or study of images of somebody or something specific
—i·co·nog·ra·pher,
noun

—i·con·o·graph·ic
[ī kònnə gráffik], adjective

—i·con·o·graph·i·cal, adjective[1]



iconolatry

iconolatry
i·co·nol·a·try 
[kə nóllətree] noun

worship
of religious icons: the worshiping of religious
images rather than of what they represent (disapproving)
—i·co·nol·a·ter, noun[1]



iconology

iconology
i·co·nol·o·gy 
[kə nólləjee] noun

study
of symbols:
the study of artistic images and their symbolism and interpretation
—i·con·o·log·i·cal
[ī kònnə lójjik’l], adjective

—i·co·nol·o·gist [kə nólləjist], noun[1]



iconoscope

iconoscope
i·con·o·scope 
[ī kónnə skp] (plural i·con·o·scopes)
noun

early
camera tube: an early form of television camera tube
in which an image is converted into electrical impulses
[Mid-19th century. The
earliest meaning of the word was “instrument for giving an impression of depth
to flat pictures.”][1]



iconostasis

iconostasis
i·co·nos·ta·sis 
[kə nóstəssiss] (plural i·co·nos·ta·ses
[kə nóstə sz]) or i·co·nos·tas
[ī kónnə stàss] (plural i·co·nos·ta·ses
[ī kónnə stàsseez]) noun

altar
screen decorated with icons: a screen on which icons are
mounted, used in Eastern Orthodox churches to separate the area around the
altar from the main part of the church
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Greek eikonostasis, literally “place where images stand.”][1]



icosahedron

icosahedron
i·co·sa·he·dron 
[ī kssə hdrən] (plural i·co·sa·he·drons
or i·co·sa·he·dra [ī kssə hdrə])
noun

20-sided
figure:
a solid geometric figure having 20 sides or faces
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin icosahedrum from Greek eikosaedron,
from eikosi “twenty” + hedra “base.”]
—i·co·sa·he·dral, adjective[1]



icositetrahedron

icositetrahedron
i·co·si·tet·ra·he·dron
[ī kssə téttrə hdrən] (plural i·co·si·tet·ra·he·drons
or i·co·si·tet·ra·he·dra [ī kssə
téttrə hdrə]) noun

24-sided
figure:
a solid geometric figure having 24 sides or faces
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek eikosi “twenty” + tetra- “four” + -hedron .][1]



ICPO

ICPO
ICPO

Abbreviation of
International Criminal Police Organization[1]



ICR

ICR
ICR

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
intelligent character recognition

2.  Abbreviation
of
Institute for Cancer Research

[1]



ICRC

ICRC
ICRC

Abbreviation of
International Committee of the Red Cross[1]



ICS

ICS
ICS

1.  Abbreviation
of
installment credit selling

2.  Abbreviation
of
Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

3.  Abbreviation
of
International Chamber of Shipping

4.  Abbreviation
of
international consultancy service

[1]



-ics

-ics
-ics
suffix

1.  a
science, art, or knowledge • physics
• mathematics

2.  an
activity or action • callisthenics
[From -ic + -s ; translation
of Greek -ika “matters pertaining to a certain subject,” hence used as
name of treatises][1]



icteric

icteric
ic·ter·ic 
[ik térrik] adjective

of jaundice:
affected with, relating to, or resembling jaundice[1]



icterus

icterus
ic·ter·us 
[íktərəss] noun

jaundice:
jaundice (technical)
[Early
18th century. Via Latin from Greek ikteros, of unknown origin.]
—ic·ter·ic [ik térrik], adjective[1]



ictus

ictus
ic·tus 
[íktəss] (plural ic·tus or
ic·tus·es) noun

1.  MEDICINE seizure:
a seizure (technical)

2.  POETRY stress
on syllables: the stress that falls on syllables in
poetic rhythm
[Early
18th century. From Latin, originally the past participle of icere “to
strike,” of unknown origin.]
—ic·tal, adjective[1]



ICU

ICU
ICU

Abbreviation of
intensive care unit[1]



icy

icy
ic·y 
[ssee] (comparative ic·i·er, superlative
ic·i·est) adjective

1.  ice-covered:
covered in ice, or involving the presence of ice

2.  very
cold:
extremely cold, like ice • Your
hands are icy.

3.  unfriendly:
very aloof or unfriendly • his
reserved manner and icy voice

[1]



id.

id.
id.

Abbreviation of
idem[1]



ID

ID2
ID2  (past IDed, past
participle IDed, present participle IDing, 3rd
person present singular IDs) transitive verb

indentify or check identity:
to identify somebody, or check somebody’s identity (informal) • police
to ID the suspect[1]



ID

ID1
ID1 

1.  Abbreviation
of
identification

2.  Abbreviation
of
infectious disease(s)

3.  Abbreviation
of
internal diameter

4.  Abbreviation
of
Intelligence Department

5.  ID
or i.d. ANATOMY Abbreviation
of intradermal

6.  MAIL Abbreviation of Idaho

[1]



id

id
id 
[id] noun

theoretical
part of human psyche: in Freudian psychoanalytic
theory, the part of the psyche that is unconscious and the source of primitive
instinctive impulses and drives. The other parts of the psyche are the ego and
the superego.
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, “it”; translation of German es .][1]



Id

Id
Id
[īd] noun

1.  See
Eid-ul-Adha

2.  See
Eid-ul-Fitr

[1]



Id.

Id.
Id.

Abbreviation of
Idaho[1]



-id

-id
-id
(plural -ids) suffix

1.  objects,
especially meteors, that appear to come from a specified constellation • Perseids

2.  PHYSICS particular kinds of particle
or body • energid

3.  ZOOLOGY a member of a zoological
family • camelid

4.  a
member of a dynasty • Abbasid
[Directly or via French -ide
from Latin -ides, from Greek -idēs “offspring of”][1]



IDA

IDA
IDA

Abbreviation of
International Development Association[1]



Ida.

Ida.
Ida.

Abbreviation of
Idaho[1]



Idaho

Idaho


I·da·ho 
[dèhō]
state
in the western United States bordered by Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming, and British Columbia, Canada. Capital: Boise.
Population: 1,210,232 (1997) Area: 216,456 sq km/83,574 sq mi.
—Ida·ho·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Idaho




Back to definition

Idaho

[1]



IdahoFalls

IdahoFalls
I·da·ho
Falls 
[dəhō fawlz]

city in southeastern Idaho,
on the Snake River, northeast of Pocatello. Population: 48,079 (1996)[1]



Idal-Adha

Idal-Adha
Id
al-Ad·ha
[ìd aal də] noun

Islamic festival:
an important Islamic annual festival, the Feast of the Sacrifice, commemorating
Abraham’s sacrifice of the lamb in place of his son Isaac.
Also called
Id[1]



Idal-Fitr

Idal-Fitr
Id
al-Fitr
[ìd aal fíttər] noun

festival marking end of
Ramadan: an important Islamic annual
festival and public holiday, the Feast of Breaking the Fast, marking the end of
the Ramadan fast.
Also called
Id[1]



IdaMountains

IdaMountains
I·da
Mountains
[dè mównt’nz]

mountain range in
northwestern Turkey, southeast of the ancient site of Troy. The highest peak is
Mount Gargarus, 1,767 m/5,797 ft .[1]



IDB

IDB
IDB

1.  Abbreviation
of
Industrial Development Bank

2.  Abbreviation
of
Inter-American Development Bank

[1]



IDcard

IDcard
ID
card
(plural ID cards) noun

card identifying somebody:
a card identifying its carrier, having on it such information as name, age, and
often an address and a physical description or photograph (informal)[1]



IDD

IDD
IDD

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS Abbreviation
of international direct dialing

2.  Abbreviation
of
insulin-dependent diabetes

[1]



IDDD

IDDD
IDDD

Abbreviation of
international direct distance dialing[1]



-ide

-ide
-ide
(plural -ides) suffix

1.  class
of elements or compounds • actinides

2.  organic
compound derived from another compound • anhydride
[From oxide][1]



idea

idea
i·de·a 
[ī d ə] (plural i·de·as) noun

1.  opinion:
a personal opinion or belief • Do you
have any ideas on how the problem should be dealt with?

2.  suggestion:
a thought to be presented as a suggestion • It
was her idea to plant daisies.

3.  impression:
an impression or knowledge of something • We
have no idea how much it would cost.

4.  plan:
a realization of a possible way of doing something or of something to be done • Watching
the beaver building its dam gave me an idea.

5.  aim:
the aim or purpose of a project or plan • The
idea of the new program is to keep young people in school.

6.  gist:
the gist or précis of something such as a book, report, project, or plan • give
you only a broad idea now, with a detailed outline to follow

7.  thought:
a thought about or mental picture of something such as a future or possible
event • Sometimes
the idea of having to speak in public is worse than actually doing it.

8.  concept:
a concept that exists in the mind only • discussing
the idea of morality

9.  mental
image:
a mental image that reflects reality
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek, “look,” formed from idein “to see”
(source of English identity ). The
meaning developed in Greek from “appearance” via “image” to “mental image,
notion.”]
—ide·a·less,
adjective
get
ideas

to
become ambitious or begin thinking undesirable thoughts (informal)

have
no idea

to
know nothing at all, especially about a particular subject

what’s
the big idea?

used, often angrily, to ask
about somebody’s intention or about what is happening[1]



ideal

ideal
i·de·al 
[ī d əl] noun (plural i·de·als)

1.  perfect
example:
an excellent or perfect example of something or somebody, or something that is
considered a perfect example • By her
third movie, she had become the world’s ideal of beauty and grace.

2.  principle:
a standard or principle to which people aspire • political
ideals

3.  imaginary
object or concept: a concept that exists in the
imagination only
adjective

1.  best:
serving as the best or most perfect example

2.  perfect:
perfect but existing only in the imagination • In
an ideal world, such horrors wouldn’t happen.

3.  excellent:
excellent or perfectly suitable • A
later meeting would be ideal for me.
[15th
century. Directly or via French idéal from late Latin idealis,
from Latin idea (see idea ). The
English word originally meant “existing as an archetype.”]
—ide·al·less,
adjective

—ide·al·ness, noun[1]



idealgas

idealgas
i·de·al
gas
noun

theoretical gas:
a hypothetical gas that obeys the gas laws perfectly at all temperatures and
pressures.
Also called
perfect gas[1]



idealism

idealism
i·de·al·ism 
[ī d ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in perfection: belief in and pursuit of perfection as
an attainable goal • youthful idealism

2.  living
by high ideals: aspiring to or living in accordance with
high standards or principles

3.  PHILOSOPHY belief
that material things are imaginary: the
philosophical belief that material things do not exist independently but only
as constructions in the mind

[1]



idealist

idealist
i·de·al·ist 
[ī d əlist] (plural i·de·al·ists)
noun

1.  impractical
person:
somebody who rejects practical considerations in favor of the pursuit of
perfection • too
much of an idealist to compromise with her opponents

2.  somebody
with high ideals: somebody who aspires to or lives in
accordance with high standards or principles

3.  PHILOSOPHY believer
in philosophical idealism: a believer in a philosophy
holding that material objects do not exist independently of the mind
—i·de·al·is·tic
[ī d ə lístik], adjective

—i·de·al·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ideality

ideality
i·de·al·i·ty 
[dee állətee] noun

1.  condition
of being ideal: the condition or quality of being ideal

2.  status
as idea:
existence as an idea only, rather than as a concrete object

[1]



idealize

idealize
i·de·al·ize 
[ī d ə lz] (past i·de·al·ized,
past participle i·de·al·ized, present participle i·de·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·de·al·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
imagine
as perfect:
to think of or represent somebody or something as being perfect, ignoring any
imperfections that exist or may exist in reality • paintings
that idealize feminine beauty

2.  intransitive
verb
formulate
ideals:
to form ideals in the mind • He has
a tendency to idealize.
—i·de·al·i·za·tion
[ī d əli záysh’n], noun

—i·de·al·iz·er [ī də lzər], noun[1]



ideally

ideally
i·de·al·ly 
[ī d əlee] adverb

1.  in
an ideal situation: if everything were perfect
or as desired • Ideally, I’d like to
finish the job by next week.

2.  perfectly:
in a perfect manner • She is
ideally suited to the post.

3.  theoretically:
in theory or in the imagination

[1]



ideate

ideate
i·de·ate 
[dee àyt] (past i·de·at·ed, past
participle i·de·at·ed, present participle i·de·at·ing,
3rd person present singular i·de·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

form
thought:
to form an idea of something, or form ideas
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin ideat-, the past participle stem of ideare
“to form an idea or conception,” from Latin idea (see idea ).]
—i·de·a·tion
[dee áysh’n], noun

—i·de·a·tion·al,
adjective

—i·de·a·tion·al·ly
[dee áyshnəlee], adverb

—i·de·a·tive [dee ətiv, dee àytiv],
adjective[1]



idem

idem
i·dem 
[ dèm, í dèm]
pronoun

the
same:
the same, especially a book, article, or chapter previously referred to
[14th century. From Latin,
“same” (see identity ).][1]



idempotent

idempotent
i·dem·po·tent
[ dem pṓt’nt, ì
dem pṓt’nt] (plural i·dem·po·tents) adjective

unchanged
when multiplied by itself: remaining unchanged when
multiplied by itself
[Late 19th century. From
Latin idem “same” (see identity ) +
the stem potent- “powerful” (source of English potent ).][1]



identic

identic
i·den·tic 
[ī déntik] adjective

1.  POLITICS with
the same diplomatic form: used to describe diplomatic
notes sent, or diplomatic action taken, by two or more governments in exactly
the same form

2.  identical:
identical (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin identicus “identical,” from ident-, combining form
of Latin idem “same” (see identity
).][1]



identical

identical
i·den·ti·cal 
[ī déntik’l] adjective

1.  one
and the same: being one single person or thing though
appearing in different guises or disguises

2.  alike
in every way: exactly the same as or equal to
something else, or alike in every respect
[Late
16th century. Formed from medieval Latin identicus, from ident-,
combining form of Latin idem “same” (see identity
).]
—i·den·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—i·den·ti·cal·ness, noun[1]



identicalrhyme

identicalrhyme
i·den·ti·cal
rhyme
(plural i·den·ti·cal rhymes) noun

1.  rhyme
made by word repetition: a rhyme created by a
repeated word

2.  See
rime riche

[1]



identicaltwin

identicaltwin
i·den·ti·cal
twin
(plural i·den·ti·cal twins) noun

twin developed from single
ovum: one of a pair of twins of
the same sex and with the same genetic makeup who develop from a single
fertilized egg[1]



identification

identification
i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[ī dèntəfi káysh’n] (plural i·den·ti·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  connection
of identity: the action or an act of recognizing and
naming somebody or something or otherwise identifying him, her, or it

2.  proof
of identity: something, especially a card or
document, to prove that somebody is who he or she claims to be

3.  PSYCHOLOGY strong
feeling of affinity: a powerful feeling of
affinity with another person or group, which sometimes involves regarding
somebody as a model and adopting his or her beliefs, values, or other
characteristics

[1]



identificationcard

identificationcard
i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion
card
(plural i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion cards) noun

card confirming identity:
a small card holding information sufficient to prove that a claim or
description of somebody bearing it is accurate.
U.K. term
identity card[1]



identificationparade

identificationparade
i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion
pa·rade
(plural i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion pa·rades) noun

U.K.
See lineup  noun 3[1]



identifier

identifier
i·den·ti·fi·er 
[ī déntə fr] (plural i·den·ti·fi·ers)
noun

something that identifies
data: a symbol that identifies,
indicates, or names a body of data[1]



identify

identify
i·den·ti·fy 
[ī dénti f] (past i·den·ti·fied,
past participle i·den·ti·fied, present participle i·den·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular i·den·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  recognize
and name:
to recognize somebody or something and to be able to say who or what he, she,
or it is

2.  consider
as the same: to consider two or more things as being
entirely or essentially the same
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French identifier from medieval Latin identificare,
literally “to make the same,” from ident- (see identity
).]
—i·den·ti·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[ī dènti fī ə bíllətee], noun

—i·den·ti·fi·a·ble
[ī dénti f əb’l], adjective

—i·den·ti·fi·a·bly, adverb[1]



identifywith

identifywith
identify
with
verb

1.  transitive
verb
feel
affinity with: to feel a strong sympathetic or
imaginative bond with somebody or something and a sense of understanding and
sharing his, her, or its nature or concerns

2.  associate
one thing with another: to consider somebody or
something as closely linked with somebody or something, for example, a school
of thought or political movement (often passive)

[1]



identity

identity
i·den·ti·ty 
[ī déntitee] (plural i·den·ti·ties)
noun

1.  what
identifies somebody or something: who somebody is or
what something is, especially the name somebody or something is known by.
See
also
individuality

2.  somebody’s
essential self: the set of characteristics that somebody
recognizes as belonging uniquely to himself or herself and constituting his or
her individual personality for life

3.  sameness:
the fact or condition of being the same or exactly alike

4.  Australia,
New Zealand
celebrity:
somebody who is well known in a particular field of activity (informal)

5.  MATHEMATICS equation
true for all its variables: a mathematical equation that
remains valid whatever values are taken by its variables

6.  MATHEMATICS See identity element
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin identitas, from ident-, combining form of Latin idem
“same,” from id “that.”][1]



identitycard

identitycard
i·den·ti·ty
card
(plural i·den·ti·ty cards) noun

U.K.
See identification card[1]



identitycrisis

identitycrisis
i·den·ti·ty
cri·sis
noun

1.  anxiety
about social role: a period during which
somebody feels great anxiety and uncertainty about his or her identity and role
in life and society, typically experienced in adolescence or middle age

2.  anxiety
of group:
a period of anxiety or confusion about the nature, aims, and role of a group,
organization, or business

[1]



identityelement

identityelement
i·den·ti·ty
el·e·ment
(plural i·den·ti·ty el·e·men·ts) noun

set element that leaves
others unchanged: an element of a set
that leaves other elements unchanged when combined with them.
Also called
identity
Also called
unity[1]



identitymatrix

identitymatrix
i·den·ti·ty
ma·trix
noun

matrix with 1 on main
diagonal: a square matrix that has the
numeral 1 in each position on the principal diagonal and 0 in all other
positions[1]



identityparade

identityparade
i·den·ti·ty
pa·rade
(plural i·den·ti·ty pa·rades) noun

CRIMINOLOGY

U.K. term
lineup  noun 3[1]



ideo-

ideo-
ideo-
prefix

idea:
forms words whose meaning involves ideas • ideomotor
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek idea (see idea )][1]



ideogram

ideogram
id·e·o·gram 
[dee ə gràm, íddee
ə gràm] (plural id·e·o·grams) or id·e·o·graph
[íddee ə gràf] (plural id·e·o·graphs)
noun

1.  symbol
in writing system: a symbol used in some
writing systems, for example, those of Japan and China, that directly but
abstractly represents the thing or concept itself rather than the word for it

2.  graphic
symbol:
a symbol or graphic character, for example, “@” or “&,” used to represent a
word
—id·e·o·gram·mat·ic
[dee əgrə máttik, ìddee
əgrə máttik], adjective

—id·e·o·gram·mat·i·cal·ly
[dee əgrə máttikəlee], adverb

—id·e·o·graph·ic
[dee ə gráffik], adjective

—id·e·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[ìddee ə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



ideography

ideography
id·e·og·ra·phy 
[dee óggrəfee, ìddee
óggrəfee] noun

communication with symbols:
the use of graphical symbols to convey ideas[1]



ideological

ideological
i·de·o·log·i·cal 
[dee ə lójjik’l, ìddee
ə lójjik’l] or i·de·o·log·ic [ìddee
ə lójjik] adjective

based
on ideology: based on a particular ideology, or
relating to an ideology or to ideologies, especially to ideologies that
conflict
—id·e·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ideologist

ideologist
i·de·ol·o·gist
[dee ólləjist, ìddee
ólləjist] (plural i·de·ol·o·gists) noun

1.  believer
in system of ideas: somebody who advocates or
supports a particular ideology

2.  somebody
who works on belief system: somebody who devises or
revises an ideology

[1]



ideologue

ideologue
i·de·o·logue 
[dee ə lòg, íddee
ə lòg] (plural i·de·o·logues) noun

zealous
supporter of ideology: an ideologist, especially a
particularly zealous or doctrinaire supporter of an ideology
[Early 19th century. From
French idéologue, back-formation from idéologie (see ideology ).][1]



ideology

ideology
i·de·ol·o·gy 
[dee ólləjee, ìddee
ólləjee] (plural i·de·ol·o·gies) noun

1.  system
of social beliefs: a closely organized system
of beliefs, values, and ideas forming the basis of a social, economic, or
political philosophy or program

2.  meaningful
belief system: a set of beliefs, values, and opinions
that shapes the way an individual or a group such as a social class thinks,
acts, and understands the world
[Late 18th century. From
French idéologie, literally “science of ideas,” from idéo-
“ideo-” + -logie “-logy.”][1]



ideomotor

ideomotor
i·de·o·mo·tor 
[dee ə mṓtər, ìddee
ə mṓtər] adjective

relating to body movements:
used to describe body movements triggered by thoughts rather than by external
stimuli[1]



ides

ides
ides 
[īdz] or Ides [īdz] noun

day
in Roman calendar: in the ancient Roman
calendar, the name given to the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, or
the 13th day of any other month (takes a singular or plural verb)
[12th century. Directly or
via French from Latin idus (plural), of uncertain origin: perhaps from
Etruscan .][1]



-idine

-idine
-idine
suffix

a
chemical compound related to another compound • histidine
[From -ide + -ine][1]



idio-

idio-
idio-
prefix

private,
individual, proper, or distinctive • idiolect
• idiomorphic
[From Greek idios
“one’s own, private.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “self,”
which is also the ancestor of English self,
ethnic, and custom .][1]



idioblast

idioblast
id·i·o·blast 
[íddee ə blàst] (plural id·i·o·blasts)
noun

isolated
plant cell:
a specialized plant cell that differs considerably from others in the same area
of tissue. An idioblast is usually thick-walled and lacks chlorophyll.
—id·i·o·blas·tic [ìddee ə blástik], adjective[1]



idiocy

idiocy
id·i·o·cy 
[íddee əssee] noun

1.  an
offensive term: an offensive term for an extreme lack of
intelligence or foresight (Offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an extremely unintelligent or thoughtless act (Offensive)

3.  an
offensive term: an offensive term in a now disused
classification system for mental disability (dated offensive)
[Early 16th century. Formed
from idiot ; perhaps modeled on words such
as accuracy .][1]



idioglossia

idioglossia
id·i·o·glos·si·a 
[ìddee ə glóssee ə] noun

1.  childhood
speech defect: a developmental speech defect in which a
child substitutes different sounds for the correct ones, so that speech is
intelligible only to parents or others closely involved with the child

2.  private
language:
the invention and use of language by a child or closely involved siblings such
as twins that is unintelligible to anyone else
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek idioglōssos, literally “of distinct tongue,” from idios
“distinct” + glossa “tongue.”][1]



idiogram

idiogram
id·i·o·gram 
[íddee ə gràm] (plural id·i·o·grams)
noun

picture of chromosomes:
a graphic representation of one or more chromosomes[1]



idiographic

idiographic
id·i·o·graph·ic
[ìddee ə gráffik] adjective

emphasizing individuals:
concentrating on particular cases and the unique traits or functioning of
individuals, rather than on broad generalizations about human behavior.
Idiographic research methods in psychology include the case study, which is
characterized by the distinctiveness of each case.
See also
nomothetic[1]



idiolect

idiolect
id·i·o·lect 
[íddee ə lèkt] (plural id·i·o·lects)
noun

dialect
of individual: an individual person’s vocabulary and
particular and unique way of using language
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from idio- + dialect .]
—id·i·o·lec·tal [ìddee ə lékt’l], adjective[1]



idiom

idiom
id·i·om 
[íddee əm] (plural id·i·oms) noun

1.  fixed
expression with nonliteral meaning: a
fixed, distinctive, and often colorful expression whose meaning cannot be
understood from the combined meanings of its individual words, for example, “to
have somebody in stitches”

2.  natural
way of using a language: the way of using a
particular language that comes naturally to its native speakers and involves
both knowledge of its grammar and familiarity with its usage

3.  stylistic
expression of person or group: the style of
expression of a specific individual or group

4.  ARTS distinguishing
artistic style: the characteristic style of an artist or
artistic group
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French idiome from late Latin idioma, from Greek,
“property, peculiarity,” from, ultimately, idios (see idio- ).][1]



idiomatic

idiomatic
id·i·o·mat·ic 
[ìddee ə máttik] or id·i·o·mat·i·cal
[ìddee ə máttik’l] adjective

1.  characteristic
of native-speaker use: characteristic of, or in
keeping with, the way a language is ordinarily and naturally used by its native
speakers

2.  of
the nature of an idiom: having a meaning not
deducible from the combined meanings of the words that make it up • an
idiomatic phrase

3.  ARTS characteristic
of particular style: characteristic of a
particular style, or using a particular and distinctive style, especially in
the arts
—id·i·o·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—id·i·o·mat·ic·ness, noun[1]



idiomorphic

idiomorphic
id·i·o·mor·phic
[ìddee ə máwrfik] adjective

occurring
naturally as crystals: used to describe minerals
that occur naturally in the form of fully developed crystals
—id·i·o·mor·phi·cal·ly,
adverb

—id·i·o·mor·phism, noun[1]



idiopathic

idiopathic
id·i·o·path·ic 
[ìddee ə páthik] adjective

without
apparent cause: used to describe a disease or disorder
that has no known cause
—id·i·o·path·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



idiopathy

idiopathy
id·i·op·a·thy 
[ìddee óppəthee] (plural id·i·op·a·thies)
noun

mystery
illness:
a disease of unknown cause
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin idiopathia “primary disease” from Greek idiopatheia,
from idio- “ idio- ” + -patheia
“-pathy.”][1]



idiophone

idiophone
id·i·o·phone 
[ìddee ə fṓn] (plural id·i·o·phones)
noun

resonating
percussion instrument: a percussion instrument, for
example a gong or xylophone, that is made from resonating material that does
not have to be tuned
—id·i·o·phon·ic [ìddee ə fónnik], adjective[1]



idiosyncrasy

idiosyncrasy
id·i·o·syn·cra·sy 
[ìddee ə síngkrəssee] (plural id·i·o·syn·cra·sies)
noun

1.  quirk:
a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is peculiar to an individual or
group, especially an odd or unusual one

2.  MEDICINE unusual
response to something: an unusual or exaggerated
reaction to a drug or food that is not caused by an allergy
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French idiosyncrasie from Greek idiosugkrasia,
literally “personal mixing together,” from, ultimately, krasis
“mixing.”]
—id·i·o·syn·crat·ic
[ìddee əsing kráttik], adjective

—id·i·o·syn·crat·i·cal·ly
[ìddee əsing kráttikəlee], adverb[1]



idiot

idiot
id·i·ot 
[íddee ət] (plural id·i·ots) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody else’s intelligence (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term in a now disused classification system for somebody with an
IQ of about 25 or under and a mental age of less than three years (dated
offensive)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek idiōtēs “private person, layperson lacking
specialized knowledge,” from idios (see idio-
).][1]



idiotboard

idiotboard
id·i·ot
board
(plural id·i·ot boards) noun

prompt for television
performer: a placard, projector, or
continuous roll of paper that prompts a television performer with lines to be
spoken (slang)
Also called
idiot card[1]



idiotbox

idiotbox
id·i·ot
box
(plural id·i·ot box·es) noun

television:
television or a television set (slang)
[Idiot from the belief that
watching too much television causes stupidity][1]



idiotcard

idiotcard
id·i·ot
card
(plural id·i·ot cards) noun

TV
(slang) See idiot board[1]



idiotic

idiotic
id·i·ot·ic 
[ìddee óttik] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody else’s behavior (offensive)
—id·i·ot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



idiotlight

idiotlight
id·i·ot
light
(plural id·i·ot lights) noun

warning
light:
a warning light (slang disapproving)
[Idiot from the idea that the
light is for people who can’t figure out the gauges][1]



idiot-proof

idiot-proof
id·i·ot-proof 
adjective

able to withstand misuse:
constructed or designed so as not to fail or go wrong even if misused[1]



idiotsavant

idiotsavant
id·i·ot
sa·vant 
[ìddee ət sa vnt, ìddee
ət sə vnt] (plural id·i·ot sa·vants [ìddee ət sa vnt, ìddee
ət sə vnt] or id·i·ots sa·vants [ìddee
ət sa vnt, ìddee ət sə vnt]) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody who has a psychiatric disorder or a
learning problem but who is exceptionally gifted in one particular area, for
example, rapid mental calculation, architectural drawing, or remembering facts
(offensive)
[From French, literally
“learned idiot”][1]



idiottape

idiottape
id·i·ot
tape
(plural id·i·ot tapes) noun

typesetting tape containing
only text: a tape for a typesetting
machine that contains text but no formatting except markers for new paragraphs[1]



idle

idle
i·dle 
[d’l] adjective (comparative i·dler,
superlative i·dlest)

1.  not
working or in use: not working, operating,
producing, or in use

2.  lazy:
lazy and unwilling to work

3.  frivolous:
serving no serious purpose, or frivolous and a waste of time

4.  not
earning money: not being used to yield a financial
return • idle
funds

5.  unfounded:
having no basis in fact • idle
gossip

6.  ineffective:
unlikely to be carried out or impossible to put into effect • idle
threats

7.  SPORTS not
playing:
not playing or competing
noun

AUTOMOBILES speed
of engine with gear disengaged: the speed of a motor
vehicle engine that is running but is not in gear, or the way it runs
verb
(past i·dled, past participle i·dled, present
participle i·dling, 3rd person present singular i·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
time aimlessly: to be lazy and avoid work, or to pass
the time lazily doing nothing in particular

2.  intransitive
verb
move
slowly and aimlessly: to move in slow and lazy or
aimless way

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb run
without applying power: to run gently with the gear
disengaged, or to allow an engine to do this

4.  transitive
verb
make
unemployed:
to make workers unemployed or inactive
[Old
English īdel “worthless, empty,” from a prehistoric Germanic word of
unknown origin]
—i·dle·ness,
noun

—i·dly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at vain

[1]



idlepulley

idlepulley
i·dle
pul·ley
(plural i·dle pul·leys) or i·dler pul·ley (plural
i·dler pul·leys) noun

pulley that handles slack:
a freely rotating pulley wheel that guides or takes up slack from a drive belt
by pressing against it.
Also called
idler
Also called
idle wheel[1]



idler

idler
i·dler
[dlər] (plural i·dlers) noun

1.  lazy
person:
somebody who avoids work or who spends time in a lazy or relaxed fashion

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING See
idle wheel

[1]



idlerpulley

idlerpulley
i·dler
pul·ley
noun

See
idle pulley[1]



idlerwheel

idlerwheel
i·dler
wheel
noun

See
idle wheel[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








idletime

idletime
i·dle
time
noun

temporarily inactive time:
a period during which a device, machine, or employee is temporarily inactive[1]



idlewheel

idlewheel
i·dle
wheel
(plural i·dle wheels) or i·dler wheel (plural
i·dler wheels) noun

1.  mechanism
that transmits motion: a gear wheel or roller
placed between two others to transmit motion between them without changing
their speed or direction or to provide support.
Also
called
idler

2.  See
idle pulley

[1]



idocrase

idocrase
i·do·crase 
[də kràyss, də
kràyz, íddə kràyss, íddə kràyz] noun

MINERALS See vesuvianite
[Early 19th century. From
Greek eidos “form” (see idol ) + krasis
“mixture.”][1]



idol

idol
i·dol 
[d’l] (plural i·dols) noun

1.  object
of adoration: somebody or something greatly and often
fanatically admired and loved (disapproving)

2.  RELIGION object
worshiped as god: something such as a statue or carved
image that is worshiped as a god

3.  RELIGION forbidden
object of worship: in monotheistic religions,
any object of worship other than the one God
[13th century. Via French idole
from, ultimately, Greek eidōlon “image,” from eidos “form, shape”
(source of English idyll and kaleidoscope ).][1]



idolater

idolater
i·dol·a·ter
[ī dóllətər] (plural i·dol·a·ters)
noun

1.  worshiper
of idols:
somebody who worships idols (disapproving)

2.  extreme
admirer:
a fanatical admirer of somebody or something
[14th century. Formed from
French idolâtre, from, ultimately, Greek eidōlolatrēs, literally
“image worshiper,” from eidōlon (see idol
).][1]



idolatress

idolatress
i·dol·a·tress
[ī dóllətrəss] (plural i·dol·a·tress·es)
noun

woman who worships idols:
a woman who worships idols (dated disapproving)[1]



idolatry

idolatry
i·dol·a·try 
[ī dóllətree] noun

1.  extreme
admiration:
extreme admiration or fanatical devotion to somebody or something

2.  idol
worship:
the worship of idols or false gods (disapproving)
[13th
century. Via French idolâtrie from, ultimately, Greek eidōlolatreia,
literally “image-worship,” from eidōlon (see idol
).]
—i·dol·a·trous,
adjective

—i·dol·a·trous·ly, adverb[1]



idolize

idolize
i·dol·ize 
[d’l z] (past i·dol·ized, past
participle i·dol·ized, present participle i·dol·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·dol·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  admire
fanatically: to feel great admiration and respect
for, or be fanatically devoted to, somebody or something

2.  worship
as idol:
to worship something or somebody as an idol (disapproving)
—i·dol·i·za·tion
[d’li záysh’n], noun

—i·dol·iz·er [d’l zər], noun[1]



idyll

idyll
i·dyll
[d’l] (plural i·dylls) or
i·dyl [d’l] (plural i·dyls)
noun

1.  experience
of serene happiness: an experience or period of
serene and carefree happiness, usually in beautiful surroundings and often in
the context of a romantic relationship

2.  tranquil
charming scene: a scene or event characterized by
tranquility, simple beauty, and innocent charm, usually in a rural setting

3.  ARTS literary
piece about charming rural life: a short work in verse
or prose, a painting, or a piece of music depicting simple pastoral or rural
scenes and the life of country folk, often in idealized terms
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
idyllium “pastoral poem” from Greek eidullion, literally “small
picture,” from eidos (see idol ).][1]



idyllic

idyllic
i·dyl·lic 
[ī díllik] adjective

1.  serenely
beautiful and happy: serenely beautiful,
untroubled, and happy

2.  like
an idyll:
like an idyll, especially in having a simple, unspoiled, and especially rural
charm
—i·dyl·li·cal·ly, adverb[1]



idyllist

idyllist
i·dyl·list 
[d’list] (plural i·dyl·lists
[d’list]) or i·dyl·ist [d’list] (plural i·dyl·ists) noun

artist composing idylls:
a writer, composer, or painter of idylls[1]



idéefixe

idéefixe
i·dée
fixe 
[ee dày fks] (plural i·dées fixes
[ee dày fks]) noun

obsessive
idea:
an idea that remains fixed and unchanging in the mind and often becomes an
obsession.
Also
called
fixed idea
[From French, literally
“fixed idea”][1]



idéereçue

idéereçue
i·dée
re·çue
[ee dày rə s, ee
dày rə s] (plural i·dées re·çues [ee dày rə s, ee dày rə s])
noun

conventional
idea:
a conventional or commonplace idea
[From French, literally
“received idea”][1]



i.e.

i.e.
i.e.

Abbreviation
of
that is to say
[Latin, id est “that
is”][1]



IE

IE
IE

1.  LINGUISTICS Abbreviation of
Indo-European

2.  ENGINEERING Abbreviation of
industrial engineer

3.  ENGINEERING Abbreviation of
industrial engineering

[1]



-ie

-ie
-ie
suffix

1.  one
that is small or dear • doggie
• auntie

2.  one
having a particular character • sweetie

3.  one
having to do with • townie

[1]



-ier

-ier
-ier
suffix

See
er[1]



if

if
if 
[if] CORE
MEANING:
a conjunction used to indicate the circumstances that would have to exist in
order for an event to happen • You
can come with us if you want to. • Are
you thinking of buying a new car? If so, talk to us first.

1.
conjunction used in indirect questions:
used to introduce in indirect speech a question that in direct speech requires
the answer “yes” or “no” • He
asked the hotel receptionist if it was possible to rent a car.

2.
conjunction modifying a statement:
used to indicate a modification to a statement, usually to add something
negative or to indicate that there is less of something than originally
expected • The
report will be with you at the end of the week, if not before.
• a
gallant, if misguided attempt

3.
conjunction introducing an exclamation:
used to introduce an exclamation expressing surprise or dismay • If
she isn’t the most selfish person I’ve met!

4.
noun doubt:
a doubt or uncertainty • The
proposal contained too many ifs for us to be enthusiastic about it.

5.
noun condition:
a condition or qualification • I’m
not very happy about the ifs that have been put into the contract.
[Old
English gif, from a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin]
ifs,
ands, or buts

excuses
or protests

if
only

used
to introduce the expression of a hopeless wish or regret • If
only you had told me sooner.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Ambiguous
  construction:
  In
  • We
  have hundreds, if not thousands, of items in stock,
  the if not fairly plainly means “or even.” In • It’s
  a clever idea, if not a practical one, it
  fairly plainly means “although not.” But in • He’s
  good-looking, if not really handsome, it
  is unclear which of those meanings is intended —at least out of context.
  Often it is clear what if not means only because the context shows what the
  phrase must mean. Where it will not be clear, another wording is preferable
  and can be easily found.

[1]



IF

IF
IF

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of intermediate frequency[1]



IFC

IFC
IFC

(of the UN)Abbreviation
of International Finance Corporation[1]



Ife

Ife
I·fe 
[ fày]

city in southwestern Nigeria,
situated 87 km/54 mi east of Ibadan. Population: 225,500 (1990)[1]



IFF

IFF
IFF

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Identification, Friend, or Foe[1]



iffy

iffy
if·fy 
[íffee] (comparative if·f·ier,
superlative if·fi·est) adjective (informal)

1.  dubious
or suspicious: of doubtful and probably low quality,
not to be relied on, or arousing suspicion

2.  doubtful:
doubtful and undecided about something
—if·fi·ness, noun[1]



Ifni

Ifni
If·ni 
[fnee]

former overseas province of
Spain, now part of Morocco, situated on the southwestern coast of the country.
Sidi Ifni is the only city. Area: 1502 sq km/580 sq mi.[1]



IFO

IFO
IFO

Abbreviation of
identified flying object[1]



Iformation

Iformation
I
for·ma·tion
(plural I for·ma·tions) noun

football alignment:
in football, an alignment of the offensive team in which all the backs line up
in single file behind the center[1]



IFR

IFR
IFR

Abbreviation of
instrument flight rules[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ig

Ig
Ig

Abbreviation of
immunoglobulin[1]



IG

IG
IG
or I.G.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Inspector General

2.  Abbreviation
of
imperial gallon

[1]



IgA

IgA
IgA
noun

group
of antibodies in secretions: a class of antibodies, found
in respiratory and alimentary secretions as well as in saliva and tears, that
help the body to neutralize harmful bacteria and viral antigens
[Shortening of immunoglobulin
A][1]



IGB

IGB
IGB

South Africa
Abbreviation of illicit gold buying[1]



Igbo

Igbo
Ig·bo 
noun adjective

See
Ibo[1]



IgD

IgD
IgD
noun

group
of antibodies: a class of antibodies, present on most
cell surfaces and predominant in B cells, that help the body to resist
antigens.
See
also
B cell
[Shortening of immunoglobulin
D][1]



IgE

IgE
IgE
noun

group
of antibodies: a class of antibodies, abundant in
tissues, that help the body to expel intestinal parasites and cause allergic
reactions in response to antigens
[Shortening of immunoglobulin
E][1]



igg

igg
igg 
[ig] (past igged, past
participle igged, present participle ig·ging, 3rd
person present singular iggs) transitive verb

ignore:
to ignore something or somebody (slang)
[Shortening and alteration][1]



IgG

IgG
IgG
noun

group
of antibodies: a class of antibodies, predominant in
serum, that pass through the placental wall into fetal circulation and help to
prepare the immune system for the period of infancy
[Shortening of immunoglobulin
G][1]



igloo

igloo

ig·loo 
[íggloo] (plural ig·loos) noun

1.  dome-shaped
Inuit house: an Inuit dwelling, usually dome-shaped
and built from blocks of packed snow

2.  dome-shaped
shelter:
any small dome-shaped shelter or structure
[Mid-19th century. From Inuit
iglu “house.”][1]



IgM

IgM
IgM
noun

group
of antibodies: a class of antibodies, circulating in
the blood and secretions, that help the body to resist viruses
[Shortening of immunoglobulin
M][1]



ign.

ign.
ign.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ignites

2.  Abbreviation
of
ignition

3.  Abbreviation
of
unknown
[Latin ignotus][1]



IgnatiusLoyola, Saint

IgnatiusLoyola, Saint

Ig·na·tius Loy·o·la
[ig nàyshəss loy ṓlə], Saint (1491–1556)
Spanish priest who was cofounder of the
Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1534. He also produced a Jesuit training manual, Spiritual
Exercises ( 1548 ).[1]



Ignatius(of Antioch), Saint

Ignatius(of Antioch), Saint
Ig·na·tius
(of An·ti·och) [ig nàyshəss
əv ántee òk], Saint (35?–107)

bishop and martyr. He was one
of the Apostolic Fathers of the Christian church, and his seven epistles give
important historical information about the early church.[1]



igneous

igneous
ig·ne·ous 
[ígnee əss] adjective

1.  formerly
molten:
used to describe rock formed under conditions of intense heat or produced by
the solidification of volcanic magma on or below the Earth’s surface

2.  relating
to fire:
connected with or characteristic of fire (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin igneus, from ignis “fire” (see ignite ).][1]



ignescent

ignescent
ig·nes·cent 
[ig néss’nt] adjective

producing
sparks when struck: giving off sparks when
struck, as a flint does
[Early 19th century. From
Latin ignescent-, the present participle stem of ignescere “to
catch fire,” from ignis “fire” (see ignite
).][1]



ignesfatui

ignesfatui
ig·nes
fat·u·i


Plural of
ignis fatuus[1]



ignimbrite

ignimbrite
ig·nim·brite 
[ígnim brt] noun

volcanically
created rock: a volcanic rock consisting of droplets
of lava and glass that were welded together by intense heat
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin ignis “fire” (see ignite )
+ the stem imbr- “rain” + -ite ; from
its formation from the deposits of a cloud of volcanic ash.][1]



ignisfatuus

ignisfatuus
ig·nis
fat·u·us 
[ìgniss fáchoo əss] (plural ig·nes
fa·tu·i [ìgneez fáchoo ]) noun

1.  See
will-o’-the-wisp

2.  illusory
thing:
something, for example, a hope or an aim, that proves illusory or leads
somebody astray (literary)
[From Latin, literally
“foolish fire”; from its erratic movements][1]



ignite

ignite
ig·nite 
[ig nt] (past ig·nit·ed, past
participle ig·nit·ed, present participle ig·nit·ing, 3rd
person present singular ig·nites) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb light
fire or begin to burn: to set fire to something, or
catch fire

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY heat gas until it burns:
to heat a gas to the temperature at which it begins to burn

3.  transitive
verb
arouse
emotion in:
to cause a strong emotion to arise or show itself in somebody
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin ignit-, the past participle stem of ignire
“to set on fire,” from ignis “fire” (source of English igneous ).]
—ig·nit·a·bil·i·ty
[ig ntə bíllətee], noun

—ig·nit·a·ble
[ig ntəb’l], adjective

—ig·nit·er, noun[1]



ignition

ignition
ig·ni·tion 
[ig nísh’n] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY process
of igniting: the process of setting something on fire

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING means
of starting engine: a mechanism that determines
when, where, and how a spark is delivered to an engine cylinder to ignite the
fuel and start or run the engine

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING spark
that ignites fuel-air mixture: a spark in an
internal-combustion engine that ignites and explodes a mixture of fuel and air

[1]



ignitionpoint

ignitionpoint
ig·ni·tion
point
(plural ig·ni·tion points) noun

temperature at which
substance burns: the temperature at
which a substance begins to burn and will remain alight[1]



ignoble

ignoble
ig·no·ble 
[ig nṓb’l] adjective

1.  dishonorable:
dishonorable, ungenerous, and contrary to the high standards of conduct
expected of somebody

2.  not
of the nobility: not belonging to the nobility (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin ignobilis, literally “not
noble,” from (g)nobilis “noble” (see noble
).]
—ig·no·bil·i·ty
[ìg nō bíllətee], noun

—ig·no·bly
[ig nṓblee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mean

[1]



ignominious

ignominious
ig·no·min·i·ous 
[ìgnə mínnee əss] adjective

1.  shameful:
involving a total loss of dignity and pride and making somebody or something
appear shamefully weak and ineffective

2.  despicable:
deserving condemnation and contempt (formal)
—ig·no·min·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—ig·no·min·i·ous·ness,
noun[1]



ignominy

ignominy
ig·no·min·y 
[ig nómmənee, ígnə
mìnnee] (plural ig·no·min·ies) noun

1.  disgrace
and dishonor: a total loss of dignity and self-respect
or an incurring of public disgrace

2.  something
disgraceful: a disgraceful act (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French ignominie from Latin ignominia, literally “lacking
name,” from nomin-, the stem of nomen “name, reputation.”][1]



ignoramus

ignoramus
ig·no·ra·mus 
[ìgnə ráyməss] (plural ig·no·ra·mus·es)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody else’s intelligence level
(insult)
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin, “we ignore,” from Latin, a form of ignorare (see ignore ).][1]



ignorance

ignorance
ig·no·rance 
[ígnərəns] noun

1.  lack
of knowledge: lack of knowledge or education

2.  unawareness:
unawareness of something, often of something important

[1]



ignorant

ignorant
ig·no·rant 
[ígnərənt] adjective

1.  lacking
knowledge:
lacking knowledge and education in general or in a specific subject

2.  unaware:
unaware of something • ignorant
of the danger

3.  resulting
from lack of knowing: caused by a lack of
understanding or experience • an
ignorant mistake

4.  Caribbean
quarrelsome:
quarrelsome and aggressive
—ig·no·rant·ly, adverb[1]



ignore

ignore
ig·nore 
[ig náwr] (past ig·nored, past
participle ig·nored, present participle ig·nor·ing, 3rd
person present singular ig·nores) transitive verb

refuse
to notice:
to refuse to notice or pay attention to somebody or something
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French ignorer, from Latin ignorare
“not to know, to ignore,” ultimately from (g)noscere “to know” (source
of English notice ).]
—ig·nor·a·ble,
adjective

—ig·nor·er, noun[1]



Igorot

Igorot
I·go·rot 
[ìggə rṓt, gə rṓt]
noun (plural I·go·rot or I·go·rots)

Philippine
people:
a member of a people living in the mountainous northern part of the island of
Luzon in the Philippines
adjective

of
the Igorot:
relating to the Igorot or their culture
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish Ygolote, from the local name.][1]



iguana

iguana

i·gua·na 
[i gwnə] (plural i·gua·nas or
i·gua·na) noun
large
tropical lizard: a large plant-eating tropical lizard,
chiefly found in South and Central America, with a serrated fringe or crest
running along its back from head to tail. Family: Iguanidae
[Mid-16th
century. Via Spanish from Arawak iwana .]
—i·gua·ni·an, adjective,
noun[1]



iguanodon

iguanodon
i·guan·o·don 
[i gwnə dòn] (plural i·guan·o·dons)
noun

large
plant-eating dinosaur: a large long-tailed
plant-eating dinosaur of the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. Genus: Iguanodon
[Early 19th century. Formed
from iguana + -odon, from Greek,
variant of the stem odont- “tooth”; from the similarity of its teeth to
those of an iguana.][1]



Iguaçu

Iguaçu
I·gua·çu
[ìg waa s]

river in southern Brazil and
northeastern Argentina. Length: 1,200 km/745 mi.[1]



IguaçuFalls

IguaçuFalls
I·gua·çu
Falls

waterfalls on the Iguaçu
River. In the wet season they form a single waterfall over 4 km/2.5 mi wide and
up to 80 m/260 ft high.[1]



IGY

IGY
IGY

Abbreviation of
International Geophysical Year[1]



IHC

IHC
IHC

New Zealand
Abbreviation of intellectually handicapped child[1]



i.h.p.

i.h.p.
i.h.p.
or ihp

Abbreviation of
indicated horsepower[1]



ihram

ihram
ih·ram 
[ee rm] (plural ih·rams) noun

1.  white
robe worn by Mecca pilgrims: a white cotton robe worn by
men when they are pilgrims to Mecca, formed from pieces of cloth wound around
the waist and over the shoulder

2.  holy
state of pilgrim wearing ihram: the state of holiness
conferred or symbolized by the wearing of the ihram
[Early 18th century. From
Arabic ’iḥrām .][1]



IHS

IHS
IHS

Abbreviation
of
Iesus Hominum Salvator
[Via late Latin from Greek,
“Jesus,” abbreviation using three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek ( Iē(sou)s
)][1]



IJsselmeer

IJsselmeer
IJs·sel·meer
[ss’l meer]

shallow freshwater lake in
the northern Netherlands that occupies part of what was formerly the Zuider
Zee. The IJssel River flows into it.[1]



ikat

ikat
i·kat 
[ kt] (plural i·kats) noun

technique
of patterning fabric: a technique for making
patterned fabric by using tie-dyed yarn
[Mid-20th century. From
Malay, literally “to tie, fasten.”][1]



IKBS

IKBS
IKBS

Abbreviation of
intelligent knowledge-based system[1]



ikebana

ikebana
i·ke·ba·na 
[ìkə bnə, ke
bnə] noun

art
of flower arranging: the Japanese art of
arranging flowers in a formal balanced composition
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “living flowers.”][1]



IkeTaiga

IkeTaiga
I·ke
Tai·ga
[ kay tgə] (1723–1776)

Japanese painter. His works,
using ancient forms of calligraphy, are in the Bunjinga style.[1]



ikon

ikon
i·kon 
noun

See
icon  noun 1[1]



il-

il-
il-
prefix

(used before l)See
in- 1 See in- 2[1]



il-

il-
il-
prefix

(used before l)See
in-[1]



IL

IL
IL

1.  MAIL Abbreviation of Illinois

2.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Israel

[1]



ILA

ILA
ILA

Abbreviation of
International Longshoremen’s Association[1]



ilang-ilang

ilang-ilang
i·lang-i·lang 
noun

See
ylang-ylang[1]



-ile

-ile1
-ile1 suffix

of,
relating to, capable of • pulsatile
• protrusile
[Via Old French from Latin -ilis][1]



-ile

-ile2
-ile2 suffix

a
portion of a particular size in a frequency distribution • quartile
• percentile
[Origin uncertain][1]



ilea

ilea
il·e·a


Plural of
ileum[1]



ileac

ileac
il·e·ac
[íllee àk] or il·e·al [íllee àk] adjective

of
the ileum:
relating to the ileum
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of iliac on the model of ileum and ileus
.][1]



ileitis

ileitis
il·e·i·tis 
[ìllee tiss] noun

intestinal inflammation:
inflammation of the ileum[1]



ileostomy

ileostomy
il·e·os·to·my 
[ìllee óstəmee] (plural il·e·os·to·mies)
noun

1.  operation
making opening to ileum: the surgical operation of
making an opening through the abdominal wall into the ileum, so that waste can
be discharged out of the body without passing through the colon

2.  surgical
opening to ileum: a surgical opening through the abdominal
wall into the ileum

[1]



Ilesa

Ilesa
I·le·sa
[i láyshè] or I·le·sha [i láyshè]

town in Kwara State,
southwestern Nigeria, situated approximately 24 km/15 mi southeast of Oshogbo.
Population: 342,000 (1992)[1]



ileum

ileum
il·e·um 
[íllee əm] (plural il·e·a [íllee ə]) noun

part
of small intestine: the third and lowest portion
of the small intestine, extending from the jejunum to the pouch-shaped cecum at
the beginning of the large intestine
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin, variant of Latin ilium “entrails,” perhaps from
association with ileus (see ileus ).][1]



ileus

ileus
il·e·us 
[íllee əss] noun

incapacity
of intestines to pass contents: the inability of the
contents of the intestines to pass through them owing to physical obstruction,
or muscular inadequacy, often accompanied by extreme pain and vomiting
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek ileos “colic,” of uncertain origin: probably formed from eilein
“to hold in check.”][1]



ilex

ilex
i·lex 
[ lèks] noun

1.  plant
of holly genus: any tree or shrub belonging to a genus
whose best-known member is the holly tree. Genus: Ilex

2.  See
holm oak
[From Latin, “holm oak”][1]



ILGWU

ILGWU
ILGWU
or I.L.G.W.U.

Abbreviation of
International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union[1]



ilia

ilia
il·i·a


Plural of
ilium[1]



iliac

iliac
il·i·ac 
[íllee àk] adjective

relating
to ilium:
relating to the ilium and its surroundings
[Early 16th century. From
late Latin iliacus “relating to colic,” from Latin ilia (see ilium ).][1]



Iliad

Iliad
Il·i·ad
[íllee əd] noun

Greek
epic of siege of Troy: an ancient Greek epic poem,
describing the siege and capture of Troy, ascribed to Homer, and probably
composed by oral tradition over the centuries prior to 700 BC
[Early
17th century. Via the Latin stem Iliad- from Greek Ilias “of
Troy,” from Ilion “Troy.”]
—Il·i·ad·ic [ìllee áddik], adjective[1]



Iliamna

Iliamna
Il·i·am·na
[ìllee ámnə]

volcanic peak in southwestern
Alaska, situated on the western side of Cook Inlet. Height: 3,053 m/10,016 ft.[1]



Iliamna,Lake

Iliamna,Lake
Il·i·am·na,
Lake
[ìllee ámnə]

the largest lake in Alaska,
situated in the southwest of the state, west of Cook Inlet. Area: 2,647 sq
km/1,022 sq mi.[1]



ilium

ilium

il·i·um 
[íllee əm] (plural il·i·a [íllee ə]) noun
part
of pelvis:
the wide flat upper portion of the pelvis that is connected to the base of the
vertebral column. The ilium is a separate bone at birth but later becomes fused
with two other bones to form the hip bone ( innominate
bone ).
[14th century. From Latin,
the classical Latin plural meaning “groin, flanks, entrails.” Originally, the
English word denoted the ileum .][1]



ilk

ilk
ilk
noun

sort:
kind or sort “save forlorn hopes and their ilk” Stephen Crane The Red Badge of
Courage 1895
[Old English ilca
“same,” a compound whose parts are descended from an Indo-European word meaning
“same” and a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “form” (also the ancestor of
English each )][1]



ill

ill
ill 
[il] adjective

1.  unwell:
not in good health, having a disease, or feeling unwell or nauseated

2.  harmful:
resulting in harm, pain, or trouble for somebody or something

3.  unkind:
unkind and unfriendly • ill
feeling

4.  unfavorable:
predicting a bad future or outcome

5.  morally
bad:
resulting from the actual or supposed moral badness of somebody or something • of
ill repute

6.  bad:
not up to the expected or required standard, for example, of behavior or
competence
adverb

1.  badly:
badly, inadequately, or inappropriately • prisoners
who were ill treated

2.  unfavorably:
in an adverse or unfavorable way or so as to reflect badly on somebody or
something • It
boded ill for the future.

3.  with
difficulty:
only with great difficulty and trouble • She
can ill afford the time at present.
noun
(plural ills)

1.  harm:
evil or harm, especially as a fate wished on somebody • don’t
wish others ill

2.  unfavorable
opinion:
an unfavorable opinion of somebody or something • spoke
ill of them
• thought
ill of them

3.  misfortune:
trouble or misfortune, or a troublesome or distressing experience (archaic)

4.  illness:
a disease or sickness (archaic)
[12th century. From Old Norse
illr “evil, difficult,” illa “badly,” and ilt “evil,” of
unknown origin. “Unwell” dates from the 15th century.][1]



ill.

ill.
ill.

1.  Abbreviation
of
illustrated

2.  Abbreviation
of
illustration

3.  Abbreviation
of
illustrator

[1]



Ill.

Ill.
Ill.

Abbreviation of
Illinois[1]



ill-advised

ill-advised
ill-ad·vised 
adjective

not
wise:
not wise, prudent, or sensible
—ill-ad·vis·ed·ly, adverb[1]



ill-assorted

ill-assorted
ill-as·sort·ed
or ill-sort·ed adjective

not well matched:
mismatched or incompatible[1]



illat ease

illat ease
ill
at ease
adjective

uneasy:
uncomfortable and nervous[1]



illation

illation
il·la·tion 
[i láysh’n] (plural il·la·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  inference:
an inference drawn to something

2.  act
or process of inferring something: the act or process of
making an inference
[Mid-16th century. From the
Latin stem illation-, from illat- (see illative
).][1]



illative

illative
il·la·tive 
[íllətiv, i
láytiv] adjective

1.  inferential:
involving or relating to the making of inferences (formal)

2.  stating
inference:
expressing or preceding an inference

3.  of
case of Finnish noun: expressing motion toward
something. It is usually translated into English using the prepositions “into”
or “toward.” (used to describe a noun case in Finnish and some other
languages)
noun

1.  case
of Finnish noun: the illative case in Finnish and similar
languages

2.  something
that states inference: a word, phrase, or morpheme
that expresses an inference
[Late
16th century. From Latin illativus, from illat-, the past
participle stem of inferre “to infer” (see infer
).]
—il·la·tive·ly, adverb[1]



Illawarra

Illawarra
Il·la·war·ra 
[ìllè wórrè]

division in southeastern New
South Wales, southeastern Australia, situated approximately 48 km/30 mi south
of Sydney. Population: 33,478 (1991)[1]



ill-bred

ill-bred
ill-bred 
adjective

badly
trained and rude: rude, impolite, or otherwise showing a
lack of good manners or the results of a bad upbringing
—ill-breed·ing, noun[1]



ill-conceived

ill-conceived
ill-con·ceived 
adjective

not well planned or thought
out: not based on good planning,
especially not having an aim or goal that is likely to be successfully achieved[1]



ill-considered

ill-considered
ill-con·sid·ered 
adjective

unwise or not well thought
out: done or made unwisely or
without sufficient thought about the consequences[1]



ill-defined

ill-defined
ill-de·fined 
adjective

not well defined:
not clearly or sharply defined, or not clearly thought out[1]



ill-disguised

ill-disguised
ill-dis·guised 
adjective

not hidden successfully:
apparent or visible, especially in somebody’s expression, voice, or manner,
because any attempt to conceal it is unsuccessful or perfunctory • her
ill-disguised contempt for them[1]



ill-disposed

ill-disposed
ill-dis·posed
adjective

unfriendly:
having an unfriendly or hostile attitude toward somebody or something[1]



illegal

illegal
il·le·gal 
[i lg’l] adjective

1.  LAW against
the law:
forbidden by law

2.  SPORTS GAME against the rules:
not allowed by the rules of something such as a game

3.  COMPUTING not
permitted by computer: not permitted in a computer
program
noun
(plural il·le·gals)

illegal immigrant:
somebody who has entered a country illegally
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin illegalis “not
legal,” from legalis “legal” (see legal
).]
—il·le·gal·ly, adverb[1]



illegality

illegality
il·le·gal·i·ty 
[ìllee gállətee] (plural il·le·gal·i·ties)
noun

1.  fact
of being illegal: the fact of being forbidden by law or by
the rules of something

2.  unlawful
act:
an act that is against the law

[1]



illegalize

illegalize
il·le·gal·ize
[i lgə lz] (past il·le·gal·ized,
past participle il·le·gal·ized, present participle il·le·gal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular il·le·gal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something illegal: to declare officially and by
law that something is illegal
—il·le·gal·i·za·tion [i lgəli záysh’n], noun[1]



illegible

illegible
il·leg·i·ble 
[i léjjəb’l] adjective

hard
to read:
impossible or very difficult to read
—il·leg·i·bil·i·ty
[i lèjjə bíllətee], noun

—il·leg·i·bly [i léjjəblee], adverb[1]



illegitimate

illegitimate
il·le·git·i·mate 
[ìlli jítəmət] adjective

1.  against
law or rules: not carried out, made, or constituted in
accordance with the law, the rules governing a particular activity, or social
norms and customs

2.  born
out of wedlock: born to parents who are not married to
each other
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from late Latin illegitimus, from legitimus (see legitimate ).]
—il·le·git·i·ma·cy,
noun

—il·le·git·i·mate·ly, adverb[1]



ill-fated

ill-fated
ill-fat·ed 
adjective

ending in disaster:
ending in, or doomed to, disaster[1]



ill-favored

ill-favored
ill-fa·vored 
adjective

1.  unattractive:
unattractive in appearance, especially having an unattractive face

2.  objectionable:
offensively objectionable (literary)
—ill-fa·vored·ly,
adverb

—ill-fa·vored·ness, noun[1]



illfeeling

illfeeling
ill
feel·ing
noun

animosity or resentment:
animosity or resentment toward somebody, something, or each other[1]



ill-founded

ill-founded
ill-found·ed 
adjective

without convincing
foundation: with no sound basis in fact
or logic[1]



ill-gotten

ill-gotten
ill-got·ten 
adjective

acquired dishonestly:
acquired dishonestly or illegally • ill-gotten
gains[1]



illhealth

illhealth
ill
health
noun

poor state of general health:
the state of being in poor physical or mental condition[1]



illhumor

illhumor
ill
hu·mor
noun

bad
temper:
a bad mood or bad temper
—ill-hu·mored, adjective[1]



illiberal

illiberal
il·lib·er·al 
[i líbbərəl, i
líbbrəl] adjective

1.  narrow-minded:
narrow-minded and intolerant of ideas and behavior that vary from an inflexibly
conservative standard

2.  ungenerous:
lacking in generosity (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin illiberalis “sordid, mean” (literally
“not liberal”), from liberalis “liberal” (see liberal
).]
—il·lib·er·al·i·ty
[i lìbbə rállətee], noun

—il·lib·er·al·ly [i líbbərəlee, i líbbrəlee],
adverb[1]



illicit

illicit
il·lic·it 
[i líssit] adjective

1.  illegal:
not allowed by the law

2.  unacceptable
by prevailing social standards: considered wrong or
unacceptable by prevailing social customs or standards
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French illicite from Latin illicitus
“not licit,” from licitus “licit” (see licit
).]
—il·lic·it·ly,
adverb

—il·lic·it·ness, noun[1]



IllilouetteFalls

IllilouetteFalls
Il·lil·ou·ette
Falls
[ìllə loo ét fawlz]

waterfall situated in
Yosemite National Park, central California. Height: 113 m/370 ft.[1]



Illimani

Illimani
Il·li·ma·ni 
[lyi mnnee]

mountain in western Bolivia,
situated south of La Paz. The highest peak is Nevada Illimani, 6,462 m/21,201
ft .[1]



illimitable

illimitable
il·lim·it·a·ble 
[i límmitəb’l] adjective

limitless:
with no limits or bounds (formal)
—il·lim·it·a·bil·i·ty
[i lìmmitə bíllətee], noun

—il·lim·it·a·bly [i límmitəblee], adverb[1]



Illinois

Illinois2


Il·li·nois2  [ilè
nóy]

1.  state
in the north central United States, bordered by Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
Missouri, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan. Capital: Springfield. Population:
11,895,849 (1997) Area: 150,007 sq km/57,918 sq mi.

2.        river
in northern Illinois formed by the joining of the Des Plaines and Kankakee
rivers. Length: 680 km/420 mi.[1]



Illinois

Illinois1
Il·li·nois1  [ìllə
nóy] noun (plural Il·li·nois)

member
of Native N American confederacy: a member of a
confederacy of Native North American peoples who originally lived in an area
covering northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin, now
inhabiting a reservation in northeastern Oklahoma
adjective

of Illinois confederacy:
relating to the Illinois confederacy, its people, or their culture[1]



Illinois




Back to definition

Illinois2

[1]



Illinoisan

Illinoisan
Il·li·nois·an
[ìllə nóyən, ìllə
nóyz’n] or Il·li·nois·i·an [ìllə
nóyzee ən] adjective

of Illinois:
relating to the state of Illinois, or its people or culture[1]



IllinoisWaterway

IllinoisWaterway
Il·li·nois
Wa·ter·way

system of rivers and canals
in Illinois that connects Lake Michigan at Chicago with the Mississippi River
at Grafton. Length: 523 km/325 mi.[1]



illiquid

illiquid
il·liq·uid 
[i líkwid] adjective

1.  FINANCE hard
to convert into cash: not easily convertible into
cash

2.  not
having enough cash: without sufficient ready
cash
—il·li·quid·i·ty [ìlli kwíddətee], noun[1]



illite

illite
il·lite
[í lt] noun

clay
mineral:
a clay mineral of the mica group found in shale and mudstone, consisting of
hydrated silicate of potassium and aluminum
[Mid-20th
century. Named for Illinois 2 (where it was first found).]
—il·lit·ic [i líttik], adjective[1]



illiteracy

illiteracy
il·lit·er·a·cy 
[i líttərəssee] (plural il·lit·er·a·cies)
noun

1.  reading
incapacity:
an inability to read and write

2.  lack
of knowledge of a subject: lack of education and
knowledge in a particular subject

3.  error
in speech or writing: a basic or gross error in
reading, writing, or speaking that suggests limited knowledge of language or
grammar

[1]



illiterate

illiterate
il·lit·er·ate 
[i líttərət] adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe people who are not able to read and write (offensive)

2.  uneducated:
with an inadequate education in or knowledge of a particular subject, or none
at all • artistically
illiterate

3.  making
many language mistakes: full of, or making many
basic errors in the use of language • illiterate
prose
noun
(plural il·lit·er·ates)

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody who lacks education and knowledge, especially
somebody who cannot read or write (offensive)
[15th
century. From Latin illiterat(t)us, literally “not lettered,” from lit(t)eratus
“lettered, learned” (see literate ).]
—il·lit·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—il·lit·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



ill-judged

ill-judged
ill-judged
adjective

imprudent:
showing a lack of good judgment or an incorrect assessment of a situation[1]



ill-mannered

ill-mannered
ill-man·nered 
adjective

rude:
rude or impolite
—ill-man·nered·ly, adverb[1]



illnature

illnature
ill
na·ture
noun

bad-tempered disposition:
a bad-tempered, unpleasant, or unkind disposition[1]



ill-natured

ill-natured
ill-na·tured 
adjective

bad-tempered:
bad-tempered, unpleasant, or unkind
—ill-na·tured·ly,
adverb

—ill-na·tured·ness, noun[1]



illness

illness
ill·ness 
[ílnəss] (plural ill·ness·es) noun

1.  bad
health:
a state of bad health

2.  disease
or sickness: a disease, sickness, or other such
indisposition

[1]



illocution

illocution
il·lo·cu·tion 
[ìllə kysh’n] (plural il·lo·cu·tions)
noun

act
performed in speaking: an action such as naming,
threatening, warning, or promising that is carried out simply by saying the
appropriate words
[Mid-20th
century. Coined by the philosopher J. L. Austin from il
+ locution .]
—il·lo·cu·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



illogic

illogic
il·log·ic 
[i lójjik] noun

quality of lacking logic:
the quality or condition of having no basis in logic[1]



illogical

illogical
il·log·i·cal 
[i lójjik’l] adjective

1.  not
following rules of logic: not following the rules of
logic, or not following logically from a previous premise, statement, or action

2.  unreasonable:
apparently unreasonable or perverse, especially in not being or not giving the
expected response
—il·log·i·cal·i·ty
[i lòjji kállətee], noun

—il·log·i·cal·ly [i lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



ill-omened

ill-omened
ill-o·mened 
adjective

apparently fated to end
badly: accompanied by signs
suggesting disaster or failure[1]



ill-sorted

ill-sorted
ill-sort·ed 
adjective

See
ill-assorted[1]



ill-starred

ill-starred
ill-starred 
adjective

doomed
to end badly: doomed to end in failure or disaster (formal)
[From the astrological belief
that an unpropitious arrangement of the celestial bodies at the time of a birth
or the start of an undertaking predetermined an unhappy outcome][1]



ill-tempered

ill-tempered
ill-tem·pered 
adjective

irritable:
having or showing an irritable mood or disposition
—ill-tem·pered·ly, adverb[1]



ill-timed

ill-timed
ill-timed 
adjective

at an unsuitable time:
done or occurring at the wrong time and thus not having the desired effect[1]



ill-treat

ill-treat
ill-treat 
transitive verb

1.  abuse:
to behave cruelly or unkindly toward a person or animal

2.  misuse:
to misuse something or give something rough treatment
—ill-treat·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at misuse

[1]



illume

illume
il·lume 
[i lm] (past il·lumed, past
participle il·lumed, present participle il·lum·ing, 3rd
person present singular il·lumes) transitive verb

illuminate:
to cast illumination onto something (archaic literary)
[Early 17th century.
Contraction of illumine .][1]



illuminance

illuminance
il·lu·mi·nance 
[i lminəns] noun

measure of incident light:
the amount of light, evaluated according to its capacity to produce visual
stimulation, that reaches a unit of surface area during a unit of time. It is
measured in lux.
Also called
illumination Symbol E V[1]



illuminant

illuminant
il·lu·mi·nant 
[i lminənt] noun (plural il·lu·mi·nants)

source
of light:
something that gives off or provides light
adjective

shining:
giving off light
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
illuminant-, the present participle stem of illuminare (see illuminate ).][1]



illuminate

illuminate
il·lu·mi·nate 
[i lmi nàyt] (past il·lu·mi·nat·ed,
past participle il·lu·mi·nat·ed, present participle il·lu·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular il·lu·mi·nates, plural il·lu·mi·nates)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shine
light on something: to make something visible or
bright with light, or be lit up

2.  transitive
verb
decorate
with lights: to decorate something with lights for a
celebration

3.  transitive
verb
clarify:
to make something clear, or easier to understand and appreciate

4.  transitive
verb
PRINTING add
colored elements to page: to add colored letters,
illustrations, and designs to a manuscript or the borders of a page

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb enlighten
somebody:
to provide somebody with knowledge or with intellectual or spiritual
enlightenment (literary) (often passive)

6.  transitive
verb
cause
to look happy and animated: to make something,
especially somebody’s face, look happy and animated
[15th
century. From Latin illuminat-, the past participle stem of illuminare
“to light up,” ultimately from the stem lumin- “light” (source of
English luminous ).]
—il·lu·mi·na·tive,
adjective

—il·lu·mi·na·tor, noun[1]



illuminati

illuminati
il·lu·mi·na·ti 
[i lmi ntee] or Il·lu·mi·na·ti
[i lmi ntee] plural noun

group
claiming enlightenment: any one of various groups of
people in history claiming to have received special religious or spiritual
enlightenment, especially an 18th-century German secret society with deist and
republican ideas. The name was also applied to several groups in 18th-century
France, a group of religious enthusiasts in 16th-century Spain, and the
Rosicrucians.
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from Latin, plural of illuminatus, past participle of illuminare
(see illuminate ).][1]



illuminating

illuminating
il·lu·mi·nat·ing
[i lmi nàyting] adjective

shedding
light on subject: informative and enlightening, often by
revealing or emphasizing facts that were previously obscure
—il·lu·mi·nat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



illumination

illumination
il·lu·mi·na·tion 
[i lmi náysh’n] (plural il·lu·mi·na·tions)
noun

1.  act
of illuminating: the provision of light to make something
visible or bright, or the fact of being lit up

2.  usable
light:
the amount or strength of light available in a place or for a purpose

3.  clarification
and explanation: the process of clarifying or explaining
something

4.  enlightenment:
intellectual or spiritual enlightenment

5.  PRINTING ornamentation
of page:
a colored letter, design, or illustration decorating a manuscript or page, or
the art or act of decorating written texts

6.  PHYSICS See illuminance
—il·lu·mi·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



illumine

illumine
il·lu·mine 
[i lmin] (past il·lu·mined, past
participle il·lu·mined, present participle il·lu·min·ing,
3rd person present singular il·lu·mines) intransitive and
transitive verb

illuminate:
to illuminate somebody or something, or become illuminated (literary)
[14th
century. Via French illuminer from Latin illuminare (see illuminate ).]
—il·lu·min·a·ble, adjective[1]



illuminism

illuminism
il·lu·mi·nism 
[i lmi nìzzəm] noun

beliefs of illuminati:
the beliefs held by illuminati, especially their belief in or claim to special
enlightenment[1]



illus.

illus.
illus.

1.  Abbreviation
of
illustrated

2.  Abbreviation
of
illustration

3.  Abbreviation
of
illustrator

[1]



ill-use

ill-use
ill-use 
transitive verb

See
ill-treat  verb 1
—ill-us·age, noun[1]



illusion

illusion

il·lu·sion 
[i lzh’n] (plural il·lu·sions)
noun

1.  something
with deceptive appearance: something that deceives the
senses or mind, for example, by appearing to exist when it does not or
appearing to be one thing when it is in fact another

2.  deceptive
power of appearances: the ability of appearances
to deceive the mind and senses or the capacity of the mind and senses to be
deceived by appearances

3.  false
idea:
a false idea, conception, or belief concerning something

4.  PSYCHOLOGY mistaken
sensory perception: a misinterpretation of an
experience of sensory perception, especially a visual one, where the stimuli
are objectively present and the mistaken perception is due to physical rather
than psychological causes.
See
also
hallucination

5.  TEXTILES fine
gauze:
a fine gauze used for trimming.
See
also
tulle
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin illus-, past participle stem
of illudere “to play at,” ultimately from ludus “play, sport”
(source of English ludicrous ).]
—il·lu·sion·ar·y,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at allusion.

[1]



illusionism

illusionism
il·lu·sion·ism 
[i lzh’n ìzzəm] noun

use of pictures to mislead:
the use of pictorial techniques to create illusions.
See also
trompe l’oeil[1]



illusionist

illusionist
il·lu·sion·ist 
[i lzh’nist] (plural il·lu·sion·ists)
noun

1.  magician:
a performer of magical tricks

2.  PAINTING painter
who makes pictorial illusions: an artist who creates
pictorial illusions
—il·lu·sion·is·tic
[i lzh’n ístik], adjective

—il·lu·sion·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



illusive

illusive
il·lu·sive 
[i lssiv] adjective

See
illusory
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin illusivus “deceptive,” from the Latin
stem illus- (see illusion ).]
—il·lu·sive·ly,
adverb

—il·lu·sive·ness, noun[1]



illusory

illusory
il·lu·so·ry 
[i lssəree] adjective

imaginary:
produced by, based on, or consisting of an illusion
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French illusoire from ecclesiastical Latin
illusorius “ironical, of mocking character,” from the Latin stem illus-
(see illusion ).]
—il·lu·so·ri·ly,
adverb

—il·lu·so·ri·ness, noun[1]



illustrate

illustrate
il·lus·trate 
[íllə stràyt] (past il·lus·trat·ed,
past participle il·lus·trat·ed, present participle il·lus·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular il·lus·trates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
characteristic of: to be a good example of
something, or serve to demonstrate something and make it clear • a
case that illustrates the need for legislation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fully
explain:
to clarify something by giving examples or making comparisons

3.  transitive
verb
ARTS accompany
with pictures: to provide explanatory or decorative
pictures to accompany a printed, spoken, or electronic text • The
book was illustrated with diagrams.
[Early
16th century. From Latin illustrat-, the past participle stem of illustrare
“to light up,” from lustrare (source of English luster ).]
—il·lus·trat·a·ble
[íllə stràytəb’l], adjective

—il·lus·tra·tor, noun[1]



illustration

illustration
il·lus·tra·tion 
[ìllə stráysh’n] (plural il·lus·tra·tions)
noun

1.  picture
that complements text: a drawing, photograph, or
diagram that accompanies and complements a printed, spoken, or electronic text

2.  something
that helps explain: an example or comparison
that helps to clarify or explain something

3.  ARTS provision
of pictures accompanying text: the art or process of
producing or providing pictures to accompany a text
—il·lus·tra·tion·al, adjective[1]



illustrative

illustrative
il·lus·tra·tive 
[i lústrətiv] adjective

serving
to illustrate: serving to illustrate or explain
something
—il·lus·tra·tive·ly, adverb[1]



illustrious

illustrious
il·lus·tri·ous 
[i lústree əss] adjective

extremely
distinguished: extremely distinguished and deservedly
famous
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin illustris “bright, famous,” from illustrare
(see illustrate ).]
—il·lus·tri·ous·ly,
adverb

—il·lus·tri·ous·ness, noun[1]



illuviation

illuviation
il·lu·vi·a·tion 
[i lvee áysh’n] noun

leaching
down of soil material: the process by which
materials such as colloids and salts are washed from an upper layer of soil to
a lower one
[Early
20th century. Coined from il- + -luviation
(as in eluviation ).]
—il·lu·vi·at·ed, adjective[1]



illuvium

illuvium
il·lu·vi·um 
[i lvee əm] (plural il·lu·vi·ums
or il·lu·vi·a [i lvee ə]) noun

material
depositied by illuviation: colloids, salts, and other
material washed out from an upper to a lower layer of soil
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from -luvium (as in alluvium
).][1]



illwill

illwill
ill
will
noun

hostility or dislike:
a feeling or attitude of hostility, unfriendliness, or dislike toward somebody
• They
bore us no ill will.[1]



ill-wisher

ill-wisher
ill-wish·er 
(plural ill-wish·ers) noun

somebody who wishes trouble
for another: somebody who wishes
misfortune or evil to come to another person[1]



Illyrian

Illyrian
Il·lyr·i·an 
[i lree ən] noun (plural Il·lyr·i·ans)

1.  PEOPLES historical
inhabitant of eastern Adriatic coast: a
member of any of the related peoples who, for over a thousand years from the
late third century BC, occupied
the Adriatic coastal regions from Albania northward. The Illyrians were
conquered by the Romans around 33 BC.

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
language of Illyrians: an extinct language that was
spoken in Illyria in ancient times. It is agreed that it was an Indo-European
language, and generally thought to be related to Albanian.
adjective

characteristic of Illyria:
relating to or characteristic of Illyria, its people, or extinct language
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin Illyrius, from Illyria .][1]



ilmenite

ilmenite
il·men·ite 
[ílmə nt] noun

mineral
containing iron and titanium: a mineral, usually found in
basic metamorphic and igneous rocks, consisting of a mixed oxide of iron and
titanium
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Ilmen Mountains in the southern Urals, Russia, where it was
found.][1]



ILO

ILO
ILO

Abbreviation of
International Labor Organization[1]



Iloilo

Iloilo
I·lo·i·lo 
[lō lō]

city and capital of Iloilo
Province, Philippines, situated in the southeastern part of the Iloilo Strait.
Population: 309,505 (1990)[1]



Ilorin

Ilorin
I·lo·rin 
[i lórrèn]

city and capital of Kwara
State, southwestern Nigeria, situated approximately 274 km/170 mi northeast of
Lagos. Population: 420,000 (1991)[1]



ILS

ILS
ILS

AEROSPACE
Abbreviation of instrument landing system[1]



IM

IM
IM

1.  CHESS Abbreviation of International Master

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of intramuscular

[1]



im-

im-
im-
prefix

(used before b, m, and p)See
in- 1 See in- 2[1]



image

image
im·age 
[ímmij] noun (plural im·ag·es)

1.  actual
or mental picture: a picture or likeness of
somebody or something, produced either physically by a sculptor, painter, or
photographer, or conjured in the mind

2.  somebody
closely resembling somebody else: somebody who or
something that is very like somebody or something else in appearance • She’s
the image of her grandmother.

3.  conspicuous
example:
an extremely typical or extreme example of something

4.  OPTICS likeness
seen or produced: the likeness of somebody or something
that appears in a mirror, through a lens, or on the retina of the eye, or that
is produced electronically on a screen

5.  LITERATURE example
of figurative language: a figure of speech,
especially a metaphor or simile

6.  MATHEMATICS set
of function’s values: the value of a mathematical
function corresponding to a specific value of the function’s variable
transitive
verb
(past im·aged, past participle im·aged, present
participle im·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular im·ag·es)

1.  create
image of:
to produce a physical or mental image of something

2.  MEDICINE make
visual image of body structures: to produce a visual
representation of bodily structures, using X-rays, ultrasound, radioactivity,
heat, or magnetism and, usually, computerized scanning devices, as an aid to
diagnosis and treatment

3.  picture
in mind:
to form a mental image of something

4.  describe
something in visual terms: to describe vividly or in
visual terms

5.  typify:
to embody or typify something
[12th
century. Via French from Latin imago “likeness” (source of English imagine ). Originally “statue, figurine.”]
—im·age·a·ble,
adjective

—im·ag·er, noun[1]



imagecompression

imagecompression
image
compression 
noun

COMPUTING
technique for storing visual image:
a technique based on fractal mathematics for reducing the amount of digitized
information needed to store a visual image such as a movie electronically[1]



imageconverter

imageconverter
im·age
con·vert·er
(plural im·age con·vert·ers) noun

electronic viewing device:
an optical-electronic device that reproduces an image formed by invisible
radiation such as ultraviolet and infrared on a photoemissive surface as a
visible-light image on a luminescent surface[1]



imageintensifier

imageintensifier
im·age
in·ten·si·fi·er (plural im·age
in·ten·si·fi·ers) noun

electronic device to
intensify image: an optical-electronic
device that amplifies an image formed by visible radiation on a photoemissive
surface to present an enhanced image on a luminescent surface.
Also called
image tube[1]



image-maker

image-maker
im·age-mak·er 
(plural im·age-mak·ers) noun

public relations manager:
somebody employed to create a favorable public image of a business,
organization, product, or public figure[1]



imageorthicon

imageorthicon
im·age
or·thi·con
(plural im·age or·thi·cons) noun

specialized TV camera:
a television camera tube in which an electron image on a photoemissive surface
is focused onto a target for scanning[1]



imagery

imagery
im·age·ry 
[ímmijree] (plural im·age·ries)
noun

1.  LITERATURE metaphors
and similes: the figurative language, especially
metaphors and similes, used in poetry, plays, and other literary works

2.  images
in the mind: a set of mental pictures produced by the
memory or imagination or conjured up by a stimulus • Her
dreams were filled with surreal imagery.

3.  ARTS images
in artistic work: the pictorial images found in works of
art such as paintings and sculptures

4.  images
collectively: a group or set of images considered
together • studying
the CAT-scan imagery

[1]



imagetube

imagetube
im·age
tube
(plural im·age tubes) noun

device for making an
electronic image visible: an
optical-electronic device that converts invisible radiation into a visible
image, as in an image converter, or amplifies visible radiation into an
enhanced image, as in an image intensifier[1]



imaginable

imaginable
i·mag·i·na·ble 
[i májjənəb’l] adjective

able
to be imagined: capable of being conceived or imagined • the
worst meal imaginable
—i·mag·i·na·bil·i·ty
[i màjjənə bíllətee], noun

—i·mag·i·na·bly [i májjənəblee], adverb[1]



imaginary

imaginary
i·mag·i·nar·y 
[i májjə nèrree] adjective

1.  in
the mind:
existing only in the mind, not in reality

2.  MATHEMATICS relating
to imaginary numbers: relating to or containing
imaginary numbers, or being the coefficient of the imaginary part in a complex
number.
See
also
imaginary number
See
also
complex number
noun

MATHEMATICS See imaginary number
[14th
century. From Latin imaginarius, from imagin-, the stem of imago
(see image ).]
—i·mag·i·nar·i·ly,
adverb

—i·mag·i·nar·i·ness, noun[1]



imaginarynumber

imaginarynumber
i·mag·i·nar·y
num·ber
(plural i·mag·i·nar·y num·bers) noun

MATHEMATICS
complex number with imaginary unit:
a complex number in the form a + ib where i is the square
root of negative one, and b is not equal to zero.
Also called
imaginary
See also
real number[1]



imaginarypart

imaginarypart
i·mag·i·nar·y
part
(plural i·mag·i·nar·y parts) noun

MATHEMATICS
part of a complex number:
the real number, b, in the complex number a + ib, where i
= Á–1[1]



imaginaryunit

imaginaryunit
i·mag·i·nar·y
u·nit
(plural i·mag·i·nar·y u·nits) noun

MATHEMATICS
root of minus one:
the positive square root of minus one[1]



imagination

imagination
i·mag·i·na·tion 
[i màjjə náysh’n] (plural i·mag·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  ability
to visualize: the ability to form images and ideas in
the mind, especially of things never seen or never experienced directly

2.  creative
part of the mind: the part of the mind where ideas,
thoughts, and images are formed

3.  resourcefulness:
the ability to think of ways of dealing with difficulties or problems

4.  creative
act:
an act of creating a semblance of reality, especially in literature
—i·mag·i·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



imaginative

imaginative
i·mag·i·na·tive 
[i májjənətiv, i
májjə nàytiv] adjective

1.  skilled
at visualizing or thinking originally: good
at thinking of new ideas or at visualizing things that have not been seen or
experienced

2.  original:
new and original or not likely to have been easily thought up by somebody else
• an
imaginative solution to a long-standing problem

3.  tending
to fantasize: with a tendency to pretend or fantasize

4.  unlikely:
seeming untrue, implausible, or unlikely (often used ironically)

5.  of
the imagination: relating to the ability to form images
and ideas in the mind, or to think of new things
—i·mag·i·na·tive·ness,
noun[1]



imagine

imagine
i·mag·ine 
[i májjin] verb (past i·mag·ined,
past participle i·mag·ined, present participle i·mag·in·ing,
3rd person present singular i·mag·ines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
an image in the mind: to form an image or idea of
something in the mind • I can
just imagine his reaction!

2.  transitive
verb
see
or hear something unreal: to see or hear something
that is not there, or to think something that is not true • There’s
nothing there —you’re imagining things!

3.  transitive
verb
assume
something:
to suppose or assume something
interjection
i·mag·ine i·mag·ine that

expression of surprise:
used to express surprise
[14th
century. Via French from Latin imaginare “to make an image of” and imaginari
“to picture to yourself,” both formed from imagin-, the stem of imago
(see image ).]
—i·mag·in·er,
noun

—i·mag·in·ing, noun[1]



imaging

imaging
im·ag·ing 
[ímməjing] noun

1.  technique
for making images: any of several often
computerized techniques, for example, X-rays, ultrasound, radioactivity, heat,
or magnetism, used to obtain images of bodies or body parts for diagnosis,
emergency rescue, or surveillance

2.  PSYCHOLOGY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE use
of mental images: the use of mental images to ease pain,
alter the course of disease processes, or help in achieving a goal

[1]



imagism

imagism
im·a·gism 
[ímmə jìzzəm] noun

POETRY movement:
a literary movement of early 20th-century U.S. and English poets that sought to
modernize poetic language by the use of ordinary language, free verse, and
precise everyday imagery
—im·a·gist,
noun

—im·a·gis·tic
[ìmmə jístik], adjective

—im·a·gis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



imago

imago
i·ma·go 
[i máy g, i m
g] (plural i·ma·goes or i·ma·gi·nes [i máygə nz, i mgə
nz]) noun

1.  INSECTS sexually
mature adult insect: an insect in its sexually
mature adult state

2.  PSYCHOLOGY idealized
mental picture: in psychoanalytic theory, an unconscious
idealized mental picture, especially of a parent, that is formed early in life
and retained in adulthood
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see image ).][1]



imam

imam
i·mam 
[i mm] (plural i·mams) noun

1.  leader
of mosque prayers: a man who leads the prayers
in a mosque

2.  i·mam
or I·mam religious leader descended
from Muhammad: any of various Islamic religious leaders
regarded as direct descendants of Muhammad or Ali and appointed by Allah

3.  Islamic
community leader: a leader of an Islamic community

4.  Islamic
scholar:
a respected Islamic scholar, especially a founder of a school of theology or
law
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic ‘imām, literally “leader.”][1]



imamate

imamate
i·mam·ate 
[i m màyt, i má
màyt] (plural i·mam·ates) noun

1.  imam’s
position or period of office: the title or position of an
imam, or the period somebody spends as an imam

2.  imam’s
territory:
the area for which an imam is leader

[1]



IMarE

IMarE
IMarE

Abbreviation of
Institute of Marine Engineers[1]



imaret

imaret
i·ma·ret 
[i mrət] (plural i·ma·rets) noun

Turkish
inn:
a place providing food and shelter for travelers and pilgrims in Turkey
[Early 17th century. Via
Turkish from Arabic ’imāra “building.”][1]



Imari

Imari
I·mar·i
[i mree] noun

Japanese
porcelain with bright floral decoration: a
Japanese porcelain that is brightly decorated, especially with a floral design
[Late 19th century. Named for
the port of Imari in Kyushu, Japan, from which it was exported.][1]



imbalance

imbalance
im·bal·ance 
[im báləns] (plural im·bal·anc·es)
noun

1.  unevenness
of emphasis: an unevenness, inequality, or bias
existing between two or more people or things, especially in their degree of
emphasis, proportions, or function

2.  state
of disharmony: a lack of harmony or an inability to
function well or harmoniously, or something causing this state • a
hormonal imbalance

[1]



imbecile

imbecile
im·be·cile 
[ímbəss’l, ímbə
sl] (plural im·be·ciles) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s level of intellect (insult)

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term in an absolute classification system for an IQ between 25 and 50
and a mental age of between two and seven years (dated offensive)
[15th
century. Via French from Latin imbecillus, literally “without support,”
from baculum “stick, staff.” The underlying meaning is “weak,
powerless.”]
—im·be·cil·ic
[ìmbə síllik], adjective

—im·be·cil·i·ty [ìmbə síllətee], noun[1]



imbed

imbed
im·bed 
[im béd] transitive verb

See
embed[1]



imbibe

imbibe
im·bibe 
[im bb] (past im·bibed, past
participle im·bibed, present participle im·bib·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·bibes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb drink
something:
to drink something, especially alcohol (formal or humorous)

2.  transitive
verb
absorb
ideas:
to take something into the mind as if drinking a liquid (literary)

3.  transitive
verb
take
something in as if drinking: to take in something as if
drinking it (literary)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb absorb
something:
to absorb moisture, gas, light, or heat (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin imbibere, literally “to drink in,” from bibere
“to drink.”]
—im·bib·er, noun[1]



imbibition

imbibition
im·bi·bi·tion 
[ìmbə bísh’n, im
b bísh’n] noun

CHEMISTRY absorption
of fluid by a colloid: the absorption or adsorption
of something, such as liquid or heat, by a mixture ( colloid
) such as a gel
[15th
century. From the medieval Latin stem imbibition- “absorption,
infusion,” from Latin imbibere (see imbibe
).]
—im·bi·bi·tion·al, adjective[1]



imbricate

imbricate

im·bri·cate 
[ímbrə kàyt] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE consisting
of overlapping tiles: consisting of overlapping
tiles or slates

2.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY overlapping like roof tiles:
used to describe plant or animal parts that overlap in a regular pattern
intransitive and transitive verb
(past im·bri·cat·ed, past participle im·bri·cat·ed,
present participle im·bri·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
im·bri·cates)

overlap or be overlapping:
to lay things so that they overlap in layers, or to be overlapping in layers,
in a similar way to roof tiles
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin imbricare “to cover with pantiles,” from imbric-,
the stem of imbrex “roof tile,” from imber “rain.”]
—im·bri·cat·ed,
adjective

—im·bri·ca·tion [ìmbrə káysh’n], noun[1]



imbroglio

imbroglio
im·bro·glio 
[im brṓlee ] (plural im·bro·glios)
noun

complicated
situation:
a confusing, messy, or complicated situation, especially one that involves
disagreement or intrigue (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, from brogliare “to mix up,” probably from Old French brouillier
(see broil 2 ).][1]



imbrue

imbrue
im·brue 
[im br] (past im·brued, past
participle im·brued, present participle im·bru·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·brues) transitive verb

stain:
to stain something, especially with blood (archaic or literary)
[Early 16th century. From Old
French embruer “to soil or spatter,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from
assumed Vulgar Latin imbiberare, from Latin bibere “to drink.”][1]



imbue

imbue
im·bue 
[im by] (past im·bued, past
participle im·bued, present participle im·bu·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·bues) transitive verb

1.  fill
with a particular quality: to make something or
somebody rich with a particular quality (usually passive) • imbued
with a strong sense of patriotism

2.  soak
something with something: to saturate something with a
substance, especially dye (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin imbuere “to moisten, stain,” of unknown origin.][1]



IMCO

IMCO
IMCO

Abbreviation of
Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization[1]



IMF

IMF
IMF

Abbreviation of
International Monetary Fund[1]



IMHO

IMHO
IMHO

(used in e-mail
communications)Abbreviation of in my humble opinion[1]



imidazole

imidazole
im·id·az·ole 
[ìmmə dá zl] noun

chemical
that inhibits a histamine: an organic white crystalline
base that inhibits the action of histamine. C3H4N2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from imide + azo-
+ -ole .][1]



imide

imide
im·ide 
[í md] (plural im·ides) noun

chemical
compound derived from ammonia: any of a class of
organic compounds containing the NH group combined with an acid group and
derived from ammonia
[Mid-19th
century. From French, alteration of amide (see amide
).]
—i·mid·ic [i míddik], adjective[1]



imine

imine
im·ine 
[í mn, ímmin,
i mn] (plural im·ines) noun

chemical
compound derived from ammonia: any of a class of
organic compounds containing the NH group combined with a nonacid group and
derived from ammonia
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of amine, on the model of imide .][1]



imipramine

imipramine
i·mip·ra·mine 
[i mípprə mn] noun

antidepressant:
a chemical with a three-ring ( tricyclic )
molecular structure, used as a drug in the treatment of depression. C19H24N2
[Mid-20th century. Blend of imine, propyl,
and amine .][1]



imit.

imit.
imit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
imitation

2.  Abbreviation
of
imitative

[1]



imitable

imitable
im·i·ta·ble 
[ímmitəb’l] adjective

able
to be imitated: capable or worthy of being imitated
—im·i·ta·bil·i·ty [ìmmitə bíllətee], noun[1]



imitate

imitate
im·i·tate 
[ímmi tàyt] (past im·i·tat·ed,
past participle im·i·tat·ed, present participle im·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·i·tates) transitive verb

1.  mimic
somebody:
to copy somebody’s behavior, voice, or manner, especially in order to make fun
of him or her

2.  follow
somebody’s example: to use somebody or something
as a model, attempting to copy an existing method, style, or approach

3.  be
or look like something: to be or look like something
else • a
case of life imitating art

4.  ARTS copy
the style of an artistic work: to reproduce the style
of a work of art, for example, a piece of literature, painting, or music
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin imitari, of unknown origin.]
—im·i·ta·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  imitate, copy, emulate,
  mimic, take off, ape
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  adopt the behavior of another person imitate;
  the most wide-ranging term; copy; a
  term similar in meaning to imitate, with the suggestion of attempting
  to behave exactly like somebody else; emulate;
  to imitate somebody who is successful or admired; mimic;
  to imitate somebody in a deliberate and perhaps exaggerated way, especially
  in order to amuse; take off; an
  informal term for mimic; ape;
  to imitate somebody in an inappropriate or grotesque way

[1]



imitation

imitation
im·i·ta·tion 
[ìmmi táysh’n] noun (plural im·i·ta·tions)

1.  copy
or fake:
something made to be as much as possible like something else (often used
before a noun) • imitation leather

2.  act
of imitating something: the act or an instance of
imitating somebody or something, or of using something or somebody as a model

3.  impression
of somebody: the act of mimicking somebody, or an
impression of somebody

4.  MUSIC repetition
of a musical motif: the repetition of a musical
idea such as a melody or rhythmic figure in another part, often at another
pitch and sometimes with variation
adjective

not genuine:
synthetic, intended as a copy of something, or not genuine
—im·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



imitative

imitative
im·i·ta·tive 
[ímmi tàytiv] adjective

1.  attempting
to copy something: designed to be like
something else, but usually inferior to the original

2.  involving
imitation:
involving or practicing imitation

3.  See
onomatopoeic
—im·i·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—im·i·ta·tive·ness, noun[1]



IMM

IMM
IMM
noun

Abbreviation of
International Monetary Market[1]



immaculate

immaculate
im·mac·u·late 
[i mákyələt] adjective

1.  clean:
absolutely clean, neat, and free from blemishes

2.  faultless:
showing faultless perfection
[15th
century. From Latin immaculatus, literally “without stain,” from,
ultimately, macula “blemish” (source of English mackle ), of unknown origin.]
—im·mac·u·la·cy,
noun

—im·mac·u·late·ness,
noun

—im·mac·u·late·ly, adverb[1]



ImmaculateConception

ImmaculateConception
Im·mac·u·late
Con·cep·tion  noun

1.  Virgin
Mary’s sinlessness: the Roman Catholic doctrine
that the Virgin Mary’s soul was free from the stain of original sin from the
moment of her soul’s conception. The term does not, contrary to popular belief,
refer to the conception of Jesus Christ.

2.  feast
of the Immaculate Conception: the feast of the Immaculate
Conception, celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on December 8

[1]



immanent

immanent
im·ma·nent 
[ímmənənt] adjective

1.  within
something:
existing within or inherent in something (formal)

2.  RELIGION existing
in all parts of the universe: existing in, and extending
into, all parts of the created world
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin immanere, literally “to dwell within,” from
Latin manere “to remain or dwell.”]
—im·ma·nence,
noun

—im·ma·nen·cy,
noun

—im·ma·nent·ly, adverb[1]



immanentism

immanentism
im·ma·nent·ism 
[ímmənən tìzzəm] noun

belief
that God is everywhere: the belief that God exists
in, and extends into all of, the created universe, including the individual
—im·ma·nent·ist,
adjective, noun

—im·ma·nent·is·tic [ìmmənən tístik], adjective[1]



Immanuel

Immanuel
Im·man·u·el
[i mánnyoo əl] or Em·man·u·el
[i mánnyoo əl] noun

the
Messiah:
the Messiah, referred to in Jewish and Christian scriptures, whom Christians
believe to be Jesus Christ
[15th century. Via late Latin
and Greek from Hebrew `immānū’ēl, literally “with us is God.”][1]



immaterial

immaterial
im·ma·te·ri·al 
[ìmmə tree əl] adjective

1.  not
relevant:
lacking relevance or importance

2.  having
no physical substance: not made of matter or not
physically real
[14th
century. From late Latin immaterialis, from materialis (see material ).]
—im·ma·te·ri·al·i·ty
[ìmmə tree állətee], noun

—im·ma·te·ri·al·ness,
noun

—im·ma·te·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



immaterialism

immaterialism
im·ma·te·ri·al·ism 
[ìmmə tree ə lìzzəm] noun

doctrine of nonexistence of
the physical world: a
metaphysical doctrine holding that the material world does not exist except as
ideas or perceptions in the mind, or that only spirits and nonphysical things
exist[1]



immaterialize

immaterialize
im·ma·te·ri·al·ize 
[ìmmə tree ə lz] (past im·ma·te·ri·al·ized,
past participle im·ma·te·ri·al·ized, present participle im·ma·te·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular im·ma·te·ri·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
something spiritual, not physical: to take away the
physical substance of something and make it spiritual or intangible
—im·ma·te·ri·al·i·za·tion
[ìmmə teeree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



immature

immature
im·ma·ture 
[ìmmə chr] adjective

1.  not
fully developed: young, and not fully grown or developed

2.  childish:
lacking the wisdom or emotional development normally associated with adults (disapproving)

3.  stylistically
crude and imperfect: not yet having attained the
perfection of a later, or fully developed, style • an
example of the artist’s immature period
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin immaturus, literally “not ripe,” from maturus
(see mature ).]
—im·ma·ture·ly,
adverb

—im·ma·tur·i·ty,
noun

—im·ma·ture·ness, noun[1]



immeasurable

immeasurable
im·meas·ur·a·ble 
[i mézhərəb’l] adjective

vast
or huge:
too large or too much to be measured
—im·meas·ur·a·bil·i·ty
[i mèzhərə bíllətee], noun

—im·meas·ur·a·bly
[i mézhərəblee], adverb

—im·meas·ur·a·ble·ness
[i mézhərəb’lnəss], noun[1]



immed.

immed.
immed.

Abbreviation of
immediate[1]



immediate

immediate
im·me·di·ate 
[i mídee ət] adjective

1.  without
pause or delay: happening or done at first, at once, or
without delay • the problem requires
immediate attention

2.  nearest:
nearest in time, space, or relationship • only
my immediate family were invited

3.  current:
urgent or pressing, and so needing to be dealt with before anything else

4.  having
a direct effect: affecting something directly, without
anything intervening

5.  PHILOSOPHY known
from experience: relating to something that is known
about from personal experience or by intuition

6.  LOGIC derived
from a single premise: used to describe an
inference derived from a single premise, without any middle term, and often by
conversion of a categorial statement. An example is “some cows are brown,
therefore some brown things are cows.”
[14th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin immediatus, literally
“not separated,” from Latin mediatus, the past participle of mediare
(see mediate ).]
—im·me·di·a·cy,
noun

—im·me·di·ate·ness, noun[1]



immediateconstituent

immediateconstituent
im·me·di·ate
con·stit·u·ent (plural im·me·di·ate
con·stit·u·ents) noun

first subdivision of a
linguistic unit: the first level into
which a linguistic unit is analyzed, for example, the subject and predicate as
parts of a sentence[1]



immediately

immediately
im·me·di·ate·ly 
[i mídee ətlee] adverb

1.  at
once:
without delay or without pausing beforehand

2.  very
closely:
very closely in space or time
conjunction

U.K. as
soon as:
as soon as, or at the moment that

[1]



immemorial

immemorial
im·me·mo·ri·al 
[ìmmə máwree əl] adjective

ancient:
so old that it seems always to have existed • have
known them since time immemorial • immemorial
customs of the nation
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin immemorialis, literally “not belonging
to memory,” from Latin memoria (see memory
).]
—im·me·mo·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



immense

immense
im·mense 
[i méns] adjective

1.  huge:
very large in extent or degree • an
immense desert • immense
relief

2.  excellent:
very good or showing excellence (informal)
[15th
century. Via French from Latin immensus, literally “not measured,” from mensus,
the past participle of metiri (see measure
).]
—im·mense·ly,
adverb

—im·mense·ness,
noun

—im·men·si·ty, noun[1]



immensely

immensely
im·mense·ly
[i ménslee] adverb

to a huge extent or degree • she
was immensely rich[1]



immerse

immerse
im·merse 
[i múrs] (past im·mersed, past
participle im·mersed, present participle im·mers·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·mers·es) verb

1.  completely
cover something in liquid: to put something into a
liquid so that the liquid’s surface covers it completely

2.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY baptize
somebody:
to baptize somebody by lowering the person’s head and upper body, or sometimes
the whole body, into water

3.  reflexive
verb
occupy
yourself totally with something: to become completely
occupied with something, giving all your time, energy, or concentration to it
[Early 17th century. From
Latin immers-, the past participle stem of immergere, literally
“to plunge into,” from mergere (see merge
).][1]



immersion

immersion
im·mer·sion 
[i múrsh’n, i
múr’n] noun

1.  complete
involvement: involvement in something that completely
occupies all the time, energy, or concentration available

2.  EDUCATION method
of language teaching: a method of language
teaching that involves teachers and students using the foreign language at all
times (often used before a noun) • an
immersion course

3.  placing
of something under liquid: the dipping of something
into a liquid so that it is completely covered

4.  CHRISTIANITY baptism
by dipping body in water: the practice of baptism by
lowering a person’s head and upper body, or sometimes the whole body, into
water

5.  ASTRONOMY disappearance
of a celestial body before an eclipse: the
movement of a celestial body, such as the Moon, into the shadow of another
body, causing an eclipse

[1]



immersionism

immersionism
im·mer·sion·ism
[i múrsh’n ìzzəm, i
múrzh’n ìzzəm] noun

belief in baptism by
immersion: the belief that immersion is
the only true method of baptism[1]



immesh

immesh
im·mesh 
[i mésh] (past im·meshed, past
participle im·meshed, present participle im·mesh·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·mesh·es) transitive verb

See
enmesh[1]



immigrant

immigrant
im·mi·grant 
[ímmigrənt] noun (plural im·mi·grants)

1.  somebody
coming to settle in a country: somebody who has come
to a country and settled there

2.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY plant or animal in a new
place:
a plant or animal that establishes itself in a place where it was not found
before
adjective

settling in another country:
relating to those who have come to settle in another country

[1]



immigrate

immigrate
im·mi·grate 
[ímmi gràyt] (past im·mi·grat·ed,
past participle im·mi·grat·ed, present participle im·mi·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·mi·grates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
and settle in a country: to enter a new country for
the purpose of settling there

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY ZOOLOGY arrive from elsewhere:
to become established in a new environment

3.  transitive
verb
bring
in as a settler: to bring people into a country and
settle them as permanent residents there
[Early
17th century. From Latin immigrare, literally “to move into,” from migrare
(see migrate ).]
—im·mi·gra·tor,
noun

—im·mi·gra·to·ry [ímmigrə tàwree], adjective[1]



immigration

immigration
im·mi·gra·tion
[ìmmi gráysh’n] (plural imm·i·gra·tions)
noun

1.  arrival
of settlers in a new country: the act of people entering
into a new country to settle permanently

2.  passport
control:
the control point at an airport, seaport, or border crossing where people
entering a country must stop to have their passports officially checked

3.  Im·mi·gra·tion
INS:
the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service ( INS ) (informal)
—im·mi·gra·tion·al, adjective[1]



imminent

imminent
im·mi·nent 
[ímminənt] adjective

about
to occur:
about to happen or threatening to happen
[Early
16th century. From Latin imminere, literally “to hang over,” from minere
(see eminent ).]
—im·mi·nence,
noun

—im·mi·nent·ly,
adverb

—im·mi·nent·ness, noun[1]



immiscible

immiscible
im·mis·ci·ble 
[i míssəb’l] adjective

incapable
of becoming homogenous: used to describe two or more
liquids that will not mix together to form a single homogenous substance
[Late
17th century. From late Latin immiscibilis, literally “not subject to
mixing,” from Latin miscere “to mix.”]
—im·mis·ci·bil·i·ty
[i mìssə bíllətee], noun

—im·mis·ci·bly [i míssəblee], adverb[1]



immitigable

immitigable
im·mit·i·ga·ble 
[i míttigəb’l] adjective

unchangeably
severe:
incapable of being alleviated, weakened, or softened (literary)
[Late
16th century. From late Latin immitigabilis, from Latin mitigare
(see mitigate ).]
—im·mit·i·ga·bil·i·ty
[i mìttigə bíllətee], noun

—im·mit·i·ga·ble·ness
[i míttigəb’lnəss], noun

—im·mit·i·ga·bly [i míttigəblee], adverb[1]



immittance

immittance
im·mit·tance 
[i mítt’ns] noun

electrical
admittance or impedance: the joint concept of
electrical admittance and impedance
[Mid-20th century. Blend of impedance and admittance
.][1]



immobile

immobile
im·mo·bile 
[i mṓb’l] adjective

1.  motionless:
without moving • he stood perfectly
immobile for a few seconds

2.  incapable
of motion:
unable to move or be moved
[14th
century. Via French from Latin immobilis, literally “not moving,” from mobilis
(see mobile ).]
—im·mo·bil·i·ty [ìmmō bíllətee, ìmmə
bíllətee], noun[1]



immobilize

immobilize
im·mo·bi·lize 
[i mṓb’l z] (past im·mo·bi·lized,
past participle im·mo·bi·lized, present participle im·mo·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular im·mo·bi·liz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
motionless:
to make somebody or something completely still (often passive)

2.  put
a machine out of action: to make a machine or device
stop working, or adjust or damage it so that it cannot be made to work

3.  MEDICINE keep
the broken part of a limb still: to rest a joint, or
keep the parts of a fractured limb fixed in place so that they are unable to
move

4.  FINANCE take
out of circulation: to withdraw money or other
capital from circulation to establish a reserve
—im·mo·bi·li·za·tion [i mb’li záysh’n], noun[1]



immoderate

immoderate
im·mod·er·ate 
[i móddərət] adjective

excessive:
going beyond what is healthy, moral, appropriate, or socially acceptable (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin immoderatus, literally “not restrained,” from moderatus
(see moderate ).]
—im·mod·er·a·cy,
noun

—im·mod·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—im·mod·er·ate·ness,
noun

—im·mod·er·a·tion [i mòddə ráysh’n], noun[1]



immodest

immodest
im·mod·est 
[i móddəst] adjective

1.  boastful:
boasting, or tending to boast a great deal

2.  indecent:
likely to embarrass, offend, or shock people, especially because of open
references to sexual matters or exposure of parts of the body that are normally
covered
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin immodestus, from modestus
“kept within due measure.”]
—im·mod·est·ly,
adverb

—im·mod·es·ty, noun[1]



immolate

immolate
im·mo·late 
[ímmə làyt] (past im·mo·lat·ed,
past participle im·mo·lat·ed, present participle im·mo·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·mo·lates) transitive verb

kill
as a sacrifice: to kill a person or an animal, for
example, as a ritual sacrifice, or to commit suicide as a protest, especially
by burning (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin immolare “to sprinkle with meal,” from mola
“meal, millstone”; from the custom of sprinkling sacrificial victims with
meal.]
—im·mo·la·tion
[ìmmə láysh’n], noun

—im·mo·la·tor [ímmə làytər], noun[1]



immoral

immoral
im·mor·al 
[i máwrəl] adjective

defying
moral principles: contrary to accepted moral principles
—im·mor·al·i·ty
[ì maw rállətee], noun

—im·mor·al·ly [i máwrəlee], adverb[1]



immoralist

immoralist
im·mor·al·ist 
[i máwrəlist] (plural im·mor·al·ists)
noun

somebody immoral:
somebody who engages in immoral acts, who rejects moral values, or who urges
others to behave immorally[1]



immortal

immortal
im·mor·tal 
[i máwrt’l] adjective

1.  able
to live or last forever: able to have eternal life or
existence

2.  famous:
very famous and likely to be remembered for a long time
noun
(plural im·mor·tals)

1.  somebody
or something famous: somebody or something famous
that people will remember for a long time (often used in the plural)

2.  im·mor·tal
or Im·mor·tal a god:
a god who lives for ever, especially a god of ancient Greece or Rome
[14th
century. From Latin immortalis, literally “not subject to death,” from mortalis
(see mortal ).]
—im·mor·tal·i·ty
[ì mawr tállətee], noun

—im·mor·tal·ly [i máwrt’lee], adverb[1]



immortalize

immortalize
im·mor·tal·ize 
[i máwrt’l z] (past im·mor·tal·ized,
past participle im·mor·tal·ized, present participle im·mor·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular im·mor·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody’s memory live on: to make somebody or
something famous for a very long time, especially as the subject of a work of
art such as a painting, novel, or movie

2.  give
eternal life to: to elevate a mortal person to the state
of divinity or bestow eternal life on somebody

3.  BIOLOGY cause
to reproduce indefinitely: to cause something such as
human cells to reproduce indefinitely
—im·mor·tal·i·za·tion
[i màwrt’li záysh’n], noun[1]



immortelle

immortelle
im·mor·telle 
[i màwr tél] (plural im·mor·telles)
noun

PLANTS See everlasting  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From
French, shortened from fleur immortelle, literally “undying flower.”][1]



immotile

immotile
im·mo·tile 
[i mṓt’l] adjective

BOTANY ZOOLOGY static and fixed:
used to describe a plant or animal part that cannot move
—im·mo·til·i·ty [ìmmō tíllətee], noun[1]



immovable

immovable
im·mov·a·ble 
[i mvəb’l] adjective

1.  unable
to be moved: fixed in a permanent position, or
incapable of being moved

2.  of
fixed opinion: sticking firmly to an opinion or
decision

3.  always
occurring on the same date: used to describe a religious
festival that always falls on the same date each year, as does Christmas but
not Hannukah
noun
im·mov·a·ble (plural im·mov·a·bles)

LAW building
or land:
property that consists of land or buildings (often used in the plural)
—im·mov·a·bil·i·ty
[i mvə bíllətee], noun

—im·mov·a·ble·ness
[i mvəb’lnəss], noun

—im·mov·a·bly [i mvə blee], adverb[1]



immun.

immun.
immun.

1.  Abbreviation
of
immunity

2.  Abbreviation
of
immunization

3.  Abbreviation
of
immunology

[1]



immune

immune
im·mune 
[i myn] adjective

1.  IMMUNOLOGY safe
from a particular disease: protected from getting a
particular disease because of natural resistance, resistance acquired after
catching the disease before, or resistance conferred by inoculation • immune
to smallpox

2.  IMMUNOLOGY relating
to disease resistance: relating to a body’s
resistance to disease, or the creation of resistance

3.  not
subject to or responsible for: exempt from something
that others are subject to or made to endure or perform • immune
from prosecution

4.  not
affected by something: not sensitive or susceptible
to something • immune
to flattery
[Late 19th century. From
Latin immunis “exempt from public service,” from munis “ready for
service” (related to English municipal
.][1]



immunecomplex

immunecomplex
im·mune
com·plex
[ìmmyə nō kómpleks] (plural im·mune
com·plex·es) or im·mu·no·com·plex [ìmmyə
nō kómpleks] (plural im·mu·no·com·plex·es) noun

disease plus antibody:
a combination of a disease-causing agent ( antigen
) and its corresponding antibody that plays a role in some types of immune
responses and may be associated with autoimmune disease[1]



immuneresponse

immuneresponse
im·mune
re·sponse
(plural im·mune re·sponses) noun

1.  response
of the immune system: the overall activity of the
body’s immune system following the arrival of a disease-causing agent ( antigen )

2.  biological
defense system of an organism: the integrated defense
mounted by an organism against a disease-causing agent ( antigen ), including the production of antibodies
and white blood cells designed to destroy the antigen or render it harmless

[1]



immunesystem

immunesystem
im·mune
sys·tem
(plural im·mune sys·tems) noun

system that recognizes and
opposes disease: the interacting
combination of all the body’s ways of recognizing cells, tissues, objects, and
organisms that are not part of itself, and initiating the immune response to
fight them[1]



immunity

immunity
im·mu·ni·ty 
[i mynətee] (plural im·mu·ni·ties)
noun

1.  IMMUNOLOGY resistance
to disease:
a body’s ability to resist a particular disease, whether existing naturally or
as a result of inoculation or previous infection ( acquired immunity ). In
active immunity, the body itself produces appropriate antibodies and
lymphocytes, while in passive immunity, antibodies are introduced from another
source, as from mother to fetus. • immunity
to smallpox

2.  freedom
from responsibility or punishment: exemption or
protection from something unpleasant, such as a duty or penalty, to which
others are subject • immunity from
prosecution

3.  LAW exemption
from prosecution: an exemption from prosecution for
somebody who has knowledge of possible criminal activity and may be personally
culpable in exchange for giving sufficient information to the police or to a
grand jury

[1]



immunize

immunize
im·mu·nize 
[ímmyə nz] (past im·mu·nized,
past participle im·mu·nized, present participle im·mu·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular im·mu·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  IMMUNOLOGY make
somebody resistant to a disease: to make somebody
resistant to a particular disease, especially by vaccination • immunized
against tuberculosis

2.  grant
somebody exemption: give somebody exemption or
protection from something that others are subjected to, especially in a
criminal matter under investigation
—im·mu·ni·za·tion
[ìmmyəni záysh’n], noun

—im·mu·niz·er [ímmyə nzər], noun[1]



immuno-

immuno-
immuno-
prefix

immune,
immunity • immunodeficiency
[From immune][1]



immunoassay

immunoassay
im·mu·no·as·say 
[ìmmyə nō á sày, i
my nō á sày] noun

chemical
analysis using diseases and antibodies: the
use of disease-causing agents ( antigens )
and their corresponding antibodies to detect and analyze various chemical
substances
—im·mu·no·as·say·ist, noun[1]



immunochemistry

immunochemistry
im·mu·no·chem·is·try 
[ìmmyə nō kémistree, i my nō kémistree] noun

branch
of chemistry: the branch of chemistry dealing with the
chemical reactions of immunity
—im·mu·no·chem·i·cal, adjective[1]



immunocompetence

immunocompetence
im·mu·no·com·pe·tence
[ìmmyə nō kómpət’ns, ìmy nō kómpət’ns] noun

ability
of the body to develop immunity: the ability of the
body to develop an immune response in the presence of a disease-causing agent (
antigen )
—im·mu·no·com·pe·tent,
adjective[1]



immunocomplex

immunocomplex
im·mu·no·com·plex
noun

IMMUNOLOGY
See immune complex[1]



immunocompromised

immunocompromised
im·mu·no·com·pro·mised 
[ìmmyə nō kómprə mzd, ì my nō kómprə mzd] adjective

lacking an adequate immune
response: lacking an adequate immune
response as a result of disease, exposure to radiation, or treatment with
immunosuppressive drugs[1]



immunodeficiency

immunodeficiency
im·mu·no·de·fi·cien·cy 
[ìmmyə nō di físh’nsee, ì my nō di físh’nsee] (plural im·mu·no·de·fi·cien·cies)
noun

deficiency
in the immune response: the inability, either inborn
or acquired, of the body to produce an adequate immune response to fight
disease
—im·mu·no·de·fi·cient,
adjective[1]



immunodepression

immunodepression
im·mu·no·de·pres·sion 
[ìmmyə nō də présh’n] noun

See
immunosuppression[1]



immunodiagnosis

immunodiagnosis
im·mu·no·di·ag·no·sis
[ìmmyə nō dī əg nṓssiss, ì my nō dī əg nṓssiss] (plural im·mu·no·di·ag·nos·es
[ìmmyə nō dī əg nṓ sz]) noun

diagnosis
by analyzing antibodies: the diagnosis of disease by
studying the antibodies in a sample of blood serum
—im·mu·no·di·ag·nos·tic
[ìmmyə nō dī əg nóstik, i my nō dī əg nóstik], adjective[1]



immunoelectrophoresis

immunoelectrophoresis
im·mu·no·e·lec·tro·pho·re·sis 
[ìmmyə nō i lek trō fə rssiss, i my nō i lek trō fə rssiss] noun

identification
of proteins: the separation and identification of
proteins using precipitates formed by specific immunological reactions
—im·mu·no·e·lec·tro·pho·re·tic
[ìmmyə nō i lek trō fə réttik, i my nō i lek trō fə réttik], adjective

—im·mu·no·e·lec·tro·pho·ret·i·cal·ly
[i my nō i lek trō fə rétti kəlee], adverb[1]



immunofluorescence

immunofluorescence
im·mu·no·fluo·res·cence 
[ìmmyə nō fl réss’ns, ìmmyə nō flàw réss’ns, i
my nō fl réss’ns] noun

labeling
of antibodies or diseases: the labeling of antibodies
or disease-causing agents ( antigens ) with
a fluorescent dye in order to identify or locate them in a tissue sample
—im·mu·no·fluo·res·cent,
adjective[1]



immunogenetics

immunogenetics
im·mu·no·ge·net·ics 
[ìmmyə nō jə néttiks, i my nō jə néttiks] noun

branch
of immunology involving genetics: the discipline that
studies the genetic basis of the immune system. This study is especially
important in organ transplantation, where a close genetic match of tissue
lowers the likelihood of organ rejection. (takes a singular verb)
—im·mu·no·ge·net·ic,
adjective

—im·mu·no·ge·net·i·cist
[ìmmyə nō jə néttəssist, i my nō jə néttəssist], noun[1]



immunogenic

immunogenic
im·mu·no·gen·ic 
[ìmmyə nō jénnik, i
my nō jénnik] adjective

creating
immunity:
creating immunity or an immune response
—im·mu·no·gen·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—im·mu·no·gen·ic·i·ty
[ìmmyə nō jə níssətee, i my nō jə níssətee], noun[1]



immunoglobulin

immunoglobulin
im·mu·no·glob·u·lin
[ìmmyə nō glóbbyəlin, i my nō glóbbyəlin] (plural im·mu·no·glob·u·lins)
noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
glycoprotein acting like an antibody:
a glycoprotein with a high molecular weight that acts like an antibody and is
produced by white blood cells during an immune response. Immunoglobulins are
found in blood serum, the respiratory and digestive tracts, and body
secretions, and they are grouped into five classes on the basis of their
structure and physiological activity.[1]



immunohematology

immunohematology
im·mu·no·he·ma·tol·o·gy
[ìmmyə nō hemmə tólləjee, ìmmyə nō heemə tólləjee, i
my nō hemmə tólləjee, i my nō heemə tólləjee]
noun

branch
of immunology involving blood: the discipline
concerned with all aspects of immunology relating to the blood, including blood
types and blood disorders
—im·mu·no·he·ma·to·log·ic
[ìmmyə nō hemmətə lójjik, ìmmyə nō heemətə lójjik, i
my nō hemmətə lójjik, i my nō heemətə
lójjik], adjective

—im·mu·no·he·ma·to·log·i·cal
[ìmmyə nō hemmətə lójjik’l, ìmmyə nō heemətə lójjik’l, i my nō hemmətə lójjik’l, i my nō
heemətə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



immunol.

immunol.
immunol.

Abbreviation of
immunology[1]



immunology

immunology
im·mu·nol·o·gy 
[ìmmyə nólləjee] noun

study
of the immune system: the scientific study of the
way the immune system works in the body, including allergies, resistance to
disease, and acceptance or rejection of foreign tissue
—im·mu·no·log·ic
[ìmmyənə lójjik], adjective

—im·mu·no·log·i·cal
[ìmmyənə lójji k’l], adjective

—im·mu·no·log·i·cal·ly
[ìmmyənə lójji kəlee], adverb

—im·mu·nol·o·gist [ìmmyə nólləjist], noun[1]



immunomodulation

immunomodulation
im·mu·no·mod·u·la·tion
[ìmmyə nō mojjə láysh’n, i my nō mojjə láysh’n] (plural im·mu·no·mod·u·la·tions)
noun

modification
of the immune system during treatment:
modification of some aspect of the immune system as part of a treatment,
especially the suppression of the immune system in order to encourage the body
to accept a transplanted organ
—im·mu·no·mod·u·la·to·ry
[ìmmyə nō mójjələ tàwree, i my nō mójjələ tàwree], adjective[1]



immunopathology

immunopathology
im·mu·no·path·ol·o·gy 
[ìmmyə nō pə thólləjee, i my nō pə thólləjee] noun

study
of immune system disorders: the study of disorders of
the immune system and the resulting diseases or allergies
—im·mu·no·path·o·log·ic
[ìmmyə nō pathə lójjik, i my nō pathə lójjik], adjective

—im·mu·no·path·o·log·i·cal
[i my nō pathə lójjik’l], adjective

—im·mu·no·path·ol·o·gist
[ìmmyə nō pə thólləjist, i my nō pə thólləjist], noun[1]



immunoreaction

immunoreaction
im·mu·no·re·ac·tion 
[ìmmyə nō ree ákshən, i my nō ree ákshən] (plural im·mu·no·re·ac·tions)
noun

reaction
between disease and antibody: the reaction between a
disease-causing agent ( antigen ) and its
specific antibody, either as the body’s immune response or as part of a
laboratory procedure
—im·mu·no·re·ac·tive,
adjective

—im·mu·no·re·ac·tiv·i·ty
[ìmmyə nō ree ak tívvətee, i my nō ree ak tívvətee], noun[1]



immunosuppression

immunosuppression
im·mu·no·sup·pres·sion 
[ìmmyə nō sə présh’n, i my nō sə présh’n] noun

suppression
of a healthy immune response: the inhibition of the immune
response, usually deliberately by administering drugs to prevent rejection of
transplanted organs, but sometimes resulting from disease, as in the case of
AIDS.
Also
called
immunodepression
—im·mu·no·sup·pres·sant,
adjective, noun

—im·mu·no·sup·pres·sive,
adjective, noun[1]



immunotherapy

immunotherapy
im·mu·no·ther·a·py 
[ìmmyə nō thérrəpee, i my nō thérrəpee] noun

treatment
to boost the immune system: treatment of disease or
other disorders by strengthening the body’s immune system, for example, by
administering antibodies
—im·mu·no·ther·a·peu·tic
[ìmmyə nō thèrə pytik, i my nō therrə pytik], adjective[1]



immure

immure
im·mure 
[i myr] (past im·mured, past
participle im·mured, present participle im·mur·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·mures) transitive verb

1.  imprison
somebody:
to confine somebody in prison (literary) (usually passive)

2.  shut
somebody away: to shut away or seclude somebody (formal)
(often passive)

3.  enclose
something:
to enclose something in a wall or surround something with walls (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French emmurer from Latin immurare,
literally “to wall in,” from murus “wall.”]
—im·mure·ment, noun[1]



immutable

immutable
im·mu·ta·ble 
[i mytəb’l] adjective

unchanging
or unchangeable: not changing or not able to be changed
[15th
century. From Latin immutabilis, literally “unchanging,” from mutare
“to change.”]
—im·mu·ta·bil·i·ty
[i mytə bíllətee], noun

—im·mu·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—im·mu·ta·bly, adverb[1]



IMO

IMO
IMO

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Meteorological Organization

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Miners’ Organization

3.
(used in e-mail communications) Abbreviation of in my opinion

[1]



IMP

IMP
IMP

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
interface message processor

2.  BRIDGE Abbreviation of
International Match Point

[1]



imp

imp
imp 
[imp] noun (plural imps)

1.  naughty
fairy:
in children’s stories, a small mischievous creature resembling a fairy

2.  mischievous
child:
a high-spirited or mischievous child

3.  demon:
a small demon or devil
transitive
verb
(past imped, past participle imped, present
participle imp·ing, 3rd person present singular imps)

repair a hawk’s feathers:
to repair the broken wing of a hawk or falcon by grafting on new feathers
[Old English impa
“young shoot, scion” and impian “to graft,” both ultimately from Greek emphuein,
literally “to emplant,” from phuein “to grow, plant”][1]



imp.

imp.
imp.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of imperative

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of imperfect

3.  imp.
or IMP. Abbreviation of imperial

4.  Abbreviation
of
import

5.  Abbreviation
of
important

6.  Abbreviation
of
imported

7.  Abbreviation
of
importer

8.  Abbreviation
of
imprimatur

[1]



Imp.

Imp.
Imp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Imperator

2.  Abbreviation
of
Imperatrix

[1]



impact

impact
im·pact 
noun [ím pàkt] (plural im·pacts)

1.  action
of hitting:
the action of one object hitting another

2.  force
of collision: the force with which one object hits
another

3.  effect:
the strong effect that something or somebody has
intransitive
and transitive verb [im
pákt] (past im·pact·ed, past participle im·pact·ed,
present participle im·pact·ing, 3rd person present singular
im·pacts)

1.  strike
something:
to strike something with force

2.  have
an effect on something: to have an immediate and
strong effect on something or somebody

3.  press
together forcefully: to press together with great
force
[Early
17th century. From Latin impactus, the past participle of impingere
(see impinge ).]
—im·pac·tion,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Impact,
  noun and verb:
  The
  noun impact, in its figurative meaning,
  should normally convey some sense of powerful or dramatic consequence, and
  should not just be an alternative word for effect or impression
  . To use it in a context like • he had
  an impact on everyone in the room
  –except in highly unusual circumstances –is to devalue the word. Many careful
  users of the language strongly dislike the verb impact
  in any figurative sense whatsoever, regardless of whether the verb is
  followed by on : both, for example, • this
  impacts the company favorably and • this
  impacts on the company are courting contempt. The
  verb is undeniably common in business communication, but anyone who hopes to
  achieve an effect that is even faintly literary should avoid it in favor of affect,
  change, or the like. Use of the verb is uncontroversial only in
  physical senses: • The car impacted the
  railing.

[1]



impactadhesive

impactadhesive
im·pact
ad·he·sive
(plural im·pact ad·he·sives) noun

strong glue that sticks on
contact: a powerful glue that begins
to form a bond as soon as the two coated surfaces are brought together[1]



impacted

impacted
im·pact·ed 
[im páktəd] adjective

1.  DENTISTRY wedged
sideways under the gum: wedged sideways against a
barrier, usually the root of another tooth, and thus unable to break through
the gum (refers to an unerupted tooth)

2.  MEDICINE with
broken ends jammed together: with the broken ends jammed
tightly together by the initial trauma (refers to a bone fracture)

3.  MEDICINE compressed
in the intestine too tightly: used to describe feces
pressed together so tightly in the intestine that they cannot be eliminated in
a bowel movement

4.  difficult
to move:
unable to be moved, usually because of being jammed in a narrow space

[1]



impactprinter

impactprinter
im·pact
print·er
(plural im·pact print·ers) noun

printing machine pressing ink
on paper: a printing device in which
ink is pressed onto the paper by the printing element, as it is in a
traditional typewriter[1]



impactstatement

impactstatement
im·pact
state·ment
(plural im·pact state·ments) noun

description of effects:
a written statement outlining the effects of something on a particular person
or place • a
consumer impact statement.
See also
environmental impact statement[1]



impactzone

impactzone
im·pact
zone 
noun

best part of a wave for
surfing: in surfing, the best and at
the same time most dangerous position on a wave, where the water is about to
separate into droplets[1]



impair

impair
im·pair 
[im páir] (past im·paired, past
participle im·paired, present participle im·pair·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·pairs) transitive verb

weaken
something:
to lessen the quality, strength, or effectiveness of something
[14th
century. Via Old French empeirier from assumed Vulgar Latin empejorare,
literally “to make worse,” from Latin pejor “worse.”]
—im·pair·a·ble,
adjective

—im·pair·er, noun[1]



impaired

impaired
im·paired
adjective

absent or lessened:
with something specified that is absent or lessened, either temporarily or
permanently (usually used in combination) • hearing-impaired[1]



impairment

impairment
im·pair·ment
[im páirmənt] (plural im·pair·ments)
noun

1.  lessening
or absence of ability: a lessening or the absence
of a particular physical or mental function

2.  act
of damaging something: the causing of injury or
harm to something, such as the health of a particular area of the body or mind,
or the function of a machine

[1]



impala

impala
im·pa·la 
[im pállə] (plural im·pa·las or
im·pa·la) noun

African
antelope with curving horns: a large reddish-brown
African antelope with long curved horns that makes spectacular leaps when
alarmed. Latin name: Aepyceros melampus
[Late 19th century. From Zulu
i-mpala .][1]



impale

impale
im·pale 
[im páyl] (past im·paled, past
participle im·paled, present participle im·pal·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·pales) or em·pale [em páyl] (past em·paled, past
participle em·paled, present participle em·pal·ing, 3rd
person present singular em·pales) transitive verb

1.  spear:
to pierce somebody or something with a pointed object (often passive)

2.  fence
in:
to surround something with a fence (archaic)

3.  HERALDRY combine
coats of arms: to combine two coats of arms on a single
shield, divided by a vertical stripe ( pale
)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French empaler from medieval Latin impalare,
literally “to put on a stake,” from Latin palus “stake.”]
—im·pale·ment,
noun

—im·pal·er, noun[1]



impalpable

impalpable
im·pal·pa·ble 
[im pálpəb’l] adjective (formal)

1.  unable
to be touched or sensed: not capable of being
touched, or not capable of being perceived by the senses

2.  hard
to understand: difficult to understand or grasp
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French from late Latin impalpabilis,
literally “not touchable,” from palpare “to touch gently.”]
—im·pal·pa·bil·i·ty
[im pàlpə bíllətee], noun

—im·pal·pa·bly [im pálpəblee], adverb[1]



impanation

impanation
im·pa·na·tion
[ìmpə náysh’n] noun

Jesus
Christ’s presence in bread and wine:
according to some denominations of Christianity, the presence of the body and
blood of Jesus Christ in bread and wine that has been consecrated for the
service of Communion (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin impanare “to embody in bread,” from Latin panis
“bread.”][1]



impanel

impanel
im·pan·el 
[im pánn’l] (past im·pan·eled,
past participle im·pan·eled, present participle im·pan·el·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pan·els) or em·pan·el
[em pánn’l] (past em·pan·eled,
past participle em·pan·eled, present participle em·pan·el·ing,
3rd person present singular em·pan·els) transitive verb LAW

1.  list
people as possible jurors: to draw up a list of people
to be selected for jury service

2.  select
a jury from a list: to select a jury from a list
of eligible persons
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman empaneller “to put on a list,” from panel “list,” “jury list” (see panel ).][1]



impart

impart
im·part 
[im prt] (past im·part·ed, past
participle im·part·ed, present participle im·part·ing,
3rd person present singular im·parts) transitive verb

1.  communicate:
to communicate information or knowledge

2.  give
a quality to something: to give something a
particular quality
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French impartir from Latin impartire, literally
“to give a share in,” from pars “part.”]
—im·par·ta·tion [im pr táysh’n], noun[1]



impartial

impartial
im·par·tial 
[im prsh’l] adjective

not
biased:
having no direct involvement or interest and not favoring one person or side
more than another
—im·par·ti·al·i·ty
[im prshee állətee], noun

—im·par·tial·ly
[im prshəlee], adverb

—im·par·tial·ness [im prsh’lnəss], noun[1]



impartible

impartible
im·part·i·ble 
[im prtəb’l] adjective

LAW indivisible:
not to be divided up
[Late
16th century. From late Latin impartibilis, literally “not divisible,”
from partire (see part ).]
—im·part·i·bil·i·ty
[im prtə bíllətee], noun

—im·part·i·bly [im prtəblee], adverb[1]



impassable

impassable
im·pass·a·ble 
[im pássəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to use:
impossible to travel on or through, for example, because of being in bad
condition or being blocked by snow

2.  impossible
to overcome: impossible to solve or overcome • impassable
obstacles to peace
—im·pass·a·bil·i·ty
[im pàssə bíllətee], noun

—im·pass·a·ble·ness
[im pássəb’lnəss], noun

—im·pass·a·bly [im pássə blee], adverb[1]



impasse

impasse
im·passe 
[ím pàss] (plural im·passes) noun

1.  block
to progress or agreement: a point at which no further
progress can be made or agreement reached • talks
have reached an impasse

2.  road
without exit: a road or passage that has no way out or
through, for example, a dead end or a blockage caused by an accident
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from im- “not” + passer (see pass ).][1]



impassible

impassible
im·pas·si·ble
[im pássəb’l] adjective

1.  not
subject to pain or injury: not susceptible to or not
capable of feeling physical pain or injury (formal)

2.  emotionless:
not capable of feeling or expressing emotion (formal or literary)
[14th
century. Via French from ecclesiastical Latin impassibilis, literally
“not feeling,” from Latin pass-, the past participle stem of pati
“to suffer.”]
—im·pas·si·bil·i·ty
[im pàssə bíllətee], noun

—im·pas·si·ble·ness
[im pássəb’lnəss], noun

—im·pas·si·bly [im pássəblee], adverb[1]



impassion

impassion
im·pas·sion 
[im pásh’n] (past im·pas·sioned,
past participle im·pas·sioned, present participle im·pas·sion·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pas·sions) transitive verb

arouse
feelings in: to arouse strong feelings in somebody (usually
passive)
[Late 16th century. From
Italian impassionare, from passione “passion,” from the late
Latin stem passion- (see passion ).][1]



impassioned

impassioned
im·pas·sioned 
[im pásh’nd] adjective

expressing
strong feelings: expressing or revealing strong feelings
—im·pas·sioned·ly,
adverb

—im·pas·sioned·ness, noun[1]



impassive

impassive
im·pas·sive 
[im pássiv] adjective

1.  expressionless:
showing no emotion, especially on the face

2.  devoid
of all emotion: feeling no emotions at all, either
positive or negative
[Early
17th century. The literal meaning is “without suffering or passion.”]
—im·pas·sive·ly,
adverb

—im·pas·sive·ness,
noun

—im·pas·siv·i·ty
[ìmpə sívvətee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  impassive, apathetic, phlegmatic, stolid,
  stoic, unmoved
  CORE
  MEANING: showing
  no emotional reponse or interest impassive;
  suggesting the absence of any outward sign of emotion, whether of facial
  expression, gesture, or action; apathetic;
  often used in a derogatory way and suggesting a failure to respond because of
  a total lack of interest and a state of inertia; phlegmatic;
  a formal word indicating that somebody has the kind of temperament that makes
  him or her generally unemotional and difficult to arouse; stolid; describes somebody who is
  unemotional and not easily excited or upset; stoic;
  used approvingly to describe somebody who accepts problems and difficulties
  without complaining or getting upset; unmoved;
  describes somebody’s reaction if no emotion, surprise, or excitement is shown
  in a situation where this would normally have been expected

[1]



impaste

impaste
im·paste 
[im páyst] (past im·past·ed, past
participle im·past·ed, present participle im·past·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pastes) transitive verb

thickly
paint or encrust something: to cover something thickly
with paint, paste, or crust (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Italian impastare, literally “to paste on,” from pasta
(see paste ).]
—im·pas·ta·tion [ìm pas táysh’n], noun[1]



impasto

impasto
im·pas·to 
[im pás tō, im
ps tō] noun

1.  technique
of painting thickly: the technique of applying
paint so thickly that brush or knife strokes can be seen

2.  paint
thickly applied: paint applied so thickly that brush or
knife strokes can be seen
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, the past participle of impastare (see impaste
).][1]



impatience

impatience
im·pa·tience 
[im páysh’ns] noun

1.  annoyance
at waiting:
irritation at having to wait or at somebody or something that causes a wait

2.  eagerness:
eagerness to do something immediately, and unwillingness to wait

[1]



impatiens

impatiens

im·pa·tiens 
[im páysh’nz, im
páysh’ns] (plural im·pa·tiens) noun
low-growing
many-flowered garden plant: a cultivated species of the
balsam family, popular as a houseplant and garden plant for its low-growing,
numerous colorful flowers. The related wild varieties include touch-me-nots and
jewelweed. Latin name: Impatiens balsamina
U.K.
term
busy Lizzie
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, literally “impatient” (see impatient ); so called because the capsules tend
to burst open when touched.][1]



impatient

impatient
im·pa·tient 
[im páysh’nt] adjective

1.  annoyed
at waiting:
annoyed by being kept waiting or by being delayed

2.  eager:
eager to do something immediately, and unwilling to wait

3.  showing
impatience:
showing annoyance at being kept waiting, or eagerness to proceed with something

4.  easily
annoyed:
unable to tolerate a particular thing and easily annoyed by it • he
was impatient of formalities
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem impatient-, literally “not
enduring,” from pati “to suffer.”]
—im·pa·tient·ly, adverb[1]



impeach

impeach
im·peach 
[im pch] (past im·peached, past
participle im·peached, present participle im·peach·ing,
3rd person present singular im·peach·es) transitive verb

1.  accuse
an official of an offense: to charge a serving
government official with serious misconduct while in office

2.  cast
out of public office: to remove somebody,
especially a president, from public office because of having committed high
crimes and misdemeanors (formal)

3.  LAW bring
charges against somebody: to charge somebody with a
crime or misdemeanor

4.  disparage:
to question somebody’s good character (formal)

5.  U.K.
LAW accuse
of a serious crime: to accuse somebody of a
crime, especially treason or another crime against the state
[14th
century. Via Old French empecher from late Latin impedicare “to
catch, entangle,” from pedica “fetter, snare.”]
—im·peach·er,
noun

—im·peach·ment, noun[1]



impeachable

impeachable
im·peach·a·ble 
[im pchəb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of a criminal trial: serious enough for the
offender to be brought to trial (refers to a crime or charge) • an
impeachable offense

2.  able
to be charged: subject to a charge of crime and
therefore liable to being brought to trial
—im·peach·a·bil·i·ty [im pchə bíllətee], noun[1]



impeccable

impeccable
im·pec·ca·ble 
[im pékəb’l] adjective

1.  perfect:
so perfect or flawless as to be beyond criticism • she
had impeccable taste

2.  RELIGION free
from sin:
so perfect in character as to be incapable of sinning
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin impeccabilis, literally “not liable to sin,” from peccare
“to sin.”]
—im·pec·ca·bil·i·ty
[im pèkə bíllətee], noun

—im·pec·ca·bly [im pékəblee], adverb[1]



impecunious

impecunious
im·pe·cu·ni·ous 
[ìmpə kynee əss] adjective

poor:
having little or no money, and so unable to lead a comfortable life (formal)
[Late
16th century. Formed from obsolete pecunious “wealthy,” from Latin pecunia
(see pecuniary ).]
—im·pe·cu·ni·os·i·ty
[ìmpə kynee óssətee], noun

—im·pe·cu·ni·ous·ly
[ìmpə kynee əsslee], adverb

—im·pe·cu·ni·ous·ness,
noun[1]



impedance

impedance
im·pe·dance 
[im pd’ns] noun

1.  prevention
of progress: something that delays or prevents
progress, or the preventing of progress (formal)

2.  ELECTRICITY opposition
to the flow of alternating current: the
opposition in a circuit to the flow of alternating current, consisting of
resistance and reactance. Symbol Z

3.  ACOUSTICS ratio
of sound pressure to velocity: the ratio of the sound
pressure in a medium to the velocity of the particles in the medium.
See
also
immittance

[1]



impede

impede
im·pede 
[im pd] (past im·ped·ed, past
participle im·ped·ed, present participle im·ped·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·pedes) transitive verb

hinder:
to interfere with the movement, progress, or development of something or
somebody
[Late
16th century. From Latin impedire “to shackle the feet” (ultimately
related to pes “foot”).]
—im·ped·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hinder

[1]



impediment

impediment
im·ped·i·ment 
[im péddəmənt] (plural im·ped·i·ments)
noun

1.  impairment:
an impairment, especially one affecting speech

2.  obstacle:
something that hinders progress in some way

3.  LAW legal
obstruction: the reason a legal contract, for
example, a marriage, cannot be entered into
[14th
century. From Latin impedimentum “hindrance,” from impedire (see impede ).]
—im·ped·i·men·tal
[im pèddə mént’l], adjective

—im·ped·i·men·ta·ry [im pèddə méntəree], adjective[1]



impedimenta

impedimenta
im·ped·i·men·ta 
[im pèddə méntə] plural noun

1.  obstructions:
obstacles, hindrances, or obstructions to progress (literary)

2.  ARMY military
equipment:
equipment and baggage carried by soldiers (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “hindrances,” plural of impedimentum (see impediment ).][1]



impel

impel
im·pel 
[im pél] (past im·pelled, past
participle im·pelled, present participle im·pel·ling, 3rd
person present singular im·pels) transitive verb

1.  force
to do:
to force somebody to do something, or make somebody feel the need to do
something (usually passive) • I felt
impelled to protest

2.  cause
to move:
to start or keep something or somebody moving in a particular direction (formal)
[15th century. From Latin impellere,
literally “to drive toward,” from pellere “to beat.”][1]



impeller

impeller
im·pel·ler 
[im péllər] (plural im·pel·lers)
noun

rotor mechanism in pump:
the rotating part that transmits motion in a centrifugal pump, turbine, or
blower[1]



impend

impend
im·pend 
[im pénd] (past im·pend·ed, past
participle im·pend·ed, present participle im·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pends) intransitive verb

1.  be
close to happening: to be threateningly close to
happening (formal)

2.  hang
menacingly:
to hover or hang above something, usually in a threatening way (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin impendere, literally “to hang over,” from pendere
“to hang.”]
—im·pen·dence,
noun

—im·pen·den·cy,
noun

—im·pen·dent,
adjective

—im·pend·ing, adjective[1]



impending

impending
im·pend·ing
[im pénding] adjective

imminent or threatening:
about to happen[1]



impenetrable

impenetrable
im·pen·e·tra·ble 
[im pénnətrəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to get in or through: not able to be passed
through or entered • The woods formed an
impenetrable barrier.

2.  incomprehensible:
impossible to understand or discern • impenetrable
legal jargon

3.  closed
to influence: not open to intellectual or moral
influences, impressions, or ideas
[15th
century. Via French from Latin impenetrabilis, from penetrabilis
(see penetrable ).]
—im·pen·e·tra·bil·i·ty
[im pènnətrə bíllətee], noun

—im·pen·e·tra·bly [im pénnətrə blee], adverb[1]



impenitent

impenitent
im·pen·i·tent 
[im pénnit’nt] adjective

not
sorry:
having or showing no regret or sorrow for sin or misbehavior
noun

unrepenting
person:
somebody who is unrepentant
[15th
century. From the ecclesiastical Latin stem impaenitent-, from paenitent-
(see penitent ).]
—im·pen·i·tence,
noun

—im·pen·i·ten·cy,
noun

—im·pen·i·tent·ly, adverb[1]



impennate

impennate
im·pen·nate 
[im pé nàyt] adjective

with flightless wings:
used to describe a bird that has small wings that are incapable of supporting
flight but are adapted for swimming[1]



imper.

imper.
imper.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of imperative[1]



imperative

imperative
im·per·a·tive 
[im pérrətiv] adjective

1.  necessary:
absolutely necessary or unavoidable • It is
imperative that justice is seen to be done.

2.  commanding:
forceful and demanding the obedience and respect of others (formal)

3.  GRAMMAR used for
giving orders: used to express a command or request,
for example, the verb form “come” in “Come here!”
noun

1.  priority:
something that must be done • Preservation
of honor is a moral imperative.

2.  im·per·a·tive
or im·per·a·tive mood GRAMMAR
way
of commanding: the form of a verb used to give an order

3.  GRAMMAR verb
expressing a command or request: a verb in the
imperative mood, such as “close” in “Please close the door”
[15th
century. From late Latin imperativus, literally “specially ordered,”
from Latin imperare “to command,” from parare “to prepare.”]
—im·per·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—im·per·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



imperator

imperator
im·pe·ra·tor 
[ìmpə rtər, ìmpə
r tàwr] noun

1.  Roman
general:
a victorious military commander during the time of the Roman Republic

2.  HISTORY Roman
emperor:
the head of state of the Roman Empire

3.  absolute
ruler:
an absolute ruler or commander
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, literally “commander,” formed from imperare (see imperative ).]
—im·per·a·to·ri·al [im pèrrə táwree əl], adjective[1]



imperceptible

imperceptible
im·per·cep·ti·ble 
[ìmpər séptəb’l] adjective

tiny:
very slight or gradual • an
imperceptible touch of the hand
—im·per·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìmpər sèptə bíllətee], noun

—im·per·cep·ti·bly [ìmpər séptəblee], adverb[1]



imperceptive

imperceptive
im·per·cep·tive 
[ìmpər séptiv] adjective

not
observant:
lacking the ability to notice things or to understand somebody or something
—im·per·cep·tive·ly,
adverb

—im·per·cep·tive·ness,
noun

—im·per·cep·tiv·i·ty [ìmpər sep tívətee], noun[1]



impercipience

impercipience
im·per·cip·i·ence
[ìmpər síppee əns] noun

unawareness:
a lack of perception (formal) • the
impercipience of the egotist
—im·per·cip·i·ent, adjective[1]



imperf.

imperf.
imperf.

1.  GRAMMAR BOTANY Abbreviation of imperfect

2.  STAMPS Abbreviation of imperforate

[1]



imperfect

imperfect
im·per·fect 
[im púrfəkt] adjective

1.  faulty:
having a fault or defect

2.  not
complete:
lacking a part

3.  BOTANY not
able to reproduce: used to describe a flower
that lacks either a stamen or a pistil and is therefore unable to reproduce

4.  MUSIC not
perfect:
used to describe a musical interval other than the fourth, fifth, or octave

5.  MUSIC ending
on 5th note of scale: used to describe a cadence
ending on the 5th note of the scale ( dominant
) rather than on the first note ( tonic )

6.  GRAMMAR expressing
incomplete action: used to describe a verb or
tense that denotes past action going on but not completed

7.  LAW unenforceable:
unable to be enforced
noun
GRAMMAR

1.  verb
tense:
a grammatical tense used for expressing incomplete or habitual action in the
past

2.  verb
form:
a form of a verb used to express the imperfect tense
[14th
century. Alteration of imperfit, from French imparfait, from
Latin imperfectus, from perfectus “perfect” (see perfect ).]
—im·per·fect·ly,
adverb

—im·per·fect·ness, noun[1]



imperfectfungus

imperfectfungus
im·per·fect
fun·gus
noun

fungus reproducing asexually:
a fungus that forms only asexual spores ( conidia
). Order: Fungi Imperfecti[1]



imperfection

imperfection
im·per·fec·tion 
[ìmpər fékshən] noun

1.  fault:
something that makes a person or thing less than perfect

2.  faultiness:
the possession of faults or defects

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at flaw

[1]



imperfective

imperfective
im·per·fec·tive 
[ìmpər féktiv] adjective

indicating incomplete action:
used to describe a verb aspect expressing action that is not completed.
See
also
perfective
noun

1.  verb
aspect:
the imperfective aspect of the verb

2.  verb
form:
a verb form belonging to the imperfective aspect
—im·per·fec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



imperforate

imperforate
im·per·fo·rate 
[im púrfərət] adjective

1.  without
an opening:
with no perforation or opening

2.  ANATOMY partially
or completely closed: lacking an opening of the
normal size, especially because of abnormal development

3.  STAMPS with
no holes:
produced without the perforations that allow easy tearing or division
noun

STAMPS stamp
without perforations: a stamp without perforations
around it
—im·per·fo·ra·tion [im pùrfə ráysh’n], noun[1]



imperia

imperia
im·pe·ri·a


Plural of
imperium[1]



imperial

imperial
im·pe·ri·al 
[im pree əl] adjective

1.  belonging
to empire or emperor: concerning or involving an
empire or its ruler

2.  indicating
a country’s authority: involving or relating to the
authority of a country over colonies or other countries

3.  supremely
powerful:
holding supreme power • All
are subject to the imperial power of the state.

4.  grand:
very grand or majestic

5.  superior:
better in quality or larger in size

6.  MEASUREMENTS of
British nonmetric set of measures: belonging or
conforming to the nonmetric system of weights and measures legally established
in Britain that includes the foot, pound, and gallon
noun

1.  PRINTING paper
size:
the largest of the traditional U.S. and British paper sizes. The U.S. imperial
measures 584 x 838 mm/ 23 x 33 in. and the British imperial 559 x 762 mm/ 22 x
30 in., untrimmed.

2.  relative
of an emperor or empress: a person belonging to an
imperial family (formal)

3.  HAIRDRESSING small
beard:
a tuft or point of hair grown on the chin or below the lower lip. This style
was made fashionable by the French Emperor Napoleon III.

4.  ANTIQUES trunk
for luggage: a chest fitted into the top of a coach
to store travelers’ bags, or the part of a coach’s roof where this chest fits

5.  MONEY old
Russian coin: a former gold coin of Russia worth about
eight rubles

6.  BEVERAGES large
wine bottle: a wine bottle containing the equivalent
of eight standard bottles, used for red Bordeaux
[14th
century. Via French from Latin imperialis, from imperium “rule,
empire” (see empire ).]
—im·pe·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



imperialism

imperialism
im·pe·ri·al·ism 
[im pree ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in empire-building: the policy of extending the
rule or influence of a country over other countries or colonies

2.  domination
by an empire: the political, military, or economic
domination of one country over another

3.  takeover
and domination: the extension of power or authority over
others in the interests of domination • cultural
imperialism
—im·pe·ri·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—im·pe·ri·al·is·tic
[im pree ə lístik], adjective

—im·pe·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[im pree ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



imperialmoth

imperialmoth
im·pe·ri·al
moth
noun

large
moth:
a large moth found in North and South America that has yellow wings and
purplish-brown markings. Latin name: Eacles imperialis
[Imperial from its purplish
markings, because the color purple was traditionally used for rulers’ garments][1]



ImperialValley

ImperialValley
Im·pe·ri·al
Val·ley
[impree əl vállee]

valley in southeastern
California, part of a larger valley that extends into Mexico. It is a rich
agricultural area. Length: 97 km/60 mi.[1]



imperil

imperil
im·per·il 
[im pérəl] (past im·per·iled, past
participle im·per·iled, present participle im·per·il·ing,
3rd person present singular im·per·ils) transitive verb

endanger:
to put something or somebody in danger (formal)
—im·per·il·ment, noun[1]



imperious

imperious
im·pe·ri·ous 
[im pree əss] adjective

arrogant:
haughty and domineering
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin imperiosus, from imperium “rule, empire” (see
empire ).]
—im·pe·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—im·pe·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



imperishable

imperishable
im·per·ish·a·ble 
[im pérrishəb’l] adjective

1.  that
will not decay: not liable to become spoiled, weak, or
damaged through time and wear

2.  long-lasting:
not forgotten or ignored over time (literary) • The
imperishable quality of great literature distinguishes it from humbler writing.
—im·per·ish·a·bil·i·ty
[im pèrrishə bíllətee], noun

—im·per·ish·a·ble·ness
[im pérrishəb’lnəss], noun

—im·per·ish·a·bly [im pérrishə blee], adverb[1]



imperium

imperium
im·pe·ri·um 
[im pree əm] (plural im·pe·ria
[im pree ə]) noun

1.  supreme
power:
supreme or imperial power (formal)

2.  LAW legal
right to command: the use of the power of the state to
enforce the law

3.  empire:
an area controlled by a supreme power (formal or literary)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “rule, empire” (see empire
).][1]



impermanent

impermanent
im·per·ma·nent 
[im púrmənənt] adjective

not
lasting:
that will change, go away, disappear, or fade
—im·per·ma·nence,
noun

—im·per·ma·nen·cy,
noun

—im·per·ma·nent·ly, adverb[1]



impermeable

impermeable
im·per·me·a·ble 
[im púrmee əb’l] adjective

not
permitting passage through: not permitting the passage
of liquid, gas, or other fluid.
See
also
impervious
—im·per·me·a·bil·i·ty
[im pùrmee ə bíllətee], noun

—im·per·me·a·ble·ness
[im púrmee əb’lnəss], noun

—im·per·me·a·bly [im púrmee ə blee], adverb[1]



impermissible

impermissible
im·per·mis·si·ble 
[im pùr míssəb’l] adjective

not
permitted:
that cannot or will not be allowed • Such
conduct is impermissible.
—im·per·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[im pur mìssə bíllətee], noun

—im·per·mis·si·bly [im pùr míssəblee], adverb[1]



impers.

impers.
impers.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of impersonal[1]



impersonal

impersonal
im·per·son·al 
[im púrsən’l] adjective

1.  not
personalized: not referring to individuals or
reflecting personalities but focusing on events and facts • an
impersonal style of reporting

2.  anonymous:
not considering people as individuals • an
impersonal bureaucracy

3.  cold
and alienating: making a person feel insignificant and
ignored as an individual • the
service in the restaurant was brisk and impersonal

4.  without
human traits: without any human characteristics or
personality

5.  GRAMMAR not
specific:
used to describe a clause or construction that includes a personal pronoun that
does not refer to a specific person or thing, such as “it is raining” or “you
shouldn’t drink and drive”
—im·per·son·al·i·ty
[im pùrs’n állətee], noun

—im·per·son·al·ly [im púrsən’lee], adverb[1]



impersonalize

impersonalize
im·per·son·al·ize 
[im púrsən’l z] (past im·per·son·al·ized,
past participle im·per·son·al·ized, present participle im·per·son·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular im·per·son·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
impersonal:
to make something neutral, lacking in human warmth, or without reference to
individuals
—im·per·son·al·i·za·tion
[im pùrsən’li záysh’n], noun[1]



impersonate

impersonate
im·per·son·ate 
[im púrs’n àyt] (past im·per·son·at·ed,
past participle im·per·son·at·ed, present participle im·per·son·at·ing,
3rd person present singular im·per·son·ates) transitive verb

1.  mimic:
to mimic the voice, appearance, and manners of another person, especially in
order to entertain

2.  LAW act a
part:
to pretend to be another person, especially in order to deceive
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin persona “person” (see person ), on the model of incorporate
.]
—im·per·son·a·tion
[im pùrs’n áysh’n], noun

—im·per·son·a·tor [im púrs’n àytər], noun[1]



impertinence

impertinence
im·per·ti·nence 
[impúrt’nəns] (plural im·per·ti·nenc·es)
or im·per·ti·nen·cy [impúrt’nənsee]
(plural im·per·ti·nen·cies) noun

1.  impudence:
boldness and rudeness, especially to a superior

2.  something
disrespectful: a disrespectful action or comment

3.  irrelevance:
lack of relevance to the matter in hand (formal)

[1]



impertinent

impertinent
im·per·ti·nent 
[im púrt’nənt] adjective (formal)

1.  brash:
showing a bold or rude lack of respect, especially to a superior

2.  irrelevant:
not appropriate or relevant
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem impertinent-
“not pertinent,” from the Latin stem pertinent- “pertinent” (see pertinent ); “disrespectful” evolved in the 17th
century, via the idea of presumptuously going beyond what is relevant to
yourself.]
—im·per·ti·nent·ly, adverb[1]



imperturbable

imperturbable
im·per·turb·a·ble 
[ìmpər túrbəb’l] adjective

consistently
calm:
not easily worried, distressed, or agitated • The
Captain’s imperturbable manner gave the crew confidence.
[15th
century. From late Latin imperturbabilis, from perturbare “to
disturb” (see perturb ).]
—im·per·turb·a·bil·i·ty
[ìmpər turbə bíllətee], noun

—im·per·turb·a·ble·ness
[ìmpərtúrbəb’lnəss], noun

—im·per·turb·a·bly [ìmpərtúrbəblee], adverb[1]



impervious

impervious
im·per·vi·ous 
[im púrvee əss] adjective

1.  not
responsive:
remaining unmoved and unaffected by other people’s opinions, arguments, or
suggestions • He
was impervious to the growing resentment among the staff.

2.  not
letting something through: not allowing passage into or
through something
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin impervius, from pervius (see pervious ).]
—im·per·vi·ous·ly,
adverb

—im·per·vi·ous·ness, noun[1]



impetigo

impetigo
im·pe·ti·go 
[ìmpə t g, ìmpə
t g] noun

skin
disease:
a contagious infection of the skin characterized by blisters that form
yellow-brown scabs. It is caused by staphylococcal and streptococcal bacteria.
[14th
century. From Latin, where it was formed from impetere (see impetus ).]
—im·pe·tig·i·nous [ìmpə tíjjənəss], adjective[1]



impetrate

impetrate
im·pe·trate 
[ímpə tràyt] (past im·pe·trat·ed,
past participle im·pe·trat·ed, present participle im·pe·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pe·trates) transitive verb

beg
for something: to request something in an earnest
manner, especially in prayer, or to obtain something in this way (archaic or
formal)
[15th
century. From Latin impetrare “to achieve or procure,” from patrare
“to bring about” (source of English perpetrate
).]
—im·pe·tra·tion
[ìmpə tráysh’n], noun

—im·pe·tra·tive
[ímpə tràytiv], adjective

—im·pe·tra·tor [ímpə tràytər], noun[1]



impetuosity

impetuosity
im·pet·u·os·i·ty 
[im pèchoo óssətee] (plural im·pet·u·os·i·ties)
noun

1.  tendency
to rashness: a tendency to act rashly

2.  impulsive
action:
an act performed on the spur of the moment after little or no consideration (formal)

[1]



impetuous

impetuous
im·pet·u·ous 
[im péchoo əss] adjective

1.  acting
impulsively: acting on the spur of the moment,
without considering the consequences

2.  done
on impulse:
done without thought as a reaction to an emotion or impulse

3.  violent:
moving with great force and energy (literary)
[14th
century. Via French impétueux, from late Latin impetuosus, from impetus
(see impetus ).]
—im·pet·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—im·pet·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



impetus

impetus
im·pe·tus 
[ímpətəss] noun

1.  push:
something that provides energy or motivation to accomplish something or to
undertake something

2.  PHYSICS force:
a force that causes the motion of an object to overcome resistance and maintain
its velocity
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “assault, force,” from impetere “to assail,” from petere
“to go toward, seek.”][1]



imp.gal.

imp.gal.
imp.
gal.
or imp. gall.

Abbreviation of
imperial gallon[1]



impiety

impiety
im·pi·e·ty 
[im p ətee] (plural im·pi·e·ties)
noun

1.  RELIGION lack
of religious respect: a lack of due reverence for
God or religion

2.  RELIGION ungodly
act:
an act that shows a lack of religious respect or devotion

3.  lack
of respect:
a lack of respect or dutifulness (formal or archaic)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French impiété, from Latin impietas, from impius
(see impious ).][1]



impinge

impinge
im·pinge 
[im pínj] (past im·pinged, past
participle im·pinged, present participle im·pinge·ing,
3rd person present singular im·ping·es) intransitive verb

1.  interfere:
to affect the limits of something, especially a right or law, often causing
some kind of restriction (formal) • Members
claimed that canceling the ballot impinged on their voting rights.

2.  strike:
to strike or hit something • Loud
noise can impinge on the eardrum, causing temporary hearing impairment.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin impingere “to strike or drive in forcibly,” from pangere
“to drive or fix in” (source of English page
).]
—im·pinge·ment,
noun

—im·ping·er, noun[1]



impious

impious
im·pi·ous 
[ímpee əs, im p
əss] adjective

1.  RELIGION showing
lack of religious respect: not showing due reverence
for God or something holy

2.  disrespectful:
showing a lack of respect for somebody or something (formal or archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin impius, from pius “pious” (see pious ).]
—im·pi·ous·ly,
adverb

—im·pi·ous·ness, noun[1]



impish

impish
imp·ish 
[ímpish] adjective

mischievous:
wicked in a playful way, without causing serious harm
—imp·ish·ly,
adverb

—imp·ish·ness, noun[1]



implacable

implacable
im·plac·a·ble 
[im plákəb’l] adjective

impossible
to appease:
impossible to pacify or to reduce in strength or force (formal) • an
implacable foe • an
implacable ice storm
[15th
century. From Latin implacabilis, from placabilis “easily
appeased,” from placare “to calm” (see placate
).]
—im·plac·a·bil·i·ty
[im plàkə bíllətee], noun

—im·plac·a·ble·ness
[im plákəb’lnəss], noun

—im·plac·a·bly [im plákəblee], adverb[1]



implant

implant
im·plant 
verb [im plánt] (past im·plant·ed,
past participle im·plant·ed, present participle im·plant·ing,
3rd person present singular im·plants)

1.  transitive
verb
establish
habits or notions: to fix something deeply in
somebody’s mind or consciousness as a behavior pattern, thought, or belief

2.  transitive
verb
insert:
to fit or fix something small into something larger, which then encases it • Gold
fillings, implanted in his front teeth, flashed when he smiled.

3.  transitive
verb
bury:
to fix something in the ground, especially so that it grows

4.  transitive
verb
SURGERY embed:
to embed something such as a mechanical device in the body • The
hormone pellets are invisibly implanted just below the skin.

5.  intransitive
verb
GYNECOLOGY become
embedded:
to become embedded in the lining of the womb
noun
[ím plant] (plural im·plants)

SURGERY something
inserted during surgery: something inserted or
embedded in the tissues or organs of the body during a surgical procedure, such
as encapsulated drugs or fluid-filled sacs to replace or augment breast tissue
—im·plant·a·ble,
adjective

—im·plant·er, noun[1]



implantation

implantation
im·plan·ta·tion 
[ìmplan táysh’n] noun

1.  being
or becoming implanted: the state of being or
process of becoming fixed or embedded in something

2.  SURGERY surgically
implanting in the body: the insertion or embedding
of something into body tissues or organs during a surgical procedure

3.  GYNECOLOGY attachment
of an embryo: the process by which or stage at which
an embryo becomes embedded in the lining of the womb

[1]



implausible

implausible
im·plau·si·ble 
[im pláwzəb’l] adjective

hard
to believe:
hardly likely to be true
—im·plau·si·bil·i·ty
[im plàwzə bíllətee], noun

—im·plau·si·ble·ness
[im pláwzəb’lnəss], noun

—im·plau·si·bly [im pláwzəblee], adverb[1]



implead

implead
im·plead 
[im pld] (past im·plead·ed, past
participle im·plead·ed, present participle im·plead·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pleads) intransitive and
transitive verb

take
legal action: to bring a lawsuit against an individual
or organization in court
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman empleder, ultimately from Old French plaidier
(see plead ).]
—im·plead·a·ble,
adjective

—im·plead·er, noun[1]



implement

implement
im·ple·ment 
noun [ímpləmənt] (plural im·ple·ments)

1.  tool:
a useful article of equipment, usually a specially shaped object to do a
particular task • writing implements

2.  requirement:
something needed in order to achieve something (formal)
transitive
verb
[ìmplə mént] (past im·ple·ment·ed,
past participle im·ple·ment·ed, present participle im·ple·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular im·ple·ments)

1.  carry
out or fulfill: to put something into effect or action • The
plan has yet to be fully implemented.

2.  give
tools to:
to provide or equip somebody with the tools or other means to do something (formal)
[15th
century. From late Latin implementum “filling,” from Latin implere,
literally “to fill in,” from plere “to fill.”]
—im·ple·men·tal
[ìmplə mént’l], adjective

—im·ple·men·ta·tion
[ìmpləmən táysh’n], noun

—im·ple·ment·er [ímplə mèntər], noun[1]



implicate

implicate
im·pli·cate 
[ímpli kàyt] (past im·pli·cat·ed,
past participle im·pli·cat·ed, present participle im·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pli·cates) transitive verb

1.  connect
with something: to show that somebody or something
played a part in or is connected to an activity, such as a crime

2.  imply:
to imply or involve something as a consequence (formal) • Do
you not see that his words implicate an error on my part?

3.  entangle
or interweave: to wreathe, twist, or knit things
together (literary)
[15th century. From Latin implicat-,
the past participle stem of implicare “to entangle, involve” (the
original sense in English), from plicare “to fold” (source of English ply ).][1]



implication

implication
im·pli·ca·tion 
[ìmpli káysh’n] noun

1.  indirect
suggestion:
something that is implied as a natural consequence of something else • It
is important to consider the wider implications of making such a decision.

2.  implicit
understanding: the state of implying or being implied,
without being plainly expressed

3.  involvement:
the involvement or entanglement of somebody in something • his
implication in the crime

4.  LOGIC logical
relation:
in logic, a relationship between two propositions that holds when both
propositions are true and fails when the first is true but the second is false
—im·pli·ca·tion·al, adjective[1]



implicative

implicative
im·pli·ca·tive
[ímpli kàytiv] adjective

implying:
tending to imply or implicate (formal)
—im·pli·ca·tive·ly, adverb[1]



implicit

implicit
im·plic·it 
[im plíssit] adjective

1.  implied:
not stated, but understood in what is expressed • Asking
us when we would like to start was an implicit acceptance of our terms.

2.  absolute:
not affected by any doubt or uncertainty • implicit
faith

3.  contained:
present as a necessary part of something • Confidentiality
is implicit in the relationship between doctor and patient.
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French implicite from Latin implicitus
“entangled,” from implicare (see implicate
).]
—im·plic·it·ly, adverb[1]



implied

implied
im·plied
[im pld] adjective

contained by implication:
involved, understood, or suggested without expressly being stated • implied
criticisms[1]



implode

implode
im·plode 
[im plṓd] (past im·plod·ed, past
participle im·plod·ed, present participle im·plod·ing,
3rd person present singular im·plodes) intransitive and
transitive verb

PHYSICS burst
inward:
to collapse inwardly with force, as a result of the external pressure being
greater than the internal pressure, or to cause something to collapse inwardly
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin plodere “to clap,” on the model of explode
.][1]



implore

implore
im·plore 
[im pláwr] (past im·plored, past
participle im·plored, present participle im·plor·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·plores) transitive verb (formal)

1.  beg
earnestly:
to plead with somebody to do something • The
tenants implored their landlord not to sell the building.

2.  request
earnestly:
to beg or pray for something
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French implorer from Latin implorare
“to call upon with tears,” from plorare “to weep.”]
—im·plo·ra·tion
[ìmplə ráysh’n, ìm
plaw ráysh’n], noun

—im·plo·ra·to·ry
[im pláwrə tàwree], adjective

—im·plor·er [im pláwrər], noun[1]



imploring

imploring
im·plor·ing
[im pláwring] adjective

begging:
earnestly asking for something • an
imploring look
—im·plor·ing·ly, adverb[1]



implosion

implosion
im·plo·sion 
[im plṓzh’n] noun

PHYSICS violent
inward collapse: the violent inward collapse of a vessel
or structure resulting from the external pressure being greater than the
internal pressure
[Late 19th century. Formed
from implode, on the model of explosion .][1]



implosive

implosive
im·plo·sive 
[im plṓssiv] adjective

PHYSICS involving
implosion:
indicating or relating to violent inward collapse
—im·plo·sive·ly, adverb[1]



imply

imply
im·ply 
[im pl] (past im·plied, past
participle im·plied, present participle im·ply·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·plies) transitive verb

1.  suggest:
to make something understood without expressing it directly

2.  involve:
to involve something as a necessary part or condition • Such
impressive exam results imply good teaching and study methods.
[14th century. Via Old French
emplier from Latin implicare “to entangle or involve” (the
original sense in English) (see implicate
).][1]



impolite

impolite
im·po·lite 
[ìmpə lt] adjective

rude:
not showing proper manners or respect
[Early
17th century. From Latin impolitus, from politus “polished” (see polite ).]
—im·po·lite·ly,
adverb

—im·po·lite·ness, noun[1]



impolitic

impolitic
im·pol·i·tic 
[im póllətik] adjective

unwise:
likely to be disadvantageous and therefore not advisable (formal) • It
would be impolitic to refuse.
—im·pol·i·tic·ly,
adverb

—im·pol·i·tic·ness, noun[1]



imponderabilia

imponderabilia
im·pon·der·a·bil·i·a 
[im pòndərə bíllee ə] plural noun

imponderable
things:
matters or factors whose importance or effect cannot be assessed (literary)
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “things that cannot be weighed,” ultimately from Latin ponderare
“to weigh” (see ponder ).][1]



imponderable

imponderable
im·pon·der·a·ble 
[im póndərəb’l] adjective

not
measurable:
not quantifiable in terms of importance or effect • Sheer
inspiration remains an imponderable force in cultural and technological
developments.
noun

something
impossible to calculate: an event, factor, or other
matter whose importance or effects cannot be calculated (often used in the
plural) • just
another of life’s imponderables
—im·pon·der·a·bil·i·ty
[im pòndərə bíllətee], noun

—im·pon·der·a·ble·ness
[im póndərəb’lnəss], noun

—im·pon·der·a·bly [im póndərəblee], adverb[1]



import

import
im·port 
transitive verb [im páwrt] (past
im·port·ed, past participle im·port·ed, present
participle im·port·ing, 3rd person present singular im·ports)

1.  COMMERCE bring
in from abroad: to bring something or cause something to
be brought in from another country, usually for commercial or industrial
purposes

2.  bring
in from outside: to bring in something, such as knowledge
or expertise, from an outside source

3.  COMPUTING transfer
data:
to transfer data from one location to another in a computer or from one
computer to another in a computer network, especially when a change of format
is required

4.  imply:
to mean something, often in addition to what is actually expressed (formal)
• What
does the legal motion really import here?
noun
[ím pàwrt]

1.  COMMERCE something
brought from abroad: something that is brought
into one country from another, usually for commercial or industrial purposes

2.  idea
or person brought in: an idea, practice, or person
brought in from the outside • The
new accounting system is an import from the private sector.

3.  COMMERCE importation:
the bringing in of something from abroad or an outside source • Most
governments forbid the import of such goods.

4.  true
significance: the meaning or significance of something
• a
foreign policy decision of great import
[15th
century. From Latin importare “to carry or bring in,” used in medieval
Latin to mean “to convey a meaning, be significant,” from portare “to
carry.”]
—im·port·a·bil·i·ty
[im pàwrtə bíllətee], noun

—im·port·a·ble [im páwrtəb’l], adjective[1]



importance

importance
im·por·tance 
[im páwrt’ns] noun

1.  significance:
considerable value, relevance, or interest • It
is difficult to overestimate the importance of this breakthrough to medical
science.

2.  high
rank:
high position, rank, or reputation in society

[1]



important

important
im·por·tant 
[im páwrt’nt] adjective

1.  having
value or significance: worthy of note or
consideration, especially for its interest, value, or relevance • an
important scientific discovery • an
important author

2.  high-ranking:
with high social position or influence among people

3.  pompous:
seeming to assume more status, significance, or value than is actually due • strode
into the room with an important air
[15th
century. From medieval Latin important-, present participle stem of importare
(see import ).]
—im·por·tant·ly, adverb[1]



importation

importation
im·por·ta·tion 
[ìm pàwr táysh’n] noun

1.  COMMERCE act of
importing:
the bringing in of goods or commodities from another country

2.  something
brought in from elsewhere: any thing, person, or
service from another country, separate source, or external organization

[1]



importer

importer
im·port·er
[im páwrtər] (plural im·port·ers)
noun

somebody buying from abroad:
a person or company that buys goods or services from abroad and then sells them
in the domestic market[1]



importunate

importunate
im·por·tu·nate 
[im páwrchoonət] adjective (formal)

1.  demanding
and persistent: continually asking for something,
especially in a forceful, insistent, or troublesome manner • importunate
requests for a loan

2.  urgent
or pressing: requiring immediate attention and action
• importunate
requests for medical aid
[Early
16th century. Formed from Latin importunus (see importune
).]
—im·por·tu·nate·ly,
adverb

—im·por·tu·nate·ness, noun[1]



importune

importune
im·por·tune 
[ìmpər tn, ìm
páwr chən] transitive verb (past im·por·tuned, past
participle im·por·tuned, present participle im·por·tun·ing,
3rd person present singular im·por·tunes) (formal)

1.  bother
insistently: to ask somebody continually, repeatedly,
or forcefully for something, especially in a troublesome way

2.  make
an immoral request: to ask somebody to have
sexual relations in exchange for money
adjective

importunate:
persistent or pressing
[Mid-16th
century. From French importuner or medieval Latin importunari,
from Latin importunus “inconvenient, unseasonable,” from Portunus,
god of harbors (source of English opportune
).]
—im·por·tu·na·cy
[im páwrchənəssee, ìmpər
tnəssee], noun

—im·por·tune·ly
[ìmpər tnlee, im
páwrchənlee], adverb

—im·por·tun·er [ìmpər tnər, im páwrchənər],
noun[1]



importunity

importunity
im·por·tu·ni·ty 
[ìmpər tnətee] (plural im·por·tu·ni·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  wearisome
persistence: the fact of being troublesomely
demanding or insistent

2.  persistent
demand:
a demand made repeatedly or insistently

[1]



impose

impose
im·pose 
[im pṓz] (past im·posed, past
participle im·posed, present participle im·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·pos·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
levy
or enforce:
to lay down something compulsory, such as a tax or a punishment

2.  transitive
verb
insist
on:
to make people agree to something or comply with something by having superior
strength or authority • It
broke his heart to see Western culture imposed on this dignified people.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb inconvenience
somebody:
to give people extra work or difficulties by forcing your company or your
personal concerns on them

4.  transitive
verb
PRINTING arrange
pages:
to order the pages of something such as a book or magazine for printing

5.  transitive
verb
pass
off on somebody: to use deceit or fraud to give something
to somebody or to persuade somebody to accept something

6.  transitive
verb
RELIGION lay
on hands:
to bless somebody, for example, in confirmation or ordination, by laying hands
on the person’s head
[15th
century. Via French imposer (influenced by poser “to put”) from
Latin imponere “to place on or into,” from ponere “to place”
(source of English component ).]
—im·pos·a·ble,
adjective

—im·pos·er, noun[1]



imposing

imposing
im·pos·ing 
[im pṓzing] adjective

impressive:
large and stately, creating an impression of grandeur
[Mid-17th
century. The original meaning was “insistent, dictatorial.”]
—im·pos·ing·ly,
adverb

—im·pos·ing·ness, noun[1]



imposition

imposition
im·po·si·tion 
[ìmpə zísh’n] noun

1.  extra
trouble:
a request or task, especially a time-consuming one, that is unreasonably
expected of somebody

2.  enforced
duty:
a tax, fee, or penalty that is imposed on people

3.  establishing
or enforcing of something: the official or legal
process of laying down something compulsory such as a tax, fee, or penalty

4.  PRINTING arrangement
of pages:
the setting up and ordering of pages for printing

5.  deception:
a deception or fraud (literary)

6.  RELIGION blessing:
the laying of hands on somebody’s head in a religious sacrament such as
ordination or confirmation

[1]



impossibility

impossibility
im·pos·si·bil·i·ty 
[im pòssə bíllətee] (plural im·pos·si·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  something
impossible:
a situation that cannot happen, or anything that cannot exist or cannot be done
• Living
without water is a physical impossibility.

2.  fact
of being impossible: the likelihood that
something will not happen or cannot be achieved • the
impossibility of finding another job close to home

[1]



impossible

impossible
im·pos·si·ble 
[im póssəb’l] adjective

1.  not
possible:
that cannot exist or cannot be done • an
impossible task

2.  too
difficult:
very difficult to deal with and apparently without a solution • The
situation was impossible: I couldn’t be honest without offending one of them.

3.  unendurable:
unbearably difficult or not possible to endure • the
humidity was impossible

4.  not
believable:
ridiculous or unreasonable, because it could not be true
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin impossibilis, from possibilis
“possible” (see possible ).]
—im·pos·si·ble·ness, noun[1]



impossibly

impossibly
im·pos·si·bly
[im póssəblee] adverb

1.  infuriatingly:
to an infuriating or intolerable degree (informal)

2.  extremely:
to an extent that is almost unbelievable • impossibly
thin slices

3.  not
by any means: in a way that could not be done or could
not happen

[1]



impost

impost2

im·post2 [ím
pst] noun
ARCHITECTURE arch
support:
the top part of a pillar, column, or wall, which may be decorated or molded and
on which a vault or arch rests
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin impostus, impositus, the past participle
of imponere (see impose ).][1]



impost

impost1
im·post1 [ím
pst] noun

1.  FINANCE customs
duty:
a tax or other payment levied on goods brought into a country

2.  HORSERACING handicap
weight:
the weight a horse must carry, including that of the jockey, in a handicap race
[15th century. From Italian imposta,
feminine past participle of imporre “to impose” used as a noun, from
Latin imponere (see impose ).][1]



impostor

impostor
im·pos·tor 
[im póstər] or im·pos·ter [im póstər] noun

somebody
who pretends to be another: somebody who pretends to be
somebody else in order to deceive or cheat
[Late 16th century. Via
French imposteur from, ultimately, Latin impositor, from imponere
(see impose ). The underlying sense is of
“putting on” a false identity.][1]



impostume

impostume
im·pos·tume 
[im pós chm] noun

abscess:
a cyst or pus-containing abscess found in or on any part of the body (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French empostume, ultimately from Greek apostēnai “to withdraw”
(referring to the gathering or “withdrawal” of pus into an abscess).][1]



imposture

imposture
im·pos·ture 
[im póschər] noun

deception:
the act of pretending to be somebody else in order to trick people, or an
occasion on which this is done (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from late Latin impostura, literally “a putting on,” ultimately from imponere
(see impose ).][1]



impotence

impotence
im·po·tence 
[ímpət’ns] or im·po·ten·cy [ímpət’nsee] noun

1.  MEDICINE sexual
inability:
the inability of a male to perform sexual intercourse, usually because erection
of the penis cannot be achieved or sustained

2.  weakness:
the lack of strength or power to do anything • We
lamented our impotence as we watched the business gradually deteriorate.

[1]



impotent

impotent
im·po·tent 
[ímpət’nt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE sexually
unable:
unable to perform sexual intercourse, usually because erection of the penis
cannot be achieved or sustained

2.  powerless:
without the strength or power to do anything effective or helpful
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem impotent-, from potent-
“powerful” (see potent ).]
—im·po·tent·ly, adverb[1]



impound

impound
im·pound 
[im pównd] (past im·pound·ed, past
participle im·pound·ed, present participle im·pound·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pounds) transitive verb

1.  keep
in a confined place: to lock something such as an
illegally parked car in an enclosure or compound

2.  LAW take
into legal custody: to take goods or possessions
into official custody

3.  LAW withhold
legally:
to withhold something by legal means, especially funds that the law requires to
be spent

4.  CIVIL ENGINEERING hold
a water supply: to save and collect water in a dam or
reservoir
[15th
century. Literally “to put into a pound,” formed from pound 3 “enclosed place.”]
—im·pound·a·ble,
adjective

—im·pound·age,
noun

—im·pound·er,
noun

—im·pound·ment, noun[1]



impoverish

impoverish
im·pov·er·ish 
[im póvvərish] (past im·pov·er·ished,
past participle im·pov·er·ished, present participle im·pov·er·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pov·er·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  make
poor:
to cause somebody or something to be poor or poorer (often passive)

2.  spoil
or reduce in quality: to take away some part or
quality belonging to something, leaving it in a worse or weaker condition • a
vocabulary impoverished by technical jargon

3.  AGRICULTURE make
less rich or fertile: to take away the nutrients
and richness from something such as soil
[15th
century. From Old French empoveriss-, a stem of empov(e)rier,
from povre “poor” (see poor ).]
—im·pov·er·ish·er,
noun

—im·pov·er·ish·ment, noun[1]



impracticable

impracticable
im·prac·ti·ca·ble 
[im práktikəb’l] adjective

1.  not
possible:
that cannot be carried out effectively

2.  unusable:
not in a fit condition for use
—im·prac·ti·ca·bil·i·ty
[im pràktikə bíllətee], noun

—im·prac·ti·ca·ble·ness
[im práktikəb’lnəss], noun

—im·prac·ti·ca·bly [im práktikəblee], adverb[1]



impractical

impractical
im·prac·ti·cal 
[im práktik’l] adjective

1.  not
workable:
that will not work effectively or be without problems when put into practice

2.  unable
to do everyday things: not able to perform
practical tasks or deal easily with practical matters • She
is a brilliant academic, but completely impractical around the house.
—im·prac·ti·cal·i·ty
[im pràkti kállətee], noun

—im·prac·ti·cal·ly
[im práktikəlee], adverb

—im·prac·ti·cal·ness [im práktik’lnəss], noun[1]



imprecate

imprecate
im·pre·cate 
[ímprə kàyt] (past im·pre·cat·ed,
past participle im·pre·cat·ed, present participle im·pre·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pre·cates) intransitive and
transitive verb

curse:
to call down something bad or harmful, especially a curse, on somebody (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin imprecari, from precari “to pray” (see pray ).]
—im·pre·ca·tor,
noun

—im·pre·ca·to·ry [ímprəkə tàwree], adjective[1]



imprecation

imprecation
im·pre·ca·tion 
[ìmprə káysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  curse:
an oath or curse

2.  cursing
somebody:
the calling down of harm on somebody

3.  swearing:
swearing or blasphemy

[1]



imprecise

imprecise
im·pre·cise 
[ìmprə sss] adjective

vague:
not exact or accurate
—im·pre·cise·ly,
adverb

—im·pre·cise·ness,
noun

—im·pre·ci·sion [ìmprə sí’n], noun[1]



impregnable

impregnable
im·preg·na·ble
[im prégnəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to break into: too strong to be captured or opened by
force • an
impregnable fortress

2.  unbeatable:
unable to be shaken or destroyed by any outside influence • impregnable
faith
[15th
century. From Old French imprenable, which was formed from prenable
“takeable,” from prendre “to take,” from Latin prehendere The -g-
spelling may have been modeled on words like deign
and reign .]
—im·preg·na·bil·i·ty
[im prègnə bíllətee], noun

—im·preg·na·ble·ness
[im prégnəb’lnəss], noun

—im·preg·na·bly [im prégnəblee], adverb[1]



impregnate

impregnate
im·preg·nate 
[im prég nàyt] transitive verb (past
im·preg·nat·ed, past participle im·preg·nat·ed, present
participle im·preg·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular im·preg·nates)

1.  saturate:
to incorporate a chemical into a porous material such as wood or cloth,
especially by soaking it thoroughly with a liquid (usually passive)

2.  fill:
make something express or contain a particular quality or idea throughout (literary)

3.  BIOLOGY make
pregnant:
to make a female pregnant
adjective

1.  saturated:
infused or saturated with something

2.  BIOLOGY pregnant:
pregnant or fertilized
[Early
17th century. From late Latin impregnat-, the past participle stem of impregnare,
ultimately from Latin praegnas “pregnant” (see pregnant
).]
—im·preg·na·tion
[im prèg náyshn], noun

—im·preg·na·tor [im prég nàytər], noun[1]



impresa

impresa
im·pre·sa 
[im práyzə] noun

emblem:
a design, usually with a motto, representing a particular person or thing, for
example on a coat of arms (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, literally “undertaking, device,” from imprendere “to
undertake,” ultimately from Latin prendere “to take, grasp.”][1]



impresario

impresario
im·pre·sa·ri·o 
[ìmprə sree , ìmprə
séree ] (plural im·pre·sa·ri·os) noun

1.  entertainment
manager:
a producer or promoter of commercial entertainment ventures, especially in
musical theater

2.  business
head of an opera or ballet company:
somebody in charge of an opera or ballet company who is responsible for
business affairs, contracting artists, and commissioning new works

3.  entertainer:
a showman
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “somebody who undertakes,” formed from impresa (see impresa ).][1]



imprescriptible

imprescriptible
im·pre·script·i·ble
[ìmprə skríptəb’l] adjective

not
to be taken away: impossible to remove or violate
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin imprescriptibilis, from Latin praescript-,
past participle stem of praescribere “to direct in writing” (see prescribe ).]
—im·pre·script·i·bil·i·ty
[ìmprə skriptə bíllətee], noun

—im·pre·script·i·bly [ìmprə skríptəblee], adverb[1]



impress

impress2
im·press2 (past im·pressed,
past participle im·pressed, present participle im·press·ing,
3rd person present singular im·press·es, plural im·press·es)
transitive verb [im préss]

1.  seize:
to seize by force for public use

2.  HISTORY force
to serve:
to compel people to serve in a navy or army, especially by arbitrary means • It
was a common practice to impress seamen from coastal towns.
[Late 16th century. Formed
from press 2 “to force
into service.”][1]



impress

impress1
im·press1 [im
préss] verb (past im·pressed, past participle
im·pressed, present participle im·press·ing, 3rd person
present singular im·press·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb influence
deeply or please greatly: to bring about a strong or
lasting effect, usually favorable, on the mind or feelings of somebody (often
passive) • We
were not impressed by the way we were treated.

2.  transitive
verb
make
clearly understood: to make sure that somebody
has a clear and lasting understanding, memory, or mental image of something • She
impressed on every child that she expected them to tell the truth at all times.

3.  transitive
verb
press
a shape into something: to make a pattern, design,
or mark on something by pressing or stamping

4.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING apply
a voltage:
to apply a voltage to an electronic circuit or device
noun
(plural im·press·es)

stamp: a
characteristic mark (literary)
[14th
century. From French empresser, from Latin impressus, past
participle of imprimere “to press in,” from premere “to press”
(see press ).]
—im·press·er,
noun

—im·press·i·ble,
adjective

—im·press·i·bil·i·ty
[im prèssə bíllətee], noun

—im·press·i·bly [im préssəblee], adverb[1]



impression

impression
im·pres·sion 
[im présh’n] noun

1.  what
stays in somebody’s mind: a lasting effect, opinion,
or mental image of somebody or something • I
made a bad impression by arriving late for the interview.

2.  general
idea:
a belief about or understanding of something • I
was under the impression that they were married.

3.  pressed-in
shape:
a pattern, design, or mark made by something hard being pressed onto something
softer • The
intruder’s boots had left an impression in the mud.

4.  ARTS imitating
of somebody: entertainment in which a performer
mimics the way a well-known person speaks and behaves, usually in a humorous or
exaggerated way

5.  DENTISTRY mold
taken of teeth: a mold taken of the teeth and
surrounding gums on which dentures, restorations, or dental appliances are
constructed

6.  PRINTING copies
of a book:
all the copies of a book printed at one time, or the printing of these

7.  PRINTING copy
of a book:
a printed copy of a book
—im·pres·sion·al,
adjective

—im·pres·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



impressionable

impressionable
im·pres·sion·a·ble 
[im présh’nəb’l] adjective

open
and easy to mold: ready to accept or be impressed by the
experiences, opinions, and personalities of other people
—im·pres·sion·a·bil·i·ty
[im prèsh’nə bíllətee], noun

—im·pres·sion·a·ble·ness
[im présh’nəb’lnəss], noun[1]



impressionism

impressionism


im·pres·sion·ism 
[im présh’n ìzzəm] or Im·pres·sion·ism
[im présh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  PAINTING school
of painting: a style of painting that concentrates on
the general tone and effect produced by a subject without elaboration of
details. Monet and Renoir were practitioners of impressionism.

2.        MUSIC music
expressing impressions and feelings:
a style of music, especially of late 19th- and early 20th-century France,
characterized by the use of rich harmonies and tones rather than form to
express scenes or emotions. Debussy and Ravel were practitioners of
impressionism.[1]



impressionist

impressionist
im·pres·sion·ist 
[im présh’nist] noun

1.  im·pres·sion·ist
(plural im·pres·sion·ists) or Im·pres·sion·ist (plural
Im·pres·sion·ists) PAINTING
MUSIC practitioner
of impressionism: an artist or composer who paints
pictures or writes music in the style of impressionism, especially one active
in France at the end of the 19th century

2.  THEATER TV entertainer:
a performer who mimics the way well-known people speak and behave, usually in a
humorous and exaggerated way
[Late 19th century. In the
sense “practitioner of impressionism,” from French impressioniste,
originally a derisive name stemming from the title of Monet’s Impression:
soleil levant “Impression: rising sun.”][1]



impressionistic

impressionistic
im·pres·sion·is·tic 
[im prèsh’n ístik] adjective

1.  undetailed:
giving a broad picture or general idea rather than an exact description

2.  PAINTING MUSIC like impressionist art or
music:
concerning, involving, or in the style of impressionism or the impressionists
in painting or music
—im·pres·sion·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



impressive

impressive
im·pres·sive 
[im préssiv] adjective

causing
admiration and respect: that makes a deep and
usually favorable impression on the mind or senses
—im·pres·sive·ly,
adverb

—im·pres·sive·ness, noun[1]



impressment

impressment
im·press·ment 
[im présmənt] noun

forcing
into public service: the seizing of property or
people and forcing them into public use or service (formal)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from impress 2 .][1]



imprest

imprest
im·prest 
[im prést] noun

1.  FINANCE advance
of money:
an advance payment of money, especially to somebody who is to carry out some
business for a government

2.  FINANCE loan
to draw on:
a loan, usually in the form of a petty cash account, that can be drawn upon as
needed

3.  NAVY MILITARY advance payment:
a payment formerly made in advance to a British soldier or sailor upon
enlistment
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from obsolete prest “loan,” from Old French, formed in turn from prester
“to lend,” ultimately from Latin praesto “at hand” (source of English presto ).][1]



imprimatur

imprimatur
im·pri·ma·tur 
[ìmprə mtər, ìmprə
m tr] (plural im·pri·ma·turs) noun

1.  approval:
authority to do, say, or especially print something (formal)

2.  official
license:
an authorization allowing a book or other work to be published, now usually
confined to works sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “let it be printed.”][1]



imprimis

imprimis
im·pri·mis 
[im prmiss] adverb

firstly:
in the first place (formal)
[15th century. From Latin,
from in primis, literally “among the first things.”][1]



imprint

imprint
im·print 
noun [ím prìnt] (plural im·prints)

1.  pressed-in
shape:
a pattern, design, or mark that is made by pressing something down on or into
something else

2.  lasting
effect:
an effect that remains and is recognizable for a long time • The
years of occupation left their imprint on all the inhabitants.

3.  special
mark:
a printed or stamped sign on an object, for example, to indicate its origin

4.  PUBLISHING printed
publication details: the name and address of the
publisher and printer as shown at the front of a book
verb
[im prínt] (past im·print·ed, past
participle im·print·ed, present participle im·print·ing,
3rd person present singular im·prints)

1.  transitive
verb
mark
by pressing: to put a shape or design on something,
for example, the surface of an object, using a stamp or printing device

2.  transitive
verb
cause
to remain:
to fix an image, memory, opinion, or idea in a vivid or lasting way • The
scene was imprinted on her memory.

3.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY establish
social attachments: to learn an attraction to
members of the same species or substitutes very early in life.
See
also
imprinting
—im·print·er, noun[1]



imprinting

imprinting
im·print·ing 
[im prínting] noun

ZOOLOGY early
social attachment: a form of rapid learning
very early in an animal’s social development that results in strong behavioral
patterns of attraction to members of its own species, especially parents.
Imprinting was first described by Konrad Lorenz in 1937 when he trained young
ducks and geese to follow him and regard him as their mother.
[15th century. Originally in
the sense “the printing of books”; used by Lorenz to translate his term, German
Prägung .][1]



imprison

imprison
im·pris·on 
[im prízz’n] (past im·pris·oned,
past participle im·pris·oned, present participle im·pris·on·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pris·ons) transitive verb

put
in prison:
to lock somebody up in prison
[13th
century. From Old French emprisoner, from prison (see prison ).]
—im·pris·on·er,
noun

—im·pris·on·ment, noun[1]



improbable

improbable
im·prob·a·ble 
[im próbbəb’l] adjective

difficult
to believe:
not likely to happen or to be true
—im·prob·a·bil·i·ty
[im pròbbə bíllətee], noun

—im·prob·a·ble·ness
[im próbbəb’lnəss], noun

—im·prob·a·bly [im próbbəblee], adverb[1]



improbity

improbity
im·pro·bi·ty 
[im prṓbətee] noun

immoral or dishonest
behavior: lack of moral scruples or
honesty (formal)[1]



impromptu

impromptu
im·promp·tu 
[im prómp t] adjective

done or said spontaneously:
not prepared or planned in advance • an
impromptu speech
adverb

without prior thought or preparation:
in an unrehearsed way
noun

1.  MUSIC short
solo piece:
a short instrumental piece whose style gives an impression of improvisation.
Such pieces were a highly developed and popular form in the 19th century.

2.  something
spontaneous or unrehearsed: something done or said
without planning
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin in promptu “at hand, in readiness,” from promptus (see
prompt ).][1]



improper

improper
im·prop·er 
[im próppər] adjective

1.  unsuitable:
not appropriate to the context, the nature of the case, or the purpose in view
(formal)

2.  rude:
not in accordance with accepted good manners or decorum

3.  LAW irregular:
not in accordance with the accepted standards of something such as a profession
• the
improper handling of funds
—im·prop·er·ly,
adverb

—im·prop·er·ness, noun[1]



improperfraction

improperfraction
im·prop·er
frac·tion
noun

fraction equaling or greater
than one: a fraction in which the
numerator is equal to or greater than the denominator, such as 6/4[1]



impropriate

impropriate
im·pro·pri·ate
[im prṓpree àyt] transitive verb (past
im·pro·pri·at·ed, past participle im·pro·pri·at·ed, present
participle im·pro·pri·at·ing, 3rd person present singular im·pro·pri·ates)

put
under lay control: to put ecclesiastical
property or tithes in lay hands
adjective

under
lay control: in the hands of lay people (refers to
ecclesiastical property)
[Early
16th century. From the past participle of Anglo-Latin impropriare “to
appropriate,” ultimately from Latin proprius “own” (see proper ).]
—im·pro·pri·a·tion
[im prpree áysh’n], noun

—im·pro·pri·a·tor [im prṓpree àytər], noun[1]



impropriety

impropriety
im·pro·pri·e·ty 
[ìmprə pr ətee] (plural im·pro·pri·e·ties)
noun

lack of propriety:
conduct not considered correct, moral, or appropriate in a given context[1]



improve

improve
im·prove 
[im prv] (past im·proved, past
participle im·proved, present participle im·prov·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·proves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become better: to make something better in quality or
condition, or to become better • His
health is improving daily.

2.  transitive
verb
increase
the value of: to make property, such as land or
buildings, more valuable

3.  transitive
verb
use
well:
to make good use of or employ something to advantage
[Early
16th century. From Anglo-Norman emprower “to make a profit” (the
original sense in English), from Old French prou “profit,” from late
Latin prode “profitable” (see proud
).]
—im·prov·a·bil·i·ty
[im prvə bíllətee], noun

—im·prov·a·ble
[im prvəb’l], adjective

—im·prov·a·ble·ness
[im prvəb’lnəss], noun

—im·prov·a·bly
[im prvəblee], adverb

—im·prov·er [im prvər], noun[1]



improvement

improvement
im·prove·ment 
[im prvmənt] noun

1.  getting
or making better: the process of making something better
or of becoming better • an
improvement on her past performance

2.  change
or addition: a change or addition that makes
something better

3.  change
that adds value: a change or addition, especially to real
estate, that increases value • home
improvements

4.  advance
in value:
an increase in value, especially in the value of land or property

[1]



improveon

improveon
improve
on
or im·prove up·on transitive verb

surpass in quality or level:
to do better or be better than a particular thing, especially a previous
standard or record • improved
on her previous time by four seconds[1]



improvident

improvident
im·prov·i·dent 
[im próvvid’nt] adjective (formal)

1.  unconcerned
about future needs: failing to put money aside
or give any thought to the future

2.  without
foresight:
not sensible, cautious, or wise
[15th
century. Literally “not foreseeing,” ultimately from the late Latin stem provident-
“foreseeing” (see provident ).]
—im·prov·i·dence,
noun

—im·prov·i·dent·ly, adverb[1]



improvisation

improvisation
im·prov·i·sa·tion 
[im pròvvi záysh’n, ìmprəvi
záysh’n] (plural im·prov·i·sa·tions) noun

1.  improvised
piece or performance: something performed or done
without any preparation or set text to follow

2.  creating
and performing simultaneously: the skill or creative
process of creating and performing something without any preparation or set
text to follow
—im·prov·i·sa·tion·al,
adjective

—im·prov·i·sa·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



improvise

improvise
im·pro·vise 
[ímprə vz] (past im·pro·vised,
past participle im·pro·vised, present participle im·pro·vis·ing,
3rd person present singular im·pro·vis·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  ARTS make
something up on the spot: to act or compose something,
especially a sketch, play, song, or piece of music, without any preparation or
set text to follow

2.  substitute:
to make a substitute for something out of the materials that happen to be
available at the time • If you
haven’t got a hammer, we’ll have to improvise.
[Early
19th century. Directly or via French from Italian improvvisare,
ultimately from Latin improvisus “unforeseen,” from providere “to
foresee” (see provide ).]
—im·prov·i·sa·to·ri·al
[im pròvvizə táwree əl], adjective

—im·prov·i·sa·to·ry
[im próvvizə tàwree, ìmprə vzə tàwree], adjective

—im·pro·vis·er [ímprə vzər], noun[1]



imprudence

imprudence
im·pru·dence 
[im prd’ns] noun

rashness:
a lack of wisdom, judgment, or discretion[1]



imprudent

imprudent
im·pru·dent 
[im prd’nt] adjective

unwise:
showing no care, forethought, or judgment (formal)
—im·pru·dent·ly, adverb[1]



impudence

impudence
im·pu·dence 
[ímpyəd’ns] or im·pu·den·cy [ímpyəd’nsee] noun

1.  deliberate
rudeness:
behavior that shows a lack of respect and shameless boldness

2.  piece
of impudence: a rude or disrespectful remark or act

[1]



impudent

impudent
im·pu·dent 
[ímpyəd’nt] adjective

rude:
showing a lack of respect and excessive boldness
[14th
century. From the Latin stem impudent-, from pudens “ashamed,
modest,” present participle of pudere “to feel or make ashamed” (source
of English pudendum ).]
—im·pu·dent·ly,
adverb

—im·pu·dent·ness, noun[1]



impudicity

impudicity
im·pu·dic·i·ty
[ìmpyə díssətee] noun

immodesty:
lack of modesty or shame (formal dated)
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French impudicité from Latin impudicitas, ultimately from pudere
(see impudent ).][1]



impugn

impugn
im·pugn 
[im pyn] (past im·pugned, past
participle im·pugned, present participle im·pugn·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·pugns) transitive verb

criticize
or cast doubt on: to suggest that somebody or something
cannot be trusted or respected (formal) • Far
be it from me to impugn his motives, but …
[14th
century. From Latin impugnare “to fight against” (the original sense in
English), from pugnare “to fight” (see pugnacious
).]
—im·pugn·a·ble,
adjective

—im·pugn·er, noun[1]



impulse

impulse
im·pulse 
[ím pùls] noun

1.  sudden
urge:
a sudden desire, urge, or inclination (often used before a noun)

2.  instinctive
drive:
an instinctive drive or natural tendency

3.  motive:
a motivation or reason for a specific activity

4.  force
driving something forward: a driving force producing a
forward motion

5.  forward
motion:
the motion produced by a driving force

6.  PHYSICS force
acting over time: a measure of momentum arrived at by
multiplying the average force acting on a body by the length of time it acts

7.  PHYSIOLOGY nerve
or muscle signal: a progressive wave of biochemically
generated energy that travels along a nerve fiber or muscle and stimulates or
inhibits activity
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
impulsus, past participle of impellere (see impel ).][1]



impulsion

impulsion
im·pul·sion 
[im púlshən] noun

1.  act
or instance of urging: the act of urging or forcing
somebody into action, or an instance of this

2.  movement
or thrusting force: a movement that comes from
being pushed or thrust, or the force that creates this movement

3.  sudden
desire:
a sudden desire, inclination, or urge

[1]



impulsive

impulsive
im·pul·sive 
[im púlsiv] adjective

1.  inclined
to act on sudden urges: having a tendency to act on
sudden urges or desires

2.  spontaneous:
based on or motivated by impulse

3.  PHYSICS coming
in bursts:
acting or coming in short bursts

4.  ACOUSTICS short
and percussive: used to describe a sound that is of
short duration and composed of a wide range of frequencies
—im·pul·sive·ly,
adverb

—im·pul·sive·ness,
noun

—im·pul·siv·i·ty [ìm pul sívvətee], noun[1]



impunity

impunity
im·pu·ni·ty 
[im pynətee] noun

freedom
from unpleasant consequences: exemption from punishment,
harm, or recrimination
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
impunitas, from impunis “without punishment,” from poena
“punishment.”][1]



impure

impure
im·pure 
[im pyr] adjective

1.  contaminated:
unclean because containing something harmful

2.  adulterated:
combined with something of inferior quality

3.  sinful:
tainted with sin

4.  having
mixed styles: combining a mixture of styles, or
derived from more than one source

5.  COLORS mixed
with other colors: being mixed with other
colors or with black or white
[15th
century. From Latin impurus, from purus “pure” (see pure ).]
—im·pure·ly,
adverb

—im·pure·ness, noun[1]



impurity

impurity
im·pu·ri·ty 
[im pyrətee] (plural im·pu·ri·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of purity:
the state or quality of being impure

2.  contaminant:
a substance that adulterates or contaminates something • drinking
water that was found to contain impurities

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING something
added to a semiconductor: a small amount of a
substance added to a pure semiconductor to control its electrical conductivity

[1]



imputation

imputation
im·pu·ta·tion 
[ìmpyə táysh’n] noun

1.  act
of imputing: the act of accusing somebody of
something, or of attributing a result to a particular cause

2.  accusation:
an accusation of wrongdoing or an attribution of blame

[1]



impute

impute
im·pute 
[im pyt] (past im·put·ed, past
participle im·put·ed, present participle im·put·ing, 3rd
person present singular im·putes) transitive verb

1.  attribute
a bad action: to attribute a usually undesirable
action or event to somebody “He had married her with that bad past life hidden
behind him, and she had no faith left to protest his innocence of the worst
that was imputed to him.” George Eliot Middlemarch 1872

2.  attribute
a quality:
to attribute a quality to a person, cause, or source “it was charity to impute
some of her unbecoming indifference to the languor of ill-health” Jane Austen
Emma 1816

3.  LAW charge
somebody responsible for another’s crime: to
bring legal charges against somebody because a person that he or she is
responsible for has committed an offense

4.  RELIGION extend
a quality to somebody else: to regard a quality such as
righteousness that applies to somebody as also applying to another person
associated with him or her
[14th
century. Via French imputer from Latin imputare “to bring into
the reckoning,” from putare “to reckon” (source of English putative ).]
—im·put·a·ble,
adjective

—im·pu·ta·tive,
adjective

—im·put·er, noun[1]



impv.

impv.
impv.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of imperative[1]



in.

in.
in.
or in

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of inches[1]



in-

in-2
in-2 prefix

in,
into, toward, within • infighting
• inbound
[From Latin][1]



in-

in-1
in-1 prefix

not
• insensitive
• incomplete
[From Latin][1]



IN

IN
IN

MAIL
Abbreviation of Indiana[1]



In

In
In

CHEMICAL
ELEMENTS Symbol for indium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








in

in
in
[in] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something or somebody is within or inside
something • (preposition)
The dinner’s in the oven. • (adverb)
I stopped by, but you weren’t in.

1.
preposition indicates a place:
indicates that something happens or is situated somewhere • He
spent a whole year in Russia.

2.
preposition indicates a state:
indicates a state or condition that something or somebody is experiencing • The
banking industry is in a state of flux.

3.
preposition indicates after:
after a period of time that will pass before something happens • She
should be well enough to leave in a week or two.

4.
preposition during:
indicates that something happens during a period of time • He
crossed the desert in 39 days.

5.
preposition indicates how something is
expressed:
indicates the means of communication used to express something • I
managed to write the whole speech in French.

6.
preposition indicates subject area:
indicates a subject or field of activity • She
graduated with a degree in biology.

7.
preposition as a consequence of:
while doing something or as a consequence of something • In
reaching for a glass he knocked over the ashtray.

8.
preposition covered by:
indicates that something is wrapped or covered by something • The
floor was covered in balloons and toys.

9.
preposition indicates how somebody is
dressed:
indicates that somebody is dressed in a particular way • She
was dressed in a smart suit.

10.
preposition ZOOLOGY pregnant
with:
pregnant with • The cows were in calf.

11.
adjective fashionable:
fashionable or popular • Inline
skates are the in thing.

12.
adjective into office:
indicates that a party or group has achieved or will achieve power or authority
• Everyone
was very optimistic when the new party got in.
[Old
English]
have
it in for

or
have got it in forto dislike somebody and want to do that person harm • Ever
since I got the job the boss has had it in for me.

in
between

between
• Normal
light consists of a wave that vibrates up and down, side to side, and every
direction in between.

in
for

indicates
that somebody will experience something, for example a surprise or a shock • Little
did she know what she was in for.

in
on

having
knowledge about or involvement in something • The
whole class was in on the plans for the surprise party.

in
that

introduces
an explanation of a statement • She’s
unusual for a commuter in that she’s never late for work.

in
with

associated
with or friendly with • a
reporter perhaps too much in with the politicians to be objective
• He’s
been getting in with a bad crowd.

the
ins and outs

all the detailed facts and
points about something • I
don’t know all the ins and outs of the matter, but she’s leaving.[1]



-in

-in
-in
suffix

1.  a
neutral chemical compound • fibroin
• digitalin
• thrombin

2.  antibiotic
• streptothricin

3.  pharmaceutical
• warfarin

4.  toxic
substance • botulin

5.  antigen
• bacterin

6.  hyalin.
See -ine
[From in, Latin in “in, into, on, during, against,” or in-
“not”][1]



inability

inability
in·a·bil·i·ty 
[ìnnə bíllətee] noun

state of not being able:
a lack of the ability, means, or power to do something • his
inability to face the truth[1]



inabsentia

inabsentia
in
ab·sen·tia 
adverb

while
absent:
in the absence of the person or persons concerned (formal)
[From Latin, literally “in
absence”][1]



inaccessible

inaccessible
in·ac·ces·si·ble 
[ìnnək séssib’l] adjective

1.  difficult
to get to:
difficult or impossible to gain access to or reach

2.  difficult
to achieve:
difficult or impossible to afford or attain

3.  hard
to understand: difficult or impossible to understand
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin inaccessibilis, from accessibilis
“accessible.”]
—in·ac·ces·si·bil·i·ty
[ìnnək sessi bíllətee], noun

—in·ac·ces·si·bly [ìnnək séssiblee], adverb[1]



inaccuracy

inaccuracy
in·ac·cu·ra·cy 
[in ákyərəssee] (plural in·ac·cu·ra·cies)
noun

1.  lack
of accuracy: lack of accuracy or correctness

2.  mistake:
an error or mistake

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mistake

[1]



inaccurate

inaccurate
in·ac·cu·rate 
[in ákyərət] adjective

not
correct:
not accurate or correct
—in·ac·cu·rate·ly, adverb[1]



inaction

inaction
in·ac·tion 
[in ákshən] noun

1.  failure
to act:
failure to take action when action is necessary “But in a nation that demands
action, Congress has become the master of inaction.” National Public
Telecomputing Network Bush speeches in campaign ’92

2.  absence
of activity: lack of activity, especially laziness or
idleness

[1]



inactivate

inactivate
in·ac·ti·vate 
[in ákti vàyt] (past in·ac·ti·vat·ed,
past participle in·ac·ti·vat·ed, present participle in·ac·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ac·ti·vates) transitive verb

make
inactive:
to make something inactive or unable to function
—in·ac·ti·va·tion [ìn akti váysh’n], noun[1]



inactive

inactive
in·ac·tive 
[in áktiv] adjective

1.  not
taking action: taking no action or not taking part in
action that others are involved in

2.  not
being used or operated: not in use, or not
functioning or operating

3.  lazy
or sedentary: not involving or taking part in physical
activity

4.  GEOGRAPHY dormant:
used to describe a volcano that is not erupting but not extinct

5.  MILITARY not in
active service: not taking part in, or not being used
for, active military service

6.  CHEMISTRY inert:
having little or no chemical reactivity

7.  CHEMISTRY having
low radioactivity: having low or zero
radioactivity

8.  BIOLOGY biologically
inert:
having little if any discernible effect on living things as a result of the
loss of some property such as the ability to infect or create antigens

9.  MEDICINE not
developing or giving symptoms: used to describe a
disease that is present in the body but not developing or not producing any
symptoms
—in·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ac·tiv·i·ty [ìn ak tívvətee], noun[1]



inadequacy

inadequacy
in·ad·e·qua·cy 
[in áddəkwəssee] (plural in·ad·e·qua·cies)
noun

1.  state
of not being adequate: the failure to be adequate,
for example, to reach a required or expected standard

2.  fault:
a flaw or weakness that reveals inadequacy

[1]



inadequate

inadequate
in·ad·e·quate 
[in áddəkwət] adjective

not
enough or not good enough: failing to reach an expected
or required level or standard • inadequate
supplies of food
—in·ad·e·quate·ly, adverb[1]



inadmissible

inadmissible
in·ad·mis·si·ble 
[ìn ad míssəb’l] adjective

not
allowable or acceptable: not admissible or allowable,
especially in a court of law
—in·ad·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[ìnnədmissə bíllətee], noun

—in·ad·mis·si·bly [ìnnəd míssəblee], adverb[1]



inadvertence

inadvertence
in·ad·ver·tence 
[ìnnəd vúrt’ns] or in·ad·ver·ten·cy
[ìnnəd vúrt’ns] (plural in·ad·ver·ten·cies)
noun

1.  carelessness:
carelessness or lack of attention

2.  oversight:
an oversight or result of carelessness

[1]



inadvertent

inadvertent
in·ad·ver·tent 
[ìnnəd vúrt’nt] adjective

1.  resulting
from carelessness: done unintentionally or
without thinking

2.  careless:
failing to pay enough attention or take enough care
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin advertent-, present participle stem of advertere “to
turn the mind to” (see advert ).][1]



inadvertently

inadvertently
in·ad·ver·tent·ly
[ìnnəd vúrt’ntlee] adverb

in a careless manner:
without intending to or without realizing[1]



inadvisable

inadvisable
in·ad·vis·a·ble 
[ìnnəd vzəb’l] adjective

not
advisable:
not to be advised or recommended
—in·ad·vis·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnnəd vīzə bíllətee], noun

—in·ad·vis·a·bly, adverb[1]



inaeternum

inaeternum
in
ae·ter·num 
[ìn ee t’rnəm] adverb

forever:
eternally or forever (formal)
[From Latin, literally “in
eternal”][1]



inalienable

inalienable
in·al·ien·a·ble 
[in áylee ənəb’l] adjective

impossible
to take away: not able to be transferred or taken
away, for example, because of being protected by law (formal)
—in·al·ien·a·bil·i·ty
[ìn aylee ənə bíllətee], noun

—in·al·ien·a·bly [in áylee ənəblee], adverb[1]



inalterable

inalterable
in·al·ter·a·ble 
[in áwltərəb’l] adjective

impossible
to change:
not able to be changed
—in·al·ter·a·bil·i·ty
[in àwltərə bíllətee], noun

—in·al·ter·a·bly [in áwltərəblee], adverb[1]



inamorata

inamorata
in·am·o·ra·ta 
[i nàmmə rtə] (plural in·am·o·ra·tas)
noun

lover
or beloved woman: a woman whom somebody loves or with whom
somebody has a romantic relationship (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, feminine of inamorato (see inamorato
).][1]



inamorato

inamorato
in·am·o·ra·to 
[i nàmmə r tō] (plural in·am·o·ra·tos)
noun

lover
or beloved man: a man whom somebody loves or with whom
somebody has a romantic relationship (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, past participle of inamorare “to fall in love,” from amore
“love,” from Latin amor (source of English amorous
).][1]



inane

inane
in·ane 
[i náyn] adjective

1.  silly
or unintelligent: having little sense or importance

2.  insubstantial:
empty, insubstantial, or void
noun

emptiness: great
emptiness, especially the perceived emptiness of outer space (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inanis “empty, lacking sense.”]
—in·ane·ly,
adverb

—in·ane·ness, noun[1]



inanimate

inanimate
in·an·i·mate 
[in ánnimət] adjective

1.  not
living:
not alive

2.  not
lively:
not active, energetic, or lively “She had relapsed once more into the vacant
inanimate creature who had opened the gate to us.” Wilkie Collins The Law and
the Lady 1875

3.  relating
to nouns for nonliving things: belonging to the
category of nouns that refer to things and concepts considered to be without
life
[15th
century. From late Latin inanimatus “lifeless,” from Latin animatus,
past participle of animare “to animate” (see animate
).]
—in·an·i·mate·ly,
adverb

—in·an·i·mate·ness, noun[1]



inanition

inanition
in·a·ni·tion 
[ìnnə nísh’n] noun

1.  exhaustion
due to starvation: exhaustion caused by lack of
food or water or as a result of disease

2.  lethargy:
lethargy or lack of vitality (literary)

3.  emptiness:
emptiness such as the absence of moral standards or intellectual substance (formal)
[14th century. From the late
Latin stem inanition-, from, ultimately, Latin inanis (see inane ).][1]



inanity

inanity
in·an·i·ty 
[i nánnətee] (plural in·an·i·ties)
noun

1.  meaningless
quality:
meaninglessness or senselessness that suggests a lack of understanding or
intelligence

2.  silliness:
silliness or foolishness

3.  something
inane:
something such as a silly remark that demonstrates or suggests inanity

4.  empty
quality:
emptiness such as the imagined void of outer space (archaic)

[1]



inappetence

inappetence
in·ap·pe·tence 
[in áppət’ns] or in·ap·pe·ten·cy
[in áppət’nsee] noun

lack
of appetite: lack of appetite (formal)
—in·ap·pe·tent, adjective[1]



inapplicable

inapplicable
in·ap·pli·ca·ble 
[in ápplikəb’l, ìnnə
plíkəb’l] adjective

not
applicable:
not applicable, suitable, or relevant
—in·ap·pli·ca·bil·i·ty
[ìnnəplikə bíllətee, in àpplikə bíllətee], noun

—in·ap·pli·ca·bly [in ápplikəblee], adverb[1]



inapposite

inapposite
in·ap·po·site 
[in áppəzit] adjective

unsuitable:
unsuitable or out of place (formal)
—in·ap·po·site·ly,
adverb

—in·ap·po·site·ness, noun[1]



inappreciable

inappreciable
in·ap·pre·cia·ble 
[ìnnə prshəb’l] adjective

insignificant:
too small to be noticed or significant
—in·ap·pre·cia·bly, adverb[1]



inappreciative

inappreciative
in·ap·pre·cia·tive 
[ìnnə prshətiv] adjective

unappreciative:
feeling or showing no appreciation
—in·ap·pre·cia·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ap·pre·cia·tive·ness,
noun[1]



inapproachable

inapproachable
in·ap·proach·a·ble 
[ìnnə prṓchəb’l] adjective

unapproachable:
impossible to approach
—in·ap·proach·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnnə prōchə bíllətee], noun

—in·ap·proach·a·bly [ìnnə prṓchəblee], adverb[1]



inappropriate

inappropriate
in·ap·pro·pri·ate 
[ìnnə prṓpree ət] adjective

not
appropriate: not fitting, timely, or suitable
—in·ap·pro·pri·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·ap·pro·pri·ate·ness,
noun[1]



inapt

inapt
in·apt 
[in ápt] adjective

1.  not
suitable:
not suitable or appropriate

2.  unskilled:
lacking aptitude, capability, or skill
—in·ap·ti·tude
[in ápti td], noun

—in·apt·ly,
adverb

—in·apt·ness, noun[1]



inarch

inarch
in·arch 
[i nrch] (past in·arched, past
participle in·arched, present participle in·arch·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·arch·es) transitive verb

graft
a plant part without severing: to graft part of one
plant onto another without separating it from its parent
[Early 17th century. Coined
from in- + arch,
because the graft forms an arch between its parent and the new stock.][1]



inarguable

inarguable
in·ar·gu·a·ble 
[in rgyoo əb’l] adjective

undeniable:
impossible to deny or take an opposing view about
—in·ar·gu·a·bly, adverb[1]



inarticulate

inarticulate
in·ar·tic·u·late 
[ìn aar tíkyələt] adjective

1.  expressing
oneself poorly: not good at choosing the right words or
speaking fluently

2.  not
understandable: not understandable as speech or language

3.  not
effectively expressed: not clearly or effectively
expressed

4.  not
spoken about: not expressed, or not able to be
expressed in words

5.  unable
to speak:
lacking the power to speak, especially because of feeling strong emotion

6.  ZOOLOGY not
jointed:
used to describe certain body parts that have no joints or segments, for
example, the bones of the skull

7.  MARINE BIOLOGY having
a shell without a hinge: used to describe a class of
brachiopods that have shells without a hinge and are held together only by
muscles and the body wall
[Early
17th century. Originally in the sense “without joints.”]
—in·ar·tic·u·late·ly,
adverb

—in·ar·tic·u·late·ness,
noun

—in·ar·tic·u·la·cy, noun[1]



inartistic

inartistic
in·ar·tis·tic 
[ìn aar tístik] adjective

1.  lacking
artistic skill: possessing or demonstrating little or no
artistic talent

2.  not
conforming to the rules of art: not in accordance with
the principles of art

3.  not
interested in the arts: having no appreciation of or
sensitivity to the arts
—in·ar·tis·tic·al·ly, adverb[1]



inasmuchas

inasmuchas
in·as·much
as 
[ìnnəz múch əz] conjunction

1.  because:
used to introduce an explanation or reason “This was an idle and unpractical
question, inasmuch as the answer was not forthcoming.” Henry James Confidence

2.  insofar
as:
used to introduce a comment that limits the extent of something
[Inasmuch from in + as + much, modeled on French en tant “in so
much”][1]



inattention

inattention
in·at·ten·tion 
[ìnnə ténshən] noun

failure to pay attention:
failure to take proper care or give enough attention to something[1]



inattentive

inattentive
in·at·ten·tive 
[ìnnə téntiv] adjective

careless:
not paying attention or taking enough care
—in·at·ten·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·at·ten·tive·ness, noun[1]



inaudible

inaudible
in·au·di·ble 
[in áwdib’l] adjective

impossible
to hear:
not loud enough to be heard
—in·au·di·bil·i·ty
[ìn áwdi bíllətee], noun

—in·au·di·bly [in áwdiblee], adverb[1]



inaugural

inaugural
in·au·gu·ral 
[i nóggyərəl] adjective

1.  relating
to an inauguration: relating to or marking the
official beginning of something

2.  first
of several:
being the first of a series, such as the first issue of a magazine
noun

inauguration or speech at an
inauguration: an inauguration, or a speech given at
such a ceremony
[Late 17th century. From
French, formed from inaugurer “to inaugurate,” from Latin inaugurare
(see inaugurate ).][1]



inaugurate

inaugurate
in·au·gu·rate 
[i nóggyə ràyt] (past in·au·gu·rat·ed,
past participle in·au·gu·rat·ed, present participle in·au·gu·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·au·gu·rates) transitive verb

1.  POLITICS swear
formally into office: to place somebody in office
with a formal ceremony

2.  open
ceremonially: to open or mark the beginning of
something such as a new building with a formal ceremony or dedication

3.  put
into operation: to initiate something or put it into
operation, especially in a formal or official manner
[Late
16th century. From Latin inaugurare “to foretell the future from birds’
flight,” later “to install in office after observing the omens,” from augurari
(see augur ).]
—in·au·gu·ra·tor,
noun

—in·au·gu·ra·to·ry, adjective[1]



inauguration

inauguration
in·au·gu·ra·tion 
[i nòggyə ráysh’n] noun

1.  POLITICS induction
into office: the formal placing of somebody in an
official position, especially the President of the United States, or a ceremony
held for this purpose

2.  ceremonial
opening of something: a formal ceremony to open or
mark the beginning of something such as a new building

3.  putting
something into operation: the act of bringing
something into service or putting it into operation, or an occasion on which
this is done

[1]



InaugurationDay

InaugurationDay
In·au·gu·ra·tion
Day
noun

day a President is sworn into
office: the day in January following
a presidential election, on which the inauguration of a new President of the
United States takes place[1]



inauspicious

inauspicious
in·aus·pi·cious 
[ìn aw spíshəss] adjective

promising
failure or bad luck: suggesting that the future
is not very promising or that success is unlikely
—in·aus·pi·cious·ly,
adverb

—in·aus·pi·cious·ness,
noun[1]



inauthentic

inauthentic
in·au·then·tic 
[in aw théntik] adjective

not
authentic:
not authentic or genuine
—in·au·then·tic·i·ty [ìn awthən tíssətee], noun[1]



inbd.

inbd.
inbd.

TRANSPORT
Abbreviation of inboard[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








in-between

in-between
in-be·tween
adjective adverb

intermediate:
falling between others • one of
his in-between moods when you don’t know what he’ll say
noun

somebody or something
intermediate: somebody or something
that falls between others • the
oldest, the youngest, and the in-between[1]



inboard

inboard
in·board 
[ín bàwrd] adjective

1.  located
inside a boat’s hull: located inside the hull of a
boat, not fitted to the outside

2.  having
an inboard engine: having an inboard engine
noun

boat with an inboard motor:
a boat that has an inboard motor
adverb

away from the sides:
more toward the center of an aircraft or boat than toward the sides or edges

[1]



inborn

inborn
in·born 
[ín bàwrn] adjective

innate:
inherited from parents or possessed from birth
[Old English . Originally in
the sense “native, indigenous”; the current sense dates from the early 16th
century.][1]



inbound

inbound2
in·bound2 (past in·bound·ed,
past participle in·bound·ed, present participle in·bound·ing,
3rd person present singular in·bounds) intransitive and
transitive verb

return
a basketball to play: in basketball, to put the
ball back into play by passing it from out of bounds to a player on the court
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from inbounds .][1]



inbound

inbound1
in·bound1 [ín
bòwnd] adjective

incoming:
arriving, incoming, or heading toward an airport, port, or station
[Late 19th century. From in + bound .][1]



inbounds

inbounds
in·bounds 
[ín bòwndz] adjective

1.  SPORTS on the
field of play: within the boundaries of the playing
area on a sports field

2.  BASKETBALL returning
a basketball to play: involving returning the
basketball into play • on the
ensuing inbounds play

[1]



inboundsline

inboundsline
in·bounds
line
noun

lengthwise line on a football
field: either of the two broken
lines that run the length of a football field[1]



inbreathe

inbreathe
in·breathe 
[ín br] (past in·breathed, past
participle in·breathed, present participle in·breath·ing,
3rd person present singular in·breathes) transitive verb

inhale:
to take something into the airways by breathing in
[14th century. Modeled on
Latin inspirare “to breathe into” (source of English inspire ).][1]



inbred

inbred
in·bred 
[ín brèd] adjective

1.  innate:
existing naturally, through being possessed from birth or inherited from
parents

2.  GENETICS produced
by inbreeding: produced by the mating of closely
related individuals of a species
noun

GENETICS form resulting
from inbreeding: a person or an animal whose health and
intelligence are affected because his, her, or its ancestors were too closely
related to each other

[1]



inbreed

inbreed
in·breed 
[ín brd] (past in·bred, past
participle in·bred [ín brèd], present
participle in·breed·ing, 3rd person present singular in·breeds)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb GENETICS mate closely related
individuals: to mate closely related individuals of a
species with each other, especially over many generations

2.  transitive
verb
create
or produce:
to cause something to develop in somebody
—in·breed·er, noun[1]



inbreeding

inbreeding
in·breed·ing 
[ín brding] noun

breeding within a small
group: the mating of closely
related individuals of a species, especially over many generations. It may be
done deliberately to enhance desired traits in livestock or pets but increases
the risk of inherited defects.[1]



in-built

in-built
in-built
adjective

innate:
innate or built-in[1]



inc.

inc.
inc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
included

2.  Abbreviation
of
including

3.  Abbreviation
of
inclusive

4.  Abbreviation
of
income

5.  Abbreviation
of
incomplete

6.  inc.
or Inc. BUSINESS Abbreviation
of incorporated

7.  Abbreviation
of
increase

[1]



Inca

Inca
In·ca 
[íngkə] (plural In·ca or
In·cas) noun

member
of a Native S American people: a member of a Native
South American people whose huge empire, based in Peru and covering the entire
Andean region, flourished from the 12th century AD
until the mid-16th century. The Incas were sophisticated engineers, architects,
and artists who had a highly complex social structure. The descendants of the
Incas form roughly 50 percent of today’s population of Peru.
[Late
16th century. From Quechua, literally “royal person.”]
—In·ca,
adjective

—In·ca·ic
[in káy ik], adjective

—In·can [íngkən], adjective[1]



incalculable

incalculable
in·cal·cu·la·ble 
[in kálkyələb’l] adjective

1.  too
great to measure: too great or numerous to be measured

2.  impossible
to foresee:
too uncertain to assess or plan for in advance
—in·cal·cu·la·bil·i·ty
[in kàlkyələ bíllətee], noun

—in·cal·cu·la·bly [in kálkyələblee], adverb[1]



incalescent

incalescent
in·ca·les·cent 
[ìnkə léss’nt] adjective

becoming
hotter:
becoming warmer or hotter (technical)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin incalescent-, the present participle stem of incalescere
“to get hotter,” ultimately from calere “to be hot” (source of English chafe ).]
—in·ca·les·cence, noun[1]



incamera

incamera
in
cam·er·a 
adverb adjective

1.  in
private:
in private or in secret

2.  in
a court closed to the public: in a court from which the
public is barred

3.  in
a judge’s chambers: in a judge’s private
chambers rather than in open court
[From late Latin, literally
“in the chamber”][1]



incandesce

incandesce
in·can·desce 
[ìnkən déss] (past in·can·desced,
past participle in·can·desced, present participle in·can·desc·ing,
3rd person present singular in·can·desc·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

emit
light:
to give off light as a result of being heated to a high temperature, or to
cause something to give off light in this way
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from incandescent .][1]



incandescence

incandescence
in·can·des·cence 
[ìnkən déss’ns] noun

1.  emission
of light by a hot object: the emission of light by an
object as a result of its being heated to a high temperature

2.  light
from a hot object: the light produced by an
object heated to a high temperature

3.  emotional
intensity:
intensity of emotion such as anger or romantic passion

[1]



incandescent

incandescent
in·can·des·cent 
[ìnkən déss’nt] adjective

1.  glowing
with heat:
emitting light as a consequence of being heated to a high temperature

2.  glowing
brightly:
shining or glowing brightly

3.  showing
intense emotion: feeling or displaying intense emotion
such as anger or romantic passion
[Late
18th century. Directly or via French from Latin incandescere “to glow,”
from candescere “to become white,” from candidus (see candid ).]
—in·can·des·cent·ly, adverb[1]



incandescentlamp

incandescentlamp
in·can·des·cent
lamp
noun

lamp with a heated filament:
an electric lamp that produces light from an electrically heated filament[1]



incantation

incantation
in·can·ta·tion 
[ìn kan táysh’n] noun

1.  use
of supposedly magic words: the ritual chanting or use
of supposedly magic words

2.  set
of supposedly magic words: a set of words spoken or
chanted as a supposedly magic spell
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin incantare “to chant,” from cantare
“to sing.”]
—in·can·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



incapable

incapable
in·ca·pa·ble 
[in káypəb’l] adjective

1.  lacking
necessary ability: lacking the ability,
character, or strength required to do something

2.  not
good enough: unable to function or perform adequately

3.  impossible:
too extreme for something to be possible • damage
incapable of being repaired

4.  legally
ineligible:
legally disqualified or ineligible
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from late Latin incapabilis, from capabilis
“capable” (see capable ).]
—in·ca·pa·bil·i·ty
[in kàypə bíllətee], noun

—in·ca·pa·ble·ness,
noun

—in·ca·pa·bly [in káypəblee], adverb[1]



incapacitant

incapacitant
in·ca·pac·i·tant 
[ìnkə pássit’nt] noun

substance that disables
somebody: a substance such as tear gas
that can temporarily incapacitate somebody, used especially in riot control and
biological warfare[1]



incapacitate

incapacitate
in·ca·pac·i·tate 
[ìnkə pássi tàyt] (past in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed,
past participle in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed, present participle in·ca·pac·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ca·pac·i·tates) transitive verb

1.  deprive
of effectiveness: to deprive somebody or something of
power, force, or effectiveness

2.  LAW officially
rule somebody out: to disqualify somebody or
make somebody legally ineligible
—in·ca·pac·i·ta·tion [inkə pàssi táysh’n], noun[1]



incapacity

incapacity
in·ca·pac·i·ty 
[ìnkə pássətee] (plural in·ca·pac·i·ties)
noun

1.  inability
or ineffectiveness: lack of ability, force, or
effectiveness

2.  physical
or mental challenge: a physical or mental
challenge

3.  legal
disqualification: a legal or official disqualification
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French incapacité from late Latin incapacitas, from Latin capacitas
“capacity” (see capacity ).][1]



incapsulate

incapsulate
in·cap·su·late 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
encapsulate[1]



incarcerate

incarcerate
in·car·cer·ate 
[in krsə ràyt] (past in·car·cer·at·ed,
past participle in·car·cer·at·ed, present participle in·car·cer·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·car·cer·ates) transitive verb
(formal)

1.  imprison:
to put somebody in prison

2.  confine:
to place somebody in a place or situation of confinement
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin incarcerat-, past participle stem of incarcerare,
from carcer “prison.”]
—in·car·cer·a·tion
[in krsə ráysh’n], noun

—in·car·cer·a·tor [in krsə ràytər], noun[1]



incardinate

incardinate
in·car·di·nate 
[in krd’n àyt] (past in·car·di·nat·ed,
past participle in·car·di·nat·ed, present participle in·car·di·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·car·di·nates) transitive verb

1.  move
a priest to a new district: to transfer a Roman Catholic
priest to a new district under the authority of a different bishop

2.  make
a priest a cardinal: to promote a member of the
Roman Catholic clergy to the position of cardinal

3.  make
a priest most senior: to promote a Roman Catholic
priest to the position of most senior member of the clergy within a particular
church or area
[Early
17th century. From late Latin incardinat-, past participle stem of incardinare
“to ordain as chief priest,” from Latin cardinalis (see cardinal ).]
—in·car·di·na·tion [in krd’n áysh’n], noun[1]



incarnadine

incarnadine
in·car·na·dine 
[in krnə dn, in
krnə din] adjective

crimson:
of a crimson or blood red color (literary)
noun

crimson
color:
the color crimson or the color of blood (literary)
transitive
verb
(past in·car·na·dined, past participle in·car·na·dined,
present participle in·car·na·din·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·car·na·dines)

make
crimson:
to tinge or stain something crimson or blood red (literary)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian incarnatino “carnation,” literally “flesh-color,”
ultimately from the Latin stem carn- “flesh” (see carnal ).][1]



incarnate

incarnate
in·car·nate 
adjective [in krnət]

1.  made
human:
having a bodily form, especially a human form

2.  personified:
being the epitome of something • an
adviser who is discretion incarnate

3.  BOTANY pink
or red:
used to describe plant parts that are pink or crimson
transitive
verb
[in kr nàyt] (past in·car·nat·ed,
past participle in·car·nat·ed, present participle in·car·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·car·nates)

1.  show
in human form: to give something a bodily form,
especially a human form

2.  personify:
to be the epitome or personification of something

3.  cause
to happen:
to bring about or realize something that exists as an idea or theory only
[14th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin incarnatus, past participle of incarnari
“to be made flesh,” from the Latin stem carn- “flesh” (see carnal ).]
—in·car·na·tor [in kr nàytər], noun[1]



Incarnation

Incarnation
In·car·na·tion
noun

God as Jesus Christ:
in Christianity, God’s taking human form as Jesus Christ[1]



incarnation

incarnation
in·car·na·tion 
[ìn kaar náysh’n] noun

1.  personification
of something: somebody or something personifying,
representing, or typifying a quality or idea

2.  one
life in a series of lives: one of a succession of lives
or periods spent in the body of a particular animal or person

3.  manifestation
of a god:
a god’s or spirit’s appearance in human or animal form

[1]



incase

incase
in·case 
transitive verb

See
encase
—in·case·ment, noun[1]



incase

incase
in
case

See
case[1]



incautious

incautious
in·cau·tious 
[in kóshəss] adjective

careless:
careless, rash, or lacking in caution
—in·cau·tious·ly,
adverb

—in·cau·tious·ness,
noun

—in·cau·tion, noun[1]



incendiarism

incendiarism
in·cen·di·a·rism
[in séndee ə rìzzəm] noun

behavior inciting civil
unrest: inflammatory talk or
provocative behavior designed or likely to cause civil unrest (formal)[1]



incendiary

incendiary
in·cen·di·ar·y 
[in séndee èrree] adjective

1.  ARMS containing
chemicals that cause fire: containing highly flammable
substances that will cause a fire on impact

2.  likely
to catch fire: able to catch fire spontaneously or
cause a fire easily

3.  inciting
civil unrest: designed or likely to cause civil unrest

4.  relating
to arson:
relating to or involving the illegal burning of property
noun
(plural in·cen·di·ar·ies)

1.  in·cen·di·ar·y
or in·cen·di·ar·y bomb (plural in·cen·di·ar·y bombs)
ARMS bomb
designed to cause a fire: a bomb or missile containing
a highly flammable substance such as napalm, designed to cause a fire on impact

2.  somebody
inciting trouble: somebody who stirs up trouble or
violence, especially with political motives (formal)

3.  arsonist:
somebody who illegally sets fire to property (formal)
[15th century. From Latin incendiarius,
from incendium “conflagration,” from incendere (see incense 1 ).][1]



incense

incense2
in·cense2 [in
séns] (past in·censed, past participle in·censed,
present participle in·cens·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·cens·es) transitive verb

enrage:
to make somebody extremely angry
[15th
century. From French encenser, from encens, or ecclesiastical
Latin incensare, from incensum (see incense 1 ).]
—in·cense·ment, noun[1]



incense

incense1
in·cense1 [ín
sèns] noun

1.  substance
burned for its fragrant smell: a substance, usually
fragrant gum or wood, that gives off a pleasant smell when burned

2.  smoke
or fragrance from incense: the smoke or fragrant smell
produced when incense is burned

3.  fragrance:
a pleasant smell

4.  praise:
praise or adulation
verb
(past in·censed, past participle in·censed, present
participle in·cens·ing, 3rd person present singular in·cens·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb honor
a god with incense: to honor a god by burning
incense

2.  transitive
verb
perfume
with incense: to perfume something with incense
[13th
century. Via French encens from ecclesiastical Latin incensum, a
form of incensus, past participle of Latin incendere “to set fire
to,” from the base of candere “to glow.”]
—in·cen·sa·tion [ìn sen sáysh’n], noun[1]



incensecedar

incensecedar
in·cense
ce·dar
noun

1.  evergreen
tree:
a coniferous evergreen tree of the cypress family with resinous scaly leaves,
flattened branches, and aromatic wood. Different species occur in the Americas,
Asia, and New Zealand. Genera: Austrocedrus Calocedrus Libocedrus

2.  fragrant
wood of the incense cedar tree: the aromatic wood of
the incense cedar tree, often used to scent rooms or drawers, or to keep away
moths. Its resistance to decay makes it useful for decking and fence posts, and
it is also used to make pencils.

[1]



incensory

incensory
in·cen·so·ry
[ín sensəree, in
sénsəree] (plural in·cen·so·ries) noun

RELIGION See censer
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin incensorium, from ecclesiastical Latin incensum
(see incense 1 ).][1]



incentive

incentive
in·cen·tive 
[in séntiv] noun

something
that encourages somebody to action:
something that encourages or motivates somebody to do something
adjective

encouraging
or motivating: serving to encourage or motivate
somebody
[Early
17th century. From Latin incentivum, literally “something that sets the
tune,” ultimately from incinere “to sound,” from canere “to
sing.”]
—in·cen·tive·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at motive

[1]



incentivize

incentivize
in·cen·tiv·ize 
[in sénti vz] (past in·cen·tiv·ized,
past participle in·cen·tiv·ized, present participle in·cen·tiv·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cen·tiv·iz·es) transitive verb

give incentive to:
to motivate somebody by offering an incentive such as a higher rate of pay (informal)[1]



incept

incept
in·cept 
[in sépt] (past in·cept·ed, past
participle in·cept·ed, present participle in·cept·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cepts, plural in·cepts)
intransitive verb

U.K.
EDUC enroll
at university: to enroll at a university, especially to
begin studying for a master’s degree or doctorate (dated formal)
[15th
century. From Latin incept-, past participle stem of incipere “to
begin” (see incipient ).]
—in·cep·tor, noun[1]



inception

inception
in·cep·tion 
[in sépshən] noun

1.  beginning:
the beginning of something (formal)

2.  U.K.
EDUC enrollment
at university: enrollment as a university student,
especially one studying for a master’s degree or doctorate (dated formal)
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem inception-, ultimately from incipere
(see incipient ).][1]



inceptive

inceptive
in·cep·tive 
[in séptiv] adjective

1.  initial:
representing or coming at the beginning of something (formal)

2.  LINGUISTICS expressing
the idea of starting: used to describe a verb or
verb form that, in some languages, indicates the beginning of an action
noun
LINGUISTICS
Also
called
inchoative
Also
called
ingressive

1.  inceptive
aspect:
the inceptive aspect of verbs

2.  inceptive
verb:
a verb in the inceptive aspect
[Early
17th century. From late Latin inceptivus, ultimately from Latin incipere
(see incipient ).]
—in·cep·tive·ly, adverb[1]



incertitude

incertitude
in·cer·ti·tude 
[in súrtə td] noun

1.  doubt:
doubt or uncertainty

2.  lack
of self-confidence: lack of confidence in
yourself
[15th century. Directly or
via French from late Latin incertitudo, from certitudo
“certitude” (see certitude ).][1]



incessant

incessant
in·ces·sant 
[in séss’nt] adjective

unceasing:
continuing for a long time without stopping
[15th
century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem incessant-,
from cessare “to stop” (see cease ).]
—in·ces·san·cy,
noun

—in·ces·sant·ly, adverb[1]



incest

incest
in·cest 
[ín sèst] noun

sex
between close relatives: sexual activity between two
people who are considered, for moral and genetic reasons, too closely related
to have such a relationship. Incest is regarded as a serious taboo in almost
every society, although cultures differ as to the extent to which marriages are
allowed between relatives.
[13th century. From Latin incestus,
from castus (see chaste ).][1]



incestuous

incestuous
in·ces·tu·ous 
[in séschoo əss] adjective

1.  relating
to or involving incest: relating to or involving a
sexual relationship between two people who are considered, for moral and
genetic reasons, too closely related to have such a relationship

2.  guilty
of incest:
having had a sexual relationship with somebody considered to be too close a
relative

3.  unhealthily
exclusive of others: unhealthily intimate or
interconnected, especially so as to exclude the involvement or influence of
others • an
incestuous friendship

4.  born
of parents who committed incest: born as the result of
an incestuous relationship (archaic)
—in·ces·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·ces·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



inch

inch2
inch2 [inch]
noun

island:
in Scotland and Ireland, a small island (often used in place names)
[15th century. From Scottish
Gaelic innis “island.”][1]



inch

inch1
inch1 [inch]
noun (plural inch·es)

1.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of length:
a unit of length equal to 2.54 cm1/12th of a foot. Symbol "

2.  small
amount:
a very small amount, degree, or distance

3.  METEOROLOGY amount
of rain or snow: a fall of enough rain or snow to cover a
surface to a depth of one inch

4.  METEOROLOGY unit
of atmospheric pressure: a unit of atmospheric
pressure equal to that needed to maintain a mercury column one inch high in a
barometer
intransitive
and transitive verb (past inched, past
participle inched, present participle inch·ing, 3rd
person present singular inch·es)

move slowly: to
move or cause somebody or something to move very slowly or by small degrees
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
uncia “one twelfth,” from unus “one” (source of English unit and ounce
).][1]



inchmeal

inchmeal
inch·meal 
[ínch ml] adverb

little
by little:
in very small stages or progressions
[Mid-16th century. From inch 1 + -meal .][1]



inchoate

inchoate
in·cho·ate 
adjective [in kṓ ət] (formal)

1.  just
beginning:
just beginning to develop

2.  imperfectly
formed:
only partly formed

3.  chaotic:
lacking structure, order, or organization
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare,
variant of incohare “to begin.”]
—in·cho·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·cho·ate·ness,
noun

—in·cho·a·tion [ìn kō áysh’n], noun[1]



inchoative

inchoative
in·cho·a·tive 
[in kṓ ətiv] adjective noun

GRAMMAR
See inceptive  adjective 2
See inceptive  noun 1
See inceptive  noun 2[1]



inchworm

inchworm
inch·worm 
[ínch wùrm] noun

geometrid moth larva:
the larva of a geometrid moth that has legs only at each end of its body and
moves by bringing its rear forward, forming a loop, then moving its front.
Also called
looper
Also called
measuring worm
Also called
spanworm
U.K. term
measuring worm[1]



incidence

incidence
in·ci·dence 
[ínsid’ns] noun

1.  rate
of occurrence of something: the frequency with which
something occurs

2.  instance
or manner of something happening: an instance of
something happening, or the manner in which it happens

3.  PHYSICS MATHEMATICS impact on a surface:
the impact that something moving, for example, a ray of light or a projectile,
makes with a surface

[1]



incident

incident
in·ci·dent 
[ínsid’nt] noun

1.  event:
something that happens, especially a single event

2.  violent
occurrence:
a public occurrence, especially a violent one • an
incident outside a nightclub

3.  event
with potentially serious consequences: an
event that may result in a crisis, especially in international matters
adjective

1.  related
to something: accompanying something or occurring as a
consequence of it (formal)

2.  PHYSICS coming
into contact with surface: coming into contact with a
surface
[15th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin incidere “to fall upon or happen to,”
from cadere “to fall.”][1]



incidental

incidental
in·ci·den·tal 
[insi dént’l] adjective

1.  related
or accompanying: related to or accompanying something
more important

2.  occurring
by chance:
occurring by chance or without intention

3.  occasional:
unimportant or occasional

4.  resulting
from something: occurring as a result of something (formal)
noun

minor item:
something that is occasional or unimportant such as a minor expense

[1]



incidentally

incidentally
in·ci·den·tal·ly 
[ìnsi dént’lee] adverb

1.  by
the way:
used to introduce additional information such as something that the speaker has
just thought of

2.  by
chance:
by chance or by accident

[1]



incidentalmusic

incidentalmusic
in·ci·den·tal
mu·sic
noun

background music to story:
music that accompanies the action of a movie, play, or television program, as
distinct from theme music or songs that feature in a musical[1]



incinerate

incinerate
in·cin·er·ate 
[in sínnə ràyt] (past in·cin·er·at·ed,
past participle in·cin·er·at·ed, present participle in·cin·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cin·er·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

burn
thoroughly to destroy: to burn to ashes, or cause
something to burn to ashes, especially in an incinerator
[15th
century. From medieval Latin incinerare, from ciner-, stem of cinis
“ashes.”]
—in·cin·er·a·tion [in sìnnə ráysh’n], noun[1]



incinerator

incinerator
in·cin·er·a·tor 
[in sínnə ràytər] noun

furnace:
a furnace for destroying things by burning them, especially one used to burn
waste[1]



incipient

incipient
in·cip·i·ent 
[in síppee ənt] adjective

beginning
to develop:
beginning to appear or develop
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin incipient-, present participle stem of incipere
“to undertake or begin,” from capere “to take.”]
—in·cip·i·ence,
noun

—in·cip·i·ent·ly, adverb[1]



incipit

incipit
in·ci·pit 
[ínsipit] noun

manuscript’s
opening words used as title: the opening word or words of
a medieval manuscript or an early printed book, by which it is often known in
the absence of a title
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “it begins,” a form of incipere (see incipient ).][1]



incisal

incisal
in·ci·sal 
[in sz’l] adjective

relating
to tooth’s cutting edge: relating to the cutting edge
of a tooth
[Early 20th century. Formed
from incisor .][1]



incise

incise
in·cise 
[in sz] (past in·cised, past
participle in·cised, present participle in·cis·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·cis·es) transitive verb

1.  SURGERY cut:
to cut into something

2.  ARTS engrave
or carve:
to carve or engrave a pattern or design into something
[Mid-16th century. From
French inciser, from Latin incis-, past participle stem of incidere
“to cut into,” from caedere “to cut.”][1]



incised

incised
in·cised 
[in szd] adjective

having deep indentations:
used to describe a leaf with edges that are deeply and sharply indented[1]



incision

incision
in·ci·sion 
[in sízh’n] noun

1.  SURGERY cut or
act of cutting: a cut or the act of cutting, especially
when performed by a surgeon

2.  BOTANY leaf’s
deeply indented edge: a sharp indentation in the
edge of a leaf

3.  fact
of being incisive: the fact or quality of being
quick to understand or able to express something clearly

[1]



incisive

incisive
in·ci·sive 
[in sssiv] adjective

1.  quick
to understand: quick to understand, analyze, or act

2.  expressing
or expressed clearly: characterized by clear and
direct expression
—in·ci·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·ci·sive·ness, noun[1]



incisor

incisor
in·ci·sor 
[in szər] noun

flat
sharp front tooth: one of the flat sharp-edged
teeth in the front of the mouth, used for cutting and tearing food
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin dens incisor, literally “cutter tooth,” formed from Latin
incis- (see incise ).][1]



incitation

incitation
in·ci·ta·tion 
noun

See
incitement[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








incite

incite
in·cite 
[in st] (past in·cit·ed, past
participle in·cit·ed, present participle in·cit·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·cites) transitive verb

stir
up:
to stir up feelings in or provoke action by somebody
[15th
century. Via French inciter from Latin incitare “to hasten or
urge on,” from citare “to set in motion” (see cite
).]
—in·cit·er, noun[1]



incitement

incitement
in·cite·ment
[in stmənt] or in·cit·a·tion
[ìn sī táysh’n] noun

1.  provocation:
the stirring up of feelings or the provoking of action, especially militancy or
violence

2.  something
that incites: something that stirs up feelings or
provokes action

[1]



incivility

incivility
in·ci·vil·i·ty 
[ìnsi víllətee] (plural in·ci·vil·i·ties)
noun

1.  rude
behavior or language: rude or impolite behavior or
language

2.  rude
act or remark: a rude or impolite act or remark
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
incivilis, from civilis (see civil
).][1]



incl.

incl.
incl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
including

2.  Abbreviation
of
inclusive

[1]



inclement

inclement
in·clem·ent 
[in klémmənt] adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY not
pleasant or mild: unpleasant in being stormy, rainy, or
snowy

2.  showing
little mercy: showing little or no mercy (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French inclément from the Latin stem inclement-,
literally “not clement,” from clement- (see clement
).]
—in·clem·en·cy,
noun

—in·clem·ent·ly, adverb[1]



inclinable

inclinable
in·clin·a·ble 
[in klnəb’l] adjective

1.  having
a particular tendency: inclined to behave in a
particular way

2.  in
favor:
likely to agree or approve (formal)

[1]



inclination

inclination
in·cli·na·tion 
[ìnkli náysh’n] noun

1.  way
somebody feels about something: a feeling that pushes
somebody to make a particular choice or decision

2.  tendency:
a tendency to do or prefer something, or a desire for something

3.  deviation
from line or plane: the tilting of something
away from a line or surface, or the degree to which is it tilted

4.  slope:
a sloping surface

5.  tilting
of something: a bending of something, for example, a
bowing of the head

6.  GEOMETRY angle
on graph:
the angle between a line on a graph and the positive direction of the x-axis

7.  GEOMETRY smaller
angle:
the smaller angle between two lines or planes

8.  ASTRONOMY angle
of orbit:
the angle between a planet’s orbit and the apparent orbit of the Sun in
relation to the Earth

9.  PHYSICS See dip
—in·cli·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



incline

incline
in·cline 
intransitive and transitive verb [in kln]
(past in·clined, past participle in·clined, present
participle in·clin·ing, 3rd person present singular in·clines)

1.  be
or make likely to act: to tend, or make somebody
tend, toward a particular belief or course of action

2.  angle
or be angled: to lie at an angle or put something at
an angle

3.  bend:
to bend something, especially the head or body when bowing or nodding
noun
[ín kln]

slope: a slope
or sloping surface
[14th
century. Via Old French encliner from Latin inclinare “to lean
toward,” from clinare “to lean” (source of English decline ).]
—in·clin·er [in klnər], noun[1]



inclined

inclined
in·clined 
[in klnd] adjective

1.  motivated
to do something: moved or persuaded to do something • I’m
not inclined to listen to any more of this.

2.  talented
in a particular area: naturally talented or
interested in a particular field or area

3.  slanted
or forming an angle: sloping or forming an angle
with something else

[1]



inclinometer

inclinometer
in·cli·nom·e·ter 
[in kl nómmətər] noun

1.  device
for measuring inclination: an instrument that measures
angles or slopes such as the angle of an aircraft relative to the ground

2.  device
for finding an inclination: an instrument used to
determine the angle made by the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the
horizontal plane.
Also
called
dip needle
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin inclinare (see incline ) +
-meter .][1]



inclose

inclose
in·close 
transitive verb

See
enclose
—in·clos·a·ble,
adjective

—in·clos·er,
noun

—in·clo·sure, noun[1]



include

include
in·clude 
[in kld] (past in·clud·ed, past
participle in·clud·ed, present participle in·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cludes) transitive verb

1.  contain:
to have something as a constituent element

2.  bring
into group:
to make somebody or something part of a group
[15th
century. From Latin includere “to shut in or enclose,” from claudere
“to shut.”]
—in·clud·a·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at comprise.

[1]



included

included
in·clud·ed 
[in kldəd] adjective

1.  contained
within a group: forming part of a group or whole

2.  BOTANY not
protruding:
used to describe the stamens or carpels of a flower that do not protrude beyond
the edges of the petals

3.  GEOMETRY located
between intersecting lines: formed by and contained in
two intersecting lines
—in·clud·ed·ness, noun[1]



including

including
in·clud·ing
[in klding] preposition

included in a group or whole:
used to introduce examples of people or things forming part of a particular
group or whole • It
will cost you $65 including sales tax.[1]



inclusion

inclusion
in·clu·sion 
[in klzh’n] noun

1.  presence
in group:
the addition of somebody or something to, or the presence of somebody or
something in, a group or mixture

2.  somebody
or something included: somebody or something
included in a group or mixture

3.  GEOLOGY substance
trapped inside mineral: a solid, liquid, or gas
contained within a mineral or rock

4.  BIOLOGY foreign
body in cell: a nonliving mass such as a starch grain
or droplet of fat in the cytoplasm or nucleus of a cell

5.  MATHEMATICS relation
between sets: the relation between two classes or sets
when the second is a subset of the first

6.  EDUCATION teaching
challenged children in public school: the
practice of teaching mentally and physically challenged children in public
school classrooms instead of in separate classrooms
[Early
17th century. Formed from the Latin stem inclus-, past participle stem
of includere (see include ).]
—in·clu·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



inclusionbody

inclusionbody
in·clu·sion
bod·y
noun

MEDICINE
mass of virus particles in cell:
a mass of virus particles inside a cell, formerly used in the diagnosis of some
viral infections[1]



inclusive

inclusive
in·clu·sive 
[in klssiv] adjective

1.  including
the specified limits: used to indicate that a span
of time or a range within a series includes the dates, times, or other items
stated at the beginning and end of the span • the
period from October 1 to July 31, inclusive

2.  including
many things: including many things or everything

3.  GRAMMAR including
speaker and person addressed: used to describe a pronoun
that includes the speaker and the person or persons spoken to. In English,
"we" is the only inclusive pronoun.

4.  LOGIC being
type of sentence in logic: used to describe a sentence
in logic ( disjunction ) containing two
propositions of which at least one and possibly both can be true.
See
also
exclusive
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin inclusivus, from Latin inclus-
(see include ).]
—in·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·clu·sive·ness, noun[1]



incoercible

incoercible
in·co·er·ci·ble 
[ìn kō úrsəb’l] adjective

impossible to coerce:
not giving in to force or pressure from others[1]



incog.

incog.
incog.

Abbreviation of
incognito[1]



incogitant

incogitant
in·cog·i·tant 
[in kójjit’nt] adjective

inconsiderate:
inconsiderate or thoughtless (formal)
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem incogitant-, literally “unthinking,” from cogitare “to
think” (see cogitate ).][1]



incognita

incognita
in·cog·ni·ta 
[ìn kog ntə] adjective adverb

in
disguise:
with the identity disguised or hidden, for example, under an assumed name (used
to describe a woman or girl)
[Late
17th century. From Italian, feminine of incognito “incognito”).]
—in·cog·ni·ta, noun[1]



incognito

incognito
in·cog·ni·to 
[ìn kog n tō] adjective adverb

in disguise: with
the identity disguised or hidden, for example, under an assumed name
noun
(plural in·cog·ni·tos)

1.  somebody
incognito:
somebody who is acting or traveling incognito

2.  disguise:
the character, disguise, or name assumed by somebody who is incognito
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin incognitus “unknown,” from cognitus, past
participle of cognoscere “to learn,” from noscere “to know.”][1]



incognizant

incognizant
in·cog·ni·zant 
[in kógnizz’nt] adjective

not
knowing:
not knowing, realizing, or being aware (formal)
—in·cog·ni·zance, noun[1]



incoherence

incoherence
in·co·her·ence 
[ìn kō hrəns] noun

state of being incoherent:
a lack of logical organization in the way something is thought out or expressed
that makes it difficult to understand[1]



incoherent

incoherent
in·co·her·ent 
[ìn kō hrənt] adjective

1.  lacking
clarity or organization: not clearly expressed or
well thought out, and consequently difficult to understand

2.  unable
to speak or express clearly: unable to express thoughts
or feelings clearly or logically

3.  not
cohesive:
not sticking together as a mass

4.  PHYSICS out of
phase:
having the same frequency but not the same phase
—in·co·her·ent·ly, adverb[1]



incombustible

incombustible
in·com·bus·ti·ble 
[ìn kəm bústəb’l] adjective

not
combustible: not capable of being burned
noun

something
incombustible: an incombustible object, material, or
substance
[15th
century. From medieval Latin incombustibilis, from combustibilis
“combustible” (see combustible ).]
—in·com·bus·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìnkəm bustə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·bus·ti·bly [ìnkəm bústəblee], adverb[1]



income

income
in·come 
[ín kùm] noun

1.  money
received over period: the amount of money received
over a period of time either as payment for work, goods, or services, or as
profit on capital

2.  inflow:
a coming in or flowing in
[14th century. From Old Norse
innkoma “arrival”; in later use from in
+ come .][1]



incomebond

incomebond
in·come
bond
noun

bond linking return to
income: a bond paying a rate of
return in proportion to the issuer’s income[1]



incometax

incometax
in·come
tax
noun

tax on income:
a tax paid on money made from employment, business, or capital (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



incoming

incoming
in·com·ing 
[ín kùmming] adjective

1.  arriving:
arriving, coming in, or entering

2.  taking
up new job:
about to take up a particular job or office

3.  being
received:
being received or taken in
noun

arrival: an
arrival or entrance (formal)
plural
noun
in·com·ings

income: sums
of money earned or received

[1]



incoming

incoming
in·com·ing 
[ín kùmming] adjective

1.  arriving:
arriving, coming in, or entering

2.  taking
up new job:
about to take up a particular job or office

3.  being
received:
being received or taken in
noun

arrival: an
arrival or entrance (formal)
plural
noun
in·com·ings

income: sums
of money earned or received

[1]



incommensurable

incommensurable
in·com·men·su·ra·ble 
[ìnkə ménsərəb’l, ìnkə
ménshərəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to measure:
not capable of being compared or measured, especially because lacking a common
quality necessary for a comparison to be made

2.  MATHEMATICS having
no common factor: having no common factor or measure other
than 1
noun

something incommensurable:
something that cannot be compared or measured, especially a quality or a
mathematical value
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin incommensurabilis, from commensurabilis
“commensurable.”]
—in·com·men·su·ra·bil·i·ty
[ìnkə ménsərə bíllətee, ìnkə ménshərə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·men·su·ra·bly
[ìnkə ménsərəblee, ìnkə
ménshərəblee], adverb[1]



incommensurate

incommensurate
in·com·men·su·rate 
[ìnkə ménsərət, ìnkə
ménshərət] adjective

1.  not
proportionate: not proportionate to or up to the level
of something

2.  See
incommensurable  adjective 1
—in·com·men·su·rate·ly,
adverb

—in·com·men·su·rate·ness,
noun[1]



incommode

incommode
in·com·mode 
[ìnkə mṓd] (past in·com·mod·ed,
past participle in·com·mod·ed, present participle in·com·mod·ing,
3rd person present singular in·com·modes) transitive verb

inconvenience:
to bother or inconvenience somebody (formal)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French incommoder from Latin incommodare, from commodus
“convenient” (see commodious ).][1]



incommodious

incommodious
in·com·mo·di·ous 
[ìnkə mṓdee əss] adjective (formal)

1.  uncomfortably
cramped:
uncomfortably lacking in space

2.  causing
inconvenience: causing trouble or inconvenience
—in·com·mo·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·com·mo·di·ous·ness,
noun[1]



incommodity

incommodity
in·com·mod·i·ty 
[ìnkə móddətee] (plural in·com·mod·i·ties)
noun

inconvenience:
trouble or inconvenience, or something that causes it (formal)
[15th century. Via French incommodité
from, ultimately, Latin commodus “convenient” (see commodious ).][1]



incommunicable

incommunicable
in·com·mu·ni·ca·ble 
[ìnkə mynikəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to convey:
not capable of being expressed or conveyed to others

2.  not
talkative:
tending not to say much or give much information away (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin incommunicabilis “not to be passed on,” from communicabilis
“communicable.”]
—in·com·mu·ni·ca·bil·i·ty
[inkə mynikə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·mu·ni·ca·bly [ìnkə mynikəblee], adverb[1]



incommunicado

incommunicado
in·com·mu·ni·ca·do 
[ìnkə myni k dō] adjective

prevented
from reaching others: prevented by circumstances
or by force from communicating with other people
[Mid-19th
century. From Spanish incomunicado, from incomunicar “to deprive
of communication,” from Latin communicare (see communicate
).]
—in·com·mu·ni·ca·do, adverb[1]



incommunicative

incommunicative
in·com·mu·ni·ca·tive 
[ìnkə myni kàytiv, ìnkə
mynikətiv] adjective

not
forthcoming: unwilling to communicate or provide
information
—in·com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ness,
noun[1]



incommutable

incommutable
in·com·mut·a·ble 
[ìnkə mytəb’l] adjective

impossible
to commute:
not able to be changed, exchanged for something else, or reduced in severity (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin incommutabilis “unchangeable,” from commutare
(see commute ).]
—in·com·mut·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnkə myootə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·mut·a·ble·ness
[ìnkə mytəb’lnəss], noun

—in·com·mut·a·bly, adverb[1]



incomparable

incomparable
in·com·pa·ra·ble 
[in kómpərəb’l] adjective

1.  unequaled
in quality:
so excellent, outstanding, or unique as to have no equal

2.  impossible
to compare with something else: impossible to compare
with something else, or with each other, because there is no basis on which a
comparison could be made
[15th
century. Via French from Latin incomparabilis “that cannot be equaled,”
from comparare (see compare ).]
—in·com·pa·ra·bil·i·ty
[in kòmpərə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·pa·ra·ble·ness
[in kómpərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·com·pa·ra·bly [in kómpərəblee], adverb[1]



incompatibility

incompatibility
in·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty 
[ìnkəm pattə bíllətee] (plural in·com·pat·i·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  inability
to cooperate or coexist: a basic inability to
cooperate, coexist, or function in combination with somebody or something else

2.  conflicting
quality:
a quality or feature that renders somebody or something incompatible with
somebody or something else

[1]



incompatible

incompatible
in·com·pat·i·ble 
[ìnkəm páttəb’l] adjective

1.  unable
to cooperate or coexist: unable to exist, cooperate,
blend, or get along with somebody or something else because of basic
differences

2.  IMMUNOLOGY likely
to be rejected by donor: used to describe a tissue
transplant or blood that is likely to be rejected by a recipient’s immune
system

3.  PHARMACOLOGY not
suitable for use in combination: used to describe two
or more drugs that should not be used in combination because, for example, they
would counteract each other

4.  BOTANY not
able to be pollinated or grafted: used to describe
plants or varieties that cannot be successfully cross-pollinated or grafted
onto each other

5.  LOGIC contradictory:
used to describe two propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

6.  MATHEMATICS mathematically
inconsistent: not mathematically consistent
noun
(plural in·com·pat·i·bles)

somebody or something inharmonious:
somebody or something that is not compatible with somebody or something else
[15th
century. From medieval Latin incompatibilis, from compati “to
suffer together.”]
—in·com·pat·i·ble·ness,
noun

—in·com·pat·i·bly, adverb[1]



incompetent

incompetent
in·com·pe·tent 
[in kómpət’nt] adjective

1.  bad
at doing something: lacking the skills,
qualities, or ability to do something properly

2.  LAW lacking
necessary status: not having the necessary legal status,
validity, or powers for the purpose in question
noun
(plural in·com·pe·tents)

somebody bad at doing something:
somebody who lacks the skills, qualities, or ability to do something properly
[Late
16th century. Via French incompétent from the late Latin stem incompetent-,
literally “not competent,” from competere (see compete
).]
—in·com·pe·tence,
noun

—in·com·pe·tent·ly, adverb[1]



incomplete

incomplete
in·com·plete 
[ìnkəm plt] adjective

1.  lacking
a part:
lacking something such as a particular part that properly or desirably belongs
with it

2.  unfinished:
not yet finished or fully developed

3.  FOOTBALL not
caught:
in football, used to describe a forward pass that is dropped or not legally
caught by an intended receiver
[14th
century. From Latin incompletus, literally “not finished,” from completus
(see complete ).]
—in·com·plete·ly,
adverb

—in·com·plete·ness,
noun

—in·com·ple·tion [ìnkəm plsh’n], noun[1]



incompletefracture

incompletefracture
in·com·plete
frac·ture
(plural in·com·plete frac·tures) noun

fracture partly extending
across bone: a fracture that does
not go all the way through a bone[1]



incompliant

incompliant
in·com·pli·ant 
[ìnkəm pl ənt] adjective

unwilling
to oblige:
unwilling to to be flexible and accommodating or to comply with something (formal)
—in·com·pli·ance,
noun

—in·com·pli·ant·ly, adverb[1]



incomprehensible

incomprehensible
in·com·pre·hen·si·ble 
[in kòmpri hénsəb’l] adjective

1.  beyond
understanding: impossible or very difficult to
understand

2.  limitless:
lacking or incapable of having limits (archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin incomprehensibilis, literally “not comprehensible,”
from comprehendere (see comprehend
).]
—in·com·pre·hen·si·bil·i·ty
[in kòmpri hensə bíllətee], noun

—in·com·pre·hen·si·ble·ness
[in kòmpri hénsəb’lnəss], noun

—in·com·pre·hen·si·bly,
adverb[1]



incomprehension

incomprehension
in·com·pre·hen·sion 
[in kòmpri hénshən] noun

inability to understand:
an inability or failure to understand, or a state of bewilderment resulting
from this[1]



incomprehensive

incomprehensive
in·com·pre·hen·sive 
[in kòmpri hénsiv] adjective

1.  not
comprehensive: limited in scope (formal)

2.  not
understanding: unable to understand well
—in·com·pre·hen·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·com·pre·hen·sive·ness,
noun[1]



inconceivable

inconceivable
in·con·ceiv·a·ble 
[ìnkən svəb’l] adjective

1.  unimaginable:
impossible to imagine or to grasp mentally and understand

2.  extremely
unlikely:
so unlikely as to be beyond belief or thought impossible • It’s
inconceivable that they should have made the same mistake twice.
—in·con·ceiv·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnkən svə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·ceiv·a·ble·ness
[ìnkən svəb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·ceiv·a·bly, adverb[1]



inconcinnity

inconcinnity
in·con·cin·ni·ty 
[ìnkən sínətee] noun

lack
of proportion: inelegance or unsuitability caused by
not being in proportion or not harmonizing with other things (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin inconcinnitas, literally “not well joined,” from concinnus
(see concinnity ).][1]



inconclusive

inconclusive
in·con·clu·sive 
[ìnkən klssiv] adjective

not
decisive:
not producing a clear-cut result, firm conclusion, or decisive proof of
something
—in·con·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·con·clu·sive·ness,
noun[1]



incondite

incondite
in·con·dite 
[in kóndit, in
kón dt] adjective

badly
finished:
crude, poorly constructed, or unpolished (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inconditus, literally “not put together,” from condere
(see abscond ).]
—in·con·dite·ly, adverb[1]



incongruent

incongruent
in·con·gru·ent 
[in kóng groo ənt, ìn
kon gr ənt] adjective

not
corresponding: not corresponding in structure or
content
[15th
century. From the Latin stem incongruent-, literally “not in agreement,”
from congruens, the present participle of congruere (see congruent ).]
—in·con·gru·ence,
noun

—in·con·gru·ent·ly, adverb[1]



incongruity

incongruity
in·con·gru·i·ty 
[ìnkən gr itee] (plural in·con·gru·i·ties)
noun

1.  incongruousness:
the fact of being incongruous

2.  something
out of place: something that does not seem to fit in
with or be appropriate to its context

[1]



incongruous

incongruous
in·con·gru·ous 
[in kóng groo əss] adjective

1.  unsuitable
or odd:
unsuitable, strange, or out of place in a particular setting or context

2.  inconsistent
with something: not in accord or consistent with
something
[Early
17th century. From Latin incongruus, literally “not in agreement,” from congruus
(see congruous ).]
—in·con·gru·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·con·gru·ous·ness, noun[1]



inconsecutive

inconsecutive
in·con·sec·u·tive
[ìnkən sékyətiv] adjective

not
consecutive: not following in order one after another
—in·con·sec·u·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·con·sec·u·tive·ness,
noun[1]



inconsequent

inconsequent
in·con·se·quent 
[in kónsəkwənt] adjective

not
following:
not following as a natural or logical result
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem inconsequent-, literally “not
following,” from consequens, the present participle of consequi
(see consequent ).]
—in·con·se·quent·ly, adverb[1]



inconsequential

inconsequential
in·con·se·quen·tial 
[in kònsi kwénshəl] adjective

1.  unimportant:
of little or no importance

2.  See
inconsequent
noun
(plural in·con·se·quen·tials)

triviality:
something without importance or significance
[Early
17th century. Formed from in- + consequential .]
—in·con·se·quen·ti·al·i·ty
[in kònsi kwenshee állətee], noun

—in·con·se·quen·tial·ness
[ìn kónsi kwénshəlnəss], noun

—in·con·se·quen·tial·ly
[in kònsi kwénshəlee], adverb[1]



inconsiderable

inconsiderable
in·con·sid·er·a·ble 
[ìnkən síddərəb’l] adjective

1.  small:
small in size, amount, or value (often used with “not”)

2.  unworthy
of consideration: so unimportant as to be not worth
considering (formal)
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from late Latin inconsiderabilis,
literally “unimaginable,” from Latin considerare (see consider ).]
—in·con·sid·er·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·con·sid·er·a·bly, adverb[1]



inconsiderate

inconsiderate
in·con·sid·er·ate 
[ìnkən síddərət] adjective

without
regard for others: lacking thought or
consideration for other people and their feelings
[15th
century. From Latin inconsideratus, literally “not thinking,” from consideratus,
the past participle of considerare (see consider
).]
—in·con·sid·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·con·sid·er·ate·ness,
noun

—in·con·sid·er·a·tion
[ìnkən siddə ráysh’n], noun[1]



inconsistency

inconsistency
in·con·sis·ten·cy 
[ìnkən sístənssee] (plural in·con·sis·ten·cies)
or in·con·sis·tence [ìnkən sístənssee]
(plural in·con·sis·tenc·es) noun

1.  lack
of consistency: the fact of being inconsistent

2.  inconsistent
thing:
something that contradicts something else or that is not in keeping with it

[1]



inconsistent

inconsistent
in·con·sis·tent 
[ìnkən sístənt] adjective

1.  containing
conflicting or contradictory elements:
containing elements that conflict with or contradict each other

2.  varying
and unpredictable: unpredictable or unreliable
in being likely to behave differently or achieve a different result if a
particular situation is repeated

3.  conflicting
or incompatible with something: conflicting with or
not corresponding to something such as a rule, principle, or expectation

4.  MATHEMATICS lacking
common values in an equation: not having a common set of
values for the unknowns in an equation
—in·con·sis·tent·ly, adverb[1]



inconsolable

inconsolable
in·con·sol·a·ble 
[ìnkən sṓləb’l] adjective

too
distressed to be consoled: so deeply distressed that
nobody can offer any effective comfort
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin inconsolabilis, from consolare
(see console ).]
—in·con·sol·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnkən sṓlə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·sol·a·ble·ness
[ìnkən sṓləb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·sol·a·bly, adverb[1]



inconsonant

inconsonant
in·con·so·nant 
[in kónsənənt] adjective

not
in harmony:
not in harmony or not compatible with something else (formal)
—in·con·so·nance,
noun

—in·con·so·nant·ly, adverb[1]



inconspicuous

inconspicuous
in·con·spic·u·ous 
[ìnkən spíkyə əss] adjective

not
obvious:
not easily seen or noticed
[Early
17th century]
—in·con·spic·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·con·spic·u·ous·ness,
noun[1]



inconstant

inconstant
in·con·stant 
[in kónstənt] adjective

1.  unfaithful:
not faithful in relationships (literary)

2.  changeable:
likely to change frequently and unpredictably
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem inconstant-,
literally “not standing firm,” from constare (see constant ).]
—in·con·stan·cy,
noun

—in·con·stant·ly, adverb[1]



incontestable

incontestable
in·con·test·a·ble 
[ìnkən téstəb’l] adjective

indisputable:
impossible to question or dispute
[Late
17th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin incontestabilis,
literally “unanswerable,” from contestari (see contest
).]
—in·con·test·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnkən testə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·test·a·ble·ness
[ìnkən téstəb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·test·a·bly, adverb[1]



incontinence

incontinence
in·con·ti·nence 
[in kóntənənss] noun

1.  MEDICINE inability
to control urination or defecation: an
inability to control urination or defecation, so that either may take place
involuntarily

2.  lack
of sexual control: lack of sexual restraint or
self-control

3.  lack
of moderation: lack of moderation in an action or
emotion (literary)

[1]



incontinent

incontinent2
in·con·ti·nent2  [in
kóntənənt] adverb

immediately
or in haste: immediately, or abruptly and hastily (archaic)
[15th century. From Old
French incontinent, from late Latin in continenti (tempore) “in
continuous (time)” (i.e., without a break), from continens, the present
participle of continere (see contain
).][1]



incontinent

incontinent1
in·con·ti·nent1  [in
kóntənənt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE unable
to control bladder or bowels: unable to control the
bladder or bowels and liable to urinate or defecate involuntarily

2.  lacking
sexual control: lacking restraint in sexual matters, or
engaging in premarital or extramarital sex

3.  unrestrained:
unrestrained and uncontrolled (literary)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem incontinent-,
literally “not holding together,” from continere (see contain ).]
—in·con·ti·nent·ly, adverb[1]



incontrollable

incontrollable
in·con·trol·la·ble 
[ìnkən trṓləb’l] adjective

See
uncontrollable
—in·con·trol·la·bly, adverb[1]



incontrovertible

incontrovertible
in·con·tro·vert·i·ble 
[ìn kóntrə vúrtəb’l] adjective

undeniable:
certain, undeniable, and not open to question
—in·con·tro·vert·i·bil·i·ty
[ìn kóntrə vùrtə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·tro·vert·i·ble·ness
[ìn kóntrə vúrtəb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·tro·vert·i·bly,
adverb[1]



inconvenience

inconvenience
in·con·ven·ience 
[ìnkən vnyənss] noun

1.  lack
of convenience: the quality or fact of being
inconvenient or causing discomfort, difficulty, or annoyance

2.  an
annoyance:
something that causes difficulties or annoyance
transitive
verb
(past in·con·ven·ienced, past participle in·con·ven·ienced,
present participle in·con·ven·ienc·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·con·ven·ienc·es)

cause difficulty to:
to cause somebody difficulties, especially relatively minor or unnecessary
ones, or involving unwanted extra effort, work, or trouble

[1]



inconvenient

inconvenient
in·con·ven·ient 
[ìnkən vnyənt] adjective

causing
difficulties: causing or involving difficulties or
unwanted extra effort, work, or trouble
[Mid-17th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem inconvenient- “incongruous,”
literally “not fitting together,” from convenire (see convene ).]
—in·con·ven·ient·ly, adverb[1]



inconvertible

inconvertible
in·con·vert·i·ble 
[inkən vúrtəb’l] adjective FINANCE

1.  not
exchangeable for gold: not exchangeable for gold or
silver

2.  not
exchangeable for foreign currency: not exchangeable for
the currency of another country
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin inconvertibilis,
literally “unchangeable,” from convertire (see convert
).]
—in·con·vert·i·bil·i·ty
[inkən vùrtə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·vert·i·ble·ness
[ìnkən vúrtəb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·vert·i·bly, adverb[1]



inconvincible

inconvincible
in·con·vinc·i·ble 
[ìnkən vínsəb’l] adjective

not
able to be convinced: impossible or very difficult
to convince
—in·con·vinc·i·bil·i·ty
[ìnkən vínsə bíllətee], noun

—in·con·vinc·i·ble·ness
[ìnkən vínsəb’lnəss], noun

—in·con·vinc·i·bly, adverb[1]



incoordinate

incoordinate
in·co·or·di·nate 
[in kō áwrd’nət] adjective

not
coordinated: lacking coordination
—in·co·or·di·nate·ly, adverb[1]



incoordination

incoordination
in·co·or·di·na·tion 
[inkō àwrd’n áysh’n] noun

1.  MED inability
to control muscles: an inability to control
voluntary muscular movements

2.  inconsistent
approach:
lack of organization or a consistent approach (formal)

[1]



incorp.

incorp.
incorp.

Abbreviation of
incorporated[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








incorporate

incorporate
in·cor·po·rate 
verb [in káwrpə ràyt] (past in·cor·po·rat·ed,
past participle in·cor·po·rat·ed, present participle in·cor·po·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cor·po·rates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
with something that exists: to unite or combine
something with, or include it within, something already formed

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb merge
things:
to merge, or to combine one thing with another, so as to form a united whole

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE form or become corporation:
to form a corporation, or to give something the legal form of a corporation

4.  transitive
verb
give
real form to: to give material form to something (formal)
adjective
[in káwrpərət]

1.  united:
merged into a united whole (formal)

2.  COMMERCE legally
a corporation: legally established as a corporation
[14th
century. From late Latin incorporare, literally “to make into a body,”
from corpus “body” (see corpus ).]
—in·cor·po·ra·ble
[in káwrpərəb’l], adjective

—in·cor·po·ra·tion
[in kàwrpə ráysh’n], noun

—in·cor·po·ra·tive
[in káwrpə ràytiv], adjective

—in·cor·po·ra·tor [in káwrpə ràytər], noun[1]



incorporated

incorporated
in·cor·po·rat·ed 
[in káwrpə ràytəd] adjective

1.  legally
constituted as a corporation: constituted in the legal
form of a corporation

2.  combined
as one whole: combined or merged into one thing

[1]



incorporeal

incorporeal
in·cor·po·re·al 
[ìn kawr páwree əl] adjective

1.  without
physical being: without a physical body, or existing
solely as a spirit (formal)

2.  LAW attached
to something material: used to describe a legal
entity that has no material existence of its own but is connected to an actual
object such as a patent or copyright
[15th
century. Formed from Latin incorporeus, literally “having no body,” from
corpus “body” (see corpus ).]
—in·cor·po·re·al·ly, adverb[1]



incorporeity

incorporeity
in·cor·po·re·i·ty
[in kàwr pə r ətee] (plural in·cor·po·re·i·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being incorporeal: the condition or quality of
being incorporeal

2.  incorporeal
thing:
something that is incorporeal

[1]



incorrect

incorrect
in·cor·rect 
[ìnkə rékt] adjective

1.  erroneous:
wrong, false, or inaccurate

2.  unfitting:
not appropriate, suitable, or proper
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin incorrectus, literally
“uncorrected,” from correct-, the past participle stem of corrigere
(see correct ).]
—in·cor·rect·ly,
adverb

—in·cor·rect·ness, noun[1]



incorrigible

incorrigible
in·cor·ri·gi·ble 
[in káwrijəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to change:
impossible to correct or reform • incorrigible
cynics

2.  unruly
and unmanageable: very difficult to control or keep in
order
noun
(plural in·cor·ri·gi·bles)

somebody or something incorrigible:
somebody or something that is impossible or very difficult to change
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin incorrigibilis, literally
“not able to be corrected,” from corrigere (see correct
).]
—in·cor·ri·gi·bil·i·ty
[in kàwrijə bíllətee], noun

—in·cor·ri·gi·bly, adverb[1]



incorrupt

incorrupt
in·cor·rupt 
[ìnkə rúpt] adjective

1.  unsullied:
morally pure and uncorrupted (formal)

2.  not
decomposed:
unaffected by decay or spoiling (archaic)

3.  free
of mistakes: without errors or alterations (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin incorruptus, literally “not destroyed,” from corruptus
(see corrupt ).]
—in·cor·rup·tion
[ìnkə rúpshən], noun

—in·cor·rupt·ly [ìnkə rúptlee], adverb[1]



incorruptible

incorruptible
in·cor·rupt·i·ble 
[ìnkə rúptəb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of being corrupted: incapable of being morally
corrupted, especially incapable of being bribed or motivated by selfish or base
interests

2.  not
subject to decomposition: incapable of being affected
by decay or decomposition
—in·cor·rupt·i·bil·i·ty
[ìnkə rúptə bíllətee], noun

—in·cor·rupt·i·bly, adverb[1]



incr.

incr.
incr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
increase

2.  Abbreviation
of
increased

3.  Abbreviation
of
increasing

4.  Abbreviation
of
increment

[1]



increase

increase
in·crease 
intransitive and transitive verb [in krss]
(past in·creased, past participle in·creased, present
participle in·creas·ing, 3rd person present singular in·creas·es)

make or become larger or greater:
to make something or become larger in number, quantity, or degree
noun
[ín krss] (plural in·creas·es)

1.  rise
in something: a rise to a greater number, quantity, or
degree, or the amount by which something is increased

2.  becoming
or making larger or greater: the process of becoming or
of making something larger in number, quantity, or degree
[14th
century. Via Old French encreistre from Latin increscere, from crescere
“to grow” (see crescent ).]
—in·creas·a·ble,
adjective

—in·creas·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  increase, expand, enlarge,
  extend, augment, intensify,
  amplify
  CORE
  MEANING: make
  larger or greater increase; a
  general word meaning to become larger or greater; expand;
  to make larger, usually in scope as well as size. It can also be used to talk
  about making something such as an account or report seem larger or more
  substantial by adding more details; enlarge;
  make bigger; extend; to make larger
  in terms of length or to cause to cover a wider area; augment; to add to something in order to
  make it larger or more substantial; intensify;
  to cause something such as an emotion or reaction to be stronger or more
  extreme; amplify; to make a sound
  louder. It can also be used to talk about making an effect greater

[1]



increasingly

increasingly
in·creas·ing·ly
[in krssinglee] adverb

more and more:
ever increasing over time “As Election Day approaches, there is no
front-runner, and the insults and accusations from both sides have been
increasingly frequent and bellicose.” Susan K. Livio Election ’96: Senate Race
1996[1]



increate

increate
in·cre·ate 
[ìnkree áyt, in
kr ət] adjective

existing
but not created: existing without having been created (archaic
or literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin increatus, literally “not created,” from creatus,
the past participle of creare (see create
).]
—in·cre·ate·ly, adverb[1]



incredible

incredible
in·cred·i·ble 
[in kréddəb’l] adjective

1.  beyond
belief:
impossible or very difficult to believe

2.  more
than thought possible: unexpectedly or
astonishingly large or great (informal) • There’s
an incredible amount of food still left.

3.  amazing:
very surprising • It’s incredible how
many people have turned up.

4.  excellent:
extraordinarily good, talented, or enjoyable (informal)
[15th
century. From Latin incredibilis, literally “not believable,” from credere
“to believe.”]
—in·cred·i·bil·i·ty
[in krèddə bíllətee], noun

—in·cred·i·bly, adverb[1]



incredulity

incredulity
in·cre·du·li·ty 
[ìnkrə dlətee] noun

disbelief:
a state or feeling of disbelief[1]



incredulous

incredulous
in·cred·u·lous 
[in kréjələss] adjective

1.  unwilling
to believe:
unable or unwilling to believe something or completely unconvinced by it

2.  showing
disbelief:
showing or characterized by disbelief
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin incredulus, literally “not believing,”
from credulus (see credulous ).]
—in·cred·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—in·cred·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



increment

increment
in·cre·ment 
[íng krə mənt] (plural in·cre·ments)
noun

1.  increase
in something: an addition to or increase in the amount
or size of something, especially one of a series of small, often regular or
planned increases

2.  act
of increasing: the act or process of increasing

3.  MATHEMATICS small
change in mathematical value: a small positive or negative
change in the value of a mathematical variable or function
[15th
century. From Latin incrementum “growth, increase,” from increscere
(see increase ).]
—in·cre·men·tal
[ìngkrə mént’l], adjective

—in·cre·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



incrementalism

incrementalism
in·cre·men·tal·ism 
[ìng kri mént’lizəm] noun

See
gradualism[1]



increscent

increscent
in·cres·cent 
[in kréss’nt] adjective

waxing:
showing a lighted surface area, especially that of the Moon, that is increasing
in size
[Late 16th century. From
Latin increscere (see increase ).][1]



incriminate

incriminate
in·crim·i·nate 
[in krímmi nàyt] (past in·crim·i·nat·ed,
past participle in·crim·i·nat·ed, present participle in·crim·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·crim·i·nates) transitive verb

1.  make
appear guilty: to provide evidence of somebody’s guilt
or make somebody appear guilty of a crime or mistake

2.  LAW accuse
of wrongdoing: to accuse somebody of a crime or error
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin incriminat, the past participle stem of incriminare,
literally “to make criminal,” from crimen (see crime
).]
—in·crim·i·na·tion
[in krìmmi náysh’n], noun

—in·crim·i·na·tor
[in krímmi nàytər], noun

—in·crim·i·na·to·ry [in krímminə tàwree], adjective[1]



incross

incross
in·cross
[ín kràwss] noun (plural in·cross·es)

inbred
organism:
an organism produced through inbreeding within the same strain or breed
intransitive
and transitive verb (past in·crossed,
past participle in·crossed, present participle in·cross·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cross·es)

produce by inbreeding:
to produce an organism by inbreeding or to be produced in this way.
See also
outcross[1]



in-crowd

in-crowd
in-crowd
noun

fashionable group:
a small, fashionable, and exclusive or influential group, especially one that
others want to be part of because of its prestige (informal)[1]



incrust

incrust
in·crust 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
encrust[1]



incrustation

incrustation
in·crust·a·tion 
noun

See
encrustation[1]



incubate

incubate
in·cu·bate 
[íngkyə bàyt] (past in·cu·bat·ed,
past participle in·cu·bat·ed, present participle in·cu·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cu·bates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY sit on eggs:
to keep eggs warm by sitting on them so that the embryos inside can develop and
hatch, or to be kept warm in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE keep baby in incubator:
to keep a premature or unwell baby inside a controlled environment in order to
keep it alive and assist its growth and development, or to be kept in such an
environment

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MICROBIOLOGY grow microorganisms in
controlled environment: to keep cells or
microorganisms at a controlled temperature in or on a medium so that they
multiply, or to be kept in or on such a medium

4.  intransitive
verb
develop
in favorable environment: to be kept, or to develop
while being kept, in a favorable environment, for example, under a parent
bird’s body, in a incubator, or in a growth medium

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE build up disease-producing
germs:
to develop an infection, through the reproduction of germs, to the point at
which the first signs of a disease appear, or to be developed in this way

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb gradually
bring something into being: to form or develop
something, such as a plan or an idea, slowly and quietly over a period of time,
or to be formed or developed in this way
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin incubare, literally “to lie down on,” from cubare
“to lie down.”]
—in·cu·ba·tive, adjective[1]



incubation

incubation
in·cu·ba·tion 
[ìng kyə báysh’n] (plural in·cu·ba·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE maintenance
of baby in controlled environment: the keeping of a
premature or unwell baby in an environment in which the temperature, humidity,
and oxygen levels can be easily controlled

2.  MICROBIOLOGY controlled
growth of microorganisms: the maintenance of cells or
microorganisms under a controlled temperature in or on a medium so that they
can multiply

3.  MEDICINE growth
of disease-causing microorganisms: the development of an
infection inside the body to the point at which the first signs of disease
become apparent

4.  gradual
development: the slow development of something,
especially through thought and planning

5.  See
incubation period
—in·cu·ba·tion·al, adjective[1]



incubationperiod

incubationperiod
in·cu·ba·tion
pe·ri·od
(plural in·cu·ba·tion pe·ri·ods) noun

interval before symptoms:
the period between the time somebody is infected with a disease and the
appearance of its first symptoms.
Also called
incubation[1]



incubator

incubator
in·cu·ba·tor 
[íng kyə bàytər] (plural in·cu·ba·tors)
noun

1.  MEDICINE hospital
apparatus for premature babies: a hospital apparatus,
usually a transparent box, in which a premature or unwell baby is kept in a
controlled environment to protect it from infection and assist its growth and
development. Incubators regulate temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels.

2.  ZOOLOGY device
to nurture something: an apparatus in which the
temperature is kept at a constant level so that eggs can be artificially
hatched or cells and microorganisms can multiply in or on a growth medium

3.  surroundings
favorable to progress: a place, organization, or
environment that promotes the growth or development of something “Start-ups
looking for cost-efficient office space and support services can consider
joining a local business incubator.” Barbara Sturm Taking another look at the
charms of Newark Asbury Park Press 1997

[1]



incubus

incubus
in·cu·bus 
[íng kyəbəss] (plural in·cu·bi
[íng kyə b] or in·cu·bus·es) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY male
demon having sex with women: a male demon that was
believed in medieval times to have sexual intercourse with women while they
were asleep

2.  cause
of mental distress: something that causes
somebody much worry or anxiety, especially a nightmare or obsession (literary)
[14th century. Via late
Latin, “nightmare,” from, ultimately, Latin incubare “to lie down on.”
The underlying meaning is “one that lies down on another.”][1]



incudes

incudes
in·cu·des


Plural of
incus[1]



inculcate

inculcate
in·cul·cate 
[in kúl kàyt, ín
kul kàyt] (past in·cul·cat·ed, past participle in·cul·cat·ed,
present participle in·cul·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·cul·cates) transitive verb

impress
on somebody’s mind: to fix something firmly in
somebody’s mind through frequent and forceful repetition
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inculcat-, the past participle stem of inculcare,
literally “to stamp in,” from calcare “to step on, press in” (see caulk ).]
—in·cul·ca·tion
[ìn kul káysh’n], noun

—in·cul·ca·tor [in kúl kàytər, ín kul
kàytər], noun[1]



inculpable

inculpable
in·cul·pa·ble 
[in kúlpəb’l] adjective

not
guilty:
free of guilt and blame (formal)
[Late
15th century. From late Latin inculpabilis, literally “not guilty,” from
culpare (see culpable ).]
—in·cul·pa·bil·i·ty
[in kùlpə bíllətee], noun

—in·cul·pa·ble·ness
[in kúlpəb’lnəss], noun

—in·cul·pa·bly, adverb[1]



inculpate

inculpate
in·cul·pate 
[in kúl pàyt] (past in·cul·pat·ed,
past participle in·cul·pat·ed, present participle in·cul·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cul·pates) transitive verb

incriminate:
to incriminate somebody or put the blame for something on somebody (formal)
[Late
18th century. From late Latin inculpat-, the past participle stem of inculpare,
literally “to put blame on,” from Latin culpa “blame, fault” (source of
English culpable and culprit ).]
—in·cul·pa·tion
[ìn kul páysh’n], noun

—in·cul·pa·to·ry [in kúlpə tàwree], adjective[1]



incult

incult
in·cult 
[in kúlt] adjective (archaic)

1.  AGRICULTURE not
farmed:
not used for farming or gardening

2.  uncouth:
coarse, uncouth, and without culture or refinement
[Late 16th century. From
Latin incultus, literally “uncultivated,” from cultus, the past
participle of colere “to inhabit, cultivate, worship.”][1]



incumbency

incumbency
in·cum·ben·cy 
[in kúmbənssee] (plural in·cum·ben·cies)
noun (formal)

1.  tenure
of office:
the period of time during which somebody occupies an official post

2.  official
post:
an official position, especially in a church or political organization

3.  existence
as a duty:
the obligatory nature of something or the fact of its being a duty or
obligation that must be performed

4.  obligation:
something such as a duty that is necessary or obligatory

[1]



incumbent

incumbent
in·cum·bent 
[in kúmbənt] adjective

1.  obligatory:
necessary as a result of a duty, responsibility, or obligation (formal)
• It
is incumbent on me to ensure that our generous hosts should not go unthanked.

2.  in
office:
currently holding a position or office

3.  on
top of something: resting, lying, or leaning on something
(archaic or technical) • incumbent
strata
noun
(plural in·cum·bents)

somebody in office:
somebody currently holding an official post, especially in a church or
political organization • He
took comfort in the fact that incumbents are often offered the chance of
serving a second term of office.
[15th
century. From Latin incumbent-, the present participle stem of incumbere,
literally “to lie in or on,” from -cumbere “to lie down.”]
—in·cum·bent·ly, adverb[1]



incumber

incumber
in·cum·ber
transitive verb

See
encumber[1]



incunable

incunable
in·cu·na·ble 
(plural in·cu·na·bles) noun

See
incunabulum
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Latin incunabulum (see incunabula
).][1]



incunabula

incunabula
in·cu·nab·u·la 
[ìnkyə nábbyələ] plural noun

early
phases of something: the early stages or
beginnings of something (literary)
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “swaddling clothes, infancy,” from cunae “cradle.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “place to lie” that is also the ancestor of
English cemetery .][1]



incunabulum

incunabulum
in·cu·nab·u·lum 
[ìnkyə nábyələm] (plural in·cu·nab·u·la
[ìnkyə nábyələ]) or in·cu·na·ble
[in kynəb’l] (plural in·cu·na·ble)
noun

PRINTING early
printed book: a book printed from movable type before
1501
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, singular of incunabula (see incunabula
).][1]



incur

incur
in·cur 
[in kúr] (past in·curred, past
participle in·curred, present participle in·cur·ring, 3rd
person present singular in·curs) transitive verb

1.  experience
something unpleasant: to suffer something such as
somebody’s anger or a financial loss as a result of an action • incur
their wrath

2.  acquire
a burden:
to become burdened with something such as a debt
[15th
century. Via Old French encourir from Latin incurrere, literally
“to run into,” from currere “to run” (see current
).]
—in·cur·ra·ble,
adjective

—in·cur·rence, noun[1]



incurable

incurable
in·cur·a·ble 
[in kyrəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to cure:
not possible to cure

2.  impossible
to change:
not possible to change
noun
(plural in·cur·a·bles)

somebody or something impossible to cure:
somebody or something with an illness or condition that cannot be cured
[14th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin incurabilis, literally
“not curable,” from cura (see cure
).]
—in·cur·a·bil·i·ty
[in kyrə billətee], noun

—in·cur·a·ble·ness
[in kyrəb’lnəss], noun

—in·cur·a·bly, adverb[1]



incurious

incurious
in·cu·ri·ous 
[in kyree əss] adjective

not
curious or inquisitive: showing no curiosity about
or interest in something
—in·cu·ri·os·i·ty
[in kyree óssətee], noun

—in·cu·ri·ous·ly
[in kyree əsslee], adverb

—in·cu·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



incurrent

incurrent
in·cur·rent 
[in kúrənt] adjective

inward-flowing:
flowing or running inward into something
[Late 16th century. From
Latin incurrere (see incur ).][1]



incursion

incursion
in·cur·sion 
[in kúrzh’n] (plural in·cur·sions)
noun

1.  raid:
a brief, hostile, and usually sudden invasion of somebody’s territory

2.  unwelcome
intrusion:
the act of flowing, running, or intruding into something, usually with
unpleasant or damaging effects (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem incursion-,
literally “a running in,” from incurs-, the past participle stem of incurrere
(see incur ).]
—in·cur·sive [in kúrsiv], adjective[1]



incurvate

incurvate
in·cur·vate 
intransitive and transitive verb [ín kur
vàyt, in kúr vàyt] (past in·cur·vat·ed,
past participle in·cur·vat·ed, present participle in·cur·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·cur·vates)

See
incurve
adjective
[in kúr vàyt, in
kúrvət]

inwardly
curved:
curved or bending inward
[Late
16th century. From Latin incurvat-, the past participle stem of incurvare,
literally “to bend inwards” from curvus (see curve
).]
—in·cur·va·tion
[ìn kúr váysh’n], noun

—in·cur·va·ture [in kúrvə chr, in kúrvəchər],
noun[1]



incurve

incurve
in·curve 
[ìn kúrv] intransitive and transitive
verb (past in·curved, past participle in·curved,
present participle in·curv·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·curves)

curve
inward:
to curve inward, or to give something an inward curve
noun
(plural in·curves)

inward curve:
a curve that bends inwards[1]



incus

incus
in·cus 
[íngkəss] (plural in·cu·des [ìng ky dz]) noun

1.  ANATOMY small
bone in the middle ear: a small bone, shaped like an
anvil, found in the middle ear of mammals between the malleus and stapes bones.

Also
called
anvil
See
also
malleus
See
also
stapes

2.  (plural
in·cus) METEOROLOGY See
thunderhead
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin incus “anvil,” from, ultimately, incudere
(see incuse ).]
—in·cu·dal
[íngkyəd’l, ìn
kyd’l], adjective

—in·cu·date [íngkyə dàyt, ín kydət],
adjective[1]



incuse

incuse
in·cuse 
[in kyz] adjective

stamped
into coin as a design: hammered, stamped, or
impressed on a coin as a design
noun
(plural in·cus·es)

stamped-in
coin design: a design stamped, hammered, or impressed
on a coin
transitive
verb
(past in·cused, past participle in·cused, present
participle in·cus·ing, 3rd person present singular in·cus·es)

impress
coin design: to hammer or stamp a design on a coin
[Early 19th century. From
Latin incus-, past participle stem of incudere, literally “to
hammer on,” from cudere “to beat.”][1]



Ind.

Ind.
Ind.
or Ind

1.  Abbreviation
of
India

2.  Abbreviation
of
Indian

3.  Abbreviation
of
Indiana

4.  Abbreviation
of
Indies

[1]



IND

IND
IND

Abbreviation
of
in God’s Name
[Latin in nomine Dei][1]



ind.

ind.
ind.
or ind

1.  Abbreviation
of
independence

2.  Abbreviation
of
independent

3.  Abbreviation
of
index

4.  Abbreviation
of
indicative

5.  Abbreviation
of
indirect

6.  Abbreviation
of
industrial

7.  Abbreviation
of
industry

[1]



indamine

indamine
in·da·mine 
[in dbə] (plural in·da·mines)
noun

blue
or green dye: an organic base that forms blue or green
salts and is used in making dyes
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ind- + amine .][1]



indebted

indebted
in·debt·ed 
[in déttəd] adjective

1.  in
debt:
owing money to somebody

2.  obligated
to somebody: obliged or grateful to somebody for
something such as assistance or a favor received
[13th century. Alteration of
Old French endetté, the past participle of endetter, literally
“to put in debt,” from dette (see debt
).][1]



indebtedness

indebtedness
in·debt·ed·ness 
[in déttədnəss] noun

1.  state
of being in somebody’s debt: the condition of owing money
to somebody or owing somebody thanks

2.  amount
owed:
the total amount somebody owes

[1]



indecency

indecency
in·de·cen·cy 
[in dss’nsee] (plural in·de·cen·cies)
noun

1.  offensiveness:
offensiveness according to accepted standards, especially in sexual matters

2.  indecent
act:
an act that offends against accepted standards of decency

[1]



indecent

indecent
in·de·cent 
[in dss’nt] adjective

1.  offending
public moral standards: unacceptable and offensive
to accepted standards, especially in sexual matters

2.  improper:
inappropriate under the circumstances and disapproved of by others • The
funeral was arranged with indecent haste.
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem indecent-,
literally “not fitting,” from decens (see decent
).]
—in·de·cent·ly, adverb[1]



indecentassault

indecentassault
in·de·cent
as·sault
(plural in·de·cent as·saults) noun

sexual attack without rape:
a sexual assault on somebody that does not involve rape[1]



indecentexposure

indecentexposure
in·de·cent
ex·po·sure
noun

offensive displaying of body:
the criminal offense of deliberately displaying part of the body, usually the
genitals, to somebody else in public[1]



indeciduous

indeciduous
in·de·cid·u·ous
adjective

evergreen:
evergreen (technical)[1]



indecipherable

indecipherable
in·de·ci·pher·a·ble 
[ìndi sfərəb’l] adjective

illegible
or incomprehensible: impossible or very difficult
to read or understand
—in·de·ci·pher·a·bil·i·ty
[ìndi sfərə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·ci·pher·a·ble·ness
[ìndi sfərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·ci·pher·a·bly, adverb[1]



indecision

indecision
in·de·ci·sion 
[ìndi sízh’n] noun

inability
to decide:
inability to reach a decision or uncertainty resulting from somebody’s
inability or refusal to reach a decision
[Mid-18th century. From
French indécision, literally “indecisiveness,” from décision
“decision.”][1]



indecisive

indecisive
in·de·ci·sive 
[ìndi sssiv] adjective

1.  unable
to decide:
unable or reluctant to make decisions generally or to come to a decision about
something in particular

2.  without
a clear outcome: not producing a clear result, especially
a clear victory for somebody
—in·de·ci·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·de·ci·sive·ness, noun[1]



indeclinable

indeclinable
in·de·clin·a·ble 
[ìndi klnəb’l] adjective

GRAMMAR unable
to be declined: existing in one form only and having no
grammatical inflections, for example, no plural form
[15th
century. Via French from Latin indeclinabilis, literally “not
declinable,” from declinare (see decline
).]
—in·de·clin·a·bly, adverb[1]



indecorous

indecorous
in·dec·o·rous 
[in dékərəss] adjective

impolite:
somewhat rude or shocking because of being considered socially unacceptable
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin indecorus, literally “not seemly,” from decorus
(see decorous ).]
—in·dec·o·rous·ly,
adverb

—in·dec·o·rous·ness, noun[1]



indecorum

indecorum
in·de·cor·um 
[ìndi káwrəm] (plural in·de·cor·ums)
noun

1.  improper
behavior:
behavior that offends against what is socially acceptable and polite

2.  indecorous
act:
an indecorous action
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from indecorus (see indecorous
).][1]



indeed

indeed
in·deed 
[in dd] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb indicating agreement with or confirmation of something • He
is indeed an actor. • “Do
you know that man?”“Indeed I do.” adverb

1.  what
is more:
used to introduce a statement that strengthens or adds to a point just made • I
am willing, indeed eager, to speak on your behalf.

2.  for
emphasis:
used to give additional emphasis to a descriptive word or phrase (used at
the end of a clause) • The
news, I learned, was grim indeed.

3.  emphasize
a question:
used to emphasize a question and usually to express surprise or doubt at the
same time (often used as a question itself)
[14th century. From in + deed ; the
underlying meaning is “in fact.”][1]



indef.

indef.
indef.

Abbreviation of
indefinite[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








indefatigable

indefatigable
in·de·fat·i·ga·ble 
[ìndi fáttigəb’l] adjective

untiring:
never showing any sign of getting tired or of relaxing an effort
[Early
17th century. Directly or via obsolete French indéfatigable from,
ultimately, Latin defatigare “to tire out,” from fatigare (source
of English fatigue ).]
—in·de·fat·i·ga·bil·i·ty
[ìndi fáttigə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·fat·i·ga·ble·ness
[ìndi fáttigəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·fat·i·ga·bly, adverb[1]



indefeasible

indefeasible
in·de·fea·si·ble 
[ìndi fzəb’l] adjective

LAW not to
be undone:
impossible to annul, make void, or forfeit
—in·de·fea·si·bil·i·ty
[ìndi fzə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·fea·si·bly, adverb[1]



indefectible

indefectible
in·de·fec·ti·ble 
[ìndi féktəb’l] adjective (formal)

1.  enduring:
not affected by decay or failure

2.  flawless:
without fault or imperfection
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from obsolete defectible “liable to fail,” from late
Latin defectibilis from defectus (see defect
).]
—in·de·fec·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìndi féktə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·fec·ti·bly [ìndi féktəblee], adverb[1]



indefensible

indefensible
in·de·fen·si·ble 
[ìndi fénsəb’l] adjective

1.  permitting
no excuse:
too bad or blameworthy to be in any way justified or excused • indefensible
conduct

2.  invalid:
not based on fact, proof, or sound reasoning • an
indefensible argument

3.  unable
to be protected: incapable of being defended from attack
—in·de·fen·si·bil·i·ty
[ìndi fénsə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·fen·si·ble·ness
[ìndi fénsəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·fen·si·bly, adverb[1]



indefinable

indefinable
in·de·fin·a·ble 
[ìndi fnəb’l] adjective

incapable
of definition: impossible or very difficult to
describe, define, or analyze
noun
(plural in·de·fin·a·bles)

something
hard to define: something that is impossible or very
difficult to describe, define, or analyze
—in·de·fin·a·bil·i·ty
[ìndi fnə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·fin·a·ble·ness
[ìndi fnəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·fin·a·bly, adverb[1]



indefinite

indefinite
in·def·i·nite 
[in déffənət] adjective

1.  unlimited:
not fixed or limited in length, size, duration, or quantity

2.  not
clear:
not clear or not precisely defined or fixed

3.  vague
and uncertain: unable or unwilling to give a clear
indication of thoughts or plans

4.  BOTANY too
many to count: consisting of units that are too
numerous to be counted precisely • indefinite
stamens

5.  BOTANY See indeterminate
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin indefinitus, literally “having no limits,” from definire
“to define.”]
—in·def·i·nite·ness, noun[1]



indefinitearticle

indefinitearticle
in·def·i·nite
ar·ti·cle
(plural in·def·i·nite ar·ti·cles) noun

“a” or “an”:
a word such as “a” or “an” in English that designates a noun referring to
something that has not been mentioned before and is simply any one of its kind
• Choose
a book and write a review of it.[1]



indefiniteintegral

indefiniteintegral
in·def·i·nite
in·te·gral
(plural in·def·i·nite in·te·grals) noun

differentiated integral
equaling given function: an integral
that when differentiated equals a given function[1]



indefinitely

indefinitely
in·def·i·nite·ly
[in déffənətlee] adverb

1.  for
unspecified length of time: for a length of time that
has no fixed or obvious end

2.  unspecifically
or vaguely:
in a general and unspecific or vague and imprecise way

[1]



indefinitepronoun

indefinitepronoun
in·def·i·nite
pro·noun
(plural in·def·i·nite pro·nouns) noun

unspecific pronoun:
a pronoun, such as “someone,” “nothing,” or “anything” in English, that does
not refer to a particular person or thing[1]



indehiscent

indehiscent
in·de·his·cent 
[ìndi híss’nt] adjective

not
discharging seeds when ripe: not opening up to release
seeds when ripe
—in·de·his·cence, noun[1]



indelible

indelible
in·del·i·ble 
[in délləb’l] adjective

1.  permanent:
impossible to remove and therefore remaining forever

2.  containing
an indelible substance: containing indelible ink or
lead • an
indelible pencil
[15th
century. Directly or via French indélébile from Latin indelebilis,
literally “not defaceable,” from delere “to blot out, deface.”]
—in·del·i·bil·i·ty
[in dèllə bíllətee], noun

—in·del·i·ble·ness
[in déləb’lnəss], noun

—in·del·i·bly, adverb[1]



indelicate

indelicate
in·del·i·cate 
[in déllikət] adjective

1.  tactless
or offensive: tactless, crude, or too frank, and
therefore causing or likely to cause offense

2.  physically
unrefined:
crude, rough, or coarse in texture or appearance
—in·del·i·ca·cy,
noun

—in·del·i·cate·ly,
adverb

—in·del·i·cate·ness, noun[1]



indemnify

indemnify
in·dem·ni·fy 
[in démni f] (past in·dem·ni·fied,
past participle in·dem·ni·fied, present participle in·dem·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dem·ni·fies) transitive verb

1.  insure
against loss: to provide somebody with protection,
especially financial protection, against possible loss, damage, or liability

2.  reimburse
after loss:
to pay compensation to somebody for damage, loss, or liability incurred
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin indemnis, literally “not injured,” from damnum
“injury.”]
—in·dem·ni·fi·ca·tion
[in dèmnifi káysh’n], noun

—in·dem·ni·fi·er [in démni fr], noun[1]



indemnity

indemnity
in·dem·ni·ty 
[in démnitee] (plural in·dem·ni·ties)
noun

1.  insurance:
protection or insurance against possible loss or damage

2.  LAW exemption
from penalties: legal exemption from penalties or
liabilities

3.  compensation:
a compensation paid for loss or damage
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin indemnitas “security for damage,” from Latin indemnis
(see indemnify ).][1]



indemonstrable

indemonstrable
in·de·mon·stra·ble 
[ìndi mónstrəb’l] adjective

impossible
to show conclusively: impossible to prove or
demonstrate (formal)
—in·de·mon·stra·bil·i·ty
[ìndi monstrə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·mon·stra·ble·ness
[ìndi mónstrəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·mon·stra·bly, adverb[1]



indene

indene
in·dene 
[ín dn] (plural in·denes) noun

organic
chemical from coal tar: a colorless liquid obtained
from coal tar and petroleum that is used in making synthetic resins. C9H8
[Late 19th century. Coined
from indole + -ene
.][1]



indent

indent1
in·dent1 verb [in dént] (past in·dent·ed, past
participle in·dent·ed, present participle in·dent·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dents)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING begin line in from margin:
to start a line or row some distance in from the margin

2.  transitive
verb
form
recess in:
to form a deep recess in something (often passive)

3.  transitive
verb
tear
copied document in half: to tear a document,
especially one containing two copies of the same text, in half along an
irregular line

4.  transitive
verb
notch:
to make jagged, notched, or serrated edges in something

5.  transitive
verb
fit
notched edges: to join together two notched pieces of
something

6.  transitive
verb
draw
up in duplicate: to draw up a document in two or more
exact copies

7.  transitive
verb
contract
as apprentice: to contract somebody as an apprentice (archaic)
noun
[ín dènt, in
dént] (plural in·dents)

1.  PRINTING space
set in from margin: a blank space left between
the margin and the beginning of a line or row

2.  indenture:
an indenture (archaic)

3.  HISTORY certificate
for interest on public debt: a certificate issued by the
federal or a state government for the principal or interest on public debt at
the end of the American Revolution
[14th
century]
—in·dent·er [in déntər], noun[1]



indent

indent2
in·dent2 transitive verb [in dént] (past in·dent·ed, past
participle in·dent·ed, present participle in·dent·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dents)

make
dent in:
to press something inward to form a dent
noun
[ín dènt, in
dént] (plural in·dents)

See
dent  noun 1
[14th
century. Formed from in- + dent .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Etymologically,
  English has two separate words indent,
  although they have converged to a considerable extent over the centuries
  (particularly in the virtually shared derivative indentation ). The
  one meaning “to make a hole or depression in” is simply a derivative of dent
  . Indent “to make notches in,” however,
  owes its origin to Latin dens “tooth.” This formed the basis of an
  Anglo-Latin verb indentare that denoted the drawing up of a contract
  between two parties on two identical documents that were cut along a matching
  line of notches or “teeth” that could subsequently be rejoined to prove their
  authenticity. A particular use of such contracts was between master craftsmen
  and their trainees, who hence became known as indentured apprentices.

[1]



indentation

indentation
in·den·ta·tion 
[ìn den táysh’n] (plural in·den·ta·tions)
noun

1.  notch
or recess:
a notch, recess, or hollowed-out place in something such as an edge, a boundary
line, or a coast

2.  jagged
edge:
a series of notches or recesses, or the edge formed by this

3.  PRINTING leaving
space at beginning of line: the leaving of space between
the margin and the beginning of a line or row, or the blank space left

4.  act
of indenting: the act of indenting something or the
fact of being indented

[1]



indenture

indenture
in·den·ture 
[in dénchər] noun (plural in·den·tures)

1.  contract
with apprentice: a contract committing an apprentice or
servant to serve a master or employer for a specific period of time (often
plural)

2.  written
agreement:
a written contract or agreement between two or more parties

3.  duplicate
document with torn edge: a document written in
duplicate on a single sheet and torn in half so that the edges of the two
resulting copies could be matched up to prove their authenticity

4.  authorized
list:
an official list or inventory that has been authenticated for use as a voucher

5.  indentation:
an indentation (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb

contract somebody for services:
to commit somebody to work as an apprentice or servant for a specified period
of time by means of indentures
—in·den·ture·ship, noun[1]



indenturedservant

indenturedservant
in·den·tured
ser·vant
(plural in·den·tured ser·vants) noun

immigrant working as unpaid
servant: an immigrant to North
America during the 17th to 19th centuries who contracted to work for an
employer for a number of years in exchange for passage and accommodation[1]



Independence

Independence
In·de·pend·ence 
[ìndè péndènss]

city and county seat of
Montgomery County, southeastern Kansas, situated 156 km/97 mi southeast of
Wichita. Population: 9,942 (1990)[1]



independence

independence
in·de·pend·ence 
[ìndə péndənss] noun

1.  freedom
from control: freedom from dependence on or control by
another person, organization, or state

2.  beginning
of political freedom: the date or point in time
when a state achieves its political independence • the
first elections since independence

[1]



IndependenceDay

IndependenceDay
In·de·pend·ence
Day
noun

U.S. national holiday:
a national holiday celebrated on July 4, to commemorate the signing of the
Declaration of Independence in 1776[1]



independency

independency
in·de·pend·en·cy 
[ìndi péndənssee] (plural in·de·pend·en·cies)
noun

1.  independence:
independence (archaic)

2.  free
territory:
an independent state or territory

[1]



Independency

Independency
In·de·pend·en·cy
noun

CHRISTIANITY
principle of self-sufficiency of
Christian churches: the
principle or policy that each local Christian church or congregation should be
free of external ecclesiastical control[1]



independent

independent
in·de·pend·ent 
[ìndi péndənt] adjective

1.  not
controlled by another: free from the authority,
control, or domination of somebody or something else, especially not controlled
by another state or organization and able to self-govern

2.  able
to function by itself: able to operate or stand on
its own because not dependent on another • Each
wheel has an independent suspension system.

3.  self-supporting:
not forced to rely on another for money or support

4.  showing
confidence in self: capable of thinking or
acting without consultation with or guidance from others

5.  done
without obstruction: carried out or operating
without interference or influence from interested parties • an
independent counsel

6.  sufficient
to live on:
providing the means on which to live without having to work

7.  in·de·pend·ent
or In·de·pend·ent POLITICS
not
affiliated to political party: not a member,
representative, or supporter of any political party

8.  MATHEMATICS not
solvable using solution to another: used
to describe a system of equations in which no single equation is necessarily
solved using a solution to the others

9.  STATISTICS not
affecting other variables: in statistics, distributed
in such a way that the value taken on by one variable leaves all others
unaffected

10. LOGIC not
dependent on axiom or proposition: not proved from
another logical axiom or proposition
noun
(plural in·de·pend·ents)

1.  somebody
or something unaffected by others: somebody or something
that is free from control, dependence, or interference

2.  in·de·pend·ent
or In·de·pend·ent POLITICS
nonparty
politician:
somebody, especially a politician, who is not a member of, does not represent,
or does not support any political party
—in·de·pend·ent·ly, adverb[1]



Independent

Independent
In·de·pend·ent
(plural In·de·pend·ents) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY supporter
of self-governing Christian church:
somebody who believes that each Christian church or congregation should be free
of external ecclesiastical control. Originally, Independents were members of a
religious and political movement in 17th-century England that resulted in the
organization of the Baptist and Congregationalist churches.

2.  See
independent  noun 2

[1]



independentclause

independentclause
in·de·pend·ent
clause
(plural in·de·pend·ent claus·es) noun

GRAMMAR
clause that can be sentence:
a clause that can stand on its own as a sentence, such as “She’ll go on
vacation” in the sentence “She’ll go on vacation if she can get the money”[1]



independentcounsel

independentcounsel
in·de·pend·ent
coun·sel
noun

high-level
investigative government attorney: an attorney appointed
by a special three-federal judge-panel to investigate, independently of any
outside influence, serious allegations of wrongdoing at the federal level
[Mid-to late-20th century][1]



independentinvention

independentinvention
in·de·pend·ent
in·ven·tion
(plural in·de·pend·ent in·ven·tions) noun

ANTHROPOLOGY
invention arrived at independent of
others: an invention arrived at
independently, even though another group of people may have created the same
invention in a different place at a different time[1]



independentvariable

independentvariable
in·de·pend·ent
var·i·a·ble
(plural in·de·pend·ent vari·ables) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS variable
determining value of others: the variable in a
mathematical statement whose value, when specified, determines the value of
another variable or other variables

2.  STATISTICS variable
manipulated in an experiment: a variable that is
manipulated in an experiment in order to observe the effect on another variable

[1]



in-depth

in-depth
in-depth 
adjective

painstaking:
giving careful consideration to all details and aspects of a subject
—in depth, adverb[1]



indescribable

indescribable
in·de·scrib·a·ble 
[ìndi skrbəb’l] (plural in·de·scrib·ables)
adjective

1.  impossible
to describe: impossible or very difficult to describe
• an
indescribable sensation

2.  so
great as to defy description: so intense or extreme as to
defy description • indescribable joy
—in·de·scrib·a·bil·i·ty
[ìndi skrbə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·scrib·a·ble·ness
[ìndí skrbəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·scrib·a·bly, adverb[1]



indestructible

indestructible
in·de·struc·ti·ble 
[ìndi strúktəb’l] adjective

impossible
to destroy:
impossible or very difficult to destroy
—in·de·struc·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìndi strúktə bíllətee], noun

—in·de·struc·ti·ble·ness
[ìndi strúktəb’lnəss], noun

—in·de·struc·ti·bly, adverb[1]



indeterminable

indeterminable
in·de·ter·min·a·ble 
[ìndi túrminəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to find out definitely: impossible to determine or
ascertain exactly

2.  impossible
to answer or settle: impossible to resolve,
answer, or settle
[15th
century. From late Latin indeterminabilis, literally “not definable,”
from determinare (see determine ).]
—in·de·ter·min·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·de·ter·min·a·bly, adverb[1]



indeterminacyprinciple

indeterminacyprinciple
in·de·ter·mi·na·cy
prin·ci·ple
noun

See
uncertainty principle[1]



indeterminate

indeterminate
in·de·ter·mi·nate 
[ìndi túrminət] adjective

1.  not
known exactly: not known exactly, or impossible to work
out

2.  vague:
not definite, precise, or clear

3.  unpredictable:
without a predictable result or outcome

4.  MATHEMATICS having
no numerical meaning: having no numerical value or
meaning, for example, the expressions “ 0/0 ” or “0 0 ”

5.  MATHEMATICS with
an infinite number of solutions: having an infinite
number of solutions

6.  BOTANY growing
at tip:
continuing to grow at the tip of the main stem instead of terminating in a
flower bud.
U.K.
term
indefinite
[14th
century. From Latin indeterminatus, literally “not defined,” from determinare
(see determine ).]
—in·de·ter·mi·na·cy,
noun

—in·de·ter·mi·nate·ly,
adverb

—in·de·ter·mi·nate·ness,
noun

—in·de·ter·mi·na·tion
[ìndi turmi náysh’n], noun[1]



indeterminatesentence

indeterminatesentence
in·de·ter·mi·nate
sen·tence
(plural in·de·ter·mi·nate sen·tenc·es) noun

indefinite prison term:
a prison sentence that has a wide or unlimited term, for example, from one to
five years, the date of release being determined by the prisoner’s conduct and
other factors[1]



indeterminatevowel

indeterminatevowel
in·de·ter·mi·nate
vow·el
(plural in·de·ter·mi·nate vow·els) noun

See
schwa[1]



indeterminism

indeterminism
in·de·ter·min·ism 
[ìndi túrmi nìzzəm] noun

theory
that some actions are undetermined: the
philosophical theory that human beings have free will and their actions are not
always and completely determined by previous events.
See
also
determinism
—in·de·ter·min·ist,
noun

—in·de·ter·min·is·tic
[ìndi turmi nístik], adjective[1]



Index

Index
In·dex
noun

See
Index Librorum Prohibitorum[1]



index

index
in·dex 
[ín dèks] noun (plural in·dex·es
or in·di·ces [índi sz])

1.  PUBLISHING alphabetical
reference list in book: an alphabetical list,
usually at the end of a book, of people, places, or topics, giving the numbers
of the pages on which they are mentioned

2.  catalog:
an ordered list of the items that make up a set

3.  publication
listing articles: a periodical or book that lists articles
or other published works alphabetically by subject or author

4.  indicator:
an indicator or sign of something • One
index of the situation’s gravity is the severance of diplomatic relations.

5.  TECHNOLOGY pointer:
a pointer or needle, especially on a piece of scientific equipment

6.  PRINTING printing
character:
a character ☞ used by printers to draw attention to a paragraph, section, or
note.
Also
called
fist
Also
called
hand

7.  See
thumb index

8.  MATHEMATICS See exponent  noun 4

9.  MATHEMATICS number
given as superscript: a number or variable given
as a superscript before a square-root sign showing which root is to be taken

10. MATHEMATICS subscript
or superscript identifying an element: a
subscript or superscript numeral that identifies a particular element or range
in a set or sequence

11. number
expressing relationship: a scale, or a number on a
scale, that expresses the price, value, or level of something in comparison to
something else or to a previously established base number
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
index for:
to compile an index for something such as a book

2.  transitive
verb
put
in an index: to enter something such as a name,
title, subject, or quotation in an index

3.  transitive
verb
indicate:
to be a sign or indicator of something (formal)

4.  transitive
verb
ECONOMICS subject
to indexation: to subject a variable such as wages to
indexation
[Late
16th century. From Latin index “forefinger,” literally “pointer.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to show.”]
—in·dex·er, noun[1]



indexation

indexation
in·dex·a·tion 
[ìn dek sáysh’n] noun

linking of something to
living costs: the linking of wages,
pensions, or other remuneration to an index representing the cost of living, so
that they are automatically adjusted up or down as that rises or falls[1]



indexcase

indexcase
in·dex
case
(plural in·dex cas·es) noun

first documented case:
the first documented case of an illness in an epidemiological study[1]



indexfinger

indexfinger
in·dex
fin·ger
(plural in·dex fin·gers) noun

forefinger:
the finger next to the thumb.
Also
called
forefinger
Also
called
first finger
[From Latin index
“forefinger” (see index )][1]



indexfossil

indexfossil
in·dex
fos·sil
(plural in·dex fos·sils) noun

fossil from one geologic age:
the fossil of an organism that is specific to a particular geologic age and is
used for dating or identifying rocks or rock layers in which it is found.
Also called
guide fossil[1]



indexfund

indexfund
in·dex
fund
(plural in·dex funds) noun

fund that follows market
performance: a mutual fund composed
of companies listed in an important stock market index in order to match the
market’s overall performance[1]



IndexLibrorum Prohibitorum

IndexLibrorum Prohibitorum
In·dex
Li·bro·rum Pro·hib·i·to·rum noun

Roman
Catholic list of forbidden books: a list formerly
compiled by the Roman Catholic Church of books and publications that Church
members were forbidden to read.
Also
called
Index
[From Latin, “list of
forbidden books”][1]



indexnumber

indexnumber
in·dex
num·ber
(plural in·dex num·bers) noun

number indicating relative
change: a number used to indicate
the change in a value or quantity, for example, a price or unemployment, when
compared with the level of that value or quantity at an earlier time. The base
level is usually arbitrarily set at 100, and the increase or decrease in index
numbers over time is often expressed as a percentage change.[1]



indexof refraction

indexof refraction
in·dex
of re·frac·tion (plural in·di·ces of
re·frac·tion) noun

ratio of light speeds:
the ratio of the speed of refracted light in a vacuum or reference medium to
its speed in the medium under examination.
Also called
refractive index
U.K. term
refractive index Symbol n[1]



India

India2
In·di·a2 [índee
ə] noun

communications code word:
a code word for the letter “I,” used in international radio communication[1]



India

India1



In·di·a1  [índee ə]
country in southern Asia, the second
largest in the world by population and the seventh largest by area. Language:
Hindi. Language: English. Currency: rupee. Capital: New Delhi. Population:
966,783,171 (1997) Area: 3,095,472 sq km/1,195,063 sq mi. Official name
Republic of India[1]



India




Back to definition

India1

[1]



Indiaink

Indiaink
In·di·a
ink
noun
U.K.
term
Indian ink

1.  (plural
In·di·a inks) black pigment used in ink:
a black pigment made from lampblack and a binding agent and shaped into cakes
or sticks

2.  (plural
In·di·a inks) liquid black ink:
a liquid black ink made from a pigment that is a mixture of lampblack and a
binding agent

[1]



Indiaman

Indiaman
In·di·a·man 
[índee əmən] (plural In·di·a·men
[índee əmən]) noun

merchant
ship trading with India: a large merchant sailing
ship that was formerly used to transport goods to and from India
[Early 18th century. From India + man
“ship,” as in man of war .][1]



Indian

Indian
In·di·an 
[índee ən] noun (plural In·di·ans)

1.  somebody
from India:
somebody who was born or raised in the Republic of India, or who has Indian
citizenship

2.  Native
American:
a Native American (sometimes considered offensive)

3.  Canada
Status
Indian:
in Canada, somebody of Aboriginal ancestry who is neither Inuit nor Metis
adjective

1.  relating
to India:
relating to India or its peoples, languages, or culture

2.  relating
to Native Americans: relating to Native Americans
or their languages or cultures (sometimes considered offensive)
[13th
century. From India, from, ultimately, Greek, “the region of the Indus
river,” which came via Old Persian Hindu “Indus” from Sanskrit síndhuḥ
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue:
  Initially
  the term Indian was applied to the
  earliest inhabitants of the American continents because Columbus and other
  early European explorers, having arrived at North America’s east coast,
  believed they had reached India by a new route. As a name thus applied in
  error by conquerors, Indian may well be
  regarded as insensitive or even offensive. Some of the people in question
  prefer to be called American Indians and some prefer the term Native
  American, this last choice being the one that is least likely to cause
  offense.

[1]



Indiana

Indiana


In·di·an·a 
[ìndee ánnə]
state
in the north central United States, bordered by Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan,
Ohio, and Lake Michigan. Capital: Indianapolis. Population: 5,864,108 (1997)
Area: 94,327 sq km/36,420 sq mi.
—In·di·an·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Indiana




Back to definition

Indiana

[1]



Indianagent

Indianagent
In·di·an
a·gent
(plural In·di·an a·gents) noun

government representative to
Native N Americans: an official
in the United States or, formerly, in Canada, acting as a government
representative to communities of Native North Americans[1]



Indianapolis

Indianapolis
In·di·an·ap·o·lis 
[ìndee ə náppələss]

capital of Indiana, in the
central part of the state, southwest of Fort Wayne on the White River. It is
the largest city in the state. Population: 746,737 (1996)[1]



Indianbread

Indianbread
In·di·an
bread
noun

edible plant:
any of a number of plants with edible parts used by some Native American
peoples as food[1]



Indianclub

Indianclub
In·di·an
club
(plural In·di·an clubs) noun

bottle-shaped club:
a club shaped like an elongated bottle, used in gymnastics and juggling[1]



Indiancorn

Indiancorn
In·di·an
corn
noun

See
corn
[From its cultivation by
Native Americans][1]



IndianEnglish

IndianEnglish
In·di·an
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in India





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Indian English is the English language as
  used in India since the 17th century. Traditionally the term has referred to
  the English usage of the entire Subcontinent (former “undivided India”), but
  today the term is technically limited to the Republic of India, in which English
  has multiple legislated roles: as an associate official language (Hindi being
  the official one); as a national language alongside Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil
  (it being the state language of the states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
  and Tripura); as the official language of eight Union territories, including
  the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, and Pondicherry. Indian English has
  many distinct spoken varieties owing to the influence of regional languages
  such as Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil. Finally, it is notable for its strong
  ongoing contribution to English literature. Indian English has been the
  source of many loan words in World English: bangle, chutney, bungalow,
  chintz, dinghy, dungaree, juggernaut, pundit,
  and shampoo . Indian English expressions often combine English words
  into compounds that are not self-explanatory outside the national culture:
  for example, Eve-teasing (harassment of women), head-bath (a
  hair wash), Himalayan blunder (a huge mistake), and tiffin room
  (a snack shop). See SOUTH ASIAN ENGLISH.

[1]



Indianfile

Indianfile
In·di·an
file
noun

offensive
term:
offensive term for single file (dated offensive)
[From a Native American
custom of walking in single file][1]



Indiangiver

Indiangiver
In·di·an
giv·er
(plural In·di·an giv·ers) noun

offensive
term:
offensive term for somebody who gives something and then asks for its return (informal
offensive)
[Possibly from a Native
American custom of exchanging gifts of equal value][1]



Indianhemp

Indianhemp
In·di·an
hemp
noun

1.  See
hemp

2.  perennial
plant:
a perennial North American plant of the dogbane family whose roots can be used
as a laxative and emetic. Latin name: Apocynum cannabinum

[1]



Indianink

Indianink
In·di·an
ink
noun

U.K.
See India ink[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Indianlicorice

Indianlicorice
In·di·an
lic·o·rice
noun

See
rosary pea[1]



Indianmallow

Indianmallow
In·di·an
mal·low
(plural In·di·an mal·lows) noun

See
flowering maple[1]



Indianmeal

Indianmeal
In·di·an
meal
noun

See
cornmeal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Indianmustard

Indianmustard
In·di·an
mus·tard
noun

wild mustard:
a wild plant of the mustard family, with yellow flowers and oil-rich seeds.
Latin name: Brassica juncea[1]



IndianOcean

IndianOcean
In·di·an
O·cean

ocean situated east of
Africa, south of Asia, west of Australia, and north of Antarctica. Its greatest
known depth is 7,725 m/25,344 ft . Area: 73,427,800 sq km/28,350,500 sq mi.[1]



Indianpaintbrush

Indianpaintbrush

In·di·an paint·brush
(plural In·di·an paint·brush·es) noun
brightly colored plant:
a wild plant of the figwort family, found in North America, with brightly
colored bracts that look like flowers. Latin name: Castileja linariaefolia[1]



Indianpipe

Indianpipe
In·di·an
pipe
(plural In·di·an pipes) noun

woodland plant:
a perennial North American and Asian woodland plant whose single white stem and
nodding flower resemble a tobacco pipe. Latin name: Monotropa uniflora[1]



Indianpony

Indianpony
In·di·an
po·ny
noun

small, strong horse:
a small and rugged western North American horse that is often used in
crossbreeding[1]



Indianpudding

Indianpudding
In·di·an
pud·ding
(plural In·di·an pud·dings) noun

baked cornmeal pudding:
a baked pudding made of cornmeal, molasses, milk, and spices[1]



Indianred

Indianred
In·di·an
red
noun

1.  red
pigment:
a red pigment made of iron oxide, used in paint, cosmetics, and polish for gold
and silver objects

2.  dark
reddish-brown: a dark reddish-brown color
—In·di·an red, adjective[1]



Indianreserve

Indianreserve
In·di·an
re·serve
(plural In·di·an re·serves) noun

Canada
Canadian land reserved for Status
Indians: an area of land set aside
for a particular Native American group whose members are recognized by the
government as Status Indians.
See also
reservation[1]



Indianrice

Indianrice
In·di·an
rice
noun

See
wild rice[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Indianroller

Indianroller
In·di·an
roll·er
(plural In·di·an roll·ers) noun

bird with blue wings:
a bird of Europe and Asia, related to the kingfisher, that has bright blue
wings and a chestnut breast. Latin name: Coracias benghalensis[1]



IndianStandard Time

IndianStandard Time
In·di·an
Stan·dard Time noun

standard time in India:
the standard time in India. It is five-and-a-half hours later than Universal
Coordinated Time.[1]



IndianSubcontinent

IndianSubcontinent
In·di·an
Sub·con·ti·nent

large region in southern
Asia, including the countries of Bangladesh, the Republic of India, and
Pakistan[1]



Indiansummer

Indiansummer
In·di·an
sum·mer
(plural In·di·an sum·mers) noun

1.  mild
autumn weather: a period of mild sunny weather occurring
in autumn in the northern hemisphere

2.  time
of calm:
a calm or productive and enjoyable period toward the end of somebody’s life or
the end of a process, period, or activity
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
because it was first noticed in areas inhabited by Native Americans][1]



IndianTerritory

IndianTerritory
In·di·an
Ter·ri·to·ry [Indian
territory] noun

western territory ceded to
Native Americans: the territory west of
the Mississippi River formally ceded to Native American peoples for their
resettlement in 1834. It gradually diminished in size and was finally
incorporated into Oklahoma in 1907.[1]



Indiantobacco

Indiantobacco
In·di·an
to·bac·co
noun

wild lobelia plant:
a very poisonous North American annual plant of the bluebell family that has
oval toothed leaves and small purplish flowers followed by swollen seed
capsules. Native North American peoples once smoked the leaves as a remedy for
respiratory symptoms. Latin name: Lobelia inflata[1]



Indianturnip

Indianturnip
In·di·an
tur·nip
(plural In·di·an tur·nips) noun

See
jack-in-the-pulpit[1]



Indian-wrestle

Indian-wrestle
In·di·an-wres·tle
(past In·di·an-wres·tled, past participle In·di·an-wres·tled,
present participle In·di·an-wres·tling, 3rd person present
singular In·di·an-wres·tles) intransitive and transitive verb

play wrestling game with
somebody: to attempt to force down an
opponent’s upraised arm or to throw a standing opponent off balance[1]



Indianwrestling

Indianwrestling
In·di·an
wres·tling
noun

wrestling game:
a form of wrestling in which one opponent attempts to force down another’s
upraised arm or to throw a standing opponent off balance[1]



Indiapaper

Indiapaper
In·di·a
pa·per
noun

1.  thin
paper:
a thin fine paper originally made in Asia, used for prints and illustrations

2.  See
Bible paper

[1]



Indiaprint

Indiaprint
In·di·a
print
(plural In·di·a prints) noun

block-patterned fabric:
a fabric made in India that has colorful block patterns on it[1]



Indiarubber

Indiarubber
In·di·a
rub·ber
noun

INDUSTRY
rubber:
rubber (dated)[1]



Indic

Indic
In·dic 
[índik] noun

language
group of northern India: a group of over 500
languages of the Indian subcontinent, forming a major division of Indo-Iranian
that includes Hindi, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Sinhalese, Punjabi,
Sanskrit, and the Dardic languages. Over 700 million people speak one of the languages
classified as Indic.
See
also
Iranian
[Mid-19th
century. Via Latin Indicus from Greek Indikos, from Indos
“the Indus river.”]
—In·dic, adjective[1]



indic.

indic.
indic.

1.  Abbreviation
of
indicating

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of indicative

3.  Abbreviation
of
indicator

[1]



indican

indican
in·di·can 
[índi kàn] noun

1.  chemical
in urine:
a substance formed in the intestine by bacterial action and excreted in urine
and sweat. High levels in urine may indicate obstruction of the intestine. C8H6NO4SK

2.  chemical
in plants:
an off-white, crystalline, sugar derivative found in plants that was the
original source of indigo dye. C14H17NO6
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin indicum “indigo” + -an 1 .][1]



indicant

indicant
in·di·cant 
[índi kənt] (plural in·di·cants)
noun

indicator:
something that indicates something
[Early 17th century. From
Latin indicare (see indicate ).][1]



indicate

indicate
in·di·cate 
[índi kàyt] (past in·di·cat·ed,
past participle in·di·cat·ed, present participle in·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·di·cates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
point
to:
to point something out or point to something

2.  transitive
verb
show
existence or truth of: to be or provide a sign or
symptom of something

3.  transitive
verb
register
measurement: to register a measurement, for example,
of speed or temperature

4.  transitive
verb
show
what somebody thinks or intends: to state or show an
opinion, feeling, instruction, or intention, especially briefly or indirectly

5.  transitive
verb
show
what should be done: to make somebody think that
something should be done or used (usually used in the passive) • In
a case like this, a firm approach is indicated.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. give
signals as driver: to signal your intentions to
other vehicles when driving, especially before turning or moving to the left or
right

7.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE show
presence of disease: to point out the presence
of, or remedy for, a disease or syndrome
[Early
17th century. From Latin indicare “to point toward, show,” from dicare
“to proclaim” (source of English preach
and abdicate ).]
—in·di·cat·a·ble,
adjective

—in·di·ca·to·ry [in díkə tàwree], adjective[1]



indicatedhorsepower

indicatedhorsepower
in·di·cat·ed
horse·pow·er noun

basic power of piston engine:
the theoretical power produced by a reciprocating engine such as a steam or
internal-combustion engine, calculated as the power produced before reduction
due to friction and mechanical movement. The usable, reduced-power output of
the engine is its brake horsepower.[1]



indication

indication
in·di·ca·tion 
[ìndi káysh’n] (plural in·di·ca·tions)
noun

1.  sign
of something: a sign, signal, or symptom that
something exists or is true

2.  act
of indicating: an act of indicating or pointing to
something

3.  reading
instrument:
a reading shown on a measuring instrument

4.  something
necessary or desirable: something that is indicated
as the right thing to do or use

5.  MEDICINE medical
sign:
a medical sign or symptom that shows the presence of a disease or a remedy for
it
—in·di·ca·tion·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at sign

[1]



indicative

indicative
in·dic·a·tive 
[in díkətiv] adjective

1.  indicating
existence or truth: showing, suggesting, or
pointing out that something exists or is true

2.  GRAMMAR relating
to basic mood of verbs: relating to verbs in simple
objective statements
noun
(plural in·dic·a·tives) GRAMMAR

1.  basic
mood of a verb: the basic mood of a verb in languages
such as English, used for ordinary objective statements

2.  verb
in basic mood: a verb used in a simple statement of
fact
—in·dic·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



indicator

indicator
in·di·ca·tor 
[índi kàytər] (plural in·di·ca·tors)
noun

1.  something
that shows what conditions are: something observed or
calculated that is used to show the presence or state of a condition or trend

2.  measuring
instrument:
an instrument or gauge that measures something and registers the measurement

3.  something
giving information: something such as a light,
sign, or pointer that gives information, for example, about which direction to
follow

4.  ECOLOGY See indicator organism

5.  CHEMISTRY chemical
showing presence of something: a substance such as
litmus that shows the presence or concentration of a particular material or
chemical

[1]



indicatordiagram

indicatordiagram
in·di·ca·tor
di·a·gram
(plural in·di·ca·tor di·a·grams) noun

engine performance graph:
a graph showing the variation of pressure and volume in a cylinder of a
reciprocating engine[1]



indicatororganism

indicatororganism
in·di·ca·tor
or·gan·ism
(plural in·di·ca·tor or·gan·isms) noun

organism that signals
particular conditions: an organism
whose presence or absence in an environment indicates particular conditions
there, for example, its oxygen level or the presence of a contaminating
substance.
Also called
indicator[1]



indices

indices
in·dic·es


Plural of
index[1]



indicia

indicia
in·di·cia


Plural of
indicium[1]



indicial

indicial
in·di·cial 
[in dísh’l] adjective

in the nature of a sign:
acting as or relating to a sign or indication of something (formal)[1]



indicium

indicium
in·di·ci·um 
[in díshəm] (plural in·di·ci·a
[in díshə]) noun

1.  sign
of something: a sign indicating the presence or nature
of something, for example, a medical condition

2.  sign
on bulk mail: a printed sign on an item of bulk mail
showing the postage paid or canceled
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from indic-, the stem of index (see index ).][1]



indicolite

indicolite
in·di·co·lite 
[in díkə lt] (plural in·di·co·lites)
noun

blue
gemstone:
a blue-colored tourmaline used as a gemstone
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin indicum “indigo” + -lite
.][1]



indict

indict
in·dict 
[in dt] (past in·dict·ed, past
participle in·dict·ed, present participle in·dict·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dicts) transitive verb

1.  formally
charge accused person: to charge somebody formally
with commission of a crime

2.  accuse
of a wrong:
to accuse somebody of wrongdoing
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman enditer from, ultimately, Latin indicere
“to proclaim,” literally “to say in,” from dicere “to say.” The spelling
indict, dating from the 17th century., was modeled on medieval Latin indictare
“to indict.”]
—in·dict·ee
[ìn dī t], noun

—in·dict·er
[in dtər], noun

—in·dict·or, noun[1]



indictable

indictable
in·dict·a·ble 
[in dtəb’l] adjective

1.  liable
to indictment: liable to be charged with a criminal
offense

2.  making
somebody liable to indictment: making somebody liable
to be charged with commission of a crime • an
indictable offense

[1]



indiction

indiction
in·dic·tion 
[in díkshən] (plural in·dic·tions)
noun

Roman
fiscal period: a cyclic period of 15 years begun during
the reign of Constantine the Great in the later Roman Empire at the end of
which property was evaluated for taxation
[14th century. From the Latin
stem indiction- “declaration,” from indictus, past participle of indicere
“to declare” (see indict ); from the
declaration fixing the valuation on which tax was assessed.][1]



indictment

indictment
in·dict·ment 
[in dtmənt] (plural in·dict·ments)
noun

1.  CRIMINAL LAW formal
accusation before grand jury: a formal accusation of a
serious crime, presented to a grand jury

2.  CRIMINAL LAW act
of indicting somebody: the act of indicting
somebody or the condition of being indicted

3.  statement
or fact that accuses: a statement or indication
that something is wrong or somebody is to blame • a
stinging indictment of our prison system

[1]



indie

indie
in·die 
[índee] (plural in·dies) noun

independent
company:
a small independent business enterprise, especially one related to music or
film (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of independent .][1]



indifference

indifference
in·dif·fer·ence 
[in díffərəns, in
díffrəns] noun

1.  lack
of interest in something: lack of interest, care, or
concern

2.  unimportance:
lack of importance or significance • It’s a
matter of complete indifference to me whether you go or stay.

3.  low
quality:
ordinariness or lack of quality

[1]



indifferent

indifferent
in·dif·fer·ent 
[in díffərənt, in
díffrənt] adjective

1.  without
care or interest: showing no care or concern for, or
interest in, somebody or something • She
was indifferent to their criticism.

2.  favoring
neither side: without bias or preference for one
person, group, or thing rather than another

3.  only
average:
average or low in quality

4.  BIOLOGY undifferentiated:
not specialized or differentiated in cells or tissues

5.  SCIENCE neutral:
neutral and having no properties that are affected by a process or reaction

6.  of
no import:
lacking importance or significance (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from the Latin stem indifferent- “making no difference,”
from different-, present participle stem of differre “to
differ.”][1]



indifferentism

indifferentism
in·dif·fer·ent·ism 
[in díffərən tìzzəm, in díffrən tìzzəm] noun

tolerance in religious
matters: the belief that variations
in doctrine and practice within a religion are unimportant[1]



indifferently

indifferently
in·dif·fer·ent·ly
[in díffərəntlee, in
díffrəntlee] adverb

1.  without
interest:
without showing interest or concern

2.  not
well:
not very well

3.  equally:
without differences or exceptions (formal)

[1]



indigen

indigen
in·di·gen 
(plural in·di·gens) noun

See
indigene[1]



indigence

indigence
in·di·gence 
[índijəns] noun

destitution:
extreme poverty in which the basic necessities of life are lacking (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at poverty

[1]



indigene

indigene
in·di·gene 
[índi jn] (plural in·di·genes)
or in·di·gen [índijən] (plural
in·di·gens) noun

somebody
or something native to a place: somebody who was born
in a place or location or something that was produced in or grows in or belongs
naturally to a place or location (formal)
[Late 16th century. Via
French indigène from Latin indigena “native” (see indigenous ).][1]



indigenize

indigenize
in·di·gen·ize 
[in díjjə nz] (past in·di·gen·ized,
past participle in·di·gen·ized, present participle in·di·gen·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·di·gen·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

use
local people for company’s work: to increase the use of
local inhabitants for a task previously done by people from another country,
usually the home country of an employing company
—in·di·gen·i·za·tion [in dìjjəni záysh’n], noun[1]



indigenous

indigenous
in·dig·e·nous 
[in díjjənəss] adjective

1.  belonging
to a place:
originating in and typical of a region or country

2.  natural:
natural or inborn (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin indigena, literally “born in,” from gignere
“to beget.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English gender .]
—in·di·gen·i·ty
[ìndi jénnətee], noun

—in·dig·e·nous·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at native

[1]



indigenouspeople

indigenouspeople
in·dig·e·nous
peo·ple
(plural in·dig·e·nous peo·ples) noun

original inhabitants of
region: the people who occupy a
region at the time of its contact with colonial powers or the outside world[1]



indigent

indigent
in·di·gent 
[índijənt] adjective

extremely
poor:
lacking the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and shelter (formal)
noun
(plural in·di·gents)

destitute
person:
somebody who is very poor (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin indigent-, present participle stem of
indigere, literally “to lack in,” from egere “to need.”]
—in·di·gent·ly, adverb[1]



indigested

indigested
in·di·gest·ed 
[ìndi jéstəd, ìn
dī jéstəd] adjective

not digested:
not having undergone the process of digestion[1]



indigestible

indigestible
in·di·gest·i·ble 
[ìndi jéstəb’l, ìn
dī jéstəb’l] adjective

difficult
to digest:
difficult or impossible to digest
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin indigestibilis, from digestibilis
“digestible.”]
—in·di·gest·i·bil·i·ty
[ìndi jéstə bíllətee, ìn dī jéstə bíllətee], noun

—in·di·gest·i·ble·ness
[ìndi jéstəb’lnəss, ìn
dī jéstəb’lnəss], noun

—in·di·gest·i·bly, adverb[1]



indigestion

indigestion
in·di·ges·tion 
[ìndi jéschən, ìn
dī jéschən] noun

discomfort
after eating: difficulty in digesting food, resulting
in such symptoms as belching, heartburn, or stomach pains. Technical name
dyspepsia
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from the late Latin stem indigestion-, from digestion-
(see digestion ).][1]



indigestive

indigestive
in·di·ges·tive
[ìndi jéstiv, ìn
dī jéstiv] adjective

affected by indigestion:
experiencing or resulting from indigestion[1]



indignant

indignant
in·dig·nant 
[in dígnənt] adjective

angry
at unfairness: angry or annoyed at the unfairness or
unreasonableness of somebody or something
[Late
16th century. From Latin indignant-, present participle stem of indignari
“to regard as unworthy,” ultimately from dignus “worthy” (see dignity ).]
—in·dig·nant·ly, adverb[1]



indignation

indignation
in·dig·na·tion 
[ìndig náysh’n] noun

anger
at unfairness: anger or annoyance because somebody or
something seems unfair or unreasonable
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem indignation-,
from indignari (see indignant ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger

[1]



indignity

indignity
in·dig·ni·ty 
[in dígnətee] (plural in·dig·ni·ties)
noun

humiliation:
a humiliating loss of dignity or self-esteem
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French indignité from Latin indignitas, from indignus
“unworthy.”][1]



indigo

indigo

in·di·go 
[índi gō] noun (plural in·di·gos
or in·di·goes)

1.  blue
dye:
a blue dye, once obtained from plants, but now usually made synthetically.
Also
called
indigotin

2.  plant
yielding indigo dye: a tropical plant of the pea
family with fronds of pointed leaves and spikes of red or purple flowers, a
source of indigo dye. Genus: Indigofera

3.  deep
purplish-blue color: a deep purplish-blue color
that lies toward one end of the visible spectrum, between blue and violet.
Also
called
indigo blue
adjective

deep purplish-blue:
of a deep purplish-blue color
[Mid-16th century. Via
Portuguese from, ultimately, Greek indikon, literally “the Indian
substance,” a form of Indikos “Indian,” from Indos “the Indus
River.”][1]



indigobird

indigobird
in·di·go
bird
(plural in·di·go birds) noun

African weaverbird:
an East African weaverbird, the male of which has deep purplish-black feathers,
found in gardens and in the wild. Genus: Hypochera[1]



indigoblue

indigoblue
in·di·go
blue
(plural in·di·go blues) noun

See
indigo[1]



indigobunting

indigobunting
in·di·go
bunt·ing
(plural in·di·go bunt·ings) noun

N American finch:
a North American finch found in hedges and at the margins of woods, the male of
which has brilliant indigo feathers. Latin name: Passerina cyanea[1]



indigosnake

indigosnake
in·di·go
snake
(plural in·di·go snakes) noun

American snake:
a large deep-blue snake, found from the southern United States to South
America, that preys on small mammals but is harmless to humans. Latin name: Drymarchon
corais[1]



indigotin

indigotin
in·dig·o·tin 
[in díggətin, ìndi
gṓt’n] noun

See
indigo  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from indigo + -in
.][1]



Indio

Indio
In·di·o 
[índi ō]

city in Riverside County,
southeastern California, situated southeast of San Bernardino. Population:
36,793 (1990)[1]



indirect

indirect
in·di·rect 
[ìndi rékt] adjective

1.  not
in straight line: not in a direct line, course, or path

2.  not
immediate or intended: not occurring as an
immediate or intended effect or consequence

3.  devious:
not obvious or straightforward in approach

4.  involving
intermediate stages: not obtained or proceeding
from an immediate or straightforward relationship
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from medieval Latin indirectus “not
direct,” from Latin directus (see direct
).]
—in·di·rect·ness,
noun

—in·di·rect·ly, adverb[1]



indirectcost

indirectcost
in·di·rect
cost
(plural in·di·rect costs) noun

general business expense:
a business expense that is not directly connected with a particular product or
operation[1]



indirectdiscourse

indirectdiscourse
in·di·rect
dis·course
noun

See
indirect speech[1]



indirection

indirection
in·di·rec·tion 
[ìndi rékshən] (plural in·di·rec·tions)
noun

1.  lack
of directness: lack of directness in a path, course, or
procedure

2.  aimlessness:
lack of a goal or goals

3.  something
not honest and straightforward: an approach or action
that is devious or deceitful

[1]



indirectlabor

indirectlabor
in·di·rect
la·bor
noun

work not directly related to
production: work that is not considered
in determining costs per unit in producing or manufacturing something, for
example, work done by clerical or maintenance staff[1]



indirectlighting

indirectlighting
in·di·rect
light·ing
noun

diffused light:
reflected or diffused light used to avoid glare or shadows[1]



indirectobject

indirectobject
in·di·rect
ob·ject
(plural in·di·rect ob·jects) noun

person or thing action is
done to: the recipient of the action
shown by a verb and its direct object, for example, “the cat” in “She gave the
cat a meal”[1]



indirectproof

indirectproof
in·di·rect
proof
(plural in·di·rect proofs) noun

LOGIC
proof by disproving the opposite:
proof of a conclusion by showing that assuming its negation will lead to a
contradiction[1]



indirectquestion

indirectquestion
in·di·rect
ques·tion
(plural in·di·rect ques·tions) noun

reported enquiry:
a question reported in indirect speech, for example, “He asked why you were not
there”[1]



indirectspeech

indirectspeech
in·di·rect
speech
noun

report of something stated:
a report of something said or written that conveys what was said, but not the
exact words in their original form, as in “She said she would join us later.”
Also called
indirect discourse
Also called
reported speech[1]



indirecttax

indirecttax
in·di·rect
tax
(plural in·di·rect tax·es) noun

tax on goods and services:
a tax levied on goods or services, instead of directly on companies and
individuals.
Also called
hidden tax[1]



indiscernible

indiscernible
in·dis·cern·i·ble 
[ìndi súrnəb’l] adjective

impossible
to see:
impossible to see or to understand
—in·dis·cern·i·bil·i·ty
[ìndi surnə bíllitee], noun

—in·dis·cern·i·ble·ness
[ìndi súrnəb’lnəss], noun

—in·dis·cern·i·bly, adverb[1]



indiscipline

indiscipline
in·dis·ci·pline 
[ìn díssiplin] noun

lack of control:
lack of control or discipline[1]



indiscreet

indiscreet
in·dis·creet 
[ìndi skrt] adjective

carelessly
tactless:
lacking tact or discretion
[15th
century. From Latin indiscretus “unseparated, undistinguished” (see discreet ).]
—in·dis·creet·ly,
adverb

—in·dis·creet·ness, noun[1]



indiscrete

indiscrete
in·dis·crete 
[ìndi skrt] adjective

not
separated into parts: not divided into parts or
appearing not to consist of separate parts
[Early
17th century. From Latin indiscretus “unseparated, undistinguished,”
from discretus (see discrete ).]
—in·dis·crete·ly,
adverb

—in·dis·crete·ness, noun[1]



indiscretion

indiscretion
in·dis·cre·tion 
[ìndi skrésh’n] (plural in·di·rec·tions)
noun

1.  tactless
lack of judgment: lack of tact or good judgment

2.  (plural
in·dis·cre·tions) something unwise:
something said or done that is tactless or unwise • apologizing
for past indiscretions
—in·dis·cre·tion·ar·y,
adjective[1]



indiscriminate

indiscriminate
in·dis·crim·i·nate 
[ìndi skrímmənət] adjective

1.  unselective:
making no careful distinctions or choices

2.  haphazardly
random:
random, haphazard, or confused
—in·dis·crim·i·nate·ly,
adverb

—in·dis·crim·i·nate·ness,
noun

—in·dis·crim·i·na·tion
[ìndi skrimmə náysh’n], noun[1]



indiscriminating

indiscriminating
in·dis·crim·i·nat·ing 
[ìndi skrímmə nàyting] adjective

without
discrimination: lacking discrimination or judgment
—in·dis·crim·i·nat·ing·ly,
adverb

—in·dis·crim·i·na·tive,
adjective[1]



indispensable

indispensable
in·dis·pen·sa·ble 
[ìndi spénsəb’l] adjective

1.  necessary:
necessary, essential, or not to be dispensed with

2.  having
to be faced: unavoidable, especially as a duty
noun
(plural in·dis·pen·sa·bles)

essential:
something that is essential and cannot be dispensed with
—in·dis·pen·sa·bil·i·ty
[ìndi spensə bíllətee], noun

—in·dis·pen·sa·ble·ness
[ìndi spénsəb’lnəss], noun

—in·dis·pen·sa·bly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at necessary

[1]



indispose

indispose
in·dis·pose 
[ìndiss pṓz] (past in·dis·posed,
past participle in·dis·posed, present participle in·dis·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dis·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  sicken:
to make somebody ill (archaic)

2.  make
unfit:
to make somebody unfit for something (formal)

3.  make
averse to something: to make somebody dislike the
prospect of something or be unwilling to do something (formal)
[Mid-17th century][1]



indisposed

indisposed
in·dis·posed 
[ìndiss pṓzd] adjective (formal)

1.  sick:
too ill to do something

2.  unwilling
to say or do something: unwilling to say or do
something, especially because of a feeling of annoyance

[1]



indisposition

indisposition
in·dis·po·si·tion 
[ìn dispə zísh’n] (plural in·dis·po·si·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  minor
illness:
an illness that is not serious

2.  reluctance:
reluctance or unwillingness to do something

[1]



indisputable

indisputable
in·dis·put·a·ble 
[ìndi spytəb’l] adjective

not
to be questioned: impossible to doubt, question, or deny
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin indisputabilis “not disputable,” from Latin disputabilis
(see disputable ).]
—in·dis·put·a·bil·i·ty
[ìndi spyootə bíllətee], noun

—in·dis·put·a·ble·ness
[ìndi spytəb’lnəss], noun

—in·dis·put·a·bly, adverb[1]



indissoluble

indissoluble
in·dis·sol·u·ble 
[ìndi sóllyəb’l] adjective

not
to be undone: incapable of being dissolved, broken, or
undone
—in·dis·sol·u·bil·i·ty
[ìndi sollyə bíllətee], noun

—in·dis·sol·u·bly [ìndi sóllyəblee], adverb[1]



indistinct

indistinct
in·dis·tinct 
[ìndi stíngkt] adjective

1.  unclear:
giving an unclear impression to the sight or hearing

2.  vague:
not clearly remembered, understood, or thought out
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin indistinctus “not distinct,” from distinctus
(see distinct ).]
—in·dis·tinct·ly, adverb[1]



indistinctive

indistinctive
in·dis·tinc·tive 
[ìndi stíngktiv] adjective

having
no distinctive attributes: without any distinguishing
qualities or features
—in·dis·tinc·tive·ly, adverb[1]



indistinguishable

indistinguishable
in·dis·tin·guish·a·ble 
[ìndi stíngwishəb’l] adjective

1.  very
like somebody or something else: impossible to tell
apart from somebody or something else • His
handwriting is indistinguishable from his father’s.

2.  indistinct:
very hard to see, hear, or understand
—in·dis·tin·guish·a·bil·i·ty
[ìndi stingwishə bíllətee], noun

—in·dis·tin·guish·a·bly
[ìndi stíngwishəblee], adverb[1]



indite

indite
in·dite 
[in dt] (past in·dit·ed, past
participle in·dit·ed, present participle in·dit·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·dites) transitive verb

write:
to write or compose something such as a poem, letter, or speech (archaic or
literary)
[14th century. From Old
French enditer, literally “to compose in words in,” from, ultimately,
Latin dictare “to compose in words” (see dictate
).][1]



indium

indium

in·di·um 
[índee əm] noun
soft
metallic element: a soft silvery-colored rare metallic
chemical element, often found in zinc and tin ores, used in alloys,
transistors, and electroplating. Symbol In
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from indigo + -ium
. From two indigo lines in its spectrum.][1]



indiv.

indiv.
indiv.
or individ.

Abbreviation of
individual[1]



individual

individual
in·di·vid·u·al 
[ìndi víjjoo əl] noun (plural in·di·vid·u·als)

1.  particular
person:
a particular person, distinct from others in a group

2.  separate
thing:
a separate entity or thing

3.  BIOLOGY separate
organism:
an independent organism separate from a group
adjective

1.  separable
from others: singular and separable from others in a
group or class

2.  of
or for one person: belong to, relating to, or
intended for one person only

3.  very
distinctive: strikingly personal, unusual, or
distinctive
[15th century. From medieval
Latin individualis, from Latin individuus “not divisible,” from,
ultimately, dividere “to divide.”][1]



individualism

individualism
in·di·vid·u·al·ism 
[ìndi víjjoo ə lìzzəm] (plural in·di·vid·u·al·isms)
noun

1.  pursuit
of personal goals: the pursuit of personal
happiness and independence rather than collective goals or interests

2.  personal
trait:
a personal peculiarity or trait

3.  POLITICS political
belief in importance of individual: the
belief that society exists for the benefit of the individual, who must not be
constrained by government interventions or made subordinate to collective
interests

[1]



individualist

individualist
in·di·vid·u·al·ist 
[ìndi víjjoo əlist] (plural in·di·vid·u·al·ists)
noun

1.  independent
thinker:
somebody who thinks or behaves independently

2.  believer
in individualism: somebody who believes in the social or
political philosophy of individualism
—in·di·vid·u·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[ìndi vijoo ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



individuality

individuality
in·di·vid·u·al·i·ty 
[ìndi vijoo állətee] (plural in·di·vid·u·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  individual
trait or character: a specific personality,
character, or characteristic that distinguishes one person or thing from
another

2.  state
of being an individual: the state or condition of
being separate from others

[1]



individualize

individualize
in·di·vid·u·al·ize 
[ìndi víjjoo ə lz] (past in·di·vid·u·al·ized,
past participle in·di·vid·u·al·ized, present participle in·di·vid·u·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·di·vid·u·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  give
individual character to: to give somebody or
something a character that is separate and distinct from other people or things

2.  treat
individually: to consider or treat somebody or
something specifically, as distinct from other people or things

3.  adapt
to individual requirements: to make, adapt, or modify
something to suit a particular person
—in·di·vid·u·al·i·za·tion
[ìndi vijjoo əli záysh’n], noun

—in·di·vid·u·al·iz·er
[ìndi víjjoo ə lzər], noun[1]



individually

individually
in·di·vid·u·al·ly
[ìndi víjjoo əlee] adverb

separately:
as a separate person or entity, not as part of a group or class[1]



individualmedley

individualmedley
in·di·vid·u·al
med·ley
(plural in·di·vid·u·al med·leys) noun

swimming race with varied
strokes: a swimming race divided into
three or four equal parts, in each of which the swimmers must use a particular
stroke such as backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke, or butterfly stroke[1]



individuate

individuate
in·di·vid·u·ate 
[ìndi víjjoo àyt] (past in·di·vid·u·at·ed,
past participle in·di·vid·u·at·ed, present participle in·di·vid·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·di·vid·u·ates) transitive verb

make
separate and distinct: to make somebody or
something separate and distinct from others (formal)
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin individuat-, past participle stem of individuare,
from Latin individuus (see individual
).]
—in·di·vid·u·a·tor, noun[1]



individuation

individuation
in·di·vid·u·a·tion 
[ìndi vijoo áysh’n] noun

1.  act
of making separate: the act or process of making
somebody or something separate and distinct from others

2.  PSYCHOLOGY process
of psychological development: in Jungian psychology, the
process of the development of the self, achieved by resolving the conflicts
arising at life’s transitional stages, in particular the transition from
adolescence to adulthood. Jung believed this process could not be completed until
middle age.

[1]



indivisible

indivisible
in·di·vis·i·ble 
[ìndi vízzəb’l] adjective

1.  not
separable:
not capable of being separated into parts “… one nation indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all” Pledge of Allegiance

2.  MATHEMATICS not
multiple of number: not capable of being divided
by a given number without leaving a remainder
[14th
century. From late Latin indivisibilis “not divisible,” from divisibilis
“divisible.”]
—in·di·vis·i·bil·i·ty
[ìndi vizzə bíllətee], noun

—in·di·vis·i·bly [ìndi vízzəblee], adverb[1]



indn.

indn.
indn.

Abbreviation of
indication[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








indo-

indo-
indo-
prefix

Forms
the name of chemical compounds derived from or related to indigo • indoxyl
[From indigo][1]



Indo-

Indo-
Indo-
prefix

1.  India
• Indo-Pacific

2.  Indic
• Indo-Iranian
[From India and Indic][1]



Indo-Canadian

Indo-Canadian
In·do-Ca·na·di·an
(plural In·do-Ca·na·di·ans) noun

Canadian
with Indian ancestry: a Canadian person of Indian
descent, or one who was born in India
—In·do-Ca·na·di·an, adjective[1]



Indochina

Indochina
In·do·chi·na 
[índō chnè]

peninsula
of southeastern Asia that includes Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos,
and the Malay Peninsula. In a narrower sense it refers only to Cambodia, Laos,
and Vietnam.
—In·do·chi·nese, adjective,
noun[1]



indocile

indocile
in·doc·ile 
[in dóss’l] adjective

combative:
resisting discipline or instruction
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin indocilis “difficult to
teach,” from docilis (see docile ).]
—in·do·cil·i·ty [ìndə síllətee, ìn do síllətee],
noun[1]



indoctrinate

indoctrinate
in·doc·tri·nate 
[in dóktrə nàyt] (past in·doc·tri·nat·ed,
past participle in·doc·tri·nat·ed, present participle in·doc·tri·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·doc·tri·nates) transitive verb

cause
to believe something: to teach somebody a belief,
doctrine, or ideology thoroughly and systematically, especially with the goal
of discouraging independent thought or the acceptance of other opinions
[Early
17th century. From Old French endoctriner, literally “to teach in,” from
medieval Latin doctrinare “to teach.”]
—in·doc·tri·na·tion
[in dòktrə náysh’n], noun

—in·doc·tri·na·tor, noun[1]



Indo-European

Indo-European
In·do-Eu·ro·pe·an 
[ìndō yoorə p ən] (plural In·do-Eu·ro·pe·ans)
noun

1.  family
of European and Asian languages: a family of languages
conventionally divided into the following branches: Balto-Slavonic, Germanic,
Italic, Indo-Iranian, Celtic, Greek, Albanian, Armenian, Anatolian, and
Tocharian. This language family, now spoken from India to western Europe,
includes many modern languages, for example, English, French, German, Spanish,
Russian, Hindi, and Urdu.
See
also
satem
See
also
centum
See
also
Proto-Indo-European

2.  speaker
of Indo-European language: somebody who speaks any of
the Indo-European languages
—In·do-Eu·ro·pe·an, adjective[1]



Indo-Iranian

Indo-Iranian
In·do-I·ra·ni·an 
noun

Indian
and Middle Eastern languages: a group of languages spoken
in the north of the Indian subcontinent and in parts of the Middle East,
forming a branch of Indo-European and dividing into two subgroups, Indic and
Iranian. About 800 million people speak one of the languages classified as Indo-Iranian.
—In·do-I·ra·ni·an, adjective[1]



indole

indole
in·dole 
[ín dl] or in·dol [ín dòl] noun

crystalline
compound in plants and animals: a crystalline compound
that occurs in plants and in the intestines. It can also be derived from coal
tar and is used in perfumes and as a reagent. C8H7N
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from ind- + -ole .][1]



indoleaceticacid

indoleaceticacid
in·dole·a·ce·tic
ac·id 
[in dōlə sèttik ássid] noun

plant
hormone:
a plant hormone that stimulates growth and root formation in stems. C10H9NO2
[Indoleacetic coined from indole + acetic][1]



indolebutyricacid

indolebutyricacid
in·dole·bu·tyr·ic
ac·id 
[indōl byoo trik ássid] noun

synthetic
plant hormone: a synthetic plant hormone that
stimulates growth in stems. C12H13O2N
[Indolebutyric coined from indole + butyric][1]



indolent

indolent
in·do·lent 
[índələnt] adjective

1.  lazy:
lethargic and not showing any interest or making any effort

2.  MEDICINE painless
and slow to change: used to describe a disease
or condition that is slow to develop or be healed, and causes no pain
[Mid-17th
century. From the late Latin stem indolent- “insensitive to pain,” from dolent-,
present participle stem of dolere “to suffer pain.”]
—in·do·lence,
noun

—in·do·lent·ly, adverb[1]



indomethacin

indomethacin
in·do·meth·a·cin 
[ìndō méthəssin] noun

pain-relieving
drug:
a drug used to relieve pain, fever, and inflammation, especially from
arthritis. C19H16ClNO4
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from indole + methyl
+ acetic + -in
.][1]



indomitable

indomitable
in·dom·i·ta·ble 
[in dómmitəb’l] adjective

unconquerable:
brave, determined, and impossible to defeat or frighten
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin indomitabilis “untamable,” from domitare
“to tame” (source of English daunt
).]
—in·dom·i·ta·bil·i·ty
[in dòmmitə bíllətee], noun

—in·dom·i·ta·ble·ness
[in dómmitəb’lnəss], noun

—in·dom·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



Indon.

Indon.
Indon.

Abbreviation of
Indonesian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Indonesia




Back to definition

Indonesia

[1]



Indonesia

Indonesia



In·do·ne·sia 
[ìndə nə, inda nshə]
island republic of southeastern Asia, the
fourth most populous country in the world. It consists of more than 13,670
islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. Language: Bahasa Indonesia. Currency:
rupiah. Capital: Jakarta. Population: 209,774,138 (1997) Area: 1,919,317 sq
km/741,903 sq mi. Official name Republic of Indonesia[1]



Indonesian

Indonesian
In·do·ne·sian 
[ìndō nzh’n] (plural In·do·ne·sians)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Indonesia: somebody who was born or raised in
Indonesia, or who is a citizen of Indonesia

2.  LANGUAGE See Bahasa Indonesia
—In·do·ne·sian, adjective[1]



indoor

indoor
in·door 
[in dáwr] adjective

in
a building:
situated or done within a building
[Early 18th century. From in + door,
replacing earlier within door(s) ; from the use of door as a metaphor
for building (as in next door ).][1]



indoorair quality

indoorair quality
in·door
air qual·i·ty noun

nature of air in buildings:
the condition of the air inside buildings, including the extent of pollution
caused by smoking, dust, mites, mold spores, radon, and gases and chemicals
from materials and appliances[1]



indoor-outdoor

indoor-outdoor
in·door-out·door 
adjective

for use indoors or outdoors:
designed to be used inside or outside a building[1]



indoors

indoors
in·doors 
[in dáwrz] adverb

in
a building:
into or inside a building
[Late 18th century. Formed
from indoor .][1]



Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific
In·do-Pa·cif·ic
noun

language group of Pacific
islands: a group of about 700
languages spoken in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. Three million
people speak an Indo-Pacific language.[1]



Indore

Indore
In·dore 
[in dáwr]

1.  former
state, now part of Madhya Pradesh, central India

2.  city
in western Madhya Pradesh, central India, situated 547 km/340 mi northeast of
Mumbai (Bombay). Population: 1,086,673 (1991)

[1]



indorse

indorse
in·dorse 
(past in·dorsed, past participle in·dorsed, present
participle in·dors·ing, 3rd person present singular in·dorses)
transitive verb

See
endorse[1]



indoxyl

indoxyl
in·dox·yl 
[in dóksəl] noun

chemical
source of indigo dye: a crystalline compound found
in plants and animals that, when oxidized, is a source of indigo dye. C8H7NO
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ind- + oxy- + -yl
.][1]



Indra

Indra
In·dra 
[índrə] noun

Vedic god of battle and rain:
in Vedic mythology, a powerful warrior god and the ruler of the sky and
weather. He became a subordinate god in later Hindu mythology.[1]



indraft

indraft
in·draft 
[ín dràft] (plural in·drafts) noun

inward flow of air:
an inward flow or current of air[1]



indri

indri
in·dri 
[índree] (plural in·dris) noun

short-tailed
lemur:
a large rare black-and-white lemur of Madagascar, with large eyes, silky fur,
and a rudimentary tail. Latin name: Indri indri
[Mid-19th century. From
Malagasy indry! “look!” or indry izy! “there he is!”, wrongly
taken to be the name of the animal, which in Malagasy is babakoto .][1]



indubitable

indubitable
in·du·bi·ta·ble 
[in dbitəb’l] adjective

not
to be doubted: obvious or definitely true, and not to
be doubted (formal)
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin indubitabilis “not
doubtful,” ultimately from dubitare “to doubt” (source of English doubt ).]
—in·du·bi·ta·bil·i·ty
[in dbitə bíllətee], noun

—in·du·bi·ta·bly, adverb[1]



induc.

induc.
induc.

Abbreviation of
induction[1]



induce

induce
in·duce 
[in dss] (past in·duced, past
participle in·duced, present participle in·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·duc·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
persuade
to do something: to persuade or influence somebody to do
or think something

2.  transitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY produce
mental or physical state: to cause or bring about a
thought, feeling, or physical condition

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb OBSTETRICS hasten birth of baby:
to make the process of labor or the birth of a baby start by a medical
intervention, usually by administering a drug, before it happens naturally

4.  transitive
verb
LOGIC reason
from observation: to make a statement based on the
observation of facts

5.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS produce
by induction: to produce an electric current or a
magnetic field by induction
[14th century. From Latin inducere
“to lead into, persuade,” from ducere “to lead.”][1]



induceddrag

induceddrag
in·duced
drag
noun

drag created by lift of
aircraft: the drag force created by
the lift of an aircraft[1]



inducement

inducement
in·duce·ment 
[in dssmənt] (plural in·duce·ments)
noun

1.  stimulus
or incentive: something that gives somebody a reason
to do something, especially something that is offered as an incentive

2.  inducing
action:
the act of inducing something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at motive

[1]



induct

induct
in·duct 
[in dúkt] (past in·duct·ed, past
participle in·duct·ed, present participle in·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ducts) transitive verb

1.  formally
admit to office: to install somebody formally in a
position or office

2.  introduce
new ideas to: to introduce somebody to new beliefs,
knowledge, or ideas

3.  enlist
for military service: to formally enlist somebody
for service in the military

4.  See
induce  verb 5
[14th century. From Latin inductus,
past participle of inducere “to lead into” (see induce
).][1]



inductance

inductance
in·duc·tance 
[in dúktənss] (plural in·duc·tances)
noun

1.  property
of electric circuit: the property of an electric
circuit or device whereby an electromotive force is created by a change of
current in it or in a circuit near it. Symbol L

2.  See
inductor  noun 2

[1]



inductee

inductee
in·duct·ee 
[ìn dùk t] (plural in·duct·ees)
noun

1.  military
recruit:
somebody who is enlisted into military service

2.  person
being formally appointed: somebody who is formally
introduced into an organization

[1]



inductile

inductile
in·duc·tile 
[in dúkt’l] adjective

rigid:
not pliable or yielding
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from in- + ductile .]
—in·duc·til·i·ty [ìn dùk tíllətee], noun[1]



induction

induction
in·duc·tion 
[in dúkshən] (plural in·duc·tions)
noun

1.  process
of inducing something: the process of inducing a
state, feeling, or idea

2.  OBSTETRICS process
of hastening baby’s birth: the act or the process of
medically hastening, or inducing, the birth of a baby

3.  act
of inducting somebody: the act or process of
inducting somebody into a position or an organization

4.  LOGIC conclusion
based on evidence: a generalization based on
observed instances, or the making of such generalizations, in the usual working
method of scientists

5.  PHYSICS creation
of electric or magnetic forces: the process by which
electric or magnetic forces are created in a circuit by being in proximity to
an electric or magnetic field or a varying current without physical contact

6.  MILITARY act of
enlisting somebody: the act of formally
enlisting somebody into military service

7.  EMBRYOLOGY process
in development of embryo: the process by which one
part of an embryo affects the development of another, for example, through the
diffusion of hormones.
Also
called
evocation

8.  CHEMISTRY synthesis
of enzyme:
the process by which the production of an enzyme is stimulated by the increased
concentration of the substance it acts on

9.  MATHEMATICS process
of mathematical proof: a process for proving
propositions with variables limited to positive integers by showing that the
smallest instance is true and each following instance is derived from the one
before.
Also
called
mathematical induction
—in·duc·tion·al, adjective[1]



inductioncoil

inductioncoil
in·duc·tion
coil
(plural in·duc·tion coils) noun

transformer:
a transformer that produces an intermittent high-voltage current from a
low-voltage direct current by means of several wire windings and, often, a soft
iron core[1]



inductionheating

inductionheating
in·duc·tion
heat·ing
noun

way to heat metal:
a process for raising the temperature of a metal by inducing an electric
current within it[1]



inductionmotor

inductionmotor
in·duc·tion
mo·tor
(plural in·duc·tion mo·tors) noun

electric motor:
an alternating-current electric motor powered by the interaction of a varying
magnetic field in its windings with the current induced in the rotor[1]



inductive

inductive
in·duc·tive 
[in dúktiv] adjective

1.  PHYSICS of
electric or magnetic induction: involving, operating
by, or caused by electric or magnetic induction

2.  PSYCHOLOGY producing
mental or physical state: relating to the process of
inducing a feeling, idea, or state

3.  LOGIC reaching
a conclusion based on observation: generalizing to
produce a universal claim or principle from observed instances

4.  BIOLOGY affecting
another embryonic part: producing an effect on
another embryonic part by induction
—in·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·duc·tive·ness, noun[1]



inductor

inductor
in·duc·tor 
[in dúktər] (plural in·duc·tors)
noun

1.  agent
of induction: somebody or something that inducts

2.  part
of circuit generating force: a part of an electric
circuit, usually a coil, in which an electromotive force is generated by
inductance.
Also
called
inductance noun 2

3.  component
causing inductance: an electrical or electronic
component designed to cause or work on inductance

[1]



indue

indue
in·due 
(past in·dued, past participle in·dued, present
participle in·du·ing, 3rd person present singular in·dues)
transitive verb

See
endue[1]



indulge

indulge
in·dulge 
[in dúlj] (past in·dulged, past
participle in·dulged, present participle in·dulg·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·dulg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or permit a treat: to allow somebody or
yourself to have or do something enjoyable

2.  intransitive
verb
drink
alcohol:
to permit yourself to drink alcohol, especially to excess (dated informal)

3.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS give
debtor time to pay: to allow a debtor time to pay
a bill
[Early
17th century. From Latin indulgere “to allow space or time for, give
rein to,” of unknown origin.]
—in·dulg·er, noun[1]



indulged

indulged
in·dulged
[in dúljd] adjective

coddled:
pampered, spoiled, or catered to[1]



indulgence

indulgence
in·dul·gence 
[in dúljəns] (plural in·dul·genc·es)
noun

1.  yielding
to somebody’s wish: the gratification of or
yielding to a wish

2.  something
allowed as luxury: something that somebody lets
himself or herself or somebody else have, especially a luxury

3.  tolerant
attitude:
a kind or tolerant attitude toward somebody

4.  CHRISTIANITY remission
of punishment for sin: in Roman Catholicism, a
grant by the pope of partial remission of time to be spent in purgatory or of
some other consequence of a sin. In the Middle Ages, a practice of selling
indulgences grew up.

5.  BUSINESS time
for repayment: time given to a debtor to repay a bill

[1]



indulgent

indulgent
in·dul·gent 
[in dúljənt] adjective

permissive
or kind:
permissive, tolerant, or humoring somebody’s wishes
—in·dul·gent·ly, adverb[1]



indult

indult
in·dult 
[in dúlt] (plural in·dults) noun

CHRISTIANITY papal
dispensation: a dispensation from the pope that allows
a special exception to Roman Catholic church law
[15th century. Via French
from late Latin indultum “grant, concession,” from indultus, past
participle of indulgere “to indulge” (see indulge
).][1]



indumentum

indumentum
in·du·men·tum
[ìndə méntəm, ìndyə
méntəm] (plural in·du·men·ta [ìndyə
méntə] or in·du·men·tums) or in·du·ment [índəmənt, índyəmənt]
(plural in·du·ments) noun

hairy
covering:
a covering of hairs on a plant, or of hair, fur, or feathers on an animal
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
indumentum “garment,” from induere “to put on.”][1]



induplicate

induplicate
in·du·pli·cate 
[in dpli kət, in
dplə kàyt] adjective

folded
inward:
used to describe a bud or leaf that has its edges bent or folded inward, so as
to touch but not overlap
[Early
19th century. Coined from in- + duplicate .]
—in·du·pli·ca·tion [in dpli káysh’n], noun[1]



indurate

indurate
in·du·rate 
intransitive and transitive verb [índə ràyt]
(past in·du·rat·ed, past participle in·du·rat·ed, present
participle in·du·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular in·du·rates)

make
or become hard: to make something hard or to become hard
(literary or technical)
adjective
[índə rət, in
dyrət]

feeling
no compassion: unsympathetic or unfeeling (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin indurat-, past participle stem of indurare
“to make hard,” from durus “hard.”]
—in·du·ra·tive [in drətiv], adjective[1]



induration

induration
in·du·ra·tion 
[ìndə ráysh’n] (plural in·du·ra·tions)
noun

1.  hardening:
the process of hardening something or of becoming hard (literary or
technical)

2.  GEOLOGY hardening
of geological sediment: the process by which a soft
geological sediment becomes hard

3.  MEDICINE hardness
in body tissue: a hardness in body tissue, especially a
tumor

[1]



Indus

Indus2
In·dus2  [índəss]
noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a faint constellation
visible in the Southern Hemisphere[1]



indus.

indus.
indus.

1.  Abbreviation
of
industrial

2.  Abbreviation
of
industry

[1]



Indus

Indus1
In·dus1  [índəss]

river in Asia. It rises in
western Tibet and flows northwest across Jammu and Kashmir and then southwest
through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Length: 2,900 km/1,800 mi.[1]



indusium

indusium
in·du·si·um 
[in dzhee əm, in
dzee əm] (plural in·du·si·a [in
dzee ə]) noun

1.  BOTANY protective
covering:
a membrane on the underside of a fern leaf that protects developing spores

2.  BIOLOGY protecting
and covering membrane: an enveloping protective
membrane
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “tunic,” from induere “to put on (a
garment).”]
—in·du·si·al [in dzh’l, in dzee əl],
adjective[1]



industrial

industrial
in·dus·tri·al 
[in dústree əl] adjective

1.  of
industry:
relating to, used in, or created by industry

2.  with
many developed industries: having a large quantity of
highly developed industries

3.  of
industry’s work force: relating to or involving
workers in industry
noun
(plural in·dus·tri·als)

manufacturing company:
a company or employee engaged in an industry, especially manufacturing
plural
noun
in·dus·tri·als

shares in industrial companies:
the shares and interest-bearing securities of industrial companies
—in·dus·tri·al·ly, adverb[1]



industrialaccident

industrialaccident
in·dus·tri·al
ac·ci·dent
noun

on-the-job mishap:
an accident, often causing serious injury, that is job-related in that it
usually happens on a work site, for example, a factory floor or a construction
site[1]



industrialaction

industrialaction
in·dus·tri·al
ac·tion
noun

U.K.
See job action[1]



industrialarcheology

industrialarcheology
in·dus·tri·al
ar·che·ol·o·gy noun

study of past industries:
the study of sites, buildings, and equipment used by industries in the past[1]



industrialarts

industrialarts
in·dus·tri·al
arts
noun

education in industrial
skills: a branch of education that
develops the skills needed by workers in industry (takes a singular verb)[1]



industrialdesign

industrialdesign
in·dus·tri·al
de·sign
noun

design for manufacture:
the art of designing the shape, size, or appearance of manufactured objects[1]



industrialdisease

industrialdisease
in·dus·tri·al
dis·ease
(plural in·dus·tri·al dis·eases) noun

disease caused by working
conditions: a disease affecting people
as a result of the work they do.
Also called
job-related illness[1]



industrialengineering

industrialengineering
in·dus·tri·al
en·gi·neer·ing noun

design of industrial
operations: the study and practice of
designing industrial operations[1]



industrialespionage

industrialespionage
in·dus·tri·al
es·pi·o·nage noun

theft of trade secrets:
the secret removal, copying, or recording of confidential or valuable
information in a company for use by a rival concern or a competitor[1]



industrialestate

industrialestate
in·dus·tri·al
es·tate
(plural in·dus·tri·al es·tates) noun

U.K.
See industrial park[1]



industrialism

industrialism
in·dus·tri·al·ism 
[in dústree ə lìzzəm] noun

organization of society
around industry: the organization of an
economy or a society around extensive manufacturing, rather than around
agriculture, the production of handicrafts, or commerce[1]



industrialist

industrialist
in·dus·tri·al·ist 
[in dústree əlist] (plural in·dus·tri·al·ists)
noun

owner or top manager in
industry: somebody who owns or
controls an industrial concern, or has a major share in one[1]



industrialization

industrialization
in·dus·tri·al·i·za·tion
[in dùstree əli záysh’n] noun

adoption of industrial
methods: the adoption of industrial
methods of production and manufacturing by a country or group, with all the
associated changes in lifestyle, transport, and other aspects of society[1]



industrialize

industrialize
in·dus·tri·al·ize 
[in dústree ə lz] (past in·dus·tri·al·ized,
past participle in·dus·tri·al·ized, present participle in·dus·tri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dus·tri·al·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

change to industrial methods:
to adapt a country or group to industrial methods of production and
manufacturing, across a wide area, with all the accompanying social changes, or
to be adapted in this way[1]



industrialmelanism

industrialmelanism
in·dus·tri·al
mel·a·nism
noun

environmentally-induced dark
coloration: the increase in the numbers
of animals, especially moths, with dark coloration in places where industries
create a lot of black smoke and predators more easily feed on lighter
individuals[1]



industrialpark

industrialpark
in·dus·tri·al
park
(plural in·dus·tri·al parks) noun

Australia,
U.S. special area for factories
and businesses: a large area of land
where factories and businesses are concentrated in accordance with local zoning
policy.
U.K. term
industrial estate[1]



industrialpsychology

industrialpsychology
in·dus·tri·al
psy·chol·o·gy noun

study
of workplace behaviour: the study of human behavior
and attitudes in the workplace.
Also
called
organizational psychology
—in·dus·tri·al
psy·chol·o·gist, noun[1]



industrialrelations

industrialrelations
in·dus·tri·al
re·la·tions
plural noun

1.  links
between workers and managers: the relationship between
management and employees in an industrial company

2.  relations
between organized management and labor: the
relations and procedures between employers’ organizations and labor unions that
are institutionalized in an industrial society

[1]



IndustrialRevolution

IndustrialRevolution
In·dus·tri·al
Rev·o·lu·tion noun

change to industrial methods
of production: the social and economic
changes in Great Britain, Europe, and the United States that began in the
second half of the 18th century and involved widespread adoption of industrial
methods of production. The specialization of tasks, the concentration of capital,
and the centralization of work forces were important aspects of these changes,
which first affected Great Britain.[1]



industrialsociology

industrialsociology
in·dus·tri·al
so·ci·ol·o·gy noun

study of human interactions
in industry: the study of
relationships and structures in industrial organizations[1]



industrial-strength

industrial-strength
in·dus·tri·al-strength
adjective

very strong or powerful:
used to describe materials or chemicals that are strong or of a quality
suitable for use in industry[1]



industrialunion

industrialunion
in·dus·tri·al
un·ion
(plural in·dus·tri·al un·ions) noun

union of workers in an
industry: a labor union made up of
workers with different occupations who are all employed in one industry.
Also called
vertical union[1]



IndustrialWorkers of the World

IndustrialWorkers of the World
In·dus·tri·al
Work·ers of the World noun

international labor union:
an international labor union with socialist aims that was founded in the United
States in 1905 and lost influence after the 1920s[1]



industrious

industrious
in·dus·tri·ous 
[in dústree əss] adjective

working
diligently:
hard-working, conscientious, and energetic
—in·dus·tri·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·dus·tri·ous·ness, noun[1]



industry

industry
in·dus·try 
[índəstree] (plural in·dus·tries)
noun

1.  large-scale
production:
organized economic activity connected with the production, manufacture, or
construction of a particular product or range of products

2.  widespread
activity:
an activity that many people are involved in, especially one that has become
excessively commercialized or standardized • the
counseling industry

3.  hard
work:
diligent hard work (formal or literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French industrie from Latin industria “diligence,” from industrius
“diligent,” literally “building in,” from assumed -struus “building.”][1]



industry-wide

industry-wide
in·dus·try-wide
adjective

affecting an industry as a
whole: cutting across an entire
field of commercial activity[1]



IndusValley Civilization

IndusValley Civilization
In·dus
Val·ley Civ·i·li·za·tion noun

earliest South Asian
civilization: a Bronze-Age
civilization that flourished in the lower Indus River Valley, mainly in
present-day Pakistan and northern India, from about 2500 to 1700 B.C. It was the earliest known
civilization in South Asia and, with Mesopotamia and Egypt, one of the earliest
anywhere in the world.[1]



indwell

indwell
in·dwell 
[in dwél] (past in·dwelled, past
participle in·dwelled, present participle in·dwell·ing,
3rd person present singular in·dwells) intransitive and
transitive verb

be
within somebody or something: to inhabit, infuse, or abide
within a person, community, or place (literary)
[14th
century. Formed from in- + dwell .]
—in·dwell·er, noun[1]



-ine

-ine
-ine
suffix

of,
relating to, made of • crystalline
• murrhine
[Directly or via Old French
from Latin -inus and, ultimately, Greek -inos][1]



inebriant

inebriant
in·e·bri·ant 
[i nbree ənt] (plural in·e·bri·ants)
noun

cause
of drunkenness: something that causes drunkenness or
intoxication
[Early 19th century. Formed
from inebriate, on the model of intoxicant .][1]



inebriate

inebriate
in·e·bri·ate 
transitive verb [i nbree àyt] (past
in·e·bri·at·ed, past participle in·e·bri·at·ed, present
participle in·e·bri·at·ing, 3rd person present singular in·e·bri·ates)

1.  make
intoxicated: to cause somebody to become drunk or
intoxicated

2.  excite:
to make somebody excited or exhilarated (formal)
noun
[i nbree ət] (plural in·e·bri·ates)

intoxicated person:
somebody who is drunk or intoxicated (archaic or literary)
adjective
[i nbree ət]

intoxicated: drunk
or intoxicated (archaic or literary)
[15th
century. From Latin inebriatus, past participle of inebriare,
literally “to make drunk in,” from ebriare “to make drunk,” from ebrius
“drunk.”]
—in·e·bri·a·tion
[i nbree áysh’n], noun

—in·e·bri·e·ty [ìnnee br ətee], noun[1]



inebriated

inebriated
in·e·bri·at·ed 
[i nbree àytəd] adjective

intoxicated:
drunk or intoxicated (formal)[1]



inedible

inedible
in·ed·i·ble 
[in éddəb’l] adjective

unfit
to eat:
unfit for consumption as food
—in·ed·i·bil·i·ty
[in èddə bíllətee], noun

—in·ed·i·bly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at eatable.

[1]



inedited

inedited
in·ed·it·ed
[in éddətəd] adjective

not
edited:
not having been edited or published
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from in- + edit
+ -ed .][1]



ineducable

ineducable
in·ed·u·ca·ble 
[in éjjəkəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being educated: impossible to educate (archaic)
—in·ed·u·ca·bil·i·ty [in èjjəkə bíllətee], noun[1]



ineffable

ineffable
in·ef·fa·ble 
[in éffəb’l] adjective

indescribable:
incapable of being expressed in words (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin ineffabilis “unutterable,”
from, ultimately, effari “to speak out,” from fari “to speak”
(source of English fable ).]
—in·ef·fa·bil·i·ty
[in èffə bíllətee], noun

—in·ef·fa·bly [in éffəblee], adverb[1]



ineffaceable

ineffaceable
in·ef·face·a·ble 
[ìnnə fáyssəb’l] adjective

not
erasable:
incapable of being erased or removed (formal)
—in·ef·face·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnnə fayssə bíllətee], noun

—in·ef·face·a·bly [ìnnə fáyssəblee], adverb[1]



ineffective

ineffective
in·ef·fec·tive 
[ìnnə féktiv] adjective

1.  not
producing desired result: not producing the desired
result or effect

2.  lacking
competence:
incompetent or inept
—in·ef·fec·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ef·fec·tive·ness, noun[1]



ineffectual

ineffectual
in·ef·fec·tu·al 
[ìnnə fék choo əl] adjective

1.  incompetent
or indecisive: not competent, decisive, or
authoritative enough to achieve desired aims

2.  incapable
of generating desired outcome: not able to produce a
satisfactory outcome
—in·ef·fec·tu·al·i·ty
[ìnnə fek choo állətee], noun

—in·ef·fec·tu·al·ly
[ìnnə fék choo əlee], adverb

—in·ef·fec·tu·al·ness
[ìnnə fek choo əlnəss], noun[1]



inefficacious

inefficacious
in·ef·fi·ca·cious 
[in èffi káyshəss] adjective

not
helpful:
not having a positive or useful effect (formal)
—in·ef·fi·ca·cious·ly,
adverb

—in·ef·fi·ca·cious·ness,
noun

—in·ef·fi·cac·i·ty
[ìnnefi kássətee], noun

—in·ef·fi·ca·cy [in éffikəssee], noun[1]



inefficient

inefficient
in·ef·fi·cient
[ìnnə físh’nt] adjective

badly
organized:
performing tasks in a way that is not organized or fails to make the best use
of something, especially time
—in·ef·fi·cien·cy (plural
in·ef·fi·cien·cies), noun[1]



inelastic

inelastic
in·e·las·tic
[ìnnə lástik] adjective

1.  not
stretchy:
unable to return quickly to its original shape and size after being bent,
stretched, or squashed

2.  not
easily changed: unable to incorporate changes or adapt
to new circumstances easily

3.  PHYSICS not
affecting translational kinetic energy: used
to describe a collision that does not lead to an overall loss of translational
kinetic energy

4.  ECONOMICS insensitive
to price changes: used to describe supply or demand that
is not affected by fluctuations in price

[1]



inelegant

inelegant
in·el·e·gant
[in élləgənt] adjective

1.  unstylish:
lacking grace, sophistication and good taste in appearance or behavior

2.  lacking
precision:
unnecessarily complicated or long
—in·el·e·gance, noun[1]



ineligible

ineligible
in·el·i·gi·ble
[in éllijəb’l] adjective

not
eligible:
not legally entitled or qualified to do, be, or get something
—in·el·i·gi·bil·i·ty [in èllijə bíllətee], noun[1]



ineluctable

ineluctable
in·e·luc·ta·ble
[ìnni lúktəb’l] adjective

unavoidable:
unable to be escaped from or avoided (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin ineluctabilis, from in “not” + eluctari
“struggle out of.”]
—in·e·luc·ta·bil·i·ty
[ìnni lùktə bíllətee], noun

—in·e·luc·ta·bly [ìnni lúktəblee], adverb[1]



inept

inept
in·ept 
[i népt] adjective

1.  unable
to handle job: lacking the competence or skill for a
particular task

2.  totally
inappropriate: not in keeping with what is right or
proper for the circumstances
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin ineptus, literally “not suitable,” from aptus
(see apt ).]
—in·ep·ti·tude,
noun

—in·ept·ly,
adverb

—in·ept·ness, noun[1]



inequable

inequable
in·eq·ua·ble
[in ékwəb’l] adjective

unfair:
not fair or uniform
[Early 18th century. From
Latin inaequabilis, from aequabilis “equable” (see equable ).][1]



inequality

inequality
in·e·qual·i·ty 
[ìnnə kwáwlətee] (plural in·e·qual·i·ties)
noun

1.  difference
in status:
social or economic disparity between people or groups

2.  lack
of equal treatment: unequal opportunity or
treatment based on social or economic disparity

3.  state
of being unequal: the condition or an instance of not
being equal

4.  MATHEMATICS statement
indicating unequal quantities: a mathematical
statement indicating that two quantities are not equal, represented by the
symbols <, >, and ≠, meaning less than, greater than, and not equal to.
An unconditional inequality is one that is true for all values of a variable,
while a conditional inequality is false for some values of a variable.

5.  unevenness
on surface:
variability or unevenness in the surface of something
[15th century. From Old
French inequalité, from, ultimately, Latin aequalis (see equal ).][1]



inequitable

inequitable
in·eq·ui·ta·ble 
[in ékwitəb’l] adjective

unfair:
showing bias or favoritism
—in·eq·ui·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—in·eq·ui·ta·bly, adverb[1]



inequity

inequity
in·eq·ui·ty 
[in ékwitee] (plural in·eq·ui·ties)
noun

1.  unfair
treatment:
lack of fairness or justice (formal)

2.  unfair
situation or action: a situation or action that
is not fair

[1]



inequivalve

inequivalve
in·eq·ui·valve 
[in ékwi vàlv, in
kwi vàlv] or in·eq·ui·valv·ed [in
ékwi vàlvd, in kwi vàlvd] adjective

with
unequal valves: used to describe a bivalve mollusk whose
valves are unequal in size or form
[Late 18th century. Coined
from in- + equi-
+ valve .][1]



ineradicable

ineradicable
in·e·rad·i·ca·ble 
[ìnnə ráddikəb’l] adjective

impossible
to remove:
impossible to get rid of
—in·e·rad·i·ca·bil·i·ty
[ìnnə raddikə bíllətee], noun

—in·e·rad·i·ca·ble·ness
[ìnnə ráddikəb’lnəss], noun

—in·e·rad·i·ca·bly, adverb[1]



inerrant

inerrant
in·er·rant 
[in érrənt] adjective

1.  incapable
of mistakes: incapable of making a mistake (literary)

2.  correct:
containing no mistakes
[Mid-17th
century. From the Latin stem inerrant-, literally “not wandering,” from errare
(see err ).]
—in·er·ran·cy, noun[1]



inert

inert
in·ert 
[i núrt] adjective

1.  motionless:
not moving or able to move

2.  nonreactive:
not readily changed by chemical or biological reaction

3.  sluggish
or unmotivated: lacking in energy or motivation
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin inert-, the stem of iners, literally “having
no skill,” from ars “skill, art.” The underlying meaning is “useless,
ineffective.”]
—in·ert·ly,
adverb

—in·ert·ness, noun[1]



inertgas

inertgas
in·ert
gas
(plural in·ert gas·es) noun

See
noble gas[1]



inertia

inertia
in·er·tia 
[i núrshə] noun

1.  apathy:
inability or unwillingness to move or act

2.  resistance
to change:
the property of a body by which it remains at rest or continues moving in a
straight line unless acted upon by a directional force
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “lack of skill, inactivity,” formed from iners
(see inert ).]
—in·er·tial,
adjective

—in·er·tial·ly, adverb[1]



inertialconfinement fusion

inertialconfinement fusion
in·er·tial
con·fine·ment fu·sion noun

NUCLEAR
PHYSICS type
of nuclear fusion: nuclear
fusion achieved by firing high-energy lasers or particle beams at small
pellets, typically containing deuterium and sometimes also tritium.
Also called
inertial confinement
Also called
inertial fusion[1]



inertialguidance

inertialguidance
in·er·tial
guid·ance
or in·er·tial nav·i·ga·tion noun

navigation system:
navigation by conversion of the accelerations experienced into distances and
directions. It is used on aircraft, spacecraft, or missiles that use devices
such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, and computers to calculate and adjust
course.[1]



inescapable

inescapable
in·es·cap·a·ble 
[ìnnə skáypəb’l] adjective

inevitable:
impossible to avoid
—in·es·cap·a·bly, adverb[1]



inesse

inesse
in
es·se 
[in éssee] adjective

real:
having actual existence as opposed to potential existence
[From Latin, literally “in
existence”][1]



inessential

inessential
in·es·sen·tial 
[ìnnə sénshəl] adjective

1.  not
essential:
not absolutely necessary

2.  without
essence:
without substance or being
noun
(plural in·es·sen·tials)

something inessential:
something that is unnecessary
—in·es·sen·ti·al·i·ty
[ìnnə senshee állətee], noun[1]



inessive

inessive
in·es·sive 
[in éssiv] noun

case
of nouns in Finnish: in the grammar of languages
such as Finnish, a case of nouns and pronouns used to indicate the location of
something
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin inesse “to be in or at,” from esse “to be.”][1]



inestimable

inestimable
in·es·ti·ma·ble 
[in éstiməb’l] adjective

1.  incalculable:
too great to calculate its extent, magnitude, or amount

2.  invaluable:
of such great worth that a value cannot be placed upon it
[14th
century. Via French from Latin inaestimabilis, literally “not
calculable,” from aestimare (see estimate
).]
—in·es·ti·ma·bil·i·ty
[in èstimə bíllətee], noun

—in·es·ti·ma·ble·ness
[in éstiməb’lnəss], noun

—in·es·ti·ma·bly, adverb[1]



inevitable

inevitable
in·ev·i·ta·ble 
[in évvitəb’l] adjective

unavoidable:
impossible to avoid or to prevent from happening
noun

something
certain:
something that is certain to happen
[15th
century. From Latin inevitabilis, literally “not avoidable,” from evitare
“to shun.”]
—in·ev·i·ta·bil·i·ty
[in èvvitə bíllətee], noun

—in·ev·i·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—in·ev·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



inexact

inexact
in·ex·act 
[ìnnig zákt] adjective

1.  not
precise:
not entirely accurate

2.  slapdash:
not thorough or careful
—in·ex·act·i·tude,
noun

—in·ex·act·ly,
adverb

—in·ex·act·ness, noun[1]



inexcusable

inexcusable
in·ex·cus·a·ble 
[ìnnik skyzəb’l] adjective

unpardonable:
impossible to pardon or justify
[15th
century. From Latin inexcusabilis, literally “not excusable,” from excusare
(see excuse ).]
—in·ex·cus·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnnik skyoozə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·cus·a·ble·ness
[ìnnik skyzəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·cus·a·bly, adverb[1]



inexhaustible

inexhaustible
in·ex·haust·i·ble 
[ìnnig zóstəb’l] adjective

1.  everlasting:
impossible to use up

2.  not
getting tired: showing no sign of tiring
—in·ex·haust·i·bil·i·ty
[ìnnig zostə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·haust·i·ble·ness
[ìnnig zóstəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·haust·i·bly, adverb[1]



inexistent

inexistent
in·ex·is·tent
[ìnnig zíst’nt] adjective

not
existing:
not in existence
[Mid-16th century. Via the
late Latin stem inexistent- from, ultimately, Latin existere (see
exist ).][1]



inexorable

inexorable
in·ex·o·ra·ble 
[in éksərəb’l] adjective

1.  unstoppable:
impossible to stop (formal)

2.  adamant
and pitiless: not moved by anyone’s attempts to plead
or persuade
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin exorare “to prevail upon,”
from orare “to pray” (see oration ).]
—in·ex·o·ra·bil·i·ty
[in èksərə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·o·ra·ble·ness
[in éksərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·o·ra·bly, adverb[1]



inexpedient

inexpedient
in·ex·pe·di·ent 
[ìnnik spdee ənt] adjective

1.  inconvenient:
not convenient or practical

2.  inadvisable:
not recommended or prudent (formal)
—in·ex·pe·di·ence,
noun

—in·ex·pe·di·ent·ly, adverb[1]



inexpensive

inexpensive
in·ex·pen·sive 
[ìnnik spénsiv] adjective

cheap:
not costing much money
—in·ex·pen·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·ex·pen·sive·ness, noun[1]



inexperience

inexperience
in·ex·pe·ri·ence 
[ìnnik spree əns] noun

1.  lack
of experience: the lack of skills or knowledge that
people learn over a period of time

2.  lack
of sophistication: lack of sophistication about
worldly ways
[Late
16th century. Via French from late Latin inexperientia, literally “lack
of experience,” from Latin experientia (see experience
).]
—in·ex·pe·ri·enced, adjective[1]



inexpert

inexpert
in·ex·pert 
[in ékspərt] adjective

without
skill:
lacking in skill or experience
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin inexpertus, literally “not
experienced,” from expertus, the past participle of experiri (see
experience ).]
—in·ex·pert·ly,
adverb

—in·ex·pert·ness, noun[1]



inexpiable

inexpiable
in·ex·pi·a·ble 
[in ékspee əb’l] adjective

unpardonable:
so bad that it cannot be atoned for
[15th
century. From Latin inexpiabilis “that cannot be atoned for,” from expiare
(see expiate ).]
—in·ex·pi·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·ex·pi·a·bly, adverb[1]



inexplainable

inexplainable
in·ex·plain·a·ble 
[ìnnik spláynəb’l] adjective

inexplicable:
impossible to explain[1]



inexplicable

inexplicable
in·ex·pli·ca·ble 
[ìnnik splíkəb’l, in
éksplikəb’l] adjective

incomprehensible:
incapable of being explained or justified
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin inexplicabilis, from explicare
(see explicate ).]
—in·ex·pli·ca·bil·i·ty
[ìnnik splikə bíllətee, in èksplikə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·pli·ca·ble·ness
[ìnnik splíkəb’lnəss, in éksplikəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·pli·ca·bly, adverb[1]



inexplicit

inexplicit
in·ex·plic·it 
[ìnnik splíssit] adjective

not made clear:
not expressed or shown fully, openly, and unambiguously[1]



inexpressible

inexpressible
in·ex·press·i·ble 
[ìnnik spréssəb’l] adjective

indescribable:
impossible to put into words
—in·ex·press·i·bil·i·ty
[ìnnik spressə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·press·i·ble·ness
[ìnnik spréssəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·press·i·bly, adverb[1]



inexpressive

inexpressive
in·ex·pres·sive 
[ìnnik spréssiv] adjective

emotionless:
conveying no feeling
—in·ex·pres·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·ex·pres·sive·ness,
noun[1]



inexpugnable

inexpugnable
in·ex·pug·na·ble 
[ìnnik spynəb’l] adjective

1.  impregnable:
impossible to take by force

2.  unbeatable:
impossible to overcome
[15th
century. Via French from Latin inexpugnabilis, from expugnare,
literally “to fight off,” from pugnare “to fight.”]
—in·ex·pug·na·bil·i·ty
[ìnnik spyoonə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·pug·na·ble·ness
[ìnnik spynəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·pug·na·bly, adverb[1]



inexpungible

inexpungible
in·ex·pun·gi·ble
[ìnnik spúnjəb’l] adjective

unremoveable:
impossible to remove or cancel out[1]



inextensible

inextensible
in·ex·ten·si·ble 
[ìnnik sténsəb’l] adjective

impossible
to extend:
impossible to stretch to a greater length
—in·ex·ten·si·bil·i·ty
[ìnnik sténsə bíllətee], noun[1]



inextenso

inextenso
in
ex·ten·so 
[ìnnik sténsō] adverb

in
full:
at its full length • quote a passage in
extenso
[From Latin, literally “at a
stretch”][1]



inextinguishable

inextinguishable
in·ex·tin·guish·a·ble 
[ìnnik stíng gwishəb’l] adjective

impossible
to put out:
impossible to extinguish or suppress
—in·ex·tin·guish·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·ex·tin·guish·a·bly,
adverb[1]



inextirpable

inextirpable
in·ex·tir·pa·ble 
[ìnnik stúrpəb’l] adjective

impossible
to eradicate: impossible to remove or destroy (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin inex(s)tirpabilis, from ex(s)tirpare
(see extirpate ).]
—in·ex·tir·pa·ble·ness,
noun[1]



inextremis

inextremis
in
ex·tre·mis 
[ìn ik strmiss] adverb

in
desperate circumstances: in desperate circumstances,
especially at the point of death
adjective

near
death:
on the point of death
[From Latin, literally “in
the extremes”][1]



inextricable

inextricable
in·ex·tri·ca·ble 
[in ékstrikəb’l, ìnnik
stríkəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to escape from: impossible to get free from

2.  impossible
to disentangle: impossible to unentangle or undo

3.  hopelessly
complex:
hopelessly involved or complex
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inextricabilis “that cannot be disentangled,” from extricare
(see extricate ).]
—in·ex·tri·ca·bil·i·ty
[in èkstrikə bíllətee, ìnnik strikə bíllətee], noun

—in·ex·tri·ca·ble·ness
[in ékstrikəb’lnəss, ìnnik stríkəb’lnəss], noun

—in·ex·tri·ca·bly, adverb[1]



INF

INF
INF
noun

Abbreviation of
intermediate-range nuclear forces[1]



inf.

inf.
inf.

1.  Abbreviation
of
infantry

2.  Abbreviation
of
inferior

3.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of infield

4.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of infielder

5.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of infinitive

6.  Abbreviation
of
infinity

7.  Abbreviation
of
informal

8.  Abbreviation
of
information

9.  Abbreviation
of
infra

[1]



Inf.

Inf.
Inf.

Abbreviation of
infantry[1]



infallible

infallible
in·fal·li·ble 
[in fálləb’l] adjective

1.  not
erring:
incapable of making a mistake

2.  incapable
of failing:
certain not to fail

3.  RELIGION unerring
in doctrine: incapable of being mistaken in matters
of doctrine and dogma
[15th
century. From medieval Latin infallibilis, from Latin fallere “to
deceive, disappoint” (source of English fail
).]
—in·fal·li·bil·i·ty
[in fàllə bíllətee], noun

—in·fal·li·ble·ness
[in fálləb’lnəss], noun

—in·fal·li·bly, adverb[1]



infamous

infamous
in·fa·mous 
[ínfəməss] adjective

1.  notorious:
having an extremely bad reputation

2.  abominable:
so bad as to earn somebody an extremely bad reputation

3.  LAW punishable
by a serious penalty: punishable by imprisonment
or loss of civil rights

4.  LAW convicted
of infamous crime: convicted of an infamous
crime
[14th
century. From medieval Latin infamosus, a variant of Latin infamis
“of ill repute,” literally “having no fame,” from fama (see fame ).]
—in·fa·mous·ly,
adverb

—in·fa·mous·ness, noun[1]



infamy

infamy
in·fa·my 
[ínfəmee] (plural in·fa·mies) noun

1.  notoriety:
the disgrace to somebody’s reputation caused by an infamous act or behavior

2.  shameful
or criminal conduct: shameful or criminal conduct
or character

3.  evil
deed:
a publicly known infamous act or event

4.  LAW loss
of rights or imprisonment: punishment incurred by being
convicted of an infamous crime
[15th century. From French infamie,
from, ultimately, Latin infamis (see infamous
).][1]



infancy

infancy
in·fan·cy 
[ínfənsee] noun

1.  babyhood:
the condition or time of childhood before a baby walks or talks

2.  beginning:
an early stage of development for an idea, project, or enterprise

3.  LAW time
of being minor: the condition or time in which a young
person is not legally considered an adult

[1]



infant

infant
in·fant 
[ínfənt] noun (plural in·fants)

1.  baby:
a very young child that can neither walk nor talk

2.  LAW legal
minor:
a young person legally considered a minor
adjective

just beginning:
in an early stage of development
[14th
century. Via French enfant from, ultimately, Latin infans,
literally “not speaking,” from fari “to speak.”]
—in·fant·hood, noun[1]



infanta

infanta
in·fan·ta 
[in fántə, in
fntə] (plural in·fan·tas) noun

1.  Spanish
or Portuguese princess: in the past, the daughter of
a Spanish or Portuguese king

2.  infante’s
wife:
the wife of an infante
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish and Portuguese, feminine of infante (see infante ).][1]



infante

infante
in·fan·te 
[in fán tày] (plural in·fan·tes)
noun

Spanish
or Portuguese prince: in the past, a son, other
than the heir to the throne, of a Spanish or Portuguese king, especially the
second son
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese from Latin infans “child” (see infant ).][1]



infanticide

infanticide
in·fan·ti·cide 
[in fántə sd] (plural in·fan·ti·cides)
noun

1.  murder
of infant:
the killing of an infant

2.  killing
of babies:
the practice of killing newborn babies

3.  killer
of infant:
somebody who kills an infant
—in·fan·ti·cid·al [in fàntə sīd’l], adjective[1]



infantile

infantile
in·fan·tile 
[ínfən tl] adjective

1.  childish:
showing a lack of maturity

2.  relating
to infants:
relating to infants or infancy

3.  GEOGRAPHY in
first stage of erosion: in the earliest stage of
erosion
—in·fan·til·i·ty [ìnfən tíllətee], noun[1]



infantileparalysis

infantileparalysis
in·fan·tile
pa·ral·y·sis noun

polio:
poliomyelitis (dated)[1]



infantilism

infantilism
in·fan·til·ism 
[ínfənt’l ìzzəm, in
fánt’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  sexual
and emotional underdevelopment: a condition of mental
or physical underdevelopment, in which a person fails to mature sexually and
emotionally

2.  childish
behavior:
childish or immature behavior

[1]



infantilize

infantilize
in·fan·til·ize 
[ínfənt’l z, in
fánt’l z] (past in·fan·til·ized, past participle in·fan·til·ized,
present participle in·fan·til·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·fan·til·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  keep
from maturing: to make somebody infantile or to keep
somebody in an infantile state

2.  treat
as a baby:
to treat somebody as or consider somebody to be infantile
—in·fan·til·i·za·tion
[ìnfənt’li záysh’n, in
fànt’li záysh’n], noun[1]



infantmortality rate

infantmortality rate
in·fant
mor·tal·i·ty rate (plural in·fant mor·tal·i·ty
rates) noun

rate of infant deaths:
the number of deaths during the first year of life per thousand live births[1]



infantry

infantry
in·fan·try 
[ínfəntree] (plural in·fan·tries)
noun

foot
soldiers:
the soldiers or a unit of soldiers who are trained to fight on foot
[Late 16th century. From
French infanterie, from, ultimately, Italian infante “youth, foot
soldier,” from Latin infans (see infant
).][1]



infantryman

infantryman
in·fan·try·man 
[ínfəntrimən] (plural in·fan·try·men
[ínfəntrimən]) noun

infantry soldier:
a soldier in the infantry[1]



infantschool

infantschool
in·fant
school
(plural in·fant schools) noun

U.K.
school for young children:
a school, or part of a school, for children between the ages of four or five
and seven. This is the first stage of compulsory education in the U.K.[1]



infarct

infarct
in·farct 
[ín frkt, in
frkt] (plural in·farcts) noun

dead
tissue:
an area of tissue that has recently died as a result of the sudden loss of its
blood supply, for example, following blockage of an artery by a blood clot.
Also
called
infarction
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin infarctus, from the past participle stem of Latin infarcire,
literally “to cram in,” from farcire “to stuff.”][1]



infarction

infarction
in·farc·tion 
[ín frkshən, in
frkshən] (plural in·farc·tions) noun

1.  infarct
formation:
the formation of an infarct

2.  See
infarct

[1]



infatuate

infatuate
in·fat·u·ate 
[in fáchoo àyt] (past in·fat·u·at·ed,
past participle in·fat·u·at·ed, present participle in·fat·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fat·u·ates) transitive verb

make
somebody irrational: to make somebody behave
irrationally as a result of a great, often temporary passion for somebody or
something
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
infatuat-, the past participle stem of infatuare, literally “to
make foolish,” from fatuus “foolish” (source of English fatuous ).][1]



infatuated

infatuated
in·fat·u·at·ed 
[in fáchoo àytəd] adjective

1.  hopelessly
in love:
preoccupied with and foolishly in love with somebody

2.  passionate
about something: utterly captivated and obsessed by
something
—in·fat·u·at·ed·ly, adverb[1]



infatuation

infatuation
in·fat·u·a·tion 
[in fàchoo áysh’n] (plural in·fat·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  thoughtless
passion:
a great, often temporary, and irrational passion for somebody or something

2.  object
of somebody’s infatuation: the person or object that
somebody is infatuated with

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at love

[1]



infauna

infauna
in·fau·na 
[in fáwnə] plural noun

creatures
living under sea floor: organisms that live in tubes
or burrows beneath the surface of the sea floor
[Early
20th century. Coined from in- + fauna .]
—in·fau·nal, adjective[1]



infeasible

infeasible
in·fea·si·ble 
[in fzəb’l] adjective

impracticable:
not practical or easily achieved
—in·fea·si·bil·i·ty
[ìn fzə bíllətee], noun

—in·fea·si·ble·ness
[in fzəb’lnəss], noun

—in·fea·si·bly, adverb[1]



infect

infect
in·fect 
[in fékt] (past in·fect·ed, past
participle in·fect·ed, present participle in·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fects) transitive verb

1.  cause
infection in: to contaminate or cause infection in
somebody or something with a disease-producing agent

2.  cause
communicable disease in: to give somebody a
communicable disease

3.  enter
person or animal: to invade and live in the body of a
person or animal (refers to microorganisms or endoparasites)

4.  affect:
to corrupt or adversely affect somebody or something

5.  influence
somebody’s feelings: to communicate an emotion
such as enthusiasm or fear to somebody

6.  COMPUTING contaminate
computer with virus: to copy to a computer system
a computer virus that is capable of damaging the system’s programs or data
[14th
century. From Latin infect-, the past participle stem of inficere
“to stain, dye,” literally “to dip in,” from facere “to do, put.”]
—in·fect·ed,
adjective

—in·fec·tor, noun[1]



infection

infection
in·fec·tion 
[in fékshən] (plural in·fec·tions)
noun

1.  state
of being infected: the reproduction and
proliferation of microorganisms within the body

2.  infecting
of others:
the transmission of infectious microorganisms from one person to another

3.  infecting
microorganism: an infecting microorganism or agent

4.  disease:
a communicable disease

5.  moral
corruption:
something that corrupts somebody morally

6.  transmission
of feelings: the communication of emotions or
attitudes between people

[1]



infectious

infectious
in·fec·tious 
[in fékshəss] adjective

1.  communicable:
used to describe a disease that is capable of being passed from one person to
another

2.  caused
by bacteria: caused by bacteria, viruses, or other
microorganisms

3.  causing
infection:
bringing about infection

4.  affecting
feelings of others: capable of affecting the
emotions and attitudes of others • an
infectious laugh
—in·fec·tious·ly,
adverb

—in·fec·tious·ness, noun[1]



infectioushepatitis

infectioushepatitis
in·fec·tious
hep·a·ti·tis  noun

See
hepatitis A[1]



infectiousmononucleosis

infectiousmononucleosis
in·fec·tious
mon·o·nu·cle·o·sis noun

acute viral disease:
an acute infectious disease caused by Epstein-Barr virus, producing fever,
swelling of the lymph nodes, sore throat, and increased lymphocytes in the
blood.
Also called
glandular fever
Also called
mononucleosis[1]



infective

infective
in·fec·tive 
[in féktiv] adjective

1.  capable
of infecting: capable of producing an infection

2.  affecting
feelings:
capable of affecting the emotions and attitudes of others
—in·fec·tive·ness,
noun

—in·fec·tiv·i·ty [ìn fek tívvətee], noun[1]



infelicitous

infelicitous
in·fe·lic·i·tous 
[ìnfə líssətəss] adjective

unfitting:
inappropriate to the situation or purpose
—in·fe·lic·i·tous·ly, adverb[1]



infelicity

infelicity
in·fe·lic·i·ty 
[ìnfə líssətee] (plural in·fe·lic·i·ties)
noun

1.  inappropriateness:
the inappropriateness of something, especially an expression, to a particular
situation

2.  something
inappropriate: something inappropriate to a situation
or purpose, especially an expression
[Early 17th century. From
Latin infelicitas “unhappiness,” from felix “happy.” The
underlying meaning is “an unfortunate expression.”][1]



infer

infer
in·fer 
[in fúr] (past in·ferred, past
participle in·ferred, present participle in·fer·ring, 3rd
person present singular in·fers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb conclude
something on the basis of reasoning: to
conclude something on the basis of evidence or reasoning

2.  transitive
verb
suggest:
to suggest or lead to something as a conclusion

3.  transitive
verb
imply:
to imply or suggest something

4.  transitive
verb
guess
something:
to make a reasonable guess at something
[Early
16th century. From Latin inferre, literally “to bring in,” from ferre
“to carry.”]
—in·fer·a·ble,
adjective

—in·fer·a·bly,
adverb

—in·fer·rer,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



inference

inference
in·fer·ence 
[ínfərəns] (plural in·fer·ences)
noun

1.  conclusion:
a conclusion drawn from evidence or reasoning

2.  LOGIC reasoning
process:
the process of reasoning from a premise to a conclusion

3.  implication:
something that is implied
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin inferentia, from Latin inferre
(see infer ).]
—in·fer·en·tial
[ìnfə rénshəl], adjective

—in·fer·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



inferior

inferior
in·fe·ri·or 
[in free ər] adjective

1.  lower
in standing: lower or low in rank, standing, or
degree

2.  not
as good:
lower in quality or value

3.  mediocre:
failing to meet a standard of quality, ability, or achievement

4.  ANATOMY lower
in body:
used to describe a body part or organ situated beneath another similar part

5.  BOTANY below
a calyx:
used to describe a plant ovary located below a calyx

6.  ASTRONOMY between
Earth and Sun: orbiting or taking place between the
Earth and the Sun. Mercury and Venus are designated as inferior planets.

7.  PRINTING printed
below the line: written or printed at a slightly lower
level than the rest of the characters in a line, for example, the “2” in “CO 2 ”
noun
(plural in·fe·ri·ors)

1.  lower
ranking person: somebody of lower status, rank, or
quality

2.  PRINTING subscript
character:
a character printed or written below the line
[15th
century. From Latin, “lower,” from inferus “below.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “beneath” that is also the ancestor of English under and infernal
.]
—in·fe·ri·or·i·ty
[in free áwrətee], noun

—in·fe·ri·or·ly [in free ərlee], adverb[1]



inferioritycomplex

inferioritycomplex
in·fe·ri·or·i·ty
com·plex 
(plural in·fe·ri·or·i·ty com·plex·es) noun

sense of being inferior:
an overdeveloped sense of being inferior to others. In extreme cases it can
manifest itself in either withdrawn or aggressive social behavior.[1]



infernal

infernal
in·fer·nal 
[in fúrn’l] adjective

1.  very
annoying:
extremely annoying or unpleasant (informal)

2.  relating
to underworld: relating to hell or the underworld

3.  diabolical
in nature:
so wicked or cruel as to be worthy of hell
[14th
century. From Old French, from, ultimately, Latin infernus “lower, the
underworld.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “beneath” that is
also the ancestor of English under
and inferior .]
—in·fer·nal·ly, adverb[1]



inferno

inferno
in·fer·no 
[in fúrnō] (plural in·fer·nos)
noun

1.  conflagration:
a fire or a place that is burning fiercely

2.  hellish
place:
a place or situation that is reminiscent of hell
[Mid-19th
century. Via Italian, “hell,” from late Latin infernus (see infernal ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fire

[1]



infertile

infertile
in·fer·tile 
[in fúrt’l] adjective

1.  sterile:
physically incapable of conceiving offspring

2.  not
producing crops: incapable of producing crops

3.  not
fertilized:
used to describe an egg that has not been fertilized
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from late Latin infertilis,
literally “not bearing,” from fertilis (see fertile
).]
—in·fer·tile·ly,
adverb

—in·fer·til·i·ty [ìn fur tíllətee], noun[1]



infest

infest
in·fest 
[in fést] (past in·fest·ed, past
participle in·fest·ed, present participle in·fest·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fests) transitive verb

1.  take
over place:
to overrun a place in large numbers and become threatening, harmful, or
unpleasant

2.  live
as a parasite on: to live as a parasite on or in something
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French infester from Latin infestare “to
attack,” from infestus “hostile.”]
—in·fes·ta·tion
[ìn fess táysh’n], noun

—in·fest·ed
[in féstəd], adjective

—in·fest·er, noun[1]



infibulate

infibulate
in·fib·u·late 
[in fíbbyə làyt] (past in·fib·u·lat·ed,
past participle in·fib·u·lat·ed, present participle in·fib·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fib·u·lates) transitive verb

close
female genitals by stitching: to close the vagina
partially by stitching it, or closing it with a clasp. The clitoris is often
removed at the same time.
See
also
female circumcision
[Early
17th century. From Latin infibulat-, past participle stem of infibulare
“to fasten with a pin,” from fibula (see fibula
).]
—in·fib·u·la·tion [in fìbbyə láysh’n], noun[1]



infidel

infidel
in·fi·del 
[ínfid’l, ínfi
dèl] (plural in·fi·dels) noun (disapproving)

1.  heathen:
somebody who has no belief in the religion of the speaker or writer, especially
Christianity or Islam

2.  nonbeliever:
somebody who has no religious beliefs
[15th century. Directly or
via French infidèle from Latin infidelis, literally
“unbelieving,” from fidelis “faithful,” from fides (see faith ).][1]



infidelity

infidelity
in·fi·del·i·ty 
[ìnfi déllətee] (plural in·fi·del·i·ties)
noun

1.  unfaithfulness:
unfaithfulness or disloyalty, especially to a sexual partner

2.  unfaithful
act:
an act of unfaithfulness or disloyalty, especially to a sexual partner

3.  disbelief:
lack of religious faith (disapproving)
[14th century. From French infidélité,
from, ultimately, Latin infidelis (see infidel
).][1]



infield

infield
in·field 
[ín fld] (plural in·fields) noun

1.  baseball
diamond:
the area of a baseball field bounded by home plate and the three bases

2.  baseball
players in infield: the defensive baseball
players in the infield considered together. They are the first, second, and
third basemen and the shortstop.

3.  area
within a racetrack: the area bounded by a
racetrack

4.  AGRICULTURE HISTORY farmland
close to a farmhouse: the farmland close to a
farmhouse that is regularly manured and cropped

[1]



infielder

infielder
in·field·er 
[ín fldər] (plural in·field·ers)
noun

defensive baseball player:
a defensive baseball player in the infield[1]



infighting

infighting
in·fight·ing 
[ín fting] noun

1.  internal
squabbling:
conflict or rivalry between associates or members of the same organization

2.  SPORTS fighting
at close range: boxing or fighting at close range
—in·fight·er, noun[1]



infiltrate

infiltrate
in·fil·trate 
[in fíl tràyt, ínfil
tràyt] intransitive and transitive verb (past in·fil·trat·ed,
past participle in·fil·trat·ed, present participle in·fil·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fil·trates)

1.  break
through secretly: to cross or send somebody into enemy
territory without the enemy’s knowledge • infiltrate
troops behind enemy lines

2.  get
in position to do harm: to establish somebody or
become established within a place or organization with the intention of doing
harm or gathering information • activists
were infiltrated into local parties

3.  CHEMISTRY permeate
fluid through a substance: to pass through a substance
by filtration, or make a liquid or gas pass through a substance by filtration
noun
(plural in·fil·trates)

MEDICINE abnormal
accumulation: a substance such as fat that passes into
tissues and cells and forms an abnormal accumulation
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from in- + filtrate .]
—in·fil·tra·tion
[ìnfil tráysh’n], noun

—in·fil·tra·tive
[ínfil tràytiv, in
fíltrətiv], adjective

—in·fil·tra·tor [in fíl tràytər, ínfil
tràytər], noun[1]



infin.

infin.
infin.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of infinitive[1]



infinite

infinite
in·fi·nite 
[ínfənit] adjective

1.  not
measurable:
without any limits that can be measured or realized

2.  exceedingly
great:
very great in size, number, degree, or extent • he
took infinite pains over it

3.  MATHEMATICS greater
than any assigned value: greater in number, size, or
scope than any arbitrarily assigned value

4.  MATHEMATICS with
unlimited spatial extent: extending indefinitely or
having unlimited spatial extent

5.  MATHEMATICS with
infinitely many elements: having an infinite number of
terms or elements

6.  MATHEMATICS supporting
one-to-one relationship: able to be put into a
one-to-one correspondence with a subset of itself
noun

something infinite:
something that is infinite, for example, space
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin infinitus, literally “not bounded,”
from finitus “finished, finite.”]
—in·fi·nite·ly,
adverb

—in·fi·nite·ness, noun[1]



Infinite

Infinite
In·fi·nite
noun

God:
used to refer to God[1]



infiniteloop

infiniteloop
in·fi·nite
loop
noun

unending program:
a series of instructions in a computer program repeat endlessly[1]



infinitesimal

infinitesimal
in·fin·i·tes·i·mal 
[in fìnni téssəm’l] adjective

1.  tiny:
very small in number, amount, or degree

2.  MATHEMATICS close
to zero:
able to assume values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero
noun

infinitesimal number:
an infinitesimal number or function
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from modern Latin infinitesimus “the number in a series
corresponding to infinity” (as when calculating fractions), from Latin infinitus
(see infinite ).]
—in·fin·i·tes·i·mal·ly,
adverb[1]



infinitesimalcalculus

infinitesimalcalculus
in·fin·i·tes·i·mal
cal·cu·lus
noun

MATHEMATICS
See calculus  noun 1[1]



infinitive

infinitive
in·fin·i·tive 
[in fínnitiv] (plural in·fin·i·tives)
noun

basic
form of verb: a form of a verb with no reference to a
particular tense, person, or subject. In English, an infinitive is usually
preceded by the word “to,” as in “to see.”
[15th
century. From late Latin infinitivus, from Latin infinitus,
literally “not bounded” (see infinite ). The
underlying meaning is “not limited by person or number.”]
—in·fin·i·ti·val
[ìn finni tv’l], adjective

—in·fin·i·ti·val·ly [ìn finni tīvəlee], adverb[1]



infinitude

infinitude
in·fin·i·tude 
[in fínni td] (plural in·fin·i·tudes)
noun

1.  boundlessness:
the infinite nature of something

2.  very
large number of something: a very great number, degree,
or extent of something
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin infinitus “infinite” (see infinite
), on the model of magnitude .][1]



infinity

infinity
in·fin·i·ty 
[in fínnitee] (plural in·fin·i·ties)
noun

1.  something
without limits: limitless time, space, or distance • beyond
the Earth lay infinity

2.  something
too great to count: an amount or number so great
that it cannot be counted • an infinity
of stars

3.  state
of being infinite: the state or quality of
being infinite

4.  MATHEMATICS concept
of being always unlimited: the concept of being
unlimited by always being larger than any imposed value or boundary. For some
purposes this may be considered as being the same as one divided by zero.

5.  GEOMETRY geometric
point at infinite distance: a part of a geometric figure
situated an infinite distance from the observer, for example, the hypothetical
point at which parallel lines meet in Euclidean geometry

6.  OPTICS infinitely
distant point: a point sufficiently far from a lens or
mirror that the light emitted from it falls in parallel rays on the surface
[14th century. From French infinité,
from, ultimately, Latin infinitus (see infinite
).][1]



infirm

infirm
in·firm 
[in fúrm] adjective

1.  not
strong:
lacking strength and vitality, for example because of sickness or age

2.  irresolute:
lacking firmness of character or a strong will

3.  BUILDING structurally
unsound:
having a structure that is not sound

4.  LAW legally
unsound:
invalid or not supported, for example, a title to property or a claim
plural
noun

people who are not strong:
people who lack strength and vitality, for example because of sickness or age (sometimes
considered offensive)
[14th
century. From Latin infirmus, literally “not strong,” from firmus
“firm.”]
—in·firm·ly,
adverb

—in·firm·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at weak

[1]



infirmary

infirmary
in·fir·ma·ry 
[in fúrməree] (plural in·fir·ma·ries)
noun

place
for the care of sick people: a hospital or area within an
institution where sick and injured people are cared for
[15th century. From medieval
Latin infirmaria, from Latin infirmus (see infirm ).][1]



infirmity

infirmity
in·fir·mi·ty 
[in fúrmətee] (plural in·fir·mi·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of strength: lack of strength and vitality

2.  character
flaw:
a weakness or failing in somebody’s character

3.  minor
illness:
any medical condition that causes a lack of strength or vitality

[1]



infix

infix
in·fix 
transitive verb [in fíks] (past
in·fixed, past participle in·fixed, present participle
in·fix·ing, 3rd person present singular in·fix·es)

1.  fix
something firmly in something else: to
insert something into another thing in order to secure it

2.  instill:
to secure something firmly in the mind

3.  GRAMMAR put an
element in word: to insert a linking element into a word.
In the word acidophilus, “-o-” is an infix.
noun
[ín fìks] (plural in·fix·es)

GRAMMAR affix
in middle:
an affix inserted into the middle of a word
[Early
16th century. Partly from In + fix ; partly from Latin infix-, the past
participle stem of infigere, literally “to fasten in,” from figere
(see fix ).]
—in·fix·a·tion
[ìn fik sáysh’n], noun

—in·fix·ion [in fíkshən], noun[1]



infl.

infl.
infl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
inflammable

2.  Abbreviation
of
inflorescence

3.  Abbreviation
of
influence

4.  Abbreviation
of
influenced

[1]



inflagrante delicto

inflagrante delicto
in
fla·gran·te de·lic·to  [in
flə gràntee də líktō] or in fla·gran·te (informal)
[in flə gràntee də líktō] adverb

1.  in
a criminal act: in the act of committing an offense

2.  having
sex:
in the act of having sexual relations, especially illicit sexual relations
[From Latin, literally, “in
the heat of the crime”][1]



inflame

inflame
in·flame 
[in fláym] (past in·flamed, past
participle in·flamed, present participle in·flam·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·flames) verb

1.  transitive
verb
provoke
a powerful response in: to excite somebody to an
intense emotion such as anger or jealousy

2.  transitive
verb
make
something stronger: to make something, for
example, anger or jealousy, become more intense

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb swell
and turn red: to become red and swollen, or to make
bodily tissue become red and swollen, in response to injury or infection
[14th
century. Via Old French enflammer from Latin inflammare, from flamma
“flame.”]
—in·flamed,
adjective

—in·flam·er, noun[1]



inflammable

inflammable
in·flam·ma·ble 
[in flámməb’l] adjective

1.  easily
set on fire: quickly and easily set on fire and
burned.
See
also
flammable

2.  easily
roused:
easily made angry or passionate
noun
(plural in·flam·ma·bles)

flammable item:
something that is quickly and easily set on fire and burned
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin inflammabilis “liable to
inflammation,” from Latin inflammare (see inflame
).]
—in·flam·ma·bil·i·ty
[in flàmmə bíllətee], noun

—in·flam·ma·ble·ness
[in flámməb’lnəss], noun

—in·flam·ma·bly [in flámməblee], adverb[1]



inflammation

inflammation
in·flam·ma·tion 
[ìnflə máysh’n] (plural in·flam·ma·tions)
noun

1.  swollen
reddened state: swelling, redness, heat, and pain
produced in an area of the body as a reaction to injury or infection

2.  heightening
of emotion:
a heightening or stirring up of emotion

[1]



inflammatory

inflammatory
in·flam·ma·to·ry 
[in flámmə tàwree] adjective

1.  provocative:
liable to arouse strong emotions, especially anger

2.  MEDICINE relating
to inflammation: caused or characterized by inflammation
—in·flam·ma·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



inflammatorybowel disease

inflammatorybowel disease
in·flam·ma·to·ry
bow·el dis·ease noun

inflammation of the bowel:
a disease causing inflammation of the bowel, typically Crohn’s disease or
ulcerative colitis[1]



inflatable

inflatable
in·flat·a·ble 
[in fláytəb’l] adjective

able
to be blown up: made of expandable material that can be
filled with gas or air
noun
(plural in·flat·a·bles)

blown-up object:
something, for example, a ball, mattress, or boat, that can be filled with air
or gas[1]



inflate

inflate
in·flate 
[in fláyt] (past in·flat·ed, past
participle in·flat·ed, present participle in·flat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·flates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  expand
with air:
to fill something, for example, a ball, mattress or boat, with air or gas, or
to be filled with air or gas

2.  make
something appear greater: to exaggerate the size or
importance of something, or to become exaggerated in size or importance

3.  ECONOMICS increase
prices or money supply: to cause inflation in prices
or the money supply, or to undergo inflation
[15th
century. From Latin inflat-, the past participle stem of inflare,
literally “to blow into,” from flare (see flatulent
).]
—in·fla·tor, noun[1]



inflated

inflated
in·flat·ed 
[in fláytəd] adjective

1.  undeservedly
great:
greater than is justified or normal • an
inflated sense of her own importance

2.  ECONOMICS excessively
high:
excessively or abnormally high

3.  pretentious:
exaggerated or pompous in expression

4.  blown
up:
expanded with air or gas
—in·flat·ed·ly,
adverb

—in·flat·ed·ness, noun[1]



inflation

inflation
in·fla·tion 
[in fláysh’n] noun

1.  ECONOMICS higher
prices:
an increase in the supply of currency or credit relative to the availability of
goods and services, resulting in higher prices

2.  being
inflated:
the act of inflating something or the condition of being inflated

3.  being
puffed up with pride: being puffed up with pride

[1]



inflationary

inflationary
in·fla·tion·ar·y 
[in fláysh’n èrree] adjective

relating to economic
inflation: relating to or causing
economic inflation • inflationary
policies[1]



inflationaryspiral

inflationaryspiral
in·fla·tion·ar·y
spi·ral 
(plural in·fla·tion·ar·y spi·rals) noun

cycle of rising prices and
wages: a continuous economic cycle
of higher prices causing higher wages, which in turn cause even higher prices[1]



inflationism

inflationism
in·fla·tion·ism
[in fláysh’n ìzzəm] noun

deliberate
creation of inflation: the advocacy or policy of
deliberately causing economic inflation through an increase in the supply of
available currency and credit
—in·fla·tion·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



inflect

inflect
in·flect 
[in flékt] (past in·flect·ed, past
participle in·flect·ed, present participle in·flect·ing,
3rd person present singular in·flects) verb

1.  transitive
verb
vary
the pitch of the voice: to change the pitch or tone
of the voice

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GRAMMAR change a word form:
to change the form of a word, for example, to show a change in tense, mood,
gender, or number, or to be changed in this way

3.  transitive
verb
bend:
to make something turn from a direct line or course
[15th
century. From Latin inflectere, literally “to bend in,” from flectere
(see flexible ).]
—in·flect·a·ble,
adjective

—in·flect·ed,
adjective

—in·flec·tive,
adjective

—in·flec·tor, noun[1]



inflection

inflection
in·flec·tion 
[in flékshən] (plural in·flec·tions)
noun

1.  change
in pitch:
a change in the tone or pitch of the voice

2.  GRAMMAR word
change:
a change in the form of a word to show a grammatical change such as tense,
mood, gender, or number

3.  GRAMMAR altered
form of word: an altered form of a word, for example,
one showing a change in tense, mood, gender, or number, or the part of the word
that changes in this way

4.  bending:
a turning from a straight line or course, or a more general change in direction

5.  GEOMETRY See inflection point
—in·flec·tion·al,
adjective

—in·flec·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—in·flec·tion·less, adjective[1]



inflectionpoint

inflectionpoint
in·flec·tion
point
noun

GEOMETRY
point of change on a curve:
a point on a curve at which the arc changes from convex to concave or vice
versa.
Also called
inflection
U.K. term
point of inflection[1]



inflexed

inflexed
in·flexed 
[in flékst] adjective

BOTANY bent
down toward the stem: used to describe a plant
part that is bent inward or downward toward the stem
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin inflex-, the past participle stem of inflectere (see inflect ).][1]



inflexible

inflexible
in·flex·i·ble 
[in fléksəb’l] adjective

1.  unbending:
adhering firmly to a viewpoint or principle

2.  impossible
to change:
firmly established and impossible to change • an
inflexible rule

3.  rigid:
stiff and bent only with difficulty
[15th
century. From Latin inflexibilis, literally “not able to bend,” from flex-,
the past participle stem of flectere (see flexible
).]
—in·flex·i·bil·i·ty
[in flèksə bíllətee], noun

—in·flex·i·ble·ness
[in fléksəb’lnəss], noun

—in·flex·i·bly, adverb[1]



inflexion

inflexion
in·flex·ion 
noun

U.K. =
inflection[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








inflict

inflict
in·flict 
[in flíkt] (past in·flict·ed, past
participle in·flict·ed, present participle in·flict·ing,
3rd person present singular in·flicts) transitive verb

1.  cause
suffering:
to cause damage, harm, or unpleasantness to somebody or something • inflicted
heavy casualties on the enemy forces

2.  force
on somebody: to impose a burden on another
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inflict-, the past participle stem of infligere,
literally “to strike upon,” from fligere “to hit” (source also of
English conflict, afflict, and profligate
).]
—in·flict·a·ble,
adjective

—in·flict·er,
noun

—in·flic·tion,
noun

—in·flic·tive, adjective[1]



in-flight

in-flight
in-flight 
adjective

provided during flight:
taking place or provided for passengers during an aircraft journey • in-flight
entertainment[1]



inflorescence

inflorescence

in·flo·res·cence 
[ìn flaw réss’ns, ìnflə
réss’ns] (plural in·flo·res·cences) noun BOTANY

1.  flowering
part of a plant: a flowering structure that consists of
more than one flower and usually comprises distinct individual flowers.
Also
called
flower head

2.  way
flowers grow: the arrangement or manner in which
flowers develop on a stalk

3.  flowering:
the budding and flowering of a plant
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin inflorescentia, from, ultimately, Latin inflorescere,
literally “to come into flower,” from florescere “to begin to flower.”][1]



inflow

inflow
in·flow 
[ín fl] (plural in·flows) noun

1.  something
that flows in: something that flows in somewhere • an
inflow of fresh water into a lake

2.  influx:
an instance or process of something flowing in • the
inflow of visitors to the site

3.  place
where an inflow occurs: the point at which something
flows in
—in·flow·ing, noun[1]



influence

influence
in·flu·ence 
[ín floo əns] noun (plural in·flu·enc·es)

1.  effect
on something: the effect of something on a person,
thing, or event • Picasso’s influence on
the course of 20th-century art

2.  power
to sway:
the power that somebody has to affect other people’s thinking or actions by
means of argument, example, or force of personality • She
came under the influence of one of her teachers.

3.  special
advantage:
the power or authority that comes from wealth, social status, or position

4.  somebody
who can sway another: somebody or something able
to affect the course of events or somebody’s thinking or action • He’s
a bad influence on you.

5.  stars’
effect on people: in astrology, an emanation that is
believed to come from the stars and planets and to affect human
characteristics, personality, and actions
transitive
verb
(past in·flu·enced, past participle in·flu·enced, present
participle in·flu·enc·ing, 3rd person present singular in·flu·enc·es)

1.  sway:
to persuade or sway somebody • What
influenced you in your choice of career?

2.  affect:
to have the power to affect something • the
factors that influence a nation’s development
[14th
century. From medieval Latin influentia, from, ultimately, Latin influere,
literally “to flow in,” from fluere (see fluent
).]
—in·flu·ence·a·ble,
adjective

—in·flu·enc·er,
noun
under
the influence

intoxicated by the use of a
chemical substance, especially alcohol (informal)[1]



influent

influent
in·flu·ent 
[ín floo ənt, in
fl ənt] noun

GEOGRAPHY tributary:
a stream flowing into a lake or larger river
[15th century. From Latin influent-,
the present participle stem of influere (see influence
).][1]



influential

influential
in·flu·en·tial 
[ìn floo énshəl] adjective

able
to influence: having a great deal of power to change
something, especially people’s behavior
—in·flu·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



influenza

influenza
in·flu·en·za 
[ìn floo énzə] (plural in·flu·en·zas)
noun
Also
called
flu

1.  widespread
viral illness: a viral illness producing a high
temperature, sore throat, runny nose, headache, dry cough, and muscle pain. The
illness is widespread, especially during winter months, and can sometimes be
fatal.

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE viral
illness of animals: a viral disease of domestic
animals, usually characterized by fever and respiratory problems
[Mid-18th
century. Via Italian from medieval Latin influentia (see influence ), apparently from the belief that
epidemics were due to the influence of the stars.]
—in·flu·en·zal, adjective[1]



influx

influx
in·flux 
[ín flùks] (plural in·flux·es)
noun

1.  arrival
in large numbers: a sudden arrival of a large number of
people or things • dealing with the influx
of tourists into the city

2.  inflow:
a flowing in, especially of a stream or river
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin influxus from Latin, the past participle of influere (see influence ).][1]



info

info
in·fo 
[ínfō] noun

information:
information (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



infobahn

infobahn
in·fo·bahn
[ínfō bn] noun

See
information superhighway[1]



infold

infold
in·fold 
transitive verb

See
enfold[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








infomediary

infomediary
in·fo·me·di·ar·y 
[ìnfō mdee èrree] noun

Web site providing
information: a Web site providing
specialist information on behalf of both the producers of goods and their
customers[1]



infomercial

infomercial
in·fo·mer·cial 
[ìnfə múrsh’l, ìnfō
mùrsh’l] (plural in·fo·mer·cials) noun

commercial
like program: a commercial advertisement on television
that is made to appear like a full-length interview or documentary program
[Late 20th century. Blend of information and commercial
.][1]



infonesia

infonesia
in·fo·ne·sia 
[ìnfō nə] noun

inability to remember the
location of information: an
inability to remember an item of information or its location, especially on the
Internet (informal)[1]



inform

inform
in·form 
[in fáwrm] (past in·formed, past
participle in·formed, present participle in·form·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·forms) verb

1.  transitive
verb
tell
somebody something: to communicate information
or knowledge to somebody (often passive) • The
police informed us of the accident.

2.  reflexive
verb
learn
about something: to familiarize yourself with a subject

3.  intransitive
verb
tell
the police:
to give confidential or incriminating information to the authorities about
somebody else’s activities, especially to the police

4.  transitive
verb
ARTS underlie
and animate something: to be an essential
characteristic of something • His
religious beliefs inform his entire work.

5.  transitive
verb
give
structure to: to give structure or substance to
something (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
enformer from Latin informare, literally “to give form to,” from forma
(see form ). The underlying meaning is “to
shape somebody’s mind, instruct.”][1]



informal

informal
in·for·mal 
[in fáwrm’l] adjective

1.  free
of ceremony: relaxed and casual rather than
ceremonious and stiff

2.  unofficial:
not officially prepared, organized, or sanctioned • The
two sides in the conflict held informal talks.

3.  casual
and everyday: suitable for casual or everyday
situations • informal
dress

4.  LANGUAGE colloquial:
more appropriate in spoken than written form
—in·for·mal·i·ty
[ìn fawr mállətee], noun

—in·for·mal·ly [in fáwrm’lee], adverb[1]



informaleconomy

informaleconomy
in·for·mal
e·con·o·my
noun

unofficial economic
activities: economic activities
organized without government approval, outside mainstream industry and commerce[1]



informant

informant
in·form·ant 
[in fáwrmənt] (plural in·form·ants)
noun

1.  somebody
who supplies information: somebody who gives
information to somebody, often a newspaper

2.  informer:
somebody who gives confidential or incriminating information to the police
about somebody

3.  LINGUISTICS ANTHROPOLOGY somebody
providing language information: somebody who provides
a researcher with useful cultural or linguistic data for analysis

[1]



informa pauperis

informa pauperis
in
for·ma pau·per·is  [in fàwrmə
páwpəriss] adjective adverb

LAW as a
poor person: not liable for court costs as an
indigent
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally, “in the form of a poor person.”][1]



informatics

informatics
in·for·mat·ics
[ìnfər máttiks] noun

U.K.
INFORMATION SCIENCE (takes a
singular verb) See information science
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from information, on the model of Russian informatika
.][1]



information

information
in·for·ma·tion 
[ìnfər máysh’n] noun

1.  knowledge:
definite knowledge acquired or supplied about something or somebody • a
bulletin giving the latest information on the trial

2.  gathered
facts:
the collected facts and data about a particular subject

3.  telephone
information service: a telephone service that
supplies telephone numbers to the public on request.
Also
called
directory assistance
U.K.
term
directory enquiries

4.  making
facts known: the communication of facts and knowledge

5.  COMPUTING computer
data:
computer data that has been organized and presented in a systematic fashion to
clarify the underlying meaning

6.  LAW formal
criminal accusation: a formal accusation of a
crime brought by a prosecutor, as opposed to an indictment brought by a grand
jury
—in·for·ma·tion·al,
adjective

—in·for·ma·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



informationage

informationage
in·for·ma·tion
age 
noun

period of widespread access
to information: a period characterized
by widespread electronic access to information through the use of computer
technology[1]



informationappliance

informationappliance
in·for·ma·tion
ap·pli·ance 
noun

small information processing
machine: a small, portable, digital
information processing machine designed to function on an electronic network[1]



informationprocessing

informationprocessing
in·for·ma·tion
proc·ess·ing noun

manipulation of data:
the organization, manipulation, analysis, and distribution of data, nowadays
typically carried out by computers[1]



informationretrieval

informationretrieval
in·for·ma·tion
re·triev·al 
noun

computer-data storage and
retrieval: the process used to store
and retrieve computerized data systematically[1]



informationscience

informationscience
in·for·ma·tion
sci·ence 
noun

study of data organization:
the study of the processes involved in the collection, categorization, and
distribution of data, particularly with reference to computer data[1]



informationsuperhighway

informationsuperhighway
in·for·ma·tion
su·per·high·way  noun

worldwide information
network: the developing worldwide
computer network that includes the Internet, private networks, and proprietary
online services. It permits the rapid sending of many different forms of data,
including voice, video, and text.
Also called
data superhighway
Also called
infobahn[1]



informationtechnology

informationtechnology
in·for·ma·tion
tech·nol·o·gy  noun

processing of data via
computer: the use of technologies from
computing, electronics, and telecommunications to process and distribute
information in digital and other forms[1]



informationtheory

informationtheory
in·for·ma·tion
the·o·ry
noun

mathematical analysis of
data: the mathematical study of
the transmission, reception, storage, and retrieval of information based on the
statistical analysis of communication between humans and machines[1]



informative

informative
in·form·a·tive 
[in fáwrmətiv] adjective

giving
information: providing useful information
—in·form·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·form·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



informatory

informatory
in·form·a·to·ry 
[in fáwrmə tàwree] adjective

informative:
providing useful information (dated)
—in·form·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



informed

informed
in·formed 
[in fáwrmd] adjective

1.  having
knowledge:
showing, having, or based on knowledge or understanding of a situation or
subject • informed
criticism

2.  fully
aware:
based on a proper knowledge and understanding of a situation or subject • an
informed decision
—in·formed·ly, adverb[1]



informedconsent

informedconsent
in·formed
con·sent
noun

permission for an operation
or treatment: agreement by a patient
to undergo an operation or medical treatment or take part in a clinical trial
after being informed of and having understood the risks involved[1]



informer

informer
in·form·er 
[in fáwrmər] (plural in·form·ers)
noun

1.  secret
provider of information about a crime:
somebody who provides the police or authorities with information about criminal
activities

2.  provider
of information: somebody or something that provides
information about a subject or situation

[1]



informercial

informercial
in·for·mer·cial 
[ìnfər múrsh’l, ìnfə
múrsh’l] (plural in·former·cials) noun

See
infomercial[1]



infotainment

infotainment
in·fo·tain·ment 
[ìnfō táynmənt] noun

information
treated as entertainment: television programs that
deal with serious issues or current affairs in an entertaining way.
Also
called
docutainment
[Late
20th century. Blend of information and entertainment .]
—in·fo·tain·er, noun[1]



infra

infra
in·fra
[ínfrə] adverb

below:
a term used in an explanatory note to refer a reader to a point later in a
text, especially in the phrase “vide infra” (formal)
See
also
supra
[Late 19th century. From
Latin .][1]



infra-

infra-
infra-
prefix

below,
beneath, inferior • infrasonic
• infraclass
[From Latin infra
“below.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English under, inferior, and infernal
.][1]



infraclass

infraclass
in·fra·class 
[ínfrə klàss] (plural in·fr·a·classes)
noun

category of organisms:
a taxonomic category of organisms that is above an order and below a subclass[1]



infracostal

infracostal
in·fra·cos·tal 
[ìnfrə kṓst’l] adjective

below the ribs:
lying below the ribs[1]



infract

infract
in·fract 
[in frákt] (past in·fract·ed, past
participle in·fract·ed, present participle in·fract·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fracts) transitive verb

break
a law or agreement: to fail to obey or fulfill a
law, contract, or agreement
[Late
18th century. From Latin infractus, the past participle stem of infringere
“to destroy.”]
—in·frac·tor, noun[1]



infraction

infraction
in·frac·tion 
[in frákshən] (plural in·frac·tions)
noun

failure
to comply:
a failure to obey or fulfill a law, contract, or agreement
[15th century. Directly and
via Middle French, from Latin infractio, from infractus (see infract ).][1]



infradig

infradig
in·fra
dig 
adjective

beneath
somebody’s dignity: below the standard of social
behavior that somebody usually maintains (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of Latin infra dignitatem .][1]



infrahuman

infrahuman
in·fra·hu·man 
[ìnfrə hymən] adjective

lower than human beings:
in the system of classifying living organisms, belonging to a lower order than
human beings[1]



infrangible

infrangible
in·fran·gi·ble 
[in fránjib’l] adjective (formal)

1.  impossible
to break or separate: unable to be broken or
separated into pieces

2.  not
to be ignored: unable to be disregarded or violated
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin infrangibilis,
from in- “not” + frangibilis “breakable.”]
—in·fran·gi·bil·i·ty
[in frànji bíllətee], noun

—in·fran·gi·ble·ness
[in fránjib’lnəss], noun

—in·fran·gi·bly, adverb[1]



infrared

infrared
in·fra·red 
[ìnfrə réd] noun

portion
of invisible spectrum: the portion of the invisible
electromagnetic spectrum consisting of radiation with wavelengths in the range
750 nm to 1 mm, between light and radio waves • infrared
radiation
adjective

relating
to infrared radiation: using, producing, or
affected by infrared radiation
[Late 19th century. Because
it lies below the red end of the visible spectrum.][1]



infraredastronomy

infraredastronomy
in·fra·red
as·tron·o·my noun

study of infrared radiation
in space: the study of celestial
objects with wavelengths in the infrared range. Infrared sources within our
galaxy include cool gas giants and the galactic center.[1]



infraredphotography

infraredphotography
in·fra·red
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

photography using
infrared-sensitive film: photography
with film that is sensitive to infrared radiation, used, for example, for
taking pictures at night or in haze and in detecting camouflaged objects[1]



infrasonic

infrasonic
in·fra·son·ic 
[ìnfrə sónnik] adjective

1.  relating
to sound inaudible to humans: relating to sound at
frequencies below 20 Hz, which cannot be heard by human beings but can be felt
as vibration

2.  relating
to infrasonic waves or vibrations: using or produced by
infrasonic waves or vibrations
—in·fra·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



infrasound

infrasound
in·fra·sound 
[ínfrə sòwnd] noun

sound inaudible to humans:
sound at frequencies below 20 Hz, which cannot be heard by humans but can be
felt as vibration[1]



infrastructure

infrastructure
in·fra·struc·ture 
[ínfrə strùkchər] (plural in·fra·struc·tures)
noun

1.  basic
organization: the system according to which a company,
organization, or other body is organized at the most basic level

2.  public
services or systems: the large-scale public
systems, services, and facilities of a country or region that are necessary for
economic activity, including power and water supplies, public transportation,
telecommunications, roads, and schools
—in·fra·struc·tur·al [ìnfrə strúkchərəl], adjective[1]



infrequent

infrequent
in·fre·quent 
[in frkwənt] adjective

not
happening often: not appearing, happening, or encountered
very often • Her
visits became more infrequent.
—in·fre·quence,
noun

—in·fre·quen·cy,
noun

—in·fre·quent·ly, adverb[1]



infringe

infringe
in·fringe 
[in frínj] (past in·fringed, past
participle in·fringed, present participle in·fring·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fring·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
disobey
or disregard something: to fail to obey a law or
regulation or observe the terms of an agreement

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb encroach
on somebody’s rights or property: to take over land,
rights, privileges, or activities that belong to somebody else, especially in a
minor or gradual way • infringing
on our personal freedom
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin infringere “to damage,” from frangere “to
break” (source of English fracture
).]
—in·fring·er, noun[1]



infringement

infringement
in·fringe·ment 
[in frínjmənt] (plural in·fringe·ments)
noun

1.  breach
of a law or right: a failure to obey a law or
regulation

2.  encroachment:
an encroachment on land, rights, privileges, or activities that belong to
somebody else, especially in a minor or gradual way

[1]



infundibula

infundibula
in·fun·dib·u·la


Plural of
infundibulum[1]



infundibuliform

infundibuliform
in·fun·dib·u·li·form 
[ìnfən díbbyələ fàwrm] adjective

funnel-shaped:
used to describe a flower or other plant part that resembles a funnel in shape[1]



infundibulum

infundibulum
in·fun·dib·u·lum 
[ìnfən díbbyələm] (plural in·fun·dib·u·la
[ìnfən díbbyələ]) noun

funnel-shaped
body part:
a funnel-shaped opening, passage, or structure in vertebrates such as the stalk
connecting the pituitary gland to the brain or the opening of a Fallopian tube
into the ovary
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “funnel,” from infundere “to pour in” (source of English
infuse ).]
—in·fun·dib·u·lar,
adjective

—in·fun·dib·u·late [ìnfən díbbyə làyt, ìnfən
díbbyələt], adjective[1]



infuriate

infuriate
in·fu·ri·ate 
[in fyree àyt] (past in·fu·ri·at·ed,
past participle in·fu·ri·at·ed, present participle in·fu·ri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·fu·ri·ates) transitive verb

make
somebody furious: to make somebody extremely angry
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin infuriare, from furiare “to anger,”
from furia “fury.”]
—in·fu·ri·at·ed,
adjective

—in·fu·ri·at·ed·ly,
adverb

—in·fu·ri·at·ing,
adjective

—in·fu·ri·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



infuse

infuse
in·fuse 
[in fyz] (past in·fused, past
participle in·fused, present participle in·fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·fus·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
pervade:
to fill something with a strong emotion such as hatred, enthusiasm, or desire (often
passive)

2.  transitive
verb
introduce
something into somebody’s mind: to fix an emotion,
belief, or quality gradually but firmly in somebody’s mind

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb steep
in liquid:
to soak tea or herbs in liquid in order to extract the flavor or some other
property

4.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE give
a liquid using a drip: to introduce a solution such
as saline, sucrose, or glucose into a vein, body cavity, or the intestinal
tract in order to treat or feed somebody using a drip feed.
See
also
transfuse
[15th
century. Via Old French infuser from, ultimately, Latin infundere
“to pour in,” from fundere “to pour.”]
—in·fus·er, noun[1]



infusible

infusible
in·fus·i·ble 
[in fyzəb’l] adjective

1.  MEDICINE usable
in a drip feed: able to be introduced into the body
through a drip feed

2.  suitable
for infusing: suitable for soaking in liquid to make
an infusion • infusible
herbs
—in·fus·i·bil·i·ty [in fyzə bíllətee], noun[1]



infusion

infusion
in·fu·sion 
[in fy’n] (plural in·fu·sions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE administering
of a liquid through a drip feed: the introduction of a
solution such as saline, sucrose, or glucose through a drip feed in order to
treat or feed a patient

2.  MEDICINE liquid
administered through a drip feed: a solution introduced
into the body by infusion

3.  liquid
made by infusing something: a liquid such as tea that is
made by infusing something

4.  act
of infusing something: the act of of soaking
something in a liquid in order to extract something soluble

5.  introduction
of something needed: the addition of a new or
necessary quality or element to something • an
infusion of private capital into the project
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin infusio, from the past participle stem of infundere
(see infuse ).][1]



-ing

-ing1
-ing1 suffix

1.  forming
the present participle of verbs • raining

2.  forming
adjectives from words other than verbs • swashbuckling
[Alteration of earlier -ende,
from Old English][1]



-ing

-ing3
-ing3 suffix

somebody
or something that has a particular character • gelding
[Old English, “belonging to,
of the line of”][1]



-ing

-ing2
-ing2 suffix

1.  action
or process • rowing
• cooking

2.  result
of (archaic)
[Old English -ung, -ing][1]



ingather

ingather
in·gath·er 
[ín gàər] (past in·gath·ered,
past participle in·gath·ered, present participle in·gath·er·ing,
3rd person present singular in·gath·ers) verb

1.  transitive
verb
collect
a harvest:
to gather in a harvest of something

2.  intransitive
verb
converge:
to come together or assemble (formal or literary)
—in·gath·er·er, noun[1]



ingenious

ingenious
in·gen·ious 
[in jnyəss] adjective

1.  inventive:
possessing cleverness and imagination

2.  clever
and effective: clever, original, and effective • an
ingenious solution
[15th
century. Via Middle French ingénieux from Latin ingeniosus, from ingenium
“mind” (source of English engine ).]
—in·gen·ious·ly,
adverb

—in·gen·ious·ness, noun[1]



ingenuity

ingenuity
in·ge·nu·i·ty 
[ìnjə n itee] (plural in·ge·nu·i·ties)
noun

inventiveness:
cleverness and originality
[Late 16th century. From
Latin ingenuitas, from ingenuus (see ingenuous
).][1]



ingenuous

ingenuous
in·gen·u·ous 
[in jénnyoo əss] adjective

1.  innocent
and unworldly: showing innocence and a lack of worldly
experience

2.  seeming
honest:
appearing honest and direct
[Late
16th century. From Latin ingenuus “native, freeborn, honest,” from gignere
“to beget.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English kin .]
—in·gen·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·gen·u·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naive

[1]



Ingersoll,Robert

Ingersoll,Robert
In·ger·soll
[íng gər sàwl], Robert (1833–1899)

U.S.
orator. He was a noted agnostic, and in his lectures maintained that happiness
is the only good.
Full name
Ingersoll, Robert Green Known as Great Agnostic[1]



ingest

ingest
in·gest 
[in jést] (past in·gest·ed, past
participle in·gest·ed, present participle in·gest·ing,
3rd person present singular in·gests) transitive verb

absorb
something into the body: to take something such as
food or liquid into the body by swallowing or absorbing it
[Early
17th century. From the past participle stem of Latin ingerere “to carry
in,” from gerere “to carry.”]
—in·ges·tion,
noun

—in·ges·tive, adjective[1]



ingesta

ingesta
in·ges·ta 
[in jéstə] plural noun

nourishment:
food or liquid taken into the body by swallowing or absorbing
[Early 18th century. From
Latin ingestus, the past participle of ingerere (see ingest ).][1]



Inge,William

Inge,William

Inge
[inj], William (1913–1973)
U.S.
playwright. He is known for his small-town Midwestern dramas such as Picnic,
which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953.
Full name
Inge, William Motter[1]



ingle

ingle
in·gle 
[íng g’l] (plural in·gles) noun

fire
or fireplace: a fireplace, or an open fire burning in
a fireplace (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Gaelic aingeal “fire, light.”][1]



inglenook

inglenook
in·gle·nook 
[íng g’l nk] (plural in·gle·nooks)
noun

1.  recess
beside a fireplace: a recess for a seat or bench
beside a large fireplace

2.  fireside
seat:
a seat built in an inglenook, especially one of two benches or wing chairs
facing each other

[1]



Inglewood

Inglewood
In·gle·wood 
[íng g’l wd]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, bordering the city of Los Angeles. Population: 110,085
(1994)[1]



Inglis,Charles

Inglis,Charles
In·glis
[íng gliss, íng
g’lz], Charles (1734–1816)

Irish-born Canadian cleric.
He was the Church of England’s first colonial bishop (1787–1795).[1]



inglorious

inglorious
in·glo·ri·ous 
[in gláwree əss] adjective

1.  shameful:
bringing shame or dishonor

2.  not
famous:
not having received recognition, and so unknown or obscure (archaic or
literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inglorius, from gloria “glory.”]
—in·glo·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·glo·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



ingoing

ingoing
in·go·ing 
[ín ging] (plural in·go·ings)
adjective

relating to arrival:
relating to entering a place or taking up a new position[1]



ingot

ingot
in·got 
[íng gət] (plural in·gots) noun

1.  metal
casting:
a metal casting that is shaped for easy working or for recasting, typically in
an oblong

2.  mold
for casting ingots: a mold used for the casting
of ingots
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from Old English in “in” + gotan, past
participle of gēotan “to pour.”][1]



ingotiron

ingotiron
in·got
i·ron
noun

very pure iron:
very pure iron that is produced in the same way as steel but using methods that
reduce the carbon, manganese, and silicon content[1]



ingraft

ingraft
in·graft 
[in gráft] (past in·graft·ed, past
participle in·graft·ed, present participle in·graft·ing,
3rd person present singular in·grafts) transitive verb

See
engraft
—in·graf·ta·tion
[ìn graf táysh’n], noun

—in·graft·ment, noun[1]



ingrain

ingrain
in·grain 
transitive verb [in gráyn] (past
in·grained, past participle in·grained, present
participle in·grain·ing, 3rd person present singular in·grains)

impress something in somebody’s mind:
to impress a feeling, belief, or experience firmly and indelibly in somebody’s
mind (usually passive) • The
sight is still ingrained in my memory.
adjective
[ín gràyn]

1.  See
ingrained

2.  TEXTILES predyed:
dyed before being spun or woven
noun
[ín gràyn] (plural in·grains) TEXTILES

1.  predyed
yarn or fiber: yarn or fiber that is dyed before being
spun or woven

2.  predyed
rug or carpet: a rug or carpet made of yarn or fiber
that is dyed before being spun or woven
[15th century. Formed from grain, from its application to certain insects and
the dye produced by them.][1]



ingrained

ingrained
in·grained 
[in gráynd] adjective

1.  worked
deep into something: worked into the surface,
pores, or fibers of something and very difficult to remove • ingrained
dirt

2.  habitual:
long-established or confirmed in a habit or practice

3.  impressed
in somebody’s mind: firmly fixed in somebody’s
mind and only removed or challenged with difficulty
—in·grain·ed·ly
[in gráynədlee], adverb

—in·grain·ed·ness [in gráynədnəss], noun[1]



ingrate

ingrate
in·grate 
[ín gràyt] noun (plural in·grates)

ungrateful
person:
somebody who does not show or express gratitude (formal or literary)
adjective

ungrateful:
showing no gratitude (formal or literary)
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin ingratus, “ungrateful,” from in- “not” + gratus
“grateful.”][1]



ingratiate

ingratiate
in·gra·ti·ate 
[in gráyshee àyt] (past in·gra·ti·at·ed,
past participle in·gra·ti·at·ed, present participle in·gra·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·gra·ti·ates) reflexive verb

seek
to please somebody: to try to enter somebody’s
favor, especially in order to gain an advantage • It’s
no use trying to ingratiate yourself with me.
[Early
17th century. From Italian ingraziare, from in grazia “into
favor,” from Latin in gratiam, from, ultimately, gratia “favor”
(source of English grace ).]
—in·gra·ti·a·tion
[in gràyshee áysh’n], noun

—in·gra·ti·a·to·ry [in gráyshee ətàwree], adjective[1]



ingratiating

ingratiating
in·gra·ti·at·ing 
[in gráyshee àyting] adjective

1.  seeking
to please somebody: designed to win somebody’s
approval, especially in order to gain an advantage

2.  pleasing:
agreeable or giving pleasure (archaic or literary)
—in·gra·ti·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ingratitude

ingratitude
in·grat·i·tude 
[in gráttə td] noun

lack
of gratitude: failure to show or express gratitude
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin ingratitudo, from ingratus
“ungrateful,” from gratus “grateful.”][1]



ingredient

ingredient
in·gre·di·ent 
[in grdee ənt] (plural in·gre·di·ents)
noun

1.  item
in recipe:
any of the component parts of a mixture, especially in cooking

2.  element
required for something: any of the different
elements required for a situation, relationship, or plan • What
are the ingredients for a happy marriage?
[15th century. From,
ultimately, Latin ingredi “to enter” (source of English ingress ), from gradi “to step.”][1]



Ingres,Jean-Auguste-Dominique

Ingres,Jean-Auguste-Dominique
In·gres
[áNgrə], Jean-Auguste-Dominique (1780–1867)

French artist. He was a
leading exemplar of neoclassicism in such paintings as Grande Odalisque
(1814).[1]



ingress

ingress
in·gress 
[ín grèss] (plural in·gress·es)
noun (formal)

1.  entry:
entry into a place

2.  right
of entry:
the right to enter a place

3.  entrance:
a way of entering a place
[15th century. From Latin,
“entrance,” from ingredi “to enter,” from gradi “to walk.”][1]



ingressive

ingressive
in·gres·sive 
[in gréssiv] adjective

1.  of
entry:
relating to entry into or the entrance to a place

2.  PHONETICS pronounced
by inhaling: used to describe a speech sound that is
pronounced by inhaling rather than exhaling

3.  GRAMMAR See inceptive  noun 1
See inceptive  noun 2
noun

PHONETICS ingressive
speech sound: a speech sound pronounced by inhaling
adjective

GRAMMAR See inceptive  adjective 2
—in·gres·sive·ness, noun[1]



in-group

in-group
in-group 
(plural in-groups) noun

group united by common
values: a group of people who show
loyalty and preferential treatment to one another because they share common
interests, beliefs, and attitudes[1]



ingrowing

ingrowing
in·grow·ing 
[ín gring] adjective

growing inward:
growing or appearing to grow inward. An ingrowing toenail does not actually
grow inward: inflamed tissue around the edge of the nail grows over it.[1]



ingrown

ingrown
in·grown 
[ín grn] adjective

1.  MEDICINE grown
into the flesh: that has or appears to have grown into
the flesh.
See
also
ingrowing

2.  natural
to somebody: having become a natural part of
somebody’s character over a long period of time

3.  inward-looking:
inward-looking and preoccupied with personal or local interests
—in·grown·ness, noun[1]



ingrowth

ingrowth
in·growth 
[ín grth] (plural in·growths)
noun

1.  growth
into the flesh: growth or apparent growth into the
flesh.
See
also
ingrowing

2.  something
ingrown:
something that grows inward, for example, a hair

[1]



inguinal

inguinal
in·gui·nal 
[íng gwən’l] adjective

of
the groin:
located in or affecting the groin
[15th century. From Latin inguinalis,
from inguen “groin.”][1]



ingulf

ingulf
in·gulf
[in gúlf] (past in·gulfed, past
participle in·gulfed, present participle in·gulf·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·gulfs) transitive verb

See
engulf
—in·gulf·ment, noun[1]



ingurgitate

ingurgitate
in·gur·gi·tate 
[in gúrji tàyt] (past in·gur·gi·tat·ed,
past participle in·gur·gi·tat·ed, present participle in·gur·gi·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·gur·gi·tates) transitive verb

gulp
down food:
to swallow large amounts of food greedily (formal or literary)
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin ingurgitare “to pour in, gorge
yourself,” from gurges “gulf,” from the sense “engulf.”]
—in·gur·gi·ta·tion [in gùrji táysh’n], noun[1]



Ingush

Ingush
In·gush 
[ín gsh, in
gsh] (plural In·gush·es or In·gush) noun

member
of a Russian ethnic group: a member of an ethnic group
that lives mainly in the Russian provinces of Ingushetia and Chechnya
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, the name of the former autonomous area.][1]



ingénue

ingénue
in·gé·nue
[áNə n] (plural in·gé·nues) noun

1.  unsophisticated
girl or young woman: a girl or young woman who is
naive and lacks experience or understanding of life

2.  naive
character in drama: a character in a play or a
movie who is a naive inexperienced young woman

3.  actor
in role of ingénue: an actor, especially a young
one, who plays or specializes in playing the role of an ingénue
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin ingenuus (see ingenuous
).][1]



INH

INH
INH
Trademark

a trademark for a drug used
to treat tuberculosis[1]



inhabit

inhabit
in·hab·it 
[in hábbit] (past in·hab·it·ed,
past participle in·hab·it·ed, present participle in·hab·it·ing,
3rd person present singular in·hab·its) verb

1.  transitive
verb
live
in a place:
to live in or occupy a particular place (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
be
found:
to be found in or pervade something • the
fears that inhabited each waking moment

3.  intransitive
verb
reside
permanently: to reside permanently in a place (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French enhabiter from Latin inhabitare, from habitare
“to possess, dwell,” from habere “to hold, have” (source of English habit ).]
—in·hab·it·a·bil·i·ty
[in hàbbitə bíllətee], noun

—in·hab·it·a·ble
[in hábbitəb’l], adjective

—in·hab·i·ta·tion
[in hàbbi táysh’n], noun

—in·hab·it·er [in hábbitər], noun[1]



inhabitancy

inhabitancy
in·hab·i·tan·cy 
[in hábbit’nsee] (plural in·hab·i·tan·cies)
or in·hab·i·tance [in hábbit’ns]
(plural in·hab·i·tan·ces) noun

occupancy:
living in a place as an inhabitant (archaic)[1]



inhabitant

inhabitant
in·hab·i·tant 
[in hábbit’nt] (plural in·hab·i·tants)
noun

somebody living in a place:
a person or animal that lives in a particular place or area[1]



inhabited

inhabited
in·hab·it·ed 
[in hábbitəd] adjective

populated:
lived in, especially by human beings[1]



inhalant

inhalant
in·ha·lant 
[in háylənt] adjective

breathed
in:
breathed in through the nose or mouth as a medicine or for its soothing effect
noun
(plural in·ha·lants)

medicine that is inhaled:
a substance in the form of a vapor or gas that is inhaled, especially as a
medicine or for its soothing effect[1]



inhalation

inhalation
in·ha·la·tion 
[ìnhə láysh’n] (plural in·ha·la·tions)
noun

1.  breath
taken in:
an intake of breath through the nose or mouth into the lungs

2.  something
inhaled:
a substance in the form of a vapor or gas that is inhaled, especially as a
medicine or for its soothing effect
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin, from, ultimately, Latin inhalare, “to
breathe upon” (see inhale ).]
—in·ha·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



inhalator

inhalator
in·ha·la·tor 
[ínhə làytər] (plural in·ha·la·tors)
noun MEDICINE

1.  See
respirator

2.  See
inhaler

[1]



inhale

inhale
in·hale 
[in háyl] (past in·haled, past
participle in·haled, present participle in·hal·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·hales) intransitive and transitive
verb

breathe
in:
to breathe in, or to draw a gas, liquid, or solid into the lungs through the
nose or mouth
[Early 18th century. Either
by back-formation from inhalation, or from
Latin inhalare “to breathe upon,” from halare “to breathe” (by
contrast with exhale in English).][1]



inhaler

inhaler
in·hal·er 
[in háylər] (plural in·hal·ers)
noun

1.  device
for inhaling medicine: a small device used for
inhaling medicine in the form of a vapor or gas in order to ease a respiratory
condition such as asthma or to relieve nasal congestion.
Also
called
inhalator

2.  somebody
who inhales: somebody who inhales or who inhales
something

[1]



inharmonious

inharmonious
in·har·mo·ni·ous 
[ìn haar mṓnee əss] adjective

1.  discordant:
lacking in harmony or sounding unpleasant

2.  unhappy:
characterized by disagreement and conflict

3.  clashing:
clashing or not matching
—in·har·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·har·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun[1]



inharmony

inharmony
in·har·mo·ny 
[in hrmənee] noun

lack of harmony:
lack of harmony, accord, or agreement[1]



inhaul

inhaul
in·haul
[ín hàwl] (plural in·hauls) or
in·haul·er [ín hàwlər] (plural
in·haul·ers) noun

sail rope:
a rope used to haul or hold in a sail[1]



inhere

inhere
in·here 
[in hr] (past in·hered, past
participle in·hered, present participle in·her·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·heres) intransitive verb

be
a normal part of something: to be a natural and integral
part of something (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin inhaerere, from haerere “to stick.”]
—in·her·ence
[in hrəns, in
hérrəns], noun

—in·her·en·cy, noun[1]



inherent

inherent
in·her·ent 
[in hrənt, in
hérrənt] adjective

basic:
unable to be considered separately from the nature of something because of
being innate or characteristic • the
risks inherent in investing in the stock market
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin inhaerere “to stick to” (see inhere ).]
—in·her·ent·ly, adverb[1]



inherit

inherit
in·her·it 
[in hérrit] (past in·her·it·ed,
past participle in·her·it·ed, present participle in·her·it·ing,
3rd person present singular in·her·its) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb receive
something when somebody dies: to become the owner of
something when somebody dies in accordance with legal succession or the terms
of a will or as the result of a bequest or legacy

2.  transitive
verb
receive
a characteristic or quality from a parent: to
receive a characteristic or quality as a result of its being passed on
genetically

3.  transitive
verb
get
something from a predecessor: to take something over from
the person or group who previously lived in a place or did a job
[14th
century. Via Old French enheriter “to make an heir” from late Latin inhereditare
“to inherit,” from hereditare, from Latin heres “heir.”]
—in·her·i·tor, noun[1]



inheritable

inheritable
in·her·it·a·ble 
[in hérritəb’l] adjective

1.  LAW See heritable

2.  BIOLOGY able
to be passed on genetically: used to describe a
characteristic or quality that can be transmitted genetically from parent to
offspring

3.  able
to inherit:
having the right to inherit something (archaic)
[15th
century. Via Anglo-French enheritable “able to be made heir” from Old
French enheriter “to make an heir” (see inherit
).]
—in·her·it·a·bil·i·ty
[in hèrritə bíllətee], noun

—in·her·it·a·ble·ness
[in hérritəb’lnəss], noun[1]



inheritance

inheritance
in·her·i·tance 
[in hérrit’ns] (plural in·her·i·tances)
noun

1.  LAW inherited
wealth or title: money, property, or a title that has
been inherited or is to be inherited

2.  LAW ownership
or succession by heredity: hereditary ownership of
wealth or a title, or the succession to wealth or a title

3.  LAW right
to inherit:
the right of an heir to inherit wealth or a title when an ancestor dies

4.  heritage:
something that is inherited from the past

5.  BIOLOGY transmission
of genetically controlled characteristics: the
transmission of genetically controlled characteristics or qualities from parent
to offspring

6.  COMPUTING creation
of an object with the same variables: a
feature of programming whereby a new object can be created from existing
objects and, as a consequence of creation, possess the variables and methods of
the parent object
[15th century. From Old
French enheritaunce, from enheriter “to make an heir” (see inherit ).][1]



inheritancetax

inheritancetax
in·her·i·tance
tax
noun

tax on inherited property:
a tax levied on property received by inheritance or legal succession,
calculated according to the value of the property received.
Also called
death tax[1]



inhesion

inhesion
in·he·sion
[in h’n] noun

being
inherent:
the state of being a natural and integral part of something (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin inhaesio, from the past participle stem of Latin inhaerere
“to stick.”][1]



inhibin

inhibin
in·hib·in 
[in híbbin] noun

hormone
inhibiting production of follicle-stimulating hormone:
a hormone secreted by the testis and ovary that inhibits the pituitary’s
production of follicle-stimulating hormone and helps control gamete and blood
cell production, growth, and development
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin inhibere “to hinder” + -in
.][1]



inhibit

inhibit
in·hib·it 
[in híbbit] (past in·hib·it·ed,
past participle in·hib·it·ed, present participle in·hib·it·ing,
3rd person present singular in·hib·its) transitive verb

1.  hold
something in check: to stop something from
continuing or developing • changes
in spending patterns that are likely to inhibit the growth of the economy

2.  constrain:
to prevent somebody from behaving or speaking freely or unself-consciously

3.  CHEMISTRY stop
or restrict a chemical reaction: to prevent or slow
down a chemical reaction

4.  BIOLOGY interfere
with a bodily process or organ: to slow down or
adversely affect a bodily process or the action of an organ

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING prevent
a signal or event: to prevent a specific signal
or event from occurring

6.  forbid
something:
to forbid something (archaic)
[15th
century. From the past participle stem of Latin inhibere “to hinder,”
from habere “to hold.”]
—in·hib·it·a·ble,
adjective

—in·hib·i·tive, adjective[1]



inhibited

inhibited
in·hib·it·ed
[in híbbitəd] adjective

unable
to behave or speak freely: unable to behave
spontaneously or express feelings openly
—in·hib·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—in·hib·it·ed·ness, noun[1]



inhibiter

inhibiter
in·hib·it·er 
(plural in·hib·it·ers) noun

See
inhibitor[1]



inhibition

inhibition
in·hi·bi·tion 
[ìnnə bísh’n, ìnhə
bísh’n] (plural in·hi·bi·tions) noun

1.  feeling
that inhibits somebody: a feeling or belief that
prevents somebody from behaving spontaneously or speaking freely

2.  something
that inhibits: something that inhibits, or the act of
inhibiting

3.  PSYCHOLOGY inhibited
mental state: a mental state in which somebody’s
activity or behavior is inhibited.
See
also
repression

4.  PSYCHOLOGY diminished
response to a stimulus: in Pavlovian conditioning, the
progressive weakening of a response to a stimulus after repeated presentations
of the stimulus

5.  CHEMISTRY impeding
chemical reaction: the slowing down or
prevention of a chemical reaction

6.  BIOLOGY obstruction
of a bodily process or organ: the suppression or blocking
of a bodily process or the action of an organ
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin inhibitio, from inhibere “to hinder” (see inhibit ).][1]



inhibitor

inhibitor
in·hib·i·tor
[in híbbitər] (plural in·hib·i·tors)
or in·hib·it·er [in híbbitər]
(plural in·hib·it·ers) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY substance
slowing a chemical reaction: a substance that stops or
slows a chemical reaction • a rust
inhibitor.

Also
called
anticatalyst

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY substance
halting a biological process: a substance that slows or
halts a metabolic or physiological process, for example, by preventing the
activity of an enzyme

3.  something
that inhibits something: somebody or something that
inhibits somebody or something else

[1]



inholding

inholding
in·hold·ing 
[ín hlding] (plural in·hold·ings)
noun

private
land in public: a piece of private land inside a state
or national park
—in·hold·er, noun[1]



in-home

in-home
in-home 
adjective

available at home:
available in somebody’s home[1]



inhospitable

inhospitable
in·hos·pi·ta·ble 
[ìn ho spíttəb’l, in
hóspitəb’l] adjective

1.  not
welcoming:
not welcoming or friendly

2.  harsh:
harsh and difficult to live or work in • an
inhospitable climate
[Late
16th century. From French, from in- “not” + hospitable (see hospitable ).]
—in·hos·pi·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—in·hos·pi·ta·bly,
adverb

—in·hos·pi·tal·i·ty, noun[1]



in-house

in-house
in-house 
adjective

located
within a company: working, carried out, or existing within
a company or organization
adverb
noun

within a company:
within a company or organization[1]



inhuman

inhuman
in·hu·man 
[in hymən] adjective

1.  very
cruel:
showing great cruelty and a lack of humanity

2.  unfeeling:
giving an impression of being cold and unfeeling

3.  not
human:
not seeming to be human, or not typical of human beings
[15th
century. Directly or via Middle French from Latin inhumanus, from in-
“not” + humanus “human.”]
—in·hu·man·ly,
adverb

—in·hu·man·ness, noun[1]



inhumane

inhumane
in·hu·mane 
[ìn hyoo máyn] adjective

not
compassionate: lacking compassion, and causing
excessive suffering
[15th
century. Originally from inhuman ; later
from in- + humane
.]
—in·hu·mane·ly, adverb[1]



inhumanity

inhumanity
in·hu·man·i·ty 
[ìn hyoo mánnətee] (plural in·hu·man·i·ties)
noun

1.  great
cruelty:
great cruelty and lack of humanity

2.  cruel
act:
an act of great cruelty
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin inhumanitas, from inhumanus (see inhuman ).][1]



inhume

inhume
in·hume 
[in hym] (past in·humed, past
participle in·humed, present participle in·hum·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·humes) transitive verb

bury
a body:
to bury a dead body (formal or literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin inhumare, from humus “earth” (source of
English humble ).]
—in·hu·ma·tion
[ìn hyoo máysh’n], noun

—in·hum·er [in hymər], noun[1]



inimical

inimical
in·im·i·cal 
[i nímmik’l] adjective

1.  not
favorable:
unfavorable for something • activities
inimical to the public good

2.  hostile:
showing hostility
[Early
16th century. Via late Latin inimicalis from Latin inimicus
“unfriendly” (source of English enemy
), from in- “not” + amicus “friend.”]
—in·im·i·cal·i·ty
[i nìmmi kállətee], noun

—in·im·i·cal·ly
[i nímmikəlee], adverb

—in·im·i·cal·ness [i nímmik’lnəss], noun[1]



inimitable

inimitable
in·im·i·ta·ble 
[i nímmitəb’l] adjective

impossible
to imitate:
impossible to imitate, especially because of being unique to a particular
person or group • She carried it off in
her usual inimitable style.
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin inimitabilis, from in-
“not” + imitabilis “capable of being imitated.”]
—in·im·i·ta·bil·i·ty
[i nìmmitə bíllətee], noun

—in·im·i·ta·ble·ness
[i nímmitəb’lnəss], noun

—in·im·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



inion

inion
in·i·on 
[ínnee ən] (plural in·i·ons) noun

ANATOMY bony
projection on the back of the head: a
projection of the occipital bone that forms a slight lump at the back of the
skull just above the neck
[Early 19th century. From
Greek, “nape of the neck.”][1]



iniquitous

iniquitous
in·iq·ui·tous 
[i níkwitəss] adjective

utterly
harmful and wrong: immoral, especially in a way
that results in great injustice or unfairness
—in·iq·ui·tous·ly,
adverb

—in·iq·ui·tous·ness, noun[1]



iniquity

iniquity
in·iq·ui·ty 
[i níkwitee] (plural in·iq·ui·ties)
noun

1.  injustice
or immorality: great injustice or extreme immorality

2.  immoral
act:
a grossly immoral act
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin iniquitas, from iniquus “unjust,” from in-
“not” + aequus “equal” (source of English equity
).][1]



init.

init.
init.

Abbreviation of
initial[1]



initial

initial
in·i·tial 
[i nísh’l] adjective

1.  coming
at the start: coming first, or present at the
beginning of an event or process • My
initial feeling was one of shock.

2.  coming
first in a word: relating to or used as the first letter
or letters of a word
noun
(plural in·i·tials)

1.  first
letter of a name: the first letter of the name of a
person, place, or organization

2.  PRINTING large
ornate first letter: the large and often highly
decorative first letter of a verse, paragraph, or page, especially as seen in
illuminated manuscripts

3.  BOTANY plant-tissue
cell:
a cell in the growing point ( meristem ) of
a plant that gives rise to cells that will develop into different plant tissues
plural
noun
in·i·tials

first letters of somebody’s names:
the first letter of each of the names of a person, place, or organization, used
as an abbreviation or means of identification
transitive
verb
(past in·i·tialed, past participle in·i·tialed, present
participle in·i·tial·ing, 3rd person present singular in·i·tials)

mark something with initials:
to sign or mark a document with initials, especially in order to show approval
or give authorization
[Early
16th century. From Latin initialis, from initium “beginning”
(source of English commence ).]
—in·i·tial·er, noun[1]



initialism

initialism
in·i·tial·ism
[i nísh’l ìzzəm] (plural in·i·tialisms)
noun

word made of initials
pronounced separately: an
abbreviation made up of initial letters that are all pronounced separately, for
example, U.N. for United Nations[1]



initialize

initialize
in·i·tial·ize 
[i nísh’l z] (past in·i·tial·ized,
past participle in·i·tial·ized, present participle in·i·tial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·i·tial·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

prepare
a computer for use: to prepare a piece of
computer hardware or software such as a printer, modem, or timer for use, often
by resetting a memory location to its initial value
—in·i·tial·i·za·tion
[i nìsh’li záysh’n], noun

—in·i·tial·iz·er [i nísh’l zər], noun[1]



initially

initially
in·i·tial·ly
[i nísh’lee] adverb

at first:
at first or to begin with[1]



initialpublic offering

initialpublic offering
in·i·tial
pub·lic of·fer·ing  noun

FINANCE
first-time sale of stock:
a first-time sale of company securities on a stock exchange to public investors[1]



initialrhyme

initialrhyme
in·i·tial
rhyme
(plural in·i·tial rhymes) noun

rhyme at the start of a line:
a rhyme at the start of successive lines of verse[1]



InitialTeaching Alphabet

InitialTeaching Alphabet
In·i·tial
Teach·ing Al·pha·bet noun

alphabet for teaching
reading: an alphabet of 44 symbols,
each representing a single sound in English, used to teach children to read[1]



initiate

initiate
in·i·ti·ate 
transitive verb [i níshee àyt] (past
in·i·ti·at·ed, past participle in·i·ti·at·ed, present
participle in·i·ti·at·ing, 3rd person present singular in·i·ti·ates)

1.  make
something start: to cause something, especially an
important event or process, to begin • to
initiate talks

2.  teach
somebody about something new: to introduce somebody to a
new activity, interest, or area • initiated
me into the joys of snowboarding

3.  introduce
somebody into group: to allow somebody take part
in a ritual or ceremony in order to become a member of a group, organization,
or religion
noun
[i níshee ət] (plural in·i·ti·ates)

1.  somebody
initiated into a group: somebody who has been
recently admitted to a group, organization, or religion after participating in
a ritual or ceremony

2.  somebody
newly introduced to something: somebody recently
introduced to a new activity, interest, or area
adjective
[i níshee ət]

1.  recently
initiated:
belonging or relating to those who have been recently introduced to a new
activity, interest, or area

2.  having
secret or special knowledge: knowing the secrets of a
group, organization, or religion
[Mid-16th
century. From the past participle stem of Latin initiare “to begin,”
from initium “beginning” (see initial
).]
—in·i·ti·a·tor, noun[1]



initiated

initiated
in·i·ti·at·ed
[i níshee àytəd] plural noun

people with special
knowledge: those who know about
something that seems difficult or complicated, or who know the secrets of a
group, organization, or religion[1]



initiation

initiation
in·i·ti·a·tion 
[i nìshee áysh’n] (plural in·i·ti·a·tions)
noun

1.  action
that makes something start: action that causes
something, especially an important process or event, to begin • the
initiation of legal proceedings

2.  ceremony:
a usually secret or mysterious ceremony by which somebody is admitted to a
group, organization, or religion (sometimes used before a noun) • initiation
rites

3.  introduction
to something new: the introduction of somebody to a new
activity, interest, or area
[Late 16th century. From
Latin initiatio, from the past participle stem of initiare “to
begin.”][1]



initiative

initiative
in·i·tia·tive 
[i níshətiv] noun (plural in·i·tia·tives)

1.  ability
to act on your own: the ability to act and make
decisions without the help or advice of other people • You’ll
just have to use your initiative.

2.  introductory
step:
the first step in a process that, once taken, determines subsequent events • decided
to take the initiative

3.  plan:
a plan or strategy designed to deal with a particular problem • a
peace initiative

4.  advantageous
position:
a favorable position that allows somebody to take preemptive action or control
events • lose
the initiative

5.  POLITICS right
to introduce new legislation: the right to bring a new law
or measure before a legislative body

6.  POLITICS proposal
of legislation by citizens: a process valid in many U.S.
states and in Switzerland that allows citizens to propose legislation by
petition
adjective

of initiation:
used in or relating to initiation (formal)
[Late
18th century. Via French from the past participle stem of Latin initiare
“to begin.”]
—in·i·tia·tive·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








initiatory

initiatory
in·i·ti·a·to·ry 
[i níshee ə tàwree] adjective

1.  beginning:
occurring at or related to the beginning of something

2.  for
initiation:
used in or characteristic of an initiation
[Early 17th century][1]



inj.

inj.
inj.

1.  Abbreviation
of
injection

2.  Abbreviation
of
injury

[1]



inject

inject
in·ject 
[in jékt] (past in·ject·ed, past
participle in·ject·ed, present participle in·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular in·jects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE put fluid into the body with
a syringe:
to introduce a drug, vaccine, or other fluid into part of the body using a
syringe

2.  transitive
verb
force
liquid or gas into something: to force a liquid or gas
through a small opening into a confined space • They
inject an insulating foam into the cavity between the walls.

3.  transitive
verb
add
something to situation: to introduce a particular
quality or element into a situation • an
attempt to inject a little levity into the proceedings

4.  transitive
verb
SPACE TECHNOLOGY put
a rocket or satellite in orbit: to put a rocket or
satellite in orbit or a spacecraft on a trajectory to its destination
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin inicere “to throw in,” from iacere
“to throw” (source of English ejaculate
).]
—in·ject·a·ble, adjective[1]



injectant

injectant
in·jec·tant 
[in jéktənt] (plural in·jec·tants)
noun

something injected:
an injected substance[1]



injection

injection
in·jec·tion 
[in jékshən] (plural in·jec·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE injected
dose of a drug: a dose of a particular drug in liquid
form that is injected into the body with a syringe

2.  MEDICINE introduction
of fluid with a syringe: the introduction of fluid
into the body by means of a syringe

3.  AUTOMOTIVE spraying
fuel into an engine: the process of spraying fuel
through a pump into the inlet manifold or cylinder of an internal-combustion
engine, eliminating the need for a carburetor

4.  addition
of something to situation: the introduction of a
particular quality or element into a situation • a
cash injection

5.  provision
of money:
a provision of money for a country, organization, project, or person in
financial need

6.  ALGEBRA one-to-one
mapping of sets: a one-to-one mapping of two sets such
that each element of each set corresponds to only one element of the other set

7.  TECHNOLOGY introduction
of fluid into a cavity: a process for introducing a
fluid such as a plastic under pressure into a cavity

8.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY putting
a satellite into orbit: the insertion of an
artificial satellite into orbit or a space probe on a trajectory.
Also
called
insertion

9.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY moment
of satellite insertion: the moment or place at which
insertion of a satellite or probe occurs.
Also
called
insertion
[15th century. Directly or
via Middle French from Latin injectio, from inicere “to throw in”
(see inject ).][1]



injectionmolding

injectionmolding
in·jec·tion
mold·ing
noun

heat-based
molding process: a manufacturing process in which heated
material ( thermoplastic ) is forced under
pressure into a water-cooled mold
—in·jec·tion-mold·ed, adjective[1]



in-joke

in-joke
in-joke 
(plural in-jokes) noun

joke shared by small group:
a joke that is shared and understood only by a particular group of people[1]



injudicious

injudicious
in·ju·di·cious 
[ìn joo díshəss] adjective

lacking
judgment:
lacking in judgment or discretion
—in·ju·di·cious·ly,
adverb

—in·ju·di·cious·ness, noun[1]



Injun

Injun
In·jun
[ínjən] (plural In·juns) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a Native North American (dated offensive)
[Late 17th century.
Represents colloquial and dialectal pronunciation of Indian
.][1]



injunction

injunction
in·junc·tion 
[in júngkshən] (plural in·junc·tions)
noun

1.  LAW court
order:
a court order that requires somebody involved in a legal action to do something
or refrain from doing something

2.  command:
a command or order, especially from somebody in a position of authority

3.  act
of ordering somebody: the act of ordering somebody
to do or not to do something
[15th century. From late
Latin injunctio, from injungere “to enjoin,” from jungere
“to join.”][1]



injure

injure
in·jure 
[ínjər] (past in·jured, past
participle in·jured, present participle in·jur·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·jures) transitive verb

1.  hurt
somebody or something: to cause physical hurt or
damage to a person, animal, or body part

2.  offend
somebody:
to cause somebody distress by an unkind action or words

3.  LAW do
legal wrong to somebody: to wrong somebody by word or
deed in such a way that redress by legal means is available

4.  damage
somebody’s reputation: to damage somebody’s reputation,
career, or chances of success
[15th
century. Via Old French injurier from Latin injuriare, from injuria
(see injury ).]
—in·jur·a·ble,
adjective

—in·jur·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at harm

[1]



injurious

injurious
in·ju·ri·ous 
[in jree əss] adjective

1.  causing
injury:
causing harm, hurt, damage, or distress

2.  damaging
somebody’s reputation: damaging somebody’s
reputation, career, or chances of success
[15th
century. Via Middle French injurios from Latin injuriosus, from injuria
(see injury ).]
—in·ju·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·ju·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



injury

injury
in·ju·ry 
[ínjəree] (plural in·ju·ries) noun

1.  physical
damage:
physical damage to the body or a part of the body • They
escaped without injury.

2.  wound:
a specific instance of physical damage to part of the body • a
serious back injury

3.  LAW harm
to somebody’s reputation: harm caused to somebody’s
career or reputation by scandal, rumor, or defamation

4.  LAW infringement
of somebody’s rights: the violation of somebody’s
rights, against which legal action can be taken
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin injuria “a wrong,” from injurius
“unjust,” from in- “not” + jus “justice.”][1]



injurytime

injurytime
in·ju·ry
time
noun

time added for injury
stoppages: extra time allowed at the
end of some games, especially soccer and Rugby, to compensate for time spent
attending to injured players during the game[1]



injustice

injustice
in·jus·tice 
[in jústiss] (plural in·jus·tices)
noun

unfair
treatment:
unfair or unjust treatment of somebody, or an instance of this
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin injustitia, from injustus “unjust,” from in-
“not” + justus “just.”][1]



ink

ink
ink 
[ingk] noun (plural inks)

1.  liquid
for writing, drawing, or printing: a colored liquid or
paste used for writing, printing, or drawing

2.  ZOOLOGY liquid
ejected by octopus or squid: a dark brown liquid ( sepia ) ejected from a gland ( ink sac ) near the anus by most cephalopods,
including the octopus and the squid, to distract predators

3.  print
publicity:
publicity, especially in the print media (slang) • The
stunt got him all kinds of ink.
transitive
verb
(past inked, past participle inked, present
participle ink·ing, 3rd person present singular inks)

1.  mark
something with ink: to write or draw with ink on
a piece of paper or other surface

2.  add
ink:
to coat something with ink or apply ink to something, usually in preparation
for printing

3.  sign
a contract:
to put or obtain a signature on a contract or other document (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French enque from, ultimately, Greek enkauston
“purple ink,” from enkaiein “to burn in,” from the process of encaustic
painting.]
—ink·er, noun[1]



inkberry

inkberry
ink·ber·ry 
[íngk bèrree] (plural ink·ber·ries)
noun

1.  evergreen
shrub:
an upright evergreen shrub native to eastern North America with small black
fruits and oblong to oval dark green leaves that may be smooth-edged or have
serrated tips. Latin name: Ilex glabra

2.  black
fruit:
the small black rounded fruit of an inkberry

3.  BOTANY See pokeweed
[Mid-18th century. From the
use of the berries for making ink.][1]



inkblot

inkblot
ink·blot 
[íngk blòt] (plural ink·blots)
noun

1.  ink
stain:
a stain or spot of spilled ink

2.  PSYCHOLOGY pattern
used in the Rorschach test: any of the ten abstract
patterns resembling an inkblot used in the Rorschach test

[1]



inkblottest

inkblottest
ink·blot
test
(plural ink·blot tests) noun

PSYCHOLOGY
See Rorschach test[1]



inkhorn

inkhorn
ink·horn 
[íngk hàwrn] noun (plural ink·horns)

old
ink container: a small portable ink container made from
horn or a similar material and used in former times
adjective

too learned:
excessively scholarly in style or language, especially in the use of terms
derived from Latin and Greek[1]



inkin

inkin
ink
in
transitive verb

add ink to a drawing:
to go over the pencil lines of a drawing or design in ink[1]



in-kind

in-kind
in-kind 
adjective

1.  in
goods or services: in the form of goods or
services rather than in cash

2.  giving
back an equivalent amount: giving something that is
equivalent to what has been received

[1]



ink-jetprinter

ink-jetprinter
ink-jet
print·er 
(plural ink-jet print·ers) noun

printer using jets of ink:
a printer that prints using particles or droplets of electrically charged ink
from a matrix of tiny ink jets[1]



inkle

inkle
in·kle 
[íngk’l] (plural in·kles) noun

linen
tape:
a narrow linen tape used for trimmings, or the yarn used in this tape
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown: possibly from Dutch enkel “single,” from its narrowness.][1]



inkling

inkling
in·kling 
[íngkling] (plural in·klings) noun

1.  faint
idea:
a vague idea or suspicion about a fact, event, or person • I
had no inkling that he was unhappy.

2.  hint:
an indication of how to go about something • Could
you give me some inkling of where to look?
[Early 16th century. From an
obsolete English verb of unknown origin meaning “to utter in an undertone,”
hence, “to hint.”][1]



inksac

inksac
ink
sac
(plural ink sacs) noun

octopus and squid gland:
a large gland with an opening close to the anus of most cephalopods, including
the octopus and squid, from which ink ( sepia
) is ejected to distract predators[1]



inkstand

inkstand
ink·stand 
[íngk stànd] (plural ink·stands)
noun

1.  stand
for writing materials: a rack or stand that is kept
on a desk and contains bottles of ink, pens, and other writing materials

2.  See
inkwell

[1]



inkwell

inkwell
ink·well 
[íngk wèl] (plural ink·wells) noun

sunken jar of ink:
a small container for ink, especially one that fits into a hole in a desk.
Also called
inkstand[1]



inky

inky
ink·y
[íngkee] (comparative ink·i·er,
superlative ink·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
in ink:
consisting of or covered in ink

2.  dark:
black or dark blue in color

[1]



inkycap

inkycap
ink·y
cap
(plural ink·y caps) noun

mushroom:
a mushroom with a conical cap and gills on the underside that dissolve into an
inky black pulp after the spores mature. Species include the common inky cap
and the edible shaggymane. Genus: Coprinus
U.K. term
ink-cap[1]



inlace

inlace
in·lace 
[in láyss] transitive verb

See
enlace[1]



inlaid

inlaid
in·laid 
[ín làyd] adjective

1.  set
into a surface: set into the surface of wood or another
material, usually to provide decoration

2.  decorated:
decorated with an inlaid pattern

[1]



inland

inland
in·land 
[ín lànd, ínlənd]
adjective

1.  not
near a coast or border: in or relating to the part
of a country that is not near the coast or a border

2.  U.K.
within
a country:
occurring within a country, rather than between countries
adverb

in or into the interior of country:
in or toward the interior of a country
noun

interior of a country:
the interior of a country
[Old English][1]



InlandRevenue

InlandRevenue
In·land
Rev·e·nue
noun

U.K.
British tax collecting authority:
a British government department responsible for the collection and
administration of direct taxes[1]



InlandSea

InlandSea
In·land
Sea

arm of the Pacific Ocean, in
Japan, between the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Length: 386 km/240
mi.[1]



in-law

in-law
in-law 
(plural in-laws) noun

relative by marriage:
a relative by marriage (informal)[1]



inlay

inlay
in·lay 
[ín lày] transitive verb (past
in·laid, past participle in·laid, present participle
in·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular in·lays)

1.  set
something into a surface: to set pieces of material
such as wood, ivory, or stone into previously cut slots in a surface to form a
decorative pattern

2.  decorate
something with an inlaid design: to decorate something
such as a piece of furniture by setting pieces of wood, stone, ivory, or other
material into its surface
noun
(plural in·lays)

1.  pieces
of material set into a surface: pieces of material
such as wood, ivory, or stone set into the surface of a piece of furniture to
form a decorative pattern

2.  decorative
pattern:
a decorative pattern formed by inlaying

3.  DENTISTRY gold
or porcelain filling for tooth: a filling made of gold
or porcelain that is inserted into a cavity in a tooth and cemented in position
—in·lay·er [in láyr], noun[1]



inlet

inlet
in·let 
[ín lèt, ínlət]
noun (plural in·lets)

1.  narrow
opening in a coastline: a narrow stretch of water
reaching inland from a sea or lake

2.  stretch
of water between two islands: a narrow stretch of water
between two islands

3.  SEWING piece
of extra fabric: a piece of fabric put into the seam of a
garment to make it bigger or for decoration

4.  TECHNOLOGY passage
or valve:
an opening through which liquid or gas enters a machine or other device
transitive
verb
(past in·let, past participle in·let, present
participle in·let·ing, 3rd person present singular in·lets)

See inlay  verb 1
See inlay  verb 2
[13th century. Originally in
the sense “permission to enter.”][1]



inlier

inlier
in·li·er 
[ín lr] (plural in·li·ers) noun

rock
formation:
a rock formation in which older rocks are completely surrounded by younger
rocks.
See
also
outlier
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from in- + lier, modeled on outlier .][1]



in-line

in-line
in-line
adjective

with aligned components:
used to describe a device or machine in which similar parts are located
together and in a straight line, for example, the cylinders in an
internal-combustion engine[1]



in-lineskates

in-lineskates
in-line
skates
plural noun

skates with wheels in single
file: roller skates with each boot
mounted on a single line of three or four narrow wheels[1]



inloc. cit.

inloc. cit.
in
loc. cit.
adverb

See
loc. cit.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








inloco parentis

inloco parentis
in
lo·co pa·ren·tis  [in lkō pə
réntiss] adverb

in
place of a parent: having or taking on the
responsibilities of a parent when dealing with somebody else’s child
[From Latin][1]



inly

inly
in·ly 
[ínnlee] adverb (literary)

1.  inwardly:
in an inward way

2.  intimately:
with deep or intimate understanding

[1]



inlying

inlying
in·ly·ing 
[ín l ing] adjective

inner:
situated within a country or region[1]



inmate

inmate
in·mate 
[ín màyt] (plural in·mates) noun

somebody
in an institution: somebody who has been
confined within a prison or a psychiatric hospital
[Late 16th century. Formed
from in + mate
“companion.”][1]



inmedias res

inmedias res
in
me·di·as res  [in mdee əss
ráyss] adverb

in
the middle:
straight in or into the middle of a sequence of events, especially in a
literary narrative that has no introduction (formal)
[From Latin, “into the midst
of things”][1]



inmemoriam

inmemoriam
in
me·mo·ri·am 
[ìn mə máwree əm] preposition

in
memory of:
in memory of or in memory (used in epitaphs and obituaries)
[From Latin][1]



inmesh

inmesh
in·mesh
transitive verb

See
enmesh[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








in-migrant

in-migrant
in-mi·grant 
adjective

from
another part of the same country: coming from a
different part of the same country
noun
(plural in-mi·grants)

somebody from within the same
country: somebody who travels from a
different part of the same country[1]



in-migrate

in-migrate
in-mi·grate 
(past in-mi·grat·ed, past participle in-mi·grat·ed,
present participle in-mi·grat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in-mi·grates) intransitive verb

travel
from a different part of country: to travel to a place
from a different part of the same country
—in-mi·gra·tion, noun[1]



inmost

inmost
in·most 
[ín mst] adjective

See
innermost
[Old English innemest,
from inne “in” + mest “most”][1]



inn

inn
inn 
[in] (plural inns) noun

1.  hotel:
a place providing food and lodging for travelers (often used in the names of
establishments)

2.  bar
or restaurant: a bar or restaurant

3.  U.K.
residence
for students: formerly, a dormitory for students,
especially those studying law
[Old English from,
ultimately, an Indo-European word meaning “in” which is also the source of
English in][1]



innards

innards
in·nards 
[ínnərdz] plural noun (informal)

1.  internal
organs:
the internal organs of the body, especially the intestines

2.  internal
parts of a machine: the internal working parts
of a machine or mechanical device
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of inwards (plural noun).][1]



innate

innate
in·nate 
[i náyt] adjective

1.  present
from birth:
relating to qualities that a person or animal is born with

2.  integral:
forming an integral part of something

3.  PHILOSOPHY coming
from the mind: coming directly from the mind rather
than being acquired by experience or from external sources • an
innate sense of justice

4.  BOTANY joined
to the filament by the base: used to describe an anther
that is joined to the filament by its base only

5.  BOTANY originating
within the thallus: forming an integral part of
the thallus
[15th
century. From Latin innatus, the past participle of innasci “to
be born in,” from nasci “to be born” (source of English nature ).]
—in·nate·ly,
adverb

—in·nate·ness, noun[1]



innatereleasing mechanism

innatereleasing mechanism
in·nate
re·leas·ing mech·a·nism noun

stimulus that triggers
instinctive behavior: a process
within the central nervous system of animals that, in response to certain
stimuli, causes the animal to produce instinctive behavior. An example is the
way that chicks of some birds peck at the red dot on the adult’s beak.[1]



inner

inner
in·ner 
[ínnər] (plural in·ners) adjective

1.  near
or closer to the center: located near or closer to
the center of something • the
inner city

2.  being
or occurring inside: located or happening on the
inside of something • an
inner door

3.  of
the mind:
relating to somebody’s private feelings or happening in somebody’s mind • his
quiet exterior that hid an inner confidence

4.  not
obvious:
needing to be examined closely or thought about in order to be seen or
understood • searching
for the inner meaning of the text

5.  privileged:
most privileged or influential • the
inner circle
[Old
English innera . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “in” that
is also the source of English enter
.]
—in·ner·ly,
adverb

—in·ner·ness, noun[1]



innerchild

innerchild
in·ner
child 
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
adult’s view of his or her childhood:
an adult’s conception of himself or herself as a child, often used as a tool in
therapeutic processes to explore feelings about the person’s childhood[1]



innercity

innercity
in·ner
cit·y
noun

inner area of a city:
the central or innermost parts of a city, particularly when associated with
social problems such as inadequate housing and high levels of crime and
unemployment[1]



inner-directed

inner-directed
in·ner-di·rect·ed 
adjective

governed by personal beliefs:
guided by personal beliefs rather than by norms imposed by society[1]



innerear

innerear
in·ner
ear
(plural in·ner ears) noun

internal part of the ear:
the fluid-filled part of the ear, including the cochlea, which is responsible
for hearing, and the semicircular canals, which control balance[1]



InnerLight

InnerLight
In·ner
Light
noun

Quaker doctrine:
in Quaker belief, the presence of God as a guiding force within the human soul.

Also called
Inward Light
Also called
Light[1]



innerman

innerman
in·ner
man
noun

a man’s soul:
the soul or the spiritual or intellectual part of a man.
See also
inner woman[1]



InnerMongolia Autonomous Region

InnerMongolia Autonomous Region
In·ner
Mon·go·li·a Au·ton·o·mous Re·gion

administrative region of
northern China, bordered on the north by Russia and Mongolia. Population:
22,840,000 (1995) Area: 1,177,500 sq km/454,600 sq mi.[1]



innermost

innermost
in·ner·most 
[ínnər mst] adjective

1.  most
central:
most important, private, or personal • innermost
thoughts

2.  farthest
from the outside: taking place or being situated farthest
from the outside

[1]



innerplanet

innerplanet
in·ner
plan·et
(plural in·ner plan·ets) noun

Mercury, Venus, Earth, or
Mars: any of the four planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, or Mars whose orbits lie closest to the Sun and are
within the asteroid belt.
See also
outer planet[1]



innerproduct

innerproduct
in·ner
prod·uct
(plural in·ner prod·ucts) noun

MATHEMATICS
See scalar product[1]



innersole

innersole
in·ner·sole 
[ínnər sl] (plural in·ner·soles)
noun

liner for shoe:
a foot-shaped piece of leather, sheepskin, or synthetic material worn inside a
shoe or boot to provide a better fit or added warmth.
See also
insole[1]



innerspace

innerspace
in·ner
space
noun

1.  area
beneath the surface of the sea: the environment that
exists beneath the surface of the sea

2.  mental
realm:
somebody’s inner spiritual or psychological depths

[1]



innerspring

innerspring
in·ner·spring
[ínnər sprìng] adjective

having internal springs:
used to describe a mattress that has many helical springs inside a thick padded
cover.
U.K. term
interior-sprung[1]



innertube

innertube
in·ner
tube
(plural in·ner tubes) noun

rubber tube inside a tire:
a hollow rubber ring filled with compressed air that fits inside a pneumatic
tire[1]



innervate

innervate
in·ner·vate 
[i núr vàyt, ínnər
vàyt] (past in·ner·vat·ed, past participle in·ner·vat·ed,
present participle in·ner·vat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·ner·vates) transitive verb

1.  supply
nerves to a body organ: to distribute nerves to an
organ or body part

2.  stimulate
a muscle, organ, or body part: to cause a muscle,
organ, or other part of the body to act
—in·ner·va·tion
[ìnnər váysh’n], noun

—in·ner·va·tion·al [ìnnər váyshən’l, ìnnər
váyshnəl], adjective[1]



innerwear

innerwear
in·ner·wear 
[ínnər wàir] noun

clothing worn next to the
skin: clothing that is worn next
to the skin, such as an undershirt or a slip[1]



innerwoman

innerwoman
in·ner
wom·an
noun

a woman’s soul:
the soul or the spiritual or intellectual part of a woman.
See also
inner man[1]



Inness,George

Inness,George
In·ness
[ínniss], George (1825–1894)

U.S. artist. He is known for
his many landscapes such as Home of the Heron ( 1893 ).[1]



inning

inning
in·ning 
[ínning] (plural in·nings) noun

1.  BASEBALL baseball
division:
one of the divisions of a game of baseball or softball during which each team
bats until it makes three outs. Nine innings is standard for baseball, seven
for softball, but extra innings are played if the score remains tied.

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING reclamation
of land from the sea: the reclamation of marshy or
flooded land from the sea (archaic)
[Old English innung,
from innian “to put in,” from in (see in
). In sports, from the sense of “in possession of the game.”][1]



innings

innings
in·nings
[ínningz] (plural in·nings) noun

1.  CRICKET turn
at batting:
the turn of a cricket player or team at batting

2.  CRICKET runs
scored during an innings: the runs scored during the
turn of a cricket player or team at batting

3.  period
of success:
a period of opportunity or success, or a long active life or career

[1]



innit

innit
in·nit
[ínnit] interjection

U.K.
isn’t
it:
used as a tag question at the end of a statement (nonstandard) • Nice
weather, innit?
[Mid-19th century.
Alteration.][1]



innkeeper

innkeeper
inn·keep·er 
[ín kpər] (plural inn·keep·ers)
noun

somebody in charge of an inn:
somebody who owns or manages an inn[1]



innocence

innocence
in·no·cence 
[ínnəs’ns] noun

1.  LAW absence
of guilt:
the state of not being guilty of a crime or offense

2.  LAW lawfulness:
the state of being permitted by law

3.  harmlessness:
harmlessness in intention

4.  freedom
from sin:
freedom from sin or evil

5.  lack
of worldly experience: a lack of experience of the
world, especially when this results in a failure to recognize the harmful
intentions of other people

6.  ignorance:
ignorance of the serious consequences of something such as an act or remark

7.  chastity:
sexual inexperience

8.  BOTANY See blue-eyed Mary
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin innocentia, from innocens (see innocent ).][1]



innocency

innocency
in·no·cen·cy 
[ínnəs’nsee] (plural in·no·cen·cies)
noun

something innocent:
an innocent action or quality (archaic)[1]



innocent

innocent
in·no·cent 
[ínnəs’nt] adjective

1.  LAW not
guilty:
not guilty of a crime or offense

2.  LAW within
the law:
permitted by or acting within the law • an
innocent bystander

3.  harmless
in intention: not intended to cause harm • an
innocent remark

4.  uncorrupted:
pure and uncorrupted by evil, sin, or experience of the world

5.  naive:
more trusting or naive than most people through lack of experience of life or
failure to recognize the motives of others

6.  ignorant
of something: having very little or no knowledge of
something • innocent
of the finer points of etiquette

7.  lacking
in something: completely lacking in a particular
quality • innocent
of any artistic skill
noun
(plural in·no·cents)

1.  blameless
person:
a blameless vulnerable person, especially a very young child

2.  naive
person:
a simple, naive, or inexperienced person
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin innocens, from in- “not” + the
present participle of nocere “to harm.”]
—in·no·cent·ly, adverb[1]



InnocentIII

InnocentIII
In·no·cent
III
[ínnəss’nt], Pope (1160?–1216)

As pope (1198–1216) he
exercised considerable power over the European political rulers of the day,
launched the Fourth Crusade (1204), and summoned the Fourth Lateran Council
(1215).[1]



innocuous

innocuous
in·noc·u·ous 
[i nókyoo əss] adjective

1.  unlikely
to offend:
not intended to cause offense or provoke a strong reaction and unlikely to do
so • an
innocuous comment

2.  harmless:
harmless in effect • an innocuous white
powder
[Late
16th century. From Latin innocuus, from in- “not” + nocuus
“hurtful,” from nocere “to harm.”]
—in·noc·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·noc·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



innominate

innominate
in·nom·i·nate 
[i nómmənət] adjective

1.  nameless:
without a name (formal)

2.  unnamed:
anonymous (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin innominatus, from in- “not” + nominatus (see nominate ).][1]



innominateartery

innominateartery
in·nom·i·nate
ar·ter·y
noun

artery leading to the right
upper body: a short artery rising from
the arch of the aorta toward the right upper part of the body. It divides to
form the right common carotid artery, which supplies blood to the head, and the
right subclavian artery, which supplies blood to the right arm.
Also called
brachiocephalic artery[1]



innominatebone

innominatebone
in·nom·i·nate
bone
(plural in·nom·i·nate bones) noun

hipbone:
a hipbone (technical)
[Because early anatomists
could not think of anything it resembled][1]



innominatevein

innominatevein
in·nom·i·nate
vein
(plural in·nom·i·nate veins) noun

neck vein:
either of two large veins on opposite sides of the neck that join to form the
superior vena cava, one of the two veins taking blood to the heart[1]



innovate

innovate
in·no·vate 
[ínnə vàyt] (past in·no·vat·ed,
past participle in·no·vat·ed, present participle in·no·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·no·vates) intransitive and
transitive verb

try
out new ideas: to introduce a new way of doing
something or a new device
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
innovat-, from innovare “to renew,” from novus “new.”][1]



innovation

innovation
in·no·va·tion 
[ìnnə váy sh’n] (plural in·no·va·tions)
noun

1.  origination:
the act or process of inventing or introducing something new

2.  new
idea or method: something newly invented or a new way of
doing things • suspicious
of fax machines and other technological innovations
—in·no·va·tion·al, adjective[1]



innovative

innovative
in·no·va·tive 
[ínnə vàytiv] adjective

new
and original: new and original or taking a new and
original approach
[Early
17th century]
—in·no·va·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·no·va·tive·ness, noun[1]



Innsbruck

Innsbruck
Inns·bruck 
[ínz brk]

city, tourist center, and
capital of the Tyrol Province, western Austria, situated on the Inn River
approximately 137 km/85 mi southwest of Salzburg. Population: 118,112 (1991)[1]



Innu

Innu
In·nu
[í n] (plural In·nu) noun

1.  PEOPLES one of
an Algonquian people: a member of an Algonquian
people living in northern Quebec and Labrador

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Innu: the Algonquian language of the Innu
people
—In·nu, adjective[1]



innuendo

innuendo
in·nu·en·do 
[ìnnyoo éndō] (plural in·nu·en·does
or in·nu·en·dos) noun

1.  hint
of something improper: an indirect remark or
gesture that usually carries a suggestion of impropriety “‘I suppose Mary Garth
admires Mr. Lydgate,’ said Rosamund, not without a touch of innuendo.” George
Eliot Middlemarch 1872

2.  LAW interpretation
of possibly libelous language: an interpretation of
words that are claimed to be libelous where the meaning is not obvious, in a
legal action for libel or slander

3.  LAW gloss
for a technical legal word: an explanation of a
technical legal word, usually given in brackets
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
innuendo “by intimation,” from innuere “to nod to, signify.”][1]



innumerable

innumerable
in·nu·mer·a·ble 
[i nymərəb’l] adjective

countless:
too many to be counted
[14th
century. Via Latin innumerabilis from, ultimately, numerus
“number.”]
—in·nu·mer·a·bil·i·ty
[i nymərə bíllətee], noun

—in·nu·mer·a·ble·ness
[i nymərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·nu·mer·a·bly [i nymərəblee], adverb[1]



innumerate

innumerate
in·nu·mer·ate 
[i nymərət] adjective

unable
to do arithmetic: lacking a basic knowledge of mathematics
and unable to use numbers in calculation
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from numerate .][1]



inobservance

inobservance
in·ob·ser·vance 
[ìnnəb zúrvəns] noun

1.  disregard
for rule or law: failure to comply with something,
especially a rule, law, or custom

2.  lack
of attention: lack of heed or attention
—in·ob·ser·vant,
adjective

—in·ob·ser·vant·ly, adverb[1]



inobtrusive

inobtrusive
in·ob·tru·sive 
adjective

See
unobtrusive[1]



inoculable

inoculable
in·oc·u·la·ble 
[i nókyələb’l] adjective

preventable
by inoculation: able to be prevented by inoculation
—in·oc·u·la·bil·i·ty [i nòkyələ bíllətee], noun[1]



inoculant

inoculant
in·oc·u·lant 
[ináw kyə l’nt] (plural in·oc·u·lants)
noun

See
inoculum[1]



inoculate

inoculate
in·oc·u·late 
[i nókyə làyt] (past in·oc·u·lat·ed,
past participle in·oc·u·lat·ed, present participle in·oc·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·oc·u·lates) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE protect
somebody against disease: to inject or introduce a
serum, antigen, or a weakened form of a disease-producing pathogen into
somebody’s body in order to create immunity to the disease • inoculated
every child against polio

2.  BIOLOGY add
microorganisms to a culture: to introduce microorganisms
into a culture medium
[15th
century. From Latin inoculare “to graft on a plant part” (the original
sense in English ), from oculus “bud, eye,” the underlying idea being
“implanting something into an individual.”]
—in·oc·u·la·tion
[i nòkyə láysh’n], noun

—in·oc·u·la·tive,
adjective

—in·oc·u·la·tor, noun[1]



inoculum

inoculum
in·oc·u·lum 
[i nókyələm] (plural in·oc·ula
[i nókyələ]) noun

substance
used in inoculation: material injected into
somebody or something to create resistance to a disease.
Also
called
inoculant
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin inoculare “to inoculate” (see inoculate
), modeled on coagulum .][1]



inodorous

inodorous
in·o·dor·ous 
[in ṓdərəss] adjective

without smell:
having no smell[1]



inoffensive

inoffensive
in·of·fen·sive 
[ìnnə fénsiv] adjective

not
harmful:
not causing harm, annoyance, or offense • the
remark was inoffensive enough
—in·of·fen·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·of·fen·sive·ness, noun[1]



inofficious

inofficious
in·of·fi·cious 
[ìnnə físhəss] adjective

LAW contrary
to moral duty: violating standards of morality or
natural affection, especially failing to give an heir a just, and, in some
cases, legally required, share of the inheritance • an
inofficious will
[Early
17th century. From Latin inofficiosus “undutiful, not obliging,” from officium
“duty.”]
—in·of·fi·cious·ly,
adverb

—in·of·fi·cious·ness, noun[1]



inoperable

inoperable
in·op·er·a·ble 
[in óppərəb’l, in
ópprəb’l] adjective

1.  SURGERY too
far advanced for effective surgery:
having advanced to a stage at which surgical intervention would serve no useful
purpose

2.  not
practical:
not practical or workable

3.  See
inoperative  adjective 1
—in·op·er·a·bil·i·ty
[in òppərə bíllətee], noun

—in·op·er·a·ble·ness
[in óppərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·op·er·a·bly, adverb[1]



inoperative

inoperative
in·op·er·a·tive 
[in óppərətiv, in
ópprətiv] adjective

1.  not
working:
not functioning properly or as usual

2.  ineffective
or unenforceable: not effective or no longer valid or able
to be enforced
—in·op·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·op·er·a·tive·ness,
noun[1]



inopportune

inopportune
in·op·por·tune 
[in òppər tn] adjective

badly
timed:
happening at a bad moment or an inconvenient time
—in·op·por·tune·ly,
adverb

—in·op·por·tune·ness,
noun

—in·op·por·tu·ni·ty [in òppər tnətee], noun[1]



inordinate

inordinate
in·or·di·nate 
[in áwrd’nət] adjective

1.  excessive:
beyond reasonable limits in amount or degree “capable of expressing an
inordinate degree of unreason” Henry James Roderick Hudson 1876

2.  unrestrained:
showing a lack of restraint or control (archaic or literary)
[14th
century. Via Latin inordinatus “not orderly, out of order” from,
ultimately, ordo “order.”]
—in·or·di·na·cy,
noun

—in·or·di·nate·ly,
adverb

—in·or·di·nate·ness, noun[1]



inorg.

inorg.
inorg.

Abbreviation of
inorganic[1]



inorganic

inorganic
in·or·gan·ic 
[ìn awr gánnik] adjective

1.  not
animal or vegetable: composed of minerals rather
than living material

2.  CHEMISTRY without
carbon:
used to describe chemical compounds that contain no carbon, excluding the
oxides of carbon, carbon disulfide, cyanides, and their associated acids and
salts
—in·or·gan·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



inorganicchemistry

inorganicchemistry
in·or·gan·ic
chem·is·try
noun

study of compounds without
carbon: the branch of chemistry
relating to inorganic compounds[1]



inosculate

inosculate
in·os·cu·late
[in óskyə làyt] (past in·os·cu·lat·ed,
past participle in·os·cu·lat·ed, present participle in·os·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·os·cu·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

unite
with something: to join and blend with something else
[Late
17th century. Coined from in- + Latin osculare
“to provide with a mouth,” from osculum “little mouth,” from os
“mouth” (source of oral and orifice ).]
—in·os·cu·la·tion [in òskyə láysh’n], noun[1]



inositol

inositol
in·o·si·tol 
[i nṓssə tàwl, ī
nṓssə tàwl] noun

plant
and animal growth factor: a cyclic alcohol that has
nine related forms, one of which occurs in plants and animals and functions as
a growth factor. C6H12O6
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek inos “sinew” + -ite + -ol .][1]



inotropic

inotropic
in·o·tro·pic 
adjective

affecting
muscle contraction: having an effect on the
force of muscular contraction • an
inotropic drug
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek inos “sinew, tendon” + -tropic
.][1]



inpatient

inpatient
in·pa·tient 
or in-pa·tient noun (plural in·pa·tients) (plural
in-pa·tients)

person
staying in hospital: somebody receiving medical
treatment that requires a stay in a hospital
adjective

for
inpatients:
relating to, designed for, or used by inpatients
[Mid-18th century][1]



inperpetuum

inperpetuum
in
per·pe·tu·um [ìn pərpétoo
əm] adverb

LAW forever:
forever
[From Latin][1]



inpersonam

inpersonam
in
per·so·nam 
[ìn pur sṓnəm] adjective adverb

LAW directed
at somebody: made about or directed at a person
rather than at property.
See
also
in rem
[From Latin, literally
“against a person”][1]



inpetto

inpetto
in
pet·to 
[in péttō] adjective

CHRISTIANITY in
secret:
not disclosing publicly the name of a cardinal appointed by the pope
[Late 17th century. From
Italian, literally “in the breast.”][1]



inphase

inphase
in·phase 
[ín fàyz] adjective

of the same phase:
of the same electrical phase[1]



inposse

inposse
in
pos·se 
[in póssay] adjective

potentially:
potentially rather than in reality
[From Latin][1]



inpouring

inpouring
in·pour·ing
[ín pàwring] (plural in·pour·ings)
noun

inrush:
a sudden flowing in of a large amount of something[1]



in-process

in-process
in-proc·ess
adjective

1.  underway:
in the process of happening

2.  during
manufacturing: in the process of being manufactured

[1]



inpropria persona

inpropria persona
in
pro·pri·a per·so·na  [in
prpree ə pur sṓnə] adverb

LAW in
person:
in person, especially when unrepresented by a lawyer
[From Latin, literally “in
your own person”][1]



input

input
in·put 
[ín pt] noun (plural in·puts)

1.  contribution:
a contribution to something, especially comments or suggestions made to a group

2.  something
going in:
something that enters a process or situation from the outside and is then acted
upon or integrated • dollar input
• sensory
input

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electricity
driving a machine: power, electrical energy, or
an electric signal that enters a device and is usually recovered in the form of
work or some other output effect

4.  COMPUTING data
entered into a computer: data entered into a computer
for processing

5.  COMPUTING computer
terminal:
a terminal or connection where data enters a computer
verb
(past in·put·ted or in·put, past participle in·put·ted
or in·put, present participle in·put·ting, 3rd
person present singular in·puts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb contribute
information: to provide information to help somebody
make a decision (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING enter
data:
to enter data into a computer

[1]



input/output

input/output
in·put/out·put 
noun

equipment controlling
information flow in computer: the
hardware or software that controls the passage of information into and out of a
computer or computer component[1]



inq.

inq.
inq.

Abbreviation of
inquiry[1]



inquest

inquest
in·quest 
[ín kwèst] (plural in·quests) noun

1.  formal
investigation: an official inquiry in front of a jury
into the facts of a case such as a sudden unexpected death

2.  inquiry
into what went wrong: an investigation of the
facts of a situation, particularly one that had an undesired outcome (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
enqueste from Latin inquesta, which was formed from inquirere
“to enquire” (source of English enquire
).][1]



inquietude

inquietude
in·qui·e·tude 
[in kw ə td] noun

restlessness:
a worried or restless state of mind (literary)
[15th century. Via Late Latin
inquietudo from, ultimately, Latin quietus “quiet” (source of
English quiet ).][1]



inquiline

inquiline
in·qui·line 
[ínkwə ln, ínkwəlin]
(plural in·qui·lines) noun

animal
living in another’s home: an animal that lives in the
nest or home of another species
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin inquilinus
“tenant, lodger” from incolere “to inhabit,” from colere “to
dwell” (source of English colony and culture ).][1]



inquire

inquire
in·quire 
[in kwr] (past in·quired, past
participle in·quired, present participle in·quir·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·quires) or en·quire [en kwr] (past en·quired, past
participle en·quired, present participle en·quir·ing, 3rd
person present singular en·quires) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask:
to ask a question • inquire about a job
• May
I inquire to whom I have the honor of speaking?

2.  intransitive
verb
try
to find out the facts: to try to discover the facts
of a case
[13th
century. Via Old French enquerre from, ultimately, Latin inquirere
“to inquire into,” from quaerere “to seek” (source of English query and question
).]
—in·quir·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at enquire.

[1]



inquiring

inquiring
in·quir·ing
[in kwring] or en·quir·ing [en kwring] adjective

1.  eager
to learn:
eager to learn new things

2.  looking
questioning: appearing to want to know or learn
something • an
inquiring glance from the attendant
—in·quir·ing·ly, adverb[1]



inquiry

inquiry
in·quir·y 
[in kwree, ínkwəree]
(plural in·quir·ies) or en·quir·y [en kwree, énkwəree]
(plural en·quir·ies) noun

1.  official
review:
a formal investigation to determine the facts of a case

2.  request
for information: a request for information

[1]



inquisition

inquisition
in·qui·si·tion 
[ìnkwə zísh’n] (plural in·qui·si·tions)
noun

1.  period
of intense questioning: a succession of detailed and
relentless questions

2.  harsh
investigation: an inquiry or investigation that is
harsh or unfair
[14th
century. Via Old French inquisicion from Latin inquirere “to
inquire” (see inquire ).]
—in·qui·si·tion·al,
adjective

—in·qui·si·tion·ist, noun[1]



Inquisition

Inquisition
In·qui·si·tion
noun

tribunal for judging
heretics: an organization in the Roman
Catholic Church founded in the 13th century to find, question, and sentence
those who did not hold orthodox religious beliefs. The Spanish Inquisition
lasted until the 19th century and was known for its harsh punishments and use
of torture.[1]



inquisitive

inquisitive
in·quis·i·tive 
[in kwízzətiv] adjective

1.  inquiring:
eager for knowledge

2.  too
curious:
too curious about other people’s business
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin (see inquire
).]
—in·quis·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·quis·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



inquisitor

inquisitor
in·quis·i·tor 
[in kwízzitər] (plural in·quis·i·tors)
noun

1.  interrogator:
somebody who asks a succession of relentless and searching or hostile questions

2.  in·quis·i·tor
or In·quis·i·tor HISTORY
Roman
Catholic questioner: an official working for the
Inquisition
[Early 16th century. (See inquire ).][1]



inquisitorial

inquisitorial
in·quis·i·to·ri·al 
[in kwìzzə táwree əl] adjective

1.  of
or like an inquisition: resembling a formal inquiry,
especially in using rigorous or relentless questioning

2.  having
judge and prosecutor as the same person: used
to describe a trial in which one person is both judge and prosecutor
—in·quis·i·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



inre

inre
in
re 
[in r, in ráy]
preposition

regarding:
with regard to
[From Latin, literally “in
the matter of”][1]



inrem

inrem
in
rem 
[in rém] adjective

LAW directed
at property: made about or directed at property
rather than a person.
See
also
in personam
[From Latin, literally
“against a thing”][1]



in-residence

in-residence
in-res·i·dence 
adjective

officially connected with a
university or institution: officially
connected with a university or other institution, often as a teacher or
lecturer, but allowed time for original creative work • She
completed her book while serving as poet-in-residence at a small college.[1]



I.N.R.I.

I.N.R.I.
I.N.R.I.

(used
as an inscription over the head of the crucified Jesus Christ)Abbreviation
of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews
[Latin, Iesus Nazarenus Rex
Iudaeorum][1]



inro

inro
in·ro 
[ín r] (plural in·ro) noun

Japanese
box:
a small ornamented box worn hanging from the sash of a kimono with compartments
for holding cosmetics, perfumes, and medicines
[Early 17th century. From
Japanese in, “seal” + ro, “basket.”][1]



inroad

inroad
in·road 
[ín rd] noun (plural in·roads)

raid:
a sudden attack on an enemy camp (archaic)
plural
noun
in·roads

encroachment:
a gradual encroachment on or of something • young
companies using electronic sales methods have made inroads into traditional
markets
[Mid-16th century. Coined
from in + road “a riding, raid.”][1]



inrush

inrush
in·rush 
[ín rùsh] (plural in·rush·es) noun

influx:
a sudden flooding or flowing in[1]



ins.

ins.
ins.

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
inches

2.  Abbreviation
of
inscription

3.  ins.
or Ins. Abbreviation of inspector

4.  Abbreviation
of
insulation

5.  Abbreviation
of
insurance

[1]



INS

INS
INS

1.  Abbreviation
of
Immigration and Naturalization Service

2.  Abbreviation
of
inertial navigation system

3.  Abbreviation
of
International News Service

[1]



insalivate

insalivate
in·sal·i·vate 
[in sálli vàyt] (past in·sal·i·vat·ed,
past participle in·sal·i·vat·ed, present participle in·sal·i·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sal·i·vates) transitive verb

mix
food with saliva: to mix food with saliva in the process
of chewing
—in·sal·i·va·tion [in sàlli váysh’n], noun[1]



insalubrious

insalubrious
in·sa·lu·bri·ous 
[ìnsə lbree əss] adjective

unwholesome:
not pleasant, healthy, or wholesome (formal)
—in·sa·lu·bri·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·sa·lu·bri·ty [ìnsə lbritee], noun[1]



insane

insane
in·sane 
[in sáyn] adjective

1.  PSYCHIATRY legally
considered as psychiatrically disordered:
legally incompetent or irresponsible because of a psychiatric disorder

2.  lacking
reasonable thought: showing a complete lack of
reason or foresight (informal)
plural
noun

PSYCHIATRY people
legally considered as psychiatrically disordered:
persons who are legally incompetent or irresponsible because of a psychiatric
disorder (dated)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin insanus, from sanus “healthy, sane.”]
—in·sane·ly,
adverb

—in·sane·ness, noun[1]



insanitary

insanitary
in·san·i·tar·y 
[in sánnə tèrree] adjective

unhygienic:
dirty or unhygienic and thus likely to cause disease
—in·san·i·tar·i·ness,
noun

—in·san·i·ta·tion [in sànni táysh’n], noun[1]



insanity

insanity
in·san·i·ty 
[in sánnətee] (plural in·san·i·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of reason or good sense: extreme foolishness or an
act that demonstrates it

2.  LAW legal incompetence or
irresponsibility because of a psychiatric disorder

[1]



insatiable

insatiable
in·sa·tia·ble 
[in sáyshəb’l] adjective

always
wanting more: always needing more and impossible to
satisfy
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin satiare “to fill” (see satiate ).]
—in·sa·tia·bil·i·ty
[in sàyshə bíllətee], noun

—in·sa·tia·ble·ness
[in sáyshəb’lnəss], noun

—in·sa·tia·bly, adverb[1]



insatiate

insatiate
in·sa·ti·ate 
[in sáyshee ət] adjective

insatiable:
insatiable (literary)
[15th
century. From Latin insatiatus “not satisfied” (see satiate ).]
—in·sa·ti·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·sa·ti·ate·ness, noun[1]



inscape

inscape
in·scape 
[ín skàyp] noun

essence:
the distinctive and essential inner quality of something, especially a natural
object or a scene in nature
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain, probably modeled on landscape .][1]



inscribe

inscribe
in·scribe 
[in skrb] (past in·scribed, past
participle in·scribed, present participle in·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular in·scribes) transitive verb

1.  put
writing on something: to write, print, or engrave
words or letters on a surface

2.  write
something on a list: to add a name to a list or
book

3.  write
a dedication on something: to write a signed message to
somebody in a book or on a photograph, often when presenting it as a gift

4.  GEOMETRY draw a
geometric figure within another: to draw a geometric
figure within another so that all of the second figure lies within the first
and touches it at as many points as possible • inscribe
a circle within a square
[15th
century. From Latin inscribere “to write on,” from scribere “to
write.”]
—in·scrib·a·ble,
adjective

—in·scrib·er, noun[1]



inscription

inscription
in·scrip·tion 
[in skrípsh’n] (plural in·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  writing:
words or letters written, printed, or engraved on a surface

2.  dedication:
a signed message written in a book or on a photograph, often when it is being
presented as a gift
[14th
century. Via Latin from inscribere “to write on.”]
—in·scrip·tion·al, adjective[1]



inscriptive

inscriptive
in·scrip·tive
[in skríptiv] adjective

of
inscription: relating to or constituting an
inscription
—in·scrip·tive·ly, adverb[1]



inscrutable

inscrutable
in·scru·ta·ble 
[in skrtəb’l] adjective

mysterious:
hard to interpret because not expressing anything obviously • his
inscrutable expression
[16th
century. Via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin inscrutabilis, from
Latin scrutari “to search, investigate” (source of English scrutiny ).]
—in·scru·ta·bil·i·ty
[in skrtə bíllətee], noun

—in·scru·ta·ble·ness
[in skrtəb’lnəss], noun

—in·scru·ta·bly, adverb[1]



inseam

inseam
in·seam 
[ín sm] (plural in·seams) noun

Also
called
inside leg
U.K.
term
inside leg

1.  inside
pant leg seam: the inner seam of a pair of pants, from
the crotch to the bottom of the pant leg

2.  measurement
of an inseam: the measurement of a pant leg’s inner
seam
[Late 19th century][1]



insect

insect

in·sect 
[ín sèkt] (plural in·sects) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY small
six-legged animal: an air-breathing
invertebrate animal ( arthropod ) that has
well-defined segments, for example, a head, thorax, abdomen, two antennae,
three pairs of legs, and usually two sets of wings. There are more than a
million species of insects including flies, crickets, bees, beetles, and gnats.
Class: Insecta

2.  something
like an insect: a small animal that resembles an insect,
for example, a spider or centipede (not used technically)

3.  contemptible
person:
an unimportant person viewed with contempt (insult)
[Early
17th century. Via Latin insectum from insecare “to cut up,” from secare
“to cut” (source of dissect and segment ).]
—in·sect·an [in séktən], adjective[1]



insectarium

insectarium
in·sec·tar·i·um 
[ìn sek táiree əm] (plural in·sec·tar·i·ums
or in·sec·tar·i·a [ìn sek táiree ə])
or in·sec·ta·ry [ín sèktəree, in séktəree] (plural in·sec·ta·ries)
noun

container for keeping
insects: a place for breeding or
observing insects[1]



insecticide

insecticide
in·sec·ti·cide 
[in sékti sd] (plural in·sec·ti·cides)
noun

insect
poison:
a chemical substance used to kill insects
—in·sec·ti·cid·al
[in sèkti sd’l], adjective

—in·sec·ti·cid·al·ly, adverb[1]



insectivore

insectivore
in·sec·ti·vore 
[in sékti vàwr] (plural in·sec·ti·vores)
noun

1.  small
insect-eating mammal: a small nocturnal mammal
that feeds primarily on insects. Moles, shrews, and hedgehogs are all
insectivores .

2.  plant
or animal eating insects: any plant or animal that
feeds primarily on insects
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Insectivora, name of the order, from insecta
“insect” (see insect ) + -vorus
“-eating.”][1]



insectivorous

insectivorous
in·sec·tiv·o·rous 
[ìn sek tívvərəss] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY feeding
on insects:
feeding on insects, as some birds and small mammals do

2.  BOTANY able
to trap insects: adapted for or capable of trapping
insects as food, as the pitcher plant does

[1]



insecure

insecure
in·se·cure 
[ìnsə kyr] adjective

1.  not
confident:
anxious and lacking in self-confidence

2.  not
safe:
unsafe and unprotected • insecure
premises that are vulnerable to thieves

3.  likely
to fall:
liable to fall down or fall off • an
insecure walkway
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin insecurus, “unsafe.”]
—in·se·cure·ly,
adverb

—in·se·cure·ness,
noun

—in·se·cu·ri·ty [ìnsə kyrətee], noun[1]



insecurity

insecurity
in·se·cu·ri·ty
[ìnsə kyrətee] (plural in·se·cu·ri·ties)
noun

1.  being
insecure:
the state of being unsafe or insecure

2.  unsafe
feeling:
a state of mind characterized by self-doubt and vulnerability

3.  insecure
phenomenon:
an instance or cause of being insecure
—in·se·cu·ri·ty, noun[1]



inselberg

inselberg
in·sel·berg
[ìns’l búrg] (plural in·sel·bergs)
noun

single
hill or mountain: an isolated hill or mountain, often
heavily eroded on its lower slopes, rising abruptly from a plain
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “island mountain.”][1]



inseminate

inseminate
in·sem·i·nate 
[in sémmi nàyt] (past in·sem·i·nat·ed,
past participle in·sem·i·nat·ed, present participle in·sem·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sem·i·nates) transitive verb

put
semen into female reproductive tract: to
insert sperm into the reproductive tract of a female
[Early
17th century. From inseminare “to implant,” which was formed from,
ultimately, semen “seed.”]
—in·sem·i·na·tion [in sèmmi náysh’n], noun[1]



insensate

insensate
in·sen·sate 
[in sén sàyt] adjective

1.  without
feeling:
inanimate and thus unable to feel anything

2.  cold
and heartless: entirely lacking in sympathetic feeling
or human kindness (literary)

3.  thoughtless:
lacking in common sense or reasonable thought (literary)
[15th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin insensatus (see sensate ).]
—in·sen·sate·ly,
adverb

—in·sen·sate·ness, noun[1]



insensible

insensible
in·sen·si·ble 
[in sénsəb’l] adjective

1.  See
insensate  adjective 1

2.  not
conscious:
without feeling or consciousness

3.  not
aware or responsive: unaware of or unresponsive
to something

4.  unnoticeable:
so small or gradual as to be almost imperceptible • an
insensible shift in emphasis
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin insensibilis “imperceptible,” from sensus
“perception” (see sense ).]
—in·sen·si·bil·i·ty
[in sènsə bíllətee], noun

—in·sen·si·ble·ness
[in sénsəb’lnəss], noun

—in·sen·si·bly, adverb[1]



insensitive

insensitive
in·sen·si·tive 
[in sénsətiv] adjective

1.  thoughtless:
insufficiently aware of other people’s feelings and unable to respond to them
appropriately

2.  not
reacting physically: not responsive to a physical
stimulus such as touch or sound

3.  indifferent
and unresponsive: indifferent to the importance of
something and therefore not responding to it
—in·sen·si·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·sen·si·tive·ness,
noun

—in·sen·si·tiv·i·ty [ìn sènsə tívvətee], noun[1]



insentient

insentient
in·sen·tient 
[in sénshənt] adjective

lifeless:
without life, consciousness, or perception
—in·sen·tience, noun[1]



inseparable

inseparable
in·sep·a·ra·ble 
[in séppərəb’l, in
sépprəb’l] adjective

1.  always
together:
sharing a close friendship and always seen or found together • the
two girls became inseparable

2.  unable
to be separated: so closely linked as to be impossible to
consider separately • reading
and the ability to spell will seem inseparable
—in·sep·a·ra·bil·i·ty
[in sèppərə bíllətee, in sèpprə bíllətee], noun

—in·sep·a·ra·ble·ness
[in séppərəb’lnəss, in
sépprəb’lnəss], noun

—in·sep·a·ra·bly, adverb[1]



insert

insert
in·sert 
[in súrt] transitive verb (past
in·sert·ed, past participle in·sert·ed, present
participle in·sert·ing, 3rd person present singular in·serts)

1.  place
something inside something: to put something inside or
into something else • insert
the screws in the holes already drilled

2.  add
something to something: to add new material to the
body of something, especially a text
noun
(plural in·serts)

1.  PRESS advertising
supplement in a magazine: a supplement in the form of
a single sheet or booklet placed inside a magazine or newspaper, usually as
advertising

2.  SEWING added
part:
a piece of fabric, usually contrasting, that is sewn into a main piece
[15th
century. From Latin serere “to join” (source of English series ).]
—in·sert·a·ble,
adjective

—in·sert·er, noun[1]



insertion

insertion
in·ser·tion 
[in súrsh’n] (plural in·ser·tions)
noun

1.  addition:
the act of putting something into something else

2.  something
added:
material that is inserted into a text

3.  ANATOMY BOTANY attachment point:
the point of attachment of something, for example, a leaf to its stem or a
muscle to a bone it moves

4.  GENETICS inserted
genetic material: a segment of DNA that is inserted into a
gene sequence

5.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY See
injection  noun 8
See injection  noun 9
—in·ser·tion·al, adjective[1]



insertionstitch

insertionstitch
in·ser·tion
stitch
noun

decorative embroidery stitch:
an embroidery stitch that joins two pieces of fabric together and decorates the
gap between them[1]



in-service

in-service
in-serv·ice 
adjective

1.  happening
when employed full time: taking place while somebody
is employed full time • an
in-service training program

2.  working
as full-time employee: employed full time,
especially in a particular job

[1]



insessorial

insessorial
in·ses·so·ri·al 
[ìn se sáwree əl] adjective

adapted
for perching: used to describe birds that are adapted,
or have feet that are adapted, for perching
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Insessores, former name for the order of perching
birds, from insidere “to sit on” (see insidious
).][1]



inset

inset
in·set 
transitive verb [in sét] (past
in·set, past participle in·set, present participle in·set·ting,
3rd person present singular in·sets)

place a smaller thing in a larger thing:
to insert something into a larger thing, for example, a gem in a ring or a
small map in the corner of a larger map
noun
[ín sèt] (plural in·sets)

1.  small
thing placed in something larger: something inserted
into a larger thing • a map
of the state with city maps as insets

2.  GEOGRAPHY channel:
a place where something flows in, especially the tide

[1]



inshallah

inshallah
in·shal·lah
[in shállə] or in·sh’al·lah [in shállə] interjection

if
God wills:
an expression meaning “if God wills,” used to suggest that something in the
future is uncertain
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic in šā ’Allāh, literally “if God wills (it).”][1]



inshore

inshore
in·shore 
[in sháwr] adjective

near
the coast:
near or toward the coast • inshore
waters
adverb

toward the coast:
toward the coast from the direction of the sea[1]



inshrine

inshrine
in·shrine 
[in shrn] (past in·shrined, past
participle in·shrined, present participle in·shrin·ing,
3rd person present singular in·shrines) transitive verb

See
enshrine[1]



inside

inside
in·side 
(plural in·sides) CORE MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating the interior part of something, the part that is
enclosed by or surrounded with something, or the place or part within • (adverb)
I opened the door and looked inside. • (adjective)
his inside jacket pocket • (noun)
I looked around the room, gnawing the inside of my cheek nervously.
• (pronoun)
The jewels are kept inside a locked box.

1.
adjective preposition within
an organization: happening or coming from within an organization
• They
had access to inside information about the takeover bid.
• things
that were going on inside the committee

2.
adverb preposition relating to inner
feelings:
indicating emotions that are not expressed • She
doesn’t like to look inside and face up to what she’s really like.
• Seeing
her like that had snapped something inside him.

3.
preposition within a time:
done in a period of time less than the one stated • We
managed to completely redecorate the room inside seven hours.

4.
adjective at the edge of the road:
nearest the edge of the road

5.
adverb in prison:
serving time in prison (informal) • He
was inside for three years.

6.
noun inner
edge:
the part of a road or path farthest from the center • was
forced to overtake him on the inside

7.
noun privileged
access:
a position that gives access to privileged information • information
from someone on the inside

8.
plural noun, in·sides ANATOMY
internal
organs:
the internal organs of the body, especially the stomach and bowels (informal)
[15th
century]
inside
of

within
a particular period of time

inside
out

with
the part that is normally inside facing out

know
something inside out

to know something extremely
well[1]



insideaddress

insideaddress
in·side
ad·dress
(plural in·side ad·dress·es) noun

address of the person a
letter is to: the name, title, and
street address of the person to whom a business letter is written, as it
appears on the letter above the salutation[1]



insideforward

insideforward
in·side
for·ward
(plural in·side for·wards) noun

soccer position:
in soccer, one of two offensive players whose position is between the center
forward and the wings[1]



insideinformation

insideinformation
in·side
in·for·ma·tion noun

something insiders know:
something secret or confidential known only to somebody who holds a position
within a corporation or other organization[1]



insidejob

insidejob
in·side
job
(plural in·side jobs) noun

crime committed by an
employee: a crime carried out by or
with the help of somebody who works for the individual or organization
concerned (informal)[1]



insideleg

insideleg
in·side
leg
(plural in·side legs) noun

CLOTHES
See inseam[1]



insider

insider
in·sid·er 
[in sdər] (plural in·sid·ers)
noun

somebody with privileged
information: somebody who is
accepted as a member of a group and who knows all about its inner workings[1]



insidertrading

insidertrading
in·sid·er
trad·ing
or in·sid·er deal·ing noun

stock transactions with
inside information: profitable
trading in securities that is done using access to privileged information. Such
trading is usually illegal.[1]



insidetrack

insidetrack
in·side
track
(plural in·side tracks) noun

1.  SPORTS inner
lane of racetrack: the lane of an oval
racetrack nearest the center and thus shorter than the outer lanes

2.  position
of advantage: an advantageous position

[1]



insidious

insidious
in·sid·i·ous 
[in síddee əss] adjective

gradual
and harmful: slowly and subtly harmful or destructive
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin insidiosus from insidiae “ambush,” from insidere
“to sit on, lie in wait,” from sedere “to sit” (source of English sedentary, session,
reside, and seance ).]
—in·sid·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·sid·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



insight

insight
in·sight 
[ín st] (plural in·sights) noun

1.  perceptiveness:
the ability to see clearly and intuitively into the nature of a complex person,
situation or subject

2.  clear
perception:
a clear perception of something • thanked
him for his remark and told him it was an interesting insight

3.  PSYCHOLOGY self-awareness:
the ability of a person to understand and find solutions to his or her personal
problems

4.  PSYCHIATRY perception
that hallucinations are not real: the perception,
lacking in some psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, that symptoms such
as delusions and hallucinations are not objective
[Old English][1]



insightful

insightful
in·sight·ful 
[ín stfəl, in
stfəl] adjective

perceptive:
containing or capable of clear and subtle perceptions about a subject
[Early
20th century]
—in·sight·ful·ly,
adverb

—in·sight·ful·ness, noun[1]



insightmeditation

insightmeditation
in·sight
med·i·ta·tion noun

See
vipassana[1]



insigne

insigne
in·sig·ne
[in sígnee]

(literary) Singular
of insignia[1]



insignia

insignia
in·sig·ni·a 
[in sígnee ə] (plural in·sig·ni·a
or in·sig·ni·as) noun

1.  official
symbol:
a badge of authority or membership of a group

2.  identifying
mark:
an identifying mark or sign
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
insignis “marked,” from signum “sign.”][1]



insignificant

insignificant
in·sig·nif·i·cant 
[ìn sig níffikənt] adjective

1.  without
importance:
too small and unimportant to be relevant • statistically
insignificant

2.  without
meaning:
having little or no meaning

3.  powerless:
lacking in power or status
—in·sig·nif·i·cance,
noun

—in·sig·nif·i·cant·ly,
adverb[1]



insincere

insincere
in·sin·cere 
[ìn sin sr] adjective

hypocritical:
not genuine and not reflecting true feelings
—in·sin·cere·ly,
adverb

—in·sin·cer·i·ty [ìn sin sérrətee], noun[1]



insinuate

insinuate
in·sin·u·ate 
[in sínnyoo àyt] (past in·sin·u·at·ed,
past participle in·sin·u·at·ed, present participle in·sin·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sin·u·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb imply
something:
to hint at something unpleasant or suggest it indirectly and gradually

2.  reflexive
verb
worm
your way in: to introduce yourself gradually and
cunningly into a position, especially a place of confidence or favor
[Early
16th century. From Latin insinuare, from sinus “curve” (source of
English sine ). The underlying sense
is “to work in a roundabout way.”]
—in·sin·u·at·ing·ly,
adverb

—in·sin·u·a·tive,
adjective

—in·sin·u·a·tor, noun[1]



insinuation

insinuation
in·sin·u·a·tion 
[in sìnnyoo áysh’n] (plural in·sin·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  sly
hint:
something unpleasant artfully and indirectly suggested to another person

2.  act
of insinuating: the act of hinting something unpleasant
or suggesting it indirectly and gradually

[1]



insipid

insipid
in·sip·id 
[in síppid] adjective

1.  dull:
dull because lacking in character and lively qualities “that insipid languor
that results from the removal of all passions from the mind” David Hume

2.  flavorless:
bland and without flavor
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from late Latin insipidus
“tasteless,” from sapidus “having a flavor.”]
—in·si·pid·i·ty
[ìnsi píddətee], noun

—in·sip·id·ly
[in síppidlee], adverb

—in·sip·id·ness, noun[1]



insist

insist
in·sist 
[in síst] (past in·sist·ed, past
participle in·sist·ed, present participle in·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sists) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  maintain
something against opposition: to state or demand something
firmly in spite of disagreement or resistance from others • She
insisted that he was wrong. • Please,
you must take it, I insist!

2.  declare
something persistently: to state something firmly
and steadfastly • They insist on punctuality.
• he
insisted there was nothing to worry about
[Late 16th century. From
Latin insistere “to persist,” from sistere “to stand, cause to
stand.”][1]



insistence

insistence
in·sis·tence
[in sístəns] or in·sis·ten·cy
[in sístəns] noun

maintained assertion:
continued assertion of something despite disagreement from others • the
UN’s insistence that the resolution must be accepted[1]



insistent

insistent
in·sis·tent 
[in sístənt] adjective

1.  persistent:
persistent in maintaining or demanding something • she
was most insistent

2.  demanding
attention:
persistently calling for or compelling attention • insistent
pleas
—in·sis·tent·ly, adverb[1]



insitu

insitu
in
si·tu 
[in s too, in
sée too] adverb adjective

situated
naturally:
in its natural or original place • a
useful tool for studying cell proliferation in situ under normal and
pathological conditions
[From Latin][1]



insnare

insnare
in·snare 
transitive verb

See
ensnare[1]



insobriety

insobriety
in·so·bri·e·ty 
[ìnsō br ətee] noun

indulgence:
lack of moderation, especially in drinking[1]



insofaras

insofaras
in·so·far
as
[ìn sō fr əz] conjunction

to the extent that:
used to introduce a statement that explains or qualifies a previous statement (formal)[1]



insol.

insol.
insol.

Abbreviation of
insoluble[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








insolate

insolate
in·so·late 
[ín sō làyt] (past in·so·lat·ed,
past participle in·so·lat·ed, present participle in·so·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·so·lates) transitive verb

put
something in the sun: to expose something to
sunlight
[Early 17th century. From
Latin insolare, from sol “sun” (source of English solar ).][1]



insolation

insolation
in·so·la·tion 
[ìn sō láysh’n] noun

1.  exposure
to sunlight: exposure of something to sunlight

2.  MEDICINE sunstroke:
sunstroke (technical)

3.  ASTROPHYSICS rate
of solar radiation: the rate of solar radiation
received per unit area

[1]



insole

insole
in·sole 
[ín sl] (plural in·soles) noun

1.  shoe
lining:
the inner lining of a shoe

2.  pad
inside shoe: a thin removable liner placed inside a
shoe to make it warmer or more comfortable or to prevent the buildup of odor

[1]



insolent

insolent
in·so·lent 
[ínsələnt] adjective

disrespectful:
showing an aggressive lack of respect in speech or behavior
[14th
century. From Latin insolens “unusual, arrogant,” from solere “to
be accustomed.”]
—in·so·lence,
noun

—in·so·lent·ly, adverb[1]



insolubilize

insolubilize
in·sol·u·bi·lize
[in sóllyəbə lz] (past in·sol·u·bi·lized,
past participle in·sol·u·bi·lized, present participle in·sol·u·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sol·u·bi·liz·es) transitive
verb

make
something insoluble: to make something incapable
of being dissolved in a liquid
—in·sol·u·bi·li·za·tion
[in sòllyəbəli záysh’n], noun[1]



insoluble

insoluble
in·sol·u·ble 
[in sóllyəb’l] adjective

1.  not
dissolvable: incapable of being dissolved in a liquid

2.  impossible
to solve:
not able to be solved.
Also
called
insolvable
—in·sol·u·bil·i·ty
[in sòllyə bíllətee], noun

—in·sol·u·ble·ness
[in sóllyəb’lnəss], noun

—in·sol·u·bly, adverb[1]



insolvable

insolvable
in·solv·a·ble 
[in sólyə blee] adjective

See
insoluble  adjective 2[1]



insolvency

insolvency
in·sol·ven·cy 
[in sólvənssee] (plural in·sol·ven·cies)
noun

state of bankruptcy:
the condition of being unable to pay debts, or an instance of this[1]



insolvent

insolvent
in·sol·vent 
[in sólvənt] adjective

1.  FINANCE bankrupt:
unable to pay debts

2.  LAW of
bankruptcy:
relating to people or businesses that are bankrupt
noun
(plural in·sol·vents)

FINANCE bankrupt
person:
somebody who is unable to pay his or her debts

[1]



insomnia

insomnia
in·som·ni·a 
[in sómnee ə] noun

difficulty
in sleeping: inability to fall asleep or to remain
asleep long enough to feel rested, especially as a problem continuing over time
[Early
17th century. Coined from Latin insomnis “sleepless,” from somnus
“sleep.”]
—in·som·ni·ac, adjective,
noun[1]



insomuchas

insomuchas
in·so·much
as 
[insō mùch áz] conjunction

because:
used to introduce an explanation or reason[1]



insomuchthat

insomuchthat
in·so·much
that
[insō múch thət] conjunction

to such an extent:
used to indicate the extent to which something is true or is the case[1]



insouciance

insouciance
in·sou·ci·ance 
[in sssee əns] noun

carefree
attitude:
cheerful lack of anxiety or concern
[Early 19th century. Via
French from soucier, “to care,” formed from Latin solicitare “to
trouble” (source of English solicit
).][1]



insouciant

insouciant
in·sou·ci·ant 
[in sssee ənt] adjective

unconcerned:
cheerfully unconcerned or unworried about something
[Early 19th century. From
French, from souciant, present participle of soucier “to care,”
from Latin sollicitare “to disturb.”][1]



insoul

insoul
in·soul 
transitive verb

See
ensoul[1]



insp.

insp.
insp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
inspected

2.  insp.
or Insp. Abbreviation of inspector

[1]



inspect

inspect
in·spect 
[in spékt] (past in·spect·ed, past
participle in·spect·ed, present participle in·spect·ing,
3rd person present singular in·spects) transitive verb

1.  look
at something critically: to examine something
carefully in order to judge its quality or correctness • She
took the cheese out of the refrigerator and inspected it for mold.

2.  survey
something:
to examine or review something officially • The
barracks is inspected every day.
[Early
17th century. From Latin inspicere, from specere “to look at.”]
—in·spect·a·ble,
adjective

—in·spec·tive, adjective[1]



inspection

inspection
in·spec·tion 
[in spéksh’n] (plural in·spec·tions)
noun

1.  critical
examination: a critical examination of somebody or
something aimed at forming a judgment or evaluation

2.  official
examination: an official and authoritative
examination of something • a
motor vehicle inspection
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin inspect- (see inspect
).][1]



inspectionarms

inspectionarms
in·spec·tion
arms
noun

military drill position:
a position in which a rifle is held diagonally in front of the body with the
muzzle pointing upward to the left and the rifle chamber open for inspection[1]



inspector

inspector
in·spec·tor 
[in spéktər] (plural in·spec·tors)
noun

1.  official
examiner:
an official who examines something in order to judge its quality or compliance
with rules or the law

2.  police
officer of middle rank: a police officer of the rank
above a sergeant and below a superintendent
—in·spec·to·ral,
adjective

—in·spec·to·ri·al
[ìn spek táwree əl], adjective

—in·spec·tor·ship [in spéktər shìp] (plural in·spec·tor·ships),
noun[1]



inspectorate

inspectorate
in·spec·tor·ate 
[in spéktərət] (plural in·spec·tor·ates)
noun

1.  group
of inspectors: a group or department of inspectors

2.  inspector’s
district:
an area supervised by an inspector

3.  inspector’s
duties:
the office or duties of an inspector

[1]



inspectorgeneral

inspectorgeneral
in·spec·tor
gen·er·al
(plural in·spec·tors gen·er·al) noun

1.  head
of inspectors: an official who is the head of an
inspectorate

2.  MILITARY military
inspector:
a military officer who investigates and reports on organizational matters

[1]



insphere

insphere
in·sphere 
transitive verb

See
ensphere[1]



inspiration

inspiration
in·spi·ra·tion 
[ìnspə ráysh’n] (plural in·spi·ra·tions)
noun

1.  stimulus
to do creative work: something that stimulates
the human mind to creative thought or to the making of art • found
inspiration in the landscape around her

2.  thing
that inspires: somebody or something that inspires
somebody • His
book is an inspiration to all would-be travelers.

3.  creativeness:
the quality of being stimulated to creative thought or activity, or the
manifestation of this • a
moment of inspiration

4.  good
idea:
a sudden brilliant idea

5.  RELIGION divine
influence:
divine guidance and influence on human beings

6.  PHYSIOLOGY breathing
in:
the drawing of air into the lungs
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin inspiratio .][1]



inspirational

inspirational
in·spi·ra·tion·al 
[ìnspə ráyshən’l, ìnspə
ráyshnəl] adjective

1.  bringing
inspiration: bringing or showing creative stimulus

2.  stimulating
people to achieve: stimulating people into
greater efforts or more enthusiastic or more creative behavior • an
inspirational leader
—in·spi·ra·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



inspirator

inspirator
in·spi·ra·tor 
[ìnspi ráytər] (plural in·spi·ra·tors)
noun

device
for drawing in gas: a device for drawing in a
gas or vapor
[Late 19th century. Formed
from inspire .][1]



inspiratory

inspiratory
in·spir·a·to·ry 
[in sprə tàwree] adjective

relating
to breathing in: relating to the process of breathing in,
or used in breathing in
[Late 18th century. Formed
from inspire .][1]



inspire

inspire
in·spire 
[in spr] (past in·spired, past
participle in·spired, present participle in·spir·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·spires) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stimulate
somebody to do something: to encourage people into
greater efforts or greater enthusiasm or creativity

2.  transitive
verb
provoke
a feeling:
to arouse a particular feeling in somebody

3.  transitive
verb
cause
creative activity: to stimulate somebody to do
something, especially creative work or the making of art

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSIOLOGY breathe in:
to inhale air or a gas into the lungs
[14th
century. Via Old French enspirer from Latin inspirare, from spirare
“to breathe” (source of English spirit
).]
—in·spir·a·ble,
adjective

—in·spi·ra·tive,
adjective

—in·spir·er, noun[1]



inspired

inspired
in·spired 
[in sprd] adjective

1.  extraordinarily
good:
brilliant and creative • an
inspired rendition of a classic song • She
was an inspired teacher.

2.  motivated
by something: based on a particular motive or example
(usually used in combination) • a
Jesuit-inspired curriculum

[1]



inspiring

inspiring
in·spir·ing 
[in spring] adjective

generating
enthusiasm or creativity: making somebody feel more
enthusiastic, confident, or stimulated
—in·spir·ing·ly, adverb[1]



inspirit

inspirit
in·spir·it 
[in spírrit] (past in·spir·it·ed,
past participle in·spir·it·ed, present participle in·spir·it·ing,
3rd person present singular in·spir·its) transitive verb

inspire
somebody:
to give energy or courage to somebody (archaic or literary)
—in·spir·it·er,
noun

—in·spir·it·ing·ly, adverb[1]



inspissate

inspissate
in·spis·sate 
[in spí sàyt, ínspi
sàyt] (past in·spis·sat·ed, past participle in·spis·sat·ed,
present participle in·spis·sat·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·spis·sates) intransitive and transitive verb

condense:
to become thicker in consistency or to cause something to thicken, especially
by boiling or evaporation
[Early
17th century. From Latin inspissare “to thicken,” from spissus
“thick.”]
—in·spis·sa·tion
[ìnspi sáysh’n], noun

—in·spis·sa·tor [in spí sàytər, ínspi
sàytər], noun[1]



inst.

inst.
inst.

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of instant

2.  Abbreviation
of
instantaneous

3.  inst.
or Inst. Abbreviation of institute

4.  inst.
or Inst. Abbreviation of institution

5.  Abbreviation
of
institutional

[1]



INST

INST
INST

Abbreviation
of
in the name of the Holy Trinity
[Latin, in nomine Sanctae
Trinitaris][1]



instability

instability
in·sta·bil·i·ty 
[ìnstə bíllətee] noun

1.  being
unstable:
the quality of being unstable, erratic, or unpredictable

2.  not
steady:
lack of steadiness or firmness

[1]



install

install
in·stall
[in stáwl] or in·stal [in stáwl] verb (past in·stalled,
past participle in·stalled, present participle in·stall·ing,
3rd person present singular in·stalls) (past in·stalled,
present participle in·stall·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·stals)

1.  transitive
verb
fit
or connect something: to put machinery or
equipment into place and make it ready for use

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING load
software:
to load software onto a computer

3.  transitive
verb
place
somebody in office: to appoint somebody to a
particular position or to induct somebody formally into office

4.  reflexive
verb
settle
in:
to settle yourself comfortably somewhere
noun
(plural in·stalls) (plural in·stals)

COMPUTING act
of loading software: the act of loading software
onto a computer “I opted for the full install, which can involve anything up to
72Mb of space.” Internet Magazine November 1998
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French installer from medieval Latin installare
“to place in office,” from stallum “stall.”]
—in·stall·er, noun[1]



installation

installation
in·stal·la·tion 
[ìnstə láysh’n] (plural in·stal·la·tions)
noun

1.  act
of installing equipment: the process of putting a
piece of equipment or machinery in place and setting it up ready for use

2.  place
with equipment: a place housing equipment or machinery
for a particular use • a
communications installation

3.  something
that has been installed: a piece or system of
equipment that has been put in place and made ready for use

4.  MILITARY military
base:
a military base or camp • The
artillery installation on the island is marked in red on the map.

5.  appointing
of somebody to position: the act of appointing
somebody to a particular position or of inducting somebody formally into office

6.  ARTS art
exhibit:
an artwork assembled by the artist involving the arrangement of
three-dimensional objects or the use of paint and other media directly on walls
or floors • an
installation using video monitors and empty bottles

[1]



installment

installment
in·stall·ment
[in stáwlmənt] (plural in·stall·ments)
or in·stal·ment [in stáwlmənt]
(plural in·stal·ments) noun

1.  partial
repayment:
one of a series of sums of money paid at regular intervals to settle a debt

2.  part
in a series: one of the parts of something that
appears or is presented at intervals • published
in installments “The working documents now circulating
are but the latest installment of a debate that first surfaced in the 1970s.”
Art Weissman Pulse of the People 1997
[Mid-18th century. Via
Anglo-Norman estallment from Old French estaler “to fix, place.”][1]



installmentplan

installmentplan
in·stall·ment
plan
(plural in·stall·ment plans) noun

credit system:
a system for buying merchandise involving a series of payments at regular
intervals instead of a single lump sum.
U.K. term
hire purchase[1]



instance

instance
in·stance 
[ínstəns] noun (plural in·stanc·es)

1.  illustration:
an example of a particular situation or event • cited
several instances of his being untruthful

2.  event:
an occurrence of something • we can
overlook it in this instance

3.  request:
a request or demand (archaic)

4.  LAW legal
action:
a legal proceeding or lawsuit
transitive
verb
(past in·stanced, past participle in·stanced, present
participle in·stanc·ing, 3rd person present singular in·stanc·es)

1.  give
as an example: to offer something as an example

2.  serve
as an example: to serve as an example of something
[14th
century. Via French instance and medieval Latin instantia from,
ultimately, Latin instans “present” (see instant
).]
for
instance

as
an example

in
the first instance

used to indicate something
that is or happens first, before other events or stages (formal)[1]



instancy

instancy
in·stan·cy 
[ínstənsee] noun

1.  urgency:
the need for something to be done without delay, or insistence that it be done

2.  lack
of delay:
immediateness or lack of delay

[1]



instant

instant
in·stant 
[ínstənt] adjective

1.  immediate:
happening immediately, without delay • She
took an instant dislike to him.

2.  FOOD quick
to prepare:
quickly and easily prepared, often premixed, precooked, or powdered • instant
coffee

3.  sudden:
achieving a particular status very suddenly and effortlessly • the
play was an instant success

4.  urgent
and pressing: requiring immediate attention or an
immediate response • an instant need for
help

5.  COMMERCE from
this month:
happening in the current month (dated) • your
letter of the 13th instant

6.  current:
present or current (archaic)
noun
(plural in·stants)

1.  short
time:
an extremely brief period of time • for an
instant

2.  moment
in time:
a particular moment in time • The
instant I saw his face I knew that something was wrong.

3.  FOOD instant
product:
a quickly prepared item of food or drink
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin instare “to be present,” from stare “to stand.”][1]



instantaneous

instantaneous
in·stan·ta·ne·ous 
[ìnstən táynee əss] adjective

1.  happening
immediately: occurring immediately or almost
immediately

2.  MATHEMATICS of
value at given instant: indicating the value of
something at a given moment in time, expressed as the average value of a
varying quantity over an infinitesimally small time interval • instantaneous
velocity
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin instantaneus from Latin instans “present”
(see instant ).]
—in·stan·ta·ne·i·ty
[in stàntə n itee, ìnstəntə
n itee], noun

—in·stan·ta·ne·ous·ly
[ìnstən táynee əsslee], adverb

—in·stan·ta·ne·ous·ness,
noun[1]



instantiate

instantiate
in·stan·ti·ate
[in stánshee àyt] (past in·stan·ti·at·ed,
past participle in·stan·ti·at·ed, present participle in·stan·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·stan·ti·ates) transitive verb

exemplify
something:
to provide an example to support or explain something
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from instance .][1]



instantly

instantly
in·stant·ly 
[ín stəntlee] adverb

1.  immediately:
immediately and without delay

2.  urgently:
urgently or insistently (archaic)
conjunction

as soon as:
happening or done immediately after something else • I
phoned instantly I heard you were back.

[1]



instant-on

instant-on
in·stant-on 
adjective

allowing for rapid startup:
including a device that allows for a rapid startup, eliminating the need for a
warmup period[1]



instantreplay

instantreplay
in·stant
re·play
(plural in·stant re·plays) noun

video of a recent action:
the playing back of a videotape in slow motion, usually to show the movement of
a ball or player in a sport shown on television.
U.K. term
action replay[1]



instar

instar
in·star
[ín str] (plural in·stars) noun

period
between molts: in the life cycle of an arthropod such
as an insect, a stage between two successive molts
[Late 19th century. From
Latin “form, image.”][1]



instate

instate
in·state 
[in stáyt] (past in·stat·ed, past
participle in·stat·ed, present participle in·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·states) transitive verb

install:
to establish somebody in office
—in·state·ment, noun[1]



instatu quo

instatu quo
in
sta·tu quo 
[in stà too kwṓ, in
stày too kwṓ] adverb

as
before:
in the same state
[From Latin in statu quo
ante, literally “in the (same) state as before”][1]



instauration

instauration
in·stau·ra·tion 
[ìn staw ráysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  renovation:
the restoration of something that has lapsed or fallen into decay

2.  founding:
the founding or establishment of something
[Early 17th century. From
Latin instaurare “to renew” (source of English store ).][1]



instead

instead
in·stead 
[in stéd] adverb

in
place of something: as a replacement or
substitute for something
[13th
century. Formed from in + stede
“place.”]
instead
of

as an alternative to, or
substitute for, something[1]



instep

instep
in·step 
[ín stèp] (plural in·steps) noun

1.  ANATOMY upper
middle area of the foot: the arched middle portion of
the human foot between the ankle and toes, especially its upper surface

2.  CLOTHES middle
part of a shoe: the part of a shoe that covers the
middle portion of the foot
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



instigate

instigate
in·sti·gate 
[ínsti gàyt] (past in·sti·gat·ed,
past participle in·sti·gat·ed, present participle in·sti·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sti·gates) transitive verb

1.  get
something started: to cause a process to start

2.  start
trouble:
to cause trouble, especially by urging somebody to do something destructive or
wrong
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin instigare .]
—in·sti·ga·tion,
noun

—in·sti·ga·tive,
adjective

—in·sti·ga·tor, noun[1]



instill

instill
in·still 
[in stíl] (past in·stilled, past
participle in·stilled, present participle in·still·ing,
3rd person present singular in·stills) or in·stil [in stíl] (past in·stilled, past
participle in·stilled, present participle in·still·ing,
3rd person present singular in·stils) transitive verb

1.  impart
something gradually: to impress ideas,
principles, or teachings gradually on somebody’s mind • I
tried to instill self-respect in my students.

2.  drip
liquid into something: to pour medicine or another
liquid into something drop by drop
[15th
century. From Latin instillare, from stilla “drop.”]
—in·stil·la·tion
[ìnsti láysh’n], noun

—in·still·er
[in stíllər], noun

—in·still·ment [in stílmənt], noun[1]



instinct

instinct
in·stinct 
[ín stingkt] noun (plural in·stincts)

1.  biological
drive:
an inborn pattern of behavior characteristic of a species and shaped by
biological necessities such as survival and reproduction

2.  strong
natural impulse: a powerful impulse that feels natural
rather than reasoned • followed
his instincts and took to his heels

3.  knack:
a natural gift or skill • an
instinct for putting people at ease
adjective

filled:
completely filled or imbued with something (formal) • a
look instinct with compassion
[15th century. Via Latin instinctus
“impulse” from instinguere “to incite,” from stinguere “to sting,
goad” (source of English distinct and
extinct ).][1]



instinctive

instinctive
in·stinc·tive 
[in stíngtiv] adjective

1.  involuntary:
relating to, prompted by, or based on a strong natural impulse • an
instinctive fear of water

2.  natural:
having a particular quality or skill spontaneously and without effort or
instruction • an
artist with an instinctive feel for color • an
instinctive cook
—in·stinc·tive·ly, adverb[1]



instinctual

instinctual
in·stinc·tu·al 
[in stíngkchoo əl] adjective

relating
to biological need: relating to or prompted by a
basic biological need
[Early
20th century. Formed from instinct + -ual,
adjective suffix.]
—in·stinc·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



institute

institute
in·sti·tute 
[ínsti tt] transitive verb (past
in·sti·tut·ed, past participle in·sti·tut·ed, present
participle in·sti·tut·ing, 3rd person present singular in·sti·tutes)

1.  start
something:
to start or initiate something in an official or formal way • institute
legal proceedings

2.  set
something up: to set up or establish something

3.  appoint
somebody:
to appoint somebody to an office, especially a religious one
noun
(plural in·sti·tutes)

1.  organization
with a specialized goal: an organization for
promoting something, such as art, science, or the well-being of a group

2.  place
for advanced study: an educational institution,
especially one concerned with technical subjects

3.  rule:
an established principle or rule

4.  seminar:
a short intensive teaching or study program
plural
noun
in·sti·tutes

LAW law
summary:
a summary of laws
[14th
century. From Latin instituere “to establish,” from statuere “to
set up,” from stare “to stand” (source of English constant and stage
).]
—in·sti·tut·er, noun[1]



institution

institution
in·sti·tu·tion 
[ìnsti tsh’n] (plural in·sti·tu·tions)
noun

1.  important
organization: a large organization such as a college,
hospital, or bank that is influential in the community

2.  established
practice:
an established law, custom, or practice • the
institution of marriage

3.  starting
of something: the act of initiating or establishing
something

4.  long-established
person or thing: somebody or something that has been
well-known and established in a place for many years (informal)

5.  place
of care or confinement: a place where people who
are, for example, mentally or physically challenged are cared for

6.  FINANCE large
and powerful investor: a large financial
organization, for example, a pension fund, that has considerable resources to
make investments • a mutual fund available
only to institutions
—in·sti·tu·tion·al,
adjective

—in·sti·tu·tion·ally,
adverb

—in·sti·tu·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



institutionalism

institutionalism
in·sti·tu·tion·al·ism 
[ìnsti tshən’l ìzzəm, ìnstə tshnə lìzzəm] noun

support
for institutions: a belief in the merits of established
customs and systems
—in·sti·tu·tion·al·ist
(plural in·sti·tu·tion·al·ists), noun[1]



institutionalize

institutionalize
in·sti·tu·tion·al·ize 
[ìnstə tshən’l z, ìnstə
tshnə lz] (past in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, past
participle in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized, present participle in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sti·tu·tion·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  put
somebody into an institution: to put somebody into an
institution such as an alcohol or drug-treatment facility, a psychiatric
hospital, or a prison

2.  establish
something as normal: to make something an
established custom or an accepted part of the structure of a large organization
or society

3.  make
into or like institution: to convert something into an
institution or make something resemble an institution
—in·sti·tu·tion·al·i·za·tion
[ìnstə tshən’li záysh’n, ìnstə tshnəli záysh’n], noun[1]



institutionalized

institutionalized
in·sti·tu·tion·al·ized
[ìnstə tshən’l zd, ìnstə tshnə lzd] adjective

1.  established
as normal:
having become an established custom or an accepted part of the structure of a
large organization or society because it has existed for so long

2.  dependent
on the routine of institution: lacking the will or
ability to think and act independently because of having spent a long time in
an institution such as a psychiatric hospital or prison

[1]



institutive

institutive
in·sti·tu·tive
[ínsti ttiv] adjective

establishing:
serving to establish or being established
—in·sti·tu·tive·ly, adverb[1]



in-store

in-store
in-store
adjective

within a large store:
happening, available, or situated within a large store, for example, a
supermarket or department store • an
in-store bakery[1]



instr.

instr.
instr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
instruction

2.  Abbreviation
of
instructor

3.  Abbreviation
of
instrument

4.  GRAMMAR MUSIC Abbreviation of instrumental

[1]



instruct

instruct
in·struct 
[in strúkt] (past in·struct·ed,
past participle in·struct·ed, present participle in·struct·ing,
3rd person present singular in·structs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb train
somebody:
to teach somebody a subject or how to do something

2.  transitive
verb
direct
somebody:
to tell somebody to do something, especially with authority or as an order

3.  transitive
verb
give
somebody information: to inform somebody about
something, especially in a formal or official manner • The
judge instructed the jurors as to the points of law applicable in the case.

4.  transitive
verb
U.K. obtain
legal representation: to ask or authorize a lawyer
to act on your behalf and supply him or her with relevant information
[15th
century. From Latin instruct-, the past participle stem of instruere
“to prepare, equip,” from struere “to build.”]
—in·struct·i·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



instruction

instruction
in·struc·tion 
[in strúkshən] noun (plural in·struc·tions)

1.  teaching
or things taught: teaching in a particular subject or
skill, or the facts or skills taught • driving
instruction

2.  teaching
profession or process: the profession of teaching
or the teaching process

3.  order:
a spoken or written statement of what must be done, especially delivered
formally, with official authority, or as an order • acting
on instructions we received

4.  COMPUTING command:
a code that tells a computer to perform a specific operation
plural
noun
in·struc·tions

1.  list
of things to do: printed information about how to do,
make, assemble, use, or operate something • The
instructions are printed on the back of the box.

2.  LAW judge’s
summary:
the information given by a judge to a jury at the end of a case that explains
the applicable points of law and summarizes what has to be proved
—in·struc·tion·al, adjective[1]



instructive

instructive
in·struc·tive 
[in strúktiv] adjective

informative:
providing useful information or insight into something
—in·struc·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·struc·tive·ness, noun[1]



instructor

instructor
in·struc·tor 
[in strúktər] (plural in·struc·tors)
noun

1.  teacher
or trainer:
somebody who teaches something, often a sport or a practical skill • a
ski instructor

2.  low-ranking
college teacher: a university, college, or community
college teacher who is lower in rank than an assistant professor
—in·struc·tor·ship, noun[1]



instrument

instrument
in·stru·ment 
[ínstrəmənt] noun (plural in·stru·ments)

1.  SCIENCE tool:
a tool or mechanical device, especially one used for precision work in science,
medicine, or technology

2.  MUSIC object
that produces music: an object used to produce
musical notes, for example, by blowing through an opening, plucking or rubbing
its strings, or striking it

3.  MEASUREMENTS measuring
device:
a device that measures or controls something, such as a speedometer or
voltmeter

4.  means
of doing something: something or somebody used
as a means of achieving a desired result or accomplishing a particular purpose
(usually used in the singular) • The
secret police was the state’s instrument for controlling the populace.

5.  object
used for some purpose: an object that has been or
could be used for some purpose (formal) • hit
on the head by a blunt instrument

6.  LAW document:
a legal document (formal)
transitive
verb
(past in·stru·ment·ed, past participle in·stru·ment·ed,
present participle in·stru·ment·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·stru·ments)

1.  MUSIC arrange
music:
to write or arrange a piece of music for performance on musical instruments

2.  SCIENCE supply
with measuring devices: to equip something with
instruments for measurement or control
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin instrumentum, from instruere “to prepare.”][1]



instrumental

instrumental
in·stru·men·tal 
[ìnstrə mént’l] adjective

1.  MUSIC for
instruments, not voices: played on one or more
musical instruments and not sung or accompanied by singing

2.  connected
with instruments: done with or produced by an instrument
or instruments

3.  making
something happen: playing an important part in achieving a
result or accomplishing a purpose • she
was instrumental in getting the legislation passed

4.  GRAMMAR indicating
the means of doing something: describing a noun case that
indicates something is used for a purpose or is the means by which something is
done

5.  PHILOSOPHY of
instrumentalism: relating to instrumentalism
noun
(plural in·stru·men·tals)

1.  MUSIC music
played by instruments: a piece of music, or part of
a piece of music, that is played by one or more musical instruments and is not
sung or accompanied by singing

2.  GRAMMAR noun
form indicating the means of doing something: the
form ( case ) of a noun indicating that
something is used for a purpose or is the means of doing something, or a noun
in this form
—in·stru·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



instrumentalism

instrumentalism
in·stru·men·tal·ism
[ìnstrə mént’l ìzzəm] noun

PHILOSOPHY
theories viewed as tools:
the view that theories are useful tools for making predictions but cannot be
literally true or false[1]



instrumentalist

instrumentalist
in·stru·men·tal·ist 
[ìnstrə mént’list] noun (plural
in·stru·men·tal·ists)

1.  MUSIC player
of instrument: somebody who plays a musical instrument

2.  PHILOSOPHY proponent
of instrumentalism: a supporter or advocate of
instrumentalism
adjective

PHILOSOPHY for
instrumentalism: supporting or advocating instrumentalism

[1]



instrumentality

instrumentality
in·stru·men·tal·i·ty 
[ìnstrəmən tállətee, ìnstrə men tállətee] (plural in·stru·men·tal·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  action
or use:
somebody’s action or the use of somebody or something in getting something done
“But for her instrumentality, the fatal knowledge would not have been
imparted.” Elizabeth Gaskell Some Passages from the History of the Chomley
Family 1865

2.  POLITICS section:
a subbranch of a department or agency • a
department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and
judicial branches of the federal government
[Mid-17th century][1]



instrumentallearning

instrumentallearning
in·stru·men·tal
learn·ing
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
learning based on reward:
a form of learning that takes place as a direct consequence of a reward or
pleasant outcome for the learner[1]



instrumentation

instrumentation
in·stru·men·ta·tion 
[ìnstrəmən táysh’n, ìnstrə
men táysh’n] noun

1.  MUSIC arrangement
for musical instruments: the composition or
arrangement of music for performance, in which a combination of musical
instruments is specified

2.  MUSIC musical
instruments used: the particular instruments that are to
perform a piece of music

3.  equipment
for control or operation: a set of instruments used
for a particular purpose, for example, operating a machine or controlling an
aircraft

4.  use
of instruments: the use of instruments as tools or for
measurement or control

5.  making
instruments: the design, development, or manufacture
of instruments for use in science, medicine, technology, or industry

6.  means:
the means or agency through which something is done (formal)

[1]



instrumentboard

instrumentboard
in·stru·ment
board
(plural in·stru·ment boards) noun

See
instrument panel[1]



instrumentflying

instrumentflying
in·stru·ment
fly·ing
noun

flying guided by instruments:
the flying of an aircraft using only information obtained from instruments
rather than from what the pilot can see[1]



instrumentlanding

instrumentlanding
in·stru·ment
land·ing
(plural in·stru·ment land·ings) noun

landing aircraft while
relying on instruments: landing an
aircraft while relying on information from instruments rather than from looking
out the aircraft’s window[1]



instrumentpanel

instrumentpanel
in·stru·ment
pan·el
(plural in·stru·ment pan·els) noun

mounted set of control
devices: a set of instruments mounted
at the front of a machine or in front of somebody driving or steering a motor
vehicle, aircraft, or ship.
Also called
instrument board[1]



insubordinate

insubordinate
in·sub·or·di·nate 
[ìnsə báwrd’nət] adjective

disobedient
or rebellious: refusing to obey orders or submit to
authority
noun
(plural in·sub·or·di·nates)

disobedient
or rebellious person: somebody who refuses to obey
orders or submit to authority
—in·sub·or·di·nate·ly,
adverb

—in·sub·or·di·na·tion
[ìnsə bawrd’n áysh’n], noun[1]



insubstantial

insubstantial
in·sub·stan·tial 
[ìnsəb stánshəl] adjective

1.  small
and weak:
not very large, solid, or strong

2.  not
tangible:
not existing in reality • an
insubstantial apparition
—in·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty
[ìnsəb stanshee állətee], noun

—in·sub·stan·tial·ly [ìnsəb stánshəlee], adverb[1]



insufferable

insufferable
in·suf·fer·a·ble 
[in súffərəb’l] adjective

unbearable:
so annoying, unpleasant, or uncomfortable that it is unbearable
—in·suf·fer·a·bly,
adverb

—in·suf·fer·a·ble·ness,
noun[1]



insufficiency

insufficiency
in·suf·fi·cien·cy 
[ìnsə físh’nsee] (plural in·suf·fi·cien·cies)
noun

1.  not
enough:
a smaller number or lesser amount than is needed • an
insufficiency of provisions for a long cruise

2.  MEDICINE unfitness
or failure:
inability or failure to perform competently, adequately, or normally • cardiac
insufficiency

3.  failure
to measure up: a failure to meet some standard or
requirement • the
insufficiency of the causes presented to explain this phenomenon

[1]



insufficient

insufficient
in·suf·fi·cient 
[ìnsə físh’nt] adjective

inadequate:
not enough in amount or quality to satisfy some purpose or standard • we
were given insufficient notice
—in·suf·fi·cient·ly, adverb[1]



insufflate

insufflate
in·suf·flate 
[ínsə flàyt, in
sú flàyt] (past in·suf·flat·ed, past participle in·suf·flat·ed,
present participle in·suf·flat·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·suf·flates) transitive verb

1.  blow
into something: to blow or breathe into something (formal)

2.  MEDICINE blow
something into a body cavity: to blow something, for
example, air, powder, or gas, into the lungs or some other body cavity in the
course of medical treatment
[Late
17th century. Latin insufflat-, from insufflare, from sufflare
“to blow up” (source of English soufflé
).]
—in·suf·fla·tion
[ìnsə fláysh’n], noun

—in·suf·fla·tor [ìnsə fláytər], noun[1]



insulant

insulant
in·su·lant 
[ínsələnt] (plural in·su·lants)
noun

insulation:
material that insulates something[1]



insular

insular
in·su·lar 
[ínsələr, ínsyələr]
adjective

1.  limited
in outlook:
concerned only with your own country, society, or way of life and not
interested in new ideas or different cultures

2.  not
close to others: physically or emotionally removed from
others

3.  of
islands:
relating to or originating in an island

4.  ANATOMY of
islands of cells: relating to a collection of cells or
tissue reminiscent of an island
[Mid-16th
century. Via French insulaire from late Latin insularis, from
Latin insula “island.”]
—in·su·lar·ism,
noun

—in·su·lar·i·ty
[ìnsə lérrətee, ìnsyə
lérrətee], noun

—in·su·lar·ly [ínsələrlee, ínsyələrlee],
adverb[1]



insulate

insulate
in·su·late 
[ínsə làyt, ínsyə
làyt] (past in·su·lat·ed, past participle in·su·lat·ed,
present participle in·su·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·su·lates) transitive verb

1.  prevent
the passage of something: to prevent or reduce the
passage of heat, electricity, or sound into, from, or through something,
especially by surrounding it with some material

2.  protect
or isolate somebody: to protect or isolate
somebody from something, especially from something unpleasant or undesirable
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin insula “island.”][1]



insulatingtape

insulatingtape
in·su·lat·ing
tape
noun

U.K.
See friction tape[1]



insulation

insulation
in·su·la·tion 
[ìnsə láysh’n, ìnsyə
láysh’n] noun

1.  material
that insulates: something that prevents or reduces the
passage of heat, electricity, or sound, for example, a special material or a
layer of air. Cork, glass fiber, rubber, and plastic are all used as
insulation.

2.  prevention
of conduction: the act of covering or surrounding
something to prevent or reduce the passage of heat, electricity, or sound

3.  protection:
protection or isolation from something

[1]



insulative

insulative
in·su·la·tive 
[ínsə làytiv, ínsyə
làytiv] adjective

providing insulation:
preventing or reducing the passage of heat, electricity, or sound[1]



insulator

insulator
in·su·la·tor 
[ínsə làytər, ínsyə
làytər] (plural in·su·la·tors) noun

something providing
insulation: a material or device that
prevents or reduces the passage of heat, electricity, or sound[1]



insulin

insulin
in·su·lin 
[ínsəlin] noun

hormone
regulating the glucose level in blood: a
hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that regulates the
level of glucose in the blood. Deficiency in production results in diabetes
mellitus.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin insula “island” (source of English isle and isolate
), after the “islets of Langerhans.”][1]



insulinshock

insulinshock
in·su·lin
shock
or in·su·lin re·ac·tion noun

severe drop in blood sugar:
a severe drop in blood sugar resulting from an excess of insulin and marked by
sweating, dizziness, trembling, and eventual coma[1]



insult

insult
in·sult 
verb [in súlt] (past in·sult·ed,
past participle in·sult·ed, present participle in·sult·ing,
3rd person present singular in·sults)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
offensive:
to say or do something rude or insensitive that offends somebody else

2.  transitive
verb
show
contempt:
to say or do something suggesting a low opinion of somebody or something • Don’t
insult me by offering me pity.
noun
[ín sùlt] (plural in·sults)

1.  offensive
words or action: a remark or action that offends
somebody, usually because it is rude or insensitive

2.  something
showing contempt: behavior or words implying a low opinion
of somebody, for example, a payment that is much less than expected or deserved
• The
article is an insult to the intelligence of the reader.

3.  MEDICINE injury
or an injuring agent: an injury or trauma to the
body or something that causes such harm
[Mid-16th
century. Via French insulter from Latin insultare, literally “to
keep jumping on,” which was formed from, ultimately, salire “to jump.”]
—in·sult·er, noun[1]



insulting

insulting
in·sult·ing
[in súlting] adjective

hurtful
and offensive: causing offense because it is rude or
insensitive or suggests a low opinion of somebody or something
—in·sult·ing·ly, adverb[1]



insuperable

insuperable
in·su·per·a·ble 
[in spərəb’l] adjective

unable
to be overcome: impossible to overcome, get rid of, or
deal with successfully • battling
insuperable odds
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin superare “to overcome,”
from super “above” (source of English superior,
sovereign, soprano, and sirloin
).]
—in·su·per·a·bil·i·ty
[in spərə bíllətee], noun

—in·su·per·a·ble·ness
[in spərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·su·per·a·bly [in spərəblee], adverb[1]



insupportable

insupportable
in·sup·port·a·ble 
[ìnsə páwrtəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to endure:
too great, unpleasant, or difficult to bear • an
insupportable claim

2.  unjustifiable:
impossible to justify or defend
—in·sup·port·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·sup·port·a·bly, adverb[1]



insurable

insurable
in·sur·a·ble
[in shrəb’l] adjective

INSURANCE able
to be insured: able to be covered or protected by
insurance
—in·sur·a·bil·i·ty [in shrə bíllətee], noun[1]



insurance

insurance
in·sur·ance 
[in shrəns] noun

1.  INSURANCE financial
protection against loss or harm: an arrangement by
which a company gives customers financial protection against loss or harm, for
example, theft or illness, in return for payment ( premium
)

2.  a
money paid by an insurance company: the
sum of money that an insurance company pays or agrees to pay if a specified
undesirable event occurs

3.  INSURANCE premium:
the payment made to obtain insurance • My car
insurance has gone up again.

4.  INSURANCE insurance
business:
the commercial business of providing insurance

5.  means
of protection: an act, measure, or provision that gives
protection against some undesirable event or risk • provided
a map as insurance against getting lost
adjective

SPORTS preventing
an opponent from tying a game: relating to an act of
scoring that increases a team’s lead to the extent that the other side cannot
tie the game in a single play
[15th century. Via Old French
enseurance .][1]



insurancepolicy

insurancepolicy
in·sur·ance
pol·i·cy
(plural in·sur·ance pol·i·cies) noun

contract of insurance:
a written contract between an insurance company and a person or organization
requiring insurance against loss or harm. The insurance policy sets out the
terms and conditions of the agreement, specifying the risks for which
compensation or costs will be paid.[1]



insure

insure
in·sure 
[in shr] (past in·sured, past
participle in·sured, present participle in·sur·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·sures) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
something with insurance: to agree formally that, for
a sum of money paid to a company, the company will pay compensation or costs if
some specified harm or loss occurs to somebody or something • the
ring was insured for $5,000

2.  intransitive
verb
protect
against risk: to get protection from something
undesirable that might happen, usually by making contingency plans or taking
precautionary or preventive measures

3.  transitive
verb
See ensure
[15th
century. Variant of ensure .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at assure.

[1]



insured

insured
in·sured 
[in shrd] adjective

covered
by insurance: covered by insurance
noun

object of insurance:
somebody or something covered by insurance • the
signature of the insured[1]



insurer

insurer
in·sur·er 
[in shrər] (plural in·sur·ers)
noun

company or person that
insures: a company or individual
providing insurance[1]



insurgency

insurgency
in·sur·gen·cy 
[in súrjənsee] (plural in·sur·gen·cies)
or in·sur·gence [in súrjənss]
(plural in·sur·genc·es) noun

1.  rebellion:
a rebellion or uprising against a government

2.  state
of rebellion: the state of being in rebellion

[1]



insurgent

insurgent
in·sur·gent 
[in súrjənt] noun (plural in·sur·gents)

1.  rebel:
somebody who rebels against authority or leadership, especially somebody
belonging to a group involved in an uprising against the government or ruler of
a country

2.  political
rebel:
a member of a political party who rebels against the party leaders or policies
adjective

rebellious:
rebelling against authority or leadership, especially against the government or
ruler of a country
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin insurgent-, formed from insurgere “to rise
up,” from surgere “to rise.”]
—in·sur·gent·ly, adverb[1]



insurmountable

insurmountable
in·sur·mount·a·ble 
[ìnsər mówntəb’l] adjective

too
great to overcome: impossible to overcome or
deal with successfully
—in·sur·mount·a·bil·i·ty
[ìnsər mowntə bíllətee], noun

—in·sur·mount·a·bly [ìnsər mówntəblee], adverb[1]



insurrection

insurrection
in·sur·rec·tion 
[ìnsə rékshən] (plural in·sur·rec·tions)
noun

rebellion:
rebellion against the government or rulers of a country, often involving armed
conflict
[15th
century. From the Latin stem insurrection-, from insurgere “to
rise up.”]
—in·sur·rec·tion·al,
adjective

—in·sur·rec·tion·ar·y,
noun, adjective

—in·sur·rec·tion·ism,
noun

—in·sur·rec·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



insusceptible

insusceptible
in·sus·cep·ti·ble 
[ìnsə séptəb’l] adjective (formal)

1.  not
affected:
not likely to be affected or influenced by something

2.  not
subject to something: not able to undergo some
process
—in·sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìnsə septə bíllətee], noun

—in·sus·cep·ti·bly [ìnsə séptəblee], adverb[1]



inswinger

inswinger
in·swing·er
[ín swìngər] (plural in·swing·ers)
noun

SOCCER
curving ball:
a ball kicked, particularly from a corner, that curves through the air toward
the goal[1]



int.

int.
int.

1.  Abbreviation
of
intelligence

2.  Abbreviation
of
intercept

3.  Abbreviation
of
interest

4.  Abbreviation
of
interim

5.  Abbreviation
of
interior

6.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of interjection

7.  Abbreviation
of
intermediate

8.  Abbreviation
of
internal

9.  int.
or Int. Abbreviation of international

10. Abbreviation
of
interpreter

11. Abbreviation
of
intersection

12. Abbreviation
of
interval

13. Abbreviation
of
interview

14. GRAMMAR Abbreviation of intransitive

15. MUSIC Abbreviation of introit

[1]



intact

intact
in·tact 
[in tákt] adjective

1.  not
damaged:
whole and undamaged • Only
two of the original plates remained intact.

2.  complete:
without any missing parts or elements

3.  ANATOMY without
any removed parts: having all bodily parts in
place and undamaged
[15th
century. From Latin intactus “untouched,” which was formed ultimately
from tangere “to touch” (see tangible
).]
—in·tact·ly,
adverb

—in·tact·ness, noun[1]



intaglio

intaglio
in·ta·glio 
[in tállyō, in
tlyō] (plural in·ta·glios or in·ta·gli [in tállyee]) noun

1.  hollowed-out
design:
a carving made by cutting a hollowed-out design into some material such as
stone

2.  carving
of intaglios: the process or art of carving
hollowed-out designs in material such as stone

3.  carved
gem:
a gem in which a hollowed-out design has been carved

4.  PRINTING printing
with incised plates: a printing technique in
which the design is cut into the plate rather than protruding from it. Intaglio
printing includes engraving, etching, and drypoint.
Also
called
gravure

5.  PRINTING incised
printing plate: a printing plate into which the design
is cut or incised
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, intagliare “to engrave,” from tagliare
“to cut.”][1]



intake

intake
in·take 
[ín tàyk] (plural in·takes) noun

1.  amount
taken in:
an amount taken in or consumed • increase
your intake of fluids

2.  taking
in something: the process of taking in some substance,
especially by eating or drinking

3.  opening
through which fluid passes: an opening through which
fluid enters a duct or contained area, for example, that of a jet engine • the
fuel intake

[1]



intangible

intangible
in·tan·gi·ble 
[in tánjəb’l] adjective

1.  nonmaterial:
without material qualities, and so not able to be touched or seen

2.  hard
to describe: difficult to define or describe clearly,
but nonetheless perceived
noun
(plural in·tan·gi·bles)

something unquantifiable:
an unquantifiable quality or asset • such
intangibles as duty
[Early
17th century. Via medieval Latin intangibilis, or formed from tangible .]
—in·tan·gi·bil·i·ty
[in tànjə bíllətee], noun

—in·tan·gi·ble·ness
[in tánjəb’lnəss], noun

—in·tan·gi·bly [in tánjəblee], adverb[1]



intangibleasset

intangibleasset
in·tan·gi·ble
as·set
(plural in·tan·gi·ble as·sets) noun

valuable but unquantifiable
business asset: a business asset, for
example, a company’s customer goodwill, that is of value although it is not
directly quantifiable in terms of goods produced or sold[1]



intarsia

intarsia
in·tar·si·a 
[in trsee ə] (plural in·tar·si·as)
noun

1.  CRAFT wood
inlay:
wood inlay using different colors of wood, common in the Italian Renaissance

2.  CRAFT making
of intarsias: the art or process of making intarsias,
for example, for wall panels

3.  KNITTING way of
knitting:
knitting with two or more colored yarns in which the new color is introduced by
twisting around the old, left hanging until it is needed again
[Mid-19th century. Via German
and Italian from, ultimately, Arabic tarṡī` .][1]



integer

integer
in·te·ger 
[íntəjər] (plural in·te·gers) noun

1.  whole
number:
any positive or negative whole number or zero

2.  whole
thing:
a whole unit or entity (technical)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin “complete, whole” (source of English entire
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to touch.”][1]



integral

integral
in·te·gral 
[íntəgrəl, in
téggrəl] adjective

1.  necessary
or constituent: being an essential part of something or
any of the parts that make up a whole • Adequate
funding is integral to the success of the venture. • mealtimes
are an integral part of family life

2.  made
up of parts: composed of parts that together make a
whole

3.  complete:
without missing parts or elements

4.  ARITHMETIC of
an integer:
relating to an integer

5.  MATHEMATICS relating
to integrals: relating to mathematical integrals or
integration
noun
(plural in·te·grals) MATHEMATICS

1.  See
definite integral

2.  See
indefinite integral
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin integer “whole.”]
—in·te·gral·i·ty
[ìntə grállətee], noun

—in·te·gral·ly [íntəgrəlee], adverb[1]



integralcalculus

integralcalculus
in·te·gral
cal·cu·lus
noun

study of mathematical
integration: a branch of mathematics
dealing with integrals and differential equations, used to determine areas,
volumes, and lengths, and in many areas of applied mathematics[1]



integrand

integrand
in·te·grand 
[íntə grànd] (plural in·te·grands)
noun

function
to be integrated: a mathematical function or equation to
be integrated
[Late 19th century. From
Latin integrandus “to be integrated,” from integrare “to
integrate,” from integer “whole.”][1]



integrant

integrant
in·te·grant 
[íntəgrənt] adjective

part
of whole:
part of a whole (formal)
noun
(plural in·te·grants)

integral part:
an integral part of something (formal)[1]



integrate

integrate
in·te·grate 
(past in·te·grat·ed, past participle in·te·grat·ed,
present participle in·te·grat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·te·grates) verb [íntə gràyt]

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fit in
with a group: to become an accepted member of a group
and its activities, or to help somebody do this

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
into a whole: to join two or more objects or make
something part of a larger whole, or to become joined or combined in this way

3.  transitive
verb
make
open to all: to make a group, community, place, or
organization and its opportunities available to all, regardless of race, ethnic
group, religion, gender, or social class

4.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS find
a mathematical integral: to find the definite or
indefinite integral of a function or equation
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin integrat-, from integrare “to make whole,”
from integer “whole.”]
—in·te·gra·ble
[íntəgrəb’l], adjective

—in·te·gra·bil·i·ty
[ìntəgrə bíllətee], noun

—in·te·gra·tive [íntə gràytiv], adjective[1]



integrated

integrated
in·te·grat·ed
[íntə gràytəd] adjective

1.  combined
or composite: made up of elements or parts that work
well together • an integrated
transportation system

2.  combining
dissimilar things: bringing together processes
or functions that are normally separate

3.  open
to all people: open to everyone, without restrictions
based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or social class

[1]



integratedcircuit

integratedcircuit
in·te·grat·ed
cir·cuit 
(plural in·te·grat·ed cir·cuits) noun

tiny
electronic circuit: an extremely small complex
of electronic components contained on a thin chip or wafer of semiconducting
material such as silicon.
Also
called
microcircuit
—in·te·grat·ed cir·cuit·ry,
noun[1]



integration

integration
in·te·gra·tion 
[ìntə gráysh’n] noun

1.  equal
access for all: the process of opening a group,
community, place, or organization to all, regardless of race, ethnicity,
religion, gender, or social class

2.  acceptance
into a community: becoming an accepted member of a group
or community

3.  combination:
a combination of parts or objects that work together well

4.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
operation:
the mathematical process of finding the solution of a differential equation or
a function whose differential equation is known

5.  PSYCHOLOGY organization
of personality traits: the process of coordinating
separate personality elements into a balanced whole or producing behavior
compatible with somebody’s environment

[1]



integrationist

integrationist
in·te·gra·tion·ist 
[ìntə gráysh’nist] noun (plural
in·te·gra·tion·ists)

worker
for integration: a supporter or activist who works to
promote and maintain integration
adjective

favoring integration:
supporting or promoting racial integration[1]



integrator

integrator
in·te·gra·tor 
[íntə gràytər] (plural in·te·gra·tors)
noun

1.  COMPUTING computer
device:
a computer component that performs numerical integration to solve differential
equations

2.  somebody
or something that integrates: somebody or something that
brings about integration

[1]



integrity

integrity
in·teg·ri·ty 
[in téggritee] noun

1.  possession
of firm principles: the quality of possessing
and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards

2.  completeness:
the state of being complete or undivided (formal) • the
territorial integrity of a nation.

3.  wholeness:
the state of being sound or undamaged (formal) • Their
refusal to participate in the experiment will undermine its integrity.
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin integritas, from integer “whole.”][1]



integument

integument
in·teg·u·ment 
[in téggyəmənt] (plural in·teg·u·ments)
noun

protective
layer:
an outer protective layer or part of an animal or plant, for example, a shell,
rind, husk, or skin
[Early
17th century. Via Latin integumentum from integere “to cover up,”
from tegere “to cover” (source of English tile
and detect ).]
—in·teg·u·men·tal
[in tèggyə mént’l], adjective

—in·teg·u·men·ta·ry [in tèggyə méntəree, in
tèggyə méntree], adjective[1]



intellect

intellect
in·tel·lect 
[ínt’l èkt] (plural in·tel·lects)
noun

1.  mental
ability:
somebody’s ability to think, reason, and understand • appeals
to the intellect rather than the emotions • a
highly developed intellect

2.  intelligent
person:
a very intelligent and knowledgeable person • The
commission called on some of our most notable intellects in its search for
solutions.
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin intellect-, from intellegere “to perceive” (see intelligent ).][1]



intellection

intellection
in·tel·lec·tion 
[ìnt’l ékshən] (plural in·tel·lec·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  thinking:
thinking, reasoning, or other mental activity

2.  result
of thinking: a thought or an idea
—in·tel·lec·tive [ìnt’l éktiv], adjective[1]



intellectual

intellectual
in·tel·lec·tu·al 
[ìnt’l ékchoo əl] adjective

1.  relating
to thinking: relating to or involving the mental
processes of abstract thinking and reasoning rather than the emotions

2.  intelligent
and knowledgeable: having a highly developed
ability to think, reason, and understand, especially in combination with wide
knowledge

3.  for
intelligent people: intended for, appealing to,
or done by intelligent people • intellectual
pursuits
noun
(plural in·tel·lec·tu·als)

intelligent person:
somebody with a highly developed ability to reason and understand, especially
if also well educated and interested in the arts or sciences or enjoying
activities involving serious mental effort
[15th
century. Via Old French from late Latin intellectualis, from intellectus
“intellect,” from intellegere “to perceive” (see intelligent ).]
—in·tel·lec·tu·al·i·ty
[ìnt’l ekchoo állətee], noun

—in·tel·lec·tu·al·ly [ìnt’l ékchoo əlee], adverb[1]



intellectualism

intellectualism
in·tel·lec·tu·al·ism 
[ìnt’l ékchoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY exercise
of power to think: the development and use of
the ability to think, reason, and understand

2.  too
much attention to thinking: overemphasis on intellectual
processes or pursuits

3.  PHILOSOPHY belief
that knowledge comes from reasoning: the
doctrine that all that can truly be called knowledge is derived from reasoning
—in·tel·lec·tu·al·ist,
noun

—in·tel·lec·tu·al·is·tic
[ìnt’l ekchoo ə lístik], adjective

—in·tel·lec·tu·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[ìnt’l ekchoo ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



intellectualize

intellectualize
in·tel·lec·tu·al·ize 
[ìnt’l ékchoo ə lz] (past in·tel·lec·tu·al·ized,
past participle in·tel·lec·tu·al·ized, present participle in·tel·lec·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tel·lec·tu·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb consider
something rationally: to analyze, deal with, or
explain something by thinking or reasoning exclusively

2.  intransitive
verb
think:
to think or reason

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become intellectual: to make somebody or
something intellectual or to become intellectual • intellectualized
poetry

4.  transitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY reason
away problems: to protect yourself unconsciously from
the emotional stress that would come from dealing with fears or problems by
reasoning them away
—in·tel·lec·tu·al·i·za·tion,
noun

—in·tel·lec·tu·al·iz·er,
noun[1]



intellectualproperty

intellectualproperty
in·tel·lec·tu·al
prop·er·ty
(plural in·tel·lec·tu·al prop·er·ties) noun

property from original
thought protected by law: original
creative work manifested in a tangible form that can be legally protected, for
example, by a patent, trademark, or copyright[1]



intelligence

intelligence
in·tel·li·gence 
[in téllijəns] (plural in·tel·li·genc·es)
noun

1.  ability
to think and learn: the ability to learn facts
and skills and apply them, especially when this ability is highly developed

2.  secret
information: information about secret plans or
activities, especially those of foreign governments, the armed forces, business
enemies, or criminals

3.  gathering
of secret information: the collection of secret
military or political information

4.  people
gathering secret information: an organization that gathers
information about the secret plans or activities of an adversary or potential
adversary and the people involved in gathering such information

5.  intelligent
spirit:
an entity capable of rational thought, especially one that does not have a
physical form
—in·tel·li·gen·tial [in tèlli jénshəl], adjective[1]



intelligencequotient

intelligencequotient
in·tel·li·gence
quo·tient
(plural in·tel·li·gence quo·tients) noun

Full form of
IQ[1]



intelligencer

intelligencer
in·tel·li·genc·er 
[in téllijənsər] (plural in·tel·li·genc·ers)
noun

informer or spy:
somebody who provides or gathers information, especially about secret plans or
activities (archaic)[1]



intelligent

intelligent
in·tel·li·gent 
[in téllijənt] adjective

1.  mentally
able:
having intelligence, especially to a highly developed degree

2.  sensible
or rational: showing or resulting from an ability to
think and understand things clearly and logically • an
intelligent solution

3.  COMPUTING able
to store and process data: with built-in electronic
processing and data storage ability • an
intelligent terminal

4.  COMPUT self-regulating:
programmed to be able to adjust itself to changes in its environment and make
deductions from information it processes

5.  aware:
aware, knowledgeable, or informed (formal) • The
President has been made intelligent of the probable consequences of this
policy.
[Early
16th century. From Latin intelligent-, formed from intellegere
“to perceive, discern,” from inter- “between” + legere “to
choose, read” (source of English select
and legible ).]
—in·tel·li·gent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  intelligent, bright, quick,
  smart, clever, able,
  gifted
  CORE
  MEANING: having
  the ability to learn and understand intelligent;
  a general word used to describe a person or animal who is quick to learn and
  understand; bright; an informal
  word used to describe somebody who is mentally alert and responsive; quick; an informal word emphasizing the
  ability to recognize or understand things quickly; smart; an informal word similar to bright, but
  also implying mental resourcefulness; clever;
  having the capacity to learn quickly, often implying mental resourcefulness,
  but also cunning or ingenuity; able;
  a word used, especially in educational circles, of children who are
  intelligent; gifted; describes
  somebody who has an exceptional talent, especially somebody artistic or
  creative. Also used, especially in educational circles, of children who are
  exceptionally intelligent and learn easily

[1]



intelligentsia

intelligentsia
in·tel·li·gent·si·a 
[in tèlli jéntsee ə] noun

intellectuals:
the most intelligent, intellectual, or highly educated members of a society or
community, especially those who are interested in the arts, literature,
philosophy, and politics
[Early 20th century. Via
Russian intelligentsiya from Latin intelligentia “intelligence.”][1]



intelligible

intelligible
in·tel·li·gi·ble 
[in téllijəb’l] adjective

1.  understandable:
capable of being understood • his
ideas were barely intelligible

2.  PHILOSOPHY understandable
by the mind alone: perceptible only by the
mind, not the senses
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin intelligibilis, from intellegere
“to perceive” (see intelligent ).]
—in·tel·li·gi·bil·i·ty
[in tèllijə bíllətee], noun

—in·tel·li·gi·ble·ness
[in téllijəb’lnəss], noun

—in·tel·li·gi·bly, adverb[1]



Intelsat

Intelsat
In·tel·sat
[ín tel sàt] or IN·TEL·SAT [ín tel sàt] noun

1.  an
international organization whose membership includes the telecommunications
agencies of most countries and that owns the communications satellites that
orbit the Earth. Full form International Telecommunication Satellite
Organization

2.  telecommunications
satellite:
a telecommunications satellite launched by Intelsat

[1]



intemperance

intemperance
in·tem·per·ance 
[in témpərəns, in
témprəns] noun

1.  excessive
indulgence:
the satisfying of an unacceptable or excessive desire, especially excessive
drinking of alcohol

2.  lack
of self-control: lack of self-control

3.  METEOROLOGY bad
weather:
severity of weather conditions or climate (formal)

[1]



intemperate

intemperate
in·tem·per·ate 
[in témpərət, in
témprət] adjective

1.  drinking
to excess:
drinking too much alcohol, especially frequently

2.  lacking
self-control: having or showing a lack of
self-control, especially in expressing feelings or satisfying physical desires

3.  METEOROLOGY too
hot or cold: extremely or unpleasantly hot or cold (formal)
—in·tem·per·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·tem·per·ate·ness, noun[1]



intend

intend
in·tend 
[in ténd] (past in·tend·ed, past
participle in·tend·ed, present participle in·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb mean
to do something: to have something in mind as a plan • I
really intended to write, but I didn’t have time.

2.  transitive
verb
do
or say for some purpose: to do, say, or produce
something with a particular purpose, use, target, or group of people in mind • a
dictionary intended for grade-schoolers

3.  transitive
verb
mean
something:
to signify or indicate something through speech or behavior • What
impression did he intend to give us with such a remark?
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin intendere, from in- “toward” + tendere “to
stretch.”][1]



intendance

intendance
in·ten·dance 
[in téndəns] (plural in·ten·dances)
noun

1.  administrative
department:
a public department or administrative office in some countries

2.  See
intendancy  noun 1

[1]



intendancy

intendancy
in·ten·dan·cy 
[in téndənsee] (plural in·ten·dan·cies)
noun

1.  work
of an intendant: the role or functions of an intendant.
Also
called
intendance

2.  intendants
as a group:
intendants considered collectively

3.  administrative
area:
the department or district administered by an intendant

[1]



intendant

intendant
in·ten·dant 
[in téndənt] (plural in·ten·dants)
noun

administrative
official:
an official or administrator in some countries, especially in the past in
France, Spain, and Portugal, and currently in parts of Latin America
[Mid-17th century. Via Old
French from Latin intendent-, formed from intendere (see intend ).][1]



intended

intended
in·tend·ed 
[in téndəd] adjective

1.  envisioned:
aimed at or designed for • We
were unable to reach our intended destination

2.  planned:
planned for the future

3.  deliberate:
said or done deliberately
noun

future husband or wife:
the person to whom somebody is engaged to be married (dated or humorous)
• He
cherished the letter from his intended.
—in·tend·ed·ly, adverb[1]



intending

intending
in·tend·ing 
[in ténding] adjective

prospective:
planning or having in mind to be a particular thing • an
intending candidate[1]



intendment

intendment
in·tend·ment 
[in téndmənt] noun

legal meaning:
the meaning of something, especially a word or term, according to law[1]



intens.

intens.
intens.

1.  Abbreviation
of
intensify

2.  Abbreviation
of
intensive

[1]



intense

intense
in·tense 
[in téns] adjective

1.  extreme:
great, strong, or extreme in a way that can be felt • intense
heat

2.  effortful
or active:
involving great effort or much activity • showed
intense dedication to the task

3.  concentrated:
narrowly focused or concentrated • an
intense stare

4.  passionate:
feeling or showing strong and deeply felt emotions in a serious way • a
very intense young student
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin intensus, the past participle of intendere
“to stretch out” (see intend ).]
—in·tense·ly,
adverb

—in·tense·ness, noun[1]



intensifier

intensifier
in·ten·si·fi·er 
[in ténsə fr] (plural in·ten·si·fi·ers)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR See intensive  noun 1

2.  somebody
or something that intensifies: somebody or something
that makes something larger, sharper, or stronger

[1]



intensify

intensify
in·ten·si·fy 
[in ténsə f] (past in·ten·si·fied,
past participle in·ten·si·fied, present participle in·ten·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ten·si·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become greater: to make something greater or
stronger, or to increase in strength or degree • media
interest intensified as the week progressed

2.  increase
effort or concentration: to do something with greater
effort or more activity or to become more concentrated
—in·ten·si·fi·ca·tion
[in tènsəfi káysh’n], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at increase

[1]



intension

intension
in·ten·sion 
[in ténshən] (plural in·ten·sions)
noun

1.  LOGIC meaning
of expression: the meaning of an expression as opposed
to what it refers to. The intension of the word “human” is the property of
being human, whereas it has as its reference, or extension, human beings as a
group.

2.  intensity:
intensity (formal)

3.  intensification:
intensification (formal)
[Early
17th century. From the Latin stem intension-, from intendere “to
stretch out, become tense.”]
—in·ten·sion·al,
adjective

—in·ten·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



intensionalobject

intensionalobject
in·ten·sion·al
ob·ject
(plural in·ten·sion·al ob·jects) noun

LOGIC
concept, property, or proposition:
a concept, property, or proposition as opposed to an individual, set, or truth
value, which are the extensional counterparts of intensional objects[1]



intensity

intensity
in·ten·si·ty 
[in ténsitee] (plural in·ten·si·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being intense: the strength, power, force, or
concentration of something • The
pain increased in intensity.

2.  intense
manner:
a passionate and serious attitude or quality • a
rare emotional intensity in her work

3.  PHYSICS magnitude
of energy:
the strength of a source of energy, for example, light, electricity, or sound,
per unit area, mass, or time

[1]



intensive

intensive
in·ten·sive 
[in ténsiv] adjective

1.  concentrated:
involving concentrated effort, usually in order to achieve something in a
comparatively short time • an
intensive course in German

2.  AGRICULTURE increasing
production:
relating to a form of agriculture in which scientific and technological
methods, for example, the use of chemicals that boost growth or crop yields,
are used to increase productivity

3.  making
heavy use of: requiring or using a great deal of a
particular thing (often used in combination) • capital-intensive

4.  GRAMMAR indicating
how much:
used to describe a word or phrase, for example, “extremely,” that emphasizes or
intensifies the word that it modifies
noun
(plural in·ten·sives)

1.  GRAMMAR word indicating
how much:
a word or phrase, for example, “extremely,” that emphasizes or intensifies the
word that it modifies.
Also
called
intensifier

2.  quick
course with a lot of information: a course or workshop
in which a great deal of information is absorbed in a very short time (informal)
• She’s
taken several intensives in personnel management.
—in·ten·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·ten·sive·ness, noun[1]



intensivecare

intensivecare
in·ten·sive
care
noun

1.  care
of the critically ill: the monitoring, care, and
treatment of patients who are critically ill or critically injured • One
of the survivors is still in intensive care.

2.  See
intensive care unit

[1]



intensivecare unit

intensivecare unit
in·ten·sive
care u·nit
(plural in·ten·sive care u·nits) noun

hospital department for the
critically ill: a department of a
hospital that is designed and equipped for the monitoring, care, and treatment
of critically ill or critically injured patients. The monitoring is usually
done by electronic means so that essential corrective action can be taken with
a minimum of delay.[1]



intent

intent
in·tent 
[in tént] noun

1.  plan
or purpose:
something planned or the purpose that accompanies a plan (formal) “My
intent is to use our attractive domestic market as the basis of a muscular free
trade policy that will strengthen America’s global economic reach…” National
Public Telecomputing Network Bush speeches in campaign ’92 1992

2.  LAW state
of mind:
somebody’s state of mind when deliberately committing or planning to commit an
illegal act

3.  connotation:
the meaning or significance of something, especially when it is not explicitly
expressed
adjective

1.  with
fixed attention: with full attention or effort
concentrated or focused on one thing • Intent
on her work, she lost track of the time.

2.  determined:
showing great determination to do something • They
are intent on catching the first shuttle.
[13th
century. Via Old French entent from, ultimately, Latin intendere
(see intend ).]
—in·tent·ly,
adverb

—in·tent·ness,
noun
to
all intents and purposes

in effect the same, although
not actually the same[1]



intention

intention
in·ten·tion 
[in ténshən] noun (plural in·ten·tions)

1.  aim
or objective: something that somebody plans to do or
achieve • State
your intentions.

2.  quality
of purposefulness: the quality or state of
having a purpose in mind • She
acted without intention.
plural
noun
in·ten·tions

somebody’s marriage plans:
somebody’s plans with respect to marriage (dated) • What
are your intentions toward my daughter?
[14th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem intention-, from intendere (see intend ).][1]



intentional

intentional
in·ten·tion·al 
[in ténshən’l] adjective

1.  deliberate:
done on purpose, not by accident

2.  PHILOSOPHY involving
thoughts about objects: involving thoughts, for
example, beliefs or desires, about different kinds of objects, including those
that have no actual existence
—in·ten·tion·al·i·ty
[in tènshə nállətee], noun

—in·ten·tion·al·ly [in ténshən’lee], adverb[1]



inter-

inter-
inter-
prefix

1.  between,
among • interlinear
• interstate
• intercut

2.  mutual,
reciprocal • interchange

3.  involving
two or more groups • international
[Directly and via Old French entre
from Latin inter “between, among” (source of English internal and entrails
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning literally “more in.”][1]



inter.

inter.
inter.

Abbreviation of
intermediate[1]



inter

inter
in·ter 
[in túr] (past in·terred, past
participle in·terred, present participle in·ter·ring, 3rd
person present singular in·ters) transitive verb

bury
somebody:
to bury the body or ashes of a cremated body in a grave or tomb (formal)
[15th century. Via Old French
enterer, ultimately from in + Latin terra
“earth.”][1]



interabang

interabang
in·ter·a·bang 
[in térrə bàng] (plural in·ter·a·bangs)
noun

PRINTING
See interrobang[1]



interact

interact
in·ter·act 
[ìntər ákt] (past in·ter·act·ed,
past participle in·ter·act·ed, present participle in·ter·act·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·acts) intransitive verb

1.  act
on each other: to have an effect on something else or
one another

2.  communicate
or work together: to be or become involved in
communication, social activity, or work with somebody else or one another

[1]



interactant

interactant
in·ter·ac·tant
[ìntər áktənt] (plural in·ter·ac·tants)
noun

somebody or something that
interacts: somebody or something that
interacts in some way (formal)[1]



interaction

interaction
in·ter·ac·tion 
[ìntər ákshən] (plural in·ter·ac·tions)
noun

1.  communication
or collaboration: communication between or joint activity
involving two or more people

2.  reciprocal
action:
the combined or reciprocal action of two or more things that have an effect on
each other and work together

3.  PHYSICS force
between elementary particles: any of the four fundamental
forces acting between elementary particles, namely gravitational, electromagnetic,
strong, and weak.
Also
called
fundamental interaction
—in·ter·ac·tion·al, adjective[1]



interactionism

interactionism
in·ter·ac·tion·ism
[ìntər ákshə nìzzəm] noun

PHILOSOPHY
theory that mind and body interact:
in Western metaphysics, the theory that the mind and the body act on each other[1]



interactive

interactive
in·ter·ac·tive 
[ìntər áktiv] adjective

1.  communicating
or collaborating: involving the communication or
collaboration of people or things

2.  COMPUTING with
user-machine communication: allowing or involving the
exchange of information or instructions between a person and a machine such as
a computer or a television

3.  COMPUTING operator-controlled:
operating on instructions entered by somebody at a keyboard or other input
device
—in·ter·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ter·ac·tiv·i·ty [ìntər aktívvitee], noun[1]



interagency

interagency
in·ter·a·gen·cy 
[ìntər áyjənsee] adjective

of two or more agencies:
involving two or more agencies, especially government agencies • an
interagency initiative[1]



interalia

interalia
in·ter
a·li·a 
[ìntər áylee ə, ìntər
lee ə] adverb

among
other things: among other things (formal) • budget
funds for two new schools inter alia
[From Latin][1]



interalios

interalios
in·ter
a·li·os 
[ìntər lee ss, ìntər
áylee ss] adverb

among
other people: among other people (formal)
[From Latin][1]



interallied

interallied
in·ter·al·lied
[ìntər ə ld, ìntər
á ld] adjective

involving allies:
involving the combined or mutual action of allies, especially in a war[1]



inter-American

inter-American
in·ter-A·mer·i·can
adjective

between Americas:
involving two or more countries of North, Central, or South America[1]



interbank

interbank
in·ter·bank 
[ìntər bángk] adjective

between banks:
between, connecting, or involving two or more banks[1]



interbreed

interbreed
in·ter·breed 
[ìntər brd] (past in·ter·bred
[ìntər bréd], past participle in·ter·bred,
present participle in·ter·breed·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·ter·breeds) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  breed
with other groups: to produce offspring by
mating with a member of a different breed or species, or to mate an animal of
one species or variety with one of another

2.  breed
within a narrow group: to breed or make something
breed within a closed population or narrow range of types

[1]



intercalary

intercalary
in·ter·ca·lar·y 
[in túrkə lèrree, ìntər
kállərree] adjective

1.  inserted
into the calendar: added to the calendar year
to keep calendar years concurrent with solar years. In the Gregorian calendar
February 29 is an intercalary day in leap years.

2.  indicating
a year with addition: used to describe a year to
which an intercalary day or month has been added. A leap year is an intercalary
year.

3.  inserted
or introduced: put into something else, or inserted
between other parts (formal)

4.  BOTANY growing
in internode: used to describe a meristem that grows
in the internode of a stem
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin intercalarius from intercalare (see intercalate ).][1]



intercalate

intercalate
in·ter·ca·late 
[in túrkə làyt] (past in·ter·ca·lat·ed,
past participle in·ter·ca·lat·ed, present participle in·ter·ca·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·ca·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
insert
extra time into the calendar: to insert an extra day or
month into a calendar year to keep it consistent with the solar year

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb insert
or introduce: to place something into something else,
inserting it between other elements, or to be placed between other elements (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin intercalat-, from intercalare, from calare
“to proclaim.”]
—in·ter·ca·la·tion
[in tùrkə láysh’n], noun

—in·ter·ca·la·tive [in túrkə làytiv], adjective[1]



intercede

intercede
in·ter·cede 
[ìntər sd] (past in·ter·ced·ed,
past participle in·ter·ced·ed, present participle in·ter·ced·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·cedes) intransitive verb

1.  plead
for somebody: to plead with somebody in authority on
behalf of somebody else, especially somebody who is to be punished for
something

2.  speak
for somebody: to speak in support of somebody involved
in a dispute

3.  mediate
in a dispute: to attempt to settle a dispute between
others
[Late
16th century. Via Latin intercedere from cedere “to give way”
(see cede ).]
—in·ter·ced·er, noun[1]



intercellular

intercellular
in·ter·cel·lu·lar 
[ìntər séllyələr] adjective

BIOLOGY
between cells:
existing between cells • an
intercellular substance[1]



intercept

intercept
in·ter·cept 
verb [ìntər sépt] (past in·ter·cept·ed,
past participle in·ter·cept·ed, present participle in·ter·cept·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·cepts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrupt
progress:
to prevent people or objects from reaching their destination or target by
stopping, diverting, or seizing them • the
contraband was intercepted by police at the dock

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS get
the ball:
in sports, to gain possession of a ball intended for an opponent

3.  transitive
verb
GEOMETRY mark
extent:
to include part of a curve, surface, or solid between two points or lines
noun
[íntər sèpt] (plural in·ter·cepts)

1.  MATHEMATICS distance
between the origin and axis crossing: the
distance from the origin of a coordinate system to the point where a curve or
surface crosses an axis

2.  act
of intercepting: the intercepting of something,
especially a radio transmission, a missile, or an aircraft

3.  ASTRONOMY difference
between calculated and observed altitude: the
difference between the calculated and observed altitude of a celestial object
[15th
century. From Latin intercept-, formed from intercipere, from capere
“to seize.”]
—in·ter·cep·tive, adjective[1]



intercepter

intercepter
in·ter·cept·er 
[ìntər séptər] (plural in·ter·cept·ers)
noun

See
interceptor[1]



interception

interception
in·ter·cep·tion 
[ìntər sépshən] (plural in·ter·cep·tions)
noun

1.  intercepting
somebody or something: the act or an instance of
intercepting somebody or something

2.  something
intercepted: something intercepted, especially a
passed ball that is intercepted by an opponent while it is in the air

[1]



interceptor

interceptor
in·ter·cep·tor
[ìntər séptər] (plural in·ter·cep·tors)
or in·ter·cept·er [ìntər séptər]
(plural in·ter·cepters) noun

1.  AIR FORCE fast
fighter plane: a fast, very maneuverable fighter plane
designed to intercept enemy aircraft

2.  ARMS guided
missile:
a guided missile designed to intercept enemy missiles or spacecraft

3.  one
that intercepts: somebody or something that intercepts

[1]



intercession

intercession
in·ter·ces·sion 
[ìntər sésh’n] (plural in·ter·ces·sions)
noun

1.  interceding:
the action of pleading on somebody’s behalf

2.  trying
to resolve conflict: the action of attempting to
settle a dispute

3.  prayer
or petition: prayer to God, a god, or a saint on
behalf of somebody or something
[15th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem intercession-, from intercedere
(see intercede ).]
—in·ter·ces·sion·al,
adjective

—in·ter·ces·sor,
noun

—in·ter·ces·so·ri·al
[ìntərsə sáwree əl], adjective

—in·ter·ces·so·ry [ìntər séssəree], adjective[1]



interchange

interchange
in·ter·change 
[ìntər cháynj] verb (past in·ter·changed,
past participle in·ter·changed, present participle in·ter·chang·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·chang·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb switch
or swap places: to put each of two things in the place
of the other or to change places with something else

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb alternate
or follow each other: to arrange things
alternately in a series or to be arranged in this way

3.  transitive
verb
exchange
things:
to give something to somebody and receive a similar thing from the same person
in return
noun
(plural in·ter·chang·es)

1.  exchange
of things:
an exchange of things, especially ideas, opinions, or information, among people

2.  alternation:
the action of alternating or changing places

3.  TRANSPORT road
intersection: a major road junction where vehicles
can, by means of access roads, bridges, and underpasses, change from one road
to another without stopping or crossing other traffic

4.  TRANSPORT place
where passengers change transportation: a
place where passengers can change from one train or bus to another or between
trains and buses
[14th
century. Via Old French entrechangier .]
—in·ter·change·a·bil·i·ty
[ìntər cháynjə bíllətee], noun

—in·ter·change·a·ble
[ìntər cháynjəb’l], adjective

—in·ter·change·a·bly
[ìntər cháynjəblee], adverb

—in·ter·chang·er [ìntər cháynjər], noun[1]



intercity

intercity
in·ter·cit·y 
[ìntər síttee] adjective

between cities:
involving, connecting, or occurring between two or more cities[1]



intercoastal

intercoastal
in·ter·coast·al 
[ìntər kṓst’l] adjective

between coasts:
connecting or occurring between ports on different coasts or two or more
coastlines[1]



intercollegiate

intercollegiate
in·ter·col·le·giate 
[ìntər kə ljee ət] adjective

between colleges:
involving or occurring between the members of two or more colleges or
universities • intercollegiate
sports[1]



intercolumniation

intercolumniation
in·ter·co·lum·ni·a·tion 
[ìntər kə lumnee áysh’n] noun

spacing of columns:
a system used to space columns in a colonnade, based on the use of their
diameters as a measurement[1]



intercom

intercom
in·ter·com 
[íntər kòm] (plural in·ter·coms)
noun

internal
communication system: a system or device for
transmitting sound from one part of a building, aircraft, or ship to another
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of intercommunication system .][1]



intercommunal

intercommunal
in·ter·com·mu·nal 
[ìntər kə myn’l] adjective

between two or more
communities: existing or occurring
between the members of two or more communities[1]



intercommunicate

intercommunicate
in·ter·com·mu·ni·cate 
[ìntər kə myni kàyt] (past in·ter·com·mu·ni·cat·ed,
past participle in·ter·com·mu·ni·cat·ed, present participle
in·ter·com·mu·ni·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular in·ter·com·mu·ni·cates)
intransitive verb

1.  talk
to each other: to communicate with each other

2.  allow
passage from one to another: to be connected to something
else or each other, especially to another room by means of a door in the
dividing wall • intercommunicating
hotel rooms
—in·ter·com·mu·ni·ca·tion
[ìntər kə myooni káysh’n], noun

—in·ter·com·mu·ni·ca·tive
[ìntər kə myni kàytiv], adjective

—in·ter·com·mu·ni·ca·tor
[ìntər kə myni kàytər], noun[1]



intercommunion

intercommunion
in·ter·com·mun·ion 
[ìntər kə mynyən] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY agreement
allowing joint Communion: an arrangement between
different Christian denominations enabling members to receive the Communion at
each other’s services

2.  close
association: a close association or relationship
between people or groups, especially one that involves mutual participation or
action

[1]



interconnect

interconnect
in·ter·con·nect 
[ìntər kə nékt] (past in·ter·con·nect·ed,
past participle in·ter·con·nect·ed, present participle in·ter·con·nect·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·con·nects) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  join
onto one another: to be joined to something else or to a
number of joined things, or to make something part of such a network (often
passive) • the
rooms are interconnected to form a suite

2.  relate
things:
to show a relationship between two or more things, or to be related
—in·ter·con·nect·i·ble,
adjective

—in·ter·con·nec·tion, noun[1]



interconnective

interconnective
in·ter·con·nec·tive
[ìntər kə néktiv] adjective

mutually
connecting:
connecting or capable of connecting with something else or with each other
—in·ter·con·nec·tiv·i·ty
[ìntər kə nék tívvətee], noun[1]



intercontinental

intercontinental
in·ter·con·ti·nen·tal 
[ìntər kontə nént’l] adjective

1.  between
continents:
involving or occurring between two or more continents

2.  going
to another continent: going from one continent to
another

[1]



intercontinentalballistic missile

intercontinentalballistic missile
in·ter·con·ti·nen·tal
bal·lis·tic mis·sile (plural in·ter·con·ti·nen·tal
bal·lis·tic mis·siles) noun

long-range missile:
a ballistic missile with a range of about 3,000 to 8,000 nautical miles[1]



interconversion

interconversion
in·ter·con·ver·sion 
[ìntərkən vúrzh’n] noun

changing
into each other: the conversion of two or more things,
for example, chemicals, into one another
—in·ter·con·vert,
transitive verb

—in·ter·con·vert·i·bil·i·ty
[ìntərkən vurtə bíllətee], noun

—in·ter·con·vert·i·ble
[ìntərkən vúrtəb’l], adjective[1]



intercooler

intercooler
in·ter·cool·er 
[íntər klər] (plural in·ter·cool·ers)
noun

device for cooling fluids:
a heat exchanger that cools a fluid between successive stages of compression or
chemical reaction[1]



intercostal

intercostal
in·ter·cos·tal 
[ìntər kóst’l] adjective

between
the ribs:
situated or occurring between the ribs • an
intercostal nerve
[Late 16th century. Coined
from Latin costa “side, rib.”][1]



intercourse

intercourse
in·ter·course 
[íntər kàwrs] noun

1.  mutual
dealings:
communication or exchanges between people or groups, especially conversation or
social activity

2.  See
sexual intercourse
[15th century. Via Old French
entrecours “commerce,” from Latin intercursus, literally “running
between,” from currere “to run” (source of English courier, current,
and cursive ).][1]



intercrop

intercrop
in·ter·crop 
[ìntər króp] (past in·ter·cropped,
past participle in·ter·cropped, present participle in·ter·crop·ping,
3rd person present singular in·ter·crops, plural in·ter·crops)
intransitive and transitive verb

grow
different crops in alternate rows: to grow different
crops in the same field, usually in alternate rows, or to plant a crop between
the rows of another crop
—in·ter·crop, noun[1]



intercultural

intercultural
in·ter·cul·tur·al 
[ìntər kúlchərəl] adjective

between
different cultures: involving or occurring
between different cultures or between people with different cultural
backgrounds
—in·ter·cul·tur·al·ly,
adverb[1]



intercurrent

intercurrent
in·ter·cur·rent 
[ìntər kúr ənt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE occurring
during other disease: occurring during and
changing the course of an already existing disease • treating
an intercurrent infection

2.  simultaneous
or intervening: occurring at the same time as something
else or during the period between two other events (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin intercurrent-, from intercurrere,
literally “to run between,” from currere “to run.”]
—in·ter·cur·rence,
noun

—in·ter·cur·rent·ly, adverb[1]



intercut

intercut
in·ter·cut 
[ìntər kút] (past in·ter·cut, past
participle in·ter·cut, present participle in·ter·cut·ting,
3rd person present singular in·ter·cuts) transitive verb

alternate scenes:
to alternate scenes or shots of a movie or insert one scene into another during
the editing process, usually to show different events taking place at the same
time[1]



interdenominational

interdenominational
in·ter·de·nom·i·na·tion·al 
[ìntər di nommi náyshən’l, ìntər di nommi náyshnəl] adjective

involving different religious
denominations: involving, occurring
between, or open to people from different religious groups[1]



interdental

interdental
in·ter·den·tal 
[ìntər dént’l] adjective

1.  DENTISTRY between
the teeth:
existing between or designed for use between the teeth

2.  PHONETICS with
the tongue between the teeth: made by placing the tip of
the tongue between the teeth
noun

PHONETICS interdental
sound made with tongue between teeth: a
sound made by putting the tip of the tongue between the teeth
—in·ter·den·tal·ly, adverb[1]



interdepartmental

interdepartmental
in·ter·de·part·men·tal 
[ìntər dee paart mént’l] adjective

between
departments: involving or occurring between different
departments of the same organization or the people who work in them
—in·ter·de·part·men·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



interdependent

interdependent
in·ter·de·pend·ent 
[ìntər di péndənt] adjective

1.  depending
on each other: unable to exist or survive without each
other • interdependent
organisms

2.  with
mutually dependent elements: relying on mutual
assistance, support, cooperation, or interaction among constituent elements or
members
—in·ter·de·pend,
intransitive verb

—in·ter·de·pend·ence,
noun

—in·ter·de·pend·ent·ly,
adverb[1]



interdict

interdict
in·ter·dict 
noun [íntər dìkt] (plural in·ter·dicts)

1.  LAW prohibitive
order:
a court order that prohibits something

2.  CHRISTIANITY exclusion
from church sacraments: a ban imposed by a pope,
church council, or bishop that excludes a person, group, or nation from the
sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. In the past the interdict was used to
enforce obedience.
transitive
verb
[ìntər díkt] (past in·ter·dict·ed,
past participle in·ter·dict·ed, present participle in·ter·dict·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·dicts)

1.  LAW ban by
law:
to prohibit something or forbid somebody from doing something, especially in
accordance with civil or ecclesiastical law

2.  LAW prevent
illegal entry: to prevent somebody or something from
entering a country illegally • Patrols
will be increased along the border to interdict smugglers.

3.  MILITARY prevent
enemy use:
to keep an enemy from using an area by troop movements or other means
[13th
century. Via Old French entredit from Latin interdictum, formed
from interdicere “to prohibit,” from dicere “to speak.”]
—in·ter·dic·tion
[ìntər díkshən], noun

—in·ter·dic·tor
[ìntər díktər], noun

—in·ter·dic·to·ry [ìntər díktəree], adjective[1]



interdigital

interdigital
in·ter·dig·i·tal
[ìntər díjjit’l] adjective

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING made
of parallel strips: in the form of two series of
parallel strips that fit together like the fingers of clasped hands

2.  ANATOMY between
the fingers or toes: between the fingers or toes
—in·ter·dig·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



interdigitate

interdigitate
in·ter·dig·i·tate
[ìntər díjji tàyt] (past in·ter·dig·i·tat·ed,
past participle in·ter·dig·i·tat·ed, present participle in·ter·dig·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·dig·i·tates) intransitive
and transitive verb

interlock
like fingers: to fit together like the fingers of
clasped hands or to place or hold objects together in such a pattern
—in·ter·dig·i·ta·tion
[ìntər dijjə táysh’n], noun[1]



interdisciplinary

interdisciplinary
in·ter·dis·ci·pli·nar·y 
[ìntər díssəplə nèrree] adjective

involving different subjects:
involving two or more academic subjects or fields of study[1]



interest

interest
in·ter·est 
[íntrəst] noun (plural in·ter·ests)

1.  curiosity
or concern:
a feeling of curiosity or concern about something that makes the attention turn
toward it • an
interest in art

2.  quality
that attracts attention: a power, quality, or aspect
of something that attracts attention, concern, or curiosity • it’s
of no interest to me

3.  enjoyable
thing:
something that somebody enjoys doing (often used in the plural) • My
leisure interests include sailing, music, reading, and walking.

4.  benefit
or advantage: the good, benefit, or advantage of
somebody or something • in the
interests of peace

5.  involvement:
somebody’s involvement with something that makes its progress or success
important to him or her • took a
personal interest in the progress of the project

6.  FINANCE borrowing
charge or payment for money use: a charge made for a
loan or credit facility, or a payment made by a bank or other financial
institution for the use of money deposited in an account

7.  COMMERCE share
in something: a legal right to claim a share in
something, especially in a business or property, or the business or property
itself

8.  connection:
a personal or commercial connection with something or somebody, especially when
this prevents somebody from being objective or impartial • had
to declare a conflict of interest
plural
noun
in·ter·ests

influential group:
a group of people in business or society who have the same aims or support the
same cause, especially a powerful or influential group
transitive
verb
(past in·ter·est·ed, past participle in·ter·est·ed,
present participle in·ter·est·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·ter·ests)

1.  get
somebody’s attention: to attract or hold
somebody’s attention or arouse somebody’s curiosity or concern • It
may interest you to know that the building used to be a mortuary.

2.  make
somebody want something: to make somebody want to
have or buy something, do something, or become involved with something • I
tried to interest him in helping with the preparations.
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin “it matters,” from interesse, literally “to be in the
middle,” from esse “to be.”][1]



interested

interested
in·ter·est·ed 
[íntrəstəd] adjective

1.  curious
or concerned: paying attention to something or
devoting time to something because of curiosity, concern, or enjoyment

2.  wanting
something:
involved or wanting to be involved in something • interested
parties can call the toll-free number

3.  affected
or involved: having a legal right or share in
something or a personal or commercial connection with something
—in·ter·est·ed·ly,
adverb

—in·ter·est·ed·ness, noun[1]



interestgroup

interestgroup
in·ter·est
group
(plural in·ter·est groups) noun

1.  group
with common purpose: a group of people who act or
work together in support of a cause

2.  people
with shared interest: a group of people who share
an interest in something such as a subject of study

[1]



interesting

interesting
in·ter·est·ing 
[íntrəsting] adjective

1.  arousing
curiosity or attention: arousing curiosity,
attracting or holding attention, or provoking thought

2.  not
boring:
enjoyable because of being varied, challenging, stimulating, or exciting
—in·ter·est·ing·ly, adverb[1]



interface

interface
in·ter·face 
[íntər fàyss] noun (plural in·ter·fac·es)

1.  common
boundary:
the surface, place, or point where two things touch each other or meet

2.  CHEMISTRY boundary
between things: a common boundary between objects or
different phases of a substance • an
oil-water interface

3.  point
of interaction: the place, situation, or way in which
two things or people act together or affect each other or the point of
connection between things

4.  COMPUTING boundary
across which data passes: a common boundary shared by
two devices, or by a person and a device, across which data or information
flows, for example, the screen of a computer

5.  COMPUTING linking
software:
software that links a computer with another device, or the set of commands,
messages, images, and other elements allowing communication between computer
and operator

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING linking
device:
an electronic device or circuit or other point of contact between two pieces of
equipment
intransitive
and transitive verb [íntər
fàyss, ìntər fáyss] (past in·ter·faced,
past participle in·ter·faced, present participle in·ter·fac·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·fac·es)

1.  have
or give common boundary: to touch or meet at a
surface, place, or point, or to make things join in this way

2.  interact:
to act together or affect each other or to make things or people interact

3.  COMPUT serve
as interface: to connect or serve as an interface for
two or more pieces of equipment
—in·ter·fa·cial
[ìntər fáysh’l], adjective

—in·ter·fa·cial·ly [ìntər fáyshəlee], adverb[1]



interfacing

interfacing
in·ter·fac·ing 
[íntər fàyssing] noun

stiffening fabric:
a fabric that is used to stiffen or support collars, cuffs, or other parts of a
garment[1]



interfaith

interfaith
in·ter·faith 
[ìntər fáyth] adjective

involving different faiths:
involving or occurring between people of different religious faiths[1]



interfere

interfere
in·ter·fere 
[ìntər fr] (past in·ter·fered,
past participle in·ter·fered, present participle in·ter·fer·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·feres) intransitive verb

1.  have
an undesirable effect: to delay, hinder, or
obstruct the natural or desired course of something • The
weather interfered with our plans.

2.  meddle
in others’ affairs: to participate in the
affairs of others, especially by offering unwanted or unhelpful advice or by
trying to resolve others’ disputes • It’s
not advisable to interfere in a private quarrel.

3.  COMMUNICATION cause
interference: to cause electronic interference

4.  SPORTS obstruct
illegally:
to obstruct, block, or hinder illegally an opponent in sport • a
15-yard penalty for interfering with the pass

5.  PHYSICS affect
displacement or amplitude: to act together to increase,
decrease, or cancel out displacement or amplitude

6.  EQUESTRIAN hit
a hoof against a leg: to hit one hoof against the
opposite hoof or leg while walking (refers to horses)
[15th
century. Via Old French s’entreferīr “to strike each other,” ultimately
from Latin ferire “to strike.”]
—in·ter·fer·er, noun[1]



interference

interference
in·ter·fer·ence 
[ìntər frəns] noun

1.  meddling
in others’ affairs: involvement in something
without any invitation or justification • he
deeply resented any interference in his private life

2.  hindrance:
hindrance or obstruction that prevents a natural or desired outcome

3.  SPORTS illegal
obstruction: the illegal blocking, hindering, or
obstruction of an opposing player in some sports

4.  FOOTBALL legal
blocking:
in football, the legal blocking of defensive players to protect and make way
for the player carrying the ball

5.  COMMUNICATION signal
that interferes: an unwanted signal that disrupts radio,
telephone, or television reception

6.  PHYSICS process
of wave interaction: a process in light-wave
transmission in which two or more waves are superimposed in such a way that
they produce higher peaks, lower troughs, or a new wave pattern
—in·ter·fer·en·tial
[ìntərfə rénshəl], adjective
run
interference

1.  FOOTBALL to carry out legal blocking
of defensive players to protect and make way for the player carrying the ball

2.  to
contribute help or support to somebody or something, especially by preventing
others from acting as a hindrance (informal)

[1]



interfering

interfering
in·ter·fer·ing
[ìntər fring] adjective

meddlesome:
deliberately becoming involved in other people’s affairs in a way that is not
needed and is unwelcome
—in·ter·fer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



interferometer

interferometer
in·ter·fe·rom·e·ter 
[ìntərfə rómmətər] (plural in·ter·fe·rom·e·ters)
noun

device
for determining wave properties: a device that uses an
interference pattern to determine wave frequency, length, or velocity
—in·ter·fer·o·met·ric
[ìntər feerə méttrik], adjective

—in·ter·fer·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[ìntər feerə méttrikəlee], adverb

—in·ter·fe·rom·e·try [ìntərfə rómmətree], noun[1]



interferon

interferon
in·ter·fer·on 
[ìntər f ròn] (plural in·ter·fer·ons)
noun

protein
produced against viral infection: a complex protein ( glycoprotein ) that is produced by cells in
response to a virus or bacterium and that inhibits virus development
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from interfere + -on
.][1]



interfertile

interfertile
in·ter·fer·tile 
[ìntər fúrt’l] adjective

able
to interbreed: able to interbreed with other species or
subspecies and produce viable offspring
—in·ter·fer·til·i·ty [ìntər fər tíllətee], noun[1]



interfile

interfile
in·ter·file
[ìntər fl] (past in·ter·filed,
past participle in·ter·filed, present participle in·ter·fil·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·files) transitive verb

file with others:
to put an item or items among similar items in a file[1]



interflow

interflow
in·ter·flow
[ìntər flṓ] (past in·ter·flowed,
past participle in·ter·flowed, present participle in·ter·flow·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·flows) intransitive verb

merge:
to merge into a single stream[1]



interfluent

interfluent
in·ter·flu·ent
[ìntər fl ənt] adjective

1.  flowing
together:
merging into a single stream

2.  flowing
between:
flowing between things or places
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
interfluent-, the present participle stem of interfluere “to flow
together,” from fluere “to flow.”][1]



interfluve

interfluve
in·ter·fluve 
[ìntər flv] (plural in·ter·fluves)
noun

1.  line
separating drainage areas: the ridge line separating
two drainage basins

2.  line
marking a divide in water flow: a line joining points
on one side of which water will flow to one river while on the other side water
will flow to another river
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from interfluvial .]
—in·ter·flu·vi·al, adjective[1]



interfold

interfold
in·ter·fold
[ìntər fṓld] (past in·ter·fold·ed,
past participle in·ter·fold·ed, present participle in·ter·fold·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·folds) transitive verb

fold together:
to fold two or more things together[1]



interfuse

interfuse
in·ter·fuse
[ìntər fyz] (past in·ter·fused,
past participle in·ter·fused, present participle in·ter·fus·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·fuses) intransitive and
transitive verb

intermingle:
to mingle, blend, or fuse thoroughly, or to mix two or more things in this way
[Late
16th century. From Latin interfus-, formed from interfundere,
literally “to pour together,” from fundere “to pour.”]
—in·ter·fu·sion, noun[1]



intergalactic

intergalactic
in·ter·ga·lac·tic 
[ìntərgə láktik] adjective

occurring
between galaxies: situated, happening, or moving between
galaxies, or involving two or more galaxies
—in·ter·ga·lac·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



intergenerational

intergenerational
in·ter·gen·er·a·tion·al 
[ìntər jennə ráyshən’l, ìntər jennə ráyshnəl] adjective

between different
generations: occurring between,
involving, or affecting people of two or more generations[1]



interglacial

interglacial
in·ter·gla·cial 
[ìntər gláysh’l] (plural in·ter·gla·cials)
noun

period
between ice ages: a period of warmer climate separating
two periods of glaciation and displaying a characteristic sequence of changes
in vegetation. The term is used especially for several such periods that
occurred during the Pleistocene epoch, lasting from 1.8 million to 10,000 years
ago.
See
also
interstadial
—in·ter·gla·cial, adjective[1]



intergovernmental

intergovernmental
in·ter·gov·ern·men·tal 
[ìntər guvvərn mént’l] adjective

between
two or more governments: involving representatives of
or concerning relations between two or more governments
—in·ter·gov·ern·men·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



intergrade

intergrade
in·ter·grade 
[ìntər gráyd] intransitive verb (past
in·ter·grad·ed, past participle in·ter·grad·ed, present
participle in·ter·grad·ing, 3rd person present singular in·ter·grades)

ZOOLOGY change
by stages:
to be transformed from one form to another through a series of stages or forms
that involve partial transitions
noun
(plural in·ter·grades)

1.  transitional
form:
a transitional form or stage

2.  GEOGRAPHY transitional
soil horizon: a transitional soil horizon between two
distinctive soils
—in·ter·gra·di·ent
[ìntər gráydee ənt], adjective

—in·ter·gra·da·tion [ìntərgrə dáysh’n], noun[1]



intergroup

intergroup
in·ter·group 
[íntər grp] adjective

between different groups:
involving members of two or more racial or social groups, or concerned with
relations between groups[1]



intergrowth

intergrowth
in·ter·growth
[íntər grth] (plural in·ter·growths)
noun

intermingled growth:
growth of one thing into or within another thing, or among other things, or the
result of such growth[1]



interim

interim
in·ter·im 
[íntərim] adjective

1.  having
temporary effect: serving as a temporary measure until
something more complete and permanent can be established

2.  POLITICS holding
temporary office: serving temporarily until a permanent
replacement can be elected or appointed
noun
(plural in·ter·ims)

intervening time:
a period of time between two occurrences or periods • in
the interim
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “meanwhile.”][1]



interionic

interionic
in·ter·i·on·ic 
[ìntər ī ónnik] adjective

involving two or more ions:
situated between or involving two or more ions[1]



interior

interior
in·te·ri·or 
[in tree ər] noun (plural in·te·ri·ors)

1.  inside
part:
the inside of something • the
interior of the church was dark

2.  inside
of a building or room: the inside of a building or
room considered especially with regard to its decoration and furnishing

3.  part
farthest in from the edge: the part of something that
is far or farthest from its edge, boundary, or surface, especially the part of
a country or continent that is remote or farthest from the coast

4.  picture
of the inside of a room: a painting or photograph of
the inside of a room

5.  inside
set or scene: a setting or actual location that
represents the inside of a building, or a scene filmed inside a building
adjective

1.  located
inside:
located or occurring inside something, or suitable for the inside of something

2.  central:
remote or farthest from the edge, boundary, or surface of something, especially
from the coast of a country or continent

3.  occurring
in the mind: taking place within somebody’s mind and
usually not expressed out loud
[15th
century. Directly or via French intérieur from Latin interior,
literally “more in the midst of,” from inter “between” (see inter- ).]
—in·te·ri·or·i·ty
[in tree áwritee], noun

—in·te·ri·or·ly [in tree ərlee], adverb[1]



Interior

Interior
In·te·ri·or 
noun

country’s
domestic affairs: in the United States and some other
countries, the domestic affairs of the nation, especially as opposed to its
foreign affairs
adjective

of domestic affairs:
relating to the domestic affairs of a country, especially as opposed to its
foreign affairs[1]



interiorangle

interiorangle

in·te·ri·or
an·gle
(plural in·te·ri·or an·gles) noun

1.  angle
inside a polygon: the angle formed between two adjacent
sides of a polygon and lying in its interior. The sum of the interior angles of
any polygon is equal to the number of its sides minus two and multiplied by
180º.

2.        angle
within intersecting lines: any of the
four angles formed in the area between two parallel lines by a third line that
intersects them ( transversal )[1]



interiordecoration

interiordecoration
in·te·ri·or
dec·o·ra·tion noun

1.  planning
of decoration: the art or process of planning the
decoration and furnishings of a room or building.
Also
called
interior design
U.K.
term
interior design

2.  decorations
and furnishings: the way that a room or building is
decorated and furnished

3.  wallpapering
and painting: the skill or trade of somebody who
specializes in wallpapering and painting interiors
—in·te·ri·or dec·o·ra·tor,
noun[1]



interiordesign

interiordesign
in·te·ri·or
de·sign
noun

See
interior decoration
—in·te·ri·or de·sign·er,
noun[1]



interiormonologue

interiormonologue
in·te·ri·or
mon·o·logue
(plural in·te·ri·or mon·o·logues) noun

expression of a character’s
thoughts: an extended passage in a
story or novel that expresses what a character is thinking and feeling.
See also
stream of consciousness
See also
soliloquy[1]



InteriorSalish

InteriorSalish
In·te·ri·or
Sa·lish 
(plural In·te·ri·or Sa·lish) noun

member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people who originally lived in parts of British Columbia,
northern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. Today a small
community of approximately 5,000 Interior Salish live on a reservation in
Montana.
Also
called
Flathead
—In·te·ri·or Sa·lish, adjective[1]



interior-sprung

interior-sprung
in·te·ri·or-sprung
adjective

U.K.
See innerspring[1]



interisland

interisland
in·ter·is·land 
[ìntər lənd] adjective

between
islands:
occurring between islands, or involving two or more islands
[Mid-19th century][1]



interj.

interj.
interj.

Abbreviation of
interjection[1]



interject

interject
in·ter·ject 
[ìntər jékt] (past in·ter·ject·ed,
past participle in·ter·ject·ed, present participle in·ter·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·jects) intransitive and
transitive verb

interrupt
with a comment: to say or insert something in a way that
interrupts what is being said or discussed
[Late
16th century. From Latin interject-, the past participle stem of interjicere
“to interpose,” literally “to throw between,” from jacere “to throw.”]
—in·ter·jec·tor,
noun

—in·ter·jec·to·ry, adjective[1]



interjection

interjection
in·ter·jec·tion 
[ìntər jékshən] (plural in·ter·jec·tions)
noun

1.  exclamation
expressing emotion: a sound, word, or phrase
that expresses a strong emotion such as pain or surprise but otherwise has no
meaning

2.  comment
made abruptly: something said loudly and abruptly or
inserted in a text, especially something that interrupts what is being said or
discussed
—in·ter·jec·tion·al,
adjective

—in·ter·jec·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



interkinesis

interkinesis
in·ter·ki·ne·sis 
[ìntər ki nssiss, ìntər
kī nssiss] noun

period between cell
divisions: the period of rest between
meiotic cell divisions, similar to the interphase stage in mitosis[1]



interlace

interlace

in·ter·lace 
[ìntər láyss] (past in·ter·laced,
past participle in·ter·laced, present participle in·ter·lac·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·lac·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb weave
together:
to join together or interweave, often in an intricate pattern, by crossing over
each other, or to cause two or more things to do this

2.  transitive
verb
break
up something with something else: to break up the flow
or relieve the monotony of something by occasionally inserting something
different such as jokes in a serious talk
[14th
century. From Old French entrelacier, literally “to lace together,” from
lacier “to lace.”]
—in·ter·lace·ment, noun[1]



interlaced

interlaced
in·ter·laced
[ìntərláyst] adjective

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING using
interlaced scanning: refreshing
the image on a monitor screen by scanning first all odd and then all even
numbered lines[1]



interlacedscanning

interlacedscanning
in·ter·laced
scan·ning
noun

screen imaging process:
a technique used in television and computer monitors in which high vertical
resolution is achieved by scanning all odd and then all even numbered lines[1]



interlanguage

interlanguage
in·ter·lan·guage 
[íntər làngwidj] noun

LANGUAGE
intermediary form of a language:
a form of language typically produced by learners of a second language or
foreign language, which combines elements of two or more languages[1]



interlard

interlard
in·ter·lard 
[ìntər lrd] (past in·ter·lard·ed,
past participle in·ter·lard·ed, present participle in·ter·lard·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·lards) transitive verb

insert
something different: to vary or interrupt speech
or writing by interspersing other contrasting words
[Mid-16th century. From
French entrelarder “to mix alternating layers of fat into lean meat,”
from larde “lard.”][1]



interlay

interlay
in·ter·lay
transitive verb [ìntər láy] (past
in·ter·laid [ìntər láyd], past
participle in·ter·laid, present participle in·ter·lay·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·lays)

put
something between something: to lay or layer something
between something else
noun
[íntər lày] (plural in·ter·lays)

inserted layer:
something laid between two surfaces[1]



interleaf

interleaf
in·ter·leaf 
[íntər lf] (plural in·ter·leaves
[íntər lvz]) noun

extra page:
an extra sheet or page, usually a blank one, inserted into a book[1]



interleave

interleave
in·ter·leave 
[ìntər lv] (past in·ter·leaved,
past participle in·ter·leaved, present participle in·ter·leav·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·leaves) transitive verb

add
extra pages to a book: to add extra sheets or
pages, usually blank ones, between the pages of a book, for example, to allow
for notes or to protect illustrations
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from inter- + leaf
.][1]



interleukin

interleukin
in·ter·leu·kin 
[íntər lkin] noun

chemical
in white blood cells: a chemical found in white
blood cells that stimulates them to fight infection
[Late 20th century. Coined
from inter- + leukocyte
+ -in .][1]



interleukin-1

interleukin-1
in·ter·leu·kin-1 
noun

type of interleukin:
an interleukin secreted by antigen-activated macrophages that stimulates the
production of other factors that activate the immune system[1]



interleukin-2

interleukin-2
in·ter·leu·kin-2 
noun

type of interleukin:
an interleukin that stimulates T-cells and is used in the treatment of cancer[1]



interlibraryloan

interlibraryloan
in·ter·li·brar·y
loan
[ìntər līb rerree ln] (plural in·ter·li·brar·y
loans) noun

1.  book-borrowing
system:
a system by which libraries and library users can borrow books from other
libraries

2.  borrowing
of a book:
a borrowing of a book through an interlibrary loan system

3.  book
borrowed:
a book borrowed through an interlibrary loan system

[1]



interline

interline1
in·ter·line1 [ìntər
ln] (past in·ter·lined, past participle in·ter·lined,
present participle in·ter·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·ter·lines) transitive verb

insert
words in a text: to write or print words between the
lines of writing or printing in a text or document
[15th
century. From medieval Latin interlineare, from Latin linea (see line 1 ).]
—in·ter·lin·e·a·tion [ìntər linnee áysh’n], noun[1]



interline

interline2
in·ter·line2 [ìntər
ln] (past in·ter·lined, past participle in·ter·lined,
present participle in·ter·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·ter·lines) transitive verb

add
extra lining to clothing: to put an extra lining,
usually of a stiffer material, between the fabric and the lining of a piece of
clothing
[15th century. Formed from inter- + line 2 .][1]



interlinear

interlinear
in·ter·lin·e·ar 
[ìntər línnee ər] or in·ter·lin·e·al
[ìntər línnee əl] adjective

1.  inserted
between lines: inserted between the lines of a text or
document

2.  having
alternating versions of text: written or printed with
different versions of the same text on alternate or succeeding lines
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin interlinearis from, ultimately, Latin linea
(see line 1 ).]
—in·ter·lin·e·ar·ly, adverb[1]



Interlingua

Interlingua
In·ter·lin·gua 
[ìntər líng gwə] noun

made-up
international language: a made-up language designed
to facilitate international communication, based on the common elements of
living Latinate languages
[Early 20th century. Coined
from inter- + Latin lingua “tongue,
language.”][1]



interlining

interlining
in·ter·lin·ing 
[íntər lning] (plural in·ter·lin·ings)
noun

extra lining:
an extra lining inserted between the fabric and lining of a piece of clothing
to provide extra thickness or warmth, or the fabric used for this[1]



interlink

interlink
in·ter·link 
[ìntər língk] (past in·ter·linked,
past participle in·ter·linked, present participle in·ter·link·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·links) intransitive and
transitive verb

connect in several ways:
to connect something with something else in several ways, or to be connected
together in several ways[1]



interlock

interlock
in·ter·lock 
[ìntər lók] intransitive and transitive
verb (past in·ter·locked, past participle in·ter·locked,
present participle in·ter·lock·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·ter·locks)

1.  fit
together closely: to fit or fasten two or more things
together closely and firmly, especially by means of parts that mesh, hook, or
dovetail together, or to be fitted together in this way

2.  operate
as a unit:
to connect together as parts in such a way that all must move or operate if one
does, or to be connected in this way
noun
[íntər lòk] (plural in·ter·locks)

1.  connecting
and coordinating device: a device or mechanism that
connects different parts or components of something such as a piece of
machinery in order to coordinate and synchronize their action

2.  close
connection:
a close connection by means of parts that fit or fasten together closely and
firmly

3.  TEXTILES tightly-knitted
fabric:
a fabric made with tightly-knitted stitches

4.  SEWING canvas
for needlepoint: a type of canvas used for needlepoint
that has the warp and weft threads knotted together to prevent movement

5.  COMPUTING computer
security device: a security device such as a password
system designed to prevent unauthorized use of a computer
adjective

TEXTILES tightly-knitted:
knitted with close, tight stitches

[1]



interlockingdirectorates

interlockingdirectorates
in·ter·lock·ing
di·rec·tor·ates plural noun

similar boards of directors:
boards of directors that have enough members in common to place the companies
that they oversee under the same control[1]



interlocutor

interlocutor
in·ter·loc·u·tor 
[ìntər lókyətər] (plural in·ter·loc·u·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
discussing:
somebody who takes part in a discussion or conversation

2.  minstrel
show performer: a performer in a minstrel show who acted
as the presenter and stood in the middle and bantered with the end men (formal)
[Early 16th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin interlocut-, the past participle stem of
interloqui “to interrupt,” literally “to speak between,” from loqui
(see loquacious ).][1]



interlocutory

interlocutory
in·ter·loc·u·to·ry 
[ìntər lókyə tàwree] adjective

1.  LAW issued
provisionally: issued provisionally during a lawsuit

2.  involving
discussion:
involving or characteristic of conversation or discussion (formal)

[1]



interloper

interloper
in·ter·lop·er 
[íntər lpər] (plural in·ter·lop·ers)
noun

1.  intruder:
somebody who enters a place or joins a group or gathering without any right to
do so

2.  somebody
who interferes: somebody who interferes in other
people’s affairs, especially selfishly
[Late 16th century. Modeled
on earlier landloper “vagabond,” from Middle Dutch landlooper,
literally “land-runner,” from land “land” + loopen “to run.” The
word originally meant “an unauthorized trader.”][1]



interlude

interlude
in·ter·lude 
[íntər ld] (plural in·ter·ludes)
noun

1.  intervening
period of time: a relatively short period of time
between two longer periods, during which something happens that is different
from what has happened before and what follows

2.  ARTS entertainment
during a performance break: a short play, piece of
music, or other entertainment performed during a break in the performance of a
long work.
Also
called
intermezzo
[14th century. From medieval
Latin interludium, literally “in-between-play” (because it was
originally performed between the acts of a long medieval mystery play), from
Latin ludus “play.”][1]



intermarriage

intermarriage
in·ter·mar·riage 
[ìntər mérrij] noun

1.  marriage
between different groups: marriage between members of
different religious, social, or racial groups, or an instance of this

2.  marriage
within a group: marriage between people who belong to
the same religious, social, or racial group, or an instance of this
[Early 17th century. The word
was used earlier in the general sense “marriage.”][1]



intermarry

intermarry
in·ter·mar·ry 
[ìntər mérree] (past in·ter·mar·ried,
past participle in·ter·mar·ried, present participle in·ter·mar·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·mar·ries) intransitive verb

1.  marry
member of another group: to marry a member of a
different religious, social, or racial group

2.  marry
within a group: to marry within a religious, social, or
racial group
[Early 17th century. The word
was used earlier in the general sense “to marry.”][1]



intermediary

intermediary
in·ter·me·di·ar·y 
[ìntər mdee èrree] noun (plural
in·ter·me·di·ar·ies)

1.  go-between:
somebody who goes from one person or group to another, carrying messages or
trying to bring about agreement.
Also
called
intermediate

2.  means
or medium:
something that functions as a means or medium for bringing something about
adjective

1.  mediating:
acting as a messenger or mediator between two or more people or groups

2.  lying
in between:
lying or occurring between two different forms, states, points, or extremes
[Late 18th century. Via
French intermédiaire from, ultimately, Latin intermedius (see intermediate 1 ).][1]



intermediate

intermediate2
in·ter·me·di·ate2 [ìntər
mdee àyt] (past in·ter·me·di·at·ed, past participle
in·ter·me·di·at·ed, present participle in·ter·me·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·me·di·ates) intransitive
verb

act
as go-between: to act as a go-between or mediator
between two or more people or groups
[Early
16th century. Formed from inter- + mediate .]
—in·ter·me·di·a·tion
[ìntər meedee áysh’n], noun

—in·ter·me·di·a·tor [ìntər mdee àytər], noun[1]



intermediate

intermediate1
in·ter·me·di·ate1  [ìntər
mdee ət] adjective

1.  being
in between:
lying or occurring between two different forms, states, points, or extremes • an
intermediate course

2.  GEOLOGY containing
between 55 percent and 66 percent silica: used
to describe an igneous rock with a silica content of between 55 percent and 66
percent
noun
(plural in·ter·me·di·ates)

1.  something
between two other things: something that lies or
occurs between two different forms, states, points, or extremes

2.  See
intermediary  noun 1

3.  CHEMISTRY chemical
for further reactions: a chemical compound that is
formed during a chemical reaction and is used in another reaction to obtain
another compound

4.  CHEMISTRY short-lived
chemical component: a molecule, ion, or free
radical that exists for a short time during a chemical reaction
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin intermediatus, from
Latin intermedius, from medius “middle.”]
—in·ter·me·di·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·ter·me·di·ate·ness,
noun[1]



intermediate-acting

intermediate-acting
in·ter·me·di·ate-act·ing
adjective

effective for a medium amount
of time: having a period of
therapeutic activity that is between that of long-acting and short-acting drugs[1]



intermediatebulk container

intermediatebulk container
in·ter·me·di·ate
bulk con·tain·er (plural in·ter·me·di·ate bulk
con·tain·ers) noun

portable container:
a portable container for transporting liquids or solids that holds 500 to 1,000
liters132 to 264 gallons or 500 to 1,500 kg1,100 to 3,300 lbs. It is
intermediate in size between a drum and a tanker load.[1]



intermediatefrequency

intermediatefrequency
in·ter·me·di·ate
fre·quen·cy
noun

frequency used in a receiver:
the frequency that an incoming signal is changed to in a heterodyne receiver
prior to amplification[1]



intermediatehost

intermediatehost
in·ter·me·di·ate
host
(plural in·ter·me·di·ate hosts) noun

host for an immature
parasite: an animal that is the host
for an immature parasite, which then moves on to a different host before
reproducing[1]



intermediate-levelwaste

intermediate-levelwaste
in·ter·me·di·ate-lev·el
waste
noun

radioactive waste:
radioactive waste from reactors and processing plants that is solidified, mixed
with concrete, and stored in drums. These drums are then placed for long-term
storage in waste repositories.[1]



intermediate-rangeballistic missile

intermediate-rangeballistic missile
in·ter·me·di·ate-range
bal·lis·tic mis·sile (plural in·ter·me·di·ate-range
bal·lis·tic mis·siles) noun

ballistic missile with medium
range: a ballistic missile that has
a range of 1,200 to 1,600 km/750 to 1,000 mi.
See also
intercontinental ballistic missile[1]



intermediateschool

intermediateschool
in·ter·me·di·ate
school
(plural in·ter·me·di·ate schools) noun

See
junior high See middle school[1]



intermediatevector boson

intermediatevector boson
in·ter·me·di·ate
vec·tor bo·son (plural in·ter·me·di·ate
vec·tor bo·sons) noun

elementary particle:
an elementary particle that transmits weak interactions between other
elementary particles. The three postulated intermediate vector bosons, the W +, W -, and Z 0 particles,
have all been observed.[1]



intermedin

intermedin
in·ter·me·din 
[ìntər md’n] noun

PHYSIOLOGY See melanocyte-stimulating hormone
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin (pars) intermedia “intermediate (part) (of the
pituitary)” (from Latin intermedius ) + -in
.][1]



interment

interment
in·ter·ment 
[in túrmənt] (plural in·ter·ments)
noun

burial:
the burial of a dead body or the ashes of a cremated body (formal)
[14th century. Formed from inter .][1]



intermesh

intermesh
in·ter·mesh
[ìntər mésh] (past in·ter·meshed,
past participle in·ter·meshed, present participle in·ter·mesh·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·mesh·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

mesh together:
to engage or mesh with one another, or to cause something such as the teeth of
gears to do so[1]



intermetallic

intermetallic
in·ter·me·tal·lic
[ìntərmə tállik] adjective

containing several metals:
consisting of two or more metals in specific proportions[1]



intermezzo

intermezzo
in·ter·mez·zo 
[ìntər mét s] (plural in·ter·mez·zos
or in·ter·mez·zi [ìntər métsee])
noun

1.  short
movement in a longer musical work: a short piece of music
that is performed between longer movements of an extended musical composition

2.  short
piece of music: a short musical composition, usually for
solo piano

3.  See
interlude  noun 2
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin intermedius “intermediate,” from medius
“middle.”][1]



interminable

interminable
in·ter·mi·na·ble 
[in túrminəb’l] adjective

seemingly
endless:
so long and boring or frustrating as to seem endless • interminable
delays
[14th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin interminabilis,
literally “unending,” from Latin terminare (see terminate
).]
—in·ter·mi·na·bil·i·ty
[in tùrmənə bíllətee], noun

—in·ter·mi·na·bly [in túrmənəblee], adverb[1]



intermingle

intermingle
in·ter·min·gle 
[ìntər míng g’l] (past in·ter·min·gled,
past participle in·ter·min·gled, present participle in·ter·min·gling,
3rd person present singular in·ter·min·gles) intransitive and
transitive verb

mix or become mixed:
to mix something together with something else, or to become mixed together • the
scents of jasmine and honeysuckle intermingled[1]



intermission

intermission
in·ter·mis·sion 
[ìntər mísh’n] (plural in·ter·mis·sions)
noun

1.  break
in performance: a break between parts of a musical or
theatrical performance or in the showing of a movie in a movie theater.
U.K.
term
interval  noun 3

2.  pause:
a pause in, or temporary discontinuation of, an activity
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem intermission-, from intermiss-,
the past participle stem of intermittere (see intermit
).][1]



intermit

intermit
in·ter·mit 
[ìntər mít] (past in·ter·mit·ted,
past participle in·ter·mit·ted, present participle in·ter·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular in·ter·mits) intransitive and
transitive verb (formal)

1.  discontinue:
to discontinue doing something temporarily, or to be discontinued temporarily

2.  pause:
to stop or cause something to stop for a short time or for short intervals
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin intermittere “to interrupt,” literally “to send
between,” from mittere (see mission
).]
—in·ter·mit·ter,
noun

—in·ter·mit·ting·ly, adverb[1]



intermittent

intermittent
in·ter·mit·tent 
[ìntər mítt’nt] adjective

irregular:
happening or coming from time to time
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin intermittere “to interrupt” (see intermit ).]
—in·ter·mit·tence,
noun

—in·ter·mit·tent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at periodic

[1]



intermittentclaudication

intermittentclaudication
in·ter·mit·tent
clau·di·ca·tion noun

cramping pain:
a cramping pain, induced by exercise and relieved by rest, that is caused by
inadequate blood supply to the affected muscles, usually the calves[1]



intermittentcurrent

intermittentcurrent
in·ter·mit·tent
cur·rent
(plural in·ter·mit·tent cur·rents) noun

interrupted current:
a unidirectional current that is interrupted periodically[1]



intermittentfever

intermittentfever
in·ter·mit·tent
fe·ver
(plural in·ter·mit·tent fe·vers) noun

recurring fever:
a fever that rises and falls and then returns, occurring in diseases such as
malaria[1]



intermix

intermix
in·ter·mix 
[ìntər míks] (past in·ter·mixed,
past participle in·ter·mixed, present participle in·ter·mix·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·mix·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

See
intermingle
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin intermixtus, the past participle of intermiscere,
literally “to mix together,” from miscere (see mixed
).]
—in·ter·mix·a·ble, adjective[1]



intermodal

intermodal
in·ter·mod·al
[ìntər mṓd’l] adjective

transportable
by various means: used to describe containers designed to
be transferred from one means of transport to another while in transit, for
example, from a train to a ship to a truck
noun
(plural in·ter·mod·als)

freight container:
a container for freight that can be transferred from one means of transport to
another during shipment without being unpacked[1]



intermodulation

intermodulation
in·ter·mod·u·la·tion
[ìntər mojjə láysh’n] noun

interaction affecting
amplitude: the undesired interaction of
electronic signals or complex wave components to produce waves with frequencies
equal to the sums and differences of integral multiples of the frequencies of
the signals[1]



intermolecular

intermolecular
in·ter·mo·lec·u·lar
[ìntərmə lékyələr] adjective

between
molecules:
occurring between molecules, or involving two or more molecules
—in·ter·mo·lec·u·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intermontane

intermontane
in·ter·mon·tane
[ìntər món tàyn] adjective

between
mountains:
used to describe basins lying between two mountain ranges, and often filling up
with sediment washed down from them
[Early 19th century. Formed
from inter- + montane
.][1]



intermural

intermural
in·ter·mu·ral 
[ìntər myrəl] adjective

involving
several schools: involving participants from two or more
educational institutions, athletic clubs, or other groups.
See
also
intramural
[Modeled on intramural][1]



intern

intern
in·tern 
[íntərn] or in·terne [íntərn] noun (plural in·terns)

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia junior hospital doctor:
a junior doctor at a hospital

2.  trainee:
somebody who works as a low-level assistant or trainee in an occupation in
order to gain practical experience
verb
(past in·terned, past participle in·terned, present
participle in·tern·ing, 3rd person present singular in·terns)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
as an intern: to work as an intern, especially in a
hospital

2.  transitive
verb
detain
somebody:
to detain somebody in confinement as being a security threat
[Mid-19th century. The noun
is via French interne ; the verb via interner, both ultimately
from Latin internus (see internal ).][1]



internal

internal
in·ter·nal 
[in túrn’l] adjective

1.  located
inside:
located within or affecting the inside of something, especially the inside of
the body • internal
organs

2.  intended
for use inside: effective when used or suitable for use
inside of something, especially the inside of the body

3.  self-contained
or self-generating: existing, evident in, or
arising from the nature, structure, or qualities that somebody or something has
• internal
cohesion

4.  occurring
within a country: originating, operating, or located
within a country’s borders • internal
affairs

5.  mental:
involving or existing within the mind or spirit • internal
conflict

6.  occurring
within an organization: working at or carried out
within an organization or institution • internal
e-mail
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French internel from medieval Latin internalis,
from Latin internus “inward, within,” from inter (see inter- ).]
—in·ter·nal·i·ty
[ìntər nállətee], noun

—in·ter·nal·ly
[in túrnəlee], adverb

—in·ter·nal·ness [in túrn’lnəss], noun[1]



internal-combustionengine

internal-combustionengine
in·ter·nal-com·bus·tion
en·gine 
(plural in·ter·nal-com·bus·tion en·gines) noun

fuel-burning engine:
an engine in which fuel is burned in combustion chambers within the engine
instead of in an external furnace and in which the energy released moves one or
more pistons[1]



internalenergy

internalenergy
in·ter·nal
en·er·gy
noun

total energy within a system:
the total kinetic energy of the atoms and molecules of a system plus the
potential energy of their mutual interaction. An increase in internal energy
manifests as a rise in temperature or a change in phase. Symbol U[1]



internalize

internalize
in·ter·nal·ize 
[in túrn’l z] (past in·ter·nal·ized,
past participle in·ter·nal·ized, present participle in·ter·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  adopt
others’ beliefs: to adopt the beliefs, values, and
attitudes of others, either consciously or unconsciously

2.  keep
a problem inside: to deal with an emotion or conflict by
thinking about it rather than expressing it openly
—in·ter·nal·i·za·tion
[in tùrn’li záysh’n], noun[1]



internalmedicine

internalmedicine
in·ter·nal
med·i·cine
noun

medicine dealing with
internal organs: the branch of medicine
concerned with the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases affecting
the internal organs, and with preventive medicine[1]



internalresistance

internalresistance
in·ter·nal
re·sis·tance noun

electrical resistance of a
cell or generator: the
resistance within a source of electric current such as a cell or generator[1]



internalrespiration

internalrespiration
in·ter·nal
res·pi·ra·tion noun

cell metabolism:
the metabolic use of oxygen by a cell to produce energy, resulting in the
release of carbon dioxide[1]



InternalRevenue Service

InternalRevenue Service
In·ter·nal
Rev·e·nue Ser·vice noun

U.S. tax agency:
the division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury responsible for the
collection of income, excise, and other taxes and the enforcement of the tax
laws[1]



internalrhyme

internalrhyme
in·ter·nal
rhyme
(plural in·ter·nal rhymes) noun

rhyme within a line:
a rhyme in which one of the rhyming words is within the line of poetry and the
other is at the end of the same line or within the next line[1]



internalsecretion

internalsecretion
in·ter·nal
se·cre·tion
(plural in·ter·nal se·cre·tions) noun

secretion absorbed into
blood: a secretion, especially a
hormone, that is absorbed into the blood directly after production[1]



internalwave

internalwave
in·ter·nal
wave
(plural in·ter·nal waves) noun

wave within water:
a waveform that develops below the surface of a body of water where two water
masses with different densities meet. An internal wave can develop in an
estuary where salt water lies underneath less dense river water.[1]



internat.

internat.
internat.

Abbreviation of
international[1]



International

International
In·ter·na·tion·al
(plural In·ter·na·tion·als) noun

left-wing organization:
any of four international Socialist, Communist, or Anarchist organizations
formed in 1864, 1889, 1919, and 1938 respectively[1]



international

international
in·ter·na·tion·al 
[ìntər náshən’l, ìntər
náshnəl] adjective

1.  involving
several countries: involving two or more
countries or their citizens

2.  crossing
national boundaries: extending beyond or across
national boundaries

3.  of
relations among nations: concerned with relations
between nations
noun
(plural in·ter·na·tion·als)

1.  international
organization: an organization that has offices or
branches in two or more countries

2.  member
of an international team: a member of a team
representing his or her country in an international event.
Also
called
internationalist
—in·ter·na·tion·al·i·ty
[ìntər nashə nállətee], noun

—in·ter·na·tion·al·ly
[ìntər náshən’lee, ìntər
náshnəlee], adverb[1]



InternationalAtomic Time

InternationalAtomic Time
In·ter·na·tion·al
A·tom·ic Time noun

time-measuring system:
a precisely determined system of measuring time in which a second is defined in
terms of atomic events that are known to a high degree of accuracy[1]



InternationalBank for Reconstruction and Development

InternationalBank for Reconstruction and Development
In·ter·na·tion·al
Bank for Re·con·struc·tion and De·vel·op·ment noun

See
World Bank[1]



InternationalBrigade

InternationalBrigade
In·ter·na·tion·al
Bri·gade
(plural In·ter·na·tion·al Bri·gades) noun

force of foreign soldiers in
Spain: any of seven mainly
Communist and Socialist forces of volunteers from many different countries that
fought on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War[1]



internationalcandle

internationalcandle
in·ter·na·tional
can·dle
(plural in·ter·na·tional can·dles) noun

measure of light:
a former unit of luminous intensity, now replaced by the candela[1]



InternationalCourt of Justice

InternationalCourt of Justice
In·ter·na·tion·al
Court of Jus·tice noun

UN judicial body:
the chief judicial body of the United Nations, empowered to resolve
international disputes between member nations who submit a case to the court.
Also called
World Court the[1]



InternationalCriminal Police Organization

InternationalCriminal Police Organization
In·ter·na·tion·al
Crim·i·nal Po·lice Or·ga·ni·za·tion noun

Full form of
Interpol[1]



InternationalDate Line

InternationalDate Line
In·ter·na·tion·al
Date Line
noun

line where the date changes:
an internationally agreed imaginary line running roughly along the 180º
meridian of longitude. To the east of the line the date is one day earlier than
to the west.
Also called
date line[1]



InternationalDevelopment Association

InternationalDevelopment Association
In·ter·na·tion·al
De·vel·op·ment As·so·ci·a·tion noun

UN loan agency:
a specialized agency of the United Nations that provides credit to nations on
easier terms than the World Bank[1]



Internationale

Internationale
In·ter·na·tion·ale
[ìntər nashə nál] noun

Socialist
song:
a revolutionary Socialist song written in France in 1871 and adopted as the
anthem of the First, Second, and Third Internationals. A Russian version was
the national anthem of the Soviet Union until 1944.
[Early 20th century. From
French (chanson) internationale “international (song).”][1]



InternationalFinance Corporation

InternationalFinance Corporation
In·ter·na·tion·al
Fi·nance Cor·po·ra·tion noun

UN financial agency:
a specialized agency of the United Nations that is affiliated with the World
Bank and promotes private enterprise in developing nations by providing risk
capital[1]



InternationalGothic

InternationalGothic
In·ter·na·tion·al
Goth·ic
noun

European painting style in
late 14thC: a style of painting and
other visual art that emerged in Europe with the increasing exchange of ideas
and techniques among European artists toward the end of the 14th century.
Also called
International Style[1]



InternationalGrandmaster

InternationalGrandmaster
In·ter·na·tion·al
Grand·mas·ter (plural In·ter·na·tion·al
Grand·mas·ters) noun

highest-ranked chess player:
a chess player who has achieved the highest ranking awarded to a participant in
international competitions[1]



internationalism

internationalism
in·ter·na·tion·al·ism 
[ìntər náshən’l ìzzəm, ìntər náshnə lìzzəm] noun

1.  cooperation
between countries: a policy or spirit of
cooperation and mutual understanding between countries

2.  interest
in other countries: a willingness and ability to
understand and respect the concerns, attitudes, and ways of life of other
countries

3.  international
character or quality: the international character
or quality of somebody or something

[1]



internationalist

internationalist
in·ter·na·tion·al·ist
[ìntər náshən’list, ìntər
náshnəlist] noun (plural in·ter·na·tion·al·ists)

1.  advocate
of international cooperation: somebody who favors greater
cooperation and understanding between countries

2.  somebody
interested in other countries: somebody who is
interested in other countries and understands and respects their peoples’
concerns, attitudes, and ways of life

3.  See
international  noun 2
adjective

favoring international cooperation:
favoring greater cooperation and understanding between countries

[1]



internationalize

internationalize
in·ter·na·tion·al·ize 
[ìntər náshən’l z, ìntər
náshnə lz] (past in·ter·na·tion·al·ized, past
participle in·ter·na·tion·al·ized, present participle in·ter·na·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·na·tion·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  make
something international: to make something
international in character, structure, or outlook

2.  put
something under international control: to
place something under the protection or control of several countries instead of
one country
—in·ter·na·tion·al·i·za·tion
[ìntər nash’nəli záysh’n, ìntər náshnəli záysh’n], noun[1]



internationallaw

internationallaw
in·ter·na·tion·al
law
noun

rules governing international
actions: the accepted rules that
govern countries in their relations with other countries.
Also called
law of nations[1]



InternationalMaster

InternationalMaster
In·ter·na·tion·al
Mas·ter
(plural In·ter·na·tion·al Mas·ters) noun

high-ranking chess player:
a chess player who has achieved a high ranking in international competitions
that is below that of an International Grandmaster[1]



InternationalMonetary Fund

InternationalMonetary Fund
In·ter·na·tion·al
Mon·e·tar·y Fund noun

UN financial agency:
a specialized agency of the United Nations that seeks to promote international
monetary cooperation and the stabilization of national currencies and help
nations resolve balance of payment problems[1]



InternationalMorse code

InternationalMorse code
In·ter·na·tion·al
Morse code
noun

form of Morse code:
the form of Morse code used internationally.
Also called
continental code[1]



InternationalPhonetic Alphabet

InternationalPhonetic Alphabet
In·ter·na·tion·al
Pho·net·ic Al·pha·bet noun

alphabet for recording speech
sounds: a system of letters and
marks, based for the most part on the letters of the Roman alphabet, that is
used internationally to represent the speech sounds of languages[1]



InternationalPractical Temperature Scale

InternationalPractical Temperature Scale
In·ter·na·tion·al
Prac·ti·cal Tem·per·a·ture Scale noun

temperature scale used in
science: a scientific temperature
scale, expressed in degrees Celsius, that has eleven fixed temperature
reference points, including the boiling point of oxygen and the freezing point
of gold[1]



internationalrelations

internationalrelations
in·ter·na·tion·al
re·la·tions
plural noun

relations
between countries: political and other dealings
between two or more countries
noun

study of relations between
countries: the branch of political
science that studies the relations between countries (takes a singular verb)[1]



InternationalStandards Organization

InternationalStandards Organization
In·ter·na·tion·al
Stan·dards Or·ga·ni·za·tion noun

organization setting
international standards: an
international organization established in 1947 to standardize such things as
units of measurement and the meanings of technical terms[1]



InternationalStyle

InternationalStyle
In·ter·na·tion·al
Style
noun

1.  See
International Gothic

2.  early
20thC architectural style: an early 20th-century
architectural style in the United States and Europe that favored the use of
simple geometric lines, spacious interiors, and materials such as steel and
reinforced concrete

[1]



InternationalSystem (of Units)

InternationalSystem (of Units)
In·ter·na·tion·al
Sys·tem (of U·nits) noun

system of measurements:
an internationally accepted system of units of measurement used for scientific
work. The basic units are the meter, kilogram, second, kelvin, mole, ampere,
and candela, these being the basic quantities of length, mass, time,
temperature, amount of substance, electric current, and luminous intensity.
Also called
Système International d’Unités[1]



internationalunit

internationalunit
in·ter·na·tion·al
u·nit
(plural in·ter·na·tion·al u·nits) noun

unit of drug measure:
an internationally agreed unit of the amount of a biologically active substance
such as a hormone or vitamin required to produce a specific response[1]



interne

interne
in·terne 
noun

See
intern[1]



internecine

internecine
in·ter·nec·ine 
[ìntər né sn, ìntər
n sn] adjective

1.  internal:
occurring within a group or organization

2.  mutually
destructive: damaging or injuring participants on
both sides of a conflict or struggle
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin internecinus “deadly,” from internecare “to
exterminate,” literally “to kill completely,” from necare “to kill,”
from nex “death” (source of English pernicious
).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  original meaning of internecine is
  “attended by great slaughter.” Its modern connotations of “conflict within a
  group,” which can be traced back to the 18th century (Samuel Johnson in his Dictionary
  ( 1755 ) defined it as “endeavoring mutual destruction”), arose from the
  standard interpretation of inter-
  as “among, between,” but in fact in the case of Latin internecinus it
  was being used simply to add emphasis.

[1]



internee

internee
in·tern·ee 
[ìntər n] (plural in·tern·ees)
noun

prisoner:
somebody who is confined in prison, a concentration camp, or other place,
especially during a war[1]



internesia

internesia
in·ter·ne·sia 
[ìntər neéə] noun

inability
to remember Internet information: an inability to
remember either the location or information contained in a Web site (informal)
[Combination of Internet + amnesia][1]



Internet

Internet
In·ter·net 
[íntər nèt] noun

global computer network:
a network that links computer networks all over the world by satellite and
telephone, connecting users with service networks such as e-mail and the World
Wide Web[1]



Internetprotocol

Internetprotocol
In·ter·net
pro·to·col
noun

data transmission standard:
the standard that controls the routing and structure of data transmitted over
the Internet[1]



Internetservice provider

Internetservice provider
In·ter·net
ser·vice pro·vid·er noun

business offering Internet
services: a business that provides
access to the Internet, usually for a monthly fee. Some large providers offer
users a wide range of news, information, and entertainment services.[1]



interneuron

interneuron
in·ter·neu·ron 
[ìntər n ròn] (plural in·ter·neu·rons)
noun

connecting
nerve cell:
a short nerve cell in the central nervous system that connects the nerve cells
in a reflex arc, for example, a sensory nerve to a motor nerve
—in·ter·neu·ro·nal [ìntər nrən’l, ìntər
n rṓn’l], adjective[1]



internist

internist
in·ter·nist 
[in túrnist] (plural in·ter·nists)
noun

specialist
in diseases affecting internal organs: a
doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and nonsurgical treatment
of diseases affecting the internal organs
[Early 20th century. Formed
from internal + -ist
.][1]



internment

internment
in·tern·ment 
[in túrnmənt] (plural in·tern·ments)
noun

imprisonment:
the confinement of somebody regarded as a security threat in a prison,
concentration camp, or other place, especially during a war[1]



internode

internode
in·ter·node 
[íntər nd] (plural in·ter·nodes)
noun

1.  BOTANY stem
section between two nodes: the part of a plant stem
between two nodes

2.  ANATOMY nerve
cell part:
the part of the axon of a nerve cell that lies between the nodes of Ranvier.
The internode is covered by the myelin sheath, which is absent at the nodes.
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin internodium, from nodus “knot.”]
—in·ter·nod·al [ìntər nṓd’l], adjective[1]



internos

internos
in·ter
nos 
[ìntər nṓss] adverb

between
ourselves:
between or among ourselves
[From Latin][1]



internship

internship
in·tern·ship 
[íntərn shìp] (plural in·tern·ships)
noun

intern’s position:
the position of an intern or a period of time working as one[1]



internuncial

internuncial
in·ter·nun·cial 
[ìntər núnshəl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY connecting:
used to describe nerve cells that connect one nerve cell to another

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
a papal internuncio: acting as or connected with
an internuncio of the Roman Catholic Church
—in·ter·nun·cial·ly, adverb[1]



internuncio

internuncio
in·ter·nun·ci·o 
[ìntər núnsee ] (plural in·ter·nun·ci·os)
noun

1.  papal
ambassador:
a diplomatic representative of the pope ranking below a nuncio

2.  go-between:
a messenger or go-between (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian internunzio from Latin internuntius, literally
“intermediate messenger,” from nuntius (see nuncio
).][1]



interoceanic

interoceanic
in·ter·o·ce·an·ic
[ìntər ōshee ánnik] adjective

between oceans:
occurring between or connecting two or more oceans[1]



interoffice

interoffice
in·ter·of·fice 
[ìntər óffiss] adjective

between offices:
occurring between offices or involving two or more offices in the same
organization • an
interoffice memo[1]



interp.

interp.
interp.

Abbreviation of
interpreter[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








interpellate

interpellate
in·ter·pel·late
[in túrpə làyt, ìntər
pé làyt] (past in·ter·pel·lat·ed, past participle in·ter·pel·lat·ed,
present participle in·ter·pel·lat·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·ter·pel·lates) transitive verb

interrupt
by asking a question: in European legislatures, to
interrupt a parliamentary debate by asking a question on some aspect of
government policy
[Late 19th century. From
Latin interpellare, literally “to thrust yourself between,” from -pellare
“to thrust yourself,” a variant of pellere “to push, drive” (see pulse 1 ).][1]



interpersonal

interpersonal
in·ter·per·son·al 
[ìntər púrsən’l] adjective

of
relationships between people: concerning or involving
relationships between people
—in·ter·per·son·al·ly,
adverb[1]



interphalangeal

interphalangeal
in·ter·pha·lan·ge·al
[ìntərfə lánjee əl] adjective

situated between the finger
or toe bones: situated between the
bones of the fingers or toes[1]



interphase

interphase
in·ter·phase 
[íntər fàyz] (plural in·ter·phas·es)
noun

part of a cell’s life cycle:
the period during which a cell is not actively dividing, when other activities
such as DNA synthesis take place[1]



interplanetary

interplanetary
in·ter·plan·e·tar·y 
[ìntər plánnə tèrree] adjective

between planets:
situated, happening, or moving between planets or involving two or more planets[1]



interplay

interplay
in·ter·play 
[íntər plày] noun

mutual effect:
the way in which two or more people or things repeatedly act on and react to
each other[1]



interplead

interplead
in·ter·plead 
[ìntər pld] (past in·ter·plead·ed
or in·ter·pled, past participle in·ter·plead·ed or
in·ter·pled [ìntər pléd], present
participle in·ter·plead·ing, 3rd person present singular in·ter·pleads)
intransitive verb

resolve
a dispute among claimants: to go to trial to resolve
which of several claimants has the right to claim money or property held by a
third party
[Mid-16th century. From
Anglo-Norman enterpleder, literally “to plead together,” from pleder
(see plead ).][1]



interpleader

interpleader
in·ter·plead·er 
[ìntər pldər] (plural in·ter·plead·ers)
noun

trial
to resolve claims: a trial to resolve which of
several claimants can sue for money or property held by a third party. The
third party institutes an interpleader to avoid several individual proceedings.
[Mid-16th century. From
Anglo-Norman enterpleder (see interplead
).][1]



Interpol

Interpol
In·ter·pol 
[íntər pàwl] noun

international police
organization: an association of
national police forces, established in 1923, that promotes cooperation and
mutual assistance in apprehending international criminals and criminals who
flee abroad to avoid justice. The headquarters of Interpol is in Paris. Full
form International Criminal Police Organization[1]



interpolate

interpolate
in·ter·po·late 
[in túrpə làyt] (past in·ter·po·lat·ed,
past participle in·ter·po·lat·ed, present participle in·ter·po·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·po·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
insert
something into something else: to add something,
often something unnecessary, between the existing elements or items of
something else

2.  transitive
verb
add
words to a text: to add a comment or extra words to a
written text, often altering or falsifying the meaning

3.  transitive
verb
alter
text:
to alter or deliberately falsify a text by adding a comment or extra words to
it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrupt
by saying something: to say something that
interrupts what somebody else is saying

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS estimate
the value of a mathematical function: to
estimate the value of a mathematical function that lies between known values,
often by means of a graph
[Early
17th century. From Latin interpolare, literally “to polish up.” The
underlying meaning is “to add new material so as make a book appear more
recent.”]
—in·ter·po·la·tion
[in tùrpə láysh’n], noun

—in·ter·po·la·tive
[in túrpə làytiv], adjective

—in·ter·po·la·tor [in túrpə làytər] (plural in·ter·po·la·tors),
noun[1]



interpose

interpose
in·ter·pose 
[ìntər pṓz] (past in·ter·posed,
past participle in·ter·posed, present participle in·ter·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·pos·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrupt
by saying something: to say something that
interrupts what somebody else is saying

2.  transitive
verb
place
between people or things: to place yourself or
something else between two people or things

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb intervene
with something: to intervene or interfere in a situation
such as a dispute
[Late
16th century. From French interposer, an alteration (influenced by poser
“to place”) of Latin interponere, literally “to place between,” from ponere
(see position ).]
—in·ter·pos·a·ble,
adjective

—in·ter·pos·al,
noun

—in·ter·pos·er,
noun

—in·ter·po·si·tion [ìntərpə zísh’n], noun[1]



interpret

interpret
in·ter·pret 
[in túrprət] (past in·ter·pret·ed,
past participle in·ter·pret·ed, present participle in·ter·pret·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·prets) verb

1.  transitive
verb
find
the meaning of something: to establish or explain the
meaning or significance of something

2.  transitive
verb
ascribe
a meaning to: to ascribe a particular meaning or
significance to something • I
interpreted his gesture as an invitation.

3.  transitive
verb
perform
something in particular way: to perform something such as
a play or piece of music in a way that conveys particular ideas or feelings
about it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb LANGUAGE translate something:
to translate what is said in one language into another so that speakers of
different languages can communicate

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING execute
a computer program: to convert instructions in a
computer program written in a high-level language into machine language and
execute them, one instruction at a time
[14th
century. Directly or via French interpréter from Latin interpretari
“to explain,” from interpret-, the stem of interpres “broker,
explainer, translator.”]
—in·ter·pret·a·ble,
adjective

—in·ter·pret·a·bil·i·ty
[in tùrprətə bíllətee], noun

—in·ter·pret·a·bly [in túrprətəblee], adverb[1]



interpretation

interpretation
in·ter·pre·ta·tion 
[in tùrprə táysh’n] (plural in·ter·pre·ta·tions)
noun

1.  establishment
of meaning:
an explanation or establishment of the meaning or significance of something

2.  ascription
of particular meaning: an ascription of a
particular meaning or significance to something

3.  performance
of something: the way in which an artistic work, for
example, a play or piece of music, is performed so as to convey a particular
understanding of the work

4.  translation:
the oral translation of what is said in one language into another, so that
speakers of different languages can communicate
—in·ter·pre·ta·tion·al,
adjective[1]



interpretative

interpretative
in·ter·pre·ta·tive 
adjective

See
interpretive[1]



interpreter

interpreter
in·ter·pret·er 
[in túrprətər] (plural in·ter·pret·ers)
noun

1.  translator:
somebody who translates orally what is said in one language into another
language, so that speakers of different languages can communicate

2.  performer
expressing particular ideas: somebody who performs
something such as a play or piece of music in a way that expresses particular
ideas or feelings about it

3.  COMPUTING program
executing instructions: a computer program that
translates the instructions in a program written in a high-level computer
language into machine language and executes them, processing one instruction at
a time
—in·ter·pre·ter·ship [in túrprətər shìp], noun[1]



interpretive

interpretive
in·ter·pre·tive 
[in túrprətiv] or in·ter·pre·ta·tive
[in túrprə tàytiv] adjective

relating
to interpretation: relating to, involving, or
providing an interpretation or explanation of something
—in·ter·pre·tive·ly, adverb[1]



interpretivecenter

interpretivecenter
in·ter·pre·tive
cen·ter
(plural in·ter·pre·tive cen·ters) noun

See
visitor center[1]



interprovincial

interprovincial
in·ter·pro·vin·cial
[ìntər prə vínshəl] adjective

between provinces:
occurring between provinces, or connecting or involving two or more provinces[1]



interpupillary

interpupillary
in·ter·pu·pil·lar·y 
[ìntər pyp’l èrree] adjective

between the pupils of the
eyes: between the pupils of the
eyes[1]



interquartilerange

interquartilerange
in·ter·quar·tile
range
[intər kwàwr tīl ráynj, intər kwàwrt’l ráynj] (plural in·ter·quar·tile
rang·es) noun

measure of dispersion of
values: a measure of the spread of a
group of values equal to the difference between the upper limit for the lower
quarter and the lower limit for the upper quarter[1]



interracial

interracial
in·ter·ra·cial 
[ìntər ráysh’l] adjective

between
different races: occurring between or involving different
races
—in·ter·ra·cial·ly, adverb[1]



interregional

interregional
in·ter·re·gion·al 
[ìntər rjən’l] adjective

between regions:
occurring between regions or involving two or more regions[1]



interregnum

interregnum
in·ter·reg·num 
[ìntər régnəm] (plural in·ter·reg·nums
or in·ter·reg·na [ìntər régnə])
noun

1.  time
between one reign and the next: the period of time
between the end of one reign or regime and the beginning of the next

2.  time
without government or control: a period of time
during which there is no government, control, or authority

3.  interruption:
a pause or gap in any continuous activity or series
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “period between kingships,” from regnum (see reign ). Originally the English word denoted the
“temporary authority in place between reigns.”]
—in·ter·reg·nal, adjective[1]



interrelate

interrelate
in·ter·re·late 
[ìntəri láyt] (past in·ter·re·lat·ed,
past participle in·ter·re·lat·ed, present participle in·ter·re·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·re·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

have
or bring into a relationship: to have a relationship in
which each person or thing depends on or is affected by the others, or to cause
persons or things to have such a relationship
—in·ter·re·la·tion,
noun

—in·ter·re·la·tion·ship,
noun[1]



interrenal

interrenal
in·ter·re·nal 
[ìntər rn’l] adjective

situated between the kidneys:
situated between or connecting the kidneys[1]



interrobang

interrobang
in·ter·ro·bang 
[in térrə bàng] (plural in·ter·ro·bangs)
or in·ter·a·bang [in térrə bàng]
(plural in·ter·a·bangs) noun

punctuation
indicating emphatic disbelief: a punctuation mark
used at the end of, or sometimes in place of, an utterance that is both
question and exclamation, especially to indicate an emphatic rhetorical
question or disbelief
[Mid-20th century. Blend of
interrogation mark and bang 1 (printers’ slang
for an exclamation point).][1]



interrog.

interrog.
interrog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
interrogate

2.  Abbreviation
of
interrogation

3.  Abbreviation
of
interrogative

[1]



interrogate

interrogate
in·ter·ro·gate 
[in térrə gàyt] (past in·ter·ro·gat·ed,
past participle in·ter·ro·gat·ed, present participle in·ter·ro·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·ro·gates) transitive verb

1.  question
somebody thoroughly: to question somebody
thoroughly, often in an aggressive or threatening manner and especially as part
of a formal investigation, for example, in a police station or courtroom

2.  COMPUTING request
a response from a computer part: to transmit a request
for information to a device or program with the expectation that an immediate
response will trigger further interaction
[15th
century. From Latin interrogare, literally “to ask in the presence of,”
from rogare (see rogation ).]
—in·ter·ro·ga·tee
[in tèrrə gay t], noun

—in·ter·ro·ga·tor [in térrə gàytər], noun[1]



interrogation

interrogation
in·ter·ro·ga·tion
[in tèrrə gáysh’n] (plural in·ter·ro·ga·tions)
noun

1.  thorough
questioning: the act or process of questioning
somebody closely, often in an aggressive manner, especially as part of an
official investigation or trial

2.  question:
a question (formal)

3.  COMPUTING transmission
of a signal to a computer: the transmission of a signal
to a device or program that triggers a response
—in·ter·ro·ga·tion·al,
adjective[1]



interrogationpoint

interrogationpoint
in·ter·ro·ga·tion
point
(plural in·ter·ro·ga·tion points) or in·ter·ro·ga·tion
mark (plural in·ter·ro·ga·tion marks) noun

See
question mark[1]



interrogative

interrogative
in·ter·rog·a·tive 
[ìntə róggətiv] adjective

1.  questioning:
questioning or seeming to question somebody or something

2.  GRAMMAR used
to ask a question: consisting of or used in
asking a question
noun
(plural in·ter·rog·a·tives) GRAMMAR

1.  word
used to ask a question: a word or particle that is
used to form a question, for example, “who,” “what,” or “where”

2.  form
of question: the form of a sentence that is used to
ask a question
—in·ter·rog·a·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



interrogatory

interrogatory
in·ter·rog·a·to·ry 
[ìntə róggə tàwree] adjective

asking a question:
asking a question, used to ask a question, or in the form of a question (formal)
noun
(plural in·ter·rog·a·to·ries)

1.  question:
a question or series of questions

2.  LAW formal
written question: a formal written question asked during a
legal proceeding and usually answered under oath
—in·ter·rog·a·to·ri·ly,
adverb[1]



interrogee

interrogee
in·ter·ro·gee 
[in tèrrə g, in
térrə gee] (plural in·ter·ro·gees) noun

somebody being interrogated:
somebody who is being subjected to interrogation[1]



interrupt

interrupt
in·ter·rupt 
[ìntə rúpt] verb (past in·ter·rupt·ed,
past participle in·ter·rupt·ed, present participle in·ter·rupt·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·rupts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb halt a
speaker or speaker’s utterance: to halt the flow of a
speaker or of a speaker’s utterance with a question or remark

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb disturb
somebody or somebody’s work: to disturb somebody who is
busy doing something, causing him or her to stop

3.  transitive
verb
cause
something to stop: to cause a break in the flow
of something or put a temporary stop to something

4.  transitive
verb
take
a break from: to discontinue doing something
temporarily

5.  transitive
verb
obstruct
a view:
to obstruct or block a view
noun
(plural in·ter·rupts) COMPUTING

1.  signal
to suspend operation: a signal to a computer
processor to suspend the operation it is currently doing in favor of the
operation that produced the interrupt signal

2.  interrupt
a signal circuit: the circuit that conveys an interrupt
signal
[14th
century. From Latin interrupt-, the past participle stem of interrumpere
“to break apart,” from rumpere (see rupture
).]
—in·ter·rupt·i·ble,
adjective

—in·ter·rup·tive,
adjective

—in·ter·rup·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ter·rupt·er, noun[1]



interruptedcadence

interruptedcadence
in·ter·rupt·ed
ca·dence
(plural in·ter·rupt·ed ca·denc·es) noun

MUSIC
cadence finishing on an unexpected chord:
a cadence that does not end with the expected chord of the tonic but moves from
the dominant to the more unstable submediant or subdominant[1]



interruptedscrew

interruptedscrew
in·ter·rupt·ed
screw
(plural in·ter·rupt·ed screws) noun

screw with a lengthwise slot:
a screw whose thread is broken in one or more places by a lengthwise slot that
enables a partial turn to lock or unlock the screw[1]



interruption

interruption
in·ter·rup·tion
[ìntə rúpshən] (plural in·ter·rup·tions)
noun

1.  something
that interrupts: the act of interrupting somebody, or
something that interrupts somebody who is saying or doing something

2.  break
in activity: a pause, break, or temporary halt in an
ongoing activity or process

[1]



interscholastic

interscholastic
in·ter·scho·las·tic 
[ìntər skə lástik] adjective

between
schools:
occurring between, involving, or representing two or more schools
—in·ter·scho·las·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



interse

interse
in·ter
se 
[ìntər sáy, ìntər
s] adverb adjective

between
themselves:
between or among themselves
[From Latin][1]



intersect

intersect
in·ter·sect 
[ìntər sékt] (past in·ter·sect·ed,
past participle in·ter·sect·ed, present participle in·ter·sect·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·sects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cross:
to cross something, or to cross each other

2.  transitive
verb
go
through something: to follow a path across or
through something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb overlap:
to overlap or have things in common with something or each other

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOMETRY MATHEMATICS
have
points in common: to overlap geometrically so that a point
or set of points is common to two or more figures
[Early 17th century. From
Latin intersect-, the past participle stem of intersecare,
literally “to cut between,” from secare (see section
).][1]



intersection

intersection
in·ter·sec·tion 
[ìntər sékshən] (plural in·ter·sec·tions)
noun

1.  act
of intersecting: the act or fact of intersecting

2.  crossroads:
a place where two roads or paths cross each other

3.  crossing
point:
the place or point where two things cross each other

4.  overlapping:
an overlapping between two things such as different personal interests or
political positions

5.  GEOMETRY common
point:
a point or set of points common to two or more intersecting geometric figures

6.  MATHEMATICS set
of common elements: a set that consists of all
of the elements common to two or more other sets, thus being the largest set
contained in all of the others
—in·ter·sec·tion·al, adjective[1]



interservice

interservice
in·ter·ser·vice
[ìntər súrviss] adjective

occurring among branches of
the armed forces: occurring among the
various branches of the armed forces[1]



intersession

intersession
in·ter·ses·sion 
[íntər sèsh’n] (plural in·ter·ses·sions)
noun

session
between semesters: a period of time, usually
about a month, between two college or university semesters or terms during
which students sometimes undertake special projects or attend special classes
—in·ter·ses·sion·al [ìntər séshən’l, ìntər
séshnəl], adjective[1]



intersex

intersex
in·ter·sex 
[íntər sèks] (plural in·ter·sex·es)
noun

organism with male and female
characteristics: an organism with
characteristics of both sexes[1]



intersexual

intersexual
in·ter·sex·u·al 
[ìntər sékshoo əl] adjective

1.  occurring
between males and females: occurring between males and
females or affecting their relations

2.  ZOOLOGY having
male and female characteristics: having characteristics
of both sexes
—in·ter·sex·u·al·ism,
noun

—in·ter·sex·u·al·i·ty
[ìntər sekshoo állitee], noun

—in·ter·sex·u·al·ly [ìntər sékshoo əlee], adverb[1]



interspace

interspace
in·ter·space 
noun [íntər spàyss] (plural in·ter·spac·es)

space or interval:
a space or interval of time between two things
transitive
verb
[ìntər spáyss] (past in·ter·spaced,
past participle in·ter·spaced, present participle in·ter·spac·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·spac·es)

1.  put
something between two things: to put something in the
spaces or gaps between things

2.  insert
spaces between: to put spaces or breaks between things
—in·ter·spa·tial
[ìntər spáysh’l], adjective

—in·ter·spa·tial·ly [ìntər spáysh’lee], adverb[1]



interspecific

interspecific
in·ter·spe·cif·ic 
[ìntər spə síffik] adjective

1.  created
from different species: created by crossing
different species

2.  MINERALS occurring
between different species: occurring between or
involving different species

[1]



intersperse

intersperse
in·ter·sperse 
[ìntər spúrs] (past in·ter·spersed,
past participle in·ter·spersed, present participle in·ter·spers·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·spers·es) transitive verb

1.  break
something’s continuity: to break up the continuity
or flow of something with something else

2.  put
here and there: to put or insert something here and
there among or in something else
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin interspers-, the past participle stem of interspergere,
literally “to scatter between,” from spargere “to scatter” (source also
of English disperse and sparse ).]
—in·ter·spers·ed·ly
[ìntər spúrsədlee], adverb

—in·ter·sper·sion [ìntər spúrzh’n, ìntər
spúrshən], noun[1]



interstadial

interstadial
in·ter·sta·di·al
[ìntər stáydee əl] (plural in·ter·sta·di·als)
adjective

of
a warmer period within an ice age: relating to a short
period of relatively warmer climate within an ice age
[Early 20th century. Coined
from inter- + Latin stadium “stage.”][1]



interstate

interstate
in·ter·state 
[íntər stàyt] adjective

occurring
between states: occurring between, connecting, or
involving two or more states
noun
(plural in·ter·states) in·ter·state In·ter·state

major highway between cities:
a limited-access road that forms part of the federally funded system of
highways connecting the major cities of the United States.
Also called
interstate highway[1]



interstation

interstation
in·ter·sta·tion
[ìntər stáysh’n] adjective

between stations:
occurring between or connecting stations[1]



interstellar

interstellar
in·ter·stel·lar 
[ìntər stéllər] adjective

occurring between stars:
situated, happening, or moving between stars, or involving two or more stars[1]



intersterile

intersterile
in·ter·ster·ile
[ìntər stérrəl] adjective

unable
to interbreed: not capable of interbreeding
—in·ter·ster·il·i·ty [ìntər stə ríllətee], noun[1]



interstice

interstice
in·ter·stice 
[in túrstiss] (plural in·ter·sti·ces)
noun

1.  small
space:
a small opening, crack, or gap between two things

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY a
space in a crystal lattice: a gap between neighboring
atoms in the lattice of a crystal

3.  ANATOMY space
in body tissue: a small space in a tissue or between
parts of the body
[15th century. Via French
from Latin interstitium, from intersistere, literally “to stand
still in the middle,” from sistere “to cause to stand,” from stare
(see stand ).][1]



interstitial

interstitial
in·ter·sti·tial 
[ìntər stísh’l] adjective

1.  MINERALS relating
to gaps:
forming, situated in, or relating to one or more small openings, gaps, or
cracks

2.  occurring
between other minerals: located in or creating a
space between other minerals

3.  CHEMISTRY of
a compound containing metals and nonmetals:
relating to a compound, for example, a carbide, in which ions or atoms of a
nonmetal occupy positions in a metal lattice. Interstitial compounds generally
have metallic characteristics.

4.  ANATOMY occurring
between tissues: lying between parts of an organ or
between groups of cells or tissues. The interstitial cells between mammalian
testicles are responsible for secreting male sex hormones.
noun

unsolicited advertisement on the
Internet:
an unsolicited page of advertisement on the World Wide Web that briefly
precedes a selected page
—in·ter·sti·tial·ly, adverb[1]



intertestamental

intertestamental
in·ter·tes·ta·men·tal
[ìntər testə mént’l] adjective

between Hebrew Scriptures and
the New Testament: during,
from, or relating to the period between the composition of the last books of
the Hebrew Scriptures, called Old Testament by Christians, and the first books
of the New Testament of the Bible[1]



intertextuality

intertextuality
in·ter·text·u·al·i·ty
[ìntər tekstyoo állətee] noun

relationship
between texts: the relationship that exists between
different texts, especially literary texts, or the reference in one text to
others
—in·ter·text·u·al
[ìntər tékstyoo əl], adjective

—in·ter·text·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



intertexture

intertexture
in·ter·tex·ture 
[ìntər tékschər] (plural in·ter·tex·tures)
noun

1.  interwoven
object or material: an object or material that
has been made by interweaving two or more things

2.  interweaving
or being interwoven: an act of interweaving two
or more things, or the fact of being interwoven
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin intertext-, the past participle stem of intertexere,
literally “to weave together,” from texere (see text
).][1]



intertidal

intertidal
in·ter·tid·al 
[ìntər td’l] adjective

occurring
between high-tide and low-tide marks:
occurring within or forming the area between high and low tide levels in a
coastal zone
—in·ter·tid·al·ly, adverb[1]



intertribal

intertribal
in·ter·tri·bal 
[ìntər trb’l] adjective

between
tribes:
occurring between tribes or involving two or more tribes
—in·ter·trib·al·ly, adverb[1]



intertrigo

intertrigo
in·ter·tri·go 
[ìntər trgō] noun

skin
rash:
the inflammation of two skin surfaces that are in constant contact. It is
caused by friction or sweat.
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin, “chafing of the skin,” from assumed interterere, literally “to
rub together,” from terere “to rub.”][1]



intertropical

intertropical
in·ter·trop·i·cal 
[ìntər tróppik’l] adjective

occurring in the tropics:
located or occurring between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer[1]



intertwine

intertwine
in·ter·twine 
[ìntər twn] (past in·ter·twined,
past participle in·ter·twined, present participle in·ter·twin·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·twines) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  twist
or be twisted together: to twist two or more things
together, or to be or become twisted together or with something else

2.  link
or become linked together: to link or involve something
with something else, or to become linked or involved with each other • Their
lives had intertwined.
—in·ter·twine·ment, noun[1]



intertwist

intertwist
in·ter·twist 
[ìntər twíst] (past in·ter·twist·ed,
past participle in·ter·twist·ed, present participle in·ter·twist·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·twists) intransitive and
transitive verb

See
intertwine  verb 1[1]



interunion

interunion
in·ter·un·ion
[ìntər ynyən] adjective

between unions:
occurring between or involving two or more unions, especially labor unions[1]



interurban

interurban
in·ter·ur·ban 
[ìntər úrbən] adjective

between cities:
occurring between, connecting, or involving two or more towns or cities[1]



interval

interval
in·ter·val 
[íntərvəl] (plural in·ter·vals)
noun

1.  intervening
period of time: a period of time between one event and
the next

2.  intervening
distance:
the distance between one thing and another

3.  U.K.

U.K.
term
intermission  noun 1

4.  MUSIC difference
in musical pitch: the musical distance between the pitches
of two notes

5.  MATHEMATICS all
numbers between two numbers: a set containing all the
real numbers or points between two specified real numbers or points, which are
called the endpoints. If the set includes the endpoints it is a closed
interval, and if it excludes the endpoints it is an open interval.
[14th
century. Via Old French entreval(e) from, ultimately, Latin intervallum,
literally “space between ramparts or palisades,” from vallum “rampart”
(source of English wall ).]
—in·ter·val·lic
[ìntər vállik], adjective
at
intervals

1.  at
different points in time

2.  at
various locations

[1]



intervale

intervale
in·ter·vale 
[íntərvəl] (plural in·ter·vales)
noun

low-lying
land:
in New England and the Maritime Provinces, a piece of low-lying land between
hills or along a river
[Mid-17th century. Blend of interval and vale
.][1]



intervalometer

intervalometer
in·ter·va·lom·e·ter
[ìntər və lómmətər] (plural in·ter·va·lom·e·ters)
noun

device
operating at regular intervals: a device that is
designed to activate a mechanism automatically and at regular intervals,
especially one that operates a camera shutter
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from interval + -meter
.][1]



intervaltraining

intervaltraining
in·ter·val
train·ing
noun

mixture of aerobic and
nonaerobic exercise: a method of
training, especially in athletics, that involves alternating between aerobic
and nonaerobic exercise in the same session.
Also called
fartlek[1]



intervene

intervene
in·ter·vene 
[ìntər vn] (past in·ter·vened,
past participle in·ter·vened, present participle in·ter·ven·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·venes) intransitive verb

1.  act
to produce change: to take some action or get
involved in something in order to change what is happening, especially to
prevent something undesirable • the
referee had to intervene to stop the fight

2.  happen
so as to impede: to occur and as a result stop or delay
something from happening

3.  elapse:
to elapse between one point in time and another • the
intervening years

4.  be
situated in between: to be located between two
things

5.  break
into a conversation: to break into a conversation
or discussion

6.  LAW enter
a lawsuit:
to enter a lawsuit as a third party in order to protect your own interests

7.  ECONOMICS act
to manipulate economic markets: to take economic
action that is designed to counter a trend in a market, especially in order to
stabilize a country’s currency
[Late 16th century. From
Latin intervenire, literally “to come between,” from venire (see venue ).][1]



intervenor

intervenor
in·ter·ven·or
[ìntər vnər] noun

third party in a lawsuit:
a party that enters a lawsuit as a third party in order to protect its
interests[1]



intervention

intervention
in·ter·ven·tion 
[ìntər vénshən] (plural in·ter·ven·tions)
noun

1.  action
affecting another’s affairs: an action undertaken in
order to change what is happening or might happen in another’s affairs,
especially in order to prevent something undesirable

2.  ECONOMICS market
manipulation: economic action that is designed to
counter a trend in a market, especially in order to stabilize a country’s
currency

[1]



interventionism

interventionism
in·ter·ven·tion·ism 
[ìntər vénshə nìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS involvement
in another country’s affairs: political interference or
military involvement by one country in the affairs of another

2.  ECONOMICS government
interference in economic matters: action by a government
to influence and improve the country’s economic situation or some aspect of it
—in·ter·ven·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



interventricular

interventricular
in·ter·ven·tric·u·lar
[ìntər ven tríkyələr] adjective

situated between heart
ventricles: situated or occurring
between the ventricles of the heart[1]



intervertebral

intervertebral
in·ter·ver·te·bral 
[ìntər vúrtəbrəl] adjective

situated
between vertebrae: situated or occurring
between the vertebrae of the backbone
—in·ter·ver·te·bral·ly,
adverb[1]



intervertebraldisk

intervertebraldisk
in·ter·ver·te·bral
disk
(plural in·ter·ver·te·bral disks) noun

cartilage between vertebrae:
one of the flexible plates of cartilage connecting adjacent vertebrae of the
backbone that impart flexibility and act as shock absorbers to protect the
spinal cord from impact, for example, when running[1]



interview

interview
in·ter·view 
[íntər vy] noun (plural in·ter·views)

1.  meeting
for asking questions: a meeting during which
somebody is asked questions, for example, by a prospective employer, a
journalist, or a researcher

2.  record
of an interview: a transcript, report on, or recording of
an interview

3.  somebody
in an interview: somebody who is invited to an interview
(informal)
verb
(past in·ter·viewed, past participle in·ter·viewed,
present participle in·ter·view·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·ter·views)

1.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody questions: to ask somebody a series of
questions in an interview

2.  intransitive
verb
perform
in an interview: to speak and answer in a particular way
in an interview • she always interviews
well
[Early
16th century. From obsolete French entrevue, from entrevoir,
literally “to see each other,” from voir “to see,” from Latin videre
(see visible ).]
—in·ter·view·a·ble, adjective[1]



interviewee

interviewee
in·ter·view·ee
[ìntər vyoo ] noun

somebody being interviewed:
somebody who is the subject of an interview[1]



interviewer

interviewer
in·ter·view·er
[íntər vy ər] noun

somebody conducting an
interview: somebody who conducts an
interview or interviews[1]



intervivos

intervivos
in·ter
vi·vos 
[ìntər v vss, ìntər
v vss] adverb adjective

LAW between
people who are living: from one living person to
another
[From Latin, literally
“between the living”][1]



intervocalic

intervocalic
in·ter·vo·cal·ic 
[ìntər vō kállik] adjective

occurring
between vowels: used to describe a speech sound
occurring or inserted between vowels, for example, between one word that ends
with a vowel and another word that starts with a vowel
—in·ter·vo·cal·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



interwar

interwar
in·ter·war
[ìntər wáwr] adjective

occurring between wars:
occurring between two wars, especially between World War I and World War II[1]



interweave

interweave
in·ter·weave 
[ìntər wv] (past in·ter·wove
[ìntər wṓv], past participle in·ter·woven
[ìntər wṓv’n], present participle in·ter·weav·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ter·weaves) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  weave
together:
to weave something into or with something else, or to be woven together, into,
or with something else

2.  combine:
to combine something with something else, or to be combined with something
—in·ter·weave·ment,
noun

—in·ter·weav·er, noun[1]



intestacy

intestacy
in·tes·ta·cy 
[in téstəsee] noun

lack of a legally valid will:
the condition of having died without having made a legally valid will[1]



intestate

intestate
in·tes·tate 
[in té stàyt, in
téstət] adjective

1.  leaving
no legally valid will: not having made a legally
valid will

2.  not
willed to somebody: not having been assigned to
somebody in a legally valid will
noun
(plural in·tes·tates)

somebody leaving no legally valid will:
somebody who has died without having made a legally valid will
[14th century. Directly or
via French intestat from Latin intestatus “not having made a
will,” from testari “to make a will.”][1]



intestinal

intestinal
in·tes·ti·nal 
[in téstən’l] adjective

1.  located
in the intestines: found in or affecting the
intestines

2.  the
intestines:
characteristic of, forming part of, or relating to the intestines
—in·tes·ti·nal·ly, adverb[1]



intestinalflora

intestinalflora
in·tes·ti·nal
flo·ra
plural noun

bacteria in a healthy
intestine: bacteria present in a
healthy intestine that complete digestion, synthesize vitamin K, and create an
acid environment that prevents infection by harmful bacteria[1]



intestinalfortitude

intestinalfortitude
in·tes·ti·nal
for·ti·tude
noun

guts:
courage and perseverance (humorous)[1]



intestine

intestine
in·tes·tine 
[in téstin] (plural in·tes·tines)
noun

digestive
tract:
that part of the digestive system between the stomach and the anus or cloaca
that digests and absorbs food. In mammals, the small intestine digests and
absorbs food from the stomach, and the large intestine then absorbs most of the
remaining water in the food. (often used in the plural)
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin intestinus “internal,” from intus
“within.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English endo- .][1]



inthrall

inthrall
in·thrall 
transitive verb

See
enthrall[1]



inthrone

inthrone
in·throne 
transitive verb

See
enthrone[1]



intifada

intifada
in·ti·fa·da 
[ìnti fdə] noun

Palestinian
uprising:
the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that started in 1987
in protest against the continued Israeli occupation
[Late 20th century. From
Arabic intifāḍa, literally “a shaking off.”][1]



intimacy

intimacy
in·ti·ma·cy 
[íntəməssee] (plural in·ti·ma·cies)
noun

1.  close
relationship: a close personal relationship

2.  quiet
atmosphere:
a quiet and private atmosphere

3.  detailed
knowledge:
a detailed knowledge resulting from a close or long association or study

4.  private
utterance or action: a private and personal
utterance or action

5.  sexual
act:
a sexual act or sexual intercourse (used euphemistically)

[1]



intimate

intimate1
in·ti·mate1 [íntəmət]
adjective

1.  close:
having, involving, or resulting from a close personal relationship

2.  cozy:
quiet and private or secluded, enabling people to feel relaxed with each other

3.  private
and personal: so private and personal as to be kept
secret or discussed only with a close friend or relative

4.  sexual:
involving or having a sexual relationship (used euphemistically)

5.  worn
next to the skin: intended to be worn next to the skin or
in a private setting

6.  thorough:
very great and detailed as a result of extensive study or close experience • an
intimate knowledge of the workings of government

7.  closely
connected:
very close because of the influence of one thing on another • the
intimate connection between power and corruption

8.  innermost:
relating to or involving the innermost nature of something
noun
(plural in·ti·mates)

close friend: a
close personal friend
[Early
17th century. From late Latin intimatus, the past participle of intimare
(see intimate 2 ).]
—in·ti·mate·ly,
adverb

—in·ti·mate·ness, noun[1]



intimate

intimate2
in·ti·mate2 [íntə
màyt] (past in·ti·mat·ed, past participle in·ti·mat·ed,
present participle in·ti·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·ti·mates) transitive verb

1.  hint
quietly:
to hint at something or let something be known in a quiet, indirect, or subtle
way

2.  announce:
to announce something formally (old)
[Early
16th century. From late Latin intimare “to make known,” from intimus
“innermost.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “in,” which is also the
ancestor of English in and inter- .]
—in·ti·mat·er, noun[1]



intimation

intimation
in·ti·ma·tion
[ìntə máysh’n] (plural in·ti·ma·tions)
noun

1.  hint:
a subtle hint or sign of something

2.  announcement:
a formal announcement of something

[1]



intime

intime
in·time 
[aN tm] adjective

quiet
and private: small, quiet, and private or secluded
[Early 17th century. Via
French, “intimate,” from Latin intimus “innermost” (see intimate 2 ).][1]



intimidate

intimidate
in·tim·i·date 
[intímmi dàyt] (past in·tim·i·dat·ed,
past participle in·tim·i·dat·ed, present participle in·tim·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tim·i·dates) transitive verb

1.  persuade
or dissuade by frightening: to persuade somebody to do
something or dissuade somebody from doing something by frightening him or her,
for example, by means of violence or blackmail

2.  daunt:
to create a feeling of fear, awe, or inadequacy in somebody
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin intimidare, literally “to put in fear,”
from Latin timidus “fearful.”]
—in·tim·i·da·tion
[in tìmmi dáysh’n], noun

—in·tim·i·da·to·ry [in tímmidə tàwree], adjective[1]



intinction

intinction
in·tinc·tion 
[in tíngkshən] noun

CHRISTIANITY dipping
into Communion wine: the act of dipping the
Communion bread into the wine so that the person taking Communion receives both
[Late 19th century. From the
late Latin stem intinction- from Latin intingere “to dip in,”
from tingere (see tinge ).][1]



intine

intine
in·tine 
[ín tn] (plural in·tines) noun

inner
wall of a pollen grain: the inner wall of a pollen
grain or spore
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin intimus “innermost” (see intimate 2 ), on the
model of “extine.”][1]



intl.

intl.
intl.

Abbreviation of
international[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








into

into
in·to 
[ín t] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating that somebody or something is or moves inside
something, either physically or figuratively • I
released the balloon into the air. • in
case you get into difficulties • I
decided to go into the army. • When
did you go into partnership with them? preposition

1.  indicates
movement:
moving or putting something from outside to the interior or inner part of
something • He
stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pencil.

2.  indicates
movement to the midst of: indicates that something or
somebody moves to the middle of something and becomes part of it or is
surrounded by it • He leapt into the
water.

3.  indicates
entry:
indicates entering a state, career, or period of time • She
decided to go into marketing. • He
went on working until he was well into his seventies.
• The
fire department burst into action.

4.  indicates
contact with: indicates coming up against something
accidentally • I
happened to bump into him last night quite by chance.

5.  indicates
change:
indicates becoming a new entity, shape, or form as a result of a change or
transformation • change water into wine
• The
caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

6.  indicates
result:
indicates a situation resulting from somebody’s persuasion • My
friends talked me into getting this haircut.

7.  ARITHMETIC indicates
dividend:
indicates the division of numbers • 9 into
63 equals 7.

8.  divided:
indicates that something is divided so that it becomes several smaller parts • She
divided the cake into six, and gave each of us a slice.

9.  enthusiastic
about:
indicates interest in or enthusiasm about something (informal) • I
was really into tennis that summer.
[Old English in(n)tō,
from in + to][1]



intolerable

intolerable
in·tol·er·a·ble 
[in tóllərəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to bear:
so bad, difficult, or painful that it cannot be endured • the
pain was intolerable

2.  very
unpleasant:
very unpleasant or annoying
—in·tol·er·a·bil·i·ty
[in tòllərə bíllətee], noun

—in·tol·er·a·bly [in tóllərəblee], adverb[1]



intolerant

intolerant
in·tol·er·ant 
[in tóllərənt] adjective

1.  easily
annoyed:
easily angered or annoyed when things do not go as expected or desired

2.  unaccepting
of differences: refusing to accept people who are
different or live differently, for example, people of different races or
religions

3.  unable
to tolerate something: not able to endure or
tolerate something
—in·tol·er·ance,
noun

—in·tol·er·ant·ly, adverb[1]



intonate

intonate
in·to·nate 
[íntə nàyt] (past in·to·nat·ed,
past participle in·to·nat·ed, present participle in·to·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·to·nates) transitive verb

1.  say
in particular way: to say something with a
particular tone of voice

2.  PHONETICS speak
with varying pitch: to speak with the rising and
falling pitch that is typical of ordinary speech

3.  PHONETICS pronounce
a consonant with voicing: to pronounce a consonant
with a vibration of the vocal cords, as English speakers do when they pronounce
the consonant “v” as opposed to the consonant “f”
[Late 18th century. From
medieval Latin intonat-, the past participle stem of intonare “to
intone” (see intone ).][1]



intonation

intonation
in·to·na·tion 
[ìntə náysh’n] (plural in·to·na·tions)
noun

1.  PHONETICS pitch
of the voice: the rising or falling pitch of the voice
when somebody says a word or syllable, or the rising and falling pattern of
speech generally

2.  intoning:
a saying or chanting of something in a solemn or serious way, or something said
or chanted in this way

3.  MUSIC accuracy
of pitch:
accuracy of pitch in performing music

4.  MUSIC beginning
of a Gregorian chant: the opening phrase of a
Gregorian chant, sung by a soloist or just a few members of the choir
—in·to·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



intonationcontour

intonationcontour
in·to·na·tion
con·tour
(plural in·to·na·tion con·tours) or in·to·na·tion
pat·tern (plural in·to·na·tion pat·terns) noun

LINGUISTICS
pattern of pitch in speech:
the pattern of rising and falling pitch in speech that helps to distinguish
between questions, statements, and other types of speech[1]



intone

intone
in·tone 
[in tṓn] (past in·toned, past
participle in·toned, present participle in·ton·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·tones) verb

1.  transitive
verb
say:
to say something, especially in a slow and serious or solemn way (formal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb chant
a prayer:
to recite a prayer or other religious words in a chanting monotone

3.  transitive
verb
MUSIC start
a Gregorian chant: to sing the opening phrase
of a Gregorian chant
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French entoner from medieval Latin intonare,
literally “(to sing) in tone,” from Latin tonus “tone” (see tone ).]
—in·tone·ment,
noun

—in·ton·er, noun[1]



intoto

intoto
in
to·to 
[in tṓtō] adverb

as
a whole:
in its entirety or as a whole • The
salary’s nothing special, but when you consider compensation in toto it’s quite
attractive.
[From Latin][1]



intoxicant

intoxicant
in·tox·i·cant 
[in tóksikənt] noun (plural in·tox·i·cants)

intoxicating
thing:
something that causes physical or psychological intoxication, for example, an
alcoholic beverage or great power
adjective

capable of intoxicating:
capable of making somebody intoxicated[1]



intoxicate

intoxicate
in·tox·i·cate 
[in tóksi kàyt] (past in·tox·i·cat·ed,
past participle in·tox·i·cat·ed, present participle in·tox·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tox·i·cates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
drunk or stupefied: to make somebody drunk with
alcohol or stupefied with drugs or other substances

2.  transitive
verb
excite:
to make somebody intensely excited or overjoyed, often so much so that the
person becomes irrational

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PATHOLOGY poison:
to poison somebody (technical)
[15th
century. From medieval Latin intoxicat-, the past participle stem of intoxicare
“to poison,” from Latin toxicum “poison” (see toxic
).]
—in·tox·i·ca·ble,
adjective

—in·tox·i·ca·tive,
adjective

—in·tox·i·ca·tion
[in tòksi káysh’n], noun

—in·tox·i·ca·tor [in tóksi kàytər], noun[1]



intoxicated

intoxicated
in·tox·i·cat·ed
[in tóksi kàytəd] adjective

1.  drunk:
drunk or stupefied (formal)

2.  excited:
intensely excited or overjoyed, often so much so that a person becomes foolish
or irrational
—in·tox·i·cat·ed·ly, adverb[1]



intoxicating

intoxicating
in·tox·i·cat·ing 
[in tóksi kàyting] adjective

1.  capable
of making somebody drunk: capable of making somebody
drunk or stupefied (formal)

2.  exciting:
capable of making somebody intensely excited or overjoyed, often so much so
that the person becomes irrational
—in·tox·i·cat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



intr.

intr.
intr.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of intransitive[1]



intra-

intra-
intra-
prefix

within
or inside • intranasal
[Directly or via modern Latin
“on the inside, within,” from late Latin, from Latin intra . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English enter and entero-
.][1]



intra-arterial

intra-arterial
in·tra-ar·te·ri·al 
adjective

in
or into an artery: within or introduced into an
artery or arteries
—in·tra-ar·te·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



intra-articular

intra-articular
in·tra-ar·tic·u·lar
adjective

within or into a joint:
within or introduced into a joint of the body[1]



intra-atomic

intra-atomic
in·tra-a·tom·ic 
adjective

within an atom:
existing or occurring within an atom or atoms, rather than between atoms[1]



intracardiac

intracardiac
in·tra·car·di·ac 
[ìntrə krdee àk] adjective

within
or into the heart: within or introduced into
the heart
—in·tra·car·di·al·ly [ìntrə krdee əlee], adverb[1]



intracellular

intracellular
in·tra·cel·lu·lar 
[ìntrə séllyələr] adjective

within
a cell:
within a cell or cells
—in·tra·cel·lu·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intracerebral

intracerebral
in·tra·cer·e·bral 
[ìntrə sə rbrəl, ìntrə
sérrəbrəl] adjective

within
the cerebrum: existing or taking place inside the main
part of the brain or cerebrum
—in·tra·cer·e·bral·ly,
adverb[1]



IntracoastalWaterway

IntracoastalWaterway
In·tra·coas·tal
Wa·ter·way 
[ìntrè kst’l wáwtər way]

a system of protected
waterways, including rivers, bays, coastal sounds, and canals, in the eastern
and southeastern United States, made up of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Length: 4,000 km/2,500 mi.[1]



intracompany

intracompany
in·tra·com·pany 
[ìntrə kúmpənee] adjective

within company:
within the same company or between employees or divisions of the same company[1]



intracranial

intracranial
in·tra·cra·ni·al 
[ìntrə kráynee əl] adjective

in
or into skull: within or introduced into the skull
—in·tra·cra·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



intractable

intractable
in·trac·ta·ble 
[in tráktəb’l] adjective

1.  strong-willed
and rebellious: resisting attempts to control, correct,
or influence (formal)

2.  difficult
to deal with: difficult to deal with or solve

3.  difficult
to manipulate: difficult to shape or manipulate
[15th
century. From Latin intractabilis, from tractabilis (see tractable ).]
—in·trac·ta·bil·i·ty
[in tràktə bíllətee], noun

—in·trac·ta·bly
[in tráktəblee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



intracutaneous

intracutaneous
in·tra·cu·ta·ne·ous 
[ìntrə kyoo táynee əss] adjective

See
intradermal
—in·tra·cu·ta·ne·ous·ly,
adverb[1]



intradermal

intradermal
in·tra·der·mal 
[ìntrə dúrm’l] or in·tra·der·mic
[ìntrə dúrmik] adjective

within
skin:
within or introduced between the layers of the skin
—in·tra·der·mal·ly, adverb[1]



intradermaltest

intradermaltest
in·tra·der·mal
test
(plural in·tra·der·mal tests) noun

allergy or immunity test:
a test for immunity or allergic sensitivity involving the injection of small
amounts of a test material into the skin through a fine needle. The development
of swelling or inflammation at the injection site indicates allergy to the
material injected.[1]



intradermic

intradermic
in·tra·der·mic
adjective

See
intradermal[1]



intrados

intrados
in·tra·dos 
[íntrə dòss, íntrə
dss, in tráy dòss, in tráy dss] (plural in·tra·dos or
in·tra·dos·es) noun

inner
curve of arch: the inner curve of an arch
[Late 18th century. From
French, from Latin intra “within” + French dos “back” (from Latin
dorsum ; see dorsal ).][1]



intragenic

intragenic
in·tra·gen·ic
[ìntrə jénnik] adjective

located within the same gene:
located or occurring within the same gene[1]



intralingual

intralingual
in·tra·lin·gual 
[ìntrə líng gwəl] adjective

occurring within one
language: occurring within a single
language[1]



intramolecular

intramolecular
in·tra·mo·lec·u·lar 
[ìntrə mə lékyələr] adjective

existing
within one molecule: existing or occurring within
a single molecule
—in·tra·mo·lec·u·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intramural

intramural
in·tra·mu·ral 
[ìntrə myrəl] adjective

1.  within
school or institution: occurring within or
involving members of a single school, college, or institution, instead of
members of or teams from various institutions

2.  ANATOMY within
wall tissue: within the tissue of the wall of a blood
vessel or another hollow body part

[1]



intramuscular

intramuscular
in·tra·mus·cu·lar 
[ìntrə múskyələr] adjective

in
muscle:
within or into the substance of a muscle
—in·tra·mus·cu·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intranasal

intranasal
in·tra·na·sal 
[ìntrə náyz’l] adjective

in
or into the nose: within or introduced into the nose
—in·tra·na·sal·ly, adverb[1]



intranet

intranet
in·tra·net
[íntrə nèt] noun

computer network within
organization: a network of computers,
especially one using World Wide Web conventions, that can be accessed only by
an authorized set of users, for example, those within a single company[1]



intrans.

intrans.
intrans.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of intransitive[1]



intransigence

intransigence
in·tran·si·gence
[in tránsəjəns, in
tránzəjəns] or in·tran·si·geance [in
tránsəjəns, in tránzəjəns] noun

refusal to compromise:
firm or unreasonable refusal even to consider changing a decision or attitude[1]



intransigent

intransigent
in·tran·si·gent 
[in tránsəjənt, in
tránzəjənt] or in·tran·si·geant [in
tránsəjənt, in tránzəjənt] adjective

refusing
to compromise: firmly or unreasonably refusing even to
consider changing a decision or attitude
noun
(plural in·tran·si·gents) (plural in·tran·si·geants)

unyielding
person:
somebody who firmly or unreasonably refuses to compromise or change an attitude
or decision, especially in politics (formal)
[Late
19th century. Via French from Spanish los intransigentes, extreme
political party (literally “the uncompromising ones”), ultimately from transigir
“to compromise,” from Latin transigere “to come to an agreement” (see transaction ).]
—in·tran·si·gent·ly, adverb[1]



intransitive

intransitive
in·tran·si·tive 
[in tránzətiv] adjective

GRAMMAR with
no direct object: without a direct object, for example,
the verb “die” in the sentence “He was slowly dying”
noun
(plural in·tran·si·tives)

GRAMMAR verb
without a direct object: a verb that does not take a
direct object
[Early
17th century. From late Latin intransitivus, literally “not passing
over,” from transitivus “transitive, passing over.”]
—in·tran·si·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·tran·si·tive·ness,
noun[1]



intranuclear

intranuclear
in·tra·nu·cle·ar 
[ìntrə nklee ər] adjective

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS within
atomic nucleus: existing or occurring within the nucleus
of an atom

2.  CELL BIOLOGY within
cell nucleus: existing or occurring within the nucleus
of a cell

[1]



intraocular

intraocular
in·tra·oc·u·lar 
[ìntrə ókyələr] adjective

inside
eyeball:
within or introduced into the inside of the eyeball
—in·tra·oc·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



intraperitoneal

intraperitoneal
in·tra·pe·ri·to·ne·al
[ìntrə perrit’n  əl] adjective

within
peritoneum:
within or introduced into the peritoneal cavity
—in·tra·pe·ri·to·ne·al·ly,
adverb[1]



intrapersonal

intrapersonal
in·tra·per·son·al 
[ìntrə púrsən’l, ìntrə
púrsnəl] adjective

in
the mind:
relating to the internal aspects of a person, especially emotions.
See
also
interpersonal
—in·tra·per·son·al·ly,
adverb[1]



intrapreneur

intrapreneur
in·tra·pre·neur 
[ìntrə prə núr, ìntrə
prə nr] (plural in·tra·pre·neurs) noun

entrepreneur
within company: an employee with a flair for innovation
and risk-taking who is given unusual freedom to develop products or subsidiary
businesses within a company.
See
also
entrepreneur
[Late
20th century. Coined from intra- + entrepreneur .]
—in·tra·pre·neur·i·al,
adjective

—in·tra·pre·neur·i·al·ism,
noun

—in·tra·pre·neur·i·al·ly,
adverb[1]



intraspecific

intraspecific
in·tra·spe·cif·ic 
[ìntrə spə síffik] or in·tra·spe·cies
[ìntrə sp shz, ìntrə
sp sz] adjective

in one species:
existing within a single species or confined to members of one species[1]



intrastate

intrastate
in·tra·state 
[ìntrə stáyt] adjective

within one state:
existing or occurring within the boundaries of a single state[1]



intrauterine

intrauterine
in·tra·u·ter·ine 
[ìntrə ytərin, ìntrə
ytə rn] adjective

inside uterus:
existing, occurring, or designed to be used inside the womb[1]



intrauterinedevice

intrauterinedevice
in·tra·u·ter·ine
de·vice
(plural in·tra·u·ter·ine de·vices) noun

contraceptive device:
a plastic or metal device that is inserted into the cavity of the womb in order
to prevent pregnancy[1]



intravascular

intravascular
in·tra·vas·cu·lar 
[ìntrə váskyələr] adjective

within
blood vessels: within the blood vessels or a similar
system in animals or plants
—in·tra·vas·cu·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intravenous

intravenous
in·tra·ve·nous 
[ìntrə vnəss] adjective

1.  within
vein:
existing or occurring inside a vein, or administered into a vein

2.  used
to administer treatment: used in administering fluids
or medicines into the veins
—in·tra·ve·nous·ly, adverb[1]



intraventricular

intraventricular
in·tra·ven·tric·u·lar
[ìntrə ven tríkyələr] adjective

within
ventricle:
within or introduced into a ventricle, such as one in the heart or brain
—in·tra·ven·tric·u·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



intravital

intravital
in·tra·vi·tal 
[ìntrə vt’l] or in·tra·vi·tam
[ìntrə v tàm, ìntrə
w tm] adjective

in
or on live thing: occurring in or used on a living cell or
organism
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin intra vitam “within life.”]
—in·tra·vi·tal·ly, adverb[1]



intrazonal

intrazonal
in·tra·zo·nal
[ìntrə zṓn’l] adjective

with differentiated
characteristics: used to describe a soil
that has a well-developed and differentiated set of soil characteristics ( profile ), determined by the nature of the parent
material and age of the soil[1]



intreat

intreat
in·treat 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
entreat[1]



intrench

intrench
in·trench 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
entrench[1]



intrepid

intrepid
in·trep·id 
[in tréppid] adjective

undaunted:
fearless and persistent in the pursuit of something
[Late
17th century. Directly or via French intrépide from Latin intrepidus,
literally “not agitated,” from trepidus “agitated” (source of English trepidation ).]
—in·tre·pid·i·ty
[ìntrə píddətee], noun

—in·trep·id·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bold

[1]



intricacy

intricacy
in·tri·ca·cy 
[íntrikəssee] (plural in·tri·ca·cies)
noun

1.  complexity:
the complex character of something that has many details, parts, or other
elements

2.  complex
thing:
something that is complex and has many details, parts, or other elements (often
used in the plural) • the
intricacies of quantum chromodynamics

[1]



intricate

intricate
in·tri·cate 
[íntrikət] adjective

1.  with
many parts:
containing many details or small parts that are skillfully made or assembled

2.  complex
and difficult: with many interrelated elements, parts,
or factors so as to be complex and difficult to understand or resolve
[15th
century. From Latin intricatus, past participle of intricare “to
entangle, perplex,” from tricae “impediments, tricks” (see trick ).]
—in·tri·cate·ly,
adverb

—in·tri·cate·ness, noun[1]



intrigant

intrigant
in·tri·gant 
[ìntree gnt] (plural in·tri·gants)
or in·tri·guant [ìntree gnt]
(plural in·tri·guants) noun (archaic)

1.  secret
plotter:
somebody who devises secret plots or schemes

2.  clandestine
lover:
somebody who carries on a secret love affair

[1]



intrigue

intrigue
in·trigue 
noun [ín trg, in trg] (plural in·trigues)

1.  secret
plotting:
secret scheming or plotting

2.  secret
plot:
a secret scheme or plot

3.  secret
love affair: a secret love affair (archaic)
verb
[in trg] (past in·trigued, past
participle in·trigued, present participle in·trigu·ing,
3rd person present singular in·trigues)

1.  transitive
verb
interest
somebody:
to make somebody greatly interested or curious

2.  intransitive
verb
scheme:
to scheme or use underhanded methods to achieve something

3.  intransitive
verb
have
secret lover: to carry on a secret love affair (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Via French from Italian intrigo, from intrigare “to
entangle” (source of the verb), from Latin intricare (see intricate ).]
—in·trigu·er
[in trgər], noun

—in·trigu·ing·ly, adverb[1]



intrinsic

intrinsic
in·trin·sic 
[in trínzik, in
trínsik] or in·trin·si·cal [in
trínzik’l, in trínsik’l] adjective

1.  basic
and essential: belonging to something as one of the
basic and essential elements that make it what it is

2.  of
itself:
by or in itself, rather than because of its associations or consequences

3.  ANATOMY found
in body part: occurring wholly within or belonging
wholly to a part of the body, for example, an organ
[15th
century. Via French intrinsèque from late Latin intrinsecus
“inward,” from assumed Latin intrim “within.”]
—in·trin·si·cal·ly, adverb[1]



intrinsicfactor

intrinsicfactor
in·trin·sic
fac·tor
noun

secretion of the stomach:
a protein produced in the stomach that promotes the absorption of vitamin B 12 in the
small intestine. Insufficient intrinsic factor results in pernicious anemia.[1]



intro-

intro-
intro-
prefix

1.  in,
into • intromission

2.  inward
• introvert
[From Latin intro ;
ultimately related to intra (see intra-
)][1]



intro.

intro.
intro.

1.  Abbreviation
of
introduction

2.  Abbreviation
of
introductory

[1]



intro

intro
in·tro
[íntrō] (plural in·tros) noun

introduction:
an introduction, especially the opening few bars of a piece of pop music (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



introd.

introd.
introd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
introduction

2.  Abbreviation
of
introductory

[1]



introduce

introduce
in·tro·duce 
[ìntrə dss, ìntrə
dyss] (past in·tro·duced, past participle in·tro·duced,
present participle in·tro·duc·ing, 3rd person present singular
in·tro·duc·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
acquaint
with somebody else: to present yourself or
another person to somebody else and become acquainted with that person

2.  transitive
verb
give
audience foretaste: to tell an audience a little
about what or whom they are going to see or hear

3.  transitive
verb
bring
in something new: to bring something to a place, into
existence, or into operation for the first time

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to experience something new: to make somebody aware of
something for the first time, or give somebody a first experience of something

5.  transitive
verb
preface
with something else: to begin something with a
preface of some sort, especially one designed to get people’s attention

6.  transitive
verb
talk
about something new: to mention something for the
first time

7.  transitive
verb
POLITICS present
legislation formally: to present proposed
legislation formally to an assembly, so that it can be debated and voted on

8.  transitive
verb
insert:
to insert something into something else

9.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY bring in new species:
to place or establish an individual or species of plant or animal in a new
habitat or environment
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: either from Latin introducere “to lead in,”
from ducere “to lead,” or a back-formation from introduction
.]
—in·tro·duc·er,
noun

—in·tro·duc·i·ble, adjective[1]



introduction

introduction
in·tro·duc·tion 
[ìntrə dúkshən] (plural in·tro·duc·tions)
noun

1.  explanatory
section at beginning: a section at the beginning
of a book or of another piece of writing, for example, one that summarizes what
it is about or sets the scene

2.  something
giving basic facts: a book or course of study
that gives somebody basic facts or skills in a field

3.  making
acquaintance: the act of formally presenting somebody
or yourself to somebody else and becoming acquainted

4.  presentation:
the act of presenting somebody or something to an audience, assembly, or other
group

5.  first
experience:
somebody’s first experience of something

6.  MUSIC beginning
of piece of music: the opening passage of a
piece of music, or the opening movement in a suite

7.  bringing
in something new: the act of bringing something to a
place, into existence, into operation, or into an activity for the first time

8.  something
brought in:
something brought in from elsewhere or created

9.  insertion:
the insertion of something somewhere
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem introduction-, from introduct-,
the past participle stem of introducere (see introduce
).][1]



introductory

introductory
in·tro·duc·to·ry 
[ìntrə dúktəree] adjective

1.  giving
foretaste:
telling a little about what is to come

2.  providing
the basics:
providing the basic facts or skills

3.  initial:
made or used when something begins or is first introduced
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French introductoire from late Latin introductorius,
from introduct- (see introduction ).]
—in·tro·duc·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—in·tro·duc·to·ri·ness,
noun[1]



introgression

introgression
in·tro·gres·sion 
[ìntrə grésh’n] noun

incorporation
of genes:
the incorporation of genes from one species into the gene pool of another as a
result of hybridization
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from intro- + -gression
as in progression, originally in the general
sense “going in.”]
—in·tro·gres·sant
[ìntrə gréss’nt], adjective

—in·tro·gres·sive [ìntrə gréssiv], adjective[1]



introit

introit
in·tro·it 
[ín tròyt, ín
tr it, in trṓ it] (plural in·tro·its)
or In·tro·it [ín tròyt, ín tr it, in trṓ it]
(plural In·tro·its) noun

1.  part
of Roman Catholic Mass: the part of the Roman
Catholic Mass consisting of psalm verses and the Gloria Patri, said or sung
when the priest first approaches the altar

2.  part
of Anglican service: a psalm or hymn sung as the
minister enters the church at the beginning of the Anglican service of Holy
Communion
[15th
century. Via French from medieval Latin introitus, from Latin,
“entrance,” the past participle of introire “to go in,” from ire
“to go.”]
—in·tro·it·al [in tróyt’l, in trṓ
it’l], adjective[1]



introjection

introjection
in·tro·jec·tion
[ìntrə jékshən] noun

PSYCHOLOGY adoption
of another’s values: the unconscious adoption by
somebody of the values or attitudes of somebody else, whom that person wants to
impress or be accepted by
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from intro- + -jection
as in projection .]
—in·tro·ject, transitive
verb[1]



intromission

intromission
in·tro·mis·sion 
[ìntrə mísh’n] noun

insertion:
the inserting or admitting of something into something else (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from the medieval Latin stem intromission-,
from, ultimately, Latin intromittere (see intromit
).]
—in·tro·mis·sive [ìntrə míssiv], adjective[1]



intromit

intromit
in·tro·mit 
[ìntrə mít] (past in·tro·mit·ted,
past participle in·tro·mit·ted, present participle in·tro·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular in·tro·mits) transitive verb

insert:
to cause or allow something to enter something else (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin intromittere “to send in,” from mittere “to
send” (see mission ).]
—in·tro·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[ìntrə missə bíllətee], noun

—in·tro·mis·si·ble
[ìntrə míssəb’l], adjective

—in·tro·mit·ter, noun[1]



intron

intron
in·tron 
[ín tròn] (plural in·trons) noun

noncoding
DNA:
a section of DNA in a cell that is not expressed as an amino acid or messenger
RNA.
See
also
exon
[Late 20th century. Coined
from intragenic + -on
.][1]



introrse

introrse
in·trorse 
[ín tràwrs, in
tráwrs] adjective

inward-turning:
pointing and opening inward, as the anthers of some flowers do, releasing
pollen toward the center of the flower
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin introrsus, a contraction of introversus, from
versus, the past participle of vertere “to turn.”]
—in·trorse·ly, adverb[1]



introspect

introspect
in·tro·spect 
[ìntrə spékt, íntrə
spèkt] (past in·tro·spect·ed, past participle in·tro·spect·ed,
present participle in·tro·spect·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·tro·spects) intransitive verb

examine
feelings:
to undertake a detailed mental self-examination of feelings, thoughts, and
motives
[Late 17th century. Directly
or via Latin introspectare, literally “to look into repeatedly,” from introspect-,
past participle stem of introspicere “to look into,” from specere
.][1]



introspection

introspection
in·tro·spec·tion 
[ìntrə spékshən] noun

examination
of feelings: the detailed mental self-examination of
feelings, thoughts, and motives
—in·tro·spec·tion·al, adjective[1]



introspectionism

introspectionism
introspectionism
[ìntrə spékshə nìzzəm] noun

See
introspective psychology
—in·tro·spec·tion·is·tic,
adjective[1]



introspective

introspective
in·tro·spec·tive
[ìntrə spéktiv] adjective

examining feelings:
tending to make or containing a detailed examination of somebody’s feelings,
thoughts, and motives[1]



introspectivepsychology

introspectivepsychology
in·tro·spec·tive
psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychology of immediate
subjective experience: a school of
psychology concentrating on the study of immediate subjective experience.
See also
behaviorism
Also called
introspectionism[1]



introversion

introversion
in·tro·ver·sion 
[ìntrə vúrzh’n, ìntrə
vúrsh’n] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY interest
in self:
the tendency to be more interested in your own feelings and thoughts than in
the people and world around you.
See
also
extroversion

2.  MEDICINE organ’s
turning in on itself: a turning inward of a hollow
organ such as the womb into itself
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from introvert on the model of such pairs as
evert, eversion .][1]



introvert

introvert
in·tro·vert 
noun [íntrə vùrt] (plural in·tro·verts)

1.  reserved
person:
a shy person who tends not to socialize much

2.  PSYCHOLOGY somebody
interested in own self: somebody who tends to be
more interested in his or her own feelings and thoughts than in other people
and the outside world
transitive
verb
[íntrə vùrt, ìntrə
vúrt] (past in·tro·vert·ed, past participle in·tro·vert·ed,
present participle in·tro·vert·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·tro·verts)

1.  turn
inward:
to direct or turn something inward or in on itself

2.  PSYCHOLOGY think
about own thoughts: to direct your mind inward
and examine or dwell on your own thoughts, feelings, and motives
adjective

See introverted
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin introvertere, literally “to turn in,” from Latin vertere
“to turn” (see versus ).][1]



introverted

introverted
in·tro·vert·ed
[íntrə vùrtəd, ìntrə
vúrtəd] adjective

1.  shy:
tending to be shy and quiet or ill at ease in a group

2.  PSYCHOLOGY interested
in own feelings: interested more in your own feelings,
thoughts, and motives than in other people and the world around you

3.  MEDICINE turned
into itself: turned into itself or pulled back inside
a larger part

[1]



intrude

intrude
in·trude 
[in trd] (past in·trud·ed, past
participle in·trud·ed, present participle in·trud·ing,
3rd person present singular in·trudes) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
invade
somebody’s privacy: to disturb somebody’s peace
or privacy by going where you have not been invited or are not welcome

2.  intransitive
verb
have
unpleasant effect: to have an unpleasant or
undesired effect on something

3.  transitive
verb
add
something unpleasant: to add or mention something
inappropriate or unwanted (formal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY move into rock formation:
to move in a molten state into a preexisting rock formation, or force molten
rock into a preexisting rock formation
[15th century. Partly from
Latin intrudere “to thrust in,” from trudere “to thrust”; partly
a back-formation from intrusion .][1]



intruder

intruder
in·trud·er
[in trdər] (plural in·trud·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who enters illegally: somebody who enters a
building or property illegally, usually in order to commit a crime

2.  unwelcome
person:
somebody who is somewhere where he or she is not welcome or has not been
invited

[1]



intrusion

intrusion
in·tru·sion 
[in trzh’n] (plural in·tru·sions)
noun

1.  disturbance:
a disturbing of somebody’s peace or privacy by an unwelcome arrival or presence

2.  something
unwelcome:
an unwelcome presence or effect that disturbs or upsets something

3.  LAW unlawful
entry:
an illegal entry into a place, often by force, in order to commit a crime (formal)

4.  GEOLOGY intruded
rock:
a body of igneous rock, often massive with associated linear dikes and sills,
that has moved while molten into older solid rocks with subsequent alteration
of those rocks

5.  GEOLOGY movement
of molten rock: the movement of molten rock ( magma ) into preexisting rock
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the medieval Latin stem intrusion-,
from Latin intrus-, past participle stem of intrudere (see intrude ).]
—in·tru·sion·al, adjective[1]



intrusive

intrusive
in·tru·sive 
[in trssiv] adjective

1.  intruding:
causing a disturbance or having an unpleasant effect

2.  GEOLOGY formed
by intrusion: used to describe a rock formed by having
moved while in a molten state into preexisting rocks

3.  PHONETICS of
connecting speech sound: used to describe a speech
sound that is introduced between two words only to facilitate more fluent
pronunciation
—in·tru·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·tru·sive·ness, noun[1]



intrust

intrust
in·trust 
transitive verb

See
entrust[1]



intubate

intubate
in·tu·bate 
[íntyə bàyt] (past in·tu·bat·ed,
past participle in·tu·bat·ed, present participle in·tu·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tu·bates) verb MEDICINE

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb insert
tube in windpipe: to insert a tube through the vocal cords
and into the windpipe in order to provide somebody’s lungs with oxygen, usually
during surgery under anesthesia

2.  transitive
verb
insert
tube in somebody: to treat somebody by inserting a tube
into the windpipe so that oxygen can be supplied to the lungs
[Late
19th century. Coined from in- + Latin tuba
“tube” + -ate .]
—in·tu·ba·tion [ìntyə báysh’n], noun[1]



intuit

intuit
in·tu·it 
[in t it] (past in·tu·it·ed, past
participle in·tu·it·ed, present participle in·tu·it·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tu·its) transitive verb

know
instinctively: to be aware of or know something without
having to think about it or learn it
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from intuition .]
—in·tu·it·a·ble, adjective[1]



intuition

intuition
in·tu·i·tion 
[ìn too ísh’n] (plural in·tu·i·tions)
noun

1.  knowing
something instinctively: the state of being aware of
or knowing something without having to discover or perceive it, or the ability
to do this

2.  instinctive
belief:
something known or believed instinctively, without actual evidence for it

3.  PHILOSOPHY immediate
knowledge:
immediate knowledge of something
[15th
century. Directly or via French from the late Latin stem intuition-
“consideration,” ultimately from Latin intueri “to look upon,” from tueri
“to look.”]
—in·tu·i·tion·al,
adjective

—in·tu·i·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



intuitionism

intuitionism
in·tu·i·tion·ism 
[ìn too ísh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
of intuitive perception: the doctrine that asserts
that a perceived object is intuitively known to be real

2.  ETHICS ethical
principles understood through intuition: the
doctrine that knowledge of goodness or obligation and the principles governing
them can be discerned through intuition

3.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS mathematical theory:
a theory in the foundation of mathematics that holds that only proofs
constrained by certain restrictions are permitted.
See
also
formalism
See
also
logicism

[1]



intuitive

intuitive
in·tu·i·tive 
[in t itiv] adjective

1.  known
automatically: known directly and instinctively,
without being discovered or consciously perceived

2.  knowing
by instinct: knowing things instinctively
—in·tu·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·tu·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



intumesce

intumesce
in·tu·mesce 
[ìn too méss] (past in·tu·mesced,
past participle in·tu·mesced, present participle in·tu·mesc·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tu·mesc·es) intransitive verb

swell
with blood:
to become enlarged or swollen as a result of increased flow of blood or other
fluids
[Late 18th century. From
Latin intumescere “to swell up,” from tumescere (see tumescent ).][1]



intumescence

intumescence
in·tu·mes·cence 
[ìn too méss’ns] (plural in·tu·mes·cences)
noun

1.  MEDICINE swelling
with fluid:
a swelling or increase in the volume of part of the body as a result of
increased flow of blood and other fluids

2.  MEDICINE swollen
part:
a part of the body that is swollen with blood or another fluid

3.  CHEMISTRY swelling
of compound: the swelling of a crystalline compound
on heating, often with the release of water vapor
—in·tu·mes·cent, adjective[1]



intussuscept

intussuscept
in·tus·sus·cept 
[ìntəssə sépt] (past in·tus·sus·cept·ed,
past participle in·tus·sus·cept·ed, present participle in·tus·sus·cept·ing,
3rd person present singular in·tus·sus·cepts) intransitive and
transitive verb

telescope
into itself: to undergo, or cause part of a tubular
structure to undergo, a partial sliding into itself, for example, as part of
the intestine sometimes does
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from intussusception
.]
—in·tus·sus·cep·tive, adjective[1]



intussusception

intussusception
in·tus·sus·cep·tion 
[ìntəssə sépshən] (plural in·tus·sus·cep·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE telescoping
of tubular organ: a sliding of a portion of a tubular
organ into another portion, especially a condition of the bowel in which this
happens, creating swelling that leads to obstruction

2.  BOTANY cell
wall growth: the growth of the surface area of a cell
wall by the incorporation of particles into the wall
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via French from the modern Latin stem intussusception-, from Latin intus
“within” + the stem susception- “undertaking,” from suscept- (see
susceptible ).][1]



intwine

intwine
in·twine 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
entwine[1]



intwist

intwist
in·twist 
transitive verb

See
entwist[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Inuit

Inuit
In·u·it 
[ínnoo it, ínnyoo
it] (plural In·u·it or In·u·its) or In·nu·it
[ínnoo it, ínnyoo
it] (plural In·nu·it or In·nu·its) noun

1.  PEOPLES Arctic
or Greenland people: a member of any of several
aboriginal peoples who live in coastal regions of the Canadian Arctic and in
Greenland. The Inuit are related to the Yupik of Alaska and northeastern
Siberia.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Inuit:
any of the languages of the Inuit, constituting one of the three branches of
the Eskimo-Aleut family of languages. Inuit is spoken by about 60,000 people.
See
also
Inuktitut
[Mid-18th
century. From Inuit, the plural of inuk “person.”]
—In·u·it,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Eskimo.

[1]



inukshuk

inukshuk
in·uk·shuk
[i nk shk] noun

Canada
rock
marker used by Inuit: rocks piled up to look like
a person from a distance, used as a marker or guidepost by the Inuit
[From Inuit][1]



Inuktitut

Inuktitut
I·nuk·ti·tut 
[i nkti tt] noun

Inuit
language of eastern Arctic: a language of the Inuit,
especially those in the eastern Arctic.
See
also
Inuit
[Late 20th century. From
Inuit, literally “the Inuit way.”][1]



inulase

inulase
in·u·lase 
[ínnyə làyss, ínnyə
làyz] noun

enzyme
breaking down insulin: an enzyme that brings about
the breakdown of inulin
[Late 19th century. Coined
from inulin + -ase
.][1]



inulin

inulin
in·u·lin 
[ínnyəlin] noun

plant
sugar used in testing kidneys: a fructose sugar found
in the roots and tubers of various plants and is used medically in a test that
assesses whether the kidneys are functioning properly
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin inula “elecampane” + -in
.][1]



inunction

inunction
in·unc·tion 
[in úngkshən] noun

1.  MEDICINE rubbing
in of oil:
the rubbing in of oil or ointment

2.  RELIGION anointing:
the anointing of somebody with oil as part of a religious ceremony (formal)
[15th century. Via the Latin
stem inunction- from, inunguere “to anoint” (literally “to smear
on”), from unguere “to smear” (see unguent
).][1]



inundate

inundate
in·un·date 
[ínnən dàyt] (past in·un·dat·ed,
past participle in·un·dat·ed, present participle in·un·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·un·dates) transitive verb

1.  overwhelm:
to overwhelm somebody with a huge quantity of things that must be dealt with

2.  flood:
to flood a place with water
[Late
16th century. Back-formation from inundation
.]
—in·un·da·tor,
noun

—in·un·da·to·ry [i núndə tàwree], adjective[1]



inundation

inundation
in·un·da·tion
[ìnnən dáysh’n] (plural in·un·da·tions)
noun

1.  flood:
a flood of water (formal)

2.  overwhelming
accumulation: an accumulation of an overwhelming
amount of things that somebody has to deal with
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French inondacion from the Latin stem inundation-, from inundare,
literally “to flow onto,” ultimately from unda “wave” (see undulate ).][1]



Inupiat

Inupiat
In·u·piat 
[i npee t] plural noun

Inuit
people:
an Inuit people who live along the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi coast of the Arctic
Ocean
[Late 20th century. From
Inuit inuk “person” + piaq “genuine.”][1]



inurbane

inurbane
in·ur·bane
[ìn ur báyn] adjective

unsophisticated:
lacking good manners or sophistication
—in·ur·bane·ly,
adverb

—in·ur·ban·i·ty [ìn ur bánnətee], noun[1]



inure

inure
in·ure
[i nr] (past in·ured, past
participle in·ured, present participle in·ur·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·ures) verb

1.  transitive
verb
harden
somebody to something: to make somebody used to
something unpleasant over a period of time, so that he or she no longer is
bothered or upset by it

2.  intransitive
verb
LAW come
into effect: to come into operation or effect
[15th
century. From assumed Anglo-Norman eneurer, literally “to accustom by
use,” ultimately from assumed eure “use,” from Latin opera
“work.”]
—in·ure·ment, noun[1]



inurn

inurn
in·urn 
[in úrn] (past in·urned, past
participle in·urned, present participle in·urn·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·urns) transitive verb

1.  put
ashes in urn: to place a cremated body’s ashes in an
urn

2.  bury:
to put a dead body in a grave (formal)
—in·urn·ment, noun[1]



inutero

inutero
in
u·ter·o 
[in ytərō] adverb adjective

in
uterus:
in or while still inside a woman’s uterus
[From Latin][1]



inutile

inutile
in·u·tile 
[in yt’l] adjective

pointless:
pointless or useless (literary)
[15th
century. Via French from Latin inutilis, from utilis “useful”
(see utility ).]
—in·u·tile·ly,
adverb

—in·u·til·i·ty [ìnnyoo tíllətee], noun[1]



inv.

inv.
inv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
invariable

2.  Abbreviation
of
invented

3.  Abbreviation
of
invention

4.  Abbreviation
of
inventor

5.  Abbreviation
of
invoice

[1]



invacuo

invacuo
in
vac·u·o 
[in vákyoo ] adverb

1.  CHEMISTRY in
vacuum:
in a vacuum

2.  LAW in
isolation:
in isolation, without considering any evidence
[From Latin][1]



invade

invade
in·vade 
[in váyd] (past in·vad·ed, past
participle in·vad·ed, present participle in·vad·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·vades) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb enter
country by military force: to enter a country by force
with or as an army, especially in order to conquer it

2.  transitive
verb
enter
and spread through: to enter and spread
throughout something completely

3.  transitive
verb
go
somewhere in numbers: to enter or be present in a
place in great numbers

4.  transitive
verb
spoil:
to spoil something by interfering, interrupting, or reducing it

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE cause disease:
to enter and spread gradually throughout a part of the body, causing harm or
damage

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY grow rapidly and harmfully:
to become established and spread rapidly in an area, crowding out the
preexisting plants
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French invader from Latin invadere
“to go in,” from vadere “to go” (source of English evade ).]
—in·vad·a·ble,
adjective

—in·vad·er, noun[1]



invaginate

invaginate
in·vag·i·nate 
[in vájjə nàyt] (past in·vag·i·nat·ed,
past participle in·vag·i·nat·ed, present participle in·vag·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vag·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

push
organ into itself: to push the wall of a cavity
or hollow organ inward or one section of a hollow organ into another, like a
glove finger pushed into itself
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from invagination .][1]



invagination

invagination
in·vag·i·na·tion 
[in vàjjə náysh’n] (plural in·vag·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE pushing
something inside itself: the pushing of something
into itself or partially inside out, like a glove finger pushed into itself, or
the condition of something that results from this

2.  MEDICINE invaginated
organ:
a hollow organ or body part that has been pushed back inside itself

3.  CELL BIOLOGY infolding
of cell structure: the process of folding a
portion of a cell structure inward, as when the cell membrane turns inward
during phagocytosis

4.  EMBRYOLOGY forming
of hollow growth inside: the pushing inward of a
layer of cells to produce a hollow ingrowth in something, as when the wall of
the blastula forms the gastrula
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin invaginare “to sheathe,” from Latin vagina
“sheath” (source of English vagina
).][1]



invalid

invalid1
in·va·lid1 [in
vállid] adjective

1.  LAW not
legal:
not legally binding or enforceable

2.  LOGIC flawed:
not acceptable or correct because of being based on a mistake or employing
flawed reasoning
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
invalidus “not strong,” from validus “strong” (see valid ).][1]



invalid

invalid2
in·va·lid2 [ínvəlid]
noun (plural in·val·ids)

1.  MEDICINE somebody
with chronic disease: somebody who has a chronic
disease or a medical disorder and needs care

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is physically challenged (dated offensive)
adjective

1.  affected
by chronic disease: having a chronic disease or
medical disorder

2.  for
somebody with chronic disease: for somebody who has a
chronic disease or medical disorder
transitive
verb
(past in·va·lid·ed, past participle in·va·lid·ed, present
participle in·va·lid·ing, 3rd person present singular in·val·ids)

cause to have chronic disease:
to cause somebody to have a chronic disease or medical disorder
[Mid-17th century. From invalid 1 .][1]



invalidate

invalidate
in·val·i·date 
[in vállə dàyt] (past in·val·i·dat·ed,
past participle in·val·i·dat·ed, present participle in·val·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·val·i·dates) transitive verb

1.  make
not legal:
to deprive something of its legal force or value

2.  show
to be wrong: to prove that something is wrong or make
something worthless
—in·val·i·da·tion
[in vàllə dáysh’n], noun

—in·val·i·da·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at nullify

[1]



invalidism

invalidism
in·va·lid·ism 
[ínvələ dìzzəm] noun

chronic illness:
chronic illness or medical disorder[1]



invalidity

invalidity
in·va·lid·i·ty
[ìnvə líddətee] noun

1.  LOGIC unsoundness:
a lack of soundness or accuracy that results from an error in reasoning

2.  LAW lack
of legality: the condition of not being legally
binding or enforceable

[1]



invaluable

invaluable
in·val·u·a·ble 
[in vállyoo əb’l] adjective

very
useful:
extremely useful or valuable
—in·val·u·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·val·u·a·bly, adverb[1]



Invar

Invar
In·var
[ín vr] Trademark

a trademark for an iron,
nickel, and carbon alloy that is used for making watch springs[1]



invariable

invariable
in·var·i·a·ble 
[in váiree əb’l] adjective

never
changing:
never changing or varying
noun
(plural in·var·i·a·bles)

MATHEMATICS constant
quantity:
a mathematical quantity that is a constant
—in·var·i·a·bil·i·ty
[in vàiree ə bíllətee], noun

—in·var·i·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



invariably

invariably
in·var·i·a·bly
[in váiree əblee] adverb

almost always:
always or almost always[1]



invariant

invariant
in·var·i·ant 
[in váiree ənt] adjective

1.  See
invariable  adjective

2.  MATHEMATICS unchanging:
used to describe a quantity or set of quantities that is not changed by a
designated mathematical operation such as the transformation of coordinates
noun
(plural in·var·i·ants)

MATHEMATICS unchanging
relationship: a relationship that is not changed by a
designated mathematical operation such as the transformation of coordinates
—in·var·i·ance,
noun

—in·var·i·an·cy, noun[1]



invasion

invasion
in·va·sion 
[in váyzh’n] (plural in·va·sions)
noun

1.  MILITARY attempt
to conquer:
a hostile entry of an armed force into a country’s territory, especially with
the intention of conquering it

2.  arrival
in large numbers: the arrival of large numbers of people
or things at one time • an
invasion of tourists

3.  spoiling:
a spoiling of something by interfering with it or taking some of it away

4.  spread
of something harmful: the arrival or spread of
something that causes damage or harm

5.  MEDICINE spread
of disease:
the spread of disease-causing organisms or malignant cells in the body

6.  BOTANY aggressive
spread of plant: the aggressive spread of a plant species
in an area, stifling the growth of preexisting species
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the late Latin stem invasion-, from Latin invas-,
past participle stem of invadere (see invade
).][1]



invasive

invasive
in·va·sive 
[in váyssiv] adjective

1.  MILITARY attacking:
involving or mounting a military attack on a territory, especially with a view
to conquering it

2.  intruding:
involving an intrusion or infringement, for example, of somebody’s privacy or
rights

3.  MEDICINE attacking
adjacent tissue: having or showing a tendency to spread
from the point of origin to adjacent tissue, as some cancers do

4.  SURGERY into
patient’s body: done by inserting something into or
operating on the body through an incision or a natural orifice

5.  BOTANY growing
aggressively: growing aggressively in an area and
stifling the growth of preexisting plants
—in·va·sive·ly,
adverb

—in·va·sive·ness, noun[1]



invective

invective
in·vec·tive 
[in véktiv] noun (plural in·vec·tives)

abusive
language:
an abusive expression, or language used to attack or blame somebody (formal)
adjective

using
abuse:
using abusive language (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French invectif from late Latin invectivus
“abusive,” from, ultimately, Latin invehere “to carry in,” from vehere
“to carry.”]
—in·vec·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·vec·tive·ness, noun[1]



inveigh

inveigh
in·veigh 
[in váy] (past in·veighed, past
participle in·veighed, present participle in·veigh·ing,
3rd person present singular in·veighs) intransitive verb

speak
out angrily: to speak angrily in criticism of or
protest at something (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin invehere (see invective
).]
—in·veigh·er, noun[1]



inveigle

inveigle
in·vei·gle 
[in váyg’l] (past in·vei·gled,
past participle in·vei·gled, present participle in·vei·gling,
3rd person present singular in·vei·gles) transitive verb

1.  persuade:
to charm or entice somebody into doing something that he or she would not
otherwise have done • inveigled
me into making the trip

2.  obtain
by persuasion: to obtain something by persuading
somebody to give it
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman envegler, an alteration of French aveugler
“to deprive of sight,” ultimately from assumed Vulgar Latin aboculus,
literally “without eye,” from Latin oculus “eye.”]
—in·vei·gle·ment,
noun

—in·vei·gler, noun[1]



invent

invent
in·vent 
[in vént] (past in·vent·ed, past
participle in·vent·ed, present participle in·vent·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vents) transitive verb

1.  create
something new: to be the first to think of, make, or
use something

2.  make
up:
to make up something false, for example, a false excuse
[15th
century. From Latin invent-, past participle stem of invenire “to
come upon,” from venire “to come” (see venue
).]
—in·vent·a·ble, adjective[1]



invention

invention
in·ven·tion 
[in vénshən] (plural in·ven·tions)
noun

1.  created
thing:
a thing that somebody has created, especially a device or process

2.  act
of creating: the creation of something new

3.  lie:
a lie, or the telling of lies (used euphemistically)

4.  creative
ability:
the talent to create new things

5.  MUSIC short
instrumental work: a short instrumental work,
usually for keyboard, that has two or three parts and employs the technique of
counterpoint
—in·ven·tion·al,
adjective

—in·ven·tion·less, adjective[1]



inventive

inventive
in·ven·tive 
[in véntiv] adjective

1.  skilled
at inventing: good at creating new things

2.  displaying
creativity:
displaying creativity or imagination in its design

3.  involved
in invention: involved in or concerned with invention
—in·ven·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·ven·tive·ness, noun[1]



inventor

inventor
in·ven·tor
[in véntər] (plural in·ven·tors)
noun

somebody who invents:
somebody who invents something, especially a new device or process[1]



inventory

inventory
in·ven·to·ry 
[ínvən tàwree] noun (plural in·ven·to·ries)

1.  list
of items:
a list of things, especially items of property

2.  ACCOUNTING record
of assets:
a record of a business’s current assets, including property owned as well as
merchandise on hand and the value of work in progress and work completed but
not sold

3.  assets:
a company’s assets as a whole, or the value of them

4.  stock
of goods:
the merchandise or stock that a store or company has on hand

5.  making
of inventory: the act or process or making an
inventory, or the period of time when this is done.
U.K.
term
stocktaking
transitive
verb
(past in·ven·to·ried, past participle in·ven·to·ried,
present participle in·ven·to·ry·ing, 3rd person present
singular in·ven·to·ries)

make inventory of:
to make an inventory of items, or enter a particular item in an inventory
[15th
century. From medieval Latin inventorium, an alteration of late Latin inventarium,
literally “list of what is found,” from, ultimately, Latin invenire (see
invent ).]
—in·ven·to·ri·a·ble,
adjective

—in·ven·to·ri·al
[ìnvən táwree əl], adjective

—in·ven·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



inveracity

inveracity
in·ve·rac·i·ty 
[ìnvə rássətee] (plural in·ve·rac·i·ties)
noun

lie or lying:
a lie, or the telling of lies (formal)[1]



Invercargill

Invercargill
In·ver·car·gill
[ìnvèr krgèl]

city on the southern coast of
the South Island, New Zealand. Situated on the Waihopai River, it is the
commercial center of a farming district. Population: 49,306 (1996)[1]



Inverness

Inverness
In·ver·ness 
[ìnvèr nəss]

industrial and market town in
northern Scotland, at the northeastern end of the Caledonian Canal. Population:
62,647 (1991)[1]



inverness

inverness
in·ver·ness
[ìnvər néss] (plural in·ver·ness·es)
noun

overcoat:
a long overcoat with a rounded collar and a detachable cape
[Mid-19th century. Named for Inverness .][1]



inverse

inverse
in·verse 
adjective [in vúrs, ín vùrs]

1.  opposite
or reversing: opposite to or reversing something

2.  MATHEMATICS involving
oppositely affected variables: involving two
variables that are in a mathematical relationship where, when one increases,
the other decreases and vice versa
noun
[ín vùrs, in
vúrs] (plural in·verses)

1.  opposite:
something that is a total opposite

2.  MATHEMATICS element
of set:
either of two elements of a set that when added together give 0, one being the
negative of the other, for example, 3 and –3.
Also
called
additive inverse

3.  MATHEMATICS See inverse function

4.  LOGIC opposite
logical proposition: a logical proposition in
which both the subject and the predicate are the opposite of another
proposition
[15th
century. From Latin inversus, past participle of invertere “to
turn upside down” (literally “to turn inside-out”), from vertere “to
turn” (see verse ).]
—in·verse·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








inversefunction

inversefunction
in·verse
func·tion
(plural in·verse func·tions) noun

reverse of mathematical
operation: a mathematical operation or
function that exactly reverses another operation or function. Addition and
subtraction are inverse functions, as are exponentiation and taking the root of
a number.
Also called
inverse[1]



inverselyproportional

inverselyproportional
in·verse·ly
pro·por·tion·al adjective

1.  opposite:
opposite in size, degree, or rate of development

2.  MATHEMATICS changing
oppositely by same factor: involving a mathematical
relationship in which an increase in one variable by a given factor brings
about a decrease by the same factor in another

[1]



inversesquare law

inversesquare law
in·verse
square law
noun

relationship between force
and distance: a natural law in which
the magnitude of a physical quantity varies inversely with the square of its
distance from its source. The gravitational attraction exerted by the Sun on
the planets and the attraction or repulsion exhibited between two magnets are governed
by the inverse square law.[1]



inversion

inversion
in·ver·sion 
[in vúrzh’n, in
vúrsh’n] (plural in·ver·sions) noun

1.  reversal:
a reversing of the order, arrangement, or position of something

2.  reversed
state or thing: a state in which the order, arrangement,
or position of something is reversed, or something in such a state

3.  GRAMMAR See anastrophe

4.  METEOROLOGY temperature
increase with altitude: a stable atmospheric
condition in which air temperature increases vertically upward through a layer.
It is the reverse of normal conditions.
Also
called
temperature inversion

5.  MEDICINE inverting
of organ:
abnormal positioning of an organ, especially the abnormal turning inward or
inside out of an organ. This sometimes happens to the womb after childbirth,
when part of it is pulled through the cervical canal.

6.  MATHEMATICS inverted
ratio:
the transformation of a mathematical proportion by inverting the ratio and
order of its terms

7.  MUSIC changing
of interval by octave: a raising of the lower note
of an interval, or a lowering of the upper note, by an octave

8.  MUSIC moving
of chord tone: a moving of the root tone of a chord to
a position other than the lowest

9.  MUSIC reversing
of melody intervals: a converting of all the
intervals in a melody from ascending to descending and vice versa

10. CHEMISTRY production
of opposite optical activity: a chemical reaction in which
an optically active compound gives a product with opposite optical
configuration

11. GENETICS chromosomal
mutation:
a chromosomal mutation in which a block of genes in a segment is in reverse
order
—in·ver·sive, adjective[1]



invert

invert
in·vert 
transitive verb [in vúrt] (past
in·vert·ed, past participle in·vert·ed, present
participle in·vert·ing, 3rd person present singular in·verts)

1.  reverse
arrangement: to reverse the order, position, or
arrangement of something

2.  make
opposite:
to change something to its opposite or contrary

3.  MUSIC alter
position of notes: to change the position or
arrangement of the musical notes in an interval, chord, or melody to produce
inversion

4.  CHEMISTRY change
optical configuration: to convert an optically
active isomer into an isomer with the opposite configuration

5.  LOGIC convert
logical proposition: to negate both the subject
and predicate of a logical proposition
noun
[ín vùrt] (plural in·verts)

CHEMISTRY product
of inversion: a substance obtained by optical
inversion.
See
also
invert sugar
adjective
[ín vùrt]

CHEMISTRY optically
inverted:
subjected to optical inversion
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin invertere (see inverse
).]
—in·vert·i·ble
[in vúrtəb’l], adjective

—in·vert·i·bil·i·ty [in vùrtə bíllətee], noun[1]



invertase

invertase
in·ver·tase 
[in vúr tàyss, in
vúr tàyz, ínvər tàyss, ínvər tàyz] noun

enzyme converting sucrose:
an enzyme that converts sucrose to a mixture of fructose and glucose by
catalytic hydrolysis.
Also called
sucrase
Also called
saccharase[1]



invertebrate

invertebrate
in·ver·te·brate 
[in vúrtəbrət, in
vúrtə bràyt] noun (plural in·ver·te·brates)

animal without backbone:
an animal such as an insect or worm that does not have a backbone
adjective

1.  with
no backbone: lacking a backbone or spinal column

2.  of
invertebrates: relating to or consisting of animals
that lack backbones

3.  lacking
character:
lacking strength of character
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin invertebratus, literally “not jointed,” from Latin vertebra
“joint, vertebra” (see vertebra ).][1]



inverted

inverted
in·vert·ed
[in vúrtəd] adjective

1.  reversed:
turned upside down, inside out, or back to front

2.  MUSIC with
fundamental note repositioned: modified so that the
fundamental note of the chord is not the lowest note of the chord

3.  MUSIC with notes
in mirror image: with the musical notes so arranged that
every ascending interval is made descending and vice versa

[1]



invertedcomma

invertedcomma
in·vert·ed
com·ma 
(plural in·vert·ed com·mas) noun

U.K.
See quotation mark[1]



invertedmordent

invertedmordent
in·vert·ed
mor·dent
(plural in·vert·ed mor·dents) noun

musical ornament:
a musical ornament consisting of two notes of the same pitch separated by a
third note one step above the others[1]



invertedpleat

invertedpleat
in·vert·ed
pleat
(plural in·vert·ed pleats) noun

reversed box pleat:
a flat symmetrical pleat formed by folding the fabric to the front on either
side of the section being pleated. It is the reverse of a box pleat.[1]



inverter

inverter
in·vert·er 
[in vúrtər] (plural in·vert·ers)
noun

1.  something
that inverts: somebody or something that inverts or
causes an inversion

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
converting current: a device that changes direct
current into alternating current and is commonly used on boats to operate
devices such as radios from batteries

[1]



invertsugar

invertsugar
in·vert
sug·ar
noun

glucose and fructose mixture:
a mixture of glucose and fructose, obtained by the optical inversion of
sucrose, that also occurs naturally in fruits and honey. It is used in the food
industry.[1]



invest

invest
in·vest 
[in vést] (past in·vest·ed, past
participle in·vest·ed, present participle in·vest·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vests) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb buy
stocks or bonds: to use money to buy or participate in a
business enterprise that offers the possibility of profit, especially by buying
stocks or bonds

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb deposit
money in bank: to deposit money in a bank or other
financial institution in an account that pays interest

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb spend
money on project: to spend money on something in the hope
of a future return or benefit

4.  transitive
verb
contribute
effort to something: to contribute time, energy,
or effort to an activity or project, or undertaking in the expectation of a
benefit

5.  transitive
verb
give
something a quality: to give somebody or
something a particular quality or characteristic

6.  transitive
verb
confer
something on: to confer something such as a power or
right on a person or group • The
charter invests the directors with the right to spend money as they see fit.

7.  intransitive
verb
make
a purchase:
to use money to buy something, especially something that somebody should be
able to use for a relatively long time (informal) • It’s
time this family invested in a new car.

8.  transitive
verb
install
in official role: to install somebody formally or
ceremoniously in an official position (formal) • The
prince was invested in a ceremony held at the castle.

9.  transitive
verb
adorn:
to dress, clothe, or cover somebody or something with a garment or other
covering (literary)

10. transitive
verb
besiege:
to lay siege to a place (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French investir from Latin investire “to
clothe (in),” ultimately from vestis “clothing” (see vest ). The underlying idea is of “dressing up”
your capital.]
—in·vest·a·ble, adjective[1]



investigate

investigate
in·ves·ti·gate 
[in vésti gàyt] (past in·ves·ti·gat·ed,
past participle in·ves·ti·gat·ed, present participle in·ves·ti·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·ves·ti·gates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb carry
out official inquiry: to carry out a detailed
examination or inquiry, especially officially, in order to find out about
something or somebody • The
local police are investigating a murder.

2.  intransitive
verb
take
a look:
to take a look or go and see what happened • We
heard noises downstairs, so Fred went down to investigate.
[Early
16th century. From Latin investigare, literally “to look into for
traces,” ultimately from vestigium “footprint” (see vestige ).]
—in·ves·ti·ga·ble [in véstigəb’l], adjective[1]



investigation

investigation
in·ves·ti·ga·tion 
[in vèsti gáysh’n] (plural in·ves·ti·ga·tions)
noun

examination:
an examination or inquiry into something, especially a detailed one that is
undertaken officially[1]



investigative

investigative
in·ves·ti·ga·tive 
[in vésti gàytiv] or in·ves·ti·ga·to·ry
[in véstigə tàwree] adjective

1.  specializing
in investigating: responsible for or specializing in
investigating

2.  used
in investigation: used in or relating to investigation • investigative
techniques

[1]



investigator

investigator
in·ves·ti·ga·tor 
[in vésti gàytər] (plural in·ves·ti·ga·tors)
noun

somebody who investigates:
somebody who investigates things as a profession, especially somebody who
investigates crimes or prepares official or confidential reports on people or
events.
See also
private detective[1]



investiture

investiture
in·ves·ti·ture 
[in véstə chr, in
véstəchər] (plural in·ves·ti·tures) noun

1.  installation
in position: the formal installing of somebody in a
position or role, especially an official one, or a ceremony held to mark this

2.  lay
appointment of Roman Catholic bishops: the
appointment of bishops in the Roman Catholic Church by a civil ruler instead of
by the Church
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin investitura from, ultimately, Latin investire “to clothe
(in)” (see invest ); from clothing the person
being installed in the insignia of rank or position.][1]



investment

investment
in·vest·ment 
[in véstmənt] (plural in·vest·ments)
noun

1.  FINANCE use of
money for future profit: the outlay of money, for
example, by depositing it in a bank or by buying stock in a company, with the
object of making a profit

2.  FINANCE money
invested:
an amount of money invested in something for the purpose of making a profit

3.  FINANCE something
invested in: something such as a company, endeavor,
or object that money is invested in with the goal of making a profit

4.  contribution
to activity: a contribution of something such as
time, energy, or effort to an activity, project, or undertaking, in the
expectation of a benefit

5.  purchase:
a purchase, especially something that somebody should be able to use for a
relatively long time (informal)

6.  investiture:
the formal or ceremonial installing of somebody in a role or position,
especially an official one (formal)

7.  MILITARY siege:
a siege or besieging (archaic)

8.  ECONOMICS money
in company’s property: the outlay of money that a
company’s existing buildings, equipment, and materials is equivalent to

9.  BIOLOGY outer
layers of organism: the outer layers of an
animal or organ

[1]



investmentanalyst

investmentanalyst
in·vest·ment
an·a·lyst
(plural in·vest·ment an·a·lysts) noun

stock exchange researcher:
somebody who is employed by a stock exchange business to research other
companies and areas of investment for clients[1]



investmentcompany

investmentcompany
in·vest·ment
com·pa·ny
noun

company holding securities
for investment only: a company
that holds securities in other companies purely for investment[1]



investmenttrust

investmenttrust
in·vest·ment
trust
(plural in·vest·ment trusts) noun

group of investors:
a legal arrangement of investors that invests its capital in securities[1]



investor

investor
in·ves·tor
[in véstər] (plural in·ves·tors)
noun

somebody who invests:
a person, company, or other organization that has money invested in something,
especially one that holds stock in publicly owned corporations[1]



inveterate

inveterate
in·vet·er·ate 
[in véttərət] adjective

1.  habitual:
fixed in a habit or practice, especially a bad one

2.  firmly
established: firmly established and of long standing
[14th
century. From Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare
“to become old,” from veter-, the stem of vetus (source of
English veteran “old.”]
—in·vet·er·a·cy,
noun

—in·vet·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—in·vet·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



inviable

inviable
in·vi·a·ble 
[in v əb’l] adjective

unable
to survive:
unable to survive, especially financially or biologically
—in·vi·a·bil·i·ty
[in v ə bíllətee], noun

—in·vi·a·ble·ness,
noun

—in·vi·a·bly, adverb[1]



invidious

invidious
in·vid·i·ous 
[in víddee əss] adjective

1.  producing
resentment:
producing resentment or ill feeling, for example, by unfairly slighting
somebody

2.  unpleasant:
unpleasant because producing or likely to produce jealousy, resentment, or
hatred in others
[Early
17th century. From Latin invidiosus, from invidia “ill will,”
literally “looking at (with malice),” ultimately from videre “to look.”]
—in·vid·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—in·vid·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



invigilate

invigilate
in·vig·i·late 
[in víjjə làyt] (past in·vig·i·lat·ed,
past participle in·vig·i·lat·ed, present participle in·vig·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vig·i·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

U.K.
See proctor
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
invigilare “to watch, be awake in or on account of,” ultimately from vigil
“watchful” (see vigil ).][1]



invigilator

invigilator
in·vig·i·la·tor
[in víjjə làytər] (plural in·vig·i·la·tors)
noun

U.K.
See proctor[1]



invigorate

invigorate
in·vig·or·ate 
[in víggə ràyt] (past in·vig·or·at·ed,
past participle in·vig·or·at·ed, present participle in·vig·or·at·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vig·or·ates) transitive verb

fill
with energy: to fill somebody or something with
energy or life (often passive)
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from earlier invigor, from,
ultimately, Old French envigourer “to make vigorous,” from “vigor.”]
—in·vig·or·a·tion
[in vìggə ráysh’n], noun

—in·vig·o·ra·tive,
adjective

—in·vig·o·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—in·vig·or·a·tor, noun[1]



invigorating

invigorating
in·vig·or·at·ing
[in víggə ràyting] adjective

energizing:
filling somebody or something with energy or life
—in·vig·or·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



invincible

invincible
in·vin·ci·ble 
[in vínsəb’l] adjective

1.  unbeatable:
incapable of being defeated or beaten as a result of great strength or skill

2.  too
difficult to overcome: so great or difficult as to
be impossible to overcome

3.  deep-rooted:
too deep-rooted or ingrained to be altered
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin invincibilis, from vincibilis
“conquerable” (see vincible ).]
—in·vin·ci·bil·i·ty
[in vìnsə bíllətee], noun

—in·vin·ci·ble·ness,
noun

—in·vin·ci·bly [in vínsəblee], adverb[1]



inviolable

inviolable
in·vi·o·la·ble 
[in v ələb’l] adjective

1.  unbreakable:
secure from infringement or breaking

2.  secure
from attack: secure from violence or attack
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin inviolabilis, from violabilis
“that may be injured,” from violare “to treat violently” (see violate ).]
—in·vi·o·la·bil·i·ty
[in v ələ bíllətee], noun

—in·vi·o·la·ble·ness
[in v ələb’lnəss], noun

—in·vi·o·la·bly, adverb[1]



inviolate

inviolate
in·vi·o·late 
[in v ələt] adjective

1.  unaltered:
not subject to change, damage, or destruction

2.  kept
pure:
kept pure, untouched, or unblemished
[15th
century. From Latin inviolatus, from violat-, past participle
stem of violare “to treat violently” (see violate
).]
—in·vi·o·la·cy
[in v ələssee], noun

—in·vi·o·late·ly,
adverb

—in·vi·o·late·ness, noun[1]



invisible

invisible
in·vis·i·ble 
[in vízzəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to see:
not able to be seen with the eyes

2.  hidden:
hidden from view

3.  made
transparent magically: impossible to see as a
result of magic or pseudoscientific processes

4.  not
easily noticed: not noticed or detected readily

5.  ECONOMICS unrecorded
statistically: not reflected or reported in economic
statistics, or not recorded statistically
noun
(plural in·vis·i·bles)

1.  ACCOUNTING item
not in financial statement: an item not reported in a
company’s financial statement

2.  somebody
or something invisible: somebody or something that
is invisible
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin invisibilis, from visibilis
(see visible ).]
—in·vis·i·bil·i·ty
[in vìzzə bíllətee], noun

—in·vis·i·ble·ness
[in vízzəb’lnəss], noun

—in·vis·i·bly, adverb[1]



invisibleink

invisibleink
in·vis·i·ble
ink
noun

ink invisible until treated:
a liquid used to write something that cannot be seen until the paper is treated
in some way, for example, with heat[1]



invitation

invitation
in·vi·ta·tion 
[ìnvi táysh’n] noun (plural in·vi·ta·tions)

1.  offer
of something: an offer to come or go somewhere,
especially one promising pleasure or hospitality, or the making of such an
offer

2.  written
note:
a note or other message, especially a printed card, that contains an invitation

3.  encouragement:
encouragement to do something
adjective

U.K. See
invitational

[1]



invitational

invitational
in·vi·ta·tion·al 
[ìnvi táyshən’l, ìnvi
táyshnəl] adjective

1.  open
only to those invited: open only to people who have
been invited

2.  requested:
asked for or requested
noun

event for invited people:
an event, especially a sports tournament, that is open only to people who have
been invited to participate

[1]



invitatory

invitatory
in·vi·ta·to·ry 
[in vtə tàwree] adjective

inviting something:
inviting or encouraging something[1]



invite

invite
in·vite 
transitive verb [in vt] (past
in·vit·ed, past participle in·vit·ed, present
participle in·vit·ing, 3rd person present singular in·vites)

1.  ask
to participate: to ask somebody to come or go somewhere
or to do something

2.  request:
to ask for something or say that something should be welcomed • She
invited questions from the audience.

3.  provoke:
to encourage or provoke something that might not have happened otherwise • an
attitude that invites disaster
noun
[ín vt] (plural in·vites)

invitation: an
invitation (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French inviter from Latin invitare, of
uncertain origin: perhaps literally “to be pleasant toward,” formed from
assumed vitus “pleasant.”]
—in·vi·tee
[in v t] (plural in·vi·tees),
noun

—in·vit·er [in vtər], noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








inviting

inviting
in·vit·ing 
[in vting] adjective

suggesting
pleasure:
suggesting or offering pleasure or enjoyment • Inviting
smells were coming from the kitchen.
—in·vit·ing·ly,
adverb

—in·vit·ing·ness, noun[1]



invitro

invitro
in
vi·tro 
[in v tr] adjective adverb

in
artificial environment: in an artificial environment
such as a test tube rather than inside a living organism
[From Latin, literally “in
glass”][1]



invitro fertilization

invitro fertilization
in
vi·tro fer·til·i·za·tion noun

conceiving of baby
artificially: fertilization of an
ovum by sperm outside the body when normal conception is not achievable because
of a woman’s low fertility. After 5 days, this is followed by implantation in
the womb.[1]



invivo

invivo
in
vi·vo 
[in v v] adjective adverb

inside
living organism: existing or carried out inside a living
organism, as in a test or experiment
[From Latin, literally “in
the living”][1]



invocate

invocate
in·vo·cate 
[ínvə kàyt] (past in·vo·cat·ed,
past participle in·vo·cat·ed, present participle in·vo·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vo·cates) transitive verb

call
upon:
to appeal to somebody or to God or a spirit for help (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin invocare “to call upon” (see invoke ).]
—in·vo·ca·tive [in vókətiv], adjective[1]



invocation

invocation
in·vo·ca·tion 
[ìnvə káysh’n] (plural in·vo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  calling
upon higher power: a calling upon a greater
power such as God or a spirit for help

2.  RELIGION prayer:
a short prayer forming part of a religious service

3.  quoting
of something as a reason: the act of calling upon or
quoting something such as a law as a reason or justification

4.  incantation
supposedly summoning demon: a casting of a spell in an
attempt to make an evil spirit appear, or the spell itself
—in·vo·ca·tion·al,
adjective

—in·voc·a·to·ry [in vókə tàwree], adjective[1]



invoice

invoice
in·voice 
[ín vòyss] noun (plural in·voic·es)

1.  request
for payment: a written record of goods or services
provided and the amount charged for them, sent to a customer as a request for
payment

2.  shipment
of goods:
a shipment of goods that is recorded on an invoice
transitive
verb
(past in·voiced, past participle in·voiced, present
participle in·voic·ing, 3rd person present singular in·voic·es)

send somebody an invoice:
to send somebody an invoice for payment
[Mid-16th century. Originally
the plural of obsolete invoy, from obsolete French envoy
“sending” (see envoy ); because the invoice
is sent.][1]



invoke

invoke
in·voke 
[in vṓk] (past in·voked, past
participle in·voked, present participle in·vok·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·vokes) transitive verb

1.  call
upon greater power: to call upon a greater power
such as God or a spirit for help

2.  use
in support:
to quote, rely on, or use something such as a law in support of an argument or
case

3.  ask
for:
to ask or appeal for something

4.  attempt
to summon demon: to call upon an evil spirit to appear,
for example, by casting a spell

5.  arouse:
to create or arouse an idea, emotion, or image
[15th
century. Via French invoquer from Latin invocare “to call upon,”
from vocare “to call” (see vocation
).]
—in·vok·er, noun[1]



involucre

involucre
in·vo·lu·cre 
[ínvə lkər, ìnvə
lkər] (plural in·vo·lu·cres) noun

ring
of leaves beneath flower: a ring of modified leaves
beneath a flower or flower cluster, as in dandelion or daisy flowers.
Also
called
involucrum
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin involucrum “wrapper,”
from involvere “to roll into,” from volvere “to roll.”]
—in·vo·lu·cral
[ìnvə lkrəl], adjective

—in·vo·lu·crate, adjective[1]



involucrum

involucrum
in·vo·lu·crum 
[ìnvə lkrəm] (plural in·vo·lu·cra
[ìnvə lkrə]) noun

1.  MEDICINE new
bone:
a growth of new bone that forms around a mass of dead or infected bone

2.  BOTANY See involucre
[Late 17th century. From
Latin (see involucre ).][1]



involuntarily

involuntarily
in·vol·un·tar·i·ly
[in vóllən tèrrilee] adverb

without wanting to:
without wanting or intending to[1]



involuntary

involuntary
in·vol·un·tar·y 
[in vóllən tèrree] adjective

1.  compelled:
required or exacted against somebody’s will or wishes

2.  uncontrollable:
spontaneous or automatic, and not controlled or controllable by the mind
—in·vol·un·tar·i·ness,
noun[1]



involuntarymanslaughter

involuntarymanslaughter
in·vol·un·tar·y
man·slaugh·ter noun

LAW
unpremeditated killing:
the accidental and unlawful killing of one human being by another without
planning of the killing in advance[1]



involuntarymuscle

involuntarymuscle
in·vol·un·tar·y
mus·cle
(plural in·vol·un·tar·y mus·cles) noun

reflex muscle:
a muscle that acts independently of the will, especially in reflex functions[1]



involute

involute
in·vo·lute 
adjective [ínvə lt]

1.  complex:
complicated or intricate

2.  BOTANY rolling
inward:
having petals or leaves that roll inward at the edges

3.  ZOOLOGY tightly
whorled:
used to describe a shell whose axis is hidden by tight whorls
noun
[ínvə lt] (plural in·vo·lutes)

GEOMETRY type
of curve:
a curve traced by the end of a taut thread that cannot be extended as it is
wound upon or unwound from another curve
intransitive
verb
[ìnvə lt] (past in·vo·lut·ed,
past participle in·vo·lut·ed, present participle in·vo·lut·ing,
3rd person present singular in·vo·lutes)

become involute:
to become complex or inwardly rolled, whorled, or curved
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin involutus “intricate” or, in medieval Latin, “rolled
inward, forming a spiral,” past participle of involvere “to enwrap” (see
involve ).]
—in·vo·lute·ly [ínvə ltlee], adverb[1]



involuted

involuted
in·vo·lut·ed
[ìnvə ltəd] adjective

See
involute[1]



involution

involution
in·vo·lu·tion 
[ìnvə lsh’n] (plural in·vo·lu·tions)
noun

1.  complication:
an act of making something complicated or intricate, or the condition of being
complicated or intricate

2.  something
complex:
something complicated or intricate

3.  ZOOLOGY decline
in function: a decline or degeneration in the
physiological function of an organ

4.  BIOLOGY involute
part:
an involute part or structure

5.  PHYSIOLOGY decrease
in size:
a return to normal size of a body or body part after expansion

6.  ALGEBRA raising
of quantity to power: the operation of raising a
number, variable, or expression to a specified positive integral power, x n

7.  GRAMMAR complex
grammatical structure: a complicated grammatical
construction

8.  BIOLOGY developmental
process forming tube: the process by which certain
cells grow inward over the edge of an organ or part until they rejoin the
structure to form a tube. The bladder is formed by involution.
—in·vo·lu·tion·al, adjective[1]



involve

involve
in·volve 
[in vólv] (past in·volved, past
participle in·volved, present participle in·volv·ing, 3rd
person present singular in·volves) verb

1.  transitive
verb
contain
something:
to contain or include as a necessary element of something

2.  transitive
verb
concern
somebody:
to be a matter that concerns or affects somebody

3.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to participate: to make somebody part of, or
make somebody take part in, an event or ongoing process

4.  transitive
verb
implicate
somebody:
to connect a person with something, especially something disreputable

5.  transitive
verb
engross
somebody:
to take up somebody’s whole attention

6.  transitive
verb
complicate
something:
to make something complicated or difficult to follow (often passive)

7.  transitive
verb
enclose
something:
to envelop something (literary) (often passive)

8.  reflexive
verb
coil
up:
to coil, wrap, or wind up (archaic)
[Late
14th century. From Latin involvere “to enfold,” from volvere “to
roll” (source of English evolution
and vault ).]
—in·volve·ment,
noun

—in·volv·er, noun[1]



involved

involved
in·volved 
[in vólvd] adjective

1.  complicated:
complicated or difficult to follow

2.  connected:
connected with or participating in something

3.  in
relationship: participating in a romantic or sexual
relationship
—in·volv·ed·ly [in vólvədlee], adverb[1]



involving

involving
in·volv·ing
[in vólving] adjective

capturing attention:
holding the attention • a
highly involving story line[1]



invt.

invt.
invt.

Abbreviation of
inventory[1]



invulnerable

invulnerable
in·vul·ner·a·ble 
[in vúlnərəb’l] adjective

1.  unable
to be hurt:
not capable of being wounded, damaged, hurt, or affected • invulnerable
to criticism

2.  safe
from attack: not capable of being successfully
attacked
[Late
16th century. From Latin invulnerabilis, from vulnerare “to
wound” (see vulnerable ).]
—in·vul·ner·a·bil·i·ty
[in vùlnərə bíllətee], noun

—in·vul·ner·a·ble·ness
[in vúlnərəb’lnəss], noun

—in·vul·ner·a·bly, adverb[1]



inward

inward
in·ward 
[ínwərd] adjective

1.  inside:
situated within something

2.  of
the mind or spirit: relating to or existing in
the mind or spirit

3.  toward
the inside:
toward the inside or center of something
adverb

U.K.
term
inwards

1.  toward
the inside:
moving or facing toward the inside or center of something

2.  toward
the mind or spirit: toward the mind or spirit
noun

the inside: the
inner part (literary archaic) “To kiss the tender inward of thy hand”
William Shakespeare Sonnets 1609
—in·ward·ness, noun[1]



InwardLight

InwardLight
In·ward
Light
noun

See
Inner Light[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








inwardly

inwardly
in·ward·ly 
[ínwərdlee] adverb

1.  to
yourself:
to yourself, or without showing a feeling on the outside

2.  toward
inside:
on or to the inside

[1]



inwards

inwards
in·wards
[ínwərdz] adverb

U.K.
See inward
plural
noun

internal organs:
the internal organs of the body (archaic or literary)[1]



inweave

inweave
in·weave 
[in wv] (past in·wove [in wṓv], past participle in·wo·ven [in wṓv’n], present participle in·weav·ing,
3rd person present singular in·weaves) transitive verb

weave something in:
to weave something into a fabric or design[1]



inwind

inwind
in·wind 
(past in·wound, past participle in·wound [in wównd], present participle in·wind·ing,
3rd person present singular in·winds) transitive verb

See
enwind[1]



inwrap

inwrap
in·wrap 
transitive verb

See
enwrap[1]



inwreathe

inwreathe
in·wreathe 
transitive verb

See
enwreathe[1]



in-your-face

in-your-face
in-your-face 
adjective

confrontational:
aggressively direct, bold, or exhibitionist (slang) • the
age of in-your-face political campaigning[1]



in-your-face

in-your-face
in-your-face
[ìn yər fáyss] or in-yer-face
[ìn yər fáyss] adjective

forceful:
expressing opinions in a forceful, sometimes aggressive way (slang) • Her
approach is a little too in-your-face for my liking.
[Late 20th century][1]



Inönü,Ismet

Inönü,Ismet
In·ö·nü
[nə ny], Ismet (1884–1973)

Turkish soldier and
politician. He was the first premier of the Turkish Republic (1923–1937) and
its second president (1938–1950).[1]



Io

Io2
I·o2  [
ō,  ō] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY woman
turned into heifer: in Greek mythology, the
daughter of the river god Inachus, turned into a heifer by the god Zeus to
protect her from the jealousy of his wife Hera

2.  ASTRONOMY large
moon of Jupiter: a large natural satellite of Jupiter,
discovered in 1601 by Galileo. It is 3,640 km/2,260 m in diameter and
remarkable for being volcanically active.
[Via Latin from Greek Iō][1]



Io

Io1
I·o1 

(archaic) Symbol
for ionium[1]



I/O

I/O
I/O

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of input/output[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








I/O

I/O1
I/O1

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of input/output[1]



IOC

IOC
IOC
noun

Abbreviation of
International Olympic Committee[1]



iod-

iod-
iod-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
iodo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








iodate

iodate
i·o·date 
[ ə dàyt] (plural i·o·dates) noun

salt
of iodic acid: a salt of iodic acid. The most important
salts are sodium and potassium iodates, which are used in medicine.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from iodic acid .][1]



iodic

iodic
i·od·ic
[ī óddik] adjective

relating to iodine:
relating to, containing, or caused by iodine, especially with a valence of five[1]



iodicacid

iodicacid
i·od·ic
ac·id 
noun

crystalline solid used as
disinfectant: a colorless or white
crystalline solid that is soluble in water and is used in analytical chemistry
and as a disinfectant, deodorant, and antiseptic. HIO3[1]



iodide

iodide
i·o·dide 
[ ə dd] (plural i·o·dides) noun

salt of hydriodic acid:
a salt of hydriodic acid that contains the univalent anion ion I – . Metallic
iodides such as silver, sodium, or potassium iodide are employed in photography
and in iodized table salt.[1]



iodinate

iodinate
i·o·di·nate
[ ədi nàyt] (past i·o·di·nat·ed,
past participle i·o·di·nat·ed, present participle i·o·di·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular i·o·di·nates) transitive verb

treat
with iodine: to treat something with iodine or an
iodine compound, or add or substitute iodine atoms to or in an organic compound
—i·o·di·na·tion [ ədi náysh’n], noun[1]



iodine

iodine

i·o·dine 
[ ə dn] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY nonmetallic
crystalline halogen element: a poisonous, dark gray to
purple-black, lustrous, nonmetallic crystalline element in the halogen family
used as a germicide and antiseptic and in the preparation of dyes,
pharmaceuticals, and tinctures. Radioactive isotopes of iodine are used as
tracers in medicine and industry and in the diagnosis and treatment of certain
diseases. Symbol I

2.  PHARMACOLOGY antiseptic:
a mixture of iodine and potassium iodide in alcohol used as a topical
antiseptic.
Also
called
tincture of iodine
[Early 19th century. Formed
from French iode, from Greek iōdēs “violet-colored,” from ion
“violet”; from the purple vapor produced by heated iodine crystals.][1]



iodize

iodize
i·o·dize 
[ ə dz] (past i·o·dized, past
participle i·o·dized, present participle i·o·diz·ing, 3rd
person present singular i·o·diz·es) transitive verb

treat
with iodine: to treat or combine something with
iodine or an iodine compound
—i·o·di·za·tion
[ ədi záysh’n], noun

—i·o·diz·er [ ə dzər], noun[1]



iodo-

iodo-
iodo-
prefix

iodine
• iodophor
[From French iode (see
iodine )][1]



iodoform

iodoform
i·o·do·form 
[ī ṓdə fàwrm, ī
óddə fàwrm] noun

antiseptic:
a yellow volatile crystalline compound with a penetrating odor, used as an
antiseptic and in ointments for minor skin diseases. CHI3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from iodo- + formyl
.][1]



iodophor

iodophor
i·o·do·phor 
[ī ṓdə fàwr] noun

disinfectant
solution:
a substance consisting of iodine and a surface-active agent in solution that
slowly releases elemental iodine and can be used as a disinfectant
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from iodo- + -phor, variant of -phore .][1]



iodopsin

iodopsin
i·o·dop·sin 
[ ə dópsin] noun

pigment
in eye:
a photosensitive violet pigment in the retinal cones of the eye
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek iōdēs “violet-colored” (see iodine
) + opsin, on the model of rhodopsin .][1]



iodous

iodous
i·o·dous 
[ī ṓdəss,  ədəss]
adjective

involving iodine:
involving, containing, or caused by iodine[1]



iolite

iolite
i·o·lite 
[ ə lt] noun

See
cordierite
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek ion “violet” + -lite .][1]



Iomoth

Iomoth
I·o
moth
(plural I·o moths) noun

N
American moth: a large yellow North American moth with
a large spot resembling an eye on each of its hind wings. Stinging spines
appear on its larvae. Latin name: Automeris io
[Named for Io, who was tormented by a gadfly; so called
because of the stinging spines of the larvae][1]



Ion.

Ion.
Ion.

Abbreviation of
Ionic[1]



ion

ion
i·on 
[ ən,  òn]
(plural i·ons) noun

electrically
charged atom or atom group: an atom or group of atoms
that has acquired an electric charge by losing or gaining one or more electrons
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
ion, literally “moving thing,” from the present participle of ienai
“to go,” from the movement of any ion toward the electrode of opposite charge.][1]



-ion

-ion
-ion
suffix

1.  action
or process • eruption
• erosion

2.  result
of an action or process • abrasion

3.  condition,
state • elation
[Via Old French from the
Latin stem -ion-][1]



Iona

Iona
I·o·na 
[ī ṓnè]

low-lying island off the
southwestern tip of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, western Scotland. Area: 8.5 sq
km/3 sq mi.[1]



ionengine

ionengine
i·on
en·gine
(plural i·on en·gines) noun

theoretical rocket engine:
a theoretical rocket engine that derives its thrust from the electrostatic
acceleration of a stream of positive ions. Because the engine does not provide
enough thrust to escape the Earth’s gravity, it could be used only in space.[1]



Ionesco,Eugène

Ionesco,Eugène
Io·nes·co
[ ə néskō], Eugène (1909–1994)

Romanian-born French
dramatist. He was one of the chief exponents of the Theater of the Absurd. His
plays include The Chairs (1952) and Rhinoceros (1959).[1]



ionexchange

ionexchange
i·on
ex·change
noun

interchange
of ions:
the interchange of ions of the same charge between a solution and a solid in
contact with it
—i·on ex·chang·er, noun[1]



Ionia

Ionia
I·o·ni·a 
[ī ṓnee ə]

region of ancient western
Asia Minor in the Aegean coast that was colonized by the Greeks around 1000 BC[1]



Ionian

Ionian
I·o·ni·an 
[ī ṓnee ən] noun (plural I·o·ni·ans)

member
of ancient Greek people: a member of an ancient Greek
people who lived in Attica around the 10th century BC, before spreading out to many of the coastal regions and
islands of the Aegean. They established important cultural and trading centers
in their new settlements.
adjective

of Ionia:
relating to Ionia, or its people, dialect, or culture[1]



IonianIslands

IonianIslands
I·o·ni·an
Is·lands
[ī nee ən ləndz]

group of seven Greek islands
in the Ionian and Mediterranean seas. Corfu is the capital and largest city in
the islands. Population: 191,003 (1991) Area: 2,307 sq km/891 sq mi.[1]



Ionianmode

Ionianmode
I·o·ni·an
mode
noun

medieval major scale:
the medieval musical mode corresponding to the modern C major scale[1]



IonianSea

IonianSea
I·o·ni·an
Sea
[ī nee èn s]

part of the Mediterranean
Sea, situated between the southeastern coast of Italy and western Greece[1]



Ionic

Ionic
I·on·ic 
noun (plural I·on·ics)

1.  LANGUAGE Ionian
dialect:
an extinct dialect of Ancient Greek, that was spoken mainly in Ionia

2.  POETRY metrical
foot:
a metrical foot used in classical prosody, consisting of two long syllables
followed by two short ones greater Ionic or two short syllables followed by two
long ones lesser Ionic
adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE of
architectural order: relating to or typical of
the order of architecture characterized by fluted columns and capitals with
spiral scroll-shaped ornaments

2.  See
Ionian  adjective

3.  POETRY in
Ionic meter: relating to, typical of, or expressed in
Ionic meter
[Early 17th century. From
Greek Iōnikos “of Ionia.”][1]



ionic

ionic
i·on·ic 
[ī ónnik] adjective

relating to charged atoms or
groups: relating to or containing
matter in the form of charged atoms or groups of atoms[1]



ionicbond

ionicbond
i·on·ic
bond
(plural i·on·ic bonds) noun

See
electrovalent bond[1]



Ionicorder

Ionicorder

I·on·ic or·der
noun
order of classical architecture:
one of the five classical orders of architecture, characterized by fluted
columns and capitals with spiral scroll-shaped ornaments[1]



ionicpropulsion

ionicpropulsion
i·on·ic
pro·pul·sion noun

motion in reaction to
accelerated ions: motion produced in
reaction to the expulsion of a stream of accelerated ions.
Also called
ion propulsion[1]



ionimplantation

ionimplantation
i·on
im·plan·ta·tion noun

adding impurities using
stream of ions: the use of a stream of
electrically accelerated ions to implant impurities on or near the surface of
the substrate during the manufacture of a semiconductor[1]



ionium

ionium
i·o·ni·um
[ī ṓnee əm] noun

thorium
isotope:
a radioactive isotope of thorium, originally thought to be a new element (archaic)
Symbol Io
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ion + -ium,
in reference to the supposed new element’s ionizing action.][1]



ionization

ionization
i·on·i·za·tion 
[ əni záysh’n] noun

production of ions:
a process in which an atom or molecule loses or gains electrons, acquiring an
electric charge or changing an existing charge[1]



ionizationchamber

ionizationchamber
i·on·i·za·tion
cham·ber
(plural i·on·i·za·tion cham·bers) noun

device for measuring ionizing
radiation: a device used to detect and
measure ionizing radiation, consisting of a gas-filled tube with electrodes at
each end between which a voltage is maintained. Radiation that ionizes gas
molecules in the tube causes a current between the electrodes, the strength of
which is a function of the radiation’s intensity.[1]



ionize

ionize
i·on·ize 
[ ə nz] (past i·on·ized, past
participle i·on·ized, present participle i·on·iz·ing, 3rd
person present singular i·on·iz·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

produce
or become ions: to undergo or cause something to undergo
ionization
—i·on·iz·a·ble, adjective[1]



ionone

ionone
i·o·none 
[ ə nn] noun

violet-smelling
liquid:
a yellow liquid smelling of violets that is extracted from plants and used in
the production of perfumes. C13H20O
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek ion “violet” + -one .][1]



ionophore

ionophore
i·on·o·phore 
[ī ónnə fàwr] (plural i·on·o·phores)
noun

compound
making membranes permeable to ions: a
chemical compound that increases the permeability of biological membranes to
particular ions
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from ion + -phore
.][1]



ionosphere

ionosphere
i·on·o·sphere 
[ī ónnə sfr] noun

ionized
layers in upper atmosphere: four layers of the Earth’s
upper atmosphere in which incoming ionizing radiation from space creates ions
and free electrons that can reflect radio signals, enabling their transmission
around the world
[Early
20th century. Coined from ion + -sphere .]
—i·on·o·spher·ic
[ī ònnə sfrik, ī
ònnə sférrik], adjective

—i·on·o·spher·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ionosphericwave

ionosphericwave
i·on·o·spher·ic
wave
(plural i·on·o·spher·ic waves) noun

See
sky wave[1]



ionpropulsion

ionpropulsion
i·on
pro·pul·sion noun

See
ionic propulsion[1]



ionrocket

ionrocket
i·on
rock·et
(plural i·on rock·ets) noun

rocket with ion engine:
a rocket powered by an ion engine[1]



iontophoresis

iontophoresis
i·on·to·pho·re·sis 
[ī òntəfə rssiss] noun

ion
movement through tissue: the movement of ions through
biological material under the influence of an electric current
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek iont-, stem of iōn, present
participle of ienai “to go” (see ion
) + -phoresis .]
—i·on·to·pho·ret·ic
[ī òntəfə réttik], adjective

—i·on·to·pho·ret·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



IOOF

IOOF
IOOF

Abbreviation of
Independent Order of Oddfellows[1]



iota

iota
i·o·ta 
[ī ṓtə] (plural i·o·tas) noun

1.  9th
letter of Greek alphabet: the 9th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “i” or “j”

2.  small
amount:
a very small amount of something • anyone
with an iota of sense
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek iōta, from a Semitic source.][1]



iotacism

iotacism
i·o·ta·cism 
[ī ṓtə sìzzəm] noun

use
of iota sound: the tendency in speakers of modern Greek
to use the sound of iota in place of the sound of other vowel characters such
as eta or upsilon
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek iōtakismos, from iōta (see iota
).][1]



IOU

IOU
IOU 
[ ō y] (plural IOUs) noun

written
record of debt: a written acknowledgment of a debt
between the writer and somebody else
[Representation of “I owe
you”][1]



IOW

IOW
IOW

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of in other words[1]



Iowa

Iowa


I·o·wa 
[ èwè]

1.  state
in the north central United States bordered by Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Capital: Des Moines. Population:
2,852,423 (1997) Area: 145,754 sq km/56,276 sq mi.

2.        river
in Iowa that flows southeastward and empties into the Mississippi River.
Length: 530 km/330 mi.[1]



Iowa




Back to definition

Iowa

[1]



IowaCity

IowaCity
I·o·wa
Cit·y


city in eastern Iowa, on the
eastern bank of the Iowa River, northwest of Davenport and southeast of Cedar
Rapids. Population: 60,923 (1996)[1]



Iowan

Iowan
I·o·wan
[ əwən] noun

somebody
from Iowa:
somebody who lives in or was born or raised in the state of Iowa
—I·o·wan, adjective[1]



IP

IP
IP

1.  Abbreviation
of
image processing

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of
innings pitched

3.  Abbreviation
of
Internet protocol

[1]



IPA

IPA
IPA
or I.P.A.

Abbreviation of
International Phonetic Alphabet[1]



ipecac

ipecac
ip·e·cac 
[íppi kàk] or ip·e·cac·u·an·ha
[ìppi kakyoo ánnə, ìppi
kák yoo ánnyə] (plural ip·e·cacs or ip·e·cac·u·an·has)
noun

1.  PLANTS S
American shrub: a South American shrub, the roots of
which are a source of a vomit-inducing medicine ( emetic
). Latin name: Cephaelis ipecacuanha

2.  MEDICINE emetic:
an emetic made from the dried roots of the ipecac
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi ipe-kaâ-guéne, literally “low plant causing
vomit.”][1]



Iphigenia

Iphigenia
Iph·i·ge·ni·a 
[ìffijə n ə, ìffijə
n ə] noun

Greek mythological heroine:
in Greek mythology, a daughter of Agamemnon. He was prepared to sacrifice her
to Artemis in order to gain favorable winds for the Greek fleet to sail for
Troy. Differing versions of the myth give different accounts of her fate.[1]



IPL

IPL
IPL

Abbreviation of
initial program load[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ipm

ipm
ipm

Abbreviation of
inches per minute[1]



IPO

IPO
IPO

Abbreviation of
initial public offering[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ipoh

Ipoh
I·poh 
[pō]

city and capital of Perak
State, western Malaysia. Population: 382,633 (1991)[1]



ippon

ippon
ip·pon 
[i pón] (plural ip·pons) noun

winning
point:
a winning point awarded in judo or karate for perfect technique
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



iproniazid

iproniazid
ipro·ni·a·zid 
[prə n əzid] noun

antidepressant
drug:
a compound used as an antidepressant and, formerly, in treating tuberculosis. C9H13N3O
[Mid-20th century. Blend of isopropyl and isoniazid
.][1]



ips

ips
ips

Abbreviation of
inches per second[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ipsedixit

ipsedixit
ip·se
dix·it 
[ìpsi díksit] (plural ip·se
dix·its) noun

something
alleged:
something asserted dogmatically and without proof
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “he himself said it,” translating Greek autos epha, originally
used by Pythagoreans in reference to Pythagoras himself.][1]



ipsilateral

ipsilateral
ip·si·lat·er·al 
[ìpsə láttərəl] adjective

of
same side of body: being on or affecting the
same side of the body
[Early
20th century. Alteration of ipselateral, from Latin ipse “self,
same” + lateral .]
—ip·si·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



ipsissimaverba

ipsissimaverba
ip·sis·si·ma
ver·ba 
[ip sìssəmə vúrbə] plural noun

word
for word the same: the precise words used in
something that is quoted
[From Latin, “the very
words”][1]



ipsofacto

ipsofacto
ip·so
fac·to 
[ìpsō fáktō] adverb

because
of the fact: as the result of a particular fact
[From Latin, “by the fact
itself”][1]



ipsojure

ipsojure
ip·so
ju·re 
[ìpsō jree, ìpsō
yree] adverb

by
law:
by reason of a particular law
[From Latin, “by the law
itself”][1]



Ipswich

Ipswich
Ips·wich 
[ípswich]

1.  city
in Queensland, eastern Australia, just outside Brisbane. Population: 117,435
(1996)

2.  town
in northeastern Massachusetts, on the Ipswich River, northwest of Gloucester
and south of Newburyport. Population: 12,352 (1996)

[1]



i.q.

i.q.
i.q.

Abbreviation
of
idem quod
[Latin, “the same as”][1]



IQ

IQ
IQ
or I.Q. noun

measure of intelligence:
a measure of somebody’s intelligence, obtained through a series of aptitude
tests concentrating on different aspects of intellectual functioning. An IQ
score of 100 represents “average” intelligence. Full form intelligence quotient[1]



Iqbal,Muhammad

Iqbal,Muhammad
Iq·bal
[ík bal], Sir Muhammad (1875–1938)

Indian philosopher, poet, and
political leader. He became president of the Muslim League in 1930, and his
separatist political philosophy underpinned the eventual formation of Pakistan.[1]



Iquique

Iquique
I·qui·que 
[ee k kay]

seaport, city, and capital of
Tarapacá Region, northern Chile, situated 209 km/130 mi south of the Peruvian
border. Population: 145,139 (1992)[1]



Iquitos

Iquitos
I·qui·tos 
[ee k tōss]

city and river port in
northeastern Peru, situated on the upper Amazon, River 2,040 km/1,268 mi
overland northeast of Lima. Population: 266,175 (1993)[1]



IR

IR
IR

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
information retrieval

2.  Abbreviation
of
infrared (radiation)

3.  SPORTS Abbreviation of
inside right

4.  Abbreviation
of
international registration

5.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Iran

[1]



Ir

Ir
Ir

Symbol for
iridium[1]



ir-

ir-
ir-
prefix

(used before r)See
in- 1 See in- 2[1]



Ir.

Ir.
Ir.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Ireland

2.  Abbreviation
of
Irish

[1]



IRA

IRA1
IRA1 noun

Irish nationalist
organization: an organization of
Irish nationalists originally set up to strive for an independent Ireland by
force of arms and still dedicated to achieving the unity of the island of
Ireland. Full form Irish Republican Army[1]



IRA

IRA2
IRA2 noun

savings plan for retirement:
a plan that permits individuals to accumulate savings tax free until
retirement. Full form Individual Retirement Account[1]



iracund

iracund
i·ra·cund 
[rə kùnd] adjective

quick
to anger:
easily made angry (literary)
[Early
19th century. From Latin iracundus, from ira “anger” + -cundus
“inclined toward” (source of English jocund
).]
—i·ra·cun·di·ty [rə kúndətee], noun[1]



irade

irade
i·ra·de 
[ee rdee] (plural i·ra·des) noun

decree:
a written decree of a Muslim ruler, especially, formerly, the Sultan of Turkey
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic irādah “will, desire, wish.”][1]



Iran




Back to definition

Iran

[1]



Iran

Iran



I·ran 
[i ràn, i rn]
republic in southwestern Asia, formerly
known abroad as Persia. Language: Farsi. Currency: Iranian rial. Capital:
Tehran. Population: 67,540,002 (1997) Area: 1,648,000 sq km/636,300 sq mi. Official
name Islamic Republic of Iran[1]



Iran.

Iran.
Iran.

Abbreviation of
Iranian[1]



Iranian

Iranian
I·ra·ni·an 
[i ráynee ən] (plural I·ra·ni·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE large
subgroup of Indo-European languages: a
group of languages spoken in the region northeast of the Persian Gulf. It is a
subgroup of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European, and includes Baluchi,
Kurdish, and Farsi. About 70 million people speak an Iranian language.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Iran:
somebody who was born or raised in Iran, or who is a citizen of Iran
—I·ra·ni·an, adjective[1]



Iran-IraqWar

Iran-IraqWar
Iran-Iraq
War
noun

armed conflict in the Persian
Gulf: the war fought between Iran
and Iraq that lasted from 1980 to 1988, following the invasion of border
territory in Iran by Iraq.
Also called
Gulf War[1]



Iraq




Back to definition

Iraq

[1]



Iraq

Iraq



I·raq 
[i ràk, i ráak]
republic in southwestern Asia, bordered
by Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, Jordan, and Syria.
Language: Arabic. Currency: Iraqi dinar. Capital: Baghdad. Population:
22,219,289 (1997) Area: 438,317 sq km/169,235 sq mi. Official name Republic
of Iraq[1]



Iraqi

Iraqi
I·ra·qi 
[i rákee, i
rkee] (plural I·ra·qis) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Iraq:
somebody who was born or raised in Iraq, or who is a citizen of Iraq

2.  LANGUAGE Arabic
dialect of Iraq: the modern dialect of Arabic spoken in
Iraq
—I·ra·qi, adjective[1]



irascible

irascible
i·ras·ci·ble 
[i rássəb’l] adjective

1.  quick-tempered:
easily provoked to anger or outbursts of temper

2.  showing
anger:
showing or typical of anger
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin irascibilis “quick to anger, irritable,”
from irasci “to grow angry,” from ira “anger.”]
—i·ras·ci·bil·i·ty
[i ràssə bíllətee], noun

—i·ras·ci·ble·ness
[i rássəb’lnəss], noun

—i·ras·ci·bly, adverb[1]



irate

irate
i·rate 
[ī ráyt] adjective

1.  very
angry:
feeling great anger

2.  indicating
anger:
showing or typical of great anger
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin iratus “enraged,” past participle of irasci
“to grow angry.”]
—i·rate·ly,
adverb

—i·rate·ness, noun[1]



Irawadi

Irawadi
Ir·a·wad·i

See
Irrawaddy[1]



IRBM

IRBM
IRBM

Abbreviation of
intermediate-range ballistic missile[1]



Ire.

Ire.
Ire.

Abbreviation of
Ireland[1]



ire

ire
ire 
[r] noun

anger:
a feeling or display of deep anger or fury (literary)
[13th
century. Via French from Latin ira “anger,” of uncertain origin.]
—ire·ful,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger

[1]



Ireland

Ireland



Ire·land 
[rlənd]

1.  island
in northwestern Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain. It
comprises the Republic of Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.
Area: 84,431 sq km/32,599 sq mi.

2.        republic
occupying the southern, central, and northwestern parts of the island of
Ireland. Language: English, Irish Gaelic. Currency: punt. Capital: Dublin.
Population: 3,606,952 (1997) Area: 70,273 sq km/27,133 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Ireland[1]



Ireland




Back to definition

Ireland

[1]



irenic

irenic
i·ren·ic 
[ī rénnik, ī
rnik] or i·ren·i·cal [ī
rénnik’l, ī rnik’l] adjective

aimed
at peace:
promoting or intended to promote peace (literary)
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek eirēnikos “peaceable, peaceful,” from eirēnē
“peace.”]
—i·ren·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



irenics

irenics
i·ren·ics
[ī rénniks, ī
rniks] noun

theology promoting Christian
unity: a branch of theology that
seeks to promote unity between different churches and religious groups (takes
a singular verb)[1]



IrianJaya

IrianJaya
I·ri·an
Jay·a
[írree èn j è]

province of Indonesia,
consisting of the western half of the island of New Guinea and including
islands off its northern and northwestern coasts. Former name West New
Guinea[1]



irid-

irid-
irid-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
irido-[1]



iridaceous

iridaceous
ir·i·da·ceous 
[ìrri dáyshəss] adjective

of iris family:
relating or belonging to the family of flowering plants that includes the iris
and crocus. Family: Iridaceae[1]



iridectomy

iridectomy
ir·i·dec·to·my 
[ìrri déktəmee] (plural ir·i·dec·to·mies)
noun

eye operation:
the surgical removal of part of the iris of the eye[1]



iridescent

iridescent
ir·i·des·cent 
[ìrri déss’nt] adjective

1.  having
rainbow colors: marked by or showing rainbow colors that
appear to move and change as the angle at which they are seen changes

2.  lustrous:
having a lustrous or brilliant appearance or quality
—ir·i·des·cence,
noun

—ir·i·des·cent·ly, adverb[1]



iridic

iridic1
i·rid·ic1  [i
ríddik, ī ríddik] adjective

of
iridium:
relating to, involving, or containing the element iridium
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from iridium .][1]



iridic

iridic2
i·rid·ic2  [i
ríddik, ī ríddik] adjective

of
the iris of the eye: relating to or typical of
the iris of the eye
[Late 19th century. Formed
from irid-, the stem of Iris (see iris ).][1]



iridium

iridium

i·rid·i·um 
[i ríddee əm] noun
silver-white
metallic element: a brittle silver-white metallic chemical
element that forms hard corrosion-resistant alloys used in pen nibs, jewelry,
watch and compass pivot bearings, surgical instruments, electrical contacts,
and chemical crucibles. The international kilogram standard maintained in Paris
is made of an alloy of 10 parts iridium and 90 parts platinum. Symbol Ir
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from irid-, from the
rainbow colors of the metal when dissolved in hydrochloric acid.][1]



irido-

irido-
irido-
prefix

1.  iris
• iridotomy
• iridaceous

2.  rainbow
• iridescent

3.  iridium
• iridosmine
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek irid-, the stem of iris (see iris
)][1]



iridocyte

iridocyte
i·rid·o·cyte 
[i ríddə st, ī
ríddə st] (plural i·rid·o·cytes) noun

fish skin cell:
a cell in the skin of fish and certain cephalopods that contains guanine and
causes iridescence[1]



iridology

iridology
ir·i·dol·o·gy 
[ìrri dólləjee] noun

diagnosis
from examination of the iris: a technique in alternative
medicine by which diagnosis of various bodily disorders is claimed to be
possible by examination of the fine structure of the iris of the eye
—ir·i·dol·o·gist, noun[1]



iridosmine

iridosmine
ir·i·dos·mine 
[ìrri dóz mn] or ir·i·dos·mi·um
[ìrri dózmee əm] noun

alloy
of iridium and osmium: an ore and natural alloy of
iridium and osmium in which the osmium content exceeds 35 percent, with traces
of platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iron, and copper
[Early 19th century. Blend of
iridium and osmium
.][1]



iridotomy

iridotomy
ir·i·dot·o·my
[ìrri dóttəmee] (plural ir·i·dot·o·mies)
noun

eye operation:
a surgical operation in which the iris of the eye is cut into, nowadays using a
laser[1]



iris

iris

i·ris 
[riss] (plural i·ris·es) noun

1.  ANATOMY part
of eye:
the colored part of the eye that consists of a muscular diaphragm surrounding
the pupil and regulating the light entering the eye by expanding and
contracting the pupil

2.  PLANTS flowering
plant:
a plant with long sword-shaped leaves and large brightly colored flowers.
Genus: Iris
Also
called
fleur-de-lis

3.  METEOROLOGY rainbow:
a rainbow (literary)

4.  COLORS rainbow
show of colors: a show of colors of various hues, like a
rainbow

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY See iris diaphragm
[15th century. Directly, or
via modern Latin, from Greek iris, Iris, “rainbow” (or the
messenger-goddess personifying it), “iris (of the eye), iris (the flower).”][1]



irisdiaphragm

irisdiaphragm
i·ris
di·a·phragm
(plural i·ris di·a·phragms) noun

aperture control:
a diaphragm consisting of adjustable thin plates that control the size of an
aperture, especially one used in a camera to control the amount of light
allowed to enter.
Also called
iris[1]



Irish

Irish
I·rish 
[rish] adjective

1.  of
Ireland:
relating to Ireland, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Irish Gaelic: relating to the Irish Gaelic language

3.  LANGUAGE of
English dialect of Ireland: relating to the dialect of
English spoken in Ireland
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
from Ireland: people who were born or raised in
Ireland, or who have Irish citizenship
noun

LANGUAGE See Irish Gaelic
[13th
century. Formed from Īr-, stem of Old English Īras “inhabitants
of Ireland,” of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Old Irish Ériu
“Ireland.”]
—I·rish·ness, noun[1]



Irishcoffee

Irishcoffee
I·rish
cof·fee
(plural I·rish cof·fees) noun

coffee with whiskey:
a hot drink of sweetened coffee containing Irish whiskey and topped with cream[1]



Irishelk

Irishelk
I·rish
elk
noun

extinct giant elk:
any of various extinct giant large-antlered Eurasian deer of the Pleistocene
epoch. Genus: Megaloceros[1]



IrishEnglish

IrishEnglish
I·rish
Eng·lish
noun

English
in Ireland:
the variety of English spoken in Ireland
—I·rish
Eng·lish, adjective





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Irish English is the English language as
  used in Ireland since at least the 16th century. For some observers, the
  terms Irish English, Anglo-Irish, and Hiberno-English
  mean much the same; for others, the term Irish
  English refers to English throughout Ireland, Anglo-Irish refers to a
  variety which originated among settlers from England (and has been especially
  associated with a Dublin élite), and Hiberno-English refers to usage markedly
  influenced by Irish Gaelic, although all commentators agree that it is
  difficult to draw a clear line between the various kinds of Irish English . Northern Irish English is
  generally regarded as a distinct variety of Irish
  English (but is not usually contrasted with a “Southern Irish
  English”). Within Northern Ireland, Ulster Scots derives from the settlement
  (or as it was called at the time, “plantation”) of Scottish Protestants in
  the North from the early 17th century onward. Irish
  English is generally “rhotic” (that is, r is pronounced in
  words such as art, door, and worker ) and “retroflex”
  (that is, with the tip of the tongue curled back and raised); the “wh” in
  words like why and what is pronounced as “hw,” so that whales
  and Wales are clearly distinguished; words like three and those
  are commonly pronounced like “tree” and “dose” and words like leave
  and tea as “lave” and “tay.” There are distinctive grammatical forms
  influenced by Irish Gaelic. First, forms like these are used for emphasis and
  increased focus: “It’s a fine man he is,”“It was to help her I went,” and
  “It’s himself was the best player.” Second is the use of after and -ing
  to mark an action just completed: “She’s after helping them this very
  morning.” The third is the omission of yes and no in answers:
  “Did you come yesterday? -- I did”; “Can you see him now? -- We can.”
  Vocabulary adapted from Gaelic includes the now internationally current banshee
  (from bean sidhe “fairy woman”), colleen (“young woman,” from cailin
  ), kitter (“left-handed,” from citeóg ), shillelagh (a
  thick stick, from the town of the same name); and whiskey or whisky
  (both originally from Gaelic uisge beatha “water of life”).

[1]



IrishGaelic

IrishGaelic
I·rish
Gael·ic
noun

official
language of Republic of Ireland: an official language
of the Republic of Ireland, spoken mainly in the western parts of the country.
It is one of the Goidelic group of the Celtic branch of Indo-European. Irish
Gaelic is spoken by about 5,000 people as a first language, with approximately
a million others using it as a second language.
Also
called
Irish
—I·rish Gael·ic, adjective[1]



Irishharp

Irishharp
I·rish
harp
(plural I·rish harps) noun

small harp:
a small diatonic harp constructed with a hollowed willow soundbox[1]



Irishism

Irishism
I·rish·ism 
[ri shìzzəm] (plural I·rish·isms)
noun

Irish expression:
an expression or custom common among the Irish.
Also called
Hibernicism[1]



Irishman

Irishman
I·rish·man 
[rishmən] (plural I·rish·men
[rishmən]) noun

man from Ireland:
a man who was born in or who lives in Ireland, or who is of Irish descent[1]



Irishmoss

Irishmoss
I·rish
moss
noun

edible seaweed:
an edible red seaweed found on the coasts of Europe and North America, from
which a complex carbohydrate food additive ( carrageenan
) is obtained. Latin name: Chondrus crispus
Also called
carrageen[1]



Irishpotato

Irishpotato
I·rish
po·ta·to
noun

See
potato[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








IrishRepublican Army

IrishRepublican Army
I·rish
Re·pub·li·can Ar·my noun

Full form of
IRA[1]



IrishSea

IrishSea
I·rish
Sea

body of water situated
between Great Britain and Ireland, connecting to the North Atlantic Ocean to
the south through St. George’s Channel and to the north through the North
Channel. Area: 103,600 sq km/40,000 sq mi.[1]



Irishsetter

Irishsetter
I·rish
set·ter
(plural I·rish set·ters) noun

large dog with reddish coat:
a setter with a silky reddish coat, originally bred in Ireland.
Also called
red setter[1]



Irishstew

Irishstew
I·rish
stew
noun

lamb and potato stew:
a stew of lamb or mutton, potatoes, and onions[1]



Irishterrier

Irishterrier
I·rish
ter·ri·er
(plural I·rish ter·ri·ers) noun

small dog with reddish coat:
a terrier with a wiry reddish coat, originally bred in Ireland[1]



Irishwater spaniel

Irishwater spaniel
I·rish
wa·ter span·iel (plural I·rish wa·ter
span·iels) noun

large spaniel:
a spaniel with a dense curly liver-colored coat, originally bred in Ireland. It
is used in hunting waterfowl.[1]



Irishwhiskey

Irishwhiskey
I·rish
whis·key
noun

alcoholic drink made in
Ireland: whiskey made in Ireland,
principally of barley[1]



Irishwolfhound

Irishwolfhound
I·rish
wolf·hound
(plural I·rish wolf·hounds) noun

large dog with shaggy coat:
a large powerful hound with a rough shaggy coat, belonging to an ancient breed
originally developed in Ireland. The Irish wolfhound is the tallest breed of
dog in the world.[1]



Irishwoman

Irishwoman
I·rish·wom·an 
[rish wmmən] (plural I·rish·wom·en
[rish wìmmin]) noun

woman from Ireland:
a woman who was born in or who lives in Ireland, or who is of Irish descent[1]



irisin

irisin
iris
in
intransitive verb

expand picture area:
to open up the iris diaphragm of a camera gradually in order to expand the
picture area[1]



irisout

irisout
iris
out
intransitive verb

contract picture area:
to close the iris diaphragm of a camera gradually in order to contract the
picture area until the image darkens completely. Irising out was formerly a
common way to end a film or sequence.[1]



iritis

iritis
i·ri·tis 
[ī rtiss] noun

eye
inflammation: inflammation of the iris of the eye
[Early
19th century. Coined from iris + -itis .]
—i·rit·ic [ī ríttik], adjective[1]



irk

irk
irk 
[urk] (past irked, past
participle irked, present participle irk·ing, 3rd
person present singular irks) transitive verb

irritate
somebody:
to annoy somebody slightly, especially by being tedious
[14th
century. Earliest sense “to grow weary or vexed”; originally northern English;
origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse yrkja “to work.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at annoy See Synonyms at bother

[1]



irksome

irksome
irk·some 
[úrksəm] adjective

annoying:
slightly annoying, especially by being tedious
—irk·some·ly,
adverb

—irk·some·ness, noun[1]



Irkutsk

Irkutsk
Ir·kutsk 
[ur ktsk, eer
ktsk]

city in southern Siberian
Russia and capital of Irkutsk Oblast. It is situated on the Angara River, 72
km/45 mi from the southwestern shore of Lake Baikal. Population: 639,000 (1992)[1]



IRL

IRL
IRL

1.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Republic of
Ireland

2.
(used in e-mail messages) Abbreviation of in real life

[1]



IRO

IRO
IRO
(plural IROs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Refugee Organization

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Relief Organization

[1]



iroko

iroko
i·ro·ko 
[i rṓkō] (plural i·ro·kos) noun

1.  TREES African
tree:
a hardwood tree of tropical Africa. Genus: Chlorophora

2.  INDUSTRY hard
African wood: the hard brown wood of the iroko tree,
often used as a substitute for teak
[Late 19th century. From
Yoruba .][1]



iron

iron

i·ron 
[īrn] noun (plural i·rons)

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS metallic
element:
a heavy magnetic malleable ductile lustrous silvery-white metallic element used
for a variety of engineering and structural products. It is also present in
very small quantities in the blood. It is the fourth most abundant element in
the earth’s crust and is believed to make up 80 percent of the planet’s core. Symbol
Fe

2.  harsh
character:
a strong, unyielding, or hard aspect of somebody’s nature

3.  heated
tool:
any of various tools made of iron or steel, usually heated before and during
use • a
soldering iron

4.  HOUSEHOLD clothes
presser:
a small, usually electrical, appliance with a handle and a flat metal base that
is heated for use in pressing clothes and sometimes contains water to make
steam

5.  GOLF metal-headed
golf club:
any of various golf clubs with metal heads, differentiated by numbers that
indicate different angles of the face and lengths of the shaft

6.  EQUESTRIAN See stirrup

7.  handgun:
a handgun, especially a revolver (archaic slang) • a
shooting iron

8.  TECHNOLOGY computer
hardware:
computer hardware, especially older and larger mainframes (slang) • a
company with some big iron
plural noun i·rons

restraints for the arms or legs:
manacles or fetters for restraining the arms or legs
adjective

1.  made
of iron:
relating to or made of iron

2.  very
strong:
very strong or hard

3.  tough:
very robust or tough

4.  unyielding:
very determined, unyielding, or cruel
verb (past
i·roned, past participle i·roned, present participle
i·ron·ing, 3rd person present singular i·rons)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb HOUSEHOLD press clothes:
to press clothes or other fabrics with an iron to remove wrinkles

2.  transitive
verb
cover
with iron:
to cover or clad something with iron

3.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY fetter
prisoner:
to place fetters on a prisoner (archaic)
[Old
English īren, from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin:
probably via Celtic from, ultimately, an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English ore]
—i·ron·ness,
noun
have several irons in the fire

to
be involved in several different activities at the same time

pump iron

to
do weight-lifting exercises for bodybuilding or fitness (slang)

strike while the iron is hot

to act while circumstances
are favorable for a successful outcome[1]



IronAge

IronAge

I·ron Age 
noun
archaeological time:
the period following the Bronze Age from about 1500 BC onward in the Middle East, during which iron was
increasingly used in making tools and weapons[1]



ironage

ironage
i·ron
age 
(plural i·ron ag·es) noun

degenerate era:
in Greek and Roman mythology, an era regarded as the third and last step in
humankind’s degeneration from the golden age[1]



ironage

ironage
i·ron
age 
(plural i·ron ag·es) noun

degenerate era:
in Greek and Roman mythology, an era regarded as the third and last step in
humankind’s degeneration from the golden age[1]



ironbark

ironbark
i·ron·bark
[rn brk] (plural i·ron·barks)
noun

Australian tree:
any of several species of Australian eucalyptus trees noted for their hard
rough bark, for example, red ironbark. Latin name: Eucalyptus sideroxylon[1]



ironblue

ironblue
i·ron
blue
noun

blue pigment:
an insoluble compound used as a blue pigment in paint, ink, and paper dyeing,
and in fertilizers. Fe7C18N18·10H2O[1]



ironbound

ironbound
i·ron·bound 
[rn bòwnd] adjective

1.  decorated
with iron:
wrapped or decorated with iron bands

2.  harsh:
stern or unyielding

3.  rugged:
edged or enclosed with rocks (literary) • an
ironbound coast

[1]



ironclad

ironclad
i·ron·clad 
[rn klàd] adjective

1.  covered
or protected with iron: covered with iron,
especially as a protection or armor

2.  strong:
strong, firm, or unyielding

3.  irrefutable:
not capable of being attacked or refuted • an
ironclad alibi
noun
(plural i·ron·clads)

armored ship: a
19th-century wooden warship armored with metal plates

[1]



IronCross

IronCross
I·ron
Cross
(plural I·ron Cross·es) noun

German military medal:
the highest German military decoration, instituted in Prussia in 1813 and
awarded during World Wars I and II[1]



ironcurtain

ironcurtain
i·ron
cur·tain
(plural i·ron cur·tains) noun

impenetrable barrier:
an impenetrable barrier to understanding, awareness, or agreement[1]



IronCurtain

IronCurtain
I·ron
Cur·tain
noun

former European border:
the militarized border between the Communist bloc and western Europe during the
Cold War, or the policy of isolation that prevented western and eastern
Europeans from traveling or communicating freely. The Iron Curtain existed from
the end of World War II until the fall of eastern European Communist
governments between 1989 and 1991. “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in
the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” Sir Winston
Churchill Fulton, Missouri, Speech 1946[1]



irongray

irongray
i·ron
gray
adjective

dark
gray-green:
of a dark gray color with a greenish hue
—i·ron gray, noun[1]



ironhand

ironhand
i·ron
hand
noun

rigorous
control:
strict, harsh, or despotic control
—i·ron·hand·ed
[rn hándəd], adjective

—i·ron·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



ironhorse

ironhorse
i·ron
horse
(plural i·ron hors·es) noun

steam locomotive:
a steam-powered railroad locomotive (dated)[1]



ironic

ironic
i·ron·ic 
[ī rónnik] or i·ron·i·cal [ī rónnik] adjective

involving
irony:
relating to, characterized by, using, or containing irony
—i·ron·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—i·ron·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



ironing

ironing
i·ron·ing 
[rning] noun

1.  pressing
clothes:
the act of pressing clothes or other fabrics to remove wrinkles

2.  clothes:
clothes that have been ironed or have to be ironed

[1]



ironingboard

ironingboard
i·ron·ing
board
(plural i·ron·ing boards) noun

board for ironing clothes:
a covered, often padded board on legs on which clothes are ironed[1]



ironize

ironize
i·ron·ize
[rə nz] (past i·ron·ized, past
participle i·ron·ized, present participle i·ron·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·ron·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
use
irony:
to use irony or be ironic

2.  transitive
verb
make
something ironic: to give something an ironic tone, or
make something ironic in nature

[1]



ironlung

ironlung
i·ron
lung
(plural i·ron lungs) noun

breathing apparatus:
an airtight metal cylinder encasing a patient up to the neck, formerly used to
provide help in breathing by alternating air pressure within the cylinder[1]



ironmaiden

ironmaiden
i·ron
maid·en
(plural i·ron maid·ens) noun

torture instrument:
a medieval instrument of torture consisting of a hinged box shaped like a human
body and lined with spikes that impale somebody placed inside as it is closed[1]



ironman

ironman
i·ron
man
noun

1.  strong
man:
a man of great physical strength and endurance

2.  Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. men’s
sports competition: an athletic competition for
men held at a beach and including a variety of disciplines such as surfing,
canoeing, swimming, and running

[1]



ironmonger

ironmonger
i·ron·mon·ger 
[rn mùng gər, rn
mòng gər] (plural i·ron·mon·gers) noun

U.K.
dealer
in metal goods: somebody who deals in tools and other
articles made chiefly of metal
—i·ron·mon·ger·y, noun[1]



ironout

ironout
iron
out
transitive verb

1.  smooth
something:
to smooth away wrinkles in a garment or fabric using an iron

2.  settle
or resolve something: to settle a dispute or
resolve a problem by removing difficulties

[1]



ironoxide

ironoxide
i·ron
ox·ide
noun

compound of iron and oxygen:
any of the natural or synthetic compounds of iron and oxygen[1]



ironpan

ironpan
i·ron
pan
(plural i·ron pans) noun

hard layer in sand or gravel:
a hard layer below the surface of sand or gravel in which iron salts from
percolating water have precipitated, cementing the grains of the material
together[1]



ironpyrites

ironpyrites
i·ron
py·rites
[rn p rts] noun

See
pyrite[1]



ironration

ironration
i·ron
ra·tion
(plural i·ron ra·tions) noun

ration of emergency food:
a ration of food designed to be used in an emergency, especially by military
personnel.
U.K. term
iron rations[1]



ironside

ironside
i·ron·side
[rn sd] (plural i·ron·sides)
noun

strong man:
a man of great physical strength or endurance[1]



ironsides

ironsides
i·ron·sides
noun

See
ironside[1]



ironstone

ironstone
i·ron·stone 
[rn stn] noun

1.  GEOLOGY iron-bearing
sedimentary rock: any sedimentary rock that contains a
large amount of iron ore

2.  CERAMICS white
pottery:
a hard and durable variety of white pottery

[1]



ironweed

ironweed
i·ron·weed 
[rn wd] noun

American weed:
any of various American weeds with purplish flowers and alternate leaves.
Genus: Vernonia[1]



ironwoman

ironwoman
i·ron
wom·an
noun

Australia, New Zealand,
U.S. women’s sports competition:
an athletic competition for women held at a beach and including a variety of
disciplines such as surfing, canoeing, swimming, and running[1]



ironwood

ironwood
i·ron·wood 
[rn wd] (plural i·ron·woods or
i·ron·wood) noun

1.  TREES tree
with hard wood: any of a range of trees that have very
hard wood, for example, the hornbeam

2.  INDUSTRY hard
wood:
the very hard wood of an ironwood tree

[1]



ironwork

ironwork

i·ron·work 
[rn wùrk] (plural i·ron·works)
noun
something made of iron:
something made of iron, for example, a gate, especially when it is decorative[1]



ironworker

ironworker
i·ron·work·er 
[rn wùrkər] (plural i·ron·work·ers)
noun

1.  worker
in ironworks: somebody employed in an ironworks

2.  maker
of ironwork: somebody who produces ironwork

[1]



ironworks

ironworks
i·ron·works 
[rn wùrks] noun

factory for iron goods:
a factory where iron is smelted or large metal goods are made (takes a
singular verb)[1]



irony

irony
i·ro·ny 
[rənee] (plural i·ro·nies) noun

1.  humor
based on opposites: a type of humor based on
using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning

2.  something
humorous based on contradiction: something said or
written that uses sardonic humor

3.  incongruity:
incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen,
especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable

4.  incongruous
thing:
something that happens that is incongruous with what might be expected to
happen, especially when this seems absurd or laughable

5.  See
dramatic irony

6.  See
Socratic irony
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin ironia from Greek eirōneia “pretended ignorance,” formed
from eirōn “dissembler,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from eirein
“to say.”][1]



Iroquoian

Iroquoian
Ir·o·quoi·an 
[ìrrə kwóy ən] (plural Ir·o·quoi·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE Native
N American family of languages: a family of Native
North American languages spoken by Iroquois peoples of eastern North America.
Its many languages include Mohawk, Seneca, Cherokee, and Huron.

2.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of any of the
Native North American peoples who speak an Iroquoian language
—Ir·o·quoi·an, adjective[1]



Iroquois

Iroquois
Ir·o·quois 
[írrə kwòy] (plural Ir·o·quois)
noun

member
of Native N American people: a member of a former
confederacy of six Native North American peoples, the Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca,
Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora. Originally settled along the Hudson River
Valley, many Iroquois now live in urban areas.
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Algonquian .]
—Ir·o·quois, adjective[1]



IRQ

IRQ
IRQ

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Iraq[1]



irradiant

irradiant
ir·ra·di·ant 
[i ráydee ənt] adjective

shining:
radiating light or shining brightly
[Early 16th century. From
Latin irradiant-, present participle stem of irradiare (see irradiate ).][1]



irradiate

irradiate
ir·ra·di·ate 
[i ráydee àyt] (past ir·ra·di·at·ed,
past participle ir·ra·di·at·ed, present participle ir·ra·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ir·ra·di·ates) transitive verb

1.  expose
something to radiation: to expose somebody or
something to or treat somebody or something with radiation or streams of
particles

2.  preserve
food:
to treat food with electromagnetic radiation to kill microorganisms and slow
down the process of ripening and gradual deterioration or rotting

3.  light
something up: to make something brighter by shining
light onto it

4.  make
something intelligible: to make something
intellectually clear

5.  See
radiate  verb 4
[Early
17th century. From Latin irradiat-, past participle stem of irradiare
“to illumine, send out beams,” ultimately from radius “ray, beam.”]
—ir·ra·di·a·tive,
adjective

—ir·ra·di·a·tor, noun[1]



irradiation

irradiation
ir·ra·di·a·tion 
[i ràydee áysh’n] noun

1.  irradiating:
the act of irradiating somebody or something, or the state of being irradiated

2.  lighting
effect:
the visual effect by which a brightly lit thing appears larger against a dark
background

3.  MEDICINE medical
radiation:
the medical use of radiation, for example, X-rays, gamma rays, or neutrons

[1]



irradicable

irradicable
ir·rad·i·ca·ble 
[i ráddikəb’l] adjective

impossible
to eradicate: incapable of being eradicated
[Early
18th century. From medieval Latin irradicabilis, from Latin radicare,
“to take root,” wrongly understood as “to root out.”]
—ir·rad·i·ca·bly, adverb[1]



irrational

irrational
ir·ra·tion·al 
[i ráshən’l, i
ráshnəl] adjective

1.  lacking
in reason:
contrary to or lacking in reason or logic

2.  lacking
in logic:
unable to think logically

3.  unable
to think clearly: lacking the normal ability to think
clearly, especially because of shock or injury to the brain

4.  MATHEMATICS containing
irrational number: used to describe an
expression that contains an irrational number

5.  POETRY containing
metric irregularity: used to describe an
irregularity in the meter of a classical poem, usually where there is a long
foot instead of a short one
noun
(plural ir·ra·tionals)

1.  irrational
person:
somebody who is unable to think and reason clearly or logically

2.  MATHEMATICS See irrational number
[15th
century. From Latin irrationalis, from rationalis “endowed with
reason” (see rational ).]
—ir·ra·tion·al·i·ty
[i ràsh’n állətee], noun

—ir·ra·tion·al·ly
[i ráshən’lee, i
ráshnəlee], adverb

—ir·ra·tion·al·ness [i ráshnəlnəss], noun[1]



irrationalism

irrationalism
ir·ra·tion·al·ism 
[i ráshən’l ìzzəm, i
ráshnə lìzzəm] noun

1.  absence
of reason:
the state of lacking reason or logic

2.  belief
in feelings: the belief that feelings and intuition
are more important than reason
—ir·ra·tion·al·is·tic
[i ráshən’listik, i
ráshnəlistik], adjective[1]



irrationalnumber

irrationalnumber
ir·ra·tion·al
num·ber
(plural ir·ra·tion·al num·bers) noun

real number that is not
rational: any real number that cannot
be expressed as the exact ratio of two integers, for example, Ã2
and π.
Also called
irrational[1]



Irrawaddy

Irrawaddy
Ir·ra·wad·dy 
[ìrrè wóddee] or Ir·a·wad·i [ìrrè wóddee]

principal river of Myanmar
(Burma). Length: 2,100 km/1,300 mi.[1]



irreal

irreal
ir·real
[i r əl] adjective

not
real:
illusory or not actually existing
—ir·re·al·i·ty [ìrree állətee], noun[1]



irreclaimable

irreclaimable
ir·re·claim·a·ble 
[ìrri kláyməb’l] adjective

unable
to be reclaimed: not able to be reclaimed • an
irreclaimable desert • irreclaimable
damages
—ir·re·claim·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri kláymə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·claim·a·ble·ness
[ìrri kláyməb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·claim·a·bly, adverb[1]



irreconcilable

irreconcilable
ir·rec·on·cil·a·ble 
[i rèkən sləb’l, i
rékən sləb’l] adjective

1.  incompatible:
not capable of being made to agree or coexist with something else

2.  unresolvable:
incapable of being resolved

3.  implacable:
determinedly hostile and unwilling to accept compromise
noun
(plural ir·rec·on·cil·a·bles)

1.  implacable
person:
somebody who is determinedly hostile or will not accept compromise

2.  incompatible
idea:
any one of two or more ideas, beliefs, or principles that cannot be made to
agree or coexist
—ir·rec·on·cil·a·bil·i·ty
[i rèkən sīlə bíllətee], noun

—ir·rec·on·cil·a·ble·ness
[i rèkən sləb’lnəss, i rékən sləb’lnəss], noun

—ir·rec·on·cil·a·bly, adverb[1]



irrecoverable

irrecoverable
ir·re·cov·er·a·ble 
[ìrri kúvvərəb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of being regained: impossible to get back or
regain

2.  incapable
of being repaired: impossible to repair or
remedy
—ir·re·cov·er·a·ble·ness,
noun

—ir·re·cov·er·a·bly, adverb[1]



irredeemable

irredeemable
ir·re·deem·a·ble 
[ìrri dməb’l] adjective

1.  FINANCE unable
to be paid off: that cannot be ended by paying off the
principal

2.  FINANCE not
convertible into coins: that cannot be converted
into coins

3.  FINANCE not
recoverable: that cannot be made good once lost

4.  CHRISTIANITY incapable
of redemption: refusing to reform and unable to be
saved

5.  not
repairable:
impossible to repair
—ir·re·deem·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri deemə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·deem·a·ble·ness
[ìrri dməb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·deem·a·bly, adverb[1]



irredenta

irredenta
ir·re·den·ta
[ìrri déntə] (plural ir·re·den·tas)
noun

territory
under foreign rule: a territory that was once
part of one country but is now ruled by another and is subject to claims that
it should be returned to its former country
[Early 20th century. From
Italian (Italia) irredenta (see Irredentist
.][1]



irredentist

irredentist
ir·re·den·tist 
[ìrri déntist] (plural ir·re·den·tists)
noun

somebody
supporting recovery of former territory: a
member of a group of people who support the return to their country of
territories that used to belong to it but are now under foreign rule
—ir·re·den·tism, noun[1]



Irredentist

Irredentist
Ir·re·den·tist
(plural Ir·re·den·tists) noun

Italian
political activist: a member of an Italian
organization founded in 1878 that advocated the adding to Italy of
Italian-speaking territories that were under foreign control at that time
[Late 19th century. From
Italian irredentista, from (Italia) irredenta “unrecovered
(Italy),” from redento “redeemed,” from Latin redemptus (see redemption ).][1]



irreducible

irreducible
ir·re·duc·i·ble 
[ìrri dssəb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of being decreased: not able to be made smaller

2.  incapable
of simplification: not able to be simplified or
simplified further

3.  MATHEMATICS impossible
to factor into lesser polynomials: used to describe a
polynomial that cannot be factored into two polynomials of a lesser degree

4.  MATHEMATICS impossible
to reduce to rational expression: used to describe a
radical that cannot be reduced to a rational expression
—ir·re·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[ìrri dssə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·duc·i·ble·ness
[ìrri dssəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·duc·i·bly, adverb[1]



irreflexive

irreflexive
ir·re·flex·ive
[ìrri fléksiv] adjective

not reciprocal:
used to describe a relation in which, if a has the relation to b, then b does
not have the relation to a[1]



irreformable

irreformable
ir·re·form·a·ble
[ìrri fáwrməb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of reform:
incapable of being reformed

2.  incapable
of alteration: impossible to revise or alter
—ir·re·form·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri fáwrmə bíllətee], noun[1]



irrefragable

irrefragable
ir·ref·ra·ga·ble 
[i réffrəgəb’l] adjective

indisputable:
not able to be refuted or disputed (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin irrefragabilis, from Latin refragari “to
oppose, contest.”]
—ir·ref·ra·ga·bil·i·ty
[i rèffrəgə bíllətee], noun

—ir·ref·ra·ga·ble·ness
[i réffrəgəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·ref·ra·ga·bly, adverb[1]



irrefrangible

irrefrangible
ir·re·fran·gi·ble 
[ìrrə fránjəb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of being disobeyed: impossible to disobey or
violate (formal)

2.  incapable
of being broken: impossible to break or smash (formal)

3.  PHYSICS incapable
of being refracted: used to describe visible
light or other radiation that cannot be refracted
—ir·re·fran·gi·bil·i·ty
[ìrrə franjə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·fran·gi·ble·ness
[ìrrə fránjəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·fran·gi·bly, adverb[1]



irrefutable

irrefutable
ir·ref·u·ta·ble 
[ìrrə fytəb’l, i
réffyətəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being disproved: impossible to refute or
disprove
[Early
17th century. From late Latin irrefutabilis, from Latin refutare
“to refute.”]
—ir·ref·u·ta·bil·i·ty
[ìrrə fyootə bíllətee, i rèffyətə bíllətee], noun

—ir·ref·u·ta·ble·ness
[ìrrə fytəb’lnəss, i
réffyətəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·ref·u·ta·bly, adverb[1]



irreg.

irreg.
irreg.

Abbreviation of
irregular[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








irregardless

irregardless
ir·re·gard·less 
[ìrri grdləss] adverb

(nonstandard)
See regardless
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: probably a blend of irrespective
and regardless .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Nonstandard
  usage:
  A
  moment’s thought will reveal that since the prefix ir- means “not” (as
  it does in irrespective ), and the suffix -less means
  “without,” irregardless is an illogical
  double negative. As such it is to be avoided, in favor of irrespective
  or regardless.

[1]



irregular

irregular
ir·reg·u·lar 
[i réggyələr] adjective

1.  not
of uniform appearance: not even, uniform, or
symmetrical in appearance

2.  occurring
at odd intervals of time: not occurring at equally
spaced intervals of time

3.  nonconforming:
not conforming to common practices

4.  behaving
unacceptably: not conforming to accepted rules or
standards of behavior

5.  unauthorized:
not conforming to law or social conventions

6.  MILITARY unofficial:
not forming part of an official military body

7.  GRAMMAR not
formed by usual grammatical rules: not following the
usual rules of word formation

8.  MED constipated:
not having a regular daily bowel movement (used euphemistically)

9.  COMMERCE substandard:
not meeting the manufacturer’s standards for goods but still salable

10. BOTANY having
asymmetrical parts: not having symmetrical parts
noun
(plural ir·reg·u·lars)

1.  MILITARY soldier
not part of regular forces: a soldier who is not part of
of an official military body

2.  COMMERCE substandard
item:
an item of merchandise that does not meet the manufacturer’s standards but is
still salable (often used in the plural)
[15th
century. Via Old French irreguler from medieval Latin irregularis
“breaking a rule,” from regularis “of a rule” (see regular ).]
—ir·reg·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



irregularity

irregularity
ir·reg·u·lar·i·ty 
[i règgyə lérrətee] (plural ir·reg·u·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
irregular:
the state of being irregular

2.  irregular
thing:
something irregular, for example, a bump in a road

3.  unauthorized
thing:
something unauthorized or unacceptable by usual standards

4.  MED constipation:
the state of not having a regular daily bowel movement (used euphemistically)

[1]



irrelative

irrelative
ir·rel·a·tive 
[i réllətiv] adjective

1.  not
connected:
not related or connected

2.  not
applicable:
not relevant

[1]



irrelevant

irrelevant
ir·rel·e·vant 
[i rélləvənt] adjective

not
applicable:
not relevant or important
—ir·rel·e·vance,
noun

—ir·rel·e·van·cy,
noun

—ir·rel·e·vant·ly, adverb[1]



irreligious

irreligious
ir·re·lig·ious 
[ìrri líjjəss] adjective

1.  lacking
faith:
lacking in any religious faith

2.  against
religion:
opposed to religion
—ir·re·lig·ious·ly,
adverb

—ir·re·lig·ious·ness, noun[1]



irremeable

irremeable
ir·re·me·a·ble 
[i rmee əb’l] adjective

allowing
no return:
not allowing any possibility of return (archaic or literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin irremeabilis, from remeare “to return.”]
—ir·re·me·a·bly, adverb[1]



irremediable

irremediable
ir·re·me·di·a·ble 
[ìrri mdee əb’l] adjective

incapable
of being remedied: impossible to remedy or make
right
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin irremediabilis “incurable,” from remediare
“to cure.”]
—ir·re·me·di·a·ble·ness,
noun

—ir·re·me·di·a·bly, adverb[1]



irremissible

irremissible
ir·re·mis·si·ble 
[ìrri míssəb’l] adjective

1.  unpardonable:
not able to be pardoned or excused

2.  obligatory:
not able to be avoided or postponed
[15th
century. Directly or via French from ecclesiastical Latin irremissibilis
“unpardonable,” from Latin remiss-, past participle stem of remittere
“to forgive” (see remission ).]
—ir·re·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[ìrri missə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·mis·si·ble·ness
[ìrri míssəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·mis·si·bly, adverb[1]



irremovable

irremovable
ir·re·mov·a·ble 
[ìrri mvəb’l] adjective

not
able to be removed: incapable of being removed
—ir·re·mov·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri moovə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·mov·a·ble·ness
[ìrri mvəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·mov·a·bly, adverb[1]



irreparable

irreparable
ir·rep·a·ra·ble 
[i réppərəb’l] adjective

not
repairable:
not able to be repaired or fixed • did
irreparable damage to the computer
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin irreparabilis “not to be
recovered,” from reparare “to recover” (source of repair ).]
—ir·rep·a·ra·bil·i·ty
[i rèppərə bíllətee], noun

—ir·rep·a·ra·ble·ness
[i réppərəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·rep·a·ra·bly, adverb[1]



irrepealable

irrepealable
ir·re·peal·a·ble 
[ìrri pləb’l] adjective

incapable
of being repealed: not able to be repealed (formal)
—ir·re·peal·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri peelə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·peal·a·ble·ness
[ìrri pləb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·peal·a·bly, adverb[1]



irreplaceable

irreplaceable
ir·re·place·a·ble 
[ìrri pláyssəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being replaced: not able to be replaced
—ir·re·place·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri playssə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·place·a·ble·ness
[ìrri pláyssəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·place·a·bly, adverb[1]



irrepressible

irrepressible
ir·re·press·i·ble 
[ìrri préssəb’l] adjective

not
restrainable: not able to be controlled • irrepressible
high spirits
—ir·re·press·i·bil·i·ty
[ìrri pressə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·press·i·ble·ness
[ìrri préssəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·press·i·bly, adverb[1]



irreproachable

irreproachable
ir·re·proach·a·ble 
[ìrri prṓchəb’l] adjective

beyond
criticism:
not incurring any reproach or criticism
[Mid-17th
century. From French irréprochable, from réprochable
“reproachable.”]
—ir·re·proach·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri prōchə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·proach·a·ble·ness
[ìrri prṓchəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·proach·a·bly, adverb[1]



irreproducible

irreproducible
ir·re·pro·duc·i·ble
[i rprə dssəb’l] adjective

not
reproducible: impossible to reproduce
—ir·re·pro·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[i rprə doossə bíllətee], noun[1]



irresistible

irresistible
ir·re·sis·ti·ble 
[ìrri zístəb’l] adjective

1.  overpowering:
not able to be resisted or successfully opposed

2.  very
desirable:
so desirable as to be very difficult to resist
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin irresistibilis, from Latin resistere
“to oppose, resist.”]
—ir·re·sis·ti·bil·i·ty
[ìrri zistə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·sis·ti·ble·ness
[ìrri zístəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·sis·ti·bly, adverb[1]



irresoluble

irresoluble
ir·re·sol·u·ble 
[ìrri zóllyəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being resolved: incapable of being solved,
reconciled, or explained
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin irresolubilis “indissoluble,” from resolvere
“to melt, thaw, dissolve.”]
—ir·re·sol·u·bil·i·ty
[ìrri zollyə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·sol·u·bly [ìrri zóllyəblee], adverb[1]



irresolute

irresolute
ir·res·o·lute 
[i rézzə lt] adjective

incapable
of deciding: unsure and unable to make decisions
—ir·res·o·lute·ly,
adverb

—ir·res·o·lute·ness,
noun

—ir·res·o·lu·tion [i rèzzə lsh’n], noun[1]



irresolvable

irresolvable
ir·re·solv·a·ble 
[ìrri zólvəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to resolve into component parts: not able to be broken
down into different parts

2.  incapable
of solution: not able to be solved
—ir·re·solv·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri zolvə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·solv·a·ble·ness
[ìrri zólvəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·solv·a·bly, adverb[1]



irrespective

irrespective
ir·re·spec·tive 
[ìrri spéktiv] adjective

regardless:
without considering or regarding something
—ir·re·spec·tive·ly,
adverb
irrespective
of

without
consideration or regardless of

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at irregardless.

[1]



irresponsible

irresponsible
ir·re·spon·si·ble 
[ìrri spónsəb’l] adjective

1.  not
caring:
not having or showing any care for the consequences of personal actions

2.  LAW incapable
of responsibility: not capable of assuming
responsibility

3.  not
accountable: not answerable to a higher authority (archaic)
noun
(plural ir·re·spon·si·bles)

irresponsible person:
somebody who behaves irresponsibly
—ir·re·spon·si·bil·i·ty
[ìrri sponsə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·spon·si·ble·ness
[ìrri spónsəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·spon·si·bly, adverb[1]



irresponsive

irresponsive
ir·re·spon·sive 
[ìrri spónsiv] adjective

not
responding:
not responding quickly or favorably
—ir·re·spon·sive·ly,
adverb

—ir·re·spon·sive·ness,
noun[1]



irretrievable

irretrievable
ir·re·triev·a·ble 
[ìrri trvəb’l] adjective

1.  incapable
of recovery: impossible to find or recover

2.  incapable
of repair:
impossible to repair or fix
—ir·re·triev·a·bil·i·ty
[ìrri trvə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·triev·a·ble·ness
[ìrri treevəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·triev·a·bly, adverb[1]



irreverence

irreverence
ir·rev·er·ence 
[i révvərəns] (plural ir·rev·er·ences)
noun

1.  disrespect:
lack of respect or veneration

2.  disrespectful
thing:
something said or done that is disrespectful

[1]



irreverent

irreverent
ir·rev·er·ent 
[i révvərənt] adjective

disrespectful:
lacking in respect
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin irreverent-, from the present participle stem of revereri
“to revere, respect” (see revere ).]
—ir·rev·er·ent·ly, adverb[1]



irreversible

irreversible
ir·re·vers·i·ble 
[ìrri vúrsəb’l] adjective

incapable
of reversal: impossible to reverse or undo
—ir·re·vers·i·bil·i·ty
[ìrri vursə bíllətee], noun

—ir·re·vers·i·ble·ness
[ìrri vúrsəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·re·vers·i·bly, adverb[1]



irrevocable

irrevocable
ir·rev·o·ca·ble 
[i révvəkəb’l] adjective

impossible
to revoke:
not able to be revoked, undone, or changed
[14th
century. Directly or via French irrévocable from Latin irrevocabilis
“that cannot be recalled or altered,” from revocare “to recall,” later
“retract” (see revoke ).]
—ir·rev·o·ca·bil·i·ty
[i rèvvəkə bíllətee], noun

—ir·rev·o·ca·ble·ness
[i révvək əb’lnəss], noun

—ir·rev·o·ca·bly, adverb[1]



irrigate

irrigate
ir·ri·gate 
[írri gàyt] (past ir·ri·gat·ed,
past participle ir·ri·gat·ed, present participle ir·ri·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ir·ri·gates) transitive verb

1.  AGRICULTURE supply
area with water: to bring a supply of water to a dry
area, especially in order to help crops to grow

2.  MEDICINE wash
something out: to make water or liquid medication flow
through or over a body part or wound

3.  refresh
something:
to make something fresh
[Early
17th century. From Latin irrigat-, past participle stem of irrigare,
literally “to water in,” from rigare “to water.”]
—ir·ri·ga·ble
[írrigəb’l], adjective

—ir·ri·ga·tion
[ìrri gáysh’n], noun

—ir·ri·ga·tion·al
[ìrri gáyshnəl], adjective

—ir·ri·ga·tive
[írri gàytiv], adjective

—ir·ri·ga·tor, noun[1]



irritable

irritable
ir·ri·ta·ble 
[írritəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
annoyed:
easily annoyed or exasperated

2.  MEDICINE sensitive:
extremely sensitive, especially to inflammation

3.  BIOLOGY responsive
to stimuli:
used to describe an organism that is able to respond to stimuli
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin irritabilis “easily enraged,” from irritare
“to provoke, aggravate.”]
—ir·ri·ta·bil·i·ty
[ìrritə bíllətee], noun

—ir·ri·ta·ble·ness
[írritəb’lnəss], noun

—ir·ri·ta·bly, adverb[1]



irritablebowel syndrome

irritablebowel syndrome
ir·ri·ta·ble
bow·el syn·drome noun

painful bowel condition:
a condition of the bowel in which there is recurrent pain with constipation or
diarrhea or alternating attacks of these.
Also called
spastic colon[1]



irritant

irritant
ir·ri·tant 
[írritənt] adjective

causing
irritation:
causing irritation, especially physical irritation
noun
(plural ir·ri·tants)

annoyance:
something that causes irritation
[Early
17th century. From Latin irritant-, present participle stem of irritare
“to provoke, aggravate.”]
—ir·ri·tan·cy, noun[1]



irritate

irritate
ir·ri·tate 
[írri tàyt] (past ir·ri·tat·ed,
past participle ir·ri·tat·ed, present participle ir·ri·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ir·ri·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb annoy
somebody:
to cause somebody to feel annoyance or exasperation, or cause annoyance or
exasperation

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE inflame
body part:
to stimulate a body part excessively, causing a painful reaction, for example,
inflammation

3.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY stimulate
organism:
to stimulate an organism so as to provoke a response
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin irritat-, past participle stem of irritare
“to provoke, aggravate.”]
—ir·ri·tat·ing,
adjective

—ir·ri·tat·ing·ly,
adverb

—ir·ri·ta·tive,
adjective

—ir·ri·ta·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at annoy

[1]



irritation

irritation
ir·ri·ta·tion 
[ìrri táysh’n] (plural ir·ri·ta·tions)
noun

1.  annoyance:
a feeling of annoyance or exasperation

2.  act
of annoying: the act of causing annoyance or
exasperation

3.  somebody
or something annoying: something who or somebody
that causes annoyance or exasperation

4.  MEDICINE reaction
to irritant: a painful reaction, especially an
inflammation, caused by an irritant

5.  MEDICINE inflaming:
the act of causing a painful reaction, especially an inflammation

[1]



irrupt

irrupt
ir·rupt 
[i rúpt] (past ir·rupt·ed, past
participle ir·rupt·ed, present participle ir·rupt·ing,
3rd person present singular ir·rupts) intransitive verb

1.  enter
abruptly:
to enter suddenly or violently

2.  increase
quickly:
to increase suddenly and rapidly, for example, in number
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin irrupt-, past participle stem of irrumpere
“to break into a place,” from rumpere “to break” (source of English rupture ).]
—ir·rup·tion [i rúpshən], noun[1]



irruptive

irruptive
ir·rup·tive 
[i rúptiv] adjective

1.  breaking
in:
entering suddenly, or likely to enter suddenly

2.  GEOLOGY injected
into rock:
used to describe igneous rock that is injected forcibly into preexisting rock
formations
—ir·rup·tive·ly, adverb[1]



IRS

IRS
IRS

Abbreviation of
Internal Revenue Service[1]



Irtysh

Irtysh
Ir·tysh
[ir tísh]

See
Ob’[1]



Irvine

Irvine
Ir·vine
[úrvən, úr vīn]

city in southwestern
California, situated just southeast of Santa Ana. Population: 125,624 (1994)[1]



Irving,John

Irving,John
Ir·ving 
[úrving], John (1942– )

U.S. novelist. His works
include The World According to Garp (1978) and The Hotel New
Hampshire (1981).[1]



Irvington

Irvington
Ir·ving·ton 
[úrvingtən]

1.  town
in northeastern New Jersey, situated southwest of and adjoining Newark.
Population: 61,018 (1990)

2.  village
in Westchester County, New York, situated on the Hudson River 35 km/22 mi north
of New York City

[1]



Irving,Washington

Irving,Washington

Ir·ving 
[úrving], Washington (1783–1859)
U.S. writer. The first U.S. author to
achieve international renown, he is best known for The Sketch Book (
1819–1820 ), which includes the stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow.”[1]



is

is
is

3rd person present singular
of be[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








IS

IS
IS

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
information services

2.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Iceland

[1]



is-

is-
is-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
iso-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Is.

Is.
Is.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Isaiah

2.  GEOGRAPHY (used in placenames)
Abbreviation of Island

3.  GEOGRAPHY (used in placenames)
Abbreviation of Isle

[1]



is.

is.
is.

1.  Abbreviation
of
island

2.  Abbreviation
of
isle

[1]



Isa.

Isa.
Isa.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Isaiah[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ISA

ISA
ISA

Abbreviation of
International Standard Atmosphere[1]



Isaac

Isaac
I·saac
noun

patriarch in Bible:
in the Bible, the son of Abraham and Sarah. Offered by his father as a
sacrifice to God, he was saved at the last moment by divine intervention. He
was the father of Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 21–28)[1]



IsabellaI

IsabellaI
Is·a·bel·la
I 
[ìzzə béllə], Queen of Castile and León
(1451–1504)

The
heir to the crown of Castile and León, she married Ferdinand of Aragon (1469),
bringing about the unification of Spain. As queen of Castile and León
(1474–1504), she supported the Inquisition, expelled the Jews from Spain, and
defeated Granada, the last Moorish kingdom in Spain. She sponsored Christopher
Columbus’s voyages.
Known as
Isabella the Catholic[1]



IsabellaII

IsabellaII
Is·a·bel·la
II
[ìzzə béllə], Queen of Spain (1830–1904)

She ruled from 1833 until she
was deposed in 1868. Her reign was marked by political turmoil and
insurrection.[1]



isagogics

isagogics
is·a·gog·ics 
[ssə gójjiks] noun

introductory
biblical studies: introductory studies, especially
introducing the Bible in its literary and historical contexts (takes a
singular verb)
—is·a·goge [ssə gjee, ssə gṓjee],
noun[1]



Isaiah

Isaiah
I·sa·iah 
[ī záy ə] noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
a Hebrew prophet who lived in the latter half of the 8th century BC . He was the earliest of the major
prophets.

2.  book
in Bible:
a book in the Bible that contains prophecies and apocalyptic material. It is
traditionally thought to have been written by Isaiah .

[1]



isallobar

isallobar
is·al·lo·bar
[ī sállə br] (plural is·al·lo·bars)
noun

contour
line on weather chart: a contour line on a weather
chart joining places where equal changes in atmospheric pressure occurred
during a given time interval
[Early 20th century. Coined
from is(o)- + allo- + Greek baros
“weight,” on the model of isobar .][1]



isatin

isatin
i·sa·tin
[ssət’n] noun

crystalline
compound:
a water-soluble compound related to indigo and indole that crystallizes as
orange needles and is used in the manufacture of vat dyes. C6H5NO2
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek isatis “woad” + -in
.]
—i·sa·tin·ic [ssə tínnik], adjective[1]



ISBN

ISBN
ISBN

Abbreviation of
International Standard Book Number[1]



ischaemia

ischaemia
is·chae·mi·a
noun

U.K. =
ischemia[1]



ischemia

ischemia
is·che·mi·a 
[i skmee ə] noun

lack
of blood:
an inadequate supply of blood to a part of the body, caused by partial or total
blockage of an artery
—i·sche·mic, adjective[1]



Ischia

Ischia
Is·chi·a 
[ískee è]

island in west central Italy,
situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Gulf of Gaeta and the Bay of Naples.
Its highest point is Mount Epomeo, 789 m/2,589 ft . Population: 17,600 (1990)
Area: 47 sq km/18 sq mi.[1]



ischium

ischium
is·chi·um 
[ískee əm] (plural is·chi·a [ískeeə]) noun

bone
in pelvis:
the lowest and rearmost of the three bones that make up each half of the pelvis
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek iskhion “hip joint.”]
—is·chi·al, adjective[1]



ISD

ISD
ISD

Abbreviation of
international subscriber dialing[1]



ISDN

ISDN
ISDN 
noun

means of transmitting sound
and data: a digital telephone network
that can transmit both voice and data messages. Full form Integrated
Services Digital Network[1]



-ise

-ise
-ise
suffix

U.K.
See -ize[1]



isentrope

isentrope
is·en·trope
[ss’n trp, z’n
trp] (plural is·en·tropes) noun

line
linking points of equal entropy: a line on a graph or
chart linking points of equal entropy
[Back-formation from isentropic][1]



isentropic

isentropic
is·en·tro·pic 
[ss’n tróppik, z’n
tróppik] adjective

1.  having
constant entropy: used to describe a reaction or process
that takes place without a change in entropy

2.  of
isentrope:
relating to an isentrope
—is·en·tro·pi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Iseult

Iseult
I·seult
noun

See
Tristan and Iseult[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ish

-ish
-ish
suffix

1.  characteristic
of, like, tending to • churlish
• babyish
• bookish

2.  of
or relating to, from • Gaulish

3.  somewhat,
approximately • bluish
• latish
[Old English -isc, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



Isherwood,Christopher

Isherwood,Christopher

Ish·er·wood
[íshər wd], Christopher (1904–1986)
British
writer. He described prewar Berlin in two volumes of short stories, Mr.
Norris Changes Trains (1935) and Goodbye to Berlin (1939).
Full name
Isherwood, Christopher William Bradshaw[1]



Ishmael

Ishmael
Ish·ma·el 
[íshmee əl, ísh
màyl] (plural Ish·ma·els) noun

1.  outcast
in Bible:
in the Bible, the son of Abraham, expelled into the desert after the birth of
his brother Isaac, who was the forebear of twelve desert tribes. Muslims regard
themselves as his descendants. (Genesis 16–21)

2.  outcast:
an outcast (literary)
Also
called
Ishmaelite

[1]



Ishmaelite

Ishmaelite
Ish·ma·el·ite 
[íshmee ə lt, ísh
mayə lt] (plural Ish·ma·el·ites) noun

1.  descendant
of Ishmael:
a descendant of Abraham’s son Ishmael

2.  (literary)
See Ishmael  noun 2
—Ish·ma·el·it·ish,
adjective

—Ish·ma·el·it·ism, noun[1]



Ishtar

Ishtar
Ish·tar 
[ísh tr] noun

Babylonian mother goddess:
in Babylonian and Assyrian mythology, the queen of heaven and goddess of
fertility. Tammuz was her consort. She was worshiped throughout the Middle East
under various names, including the Phoenician Astarte.[1]



isinglass

isinglass
i·sin·glass 
[z’n glàss, zing
glàss] noun

1.  INDUSTRY gelatin
used in adhesives: a transparent or translucent
gelatin made from the air bladders of various fish, especially the sturgeon,
and used as a clarifying agent and in adhesives and jellies

2.  GEOLOGY See mica
[Mid-16th century. By folk
etymology from obsolete early Dutch huysenblas “sturgeon’s bladder”
(from huysen “sturgeon” + blas “bladder”), applied to the
bladder’s gelatinous product.][1]



Isis

Isis1
I·sis1  [ssiss]
noun

Egyptian mother goddess:
in Egyptian mythology, the goddess of fertility, generally depicted wearing a
cow’s horns bearing a golden disk representing the sun. She was the wife of her
brother Osiris and the mother of Horus.[1]



Isis

Isis2
I·sis2  [ssèss]

alternative name for the
Thames River around Oxford, England[1]



Iskenderun

Iskenderun
Is·ken·de·run 
[eess kéndə roon] or Is·ken·de·ron
[eess kéndə roon]

city in southern Turkey, on
the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Iskenderun, situated approximately 96
km/60 mi southeast of Adana. Population: 154,807 (1990)[1]



isl.

isl.
isl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
island

2.  Abbreviation
of
isle

[1]



Islam

Islam
Is·lam 
[is lm, iz lm,
íz lm, ís lm]
noun

1.  Muslim
religion:
the religion of Muslims, based upon the teachings of Muhammad during the 7th
century and now the second largest of the great religions in number of
believers.
Also
called
Islamism

2.  Muslim
world:
Muslim people, their culture, or their countries considered collectively
[Early
17th century. From Arabic islām, literally “submission (to God),” from
the base of aslāma “he surrendered” (source of English Muslim and salaam
“peace”).]
—Is·lam·ic [is lmik, iz lmik],
adjective[1]



Islamabad

Islamabad
Is·lam·a·bad
[iz lmmə bad] or Is·lām·ā·bād
[iz lmmə bad]

city and capital of Pakistan,
situated northeast of Rawalpindi. Population: 204,364 (1981)[1]



Islamism

Islamism
Is·lam·ism 
[ísslə mìzzəm, ízzlə
mìzzəm] noun

See
Islam  noun 1[1]



Islamize

Islamize
Is·lam·ize 
[ísslə mz, ízzlə
mz] (past Is·lam·ized, past participle Is·lam·ized,
present participle Is·lam·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
Is·lam·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  convert
to Islam:
to convert people or countries to Islam

2.  make
subject to Islamic law: to cause people,
institutions, or countries to follow Islamic law
—Is·lam·i·za·tion [ìssləmi záysh’n, ìzzləmi
záysh’n], noun[1]



island

island
is·land 
[lənd] noun (plural is·lands)

1.  GEOGRAPHY land
surrounded by water: an area of land, smaller
than a continent, that is completely surrounded by water (often used in
placenames)

2.  something
like an island: something that is like an island because
it is isolated or surrounded by something different “No man is an island,
entire of itself.” John Donne Devotions upon Emergent Occasions 1624

3.  ANATOMY isolated
body part:
a body part or group of cells that is different in construction from its
surroundings
transitive
verb
(past is·land·ed, past participle is·land·ed, present
participle is·land·ing, 3rd person present singular is·lands)

1.  make
something into an island: to form something into an
island

2.  isolate
somebody:
to cause somebody to feel isolated, for example, from contact with peers or
colleagues

3.  set
with islands: to provide a stretch of water with
islands (literary)
[Old
English īegland, from īeg “island” (ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “water”) + land]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Despite
  their similarity, island and isle
  have completely different origins. Island
  goes back to Old English, whereas isle comes from Latin insula,
  meaning “island.” The resemblance is due to a 16th-century change in the
  spelling of island under the influence of
  the semantically close isle.

[1]



islandarc

islandarc
is·land
arc
(plural is·land arcs) noun

chain of islands:
an arc-shaped chain of islands, usually found in an area of volcanic or seismic
activity.
Also called
volcanic arc[1]



islander

islander
is·land·er 
[ləndər] (plural is·land·ers)
noun

island dweller:
somebody who lives on an island[1]



island-hop

island-hop
is·land-hop
intransitive verb

travel from island to island:
to travel from island to island within the same chain, especially as part of a
vacation (informal)[1]



islandsof Langerhans

islandsof Langerhans
is·lands
of Lang·er·hans  [lənd əvlngər
hns] plural noun

See
islets of Langerhans[1]



Islandsof the Blessed

Islandsof the Blessed
Is·lands
of the Bless·ed plural noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Hesperides[1]



Islay

Islay
Is·lay 
[lè,  lay]

the southernmost island of
the Inner Hebrides, western Scotland. Area: 609 sq km/235 sq mi.[1]



isle

isle
isle 
[īl] (plural isles) noun

island:
an island, often a small one (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French ile (the variant isle later influenced the English word), from
Latin insula (source of English insulate
and peninsula ).][1]



Isleof Man

Isleof Man
Isle
of Man

See
Man, Isle of[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Isleof Wight

Isleof Wight
Isle
of Wight

See
Wight, Isle of[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








IsleRoyale National Park

IsleRoyale National Park
Isle
Roy·ale Na·tion·al Park [isle
ròy əl national park]

national park in northwestern
Michigan, on Isle Royale and nearby islands in Lake Superior. Area: 231,395
hectares/571,790 acres.[1]



islet

islet
is·let 
[lət] (plural is·lets) noun

small island:
a small isle or island[1]



isletsof Langerhans

isletsof Langerhans
is·lets
of Lang·er·hans [lət əv
lngər hns] plural noun

endocrine cells:
clusters of endocrine cells found in the pancreas that secrete insulin and
glucagon.
Also called
islands of Langerhans[1]



Islip

Islip
Is·lip
[zlip]

1.  town
in Suffolk County, southeastern New York, situated on Long Island. Population:
299,587 (1994)

2.  village
in Oxfordshire, central England, approximately 10 km/6 mi north of Oxford

[1]



ism

ism
ism 
[ízzəm] (plural isms) noun

system
of belief:
a movement, doctrine, or system of belief (informal)
[Late 17th century. From -ism .][1]



-ism

-ism
-ism
suffix

1.  action,
process • mesmerism
• volcanism

2.  characteristic
behavior or manner • despotism

3.  state,
condition • conservatism
• gangsterism

4.  abnormal
state • caffeinism

5.  doctrine,
system of beliefs • defeatism
• Calvinism

6.  prejudice
• sexism

7.  distinctive
feature or trait • Southernism
• vulgarism
[Via Old French -isme
and Latin -ismus from Greek -ismos][1]



Ismaili

Ismaili
Is·ma·i·li 
[ìzmə lee, ìz
maa lee, ìsmə lee, ìs maa lee] (plural Is·ma·i·lis) noun

member
of a Shiite group: a member of a branch of
Shiite Muslims whose members believe that Ismail, son of the sixth imam, was
the true seventh imam
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic, formed from the proper name ’Ismā‘īl .][1]



Ismailiyya

Ismailiyya
Is·ma·i·liy·ya
[ìzmə lee ə]

city in northeastern Egypt,
situated on Lake Timsah. It is the halfway station on the Suez Canal.
Population: 255,000 (1992)[1]



IsmailSamani Peak

IsmailSamani Peak
Is·mail
Sa·man·i Peak

mountain situated in central
Tajikistan, and the highest peak in the country. Height: 7,495 m/24,590 ft. Formerly
known as Communism Peak[1]



isn’t

isn’t
is·n’t 
[ízz’nt] contraction

is not:
is not • It
isn’t ready yet.[1]



iso-

iso-
iso-
prefix

1.  equal,
uniform • isoelectric
• isogloss

2.  isomeric
• isooctane

3.  of
or for different members of the same species • isoagglutination
[From Greek isos
“equal,” of unknown origin][1]



ISO

ISO
ISO

1.  Abbreviation
of
International Standards Organization

2.  Abbreviation
of
in search of

[1]



isoagglutination

isoagglutination
i·so·ag·glu·ti·na·tion 
[ssō əgloot’n áysh’n] noun

clumping
of red blood cells: the clumping together ( agglutination ) of red blood cells in one
individual induced by antibodies in the serum of another individual of the same
species
—i·so·ag·glu·ti·na·tive
[ssō əglt’n àytiv], adjective[1]



isoagglutinin

isoagglutinin
i·so·ag·glu·ti·nin 
[ssō ə glt’nin] (plural i·so·ag·glu·ti·nins)
noun

antibody causing clumping of
blood: an antibody from one
individual that causes the clumping together ( agglutination
) of red blood cells in another individual of the same species but of a
different blood group[1]



isobar

isobar
i·so·bar 
[ssə br] (plural i·so·bars) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY line
showing weather patterns: a line drawn on a weather
map that connects places with equal atmospheric pressure. Isobars are often
used collectively to indicate the movement or formation of weather systems.

2.  PHYSICS atom
with the same mass number: one of two or more atoms or
elements having the same mass number but different atomic numbers
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek isobaros, literally “of equal weight.”]
—i·so·bar·ism, noun[1]



isobaric

isobaric
i·so·bar·ic
[ssə bérrik] adjective

1.  with
constant atmospheric pressure: having constant or
equal atmospheric pressure

2.  of
isobars:
relating to isobars

[1]



isobaricspin

isobaricspin
i·so·bar·ic
spin
(plural i·so·bar·ic spins) noun

PHYSICS
See isospin[1]



isobath

isobath
i·so·bath
[ssō bàth] (plural i·so·baths)
noun

line
showing sea depths: a line on a map of the sea
that connects points that are at the same depth
[Late
19th century. Coined from iso- + Greek bathos
“depth.”]
—i·so·bath·ic [ssō báthik], adjective[1]



isobutane

isobutane
i·so·bu·tane
[ssō by tàyn] noun

colorless gaseous
hydrocarbon: a colorless gaseous
hydrocarbon that is an isomer of butane and is used especially as a fuel and
refrigerant. C4H10[1]



isocarboxazid

isocarboxazid
i·so·car·box·a·zid 
[ssō kaar bóksəzid] noun

antidepressant
drug:
a substance used as an antidepressant drug. C12H13N3O2
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from iso- + a contraction of carbonyl + ox-
+ hydrazide, elements of its chemical name.][1]



isocheim

isocheim
i·so·cheim 
[ssə km] (plural i·so·cheims)
or i·so·chime [ssə km] (plural
i·so·chimes) noun

line
showing winter temperatures: a line on a weather map
connecting places that have the same average temperature in winter
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from iso- + Greek kheima
“winter weather.”]
—i·so·cheim·al
[ssə km’l], adjective

—i·so·cheime·nal [ssə kmən’l], adjective[1]



isochromatic

isochromatic
i·so·chro·mat·ic 
[ssə krō máttik] adjective

1.  See
orthochromatic

2.  with
equal color or wavelength: having the same color or
wavelength of light

[1]



isochronous

isochronous
i·soch·ro·nous 
[ī sókrənəss] or i·soch·ro·nal
[ī sókrən’l] adjective

1.  with
equal frequency: having the same frequency or periodicity

2.  measured
at or lasting the same time: measured or occurring at the
same time, or lasting for the same length of time
—i·soch·ro·nous·ly, adverb[1]



isochroous

isochroous
i·soch·ro·ous 
[ī sókr əss] adjective

with
the same color: having the same color throughout
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek khros “color.”][1]



isoclinal

isoclinal
i·so·cli·nal 
[ssə kln’l] adjective

1.  with
the same slope: having the same inclination or slope

2.  GEOLOGY having
parallel sides: having the sides of a geological fold
parallel to one another
noun

1.  See
isocline

2.  See
isoclinic line

[1]



isocline

isocline
i·so·cline 
[ssə kln] (plural i·so·clines)
noun

1.  fold
of rock strata: a geologic fold with rock beds that
slope in the same direction.
Also
called
isoclinal

2.  See
isoclinic line
[Late 19th century. From
Greek isoklinēs “equally balanced,” literally “leaning equally,” from klinein
“to lean.”][1]



isoclinic

isoclinic
i·so·clin·ic 
[ssə klínnik] adjective

See
isoclinal[1]



isoclinicline

isoclinicline
i·so·clin·ic
line
noun

line showing magnetic dip:
a line on a map connecting points on the Earth’s surface that have the same
magnetic dip.
Also called
isoclinal
Also called
isocline[1]



isocyanate

isocyanate
i·so·cy·a·nate
[ssə s ə nàyt] (plural i·so·cy·a·nates)
noun

chemical used in resins and
adhesives: a chemical compound used in
resins and adhesives, containing the chemical group -NCO[1]



isocyanide

isocyanide
i·so·cy·a·nide
[ssə s ə nd] (plural i·so·cy·a·nides)
noun

salt of isocyanic acid:
a colorless liquid with a very unpleasant odor that contains the chemical group
-NC[1]



isodiametric

isodiametric
i·so·di·a·met·ric 
[ssō dī ə méttrik] adjective

with equal diameters:
with diameters or axes of equal length[1]



isodose

isodose
i·so·dose
[ssə dss] (plural i·so·doses)
noun

equal dose of radiation
treatment: a dose of radiation of equal
intensity applied to more than one part of the body as a medical treatment[1]



isodynamic

isodynamic
i·so·dy·nam·ic 
[ssō dī námmik] adjective

1.  with
equal strength: having the same strength or intensity

2.  showing
equal magnetic intensity: connecting points on a map
of the Earth’s surface that have the same magnetic intensity
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek isodunamos, literally “of equal power” + -ic .][1]



isoelectric

isoelectric
i·so·e·lec·tric 
[ssō i léktrik] adjective

with equal potential:
having exactly the same electric potential[1]



isoelectronic

isoelectronic
i·so·e·lec·tron·ic 
[ssō i lek trónnik] adjective

with
equal electrons: with the same number of electrons or the
same outer atomic structure
—iso·e·lec·tron·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



isoenzyme

isoenzyme
i·so·en·zyme 
[ssō én zm] (plural i·so·en·zymes)
noun

functionally
identical enzyme: one of two or more enzymes that are
different chemically but function in the same way.
Also
called
isozyme
—i·so·en·zy·mat·ic
[ssō enzi máttik], adjective

—i·so·en·zy·mic [ssō en zímmik], adjective[1]



isogamete

isogamete
i·so·ga·mete 
[ssō gá mt, ssōgə
mt] (plural i·so·ga·metes) noun

identical
gamete:
a gamete physically identical to another with which it unites to form a zygote
—i·so·ga·met·ic [ssōgə méttik], adjective[1]



isogamy

isogamy
i·sog·a·my 
[ī sóggəmee] noun

reproductive fusion:
the fusion of isogametes in some algae and fungi during reproduction[1]



isogeneic

isogeneic
i·so·gen·eic
[ssōjə n ik] adjective

See
syngeneic
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of isogenic .][1]



isogenic

isogenic
i·so·gen·ic 
[ssə jénnik] adjective

with
the same genes: having identical genes • an
isogenic line
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek genea “race, stock.”][1]



isogenous

isogenous
i·sog·e·nous 
[ī sójjənəss] adjective

1.  with
the same origin: used to describe bodily organs or parts
that have the same or a similar origin

2.  See
isogenic
—i·sog·e·ny, noun[1]



isogloss

isogloss
i·so·gloss 
[ssə glòss] (plural i·so·gloss·es)
noun

geographic
boundary of linguistic usage: a line on a language map
that surrounds an area within which a linguistic usage, for example, a
dialectal word, is found
[Early
20th century. Formed from iso- + Greek glossa
“language.”]
—i·so·gloss·al
[ssə glóss’l], adjective

—i·so·glos·sic
[ssə glóssik], adjective

—i·so·glot·tal
[ssə glótt’l], adjective

—i·so·glot·tic [ssə glóttik], adjective[1]



isogonal

isogonal
i·sog·o·nal 
adjective

See
isogonic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








isogonalline

isogonalline
i·sog·o·nal
line
noun

See
isogonic line[1]



isogone

isogone
i·so·gone
(plural i·so·gones) noun

See
isogonic line[1]



isogonic

isogonic
i·so·gon·ic 
[ssə gónnik] or i·sog·o·nal [ī sóggən’l] adjective

MATHEMATICS with
equal angles: having equal angles
noun
(plural i·so·gon·ics)

See
isogonic line
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek isogōnios “equiangular.”][1]



isogonicline

isogonicline
i·so·gon·ic
line
(plural i·so·gon·ic lines) noun

line connecting points of
same magnetism: a line on a map of the
Earth’s surface connecting points at which a compass would give the same
deviation from true north.
Also called
isogone
Also called
isogonal line
Also called
isogonic[1]



isograft

isograft
i·so·graft 
[ssə gràft] (plural i·so·grafts)
noun

graft from a genetically
identical donor: a tissue graft taken
from an individual genetically identical to the recipient of the graft, for
example, from an identical twin[1]



isogram

isogram
i·so·gram 
[ssə gràm] (plural i·so·grams)
noun

See
isoline[1]



isohel

isohel
i·so·hel 
[ssə hèl] (plural i·so·hels) noun

line
showing hours of sunlight: a line on a map connecting
places that receive the same number of hours of sunshine in the course of a
year
[Early 20th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek hēlios “sun.”][1]



isohyet

isohyet
i·so·hy·et 
[ssə h ət] (plural i·so·hy·ets)
noun

line
showing rainfall amounts: a line on a map connecting
places that receive the same amount of rainfall in the course of a year
[Late
19th century. Coined from iso- + Greek huetos
“rain.”]
—i·so·hy·et·al, adjective[1]



isolani

isolani
i·so·la·ni
(plural i·so·la·nis) noun

CHESS
See isolated pawn[1]



isolate

isolate
i·so·late 
transitive verb [ssə làyt] (past
i·so·lat·ed, past participle i·so·lat·ed, present
participle i·so·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular i·so·lates)

1.  separate
somebody from others: to separate a person or
place from others of the same type

2.  MEDICINE quarantine
somebody:
to keep somebody who is infected away from others to prevent the spread of a
contagious disease

3.  cut
a place off: to make a place unreachable from the
surrounding area • Heavy snowfalls have
temporarily isolated the town.

4.  find
a cause of something: to discover which of a
number of possible causes or factors is responsible for a particular phenomenon
or problem • He
isolated a bug in the software as the cause of the failure.

5.  BIOLOGY separate
out:
to separate out a chemical or biological material such as a virus or bacterium
in order to identify and study it

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING insulate
an electronic device: to prevent a circuit or
device from interacting with another or with an outside stimulus
noun
[ssələt] (plural i·so·lates)

1.  lone
person or group: a person or group separated or cut off
from others

2.  BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY microorganism grown in a
laboratory:
a sample of biological material, especially a microorganism, that has been
cultured for study

3.  LINGUISTICS only
language of a family: a language that is the only
known surviving member of its language family
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from isolated,
from French isolé, ultimately from late Latin insulatus “made
into an island,” from Latin insula “island” (see insular ).]
—i·so·la·ble
[ssələb’l], adjective

—i·so·lat·a·ble
[ssə làytəb’l], adjective

—i·so·la·tor, noun[1]



isolated

isolated
i·so·lat·ed 
[ssə làytəd] adjective

1.  off
by itself:
far away from other inhabited areas or buildings

2.  alone
or lonely:
without enough social contact, friends, or support

3.  rare:
happening singly, rarely, or only once and unlikely to recur or prove a
continuing problem • an isolated incident

[1]



isolatedpawn

isolatedpawn
i·so·lat·ed
pawn
noun

pawn by itself:
in chess, a pawn that is not supported by other pawns of the same color on
adjacent files.
Also called
isolani[1]



isolating

isolating
i·so·lat·ing
[ssə làyting] adjective

LINGUISTICS
See analytic[1]



isolation

isolation
i·so·la·tion 
[ssə láysh’n] noun

1.  separation
from others: the process of separating somebody or
something from others, or the fact of being alone and separated from others

2.  geographic
remoteness:
remoteness from other inhabited areas or buildings
in
isolation

1.  separate
from other related factors or things • we
have to look at the problem in isolation

2.  alone
and physically separated from other people

[1]



isolationism

isolationism
i·so·la·tion·ism 
[ssə láysh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS avoidance
of international relations: a government policy based on
the belief that national interests are best served by avoiding economic and
political alliances with other countries

2.  MUSIC type
of electronic ambient music: a type of electronic ambient
music that is generally produced without beats, creating a soothing ambience
with unusual sounds
—i·so·la·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



isolative

isolative
i·so·la·tive
[ssə làytiv] adjective

1.  PHONETICS relating
to phonetic changes: relating to a sound change
that occurs in all phonetic environments such as in the Great Vowel Shift

2.  causing
isolation:
causing somebody or something to be separated or cut off

[1]



Isolde

Isolde
I·sol·de

See
Tristan and Iseult[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








isolecithal

isolecithal
i·so·lec·i·thal 
[ssə léssithəl] adjective

having the yolk evenly
distributed: used to describe the
eggs of mammals and some other vertebrates in which the yolk is evenly
distributed throughout the egg[1]



isoleucine

isoleucine
i·so·leu·cine 
[ssə lss’n] (plural i·so·leu·cines)
noun

amino acid required in the
diet: an amino acid, obtained by
animals from their diet, that is an isomer of leucine and is found in most
proteins. C6H13NO2[1]



isolex

isolex
i·so·lex 
[ssə lèks] (plural i·so·lex·es)
noun

boundary
showing word use: a line on a language map that surrounds
an area within which a particular word is used
[Early 20th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek lexis “word.”][1]



isoline

isoline
i·so·line 
[ssō ln] (plural i·so·lines)
noun

line linking equal values:
a line on a map connecting points with the same value for variables such as
temperature or air pressure.
Also called
isogram
Also called
isopleth[1]



isologous

isologous
i·so·lo·gous 
[ī sólləgəss] adjective

with
the same molecular structure: used to describe two organic
compounds that have the same molecular structure but different atoms of the
same valence
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from iso- + Greek logos “ratio.”][1]



isomagnetic

isomagnetic
i·so·mag·net·ic 
[ssō mag néttik] (plural iso·mag·net·ics)
or i·so·mag·net·ic line [ssō mag
néttik] noun

line
showing magnetic force: a line on a map connecting
points of the same magnetic force
—i·so·mag·net·ic, adjective[1]



isomer

isomer

i·so·mer 
[ssəmər] (plural i·so·mers) noun

1.  chemically
identical molecule with a different structure: one
of two or more molecules that have the same number of atoms but have different
chemical structures and therefore different properties

2.  nuclide
with a different energy state: one of two or more
nuclides that have the same mass number and atomic number but different energy
states and half-lives
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek isomerēs, literally “sharing equally.”]
—i·so·mer·ic [ssə mérrik], adjective[1]



isomerase

isomerase
i·som·er·ase 
[ī sómmə ràyss, ī
sómmə ràyz] (plural i·som·er·ases) noun

enzyme converting isomers:
an enzyme that converts one isomer into another[1]



isomerism

isomerism
i·som·er·ism 
[ī sómmə rìzzəm] noun

1.  existence
of isomers:
the existence of two or more molecules that are isomers

2.  existence
of nuclides that are isomers: the existence of two or more
nuclides that are isomers

[1]



isomerize

isomerize
i·som·er·ize 
[ī sómmə rz] (past i·som·er·ized,
past participle i·som·er·ized, present participle i·som·er·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·som·er·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become isomeric: to change something into an
isomer or become an isomer
—i·som·er·i·za·tion [ī sòmməri záysh’n], noun[1]



isomerous

isomerous
i·som·er·ous 
[ī sómmərəss] adjective

ZOOLOGY
BIOLOGY with
equal number of parts: with parts
that are similar in number, markings, or other characteristics[1]



isometric

isometric
i·so·met·ric 
[ssə méttrik] or i·so·met·ri·cal
[ssə méttrik’l] adjective

1.  equal:
equal in dimension or measurement

2.  PHYSIOLOGY involving
pushing the muscles against something: used
to describe exercises in which muscles are put under tension but not allowed to
contract

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY with
three equal axes: used to describe a crystalline system
that has three equal axes at right angles to one another

4.  POETRY with
lines of the same length: having the same number of
metrical feet in each line of poetry

5.  ENGINEERING projected
at the same angle to axes: projected so that the plane
of projection of a three-dimensional drawing is at an equal angle to each of
the three axes of the object drawn
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek isometria, literally “equality of measure.”]
—i·so·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



isometrics

isometrics
i·so·met·rics 
[ssə méttriks] noun

stationary exercise:
a form of exercise in which the muscles are pushed against something fixed or
against other muscles to strengthen them (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



isometropia

isometropia
i·so·me·tro·pi·a 
[ssōmə trṓpee ə] noun

equal
refraction by both eyes: the condition of equal
refraction of light by both eyes
[Coined from Greek isometros
“of equal measure” (from metron “measure”) + -opia][1]



isometry

isometry
i·som·e·try 
[ī sómmətree] (plural i·som·e·tries)
noun

1.  equal
measurements: equality of measure

2.  MATHEMATICS geometric
transformation: a geometric transformation such as the
rotation of a plane in which the distance between any two points is preserved

[1]



isomorph

isomorph
i·so·morph 
[ssə màwrf] (plural i·so·morphs)
noun

substance or organism like
others: a substance or organism that
exhibits similarity in form or appearance to others ( isomorphism
)[1]



isomorphic

isomorphic
i·so·mor·phic 
[ssə máwrfik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY looking
like another organism: having the same form or
appearance as another organism or the same organism at a different stage in its
life cycle

2.  MATHEMATICS corresponding:
used to describe mathematical sets with a one-to-one correspondence so that an
operation such as addition or multiplication in one produces the same result as
the analogous operation in the other

3.  CHEMISTRY See isomorphous
—i·so·mor·phi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



isomorphism

isomorphism
i·so·mor·phism 
[ssə máwr fìzzəm] noun

1.  BIOLOGY similarity
in organisms: similarity in form or appearance between
organisms of different ancestry or between different stages in the life cycle
of the same organism

2.  MATHEMATICS correspondence
between sets: a one-to-one correspondence between sets
such that an operation, for example, addition or multiplication, in one
produces the same result as the analogous operation in the other

3.  CHEMISTRY similarity
between chemicals: similarity in crystalline
form between chemicals

[1]



isomorphous

isomorphous
i·so·mor·phous
[ssə máwrfəss] adjective

able to crystallize like
another chemical: used to describe a
chemical compound that is able to crystallize in a form similar to another
chemical compound[1]



isoniazid

isoniazid
i·so·ni·a·zid 
[ssə n əzid] noun

compound
used to treat tuberculosis: a colorless crystalline
compound used to treat tuberculosis. C6H7N3O
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from iso- + a contraction of nicotinic + hydrazide, elements of its chemical name.][1]



isooctane

isooctane
i·so·oc·tane 
[ssō ók tàyn] noun

chemical determining octane
numbers: a flammable isomer of octane
used to determine the octane number of fuel. (CH3)3CCH2[1]



isopach

isopach
i·so·pach 
[ssə pàk] (plural i·so·pachs)
noun

map
line connecting equal rock thicknesses: a
line on a map of the Earth’s surface connecting points where a rock stratum has
equal thickness
[Early 20th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek pakhus “thick.”][1]



isophone

isophone
i·so·phone
[ssə fn] (plural i·so·phones)
noun

boundary of a pronunciation:
a line on a language map surrounding an area within which a particular
pronunciation is used[1]



isopiestic

isopiestic
i·so·pi·es·tic 
[ssō pī éstik] adjective

METEOROLOGY See isobaric
[Coined
from iso- + Greek piezein “to press,
squeeze”]
—i·so·pi·es·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



isopleth

isopleth
i·so·pleth 
[ssə plèth] (plural i·so·pleths)
noun

METEOROLOGY See isoline
[Early
20th century. From Greek isoplēthēs, literally “equal in quantity.”]
—i·so·pleth·ic [ssə pléthik], adjective[1]



isopod

isopod
i·so·pod 
[ssə pòd] (plural i·so·pods) noun

small
crustacean:
a small invertebrate animal with a flattened body and seven pairs of legs. Sow
bugs are isopods but most are marine. Order: Isopoda
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Isopoda, order name, literally “equal foot,”
from the Greek stem pod- “foot.”]
—i·so·po·dan
[ī sóppəd’n], adjective

—i·so·po·dous [ī sóppədəss], adjective[1]



isoprenaline

isoprenaline
i·so·pre·na·line
[ssə prénn’lin, ssə
prénn’l n] noun

PHARMACOLOGY See isoproterenol
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of N-isopropylnoradrenaline, its chemical name.][1]



isoprene

isoprene
i·so·prene 
[ssə prn] noun

flammable
liquid hydrocarbon: a colorless flammable liquid
hydrocarbon used in making synthetic rubber. C5H8
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from iso- + a contraction of prophylene,
its chemical name.][1]



isopropanol

isopropanol
iso·pro·pa·nol
[ssə prṓpə nòl] noun

See
isopropyl alcohol[1]



isopropyl

isopropyl
iso·pro·pyl 
[ssə prṓp’l] noun

isomer of propyl:
a chemical radical isomer of propyl. C3H7[1]



isopropylalcohol

isopropylalcohol
iso·pro·pyl
al·co·hol 
noun

colorless flammable alcohol
used in antifreeze: a colorless
flammable alcohol used in antifreeze and rubbing alcohol and as a solvent.
Also called
isopropanol[1]



isoproterenol

isoproterenol
i·so·pro·ter·e·nol
[īssəprō térrə nàwl] noun

asthma
drug:
a compound used as a bronchodilator in the treatment of asthma. C13H17NO3 
Also
called
isoprenaline
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of N-isopropylarterenol, its chemical name.][1]



ISOrating

ISOrating
ISO
rat·ing
(plural ISO rat·ings) noun

measure of light sensitivity:
a measure of the sensitivity to light of a material such as photographic film
or paper[1]



isorhythm

isorhythm
i·so·rhy·thm
[ssə rìəm] noun

medieval
musical technique: a technique of musical
composition of the 14th and 15th centuries that uses a repeated rhythmic
pattern
—i·so·rhyth·mic [ssə rímik], adjective[1]



isosceles

isosceles
i·sos·ce·les 
[ī sóssə lz] adjective

1.  with
two out of three equal sides: used to describe a triangle
in which two of the three sides are of equal length

2.  with
two out of four equal sides: used to describe a trapezoid
in which the two nonparallel sides are of equal length
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin, from Greek isokelēs, literally “equally legged.”][1]



isoseismal

isoseismal
i·so·seis·mal
[ssə szməl] or i·so·seis·mic
[ssə szmik] adjective

with
equal earthquake intensity: relating to or showing equal
strength of earthquake shock
noun
(plural iso·seis·mals)

line showing equal strength
of earthquake: a line on a map
connecting points of equal strength of earthquake shock[1]



isosmotic

isosmotic
i·sos·mot·ic 
[s oz móttik] adjective

CHEMISTRY with
equal osmotic pressure: relating to or exerting
equal osmotic pressure
—i·sos·mot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



isospin

isospin
i·so·spin 
[ssə spìn] (plural i·so·spins)
noun

(plural
isospins) quantum characteristic relating to
particle charge: a quantum characteristic of baryons and
mesons that relates to the number of different values of electric charge they
can have.
Also
called
isobaric spin
Also
called
isotopic spin
Also
called
i-spin Symbol I
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of isobaric spin and isotopic spin .][1]



isostasy

isostasy
i·sos·ta·sy 
[ī sóstəssee] noun

equilibrium
within Earth’s crust: a state of equilibrium
between forces such as accumulated ice pushing down on a section of the Earth’s
surface and those pushing up from below
[Late
19th century. Formed from iso- + Greek stasis
“station, stoppage.”]
—i·so·stat·ic
[īssə státtik], adjective

—i·so·stat·i·cal·ly [ssə státtikəlee], adverb[1]



isotach

isotach
i·so·tach 
[ssə tàk] (plural i·so·tachs)
noun

line
showing wind velocity: a line on a weather map
connecting points where the wind speed is equal
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from iso- + Greek takhos “speed.”][1]



isotactic

isotactic
i·so·tac·tic
[ssə táktik] adjective

with
repeating structural elements: used to describe a
polymer having constituent molecules that give the polymer a repetitive spatial
structure
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from iso- + Greek taktos “ordered.”][1]



isotherm

isotherm
i·so·therm 
[ssə thùrm] (plural i·so·therms)
or i·so·ther·mal [ssə thúrm’l]
(plural i·so·ther·mals) or i·so·ther·mal line [ssə thúrm’l] noun

1.  METEOROLOGY line
showing equal temperature: a line drawn on a weather
map that connects places with the same temperature

2.  PHYSICS line
showing relationship at the same temperature: a
line on a graph showing the relationship between variables, especially pressure
and volume, at a constant temperature
[Mid-19th
century. From French isotherme, literally “equal heat,” from Greek thermē
“heat” or thermos “hot.”]
—i·so·ther·mal,
adjective

—i·so·ther·mal·ly, adverb[1]



isotone

isotone
i·so·tone 
[ssə tn] (plural i·so·tones)
noun

atom with the same number of
neutrons: either of two or more atoms
with the same number of neutrons but different atomic numbers[1]



isotonic

isotonic
i·so·ton·ic 
[ssə tónnik] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY of
muscle tension and contraction: relating to the
contraction and shortening of a muscle under relatively constant tension, for
example, in weightlifting

2.  CHEMISTRY See isosmotic

3.  PHYSIOLOGY designed
to resupply the body: specially formulated to
supply the body’s chemical needs in situations in which minerals and fluids are
used up by the body, for example, during vigorous exercise
—i·so·ton·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—i·so·to·nic·i·ty [ssə tō níssətee], noun[1]



isotope

isotope
i·so·tope 
[ssə tp] (plural i·so·topes)
noun

form
of an element with the same atomic number:
either of two or more forms of a chemical element with the same atomic number
but different numbers of neutrons
[Early
20th century. Coined from iso- + Greek topos
“place,” so called because isotopes of the same name occupy the same place in
the periodic table.]
—i·so·top·ic [ssə tóppik], adjective[1]



isotopicspin

isotopicspin
i·so·top·ic
spin
noun

NUCLEAR
PHYSICS See isospin[1]



isotropic

isotropic
i·so·tro·pic 
[ssə tróppik] or i·so·tro·pous
[ī sóttrəpəss] adjective

having
direction-independent properties: having physical
properties that do not vary with direction
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from iso- + Greek tropos
“turn.”]
—i·so·trop·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—i·so·trop·ism
[ī sóttrə pìzzəm], noun

—i·so·tro·py [ī sóttrəpee], noun[1]



isozyme

isozyme
i·so·zyme 
[ssə zm] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
See isoenzyme[1]



ISP

ISP
ISP

Abbreviation of
Internet service provider[1]



Isr.

Isr.
Isr.

Abbreviation of
Israel[1]



Israel




Back to definition

Israel

[1]



Israel

Israel



Is·ra·el 
[ízree al]
republic
in southwestern Asia formed in 1948 as a Jewish state in the historic region of
Palestine, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Language: Hebrew,
Arabic. Currency: sheqel. Capital: Jerusalem. Population: 5,534,670 (1997)
Area: 20,700 sq km/8,000 sq mi. Official name State of Israel
—Is·rae·li, noun,
adjective[1]



Israelite

Israelite
Is·ra·el·ite 
[ízzree ə lt] (plural Is·ra·el·ites)
noun

1.  member
of an ancient Hebrew people: a member of the ancient
Hebrew people descended from the biblical patriarch Jacob.
Also
called
Hebrew noun 2

2.  somebody
from ancient Israel: somebody who was born in or
lived in the ancient kingdom of Israel
[14th
century. Via late Latin Israelita, from Greek Israēlitēs, from
Hebrew yiśrě’ēlī, from Yiśrā’él .]
—Is·ra·el·it·ic [ìzzree ə líttik], adjective[1]



Israfil

Israfil
Is·ra·fil
[ízzrə fl] or Is·ra·fel [ízzrə fl] or Is·ra·feel [ízzrə fl] noun

Islamic
archangel:
according to the Koran, the archangel who will herald the end of the world by
sounding a trumpet on the Day of Judgment
[From Hebrew, “God heals”][1]



Issachar

Issachar
Is·sa·char 
[íssə kr] noun

1.  Jacob’s
son:
in the Bible, a son of Jacob and Leah

2.  tribe
descended from Issachar: one of the twelve tribes of
Israel, descended from Issachar
[Via late Latin from Greek,
from Hebrew Yiśśākhār][1]



Issei

Issei
Is·sei 
[ee sáy] (plural Is·sei) or
is·sei [ee sáy] (plural is·sei)
noun

Japanese
immigrant to N America: a Japanese immigrant to the
United States or Canada.
See
also
Nisei
See
also
Sansei
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “first generation.”][1]



ISSN

ISSN
ISSN
(plural ISSNs)

Abbreviation of
International Standard Serial Number[1]



issuable

issuable
is·su·a·ble 
[íshoo əb’l] adjective

1.  allowed
to be issued: authorized to be made available for sale
or use

2.  capable
of being litigated: able to be litigated or
debated

3.  accruable:
able to be accrued
—is·su·ab·ly, adverb[1]



issuance

issuance
is·su·ance 
[íshoo əns] noun

issuing of something:
the act of distributing something or giving something out officially[1]



issuant

issuant

is·su·ant 
[íshoo ənt] adjective
rising up:
in heraldry, displaying an animal rising up from something with only its upper
body showing[1]



issue

issue
is·sue 
[íshoo] noun (plural is·sues)

1.  subject
of concern:
a topic for discussion or of general concern • I
want to raise several issues at the meeting.

2.  main
subject:
the central or most important topic in a discussion or debate • The
real issue is education.

3.  LAW legal
matter in a dispute: a legal matter in a dispute
between two parties

4.  PUBLISHING copy
of a publication: a copy of a magazine or newspaper
published on a particular date

5.  COMMERCE official
release of something: a set of things such as new
stamps or bonds that are made available for sale by an official body at a
particular time

6.  FINANCE stock
made available: a series of items such as stock in a
company that becomes available at the same time

7.  (plural
issues) allotting of something:
distribution of something by an official body • the
issue of parking permits

8.  official
allotment:
something officially distributed or supplied, or a specific amount of something
officially supplied • government
issue rations

9.  LAW progeny:
the offspring of a person • died
without issue

10. final
outcome:
a final outcome or conclusion of a matter that is usually a solution to a
problem or difficulty (dated) • Let’s
bring our differences to an issue.

11. MEDICINE discharge
from wound:
pus or blood coming from an open wound or ulcer

12. FINANCE profit
from property: profits made from owning land or
buildings

13. source
of a flow:
a place from which something flows
verb
(past is·sued, past participle is·sued, present
participle is·su·ing, 3rd person present singular is·sues)

1.  transitive
verb
supply
something:
to supply or distribute something officially

2.  transitive
verb
announce
something publicly: to make public something
such as a bulletin, statement, or warning, or deliver it officially to somebody
• The
mayor’s office issued a press release.

3.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE release
something for sale: to make a set of things such
as new stamps or bonds available for sale at a particular time

4.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING publish
something:
to publish something such as a newspaper, magazine, or book

5.  intransitive
verb
originate:
to emerge or come out from somewhere • Smoke
issued from the burning building.

6.  intransitive
verb
arise
from a condition: to result from or be produced by a
particular thing or situation • Our
conclusions issue from analysis of the data.

7.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE add
up as gain:
to accrue in the form of interest or profit

8.  intransitive
verb
result
in:
to have as a result (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old French, ultimately from Latin exitus, past participle
of exire “to go out” (see exit ).]
—is·sue·less,
adjective

—is·su·er,
noun
at
issue

under
discussion or to be decided

take
issue with somebody

to disagree with somebody
about something[1]



issueprice

issueprice
is·sue
price
noun

price of new shares:
the price of new securities when they are first offered to the public[1]



Issyk-Kul

Issyk-Kul
Is·syk-Kul 
[ìssik kl]

lake in northeastern
Kyrgyzstan. It has a maximum depth of 700 m/2,300 ft . Area: 6,100 sq km/2,360
sq mi.[1]



IST

IST
IST

1.  Abbreviation
of
information sciences technology

2.  Abbreviation
of
insulin shock therapy

[1]



-ist

-ist
-ist
suffix

1.  somebody
who practises a particular skill or profession • psychologist
• etymologist

2.  somebody
who follows a particular belief or school of thought • idealist

3.  somebody
associated with a particular action or thing • archivist
• oboist
[Via
Old French and Latin from, ultimately, Greek -istēs]
—-istic, suffix[1]



Istanbul

Istanbul

Is·tan·bul
[ìs tan bl, ìs
taan bl] or İs·tan·bul [ìs
tan bl, ìs taan bl]
the largest city in Turkey, situated in
the northwest of the country. Population: 7,615,000 (1994) Former name Byzantium Former name Constantinople[1]



Istanbul




Back to definition

Istanbul

[1]



Isth.

Isth.
Isth.
or isth.

Abbreviation of
isthmus[1]



isthmi

isthmi
isth·mi


Plural of
isthmus[1]



isthmian

isthmian
isth·mi·an 
[ísmee ən] adjective

GEOGRAPHY of
an isthmus:
relating to, shaped like, or living in an isthmus joining two larger areas of
land
noun

inhabitant
of isthmus:
somebody who lives on an isthmus
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin isthmius, from Greek isthmios .][1]



Isthmian

Isthmian
Isth·mi·an
adjective

of the Panamanian or
Corinthinian Isthmus: relating to
the Isthmus of Panama or the Isthmus of Corinth[1]



IsthmianGames

IsthmianGames
Isth·mi·an
Games
plural noun

ancient Greek sports
festival: a sports festival held in
ancient Greece on the Isthmus of Corinth that included horseracing and chariot
racing[1]



isthmic

isthmic
isth·mic 
[ísmik] adjective

of a bodily isthmus:
relating to an isthmus in the body • an
isthmic constriction[1]



isthmus

isthmus
isth·mus 
[ísməss] (plural isth·mus·es or
isth·mi [ís m]) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY narrow
connecting strip of land: a narrow strip of land that
joins two larger areas of land • The
isthmus connects the continents of North and South America.

2.  ANATOMY passage
between body parts: a narrow connection or
passage between parts of the body
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin, from Greek isthmos “island.”]
—isth·moid [ís mòyd], adjective[1]



istle

istle
is·tle 
[ísslee, ístlee]
or ix·tle [ísslee, ístlee] noun

strong
fiber from a tropical American plant: a
strong fiber from some tropical American plants such as agave or yucca, used to
make rope, baskets, and carpets
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish ixtle, from Nahuatl ixtli .][1]



Istria

Istria
Is·tri·a 
[ístree è]

peninsula in northwestern
Croatia and southwestern Slovenia, projecting into the Adriatic Sea. Area:
3,885 sq km/1,500 sq mi.[1]



ISV

ISV
ISV

Abbreviation of
International Scientific Vocabulary[1]



IT

IT
IT

Abbreviation of
information technology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








it

it
it 
CORE
MEANING:
a pronoun used to refer to an object or an animal, and sometimes a baby • It’s
a lovely baby. • They’ve
had the dog a week, and they still haven’t thought of a name for it.

1.
pronoun indicating a particular situation:
used to refer to a situation just described, or to an unspecified or implied
situation • He’s
very upset, but he won’t talk about it.

2.
pronoun indicating a point of view:
used to indicate feelings or a viewpoint on a particular situation • It’s
strange how things turn out.

3.
pronoun indicating something reported:
used in the formation of passive sentences reporting a situation • It
was reported that several people had been arrested.

4.
pronoun indicating weather:
used as the subject of verbs such as “be,” “get,” “seem,” and “feel” in order
to describe something about the environment, for example, the temperature or
the weather • It’s
cold and rainy.

5.
pronoun indicating time:
used to state the time, for example, the time of day, the month, the year, or
the season • It’s
six o’clock.

6.
pronoun indicating a description of an
experience:
used to refer to life or a particular experience • What’s
it like being famous?

7.
pronoun emphasizing a following clause:
used to draw attention to the person, thing, or clause that immediately follows
• It’s
you who’s always complaining! • It
isn’t that I don’t care.

8.
pronoun indicating a crisis:
the crucial or ultimate point, the perfect situation, person, or thing, or the
death or end of somebody or something • When
the car turned over I really thought that was it.

9.
pronoun attractive or selling quality:
a quality considered by somebody to be the most important, for example, talent,
charm, sex appeal, or profitability (informal) • You
either have it or you don’t.

10.
pronoun sex:
sexual intercourse (slang)

11.
noun GAME player
in children’s games: in children’s informal
games, the player who must do something to the others, for example, run after
and touch them in the game of tag • You’re
it!
[Old English hit, from
a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English he][1]



ITA

ITA
ITA
ITA I.T.A.

Abbreviation of
initial teaching alphabet[1]



Ital.

Ital.
Ital.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Italian

2.  Abbreviation
of
Italy

[1]



ital.

ital.
ital.

1.  Abbreviation
of
italic

2.  Abbreviation
of
italics

[1]



Italian

Italian
I·tal·ian 
[i tállyən] noun (plural I·tal·ians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Italy:
somebody who was born or raised in Italy, or who has Italian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Italy:
the official language of Italy and one of the official languages of
Switzerland, belonging to the Romance subgroup of the Italic branch of the
Indo-European languages. There are about 60 million native speakers of Italian
and approximately 60 million using it as a second language.
adjective

of Italy:
relating to Italy, or its people or culture
[14th century. From Italian italiano
“of Italy,” from Italia “Italy.”][1]



Italianate

Italianate
I·tal·ian·ate 
[i tállyə nàyt] adjective

Italian in style:
expressed, done, or made in an Italian style or character[1]



Italiandressing

Italiandressing
I·tal·ian
dress·ing
(plural I·tal·ian dress·ings) noun

salad dressing with garlic
and oregano: a salad dressing
typically made with oil and vinegar, garlic, and oregano[1]



Italianesque

Italianesque
I·tal·ian·esque
[i tàllyə nésk] adjective

See
Italianate[1]



Italiangreyhound

Italiangreyhound
I·tal·ian
grey·hound
(plural I·tal·ian grey·hounds) noun

miniature greyhound:
a dog resembling a miniature greyhound, belonging to a breed originating in
Italy[1]



Italianism

Italianism
I·tal·ian·ism 
[i tállyə nìzzəm] (plural I·tal·ian·isms)
noun

something Italian:
something that comes from or is typical of Italy, for example, a word or phrase
that is derived from Italian[1]



Italianize

Italianize
I·tal·ian·ize 
[i tállyə nz] (past I·tal·ian·ized,
past participle I·tal·ian·ized, present participle I·tal·ian·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular I·tal·ian·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become Italian: to make something Italian in
character, or become Italian in character
—I·tal·ian·i·za·tion [i tàllyəni záysh’n], noun[1]



Italiansixth

Italiansixth
I·tal·ian
sixth
(plural I·tal·ian sixths) noun

three-note chord:
a three-note chord consisting of an augmented sixth chord and a major third
above the root of the chord, used for modulation and for providing color[1]



Italiansonnet

Italiansonnet
I·tal·ian
son·net
(plural I·tal·ian son·nets) noun

See
Petrarchan sonnet[1]



italic

italic
i·tal·ic
[i tállik] adjective

1.  having
printed letters sloping to the right:
printed in or using letters that slope to the right. Italic letters are used,
for example, in book titles or to show emphasis.

2.  sloping
to right:
handwritten in letters that slope to the right
noun

italic letter:
a printed letter that slopes to the right, or a font that uses such letters (often
used in the plural)
[Late 16th century. From the
introduction of the style by an Italian printer from Venice in 1501 .
Originally denoting handwriting.][1]



Italic

Italic
I·tal·ic 
noun

branch of the Indo-European language
family:
a branch of the Indo-European language family that includes many former
languages of Italy, including Latin and Umbrian
adjective

1.  of
Italic:
relating to the language family Italic

2.  ancient
Italian:
dating from or used in ancient Italy

[1]



Italicism

Italicism
I·tal·i·cism 
[i tálli sìzzəm] (plural I·tal·i·cisms)
noun

word derived from Italian:
a word or phrase that is borrowed from Italian[1]



italicize

italicize
i·tal·i·cize 
[i tálli sz] (past i·tal·i·cized,
past participle i·tal·i·cized, present participle i·tal·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·tal·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

print
in italics:
to print a word, letter, or document in italics, or change words to an italic
font
—i·tal·i·ci·za·tion
[i tàllissi záysh’n], noun

—i·tal·i·cized [i tálli szd], adjective[1]



Italophile

Italophile
I·tal·o·phile 
[i tállō fl] (plural I·tal·o·philes)
noun

lover
of all things Italian: somebody who loves Italy,
Italians, or the Italian way of life
—I·tal·o·phil·i·a [i tàllō fíllee ə], noun[1]



Italy

Italy



It·a·ly 
[ítt’lee]
republic in southern Europe. Its mainland
area projects as a peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea, and it includes, among
others, the islands of Elba, Sicily, and Sardinia. Language: Italian. Currency:
lira. Capital: Rome. Population: 56,830,508 (1997) Area: 301,323 sq km/116,341
sq mi. Official name Italian Republic[1]



Italy




Back to definition

Italy

[1]



ItarTass

ItarTass
I·tar
Tass
[ taar táss] or I·TAR-Tass [ taar táss] noun

Russian
news agency: a Russian news agency founded in 1992 to
replace Tass, the news agency of the former Soviet Union
[Late 20th century. An
acronym of Russian Informatsionnoe telegrafnoe agentsvo Rossii
“Information Telegraph Agency of Russia” + Tass .][1]



itch

itch
itch 
[ich] verb (past itched,
past participle itched, present participle itch·ing,
3rd person present singular itch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb want
to scratch:
to have, produce, or cause somebody to feel an irritating sensation on the body
that provokes a desire to scratch the skin

2.  intransitive
verb
be
anxious to do something: to be very eager or
impatient to do something

3.  transitive
verb
scratch
itchy skin:
to scratch the skin where it itches (nonstandard)
noun
(plural itch·es)

1.  feeling
of wanting to scratch: an irritating sensation in
the body that provokes a desire to scratch the skin

2.  longing
for something: a restless or uneasy desire for
something

3.  MEDICINE itchy
skin disorder: a skin disorder such as scabies that
causes the skin to itch
[Old
English giccan, from prehistoric Germanic]
—itch·i·ness,
noun

—itch·ing,
noun

—itch·y, adjective[1]



itchmite

itchmite
itch
mite
(plural itch mites) noun

parasite that causes scabies:
a tiny parasite that burrows into the skin and causes the disease scabies in
humans. Latin name: Sarcoptes scabiei[1]



-ite

-ite2
-ite2 suffix

salt
or ester of an acid with a name ending in -ous • phosphite
[Alteration of -ate][1]



-ite

-ite1
-ite1 suffix

1.  mineral,
rock, ore, soil, fossil • carnotite
• nummulite

2.  descendant
or follower of • Hamite
• Hussite

3.  native
or resident of • Israelite
• urbanite

4.  organ,
body part, cell, protozoan • sporozoite

5.  commercial
product, explosive • cordite

6.  product
of a chemical process • evaporite
[Via Old French and Latin
from Greek -itēs][1]



item

item
i·tem 
[təm] noun (plural i·tems)

1.  one
in a collection: a single thing in a group or collection
of things

2.  one
in a list:
one in a list of things

3.  broadcast
or published report: a piece of information in a
news report, for example, in a newspaper or on television

4.  ACCOUNTING bookkeeping
entry:
one entry in a set of financial accounts

5.  couple
in a relationship: a couple who are linked in a
romantic or sexual relationship (informal)
adverb

introducing an item in list:
used to introduce an item in a list
[Late 16th century. From
Latin item “likewise,” from ita “thus, so.” Originally used
before each article in a list, hence “separate thing.”][1]



itemize

itemize
i·tem·ize 
[tə mz] (past i·tem·ized, past
participle i·tem·ized, present participle i·tem·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular i·tem·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
list
individual things: to list all of a set of
related things • an itemized bill

2.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE list
deductions on a tax return: to list separately on a tax
return all deductions from taxable income • Unless
you want to itemize, you can use the easier, shorter tax form.
—i·tem·i·za·tion
[təmi záysh’n], noun

—i·tem·iz·er [tə mzər], noun[1]



iterance

iterance
it·er·ance 
[íttərəns] (plural it·er·ances)
noun

See
iteration  noun 1
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin iterare (see iterate ).][1]



iterant

iterant
it·er·ant 
[íttərənt] adjective

repetitive:
marked by repetition or recurrence
[Early 17th century. Formed
from iterant-, present participle stem of Latin iterare (see iterate ).][1]



iterate

iterate
it·er·ate 
[íttə ràyt] (past it·er·at·ed,
past participle it·er·at·ed, present participle it·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular it·er·ates) transitive verb

repeat
something:
to say or do the same thing again
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
iterare “to repeat,” from iterum “again.”][1]



iteration

iteration
it·er·a·tion 
[ìttə ráysh’n] (plural it·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  repetition:
an instance or the act of doing something again.
Also
called
iterance

2.  MATHEMATICS step-by-step
process:
a process of achieving a desired result by repeating a sequence of steps and
successively getting closer to that result

3.  COMPUTING repetition
of steps:
the repetition of a sequence of instructions in a computer program until a
result is achieved

4.  new
version of something: a different version of
something, especially a new version of existing computer hardware or software

[1]



iterative

iterative
it·er·a·tive 
[íttə ràytiv] adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC See recursive

2.  COMPUTING repeating
steps:
using repeated routines in a loop as part of a computer program

3.  GRAMMAR See frequentative

4.  repetitive:
repeating again and again
—it·er·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



Ithaca

Ithaca
Ith·a·ca 
[íthəkə]

1.  island
in western Greece, the traditional site of the legendary kingdom of Odysseus.
Population: 3,646 (1981) Area: 96 sq km/37 sq mi.

2.  city
in south central New York, south of Cayuga Lake and northwest of Binghamton. Population:
28,507 (1996)

[1]



ithyphallic

ithyphallic
ith·y·phal·lic 
[ìthə fállik] adjective

1.  of
hymns to Bacchus: relating to or composed in the meter
used in hymns to the ancient Greek god Bacchus

2.  showing
an erect penis in art: in sculpture, painting, or
other art, having or showing an erect penis
noun
(plural ith·y·phal·lics)

hymn: a
hymn composed in ithyphallic meter
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin ithyphallicus, from, ultimately, Greek ithuphallos “phallus
carried in procession at festivals of Bacchus,” literally “straight phallus.”][1]



itinerancy

itinerancy
i·tin·er·an·cy 
[ī tínnərənsee] or i·tin·er·a·cy
[ī tínnərəssee] noun

1.  requirement
to travel in job: the fact of traveling, or necessity to
travel, from place to place, especially as part of an occupation or profession

2.  people
with a circuit to cover: people such as judges or
preachers who move from place to place on a circuit

3.  CHRISTIANITY system
of moving clergy between churches: a system for rotating
clergy, especially within the Methodist Church

[1]



itinerant

itinerant
i·tin·er·ant 
[ī tínnərənt] adjective

traveling
on the job:
traveling from place to place, especially to find work or as a part of work
noun
(plural i·tin·er·ants)

somebody
who moves around: somebody who moves from place to place
[Late
16th century. From late Latin itinerant-, present participle stem of itinerari
“to journey,” from Latin itiner- (see itinerary
).]
—i·tin·er·ant·ly, adverb[1]



itinerary

itinerary
i·tin·er·ar·y 
[ī tínnə rèrree] noun (plural i·tin·er·ar·ies)

1.  list
of places to be visited: a plan for a journey listing
different places in the order in which they are to be visited

2.  record
of a journey: a written record of a journey to visit
different places

3.  guidebook:
a guidebook for travelers
adjective

intended for traveling:
intended or used for the purpose of traveling
[15th century. From late
Latin itinerarius, from Latin itiner-, stem of iter “journey,
way.”][1]



itinerate

itinerate
i·tin·er·ate 
[ī tínnə ràyt] (past i·tin·er·at·ed,
past participle i·tin·er·at·ed, present participle i·tin·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular i·tin·er·ates) intransitive verb

go
from place to place: to move from place to place
on a circuit (refers to a judge or preacher)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin itinerari, from Latin itiner- (see itinerary ).]
—i·tin·er·a·tion [ītìnə ráysh’n], noun[1]



-itis

-itis
-itis
suffix

1.  inflammation,
disease • retinitis

2.  excessive
interest in • spectatoritis
[From Greek][1]



ITO

ITO
ITO

Abbreviation of
International Trade Organization[1]



ItoJakuchu

ItoJakuchu
I·to
Ja·ku·chu
[tō ja kóo cho] (1716–1800)

Japanese artist. He is known
for his meticulously detailed paintings of birds, flowers, and fish.[1]



-itol

-itol
-itol
suffix

polyhydric
alcohol • inositol
[Coined from -ite 1 + -ol 1][1]



its

its
its 
[its] adjective

indicating
possession:
used to indicate that something belongs or relates to something • The
park changed its policy.
[Late 16th century. Coined
from it + -’s (possessive).][1]



itself

itself
it·self 
[it sélf] CORE
MEANING:
a reflexive pronoun used to refer back to the subject of a verb or for emphasis
pronoun

1.  used
to refer back to something: used to refer back to the
subject of a verb • His ignorance finally
revealed itself.

2.  used
to emphasize something: used to emphasize the thing
that is referred to • The
house itself was cheap compared to the land.

3.  its
normal self: the way it usually feels or behaves • The
dog’s not itself since we moved to the city.

[1]



itsy-bitsy

itsy-bitsy
it·sy-bit·sy 
[ìtsee bítsee] or it·ty-bit·ty
[ìttee bíttee] adjective

tiny:
extremely small (informal)
[Alteration of little + bit][1]



ITU

ITU
ITU

1.  (plural
ITUs) MEDICINE Abbreviation
of intensive therapy unit

2.  Abbreviation
of
International Telecommunication Union

[1]



Iturbide,Agustín de

Iturbide,Agustín de
I·tur·bi·de
[ tr b day], Agustín de (1783–1824)

Mexican general. A leader of
Mexico’s independence movement, he declared himself emperor (1822–1823), but
was forced to abdicate and was executed.[1]



ITV

ITV
ITV

Abbreviation of
instructional television[1]



it’d

it’d
it’d 
[íttəd] contraction

1.  it
would:
it would

2.  it
had:
it had

[1]



it’ll

it’ll
it’ll 
[ítt’l] contraction

it will:
it will • It’ll
be so good to see you.[1]



it’s

it’s
it’s 
[its] contraction

1.  it
is:
it is • It’s
perfect.

2.  it
has:
it has • It’s
been rebuilt.

[1]



IU

IU
IU

1.  Abbreviation
of
immunizing unit

2.  PHARMACOLOGY Abbreviation of
international unit

[1]



IUCD

IUCD
IUCD
(plural IUCDs)

Abbreviation of
intrauterine contraceptive device[1]



IUD

IUD
IUD
(plural IUDs)

Abbreviation of
intrauterine device[1]



-ium

-ium
-ium
suffix

chemical
element, radical, or ion • californium
[From modern Latin, an
alteration of -um][1]



IV

IV2
IV2 [
veé] (plural IVs or IV’s) noun

1.  medical
injection of liquid: the injection of quantities
of a therapeutic fluid such as blood, plasma, saline, or glucose directly into
somebody’s vein at an adjustable rate

2.  equipment
for injecting a liquid: the equipment used to
administer an IV
[Mid-20th century.
Abbreviation of intravenous .][1]



IV

IV1
IV1 IV

1.  Abbreviation
of
intravenous

2.  Abbreviation
of
intravenously

[1]



i.v.

i.v.
i.v.

Abbreviation of
invoice value[1]



IvanIII

IvanIII
I·van
III
[v’n], Grand Prince of Muscovy (1440–1505)

As
the grand duke of Muscovy (1462–1505), he declared himself “sovereign of all
Russia” (1472) and greatly expanded his empire. He ended Muscovy’s subjection
to the Tatars (1480).
Known as
Ivan the Great[1]



IvanIV

IvanIV

I·van
IV
[vən], Tsar of Russia (1530–1584)
The
grand duke of Moscow, he became the first tsar of Russia (1547–1584). He
expanded his empire into the Urals and Siberia and instigated major internal
reforms, but he is remembered in history for the extreme despotism of his last
twenty years.
Known as
Ivan the Terrible[1]



Ivanovo

Ivanovo
I·va·no·vo 
[i vnəvə]

city in central Russia,
situated approximately 233 km/145 mi northeast of Moscow. Population: 482,000
(1992)[1]



-ive

-ive
-ive
suffix

tending
to or performing • illustrative
[Via Old French from Latin -ivus][1]



Ives,Charles E.

Ives,Charles E.
Ives
[īvz], Charles E. (1874–1954)

U.S.
composer. He was an early proponent of modernism in works such as Three
Places in England ( 1903–1914 ), which combine and distort fragments of
marches, hymns, and popular songs.
Full name
Ives, Charles Edward[1]



Ives,James Merritt

Ives,James Merritt
Ives
[īvz], James Merritt (1824–1895)

U.S. lithographer. He was a
partner in the New York lithographic firm Currier & Ives, famous for their
colored prints of 19th-century social and domestic life.[1]



IVF

IVF
IVF

Abbreviation of
in vitro fertilization[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ivied

ivied
i·vied 
[veed] adjective

covered with ivy:
covered or overgrown with ivy[1]



ivory

ivory
i·vo·ry 
[vəree] noun (plural i·vo·ries)

1.  material
of elephant’s tusks: a hard cream-colored
substance ( dentine ) that forms the tusks
of animals such as the elephant, walrus, and sperm whale and was formerly used
to carve small decorative objects

2.  something
made of ivory: an object made of ivory, for example, a
figurine of a person or animal

3.  COLORS creamy
white:
a creamy-white color, like that of an elephant’s tusk
plural
noun
i·vo·ries

1.  piano
keys:
the keys of a piano (informal)

2.  teeth:
somebody’s teeth (slang)

3.  dice:
dice (slang)
adjective

cream-colored:
of a creamy white color, like that of an elephant’s tusk
[13th century. Via Old French
ivurie from Latin ebur, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately
from Egyptian ab “ivory, elephant.”][1]



ivory-billedwoodpecker

ivory-billedwoodpecker
i·vo·ry-billed
wood·peck·er  (plural i·vo·ry-billed
wood·peck·ers) noun

large, nearly extinct
woodpecker: a large, nearly extinct
woodpecker of the southern United States and Cuba that has black-and-white
plumage, a red crest in the male, and an ivory-colored bill. Latin name: Campephilus
principalis[1]



ivoryblack

ivoryblack
i·vo·ry
black
noun

black pigment:
a black pigment made from burnt ivory[1]



IvoryCoast

IvoryCoast
I·vo·ry
Coast
[vəree kṓst]

Former name for
Côte d’Ivoire[1]



ivorygull

ivorygull
i·vo·ry
gull
noun

small white Arctic gull:
a small white Arctic gull that nests on rocky cliffs and winters on the edge of
the pack ice. Latin name: Pagophila eburnea[1]



ivorynut

ivorynut
i·vo·ry
nut
(plural i·vo·ry nuts) noun

palm nut used like ivory:
the hard white nut of the ivory palm, the inner part ( endosperm
) of which is used in making buttons or other small items.
Also called
vegetable ivory[1]



ivorypalm

ivorypalm
i·vo·ry
palm
(plural i·vo·ry palms) or i·vo·ry-nut palm (plural
i·vo·ry-nut palms) noun

low-growing palm tree:
a low-growing palm tree of Brazil and Peru that yields ivory nuts. Latin name: Phytelephas
macrocarpa[1]



ivorytower

ivorytower
i·vo·ry
tow·er
(plural i·vo·ry tow·ers) noun

separation
from real-life problems: a state or situation in
which somebody is sheltered from the practicalities or difficulties of ordinary
life
[Translation
of French tour d’ivoire]
—i·vo·ry-tow·ered, adjective[1]



I.V.R.

I.V.R.
I.V.R.
(plural I.V.R.s)

Abbreviation of
international vehicle registration[1]



ivy

ivy

i·vy 
[vee] (plural i·vies or
i·vy) noun

1.  evergreen
climbing plant: an evergreen climbing plant with woody
stems and green, green-and-yellow, or green-and-white leaves that grows easily
on walls or trees or along the ground. Genus: Hedera
Also
called
English ivy

2.  plant
similar to the ivy: any climbing plant that
resembles the true ivy, for example, the Boston ivy, Japanese ivy, poison ivy,
or ground ivy

3.  mountain
laurel:
the mountain laurel, an evergreen shrub with leathery poisonous leaves (regional)
[Old
English īfig, from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense “mountain laurel,” ivy is used
  mainly in Appalachia, from Virginia and Kentucky to the Carolinas and
  Georgia, but also in New England, notably Connecticut and Massachusetts.

[1]



IvyLeague

IvyLeague
I·vy
League 
noun

group
of prestigious U.S. universities: a group of prestigious
and respected universities in the northeastern United States consisting of
Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of
Pennsylvania, and Yale
adjective

of
the Ivy League: relating to the Ivy League or students
of the universities of the Ivy League • an
Ivy League education
[Ivy
from the presumption that the universities’ walls were ivy-clad on account of
their great age]
—I·vy Leagu·er, noun[1]



i.w.

i.w.
i.w.

Abbreviation of
inside width[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








iwi

iwi
i·wi
[wee] (plural i·wi) noun

New
Zealand
a
people:
a people or community
[From Maori][1]



Iwo

Iwo
I·wo 
[wō]

city in southwestern Nigeria,
just north of Ibadan. Population: 319,500 (1991)[1]



IWW

IWW
IWW

Abbreviation of
Industrial Workers of the World[1]



Ixion

Ixion
Ix·i·on 
[íksee òn, íksee
ən] noun

mythological king of
Thessaly: in Greek mythology, a king
of Thessaly who was bound to a perpetually turning wheel by Zeus as punishment
for making sexual advances to Hera[1]



Ixtacalco

Ixtacalco
Ix·ta·cal·co
[sta kálkō]

industrial city in south
central Mexico, situated just south of Mexico City. Population: 448,357 (1990)[1]



ixtle

ixtle
ix·tle 
noun

See
istle[1]



Iyar

Iyar
I·yar
[ yr] noun

Jewish
month:
the second month of the Jewish religious calendar and the eighth month of the
Jewish civil calendar, falling approximately in April and May
[Mid-18th century. From
Hebrew iyyār .][1]



-ize

-ize
-ize
suffix

1.  to
cause to be, make • formalize

2.  to
treat with or as • chromize
• lionize

3.  to
become, become like • crystallize

4.  to
engage in • extemporize
[Via
Old French -iser and Latin -izare from Greek -izein]
—-ization, suffix[1]



Izhevsk

Izhevsk
I·zhevsk 
[i éfsk]

city and capital of Udmurtia,
eastern Russia, located on the Izh River. Population: 650,700 (1992)[1]



Izmir

Izmir
Iz·mir
[ízmeer] or İz·mir [ízmeer]

city and seaport in western
Turkey. Population: 1,757,414 (1990) Former name Smyrna[1]



Izmit

Izmit
Iz·mit
[ízmit] or İz·mit [ízmit]

city in northwestern Turkey,
situated on the Gulf of Izmit. Population: 256,882 (1990)[1]



izzard

izzard
iz·zard 
[ízzərd] (plural iz·zards) noun

letter
“z”:
the letter “z” (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of zed .][1]



I’d

I’d
I’d 
[īd] contraction

1.  I
had:
I had • I’d
forgotten you were coming.

2.  I
would:
I would or should

[1]



I’ll

I’ll
I’ll 
[īl] contraction

I will:
I will or shall[1]



I’m

I’m
I’m 
[īm] contraction

I am:
I am[1]



I’ve

I’ve
I’ve 
[īv] contraction

I have:
I have[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








j

j2
j2

1.  Symbol
for
the imaginary number &sqrt;-1

2.  j
or J PHYSICS Symbol
for electric current density

[1]



j

j3
j3 or J

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of joule[1]



J.

J.
J.
or j.

1.  PRESS Abbreviation of
Journal

2.  LAW Abbreviation of Judge

3.  LAW Abbreviation of Justice

[1]



J

J
J

CARD
GAMES Abbreviation of jack[1]



j

j1

j1 [jay]
(plural j’s) or J [jay]
(plural J’s or Js) noun

1.  10th
letter of English alphabet: the tenth letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “J”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “J”

3.        letter
“J” written: a written
representation of the letter “J”[1]



Ja.

Ja.
Ja.

Abbreviation of
January[1]



J.A.

J.A.
J.A.

Abbreviation of
Judge Advocate[1]



JA

JA
JA

1.  BANKING Abbreviation of joint account

2.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
Junior Achievement

[1]



jab

jab
jab 
[jab] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jabbed, past participle jabbed, present
participle jab·bing, 3rd person present singular jabs)

1.  punch
sharply:
to make a short punching movement, or push something with a short punching
movement

2.  make
short fast punch: to make a short fast punch at an
opponent, for example, in boxing
noun
(plural jabs)

1.  punching
movement:
a short sharp punching movement

2.  short
sharp punch: a short sharp punch, as used in boxing

3.  Australia,
U.K. (informal) See shot 1 noun 14
[Early 19th century.
Originally a Scottish variant of job “to pierce, thrust,” an imitation
of the sound of a brief forcible action.][1]



Jabalpur

Jabalpur
Jab·al·pur 
[jùbb’l pr]

city in central India. It is
a major commercial center. Population: 739,961 (1991) Former name
Jubbulpore[1]



jabber

jabber
jab·ber 
[jábbər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jab·bered, past participle jab·bered, present
participle jab·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular jab·bers)

talk
very fast:
to talk or say something rapidly, so that it is incomprehensible
noun

rapid
speech:
rapid speech that is incomprehensible
[15th
century. Supposedly imitative of the sound made by somebody talking in this
way.]
—jab·ber·er, noun[1]



jabberwocky

jabberwocky
jab·ber·wock·y 
[jábbər wòkee] (plural jab·ber·wock·ies)
noun

nonsense
language:
speech or writing that is meaningless and often deliberately whimsical or
humorous
[Early 20th century. From
“Jabberwocky,” nonsense poem by English writer Lewis Carroll, from his book Through
the Looking Glass (1872).][1]



Jabiru

Jabiru
Jab·i·ru 
[jábbirə]

town in northern Australia,
situated inside Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. It is a mining
town and tourist resort. Population: 1,694 (1996)[1]



jabiru

jabiru
jab·i·ru 
[jàbbə r, jábbə
r] (plural jab·i·rus or jab·i·ru) noun

1.  large
white tropical stork: a large tropical stork of
Central and South America that has white plumage and a naked head. Latin name: Jabiru
mycteria

2.  large
black-and-white Australian stork: a large
black-and-white stork inhabiting the north and east of Australia. Latin name: Xenorhynchus
asiaticus
Also
called
black-necked stork
[Late 18th century. From
Tupi-Guarani jabirú “swollen-necked,” with reference to the large neck typical
of the tropical storks.][1]



jaborandi

jaborandi
jab·o·ran·di 
[jàbbə rándee] (plural jab·o·ran·dis
or jab·o·ran·di) noun

1.  tropical
American shrub: a tropical American shrub of the rue
family. Genus: Pilocarpus

2.  dried
leaves used as medicine: the dried leaves of the
jaborandi tree that yield the drug pilocarpine
[Early 17th century. From
Portuguese, from Tupi-Guarani jaburandi, literally “somebody who spits,”
from the increased saliva of those who chew the leaves.][1]



jabot

jabot
ja·bot 
[zha bṓ, zhá bō]
(plural ja·bots) noun

1.  ruffle
on women’s clothing: an edging of ruffles at the
upper front of a blouse or dress

2.  ruffle
on men’s clothing: formerly, a set of ruffles
attached to the neckband and falling in tiers down the front of a man’s shirt
[Early 19th century. From
French, “bird’s crop,” “shirt-frill,” of uncertain origin: probably from a
Proto-Romance base meaning “crop, gullet.”][1]



jaboticaba

jaboticaba
ja·bot·i·ca·ba 
[jə bòtti kbə] (plural ja·bot·i·ca·bas
or ja·bot·i·ca·ba) noun

Brazilian
evergreen tree: a Brazilian evergreen tree of the myrtle
family cultivated for its clusters of fruit. Latin name: Myrciaria
cauliflora
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi iauoti`kaua .][1]



jacal

jacal
ja·cal 
[hə kl] (plural ja·cals) noun

thatched
hut of SW United States: a thatched hut of the
southwestern United States and Mexico that has walls made of stakes driven into
the ground and daubed with mud
[Mid-19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl xacalli, a contraction of xamitl calli
“adobe house.”][1]



jacamar

jacamar
jac·a·mar 
[jákə mr] (plural jac·a·mars or
jac·a·mar) noun

long-billed
tropical American bird: a South and Central American
bird with a very long bill and bright blue or green feathers. Jacamars feed on
insects and butterflies and lay their eggs in holes in the ground. Family:
Galbulidae
[Early 19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Tupi .][1]



jacaranda

jacaranda
jac·a·ran·da 
[jàkə rándə] (plural jac·a·ran·das
or jac·a·ran·da) noun

1.  TREES plant
with ferny leaves: a tree or shrub of tropical
America with ferny leaves, purple flowers, and pleasant smelling wood. Genus: Jacaranda

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from jacaranda: the pleasant smelling wood of the
jacaranda tree
[Mid-18th century. From
Portuguese, from Tupi-Guarani jakara’na .][1]



jacinth

jacinth
ja·cinth 
[jáyssinth] (plural ja·cinths or
ja·cinth) noun

See
hyacinth
[13th century. From Old
French iacinte or medieval Latin iacintus, an alteration of Latin
hyacinthus (see hyacinth ).][1]



jack

jack3
jack3  [jak]
(plural jacks) noun

coat
of armor of Middle Ages: a short sleeveless coat of
armor used in the Middle Ages made of canvas covered with metal plates
[14th century. Via Old French
jaque from Spanish or Portuguese jaco, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Arabic shakk .][1]



jack

jack2
jack2  [jak]
noun

See
jak[1]



Jack

Jack
Jack
[jak] noun

1.  used
to address unknown man: used to address a man who is
a stranger • Hey,
Jack, what time is it?

2.  NAVY (dated informal) See
jack-tar  noun

[1]



jack

jack1
jack1  [jak]
noun (plural jacks)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING device
for lifting something heavy: a portable device that uses
a mechanical or hydraulic lifting system to raise heavy objects, especially
cars, a short distance

2.  CARD GAMES playing
card:
a playing card ranking between a ten and a queen, with a picture of a young man
on it.
Also
called
knave

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electrical
socket:
a female socket designed to receive a male plug for completing a circuit

4.  GAME object
used in jacks: a small, usually metal object with six
points that is used in the game of jacks

5.  BOWLING target
ball used in lawn bowling: a small, usually white ball
that players aim at in lawn bowling.
Also
called
mark

6.  ZOOLOGY male
animal:
the male of various animals, especially the donkey

7.  See
jackrabbit

8.  NAUTICAL flag
on a ship:
a small flag displayed to indicate the nationality of a ship

9.  ZOOLOGY tropical
fish:
a warm-water marine fish that has a forked tail. Genus: Caranx

10. money:
money (slang)

11. applejack:
applejack

12. COOKING device
that turns spit: a device that mechanically turns a spit
over an open fire

13. laborer:
a laborer, or somebody who does odd jobs (usually used in combination)

14. NAUTICAL brace
on mast:
either one of a pair of wooden braces ( crosstrees
) at the head of a topgallant mast used to hold the mast stays away from the
mast
verb
(past jacked, past participle jacked, present
participle jack·ing, 3rd person present singular jacks)

1.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING raise
something with jack: to raise a heavy object a
short distance using a jack

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING hunt at night with light:
to hunt or fish for game at night using a jacklight as a lure

3.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY rob
somebody:
to steal something, especially a car, from somebody (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
pry
something open: to open something by prying it apart (slang)
• Who
jacked the door?
[14th
century. Originally a nickname for John, hence a name for an ordinary
man, hence applied to things taking the place of a man or saving human labor.
The sense of “small” developed in the 16th century.]
every
man jack

U.K.
every single person[1]



jackal

jackal
jack·al 
[jákəl] (plural jack·als or
jack·al) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY wild
animal resembling dog: a wild mammal resembling a
dog, with long legs, large ears, and a bushy tail. It lives in Africa and
southern Asia, and eats small animals, insects, and plants. Genus: Canis

2.  CRIMINOLOGY swindler:
somebody who works with others to deceive people, especially to swindle them
out of money
[Early 17th century. From
Turkish çakal, from Persian šagāl .][1]



jackanapes

jackanapes
jackanapes 
[jákə nayps] (plural jackanapes)
noun

1.  impudent
person:
somebody who behaves in an impudent, self-centered way (dated)

2.  mischievous
child:
a child who behaves mischievously or impertinently (dated)

3.  monkey:
a monkey (archaic)
[Early 16th century.
Originally Jack Napes, of uncertain origin: perhaps a playful name for a
tame ape, with “n” added by misdivision of an ape .][1]



jackaround

jackaround
jack
around
intransitive verb

waste time:
to waste time, loaf, or act irresponsibly (slang) • Stop
jacking around and get to work![1]



jackass

jackass
jackass 
[ják ass] (plural jackasses) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY male
ass:
a male donkey or ass (slang)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (slang
insult)
[Early
18th century. Jack from jack 1 .]
—jackassery, noun[1]



jackbean

jackbean
jack
bean
(plural jack beans) noun

tropical climbing plant:
a tropical American climbing plant of the pea family that is grown in the
southern United States mainly for forage. It has clusters of purple flowers
that produce long pods with edible seeds. Latin name: Canavalia ensiformis[1]



jackboot

jackboot
jackboot
[ják boot] (plural jackboots) noun

1.  MILITARY military
boot:
a type of sturdy long black leather boot that comes up to, or over, the knee,
worn especially by the military in Nazi Germany

2.  harsh
treatment:
military or other rule that is characterized by cruelty, oppression, or
arbitrary aggression
[Late 17th century. Jack
of uncertain origin: probably from jack, a medieval iron-plated battle
jacket.][1]



jackcheese

jackcheese
jack
cheese
(plural jack cheeses) noun

See
Monterey Jack[1]



jackcrevalle

jackcrevalle
jack
crevalle
(plural jack crevalles) noun

edible fish:
a spiny-finned edible fish that is common off the western coast of Florida,
where it is economically important. Latin name: Caranx hippos
Also called
crevalle jack[1]



jackdaw

jackdaw
jackdaw 
[ják daw] (plural jackdaws) noun

large
black bird:
a large noisy bird of the crow family native to Europe and Asia. It is renowned
for stealing things, especially shiny objects, which it hides or takes back to
its nest. Latin name: Corvus monedula
Also
called
daw
[Mid-16th century. Literally
“untidy Jack” (see daw ).][1]



jacked

jacked
jacked
[jakt] adjective

highly stimulated:
highly stimulated and wide awake (slang) • jacked
on coffee[1]



jacket

jacket
jack·et 
[jákət] noun (plural jack·ets)

1.  CLOTHES short
coat:
a short, usually hip-length or waist-length coat, sometimes forming part of a
suit. It usually has long sleeves, pockets, lapels, and fastens at the front
with buttons or a zipper.

2.  CLOTHES protective
clothing:
something that is worn on the upper part of the body for protection or support

3.  RECORDING record
cover:
a decorated protective cover for a record or CD that usually lists the
performers and contents.
Also
called
liner
U.K.
term
sleeve  noun 3

4.  PUBLISHING See dust jacket

5.  FOOD potato
skin:
the outer skin of an unpeeled cooked potato, especially a baked one

6.  COMPUTING floppy
disk casing: the casing of a floppy disk

7.  COMMERCE folder:
a strong envelope or folder for holding papers or documents

8.  ENGINEERING boiler
cover:
a cover or outer casing designed to insulate a boiler

9.  INDUSTRY outer
casing of pipe: an outer casing around a pipe that can
be filled with steam or hot water to keep the contents of the pipe warm

10. ARMS outer
casing of bullet: an outer casing on certain bullets and
other types of ammunition

11. SPORTS coat
identifying racing dog: a distinctive colored coat
for an animal, especially a racing greyhound
transitive
verb
(past jack·et·ed, past participle jack·et·ed, present
participle jack·et·ing, 3rd person present singular jack·ets)

put jacket on something:
to put a jacket on somebody or something, for example, a book or record
[15th century. From French jaquet,
diminutive of Old French jacque “tunic,” from jacques “peasant,”
from the common name Jacques ; because peasants wore the garments.][1]



jackfish

jackfish
jack·fish
[ják fish] (plural jack·fish or
jack·fish·es) noun

pike:
a pike, especially a young or small one
[Late 16th century. Jack
from jack 1 in the
meaning of “small.”][1]



JackFrost

JackFrost
Jack
Frost
noun

freezing conditions:
a personification of frost, very cold wintry weather, or the effects that frost
or cold weather can produce[1]



jackfruit

jackfruit
jack·fruit 
[ják froot] (plural jack·fruit
or jack·fruits) noun

1.  TREES tropical
Asian tree:
a large tree native to tropical Asia, where it is cultivated for its
fine-grained yellowish wood and large edible fruits. Latin name: Artocarpus heterophyllus

2.  FOOD See jak
[Mid-19th century. Jack from
Portuguese jaca (see jak ).][1]



jackhammer

jackhammer
jack·ham·mer 
[ják hammər] (plural jack·ham·mers)
noun

pounding
power tool:
a hand-held power tool, usually powered by compressed air and used for
splitting or drilling rock, or for breaking up paved areas
[Jack from jack 1 in the
meaning of “small”][1]



Jackie-O

Jackie-O
Jackie-O
[jàkee ṓ] adjective

typical
of Jackie Onassis: used to describe a fashion
style associated with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis • wearing
a pair of Jackie-O sunglasses
[Mid-20th century][1]



jackin

jackin
jack
in
or jack in·to transitive verb

to connect to something:
to connect somebody or something electronically to something (slang) • We’re
jacked into the Internet.[1]



jack-in-the-box

jack-in-the-box
jack-in-the-box 
(plural jacks-in-the-box or jack-in-the-box·es) noun

child’s toy:
a child’s toy consisting of a puppet on a spring inside a box. The puppet jumps
out when a mechanism is triggered to open the lid.[1]



jack-in-the-pulpit

jack-in-the-pulpit

jack-in-the-pul·pit 
(plural jack-in-the-pul·pits) noun
N American plant:
a woodland plant of eastern North America that produces a thick spike of tiny
flowers ( spadix ) surrounded by a sheath.
Latin name: Arisaema triphyllum
Also called
Indian turnip[1]



jackknife

jackknife
jack·knife 
[ják nīf] noun (plural jack·knives
[ják nīvz])

1.  pocketknife:
a large pocketknife

2.  SWIMMING dive:
a dive in which the diver jumps, bends the body at the waist while keeping the
legs together and straight, then straightens out to enter the water headfirst
intransitive
verb
(past jack·knifed, past participle jack·knifed, present
participle jack·knif·ing, 3rd person present singular jack·knifes)

1.  TRANSPORT fold
trailer in on cab: to come to a halt with the
trailer at an angle to the cab, as a result of sudden braking or swerving at
speed (refers to tractor-trailers) • The
truck struck a patch of ice and jackknifed.

2.  SWIMMING do
jackknife dive: to perform a jackknife dive
[Early 18th century. Jack
of uncertain origin: perhaps from jack 1 .][1]



jackleg

jackleg
jack·leg 
[ják leg] adjective Southern U.S.

1.  untrained:
untrained or incompetent • jackleg
plumbers

2.  unscrupulous:
unscrupulous and untrustworthy • a
jackleg insurance salesman
noun
(plural jack·legs)

Southern U.S. incompetent
person:
somebody who is incompetent or untrustworthy
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from jack 1 + -leg,
as in blackleg .][1]



jacklight

jacklight
jack·light 
[ják līt] noun (plural jack·lights)

light
for hunting: a light used for fishing or hunting at
night, usually illegally
intransitive
verb
(past jack·lit or jack·light·ed, past participle
jack·lit [ják lit], present
participle jack·light·ing, 3rd person present singular jack·lights)

use
jacklight:
to hunt or fish at night using a jacklight
[Late 19th century. Jack from
jack “vessel covered with pitch and used for carrying oil or coal to be
burned for light.”][1]



jackmackerel

jackmackerel
jack
mack·er·el
noun

Pacific fish:
a torpedo-shaped edible fish of the jack family, native to Pacific coastal
waters, with a body bluish-green on top and silvery underneath. Latin name: Trachurus
symmetricus[1]



jack-of-all-trades

jack-of-all-trades
jack-of-all-trades 
(plural jacks-of-all-trades) noun

versatile amateur:
somebody who can do various kinds of work[1]



jackoff

jackoff
jack
off
intransitive and transitive verb

offensive term:
offensive term for masturbating yourself or somebody else (taboo offensive)[1]



jack-o’-lantern

jack-o’-lantern
jack-o’-lan·tern 
(plural jack-o’-lan·terns) noun

1.  lantern
made from pumpkin: a lantern made from a
hollowed-out pumpkin that has facial features cut out of it, used as a part of
Halloween decoration

2.  See
will-o’-the-wisp

[1]



jackpine

jackpine
jack
pine
(plural jack pines) noun

N American pine:
a pine tree of northern North America that has a narrow trunk, short needles
arranged in pairs, and curving cones. It has soft wood that is used especially
for paper pulp. Latin name: Pinus banksiana[1]



jackplane

jackplane
jack
plane
(plural jack planes) noun

tool
for smoothing surfaces: a large carpentry plane used
for rough planing of wood and other surfaces
[Jack from jack 1 in the
sense of “instrument”][1]



jackpot

jackpot
jack·pot 
[ják pot] (plural jack·pots) noun

1.  GAMBLING cash
prize:
an amount of money won in a competition or lottery, or as a payout from a slot
machine or other kind of gambling machine

2.  CARD GAMES total
amount bet on poker hands: an accumulated stake in
poker games that can be competed for only by players holding a pair of jacks or
a better hand
[Late
19th century. Jack from the necessity of holding a pair of jacks or better to
compete for the pot in poker.]
hit
the jackpot

to achieve great success,
especially financially[1]



jackrabbit

jackrabbit
jack
rab·bit 
(plural jack rab·bits) noun

large
hare:
a large hare native to the prairies of western North America, with long hind
legs and extremely long ears. Genus: Lepus
Also
called
jack
[Jack from jackass, because of its long ears][1]



jackrabbitstart

jackrabbitstart
jack·rab·bit
start
(plural jack·rab·bit starts) noun

fast start:
a fast acceleration of a motor vehicle from a standing position (informal)
(regional)[1]



JackRussell

JackRussell
Jack
Rus·sell
[jak rúss’l] (plural Jack
Rus·sells) or Jack Rus·sell ter·ri·er [jak rúss’l] (plural Jack Rus·sell
ter·ri·ers) noun

small
terrier:
a small terrier with short legs and a white coat with patchy markings in black,
brown, or tan, or a combination of these colors
[Early 20th century. Named
for John (Jack) Russell (1795–1883), the English clergyman who
introduced the breed.][1]



jacks

jacks
jacks
[jaks] noun

tossing
game:
a game involving picking up small metal or plastic pieces in a particular
sequence between bouncing or throwing and catching a ball (takes a singular
verb)
Also
called
jackstones
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of jackstones .][1]



jackscrew

jackscrew
jack·screw 
[ják skroo] (plural jack·screws)
noun

See
screw jack[1]



jackshaft

jackshaft
jack·shaft 
[ják shaft] (plural jack·shafts)
noun

short motor shaft:
a short shaft that transmits power from a motor or engine to a machine[1]



jacksmelt

jacksmelt
jack·smelt
[ják smelt] (plural jack·smelts
or jack·smelt) noun

edible Pacific fish:
an edible and commercially important fish of the silverside family, found in
North Pacific coastal waters of North America. Latin name: Atherinopsis californiensis[1]



jacksnipe

jacksnipe
jack·snipe 
[ják snīp] (plural jack·snipe or
jack·snipes) noun

small
European wading bird: a small wading bird with a
fairly short bill and legs and dark plumage. It breeds in swamps and bogs in
the far north of Europe and Asia. Latin name: Limnocryptes minimus
[So called because of its
small size (see jack 1 )][1]



Jackson,Andrew

Jackson,Andrew

Jack·son 
[jáks’n], Andrew (1767–1845)
U.S.
statesman and 7th President of the United States. His army defeated the British
at New Orleans during the War of 1812. As Democratic president (1829–1837), he
opposed the Bank of America and greatly strengthened the presidency.
Known as
Old Hickory[1]



JacksonDay

JacksonDay
Jack·son
Day
noun

Louisiana holiday:
January 8, a legal holiday celebrated in Louisiana marking Andrew Jackson’s
victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815[1]



Jackson,Glenda

Jackson,Glenda
Jack·son 
[jáksən], Glenda (1936– )

British actor and politician.
She played in numerous Royal Shakespeare Company productions and in films,
winning two Academy Awards, before becoming a Labour MP (1992).[1]



JacksonHole

JacksonHole
Jack·son
Hole


valley in northwestern
Wyoming, east of the Teton Range and partly in Grand Teton National Park.
Length: 80 km/50 mi.[1]



Jacksonian

Jacksonian
Jack·so·ni·an 
[jak sṓnee ən] adjective

of
Jackson’s presidency: relating to Andrew Jackson’s
presidential term or policies, especially his advocacy of greater public
involvement in politics.

—Jack·so·ni·an,
noun

—Jack·so·ni·an·ism, noun[1]



Jackson,Jesse

Jackson,Jesse

Jack·son 
[jáksən], Jesse (1941– )
U.S.
civil rights leader, clergyman, and politician. He was closely associated with
civil rights leader Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference in the 1960s, and later twice ran for the Democratic presidential
nomination (1984, 1988) at the head of his own political organization, the
Rainbow Coalition.
Full name
Jackson, Jesse Louis[1]



Jackson,Mahalia

Jackson,Mahalia
Jack·son 
[jáksən], Mahalia (1911–1972)

U.S. singer. She helped to
popularize gospel music during the 1940s and 1950s.[1]



Jackson,Michael

Jackson,Michael
Jack·son 
[jáksən], Michael (1958– )

U.S. entertainer. He was the
youngest brother in The Jackson Five before embarking on a successful solo
singing career. His album Thriller (1982) broke sales records.[1]



Jackson,Robert Houghwout

Jackson,Robert Houghwout
Jack·son 
[jáksən], Robert Houghwout (1892–1954)

U.S. jurist. An associate
justice on the U.S. Supreme Court (1941–1954), he was chief U.S. prosecutor at
the Nuremberg war crimes trials (1945–1946).[1]



Jackson,Stonewall

Jackson,Stonewall
Jack·son 
[jáksən], Stonewall (1824–1863)

U.S.
general. He was one of the most successful Confederate commanders during the
Civil War.
Real name
Jackson, Thomas Jonathan[1]



Jacksonville

Jacksonville
Jack·son·ville 
[jáks’n vil]

city in northeastern Florida.
It is a major commercial and cultural center. Population: 665,070 (1994)[1]



jackstay

jackstay
jack·stay 
[ják stay] (plural jack·stays)
noun

1.  rod
to secure sail: a rod attached to a horizontal beam ( yard ) on a mast, used for securing a sail

2.  support:
a support for the ring ( parrel ) that holds
a boom to a mast

[1]



jackstone

jackstone
jack·stone 
[ják stōn] (plural jack·stones)
noun

piece used in tossing game:
a small piece of metal or plastic used in the game of jacks[1]



jackstones

jackstones
jack·stones
[ják stōnz] noun

(takes
a singular verb)See jacks
[Early 19th century. Named
with reference to the small size of the “stones” (see jack 1 ),
originally little pebbles or bones.][1]



jackstraw

jackstraw
jack·straw 
[ják straw] (plural jack·straws)
noun

1.  thin
playing stick: a small thin stick used in the game of
jackstraws

2.  jack·straws
game
of skill:
a game that involves trying to remove a small thin stick ( jackstraw ) from a pile of others without
disturbing any of the rest of them (takes a singular verb)
[Late 16th century. Named
because of its small size and also for Jack Straw, a 14th century
English political rebel, with the sense of “worthless person”; also “man of
straw.”][1]



jack-tar

jack-tar
jack-tar
(plural jack-tars) or Jack Tar (plural Jack
Tars) noun

sailor:
a sailor (dated informal)
Also
called
Jack
[ jack1 with the
sense “everyman,” tar from shortening of tarpaulin, used to make the
sailors’ hats][1]



Jackthe Ripper

Jackthe Ripper
Jack
the Rip·per
[jàk ə ríppər] (lived 1880s)

British murderer. He was the
notorious unknown killer of six prostitutes in London’s East End between August
and November 1888.[1]



jackup

jackup
jack
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING lift
something with jack: to use a jack to lift a
heavy object, especially a motor vehicle, off the ground

2.  transitive
verb
increase
amount of something: to increase something,
especially a price or salary, often to an unreasonably high level

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS inject illegal drugs:
to inject a drug, especially heroin, intravenously (slang)

[1]



jack-uprig

jack-uprig
jack-up
rig
noun

long-legged oil rig:
an offshore oil rig with a floating hull and retractable legs that can be
lowered to the seabed for support[1]



Jacob

Jacob
Ja·cob 
[jáykəb] (plural Ja·cobs) noun

Hebrew patriarch:
in the Bible, the second son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the grandson of Abraham.
He tricked his older brother, Esau, out of his father’s blessing, and had a
vision of ascent into heaven that came to be called “Jacob’s ladder” (Genesis
25–35) .[1]



Jacobean

Jacobean
Jac·o·be·an 
[jàkə b ən, jàykə
b ən] adjective

1.  HISTORY of
James I:
relating to King James I or to the period of his English reign (1603–1625).


2.  FURNITURE of
furniture style: in the style of furniture fashionable
during the reign of King James I. Pieces were typically quite bulky and were
usually made from dark carved oak, often with Gothic motifs.


3.  ARCHITECTURE of
architectural style: in the style of architecture
produced during the reign of King James I. It is transitional between the
Gothic and Renaissance periods, retaining some Gothic motifs, but also
anticipating the reverence for the classical that typifies later design.
noun
(plural Jac·o·be·ans)

HISTORY contemporary
of James I:
somebody, especially a prominent person, who lived during the reign of King
James I of England
[Late 18th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin Jacobus “James.”][1]



Jacobeanlily

Jacobeanlily
Jac·o·be·an
lil·y
noun

plant
with red flower: a flowering plant of the amaryllis
family that is native to Mexico, widely cultivated for its bright-red single
flower. Latin name: Sprekelia formosissima
[Named in honor of St.
James.][1]



jacobin

jacobin
jac·o·bin
[jákəbin] (plural jac·o·bins) noun

pigeon
variety:
a variety of pigeon with feathers over the neck and head that grow in the
opposite direction to the others, giving it the appearance of having a hood
[Late 17th century. From
French jacobine, femininine of Jacobin (see Jacobin ).][1]



Jacobin

Jacobin
Jac·o·bin 
[jákəbin] noun (plural Jac·o·bins)

1.  HISTORY French
Revolutionary extremist: a member of a group of
left-wing extremists founded during the French Revolution. In 1793, they
overthrew the more moderate republicans, the Girondists, and this allowed
Robespierre, the leader of the group, to begin the Reign of Terror and to
install revolutionary measures.

2.  POLITICS left-wing
extremist:
a political radical, especially one who holds extreme left-wing views

3.  CHRISTIANITY friar:
a French Dominican friar
adjective

HISTORY of
French Jacobins: relating to the Jacobins of the French
Revolution, or to their policies
[From
Old French, from ecclesiastical Latin Jacobus, originally a Dominican
friar associated with the church of St. Jacques in Paris, where the Jacobins
were established.]
—Jac·o·bin·ic
[jàkə bínnik], adjective

—Jac·o·bin·i·cal,
adjective

—Jac·o·bin·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—Jac·o·bin·ism [jákəbiniz’m], noun[1]



Jacobite

Jacobite
Jac·o·bite 
[jákə bīt] noun (plural Jac·o·bites)

1.  HISTORY supporter
of James II: somebody who supported the Roman
Catholic King James II of England and his descendants in the Stuart claim to
the British throne

2.  CHRISTIANITY Eastern
church member: a member of any of the Monophysite
churches, especially of Syria
adjective

HISTORY of
Jacobites:
relating to the Stuart claim to the British throne or to those who supported
the Stuart claim
[Late
17th century. From ecclesiastical Latin Jacobus (see Jacobean ).]
—Jac·o·bit·ic
[jàkə bíttik], adjective

—Jac·o·bit·i·cal,
adjective

—Jac·o·bit·ism [jákə bītiz’m], noun[1]



Jacob’sladder

Jacob’sladder
Ja·cob’s
lad·der 
(plural Ja·cob’s lad·ders) noun

1.  NAUTICAL rope
ladder:
a ladder, used especially on ships, whose rungs are held together by ropes or
chains, thus allowing it to be rolled up and stored in a small space

2.  PLANTS N American
plant:
a North American wild or garden plant that has blue or white flowers and leaves
divided into several leaflets in an arrangement similar to a ladder. Genus: Polemonium
[Named with reference to the
story of Jacob’s vision of a ladder reaching to heaven (Genesis 28 :12)][1]



Jacob’sstaff

Jacob’sstaff
Ja·cob’s
staff
noun

medieval
measuring instrument: a medieval instrument for
measuring distance
[Alludes to St. James (
ecclesiastical Latin Jacobus “James”), one of whose symbols is a
pilgrim’s staff, or to the staff of Jacob (Genesis 30:10) .][1]



jaconet

jaconet
jac·o·net 
[jákə net] (plural jac·o·nets)
noun

lightweight
material:
a cotton fabric that is like muslin but slightly heavier and is used for
clothing and bandages
[Mid-18th century.
Anglicization of Jagannāth(purī) in India, where it originated.][1]



jacquard

jacquard
jac·quard 
[jəkaard] (plural jac·quards) noun

1.  weaving
technique:
a technique for producing intricate patterns in material by means of punched
cards that give instructions to use or withhold various colors of thread

2.  loom
attachment:
a loom attachment with punched cards that makes jacquard patterns

3.  See
jacquard loom

4.  patterned
material:
a fabric that has been woven with a jacquard pattern
[Mid-19th century. Named for
its inventor J. M. Jacquard .][1]



Jacquard,Joseph Marie

Jacquard,Joseph Marie
Jac·quard 
[jə krd], Joseph Marie (1752–1834)

French inventor. His
invention of the jacquard loom (1801–1808), the first mechanical loom for
weaving complex patterns, was an inspiration for modern computer programming.[1]



jacquardloom

jacquardloom
jac·quard
loom 
(plural jac·quard looms) noun

loom for weaving patterns:
a loom with an attachment for making jacquard patterns.
Also called
jacquard[1]



Jacques-Cartier

Jacques-Cartier
Jacques-Car·tier
[zhk kàartee áy]

river that flows south into
the St. Lawrence River just south of Quebec City in southern Quebec, Canada.
Length: 113 km/70 mi.[1]



Jacques-Cartier,Mount

Jacques-Cartier,Mount
Jacques-Car·tier,
Mount
[zhk kàarteeáy mownt]

mountain in eastern Canada,
on the Gaspé Peninsula. It is Quebec’s second-highest point. Height: 1,268
m/4,160 ft.[1]



jactitation

jactitation
jac·ti·ta·tion 
[jàktə táysh’n] (plural jac·ti·ta·tions)
noun

1.  MED uncontrolled
thrashing:
a state of thrashing around uncontrollably, usually brought on by extremely
high temperature, or occasionally by psychiatric disorders

2.  LAW harmful
lie:
a false boast or claim, especially one that is intended to harm another

3.  boasting:
the act of boasting or exaggerating (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
jactitare “to bring forward in public, boast,” literally “to throw
repeatedly over and over,” from, ultimately, Latin jacere “to throw.”][1]



Jacuzzi

Jacuzzi
Ja·cuz·zi 
[jə kzee] Trademark

a trademark for a whirlpool
bath with a system of underwater jets that deliver water under pressure in
order to massage and invigorate the body[1]



jade

jade1
jade1 [jayd]
noun (plural jades)

1.  semiprecious
stone:
either of two different minerals, nephrite or jadeite, varying in color from a
deep green through yellow and brown to white, mainly used for making ornaments
and jewelry (often used before a noun) • a
jade necklace

2.  jade
objects:
objects made of jade, collectively • a
collector of jade
noun
(plural jades) adjective

COLORS See jade green
[Late
16th century. Via French l’ejade from Spanish piedra de ijada
“stone of the flanks,” thought to cure pain in the renal areas, ultimately from
Latin ilia “flanks.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Despite
  jade ’s close association with China and
  Japan, its name has no Asian connections. It is of Latin origin, and started
  life as a description of the stone’s medical applications. Latin ilia
  denoted the “sides of the lower torso,” the “flanks,” the part of the body
  where the kidneys are situated. A derivative of it passed eventually into
  Spanish as ijada . It was thought in former times that jade could cure
  pain in the renal area, so the Spanish called it piedra de ijada,
  literally “stone of the flanks.” In due course this was reduced to simply ijada
  . French took it over as ejade, but subsequently l’ejade “the
  jade” became le jade, from which English jade
  is derived. ( Jade ’s alternative name, nephrite,
  is based on the same idea: it comes from Greek nephros “kidney.”)

[1]



jade

jade2
jade2 [jayd]
noun (plural jades)

1.  tired
old horse:
an old horse, especially one that is worn out through overwork

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her temperament or her
morality (offensive insult)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past jad·ed, past
participle jad·ed, present participle jad·ing, 3rd
person present singular jades)

make or become exhausted:
to wear somebody out or become exhausted, especially through overwork
[14th century. Origin unknown.][1]



jaded

jaded
jad·ed 
[jáydəd] adjective

1.  bored:
no longer interested in something, often because of having been overexposed to
it

2.  tired:
exhausted, especially through overwork
—jad·ed·ly,
adverb

—jad·ed·ness, noun[1]



jadegreen

jadegreen
jade
green
noun

pale
green color: a pale milky green color, like that of
some types of jade.
Also
called
jade
—jade-green, adjective[1]



jadeite

jadeite
jade·ite 
[jáy dīt] (plural jade·ites) noun

jade
mineral:
a usually greenish pyroxene mineral consisting of sodium aluminum silicate,
occurring only in metamorphic rocks. It is the source of the most precious jade
and is found mainly in Myanmar.
—ja·dit·ic [jay díttik], adjective[1]



jadeplant

jadeplant
jade
plant
(plural jade plants) noun

popular houseplant:
a plant with thick fleshy leaves the color of jade, native to southern Africa
and Asia and widely cultivated as a houseplant. Latin name: Crassula
argentea[1]



jaeger

jaeger
jae·ger 
[yáygər] (plural jae·gers) noun

1.  BIRDS predatory
sea bird:
any of several mostly brownish or grayish predatory sea birds with narrow
wings, found in the northern Pacific and Atlantic. Genus: Stercorarius

2.  HUNTING hunter:
a hunter, especially in Germany and Switzerland
[Mid-19th century.
Anglicization of German Jäger “huntsman,” from jagen “to hunt,
pursue.”][1]



Jaffa

Jaffa
Jaf·fa 
[jáffə] (plural Jaf·fas) or
Jaf·fa or·ange [jáffə] (plural
Jaf·fa or·anges) noun

juicy
orange:
a variety of large thick-skinned juicy orange
[Late 19th century. Named for
Jaffa ( Tel-Aviv Yafo ), where this fruit was first cultivated.][1]



Jaffna

Jaffna
Jaff·na 
[jáafnə]

port and capital city of
Northern Province, in northern Sri Lanka. Population: 129,000 (1990)[1]



J.A.G.

J.A.G.
J.A.G.
or JAG

Abbreviation of
Judge Advocate General[1]



jag

jag2
jag2 [jag]
(plural jags) noun (informal)

1.  period
of intoxication: a period of intoxication by drugs or
alcohol

2.  drunken
state:
the state of being intoxicated from drugs or alcohol

3.  binge:
a period of time spent doing something in an uncontrolled or excessive way
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jag

jag1
jag1 [jag]
noun (plural jags)

1.  jagged
projection:
a sharp projection, especially of rock

2.  notch:
a notch or indentation in something, for example, a leaf (archaic)

3.  tear
in clothing: a deliberate tear in a garment or piece
of material that reveals a different material underneath (archaic)
verb
(past jag·ged, past participle jag·ged, present
participle jag·ging, 3rd person present singular jags)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
something unevenly: to cut notches in something,
or cut something unevenly

2.  intransitive
verb
zigzag:
to zigzag or move in jerks (informal)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain, possibly from, ultimately, Arabic az-zagaye “lance,
javelin.”][1]



Jagan,Cheddi

Jagan,Cheddi
Ja·gan
[ygən], Cheddi (1918–1997)

Guyanan statesman. As the
first prime minister of British Guiana (1961–1969), he was instrumental in
gaining Guyanan independence (1966). He was Guyana’s president (1992–1997).[1]



jagged

jagged
jag·ged 
[jággəd] adjective

1.  pointy:
having sharp protruding parts or points • jagged
peaks of the distant mountains

2.  uneven:
having rough and uneven edges or surfaces • a
hastily drawn, jagged portrait
—jag·ged·ly,
adverb

—jag·ged·ness, noun[1]



Jagger,Mick

Jagger,Mick
Jag·ger
[jággər], Mick (1943– )

British
rock musician and songwriter. He founded, with Keith Richards, the Rolling
Stones, and wrote many of their hits, including “Satisfaction” (1965).
Full name
Jagger, Michael Phillip[1]



jaggery

jaggery
jag·ger·y 
[jággəree] noun

coarse
brown sugar: unrefined brown sugar made in Southeast
Asia from the sap of the date palm
[Late 16th century. From
Portugese xagara, from, ultimately, Sanskrit śarkarā “sugar.”][1]



jaggy

jaggy
jag·gy 
[jággee] (comparative jag·gi·er,
superlative jag·gi·est) adjective

jagged:
jagged (informal)[1]



jaguar

jaguar
jag·uar 
[jág waar] (plural jag·uars) noun

big
wildcat:
a large cat related to the leopard but with a shorter tail and black spots
inside black rings on its tawny coat. It lives mainly in the forests of
southern North America, Central America, and northern South America. Latin
name: Panthera onca
[Early 17th century. From
Portuguese, from Tupi jaguara and Guarani yaguará “carnivorous
animal.”][1]



jaguarundi

jaguarundi
jag·ua·run·di 
[jàggwə rúndee, jgwə
rúndee] (plural jag·ua·run·dis) or jag·ua·ron·di
[jàggwə róndee, jgwə
róndee] (plural jag·ua·ron·dis) noun

small
wildcat:
a small slender cat of Central and South America that has a brownish, grayish,
or reddish coat and small ears. It is occasionally also found in the
southwestern United States. Latin name: Felis yagouaroundi
Also
called
otter cat
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Portuguese jaguar (see jaguar )
+ undi “dark.”][1]



Jah

Jah
Jah
[jaa] noun

God:
God, especially in Rastafarianism
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew Yāh, a shortening of Yahweh “Jehovah.”][1]



Jahveh

Jahveh
Jah·veh 
or Jah·weh noun

See
Yahweh[1]



jaialai

jaialai
jai
a·lai 
[h lī, h ə lī]
noun

game
derived from pelota: a Latin American game
similar to handball, played with baskets fastened to the arm for catching and
throwing the ball.
See
also
pelota
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, from Basque jai “festival” + alai “merry.”][1]



jail

jail
jail 
[jayl] noun (plural jails)

1.  place
where criminals are kept: a secure place for keeping
people found guilty of minor crimes or awaiting legal judgment

2.  life
as a prisoner: the state of being kept in a jail • sentenced
to three years jail.
See
also
prison
transitive
verb
(past jailed, past participle jailed, present
participle jail·ing, 3rd person present singular jails)

1.  send
somebody to jail: to sentence somebody to spend time in a
jail • The
judge jailed her for three months.

2.  lock
somebody in jail: to keep somebody in a jail or other
secure place • prisoners
who were jailed in a dungeon
[13th century. Via Old French
jaiole, from Latin caveola, diminutive of cavea “cage.”][1]



jailbait

jailbait
jail·bait 
[jáyl bayt] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a minor under the age of consent who is sexually
desirable to somebody older (slang offensive)[1]



jailbird

jailbird
jail·bird 
[jáyl burd] (plural jail·birds)
noun

criminal in prison:
a current or former prisoner, especially somebody with more than one experience
of prison (slang)[1]



jailbreak

jailbreak
jail·break 
[jáyl brayk] (plural jail·breaks)
noun

escape from jail:
a forceful escape from jail or prison[1]



jailer

jailer
jail·er
[jáylər] (plural jail·ers) or
jail·or [jáylər] (plural jail·ors)
noun

prison guard:
somebody who is in charge of prisoners in a jail, or who is in overall charge
of a jail[1]



jailhouse

jailhouse
jail·house 
[jáyl howss] noun

jail:
a jail (informal)[1]



jailhouselawyer

jailhouselawyer
jail·house
law·yer
(plural jail·house law·yers) noun

prisoner knowledgeable in
law: a prisoner who has studied
law while serving time in order to be able to conduct legal proceedings in
person rather than through a lawyer[1]



jailor

jailor
jail·or 
noun

See
jailer[1]



Jain

Jain
Jain 
[jīn] or Jai·na [jnə] noun (plural Jains) (plural
Jai·nas)

believer
in Jainism:
somebody who believes in or practices Jainism
adjective

of
Jainism:
relating to Jains or Jainism
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi, from Sanskrit jaina “of a conqueror.”][1]



Jainism

Jainism
Jain·ism 
[jniz’m] noun

branch
of Hindu religion: an ancient branch of
Hinduism that rejects the notion of a supreme being and advocates a deep
respect for all living things. Some adherents refuse to wash for fear of
killing creatures on the body.
—Jain·ist, adjective[1]



Jaipur

Jaipur
Jai·pur 
[jī pr]

capital city of Rajasthan
State, northern India. It is a major commercial and manufacturing center.
Population: 1,454,678 (1991)[1]



jak

jak
jak
[jak] (plural jaks) or jack
[jak] (plural jacks) noun

tropical
Asian fruit: the large greenish bulbous fruit
produced by the jackfruit tree. It can weigh up to 27 kg/ 60 lb and has highly
nutritious seeds.
Also
called
jackfruit
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese jaca from Malayalam cakka .][1]



Jakarta

Jakarta
Ja·kar·ta
[jə krtə]

capital and largest city of
Indonesia, located in the center of the country, on the northwestern coast of
the island of Java. Population: 9,160,5000 (1995) Former name Batavia[1]



jakeleg

jakeleg
jake
leg
noun

alcohol-related
movement impairment: permanent inability to move,
caused by drinking contaminated alcoholic drink or alcoholic drink that has not
been properly distilled
[Jake from jake
alcoholic drink made from “Jamaica ginger”][1]



jakes

jakes
jakes 
[jayks] (plural jakes·es or
jakes) noun

U.K.,
U.S. outhouse:
an outhouse (archaic informal) (regional)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the male forename Jacques, or Jack’s (see
jack 1 ).][1]



Jalalabad

Jalalabad
Ja·lal·a·bad
[jə llə baad] or Ja·lāl·ā·bād
[jə llə baad]

city in eastern Afghanistan,
on the Kabul River[1]



Jalandhar

Jalandhar
Ja·land·har
[jə lúndər]

See
Jullunder[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








jalap

jalap
jal·ap 
[jálləp, jləp]
(plural jal·aps) noun

Mexican
twining plant: a Mexican twining plant of the
convolvulus family, the dried tubers of which have a purgative effect. Latin
name: Ipomoea purga
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from an abbreviation of Spanish purga de Jalapa,
named after the Mexican city of Jalapa, where the plant flourished.]
—jal·ap·ic [jə láppik], adjective[1]



jalapeño

jalapeño

ja·la·pe·ño
[hlə páyn yō] (plural ja·la·pe·ños)
or ja·la·pe·ño pep·per [hlə páyn yō]
(plural ja·la·pe·ño pep·pers) noun
hot
pepper:
a small hot pepper that is green or red when ripe and is used extensively in
Mexican cooking. Latin name: Capsicum annuum
[Mid-20th century. From
Mexican Spanish .][1]



jalopy

jalopy
ja·lop·y 
[jə lóppee] (plural ja·lop·ies)
noun

old
car:
a rickety or battered old car (dated informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jalousie

jalousie

jal·ou·sie 
[jálləssee] (plural jal·ou·sies)
noun
slatted
window covering: a shutter or window covering consisting
of a set of angled parallel slats that can be opened to various degrees to
control the amount of light or air passing through
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “jealousy,” by extension a type of window-covering or
shutter.][1]



Jam.

Jam.
Jam.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Jamaica

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of James

[1]



jam

jam1
jam1 [jam]
verb (past jammed, past participle jammed, present
participle jam·ming, 3rd person present singular jams)

1.  transitive
verb
push
something in forcibly: to push something into a
tight space with force • jammed
the clothes into the hamper

2.  transitive
verb
fill
something up: to fill a place with people or things
pressed closely together • The
fans jammed the streets to see their heroes. • jammed
the refrigerator with delicacies

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
working:
to cause a piece of machinery or equipment to stick or stop working, or undergo
such a stoppage • The photocopier jammed
when I was in the middle of using it.

4.  transitive
verb
block
something up: to block up something that functions as
an exit, passage, or means of escape • Leaves
had jammed the gutters and downspouts.

5.  transitive
verb
BROADCASTING interfere
with broadcasting signals: to block a radio or TV
signal, usually by broadcasting other signals on the same frequency

6.  transitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS overwhelm
switchboard: to overwhelm a switchboard with
telephone calls

7.  transitive
verb
put
on brakes hard: to apply the brakes of a car suddenly
and hard

8.  transitive
verb
RECORDING make
tape impossible to copy: to put a blocking device on
something, especially a prerecorded videotape, in order to prevent it from
being copied

9.  transitive
verb
crush
part of body: to injure a part of the body, especially
by squeezing or mashing it • I
jammed my finger in the door.

10. intransitive
verb
MUSIC improvise
music together: to play music, especially jazz, rock, or
pop, in an improvised way, often in a group
noun
(plural jams)

1.  See
traffic jam

2.  difficult
situation:
a difficult, awkward, or embarrassing situation (informal) • a
cash shortage that’s gotten the company into a jam

3.  stoppage:
an instance of something being blocked or prevented from functioning • a
paper jam in the photocopier

4.  BROADCASTING signal
blockage:
a blockage of radio or television signals
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain, perhaps imitative of the action of pushing.
Music senses perhaps from Mandingo and black West African English jama
“crowd gathering,” and Wolof jaam “enslaved person.”]
—jam·ma·ble,
adjective

—jam·mer, noun[1]



jam

jam2
jam2 [jam]
(plural jams) noun

fruit
spread:
a spread made from fruit boiled with sugar. Pectin is often added to help it
set.
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from the idea of crushing or “jamming” fruit into jars.][1]



JAMA

JAMA
JAMA

Abbreviation of
Journal of the American Medical Association[1]



Jamaica

Jamaica



Ja·mai·ca 
[jə máykə]
island
country situated south of Cuba in the northern Caribbean Sea. It is the third
largest island of the Greater Antilles. Language: English. Currency: Jamaican
dollar. Capital: Kingston. Population: 2,615,581 (1997) Area: 10,991 sq
km/4,244 sq mi.
—Ja·mai·can, noun,
adjective[1]



Jamaica




Back to definition

Jamaica

[1]



Jamaicapepper

Jamaicapepper
Ja·mai·ca
pep·per
(plural Ja·mai·ca pep·pers) noun

See
allspice  noun 2[1]



Jamaicarum

Jamaicarum
Ja·mai·ca
rum
(plural Ja·mai·ca rums) noun

dark rum:
a slowly fermented rum that has a dark color and a strong flavor[1]



jamb

jamb
jamb
[jam] (plural jambs) or
jambe [jam] (plural jambes)
noun

1.  upright
support:
either of the upright parts of a door or window frame or the sides of a
fireplace

2.  inside
surface:
the inside vertical face of an opening
[14th century. Via Italian gamba
or Old French jambe “leg,” from, ultimately, Greek kampē “bend,
joint.”][1]



jambalaya

jambalaya
jam·ba·lay·a 
[jámbə l ə] (plural jam·ba·lay·as)
noun

spicy
rice dish:
a Creole dish of rice with a mixture of fish and meat such as shrimp, chicken,
ham, and spicy sausage
[Late 19th century. Via
Louisiana French from Provençal jambalaia “stewed mixture of rice and
fowl.”][1]



Jambi

Jambi
Jam·bi
[jáambee]

city and port in western
Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. It is the capital of Jambi Province.
Population: 301,359 (1990)[1]



jamboree

jamboree
jam·bo·ree 
[jàmbə r] (plural jam·bo·rees)
noun

1.  big
celebration: a large-scale planned celebration with
various events and entertainments

2.  international
meeting of Scouts: a large gathering of members
of the Boy Scouts, often on an international scale
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



James

James2
James2  [jaymz]

river in western Virginia,
formed at Iron Gate by the joining of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers.
Length: 547 km/340 mi.[1]



James

James1
James1  [jaymz]
noun

book in Bible:
in the Bible, an epistle believed to have been written by James, a brother or
relative of Jesus Christ.
Also called
James, the Epistle of[1]



JamesBay

JamesBay
James
Bay
[jáymz bay]

southern extension of Hudson
Bay, between western Québec and northeastern Ontario, Canada. Area: 32,000 sq
km//12,350 sq mi.[1]



James,Henry

James,Henry

James 
[jaymz], Henry (1843–1916)
U.S. writer. He described the collision
of American innocence and European worldliness in novels such as The
Portrait of a Lady (1881) and The Golden Bowl (1904). He was the
brother of William James.[1]



JamesI

JamesI
James
I
[jaymz], King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1566–1625)

He was king of Scotland as
James VI (1567–1625), and succeeded to the English throne in 1603. He
authorized the King James Bible.[1]



JamesI

JamesI
James
I
[jaymz], King of Aragon (1208–1276)

He
captured the Balearic Islands (1229–1235) and Valencia (1238) from the Moors.
Known as
James the Conqueror[1]



Jamesian

Jamesian
James·i·an 
[jáymzee ən] adjective

like Henry James’s style:
relating to or characteristic of the style of Henry James, for example, in
containing long complex sentences, or describing emotional states and
relationships in minute detail[1]



JamesII

JamesII
James
II
[jaymz], King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1633–1701)

His Roman Catholicism
occasioned political conflict before and during his reign (1685–1688), and he
was deposed in the Revolution of 1688–1689 by his nephew and son-in-law William
III.[1]



James,Jesse

James,Jesse
James 
[jaymz], Jesse (1847–1882)

U.S.
outlaw. He robbed banks and trains between Missouri and Texas, and was killed
in a shootout.
Full name
James, Jesse Woodson[1]



James,P. D.

James,P. D.
James 
[jaymz], P. D., Baroness James of Holland
Park (1920– )

British
novelist. Her best-selling crime novels include The Black Tower (1975)
and Original Sin (1994).
Full name
James, Phyllis Dorothy[1]



James,Saint

James,Saint
James 
[jaymz], Saint (lived AD 1st century)

He
was a relative of Jesus Christ, and is identified in the New Testament as a
leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. (Mark 6:3) .
Known as
St. James the Just[1]



James,Saint

James,Saint
James 
[jaymz], Saint (lived AD 1st century)

One
of the 12 apostles, he was a member of the inner circle of Jesus Christ’s
disciples. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome and the brother of St. John.
(Matthew 4:21) .
Known as
St. James the Great[1]



James,Saint

James,Saint
James 
[jaymz], Saint

One
of the 12 apostles, he was the son of Alphaeus. (Matthew 10:3) .
Known as
St. James the Less[1]



Jamestown

Jamestown
James·town 
[jáymz town]

city in southwestern New
York, east of Lake Chautauqua and southwest of Buffalo. Population: 33,154
(1996)[1]



JamestownIsland

JamestownIsland
James·town
Is·land
[jáymz town lənd]

island in eastern Virginia,
on the James River. It was the site of Jamestown village.[1]



JamesVI

JamesVI
James
VI
[jaymz]

See
James I[1]



James,William

James,William
James 
[jaymz], William (1842–1910)

U.S. philosopher and
psychologist. The brother of Henry James, he developed the philosophy of
pragmatism, and encouraged an empirical approach to psychology.[1]



jaminder

jaminder
ja·min·der
noun

See
zamindar[1]



jammies

jammies
jam·mies 
[jámmiz] plural noun

pajamas:
pajamas (informal) (often used by or to children)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening and alteration.][1]



Jammuand Kashmir

Jammuand Kashmir
Jam·mu
and Kash·mir [jùmmoo ənd
Káshmeer]

mountainous region in the
northern part of the Indian subcontinent claimed by India, Pakistan, and China[1]



Jammuand Kashmir, State of

Jammuand Kashmir, State of
Jam·mu
and Kash·mir, State of  [jùmmoo
ənd Káshmeer]

section of the disputed
territory of Kashmir in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent that has
been under Indian control as an organized state since 1972. Capital: Srinagar.[1]



jammy

jammy
jam·my
[jámmee] (comparative jam·mi·er,
superlative jam·mi·est) adjective

sticky with jam:
covered in or filled with jam[1]



jam-pack

jam-pack
jam-pack 
transitive verb

fill something tightly:
to fill a container or place extremely tightly or to capacity (informal)[1]



jamsession

jamsession
jam
ses·sion
(plural jam ses·sions) noun

session of musical
improvisation: a period of time spent
making improvised music, especially jazz, rock, or pop music, as practice, for
fun, or to experiment with new songs or techniques[1]



Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur
Jam·shed·pur 
[jm shed pr]

city in eastern India, on the
Subarnarekha River, in Bihar State. Population: 478,950 (1991)[1]



Jan

Jan
Jan
or Jan.

Abbreviation of
January[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








JaneDoe

JaneDoe
Jane
Doe 
(plural Jane Does) noun

1.  anonymous
woman:
a woman or girl, especially one who is involved in legal proceedings and whose
identity is not known or is being protected

2.  ordinary
woman:
an average woman affected by everyday events
[Modeled on John Doe][1]



Janeite

Janeite
Jane·ite 
[jáyn īt] (plural Jane·ites) noun

devotee of Jane Austen:
somebody who is an expert on or admirer of the life and works of the English
novelist, Jane Austen[1]



Janesville

Janesville
Janes·ville 
[jáynz vil]

city in southern Wisconsin.
It is the seat of Rock County. Population: 52,133 (1990)[1]



jangle

jangle

jan·gle 
[jáng g’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past jan·gled, past participle jan·gled, present
participle jan·gling, 3rd person present singular jan·gles)

1.  make
a metallic sound: to make a harsh metallic noise, or cause
something made of metal to make such a noise • heard
his keys jangling

2.  irritate
somebody’s nerves: to put somebody’s nerves on
edge, or be tense and on edge • The
shock jangled her nerves.
noun (plural
jan·gles)

1.  metallic
sound:
a harsh metallic noise

2.  argument:
a disagreement or quarrel (dated)
[13th
century. From Old French jangler “to chatter,” of uncertain origin:
possibly from prehistoric Germanic.]
—jan·gler,
noun

—jan·gly, adjective[1]



janissary

janissary
jan·is·sar·y 
[jánnə serree] (plural jan·is·sar·ies)
or jan·i·zar·y [jánnə zerree]
(plural jan·i·zar·ies) noun

1.  HISTORY Turkish
soldier:
a member of the Turkish sultan’s elite personal guard from the 14th century
until 1826. Janissaries were recruited from Christians in the Balkans and
disbanded as part of 19th-century reforms.

2.  devoted
follower:
a loyal follower or supporter
[Early 16th century. Via
French janissaire from, ultimately, Turkish yeniçeri, literally
“new troops.”][1]



janitor

janitor
jan·i·tor 
[jánnətər] (plural jan·i·tors)
noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Scotland cleaning and
maintenance person: somebody whose job is to
look after the cleaning and maintenance of a building, especially a school or
an apartment building.
U.K.
term
caretaker

2.  doorkeeper:
a doorkeeper (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “door person,” from janua “door.” The caretaking
sense developed in the early 18th century.]
—jan·i·to·ri·al [jànnə táwree əl], adjective[1]



janizary

janizary
jan·i·zar·y 
noun

See
janissary[1]



JanMayen

JanMayen
Jan
May·en
[yaan m ən]

island of Norway, lying
between Norway and Greenland in the Arctic Ocean. Area: 373 km/144 mi. Length:
63 km/39 mi.[1]



Jansenism

Jansenism
Jan·sen·ism 
[jánsəniz’m] noun

Christian
movement:
a religious movement of the 17th and 18th centuries based on the theological
views of Cornelius Jansen, who maintained that there can be no good act without
divine will or the grace of God
[Mid-17th
century. Named for Cornelius Jansen (1585–1638), Bishop of Ypres in
France.]
—Jan·sen·ist,
noun

—Jan·sen·is·tic
[jànsə nístik], adjective

—Jan·sen·is·ti·cal, adjective[1]



jansky

jansky
jan·sky 
[jánskee] (plural jan·skys) noun

unit
measuring strength of radio sources: a
unit used to indicate the strength of radio sources in astronomy, equal to 10 –26 watts per square meter per
hertz. Symbol Jy
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Karl Jansky .][1]



Jansky,Karl

Jansky,Karl
Jan·sky 
[jánskee], Karl (1905–1950)

U.S.
engineer. He discovered radio waves in outer space (1931), so laying the
foundation of radio astronomy.
Full name
Jansky, Karl Guthe[1]



January

January
Jan·u·ar·y 
[jánnyoo erree] (plural Jan·u·ar·ys)
noun

1st
month of Gregorian calendar: the first month of the year
in the Gregorian calendar. It is 31 days long.
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Januarius (mensis), first month of the Roman year, literally “month of
Janus,” from Janus (see Janus ).][1]



Janus

Janus
Ja·nus 
[jáynəss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
god shown with two faces: the Roman god of beginnings,
of the past and the future, and of gates, doorways, and bridges, and of peace.
He is traditionally depicted as having two faces looking in opposite
directions, suggesting not only vigilance, but also fair-mindedness. Unusually,
he has no Greek counterpart.

2.  ASTRONOMY satellite
of Saturn:
the tenth satellite of Saturn

[1]



Janus-faced

Janus-faced
Ja·nus-faced 
adjective

two-faced:
insincere or hypocritical (literary)[1]



JAP

JAP
JAP 
[jap] (plural JAPs) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a Jewish girl or woman that deliberately insults her
ethnic background, upbringing, and character (slang insult) Abbreviation
of Jewish American Princess[1]



Japan




Back to definition

Japan

[1]



japan

japan
ja·pan 
[jə pán] noun (plural ja·pans)

1.  black
varnish:
a lacquer that, when used to coat wood or metal, gives a glossy black finish

2.  varnished
objects:
decorative work that has been coated with japan or a similar kind of varnish
transitive
verb
(past ja·panned, past participle ja·panned, present
participle ja·pan·ning, 3rd person present singular ja·pans)

apply japan to something:
to varnish an object with japan
[Late 17th century. Named
after Japan, where it was originally made.][1]



Japan

Japan



Ja·pan 
[jə pán]
constitutional monarchy in eastern Asia,
comprising four large islands and more than 1,000 lesser adjacent islands.
Language: Japanese. Currency: yen. Capital: Tokyo. Population: 125,688,711
(1997) Area: 377,750 sq km/145,850 sq mi.[1]



Japanclover

Japanclover
Ja·pan
clo·ver
(plural Ja·pan clo·vers) noun

forage crop:
an annual plant originally native to China and Japan, but now widely grown in
the southeastern United States as a forage crop. It has compound leaves divided
into many leaflets and small pink flowers. Latin name: Lespedeza striata

Also called
Japanese clover[1]



JapanCurrent

JapanCurrent
Ja·pan
Cur·rent
[jə pàn cúrint]

See
Kuroshio[1]



Japanese

Japanese
Jap·a·nese 
[jàppə nz, jáppə
neez] noun (plural Jap·a·nese)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Japan:
somebody who was born or raised in Japan, or who has Japanese citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Japan: the official language of
Japan, also spoken in parts of Brazil and North America. Its linguistic
affiliations are disputed. Some linguists consider it to be an isolate, others
relate it to the Altaic family or to Korean. About 126 million people speak Japanese.
adjective

of Japan or Japanese:
relating to Japan, or its people, culture, or language

[1]



Japaneseandromeda

Japaneseandromeda
Jap·a·nese
an·drom·e·da (plural Jap·a·nese
an·drom·e·das) noun

plant with white bell-shaped
flowers: an ornamental shrub
originally native to Japan but now widely grown for its early-blooming clusters
of white bell-shaped flowers. Latin name: Pieris japonica[1]



Japanesebeetle

Japanesebeetle
Jap·a·nese
bee·tle
(plural Jap·a·nese bee·tles) noun

destructive beetle:
a shiny green and brown scarab beetle that was accidentally introduced into the
eastern United States where it has become a serious pest. The larvae eat the
roots of grasses and cereal crops and the adults feed on leaves and fruits.[1]



Japanesecedar

Japanesecedar
Jap·a·nese
ce·dar
(plural Jap·a·nese ce·dars) noun

Asian cedar:
an evergreen tree of the bald cypress family, cultivated in China and Japan for
its soft wood. Latin name: Cryptomeria japonica[1]



Japaneseclover

Japaneseclover
Jap·a·nese
clo·ver
(plural Jap·a·nese clo·vers) noun

See
Japan clover[1]



Japanesegarden

Japanesegarden
Jap·a·nese
gar·den
(plural Jap·a·nese gar·dens) noun

ornamental garden:
a garden designed according to formal Japanese rules, distinguished by its use
of foliage plants, rocks, sand, and wooden garden paths, bridges, and pavilions[1]



Japaneseiris

Japaneseiris
Jap·a·nese
i·ris
(plural Jap·a·nese i·ris·es) noun

plant with large red flowers:
an ornamental plant originally native to Japan, but now widely grown for its
large-petaled, brightly colored red flowers. Latin name: Iris kaempferi[1]



Japanesemaple

Japanesemaple
Jap·a·nese
ma·ple
(plural Jap·a·nese ma·ples) noun

tree with purple flowers:
a small Asian maple that is widely cultivated for its reddish deeply lobed
leaves and purple flowers. Latin name: Acer palmatum[1]



Japanesemillet

Japanesemillet
Jap·a·nese
mil·let
noun

edible grain:
a coarse Asian annual grass that has edible seeds and is grown for fodder.
Latin name: Echinochloa frumentacea[1]



Japanesepersimmon

Japanesepersimmon
Jap·a·nese
per·sim·mon
(plural Jap·a·nese per·sim·mons) noun
Also
called
kaki

1.  TREES Asian
fruit tree:
an Asian tree that produces large edible red or orange fruit. Latin name: Diospyros
kaki

2.  FOOD fruit
of Japanese persimmon: the large edible red or
orange fruit of the Japanese persimmon tree. It is bitter when unripe and
retains its green calyx even when ripe.

[1]



Japaneseplum

Japaneseplum
Jap·a·nese
plum
(plural Jap·a·nese plums) noun

1.  TREES Asian
plum tree:
a widely cultivated Asian tree with yellow or red fruit. Latin name: Prunus
salicina

2.  FOOD fruit
of Japanese plum: the fruit of the Japanese plum tree,
often pickled and used in cooking, or dried as a health food

[1]



Japanesequince

Japanesequince
Jap·a·nese
quince
noun

plant with red or pink
flowers: an Asian ornamental shrub of
the rose family cultivated for its bright red or pink flowers and edible round
white, yellow, or green fruit. Latin name: Chaenomeles japonica
Also called
japonica[1]



Japaneseradish

Japaneseradish
Jap·a·nese
rad·ish
noun

See
daikon[1]



Japaneseumbrella pine

Japaneseumbrella pine
Jap·a·nese
um·brel·la pine (plural Jap·a·nese um·brel·la
pines) noun

coniferous tree with
umbrella-shaped leaves: a
coniferous tree native to central Japan, widely grown elsewhere for ornament.
Its leaves grow in pairs fused along their entire lengths and arranged in
whorls like the ribs of an umbrella. Latin name: Sciadopitys verticillata

Also called
parasol pine[1]



Japan,Sea of

Japan,Sea of
Ja·pan,
Sea of
[jə pán] or East Sea

sea lying between Japan and
mainland Asia, connected to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Pacific Ocean, and the East
China Sea. Area: 1,000,000 sq km/390,000 sq mi.[1]



Japanwax

Japanwax
Ja·pan
wax
or Ja·pan tal·low noun

wax from berries:
a hard yellow wax obtained from certain berries. It is used in making candles,
matches, soap, polish, food packaging, and as a substitute for beeswax.[1]



jape

jape
jape 
[jayp] noun (plural japes)

jest:
a joke or an act of mischief (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past japed, past
participle japed, present participle jap·ing, 3rd
person present singular japes)

make
mischief:
to joke, trick, or make fun of something (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French japer “to yelp,” influenced by gaber “to
mock.”]
—jap·er,
noun

—jap·er·y, noun[1]



Japheth

Japheth
Ja·pheth 
[jáyfith] noun

biblical patriarch:
in the Bible, the third son of Noah and brother of Shem and Ham. He was
traditionally regarded as the ancestor of a number of non-Semitic peoples of
the Mediterranean (Gen 10:1–5) .[1]



Japlish

Japlish
Jap·lish 
[jáplish] noun

mixture
of Japanese and English: Japanese with many adoptions
of English words, phrases, or idioms
[Mid-20th century. Blend of Japanese and English
.][1]



japonica

japonica
ja·pon·i·ca 
[jə pónnikə] (plural ja·pon·i·cas)
noun

1.  See
Japanese quince

2.  See
camellia  noun 1
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, feminine form of Japonicus “of Japan.”][1]



jar

jar2
jar2 [jaar]
verb (past jarred, past participle jarred, present
participle jar·ring, 3rd person present singular jars)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shake:
to start vibrating, or cause something to start vibrating • When
the furnace comes on it jars the table.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb irritate:
to have an irritating or upsetting effect on somebody’s nerves or mind • Her
constant moaning jars my nerves.

3.  transitive
verb
disturb
somebody:
to have a sudden unsettling effect on somebody • He
needs something to jar him out of his reverie.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb grate:
to make, or cause something to make, a harsh grating noise

5.  intransitive
verb
clash:
to look or seem bad or inappropriate in the context of something else • The
ultramodern dormitories jar with the older, Gothic classroom buildings.
noun
(plural jars)

1.  physical
jolt:
an act of knocking against something with a sudden blow

2.  grating
sound:
a harsh grating noise
[Late
15th century. Origin uncertain: probably in some part imitative of discordant
sound.]
—jar·ring,
adjective

—jar·ring·ly, adverb[1]



jar

jar1
jar1 [jaar]
(plural jars) noun

1.  storage
container:
a cylindrical container, usually one that has a wide mouth and a lid but no
spout, typically made of glass, plastic, or earthenware • pickle
jars

2.  See
jarful
[Late 16th century. Via
French jarre from Arabic jarra .][1]



jar

jar3
jar3  [jaar]
noun

being
ajar:
the state of being open or ajar (archaic)
[Late 17th century. Later
form of char, from Old English cerr
“turn (of work).”][1]



jardinière

jardinière
jar·di·nière
[jrd’n r, jrd’n
eer, jrd’n yáir, jrd’n yair] (plural jar·di·nières) noun

pot
for house plants: a large, usually decorative flower pot
or other holder for plants
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “woman gardener.”][1]



jarful

jarful
jar·ful
[jr fl] (plural jar·fuls) noun

jar’s contents:
the amount a jar holds, or the contents of a jar.
Also called
jar[1]



jargon

jargon1
jar·gon1  [jrgən]
noun

1.  specialist
language:
language that is used by a particular group, profession, or culture, especially
when the words and phrases are not understood or used by other people • typesetters’
jargon

2.  unintelligible
language:
pretentious or meaningless language (disapproving) • Cut
the jargon and get to your point.

3.  See
pidgin
[14th
century. From Old French jargoun, of uncertain origin.]
—jar·gon·eer
[jrgə nr], noun

—jar·gon·ist
[jrgənist], noun

—jar·gon·is·tic [jrgə nístik], adjective[1]



jargon

jargon2
jar·gon2  [jaar
gón] (plural jar·gons) or jar·goon [jaar gn] (plural jar·goons) noun

form
of zircon:
a colorless, pale, or smoky zircon
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Italian giargone and, ultimately, from Persian zargūn
“gold-colored.”][1]



jargonize

jargonize
jar·gon·ize 
[jrgə nīz] (past jar·gon·ized,
past participle jar·gon·ized, present participle jar·gon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular jar·gon·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
turn
language into jargon: to convert ordinary language
into jargon

2.  intransitive
verb
use
jargon:
to talk in jargon
—jar·gon·i·za·tion [jrgənə záysh’n], noun[1]



jargoon

jargoon
jar·goon 
noun

See
jargon 2[1]



jarhead

jarhead
jar·head 
[jr hed] (plural jar·heads) noun

Marine
nickname:
a nickname for a U.S. Marine (slang)
[Perhaps from the shape of
the hat once worn by marines][1]



jari

jari
ja·ri
noun

See
zari[1]



jarl

jarl
jarl 
[yaarl] (plural jarls) noun

medieval
noble:
a chieftain or nobleman in medieval Scandinavia
[Early
19th century. From Old Norse jarl “earl,” of unknown origin.]
—jarl·dom, noun[1]



Jarlsberg

Jarlsberg
Jarls·berg
[yrlz burg, jrlz
burg] Trademark

a
trademark for a type of mild pale-yellow Norwegian cheese that has large holes
in it
[Named for Jarlesberg in
Norway, where it is made][1]



jarosite

jarosite
ja·ro·site 
[járrə sīt] (plural ja·ro·sites)
noun

composite
mineral:
a secondary mineral in iron-containing ores, yellow to brown in color and
consisting of a hydrous sulfate of iron and potassium
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Jarosa ravine in southern Spain, where it was first found.][1]



jarrah

jarrah
jar·rah 
[járrə] (plural jar·rahs) noun

1.  TREES Australian
tree:
a eucalyptus tree of southwestern Australia with dark reddish hard wood. Latin
name: Eucalyptus marginata

2.  INDUSTRY jarrah
wood:
the timber of the jarrah tree, used in flooring and building
[Mid-19th century. From
Aboriginal djarryl, jerrhyl .][1]



Jas.

Jas.
Jas.

Abbreviation of
James[1]



jasmine

jasmine

jas·mine 
[jázmin] (plural jas·mine or
jas·mines) or jes·sa·mine [jéssəmin]
(plural jes·sa·mine or jes·sa·mines) noun

1.  scented
plant:
a tropical or subtropical climbing plant with fragrant white, yellow, or red
flowers. Jasmines are often grown as house or garden plants, and for use in
making perfumes. Genus: Jasminum

2.  scent:
perfume made from the oil of a variety of jasmine

3.  See
Carolina jasmine
[Mid-16th century. Via French
jasmin, jessemin from, ultimately, Persian yāsaman .][1]



jasminetea

jasminetea
jas·mine
tea
noun

flavored tea:
black tea flavored with jasmine blossoms[1]



Jason

Jason
Ja·son 
[jáyss’n] noun

mythological leader of
Argonauts: in Greek mythology, a prince
who led a group of heroes on his ship, the Argo, on a quest to obtain
the Golden Fleece and bring it back to Greece[1]



jasper

jasper
jas·per 
[jáspər] (plural jas·pers) noun

gemstone:
an impure form of chalcedony, usually colored red by iron impurities, used for
jewelry and ornaments
[13th century. Via
Anglo-French jaspre from Latin iaspidem, from Greek íaspis
“jasper,” from, ultimately, a Semitic source.][1]



JasperNational Park

JasperNational Park
Jas·per
Na·tion·al Park [jàspər
násh’nəl paark]

national park in western
Alberta, Canada, in the Rocky Mountains. Area: 10,900 sq km/4,200 sq mi.[1]



jaspé

jaspé
jas·pé 
[zha spáy] adjective

variegated
like jasper: used to describe fabric that resembles
jasper, especially in being streaked or veined with different colors
[Mid-19th century. From
French past participle of jasper “to marble.”][1]



Jat

Jat
Jat 
[jaat] (plural Jats) noun

people
of NW Indian subcontinent: a member of an Indo-European
people living in the Punjab, other areas of northwestern India, and parts of
Pakistan
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi Jāt .][1]



jato

jato
ja·to 
[jáy tō] (plural ja·tos) or
JATO [jáy tō] (plural JATOs)
noun

aircraft’s auxiliary jet:
an auxiliary jet or rocket designed to aid the combined thrust of aircraft jet
engines during takeoff. Full form jet-assisted takeoff[1]



jaundice

jaundice
jaun·dice 
[jáwndiss] noun

1.  illness
causing yellow skin: a condition in which there
is yellowing of the whites of the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes, caused by
bile pigments in the blood. It is a symptom of liver diseases such as hepatitis
and cirrhosis, or of a blocked bile duct, and sometimes occurs temporarily in
new-born babies whose livers are slightly immature. Technical name icterus

2.  cynical
state of mind: an attitude that is characterized by
cynical hostility, jealousy, or prejudice
transitive
verb
(past jaun·diced, past participle jaun·diced, present
participle jaun·dic·ing, 3rd person present singular jaun·dic·es)

1.  make
somebody cynical: to alter somebody’s attitude for the
worse, especially when it results in cynical hostility, jealousy, or prejudice

2.  affect
somebody with jaundice: to affect somebody with
jaundice, as a symptom of liver disease
[14th
century. From Old French jaunice, from jaune “yellow.”]
—jaun·diced, adjective[1]



jaunt

jaunt
jaunt 
[jawnt] noun (plural jaunts)

excursion:
a trip, especially a short one taken for fun or pleasure
intransitive
verb
(past jaunt·ed, past participle jaunt·ed, present
participle jaunt·ing, 3rd person present singular jaunts)

take
short trip:
to go on a short journey, usually for pleasure
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jauntingcar

jauntingcar
jaunt·ing
car
(plural jaunt·ing cars) noun

horse-drawn car:
a lightweight two-wheeled open vehicle pulled by a single horse and having
lengthwise seats positioned so that passengers either face each other or sit
back-to-back. It was formerly widely used in Ireland.[1]



jaunty

jaunty
jaun·ty 
[jáwntee] (comparative jaun·ti·er,
superlative jaun·ti·est) adjective

1.  carefree:
happy, carefree, and confident

2.  casual:
perky and casually fashionable

3.  polite:
genteel and mannerly (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. From French gentil “polite, kind.” The sense of “carefree” did
not develop until late 17th century.]
—jaun·ti·ly,
adverb

—jaun·ti·ness, noun[1]



Jav.

Jav.
Jav.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Javanese

2.  Jav.
or jav. SPORT Abbreviation
of javelin

[1]



Java

Java1
Ja·va1  [jvə]

island in southeastern Asia,
the most populous island in Indonesia. Population: 114,733,500 (1995) Area:
134,045 sq km/51,755 sq mi.[1]



java

java
java 
[jvə] (plural ja·vas) noun

coffee
generally:
coffee, especially brewed coffee as opposed to instant coffee (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From Java 2 .][1]



Java

Java2
Ja·va2  [jvə]
(plural Ja·vas) noun

Javanese coffee:
a variety of rich coffee grown on Java and the surrounding islands[1]



Java

Java3
Ja·va3  Trademark

a high-level computer
programming language that allows small application programs to be downloaded
from a server to a client along with the data that each program processes[1]



Javaman

Javaman
Ja·va
man
noun

early human skeleton:
a fossil human found in Java and elsewhere in Indonesia, taken to be from the
Paleolithic Age. The body and limbs of Java man are very similar to those of
Homo sapiens, but the brain and skull are smaller.
Also called
Homo erectus
Also called
Trinil man[1]



Javanese

Javanese
Jav·a·nese 
[jvə nz] (plural Jav·a·nese)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Java:
somebody who was born or who lives on the Indonesian island of Java

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken on Java: a language spoken on the Indonesian
island of Java. It belongs to the Western branch of the Austronesian family of
languages. Over 70 million people speak Javanese.
—Jav·a·nese, adjective[1]



Javasparrow

Javasparrow
Ja·va
spar·row
(plural Ja·va spar·rows) noun

gray and pink bird:
a small Indonesian weaverbird that has gray and pink feathers and a stout red
beak, popular as a cage and aviary bird. Latin name: Padda oryzivora[1]



javelin

javelin
jave·lin 
[jávvlən, jávvələn]
(plural jave·lins) noun

1.  spear:
a long thin piece of wood, plastic, or metal with a pointed end, used as a
weapon or thrown in field competitions

2.  throwing
contest:
a field event in which competitors try to throw a javelin as far as possible
[15th century. Via Middle
French javeline, diminutive of Old French javelot, possibly from,
ultimately, a Celtic source, ancestor of Welsh gaflach “feathered
lance.”][1]



javelina

javelina
ja·ve·li·na 
[hvə lnə] (plural ja·ve·li·nas)
noun

ZOOLOGY See peccary
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of Spanish jabalina, the feminine of jabalí “wild
boar,” from Arabic jabalīy .][1]



Javellewater

Javellewater
Ja·velle
wa·ter
[jə vèl wóttər, zhə
vèl wóttər] or Ja·vel wa·ter [jə
vèl wóttər, zhə vèl wóttər] noun

bleach:
a solution of sodium hypochlorite, used as a bleach and disinfectant. NaOCl
[Early 19th century. Named
for Javelle, a village on the outskirts of Paris, where the solution was
first used.][1]



jaw

jaw
jaw 
[jaw] noun (plural jaws)

1.  ZOOLOGY tooth-bearing
bone:
either of the upper or lower bones that anchor the teeth and form the
structural basis of the mouth in vertebrates. In humans and other higher
vertebrates, the upper jaw is known as the maxilla and the lower the mandible.

2.  ZOOLOGY invertebrate
biting part: an invertebrate body part with a
function or structure similar to a vertebrate jaw

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING gripping
part:
either of two hinged parts of a tool or machine used to grip objects securely

4.  face
part:
the lower, mobile part of the human face • a
strong square jaw

5.  impudence:
cocky or impudent talk (slang)

6.  long
talk:
a long conversation or discussion (slang)

7.  moralizing
talk:
a moralizing talk or lecture (slang)
plural
noun
jaws

1.  GEOGRAPHY natural
entrance:
a narrow opening in something such as a cave, gorge, canyon, or other natural
feature

2.  dangerous
place:
a situation that is dangerously close to something horrible or frightening
intransitive
verb
(past jawed, past participle jawed, present
participle jaw·ing, 3rd person present singular jaws)

talk at length:
to talk or gossip, usually at length (slang) • Quit
your jawing about travel arrangements and let’s get going.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Old French joe “cheek,” or from
a prehistoric Germanic word, ancestor of chew
.]
—jaw·less, adjective[1]



jawbone

jawbone
jaw·bone 
[jáw bōn] noun

bone
in jaw:
a bone in the jaw, especially the lower jaw.
See
also
mandible
See
also
maxilla
transitive
verb
(past jaw·boned, past participle jaw·boned, present
participle jaw·bon·ing, 3rd person present singular jaw·bones)

persuade
somebody forcefully: to coerce somebody to comply
with something by using the authority of high office (informal)
—jaw·bon·er, noun[1]



jawboning

jawboning
jaw·bon·ing
[jáw bōning] noun

forceful persuasion:
an act or the process of coercing compliance by imposing authority (informal)[1]



jawbreaker

jawbreaker
jaw·break·er 
[jáw braykər] (plural jaw·break·ers)
noun

1.  FOOD hard
candy:
a large round hard piece of candy (informal)
U.K.
term
gobstopper

2.  CONSTRUCTION crushing
machine:
a machine that crushes rocks using powerful jaws

3.  LANGUAGE unpronounceable
word:
a long word that is difficult to pronounce (informal)

[1]



jawed

jawed
jawed
[jáwd] adjective

having jaws:
having jaws of a particular kind (used in combination) • slack-jawed[1]



jawline

jawline
jaw·line
[jáw līn] (plural jaw·lines) noun

outline of jaw:
the shape of somebody’s lower jaw[1]



Jawsof Life

Jawsof Life
Jaws
of Life 
Trademark

a trademark for a
pneumatically operated metal device resembling pincers that is inserted into
the body of a severely damaged motor vehicle and then opened to access people
trapped inside[1]



jay

jay1

jay1 [jay]
(plural jays) noun

1.  BIRDS noisy
bird:
any of several related birds of the crow family that are typically noisy, often
brightly colored, and known for their intelligence. Family: Corvidae

2.  somebody
thoughtlessly talkative: a heedless or chattering
person (informal)
[13th century. Via Old French
jay from Latin gaius, of uncertain origin: perhaps from the male
forename Gaius .][1]



jay

jay2
jay2 [jay]
(plural jays) noun

marijuana cigarette:
a marijuana cigarette (slang)[1]



Jaycee

Jaycee
Jay·cee 
[jay s] (plural Jay·cees) noun

member
of business organization: in North America, Australia,
and New Zealand, a member of a junior chamber of commerce, an organization for
young people that promotes leadership and business skills
[Mid-20th century. From the
initial letters of Junior Chamber .][1]



Jayhawker

Jayhawker
Jay·hawk·er
[jáy hawkər] (plural Jay·hawk·ers)
noun

somebody from Kansas:
a nickname for somebody who was born or who lives in Kansas[1]



Jay,John

Jay,John

Jay 
[jay], John (1745–1829)
U.S. jurist. He was president of the
Second Continental Congress (1778–1779) and negotiated the Treaty of Paris
(1783) that ended the Revolution. He was the first chief justice of the Supreme
Court (1789–1795).[1]



jayvee

jayvee
jay·vee 
[jay v] (plural jay·vees) noun

1.  Abbreviation
of
Junior Varsity

2.  junior
varsity player: a member of a junior varsity team

[1]



jaywalk

jaywalk
jay·walk 
[jáy wawk] (past jay·walked, past
participle jay·walked, present participle jay·walk·ing,
3rd person present singular jay·walks) intransitive verb

cross
street carelessly: to cross a street anywhere
other than at designated crossing places. It is a violation of law in some
places, though rarely enforced.
[Early
20th century. Based on jay in the sense
“heedless person.”]
—jay·walk·er,
noun

—jay·walk·ing, noun[1]



jazz

jazz
jazz 
[jaz] noun

1.  syncopated
popular music: popular music that originated among
black people in New Orleans in the late 19th century and is characterized by
syncopated rhythms and improvisation. It has since developed various styles.
Jazz originally drew on ragtime, gospel, black spiritual songs, West African
rhythms, and European harmonies.

2.  stuff:
unnamed related things or belongings (slang) • a
new motorcycle and all the jazz that comes with it

3.  blather:
information or ideas regarded as untrue, misconceived, or misleading (slang
disapproving) • Don’t be fooled if she
starts giving you that jazz about being broke.

4.  liveliness:
animated enthusiasm or vivacity (slang)
verb
(past jazzed, past participle jazzed, present
participle jazz·ing, 3rd person present singular jazz·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
play
or dance to jazz: to play or dance to jazz music

2.  intransitive
verb
exaggerate:
to engage in exaggeration (slang)

3.  transitive
verb
lie
to somebody: to tell lies or a lie to somebody (slang)
• Stop
jazzing me and tell me where you really were!
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Bantu jaja, earlier jas
“to make dance, excite, exaggerate.”]
—jazz·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  term jazz originated in the southern
  United States (it is first recorded in 1909, applied to a type of ragtime
  dance), and it is tempting to speculate that its ancestor crossed the
  Atlantic on the ships carrying enslaved people from Africa. This may have
  cropped up earlier in U.S. English in the form jasm, meaning “energy,”
  which is first recorded in 1860. The link has not been established, but it
  adds weight to the idea that “liveliness, lively activity” (which probably
  also lies behind the word’s sexual connotations) is the ancestral meaning of jazz, rather than any musical application. In
  the absence of any certain origin, various colorful alternative theories have
  been put forward - for example, that jazz
  came from the nickname of a certain Jasbo Brown, an itinerant musician along
  the banks of the Mississippi ( Jasbo perhaps being an alteration of Jasper
  ).

[1]



jazzage

jazzage
jazz
age
noun

heyday of jazz:
the era that immediately followed World War I and lasted until the beginning of
the Depression, during which jazz increased in popularity. It was a reaction to
the austerity and hardship of the war and was characterized by extravagance and
hedonism.[1]



jazzband

jazzband
jazz
band
(plural jazz bands) noun

jazz musicians together:
a band that plays jazz, usually consisting of five or more instruments
including one or more solo wind instruments and a rhythm section consisting of
piano, double bass, and drums[1]



jazzfest

jazzfest
jazz·fest 
[jáz fest] (plural jazz·fests)
noun

festival of jazz:
a festival of jazz music[1]



jazz-fusion

jazz-fusion
jazz-fu·sion 
noun

See
jazz-rock[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








jazzman

jazzman
jazz·man 
[jáz man, jázmən]
(plural jazz·men [jázmən]) noun

jazz musician:
a man who plays or writes jazz music[1]



jazz-rock

jazz-rock
jazz-rock 
noun

mixture of jazz and rock
music: jazz music that incorporates
elements of rock music, especially its heavy, repetitive beats and electronic
amplification.
Also called
jazz-fusion[1]



jazzup

jazzup
jazz
up
transitive verb

1.  enhance:
to make somebody or something more interesting or decorative (informal)
• jazzed
up his wardrobe with some Hawaiian shirts

2.  MUSIC enliven
music:
to make a piece of music more lively, especially by quickening the tempo or
adding improvisations

[1]



jazzy

jazzy
jazz·y 
[jázzee] (comparative jazz·i·er,
superlative jazz·i·est) adjective

1.  showy:
showy, bright, and colorful (slang)

2.  jazzed
up to appeal: exaggerated and unrestrained, especially
in an attempt to make something more appealing (slang)

3.  like
jazz:
in the style of jazz music, especially with the syncopated rhythms of jazz
—jazz·i·ly,
adverb

—jazz·i·ness, noun[1]



jaçana

jaçana
ja·ça·na
[jákənə] or ja·ca·na [jákənə] (plural ja·ca·nas or ja·ca·na)
noun

BIRDS tropical
water bird:
a water bird found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world that has
short rounded wings and tail and long toes that enable it to walk on floating
plants. Male jaçanas incubate the eggs and raise the young birds. Family:
Jacanidae
[Mid-18th century. Via
Portuguese jaçanã from Tupi-Guarani jasanã .][1]



Jaén

Jaén
Ja·én 
[ha áyn]

capital city of Jaén Province
in southern Spain. It is an industrial center. Population: 101,938 (1991)[1]



Jb.

Jb.
Jb.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Job[1]



J-bar

J-bar
J-bar 
(plural J-bars) noun

towbar for skiers:
a metal bar that is suspended from an overhead cable, used to tow a single
skier up a slope • rode
to the summit on the J-bar[1]



JC

JC
JC

Abbreviation of
junior college[1]



J.C.

J.C.
J.C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Jesus Christ

2.  Abbreviation
of
Julius Caesar

[1]



JCC

JCC
JCC

Abbreviation of
Jewish Community Center[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








JCL

JCL
JCL
(plural JCLs) noun

computer language:
a powerful computer language for writing a script used to control the execution
of programs in batch processing systems. Full form job control language[1]



J.C.S.

J.C.S.
J.C.S.
or JCS

MILITARY
Abbreviation of Joint Chiefs of Staff[1]



jct.

jct.
jct.

Abbreviation of
junction[1]



JD

JD1
JD1

1.  Abbreviation
of
Juris Doctor

2.  Abbreviation
of
Justice Department

3.  JD
or J.D. Abbreviation of juvenile
delinquent

[1]



JD

JD2
JD2

Symbol
Jordan dinar[1]



Jdt.

Jdt.
Jdt.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Judith[1]



jealous

jealous
jeal·ous 
[jélləss] adjective

1.  envious:
feeling bitter and unhappy because of another’s advantages, possessions, or
luck

2.  suspicious
of rivals:
feeling suspicious about a rival’s or competitor’s influence, especially in
regard to a loved one

3.  watchful:
possessively watchful of something • keeps
a jealous watch on his research

4.  demanding
loyalty:
demanding exclusive loyalty or adherence (archaic) • a
jealous god.
[13th
century. Via Old French gelos from Latin zelosus, from,
ultimately, Greek zelos “jealousy,” also “enthusiasm” (source of English
zeal ).]
—jeal·ous·ly,
adverb

—jeal·ous·ness, noun[1]



jealousy

jealousy
jeal·ous·y 
[jélləssee] noun

1.  being
jealous:
jealous feelings or behavior

2.  (plural
jeal·ous·ies) jealous impulse:
an instance of feeling jealous • a man
of many jealousies

[1]



jean

jean
jean 
[jeen] (plural jeans) noun

hard-wearing
material:
a strong twill cotton that is used in making work clothes, uniforms, overalls,
and jeans • a
jean jacket
[15th century. Via Old French
Janne from medieval Latin Janua, the Italian city (Genoa) where
the cloth was first made. Known in 16th century England as “jean fustian.”][1]



jeans

jeans
jeans
[jeenz] plural noun

hard-wearing pants:
casual pants with raised seams and often with back pockets sewn on, made from
denim, jean, or some other strong fabric[1]



jebel

jebel
je·bel 
[jébb’l] (plural je·bels) or
dje·bel [jébb’l] (plural dje·bels)
or ge·bel [jébb’l] (plural
ge·bels) noun

hill
or mountain: a hill or mountain in the Middle East or
North Africa (often used in place names)
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic jabal “mountain.”][1]



Jeep

Jeep
Jeep 
[jeep] Trademark

a trademark for a
four-wheel-drive vehicle suitable for rough terrain[1]



jeep

jeep
jeep
[jeep] (plural jeeps) noun

rough
terrain vehicle: a vehicle developed by the military in
World War II with four-wheel drive, for use on poor roads or open terrain
[Mid-20th century. From GP,
from general purpose, probably influenced by “Eugene the Jeep,”
character in the cartoon strip “Popeye.”][1]



jeepers

jeepers
jeep·ers
[jpərz] or jeep·ers creep·ers
[jpərz] interjection

expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise (dated informal)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of Jesus .][1]



jeepney

jeepney
jeep·ney 
[jpnee] (plural jeep·neys) noun

Philippine
bus:
a jeep or similar vehicle that has been converted into a jitney, used in the
Philippines as a form of public transport
[Mid-20th century. Blend of jeep and jitney
.][1]



jeer

jeer
jeer 
[jeer] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jeered, past participle jeered, present
participle jeer·ing, 3rd person present singular jeers)

express
derision vocally: to shout or laugh at somebody or
something as an expression of disgust, scorn, or other displeasure
noun
(plural jeers)

derisive
shout:
a mocking or scornful laugh or shout
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Dutch gieren “to cry, roar (with
laughter).”]
—jeer·er,
noun

—jeer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



jeez

jeez
jeez 
[jeez] interjection

expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise, enthusiasm, or annoyance (slang)
[Early 20th century. From a
shortening of Jesus .][1]



JeffersonDay

JeffersonDay
Jef·fer·son
Day
noun

U.S. holiday:
April 13, the day Thomas Jefferson was born, designated as a public holiday in
Alabama in memory of him, and often celebrated by the Democratic Party with
fundraising dinners[1]



Jefferson,Thomas

Jefferson,Thomas

Jef·fer·son 
[jéffərs’n], Thomas (1743–1826)
U.S. statesman and 3rd President of the
United States. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence. As
Democratic Republican president (1801–1809), he strengthened the executive branch
of government.[1]



Jeffers,Robinson

Jeffers,Robinson
Jef·fers
[jéffərz], Robinson (1887–1962)

U.S.
poet. His eloquent verse expresses contempt for human society. His work
includes a successful adaptation of Medea (1946).
Full name
Jeffers, John Robinson[1]



Jeffreypine

Jeffreypine
Jef·frey
pine
[jéffri pīn] (plural Jef·frey
pines) noun

long-needled
pine tree:
a pine tree of the western United States that has long needles grouped in
threes. Latin name: Pinus jeffreyi
[Mid-19th century. Named for
John Jeffrey, Scottish plant collector.][1]



Jeffries,Jim

Jeffries,Jim
Jef·fries
[jéffreez], Jim (1875–1953)

U.S.
boxer. He held the world heavyweight championship (1899–1905).
Full name
Jeffries, James Jackson[1]



jehad

jehad
je·had 
noun

See
jihad[1]



Jehoshaphat

Jehoshaphat
Je·hosh·a·phat 
[jə hóshə fàt, jə
hósə fàt] noun

biblical king:
in the Bible, a king of Judea who succeeded Asa and formed an alliance with
Ahab of Israel against Syria. (1, 2 Kings; 2 Chronicles) .[1]



Jehovah

Jehovah
Je·ho·vah 
[jə hṓvə] noun

JUDEO-CHRISTIAN See
God
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin Iehoua, mistaken transliteration of YHWH, using
vowel points of Hebrew ǎḏōnāy “my lord,” incorrectly supposed
substitution for the name too sacred to pronounce.][1]



Jehovah’sWitness

Jehovah’sWitness
Je·ho·vah’s
Wit·ness 
(plural Je·ho·vah’s Wit·nesses) noun

member of religious group:
a member of a religious group that believes in the imminence of Jesus Christ’s
personal reign on Earth and rejects secular law where it appears to conflict
with the divine. Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the doctrine of the Trinity.[1]



Jehovist

Jehovist
Je·ho·vist
[jə hṓvist] (plural Je·ho·vists)
noun

1.  See
Yahwist

2.  interpreter
of biblical word: somebody who believes that the Hebrew
word “YHVH” in the Bible was pronounced like “Jehovah”
—Je·ho·vism,
noun

—Je·ho·vis·tic [jə h vístik, j hō
vístik], adjective[1]



jejunal

jejunal
je·ju·nal 
[jə jn’l] adjective

of part of intestine:
relating to the middle part of the small intestine ( jejunum
)[1]



jejune

jejune
je·june 
[jə jn] adjective

1.  boring:
uninteresting and intellectually undemanding

2.  childish:
lacking maturity or sophistication • jejune
chatter about concepts beyond their understanding

3.  without
proper nourishment: lacking or not providing
proper nourishment

4.  barren:
not very fertile
[Early
17th century. From Latin jejunus “fasting, meager.” The late 19th
century sense “childish” arose perhaps from a mistaken belief that “jejune”
came from Latin juvenis or French jeune “young.”]
—je·june·ly,
adverb

—je·june·ness, noun[1]



jejunostomy

jejunostomy
je·jun·os·to·my 
[ji j nóstəmee] (plural je·jun·os·to·mies)
noun

1.  opening
up of part of intestine: a surgical operation that
creates access from the outside of the body into the middle part of the small
intestine ( jejunum ) so that nourishment
can be directly introduced

2.  opening
into intestine: the opening formed in a jejunostomy

[1]



jejunum

jejunum
je·ju·num 
[jə jnəm] (plural je·junums) noun

middle
part of small intestine: the section of the small
intestine that is situated between the duodenum and the ileum and whose main
function is the absorption of nutrients from digested food
[Mid-16th century. From
medical Latin, from Latin jejunus “fasting,” so called because it is
usually found to be empty after death.][1]



Jekylland Hyde

Jekylland Hyde
Je·kyll
and Hyde 
[jék’l ən hd] (plural Je·kyll and
Hydes) noun

split
personality: somebody who has two distinct
personalities, one good and the other evil
[Late 19th century. From The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1886, by R. L. Stevenson .][1]



jell

jell
jell 
[jel] (past jelled, past
participle jelled, present participle jell·ing, 3rd
person present singular jells) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb solidify:
to become, or cause a substance to become, set or firm

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
shape:
to become, or cause something to become, fixed or more definite in shape or
form

3.  intransitive
verb
get
on well together: to bond in a way that gives rise to
mutual cooperation “It’s fun being with a bunch of guys who are fighting
through adversity and jelling together.” The Philadelphia Inquirer 1997
[Mid-18th century.
Back-formation from jelly .][1]



jellaba

jellaba
jel·la·ba 
[jélləbə, jə lbə]
(plural jel·la·bas) or djel·la·ba [jélləbə, jə lbə]
(plural djel·la·bas) noun

Moroccan
garment:
a unisex coverall garment with a hood, of a type worn in Morocco and other
parts of North Africa
[Early 19th century. From
Moroccan Arabic jellāb(a) .][1]



jellied

jellied
jel·lied 
[jéllid] adjective

set in jelly:
set in jelly, or covered with a thin layer of jelly • jellied
tomato salad[1]



jellify

jellify
jel·li·fy 
[jéllə fī] (past jel·li·fied, past
participle jel·li·fied, present participle jel·li·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular jel·li·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

turn
to jelly:
to turn, or cause a substance to turn, into jelly
—jel·li·fi·ca·tion [jèlləfə káysh’n], noun[1]



Jell-O

Jell-O
Jell-O 
[jéllō] Trademark

a trademark for a
gelatin-based dessert[1]



jelly

jelly
jel·ly 
[jéllee] noun (plural jel·lies)

1.  fruit
juice boiled to spreadable consistency: a
fruit preserve that is made by boiling fruit juice, sugar, and sometimes pectin
until it has a semisolid consistency

2.  thickened
meat stock:
a savory semisolid food made from gelatin boiled with meat stock • calf’s
foot jelly

3.  substance
with jelly consistency: any substance that has the
consistency of jelly, especially a pharmaceutical preparation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past jel·lied,
past participle jel·lied, present participle jel·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular jel·lies)

thicken: to
set, or cause something to set, into a jelly
[14th
century. Via Old French gelee “frost, jelly,” from Latin gelare
“to freeze” (source of English congeal
).]
turn
to jelly

to feel shaky because of
extreme fear, nervousness, or exhaustion (informal)[1]



jellybean

jellybean
jel·ly·bean 
[jéllee been] (plural jel·ly·beans)
noun

bean-shaped candy:
a small bean-shaped fruit candy with a hard coating and a soft jelly center[1]



jellyfish

jellyfish

jel·ly·fish 
[jéllee fish] (plural jel·ly·fish·es
or jel·ly·fish) noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY stinging
marine animal: an invertebrate marine animal that, in
its reproductive stage, has a nearly transparent gelatinous body shaped like an
umbrella with trailing tentacles bearing stinging cells. Phylum: Coelenterata

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY marine
animal like jellyfish: any of various invertebrate
marine animals that have bodies similar to that of a true jellyfish, including
cnidarians, ctenophores, and siphonophores

3.        weak
person: somebody who lacks strength
of character (informal) • I’m
afraid I’m just a jellyfish when it comes to making decisions.[1]



jellyfungus

jellyfungus
jel·ly
fun·gus
(plural jel·ly fun·gus·es or jel·ly fun·gi) noun

fungus growing on trees:
any of various fungi that grow on trees and have a gelatinous fruiting body.
Order: Tremellales
Also called
witches’ butter[1]



jellyroll

jellyroll
jel·ly
roll
(plural jel·ly rolls) noun

rolled up cake:
a long cylindrical cake made by rolling up a thin rectangle of light sponge
spread with jelly[1]



jemmy

jemmy
jem·my 
[jémmee] noun (plural jem·mies)

U.K.
See jimmy n.
transitive
verb
(past jem·mied, past participle jem·mied, present
participle jem·my·ing, 3rd person present singular jem·mies)

U.K.
See jimmy v.
[Early 19th century. From Jemmy,
familiar form of the name James .][1]



jene sais quoi

jene sais quoi
je
ne sais quoi  [`ə nə say
kw] noun

mysterious
quality:
an indefinable quality that makes somebody or something more attractive or
interesting
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “I do not know what.”][1]



Jenner,Bruce

Jenner,Bruce
Jen·ner
[jénnər], Bruce (1949– )

U.S. athlete. He won the gold
medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic games.[1]



jennet

jennet
jen·net
[jénnit] (plural jen·nets) or
gen·et [jénnit] (plural gen·ets)
noun

1.  donkey:
a female donkey

2.  horse:
a small Spanish riding horse
[15th century. Via French genet,
from, ultimately, Spanish Arabic Genētī “light horseman.”][1]



jenny

jenny
jen·ny 
[jénnee] (plural jen·nies) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY donkey:
a female donkey

2.  BIRDS bird:
a female bird (often used before a noun) • a
jenny wren

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY female
crab:
a female crab.
See
also
jimmy

4.  MANUFACTURING See spinning jenny
[Early 17th century. From
diminutive of names Jane, Jennifer, and a feminine version of Jack,
often used to designate a tool or piece of machinery.][1]



JenolanCaves

JenolanCaves
Je·no·lan
Caves
[jə nlən káyvz]

cave system in southeastern
New South Wales, Australia. Located in the Blue Mountains National Park, the
limestone cave system is a major tourist attraction.[1]



jeopard

jeopard
jeop·ard
[jéppərd] (past jeop·ard·ed, past
participle jeop·ard·ed, present participle jeop·ard·ing,
3rd person present singular jeop·ards) transitive verb

jeopardize
somebody or something: to put somebody or something
in jeopardy (archaic)
[15th century. Back-formation
from jeopardy .][1]



jeopardize

jeopardize
jeop·ard·ize 
[jéppər dz] (past jeop·ard·ized,
past participle jeop·ard·ized, present participle jeop·ard·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular jeop·ard·iz·es) transitive verb

endanger somebody or
something: to put somebody or something
at risk of being harmed or lost • jeopardizing
the entire mission through their indiscretion[1]



jeopardy

jeopardy
jeop·ard·y 
[jéppərdee] noun

1.  danger:
the risk of loss, harm, or death • The
entire project is in jeopardy.

2.  LAW chance
of being convicted: the risk of being convicted
when put on trial for a crime.
See
also
double jeopardy
[14th century. From Old
French jeu (from Latin jocus “pastime”) + parti (past
participle of partir “to divide”), literally “even or divided game.”][1]



Jer.

Jer.
Jer.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Jeremiah

2.  Abbreviation
of
Jersey

3.  Abbreviation
of
Jerusalem

[1]



jerboa

jerboa
jer·bo·a 
[jər bṓ ə] (plural jer·bo·as) noun

1.  small
rodent of Asia and Africa: a small nocturnal rodent
that lives in arid regions of Asia and Africa and has large ears, a long tufted
tail, and long hind legs adapted for leaping. Family: Dipodidae

2.  small
marsupial of central Australia: a small marsupial with
long hind legs and a long bushy tail that lives in central desert areas of
Australia. Genus: Antechinomys
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin jerboa from Arabic yarbū’(a) (variant jarbū ).][1]



jeremiad

jeremiad
jer·e·mi·ad 
[jérrə m əd] (plural jer·e·mi·ads)
noun

lengthy
complaint:
a long recitation of mournful complaints (literary)
[Late 18th century. From
French jérémiade, from Jérémie “Jeremiah” (see Jeremiah ).][1]



Jeremiah

Jeremiah
Jer·e·mi·ah 
[jérrə m ə] (plural Jer·e·mi·ahs)
noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
a Hebrew prophet who lived in Judah in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C. and was persecuted for prophesying
the fall of Judah and Jerusalem and the Israelites’ captivity in Babylon

2.  book
of the Bible: the book of the Bible that contains the
prophecies of Jeremiah

3.  negative
person:
somebody with a gloomy outlook on the present and future

[1]



Jerezde la Frontera

Jerezde la Frontera
Je·rez
de la Fron·te·ra [he rèss də
laa frun táirə]

city in southwestern Spain,
in Cádiz Province, Andalusia. It is the world’s sherry wine capital.
Population: 182,939 (1991)[1]



Jericho

Jericho
Jer·i·cho 
[jérrikō]

town in the West Bank, in the
Jordan Valley. It is regarded as the world’s oldest town, with remains dating
back to 8000 BC and, according to
the Bible, was destroyed by Joshua after he led the Israelites back from
captivity in Egypt (Joshua 3–8) . Population: 25,000 (1994)[1]



jerk

jerk1
jerk1 [jurk]
verb (past jerked, past participle jerked, present
participle jerk·ing, 3rd person present singular jerks)

1.  transitive
verb
pull
suddenly:
to pull somebody or something with a sudden strong movement • He
jerked her back from in front of the speeding car.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
joltingly:
to proceed, or cause something or somebody to proceed, with bumps and jolts • The
car jerked forward.

3.  intransitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY move
in spasm:
to move in response to muscular spasms (refers to parts of the body)

4.  transitive
verb
say
something abruptly: to utter words or sounds
suddenly and forcefully, for example, from excitement

5.  transitive
verb
COOKING COMMERCE make ice cream refreshments:
to prepare and serve ice cream sodas, sundaes, and other refreshments at a soda
fountain
noun
(plural jerks)

1.  sudden
pull:
a sudden and forceful pulling movement • giving
the door a jerk

2.  jolting
motion:
an abrupt jolting or jarring motion • moving
in jerks

3.  PHYSIOLOGY twitch:
a spasmodic movement in a muscle

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring contemptuously to somebody who behaves foolishly (slang
offensive)

5.  GYM overhead
lift in weightlifting: a lift in weightlifting in
which a barbell is thrust from shoulder height to above the head
plural
noun
jerks

PHYSIOLOGY spasmodic
movements:
involuntary muscular movements often caused by nervousness or excitement
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound of a lash, which
was its original meaning.]
—jerk·er, noun[1]



jerk

jerk2
jerk2 [jurk]
transitive verb (past jerked, past participle jerked,
present participle jerk·ing, 3rd person present singular jerks)

COOKING preserve
meat in strips: to preserve meat by cutting it into long
strips and drying it
adjective

1.  strongly
flavored and spicy: made with strongly flavored
spices, including hot peppers and allspice, as a marinade or rub for grilled
meats

2.  spicy
and grilled: marinated in a jerk sauce and grilled
[Early 18th century. Via
American Spanish charquear from, ultimately, Quechua (Peruvian) echarquini
“to prepare dried meat.”][1]



jerkaround

jerkaround
jerk
around
transitive verb

be dishonest with somebody:
to encourage somebody to have unrealistic expectations by providing dishonest
or misleading information (slang) • You’ve
jerked me around long enough.[1]



jerkin

jerkin

jer·kin 
[júrkin] (plural jer·kins) noun

1.  jacket:
a sleeveless coat or jacket worn by men or women

2.  leather
tunic:
a man’s close-fitting sleeveless tunic, often made of leather, worn in the 16th
and 17th centuries
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jerkoff

jerkoff
jerk
off
intransitive and transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to masturbate, or masturbate somebody else (taboo
offensive)[1]



jerkwater

jerkwater
jerk·wa·ter 
[júrk wàwtər, júrk
wtər] adjective

1.  small
and unimportant: remote from population centers and
considered insignificant and backward (insult)

2.  lacking
significance: lacking consequence or significance
[Because water had to be
supplied to early trains in remote places with a bucket on a rope][1]



jerky

jerky2
jerk·y2 [júrkee]
noun

preserved
meat:
meat cut into thin strips and dried
[Mid-19th
century. From American Spanish charqui, from Quechua echarqui
“dried flesh in long strips.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is a Western term, used from the Dakotas and Texas to the Pacific states, now
  generalized as a commercial snack food.

[1]



jerky

jerky1
jerk·y1 [júrkee]
(comparative jerk·i·er, superlative jerk·i·est) adjective

1.  irregular:
moving irregularly with sudden stops and starts

2.  lacking
good sense:
lacking good sense or reason (informal)
—jerk·i·ly,
adverb

—jerk·i·ness, noun[1]



jeroboam

jeroboam
jer·o·bo·am 
[jèrrə bṓ əm] (plural jer·o·bo·ams)
noun

large
bottle:
a large wine or champagne bottle holding the equivalent of four standard wine
bottles, 3 l/108 fl. oz, or a Bordeaux wine bottle equivalent to six bottles,
4.5 l/162 fl. oz
[Early 19th century. Named
for Jeroboam, “a mighty man of valor” (I Kings 11:28) .][1]



JeroboamI

JeroboamI
Jer·o·bo·am
I
[jèrrə bṓ əm] (lived 10th century BC)

King of Israel. He was the
first king of the ten northern tribes of Israel (922–901 BC ) (1, 2 Kings; 2 Chronicles) .[1]



JeroboamII

JeroboamII
Jer·o·bo·am
II
[jèrrə bṓ əm] (lived 8th century BC)

King of Israel. He reigned
from 786 to 746 BC (2 Kings 13–15)
.[1]



Jerry

Jerry
Jer·ry
[jérree] (plural Jer·ries) noun

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a German person, especially a German soldier in
World War II (dated slang insult)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of German .][1]



jerrybuild

jerrybuild
jer·ry·build 
[jérri bìld] (past jer·ry·built
[jérri bìlt], past participle jer·ry·built
[jérri bìlt], present participle jer·ry·build·ing,
3rd person present singular jer·ry·builds) transitive verb

build
something shoddily: to build something as
quickly and cheaply as possible, with little regard for quality
[Mid-19th
century. Jerry of unknown origin.]
—jer·ry·build·er,
noun

—jer·ry·build·ing, noun[1]



jerrybuilt

jerrybuilt
jer·ry·built
[jérri bìlt] adjective

shoddily built:
built quickly from cheap shoddy materials[1]



jerrycan

jerrycan
jer·ry
can 
noun

can
for gas or water: a flat-sided can with a capacity of
approximately 19 l/5 gal. of liquid, originally of German design and used in
World War II
[Jerry a shortening of German][1]



Jersey

Jersey2
Jer·sey2  [júrzee]
(plural Jer·seys) noun

breed of cattle:
a pale brown dairy cow that produces particularly creamy milk, belonging to a
breed originating on the island of Jersey[1]



jersey

jersey
jer·sey 
[júrzee] (plural jer·seys) noun

1.  TEXTILES soft
knitted clothing material: a knitted fabric, usually
made with a plain or stocking stitch, used for making clothing

2.  CLOTHES sweater:
a knitted woolen pullover
[Late 16th century. Named for
Jersey, where the fabric was originally
made.][1]



Jersey

Jersey1
Jer·sey1  [júrzee]

the largest and southernmost
of the Channel Islands in the English Channel, a dependency of the British
crown. Language: English. Language: French. Capital: St. Helier. Population:
84,082 (1991) Area: 117 sq km/45 sq mi.[1]



JerseyCity

JerseyCity
Jer·sey
Cit·y 
[jùrzee sítee]

city and port in northeastern
New Jersey. It is an industrial center. Population: 226,022 (1994)[1]



Jerusalem

Jerusalem

Je·ru·sa·lem 
[jəróo sə ləm, jər
zə ləm]
historic city lying at the intersection
of Israel and the West Bank. The whole of the city is claimed by Israel as its
capital, but this is disputed internationally. Population: 602,100 (1997)[1]



Jerusalem




Back to definition

Jerusalem

[1]



Jerusalemartichoke

Jerusalemartichoke
Je·ru·sa·lem
ar·ti·choke 
(plural Je·ru·sa·lem ar·ti·chokes) noun
Also
called
sunchoke

1.  FOOD root
vegetable:
the edible tuber of a North American species of sunflower plant that has
reddish-brown knobby skin and white flesh and is eaten cooked as a vegetable

2.  PLANTS plant
with edible tubers: a perennial North American
sunflower whose edible tubers are called Jerusalem artichokes. Latin name: Helianthus
tuberosus
[Jerusalem from Italian girasole,
from girare “to turn” + sole “sun”][1]



Jerusalemcherry

Jerusalemcherry
Je·ru·sa·lem
cher·ry
noun

houseplant with red berries:
a plant of the nightshade family, native to South America and widely grown as a
houseplant for its white flowers and inedible orange or red berries. Latin
name: Solanum pseudocapsicum[1]



Jerusalemcricket

Jerusalemcricket
Je·ru·sa·lem
crick·et
(plural Jerusalem crick·ets) noun

large nocturnal insect:
a large flightless nocturnal cricket with short spiny legs, found in arid
regions of the southwestern United States. Latin name: Stenopelmatus fuscus[1]



Jerusalemoak

Jerusalemoak
Je·ru·sa·lem
oak
(plural Jerusalem oaks) noun

weedy plant:
a strong-smelling plant of the goosefoot family that grows as a weed in the
northern United States and Canada. Latin name: Chenopodium botrys[1]



Jerusalemthorn

Jerusalemthorn
Je·ru·sa·lem
thorn
(plural Je·ru·sa·lem thorns) noun

yellow-flowered shrub with
thorns: a thorny tropical American
shrub of the pea family with pinnate leaves and long clusters of yellow
flowers. Latin name: Parkinsonia aculeata
Also called
paloverde[1]



JervisBay

JervisBay
Jer·vis
Bay
[jrvəss bay]

harbor in southeastern
Australia, on the eastern coast of New South Wales. The headland on its
southern side is part of the Australian Capital Territory. Area: 160 sq km/60
sq mi.[1]



jess

jess
jess 
[jess] noun (plural jess·es)

falcon’s
leash strap: a short strap with a ring for attaching
a leash, fastened around one of the legs of a falcon or other trained bird of
prey
transitive
verb
(past jessed, past participle jessed, present participle
jess·ing, 3rd person present singular jess·es)

fit
bird with jess: to put a jess on a bird
[14th century. Via Old French
ges, a form of get “act of throwing,” from, ultimately, Latin jacere
“to throw.”][1]



jest

jest
jest 
[jest] noun (plural jests)

1.  joke:
something done or said in a playful joking manner (literary or humorous)
• Forgive
my little jest.

2.  something
joked about: an object of scorn or derision (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past jest·ed,
past participle jest·ed, present participle jest·ing,
3rd person present singular jests)

1.  be
witty:
to act, write, or speak cleverly or humorously about something (literary or
humorous)

2.  make
fun of somebody: to treat somebody with derision or scorn
(archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French geste “romantic exploit” from Latin gerere
“to behave, perform,” of unknown origin. Originally “entertainment, heroic
poem.”]
in
jest

as a joke[1]



jester

jester
jest·er 
[jéstər] (plural jest·ers) noun

1.  entertainer:
an entertainer employed at a medieval court to amuse the monarch and guests • the
court jester

2.  somebody
who jokes:
somebody who is inclined to joke with others

[1]



Jesuit

Jesuit
Jes·u·it 
[jézhoo it, jézzoo
it] noun (plural Jes·u·its)

1.  member
of Roman Catholic religious order: a member of the
Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order engaged in missionary and
educational work worldwide. The order was founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola
in 1534 with the aim of defending Catholicism against the Reformation.

2.  Jes·u·it
or jes·u·it offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as crafty or scheming,
especially somebody who uses deliberately ambiguous or confusing words to
deceive others (slang insult)
adjective

of Jesuits:
belonging or relating to the members of the Society of Jesus • a
Jesuit priest
[Mid-16th
century. From French jésuite or modern Latin Jesuita, literally
“follower of Jesus,” from Jesus .]
—Jes·u·it·ic
[jèzhoo íttik, jèzzoo
íttik], adjective

—Jes·u·it·i·cal,
adjective

—Jes·u·it·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—Jes·u·it·ism
[jézhoo ə tìzz’m, jézzoo
ə tìzz’m], noun

—Jes·u·it·ry, noun[1]



JesusChrist

JesusChrist
Je·sus
Christ
[jzəss krīst] or Je·sus [jzəss krīst] noun

1.  BIBLE founder
of Christianity: a Jewish religious teacher who lived
from about 4 B.C. to A.D. 33. His life and teachings form the
basis of Christianity. Christians believe he is the Son of God.

2.  human
embodiment of divine: in Christian Science, the
highest human embodiment of the divine idea
interjection

swearword: used
as a swearword (slang offensive)

[1]



Jesusfreak

Jesusfreak
Je·sus
freak
(plural Je·sus freaks) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring contemptuously to somebody who belongs to a
youthful evangelical Christian group that is contemporary in tone (dated
slang offensive)[1]



jet

jet2
jet2 [jet]
noun

1.  MINERALS black
mineral:
a dense black variety of the mineral lignite, cut and polished and used for
jewelry and other ornaments (often used before a noun) • a
jet necklace

2.  COLORS jet
black:
jet black
[14th century. Via Old French
jaiet, from Latin gagates, from Greek Gagatēs, named for Gagai,
the town in Asia Minor where it was found.][1]



jet

jet1
jet1 [jet]
noun (plural jets)

1.  AIR aircraft:
an aircraft powered by jet engines (often used before a noun) • a
jet landing strip

2.  pressurized
stream of fluid: a thin concentrated stream of liquid,
air, or gas that is forced under pressure from a small nozzle or opening

3.  hole
through which fluid is forced: a small opening or
nozzle for letting out a stream of fluid

4.  AIR (often used before a noun)
• using
jet technology. See jet
engine
verb
(past jet·ted, past participle jet·ted, present
participle jet·ting, 3rd person present singular jets)

1.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT travel
by air:
to travel by air, especially by modern passenger aircraft • always
jetting off to business meetings

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
forcefully in thin stream: to be emitted, or emit
something, in a thin powerful stream • Water
jetted from the broken pipe.
[Late
16th century. Via Old French jeter “to throw,” from, ultimately, Latin jacere
“to throw.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Jet was originally used in English to mean
  “to protrude, stick out.” This sense is best preserved in the related jetty “projecting pier,” while the
  underlying meaning “to throw” is still present in the related jettison “things thrown overboard.” Jet began to be used for “to spurt out in a
  forceful stream” in the 17th century. The notion of using such a stream to
  create forward motion was first encapsulated in the term “jet propulsion” in
  the mid-19th century, but it did not take concrete form for nearly a hundred
  years (the term jet engine is not recorded until 1943). Other English
  words descended from Latin jacere include abject,
  dejected, eject, inject,
  interject, jetsam, jettison,
  jetty, object,
  project, reject, subject,
  and trajectory.

[1]



jetbead

jetbead
jet·bead
[jét beed] (plural jet·beads) noun

shrub with black berries:
an ornamental shrub of the rose family with white flowers and shiny black
berries. Latin name: Rhodotypos scandens[1]



jetblack

jetblack
jet
black
noun

dark
black:
a very dark black color.
Also
called
jet
—jet-black, adjective[1]



jetboat

jetboat
jet
boat
noun

boat propelled by stream of
water: a boat powered by an engine
that produces a pressurized stream of water directed backward[1]



jetengine

jetengine
jet
en·gine
noun

engine that propels using
discharged gases: an engine, especially
one used to propel aircraft, that produces forward thrust by means of a
rearward discharge of fluid, usually combustion gases[1]



jetfighter

jetfighter
jet
fight·er
(plural jet fight·ers) noun

jet-powered plane:
a fighter plane that is powered by a jet engine or engines[1]



jetfoil

jetfoil
jet·foil
[jét foyl] (plural jet·foils) noun

high-speed
passenger boat: a passenger-carrying jet-powered
hydrofoil
[Late 20th century. Named
with reference to its propulsion by water jets.][1]



jetlag

jetlag
jet
lag
noun

fatigue
and disorientation from long flight: an
internal physical disturbance experienced by air travelers on flights across
different time zones. It affects the body’s internal clock, disrupting sleeping
patterns, eating schedules, and body temperature.
—jet-lagged, adjective[1]



jetliner

jetliner
jet·lin·er 
[jét lnər] (plural jet·lin·ers)
noun

modern
passenger airplane: a large passenger airplane
powered by jet engines
[Mid-20th century. Blend of jet 1 and airliner .][1]



jetpack

jetpack
jet·pack
[jét pak] (plural jet·packs) noun

astronaut’s jet-powered
backpack: a device fitted with
pressurized metal containers that let out jets of gas, worn by astronauts on
their back to enable them to move around in space outside a spacecraft[1]



jetplane

jetplane
jet
plane
noun

jet-propelled airplane:
an airplane powered by jet engines[1]



jet-propelled

jet-propelled
jet-pro·pelled 
adjective

driven by jet propulsion:
powered by means of engines that use jet propulsion[1]



jetpropulsion

jetpropulsion
jet
pro·pul·sion noun

propulsion from gas
discharge: forward thrust that results
from the rearward discharge of a jet of fluid, especially a jet engine’s
combustion gases[1]



jetsam

jetsam
jet·sam 
[jétsəm] noun

1.  SHIPPING ship’s
discarded cargo: cargo or equipment that either sinks or
is washed ashore after being thrown overboard to lighten the load of a ship in
distress.
See
also
flotsam

2.  discarded
things:
things that have been discarded as useless or unwanted
[Late 16th century.
Contraction of jettison .][1]



jetset

jetset
jet
set
noun

rich
international travelers: wealthy people who travel
internationally on a regular basis, especially in pursuit of pleasure (dated
informal)
[Jet
because they supposedly travel on jets]
—jet·set·ter,
noun

—jet-set·ting, noun[1]



JetSki

JetSki
Jet
Ski
Trademark

a trademark for a
jet-propelled personal watercraft[1]



jetstream

jetstream
jet
stream
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY high-level
winds:
a strong permanent high-altitude wind current that moves east in a meandering
pattern, affecting the development and movement of weather systems

2.  AEROSPACE jet
engine exhaust: a flow of exhaust gases produced by a
jet engine

[1]



jettison

jettison
jet·ti·son 
[jéttiss’n] transitive verb (past
jet·ti·soned, past participle jet·ti·soned, present
participle jet·ti·son·ing, 3rd person present singular jet·ti·sons)

1.  SHIPPING throw
something overboard: to throw something from a
ship, aircraft, or vehicle

2.  reject
something:
to discard or abandon something, for example, an idea or project • plans
that had to be jettisoned
noun

1.  rejection:
the discarding or rejecting of something

2.  SHIPPING ship’s
discarded cargo: the cargo and equipment thrown from a
distressed ship to lighten it
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman getteson “throwing cargo overboard” (to
lighten a ship), from, ultimately, Latin jectare “to throw about.”]
—jet·ti·son·a·ble, adjective[1]



jetty

jetty1
jet·ty1 [jéttee]
(plural jet·ties) noun

1.  breakwater:
a wall or other barrier built out into a body of water to shelter a harbor,
protect a shoreline from erosion, or redirect water currents

2.  dock:
a landing pier
[15th century. From Old
French jetee, literally “something thrown (up as a breakwater),” from jeter
(see jet 1 ).][1]



jetty

jetty2
jet·ty2 [jéttee]
adjective

like
jet:
as black as or as shiny as the mineral jet
—jet·ti·ness, noun[1]



Jetway

Jetway
Jet·way
[jét way] Trademark

a trademark for an enclosed
telescoping walkway between an airplane and a terminal building, through which
passengers can embark and disembark[1]



jeté

jeté
je·té 
[ə táy] (plural je·tés) noun

ballet
jump:
a ballet leap from one leg to the other in which one leg is stretched forward
and the other backward
[Mid-19th century. From
French, past participle of jeter “to throw.”][1]



jeud’esprit

jeud’esprit
jeu
d’e·sprit 
[ de spr] (plural jeux
d’e·sprit [ de spr]) noun

witty
turn of phrase: a witticism, especially one that appears
in a work of literature (literary)
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “game of spirit or wit.”][1]



jeunessedorée

jeunessedorée
jeu·nesse
do·rée 
[oo nèss daw ráy] noun

privileged
youngsters:
young people who enjoy wealth and privilege (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “gilded youth.”][1]



Jew

Jew
Jew 
[joo] (plural Jews) noun

1.  RELIGION believer
in Judaism:
somebody whose religion is Judaism

2.  PEOPLES member
of Semitic people: a member of a Semitic people
descended from the ancient Hebrews. They are now widely dispersed and share
cultural and religious ties based on Judaism.

3.  HISTORY somebody
from ancient Judah: somebody who lived or was
born in ancient Judah
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French giu from Latin Judaeus, from, ultimately, Hebrew yěhūḏī,
from yěhūḏāh “Judah,” son of the patriarch Jacob, and the tribe
descended from him.][1]



jewel

jewel
jew·el 
[j əl] noun (plural jew·els)

1.  personal
ornament:
an ornament, for example, a ring, necklace, or bracelet, made of a gemstone
placed in a setting of gold, silver, or other metal • She
wore her best jewels to the ball.

2.  gemstone:
a precious stone such as a diamond or sapphire

3.  watch
bearing:
a small crystal or precious stone used as a bearing in a watch

4.  somebody
or something prized: a fine example of a
particular type of person or thing • Her
new teacher’s such a jewel!
transitive
verb
(past jew·eled or jew·elled, past participle
jew·eled or jew·elled, present participle jew·el·ing
or jew·el·ling, 3rd person present singular jew·els)

adorn something with jewels:
to equip or decorate something with jewels
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman juel from jeu “game,” from Latin jocus
(source of English joke ).]
the
jewel in the crown

the best or most outstanding
example of something[1]



jewelbeetle

jewelbeetle
jew·el
bee·tle
noun

shiny beetle:
an Australian beetle with an iridescent body that gives it a superficial
resemblance to a gemstone. Family: Buprestidae[1]



jewelbox

jewelbox
jew·el
box
(plural jew·el box·es) or jew·el case (plural
jew·el cas·es) noun

CD packaging:
a hinged plastic case in which a CD is sold and stored[1]



jeweler

jeweler
jew·el·er
[j ə lər] (plural jew·el·ers)
or jew·el·ler [j ə lər] (plural
jew·el·lers) noun

jewelry maker:
somebody who makes, sells, or repairs jewelry[1]



jewelfish

jewelfish
jew·el·fish 
[j əl fìsh] (plural jew·el·fish·es
or jew·el·fish) noun

aquarium
fish:
a brightly colored African fish that is popular as an aquarium fish. Latin
name: Hemichromis bimaculatus
[“Jewel” from its irregular
speckling of emerald green or sapphire][1]



jeweller

jeweller
jew·el·ler 
noun

See
jeweler[1]



jewelry

jewelry
jew·el·ry 
[j əlree] noun

ornaments for the body:
articles worn on the body for decoration, for example, necklaces, bracelets,
earrings, and rings (often used before a noun) • a
jewelry box[1]



jewelweed

jewelweed
jew·el·weed 
[j əl wd] (plural jew·el·weeds
or jew·el·weed) noun

plant
with bursting seed pods: a North American plant with
spurred yellow, orange, or white flowers and seed pods that burst open to the
touch when mature. Genus: Impatiens
Also
called
touch-me-not
[Jewel from the earring shape
of the flowers and the silver sheen of the underside of the leaf in water][1]



Jewess

Jewess
Jew·ess 
[j əss] (plural Jew·ess·es) noun

offensive term for Jewish
woman: an offensive term referring
to a Jewish woman or girl (dated offensive taboo)[1]



Jewett,Sarah Orne

Jewett,Sarah Orne
Jew·ett
[j it], Sarah Orne (1849–1909)

U.S. writer. Her novels and
short stories, set on the coast of her native Maine, are leading examples of
the regional literature of her time.[1]



jewfish

jewfish
jew·fish 
[j fìsh] (plural jew·fish·es or
jew·fish) noun

spotted
tropical fish: a large dark spotted fish of the grouper
family that has rough scales and is found in warm and tropical seas. Latin
name: Epinephelus itajara
[Said to have been so called
because it was a “clean” fish in accordance with Jewish dietary law][1]



Jewish

Jewish
Jew·ish 
[j ish] adjective

1.  of
Judaism:
relating to or practicing Judaism

2.  of
Jews:
belonging or relating to a people descended from the ancient Hebrews
—Jew·ish·ly,
adverb

—Jew·ish·ness, noun[1]



Jewishcalendar

Jewishcalendar
Jew·ish
cal·en·dar
noun

religious calendar of
Judaism: the lunar calendar of the
Jewish religious year. It has 12 months, with 13 in leap years, and dates from
3761 B.C., considered the year of
Creation.[1]



Jewry

Jewry
Jew·ry 
[jree] (plural Jew·ries) noun

Judaism or its followers:
Jewish people in general, or the Jewish religion[1]



jew’sharp

jew’sharp


jew’s
harp
noun
musical
instrument held between teeth: a small musical
instrument held between the teeth and played by plucking a protruding metal
tongue. It has a soft twanging sound.
[The reason for the name is
unknown][1]



Jezebel

Jezebel
Jez·e·bel 
[jézzə bel] (plural Jez·e·bels)
noun

1.  BIBLE biblical
princess:
a Phoenician princess who lived in the 9th century B.C. The Bible describes how, as the wife of King Ahab, she
introduced tyranny and idolatry into Israel.

2.  Jez·e·bel
or jez·e·bel offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s sexual activity or
interactions (offensive)

[1]



JFK

JFK
JFK

1.  Abbreviation
of
John Fitzgerald Kennedy

2.  Abbreviation
of
John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport

[1]



jg

jg
jg
or j.g.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of junior grade[1]



Jhansi

Jhansi
Jhan·si 
[jnssee] or Jhān·si [jnssee]

capital city of Jhansi
District, central India, in Uttar Pradesh State. Population: 301,304 (1991)[1]



Jhelum

Jhelum
Jhe·lum 
[jləm]

river in northwestern India
and northeastern Pakistan. It runs through the Indian city of Srinagar.[1]



JHVH

JHVH
JHVH
or JHWH noun

BIBLE
See YHWH[1]



JiangQing

JiangQing

Jiang
Qing
[jyng chíng] (1914–1991)
Chinese
political activist. She was the third wife of Mao Zedong, and was one of the
prime movers of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).
Alternate name
Chiang Ch’ing[1]



Jiangsu

Jiangsu
Jiang·su 
[jyng ]

province in eastern China,
bordering on the Yellow Sea. Capital: Nanjing. Population: 70,210,000 (1994)
Area: 102,600 sq km/39,600 sq mi.[1]



Jiangxi

Jiangxi
Jiang·xi 
[jyng ]

inland province of
southeastern China. Capital: Nanchang. Population: 40,150,000 (1994) Area:
164,800 sq km/63,600 sq mi.[1]



JiangZemin

JiangZemin

Jiang Ze·min
[jyng zay mīn] (1926– )
Chinese statesman. He succeeded Deng
Xiaoping as paramount leader of China when he became president in 1993.[1]



jiao

jiao
jiao 
[jow] (plural jiao) noun

1.  currency
unit in China: a subunit of currency in China, worth
one tenth of a yuan

2.  bill
worth one jiao: a bill worth one jiao
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese jiǎo .][1]



jib

jib1

jib1 [jib]
(plural jibs) noun
SAILING small
foremost sail: a small triangular sail in front of the
main or only mast on a sailing ship
[Mid-17th
century. Origin unknown.]
the
cut of somebody’s jib

somebody’s manner and general
appearance[1]



jib

jib3
jib3  [jib]
(past jibbed, past participle jibbed, present
participle jib·bing, 3rd person present singular jibs)
intransitive verb

1.  refuse
to move:
to stop and refuse to move on (refers to animals)

2.  balk:
to be reluctant to do something
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain.]
—jib·ber, noun[1]



jib

jib2
jib2 [jib]
(plural jibs) noun

INDUSTRY crane’s
arm:
the projecting arm of a crane
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening and alteration of gibbet
.][1]



jibboom

jibboom
jib
boom
[jÍb bm] or jib·boom [jÍb bm] (plural jib·booms) noun

spar on front of sailing
ship: an extension of the spar
that sticks out from the front of a sailing ship ( bowsprit
) and supports the jib[1]



jibe

jibe1
jibe1 [jīb]
or gybe [jīb] intransitive
and transitive verb (past jibed, past participle jibed,
present participle jib·ing, 3rd person present singular jibes)
(past gybed, past participle gybed, present
participle gyb·ing, 3rd person present singular gybes)

1.  swing
across boat: to swing, or to make a fore-and-aft sail
swing, across from one side of the boat to the other when sailing before the
wind

2.  change
direction in sailing ship: to change direction, or
cause a sailing ship to change direction, by turning away from the wind, as a
result of a fore-and-aft-sail’s jibing
noun

SAILING sail
shift or direction change: a sudden shift of a sail
back and forth, or a change in the direction a ship is sailing
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch gijben .][1]



jibe

jibe2
jibe2 [jīb]
(past jibed, past participle jibed, present
participle jib·ing, 3rd person present singular jibes)
intransitive verb

be
in accord:
to conform or agree with something or with one another (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jibe

jibe3
jibe3 noun intransitive
and transitive verb

See
gibe[1]



jicama

jicama

ji·ca·ma 
[hkəmə] (plural ji·ca·mas) noun
sweet
edible root: the starchy tuberous root of a tropical
plant of the pea family, eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable. Latin
name: Pachyrhizus erosus
[Early 17th century. Via
Mexican Spanish jícama, from Nahuatl xicama .][1]



Jicarilla

Jicarilla
Ji·car·il·la 
[hkə ryə] (plural Ji·car·il·la
or Ji·car·il·las) noun

member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American Apache people who originally lived in a large area across central and
southwestern North America. Today the Jicarilla live in northern New Mexico.
[Mid-19th
century. From Mexican Spanish, literally “small calabash tree,” from jicara
“calabash tree,” from Nahuatl xicalli “container made from the fruit of
the calabash tree.”]
—Ji·car·il·la, adjective[1]



Jiddah

Jiddah
Jid·dah
[jéddə] or Jed·da [jéddə]

city and port in western
Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea, in Al Hijaz state. Population: 1,600,000 (1994
estimate)[1]



jiffy

jiffy
jif·fy 
[jíffee] or jiff [jif] noun

moment:
the shortest of moments (informal) • I’ll
be with you in a jiffy.
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Bantu tshipi “short.”][1]



Jiffy

Jiffy
Jif·fy 
Trademark

a trademark for a padded
mailing envelope[1]



jig

jig
jig 
[jig] noun (plural jigs)

1.  DANCE lively
dance:
a lively folk dance in triple time, especially one with kicking or jumping
steps • an
Irish jig

2.  MUSIC dancing
music:
a piece of music to which a jig is danced

3.  WOODWORK INDUSTRY device for holding piece of
work:
the part of a woodworking or metalworking machine that holds the object to be
worked on and guides the cutting or drilling tool

4.  ANGLING wiggly
fishing lure: a fishing lure made to attract a fish’s
attention through its motion as it is jerked around in the water.
Also
called
jigger

5.  MINING mineral-washing
device:
a device that cleans and separates coal or other excavated minerals from waste
material by shaking and washing
verb
(past jigged, past participle jigged, present
participle jig·ging, 3rd person present singular jigs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb jerk
around quickly: to move around, or cause something to
move around, in a quick jerky way

2.  intransitive
verb
DANCE dance
a jig:
to dance a lively folk dance in triple time, especially one with kicking or
jumping steps

3.  transitive
verb
WOODWORK INDUSTRY cut or drill something with
jig:
to cut or drill a piece of work using a jig as a guide

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING fish with jig:
to fish, or catch a fish, using a jig

5.  transitive
verb
MINING clean
and separate minerals with jig: to wash and separate
coal or other excavated minerals with a jig
[Mid-16th century. Noun of
unknown origin. Verb of uncertain origin: perhaps from French giguer “to
dance,” from gigue “fiddle,” from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



jigger

jigger2
jig·ger2 (plural jig·gers)
noun

INSECTS See chigoe  noun 1
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of chigger .][1]



jigger

jigger1
jig·ger1 [jíggər]
(plural jig·gers) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS BEVERAGES measure
for alcoholic spirits: a measure used for alcoholic
spirits, equal to approximately 1.5 fl. oz

2.  WOODWORK INDUSTRY jig operator:
somebody who operates a mechanical jig

3.  something
or other:
an object whose name is not known or cannot be recalled (informal)

4.  ANGLING See jig  noun 4

5.  Canada
ANGLING fishing
line:
a short line attached to an unbaited hook, used to catch squid or cod by a
jerking motion

6.  SAILING sail at
boat’s stern: a small sail near the stern of a small
sailing boat

7.  SAILING See jiggermast

8.  ENGINEERING device
working with jerking motion: a mechanical device, for
example, a drill, that operates with a jerking movement

[1]



jiggermast

jiggermast
jig·ger·mast
[jíggər màst] (plural jig·ger·masts)
noun
Also
called
jigger

1.  small
rear mast:
the shorter mast near the stern of a small sailing boat

2.  fourth
mast back:
on a four-masted sailing ship, the mast nearest the stern

[1]



jigginggrounds

jigginggrounds
jig·ging
grounds
noun

Canada
ANGLING place
to fish using jigger: an area of
shallow water where fish or squid can be caught using a jigger[1]



jiggle

jiggle
jig·gle 
[jígg’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jig·gled, past participle jig·gled, present
participle jig·gling, 3rd person present singular jig·gles)

to
wiggle:
to move, or cause something to move, in small rapid movements in any direction
• He
jiggled the handle.
noun
(plural jig·gles)

wiggly
movement:
a rapid back-and-forth or up-and-down motion • giving
the key a quick jiggle in the lock
[Mid-19th
century. Blend of jig and joggle .]
—jig·gly, adjective[1]



jigsaw

jigsaw
jig·saw 
[jíg saw] noun (plural jig·saws)

1.  LEISURE jigsaw
puzzle:
a jigsaw puzzle

2.  CONSTR power
saw for curves: a machine saw with a narrow blade, used
for cutting curves and shapes
transitive
verb
(past jig·sawed, past participle jig·sawed or
jig·sawn, present participle jig·saw·ing, 3rd person
present singular jig·saws)

CONSTR cut
something using jigsaw: to cut or shape something
using a jigsaw
adjective

with complex structure:
with many interrelating parts or elements forming a complex whole • the
jigsaw nature of politics

[1]



jigsawpuzzle

jigsawpuzzle
jig·saw
puz·zle
(plural jig·saw puz·zles) noun

1.  LEISURE picture
cut into pieces: a puzzle in the form of interlocking
irregularly shaped pieces that make a picture when fitted together

2.  complex
whole:
something that is made up of many interconnecting parts • help
the police to figure out this jigsaw puzzle of a crime

[1]



jihad

jihad
ji·had 
[ji hd] (plural ji·hads) or
je·had [ji hd] (plural je·hads)
noun

1.  Islamic
campaign against nonbelievers: a campaign waged by
Muslims in defense of the Islamic faith against individuals, organizations, or
countries regarded as hostile to Islam

2.  hostile
campaign:
any hostile campaign, for example, a series of political advertisements
attacking an adversary
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic jihād “effort.”][1]



Jilin

Jilin
Ji·lin
[jllin]

province in the historic
region of Manchuria, northeastern China. The southeast of the province borders
Russia and North Korea. Capital: Changchun. Population: 25,740,000 (1994) Area:
187,000 sq km/72,200 sq mi.[1]



jillion

jillion
jil·lion 
[jíllyən] (plural jil·lions) noun

huge
number:
a number or amount too great to specify (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Imaginative formation modeled on billion .][1]



jilt

jilt
jilt 
[jilt] transitive verb (past jilt·ed,
past participle jilt·ed, present participle jilt·ing,
3rd person present singular jilts)

reject
a lover:
to break off a romantic relationship with somebody abruptly
noun
(plural jilts)

somebody
who rejects a lover: somebody who abruptly breaks
off a relationship with a lover
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown. Originally “to deceive, cheat.”][1]



JimCrow

JimCrow
Jim
Crow
[jìm krṓ] or jim crow [jìm krṓ] noun

1.  Jim
Crow
or jim Crow or Jim Crow·ism or jim
Crow·ism racial discrimination:
the practice of discriminating against black people, especially by operating
systems of public segregation (informal)

2.  taboo
offensive term: a highly offensive taboo word referring
to a black person (taboo offensive)
[Mid-19th century. From Jim
Crow, a black character in the early 19th century plantation song of that
name.][1]



jim-dandy

jim-dandy
jim-dan·dy 
[jìm dándee] (plural jim-dan·dies)
noun

exceptionally
good thing:
something that is exceptionally good of its kind (informal)
[Late
19th century. From Jim, familiar form of the forename James, + dandy .]
—jim-dan·dy, adjective[1]



jimjams

jimjams
jim·jams
[jím jàmz] plural noun (informal)

1.  delirium
tremens:
an attack of delirium tremens

2.  nervousness:
an attack of nervous anxiety
[Late 19th century. Plural of
obsolete jimjam “trivial article, knick-knack,” a playful formation.][1]



jimmies

jimmies
jim·mies 
[jímmeez] plural noun

candy sprinkles:
small pieces of chocolate or candy sprinkled on top of ice-cream[1]



jimmy

jimmy
jim·my 
[jímmee] noun (plural jim·mies)

1.  lever
for prying something open: a short crowbar used as a
lever, usually for prying things open.
U.K.
term
jemmy  noun

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY male
crab:
a male crab.
See
also
jenny
transitive
verb
(past jim·mied, past participle jim·mied, present
participle jim·my·ing, 3rd person present singular jim·mies)

open something with jimmy:
to force something open using a jimmy.
U.K.
term
jemmy  verb
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of jemmy .][1]



jimsonweed

jimsonweed
jim·son·weed 
[jíms’n wd, jímps’n
wd] (plural jim·son·weeds) noun

poisonous
weed:
a tall poisonous weed of the nightshade family, with large trumpet-shaped white
or purple flowers, foul-smelling foliage, and spiny capsule fruits. Latin name:
Datura stramonium
U.K.
term
thorn apple
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Jamestown, Virginia, where it was first observed.][1]



Jinan

Jinan
Ji·nan
[j nan] or Chi·nan [jnÁan]

industrial city and capital
of Shandong Province, eastern China. Population: 2,320,000 (1991)[1]



jingle

jingle

jin·gle 
[jíng g’l] noun (plural jin·gles)

1.  metallic
tinkle:
a light musical noise like that of small bells or pieces of metal being shaken
together

2.  tune
associated with something advertised: a
catchy tune or verse, usually one that is played repeatedly to advertise
something
verb (past
jin·gled, past participle jin·gled, present participle
jin·gling, 3rd person present singular jin·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
tinkling sound: to make, or cause something to make, a
light musical noise like that of small bells or pieces of metal being shaken
together • He
jingled the coins in his pocket.

2.  intransitive
verb
have
an easily remembered sound: to have a sound or rhyme
that is catchy or repetitious
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound of small metallic objects shaken together.]
—jin·gly, adjective[1]



jingo

jingo
jin·go 
[jíng gō] (plural jin·goes) noun

belligerent
nationalist: a zealous patriot, especially somebody
who advocates hostility toward other countries
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: originally a conjurers’ term. The modern sense
derives from the use of “by jingo!” in the refrain of a hawkish popular song of
the late 19th century.]
—jin·go·ish,
adjective
by
jingo!

used to express surprise or
annoyance (dated informal)[1]



jingoism

jingoism
jin·go·ism 
[jíng gō ìzzəm] noun

belligerent
nationalism: zealous patriotism expressing itself
especially in hostility toward other countries
—jin·go·ist,
adjective, noun

—jin·go·is·tic
[jìng gō ístik], adjective

—jin·go·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  context of the coining of jingoism was
  British foreign policy of the late 1870s: the Prime Minister, Benjamin
  Disraeli, favored sending in gunboats to halt the advance of the Russian
  fleet out of their own waters into the Mediterranean; this gave rise to a
  music-hall song, written in 1878 by G.W. Hunt, the refrain of which went: “We
  don’t want to fight, yet by Jingo! if we do, We’ve got the ships, we’ve got
  the men, and got the money too”; opponents of the policy picked up on the
  word jingo and used it as an icon of blind patriotism.

[1]



Jinja

Jinja
Jin·ja
[jín jə]

city in southeastern Uganda,
in the Eastern Region, on Lake Victoria. Population: 60,979 (1991)[1]



jink

jink
jink 
[jingk] intransitive verb (past
jinked, past participle jinked, present participle jink·ing,
3rd person present singular jinks)

dodge:
to make quick sideways movements in order to evade somebody or something
noun
(plural jinks)

dodging
movement:
a quick evasive movement or maneuver
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of a sudden movement.][1]



Jinnah,Muhammad Ali

Jinnah,Muhammad Ali
Jin·nah
[jínnə], Muhammad Ali (1876–1948)

Indian and Pakistani
statesman. He became president of the Muslim League in India in 1935. His
campaign for a separate Muslim state resulted in the creation of Pakistan in
1947, when he became the state’s first president and governor-general.[1]



jinni

jinni
jin·ni
[jínnee] (plural jinn [jin]) or djin·ni [jínnee] (plural djinn) noun

Islamic
magic spirit: in Islamic mythology, a spirit that can
take on various human and animal forms and makes mischievous use of its
supernatural powers.
See
also
genie
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic jinn, plural of jinnī . The plural form is popularly
thought of as the singular.][1]



JinNong

JinNong
Jin
Nong
[jìn náwng] (1687–1764?)

Chinese artist. He frequently
incorporated calligraphy into his paintings, which are often of fruits and
plants.[1]



jinriksha

jinriksha
jin·rik·sha 
[jin ríkshə] (plural jin·rik·shas)
or jin·rick·sha [jin ríkshə] (plural
jin·rick·shas) noun

See
rickshaw
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese jin “man” + riki “strength” + sha “vehicle.”][1]



jinx

jinx
jinx 
[jingks] noun (plural jinx·es)

cause
of misfortune: an unseen force that is thought to bring
bad luck, or somebody or something, for example, a curse, that is thought to
bring bad luck • There must be a jinx on
this expedition.
transitive
verb
(past jinxed, past participle jinxed, present
participle jinx·ing, 3rd person present singular jinx·es)

bring
misfortune on something: to bring a supposed unseen
force of misfortune to bear on something or somebody • the
feeling that they had been jinxed in some way
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: probably from earlier jynx “the wryneck
bird,” from its use in witchcraft.]
—jinxed, adjective[1]



jipijapa

jipijapa
ji·pi·ja·pa 
[hpee hpə] (plural ji·pi·ja·pas)
noun

plant
resembling palm: a stemless plant native to Central and
South America that resembles a palm and has large leaves that are used to make
panama hats. Latin name: Carludovica palmata
[Mid-19th century. Named for Jipijapa,
a town in Ecuador where it is found.][1]



JIT

JIT
JIT

MANAGEMENT
Abbreviation of just-in-time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








jitney

jitney
jit·ney 
[jítnee] (plural jit·neys) noun

1.  inexpensive
small bus:
a small bus that takes passengers on a regular route for a small fare

2.  nickel:
a nickel (archaic slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown. The bus was so named for its low fare (five cents).][1]



jitter

jitter
jit·ter 
[jíttər] intransitive verb (past
jit·tered, past participle jit·tered, present
participle jit·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular jit·ters)

behave nervously:
to behave in a nervous or restless way (informal)
noun
(plural jit·ters) ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING

1.  rapid
signal fluctuation: an undesired rapid movement
of electrical signals or images, for example, on a television or oscilloscope
screen, because of circuit instability or faulty components

2.  distortion
in digitized information: a distortion in digitally
transmitted or recorded sound or images, caused when two devices are not
perfectly synchronized, for example, the recording and playback devices of
audio recordings
plural
noun
jit·ters

nervous attack:
feelings of extreme nervousness and agitation (informal) • He’s
got the jitters about his interview tomorrow.
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Mandingo ji-to “frightened,” from ji “to
be afraid.”][1]



jitterbug

jitterbug
jit·ter·bug 
[jíttər bùg] noun

1.  fast
dance:
a fast energetic jazz dance for couples that was popular in the 1940s

2.  jitterbug
dancer:
somebody who dances the jitterbug
intransitive
verb
(past jit·ter·bugged, past participle jit·ter·bugged,
present participle jit·ter·bug·ging, 3rd person present
singular jit·ter·bugs)

dance jitterbug:
to dance the jitterbug
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Mandingo jitobaga “frightened person” (see jitter ), or bug from bug “insect.” Originally “jittery person.”][1]



jittery

jittery
jit·ter·y 
[jíttəree] adjective

1.  nervous:
feeling nervous or agitated

2.  jerky:
making rapid jumpy movements
—jit·ter·i·ness, noun[1]



Jivaro

Jivaro
Ji·va·ro 
[hvə r] (plural Ji·va·ro or
Ji·va·ros) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native S American people: a member of a Native South
American people living in the tropical forests of Ecuador and northeastern
Peru. Their ancestors were noted for their ritual of shrinking and preserving
the heads of enemies they had killed.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Jivaro:
the language spoken by the Jivaro . It belongs to the Equatorial branch of the
Andean-Equatorial family of American languages. Jivaro is spoken by about
20,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Spanish jibaro, of uncertain origin: probably from Jivaro Shuara
.]
—Ji·va·ro, adjective[1]



jive

jive
jive 
[jīv] noun

1.  MUSIC jazz
music:
jazz or swing music, especially that of the 1930s and 1940s

2.  DANCE lively
dancing style: a very lively, uninhibited style of
popular dancing, often with a man swinging and throwing a woman. It was
originally done to jazz music, and later to rock and roll.

3.  LANGUAGE jazz
musicians’ jargon: the special terminology and
slang used by jazz musicians (slang)

4.  insincere
talk:
smooth talk that is often deceptive or insincere (slang)
verb
(past jived, past participle jived, present
participle jiv·ing, 3rd person present singular jives)

1.  intransitive
verb
DANCE dance
jive:
to dance in the lively, often acrobatic style associated with jazz music, and
later with rock and roll

2.  intransitive
verb
LANGUAGE talk
jive:
to use the special terminology and slang of jazz musicians (slang)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb flatter
with smooth talk: to flatter or deceive somebody with
insincere talk (slang) • I know
when you’re jiving me.
adjective

insincere:
lacking sincerity or honesty (slang) • His
comments are so jive!
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Wolof jev “to talk about
somebody not present, especially disparagingly.”]
—jiv·er, noun[1]



JJ

JJ
JJ
or JJ.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Judges

2.  LAW Abbreviation of
Justices

[1]



Jl.

Jl.
Jl.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Joel

2.  Abbreviation
of
journal

3.  Abbreviation
of
July

[1]



Jm.

Jm.
Jm.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of James[1]



Jn.

Jn.
Jn.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of John[1]



j.n.d.

j.n.d.
j.n.d.

PSYCHOLOGY
Abbreviation of just noticeable difference[1]



jnr.

jnr.
jnr.
or Jnr.

Abbreviation of
junior[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








jnt.

jnt.
jnt.

Abbreviation of
joint[1]



jo

jo
jo
[jō] (plural joes) noun

Scotland
sweetheart:
somebody whom somebody else loves (dated)
[Early 16th century. Scottish
form of joy .][1]



Joanof Arc, Saint

Joanof Arc, Saint

Joan of Arc 
[jn əv rk], Saint (1412–1431)
French patriot. She led the French to
victory against the English, but was captured and burned at the stake as a
heretic. She is the patron saint of France.[1]



Job

Job2
Job2 [jōb]
noun

book of Bible:
the book of the Bible that describes Job’s afflictions and eventual reward[1]



Job

Job1
Job1 [jōb]
noun

steadfast biblical character:
in the Bible, a righteous man whose faith withstood severe testing by God • have
the patience of Job[1]



job

job
job 
[job] noun (plural jobs)

1.  paid
occupation:
an activity such as a trade or profession that somebody does regularly for pay,
or a paid position doing this • She’s
got a new job.

2.  task:
something that remains to be done or dealt with • I
have several jobs to do this afternoon.

3.  assignment:
an individual piece of work of a particular nature • We
managed to complete the job in under a week.

4.  function:
the role that somebody or something fulfills • It’s
her job to look after the finances.

5.  difficulty:
something that is difficult to accomplish • I
had quite a job getting it to start.

6.  quality
of work done: a completed piece of work of a
particular quality • They did a very good
job on the exterior.

7.  object:
an object of some kind, especially a manufactured item (informal) • one
of those big four-wheel-drive jobs

8.  crime:
a criminal act, especially a robbery (informal) • a
bank job

9.  COMPUTING programming
task:
a computer programming task run as a single application or unit
verb
(past jobbed, past participle jobbed, present
participle job·bing, 3rd person present singular jobs)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
occasionally: to take occasional or casual work • He
jobs as a gardener from time to time.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb deal
in wholesale merchandise: to buy and sell merchandise
as a wholesaler or agent

3.  transitive
verb
distribute
work to others: to subcontract portions of contract work
to others • job
out the plumbing work on the house

4.  intransitive
verb
profit
from public office: to make a private gain from
working in a public position
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from obsolete job “piece,” of unknown
origin.]
on
the job

engaged
in working

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  job, assignment, task, chore,
  duty
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  piece of work to be done job; a
  general word used to describe both a piece of work that somebody has chosen
  to do or one that he or she is obliged to do, for example, because it is part
  of his or her employment. It can also be used to talk about somebody’s
  employment; assignment; a set piece
  of work given to somebody as part of the workload of an occupation or course
  of study, often with the requirement to finish it within a fixed period of
  time. It can also be used to mean a post or position that has been allocated
  to somebody; task; a piece of work
  that requires effort, often imposed by an employer or someone in authority or
  by circumstances, but sometimes self-imposed. It is usually either quite
  short in duration or else has to be finished within a certain time; chore; a relatively short undertaking,
  either imposed by somebody in authority or self-imposed, requiring effort and
  indicating some kind of routine. It is often used to indicate that something
  is considered tedious and even unpleasant; duty;
  used to describe something that has to be done because of obligations to
  other individuals or to society

[1]



jobaction

jobaction
job
ac·tion
noun

workers’ protest:
a short-term action by workers, for example, a slowdown, to achieve demands or
protest policies.
U.K. term
industrial action[1]



jobber

jobber
job·ber 
[jóbbər] (plural job·bers) noun

1.  somebody
taking occasional or casual work: somebody who does
piecework or work on a job by job basis

2.  COMMERCE wholesaler:
a wholesaler to retailers

[1]



jobbery

jobbery
job·ber·y 
[jóbbəree] noun

corruption in public office:
the corrupt practice of making private gains from public office, or an instance
of this[1]



JobCorps

JobCorps
Job
Corps
noun

government job training
program: a U.S. government training
program for youths to enable them to obtain employment[1]



jobdescription

jobdescription
job
de·scrip·tion (plural job de·scrip·tions)
noun

official list of employee’s
responsibilities: an official written
description of the responsibilities and requirements of a specific job, often
one agreed between employer and employee[1]



jobholder

jobholder
job·hold·er 
[jób hldər] (plural job·hold·ers)
noun

somebody with job:
somebody who has a regular job[1]



job-hop

job-hop
job-hop 
(past job-hopped, past participle job-hopped, present
participle job-hop·ping, 3rd person present singular job-hops)
intransitive verb

change
jobs frequently: to change jobs frequently, especially
working for different companies (informal)
—job-hop·per,
noun

—job-hop·ping, noun[1]



job-hunt

job-hunt
job-hunt 
(past job-hunt·ed, past participle job-hunt·ed, present
participle job-hunt·ing, 3rd person present singular job-hunts)
intransitive verb

seek
work:
to look for a job (informal)
—job hunt·er, noun[1]



jobless

jobless
job·less 
[jóbləss] adjective

unemployed:
without a job
plural
noun

people
without jobs: unemployed people considered
collectively
—job·less·ness, noun[1]



joblot

joblot
job
lot
(plural job lots) noun

assortment:
a miscellaneous collection of articles, especially ones that are bought or sold
together • I
bought it as a job lot.[1]



job-relatedillness

job-relatedillness
job-re·lat·ed
ill·ness
noun

See
industrial disease[1]



jobseeker

jobseeker
job
seek·er
(plural job seek·ers) noun

somebody looking for a job:
a person who is actively looking for employment[1]



job-sharing

job-sharing
job-shar·ing 
noun

dividing
up of a job: the dividing up of the responsibilities
of a single full-time job between two or more part-time workers
—job-share, noun,
intransitive verb[1]



Jobs,Steve

Jobs,Steve
Jobs
[jobz], Steve (1955– )

U.S.
entrepreneur. He cofounded Apple Computer Company (1976), which produced the
first “user-friendly” home computer.
Full name
Jobs, Steven Paul[1]



Job’scomforter

Job’scomforter
Job’s
com·fort·er 
(plural Job’s com·fort·ers) noun

somebody
who unintentionally causes misery: somebody who, though
appearing or intending to comfort a distressed person, only succeeds in
worsening the situation
[From the friends who came to
“comfort” Job in his affliction, counseling him: “despise not thou the
chastening of the Almighty” (Job 5:17)][1]



Job’stears

Job’stears
Job’s
tears
noun (plural Job’s tears)

tropical
grass plant: a tropical Asian grass plant with hard
white spherical leaves that are used as beads. Latin name: Coix lacryma-jobi
plural
noun

white
leaves used as beads: the hard white leaves of
Job’s tears, used as beads
[From its round shiny leaves
that resemble tears][1]



jock

jock1
jock1 [jok]
(plural jocks) noun (informal)

1.  jockey:
a jockey

2.  disc
jockey:
a disc jockey
[Late 18th century.
Shortening.][1]



jock

jock3
jock3  [jok]
(past jocked, past participle jocked, present
participle jock·ing, 3rd person present singular jocks)
intransitive verb

Caribbean
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to masturbate (taboo offensive)
[Origin unknown: perhaps originally
in the sense “genitals”][1]



jock

jock2
jock2 [jok]
(plural jocks) noun (informal)

1.  athlete:
an athlete, especially a male athlete in college

2.  jockstrap:
a jockstrap

3.  macho
man:
a man with macho attitudes
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of jockstrap .][1]



jockey

jockey
jock·ey 
[jókee] noun (plural jock·eys)

1.  rider
of racehorse: somebody who rides racehorses,
especially professionally

2.  worker
with or operator of something: somebody whose work
involves the use or operation of a particular device, vehicle, or object (informal)
• We
desk jockeys need to get out and exercise more.
verb
(past jock·eyed, past participle jock·eyed, present
participle jock·ey·ing, 3rd person present singular jock·eys)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ride
racehorse:
to ride a racehorse, especially as a professional jockey

2.  intransitive
verb
try
to gain advantage: to maneuver in order to gain
an advantage • Watch
them all jockeying for promotion.

3.  transitive
verb
manipulate:
to trick somebody, usually for personal gain • felt
she has been jockeyed into doing work for which he gets credit

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
positions skillfully: to change position using
skillful maneuvers • jockey a motorcycle
through traffic
[Late 16th century.
Originally a familiar form of the Scottish personal name Jock, indicating “boy,
underling,” later “horse dealer” and hence “horseback rider.”][1]



Jockey

Jockey
Jock·ey 
Trademark

a trademark for men’s or
boy’s underpants[1]



jockeybox

jockeybox
jock·ey
box
(plural jock·ey box·es) noun

glove
compartment: the glove compartment in an automobile’s
dashboard (regional)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  This
  is a Western usage, especially of the Upper Rocky Mountain states, but is
  recorded as far south as Texas.

[1]



jockitch

jockitch
jock
itch
noun

groin infection:
a fungal infection of the skin in the groin area, especially in men and boys.
U.K. term
dhobi itch[1]



jockstrap

jockstrap
jock·strap 
[jók stràp] (plural jock·straps)
noun

support
for men’s genitals: an elasticated belt with a
pouch at the front, worn by sportsmen to support their genitals or to keep a
protective cup in place.
Also
called
athletic supporter
[Late 19th century. Jock
from slang jock “genitals,” of unknown origin.][1]



jocose

jocose
jo·cose 
[jō kṓss] adjective (literary)

1.  fond
of joking:
with a playful joking disposition

2.  humorous:
playfully humorous in style
[Late
17th century. From Latin jocosus “full of joking,” from jocus
“joke” (source of English joke ).]
—jo·cose·ly,
adverb

—jo·cose·ness,
noun

—jo·cos·i·ty [jō kóssətee], noun[1]



jocular

jocular
joc·u·lar 
[jókyələr] adjective

1.  fond
of joking:
with a playful joking disposition

2.  humorous:
intended to be funny
[Early
17th century. From Latin jocularis, literally “of a little joke,” from,
ultimately, jocus “joke” (source of English joke
).]
—joc·u·lar·i·ty
[jòkyə lérrətee], noun

—joc·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



jocund

jocund
joc·und 
[jókənd] adjective

jolly:
cheerful and full of good humor (literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French jocond (influenced by Latin jocus “joke”)
from Latin jucundus, from juvare “to please, help.”]
—jo·cun·di·ty
[jə kúndətee], noun

—joc·und·ly, adverb[1]



Jodhpur

Jodhpur
Jodh·pur 
[jod pr]

city in northwestern India,
in the state of Rajasthan. Population: 648,621 (1991)[1]



jodhpurs

jodhpurs
jodh·purs 
[jódpərz] plural noun

riding
breeches:
riding breeches that are wide at the hip and narrow around the calves, often
with reinforced patches at the knee and thigh where the rider’s legs grip the
horse
[Late 19th century. Named for
Jodhpur .][1]



Jodoin,Claude

Jodoin,Claude
Jo·do·in
[ō dwán], Claude (1913–1975)

Canadian labor leader. He was
the first president of the Canadian Labor Congress (1956–1966).[1]



Joe

Joe
Joe
[jō] (plural Joes) or joe
[jō] (plural joes) noun

man:
an ordinary man (informal)
[Late 18th century. Familiar
shortening of forename Joseph .][1]



JoeBloggs

JoeBloggs
Joe
Bloggs
[jō blógz] noun

U.K.
(informal) See Joe Blow[1]



JoeBlow

JoeBlow
Joe
Blow
noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia ordinary
man: the average man in the
street.
U.K. term
Joe Bloggs[1]



joeboat

joeboat
joe·boat
[jṓ bōt] (plural joe·boats) noun

rowboat:
a small rowboat (regional)
[Of
uncertain origin; perhaps after johnboat]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  This
  is a Lower Ohio valley term, used especially in Kentucky.

[1]



Joel

Joel
Jo·el 
[jṓ əl, jōl]
noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
a Hebrew prophet who lived in the 6th century B.C.

2.  book
of the Bible: the book of the Bible that contains the
prophecies of Joel, dating from the years following the Israelites’ Babylonian
exile

[1]



joe-pyeweed

joe-pyeweed
joe-pye
weed 
[jṓ p weed] (plural joe-pye weeds)
noun

tall
N American plant: a tall North American perennial plant
with whorled leaves and clusters of small pink or purple flower heads. Latin
name: Eupatorium maculatum Eupatorium purpureum
[Early 19th century.
According to tradition, named for Joe Pye, a Native American who
mistakenly gathered it in place of the healing herb boneset; the gods turned
him into this plant.][1]



JoeSix-Pack

JoeSix-Pack
Joe
Six-Pack
noun

ordinary
working man: the ordinary working man (slang)
[Six-Pack because such a man
supposedly buys six-packs of beer][1]



joey

joey
jo·ey 
[jṓ ee] (plural jo·eys) noun

Australia
young
animal:
a young animal, especially a kangaroo still young enough to be carried in its
mother’s pouch
[Mid-19th century. From
Aboriginal joè .][1]



Joffrey,Robert

Joffrey,Robert
Jof·frey
[jóffree], Robert (1930–1988)

U.S.
choreographer and ballet dancer. He founded the Joffrey Ballet (1954), and is
known for his imaginative experimental works.
Born
Khan, Abdulla Jaffa Anver Bey[1]



jog

jog1
jog1 [jog]
verb (past jogged, past participle jogged, present
participle jog·ging, 3rd person present singular jogs)

1.  intransitive
verb
trot:
to run at a slow steady pace • He
jogged across the road to the shop.

2.  intransitive
verb
FITNESS run
for exercise: to run at a slow steady pace as a
fitness exercise • She jogs around the
park every morning.

3.  transitive
verb
nudge
something:
to give a light push or shake to something • thought
the photo might have jogged your memory

4.  intransitive
verb
go
slowly but steadily: to move along at a slow
steady pace • The
little steam train jogged along the track.

5.  intransitive
verb
plod:
to progress at a slow dull pace • How
are things? –Oh, you know: jogging along.
noun
(plural jogs)

1.  FITNESS spell
of running:
a spell of slow steady running for exercise • I’m
going for a quick jog.

2.  nudge:
a light push or shake

3.  slow
speed:
a slow steady pace or motion • moving
along at a jog
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of shaggen “to jolt.” Originally “shake
up” or “throw up with a push or jerk.”][1]



jog

jog2
jog2 [jog]
noun (plural jogs)

sharp
turn:
a sharp turn or angle • We
took a jog to the left.
intransitive
verb
(past jogged, past participle jogged, present
participle jog·ging, 3rd person present singular jogs)

make
sharp turn:
to make a sharp turn or angle • The
path jogs toward the south.
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jogging

jogging
jog·ging
[jógging] noun

running as exercise:
a fitness or recreational activity that involves running at a moderate pace,
often over long distances[1]



joggle

joggle
jog·gle 
[jógg’l] noun (plural jog·gles)

1.  shaking
action:
a gentle shaking motion or action

2.  BUILDING masonry
joint:
a joint between two pieces of masonry or concrete, in which a projection on one
fits into a recess of the other
verb
(past jog·gled, past participle jog·gled, present
participle jog·gling, 3rd person present singular jog·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shake:
to shake something gently • The
table joggled and my soda spilled all over.

2.  transitive
verb
BUILDING join
with joggle: to join pieces of masonry or concrete
with a joggle
[Early 18th century. Of
uncertain origin: perhaps, in building senses, literally “little jog,”
ultimately from jag “projecting point”; in
shaking senses, perhaps literally “to jog repeatedly,” from jog 1 .][1]



Jogjakarta

Jogjakarta
Jog·ja·kar·ta 
[jòg jə krtə]

city in southwestern
Indonesia, on the island of Java. Population: 412,400 (1990)[1]



jogtrot

jogtrot
jog
trot
(plural jog trots) noun

1.  slow
running pace: a slow steady running pace

2.  boring
pace:
a dull steady pace of life • things
going on at a jog trot

[1]



Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Jo·han·nes·burg 
[jō hnnəss bùrg]
city in northeastern South Africa,
capital of Gauteng Province. It grew up as the center of a gold mining region.
Population: city 712,507 (1991)[1]



Johannesburg




Back to definition

Johannesburg

[1]



Johannine

Johannine
Jo·han·nine
[jō hánnīn] adjective

relating
to apostle John: relating to the apostle John or to the
books of the Bible attributed to him
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from late Latin Joannes “John.”][1]



John

John
John 
[jon], King of England (1167–1216)

The
youngest son of Henry II, he succeeded his brother Richard I as king
(1199–1216). He was forced to issue the Magna Carta in 1215 after demands by
the barons of England for constitutional reform.
Known as
John Lackland[1]



John

John
John 
[jaan] noun

1.  gospel
in the Bible: the fourth of the gospels of the Bible
in which the life and teachings of Jesus Christ are described. It is thought to
have been written by St. John.

2.  epistle
of Bible:
any of the three books of the Bible written in epistle form and traditionally
attributed to St. John.

[1]



john

john
john 
[jaan] (plural johns) noun

1.  toilet:
a toilet (informal) • Where’s
the john?

2.  prostitute’s
customer:
a man who is a prostitute’s customer (slang)
[Early 20th century. From John,
forename.][1]



JohnBarleycorn

JohnBarleycorn
John
Bar·ley·corn  noun

alcohol personified:
the personification of alcoholic drink (literary or humorous)[1]



JohnBirch Society

JohnBirch Society
John
Birch So·ci·e·ty [jòn búrch səsī
ətee] noun

political organization:
a right-wing political organization formed in the United States to combat
communism[1]



johnboat

johnboat
john·boat 
[jón bt] (plural john·boats) noun

small
boat for shallow water: a narrow boat with a flat
bottom and squared-off ends that is paddled or poled in shallow waterways
[Early 20th century. John,
forename.][1]



JohnBull

JohnBull
John
Bull
(plural John Bulls) noun

1.  England
personified: the personification of England and the
English people

2.  Englishman:
an individual Englishman, especially one regarded as embodying Englishness
[Late
18th century. Named for a character representing the English nation in Law
is a Bottomless Pit ( 1712 ), by J. Arbuthnot .]
—John
Bul·lish, adjective

—John
Bul·lish·ness, noun

—John Bul·lism, noun[1]



JohnDoe

JohnDoe
John
Doe 
noun

1.  ordinary
man:
an average man affected by everyday events (informal)

2.  LAW unnamed
man:
a man or boy in a legal proceeding whose identity is either not known or not
revealed

[1]



JohnDory

JohnDory

John Do·ry
noun
edible fish:
an edible deep-sea fish with a large flat olive-yellow body, long dorsal
spines, and large jaws, found in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Latin name: Zeus faber[1]



John,Elton

John,Elton
John 
[jaan], Sir Elton (1947– )

British
rock singer and pianist. His partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin produced a
string of international hit songs.
Real name
Dwight, Reginald[1]



Johne’sdisease

Johne’sdisease
Johne’s
dis·ease 
[jṓnəz di zz] noun

disease
of farm animals: a chronic disease of sheep, cattle, and
other domestic animals, with symptoms of diarrhea and loss of weight, caused by
a bacterium that is related to the tuberculosis bacterium
[Early 20th century. Named
for H. A. Johne (1839–1910), German veterinary surgeon, who first
described it.][1]



JohnHancock

JohnHancock
John
Han·cock 
(plural John Han·cocks) noun

signature:
somebody’s signature (informal)
[Name of the U.S. statesman
who was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence; he signed it in
large bold writing][1]



JohnHenry

JohnHenry
John
Hen·ry
noun

1.  black
folklore hero: an African American hero in U.S.
folklore, renowned for his great strength. He died after beating a steam drill
in a contest of endurance.

2.  signature:
somebody’s signature (informal)
[In the sense “signature”
modeled on John Hancock][1]



JohnII

JohnII
John
II
[jaan], King of France (1319–1364)

He
came to the throne in 1350. He was captured by the English (1356) but allowed
to return to France to raise a ransom. Failing to do so, he returned to
captivity.
Known as
John the Good[1]



johnny

johnny
john·ny 
[jónnee] (plural john·nies) noun

hospital
gown:
a short gown that ties at the back, worn in hospitals by patients
[Late 17th century.
Diminutive of John, first name, originally in the sense “man, boy.”][1]



johnnycake

johnnycake
john·ny·cake
[jónni kàyk] (plural john·ny·cakes)
noun

Northeastern U.S.
bread made with cornmeal:
a flat cornbread either baked or fried on a griddle.
Also called
journeycake[1]



JohnnyCanuck

JohnnyCanuck
John·ny
Ca·nuck
noun

Canada
Canada personified:
a personification of Canada, in the form of a strong clean-cut young man, often
a lumberjack[1]



Johnny-come-lately

Johnny-come-lately
John·ny-come-late·ly 
(plural John·ny-come-late·lies or John·nies-come-late·ly)
noun

newcomer:
a recent arrival at a place, group, position, or point of view (informal)
• these
Johnny-come-latelies and their “new” ideas[1]



Johnny-jump-up

Johnny-jump-up
John·ny-jump-up 
(plural John·ny-jump-ups) noun

small-flowered pansy:
a common pansy grown for its small multicolored flowers. Latin name: Viola
tricolor[1]



Johnny-on-the-spot

Johnny-on-the-spot
John·ny-on-the-spot 
noun

somebody eager to help:
somebody who is always ready to be of assistance[1]



JohnnyReb

JohnnyReb
John·ny
Reb
noun

Southern
Civil War soldier: a Confederate soldier in the
Civil War (archaic informal)
Also
called
Reb
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Johnny Rebel, the name for a Confederate supporter.][1]



JohnPaul I

JohnPaul I
John
Paul I 
[jòn páwl], Pope (1912–1978)

He
died 34 days after becoming pope in 1978.
Born
Luciani, Albino[1]



JohnPaul II

JohnPaul II

John
Paul II
[jòn páwl], Pope (1920– )
In
1978 he became both the first-ever Polish-born pope and the first non-Italian
pope since 1522 and is regarded as a traditionalist within the Roman Catholic
Church.
Born
Wojtyla, Karol[1]



John,Saint

John,Saint
John 
[jaan], Saint

Judean
apostle. He was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, and helped organize
the early church throughout Palestine and Asia Minor. By tradition he is the
author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and Revelations in the Bible.
Known as
St. John the Evangelist Known as St. John the Divine[1]



Johns,Jasper

Johns,Jasper

Johns
[jonz], Jasper (1930– )
U.S. artist. His work was an important
influence on pop art, and features such imagery as the U.S. flag.[1]



Johnson,Amy

Johnson,Amy
John·son
[jónss’n], Amy (1903–1941)

British flyer. She made
record solo flights to Australia (1930), Tokyo (1932), and the Cape of Good
Hope and back (1936). She flew the Atlantic in 1936 with her husband and was
killed in an air crash.[1]



Johnson,Andrew

Johnson,Andrew

John·son
[jnss’n], Andrew (1808–1875)
U.S. statesman and 17th President of the
United States. A Democrat, he was Lincoln’s vice president (1865), and
succeeded to the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865. As president
(1865–1869), he survived an impeachment by Republicans opposed to his
conciliatory Reconstruction policies.[1]



Johnsongrass

Johnsongrass
John·son
grass
noun

fodder
grass:
a coarse perennial variety of sorghum grass, native to Mediterranean regions
and often grown as forage. Latin name: Sorghum halepense
[Named for William Johnson,
an Alabama planter][1]



Johnsonian

Johnsonian
John·so·ni·an 
[jon sṓnee ən] adjective

relating to Samuel Johnson:
relating to Samuel Johnson or his works, or written in his style.[1]



Johnson,Jack

Johnson,Jack
John·son
[jnss’n], Jack (1878–1946)

U.S.
boxer. He became the first African American to win the world heavyweight boxing
championship (1908).
Full name
Johnson, Arthur John[1]



Johnson,James Weldon

Johnson,James Weldon
John·son
[jnss’n], James Weldon (1871–1938)

U.S. poet and writer. He is
best known for his novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man ( 1912
).[1]



Johnson,Lyndon Baines

Johnson,Lyndon Baines

John·son
[jnss’n], Lyndon Baines (1908–1973)
U.S. statesman and 36th President of the
United States. A Democrat, he was John F. Kennedy’s vice president and became
president when Kennedy was assassinated, winning a full term the following
year. During his presidency (1963–1969), increased U.S. involvement in the
Vietnam War made him unpopular, and diverted attention from his program of
social reform.[1]



Johnson,Magic

Johnson,Magic
John·son
[jnss’n], Magic (1959– )

U.S.
basketball player. He played guard for the Los Angeles Lakers (1979–1991), and
is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game.
Real name
Johnson, Earvin, Jr.[1]



Johnson,Philip

Johnson,Philip

John·son
[jnss’n], Philip (1906– )
U.S.
architect. His eclectic designs include the AT&T headquarters ( 1984 ) in
New York City.
Full name
Johnson, Philip Cortelyou[1]



Johnson,Richard Mentor

Johnson,Richard Mentor
John·son
[jnss’n], Richard Mentor (1780–1850)

U.S. statesman and vice
president of the United States (1837–1841). He was a vice president in Martin
van Buren’s democratic administration.[1]



Johnson,Samuel

Johnson,Samuel
John·son
[jnss’n], Samuel (1709–1784)

English critic, poet, and
lexicographer. His works include his Dictionary of the English Language
( 1755 ), an edition of Shakespeare ( 1765 ), and Lives of the Poets (
1779–1781 ). He founded two periodicals, The Rambler ( 1750–1752 ) and The
Idler ( 1758–1760 ), and his witty conversation is recorded in Boswell’s
biography of him.[1]



Johnson,Thomas

Johnson,Thomas
John·son
[jnss’n], Thomas (1732–1819)

U.S. jurist. He served as an
associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court (1791–1793).[1]



Johnson,Walter

Johnson,Walter
John·son
[jnss’n], Walter (1887–1946)

U.S.
baseball player. One of the greatest major league pitchers, he was elected to
the Baseball Hall of Fame (1936).
Known as
The Big Train Full name Johnson, Walter Perry[1]



Johnston

Johnston
John·ston 
[jónstən]

town in northeastern Rhode
Island, west of Providence. Population: 26,551 (1996)[1]



Johnston,Albert Sidney

Johnston,Albert Sidney
John·ston 
[jnstən], Albert Sidney (1803–1862)

U.S. Confederate general. He
led the Confederate army at the battle of Shiloh, in which he was killed.[1]



Johnston,Joseph Eggleston

Johnston,Joseph Eggleston
John·ston 
[jnstən], Joseph Eggleston (1807–1891)

U.S. Confederate general. He
helped to win the First Battle of Bull Run (1861), but was unsuccessful in
defending Vicksburg (1862) and Atlanta (1864).[1]



Johnstown

Johnstown
Johns·town 
[jónz town]

city in south central
Pennsylvania, in Cambria County. It is a manufacturing center. Population:
28,134 (1990)[1]



John(the Baptist), Saint

John(the Baptist), Saint
John
(the Bap·tist) [jaan],
Saint (8? BC–AD 27?)

Judean prophet. He is
described in the gospels as the cousin and precursor of Jesus Christ. He was
beheaded at the behest of Salome.[1]



JohnVI

JohnVI
John
VI
[jaan], King of Portugal (1769–1826)

He fled to Brazil following
Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal (1807), became King in 1816, and returned to
Portugal in 1821. He granted Brazil independence (1822).[1]



JohorStrait

JohorStrait
Jo·hor
Strait
[jə hàwr stráyt]

narrow strait running between
Singapore and Malaysia. Previously known as Johore Strait[1]



joiede vivre

joiede vivre
joie
de vi·vre 
[w də vvrə] noun

exuberance:
energy and love of life
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “joy of living.”][1]



join

join
join 
[joyn] verb (past joined,
past participle joined, present participle join·ing,
3rd person present singular joins)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
or come together: to meet, or make two or more things
meet, and become linked or united

2.  transitive
verb
fix
together:
to put or fix two or more things together • Join
the wing to the body with glue.

3.  transitive
verb
make
connection between things: to establish a connection
between two or more things, for example, by drawing a line between them • Join
the dots.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
part of group: to become a member of something such as
a club, social group, company, team, or other organization • I’ve
joined the Mountaineering Club.

5.  transitive
verb
do
the same as somebody: to agree to do the same as
somebody • I’m
sure my colleagues will want to join me in thanking you for your visit today.

6.  transitive
verb
unite
people in partnership: to bring two or more people
into a partnership, for example, a marriage

7.  transitive
verb
meet
somebody:
to go to meet somebody • I’ll
join you later.

8.  transitive
verb
share
somebody’s company: to enter into the company of
another person • Do you mind if I join
you?

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
adjacent:
to be next to something or to each other • This
room joins the bathroom.
noun
(plural joins)

joint: a
place where two or more things have been joined • You
can hardly see the join.
[13th
century. Via Old French joign-, present stem of joindre, from
Latin jungere “to join” (source of English juncture
and junta ).]
—join·a·ble,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of join is also the
  ultimate source of English adjust, conjugal, jostle,
  joust, jugular,
  juxtapose, subjugate, yoga,
  and yoke.

[1]



joinder

joinder
join·der 
[jóyndər] (plural join·ders) noun

1.  act
of joining:
a joining or bringing together of two things (formal)

2.  LAW joining
of legal parties: a joining of two parties in a single
lawsuit

3.  LAW combining
of legal proceedings: a joining of two causes of
action or two defenses in a lawsuit

4.  LAW acceptance
of issue:
a formal acceptance of an issue offered in a lawsuit
[Early 17th century. Via
Anglo Norman from Old French joindre “to join.”][1]



joiner

joiner
join·er 
[jóynər] (plural join·ers) noun

1.  woodworker
in construction industry: somebody who is trained or
skilled in making the wooden components of buildings, especially the finished
woodwork, for example, door frames and window frames

2.  enthusiastic
participant: somebody who readily joins clubs,
societies, and organizations (informal)

[1]



joinery

joinery
join·er·y 
[jóynəree] noun

1.  finished
woodwork in buildings: the visible finished
woodwork in a building, for example, door frames and window frames

2.  joiner’s
work:
the work of a joiner, or the techniques that a joiner uses

[1]



joint

joint
joint 
[joynt] noun

1.  ANATOMY junction
between bones: any of the parts of the body, for
example, the knee, elbow, or skull, where bones are connected. Many joints have
supporting ligaments, protective cartilage, and a particular range of movement,
while others, for example, those between the bones of the vault of the skull,
are immobile.

2.  ZOOLOGY junction
between segments of invertebrate body: any
of the points of connection between movable segments of the body in an insect,
spider, crab, or other invertebrate

3.  BOTANY dividing
point on plant stem: the place on a plant stem
from which a leaf or branch grows

4.  GEOLOGY crack
in rock:
a crack or fissure in rock, without any looseness or displacement of the
surrounding mass

5.  PUBLISHING hinge
of book cover: either of the creases between the spine
and the front and back covers of a book, especially a hardback

6.  place
where parts are joined: the place where parts or
pieces of something are joined together

7.  COOKING piece
of meat:
a large piece of meat prepared and cooked for several people, especially one
that is roasted

8.  bar
or nightclub: a place of entertainment, for example, a
nightclub, especially one considered cheap or disreputable (slang)

9.  prison:
prison or similar penal institution (slang)

10. a
place:
a building or dwelling (slang)

11. DRUGS marijuana
cigarette:
a cigarette containing marijuana (slang)
adjective

1.  done
together:
done or produced together with others • A
joint statement was issued by the three party leaders.

2.  sharing
same role:
sharing the same role or position with another person or body • My
brother and I were appointed joint executors of her will.

3.  owned
in common:
owned in common by two or more people or concerns • joint
assets

4.  combined:
existing and operating in combination • the
joint ravages of the weather and the pollution
verb
(past joint·ed, past participle joint·ed, present
participle joint·ing, 3rd person present singular joints)

1.  transitive
verb
fit
together:
to fit or put parts together by means of a joint

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING divide
into pieces: to cut a carcass into pieces of meat for
cooking

3.  transitive
verb
WOODWORK plane
edge of board: to plane and shape the edge of a board
so that it fits with another edge to form a joint

4.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY form
joints during growth: to form joints in the stem
during the growth process (refers to cereal plants)
[13th
century. From French, past participle of joindre “to join .”]
—joint·ed,
adjective

—joint·ing,
noun
out
of joint

1.  dislocated
or painfully displaced

2.  in
a bad mood

3.  disturbed
or disrupted, usually as a result of some major change or upheaval

[1]



jointaccount

jointaccount
joint
ac·count
noun

bank account for two or more:
a bank account held in the names of more than one person, typically spouses or
partners[1]



JointChiefs of Staff

JointChiefs of Staff
Joint
Chiefs of Staff  plural noun

highest U.S. military
advisory group: the most important
military advisory group to the President of the United States consisting of the
Chiefs of Staff of the Army and Air Force, the commandant of the Marine Corps,
and the Chief of Naval Operations[1]



jointdefense

jointdefense
joint
de·fense 
noun

defense strategy among
defendants: a defense strategy in which
two or more defendants join and cooperate with one another, their attorneys
working together and sharing information. Such defendants can assert
attorney-client privilege not only with respect to statements made in
confidence to their own attorneys, but also to attorneys to codefendants.[1]



jointer

jointer
joint·er 
[jóyntər] noun

1.  BUILDING tool
for shaping mortar: a tool for pointing the
mortar in brickwork or stonework after it has been laid

2.  WOODWORK plane
for shaping joints: a long plane used to shape
the edges of planks into joints

[1]



jointgrass

jointgrass
joint
grass
noun

grass that roots at nodes:
a creeping grass that roots at the nodes, or joints, in the stem. Latin name: Paspalum
distichum[1]



jointly

jointly
joint·ly 
[jóyntlee] adverb

together with others:
in conjunction with, or in cooperation with, a person or organization • The
copyright is jointly owned by the composer and the publisher.[1]



jointress

jointress
join·tress
[jóyntrəss] noun

LAW
woman given property on marrying:
a woman on whom property has been settled by her husband at the time of their
marriage[1]



jointstock

jointstock
joint
stock
noun

FINANCE
stock held jointly:
stock held jointly, especially in a joint-stock company, a commercial
enterprise whose capital is in shares that individual holders may transfer
without the consent of the whole body[1]



jointure

jointure
join·ture 
[jóynchər] noun

LAW
property settled on wife:
an estate or property settled by a husband on his wife at the time of their
marriage, to take effect in the event of his death[1]



jointventure

jointventure
joint
ven·ture
noun

1.  jointly
undertaken business enterprise: a business enterprise
jointly undertaken by two or more companies, who share the initial investment,
risks, and profits

2.  CRIMINOLOGY LAW illegal
action by two parties: an illegal or criminal
action that is undertaken by two or more parties

[1]



jointworm

jointworm
joint·worm 
[jóyntwurm] noun

larva that attacks grain
crops: the larva of some wasps that
forms a weakening swelling at the stem joint of a cereal plant. Family:
Eurytomidae[1]



joinup

joinup
join
up
intransitive verb

enlist in armed forces:
to enlist as a member of one of the armed forces, especially at the outbreak of
hostilities[1]



joist

joist
joist 
[joyst] noun

supporting
beam:
any of the parallel beams of wood, metal, or concrete that support a floor,
roof, or ceiling
[14th century. Via Old French
giste “beam supporting a bridge” from, ultimately, Latin jacere
“to lie down” (source of English adjacent
).][1]



jojoba

jojoba
jo·jo·ba 
[hōh’bə] (plural jo·jo·bas) noun

1.  PLANTS desert
shrub yielding cosmetic oil: a desert shrub or small tree
native to Mexico, Arizona, and California, with edible seeds that yield a waxy
oil used in shampoos and other cosmetics. Latin name: Simmondsia chinensis

2.  COSMETICS cosmetic
oil:
the oil derived from the jojoba tree, used in shampoos and other cosmetics (often
used before a noun)
[Early 20th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from a Native American word.][1]



joke

joke
joke 
[jōk] noun

1.  funny
story:
a funny story, anecdote, or piece of wordplay that gets passed round and
repeated

2.  something
funny said or done: anything said or done to
make people laugh • dressed up the dog in a
hat and sunglasses as a joke

3.  funny
event:
a funny event or circumstance, or something to laugh at

4.  something
inadequate:
somebody or something that is laughably inadequate or absurd (slang) • The
surroundings were pleasant enough but the food was a joke.
verb
(past joked, past participle joked, present
participle jok·ing, 3rd person present singular jokes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
jokes:
to tell funny stories, or say or do things to make somebody laugh

2.  intransitive
verb
not
to be serious: to be trying to be amusing, rather than
serious or in earnest • We
knew he was only joking.
[Late 17th century. From
Latin jocus “jest, wordplay” (source of English jocular, juggle,
and jeopardy ). Originally slang.][1]



joker

joker
jok·er 
[jōkər] noun

1.  teller
or player of jokes: somebody who frequently
makes jokes or plays jokes on other people

2.  CARD GAMES card
bearing picture of jester: an extra playing card in a
deck, bearing a picture of a jester, that in some games can be substituted for
other cards

3.  amusing
eccentric person: an amusing, entertaining, or
entertainingly eccentric person (slang)

4.  thoughtless
or inconsiderate person: somebody whose thoughtless
or inconsiderate action is highly annoying (slang) • I’m
looking for the joker who double-parked outside my front door.

5.  LAW POLITICS disabling clause:
a clause or phrase surreptitiously slipped into a legislative bill or legal
contract with the purpose of compromising its effect or making it unworkable
the
joker in the deck

an unpredictable element that
makes planning or projections difficult (slang)[1]



jokey

jokey
jok·ey
[j’kee] (comparative jok·i·er,
superlative jok·i·est) or jok·y [j’kee] adjective

amusing
or full of jokes: good-humored and amusing, or full of
jokes
—jok·ily,
adverb

—jok·i·ness, noun[1]



jokingly

jokingly
jok·ing·ly
[j’kinglee] adverb

as a joke:
with the intention of making a joke rather than a serious comment or suggestion[1]



joky

joky
jok·y
adjective

See
jokey[1]



jolielaide

jolielaide
jol·ie
laid·e
[Zhawli léd] (plural jol·ies
laid·es) noun

unconventionally
good-looking woman: a woman whose facial
features are not pretty in conventional terms, but nevertheless have a
distinctive harmony or charm
[From French, from jolie
“pretty” + laide “ugly”][1]



Joliet

Joliet
Jo·li·et 
[jṓ lee èt]

city in northeastern
Illinois, southeast of Aurora and southwest of Chicago. Population: 86,749
(1996)[1]



Joliot-Curie,Irène

Joliot-Curie,Irène
Jo·li·ot-Cu·rie
[zhō ly kyree], Irène (1897–1956)

French
physicist. She was joint winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry (1925) with her
husband, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, for producing the first radioisotope
artificially.
Born
Curie, Irène[1]



Jolliet,Louis

Jolliet,Louis
Jol·li·et
[jlee ét] or Jo·li·et [jlee ét], Louis (1645–1700)

French-Canadian explorer.
With Father Jacques Marquette he charted the upper reaches of the Mississippi
River (1673).[1]



jollification

jollification
jol·li·fi·ca·tion 
[jòllifi káysh’n] noun

enthusiastic
celebration: the activities of people who are
enthusiastically celebrating something in a happy, friendly way
[Early 19th century. Formed
from jolly .][1]



jollify

jollify
jol·li·fy
[jólli fī] (past jol·li·fied, past
participle jol·li·fied, present participle jol·li·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular jol·li·fies) transitive verb

make
somebody or something cheerful: to make somebody
cheerful or create a festive atmosphere in something
[Early 19th century. Formed
from jolly .][1]



jollity

jollity
jol·li·ty 
[jóllətee] noun

fun:
cheerful, joking, or celebratory behavior
[13th century. From Old
French jolite, from joli (see jolly
).][1]



jolly

jolly
jol·ly 
[jóllee] adjective (comparative
jol·li·er, superlative jol·li·est)

1.  friendly
and cheerful: friendly and cheerful, especially in a
hearty or exuberant way • a
jolly pink-cheeked woman

2.  happy:
happily festive in tone or mood (dated)

3.  U.K.
enjoyable:
bringing pleasure or enjoyment (dated informal) • A
picnic would be jolly.
adverb

U.K. very:
used to emphasize the extent to which something is good or bad (dated
informal) • jolly nice of you to
come
[13th
century. From Old French joli “merry, pleasant, pretty,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Old Norse jól “yule.”]
get
your jollies

to get pleasure out of
something (slang)[1]



jollyalong

jollyalong
jolly
along
transitive verb

U.K.
keep happy:
to keep somebody happy or cooperative by using flattery or encouragement (informal)
• Try to
jolly her along a little bit longer[1]



jollyboat

jollyboat
jol·ly·boat 
[jóllibōt] noun

ship’s
boat:
a small boat carried on a larger ship, often one kept hoisted at the stern of
the ship
[Late 17th century. Origin of
“jolly” uncertain: possibly related to yawl
.][1]



JollyRoger

JollyRoger

Jol·ly
Rog·er 
noun
pirates’
flag:
the flag traditionally flown by a pirate ship, depicting a white skull and
crossbones against a black background.
Also
called
skull and crossbones
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown: Roger perhaps from slang use to denote a man or a rogue.][1]



jollyup

jollyup
jolly
up
transitive verb

U.K.
enliven:
to make a person, place, or situation more lively or cheerful (dated
informal)[1]



Jolson,Al

Jolson,Al
Jol·son
[jṓlss’n], Al (1886–1950)

Lithuanian-born
U.S. entertainer. He was known for his minstrel-style singing in blackface
makeup. He starred in the first talking movie, The Jazz Singer (1927).
Born
Yoelson, Asa[1]



jolt

jolt
jolt 
[jōlt] verb (past jolt·ed,
past participle jolt·ed, present participle jolt·ing,
3rd person present singular jolts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shake
or jerk violently: to shake or jerk suddenly
and violently, or to make somebody or something shake or jerk suddenly and
violently, especially as a result of a sudden movement

2.  transitive
verb
shake
or dislodge: to knock or shake somebody or something
violently enough to cause unsteadiness or loss of balance • A
major earthquake jolted the city.

3.  transitive
verb
startle
into reality: to startle somebody out of a daydream,
fantasy, or other state of semiawareness

4.  intransitive
verb
bump
up and down: to bump up and down or shake from side
to side while moving
noun

1.  shock
or reminder: an emotional shock or a sharp reminder

2.  violent
movement:
a sudden, violent movement or blow • The
train moved off again with a series of jolts.
[Late
16th century. Origin unknown: perhaps an alteration of Middle English jollen
“to knock” or jot “to bump.”]
—jolt·ing·ly,
adverb

—jolt·y, adjective[1]



Jon.

Jon.
Jon.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Jonah[1]



Jonah

Jonah1
Jo·nah1  [j’nə]
noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
in the Bible, a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century BC who was swallowed by a great fish and vomited out three
days later, unharmed

2.  book
in the Bible: a book in the Bible that tells the story
of Jonah, whose preaching caused the Assyrians to repent their wickedness

[1]



Jonah

Jonah2
Jo·nah2  [j’nə]
noun

supposed
bringer of bad luck: somebody who is regarded as
a bringer of bad luck
—Jo·nah·esque, adjective[1]



Jonathan

Jonathan2
Jon·a·than2  [j’nəthən]
noun

friend of David in the Bible:
in the Bible, the eldest son of King Saul and close friend of David, who was
killed in battle against the Philistines (1 Samuel 13–2 Samuel 21)[1]



Jonathan

Jonathan1
Jon·a·than1  [j’nəthən]
noun

1.  FOOD North
American apple: a North American variety of red-skinned
dessert apple

2.  New
Englander:
a citizen or resident of New England, especially in the early to mid-19th
century (archaic humorous)

3.  HISTORY NAUTICAL Yankee ship:
a New England-registered naval vessel (archaic slang)
[Late 18th century. From
“Brother Jonathan,” the name George Washington
used to address Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull.][1]



jones

jones
jones 
[jōnz] noun

1.  drug
addiction:
an addiction, especially a heroin addiction (slang)

2.  withdrawal:
drug withdrawal symptoms, especially from heroin (slang)

3.  habitual
craving:
an all-consuming craving or desire for something (slang)

4.  jones
or Jones penis:
a penis (taboo)
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Jones,Bobby

Jones,Bobby
Jones 
[jōnz], Bobby (1902–1971)

U.S.
amateur golfer. He won several major tournaments (1923–1929) and the Grand Slam
(1930).
Full name
Jones, Robert Tyre, Jr.[1]



Jonesboro

Jonesboro
Jones·bor·o 
[jṓnzbərə]

city in northeastern
Arkansas, northwest of West Memphis. Population: 52,656 (1996)[1]



Jones,James

Jones,James
Jones 
[jōnz], James (1921–1977)

U.S. writer. He is known for
his war novel From Here to Eternity (1951).[1]



jongleur

jongleur
jon·gleur 
[ZhōN glúr] noun

medieval
minstrel:
a wandering minstrel of medieval times who traveled around singing the
compositions of troubadours or reciting epic poems in noble households or royal
courts
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin joculator “jester,” from joculari
(see juggle ).][1]



jonquil

jonquil

jon·quil 
[j’ngkwəl] noun
variety
of narcissus: a flowering plant native to southern
Europe that is a variety of narcissus. It has intensely fragrant,
golden-yellow, short-tubed flowers, is widely cultivated as an ornamental, and
is also used in perfumery. Latin name: Narcissus jonquilla
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin jonquilla or French jonquille from Spanish junquillo
“little rush,” from junco (see junco
). So called because of its resemblance to a rush.][1]



Jonquière

Jonquière
Jon·quière
[ōn kyáee]

city in eastern Canada, in
Chicoutimi County, southern Quebec Province. Population: 56,603 (1996)[1]



Jonson,Ben

Jonson,Ben
Jon·son
[jónssən], Ben (1573–1637)

English
playwright and poet. His plays include brilliant comedies such as Volpone
(1606) as well as classical tragedies. He was poet laureate (1616–1625).
Full name
Jonson, Benjamin[1]



Joplin,Scott

Joplin,Scott
Jop·lin 
[jóplin], Scott (1868–1917)

U.S. composer. He is best
known for his ragtime piano music.[1]



Jordan

Jordan



Jor·dan 
[jáwrd’n]

1.  kingdom
in the Middle East, bordered by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf of Aqaba,
Israel, and the West Bank. Language: Arabic. Currency: Jordanian dinar.
Capital: Amman. Population: 4,322,255 (1997) Area: 89,556 sq km/34,578 sq mi. Official
name Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

2.        river
in southwestern Asia that rises in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains of Lebanon and
flows south through the Sea of Galilee before emptying into the Dead Sea.
Length: 320 km/200 mi.[1]



Jordan




Back to definition

Jordan

[1]



Jordanalmond

Jordanalmond
Jor·dan
al·mond
noun

1.  Spanish
almond:
a large Spanish variety of almond chiefly cultivated around and exported from
Málaga

2.  candy
almond:
a Jordan almond or other almond with a hard sugar coating
[15th century. Jordan is an
alteration of French or Spanish jardin “garden” (see garden ).][1]



Jordancurve

Jordancurve
Jor·dan
curve
noun

closed
curve:
in mathematics, any simple closed curve, for example, a circle or an ellipse
[Early 20th century. Named
for the French mathematician M. E. C. Jordan 1838–1922 .][1]



Jordancurve theorem

Jordancurve theorem
Jor·dan
curve the·o·rem noun

geometric theorem:
in geometry, a theorem holding that every simple closed curve divides a plane
into two regions and serves as their boundary[1]



Jordanian

Jordanian
Jor·da·nian
noun (plural Jor·da·ni·ans)

somebody
from Jordan: somebody who was born or raised in
Jordan, or who is a citizen of Jordan
adjective

of Jordan:
relating to Jordan, or its people or culture[1]



Jordan,Michael

Jordan,Michael

Jor·dan 
[jáwrd’n], Michael (1963– )
U.S.
basketball player. He played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 through 1993, and
again from 1995 through 1998. He is considered by many to be the greatest
player in basketball history.
Known as
Air Jordan[1]



jorum

jorum
jo·rum 
[jáwrəm] or jo·ram [jáwrəm] noun

drinking
bowl:
a large drinking bowl or its contents (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for Joram, who took silver, gold, and brass
vessels to King David (II Samuel 8:10) .][1]



Joseph

Joseph
Jo·seph 
[jṓzəf] noun

Hebrew patriarch:
in the Bible, the son of Jacob and Rachel. He was given a coat of many colors
and sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers (Genesis 30–50) .[1]



Joseph

Joseph

Jo·seph 
[jṓzəf] (1840?–1904)
U.S.
Native American leader. As chief of the Nez Percé he resisted white
encroachment in the western United States.
Born
In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat (“thunder coming up from the water over the land”) Known
as Chief Joseph[1]



JosephBonaparte Gulf

JosephBonaparte Gulf
Jo·seph
Bo·na·parte Gulf [jsəf bṓnə
paart gulf]

inlet of the Timor Sea on the
north coast of Australia, extending from Western Australia into the Northern
Territory. It is 320 km/200 mi wide.[1]



JosephII

JosephII
Jo·seph
II
[jṓzəf], Holy Roman Emperor (1741–1790)

He was the son of Francis I
and Maria Theresa. As emperor (1765–1790), he saw his reforms frustrated by
insurrection and the distractions of war.[1]



Josephof Arimathea, Saint

Josephof Arimathea, Saint
Jo·seph
of Ar·i·math·e·a [jzəf əv
árrə mə th ə], Saint (lived 1st century AD)

According to the Bible, he
asked Pontius Pilate for the body of Jesus Christ, and buried it in his own
tomb (Matthew 27) .[1]



Joseph,Saint

Joseph,Saint
Jo·seph 
[jṓzəf], Saint (lived 1st century BC)

Biblical figure. In the New
Testament he is described as a carpenter of Nazareth and the husband of Mary,
the mother of Jesus Christ.[1]



Josephsoneffect

Josephsoneffect
Jo·seph·son
ef·fect
[jṓzəfs’n ìfekt] noun

passage
of electrons through insulating layer: the
passage of an electric current through a thin insulating layer between two
superconducting metals
[Late 20th century. Named for
the British physicist Brian David Josephson b.1940, who predicted it.][1]



Josephsonjunction

Josephsonjunction
Jo·seph·son
junc·tion
(plural Jo·seph·son junc·tions) noun

electrical junction utilizing
the Josephson effect: in
electrical or electronic circuits, a junction that utilizes the Josephson
effect, consisting of two superconducting materials separated by a thin
insulating layer. In a computer memory, a Josephson junction acts as a
high-speed switch.[1]



josh

josh
josh 
[josh] (past joshed, past
participle joshed, present participle josh·ing, 3rd
person present singular josh·es) verb (informal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tease
somebody:
to make fun of somebody in a friendly, good-humored way

2.  intransitive
verb
joke
or banter:
to joke or indulge in banter with somebody
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown: perhaps from Josh Billings, pseudonym of U.S.
humorist.]
—josh·er,
noun

—josh·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Josh.

Josh.
Josh.

Abbreviation of
Joshua[1]



Joshua

Joshua
Josh·u·a 
[jóshooə] noun

book of the Bible:
the book of the Bible that contains a narrative of the Hebrew invasion and
partition of Canaan under Joshua’s command[1]



Joshuatree

Joshuatree
Josh·u·a
tree
(plural Josh·u·a trees) noun

flowering
desert plant: a small tree-shaped yucca with
sword-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers that is native to deserts of
the southwestern United States. Latin name: Yucca brevifolia
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for Joshua,
because the tree’s branching shape resembles someone brandishing a spear
(Joshua 8:18) .][1]



Josiah

Josiah
Jo·si·ah 
[jō s ə], King of Judah (648? BC–609 BC)

He is credited in the Old
Testament with restoring the worship of Yahweh, and was killed by the Assyrians
at the Battle of Megiddo.[1]



joss

joss
joss 
[joss] noun

Chinese
idol:
an image or statue representing a Chinese deity
[Early 18th century. Via
Javanese dejos from Portuguese deus “god,” from Latin .][1]



josshouse

josshouse
joss
house
noun

Chinese temple:
a Chinese shrine or temple containing images or statues of deities[1]



jossstick

jossstick
joss
stick
noun

stick of incense:
incense in the form of a stick of dried paste[1]



jostle

jostle
jos·tle 
[jóss’l] (past jos·tled, past
participle jos·tled, present participle jos·tling, 3rd
person present singular jos·tles) intransitive and transitive
verb

knock
against others: to knock or bump against somebody, or to
push or elbow somebody deliberately, sometimes as an expression of aggression
or hostility • We
managed to jostle our way to the front.
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from joust ; the underlying
sense is of repeatedly coming together.]
—jos·tler, noun[1]



Joséphine

Joséphine
Jo·sé·phine 
[jṓzə feen], Empress of the French
(1763–1814)

She
married the future Napoleon I in 1796 and was empress from 1804 until the
childless marriage was dissolved in 1809.
Born
Pagerie, Marie Joséphine Rose Tascher de la[1]



jot

jot
jot 
[jot] transitive verb (past jot·ted,
past participle jot·ted, present participle jot·ting,
3rd person present singular jots)

write
quickly:
to write something down hastily for later reference • jotted
down the title in her notebook
noun

tiny
bit:
a very small amount
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek iōta (see iota ).][1]



jota

jota
jo·ta
[khōtə] noun

Spanish
dance:
a fast Spanish dance, performed with castanets in 3/4 time, usually to a voice
and guitar accompaniment. It is the traditional dance of Aragon.
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



jotting

jotting
jot·ting 
[jótting] noun

note:
a hastily written note, comment, or observation[1]



Jotun

Jotun
Jo·tun
[jṓ tun] or Jo·tunn [jṓ tun] noun

Norse giant:
a member of a race of giants with supernatural powers in Norse mythology[1]



Jotunheim

Jotunheim
Jo·tun·heim
[jṓtun hīm] noun

Norse
giants’ home: the home of the giants in Norse
mythology
[From Old Norse Jotunheimar][1]



joual

joual
jou·al 
[ ál,  l]
or joo·al [ ál,  l] noun

Canada
nonstandard
Canadian French: a nonstandard, mainly urban dialect of
Canadian French containing many English words. It is also spoken in parts of
Maine.
[Mid-20th century. Via
dialectal Canadian French from French cheval “horse.”][1]



joule

joule
joule 
[jool] noun

unit
of energy:
the International System unit of energy or work, equal to the work done when
the application point of a one newton force moves one meter in the direction of
application. Symbol J
[Late 19th century. Named for
the British physicist James Prescott Joule 1818–1889 .][1]



Jouleeffect

Jouleeffect
Joule
ef·fect
[jl ifèkt] noun

increase
in heat:
an increase in heat resulting from the passage of a current through a conductor
[Late 19th century (see joule )][1]



jounce

jounce
jounce 
[jownss] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jounced, past participle jounced, present
participle jounc·ing, 3rd person present singular jounc·es)

move
while bouncing: to bounce up and down and rock from side
to side while moving, or to make somebody or something move in this way
noun

bouncing
movement:
a jolting, swaying, bouncing, or rocking movement
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—jounc·y, adjective[1]



jour.

jour.
jour.

1.  Abbreviation
of
journal

2.  Abbreviation
of
journalist

3.  Abbreviation
of
journeyman

[1]



journal

journal
jour·nal 
[júrn’l] noun

1.  PUBLISHING magazine
or periodical: a magazine or periodical, especially one
published by a specialist or professional body for its members, containing
information and contributions relevant to their area of activity • a
medical journal

2.  diary:
somebody’s written daily record of personal experiences

3.  ACCOUNTING preliminary
record of financial transactions: a book for recording
daily transactions, especially in double entry bookkeeping, using a formulaic
style to ensure their correct entry in a ledger

4.  POLITICS official
record:
the official daily record of proceedings kept by an association or body,
especially a legislative body or parliament

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING section
of shaft:
a cylindrical section of a shaft designed to rotate inside a bearing
[14th century. Via French,
literally “daily,” from, ultimately, late Latin diurnalis (see diurnal ). Originally denoted a book listing the
daytime canonical hours.][1]



journalbox

journalbox
jour·nal
box
noun

MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING housing
for a journal: the metal housing of a
journal and its bearing. It often serves as a place for lubricant.[1]



journalese

journalese
jour·nal·ese 
[jùrn’lz] noun

writing style of journalists:
the style of writing supposedly associated with journalists, marked by the use
of formulaic expressions (disapproving)[1]



journalism

journalism
jour·nal·ism 
[júrnəlizəm] noun

1.  reporting
news for the media: the profession of gathering,
editing, and publishing news reports and related articles for newspapers,
magazines, television, or radio

2.  news
gathering and reporting as a genre:
writing or reporting for the media as a literary genre or style

[1]



journalist

journalist
jour·nal·ist 
[júrnəlist] noun

somebody engaged in
journalism: somebody who works as a
writer or editor for a newspaper or magazine or for television or radio[1]



journalistic

journalistic
jour·nal·is·tic 
[jùrnə lístik] adjective

of
or like journalism: relating to journalism or
similar in style to journalism
—jour·nal·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



journalize

journalize
jour·nal·ize 
[júrnə līz] (past jour·nal·ized,
past participle jour·nal·ized, present participle jour·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular jour·nal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

record
events in a journal: to keep a journal or record
something in a journal (formal)
—jour·nal·i·za·tion
[jùrnə lī záysh’n], noun

—jour·nal·iz·er [júrnə lzər], noun[1]



journey

journey
jour·ney 
[júrnee] noun (plural jour·neys)

1.  trip
somewhere:
a trip or expedition from one place to another

2.  process
of development: a gradual passing from one state to
another regarded as more advanced, for example, from innocence to mature
awareness • a
spiritual journey
intransitive
verb
(past jour·neyed, past participle jour·neyed, present
participle jour·ney·ing, 3rd person present singular jour·neys)

travel: to
travel to a place or over a particular distance • We
are journeying into the unknown.
[12th
century. Via Old French journee “day, day’s work or travel” (the
original senses in English), from, ultimately, Latin diurnus (see diurnal ).]
—jour·ney·er, noun[1]



journeycake

journeycake
jour·ney
cake
noun

New England
See johnnycake[1]



journeyman

journeyman
jour·ney·man 
[júrnimən] (plural jour·ney·men)
noun (often used before a noun)

1.  qualified
artisan:
an artisan who has completed an apprenticeship and is fully trained and
qualified but still works for an employer • a
journeyman electrician

2.  somebody
with ordinary competence: somebody who is a competent
and reliable performer or exponent, without being brilliant or outstanding • a
good journeyman violinist
[15th century. Literally,
someone qualified to work for a daily wage rather than as an apprentice.][1]



joust

joust
joust 
[jowst] noun

medieval tournament:
a form of combat in medieval times held between two mounted knights in full
armor who charged at and tried to unseat each other with a lance
intransitive
verb
(past joust·ed, past participle joust·ed, present
participle joust·ing, 3rd person present singular jousts)

1.  engage
in a joust:
to take part in a joust

2.  engage
in a contest: to take part in a contest against others
• candidates
jousting for ninety minutes in a televised debate
[13th
century. Via Old French jouster “bring together” from, ultimately, Latin
juxta “close, beside” (source of English adjust
and juxtaposition ).]
—joust·er, noun[1]



Jove

Jove
Jove 
[jōv] noun

(literary)
See Jupiter
[14th
century. Via the stem of Latin Jovem from Old Latin Jovis (source
of English Jupiter ).]
by
Jove

used to convey surprise, or
to emphasize a conviction (dated)[1]



jovial

jovial
jo·vi·al 
[jṓvee əl] adjective

cheerful:
cheerful in mood or disposition
[Late
16th century. Via French from Latin jovialis, from Jovis (see Jove ).]
—jo·vi·al·i·ty
[jòvee álitee], noun

—jo·vi·al·ly
[jṓvee ələə], adverb

—jo·vi·al·ness [jóvee əlnəss], noun[1]



Jovian

Jovian
Jo·vi·an 
[jṓvee ən] adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY relating
to god Jupiter: associated with or characteristic of the
god Jupiter

2.  ASTRONOMY relating
to the planet Jupiter: relating to the planet
Jupiter

[1]



Jovianplanet

Jovianplanet
Jo·vi·an
plan·et
noun

giant planet:
any one of the four major planets, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, or Neptune[1]



jowl

jowl1
jowl1 [jowl]
noun

1.  jaw:
the jaw, especially the lower jaw

2.  cheek:
a cheek, especially a prominent one
[Old English ceafl,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



jowl

jowl2
jowl2 [jowl]
noun

1.  hanging
part of a double chin: a flaccid, plump fold of
flesh under somebody’s chin

2.  hanging
flesh under an animal’s chin: a dewlap under the neck of
cattle or a wattle on the neck of a bird
[Old English ceole,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



jowly

jowly
jowl·y 
[jówlee] (comparative jowl·i·er,
superlative jowl·i·est) adjective

with
a double chin: with a fold of flesh hanging under the
neck
—jowl·i·ness, noun[1]



joy

joy
joy 
[joy] noun

1.  great
happiness:
feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual
kind

2.  something
that brings happiness: a pleasurable aspect of
something, or something that is seen as a source of happiness • His
little granddaughter was a great joy to him.
verb
(past joyed, past participle joyed, present
participle joy·ing, 3rd person present singular joys)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rejoice
or gladden:
to derive joy from something, or to give somebody joy (archaic or literary)

2.  transitive
verb
enjoy:
to delight in or enjoy something (archaic literary)
[12th century. Via French joie
from, ultimately, Latin gaudere “to rejoice.”][1]



joyance

joyance
joy·ance 
[jóy əns] noun

joyousness:
feelings or expressions of joy (archaic or literary)[1]



Joyce,James

Joyce,James

Joyce
[joyss], James (1882–1941)
Irish
novelist. His innovative techniques, as in Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans
Wake (1939), make him one of the most influential modern writers.
Full name
Joyce, James Augustine Aloysius[1]



joyful

joyful
joy·ful 
[jóyf’l, jóyfl]
adjective

1.  feeling
or showing joy: full of joy, or feeling, expressing, or
showing joy

2.  welcome:
bringing or causing joy
—joy·ful·ly,
adverb

—joy·ful·ness, noun[1]



joyless

joyless
joy·less 
[jóyləss] adjective

experiencing
no happiness: lacking in warmth or happiness
—joy·less·ly,
adverb

—joy·less·ness, noun[1]



Joyner-Kersee,Jackie

Joyner-Kersee,Jackie
Joy·ner-Ker·see
[jòynər kúrzee], Jackie (1962– )

U.S.
track and field champion. She won Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon (1988
and 1992).
Born
Joyner, Jacqueline[1]



joyous

joyous
joy·ous 
[jóy əss] adjective

1.  expressing
joy:
full of joy, especially of a fervent and unrestrained nature

2.  giving
joy:
making people happy or joyful
—joy·ous·ly,
adverb

—joy·ous·ness, noun[1]



joypop

joypop
joy·pop 
[jóy pōp] (past joy·popped, past
participle joy·popped, present participle joy·pop·ping,
3rd person present singular joy·pops) intransitive verb

take
drugs occasionally: to take illicit drugs
occasionally rather than habitually (slang)
[Mid-20th
century]
—joy·pop·per, noun[1]



joyriding

joyriding
joy·rid·ing
[jóy rding] noun

high-speed
driving in a stolen car: a crime involving stealing a
car and driving it dangerously at high speed
[Early
20th century]
—joy·ride,
noun, intransitive verb

—joy·rid·er, noun[1]



joystick

joystick

joy·stick 
[jóystik] noun

1.  vehicle’s
control lever: the control lever of an aircraft or of a
small motor-powered vehicle

2.        COMPUTING lever
controlling a cursor: a hand-held
control stick that allows a player to control the movements of a cursor on a
computer screen or a symbol in a video game[1]



JoãoPessoa

JoãoPessoa
João
Pes·so·a
[wng pe sṓ ə]

capital city of Paraíba
State, in northeastern Brazil. It is a leading trade center. Population:
497,214 (1991) Former name Parahyba[1]



J.P.

J.P.
J.P.
or JP

Abbreviation of
Justice of the Peace[1]



Jparticle

Jparticle
J
par·ti·cle
noun

See
J/psi particle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








JPG

JPG
JPG
noun

COMPUTING
graphic file format:
a format for encoding high-resolution graphic images as computer files for
storage and transmission. Abbreviation of Joint Photographic Group[1]



Jpn.

Jpn.
Jpn.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Japan

2.  Abbreviation
of
Japanese

[1]



J/psiparticle

J/psiparticle
J/psi
par·ti·cle
noun

subatomic
particle:
an unstable elementary particle of the meson group. It has a large mass, about
6,000 times that of an electron, and is thought to be formed from charmed
quarks.
Also
called
J particle
Also
called
psi particle
[J and psi represent the 23rd
letter of the Greek alphabet][1]



Jr.

Jr.
Jr.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Jeremiah

2.  Abbreviation
of
Junior

[1]



jr.

jr.
jr.

Abbreviation of
junior[1]



JRC

JRC
JRC

Abbreviation of
Junior Red Cross[1]



JROTC

JROTC
JROTC

Abbreviation of
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps[1]



J.S.D.

J.S.D.
J.S.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Juristic Science
[Latin, Juris Scientiae
Doctor][1]



jt.

jt.
jt.

Abbreviation of
joint[1]



JuanCarlos

JuanCarlos

Juan Car·los 
[wn krlōss, hwn
krlōss], King of Spain (1938– )
He became king following the death of
General Franco ( 1975 ), presiding over Spain’s rapid transition to democracy.[1]



Juande Fuca, Strait of

Juande Fuca, Strait of
Juan
de Fu·ca, Strait of [wn
də fkə]

body of water lying between
Washington State and Vancouver Island, Canada, connecting the Strait of Georgia
and Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. Length: 160 km/100 mi.[1]



Juba

Juba
Ju·ba 
[jbə]

city in southern Sudan on the
White Nile River[1]



juba

juba
ju·ba 
[jbə] noun

rustic
dance:
formerly in the South, a lively rustic dance with much clapping and
thigh-slapping, the word “juba” being repeated as a refrain
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jubilant

jubilant
ju·bi·lant 
[jbilənt] adjective

triumphantly
joyful:
feeling or expressing great delight over a success, achievement, or victory
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin jubilantem, present participle of jubilare
(see jubilate ).]
—ju·bi·lant·ly, adverb[1]



Jubilate

Jubilate
Ju·bi·la·te 
[jbə láytee, yoobə
láytee] noun

100th psalm:
Psalm 100, which is sung as a canticle in the Roman Catholic and Anglican
churches. In the Latin version it begins, “Jubilate Deo” (Rejoice in the Lord).[1]



jubilate

jubilate
ju·bi·late 
[jbə layt] (past ju·bi·lat·ed,
past participle ju·bi·lat·ed, present participle ju·bi·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ju·bi·lates) intransitive verb

rejoice:
to feel or express immense joy (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin jubilatus, the past participle of jubilare “to call out, to
shout for joy.”][1]



jubilation

jubilation
ju·bi·la·tion 
[jbə láysh’n] noun

rejoicing
and celebration: uninhibited rejoicing in the celebration
of a victory or success
[14th century. From the Latin
jubilationem, from jubilare (see jubilate
).][1]



jubilee

jubilee
ju·bi·lee 
[jbəl, jbəll,
jbəlee] noun

1.  special
anniversary: a significant anniversary of an
important event such as a wedding

2.  joyful
time:
a time or season of celebration

3.  CHRISTIANITY year
of indulgence set by the Pope: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a period set by the Pope, traditionally every 25 years, in which
forgiveness of sins is granted in return for acts of piety or repentance

4.  JUDAISM year
of restitution: in Jewish history, a year of restoration
or restitution that was proclaimed every fifty years by a countrywide blast of
trumpets. During the period, land was left uncultivated, enslaved people were
emancipated, and land that had been sold reverted to its former owner.

5.  jubilation:
an act or period of jubilation (archaic)
[14th century. Via French jubilé
from Latin jubilaeus (annus) “(year) of jubilee,” from, ultimately,
Hebrew yōbēl, literally “ram,” from the ram’s horn with which the year
of jubilee was proclaimed.][1]



Jud.

Jud.
Jud.
BIBLE

1.  Abbreviation
of
Judges

2.  Abbreviation
of
Judith

[1]



Judaeo-

Judaeo-
Judaeo-
prefix

See
Judeo-[1]



Judah

Judah
Ju·dah

See
Judea[1]



Judaic

Judaic
Ju·da·ic 
[joo dáy ik] or Ju·da·i·cal [joo dáy ik’l] adjective

of
Judaism or Jews: belonging to or relating to Judaism or
Jews
[15th
century. Via Latin Judaicus from Greek Iuodaikos, from Ioudaios
(see Jew ).]
—Ju·da·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Judaica

Judaica
Ju·da·i·ca 
[joo dáy ikə] plural noun

Jewish
culture or artifacts: the Jewish religion,
customs, and culture, or artifacts and historical and literary materials that
relate to them (formal)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, neuter plural of Judaicus (see Judaic
).][1]



Judaism

Judaism
Ju·da·ism 
[j day ìzzəm] noun

1.  religion
of the Jews: the religion of the Jews that has its
basis in the Bible and the Talmud. In Judaism, God is the creator of everything
and the source of all goodness.

2.  Jewish
way of life: Jewish religious practices, customs, and
culture as a way of life
[14th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin Judaismus from Greek Ioudaismos,
from Ioudaios (see Jew ).]
—Ju·da·is·tic, adjective[1]



Judaize

Judaize
Ju·da·ize 
[j day z] (past Ju·da·ized, past
participle Ju·da·ized, present participle Ju·da·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Ju·da·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
adopt
Judaism:
to adopt the Jewish religion and Jewish cultural practices

2.  transitive
verb
make
something Jewish: to give something a Jewish character
[Late
16th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin judizare from Greek ioudizein,
from Ioudaios (see Jew ).]
—Ju·da·i·za·tion [j day əzáysh’n], noun[1]



Judas

Judas
Ju·das 
[jdəss] noun

1.  disciple
who betrayed Jesus Christ in the Bible: one
of Jesus Christ’s disciples in the new Testament who betrayed him by
identifying him with a kiss to the Jewish leaders in exchange for thirty pieces
of silver (Luke 22)

2.  traitor:
a traitor, especially somebody who betrays a close friend or a cause or belief
(literary)

[1]



judas

judas
ju·das
[jdəss] or ju·das hole [jdəss] noun

peephole:
a peephole or very small window, for example, in a door
[Mid-19th century. Named for Judas .][1]



Judastree

Judastree
Ju·das
tree
noun

See
redbud
[Mid-17th century. Named for Judas from the popular notion that he hanged
himself from this tree, and also an alteration of Judea,
from which the tree originates.][1]



judder

judder
jud·der 
[júddər] intransitive verb (past
jud·dered, past participle jud·dered, present
participle jud·der·ing, 3rd person present singular jud·ders)

shake
violently:
to shake or vibrate violently and rapidly, or to move while shaking
noun

violent
shaking:
a violent, rapid vibration or shaking motion
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Jude

Jude
Jude 
[jood] noun

1.  Apostle
of Jesus Christ: one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus
Christ, he was the brother of James and author of the Book of Jude in the
Bible.
Also
called
Judas

2.  book
of the Bible: the last epistle of the Bible, probably
written in the late 1st century. It reminds Christians of the importance of
keeping their faith.

[1]



Judea

Judea
Ju·de·a
[joo d ə] or Ju·dae·a [joo d ə] or Ju·dah [jdə]

region in southwestern Asia,
incorporating parts of Israel and the West Bank[1]



Judeo-

Judeo-
Judeo-
prefix

Jewish,
Judaism • Judeo-Christian
[Via Latin Judaeus
from Greek Ioudaios (see Jew )][1]



Judeo-Christian

Judeo-Christian
Ju·de·o-Chris·ti·an
[joo dàyo kríschən] adjective

in Jewish and Christian
tradition: in the shared tradition of
Judaism and Christianity or combining their common beliefs[1]



Judeo-Spanish

Judeo-Spanish
Ju·de·o-Span·ish 
or Ju·dez·mo [joo dézm] noun
adjective

See
Ladino[1]



Judg.

Judg.
Judg.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Judges[1]



judge

judge
judge 
[juj] noun

1.  LAW a
senior official in a court of law: a high-ranking court
officer, formerly a lawyer, who supervises court trials, instructs juries, and
pronounces sentences

2.  adjudicator:
a person, sometimes one of several, appointed to assess entries or performances
in a competition and decide on the winner or winners

3.  somebody
giving an informed opinion: somebody who has an ability
to assess quality or give an informed opinion in a particular area of knowledge
or experience • a good judge of
character

4.  JUDAISM Jewish
warrior leader: in Jewish history, any of a succession
of warrior leaders who each temporarily held supreme power in Israel between
Joshua’s death and Saul’s succession
verb
(past judged, past participle judged, present
participle judg·ing, 3rd person present singular judg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
LAW act as
a legal judge: to act as the judge of a legal case

2.  transitive
verb
be
judge in a contest: to act as a judge in a
competition or, as an adjudicator, to pronounce officially on the entries

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb assess:
to assess the quality of something or estimate probabilities • Each
proposal has to be judged on its own merits.

4.  transitive
verb
consider
or reckon:
to form an opinion of somebody or something, especially after thought or
consideration • She was judged to have
the best qualifications.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb estimate:
to measure by guesswork, using the eye or some other sense as a rough guide • You
can’t always judge people’s ages by their voices.

6.  transitive
verb
condemn:
to criticize or condemn somebody on moral grounds
[12th
century. Via Old French juge from, ultimately, Latin judex,
literally “one who speaks the law,” from jus “law, right” (source of
English just ).]
—judg·er, noun[1]



judgeadvocate

judgeadvocate
judge
ad·vo·cate
noun

military lawyer:
a military officer-lawyer who advises commanders on points of law, especially
the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and who may function as defense counsel
or prosecutor at courts-martial[1]



judgement

judgement
judge·ment 
noun

See
judgment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Judges

Judges
Judges
noun

book of the Bible:
a book of the Bible that tells the story of the Israelites from Joshua’s death
in the 13th century BC to Samuel’s
birth in the 11th century BC (takes
a singular verb)[1]



Judgment

Judgment
Judg·ment
noun

1.  God’s
judgment on an individual: in Roman Catholic belief,
God’s decision at the instant of somebody’s death on whether the soul is to be
saved or damned

2.  God’s
judgment on humanity: in Jewish, Islamic, and
other Christian traditions, God’s final judgment of humankind, ( the Last Judgment ) which is to take place at the
end of the world

[1]



judgment

judgment
judg·ment
[jújmənt] or judge·ment [jújmənt] noun

1.  LAW verdict:
the decision arrived at and pronounced by a court of law

2.  LAW obligation
resulting from a verdict: an obligation such as a debt
that arises as a result of a court’s verdict, or a document setting out an
obligation of this kind

3.  decision
of a judge:
the decision reached by one or more judges in a contest • The
judgment of the panel must be regarded as final.

4.  decision
on a disputed matter: an opinion formed or
decision reached in the case of a disputed, controversial, or doubtful matter

5.  discernment
or good sense: the ability to form sound opinions and
make sensible decisions or reliable guesses • someone
with shrewd commercial judgment

6.  opinion:
an opinion formed or given after consideration • a
snap judgment

7.  estimate
based on observation: an estimate of something
such as speed or distance, made with the help of the eye or some other sense

8.  judging
of something: the judging of a case or a contest

9.  divine
punishment:
a misfortune regarded as a divine punishment for folly or sin (archaic or
humorous) • defeat regarded as a
judgment from God for the leader’s pride

10. LOGIC act of
making a statement: the mental act of making or
understanding a positive or negative proposition about something, for example,
in “a chihuahua is a dog” or “a lobster is not an insect”
[13th century. From Old
French jugement, from jugier “to judge” (see judge ).][1]



judgmental

judgmental
judg·men·tal 
[jujmént’l] adjective

tending
to criticize: tending to judge or criticize the
conduct of other people
—judg·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



JudgmentDay

JudgmentDay
Judg·ment
Day
noun

day of God’s judgment:
in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic belief, the day at the end of the world when
God delivers his final judgment on humankind.
Also called
Day of Judgment[1]



judicable

judicable
ju·di·ca·ble 
[jdikəb’l] adjective

suitable
for legal trial: capable of being or liable to be tried
in a court of law
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin judicabilis, from judicare (see judicature
).][1]



judicator

judicator
ju·di·ca·tor 
(plural ju·di·ca·tors) noun

judge:
somebody who judges or who acts as a judge (formal)
[Mid-18th century. Via late
Latin from Latin judicare (see judicature
).][1]



judicatory

judicatory
ju·di·ca·to·ry 
[jdikətàwree] adjective ju·di·ca·to·ry
ju·di·ca·to·rial

LAW relating
to a legal system: relating to a legal system,
or to judges or judgment
noun
(plural ju·di·ca·to·ries)

LAW legal
system:
a system of administering justice (formal)
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Latin judicare (see judicature
).][1]



judicature

judicature
ju·di·ca·ture 
[jdikəchr] (plural ju·di·ca·tures)
noun

1.  administering
of justice:
the administration or dispensation of justice

2.  judge’s
office:
the power or office of a judge, or a judge’s tenure of office

3.  judge’s
area of authority: the area of authority of a
judge or a court of law

4.  body
of judges:
a body of judges or of people holding judicial power

5.  system
of law courts: a law court, or a system of law courts
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin judicatura from, ultimately, Latin judicare “to
judge,” from judex (see judge ).][1]



judicial

judicial
ju·di·cial 
[joo dísh’l] adjective

1.  relating
to judges:
relating or belonging to a body of judges or to the system that administers
justice

2.  relating
to court judgments: relating to judges in
performance of their duties, or to judgment in a court of law

3.  enforced
by a law court: enforced or sanctioned by a court of law

4.  appropriate
to judges:
appropriate to a judge or expected of a judge
[14th
century. From Latin judicialis, from judicium “legal
proceedings,” from judex (see judge
).]
—ju·di·cial·ly, adverb[1]



judicialactivism

judicialactivism
ju·di·cial
ac·tiv·ism 
noun

social change effected by
judicial decree: the doctrine that the
judicial branch, especially the federal courts, may interpret the Constitution
by deviating from legal precedent as a means of effecting legal and social
change[1]



judicialreview

judicialreview
ju·di·cial
re·view
noun

1.  re-examination
by judges:
a reassessment or re-examination by judges of a decision or proceeding by a
lower court or a government department

2.  constitutional
facility for reviewing legislation: a
constitutional right of the court system in some countries to review and cancel
government legislation that is held to have been passed illegally

[1]



judicialseparation

judicialseparation
ju·di·cial
sep·a·ra·tion noun

See
legal separation[1]



judiciary

judiciary
ju·di·ci·ar·y 
[joo díshee èree] noun (plural
ju·di·ci·ar·ies)

1.  government
branch dispensing justice: the branch of a country’s
central administration that is concerned with dispensing justice

2.  court
system:
a country’s system of law courts

3.  judges
in general:
a country’s body of judges
adjective

relating to judges:
relating to courts, judges, and judgment
[15th century. From Latin judiciarius,
from judicium (see judicial ).][1]



judicious

judicious
ju·di·cious 
[joo díshəss] adjective

sensible
and wise:
showing wisdom, good sense, or discretion, often with the underlying aim of
avoiding trouble or waste • a
little judicious pruning
[Late
16th century. Via French judicieux from Latin judicium (see judicial ).]
—ju·di·cious·ly,
adverb

—ju·di·cious·ness, noun[1]



Judith

Judith
Ju·dith 
[jdəth] noun

1.  heroine
in the Bible: in the Bible, a Jewish woman who saved
the city of Bethulia by beheading the general Holofernes

2.  book
of the Bible: a book in the Roman Catholic version of
the Bible and the Protestant Apocrypha that tells the story of Judith’s heroism
in saving her people

[1]



judo

judo
ju·do 
[jdō] noun

Japanese
martial art: a Japanese martial art in which
opponents use balance and body weight, with minimal physical effort, to throw
or pin each other or hold each other in a lock. Judo was developed from
jujitsu, a samurai art, by Jigoro Kano (1860–1938).
[Late
19th century. From Japanese, literally “gentle way.”]
—ju·do·ist, noun[1]



judogi

judogi
ju·do·gi
[jdo g] noun

judo
costume:
the costume worn by participants in judo, made of thick white cotton and
consisting of a loose jacket secured by a belt and loose pants. The color of
belt indicates the participant’s grade, from the white belt worn by a beginner
through various colors to black belt.
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



judoka

judoka
ju·do·ka
[jdō kə] (plural ju·do·kas or
ju·do·ka) noun

participant
in judo:
somebody who practices the art of judo or who is an expert in it
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Judy

Judy
Ju·dy
[jdee] noun

Punch’s wife:
the wife of Punch in a traditional Punch-and-Judy puppet show[1]



jug

jug
jug 
[jug] noun

1.  large
liquid-container: a large container for liquids, typically
of earthenware or glass, with a handle and a narrow mouth usually closed with a
cork

2.  liquid
contained in a jug: the quantity of liquid held
in a jug

3.  prison:
prison or jail (humorous)

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman’s breast (dated offensive) (considered
offensive by many people)
transitive
verb
(past jugged, past participle jugged, present
participle jug·ging, 3rd person present singular jugs)

stew in an earthenware pot:
to stew meat in a deep earthenware pot
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Jug, an old diminutive of the name Joan, sometimes
given as a nickname to a girl thought not good-looking.][1]



jugate

jugate
ju·gate 
[júg gayt, júggət]
adjective

1.  BOTANY with
paired leaflets: used to describe leaves that consist of
paired leaflets attached to a single leaf stalk

2.  COINS with
overlapping profiles: used to describe heads or
busts on coins that are superimposed in profile one on another
[Late 19th century. From
Latin jugatus, past participle of jugare “to join together.”][1]



jugband

jugband
jug
band
noun

band including jugs as
instruments: a blues or jazz band
featuring jugs as instruments, played by blowing across their rims[1]



Jugendstil

Jugendstil
Ju·gend·stil
[ygənd shtl] noun

art
nouveau:
the equivalent in Germany and Austria of art nouveau, a style of design that
influenced all the visual arts in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. It is characterized by curvilinearity and the stylization of forms.
[Early 20th century. From
German, formed from Jugend “youth” (the name of a magazine) + Stil
“style.”][1]



juggernaut

juggernaut
jug·ger·naut 
[júggər nàwt] noun

1.  U.K.
huge
truck:
a very large long truck for transporting goods in bulk

2.  crushing
force:
a force that is relentlessly destructive, crushing, and insensitive
[Mid-19th
century. From Juggernaut .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  It
  used to be said that worshipers of Krishna threw themselves under the wheels
  of the Juggernaut wagon in an excess of
  religious ecstasy, so juggernaut came to
  be used metaphorically in English for an “irresistible crushing force.” The
  pejorative British application to large trucks did not become firmly
  established until the late 1960s.

[1]



Juggernaut

Juggernaut
Jug·ger·naut
noun

form
of Krishna:
a form of the Hindu god Krishna. A statue of Juggernaut is pulled through the
Indian town of Puri every year on a huge chariot during the festival of
Rathayatra.
Also
called
Jagannath
[Mid-17th century. From
Sanskrit Jagannātha, literally “protector of the world.”][1]



juggle

juggle
jug·gle 
[júgg’l] (past jug·gled, past
participle jug·gled, present participle jug·gling, 3rd
person present singular jug·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
several objects in the air: to keep several objects in
motion in the air at the same time by throwing them and catching them in quick
succession

2.  transitive
verb
have
difficulty holding something: to keep adjusting your grip
or stance in order to balance objects being held • I
was juggling coffee and a plate of sandwiches in one hand.

3.  transitive
verb
fit
into a schedule: to try to make something fit into a
satisfactory pattern or schedule by careful arranging • parents
juggling careers and family life

4.  transitive
verb
rearrange
data:
to manipulate data in order to deceive • juggling
the company’s books
[14th
century. Back-formation from juggler .]
—jug·gler·y, noun[1]



juggler

juggler
jug·gler 
[júgglər, júgg’lər]
noun

entertainer
who juggles: somebody who can juggle, especially an
entertainer who juggles for a living
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French jogler from Latin joculator “jester,” from jocus
(see joke ).][1]



jugular

jugular
jug·u·lar 
[júggyələr] noun

ANATOMY See jugular vein
adjective

1.  ANATOMY relating
to the neck: relating to or situated close to the
neck or throat

2.  ZOOLOGY with
pelvic fins further forward: used to describe a fish that
has pelvic fins in front of the pectoral fins
[Late
16th century. From late Latin jugularis, from Latin jugulum
“collarbone, throat,” from jugum (see yoke
).]
go
for the jugular

to make an attack that is
intended to be highly destructive and conclusive (informal)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








jugularvein

jugularvein
jug·u·lar
vein
noun

vein returning blood from the
head: any one of four pairs of
veins in the neck that drain blood from the head. A larger internal vein is
flanked by an external vein on either side of the neck.
Also called
jugular[1]



jugum

jugum
ju·gum 
[jgəm] noun

1.  INSECTS part
of an insect’s forewing: a lobe that sticks out from
the base of the forewing of some insects in order to couple it with the hind
wing during flight

2.  BOTANY pair
of leaflets: a pair of opposed leaflets in a compound
leaf
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see yoke ).][1]



jugwine

jugwine
jug
wine
noun

inexpensive wine:
a modest, inexpensive wine packaged and sold in a large bottle[1]



juice

juice
juice 
[jooss] noun

1.  (plural
juic·es) liquid from fruit or vegetables:
the extractable liquid that is contained in fruit or vegetables, or a drink
made from this liquid • lemon
juice

2.  liquid
from cooking meat: the liquid that comes from a
piece of meat when it is roasted or otherwise cooked

3.  power:
electric power (informal)

4.  (plural
juic·es) bodily fluid: a
natural fluid or secretion of the body

5.  (plural
juic·es) liquid extract:
any liquid extract or essence, especially from biological material • Pure
penicillin was isolated from mold juice.

6.  money
or influence: money or influence gained through or
utilized in the service of corrupt or criminal activities (slang)

7.  alcohol:
alcoholic drink (slang)

8.  loan
or interest: money lent at an extortionate rate of
interest, or the interest extorted (slang)
transitive
verb
(past juiced, past participle juiced, present
participle juic·ing, 3rd person present singular juic·es)

extract juice from:
to extract the juice from a fruit or vegetable
[13th
century. Via French jus from Latin, “broth, sauce, vegetable juice.”]
stew
in your own juice or juices

to have to suffer the
consequences of your actions without any help from others[1]



juicebar

juicebar
juice
bar
(plural juice bars) noun

café serving fresh juice:
a café serving freshly prepared fruit juices and other healthy food and drinks[1]



juicebox

juicebox
juice
box
(plural juice box·es) noun

individual box of fruit
juice: a small box of fruit juice
for one person sold with a straw attached to it[1]



juicehead

juicehead
juice·head 
[jss hèd] noun

alcoholic:
a heavy drinker or an alcoholic (slang)[1]



juicer

juicer
juic·er 
[jssər] noun

1.  gadget
to extract juice: a kitchen appliance, usually
electrically powered, for extracting the juice from fruit or vegetables

2.  alcoholic:
an alcoholic or habitual drunkard (slang)

[1]



juiceup

juiceup
juice
up
transitive verb

enliven:
to make something or somebody more lively, exciting, or interesting (slang)
• juice
the party up by bringing in a live band[1]



juicy

juicy
juic·y 
[jssee] (comparative juic·i·er,
superlative juic·i·est) adjective

1.  succulent:
containing a lot of juice

2.  providing
interest:
repaying effort by providing plenty of stimulation and food for thought • I
like getting my teeth into a nice juicy problem.

3.  titillating:
containing scenes or details that evoke interest because of their sensational
nature (informal)

4.  lucrative:
extremely profitable or productive (informal)
—juic·i·ly,
adverb

—juic·i·ness, noun[1]



jujitsu

jujitsu
ju·jit·su 
[joo jítsoo] or jiu·jit·su [joo jítsoo] noun

unarmed
fighting technique: a Japanese system of unarmed
fighting devised by the samurai, or the martial art based on it. Judo, aikido,
and karate are all developments of jujitsu.
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese jūjutsu, literally “gentle skill.”][1]



juju

juju
ju·ju 
[jjoo] noun

1.  object
with supposed magical powers: an object revered among some
West African peoples for the magical powers that it is thought to possess

2.  supposed
magic power of a juju: the magical or supernatural
power associated with a juju

3.  spell
effected by a juju: a spell put on something or
somebody by means of a juju
[Early
17th century. From Hausa, of uncertain origin: probably from French joujou
“plaything,” from jouer “to play,” from Latin jocari .]
—ju·ju·ism, noun[1]



jujube

jujube
ju·jube 
[jjb] (plural ju·jubes) noun

1.  tree
with red fruits: a tree belonging to the buckthorn family
that has small yellow flowers and plum-shaped dark red edible fruits. It has
been cultivated throughout Asia since ancient times. Latin name: Ziziphus
jujuba

2.  fruit
of the jujube tree: the plum-shaped fruit of the
jujube tree, which is sometimes dried like a date

3.  chewy
candy:
a chewy, usually fruit-flavored, candy made of gum or gelatin
[14th century. Directly or
via French from medieval Latin jujuba from, ultimately, Greek ziziphos
.][1]



juke

juke
juke
[jook] intransitive and transitive verb
(past juked, past participle juked, present
participle juk·ing, 3rd person present singular jukes)

fake:
to move deceptively so as to induce an opponent to move in a way that brings
about an advantage (slang)
noun

jukebox:
a jukebox (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Gullah, literally “disorderly, wicked,” of West
African origin.][1]



jukebox

jukebox
juke·box 
(plural juke·box·es) noun

machine that selects and
plays records: a coin-operated machine
that automatically plays selected records or compact discs[1]



jukejoint

jukejoint
juke
joint
noun

roadhouse with a jukebox:
a roadhouse where music is played on a jukebox for dancing (informal)[1]



Jul.

Jul.
Jul.

Abbreviation of
July[1]



julep

julep
ju·lep 
[jləp] noun

See
mint julep
[14th century. Via Old French
or medieval Latin from, ultimately, Persian gulāb “rosewater.”][1]



Julian

Julian
Jul·ian 
[jlyən] adjective

1.  of
Julius Caesar: relating to or typical of Julius Caesar

2.  of
the Julian calendar: relating to or reckoned
according to the Julian calendar

[1]



Juliancalendar

Juliancalendar
Jul·ian
cal·en·dar
noun

Roman calendar:
the twelve-month solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, consisting of 365 days, with an
extra day every four years. It was replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1582.
See also
Gregorian calendar[1]



Juliandate

Juliandate
Jul·ian
date
noun

COMPUTING
date from January 1:
in computer programming, a date expressed as the number of days since January 1
of the current year[1]



julienne

julienne
ju·li·enne 
[jlee èn, lee
èn] adjective

cut
thinly:
used to describe food, usually vegetables, cut into long thin matchstick strips
noun

clear
soup with vegetable strips: a clear soup containing
vegetables cut into thin matchstick strips
transitive
verb
(past ju·li·enned, past participle ju·li·enned, present
participle ju·li·en·ning, 3rd person present singular ju·li·ennes)

cut
into thin strips: to cut vegetables into thin matchstick
strips
[Early 18th century. From
French, from the first name Jules or Julien .][1]



Juliet

Juliet
Ju·li·et
[jleeət] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY small
inner moon of Uranus: a small inner natural
satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the spacecraft Voyager 2. It is 84
km/52 mi in diameter.

2.  COMMUNICATION code
for J:
a code word for the letter “J,” used in international radio communications

[1]



Julietcap

Julietcap
Ju·li·et
cap
noun

skullcap
for women:
a round close-fitting crocheted net cap for women, sometimes set with pearls.
It was fashionable in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1950s for brides and bridesmaids.
[Early 20th century. From the
heroine of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet .][1]



Jullundur

Jullundur
Jul·lun·dur 
[júlləndər]

city in northwestern India, a
major industrial center. Population: 519,530 (1991)[1]



July

July
Ju·ly 
[joo l] (plural Ju·lies) noun

7th
month of the Gregorian calendar: the seventh month of
the year in the Gregorian calendar, made up of 31 days
[12th century. Via julie
from Latin Julius (referring to Julius Caesar,
who was born in July).][1]



Jumada

Jumada
Ju·ma·da 
[jmdaa] noun

Muslim
month:
in the Muslim calendar, either the fifth or the sixth lunar month in the year
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic jumādā, from jamada “to freeze.”][1]



jumar

jumar
ju·mar
[jmər] noun

rope
clip:
a clip or clamp used in rock climbing or ice climbing that runs freely up a
slack rope but tightens around the rope in response to weight applied from
below.
Also
called
jumar clamp
intransitive
verb
(past ju·mared, past participle ju·mared, present
participle ju·mar·ing, 3rd person present singular ju·mars)

climb
using jumars: to climb using jumar clamps
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



jumbie

jumbie
jum·bie
(plural jum·bies) noun

Caribbean
ghost:
a spirit or ghost
[Late 19th century. From
Kongo zumbi “fetish.”][1]



jumble

jumble
jum·ble 
[júmb’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jum·bled, past participle jum·bled, present
participle jum·bling, 3rd person present singular jum·bles)

1.  put
things out of order: to mix things together
indiscriminately so that they are no longer neat or ordered

2.  mix
things up mentally: to mix things up in the mind
noun

muddled mass: an
untidy or disorganized mass of objects, images, or ideas • His
thoughts were all in a jumble.
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps thought to suggest the action.][1]



jumblesale

jumblesale
jum·ble
sale
noun

U.K.
See rummage sale[1]



jumbo

jumbo
jum·bo 
[júmbō] (plural jum·bos) noun

1.  large
thing:
something or somebody that is extra large (often used before a noun) • a
jumbo helping

2.  AIR See jumbo jet
[Early 19th century. From the
name of a very large elephant at London Zoo, sold in 1882 to Barnum and
Bailey’s circus. Perhaps from mumbo-jumbo .][1]



jumbojet

jumbojet
jum·bo
jet
noun

large jet aircraft:
a large wide-bodied commercial aircraft capable of carrying several hundred
passengers.
Also called
jumbo[1]



Jumna

Jumna
Jum·na 
[júmnə]

river in northern India
flowing south into the Ganges River at Allahabad. Length: 153 km/95 mi.[1]



jump

jump
jump 
[jump] verb (past jumped,
past participle jumped, present participle jump·ing,
3rd person present singular jumps)

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
a surface with both feet: to bend the knees and push
the whole body quickly up off a surface or the ground

2.  transitive
verb
get
over:
to pass from one side of something to the other by jumping • jump
the fence

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS jump as a sporting skill:
in various sports such as riding and skiing, to perform a movement in which the
whole body leaves the ground • Make
sure you have your skis parallel before you attempt to jump.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move quickly in a particular direction • Jump
in and I’ll give you a lift home.

5.  intransitive
verb
obey
immediately: to carry out orders immediately (informal)
• When
she speaks, you jump.

6.  intransitive
verb
rise
suddenly:
to rise or increase suddenly by a large amount • The
Nikkei Index jumped 35 points.

7.  transitive
verb
ambush:
to ambush somebody by attacking unexpectedly (informal) • The
guy jumped me.

8.  intransitive
verb
AIR make a
parachute descent: to make a descent by
parachute from an aircraft

9.  intransitive
verb
move
jerkily:
to move jerkily, in contrast to progressing smoothly or keeping still • Interference
was making the picture jump.

10. intransitive
verb
start
in surprise: to give a start of surprise or fright • The
noise made me jump.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb RAIL leave the track:
to come off the track accidentally (refers to trains)

12. transitive
verb
start
before permitted: to start moving before a red light
changes green or a starter’s gun fires (informal)

13. transitive
verb
board
illegally:
to board a train surreptitiously with the intention of traveling on it without
paying (informal)

14. intransitive
verb
make
a mental leap: to make an illogical mental leap • His
mind keeps jumping from one thing to another.

15. transitive
verb
violate
an engagement by leaving: to abscond or desert in
violation of an engagement, contract, or undertaking

16. intransitive
and transitive verb omit:
to omit the intervening parts of something, especially passages of a text,
sometimes inadvertently

17. transitive
verb
usurp
ownership:
to usurp ownership of a piece of land, especially a mining claim, on the
grounds that the owner has abandoned it or not fulfilled the conditions of
ownership

18. transitive
verb
BOARD GAMES pass
a piece over an opponent’s piece: in checkers, to capture
an opponent’s playing piece by passing a piece over it into an empty square

19. transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse with a woman (offensive
slang)

20. intransitive
and transitive verb BRIDGE raise a bid:
to raise a partner’s bid to indicate a strong hand

21. transitive
verb
help
to jump:
to support or lift somebody who is jumping over something or down from
something (archaic) “In all their walks he had had to jump her from the
stiles.” Jane Austen Persuasion 1818
noun

1.  jumping
movement:
a jumping movement or the distance jumped • a
winning jump of 26 feet

2.  SPORTS obstacle
or apparatus used in jumping: a specially constructed
obstacle or other piece of apparatus for use in competitive jumping, for
example, a fence in steeplechasing or a platform from which skiers take off

3.  leap
of a particular distance in sports: in
field events, a leap of a particular distance or height, or the action of
attempting or completing such a leap

4.  sudden
rise:
a sudden steep rise or increase in an amount • a
jump in property prices

5.  start
of surprise: an involuntary movement made when
startled

6.  sudden
transition:
a sudden transition or change of direction, representing a break in continuity
or logical progression

7.  parachute
descent:
a descent by parachute from an aircraft

8.  BRIDGE See jump bid

9.  BOARD GAMES jump
over an opponent’s piece: in checkers, the move of
jumping an opponent’s piece and capturing it

10. MATHEMATICS discontinuous
numeric increase: a point at which a function or a curve
undergoes a sudden or major transition
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound of jumping
feet hitting the ground, suggested by bump and thump .]
—jump·a·ble,
adjective
jump
to it

to hurry up and carry out
orders or instructions (informal)[1]



jumpat

jumpat
jump
at
transitive verb

accept eagerly:
to accept a chance or opportunity eagerly • would
jump at the chance[1]



jumpball

jumpball
jump
ball
noun

restarting of play in
basketball: a restarting of play in a
basketball game, in which the referee throws the ball up high between two
opponents who each try to tip it toward a team member[1]



jumpbid

jumpbid
jump
bid
noun

raised bid in bridge:
in bridge, a bid of one more than is necessary to raise the existing bid.
Also called
jump[1]



jumpboot

jumpboot
jump
boot
noun

military boot:
a paratrooper’s boot[1]



jumpcut

jumpcut
jump
cut
noun

abrupt scene change:
in movies and television, a sudden abrupt change from one sequence to another[1]



jumper

jumper1
jump·er1 [júmpər]
(plural jump·ers) noun

1.  sleeveless
outer dress: a sleeveless dress designed for wearing
over a blouse or sweater • She
was wearing a plaid jumper with a long-sleeved white blouse.

U.K.
term
pinafore

2.  U.K.
See sweater
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from “jump,” an alteration of jupe, a man’s short coat,
worn in the 17th and 18th centuries.][1]



jumper

jumper2
jump·er2 [júmpər]
noun

1.  person
or animal that jumps: a person or animal that
jumps or is trained to jump competitively

2.  BASKETBALL (informal) See
jump shot

3.  ELECTRICITY wire
for making a connection: a short length of wire for
making an electrical connection or for cutting out part of a circuit

[1]



jumpercables

jumpercables
jump·er
ca·bles
plural noun

electric cables for starting
a dead battery: a pair of electric
cables used to start the engine of a vehicle that has a dead battery by
connection to a live battery.
Also called
booster cables
U.K. term
jump leads[1]



jumpers

jumpers
jump·ers
[júmpərz] plural noun

child’s bibbed playsuit:
a child’s one-piece playsuit made of pants and a bibbed top or bodice[1]



jumpingbean

jumpingbean
jump·ing
bean 
noun

seed containing moth larva:
a seed of some Mexican shrubs when it contains the larva of a small moth. The
larva feeds on the seed pulp, making the seed move jerkily. The movements
intensify if the seed is warmed, for example, in the palm of the hand.
Also called
Mexican jumping bean[1]



jumpinggene

jumpinggene
jump·ing
gene
noun

piece of nucleic acid:
a genetic element that can move from place to place within the chromosomes of
an organism. These elements occur in bacteria, plants, and animals and their
insertion may inactivate functional genes, causing a type of mutation.[1]



jumpingjack

jumpingjack
jump·ing
jack
noun

1.  warm-up
exercise:
a warm-up exercise in which the legs are flung apart while the hands are
clapped or swung above the head.
Also
called
side-straddle hop

2.  puppet:
a flat wooden or cardboard puppet whose limbs are worked by a string or a
sliding stick

[1]



jumpingmouse

jumpingmouse
jump·ing
mouse
noun

rodent with long hind legs:
a rodent that looks like a mouse but has long hind legs and a long tail. It is
found in Northern temperate regions. Family: Zapodidae[1]



jumping-offplace

jumping-offplace
jump·ing-off
place 
or jump·ing-off point noun

gateway into a wilderness:
a very remote place, especially a point at the edge of civilization beyond
which lies the wilderness[1]



jumping-offpoint

jumping-offpoint
jump·ing-off
point
noun

1.  base
for a trip:
a place from which to begin a trip

2.  basis
for beginning: a basis on which to begin an enterprise
or a discussion

3.  See
jumping-off place

[1]



jumpingplant louse

jumpingplant louse
jump·ing
plant louse
noun

jumping insect:
a small insect that is a weak flier but has enlarged hind legs for jumping.
Found worldwide, it feeds on the sap of plants. Family: Psyllidae[1]



jumpingspider

jumpingspider
jump·ing
spi·der
noun

spider that leaps on prey:
a spider found mostly in the tropics that fixes on its prey using an enlarged
central pair of eyes, then pounces by rapidly extending its legs. The jumping
mechanism depends on sudden elevation in the spider’s internal body pressure,
and they can achieve distances of several inches. Family: Salticidae[1]



jumpjet

jumpjet
jump
jet
noun

aircraft that takes off
vertically: a jet aircraft that takes
off and lands vertically[1]



jumpleads

jumpleads
jump
leads
plural noun

U.K.
See jumper cables[1]



jumpmaster

jumpmaster
jump·mas·ter 
noun

parachute-jumping leader:
somebody who is in charge of military paratroopers or civilian parachutists and
determines when they will jump from an aircraft[1]



jump-off

jump-off
jump-off 
noun

1.  start:
the start of something such as a race or a military attack

2.  SHOWJUMPING deciding
round of a jumping contest: a final extra round of a
jumping competition, for example, one in horseback riding in which all the
riders who have had clear rounds compete against the clock
—jump off, intransitive
verb[1]



jumpon

jumpon
jump
on
transitive verb

attack somebody physically or
verbally: to make a sudden physical or
verbal attack on somebody (informal) • jumped
on the students for missing easy questions[1]



jumppass

jumppass
jump
pass
noun

basketball pass made while
jumping: a pass that one basketball
player makes to another while in mid-jump[1]



jumprope

jumprope
jump
rope
noun

rope jumped over as a game:
a rope that is swung around and jumped over in children’s games and adult
exercises.
U.K. term
skipping rope[1]



jumpseat

jumpseat
jump
seat
noun

folding seat in a vehicle:
a folding seat between the front and back seats of a limousine or similarly
large vehicle, or a seat like this for temporary use in an aircraft or train[1]



jumpshot

jumpshot
jump
shot
noun

basketball
shot from midair: a basketball shot made with one or both
hands by a player who is at the highest point of a jump.
Also
called
jumper
—jump shoot·er, noun[1]



jump-start

jump-start
jump-start 
transitive verb (past jump-start·ed, past participle
jump-start·ed, present participle jump-start·ing, 3rd
person present singular jump-starts)

start
a vehicle using jumper cables: to start a motor
vehicle by attaching it to an external battery using jumper cables
noun

action of jump-starting a
vehicle: a jump-starting of a motor
vehicle[1]



jumpsuit

jumpsuit
jump·suit 
[júmp soot] (plural jump·suits)
or jump suit [júmp soot] (plural
jump suits) noun

1.  woman’s
one-piece suit: a woman’s casual one-piece suit
combining top and pants

2.  parachutist’s
garment:
a protective zippered one-piece suit combining long pants and jacket, worn by a
parachutist when jumping

[1]



jumpup

jumpup
jump
up
intransitive verb

stand up quickly:
to get to your feet immediately[1]



jumpy

jumpy
jump·y 
[júmpee] (comparative jump·i·er,
superlative jump·i·est) adjective

1.  jittery:
very nervous or anxious

2.  moving
erratically: moving jerkily or erratically
—jump·i·ly,
adverb

—jump·i·ness, noun[1]



jun.

jun.
jun.

Abbreviation of
junior[1]



Jun.

Jun.
Jun.

Abbreviation of
June[1]



junco

junco
jun·co 
[júngkō] (plural jun·cos) noun

type
of finch:
a small North American finch with grayish plumage, a pink bill, and white outer
tail feathers. Genus: Junco
[Early 18th century. Via
Spanish from Latin juncus “rush.”][1]



junction

junction
junc·tion 
[júngkshən] (plural junc·tions)
noun

1.  place
where things join: a place where two or more
objects, for example, roads or railroad routes, join, meet, or cross

2.  U.K.
TRANSPORT See intersection

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electrical
connection:
a connection between electrical wires or cables

4.  PHYSICS layer
between metals: a layer of metal separating two metals
with different properties and serving as a contact between them, especially in
a thermocouple

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING semiconductor
contact:
a point in a semiconductor device at which regions with different electrical
properties come into contact with each other

6.  state
or act of joining: the joining of things or
their joined state
[Early
18th century. From the Latin stem junction-, from jungere “to
join” (source of English join and junta ).]
—junc·tion·al, adjective[1]



junctionbox

junctionbox
junc·tion
box
(plural junc·tion box·es) noun

casing for electrical
connections: an enclosed and
protected box inside which electrical circuits are interconnected or branched
for distribution[1]



JunctionCity

JunctionCity
Junc·tion
Cit·y 
[jùngksh’n sítee]

city in north central Kansas,
at the junction of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers. Population: 17,659
(1996)[1]



juncture

juncture
junc·ture 
[júngkshər] (plural junc·tures)
noun

1.  point
in time:
a point in time, especially an important or critical one

2.  joining
place:
a place where two or more things join (formal)

3.  joining
of things:
the joining of one thing with another or their joined state (formal)

4.  LINGUISTICS break
between words: the break between one spoken word and
another or the pronunciation features that help a listener to recognize the
break, distinguishing, for example, between “gray day” and “grade A”
[14th century. From Latin junctura
“joint,” from jungere “to join.”][1]



June

June
June 
[joon] (plural Junes) noun

6th
month of Gregorian calendar: the sixth month of the year
in the Gregorian calendar, made up of thirty days
[Pre-12th century. Via French
juin from Latin (mensis) junius “(month) of Juno.”][1]



Juneau

Juneau
Ju·neau 
[jn]

capital of the state of
Alaska and a port city on the Gastineau Channel, opposite Douglas Island.
Population: 29,756 (1996)[1]



Junebeetle

Junebeetle
June
bee·tle
noun

See
June bug[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Juneberry

Juneberry
June·ber·ry 
[jn bèrree] (plural June·ber·ries)
noun

See
serviceberry  noun 1
See serviceberry  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From the
month when it blooms.][1]



Junebug

Junebug
June
bug
(plural June bugs) noun

large N American beetle:
a large brown North American flying beetle that is seen in late spring and
feeds on leaves. The larvae feed on roots. Subfamily: Melolonthinae
Also called
June beetle
Also called
May beetle
Also called
May bug[1]



Jung,Carl Gustav

Jung,Carl Gustav

Jung
[yng], Carl Gustav (1875–1961)
Swiss
psychiatrist. He broadened Freud’s interpretation of the unconscious, and
introduced the concepts of introvert and extrovert types and the collective
unconscious.

—Jung·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



JungChang

JungChang
Jung
Chang
[yng cháng] (1952– )

Chinese-born U.S. author of Wild
Swans (1993), an account of her family’s experience in communist China.[1]



Jungfrau

Jungfrau
Jung·frau 
[yng fròw]

mountain in southern
Switzerland. Height: 4,158 m/13,642 ft.[1]



jungle

jungle
jun·gle 
[júng’l] (plural jun·gles) noun

1.  tropical
forest:
an area of tropical rain forest covered with vegetation so dense that it is
largely impenetrable

2.  thickly
covered area: any area covered with dense vegetation

3.  tangle:
a tangled or confused mass

4.  complex
matter:
a frustratingly or impenetrably complex system

5.  harsh
place:
a harsh environment characterized by fierce competitiveness or struggle for
survival

6.  hobo
camp:
a place where homeless people camp (dated slang)
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
jaṅgal, literally “wasteland,” from Sanskrit jāṅgala “dry.”][1]



junglefever

junglefever
jun·gle
fe·ver
noun

form of malaria:
a severe form of malaria common in tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia[1]



junglefowl

junglefowl
jun·gle
fowl
noun

wild Asian bird:
any of various species of wild Asian birds related to the pheasant. Jungle fowl
are thought to be the ancestors of the modern domestic fowl. Genus: Gallus[1]



junglegym

junglegym
jun·gle
gym
(plural jun·gle gyms) noun

children’s
climbing toy: a framework of interlocking metal,
wooden, or plastic bars on which children can climb.
U.K.
term
climbing frame
Also
called
monkey bars
[Originally a trademark][1]



junior

junior
jun·ior 
[jnyər] adjective

1.  relating
to youth or childhood: relating to youth,
childhood, or children

2.  jun·ior
or Ju·nior younger:
younger in age, especially when referring to the younger of two family members,
for example, father and son, who share the same name

3.  low
in rank:
of relatively low rank or with relatively little experience

4.  smaller:
smaller than the standard or expected size

5.  EDUCATION of
third-year students: relating to or involving
students in the third year of high school or college

6.  U.K.
EDUCATION for
children between 7 and 11: relating to or involving
schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 11 • junior
school
noun
(plural jun·iors)

1.  younger
person:
a person younger than another being referred to • My
sister is three years my junior.

2.  low-ranking
person:
somebody of relatively low rank or little experience

3.  child:
a young person, especially somebody younger than a teenager

4.  jun·ior
or Jun·ior way of addressing boy:
a form of address used for a boy or young man, affectionately to the son in a
family or condescendingly to a stranger (informal) (offensive in some
contexts)

5.  EDUCATION third-year
student:
a student in the third year of high school or college

6.  U.K.
EDUCATION junior-school
student:
a pupil in a junior school

7.  CLOTHES clothing
size:
a range of clothing sizes for teenage girls and slender women
[13th century. From Latin,
“younger,” formed from juvenis “young.”][1]



juniorcollege

juniorcollege
jun·ior
col·lege
(plural jun·ior col·leges) noun

college offering two-year
courses: a college offering students
a two-year course of study that either terminates in an associate degree or
corresponds to the first two years at a four-year college[1]



juniorhigh

juniorhigh
jun·ior
high
(plural jun·ior highs) or jun·ior high school (plural
jun·ior high schools) noun

school between elementary and
high: a school that is
intermediate between elementary school and high school, embracing grades six or
seven through eight or nine. School districts often replace junior high schools
with middle schools when demographic factors increase the number of younger students.

See also
middle school[1]



juniormiddleweight

juniormiddleweight
jun·ior
mid·dle·weight (plural jun·ior
mid·dle·weights) noun

1.  boxing
weight:
in professional boxing, a weight class that is lighter than middleweight and
heavier than welterweight, for boxers weighing between 67 and 71 kg/147 and 154
lb

2.  boxer:
a boxer who fights at junior middleweight

[1]



juniormiss

juniormiss
jun·ior
miss
(plural jun·ior miss·es) noun

teenage girl:
a girl or young woman in her teenage years (dated)[1]



juniorvarsity

juniorvarsity
jun·ior
var·si·ty
noun

sports team:
a high-school or college sports team that competes at a level below varsity[1]



juniper

juniper

ju·ni·per 
[jnipər] (plural ju·ni·pers) noun

1.  evergreen
plant bearing cones resembling berries: an
evergreen tree or shrub with small purple cones resembling berries that yield
juniper oil, used to flavor gin. Genus: Juniperus

2.  oil
from juniper: the oil from juniper berries
[14th century. From Latin juniperus
.][1]



junk

junk2

junk2 [jungk]
(plural junks) noun
boat:
a flat-bottomed sailing boat, popular in Chinese waters, that is high at the
stern and has squarish sails, each supported on several battens
[Mid-16th century. Via
Portuguese junco or Dutch jonk from Malay jong .][1]



junk

junk1
junk1 [jungk]
noun

1.  used
goods for sale: secondhand goods offered for sale (informal)

2.  rubbish:
discarded things, or things regarded as worthless or causing clutter (informal)

3.  cheap
stuff:
cheap and poorly made goods (informal)

4.  nonsense:
meaningless or worthless talk (informal)

5.  heroin:
narcotics, especially heroin (slang)
transitive
verb
(past junked, past participle junked, present
participle junk·ing, 3rd person present singular junks)

discard: to
get rid of something as useless (informal)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French jonc “rush” from Latin juncus .
Originally in the meaning “old rope”(perhaps from the use of rushes to make
ropes).][1]



junkbond

junkbond
junk
bond
(plural junk bonds) noun

investment:
an investment bond that offers the possibility of a high return but at a high
risk[1]



junker

junker
junk·er 
[júngkər] (plural junk·ers) noun

old vehicle:
a vehicle that is so old and in such bad repair that it might as well be
scrapped (slang)[1]



Junker

Junker
Jun·ker 
[yngkər] (plural Jun·kers) noun

1.  Prussian
aristocrat:
any of the aristocratic landowners in Prussia, who continued to exercise great
political power well into the 20th century

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a German army officer or official who is considered to be
arrogant and dictatorial (offensive)
[Mid-16th
century. From German Junker, literally “young lord.”]
—Jun·ker·dom,
noun

—Jun·ker·ism, noun[1]



junket

junket
jun·ket 
[júngkət] noun (plural jun·kets)

1.  expense-paid
trip:
a trip taken at somebody else’s expense, especially one taken by a politician
at public expense

2.  amusing
occasion:
an outing, excursion, or party of any kind

3.  FOOD set
milk dessert: a dessert made from milk that has been
set with rennet
verb
(past jun·ket·ed, past participle jun·ket·ed, present
participle jun·ket·ing, 3rd person present singular jun·kets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hold
party:
to hold a party or entertain somebody with a party

2.  intransitive
verb
have
expense-paid trip: to go on an expense-paid
trip, especially one paid for with public money
[14th
century. From French jonquette, from jonc “rush,” from Latin juncus
. From being made or served on rushes.]
—jun·ket·er, noun[1]



junkfood

junkfood
junk
food
(plural junk foods) noun

food lacking nutritional
balance: food that does not form part
of a well-balanced diet, especially highly processed, high-fat snack items
eaten in place of or in addition to regular meals[1]



junkie

junkie
junk·ie 
[júngkee] (plural junk·ies [júngkee]) or junk·y [júngkee] (plural junk·ies) noun

1.  drug
addict:
a drug addict, especially somebody addicted to heroin (slang)

2.  enthusiast:
somebody whose interest in or liking for something resembles an addiction (informal)
• a
baseball junkie

[1]



junkmail

junkmail
junk
mail
noun

unwanted mail:
unsolicited mail, especially advertising material[1]



junkman

junkman
junk·man
[júngk man] noun

dealer in secondhand objects:
a dealer in objects of little value that others have discarded (dated)
U.K. term
rag-and-bone man[1]



junkshop

junkshop
junk
shop
(plural junk shops) noun

1.  store
selling used goods: a store selling a variety of
secondhand goods

2.  low-quality
antique store: a second-rate antique store

[1]



junky

junky
junk·y
[júngkee] adjective (comparative
junk·i·er, superlative junk·i·est)

worthless:
of very low quality or very little value
noun

See
junkie[1]



junkyard

junkyard
junk·yard 
[júngk yaard] adjective

aggressive:
aggressive and fearsome (slang) • a
junkyard litigator
noun
(plural junk·yards)

place where junk collected:
a place where junk is collected before being sold or processed[1]



junkyarddog

junkyarddog
junk·yard
dog
(plural junk·yard dogs) noun

vicious animal:
a particularly vicious and combative animal, especially a chained dog (slang)[1]



Juno

Juno
Ju·no 
[jn ō] (plural Ju·nos) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
goddess:
in Roman mythology, the queen of the gods and wife of Jupiter. Greek
equivalent Hera

2.  queenly
woman:
a woman of queenly bearing and imposing beauty
—Ju·no·esque [jnōésk], adjective[1]



junta

junta
jun·ta 
[hntə] (plural jun·tas) noun

1.  POLITICS new
rulers after coup: a group of military officers
who have taken control of a country following a coup d’état (takes a
singular or plural verb)

2.  secret
group:
a small group of people, especially one secretly assembled for a common goal (takes
a singular or plural verb)
Also
called
junto

3.  POLITICS Latin
American government body: in some parts of Central and
South America, a council or other legislative body within the government
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish or Portuguese from, ultimately, Latin jungere “to join.”][1]



junto

junto
jun·to 
[júntō] noun

See
junta  noun 2
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of junta .][1]



Jupiter

Jupiter
Ju·pi·ter 
[jpitər] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
god:
in Roman mythology, the king of the gods.
Also
called
Jove Greek equivalent Zeus

2.  ASTRONOMY largest
planet:
the largest planet in the solar system, fifth in order from the sun
[12th century. From Latin,
from the stem Jov- “Jove” + pater “father.”][1]



Jura

Jura
Ju·ra
[rə]

department in east central
France, in the province of Franche-Comté. Area: 5,053 sq km//1,951 sq mi.[1]



jural

jural
ju·ral 
[jrəl] adjective

1.  LAW relating
to law:
relating to law or the administration of justice

2.  relating
to rights:
relating to rights or obligations (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from the Latin stem jur- “law.”]
—ju·ral·ly, adverb[1]



JuraMountains

JuraMountains
Ju·ra
Moun·tains


mountain range situated on
the border between France and Switzerland. The highest point is Crêt de la
Neige, 1,718 m/5,636 ft . Length: 320 km/200 mi.[1]



Jurassic

Jurassic
Ju·ras·sic 
[joo rássik] noun

GEOLOGY geologic
period:
the period of geologic time during which dinosaurs flourished and birds and
mammals first appeared, extending from 210 million years to 140 million years
ago. It is the middle period of the Mesozoic era.
[Mid-19th
century. From French Jurassique, from Jura “Jura.”]
—Ju·ras·sic, adjective[1]



jurat

jurat
ju·rat 
[jràt] (plural ju·rats) noun

1.  affidavit
statement:
a closing statement on an affidavit, giving details of the parties to it, the
witnesses, and the place and time of signing

2.  magistrate:
a magistrate in France or the Channel Islands
[15th century. From medieval
Latin juratus, literally “sworn man,” from jurare (see jury ).][1]



juridical

juridical
ju·rid·i·cal 
[joorídik’l] or ju·rid·ic [joorídik] adjective

relating
to the law:
relating to judges, to the administration of the law, or to law in general
—ju·rid·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



juridicaldays

juridicaldays
ju·rid·i·cal
days
plural noun

courts’ working days:
days on which law courts are in session[1]



jurisconsult

jurisconsult
ju·ris·con·sult 
[jriskónsùlt, jriskənsúlt]
(plural ju·ris·con·sults) noun

legal
expert:
an expert in law who gives advice on legal matters, especially in relation to
public or international law
[Early 17th century. From
Latin jurisconsultus, literally “skilled in law.”][1]



jurisdiction

jurisdiction
ju·ris·dic·tion 
[jrisdíksh’n] noun

1.  LAW legal
authority:
the authority to enforce laws or pronounce legal judgments

2.  range
of legal authority: the area over which legal
authority extends

3.  authority:
power or authority generally
[13th
century. Via Old French jurediction from the Latin stem jurisdiction-,
from jus “law” + dictio “saying” (source of English diction ).]
—ju·ris·dic·tion·al,
adjective

—ju·ris·dic·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—ju·ris·dic·tive, adjective[1]



jurisp.

jurisp.
jurisp.

Abbreviation of
jurisprudence[1]



jurisprudence

jurisprudence
ju·ris·pru·dence 
[jrisprd’nss] noun

1.  theory
of law:
the philosophy or science of law

2.  legal
system:
a system of law or the body of laws applied in a particular country or state

3.  branch
of law:
a branch of law or the law as it applies to a particular area of life
—ju·ris·pru·den·tial
[jrisproodénsh’l], adjective

—ju·ris·pru·den·tial·ly,
adverb[1]



jurisprudent

jurisprudent
ju·ris·pru·dent 
[jrisprd’nt] adjective

legally
expert:
knowledgeable in the science or philosophy of law
noun

See
jurist
[Early 17th century. Via
obsolete French from the late Latin stem jurisprudent-, from jus
“law” + prudens “wise” (source of English prudent
).][1]



jurist

jurist
ju·rist 
[jrist] (plural ju·rists) noun

legal
expert:
an expert in the science or philosophy of law, especially a judge or legal
scholar.
Also
called
jurisprudent
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin jurista, from jus
“law, right.”]
—ju·ris·tic
[joorístik], adjective

—ju·ris·ti·cal,
adjective

—ju·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



juror

juror
ju·ror 
[jrər] (plural ju·rors) noun

1.  LAW jury
member:
a member of a jury, especially in a court of law

2.  somebody
taking oath: somebody who has sworn an oath, for
example, an oath of allegiance (formal or literary)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman jurour and Old French jureor from Latin jurator,
from jurare (see jury ).][1]



jury

jury
ju·ry
[jree] (plural ju·ries) noun

1.  LAW people
deciding legal case: a group of people, usually
twelve people, chosen to give a verdict on a legal case that is presented
before them in a court of law

2.  people
judging competition: a group of people who judge
a competition
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French juree “oath, inquest” from, ultimately,
Latin jurare “to swear,” from jus “law, right.”][1]



jurybox

jurybox
ju·ry
box
noun

court area for jury:
the part of a court where the jury sits[1]



juryduty

juryduty
ju·ry
du·ty
noun

service as juror:
service as a member of a jury in a court of law. See jury service[1]



juryman

juryman
ju·ry·man
[jrimən] (plural ju·ry·men [jrimən]) noun

man on jury:
a man who is on a jury in a court of law[1]



jurynullification

jurynullification
ju·ry
nul·li·fi·ca·tion  noun

making law void by jury
decision: the process whereby a jury
in a criminal case effectively nullifies a law by acquitting a defendant
regardless of the weight of evidence against him or her[1]



jury-rig

jury-rig
ju·ry-rig 
(past ju·ry-rigged, past participle ju·ry-rigged, present
participle ju·ry-rig·ging, 3rd person present singular ju·ry-rigs)
transitive verb

do
something in makeshift manner: to build something in
a makeshift way or fit something out, especially a boat, with makeshift
equipment
[jury of uncertain origin:
probably via Old French ajurie “aid” from Latin adjutare “to
aid”][1]



juryservice

juryservice
ju·ry
ser·vice
noun

U.K.

Also called
jury duty[1]



jurywoman

jurywoman
ju·ry·wom·an
[jri wmən] (plural ju·ry·wom·en
[jri wímmin]) noun

woman on jury:
a woman who is on a jury in a court of law[1]



jusgentium

jusgentium
jus
gen·ti·um 
[yss géntee əm] noun

international
law:
international law
[From Latin, literally “law
of nations”][1]



jussanguinis

jussanguinis
jus
san·gui·nis 
[yooss sáng gwənəss] noun

citizenship
law based on parents’ citizenship: the principle in law
according to which children’s citizenship is determined by the citizenship of
their parents
[From Latin, literally “right
of blood”][1]



jussive

jussive
jus·sive 
[jússiv] adjective

GRAMMAR See imperative
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin juss-, the past participle stem of jubere “to
command.”][1]



jussoli

jussoli
jus
so·li 
[yss sṓl] noun

citizenship
law based on birthplace: the principle in law
according to which children’s citizenship is determined by the place of their
birth
[From Latin, literally “right
of soil”][1]



just

just
just
[just] adverb

1.  in
the immediate past: a very short time ago • The
train just left.

2.  at
this moment: indicating that somebody will begin
doing something, or something will start happening now (used also with
“about to” and “going to”) • I was
just about to tell you.

3.  only:
only or merely the thing, amount, or situation mentioned • This
is just a warning.

4.  barely:
by only a small degree or margin • I
arrived just in time.

5.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize a statement, usually
in order to express an emotion • It’s
just plain wrong.

6.  exactly:
precisely the thing, amount, or situation mentioned • It’s
just what you need.
adjective

1.  fair
and impartial: acting with fairness and impartiality

2.  morally
correct:
done, pursued, or given in accordance with what is morally right

3.  reasonable:
valid or reasonable
[14th
century. Via French juste from Latin justus, from jus
“law, right.”]
—just·ly,
adverb

—just·ness,
noun
just
about

used
to indicate that something is the case, but only by a very small degree or
amount

just
a moment or second or minute

used
to ask someone to wait for a short time

just
now

1.  a
very short time ago

2.  at
this very moment

just
so

1.  used
to express agreement with or confirmation of a statement that has just been
made

2.  done
or arranged precisely • They
wanted the room decorated just so.

[1]



just-folks

just-folks
just-folks 
adjective

relaxed:
friendly and informal or unpretentious (informal) • has
a just-folks attitude[1]



Justice

Justice
Jus·tice 
[jústiss]

village in northeast
Illinois, southeast of Downers Grove, and a western suburb of Chicago.
Population: 11,439 (1996)[1]



justice

justice
jus·tice 
[jústiss] (plural justices) noun

1.  fairness:
fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or
decisions are made

2.  LAW application
of law:
the legal system or the act of applying or upholding the law

3.  LAW validity:
validity in law

4.  good
reason:
sound or good reason

5.  judge:
a judge, especially of a higher court
[12th
century. Via French from Latin justitia, from justus “ just .”]
bring
somebody to justice

to
arrest somebody to be tried in a court of law

do
justice to somebody or something

1.  to
deal with somebody or something fairly

2.  to
convey the true qualities, especially the merits, of somebody or something

do
yourself justice

to
display your own abilities fully or perform to your full potential (often
used in the negative)

[1]



justiceof the peace

justiceof the peace
jus·tice
of the peace (plural jus·tices of the peace)
noun

local magistrate:
somebody, usually without legal training or qualifications, who is appointed to
judge minor cases such as speeding violations, perform marriages, and
administer oaths[1]



justiciable

justiciable
jus·ti·ci·a·ble 
[jùstíshəb’l] adjective

1.  liable
for trial:
able or required to be tried in a court of law

2.  capable
of being settled in court: able to be settled by
applying the principles of law
—jus·ti·ci·a·bil·i·ty
[jùstìshəbílətee], noun[1]



justiciary

justiciary
jus·ti·ci·ar·y 
[jùstíshee əree] adjective

relating to legal
administration: relating to the
administration of law[1]



justifiable

justifiable
jus·ti·fi·a·ble 
[jústif əb’l] adjective

able
to be justified: capable of being shown as reasonable or
merited according to accepted standards
—jus·ti·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[jùstifī əbílətee], noun

—jus·ti·fi·a·ble·ness,
noun

—jus·ti·fi·a·bly [jústifī əblee], adverb[1]



justifiablehomicide

justifiablehomicide
jus·ti·fi·a·ble
hom·i·cide
noun

lawful killing:
killing that is deemed to be lawful, especially because it is carried out in
self-defense or as the only way to prevent a crime[1]



justification

justification
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[jùstifi káysh’n] (plural jus·ti·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  something
that justifies: something, for example, a reason or
circumstance, that justifies an action or attitude

2.  giving
of reasons for something: the act of justifying
something

3.  PRINTING alignment
of margins:
adjustment of the lengths of spaces between and within words in text in order
to make both left and right margins align

4.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
doctrine:
the Christian belief that people are absolved from all sin if they believe in
Jesus Christ
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the late Latin stem justification-, from justificare
(see justify ).][1]



justificatory

justificatory
jus·tif·i·ca·to·ry 
[ju stífikə tàwree] or jus·ti·fi·ca·tive
[jústifi kàytiv] adjective

justifying
something:
serving or acting to justify something
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin justificatorius, from late Latin justificare (see justify ).][1]



justify

justify
jus·ti·fy 
[jústi f] (past jus·ti·fied, past
participle jus·ti·fied, present participle jus·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular jus·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
reasonable:
to serve as an acceptable reason or excuse for something (often passive)

2.  give
somebody reason: to give somebody an acceptable reason
for taking a particular action (often passive)

3.  explain:
to give a reason or explanation why something was done

4.  PRINTING align
margins of:
to adjust the lengths of spaces between and within words in text in order to
make both the left and right margins align

5.  CHRISTIANITY free
from sin:
to free somebody from sinfulness through faith in Jesus Christ or by the grace
of Jesus Christ

6.  LAW give
legal reason for: to provide a good reason in law for
something, especially for committing the offense that is the subject of a
criminal charge
[14th century. Via French justifier
from Latin justificare “to act justly, justify,” from Latin justus
“ just .”][1]



just-in-time

just-in-time
just-in-time 
noun

manufacturing system:
a manufacturing and stock-control system in which goods are produced and
delivered as they are required. It is designed to eliminate waste and avoid the
need for large inventories.
Also called
kanban[1]



jut

jut
jut 
[jut] intransitive and transitive verb
(past jut·ted, past participle jut·ted, present
participle jut·ting, 3rd person present singular juts)

stick
out:
to stick out, or make something stick out, especially beyond the surface or
edge of something
noun
(plural juts)

projecting
part:
something that sticks out
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of jet 1 .]
—jut·ting, adjective[1]



Jute

Jute
Jute 
[joot] noun (plural Jutes)

member
of Germanic people: a member of a Germanic
people from around the Rhine estuary who invaded parts of southeastern England
during the fifth century AD. They
settled in Kent and the Isle of Wight, where they soon became the dominant
people.
See
also
Angle
See
also
Saxon
adjective

relating
to Jutes:
relating to or typical of the Jute people or their culture
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Jutae, of Germanic origin.][1]



jute

jute
jute 
[joot] noun

1.  INDUSTRY fiber:
coarse fiber from the bark of an Asian tree that is used for making sacking and
rope

2.  PLANTS plant:
either of two Asian plants of the linden family that provide jute. Genus: Corchorus
[Mid-18th century. Via
Bengali jhuto from Sanskrit jūa “matted hair.”][1]



Jutland

Jutland
Jut·land 
[jút lənd]

peninsula in northern Europe,
containing all of mainland Denmark. The base of the peninsula is part of
Germany. Length: 338 km/210 mi.[1]



juvenescent

juvenescent
ju·ve·nes·cent 
adjective (literary)

1.  youthful:
youthful or young-looking

2.  becoming
a child:
growing out of infancy and into childhood
[Early
19th century. From Latin juvenescere “to grow up.”]
—ju·ve·nes·cence, noun[1]



juvenile

juvenile
ju·ve·nile 
[jvə n’l] adjective

1.  youthful:
young or youthful

2.  relating
to young people: relating to, intended for, or suitable
for young people • a juvenile court

3.  immature:
immature or childish • juvenile
behavior

4.  BIOLOGY not
yet mature:
used to describe a plant or animal that has not yet reached maturity

5.  BIRDS sexually
immature:
used to describe a bird that has developed contour feathers but is not yet
sexually mature

6.  GEOLOGY from
within the Earth: used to describe water or gas that has
risen to the surface from within the Earth for the first time
noun
(plural ju·ve·niles)

1.  youngster:
a young person

2.  BIOLOGY immature
animal or plant: an animal or plant that has not yet
reached maturity

3.  THEATER actor
suited to youthful parts: an actor who plays youthful
roles

4.  PUBLISHING book
for children: a book intended to be read by young
people
[Early
17th century. From Latin juvenilis, from juvenis “young.”]
—ju·ve·nile·ly,
adverb

—ju·ve·nile·ness, noun[1]



juveniledelinquent

juveniledelinquent
ju·ve·nile
de·lin·quent (plural ju·ve·nile
de·lin·quents) noun

young
criminal:
a young person who habitually breaks the law, especially somebody repeatedly
charged with vandalism or other antisocial behavior
—ju·ve·nile de·lin·quen·cy,
noun[1]



juvenilehormone

juvenilehormone
ju·ve·nile
hor·mone
(plural ju·ve·nile hor·mones) noun

insect hormone:
a hormone present in insect larvae that regulates the form of the larva after
each molt. The levels of it eventually fall to allow the larva to be
transformed into the adult insect.[1]



juvenilia

juvenilia
ju·ve·nil·i·a 
[jvənílee ə, jvənílyə]
plural noun

works produced in artist’s
youth: works produced in a
writer’s, artist’s, or composer’s youth, especially before a mature style has
developed[1]



juvenility

juvenility
ju·ve·nil·i·ty 
[jvə nílətee] noun

1.  juvenile
quality:
juvenile quality or state

2.  immaturity:
foolishly immature behavior

3.  act
of immaturity: an act of foolishly immature behavior (often
used in the plural)

[1]



juxtapose

juxtapose
jux·ta·pose
[júkstəpz] (past jux·ta·posed,
past participle jux·ta·posed, present participle jux·ta·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular jux·ta·pos·es) transitive verb

put
side by side: to place two or more things together,
especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize the contrast
between them
[Mid-19th
century. From French juxtaposer, from Latin juxta “close” +
French poser “ pose .”]
—jux·ta·po·si·tion
[jùkstəpə zísh’n], noun

—jux·ta·po·si·tion·al,
adjective[1]



Juárez,Benito Pablo

Juárez,Benito Pablo

Juá·rez
[wr ez, hwr ez],
Benito Pablo (1806–1872)
Mexican statesman and national hero. He
fought against the government of General Santa Anna and served as president of
Mexico (1861–1863 and 1867–1872).[1]



JV

JV
JV

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of joint venture

2.  Abbreviation
of
junior varsity

[1]



J.W.V.

J.W.V.
J.W.V.
noun

Abbreviation of
Jewish War Veterans[1]



Jy

Jy
Jy

Symbol for
Jansky[1]



Jysaitha

Jysaitha
Jy·sai·tha
noun

INDIAN
RELIGION third
month in Hindu calendar: in the
Hindu calendar, the third month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and
occurring at about the same time as May and June[1]



Jönköping

Jönköping
Jön·kö·ping
[yn chö ping]

city and capital of Jönköping
County, in southern Sweden. Population: 113,557 (1993)[1]



j’adoube

j’adoube
j’a·doube 
[zha db, zhaa
db] interjection

chess
player’s warning: an expression used by a chess player who
is about to adjust a piece on the board, to ensure that this will not be
counted as an official move
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “I dub” (touch on the shoulder).][1]



J’Ouvert

J’Ouvert
J’Ou·vert
[jváy] noun

Caribbean
eve
of Mardi Gras: the Monday that is the eve of Mardi
Gras, when the festivities begin
[From French jour ouvert,
literally “the day having been opened”][1]



K

K1
K1

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for kaon

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for kelvin

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for kinetic energy

4.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for potassium

[1]



k

k2
k2

1.  Abbreviation
of
karat

2.  Abbreviation
of
kilo-

3.  Abbreviation
of
knight

4.  Abbreviation
of
knit

5.  SAILING Abbreviation of knot

[1]



k

k1

k1 [kay]
(plural k’s) or K [kay]
(plural K’s or Ks) noun

1.  11th
letter of the English alphabet: the eleventh letter of
the modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “K”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “K”

3.        letter
“K” written: a written
representation of the letter “K”[1]



K

K2
K2

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
kilobyte

2.  (informal)
Abbreviation of kilometer

3.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
kindergarten

4.  K
or K. CARD GAMES CHESS Abbreviation of king

5.  K
or K. MUSIC (preceding
a number in Köchel’s catalogue of Mozart’s works) Abbreviation of
Köchel

6.  Abbreviation
of
knight

7.  Abbreviation
of
one thousand

8.  FINANCE Abbreviation of one
thousand dollars

9.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of strike-out

[1]



K-12

K-12
K-12
[kày twélv] noun

U.S.
school system: the school system from kindergarten
through twelfth grade • a need
for K-12 funding
[Shortening of kindergarten through twelfth grade][1]



K2

K2
K2 
[kày t]

the second highest mountain
in the world. It is situated in the Karakorum Range of the western Himalayas on
the border between China and the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Height: 8,611 m/28,251 ft.[1]



ka

ka1
ka1 [kaa]
noun

soul
of an ancient Egyptian: in ancient Egypt, the soul
of a dead person, said to be able to reside in a statue of that person after
death
[Late 19th century. From
Ancient Egyptian .][1]



ka

ka2
ka2

Symbol for
cathode[1]



Kaaba

Kaaba
Kaa·ba 
[kbə] noun

holy
Islamic site: a square building inside the great
mosque in Mecca, containing a sacred stone ( Black
Stone ) said to have been given by God. It is the most holy site in the
Islamic religion.
[Early 17th century. From Arabic,
literally “the square house.”][1]



kabab

kabab
ka·bab
noun

See
kebab[1]



kabala

kabala
kab·a·la
noun

See
cabala[1]



Kabardian

Kabardian
Ka·bar·di·an
[kə brdee ən, kə
brdyən] noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Russian people: a member of a people who
live in an area to the north of the Caucasus Mountains in southern European
Russia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of southern Russia: a language spoken in an area
to the north of the Caucasus Mountains in southern European Russia. It belongs
to the Abkhazo-Adyghean group of the Caucasian family of languages and is
spoken by about 300,000 people.
[Late
19th century. From Russian Kabarda, a place name.]
—Ka·bar·di·an, adjective[1]



kabbalah

kabbalah
kab·ba·lah
noun

See
cabala[1]



kabinett

kabinett
kab·i·nett
[kàbi nét] or Kab·i·nett [kàbi nét] noun

German
wine classification: the lowest grade of
high-quality German table wine, typically dry to medium dry
[Early 20th century. From
German Kabinettwein, literally “cabinet wine”; because the wine was
originally kept in a special cellar.][1]



kabob

kabob
ka·bob
(plural ka·bobs) noun

See
kebab[1]



kabuki

kabuki
ka·bu·ki 
[kə bkee] noun

Japanese
theater:
traditional Japanese drama in which male actors play both male and female parts
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese ka “song” + bu “dance” + ki “art, skill.”][1]



Kabul

Kabul
Ka·bul
[k bl, kə bl]

capital city of Afghanistan,
located in the center of the country. Population: 1,424,400 (1988)[1]



Kabyle

Kabyle
Ka·byle 
[kə bl] (plural Ka·byles or
Ka·byle) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a N African people: a member of a Berber people
who live in northeastern Algeria

2.  LANGUAGE N
African language: a Berber language spoken in northeastern
Algeria. It belongs to the Afro-Asiatic family of African languages and is
spoken by about three million people.
[Mid-18th
century. Probably from Arabic kabā’il “tribes.”]
—Ka·byle, adjective[1]



kachina

kachina
ka·chi·na 
[kə chnə] (plural ka·chi·nas)
noun

1.  Native
N American spirit: any one of the spirits
believed by the Native North American Hopi people to be the ancestors of human
beings

2.  figure
of a kachina: a representation of a kachina, usually
either a carved wooden doll or a costumed performer in a ceremonial dance
[Late 19th century. From Hopi
kacina “supernatural.”][1]



kadaitcha

kadaitcha
ka·dai·tcha
noun

See
kurdaitcha[1]



Kaddish

Kaddish
Kad·dish 
[kdish] (plural Kad·dish·im [kdíshim]) noun

Jewish
prayer:
a prayer recited at the close of the sections of Jewish religious services, and
by close relatives of a deceased person at times of mourning and anniversaries
of the death
[Early 17th century. From
Aramaic qaddīs “holy.”][1]



Kaduna

Kaduna
Ka·du·na 
[kə dnə]

capital of Kaduna State,
north central Nigeria, situated about 145 km/90 mi north of the national
capital, Abuja. Population: 309,600 (1992)[1]



kaffeeklatsch

kaffeeklatsch
kaf·fee·klatsch 
[kóffee klàch, kóffee
klòch] (plural kaf·fee·klatsches) noun

See
coffee klatch
[Late 19th century. From
German, from Kaffee “coffee” + Klatsch “gossip.”][1]



Kaffir

Kaffir
Kaf·fir 
[káffər] (plural Kaf·firs) or
Kaf·ir [káffər] (plural Kaf·irs)
noun

1.  South
Africa
offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to a Black African person (taboo offensive)

2.  Kaf·fir
or kaf·fir offensive term:
an offensive term referring to a person who is not a Muslim (slang offensive)

3.  LANGUAGE Xhosa:
the Xhosa language (dated)
[Mid-16th century. From
Arabic kāfir “unbeliever, infidel.”][1]



kaffircorn

kaffircorn
kaf·fir
corn
or kaf·ir corn noun

sorghum:
a variety of sorghum cultivated in southern Africa for its grain, used to make
beer and as a fodder crop (sometimes considered offensive)
Also called
kafir[1]



kaffiyeh

kaffiyeh
kaf·fi·yeh 
[kə f ə, kaa f
ə] (plural kaf·fi·yehs) noun

cotton headdress worn by Arab
men: a cotton headdress fastened
by a band and worn by Arab men.
Also called
keffiyeh
U.K. term
keffiyeh[1]



kafir

kafir
kaf·ir
noun

See
kaffir corn[1]



Kafir

Kafir
Kaf·ir 
(plural Kaf·irs) noun

See
Kaffir[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kafircorn

kafircorn
kaf·ir
corn
noun

See
kaffir corn[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Kafiri

Kafiri
Kaf·i·ri 
[káfəree] noun

Asian
language:
the language of the Nuri people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It belongs to the
Dardic branch of the Indo-Aryan family of languages.
[Early 20th century. See Kaffir .][1]



Kafkaesque

Kafkaesque
Kaf·ka·esque 
[kfkə ésk] adjective

1.  of
Kafka’s work: relating to or typical of the work of
Franz Kafka

2.  impersonal
and overcomplex: characterized by seemingly pointless,
impersonal, and often disturbing overcomplexity

[1]



Kafka,Franz

Kafka,Franz

Kaf·ka
[kfkə], Franz (1883–1924)
Czech novelist. His dreamlike works, such
as The Trial (1925) and The Castle (1926), are full of oppression
and despair. His major novels were published posthumously by his friend, Max
Brod, against Kafka’s wishes.[1]



kaftan

kaftan
kaf·tan 
noun

See
caftan[1]



Kafue

Kafue
Ka·fu·e 
[kaa f ay]

river in central Zambia, a
tributary of the Zambezi. It rises near Zambia’s northern border with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Length: 1,570 km/980 mi.[1]



Kagoshima

Kagoshima
Ka·go·shi·ma 
[kàgō shmə, kàagō
shmə]

seaport and capital of
Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern coast of Kyushu, Japan. Population:
536,752 (1990)[1]



kagu

kagu
ka·gu
[k g] (plural ka·gus) noun

nearly
extinct bird: a large grayish flightless bird found
only on the Pacific island of New Caledonia. It is now nearly extinct. Latin
name: Rhynochetos jubatus
[Mid-19th century. From
Melanesian .][1]



kahawai

kahawai
ka·ha·wai
[khə w] (plural ka·ha·wais or
ka·ha·wai) noun

Australian
fish:
a large marine fish of the perch family, similar in appearance to the salmon.
It is found in Australia and New Zealand. Latin name: Arripis trutta
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



kahikatea

kahikatea
ka·hi·ka·te·a
[kkə t ə, kàkə
t ə] (plural kahi·ka·te·as) noun

New
Zealand tree: a tall evergreen tree that is native to
New Zealand and is an important source of timber. Latin name: Podocarpus
dacrydioides
[Early 19th century. From
Maori .][1]



Kahlo,Frida

Kahlo,Frida

Kah·lo
[kl ō], Frida (1907–1954)
Mexican painter. She is known for her
idiosyncratic self-portraits that incorporate elements and subject matter
inspired by Mexican folk art and her personal life. She was married to the
Mexican painter Diego Rivera.[1]



Kahului

Kahului
Ka·hu·lui 
[k hoo l ee]

community in Maui County,
Hawaii, on the northern coast of Maui Island. Population: 16,889 (1990)[1]



kahuna

kahuna
ka·hu·na 
[kə hnə] (plural ka·hu·nas) noun

1.  important
person:
an important or influential person (informal)

2.  Hawaiian
shaman:
a Hawaiian priest or witch doctor
[Late 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



kaiak

kaiak
kai·ak 
noun

See
kayak[1]



KaieteurFalls

KaieteurFalls
Kai·e·teur
Falls 
[k ə tr fáwlz]

falls in central Guyana, on
the Potaro branch of the Essequibo River. Height: 225 m/740 ft.[1]



kaif

kaif
kaif
noun

See
kif[1]



Kaifeng

Kaifeng
Kai·feng 
[k féng]

city in northern China, in
the Huang He valley of northern Henan Province. Population: 507,763 (1990)[1]



Kailua

Kailua
Kai·lu·a 
[kī l ə]

community in Honolulu County,
Hawaii, on the southeastern coast of Oahu Island. Population: 36,818 (1990)[1]



kainite

kainite
kai·nite 
[k nt, káy nt]
noun

mineral
used as fertilizer: a variously colored mineral
that is a sulfate and chloride of magnesium and potassium. It is a source of
potassium and is often used as a fertilizer.
[Mid-19th century. From
German Kainit, from German kainos “new, recent.”][1]



KaiparaHarbour

KaiparaHarbour
Kai·pa·ra
Har·bour
[kī p raa hrbər]

wide harbor on the
northwestern coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Area: 520 sq km/200 sq mi.[1]



Kairouan

Kairouan
Kai·rou·an
[kər wn]

city in northern Tunisia,
capital of Al Qayrawan Governate. Called the City of a Hundred Mosques, it is
one of the holiest Muslim cities. Population: 102,600 (1992)[1]



kaiser

kaiser
kai·ser
[kzər] (plural kai·sers) noun

German
emperor:
any one of the former German, Austrian, or Austro-Hungarian emperors,
especially the German emperor Wilhelm II, who ruled Germany during World War I
[Old
English cāsare, related to Greek kaisar from Latin Caesar]
—kai·ser·dom,
noun

—kai·ser·ism, noun[1]



Kaiser,Henry J.

Kaiser,Henry J.
Kai·ser 
[kzər], Henry J. (1882–1967)

U.S.
industrialist. He was involved in the construction, shipbuilding, automobile,
steel, aluminum, and chemical industries.
Full name
Kaiser, Henry John[1]



kaiserin

kaiserin
kai·ser·in
[kzərin] (plural kai·ser·ins)
noun

German
empress or emperor’s wife: a German empress or the wife
of a German emperor
[Late 19th century. From
German, feminine form of kaiser .][1]



kaiserroll

kaiserroll
kai·ser
roll
(plural kai·ser rolls) noun

bread roll:
a crusty round roll, often sprinkled with poppy or sesame seeds, made by
folding corners of a square up until they meet[1]



kaizen

kaizen
kai·zen
[k zén] noun

philosophy
of ongoing improvement: a Japanese philosophy
advocating the need for continuous improvement in a person’s personal and
professional life
[Late 20th century. Japanese,
“improvement.”][1]



kaka

kaka
ka·ka 
[kkə] (plural ka·kas) noun

New
Zealand parrot: a species of parrots found in New
Zealand and having a long gray bill and greenish-brown plumage. Latin name: Nestor
meridionalis
[Late 18th century. From
Maori .][1]



KakaduNational Park

KakaduNational Park
Ka·ka·du
Na·tion·al Park [kkə doo
násh’nəl paark]

national park in the Northern
Territory, Australia. Area: 20,000 sq km/7,770 sq mi.[1]



kakapo

kakapo
ka·ka·po 
[kkə p] (plural ka·ka·pos) noun

flightless
New Zealand parrot: a large flightless nocturnal
parrot with green plumage, native to New Zealand. It looks similar to an owl
and is now rare. Latin name: Strigops habroptilus
Also
called
owl parrot
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



kakemono

kakemono
ka·ke·mo·no 
[kkə mṓ n] (plural ka·ke·mo·nos)
noun

Japanese
wall hanging: a Japanese wall hanging in the form of a
tall narrow scroll, weighted at the base with a roller and decorated with a
painting or with a text in ornamental handwriting
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, from kake- “to hang” + mono “thing.”][1]



kaki

kaki
ka·ki 
(plural ka·kis) noun

See
Japanese persimmon
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



kakistocracy

kakistocracy
kak·is·toc·ra·cy 
[kàkə stókrəssee] (plural kak·is·toc·ra·cies)
noun

bad
government:
government by the most unscrupulous or unsuitable people, or a state governed
by such people
[Early 19th century. From
Greek kakistos “worst” + -cracy .][1]



kala-azar

kala-azar
ka·la-a·zar 
[klə ə zr] noun

tropical
disease:
a severe, often fatal, tropical fever caused by a parasite that enters the body
via a sand fly bite. Symptoms include acute anemia, weight loss, and an
enlarged liver and spleen.
[Late 19th century. From
Assamese, from kala “black” + āzār “disease.”][1]



Kalachakra

Kalachakra
Kalachakra
[klə chùkrə] (plural KalachakraS)
noun

Buddhist Wheel of Time:
a mandala, traditionally constructed out of grains of sand, depicting Buddhist
deities in a portrayal of time. The mandala is destroyed shortly after
construction to illustrate the Buddhist teaching of impermanence.[1]



KalahariDesert

KalahariDesert
Ka·la·ha·ri
De·sert 
[klə hree dézzərt]

arid and semiarid region in
southern Africa. It occupies much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South
Africa. Area: 712,000 sq km/275,000 sq mi.[1]



KalahariGemsbok National Park

KalahariGemsbok National Park
Ka·la·ha·ri
Gems·bok Na·tion·al Park [klə
haaree khemzbok násh’nəl paark]

national park in northwestern
South Africa. Area: 9,591 sq km/3,703 sq mi.[1]



kalanchoe

kalanchoe
kal·an·choe 
[kàllən kṓ ee] (plural kal·an·choes)
noun

tropical
plant:
any one of various species of tropical African succulent plants often grown as
potted plants for their shiny leaves and clusters of small bright red, pink, or
white flowers. Genus: Kalanchoe
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from French, ultimately from Chinese gāláncài .][1]



Kalashnikov

Kalashnikov
Ka·lash·ni·kov 
[kə lshni kòf] (plural Ka·lash·ni·kovs)
noun

rifle:
a Russian-manufactured semiautomatic assault rifle that is widely used as a
weapon among terrorists and paramilitary organizations
[Late 20th century. From
Russian, named for M. T. Kalashnikov, its developer.][1]



Kalat

Kalat
Ka·lat
[kə lt] or Ka·lāt [kə lt]

town in western Pakistan,
principal town of the Kalat region, in Baluchistan Province. Population: 11,000
(1981)[1]



kale

kale

kale 
[kayl] noun

1.  variety
of cabbage:
a hardy heartless variety of cabbage with dark green curly leaves. Latin name: Brassica
oleracea acephala
Also
called
cole
Also
called
colewort
Also
called
collard

2.  money:
money (slang)
[14th century. Scottish
variant of cole .][1]



kaleidoscope

kaleidoscope
ka·lei·do·scope 
[kə ldə skp] (plural ka·lei·do·scopes)
noun

1.  optical
toy:
an optical toy consisting of a cylinder with mirrors and colored shapes inside
that create shifting symmetrical patterns when the end is rotated

2.  complex
scene or pattern: a complex, colorful, and shifting
pattern or scene

3.  complex
set of events: a complex set of events or circumstances
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek kalos “beautiful” + eidos “form”
+ -scope, literally “observer of beautiful
forms,” coined by Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), its inventor.]
—ka·lei·do·scop·ic
[kə ldə skópik], adjective

—ka·lei·do·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



kalends

kalends
kal·ends 
plural noun

See
calends[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








KaleyardSchool

KaleyardSchool
Kale·yard
School
noun

group
of Scottish writers: a group of Scottish writers,
active from the late 19th to the early 20th century, who wrote romantic
portrayals of life in the Scottish Lowlands
[Kaleyard “kitchen garden (of
a small cottage),” from kale + yard ; from the writers’ portrayal of local town
life][1]



Kalgoorlie-Boulder

Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Kal·goor·lie-Boul·der
[kalgrlee bṓldər]

city in southern Western
Australia, a gold mining center. Population: 28,087 (1996)[1]



kalif

kalif
ka·lif
(plural ka·lifs) noun

See
caliph[1]



Kalimantan

Kalimantan
Ka·li·man·tan 
[kàlə mántàn]

region of the Republic of
Indonesia, occupying the southern portion of the island of Borneo. Population:
10,470,800 (1995) Area: 542,700 sq km/209,500 sq mi.[1]



kalimba

kalimba

ka·lim·ba 
[kə límbə] (plural ka·lim·bas)
noun
musical
instrument:
an African instrument consisting of tuned metal or bamboo bars of varying
lengths attached to a soundboard. The bars are plucked to give sound.
[Mid-20th century. From Bantu
.][1]



Kalinin

Kalinin
Ka·li·nin 
[kə lnən]

Former name for
Tver 1933–1990[1]



Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad
Ka·li·nin·grad 
[kə lnin grd]

city in western Russia, on
the Pregolya River. It is the capital of Kaliningrad Oblast. Population:
406,000 (1990) Former name Königsberg
until 1946[1]



KaliYuga

KaliYuga
Ka·li
Yu·ga
[kàllee ygə, kùllee
ygə] noun

Hindu
age:
in Hindu philosophy, the age of decadence. It is the fourth and last age in the
Hindu cycle of the world.
[From Sanskrit][1]



kallikrein

kallikrein
kal·li·krein 
[kàlə kr ən, kə
líkree ən] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme present in blood, urine, and body tissue that, when activated,
dilates blood vessels[1]



Kalmar

Kalmar
Kal·mar 
[klmr]

port city in southern Sweden,
the capital of Kalmar County. It is situated on Kalmarsund opposite the island
of Öland. Population: 58,420 (1995)[1]



kalmia

kalmia
kal·mi·a
[kálmee ə, kálmyə]
(plural kal·mi·as) noun

flowering
shrub:
a flowering evergreen shrub, native to North America, that has poisonous leaves
and belongs to the heath family. The mountain ash is a kalmia . Genus: Kalmia
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the Swedish botanist Pehr Kalm
(1716–1779).][1]



Kalmyck

Kalmyck
Kal·myck
[kál mìk, kal
mík] or Kal·muk [kálmùk,
kal múk] noun (plural Kal·mycks
or Kal·myck) (plural Kal·muks or Kal·muk)

1.  PEOPLES member
of a SW Russian people: a member of a people who
live in an autonomous region of southwest Russia. They migrated from
northeastern China during the 17th century.

2.  LANGUAGE Mongolian
language:
the language spoken by the Kalmyck. It belongs to the Mongolian branch of the
Altaic family of languages and is spoken by about 150,000 people.
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of the
language of the Kalmyck: relating to the Kalmyck
language

2.  PEOPLES of the
Kalmyck:
relating to the Kalmyck or their culture
[Early 17th century. From
Russian Kalmyk .][1]



kalpa

kalpa
kal·pa
[kálpə, kúlpə]
(plural kal·pas) noun

period
in Hindu philosophy: in Hindu philosophy, an
immeasurably long period of time. Its length is variable, sometimes described
as one complete cycle of the world ( yuga ),
sometimes as 1,000 cycles.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit .][1]



kama

kama
ka·ma
[kmə] noun

sexual
pleasure:
sexual pleasure as the third of the four Hindu goals of life
[From Sanskrit kāma
“love, desire”][1]



kamaaina

kamaaina
ka·maa·i·na 
[kmə nə] (plural ka·maa·i·nas)
noun

Hawaiian
resident:
somebody who is a long-time resident of Hawaii
[Early 20th century. From
Hawaiian, from kama “child” + āina “land.”][1]



kamacite

kamacite
ka·ma·cite
[kámmə st] noun

alloy:
an alloy of nickel and iron found in meteorites
[Late 19th century. From
Greek kamak-, kamax “vine pole” + -ite
.][1]



Kamakura

Kamakura
Ka·ma·ku·ra 
[kmə krə]

city southwest of Tokyo, on
Sagami Bay, in Kanagawa Prefecture, southeastern Honshu, Japan. Population:
174,307 (1993)[1]



kamala

kamala
ka·ma·la 
[kmmələ, kámmələ]
(plural ka·ma·las) noun

1.  East
Indian tree: an East Indian tree that belongs to the
spurge family. Latin name: Mallotus philippinensis

2.  powder:
a powder obtained from seeds of the kamala, used as a dye and formerly used to
treat worm infestations
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit, probably of Dravidian origin.][1]



KamaSutra

KamaSutra
Ka·ma
Su·tra 
[kmə strə] noun

ancient
text on lovemaking: an ancient Sanskrit text
giving instruction on the art of lovemaking
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit, from kāma “love, desire” + sūtra “precept.”][1]



KamchatkaPeninsula

KamchatkaPeninsula
Kam·chat·ka
Pen·in·su·la [kam chàt kə
pə nínsyələ]

large peninsula of eastern
Russia that separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Bering Sea and the Pacific
Ocean. Area: 518,000 sq km/200,000 sq mi.[1]



kame

kame
kame 
[kaym] (plural kames) noun

ridge
formed by a glacier: a ridge of sand and gravel
left by a melting glacier
[Late 18th century. From
Scottish kame “comb.”][1]



KamehamehaI

KamehamehaI

Ka·me·ha·me·ha
I 
[kə màyəmáy ə], King of Hawaii (1758–1819)
He
became king of the island of Hawaii in 1782, united all the Hawaiian islands
(1810), and ruled until his death.
Known as
Kamehameha the Great[1]



Kamet,Mount

Kamet,Mount
Ka·met,
Mount
[kú màmy]

mountain in the Himalayas, in
northern India, near the source of the Jumna River. Height: 7,756 m/25,447 ft.[1]



kamikaze

kamikaze
ka·mi·ka·ze 
[kmi kzee] noun (plural ka·mi·ka·zes)

1.  AIR FORCE Japanese
suicide pilot: a World War II Japanese pilot trained
for the suicide mission of flying an aircraft packed with explosives into an
enemy target, often a ship (often used before a noun) • a
kamikaze pilot

2.  AIR Japanese
aircraft:
an aircraft used by a kamikaze, especially one designed specifically for
suicide crashes (often used before a noun)

3.  reckless
person:
somebody who behaves in a reckless way, often somebody whose actions seem
self-defeating or self-destructive (informal)
adjective

reckless:
reckless, especially seeming to invite failure or self-destruction (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “divine wind.”][1]



Kamloops

Kamloops
Kam·loops 
[kám lps]

city in southern British
Columbia, Canada. It is a transportation and commercial hub. Population: 74,394
(1996)[1]



Kampala

Kampala
Kam·pa·la 
[kaam plə]

capital city of Uganda,
situated in the southern part of the country, near Lake Victoria. Population:
773,463 (1991)[1]



K&Rindustry

K&Rindustry
K·&·R
in·dus·try
noun

global counter-kidnapping
business: a global business composed
of legitimate personal security companies offering kidnap-and-ransom insurance
and post-kidnap negotiating skills and ransom payments, for example, to
foreign-based CEOs, bankers, and the super-rich[1]



Kampuchea

Kampuchea
Kam·pu·che·a 
[kàmp ch ə]

Former
name for
Cambodia 1975–1989
—Kam·pu·che·an, noun,
adjective[1]



kana

kana
ka·na 
[knə] (plural ka·nas) noun

1.  Japanese
writing system: one of the writing systems used in
Japanese. Symbols represent syllables and are often used in conjunction with
Japanese pictorial symbols ( kanji ) to
change the form of words.
See
also
hiragana
See
also
katakana

2.  symbol:
any one of the syllabic symbols used in kana
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Kanak

Kanak
Ka·nak
[kə nk] (plural Ka·naks) noun

citizen
of New Caledonia: somebody who was born in or is a citizen
of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, and who
supports independence from France
[Early
20th century. From French canaque, of uncertain origin: probably from
English Kanaka (see Kanaka ).]
—Ka·nak, adjective[1]



Kanaka

Kanaka
Ka·na·ka 
[kə nkə, kə nákə]
noun (plural Ka·na·kas)

Hawaiian
citizen:
somebody who was born in or is a citizen of Hawaii, especially somebody of
Polynesian descent
adjective

of
the Kanakas: relating to the Kanakas or their culture
[Mid-19th century. From
Hawaiian, “person, human being.”][1]



kanamycin

kanamycin
kan·a·my·cin 
[kànnə mss’n] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic obtained from a bacterium found in soil, effective against a wide
range of serious infections that are resistant to other safer antibiotics
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin kanamyceticus .][1]



Kananga

Kananga
Ka·nan·ga 
[kə nng gə]

city in the southern
Democratic Republic of Congo, capital of Kasai-Occidental Region. Population:
393,030 (1994) Former name Luluabourg[1]



Kanarese

Kanarese
Kan·a·rese 
[kànnə rz, kànnə
rss] noun (plural Kan·a·rese)

1.  PEOPLES member
of an Indian people: a member of a people living
in southwestern India, mainly in the Kanara region

2.  LANGUAGE See Kannada
adjective

PEOPLES GEOGRAPHY of Kanara region:
relating to the region of Kanara in southwestern India, or its people or
culture

[1]



Kanawha

Kanawha
Ka·na·wha
[kə n wə]

river in west central West
Virginia. It rises in northwestern North Carolina and joins the Ohio River at
Point Pleasant. Length: 156 km/97 mi.[1]



Kanazawa

Kanazawa
Ka·na·za·wa 
[knə zwə]

city and seaport in northern
Honshu, Japan. Population: 442,868 (1990)[1]



kanban

kanban
kan·ban
[kn bn] (plural kan·bans) noun

1.  order
card:
in the just-in-time manufacturing and stock-control system, a card bearing an
order for goods, sent to a manufacturer or supplier

2.  See
just-in-time
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese “billboard, sign.”][1]



Kanchenjunga

Kanchenjunga
Kan·chen·jun·ga 
[kùnchən júng gə, kuchən
jng gə]

the third highest mountain in
the world. It is situated in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and
Sikkim, India. Height: 8,598 m/28,208 ft.[1]



Kandahar

Kandahar
Kan·da·har
[kndə hr, kùndə
hr]

city in southern Afghanistan.
It is the capital of Kandahar Province and the country’s commercial center.
Population: 225,500 (1988)[1]



Kandinsky,Wassily

Kandinsky,Wassily
Kan·din·sky
[kan dínskee], Wassily (1866–1944)

Russian painter. One of the
earliest exponents of pure abstraction in art, he wrote Concerning the
Spiritual in Art (1912), the first treatise on this subject. He taught at
the Bauhaus school of design in Weimar and Dessau, Germany (1922–1933).[1]



Kandy

Kandy
Kan·dy
[kándee]

city in central Sri Lanka,
capital of Central Province. Population: 104,000 (1990)[1]



Kaneohe

Kaneohe
Ka·ne·o·he 
[k nee ṓ hee]

community in Honolulu County,
Hawaii, on the southeastern coast of Oahu Island. Population: 35,448 (1990)[1]



Kane,Paul

Kane,Paul
Kane
[kayn], Paul (1810–1871)

Irish-born Canadian artist.
His paintings depict Native North American life in northwestern Canada.[1]



kanga

kanga
kan·ga
[káng gə] (plural kan·gas) or
khan·ga [káng gə] (plural khan·gas)
noun

woman’s
garment:
a brightly colored and decorated piece of cotton cloth that women wrap around
the body as a garment, originally and especially in East Africa.
Also
called
khanga
[Mid-20th century. From
Kiswahili .][1]



kangaroo

kangaroo

kan·ga·roo 
[kàng gə r] (plural kan·ga·roos)
noun
marsupial
with powerful hindquarters: a large leaping animal with
powerful hind legs, short forelegs, and a long tail. It is marsupial and is
native to Australia and New Guinea. Family: Macropodidae
[Late 18th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



kangaroocourt

kangaroocourt
kan·ga·roo
court 
(plural kan·ga·roo courts) noun

mock court:
an unofficial or mock court set up spontaneously for the purpose of delivering
a judgment arrived at in advance, usually one in which a disloyal cohort’s fate
is decided[1]



kangaroopaw

kangaroopaw
kan·ga·roo
paw
(plural kan·ga·roo paws) noun

flowering plant:
an Australian plant with downy green-and-red flowers. Genus: Anigozanthos[1]



kangaroorat

kangaroorat
kan·ga·roo
rat
(plural kan·ga·roo rats) noun

small leaping rodent:
a small nocturnal jumping rodent found in the deserts of the United States and
Mexico. It has a long tail and long hind limbs. Genus: Dipodomys[1]



kangaroovine

kangaroovine
kan·ga·roo
vine
(plural kan·ga·roo vines) noun

Australian vine:
a climbing vine of Australia with shiny green or mottled leaves. Latin name: Cissus
antarctica[1]



KaNgwane

KaNgwane
Ka·Ng·wa·ne
[k əng gwnay]

former homeland in
northeastern South Africa, created in 1971 and abolished in 1994[1]



kanji

kanji
kan·ji 
[knjee] (plural kan·ji or
kan·jis) noun

1.  Japanese
writing system: a Japanese writing system that uses
pictorial characters based largely on Chinese ideograms

2.  written
character:
any one of the characters used in the kanji writing system
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, from kan “Chinese” + ji “letter, character.”][1]



Kankakee

Kankakee
Kan·ka·kee 
[kàngkə k]

city in northeastern
Illinois, on the Kankakee River, northeast of Urbana and southwest of Chicago.
Population: 27,217 (1996)[1]



Kannada

Kannada
Kan·na·da 
[knədə] noun

Indian
language:
a language spoken in some of the southern states of India. It belongs to the
Dravidian family of languages and is spoken by about 44 million people.
Also
called
Kanarese
adjective

relating to Kannada:
relating to the Kannada language[1]



Kano

Kano
Ka·no 
[knō]

capital of Kano State,
northern Nigeria. Population: 699,900 (1992)[1]



KanoMasanobu

KanoMasanobu
Ka·no
Ma·sa·no·bu
[knō masənṓboo] (1453–1490)

Japanese artist. He founded
the Kano school of painting and based his style on that of Chinese ink
painting.[1]



KanoMotonobu

KanoMotonobu
Ka·no
Mo·to·no·bu
[knō mōtōnṓboo] (1476–1539)

Japanese artist. He continued
the style of his father Kano Masanobu, and introduced the firm brush line used
in later Kano painting.[1]



Kanpur

Kanpur
Kan·pur 
[kn poor, kaan
pr] or Kān·pur [kn poor,
kaan pr]

city in Uttar Pradesh State,
northern India, on the Ganges River. Population: 1,958,282 (1991)[1]



Kans.

Kans.
Kans.

Abbreviation of
Kansas[1]



Kansa

Kansa
Kan·sa 
[kánzə, kánsə]
(plural Kan·sas or Kan·sa) noun
Also
called
Kaw

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who originally lived in parts of eastern and central Kansas.
Today the population lives mainly in eastern Oklahoma.

2.  LANGUAGE Native
American language: a Native American language
spoken in eastern Oklahoma. It belongs to the Siouan group of the Hokan Siouan
family of languages.
—Kan·sa, adjective[1]



Kansas

Kansas


Kan·sas 
[kánzəss]
state
in the western part of the central United States, bordered by Colorado,
Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Capital: Topeka. Population: 2,594,840 (1997)
Area: 213,110 sq km/82,282 sq mi.
—Kan·san, noun,
adjective[1]



Kansas




Back to definition

Kansas

[1]



KansasCity

KansasCity
Kan·sas
City 
[kànzəss sítee]

city in northeastern Kansas.
It is directly across the state line from Kansas City, Missouri. Population:
142,654 (1996)[1]



KansasCity jazz

KansasCity jazz
Kan·sas
Cit·y jazz
noun

big band jazz:
a style of big band jazz music characterized by blues motifs and a relaxed beat[1]



Kant,Immanuel

Kant,Immanuel
Kant
[kant, kaant],
Immanuel (1724–1804)

German
philosopher. He is a seminal figure in Western philosophy whose major work is Critique
of Pure Reason (1781).

—Kant·i·an
[kántee ən], adjective

—Kant·i·an·ism [kántee ə nìzzəm], noun[1]



kanzu

kanzu
kan·zu 
[kán z] (plural kan·zus) noun

African
garment for men: a long garment resembling a robe,
usually white and with long sleeves, worn by men in East Africa
[Early 20th century. From
Kiswahili .][1]



kaolin

kaolin
ka·o·lin 
[káy əlin] or ka·o·line [káy əlin] noun

white
clay:
fine white clay used in making porcelain and ceramics and in medicine as an
absorbent, for example, in treatments for diarrhea.
Also
called
porcelain clay
[Early 18th century. From
Chinese gāoling, literally “high hill,” named for the hill where it is
found.][1]



kaolinite

kaolinite
ka·o·lin·ite 
[káy əli nt] noun

white
or gray mineral: a white or gray mineral that consists of
a silicate of aluminum and is the main constituent of kaolin. Al2Si2O5(OH)4
—ka·o·lin·it·ic [kày əli níttik], adjective[1]



kaon

kaon
ka·on 
[káy òn] (plural ka·ons) noun

elementary
particle:
an unstable elementary particle produced as a result of high-energy particle
collision. It occurs in both charged and neutral forms and helps to hold
protons and neutrons together inside a nucleus.
Also
called
K-meson Symbol K
[Mid-20th century. From K-meson,
its earlier name.][1]



kapellmeister

kapellmeister
ka·pell·meis·ter
[kə pél mstər] (plural ka·pell·meis·ters)
noun

director
of a choir:
the director of a modern choir or, in former times, the director of the
orchestra, choir, or opera in the household of a German prince
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Kappelle “court orchestra” + Meister “master.”][1]



kaph

kaph
kaph 
[kf] noun

Hebrew
letter:
the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet
as “k” or, at the end of a word, as “kh”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew, literally “the palm of the hand.”][1]



kapok

kapok
ka·pok 
[káy pòk] noun

silky
fiber:
silky fiber obtained from the seed covering of a tropical tree, with numerous
uses in the textile industry, for example, as a stuffing and padding material.
Also
called
silk cotton
[Mid-18th century. From Malay
.][1]



kapokbush

kapokbush
ka·pok
bush
(plural ka·pok bush·es) noun

flowering tree:
a small Australian deciduous tree with bright yellow flowers. Genus: Cochlospermum[1]



Kaposi’ssarcoma

Kaposi’ssarcoma
Ka·po·si’s
sar·co·ma 
[kə psseez saar kṓmə] noun

cancer
of connective tissue: a cancer of connective
tissue that causes purplish-red patches on the skin, most commonly found in
equatorial Africa and in AIDS patients
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Hungarian dermatologist M. K. Kaposi (1837–1902), who described it.][1]



kappa

kappa
kap·pa 
[káppə] noun

Greek
letter:
the tenth letter in the Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as
“k” or “c”
[From Greek][1]



kaput

kaput
ka·put 
[kaa pt, kaa
pt, kə pt] adjective

out
of order:
broken, incapacitated, or not functioning (informal)
[Late 19th century. Via
German kaputt from French capot, part of a phrase that refers to
losing all tricks in the game of piquet.][1]



karabiner

karabiner
kar·a·bi·ner
[kèrrə bnər] (plural kar·a·bi·ners)
noun

See
carabiner
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of German Karabiner-haken “spring-hook.”][1]



Karachay-Cherkessia

Karachay-Cherkessia
Ka·ra·chay-Cher·kes·sia
[kèrrəchī chər késsyə]

autonomous republic in
southwestern European Russia, bordering Georgia. Cherkessk is the capital.
Population: 434,100 (1994) Area: 14,100 sq km/5,444 sq mi.[1]



Karaism

Karaism
Kar·a·ism
[kérrə ìzzəm] noun

form
of Judaism:
the beliefs of a Jewish denomination ( Karaites ) founded in the 8th century.
Its members accept the Bible as the sole source of religious law and reject the
Oral and Rabbinical Law.
[Late
19th century. From Hebrew qērāīm “Karaites,” from qārā’ “to
read.”]
—Kar·aite, noun[1]



Karajan,Herbert von

Karajan,Herbert von
Ka·ra·jan
[krə yn], Herbert von (1908–1989)

Austrian conductor. He was
the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1955–1989) and
director of the Vienna State Opera (1955–1964).[1]



Kara-Kalpak

Kara-Kalpak
Ka·ra-Kal·pak
[kèrrə kál pak] (plural Ka·ra-Kal·paks
or Ka·ra-Kal·pak) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a people of Uzbekistan: a member of a people who
live mainly in the Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Republic in northwestern Uzbekistan

2.  LANGUAGE Turkic
language:
a Turkic language spoken by the Kara-Kalpak. It belongs to the Altaic family of
languages and is spoken by about 300,000 people.
[Early
18th century. From Kirghiz, from kara “black” + kalpak “cap.”]
—Ka·ra-Kal·pak, adjective[1]



KarakoramRange

KarakoramRange
Ka·ra·ko·ram
Range
[kàrrə káwrəm ràynj]

mountain range in the western
Himalayas, south central Asia. Its highest peak is K2, 8,611 m/28,250 ft .[1]



KaraKul

KaraKul
Ka·ra
Kul
[kèrrəkl]

two lakes in eastern
Tajikistan, high on the Pamir plateau near the border with China. They are
Great Kara Kul and Little Kara Kul.[1]



karakul

karakul
kar·a·kul 
[kérrəkəl] (plural kar·a·kuls)
or car·a·cul [kérrəkəl] (plural
car·a·culs) noun

1.  sheep:
a hardy sheep of a breed from Central Asia, the lambs of which have a soft
curly black coat

2.  fleece:
the furry wool from karakul lambs, used especially for making fur coats
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian, from, in turn, the name of an oasis in Uzbekistan and two lakes in
Tajikistan, perhaps ultimately from Turkish .][1]



karaoke

karaoke
kar·a·o·ke 
[kàrree ṓkee] noun

singing
to prerecorded music: a form of entertainment in
which amateur singers sing popular songs accompanied by prerecorded music from
a machine that may also display the words on a video screen
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese, from kara “empty” + oke an abbreviation of ōkesutora
“orchestra.”][1]



KaraSea

KaraSea
Ka·ra
Sea
[krə s]

sea bordering the
northwestern coast of Siberian Russia. It is an arm of the Arctic Ocean. Area:
777,000 sq km/300,000 sq mi.[1]



karat

karat
kar·at 
[kérrət] (plural kar·ats) noun

measure of gold content:
a unit of proportion of gold in an alloy equal to 1/24 part of pure gold.
U.K. term
carat[1]



karate

karate
ka·ra·te 
[kə rtee] noun

Japanese
unarmed combat: a traditional Japanese form of unarmed
combat, now widely popular as a sport, in which fast blows or kicks are used
[Mid-20th
century. From Japanese, from kara “empty” + te “hand.”]
—ka·ra·te·ist, noun[1]



karateka

karateka
ka·ra·te·ka
[kə rtə k] (plural ka·ra·te·kas)
noun

karate
expert:
somebody who practices karate or is an expert in karate
[From Japanese, literally
“karate person”][1]



Karbala

Karbala
Kar·ba·la 
[krbələ] or Kar·ba·lā’ [krbələ]

city in central Iraq, on the
edge of the Syrian Desert. Population: 184,600 (1985)[1]



Karelian

Karelian
Ka·re·li·an 
[kə rlee ən, kə
rly ən] (plural Kare·li·ans) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Finnish
dialect:
a dialect of Finnish spoken in the northeastern European region of Karelia that
formerly belonged to Finland but is now an autonomous republic. It is spoken by
around 120,000 people.

2.  PEOPLES citizen
of the Karelian Republic: a native or citizen of the Karelian
Republic
—Ka·re·li·an, adjective[1]



Karen

Karen
Ka·ren 
[kə rn, kə rén]
(plural Ka·rens or Ka·ren) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an Asian people: a member of a people who
live mainly in southern and eastern Myanmar, formerly Burma

2.  LANGUAGE Asian
language:
any of the Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in southern and eastern Myanmar. It
belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family and around two million people speak
it.
[Mid-18th
century. From Burmese ka-reng “wild, unclean man.”]
—Ka·ren, adjective[1]



Kariba,Lake

Kariba,Lake
Ka·ri·ba,
Lake
[kə rbə]

artificial lake on the border
between Zambia and Zimbabwe, southern Africa. It was created by building the
Kariba Dam across the Zambezi River. Area: 5,180 sq km/2,000 sq mi.[1]



Karl-Marx-Stadt

Karl-Marx-Stadt
Karl-Marx-Stadt 
[kaarl mrks shtt]

Former name for
Chemnitz 1953–1990[1]



Karloff,Boris

Karloff,Boris
Kar·loff
[kr làwf], Boris (1887–1969)

British
actor. He appeared in numerous U.S. horror films, notably as the monster in the
film Frankenstein ( 1931 ).
Real name
Pratt, William Henry[1]



KarlovyVary

KarlovyVary
Kar·lo·vy
Va·ry 
[krləvee vree]

city in the northwestern
Czech Republic, situated on the Ohře River, west of Prague. Population: 56,292
(1991)[1]



Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe
Karls·ru·he
[krlz r ə]

industrial and university
city in Baden-Württemberg State, southwestern Germany. Population: 277,700
(1994)[1]



karma

karma
kar·ma 
[krmə] (plural kar·mas) noun

1.  EASTERN RELIGION Eastern
philosophy:
the Hindu and Buddhist philosophy according to which the quality of people’s
current and future lives is determined by their behavior in this and in
previous lives

2.  atmosphere:
the atmosphere radiated by a place, situation, person, or object (informal)

3.  destiny:
destiny or fate in general
[Early
19th century. From Sanskrit karman “fate, action.”]
—kar·mic, adjective[1]



Karnak

Karnak
Kar·nak
[kr nàk]

village in eastern Egypt, on
the Nile River, occupying part of the ancient city of Thebes[1]



Karnataka

Karnataka
Kar·na·ta·ka
[kər ntəkə] or Kar·nā·ta·ka [kər ntəkə]

state in southern India.
Capital: Bangalore. Population: 48,150,000 (1994) Area: 191,791 sq km/74,051 sq
mi. Former name Mysore[1]



Karnatakmusic

Karnatakmusic
Kar·na·tak
mu·sic
[kər ntək myzik] or Kar·nat·ic
mu·sic [kər ntək myzik] noun

Indian music:
the classical music of southern India, which often accompanies dance[1]



Karok

Karok
Kar·ok 
[kə rók] (plural Kar·oks or
Kar·ok) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native American people: a member of a Native
American people living mainly in northwestern California

2.  LANGUAGE Hokan
language:
a Hokan language spoken in parts of northwestern California. It belongs to the
Hokan Siouan family of Native American languages.
[Mid-19th
century. From Karok karuk “upstream.”]
—Ka·rok, adjective[1]



Karoo

Karoo
Ka·roo 
[kə r] or Kar·roo [kə r]

semidesert plateau regions in
Western Cape Province, South Africa. Area: 259,000 sq km/100,000 sq mi.[1]



karoo

karoo
ka·roo 
[kə r] (plural ka·roos) noun

African plateau:
an arid plateau in southern Africa[1]



kaross

kaross
kar·oss 
[kə róss] (plural kar·oss·es) noun

blanket:
a blanket made of animal skins, used in southern Africa as either a cloak or a
mattress
[Mid-18th century. From
Afrikaans karos, perhaps from Nama .][1]



Karratha

Karratha
Kar·rath·a
[kə rthə]

town on the western coast of
Western Australia, an industrial center. Population: 10,057 (1996)[1]



karst

karst
karst 
[kaarst] noun

limestone
region:
a limestone landscape, characterized by caves, fissures, and underground
streams
[Late
19th century. From German der Karst .]
—karst·ic, adjective[1]



Karttika

Karttika
Kart·ti·ka
[krtəkə] noun

8th month of the Hindu
calendar: in the Hindu calendar, the
eighth month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and occurring about the same
time as October to November[1]



Karumba

Karumba
Ka·rum·ba
[kərúmbə]

fishing port on the Gulf of
Carpentaria in northwestern Queensland, Australia. Population: 1,043 (1996)[1]



karyo-

karyo-
karyo-
prefix

cell
nucleus • karyoplasm
[Via modern Latin from Greek karuon
“nut, kernel”][1]



karyogamy

karyogamy
kar·y·og·a·my 
[kèrree óggəmee] noun

cell
fusion:
the fusion of cell nuclei that occurs during fertilization
[Late
19th century. Coined from kary(o)- + -gamy
.]
—kar·y·o·gam·ic [kèrree ə gámmik], adjective[1]



karyogram

karyogram
kar·y·o·gram
[kérree ə gràm] (plural kar·y·o·grams)
noun

chromosome
photograph:
a photograph or diagram of the chromosomes of a cell in sequence
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from kary(o)- + -gram .][1]



karyokinesis

karyokinesis
kar·y·o·ki·ne·sis 
[kèrree ōkə nssəss] noun

BIOLOGY See mitosis
[Late
19th century]
—kar·y·o·ki·net·ic, adjective[1]



karyology

karyology
kar·y·ol·o·gy
[kèrree ólləjee] noun

study
of cell nuclei: the study of cell nuclei, especially
with reference to chromosomes
[Late
19th century]
—kar·y·o·log·ic
[kèrree ə lójjik], adjective

—kar·y·o·log·i·cal
[kèrree ə lójjik’l], adjective

—kar·y·ol·o·gist [kèrree ólləjist], noun[1]



karyolymph

karyolymph
kar·y·o·lymph 
[kérree ə lìmf] noun

BIOLOGY See nuclear sap
[Late 19th century][1]



karyoplasm

karyoplasm
kar·y·o·plasm 
[kérree ə plàzzəm] noun

See
nucleoplasm
[Late
19th century]
—kar·y·o·plas·mic [kèrree ə plázzmik], adjective[1]



karyosome

karyosome
kar·y·o·some 
[kérree ə sm] (plural kar·y·o·somes)
noun

mass
of chromatin: a thickened mass of chromatin in a cell
nucleus
[Late 19th century][1]



karyotype

karyotype
kar·y·o·type 
[kérree ə tp] noun (plural kar·y·o·types)

1.  characteristics
of cell chromosomes: the appearance and
characteristics of the chromosomes of a cell, especially size, number, and form

2.  CELL BIOLOGY photomicrograph
of cell chromosomes: a photomicrograph in which a
cell’s chromosomes are arranged according to size and classification
transitive
verb
(past kar·y·o·typed, past participle kar·y·o·typed,
present participle kar·y·o·typ·ing, 3rd person present
singular kar·y·o·types)

determine cell’s karyotype:
to determine the karyotype of a cell
[Early
20th century]
—kar·y·o·typ·ic
[kèrree ə típpik], adjective

—kar·y·o·typ·i·cal
[kèrree ə típpik’l], adjective

—kar·y·o·typ·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Karāchi

Karāchi
Ka·rā·chi
[kə rchee]

seaport and largest city of
Pakistan, located in the south of the country. Population: 5,180,562 (1981)[1]



kasbah

kasbah
kas·bah
(plural kas·bahs) noun

See
casbah.[1]



kasha

kasha
ka·sha 
[kshə] (plural ka·shas) noun

1.  buckwheat
porridge:
a dish of cooked buckwheat resembling porridge, originally from Eastern Europe

2.  buckwheat:
the buckwheat from which kasha is made
[Early 19th century. From
Russian .][1]



Kashmir

Kashmir
Kash·mir
[kásh mr]

disputed territory in the
northern part of the Indian subcontinent.
See also
Jammu and Kashmir
See also
Jammu and Kashmir, State of
See also
Kashmir, Azad[1]



Kashmir,Azad

Kashmir,Azad
Kash·mir,
Azad
[kàsh meer  zàd]

section
of the disputed territory of Kashmir in the northern part of the Indian
subcontinent that has been under Pakistani control since 1972
[Azad meaning “free”][1]



Kashmiri

Kashmiri
Kash·mir·i 
[kash mree, ka
mree] noun (plural Kash·mir·is)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Kashmir: somebody who was born in or who is a
citizen of Kashmir in Central Asia

2.  LANGUAGE Dardic
language:
the official state language of Kashmir, also spoken in neighboring areas. It is
a Dardic language that belongs to the Indic group of languages and is spoken by
about five million people.
adjective

of Kashmir:
relating to Kashmir, its people, language, or culture

[1]



kashruth

kashruth
kash·ruth 
[kshrəth, kaash
rt] or kash·rut [kshrəth,
kaash rt] noun

1.  Jewish
laws:
the body of Jewish laws that relate to the preparation and fitness of foods and
to items such as textiles and ritual scrolls to be used by Jewish people

2.  fitness
for use by Jewish people: the fitness of an item for
use by Jewish people, as determined by reference to kashruth
[Early 20th century. From
Hebrew “fitness” especially “ritual fitness.”][1]



Kaskaskia

Kaskaskia2
Kas·kas·ki·a2  [kəskás
kee ə]

river in Illinois. It flows
southwestward into the Mississippi River. Length: 515 km/320 mi.[1]



Kaskaskia

Kaskaskia1
Kas·kas·ki·a1  [kəs
káskee ə] (plural Kas·kask·ias or Kas·kas·ki·a)
or Kas·kas·ki·as [kəs káskee ə]
noun

member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native N
American people, one of the six that form the Illinois Confederacy
—Kas·kas·ki·as, adjective[1]



Kasparov,Garry

Kasparov,Garry
Kas·pa·rov
[káspə ràwf], Garry (1963– )

Armenian
chess player. He became world champion following his defeat of Anatoly Karpov
in 1985.
Full name
Kasparov, Garry Kimovich Born Weinstein, Garri[1]



Kassala

Kassala
Kas·sa·la
[kə slə] or Kas·sa·lā [kə slə]

city in northeastern Sudan.
Population: 98,751 (1983)[1]



Kassel

Kassel
Kas·sel
[káss’l] or Cas·sel [káss’l]

city in west central Germany.
Population: 201,900 (1994)[1]



kata

kata
ka·ta
[k t] noun

sequence
of movements in martial arts: a sequence of movements in
some martial arts such as karate, used either for training or to demonstrate
technique
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “model, pattern.”][1]



katabasis

katabasis
ka·ta·ba·sis
[kàttə bássiss] (plural ka·ta·bas·es
[kàttə bá sz]) noun

retreat:
a retreat, particularly of a military kind (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, from kata “down” + basis “going.”][1]



katabatic

katabatic
kat·a·bat·ic 
[kàttə báttik] adjective

downward-moving:
used to describe a wind that moves down a slope, produced by the cooling of air
at higher altitudes
[Late 19th century. From
Greek katabatikos, from katabainein “to go down.”][1]



katabolism

katabolism
ka·tab·o·lism
noun

See
catabolism[1]



Katahdin,Mount

Katahdin,Mount
Ka·tah·din,
Mount
[kə t dən]

mountain in northern Maine,
in Baxter State Park. The highest of its several summits is Baxter Peak, 1,605
m/5,267 ft .[1]



katakana

katakana
ka·ta·ka·na 
[ktə knə] noun

Japanese
writing:
a syllabic form of writing in Japanese that is used principally to
transliterate non-Japanese words.
See
also
kana
See
also
hiragana
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, from kata “side” + kana .][1]



Kathak

Kathak
Kath·ak
[kútək] noun

Indian
dancing:
a form of classical dancing from northern India, used to tell a story
[Mid-20th century. From
Sanskrit kathaka “storyteller,” from kathā “story.”][1]



Kathakali

Kathakali
Kath·a·ka·li
[ktə klee] noun

Indian
drama:
a form of drama from southern India that interprets stories from Hindu
classical literature by combining dance and mime
[Early 20th century. From
Malayalam kathakali, from Sanskrit kathā “story” + Malayalam kali
“play.”][1]



Katharevusa

Katharevusa
Ka·tha·rev·u·sa 
[kthə révvoo s] noun

literary
Greek:
a form of modern Greek, used in literature as opposed to everyday speech and
writing, that employs some of the features of classical Greek.
See
also
Demotic
[Early 20th century. From
Greek kathareuousa, ultimately from Greek katharos “pure.”][1]



Katherine

Katherine
Kath·e·rine
[káthrən]

town in north central
Northern Territory, Australia, a center of beef production, fruit-growing, and
tourism. Population: 7,979 (1996)[1]



KatherineGorge

KatherineGorge
Kath·e·rine
Gorge
[káthrən gòrj]

series of sandstone gorges
cut by the Katherine River in the Northern Territory of Australia, northeast of
Katherine[1]



Kathmandu

Kathmandu
Kath·man·du


See
Katmandu[1]



Katmai,Mount

Katmai,Mount
Kat·mai,
Mount
[kát m]

volcano in Katmai National
Park and Preserve, Alaska. Height: 2,047 m/6,715 ft.[1]



KatmaiNational Park and Preserve

KatmaiNational Park and Preserve
Kat·mai
Na·tion·al Park and Pre·serve

national park on the Alaska
Peninsula, southwestern Alaska. Area: 1,656,475 hectares/4,093,240 acres.[1]



Katmandu

Katmandu
Kat·man·du
[kàt man d] or Kath·man·du [kàt man d]

capital city of Nepal,
located in the central part of the country. It is situated about 89 km/55 mi
from the border with India. Population: 419,073 (1991)[1]



Katoomba

Katoomba
Ka·toom·ba
[kə tmbə]

town in southeastern New
South Wales, Australia. Population: 17,700 (with Wentworth Falls) (1996)[1]



Katsina

Katsina
Kat·si·na
[kaatsnə]

city in northern Nigeria, the
capital of Katsina State. Population: 186,900 (1992)[1]



Kattegat

Kattegat
Kat·te·gat 
[káttə gàt]

strait between the
southwestern coast of Sweden and the eastern coast of the Jutland peninsula,
Denmark. Length: 225 km/140 mi.[1]



katydid

katydid
ka·ty·did 
[káytee dìd] (plural ka·ty·dids)
noun

large
grasshopper: a large green grasshopper that is native
to North America and has very long antennae. The males make a shrill sound.
Genus: Microcentrum
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of the sound produced by the male when it rubs its front wings
together.][1]



KatynForest

KatynForest
Ka·tyn
For·est
[ka tn]

forest in western European
Russia, near Smolensk, where the mass grave of thousands of Polish army
officers murdered by Soviet security services was discovered in 1943[1]



katzenjammer

katzenjammer
katz·en·jam·mer 
[kátsən jàmmər] (plural katz·en·jam·mers)
noun (dated informal)

1.  hangover:
a hangover

2.  blues:
a bewildered or discouraged state

3.  din:
a loud and confused noise
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Katze “cat” + Jammer “distress.”][1]



Kauai

Kauai
Kau·ai 
[ków w]

fourth largest island in
Hawaii, the northernmost of the main islands. Area: 1,431 sq km/552 sq mi.[1]



Kaufman,George S.

Kaufman,George S.

Kauf·man
[káwfmən], George S. (1889–1961)
U.S.
playwright and director. He cowrote many Broadway comedies, such as Animal
Crackers ( 1928 ) and Stage Door ( 1936 ).
Full name
Kaufmann, George Simon[1]



Kaunas

Kaunas
Kau·nas 
[kównəss]

industrial city in central
Lithuania, situated about 97 km/60 mi west of Vilnius. Population: 415,300
(1995)[1]



Kaunda,Kenneth

Kaunda,Kenneth
Ka·un·da
[kaa ndə], Kenneth (1924– )

Zambian
statesman. He was president of Zambia from independence in 1964 until 1991.
Full name
Kaunda, Kenneth David[1]



kauri

kauri
kau·ri 
[kówree] noun

1.  (plural
kau·ris) TREES New
Zealand tree: a large evergreen tree, native to New
Zealand, that has oval leaves and is valued for its strong timber. Latin name: Agathis
australis

2.  INDUSTRY timber:
the light-colored wood from the kauri tree

3.  See
kauri gum
[Early 19th century. From
Maori .][1]



kaurigum

kaurigum
kau·ri
gum
or kauri resin noun

resin from kauri tree:
the brittle resin of the kauri tree that is usually found in fossilized form
and is used mainly in varnishes.
Also called
kauri[1]



kava

kava
ka·va 
[kvə] noun

1.  (plural
ka·vas) PLANTS Polynesian
shrub:
a Polynesian shrub that has clusters of small flowers and belongs to the pepper
family. Latin name: Piper methysticum

2.  BEVERAGES drink:
a narcotic drink made from the roots of the kava plant
[Late 18th century. From
Tongan, literally “bitter.”][1]



Kaw

Kaw
Kaw 
[kaw] noun (plural Kaw or
Kaws [kaws]) adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Kansa[1]



Kawabata,Yasunari

Kawabata,Yasunari
Ka·wa·ba·ta
[kàawə bttə], Yasunari (1899–1972)

Japanese novelist. His works
include Snow Country ( 1956 ) and Thousand Cranes ( 1959 ). He
won the 1968 Nobel Prize in literature.[1]



Kawaguchi

Kawaguchi
Ka·wa·gu·chi 
[kwə gchee]

city north of Tokyo in
Saitama Prefecture, southeastern Honshu, Japan. Population: 438,680 (1990)[1]



Kawasaki

Kawasaki
Ka·wa·sa·ki 
[kwə skee]

city south of Tokyo beside
Tokyo Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Population: 1,173,603 (1990)[1]



kayak

kayak

kay·ak 
[k àk] or kai·ak [k àk] noun (plural kay·aks)
(plural kai·aks)

1.  sports
canoe:
a lightweight fiberglass canoe used for leisure and in competitive sport

2.  animal-skin
boat:
a traditional Inuit boat for one or two people using double-bladed paddles. It
is narrow and pointed and consists of a light frame covered with skins.
intransitive and transitive verb
(past kay·aked, past participle kay·aked, present
participle kay·ak·ing, 3rd person present singular kay·aks)
(past kai·aked, past participle kai·aked, present
participle kai·ak·ing, 3rd person present singular kai·aks)

travel by kayak:
to travel or race in a kayak
[Mid-18th
century. From Inuit qayaq .]
—kay·ak·er, noun[1]



kayo

kayo
kay·o 
[kày ṓ] noun (plural kay·os)

knockout:
a knockout, especially in boxing (slang)
transitive
verb
(past kay·oed, past participle kay·oed, present
participle kay·o·ing, 3rd person present singular kay·os)

knock
somebody out: to knock somebody out, especially in
boxing (slang)
[Early 20th century. The
pronunciation of KO, a shortening of knockout
.][1]



Kayseri

Kayseri
Kay·se·ri 
[kzə r]

city in central Turkey, near
Mount Argaeus. It is the capital of Kayseri Province. Population: 421,362
(1990)[1]



kazachok

kazachok
ka·za·chok
[kàzzə cháwk] (plural ka·za·choks)
noun

Russian
folk dance:
a Russian folk dance in which high kicks are made from a squatting position.
Also
called
kazatsky
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, a diminutive of kazak “Cossack.”][1]



Kazakh

Kazakh
Ka·zakh
[kə zák, kə zk]
(plural Ka·zakhs) or Ka·zak [kə zák, kə zk]
(plural Ka·zaks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an Asian people: a member of a Turko-Tatar
people of Central Asia, most of whom live in Kazakhstan and who are
predominantly Muslim

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Kazakhstan: the official language of
Kazakhstan in Central Asia, also spoken in parts of Mongolia, China, and
Afghanistan. It belongs to the Turkic branch of languages and is spoken by
about eight million people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Russian, from Kazakh kazak .]
—Ka·zakh, adjective[1]



Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan



Ka·zakh·stan 
[kàzək stn, kə
zk stn]
republic in Central Asia, bounded by
Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea.
Language: Kazakh. Currency: tenge. Capital: Astana. Population: 16,881,793
(1997) Area: 2,717,300 sq km/1,049,155 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Kazakhstan[1]



Kazakhstan




Back to definition

Kazakhstan

[1]



Kazan,Elia

Kazan,Elia
Ka·zan 
[kə zn], Elia (1909– )

Turkish-born
U.S. stage and film director and novelist. He won Academy Awards for directing Gentleman’s
Agreement ( 1947 ) and On the Waterfront ( 1954 ).
Real name
Kazanjoglous, Elia[1]



kazatsky

kazatsky
ka·zat·sky
[kəztskee] (plural ka·zat·skies)
or ka·zat·ske [kəztskee] (plural
ka·zat·skes) noun

DANCE
See kazachok[1]



Kazbek

Kazbek
Kaz·bek
[kz bek]

peak on the border of Russia
and Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains. Height: 5,037 m/16,526 ft.[1]



kazoo

kazoo

ka·zoo 
[kə z] (plural ka·zoos) noun
toy
instrument:
a toy instrument that makes a buzzing sound, consisting of a tube with a
mouthpiece and a hole covered by a thin diaphragm
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound produced by the instrument.][1]



KB

KB
KB

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
kilobyte

2.  CHESS Abbreviation of
king’s bishop

[1]



KBP

KBP
KBP

CHESS
Abbreviation of king’s bishop’s pawn[1]



kbyte

kbyte
kbyte
(plural kbytes) noun

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of kilobyte[1]



K.C.

K.C.
K.C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Kansas City

2.  Abbreviation
of
Kennel Club

3.  Abbreviation
of
King’s Counsel

4.  Abbreviation
of
Knight of Columbus

[1]



kc

kc
kc

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of kilocycle[1]



kcal

kcal
kcal

Abbreviation of
kilocalorie[1]



kea

kea
kea 
[k ə] (plural ke·as) noun

New
Zealand parrot: a large New Zealand parrot with
brownish-green feathers that lives in mountainous regions and feeds mainly on
insects. Latin name: Nestor notabilis
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



Kearny,Stephen Watts

Kearny,Stephen Watts
Kear·ny
[krnee], Stephen Watts (1794–1848)

U.S. army officer. He helped
to capture New Mexico and California during the Mexican War (1846–1848).[1]



Keating,Paul

Keating,Paul

Keat·ing
[kting], Paul (1944– )
Australian
statesman. He was Labor prime minister of Australia (1991–1996).
Full name
Keating, Paul John[1]



Keaton,Buster

Keaton,Buster
Kea·ton
[kt’n], Buster (1895–1966)

U.S.
silent film comedian. He was a deadpan acrobatic clown in many classic silent
films such as The General ( 1927 ).
Real name
Keaton, Joseph Francis[1]



Keats,John

Keats,John

Keats
[keets], John (1795–1821)
English
poet. His lyrical intensity made him one of the most influential of the
romantic poets. His great odes were collected in Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of
St Agnes, and Other Poems (1820).

—Keats·i·an [ktsee ən], adjective[1]



kebab

kebab
ke·bab 
[kə bb] (plural ke·babs) or
ka·bob [kə bób] (plural ka·bobs)
or ka·bab [kə bób] (plural
ka·babs) noun

grilled
meat dish:
a selection of small pieces of tender food, for example, poultry, meat, fish,
or seafood, threaded onto a stick and grilled
[Late 17th century. From
Arabic kabāb .][1]



Kedah

Kedah
Ke·dah
[kéddə]

state in northwestern
Malaysia, on the Malay Peninsula. Capital: Alur Setar. Area: 9,479 sq km/3,660
sq mi.[1]



kedge

kedge
kedge 
[kej] intransitive and transitive verb
(past participle kedged, present participle kedg·ing,
3rd person present singular kedg·es)

move
a vessel:
to move a vessel by pulling on a rope or cable attached to a light anchor, or
to move in this way
noun
kedge (plural kedg·es) kedge an·chor (plural
kedge an·chors)

light
anchor:
a light anchor, especially one that is lodged some distance from a vessel so
that the vessel can be pulled toward it
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from cadge in an earlier
sense “to tie or bind.”][1]



kedgeree

kedgeree
ked·ger·ee 
[kéjjə r, kèjjə
r] noun

1.  Indian
dish:
a spicy dish of Indian origin, made from lentils, rice, and sometimes fish

2.  dish
of rice, fish, and eggs: a dish of British origin
based on Indian kedgeree, consisting of spiced rice with flaked smoked fish and
hard-boiled eggs
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
khicṛī .][1]



keel

keel
keel
[keel] noun (plural keels)

1.  NAUTICAL ship’s
structural element: the main structural element
of a ship, stretching along the center line of its bottom from the bow to the
stern. It may be made of wood or steel and sometimes extends farther downward
into the water to provide extra stability.

2.  AIR aircraft’s
structural element: any structure that looks or
acts like a ship’s keel, such as the main structural element of an aircraft’s
fuselage

3.  BIOLOGY ridgelike
part:
a ridge-shaped part of an organism

4.  NAUTICAL ship:
a ship (literary)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past keeled, past
participle keeled, present participle keel·ing, 3rd
person present singular keels)

NAUTICAL capsize:
to capsize a vessel, or to capsize
[14th
century. From Old Norse kjölr .]
on
an even keel

in a stable, steady condition[1]



keelage

keelage
keel·age
[klij] noun

docking fee:
a docking fee for merchant ships, charged by a port[1]



keelboat

keelboat
keel·boat 
[kl bt] (plural keel·boats) noun

covered
river boat with shallow draft: a covered river boat
with a keel and shallow draft but no sail, propelled by rowing, poling, or
towing, and used for transporting freight
[Late 17th century. Formed
from keel .][1]



keelhaul

keelhaul
keel·haul 
[kl hàwl] (past keel·hauled, past
participle keel·hauled, present participle keel·haul·ing,
3rd person present singular keel·hauls) transitive verb

1.  drag
somebody under a boat: to drag somebody on a rope
from one side of a vessel to the other under the keel as a form of punishment

2.  rebuke
somebody:
to reprimand somebody severely (informal)
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
kielhalen .][1]



keelover

keelover
keel
over
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
collapse:
to collapse or fall over, often through exhaustion or illness (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL See keel

[1]



keelson

keelson
keel·son 
[klsən, kéllsən]
(plural keel·sons) or kel·son [kéllsən] (plural kel·sons) noun

keel-reinforcing
beam:
a metal or wooden beam attached to the upper side of a boat’s keel to reinforce
it
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse kjölsvīn or from Low German kielsvīn
.][1]



keen

keen1
keen1 [keen]
(comparative keen·er, superlative keen·est) adjective

1.  intense:
intense and lively • keen competition

2.  sensitive:
finely tuned and able to sense minor differences, distinctions, or details • a
keen sense of smell

3.  enthusiastic:
very eager and willing • not
very keen on the idea

4.  acute:
quick to understand things • a keen
sense of humor

5.  sharp:
with a sharp cutting edge (literary) • a
keen razor

6.  biting:
extremely cold and penetrating • a keen
wind

7.  very
good:
fine or very good (dated slang) • a
keen new bike
[Old
English cēne “brave, clever.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word.]
—keen·ly,
adverb

—keen·ness, noun[1]



keen

keen2
keen2 [keen]
intransitive verb (past keened, past participle keened,
present participle keen·ing, 3rd person present singular keens)

howl
in grief:
to cry out or wail in grief, especially while lamenting the dead
noun
(plural keens)

lament:
a lamentation for a dead person (literary)
[Early
19th century. From Irish caoinin “I wail.”]
—keen·er, noun[1]



Keene

Keene
Keene
[keen]

city in southwestern New
Hampshire. Population: 22,430 (1990)[1]



keep

keep
keep 
[keep] verb (past kept
[kept], present participle keep·ing,
3rd person present singular keeps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb possess:
to hold or maintain something in your possession • The
sample is yours to keep.

2.  transitive
verb
maintain
the condition of something: to maintain something or
somebody in a particular place or condition • Keep
your arm up.

3.  transitive
verb
store
something:
to store something in a place when it is not in use • He
keeps the keys in a drawer.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb continue:
to cause somebody or something to continue in a particular way or activity, or
to continue in a particular way • It
keeps working even in a power failure.

5.  transitive
verb
safeguard
information: to refrain from telling a secret or
other information • keep a secret

6.  transitive
verb
save
something:
to save something for later use or withhold something from use • Keep
some in reserve.

7.  transitive
verb
be
true to something: to fulfill a promise or
other verbal commitment • keep
your word

8.  transitive
verb
fulfill
a religious duty: to observe a religious obligation • keep
kosher
• keep
the Sabbath

9.  transitive
verb
maintain
a record:
to create or maintain something as a written record • keep
a diary

10. intransitive
verb
stay:
to remain in a particular condition • The
stove will keep warm for a while after the fire goes out.

11. intransitive
verb
maintain
a course:
to follow a particular course or direction • Keep
right until you see a big yellow barn.

12. intransitive
verb
not
spoil:
to remain fresh or in a usable condition • That
fish won’t keep in this hot weather.

13. intransitive
verb
continue:
to do something repeatedly or continue to do something • Keep
smiling!

14. intransitive
verb
not
require attention: to be able to be postponed • I
think the dusting will keep till tomorrow.

15. transitive
verb
have
something for sale: to have something in stock
in order to sell it • Do you
keep chain-saw blades?

16. transitive
verb
detain
somebody:
to make somebody wait or prevent somebody from going • Could
I keep you for a moment?

17. transitive
verb
look
after somebody or something: to take care of a person or
animal, providing what is required to live • We’ve
never kept pets.

18. transitive
verb
have
as livestock: to raise an animal for profit • keep
cattle

19. transitive
verb
employ
somebody:
to employ somebody, especially in a household • keep
servants

20. transitive
verb
run
a business or household: to maintain a business,
house, or other establishment • He
keeps house for the General.

21. transitive
verb
support
financially: to provide financially for a spouse or
lover (dated)
noun
(plural keeps)

1.  maintenance:
food and lodging, or whatever somebody needs to live • work
for your keep

2.  castle
part:
a stronghold, or the innermost fortified part of a castle
[Old
English cēpan “to take, observe,” of unknown origin]
for
keeps

permanently
or forever (informal)

keep
it up

to
continue to do something

keep
something to yourself

to
refrain from revealing

keep
yourself to yourself

to avoid mixing or
communicating with other people[1]



keepat

keepat
keep
at
transitive verb

1.  continue
doing something: to persevere with something, especially
something difficult or strenuous

2.  pester
somebody:
to persist in asking somebody to do something (informal) • They
kept at me to do more and more work in less and less time.

[1]



keepaway

keepaway
keep
away
verb

1.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody or something distant: to prevent somebody or
something from going near somebody or something

2.  intransitive
verb
not
approach:
to avoid going near something or somebody

[1]



keep-away

keep-away
keep-a·way
noun

GAME
See monkey in the middle[1]



keepback

keepback
keep
back
transitive verb

1.  not
tell something: to refrain from telling or revealing
something

2.  withhold
something for later use: to hold something in reserve
for later use or for another purpose

3.  restrain
something:
to restrain or confine something to a limit

[1]



keepdown

keepdown
keep
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
oppress
somebody or something: to maintain somebody or
something in an inferior position or in a state of oppression

2.  transitive
verb
maintain
something at a low level: to maintain something at a
low level, position, or number • Keep
the costs down.

3.  intransitive
verb
stay
low:
to stay in a place or position where you cannot be seen

4.  transitive
verb
not
vomit something: to hold food or drink in your stomach
without vomiting • He hasn’t been able to
keep anything down since the operation.

[1]



keeper

keeper
keep·er 
[kpər] (plural keep·ers) noun

1.  caretaker:
somebody in charge of a building or small business (usually used in
combination) • a lighthouse keeper

2.  warden:
somebody whose job is to look after or protect animals

3.  CRIMINOLOGY prison
guard:
somebody who is responsible for guarding other people, especially in a prison

4.  somebody
keeping something: somebody who keeps or
maintains something • a good
record keeper

5.  something
worth keeping: something that is worth keeping,
especially a fish that is large enough to be legally caught and retained (informal)

6.  FOOTBALL play
in football: in football, a play in which the
quarterback runs toward the goal with the ball

7.  SPORTS goalkeeper:
a goalkeeper (informal)

8.  PHYSICS iron
bar placed across a magnet’s poles: an
iron or steel bar placed across the poles of a permanent horseshoe magnet when
it is not in use, to close the magnetic circuit and prevent demagnetization

[1]



keepfrom

keepfrom
keep
from
transitive verb

1.  hide
something from somebody: to refrain from disclosing
something to somebody

2.  restrain
somebody:
to prevent somebody from doing something

3.  safeguard
somebody:
to protect somebody from something • kept
us from harm

[1]



keepin

keepin
keep
in
transitive verb

repress a feeling:
to repress something that you feel[1]



keeping

keeping
keep·ing 
[kping] noun

1.  looking
after:
the act of looking after or caring for somebody or something

2.  charge:
somebody’s charge, custody, or possession • It’s
in the bank’s keeping.
in
keeping with

consistent
with or suitable for something

out
of keeping with

not consistent with or
suitable for something[1]



keepoff

keepoff
keep
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
prevent
contact:
to prevent something or somebody from having direct contact with something or
somebody else

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
touch:
to refrain from direct contact with something or somebody • Keep
off the grass!

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
consume:
to prevent somebody from consuming something or to refrain from consuming
something • I
was told to keep off caffeine.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
talk about:
to prevent somebody from discussing something or to refrain from discussing
something • We
kept off the topic of money.

[1]



keepon

keepon
keep
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
continue:
to continue • They
just kept on, even after we told them to stop.

2.  transitive
verb
not
take something off: to continue wearing
something

3.  transitive
verb
not
dismiss somebody: to continue to employ somebody

[1]



keepout

keepout
keep
out
intransitive and transitive verb

prevent entry:
to prevent somebody from entering or to refrain from entering a place[1]



keepout of

keepout of
keep
out of
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  prevent
exposure:
to prevent somebody or something from exposure to something, or to avoid
exposure to something • keep
it out of the rain

2.  avoid
involvement: to prevent somebody’s involvement in
something, or to avoid involvement in something • Keep
out of her way.

[1]



keepsake

keepsake
keep·sake 
[kp sàyk] (plural keep·sakes)
noun

memento:
a small item or gift kept because it evokes memories of somebody or something
[Late 18th century. The
underlying meaning is of something to be kept “for the sake of” the giver.][1]



keepto

keepto
keep
to
transitive verb

not deviate from:
to adhere without deviation to a plan, course, or subject[1]



keepup

keepup
keep
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
maintain
the present level of: to maintain something at its
present level, not letting it fall or subside • Keep
up the good work.

2.  intransitive
verb
stay
even with:
to go as fast or make the same progress as somebody else

3.  transitive
verb
maintain
something in good condition: to make sure that something
stays in good condition • has a
beautiful home but doesn’t really keep it up

4.  transitive
verb
delay
somebody’s sleep or bedtime: to prevent somebody from
sleeping or going to bed at night • The
music from the party kept us up till dawn.

[1]



keepup with

keepup with
keep
up with
transitive verb

1.  remain
informed about something: to remain abreast of
something that undergoes continuous change or progress

2.  stay
in contact with: to stay in contact with somebody,
especially by letter • I
still keep up with a few friends from school.

[1]



keeshond

keeshond

kees·hond 
[káyss hàwnt, káyss
hònd] (plural kees·honds or kees·hon·den [káyss hàwndən]) noun
dog
with a dense coat: a dog with a dense shaggy
blackish-gray coat and a tightly curled tail, belonging to a breed developed in
the Netherlands
[Early 20th century. From
Dutch, literally “Kees dog,” from Kees (a pet form of the name Cornelis
“Cornelius”) + hond “dog.”][1]



keester

keester
kees·ter
noun

See
keister[1]



kef

kef
kef 
noun

DRUGS
See kif[1]



Kefauver,Estes

Kefauver,Estes
Ke·fau·ver
[k fàwvər], Estes (1903–1963)

U.S.
politician. He chaired a Senate committee on organized crime (1950–1951), and
was unsuccessful Democratic candidate for vice president (1956).
Full name
Kefauver, Carey Estes[1]



keffiyeh

keffiyeh
kef·fi·yeh
[kə f ə] (plural kef·fi·yehs)
noun

See
kaffiyeh[1]



kefir

kefir
ke·fir 
[ke fr] noun

creamy
drink:
a creamy drink made from fermented cow’s milk
[Late 19th century. Via
Russian from Old Turkic köpür “milk.”][1]



Keflavik

Keflavik
Kef·la·vik 
[kéfləvk, kyébləvk]

town in southwestern Iceland,
situated about 35 km/22 mi southwest of Reykjavik. Population: 7,605 (1995)[1]



keg

keg
keg 
[keg] noun (plural kegs)

1.  small
barrel:
a small barrel used for storing liquids

2.  contents
of a keg:
the amount that a keg can hold

3.  nail
weight unit: a unit of weight used for nails,
equivalent to 45.5kg/100 lb

4.  beer
barrel:
an aluminum barrel that is used for storing and transporting beer
transitive
verb
(past kegged, past participle kegged, present
participle keg·ging, 3rd person present singular kegs)

store beer in a barrel:
to put or store beer in a small barrel
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of cag from, ultimately, Old Norse kaggi .][1]



kegler

kegler
keg·ler 
[kégglər] (plural keg·lers) or
kege·ler [kégglər] (plural kege·lers)
noun

bowler:
somebody who takes part in the sport of bowling (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From
German kegeln “to bowl.”][1]



keister

keister
keis·ter 
[kstər] (plural keis·ters) or
kees·ter [kstər] (plural kees·ters)
noun

buttocks:
the buttocks (humorous slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Keitel,Wilhelm

Keitel,Wilhelm
Kei·tel
[kt’l], Wilhelm (1882–1946)

German field marshal.
Hitler’s chief military adviser during World War II, he was executed for war
crimes in 1946.[1]



KejimkujikNational Park

KejimkujikNational Park
Ke·jim·ku·jik
Na·tion·al Park [kejim
kjik-]

national park and wildlife
preserve in southern Nova Scotia, Canada, established in 1974. Area: 403 sq
km/156 sq mi.[1]



Kekuléformula

Kekuléformula
Ke·ku·lé
for·mu·la
[kékyə lay fàwrmyələ] noun

representation
of a benzene molecule: the representation of a
benzene molecule as a hexagonal ring with alternating single and double bonds
linking six carbon atoms, each linked to one hydrogen atom at the vertices
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the German physicist Friedrich August Kekulé ( 1829–1896 ), who devised
it.][1]



Kellogg,John

Kellogg,John
Kel·logg
[kél àwg], John (1852–1943)

U.S.
surgeon and food manufacturer. During the 1890s he and his brother William
developed the process of making corn flakes.
Full name
Kellog, John Harvey[1]



Kelly,Gene

Kelly,Gene
Kel·ly
[kéllee], Gene (1912–1996)

U.S.
movie actor, dancer, and director. He is best known for starring in and
co-directing Singing in the Rain ( 1952 ).
Full name
Kelly, Eugene Curran[1]



Kelly,Grace

Kelly,Grace
Kel·ly
[kéllee], Grace (1929–1982)

U.S.
movie actor. She starred in motion pictures such as High Noon and Rear
Window before retiring in 1956 to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Full name
Kelly, Grace Patricia[1]



kellygreen

kellygreen
kel·ly
green 
adjective

bright
green:
of a bright vibrant green color
[From
the common Irish surname “Kelly”]
—kelly green, noun[1]



keloid

keloid
ke·loid
[k lòyd] (plural ke·loids) noun

scar
tissue:
an area of raised pink or red fibrous scar tissue at the edges of a wound or
incision
[Mid-19th
century. From French chéloide, kéloide, from Greek khēlē
“crab claw.”]
—ke·loid·al [kee lóyd’l], adjective[1]



Kelowna

Kelowna
Ke·low·na 
[kə lṓnə]

city in south central British
Columbia, Canada, 97 km/60 mi north of the U.S. border. Population: 89,442
(1996)[1]



kelp

kelp
kelp 
[kelp] (plural kelps) noun

1.  brown
seaweed:
brown seaweed with thick broad fronds. Order: Laminariales
Also
called
redware

2.  seaweed
ash:
the ash from kelp or other seaweeds, used as a source of potash and iodine
[14th century. Origin unknown.][1]



kelpie

kelpie2
kel·pie2  [kélpee]
(plural kel·pies) noun

Australian
sheepdog:
a smooth-haired dog of an Australian breed of sheepdog
[Early 20th century. Named
for King’s Kelpie, the female dog that founded the breed.][1]



kelpie

kelpie1
kel·pie1  [kélpee]
(plural kel·pies) or kel·py [kélpee] (plural kel·pies) noun

water
sprite:
in Scottish folklore, a malicious water spirit that takes the form of a horse
and lures people to death by drowning
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Gaelic cailpeach “colt, bullock.”][1]



Kelsey,Henry

Kelsey,Henry
Kel·sey
[kélssee], Henry (1667?–1724)

English explorer. He trekked
across the Canadian plains from Hudson Bay to present-day Alberta (1690–1692).[1]



kelson

kelson
kel·son 
noun

NAUTICAL
See keelson[1]



kelt

kelt
kelt
[kelt] (plural kelts) noun

salmon
that has recently spawned: a salmon that has returned
to the river of its birth and recently spawned. In most species, the kelts do
not survive, but Atlantic salmon can return to the ocean to spawn another
season.
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Kelt

Kelt
Kelt 
noun (plural Kelts) adjective

See
Celt
—Kelt·ic, adjective[1]



kelvin

kelvin
kel·vin 
[kélvin] noun (plural kel·vins)

unit
of absolute temperature: the SI unit of absolute
temperature, equal to 1/273.16 of the absolute temperature of the triple point
of water, equivalent to one degree Celsius. A temperature in kelvin may be
converted to Celsius by subtracting 273.16. Symbol K
adjective

on
the Kelvin scale: relating to or measured on the Kelvin
scale
[Early 20th century. Named
for the British physicist William Thomson, first Baron Kelvin
.][1]



Kelvinscale

Kelvinscale
Kel·vin
scale
noun

absolute
or thermodynamic temperature scale: a
temperature scale on which zero is the lowest possible temperature and the
triple point of water is defined as 273.16K. It is based on heat transfer
between two sections of a reversible heat engine.
[Late 19th century. Named for
William Thomson, first Baron Kelvin .][1]



Kelvin,William Thomson

Kelvin,William Thomson
Kel·vin 
[kélvin], William Thomson, 1st Baron
(1824–1907)

British
physicist. He did pioneering work in thermodynamics and electricity and devised
the absolute temperature scale. His work helped develop the law of the
conservation of energy.
Full name
Kelvin of Largs, William Thomson, 1st Baron[1]



Kemerovo

Kemerovo
Ke·me·ro·vo 
[kèmmə rṓvə]

city in southern Siberian
Russia. It is the capital city of Kemerovo Oblast, on the Tom’ River.
Population: 521,000 (1990)[1]



kemp

kemp
kemp
[kemp] (plural kemps) noun

short
hair:
a short coarse hair or fiber
[14th
century. From Old Norse kampr “beard, whisker.”]
—kemp·y, adjective[1]



Kempsey

Kempsey
Kemp·sey
[kémpsee]

town in northeastern New
South Wales, Australia, a center of agriculture, timber production, and light
industry. Population: 8,630 (1996)[1]



kempt

kempt
kempt 
[kempt] adjective

neat:
neat in appearance and well looked after (archaic)
[Old English cemd,
from the past participle of cemban “to comb.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English comb .][1]



Ken.

Ken.
Ken.

Abbreviation of
Kentucky[1]



ken

ken
ken 
[ken] noun

knowledge:
somebody’s knowledge or understanding • It’s
beyond my ken.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past kenned or
kent [kent], past participle kenned
or kent, present participle ken·ning, 3rd person
present singular kens)

Scotland
know:
to know somebody or something
[Old English cennan
“to make known.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English can and know .][1]



Kendal

Kendal
Ken·dal
[kénd’l]

market town in the Lake
District, Cumbria, northwestern England. Population: 23,710 (1991)[1]



Kendalgreen

Kendalgreen
Ken·dal
green 
[kénd’l grn] noun

green
woolen cloth: a coarse thick green woolen cloth
similar to tweed
adjective

light
grayish green: of a light grayish-green color
[14th century. Named for the
town of Kendal, where the cloth was made.][1]



Kendall,Edward Calvin

Kendall,Edward Calvin
Ken·dall 
[kénd’l], Edward Calvin (1886–1972)

U.S. biochemist. He won the
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1950) for his research on hormones such
as cortisone.[1]



kendo

kendo
ken·do 
[kén d] noun

Japanese
martial art: a Japanese martial art in which people
fence using bamboo sticks instead of swords
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “way of the sword.”][1]



Kennebec

Kennebec
Ken·ne·bec 
[kénnəbèk]

river in western Maine that
flows south from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 264 km/164 mi.[1]



Kennedy,Cape

Kennedy,Cape
Ken·ne·dy,
Cape
[kénnədee]

See
Cape Canaveral[1]



Kennedy,Edward M.

Kennedy,Edward M.
Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], Edward M. (1932– )

U.S.
politician. He became a senator in 1962 and unsuccessfully ran for the
Democratic presidential nomination in 1980. John F. Kennedy and Robert F.
Kennedy were his brothers.
Known as
Ted Kennedy Full name Kennedy, Edward Moore[1]



Kennedy,Jackie

Kennedy,Jackie
Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], Jackie (1929–1994)

U.S.
first lady. She married John F. Kennedy in 1953 and as first lady (1961–1963)
became an international celebrity and style-setter. Her great dignity after her
husband’s assassination increased public admiration for her. She married Greek
shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968, and after his death in 1975 worked
in publishing in New York and continued her lifelong patronage and promotion of
the arts.
Born
Bouvier, Jacqueline Lee Full name Kennedy-Onassis, Jacqueline Lee Known
as Jackie O[1]



Kennedy,John F.

Kennedy,John F.


Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], John F. (1917–1963)
U.S.
statesman and 35th president of the United States. His Democratic
administration (1961–1963) pursued liberal reforms at home and a hard-line Cold
War policy abroad. He was assassinated in Dallas.
Full name
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald Known as Jack Kennedy[1]



Kennedy,Joseph P.

Kennedy,Joseph P.
Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], Joseph P. (1888–1969)

U.S.
businessman and government official. He was the father of John F., Robert F.,
and Edward M. Kennedy. He was ambassador to Britain (1938–1940).
Full name
Kennedy, Joseph Patrick[1]



Kennedy,Mount

Kennedy,Mount
Ken·ne·dy,
Mount
[kénnədee]

mountain in the St. Elias
Range in southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada. Height: 4,238 m/13,905 ft.[1]



Kennedy,Robert F.

Kennedy,Robert F.
Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], Robert F. (1925–1968)

U.S.
politician. Attorney general (1961–1964) during the Democratic administration
of his brother John F. Kennedy, he was assassinated during his 1968
presidential campaign.
Full name
Kennedy, Robert Francis Known as Bobby Kennedy[1]



Kennedy,William

Kennedy,William
Ken·ne·dy
[kénnədee], William (1928– )

U.S. writer. He won a
Pulitzer Prize for his novel Ironweed ( 1983 ).[1]



kennel

kennel
ken·nel
[kénn’l] noun (plural ken·nels)

1.  dog
boarding or breeding place: a place where dogs are bred
and trained and where people can leave their dogs while they are away

2.  See
doghouse

3.  animal’s
lair:
the lair of a wild animal such as a fox

4.  pack
of dogs:
a pack of hounds or dogs

5.  hovel:
a small house in bad condition (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ken·neled,
past participle ken·neled, present participle ken·nel·ing,
3rd person present singular ken·nels)

put or stay in a kennel:
to put a dog into a kennel or to stay in a kennel
[14th century. Via assumed
Anglo-Norman kenil from, ultimately, Latin canis “dog” (source of
English canine .][1]



Kennelly-Heavisidelayer

Kennelly-Heavisidelayer
Ken·nel·ly-Heav·i·side
lay·er 
[kènnəlee hvəsīd làyərs] noun

PHYSICS See E layer
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. electrical engineer, Arthur Edwin Kennelly ( 1861–1939 )
and the British physicist, Oliver Heaviside ( 1850–1925 ).][1]



KennethI

KennethI
Ken·neth
I
[kénnith], King of Scotland (lived mid-9th
century)

Around
846 he united the kingdoms of the Scots and the Picts, becoming the first king
of Scotland.
Known as
Kenneth MacAlpin[1]



keno

keno
ke·no 
[knō] noun

U.S.,
Australia betting game: a
game of chance in which players wager on a set of numbers to be drawn at
random. It is operated for profit by many states and gaming authorities.
[Early 19th century. Via
French quine “set of five winning numbers” from Latin quini “five
each,” from quinque “five.”][1]



Kenosha

Kenosha
Ke·no·sha 
[kə nṓ shə]

industrial city in
southeastern Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan. Population: 80,352 (1990)[1]



kenosis

kenosis
ke·no·sis 
[kə nṓssiss] noun

partial
relinquishing of divinity: according to Christian
belief, Jesus Christ’s act of partially giving up his divine status in order to
become a man, as recorded in Philippians 2: 6–7
[Late
19th century. From Greek kenōsis “an emptying,” from the phrase in Philippians
2:7 heauton ekenōse “emptied himself.”]
—ke·not·ic [kə nóttik], adjective[1]



Kensett,John Frederick

Kensett,John Frederick
Ken·sett
[kénsət], John Frederick (1818–1872)

U.S. artist. Noted for his
detailed landscapes, he was a member of the Hudson River School.[1]



kent

kent
kent

Scotland
Past participle of ken Past tense
of ken[1]



kente

kente
ken·te
or ken·te cloth noun

Ghanaian
cloth:
a handwoven cloth from Ghana, usually very brightly colored
[Mid-20th century. From Twi,
literally “cloth.”][1]



kentia

kentia
ken·tia
[kénntee ə] (plural ken·tias) or
ken·tia palm [kénntee ə] (plural
ken·tia palms) noun

ornamental
palm:
a tall-growing palm tree that is native to Lord Howe Island, Australia, and is
widely cultivated for its decorative foliage. Latin name: Howea forsterana
[Late 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin, named for the British plant collector, William Kent
.][1]



Kentish

Kentish
Ken·tish 
[kéntish] adjective

1.  of
the English county of Kent: from or relating to the
English county of Kent

2.  LANGUAGE of the
Kentish dialect: relating to the Kentish dialect
noun

LANGUAGE Old
English dialect: a dialect of Old English spoken in the
extreme southeast of England, probably from around the 5th century AD, recorded in written form from around
the 7th century AD. It continued
to be spoken in the area into the Middle English period, but was increasingly
overtaken by the form of English that developed from the dialect known as East
Midlands.
See
also
Anglian
See
also
West Saxon

[1]



kentledge

kentledge
kent·ledge 
[kéntlij] noun

permanent
ballast on ships: scrap iron or other heavy material used
as permanent ballast on ships
[Early 17th century. From Old
French quintelage “ballast,” from Old French quintal (see quintal ).][1]



Kent,Rockwell

Kent,Rockwell
Kent 
[kent], Rockwell (1882–1971)

U.S. artist. He is known for
his stark woodcut illustrations and landscape paintings.[1]



Kentucky




Back to definition

Kentucky1

[1]



Kentucky

Kentucky2
Ken·tuck·y2  [ken
túkee]

river in central Kentucky
that flows northwestward to join the Ohio River at Carrolton. Length: 417
km/259 mi.[1]



Kentucky

Kentucky1


Ken·tuck·y1  [ken
túkee]
state
in the east central United States, bordered by Illinois, Indiana, Missouri,
Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Capital: Frankfort. Population:
3,908,124 (1997) Area: 104,664 sq km/40,411 sq mi.
—Ken·tuck·ian, noun,
adjective[1]



Kentuckybluegrass

Kentuckybluegrass
Ken·tuck·y
blue·grass
(plural Ken·tuck·y blue·grass·es) noun

pasture grass:
a grass native to Africa, Europe, and Asia, naturalized in North America and
widely used for pastureland and lawns. Latin name: Poa pratensis[1]



Kentuckycoffee tree

Kentuckycoffee tree
Ken·tuck·y
cof·fee tree (plural Ken·tuck·y cof·fee
trees) noun

N American tree with brown
pods: a deciduous tree of the
legume family with brown pods and compound leaves that is native to eastern
North America. Its pulpy seeds were formerly used as a coffee substitute. Latin
name: Gymnocladus dioica[1]



KentuckyDerby

KentuckyDerby
Ken·tuck·y
Der·by
noun

annual horserace:
a race for three-year-old horses that has been run annually since 1875 at
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is held on the first Saturday in
May.[1]



Kentuckyrifle

Kentuckyrifle
Ken·tuck·y
ri·fle
(plural Ken·tuck·y ri·fles) noun

old U.S. rifle:
a muzzle-loading rifle developed in the 18th century and widely used on the
American frontier[1]



Kenya

Kenya



Ken·ya 
[kényə]
republic
in eastern Africa. It became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963.
Language: English. Language: Swahili. Currency: Kenyan shilling. Capital:
Nairobi. Population: 27,838,597 (1997) Area: 582,646 sq km/224,961 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Kenya
—Ken·yan, noun,
adjective[1]



Kenya




Back to definition

Kenya

[1]



Kenya,Mount

Kenya,Mount
Ken·ya,
Mount
[kényə]

extinct volcano in central
Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. Height: 5,199 m/17,057 ft.[1]



Kenyon,Dame Kathleen

Kenyon,Dame Kathleen
Ken·yon
[kényən], Dame Kathleen (1906–1978)

British archaeologist. She is
famous for her excavations at Jericho and Jerusalem.[1]



Keoghplan

Keoghplan
Keogh
plan 
[k ō plàn] (plural Keogh plans)
noun

self-employed
retirement plan: a retirement plan for the self-employed
and their employees
[Late 20th century. Named for
the U.S. politician, Eugene James Keogh ( d. 1989 ).][1]



Keokuk

Keokuk
Ke·o·kuk 
[kə kùk]

city in southeastern Iowa on
the Mississippi River. Population: 12,315 (1996)[1]



kephalin

kephalin
keph·a·lin 
(plural keph·a·lins) noun

BIOLOGY
See cephalin[1]



kepi

kepi

ke·pi 
[káypee, képpee]
(plural ke·pis) noun
French
military hat: a French military hat with a round flat
top and a visor
[Mid-19th century. Via French
képi from Swiss German Käppi, literally “little cap.”][1]



Kepler

Kepler
Ke·pler
[képplər] noun

crater on Moon:
a crater on the Moon in Oceanus Procellarum, 32 km/20 mi in diameter. It is the
center of a large bright system of rays on the lunar surface.[1]



Kepler,Johannes

Kepler,Johannes
Kep·ler
[képlər], Johannes (1571–1630)

German astronomer. His three
laws of planetary motion include his finding that the planets move around the
sun in elliptical orbits.[1]



Kepler’slaws

Kepler’slaws
Ke·pler’s
laws
plural noun

3
equations describing planetary motion: three
mathematical statements that describe the movement of the planets in their
orbits around the Sun. The first two laws were published in 1609 and the third
a decade later.
[Late 18th century. Named for
the German astronomer, Johannes Kepler, who
discovered them.][1]



kept

kept
kept


Past
tense of
keep Past participle of keep
adjective

supported:
supported financially by a lover especially a married one[1]



Kerala

Kerala
Ker·a·la
[kérrələ]

state in southwestern India.
Capital: Trivandrum. Population: 30,555,000 (1994) Area: 38,864 sq km/15,005 sq
mi.[1]



kerat-

kerat-
kerat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
kerato-[1]



keratectomy

keratectomy
ker·a·tec·to·my 
[kèrrə téktəmee] (plural ker·a·tec·to·mies)
noun

partial removal of the
cornea: surgical removal of part of
the cornea[1]



keratin

keratin
ker·a·tin 
[kérrətin] noun

fibrous
protein:
a fibrous insoluble protein that is the main structural element in hair, nails,
feathers, and hooves
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from the stem of Greek keras “horn” + -in .]
—ke·rat·i·nous [ke rátt’nəss], adjective[1]



keratinization

keratinization
ker·a·tin·i·za·tion
[kèrrətəni záysh’n] noun

deposition of keratin in
cells: the deposition of keratin in
skin cells, for example, in hair and nails, giving them the texture of horn[1]



keratinize

keratinize
ker·a·tin·ize
[kérrəti nz] (past ker·a·tin·ized,
past participle ker·a·tin·ized, present participle ker·a·tin·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ker·a·tin·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

convert into keratin:
to convert something into keratin, or become keratin[1]



keratitis

keratitis
ker·a·ti·tis 
[kèrrə ttiss] noun

inflammation of the cornea:
inflammation and swelling of the cornea[1]



kerato-

kerato-
kerato-
prefix

1.  hornlike
tissue • keratose

2.  cornea
• keratoplasty
[From Greek kerat-,
the stem of keras “horn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is
also the ancestor of English horn, corn, and cranium
.][1]



keratoid

keratoid
ker·a·toid
[kérrə tòyd] adjective

like horn:
like horn in texture or appearance[1]



keratopathy

keratopathy
ker·a·top·a·thy
[kèrrə tóppəthee] noun

cornea disorder:
any noninflammatory disorder of the cornea[1]



keratoplasty

keratoplasty
ker·a·to·plas·ty
[kérrə tō plàstee] (plural ker·a·to·plas·ties)
noun

plastic
surgery on the cornea: plastic surgery on the
cornea, especially corneal grafting
—ker·a·to·plas·tic [kèrrə tō plástik], adjective[1]



keratose

keratose
ker·a·tose 
[kérrə tss] adjective

having a hornlike skeleton:
having a hornlike skeleton, as some sponges have[1]



keratose

keratose
ker·a·tose 
[kérrə tss] adjective

having a hornlike skeleton:
having a hornlike skeleton, as some sponges have[1]



keratosis

keratosis
ker·a·to·sis 
[kèrrə tṓssiss] (plural ker·a·to·ses
[kèrrə tṓ sz]) noun

1.  hornlike
growth:
growth of hard hornlike tissue on the skin

2.  hornlike
part:
a hornlike growth on the skin
—ker·a·tot·ic [kèrrə tóttik], adjective[1]



keratotomy

keratotomy
ker·a·tot·o·my 
[kèrrə tóttəmee] (plural ker·a·tot·o·mies)
noun

cutting of the cornea:
a surgical cutting of the cornea[1]



kerb

kerb
kerb 
[kurb] noun (plural kerbs)

U.K.
See curb
transitive
verb
(past kerbed, past participle kerbed, present
participle kerb·ing, 3rd person present singular kerbs)

U.K.
See curb
[Mid-17th century. Variant of
curb, in the sense “an enclosing framework.”][1]



Kerch

Kerch
Kerch 
[kurch]

city and seaport in southern
Ukraine, on the eastern shore of the Crimean Peninsula. Population: 176,000
(1990)[1]



kerchief

kerchief
ker·chief 
[kúrchif, kúr
chf] (plural ker·chiefs [kúrchivz,
kúr chvz]) noun

square
scarf:
a square scarf for women, worn around the neck or as a headscarf
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman courchef or Old French cuevre-chef,
literally “cover-head.”]
—ker·chiefed, adjective[1]



Kerensky,Aleksandr Fyodorovich

Kerensky,Aleksandr Fyodorovich
Ke·ren·sky
[kərénskee], Aleksandr Fyodorovich
(1881–1970)

Russian revolutionary leader.
He was the head of the 1917 provisional government of Russia from July until
the Bolshevik takeover in November 1917.[1]



kerf

kerf
kerf 
[kurf] (plural kerfs) noun

groove
cut in something: a cut or the width of a cut made by an
ax, saw, or cutting tool
[Old English cerf .
Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English carve .][1]



kerfuffle

kerfuffle
ker·fuf·fle
[kər fúff’l] noun

U.K.
commotion:
a noisy disturbance or commotion (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Gaelic car “twist” + Scots fuffle
“fuss.”][1]



KerguelenIslands

KerguelenIslands
Ker·gue·len
Is·lands 
[kúrgələn ləndz]

island group in the southern
Indian Ocean, consisting of one main island and about 300 smaller islands and
islets. Area: 6,993 sq km/2,700 sq mi.[1]



KermadecIslands

KermadecIslands
Ker·ma·dec
Is·lands
[kər mádək sləndz]

island group in the southern
Pacific Ocean, a dependency of New Zealand. Area: 34 sq km/13 sq mi.[1]



Kerman

Kerman
Ker·man 
[kur mn] or Ker·mān [kur mn]

city in southeastern Iran,
the capital of Kerman Province. Population: 311,643 (1991)[1]



kermes

kermes
ker·mes 
[kúr mz, kúrməss]
(plural ker·mes) noun

1.  INSECTS red
dyestuff:
the dried bodies of female scale insects of the genus Kermes, used to
produce a purplish-red dye

2.  TREES See kermes oak
[Late 16th century. Via
French kermès from Arabic irmiz “kermes beetle” (source of
English crimson ).][1]



kermesoak

kermesoak
kermes
oak
(plural ker·mes oaks) noun

evergreen tree:
a small evergreen oak tree native to Europe and Asia that provides a habitat
for the scale insects used to make kermes. Latin name: Quercus coccifera

Also called
kermes[1]



kermis

kermis
ker·mis
[kúrmiss] (plural ker·mis·es) or
kir·mess [kúrmiss] (plural kir·mess·es)
or ker·mess [kúrmiss] (plural
ker·mess·es) noun

1.  country
fair:
an annual country fair that used to be held in the Netherlands and northern
Germany

2.  fundraising
festival:
a festival or fair held to collect money for charity
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch, literally “mass on the anniversary of the church’s dedication,” from kerk
“church” + misse “mass.” From the fair held on this day.][1]



kern

kern1
kern1 [kurn]
noun (plural kerns)

part of a character:
the part of a typographical character that projects beyond the body
verb
(past kerned, past participle kerned, present
participle kern·ing, 3rd person present singular kerns)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
type together: to eliminate white space between
adjacent letters that may appear too widely separated on a line

2.  transitive
verb
overlap
adjacent characters: to join adjacent printed
characters or make them overlap
[Late 17th century. Via
French carne “corner” from, ultimately, Latin cardo “hinge”
(source of English cardinal ).][1]



kern

kern2
kern2 [kurn]
(plural kerns) or kerne [kurn]
(plural kernes) noun

medieval
soldier:
a medieval Irish or Scottish light infantryman
[14th century. From Irish ceithearn
.][1]



kernel

kernel
ker·nel 
[kúrn’l] (plural ker·nels) noun

1.  PLANTS edible
core:
the edible content of a nut or fruit stone

2.  PLANTS cereal
grain:
the grain of a cereal that contains a seed and husk

3.  central
part:
the central or most important part of something • a
kernel of self-belief that never wavered

4.  PHYSICS atom
stripped of its electrons: a positively charged atomic
nucleus that has lost its valence electrons

5.  COMPUTING key
portion of an operating system: the core portion of a
computer’s operating system that resides in the memory and performs essential
functions such as controlling the memory and files and allocating system
resources
[Old English cyrnel
“little seed,” from corn][1]



kerning

kerning
kern·ing
[kúrning] noun

adjustment of space between
letters: the addition or removal of
space between individual characters in a piece of typeset text to improve its
appearance or alter its fit[1]



kernite

kernite
kern·ite 
[kúr nt] noun

crystalline
mineral:
a colorless or white crystalline mineral that is composed of hydrated sodium
borate and is a source of borax and other boron compounds
[Early 20th century. Named
for Kern County, California, where it was discovered.][1]



Kern,Jerome

Kern,Jerome
Kern 
[kurn], Jerome (1885–1945)

U.S.
composer. He wrote numerous Broadway musicals, including Show Boat (
1927 ). His songs include “Ol’ Man River” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”
Full name
Kern, Jerome David[1]



kerogen

kerogen
ker·o·gen 
[kérrəjən] noun

oil-producing
material in rocks: a fossilized insoluble
organic material found in some sedimentary rocks, for example, oil shales,
yielding petroleum products when heated
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek kēros “wax” + -gen .][1]



kerosene

kerosene
ker·o·sene 
[kérrə sn, kèrrə
sn] or ker·o·sine [kérrə sn,
kèrrə sn] noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand colorless
flammable oil: a colorless flammable oil distilled from
petroleum and used as a fuel for jet engines, heating, cooking, and lighting
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek kēros “wax” + -ene or -ine .][1]



Kerouac,Jack

Kerouac,Jack

Ker·ou·ac
[kérrə wàk], Jack (1922–1969)
U.S.
novelist. He was a leading figure in the 1950s Beat Generation, and his
best-known novel is On the Road ( 1957 ).
Full name
Kerouac, Jean Louis[1]



kerplunk

kerplunk
ker·plunk
[kər plúngk] adverb interjection

thud:
used to imitate the sound made by something heavy falling suddenly (informal)
[An imitation of the sound][1]



Kerreffect

Kerreffect
Kerr
ef·fect
[kr i fèkt, kúr
i fèkt] noun

1.  double
refraction:
the property of some transparent substances that makes them refract doubly when
placed in an electric field

2.  elliptical
polarization of reflected light: the elliptical
polarization of plane polarized or unpolarized light when reflected from the
polished pole of a magnetized material
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Scottish physicist, John Kerr ( 1824–1907 ), who discovered it.][1]



Kerry

Kerry1
Ker·ry1  [kérree]
(plural Ker·ries) noun

breed
of cattle:
a small black bull or dairy cow belonging to a breed that originated in Ireland
[Mid-19th century. Named for
County Kerry, where the breed originated.][1]



Kerry

Kerry2
Ker·ry2  [kérree]

county in Munster Province,
southwestern Republic of Ireland. Population: 125,863 (1996) Area: 4,701 sq
km/1,815 sq km.[1]



Kerryblue terrier

Kerryblue terrier

Ker·ry
blue ter·ri·er (plural Ker·ry blue ter·ri·ers)
or Ker·ry blue (plural Ker·ry blues) noun
bluish-gray
terrier:
a terrier with a dense but soft wavy bluish-gray coat, belonging to a breed
that originated in Ireland
[Early 20th century. Named
for County Kerry, where the breed
originated.][1]



kersey

kersey
ker·sey 
[kúrzee] noun

woolen
fabric:
a smooth woolen fabric used for making coats
[14th century. Named for the
village of Kersey in Suffolk, England.][1]



kerseymere

kerseymere
ker·sey·mere 
[kúrzee mr] noun

twilled
woolen cloth: a fine soft woolen cloth with a fancy
twill weave
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of cassimere by association with kersey .][1]



Kertész,André

Kertész,André
Ker·tész
[kərtésh], André (1894–1985)

Hungarian-born U.S.
photographer. One of the founders of photojournalism, he is known for his
realistic and sensitive scenes of everyday life.[1]



kerygma

kerygma
ke·ryg·ma 
[kə rígmə] noun

preaching
of Christianity: the proclamation of Jesus Christ’s
teachings, especially as taught in the Gospels
[Late
19th century. From Greek kērugma, from kērussein “to proclaim.”]
—ker·yg·mat·ic [kèrrig máttik], adjective[1]



kestrel

kestrel
kes·trel 
[késtrəl] (plural kes·trels) noun

small
falcon:
a small European and Asian falcon that feeds on small mammals. It can hover in
the wind before diving on its prey. Genus: Falco
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via a dialectal form of French crécerelle “rattle,”
from Latin crepitacillum, literally “small rattle,” from crepitare
“to rattle.”][1]



ket-

ket-
ket-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
keto-[1]



ketamine

ketamine
ke·ta·mine
[kéttə mn] noun

general anesthetic:
a white crystalline powder used as a general anesthetic in human and veterinary
medicine. C13H16ClNO[1]



ketch

ketch
ketch 
[kech] (plural ketch·es) noun

small
sailing ship: a small sailboat with two masts
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from catch .][1]



ketchup

ketchup
ketch·up 
[kéchəp] or catch·up [káchəp, kéchəp]
or cat·sup [kátsəp, káchəp, kéchəp]
noun

tasty
red sauce:
a thick sauce, made with tomatoes, that is served cold as a condiment
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Malay kēchap “fish sauce” from Chinese
(Cantonese) k’ē chap “sauce.”][1]



ketene

ketene
ke·tene 
[k tn] noun

toxic
gas:
a strong-smelling colorless highly reactive toxic gas used as an agent to
attach an acetyl group to an organic compound. C2H2O
[Early 20th century. From ketone + -ene
.][1]



keto-

keto-
keto-
or ket- prefix

chemical
compound related to ketone: indicating a chemical
compound containing a keto group, C=O, such as ketone • ketosteroid
[From ketone][1]



ketoform

ketoform
ke·to
form
[k tō fàwrm] (plural ke·to forms)
noun

organic compound structure:
one of two interconvertible forms of an organic compound, characterized by a
carbonyl group attached to two alkyl groups[1]



ketogenesis

ketogenesis
ke·to·gen·e·sis 
[k tō jénnəssiss] noun

formation
of ketone bodies: the formation or stimulation of the
production of ketone bodies, as happens in diabetes
—ke·to·gen·ic [k tō jénnik], adjective[1]



ketone

ketone
ke·tone 
[k tn] (plural ke·tones) noun

organic
compound:
an organic compound characterized by a carbon atom doubly bonded to an oxygen
atom and to two carbon atoms. The simplest ketone is acetone, an important
industrial solvent.
[Mid-19th
century. From German Keton, an alteration of Aketon “acetone.”]
—ke·ton·ic [kee tónnik], adjective[1]



ketonebody

ketonebody
ke·tone
bod·y
noun

ketone-containing substance
produced metabolically: a substance
containing ketones produced by fatty acid metabolism. The concentration of
ketone bodies in blood and urine increases in starvation, diabetes, and
pregnancy.
Also called
acetone body[1]



ketonegroup

ketonegroup
ke·tone
group
(plural ke·tone groups) noun

grouping of atoms in a
ketone: the carbonyl group,
containing carbon atoms doubly bonded to an oxygen atom and linked to the
carbon atoms of two other organic groups, a characteristic of all ketones[1]



ketonuria

ketonuria
ke·to·nu·ri·a 
[ktō nree ə] noun

ketones in urine:
the presence of ketones in the urine, a dangerous feature of severe and
uncontrolled diabetes[1]



ketose

ketose
ke·tose 
[k tss] (plural ke·tos·es) noun

carbohydrate containing a
ketone: a carbohydrate that contains
a ketone group[1]



ketosis

ketosis
ke·to·sis 
[kee tṓssiss] noun

overproduction
of ketones:
the condition resulting from overproduction of ketone bodies
—ke·tot·ic [kee tóttik], adjective[1]



ketoxime

ketoxime
ke·tox·ime
[kee tók sm] (plural ke·tox·imes)
noun

organic compound:
an organic compound containing a nitrogen atom bonded to a hydroxyl group and a
carbon atom, which is bonded to two ketones. It is produced by the reaction
between hydroxylamine and a ketone.[1]



kettle

kettle
ket·tle 
[kétt’l] (plural ket·tles) noun

1.  teakettle:
a teakettle

2.  metal
pot:
a metal pot used for cooking, usually one with a lid • a
fish kettle

3.  GEOLOGY basin
in a glacial drift deposit: a steep-sided basin, often a
lake or swamp, in a glacial drift deposit, caused by the melting of an ice mass
left behind as the glacier retreated.
Also
called
kettle hole
[Old English cetel .
Ultimately via a prehistoric Germanic word from Latin catillus “small
cooking pot.”][1]



kettledrum

kettledrum


ket·tle·drum 
[kétt’l drùm] (plural ket·tle·drums)
noun
percussion
instrument:
a percussion instrument consisting of a large copper or brass drum covered with
a parchment skin. Pitch is altered by screws and pedals that increase or
decrease the skin’s tension.
—ket·tle·drum·mer, noun[1]



kettlehole

kettlehole
ket·tle
hole
(plural ket·tle holes) noun

GEOLOGY
See kettle  noun 3[1]



kettleof fish

kettleof fish
ket·tle
of fish
(plural ket·tles of fish) noun

1.  difficult
situation:
an undesirable situation, usually one caused by somebody’s negligence or
incompetence

2.  type
of person or situation: a situation or person to be
dealt with (informal) • That’s
a different kettle of fish altogether.

[1]



keV

keV
keV

Abbreviation of
kiloelectron unit[1]



kevel

kevel2
kev·el2  [kévv’l]
noun

type
of hammer:
a two-headed hammer, one head with a sharp edge, the other with a point, used
for breaking up or shaping stone
[Origin unknown][1]



kevel

kevel1
kev·el1  [kévv’l]
(plural kev·els) noun

ship’s
bollard:
a sturdy bitt or bollard for securing the heavier cables on a ship
[13th century. Via Old Norman
French keville “pin, peg” from Latin clavicula “small key”
(source of English clavicle ).][1]



Kevlar

Kevlar
Kev·lar
[kév lr] Trademark

a trademark for a reinforcing
material used in bulletproof vests and tires[1]



Kewanee

Kewanee
Ke·wa·nee
[ki w nee]

city in northwestern
Illinois, northwest of Peoria and southeast of Moline. Population: 12,684
(1996)[1]



kewpie

kewpie
kew·pie
[kypee] noun

type
of doll:
a plump doll with rosy cheeks and a curl of hair on its head
[Originally a trademark][1]



key

key3
key3  [kee]
noun

DRUGS drug
quantity:
a kilogram of marijuana, heroin, or cocaine (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of kilogram .][1]



key

key2
key2  [kee]
noun

small
island:
a small low island of sand or coral, especially in the Gulf of Mexico or the
Caribbean
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish cayo from French quai (see quay
).][1]



key

key1

key1  [kee]
noun

1.  instrument
for locking and unlocking: a metal bar with notches or
grooves that, when inserted into a lock and turned, operates the lock’s
mechanism

2.  door
or lock opener: a device such as a plastic card with an
encoded magnetic strip that operates a door or lock

3.  MUSIC instrument
feature:
the levers on a keyboard instrument that sound a note when pressed, or the
metal buttons on a woodwind instrument that alter a note’s pitch

4.  MUSIC musical
scale:
a system of related notes in a scale beginning on a particular note • in
the key of E

5.  instrument
for winding up: a fitted tool that is turned repeatedly
to wind up, set, or calibrate a mechanism

6.  means:
a way or means of achieving something • Continuity
of effort is the key to success.

7.  important
aspect:
the aspect of something that, once understood, provides a full understanding or
explanation of the whole • The
key to this riddle lies in the subtle meanings of the words used.

8.  strategic
place:
a place that is strategically vital in gaining access to or controlling a
larger area • Istanbul
is the key to the Bosporus.

9.  list
of answers:
a list of the answers to a test or exercise

10. keyboard
button:
any of the buttons on a typewriter’s or computer’s keyboard or keypad that
perform an operation when pressed

11. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
for operating circuits: a small manual device for
opening, closing, or switching circuits • a
telegraph key

12. BASKETBALL basketball
court area:
the area at the ends of a basketball court between the base line and the foul
line.
Also
called
keyhole

13. MUSIC main
note of a scale: the note on which a musical scale begins

14. MUSIC tonal
center:
the main tonal center of a musical work, as defined by the relationships
between the notes of a scale and the scale’s main note

15. ARTS mood
of an art work: the general mood or style of a work of
art, literature, or music

16. pitch
or quality:
the pitch or quality of an expressive sound, especially the voice • answered
in thoughtful key

17. MAPS explanatory
list:
an explanatory list of the symbols or abbreviations used on a map or diagram

18. cryptographic
feature:
in cryptography, the sequence of symbols or characters that defines the makeup
of an encoding mechanism

19. explanatory
text:
a text that provides additional information on, or an explanation of, a work of
literature, art, or music

20. ENGINEERING metal
wedge or pin: a metal wedge or pin used to lock
together two structural or mechanical components, for example, a shaft and a
hub, to prevent movement relative to each other

21. COMPUTING database
feature:
a field in a database record that uniquely identifies that record

22. ARCHITECTURE See keystone  noun 1

23. BIOLOGY outline
of characteristics: an outline of the
characteristics of an organism, used for taxonomic identification

24. PHOTOGRAPHY PAINTING image
feature:
the tonal value of an image with regard to lightness, darkness, or color
intensity

25. CONSTRUCTION surface
preparation: the preparing of a surface, usually by
making it rough or grooved so that paint or some other finish will stick to it

26. BOTANY winged
fruit:
a dry winged fruit like that of an ash or elm tree.
Also
called
key fruit
Also
called
samara
adjective

crucial: vital
in achieving understanding or success • the
key points in the report
verb (past
keyed, past participle keyed, present participle key·ing,
3rd person present singular keys)

1.  transitive
verb
provide
something with an explanation: to provide something
with an explanatory list or text

2.  transitive
verb
MUSIC regulate
an instrument’s pitch: to regulate the pitch of a
musical instrument

3.  transitive
verb
adapt
something:
to bring something in line with or make something consistent with something
else (often passive) • We
want these ads keyed to an upscale clientele.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING type:
to use the keyboard of a computer, or input data using it • a
solid hour of keying

5.  transitive
verb
PRINTING mark
artwork:
to mark artwork, or anything to be reproduced, with symbols that will allow
different parts to be correctly aligned for reproduction

6.  transitive
verb
lock
something:
to lock or adjust something with a key

7.  transitive
verb
BUILDING put
a keystone in an arch: to provide an arch with a
keystone

8.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY identify
something:
to identify an organism or specimen
[Old English cġ, of
unknown origin][1]



keyboard

keyboard
key·board 
[k bàwrd] noun (plural key·boards)

1.  set
of keys:
a set of keys laid out in a row or rows, for example, on a computer,
typewriter, piano, or organ

2.  MUSIC musical
instrument:
a musical instrument that has a keyboard, especially an electronic instrument
intransitive
and transitive verb (past key·board·ed,
past participle key·board·ed, present participle key·board·ing,
3rd person present singular key·boards)

COMPUTING input
data:
to enter information into a computer using a keyboard

[1]



keyboarder

keyboarder
key·board·er
[k bàwrdər] (plural key·board·ers)
noun

somebody typing on a
keyboard: somebody who operates the
keyboard of a computer or typesetting machine[1]



keyboardist

keyboardist
key·board·ist
[k bàwrdist] (plural key·board·ists)
noun

musician:
a musician who plays a keyboard instrument[1]



keycard

keycard
key
card
(plural key cards) noun

encoded card:
a card, usually made of plastic with an encoded magnetic strip, giving access
to a door or mechanism[1]



keyclub

keyclub
key
club
(plural key clubs) noun

1.  private
club:
a private country club, nightclub, or restaurant to which each member has a key

2.  student
organization: an organization for high school students
who participate in community service projects

[1]



keydeer

keydeer
key
deer
noun

deer of Florida Keys:
a small white-tailed deer native to the Florida Keys that survives only in game
preserves. Latin name: Odocoileus virginianus clavium[1]



keyedup

keyedup
keyed
up
adjective

excited:
in a state of great excitement, tension, or nervousness (informal)[1]



keyescrow

keyescrow
key
es·crow
noun

encryption system:
a system for encrypting computer data in which the decoding key is held by a
third party[1]



Key,Francis Scott

Key,Francis Scott
Key 
[kee], Francis Scott (1779–1843)

U.S. poet and lawyer. He
wrote the lyrics to “The Star Spangled Banner” ( 1814 ), adopted as the U.S.
national anthem in 1931.[1]



keyfruit

keyfruit
key
fruit
(plural key fruits) noun

BOTANY
See key 1[1]



keygrip

keygrip
key
grip
(plural key grips) noun

main grip:
the chief grip in a film or stage crew[1]



keyhole

keyhole
key·hole 
[k hl] (plural key·holes) noun

1.  hole
in a lock:
the small hole in a lock into which a key fits

2.  BASKETBALL See key 1 noun 4

[1]



keyholesaw

keyholesaw
key·hole
saw
(plural key·hole saws) noun

handsaw used for curved cuts:
a handsaw with a stiff narrow pointed fine-toothed blade, used to make
small-radius curved and internal cuts.
U.K. term
padsaw[1]



keyholesurgery

keyholesurgery
key·hole
sur·ger·y
noun

surgery performed through a
small incision: surgery performed using
instruments that can be introduced into the body through a very small hole and
manipulated externally, thus avoiding the need for major incisions[1]



keyin

keyin
key
in
transitive verb

input data via keys:
to enter data, for example, a password or PIN, by typing on a keyboard or
keypad[1]



KeyLargo

KeyLargo
Key
Lar·go 
[kee lrgō]

one of the largest of the
Florida Keys, in southeastern Florida, at Biscayne Bay. Length: 48 km/30 mi.[1]



keylight

keylight
key
light
(plural key lights) noun

main studio light:
the main studio or stage light that sets the overall level of light intensity
for something that is being filmed, videotaped, or photographed[1]



keylime

keylime
key
lime
(plural key limes) or Key lime (plural Key
limes) noun

lime of the Florida Keys:
a small tart lime grown in the Florida Keys and Caribbean islands[1]



keylime pie

keylime pie
key
lime pie
(plural key lime pies) or Key lime pie (plural
Key lime pies) noun

creamy lime pie:
a pie made from sweetened condensed milk flavored and thickened with juice from
key limes[1]



key-maninsurance

key-maninsurance
key-man
in·sur·ance
noun

insurance policy on an
executive: a life insurance policy on
an important executive in a business, with the business as the beneficiary[1]



keymoney

keymoney
key
mon·ey
noun

1.  deposit
on accommodation: a fee paid by a prospective tenant to a
landlord or landlady in order to secure a tenancy

2.  money
paid for an apartment: money paid, usually
secretly, to a building owner or manager, or to the current tenant, in order to
secure an apartment

[1]



Keynes,John Maynard

Keynes,John Maynard

Keynes
[kaynz], John Maynard, 1st Baron Keynes of
Tilton (1883–1946)
British
economist. He proposed the influential theory that government spending must
compensate for insufficient business investment in times of recession.

—Keynes·i·an,
noun, adjective

—Keynes·i·an·ism, noun[1]



keynote

keynote
key·note 
[k nt] noun (plural key·notes)

1.  main
theme:
the central or most important point or theme of something

2.  MUSIC See tonic  noun 5
adjective

most important:
containing or outlining the most important themes or policies
verb
(past key·not·ed, past participle key·not·ed, present
participle key·not·ing, 3rd person present singular key·notes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb deliver
a speech:
to deliver an important speech to a convention or meeting

2.  transitive
verb
note
important points: to outline an important policy in a
speech or report
[Mid-18th century, in the
sense “first note of a scale,” hence, the one that decides what follows][1]



keynoteaddress

keynoteaddress
key·note
ad·dress
noun

See
keynote speech[1]



keynoter

keynoter
key·not·er 
[k ntər] (plural key·not·ers)
noun

somebody giving a keynote
address: somebody who delivers the
most important speech at a conference or political convention.
Also called
keynote speaker[1]



keynotespeech

keynotespeech
key·note
speech
(plural key·note speech·es) or key·note ad·dress noun

important speech:
the most important speech at a conference or political convention[1]



keypad

keypad
key·pad 
[k pàd] (plural key·pads) noun

1.  small
keyboard:
a small keyboard, for example, on a calculator or television remote control,
usually with numbers rather than letters on the keys

2.  part
of a keyboard: the part of a computer keyboard in which
the number and command keys are grouped

[1]



keypal

keypal
key·pal
[k pàl] (plural key·pals) noun

e-mail
correspondent: somebody with whom regular e-mail is
exchanged
[Modeled on penpal][1]



keypunch

keypunch
key·punch 
[k pùnch] noun (plural key·punch·es)

machine
for punching holes: a machine, operated by
keyboard, that punches holes in cards or paper for use in a data-processing
system. Once the primary means of computer input, the keypunch has been made
largely obsolete by the computer keyboard.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past key·punched,
past participle key·punched, present participle key·punch·ing,
3rd person present singular key·punch·es)

to
punch holes for data entry: to use a keypunch to punch
holes in a card or paper tape for data entry into a computer
—key·punch·er, noun[1]



keyring

keyring
key
ring
[k rìng] (plural key rings) noun

holder for keys:
a metal ring used for keeping keys together, often with a decorative or
identifying attachment[1]



keysignature

keysignature
key
sig·na·ture
(plural key sig·na·tures) noun

indication of musical key:
a group of sharps or flats printed on the staffs at the beginning of a piece of
music to show the key in which it is to be played.
Also called
signature[1]



keystone

keystone
key·stone 
[k stn] (plural key·stones) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE central
stone in an arch: the wedge-shaped stone at the highest
point of an arch that locks the others in place.
Also
called
headstone
Also
called
key
Also
called
quoin

2.  supporting
element:
something on which other interrelated things depend • friendly
alliances that are the keystone of the country’s security





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Keystone Kops, a group of comic characters who appeared in a number of silent
  movies by Mack Sennett ( 1884-1960 ). A bumbling police squad dressed in
  oversized uniforms, the Kops usually featured in slapstick chase sequences
  characterized by superb sight gags and acrobatic stunts.

[1]



keystroke

keystroke
key·stroke 
[k strk] (plural key·strokes)
noun

pressing of one keyboard key:
the pressing down of one of the keys on a keyboard, thus activating it[1]



keyway

keyway
key·way 
[k wày] (plural key·ways) noun

slot between components:
a longitudinal slot in two structural or mechanical components, for example, in
the hub or shaft of a wheel, into which a metal wedge or pin can be inserted.
When the slots are filled, the two components are locked together so that they
will not turn relative to one another.[1]



KeyWest

KeyWest
Key
West 
[k wést]

city in southern Florida,
situated on the island of the same name. It is a port and a resort. Population:
24,832 (1990)[1]



keyword

keyword
key·word 
[k wùrd] (plural key·words) or
key word [k wùrd] (plural key
words) noun

1.  reference
point:
a word used as a reference point for further information or as an indication of
the contents of a document

2.  code
word:
a word that is used as a key to a code

3.  COMPUTING word
with a special meaning to a computer: a
sequence of letters and numbers, often in the form of a common word, with
special significance in the context of a computer database or programming or
command language

[1]



kg

kg
kg

Symbol for
kilogram[1]



KGB

KGB
KGB
noun

former
Soviet secret police: the secret police of the
former Soviet Union
[From Russian, from Komitet
Gosudarstvenno Bezopasnosti “Committee of State Security”][1]



kgf

kgf
kgf

Symbol for
kilogram-force[1]



Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk
Kha·ba·rovsk 
[kəbr əfsk]

city in eastern Russia, the
administrative center of Khabarovsk Territory. Population: 634,500 (1992)[1]



khaddar

khaddar
khad·dar 
[kdər] or kha·di [kdee] noun

cotton
cloth:
a cotton cloth from India that has a plain weave
[Early 20th century. From
Panjabi khaddar or Hindi khādar, khādī .][1]



khaki

khaki
khak·i 
[kákee, kkee]
adjective

COLORS brownish-yellow:
of a dull brownish-yellow color
noun

1.  COLORS brownish-yellow:
a dull brownish-yellow color

2.  TEXTILES beige
cloth:
a tough beige-colored fabric often used for making military uniforms
plural
noun
khak·is

trousers or uniform:
a pair of trousers or a uniform made of khaki
[Mid-19th
century. Via Urdu akī “dust-colored” from, ultimately, Persian āk
“dust.”]
—khak·i, adjective[1]



khalif

khalif
kha·lif 
(plural kha·lifs) noun

See
caliph[1]



Khalsa

Khalsa
Khal·sa
[klsə] noun

Sikh
religious order: a strict Sikh religious order founded in
1699 by Guru Gobind Singh
[Late 18th century. Via Urdu
from, ultimately, Arabic āliṣ “pure.”][1]



khamsin

khamsin
kham·sin 
[kam sn] noun

hot
southerly wind: a dry dusty hot southerly wind that
blows from the Sahara across Egypt and over the Red Sea from March to May
[Late 17th century. From
Arabic amāsīn, from amsīn “fifty” (because it blows for about
fifty days).][1]



khan

khan1
khan1 [kaan,
kan] (plural khans) noun

1.  medieval
title:
a medieval title formerly used by Mongol and Turkish rulers in various parts of
Asia (usually added to a name) • Genghis
Khan

2.  title
of respect in Central Asia: a title of respect taken by
various dignitaries in Central Asian countries • the
Aga Khan
[14th century. Via Old French
chan or medieval Latin ca(a)nus from Turkic ān “lord,
ruler.”][1]



khan

khan2
khan2 [kaan,
kan] (plural khans) noun

Turkish
inn:
an inn in Turkey and some other Central Asian countries
[14th century. From Persian ān
.][1]



khanate

khanate
khan·ate 
[k nàyt] (plural khan·ates) noun

1.  khan’s
territory:
the territory governed by a medieval Chinese emperor or Mongolian or Turkish
khan

2.  khan’s
rank:
the position or rank of a khan

[1]



khanga

khanga
khan·ga

CLOTHES
See kanga[1]



Khan,Imran

Khan,Imran
Khan 
[kaan], Imran (1952– )

Pakistan
cricketer. He was four times captain of Pakistan’s national team between 1982
and his retirement from cricket in 1992, and also played for Sussex and
Worcestershire.
Full name
Niazi, Imran Ahmad Khan[1]



khaprabeetle

khaprabeetle
khap·ra
bee·tle 
[kprə bt’l] (plural khap·ra
bee·tles) noun

grain-eating
beetle:
a beetle of Southeast Asia now common in other parts of the world, where it is
a pest to grain farmers. Latin name: Trogoderma granarium
[Khapra via Hindi from
Sanskrit khapara “thief”][1]



Kharkov

Kharkov
Khar·kov 
[kr kàwf]

the second largest city in
Ukraine, capital of Kharkov Oblast. It is situated about 418 km/260 mi east of
Kiev. Population: 1,576,000 (1995)[1]



Khartoum

Khartoum
Khar·toum 
[kaar tm]

capital city of Sudan and of
Khartoum Province. It is situated just south of the confluence of the Blue Nile
and White Nile rivers. Population: 476,218 (1983)[1]



khat

khat
khat 
[kaat] (plural khats) noun

1.  TREES white-flowered
shrub:
an evergreen shrub native to Arabia and Africa with white flowers and leaves
that have a narcotic effect when chewed or brewed as tea. Latin name: Catha
edulis

2.  DRUGS leaves
of the khat: the leaves of the khat plant, used as a
stimulant
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic āt .][1]



khedive

khedive
khe·dive 
[kə dv] (plural khe·dives) noun

Turkish
viceroy:
the title of the Turkish viceroys who governed Egypt from 1867 to 1914 while it
was under Turkish rule
[Mid-19th
century. Via French and Ottoman Turkish from Persian adiiw “prince,”
ultimately from udā “god.”]
—khe·di·val,
adjective

—khe·di·vate, noun[1]



Khmer

Khmer
Khmer 
[kmair, kə máir]
(plural Khmer or Khmers) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Cambodian people: a member of the main ethnic
group in Cambodia

2.  HISTORY an inhabitant of the ancient
Khmer kingdom that flourished in the Mekong valley between the 9th and 13th
centuries AD

3.  LANGUAGE official
language of Cambodia: the official language of
Cambodia, belonging to the Mon-Khmer group of languages. Khmer is spoken by
more than five million people.
—Khmer, adjective[1]



KhmerRepublic

KhmerRepublic
Khmer
Re·pub·lic

Former name for
Cambodia 1970–1975[1]



KhmerRouge

KhmerRouge
Khmer
Rouge
[kmàir r, kə
màir r] noun

Cambodian
Communist party: the Cambodian Communist party that
seized power in the civil war of 1975 and controlled the country until 1979
[From Khmer Khmer
“Kampuchea” + French rouge “red”][1]



Khoikhoi

Khoikhoi
Khoi·khoi
[kóy kòy] (plural Khoi·khoi or
Khoi·khois) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a nomadic African people: a member of a formerly
nomadic people now living mainly in Namibia

2.  Khoikhoi
or Khoi Khoi LANGUAGE
Namibian
language:
a language spoken in Namibia and some parts of western South Africa, belonging
to the Khoisan family of African languages and characterized by the use of
click consonants. Khoikhoi is spoken by around 55,000 people.
[Late
18th century. From Nama, literally “men of men.”]
—Khoi·khoi, adjective[1]



Khoisan

Khoisan
Khoi·san 
[kóy sn] or Khoi-San [kóy sn] noun

family
of African languages: a family of around fifty
languages, including Khoikhoi, San, Kwadi, and Sandawe, spoken in parts of
Namibia and Botswana and notable for the use of click consonants
[Mid-20th century. Blend of Khoikhoi and San
.][1]



Khomeini,Ruhollah

Khomeini,Ruhollah

Kho·mei·ni
[kōmáynee], Ruhollah, Ayatollah (1900–1989)
Iranian religious leader. He led an
Islamic revolution that overthrew the shah (1979), and as virtual head of state
introduced a constitution and administration based on Islamic law.[1]



Khrushchev,Nikita

Khrushchev,Nikita

Khru·shchev
[krsh chef, krshchawf],
Nikita (1894–1971)
Soviet
statesman. In 1953, after Stalin’s death, he became first secretary of the
Communist Party, and embarked on a programme of destalinization. He was ousted
in 1964. The Cuban missile crisis occurred during his administration.
Full name
Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeyevich[1]



Khulna

Khulna
Khul·na 
[klnə]

city and river port in
southwestern Bangladesh. It is situated about 145 km/90 mi southwest of Dhaka.
Population: 545,849 (1991)[1]



khuskhus

khuskhus
khus·khus
[kúskəss] or khus-khus [kúskəss]

BOTANY See vetiver
[Early 19th century. From
Urdu and Persian asas .][1]



KhyberPass

KhyberPass
Khy·ber
Pass 
[kbər paass]

mountain pass in western
Asia, the most important pass connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan[1]



kHz

kHz
kHz

Abbreviation of
kilohertz[1]



KIA

KIA
KIA


Abbreviation of
killed in action[1]



Kiama

Kiama
Ki·a·ma
[kī ámmə]

coastal town in southeastern
New South Wales, Australia, an administrative center and tourist resort.
Population: 11,711 (1996)[1]



kiang

kiang
ki·ang 
[kee ng] (plural ki·angs) noun

Asian
wild ass:
a large wild ass native to the Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas. Latin name: Equus
hemionus kiang
[Mid-19th century. From
Tibetan kyang .][1]



kibbe

kibbe
kib·be 
[kíbbə] noun

Middle
Eastern dish: a Middle Eastern dish made with ground
lamb, pine nuts, and spices
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic kubbah .][1]



kibble

kibble
kib·ble
[kíbb’l] noun

ground
meal:
meal that has been ground into small pieces and then formed into pellets,
especially for pet food
transitive
verb
(past kib·bled, past participle kib·bled, present
participle kib·bling, 3rd person present singular kib·bles)

grind
something:
to grind something, for example, grain, into small pieces
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



kibbutz

kibbutz
kib·butz 
[ki bts, ki
bts] (plural kib·but·zim [ki
bt sm, ki bt sm]) noun

collective
in Israel:
communal farm or factory in Israel run collectively and dedicated to the
principle that production work and domestic work are of equal value
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Hebrew qibbūs “gathering.”][1]



kibbutznik

kibbutznik
kib·butz·nik 
[ki btsnik, ki
btsnik] (plural kib·butz·niks) noun

somebody living on kibbutz:
somebody who lives and works on a kibbutz[1]



kibe

kibe
kibe 
[kīb] (plural kibes) noun

skin
sore caused by cold: a chapped or swollen area of
skin, usually on the heel and often ulcerated, caused by exposure to cold
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Kibei

Kibei
Ki·bei 
[kee báy] (plural Ki·bei) noun

Japanese
American:
somebody born in the United States of Japanese parents and educated in Japan
[From Japanese, literally “to
go home”][1]



kibitka

kibitka
ki·bit·ka
[ki bítkə] (plural ki·bit·kas)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT Russian
sled:
a covered sled or wagon in Russia

2.  Tatar
tent:
a tent made of felt used by the Tatars of Central Asia

3.  Tatar
family:
a family of Tatars
[Late 18th century. From Russian
.][1]



kibitz

kibitz
kib·itz 
[kíbbits] (past kib·itzed, past
participle kib·itzed, present participle kib·itz·ing, 3rd
person present singular kib·itz·es) intransitive verb (informal)

1.  interfere:
to interfere or give unwanted advice, especially when watching a card game

2.  chat:
to chat
[Early
20th century. Via Yiddish from German kiebitsen .]
—kib·itz·er, noun[1]



kiblah

kiblah
kib·lah 
[kíbblə] noun

direction
of Mecca:
the direction of Mecca that Muslims must face when praying
[Mid-17th century. From
Arabic ibla, literally “that which is opposite.”][1]



kibosh

kibosh
ki·bosh 
[k bòsh, ki
bósh] (past ki·boshed, past participle ki·boshed,
present participle ki·bosh·ing, 3rd person present singular
ki·bosh·es) transitive verb

stop
something:
to put a stop to something
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
put
the kibosh on something

to prevent something from
happening or from being successful (informal)[1]



kick

kick
kick 
[kik] verb (past kicked,
past participle kicked, present participle kick·ing,
3rd person present singular kicks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
with the foot: to strike something or somebody with the
foot

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with the foot: to make something move by striking it
with the foot • kick a ball around

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
thrashing movement: to make a thrashing movement
with the legs, for example, when fighting or swimming • Hold
onto the side of the pool and kick your legs as hard as you can.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb raise
the leg high: to raise the leg up high in a swift
movement, for example, in a dance

5.  intransitive
verb
ARMS recoil:
to recoil when fired (refers to firearms)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS score goal:
in various football games, to score a field goal by kicking

7.  intransitive
verb
object:
to show disapproval or object to something by not cooperating (informal)
• He
kicked against the restrictions.

8.  reflexive
verb
blame:
to be irritated with yourself (informal) • I’m
kicking myself for missing the deadline.
noun
(plural kicks)

1.  blow
with the foot: a blow with the foot

2.  leg
movement:
a thrashing movement with the leg • a swimming
kick

3.  raising
of the leg:
a swift raising of the leg, for example, in a dance • a
high kick

4.  SPORTS kicking
of a ball:
the striking of a ball with the foot • opted
for a kick instead of a pass

5.  pleasure:
an exciting, pleasurable, or satisfying feeling (informal) • She
really gets a kick out of appearing on stage.

6.  power:
power or strength • That sauce has quite a
kick to it.

7.  temporary
interest:
a temporary interest, especially a strongly absorbing interest (informal)
• They’re
on some kind of a health food kick right now.

8.  ARMS recoil
of a gun:
the backward thrust of a gun when it is fired
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—kick·a·ble,
adjective
a
kick in the pants

a reprimand given to somebody
who is not showing enough enthusiasm or effort (informal)[1]



Kickapoo

Kickapoo
Kick·a·poo 
[kíkə p] (plural Kick·a·poo or
Kick·a·poos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native North American people: a member of a Native
North American people who inhabited southwestern Wisconsin before moving to
Illinois during the 18th century. Kickapoo communities exist today in Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Texas.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Kickapoo: an Algonquian language spoken in parts
of Oklahoma and Kansas, and along the Texas-Mexico border, one of the
Algonquian-Wakashan family of Native North American languages. Kickapoo is
spoken by about 4,000 people.
[Late
17th century. From Kickapoo kiikaapoa .]
—Kick·a·poo, adjective[1]



kickaround

kickaround
kick
around
verb

1.  transitive
verb
mistreat
somebody:
to treat somebody badly and unfairly (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
discuss
something:
to discuss a topic or range of topics in an informal way (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
aimlessly:
to travel around a place without any fixed plans

4.  intransitive
verb
be
somewhere:
to remain forgotten or neglected (informal)

[1]



kickback

kickback
kick·back 
[kík bàk] (plural kick·backs) noun

1.  bribe:
a sum of money paid illegally in order to gain concessions or favors

2.  reaction:
a strong or violent reaction (informal)

[1]



kickback

kickback
kick
back
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay a
bribe:
to pay money illegally in order to buy concessions or favors (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
recoil
suddenly:
to recoil suddenly and unexpectedly (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
ARMS recoil:
to recoil when fired (refers to guns)

4.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to relax comfortably (informal)

[1]



kickball

kickball
kick·ball
[kík bàwl] noun

game like baseball:
a children’s game similar to baseball but using a large, inflated ball that is
kicked instead of batted[1]



kickboard

kickboard
kick·board
[kík bàwrd] (plural kick·boards)
noun

SWIMMING
swimming aid:
a small buoyant board held by a swimmer in order to stay afloat while
practicing kicking techniques.
U.K. term
float[1]



kickboxing

kickboxing
kick·box·ing 
[kík bòksing] noun

boxing
with kicking: a form of boxing that involves kicking
as well as punching
—kick·box·er, noun[1]



kicker

kicker
kick·er 
[kíkər] (plural kick·ers) noun

1.  somebody
that kicks:
somebody that kicks, especially a football player

2.  catch:
a disadvantage that is often hidden or unexpected (informal) • The
price isn’t bad, but the kicker is that he wants it all in cash.

3.  automatic
increase:
an increase that makes something such as a pension or labor contract more
valuable

4.  something
that kicks:
something, especially a firearm, that kicks or recoils

[1]



kickin

kickin
kick
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
effect:
to start to take effect or come into operation (informal) • I’ll
feel better once the antibiotics kick in.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.S., Australia,
New Zealand contribute: to
contribute toward the cost of something (informal)
U.K.
term
chip in

3.  intransitive
verb
die:
to die (slang)

[1]



kicking

kicking
kick·ing
[kíking] (plural kick·ings) adjective

excellent:
excellent, exciting, or very enjoyable (slang)[1]



kickoff

kickoff
kick·off 
[kík àwf] (plural kick·offs) noun

1.  FOOTBALL start
of a game:
in football, the kicking of the ball at the beginning of a game, half, or after
a touchdown or field goal

2.  start
of something: the start of something or the time when
something starts (informal)

3.  SOCCER start
of match:
in soccer, the place kick from the center spot that begins the game

4.  SOCCER starting
time:
the time at which a game of soccer is due to start

5.  a
beginning (informal) • the
kickoff of their European tour

[1]



kickoff

kickoff
kick
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL start
play:
in football, to start play by kicking the ball to the receiving team

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin:
to start something or to begin (informal) • Let’s
kick off tonight’s show with our first guest.

3.  intransitive
verb
die:
to die (slang)

[1]



kickout

kickout
kick
out
transitive verb

expel somebody:
to throw somebody out or send somebody away (informal)[1]



kickover

kickover
kick
over
intransitive verb

start up:
to turn over or begin to fire (slang) (refers to engines)[1]



kickplate

kickplate
kick
plate
(plural kick plates) noun

door protector:
a metal plate attached to the face of a door at foot level to protect it[1]



kickpleat

kickpleat
kick
pleat
(plural kick pleats) noun

pleat at the back:
an inverted pleat at the lower back of a straight skirt to prevent the wearer
from being hampered when walking[1]



kickshaw

kickshaw
kick·shaw 
[kík shàw] (plural kick·shaws)
noun (archaic)

1.  trinket:
a trinket of little value

2.  FOOD delicacy:
an exotic food delicacy
[Late 16th century. From
French quelque chose “something.”][1]



kicksin’

kicksin’
kick·sin’
[kíksin] noun

Caribbean
playing around:
playing around and not acting seriously (informal)[1]



kickstand

kickstand
kick·stand 
[kík stànd] (plural kick·stands)
noun

stand
for bicycles or motorcycles: a pivoting metal bar on a
bicycle or motorcycle that can be pushed down into contact with the ground to
keep the vehicle upright when it is stationary
[Mid-20th century. So called
because it is raised and lowered with the foot.][1]



kick-start

kick-start
kick-start
transitive verb (past kick-start·ed, past participle
kick-start·ed, present participle kick-start·ing, 3rd
person present singular kick-starts)

1.  MOTORCYCLES start
a motorcycle: to start the engine on a motorcycle by
stepping down hard on the kick-starter

2.  start
something quickly: to start or restart a
process or activity quickly and forcefully • policies
designed to kick-start an ailing economy
noun
(plural kick-starts)

1.  MOTORCYCLES See kick-starter

2.  forceful
start:
a course of action that quickly and forcefully starts or restarts a process or
activity (informal)

[1]



kick-starter

kick-starter
kick-start·er
(plural kick-start·ers) noun

1.  MOTORCYCLES starting
pedal:
the pedal on a motorcycle that starts the engine when it is kicked downward.
Also
called
kick-start

2.  initial
boost:
something, for example, a large amount of money, that gets a project off to an
unusually good start

[1]



kickturn

kickturn
kick
turn
(plural kick turns) noun

180° turn:
in skiing, a standing 180° turn made by swiveling each ski separately[1]



kickup

kickup
kick
up
verb (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
something:
to cause or instigate something, usually something undesirable • kick
up a fuss

2.  transitive
verb
intensify:
to increase in force or intensity

3.  intransitive
verb
give
trouble:
to misbehave or malfunction

[1]



kickup

kickup
kick·up
[kík ùp] (plural kick·ups) noun

commotion:
a noisy commotion or protest (informal)[1]



kickwheel

kickwheel
kick
wheel
(plural kick wheels) noun

mechanical potter’s wheel:
a mechanical potter’s wheel that is turned by a foot-operated treadle[1]



kicky

kicky
kick·y 
[kíkee] (comparative kick·i·er,
superlative kick·i·est) adjective

thrilling:
thrilling and unusual (slang)
[Late 18th century.
Originally in the sense “lively, teasing.”][1]



kid

kid2
kid2  [kid]
(past kid·ded, past participle kid·ded, present
participle kid·ding, 3rd person present singular kids)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something for fun: to say something that is not
true, especially as a joke or to tease somebody

2.  transitive
verb
deceive
somebody:
to deceive or mislead somebody (informal) • don’t
kid yourself
[Late
16th century. From kid 1 .]
—kid·der, noun[1]



kid

kid1
kid1  [kid]
noun (plural kids)

1.  child:
a young child (informal)

2.  youth:
a young person (informal)

3.  term
of address:
used as an informal term of address (informal) • Here’s
looking at you, kid.

4.  young
goat:
a young goat, antelope, or similar animal

5.  INDUSTRY soft
leather:
soft leather made from the skin of a young goat.
Also
called
kidskin
adjective

younger:
younger, especially of two siblings (informal) • his
kid sister
intransitive
and transitive verb (past kid·ded,
past participle kid·ded, present participle kid·ding,
3rd person present singular kids)

bear young: to
give birth to a young goat
[12th
century. From Old Norse kið .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at youth

[1]



Kidderminster

Kidderminster
Kid·der·min·ster 
[kíddər mìnstər] (plural Kid·der·min·sters)
or Kid·der·min·ster car·pet [kíddər
mìnstər] (plural Kid·der·min·ster car·pets) noun

English carpet:
a type of ingrain carpet originally made in Kidderminster, England[1]



kiddie

kiddie
kid·die
[kíddee] (plural kid·dies) or
kid·dy [kíddee] (plural kid·dies)
noun

small
child:
a small child (informal)
[Late 16th century][1]



kiddo

kiddo
kid·do 
[kíddō] (plural kid·dos or
kid·does) noun

1.  young
person:
a child, young person, or friend (slang)

2.  term
of address:
used as an informal term of address, especially to a young person (informal)

[1]



Kiddush

Kiddush
Kid·dush 
[kíddəsh, ki
dsh] (plural Kid·dush·im [ki
d shm]) or kid·dush [kíddəsh,
ki dsh] (plural kid·dush·im) noun

1.  blessing:
in Judaism, a special blessing, usually for wine, said before a meal on the eve
of the Sabbath or a holiday in order to consecrate the festival

2.  reception:
a reception following the recitation of the Kiddush for the congregants, at
which drinks and snacks are served
[Mid-18th century. From
Hebrew qiddūš “sanctification.”][1]



Kidd,William

Kidd,William
Kidd 
[kid], William (1645?–1701)

Scottish-American
pirate. He was hired to suppress piracy in the Indian Ocean (1695), but made
his own attacks on merchant vessels (1697–1699) and was later hanged.
Known as
Captain Kidd[1]



kiddy

kiddy
kid·dy
[kíddee] noun

(informal) See kiddie[1]



kidglove

kidglove
kid
glove
(plural kid gloves) noun

glove of kid leather:
a glove of soft leather made from the skin of a young goat[1]



kidglove

kidglove
kid·glove
[kíd glùv] or kid-glove [kíd glùv] adjective

careful:
displaying tact and sensitivity[1]



kidlit

kidlit
kid·lit
[kíd lìt] noun

children’s
literature:
literature for children (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Kidman,Nicole

Kidman,Nicole
Kid·man
[kídmən], Nicole (1967– )

Hawaiian-born Australian
actor. She has starred in movies such as To Die For ( 1994 ) and The
Portrait of a Lady ( 1996 ).[1]



kidnap

kidnap
kid·nap 
[kíd nàp] (past kid·napped or
kid·naped, past participle kid·napped or kid·naped,
present participle kid·nap·ping or kid·nap·ing, 3rd
person present singular kid·naps, plural kid·naps) intransitive
and transitive verb

abduct
somebody:
to take somebody away by force and hold him or her prisoner, usually for ransom
[Mid-17th
century. From kid 1 + nap “to steal,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps a variant of nab .
From the practice of abducting children to provide servants for U.S.
plantations.]
—kid·nap·per, noun[1]



kidnapping

kidnapping
kid·nap·ping
[kíd nàpping] or kid·nap·ing [kíd nàpping] noun

abduction:
the action or crime of forcefully taking away and holding somebody prisoner,
usually for ransom[1]



kidney

kidney

kid·ney 
[kídnee] (plural kid·neys) noun

1.  ANATOMY waste-removing
vertebrate organ: either of a pair of organs in the
abdomen of vertebrates that filter waste liquid resulting from metabolism of
the blood, which is subsequently excreted as urine

2.  ZOOLOGY invertebrate
organ:
the organ in invertebrates that filters waste material for excretion

3.  FOOD animal
kidney as food: the kidney of a pig, calf, ox, or lamb,
eaten as meat

4.  kind:
a kind, type, or disposition (dated) • a
person of a very different kidney
[14th century. Origin
unknown: perhaps formed from Old English cod “bag.”][1]



kidneybean

kidneybean
kid·ney
bean
(plural kid·ney beans) noun

1.  FOOD pulse
of the haricot family: a small, usually dark red,
edible bean shaped like a kidney

2.  PLANTS plant
producing kidney beans: a widely cultivated annual
plant that produces kidney beans. Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris

[1]



kidney-shaped

kidney-shaped
kid·ney-shaped
adjective

shaped like kidney:
in the shape of an oval with a concavity in one side • a
kidney-shaped swimming pool[1]



kidneystone

kidneystone
kid·ney
stone
(plural kid·ney stones) noun

hard mass in kidney:
a small hard mass that forms in the kidney, consisting mainly of phosphates,
oxalates, and urates[1]



kidskin

kidskin
kid·skin 
[kídd skìn] noun

See
kid 1 noun
5[1]



kidstuff

kidstuff
kid
stuff
noun (informal)

1.  something
for children: something considered suitable only for
children or immature people

2.  something
easy or boring: something that is very easy or very
boring

[1]



kidvid

kidvid
kid·vid 
[kíd vìd] (plural kid·vids) noun

children’s
video:
a video for children (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Kiel

Kiel
Kiel
[keel]

city and seaport in north
central Germany, the capital of the state of Schleswig-Holstein situated north
of Hamburg. Population: 247,700 (1994)[1]



kielbasa

kielbasa
kiel·ba·sa 
[kil bssə, keel
bssə] (plural kiel·ba·sas) noun

Polish
sausage:
a spicy smoked sausage, originally made in Poland
[Mid-20th century. Via Polish
from, ultimately, Turkic kūl bastī “roast pressed meat.”][1]



KielCanal

KielCanal
Kiel
Ca·nal
[keel kənál]

canal in northwestern Germany
connecting the North and Baltic seas. Length: 97 km/60 mi.[1]



kier

kier
kier
[keer] (plural kiers) noun

vat
for dyeing:
a vat in which yarn or cloth is bleached or dyed
[Late 16th century. From Old
Norse ker “tub.”][1]



Kierkegaard,Søren

Kierkegaard,Søren
Kier·ke·gaard
[krkə grd], Søren (1813–1855)

Danish
philosopher. His religious philosophy is concerned with individual existence,
choice, and commitment, and has profoundly influenced theology and the
existential philosophers. His books include The Concept of Irony (1841)
and Either/Or (1843).
Full name
Kierkegaard, Søren Aabye[1]



kieserite

kieserite
kie·ser·ite 
[kzə rt] noun

whitish
mineral:
a white to yellow crystalline mineral that consists of hydrated magnesium
sulfate and is found in large amounts in some salt residues
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German physician, Dietrich Kieser ( 1779–1862 ).][1]



Kiev

Kiev
Ki·ev 
[k ev]

capital and largest city of
Ukraine, located in the north centre of the country. Population: 2,646,000
(1993)[1]



kif

kif
kif 
[kif, keef]
or kef [kef, keef, kayf] or
kaif [kayf] noun

marijuana:
marijuana, especially in North Africa
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic kayf, kef “pleasure.”][1]



Kigali

Kigali
Ki·ga·li 
[ki glee]

capital city of Rwanda,
situated on a plateau in the center of the country, just south of the equator.
Population: 234,500 (1993)[1]



kike

kike
kike 
[kīk] (plural kikes) noun

taboo
offensive term: a highly offensive taboo term referring
to a Jewish person (taboo offensive)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Kikongo

Kikongo
Ki·kon·go 
[kee kóng gō] noun

LANGUAGE See Kongo 1 noun 2
[Late 19th century. From
Kikongo .][1]



kikumon

kikumon
ki·ku·mon
[kíkə mòn, kkə
mòn] (plural ki·ku·mons) noun

Japanese
imperial emblem: the emblem of the Japanese imperial
family, in the form of a chrysanthemum
[From Japanese][1]



Kikuyu

Kikuyu
Ki·ku·yu 
[ki k y] (plural Ki·ku·yu or
Ki·ku·yus) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a rural Kenyan people: a member of an agricultural
people living mainly in the highland areas of Kenya, especially around Mount
Kenya

2.  LANGUAGE African
language:
a Benue-Congo language spoken in parts of Kenya, belonging to the Niger-Congo
family of African languages. Kikuyu is spoken by about five million people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Bantu .]
—Ki·ku·yu, adjective[1]



Kilauea

Kilauea
Ki·lau·e·a 
[k low áy ə]

the world’s most active
volcano, on central Hawaii Island, situated in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Height: 1,247 m/4,090 ft.[1]



kilderkin

kilderkin
kil·der·kin 
[kíldərkin] (plural kil·der·kins)
noun

1.  old
liquid measurement: an obsolete British
measurement for liquids, equivalent to about 18 gallons or 68 liters

2.  cask:
a cask with a capacity of one kilderkin
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch kinderkin, literally “small quintal.”][1]



kilim

kilim
ki·lim 
[ki lm, klim]
noun

pileless
Middle Eastern rug: a Middle Eastern rug with
richly colored geometric patterns, woven like tapestry, with no pile
[Late 19th century. Via
Turkish Kilim from Persian gelīm, coarse-woven blanket.][1]



Kilimanjaro,Mount

Kilimanjaro,Mount
Kil·i·man·ja·ro,
Mount
[kìlləmən jrō]

the highest mountain in
Africa, located in northeastern Tanzania. Height: 5,895 m/19,340 ft.[1]



kill

kill2
kill2 [kil]
(plural kills) noun

waterway:
a stream, channel, or waterway (archaic) (or regional)
[Mid-17th
century, From Dutch kil, “river bed, channel”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term kill meaning “a waterway” endures
  today mainly in place names in New York ( Catskill and Peekskill
  ) and New Jersey ( Paulins Kill ).

[1]



kill

kill1
kill1 [kil]
verb (past killed, past participle killed, present
participle kill·ing, 3rd person present singular kills)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to die: to cause the death of a person or an
animal • They
were killed in a car accident.

2.  transitive
verb
ruin
something:
to cause something to end or be ruined • The
remark killed the conversation.

3.  transitive
verb
hurt
part of somebody’s body: to cause severe physical
pain or discomfort to somebody (informal) • My
feet are killing me!

4.  transitive
verb
overpower
something subtle or less strong: to destroy or severely
damage an essential, often delicate quality in something by superimposing
something stronger • Her perfume killed the
scent of the roses.

5.  transitive
verb
tire
somebody out: to exhaust somebody completely (informal)
• These
stairs kill me every time.

6.  reflexive
verb
overexert
yourself:
to push yourself too hard (informal) (often used ironically) • She
was killing herself to get the job done on time.

7.  transitive
verb
turn
something off: to disconnect the power to something
electrical or mechanical so that it stops working (informal) • Kill
the engine.

8.  transitive
verb
make
time pass:
to use up spare time in some activity (informal) • They
killed a couple of hours at the mall.

9.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING cut
text:
to delete a piece of text from a publication or remove a particular amount from
a text (slang) • We had
to kill half a column to make space for the ad.

10. transitive
verb
block
a plan:
to prevent a proposal from going through, for example, the passing of a
congressional bill • The bill was killed in
the Appropriations Committee.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb bowl
somebody over: to have an overpowering effect on
somebody, for example, causing extreme admiration, helpless laughter, or utter
amazement (informal) • dressed
to kill

12. transitive
verb
drink
all of something: to finish off a bottle of something,
usually an alcoholic beverage (slang)

13. transitive
verb
FOOTBALL make
a ball dead: in football, to stop the ball so that it
is no longer in play (informal)

14. transitive
verb
SPORTS hit a
ball hard:
to hit a ball very hard

15. transitive
verb
RACKET GAMES make
a ball unreturnable: in racket games, to hit the
ball so hard, with such skill, or in such a direction that your opponent has no
chance of returning it
noun

1.  killing:
the moment or an act of killing something, especially prey or game, or the bull
at the end of a bullfight

2.  HUNTING prey:
the prey killed by an animal or human being

3.  MILITARY destruction
of enemy vehicle: the destroying of an enemy vehicle such
as a plane, ship, or tank (slang)
[13th
century. From assumed Old English cyllan, from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English quell
.]  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  kill, murder, assassinate,
  execute, put to death,
  slaughter, slay, put to sleep
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  deprive of life kill; a general
  word used to talk about causing the death of a person or animal; murder; to take the life of another person
  in an intentional and often premeditated way that constitutes a serious
  criminal act; assassinate; to
  murder a public figure by means of a sudden surprise attack, often for
  political or religious reasons; execute;
  to take somebody’s life in accordance with a legal death sentence. It is also
  used to refer to the instant or summary killing of an enemy, often for
  political or military reasons; put to death; to deliberately take
  somebody’s life, especially in accordance with a legal death sentence; slaughter; to kill animals for food,
  especially animals that have been bred on a farm. It can also be used to
  refer to brutal and violent killing, usually on a large scale; slay; a formal or literary word used to
  refer to killing a person or animal in an intentional and violent way; put
  to sleep; a euphemism used to talk about the humane killing of sick or
  injured animals, especially when done by a vet

[1]



Killarney

Killarney
Kil·lar·ney
[ki lrnee]

city and tourist center in
the southwestern Republic of Ireland, situated by the Lakes of Killarney.
Population: 9,950 (1991)[1]



killdeer

killdeer
kill·deer 
[kíl dr] (plural kill·deers) noun

large
N American plover: a large North American
plover that has brown and white plumage, two black breast bands, and a
distinctive noisy cry. Latin name: Charadrius vociferus
[Mid-18th century. An imitation
of the bird’s call.][1]



killer

killer
kill·er 
[kíllər] noun

1.  somebody
or something that kills: somebody or something that
kills other people or animals intentionally, especially one that does this more
than once • a
killer crocodile

2.  something
very difficult: something that is very demanding or
difficult (informal) • This
aerobics class is a killer.

3.  destructive
force, person, or organism: somebody or something that
destroys or is fatal • A
killer storm hit the nation on Sunday.

4.  exceptional
thing:
something that is excellent or exceptional (slang) • a
killer performance

[1]



killerapp

killerapp
kill·er
app
noun

COMPUT
excellent software:
a computer application of outstanding power, originality, or market reach (slang)[1]



killerbee

killerbee
kill·er
bee
noun

Africanized bee:
an Africanized bee (informal)[1]



killercell

killercell
kill·er
cell
noun

immune system cell:
a T cell that is part of the body’s immune system and attacks cells having
specific antigens on their surface, for example, cancer cells and those
infected with a virus.
Also called
cytotoxic T cell
Also called
killer T cell[1]



killerinstinct

killerinstinct
kill·er
in·stinct
noun

1.  urge
to kill:
a tendency, capacity, or urge to kill

2.  strong
will to win: an overpowering drive to succeed, for
example, in business deals or sports, whatever the cost may be to other people

[1]



killerT cell

killerT cell
kill·er
T cell
noun

See
killer cell[1]



killerwhale

killerwhale
kill·er
whale
(plural kill·er whales) noun

small black-and-white whale:
a black-and-white toothed whale inhabiting colder seas. It grows up to 7.62
m/25 ft long, has a tall dorsal fin, and feeds mainly on fish and squid. Latin
name: Orcinus orca
Also called
orca[1]



killfee

killfee
kill
fee
(plural kill fees) noun

payment for not publishing
work: payment made to a writer,
photographer, artist, or illustrator by a publisher who has decided not to
publish the contracted work[1]



killick

killick
kil·lick 
[kíllik] or kil·lock [kíllək] noun

small
anchor:
a small anchor, especially one made of a heavy stone
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Killiecrankie,Pass of

Killiecrankie,Pass of
Kil·lie·cran·kie,
Pass of
[kìlli krángkee]

wooded pass in Perth and
Kinross, central Scotland[1]



killifish

killifish
kil·li·fish 
[kíllee fìsh] (plural kil·li·fish·es)
noun

small
fish like a minnow: a fish about the size of a
minnow that inhabits fresh and brackish water and is used as an aquarium fish,
as bait, and in mosquito control. Family: Cyprinodontidae
[Early 19th century. Killi of
uncertain origin: perhaps from New York dialect kill “creek, channel,”
from Dutch kil “channel.”][1]



killing

killing
kill·ing 
[kílling] noun

1.  slaying:
the act of causing the death of a human being or an animal

2.  quick
profit:
a large and quick profit (informal) • made
a killing on the hog futures market
adjective

1.  exhausting:
totally exhausting

2.  fatal:
causing or resulting in death • We
expect a killing frost tonight.

3.  giving
pleasure:
providing extreme pleasure or very good (slang)

4.  intense:
very intense (slang)
—kill·ing·ly, adverb[1]



killingfields

killingfields
kill·ing
fields
plural noun

place
of carnage:
the site of mass slaughter, for example, of civilians





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Killing Fields, a movie by British director Roland Joffe ( 1984 ). Through
  the true story of U.S. journalist Sydney Schanberg’s attempts to trace the
  Cambodian aide he was forced to leave behind after the fall of Phnom Penh in
  1975, Joffe portrays the atrocities perpetrated on the Cambodian people by
  the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1978. References such as “the killing
  fields of Bosnia” clearly take their linguistic cues from this movie title.

[1]



killjoy

killjoy
kill·joy 
[kíl jòy] noun

somebody who spoils others’
fun: somebody whose behavior
prevents other people from having a good time[1]



killock

killock
kil·lock 
noun

SAILING
See killick[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








killoff

killoff
kill
off
transitive verb

1.  completely
destroy something: to destroy something
utterly, or destroy the remaining members of a group of people or creatures • The
spray killed off all the aphids.

2.  TV LITERATURE get rid of a character:
to write in the death of a character, especially in a serial or soap opera

[1]



killshot

killshot
kill
shot
noun

RACKET
GAMES unreturnable
shot: in racket games, a shot that
is hit so hard or accurately that it cannot be returned[1]



Kilmer,Joyce

Kilmer,Joyce
Kil·mer
[kílmər], Joyce (1886–1918)

U.S.
poet. He is known for his lyric poem “Trees” ( 1913 ). He was killed in World
War I.
Full name
Kilmer, Alfred Joyce[1]



kiln

kiln
kiln 
[kiln] noun

industrial
oven:
a specialized oven or furnace used for industrial processes such as firing clay
for pottery or bricks and for drying materials such as hops or timber
transitive
verb
(past kilned, past participle kilned, present participle
kiln·ing, 3rd person present singular kilns)

process
something in a kiln: to dry, fire, or bake
something in a kiln
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
culina, a variant of coquina (source of English kitchen ).][1]



kilo

kilo
ki·lo 
[klō] noun

1.  kilogram:
a kilogram (informal) Symbol k

2.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “K”: a code word for the letter
“K,” used in international radio communications
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



kilo-

kilo-
kilo-
prefix

1.  a
thousand (10 3 ) • kilogram

2.  a
binary thousand • kilobyte
[Via French from Greek khilioi
“thousand”][1]



kilobit

kilobit
kil·o·bit 
[kíllə bìt] noun

COMPUTING
1,024 bits:
1,024 bits[1]



kilobyte

kilobyte
kil·o·byte 
[kíllə bt] noun

COMPUTING
1,024 bytes:
1,024 bytes[1]



kilocalorie

kilocalorie
kil·o·cal·o·rie 
[kíllə kàlləree, kíllə
kàllree] noun

See
calorie[1]



kilocycle

kilocycle
kil·o·cy·cle 
[kíllə sk’l] noun

kilohertz:
a kilohertz (dated)[1]



kilogram

kilogram
kil·o·gram 
[kíllə gràm] noun

1,000 grams:
the basic unit of mass in the SI system, equal to 1,000 grams or 2.2046 lbs. Symbol
kg[1]



kilogram-meter

kilogram-meter
kil·o·gram-me·ter 
noun

unit of energy:
a unit of energy measuring how much work a kilogram force does across a
distance of one meter in the direction of the applied force[1]



kilohertz

kilohertz
kil·o·hertz 
[kíllə hùrts] noun

1,000 hertz:
1,000 hertz[1]



kilometer

kilometer
ki·lom·e·ter 
[ki lómmətər] noun

1,000 meters:
1,000 meters or 0.621 miles[1]



kiloton

kiloton
kil·o·ton 
[kíllə tùn] noun

1.  1,000
tons:
1,000 tons

2.  measure
of explosive capability: an explosive force equal to
1,000 tons of TNT

[1]



kilovolt

kilovolt
kil·o·volt
[kílə vlt] noun

1,000 volts:
1,000 volts[1]



kilowatt

kilowatt
kil·o·watt 
[kíllə wòt] noun

1,000 watts:
1,000 watts[1]



kilowatt-hour

kilowatt-hour
kil·o·watt-hour 
noun

unit of energy:
a unit of energy equal to the work done by one kilowatt in one hour[1]



kilt

kilt
kilt 
[kilt] noun

Scottish
tartan garment: an approximately knee-length wraparound
tartan garment that is part of the traditional Scottish highland dress for men.
A variant of it is worn by women and girls.
[Mid-18th century. From
dialect kilt “to tuck up, gird,” of Scandinavian origin.][1]



kilter

kilter
kil·ter 
[kíltər] noun

order:
good working order or condition • The
well pump is out of kilter.
[Mid-17th century. Variant of
earlier kelter, of unknown origin.][1]



Kimberleys,The

Kimberleys,The
Kim·ber·leys,
The
[kímbər lz]

plateau region of
northwestern Western Australia, near the border with the Northern Territory.
The highest point is Mount Hann, 776 m/2,545 ft . Area: 360,000 sq km/140,000
sq mi.[1]



kimberlite

kimberlite
kim·ber·lite 
[kímbər lt] noun

igneous
rock formation: a form of igneous rock, found especially
in South Africa, composed mainly of peridotite and often containing diamonds
[Late 19th century. Named for
Kimberley, South Africa, a diamond-mining center.][1]



kimchi

kimchi
kim·chi 
[kímchee] noun

Korean
pickled vegetable: a pickle made with
vegetables such as cabbage and white radish seasoned with chili, garlic, and
ginger, regarded as the national dish of Korea
[Late 19th century. Via
Korean kimch’i from, ultimately, Chinese .][1]



KimII Sung

KimII Sung

Kim
II Sung
[kìm il súng] (1912–1994)
North
Korean statesman. As supreme leader of North Korea (1948–1994) he tried to
reunite Korea in the Korean War (1950–1953), and encouraged a personality cult
of himself.
Born
Kim Song Ju[1]



kimono

kimono

ki·mo·no 
[kə mṓnə, ki mṓnō]
(plural ki·mo·nos) noun

1.  traditional
Japanese garment: a loose, floor-length, traditional
Japanese garment that has wide sleeves, wraps in front, and is fastened with a
sash

2.  Western
garment:
a Western garment, especially a robe, similar to the Japanese kimono
[Late
19th century. From Japanese, formed from ki “wear” + mono
“thing.”]
—ki·mo·noed, adjective[1]



KimYoung Sam

KimYoung Sam

Kim Young Sam
[kìm yung sm] (1927– )
South Korean statesman. He was president
(1993–1998) and worked to eliminate corruption in government.[1]



kin

kin
kin 
[kin] noun

1.  family
group:
somebody’s relatives as a group (takes a plural verb)

2.  group
or class:
a member of a group that shares characteristics with another group • Starfishes
and sea urchins are kin.

3.  blood
relation:
somebody related by blood • He’s
not kin but we consider him one of the family.
adjective

related:
related to somebody • I’m
kin to them through my grandmother.
[Old English cyn(n) .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English gender, genre,
genetic, and genesis .][1]



kin

kin
kin 
[kin] noun

1.  family
group:
somebody’s relatives as a group (takes a plural verb)

2.  group
or class:
a member of a group that shares characteristics with another group • Starfishes
and sea urchins are kin.

3.  blood
relation:
somebody related by blood • He’s
not kin but we consider him one of the family.
adjective

related:
related to somebody • I’m
kin to them through my grandmother.
[Old English cyn(n) .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English gender, genre,
genetic, and genesis .][1]



-kin

-kin
-kin
suffix

little,
dear • limpkin
[Origin uncertain: probably
from Middle Dutch -ki(j)n][1]



kina

kina
ki·na 
[knə] noun

1.  currency
of Papua New Guinea: the main unit of currency of
Papua New Guinea, equal to 100 toeas

2.  coin
worth a kina: a coin worth a kina
[Late 20th century. From Tok
Pisin .][1]



Kinabalu,Mount

Kinabalu,Mount
Ki·n·a·ba·lu,
Mount
[kìnnəbə l]

mountain in Malaysia in the
state of Sabah, in northern Borneo. It lies in Kinabalu National Park. Height:
4,101 m/13,455 ft.[1]



kinase

kinase
ki·nase 
[k nàyss, k
nàyz] noun

enzyme
affecting ATP: any of a group of enzymes that catalyze
the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP
[Early 20th century. Formed
from kinetic + -ase
.][1]



kincob

kincob
kin·cob 
[kín kòb, kíng
kòb] noun

embroidered
Indian silk: an Indian silk embroidered with gold or
silver thread
[Early 18th century. From
Urdu and Persian kamāb “gold or silver brocade,” an alteration of kamā
“damask silk,” ultimately from Chinese words meaning “gold” and “flower.”][1]



kind

kind2
kind2 [kīnd]
noun

1.  group
of individuals that share features: a
group or class of individuals connected by shared characteristics • What
kind of fruit is this?

2.  something
inferior:
an example of something, especially if it is seen as inferior or doubtful • Well,
you could say it’s a kind of tool, but how would you use it?

3.  essence
of something: the primary character of something that
determines the class to which it belongs

4.  way:
way or manner (archaic)
kind
of

rather,
to some extent, or in a way (informal) • She
seemed kind of upset when I talked to her.

in
kind

1.  with
goods or services and not money

2.  with
something of the same sort that was given • If
they attack us, they’ll be paid back in kind.

of
a kind

1.  like
something else in some respects but not enough to be satisfactory

2.  alike,
or belonging to the same sort

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  These
  kind of
  When
  kind of is followed by a plural word,
  there is a temptation to precede the whole phrase with a corresponding plural
  such as these or those, so that • this
  kind of thing becomes • these
  kind of things . However, such expressions (and ones
  on the same pattern employing sort or type ) are widely
  regarded as ungrammatical. • These
  kinds of things or • things
  of this kind is to be preferred.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



kind

kind1
kind1 [kīnd]
(comparative kind·er, superlative kind·est) adjective

1.  compassionate:
having a generous, warm, compassionate nature

2.  generous:
showing generosity or compassion

3.  agreeable
or safe:
not harsh, unpleasant, or likely to have destructive effects • a
detergent that is kind to the environment

4.  caring:
showing courtesy or caring about somebody (formal) • my
kindest regards to your family

5.  loving:
full of love (archaic)
[Old
English gecynde “innate,” “natural,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English kin]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at kindly.

[1]



kinda

kinda
kin·da
[kndə] contraction

kind
of:
kind of (nonstandard) • It’s
kinda strange.
[Early 20th century.
Alteration.][1]



kindergarten

kindergarten
kin·der·gar·ten 
[kíndər grt’n, kíndər
grd’n] noun

preschool:
a school or class for young children, usually between the ages of four and six,
immediately before they begin formal education
[Mid-19th
century. From German, literally “children’s garden.”]
—kin·der·gart·ner, noun[1]



kindhearted

kindhearted
kind·heart·ed 
[knd hrtəd] adjective

1.  friendly
and generous by nature: sympathetic and kind • She’s
too kindhearted to be angry with you for long.

2.  arising
from kindness: showing or arising from a sympathetic
and generous nature • a kindhearted
gesture
[Mid-16th
century]
—kind·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—kind·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



Kindi,al-

Kindi,al-
Kin·di
[kíndee], al- (801?–873?)

Arabian Islamic philosopher.
He translated Aristotle into Arabic and formulated the theology of the
Mutazilites.[1]



kindle

kindle1
kin·dle1 [kínd’l]
(past kin·dled, past participle kin·dled, present
participle kin·dling, 3rd person present singular kin·dles)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  start
burning:
to set something alight, or to begin to burn

2.  brighten
or glow:
to make something glow, or to become bright

3.  ignite
emotion or interest: to become aroused, or to
arouse feelings or interest • The
program kindled his interest in antiquarian books.
[12th
century. From Old Norse kynda “to catch fire,” influenced by Old Norse kyndill
“torch, candle.”]
—kin·dler, noun[1]



kindle

kindle2
kin·dle2  noun

ZOOLOGY brood
of newborn animals: a brood or a litter, for
example, of kittens
intransitive
verb
(past kin·dled, past participle kin·dled, present
participle kind·ling, 3rd person present singular kin·dles)

ZOOLOGY
give birth:
to give birth, especially to baby rabbits[1]



kindliness

kindliness
kind·li·ness 
[kndleenəss] noun

amiability:
the quality or state of being friendly and generous[1]



kindling

kindling
kin·dling 
[kíndling] noun

1.  fire-lighting
material:
something such as a bunch of small dry twigs used to start a fire because it
burns easily

2.  making
something burn: the act of making something start to
burn

3.  stirring
up of emotion: the arousal of somebody’s interest or
feelings

[1]



kindly

kindly
kind·ly 
[kndlee] adjective (comparative
kind·li·er, superlative kind·li·est)

1.  friendly
and generous by nature: sympathetic and kind

2.  showing
sympathy:
arising from or showing a sympathetic and generous nature

3.  pleasant:
pleasant, mild, or comfortable
adverb

1.  please:
used in polite requests • Kindly
take your seats

2.  in
a kind way:
showing kindness and considerateness • He
kindly accompanied me home.

3.  tolerantly:
with tolerance and patience • She
kindly disregarded their lack of skill during the first few days.
[Old
English]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Often
  misplaced modifier:
  Kindly is not restricted just to kindness
  as such but may also mean, approximately, please . In either case it
  should modify the action or thing wished for, not some other part of the
  sentence. Surely the intention of, for example, • May
  we kindly request that patrons take their seats … is
  not to point out how kind we are in making the request but to
  encourage patrons to be so kind as to sit down. Thus the sentence should be
  reworded as • May we request that
  patrons kindly take their seats.

[1]



kindness

kindness
kind·ness 
[kndnəss] noun

1.  ability
to behave kindly: the practice of being or the capability
to be sympathetic and compassionate

2.  compassionate
act:
an act that shows consideration and caring • How
can we thank you for your many kindnesses?

[1]



kindred

kindred
kin·dred 
[kíndrəd] adjective

1.  similar
to somebody or something: close to somebody or
something else because of similar qualities or interests • the
kindred relationship between neuroscience and neurology

2.  related
by blood:
related to somebody by blood (formal) • the
search for someone kindred to him
noun

1.  affinity:
closeness to somebody not related to you by blood based, for example, on
similarity of character or interests • a
sense of kindred between the two candidates

2.  blood
relationship: relationship by blood or, less strictly,
by marriage • occasions
that reinforce the ties of kindred

3.  somebody’s
family:
somebody’s relatives as a group (takes a plural verb)

4.  clan:
a family or group of closely related families, for example, in the Celtic
kin-based social system
[12th
century. Originally spelled kinrede (with later appearance of “d”
between “n” and “r”), from kin + Old English
rden “condition.”]
—kin·dred·ness,
noun

—kin·dred·ship, noun[1]



kindredspirit

kindredspirit
kin·dred
spir·it
noun

somebody like you in
character: somebody who is close to you
in character, interests, and temperament[1]



kine

kine
kine 
[kīn] plural noun

cows
or cattle:
cows or cattle (archaic)
[Old English cna “of
the cows,” a plural form of cū, an earlier form of cow][1]



kinematics

kinematics
kin·e·mat·ics 
[kìnnə máttiks] noun

study
of motion:
a branch of physics that deals with the motion of a body or system without
reference to force and mass (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek kinēmat-, the stem of kínēma, “motion,
movement.”]
—kin·e·mat·ic,
adjective

—kin·e·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



kinescope

kinescope
kin·e·scope 
[kínnə skp] noun (plural kin·e·scopes)

1.  See
television tube

2.  recorded
television program: a film of a transmitted
television program
transitive
verb
(past kin·e·scoped, past participle kin·e·scoped, present
participle kin·e·scop·ing, 3rd person present singular kin·e·scopes)

film a television program:
to make a film of a transmitted television program
[Mid-20th century. Formerly a
trademark, formed from kinetic + -scope .][1]



kinesics

kinesics
ki·ne·sics 
[kə nsiks, kī
nsiks, kə nziks, kī nziks] noun

study
of communication and body language: the
study of the ways in which people use body movements, for example, shrugging,
to communicate without speaking (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek kinēsis (see kinesis ).][1]



kinesiology

kinesiology
ki·ne·si·ol·o·gy 
[kə nssee ólləjee, kə
nzee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of the motion of the body: the study of the mechanics
of motion with respect to human anatomy

2.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE alternative
therapy:
a system of muscle testing that reveals and corrects musculoskeletal imbalances
and identifies food sensitivities
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek kinēsis (see kinesis
).]
—ki·ne·si·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



kinesis

kinesis
ki·ne·sis 
[kə nssiss, kī
nssiss] noun

motion
in response to stimulus: the movement of a cell or
organism in response to a stimulus such as light. Such movement can be in any
direction and its rate depends on the intensity of stimulation.
[Early 20th century. From
Greek kinēsis, “movement, motion,” from kinein “to move” (source
of English cinema and telekinesis ).][1]



-kinesis

-kinesis
-kinesis
suffix

1.  motion,
activity • psychokinesis

2.  cell
division • diakinesis
[From Greek kinēsis,
from kinein “to move” (see kinetic )][1]



kinesthesia

kinesthesia
kin·es·the·sia 
[kìnnəss thə] or kin·es·the·sis
[kìnnəss thssiss] noun

ANATOMY sensation
of bodily motion: the perception or sensing of the motion,
weight, or position of the body as muscles, tendons, and joints move.
Also
called
muscle sense
[Late
19th century. From Greek kinein “to move” (see kinesis
) + aisthēsis “sensation.”]
—kin·es·thet·ic
[kìnnəss théttik], adjective

—kin·es·thet·i·cal·ly
[kìnnəss théttikəlee], adverb[1]



kinetheodolite

kinetheodolite
kin·e·the·od·o·lite
[kìnnə thee ódd’l t] noun

instrument
for tracking airborne objects: an optical instrument
that contains a movie camera and provides continuous footage of a moving
target, for example, a missile or satellite, along with its altitude and
trajectory
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from kinesis + theodolite
.][1]



kinetic

kinetic
ki·net·ic 
[ki néttik] adjective

relating
to motion:
relating to, caused by, or producing motion
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
kinētikos, “for putting in motion,” from kinein, “to move” (see kinesis ).][1]



kineticart

kineticart
ki·net·ic
art
noun

art
that moves:
art, especially sculpture, with parts that move, for example, when blown by the
wind or activated by electricity
—ki·net·ic art·ist, noun[1]



kineticenergy

kineticenergy
ki·net·ic
en·er·gy
noun

energy of a body caused by
motion: the energy that a body or
system has because of its motion. Symbol T Symbol E
k[1]



kinetics

kinetics
ki·net·ics 
[ki néttiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  PHYSICS See dynamics  noun 3

2.  CHEMISTRY branch
of chemistry: a branch of chemistry that studies rates
of reactions

[1]



kineto-

kineto-
kineto-
prefix

motion,
movement • kinetosome
[From Greek kinetos
“moving,” from kinein “to move” (see kinetic
)][1]



kinetoplast

kinetoplast
ki·net·o·plast 
[kə néttə plàst] noun

cell body of some protozoans:
a small cell body outside the nucleus and near the base of the flagellum in
some protozoans[1]



kinetosome

kinetosome
kine·to·some 
[kə néttə sm] noun

BIOLOGY
See basal body[1]



kinfolk

kinfolk
kin·folk 
[kín fk] plural noun

relatives:
somebody’s relatives[1]



king

king
king 
[king] noun

1.  man
or boy sovereign: a man or boy who rules as a monarch over
an independent state

2.  chief:
a ruler of a specific group • Jupiter
was king of the Roman gods

3.  best
example of its kind: any animal considered as the
best, strongest, or biggest of its kind • The
lion is variously called the king of beasts or the king of the jungle.

4.  preeminent
man in specific sphere: the principal man or
preeminent male figure in a specific field • King
of the talk shows.

5.  CARD GAMES high
face card:
any of the four cards in a deck, one in each suit, that carries the picture of
a king

6.  CHESS principal
chess piece: the most important piece in chess, whose
capture wins the game

7.  BOARD GAMES crowned
piece in checkers: a piece in the game of
checkers that has reached the far side of the board and has been crowned, and
may therefore move in any direction
transitive
verb
(past kinged, past participle kinged, present
participle king·ing, 3rd person present singular kings)

1.  BOARD GAMES crown
a playing piece: to make a piece into a king

2.  crown
somebody king: to make somebody a king
[Old English cyning,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English kin][1]



King

King
King
[king] noun

God
or Jesus Christ: a title used to denote God or Jesus
Christ
[Old English][1]



King,B. B.

King,B. B.

King 
[king], B. B. (1925– )
U.S.
blues musician. He led a blues revival in the 1960s and his rhythm-and-blues
hits include “The Thrill is Gone” (1970) and the album Live at Cook Country
(1971).
Real name
King, Riley B.[1]



King,Billie Jean

King,Billie Jean

King 
[king], Billie Jean (1943– )
U.S. tennis player. Between 1961 and 1979
she won a record 20 Wimbledon titles. She also won numerous other titles in the
United States, France, and Australia. She became the first president of the Women’s
Tennis Association in 1974.[1]



kingbird

kingbird
king·bird 
[kíng bùrd] (plural king·birds)
noun

large American flycatcher:
a large American songbird that belongs to the tyrant flycatcher family of
birds. Genus: Tyrannus[1]



kingbolt

kingbolt
king·bolt 
[kíng blt] noun

connecting pivot bolt:
a vertical bolt that joins the body of a carriage, wagon, or railroad car to
the front axle[1]



KingCharles spaniel

KingCharles spaniel
King
Charles span·iel  noun

small
spaniel:
a small spaniel of a breed with a markedly domed head, snub nose, bulging eyes,
floppy ears, and a tan or black coat with white patches
[Late 19th century. Named
after Charles II of England, who was partial
to the breed.][1]



kingcobra

kingcobra
king
co·bra
noun

large tropical cobra:
a very large poisonous cobra of Southeast Asia and the Philippines that eats
other reptiles and can reach a length of 5.5 m/18 ft. Latin name: Ophiophagus
hannah
Also called
hamadryad[1]



KingCountry

KingCountry
King
Coun·try
[kìng kúntree]

region in the western North
Island, New Zealand, lying south of the Waikato region between the western
coast and Lake Taupo[1]



kingcrab

kingcrab
king
crab
noun

1.  very
large edible crab: a very large edible crab
found in the cold coastal waters of the North Pacific and Japan, caught
commercially and prized for its flesh. Latin name: Paralithoides
camtschaticus
Also
called
Alaskan king crab

2.  See
horseshoe crab

[1]



kingcup

kingcup
king·cup 
[kíng kùp] noun

U.K.
plant with yellow flowers:
a plant of the buttercup family with yellow flowers, especially a marsh
marigold[1]



kingdom

kingdom
king·dom 
[kíngdəm] noun

1.  monarch’s
territory:
a state or people ruled over by a king or queen

2.  sphere
of activity: a realm or area of activity in which a
particular thing is thought to dominate • the
kingdom of professional tennis

3.  SCIENCE highest
classification for natural things: any of the three
groups, animal, vegetable, and mineral, into which natural organisms and
objects are traditionally, as opposed to scientifically, divided
[Old English][1]



kingdomcome

kingdomcome
king·dom
come
noun

1.  the
next world:
the next world, or the state after death

2.  end
of the world: the point at which the world comes to an
end (informal)
[Late 18th century. From the
phrase Thy kingdom come in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:10), where come
is subjunctive, literally “May Thy kingdom come.”][1]



kingfish

kingfish
king·fish 
[kíng fìsh] (plural king·fish·es)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
edible fish: a large edible game fish that lives in
the warm coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Genus: Menticirrhus

2.  ZOOLOGY See king mackerel

3.  ZOOLOGY See opah

4.  powerful
man:
somebody very powerful, especially a man who has no challengers to his
authority (slang) • He’s
the kingfish in this two-bit town.

[1]



kingfisher

kingfisher
king·fish·er 
[kíng fìshər] noun

brightly
colored bird: a brightly colored bird that usually has
a short tail, a long stout bill, and sometimes a crest. It feeds on fish,
insects, and other prey. Family: Alcidinidae
[15th century. Originally king’s
fisher .][1]



KingIsland

KingIsland
King
Is·land
[kíng lənd]

island off the northwestern
coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is known for its dairy produce. Population:
1,882 (1996) Area: 1,091 sq km/421 sq mi.[1]



KingJames Bible

KingJames Bible
King
James Bi·ble or King James Ver·sion noun

English Bible of 1611:
a version of the Bible published in England in 1611 and authorized by James I
for use in the Church of England.
Also called
Authorized Version[1]



King,Larry

King,Larry
King 
[king], Larry (1933– )

U.S. broadcaster. He is known
for his interviews of public figures, especially politicians.[1]



kinglet

kinglet
king·let 
[kínglət] noun

1.  BIRDS small
N American bird: a small North American bird that is
related to the gnatcatchers and to European warblers and has a black-edged
yellow or reddish crown. Genus: Regulus

2.  petty
ruler:
a minor king, for example, of a contemptibly small or unimportant kingdom (insult)

[1]



kingly

kingly
king·ly 
[kínglee] (comparative king·li·er,
superlative king·li·est) adjective

1.  magnificent:
stately and grand, as befits a king • a
kingly posture

2.  royal:
having or relating to the rank of king • kingly
duties
—king·li·ness, noun[1]



kingmackerel

kingmackerel
king
mack·er·el
noun

Atlantic mackerel:
a mackerel that lives in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and is often
caught for sport. Latin name: Scomber cavalla
Also called
cavalla
Also called
kingfish[1]



kingmaker

kingmaker
king·mak·er 
[kíng màykər] noun

somebody who controls
important positions: somebody
with the power and connections to influence who is appointed to important
positions, usually within a government[1]



Kingman

Kingman
King·man
[kíngmən]

city in northwestern Arizona,
east of Bullhead City. Population: 17,270 (1996)[1]



King,Martin Luther, Jr.

King,Martin Luther, Jr.

King 
[king], Martin Luther, Jr. (1929–1968)
U.S. civil rights leader and clergyman.
His nonviolent demonstrations against racial inequality led to civil rights
legislation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated
four years later in Memphis, Tennessee.[1]



king-of-arms

king-of-arms
king-of-arms 
(plural kings-of-arms) noun

U.K.
principal college herald:
a title given to principal heralds in the British colleges of arms[1]



kingof kings

kingof kings
king
of kings
or King of Kings noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY God
or Jesus Christ: a title used for God or Jesus Christ

2.  supreme
monarch:
a male monarch who rules over other, subordinate kings

[1]



KingPeak

KingPeak
King
Peak
[kíng pk]

mountain in the St. Elias
Range of southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada. Height: 5,221 m/17,130 ft.[1]



kingpenguin

kingpenguin
king
pen·guin
noun

large Antarctic penguin:
a large penguin that lives mainly on islands near the Antarctic Circle. Latin
name: Aptenodytes patagonica[1]



kingpin

kingpin
king·pin 
[kíng pìn] noun

1.  leader:
the most important person in a group or place (informal)

2.  AUTOMOTIVE part
of axle:
a pivot pin that secures an axle to an axle beam and allows a vehicle to be
steered

3.  LEISURE front
pin in a bowling arrangement: the pin at the apex of a
layout of the pins in tenpin bowling, which must be struck at a certain angle
if all the pins are to be knocked down.
Also
called
head pin

[1]



kingpost

kingpost
king
post
noun

part of a roof structure:
a vertical post that joins the apex of a triangular roof truss to the
cross-beam.
See also
queen post[1]



Kings

Kings
Kings
[kings] noun

book
of the Bible: either of two books of the Bible, Kings
I and II, that relate the histories of Israel and the kings of Judah (takes
a singular verb)
[Old English][1]



kingsalmon

kingsalmon
king
salm·on
noun

See
Chinook salmon[1]



KingsCanyon

KingsCanyon
Kings
Can·yon
[kingz cányən]

canyon in central Australia,
near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory[1]



KingsCanyon National Park

KingsCanyon National Park
Kings
Can·yon Na·tion·al Park [kingz
cànyən nash’nəl prk]

national park in the Sierra
Nevadas in east central California. Its main features are two canyons of the
Kings River and a grove of giant sequoias. Area: 186,925 hectares/461,901
acres.[1]



kingship

kingship
king·ship 
[kíng shìp] noun

king’s position:
the office, power, or authority of a king[1]



king-size

king-size
king-size 
or king-sized adjective

1.  extra
big:
larger, wider, or longer than the standard version of the same thing

2.  FURNITURE full-size:
used to describe an extra-large size of bed, 76 in. x 80 in., or bedding made
to fit this size of bed

3.  very
great:
very great in intensity, scope, or difficulty (informal) • a
king-size job to finish this weekend

[1]



kingsnake

kingsnake

king snake
noun
N American nonpoisonous snake:
a nonpoisonous North American constricting snake ranging from 0.6 meters/2 ft
to 1.8 meters/6 ft in length and preying on small animals and other snakes.
Genus: Lampropeltis[1]



King,Stephen

King,Stephen
King 
[king], Stephen (1947– )

U.S.
writer. His horror tales such as Carrie ( 1973 ) have been hugely
successful, and many have been made into motion pictures.
Full name
King, Stephen Edwin[1]



Kingston

Kingston
King·ston 
[kíngstən]

1.  chief
seaport, largest city, and capital of Jamaica, located on the southeastern
coast of the island at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Population: 538,100
(1995)

2.  city
on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, in southeastern Ontario
Province, Canada. Population: 143,416 (1996)

3.  city
in eastern New York, on the Hudson River, in the Catskill Mountain foothills.
Population: 22,195 (1996)

[1]



Kingwana

Kingwana
King·wa·na
[kìng wnə] noun

Bantu
language of Western Africa: a Bantu language spoken in
parts of Zaire and widely used as a lingua franca. It is related to Swahili and
is a member of the Niger-Congo family of languages.
—King·wa·na, adjective[1]



King,William Lyon Mackenzie

King,William Lyon Mackenzie
King 
[king], William Lyon Mackenzie (1874–1950)

Canadian statesman. He was
Liberal prime minister of Canada (1921–1926, 1926–1930, 1935–1948).[1]



King,William Rufus de Vane

King,William Rufus de Vane
King
[king], William Rufus de Vane (1786–1853)

U.S. statesman and vice
president of the United States (1853). A Democrat, he died six weeks after
taking up office.[1]



kingwood

kingwood
king·wood 
[kíng wd] noun

1.  hard
purplish wood: the hard fine-grained purplish wood of a
Brazilian tree, used in cabinetwork

2.  leguminous
tree:
the leguminous tree that yields kingwood. Latin name: Dalbergia cearensis

[1]



King’sBench

King’sBench
King’s
Bench 
noun

U.K.
LAW Queen’s
Bench under a King: the term
used for the Queen’s Bench Division, a division of the British supreme court
system when the reigning monarch is a man or boy[1]



King’sCounsel

King’sCounsel
King’s
Coun·sel
noun

U.K.
LAW Queen’s
Counsel under a king: the term
used for a Queen’s Counsel when the reigning monarch is a man or boy[1]



King’sEnglish

King’sEnglish
King’s
Eng·lish
noun

standard English:
standard written or spoken English, especially in British English, described as
the most correct form of the language. It is called the Queen’s English when
the reigning monarch is a woman.
Also called
received pronunciation[1]



king’sevidence

king’sevidence
king’s
ev·i·dence
noun

U.K.
LAW queen’s
evidence under a king: the term
used for queen’s evidence when the reigning monarch is a man or boy[1]



king’sransom

king’sransom
king’s
ran·som
noun

large amount of money:
an enormous sum of money[1]



kinin

kinin
ki·nin 
[knin] noun BIOCHEMISTRY

1.  blood
hormone:
a polypeptide hormone in the blood that causes dilation of blood vessels and
contraction of smooth muscle

2.  See
cytokinin
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a shortening of bradykinin
.][1]



kink

kink
kink 
[kingk] noun

1.  tight
coil:
a tight twist or coil in an otherwise straight section of something such as
rope, string, or wire

2.  minor
difficulty in something: a slight difficulty or
holdup in the progress of something (informal)

3.  muscular
spasm:
a sudden spasm in a muscle, especially a crick in the neck (informal)

4.  eccentricity:
something that is eccentric or peculiar in somebody’s personality or behavior

5.  odd
idea:
a quirky, odd idea or impulse (informal) • She
got a kink in her head to swim across the Chesapeake Bay alone.

6.  sexual
oddity:
an unusual sexual practice, especially one that might be considered deviant (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past kinked, past
participle kinked, present participle kink·ing, 3rd
person present singular kinks)

make or become full of twists:
to put a kink in something, or develop a kink
[Late 17th century. From Low
German kinke “twist in a rope.”][1]



kinkajou

kinkajou

kink·a·jou 
[kíngkə j] (plural kink·a·jous)
noun
tree-dwelling
mammal with large eyes: a tree-dwelling fruit-eating
mammal that lives in Central and South America. It is related to the raccoon
and has a long prehensile tail, brownish fur, and large eyes. Latin name: Potos
flavus
Also
called
honey bear
[Late 18th century. Via
French quincajou from, ultimately, an Algonquian word meaning
“wolverine.”][1]



kinky

kinky
kink·y 
[kíngkee] (comparative kink·i·er,
superlative kink·i·est) adjective

1.  tightly
coiled:
full of tight coils • kinky
copper wire

2.  sexually
kinky:
being or engaging in unusual sexual practices that may be considered deviant (slang)

3.  eccentric:
behaving in an unusual, idiosyncratic way (informal)

4.  sexually
provocative: intended to be provocative or sexually
alluring, usually by being deliberately unusual or bizarre (slang)
—kink·i·ly,
adverb

—kink·i·ness, noun[1]



kinnikinnick

kinnikinnick
kin·ni·kin·nick 
[kìnnikə ník] noun

1.  dried
leaves for smoking: a mixture of the dried
leaves of some plants, bark, and sometimes tobacco, smoked in the past by some
Native Americans

2.  plant
used for smoking: a plant such as sumac or dogwood used
for making kinnikinnick
[Late 18th century.
Ultimately from an Algonquian word meaning “mixture.”][1]



kino

kino
ki·no
[k n] (plural ki·nos) noun

dark
red resinous substance: a red astringent substance
resembling resin, obtained by tapping any of several unrelated trees and used
medicinally and for tanning in parts of Africa, India, Australia, and the West
Indies
[Early 19th century. From a
West African language.][1]



Kino,Eusebio Francisco

Kino,Eusebio Francisco
Ki·no
[kn ō], Eusebio Francisco (1645–1711)

Italian Jesuit missionary and
explorer. He explored and mapped parts of Mexico and what is now the
southwestern United States.[1]



kinselection

kinselection
kin
se·lec·tion
noun

ZOOLOGY
natural selection promoting relatives:
natural selection that favors self-sacrificing behavior toward relatives
because, even if the individual dies, those relatives that survive will carry
some of its genes[1]



Kinsey,Alfred

Kinsey,Alfred
Kin·sey
[kínzee], Alfred (1894–1956)

U.S.
biologist. He is best known for his studies of male (1948) and female (1953)
sexuality (the so-called Kinsey Reports ).
Full name
Kinsey, Alfred Charles[1]



kinsfolk

kinsfolk
kins·folk 
plural noun

family:
somebody’s relatives[1]



Kinshasa

Kinshasa
Kin·sha·sa 
[kin shssə]

capital city of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, situated on the southern bank of the Congo
River. Population: 4,655,313 (1994) Former name Léopoldville
until 1966[1]



kinship

kinship
kin·ship 
[kín shìp] noun

1.  human
relationship: relationship by blood or marriage to
another or others

2.  relatedness
of things:
relatedness through having characteristics in common, or through coming from
the same origin • kinship between Italic
and Celtic languages

[1]



kinsman

kinsman
kins·man 
[kínzmən] (plural kins·men [kínzmən]) noun

man
or boy relative: a man or boy who is somebody’s relative
(formal)
[12th century. From Old
English cynnes mann(um) .][1]



Kinston

Kinston
Kin·ston 
[kínstən]

city in North Carolina, near
the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 25,295 (1990)[1]



kinswoman

kinswoman
kins·wom·an 
[kínz wmmən] (plural kins·wom·en
[kínz wìmmin]) noun

woman
or girl relative: a woman or girl who is somebody’s
relative (formal)
[14th century. Modeled on kinsman .][1]



Kintyre

Kintyre
Kin·tyre
[kin tr]

peninsula of western
Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Atlantic Ocean The Mull of Kintyre
is its southernmost tip. Length: 64 km/40 mi.[1]



kiosk

kiosk
ki·osk 
[k òsk, kee ósk]
noun

1.  small
roofed street booth: a small permanent or
temporary structure on a sidewalk from which items such as newspapers and candy
can be bought

2.  small
structure for advertising: a cylindrical structure that
stands at an intersection of walkways or sidewalks or on the street, used to
post advertisements and announcements of events

3.  Middle
Eastern gazebo: a small open pavilion in the Middle
East, especially in a garden
[Early 17th century. Via
French kiosque from Turkish köşk “villa,” from Persian kūšk
“villa, palace.”][1]



Kiowa

Kiowa
Ki·o·wa 
[k əwàw, k ə
w] (plural Ki·o·wa or Ki·o·was) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a
once-nomadic Native North American people who originally lived in Montana and
migrated to an area near the Black Hills. Today, most Kiowa live on a
reservation in Oklahoma, which they share with a small community of Kiowa
Apache.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Kiowa: the language of the Kiowa people
[Early
19th century. Via American Spanish Caygua from Kiowa kygú
(plural).]
—Ki·o·wa, adjective[1]



KiowaApache

KiowaApache
Ki·o·wa
A·pach·e
noun

PEOPLES member
of a Native North American people: a member of a Native
North American people who originally lived with the Kiowa on the southern Great
Plains, sharing a common history and culture, but speaking a different language
adjective

LANGUAGE
relating to Kiowa Apache:
relating to the Kiowa Apache people, or their language or culture[1]



kip

kip1
kip1 [kip]
noun U.K.

1.  sleep:
a sleep or a nap (informal)

2.  bed:
a bed or other place to sleep (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past kipped, past participle kipped, present
participle kip·ping, 3rd person present singular kips)

U.K. sleep
or nap:
to sleep or take a nap, often in a makeshift bed (informal)
[Mid-18th century. From
Danish kippe “cheap inn.”][1]



kip

kip3
kip3 [kip]
(plural kip) noun

1.  unit
of currency in Laos: the main unit of currency of
Laos, equal to 100 at

2.  coin
worth a kip: a coin worth one kip
[Mid-20th century. From Thai
.][1]



kip

kip2
kip2 [kip]
noun

unit
of weight:
a unit of weight equivalent to 455 kg/1,000 lb
[Early 20th century. Formed
from an abbreviation of kilo + pound .][1]



kip

kip4
kip4 [kip]
noun

calfskin
or lambskin: a hide taken from an immature animal,
especially a calf or a lamb
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch or Middle Low German, “bundle (of hides).”][1]



Kipling,Rudyard

Kipling,Rudyard

Kip·ling
[kípling], Rudyard (1865–1936)
British writer and poet. His books, many
with Indian settings, include The Jungle Books (1894, 1895) and Kim
(1901). He won the 1907 Nobel Prize in literature.[1]



kipper

kipper
kip·per 
[kíppər] noun

1.  salmon:
a male salmon during the spawning season

2.  smoked
herring:
a fish, usually a herring, that has been cleaned, split open, and then salted
and smoked
transitive
verb
(past kip·pered, past participle kip·pered, present
participle kip·per·ing, 3rd person present singular kip·pers)

smoke fish: to
cure fresh fish, especially herring, by salting and smoking it (usually
passive)
[Old
English cypera “spawning salmon,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from coper
“copper” (from the color of the fish)]
—kip·per·er, noun[1]



kir

kir
kir
[keer] or Kir [keer] noun

cassis
liqueur and wine cocktail: an alcoholic drink made by
adding cassis to dry white wine
[Mid-20th century. Named
after Canon Félix Kir (1876–1968), mayor of Dijon, France, who
supposedly invented the drink.][1]



Kirgiz

Kirgiz
Kir·giz
noun

LANGUAGE
PEOPLES See Kyrgyz[1]



Kiribati

Kiribati


Ki·ri·ba·ti 
[krrə btee]
independent state in the west central
Pacific Ocean, part of Micronesia. Language: English. Currency: Australian
dollar. Capital: Tarawa. Population: 82,449 (1997) Area: 811 sq km/313 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Kiribati[1]



Kiritimati

Kiritimati
Kir·i·ti·ma·ti
[kìrrətee máatee]

island forming part of
Kiribati Republic. It is the largest atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Population:
2,537 (1990) Area: 388 sq km/150 sq mi.[1]



Kirk

Kirk
Kirk
noun

Scotland
Church of Scotland:
the Church of Scotland, the largest presbyterian church in Scotland[1]



kirk

kirk
kirk 
[kurk] noun

Scotland
church:
a church
[12th century. From Old Norse
kirkja, from Old English cir(i)ce, an earlier form of church .][1]



KirklandLake

KirklandLake
Kirk·land
Lake
[kùrklənd láyk]

town in northern Ontario,
Canada, a former gold mining center[1]



Kirlianphotography

Kirlianphotography
Kir·li·an
pho·tog·ra·phy  [kèerlee ən
fə tòggrəfee] noun

PHOTOGRAPHY photography
of an aura:
a photographic process that records the radiation emitted by or the aura
surrounding an object in a high-frequency electric field
[Late 20th century. Named
after Semyon D. and Valentina K. Kirlian, Russian technicians who
invented the process.][1]



Kirman

Kirman
Kir·man 
[keer mn] noun

Persian
carpet:
a Persian carpet or rug
[Late 19th century. Named
after Kirman, a province in Iran where the rugs were originally made.][1]



kirmess

kirmess
kir·mess 
noun

See
kermis[1]



Kirov

Kirov
Ki·rov 
[k ràwf]

city in northeastern European
Russia, capital of Kirov Oblast. Population: 487,000 (1990) Former name
Vyatka[1]



Kirovohrad

Kirovohrad
Ki·ro·vo·hrad
[ki rṓvvə gràd]

city in central Ukraine,
situated southeast of Kiev. Population: 278,000 (1995)[1]



kirsch

kirsch
kirsch 
[keersh] or kirsch·was·ser [krsh vssər] noun

cherry
brandy:
a clear brandy distilled from black cherries, especially in Germany and France
[Early 19th century. From
German, a shortening of Kirschwasser, literally “cherry-water,” from Kirsche
“cherry,” from assumed Vulgar Latin cerasia (source of English cherry ).][1]



kirtle

kirtle
kir·tle 
[kúrt’l] noun

1.  woman’s
dress:
a long gown or skirt worn by women from the Middle Ages to the 17th century

2.  16C
man’s coat:
a long tunic or coat worn by men until the 16th century
[Old English cyrtel
“short coat,” via prehistoric Germanic from, ultimately, Latin curtus
“short, cut short”][1]



Kiruna

Kiruna
Ki·ru·na
[krə n]

city in Norrbotten County,
northern Sweden, a region rich in high-quality iron ore. Population: 26,173
(1995)[1]



Kisangani

Kisangani
Ki·san·ga·ni 
[ksan gnee]

capital of Orientale Region,
in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Population: 417,517 (1994)[1]



kishke

kishke
kish·ke 
[kíshkə] noun

Jewish
onion sausage: a Jewish dish consisting of a chicken’s
or cow’s intestine stuffed with flour meal, onion, and fat, and then boiled and
roasted.
Also
called
derma
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish, from Slavic .][1]



KiskaIsland

KiskaIsland
Kis·ka
Is·land 
[kískə lənd]

island in the Aleutian
Islands, southwestern Alaska, the largest and westernmost of the Rat Islands.
Area: 285 sq km/110 sq mi.[1]



Kislev

Kislev
Kis·lev 
[kíssləf] noun

Jewish
month:
the third month of the year in the Jewish civil calendar, and the ninth month
in the religious year. It has either 29 or 30 days.
[From Hebrew Kislēw][1]



kismet

kismet
kis·met 
[kíz mèt, kízmət]
noun

1.  fate:
fate or destiny

2.  ISLAM Allah’s
will:
the will of Allah
[Mid-19th century. Via
Turkish from Persian ismat, from Arabic isma(t) “lot, portion,”
from asama “he divided, allotted.”][1]



kiss

kiss
kiss 
[kiss] verb (past kissed,
past participle kissed, present participle kiss·ing,
3rd person present singular kiss·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb brush
or caress with the lips: to touch somebody or
something with the lips, either gently or passionately

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CUE GAMES touch one ball against
another:
in cue games, to touch two balls together gently while one is passing the other


3.  transitive
verb
sideswipe:
to clip or brush against an object while in a moving vehicle (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
touch
something gently: to touch or brush against something
lightly (usually passive) • oranges
kissed by the California sun
noun

1.  caress
done with the lips: a gentle or passionate touch
with the lips

2.  gentle
passing touch: a very light, almost imperceptible touch
in passing • She
felt the kiss of the evening breeze on her skin.

3.  FOOD small
piece of candy: a very small piece of soft candy,
sometimes individually wrapped in foil
[Old
English cyssan “to kiss,” from coss “kiss,” the old form of the
noun]
—kiss·a·ble, adjective[1]



kissand tell

kissand tell
kiss
and tell
noun

details of sexual intimacy:
a book, article, or broadcast interview in which the author or interviewee
publicly relates past sexual intimacy with somebody[1]



kiss-and-tell

kiss-and-tell
kiss-and-tell 
adjective

telling about sexual
intimacy: revealing an earlier sexual
experience with somebody else, especially when the information, considered to
be confidential, is made public (informal)[1]



kisscurl

kisscurl
kiss
curl
noun

U.K.
See spit curl[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kisser

kisser
kiss·er 
[kíssər] noun

1.  somebody
who kisses:
somebody who kisses, especially in a particular way • not
much of a kisser

2.  mouth:
somebody’s mouth (slang)

[1]



Kissimmee

Kissimmee
Kis·sim·mee 
[kíssimèe]

river in central Florida that
runs south into Lake Okeechobee. Length: 225 km/140 mi.[1]



kissingbug

kissingbug
kiss·ing
bug 
noun

INSECTS
See conenose[1]



kissingcousin

kissingcousin
kiss·ing
cous·in
noun

relative:
somebody who is distantly related but known well enough to be kissed on meeting[1]



kissingdisease

kissingdisease
kiss·ing
dis·ease
noun

infectious mononucleosis:
infectious mononucleosis (informal)[1]



Kissinger,Henry

Kissinger,Henry

Kis·sin·ger
[kíssinjər], Henry (1923– )
German-born
U.S. statesman. National security adviser and then secretary of state under
Nixon and Ford, he helped to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War, for which he
shared the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. His “shuttle diplomacy” was aimed at
bringing peace between Israel and Arab states.
Full name
Kissinger, Henry Alfred[1]



kissof death

kissof death
kiss
of death
noun

destruction
of something: something or somebody whose presence
will bring failure or disaster to something
[From the passage in the
Bible (Mark 14:44–46) in which Judas kissed Jesus Christ, thereby betraying
him][1]



kissoff

kissoff
kiss
off
verb (slang)

1.  transitive
verb
reject
somebody or something: to reject somebody or
something abruptly • The boss kissed off
that idea fast.

2.  transitive
verb
be
forced to yield something: to be compelled to give
something up • We
had to kiss the trip off for lack of money.

3.  intransitive
verb
go
away:
to leave immediately or leave somebody alone

[1]



kissof life

kissof life
kiss
of life
noun (informal)

1.  artificial
respiration: mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

2.  something
that revives something else: something that revives or
restores an enterprise or, less commonly, somebody’s spirits

[1]



kissof peace

kissof peace
kiss
of peace
noun

ceremonial gesture of
Christian love: a gesture, usually
either a kiss or handshake, used as a sign of Christian fellowship during
Communion[1]



kist

kist
kist 
noun

ARCHAEOLOGY
See cist[1]



Kisumu

Kisumu
Ki·su·mu
[ki smoo]

city in southwestern Kenya,
on Lake Victoria, a port and capital of Nyanza Province. Population: 201,100
(1991)[1]



Kiswahili

Kiswahili
Ki·swa·hi·li 
[k swaa hlee] noun

See
Swahili  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From
Bantu, coined from ki-, a prefix, + Swahili .][1]



kit

kit
kit
[kit] noun

1.  set
of things for use together: a set of articles, tools, or
equipment used for a particular purpose

2.  container
for set:
the container for a set of things • a
sewing kit

3.  special
clothing and equipment: a special set of clothing
and equipment assembled for a member of the armed forces or a sportsperson

4.  set
of parts for assembling: a set of parts ready to be
put together • a
model of a fire engine made from a kit
[14th century. From Dutch kitte
“tankard, jug.” Originally in the meaning “wooden tub.”][1]



Kitakyushu

Kitakyushu
Ki·ta·kyu·shu
[ktə kyshoo] or Ki·ta·kyū·shū
[ktə kyshoo]

industrial city at the
northern tip of Kyushu Island, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Population:
1,026,455 (1990)[1]



KitasatoShibasaburo

KitasatoShibasaburo
Ki·ta·sa·to
Shi·ba·sa·bu·ro [k taa sto
sh baasə bro] (1852–1931)

Japanese bacteriologist. He
isolated the bacteria that cause tetanus, anthrax, dysentery, and bubonic
plague.[1]



kitbag

kitbag
kit
bag
noun

soft cylindrical shoulder
bag: a canvas bag, usually
cylindrical, for holding military gear or a similar bag used by civilians,
carried on the shoulder[1]



kitchen

kitchen
kitch·en 
[kíchən] noun

food
preparation area: a room or part of a room or building in
which food is prepared and cooked
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
coquina (source of English cuisine
), and derived from coquere, source of English cook .][1]



kitchencabinet

kitchencabinet
kitch·en
cab·i·net
noun

political leader’s unofficial
advisers: an informal unelected group
of advisers to a head of government who are often believed to have more
influence than the official cabinet[1]



Kitchener

Kitchener
Kitch·e·ner 
[kíchənər]

industrial city located
southwest of Toronto in southern Ontario, Canada. Population: 178,240 (1996)[1]



kitchenette

kitchenette
kitch·en·ette 
[kìchə nét] noun

tiny kitchen area:
a very small room, or part of another room, equipped and furnished as a kitchen[1]



kitchengarden

kitchengarden
kitch·en
gar·den
noun

garden for growing household
food: a garden in which
vegetables, herbs, and sometimes fruit are grown for the use of a household[1]



kitchenmidden

kitchenmidden
kitch·en
mid·den
noun

ancient household garbage
dump: an area of an archaeological
site that contains domestic refuse such as food waste, broken pottery, and
pieces of other household artifacts, indicating long-term human occupation.
Also called
midden[1]



kitchenpolice

kitchenpolice
kitch·en
po·lice
plural noun

soldiers who work in a
military kitchen: enlisted soldiers
assigned to work in a kitchen, usually as a punishment[1]



kitchenware

kitchenware
kitch·en·ware 
[kíchən wàir] noun

utensils for food
preparation: utensils used in the
kitchen, including pots and pans, mixing bowls, cutting boards, knives, spoons,
and gadgets[1]



kite

kite

kite 
[kīt] noun

1.  toy
for flying in wind: a light framework covered in
a thin light material, flown for fun in the wind at the end of a long string

2.  BIRDS small
slim hawk:
a small slim hawk that has long pointed wings and a forked tail. Family:
Accipitridae

3.  SAILING light
sail:
a light sail used in addition to a ship’s standard sails

4.  FINANCE fake
financial transaction: a negotiable bill, for
example, a check, that is fraudulently used to sustain credit by representing a
fictitious monetary transaction (slang)

5.  FINANCE bad
check:
a check that is fraudulently written against an account containing insufficient
funds and dated so as to allow the perpetrator to take advantage of the time
lag required for clearing
verb (past
kit·ed, past participle kit·ed, present participle kit·ing,
3rd person present singular kites)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE pass bad checks:
to write and pass bad checks in order to sustain credit on a temporary basis,
all the time using to advantage the period between writing them and their
clearing (slang)

2.  intransitive
verb
glide
as if flying: to glide and soar like a kite
[Old
English. From Old English cta “kite, bittern.”]
—kit·er,
noun
fly a kite

1.  to
do something or speak about something in order to test public opinion on it (slang)

2.  to
issue a fraudulent financial document such as a check without having enough
funds to cover it (slang)

high as a kite

1.  extremely
excited or elated (informal)

2.  extremely
intoxicated or drug-affected (informal)

[1]



kitfox

kitfox
kit
fox
noun

small
U.S. fox:
a small slender fox of the western United States that has large ears. It is
often regarded as a subspecies of the swift fox. Latin name: Vulpes macrotis
[Early 19th century. Kit of
uncertain origin: probably from kit, a shortening of kitten .][1]



kith

kith
kith
[kith] noun

friends:
somebody’s friends and acquaintances (dated)
kith
and kin

somebody’s friends and
relatives[1]



kithara

kithara
ki·tha·ra
[kíthərə] noun

See
cithara[1]



Kitimat

Kitimat
Kit·i·mat
[kíttə màt]

seaport on Douglas Channel in
western British Columbia, Canada. Population: 11,136 (1996)[1]



kitout

kitout
kit
out
transitive verb

U.K.
outfit somebody for any activity:
to provide somebody with the clothes, and sometimes also equipment, needed to
do something[1]



kitsch

kitsch
kitsch 
[kich] noun

1.  artistic
vulgarity:
sentimentality, tastelessness, or ostentation in any of the arts • The
book jackets were pure kitsch.

2.  vulgar
objects:
collectively, decorative items that are regarded as tasteless, sentimental, or
ostentatious in style • tourist
shops full of kitsch
[Early
20th century. From German, derived from kitschen “to throw together (a
work of art).”]
—kitsch·y, adjective[1]



kitten

kitten
kit·ten 
[kítt’n] noun

young
cat:
the young of a cat
intransitive
verb
(past kit·tened, past participle kit·tened, present
participle kit·ten·ing, 3rd person present singular kit·tens)

give
birth to cats: to give birth to young cats
[14th
century. Via Old French chitoun, diminutive of chat “cat.”]
have
kittens

to become angry, excited, or
nervous about something (informal)[1]



kittenheel

kittenheel
kit·ten
heel
noun (usually plural)

1.  low
heel:
a low heel on a woman’s shoe

2.  low-heeled
shoe:
a woman’s shoe with a low heel

[1]



kittenish

kittenish
kit·ten·ish 
[kítt’nish] adjective

1.  frisky:
behaving in a lively and playful way, as a kitten does

2.  flirtatious:
coyly flirtatious
—kit·ten·ish·ly,
adverb

—kit·ten·ish·ness, noun[1]



kittiwake

kittiwake
kit·ti·wake 
[kítti wàyk] (plural kit·ti·wake
or kit·ti·wakes) noun

cliff-nesting
gull:
a gull of northern regions that nests on cliffs and winters on open oceans.
Latin name: Rissa tridactyla Rissa brevirostris
[Mid-17th century. An imitation
of the bird’s call.][1]



kittle

kittle
kit·tle
[kítt’l] adjective

awkward:
difficult to deal with
[15th century. From Old Norse
kitla “to tickle.”][1]



kitty

kitty2
kitty2 [kíttee]
(plural kit·ties) noun

1.  joint
pool of money: a fund of money contributed to by a
group of people and used to buy something in common

2.  CARD GAMES GAMBLING proportion
of the overall pot in poker: a portion of the total
amount of money bet by all the players on each hand of poker

3.  GAMBLING pool
of bets:
the amount of money that has been bet by the players in a game

4.  CARD GAMES See widow  noun 4
[Early 19th century.
Originally “small bowl.” See kit .][1]



kitty

kitty1
kit·ty1 [kíttee]
(plural kit·ties) noun

cat:
a kitten or cat (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening and alteration of kitten .][1]



kitty-cornered

kitty-cornered
kit·ty-cor·nered 
or kit·ty-cor·ner adverb adjective

See
cater-cornered[1]



KittyHawk

KittyHawk
Kit·ty
Hawk 
[kíttee hawk]

town in northeastern North
Carolina, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the site of the Wright Brothers National
Memorial. Population: 1,937 (1990)[1]



Kitwe

Kitwe
Ki·twe 
[kít wày]

copper-mining town in north
central Zambia, north of Lusaka. Population: 338,207 (1990)[1]



kiva

kiva
ki·va 
[kvə] noun

Pueblo
meeting place: an underground or partly underground
chamber, usually with a hole at the top that lets in daylight, used by the men
in a Pueblo community for ceremonial or formal meetings
[Late 19th century. From Hopi
kíva .][1]



Kivu,Lake

Kivu,Lake
Ki·vu,
Lake
[kvoo]

freshwater lake in the Great
Rift Valley of Africa, between western Rwanda and the eastern Democratic
Republic of the Congo. Area: 2,700 sq km/1,040 sq mi.[1]



Kiwanis

Kiwanis
Ki·wa·nis
[ki wniss] noun

service club:
a North American-based association of men’s clubs that encourages community
service[1]



kiwi

kiwi

ki·wi 
[kwee] noun (plural ki·wi
or ki·wis)

1.  BIRDS flightless
bird of New Zealand: a nocturnal flightless bird
with a long slender beak and no tail that is found only in New Zealand, where
it is also the national emblem. Genus: Apteryx

2.  ki·wi
or Ki·wi (plural Ki·wis) PEOPLES somebody from New Zealand:
somebody who comes from or lives in New Zealand (informal)

3.  BOTANY Chinese
vine with edible fruit: a Chinese vine that bears
edible fruit with a greenish-brown fuzzy skin and sweet green pulp. Latin name:
Actinidia chinensis

4.  FOOD See kiwi fruit
adjective

relating to New Zealand:
relating to New Zealand, its people, or culture (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Maori, an imitation of the bird’s cry.][1]



kiwifruit

kiwifruit
ki·wi
fruit
noun

sweet green fruit:
the fruit of the kiwi plant, which has a greenish-brown fuzzy skin and sweet
green pulp.
Also called
Chinese gooseberry
Also called
kiwi[1]



kj

kj
kj
or kJ

Abbreviation of
kilojoule[1]



KJV

KJV
KJV

BIBLE
Abbreviation of King James’ Version[1]



KKK

KKK
KKK
or K.K.K.

Abbreviation of
Ku Klux Klan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








KKt

KKt
KKt

CHESS
Abbreviation of king’s knight[1]



KKtP

KKtP
KKtP

CHESS
Abbreviation of king’s knight’s pawn[1]



kl

kl
kl

Symbol for
kiloliter[1]



KL

KL
KL

Abbreviation of
Kuala Lumpur[1]



Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt
Kla·gen·furt 
[klgən frt]

city and capital of Kärnten
Province, southern Austria. It is situated about 100 km/62 mi southwest of
Graz. Population: 89,415 (1991)[1]



Klaipeda

Klaipeda
Klai·pe·da 
[klpidə]

port and city in western
Lithuania, on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Population: 202,800 (1995)[1]



Klamath

Klamath
Klam·ath 
[klámməth] (plural Klam·ath or
Klam·aths) noun

1.  a
member of a Native American people: a
member of a Native American people who lived in Oregon and northern California,
in part of the Cascade Range, and were culturally connected to the Modoc

2.  member
of Klamath:
a member of the Klamath people
[Early
19th century. From Chinook łámał “Klamath.”]
—Klam·ath, adjective[1]



KlamathRiver

KlamathRiver
Klam·ath
River
[klàmməth rívər]

river in the states of Oregon
and California, flowing from Upper Klamath Lake into the Pacific Ocean. Length:
400 km/250 mi.[1]



Klan

Klan
Klan 
[klan] noun

Ku
Klux Klan:
the Ku Klux Klan (informal)
—Klan·ism, noun[1]



Klansman

Klansman
Klans·man 
[klánzmən] (plural Klans·men [klánzmən]) noun

member of Ku Klux Klan:
a member of the Ku Klux Klan[1]



klatch

klatch
klatch
[klach] (plural klatches) noun

(regional)
See coffee klatch





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Klatch and its fuller forms coffee
  klatch and kaffee klatch are fairly widespread, but centered in
  German settlements of the Upper Midwest and the western Great Lakes regions.

[1]



klavern

klavern
klav·ern 
[klávvərn] (plural klav·erns) noun

chapter
of the Ku Klux Klan: a local unit of the Ku Klux
Klan
[Early 20th century. Formed
from an abbreviation of klan + cavern .][1]



Klaxon

Klaxon
Klax·on
[kláksən] noun

a trademark for a loud
electric horn[1]



Kleenex

Kleenex
Kleen·ex
[kl nèks] Trademark

a trademark for a soft facial
tissue[1]



Klee,Paul

Klee,Paul
Klee
[klay], Paul (1879–1940)

Swiss painter. His
imaginative and often witty works, some inspired by children’s paintings and
drawings, had a great influence on modern art.[1]



Klein,A. M.

Klein,A. M.
Klein
[klīn], A. M. (1909–1972)

Canadian
poet and novelist. His works are concerned with Jewish culture and history.
Full name
Klein, Abraham Moses[1]



Kleinbottle

Kleinbottle

Klein
bot·tle 
[kln bòtt’l] (plural Klein
bot·tles) noun
one-sided
figure:
a one-sided surface formed by inserting the small open end of a tapered tube
through the side of the tube and upward until it is contiguous with the larger
end
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Felix Klein (1849–1925), German mathematician.][1]



Klein,Calvin

Klein,Calvin
Klein
[klīn], Calvin (1942– )

U.S.
fashion designer. After establishing his own company in 1968, he became known
for his understated, sophisticated designs.
Full name
Klein, Calvin Richard[1]



Klein,Melanie

Klein,Melanie
Klein
[klīn], Melanie (1882–1960)

Austrian psychoanalyst. She
pioneered studies in child psychoanalysis using free-play therapy. She moved to
England in 1926.[1]



Klemperer,Otto

Klemperer,Otto
Klem·per·er
[klémpərər], Otto (1885–1973)

German conductor. Noted for
his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Mahler, he moved to the United
States in 1933, where he conducted the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. From
1959 he conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra of London.[1]



klepht

klepht
klepht 
[kleft] noun

mountain-dwelling
Greek brigand: one of the Greeks who resisted Turkish
rule in Greece from 1456 to 1832 and who lived in the mountains as outlaws and
brigands
[Early
19th century. From modern demotic Greek klephtēs “thief,” from Greek kleptēs
.]
—kleph·tic, adjective[1]



kleptomania

kleptomania
klep·to·ma·ni·a 
[klèptə máynee ə] noun

obsessive desire to steal:
an obsessive urge to steal, especially when there is no economic necessity[1]



kleptomaniac

kleptomaniac
klep·to·ma·ni·ac 
[klèptə máynee àk] noun

somebody
with an obsessive desire to steal: somebody who has an
obsessive urge to steal, especially when there is no economic necessity
—klep·to·ma·ni·a·cal [klèptəmə n ək’l], adjective[1]



klick

klick
klick
[klik] noun

kilometer:
a kilometer (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



klieglight

klieglight
klieg
light 
[klg lt] noun

arc
light:
a very powerful carbon-arc light used in the past in making movies
[Early 20th century. Named
for John H. Kliegl (1869–1959) and Anton T. Kliegl (1872–1927),
German-born U.S. lighting experts and inventors.][1]



Klimt,Gustav

Klimt,Gustav
Klimt
[klimt], Gustav (1862–1918)

Austrian painter. Founder of
the Vienna Secession school of painting (1897), he created richly decorated
portraits of women.[1]



Kline,Franz

Kline,Franz
Kline
[klīn], Franz (1910–1962)

U.S.
artist. He is known for his abstract expressionist paintings, which have large
black forms on a white background.
Full name
Kline, Franz Josef[1]



Klippel,Robert

Klippel,Robert
Klip·pel
[klíppəl], Robert (1920– )

Australian
sculptor. His works include assemblages made with scraps of metal.
Full name
Klippel, Robert Edward[1]



klipspringer

klipspringer
klip·spring·er 
[klíp sprìngər] noun

small
African antelope: a small agile antelope with large ears
that lives in mountainous regions of Africa. Latin name: Oreotragus
oreotragus
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “cliff-springer, rock-jumper.”][1]



KluaneNational Park Reserve

KluaneNational Park Reserve
Klu·ane
Na·tion·al Park Re·serve [kloo
àyn nash’nl paark rə súrv]

national park in southwestern
Yukon Territory, Canada. It includes Canada’s highest peak, Mt. Logan. Area:
22,000 sq km/8,500 sq mi.[1]



kludge

kludge
kludge 
[klooj] or kluge [klooj] noun

patched
solution:
a makeshift combination of hardware and software put together to solve a
computing problem, that, while effective, is usually inelegant and not suitable
for manufacture (slang)
transitive
verb
(past kludged, past participle kludged, present
participle kludg·ing, 3rd person present singular kludges)
(past kluged, past participle kluged, present
participle klug·ing, 3rd person present singular kluges)

fix
something with a kludge: to solve a computing problem
using a kludge (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Formed on the model of botch and fudge .]
—kludg·y, adjective[1]



klutz

klutz
klutz 
[kluts] noun (slang insult)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as physically or
socially clumsy

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as unintelligent
[Mid-20th
century. Via Yiddish klots “wooden beam” from German Klotz
“clod.”]
—klutz·i·ness,
noun

—klutz·y, adjective[1]



klystron

klystron
kly·stron 
[kl stròn] noun

microwave
generator:
an electron tube that uses an electric field to generate and amplify microwaves
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek klus-, stem of kluzein “to wash or break over,” + -tron .][1]



km

km
km

Abbreviation of
kilometer[1]



K-meson

K-meson
K-mes·on 
noun

See
kaon[1]



km/h

km/h
km/h

Abbreviation of
kilometers per hour[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kmph

kmph
kmph

Abbreviation of
kilometers per hour[1]



kmps

kmps
kmps

Abbreviation of
kilometers per second[1]



KN

KN
KN

CHESS
Abbreviation of king’s knight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kn

kn
kn
or kn.

1.  kn.
SAILING Abbreviation of knot

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of krona

3.  MONEY Abbreviation of krone

[1]



knack

knack
knack 
[nak] noun

1.  skill:
an easy, clever way of doing something or handling a problem • I
can’t get the knack of this software.

2.  particular
ability:
a particular skill, especially one that might be innate or intuitive and
therefore difficult to teach • You
certainly have a knack with children.

3.  ingenious
device:
a device or mechanism that is ingeniously constructed (archaic)

4.  knickknack:
small usually decorative item (archaic)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from or related to Dutch and Low
German knak “sharp blow, crack,” an imitation of the sound. Originally
“trick, deception.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talent

[1]



knacker

knacker
knack·er 
[nákər] noun U.K.

1.  somebody
who kills horses for profit: somebody who makes a living
by buying old, worn-out, or injured horses, slaughtering them, and selling
their parts, for example, their flesh and hide

2.  demolition
merchant:
somebody who makes a living by buying unwanted buildings, demolishing them, and
selling their materials for scrap
[Early19th century.
Originally “saddler, harness maker,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Scandinavian.][1]



knackered

knackered
knack·ered
[nákərd] adjective

U.K.
worn-out:
totally exhausted, broken-down, or about to collapse (slang)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from knacker .][1]



knackwurst

knackwurst
knack·wurst 
[naák wùrst, nók
wrst] or knock·wurst [nók
wùrst] noun

smoked
sausage:
a spicy smoked European sausage similar to a frankfurter but shorter and
thicker
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “crack-sausage” (because its skin cracks open when bitten),
formed from knacken “to crack.”][1]



knap

knap
knap 
[nap] (past knapped, past
participle knapped, present participle knap·ping, 3rd
person present singular knaps) transitive verb

chip
flakes off something: to chisel or hammer
something such as a stone so that it breaks into flakes
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German or Dutch knappen “to
crack,” an imitation of the sound.]
—knap·per, noun[1]



knapsack

knapsack
knap·sack 
[náp sàk] (plural knap·sacks) noun

bag
carried on back: a cloth or leather bag with shoulder
straps, designed for carrying personal items and supplies on a hiker’s back
[Early 17th century. From Low
German, literally “eating sack,” from knappen “to bite, eat” + Sack
“sack.”][1]



knapweed

knapweed
knap·weed 
[náp wd] (plural knap·weeds or
knap·weed) noun

purple-flowered
thistle:
a thistle plant with purple flowers grouped in a head, and spiny parts just
below them. Latin name: Centaurea nigra
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of Middle English knopwed, literally “knob-weed,” from knop
“knob,” from the shape of its cluster of flowers.][1]



knar

knar
knar
[naar] (plural knars) noun

knot
in wood:
a knot on a tree or in wood
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German knorre
.]
—knarred,
adjective

—knarr·y, adjective[1]



knave

knave
knave 
[nayv] (plural knaves) noun

1.  cunning
untrustworthy man: a man who is dishonest and
deceitful (archaic insult)

2.  man
servant:
a man who works as a servant (archaic)

3.  man
of low birth: a man of low social position (archaic)

4.  CARD GAMES See jack 1 noun 2
[Old
English cnafa “boy, male servant,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—knav·ish,
adjective

—knav·ish·ly,
adverb

—knav·ish·ness, noun[1]



knavery

knavery
knav·er·y 
[náyvəree] noun

cunning behavior:
an action, or behavior, that is dishonest or deceitful (archaic)[1]



knead

knead
knead 
[need] (past knead·ed, past
participle knead·ed, present participle knead·ing, 3rd
person present singular kneads) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
dough until smooth: to fold, press, and stretch
a soft substance such as dough or clay, working it into a smooth uniform mass

2.  transitive
verb
massage
muscles:
to rub, squeeze, or press a part of the body with the hands, for example, in
order to relax the muscles

3.  transitive
verb
shape
something with the hands: to make or shape something
out of a soft substance by kneading it
[Old
English cnedan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word for knobby
objects that is also the ancestor of English knob
and knar .]
—knead·a·ble,
adjective

—knead·er, noun[1]



knee

knee
knee 
[nee] noun (plural knees)

1.  ANATOMY middle
joint of the human leg: the joint of the human leg
between the thigh and the lower leg, where the femur and the tibia meet,
covered in front by the kneecap ( patella )

2.  ANATOMY wider
area around the knee joint: the general area surrounding
the knee joint

3.  upper
leg:
the upper surface of the thigh of somebody sitting down • Come
and sit on my knee.

4.  CLOTHES part
of pants surrounding the knee: the part of a piece of
clothing, especially pants, that fits around the knee

5.  ZOOLOGY leg
joint in animals: the joint between the upper and lower
parts of the hind legs in four-legged vertebrates and of the legs in birds

6.  TREES growth
above water from a root: a woody outgrowth from the
roots of some trees that grow in saturated soils or standing water, which
protrudes above the surface and enables them to breathe

7.  object
that looks like a knee: something that resembles the
human knee, for example, a bent pipe
transitive
verb
(past kneed, past participle kneed, present
participle knee·ing, 3rd person present singular knees)

hit somebody with the knee:
to strike somebody with the knee
[Old
English cnēow . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bend”
that is also the ancestor of English genuflect
.]
bring
somebody to his or her knees

to reduce somebody to a state
of abject weakness and vulnerability or force somebody to admit defeat[1]



kneeaction

kneeaction
knee
ac·tion
noun

independent front-wheel
suspension: a type of front-wheel
suspension in an automobile that allows each wheel to move independently in a
vertical direction[1]



kneebreeches

kneebreeches
knee
breech·es
plural noun

See
breeches[1]



kneecap

kneecap
knee·cap 
[n kàp] noun (plural knee·caps)

1.  flat
bone over the knee joint: a flat triangular bone
located at the front of the knee. It protects the knee joint.
Also
called
kneepan Technical name patella

2.  See
kneepad
transitive
verb
(past knee·capped, past participle knee·capped, present
participle knee·cap·ping, 3rd person present singular knee·caps)

CRIMINOLOGY shoot
somebody in the knees: to shoot somebody
deliberately in the knees as a punishment in order to cause lasting difficulty
in standing or walking (informal)

[1]



knee-deep

knee-deep
knee-deep 
adjective

1.  in
as high as the knees: standing or sunk in
something that reaches up to the knees • be
knee-deep in mud

2.  as
high as the knees: reaching up to the knees • The
river was only knee-deep.

3.  extremely
involved in something: completely occupied by or
entangled in something • knee-deep
in paperwork

[1]



knee-high

knee-high
knee-high 
adjective

up
to the knees: reaching up to the knees
noun

sock reaching knee:
a sock or stocking that comes up as high as the knee[1]



kneehole

kneehole
knee·hole 
[n hl] (plural knee·holes) noun

opening for knees in
furniture: a hole made for the knees in
a desk or other piece of furniture[1]



kneejerk

kneejerk
knee
jerk
(plural knee jerks) noun

involuntary kick from the
knee: an involuntary contraction
of the thigh muscle that produces a sudden extension of the leg, usually in
response to a light rap on the tendon below the kneecap[1]



knee-jerk

knee-jerk
knee-jerk 
adjective (informal disapproving)

1.  not
thought through: given or occurring immediately and
automatically, without thinking, and usually expressing habitual attitude or
prejudice • a
knee-jerk opinion

2.  reacting
predictably: tending to respond in the same way to
any situation • a knee-jerk political
hack

[1]



kneel

kneel
kneel 
[neel] (past knelt [nélt] or kneeled, past participle
knelt or kneeled, present participle kneel·ing,
3rd person present singular kneels) intransitive verb

rest
on knees:
to rest on, or get down on, one or both knees
[Old English cnēowlian,
from cnēow, an earlier form of knee][1]



kneepad

kneepad
knee·pad 
[n pàd] (plural knee·pads) noun

protective pad for knee:
a covering that protects the knee from injury, especially during sports.
Also called
kneecap[1]



kneepan

kneepan
knee·pan
[n pàn] (plural knee·pans) noun

See
kneecap  noun 1[1]



kneesock

kneesock
knee
sock
(plural knee socks) noun

knee-length sock:
a sock that reaches to the knee[1]



knell

knell
knell 
[nel] noun (plural knells)

1.  slow
bell ring:
the sound of a bell rung slowly, associated with solemnity or mourning, used to
announce a death or funeral

2.  ominous
signal:
something that signals death, disaster, or the end of something (literary)
verb
(past knelled, past participle knelled, present
participle knell·ing, 3rd person present singular knells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ring a
bell:
to ring a bell slowly, or produce a slow ringing sound, especially as a sign of
mourning or to announce a death or funeral

2.  transitive
verb
signal
something ominous: to announce or signal
something such as a death, disaster, or the end of something (literary)
[Old English cnyll,
from cnyllan “to strike.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English knock
and knuckle .][1]



knelt

knelt
knelt


Past participle of
kneel Past tense of kneel[1]



Knesset

Knesset
Knes·set 
[knéssət] or Knes·seth [knéssət] noun

parliament
of Israel:
the parliamentary legislature of Israel. It has one legislative chamber with
supreme authority.
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew, literally “gathering.”][1]



knew

knew
knew


Past tense of
know[1]



Knickerbocker

Knickerbocker
Knick·er·bock·er 
[níkər bòkər] (plural Knick·er·bock·ers)
noun

1.  descendant
of Dutch in New York: somebody descended from the
early Dutch settlers of New York

2.  somebody
from New York: somebody who is a native of or lives in
the state of New York (informal)
[Early 19th century. Named
for Diedrich Knickerbocker, fictitious author of Washington Irving ’s History
of New York .][1]



knickerbockers

knickerbockers
knick·er·bock·ers
[níkər bòkərz] plural noun

loose
knee breeches: loose-fitting short breeches gathered at
or just below the knee.
Also
called
knickers
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from their resemblance to the Dutchmen’s knee breeches in
Cruikshank’s illustrations in Washington Irving ’s History of New York
.][1]



knickers

knickers
knick·ers 
[níkərz] plural noun

1.  See
knickerbockers

2.  U.K.
panties:
women’s or girl’s underpants
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



knickknack

knickknack
knick·knack
[ník nàk] (plural knick·knacks)
or nick·nack [ník nàk] (plural
nick·nacks) noun

small
figure or ornament: a small decorative ornament
or object
[Late 16th century. Formed
from a reduplication of knack . From the
earlier meaning “petty trick, artifice.”][1]



knickpoint

knickpoint
knick·point
[ník pòynt] (plural knick·points)
noun

sudden
change in a river’s gradient: a point along a river’s
length at which it suddenly begins to flow in a steeper course
[Early 20th century. Partial
translation of German Knickpunkt, from Knick “bend, kink” + Punkt
“point.”][1]



knife

knife

knife 
[nīf] noun (plural knives
[nīvz])

1.  tool
for cutting or spreading: a tool, usually with a sharp
blade and a handle, used for cutting, slicing, or spreading

2.  ARMS stabbing
weapon:
a knife with a handle and a sharpened blade specifically made to be a weapon
verb (past
knifed, past participle knifed, present participle knif·ing,
3rd person present singular knifes)

1.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY stab
somebody:
to stab or cut somebody with a knife

2.  transitive
verb
betray
somebody:
to try to bring about somebody’s downfall in a devious or dishonest way (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
move
with a swift smooth motion: to move quickly, forcefully,
and cleanly through something • The
hawk knifed through the air.
[Pre-12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French canif from Basque kanibet
or ganibet, from Latin canna “reed” + Basque bedoi
“billhook,” egitai “sickle,” or ebaille “cutter.”]
—knif·er,
noun
under the knife

undergoing surgery (informal)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








knife-edge

knife-edge
knife-edge 
(plural knife-edg·es) noun

1.  knife’s
cutting edge: the cutting edge of the blade of a knife

2.  object
like the edge of knife: an object that is sharp,
thin, and narrow

3.  critical
time in a situation: a decisive and precarious
point in a situation at which it is finely balanced between different
possibilities or outcomes • with
the future of the project on a knife-edge

4.  TECHNOLOGY fulcrum
for a precise instrument: a metal wedge whose narrow
edge is used as a fulcrum for a scale beam or a lever in a precision instrument

[1]



knight

knight
knight 
[nīt] noun (plural knights)

1.  HISTORY medieval
mounted soldier of low rank: in earlier medieval Europe,
a tenant of a feudal lord who was required to serve as a soldier on horseback

2.  HISTORY medieval
soldier of high rank: in later medieval Europe, a
soldier of noble rank raised to a privileged military status by his king after
serving as a page and squire

3.  POLITICS man
with the title “Sir”: a man who holds a
nonhereditary title conferred by a ruler for personal achievement or public
service. A British knight has the title “Sir” before his name.

4.  member
of a brotherhood: a man who belongs to a special group or
organization, especially a religious or secret brotherhood

5.  champion
of a cause:
a fervent supporter or defender of a cause or belief

6.  protector
of a woman:
a man who is protective of and devoted to a woman

7.  CHESS horse’s
head chess piece: a chess piece shaped like a horse’s head
that moves two squares horizontally and one vertically or two vertically and
one horizontally. Symbol N
transitive
verb
(past knight·ed, past participle knight·ed, present
participle knight·ing, 3rd person present singular knights)

make a man a knight:
to bestow a knighthood on a man
[Old English cniht
“boy, male attendant,” from prehistoric Germanic][1]



knightbachelor

knightbachelor
knight
bach·e·lor
(plural knights bach·e·lors or knights bach·e·lor) noun

lowest rank of British
knight: a British knight of the
lowest rank who is not a member of any of the orders of knighthood[1]



knight-errant

knight-errant
knight-er·rant 
(plural knights-er·rant) or knight er·rant (plural
knights er·rant) noun

1.  wandering
medieval knight: a medieval knight who traveled around
looking for adventure

2.  adventurous
romantic:
a man preoccupied with ideas of adventure and romance
—knight-er·rant·ry, noun[1]



knighthead

knighthead
knight·head 
[nt hèd] (plural knight·heads)
noun

bowsprit
support on a sailing ship: either of two upright
timbers supporting the inner end of the bowsprit of a sailing ship, to which
mooring cables or ropes are sometimes attached
[Early 18th century. From the
fact that it often had a carving of a male head.][1]



knighthood

knighthood
knight·hood 
[nt hd] (plural knight·hoods)
noun

1.  position
of knight:
the rank, title, or occupation of a knight

2.  chivalry
and honor:
the qualities of chivalry, bravery, and honor, thought to be characteristic of
a knight

3.  knights:
knights considered as a group
[Old English][1]



knightly

knightly
knight·ly
[ntlee] (comparative knight·li·er,
superlative knight·li·est) adjective

of
a knight:
relating to knights, or characteristic of a knight, especially in being noble
and chivalrous
[Old
English]
—knight·li·ness, noun[1]



Knightof Columbus

Knightof Columbus
Knight
of Co·lum·bus  (plural Knights of Co·lum·bus)
noun

member
of fraternal organization: a member of a benevolent and
fraternal organization of Roman Catholic men, founded in 1882
[Late 19th century. Named for
Christopher Columbus .][1]



Knightof Pythias

Knightof Pythias
Knight
of Pyth·i·as (plural Knights of Pyth·i·as)
noun

member of fraternal
organization: a member of a
benevolent and fraternal organization for men, founded in the 1860s[1]



Knightof the Maccabees

Knightof the Maccabees
Knight
of the Mac·ca·bees (plural Knights of
the Mac·ca·bees) noun

member of charitable society:
a member of a benevolent organization, founded in Canada in 1878[1]



Knightsof the Round Table

Knightsof the Round Table
Knights
of the Round Ta·ble  plural noun

knights
of Arthurian legend: an order of knights said to
have been created by King Arthur that figures prominently in Arthurian legends
and chivalric poems
[The Round Table was where the
knights sat. It was circular so that no knight would be seated in a position of
superiority.][1]



KnightTemplar

KnightTemplar
Knight
Tem·plar
(plural Knights Tem·plar) noun

1.  HISTORY member
of a medieval Christian military order: a
member of a Christian military order that was founded in Jerusalem in 1119 to
protect pilgrims after the First Crusade. The order grew wealthy and
influential from banking activities before being suppressed by the Pope in
1312.
Also
called
Templar

2.  FREEMASONRY U.S.
Freemason:
a member of a Masonic order in the United States

[1]



knish

knish
knish 
[kə nísh] (plural knish·es) noun

stuffed
dumpling:
a piece of dough filled with meat, cheese, or potato, baked or fried, and eaten
as a snack or appetizer, especially in Jewish-American cooking
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from Russian .][1]



knit

knit

knit 
[nit] verb (past knit·ted
or knit, past participle knit·ted or knit,
present participle knit·ting, 3rd person present singular knits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interlock
yarn loops to make garment: to interlock loops of yarn,
using either long needles or a machine, or to make a garment, fabric, or other
item by this method

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb use a
knit stitch: to use a basic plain stitch that forms a
flat vertical loop on the front of the piece of knitting • Knit
one, purl one.
See
also
purl

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb unite:
to bring people or things together, or come together, in a close association

4.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE become
healed:
to grow together again after a fracture (refers to a broken bone)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
the brows closer together: to draw the brows together,
or be drawn together, in a frown
noun (plural
knits)

1.  something
made by knitting: a knitted garment or fabric

2.  way
of knitting: a method or style of knitting a garment
or fabric

3.  plain
stitch:
a basic knitting stitch that forms a flat vertical loop on the face of
something being knitted.
See
also
purl
[Old
English cnyttan “to tie in knots,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that
is also the ancestor of English knot]
—knit·ta·ble,
adjective

—knit·ter, noun[1]



knitting

knitting
knit·ting 
[nítting] noun

1.  production
of knitted items: the act or process of making knitted
items or fabric by hand-held needles or by machine

2.  something
being knitted: an item that is in the process of being
knitted

[1]



knittingneedle

knittingneedle
knit·ting
nee·dle
(plural knit·ting nee·dles) noun

needle used in knitting:
a long slim rod with a dull point, used in pairs in knitting[1]



knitwear

knitwear
knit·wear 
[nít wàir] noun

knitted clothing:
garments made from knitted fabric[1]



knives

knives
knives


Plural of
knife[1]



knob

knob
knob 
[nob] (plural knobs) noun

1.  rounded
handle or dial: a rounded projecting part attached to a
door, drawer, appliance, or other object, used as a handle or a dial or switch

2.  rounded
projection:
any rounded lump or part projecting from the surface of something

3.  GEOGRAPHY hill:
a rounded hill
[14th century. From Middle
Low German knobbe “knot, knob, bud.”][1]



knobby

knobby
knob·by
[nóbbee] (comparative knob·bi·er,
superlative knob·bi·est) adjective

covered
with small knobs: having small hard rounded parts sticking
out from the surface
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from knobble “small knob,” from knob
.][1]



knobkerrie

knobkerrie
knob·ker·rie 
[nób kèrree] (plural knob·ker·ries)
or knob·stick [nób stìk] (plural
knob·sticks) noun

knobbed
stick used as weapon: a short wooden stick with a
knob at one end, used by some South African peoples as a weapon
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from knob + a variant of kierie, on the
model of Afrikaans knopkierie .][1]



knock

knock

knock 
[nok] verb (past knocked,
past participle knocked, present participle knock·ing,
3rd person present singular knocks)

1.  intransitive
verb
hit
repeatedly:
to strike loudly against something such as a door with the knuckles or an
object in order to attract attention • Someone’s
knocking at the door.

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a loud noise by colliding: to produce a loud and
usually repetitive noise by hitting something • disturbed
by a branch knocking against the window all night

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb deal
blow:
to strike somebody or something with a hard blow • knock
in a nail

4.  transitive
verb
put
in a particular state with blow: to cause something or
somebody to be in a particular state, for example, unconscious or flat on the
floor, with a blow • He knocked me off
balance.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb collide
or cause something to collide: to hit against
something, especially accidentally, or cause something to hit against something
else • The
glass broke when I knocked it against the table.

6.  transitive
verb
make
something by striking: to produce something,
especially a hole, by means of repeated blows

7.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody or something: to criticize or find fault
with somebody or something (slang) • Don’t
knock it until you’ve tried it.

8.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOTIVE produce
repeated rapping sound: to make a regular rapping
noise that is usually caused by faulty fuel combustion (refers to a vehicle
or its engine)

9.  intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES end
card game:
to end a game, especially gin rummy, by striking the table before laying down a
hand in which those cards not in sets total less than a specified amount
noun (plural
knocks)

1.  blow
or collision: a blow struck against somebody or
something or a collision with somebody or something

2.  sound
of knocking: the sound made by somebody or something
hitting something, especially repeatedly

3.  AUTOMOTIVE repeated
rapping sound in engine: a regular rapping noise made
by an engine and usually caused by faulty fuel combustion.
Also
called
ping

4.  criticism:
a disparaging or critical comment about somebody or something (slang)

5.  bad
experience:
a painful, damaging, or distressing experience (informal)
[Old
English cnocian, of uncertain origin: thought to be imitative of the
sound]
knock somebody cold

to
make somebody unconscious with a blow (informal)

knock somebody dead

to
amaze and delight somebody with the quality of a performance (informal)

knock something on the head

to put an end to something or
prevent it from developing any further (informal)[1]



knockabout

knockabout
knock·a·bout 
[nókə bòwt] noun (plural knock·a·bouts)

SAILING small
sailboat:
a small sailboat with a mainsail, jib, and keel but no bowsprit
adjective

1.  using
slapstick:
characterized by boisterous physical activity

2.  sturdy
and informal: suitable for rough or casual activities

[1]



knockaround

knockaround
knock
around
or knock a·bout verb (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
beat
somebody:
to abuse somebody physically

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
around:
to travel to different places, or to different places within a specific area,
especially without a specific itinerary

3.  transitive
verb
have
a relaxing time: to relax by doing nothing in particular

4.  intransitive
verb
spend
time:
to spend time habitually in the company of somebody

5.  transitive
verb
discuss
something speculatively: to dicuss something casually
in order to hear different views

6.  transitive
verb
kick
a ball around: to kick, hit, or throw a ball in an
informal game

[1]



knockback

knockback
knock
back
transitive verb (informal)

1.  BEVERAGES gulp
a drink down: to drink something, especially alcohol,
very quickly

2.  cost
somebody much money: to cost somebody a large
amount of money • The repairs knocked me
back $500.

[1]



knockdown

knockdown
knock·down 
[nók dòwn] noun (plural knock·downs)

1.  overwhelming
blow:
a powerful emotional or physical blow

2.  price
drop:
a reduction in the price of something

3.  easily
disassembled object: something such as a piece of
furniture that is made so that it can be taken apart easily
adjective

1.  very
powerful:
having an overwhelmingly powerful or very damaging effect

2.  easily
disassembled: made to be taken apart easily

3.  discounted:
reduced or very cheap • a
knockdown price

[1]



knockdown

knockdown
knock
down
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody or something fall: to cause somebody or
something to fall to the ground by striking or pushing

2.  dismantle
something:
to take something apart for shipping or storage

3.  pronounce
something sold: to show that something has been sold at
an auction by striking a surface with a gavel

4.  cut
price of:
to reduce the price of something (informal) • furniture
knocked down by 50 percent

5.  make
somebody cut price: to persuade somebody to
reduce the price of something

6.  BUSINESS earn:
to earn a particular amount of money as salary or wages (informal)

7.  BASKETBALL make
a basket:
to score a basket in basketball (informal)

[1]



knockdown-dragout

knockdown-dragout
knock·down-drag·out 
[nòk dòwn drág òwt] (plural knock·down-drag·outs)
or knock-down-drag-out [nòk dòwn drág
òwt] (plural knock-down-drag-outs) adjective

intensely
violent or bitter: fought violently or argued
bitterly and without mercy
—knock·down-drag·out, noun[1]



knocker

knocker
knock·er 
[nókər] noun (plural knock·ers)

1.  fixture
for knocking on door: a metal fixture attached
with hinges to the door of a house, used for knocking on the door

2.  critic:
somebody who finds fault with somebody or something, especially unfairly (informal)
plural
noun
knock·ers

offensive term:
an offensive term for a woman’s breasts (slang offensive)

[1]



knock-knee

knock-knee
knock-knee 
noun

permanent
condition of legs: a condition in which the
legs are permanently bent so that the knees are close together and the ankles
are spread far apart
plural
noun
knock-knees

knees
turned inward: the knees of somebody with knock-knee
—knock-kneed, adjective[1]



knockoff

knockoff
knock
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
working:
to finish work at the end of the day, or to stop working or doing something in
order to take a break (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
cut
price of:
to decrease the price of something by a particular amount

3.  transitive
verb
deduct
something:
to deduct something from something, especially an amount from a price or a
number of points from a score or total

4.  transitive
verb
produce
something with ease or speed: to make or deal with
something easily and quickly (informal) • knocks
off six or seven articles a month

5.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY kill
somebody:
to kill somebody, especially intentionally (slang)

6.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY rob
place:
to rob a bank, store, or other business (slang)

7.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE make
cheap copy of product: to produce a cheap,
sometimes illegal copy of a well-known product (slang)

8.  transitive
verb
plagiarize
something:
to copy somebody else’s work (slang)
knock
it off

used to demand that somebody
stop doing or saying something (slang)[1]



knockoff

knockoff
knock·off 
[nók àwf] (plural knock·offs) noun

cheap copy of goods:
an inexpensive, sometimes illegal copy of a piece of well-known or popular
merchandise (informal)[1]



knockout

knockout
knock
out
transitive verb

1.  defeat
opposing boxer with punch: in boxing, to knock an
opponent down for a count of ten, thus winning the match

2.  make
somebody unconscious by hitting: to cause somebody to
lose consciousness by striking him or her

3.  stupefy
somebody with drugs or alcohol: to cause somebody to
lose consciousness or fall asleep by means of drugs or alcohol

4.  SPORTS eliminate
opponent from tournament: to eliminate an opponent or
team from a competition by winning a match or game

5.  make
something useless: to destroy something or make
it inoperable • The storm knocked out
our electricity.

6.  tire
somebody out: to exhaust somebody completely (informal)

7.  produce
something with ease or speed: to make or do something
easily or quickly

8.  BASEBALL replace
a pitcher:
to cause a baseball pitcher’s removal from a game by getting several hits

9.  please
or impress somebody greatly: to overwhelm somebody with
excitement or pleasure (informal) • That
music really knocks me out.

[1]



knockout

knockout
knock·out 
[nók òwt] (plural knock·outs) noun

1.  BOXING punch
winning a boxing match: in boxing, a punch that
knocks an opponent down for a count of ten and so wins a contest

2.  blow
causing somebody to become unconscious: a
blow that knocks somebody unconscious

3.  BOXING boxing
match won by a knockout: a victory in a boxing match
by a knockout

4.  somebody
or something stunning: somebody or something
extremely attractive, good-looking, or enjoyable (informal)

[1]



knockoutdrops

knockoutdrops
knock·out
drops
plural noun

tranquilizer secretly added
to a drink: a solution, usually
containing chloral hydrate, secretly put in a drink to render the drinker
unconscious (informal)[1]



knockover

knockover
knock
over
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody fall: to cause somebody or something to fall
by striking or pushing • knocked
my cup of coffee over

2.  astound
somebody:
to overwhelm somebody with amazement or shock (informal)

3.  rob
a place:
to rob a bank, store, or other business (informal)

[1]



knocktogether

knocktogether
knock
together
transitive verb

assemble something quickly:
to make something quickly, without much preparation, and often with little care
(informal)[1]



knockup

knockup
knock
up
transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to make a woman pregnant (slang offensive)[1]



knockwurst

knockwurst
knock·wurst 
(plural knock·wursts) noun

See
knackwurst[1]



knoll

knoll1
knoll1 [nōl]
(plural knolls) noun

little
hill:
a small rounded hill or mound
[Old
English cnoll, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English knot]
—knoll·y [nṓlee], adjective[1]



knoll

knoll2
knoll2 [nōl]
noun (plural knolls) intransitive and transitive verb
(past knolled, past participle knolled, present
participle knoll·ing, 3rd person present singular knolls)

knell:
knell (archaic)
[14th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English knell .][1]



knop

knop
knop 
[nop] (plural knops) noun

ornamental
knob:
a small decorative knob
[14th
century. From Middle Low German or Middle Dutch knoppe “knob, knot,
button.”]
—knopped, adjective[1]



Knossos

Knossos
Knos·sos
[nósəss, knóssəss]

ruined city in northern
Crete, the center of the Minoan civilization from about 3000 BC to 1100 BC[1]



knot

knot2
knot2 [not]
(plural knots) noun

sandpiper:
a small sandpiper that migrates to the Arctic to breed. Latin name: Calidris
canutus Calidris tenuirostris
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



knot

knot1

knot1 [not]
noun (plural knots)

1.  object
made by tying a strand: a usually hard, lump-shaped
object formed when a strand of something, for example, string or rope, is
interlaced with itself or another strand and pulled tight. Knots are mainly
used for tying pieces of string, rope, or thread together or securing them to
other objects.

2.  way
of tying a length of material: any of a number of set
ways of joining or securing lengths of rope, thread, or other strands by tying
the material together or around itself

3.  a
tangle:
a tightly tangled mass of strands that are hard to separate

4.  decoration
shaped like a knot: a piece of material such as
ribbon or braid tied in a knot or bow and used as a decoration

5.  hard
patch on a tree: a hard patch on a tree out of which a
branch or stem grows

6.  dark
whorl in lumber: a hard dark colored patch in cut wood at
a point where a branch or stem formerly grew out of the tree

7.  lump
on a tree:
a lump on a tree trunk or branch

8.  MEDICINE lump
in the body: a node, ganglion, lump, or swelling in
the body

9.  unit
of nautical or air speed: a unit of measurement for
the speed at which a ship or aircraft travels, equivalent to one nautical mile
per hour, approximately 1.85 km per hour/1.15 statute mph

10. NAUTICAL indicator
for measuring a ship’s speed: a division on a log line
used for calculating the speed of a ship

11. NAUTICAL See nautical mile

12. tight
group:
a number of people or things grouped closely together

13. tense
feeling:
a feeling of tightness or anxiety

14. problem:
a difficult or complex problem
verb (past
knot·ted, past participle knot·ted, present participle
knot·ting, 3rd person present singular knots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
knot:
to tie something in a knot, or be tied with a knot

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb to
tangle:
to tangle something, or become tangled

3.  transitive
verb
make
something with a pattern of knots: to produce something,
for example, a piece of macramé, that consists of a pattern of decorative knots

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
tense:
to become, or to cause something to become, tight or tense with anxiety or fear
• My
stomach knotted up.
[Old
English cnotta, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “round lump,”
which is also the ancestor of English knit
and knoll]
—knot·ter,
noun
tie the knot

to get married (informal)[1]



knotgarden

knotgarden
knot
gar·den
(plural knot gar·dens) noun

formal garden:
an herb or flower garden that has its plants arranged in an intricate pattern
and sometimes also has trees and bushes trimmed in decorative designs[1]



knotgrass

knotgrass
knot·grass 
[nót gràss] (plural knot·grass·es
or knot·grass) noun

weed
once used to treat asthma: a creeping plant with
prominent nodes on its stems and small pink flowers, considered a troublesome
weed. Knotgrass was at one time widely used herbally in an infusion to treat
asthma. Latin name: Polygonum aviculare
Also
called
knotweed
[Early 16th century. “Knot”
from knot 1, from its
knotted stem.][1]



knothole

knothole
knot·hole 
[nót hl] (plural knot·holes) noun

hole in wood:
a hole in wood where a knot has fallen out or been removed[1]



knotted

knotted
knot·ted
[nóttəd] adjective

1.  tied
or tangled in knots: tied in a knot, tangled up
in knots, or made using decorative knots

2.  WOODWORK See knotty  adjective 2

3.  BOTANY having
stems with swellings: used to describe a plant
that has stems with swellings resembling knots

[1]



knotty

knotty
knot·ty 
[nóttee] (comparative knot·ti·er,
superlative knot·ti·est) adjective

1.  full
of knots:
full of tied or tangled knots

2.  WOODWORK marked
with knots:
containing or marked with many knots

3.  puzzling
or complex:
very difficult to understand or solve
—knot·ti·ly,
adverb

—knot·ti·ness, noun[1]



knottypine

knottypine
knot·ty
pine
(plural knot·ty pines) noun

wood used for interior
decoration: pine wood that has many
knots in it, used especially for paneling and making furniture[1]



knotweed

knotweed
knot·weed 
[nót wd] (plural knot·weeds or
knot·weed) noun

See
knotgrass[1]



knout

knout
knout 
[nowt] noun (plural knouts)

leather
whip:
a leather whip used for flogging
transitive
verb
(past knout·ed, past participle knout·ed, present
participle knout·ing, 3rd person present singular knouts)

beat
somebody with knout: to flog somebody using a
knout
[Mid-17th century. Via French
and Russian knut from Old Norse knútr “knot.”][1]



know

know
know 
[nō] (past knew [noo], past participle known [nōn], present participle know·ing, 3rd
person present singular knows) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hold
information in the mind: to have information firmly
in the mind or committed to memory • They
know the names of all the U.S. presidents.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
certain about something: to believe firmly in the
truth or certainty of something • I know
she wouldn’t be late without a good reason.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb realize
something:
to be or become aware of something • I
didn’t know you cared.

4.  transitive
verb
comprehend
something:
to have a thorough understanding of something through experience or study • know
computers

5.  transitive
verb
have
encountered somebody or something before: to be
acquainted, associated, or familiar with somebody or something • I
have known John for years.

6.  transitive
verb
recognize
differences: to be able to perceive the differences
or distinctions between things or people • old
enough to know right from wrong

7.  transitive
verb
identify
somebody or something by a characteristic: to
recognize somebody or something by a distinguishing characteristic or attribute
• I’d
know him anywhere by his peculiar laugh.

8.  transitive
verb
have
sex with somebody: to engage in sexual
intercourse with somebody (archaic)
[Old
English cnāwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English can and cognition .]
—know·a·ble,
adjective

—know·er,
noun
in
the know

possessing
information that is secret or known only to a small group of people

you
know

used
to fill a pause, add emphasis to a statement, or elicit a response from the
listener (informal)

you
never know

used to indicate that the
outcome of events is uncertain and it is possible that something that seems
unlikely could happen[1]



know-all

know-all
know-all
(plural know-alls) noun

U.K.
(informal) See know-it-all[1]



know-how

know-how
know-how 
noun

knowledge:
the practical ability and knowledge necessary to do something (informal)[1]



knowing

knowing
know·ing 
[nṓ ing] adjective

1.  indicating
private knowledge: suggesting that somebody
knows a secret or something that others are unaware of • a
knowing smile

2.  astute:
aware of things and able to act cleverly and judge shrewdly

3.  showing
intelligence: having knowledge, information, or
understanding

4.  intentional:
done on purpose
—know·ing·ly,
adverb

—know·ing·ness, noun[1]



know-it-all

know-it-all
know-it-all 
(plural know-it-alls) noun

somebody claiming to know
everything: somebody who professes to
know more or better than anyone else about everything (informal)
U.K. term
know-all[1]



knowledgable

knowledgable
knowl·edg·a·ble
adjective

See
knowledgeable[1]



knowledge

knowledge
knowl·edge 
[nóllij] noun

1.  information
in mind:
general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or
principles • Her
knowledge and interests are extensive.

2.  specific
information: clear awareness or explicit information,
for example, of a situation or fact • I
believe they have knowledge of the circumstances.

3.  all
that can be known: all the information, facts,
truths, and principles learned throughout time • With
all our knowledge, we still haven’t found a cure for the common cold.

4.  learning
through experience or study: familiarity or understanding
gained through experience or study • knowledge
of nuclear physics

5.  intercourse:
sexual intercourse (archaic)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from obsolete knowlechen “to
acknowledge,” ultimately from Old English cnāwan “to know” + -lcan,
from -lāc, noun suffix (source of English wedlock
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  knowledge, erudition, information, learning,
  scholarship, wisdom
  CORE
  MEANING: what
  can be known knowledge; used to
  talk about what can be known by means of study as well as what can be known
  through observation, investigation, reasoning, and experience; erudition; advanced academic learning, often
  of a specialized or difficult nature; information;
  facts or data; learning; what is
  known through formal study, especially when this is of quite an advanced
  nature; scholarship; advanced
  academic learning, especially when this is specialized; wisdom; knowledge or learning, but also the
  ability to use these prudently and to combine them with experience and good
  judgment

[1]



knowledgeable

knowledgeable
knowl·edge·a·ble 
[nóllijəb’l] or knowl·edg·a·ble
[nóllijəb’l] adjective

knowing
a great deal: possessing or showing a great deal of
knowledge, awareness, or intelligence
—knowl·edge·a·bil·i·ty
[nòllijə bíllətee], noun

—knowl·edge·a·ble·ness
[nóllijəb’lnəss], noun

—knowl·edge·a·bly, adverb[1]



knowledgebase

knowledgebase
knowl·edge
base 
(plural knowl·edge ba·ses) noun

1.  COMPUT data
used for problem solving: the computerized data in an
expert system required for solving problems in a particular area

2.  necessary
facts for solving problem: the facts required for
solving a problem or problems

[1]



knowledgeindustry

knowledgeindustry
knowl·edge
in·dus·try
noun

information technology
businesses: businesses that specialize
primarily in data processing or the development and use of information
technology[1]



knowledgeworker

knowledgeworker
knowl·edge
work·er
(plural knowl·edge work·ers) noun

employee in knowledge-based
industry: somebody working in an
industry that produces information rather than goods, such as management
consultancy and computer programming[1]



known

known
known 
[nōn]

Past
participle of know
adjective

established:
generally recognized as or proven to be something • a
known criminal
noun
(plural knowns)

certainty:
a fact or piece of information that is certain • separate
the knowns from the unknowns[1]



Know-Nothing

Know-Nothing
Know-Noth·ing 
(plural Know-Noth·ings) noun

member
of anti-immigration political party: a
member of a U.S. political party of the 1850s that opposed the participation of
immigrants and Roman Catholics in political affairs, and whose members denied
knowledge of the party
—Know-Noth·ing·ism, noun[1]



know-nothing

know-nothing
know-noth·ing 
(plural know-noth·ings) noun

1.  somebody
without knowledge: somebody who is considered
ignorant or uninformed (often used before a noun)

2.  somebody
who is agnostic: somebody who believes that it is
impossible to know anything for certain, especially the existence of God
—know-noth·ing·ism, noun[1]



Knox,Henry

Knox,Henry
Knox
[noks], Henry (1750–1806)

U.S. military leader. During
the Revolution he commanded the American artillery. He served as secretary of
war (1785–1794).[1]



Knt

Knt
Knt

CHESS
Abbreviation of knight[1]



knuckle

knuckle
knuck·le 
[núk’l] noun (plural knuck·les)

1.  ANATOMY finger
joint:
a joint of a finger, especially a joint connecting a finger to the hand

2.  rounded
projection when a fist is made: one of the rounded
projections above a knuckle that appears on the back of a hand when a fist is
made (often used in the plural)

3.  COOKING piece
of meat near the knee: a cut of meat consisting of
the lower joint from the hind leg of a calf, pig, or lamb

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING hinge
pivot:
the cylindrical part of a hinge through which the pin passes

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING See
knuckle joint  noun 2
plural
noun
knuck·les

ARMS See brass knuckles
verb
(past knuck·led, past participle knuck·led, present
participle knuck·ling, 3rd person present singular knuck·les)

1.  transitive
verb
apply
knuckles to: to rub, hit, or press something with the
knuckles • knuckled
her eyes in disbelief

2.  intransitive
verb
GAME have
knuckles on ground playing marbles: to
have the knuckles on the ground when shooting a marble with the thumb pressed
into the bent forefinger
[14th
century. From Middle Low German knökel, literally “small bone,”
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “small bone.”]
—knuck·ly [núklee], adjective[1]



knuckleball

knuckleball
knuck·le·ball 
[núk’l bàwl] (plural knuck·le·balls)
noun

unpredictable
pitch in baseball: in baseball, a slow pitch
with little spin and an unpredictable flight, produced by releasing the ball
from the knuckles and the thumb or the tips of two or three fingers.
Also
called
knuckler
—knuck·le·ball·er, noun[1]



knucklebone

knucklebone
knuck·le·bone 
[núk’l bn] (plural knuck·le·bones)
noun

finger bone:
any knobby bone forming part of a joint in the human finger (informal)[1]



knuckledown

knuckledown
knuckle
down
intransitive verb

work hard:
to work hard and conscientiously at something (informal)[1]



knuckle-duster

knuckle-duster
knuck·le-dust·er 
(plural knuck·le-dust·ers) noun

U.K.
See brass knuckles[1]



knucklehead

knucklehead
knuck·le·head 
[núk’l hèd] (plural knuck·le·heads)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as unintelligent or
thoughtless (slang insult)
—knuck·le·head·ed [nùk’l héddəd], adjective[1]



knucklejoint

knucklejoint
knuck·le
joint
(plural knuck·le joints) noun

1.  ANATOMY finger
joint:
a joint of the human finger

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING hinge
fastening two rods together: a hinge with a pin that
fastens the ends of two rods together, allowing movement in one plane only.
Also
called
knuckle

[1]



knuckler

knuckler
knuck·ler 
[núklər] (plural knuck·lers) noun

See
knuckleball[1]



knucklesandwich

knucklesandwich
knuck·le
sand·wich
noun

punch in the teeth:
a blow with the fist to the mouth (slang)[1]



knuckleunder

knuckleunder
knuckle
under
intransitive verb

submit:
to give in to force or pressure used against you[1]



knur

knur
knur 
[nur] (plural knurs) noun

knot
on or in wood: a bump or knot on a tree trunk or in
wood
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of knar .][1]



knurl

knurl
knurl 
[nurl] noun (plural knurls)

1.  bump
or knob:
a small hard knob or protuberance

2.  ridge
used for gripping: a ridge, especially one in a
series that run along the edge of something, for example, those on a thumbscrew
that make it easier to grip
transitive
verb
(past knurled, past participle knurled, present
participle knurl·ing, 3rd person present singular knurls)

put ridges on:
to give ridges to something, especially to make it easier to grip
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “small knur,” formed from knur .]
—knurl·y [núrrlee], adjective[1]



KO

KO
KO 
[kay ṓ] noun (plural KO’s)

knockout:
a knockout, especially in boxing (informal)
transitive
verb
(past KO’d, past participle KO’d, present
participle KO’ing, 3rd person present singular KO’s)

knock
somebody out: to knock somebody out, especially in
boxing (informal)
[Early 20th century. From the
initial letters of knock out .][1]



koa

koa
ko·a
[kṓ ə] (plural ko·as or
ko·a) noun

1.  Hawaiian
acacia tree: an acacia tree that is native to Hawaii
and has spreading branches, gray bark, and hard wood valued as timber. Latin
name: Acacia koa

2.  wood
of the koa tree: the red or golden-brown hard wood of the
koa tree, used to make furniture
[Early 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



koala

koala

ko·a·la 
[kō lə] (plural ko·a·las) or
ko·a·la bear [kō lə] (plural ko·a·la
bears) noun
gray
furry marsupial: an Australian marsupial that resembles a
small bear and has gray fur, a round face, and large ears. It lives in
eucalyptus trees, feeding almost exclusively on their leaves. Latin name: Phascolarctos
cinereus
[Late 18th century. From
Dharuk (an Aboriginal language of southwestern Australia) kūl(l)a .][1]



koan

koan
ko·an 
[kṓ n] (plural ko·ans or
ko·an) noun

Zen
Buddhist riddle: a Zen Buddhist riddle used to focus the
mind during meditation and to develop intuitive thinking
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese kōan, from Chinese gōngàn “official business.”][1]



kob

kob
kob 
[kob, kōb]
(plural kobs or kob) noun

antelope
with orange-brown fur: a large antelope of Central
and West Africa with orange-brown fur. It lives in open grasslands near swamps
or rivers. Latin name: Kobus kob
[Late 18th century. From
Wolof kooba .][1]



Kobe

Kobe
Ko·be 
[kṓb, kṓbày]
or Kō·be [kṓb, kṓbày]

capital of Hyogo Prefecture,
and seaport on Osaka Bay, southern Honshu Island, Japan. Population: 1,477,410
(1990)[1]



Koblenz

Koblenz
Ko·blenz
[kṓ blènts]

city in the
Rhineland-Palatinate, west central Germany, south of Bonn. Population: 109,600
(1994)[1]



kobo

kobo
ko·bo 
[kṓ b] (plural ko·bo or
ko·bos) noun

1.  Nigerian
currency:
a subunit of currency in Nigeria, 100 of which are worth one naira

2.  coin
worth a kobo: a coin worth one kobo
[Late 20th century. From
Nigerian English, alteration of copper .][1]



kobold

kobold
ko·bold 
[kṓbəld] (plural ko·bolds) noun

German
elf or gnome: in German folklore, a mischievous elf
that lives in houses or a gnome that haunts underground places, especially
mines
[Mid-19th century. From
German, variant of Kobalt (see cobalt
).][1]



KobukValley National Park

KobukValley National Park
Ko·buk
Val·ley Na·tion·al Park [k
búk vallee nàsh’nəl prk]

national park located
entirely north of the Arctic Circle in northwestern Alaska. Area: 708,498
hectares/1,750,737 acres.[1]



Kodak

Kodak
Ko·dak
[kṓ dàk] Trademark

a trademark for a hand-held
camera invented by George Eastman in 1888 and for photographic supplies such as
film[1]



Kodiak

Kodiak2
Ko·di·ak2  [kṓdee
àk]

city in southern Alaska, on
northeastern Kodiak Island, south of Anchorage. Population: 7,677 (1996)[1]



Kodiak

Kodiak1
Ko·di·ak1  [kṓdee
àk] (plural Ko·di·aks or Ko·di·ak) or
Ko·di·ak bear [kṓdee àk] noun

large
Canadian bear: a brown bear of the coastal areas and
nearby islands of Alaska and British Columbia. Latin name: Ursus
middendorffi
[Late 19th century. Named for
Kodiak Island .][1]



KodiakIsland

KodiakIsland
Ko·di·ak
Is·land
[kdee ak lənd]

island in the Gulf of Alaska,
southwestern Alaska, noted for its Kodiak bears and marine life. Area: 8,974 sq
km/3,465 sq mi.[1]



KoetsuHon’Ami

KoetsuHon’Ami
Ko·et·su
Hon·’A·mi
[ko èttsoo hōnmee] (1558–1637)

Japanese artist. A founder
member of the revivalist Rimpa school, he was noted for his paintings,
calligraphy, pottery, and patronage of the arts.[1]



Kof C

Kof C
K
of C

Abbreviation of
Knight of Columbus[1]



Kof P

Kof P
K
of P

Abbreviation of
Knight of Pythias[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kohl

kohl
kohl 
[kōl] noun

eye
makeup:
a chemical preparation used by women, especially in Asia and the Middle East,
to darken the rims of their eyelids. It usually consists of powdered antimony
sulphide or lead sulphide.
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic kuhl (see alcohol ).][1]



Kohl,Helmut

Kohl,Helmut

Kohl
[kōl], Helmut (1930– )
German statesman. As Christian Democratic
chancellor (1982–1998), he played the leading role in German reunification
(1990).[1]



kohlrabi

kohlrabi

kohl·ra·bi 
[kōl rbee, kōl
rábbee] (plural kohl·ra·bies) noun

1.  cabbage
plant with a thick edible stem: a kind of cabbage with
an edible swollen stem similar to a turnip and short leaf stalks sprouting
vertically from it. Latin name: Brassica oleracea caulorapa Brassica
oleracea gongylodes
Also
called
turnip cabbage

2.  vegetable
resembling a turnip: the thick stem of the
kohlrabi plant that is eaten as a vegetable
[Early 19th century. Via
German from the plural of Italian cavolo rapa, from medieval Latin caulorapa,
ultimately from Latin caulis “cabbage” + rapa “turnip.”][1]



koi

koi
koi
[koy] (plural koi) or koi
carp [koy] noun

brightly
colored carp: a carp native to Japan and the temperate
regions of eastern Asia that is popular as an aquarium or ornamental pond fish
because of its red-gold or white coloring. Latin name: Cyprinus carpio
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



koine

koine
koi·ne
[koy náy, kóynee]
(plural koi·nes) noun

1.  See
lingua franca

2.  standard
dialect:
a dialect or regional variant of a language that becomes the standard language
for a wider population of speakers
[Late 19th century. From
Greek koinē, a form of koinos “common, ordinary.”][1]



Koine

Koine
Koi·ne 
[koy náy, kóynee]
noun

standard form of
post-classical Greek: the form of
Greek, derived primarily from the Attic dialect, that became the standard
language for Greek-speaking people during the Hellenistic period[1]



kokanee

kokanee
ko·ka·nee 
[kō kánnee] (plural ko·ka·nees
or ko·ka·nee) or ko·ka·nee salmon [kō kánnee] noun

ZOOLOGY sockeye
salmon:
a landlocked form of sockeye salmon native to lakes from western North America
to Siberia and Japan, but widely introduced to other areas. Latin name: Oncorhynchus
nerka
[Late 19th century. From
Shuswap kəknǽxw .][1]



Kokomo

Kokomo
Ko·ko·mo 
[kṓ kə m]

industrial city in north
central Indiana, on Wildcat Creek, directly north of Indianapolis. Population:
45,785 (1996)[1]



KokoNor

KokoNor
Ko·ko
Nor 
[kkō náwr]

See
Qinghai Hu[1]



kok-saghyz

kok-saghyz
kok-sa·ghyz 
[kksə gz] (plural kok-sa·ghyz·es)
or kok-sa·gyz [kksə gz] (plural
kok-sa·gyz·es) noun

Asian
dandelion:
a dandelion found in Central Asia that has fleshy roots that are a source of
rubber. Latin name: Taraxacum kok-saghyz
[From Russian kok-sagyz,
from Turkic kök “root” + sagiz “gum, resin”][1]



kola

kola
ko·la 
(plural ko·las or ko·la) noun

See
cola[1]



kolanut

kolanut
ko·la
nut
(plural ko·la nuts) noun

See
cola nut[1]



KolaPeninsula

KolaPeninsula
Ko·la
Penin·sula 
[klə pənínsələ]

peninsula in northwestern
European Russia, between the Barents Sea and the White Sea. Area: 100,000 sq
km/40,000 sq mi.[1]



KolarGold Fields

KolarGold Fields
Ko·lar
Gold Fields
[kō lr gṓld feeldz]

city in southern Karnataka
State, southern India, near Bangalore. Population: 156,398 (1991)[1]



Kolhapur

Kolhapur
Kol·ha·pur 
[kṓl haa pr]

city in Maharashtra State,
southwestern India. Population: 405,118 (1991)[1]



kolinsky

kolinsky
ko·lin·sky 
[kə línskee] (plural ko·lin·skies)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY weasel
with tawny fur: a weasel of northern Europe and Asia
that has dark tawny fur and is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the
European mink. Latin name: Mustela sibirica

2.  TEXTILES kolinsky
fur:
the fur of the kolinsky weasel
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian kolinski “of Kola,” named for Kola, a port in
northwestern Russia.][1]



kolkhoz

kolkhoz
kol·khoz 
[kol káwz] (plural kol·khoz·es
or kol·khoz or kolkhoz·y [kol
káwzee]) or kol·koz [kol káwz]
(plural kol·koz·es or kol·koz or kol·koz·y)
noun

Soviet
farming commune: a collective farm in the former Soviet
Union
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, from kol(lektivnoe) khoz(yastvo) “collective farm.”][1]



kolkhoznik

kolkhoznik
kol·khoz·nik 
[kol káwznik] (plural kol·khoz·niks)
noun

worker on a Soviet communal
farm: a worker on a collective
farm in the former Soviet Union[1]



KolNidre

KolNidre
Kol
Nid·re 
[kōl ní drày, kàwl
nee dráy] noun

Jewish
prayer:
the prayer recited at the opening of the service on the eve of Yom Kippur. It
asks that all unfulfilled vows to God be nullified and that all transgressions
be forgiven.
[Late 19th century. From
Aramaic kol niḏrē, literally “all the vows,” the opening words of the
prayer.][1]



kolo

kolo
ko·lo
[kṓlō] (plural ko·los) noun

Serbian
folk dance:
a Serbian folk dance in which one or more dancers perform in the center of a
circle of other dancers
[Late 18th century. From
Serbo-Croat, “wheel.”][1]



Kolonia

Kolonia
Ko·lon·ia
[kəlṓneeə]

the largest town in the
Federated States of Micronesia, and capital of Pohnpei island state.
Population: 6,169 (1989)[1]



KolymaRange

KolymaRange
Ko·ly·ma
Range
[kəlmə ràynj]

mountain range in
northeastern Siberian Russia. Length: 2,100 km/1,300 mi.[1]



komatik

komatik
ko·ma·tik 
[kómmətik, kō
máttik] (plural ko·ma·tiks) noun

wooden
sled used by Inuit: an Inuit sled with wooden
crossbars tied to the runners with rawhide
[Early 19th century. From
Inuit qamutik .][1]



kombu

kombu
kom·bu
[kóm b] (plural kom·bus) noun

edible
Japanese seaweed: a type of kelp sold dried and used in
Japanese cooking
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Komododragon

Komododragon
Ko·mo·do
drag·on 
[kə m d drággən] (plural Ko·mo·do
drag·ons) or Ko·mo·do liz·ard [kə
m d drággən] (plural Ko·mo·do liz·ards) noun

large Indonesian lizard:
a large monitor lizard found only on the island of Komodo, east of Java. It is
the largest living lizard and can grow to a length of 3 m/ 10 ft. Latin name: Varanus
komodoensis[1]



komondor

komondor
ko·mon·dor 
[kómmən dàwr] (plural ko·mon·dors)
noun

large
white sheepdog: a large dog with a long matted white
coat, belonging to a Hungarian breed that is traditionally used for herding
sheep or as a watchdog
[Mid-20th century. From
Hungarian .][1]



Komsomol

Komsomol
Kom·so·mol
[kómsə màwl, kòmsə
máwl] noun

Soviet
youth organization: a Communist organization for
young people in the former Soviet Union
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, coined from Kommunisticheski Soyuz Molodëzhi “Communist Union
of Youth.”][1]



Komsomolsk

Komsomolsk
Kom·so·molsk
[kòmsə máwlsk]

city in far eastern Russia,
on the Amur River. Population: 318,600 (1992)[1]



Kongo

Kongo2
Kon·go2 [kóng
gō]

former kingdom in central
Africa that flourished from the 14th to 16th centuries in the area between
present-day Gabon and northern Angola[1]



Kongo

Kongo1
Kon·go1 (plural Kon·gos
or Kon·go) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an African people: a member of a people who
live along the lower part of the Congo River in west central Africa

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Kongo people: the Bantu language spoken by the Kongo
people, in southern Congo and northern Angola. There are about seven million
native speakers of Kongo, with approximately two million more people using it
as a common language.
Also
called
Kikongo
[Mid-19th
century. From Kikongo .]
—Kon·go, adjective[1]



Konkani

Konkani
Kon·ka·ni 
[kóngkənee] noun

Marathi
dialect of western India: a dialect of Marathi spoken
in coastal Maharashtra in western India
[Late 19th century. From
Marathi kōkṇi .][1]



koodoo

koodoo
koo·doo 
noun

See
kudu[1]



kook

kook
kook 
[kook] (plural kooks) noun

somebody
eccentric:
somebody whose behavior is considered unpleasantly eccentric (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of cuckoo
.][1]



kookaburra

kookaburra
kook·a·bur·ra 
[kkə bùrrə] (plural kook·a·bur·ras
or kook·a·bur·ra) noun

large
Australian kingfisher with laughing call: a
large kingfisher of Australia and nearby islands, known for its loud call that
sounds like laughter. Latin name: Dacelo novaeguineae Dacelo leachii

Also
called
laughing jackass
[Mid-19th century. From
Wiradhuri gugubarra .][1]



kooky

kooky
kook·y 
[kkee] (comparative kook·i·er,
superlative kook·i·est) adjective

eccentric:
considered to be unpleasantly eccentric (slang insult)
—kook·i·ly,
adverb

—kook·i·ness, noun[1]



Kooning,Willem de

Kooning,Willem de
Koo·ning
[kning], Willem de (1904–1997)

Dutch-born U.S. painter.
Although he was a leading abstract expressionist, many of his works
nevertheless include elements of the human form.[1]



Kootenay

Kootenay1
Koo·te·nay1 [kt’này]
or Koo·te·nai [kt’này]

river of the northwestern
United States and southwestern Canada. It rises in the Rocky Mountains of
southeastern British Columbia, flows into the United States, then reenters
Canada through Kootenay Lake into the Columbia River. Length: 655 km/407 mi.[1]



Kootenay

Kootenay2
Koo·te·nay2 or Koo·te·nai noun
noun

See
Kutenai[1]



KootenayNational Park

KootenayNational Park
Koo·te·nay
Na·tion·al Park [ktə nay
násh’nəl paark]

national park in the Rocky
Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Area: 1,406 sq km/543 sq
mi.[1]



Koo,Vi Kyuin Wellington

Koo,Vi Kyuin Wellington
Koo
[koo], Vi Kyuin Wellington (1888–1985)

Chinese
statesman and diplomat. He represented China at the United Nations (1946), and
followed the Chinese Nationalist government when it retreated to Taiwan.
Born
Ku Wei-chun[1]



kopeck

kopeck
ko·peck 
[kṓ pèk] (plural ko·pecks) or
kopek [kṓ pèk] (plural kopeks)
or co·peck [kṓ pèk] (plural
co·pecks) noun

1.  subunit
of Russian currency: a subunit of currency in
Russia and some other countries of the former Soviet Union, worth one hundredth
of a rouble

2.  coin
worth one kopeck: a coin worth one kopeck
[Early 17th century. From
Russian kopeika, literally “little lance,” from the figure of a czar
bearing a lance on the coins.][1]



koph

koph
koph
[kof] (plural kophs) or
qoph [kof] (plural qophs)
noun

19th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 19th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “q”
[From Hebrew qōph][1]



koppa

koppa
kop·pa
[kóppə] (plural kop·pas) noun

17th
letter of ancient Greek alphabet: the 17th letter of the
ancient Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “q.” Though
obsolete in Greek, it was later adopted by the Romans as the letter “q.”
[Late 19th century. From
Greek .][1]



Kor.

Kor.
Kor.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Korea

2.  Abbreviation
of
Korean

[1]



Koran

Koran
Ko·ran 
[kə rn, kaw rn]
or Qur·’an [kə rn, kaw rn] noun

Islamic
holy book:
the sacred text of Islam, believed by Muslims to record the revelations of God
to Muhammad.
Also
called
Alcoran
[Early
17th century. From Arabic ur’ān “recitation, reading,” from ara’a
“to read, recite.”]
—Ko·ran·ic [kə rnik, kə ránnik,
kaw rnik], adjective[1]



Kordofan

Kordofan
Kor·do·fan
[kawr dō fn]

former province in central
Sudan[1]



Kordofanian

Kordofanian
Kor·do·fan·i·an 
[kàwrdə fánnee ən] noun

African language group:
a small group of languages spoken in southern Sudan that is considered either
to be distinct from other African languages or to be a branch of the
Niger-Congo family
adjective

1.  of
Kordofanian languages: relating to the Kordofanian
group of languages

2.  relating
to Kordofan: relating to or typical of Kordofan
[Named for the former
province of Kordofan][1]



Korean

Korean
Ko·re·an 
[kə r ən] (plural Ko·re·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from North or South Korea: somebody who was born or
raised in or is a citizen of North or South Korea

2.  LANGUAGE language
of North and South Korea: the official language of
North and South Korea, also spoken in parts of China, Japan, and Asiatic
Russia. It is often assigned to the Altaic family of languages. There are about
60 million native speakers of Korean, with a further 60 million using it as a
second language.
—Ko·re·an, adjective[1]



Korea,North




Back to definition

Korea,North

[1]



Korea,North

Korea,North



Ko·re·a, North
[kə r ə, kō r ə]
country in northeastern Asia that
occupies the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula. Language: Korean.
Currency: won. Capital: Pyongyang. Population: 23,904,124 (1996) Area: 120,538
sq mi/46,540 sq mi. Official name Democratic People’s Republic of Korea[1]



KoreanWar

KoreanWar
Ko·re·an
War
noun

war between North and South
Korea: a war that lasted from 1950
to 1953 between North Korea, and its ally China, and South Korea, supported by
United Nations troops, especially from the United States[1]



Korea,South

Korea,South



Ko·re·a, South
[kō r ə]
country in northeastern Asia that
occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. Language: Korean.
Currency: won. Capital: Seoul. Population: 45,948,811 (1997) Area: 99,268 sq
km/38,328 sq mi. Official name Republic of Korea[1]



Korea,South




Back to definition

Korea,South

[1]



Kornberg,Arthur

Kornberg,Arthur
Korn·berg
[káwrn bùrg], Arthur (1918– )

U.S. biochemist. He shared
the 1959 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for his research on DNA and its
replication.[1]



Koror

Koror
Ko·ror 
[kə ráwr]

island and administrative
center of the Republic of Palau, in the western Pacific Ocean. Population:
11,552 (1997) Area: 21 sq km/8 sq mi.[1]



Korsakoff’spsychosis

Korsakoff’spsychosis
Kor·sa·koff’s
psy·cho·sis
[káwrsə kòfs sī kssiss, káwrsə kàwfs sī kssiss] or Kor·sa·koff’s
syn·drome [káwrsə kòfs sī kssiss, káwrsə kàwfs sī kssiss] noun

See
Wenicke-Korsakoff syndrome
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Russian psychiatrist S. S. Korsakoff (1854–1900).][1]



koruna

koruna
ko·ru·na 
[káwrə n] (plural ko·run or
ko·ru·nas) noun

1.  unit
of Czech and Slovak currency: a unit of currency in the
Czech Republic and Slovakia

2.  coin
worth one koruna: a coin worth a koruna
[Early 20th century. From
Czech, “crown.”][1]



Kosciusko,Mount

Kosciusko,Mount
Kos·ci·us·ko,
Mount
[kòzzee úskō]

the highest mountain in
Australia, located in the Snowy Mountains in southeastern New South Wales.
Height: 2,228 m/7,310 ft.[1]



kosher

kosher
ko·sher 
[kṓshər] adjective

1.  JUDAISM ritually
pure:
used to describe food that has been prepared so that it is fit and suitable
under Jewish law

2.  JUDAISM preparing
or selling kosher food: preparing or selling foods
that are fit and suitable under Jewish law

3.  lawful
or proper:
allowed by law or regarded as correct or proper (informal) • Something’s
not kosher about his handling of the situation.

4.  real:
genuine, not false or fake (informal)
transitive
verb
(past ko·shered, past participle ko·shered, present
participle ko·sher·ing, 3rd person present singular ko·shers)

JUDAISM prepare
kosher food: to prepare food in a way that is fit and
suitable under Jewish Law
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew kāšēr “fit, proper.”][1]



Kosovo

Kosovo
Ko·so·vo
[káwssəv]

province
in southwestern Serbia, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with a mainly
ethnic Albanian population. The administrative center is Pristina. Population:
1,956,196 (1991) Area: 10,887 sq km/4,203 sq mi.
—Ko·so·var, noun,
adjective[1]



Kosygin,Aleksey Nicolayevich

Kosygin,Aleksey Nicolayevich
Ko·sy·gin
[kə sgin], Aleksey Nicolayevich (1904–1980)

Soviet
statesman. He was chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, a
position equivalent to that of premier, from 1964 to 1980.
Full name
Kosygin, Aleksey Nikolayevich[1]



KotaBaharu

KotaBaharu
Ko·ta
Ba·ha·ru
[ktə br]

city on the northeastern
coast of the Malay Peninsula, Malaysia, and capital of Kelantan State.
Population: 220,000 (1991)[1]



KotaKinabalu

KotaKinabalu
Ko·ta
Kin·a·ba·lu
[ktə kinəbə l]

city in eastern Malaysia. It
is the capital of Sabah State, on the South China Sea. Population: 55,997
(1993) Former name Jesselton[1]



Kotex

Kotex
Ko·tex
[kṓ tèks] Trademark

a trademark for sanitary pads
and tampons[1]



koto

koto


ko·to 
[kṓtō] (plural ko·tos) noun
Japanese
stringed instrument: a Japanese musical
instrument similar to a zither, with 7 to 13 usually silk strings stretched
over a convex wooden sounding board. It is plucked using three picks worn on
the thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
[Late 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Koufax,Sandy

Koufax,Sandy

Kou·fax
[kṓf aks], Sandy (1935– )
U.S.
baseball player. He pitched for the Brooklyn (later Los Angeles) Dodgers
(1955–1966), and won the Cy Young Award (1963, 1965, 1966).
Full name
Koufax, Sanford[1]



koumiss

koumiss
kou·miss 
or kou·mis noun

See
kumiss[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kouprey

kouprey
kou·prey 
[k prày] (plural kou·preys or
kou·prey) noun

wild
ox:
an endangered species of wild ox found in Cambodia and Vietnam that has a
blackish brown body with white markings on its back and feet. Latin name: Bos
sauveli
[Mid-20th century. From Khmer
.][1]



Koussevitzky,Serge

Koussevitzky,Serge
Kous·se·vitz·ky
[kssə vítskee], Serge (1874–1951)

Russian-born
U.S. conductor. He conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra ( 1924–1949 ).
Full name
Koussevitzky, Serge (or Sergey) Alexandrovitch[1]



Kowloon

Kowloon
Kow·loon 
[kòw ln]

town in Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, southeastern China, on the northern side of Hong Kong
harbor. Population: 1,990,000 (1994)[1]



kowtow

kowtow
kow·tow 
[kow tów, ków
tòw] intransitive verb (past kow·towed, past
participle kow·towed, present participle kow·tow·ing, 3rd
person present singular kow·tows)

1.  kneel
to show respect: formerly, in China, to kneel and touch
the forehead to the ground in order to show respect, awe, or submission

2.  be
servile:
to behave in an extremely submissive way in order to please somebody in a
position of authority
noun
(plural kow·tows)

1.  act
of kneeling to show respect: a show of respect or worship
made by kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground

2.  servile
act:
an extremely submissive act aimed at pleasing somebody in a position of
authority
[Early
19th century. From Chinese kētóu (Wade-Giles kótóu ), literally
“strike head.”]
—kow·tow·er, noun[1]



Kościusko,Tadeusz

Kościusko,Tadeusz
Koś·ci·us·ko
[kòssee úsk ō], Tadeusz (1746–1817)

Polish national hero. He
served with Washington in the Revolution, and in 1794 led a revolt for Polish
independence.[1]



K.P.

K.P.
K.P.

Abbreviation of
Knight of Pythias[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








KP

KP1
KP1  (plural KPs or
KP’s) noun

MILITARY
See kitchen police[1]



KP

KP2
KP2 

CHESS
Symbol for king’s pawn[1]



kph

kph
kph
or k.p.h.

Abbreviation of
kilometers per hour[1]



Kr

Kr
Kr

Symbol for
krypton[1]



KR

KR
KR

CHESS
Symbol for king’s rook[1]



kr.

kr.
kr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
krona

2.  Abbreviation
of
króna

3.  Abbreviation
of
krone

[1]



kraal

kraal
kraal 
[kraal] (plural kraals) noun
South Africa

1.  African
village within stockade: a traditional rural village
in Africa, usually consisting of a number of huts surrounded by a stockade (sometimes
considered offensive)

2.  cattle
pen:
a pen or other enclosure for livestock, especially cattle
[Mid-18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Portuguese curral, from Nama .][1]



kraft

kraft
kraft 
[kraft] or kraft pa·per [kraft] noun

thick
brown paper: a type of tough, usually brown, paper
made from chemically treated wood pulp and used to make bags and wrapping paper
[Early 20th century. From a
shortening of Swedish kraftpapper, literally “strength paper.”][1]



krait

krait
krait 
[krīt] (plural kraits) noun

Southeast
Asian poisonous snake: an extremely poisonous
snake, native to Southeast Asia and nearby islands, that has brightly colored
bands on its back. Genus: Bungarus
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi karait .][1]



Krakatau

Krakatau
Kra·ka·tau 
[kràkə tów] or Kra·ka·to·a [kràkə tṓ ə]

1.  small
volcanic island in southwestern Indonesia, in the Sunda Strait between Java and
Sumatra. Area: 16 sq km/6 sq mi.

2.  volcano
on the island of Krakatau, whose eruption in 1883 destroyed most of the island
and caused thousands of deaths. Height: 813 m/2,667 ft.

[1]



kraken

kraken
kra·ken 
[krkən] noun

Norwegian
sea monster: in Norwegian folklore, a huge sea
monster shaped like a giant squid. Norwegian fishermen have periodically
reported sightings since the 16th century.
[Mid-18th century. From
Norwegian .][1]



kram

kram
kram
[kram] noun

junk:
articles of little value (regional)
[From
German Kram “rubbish,” or Norwegian kram “junk, trash, trifles”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Kram is a Wisconsin word.

[1]



Kramer,Jack

Kramer,Jack
Kra·mer
[kráymər], Jack (1921– )

U.S.
tennis player. He won the U.S. singles championship (1946, 1947) and the
Wimbledon men’s singles championships (1947).
Full name
Kramer, John Albert[1]



Krasner,Lee

Krasner,Lee
Kras·ner
[kráznər], Lee (1908–1984)

U.S. artist. She was one of
the abstract expressionists, and was married to Jackson Pollock.[1]



Krasnodar

Krasnodar
Kras·no·dar 
[krəsnə dr]

city and port in southwestern
Russia. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Territory. Population:
634,500 (1992) Former name Yekaterinodar until 1922[1]



Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk
Kras·no·yarsk 
[krəsnə yrsk]

city in southern Siberian
Russia. It is the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Territory. Population:
925,000 (1992)[1]



krater

krater
kra·ter
[kráytər] or cra·ter [kráytər] noun

ancient
Greek mixing bowl for wine: in ancient Greece, a large
two-handled bowl, used to mix wine with water.
U.K.
term
crater
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin crater
from Greek kratēr “mixing bowl,” from kerannunai “to mix” (source
of English idiosyncracy ).][1]



Kration

Kration
K
ra·tion
(plural K ra·tions) noun

packaged
meal for U.S. soldiers: an emergency food ration
consisting of one prepared meal, supplied to U.S. soldiers fighting in World
War II
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the American physiologist Ancel Benjamin Keyes (born 1904).][1]



kraut

kraut
kraut 
[krowt] (plural krauts) noun

See
sauerkraut
[Mid-19th century. From
German “vegetable, cabbage.”][1]



Kraut

Kraut
Kraut
[krowt] (plural Krauts) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a German (slang offensive)
[Early
20th century. From German, “vegetable, cabbage.” From the stereotype of Germans
as eaters of sauerkraut.]
—Kraut, adjective[1]



Krebscycle

Krebscycle
Krebs
cy·cle 
[krébz sk’l] noun

metabolic
energy cycle: a sequence of biochemical reactions
occurring in cell structures ( mitochondria ) of living organisms whereby
energy is obtained from the oxidation of acetic acid and related compounds
derived from food.
Also
called
citric acid cycle
Also
called
tricarboxylic acid cycle
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the British biochemist Sir Hans Krebs .][1]



Kreisler,Fritz

Kreisler,Fritz
Krei·sler
[krsslər], Fritz (1875–1962)

Austrian-born U.S. violinist
and composer. He was one of the most noted violinists of his generation, and
wrote numerous pieces for violin.[1]



Kremlin

Kremlin
Krem·lin 
noun

1.  walled
compound in Moscow: the walled citadel in Moscow
in which cathedrals, palaces, and the offices of the Russian government are
located. The outer walls date back to the 15th century.

2.  former
Soviet government: the government of the former
Soviet Union

[1]



kremlin

kremlin
krem·lin
[krémmlin] (plural krem·lins) noun

Russian
fortress:
a fortress or citadel in any Russian city
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Russian kreml “citadel.”][1]



Kremlinology

Kremlinology
Krem·lin·ol·o·gy 
[krèmmlə nólləjee] noun

study
of former Soviet Union’s government: the
study of the government and policies of the former Soviet Union
—Krem·lin·o·log·i·cal
[krèmmlənə lójjik’l], adjective

—Krem·lin·ol·o·gist [krèmmlə nólləjist], noun[1]



kreplach

kreplach
krep·lach 
[kréppləkh] plural noun

filled
pasta served in soup: a Jewish dish consisting of
triangles or squares of pasta filled with liver or meat that are boiled and
served in soup
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish kreplech, the plural of krepel, from German dialect Kräppel
“fried pastry, fritter.”][1]



kreutzer

kreutzer
kreut·zer 
[króytsər] (plural kreut·zers)
or kreu·zer [króytsər] (plural
kreu·zers) noun

old
German or Austrian coin: a small silver or copper
coin used in Germany, Austria, and Hungary from the 13th to the mid-19th
centuries
[Mid-16th century. From
German Kreuzer, from Kreuz “cross”; modeled on medieval Latin denarius
crucigerus, literally “cross-bearing penny.”][1]



krill

krill
krill 
[kril] (plural krill) noun

tiny
crustacean:
a tiny marine crustacean resembling a shrimp. It is the primary food of baleen
whales and other animals that filter their food from seawater. Order:
Euphausiacea
[Early 20th century. From
Norwegian kril “small fry of fish.”][1]



krimmer

krimmer
krim·mer 
[krímmər] (plural krim·mers) noun

fur
from lamb’s wool: whitish or pale gray fur that is made
from the soft curly wool of lambs from the Crimean Peninsula
[Mid-19th century. From
German, where it was formed from Krim “Crimea.”][1]



Krio

Krio
Kri·o
[kr ] (plural Kri·os) noun

1.  LANGUAGE creole
language of Sierra Leone: a creole language spoken in
Sierra Leone, especially in and around the capital, Freetown. It is based on
English, with a strong Yoruba influence. About 50,000 people speak Krio as a
first language, and a further 200,000 use it as a second language.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
who speaks Krio: somebody who speaks Krio
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of creole
.]
—Kri·o, adjective[1]



kris

kris
kris
[krees] (plural kris·es) noun

two-edged
dagger:
a Malay and Indonesian dagger with a wavy two-edged blade
[Late 16th century. From
Malay keris .][1]



Krishna

Krishna
Krish·na 
[kríshnə] noun

Hindu
deity:
in Hindu religion, the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu, often depicted as
a young cowherd
[From
Sanskrit kṛṣṇa]
—Krish·na·ism, noun[1]



KrissKringle

KrissKringle
Kriss
Kring·le
[krìss kríng g’l] noun

See
Santa Claus
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of German dialect Christkindl, literally “Christmas child, Christmas
present.”][1]



Kristofferson,Kris

Kristofferson,Kris
Kris·tof·fer·son
[kri stófərsən], Kris (1936– )

U.S. singer, songwriter, and
film actor. He is known for his country-and-western songs, and films such as Heaven’s
Gate ( 1980 ).[1]



KrivoyRog

KrivoyRog
Kri·voy
Rog
[kri vòy ráwk] or Kri·voi Rog
[kri vòy ráwk]

city and major iron-producing
center in south central Ukraine. Population: 724,000 (1991)[1]



KRL

KRL
KRL
noun

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of knowledge representation language[1]



krona

krona
kro·na
[krṓnə] (plural kro·nor [krṓnər]) noun

1.  unit
of Swedish currency: the main unit of currency in
Sweden, worth 100 öre

2.  unit
of Faroese currency: the main unit of currency in
the Faeroe Islands, worth 100 öre

3.  coin
worth one krona: a coin worth one krona
[Late 19th century. From
Swedish, “crown.”][1]



krone

krone
kro·ne
[krṓnə] (plural kro·ner [krṓnər]) noun

1.  unit
of Danish currency: the main unit of currency in
Denmark, worth 100 øre

2.  unit
of Norwegian currency: the main unit of currency in
Norway, worth 100 øre

3.  coin
worth one krone: a coin worth one krone

4.  (plural
kro·nen) old German coin:
a gold coin formerly used in Germany, equivalent to 10 marks

5.  old
unit of Austrian currency: the main unit of currency in
Austria from 1892 until 1925, or a coin representing it
[Late 19th century. From
Danish and German, “crown.”][1]



Kroneckerdelta

Kroneckerdelta
Kro·neck·er
del·ta
[krṓ nèkər dèltə] noun

mathematical
function:
a mathematical function of two variables that takes on only two values: 0 when
the variables are unequal, and 1 when the variables are equal
[Early 20th century. Named
for the mathematician Leopold Kronecker (died 1891).][1]



kroner

kroner
kro·ner

Plural of
krone[1]



kronor

kronor
kro·nor

Plural of
krona[1]



Kronstadt

Kronstadt
Kron·stadt
[krṓn shtat] or Kronsh·tadt [krṓn shtat]

military port on Kotlin
Island in the Gulf of Finland, in northwestern European Russia. Population:
44,400 (1994)[1]



kroon

kroon
kroon
[kroon] (plural kroons or
kroon·i [krnee]) noun

1.  unit
of Estonian currency: the main unit of currency in
Estonia, worth 100 sents

2.  coin
worth one kroon: a coin worth one kroon
[Early 20th century. From
Estonian “crown.”][1]



KrugerNational Park

KrugerNational Park
Kru·ger
Na·tion·al Park [krgər
násh’nəl paark]

national park in northeastern
South Africa, bordering Mozambique, established in 1928. Area: 19,485 sq
km/7,523 sq mi.[1]



Krugerrand

Krugerrand
Kru·ger·rand 
[krgə rànd, krgə
rnd] (plural Kru·ger·rands) noun

S
African gold coin: a South African gold coin
weighing one ounce, intended mostly to be purchased as an investment
[Mid-20th century. From
Kruger + rand .][1]



Krugersdorp

Krugersdorp
Kru·gers·dorp
[krgərz dawrp]

city in Gauteng Province,
northeastern South Africa, near Johannesburg. Population: 93,000 (1991)[1]



krumhorn

krumhorn
krumhorn
noun

See
crumhorn[1]



krummholz

krummholz
krumm·holz 
[krm hlts] (plural krumm·holz)
noun

stunted
trees near timberline: the stunted trees that grow
just above the timberline on a mountain, or the high-altitude zone in which
they grow
[Early 20th century. From
German, “elfin-wood,” literally “crooked wood.”][1]



krummhorn

krummhorn

krumm·horn 
[krm hàwrn] noun
See
crumhorn[1]



Krutch,Joseph Wood

Krutch,Joseph Wood
Krutch
[kruch], Joseph Wood (1893–1970)

U.S. critic and naturalist.
He is known for his literary biographies and nature writings.[1]



krypton

krypton

kryp·ton 
[kríp tòn] noun
gaseous
chemical element: a colorless inert gaseous chemical
element found in small quantities naturally in the atmosphere and used in
fluorescent lamps and lasers. Symbol Kr
[Late 19th century. From
Greek krupton, a form of kruptos “hidden, concealed.”][1]



króna

króna
kró·na
[krṓnə] (plural kró·nur [krṓnər]) or kro·na [krṓnə] (plural kro·nur) noun

1.  unit
of Icelandic currency: the main unit of currency in
Iceland, worth 100 aurar

2.  coin
worth one króna: a coin worth one króna
[Late 19th century. From Icelandic,
“crown.”][1]



krónur

krónur
kró·nur

Plural of
króna[1]



KS

KS
KS

1.  Abbreviation
of
Kansas

2.  Abbreviation
of
Kaposi’s sarcoma

[1]



Kselection

Kselection
K
se·lec·tion
noun

natural
selection process: a process of natural
selection that leads to a lowering of the birthrate when the population of a
species approaches the maximum number that the environment can sustain
[From K, the constant for
carrying capacity in the population growth equation][1]



Kshatriya

Kshatriya
Ksha·tri·ya 
[ksháttree ə, kə
sháttree ə] noun

1.  Hindu
caste:
the second of the four Hindu castes, originally a royal and warrior caste. In
modern times, its members are professionals, administrators, or military
personnel.

2.  member
of Kshatriya caste: a member of the Kshatriya
caste
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit kṣatriya, from kṣatra “rule.”][1]



kt

kt
kt

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of kiloton[1]



Kt

Kt
Kt
or Kt.

Abbreviation of
knight[1]



kt.

kt.
kt.
or kt

1.  CHESS Abbreviation of knight

2.  NAUTICAL AEROSPACE Abbreviation of knot

[1]



K.T.

K.T.
K.T.

Abbreviation of
Knight Templar[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








KualaLumpur

KualaLumpur
Kua·la
Lum·pur 
[kwllə lm p’oor]

capital city of Malaysia,
located on the southern Malay Peninsula. Population: 1,145,075 (1991)[1]



KublaiKhan

KublaiKhan
Ku·blai
Khan 
[kblī kn] (1215–1294)

Mongol leader and emperor of
China. He completed the conquest of China begun by his grandfather Genghis
Khan, and founded the Yuan dynasty (1279).[1]



Kubrick,Stanley

Kubrick,Stanley
Ku·brick
[kybrik], Stanley (1928–1999)

U.S. film director. His
varied films include Lolita (1962), Dr. Strangelove (1964), and 2001:
A Space Odyssey (1968).[1]



kuchen

kuchen
ku·chen 
[kkən, kkhən]
(plural ku·chen) noun

yeast-raised
cake:
any cake that has been raised with yeast
[Mid-19th century. From
German, “cake.”][1]



Kuching

Kuching
Ku·ching
[k ching]

city in Malaysia. It is the
capital of Sarawak State, on the island of Borneo. Population: 147,729 (1991)[1]



kudos

kudos
ku·dos 
[k dz, koó dōs] noun

praise
or honor:
praise, credit, or glory for an achievement (takes a singular verb) • The
president deservedly got the kudos for the success of the negotiations.
[Late
18th century. From Greek, “praise, renown.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Careful
  writers and speakers avoid the pseudosingular form kudo.

[1]



kudu

kudu
ku·du 
[k d] (plural ku·dus or
ku·du) or koo·doo [k d]
(plural koo·doos or koo·doo) noun

African
antelope:
a large antelope native to Africa. The male has long spiraling horns. Latin
name: Tragelaphus strepsiceros Tragelaphus imberbis
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans koedoe from Xhosa i-qudu .][1]



kudzu

kudzu
kud·zu 
[kúd z] (plural kud·zus) noun

Asian
vine and agricultural weed: a hardy vine from eastern
Asia that has compound leaves, purplish flowers, and roots that contain a
nourishing starch used medicinally. It was introduced into the United States to
stop the erosion of the soil in the South, but now grows out of control. Latin
name: Pueraria lobata
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese kuzu .][1]



Kufic

Kufic
Ku·fic
[kfik] or Cu·fic [kfik] adjective

angular
Arabic alphabet: an early angular style of Arabic writing
used for Koranic manuscripts and inscriptions
noun

Kufic
script:
the Arabic alphabet written in Kufic script
[Early 18th century. Named
for the ancient city of Kufa, south of Baghdad, because the script was
attributed to the scholars there.][1]



kugel

kugel
ku·gel 
[kg’l] (plural ku·gels) noun

casserole:
a casserole in Jewish cuisine, often of noodles or potatoes
[Mid-19th century. From
Yiddish, “ball,” from Middle High German ; probably from its traditional mound
shape.][1]



Kuiperbelt

Kuiperbelt
Kui·per
belt
[kpər belt] noun

ring of orbiting celestial
bodies: a ring of small celestial
bodies orbiting through the outer solar system, beyond the farthest planets,
Neptune and Pluto. It is believed that the Kuiper belt is a source of comets.[1]



KuKlux Klan

KuKlux Klan
Ku
Klux Klan 
[k klùks klán] noun

1.  19C
white supremacist group: a terrorist secret society
organized in the South after the Civil War that used violence and murder to
promote its white supremacist beliefs

2.  20C
white supremacist group: a white supremacist
organization founded in Georgia in 1915. Its secret membership, supremacist
views, and terrorist methods are similar to those of the 19th-century Ku Klux
Klan.
Also
called
Klan
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Greek kuklos “circle” + a variant of clan .][1]



kukri

kukri
kuk·ri
[kkree] (plural kuk·ris) noun

Gurkha
knife:
a large knife with a sharp curved blade that gets broader toward the point,
used by the Gurkhas in Nepal for hunting and fighting
[Early 19th century. From
Nepali khukuri .][1]



kulak

kulak
ku·lak 
[koo lk, koo
lák] (plural ku·laks) noun

Russian
landowning peasant: a wealthy landowning peasant
in Russia during the time between the emancipation of the serfs and the Russian
Revolution
[Late 19th century. Via
Russian, literally “fist, tight-fisted person,” from Turkic ol “hand.”][1]



Kultur

Kultur
Kul·tur 
[kl tr] noun

1.  culture:
culture or civilization in general

2.  HISTORY German
culture:
German culture, regarded as superior and used as a vehicle of German
imperialism during the Hohenzollern and Nazi regimes
[Early 20th century. Via
German from Latin cultura or French culture “culture.”][1]



Kulturkampf

Kulturkampf
Kul·tur·kampf 
[kl tr kmpf] (plural Kul·tur·kampfs)
noun

1.  HISTORY German
conflict between church and state: the struggle between
the German government under Bismarck and the Roman Catholic Church over control
of education, marriage, and Church appointments. It lasted from 1871 to 1887
and ended in compromise.

2.  dispute
between church and state: any struggle between a
religion and a government
[Late 19th century. From
German Kultur “culture” + Kampf “struggle.”][1]



Kumamoto

Kumamoto
Ku·ma·mo·to 
[kma mṓtō]

capital city of Kumamoto
Prefecture, on western Kyushu Island, Japan. Population: 579,306 (1990)[1]



Kumasi

Kumasi
Ku·ma·si 
[koo mssee]

capital of the Ashanti
Region, central Ghana. It is situated northwest of Accra. Population: 399,300
(1990) Former name Coomassie[1]



kumiss

kumiss
ku·miss 
[koo míss, kmiss]
or kou·miss [koo míss, kmiss] or kou·mis [koo míss, kmiss]
noun

fermented
milk drink:
slightly alcoholic, fermented, and sour-tasting milk from a mare or camel,
drunk by some of the peoples of western and Central Asia
[Late 16th century. Via
French koumis, German, Polish kumys, or Russian from Tartar kumiz
.][1]



kumquat

kumquat

kum·quat 
[kúm kwòt] (plural kum·quats) or
cum·quat [kúm kwòt] (plural cum·quats)
noun

1.  fruit-bearing
tree:
a Chinese evergreen shrub or small tree of the rue family, with small yellow
edible fruit. Genus: Fortunella

2.  edible
fruit:
the sweet edible fruit of a kumquat shrub or tree. It is like a very small
orange and is often used in preserves.
[Late 17th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) kam kwat, literally “gold orange.”][1]



kundalini

kundalini
kun·da·li·ni 
[kndə lnee, kùndə
lnee] noun

dormant
energy:
vital energy that Hindus believe lies dormant at the base of the spine until it
is called into action, for example, through yoga, to be used in seeking
enlightenment
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit kundalinī, literally “snake,” from the idea that it is like a
coiled snake.][1]



kungfu

kungfu
kung
fu 
[kung f, kng
f] noun

Chinese
martial art: a Chinese form of self-defense in which
fluid, circular movements of the arms and legs are used to attack an opponent
[Late 19th century. From
Chinese gongfu, literally “merit-master.”][1]



KunlunMountains

KunlunMountains
Kun·lun
Moun·tains
[kn ln mównt’nz]

mountain range in western
China. India claims territory in the western area. Height: 7,723 m/25,338 ft.
Length: 2,400 km/1,500 mi.[1]



Kunming

Kunming
Kun·ming 
[kn míng]

capital city of Yunnan
Province and trade and transportation center of southwestern China. Population:
1,520,000 (1991)[1]



kunzite

kunzite
kunz·ite 
[knt st] noun

reddish-purple
gemstone:
a reddish-purple variety of the mineral spodumene, used as a gemstone
[Early 20th century. Named
for George F. Kunz ( 1856–1932 ), a U.S. gem expert.][1]



Kuomintang

Kuomintang
Kuo·min·tang 
[kwmin táng, kwàwmin
táng] noun

Chinese
political party: the political party that established
China as a republic in 1911, ruled China from 1928 to 1947 until defeated by
the Communists, and then withdrew to rule in Taiwan
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese guómíndǎng, literally “national people’s party.”][1]



Kura

Kura
Ku·ra 
[k rá]

river in the Transcaucasia
Region. It flows through Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, and empties into the
Caspian Sea. Length: 1,500 km/940 mi.[1]



kurchatovium

kurchatovium
kur·cha·tov·i·um 
[kùrchə tṓvee əm] noun

rutherfordium:
the name given to the element rutherfordium in the former Soviet Union
[Mid-20th century. Named for
I. V. Kurchatov (1903–1960), a Russian nuclear physicist.][1]



Kurd

Kurd
Kurd 
[kurd] (plural Kurds) noun

member
of people of SW Asia: a member of a largely
Islamic people who live in an area straddling the borders of Iraq, Turkey, and
Iran
[Early 17th century. From
Kurdish .][1]



kurdaitcha

kurdaitcha
kur·dai·tcha
[kər dchə] (plural kur·dai·tchas)
or ka·dai·tcha [kə dchə] (plural
ka·dai·tchas) noun

Aboriginal
avenging sorcerer: among Aboriginal peoples of
central Australia, a sorcerer who was responsible for avenging the death of a
kinsman
[Late 19th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



Kurdish

Kurdish
Kurd·ish 
[kúrdish] noun

language
of the Kurds: an Iranian language spoken in parts of
Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch
of the Indo-European family of languages. About 10 million people speak
Kurdish.
adjective

of
Kurdish people or language: relating to the Kurds, their
language, or their culture
[Early 19th century][1]



Kurdistan

Kurdistan
Kurd·i·stan 
[kúrdə stàn] or Kurd·i·stān [kúrdə stàn]

historic cultural region in
southwestern Asia, containing a majority of Kurdish people within Armenia,
Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Population: 26,000,000 (early 1990s)[1]



kurgan

kurgan
kur·gan 
[koor gn, koor
gán] (plural kur·gans) noun

burial
mound:
a burial mound built by a prehistoric culture of eastern Europe and northern
Iran
[Late 19th century. From
Russian .][1]



Kuroshio

Kuroshio
Ku·ro·shi·o
[k rṓshi ō]

warm current in the Pacific
Ocean, flowing from the Philippines northeastward along the eastern coast of
Japan[1]



kurrajong

kurrajong
kur·ra·jong 
[kúr ə jàwng, kúrrə
jàwng] (plural kur·ra·jongs) noun

Australian
tree yielding strong fiber: a small or medium-sized tree
that grows throughout eastern Australia, has yellowish or red bell-shaped
flowers, and yields a tough fiber. Latin name: Brachychiton populneum
[Early 19th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



Kursk

Kursk
Kursk 
[krsk]

city in western Russia, the
capital of Kursk Oblast, and a mining center. Population: 430,000 (1990)[1]



kurta

kurta
kurta
[krtə] (plural kur·tas) noun

Indian
garment:
a long loose collarless shirt worn by men in India
[Early 20th century. From
Urdu and Persian kurtah .][1]



kurtosis

kurtosis
kur·to·sis 
[kər tṓssiss] (plural kur·to·ses
[kər tṓ sz]) noun

statistical
measure:
a measure of the extent to which a frequency distribution is concentrated about
its mean
[Early 20th century. From
Greek kurtōsis, “a bulging, curvature,” from kurtos “bulging,
bent.”][1]



kuru

kuru
ku·ru 
[krroo] noun

fatal
degenerative disease in New Guinea: a
fatal degenerative disease of the central nervous system that affects some
tribes in New Guinea. Similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, it is believed to
derive from the practice of eating the brains of an ancestor.
[Mid-20th century. From a
name in New Guinea, literally “trembling, shivering.”][1]



kurus

kurus
ku·rus 
[kə rsh] (plural ku·rus) noun

1.  subunit
of Turkish currency: a subunit of currency in
Turkey

2.  coin
worth one kurus: a coin worth one kurus
[Late 19th century. From
Turkish .][1]



Kusch,Polykarp

Kusch,Polykarp
Kusch
[ksh], Polykarp (1911–1993)

German-born U.S. physicist.
He shared a Nobel Prize (1955) for establishing the magnetic moment of the
electron.[1]



Kush

Kush
Kush 
noun

See
Cush[1]



Kuskokwim

Kuskokwim
Kus·ko·kwim 
[kúskə kwìm]

river in southwestern Alaska,
rising in the Alaska Range and flowing into the Bering Sea. Length: 1,170
km/724 mi.[1]



Kutch,Rann of

Kutch,Rann of
Kutch,
Rann of
[kuch]

region of mud flats and salt
marshes in western India and southern Pakistan. Area: 21,000 sq km/8,100 sq mi.[1]



Kutenai

Kutenai
Ku·te·nai 
[kt’n ày, kt’n
] (plural Ku·te·nai or Ku·te·nais) or
Koo·te·nai [kt’n ày, kt’n ] (plural Koo·te·nai or
Koo·te·nais) or Koo·te·nay [kt’n
ày, kt’n ] (plural Koo·te·nay
or Koo·te·nays) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people living principally in Montana, Idaho, and British
Columbia

2.  LANGUAGE Kutenai
language:
the language of the Kutenai people
[Early
19th century. From Blackfoot Kotonáai- .]
—Ku·te·nai, adjective[1]



Kuwait

Kuwait



Ku·wait 
[koo wáyt]
Islamic
constitutional monarchy in southwestern Asia, located at the northwestern tip
of the Persian Gulf. It is bordered by Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Language: Arabic.
Currency: Kuwaiti dinar. Capital: Kuwait City. Population: 1,834,269 (1997)
Area: 17,818 sq km/6,880 sq mi. Official name State of Kuwait
—Ku·wait·i, noun,
adjective[1]



Kuwait




Back to definition

Kuwait

[1]



KuwaitCity

KuwaitCity
Ku·wait
Cit·y

capital city of Kuwait,
situated on the southern shore of Kuwait Bay in the Persian Gulf. Population:
31,241 (1993)[1]



Kuznets,Simon

Kuznets,Simon
Kuz·nets
[kz nèts], Simon (1901–1985)

Russian-born U.S. economist.
He received the Nobel Prize for economics (1971) for developing the concept of
the gross national product (GNP).[1]



kV

kV
kV
or kv

Abbreviation of
kilovolt[1]



kvass

kvass
kvass 
[kə vss, kfaass]
or kvas [kə vss, kfaass] or quass [kə vss, kfaass]
noun

fermented
alcoholic drink: an alcoholic drink similar to beer, made
in Russia and Eastern European countries from rye or barley or from stale bread
[Mid-16th century. From
Russian kvas .][1]



kvetch

kvetch
kvetch 
[kvech] intransitive verb (past
kvetched, past participle kvetched, present participle
kvetch·ing, 3rd person present singular kvetch·es)

complain incessantly:
to grumble and complain about things all the time (informal)
noun
(plural kvetch·es) (informal)

1.  somebody
incessantly complaining: somebody who is always
grumbling and complaining about things

2.  complaint:
a complaint about something
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish kvetsh (noun) and kvetshn (verb) from German Quetsche
“crusher” and quetschen “to crush, squeeze.”][1]



kW

kW
kW
or kw

Abbreviation of
kilowatt[1]



Kwa

Kwa
Kwa 
[kwaa] noun

group
of W African languages: a group of languages in the
Niger-Congo family that are spoken in West Africa, and include Yoruba and Ibo
[Mid-19th
century. From Kwa .]
—Kwa, adjective[1]



kwacha

kwacha
kwa·cha 
[kwchə] (plural kwa·chas) noun

1.  unit
of Zambian currency: the main unit of currency in
Zambia, worth 100 ngwee

2.  Malawian
currency unit: the standard unit of currency in Malawi,
worth 100 tambala

3.  coin
or bill worth one kwacha: a coin or bill worth one
kwacha
[Mid-20th century. From
Bantu, “dawn.”][1]



Kwakiutl

Kwakiutl
Kwa·ki·utl 
[kwkee t’l] (plural Kwa·ki·utl
or Kwa·ki·utls) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who live on Vancouver Island and parts of the adjacent coast of
British Columbia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Kwakiutl people: the Wakashan language of the
Kwakiutl people
[Mid-19th
century. From Kwakiutl Kwáguł .]
—Kwa·ki·utl, adjective[1]



Kwangju

Kwangju
Kwang·ju 
[kwng j]

city in southwestern South
Korea. It is the capital of South Chǒlla Province. Population: 1,257,504 (1995)[1]



kwanza

kwanza
kwan·za 
[kwnzə] (plural kwan·zas or
kwan·za) noun

1.  unit
of Angolan currency: the main unit of currency in
Angola, worth 100 lwei

2.  coin
or bill worth one kwanza: a coin or bill worth one
kwanza
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Swahili, literally “first,” or named for Kwanza
(Cuanza), the name of a river in Angola.][1]



Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa
Kwan·zaa
[kwnzə] (plural Kwan·zaas) or
Kwan·za [kwnzə] (plural Kwan·zas)
noun

African
American holiday: a cultural and harvest festival
celebrated by African Americans from December 26 to January 1
[Late 20th century. From
Swahili, literally “first” (possible source of English kwanza ).][1]



kwashiorkor

kwashiorkor
kwa·shi·or·kor 
[kwshee áwr kàwr] noun

severe
child malnutrition: a type of malnutrition in
children caused by inadequate intake of protein, common in African children
weaned on to a traditional cornmeal diet
[Mid-20th century. From a local
name in Ghana, literally “red boy” (from the symptomatic reddening of the
hair).][1]



KwaZulu

KwaZulu
Kwa·Zu·lu
[kwaa zloo]

former homeland in South
Africa, part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal since 1994[1]



KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal
Kwa·Zu·lu-Na·tal
[kwaa zloo náytaal]

province in southeastern
South Africa, established in 1994. Capital: Pietermaritzburg. Population:
8,713,100 (1995) Area: 91,548 sq km/35,348 sq mi.[1]



kWh

kWh
kWh
or kW-hr

Abbreviation of
kilowatt-hour[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








KWIC

KWIC
KWIC
[kwik]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of key word in context[1]



KWOC

KWOC
KWOC

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of key word out of context[1]



Ky.

Ky.
Ky.
or KY

Abbreviation of
Kentucky[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








kyack

kyack
ky·ack 
[k àk] (plural ky·acks) noun

packsack:
a double packsack designed to be slung across a packsaddle, with one sack on
either side of the saddle
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



kyanite

kyanite
ky·a·nite 
[k ə nt] or cy·a·nite [s ə nt] noun

blue
mineral:
a bluish aluminosilicate mineral that is found as thin-bladed crystals or in
masses in rocks that have been metamorphosed at high pressure, used as a
gemstone and as a refractory
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek kuan(e)os “dark blue.”][1]



kyanize

kyanize
ky·a·nize 
[k ə nz] (past ky·a·nized, past
participle ky·a·nized, present participle ky·a·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular ky·a·niz·es) transitive verb

preserve
wood with corrosive sublimate: to preserve wood
against decay by treating it with a corrosive sublimate
[Mid-19th century. Named for
J. H. Kyan (1774–1850), the Irish inventor of the process.][1]



kyat

kyat
kyat 
[chaat] (plural kyats) noun

1.  unit
of Myanmar currency: the main unit of currency in
Myanmar, worth 100 pyas

2.  coin
or bill worth one kyat: a coin or bill worth one
kyat
[Mid-20th century. From
Burmese .][1]



kylix

kylix
ky·lix 
[kliks, kílliks]
(plural ky·lic·es [kllə kz])
noun

ancient
Greek cup:
a shallow two-handled cup, often with a footed stem, used in ancient Greece
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
kulix .][1]



kymograph

kymograph
ky·mo·graph
[kmə gràf] (plural ky·mo·graphs)
noun

device
for recording pressure: a device for recording
variations in motion or pressure, for example of blood, consisting typically of
a stylus and a rotating drum
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek kumo- (from kuma “wave”) + -graph .]
—ky·mo·graph·ic
[kmə gráffik], adjective

—ky·mog·ra·phy [kī móggrəfee], noun[1]



Kymry

Kymry
Kym·ry
plural noun

See
Cymry[1]



Kyoto

Kyoto

Kyo·to
[kyṓtō]
manufacturing center and capital of Kyoto
Urban Prefecture, southern Honshu Island, Japan. Population: 1,461,000 (1990)[1]



Kyoto




Back to definition

Kyoto

[1]



kyphosis

kyphosis
ky·pho·sis 
[kī fṓssiss] noun

curving
of the spine: a permanent curving of the spine that
makes somebody look hunched over
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek kuphōsis, from kuphos “bent, hunchbacked.”]
—ky·phot·ic [kī fóttik], adjective[1]



Kyprianou,Spyros

Kyprianou,Spyros
Kyp·ri·a·nou
[kìpree n oo], Spyros (1932– )

Cypriot statesman. He
succeeded Archbishop Makarios as president of Cyprus (1977–1988).[1]



Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz
Kyr·gyz
[keer gz] or Kir·ghiz [keer gz] (plural Kyr·gyz or Kir·ghiz)
noun

1.  PEOPLES Asian
nomad:
a member of a traditionally nomadic people living in Kyrgyzstan and Siberia

2.  LANGUAGE Kyrgyz
language:
the Turkic language of the Kyrgyz

[1]



Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan



Kyrg·yz·stan 
[krgi stàn]
republic in Central Asia, bordered by
Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Language: Kyrgyz, Russian.
Currency: som. Capital: Bishkek. Population: 4,512,809 (1997) Area: 198,500 sq
km/76,640 sq mi. Official name Kyrgyz Republic[1]



Kyrgyzstan




Back to definition

Kyrgyzstan

[1]



Kyrie

Kyrie
Kyr·i·e 
[kree ày] or Kyr·i·e e·le·i·son
[kree ay ə láy sòn, kree ay ə láyss’n] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY form
of prayer:
a form of prayer that begins with the words “Lord, have mercy,” used in the
Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Anglican Churches

2.  MUSIC musical
setting for the Kyrie: a musical setting for the
Kyrie, often forming part of a sung Mass
[Via medieval Latin from
Greek Kuriē eleēson “Lord, have mercy”][1]



Kyushu

Kyushu
Kyu·shu 
[kee  shoo, ky
shoo] or Kyū·shū [kee  shoo,
ky shoo]

island of Japan, the most
southerly of the four major Japanese islands. Population: 13,269,000 (1990)
Area: 42,164 sq km/16,279 sq mi.[1]



Königsberg

Königsberg
Kö·nigs·berg
[knigz bùrg]

Former name for
Kaliningrad until 1946[1]



kümmel

kümmel
küm·mel 
[kímm’l] (plural küm·mels) or
kum·mel [kímm’l] (plural kum·mels)
noun

cumin-flavored
liqueur:
a colorless liqueur or cordial that is flavored with cumin and caraway seeds
and is made primarily in the Baltic region
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “caraway seed,” from Old High German kumīn “cumin.”][1]



Kōrin

Kōrin
Kō·rin
[kṓrin] (1658–1716)

Japanese
artist. He is known for his bird, flower, and landscape paintings.
Full name
Ogata Kōrin[1]



L.

L.
L.

1.  MAPS Abbreviation of Lake

2.  SPORTS Abbreviation of
League

[1]



l.

l.
l.

1.  Abbreviation
of
law

2.  Abbreviation
of
line

3.  Abbreviation
of
left

4.  Abbreviation
of
length

5.  MONEY Abbreviation of lira

6.  AIR Abbreviation of lift

[1]



L

L1
L1 or l noun

Roman numeral for 50:
the Roman numeral for 50[1]



l

l2
l2

Abbreviation of
latitude[1]



l

l1

l1 [el]
(plural ls) or L [el]
(plural Ls) noun

1.  12th
letter of the alphabet: the 12th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  sound
of the letter “L”: the sound of a spoken letter
“L”

3.        something
shaped like “L”: something that has the
same shape as a capital letter “L”[1]



L

L3
L3 or L.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Latin

2.  Abbreviation
of
large

[1]



L

L2
L2

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for angular momentum

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for inductance  noun 1

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for
self-inductance

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for latent heat

5.  PHYSICS Symbol for luminance

6.  ASTRONOMY Symbol for luminosity

[1]



la

la2
la2 [laa]
or lah [laa] or laa
[laa] noun

MUSIC 6th
note of a scale: the sixth note of a major scale in
solfeggio.
U.K.
term
lah
[Middle English, from
medieval Latin][1]



la

la1
la1 [laa,
law] interjection

used
to show surprise or emphasis: used to show surprise or to
emphasize what is being said
[Late 16th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



La

La
La

Symbol for
lanthanum[1]



LA

LA
LA

1.  LA
or L.A. Abbreviation of Los
Angeles

2.  LA
or La. Abbreviation of Louisiana

[1]



laager

laager
laa·ger 
[lgər] or la·ger [lgər] noun (plural laa·gers)

camp
protected by wagons: a camp protected by a circle
of wagons, used in the past by the Boers in South Africa
intransitive
and transitive verb (past laa·gered,
past participle laa·gered, present participle laa·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular laa·gers)

make
a protected camp: to form wagons into a circle to make a
protected camp
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of obsolete Afrikaans lager, of uncertain origin: probably from German Lager
“camp, bed, storeroom” (source of English lager 1 ).][1]



LaArgentina

LaArgentina
La
Argentina
[la rjən tnə] (1888?–1936)

Argentine dancer. She
reestablished Spanish dancing as a popular art form in the 20th century.[1]



Lab.

Lab.
Lab.

Abbreviation of
Labrador[1]



lab

lab
lab 
[lab] (plural labs) noun

laboratory:
a laboratory (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



labanotation

labanotation
la·ba·no·ta·tion
[lbə nō táysh’n] noun

written
record of dance movements: a method of notating dance
movements in detail, including the placement of the dancer’s body, direction of
movement, tempo, and dynamics
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Rudolf von Laban who invented it, Laban being blended with notation
.][1]



Laban,Rudolf von

Laban,Rudolf von
La·ban
[lbən], Rudolf von (1879–1958)

Hungarian dancer and
choreographer. He devised a method of notating dance movements and founded
several dance schools, including the Laban Centre, London, England.[1]



labarum

labarum
lab·a·rum 
[lábbərəm] (plural lab·a·ra [lábbərə]) noun

banner
of Roman emperors: a military banner carried
before Roman emperors, especially one with Christian symbols that was carried
in front of Constantine the Great as a sign of his conversion to Christianity
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



labdanum

labdanum
lab·da·num 
[lábdənəm] or la·da·num [lád’nəm] noun

juice
from rockroses: a bitter resinous gum extracted from
various rockroses and used in flavorings and perfumes
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin, an alteration of Latin ladanum, from Greek lēdanon,
from lēdon “mastic.”][1]



label

label
la·bel 
[láyb’l] noun (plural la·bels)

1.  informative
item attached to something: a piece of paper, fabric, or
plastic attached to something to give instructions about it or identify it

2.  descriptive
word or phrase: a word or phrase used to describe a
person or group

3.  RECORDING COMMERCE name
of a record company: the name of a record
company, especially when displayed on a record, CD, or cassette

4.  brand:
a brand name of some items of fashion • always
wore designer labels

5.  COMPUTING identifier
for part of a computer program: a number or word that
acts as a unique identifier for a part of a computer program

6.  HERALDRY heraldic
design:
a figure on a heraldic shield consisting of a horizontal band with pendants and
identifying the person to whom it belongs as an eldest son

7.  CHEMISTRY something
used to identify a chemical: a substance, usually a
radioactive isotope or dye, that can be traced to identify a compound as it
undergoes a chemical reaction or assimilation
transitive
verb
(past la·beled or la·belled, past participle
la·beled or la·belled, present participle la·bel·ing
or la·bel·ling, 3rd person present singular la·bels)

1.  attach
a label to:
to attach a label to something as identification or to give instructions

2.  use
a descriptive word for: to describe somebody or
something using a particular word or phrase • resented
being labeled as either liberal or progressive

3.  CHEMISTRY attach
a chemical label to: to make a chemical substance
identifiable with a label such as a radioactive isotope or dye
[13th
century. From Old French, “ribbon, fillet, fringe,” of uncertain origin;
probably ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor
of English lap .]
—la·bel·er, noun[1]



labellum

labellum
la·bel·lum 
[lə bélləm] (plural la·bel·la
[lə béllə]) noun

1.  BOTANY large
orchid petal: the petal of an orchid that is its
lowest and largest and forms a lip

2.  INSECTS insect’s
feeding part: the lobe at the end of an insect’s
proboscis that it uses for feeding on liquids
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “small lip,” from labrum “lip” (source of English labrum ).][1]



labia

labia
la·bi·a


Plural of
labium[1]



labial

labial
la·bi·al 
[láybee əl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY involving
lips or labia: in, on, close to, or involving the lips
or the labia

2.  PHONETICS with
lips closed: pronounced with the lips closed or
nearly closed as, for example, in the sounds “b” and “p”

3.  MUSIC moving
air across a liplike edge: used to describe an
instrument or organ pipe that produces sound by the movement of air across a
sharp edge
noun
(plural la·bi·als)

1.  PHONETICS sound
pronounced with lips closed: a speech sound pronounced
with the lips closed or nearly closed as, for example, in “b” and “p”

2.  MUSIC instrument
with a liplike edge: an instrument or organ pipe
in which sound is produced by the movement of air across a sharp liplike edge
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin labialis, from Latin labia
“lips.”]
—la·bi·al·ly, adverb[1]



labialize

labialize
la·bi·al·ize 
[láybee ə lz] (past la·bi·al·ized,
past participle la·bi·al·ized, present participle la·bi·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular la·bi·al·iz·es) transitive verb

pronounce
with rounded lips: to pronounce a sound with
the lips rounded
—la·bi·al·i·za·tion [làybee əli záysh’n], noun[1]



labiamajora

labiamajora
la·bi·a
ma·jo·ra 
[làybee ə mə jáwrə] plural noun

outer
folds enclosing women’s genitalia: the two thick outer
folds of skin that surround the clitoris, the opening of the urethra, and the
opening of the vagina of women and girls
[From modern Latin, literally
“larger lips”][1]



labiaminora

labiaminora
la·bi·a
mi·no·ra 
[làybee ə mə náwrə] plural noun

inner
folds surrounding women’s genitalia: the
two small folds of skin that lie immediately inside the labia majora of women
and girls and join at the front to form the hood of the clitoris
[From modern Latin, literally
“smaller lips”][1]



labiate

labiate
la·bi·ate 
[láybee ət, láybee
àyt] adjective

1.  with
a divided set of petals: used to describe a flower
such as a snapdragon that has its set of petals ( corolla
) divided into two unequal and overlapping parts

2.  of
the mint family: belonging to the mint family
noun
(plural la·bi·ates)

U.K. plant
of the mint family: any plant belonging to the
mint family, which includes nettles, snapdragons, rosemary, and thyme. Labiates
have square stems and aromatic leaves. Family: Labiatae
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin labiatus, from Latin labium “lip.”][1]



labile

labile
la·bile 
[láyb’l, láy bl]
adjective

1.  changeable:
liable to change

2.  CHEMISTRY undergoing
frequent change: readily or frequently undergoing
chemical or physical change • a
labile compound
[15th century. From late
Latin labilis “prone to slip,” from Latin labi “to fall, slip”
(source of English lapse ). The
original English sense was “prone to lapse.”][1]



labio-

labio-
labio-
prefix

lips,
labial • labiodental
[From Latin labium
(see labium )][1]



labiodental

labiodental
la·bi·o·den·tal 
[làybee ō dént’l] adjective

PHONETICS with
the upper teeth on the lower lip: pronounced with the
upper teeth resting on the inside of the lower lip, as in the sounds “f” and
“v”
noun
(plural la·bi·o·den·tals)

PHONETICS
labiodental consonant:
a labiodental speech sound[1]



labionasal

labionasal
la·bi·o·na·sal 
[làybee ō náyz’l] adjective

PHONETICS pronounced
like “m”:
pronounced with the lips closed and the air being pushed through the nose, as
in the sound “m”
noun
(plural la·bi·o·na·sals)

PHONETICS
labionasal consonant:
a labionasal speech sound[1]



labiovelar

labiovelar
la·bi·o·ve·lar 
[làybee ō vlər] adjective

PHONETICS pronounced
like “kw”:
pronounced by constricting the back of the mouth and closing the lips, as in
the sound “kw”
noun
(plural la·bi·o·ve·lars)

PHONETICS
labiovelar consonant:
a labiovelar speech sound[1]



labium

labium
la·bi·um 
[láybee əm] (plural la·bi·a [láybee ə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY fold
around women’s genitalia: any of the four folds, two
inner ( labia minora ) and two outer ( labia majora ), that surround a woman’s or girl’s
genital organs

2.  INSECTS insect
mouthpart:
a mouthpart of some insects, formed from a fused pair of appendages

3.  BOTANY lip of
a flower:
the lower lip of the corolla of a labiate flower

4.  any
lip:
any part that looks or functions like a lip
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “lip.”][1]



lablab

lablab
lab·lab 
[láb làb] (plural lab·labs) noun

BOTANY See hyacinth bean
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic lablāb .][1]



labor

labor
la·bor 
[láybər] noun (plural la·bors)

1.  physical
work:
work done using the strength of the body • sentenced
to two years’ hard labor

2.  workers
collectively: the workers, especially manual workers,
in a country, company, or industry considered as a group (often used before
a noun) • labor
relations

3.  supply
of work:
the supply of work or workers for a particular job, industry, or employer

4.  labor
unions collectively: labor unions collectively
and the movement that built and supported them

5.  particular
piece of work: a particular piece of work, especially a
difficult or long one (often used in the plural) • the
labors of Hercules

6.  OBSTETRICS process
of childbirth: the process of giving birth to a baby
from when the contractions start to the baby’s delivery, or the time taken for
this process (often used before a noun) • labor
pains
verb
(past la·bored, past participle la·bored, present
participle la·bor·ing, 3rd person present singular la·bors)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
hard:
to work hard, especially at physical work • labored
all day in the hot sun

2.  intransitive
verb
struggle
to do something: to struggle to do something very
difficult or very tiring • labored
over the questions for several hours

3.  intransitive
verb
operate
with difficulty: to have difficulty in running or
functioning smoothly, for example, because of being overloaded or defective (refers
to engines or machines)

4.  intransitive
verb
move
with difficulty: to move with difficulty or great effort
• We
labored up to the summit.

5.  intransitive
verb
OBSTETRICS give
birth:
to be in the process of giving birth to a baby

6.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL pitch
and roll:
to pitch and roll heavily at sea (refers to ships)

7.  transitive
verb
overemphasize:
to continue trying to express or emphasize something when it is unnecessary • There’s
no need to labor the point.
[14th
century. Via Old French labo(u)r from Latin labor “toil, pain”
(source of English elaborate ),
perhaps literally “stumbling under a burden.”]
labor
of love

something
demanding or difficult that is done just for pleasure rather than for money

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at work

[1]



laboratory

laboratory
lab·o·ra·to·ry 
[lábbrə tàwree] (plural lab·o·ra·to·ries)
noun

1.  room
for teaching science: a room or place with
appropriate equipment for teaching science or doing scientific work

2.  place
for scientific research: a facility, or a room in a
facility, where research and testing is carried out

3.  academic
period for doing science: a period in school when
students work in a laboratory
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin laboratorium “place for work” from, ultimately, Latin laborare
“to work,” from labor (see labor ).][1]



laborcamp

laborcamp
la·bor
camp
(plural la·bor camps) noun

prison where prisoners work
hard: a prison where the prisoners
have to do hard physical work under a harsh, typically cruel, regime[1]



LaborDay

LaborDay
La·bor
Day
noun

1.  U.S.
and Canadian public holiday: a national holiday observed
in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September in honor of
working people

2.  See
May Day

[1]



labored

labored
la·bored 
[láybərd] adjective

showing effort:
done with obvious effort or difficulty rather than naturally or gracefully[1]



laborer

laborer
la·bor·er
[láybərər] (plural la·bor·ers)
noun

somebody in a job needing
physical strength: somebody
who works at a job that requires physical strength and stamina[1]



laborforce

laborforce
la·bor
force
(plural la·bor forc·es) noun

See
workforce[1]



labor-intensive

labor-intensive
la·bor-in·ten·sive 
adjective

needing a lot of workers:
involving a relatively high number of workers or greater costs for labor than
for other areas such as materials, machines, or design • a
labor-intensive industry[1]



laborious

laborious
la·bo·ri·ous 
[lə báwree əss] adjective

1.  needing
effort:
requiring a great deal of effort

2.  not
fluent:
showing signs of effort or difficulty rather than naturalness or fluency,
especially in speech or writing

3.  enjoying
work:
happy or likely to work hard and long
[14th
century. Originally in the sense “hard-working, industrious.”]
—la·bo·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—la·bo·ri·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hard

[1]



laborite

laborite
la·bor·ite 
[láybə rt] (plural la·bor·ites)
noun

union supporter:
somebody who belongs to or actively supports a labor union or the labor
movement[1]



laborunder

laborunder
labor
under
transitive verb

have a false belief:
to be at a disadvantage because of believing something to be true that is not • She
had been laboring under the misconception that the problem was solved.[1]



laborunion

laborunion
la·bor
un·ion
noun

workers’ organization:
an organization of wage earners that is set up to serve and advance its
members’ interests in terms of wages, benefits, and working hours and
conditions.
U.K. term
trade union[1]



labour

labour
la·bour 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

U.K.
=
labor





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Love’s
  Labour’s Lost, a play by English dramatist William Shakespeare ( 1594-1595 ).
  Ferdinand, King of Navarre, and three of his lords agree to forgo the company
  of women in order to devote themselves to study. The arrival of the Princess
  of France and three of her ladies upsets their plans, giving rise to lively
  comedy and witty and poetic dialogue.

[1]



LabourParty

LabourParty
La·bour
Par·ty
noun

British political party:
a British political party founded in 1900 to support the rights and interests
of working people[1]



labra

labra
la·bra


Plural of
labrum[1]



Labrador

Labrador2
Lab·ra·dor2  [lábbrə
dàwr]

mainland portion of the
eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland. It abuts Quebec to the west and
south and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Area: 296,860 sq km/114,618 sq mi.[1]



Labrador

Labrador1
Lab·ra·dor1  [lábbrə
dàwr] (plural Lab·ra·dors) noun

type
of retriever: a large dog with a short thick black,
brown, or yellow coat, originally bred to fetch killed or injured game during a
hunt. Labradors were first bred in Newfoundland.
Also
called
Labrador retriever
[Early 20th century. Named
for Labrador, where the breed’s stock
originated.][1]



LabradorCurrent

LabradorCurrent
Lab·ra·dor
Cur·rent

cold ocean current that flows
south past western Greenland and eastern Labrador and Newfoundland, Canada, to
join the Gulf Stream[1]



labradorite

labradorite
lab·ra·dor·ite 
[lábbrə daw rt] noun

variety
of feldspar: a variety of plagioclase feldspar, the
color of which shifts between blue and green depending on the angle it is seen
from
[Named for Labrador, where it was found][1]



LabradorPeninsula

LabradorPeninsula
Lab·ra·dor
Pen·in·su·la

large peninsula in eastern
Canada. The region includes much of Quebec and the mainland portion of
Newfoundland. Area: 1,619,000 sq km/625,000 sq mi.[1]



Labradorretriever

Labradorretriever
Lab·ra·dor
re·triev·er
(plural Lab·ra·dor re·triev·ers) noun

See
Labrador 1[1]



LabradorSea

LabradorSea
Lab·ra·dor
Sea
[làbrə dawr s]

arm of the Atlantic Ocean
that separates Labrador in eastern Canada from Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean[1]



Labradortea

Labradortea
Lab·ra·dor
tea
noun

evergreen shrub:
a low-growing evergreen shrub native to northern North America. It has
bell-shaped flowers and leaves that are used in making a tea. Latin name: Ledum
groenlandicum[1]



labret

labret
la·bret 
[láybrət] (plural la·brets) noun

ornament
worn on the lip: an ornament made of bone, shell, or
other materials that is worn pierced through the lip, especially by some
peoples in East Africa and South America
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin labrum “lip” (source of English labial
).][1]



labrid

labrid
la·brid
[láybrid, lábbrid]
(plural la·brids) noun

fish
of the wrasse family: a fish belonging to the
wrasse family, many species of which are colorful tropical coral reef fish.
Family: Labridae
[From modern Latin Labridae,
family name, from Labrus, genus name][1]



labrum

labrum
la·brum 
[láybrəm, lábbrəm]
(plural la·bra [lábbrə]) noun

insect
mouthpart:
a projecting upper mouthpart of some arthropods
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin, “lip” (source of English labial
).][1]



Labuan

Labuan
La·bu·an 
[lə bən, laa
bn]

island in Malaysia, situated
off the northern coast of Borneo, northeast of Singapore. Capital: Victoria.
Population: 54,307 (1991) Area: 100 sq km/40 sq mi.[1]



laburnum

laburnum
la·bur·num 
[lə búrnəm] (plural la·bur·nums)
noun

tree
with yellow flowers: a European or Asian tree or
shrub with hanging sprays of bright yellow flowers and poisonous leaves, bark,
and seeds. Genus: Laburnum
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “broad-leaved bean trefoil,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Etruscan
.][1]



Labyrinth

Labyrinth
Lab·y·rinth
[lábbərìnth] noun

maze confining the Minotaur:
in Greek mythology, the maze designed by Daedalus for King Minos of Crete to
confine the Minotaur[1]



labyrinth

labyrinth
lab·y·rinth 
[lábbərìnth] (plural lab·y·rinths)
noun

1.  confusing
network:
a place with a lot of crisscrossing or complicated passages, tunnels, or paths
in which it would be easy to become lost

2.  something
very complicated: something that is made up of many
different parts that is complicated and hard to understand • You
need legal advice to guide you through the labyrinth of regulations.

3.  ANATOMY inner
ear:
a structure consisting of connected cavities or canals, especially the inside
of the ear
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin labyrinthus, from Greek laburinthos, of
uncertain origin: perhaps “royal structure,” formed from Lydian labrus
“two-edged axe,” a symbol of royal power.][1]



labyrinthfish

labyrinthfish
lab·y·rinth
fish
noun

fish that can breathe air:
a fish with a specialized labyrinthine breathing organ that allows it to
breathe air out of water. Family: Anabantidae[1]



labyrinthine

labyrinthine
lab·y·rin·thine 
[làbbə rínthin, làbbə
rín thn, làbbə rín thn] or lab·y·rin·thi·an
[làbbə rínthee ən] adjective

1.  consisting
of a confusing network: consisting of or resembling
a labyrinth of passages or paths • a
labyrinthine maze of backstreets

2.  extremely
complicated: extremely complicated and therefore
difficult to understand

[1]



labyrinthitis

labyrinthitis
lab·y·rin·thi·tis
[làbbərin thtiss] noun

inflammation of the inner
ear: an illness in which the
inner ear becomes inflamed, causing a loss of balance and nausea[1]



labyrinthodont

labyrinthodont
lab·y·rin·tho·dont 
[làbbə rínthə dònt] (plural lab·y·rin·tho·donts)
noun

extinct
amphibian:
an extinct amphibian resembling the crocodile that lived in the Late Paleozoic
and Early Mesozoic eras. Order: Labyrinthodontia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Labyrinthodontia, order name, literally “labyrinth-toothed”
(from the amphibians’ labyrinthine dental structure), from Greek laburinthos
(see labyrinth ).][1]



lac

lac2
lac2  noun

See
lakh[1]



lac

lac1
lac1  [lak]
noun

resinous
insect secretion: a resinous substance secreted by an
insect ( lac insect ), used in the past in
the manufacture of shellac
[15th century. Via Portuguese
lac(c)a and medieval Latin lac from Persian lāk and Hindi lākh,
from Sanskrit lākṣā, literally “red dye” (source of English lacquer ), an alteration of rākṣā .][1]



laccolith

laccolith
lac·co·lith 
[lákə lìth] (plural lac·co·liths)
noun

mass
of igneous rock: a massive intrusion of igneous rock
between beds of sedimentary rock, creating a dome-shaped structure
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek lakkos “pond, pit, reservoir” + -lith .]
—lac·co·lith·ic
[làkə líthik], adjective

—lac·co·lit·ic [làkə líttik], adjective[1]



lace

lace

lace 
[layss] noun (plural lac·es)

1.  TEXTILES delicate
fabric with patterned holes: a delicate fabric made by
weaving cotton, silk, or a synthetic yarn in a pattern that leaves small holes
between the threads (often used before a noun) • a
lace shawl

2.  CLOTHES cord
used to tie edges together: a long cord that is used to
tie two parts of a garment, shoe, or boot together and is threaded through
holes or round hooks

3.  MILITARY braid
on military uniforms: ornamental gold or silver
braid used on military officers’ uniforms and hats
transitive verb
(past laced, past participle laced, present
participle lac·ing, 3rd person present singular lac·es)

1.  fasten
using laces: to tie the edges of something with holes
or hooks together by threading laces through the holes or around the hooks,
pulling the edges close, and knotting the laces

2.  thread
a lace through holes: to thread a lace or cord
through holes or around hooks

3.  decorate
with lace:
to decorate or trim something with lace

4.  add
alcohol to a drink: to add a small amount of
alcohol or a drug to a drink or to food • eggnog
laced with rum

5.  add
a small amount to: to add an amount of
something to something else to enhance it • It
was an intelligent article, laced with wit.

6.  streak
with a different color: to mark something with
streaks of a different color

7.  beat:
to beat or thrash somebody (informal)

8.  intertwine:
to intertwine something with something else, for example, fingers
[12th
century. Via Old French laz “net, string” (the original English senses)
from assumed Vulgar Latin lacium, from Latin laqueus “noose,
snare” (source of English lasso ).]
—lace·like, adjective[1]



lacebug

lacebug
lace
bug
noun

bug with a lacy wing pattern:
a small bug with a delicate lacy vein pattern on its wings. Family: Tingitidae[1]



Lacedaemonian

Lacedaemonian
Lac·e·dae·mo·ni·an
[làssədə mṓnee ən] (plural Lac·e·dae·mo·ni·ans)
adjective

of
Sparta:
relating to the ancient Greek city of Sparta
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin Lacedaemonius or Greek Lakedaimonios
“of Lacedaemon (ancient name of an area including Sparta), Spartan.”]
—Lac·e·dae·mo·ni·an, noun[1]



laceinto

laceinto
lace
into
transitive verb

1.  fasten
into a garment: to fasten a corset or close-fitting
garment around somebody by lacing it up

2.  attack
verbally or physically: to attack somebody verbally
or physically (informal)

[1]



lacerate

lacerate
lac·er·ate 
transitive verb [lássə ràyt] (past
lac·er·at·ed, past participle lac·er·at·ed, present
participle lac·er·at·ing, 3rd person present singular lac·er·ates)

1.  cut
jaggedly:
to cut or gash the skin so that the wound is deep with irregular edges

2.  distress
deeply:
to distress somebody deeply or agonizingly
adjective
[lássərət, lássə
ràyt]

BOTANY with
jagged edges: used to describe leaves or petals that
have jagged or irregular edges
[15th century. From Latin lacerat-,
the past participle stem of lacerare “to tear to pieces,” from lacer
“torn, mangled.”][1]



laceration

laceration
lac·er·a·tion 
[làssə ráysh’n] (plural lac·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  deep
jagged cut:
a deep and jagged cut in the flesh

2.  something
that wounds: something that is deeply wounding to the
feelings

[1]



Lacerta

Lacerta
La·cer·ta 
[lə súrtə] noun

constellation:
a small constellation in the northern hemisphere[1]



lacertid

lacertid
lac·er·tid 
[lə súrtid] (plural lac·er·tids)
noun

lizard:
a lizard such as the common wall lizard or green lizard with rough irregular
scales and bony plates on its skull. Family: Lacertidae
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin lacerta “lizard.”][1]



laceup

laceup
lace
up
transitive verb

fasten laces of:
to fasten or tighten the laces of something such as a boot or corset[1]



lace-up

lace-up
lace-up
(plural lace-ups) noun

shoe
with laces:
a shoe or boot that fastens with laces
—lace-up, adjective[1]



lacewing

lacewing

lace·wing 
[láyss wìng] (plural lace·wings)
noun
insect
with transparent wings: an insect with transparent
wings and long antennae whose larvae feed on aphids and other insect pests.
There are several species of lacewing, including the green lacewing and the
brown lacewing. Superfamily: Hemerobioidea
[From the fine network of
veins in its wings, likened to lace][1]



Lachaise,Gaston

Lachaise,Gaston
Lachaise
[lə sháyz], Gaston (1882–1935)

French-born U.S. sculptor. He
is known for his large representations of nude figures, such as Standing
Woman ( 1930–1933 ), and portrait busts.[1]



laches

laches
lach·es 
[láchəz, láychəz]
noun

LAW negligence:
negligence or delay in doing something, especially in pursuing a legal claim
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman laches(se) “negligence,” from Old French lasche
“lax, lazy,” from, ultimately, Latin laxus “wide, loose, relaxed” (
source of English lax and lease
).][1]



Lachesis

Lachesis
Lach·e·sis 
[lákəssiss] noun

one of the Fates:
one of the three Fates in Greek mythology[1]



Lachlan

Lachlan
Lach·lan 
[lk lən]

river in south central New
South Wales, Australia. Length: 1,480 km/920 mi.[1]



lachrymal

lachrymal
lach·ry·mal
adjective

1.  crying:
relating to tears or weeping (literary)

2.  ANATOMY See lacrimal

[1]



lachrymation

lachrymation
lach·ry·ma·tion 
noun

PHYSIOLOGY
See lacrimation[1]



lachrymator

lachrymator
lach·ry·ma·tor
noun

See
lacrimator[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lachrymatory

lachrymatory
lach·ry·ma·to·ry 
[lákrəmə tàwree] noun (plural lach·ry·ma·to·ries)

bottle
for tears:
a small bottle of a kind found in ancient tombs, thought in the past to have
contained the tears of mourners
adjective

See
lacrimatory[1]



lachrymose

lachrymose
lach·ry·mose 
[lákrə mss] adjective (literary)

1.  crying:
crying, or tending to cry easily and often

2.  sad:
so sad as to make people cry
[Early
18th century. From Latin lacrimosus, from lacrima “tear.”]
—lach·ry·mose·ly,
adverb

—lach·ry·mos·i·ty [làkrə móssətee], noun[1]



lacing

lacing
lac·ing 
[láyssing] (plural lac·ings) noun

1.  lace
that fastens: a lace that fastens

2.  alcohol
added to drink: a small amount of alcohol or a drug
added to a drink or to food

3.  beating:
a beating or thrashing (informal)

[1]



laciniate

laciniate
la·cin·i·ate 
[lə sínnee ət, lə
sínnee àyt] or la·cin·i·at·ed [lə
sínnee àytəd] adjective

BOTANY ZOOLOGY fringed:
having a fringed, jagged, or lobed border
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin lacinia “fringe, flap, edge.”]
—la·cin·i·a·tion [lə sìnnee áysh’n], noun[1]



lacinsect

lacinsect
lac
in·sect
(plural lac in·sects) noun

Asian insect:
a southern Asian insect, the female of which secretes a substance ( lac ) that was used in the past to make shellac.
Latin name: Laccifer lacca[1]



lack

lack
lack 
[lak] noun

1.  shortage
or absence of something: a shortage or complete
absence of a particular thing • Lack
of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate.

2.  something
absent:
something that is needed but is in short supply or missing
transitive
verb
(past lacked, past participle lacked, present
participle lack·ing, 3rd person present singular lacks)

1.  not
have:
not to have something that is needed • the
project lacked funding

2.  not
have enough: to have too little of something • What
he lacks in patience, he makes up for in drive.
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English lac, from a
prehistoric Germanic base that also produced English leak .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  lack, shortage, deficiency,
  deficit, want, dearth
  CORE
  MEANING: an
  insufficiency or absence of something lack;
  a general word used to talk about an insufficiency or total absence of
  something; shortage; a situation
  where there is less of something than is needed; deficiency;
  an insufficiency of something, especially an insufficiency of a particular
  nutrient in the human body; deficit;
  the amount by which something falls short of a target amount or level; want; a lack or absence of something that is
  required or desirable; dearth; the
  scarcity or rareness of something, especially in a situation where more of
  that thing is desirable rather than necessary

[1]



lackadaisical

lackadaisical
lack·a·dai·si·cal 
[làkə dáyzik’l] adjective

without
enthusiasm:
without much enthusiasm, energy, or effort
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from lackadaisy “alas, alack,” an alteration of lackaday .]
—lack·a·dai·si·cal·ly,
adverb

—lack·a·dai·si·cal·ness,
noun[1]



lackaday

lackaday
lack·a·day 
[lákə dày] interjection

expressing
regret or dismay: used to express regret, disapproval, or
dismay (archaic)
[Late 17th century.
Shortening of the phrase alack-a-day (from alack
).][1]



lackey

lackey
lack·ey 
[lákee] noun (plural lack·eys)

1.  obedient
follower:
somebody excessively willing to obey another’s orders

2.  man
servant:
a man servant, especially a footman or valet who wears a uniform (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lack·eyed,
past participle lack·eyed, present participle lack·ey·ing,
3rd person present singular lack·eys)

act as lackey:
to act as a servant, especially a footman
[Early 16th century. From
French laquais, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Arabic al-āḍī
“the judge” (source of English alcalde
).][1]



lackluster

lackluster
lack·lus·ter 
[lák lùstər] adjective

lacking excitement:
lacking energy, excitement, enthusiasm, or passion[1]



lacklustre

lacklustre
lack·lus·tre
[lák lùstər] adjective

U.K. =
lackluster[1]



Laconia

Laconia
La·co·ni·a 
[lə kṓnee ə]

region in Ancient Greece that
occupied much of the Peloponnesus. The capital city was Sparta.[1]



laconic

laconic
la·con·ic 
[lə kónnik] or la·con·i·cal [lə kónnik’l] adjective

using
few words:
using very few words
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin Laconicus “of Laconia” from Greek Lakōnikos,
from Lakōn ( see Laconia ), whose
inhabitants had a reputation for terseness.]
—la·con·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



laconism

laconism
lac·o·nism 
[lákə nìzzəm] (plural lac·o·nisms)
or la·con·i·cism [lə kónni sìzzəm]
(plural la·con·i·cisms) noun

1.  brevity
in speech:
the use of very few words

2.  brief
but meaningful statement: something that is said in
few words but is full of meaning
[Late 16th century. From
Greek lakōnismos “imitation of Spartan manners,” ultimately from Lakōn
(see laconic ).][1]



LaCoruña

LaCoruña
La
Co·ru·ña
[làa kō rnyə]

city, port, and capital of La
Coruña Province, in the autonomous region of Galicia, northwestern Spain.
Population: 254,822 (1995)[1]



lacquer

lacquer
lac·quer 
[lákər] noun (plural lac·quers)

1.  type
of varnish:
a varnish made from the sap of an eastern Asian tree and used to give a
protective surface, especially to wood

2.  glossy
synthetic coating: a hard, glossy, clear or
colored coating made up of resins or cellulose derivatives and a plasticizer in
a volatile solvent

3.  See
hair spray
transitive
verb
(past lac·quered, past participle lac·quered, present
participle lac·quer·ing, 3rd person present singular lac·quers)

apply lacquer to:
to apply lacquer to or spray lacquer on something
[Late
16th century. From obsolete French lacre “sealing wax,” an alteration of
Portuguese la(c)ca “lac” (see lac ).]
—lac·quer·er, noun[1]



lacquertree

lacquertree
lac·quer
tree
noun

type of sumac tree:
a poisonous sumac tree of Southeast Asia whose sap is used to make lacquer.
Latin name: Rhus verniciflua[1]



lacquerware

lacquerware
lac·quer·ware
[lákər wàir] or lac·quer·work
[lákər wùrk] noun

ornamental wooden objects:
ornamental objects, usually of wood, that have been coated with lacquer and
sometimes inlaid[1]



lacrimal

lacrimal
lac·ri·mal 
[lákrəməl] or lach·ry·mal [lákrəməl] adjective

of
tear glands or ducts: relating to, involving, or
typical of tears, the glands that produce tears, or the ducts through which
they drain
[15th century. From medieval
Latin lacrimalis, lachrymalis, from Latin lacrima “tear.”][1]



lacrimalduct

lacrimalduct
lac·ri·mal
duct
(plural lac·ri·mal ducts) noun

tear duct:
the passage carrying tears into the nose[1]



lacrimalgland

lacrimalgland
lac·ri·mal
gland
(plural lac·ri·mal glands) noun

tear-producing gland:
a gland in the outer corner of the eye that produces tears[1]



lacrimation

lacrimation
lac·ri·ma·tion
[làkrə máysh’n] or lach·ry·ma·tion
[làkrə máysh’n] noun

production of tears:
the production of tears in the eyes, especially excessive production as in
crying or in reaction to a foreign body[1]



lacrimator

lacrimator
lac·ri·ma·tor 
[lákrə màytər] (plural lac·ri·ma·tors)
or lach·ry·ma·tor [lákrə màytər]
(plural lach·ry·ma·tors) noun

tear-producing substance:
a substance such as tear gas that makes tears form in the eyes[1]



lacrimatory

lacrimatory
lac·ri·ma·to·ry
[lákrəmə tàwree] or lach·ry·ma·to·ry
[lákrəmə tàwree] adjective

producing tears:
causing the eyes to produce tears[1]



LaCrosse

LaCrosse
La
Crosse 
[lə kráws]

city in western Wisconsin,
situated at the junction of the Mississippi, Black, and La Crosse rivers.
Population: 51,003 (1990)[1]



lacrosse

lacrosse
la·crosse 
[lə kráwss] noun

sport
played with a netted stick: a sport, originated by
Native North Americans, in which two teams of ten players use sticks with a net
pouch at one end crosse to throw and catch a small hard rubber ball. The aim is
to score a goal by throwing the ball into the opposing team’s goal net. (often
used before a noun) • a
lacrosse stick
[Early 18th century. From
Canadian French (jeu de) la crosse, literally “(game of) the hooked
stick,” crosse “hooked stick, crosier” ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that also produced English crook
.][1]



lact-

lact-
lact-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
lacto-[1]



lactalbumin

lactalbumin
lac·tal·bu·min 
[làk tal bymən] noun

protein in milk:
a protein in milk and whey that contains all the amino acids needed in the
human diet[1]



lactase

lactase
lac·tase 
[lák tàyss, lák
tàyz] noun

enzyme:
an enzyme found in the intestines of young mammals and in yeasts that breaks
down lactose into glucose and galactose
[Late 19th century. Formed
from lactose .][1]



lactate

lactate1
lac·tate1 [lák
tàyt] (past lac·tat·ed, past participle lac·tat·ed,
present participle lac·tat·ing, 3rd person present singular
lac·tates) intransitive verb

produce
milk:
to produce milk in the body (refers to female mammals)
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from lactation .][1]



lactate

lactate2
lac·tate2 [lák
tàyt] (plural lac·tates) noun

salt
or ester of lactic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of lactic acid
[Late 18th century. Formed
from lactic .][1]



lactation

lactation
lac·ta·tion 
[lak táysh’n] noun

1.  production
of milk:
the production of milk by the mammary glands

2.  period
of milk production: the period during which milk
is produced by the mammary glands
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin lactare “to
suckle,” from lact-, the stem of lac “milk” (see lacto- ).]
—lac·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



lacteal

lacteal
lac·te·al 
[láktee əl] adjective

1.  of
milk:
relating to milk or milk production

2.  ANATOMY carrying
milky fluid: carrying or containing a milky fluid ( chyle ) • a
lacteal vessel
noun
(plural lac·te·als)

ANATOMY lymphatic
vessel:
any lymphatic vessel that originates in the small intestine and carries a milky
fluid ( chyle ) to the thoracic duct
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin lacteus “of milk,” from lact-, the
stem of lac “milk” (see lacto- ).]
—lac·te·al·ly, adverb[1]



lactescent

lactescent
lac·tes·cent 
[lak téss’nt] adjective

1.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY secreting a milky substance:
used to describe plants and insects that secrete a milky substance

2.  resembling
milk:
looking like milk, or becoming milky
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin lactescent-, the present participle stem of lactescere
“to turn to milk” from lactere “to be milky,” from lact-, the
stem of lac “milk” (see lacto- ).]
—lac·tes·cence, noun[1]



lactic

lactic
lac·tic 
[láktik] adjective

from
milk:
relating to or derived from milk
[Late 18th century][1]



lacticacid

lacticacid
lac·tic
ac·id
noun

colorless organic acid:
a colorless organic acid produced in muscles and found in sour milk. It is used
as a preservative, in dyeing, and in making adhesives and pharmaceuticals. C3H6O3[1]



lactiferous

lactiferous
lac·tif·er·ous 
[lak tíffərəss] adjective

1.  ANATOMY capable
of producing milk: carrying or producing milk,
or capable of producing milk • a
lactiferous duct

2.  BOTANY producing
a milky juice: used to describe a plant that produces a
milky juice ( latex )
[Late
17th century. Coined from lacto- + -iferous
.]
—lac·tif·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



lacto-

lacto-
lacto-
prefix

1.  milk
• lactometer

2.  lactic
acid • lactate

3.  lactose
• lactase
[From Latin lact-, the
stem of lac “milk”; ultimately related to Greek gala (source of
English galaxy )][1]



lactobacillus

lactobacillus
lac·to·ba·cil·lus 
[làktō bə sílləss] (plural lac·to·ba·cil·li
[làktō bə sí l]) noun

bacterium producing lactic
acid: a rod-shaped bacterium that
produces lactic acid through fermentation. Genus: Lactobacillus[1]



lactoflavin

lactoflavin
lac·to·fla·vin 
[làktə fláyvən] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
See riboflavin[1]



lactogenic

lactogenic
lac·to·gen·ic 
[làktə jénnik] adjective

inducing lactation:
causing the mammary glands to produce milk[1]



lactoglobulin

lactoglobulin
lac·to·glob·u·lin
[làktō glóbbyələn] (plural lac·to·glob·u·lins)
noun

protein in milk:
any one of a group of globular proteins that occur in milk[1]



lactometer

lactometer
lac·tom·e·ter 
[lak tómmətər] (plural lac·tom·e·ters)
noun

device for measuring milk
density: an instrument that is used
to measure the density of milk. It is a kind of hydrometer.[1]



lactone

lactone
lac·tone 
[lák tn] (plural lac·tones) noun

plant
component:
any one of several chemical compounds derived from hydroxy acids, often
occurring as the odor-bearing component of a plant product
—lac·ton·ic [lak tónnik], adjective[1]



lactoprotein

lactoprotein
lac·to·pro·tein 
[làktō prṓ tn] (plural lac·to·pro·teins)
noun

protein in milk:
any protein that is present in milk[1]



lactose

lactose
lac·tose 
[lák tss, lák
tz] noun

1.  sugar
in milk:
a sugar ( disaccharide ) found in milk that
breaks down into glucose and galactose and creates lactic acid through
fermentation.
Also
called
milk sugar

2.  commercial
form of lactose: a white crystalline form of lactose
extracted from whey and used commercially in food products and pharmaceuticals

[1]



lactoseintolerance

lactoseintolerance
lac·tose
in·tol·er·ance noun

digestive condition:
a condition resulting from low activity or absence of the enzyme lactase, which
is responsible for the digestion of milk sugar. It is common in people of Asian
and African descent.[1]



lactovegetarian

lactovegetarian
lac·to·veg·e·tar·i·an
[làktō vejjə táiree ən] (plural lac·to·veg·e·tar·i·ans)
noun

vegetarian who eats milk
products: somebody who eats
vegetables, grains, fruit, nuts, and milk products but not meat or eggs[1]



lacuna

lacuna
la·cu·na 
[lə kynə, lə
knə] (plural la·cu·nae [lə
ky n] or la·cu·nas) noun

1.  gap:
a gap or place where something is missing, for example, in a manuscript or a
line of argument (literary)

2.  ANATOMY small
pit or cavity: a small pit or cavity, for example, in
bone or cartilage
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “hole, pit,” from lacus “pond” (source of English lagoon and lake
).]
—la·cu·nal, adjective[1]



lacunar

lacunar
la·cu·nar 
[lə kynər, lə
knər] noun (plural la·cu·nars)

1.  ceiling
with sunken panels: a ceiling that has sunken
panels in it

2.  sunken
panel in a ceiling: a decorative sunken panel in
a ceiling
adjective

MEDICINE of
bodily cavities: relating to pits or cavities in tissue,
for example, in bone or cartilage, especially ones that are abnormal
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, from lacuna (see lacuna ).][1]



lacustrine

lacustrine
la·cus·trine 
[lə kústrən] adjective

1.  of
lakes:
relating to lakes

2.  found
in or near lakes: growing, living, or formed in or at the
edge of a lake
[Early 19th century. Formed
either from French or Italian lacustre or from their source, Latin lacus
“lake” (see lacuna ) (on the model of Latin palustris
“marshy”).][1]



lacy

lacy
lac·y 
[láyssee] (comparative lac·i·er,
superlative lac·i·est) adjective

1.  made
of lace:
made of or decorated with lace

2.  looking
like lace:
having the appearance of lace • The
sky was filled with lacy clouds.
—lac·i·ly,
adverb

—lac·i·ness, noun[1]



lad

lad
lad 
[lad] (plural lads) noun

1.  young
man:
a boy or young man

2.  man:
any man (informal)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian source originally “man of lowly
status.”][1]



ladanum

ladanum
lad·a·num 
noun

See
labdanum[1]



ladder

ladder
lad·der 
[láddər] (past lad·dered, past
participle lad·dered, present participle lad·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular lad·ders, plural lad·ders) noun

1.  device
with rungs to climb on: a portable piece of
equipment with rungs attached to sides made of metal, wood, or rope, used for
climbing up or down

2.  path
to advancement: a series of hierarchical levels on which
somebody moves up or down within an organization or society • She
joined the firm at a fairly low level but quickly moved up the ladder.

3.  SPORTS GAME list of ranked players:
a list of contestants in an ongoing sports or games competition, arranged
according to ability
[Old English hld(d)er
. From, ultimately, an Indo-European base meaning “to lean,” which also
produced English incline, lid, and enclitic
.][1]



ladder-back

ladder-back
lad·der-back 
(plural lad·der-backs) noun

1.  chair
with a back shaped like a ladder: a chair with a back
formed by horizontal slats between the two vertical parts that form the sides

2.  tall
chair back:
a chair back formed by horizontal slats between the two vertical parts that
form the sides
—lad·der-back, adjective[1]



laddertournament

laddertournament
lad·der
tour·na·ment noun

tournament with players
listed hierarchically: a
tournament based on a list of ranked players in a game or sport, whereby each
player may challenge the player on the next one or two higher rungs[1]



laddertruck

laddertruck
lad·der
truck
noun

See
hook-and-ladder truck[1]



laddie

laddie
lad·die 
[láddee] (plural lad·dies) noun

boy:
a boy or young man (informal) • How
old are you, laddie?[1]



lade

lade
lade 
[layd] (past lad·ed, past
participle lad·en [láyd’n] or
lad·ed, present participle lad·ing, 3rd person present
singular lades) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb load
up a ship with cargo: to take on cargo or freight,
or load up a ship with cargo or freight

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
liquid with a ladle: to remove a measure of
liquid using a ladle

3.  transitive
verb
load:
to load something, or place a heavy burden on somebody (dated)
[Old English hladan
(source of English ladle ), from a
prehistoric Germanic base that also produced English ballast][1]



la-de-da

la-de-da
la-de-da 
adjective

See
la-di-da[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








laden

laden
lad·en


Past participle of
lade
adjective

1.  heavily
loaded:
carrying a load, usually a heavy load (often used in combination) • He
was laden down with shopping bags. • fruit-laden
boughs

2.  oppressed
by something: weighed down by a problem or an
unpleasant feeling such as doubt or unhappiness • laden
with guilt

[1]



la-di-da

la-di-da
la-di-da
or la-de-da adjective

affectedly
upper-class: speaking or behaving in a way that is
affectedly upper-class (informal)
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound of affectedly refined pronunciation.][1]



ladies

ladies1
la·dies1 [láydeez]
noun

U.K.
(informal) (takes a singular verb) See ladies room[1]



ladies

ladies2
la·dies2

Plural of
lady[1]



ladiesroom

ladiesroom
la·dies
room
or la·dies’ room noun

women’s restroom:
a women’s restroom.
U.K. term
ladies[1]



ladies’man

ladies’man
la·dies’
man 
or la·dy’s man noun

man who likes flirting with
women: a man who enjoys being with
women and flirting with them[1]



ladies’tresses

ladies’tresses
la·dies’
tress·es
or la·dy’s tress·es noun

orchid with small white
flowers: an orchid with slender
spiral spikes of small white flowers. Genus: Spiranthes (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



Ladin

Ladin
La·din 
[lə dn] noun

language
of northern Italy: a language spoken in some
valleys in northern Italy, belonging to the Rhaeto-Romance subgroup of Romance
languages. It has about 25,000 speakers.
[Mid-19th century. Via
Rhaeto-Romance from Latin Latinus “Latin” (see Latin
).][1]



lading

lading
lad·ing 
[láyding] noun

freight:
freight or cargo being transported from one place to another[1]



Ladino

Ladino
La·di·no 
[lə dnō] (plural La·di·nos) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Spanish-Hebrew
language:
a language based on Spanish with Hebrew elements, spoken by some Sephardic
Jews. It is usually written in a form of Hebrew script.
Also
called
Judeo-Spanish

2.  La·di·no
or la·di·no PEOPLES Spanish-speaking
Native Central American: somebody of indigenous or
partially Spanish ancestry in Central America who speaks Spanish
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin Latinus “Latin” (see Latin
). Recorded earlier (mid-19th century) of a vicious or unmanageable animal.][1]



ladinoclover

ladinoclover
la·di·no
clo·ver
noun

variety
of white clover: a large variety of white clover grown as
forage
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian from Latin Latinus “Latin” (see Latin
).][1]



ladle

ladle

la·dle 
[láyd’l] noun (plural la·dles)
long
spoon with a deep bowl: a spoon with a long handle
and a deep bowl, used to serve soup and other liquids
transitive
verb
(past la·dled, past participle la·dled, present
participle la·dling, 3rd person present singular la·dles)
serve
using a ladle: to serve food such as soup onto a plate
using a ladle
[Old English hlædel,
from hladan “to load” (see lade )][1]



ladleout

ladleout
ladle
out
transitive verb

give in generous amounts:
to give out generous or overgenerous amounts of something, especially something
intangible (informal) • ladled
out praise[1]



Ladoga,Lake

Ladoga,Lake
Lad·o·ga,
Lake
[l dəgə]

the largest lake in Europe,
in northwestern Russia, northeast of St. Petersburg. Its outlet is the Neva
River, which connects it with the Gulf of Finland. Area: 18,390 sq km/7,100 sq
mi.[1]



lady

lady
la·dy 
[láydee] (plural la·dies) noun

1.  woman:
a woman, especially when addressed as part of a group • Ladies
and gentlemen, please take your seats.

2.  refined
woman:
a woman of refined family background or upbringing

3.  polite
dignified woman: a woman who behaves very politely and
with dignity

4.  wife
or usual woman companion: a man’s wife or usual woman
companion (informal)

5.  woman
feudal superior: a woman who, in medieval Europe, was a
powerful land or property owner with authority over an area, castle, or
community, for example, a manor

6.  cocaine:
the drug cocaine (slang)
[Old English hlfdīge
“woman in charge of a household, queen” (literally “bread-kneader”), from hlāf
“bread” (source of English loaf ) + a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to knead”][1]



Lady

Lady
La·dy
noun U.K.

1.  title
for a woman: used as an alternative title for a
marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness

2.  courtesy
title for a woman: used as a courtesy title for
the daughter of an earl, marquess, or duke

3.  form
of address for a woman: used as a form of address
for the wife of a viscount, earl, marquess, baron, baronet, or knight, and the
daughter of a duke, marquess, or earl

[1]



ladybeetle

ladybeetle
la·dy
bee·tle
noun

See
ladybug[1]



ladybirdbeetle

ladybirdbeetle
la·dy·bird
bee·tle
(plural la·dy·bird bee·tles) or la·dy·bird (plural
la·dy·birds) noun

See
ladybug[1]



ladybountiful

ladybountiful
la·dy
boun·ti·ful
(plural la·dy boun·ti·fuls) noun

woman ostentatious about
giving: a woman who makes generous
and well-publicized charitable donations[1]



ladybug

ladybug
la·dy·bug 
[láydee bùg] (plural la·dy·bugs)
noun

small
red beetle with black spots: a small round flying beetle
that has red or orange outer wings with black spots. It eats aphids and other
insects. Family: Coccinellidae
Also
called
lady beetle
Also
called
ladybird beetle
Also
called
ladybird
U.K.
term
ladybird
[Named for (Our) Lady,
the Virgin Mary][1]



LadyChapel

LadyChapel
La·dy
Chap·el
or la·dy chap·el noun

chapel dedicated to the
Virgin Mary: a chapel dedicated to
Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, that is inside a cathedral or church[1]



LadyDay

LadyDay
La·dy
Day
(plural La·dy Days) noun

U.K.
Christian festival:
the feast of the Annunciation, March 25[1]



ladyfinger

ladyfinger
la·dy·fin·ger 
[láydee fìng gər] (plural la·dy·fin·gers)
noun

small finger-shaped sponge
cake: a small finger-shaped sponge
cake, several of which are often used to surround molded desserts[1]



ladyfish

ladyfish
la·dy·fish 
[láydee fìsh] (plural la·dy·fish
or la·dy·fish·es) noun

1.  large
silvery game fish: a large silvery fish that
lives in tropical seas. It is related to the tarpon and is prized as a
gamefish. Latin name: Elops saurus
Also
called
tenpounder

2.  See
bonefish

[1]



ladyfriend

ladyfriend
la·dy
friend
noun

regular woman companion:
a man’s regular woman companion, or a woman a man is seen with (informal)
(sometimes considered offensive)[1]



lady-in-waiting

lady-in-waiting
la·dy-in-wait·ing
(plural la·dies-in-wait·ing) noun

woman looking after a queen
or princess: a woman who is an
attendant for a queen or princess[1]



lady-killer

lady-killer
la·dy-kill·er 
(plural la·dy-kill·ers) noun

man attractive to women:
a man who is extremely attractive to women[1]



ladylike

ladylike
la·dy·like 
[láydee lk] adjective

polite and dignified:
behaving or done in the polite dignified way expected of an upper-class woman • not
a very ladylike thing to whine[1]



ladylove

ladylove
la·dy·love 
[láydee lùv] (plural la·dy·loves)
noun

a woman that a man loves:
a woman that a man is in love with (dated)[1]



ladyluck

ladyluck
la·dy
luck
or La·dy Luck noun

luck as a woman:
luck or good fortune personified as a woman (informal) (sometimes
considered offensive)[1]



Ladyof the Lake

Ladyof the Lake
La·dy
of the Lake
noun

supernatural woman in
Arthurian legend: a supernatural woman
who plays various roles in Arthurian legend, sometimes considered to be the
same person as Vivian, the lover of Merlin[1]



ladyship

ladyship
la·dy·ship
[láydee shìp] (plural la·dy·ships)
or La·dy·ship [láydee shìp] (plural
La·dy·ships) noun

title:
a title used when addressing or referring to a woman with the title of “Lady”[1]



ladyslipper

ladyslipper
la·dy
slip·per
noun

PLANTS
See lady’s slipper[1]



Ladysmith

Ladysmith
La·dy·smith
[láydee smìth]

town in KwaZulu-Natal
Province, eastern South Africa, scene of a famous siege (1899–1900) during the
Boer War. Population: 25,102 (1985)[1]



lady’sman

lady’sman
la·dy’s
man 
noun

See
ladies’ man[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lady’sslipper

lady’sslipper

la·dy’s slip·per
or la·dy slip·per noun
N American orchid:
a North American orchid with reddish, purple, or yellow flowers that look like
slippers. Genus: Cypripedium
Also called
moccasin flower[1]



lady’ssmock

lady’ssmock
la·dy’s
smock
noun

See
cuckooflower[1]



lady’sthumb

lady’sthumb
la·dy’s
thumb
noun

weedy plant with pink
flowers: a weedy plant of Europe and
Asia belonging to the buckwheat family that has pink or purplish flowers and
long leaves with a dark spot resembling a thumbprint. Latin name: Polygonum persicaria

U.K. term
redshank[1]



lady’stresses

lady’stresses
la·dy’s
tress·es
noun

See
ladies’ tresses[1]



Laertes

Laertes
La·er·tes 
[lay úr tz, lay
áir tz] noun

father of Odysseus:
in Greek mythology, the father of Odysseus[1]



laetrile

laetrile
la·e·trile 
[láy ə trìl, láy
ətrəl] noun

unproven cancer drug:
a drug extracted from peach pits that has been used in treating cancer but with
no proven effectiveness[1]



laevorotatory

laevorotatory
lae·vo·ro·ta·tory
adjective

U.K. =
levorotatory[1]



LaFarge, John

LaFarge, John
La
Farge
[lə fr], John (1835–1910)

U.S. artist and critic. He is
known for his landscapes, murals, and work in stained glass.[1]



Lafayette

Lafayette
La·fay·ette 
[làfee yét]

1.  city
in west central Indiana, situated on the Wabash River, southwest of Kokomo.
Population: 44,344 (1996)

2.  city
in southern Louisiana, situated north of Abbeville and southwest of Baton
Rouge. Population: 104,899 (1996)

[1]



Lafayette,Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier

Lafayette,Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier

La·fay·ette 
[làfee yét], Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de (1757–1834)
French soldier and politician. He fought
against the British in the Revolution, and then took part in the French
Revolution. He became a politician in the French post-revolutionary government.[1]



laff

laff
laff
[laf] (plural laffs) noun

laugh:
a laugh (slang) (often used ironically) • a
lot of tasteless laffs[1]



Laffercurve

Laffercurve
Laf·fer
curve 
[láffər kùrv] noun

comparison
of tax rates and revenue: a graph summarizing the fact
that tax revenues are low for very high and for very low tax rates, thus
demonstrating that raising tax rates beyond an optimum point will discourage
investment and decrease tax revenues
[Late 20th century. Named for
Arthur B. Laffer (b. 1942), U.S. economist.][1]



Laffite,Jean

Laffite,Jean
Laf·fite
[lə ft], Jean (1780?–1825?)

French-born U.S. pirate. He
helped defend New Orleans against Britain in the War of 1812.[1]



LaFollette, Robert Marion

LaFollette, Robert Marion
La
Follette
[lə fó llət], Robert Marion (1855–1925)

U.S. senator. He led the
progressive wing of the Republican Party, often opposing the leadership in the
cause of reform.[1]



Lafontaine,Louis Hippolyte

Lafontaine,Louis Hippolyte
Lafontaine
[lə fon táyn], Sir Louis Hippolyte
(1807–1864)

Canadian politician. He is
credited with launching responsible government and was, jointly, the first
prime minister of the united province of Canada.[1]



lag

lag2
lag2 [lag]
transitive verb (past lagged, past participle lagged,
present participle lag·ging, 3rd person present singular lags)

insulate
with lagging: to insulate something such as a pipe or
hot water tank with lagging to prevent freezing or heat escaping
noun
(plural lags)

wooden
strip:
a strip of wood such as a stave of a barrel or a lath
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.][1]



lag

lag1
lag1 [lag]
intransitive verb (past lagged, past participle lagged,
present participle lag·ging, 3rd person present singular lags)

1.  fall
behind compared with others: to go, develop, or progress
more slowly than somebody or something similar so as to fall back or fall
behind

2.  slacken:
to decrease in strength or intensity • Interest
in the scandal has never lagged.

3.  CUE GAMES decide
the order of play: to decide who is to play
first in pool or billiards by having each player rebound a ball from the top
cushion as close as possible to the hand rail
noun
(plural lags)

1.  position
of having fallen behind: the condition or an instance
of having fallen behind

2.  period
between events: a period of time between one event and a
related event

3.  CUE GAMES lagging
in billiards: an act or instance of lagging in pool,
billiards, or some other game
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian dialect lagga
“to go slowly”).][1]



LaGallienne, Eva

LaGallienne, Eva
La
Gallienne
[là galyén], Eva (1899–1991)

British-born U.S. actor. She
was known for her roles in plays by Ibsen and Chekhov. She also directed and
taught acting.[1]



lagan

lagan
lag·an 
[lággən] or li·gan [lgən] noun

cargo
on sea bed:
cargo or wreckage lying on the sea bed, often with a buoy attached so that it
can be recovered
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old Norse lagn-, the stem of lögn
“net” (related to English lay 1 ).][1]



LaganValley

LaganValley
La·gan
Valley
[ləgàn vállee]

region in southeastern
Northern Ireland, near Belfast, and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty[1]



Lagb’Omer

Lagb’Omer
Lag
b’O·mer 
[lg bṓmər] noun

Jewish
festival:
a minor Jewish festival celebrated on the 18th day of Iyar, being the 33rd day
of the Omer, the period following Passover. On this day some of the
restrictions on activities imposed during the Omer are lifted.
[From Hebrew, literally
“thirty-third in the Omer,” from lā “thirty-third” (pronunciation of
the letters LG that symbolize this number) + bā “in the” + ōmer
“Omer”][1]



lager

lager2
la·ger2  noun

MILITARY
See laager[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lager

lager1
la·ger1  [lgər]
(plural la·gers) noun

light-colored
beer:
a type of light-colored beer made with a low proportion of hops, usually stored
for a period after brewing
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of lager beer, a partial translation of German Lager-Bier, from Lager
“storehouse” + Bier “beer.”][1]



laggard

laggard
lag·gard 
[lággərd] noun (plural lag·gards)

somebody
or something falling behind: somebody who or something
that falls behind and does not keep up with others
adjective

reluctant:
slow or reluctant to do something
[Early
18th century. Formed from lag 1 .]
—lag·gard·ly,
adverb, adjective

—lag·gard·ness, noun[1]



lagging

lagging
lag·ging 
[lágging] noun

1.  insulation
to stop heat from escaping: insulating material used to
keep heat from escaping, especially around a pipe or hot water tank

2.  BUILDING supporting
frame:
a wooden frame used in building, especially to support an arch while it is
being built

[1]



laggingindicator

laggingindicator
lag·ging
in·di·ca·tor or lag·ging ec·o·nom·ic
in·di·ca·tor noun

tardy sign of economic
trends: an economic statistic that
typically reflects how the economy was rather than how it is or will be[1]



lagniappe

lagniappe
la·gniappe 
[lan yáp, lán
yàp] (plural la·gniappes) noun Southern U.S.

1.  present
given to customer: a small present given by a
store to somebody who has just purchased something in the store

2.  unexpected
bonus:
an unexpected bonus or extra
[Mid-19th
century. Via Louisiana French from American Spanish la ñapa “the gift,”
from, ultimately, Quechua yapay, literally “to give more.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Lagniappe is primarily a Louisiana
  French term, although it is derived from American Spanish and Quechua. With
  scattered incidence to the east and west, recurrent forms outline the New
  Orleans area, where it is most common, across Lower Mississippi and East
  Texas.

[1]



lagomorph

lagomorph
lag·o·morph 
[lággə màwrf] (plural lag·o·morphs)
noun

plant-eating
mammal:
any plant-eating mammal with two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw
specifically adapted for gnawing, for example, the rabbit, hare, and pika.
Order: Lagomorpha
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Lagomorpha, order name, from,
ultimately, Greek lagōs “hare” + morphē “shape, form.”]
—lag·o·mor·phic
[làggə máwrfik], adjective

—lag·o·mor·phous [làggə máwrfəss], adjective[1]



lagoon

lagoon
la·goon 
[lə gn] (plural la·goons) noun

1.  partly-enclosed
area of seawater: a coastal body of shallow water formed
where low-lying rock, sand, or coral presents a partial barrier to the open sea

2.  small
lake:
a small lake adjoining a larger one

3.  human-made
pool of water: a shallow body of water or other liquid,
created by or near an industrial or waste site
[Early
17th century. Via Italian or Spanish laguna and French lagune
from Latin lacuna “hole, pit, pond” (see lacuna
).]
—la·goon·al, adjective[1]



Lagos

Lagos
La·gos 
[láy gòs]

the largest city, chief port,
and former capital of Nigeria. Population: 1,347,000 (1992)[1]



LaGrange

LaGrange
La
Grange 
[lə gráynj]

village in northeastern
Illinois, northeast of Downers Grove, a western suburb of Chicago. Population:
15,104 (1996)[1]



Lagrange,Joseph Louis

Lagrange,Joseph Louis
La·grange
[lə grnj], Joseph Louis, comte de l’Empire
(1736–1813)

Italian-born French
mathematician and astronomer. The author of Méchanique analytique ( 1788
), he pioneered many concepts in mechanics, algebra, and number theory.[1]



LaGuardia, Fiorello Henry

LaGuardia, Fiorello Henry
La
Guar·di·a
[lə gwrdee ə], Fiorello Henry (1882–1947)

U.S.
politician. He was a popular, and populist, reforming mayor of New York from
1933 to 1945.
Known as
The Little Flower[1]



LagunaBeach

LagunaBeach
La·gu·na
Beach 
[la gnə bch]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, situated 43 km/27 mi southeast of Long Beach.
Population: 23,170 (1990)[1]



LagunaHills

LagunaHills
La·gu·na
Hills
[la gnə hilz]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California. Population: 46,731 (1990)[1]



LagunaNiguel

LagunaNiguel
La·gu·na
Ni·guel
[lə gnə neejèl]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California. Population: 56,681 (1994)[1]



lah

lah
lah
noun

MUSIC
See la 2[1]



LaHabra

LaHabra
La
Ha·bra 
[lə hbrə]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, situated 31 km/19 mi northeast of Long Beach.
Population: 51,266 (1990)[1]



lahar

lahar
la·har 
[l hr] (plural la·hars) noun

landslide
of volcanic material: a landslide or mudflow of
volcanic debris, especially after a heavy rainfall
[Early 20th century. From
Javanese .][1]



Lahnda

Lahnda
Lah·nda
[lndə] noun

language
spoken in Pakistan: a language spoken in
Pakistan, related to Punjabi. It belongs to the Indic branch of the
Indo-European family of languages.
[Early
20th century. From Punjabi lahandā, literally “western.”]
—Lah·nda, adjective[1]



Lahore

Lahore
La·hore 
[lə háwr]

city and capital of Punjab
Province, northeastern Pakistan, about 257 km/160 mi southeast of Islamabad.
Population: 2,952,689 (1981)[1]



Lahti

Lahti
Lah·ti 
[lttee]

industrial city in southern
Finland, north of Helsinki. Population: 95,119 (1995)[1]



LAIA

LAIA
LAIA
noun

a trade association formed by
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru,
Uruguay, and Venezuela in 1980. Full form Latin American Integration
Association[1]



laic

laic
la·ic 
[láy ik] or la·i·cal [láy ik’l] adjective

involving
the laity:
relating to or involving followers of a religion who are not clergy
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin laicus from Greek laikos “of the people,”
from laos “people” (source of English lay
).]
—la·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



laicize

laicize
la·i·cize 
[láy i sz] (past la·i·cized, past
participle la·i·cized, present participle la·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular la·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

give
control of something to laity: to remove something
from control or governance by the church or the clergy and give control of it
to the lay community
—la·i·ci·za·tion [lày issi záysh’n], noun[1]



laid

laid
laid


Past tense of
lay 1 Past
participle of lay 1[1]



laid-back

laid-back
laid-back 
adjective

relaxed
and easygoing: very relaxed, easygoing, and unworried (informal)
—laid-back·ness, noun[1]



laidpaper

laidpaper
laid
pa·per
noun

paper with fine lines:
a paper with a watermark of fine lines on it that are produced in the
manufacturing process[1]



Lailat-ul-Qadr

Lailat-ul-Qadr
Lai·lat-ul-Qa·dr
[láy lat l kdər] noun

Islamic festival:
an Islamic festival, the Night of Power, celebrating the sending down of the
Koran to Muhammad and occurring on the 27th of Ramadan.
Also called
Al Kadr[1]



Laing,R. D.

Laing,R. D.
Laing
[lang], R. D. (1927–1989)

Scottish
psychiatrist. His radical views on schizophrenia were set out in The Divided
Self (1960). Other books include The Politics of Experience (1967)
and The Politics of the Family (1971).
Full name
Laing, Ronald David[1]



lair

lair
lair 
[lair] noun (plural lairs)

1.  wild
animal’s den: a place where a wild animal rests or
sleeps

2.  place
to be alone in: a retreat or hideaway (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past laired, past
participle laired, present participle lair·ing, 3rd
person present singular lairs)

go to a lair: to go
to a lair, or be taken or made to go to a lair (refers to an animal)
[Old English leger
“act of lying, bed, grave.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also
produced English lager 1, lay 1, and beleaguer .][1]



laird

laird
laird 
[laird] (plural lairds) noun

Scotland
landowner:
somebody who owns land, especially a large estate
[14th century. Variant of lord .][1]



laissez-faire

laissez-faire
lais·sez-faire 
[lè say fáir, lè
zày fáir] or lais·ser-faire [lè
say fáir, lè zày fáir] noun

1.  principle
of no regulation of industry: the principle that the
economy works best if private industry is not regulated and markets are free

2.  refusal
to interfere: refusal to interfere in other people’s
affairs, or the practice of letting people do as they wish
[From French, literally
“allow to do”][1]



laissez-passer

laissez-passer
lais·sez-pas·ser 
[lè say paa sáy, lè
zày paa sáy] (plural lais·sez-pas·sers) or lais·ser-pas·ser
[lè say paa sáy, lè
zày paa sáy] (plural lais·ser-pas·sers) noun

document
allowing free travel: a document that permits the
holder to travel freely, especially one given in lieu of a passport
[From French, literally
“allow to pass”][1]



laity

laity
la·i·ty 
[láy itee] plural noun

1.  lay
people rather than clergy: the followers of a religion
who are not clergy

2.  people
not in a particular profession: all the people who are
not members of a specific profession, as distinguished from those who are
members
[15th century. Formed from lay 2 .][1]



Laius

Laius
La·ius 
[láy əss, l əss]
noun

father of Oedipus:
a king of Thebes in Greek mythology, mistakenly killed by his son Oedipus[1]



lake

lake2
lake2 [layk]
noun

1.  translucent
pigment:
a bright translucent pigment that can be of different colors, made by combining
an organic dye with a metallic hydroxide or other inorganic substance

2.  red
pigment:
a red pigment made by combining cochineal with a metallic compound
[Early 17th century. Variant
of lac .][1]



lake

lake1
lake1 [layk]
(plural lakes) noun

1.  inland
body of water: a large body of water surrounded by land

2.  pool
of liquid:
a large pool of liquid that has collected or spilled somewhere • A
lake of hot grease covered the floor by the stove.
[Pre-12th
century. Directly and via Old French lac from Latin lacus “pond”
(source of English lacuna and lagoon ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Lady of the Lake, a poem by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott ( 1810 ). Set in
  early 16th-century Scotland, it describes the eventful courtship of Ellen,
  daughter of outlawed chieftain James of Douglas, who lives at Loch Katrine
  (the lake of the title). Regarded as one of Scott’s finest works, it is
  admired for its satisfying plot, strong characterization, and charming
  songs.“Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances!”, canto II, stanza 19, is a
  famed line in this work.

[1]



LakeDistrict

LakeDistrict
Lake
Dis·trict
[láyk dìstrikt]

region of mountains and lakes
in Cumbria, northwestern England. The district extends about 50 km/30 mi from
north to south and 40 km/25 mi from east to west.[1]



lakedwelling

lakedwelling
lake
dwell·ing
noun

home
built on stilts over a lake: a home or settlement built
on a platform supported by wooden posts over or by a shallow lake or river
edge, especially in prehistoric times
—lake dwell·er, noun[1]



lakeeffect

lakeeffect
lake
ef·fect
noun

large lake’s effect on
weather: the effect that a large lake
such as any of the Great Lakes has on the local weather[1]



LakeForest

LakeForest
Lake
For·est
[làyk fórrist]

suburban city in northeastern
Illinois, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan 50 km/30 mi north of Chicago.
Population: 18,296 (1996)[1]



lakefront

lakefront
lake·front 
[láyk frùnt] (plural lake·fronts)
noun

land at the edge of a lake:
the land along the shores of a lake.
Also called
lakeshore
Also called
lakeside[1]



LakeGeorge

LakeGeorge
Lake
George
[làyk jáwrj]

historic village and county
seat of Warren County, eastern New York State, situated on the southern end of
Lake George 64 km/40 mi northeast of Amsterdam. Population: 3,211 (1990)[1]



LakeHavasu City

LakeHavasu City
Lake
Hav·a·su City  [layk hàvvə
s síttee]

city in Mohave County,
Arizona, situated on Lake Havasu on the Colorado River, bordering California.
Population: 39,503 (1996)[1]



lakeherring

lakeherring
lake
her·ring
noun

food fish:
a food fish related to the whitefish and found in the Great Lakes. Latin name: Coregonus
artedii[1]



Lakelandterrier

Lakelandterrier
Lake·land
ter·ri·er
[láyklənd tèrree ər] (plural Lake·land
ter·ri·ers) noun

breed
of terrier:
a wire-haired terrier with a black and tan coat, originally bred in England for
foxhunting
[Early 20th century. Named
for Lakeland, a name for the Lake District in northwestern England,
where the breed originated.][1]



Lakeof the Woods

Lakeof the Woods
Lake
of the Woods [làyk əv thə
wdz]

lake in central North
America, on the border between the United States and Canada. It includes
hundreds of wooded islands. Area: 4,390 sq km/1,695 sq mi.[1]



LakePoets

LakePoets
Lake
Po·ets
noun

group of 19C English poets:
the poets Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey, who lived in the Lake District in
northwestern England in the early 19th century[1]



laker

laker
lak·er 
[láykər] (plural lak·ers) noun

1.  SHIPPING vessel
sailing on lakes: a boat or ship that is used on lakes
rather than the sea

2.  ZOOLOGY fish
living in a lake: a fish living in a lake rather than the
sea, for example, a lake trout

[1]



lakeshore

lakeshore
lake·shore 
[láyk shàwr] (plural lake·shores)
noun

See
lakefront[1]



lakeside

lakeside
lake·side 
[láyk sd] noun

See
lakefront[1]



laketrout

laketrout
lake
trout
noun

1.  N
American fish: a fish of the salmon family, native to
deep North American lakes. Latin name: Salvelinus namayacush
Also
called
mackinaw trout
Also
called
togue

2.  U.K.
See brown trout

[1]



LakeWorth

LakeWorth
Lake
Worth 
[làyk wúrth]

city in Palm Beach County,
southeastern Florida, situated on Lake Worth 10 km/6 mi south of West Palm
Beach. Population: 28,564 (1990)[1]



lakh

lakh
lakh
[laak] (plural lakhs or
lakh) or lac [laak] (plural
lacs or lac) noun

South
Asia
hundred
thousand:
the number 100,000, used especially for referring to sums of rupees
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi lākh from Sanskrit lakṣam “mark, token, 100,000.”][1]



Lakota

Lakota
La·ko·ta 
[lə kṓtə] noun (plural La·ko·tas
or La·ko·ta) adjective

PEOPLES See Teton
[Mid-19th century. From
Lakota lakhóta .][1]



laks

laks
laks
[ləks] noun

lox:
smoked salmon[1]



laksa

laksa
lak·sa
[láksə] (plural lak·sas) noun

noodle:
a Malaysian or Singaporean rice noodle, slightly thicker than spaghetti, often
served in a spicy fish sauce or soup[1]



Lakshmi

Lakshmi
Lak·shmi
[lúkshmee] or Lak·smi [lúkshmee] noun

Hindu goddess of prosperity:
the Hindu goddess of prosperity, wealth, and royalty, and wife of the god
Vishnu.
Also called
Sri[1]



laky

laky
la·ky
[láykee] adjective

somewhat red:
of a reddish or crimson color similar to a red form of the pigment lake[1]



la-la

la-la
la-la
adjective

unreal
or dreamy:
fantastical or divorced from reality (slang)
noun
La-La

Los
Angeles:
Los Angeles (slang) (often used ironically) • moving
to La-La
[From the abbreviation of Los
Angeles, LA][1]



lalang

lalang
la·lang 
[l lng] noun

coarse
Malaysian grass: a tall coarse tropical grass that grows
in the Malay Archipelago. Latin name: Imperata arundinacea
[Late 18th century. From
Malay.][1]



lalapalooza

lalapalooza
la·la·pa·loo·za 
noun

(informal) See lollapalooza[1]



-lalia

-lalia
-lalia
suffix

speech,
speech disorder • echolalia
[From Greek lalia
“talk,” from lalein “to talk”][1]



Laliqueglass

Laliqueglass
La·lique
glass 
[lə lk glàss] noun

Art Nouveau glassware:
ornamental frosted glassware decorated with bas-relief figures, fruits, and
flowers, designed by the French Art Nouveau craftsperson René Lalique[1]



Lallans

Lallans
Lal·lans
[lállənz] or Lal·lan [lállən] adjective

of
or about Lowland Scots: relating to the Lowlands of
Scotland or any of the dialects of Scots spoken there
[Early 18th century. Variant
of Lowlands, lowland .][1]



lallation

lallation
lal·la·tion 
[la láysh’n] noun

wrong
pronunciation of “r”: a mispronunciation of “r,”
especially one that sounds like “l”
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
lallare “to sing a lullaby.”][1]



lallygag

lallygag
lal·ly·gag 
intransitive verb

See
lollygag[1]



Lam.

Lam.
Lam.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Lamentations[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lam.

lam.
lam.

Abbreviation of
laminated[1]



lam

lam1
lam1 [lam]
(past lammed, past participle lammed, present
participle lam·ming, 3rd person present singular lams)
verb (informal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
hard:
to hit somebody or something hard

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
angrily:
to speak angrily to somebody
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



lam

lam2
lam2 [lam]
noun

hasty
escape:
a hasty escape, especially to avoid arrest
intransitive
verb
(past lammed, past participle lammed, present
participle lam·ming, 3rd person present singular lams)

escape
hastily:
to escape or run away, especially from the law (informal)
[Late
19th century. From lam 1 . The phrase beat it “to run
away” has a similar origin.]
on
the lam

making a hasty escape,
especially from the law (informal)[1]



lama

lama
la·ma 
[lmə] (plural la·mas) noun

1.  Buddhist
monk:
a Tibetan or Mongolian Buddhist monk

2.  title
for a reincarnated Buddhist: a title used for those
individuals who are believed to be the reincarnations of a Bodhisattva
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of Tibetan bla-ma .][1]



Lamaism

Lamaism
La·ma·ism 
[lmə ìzzəm] noun

form
of Buddhism: a form of Mahayana Buddhism practiced in
Tibet and Mongolia that has non-Buddhist elements from India and from Bon, an
older nature-worshipping religion. Lamaist monks, or lamas, are led by the
Dalai Lama, a temporal as well as spiritual ruler.
Also
called
Tibetan Buddhism
—La·ma·ist,
noun, adjective

—La·ma·is·tic [lmə ístik], adjective[1]



LaMancha

LaMancha
La
Man·cha 
[laa mnchə]

barren plateau region in
south central Spain[1]



Lamarckism

Lamarckism
La·marck·ism 
[lə mr kìzzəm] noun

theory
of evolution by acquired characteristics: the
evolutionary theory of the French naturalist Jean Baptiste Lamarck that holds
that evolution proceeds through the inheritance of characteristics acquired by
individual organisms, for example, through intensive use
—La·marck·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Lamarck,Jean Baptiste

Lamarck,Jean Baptiste
La·marck
[lə mrk], Jean Baptiste, Chevalier de
(1744–1829)

French
naturalist and evolutionist. His theory that evolution proceeded by the
inheritance of acquired characteristics was superseded by Darwin’s theory of
natural selection.

—La·marck·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Lamar,Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus

Lamar,Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus
Lamar
[lə mr], Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus
(1825–1893)

U.S. jurist. He served on the
U.S. Supreme Court twice, 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897, and was a strong
advocate of the rights of the states.[1]



lamasery

lamasery
la·ma·ser·y 
[lmə sèrree] (plural la·ma·ser·ies)
noun

monastery
of lamas:
a Tibetan or Mongolian monastery of lamas
[Mid-19th century. From
French lamaserie, literally “lama dwelling,” from lama lama .][1]



LaMauricie National Park

LaMauricie National Park
La
Mauricie National Park [laa
màwri s nashən’l prk]

national park situated due
west of Quebec City, in the Laurentian Mountains, southern Quebec, Canada.
Area: 536 sq km/206 sq mi.[1]



Lamaze

Lamaze
La·maze 
[lə mz] noun

method
of natural childbirth: a method of natural
childbirth by which a woman is physically and psychologically prepared through
prenatal training. Lamaze encourages the use of controlled breathing and the
participation of the woman’s partner during the process of childbirth.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the French physician Fernand Lamaze (1890–1957), its originator.][1]



lamb

lamb
lamb 
[lam] noun (plural lambs)

1.  ZOOLOGY young
sheep:
an immature sheep, especially one under a year old and without permanent teeth

2.  meat
of a lamb:
the meat of an immature sheep that is under a year old

3.  See
lambskin

4.  somebody
meek and mild: somebody who is gentle and innocent,
especially a baby or small child

5.  somebody
easily deceived: somebody who is easily cheated,
especially financially
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lambed, past
participle lambed, present participle lamb·ing, 3rd
person present singular lambs)

AGRICULTURE bear
a lamb:
to give birth to a lamb
[Old
English, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
like
a lamb to the slaughter

calmly and without resistance
going to face something unpleasant, difficult, or dangerous[1]



Lamba

Lamba
Lam·ba
[lámbə, lmbə]
noun

language
spoken in Benin: a language spoken in parts of Benin that
belongs to the Gur branch of Niger-Congo languages. Lamba is spoken by about
29,000 people.
[Early
20th century. From Bantu.]
—Lam·ba, adjective[1]



lambada

lambada
lam·ba·da 
[lam bdə] noun

1.  Latin
American dance: an athletic erotic dance originating in
Brazil, in which partners hold each other close and gyrate their hips in unison

2.  Brazilian
dance music: the fast rhythmic music for the lambada
[Late 20th century. From
Brazilian Portuguese, literally “a beating, a lashing.”][1]



Lambaréné

Lambaréné
Lam·ba·ré·né
[làmbə rnee, loNbə
ráynay]

capital of Moyen-Ogooué
Region, western Gabon. Population: 42,316 (1993)[1]



lambaste

lambaste
lam·baste 
[lam báyst] (past lam·bast·ed,
past participle lam·bast·ed, present participle lam·bast·ing,
3rd person present singular lam·bastes) or lam·bast
[lam bást] (past lam·bast·ed, past
participle lam·bast·ed, present participle lam·bast·ing,
3rd person present singular lam·basts) transitive verb

1.  criticize
strongly:
to criticize somebody or something severely

2.  whip:
to beat or whip somebody (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From lam 1 + baste “to beat.”][1]



Lamb,Charles

Lamb,Charles
Lamb
[lam], Charles (1775–1834)

British
essayist. He was a prose stylist of great clarity whose books include Essays
of Elia (1823).
Pseudonym
Elia[1]



lambda

lambda
lamb·da 
[lámdə] (plural lamb·das) noun

1.  11th
letter of Greek alphabet: the 11th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “l”

2.  ANATOMY junction
in skull:
the point of junction at the center of the back of the cranium between the rear
plate of the cranium ( occipital bone ) and
the two upper plates ( parietal bones ).
This junction is said to resemble the Greek capital letter lambda.
See
also
lambdoid
[Early 17th century. From
Greek .][1]



lambdacalculus

lambdacalculus
lamb·da
cal·cu·lus
noun

description of logical
functions: a descriptive theory of
functions and the way they combine, used as the basis for certain high-level
computer programming languages[1]



lambdacism

lambdacism
lamb·da·cism 
[lámdə sìzzəm] noun

mispronunciation
of “r”:
the erroneous substitution of “l” for “r” in speech
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek la(m)bdakismos, from la(m)bda (see lambda ).][1]



lambdoid

lambdoid
lamb·doid 
[lám dòyd] or lamb·doidal [lam dóyd’l] adjective

shaped like lambda:
used to describe the suture that joins bones at the back of the skull, shaped
like the Greek capitalized lambda[1]



lambent

lambent
lam·bent 
[lámbənt] adjective

1.  gleaming:
softly gleaming or glowing (literary)

2.  playing
over a surface: flickering or playing as a flame over a
surface without burning it (literary)

3.  brilliantly
light:
having a light but brilliant touch
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin lambent-, the present participle stem of lambere
“to lick.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English lap 3 .]
—lam·ben·cy,
noun

—lam·bent·ly, adverb[1]



lambert

lambert
lam·bert 
[lámbərt] (plural lam·berts) noun

unit
of surface brightness: an SI unit of surface
brightness ( luminance ) equivalent to one
lumen per square centimeter
[Late 19th century. Named for
Johann Heinrich Lambert (1728–1777), German scientist, in honor of his
work on the measurement of light intensity and absorption.][1]



Lambethwalk

Lambethwalk
Lam·beth
walk
[làmbəth wàwk] or Lam·beth Walk
[làmbəth wàwk] noun

popular
dance of 1930s: a lively ballroom dance originating and
popularized in England during the 1930s
[Mid-19th century. Named for
a street in Lambeth, a borough in southern London.][1]



lambie

lambie
lam·bie
[lámmee] noun

Caribbean
edible conch:
tenderized conch flesh used for food[1]



lambing

lambing
lamb·ing
[lámming] noun

1.  birth
of lambs:
the birth of lambs, or the season when they are born

2.  delivery
of baby lambs: the work of helping ewes give birth to
lambs

[1]



lambkill

lambkill
lamb·kill 
[lám kil] (plural lamb·kills or
lamb·kill) noun

BOTANY
See sheep laurel[1]



lambkin

lambkin
lamb·kin
[lámkin] (plural lamb·kins) noun

baby lamb:
an infant lamb, sometimes used as a term of endearment for a baby or small
child[1]



Lambof God

Lambof God
Lamb
of God
noun

Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ, seen as a sacrifice whose crucifixion and resurrection redeemed
humankind[1]



lambrequin

lambrequin
lam·bre·quin 
[lámbrəkin, lámbərkin]
(plural lam·bre·quins) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD ornamental
hanging:
a decorative strip of drapery, hung along the top of a doorway, window, shelf,
or mantelpiece

2.  HISTORY scarf
attached to a knight’s helmet: a veil, scarf, or
piece of drapery attached to a knight’s helmet to protect it from heat and rust

3.  HERALDRY See mantling

4.  CERAMICS ornamental
border on a vase: a decorative border near the top of a
vase
[Early 18th century. Via
French from assumed Dutch, literally “small veil,” from lamper “veil.”][1]



Lambrusco

Lambrusco
Lam·brus·co
[lam brs kō] (plural Lam·brus·cos)
noun

sparkling
Italian wine: a sweet sparkling red or white wine from
northern Italy
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian from Latin labruscum “fruit of the wild grape Vitis labrusca,”
from labrusca, the species name.][1]



lambskin

lambskin
lamb·skin 
[lám skìn] (plural lamb·skins)
noun

1.  woolly
lamb’s pelt: the woolly pelt of a lamb, used for
making or trimming winter clothing.
Also
called
lamb

2.  lamb’s
hide:
the hide of a lamb, prepared as leather

[1]



lambswool

lambswool
lambs·wool 
or lamb’s wool noun

wool from year-old lamb:
fine soft wool, especially the wool sheared from a year-old lamb, often used
for knitwear[1]



Lambton,John George

Lambton,John George
Lambton
[lámtən], John George, 1st Earl of Durham
(1792–1840)

British colonial
administrator. He served briefly as governor-general of Canada (1838). His
report on the status of Canada paved the way for eventual self-government.[1]



lamb’slettuce

lamb’slettuce
lamb’s
let·tuce 
noun

BOTANY See corn salad
[Translation of its old Latin
name lactuca agnina][1]



lamb’squarters

lamb’squarters
lamb’s
quar·ters
noun

BOTANY
See pigweed[1]



lame

lame1
lame1  [laym]
adjective (comparative lam·er, superlative lam·est)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning walking unevenly because of a leg injury or motion
impairment (offensive when used of people)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning injured, or with impaired strength or motion (offensive
when used of people)

3.  unconvincing:
inadequate, unconvincing, or unsatisfactory (offensive in some contexts)

4.  ineffective:
ineffectual or inept (offensive in some contexts)

5.  boring
and old-fashioned: boring, old-fashioned, and
neither streetwise nor having street credibility (slang) (offensive
in some contexts)
transitive
verb
(past lamed, past participle lamed, present
participle lam·ing, 3rd person present singular lames)

offensive term:
a term, often offensive, meaning to cause a person or animal to be unable to
walk evenly because of injury or impairment (offensive when used of a person)
[Old
English lama, from prehistoric Germanic, “weak-limbed” (source also of
Dutch lam “unable to move”). Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to break by hitting” (ancestor also of English lambaste ).]
—lame·ness, noun[1]



lame

lame2
lame2  [laym]
(plural lames) noun

thin
metal plate in armor: a thin plate of metal,
especially one of the overlapping metal plates of which medieval armor was made
from the mid-14th century
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin lamina (see lamina
).][1]



lamebrain

lamebrain
lame·brain 
[láym bràyn] (plural lame·brains)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (informal
insult)
—lame·brained, adjective[1]



lamed

lamed
la·med
[l mèd] or la·medh [l mèd] noun

12th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 12th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “l”
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew lāmēdh .][1]



lameduck

lameduck
lame
duck
(plural lame ducks) noun

1.  POLITICS outgoing
office holder with weakened power: an elected official or
group left seemingly powerless after a successor has been elected but has not
yet taken over

2.  POLITICS office
holder unable to be reelected: an elected official
who either will not or may not legally run for another term in office and has
reduced power or effectiveness

3.  somebody
or something weak: somebody who or something
that is weak, inadequate, or unfortunate, especially somebody requiring special
help

[1]



lamella

lamella
la·mel·la 
[lə méllə] (plural la·mel·lae
[lə mé l]) noun

1.  ANATOMY thin
piece of bone: any thin flat structure of bone or
tissue

2.  FUNGI part
of fungus:
a gill of a fungus

3.  BOTANY connective
layer:
a cementing layer between two plant cells

4.  CONSTRUCTION structural
part of vault: a structural part of wood, metal, or
reinforced concrete that is crisscrossed to form a vault
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “small thin plate,” from lamina (see
lamina ).]
—la·mel·lar,
adjective

—la·mel·lar·ly, adverb[1]



lamellate

lamellate
la·mel·late 
[lə mé làyt, lə
méllət, lámmə làyt] adjective

consisting
of or resembling layers: arranged in, composed of, or
resembling layers
—lam·el·la·ted
[lámmə làytəd], adjective

—lam·el·la·tion [làmmə láysh’n], noun[1]



lamelli-

lamelli-
lamelli-
prefix

lamella
• lamelliform
[From lamella][1]



lamellibranch

lamellibranch
la·mel·li·branch 
[lə mélli brànk] (plural la·mel·li·branch·es)
noun

ZOOLOGY See bivalve
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Lamellibranchia, genus name, from Latin lamella
(see lamella ) + Greek bragkhia
“gills.”]
—la·mel·li·branch·i·ate
[lə mèlli bránkee ət, lə mèlli bránkee àyt], adjective, noun[1]



lamellicorn

lamellicorn
la·mel·li·corn 
[lə mélli kàwrn] adjective

with
layered segmented antennae: used to describe a beetle
such as the dung beetle, stag beetle, or chafer that has antennae composed of
layered segments
noun
(plural la·mel·li·corns)

lamellicorn
beetle:
a beetle with layered antennae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Lamellicornia, former family name, from Latin lamella
(see lamella ) + cornu “horn.”][1]



lamelliform

lamelliform
la·mel·li·form 
[lə mélli fàwrm] adjective

shaped
like a thin plate: shaped like a thin plate or
scale
[Early 19th century. Coined
from lamella + -form
.][1]



lamely

lamely
lame·ly
[láymlee] adverb

inadequately:
inadequately, unconvincingly, or ineptly[1]



lament

lament
la·ment 
[lə mént] intransitive and transitive
verb (past la·ment·ed, past participle la·ment·ed,
present participle la·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular
la·ments)

1.  be
sad about something: to express sorrow about
something

2.  express
disappointed regret: to express regret,
annoyance, or disappointment • She
was lamenting the lack of funding for her project.
noun
(plural la·ments)

1.  expression
of sadness:
an expression of grief or sorrow

2.  expression
of regret:
an expression of regret or disappointment

3.  MUSIC POETRY work lamenting a death:
a song or poem of mourning
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin lamentari, from lamenta
“laments.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word, imitative of the sound of
crying (ancestor also of English lullaby
).]
—la·ment·er,
noun

—la·ment·ing·ly, adverb[1]



lamentable

lamentable
la·men·ta·ble 
[lə méntəb’l, lámməntəb’l]
adjective

1.  disappointingly
bad:
unsatisfactory, pitiful, or deplorable

2.  mournful:
sad and mournful (literary)
—la·men·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—lam·en·ta·bly, adverb[1]



lamentation

lamentation
lam·en·ta·tion 
[làmmən táysh’n] (plural lam·en·ta·tions)
noun

expression
of woe:
an act or expression of grief or sorrow
[14th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin lamentari (see lament ).][1]



Lamentations

Lamentations
Lam·en·ta·tions
[làmmən táysh’nz] noun

book of the Bible:
a book of the Bible written in the form of elegies, according to tradition, by
Jeremiah (takes a singular verb)[1]



lamented

lamented
la·ment·ed 
[lə méntəd] adjective

mourned:
dead or departed and grieved for
—la·ment·ed·ly, adverb[1]



LaMesa

LaMesa
La
Me·sa 
[lə msə]

city in San Diego County,
southwestern California, situated 13 km/8 mi east of San Diego. Population:
52,931 (1990)[1]



lamia

lamia
la·mi·a 
[láymee ə] (plural la·mi·as or
la·mi·ae [láymee ]) noun

classical
monster:
in Greek and Roman mythology, a blood-sucking witch who takes the form of a
serpent to threaten children
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek, “mythical monster, carnivorous fish.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “nocturnal spirits,” which is also the ancestor of English lemures .][1]



lamina

lamina
lam·i·na 
[lámmənə] (plural lam·i·nae [lámmənee] or lam·i·nas) noun

1.  thin
layer:
a thin plate, layer, or flake

2.  BOTANY leaf
blade:
the blade or flat part of a leaf

3.  ZOOLOGY protective
plate inside a hoof: in hoofed mammals, any of
the parallel layers of sensitive tissue just inside the hard exterior of the
hoof
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “plate, leaf” (source of English lamé
and omelette ).][1]



laminal

laminal
lam·i·nal
[lámmən’l] adjective

sounded with the flat part of
the tongue: articulated using the blade
or flat part of the tongue[1]



laminarflow

laminarflow
lam·i·nar
flow
[lámmənər] noun

smooth layered flow:
a type of flow in a liquid or gas in which neighboring layers do not mix and
flow at different velocities[1]



laminaria

laminaria
lam·i·nar·i·a 
[làmmə náiree ə] noun

seaweed:
a large brown seaweed ( kelp ) that has
broad flat fronds. Genus: Laminaria
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Laminaria, genus name, from Latin lamina (see lamina ), from the thin appendages.][1]



laminarin

laminarin
lam·i·nar·in 
[làmmə náirin] (plural lam·i·nar·ins)
noun

algae
carbohydrate: a carbohydrate occurring in brown algae
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Laminaria (see laminaria
).][1]



laminate

laminate
lam·i·nate 
[lámmə nàyt] verb (past lam·i·nat·ed,
past participle lam·i·nat·ed, present participle lam·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular lam·i·nates)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something with a thin layer: to cover something with a
thin sheet of protective material, for example, plastic or metal

2.  transitive
verb
bond
layers together: to bond sheets or layers together so as
to produce a strong and durable composite material • Wood
veneers were laminated to produce a cheap and durable alternative to expensive
hardwoods for furniture-making.

3.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY form
metal into thin layers: to roll or beat metal into
thin sheets

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
into layers: to split something, or be split, into
thin layers
noun
(plural lam·i·nates)

material made up of bonded layers:
a product composed of layers or sheets bonded together
adjective

in layers:
composed of or with layers
—lam·in·a·ble,
adjective

—lam·i·na·tor, noun[1]



laminated

laminated
lam·i·nat·ed 
[lámmə nàytəd] adjective

1.  made
of bonded layers: composed of layers bonded together

2.  covered
with a thin layer: covered with a thin layer of
plastic or metal

[1]



lamination

lamination
lam·i·na·tion 
[làmmə náysh’n] (plural lam·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  process
of bonding layers: the bonding together of thin
layers of materials to form a composite material

2.  formation
of layers:
the formation of layers in something

3.  thin
layer:
a thin layer in something (technical)

4.  thinly-layered
structure:
a structure composed of thin layers

5.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING thin
steel plate in transformer core: one of a number of
thin steel or iron plates that are held together to form a transformer core

[1]



laminectomy

laminectomy
lam·i·nec·to·my 
[làmmə néktəmee] (plural lam·i·nec·to·mies)
noun

operation to reach the spinal
cord: a surgical operation to
remove one or more sides of the rear arches of a spinal vertebra and gain
access to the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots[1]



LamingtonNational Park

LamingtonNational Park
Lam·ing·ton
Na·tion·al Park [làmmingtən
náshənəl prk]

national park in southeastern
Queensland, Australia[1]



LamingtonPlateau

LamingtonPlateau
Lam·ing·ton
Pla·teau
[làmmingtən pláttō]

high mountain plateau
situated in the Macpherson Range, Lamington National Park, Queensland,
Australia[1]



laminitis

laminitis
lam·i·ni·tis 
[làmmə ntiss] noun

inflammation of the hoof:
inflammation of the sensitive plates of tissue in a hoof, especially a horse’s
hoof, usually causing lameness. It is one of the most serious equine hoof
diseases.
Also called
founder[1]



LaMirada

LaMirada
La
Mi·ra·da 
[l mə rdə]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, situated 21 km/13 mi southeast of Los Angeles.
Population: 40,452 (1990)[1]



Lammas

Lammas
Lam·mas 
[lámməss] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
religious feast on August 1: a Christian religious feast
on August 1 to celebrate St Peter’s deliverance from prison

2.  CALENDAR August
1:
the first day of August, originally celebrated in England as a harvest
festival. In Scotland, Lammas was formerly one of the quarter days.
[Old English hlāfmæsse,
from earlier forms of loaf + mass “liturgy”; altered through folk etymology by
association with lamb][1]



lammergeier

lammergeier
lam·mer·gei·er 
[lámmər gr] (plural lam·mer·gei·ers)
or lam·mer·gey·er [lámmər gr]
(plural lam·mer·gey·ers) noun

large
vulture:
a large rare vulture found in mountainous areas in southern Europe, Africa, and
Asia, with dark wings and dark feathers that resemble a beard around its beak.
Latin name: Gypaetus barbatus
Also
called
bearded vulture
[Early 19th century. From
German Lämmergeier, literally “lambs’ vulture,” because it can prey upon
animals of that size.][1]



LaMothe, Antoine Laumet de

LaMothe, Antoine Laumet de
La
Mothe
[la mót], Antoine Laumet de, Sieur de
Cadillac (1658–1730)

French-born Canadian colonial
administrator. He founded present-day Detroit (1701) and served as the governor
of Louisiana (1710–1717).[1]



lamp

lamp
lamp 
[lamp] (plural lamps) noun

1.  device
producing electric light: a device that produces
electric light

2.  device
producing light: a device that burns oil, gas, or wax to
produce light

3.  radiation
source:
a device that supplies ultraviolet light or infrared heat radiation, especially
for medical or cosmetic treatment • sun
lamp

4.  source
of enlightenment: a source of enlightenment or inspiration
(literary)
[12th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek lampas “burning torch,” later “oil lamp,” from lampein
“to shine” (source of English lantern
).][1]



lampas

lampas
lam·pas
[lámpəss] noun

cloth
like damask: an ornately patterned cloth resembling
damask, especially one made of silk, that is used for upholstery
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from or related to obsolete Dutch lampers
“a kind of crape.”][1]



lampblack

lampblack
lamp·black 
[lámp blàk] noun

powdered carbon:
a fine powdery form of carbon that is deposited when oils containing carbon are
burned. It is used as a pigment, a printing ink, and in electrodes.[1]



lampbrushchromosome

lampbrushchromosome
lamp·brush
chro·mo·some  [lámp brush
krmə sōm] (plural lamp·brush chro·mo·somes) noun

type
of chromosome: an enlarged chromosome covered with fine
loops of chromatin, observed during cell division in many organisms
[Lampbrush a loose
translation of German Lampencylinderputzer, literally “lamp-glass
cleaner,” coined by J. Rückert because it resembles a brush for the inside of a
lampshade.][1]



lampchimney

lampchimney
lamp
chim·ney
noun

glass tube covering a lamp
flame: a glass cover that is placed
over the wick of an oil or kerosene lamp to protect and control the flame.
Also called
lamp glass[1]



lampereel

lampereel
lam·per
eel 
[lámpər eel] noun

See
lamprey
[Early 16th century. Lamper
probably from a variant of lamprey .][1]



lampglass

lampglass
lamp
glass
(plural lamp glass·es) noun

See
lamp chimney[1]



lampion

lampion
lam·pi·on 
[lámpee ən] (plural lam·pi·ons)
noun

lamp
used on carriages: a small oil lamp, usually
with a tinted glass chimney, formerly popular as a carriage light
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Italian lampione, literally “large lamp,” from lampa “lamp,”
from French lampe (see lamp ).][1]



lamplight

lamplight
lamp·light 
[lámp lt] noun

light
from a lamp: the light cast by a lamp
—lam·plit, adjective[1]



lamplighter

lamplighter
lamp·light·er 
[lámp ltər] (plural lamp·light·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
employed to light street lamps: somebody who was
employed to light the gas lamps along a street in times before the introduction
of electricity

2.  device
for lighting lamps: a device used to light lamps

[1]



Lampman,Archibald

Lampman,Archibald
Lampman
[lámpmən], Archibald (1861–1899)

Canadian poet. He was best
known for his nature poems.[1]



lampoil

lampoil
lamp
oil
noun

1.  oil
for lamps:
oil suitable as lamp fuel

2.  kerosene:
kerosene (regional)

[1]



lampoon

lampoon
lam·poon 
[lam pn] noun (plural lam·poons)

satirical
attack in writing or verse: a piece of satirical writing
or verse ridiculing somebody or something
transitive
verb
(past lam·pooned, past participle lam·pooned, present
participle lam·poon·ing, 3rd person present singular lam·poons)

satirize
with ridicule: to use ridicule as a way of satirizing
somebody or something in a piece of writing
[Mid-17th
century. From French lampon, of uncertain origin: perhaps from lampons
“let us drink!” (used as a refrain in songs), a form of lamper “to gulp
down.”]
—lam·poon·er,
noun

—lam·poon·er·y,
noun

—lam·poon·ist, noun[1]



lamppost

lamppost
lamp·post 
[lámp pst] (plural lamp·posts)
or lamp post [lámp pst] (plural
lamp posts) noun

post supporting a
streetlight: a post or pillar that
supports a streetlight[1]



lamprey

lamprey
lam·prey 
[lámpree] (plural lam·preys) or
lam·prey eel [lámpree] (plural
lam·prey eels) noun

freshwater
jawless fish: a freshwater jawless fish that has a
round sucking mouth for attaching itself to other fish and, in the case of
adults, feeding parasitically on their blood. Family: Petromyzontidae
Also
called
lamper eel
[13th century. Via Old French
lampreie from medieval Latin lampreda (source also of English limpet ), perhaps from lampetra,
literally “stone-licker,” because it clings to rocks with its mouth.][1]



lamprophyre

lamprophyre
lam·pro·phyre 
[lámprə fr] (plural lam·pro·phyres)
noun

igneous
rock:
an igneous rock that occurs mainly as an intrusion or dike containing large
crystals, especially of biotite and mica
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “shining porphyry.”][1]



lampshade

lampshade
lamp·shade 
[lámp shàyd] (plural lamp·shades)
noun

cover for lamp:
a cover, typically decorative, used to moderate and direct artificial light
from a lamp[1]



lampshell

lampshell
lamp
shell
(plural lamp shells) noun

See
brachiopod
[From its resemblance to an
ancient oil lamp and its wick][1]



lampworking

lampworking
lamp·work·ing 
[lámp wùrking] noun

using flame to make glass
items: the process or technique of
forming glass items made of rods and tubes by heating them with an oxygen-gas
flame[1]



Lamut

Lamut
La·mut
[lə mt] noun

language
spoken in eastern Siberia: a language spoken in parts
of eastern Siberia, belonging to the Manchu-Tungus branch of the Altaic
languages. Lamut is spoken by about 12,000 people.
[Early
18th century. Via Russian from Evenki, literally “those living by the sea,”
from lamu “sea.”]
—La·mut, adjective[1]



lamé

lamé
la·mé 
[la máy] noun

fabric
with metallic weave: a fabric that has metallic
threads, especially gold or silver, interwoven with silk, wool, or cotton
[Early 20th century. From
French, “worked with silver and gold thread,” from Old French lame “thin
metal plate,” from Latin lamina (see lamina
).][1]



LAN

LAN
LAN 
[lan] (plural LANs)

COMPUT
Abbreviation of local area network[1]



lanai

lanai
la·nai 
[lə n] (plural la·nais) noun

Hawaiian
porch:
in Hawaii, an open roofed porch or veranda, often used as a living room
[Early 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



lanate

lanate
la·nate 
[láy nàyt] adjective

woolly:
covered with or consisting of woolly hairs
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
lanatus, from lana “wool” (source of English lanolin ).][1]



Lancaster,Burt

Lancaster,Burt
Lan·cas·ter 
[láng kəstər], Burt (1913–1994)

U.S. actor. His movies
include From Here To Eternity (1953), Elmer Gantry (1960), The
Swimmer (1968), and Local Hero (1983).[1]



Lancastrian

Lancastrian
Lan·cas·tri·an
[lang kástree ən] adjective

1.  belonging
to Lancashire: belonging or relating to Lancashire or
Lancaster in England

2.  HISTORY connected
with the Lancaster royal family: belonging to or
supporting the royal house of Lancaster, especially during the 15th-century
Wars of the Roses
noun
(plural Lan·cas·tri·ans)

1.  somebody
from Lancashire in England: somebody who was born or
raised or who lives in Lancashire or Lancaster in England

2.  HISTORY partisan
of the Lancaster royal family: somebody who belonged
to or supported the royal house of Lancaster, especially during the Wars of the
Roses when the Yorkists and Lancastrians fought for the throne of England

[1]



lance

lance
lance 
[lans] noun (plural lanc·es)

1.  long
cavalry spear: a long weapon with a metal point carried
by cavalry in battle

2.  HUNTING hunting
or fishing spear: a long pointed spear used in hunting or
fishing

3.  METALLURGY metal-piercing
device:
a thin metal tube or pipe through which a stream of oxygen is directed at a
heated metal surface in order to pierce it

4.  SURGERY lancet:
a lancet (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past lanced, past participle lanced, present
participle lanc·ing, 3rd person present singular lanc·es)

MEDICINE pierce
something with a sharp instrument: to pierce flesh with a
sharp instrument to let out pus
[13th century. Via French
from Latin lancea (source of English launch
), of uncertain origin: probably from Celtic .][1]



lancecorporal

lancecorporal
lance
cor·po·ral
(plural lance cor·po·rals) noun

1.  Marine
rank:
a Marine who ranks above private first class but below corporal

2.  rank
of noncommissioned officer: the first rank above private
soldier in the British army or the Royal Marines
[From obsolete lancepesade
“officer of lowest rank,” via Old French from Old Italian lancia spezzata,
literally “broken lance,” hence “old soldier”][1]



lancelet

lancelet
lance·let 
[lánslət] (plural lance·lets) noun

small
marine animal: a small slender translucent marine
animal that is related to the ancestors of all vertebrate animals and lives
buried in sand. Subphylum: Cephalochordata
Also
called
amphioxus
[Mid-16th century. Originally
used for “lancet,” it disappeared in the 17th century but was revived in the
modern sense in the 19th century.][1]



Lancelot

Lancelot
Lan·ce·lot 
[lánsələt]

knight of the Round Table:
in Arthurian legend, the most famous of King Arthur’s knights and the lover of
Queen Guinevere[1]



lanceolate

lanceolate

lan·ce·o·late 
[lánsee ələt, lánsee
ə làyt] adjective
lance-shaped:
tapering to a point like the head of a lance • lanceolate
leaves
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin lanceolatus, from Latin lanceola,
literally “small lance,” from lancea “lance” (see lance ).]
—lan·ce·o·late·ly, adverb[1]



lancer

lancer
lanc·er 
[lánsər] (plural lanc·ers) or
Lanc·er [lánsər] (plural Lanc·ers)
noun

cavalry soldier using a
lance: a soldier on horseback armed
with a lance[1]



lancers

lancers
lanc·ers
[lánsərz] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  DANCE square
dance:
a square dance for 8 or 16 couples, originally a 19th-century quadrille

2.  MUSIC music
for the lancers: the music for the lancers, a square
dance

[1]



lancet

lancet
lan·cet 
[lánsət] (plural lan·cets) noun

1.  SURGERY scalpel:
a scalpel (archaic)

2.  ARCHITECTURE See lancet arch

3.  ARCHITECTURE See lancet window

[1]



lancetarch

lancetarch
lan·cet
arch
noun

narrow pointed arch:
a narrow arch that comes steeply to a point, typical in Gothic architecture.
Also called
lancet
Also called
pointed arch[1]



lanceted

lanceted
lanc·et·ed
[lánsətəd] adjective

1.  with
pointed openings: built with lancet arches or lancet
windows, as in Gothic architecture

2.  with
a pointed top: with an arched, steeply pointed top

[1]



lancetfish

lancetfish
lan·cet
fish
noun

long
sea fish:
a long-bodied carnivorous deep-sea fish with a long dorsal fin and sharp teeth.
Latin name: Alepisauridae
[From the sharpness of the
fins][1]



lancetwindow

lancetwindow
lan·cet
win·dow
(plural lan·cet win·dows) noun

narrow pointed window:
a window formed as one or more slender pointed arches.
Also called
lancet[1]



lancewood

lancewood
lance·wood 
[láns wd] (plural lance·woods
or lance·wood) noun

1.  TREES tropical
tree:
a tropical tree of the Americas, especially the West Indies, that yields a
tough elastic wood. Latin name: Oxandra lanceolata

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of the lancewood tree: the tough flexible wood of
the lancewood tree, used for making fishing rods, bows, and in cabinetmaking
[From the use of the wood in
objects like fishing rods][1]



lanciform

lanciform
lan·ci·form 
[lánsə fàwrm] adjective

lance-shaped:
shaped like a lance[1]



lancinate

lancinate
lan·ci·nate
[lánsə nàyt] (past lan·ci·nated,
past participle lan·ci·nated, present participle lan·ci·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular lan·ci·nates) transitive verb

pierce:
to stab or pierce something (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin lancinere “to tear.”]
—lan·ci·na·tion [lànsə náysh’n], noun[1]



lancinating

lancinating
lan·ci·nat·ing 
[lánsə nàyting] adjective

stabbing or piercing:
producing a stabbing or piercing sensation (formal)[1]



Lancs

Lancs
Lancs
[langks]

Abbreviation of
Lancashire[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Land

Land
Land
interjection

Lord:
used for Jesus Christ (dated) (used euphemistically) • Land
sakes, why did you do that?
[Alteration of Lord][1]



land

land
land 
[land] noun (plural lands)

1.  solid
earth:
the solid part of the earth’s surface not covered by a body of water

2.  earth
for use:
a part of the earth’s surface of a particular kind or that is used for a
particular purpose • low-lying land
• agricultural
land

3.  countryside:
ground used for agriculture, or rural or agricultural areas as distinguished
from villages, towns, or cities • He had
worked on the land all his life.

4.  owned
ground:
an area of ground that somebody owns • publicly
owned land
• What
are you doing on my land?

5.  homeland:
a territory, country, or nation inhabited by those who regard it as their home
• her
native land

6.  area
notable for something: an area, domain, or realm
that is notable for something • She’s
living in the land of make-believe.

7.  smooth
parts of grooved area: the unindented parts of a
grooved surface, for example, a ridge between grooves in the bore of a rifle

8.  AGRICULTURE unfurrowed
soil:
the parts of the ground between furrows in a plowed field
verb
(past land·ed, past participle land·ed, present
participle land·ing, 3rd person present singular lands)

1.  intransitive
verb
AIR arrive
by plane:
to arrive by aircraft • We
land at 8:43.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR set down aircraft:
to come down, or bring an aircraft down, onto water or solid ground, especially
at an airport • The Baltimore plane
landed five minutes ago.

3.  transitive
verb
obtain
something:
to win, obtain, secure, or be awarded something desired • He
finally landed the job he wanted.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT go or put something ashore:
to arrive on shore from a ship, or put something ashore from a ship • We
decided to land and explore the port.

5.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody or something: to succeed in hitting
somebody or something • She
landed a blow on his head.

6.  intransitive
verb
come
down through the air: to come down, or bring
somebody or something down, from a height • The
ball shot up and landed on the roof.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb end up
somewhere unpleasant: to end up or cause somebody
or something to end up in an undesirable place or situation • It
could land him in jail.

8.  intransitive
verb
appear
unexpectedly: to appear in an undesired and unexpected
way • One
problem after another landed in our lap.

9.  transitive
verb
ANGLING catch
and bring a fish in: to catch a fish and get it
onto a boat or solid ground
[Old
English, from a prehistoric Germanic word apparently meaning “particular
(enclosed) area,” which is also the ancestor of English lawn]
back
to the land

relating
to moving from a city to a rural area and taking up a simple life

be
in the land of the living

to
be alive (humorous)

see
out how the land lies

or
find out how the land liesto assess a situation before taking action[1]



landagent

landagent
land
a·gent
(plural land a·gents) noun

agent for disposal of public
lands: somebody who arranged the
sale or settlement of North American public lands in the 19th and early 20th
century[1]



landau

landau
lan·dau 
[lán dòw] (plural lan·daus) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a top that may be let down or folded
back and a raised seat for the driver
[Mid-18th century. Named for Landau,
a town in Bavaria, Germany, where it was first made.][1]



landaulet

landaulet
lan·dau·let 
[làndə lét] (plural lan·dau·lets)
or lan·dau·lette [làndə lét] (plural
lan·dau·lettes) noun

1.  small
carriage:
a small horse-drawn landau

2.  automobile
with a rear folding top: an automobile that has a
convertible top for the back seat, while the front seat is either roofed or
open

[1]



landbank

landbank
land
bank
(plural land banks) noun

bank making loans secured by
property: a bank that issues loans
using the borrower’s property as security[1]



land-basedbookstore

land-basedbookstore
land-based
book·store
noun

bookstore
in a physical location: a bookstore in a physically
material setting, as opposed to cyberspace
[Late 20th century][1]



landbridge

landbridge
land
bridge
(plural land bridges) noun

land connecting continents:
a tract of land that connects continents, permitting the passage of people and
animals[1]



landcrab

landcrab
land
crab
noun

crab living on land:
any crab that lives mainly on land and breeds in the sea[1]



landed

landed
land·ed 
[lándəd] adjective

1.  owning
land:
possessing land, especially a large rural property

2.  consisting
of land:
consisting of a large area of land

3.  Canada
officially
a resident of Canada: given official status as a
resident in Canada prior to being granted citizenship

[1]



Land,Edwin Herbert

Land,Edwin Herbert
Land 
[land], Edwin Herbert (1909–1991)

U.S. inventor and
entrepreneur. He invented the Polaroid Land camera (1947) and founded and
headed a major corporation for its development (1937–1982).[1]



lander

lander
land·er 
[lándər] (plural lan·ders) noun

landing spacecraft:
a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the Moon or a planet[1]



landfall

landfall
land·fall 
[lánd fàwl] (plural land·falls)
noun

1.  arrival
at land:
an approach to, arrival on, or sighting of land, especially after a long
journey by sea

2.  first
land reached after a journey: the first land that somebody
reaches after a long journey, especially by sea

[1]



landfill

landfill
land·fill 
[lánd fìl] (plural land·fills)
noun

1.  area
containing buried waste: a site where waste material
has been buried

2.  buried
waste material: waste material or refuse buried under
the soil for landscaping or as a means of safe and sanitary waste disposal

3.  burial
of waste material: the disposal of waste
material or refuse by burying it in natural or excavated holes or depressions.
Also
called
sanitary landfill

[1]



landform

landform
land·form 
[lánd fàwrm] (plural land·forms)
noun

natural feature of the
landscape: a natural physical feature
of the earth’s surface, for example, a valley, mountain, or plain[1]



landgrabber

landgrabber
land·grab·ber
[lánd gràbbər] (plural land·grab·bers)
noun

fraudulent
acquirer of land: somebody who seizes land unfairly or
illegally
—land·grab, noun[1]



landgrant

landgrant
land
grant
(plural land grants) noun

grant of land to an
educational institution: a grant of
public land, especially for the establishment of a state university[1]



landgrave

landgrave
land·grave 
[lánd gràyv] (plural land·graves)
noun

1.  count
with regional jurisdiction: in Germany, from the 13th
century to 1806, a count who had jurisdiction over a region

2.  title
of some German princes: a title given to certain
princes in central Germany after 1806
[Early 16th century. From
Middle Low German, literally “land count,” from land “land” + grave
“count, nobleman.”][1]



landholder

landholder
land·hold·er 
[lánd hldər] (plural land·hold·ers)
noun

owner
or occupant of land: the owner or occupant of a
piece of land
—land·hold·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



landing

landing
land·ing 
[lánding] (plural land·ings) noun

1.  act
of coming to the ground: the act of reaching,
touching, or alighting on the ground, for example, after a jump or fall

2.  arrival
on land:
an arrival on the ground after having been in the air or at sea

3.  place
for loading or unloading: a place for loading or
unloading passengers or goods, especially from a ship • There
are good landings at most of the villages along the coast.

4.  BUILDING level
area between stairs: a platform between flights
of stairs or the floor at the top or foot of a flight of stairs

[1]



landingbeam

landingbeam
land·ing
beam
(plural land·ing beams) noun

radio beam to guide aircraft:
a radio beam emitted by a beacon at a landing field that enables incoming
aircraft to make a landing[1]



landingcraft

landingcraft
land·ing
craft
noun

flat-bottomed naval boat:
a low open flat-bottomed boat designed for landing troops and equipment on
shore from a ship[1]



landingfield

landingfield
land·ing
field
(plural land·ing fields) noun

area for landing and taking
off: a place where aircraft can
land and take off[1]



landinggear

landinggear
land·ing
gear
noun

aircraft undercarriage:
the wheels or floats and related mechanisms that are used by an aircraft or
spacecraft when taking off and landing[1]



landingnet

landingnet
land·ing
net
(plural land·ing nets) noun

loose net for landing fish:
a baglike net fitted on a frame that is used by anglers to scoop up a hooked
fish[1]



landingspeed

landingspeed
land·ing
speed
(plural land·ing speeds) noun

minimum speed for landing:
the minimum speed at which an aircraft has to be flying in order to land safely[1]



landingstage

landingstage
land·ing
stage
(plural land·ing stag·es) noun

platform used as a wharf:
a floating or fixed wooden platform, used for loading or unloading passengers
and goods from a boat[1]



landingstrip

landingstrip
land·ing
strip
(plural land·ing strips) noun

See
airstrip[1]



landlady

landlady
land·la·dy 
[lánd làydee] (plural land·la·dies)
noun

1.  woman
who rents out property: a woman who owns property
that she rents to tenants

2.  woman
who rents out lodgings: a woman who owns or runs a
place offering accommodations, for example, a rental house, apartment, or
duplex

[1]



landless

landless
land·less 
[lándləss] adjective

owning
no land:
without having the ownership of land
—land·less·ness, noun[1]



landline

landline
land·line 
[lánd ln] (plural land·lines)
noun

telecommunications cable on
land: a telecommunications cable
laid overland[1]



landlocked

landlocked
land·locked 
[lánd lòkt] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY surrounded
by land:
closed in completely or almost completely by land

2.  ZOOLOGY living
with no access to sea: adapted to life in a
freshwater environment, with no access to the ocean, though being a species
historically found in the ocean

[1]



landlord

landlord
land·lord 
[lánd làwrd] (plural land·lords)
noun

1.  man
who rents out property: a man who owns property that
he rents to tenants

2.  man
who rents out lodgings: a man who owns or runs a
place offering accommodations, for example, a rental house, apartment, or
duplex

[1]



landlubber

landlubber
land·lub·ber 
[lánd lùbbər] (plural land·lub·bers)
noun

clumsy
sailor:
somebody who is awkward aboard a ship because of a lack of experience at sea
—land·lub·ber·ly, adjective[1]



landmark

landmark
land·mark 
[lánd mrk] noun (plural land·marks)

1.  something
prominent that identifies a location: a
prominent structure or geographic feature that identifies a location and serves
as a guide to finding it

2.  something
that represents important new development: an
event, idea, or item that represents a significant or historic development

3.  something
preserved for historic importance: a structure or site
identified and preserved because of its historical significance

4.  boundary
marker:
a conspicuous object, for example, a tree or stone, that is recognized as
marking the boundary of a piece of land
adjective

highly significant:
marking a significant change or turning point in something, especially the law
• a
landmark ruling

[1]



landmass

landmass
land·mass 
[lánd màss] (plural land·mass·es)
noun

huge area of land:
a very large unbroken area of land, for example, a continent or large island[1]



landmine

landmine
land·mine
[lánd mn] (plural land·mines)
noun

1.  buried
explosive device: an explosive mine that is laid just
under the surface of the ground and detonates if disturbed by pressure or the
proximity of something such as metal

2.  trap:
a trap that is difficult to see (informal) • That
process seems simple, but it’s loaded with landmines.

[1]



landoffice

landoffice
land
of·fice
(plural land of·fices) noun

office for land transactions:
a government office that administers and records the sale and transfers of
public land[1]



land-officebusiness

land-officebusiness
land-of·fice
bus·i·ness 
noun

very
brisk trade: a highly successful trade in something (informal)
[From the offices in new U.S.
territories for selling land to settlers quickly and cheaply][1]



landof milk and honey

landof milk and honey
land
of milk and hon·ey noun

1.  BIBLE fertile
land promised to Israelites: a land of prosperity and
plenty promised by God to the Israelites

2.  any
fertile region: a rich and fertile area, or region of
plenty (literary)

[1]



landof Nod

landof Nod
land
of Nod
noun

place
of sleep and dreams: an imaginary place where
people go in order to sleep (informal humorous)
[Pun, from the Bible, Genesis
4:16, after Cain has killed Abel: “Then Cain went away…and dwelt in the land of
Nod, east of Eden”][1]



landon

landon
land
on
transitive verb

criticize somebody:
to criticize somebody severely[1]



Landon,Alfred Mossman

Landon,Alfred Mossman
Landon
[lándən], Alfred Mossman (1887–1987)

U.S. politician. As
Republican nominee he lost the presidential election to Franklin D. Roosevelt
in 1936.[1]



landowner

landowner
land·own·er 
[lánd nər] (plural land·own·ers)
noun

owner
of land:
somebody who owns land
—land·own·er·ship,
noun

—land·own·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



land-poor

land-poor
land-poor 
adjective

lacking funds through
spending on land: lacking funds because
all available money has been spent to acquire land[1]



landrail

landrail
landrail
(plural landrails) noun

See
corncrake
[From rail “bird”][1]



LandRover

LandRover
Land
Ro·ver
Trademark

a trademark for a
four-wheel-drive vehicle[1]



landscape

landscape
land·scape 
[lánd skàyp] noun (plural land·scapes)

1.  visually
distinct scenery: an expanse of scenery of a particular
type, especially as much as can be seen by the eye

2.  painting
of view:
a painting, drawing, or photograph of scenery, especially rural scenery

3.  the
painting or drawing of scenery: the branch of art
dealing with the painting, drawing, or photography of scenery

4.  general
situation of activity: the general situation
providing the background to a particular type of activity • the
economic landscape

5.  range
of mental concerns: any characteristic group of
intellectual or imaginative features (literary)
adjective

PRINTING printed
with long sides horizontal: photographed or printed so
that the long sides of a picture or the lines of text are parallel to the long
sides of a rectangular page • It’s
best to print most tables in landscape.
See
also
portrait
transitive
verb
(past land·scaped, past participle land·scaped, present
participle land·scap·ing, 3rd person present singular land·scapes)

ENVIRONMENT make
land look better: to enhance the appearance of land by
altering its contours and planting trees and shrubs for aesthetic effect (often
passive) • The
property was beautifully landscaped.
[Late 16th century.
Anglicization of Dutch landschap, literally “condition of being land,”
from land “land.” Originally used in painting.][1]



landscapearchitect

landscapearchitect
land·scape
ar·chi·tect
(plural land·scape ar·chi·tects) noun

somebody
who plans physical environment: somebody employed to
plan and design an environment, especially with the aim of making new
buildings, roads, and other structures compatible with their natural
surroundings
—land·scape
ar·chi·tec·ture, noun[1]



landscapegardener

landscapegardener
land·scape
gar·den·er
(plural land·scape gar·den·ers) noun

designer
of grounds and gardens: somebody who designs and
lays out grounds and gardens
—land·scape gar·den·ing,
noun[1]



landscaper

landscaper
land·scap·er
[lánd skàypər] (plural land·scap·ers)
noun

artistic arranger of grounds:
somebody who alters grounds or gardens for aesthetic effect[1]



landscapist

landscapist
land·scap·ist 
[lánd skàypist] (plural land·scap·ists)
noun

painter of landscapes:
an artist who specializes in painting landscapes[1]



landshark

landshark
land·shark 
[lánd shrk] (plural land·sharks)
noun

unscrupulous dealer in land:
somebody who profits by unethical dealings in land (informal insult)[1]



landside

landside
land·side 
[lánd sd] (plural land·sides)
noun

AGRICULTURE
part of plow:
the flat part of a plow that faces unbroken land as it moves[1]



landsknecht

landsknecht
land·sknecht 
[lnts kə nékht] (plural land·sknechts)
noun

mercenary
soldier:
a mercenary foot soldier in Europe during the 16th century, especially a German
pikeman
[Early 17th century. From
German, literally “servant of the country.” By folk etymology “lands” has often
been misunderstood as “lance.”][1]



landsleit

landsleit
lands·leit 
[lnts līt]

Plural of
landsman[1]



landslide

landslide
land·slide 
[lánd sld] (plural land·slides)
noun

1.  sudden
collapse of land: the collapse of part of a mountainside
or cliff so that it descends in a disintegrating mass of rocks and earth

2.  mass
of loosened rock and earth: a disintegrating mass of
rock and earth that suddenly descends from a mountainside or cliff

3.  POLITICS conspicuous
triumph:
an overwhelming victory, especially in an election

[1]



landsman

landsman1
lands·man1 [lándzmən]
(plural lands·men) noun

somebody land-based:
somebody who lives and works on land rather than at sea[1]



landsman

landsman2
lands·man2 [lntsmən]
(plural lands·leit [lnts lt])
noun

Jewish
countryman:
a fellow Jew, usually one from the same district or area, originally in Eastern
Europe
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish, from Middle High German lantsman, literally “man from the
(same) country,” plural lantsliute .][1]



Landsmål

Landsmål
Lands·mål
[lndz ml] noun

form
of Norwegian: an official form of the Norwegian
language derived from the rural dialects of Norwegian spoken in the west and
north of the country and standardized during the mid-19th century.
Also
called
Nynorsk
Also
called
New Norwegian
See
also
Bokmål
[Late 19th century. From
Norwegian, literally “country language.”][1]



Landsteiner,Karl

Landsteiner,Karl
Land·stei·ner
[lánd stnər], Karl (1868–1943)

Austrian pathologist. He was
awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine (1930) for developing the ABO blood group
classification system.[1]



Landsturm

Landsturm
Land·sturm 
[lnt shtrm] (plural Land·sturms)
noun

1.  military
draft:
in some European countries a general draft of people for conscription into the
armed forces

2.  conscripted
force:
in some European countries, a military force of people drafted from the general
population
[Early 19th century. From
German, literally “land storm.”][1]



Landtag

Landtag
Land·tag 
[ln tk] (plural Land·tags) noun

German
legislative assembly: the legislative assembly of
a German or Austrian state
[Late 16th century. Via
German, from, ultimately, Middle High German lanttac, literally “land
day.”][1]



landup

landup
land
up
intransitive verb

U.K.,
Canada come to be present:
to finally get to a place or situation after a series of events or
circumstances (informal) • land
up on the streets[1]



landward

landward
land·ward 
[lándwərd] adjective

facing
land:
facing toward the land
adverb

toward land:
in the direction of land[1]



landwards

landwards
land·wards
[lándwərdz] adverb

toward land:
in the direction of land[1]



Landwehr

Landwehr
Land·wehr 
[lnt vàir] (plural Land·wehrs)
noun

military
reserve:
in German-speaking countries, a reserve military force
[Early 19th century. From
German, literally “national defense.”][1]



landwith

landwith
land
with
transitive verb

U.K.,
Canada burden somebody with
something: to give somebody something
to do or deal with, especially because no one else wants to do it (informal)
• I was
landed with the bill.[1]



landyacht

landyacht
land
yacht
(plural land yachts) noun

wheeled boat with sails:
a wind-driven vehicle resembling a boat with a mast, sails, and three wheels,
for use on beaches or other hard surfaces[1]



Land’sEnd

Land’sEnd
Land’s
End
[làndz énd]

cliff and headland in
Cornwall, England that forms the extreme southwestern tip of Great Britain[1]



lane

lane
lane 
[layn] (plural lanes) noun

1.  TRANSPORT track
into which road is divided: a division of a road,
street, or highway wide enough for a single line of motor vehicles

2.  BOWLING strip
of floor in bowling alley: the long strip of polished
wooden flooring along which balls are rolled in a bowling alley

3.  SPORTS track
assigned to racer: a track assigned to a
competitive runner on a racing track or a swimmer in a swimming pool

4.  narrow
street:
a narrow path, road or street, typically in older town areas or in the
countryside, often enclosed by walls or hedges

5.  BASKETBALL division
of basketball court: an area of a basketball
court extending from the free-throw line to just below the basket

6.  AIR See air lane

7.  SHIPPING shipping
route:
a route assigned to a ship on a journey, especially through a congested area of
sea
[Old
English, of unknown origin]
in
the fast lane

at a fast, hectic, or
stressful pace associated with success and achievement[1]



lang.

lang.
lang.

Abbreviation of
language[1]



Lange,Dorothea

Lange,Dorothea

Lange
[lang], Dorothea (1895–1965)
U.S. photographer. She was best known for
her documentary photographs of the Great Depression and migrant workers in
southern states.[1]



Lange,Jessica

Lange,Jessica
Lange
[lang], Jessica (1950– )

U.S. movie actor. She won
Academy Awards for Tootsie ( 1982 ) and Blue Sky ( 1994 ).[1]



Lang,Fritz

Lang,Fritz
Lang 
[lang], Fritz (1890–1976)

German-born U.S. movie
director. He made many Hollywood movies, but is best known for the silent film Metropolis
( 1921 ) and the German-language M ( 1931 ).[1]



Langi

Langi
Lan·gi
noun

See
Lango[1]



lang,k.d.

lang,k.d.
lang 
[lang], k.d. (1961– )

Canadian-born
U.S. singer. She is equally adept at country-and-western and popular songs.
Full name
Lang, Kathryn Dawn[1]



langlauf

langlauf
lang·lauf 
[lng lòwf] (plural lang·laufs)
noun

1.  See
cross-country skiing

2.  cross-country
skiing contest: a contest in cross-country skiing
[Early
20th century. From German, literally “long run,” from lang “long” + Lauf
“a run” (from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English leap ).]
—lang·lauf·er, noun[1]



langley

langley
lang·ley 
[lánglee] (plural lang·leys) noun

unit
of solar radiation: a unit of solar radiation
equivalent to one calorie per square centimeter
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Samuel P. Langley .][1]



Langley,Samuel Pierpont

Langley,Samuel Pierpont
Lang·ley 
[lánglee], Samuel Pierpont (1834–1906)

U.S. aviation pioneer. In
1896 he successfully launched two unmanned aircraft.[1]



Langmuir,Irving

Langmuir,Irving
Lang·muir
[láng myr], Irving (1881–1957)

U.S. chemist. He received a
Nobel Prize in chemistry (1932) for his research on surface reactions of
solids.[1]



Lango

Lango
Lan·go
[lng g] (plural Lan·gos or
Lan·go) or Lan·gi [lng gee]
(plural Lan·gis or Lan·gi) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Ugandan people: a member of a Nilotic people
who live in northern Uganda

2.  LANGUAGE Lango
language:
the language of the Lango people, belonging to the Chari-Nile branch of
Nilo-Saharan languages. Lango is spoken by about half a million people.
[Early
20th century. From Nilotic .]
—Lan·go, adjective[1]



Langobard

Langobard
Lan·go·bard 
[láng gə baard] (plural Lan·go·bards)
noun

See
Lombard  noun 2
[Late 18th century. From late
Latin Langobardus (see Lombard ).][1]



Langobardic

Langobardic
Lan·go·bar·dic
[làng gə brdik, làng
gō brdik] noun

dialect of Old High German:
a dialect of Old High German spoken by the ancient Lombards[1]



langouste

langouste
lan·gouste 
[laan gst] (plural lan·goustes)
noun

See
spiny lobster
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from Old Provençal lagosta, from, ultimately, Latin locusta
“locust, crustacean” (source also of English locust
).][1]



langoustine

langoustine
lan·gous·tine 
[lng goo stn, lng
goo stn] (plural lan·gous·fcytines) noun

Norway
lobster:
a large prawn or small lobster of the North Atlantic
[Mid-20th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, Latin locusta “locust, crustacean.”][1]



langrage

langrage
lan·grage 
[lángrij] or lan·gridge [lángrij] noun

shot
formerly used in naval warfare: shot consisting of a
case filled with fragments of iron, formerly used for tearing the sails and
rigging of enemy ships
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Langrenus

Langrenus
Lan·gre·nus
[lan grnəss] noun

a plain on the Moon with a
complex central peak located on the eastern edge of the Mare Fecunditatis, 132
km/82 mi in diameter[1]



Langtry,Lillie

Langtry,Lillie
Lang·try
[lángtree], Lillie (1853–1929)

British
actress. She was the first woman of high social standing to go on the stage in
Great Britain. She became the mistress of the Prince of Wales (later Edward
VII).
Born
Le Breton, Emilie Charlotte[1]



language

language
lan·guage 
[láng gwij] (plural lan·guages)
noun

1.  speech
of group:
the speech of a country, region, or group of people, including its diction,
syntax, and grammar

2.  communication
with words:
the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system

3.  system
of communication: a system of communication with its own
set of conventions or special words

4.  nonverbal
communication between animals: a nonverbal form of
communication used by birds and animals

5.  nonverbal
communication between humans: the use of signs, gestures,
or inarticulate sounds to communicate something

6.  specialist
vocabulary:
the characteristic forms of expression used by those in a specified group or
sphere of activity

7.  style
of verbal expression: the verbal style by which
people express themselves • the
language of diplomacy

8.  COMPUTING See programming language
[13th
century. Via French langage, from langue “tongue,” from,
ultimately, Latin lingua, literally “tongue,” hence “language” (source
of English linguistics ).]
speak
the same language

to
have values and interests in common with somebody so that it is possible to
communicate effectively

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  language, vocabulary, tongue, idiolect,
  dialect, slang, jargon,
  parlance, lingo, -speak, -ese
  CORE
  MEANING: communication
  by words language; the way human
  beings communicate using words, whether written or spoken. It is also used
  for the particular system of communication prevailing in a specific country,
  nation, or community; vocabulary;
  the body of words that make up a particular language. It can also be used to
  refer to the words used to talk about a particular subject; tongue; the particular language used by a
  specific country, nation, or community; idiolect;
  the particular language or speech habits of an individual; dialect; the specific way a language is used
  in a particular area of a country or among those in a particular part of a
  community when this is distinct in some way from the language spoken
  generally in that nation or community; slang;
  the words, expressions, and turns of phrase used by a particular group of
  people, especially when these are considered nonstandard; jargon; the words associated with a
  particular specialized activity or group or used in a particular situation,
  especially in order to suggest that they are technical or difficult for an
  ordinary person to understand; parlance;
  a formal and fairly old-fashioned word for the words and expressions usually
  associated with a particular group of people; lingo;
  an informal word for the words or way of speaking associated with a
  particular, usually specialized, group of people; -speak; a suffix
  added to nouns to describe the specific way words are used by a particular
  group of people or in a particular context. It is used especially to suggest
  that this way of speaking or writing is made deliberately hard for ordinary
  people to follow; -ese; a suffix
  added to nouns to describe the words and speech patterns associated with a
  particular person or group of people, especially when the words have been
  coined or the speech is hard to understand, for example, in the speech of
  journalists

[1]



languagearts

languagearts
lan·guage
arts
plural noun

reading and writing skills:
a range of skills taught in school that are designed to give students
proficiency in using their native language, including all forms of written and
verbal expression[1]



languagelaboratory

languagelaboratory
lan·guage
lab·o·ra·to·ry noun

special room for learning
languages: a room equipped with audio
or multimedia equipment for use in learning languages[1]



languagepolice

languagepolice
lan·guage
po·lice
noun

group policing offensive
language: a group of people who form
part of a movement to set limits on written language considered offensive,
discriminatory, or otherwise politically incorrect (informal) (often
used ironically)[1]



langue

langue
langue 
[laang] noun

language
as communication system: language regarded as a
communication system and the common property of a speech community (technical)

See
also
parole
[14th century. Via French
from Latin lingua (see language ).
The modern technical sense dates from the early 20th century.][1]



languede chat

languede chat
langue
de chat 
[lng də sh] (plural langues de
chat [lng də sh]) noun

cookie:
a small narrow flat cookie often coated with chocolate
[From French, literally
“cat’s tongue”][1]



langued’oc

langued’oc
langue
d’oc
[laaNg dáwk] noun

medieval
dialects of southern France: the group of French
dialects, usually thought of as including Provençal, spoken in southern parts
of medieval France
[From French, literally
“language of “oc”,” from the use of oc (from Latin hoc ) for
“yes”][1]



langued’oïl

langued’oïl
langue
d’oïl
[laaNg dóyl] noun

medieval
dialects of northern France: the group of French dialects
spoken in the northern part of medieval France
[From French, literally
“language of “oïl”,” from the use of oïl (from Latin hoc ille )
for “yes”][1]



languet

languet
lan·guet 
[láng gwət, lang
gwét] (plural lan·guets) noun

something
tongue-shaped: something, for example, a part in a
machine or instrument, that is shaped like a tongue
[14th century. From Old
French languete, literally “small tongue,” from langue “tongue,”
from Latin lingua (see language ).][1]



languid

languid
lan·guid 
[láng gwid] adjective

1.  without
energy:
lacking vigor and energy

2.  sluggish:
sluggish or slow-moving

3.  listless:
listless and indifferent
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin languidus, from languere
(see languish ).]
—lan·guid·ly,
adverb

—lan·guid·ness, noun[1]



languish

languish
lan·guish 
[láng gwish] (past lan·guished,
past participle lan·guished, present participle lan·guish·ing,
3rd person present singular lan·guish·es) intransitive verb

1.  be
neglected or deprived: to undergo hardship as a
result of being deprived of something, typically independence, freedom, or
attention

2.  become
less successful: to decline steadily, becoming less
vital, strong, or successful

3.  pine
for something: to long for something that is being
denied
[14th
century. From Old French languiss-, the stem of languir, from,
ultimately, Latin languere “to be weak or faint.”]
—lan·guish·er,
noun

—lan·guish·ing,
noun, adjective

—lan·guish·ing·ly,
adverb

—lan·guish·ment, noun[1]



languor

languor
lan·guor 
[lángər, láng gər]
noun

1.  tiredness:
a pleasant feeling of weariness or weakness

2.  listlessness
in speech or behavior: listlessness and
indifference in speech or behavior

3.  heaviness
in atmosphere: an oppressive heaviness or sultriness in
the air
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin, from languere (see languish
).][1]



languorous

languorous
lan·guor·ous
[lángərəss, láng
gərəss] adjective

1.  weak
and relaxed: lazily or pleasantly lacking vigor and
vitality

2.  listless:
listless and indifferent

3.  sluggish:
slow-moving or sluggish
—lan·guor·ous·ly,
adverb

—lan·guor·ous·ness, noun[1]



langur

langur
lan·gur 
[lan gr] (plural lan·gurs) noun

Southeast
Asian monkey: a slender, leaf-eating monkey of
Southeast Asia with a long tail, bushy eyebrows, and a chin tuft. Genus: Presbytis

See
also
leaf monkey
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi langūr from Sanskrit lāngūla “having a tail.”][1]



laniard

laniard
lan·iard 
(plural lan·iards) noun

See
lanyard[1]



laniary

laniary
la·ni·a·ry 
[láynee àiree] adjective

for
tearing food: adapted for tearing food • laniary
teeth
noun
(plural la·ni·a·ries)

tooth
for tearing food: a tooth adapted for tearing food
[Early 19th century. From
Latin laniarius, literally “of a butcher,” from lanius “butcher,”
from laniare “to tear.”][1]



Lanier,Sidney

Lanier,Sidney
Lanier
[lə nr], Sidney (1842–1881)

U.S. poet and lecturer. He is
known for his melodic poems.[1]



laniferous

laniferous
la·nif·er·ous 
[lə níffərəss] or la·nig·er·ous
[lə níffərəss] adjective

bearing
wool:
wool-bearing or wool-covered
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin lanifer, from lana “wool” (source of English lanolin ).][1]



lank

lank
lank 
[langk] (comparative lank·er, superlative
lank·est) adjective

1.  elongated:
long and slender

2.  limp:
limp and straight • lank hair
[Old
English hlanc “lean,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“flexible” that is also the ancestor of English flinch
and link]
—lank·ly,
adverb

—lank·ness, noun[1]



lanky

lanky
lank·y 
[lángkee] (comparative lank·i·er,
superlative lank·i·est) adjective

gangling:
tall and thin in a bony, ungracefully angular way
—lank·i·ly,
adverb

—lank·i·ness, noun[1]



lanner

lanner
lan·ner 
[lánnər] (plural lan·ners or
lan·ner) noun

large
falcon:
a large falcon found in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean region,
the female of which is used especially in falconry. Latin name: Falco
biarmicus
[13th century. From French lanier,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old French, “cowardly,” because it flies
slowly and was therefore thought to lack courage.][1]



lanneret

lanneret
lan·ner·et 
[lánnə rèt, lànnə
rét] (plural lan·ner·ets or lan·ner·et) noun

male falcon:
a male lanner, smaller than the female and used in falconry[1]



lanolin

lanolin
lan·o·lin 
[lánn’lin] or lan·o·line [lánn’l n] noun

fat
from sheep’s wool: a fat extracted from sheep’s
wool, often used as a base in ointments and skin medications.
Also
called
wool fat
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin lana “wool” (ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English wool ) +
oleum “oil” (source of English oil
).][1]



lansfordite

lansfordite
lans·for·dite 
[lánsfər dt] noun

mineral
composing stalactites: a crystallized hydrate of
magnesium carbonate occurring as stalactites
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Lansford, the name of a town in Pennsylvania where it was found.][1]



Lansing

Lansing
Lan·sing 
[lánsing]

1.  village
in northeastern Illinois, on the Illinois-Indiana border south of Calumet City.
It is a southern suburb of Chicago. Population: 28,664 (1996)

2.  capital
of Michigan, a manufacturing city in the south central part of the state.
Population: 127,812 (1994)

[1]



lantana

lantana
lan·ta·na 
[lan tánnə] (plural lan·ta·nas
or lan·ta·na) noun

shrub
with bright flowers: a shrub of the vervain
family that is native to the tropical Americas and has bright aromatic spikes
of yellow, orange, or blue and violet flowers. Genus: Lantana
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Italian dialect lantana “wayfaring tree,”
which it resembles.][1]



lantern

lantern

lan·tern 
[lántərn] (plural lan·terns) noun

1.  portable
lamp:
a portable case with transparent or translucent sides that protects and holds a
lamp

2.  lighthouse
room:
a room containing the large lamp at the top of a lighthouse

3.  ARCHITECTURE structure
with windows: a structure with windows on all sides,
resembling a lantern, for example, one at the top of a dome
[13th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek lamptēr “torch, lamp,” from lampein “to
shine” (source also of English lamp
).][1]



lantern-eyedfish

lantern-eyedfish
lan·tern-eyed
fish
noun

fish with light-emitting
organs: a marine fish with luminous
organs under each eye that it can turn off and on at will. Family: Anomalopidae[1]



lanternfish

lanternfish
lan·tern
fish
noun

fish with luminous spots:
a small bony deep-sea fish with rows of luminous spots along its body. Family:
Myctophidae[1]



lanternfly

lanternfly
lan·tern
fly
noun

fly with elongated head
resembling lantern: a tropical
insect with an elongated head that resembles a lantern and was formerly thought
to emit light. Family: Fulgoridae[1]



lanternjaw

lanternjaw
lan·tern
jaw
(plural lan·tern jaws) noun

long
lower jaw:
a long bony lower jaw, typically projecting beyond the upper jaw
—lan·tern-jawed, adjective[1]



lanternpinion

lanternpinion

lan·tern pin·ion
(plural lan·tern pin·ions) noun
gearwheel:
a gearwheel used in clocks and watches that has two circular disks connected by
cylindrical pins[1]



lanternslide

lanternslide
lan·tern
slide
(plural lan·tern slides) noun

projection slide:
a transparent slide, typically made of glass, for projection onto a screen by a
slide projector or magic lantern[1]



lanthanide

lanthanide
lan·tha·nide 
[lánthə nd] (plural lan·tha·nides)
noun

rare-earth
element:
any of the chemical elements in the lanthanide series of rare earths
[Early 20th century. Coined
from lanthanum + -ide
.][1]



lanthanideseries

lanthanideseries
lan·tha·nide
se·ries
noun

rare-earth group:
a group of the rare earths that range from lanthanum at atomic number 57 to
lutetium at atomic number 71[1]



lanthanum

lanthanum

lan·tha·num 
[lánthənəm] noun
metallic
element:
a silvery ductile metallic element resembling aluminum that belongs to the rare
earth series and is used in the manufacture of glass. Symbol La
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek lanthanein “to lie hidden” (because it was discovered hidden
in cerium oxide).][1]



lanuginous

lanuginous
la·nu·gi·nous 
[lə njənəss] or la·nu·gi·nose
[lə njə nss] adjective

having
downy hairs: covered with downy hairs
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin lanuginosus, from lanugo (see lanugo ).]
—la·nu·gi·nous·ness, noun[1]



lanugo

lanugo
la·nu·go 
[lə n g] (plural la·nu·gos or
la·nu·go) noun

downy
covering:
a covering of soft downy hairs, especially those on a developing human fetus or
newborn infant
[15th century. From Latin,
from lana “wool” (source of English lanolin
).][1]



lanyard

lanyard
lan·yard 
[lánnyərd] (plural lan·yards) or
lan·iard [lánnyərd] (plural lan·iards)
noun

1.  MILITARY SCOUTING cord worn around the neck:
a cord worn around the neck by military and naval personnel or by Boy Scouts
and Girl Scouts for carrying something such as a whistle or penknife

2.  NAUTICAL short
rope aboard ship: a short rope or cord used to hold or
fasten something on a ship

3.  ARMS cord
for firing a cannon: a cord tied to the breech
mechanism of a cannon and used to fire it
[14th century. Anglicization
(influenced by yard “spar”) of French lanière
“strap,” from, ultimately, lasne, of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend
of laz “string” (source of English lace
) and nasle “lace.”][1]



Lanzarote

Lanzarote
Lan·za·rot·e
[lanzə róttee]

the easternmost island of the
Canary Islands, Las Palmas Province, Spain, situated northeast of Grand Canary
in the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 76,413 (1995) Area: 862 sq km/335 sq mi.[1]



lançado

lançado
lan·ça·do
[làn sádō] (plural lan·ça·dos)
noun

trading
point in Africa: a collection point in the interior of
Africa for Portuguese trade, from the 16th century on, that linked African
economies to the commercial centers on the Atlantic coast
[From Portuguese, “launching
point”][1]



Laocoön

Laocoön
La·oc·o·ön 
[lay ókō òn] or La·oc·o·on [lay ókō òn] noun

Trojan priest:
a Trojan priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans about the Wooden Horse and was
killed along with his two sons by sea serpents after he gave his warning[1]



laodicean

laodicean
la·od·i·ce·an
[lay òddə s ən] or La·od·i·ce·an
[lay òddə s ən] adjective

uncommitted:
lacking in religious or political commitment
noun
(plural la·od·i·ce·ans)

somebody
lacking interest: somebody who is lukewarm or indifferent,
especially about religion or politics
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin Laodicea, modern-day western Turkey, whose Christians were
rebuked for indifference (the Bible, Revelation, 3:16: “…you are
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot”).][1]



Laos

Laos



La·os 
[láy òss]
independent
state of Southeast Asia, bounded by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and
Myanmar. It is the only landlocked nation in Southeast Asia. Language: Lao.
Currency: new kip. Capital: Vientiane. Population: 5,116,959 (1997) Area:
236,800 sq km/91,400 sq mi. Official name Lao People’s Democratic
Republic
—La·o·tian, noun,
adjective[1]



Laos




Back to definition

Laos

[1]



Laozi

Laozi
Laozi 
or Lao-tzu (570? BC–490?
BC)

Chinese
philosopher. He is credited with originating Taoism, described in the seminal Tao-te
Ching.
Known as
Master Lao[1]



lap

lap1
lap1 [lap]
(plural laps) noun

1.  top
of somebody’s thighs when sitting: the level area
provided by the upper surface of the thighs of somebody who is seated

2.  CLOTHES part
of clothing resting on the thighs: the part of a garment
that hangs loosely across the thighs of somebody seated

3.  GEOGRAPHY valley:
a hollow in the contours of land, especially the gap between hills
[Old
English læppa “flap of a garment, lobe,” from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is perhaps also the ancestor of English label]
—lap·ful,
noun
drop
in or into your lap

to
be given as something welcome and unexpected

drop
(something) in somebody’s lap

to
become or make something somebody’s responsibility

in
the lap of luxury

in
great luxury and comfort

in
the lap of the gods

beyond human control or
influence[1]



lap

lap2
lap2 [lap]
noun (plural laps)

1.  one
circuit of a track: a single circuit of a
racetrack or running track, or one length of a swimming pool

2.  stage
in something: a phase in an extended project,
enterprise, or journey

3.  overlapping
part:
an overlapping part of something

4.  length
going once around a reel: a length of fabric, thread,
or rope that goes once around a roller, drum, or reel

5.  TECHNOLOGY polishing
disk:
a rotating disk for cutting or polishing something such as glass or gemstones
verb
(past lapped, past participle lapped, present
participle lap·ping, 3rd person present singular laps)

1.  transitive
verb
pass
competitors by a complete circuit: to overtake a
competitor on a racetrack or running track or in a swimming pool after having
completed at least one circuit or pool length more than he or she has

2.  intransitive
verb
complete
one track circuit: to run one complete circuit
around a track or to swim one length of a swimming pool

3.  transitive
verb
wrap
in something: to enfold or enwrap somebody in
something (literary) (often passive)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb overlap:
to overlap something (literary)

5.  transitive
verb
polish
or cut hard surfaces: to polish or cut something
hard such as glass, metal, or gemstones

6.  transitive
verb
form
fibers into a band: to arrange fibers so that
they lie one against the other and form a band
[14th
century. From lap 1, perhaps from the meaning
“folds of a garment.” The modern sense “circuit of track” evolved from
“something wrapped,” via “overlapping part.”]
—lap·per, noun[1]



lap

lap3
lap3 [lap]
intransitive and transitive verb (past lapped, past
participle lapped, present participle lap·ping, 3rd
person present singular laps)

1.  lap
or lap up drink something with the
tongue:
to drink a liquid by scooping it into the mouth with the tongue

2.  wash
gently against a surface: to flow or splash gently
against a surface
noun
(plural laps)

1.  process
of drinking something with tongue: the action of drinking
liquid by scooping small amounts of it into the mouth with the tongue

2.  sound
of moving liquid: the sound of a liquid gently flowing or
splashing against something
[Old
English lapian, from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word]
—lap·per, noun[1]



LaPalma

LaPalma
La
Pal·ma 
[lə plmə]

1.  city
in Orange County, southwestern California, situated 26 km/16 mi southeast of
Los Angeles. Population: 15,392 (1990)

2.  town,
port, and capital of Darién Province, eastern Panama, situated on an inlet of
the Gulf of Panama 161 km/100 mi southeast of Panama City. Population: 1,634
(1980)

3.  one
of the Canary Islands, Spain, situated off the north coast of Africa.
Population: 82,183 (1995) Area: 725 sq km/280 sq mi.

[1]



laparoscope

laparoscope
lap·a·ro·scope 
[láppərə skp] (plural lap·a·ro·scopes)
noun

instrument for viewing the
abdomen: an instrument in the shape
of a tube that is inserted through the abdominal wall to give an examining
doctor a view of the internal organs[1]



laparoscopy

laparoscopy
lap·a·ros·co·py 
[làppə róskəpee] (plural lap·a·ros·co·pies)
noun

internal
abdominal examination: examination of the internal
organs of the abdomen using a laparoscope
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek lapara “flank” + -scopy .]
—lap·a·ro·scop·ic
[làppərə skóppik], adjective

—lap·a·ros·co·pist, noun[1]



laparotomy

laparotomy
lap·a·rot·o·my 
[làppə róttəmee] (plural lap·a·rot·o·mies)
noun

surgical
cut through the abdominal wall: a surgical incision
through the abdominal wall made to allow investigation of an abdominal organ or
diagnosis of an abdominal disorder
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek lapara (see laparoscopy )
+ -tomy .][1]



LaPaz

LaPaz
La
Paz 
[lə páz, laa
páss]

capital city of Bolivia,
located in the western part of the country. Population: 711,036 (1992)[1]



lapbelt

lapbelt
lap
belt
(plural lap belts) noun

seatbelt that fastens across
the lap: a safety belt that is fitted
to the seat of a motor vehicle and fastens across the lap[1]



lapboard

lapboard
lap·board 
[láp bàwrd] (plural lap·boards)
noun

board on the lap serving as a
desk: a thin flat board that is
laid across the knees to serve as a table or writing surface[1]



lap-chart

lap-chart
lap-chart
(plural lap-charts) noun

log of motor racing laps:
a record of each lap made by a motor vehicle in a race, showing each vehicle’s
exact position[1]



lapdancer

lapdancer
lap
dan·cer
(plural lap dan·cers) noun

erotic
dancer:
a stripteaser who performs an erotic dance close to or in the lap of a customer
—lap danc·ing, noun[1]



lapdesk

lapdesk
lap
desk
(plural lap desks) noun

small portable table:
a portable writing surface that fits over or on somebody’s lap[1]



lapdog

lapdog
lap·dog 
[láp dòg] (plural lap·dogs) noun

1.  small
pet dog:
a small gentle-natured dog

2.  minion:
somebody who is willing to say or do anything at another’s command, especially
in an organization or institution

[1]



lapel

lapel
la·pel 
[lə pél] (plural la·pels) noun

front
edge of a jacket: either of the two folded-back front
edges of a jacket that are continuous with the collar
[Mid-17th
century. Diminutive of lap 1 (in the earlier meaning of
“part of a garment that projects and can be folded over”).]
—la·pelled, adjective[1]



lapidary

lapidary
lap·i·dar·y 
[láppi dàiree] adjective

1.  engraved
on stone:
engraved in stone or on a gemstone

2.  of
engraving gemstones: relating to the art of
engraving gemstones

3.  dignified
and elegant: careful, elegant, and dignified in style
(formal)
noun
(plural lap·i·dar·ies)

cutter of precious stones:
somebody who is expert at cutting, polishing, and engraving gemstones
[14th century. From Latin lapidarius
“of stone,” later “stone-cutter,” from lapid-, the stem of lapis
“stone” (source of English lapis lazuli
), of uncertain origin; perhaps Mediterranean .][1]



lapidate

lapidate
lap·i·date
[láppi dàyt] (past lap·i·dated,
past participle lap·i·dated, present participle lap·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular lap·i·dates) transitive verb (literary)

1.  stone
somebody:
to throw stones at somebody

2.  stone
somebody to death: to stone somebody to death,
especially as a punishment for wrongdoing
[Early
17th century. From Latin lapidare, from the stem lapid- (see lapidary ).]
—lap·i·da·tion [làppi dáysh’n], noun[1]



lapillus

lapillus
la·pil·lus 
[lə pílləss] (plural la·pil·li
[lə pí l]) noun

lava
fragment:
a small fragment of lava thrown from a volcano
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “small stone,” from lapis (see lapidary
).][1]



lapislazuli

lapislazuli
la·pis
laz·u·li 
[làppiss lázzyə l, làppiss
lázhə l, làppiss lázzyəlee] noun

blue
gemstone:
a deep blue semiprecious stone that is chiefly composed of lazurite and is used
in making jewelry
adjective

COLORS deep
blue:
of the same deep brilliant blue as lapis lazuli
[Literally “stone of lapis
lazuli”; from Latin lapis “stone” + medieval Latin lazuli “of
lapis lazuli,” from, ultimately, Persian lāžward (source of English azure )][1]



Lapith

Lapith
Lap·ith 
[láppith] (plural Lap·iths or
Lap·i·thae [láppithee]) noun

member
of a Thessalian people: in Greek mythology, a member
of a people of Thessaly who fought the drunken centaurs at the wedding of their
king, Pirithous. The contest of the Lapiths and centaurs was a frequent theme
in Greek sculpture and appeared notably in the metope frieze on the Parthenon
at Athens.
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin Lapithae “people of Thessaly,” from Greek Lapithai .][1]



lapjoint

lapjoint

lap
joint
(plural lap joints) noun
overlapping
joint:
a joint made by overlapping the ends of two parts or pieces and fastening them
together.
Also
called
lapped joint
—lap-joint·ed, adjective[1]



LaPlata

LaPlata
La
Pla·ta 
[laa pl taa]

city and capital of Buenos
Aires Province, eastern Argentina. Population: 520,647 (1991)[1]



Lapp

Lapp
Lapp 
[lap] (plural Lapps) noun
(offensive)

1.  PEOPLES offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the Saami people of northern Europe

2.  LANGUAGE offensive
term:
a name now considered offensive for the language of the Saami
[Late
16th century. From Swedish, of uncertain origin.]
—Lapp, adjective[1]



lappedjoint

lappedjoint
lapped
joint
(plural lapped joints) noun

See
lap joint[1]



lappet

lappet
lap·pet 
[láppət] (plural lap·pets) noun

1.  CLOTHES fold
or flap on clothing: a loose fold or flap of
fabric on a garment

2.  ZOOLOGY loose
fleshy part: a lobe or hanging flap of flesh such as
a cow’s dewlap or the wattle on a bird’s head
[15th century. Formed from lap 1 + -et .][1]



lappetmoth

lappetmoth
lap·pet
moth
(plural lap·pet moths) noun

large moth:
a large purplish-brown moth whose furry larvae have flaps along their sides.
Latin name: Gastropacha quercifolia[1]



lappool

lappool
lap
pool
noun

pool for swimming laps:
a pool designed for swimming laps, sometimes with a pump to create a current
against which to swim[1]



laprobe

laprobe
lap
robe
(plural lap robes) noun

small rug for the knees:
a small rug that wraps around the knees[1]



lapse

lapse
lapse 
[laps] noun (plural laps·es)

1.  error:
a momentary fault or failure in behavior or morality

2.  gap
in continuity: a break in the continuity of something

3.  period:
a passage of time

4.  LAW failure
to act in time: a failure to exercise a right within a
specified period of time, for example, the failure to buy a property before the
termination of an option to buy
intransitive
verb
(past lapsed, past participle lapsed, present
participle laps·ing, 3rd person present singular laps·es)

1.  gradually
come to a stop: to come to an end or stop doing
something gradually

2.  LAW become
void:
to become null and void through disuse, negligence, or death

3.  decline:
to decline in value, quality, or conduct • Their
standards have lapsed.

4.  lose
significance: to decline gradually, becoming less
important

5.  See
elapse
[14th
century. From Latin lapsus “falling, failure,” from the past participle
stem of labi “to fall, slip” (source of English collapse ).]
—laps·a·ble,
adjective

—laps·er,
noun
lapse
from grace

a failure in moral conduct or
religious belief[1]



lapsed

lapsed
lapsed 
[lapst] adjective

1.  no
longer faithful to something: no longer committed to
something, especially religious faith or observance

2.  expired:
expired or terminated

[1]



lapseinto

lapseinto
lapse
into
intransitive verb

1.  slide
into a condition: to revert to a previous state,
especially of quiet or inactivity

2.  return
to previous habits: to revert to a previous
habit or way of life, often an undesirable one

[1]



lapserate

lapserate
lapse
rate
(plural lapse rates) noun

rate of cooling at high
altitudes: the rate at which the
temperature of the atmosphere falls as altitude increases[1]



lapstrake

lapstrake
lap·strake 
[láp stràyk] adjective

See
clinker-built
noun
(plural lap·strakes)

clinker-built
boat:
a boat built with overlapping planks
[Late 18th century. From lap 2 + strake .][1]



LaptevSea

LaptevSea
Lap·tev
Sea 
[làptef s]

a section of the Arctic
Ocean, situated off the northern coast of Siberian Russia[1]



laptop

laptop
lap·top 
[láp tòp] (plural lap·tops) noun

small portable computer:
a small portable personal computer, especially a battery operated one, usually
consisting of a hinged outer case that opens to reveal a screen set in the
upper part and a compact keyboard set in the lower part.
See also
palmtop
See also
notebook[1]



LaPuente

LaPuente
La
Pu·en·te 
[l péntee]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, situated northeast of Long Beach. Population: 36,955
(1990)[1]



lapup

lapup
lap
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb See lap 3 verb 1

2.  transitive
verb
drink
eagerly:
to drink or eat something enthusiastically

3.  transitive
verb
enjoy
eagerly:
to enjoy something eagerly and uncritically

[1]



Laputan

Laputan
La·pu·tan 
[lə pyt’n] adjective

unrealistic:
concentrating on absurdly impractical ideas or projects, often to the exclusion
of things that need to be done
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Laputa, an island in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
where the inhabitants were given to unrealistic, fanciful hopes and plans.][1]



lapware

lapware
lap·ware
[láp wàir] noun

software for children:
software for children that includes simple text and animation for telling
stories[1]



lapwing

lapwing
lap·wing 
[láp wìng] (plural lap·wings or
lap·wing) noun

type
of plover:
a bird in the plover family that has a long crest and spurs and is noted for
its shrill cry and erratic flight. Genus: Vanellus
Also
called
peewit
Also
called
pewit
Also
called
green plover
[Old English hleapewince
(altered by folk etymology), literally “leaping from side to side,” from leap + an assumed word that is also the ancestor
of wink][1]



LaQuinta

LaQuinta
La
Quin·ta
[laa kwintə]

city in Riverside County,
southern California. Population: 17,241 (1990)[1]



lar

lar
lar
[laar] (plural lar·es [láireez, lreez])
noun

protective
household god: a protective god or a statue of a
protective god in an ancient Roman household
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



Laramie

Laramie
Lar·a·mie 
[lárrəmee]

city in Albany County,
southeastern Wyoming. It is the site of the University of Wyoming. Population:
26,687 (1990)[1]



larbo

larbo
lar·bo
[lr b] noun

cold
candy:
molasses cooled in snow (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Larbo is an old-fashioned New
  Hampshire term.

[1]



larboard

larboard
lar·board 
[lr bàwrd, lrbərd]
noun

port
side:
the port or left side of a vessel (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of laddeborde, literally “loading side.”][1]



larceny

larceny
lar·ce·ny 
[lrsənee] noun

theft:
the unlawful taking and removal of another person’s property
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, from, ultimately, Latin latrocinium, “theft,
robbery,” from latro, “thief,” from Greek latron, “pay, wages.”]
—lar·ce·ner,
noun

—lar·ce·nist,
noun

—lar·ce·nous,
adjective

—lar·ce·nous·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at theft

[1]



larch

larch

larch 
[laarch] (plural larch·es or
larch) noun

1.  tree
of pine family: a deciduous tree of the pine family that
has clusters of leaves resembling needles and egg-shaped cones. Genus: Larix

2.  larch
wood:
the durable wood of the larch tree
[Mid-16th century. Via Middle
High German larche, from, ultimately, Latin larix .][1]



larchsawfly

larchsawfly
larch
saw·fly
noun

small insect like wasp:
a small insect resembling a wasp and native to northern forests where its
larvae are infamous for defoliating large stands of larches. Latin name: Nematus
erichsonii[1]



lard

lard
lard 
[laard] noun

white cooking fat:
white, slightly soft, rendered pork used in cooking and baking, and as a base
in some ointments and perfumes
verb
(past lard·ed, past participle lard·ed, present
participle lard·ing, 3rd person present singular lards)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb add
lard to meat before cooking: to thread strips of fat or
fatty bacon through holes made in a lean cut of meat to keep the meat moist
while cooking

2.  transitive
verb
include
extra words: to include an unnecessary or undesirable
amount of additional material in a speech or piece of writing
[14th century. From French lard,
“bacon,” from Latin lar(i)dum .][1]



larder

larder
lar·der 
[lrdər] (plural lar·ders) noun

1.  food
storage place: a cool place, especially a small room or
large cupboard, used for storing food

2.  food
supply:
a supply of food
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin lar(i)dum “lard.”][1]



larderbeetle

larderbeetle
lar·der
bee·tle
(plural lar·der bee·tles) noun

small scavenging beetle:
a small beetle whose larvae eat dried meats, cheese, and other animal products.
Genus: Dermestes[1]



lardingneedle

lardingneedle
lard·ing
nee·dle
(plural lard·ing nee·dles) noun

needle for larding:
a long thick metal needle that grips one end of a strip of fat to allow it to
be threaded through lean meat to keep it moist while cooking[1]



Lardner,Ring

Lardner,Ring
Lard·ner
[lrdnər], Ring (1885–1933)

U.S.
humorist and writer. He is known for his satirical short stories.
Full name
Lardner, Ringgold Wilmer[1]



Laredo

Laredo
La·re·do 
[la rdō]

city in southern Texas, on
the border with Mexico. Population: 149,914 (1994)[1]



laree

laree
lar·ee 
[lree] (plural lar·ees) noun

1.  subunit
of Maldivian currency: a subunit of currency in the
Maldive Islands

2.  coin
worth one laree: a coin worth one laree
[Late 16th century. From
Persian lārī, from Lār, the name of a town on the Persian Gulf.][1]



lares

lares
lar·es

Plural of
lar[1]



laresand penates

laresand penates
lar·es
and pe·nates plural noun

1.  household
gods:
the household deities of the ancient Romans. The lares were believed to protect
the household from danger, while the penates were believed to bring wealth.

2.  valuables:
a family’s treasured or valuable possessions (dated)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



large

large
large 
[laarj] (comparative larg·er, superlative
larg·est) adjective

1.  very
big:
comparatively big in size, number, or quantity, or bigger in size, number, or
quantity than is usual or expected

2.  of
tall heavy build: tall and well-built, heavy set, broad,
or overweight

3.  spacious:
occupying a comparatively big space or a bigger space than is usual or expected
• a
large house

4.  important:
significant or general in scope, extent, or effect • a
large view of the subject

5.  generous:
generous in spirit or attitude

6.  NAUTICAL favorable:
blowing in a favorable direction • a
large wind

7.  vulgar:
coarse or vulgar (archaic)
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin larga, the feminine form of largus,
“large, copious.”]
—large·ness,
noun
at
large

1.  as
a widely based and general group of people

2.  escaped
or free and possibly dangerous

by
and large

speaking
generally

[1]



largecalorie

largecalorie
large
cal·o·rie
(plural large cal·o·ries) noun

See
Calorie[1]



large-hearted

large-hearted
large-heart·ed 
adjective

kind:
generous, kind, or understanding
—large-heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



largeintestine

largeintestine

large in·tes·tine
(plural large in·tes·tines) noun
last section of the intestinal tract:
the end section of the alimentary canal reaching from ileum to anus, and
consisting of the cecum, colon, and rectum. Its function is to extract water
and form feces.[1]



largely

largely
large·ly 
[lrjlee] adverb

1.  principally:
for the most part or mainly

2.  on
a grand scale: on a big or grand scale

[1]



large-minded

large-minded
large-mind·ed 
adjective

liberal:
characterized by a liberal attitude
—large-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—large-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



largemouthbass

largemouthbass
large·mouth
bass 
[lrj mowth báss] noun

freshwater game fish:
a large blackish-green freshwater bass of North America that has a large mouth
extending behind the eye and is popular as a game fish. Latin name: Micropterus
salmoides[1]



large-print

large-print
large-print
adjective

with big lettering:
set in type that is bigger than normal for the benefit of partially sighted
readers • a
large-print book[1]



larger-than-life

larger-than-life
larg·er-than-life
adjective

flamboyant:
very confident, impressive, flamboyant, and likely to attract attention (not
hyphenated when used after a verb)[1]



large-scale

large-scale
large-scale 
adjective

1.  big
and detailed: comparatively big in size and showing a
lot of detail

2.  extensive:
extensive in scope or scale

[1]



large-scaleintegration

large-scaleintegration
large-scale
in·te·gra·tion  noun

circuit integration on a
silicon chip: the process of
integrating a large number of circuits, often several thousand, on a silicon
chip[1]



largesse

largesse
lar·gesse 
[laar jéss] or lar·gess [laar jéss] noun

1.  generosity:
the generous giving of gifts, money, or favors

2.  gifts:
the gifts, money, or favors given as a result of somebody’s largesse

3.  liberality:
generosity or liberality, especially in spirit or attitude
[13th century. Via French,
from, ultimately, Latin largus (see large
).][1]



large-toothedaspen

large-toothedaspen
large-toothed
as·pen 
(plural large-toothed as·pens) noun

North American tree:
a deciduous tree found in eastern North America. Latin name: Populus
grandidentanta[1]



larghetto

larghetto
lar·ghet·to 
[laar géttō] adverb

moderately
slowly:
at a fairly slow tempo, but slightly faster than largo (used as a musical
direction)
noun
(plural lar·ghet·tos)

MUSIC piece
of larghetto music: a larghetto movement or
musical piece
[Early
18th century. From Italian, literally “little largo,” from largo (see largo ).]
—lar·ghet·to, adjective[1]



largish

largish
larg·ish 
[lrjish] adjective

somewhat large:
quite big, rather than enormous[1]



largo

largo
lar·go 
[lr g] adverb

fairly
slowly:
at a fairly slow and broad tempo, more slowly than lento but faster than grave
(used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural lar·gos)

piece
of largo music: a largo movement or musical piece
[Late
17th century. From Italian, literally “broad.”]
—lar·go, adjective[1]



lariat

lariat
lar·i·at 
[lérree ət] (plural lar·i·ats)
noun

1.  See
lasso

2.  rope
for tethering an animal: a tethering rope, especially
one used to hold a grazing animal in one place
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish la reata, “the rope,” from reatar, “to tie again,”
utimately from Latin aptare, “to adjust, fit” (source of English apt ).][1]



Larissa

Larissa
La·ris·sa
[lə ríssə] noun

small moon of Neptune:
a small inner natural satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1989 by Voyager 2. It
is irregular in shape having a maximum dimension of approximately 210 km (130
mi ).[1]



lark

lark2
lark2 [laark]
noun (plural larks)

1.  mischievous
adventure:
adventurous or risky fun

2.  amusing
prank:
a good-humored prank
intransitive
verb
(past larked, past participle larked, present
participle lark·ing, 3rd person present singular larks)

act mischievously:
to behave in a mischievous, annoying, or irresponsible manner
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of obsolete laik
“to play,” via Old English lācan from prehistoric Germanic.]
—lark·ish,
adjective

—lark·ish·ness,
noun

—lark·y, adjective[1]



lark

lark1

lark1 [laark]
(plural larks) noun
small
brownish songbird: a small songbird with
brownish plumage, found worldwide and noted for its song. Family: Alaudidae
[Old English lāferce,
earlier læwerce, ultimately of unknown origin][1]



larkspur

larkspur
lark·spur 
[lrk spùr] (plural lark·spurs)
noun

delphinium
plant:
any delphinium plant with spikes of pink, white, or blue flowers. Genus: Delphinium
[From the resemblance of the
spurred flowers to the unusually long hind claws of the lark][1]



Larkspur

Larkspur
Lark·spur 
[lrk spùr]

city in Marin County, western
California, situated approximately 725 km/280 mi northwest of San Francisco.
Population: 11,070 (1990)[1]



LaRochelle

LaRochelle
La
Ro·chelle 
[l rəshél]

seaport, tourist center, and
capital of Charente-Maritime Department, Poitou-Charentes Region, western
France. Population: 71,117 (1990)[1]



larrigan

larrigan
lar·ri·gan 
[lérrigən] (plural lar·ri·g·ans)
noun

leather
boot:
a knee-high boot with the leg part made of oiled leather, worn especially by
lumberjacks, trappers, and woodsmen
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps taken from the name of its first maker or wearer.][1]



larrup

larrup
lar·rup 
[lérrəp] transitive verb (past
lar·ruped, past participle lar·ruped, present
participle lar·rup·ing, 3rd person present singular lar·rups)

beat
somebody:
to beat or flog a person or animal
noun
(plural lar·rups)

thrashing:
a blow, especially one delivered with a lot of force
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain.]
—lar·ru·per, noun[1]



Larson,Gary

Larson,Gary
Larson
[lrss’n], Gary (1950– )

U.S. cartoonist. His comic
strip “The Far Side,” dating from 1980, is characterized by whimsical, absurd,
and macabre animal characters.[1]



larum

larum
lar·um 
[lérrəm] (plural lar·ums) noun

alarm:
an alarm (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
alarm .][1]



larva

larva
lar·va 
[lrvə] (plural lar·vae [lrvee] or lar·vas) noun

1.  INSECTS immature
insect:
the wingless immature worm-shaped form of many insects that develops into a
pupa or chrysalis before becoming an adult insect

2.  ZOOLOGY immature
amphibian or fish: the immature, early-stage
form of frogs and other animals that undergo marked changes during
metamorphosis
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “ghost, apparition, mask.”]
—lar·val, adjective[1]



larvicide

larvicide
lar·vi·cide 
[lrvə sd] (plural lar·vi·cides)
noun

larva-killing
substance:
a chemical used to kill larvae
—lar·vi·cid·al [lrvə sd’l], adjective[1]



laryng-

laryng-
laryng-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
laryngo-[1]



laryngeal

laryngeal
la·ryn·ge·al 
[lə rínjee əl, lèrrən
j əl, lə rínjəl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY relating
to the larynx: belonging to, relating to, situated in,
or affecting the larynx

2.  PHONETICS produced
at the larynx: used to describe a speech sound produced
in the region of the larynx
noun
(plural la·ryn·ge·als)

PHONETICS consonant:
a sound made in the region of the larynx, especially a sound similar to “/h/”
that some linguists believe was used by speakers of Proto-Indo-European
[Late
18th century. Formed from modern Latin laryngeus, from the stem laryng-
(see larynx ).]
—la·ryn·ge·al·ly, adverb[1]



laryngectomy

laryngectomy
lar·yn·gec·to·my 
[lèrrən jéktəmee] (plural lar·yn·gec·to·mies)
noun

operation to remove the
larynx: the surgical removal of all
or part of the larynx[1]



larynges

larynges
la·ryn·ges


Plural of
larynx[1]



laryngitis

laryngitis
lar·yn·gi·tis 
[lèrrən jtiss] noun

inflammation
of the larynx: inflammation of the larynx, usually
accompanied by hoarseness and coughing
—lar·yn·git·ic [lèrrən jtik], adjective[1]



laryngo-

laryngo-
laryngo-
prefix

larynx
• laryngotomy
[Via modern Latin from Greek larugg-,
the stem of larugx][1]



laryngology

laryngology
lar·yn·gol·o·gy 
[lèrrəng gólləjee] noun

area
of medicine relating to the larynx: a
branch of medicine dealing with diseases and conditions of the larynx and vocal
cords
—lar·yn·go·log·ic
[lə rìng gə lójjik], adjective

—lar·yn·go·log·i·cal·ly
[lə rìng gə lójjik’lee], adverb

—lar·yn·gol·o·gist [lèrrəng gólləjist], noun[1]



laryngopharynx

laryngopharynx
la·ryn·go·phar·ynx 
[lə rìng gō férringks] (plural la·ryn·go·pha·ryn·ges
[lə rìng gō fə rínjeez] or la·ryn·go·phar·ynx·es)
noun

area in the throat:
the part of the throat immediately behind the voice box or larynx, and
extending downward to the top of the gullet or esophagus[1]



laryngoscope

laryngoscope
la·ryn·go·scope 
[lə ríng gə skp] (plural la·ryn·go·scopes)
noun

instrument for examining the
larynx: a medical instrument
consisting of a short metal or plastic tube fitted with a tiny light bulb, used
when examining the larynx. Its most common use is for viewing the entrance to
the larynx when inserting a breathing tube during surgery.[1]



laryngoscopy

laryngoscopy
lar·yn·gos·co·py 
[lèrrəng góskəpee] (plural lar·yn·gos·co·pies)
noun

medical
examination of the larynx: an examination of the
entrance to, or interior of, the larynx, for the purpose of diagnosis or to
facilitate the passage of a tube through the larynx
—la·ryn·go·scop·ic
[lə rìng gə skóppik], adjective

—la·ryn·go·scop·i·cal·ly
[lə rìng gə skóppikəlee], adverb

—la·ryn·go·scop·ist [lèrrəng góskəpist], noun[1]



laryngotomy

laryngotomy
la·ryn·go·to·my 
[lèrrəng góttəmee] (plural la·ryn·go·to·mies)
noun

surgical incision in the
larynx: a surgical procedure in
which an incision is made in the larynx[1]



larynx

larynx
lar·ynx 
[lérringks] (plural la·ryn·ges
[lə rín jz] or lar·ynx·es) noun

voice
box:
the cartilaginous box-shaped part of the respiratory tract between the level of
the root of the tongue and the top of the trachea. In humans and certain other
air-breathing vertebrates it is the organ of voice production, containing the
vocal cords.
Also
called
voice box
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek larugx .][1]



lasagna

lasagna
la·sa·gna 
[lə znyə] (plural la·sa·gnas or
la·sa·gne) or la·sa·gne [lə
znyə] (plural la·sa·gnes or la·sa·gne) noun

1.  pasta
dish:
a dish of Italian origin consisting of alternate layers of pasta sheets and
filling, especially alternating pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, and usually ground
meat, baked in the oven. Various fish, poultry, or vegetable sauces or fillings
may also be used.

2.  sheets
of pasta:
thin flat sheets of fresh or dried pasta, which are generally layered with
sauces or other ingredients, then baked
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian, from, ultimately, Latin lasanum, “cooking vessel.”][1]



LaSalle

LaSalle
La
Salle 
[lə sál]

industrial city in La Salle
County, north central Illinois, 82 km/51 mi northeast of Peoria. Population:
9,717 (1990)[1]



LaSalle, René Robert Cavelier

LaSalle, René Robert Cavelier

La Salle 
[lə sál], René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de
(1643–1687)
French explorer. He navigated the
Mississippi River to its mouth, and tried to colonize the area for France.[1]



lascar

lascar
las·car 
[láskər] (plural las·cars) or
Las·car [láskər] (plural Las·cars)
noun

Indian
sailor:
an Indian or Southeast Asian sailor, army servant, or artilleryman (dated)
[Early 17th century. From
Persian and Urdu laškarī “soldier,” from laškar “army, camp.”][1]



LasCasas, Bartolomé de

LasCasas, Bartolomé de
Las
Casas
[laass kaássəss], Bartolomé de (1474–1566)

Spanish
missionary. He was the first person to be ordained as a priest in America
(1512).
Known as
Apostle of the Indians[1]



Lascaux

Lascaux
Las·caux 
[la skṓ]

site of an underground cave,
called Grotte de Lascaux, in southwestern France, that contains outstanding
examples of Stone Age art[1]



lascivious

lascivious
las·civ·i·ous 
[lə sívvee əss] adjective

1.  lewd:
showing a desire for, or unseemly interest in, sex

2.  erotic:
provoking or exciting lust
[15th
century. From late Latin lasciviosus, from, ultimately, Latin lascivus
“lustful.”]
—las·civ·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—las·civ·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



LasCruces

LasCruces
Las
Cru·ces 
[laas krssiss]

city in southern New Mexico,
situated north of El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico. Population: 74,779 (1996)[1]



lase

lase
lase 
[layz] (past lased, past
participle lased, present participle las·ing, 3rd
person present singular las·es) intransitive verb

emit
radiation:
to emit the type of single-wavelength radiation produced by a laser
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from laser .][1]



laser

laser
la·ser 
[láyzər] (plural la·sers) noun

device
emitting a focused beam of light: a device that utilizes
the ability of certain substances to absorb electromagnetic energy and
re-radiate it as a highly focused beam of synchronized single-wavelength
radiation
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation .][1]



laserdisk

laserdisk
la·ser
disk
(plural la·ser disks) noun

See
optical disk[1]



laserdoppler flowmeter

laserdoppler flowmeter
la·ser
dop·pler flow·me·ter noun

MEDICINE
medical instrument:
an instrument that measures blood flow through the arteries and veins, used to
help detect narrowing of the arteries and the presence of blood clots[1]



laserprinter

laserprinter
la·ser
print·er 
(plural la·ser print·ers) noun

computer printer:
a computer printer that uses a focused laser beam to place an image on a
photosensitive drum, which uses an electrostatic charge to transfer the image
to paper[1]



laserwelding

laserwelding
laser
weld·ing
noun

use of laser to seal a wound:
the process of using a laser to join tissues together in order to seal up
wounds[1]



lash

lash2
lash2 [lash]
(past lashed, past participle lashed, present
participle lash·ing, 3rd person present singular lash·es)
transitive verb

tie
something tightly: to tie something tightly or
securely to another object
[15th
century. Origin uncertain; perhaps from Low German .]
—lash·er, noun[1]



lash

lash1
lash1 [lash]
noun (plural lash·es)

1.  stroke
with a whip: a stroke with a whip or some other long
flexible object, often one of several given as a punishment

2.  eyelash:
an eyelash

3.  movement
like a whip: a movement like that of a whip being
cracked • The
lion gave a lash of its tail.

4.  end
of a whip:
the flexible end of a whip

5.  severe
scolding:
a severe reproof or verbal attack • He
felt the full lash of his father’s tongue.

6.  impact
of something: a strong or powerful, often continuous,
impact of something, especially a natural element, against a surface • the
lash of waves onto the beach
verb
(past lashed, past participle lashed, present
participle lash·ing, 3rd person present singular lash·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb smash
onto something: to have a strong or powerful, often
continuous, impact on a surface • Heavy
seas lashed the shore.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb criticize
somebody:
to criticize somebody or something severely • She
lashed into her critics.

3.  transitive
verb
whip
somebody:
to hit somebody or something with a whip or an object like a whip, often
repeatedly as a form of punishment • Prisoners
were lashed severely.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb flick
to and fro:
to flick something from side to side sharply so that it moves like a whip, or
move in this way • The cat lashed its tail
angrily.

5.  transitive
verb
incite
people:
to encourage strong emotion such as anger in others, especially in a crowd • The
fans had lashed themselves into a fever of enthusiasm.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound made by a whip or
rope swung through the air.]
—lash·er, noun[1]



lashing

lashing1
lash·ing1  [láshing]
(plural lash·ings) noun

1.  flogging:
a beating with a whip or something resembling a whip

2.  severe
scolding:
a severe rebuke or critical attack

[1]



lashing

lashing2
lash·ing2  [láshing]
(plural lash·ings) noun

binding rope:
rope, string, or cord used for securing things[1]



lashings

lashings
lash·ings 
[láshingz] plural noun

U.K.
large quantity:
generous or plentiful amounts of something[1]



Lashkar

Lashkar
Lash·kar
[lásh kr]

city in Madhya Pradesh,
central India[1]



lashout

lashout
lash
out
intransitive verb

1.  suddenly
attack verbally: to attack somebody or something verbally
and suddenly

2.  suddenly
attack physically: to start suddenly to attack
somebody or something with uncontrolled movements

[1]



Laskin,Bora

Laskin,Bora
Las·kin
[láskin], Bora (1912–1984)

Canadian lawyer and judge. He
served as chief justice of Canada (1973–1984).[1]



LasPalmas

LasPalmas
Las
Pal·mas 
[laas plməss]

city, seaport, and capital of
Las Palmas Province, northeastern Grand Canary Island, Spain. Population:
342,030 (1991)[1]



LaSpezia

LaSpezia
La
Spe·zia 
[laa sptseeə]

naval base, port city, and
capital of La Spezia Province, Liguria Region, northwestern Italy. Population:
103,008 (1990)[1]



lass

lass
lass 
[lass] (plural lass·es) noun

1.  young
woman:
a girl or young woman (sometimes considered offensive)

2.  girlfriend:
a girlfriend or sweetheart
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably related to Old Norse laskura “unmarried.”][1]



Lassafever

Lassafever
Las·sa
fe·ver 
[lssə fvər] noun

viral
disease of W Africa: an infectious, often fatal,
viral disease of West Africa marked by high fever, muscle pain, ulcers of the
mucous membranes, headaches, hemorrhaging, and heart and kidney failure
[Late 20th century. Named for
Lassa, Nigerian village where the disease first appeared.][1]



LassenVolcanic National Park

LassenVolcanic National Park
Las·sen
Vol·can·ic Na·tion·al Park [làssən
vol kánnik nàshənəl prk]

national park in northeastern
California, established in 1907. Its main feature is the volcanic Lassen Peak,
3,187 m/10,457 ft high. Area: 43,049 hectares//106,372 acres.[1]



lassie

lassie
las·sie 
[lássee] (plural las·sies) noun

Northern England,
Scotland woman:
a girl or young woman (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)[1]



lassitude

lassitude
las·si·tude 
[lássi td] noun

tiredness
and apathy:
a state of weariness accompanied by listlessness or apathy
[15th century. Via French
from Latin lassitudo, from lassus “weary.”][1]



lasso

lasso
las·so 
[lássō, la s]
noun (plural las·sos)

rope
with a sliding noose: a long stiff piece of rope
or cord with a sliding noose at one end, used especially for catching horses
and cattle.
Also
called
lariat
transitive
verb
(past las·soed, past participle las·soed, present
participle las·soing, 3rd person present singular las·sos)

capture
an animal with a lasso: to use a lasso or other
length of rope to catch a horse, cow, or other animal
[Mid-18th
century. Via Spanish lazo, from Latin laqueus “noose” (source of
English lace ).]
—las·so·er [lássō ər], noun[1]



last

last4
last4 [last]
(plural lasts) noun

U.K.
unit
of measurement: a unit of measurement that has different
values in different contexts including the values of 80 bushels and two tons
[Old English hlæst,
“load”][1]



last

last1
last1 [last]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is the most recent or final of all
• (adjective)
She was married last April. • (adjective)
Johnny turned and took a last look at the band. • (adverb)
Allow me to apologize for the uncomfortable circumstances under which we last
met.
• (adverb)
He got to the meeting last. • (pronoun)
Her new album’s even better than the last.

1.
adjective pronoun most recent:
occurring most recently • (adjective)
I saw him last Tuesday. • (pronoun)
This flood may turn out to be even worse than the last.

2.
adjective pronoun after all the others:
being or occurring after all the others • (adjective)
He is believed to be the last person to see her before she left.
• (pronoun)
Your first complaint may well be your last.

3.
adjective pronoun only remaining:
the final or only person, thing, or part remaining • (adjective)
This machine just ate my last dollar! • (pronoun)
Here –finish up the last of the cake.

4.
adjective pronoun least suitable:
least suitable, appropriate, or likely • (adjective)
She’s the last person we want on this project. • (pronoun)
I am the last to criticize you in any way.

5.
adjective relating to the end:
relating to the end of somebody’s life • The
priest performed the last rites.

6.
adverb most recently:
on the most recent occasion • When I
last spoke to them they sounded fine.

7.
adverb after all the others:
after all the others in a series or order

8.
adverb finally: as
the final point • Last, I’d like to
mention all the people who helped to make this evening a success.

9.
noun final
moment:
the final moment, especially of life • She
remained cheerful to the last.
[Old
English latost (adv.) “after all the others,” of prehistoric Germanic
origin]
at
last

finally
or in the end • I’ve found you at last
–I’ve been looking everywhere.

at
long last

eventually,
after a long delay or many difficulties • They
fought the case for years and at long last got some compensation.

breathe
your last

to
die • I
was by her side when she breathed her last.

every
last

everything
without exception • They ate it up, every
last piece of it.

last
but not least

the
final thing to be mentioned but important nevertheless • And
of course, last but not least, we thank the staff of customer relations.

the
last of somebody or something

1.  the
last remaining person, thing, or part of something, or the last in a sequence • That’s
the last of the bread –I’ll get some more tomorrow.

2.  somebody’s
final contact with or news of somebody or something • You
haven’t heard the last of this –I’m going to complain.





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  The
  Last of the Mohicans, a novel by writer James Fenimore Cooper ( 1826 ). The
  most popular of Cooper’s evocative accounts of frontier life, it is set in mid-18th-century
  North America during the wars between Britain and France. It describes the
  attempts of frontiersman Hawkeye and his Mohican companions, Chingachook and
  Uncas, the last of their people, to protect a British family from the French
  and their Huron allies.

[1]



last

last3
last3 [last]
(plural lasts) noun

shoemaker’s
tool:
a wooden or metal block shaped like a human foot that a shoemaker or cobbler
uses for making and repairing footwear
[Old English lste,
from lāst “sole of the foot, footprint,” from a prehistoric Germanic
verb meaning “to follow,” which is also the ancestor of last 2][1]



last

last2
last2 [last]
(past last·ed, past participle last·ed, present
participle last·ing, 3rd person present singular lasts)
intransitive and transitive verb

be
able to be used: to continue to be used or available for
a period of time • The provisions lasted
for ten days. • The
fruit lasted us a week.
[Old English læstan
“to last, follow.” The underlying idea is of following a track.][1]



last-born

last-born
last-born
adjective

youngest:
youngest in a particular family
noun

youngest child:
the youngest in a particular family[1]



lastcall

lastcall
last
call
noun

last drink request:
a bartender’s request for last drink orders before closing time (informal)[1]



last-ditch

last-ditch
last-ditch 
adjective

final:
done or taken when all other options have been exhausted[1]



last-gasp

last-gasp
last-gasp 
adjective

when all else fails:
done as a last measure when all other options have failed[1]



lasthurrah

lasthurrah
last
hur·rah 
(plural last hur·rahs) noun

final
effort:
a final appearance, performance, or effort
[Mid-20th century. Taken from
The Last Hurrah, title of a novel by Edwin O’Connor.][1]



last-in,first-out

last-in,first-out
last-in,
first-out 
noun

ACCOUNTING
accounting method for inventories:
a method of accounting in which it is assumed that the most recently purchased
items in an inventory are the first to be sold[1]



lasting

lasting
last·ing 
[lásting] adjective

permanent:
continuing for a very long time or indefinitely
noun

shoe
material:
a strong durable twill fabric, mostly used for the uppers of shoes
—last·ing·ly,
adverb

—last·ing·ness, noun[1]



LastJudgment

LastJudgment
Last
Judg·ment 
noun

See
Judgment Day[1]



lastly

lastly
last·ly
[lástlee] adverb

finally:
as the final thing at the end of a series[1]



lastminute

lastminute
last
min·ute
noun

latest
possible time: the latest time that it is possible to
do something and still be in time
—last-min·ute, adjective[1]



lastname

lastname
last
name
(plural last names) noun

See
surname[1]



lastorders

lastorders
last
or·ders
plural noun interjection

U.K.
See last call[1]



lastout

lastout
last
out
transitive verb

1.  be
sufficient for something: to be an adequate supply for
a particular length of time • I
think we’ve got enough food to last out the week.

2.  remain
alive:
to survive for a particular length of time • The
vet said she didn’t think Prince would last out the night.

[1]



lastresort

lastresort
last
re·sort
noun

desperate remedy:
something tried or done when everything else has failed[1]



lastrites

lastrites
last
rites
plural noun

1.  Roman
Catholic ceremony for somebody dying: in
the Roman Catholic Church, religious rites performed for somebody who is close
to death

2.  religious
burial rites: in Christianity, religious rites
accompanying a burial or funeral

[1]



lastspike

lastspike
last
spike
or Last Spike noun

final section of railroad:
the final section completing a rail line, symbolized by the final spike driven
to secure the rails[1]



laststraw

laststraw
last
straw
noun

final
and unbearable misfortune: a minor annoyance that,
because it comes at the end of a series of other misfortunes, turns out to be
the thing that makes a situation unbearable
[From the fable of the camel
whose back was broken by the last straw added to its load][1]



LastSupper

LastSupper
Last
Sup·per
noun

Jesus Christ’s last meal:
the last meal that Jesus Christ ate with his disciples before his crucifixion,
commemorated by Christians in the Communion ceremony[1]



lastword

lastword
last
word
noun

1.  final
remark in a discussion: the final thing to be said,
especially at the end of an argument, disagreement, or discussion

2.  ultimate
decision:
the final decision on something

3.  best:
the best of its kind • the
last word in convenience

[1]



LasVegas

LasVegas
Las
Ve·gas 
[ls váygəss]

city in southern Nevada, a
center for tourism and gambling. It is famous for the extravagant neon-lighted
resort hotels, casinos, and bars that line its main street, known as “The
Strip.” Population: 327,878 (1994)[1]



lat

lat
lat
[lat] (plural lats) noun

latissimus
dorsi:
a latissimus dorsi (informal)
[Shortening][1]



lat.

lat.
lat.

Abbreviation of
latitude[1]



Lat.

Lat.
Lat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Latin

2.  Abbreviation
of
Latvia

3.  Abbreviation
of
Latvian

[1]



Latakia

Latakia
Lat·a·ki·a
[làttə k ə]

city and seaport, capital of
Latakia Governorate, northwestern Syria. Population: 303,000 (1994)[1]



latch

latch
latch 
[lach] noun (plural latch·es)

1.  device
for keeping doors shut: a device for holding a door,
gate, or other opening closed consisting of a movable or liftable bar that
drops into a hole or notch

2.  door
lock:
a door lock that needs a key to be opened from the outside but not the inside
transitive
verb
(past latched, past participle latched, present
participle latch·ing, 3rd person present singular latch·es)

lock something with a latch:
to close or lock something with a latch
[Old English læccan,
“to grasp, clasp, seize.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English lasso .][1]



latchet

latchet
latch·et 
[láchət] (plural latch·ets) noun

shoe
strap:
a leather thong for tying a shoe or sandal (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French lachet, dialectal variant of lacet, literally “little
string,” from laz “string” (see lace
).][1]



latchkey

latchkey
latch·key 
[lách k] (plural latch·keys) noun

door key:
a key for lifting a latch, especially one on an outside door or gate[1]



latchkeychild

latchkeychild
latch·key
child
or latch·key kid (plural latch·key kids) noun

child lacking adult
supervision: a child who returns
from school to an empty home because the adults in the family are still at work[1]



latchonto

latchonto
latch
onto
transitive verb (informal)

1.  get:
to get hold of something

2.  remain
constantly in somebody’s company: to remain constantly
in somebody’s company even if the person would prefer other company or solitude

3.  become
interested in something: to become particularly
interested in something

[1]



latchstring

latchstring
latch·string 
[lách strìng] (plural latch-strings)
noun

string for opening a door
with a latch: a string attached to a
latch and passed through a hole in a door to allow somebody to open it from the
other side[1]



late

late
late 
[layt] adjective (comparative lat·er,
superlative lat·est)

1.  after
an expected time: happening or arriving after an expected
or arranged time • Hurry up or we’ll be
late!

2.  after
the usual time: happening or done after the normal or
usual time • a
late lunch

3.  near
the end of a period: near the end of a particular
period of time • The meeting is
scheduled for late morning.

4.  into
the night:
well into the evening or night • It’s
late –time for bed.

5.  dead:
having died, especially fairly recently • my
late grandfather

6.  up
until recently: having recently, but no longer, done
something, lived somewhere, or belonged to a group or organization • That
reporter, late of the European bureau, is now moving to Southeast Asia.

7.  done
toward the end of a career: produced near the end of
somebody’s career or life • a late
Degas
adverb
(comparative lat·er, superlative lat·est)

1.  not
on time:
after an expected or arranged time • He
arrived late.

2.  beyond
the usual time: after the usual or normal time • She
had to work late.

3.  near
the end of a period: toward the end of a period
of time • These
birds tend to nest late in the year.

4.  well
into evening: at or until a point well into the
evening or night • Their flight is due
late on Friday.

5.  recently:
relatively recently • She
didn’t pack her bags until as late as yesterday.
[Old
English læt . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to let go,”
which is also the ancestor of English let,
liege, and lassitude .]
—late·ness,
noun
of
late

recently

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  When
  to use late for the deceased:
  In
  obituaries or death announcements the person in question is hardly ever
  described as • the late….
  Nor is it usual for somebody who died centuries ago to be described that way.
  In references to a deceased person, when is it time to start and stop using late ? The word’s purpose is to serve as a
  reminder that the person in question is no longer living. In an obituary,
  that much is obvious, so late is not
  needed. Nor is it needed in historical contexts, except to indicate that
  somebody was dead by a given time: • By
  1800 Thomas Jefferson’s late wife, Martha….

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



lateblight

lateblight
late
blight
noun

potato disease:
a disease of potatoes, caused by a fungus, in which both tubers and foliage
decay[1]



latecomer

latecomer
late·com·er 
[làyt kúmmər] (plural late·com·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
arriving late: somebody who arrives late for an event

2.  recent
convert:
somebody who has participated in or started appreciating something only
recently

[1]



latedeveloper

latedeveloper
late
de·vel·op·er (plural late de·vel·op·ers)
noun

child who learns later than
others: a child whose potential in
some or all aspects of school work develops later than is the case for the
majority of his or her contemporaries[1]



lateen

lateen
la·teen 
[lə tn, la tn]
adjective

having
a triangular sail: used to describe a
triangular sail hung on a yard attached to a small mast, or a ship with such a
sail
[Mid-16th century. From
French (voile) latine, literally “Latin (sail),” ultimately from Latin latinus,
so called because it was used in the Mediterranean.][1]



lateen-rigged

lateen-rigged
la·teen-rigged
adjective

with a triangular sail:
using a lateen sail[1]



lateGreek

lateGreek
late
Greek 
noun

form of Greek:
the form of the Greek language used from around the 3rd to the 9th centuries A.D.[1]



lateHebrew

lateHebrew
late
He·brew
noun

form of Hebrew:
the form of the Hebrew language used from around the 12th to the 18th centuries
A.D.[1]



lateLatin

lateLatin
late
Lat·in
noun

written form of Latin:
the written form of Latin used from around the 3rd to the 7th centuries A.D.[1]



lately

lately
late·ly 
[láytlee] adverb

recently:
within the last few days or weeks or not too long ago[1]



laten

laten
lat·en 
[láyt’n] (past lat·ened, past
participle lat·ened, present participle lat·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular lat·ens) intransitive and transitive verb

become or make something
late: to grow late, or make
something late[1]



latency

latency
la·ten·cy 
[láyt’nsee] noun

1.  state
of being latent: the state or condition of being latent

2.  time
taken to cross network: the time it takes for a data
packet to move across a network connection. Latency and bandwidth are two
factors that determine the speed of a network connection.

[1]



latencyperiod

latencyperiod
la·ten·cy
pe·ri·od
(plural la·ten·cy pe·ri·ods) noun

See
latent period[1]



latent

latent
la·tent 
[láyt’nt] adjective

1.  hidden:
present or existing, but in an underdeveloped or unexpressed form

2.  BIOLOGY dormant:
dormant or undeveloped but able to develop normally under suitable conditions

3.  PSYCHOANALYSIS present
but unexpressed: present in the unconscious but not
consciously expressed
[Early 17th century. From
Latin latent-, present participle stem of latere, “to be
hidden.”][1]



latentcontent

latentcontent
la·tent
con·tent
noun

symbolic part of a dream:
the content of a dream that is hidden or repressed, and is represented in
symbols[1]



latentheat

latentheat
la·tent
heat
noun

hidden heat during physical
change: the heat that is absorbed or
emitted when a substance undergoes a physical phase change but that does not
make the substance change temperature. Symbol L[1]



latentimage

latentimage
la·tent
im·age
(plural la·tent im·ag·es) noun

image on undeveloped film:
the invisible image recorded on light-sensitive materials such as photographic
film or paper but not yet developed[1]



latentperiod

latentperiod
la·tent
pe·ri·od
(plural la·tent pe·ri·ods) noun
Also
called
latency period

1.  PHYSIOLOGY time
between stimulus and response: the interval between
the application of a stimulus and the start of a response

2.  MEDICINE disease
incubation period: the incubation period of a
disease

3.  PSYCHOANALYSIS theoretical
childhood developmental stage: in Freudian theory, a
period between five or six years of age and adolescence when sexual interest is
suppressed

[1]



latentprint

latentprint
la·tent
print
(plural la·tent prints) noun

accidental fingerprint:
a fingerprint that is left at a crime scene and remains invisible until
chemically treated[1]



later

later
lat·er
[láytər]

Comparative
of
late
adverb

after:
after a particular period of time, the present time, or the time being
discussed
interjection

see you later:
used to say goodbye (informal)[1]



lateral

lateral
lat·er·al 
[láttərəl] adjective

1.  at
the side:
belonging to, relating to, located at, or affecting the side

2.  sideways
in a career, rather than up: involving transfer to a
different position in an organization or career, but without greater status or
advancement

3.  PHONETICS produced
with an incomplete obstruction of air:
produced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge so that air moves
around the outside of one or both sides of the tongue. The only lateral sound
in English is /l/.
noun
(plural lat·er·als)

1.  part
at the side: a part, appendage, movement, or object
at the side of something

2.  PHONETICS lateral
speech sound: a lateral speech sound such as /l/ in
English

3.  FOOTBALL sideways
or backward football pass: a sideways or backward pass
in football
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lat·er·aled,
past participle lat·er·aled, present participle lat·er·al·ing,
3rd person present singular lat·er·als)

FOOTBALL pass a
ball sideways: to pass the ball sideways or backward in
football
[15th
century. From Latin lateralis, from later-, stem of latus
“side.”]
—lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



lateralbud

lateralbud
lat·er·al
bud
(plural lat·er·al buds) noun

bud near a leaf:
a bud that develops in the angle between a leaf and a stem[1]



lateralization

lateralization
lat·er·al·i·za·tion 
[làttərəli záysh’n] noun

positioning of function
within the brain: the localization of the
control center for a particular function, for example, speech, on the right or
left side of the brain[1]



lateralline

lateralline
lat·er·al
line
(plural lat·er·al lines) noun

sensory cells in fish:
a line of sensory pores along the head and sides of fish and some amphibians
that detect pressure, current variations, and vibrations[1]



lateralthinking

lateralthinking
lat·er·al
think·ing 
noun

unconventional approach to
solving problems: a way of solving
problems by unconventional or apparently illogical means rather than using a
traditionally logical approach[1]



laterite

laterite
lat·er·ite 
[láttə rt] (plural lat·er·ites)
noun

red
tropical soil: a reddish mixture of clayey iron and
aluminium oxides and hydroxides formed by the weathering of basalt under humid,
tropical conditions. There are extensive deposits in India.
[Early
19th century. Coined from Latin later “brick” + -ite
.]
—lat·er·it·ic [làttə ríttik], adjective[1]



latest

latest
lat·est 
[láytəst]

Superlative
of
late
adjective

newest:
newest, most recent, or most up-to-date
noun

most up-to-date version:
the newest, most recent, or most up-to-date news, fashion, or version of
something (informal)[1]



latex

latex
la·tex 
[láy tèks] (plural la·ti·ces [láyti sz] or la·tex·es) noun

1.  plant
sap:
a milky white liquid produced by some plants such as the rubber tree, whose sap
is used to make rubber

2.  mixture
of plastic particles in water: a suspension of rubber
or plastic ( polymer ) particles in water,
used to make emulsion paints, adhesives, and other products
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “liquid, watery fluid.”][1]



latexpaint

latexpaint
la·tex
paint
noun

latex-bound paint:
paint with a latex binder[1]



lath

lath
lath 
[lath] noun (plural laths)

1.  thin
wooden strip used in a framework: one of the thin strips
of wood used to form a framework to support plaster, tiles, or slates

2.  sheet
or wire support for plastering: a sheet of metal or a
framework of wire mesh used as a support for plasterwork

3.  thin
strip of wood: a thin strip of wood, especially one
used in the building trades
transitive
verb
(past lathed, past participle lathed, present
participle lathing, 3rd person present singular laths)

attach laths to a surface:
to attach or nail laths to a surface before plastering, tiling, or fixing
slates
[Old English lætt, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



lathe

lathe
lathe 
[lay] noun (plural lathes)

turning
tool:
a machine for working wood or metal, in which the piece being worked is held
and rotated while a cutting tool is applied to it
transitive
verb
(past lathed, past participle lathed, present participle
lath·ing, 3rd person present singular lathes)

shape
something with a lathe: to shape wood or metal using
a lathe
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Danish lad, “framework for supporting
work.”][1]



lather

lather
lath·er 
[láər] noun

1.  soapy
froth:
foam that is produced by soap or detergent used with water

2.  sweaty
froth:
white foam produced during periods of extremely heavy sweating, especially by
horses

3.  agitated
state:
a state of agitation or nervous anxiety (informal)
verb
(past lath·ered, past participle lath·ered, present
participle lath·er·ing, 3rd person present singular lath·ers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
lather:
to produce a lather using a soap or detergent

2.  transitive
verb
coat
with lather: to coat something with lather
[Old
English læþor . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to wash,”
which is also the ancestor of English lotion,
latrine, and deluge .]
—lath·er·y, adjective[1]



lathyrism

lathyrism
lath·y·rism 
[láə rìzzəm] noun

disease
that affects the legs: a neurological disease of
humans and domestic animals, caused by eating certain legumes and characterized
by lack of strength in or inability to move the legs. The legumes responsible
for the disease are of the genus Lathyrus.
[Late 19th century. Formed from
modern Latin Lathyrus, genus name, from Greek lathuros, a species
of vetch.][1]



latices

latices
la·ti·ces


Plural of
latex[1]



laticifer

laticifer
la·tic·i·fer 
[la tíssəfər] (plural la·tic·i·fers)
noun

plant
part producing latex: a duct that produces latex
in some plants
[Early
20th century. Formed from latici-, the stem of latex, “liquid,
watery fluid.”]
—lat·i·cif·er·ous [làtti síffərəss], adjective[1]



latifundium

latifundium
lat·i·fun·di·um 
[làttə fúndee əm] (plural lat·i·fun·di·a
[làttə fúndee ə]) noun

large
Roman farm:
in ancient Rome, an agricultural estate, especially one that was worked by
enslaved laborers
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, from latus “broad” + fundus “landed estate.”][1]



latigo

latigo
lat·i·go 
[láttə g, ltə
g] (plural lat·i·gos or lat·i·goes) noun

saddle
strap:
a strap for tightening the girth on a Western saddle
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, “strap, whip, cinch.”][1]



Latin

Latin
Lat·in 
[látt’n] noun (plural Lat·ins)

1.  LANGUAGE ancient
Roman language: the extinct Indo-European language of
ancient Rome and its empire, also adopted across medieval Europe as the
language of education, government, law, the Church, the aristocracy, and
cultured society. The Romance languages developed from Vulgar Latin, and its
prominence during medieval times led to Latin-derived words entering the
vocabularies of other European languages.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from ancient Latium: somebody who was born or
lived in ancient Latium in western central Italy

3.  PEOPLES somebody
speaking a Romance language: somebody who speaks any of
the languages derived from Latin, especially somebody living in Latin America
or southern Europe
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of the
Latin language: relating to the Latin language

2.  PEOPLES relating
to people speaking Romance languages:
relating to any of the peoples using languages derived from Latin, especially
those people living in Latin America or in southern Europe

3.  CHRISTIANITY relating
to the Roman Catholic Church: belonging or relating to the
Roman Catholic Church

4.  LANGUAGE written
in the Roman alphabet: written in or relating to
the Roman alphabet
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Latinus “of the people of Latium, Roman,” from Latium, an ancient
region of western central Italy.][1]



Latina

Latina
Lat·i·na 
[lə tnə] (plural Lat·i·nas) noun

Latin
American woman or girl: a woman or girl of Latin
American descent who was born in or is a citizen of the United States
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, feminine of Latino (see Latino
).][1]



Latinalphabet

Latinalphabet
Lat·in
al·pha·bet
noun

See
Roman alphabet[1]



LatinAmerica

LatinAmerica
Lat·in
A·mer·i·ca 
[làtt’n ə mérrikə]

1.  the
entire western hemisphere south of the United States

2.  those
countries of the Americas that developed from the colonies of Spain, Portugal,
and France

[1]



Latin-American

Latin-American
La·tin-A·mer·i·can
adjective

relating
to any of the countries of Latin America, or their peoples or cultures
noun

1.  somebody
from Latin America: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of any of the countries of Latin America

2.  Latin
American living in U.S.: somebody of Latin American
descent who was born in or is a citizen of the United States

[1]



LatinAmericanist

LatinAmericanist
Lat·in
A·mer·i·can·ist (plural Lat·in
A·mer·i·can·ists) noun

Latin American specialist:
somebody who is an expert in or is studying Latin America, especially its
literature, culture, music, or history[1]



Latinate

Latinate
Lat·in·ate 
[látt’n àyt] adjective

relating to Latin:
derived from, relating to, or characteristic of Latin[1]



LatinChurch

LatinChurch
Lat·in
Church
noun

See
Roman Catholic Church[1]



Latincross

Latincross

Lat·in cross
(plural Lat·in cross·es) noun
traditional Christian cross:
an upright cross in which the lowest limb is longer than the other three, often
associated with Christianity[1]



Latinism

Latinism
Lat·in·ism 
[látt’n ìzzəm] (plural Lat·in·isms)
noun

Latin word or phrase:
a word or phrase for example, “ipso facto,” that has been borrowed from Latin[1]



Latinist

Latinist
Lat·in·ist 
[látt’nist] (plural Lat·in·ists)
noun

expert in Latin:
somebody who is an expert in or student of the Latin language[1]



Latinity

Latinity
La·tin·i·ty 
[lə tínnətee] noun

style in Latin usage:
a style or level of expertise in using Latin[1]



Latinize

Latinize
Lat·in·ize 
[látt’n z] (past Lat·in·ized,
past participle Lat·in·ized, present participle Lat·in·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Lat·in·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  LANGUAGE translate
something into Latin: to translate something into
Latin, or give a Latin form to something such as a name

2.  LANGUAGE transcribe
something into the Roman alphabet: to transcribe words
into the Roman alphabet from another alphabet

3.  CHRISTIANITY make
something like the Roman Catholic Church: to
adopt the practices of, or make practices more like those of, the Roman
Catholic Church

4.  HISTORY make
people more Roman: to make people adapt to
Roman customs and styles
—Lat·in·i·za·tion
[làtt’ni záysh’n], noun

—Lat·in·iz·er [látt’n zər], noun[1]



Latin-Jazz

Latin-Jazz
Lat·in-Jazz
noun

form of jazz music:
a form of jazz music that is a mixture of both Afro-Cuban music and Fusion[1]



Latino

Latino
La·ti·no 
[lə t nō] (plural La·ti·nos) noun

1.  somebody
from Latin America: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of any of the countries of Latin America

2.  Latin
American living in U.S.: somebody of Latin-American
descent who was born in or is a citizen of the United States
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, (perhaps via a shortening of latinoamericano ), from
Spanish, “Latin, a Latin,” from Latin Latinus (see Latin ).][1]



LatinQuarter

LatinQuarter
Lat·in
Quar·ter 
[látt’n kwàwrtər]

area in central Paris on the
Left Bank of the Seine River, noted for educational and cultural pursuits[1]



latish

latish
lat·ish 
[láytish] adjective

fairly
late:
fairly late, or later than is desirable or expected • a
latish supper
adverb

at a fairly late time:
at a fairly late time, or later than is desirable or expected • They
arrived latish.[1]



latissimusdorsi

latissimusdorsi
la·tis·si·mus
dor·si 
[la tìssəməss dáwr s] (plural la·tis·si·mi
dor·si) noun

triangular
muscle along the back: either of the two broad
triangular muscles along the sides of the back
[Shortening of modern Latin musculus
latissimus dorsi, literally “broadest muscle of the back”][1]



latitude

latitude
lat·i·tude 
[láttə td] (plural lat·i·tudes)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY imaginary
line around the Earth: an imaginary line joining
points on the Earth’s surface that are all of equal distance north or south of
the equator.
See
also
longitude

2.  GEOGRAPHY area
of the Earth’s surface: a region of the Earth’s
surface near a particular latitude (often plural) • snow
showers in the northerly latitudes.
See
also
longitude

3.  room
to maneuver: enough scope or leeway for some freedom
of choice, action, or thinking • It’s a
very creative job, allowing me a great deal of latitude.

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY degree
of tolerance of exposure error: the degree of over- or
underexposure that light-sensitive material can accommodate and still provide
an acceptable image
[14th
century. From Latin latitudo, “breadth, width,” from latus
“broad.”]
—lat·i·tu·din·al
[làttə td’nəl], adjective

—lat·i·tu·di·nal·ly, adverb[1]



latitudinarian

latitudinarian
lat·i·tu·di·nar·i·an 
[làttə tood’n érree ən] adjective

tolerant:
allowing some freedom in attitude, beliefs, behavior, or interpretation,
especially in religious matters
noun
(plural lat·i·tu·di·nar·i·ans)

somebody
tolerant:
somebody who believes in or advocates a latitudinarian approach, especially in
religious matters
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin latitudin-, stem of latitudo (see latitude ).][1]



latke

latke
lat·ke 
[látkə] (plural latkes) noun

fried
grated potato cake: a fried flat cake of grated
potato made by moistening finely grated potato with beaten egg and frying it
until golden brown on both sides. It is an Eastern European and particularly a
Jewish specialty.
[Early 20th century. From
Yiddish, from, ultimately, Russian latka, “earthenware cooking vessel,
something cooked in a latka .”][1]



Latona

Latona
Latona
[lə tṓnə] noun

MYTHOLOGY
mother of Apollo and Diana:
in Roman mythology, the mother of Apollo and Diana by Jupiter. Greek
equivalent Leto[1]



latosol

latosol
lat·o·sol 
[láttə sàwl] noun

iron-rich
tropical soil: a soil variety that is common in
tropical or subtropical regions and is rich in iron and aluminum
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from laterite + -sol .][1]



latrine

latrine
la·trine 
[lə trn] (plural la·trines) noun

military
toilet:
a toilet, especially a communal one on a military base
[13th century. From Latin latrina,
contraction of lavatrina (see lavatory
).][1]



Latrobe,Benjamin Henry

Latrobe,Benjamin Henry
Latrobe
[lə trṓb], Benjamin Henry (1764–1820)

British-born U.S. architect.
He designed and rebuilt part of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (1803
and 1814).[1]



-latry

-latry
-latry
suffix

worship
• iconolatry
[From Greek latreia
“service, worship”][1]



latte

latte
lat·te 
[l tə] (plural lat·tes) noun

coffee with milk:
an espresso coffee with frothy steamed milk.
Also called
caffé latte[1]



latter

latter
lat·ter 
[láttər] noun

second of two:
the second of two people or things that have been mentioned, or that are being
considered or referred to • She
went out with Joe and Sam, eventually marrying the latter.

See
also
former
adjective

1.  closing:
near the end of something, or nearer to the end than the beginning • spent
the latter part of the day relaxing by the pool

2.  later:
more recent or more advanced in time • In his
latter years he became very forgetful.
[Old English lætra
(adjective) and lator (adverb), comparatives of læt, an earlier
form of late][1]



latter-day

latter-day
lat·ter-day 
adjective

like somebody from the past:
resembling a particular person or type of person from the past • thought
of himself as a latter-day Roosevelt[1]



Latter-daySaint

Latter-daySaint
Lat·ter-day
Saint 
(plural Lat·ter-day Saints) noun

member of a Christian church:
a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by Joseph
Smith in 1830 and centered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Also called
Mormon[1]



latterly

latterly
lat·ter·ly
[láttərlee] adverb

recently:
recently, or in the most recent period • He
was quite ill for a while, but latterly seems to have returned to normal.[1]



lattice

lattice

lat·tice 
[láttiss] noun (plural lat·tices)

1.  crisscross
framework:
an interwoven open-mesh frame made by crisscrossing strips of wood, metal, or
plastic to form a pattern.
Also
called
latticework

2.  something
made from lattice: something such as a door,
gate, or fence that is made from or consists of a lattice

3.  interwoven
form:
a representation of a lattice framework, especially a heraldic one

4.  arrangement
of points:
a regular geometric arrangement of points or objects, for example, the atoms in
a crystal.
Also
called
space lattice
intransitive and transitive verb
(past lat·ticed, past participle lat·ticed, present
participle lat·tic·ing, 3rd person present singular lat·tices)

provide a lattice:
to make, decorate something with, or provide a lattice
[14th century. From Old
French lattis, from latte “lath,” from a prehistoric Germanic
word.][1]



latticework

latticework
lat·tice·work 
[láttəs wurk] noun

See
lattice  noun 1[1]



LaTuque

LaTuque
La
Tuque
[lə tk]

resort town with a
hydroelectric power station in Quebec Province, eastern Canada, situated
northwest of Quebec City. Population: 13,165 (1996)[1]



Latvia

Latvia



Lat·vi·a 
[ltvee ə]
republic bordering the Baltic Sea in
northeastern Europe. It is one of the Baltic States. Language: Latvian.
Currency: lat. Capital: Riga. Population: 2,421,163 (1997) Area: 63,700 sq
km/24,600 sq mi. Official name Republic of Latvia[1]



Latvia




Back to definition

Latvia

[1]



Latvian

Latvian
Lat·vi·an 
[látvee ən] (plural Lat·vi·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Latvia: somebody who was born or raised in, or
who is a citizen of Latvia.
Also
called
Lett

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Latvia: the official language of
Latvia, also spoken in western parts of European Russia, belonging to the
Balto-Slavic branch of Indo-European languages. Latvian is spoken by about two
million people.
Also
called
Lettish
—Lat·vi·an, adjective[1]



LaTène

LaTène
La
Tène
[la tén] adjective

ARCHAEOLOGY Iron-Age:
relating to an Iron-Age culture that flourished in Europe from the fifth to the
first century BC
[Late 19th century. Named for
La Tène, the district in Switzerland where the remains were first found.][1]



laud

laud
laud 
[lawd] transitive verb (past laud·ed,
past participle laud·ed, present participle laud·ing,
3rd person present singular lauds)

praise somebody:
to glorify somebody or praise somebody highly
noun
(plural lauds)

1.  great
praise:
high praise, acclaim, or glorification (formal)

2.  MUSIC song
of praise:
a hymn of praise or glorification

3.  CHRISTIANITY morning
prayer:
the first prayer of the day in some Christian churches, especially the Roman
Catholic Church (often used in the plural)
[14th
century. From Old French laude, from Latin laud-, the stem of laus,
“praise.”]
—laud·er, noun[1]



laudable

laudable
laud·a·ble 
[láwdəb’l] adjective

praiseworthy:
admirable and worthy of praise
—laud·a·bil·i·ty
[làwdə bíllətee], noun

—laud·a·ble·ness
[láwdəb’lnəss], noun

—laud·a·bly [láwdəblee], adverb[1]



laudanum

laudanum
lau·da·num 
[láwd’nəm] noun

opium
and alcohol solution: a solution of opium in
alcohol, formerly used to treat pain
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin ladanum, “juice of a shrub.”][1]



laudation

laudation
laud·a·tion 
[law dáysh’n] (plural laud·a·tions)
noun

praise:
great praise and acclaim, often in the form of a eulogy (formal)[1]



laudatory

laudatory
laud·a·to·ry 
[láwdə tàwree] or laud·a·tive
[láwdətiv] adjective

expressing praise:
expressing praise or admiration[1]



LauderdaleLakes

LauderdaleLakes
Lau·der·dale
Lakes 
[làwdər dàyl láyks]

city in Broward County,
southeastern Florida. Population: 27,341 (1990)[1]



laugh

laugh

laugh 
[laf] verb (past laughed,
past participle laughed, present participle laugh·ing,
3rd person present singular laughs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
sounds expressing amusement: to make sounds from the
throat while breathing out in short bursts or gasps as a way of expressing
amusement

2.  transitive
verb
bring
to particular state by laughing: to cause somebody or
yourself to be in a particular state by laughing long and hard • We
both laughed ourselves silly.

3.  intransitive
verb
mock:
to mock somebody or something

4.  intransitive
verb
show
contempt:
to express amusement, contempt, or disrespect for something • laugh
in the face of adversity

5.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY make
a noise like laughter: to make a noise that sounds
like somebody laughing (refers to some birds and mammals)
noun (plural
laughs)

1.  sound
made when laughing: a series of sounds made when
somebody laughs

2.  something
funny or enjoyable: a time of great fun and
enjoyment, or something that gives fun and enjoyment (informal) • had
a real laugh with Bob and Patty

3.  somebody
funny:
somebody who is funny or entertaining • You’ll
like him; he’s a real laugh.
[Old
English hlæhhan]
—laugh·er,
noun
have the last laugh

to be proved right or
successful after being treated with disbelief, lack of confidence, or scorn[1]



laughable

laughable
laugh·a·ble 
[láffəb’l] adjective

ridiculously
inadequate:
so inadequate as to cause laughter or ridicule
—laugh·a·bly, adverb[1]



laughdown

laughdown
laugh
down
transitive verb

mockingly reject something:
to reject something with contemptuous laughter • The
entire committee laughed down the new design.[1]



laughinggas

laughinggas
laugh·ing
gas 
noun

(informal) See nitrous oxide[1]



laughinggull

laughinggull
laugh·ing
gull
(plural laugh·ing gulls) noun

American gull:
a common black-headed gull found from eastern North America to northern South
America that has a high-pitched song resembling a human laugh. Latin name: Larus
atricilla[1]



laughingjackass

laughingjackass
laugh·ing
jack·ass
noun

(dated) See kookaburra[1]



laughingly

laughingly
laugh·ing·ly
[láffinglee] adverb

by laughing:
with laughter that shows amusement or contempt at something or somebody funny
or ridiculous • She
laughingly dismissed this idea and changed the subject.[1]



laughingstock

laughingstock
laugh·ing·stock 
(plural laugh·ing·stocks) noun

object of ridicule:
somebody whose behavior has made him or her an object of ridicule or fun[1]



laughoff

laughoff
laugh
off
transitive verb

make something serious seem
trivial: to trivialize or treat as
amusing something serious or important • Later
we laughed the incident off as just a silly mistake.[1]



laughter

laughter
laugh·ter 
[láftər] noun

1.  act
of laughing: the sound or an act of laughing

2.  happiness
expressed by laughing: happiness or fun expressed
by laughing
[Old English hleahtor][1]



Laughton,Charles

Laughton,Charles
Laugh·ton
[láwt’n], Charles (1899–1962)

British-born U.S. actor. He
acted on stage and screen, winning an Academy Award for The Private Life of
Henry VIII ( 1933 ).[1]



laughtrack

laughtrack
laugh
track
(plural laugh tracks) noun

canned laughter:
recorded laughter added to the soundtrack of a radio or television program[1]



launce

launce
launce
[lawns] (plural launces) noun

See
sand lance
[Early 17th century. A
variant of lance, from its slender shape.][1]



Launceston

Launceston
Launce·ston
[láwn stən]

city and port in northern
Tasmania, Australia, situated where the North Esk and South Esk rivers join to
form the Tamar River. Population: 67,701 (1996)[1]



launch

launch2
launch2 [lawnch]
(plural launch·es) noun

1.  large
motorboat:
a large powerful motorboat

2.  small
motorboat on a large ship: a small motorboat carried on
a large ship

3.  largest
boat on an old warship: the largest boat formerly
carried by a man-of-war
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish lancha, “pinnace,” perhaps of Malay origin.][1]



launch

launch1
launch1 [lawnch]
transitive verb (past launched, past participle launched,
present participle launch·ing, 3rd person present singular
launch·es)

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY MILITARY fire a
rocket into the air: to send a rocket, missile,
or spacecraft into the air or the upper atmosphere

2.  NAUTICAL put a
craft to sea: to push or put a vessel into the water
so that it is ready to sail

3.  NAUTICAL launch
a ship for the first time: to send a newly built vessel
into the water for the first time, usually with a special ceremony

4.  begin
a campaign:
to begin an attack, campaign, investigation, or other carefully planned
activity • The
police have launched an investigation.

5.  MARKETING put
a product on sale: to put a new product on sale
to the public and begin promoting it

6.  throw
something with great force: to throw or propel
something, especially forcefully
noun
(plural launch·es)

1.  MARKETING start
for a new product: an occasion such as a party
at which a new product is launched • the
launch of her new book

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY MILITARY time
when a rocket is launched: the occasion when a rocket,
missile, or spacecraft is launched

3.  NAUTICAL time
when a ship is launched: the occasion when a boat or
ship is launched, especially for the first time

4.  start
of a campaign: the start of something, especially a
carefully planned activity such as a military offensive, an investigation, or a
campaign
[14th century. From Anglo-Norman
launcher, a variant of Old French lancier, “to wound with a
lance, pierce,” from lance (see lance
).][1]



launchcomplex

launchcomplex
launch
com·plex
(plural launch com·plex·es) noun

site for launching rockets
into space: a site containing the people
and equipment needed for a rocket, missile, or spacecraft launch[1]



launcher

launcher
launch·er 
[láwnchər] (plural launch·ers)
noun

device for firing rockets:
a device or platform for firing something such as a rocket or missile[1]



launchinto

launchinto
launch
into
transitive verb

plunge into doing something:
to begin a particular activity suddenly and enthusiastically • The
professor launched into yet another of his theories about how dinosaurs became
extinct.[1]



launchpad

launchpad
launch
pad
(plural launch pads) or launch·ing pad (plural
launch·ing pads) noun

1.  platform
for launching rockets: a platform, usually in a
launch complex, from which a rocket, missile, or spacecraft is launched

2.  starting
point for success: a starting point from which
great or successful progress is made, for example, in somebody’s career

[1]



launchparty

launchparty
launch
par·ty
noun

party to celebrate new book:
a party held to celebrate and to introduce a new book, author, book publisher
or retailer[1]



launchvehicle

launchvehicle
launch
ve·hi·cle
(plural launch ve·hi·cles) noun

rocket used to launch
spacecraft: a rocket that is used to
launch a spacecraft or satellite into space[1]



launchwindow

launchwindow
launch
win·dow
(plural launch win·dows) noun

limited period for launching
something: the restricted period during
which a rocket or other projectile can be successfully launched[1]



launder

launder
laun·der 
[láwndər] verb (past laun·dered,
past participle laun·dered, present participle laun·der·ing,
3rd person present singular laun·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
wash
and iron something: to wash dirty clothes or
linen and, often, iron them as well

2.  intransitive
verb
be
washable:
to be able to be washed • It’s a
beautiful fabric, but I doubt that it would launder well.

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE make
money appear legal: to pass illegally acquired
money through a legitimate business or bank account in order to disguise its
illegal origins
noun
(plural laun·ders)

MINING trough
used for washing ore: a trough for washing ore
[Late
16th century. From launder “somebody who washes linen,” contraction of lavender,
ultimately from Latin lavare, “to wash” (see lavatory
).]
—laun·der·er, noun[1]



launderette

launderette
laun·der·ette 
[làwndə rét] (plural laun·der·ettes)
noun

U.K.
coin-operated
laundry:
a laundry, usually self-service, containing coin-operated washing and drying
machines
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from launder + -ette
.][1]



laundress

laundress
laun·dress 
[láwndrəss] (plural laun·dress·es)
noun

woman
doing washing: a woman who does washing and ironing,
especially one who does other people’s washing and ironing as a way of earning
a living (dated)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from launder “somebody who washes linen” (see launder
).][1]



Laundromat

Laundromat
Laun·dro·mat
[láwndrə màt]

U.S.,
Canada, Australia commercial
laundry: a service mark for a
self-service coin-operated commercial laundry[1]



laundry

laundry
laun·dry 
[láwndree] (plural laun·dries)
noun

1.  dirty
wash:
dirty clothes or linen put aside to be washed and ironed

2.  clean
wash:
freshly washed clothes or linen

3.  washing
and ironing place: a place, especially a
commercial establishment or a communal room in a building, where clothes and
linen can be washed and ironed
[Early 16th century.
Shortening of obsolete lavendry, ultimately from Latin lavare,
“to wash” (see lavatory ).][1]



laundrylist

laundrylist
laun·dry
list
(plural laun·dry lists) noun

list of things:
a lengthy list of items, usually things wanted or needed[1]



Launfal

Launfal
Laun·fal 
[láwnfəl] noun

knight at King Arthur’s
court: in the legend of King
Arthur, one of the knights at the court[1]



Laurasia

Laurasia
Laur·a·sia 
[lawráyə, lawráyshə]

the northern part of the
ancient continent of Pangaea, a hypothetical ancient landmass that included
what would become North America, Greenland, northern and central Europe, and
most of Asia[1]



laureate

laureate
lau·re·ate 
[láwree ət] noun (plural lau·re·ates)

1.  award
winner:
somebody who has been awarded a prize or is recognized for outstanding
achievement in the arts or sciences

2.  See
poet laureate
adjective

1.  deserving
honor:
deserving honor or distinction

2.  crowned
with laurel: crowned with laurel as a sign of honor (literary)

3.  made
of laurel:
made of laurel leaves or branches
[14th
century. From Latin laureatus, from laurea “laurel tree” from,
ultimately, laurus (see laurel ).]
—lau·re·ate·ship, noun[1]



laurel

laurel

lau·rel 
[láwrəl] noun (plural lau·rels)

1.  PLANTS Mediterranean
evergreen tree: a small evergreen tree that grows in
southern Europe and has glossy aromatic leaves and dark purple or black
berries. Latin name: Laurus nobilis
Also
called
bay
Also
called
sweet bay

2.  PLANTS tree
or shrub resembling laurel: any tree or shrub whose
leaves, aroma, or berries are similar to those of the laurel, for example, the
mountain laurel and cherry laurel

3.  HISTORY wreath
of leaves:
the leaves of the laurel woven into a wreath and used as a mark of honor or
victory in ancient times, for example, to crown the winners of athletic events
plural noun lau·rels

honor for achievement:
honor won for an achievement
transitive verb
(past lau·reled or lau·relled, past participle
lau·reled or lau·relled, present participle lau·rel·ing
or lau·rel·ling, 3rd person present singular lau·rels)

1.  crown
with laurel: to crown somebody with laurel as a sign
of honor (literary)

2.  give
somebody award: to honor somebody with an award or prize
[14th
century. Via Old French lorier from Latin laureola “small laurel
branch,” from laurus “laurel tree.”]
look to your laurels

to
watch out that you do not lose a successful or winning position because of a better
performance by somebody else

rest on your laurels

to
be satisfied with your success and do nothing to improve on it





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term laurel identifies three different
  trees in the Eastern United States. From Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
  through Tennessee to Florida and westward to Mississippi, it may mean
  “magnolia.” In the eastern states, it may mean “mountain laurel.” In the
  Upper South, especially North Carolina, it may mean “rhododendron.”

[1]



Laurel

Laurel
Lau·rel 
[láwrəl]

city in west central
Maryland, on the Patuxent River, southwest of Baltimore and northeast of
Washington, D.C. Population: 18,718 (1996)[1]



Laurel,Stan

Laurel,Stan
Laurel 
[láwrəl], Stan (1890–1965)

British-born
U.S. comedian. His partnership with Oliver Hardy was the first Hollywood movie
comedy duo. Laurel was the “thin one” whose clumsiness was always getting them
into trouble.
Real name
Jefferson, Arthur Stanley Laurel[1]



Laurence,Margaret

Laurence,Margaret
Laurence
[láwr’nss], Margaret (1926–1987)

Canadian
writer. Her novels, set in western Canada, are characterized by strong-minded
women.
Real name
Wemyss, Jean Margaret[1]



Laurens,Henry

Laurens,Henry
Laurens
[láwrənz], Henry (1724–1792)

U.S. patriot. He led the
Continental Congress (1777–1778) and fought against the British.[1]



LaurentianMountains

LaurentianMountains
Lau·ren·tian
Moun·tains
[law rènshən mównt’nz]

range that runs north of the
St. Lawrence River in southern Quebec Province, Canada. Height: 1,190 m/3,905
ft.[1]



LaurentianPlateau

LaurentianPlateau
Lau·ren·tian
Pla·teau

See
Canadian Shield[1]



lauricacid

lauricacid
lau·ric
ac·id 
[làwrik ássid] noun

fatty
acid used in making soaps: a crystalline fatty acid
found mainly in coconut and laurel oils and used in making soaps, insecticides,
cosmetics, and lauryl alcohol. C12H34O2 
Also
called
dodecanoic acid
[Late 19th century. Lauric
formed from modern Latin Laurus, genus name, from Latin, “laurel.”][1]



Laurier,Wilfrid

Laurier,Wilfrid
Lau·ri·er
[làwree ày], Sir Wilfrid (1841–1919)

Canadian lawyer, journalist,
and statesman. He served as prime minister of Canada (1896–1911).[1]



laurylalcohol

laurylalcohol
lau·ryl
al·co·hol 
noun

compound
used in making detergents: a crystalline solid that is
insoluble in water and is used to make detergents. C12H27O
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a shortening of lauric (see lauric acid
) + -yl .][1]



Lausanne

Lausanne
Lau·sanne 
[lō zn, lō zán]

capital of Vaud Canton,
western Switzerland, on Lake Geneva. Population: 123,266 (1994)[1]



lav

lav
lav
[lav] (plural lavs) noun

U.K.
toilet:
a toilet (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of lavatory .][1]



lava

lava
la·va 
[lvə, lávvə]
noun

1.  molten
rock flowing from a volcano: molten rock that flows from
a volcano or from a fissure on land or on the ocean floor. The molten rock
originates in the Earth’s mantle.

2.  rock
full of small air holes: rock formed by the rapid
cooling and hardening of lava . It usually has many small air holes caused by
escaping volcanic gases.
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Neapolitan dialect, of unknown origin.][1]



lavabo

lavabo
la·va·bo 
[le váy bō, lə
v bō] (plural la·va·boes) noun

1.  la·va·bo
or La·va·bo (plural La·va·boes) CHRISTIANITY religious
ritual:
a priest’s ritual washing of the hands and reciting from the Psalms during the
Communion service in some Christian churches

2.  basin
attached to a wall: a basin with a water tank
above attached to a wall, often used as a planter

3.  place
for washing in a monastery: a place for washing in a
monastery
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “I will wash,” a form of lavare (see lavatory
).][1]



lavage

lavage
lav·age 
[lə v, lávvij]
(plural lav·ag·es) noun

washing
out of a body organ: the washing out of a hollow
body organ, for example, the stomach, using a flow of water
[Late 18th century. Formed
from French laver “to wash.”][1]



Laval

Laval
La·val 
[lə vál]

city in Île-Jésus County,
southern Quebec, Canada, situated on Île-Jésus just north of Montreal.
Population: 330,393 (1996)[1]



lava-lava

lava-lava
la·va-la·va 
(plural la·va-la·vas) noun

Polynesian
lower garment: a rectangular piece of printed cotton
worn wrapped around the waist by the people of Samoa and other parts of
Polynesia
[Late 19th century. From
Samoan .][1]



Laval,Francois-Xavier de Montmorency

Laval,Francois-Xavier de Montmorency
La·val 
[lə vál], Francois-Xavier de Montmorency
(1623–1708)

French-born Canadian cleric.
He was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec (1659–1685).[1]



lavaliere

lavaliere
lav·a·liere 
[làvvə lr, lvə
lr] noun (plural lav·a·lieres)

necklace:
a pendant on a chain worn around the neck
transitive
verb
(past lav·a·liered, past participle lav·a·liered, present
participle lav·a·lier·ing, 3rd person present singular lav·a·lieres)

give
a lavaliere to somebody: to give a lavaliere,
especially one with the emblem of a fraternity, usually to a sweetheart as a
symbol of attachment
[Late
19th century. Named for Louise de la Valière, lover of Louis XIV, with
whose reign certain fashions were associated.]
—lav·a·liered, adjective[1]



lavatera

lavatera
lav·a·te·ra 
[làvə trə, lə
vtərə] (plural lav·a·te·ras or lav·a·te·ra)
noun

ornamental
plant:
a plant or shrub such as the tree mallow with pink, white, or purple flowers
that is native to Europe but naturalized in California. Genus: Lavatera
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the brothers Lavater, 17th and 18th
century Swiss doctors and naturalists.][1]



lavation

lavation
la·va·tion 
[lə váysh’n] (plural la·va·tions)
noun

washing:
washing or cleansing (formal)
[15th century. Formed from
Latin lavare “to wash” (source of English lotion,
dilute, and deluge ).][1]



lavatory

lavatory
lav·a·to·ry 
[lávvə tàwree] (plural lav·a·to·ries)
noun

1.  toilet:
a toilet or a small room containing a toilet

2.  washroom:
a room or building with washing and toilet facilities

3.  washbasin:
a bowl or basin with a faucet and drain
[14th
century. From late Latin lavatorium, from Latin lavare (see lavation ).]
—lav·a·to·ri·al [làvvə táwree əl], adjective[1]



lave

lave
lave 
[layv] (past laved, past
participle laved, present participle lav·ing, 3rd
person present singular laves) transitive verb

1.  wash
something:
to wash or bathe something (archaic or literary)

2.  flow
against:
to lap or flow against something (archaic or literary)

3.  soothe
somebody or something: to soothe somebody or
something (archaic or literary)

4.  pour
something:
to pour something out (archaic)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
lavare “to wash.”][1]



lavender

lavender

lav·en·der 
[lávvəndər] noun

1.  PLANTS fragrant
plant:
a plant that has clusters of fragrant bluish-purple flowers that produce a
fragrant oil. Latin name: Lavendula officinalis

2.  HOUSEHOLD flowers
and leaves:
the dried flowers and leaves of the lavender plant used to perfume clothes and
linen

3.  COLORS pale
purple color: a pale purple color tinged with blue
adjective

COLORS pale
purple:
of a pale purple color tinged with blue
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman lavendre from medieval Latin lavendula, of uncertain
origin: perhaps formed from lividus “bluish, livid.”][1]



lavenderwater

lavenderwater
lav·en·der
wa·ter
noun

perfume made from lavender:
perfume or toilet water made from the flowers of the lavender plant[1]



laver

laver1
la·ver1 [láyvər]
(plural la·vers) noun

1.  JUDAISM Jewish
ceremonial basin: a large basin in the temple in Jerusalem
and in modern synagogues used for ritual washing

2.  washbasin:
a basin to wash in (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
laveor from late Latin lavatorium (see lavatory
).][1]



laver

laver2
la·ver2 [láyvər]
noun

dried
edible seaweed: a dried edible seaweed of the red algae
family. Genus: Porphyra
[12th century. From Latin .][1]



Laver,Rod

Laver,Rod
La·ver 
[láyvər], Rod (1938– )

Australian tennis player. He
is the only man to have won the tennis grand slam twice (1962 and 1969).[1]



lavish

lavish
lav·ish 
[lávvish] adjective

1.  abundant:
given or produced in abundance or to excess

2.  generous:
giving or spending generously or to excess
transitive
verb
(past lav·ished, past participle lav·ished, present
participle lav·ish·ing, 3rd person present singular lav·ish·es)

be extravagant with something:
to give or spend something generously or to excess
[15th
century. From Old French lavasse “torrential rain,” from laver
“to wash, pour.”]
—lav·ish·er,
noun

—lav·ish·ly,
adverb

—lav·ish·ness, noun[1]



Lavoisier,Antoine Laurent

Lavoisier,Antoine Laurent

La·voi·sier
[lə vw zyày, laav
waa zyáy], Antoine Laurent (1743–1794)
French chemist. He disproved the
phlogiston theory of combustion and published the first proper table of the
chemical elements. He was guillotined during the Reign of Terror.[1]



Law

Law
Law
noun

1.  JUDEO-CHRISTIAN divine
will:
the principles set out in the Bible, especially the Pentateuch, said to be the
divine will.
See
also
Law of Moses
See
also
Mosaic Law

2.  JUDAISM See Pentateuch

[1]



law

law
law 
[law] (plural laws) noun

1.  binding
or enforceable rule: a rule of conduct or
procedure recognized by a community as binding or enforceable by authority

2.  piece
of legislation: an act passed by a legislature or
similar body

3.  legal
system:
the body or system of rules recognized by a community that are enforceable by
established process • You
are forbidden by law to enter the premises.

4.  control
or authority: the control or authority resulting from
the observance and enforcement of a community’s system of rules • Nobody
is above the law.

5.  branch
of knowledge: the branch of knowledge or study
concerned with the rules of a community and their enforcement • went
to school to study law

6.  area
of law:
the body of law relating to a particular subject or area

7.  See
common law

8.  lawyers:
the legal profession

9.  legal
action:
legal action or proceedings

10. law
enforcement agent or agency: a person or organization
responsible for enforcing the law, especially the police

11. SCIENCE statement
of scientific truth: a statement of a scientific
fact or phenomenon that is invariable under given conditions • the
laws of physics

12. MATHEMATICS mathematical
principle:
a general relationship that is assumed or proved to exist between expressions

13. general
rule or principle: a general rule or principle
that is thought to be true or held to be binding
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse lög “laws,” from lag “something set
down,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to put,” which is also the
ancestor of English lay .]
be
a law unto yourself

to
refuse to obey the rules, conventions, or suggestions made or upheld by others

lay
down the law

to
express an opinion in an overbearing or dogmatic way

take
the law into your own hands

to try to obtain revenge or
justice without involving the police, courts, or usual legal procedures[1]



law-abiding

law-abiding
law-a·bid·ing
adjective

obeying the law:
voluntarily and habitually obeying the law[1]



lawand order

lawand order
law
and or·der
noun

1.  enforcement
of law:
the strict enforcement of the law (hyphenated before a noun) • law-and-order
issues

2.  social
stability:
the stability created by the observance and enforcement of the law within a
community

[1]



lawbreaker

lawbreaker
law·break·er
[láw braykər] (plural law·break·ers)
noun

person breaking law:
a person who breaks the law[1]



lawclerk

lawclerk
law
clerk
(plural law clerks) noun

assistant to a judge or
lawyer: somebody, often a student or
novice lawyer, working as an assistant to a judge or lawyer[1]



lawcourt

lawcourt
law
court
(plural law courts) noun

court of law:
a court where legal cases are heard[1]



lawful

lawful
law·ful 
[láwf’l] adjective

1.  permitted
by law:
not forbidden by the law

2.  authorized
by law:
authorized or recognized by the law

3.  obeying
the law:
obeying or conforming to the law
—law·ful·ly,
adverb

—law·ful·ness, noun[1]



lawgiver

lawgiver
law·giv·er 
[láw givvər] (plural law·giv·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who gives laws to a community: somebody who gives a
code of laws to a people, for example, from a source considered to be divine

2.  See
lawmaker

[1]



lawless

lawless
law·less 
[láwləss] adjective

1.  unregulated:
uncontrolled or unregulated

2.  against
the law:
contrary to the law

3.  without
law:
having no laws
—law·less·ly,
adverb

—law·less·ness, noun[1]



lawmaker

lawmaker
law·mak·er 
[láw màykər] (plural law·mak·ers)
noun

somebody who makes and enacts
laws: somebody who drafts laws and
causes them to be put into effect.
Also called
lawgiver[1]



lawman

lawman
law·man 
[láw màn, láwmən]
(plural law·men [láw mèn, láwmən]) noun

law enforcement officer:
an officer responsible for enforcing the law, for example, a sheriff[1]



lawmerchant

lawmerchant
law
mer·chant
noun

rules of commerce:
the principles and rules governing commercial transactions, which originated in
English common law and are codified in U.S. law[1]



lawn

lawn2
lawn2 [lawn]
(plural lawns) noun

semi-sheer
fabric:
a fine light fabric used for clothing and household linen. It is usually made
of cotton, sometimes mixed with polyester.
[15th
century. Named for Laon, town in France known for linen manufacture.]
—lawn·y, adjective[1]



lawn

lawn1
lawn1 [lawn]
(plural lawns) noun

area
of short cultivated grass: an area of closely mowed
grass, sometimes part of a yard
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of laund, from Old French launde “wooded district, heath,” from
Celtic .][1]



lawnbowling

lawnbowling
lawn
bowl·ing
noun

game played by rolling balls:
a game played on a lawn in which the players roll balls toward a smaller target
ball, trying to come as close as possible[1]



Lawndale

Lawndale
Lawn·dale 
[láwn dàyl]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, situated east of Manhattan Beach. Population: 27,331
(1990)[1]



lawnmower

lawnmower
lawn
mow·er
(plural lawn mow·ers) noun

machine for cutting grass:
a machine, often power-operated, that cuts grass with rotating blades[1]



lawnparty

lawnparty
lawn
par·ty
noun

social gathering in garden:
a party held in a garden or yard.
U.K. term
garden party[1]



lawntennis

lawntennis
lawn
ten·nis
noun

game played with rackets and
balls: a game for two or four
players played on a hard or grass court of standard dimensions in which the
players hit balls with rackets across a central net[1]



lawof averages

lawof averages
law
of av·er·ag·es noun

1.  principle
on effect of probability laws: the principle that
over the long term laws of probability will influence all events that are
subject to them

2.  principle
that things must even out: the unscientific but
reasonable assumption that things are bound to change some time • We
have had bad weather for our vacation for the past six years, so by the law of
averages we should get some sunshine this year.

[1]



lawof diminishing returns

lawof diminishing returns
law
of di·min·ish·ing re·turns noun

work principle:
the principle that a continual increase in effort or investment does not lead
to a continual increase in output or results[1]



lawof effect

lawof effect
law
of ef·fect
noun

principle of reinforcement of
behavior: the theory that behavior
that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated than behavior that is not
rewarded. This theory was put forward by the U.S. psychologist Edward Lee
Thorndike.[1]



lawof large numbers

lawof large numbers
law
of large num·bers noun

law of probability:
the principle that a large sample is more likely than a smaller sample to have
the characteristics of the whole.
Also called
Bernoulli’s law[1]



Lawof Moses

Lawof Moses
Law
of Mos·es
noun

See
Mosaic Law[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lawof nations

lawof nations
law
of na·tions
noun

See
international law[1]



lawof nature

lawof nature
law
of na·ture
(plural laws of na·ture) noun

general principle based on
observation: a broadly applicable
principle relating to natural phenomena[1]



lawof parsimony

lawof parsimony
law
of par·si·mo·ny noun

See
Occam’s razor[1]



lawof supply and demand

lawof supply and demand
law
of sup·ply and de·mand noun

principle that determines
prices: the economic principle that
the price charged for a product is determined by the level of demand and the
quantity available[1]



lawof the jungle

lawof the jungle
law
of the jun·gle noun

code of survival:
aggressive or competitive behavior based on the principle that self-interest
and survival are of prime importance[1]



lawof the sea

lawof the sea
law
of the sea
noun

rules for use of the sea:
the international rules that govern the use of the oceans, derived from custom,
treaties, and judicial decisions[1]



lawof war

lawof war
law
of war
noun

code of conflict:
a rule or body of rules that governs the rights and duties of those engaged in
international war[1]



Lawrence

Lawrence
Law·rence 
[láwr’nss]

1.  city
in eastern Kansas, on the Kansas River, west of Kansas City and east of Topeka.
Population: 71,887 (1996)

2.  city
in northeastern Massachusetts, on the north bank of the Merrimack River,
southwest of Haverhill and northeast of Lowell. Population: 68,807 (1996)

[1]



Lawrence,D. H.

Lawrence,D. H.
Law·rence 
[láwrənss], D. H. (1885–1930)

British
writer. His novels include Sons and Lovers (1913), Women in Love
(1921), and Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928).
Full name
Lawrence, David Herbert[1]



Lawrence,Gertrude

Lawrence,Gertrude
Law·rence 
[láwrənss], Gertrude (1898–1952)

British
actor. She starred in comedies and musical revues in London and New York,
including Blithe Spirit ( 1945 ) and several other plays by her friend,
Sir Noel Coward, as well as the film The King and I ( 1951 ).
Born
Klasen, Gertrud Alexandra Dagmar Lawrence[1]



Lawrence,Jacob Armstead

Lawrence,Jacob Armstead
Law·rence 
[láwrənss], Jacob Armstead (1917– )

U.S. artist. His paintings,
for example, The Migration of the Negro ( 1940–1941 ), explore the
African American experience in U.S. history.[1]



lawrencium

lawrencium

law·ren·ci·um 
[law rénsee əm] noun
synthetic
chemical element: a short-lived radioactive metallic
element that was first produced artificially from californium and later from
other elements. The symbol Lw was used for lawrencium at first but in 1963 it
was changed to Lr. Symbol Lr
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Ernest O. Lawrence, U.S. physicist who first produced it.][1]



Lawson,Nigel

Lawson,Nigel
Law·son
[láwss’n], Nigel, Baron Lawson of Blaby
(1932– )

British politician. He was
chancellor of the exchequer (1983–1989).[1]



lawsuit

lawsuit
law·suit 
[láw st] (plural law·suits) noun

court case between
individuals: a legal action brought
between two private parties in a court of law[1]



lawyer

lawyer
law·yer 
[láwyər] (plural law·yers) noun

somebody
qualified to practice law: somebody who is
professionally qualified to give legal advice to others and represent them in
court
—law·yer·like,
adjective

—law·yer·ly, adjective[1]



lawyered

lawyered
law·yered
adjective

having a lawyer:
having a lawyer, or being represented by a lawyer (informal) • an
expensively lawyered defendant[1]



lawyering

lawyering
law·yer·ing 
[láwyəring] noun

work of lawyer:
the work of the legal profession[1]



lawyerup

lawyerup
lawyer
up
(past lawyered up, past participle lawyered up, present
participle lawyering up, 3rd person present singular lawyers
up) verb

request a lawyer:
to ask for a lawyer, epecially when being questioned by the police (slang)
• Has he
lawyered up yet?[1]



lax

lax
lax 
[laks] (comparative lax·er, superlative
lax·est) adjective

1.  not
strict:
not strict or careful enough

2.  not
tense:
not tight or tense

3.  PHYSIOLOGY with
tendency to diarrhea: not easily controlled and
producing loose feces

4.  PHONETICS pronounced
with relaxed muscles: pronounced with the muscles
of the jaw relaxed rather than tense, as, for example, is the “a” in “hat”
[14th
century. From Latin laxus “loose.”]
—lax·ly,
adverb

—lax·ness, noun[1]



laxation

laxation
lax·a·tion
[lak sáysh’n] noun

act of loosening:
the action of making something loose, or the process of becoming loose[1]



laxative

laxative
lax·a·tive 
[láksətiv] (plural lax·a·tives)
noun

drug
used to promote bowel movements: a drug or other
substance that promotes bowel movements, either by irritating the lower colon
or by bulking the stool
[14th
century. From Old French laxatif, from medieval Latin laxativus
“loosening,” from Latin laxare “to loosen,” from laxus “loose.”]
—lax·a·tive, adjective[1]



laxity

laxity
lax·i·ty 
[láksitee] noun

lack of strictness:
the condition or fact of being not strict or careful enough[1]



lay

lay3
lay3 [lay]
(plural lays) noun

1.  POETRY poem
for singing: a short narrative poem that is sung

2.  MUSIC song:
a medieval lyric or narrative song
[13th century. From Old
French lai, of unknown origin.][1]



lay

lay2
lay2 [lay]
adjective

1.  not
belonging to clergy: belonging to or involving
the people of a church who are not members of the clergy

2.  untrained:
without expertise or professional training in a particular field
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French lai from late Latin laicus “secular” (see laic ).][1]



lay

lay1
lay1 [lay]
verb (past participle laid [layd],
present participle lay·ing, 3rd person present singular lays)

1.  transitive
verb
set
something down: to put something down, often carefully,
in a horizontal position • I laid
the files on my desk.

2.  transitive
verb
put
in resting position: to place somebody or
something in a position of rest • It was
time to lay the baby down for a nap.

3.  transitive
verb
bury
somebody:
to bury somebody or something in the ground • They
laid him in the family plot.

4.  transitive
verb
place
something on surface: to arrange, place, or spread
something on, over, or along a surface • They
are laying the carpet tomorrow.

5.  transitive
verb
press
something down flat: to smooth something down, or
make something lie flat • The
cat laid back its ears.

6.  transitive
verb
arrange
things on table: to prepare a table for a meal by setting
out the required items

7.  transitive
verb
arrange
fuel for fire: to prepare a fire by arranging the fuel,
usually in a grate

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
eggs:
to produce or deposit eggs • All
the hens are laying.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb BETTING bet:
to place a bet with somebody

10. transitive
verb
impose
something:
to impose something as a burden, duty, or penalty • lay
a tariff on imported products

11. transitive
verb
attribute:
to impute or attribute something • He
laid the blame on me.

12. transitive
verb
bring
to bear:
to bring something to bear • laid
emphasis on the fact that we must study to excel

13. transitive
verb
devise
something:
to devise, organize, or prepare something

14. transitive
verb
make
preparations: to prepare something as a basis

15. transitive
verb
bring
something into certain state: to bring something into a
particular state • Their scheme was laid bare.

16. transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang
offensive)

17. transitive
verb
arrange
strands of rope: to twist strands together to make a rope
or cable

18. transitive
verb
MILITARY put
cannon in position: to establish the direction
and elevation of a cannon or a battery of cannon

19. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE treat
hedge to keep it thick: to partially cut through
some of the branches of a hedge, bending them over horizontally and pegging
them to the ground to keep the hedge thick and dense • hedge
laying

20. intransitive
verb
lie
down:
to be in or adopt a lying position (nonstandard) • Lay
down on the sofa and have a rest.

21. intransitive
verb
put
effort into something: to apply effort vigorously
to a task • The
rowing team laid to their oars.

22. intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL be
in or go to position: to put a boat in a specified
position, or move in a specified direction
noun
(plural lays)

1.  way
something lies: the way or position in which something
lies • wanted
to inspect the lay of the property

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a partner in sexual intercourse (slang offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for sexual intercourse (slang offensive)

4.  twist
of rope or cable strands: the arrangement of strands
in a rope or cable, determined by the number, length, angle, and direction of
twist

5.  terms
of employment: terms of employment or purchase

6.  FINANCE share
of proceeds: a share in the proceeds of a whaling
expedition
[Old
English lecgan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to put,” which
is also the ancestor of English lie
“to rest horizontally”]
be
laid low

to
become ill or incapacitated

lay
it on (thick)

to
exaggerate greatly, especially in order to flatter somebody

lay
yourself open to something

to put yourself in a position
that will make you liable to be blamed, criticized, or attacked[1]



lay

lay4
lay4

Past tense of
lie[1]



layabout

layabout
lay·a·bout 
[láy ə bòwt] (plural lay·a·bouts)
noun

lazy or idle person:
a lazy person who loafs around and does no work[1]



layaside

layaside
lay
aside
transitive verb

1.  abandon
something:
to give up on or abandon something “Be not the first by whom the new are tried,
nor the last to lay the old aside.” Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism 1711

2.  save
something:
to put something away for the future

[1]



layattendant

layattendant
lay
at·tend·ant
(plural lay at·tend·ant) noun

ancillary member of religious
order: in Buddhist monasteries,
somebody who is responsible for taking care of tasks that the monks are
forbidden to undertake[1]



layaway

layaway
lay·a·way 
[láy ə wày] noun

payment plan:
a method of purchasing something in which the purchaser pays a deposit and the
seller keeps the goods until full payment is made[1]



layaway

layaway
lay
away
transitive verb

1.  save
something:
to put something away for the future

2.  set
something aside: to set merchandise aside for future
delivery

[1]



layback

layback
lay·back 
[láy bàk] (plural lay·backs) noun

climbing technique:
a way of climbing a vertical crack in a rock by leaning back and pulling on one
side of the crack and pushing against the other side with the feet[1]



laybefore

laybefore
lay
before
transitive verb

present to somebody:
to present something for consideration by somebody[1]



laybrother

laybrother
lay
broth·er
(plural lay broth·ers) noun

ancillary member of religious
order: in a Christian religious
order, a man who has taken vows, but does not take part in the full liturgical
program and serves as an ancillary or manual worker[1]



layby

layby
lay
by
transitive verb

save something:
to set something aside for the future[1]



lay-by

lay-by
lay-by
(plural lay-bys) noun

U.K.
stopping place at edge of road:
a short strip of ground alongside a main road where vehicles can stop for a
short time[1]



laydays

laydays
lay
days
plural noun

time for loading or unloading
cargo: the time allowed in port for
a ship to load or unload its cargo without extra payment[1]



laydown

laydown
lay
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
surrender
something:
to put down, surrender, or sacrifice something

2.  transitive
verb
decide
on rule:
to formulate a rule or principle

3.  transitive
verb
store
for future:
to acquire and store something for future use

4.  transitive
verb
BETTING place
bet:
to place a bet

5.  transitive
verb
MILITARY deliver
military fire: to deliver a concentration of military
fire

6.  intransitive
verb
lie
down:
to lie down in a horizontal position (nonstandard)

[1]



lay-down

lay-down
lay-down
(plural lay-downs) noun

easy victim:
an easy target or victim (slang) • I
robbed ten lay-downs before being caught.[1]



layer

layer
lay·er 
[láyr] noun (plural lay·ers)

1.  flat
covering or sheetlike thickness: a single thickness of
something that lies over or under something or between other similar
thicknesses

2.  somebody
who lays something: somebody whose work is
laying something such as tile or brick (usually used in combination)

3.  ZOOLOGY laying
hen:
a hen that lays eggs

4.  GARDENING rooted
plant shoot: a branch or shoot that has been bent
over and covered with soil to make it take root and grow into a new plant
verb
(past lay·ered, past participle lay·ered, present
participle lay·er·ing, 3rd person present singular lay·ers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
layers of something: to apply or arrange things
as separate thicknesses, or form into separate thicknesses

2.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING cut
hair in different lengths: to cut somebody’s hair in
overlapping sections of different lengths, usually in order to give shape to a
hairstyle

3.  transitive
verb
GARDENING propagate
plant by rooting shoots: to bend a shoot over and
cover it with soil to make it take root as a new plant, or take root as a
result of this procedure

[1]



layercake

layercake
lay·er
cake
(plural lay·er cakes) noun

light cake with filling
between layers: a cake, usually
frosted, that consists of two or more layers sandwiched together with cream,
jam, or other filling. The layers may be baked separately or cut horizontally.[1]



layering

layering
lay·er·ing 
[láy əring] noun

way of propagating plants:
a method of propagating plants by covering a branch or shoot with soil so that
it takes root while still attached to the parent plant[1]



layette

layette
lay·ette 
[lay ét] (plural lay·ettes) noun

baby’s
things:
a complete set of clothing and accessories for a newborn baby
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “small drawer,” from Old French laie “drawer, box,”
from Middle Dutch laege, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“load.”][1]



layfigure

layfigure
lay
fig·ure
(plural lay fig·ures) noun

1.  artist’s
dummy:
a jointed model of the human body used by artists.
Also
called
mannequin

2.  compliant
person:
a submissive or insignificant person

[1]



layin

layin
lay
in
transitive verb

store for future:
to acquire and store something for future use[1]



layingon of hands

layingon of hands
lay·ing
on of hands
noun

blessing somebody by touching
head: placing the hands on
somebody’s head in certain religious ceremonies or rituals, for example,
ordination and faith healing[1]



layinto

layinto
lay
into
transitive verb

1.  criticize
somebody:
to attack somebody forcefully in words (informal)

2.  hit
somebody:
to attack somebody forcefully with blows

[1]



Laylatal-Miraj

Laylatal-Miraj
Lay·lat
al-Mi·raj
[lày lat al mi raáj] noun

Islamic
festival:
an Islamic festival, the Night of Ascent, celebrating the ascent of Muhammad to
heaven and held on the 27th of Rajab
[From Arabic, literally
“night of the ascent”][1]



layman

layman
lay·man 
[láymən] (plural lay·men [láymən]) noun

1.  somebody
without specialist knowledge: somebody who is not trained
or expert in a particular area • a law
book for the layman

2.  RELIGION nonordained
person:
somebody who does not belong to the clergy

[1]



layoff

layoff
lay
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
terminate
the employment of somebody: to stop employing somebody,
often temporarily, when there is insufficient work to be done

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
doing something: to stop doing or using something (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
irritating somebody: to stop bothering somebody (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
measure
or mark something off: to measure off a distance,
or mark out the boundaries of something

5.  transitive
verb
BETTING reduce
risk on bet: to reduce risk as a bookmaker by placing
all or part of a bet with another bookmaker

[1]



layoff

layoff
lay·off 
[láy àwf] (plural lay·offs) noun

1.  dismissal
of employees: a dismissal of employees, usually
temporary

2.  period
of unemployment: the time during which employees are out
of work

[1]



layof the land

layof the land
lay
of the land
noun

general state:
the general appearance or state of an area or situation presenting itself to
somebody (informal)
U.K. term
lie of the land[1]



layon

layon
lay
on
transitive verb

1.  apply
something:
to apply something by spreading it

2.  apply
or use to excess: to apply, administer, or use something
in an exaggerated manner

3.  provide
something special: to provide or arrange
something, often in an elaborate or extravagant manner

[1]



layout

layout
lay
out
transitive verb

1.  spread
something out for display: to arrange things, or spread
things out for display

2.  plan
or design something: to plan or design something
in detail

3.  prepare
somebody for burial: to prepare a body for burial

4.  knock
unconscious: to knock somebody unconscious (informal)

5.  spend
money:
to spend money, especially in large quantities

[1]



layout

layout
lay·out 
[láy òwt] (plural lay·outs) noun

1.  way
things are arranged: the way component parts or
individual items are arranged

2.  design
showing relative positions: a design or plan showing the
way things are arranged

3.  DESIGN design
of printed matter: the design or arrangement of
all the elements of printed material, for example, an advertisement or the
pages of a book

4.  DESIGN page
showing design: a page or pages showing the design for
printed material

5.  DESIGN designing
of printed material: the art of designing printed
material

6.  large
establishment: a residence, business establishment, or
other property, especially one that is large or elaborate • a
new high-tech manufacturing layout

7.  set
of tools:
a set or kit of tools (dated)

8.  GYMNASTICS gymnastic
position:
a position in the air in which the performer’s body is straight with the arms
extended

[1]



layover

layover
lay
over
intransitive verb

make stop during trip:
to make a brief stop during a journey[1]



layover

layover
lay·o·ver 
[láy vər] (plural lay·o·vers)
noun

stop during journey:
a brief stop during a journey[1]



layperson

layperson
lay·per·son 
[láy pùrs’n] (plural lay·peo·ple
[láy pp’l]) noun

1.  somebody
without specialist knowledge: somebody who is not trained
or expert in a particular area • Such
concepts are difficult for laypeople to understand.

2.  nonordained
person:
somebody who does not belong to the clergy

[1]



layreader

layreader
lay
read·er
(plural lay read·ers) noun

reader in church services:
a lay member of a church, especially an Anglican church or the Roman Catholic
Church, who is authorized to read some parts of the service.
Also called
reader[1]



layto

layto
lay
to
intransitive verb

stop ship or boat:
to make a ship or boat stop, for example, by turning a sailing vessel into the
wind[1]



Layton,Peter

Layton,Peter
Layton
[láyt’n], Peter (1912– )

Canadian poet. His poems
depict the experience of Jewish Canadians.[1]



lay-up

lay-up
lay-up
(plural lay-ups) noun

basketball shot:
a basketball shot made close to the basket, usually made one-handed and by
bouncing the ball off the backboard[1]



layup

layup
lay
up
transitive verb

1.  store
for future:
to store something for future use

2.  confine
somebody with injury or illness: to prevent somebody
from leading a normal active life, usually temporarily because of injury or
illness

3.  stop
using ship or boat: to take a ship or boat out
of service, usually temporarily, for example, by moving it to a dry dock for
maintenance or repairs

[1]



laywoman

laywoman
lay·wom·an 
[láy wmmən] (plural lay·wom·en
[láy wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
without specialist knowledge: a woman who is not trained
or expert in a particular area

2.  RELIGION nonordained
woman:
a woman who does not belong to the clergy

[1]



lazar

lazar
la·zar 
[lázzər, láyzər]
(plural la·zars) noun

sick
person:
a poor and sick person, especially somebody affected by leprosy (archaic)
[13th century. Via medieval
Latin lazarus from Latin Lazarus, name of the beggar “full of
sores” described in Luke 16:20.][1]



lazaretto

lazaretto
laz·a·ret·to 
[làzzə réttō] (plural laz·a·ret·tos)
or laz·a·ret [làzzə rét] (plural
laz·a·rets) or laz·a·rette [làzzə
rét] (plural laz·a·rettes) noun

1.  MEDICINE hospital
for contagious diseases: a hospital for the treatment
of contagious diseases such as leprosy, especially in former times

2.  MEDICINE quarantine
facility:
a building or ship used to hold people during a period of quarantine

3.  SHIPPING ship’s
storage space: a storage space below deck near the
stern of a ship
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian lazzaretto, blend of lazzaro “leper” (see lazar ) and Venetian dialect nazareto,
hospital in Venice named for Santa Maria di Nazaret “St. Mary of
Nazareth.”][1]



Lazarus,Emma

Lazarus,Emma
Laz·a·rus 
[lázzərəss], Emma (1849–1887)

U.S. writer. She wrote the
poem “The New Colossus” ( 1883 ) as an ode to the Statue of Liberty.[1]



laze

laze
laze 
[layz] (past lazed, past
participle lazed, present participle laz·ing, 3rd
person present singular laz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
it easy:
to relax and do no work • I just
lazed in the shade with a book.

2.  transitive
verb
idle:
to pass time idly • laze the day away
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from lazy .][1]



lazearound

lazearound
laze
around
intransitive and transitive verb

be idle:
to relax, doing nothing that requires effort[1]



lazulite

lazulite
laz·u·lite 
[lázzə lt, lázhə
lt] (plural laz·u·lites) noun

blue
mineral:
a rare blue mineral, a phosphate of aluminum, iron, and magnesium, that has a
glassy luster and is used as a gem
[Early 19th century. Coined
from (lapis) lazuli + -ite .][1]



lazurite

lazurite
laz·u·rite 
[lázzə rt, lázhə
rt] (plural laz·u·rites) noun

blue
mineral:
a rare deep violet-blue or greenish blue mineral, primarily a silicate of
sodium and aluminum, that is the main constituent of the semiprecious gemstone
lapis lazuli
[Late 19th century. Via
medieval Latin lazur from Arabic lāzarward “(lapis) lazuli.”][1]



lazy

lazy
la·zy 
[láyzee] (comparative la·zi·er,
superlative la·zi·est) adjective

1.  not
wanting to work: unwilling to do any work or make an
effort

2.  conducive
to idleness: contributing to an unwillingness to work
or make an effort • a lazy spring day

3.  slow:
moving slowly • a lazy river

4.  AGRICULTURE upside
down:
shown as a brand on livestock as a letter or number rotated 90 degrees from an
upright position • a lazy H
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German lasich “feeble,
tired.”]
—la·zi·ly,
adverb

—la·zi·ness, noun[1]



lazybones

lazybones
la·zy·bones 
[láyzee bnz] (plural la·zy·bones)
noun

lazy person:
somebody who is lazy or without ambition (informal)[1]



lazydaisy stitch

lazydaisy stitch
la·zy
dai·sy stitch (plural la·zy dai·sy stitch·es)
noun

petal-shaped embroidery
stitch: a single unattached chain
stitch in embroidery, often worked in a circle to resemble the petals of a
flower[1]



lazyeye

lazyeye
la·zy
eye
noun

1.  impaired
vision:
an eye disorder in which vision is impaired for no apparent reason, or an eye
affected by this disorder (not used technically) See amblyopia

2.  convergent
squint:
a disorder in which the eyes appear to be looking in different directions, or
an eye affected by this disorder

[1]



lazySusan

lazySusan
la·zy
Su·san
(plural la·zy Su·sans) noun

revolving tray:
a revolving tray holding a selection of items such as cheeses or sauces,
usually placed in the middle of a dining table[1]



lazytongs

lazytongs

la·zy tongs
plural noun
tongs for grasping distant objects:
tongs that can be used to grasp objects at a distance, usually by bringing
together the handles to extend the jointed arms[1]



lb.

lb.
lb.

Abbreviation of
pound or pounds[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LB

LB
LB

Abbreviation of
linebacker[1]



L-band

L-band
L-band
noun

electromagnetic frequency
band: the range of frequencies of
electromagnetic waves from 390 megahertz to 1550 megahertz used for radar.
Other bands in the microwave spectrum used for radar are designated S, X, and
K.[1]



LBJ

LBJ
LBJ

Abbreviation of
Lyndon Baines Johnson[1]



LBO

LBO
LBO
(plural LBOs)

Abbreviation of
leveraged buyout[1]



lbs.

lbs.
lbs.

Abbreviation of
pounds[1]



L/C

L/C
L/C
or l/c

Abbreviation of
letter of credit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LC

LC
LC
(plural LCs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
landing craft

2.  LC
or L.C. Abbreviation of Library
of Congress

[1]



lc

lc
lc
or l.c.

1.  PRINTING Abbreviation of lower
case

2.  Abbreviation
of
loco citato

[1]



l.c.d.

l.c.d.
l.c.d.

Abbreviation of
least common denominator[1]



LCD

LCD
LCD 
(plural LCDs)

Abbreviation of
liquid-crystal display[1]



LCL

LCL
LCL

1.  Abbreviation
of
less-than-carload lot

2.  Abbreviation
of
less-than-container load

[1]



l.c.m.

l.c.m.
l.c.m.

Abbreviation of
least common multiple[1]



LCM

LCM
LCM
(plural LCMs)

Abbreviation of
landing craft, mechanized[1]



L.Cpl.

L.Cpl.
L.Cpl.

Abbreviation of
lance corporal[1]



LCS

LCS
LCS
(plural LCSs)

Abbreviation of
landing craft, support[1]



LCV

LCV
LCV

Abbreviation of
longer combination vehicle[1]



Ld.

Ld.
Ld.

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
Limited (company)

2.  Abbreviation
of
Lord

[1]



ld.

ld.
ld.

1.  PRINTING Abbreviation of lead

2.  Abbreviation
of
load

[1]



LD

LD
LD

1.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
learning disability

2.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
learning-disabled

3.  PHARMACOLOGY Abbreviation of
lethal dose

[1]



LD50

LD50
LD50
noun

test for dose that kills
half: a toxicological test in
which the dose that kills 50 percent of a group of test animals is calculated.
This test has been criticized by animal protection organizations and by many
scientists, but it is still used.[1]



LDC

LDC
LDC
(plural LDCs)

Abbreviation of
less-developed country[1]



Ldg.

Ldg.
Ldg.

Abbreviation of
Leading[1]



ldg.

ldg.
ldg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
landing

2.  Abbreviation
of
loading

[1]



LDL

LDL
LDL
(plural LDLs)

Abbreviation of
low-density lipoprotein[1]



L-dopa

L-dopa
L-do·pa 
noun

drug
for Parkinson’s disease: a natural substance that
stimulates the production of dopamine in the brain and is used to treat
Parkinson’s disease
[Mid-20th century. From the
initial letters of levorotatory, and of di-
+ oxy- + phenyl
+ alanine, the chemical names.][1]



LDS

LDS
LDS

1.  Abbreviation
of
Latter-day Saints

2.  Abbreviation
of
praise be to God forever

[1]



lea

lea
lea 
[lee, lay]
(plural leas) noun

1.  lea
or ley (plural leys) grassland:
a grassy field or meadow (literary)

2.  AGRICULTURE sown
grass:
a field sown with grass
[Old English lēah
“meadow, clearing”][1]



lea.

lea.
lea.

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
league

2.  Abbreviation
of
leather

[1]



leach

leach
leach 
[leech] verb (past leached,
past participle leached, present participle leach·ing,
3rd person present singular leach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
something by dissolution: to remove soluble components
from a solid mixture by the use of a solvent

2.  intransitive
verb
lose
soluble material: to lose soluble material by dissolution

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb deprive
or be deprived of something to: take something away slowly,
or be slowly taken away • have
the joy leached from life
noun
(plural leach·es)

1.  container
used in leaching: a porous container used to hold a solid
mixture through which a solvent is run in order to remove soluble components

2.  mixture
used in leaching: a solid mixture through which a solvent
is run in order to remove soluble components

3.  liquid
containing leached substance: a solution containing a
substance leached from a solid mixture
[Old
English leccan, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English lake]
—leach·a·bil·i·ty
[lchə bíllətee], noun

—leach·er [lchər], noun[1]



leachate

leachate
leach·ate 
[l chàyt] (plural leach·ates)
noun

1.  solution
formed by leaching: a liquid containing soluble
material removed from a solid mixture through which the liquid has passed

2.  liquid
waste in landfill: the liquid produced in a
landfill from the decomposition of waste within the landfill

[1]



Leacock,Stephen

Leacock,Stephen
Lea·cock
[l kòk], Stephen (1869–1944)

British-born
Canadian writer. He was best known for his satirical short stories and essays,
including Literary Lapses ( 1910 ).
Full name
Leacock, Stephen Butler[1]



lead

lead2

lead2 [led]
noun (plural leads)

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS chemical
element:
a heavy bluish gray metallic chemical element that bends easily. It is used in
car batteries, pipes, solder, and as a radiation shield. It usually occurs in
the mineral galena. Symbol Pb

2.  device
for measuring depth: a weight on the end of a
line used to measure the depth of water

3.  ANGLING weight
for fishing line: a lead weight used on a fishing line

4.  ARMS ammunition
for guns:
bullets or shot for firearms (informal)

5.  graphite
in a pencil: a long thin stick of graphite used in a
pencil for writing or drawing

6.  PRINTING strip
between lines of type: in traditional hot metal
printing, a thin strip of metal between lines of type that creates the space
between lines on the printed page
plural noun leads

CRAFT lead
strips between glass panes: strips of lead used to hold
the small glass panes in place in a decorative window or art object
transitive verb
(past lead·ed, past participle lead·ed, present
participle lead·ing, 3rd person present singular leads)

1.  cover
something with lead: to cover, fill, or weight
something with lead

2.  PRINTING insert
strip between lines of type: to put a thin strip of metal
between lines of type to create a space on the printed page

3.  CRAFT secure
glass using leads: to hold small panes of glass
together with strips of lead
[Pre
12th century. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin:
probably from Celtic, and originally meaning “to flow” (referring to the
metal’s low melting point).]
—lead·less,
adjective

—lead·y, adjective[1]



lead

lead1
lead1 [leed]
verb (past led, past participle led, present
participle lead·ing, 3rd person present singular leads)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb guide
somebody:
to show the way to others, usually by going ahead of them • He
led us down the mountain.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be the
way somewhere: to be the route or direction that goes
to a particular place or in a particular direction • That
street leads to the school.

3.  transitive
verb
bring
somebody or something: to bring somebody or
something along with physical guidance, for example, by holding somebody’s hand
or pulling a horse’s reins

4.  transitive
verb
command
others:
to control, direct, or command others • He
led an infantry division during the Korean War.

5.  transitive
verb
be
in charge of something: to have a principal part or
guiding role in something

6.  transitive
verb
MUSIC be
principal musician: to be the principal
performer of an orchestra or of a section of an orchestra

7.  transitive
verb
influence
somebody to do something: to cause somebody to think
or act in a particular way • I was
led to believe the house had been sold.

8.  intransitive
verb
result
in something: to bring about a particular outcome • Her
hard work ultimately led to stardom.

9.  transitive
verb
live
life:
to go through life or spend time in a particular way • We
all lead very busy lives.

10. transitive
verb
be
at the start: to be at the beginning or front of
something • Your
name leads the waiting list.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb be
ahead of others: to be ahead in a race or competition • be
leading in the election

12. transitive
verb
be
most successful: to be the most successful at something
and set an example to others • a city
that leads the nation in the fight against crime

13. intransitive
and transitive verb DANCE guide dance partner:
to guide a partner in a dance

14. transitive
verb
LAW ask
witness leading question: to suggest to a witness an
answer to a question by phrasing the question in a way that will elicit the
desired response

15. transitive
verb
channel
or convey something: to guide something through a
passage such as a conduit or channel

16. intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES put down first card:
to play the first card in a trick in a card game, often requiring others to
play a card of the same suit if they can

17. intransitive
verb
BOXING aim
the first blow: to direct the first of a series of
punches

18. intransitive
verb
BASEBALL leave
base early:
to leave a base as a runner before a pitch in baseball

19. transitive
verb
aim
ahead of something: to aim something such as a
missile or ball at a point in front of a moving target to allow for the time of
flight
noun
(plural leads)

1.  front
position or principal role: the front position, first
place, or principal role

2.  forward
position:
a position ahead of all competitors • Portugal
took the lead at the halfway stage.

3.  front-runner:
somebody or something ahead of all competitors

4.  distance
between first and second: the margin by which somebody
or something is ahead of all competitors • She
had a narrow lead as the runners entered the last lap.

5.  ARTS star
role in performance: a principal role in a play,
motion picture, or show • He
will play the male lead in the movie version.

6.  ARTS somebody
with star role: somebody who has a principal role in a
play, motion picture, or show

7.  role
of somebody in command: the role of somebody who
directs or guides others • take
the lead in a discussion

8.  precedent:
an example or precedent • follow
his lead

9.  tip
or clue:
a piece of helpful or useful information • The
police are following up a number of leads.

10. PRESS introduction
to news item: an introduction to a news story

11. PRESS headline
item:
the most important story in a newspaper or news broadcast • The
conflict should make the lead in all tomorrow’s papers.

12. See
leash  noun 1

13. ELECTRICITY wire
conducting electricity: an insulated electrical
conductor used to connect two points in a circuit, for example, a cable
connecting an appliance to a source of electricity

14. GEOLOGY water
channel through ice: a water channel through an
ice field

15. NAUTICAL direction
of rope:
the direction in which a rope runs

16. CARD GAMES first
card played: the first card played in a trick in a
game

17. CARD GAMES right
to put down first card: the right to play a card
first in a trick in a game

18. BASEBALL position
of base runner: a position taken by a runner off one
base of a baseball diamond toward another

19. BOXING punch:
an attacking punch

20. distance
ahead of moving target: the distance a missile,
ball, or other projectile is aimed in front of a moving target to allow for the
time of flight

21. GEOLOGY See lode
[Old
English lædan, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English load]  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at guide

[1]



leadacetate

leadacetate
lead
ac·e·tate
noun

compound used in paints:
a poisonous crystalline compound used in making paints and varnishes and as a
mordant in dyeing and printing cottons. Pb(C2H3O2)2·3H2O
Also called
sugar of lead[1]



leadarsenate

leadarsenate
lead
ar·se·nate
noun

insecticide:
a poisonous crystalline compound used as an insecticide. Pb3(AsO4)2[1]



leadazide

leadazide
lead
az·ide 
noun

explosive compound:
a crystalline compound used as a detonator in explosives. Because of its
sensitivity, lead azide must be submerged in water when transported. Pb(N3)2[1]



leadballoon

leadballoon
lead
bal·loon
(plural lead bal·loons) noun

complete failure:
a total failure • went
over like a lead balloon[1]



Leadbelly

Leadbelly
Leadbelly
[léd bèllee] (1885?–1949)

U.S.
singer and guitarist. His work influenced folk, jazz, and popular music.
Real name
Ledbetter, Huddie William[1]



leadcarbonate

leadcarbonate
lead
car·bon·ate
noun

white paint pigment:
a poisonous white solid used as a pigment in paints. PbCO3[1]



leadchromate

leadchromate
lead
chro·mate
noun

yellow paint pigment:
a poisonous yellow crystalline substance used as a pigment. PbCrO4[1]



leadcrystal

leadcrystal
lead
crys·tal
noun

glass for making tableware:
glass containing a high proportion of lead, used to make decorative items,
especially tableware[1]



leaddioxide

leaddioxide
lead
di·ox·ide
noun

poisonous brown crystalline
compound: a poisonous brown
crystalline compound used in batteries and explosives, and as a mordant in
dyeing textiles. PbO2[1]



leaded

leaded
lead·ed
[léddəd] adjective

1.  containing
lead:
containing or treated with lead or a compound of lead

2.  CRAFT with
small panes secured by lead: containing many small panes
of glass held together with strips of lead

[1]



leaden

leaden
lead·en 
[lédd’n] adjective

1.  of
lead:
made of lead

2.  dull
and gray:
of a dull gray color, like lead • leaden
skies

3.  tired
and heavy:
tired, heavy, and hard to move • My
legs felt stiff and leaden from miles of walking.

4.  slow:
sluggish or labored • a
leaden pace

5.  lifeless:
lacking spirit or vitality • leaden
prose
—lead·en·ly,
adverb

—lead·en·ness, noun[1]



leader

leader
lead·er 
[ldər] noun (plural lead·ers)

1.  somebody
whom people follow: somebody who guides or
directs others by showing them the way or telling them how to behave

2.  somebody
or something in the lead: somebody or something in
front of all others, for example, in a race or procession

3.  somebody
in charge of others: the head of a nation,
political party, legislative body, or military unit

4.  MUSIC principal
musician:
the principal performer of an orchestra or of a section of an orchestra

5.  MUSIC musical
conductor:
a conductor of a band or group

6.  U.K.
PRESS See editorial

7.  MARKETING See loss leader

8.  BOTANY main
stem:
the main growing shoot of a tree or shrub

9.  RECORDING blank
end of tape: a short strip of blank film or recording
tape at the beginning or end of a reel, used for threading

10. ANGLING line
connecting hook: a short length of nylon or other
material attached to a fishing line and used to connect the lure or hook

11. ANGLING line
at end of fishing line: a short length of heavy
fishing line or wire tied to the end of the main line to prevent sharp-toothed
fish from breaking off the hook
plural
noun
lead·ers

PRINTING guide
in printed matter: dots or dashes in printed
material used to guide the eye across a page

[1]



leadership

leadership
lead·er·ship 
[ldər shìp] noun

1.  office
or position of leader: the office or position of
the head of a political party or other body of people

2.  ability
to lead:
the ability to guide, direct, or influence people

3.  guidance:
guidance or direction

4.  leaders:
a group of leaders (takes a singular or plural verb)

[1]



leadglass

leadglass
lead
glass
noun

glass containing high
proportion of lead: glass that
contains a high proportion of lead oxide. It is used to make decorative objects
and optical components.[1]



lead-in

lead-in
lead-in
(plural lead-ins) noun

1.  introductory
remark:
an introduction to something such as an item on television or a topic for
discussion

2.  BROADCASTING antenna
wire:
a wire that connects an outside antenna with a transmitter or receiver

[1]



leading

leading2
lead·ing2 [lédding]
noun

1.  CRAFT glass
framing:
lead strips around small panes in windows or art objects • The
leading in the stained-glass window needs repair.

2.  PRINTING line
spacing:
the spacing between lines of type in traditional hot metal printing

[1]



leading

leading1
lead·ing1 [lding]
adjective

1.  prominent:
most important or well known

2.  ahead:
ahead of all others, for example, in a race or procession

[1]



leadingeconomic indicator

leadingeconomic indicator
lead·ing
ec·o·nom·ic in·di·ca·tor (plural lead·ing
ec·o·nom·ic in·di·ca·tors) noun

economic variable:
an economic variable that tends to show the direction of future economic
activity[1]



leadingedge

leadingedge
lead·ing
edge
(plural lead·ing edg·es) noun

1.  most
advanced position: the forefront of development
in technology, science, or some other field (hyphenated when used before a
noun)

2.  AIR front
edge:
the forward edge of an aircraft wing, propeller, or airfoil

3.  HOUSEHOLD inner
edge of curtain: the vertical edge of a curtain that
faces the middle of the window

[1]



leadinglady

leadinglady
lead·ing
la·dy
noun

actor with main female role:
the actor who has the principal female role in a play or motion picture[1]



leadinglight

leadinglight
lead·ing
light
(plural lead·ing lights) noun

outstanding person:
somebody who influences or sets an example to others[1]



leadingman

leadingman
lead·ing
man
noun

actor with main male role:
the actor who has the principal male role in a play or motion picture[1]



leadingnote

leadingnote
lead·ing
note
(plural lead·ing notes) noun

U.K.
See leading tone[1]



leadingquestion

leadingquestion
lead·ing
ques·tion
(plural lead·ing ques·tions) noun

question suggesting
particular answer: a question
asked in a way that prompts the desired answer, for example, “Do you think the
government should be wasting taxpayers’ money on such a venture?”[1]



leadingtone

leadingtone
lead·ing
tone
(plural lead·ing tones) noun

seventh tone of scale:
the seventh tone of the diatonic scale.
U.K. term
leading note[1]



leadline

leadline
lead
line
(plural lead lines) noun

device for measuring depth:
a line, weighted at one end, used to measure the depth of water. The line is
usually marked at intervals to make measurement easier.
Also called
sounding line[1]



leadmonoxide

leadmonoxide
lead
mon·ox·ide
noun

compound used in storage
batteries: a yellow or reddish yellow
poisonous lead compound used in making storage batteries, pottery, glass, and
rubber, and as a pigment in paints. PbO
Also called
litharge[1]



leadoff

leadoff
lead
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
begin:
to begin doing something

2.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL be
first batter: to be the first batter in a baseball or
softball lineup or inning

[1]



leadoff

leadoff
lead·off 
[ld àwf] (plural lead·offs) noun

first in a series:
the first move or action in a series, or somebody who begins something[1]



leadon

leadon
lead
on
transitive verb

1.  entice
somebody with false promise: to lure somebody with an
offer or promise that is later withdrawn

2.  persuade
somebody to misbehave: to persuade somebody to do
something foolish or wrong • She
doesn’t let the older kids lead her on.

[1]



leadplant

leadplant
lead·plant 
[léd plànt] (plural lead·plants)
noun

N American shrub:
a North American shrub with hairy grayish leaves, thought by early miners to
indicate the presence of lead. Latin name: Amorpha canescens[1]



leadpoisoning

leadpoisoning
lead
poi·son·ing
noun

1.  poisoning
caused by lead: poisoning from the absorption of lead
into the body, the chronic form of which can cause damage to the nervous
system, brain, liver, and gastrointestinal tract

2.  bullet
wound:
injury or death from a bullet wound (slang)

[1]



leadscrew

leadscrew
lead
screw
(plural lead screws) noun

screw moving machine part:
a threaded shaft that controls the movement of a machine part, for example, the
tool carriage of a lathe[1]



leadsman

leadsman
leads·man 
[lédzmən] (plural leads·men [lédzmən]) noun

somebody who takes soundings:
somebody who uses a lead line to measure the depth of water[1]



leadtetraethyl

leadtetraethyl
lead
tet·ra·eth·yl noun

See
tetraethyl lead[1]



leadtime

leadtime
lead
time
(plural lead times) noun

1.  advance
notice:
the length of time in advance of a deadline that somebody must know or have
something

2.  time
to complete process: the time needed to do
something measured from start to finish, for example, from design to production
or from placing an order to delivery of the goods • How
much lead time do you need?

[1]



leadup to

leadup to
lead
up to
transitive verb

1.  prepare:
to prepare the way for something

2.  approach
subject indirectly: to approach a subject
gradually or indirectly

[1]



Leadville

Leadville
Lead·ville
[léd vìl]

city and county seat of Lake
County, central Colorado, situated in the Rocky Mountains, southwest of Denver.
Population: 2,629 (1990)[1]



leadwort

leadwort
lead·wort 
[léd wùrt, léd
wàwrt] (plural lead·worts) noun

garden flower:
a tropical plant grown in gardens for its spikes of blue, white, or red
flowers. Genus: Plumbago[1]



leaf

leaf

leaf 
[leef] noun (plural leaves
[leevz])

1.  BOTANY plant
part for photosynthesis: any of the flat green parts
that grow in various shapes from the stems or branches of plants and trees and
whose main function is photosynthesis

2.  BOTANY foliage:
the foliage of a plant or tree, or the time when a plant or tree has leaves

3.  leaves
as crop:
a crop in the form of leaves

4.  PUBLISHING paper
in book:
any of the sheets of paper that make up a book

5.  very
thin metal foil: a very thin sheet of metal such as gold
or silver used, for example, to decorate an art object

6.  FURNITURE part
of table top: a hinged or removable section of a table
top

7.  BUILDING part
of door:
a hinged or sliding section of a door, shutter, or gate

8.  part
of spring in vehicle: one of the metal strips that
form a spring in a vehicle suspension system ( leaf
spring )
intransitive verb
(past leafed, past participle leafed, present
participle leaf·ing, 3rd person present singular leafs)

BOTANY grow
leaves:
to put out new leaves
[Old
English lēaf, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is probably also the
ancestor of English lobby and lodge]
—leaf·less,
adjective
take a leaf out of somebody’s book

to
follow somebody’s usually good example

turn over a new leaf

to start to behave in a more
acceptable way[1]



leafage

leafage
leaf·age 
[lfij] noun

foliage:
leaves or foliage[1]



leafbeetle

leafbeetle
leaf
bee·tle
(plural leaf bee·tles) noun

beetle destructive to crops:
a beetle, for example, the Colorado potato beetle or the flea beetle, that
feeds on the leaves of plants and can be destructive to cultivated crops.
Family: Chrysomelidae[1]



leafbird

leafbird
leaf·bird
[lf bùrd] (plural leaf·birds)
noun

Asian bird with curved bill:
a forest-dwelling bird of Southeast Asia with a long curved bill and bold black
and green or yellow markings. Family: Aegithinidae[1]



leafbutterfly

leafbutterfly
leaf
but·ter·fly
noun

Asian butterfly:
a butterfly of southern and southeastern Asia that resembles a leaf. Genus: Kallima[1]



leafchafer

leafchafer
leaf
cha·fer
noun

beetle that eats leaves:
a scarab beetle that eats the leaves of grape vines and many garden plants.
Genus: Macrodactylus[1]



leafcurl

leafcurl
leaf
curl
noun

plant disease:
a disease of plants that causes the leaves to curl[1]



leafcutterant

leafcutterant
leaf·cut·ter
ant 
[lf kùttər ànt] (plural leaf·cut·ter
ants) noun

ant feeding on fungus:
a tropical American ant that cuts leaves into pieces to use as fertilizer for
the fungi it grows in its nest for food. Genus: Atta[1]



leafcutterbee

leafcutterbee
leaf·cut·ter
bee
(plural leaf·cut·ter bees) noun

bee with leaf-lined nest:
a common solitary bee that usually nests in the ground or in a natural cavity
and lines its nest with pieces of leaves. Family: Megachilidae[1]



leaffat

leaffat
leaf
fat
noun

layers of fat:
the dense layers of fat surrounding the kidneys, especially a hog’s kidneys,
often used for making lard[1]



leaffish

leaffish
leaf
fish
noun

tropical freshwater fish:
a tropical freshwater fish that is laterally flat so that it appears like a
floating dead leaf. Family: Nandidae[1]



leafhopper

leafhopper
leaf·hop·per 
[lf hòppər] (plural leaf·hop·pers)
noun

insect pest:
a slender spindle-shaped leaping insect found worldwide that sucks the sap from
plants and spreads plant diseases. Family: Cicadellidae[1]



leafinsect

leafinsect
leaf
in·sect
(plural leaf in·sects) noun

insect that looks like leaf:
an insect with a flat body that resembles a leaf in shape and color, found
mainly in southern Asia. Family: Phyllidae
Also called
walking leaf[1]



leaflard

leaflard
leaf
lard
noun

high-quality lard:
a high-quality lard made from the fat surrounding the kidneys of hogs ( leaf fat )[1]



leaflet

leaflet
leaf·let 
[lflət] noun (plural leaf·lets)

1.  PUBLISHING free
printed material: a sheet of printed paper, usually
folded, that is distributed free as part of an advertising or information
campaign

2.  BOTANY small
leaf:
a small or young leaf

3.  BOTANY part
of leaf:
any of the divisions of a compound leaf
intransitive
and transitive verb (past leaf·let·ed
or leaf·let·ted, past participle leaf·let·ed or
leaf·let·ted, present participle leaf·let·ing or leaf·let·ting,
3rd person present singular leaf·lets)

distribute leaflets:
to hand out or distribute leaflets in a particular place or to a particular
group of people

[1]



leafleteer

leafleteer
leaf·le·teer 
[lflə tr] (plural leaf·le·teers)
or leaf·le·ter [lflə tər] (plural
leaf·le·ters) noun

writer of leaflets:
somebody who writes or distributes leaflets[1]



leafminer

leafminer
leaf
min·er
(plural leaf min·ers) noun

tunneling insect:
any insect whose larvae tunnel into and feed on leaf tissue, including several
species of very small moths and a particular species of fly. Family:
Agromyzidae
Also called
miner[1]



leafmold

leafmold
leaf
mold
(plural leaf molds) noun

1.  compost
or soil:
nitrogen-rich compost or soil that consists mainly of decomposed leaves

2.  growth
on leaves:
a fungal growth on leaves

[1]



leafmonkey

leafmonkey
leaf
mon·key
noun

leaf-eating monkey:
a leaf-eating Asian monkey related to the langurs. Genus: Presbytis
See also
langur[1]



leafprimordium

leafprimordium
leaf
pri·mor·di·um noun

cells that will become a
leaf: a group of cells that
develop into a leaf[1]



leafroll

leafroll
leaf
roll
noun

virus of potatoes:
a viral disease of potatoes that is transmitted by aphids and causes the leaves
to curl upward[1]



leafroller

leafroller
leaf
roll·er
(plural leaf roll·ers) noun

moth whose larvae hide in
leaves: a small moth whose larvae
roll leaves to protect themselves while they eat them.
Also called
leaf tyer[1]



leafscar

leafscar
leaf
scar
(plural leaf scars) noun

mark left by leaf:
the mark left on a stem when a leaf falls[1]



leafsheath

leafsheath
leaf
sheath
(plural leaf sheaths) noun

bottom part of grass leaf:
the part at the bottom of the leaf that surrounds the stem in grasses[1]



leafspot

leafspot
leaf
spot
noun

plant disease:
a fungal or bacterial plant disease that causes discolored spots to develop on
leaves[1]



leafspring

leafspring
leaf
spring
(plural leaf springs) noun

spring for an automobile
suspension: a spring made of several
curved metal strips of different lengths ( leaves
) bracketed together, used in automobile suspension systems[1]



leafstalk

leafstalk
leaf·stalk
[lf stàwk] (plural leaf·stalks)
noun

stalk of leaf:
a stalk by which a leaf is attached to a stem. Technical name petiole[1]



leafthrough

leafthrough
leaf
through
transitive verb

turn pages:
to turn the pages of a book or magazine quickly and casually[1]



leaftrace

leaftrace
leaf
trace
(plural leaf trac·es) noun

fluid-bearing structure:
the structure that carries fluid between the main stem and the base of the leaf
in plants[1]



leaftyer

leaftyer
leaf
ty·er
(plural leaf ty·ers) noun

See
leaf roller[1]



leafy

leafy
leaf·y 
[lfee] (comparative leaf·i·er,
superlative leaf·i·est) adjective

1.  with
many leaves: covered with or having many leaves

2.  with
many trees that have leaves: with many trees and
therefore a lot of foliage

3.  producing
leaves:
producing broad leaves as distinct from blades or needles

4.  with
edible leaves: having edible leaves • leafy
vegetables
—leaf·i·ness, noun[1]



leafyspurge

leafyspurge
leaf·y
spurge
noun

European spurge plant:
a tall perennial plant that is native to Europe but naturalized in the northern
United States and Canada. It is found growing in patches along roadsides. Latin
name: Euphorbia esula[1]



league

league2
league2 [leeg]
(plural leagues) noun

measure
of distance: a measure of distance of variable
length, usually about 5 km/3 mi, no longer in general use
[14th century. Directly or
via French dialect lega (from Old French legue ) from late Latin leuca,
from late Greek leugā, ultimately from Gaulish .][1]



league

league1
league1 [leeg]
noun (plural leagues)

1.  group
with common goals: an association of nations,
states, organizations, or businesses with common interests or goals

2.  SPORTS group
of sports clubs: an association of sports clubs or teams
that compete with each other

3.  level
of skill:
a level of performance or skill • Her
painting is not in the same league with yours.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past leagued,
past participle leagued, present participle leagu·ing,
3rd person present singular leagues)

form into league:
to join with others for a common interest or goal, or bring people together for
such a purpose
[15th
century. Via French ligue “pact, agreement,” from Italian liga,
variant of lega, ultimately from Latin ligare “to bind”; spelling
later influenced by Italian lega .]
in
league (with somebody)

collaborating with somebody,
usually for a questionable purpose[1]



Leagueof Nations

Leagueof Nations
League
of Na·tions
noun

world alliance:
an alliance of nations established in 1920 to promote world peace and
cooperation that was replaced by the United Nations in 1946. It was first
proposed by President Woodrow Wilson after World War I, though the United
States never joined, and became increasingly ineffective in the 1930s.[1]



leaguer

leaguer2
lea·guer2 [lgər]
(plural lea·guers) noun

member of a league:
a member of a sports league[1]



leaguer

leaguer1
leagu·er1 [lgər]
noun (plural leagu·ers) (archaic)

1.  siege:
a siege

2.  besieging
army camp:
the camp of a besieging army
transitive
verb
(past leagu·ered, past participle leagu·ered, present
participle leagu·er·ing, 3rd person present singular leagu·ers)

besiege: to
besiege a place (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch leger “camp.”][1]



leak

leak
leak 
[leek] noun (plural leaks)

1.  hole
or crack:
an unintentional hole or crack that permits something such as liquid, gas, or
light to escape or enter

2.  accidental
escape or entry: the accidental escape or unwanted entry
of something, usually by way of an unintentional hole or crack

3.  escaping
liquid or gas: something that escapes through an
unintentional hole or crack

4.  ELECTRICITY accidental
escape of electricity: a place through which an
electric current escapes accidentally, or the resulting loss of electricity

5.  means
of escape:
a means of escape, or the resulting loss • We
need to plug the leak in our finances.

6.  disclosure
of secrets:
an unofficial release of confidential information, usually to the media

7.  act
of urination: an act of urination (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past leaked, past
participle leaked, present participle leak·ing, 3rd
person present singular leaks)

1.  let
something in or out: to let something escape or
enter accidentally, or escape or enter in this way

2.  disclose
secrets or be disclosed: to release confidential
information unofficially or covertly, usually to the media, or become publicly
known in such a way • She
leaked the details of the deal to the press.
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old Norse leka or Middle Dutch lek
from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “deficiency.”]
—leak·er, noun[1]



leakage

leakage
leak·age 
[lkij] (plural leak·ag·es) noun

1.  escape
or entrance of something: a gradual escape or entrance
of something such as oil, gas, or electric current by a leak

2.  something
that escapes or enters: an amount of something that
escapes or enters by leaking

3.  disclosure
of secrets:
the unofficial release of confidential information, usually to the media

[1]



Leakey,Louis

Leakey,Louis

Lea·key
[lkee], Louis (1903–1972)
British
archaeologist and paleontologist. He pioneered research into human ancestry at
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, discovering several key hominid fossils.
Full name
Leakey, Louis Seymour Bazett[1]



Leakey,Richard

Leakey,Richard
Lea·key
[lkee], Richard (1944– )

Kenyan-born
British archaeologist and paleontologist. He continued his parents’ research
into human ancestry in Africa, becoming director of the Kenyan Wildlife and
Conservation Management Service ( 1989 ).
Full name
Leakey, Richard Erskine Frere[1]



leakout

leakout
leak
out
intransitive verb

become known:
to become known unintentionally, or be disclosed unofficially[1]



leakproof

leakproof
leak·proof 
[lk prf] adjective

1.  designed
not to leak: designed to prevent any of the contents
from escaping or anything unwanted from entering

2.  not
disclosing secrets: not allowing breaches in
secrecy or confidentiality (informal)

[1]



leaky

leaky
leak·y 
[lkee] (comparative leak·i·er,
superlative leak·i·est) adjective

1.  leaking:
letting liquid or gas in or out accidentally through holes or cracks

2.  not
secure:
allowing breaches in secrecy or confidentiality (informal)
—leak·i·ly,
adverb

—leak·i·ness, noun[1]



lean

lean1
lean1 [leen]
verb (past leaned, past participle leaned, present
participle lean·ing, 3rd person present singular leans)

1.  intransitive
verb
bend
or incline:
to be in or move to a position that is at an angle to the vertical

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb rest
something or be supported: to rest against something
for support, or rest something against something else

3.  intransitive
verb
tend
toward something: to have a preference or inclination for
a particular thing or course of action
noun

tilted position:
a position that is at an angle to the vertical
[Old English hleonian
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “slope,” which is also the
ancestor of English decline, incline, and ladder
.][1]



lean

lean2
lean2 [leen]
adjective (comparative lean·er, superlative lean·est)

1.  without
excess fat:
having no excess fat

2.  not
fatty:
having little or no fat • lean
meat

3.  not
productive:
not productive or profitable • lean
harvest

4.  economical
and efficient: not using any more resources than
necessary • He
is able to compete because he runs a lean business.

5.  MINING with
few minerals: low in mineral content • lean
ore

6.  low
in combustible material: used to describe a mixture
of fuel and air that is low in combustible material • lean
fuel mixture
noun

meat without fat:
meat with little or no fat
[Old
English hlne, from prehistoric Germanic]
—lean·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



lean-burn

lean-burn
lean-burn
adjective

designed to run on lean fuel:
designed to run on a mixture that has a high proportion of air to fuel in order
to reduce air pollution • a
lean-burn engine[1]



Lean,David

Lean,David
Lean 
[leen], Sir David (1908–1991)

British movie director. He
won Academy Awards for The Bridge on the River Kwai ( 1957 ), and Lawrence
of Arabia ( 1962 ).[1]



leaning

leaning
lean·ing 
[lning] (plural lean·ings) noun

attraction to something:
an inclination or tendency toward something such as a particular set of
opinions[1]



LeaningTower of Pisa

LeaningTower of Pisa

Lean·ing To·wer of Pi·sa
the bell tower of Pisa Cathedral, Italy,
built between 1173 and 1350 and well-known for its tilt. It is 55 m/ 180 ft
high and leans more than 5 m/ 16 ft from the perpendicular.[1]



leanon

leanon
lean
on
transitive verb

1.  depend
on somebody: to be dependent on somebody

2.  get
support from somebody: to gain moral support from
somebody • You
can always lean on me.

3.  intimidate
somebody into doing something: to put pressure on
somebody to do something (informal)

[1]



lean-to

lean-to
lean-to 
(plural lean-tos) noun

1.  outbuilding
built against wall: an outbuilding with a
slanted roof that rests against the wall of a larger building

2.  slope-roofed
shelter:
a shelter or small building with a roof that slopes in one direction, often
reaching the ground

[1]



leap

leap
leap 
[leep] verb (past leaped
or leapt [lept], past
participle leaped or leapt [lept],
present participle leap·ing, 3rd person present singular leaps)

1.  intransitive
verb
jump
forcefully:
to make a jump with a long or high arc • She
leaped over the stream with ease.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
as if by jumping: to move abruptly, as if by jumping up or
across something • The dog leaped into her
arms.

3.  intransitive
verb
abruptly
switch to something: to move abruptly to a new
thought or action • The reporters leaped to
the conclusion that wrongdoing had occurred.

4.  intransitive
verb
go
up substantially: to increase suddenly and sizably • Stock
prices leaped to new highs.

5.  transitive
verb
jump
something:
to jump over an obstacle • didn’t
think he could leap the stream

6.  transitive
verb
make
animal jump: to cause an animal to jump over
something
noun
(plural leaps)

1.  arching
jump:
a long high jump

2.  distance
of jump:
the distance covered by a leap • a leap
of almost eight feet

3.  place
to jump:
a place over or from which to leap

4.  large
increase:
a sudden and sizable increase • The
market has made many leaps this quarter.

5.  MUSIC musical
interval:
a large interval in music
[Old
English hlēapan . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to run,”
which is also the ancestor of English lope,
gallop, and loafer .]
—leap·er,
noun
a
leap in the dark

an
action taken without knowing what the outcome or consequences will be

in
or by leaps and bounds

extremely rapidly[1]



leapat

leapat
leap
at
transitive verb

accept something eagerly:
to be quick to accept or take advantage of something • He
leaped at the chance to play the lead in the movie.[1]



leapfrog

leapfrog
leap·frog 
[lp fròg] noun

vaulting game:
a game in which players take turns bending over so that another player can
vault over them with the legs wide apart and the hands placed on their backs
verb
(past leap·frogged, past participle leap·frogged, present
participle leap·frog·ging, 3rd person present singular leap·frogs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb play
leapfrog:
to vault over somebody in the game of leapfrog

2.  transitive
verb
vault
over somebody or something: to vault over a person or
obstacle in a style similar to that used in the game of leapfrog

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
each other alternately: to take turns passing each
other • The
two drivers were leapfrogging down the racetrack.

4.  intransitive
verb
advance
quickly:
to advance quickly in status or position, usually bypassing competitors or
colleagues • She
started the day in seventh place but soon leapfrogged into first.

5.  transitive
verb
circumvent
something:
to evade something by passing around it

6.  transitive
verb
MILITARY advance
military units by turn: to advance military units by
having one engage the enemy while the other passes around the battle
[From the players’
resemblance to jumping frogs][1]



leapout at

leapout at
leap
out at
transitive verb

be or become clear to
somebody: to be suddenly or
immediately obvious to somebody • The
answer just leaps out at you.[1]



leapsecond

leapsecond
leap
sec·ond
(plural leap sec·onds) noun

extra
second added to clock: a second added at the end of
June or December to a timekeeping system in order to keep measured time
synchronized with the movement of the Earth around the Sun
[Modeled on leap year][1]



leapt

leapt
lea·pt


Past tense of
leap Past participle of leap[1]



leapyear

leapyear
leap
year
(plural leap years) noun

year
with 366 days: a year with an extra day, February 29,
added to make up the difference between the 365-day calendar and the actual
duration of the Earth’s orbit of the Sun. Leap years occur every four years,
except for years ending in “00” that are not divisible by 400.
[Origin uncertain: probably
so called because in such years any given date falls two days later than in the
preceding year, instead of one as in a normal year][1]



Lear,Edward

Lear,Edward
Lear 
[leer], Edward (1812–1888)

British writer and artist.
His limericks and cartoons for children were first published in A Book of
Nonsense (1846).[1]



learn

learn
learn 
[lurn] (past learned or
learnt [lurnt], past participle
learned or learnt, present participle learn·ing,
3rd person present singular learns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
to know something: to acquire knowledge of a
subject or skill through education or experience • I’m
learning to play piano.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb find
out something: to gain information about somebody or
something • I
just learned that Jim is arriving tomorrow.

3.  transitive
verb
memorize
something:
to memorize something, for example, facts, a poem, a piece of music, or a dance
• I
have to learn the periodic table for my exam.

4.  transitive
verb
teach
somebody something: to teach a topic or skill to
somebody (nonstandard)
[Old
English leornian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“track,” which also produced English lore
and last 2 . The underlying idea
is “to follow a course of instruction.”]
—learn·a·ble, adjective[1]



learned

learned
learn·ed 
[lúrnəd] adjective

1.  highly
educated:
well-educated and very knowledgeable • a
learned professor

2.  EDUCATION scholarly:
showing or requiring much education and knowledge

3.  LAW honorable:
used in addressing or referring to a lawyer in court • my
learned colleague

4.  PSYCHOLOGY acquired,
not instinctual: used to describe behavior or knowledge
that is acquired through training or experience rather than being instinctual
[14th
century. Originally the past participle of learn
in the sense “to teach.”]
—learn·ed·ly
[lúrnədlee], adverb

—learn·ed·ness, noun[1]



learnedhelplessness

learnedhelplessness
learn·ed
help·less·ness noun

refusing to take charge:
somebody’s failure to take action to make his or her life better, arising from
a sense of not being in control[1]



learner’spermit

learner’spermit
learn·er’s
per·mit
(plural learn·er’s perm·its) noun

learner’s driver’s license:
a driver’s license for those who have not yet passed a driving test, and
subject to various restrictions.
U.K. term
provisional licence[1]



learning

learning
learn·ing 
[lúrning] noun

1.  acquiring
of knowledge: the acquisition of knowledge or skill

2.  EDUCATION acquired
knowledge:
knowledge or skill gained through education • a
man of great learning

3.  PSYCHOLOGY change
in knowledge: a relatively permanent change in, or
acquisition of, knowledge, understanding, or behavior

[1]



learningcurve

learningcurve
learn·ing
curve
(plural learn·ing curves) noun

1.  rate
of learning: the rate at which a new subject or skill
is learned

2.  EDUCATION graph
plotting learning outcomes: a graph that shows the
relation between the rate at which knowledge or a skill is learned and the time
spent acquiring it

[1]



learningdisability

learningdisability
learn·ing
dis·a·bil·i·ty noun

difficulty in acquiring
school skills: a condition that either
prevents or significantly hinders somebody from learning basic skills or
information at the same rate as most people of the same age[1]



learning-disabled

learning-disabled
learn·ing-dis·a·bled 
adjective

having difficulty in
acquiring school skills: prevented
or hindered by a learning disability from learning basic skills or information
at the same rate as most people of the same age (not hyphenated when used
after a verb) • materials
aimed specifically at learning-disabled children[1]



learningtheory

learningtheory
learn·ing
the·o·ry
noun

theory of behavior
conditioning: the theory that
behavior can be explained in terms of how people and animals learn to respond
to a stimulus, for example learning by rewards and punishments operant
conditioning and learning by association classical conditioning[1]



learnt

learnt
learnt


Past tense of
learn Past participle of learn[1]



leary

leary
lear·y
adjective

See
leery[1]



lease

lease
lease 
[leess] noun (plural leas·es)

1.  rental
contract:
a legal contract allowing somebody exclusive possession of another’s property
for a particular time in return for rent

2.  length
of lease:
the period of time covered by a lease
transitive
verb
(past leased, past participle leased, present
participle leas·ing, 3rd person present singular leas·es)

1.  rent
something to somebody: to rent property to somebody
under the terms of a lease

2.  rent
something from somebody: to rent property from somebody
under the terms of a lease • We’ve
leased a cottage for the summer.
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman les, from lesser “to lease,” a variant
of Old French laissier (see leash ).]
—leas·a·ble,
adjective

—leas·er,
noun
a
new lease on life

renewed
freshness or vigor, usually resulting from some minor change

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hire

[1]



leaseback

leaseback
lease·back 
[lss bàk] (plural lease·backs)
noun

selling then renting back
property: an arrangement in which a
property is sold and then leased to its former owner by its new owner.
Also called
sale and leaseback[1]



leasehold

leasehold
lease·hold 
[lss hld] (plural lease·holds)
noun

1.  renting
of property: the holding of a property through a
lease

2.  rented
property:
a property that is leased
—lease·hold·er, noun[1]



leash

leash
leash 
[leesh] noun (plural leash·es)

1.  line
used to control animal: a strap, chain, or rope used
to control the animal it is attached to, especially one used when walking a
dog.
Also
called
lead

2.  restraint:
something that controls or restrains somebody • Our
supervisor keeps us on a short leash.

3.  three
animals together: a set of three animals of one type,
especially hounds
transitive
verb
(past leashed, past participle leashed, present
participle leash·ing, 3rd person present singular leash·es)

1.  fit
with leash:
to attach a leash to an animal • Leash
your dog!

2.  restrain
something:
to restrain your emotions or impulses or the emotions or impulses of somebody
under your control
[13th century. From Old
French laisse, from laissier “to let go,” from Latin laxare,
literally “to loosen,” from laxus (see lax
).][1]



leashlaw

leashlaw
leash
law
(plural leash laws) noun

rule requiring leashes on
dogs: a law requiring owners to
keep their dogs on a leash in public places[1]



least

least
least 
[leest] CORE
MEANING:
the smallest or lowest quantity or degree

1.
adjective adverb pronoun smallest
amount possible: a smaller amount than anything or anyone
else • He
went up the steps without showing the least anxiety.
• what
I liked the least of all • The
least said the soonest mended.

2.
adverb less of a quality than others:
having less of a particular quality than most other people or things • one
of the least appealing movies of the year

3.
adjective extremely small:
used to emphasize that something is so small as to be virtually nonexistent • She
had not the least idea of what was going on with me.

4.
adverb to a smaller degree:
indicates that something happens or is true to a smaller degree than at any
other time • I
had been appointed to take charge while I least expected anything of the sort.

5.
pronoun the minimum: used
to indicate the minimum that should be done in a situation • The
least you can do is to make yourself thoroughly acquainted with the procedure.
[Old
English lst, a contraction of lsest, from ls “less”]
at
least

1.  not
less than a particular amount • It’ll
take at least two days to finish. • We
traveled at least forty-five miles without a rest.

2.  in
any case and despite anything else • At least
you’ve got a job, which is more than I have.

3.  indicates
a correction or change • The
answer seemed right, or at least close enough.

least
of all

emphasizes
that a negative applies to one case in particular • No
one must know of our discovery –least of all our competitors.

not
(in) the least

not
in the slightest • The only noteworthy
point about him was of the negative sort –he was not in the least like his
sister.
• I’m
not the least bit tired.

not
least

emphasizes
something particularly important • It is
too early to be sure, not least because the weather may change.

to
say the least

without
exaggerating or overstating the case • We
were, to say the least, surprised at her rudeness.

[1]



leastcommon denominator

leastcommon denominator
least
com·mon de·nom·i·na·tor (plural least
com·mon de·nom·i·na·tors) noun

lowest multiple for all
denominators: the lowest multiple
shared by all the denominators in a set of fractions.
Also called
lowest common denominator[1]



leastcommon multiple

leastcommon multiple
least
com·mon mul·ti·ple (plural least
com·mon mul·ti·ples) noun

lowest number divisible by
set’s members: the lowest whole number
that is divisible without a remainder by all of the members of a set of
numbers.
Also called
lowest common multiple[1]



leastflycatcher

leastflycatcher
least
fly·catch·er (plural least fly·catch·ers)
noun

N
American bird: a small grayish bird of eastern North
America that flies from branches to catch flying insects. Latin name: Empidonax
minimus
[So called because it is
slightly smaller than the other “Empidonax” flycatchers][1]



leastsquares

leastsquares
least
squares
noun

method of fitting curve to
data: a method of finding the best
curve to fit a set of statistical data points. It involves squaring the
distance that each point is from a given curve, summing the squares, and
choosing the curve for which the sum has the minimum value.[1]



leastways

leastways
least·ways 
[lst wàyz] adverb

at least:
in any case and despite anything else (informal)[1]



leather

leather
leath·er 
[léər] noun (plural leath·ers)

1.  tanned
and dressed hide: the processed hide of animals with the
fur or feathers removed. It is used in making items such as shoes, saddles,
luggage, and clothing.

2.  material
like leather: something that is like leather in
appearance or texture • fruit
leather

3.  something
made of leather: an item or part of an item that is made
of leather

4.  ZOOLOGY dog’s
earflap:
the flap of a dog’s ear
plural
noun
leath·ers

CLOTHES motorcyclists’
leather clothing: the protective leather jacket, trousers,
boots, and gloves worn by motorcyclists
adjective

1.  made
of leather:
made of leather or a material that looks like leather

2.  involving
sadomasochism or fetishism: wearing, or for people who
wear, leather clothing as a symbol of interest in sadomasochism or as a fetish
transitive
verb
(past leath·ered, past participle leath·ered, present
participle leath·er·ing, 3rd person present singular leath·ers)

1.  cover
something in leather: to give something a covering
of leather

2.  punish
somebody physically: to beat a person or animal
severely, especially by using a leather strap (dated informal)
[Old English lether- .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Irish leathar
and Welsh lledr .][1]



leatherback

leatherback

leath·er·back 
[léər bàk] (plural leath·er·backs)
noun
sea turtle:
the largest of the living sea turtles, which has a flexible shell ridged with
bone and covered with leathery skin. Latin name: Dermochelys coriacea[1]



leatherleaf

leatherleaf
leath·er·leaf
[léər lf] (plural leath·er·leaves
[léər lvz]) noun

evergreen bog shrub:
an evergreen bog shrub of North America with small white flowers and leathery
leaves. Latin name: Chamaedaphne calyculata[1]



leathern

leathern
leath·ern 
[léərn] adjective

made of leather:
made of leather or a material that looks like leather (archaic)[1]



leatherneck

leatherneck
leath·er·neck 
[léər nèk] (plural leath·er·necks)
noun

U.S.
marine:
a member of the United States Marine Corps (slang)
[From the leather collar that
was formerly part of the uniform][1]



leatherwear

leatherwear
leath·er·wear 
[léər wàir] noun

leather
clothes:
clothing and accessories made of leather
[Modeled on sportswear or
footwear][1]



leatherwood

leatherwood
leath·er·wood 
[léər wd] (plural leath·er·woods)
noun

1.  TREES tree
with yellow flowers: a small deciduous tree of
eastern North America with pliable branches and bark and small yellow flowers.
Latin name: Dirca palustris
Also
called
wicopy

2.  PLANTS See titi 2 noun 2

[1]



leatherwork

leatherwork
leath·er·work 
[léər wùrk] noun

1.  decorating
of leather:
the craft of sculpting, cutting, or burning designs into leather

2.  decorated
leather:
items made from leather, especially decorated leather
—leath·er·work·er,
noun

—leath·er·work·ing, noun[1]



leathery

leathery
leath·er·y 
[léəree] adjective

resembling
leather:
looking or feeling like leather, especially having a grainy surface or a tough
unyielding consistency
—leath·er·i·ness, noun[1]



leave

leave1
leave1 [leev]
(past left [left], past
participle left, present participle leav·ing, 3rd
person present singular leaves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb depart:
to go away from a person or place • I
leave the office at five o’clock daily.

2.  transitive
verb
let
somebody continue doing something: to go away from
somebody in order to allow that person to do something • You
run along and leave me to my paperwork.

3.  transitive
verb
cause
something to remain: to give something to
somebody or put something in a place before departing • I
left my number with Dan.

4.  transitive
verb
let
something remain behind accidentally: to
forget to bring something away from a place • I
must have left my keys at the office.

5.  transitive
verb
give
something in will: to bequeath something as a
legacy • He
plans to leave all his money to charity.

6.  transitive
verb
produce
something that remains: to cause a residue, trace,
or mark to remain • The snails left trails
on the path.

7.  transitive
verb
not
change condition of something: to allow something or
somebody to remain unchanged in a certain state • I
left my coat on. • Leave
your sister alone.

8.  transitive
verb
have
something remaining: to cause an amount to remain
by removing some amount or part • Six
minus four leaves two.

9.  transitive
verb
set
something aside: to save or keep something for somebody’s
use • I
left some cake for you.

10. transitive
verb
desert
somebody or something: to abandon a person or place
• She
has left the city to live in the country.

11. transitive
verb
have
somebody as survivor: to be survived by somebody
after death • He
leaves a wife and two young sons.

12. intransitive
and transitive verb give
up position in something: to end participation in a
group or activity • She left that job for a
better one.

13. transitive
verb
give
job to another: to transfer control of or responsibility
for something to somebody • Leave
the typing to me.

14. transitive
verb
reject
something:
to reject something offered • That’s
the best I can offer, take it or leave it.
[Old
English lfan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to stick”
and “fatty substance,” which is also the ancestor of English life and liver
.]
leave
go or hold of somebody or something

1.  to
stop holding somebody or something (nonstandard) • Leave
go of my arm!

2.  to
stop bothering somebody, or stop interfering in a situation

leave
it at that

to
do or say no more about something

leave
somebody or something alone

to
avoid bothering or becoming involved with somebody or something

leave
much to be desired

to
be highly unsatisfactory

leave
somebody to himself or herself

to
go away and allow somebody to be alone (often passive)

leave
well enough alone

to
leave a situation as it is rather than risk making it worse

[1]



leave

leave2
leave2 [leev]
noun

1.  period
of permitted absence: time off from work or duty,
with official permission • He’ll
get a month’s paternity leave.

2.  permission:
permission to do something (formal) • He
was given leave to present his proposal.

3.  farewell:
the act of saying goodbye to somebody • We
took leave of our host and went on to the next party.
[Old
English lēaf, literally “pleasure, approval.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to desire,” which is also the ancestor of English love, believe,
and furlough .]
take
leave of your senses

to become entirely irrational
or lose all sense of reality[1]



leave

leave3
leave3 [leev]
(past leaved, past participle leaved, present
participle leav·ing, 3rd person present singular leaves)
intransitive verb

grow
leaves:
to grow foliage • The oak has started to
leave.
[13th century. Formed from leaf .][1]



leavebehind

leavebehind
leave
behind
transitive verb

1.  progress
faster than somebody or something: to travel or progress
faster than somebody or something (often passive)

2.  forget
about something: to dismiss something from the mind • She
left her worries behind as she headed for the Bahamas.

[1]



leaven

leaven
leav·en 
[lévv’n] noun (plural leav·ens)
leav·en leav·en·ing

1.  rising
agent:
a substance used to make dough rise, especially yeast or other fermenting
agents

2.  something
that enlivens: something that lightens the weight or
mood of something (literary) • with a
leaven of wit
transitive
verb
(past leav·ened, past participle leav·ened, present
participle leav·en·ing, 3rd person present singular leav·ens)

1.  mix
yeast in something: to add leaven to dough

2.  make
food rise:
to cause bread or cake to rise using leaven

3.  enliven
something:
to lighten the atmosphere or mood of something (literary) • His
story leavened the mood of the gathering.
[14th century. Via Old French
levain from assumed Vulgar Latin levamen, from Latin levare
“to raise.”][1]



Leavenworth

Leavenworth
Leav·en·worth 
[lévv’n wùrth]

city in northeastern Kansas.
It is home to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Population: 39,431 (1996)[1]



leaveof absence

leaveof absence
leave
of ab·sence
(plural leaves of ab·sence) noun

1.  permission
to be absent: permission to have time off from work or
another duty for a particular period • I
requested a leave of absence so that I could take a finance course.

2.  time
away from work: the time spent away from work or another
duty with leave of absence • His
leave of absence included the Christmas holidays.

[1]



leaveoff

leaveoff
leave
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
cease:
to stop doing something • Leave
off chatting and listen for a change!

2.  transitive
verb
stop
using something: to stop doing or making use of something
• You
can leave your coats since it’s so warm.

[1]



leaveout

leaveout
leave
out
transitive verb

exclude somebody or
something: to fail to include somebody
or something, whether by choice or accident • I
felt left out of the party.[1]



leaves

leaves
leaves


Plural of
leaf[1]



leave-taking

leave-taking
leave-tak·ing 
(plural leave-tak·ings) noun

farewell:
a saying of goodbye before leaving somebody (literary) • After
a teary leave-taking, we set off.[1]



leavings

leavings
leav·ings 
[lvingz] plural noun

scraps:
something that somebody has left behind or that is left over from something,
usually of little value[1]



Leavis,F. R.

Leavis,F. R.
Leav·is
[lviss], F. R. (1895–1978)

British
literary critic. He stressed the moral value of the study of literature. He
edited the journal Scrutiny (1932–1953), and wrote The Great
Tradition (1948), as well as studies of Dickens and D. H. Lawrence.
Full name
Leavis, Frank Raymond[1]



Lebanese

Lebanese
Leb·a·nese 
[lèbbə nz, lèbbə
nss] (plural Leb·a·nese) noun

somebody
from Lebanon: somebody who was born or raised in
Lebanon, or who has Lebanese citizenship
—Leb·a·nese, adjective[1]



Lebanon

Lebanon



Leb·a·non 
[lébbənən, lébbənòn]

1.  republic
on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in southwestern Asia. Language:
Arabic. Currency: Lebanese pound. Capital: Beirut. Population: 3,111,828 (1997)
Area: 10,452 sq km/4,036 sq mi. Official name Lebanese Republic

2.  village
and county seat of Warren County, southwestern Ohio, situated 29 km/18 mi east
of Hamilton. Population: 10,453 (1990)

3.  city
in Grafton County, western New Hampshire, situated 31 km/19 mi north of
Claremont. Population: 12,183 (1990)

4.        city
and county seat of Wilson County, central Tennessee, situated 50 km/31 mi east
of Nashville. Population: 15,208 (1990)[1]



Lebanon




Back to definition

Lebanon

[1]



Lebanon,Mount

Lebanon,Mount
Leb·a·non,
Mount
[lébənon]

mountain in western
Massachusetts, situated in Berkshire and Middlesex counties[1]



lebensraum

lebensraum
le·bens·raum 
[láybənz ròwm, láybəns
ròwm] noun

1.  additional
territory claimed by Nazis: additional land in Eastern
Europe that the Nazi government claimed was necessary for the continued
political and economic development of Germany

2.  space
for growth:
adequate room for life or development
[Early 20th century. From
German, “living space.”][1]



lebkuchen

lebkuchen
leb·ku·chen 
[láyb kkən, láyp
kkhən] (plural leb·ku·chen) noun

spicy
German gingerbread: a rich decorated German
gingerbread, traditionally baked in a wide variety of shapes and sizes for
Christmas and other celebrations
[Early 20th century. Via
German from Middle High Geman lebekuoche, from lebe “loaf” + kuoche
“cake.”][1]



Lebowa

Lebowa
Le·bow·a
[lə bṓ ə]

former homeland in northern
South Africa, created in 1969 for the northern Sotho people[1]



LeCarré, John

LeCarré, John
Le
Carré
[lə ka ráy], John (1931– )

British
novelist. His popular spy novels include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
(1974) and Smiley’s People (1980).
Real name
Cornwell, David John Moore[1]



lech

lech
lech
[lech] (plural lech·es) or
letch [lech] (plural letch·es)
noun (informal)

1.  lecher:
a lecher

2.  intense
desire:
a lustful desire for somebody

3.  instance
of lechery:
an act or instance of lechery
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from lecher
.][1]



LeChatelier’s principle

LeChatelier’s principle
Le
Chate·lier’s prin·ci·ple  [lə
shàtt’l yáyz prìnsip’l] noun

principle
of chemical equilibrium: the principle that a change
affecting a chemical equilibrium is offset by compensatory changes in other
components of the equilibrium, thus producing little overall effect
[Early 20th century. Named
for the French chemist Henri Louis Le Chatelier ( 1850–1936 ), who
formulated it.][1]



lechayim

lechayim
le·chayim
interjection noun

See
l’chaim[1]



lecher

lecher
lech·er 
[léchər] (plural lech·ers) noun

lustful
man:
a man who behaves lewdly and lustfully in a way regarded as distasteful (disapproving)
[12th century. From Old
French lecheor, from lechier, literally “to lick.” Ultimately of
Germanic origin.][1]



lecherous

lecherous
lech·er·ous 
[léchərəss] adjective

lewd:
expressing or displaying lewdness in a way regarded as distasteful
—lech·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—lech·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



lechery

lechery
lech·er·y 
[léchəree] noun

distastefully
lustful behavior: lustful behavior especially by a man
that is regarded as distasteful
[12th century. From Old
French lecherie, from lecheor (see lecher
).][1]



lechwe

lechwe
lech·we 
[lchwee] (plural lech·wes) noun

1.  S
African antelope: an African antelope found mainly in
marshes and by rivers in Botswana and Zambia. It has long narrow hooves and
long backward-pointing horns. Latin name: Kobus leche

2.  Nile
region antelope: an African antelope with a white
shoulder patch, found in the wetlands of the upper Nile valley. Latin name: Kobus
megaceros
[Mid-19th century. Of
uncertain origin: probably from Sesotho lets’a .][1]



lecithin

lecithin
lec·i·thin 
[léssəthin] noun

component
of plant and animal cells: a waxy substance ( phospholipid ) that consists of choline and fatty
acids and occurs widely in plants and animals. Lecithin is used as an
emulsifier in foods and commercial products.
Also
called
phosphatidycholine
[Mid-19th century. From
French lécithine, from Greek lekithos “egg yolk,” of unknown
origin.][1]



lecithinase

lecithinase
lec·i·thin·ase 
[léssəthi nàyss, léssəthi
nàyz] (plural lec·i·thin·ases) noun

See
phospholipase[1]



LeCorbusier

LeCorbusier

Le
Cor·bu·sier 
[lə kawr boo zyáy] (1887–1965)
Swiss-born
French architect and designer. His dictum that “a house is a machine for living
in” formed one of the bases of his own work and of functionalism.
Pseudonym of
Jeanneret, Charles-Édouard[1]



lect

lect
lect
[lekt] (plural lects) noun

language
variety:
a variety within a language, having its own rules
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from dialect .][1]



lect.

lect.
lect.

1.  Abbreviation
of
lecture

2.  Abbreviation
of
lecturer

[1]



lectern

lectern
lec·tern 
[léktərn] (plural lec·terns) noun

1.  reading
stand for scriptures: a tall slender table with a
slanted top on which an open book can rest, used in churches and temples for
reading scriptures to the congregation

2.  reading
stand for speaker: a stand with a slanted top
on which a book or lecture notes can rest before a standing speaker. It may be
free-standing or be placed on a table or desk.
Also
called
reading desk
[14th century. Via Old French
letrun and medieval Latin lectrinum from late Latin lectrum,
from Latin lect-, the past participle stem of legere “to read”
(see legible ).][1]



lectin

lectin
lec·tin 
[léktin] (plural lec·tins) noun

plant
protein:
a plant protein that binds to particular sugars
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin lect-, the past participle stem of legere “to choose,
read” (see legible ).][1]



lection

lection
lec·tion 
[lékshən] (plural lec·tions) noun

1.  textual
variant:
a variant reading of a text in a particular edition or translation

2.  CHRISTIANITY Bible
reading:
a passage from the Bible that is set to be read on a particular day as part of
the liturgy of a Christian service
[Early 17th century. Via the
Latin stem lection- “reading,” from, ultimately, legere (see legible ).][1]



lectionary

lectionary
lec·tion·ar·y 
[lékshə nèrree] (plural lec·tion·ar·ies)
noun

scripture reading list or
book: a schedule of readings from
the Bible for church services during the course of the year, or a book
containing such readings[1]



lector

lector
lec·tor 
[léktər, lék
tàwr] (plural lec·tors) noun

1.  EDUC university
lecturer:
a university lecturer

2.  CHRISTIANITY scripture
reader:
somebody who reads passages from the Bible to the congregation at a religious
service or to a religious community during meals
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “reader,” from lect-, the past participle stem of legere
(see legible ).][1]



lecture

lecture
lec·ture 
[lékchər] noun (plural lec·tures)

1.  instructional
speech:
an educational speech on a particular subject made before an audience • I
missed the lecture on Shakespeare’s use of irony.

2.  teaching
session:
a session of a class at which a lecture is given • The
course involves two lectures and two lab sessions per week.

3.  reprimand:
a lengthy reprimand or scolding concerning something • The
teacher lectured the students on their tardiness.
verb
(past lec·tured, past participle lec·tured, present
participle lec·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular lec·tures)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
educational speech: to deliver a speech before a
group of people as a method of instruction • He
lectures on stress management all over the country.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
university lecturer: to be employed as a lecturer
at a university • She lectures at the
University.

3.  transitive
verb
reprimand
somebody:
to reprimand somebody by making a speech about how a person should behave • lecturing
the congregation about church attendance
[13th century. Via French
from medieval Latin lectura, literally “reading,” from Latin lect-,
the past participle stem of legere (see legible
).][1]



lecturehall

lecturehall
lec·ture
hall
(plural lec·ture halls) noun

room or building for holding
lectures: a large room with tiered or
auditorium-style seating, or a building, used for holding lectures.
U.K. term
lecture theatre[1]



lecturer

lecturer
lec·tur·er 
[lékchərər] (plural lec·tur·ers)
noun

1.  EDUC university
teacher in United States: a teacher in a college or
university who neither has tenure nor is a full member of the faculty

2.  U.K.
EDUC university
teacher in the United Kingdom: somebody who works as
a teacher in higher education in a British university and whose position is
lower than that of a professor

3.  informative
speaker:
somebody who gives an informative speech on a particular topic, especially as a
profession • a
lecturer’s tour

[1]



lectureship

lectureship
lec·ture·ship 
[lékchər shìp] (plural lec·ture·ships)
noun

1.  position
of lecturer in United States: the position of a lecturer
at a college or university in the United States, especially a nontenured
teaching position at a college or university

2.  U.K.
British
academic post: a post at the rank of lecturer in a
British institution of higher education • The
University has three lectureships open.

3.  finance
for lectures: a fund that provides financing for a
series of lectures

[1]



LED

LED
LED 
(plural LEDs) noun

semiconductor used for
indicator lights: a semiconductor that
emits light when a current passes through it. LEDs are used as indicator lights
on electronic equipment. They are commonly red or green in color and very
energy efficient. Full form light-emitting
diode[1]



Leda

Leda
Le·da 
[ldə] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
heroine:
in Greek mythology, a queen of Sparta. She was the mother of Helen of Troy and
Pollux by Zeus, who wooed her in the shape of a swan. Her other children were
Clytemnestra and Castor.

2.  ASTRONOMY very
small moon of Jupiter: a very small natural
satellite of Jupiter discovered in 1974. It is approximately 10 km6 mi in
diameter and occupies an intermediate orbit.

[1]



lederhosen

lederhosen

le·der·ho·sen 
[láydər hz’n] plural noun
leather
shorts:
a pair of Bavarian leather shorts, usually with suspenders, worn by men and
boys
[Mid-20th century. From
German, “leather trousers.”][1]



ledge

ledge
ledge 
[lej] (plural ledg·es) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE narrow
shelf against wall: a narrow shelf or molding
attached to a wall that serves a decorative or protective purpose

2.  GEOGRAPHY flat
surface projecting from rock face: a narrow flat
projecting rock shelf, for example, on the vertical surface of a cliff

3.  OCEANOGRAPHY underwater
raised surface: a raised surface underwater such as a
reef or ridge, especially one found near a shore

4.  MINING rock
layer:
a layer of ore-bearing rock
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly a variant of lay 1 . The word’s earliest
meaning was “crossbar.”]
—ledged,
adjective

—ledg·y, adjective[1]



ledger

ledger
ledg·er 
[léjjər] (plural ledg·ers) noun

1.  ACCOUNTING financial
record book: a book or page with columns for debits
and credits, on which to transcribe financial records

2.  horizontal
gravestone:
a gravestone that lies flat on the ground

3.  CONSTRUCTION scaffolding
beam:
a horizontal beam in a scaffolding that is attached to the uprights and
supports the beams ( putlogs )
[Early 16th century. Of
uncertain origin: probably formed from leggen, an earlier form of lay 1 .][1]



ledgerboard

ledgerboard
ledg·er
board
(plural ledg·er boards) noun

1.  horizontal
rail:
a horizontal board, especially the top rail of a fence

2.  joist-supporting
board:
a narrow horizontal board attached to a row of studs to support joist ends.
Also
called
ribbon

[1]



ledgerline

ledgerline
ledg·er
line
(plural ledg·er lines or leg·er lines) noun

line outside music staff:
a short line added above or below a musical staff to accommodate notes that are
higher or lower than those on the staff[1]



Leduc

Leduc
Le·duc
[lə dk]

town in Alberta, Canada,
situated 32 km/20 mi south of Edmonton. Population: 13,970 (1991)[1]



lee

lee
lee 
[lee] noun

1.  NAUTICAL ship
side away from wind: the side of a ship away from
the source of the wind

2.  protective
cover:
shelter from the elements when the wind is blowing • in
the lee of the wall
adjective

NAUTICAL away
from wind:
on or toward the side of a ship, natural feature, or object that is away from
the wind
[Old English hlēo
“shelter.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “warm” that is also
the ancestor of English lukewarm, calorie, and chowder
.][1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



Lee,Ann

Lee,Ann
Lee
[lee], Ann (1736–1784)

British-born U.S. religious
leader. She led the British Shakers to America (1774).[1]



leeboard

leeboard
lee·board 
[l bàwrd] (plural lee·boards)
noun

board
preventing drifting caused by wind:
either of two movable wooden or metal shelves on the outside of a ship’s hull
that prevent sideways movement caused by the wind
[So called because the board
on the boat’s leeward side is lowered into the water to prevent making leeway][1]



leech

leech1
leech1 [leech]
noun (plural leech·es)

1.  ZOOLOGY blood-sucking
worm:
a freshwater worm that sucks blood or eats flesh. One species has been used in
medical treatments to bleed patients or to eat away putrid flesh from a wound.
Class: Hirudinea

2.  somebody
who exploits somebody else: somebody who clings to or
takes advantage of somebody else, for example, for financial support

3.  doctor:
a physician (archaic informal)
verb
(past leeched, past participle leeched, present
participle leech·ing, 3rd person present singular leech·es)

1.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE bleed
somebody using leeches: to bleed a patient using
leeches

2.  transitive
verb
drain
off something: to draw off or deplete a supply of
something

3.  intransitive
verb
exploit
somebody:
to cling to or take advantage of somebody, for example, for financial support (informal)
[Old English lce, of
uncertain origin: possibly identical with lce “physician,” originally
perhaps “speaker of spells,” ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
speak” that also produced English lecture][1]



leech

leech2
leech2 [leech]
(plural leech·es) or leach [leech] (plural leach·es) noun

1.  vertical
sail edge:
a vertical edge of a square sail

2.  edge
of sail away from mast: the edge of a fore-and-aft
sail that is farthest from the mast or stay
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Middle Low German līk “leech line.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to bind” that is also the ancestor of
English rely and furl .][1]



Lee,Charles

Lee,Charles
Lee
[lee], Charles (1731–1782)

British-born U.S. army
officer. He left the British Army to fight with the Americans in the American
Revolution.[1]



Lee,Francis Lightfoot

Lee,Francis Lightfoot
Lee
[lee], Francis Lightfoot (1734–1797)

U.S. politician. A member of
the Continental Congress (1775–1779), he signed the Declaration of Independence
(1776).[1]



Lee,Gypsy Rose

Lee,Gypsy Rose
Lee
[lee], Gypsy Rose (1914–1970)

U.S.
entertainer and novelist. The musical Gypsy was in part based on her
life as a striptease artist.
Born
Hovick, Louise Rose[1]



Lee,Henry

Lee,Henry
Lee
[lee], Henry (1756–1818)

U.S. soldier and politician.
He was governor of Virginia (1792–1795) and a member of congress (1799–1801).[1]



leek

leek

leek 
[leek] (plural leeks) noun
edible
plant:
an edible plant with dark green leaves rising from a close-set white base. It
is related to the onion and has a flavor similar to it. The leek is one of the
national symbols of Wales. Latin name: Allium porrum
[Old English lēac
(source also of English garlic ), of
prehistoric Germanic origin)][1]



LeeKuan Yew

LeeKuan Yew
Lee
Kuan Yew
[l kwn y] (1923– )

Singaporean statesman. He was
the first prime minister of Singapore (1959–1990).[1]



leer

leer
leer 
[leer] intransitive verb (past
leered, past participle leered, present participle leer·ing,
3rd person present singular leers)

look
lasciviously: to look or smile in a way that suggests
unpleasantly lustful or malicious intent
noun
(plural leers)

lascivious
look:
an unpleasantly lustful or malicious look or smile
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an obsolete word meaning “cheek,” from Old English hlēor
.][1]



Lee,Richard Henry

Lee,Richard Henry
Lee
[lee], Richard Henry (1732–1794)

U.S. politician. He moved the
motion in the Continental Congress that led to the writing of the Declaration
of Independence (1776), of which he was a signatory.[1]



Lee,Robert E.

Lee,Robert E.
Lee
[lee], Robert E. (1807–1870)

U.S.
general. He commanded the Confederate army during the last three years of the
Civil War, and surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.
Full name
Lee, Robert Edward[1]



leery

leery
leer·y 
[lree] (comparative leer·i·er,
superlative leer·i·est) or lear·y [lree] (comparative lear·i·er, superlative
lear·i·est) adjective

suspicious:
regarding somebody or something with suspicion • I’m
leery of anyone who approaches me on the street.
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from leer
in the obsolete meaning “cheek, side of the face,” with the underlying meaning
“looking sideways.”]
—leer·i·ness, noun[1]



lees

lees
lees 
[leez] plural noun

wine
sediment:
sediment that settles in wine or other alcoholic beverage during fermentation
[14th century. Via Old French
lie from medieval Latin lia, probably of Celtic origin.][1]



leeshore

leeshore
lee
shore
noun

shore away from wind:
a shore that is in the direction away from the wind, relative to a ship[1]



Lee,Spike

Lee,Spike
Lee
[lee], Spike (1957– )

U.S.
movie writer and director. His movies, including Do the Right Thing (
1989 ) and Malcolm X ( 1992 ), are concerned with racial issues.
Real name
Lee, Shelton Jackson[1]



Leeuwin,Cape

Leeuwin,Cape
Leeu·win,
Cape
[loo ín]

headland in southwestern
Western Australia, the most southwesterly point on the continent[1]



leeward

leeward
lee·ward 
[lwərd, (nautical) l ərd] adjective

away
from wind:
on or toward a location, especially the side of a ship, that is away or
sheltered from the wind.
See
also
windward
noun

place away from wind:
a place or direction away or sheltered from the wind.
See also
windward[1]



LeewardIslands

LeewardIslands
Lee·ward
Is·lands 
[lwərd ləndz]

chain of islands in the West
Indies, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The principal islands
include Antigua, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and St. Kitts. Area: 3,297 sq km/1,237
sq mi.[1]



leeway

leeway
lee·way 
[l wày] noun

1.  latitude
for variation: the permissible margin for variation or
deviation from something

2.  SAILING AEROSPACE deviation from course:
the sideways movement of a ship or aircraft from its course, caused by strong
winds

[1]



left

left2
left2

Past tense of
leave Past participle of leave[1]



left

left1
left1 [left]
adjective

1.  west
when facing north: on or toward the west when
somebody or something is facing north • Her
left leg is broken.

2.  left
or Left POLITICS advocating
political and social change: supporting liberal,
socialist, or communist political and social changes or reform

3.  GEOGRAPHY on
left when looking downstream: on the river bank to the
left of somebody facing downstream

4.  THEATER to
right of audience: on or relating to that part
of a stage that is to the left of somebody standing on it and facing the
audience • Exit
stage left.
adverb

on left side: on or
toward the left side of somebody or something • The
pole is leaning left a bit.
noun
(plural lefts)

1.  left
side:
the left side of somebody or something • The
house is on your left.

2.  left
or Left POLITICS liberals,
socialists, and communists: people who support liberal,
socialist, or communist political and social changes or reform

3.  BOXING left-handed
punch:
a blow delivered with the left hand • took a
hard left to the jaw

4.  BOXING left-handed
punching ability: a boxer’s left hand with respect to its
ability to deliver a punch • He’s
got a good left.

5.  BASEBALL See left field
[13th century. From Old
English lyft- “weak,” of unknown origin.][1]



leftatrioventricular valve

leftatrioventricular valve
left
a·tri·o·ven·tric·u·lar valve (plural left
a·tri·o·ven·tric·u·lar valves) noun

See
mitral valve[1]



LeftBank

LeftBank
Left
Bank

area in central Paris, south
of the Seine River[1]



left-brain

left-brain
left-brain 
adjective

analytical:
relating to or involving skills or knowledge such as analytical or linguistic
ability that are believed to be associated with the left half of the cerebrum
—left brain, noun[1]



leftface

leftface
left
face
noun (plural left fac·es) interjection

90° turn to left:
a military command to turn 90° to the left, or the execution of that command[1]



leftfield

leftfield
left
field
noun

1.  BASEBALL section
of outfield: the part of the outfield in baseball
that is to the batter’s left

2.  BASEBALL outfielder’s
position:
the position held by the baseball player who is responsible for fielding balls
that are hit to left field

3.  very
unusual position: a position that is so different from
mainstream beliefs that it is not generally taken seriously (informal)
out
in left field

extremely bizarre or wrong (informal)[1]



leftfielder

leftfielder
left
field·er
(plural left field·ers) noun

BASEBALL
player in left field position:
a baseball player who is responsible for fielding balls hit to left field[1]



left-hand

left-hand
left-hand 
adjective

1.  to
left:
on or toward the left

2.  for
left hand:
intended for or done by the left hand

[1]



left-handed

left-handed
left-hand·ed 
adjective

1.  using
left hand:
using the left hand, instead of the right, for tasks such as writing and
reaching for and manipulating objects. About ten percent of the population is
naturally left-handed.

2.  SPORTS starting
swing from left: swinging from the left to the right

3.  done
with left hand: done using the left hand

4.  not
sincere:
ironic and insincere • a
left-handed compliment

5.  clumsy:
lacking skill or grace

6.  turning
right to left: spiraling toward the left

7.  LAW See morganatic
adverb

1.  with
left hand:
with the left hand, especially when it is used instead of the right for tasks
such as writing

2.  with
left-handed swing: with a swing that moves from
the left to the right
—left-hand·er, noun[1]



left-hander

left-hander
left-hand·er 
(plural left-hand·ers) noun

somebody using left hand:
somebody who uses the left hand for tasks such as writing and reaching for and
manipulating objects[1]



leftie

leftie
left·ie
[léftee] (plural left·ies) noun

See
lefty[1]



leftish

leftish
left·ish 
[léftish] adjective

on left politically:
tending to be relatively left-wing in politics[1]



leftism

leftism
left·ism
[léf tìzzəm] or Left·ism [léf tìzzəm] noun

support
for political and social change: the advocating of
liberal, socialist, or communist political and social change or reform
—left·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



left-luggageoffice

left-luggageoffice
left-lug·gage
of·fice
(plural left-lug·gage of·fic·es) noun

U.K.
See baggage check[1]



leftmost

leftmost
left·most 
[léft mst] adjective

farthest left:
in the position farthest to the left[1]



leftover

leftover
left·o·ver 
[léft vər] adjective

remaining
unused:
remaining after the rest of something has been used or eaten
noun
(plural left·o·vers)

something
remaining:
something that remains or was not used
plural
noun
left·o·vers

saved food:
food remaining from a previous meal or meals, saved and served again or made
into a new dish • I
made this soup from leftovers.[1]



leftward

leftward
left·ward 
[léftwərd] adjective

going
or being left: moving toward or located on the left
adverb
left·ward left·wards

to or at left:
toward or on the left[1]



leftwing

leftwing
left
wing
(plural left wings) noun

POLITICS members
of organization most favoring change: a
subgroup of a larger organization that is more liberal or radical than the rest
of the organization
—left-wing,
adjective

—left-wing·er, noun[1]



lefty

lefty
left·y 
[léftee] or left·ie [léftee] noun (plural left·ies)
(plural left·ies) (informal)

1.  POLITICS leftist:
somebody with left-wing beliefs

2.  left-hander:
somebody who is left-handed • How
many lefties are on the team?
adverb

with left hand:
with the left hand or in a left-handed way (informal) • He
bats lefty.

[1]



leg

leg
leg 
[leg] noun

1.  ANATOMY lower
limb:
any of the limbs that animals and people use for standing, walking, running, or
jumping, either including or excluding the foot

2.  FURNITURE BUILDING supporting
pole:
a part of an object that looks like a leg and is used to support it • a
table leg

3.  FOOD meat
from animal’s or fowl’s leg: the meat, including the
bone, from the back hindquarter of a four-legged animal, or from the leg of a
bird, that is cooked and eaten as food

4.  branch
of object:
one of the extensions of a branched object

5.  CLOTHES clothing
for leg:
the portion of a piece of clothing that covers all or part of the leg • pants
leg

6.  GEOMETRY right-angle
side of triangle: either of the two sides of a right
triangle that extends from the right angle

7.  section
of trip:
a part of a trip that is separated from other parts by a period of rest, or by
a change in direction or the manner of travel

8.  SAILING sailing
completed on one tack: the distance traveled by a
boat on a single tack

9.  SPORTS relay
race portion: one of the parts of a relay race that a
single athlete completes

10. gesture
of respect:
a bow in honor of a superior made by extending one straight leg forward and
bending the back leg

11. SPORTS portion
of sports competition: one of stages, events, or
games that is part of a larger competition but is treated independently of the
other parts and has its own winner
plural
noun
legs

WINE wine
clinging to glass: the vertical trails of wine
that cling to the side of a glass after wine has been swirled around in it. The
length and movement of these trails are taken as an indication of the wine’s body.
transitive
verb

NAUT move
boat through tunnel: to move a canal boat through
a tunnel by lying on the deck and pushing off the roof or walls of the tunnel
with the legs (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old Norse leggr, of unknown origin.]
a
leg up

1.  a
push or lift up onto or over something

2.  an
advantage over others

have
legs

to
be of long or lasting duration

leg
it

to
walk or run (informal)

not
have a leg to stand on

to
have nothing to justify or support an attitude or position (informal)

on
your last legs

on
the verge of collapse or breakdown

pull
somebody’s leg

to
tell somebody something untrue in teasing or for fun (informal)

shake
a leg

1.  to
hurry up (usually used as a command)

2.  to
dance (dated informal)

stretch
your legs

to
go for a walk after a period of being seated or stationary

[1]



leg.

leg.
leg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
legal

2.  Abbreviation
of
legate

3.  MUSIC Abbreviation of legato

4.  Abbreviation
of
legislation

5.  Abbreviation
of
legislative

6.  Abbreviation
of
legislature

[1]



legacy

legacy
leg·a·cy 
[léggəssee] noun (plural leg·a·cies)

1.  bequest
made in will: money or property that is left to
somebody in a will

2.  something
from past:
something that is handed down or remains from a previous generation or time
adjective

outdated or discontinued:
associated with something that is outdated or discontinued
[14th century. Via Old French
legacie “office of a delegate” from medieval Latin legatia, from
Latin legatus (see legate ).][1]



legal

legal
le·gal 
[lg’l] adjective

1.  law-related:
relating to the law or to courts of law

2.  of
or for lawyers: relating to lawyers or to law as a
profession

3.  under
the law:
established under the law, or by common law or legislation • the
legal age of consent

4.  permitted
by law:
allowed under the law • Parking
on the grass isn’t legal.

5.  established
by law court: recognized or established by a court of
law, rather than a court of equity

6.  old
enough under law: older than a minimum age established by law
for some activities such as driving (informal)
[15th
century. Via French from Latin legalis, from leg-, the stem of lex
“law.”]
—le·gal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  legal, lawful, decriminalized, legalized,
  legitimate, licit
  CORE
  MEANING: used
  to describe something that is permitted, recognized, or required by law legal; permitted, recognized, or required by
  law; lawful; a less commonly used
  word meaning the same as “legal”; decriminalized; no longer
  categorized as a criminal offence; legalized; previously categorized
  as illegal and now declared legal; legitimate;
  legally acceptable; licit; a very
  formal and now rarely used word meaning the same as “legal”

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin stem leg-, from which legal
  is derived, is also the source of English allegation,
  colleague, college, delegate,
  legacy, legislate,
  legitimate, loyal, and privilege.

[1]



legalage

legalage
le·gal
age
noun

adulthood according to law:
the age, according to the law, after which somebody is considered to be an
adult[1]



legalaid

legalaid
le·gal
aid
noun

free lawyers’ services:
legal advice or representation that is provided by an organization at low or no
cost to people who cannot afford to pay for legal services[1]



legalcap

legalcap
le·gal
cap
noun

ruled paper for lawyers:
ruled white writing paper used by lawyers that is 216 mm8½ in. by 350 mm14 in.
to 406 mm16 in., with the fold at the top[1]



legaleagle

legaleagle
le·gal
ea·gle
(plural le·gal ea·gles) noun

lawyer:
a lawyer, especially a skillful or successful one (slang)
[Rhyming expression of
uncertain origin, perhaps from the keenness of vision for which the eagle is
known][1]



legalese

legalese
le·gal·ese 
[lg’l z, lg’l
ss] noun

law jargon:
language that is typically used in legal documents and is generally considered
by lay people to be difficult to understand[1]



legalholiday

legalholiday
le·gal
hol·i·day
(plural le·gal hol·i·days) noun

holiday established by law:
a day established as a holiday by law, when government offices, schools, and
post offices are typically closed. Legal holidays usually commemorate an event
or person and many businesses close as well.[1]



legalism

legalism
le·gal·ism 
[lg’l ìzzəm] (plural le·gal·isms)
noun

1.  adherence
to letter of law: strict adherence to a literal
interpretation of a law, rule, or religious or moral code

2.  LAW law
term:
a word or phrase in legal jargon

3.  CHRISTIANITY belief
in necessity of good deeds: the belief that good deeds
are required for entrance into Heaven
—le·gal·ist,
noun

—le·gal·is·tic
[lg’l ístik], adjective

—le·gal·is·ti·cal·ly [lg’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



legality

legality
le·gal·i·ty 
[lee gállətee] (plural le·gal·i·ties)
noun

1.  conformity
to law:
the state of being in accordance with the law • the
legality of the corporation’s activities

2.  obeying
of law:
the observance of the law

3.  legal
requirement: something required by law, especially
when a technical detail (often used in the plural) • We
have to take care of certain legalities before opening the business.

[1]



legalize

legalize
le·gal·ize 
[lg’l z] (past le·gal·ized, past
participle le·gal·ized, present participle le·gal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular le·gal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something lawful: to make an activity legal by making or
changing a law
—le·gal·i·za·tion [lg’li záysh’n], noun[1]



legalpad

legalpad
le·gal
pad
(plural le·gal pads) noun

lawyer’s writing pad:
a pad of yellow ruled paper measuring 216 mm8½ in. by 356 mm14 in., typically
used by lawyers[1]



legalreserves

legalreserves
le·gal
re·serves
or le·gal re·serve plural noun noun

money that bank must save:
an amount of money that a financial organization such as a bank or insurer is
required to keep as security against debts[1]



legalseparation

legalseparation
le·gal
sep·a·ra·tion (plural le·gal sep·a·ra·tions)
noun

end of married couple’s
cohabitation: separation of a married
couple that is recognized by a court of law, or the court decree establishing
such a separation. This is often required as a first step toward divorce.
Also called
judicial separation[1]



legal-size

legal-size
le·gal-size 
adjective

equal to size of legal pad:
having the size of a piece of legal pad paper, 216 mm8½ in. by 350 mm14 in., or
a size that is appropriate to hold such paper[1]



legaltender

legaltender
le·gal
ten·der 
noun

acceptable money:
the currency that is valid for the payment of a debt and must be accepted by a
creditor[1]



Legaspi

Legaspi
Le·gas·pi
[lə gásspee] or Le·gaz·pi [lə gásspee]

city and capital of Albay
Province, Philippines, situated at the head of Albay Gulf. Population: 121,120
(1990)[1]



legate

legate
leg·ate 
[léggət] (plural leg·ates) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY pope’s
representative: an emissary of the pope, especially one
who represents the Vatican in other countries

2.  POLITICS government
representative: an official representative of a
government, especially a diplomat

3.  HISTORY provincial
governor’s assistant: in the ancient Roman
Republic, an assistant to a provincial governor

4.  HISTORY commander
of Roman legion: in the ancient Roman Empire, a legion commander
who was sometimes also a provincial governor
[12th
century. Via French from Latin legatus, from the past participle of legare
“to send as an envoy, bequeath” (source also of English colleague, delegate,
and relegate ).]
—leg·ate·ship,
noun

—leg·a·tine [léggə tn, léggə tn],
adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








legatee

legatee
leg·a·tee 
[lèggə t] (plural leg·a·tees)
noun

recipient of legacy:
somebody who inherits a bequest under the terms of a will[1]



legation

legation
le·ga·tion 
[lə gáysh’n] (plural le·ga·tions)
noun

1.  diplomat’s
residence:
the official local residence of a senior diplomat assigned to a country. It
ranks below an embassy in importance.

2.  diplomatic
staff:
the staff of a legation

3.  diplomats
on mission:
a group of representatives sent on a mission, especially a diplomatic mission

4.  sending
of diplomatic representative: the sending of a
representative on a diplomatic mission

5.  diplomatic
mission:
a mission performed by a diplomatic representative

6.  legate’s
position:
the status or office of a legate
[14th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin legare “to send as an envoy” (source
of English legate ).][1]



legato

legato
le·ga·to 
[lə g t] adverb

smoothly:
in a smooth, even manner, often indicated in a musical score by a curved line (
slur ) connecting the notes to be so played
(used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural le·ga·tos)

legato
piece of music: a piece of music, or a section of a
piece, played legato
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, literally “tied together.”]
—le·ga·to, adjective[1]



legator

legator
le·ga·tor 
[lə gáytər] (plural le·ga·tors)
noun

somebody who bequeaths
legacy: somebody who has made a will
to pass on property to somebody else[1]



legend

legend
leg·end 
[léjjənd] (plural leg·ends) noun

1.  old
story:
a story that has been passed down for generations, especially one that is
presented as history but is unlikely to be true

2.  old
stories:
a group of stories presented as history but unlikely to be true

3.  modern
myth:
a popular myth that has arisen in modern times

4.  celebrity:
somebody famous admired for a particular skill or talent

5.  inscription:
an inscription on an object, especially a title or motto

6.  PUBLISHING caption:
a caption for an illustration

7.  MAPS map
key:
an explanation of the symbols used on a map (dated)
[14th century. Via French légende
from medieval Latin legenda, literally “things to be read,” from Latin legere
(see legible ).][1]



legendary

legendary
leg·en·dar·y 
[léjjən dèrree] adjective

1.  belonging
to legend:
described or commemorated in a legend • the
legendary figure of Hercules

2.  containing
legends:
retold for generations as history but unlikely to be completely or even
partially true • the legendary tales of
ancient warriors

3.  like
something in legend: appropriate for a legend • an
organization of legendary proportions

4.  famous:
very famous in contemporary society
—leg·en·dar·i·ly, adverb[1]



legendry

legendry
leg·end·ry 
[léjjəndree] (plural leg·end·ries)
noun

group of legends:
a collection or group of legends[1]



legerdemain

legerdemain
leg·er·de·main 
[lèjjərdə máyn] noun

1.  ARTS See sleight of hand

2.  show
of skill:
a display of skill or cleverness, especially for deceitful purposes • a
dazzling display of political legerdemain
[15th century. From French léger
de main, literally “light of hand.”][1]



leges

leges
le·ges


Plural of
lex[1]



-legged

-legged
-legged
suffix

1.  with
a particular number of legs • four-legged

2.  with
a particular type of legs • bandy-legged

[1]



legging

legging
leg·ging 
[légging] noun (plural leg·gings)

protective covering for lower leg:
a protective covering made of a strong material that is wrapped around the
lower leg by laborers and players in certain sports
plural
noun
leg·gings

1.  close-fitting
pants:
women’s pants or footless tights made of elastic material that fit very closely
to the legs and hips

2.  protective
outer pants: waterproof or insulated outer pants that
are worn for protection from snow, rain, and cold

[1]



leggy

leggy
leg·gy 
[léggee] (comparative leg·gi·er,
superlative leg·gi·est) adjective

1.  with
long legs:
having very long legs in relation to the rest of the body

2.  with
shapely legs: having long good-looking legs

3.  BOTANY spindly
in growth:
with long thin stems that have few and widely spaced leaves

[1]



leghorn

leghorn
leg·horn 
[lég hàwrn, léggərn]
(plural leg·horns) noun

1.  bleached
straw:
fine bleached straw made from a type of Italian wheat

2.  straw
fabric:
a fabric made from plaited leghorn straw

3.  straw
hat:
a hat made from leghorn straw
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the city of Leghorn (Livorno) in Italy, where the wheat originated.][1]



Leghorn

Leghorn
Leg·horn 
[lég hàwrn, léggərn]
(plural Leg·horns) noun

Mediterranean
fowl:
a small domestic fowl from the Mediterranean region that is noted for its rapid
production of white eggs
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the city of Leghorn (Livorno) in Italy, where the bird originated.][1]



legible

legible
leg·i·ble 
[léjjəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be read:
clear enough to be read

2.  able
to be recognized: capable of being easily understood or
recognized (archaic)
[15th
century. From late Latin legibilis, from legere “to collect,
read.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to gather, speak.”]
—leg·i·bil·i·ty
[lèjjə bíllətee], noun

—leg·i·ble·ness
[léjjəb’lnəss], noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word legere, from which legible
  is derived, is also the source of English coil,
  collect, cull, elect, elegant, intelligent,
  lecture, legend, legion,
  lesson, neglect,
  and select.

[1]



legion

legion
le·gion 
[ljən] noun (plural le·gions)

1.  HISTORY Roman
army division: in ancient Rome, an army division of
3,000 to 6,000 soldiers, including cavalry

2.  MILITARY large
body of soldiers: a large military unit, especially an
army • the
French Foreign Legion

3.  MILITARY organization
of ex-military personnel: an association of
ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen • the
American Legion

4.  multitude:
a large number of people or things • Their
complicated affairs are managed by a legion of accountants.
adjective

many: very
numerous • dissatisfied
customers and their legion complaints
[12th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem legion-, from legere “to gather, choose” (see
legible ); the underlying meaning was
“picked troops.”][1]



legionary

legionary
le·gion·ar·y 
[ljə nèrree] adjective

of
or forming legion: belonging to, typical of, or
forming a legion
noun
(plural le·gion·ar·ies)

soldier in legion:
a member of a legion, especially a Roman legion.
See also
legionnaire  noun 1[1]



legionaryant

legionaryant
le·gion·ar·y
ant
(plural le·gion·ar·y ants) noun

See
army ant[1]



legionnaire

legionnaire
le·gion·naire 
[ljə náir] (plural le·gion·naires)
or Le·gion·naire [ljə náir] (plural
Le·gion·naires) noun

1.  somebody
in legion:
a soldier in a legion, especially the French Foreign Legion.
See
also
legionary  noun

2.  somebody
in American Legion: a member of the American
Legion
[Early 19th century. From
French légionnaire, from légion (see legion
).][1]



Legionnaires’disease

Legionnaires’disease
Le·gion·naires’
dis·ease 
noun

bacterial
pneumonia:
a virulent and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium and
spread mainly by the water droplets in air conditioning systems
[From the first recognized
occurrence of the disease at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in
1976][1]



Legionof Honor

Legionof Honor
Le·gion
of Hon·or
noun

French order of merit:
a French order of merit awarded for illustrious military or civil service. It
was established by Napoleon in 1802.[1]



Legionof Merit

Legionof Merit
Le·gion
of Mer·it
noun

U.S. military decoration:
an American military decoration awarded to military personnel from any country
for exceptional and outstanding service[1]



legis.

legis.
legis.

1.  Abbreviation
of
legislation

2.  Abbreviation
of
legislative

3.  Abbreviation
of
legislature

[1]



legislate

legislate
leg·is·late 
[léjji slàyt] (past leg·is·lat·ed,
past participle leg·is·lat·ed, present participle leg·is·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular leg·is·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
make
laws:
to write and pass laws

2.  transitive
verb
bring
something about by making laws: to make laws or rules
designed to bring about some action or condition • No
one can legislate good manners.
[Early 18th century.
Back-formation from legislator .][1]



legislation

legislation
leg·is·la·tion 
[lèjji sláysh’n] noun

1.  making
of laws:
the process of writing and passing laws

2.  law
or laws:
a law or laws passed by an official body, especially a governmental assembly

[1]



legislative

legislative
leg·is·la·tive 
[léjji slàytiv] adjective

1.  relating
to lawmaking: involved in the writing and passing of
laws

2.  relating
to lawmaking body: relating to or part of a
legislature

3.  enacted
by law:
created by governmental legislation • There
is no legislative solution to this problem.
—leg·is·la·tive·ly, adverb[1]



legislativeassembly

legislativeassembly
leg·is·la·tive
as·sem·bly
or Leg·is·la·tive As·sem·bly noun

1.  U.S.
lawmaking body: the two-chamber legislature of some U.S.
states

2.  lower
house of British Commonwealth legislature: the
lower house of a two-chamber state legislature in some British Commonwealth
countries, especially that of some Australian states

3.  single-chamber
British Commonwealth legislature: a single-chamber
legislature, especially the legislature of most Canadian provinces and some
Australian states

4.  group
with power to pass laws: any official body with law-
or rule-making powers

[1]



legislativecouncil

legislativecouncil
leg·is·la·tive
coun·cil
(plural leg·is·la·tive coun·cils) or Leg·is·la·tive
Coun·cil (plural Leg·is·la·tive Coun·cils) noun

1.  committee
of state senators and representatives: a
permanent committee consisting of members of both houses of a two-chamber state
legislature who discuss issues of common concern and plan a legislative program
for the next session

2.  upper
house in two-chamber legislature: the upper house of the
two-chamber legislature in some British Commonwealth countries, for example, in
most Indian and Australian states

3.  legislature
in former British colony: the single-chamber
legislature of some former British colonies

[1]



legislator

legislator
leg·is·la·tor 
[léjji slàytər] (plural leg·is·la·tors)
noun

lawmaker:
somebody who writes and passes laws, especially as a member of a legislature
[15th
century. From Latin legis lator “proposer of a law,” from lex
“law” + lat-, the past participle stem of ferre “to bring.”]
—leg·is·la·to·ri·al
[lèjjislə táwree əl], adjective

—leg·is·la·tor·ship [léjji slaytər shìp], noun[1]



legislature

legislature
leg·is·la·ture 
[léjji slàychər] (plural leg·is·la·tures)
noun

body
of lawmakers: an official body, usually chosen by
election, with the power to make, change, and repeal laws
[Late 17th century. Formed
from legislator, on the model of judicature .][1]



legist

legist
le·gist 
[ljist] (plural le·gists) noun

law
expert:
a specialist in law, especially classical law
[15th century. Via French légiste
from, ultimately, the Latin stem leg- (see legal
).][1]



legit

legit
le·git 
[lə jít] adjective

1.  legal:
complying with the law (slang)

2.  honest
and truthful: telling the truth and not trying to
deceive (slang) • Is his
story legit?

3.  THEATER presenting
serious dramas: performing professionally produced
dramatic theater that is considered to be serious art, in contrast to such
forms as burlesque, revues, and musical comedy (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of legitimate .][1]



legitimate

legitimate
le·git·i·mate 
[lə jíttimət] adjective

1.  LAW legal:
complying with the law, or under the law • legitimate
tax deductions

2.  conforming
to acknowledged standards: complying with recognized
rules, standards, or traditions • not a
legitimate excuse for missing school

3.  not
spurious:
well-reasoned and sincere • We
have legitimate reasons for worrying about the quality of our water.

4.  born
in wedlock:
born of legally married parents

5.  POLITICS LAW with right of inheritance:
having the right to inherit something, such as the throne in a monarchy

6.  THEATER relating
to serious professional drama: performing or
involving professionally produced dramatic works that are considered to be
serious art, in contrast to such forms as burlesque, revues, and musical comedy
transitive
verb
(past le·git·i·mat·ed, past participle le·git·i·mat·ed,
present participle le·git·i·mat·ing, 3rd person present
singular le·git·i·mates)

1.  LAW legalize
something:
to make somebody or something lawful, by making, changing, or repealing laws or
by decree

2.  prove
something to be lawful: to argue or prove that a
claim or action is lawful or reasonable
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin legitimatus, the past participle of legitimare
“to make legal,” from Latin legitimus “lawful,” from lex “law”
(see legal ).]
—le·git·i·ma·cy,
noun

—le·git·i·mate·ly,
adverb

—le·git·i·mate·ness,
noun

—le·git·i·ma·tion
[lə jìtti máysh’n], noun

—le·git·i·mat·or [lə jítti màytər], noun[1]



legitimatize

legitimatize
le·git·i·ma·tize 
[lə jíttimə tz] (past le·git·i·ma·tized,
past participle le·git·i·ma·tized, present participle le·git·i·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular le·git·i·ma·tiz·es) transitive
verb

See
legitimate  verb 1
See legitimate  verb 2
—le·git·ima·ti·za·tion
[lə jìttiməti záysh’n], noun[1]



legitimist

legitimist
le·git·i·mist 
[lə jíttimist] (plural le·git·i·mists)
noun

1.  monarchist:
somebody who believes in political rule by inheritance or in a particular
person’s claim to legitimate inheritance of a throne

2.  HISTORY Bourbon
supporter:
a supporter of the Bourbon claimants to the French throne in the 19th century
[Mid-19th
century. From French légitimiste, from légitime “legitimate,”
from Latin legitimus (see legitimate
).]
—le·git·i·mist,
adjective

—le·git·i·mism [lə jítti mìzzəm], noun[1]



legitimize

legitimize
le·git·i·mize 
[lə jítti mz] (past le·git·i·mized,
past participle le·git·i·mized, present participle le·git·i·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular le·git·i·miz·es) transitive verb

See
legitimate  verb 1
See legitimate  verb 2
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin legitimus (see legitimate
).]
—le·git·i·mi·za·tion
[lə jìttimi záysh’n], noun

—le·git·i·miz·er [lə jítti mzər], noun[1]



legman

legman
leg·man 
[lég màn, légmən]
(plural leg·men [lég mèn, légmən]) noun

1.  errand
runner:
somebody employed in an office to run errands and gather information

2.  COMMUNICATION news
reporter:
a reporter who gathers information for a story, especially from firsthand
sources

[1]



Lego

Lego
Leg·o
[léggō] Trademark

a trademark for a toy
consisting of plastic building blocks and other components[1]



leg-of-mutton

leg-of-mutton
leg-of-mut·ton 
or leg-o’-mut·ton adjective

triangular in shape:
shaped like a sharply tapered triangle[1]



legroom

legroom
leg·room 
[lég rm, lég
rm] noun

space for legs to move:
space in front of a seat for somebody’s legs, especially enough space to
stretch out and move the legs[1]



LeGuin, Ursula

LeGuin, Ursula
Le
Guin
[lə gwín], Ursula (1929– )

U.S.
writer. Her science fiction novels include The Left Hand of Darkness (
1969 ).
Born
Kroeber, Ursula[1]



legume

legume
leg·ume 
[lé gym, lə
gym] (plural leg·umes) noun

1.  PLANTS leguminous
plant:
a plant that has pods as fruits and roots that bear nodules containing
nitrogen-fixing bacteria

2.  FOOD seed
or pod of leguminous plant: a seed, pod, or other part
of a legume, used as food
[Mid-17th century. Via French
légume from Latin legumen “bean,” of uncertain origin.][1]



leguminous

leguminous
le·gu·mi·nous 
[lə gymeenəss] adjective

1.  of
legume plant family: belonging to or typical of
the family of plants that has pods as fruits and roots that bear nodules
containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria

2.  like
legumes:
resembling a leguminous plant or its seed pods
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
leguminosus, from legumin-, the stem of legumen “bean.”][1]



legwarmer

legwarmer
leg·warm·er
[lég wàwrmər] (plural leg·warm·ers)
noun

knit leg covering:
a knit tube that covers the calf and sometimes also the top of the foot, and is
typically worn by a dancer during practice (usually used in the plural)[1]



legwork

legwork
leg·work 
[lég wùrk] noun

basic research:
preparatory research for a project that is usually physically demanding or
involves a lot of walking (informal)[1]



LeHavre

LeHavre
Le
Ha·vre 
[lə hvrə]

city in Seine-Maritime
Department, Haute-Normandie Region, northwestern France. Population: 197,219
(1990)[1]



Lehrer,Tom

Lehrer,Tom
Lehrer
[láirər], Tom (1928– )

U.S. teacher and songwriter.
A university professor, he became a successful entertainer in the 1960s with
his humorous songs, many of them political satires.[1]



lehua

lehua
le·hu·a 
[lay h ə] (plural le·hu·as) noun

1.  TREES red-flowered
Polynesian tree: a common evergreen shrub of the Pacific
Islands that has large red flowers. Latin name: Metrosideros collinus

2.  PLANTS red
flower:
the red flower of the lehua tree
[Late 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



lei

lei2
lei2

Plural of
leu[1]



lei

lei1
lei1 [lay,
láy ] (plural leis) noun

flower
necklace:
a garland of flowers, especially one worn around the neck in Hawaii and other
parts of Polynesia
[Mid-19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



Leibniz,Gottfried Wilhelm von

Leibniz,Gottfried Wilhelm von
Leib·niz
[lb nits] or Leib·nitz [lb nits], Gottfried Wilhelm von, Baron
(1646–1716)

German
philosopher and mathematician. The first president of the Prussian Academy of
Sciences, he discovered calculus (independently of Newton) and contributed to
the sciences of mechanics, optics, and logic, and to probability theory.

—Leib·niz·i·an [līb nítsee ən], adjective, noun[1]



Leiden

Leiden
Lei·den 
[ld’n] or Ley·den [ld’n]

university city in
Zuid-Holland Province, western Netherlands. Population: 114,892 (1994)[1]



Leigh,Vivien

Leigh,Vivien
Leigh
[lee], Vivien (1913–1967)

British actor. She won
Academy Awards for her performances in Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ) and A
Streetcar Named Desire ( 1951 ).[1]



Leinster

Leinster
Lein·ster 
[lénstər]

historic province in the
eastern Republic of Ireland. Population: 1,921,835 (1996) Area: 19,633 sq
km/7,580 sq mi.[1]



Leipzig

Leipzig
Leip·zig 
[lpsig]

city and cultural center in
east central Germany, known for its international trade fairs. Population:
487,700 (1994)[1]



leishmaniasis

leishmaniasis
leish·man·i·a·sis 
[lshmə n əssiss] noun

infection
caused by protozoans: an infection such as
kala-azar and some other skin diseases that are caused by a protozoan that is a
parasite in the tissue of vertebrates
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Leishmania, genus name, from the name of the Scottish
pathologist Sir William Boog Leishman (1865–1926), who identified it.][1]



leister

leister
leis·ter 
[lstər] noun (plural leis·ters)

three-pronged
fish spear:
a stick with three prongs, used for spearing fish
transitive
verb
(past leis·tered, past participle leis·tered, present
participle leis·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular leis·ters)

catch
fish with leister: to catch fish using a
three-pronged spear
[Mid-16th century. From Old
Norse ljóstr, from ljósta “to strike,” of unknown origin.][1]



leisure

leisure
lei·sure 
[lzhər, lézhər]
noun

free
time:
time during which somebody has no obligations or work responsibilities, and
therefore is free to engage in enjoyable activities
[13th
century. Via Old French dialect leisour “permission,” literally “to be
allowed,” a variant of leisir, from Latin licere (see license ).]
at
your leisure

at
the time and pace that suits you

gentleman
or lady or man or woman of leisure

used to describe a man or
woman who does not have to work for a living (humorous) • a
lady of leisure[1]



leisured

leisured
lei·sured 
[lzhərd, lézhərd]
adjective

1.  not
having to work: having a lot of free time, especially as
a result of having enough money not to have to work for a living

2.  See
leisurely

[1]



leisurely

leisurely
lei·sure·ly 
[lzhərlee, lézhərlee]
adjective lei·sure·ly lei·sured

slow
and relaxed: relaxed, unhurried, and enjoyable,
usually because done during free time • a
leisurely stroll in the park
adverb

in
unhurried way: in a slow and relaxed manner
—lei·sure·li·ness, noun[1]



leisuresociety

leisuresociety
lei·sure
so·ci·e·ty
noun

society with increased free
time: a society in which a greater
proportion of people’s time is spent in leisure than in work[1]



leisuresuit

leisuresuit
lei·sure
suit
(plural lei·sure suits) noun

two-piece casual outfit for
men: a man’s casual outfit,
usually made of synthetic double-knit fabric, consisting of a jacket resembling
a shirt and matching pants, first popular in the 1970s[1]



leisurewear

leisurewear
lei·sure·wear 
[lzhər wàir, lézhər
wàir] noun

clothing for relaxation:
comfortable informal clothing such as a sweat suit, appropriate for relaxation
or play[1]



leitmotif

leitmotif
leit·mo·tif 
[lt mō tf, lt
mō tf] (plural leit·mo·tifs) or leit·mo·tiv
[lt mō tf, lt
mō tf] (plural leit·mo·tivs) noun

1.  MUSIC thematic
passage of music: a musical theme that recurs in the
course of a work to evoke a particular character or situation, especially
typical of the operas of Richard Wagner

2.  main
recurring theme: a recurring theme, for example, in
literature or history
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “leading motif,” from leiten “to lead” + Motiv
“motif” (from French motif ).][1]



LeizhouPeninsula

LeizhouPeninsula
Lei·zhou
Pen·in·su·la  [lày j pə
nínsyələ]

peninsula in southwestern
Guangdong Province, southeastern China[1]



lek

lek1
lek1  [lek]
(plural leks) noun

1.  unit
of Albanian currency: the main currency unit of
Albania, worth 100 qintars

2.  coin
worth one lek: a coin worth one lek
[Early 20th century. From
Albanian, named for the Albanian lawgiver Lek Dukagjin.][1]



lek

lek2
lek2  [lek]
(plural leks) noun

area
for bird courtship: an area of ground that some
birds such as the black grouse use as a stage for communal breeding displays
and courtship during the mating season
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Swedish leka “to play.”][1]



lekvar

lekvar
lek·var 
[lék vr] (plural lek·vars) noun

prune
or apricot spread: a spread made of prunes or
apricots, often used as pastry filling
[Mid-20th century. Via
Hungarian lekvár from, ultimately, late Latin electuarium (see electuary ).][1]



LEM

LEM
LEM 
[lem] (plural LEMs)

Abbreviation of
lunar excursion module[1]



leman

leman
le·man 
[lémmən, lmən]
(plural le·mans) noun

beloved:
somebody loved, for example, a sweetheart or lover (archaic)
[12th century. Variant of leofman,
literally “beloved person,” from lief + man .][1]



LeMans

LeMans
Le
Mans 
[lə móN, lə mN]

capital of Sarthe Department,
Pays de la Loire Region, northern France. Population: 148,465 (1990)[1]



Lemay,Léon-Pamphile

Lemay,Léon-Pamphile
Lemay 
[lə máy], Léon-Pamphile (1837–1918)

Canadian writer. Some of his
French-language poetry was collected in Les Vengeances ( 1875 ). His
novels include L’Affaire Sougraine ( 1884 ).[1]



lemma

lemma2
lem·ma2 [lémmə]
(plural lem·mas) noun

bract
supporting grass flower: the lower of two bracts
surrounding the flower of a grass
[Mid-18th century. From
Greek, “husk,” from the past participle of lepein “to peel” (source of
English lepton ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English leper .][1]



lemma

lemma1
lem·ma1 [lémmə]
(plural lem·mas or lem·ma·ta [lémmətə]) noun

1.  LOGIC assumption
for the sake of argument: a proposition that is
assumed to be true in order to test the validity of another proposition

2.  PUBLISHING subject
heading:
a heading that indicates the topic of a work or passage

3.  PUBLISHING glossary
word:
a term that is defined in a glossary
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek lēmma, literally “something taken (for granted).”][1]



lemmata

lemmata
lem·ma·ta


Plural of
lemma 1[1]



lemming

lemming
lem·ming 
[lémming] (plural lem·mings) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY subarctic
rodent:
a rodent with a small thick furry body and furry feet that lives in subarctic
regions. Lemmings are noted for their mass migrations in search of food during
population explosions, which has given rise to the myth that they flock to the
sea to drown themselves. Genus: Lemmus Dicrostonyx

2.  doomed
conformist:
a member of a large group of people who blindly follow one another on a course
of action that will lead to destruction for all of them
[Early 18th century. From
Norwegian, of uncertain origin.][1]



Lemmon,Jack

Lemmon,Jack
Lem·mon
[lémmən], Jack (1925– )

U.S.
actor. His many movies include the Academy Award-winning Mr. Roberts (
1955 ) and Save the Tiger ( 1973 ).
Full name
Lemmon III, John Uhler[1]



lemniscus

lemniscus
lem·nis·cus 
[lem nískəss] (plural lem·nis·ci
[lem ní s, lem
nís k, lem nískee]) noun

fiber
bundle:
a bundle of fibers, especially a bundle of nerve fibers
[Mid-19th century. Via Latin
from Greek lēmniskos “ribbon,” of unknown origin.][1]



Lemnos

Lemnos
Lem·nos 
[lémnoss]

island in eastern Greece, in
the Aegean Sea, near the Dardanelles. Population: 15,721 (1981)[1]



lemon

lemon

lem·on 
[lémmən] noun (plural lem·ons)

1.  FOOD yellow
or green citrus fruit: a yellow or, in some
climates, green oval citrus fruit with a thick fragrant rind and sour juicy
flesh

2.  TREES tree
that bears lemons: the tree with glossy
almond-shaped leaves and spiky branches that bears lemons. Latin name: Citrus
limon

3.  COLORS pale
yellow color: a pale yellow color typical of the rind
of a ripe lemon.
Also
called
lemon yellow

4.  defective
product:
something that is defective or disappointing, especially a car that does not
run properly (informal)
adjective

of a pale yellow color:
having the pale yellow color typical of the rind of a ripe lemon
[14th century. Via French limon
from, ultimately, Arabic līmūn .][1]



lemonade

lemonade
lem·on·ade 
[lémmə nàyd] (plural lem·on·ades)
noun

1.  drink
made from lemons: an uncarbonated soft drink made from
fresh lemons, sugar, and water

2.  drink
of lemonade: a drink of lemonade • ordered
a lemonade and two coffees

[1]



lemonadeberry

lemonadeberry
lem·on·ade
ber·ry
noun

shrub that produces tangy
fruits: a Californian evergreen
shrub with leathery leaves, clusters of small pink flowers, and acidic dark red
fruit that is used as a flavoring for drinks. Latin name: Rhus integrifolia[1]



lemonbalm

lemonbalm
lem·on
balm
noun

lemon-scented flowering
plant: a widely-cultivated plant of
the mint family native to southern Europe that has small white or pinkish
flowers and lemon-scented leaves. It has long been used in food, as well as in
herbal medicines to promote relaxation and sleep. Latin name: Melissa officinalis

Also called
balm[1]



lemon-belly

lemon-belly
lem·on-bel·ly
noun

female
blue crab with yellow underside: a Chesapeake Bay
female blue crab, so-called for its yellow underside (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term is used in coastal Maryland and Virginia. A variant name is lemon
  crab.

[1]



lemondrop

lemondrop
lem·on
drop
(plural lem·on drops) noun

candy:
a lemon-flavored piece of hard candy[1]



lemongrass

lemongrass
lem·on·grass 
[lémmən gràss] noun

grass that produces perfumed
oil: a grass native to southern
India that is cultivated in the tropics for a lemon-scented oil distilled from
its leaves, and for use as a flavoring in cooking. Latin name: Cymbopogon
citratus[1]



lemonlaw

lemonlaw
lem·on
law
(plural lem·on laws) noun

law to protect car buyers:
a law requiring anyone who sells or manufactures a faulty motor vehicle either
to replace or repair it or to refund the buyer’s money (informal)[1]



lemonsole

lemonsole
lem·on
sole
noun

edible flatfish:
an edible flatfish found in the northeastern Atlantic and the North Sea. Latin
name: Microstomus kitt[1]



lemon-squeezer

lemon-squeezer
lemon-squeez·er
(plural lemon-squeez·ers) noun

See
reamer[1]



lemonverbena

lemonverbena
lem·on
ver·be·na
(plural lem·on ver·be·nas) or lem·on ver·vain (plural
lem·on ver·vains) noun

lemon-scented ornamental
shrub: a widely cultivated South
American shrub with small lavender-colored flowers and lance-shaped leaves that
produce a lemony fragrance when crushed. The leaves and flower tops may be
dried and used as a herbal tea. Latin name: Lippia triphylla[1]



lemony

lemony
lem·on·y 
[lémmənee] adjective

like lemons:
like a lemon in taste, smell, or color[1]



lemonyellow

lemonyellow
lem·on
yel·low
noun

pale
yellow color: a pale yellow color typical of the rind
of a ripe lemon.
Also
called
lemon
—lem·on-yel·low, adjective[1]



LeMoyne, Charles

LeMoyne, Charles
Le
Moyne
[lə mwán], Charles, Baron de Longueuil
(1656–1729)

Canadian soldier and
politician. He was commandant general of Canada (1711) and governor of Montreal
(1724–1729).[1]



LeMoyne, Charles

LeMoyne, Charles
Le
Moyne
[lə mwán], Charles, Sieur de Longueuil and
de Châteauguay (1626–1685)

French-born Canadian
colonist. The father of Charles, he settled in Canada in 1641, worked among the
Indians, and then oversaw his extensive estate.[1]



lempira

lempira
lem·pi·ra 
[lem prə] (plural lem·pi·ras)
noun

1.  unit
of Honduran currency: the main currency unit of
Honduras, worth 100 centavos

2.  bill
worth one lempira: a bill worth one lempira
[Mid-20th century. Named for Lempira,
a 16th-century chieftain who fought against the Spanish conquerors of
Honduras.][1]



lemur

lemur

le·mur 
[lmər] (plural le·murs) noun
primate
that lives in Madagascar: a primate with a long snout,
large ears, and a long tail, found only in Madagascar and nearby islands.
Family: Lemuridae
See
also
ring-tailed lemur
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin lemures (see lemures
), because it is nocturnal.][1]



lemures

lemures
lem·u·res 
[lémmyə rz, lémmə
ràyss] plural noun

ancient
Roman ghosts: in ancient Rome, the spirits of the dead
(literary)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “shades of the dead.”][1]



Lena

Lena
Le·na 
[lnə]

river in Siberian Russia that
rises in southern Siberia and flows northward before emptying into the Laptev
Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. Length: 4,313 km/2,680 mi.[1]



lend

lend
lend 
[lend] (past lent [lent], past participle lent, present
participle lend·ing, 3rd person present singular lends)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
let
somebody borrow something: to allow somebody to take or
use something on the understanding that it will be returned later

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
somebody money for limited time: to allow a person or
business to use a sum of money for a particular period of time, usually on
condition that a charge ( interest ) is paid
in return • The
bank lent us money at a good interest rate.

3.  transitive
verb
add
something:
to give a certain quality or character to something • The
candles lend an air of intimacy to the room.
[Old
English lnan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor
also of English loan ).]
—lend·able,
adjective

—lend·er,
noun
lend
itself to something

to be suitable for a
particular purpose or occasion[1]



lendinglibrary

lendinglibrary
lend·ing
li·brar·y 
noun

library where books can be
borrowed: a library or department of a
library where the public can borrow books, and often audio tapes, video tapes,
and CDs.
Also called
circulating library[1]



Lendl,Ivan

Lendl,Ivan

Len·dl
[lénd’l], Ivan (1960– )
Czechoslovakian-born U.S. tennis player.
Between 1981 and 1987 he won many international tournaments, including the
French Open, the U.S. Open and the Grand Prix Masters.[1]



lenes

lenes
le·nes

Plural of
lenis[1]



Lenglen,Suzanne

Lenglen,Suzanne
Len·glen
[léN gləN], Suzanne (1899–1938)

French tennis player. The
women’s champion of France for several years ( 1920–1923, 1925–1926 ) and
Olympic champion ( 1920 ), she also won several Wimbledon titles.[1]



length

length
length 
[length] (plural lengths) noun

1.  distance
from end to end: the distance along something from end to
end, or a measurement taken of this distance • The
length of the garden is 25 yards.

2.  quality
of longness: the condition or state of being long • The
garden is designed to give a sense of length and openness.

3.  how
long something takes: the time something lasts or
takes from beginning to end • The
length of the second act is about 75 minutes.

4.  how
long something is: how long something is when
measured from beginning to end • The
second volume is a massive 400 pages in length.

5.  long
piece of something: a piece of something long
and narrow • a
length of copper piping

6.  unit
of measurement: a piece of something such as cloth that
is measured or bought in units of a standard size • bought
three lengths of fabric

7.  SWIMMING end to
end in swimming pool: the distance from one end of
a swimming pool to the other

8.  set
distance:
a particular distance, for example, between two points

9.  FASHION how
long garment is: how high the hem of a coat, skirt, or
dress is above the ground or below the wearer’s waist, or how much of the
wearer’s legs it shows

10. SPORTS winning
distance:
in something such as a boat race or horse race, the distance between two
competitors, measured according to how long a single boat or horse is • two
lengths ahead with only 100 yards to go

11. PHONETICS how
long sound takes to make: the amount of time required
to articulate a vowel or syllable
[Old
English lengþ, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English long]
at
length

1.  in
great detail and for a long time (formal)

2.  after
some time or following a delay

[1]



-length

-length
-length
suffix

extending all the way to a
particular part of something • shoulder-length
hair[1]



lengthen

lengthen
length·en 
[léngthən] (past length·ened, past
participle length·ened, present participle length·en·ing,
3rd person present singular length·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make something longer: to make something longer, or
become longer • The weeks lengthened
into months and still no news came.
—length·en·er, noun[1]



lengthwise

lengthwise
length·wise 
[léngth wz] or length·ways [léngth wàyz] adverb adjective

along longest side:
in relation to something’s length from end to end • attempting
to force the suitcase into the trunk lengthwise[1]



lengthy

lengthy
length·y 
[léngthee] (comparative length·i·er,
superlative length·i·est) adjective

long
or too long: lasting for a long time, especially
excessively long
—length·i·ly,
adverb

—length·i·ness, noun[1]



leniency

leniency
le·ni·en·cy 
[lnee ənsee] or le·ni·ence [lnee əns] noun

1.  lenient
treatment:
punishment, judgment, or action that is not too severe

2.  gentleness
or tolerance: the personal characteristic or quality
of being lenient

[1]



lenient

lenient
le·ni·ent 
[lnee ənt] adjective

not
harsh:
showing tolerance or mercy in dealing with crime or misbehavior
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin lenient-, present participle stem of lenire
“to soothe,” from lenis “smooth.”]
—le·ni·ent·ly, adverb[1]



Leninakhan

Leninakhan
Le·nin·a·khan
[lènninə kn]

Former name for
Gyumri 1924–1990[1]



Leningrad

Leningrad
Len·in·grad 
[lénnin gràd]

Former name for
St. Petersburg 1924–1990[1]



Leninism

Leninism
Len·in·ism 
[lénnə nìzzəm] noun

Lenin’s
Communist philosophy: the political, social, and
economic theories of Lenin, which he developed from Marxist theory.
See
also
Marxism-Leninism
—Len·in·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



LeninPeak

LeninPeak
Len·in
Peak
[lènnin pk]

mountain in the Trans-Alai
Range of the Pamirs, situated in Tajikistan. Height: 7,165 m/23,508 ft. Former
name Mount Kaufman[1]



Lenin,Vladimir Ilyich

Lenin,Vladimir Ilyich

Le·nin
[lénnin], Vladimir Ilyich (1870–1924)
Russian
revolutionary leader. Founder of the Soviet Union, he led the Bolshevik
revolution in October 1917. He was the first leader of the Soviet communist
regime, but became less active after suffering a stroke in 1922.
Born
Ulyanov, Vladimir Ilyich[1]



lenis

lenis
le·nis 
[lnəss, láynəss]
adjective

pronounced
using little breath: used to describe a consonant
produced using little breath and muscle power
noun
(plural le·nes [lneez])

lenis
consonant:
a consonant that is produced using little breath and muscle power
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, literally “smooth.”][1]



lenition

lenition
le·ni·tion
[lə nísh’n] noun

relaxed
production of speech sounds: the use of little breath and
muscle power when articulating consonants
[Early 20th century. From
Latin lenis “smooth.”][1]



lenity

lenity
len·i·ty 
[lénnitee] noun

lenient
action:
action or treatment that is lenient (formal)
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French lenite from Latin lenitas, from lenis
“smooth.”][1]



Lennon,John

Lennon,John
Len·non
[lénnən], John (1940–1980)

British singer, songwriter,
and musician. A member of the Beatles, he had a songwriting partnership with
Paul McCartney that revolutionized popular music. His most distinctive solo
recording was “Imagine” (1971). He was murdered in 1980.[1]



leno

leno
le·no 
[l n] (plural le·nos) noun

1.  type
of open weave: a type of open weave created in textiles
by twisting together pairs of warp threads to lock the weft threads in place

2.  fabric:
a fabric made using a leno weave
[Late 18th century. From
French linon, from lin “flax,” from Latin linum .][1]



lens

lens

lens 
[lenz] noun (plural lens·es)

1.  OPTICS transparent
piece of glass for focusing: a piece of curved and
polished glass or other transparent material that forms an image by refracting
and focusing light passing through it

2.  OPTICS system
of lenses:
a system of two or more lenses that is used in an optical instrument such as a
telescope or camera

3.  OPHTHALMOLOGY See contact lens

4.  ANATOMY light-focusing
part of the eye: the part of the eye that focuses light
to produce an image on the light-sensitive cells of the retina. It is nearly
spherical and convex on both sides, and sits behind the pupil. Technical
name crystalline lens

5.  TECHNOLOGY beam-focusing
device:
a device that focuses a beam of electrons or radiation other than light
transitive verb
(past lensed, past participle lensed, present
participle lens·ing, 3rd person present singular lens·es)

CINEMA film
something:
to record a motion picture on film
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “lentil” (so called because of its shape).][1]



Lent

Lent
Lent 
[lent] noun

period
before Easter in Christian calendar: the
period of 40 weekdays before Easter observed in some Christian churches as a
period of prayer, penance, fasting, and self-denial. This period, starting on
Ash Wednesday in Western churches, commemorates the 40 days that Jesus Christ
spent fasting in the wilderness.
[13th century. Shortening of Lenten .][1]



lent

lent
lent


Past participle of
lend Past tense of lend[1]



Lenten

Lenten
Lent·en 
[léntən] or lent·en [léntən] adjective

relating
to Lent:
happening in or suitable for Lent, especially in being meager
[Old English lencten
“spring” (in which Lent falls in the northern hemisphere). Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor also of English long,
referring to the lengthening days of spring).][1]



lentic

lentic
len·tic
[léntik] adjective

in
still or slow-moving water: relating to or inhabiting
still or slow-moving water
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin lentus “slow, calm.”][1]



lenticel

lenticel
len·ti·cel 
[lénti sèl] (plural len·ti·cels)
noun

pore
on plant stem: a pore in the outer layer of a woody
plant stem, through which gases pass from inside the stem to the atmosphere, or
vice versa
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin lenticella, literally “little lentil,” from
Latin lens “lentil.”]
—len·ti·cel·late [lènti séllət], adjective[1]



lenticular

lenticular
len·tic·u·lar 
[len tíkyələr] adjective

1.  of
lenses:
relating to a lens or lenses

2.  lens-shaped:
shaped like a biconvex lens in having two convex faces
[15th century. From Latin lenticularis,
from lenticula (see lentil ).][1]



lentil

lentil
len·til 
[lént’l] (plural len·tils) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with edible seeds: a plant of the pea family
native to the Mediterranean area and to western Asia and grown for its edible
seeds. Latin name: Lens culinaris

2.  FOOD seed:
a seed of the lentil plant that is lens-shaped, brown, gray, or black on the
outside and yellow or orange inside, and rich in protein
[14th century. Via French lentille
from, ultimately, Latin lenticula, literally “little lentil,” from lens
“lentil.”][1]



lentisk

lentisk
len·tisk 
[lén tìsk] (plural len·tisks) noun

See
mastic tree
[14th century. From Latin lentiscus
.][1]



lentissimo

lentissimo
len·tis·si·mo 
[len tíssə m, len
tssə m] adverb

slowly:
very slowly (used as a musical direction)
[Early
20th century. From Italian, superlative of lento (see lento ).]
—len·tis·si·mo, adjective[1]



lentivirus

lentivirus
len·ti·vi·rus 
[léntə vrəss] (plural len·ti·vi·rus·es)
noun

slow
virus:
a retrovirus causing illness that characteristically does not produce symptoms
until some time after infection
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Latin lentus “slow” + -i- + virus .][1]



lento

lento
len·to 
[lén tō] adverb

slowly:
at a slow tempo (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural len·tos)

lento
piece of music: a piece of music, or a section of a
piece, to be played lento
[Early
18th century. Via Italian from Latin lentus “slow.”]
—len·to, adjective[1]



Leo

Leo2
Le·o2 [l
ō] noun

zodiacal constellation
between Cancer and Virgo: a zodiacal
constellation of the northern hemisphere lying between Cancer and Virgo[1]



Leo

Leo1

Le·o1  [l
] (plural Le·os) noun

1.  fifth
sign of the zodiac: the fifth sign of the
zodiac, represented by the lion and lasting from approximately July 23 to
August 22. Leo is classified as a fire sign and is ruled by the sun.
Also
called
Lion

2.  somebody
born under Leo: somebody whose birthday falls between
July 23 and August 22.
Also
called
Leonian
Also
called
Leonine
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, literally “lion.”]
—Le·o, adjective[1]



LeoIII

LeoIII
Leo
III
[l ō], Emperor (680?–741)

Byzantine monarch. He
revitalized the Byzantine Empire, founded the Isaurian dynasty, and issued a
legal code, the Ecloga.[1]



LeoI, Saint

LeoI, Saint
Leo
I
[l ō], Saint (400?–461)

Pope.
He summoned the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and was proclaimed a doctor of the
church in 1574.
Known as
Leo the Great[1]



LeoIX, Saint

LeoIX, Saint
Leo
IX
[l ō], Saint (1002–1054)

Pope.
During his reforming reign (1049 –54), papal authority was strengthened, and
this led to the Great Schism of 1054.
Real name
Bruno of Egisheim[1]



LeoMinor

LeoMinor
Le·o
Mi·nor
noun

small northern constellation
near Ursa Major: a small inconspicuous
constellation of the northern hemisphere between Ursa Major and Leo[1]



Leominster

Leominster
Leom·in·ster 
[léminstər]

1.  city
in central Massachusetts, southeast of Fitchburg and north of Worcester.
Population: 39,263 (1996)

2.  town
in Herefordshire, England. Population: 9,543 (1991)

[1]



Leonardoda Vinci

Leonardoda Vinci


Le·o·nar·do da Vin·ci 
[l ə nr dō də vínchee] (1452–1519)
Italian painter, sculptor, architect,
engineer, and scientist. One of the great masters of the High Renaissance, his
works include the Mona Lisa ( 1503–1506 ), and The Last Supper (
1495–1497 ).[1]



Leonard,Sugar Ray

Leonard,Sugar Ray
Le·o·nard
[lénnərd], Sugar Ray (1956– )

U.S.
boxer. He won various boxing titles in five different weight categories, mainly
in the 1980s.
Real name
Leonard, Ray Charles[1]



leone

leone
le·one 
[lee ṓn] (plural le·ones) noun

1.  unit
of Sierra Leonean currency: the main currency unit of
Sierra Leone, worth 100 cents

2.  bill
worth one leone: a bill worth one leone
[Mid-20th century. From the
name of Sierra Leone .][1]



Leonian

Leonian
Le·on·i·an
[lee ṓnee ən] noun

ZODIAC
See Leo 1 noun
2[1]



Leonine

Leonine
Le·o·nine
[lə nn] (plural Le·o·nines) noun

ZODIAC
See Leo 1 noun
2[1]



leonine

leonine
le·o·nine 
[l ə nn] (plural le·o·nines)
adjective

like
a lion:
relating to or characteristic of a lion, for example, in strength or appearance
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin leoninus, from leo “lion.”][1]



Leontief,Wassily

Leontief,Wassily
Le·on·tief
[lee n tiəf], Wassily (1906–1999)

Russian-born U.S. economist.
He received a Nobel Prize in economics (1973) for his development of the
input-output economic theory.[1]



leopard

leopard


leop·ard 
[léppərd] (plural leop·ards) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
spotted cat: a large slender member of the cat family
found in Africa and parts of Asia. It has a fawn to orange red coat spotted
with black rosettes. Leopards are generally solitary and nocturnal, living in
scrub or forest and hunting a wide range of prey, including antelope, snakes,
fish, and birds. Latin name: Panthera pardus
See
also
panther
See
also
snow leopard
See
also
clouded leopard

2.  HERALDRY heraldic
figure of walking lion: an image of a lion viewed
from the side facing left, with its head turned toward the viewer and one front
leg raised
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, late Greek leopardos, from leōn
(see lion ) + pardos (see pard ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Leopard, a novel by Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa ( 1958 ). Set
  in late 19th-century Sicily, it describes the social and political changes
  resulting from the unification of Italy from the point of view of a local
  nobleman, Prince Salina. In addition to its political and historical
  insights, the novel is admired for its evocative descriptions of the Sicilian
  landscape and its moving and poetic meditations on mortality.

[1]



leopardcat

leopardcat
leop·ard
cat
noun

small wild cat:
a small wild cat with spots like those of a leopard, found in southern and
eastern Asia. Latin name: Felis bengalensis[1]



leopardess

leopardess
leop·ard·ess 
[léppərdəss] (plural leop·ard·ess·es)
noun

female leopard:
a female leopard, usually an adult one[1]



leopardlily

leopardlily
leop·ard
lil·y
noun

flower with speckled petals:
a plant native to the southwestern United States that is cultivated for its
attractive orange red flowers with black-speckled petals. Latin name: Lilium
pardalinum[1]



leopardmoth

leopardmoth
leop·ard
moth
(plural leop·ard moths) noun

black-spotted white moth:
a large white moth with black spots that is found in Europe, Asia, North
Africa, and North America. The caterpillars bore into trees, causing damage,
and may be considered pests. Latin name: Zeuzera pyrina[1]



leopardseal

leopardseal
leop·ard
seal
(plural leop·ard seals) noun

Antarctic seal:
a seal with a spotted dark gray back and paler belly that lives as a solitary
hunter in Antarctic waters, feeding mainly on penguins. Latin name: Hydrurga
leptonyx[1]



leopard’sbane

leopard’sbane
leop·ard’s
bane 
(plural leop·ard’s banes) noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a European and Asian plant with clusters of yellow flowers resembling daisies
on long stalks. Leopard’s banes are cultivated as ornamentals and also grow
wild. Genus: Doronicum[1]



LeopoldI

LeopoldI
Le·o·pold
I 
[l ə pld], Holy Roman Emperor, King of
Bohemia, and King of Hungary (1640–1705)

As Holy Roman Emperor
(1658–1705), King of Bohemia (1656–1705), and King of Hungary (1655–1687) he
led wars against France and the Ottoman Turks, and made efforts to extend
Habsburg territory.[1]



LeopoldII

LeopoldII
Le·o·pold
II
[l ə pōld], Grand Duke of Tuscany and Holy
Roman Emperor (1747–1792)

While Holy Roman Emperor
(1790–1792) he formed an alliance with Prussia against France to aid Marie
Antoinette, his sister, during the French Revolution.[1]



LeopoldII

LeopoldII
Le·o·pold
II
[l ə pōld], King of Belgium (1835–1909)

During his reign (1865–1909),
Belgium annexed the Congo Free State, which became the Belgian Congo.[1]



LeopoldIII

LeopoldIII
Le·o·pold
III
[l ə pōld], King of Belgium (1901–1983)

He became king in 1934, but
went into exile after the invasion by Germany during World War II. He abdicated
in 1951.[1]



leotard

leotard
le·o·tard 
[l ə trd] noun (plural le·o·tards)

tight
garment for gymnasts or athletes: a tight-fitting
one-piece elastic garment that covers the torso and is worn especially by
dancers, gymnasts, and acrobats
plural
noun
le·o·tards

dancer’s
one-piece garment: a one-piece, close-fitting
garment, covering the body from the neck or waist to the feet, worn by male and
female dancers
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French trapeze artist Jules Léotard ( 1830–1870 ), its inventor.][1]



LeoX

LeoX
Leo
X
[l ō], Pope (1475–1521)

An
important patron of the arts, as Pope (1513–1521) he initiated the rebuilding
of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
Real name
Medici, Giovanni de[1]



LeoXIII

LeoXIII
Leo
XIII
[l ō], Pope (1810–1903)

He
upheld the authority of the papacy and promoted learning. His encyclical of
1896 declared Episcopalian orders invalid.
Real name
Pecci, Vincenzo Gioacchino[1]



Lepcha

Lepcha
Lep·cha 
[lépchə] (plural Lep·chas or
Lep·cha) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people of India: a member of a people who
live in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim

2.  LANGUAGE language
of India:
a language spoken in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. It belongs to the
Tibeto-Burman branch of Sino-Tibetan languages. Lepcha is spoken by about
65,000 people.
[Early
19th century. From Nepali lāpche .]
—Lep·cha, adjective[1]



leper

leper
lep·er 
[léppər] (plural lep·ers) noun

1.  somebody
with leprosy: somebody affected with leprosy

2.  somebody
avoided:
somebody who is ignored or disliked by the rest of society
[14th century. Via French lèpra
from Latin lepra “leprosy” (the original sense in English), from Greek lepros
(see leprous ).][1]



lepido-

lepido-
lepido-
prefix

flake,
scale • lepidolite
[From Greek lepid-,
the stem of lepis, lepos (source of English leper )][1]



lepidolite

lepidolite
le·pid·o·lite 
[lə pídd’l t] noun

mineral:
a type of mica ranging in color from pinkish purple to gray, used as an ore of
lithium[1]



lepidopteran

lepidopteran
lep·i·dop·ter·an 
[lèppi dóptərən] (plural lep·i·dop·ter·ans)
noun

butterfly
or moth:
a butterfly or moth. Lepidopterans have four wings covered in tiny overlapping
scales, and sucking mouthparts. Their larvae are caterpillars. Order:
Lepidoptera
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Lepidoptera, order name, from Greek lepis “scale” + pteron
“wing.”][1]



lepidopterist

lepidopterist
lep·i·dop·ter·ist 
[lèppi dóptərist] (plural lep·i·dop·ter·ists)
noun

student of butterflies and
moths: somebody who studies or is
an expert in butterflies and moths[1]



lepidosiren

lepidosiren
lep·i·do·si·ren 
[lèppi dō srən] (plural lep·i·do·si·rens)
noun

S American lungfish:
an eel-shaped South American freshwater fish that can breathe air using a pair
of lungs that it has in addition to its gills. It spends the dry season lying
dormant in a burrow. Latin name: Lepidosiren paradoxa[1]



lepidote

lepidote
lep·i·dote 
[léppi dt] adjective

with
small scaly leaves: covered in small scaly
leaves
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin lepidotus from Greek lepidōtos, from lepis “scale.”][1]



leprechaun

leprechaun
lep·re·chaun 
[lépprə kàwn] (plural lep·re·chauns)
noun

mischievous
Irish elf:
in Irish folklore, a small man with magical powers, often dressed in green, who
works as a shoemaker and is believed to know where treasure is hidden
[Early
17th century. From Irish leipreachán, literally “small body.”]
—lep·re·chau·nish, adjective[1]



leprosarium

leprosarium
lep·ro·sar·i·um 
[lèpprə sáiree əm] (plural lep·ro·sar·i·ums
or lep·ro·sar·i·a [lèpprə sáiree ə])
noun

leprosy
hospital:
a hospital for the treatment of patients with leprosy
[Mid-19th century. From late
Latin leprosus (see leprous ).][1]



leprose

leprose
lep·rose 
[lé prss] adjective

See
leprous  adjective 2
[Mid-19th century. Directly
from or via late Latin leprosus (see leprous
).][1]



leprosy

leprosy
lep·ro·sy 
[lépprəssee] (plural lep·ro·sies)
noun

tropical
skin and nerve disease: a tropical disease that
mainly affects the skin and nerves, and can cause tissue change. Leprosy is
transmitted following close personal contact and has a long incubation period
(1–30 years). It can now be cured if treated with a combination of drugs.
Also
called
Hansen’s disease
[Mid-16th
century. From leprous (influenced by earlier
lepry “leprosy”), from leper .]
—lep·rot·ic [lə próttik], adjective[1]



leprosygourd

leprosygourd
lep·ro·sy
gourd
noun

See
balsam pear[1]



leprous

leprous
lep·rous 
[lépprəss] adjective

1.  of
leprosy:
having or relating to leprosy

2.  white
and scaly:
resembling the physical symptoms of leprosy, especially in being pale or scaly
• a
leprous white deposit spreading across the cellar walls
[12th century. Via Old French
lepro(u)s and late Latin leprosus from Greek lepros
“scaly,” from lepos “scale” (because of the white scales that form on
the skin).][1]



-lepsy

-lepsy
-lepsy
suffix

seizure
• narcolepsy
[Via modern Latin -lepsia
from Greek lepsis, from lēp-, the stem of lambanein “to
seize” (source also of English astrolabe
and syllable )][1]



lept-

lept-
lept-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
lepto-[1]



lepta

lepta
lep·ta


Plural of
lepton 1[1]



lepto-

lepto-
lepto-
prefix

thin,
slender • leptosome
[From Greek leptos,
the past participle of lepein “to peel” (see lemma
)][1]



leptocephalus

leptocephalus
lep·to·ceph·a·lus 
[lèp tō séffələss] (plural lep·to·ceph·a·li
[lèp tō séffə l]) noun

eel
larva:
the larva of some bony fishes such as the eel that has a markedly different
appearance to that of the adult fish. The eel larva has a leaf-shaped, almost
transparent body, in contrast to the long thin form of the adult eel. Genus: Anguilla
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek leptos “fine, small” + kephalē “head.”][1]



lepton

lepton2
lep·ton2 [lép
tòn] (plural lep·tons) noun

subatomic
particle:
a fundamental subatomic particle such as the electron, muon, neutrino, and
their antiparticles that interacts only weakly with other particles
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek leptos “small” + -on
.]
—lep·ton·ic [lep tónnik], adjective[1]



lepton

lepton1
lep·ton1 [lép
tòn] (plural lep·ta [léptə])
noun

1.  Greek
monetary unit: a monetary unit of Greece, used only in
calculations

2.  old
coin worth one lepton: an ancient Greek coin worth
one lepton
[Early 18th century. From
Greek leptos “small.”][1]



leptospirosis

leptospirosis
lep·to·spi·ro·sis 
[lèptə spī rṓssiss] noun

disease
of people and domestic animals: a disease affecting
human beings and domestic animals caused by spiral-shaped bacteria (
spirochetes ) of the genus Leptospira, sometimes with fever, jaundice,
and kidney failure. In human beings a significant form of the disease is Weil’s
disease.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Leptospira, genus name, literally “small coil.”][1]



Lepus

Lepus
Le·pus
[léppəaa, lpəss]
noun

small southern constellation
south of Orion: a small constellation
of the southern hemisphere located directly south of Orion[1]



Lermontov,Mikhail Yuryevich

Lermontov,Mikhail Yuryevich
Ler·mon·tov
[lúrmən tawf], Mikhail Yuryevich (1814–1841)

Russian poet and novelist.
His works include A Hero of our Time ( 1840 ) and The Circassian Boy
( 1840 ).[1]



Lerner,Alan Jay

Lerner,Alan Jay
Ler·ner
[lúrnər], Alan Jay (1918–1986)

U.S. playwright and lyricist.
He collaborated with Frederick Loewe on several musicals including My Fair
Lady ( 1956 ) and Camelot ( 1960 ).[1]



Lesage,Jean

Lesage,Jean
Le·sage
[lə s], Jean (1912–1980)

Canadian lawyer. He became
prime minister of the province of Quebec (1962–1966).[1]



lesbian

lesbian
les·bi·an 
[lézbee ən] noun (plural les·bi·ans)

homosexual
woman:
a woman who is sexually attracted to other women
adjective

of
lesbians:
involving or relating to lesbians
[From the poems of Sappho of Lesbos][1]



Lesbian

Lesbian
Les·bi·an 
noun

somebody from Lesbos:
somebody who was born or raised on the Greek island of Lesbos
adjective

1.  of
Lesbos:
relating to the Greek island of Lesbos

2.  of
the poetry of Sappho: relating to the writings of
the poet Sappho of the 6th century BC,
who was from Lesbos

[1]



lesbianism

lesbianism
les·bi·an·ism 
[lézbee ə nìzzəm] noun

homosexuality in women:
sexual attraction and sexual relations between women[1]



Lesbos

Lesbos
Les·bos 
[léz boss]

island in eastern Greece, in
the Aegean Sea, situated 10 km/6 mi off the coast of Turkey. Population:
104,620 (1981) Area: 1,637 sq km/632 sq mi.[1]



LesCayes

LesCayes
Les
Cayes
[lay káy]

town and seaport in
southwestern Haiti, west of Port-au-Prince. Population: 36,000 (1994)[1]



lesemajesty

lesemajesty
lese
maj·es·ty 
[leez májjəstee] or lèse ma·jes·té
[leez májjəstee] noun

1.  disrespect
to authority: disrespect toward the authority or
dignity of somebody or something

2.  act
of treason:
a criminal offense against a ruler or head of state
[15th century. Via French
from Latin laesa majestas, literally “violated majesty.”][1]



lesion

lesion
le·sion 
[l’n] (plural le·sions) noun

1.  change
due to illness or injury: a physical change in a body
part that is the result of illness or injury

2.  wound:
a wound, especially an area of skin that is broken or infected
[15th century. Via French
from the Latin stem laesion-, from the past participle stem of laedere
“to injure.”][1]



Lesotho




Back to definition

Lesotho

[1]



Lesotho

Lesotho



Le·so·tho 
[lə sṓtō, lə
stoo]
country in southern Africa, bordered on
all sides by South Africa. It became independent from Britain in 1966.
Language: English. Currency: loti. Capital: Maseru. Population: 2,049,275
(1997) Area: 30,355 sq km/11,720 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Lesotho[1]



lespedeza

lespedeza
les·pe·de·za 
[lèspə dzə] (plural les·pe·de·zas
or les·pe·de·za) noun

forage
plant:
a plant of the pea family with leaves having three leaflets that is grown for
forage and to control erosion.
Also
called
bush clover
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from an alteration of the name of Vincente Manuel de Céspedes,
18th-C Spanish governor of eastern Florida.][1]



less

less
less 
[less] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate a smaller amount of something

1.
adjective pronoun smaller amount:
a smaller amount or proportion of something • New
cars tend to emit less air pollution. • Last
month less of her salary was taken up with household expenses.

2.
adverb to a smaller degree:
to a smaller extent or degree • Demanding?
I’ve never known a less demanding patient! • I
see her much less than I used to.

3.
preposition minus:
indicating that a number or amount is subtracted from a previously mentioned
number or amount • Total: $500, less $50
expenses.
• I
earned $45,000 last year, less tax and insurance.
[Old
English lssa, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin]
less
than

not
having a particular quality • Her
whole attitude toward me has been less than pleasant.

no
less

expressing
surprise or admiration at the importance of somebody or something • He
had borrowed money at Homburg from no less a person than Lord Montbarry.
• The
author says our whole universe, no less, is only one of many.

much
or still or even less

emphasizing that something is
done or happens to a smaller extent than something mentioned in the previous
statement (used after a negative statement) • She
could not fix her attention on any object or feel sensations, much less have
conscious thoughts.[1]



-less

-less
-less
suffix

1.  without,
lacking • headless
• restless

2.  unable
to be • fathomless
[From Old English lēas
“without”; related to los (see loss
)][1]



lessee

lessee
les·see 
[le s] (plural les·sees) noun

somebody
with a lease: somebody who is granted a lease for
property
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman, the past participle of lesser (see lease ).][1]



lessen

lessen
less·en 
[léss’n] (past less·ened, past
participle less·ened, present participle less·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular less·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

reduce:
to make something less, or become less[1]



lesser

lesser
less·er 
[léssər] adjective adverb

not as big or important:
less significant, or smaller in size or amount[1]



LesserBairam

LesserBairam
Less·er
Bai·ram
noun

Islamic festival:
an Islamic festival held each year at the end of Ramadan[1]



lessercarpenter bee

lessercarpenter bee
less·er
car·pen·ter bee noun

small black bee:
a small usually black solitary bee that bores extensive nests out of solid
wood. Family: Ceratinidae[1]



lessercelandine

lessercelandine
less·er
cel·an·dine 
(plural less·er cel·an·dines) noun

plant related to buttercup:
a plant of the buttercup family found in woodland and damp locations in Europe
and Asia. It has heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers that grow on individual
stems. Latin name: Ranunculus ficaria
U.K. term
celandine[1]



lessercornstalk borer

lessercornstalk borer
less·er
corn·stalk bor·er (plural less·er corn·stalk
bor·ers) noun

insect pest of corn:
a moth caterpillar that bores into corn stems and can be a crop pest in warm
and temperate regions of North and South America. Latin name: Elasmopalpus
lignosellus[1]



lesseromentum

lesseromentum
less·er
o·men·tum
noun

See
omentum[1]



lesserpanda

lesserpanda
less·er
pan·da
(plural less·er pan·das) noun

See
red panda[1]



lesserpeach tree borer

lesserpeach tree borer
less·er
peach tree bor·er (plural less·er peach-tree
bor·ers) or less·er peach bor·er (plural less·er
peach bor·ers) noun

insect pest of peach trees:
a moth caterpillar, found especially in the southern United States, that bores
into the trunks and branches of peach and other fruit trees. Latin name: Synanthedon
pictipes[1]



LesserSlave Lake

LesserSlave Lake
Les·ser
Slave Lake 
[lèssər sláyv láyk]

lake in central Alberta,
Canada, northwest of Edmonton. It empties through the Lesser Slave River into
the Athabasca River. Area: 1,168 sq km/451 sq mi.[1]



lesseryellowlegs

lesseryellowlegs
less·er
yel·low·legs  (plural less·er yel·low·legs)
noun

bird with yellow legs:
a sandpiper with long yellow legs that breeds in North America and overwinters
in South America. It is usually found in marshes and on mudflats. It resembles
the greater yellowlegs but is smaller with a shorter narrower bill. Latin name:
Tringa flavipes
See also
greater yellowlegs[1]



Lessing,Doris

Lessing,Doris
Les·sing
[léssing], Doris (1919– )

British
novelist. Her works such as The Grass is Singing ( 1950 ), Children
of Violence ( 1952–1969 ), and The Golden Notebook ( 1962 ) explore
political and social themes.
Born
Tayler, Doris May[1]



lesson

lesson
les·son 
[léss’n] noun (plural les·sons)

1.  instruction
period:
a period of time spent teaching or learning a subject • I’m
old enough to start taking driving lessons.

2.  material
taught:
material to be taught or studied

3.  new
or better knowledge: some useful knowledge or
sense that results from direct experience • I
think there’s a lesson there for all of us –think ahead.

4.  useful
experience:
something that acts as an example, punishment, or warning by teaching something
not previously understood or accepted

5.  rebuke:
a strong criticism or reproof, usually instructing or reminding somebody how to
behave correctly • I need to give him a
lesson in how to behave properly.

6.  les·son
or Les·son CHRISTIANITY
Bible
passage:
a passage from the Bible that is read out to the congregation during a church
service • Today’s
lesson is from the book of Matthew.
transitive
verb
(past les·soned, past participle les·soned, present
participle les·son·ing, 3rd person present singular les·sons)

1.  instruct:
to teach somebody

2.  criticize
for wrongdoing: to scold somebody for doing something
wrong
[12th century. Via French leçon
from Latin lectio “reading,” formed from legere “to read” (source
also of English lecture ). The
underlying sense is “something to read or listen to.”][1]



lessor

lessor
les·sor 
[lé sàwr] (plural les·sors) noun

somebody
who grants a lease: somebody who grants somebody
else a lease on property
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman lessour, from lesser (see lease
).][1]



lest

lest
lest 
[lest] conjunction

in
case:
in order to prevent something happening, especially something causing fear • must
stay out of sight lest we be discovered
[Old English p ls pe,
literally “by which less that”][1]



let

let2
let2 [let]
noun

1.  replayed
service shot: in games such as tennis and squash, a
service in which the ball is obstructed and the service has to be played again

2.  replayed
point:
the point that is replayed because of a let

3.  difficulty
or obstacle: something that prevents somebody from
doing something, or makes it more difficult (archaic)
[12th century. From Old
English lettan “to hinder or obstruct.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English let 1 .][1]



let

let1
let1 [let]
(past let, past participle let, present
participle let·ting, 3rd person present singular lets)
transitive verb

1.  not
prevent:
to allow something to happen or somebody to do something • You
should let him explain what happened. • I
won’t let anything get in the way of us living a happy life together.
• I
never let myself worry about the future.

2.  permit:
to give somebody permission to do something • I
want to go to the disco but Dad won’t let me.

3.  expressing
a suggestion: used to express a suggestion, an offer,
or an order • Let’s
eat –I’m starving. • Let
me take that bag for you –you must be exhausted. • Let
the show go on!

4.  U.K.
make
something pass somewhere: to allow or make something
pass from one place to another • You
need to let some air out of those tires. • Open
the window and let some fresh air in.

5.  expressing
resignation: used to indicate that you do not care
what happens or what somebody does, even though it may be unpleasant • Let
them do their worst. • If
he wants to leave then let him –see if I care!

6.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC make
as a mathematical assumption: used to introduce an
assumption or hypothesis • Let
the point P be on a line L.

7.  COMMERCIAL LAW rent
out property: to allow people to use land, rooms, or a
building in return for rent

8.  Ireland
utter:
to utter something (informal)
[Old
English ltan “to leave behind, let alone, allow.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to let go,” which is also the ancestor of English late and let
.]
let
alone

used
to introduce something that is even less likely or probable than what has just
been mentioned

let
go (of something)

to
stop holding something

let
yourself go

1.  to
start acting in a much more relaxed or less inhibited way than usual

2.  to
stop caring about your appearance

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hire

[1]



-let

-let
-let
suffix

1.  small
one • wavelet

2.  something
worn on • anklet
[From Old French -elet,
from -el “small one” (from Latin -ellus ) + -et (see -et )][1]



letch

letch
letch 
noun intransitive verb

See
lech[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








letdown

letdown
let
down
transitive verb

1.  lower
something:
to move something, or allow something to move, to a lower position • It
was getting dark, so she let down the blinds.

2.  disappoint
somebody:
to disappoint somebody by not meeting expectations • Sorry
to let you down, but I won’t be able to make it tonight.

3.  lengthen
garment:
to lengthen clothing or part of a piece of clothing by shortening the hem • let
down the sleeves of the coat

4.  allow
hair to hang down: to undo long hair so it
falls to its full length

[1]



letdown

letdown
let·down 
[lét dòwn] (plural let·downs) noun

1.  disappointment:
an occasion when somebody or something disappoints expectations, or the feeling
of disappointment that results • After
all the hype the concert was a bit of a letdown.

2.  AIR descent
of an aircraft: the descent of an aircraft in
preparation for landing, before the actual landing approach

[1]



lethal

lethal
le·thal 
[lthəl] adjective

1.  deadly:
causing or able to cause death

2.  harmful:
causing disaster or destruction • a move
that was lethal to his career
[Late
16th century. From Latin lethalis, from lethum, an alteration of letum
“death,” by association with Greek lēthē “forgetfulness, oblivion.”]
—le·thal·i·ty
[lee thállətee], noun

—le·thal·ly
[lthəlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deadly

[1]



lethaldose

lethaldose
le·thal
dose
(plural le·thal dos·es) noun

enough of something to kill:
the amount of a drug or other substance that will cause death when
administered.
See also
median lethal dose[1]



lethargic

lethargic
le·thar·gic 
[lə thrjik] adjective

1.  tired:
physically slow and mentally dull as a result of tiredness, disease, or drugs

2.  causing
lethargy:
causing a state of physical slowness and mental dullness
—le·thar·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



lethargy

lethargy
leth·ar·gy 
[léthərjee] noun

1.  tiredness:
a state of physical slowness and mental dullness as a result of tiredness,
disease, or drugs

2.  lack
of energy:
lack of energy, activity, or enthusiasm
[14th century. Via Old French
litargia from, ultimately, Greek lēthargia, from lēthargos
“forgetful,” from lēthē “forgetfulness, oblivion.”][1]



Lethbridge

Lethbridge
Leth·bridge 
[léth brìj]

city in southern Alberta,
Canada. It is the cultural and economic center of the surrounding agricultural
area. Population: 63,053 (1996)[1]



lethe

lethe
le·the 
[lthee] noun

forgetfulness:
a dreamy state of forgetfulness or unconsciousness (literary)
—le·the·an, adjective[1]



Lethe

Lethe
Le·the
noun

mythical
river of forgetfulness in Hades: in Greek and Roman
mythology, a river in Hades whose water made those who drank it forget their
past
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek lēthē “forgetfulness, oblivion.”]
—Le·the·an, adjective[1]



letin

letin
let
in
transitive verb

1.  allow
somebody entrance: to allow somebody to enter
somewhere such as a building or a room • They
refused to let her in the house.

2.  allow
water or air in: to allow water or air into something
that is meant to be sealed • Their
boat had hit a rock and was letting in water.

[1]



letin for

letin for
let
in for
transitive verb

become involved in something
difficult: to become involved in
something that turns out to be more difficult or complicated than expected (informal)
• didn’t
realize what I was letting myself in for[1]



letin on

letin on
let
in on
transitive verb

share information with
somebody: to allow somebody to know
about something[1]



letinto

letinto
let
into
transitive verb

1.  allow
to enter:
to allow somebody to enter somewhere

2.  allow
to join a club: to allow somebody to join an
organization or club

[1]



Leto

Leto
Le·to 
[l t] noun

mother of Apollo and Artemis:
in Greek mythology, the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus. Roman
equivalent Latona[1]



letoff

letoff
let
off
transitive verb

1.  excuse
somebody from punishment: to allow somebody to avoid
something such as an unpleasant task or a punishment • I’ll
let you off this time, but you’d better behave from now on.

2.  let
a passenger get out: to allow somebody to get off
a vehicle such as a bus or train

[1]



leton

leton
let
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
share
a secret:
to share a secret with somebody • He
didn’t let on that he was very rich.

2.  intransitive
verb
pretend:
to make somebody believe something that is not true • She
let on that she was upset, but she wasn’t really that bothered.

3.  transitive
verb
let
a passenger get on: to allow somebody to board a
vehicle such as a bus or train

[1]



letout

letout
let
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
a loud yell: to make a loud or piercing sound using
the voice • let
out a scream

2.  transitive
verb
release
somebody or something: to set a person or animal
free from being confined or trapped

3.  transitive
verb
release
somebody from prison: to release somebody from
prison early or temporarily

4.  transitive
verb
allow
somebody to leave: to allow somebody to leave
someplace such as a building or room

5.  transitive
verb
enlarge
a garment:
to make a piece of clothing, or a specific part of it, wider than it was before

6.  transitive
verb
spread
information: to allow previously secret information
to become more widely known

7.  intransitive
verb
end
and release students: to come to an end and
release students at the end of a session or term • classes
let out in early June

8.  transitive
verb
let
property:
to make a place available for letting • They
have recently let out a suite of rooms on the third floor.

[1]



Lett

Lett
Lett 
[let] noun

PEOPLES See Latvian  noun 1
[Late 16th century. Via
German Lette from Latvian Latvi .][1]



letter

letter
let·ter 
[léttər] noun (plural let·ters)

1.  message
sent by mail: a piece of handwritten, typed, or
printed text addressed to a particular person or organization and typically
sent by mail

2.  symbol
used to spell words: each of a set of written or
printed symbols representing a particular sound or set of sounds in a language
and used for spelling words

3.  SPORTS badge
of excellence in sports: a badge consisting of the
initial letter of the name of a school awarded for excellence, especially in
varsity sports

4.  PRINTING font:
a typeface or font
verb
(past let·tered, past participle let·tered, present
participle let·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular let·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
write
on something: to write letters or words on something
such as a sign

2.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS earn a
letter:
to earn a badge of excellence at a school, especially in varsity sports
[13th century. Via French lettre
from Latin littera “letter of the alphabet,” used in the plural to mean
“document, epistle, literature” (source of English literature
and obliterate ).][1]



letterbomb

letterbomb
let·ter
bomb
(plural let·ter bombs) noun

package containing
explosives: an envelope with an
explosive device inside it, addressed and sent through the mail and designed to
blow up when it is opened[1]



letterbox

letterbox
let·ter·box 
[léttər bòks] (plural let·ter·box·es)
noun U.K.

1.  See
mailbox

2.  See
maildrop

[1]



lettercarrier

lettercarrier
let·ter
car·ri·er
(plural let·ter car·ri·ers) noun

postal worker:
somebody who delivers letters or other mail[1]



lettered

lettered
let·tered 
[léttərd] adjective

1.  with
letters written on it: marked with letters of the
alphabet

2.  educated:
knowledgeable and cultured, especially in literary matters

3.  literate:
able to read and write

[1]



letterform

letterform
let·ter·form 
[léttər fàwrm] noun

letter shape:
the shape of a letter of the alphabet[1]



letterhead

letterhead
let·ter·head 
[léttər hèd] (plural let·ter·heads)
noun

1.  printed
name and address on stationery: a printed heading for
official stationery, usually containing a company’s name, address, telephone
and fax numbers, and often including a logo and other details

2.  headed
notepaper:
a piece of writing paper with a printed letterhead

[1]



lettering

lettering
let·ter·ing 
[léttəring] noun

1.  piece
of writing:
letters of the alphabet written, printed, inscribed, or painted on something

2.  act
of writing:
the physical process of forming letters, or the way somebody forms letters

[1]



letterman

letterman
let·ter·man 
[léttər màn, léttərmən]
(plural let·ter·men [léttər mèn,
léttərmən]) noun

student who earned a letter:
a secondary or college student who has earned a letter for excellence in an
activity, especially a varsity sport[1]



letterof credit

letterof credit
let·ter
of cred·it
(plural let·ters of cred·it) noun

document allowing somebody to
draw money: a letter from a bank,
usually for presentation to another branch or bank, authorizing it to issue
credit or money to the person named[1]



letterof intent

letterof intent
let·ter
of in·tent
(plural let·ters of in·tent) noun

document declaring business
intentions: a signed statement outlining
an intention to form an agreement or arrangement[1]



letterof introduction

letterof introduction
let·ter
of in·tro·duc·tion (plural let·ters
of in·tro·duc·tion) noun

letter introducing somebody
to somebody else: a letter written by
somebody to introduce one person to another[1]



letter-perfect

letter-perfect
let·ter-per·fect 
adjective

recited or written perfectly:
without any incorrect words or misspellings.
U.K. term
word-perfect[1]



letterpress

letterpress
let·ter·press 
[léttər prèss] noun

1.  printing
by use of pressure: a printing technique that
transfers ink by pressing raised type onto paper

2.  printed
material:
material that is printed using the letterpress technique

3.  U.K.
text:
text as opposed to illustrations

[1]



letter-quality

letter-quality
let·ter-qual·i·ty 
adjective

high quality:
of a quality high enough to be compared to conventional printing[1]



letters

letters
let·ters
[léttərz] noun (takes a singular
or plural verb)

1.  literature:
literature or literary culture

2.  knowledge:
knowledge and education

[1]



letterscredential

letterscredential
let·ters
cre·den·tial plural noun

See
letters of credence[1]



lettersof administration

lettersof administration
let·ters
of ad·min·is·tra·tion  plural noun

legal document:
an official court order appointing somebody as the administrator of a deceased
person’s estate when no valid will exists[1]



lettersof credence

lettersof credence
let·ters
of cre·dence plural noun

diplomatic document:
an official document presented to a government in order to authenticate the
official status of a diplomatic representative of another country (formal)

Also called
letters credential[1]



lettersof marque

lettersof marque
let·ters
of mar·que 
plural noun

1.  license
to seize foreign property: a formal document issued by
one country authorizing one of its private citizens to take possession of
goods, or sometimes citizens, belonging to another country

2.  license
to arm a ship: an official document issued by one
country authorizing one of its citizens to fit a ship with weapons in order to
attack or seize another country’s ships and cargo

[1]



letterspatent

letterspatent
let·ters
pat·ent
plural noun

document giving a patent for
invention: an official document stating
that somebody has been granted the exclusive right to make and sell a new
product. Letters patent are issued by the government and specify the length of
time a patent will remain valid. (formal)[1]



letterstestamentary

letterstestamentary
let·ters
tes·ta·men·tar·y plural noun

document for executor of a
will: an official document
authorizing somebody to assume the responsibilities and duties of executor of
the will of a deceased person (formal)[1]



letthrough

letthrough
let
through
transitive verb

make way for somebody:
to allow somebody or something to pass through a crowd • Cars
were pulling over to let an ambulance through.[1]



Lettish

Lettish
Let·tish 
[léttish] noun

LANGUAGE See Latvian  noun 2
—Let·tish, adjective[1]



lettrede cachet

lettrede cachet
let·tre
de ca·chet 
[lèttrə də kaa sháy] (plural let·tres
de ca·chet [lèttrə də kaa sháy]) noun

royal
warrant to imprison somebody: a letter sealed with the
royal seal authorizing the arrest and indefinite imprisonment of somebody who
has offended the monarch (archaic formal)
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “letter of seal.”][1]



lettuce

lettuce

let·tuce 
[léttəss] (plural let·tuces) noun

1.  plant
grown for its edible leaves: a common plant that is
widely grown for its edible leaves, which are usually eaten in salads. Genus: Lactuca

2.  paper
money:
paper money as opposed to coins (slang)
[13th century. Via Old French
letuës from Latin lactuca, from lac “milk” (source of
English lactate ), from the milky sap
of its stalk.][1]



lettucebird

lettucebird
let·tuce
bird
(plural let·tuce birds) noun

goldfinch:
the goldfinch (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  As
  well as lettuce bird, the goldfinch is
  also called salad bird and thistle bird, all three related to
  its feeding habits. These terms have a scattered occurrence in Midland
  territory, especially Indiana.

[1]



letup

letup
let
up
intransitive verb

1.  become
slower:
to become slower, calmer, or quieter • Once
the rain lets up a bit we’ll have a look outside.

2.  relax:
to stop working hard or being angry • He
never lets up, does he.

[1]



letup

letup
let·up 
[lét ùp] noun

pause:
a pause, especially in something unpleasant • I
can take criticism, but with her there’s no letup.[1]



letup on

letup on
let
up on
transitive verb

stop being so harsh:
to treat somebody or something in a more relaxed, gentle, or kind way[1]



let’s

let’s
let’s
contraction

let us:
let us • Let’s
just wait and see what happens.[1]



leu

leu
le·u 
[lé ] (plural lei [lay]) noun

1.  Romanian
currency unit: the basic currency unit of Romania

2.  bill
worth a leu: a bill worth a leu
[Late 19th century. From
Romanian, literally “lion.”][1]



leucine

leucine
leu·cine 
[l sn] noun

essential
amino acid:
a white crystalline essential amino acid that is one of the chemical
constituents of proteins. C6H13NO2
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek leukos “white.”][1]



leucite

leucite
leu·cite 
[l st] noun

white
or gray mineral: a white or gray mineral consisting of a
silicate of aluminum and potassium, found in igneous rocks and used as a source
of aluminum and of potash for fertilizers
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek leukos “white.”][1]



leuco-

leuco-
leuco-
prefix

See
leuko-[1]



leucoblast

leucoblast
leu·co·blast
noun

See
leukoblast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucocyte

leucocyte
leu·co·cyte 
noun

See
leukocyte[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucocytosis

leucocytosis
leuco·cy·to·sis
noun

See
leukocytosis[1]



leucoderma

leucoderma
leu·co·der·ma
noun

See
leukoderma[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucodystrophy

leucodystrophy
leu·co·dys·tro·phy
noun

See
leukodystrophy[1]



leucoma

leucoma
leu·co·ma
noun

See
leukoma[1]



leucopenia

leucopenia
leu·co·pe·ni·a
noun

See
leukopenia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucoplakia

leucoplakia
leu·co·plak·i·a
noun

See
leukoplakia[1]



leucoplast

leucoplast
leu·co·plast 
[lkə plàst] (plural leu·co·plasts)
or leu·co·plas·tid [lkə plástid]
(plural leu·co·plas·tids) noun

small part found in plant
cells: a common minute colorless
body ( plastid ) found inside plant cells
and used for storing food[1]



leucorrhea

leucorrhea
leu·cor·rhe·a
noun

See
leukorrhea[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucosis

leucosis
leu·co·sis
noun

See
leukosis[1]



leucotomy

leucotomy
leu·cot·o·my 
noun

See
leukotomy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








leucotriene

leucotriene
leu·co·tri·ene
noun

See
leukotriene[1]



leukaemia

leukaemia
leu·kae·mi·a
noun

U.K. =
leukemia[1]



leukemia

leukemia
leu·ke·mi·a 
[loo kmee ə] (plural leu·ke·mi·as)
noun

blood
cancer:
a type of cancer in which white blood cells displace normal blood. This leads
to infection, shortage of red blood cells ( anemia
), bleeding, and other disorders, and often proves fatal. Certain types of
childhood leukemias respond well to treatment, which includes drugs ( chemotherapy ) and radiotherapy.
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from leuko- + -emia .]
—leu·ke·mic, adjective[1]



leuko-

leuko-
leuko-
or leuco- prefix

1.  white,
pale, colorless • leukoplakia

2.  leukocyte
• leukopenia

3.  white
matter of the brain • leukodystrophy
[From Greek leukos
“white, clear.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting lightness, which
is also the ancestor of English light 1, lucid, and lunar
.][1]



leukoblast

leukoblast
leu·ko·blast 
[lkə blàst] (plural leu·ko·blasts)
or leu·co·blast [lkə blàst] (plural
leu·co·blasts) noun

immature white blood cell:
an immature white blood cell ( leukocyte )[1]



leukocyte

leukocyte
leu·ko·cyte 
[lkə st] (plural leu·ko·cytes)
or leu·co·cyte [lkə st] (plural
leu·co·cytes) noun

white
blood cell:
a white blood cell (technical)
—leu·ko·cyt·ic
[lkə síttik], adjective

—leu·ko·cy·toid [lkə s tòyd], adjective[1]



leukocytosis

leukocytosis
leuko·cy·to·sis 
[lkə sī tṓssiss] or leu·co·cy·to·sis
[lkə sī tṓssiss] noun

marked
increase in white blood cells: a marked increase in
the number of white blood cells ( leukocytes
), usually because of infection or disease
—leu·ko·cy·tot·ic [lkə sī tóttik], adjective[1]



leukoderma

leukoderma
leu·ko·der·ma 
[lkə dúrmə] or leu·co·der·ma
[lkə dúrmə] noun

See
vitiligo
[Late 19th century. Coined
from leuko- + Greek derma “skin.”][1]



leukodystrophy

leukodystrophy
leu·ko·dys·tro·phy
[lkō dístrəfee] or leu·co·dys·tro·phy
[lkō dístrəfee] noun

degenerative nerve disease:
a degenerative disease of nerve fibers or white matter that impairs brain
function, sight, and motion, leading to death, often at an early age. It
involves progressive loss of the fatty myelin layer surrounding the nerve
fibers.[1]



leukoma

leukoma
leu·ko·ma 
[loo kṓmə] (plural leu·ko·mas)
or leu·co·ma [loo kṓmə] (plural
leu·co·mas) noun

dense
white scar on the cornea: a dense white scar on the
cornea of the eye, caused by disease or injury
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek leukōma “white tumor,” from leukos
“white.”][1]



leukopenia

leukopenia
leu·ko·pen·i·a 
[lkə pnee ə] or leu·co·pe·ni·a
[lkə pnee ə] noun

reduction
in white blood cells: an abnormal reduction in the
number of white blood cells ( leukocytes )
—leu·ko·pe·nic, adjective[1]



leukoplakia

leukoplakia
leu·ko·plak·i·a 
[lkə pláykee ə, lkə
plákee ə] or leu·co·plak·i·a [lkə
pláykee ə, lkə plákee ə] noun

small
white patches: a precancerous condition that is seen as
small thickened white patches, usually inside the mouth or vulva. It requires
expert management if cancer is to be avoided. Oral leukoplakia may be caused by
smoking or by alcohol abuse.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from leuko- + Greek plax “flat
surface.”][1]



leukorrhea

leukorrhea
leu·kor·rhe·a 
[lkə r ə] or leu·cor·rhe·a [lkə r ə] noun

pale
discharge from the vagina: thick whitish or yellowish
discharge from the vagina
—leu·kor·rhe·al, adjective[1]



leukosis

leukosis
leu·ko·sis 
[loo kṓssiss] or leu·co·sis [loo kṓssiss] noun

leukemia
in animals:
any animal disease in which the blood contains an abnormally high number of
white blood cells ( leukocytes )
[Early 18th century. From
Greek leukōsis, from leukon “to make white,” from leukos
“white.”][1]



leukotomy

leukotomy
leu·kot·o·my 
[loo kóttəmee] (plural leu·kot·o·mies)
or leu·cot·o·my [loo kóttəmee]
(plural leu·cot·o·mies) noun

brain operation:
a surgical operation that involves cutting nerve fibers, especially in the
frontal lobes of the brain. It is now rarely performed, and only as a treatment
for severe psychiatric disorders.[1]



leukotriene

leukotriene
leu·ko·tri·ene 
[lkə tr n] (plural leu·ko·tri·enes)
or leu·co·tri·ene [lkə tr n]
(plural leu·co·tri·enes) noun

chemical
messenger in the body: a substance that functions
as a powerful but short-range chemical messenger in various body systems,
including the circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. Leukotrienes help
regulate the state of blood vessels and airways, and influence the activities of
certain white blood cells.
[Late 20th century. Coined
from leuko- + triene “chemical
compound containing three double bonds” (coined from tri-
+ -ene ).][1]



lev

lev
lev 
[lev] (plural lev·a [lévvə]) noun

1.  Bulgarian
currency unit: the basic unit of currency of Bulgaria

2.  bill
worth a lev: a bill worth one lev
[Late 19th century. From
Bulgarian, a variant spelling of lǎv “lion,” probably ultimately from
Greek leōn .][1]



Lev.

Lev.
Lev.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Leviticus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lev-

lev-
lev-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
levo- See laev-[1]



Levant

Levant
Le·vant 
[lə vánt, lə
vnt]

former
name for the region in the eastern Mediterranean comprising modern-day Lebanon,
Israel, and parts of Syria and Turkey
[15th
century. From French, literally “rising” (referring to the point where the sun rises).]
—Le·van·tine [lévv’n tn, lévv’n tn,
lə ván tn], noun, adjective[1]



levanter

levanter
le·vant·er 
[lə vántər] (plural le·vant·ers)
noun

easterly wind:
a strong easterly wind that blows in the western Mediterranean area, especially
in the late summer[1]



levator

levator
le·va·tor 
[lə váytər] (plural lev·a·tors)
noun

1.  ANATOMY muscle
for lifting: a muscle that helps to lift the body
part to which it is attached

2.  SURGERY surgical
instrument for lifting: a surgical instrument used
to lift up a body part, especially a bone or a tooth
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “lifter,” from levare (see lever
).][1]



levee

levee2
lev·ee2 [lévvee]
(plural lev·ees) noun

1.  morning
visiting time: an occasion when a noble or royal
receives visitors informally soon after getting up in the morning

2.  royal
reception for men: a court reception at which a
prince or sovereign receives men visitors. It is usually held in the early
afternoon.
[See levee 1][1]



levee

levee1
lev·ee1 [lévvee]
noun (plural lev·ees)

1.  natural
embankment beside a river: a natural embankment
alongside a river, formed by sediment during times of flooding

2.  artificial
embankment beside a river: an artificial embankment
alongside a river, built to prevent flooding of the surrounding land
transitive
verb
(past lev·eed, past participle lev·eed, present
participle lev·ee·ing, 3rd person present singular lev·ees)

build a levee:
to provide a river with an embankment to prevent flooding
[Late 17th century. From
French levé, variant of lever “rising,” from lever “to
rise” (see lever ).][1]



level

level

lev·el 
[lévv’l] adjective

1.  not
sloping:
flat and horizontal, with an even surface or top

2.  equal:
equal to or even with another individual or group in rank, ability, or
condition • The
two teams have drawn level after six games.

3.  steady:
steady, consistent, or unchanging

4.  unwavering:
not blinking or looking away, and showing penetrating or determined calm

5.  See
level-headed

6.  of
a particular level: relating to or
characteristic of a particular rank or condition (usually used in combination)

7.  even:
smooth or even • We wanted a house with
a completely level lawn.

8.  alongside:
next to or alongside somebody or something else • His
car drew level as we approached the bend.
noun (plural
lev·els)

1.  height
for measurement: a position, line, or flat surface
according to which height is measured • 10,000
feet above sea level

2.  stated
height:
a particular height • flying
below the level of the tree tops

3.  height
of a surface from bottom: the height of a surface from
the ground or from the bottom of its container • The
level of the river had fallen alarmingly during the summer.

4.  rank
or scale:
a particular position in a range of relative scales or values • playing
tennis at the professional level

5.  aspect:
a quality or aspect of something • It’s a
movie that works well on a number of different levels.

6.  amount:
the amount or concentration of something • My
job has a low stress level but few prospects.

7.  position
of a particular floor: the relative position of a
particular floor or other plane in a structure, for example, a building or
bridge • The
storeroom is down on the second level.

8.  CONSTRUCTION tool
for determining levelness: a calibrated glass tube
containing liquid with an air bubble in it, mounted in a frame and used for
measuring whether surfaces are horizontal.
Also
called
spirit level

9.  CIVIL ENGINEERING surveying
instrument:
an instrument used in surveying to measure the relative heights of different
points in the landscape

10. CIVIL ENGINEERING measurement
of height:
in surveying, a measurement taken of the relative heights of different points
in a landscape

11. horizontal
surface:
a horizontal surface or area of land

12. MINING horizontal
mine tunnel: a horizontal tunnel in a mine
verb (past
lev·eled or lev·elled, past participle lev·eled
or lev·elled, present participle lev·el·ing or
lev·el·ling, 3rd person present singular lev·els)

1.  transitive
verb
flatten
something evenly: to make something even, flat, and
horizontal • We
spent days leveling the ground before we could build anything.

2.  transitive
verb
demolish
and flatten something: to completely destroy a
building, place, or area and leave it flattened • The
village had been leveled by the hurricane.

3.  transitive
verb
knock
somebody down: to knock somebody to the ground,
especially with a punch or blow (informal) • leveled
him with one punch

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become equal: to make two things or people equal in
position or of the same standard or value, or become equal in position,
standard or value • Another goal in the
final few minutes leveled the scores again.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb aim a
gun:
to aim or point a weapon • He
leveled his pistol at the target.

6.  transitive
verb
direct
attention at somebody: to direct criticism or an
attack toward somebody in a purposeful way • Criticism
has been leveled at a number of prominent politicians.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
honest with somebody: to speak frankly and
honestly to somebody (informal) • I’d
better level with you right now –I’m leaving the company and going it alone.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb measure
the elevation of land: in surveying, to measure the
elevation of an area of land
noun (plural
lev·els)

MINING a horizontal tunnel in a
mine
[14th
century. Via Old French livel “tool for determining levelness” (the
earliest sense in English) from, ultimately, Latin libra “balance,
scales” (source of English Libra, the
zodiac sign).]
—lev·el·ly,
adverb

—lev·el·ness,
noun
on the level

honest and trustworthy (informal)[1]



levelcrossing

levelcrossing
lev·el
cross·ing
(plural lev·el cross·ings) noun

U.K.
See grade crossing[1]



leveler

leveler
lev·el·er 
[lévv’lər] or lev·el·ler [lévv’lər] (plural lev·el·ler) noun

1.  something
that makes situations more equal: something that makes
situations or people more equal, especially by removing distinctions based on
status or privilege • Time is
a great leveler; we all end up the same way in the end.

2.  believer
in equality: somebody who wants to make everyone in
society more equal

[1]



level-headed

level-headed
lev·el-head·ed
adjective

calm
and sensible: remaining rational and fully in control
in difficult situations or emergencies
—lev·el-head·ed·ly,
adverb

—lev·el·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



levelingscrew

levelingscrew
lev·el·ing
screw
(plural lev·el·ing screws) noun

screw for making equipment
level: one of usually several
screws on the bottom of something such as a scientific instrument or a washing
machine that can be adjusted to make the piece of equipment stand level[1]



Leveller

Leveller
Lev·el·ler
(plural Lev·el·lers) noun

17C English radical
dissenter: a member or supporter of a
radical Parliamentarian movement during the English Civil War, calling for
religious tolerance, legal equality, a universal male vote, and the abolition
of the monarchy. The movement was later suppressed by Cromwell.[1]



leveller

leveller
lev·el·ler
noun

See
leveler[1]



leveloff

leveloff
level
off
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  lev·el
off
or lev·el out fly level with the ground:
to make an aircraft fly level with the ground, especially after climbing or
descending • We
passed through the clouds and eventually leveled off at about 10,000 feet.

2.  become
steady:
to reach a level and become stable and unchanging • Stock
prices seem to have leveled off.

[1]



lever

lever
lev·er 
[lévvər, lvər]
noun (plural lev·ers)

1.  rigid
bar used for leverage: a rigid bar that pivots
about a point ( fulcrum ) and is used to
move or lift a load at one end by applying force to the other end

2.  device
or machine:
a mechanical device or machine that operates using leverage

3.  way
of achieving something: a device, tactic, or
situation that can be used to advantage
transitive
verb
(past lev·ered, past participle lev·ered, present
participle lev·er·ing, 3rd person present singular lev·ers)

move with a lever:
to move something using a lever
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman, literally “something that raises,” from Old French lever
“to rise or raise,” from Latin levare, from levis “light” (source
of English levity ).][1]



leverage

leverage
lev·er·age 
[lévvərij] noun

1.  action
of a lever:
the action of a lever pivoting about a point

2.  mechanical
advantage:
the mechanical advantage gained by using a lever

3.  power
to get things done: power over other people,
especially something that gives an advantage but is not referred to openly • He
uses the leverage his age gives him with the more junior employees.

4.  FINANCE borrowing
of money to purchase company: the borrowing of money to
purchase a company, relying on it to make enough profit to cover the interest
payable on the loan

5.  FINANCE proportion
of capital as debt: the ratio of a company’s
debt capital to the value of its ordinary shares.
U.K.
term
gearing
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lev·er·aged,
past participle lev·er·aged, present participle lev·er·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular lev·er·ag·es)

FINANCE borrow
money hoping to make more: to borrow money in order to
buy a company, relying on it to make enough profit to cover the interest
payable on the loan

[1]



leveragedbuyout

leveragedbuyout
lev·er·aged
buy·out 
(plural lev·er·aged buy·outs) noun

way of buying a commercial
company: a takeover strategy in which
a controlling proportion of a company’s shares is bought using borrowed money,
the collateral for which is assets belonging to the purchased company[1]



LeVerendrye, Sieur Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de

LeVerendrye, Sieur Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de
Le
Ver·en·drye
[lə vèrraaN drée], Sieur Pierre Gaultier de
Varennes de (1685–1749)

Canadian explorer and fur
trader. He explored and established forts in western Canada and the United
States from 1731.[1]



leveret

leveret
lev·er·et 
[lévvərət] (plural lev·er·ets)
noun

young
hare:
a young hare, especially one less than a year old
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman, literally “little hare,” from levre “hare,” from Latin lepus
.][1]



Levesque,Rene

Levesque,Rene
Le·vesque
[lə vék], Rene (1922– )

Canadian journalist and
political leader. He founded the Parti Québecois (1968), whose primary goal is
Quebec’s sovereignty, and became prime minister of the province (1976–1985).[1]



Levi

Levi
Le·vi 
[lv ī] noun

patriarch in the Bible:
in the Bible, the third son of Jacob and patriarch of the house of Levi
(Genesis 29:34)[1]



leviable

leviable
lev·i·a·ble 
[lévvee əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be taxed: able to have a tax imposed

2.  able
to be levied: capable of being levied

[1]



leviathan

leviathan
le·vi·a·than 
[lə v əthən] (plural le·vi·a·thans)
noun

1.  Le·vi·a·than
or le·vi·a·than monster:
in the Bible, a large beast or sea monster

2.  something
huge:
something extremely large and powerful in comparison with others of its kind

3.  whale:
a whale or other large sea animal (literary) • A
leviathan from the icy deeps crashed ashore one night.
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Hebrew liwyāān .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Leviathan, a treatise by English
  philosopher Thomas Hobbes ( 1651 ). Hobbes’s major work is a defense of the
  principle of absolute monarchy. It argues that human beings can only live in
  peace if they agree to subject themselves to a single, absolute ruler. Since
  this ruler should be answerable only to God, the church too must be subject
  to civil authority.

[1]



levigate

levigate
lev·i·gate 
[lévvi gàyt] (past lev·i·gat·ed,
past participle lev·i·gat·ed, present participle lev·i·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular lev·i·gates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
grind
mineral into powder: to grind a mineral into a
fine powder with water, forming a smooth paste or slurry

2.  transitive
verb
separate
particles in liquid: to separate fine particles
from coarser ones by suspending them in a liquid

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb form a
mixture:
to form a smooth uniform liquid mixture, for example, a paste or gel
[15th
century. From Latin levigat-, the past participle stem of levigare
“to polish or make smooth.”]
—lev·i·ga·tion [lèvvi gáysh’n], noun[1]



Levi-Montalcini,Rita

Levi-Montalcini,Rita
Le·vi-Mont·al·ci·ni
[làyvee mónt’l chnee], Rita (1901– )

Italian-born U.S.
neurobiologist. She shared a Nobel Prize (1986) for research into growth factor
in human development.[1]



Levine,James Lawrence

Levine,James Lawrence
Le·vine
[lə vn], James Lawrence (1943– )

U.S. pianist and conductor.
He was made principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City
(1973), and later became its artistic director (1986).[1]



levirate

levirate
lev·i·rate 
[lévvərət, lévvə
ràyt, lvərət] noun

system
of remarrying within a family: the practice or
requirement of marriage of a widow to the brother of her deceased husband. This
custom was practiced in ancient Jewish society and is common in parts of Africa
today.
[Early
18th century. From Latin levir “husband’s brother.”]
—lev·i·rat·ic [lèvvə ráttik, lvə
ráttik], adjective[1]



Levit.

Levit.
Levit.

Abbreviation of
Leviticus[1]



levitate

levitate
lev·i·tate 
[lévvi tàyt] (past lev·i·tat·ed,
past participle lev·i·tat·ed, present participle lev·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular lev·i·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise
in the air:
to rise and float in the air, or make something rise and float in the air,
seemingly in defiance of gravity

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE support
a patient on air: to support a patient on a cushion of air
during treatment for severe burns
[Late
17th century. From Latin levis “light,” modeled on gravitate .
Originally “to make light.”]
—lev·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



levitation

levitation
lev·i·ta·tion 
[lèvvi táysh’n] noun

suspension
of something in the air: the act of rising into or
floating something in the air without visible means of support
—lev·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



Levite

Levite
Le·vite 
[l vt] (plural Le·vites) noun

member
of a priestly Hebrew tribe: a member of the tribe of
Levi, chosen to assist the priests of the Temple. The Levites were descended
from Jacob’s son Levi and constituted one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
[14th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin levita from Greek levitēs, named for Levi
“Levi.”][1]



Levitical

Levitical
Le·vit·i·cal 
[lə víttik’l] adjective

1.  of
the Levites: belonging or relating to the Levites

2.  of
the book of Leviticus: relating to the book of
Leviticus, especially those portions containing laws relating to ritual or
moral precepts

[1]



Leviticus

Leviticus
Le·vit·i·cus 
[lə víttikəss] noun

third
book of the Bible: a book of the Bible, the
third book of the Pentateuch, containing the priestly tradition of the Levites.
It continues from the end of the book of Exodus and is traditionally attributed
to Moses.
[14th century. From late
Latin, literally “of the Levites,” ultimately from Greek levitēs (see Levite ).][1]



Levittown

Levittown
Lev·it·town 
[lévit tòwn]

1.  town
in Nassau County, New York, situated on Long Island. Population: 53,286 (1990)

2.  town
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Population: 55,362 (1990)

[1]



levity

levity
lev·i·ty 
[lévvətee] noun

1.  flippancy:
remarks or behavior intended to be amusing, especially when they are out of
keeping with a serious occasion

2.  buoyancy:
lightness in weight (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
levitas, from levis “light.”][1]



levo

levo
le·vo 
[l vò] adjective

See
levorotatory
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



levo-

levo-
levo-
prefix

1.  leftward,
counterclockwise • levorotation

2.  levorotatory
• levulose
[Via French lévo- from
Latin laevus “left”][1]



levodopa

levodopa
le·vo·do·pa 
[lvə dṓpə, lèvvə
dṓpə] noun

Full
form of
L-dopa
[Late 20th century. Coined
from levo- + dopa
(see L-dopa ).][1]



levorotation

levorotation
le·vo·ro·ta·tion 
[lvə rō táysh’n] noun

counterclockwise rotation:
a rotation to the left or counterclockwise, especially of the plane of
polarized light[1]



levorotatory

levorotatory
le·vo·ro·ta·to·ry 
[lvə rṓtə tàwree] adjective

1.  with
counterclockwise motion: turning or circling in a
counterclockwise direction or to the left

2.  turning
polarized light counterclockwise: turning the plane of
polarized light in a counterclockwise direction

[1]



levulose

levulose
lev·u·lose 
[lévvyə lòss, lévvyə
lòz] noun

See
fructose
[Late 19th century. Coined
from levo- + -ule
+ -ose .][1]



levy

levy
lev·y 
[lévvee] verb (past lev·ied,
past participle lev·ied, present participle lev·y·ing,
3rd person present singular lev·ies)

1.  transitive
verb
POLITICS impose
a tax:
to use government authority to impose or collect a tax

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY raise
an army:
to enlist troops for military service, often by force

3.  transitive
verb
declare
war:
to declare war on somebody

4.  intransitive
verb
LAW seize
property to fulfill a judgment: to seize property in
accordance with a legal ruling
noun
(plural lev·ies)

1.  tax:
money raised under government authority

2.  the
raising of tax: the act of collecting taxes under
government authority

3.  MILITARY army:
a group of soldiers drafted under government authority

4.  MILITARY conscription:
the act of drafting soldiers under government authority
[15th
century. From French lever “to raise or rise,” from Latin levare
(see lever ).]
—lev·i·er, noun[1]



lewd

lewd
lewd 
[lood] (comparative lewd·er, superlative
lewd·est) adjective

indecent:
showing an inordinate interest in sex or sexual excitement (disapproving)
[Old
English læw(e)de “lay, not in holy orders,” of unknown origin. The
current sense evolved via Middle English meanings “not educated, ignorant” and
“crude, vulgar, vile.”]
—lewd·ly,
adverb

—lewd·ness, noun[1]



Lewin,Kurt

Lewin,Kurt
Lew·in
[l in], Kurt (1890–1947)

German-born U.S.
psychologist. He pioneered research in behavior, personality, and group
dynamics.[1]



lewis

lewis

lew·is
[l iss] (plural lew·is·es) noun
device
for lifting stone: an iron attachment
consisting of linked pieces that fit into a dovetailed opening in a stone, used
to grip heavy stones before lifting them.
Also
called
lewisson
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French lous, plural of lou(p) “kind of
siege engine,” literally “wolf,” from Latin lupus (see lupus ).][1]



Lewisacid

Lewisacid
Lew·is
ac·id
(plural Lew·is ac·ids) noun

substance
forming a covalent bond: a substance that can accept
a pair of electrons from a base to form a covalent bond
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Gilbert Newton Lewis, who introduced the concept.][1]



Lewis,Carl

Lewis,Carl

Lew·is 
[l iss], Carl (1961– )
U.S. athlete. He won nine Olympic gold
medals for 100- and 200-meter races and the long jump between 1984 and 1996.[1]



Lewis,C. S.

Lewis,C. S.
Lew·is 
[l iss], C. S. (1898–1963)

Irish-born
British critic, scholar, and novelist. He wrote books on moral and religious
issues, for example, The Screwtape Letters ( 1942 ), and a children’s
book series known as The Chronicles of Narnia ( 1950–1956 ).
Full name
Lewis, Clive Staples[1]



Lewis,Gilbert Newton

Lewis,Gilbert Newton
Lew·is 
[l iss], Gilbert Newton (1875–1946)

U.S. chemist. He was noted
for his research in chemical energy and for his pioneering methods.[1]



Lewisgun

Lewisgun
Lew·is
gun
(plural Lew·is guns) noun

early
machine gun: a gas-powered machine gun with a
circular magazine, first used in World War I
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. soldier Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis (1858–1931), who
invented it.][1]



lewisite

lewisite
lew·is·ite 
[l i st] noun

poisonous
substance used in chemical warfare: a
colorless or brownish oily poisonous liquid used in gaseous form in chemical
warfare during World War I. C2H2AsCl3
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. chemist Winford Lee Lewis (1878–1943), who developed it.][1]



Lewis,Jerry

Lewis,Jerry
Lew·is 
[l iss], Jerry (1926– )

U.S.
actor, screenwriter, movie director, and movie producer. He formed a comic duo
with Dean Martin, with whom he made 18 movies, and later starred in his own
movies.
Real name
Levitch, Joseph[1]



Lewis,Meriwether

Lewis,Meriwether
Lew·is 
[l iss], Meriwether (1774–1809)

U.S. explorer. With William
Clark he explored territory between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean
(1804–1806).[1]



Lewis,Sinclair

Lewis,Sinclair

Lew·is 
[l iss], Sinclair (1885–1951)
U.S.
novelist. The author of Babbitt ( 1922 ) and other novels that pillory
middle-class life in the United States, he won a Nobel Prize in literature
(1930).
Full name
Lewis, Harry Sinclair[1]



lewisson

lewisson
lew·is·son 
[l əss’n] (plural lew·is·sons)
noun

See
lewis[1]



Lewiston

Lewiston
Lew·is·ton 
[l istən]

1.  city
in northwestern Idaho, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River near
Washington State. Population: 30,271 (1996)

2.  city
in southwestern Maine, on the eastern bank of the Androscoggin River across
from Auburn. Population: 36,830 (1996)

[1]



lex

lex
lex 
[leks] (plural le·ges [l jz]) noun

laws:
a named law or set of laws (formal)
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “law.”][1]



lex.

lex.
lex.

Abbreviation of
lexicon[1]



lexeme

lexeme
lex·eme 
[lék sm] (plural lex·emes) noun

unit
of vocabulary: a fundamental unit of the vocabulary of
a language, for example, “make,” which may exist in a number of different
forms, for example, “make, makes, making, maker, made”
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from lexicon + -eme
.][1]



lexica

lexica
lex·i·ca


Plural of
lexicon[1]



lexical

lexical
lex·i·cal 
[léksik’l] adjective

1.  of
words:
relating to the individual words that make up the vocabulary of a language

2.  of
a lexicon:
relating to a lexicon or lexicography
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek lexikos (see lexicon
).]
—lex·i·cal·i·ty
[lèksi kállətee], noun

—lex·i·cal·ly [léksikəlee], adverb[1]



lexicalization

lexicalization
lex·i·cal·i·za·tion
[lèksik’li záysh’n] noun

1.  making
a word from existing words: the creation of a single
word out of existing words, usually in order to express something previously
conveyed by several words or a phrase, for example, “shoplifting”

2.  word
formed from existing words: a single word created by
lexicalization

[1]



lexicalize

lexicalize
lex·i·cal·ize
[léksik’l z] (past lex·i·cal·ized,
past participle lex·i·cal·ized, present participle lex·i·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular lex·i·cal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

form a word from existing
words: to form a single word or be
formed as a single word from existing words in order to express something
previously conveyed by several words or a phrase, for example, “shoplifting”[1]



lexicalmeaning

lexicalmeaning
lex·i·cal
mean·ing
(plural lex·i·cal mean·ings) noun

dictionary meaning of a word:
the meaning of the base word in the set of inflected forms ( paradigm ). In the paradigm “throw, throws,
throwing, threw, thrown,” the lexical meaning is “throw.”[1]



lexicog.

lexicog.
lexicog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
lexicography

2.  Abbreviation
of
lexicographic

[1]



lexicography

lexicography
lex·i·cog·ra·phy 
[lèksi kóggrəfee] noun

writing
of dictionaries: the writing and editing of dictionaries
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Greek lexikos (see lexicon
) + -graphy .]
—lex·i·cog·ra·pher,
noun

—lex·i·co·graph·ic
[lèksikə gráffik], adjective

—lex·i·co·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



lexicology

lexicology
lex·i·col·o·gy 
[lèksi kólləjee] noun

study
of word meanings and origins: the branch of linguistics
dealing with the use and meanings of words and the relationships between items
of vocabulary
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek lexikos (see lexicon
) + -logy .]
—lex·i·co·log·i·cal
[lèksikə lójjik’l], adjective

—lex·i·co·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—lex·i·col·o·gist [lèksə kólləjist], noun[1]



lexicon

lexicon
lex·i·con 
[léksəkən, léksə
kòn] (plural lex·i·cons or lex·i·ca [léksikə]) noun

1.  dictionary:
a reference book with an alphabetized listing of words and their meanings,
especially one dealing with an ancient language

2.  vocabulary:
the entire stock of words belonging to a branch of knowledge or known by
somebody
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek lexikon, literally “of words,” from, ultimately,
lexis “word,” from legein “to speak.”][1]



lexigraphy

lexigraphy
lex·i·gra·phy
[lek síggrəfee] noun

writing
system:
a system of writing in which each character stands for a word
[Early 19th century. From
Greek lexis (see lexicon ) + -graphy .][1]



Lexington

Lexington
Lex·ing·ton 
[léksingtən]

1.  city
in Fayette County, in northern central Kentucky. The surrounding area is a
leading world center for horse breeding and sales. Population: 225,366 (1990)

2.  town
in northeastern Massachusetts, northwest of Boston. It is the site of the first
battle of the Revolution in 1775 . Population: 29,484 (1996)

[1]



lexis

lexis
lex·is 
[léksiss] noun

vocabulary:
the entire stock of words in a language
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
(see lexicon ).][1]



lextalionis

lextalionis
lex
ta·li·o·nis 
[lèks tállee əniss] noun

law
of retaliation or revenge: the legal principle that
proscribes retaliating in kind for crimes committed
[From Latin, literally “law
of retaliation”][1]



ley

ley
ley 
[lay, lee]
(plural leys) noun

1.  See
lea

2.  AGRICULTURE land
put down to grass: an area of arable land
temporarily put down to grass

3.  very
old path:
any of many ancient paths in Britain that led from hilltop to hilltop and
touched on water sources and places of worship

[1]



Leydenjar

Leydenjar
Ley·den
jar
[ld’n jàar] (plural Ley·den jars)
noun

electrical
capacitor:
an early device for condensing static electricity consisting of a glass jar
coated inside and outside with metal foil and with a conducting rod passing
through an insulated stopper
[Mid-18th century. From Leyden,
former spelling of Leiden, where it was invented.][1]



leyline

leyline
ley
line
(plural ley lines) noun

line linking ancient
landmarks: in the United Kingdom, a
straight line linking ancient landmarks and places of worship, believed to
follow the course of former routes and popularly associated with mystical
phenomena[1]



Lezghian

Lezghian
Lez·ghi·an
[lézgee ən] noun

language
spoken near the Caspian Sea: a language spoken in an area
around the Caspian Sea belonging to the Dagestanian branch of Caucasian
languages. Lezghian is spoken by about 300,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Russian Lezgin .]
—Lez·ghi·an, adjective[1]



León

León
Le·ón
[lay ón]

1.  city
and capital of León Province, in the Castile-Léon autonomous region of
northwestern Spain. Population: 147,780 (1995)

2.  industrial
city in central Mexico, founded in 1576. Population: 758,279 (1990)

[1]



LF

LF
LF

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of left field

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of left fielder

3.  RADIO Abbreviation of low frequency

[1]



lf

lf
lf

1.  Abbreviation
of
light face

2.  Abbreviation
of
low frequency

[1]



L-form

L-form
L-form
noun

type
of bacterium: a bacterium that lacks cell walls
[L from the Lister
Institute in London, England, where it was first isolated][1]



lg.

lg.
lg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
large

2.  Abbreviation
of
long

[1]



LG

LG
LG

Abbreviation of
Low German[1]



l.h.

l.h.
l.h.

Abbreviation of
left hand[1]



LH

LH
LH

Abbreviation of
luteinizing hormone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lhasa

Lhasa
Lha·sa 
[lssè, lássə]

city and capital of the
autonomous region of Tibet, southwestern China. Population: 106,885 (1990)[1]



Lhasaapso

Lhasaapso
Lha·sa
ap·so 
(plural Lha·sa ap·sos) noun

long-haired
Tibetan dog: a small dog of a Tibetan breed with a
long straight coat, hair that falls heavily over the eyes, and a fluffy tail
that curls over the back
[Early 20th century. From Lhasa + Apso, the Tibetan name of the
breed.][1]



LHD

LHD
LHD

Abbreviation of
Litterarum Humaniorum Doctor[1]



lherzolite

lherzolite
lher·zo·lite
[lúrzə lt] noun

rock containing iron and
magnesium: a coarse-grained rock
containing minerals high in iron and magnesium that is believed to originate in
the Earth’s mantle[1]



LHRH

LHRH
LHRH

Abbreviation of
luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone[1]



L.I.

L.I.
L.I.

Abbreviation of
Long Island[1]



Li

Li
Li

Symbol for
lithium[1]



li

li2
li2 [lee]
(plural li) noun

Chinese
measurement: a traditional Chinese unit of distance,
now standardized at 500 m/547 yd
[Late 16th century. From
Chinese l&icaron; .][1]



li

li1
li1

Abbreviation of
link[1]



liability

liability
li·a·bil·i·ty 
[l ə bíllətee] noun (plural li·a·bil·i·ties)

1.  LAW obligation
under the law: legal responsibility for something,
especially costs or damages

2.  debt:
anything for which somebody is responsible, especially a debt

3.  disadvantage:
something that holds somebody back or causes trouble

4.  somebody
who is a burden: somebody who prevents a successful
outcome or causes social embarrassment

5.  likelihood
of something: likelihood or probability of something
happening
plural
noun
li·a·bil·i·ties

ACCOUNTING money
owed:
all debts and other financial obligations that appear on a balance sheet

[1]



liable

liable
li·a·ble 
[l əb’l] adjective

1.  LAW responsible:
having legal responsibility for something, especially costs or damages

2.  likely:
likely to experience or do something, often something unpleasant or hazardous
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from French lier (see liaison ).][1]



liaise

liaise
li·aise 
[lee áyz] (past li·aised, past
participle li·aised, present participle li·ais·ing, 3rd
person present singular li·ais·es) intransitive verb

cooperate
closely with somebody: to establish or maintain
close cooperation with somebody
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from liaison (originally
military slang).][1]



liaison

liaison
li·ai·son 
[l ay zòn, lee
áy zòn] (plural li·ai·sons) noun

1.  coordination:
the exchange of information or the planning of joint efforts by separate groups
or individuals, often of military units

2.  coordinator:
somebody who is responsible for maintaining communication between one group or
office and another

3.  unmarried
love affair: a romantic and sexual relationship
between people who are not married to each other

4.  LINGUISTICS pronounced
consonant linking two words: in spoken French, the
pronunciation of the usually silent final consonant of a word when it is
followed by another word beginning with a vowel

5.  FOOD something
used to thicken a liquid: a thickening agent such as
egg yolks or flour used in soups and sauces
[Mid-17th century. From
French, formed from lier “to bind,” from Latin ligare (source of
English ligature ).][1]



liana

liana
li·an·a 
[lee nə, lee
ánnə] (plural li·an·as) or li·ane [lee áan, lee án]
(plural li·anes) noun

climbing
vine:
a woody climbing tropical vine
[Late
18th century. From French liane, originally “clematis” of uncertain
origin: perhaps formed from lier (see liaison
).]
—li·a·noid [lee  nòyd, lee á nòyd],
adjective[1]



Liao

Liao
Liao 
[lyow]

river in northeastern China.
Length: 1,125 km/700 mi.[1]



Liaoning

Liaoning
Liao·ning 
[lyòw níng]

province in the historic
region of Manchuria, northeastern China. Shenyang is the capital. Population:
40,670,000 (1994) Area: 151,000 sq km/58,300 sq mi.[1]



Liaoyang

Liaoyang
Liao·yang 
[l ow yng] or Liao-yang [l ow yng]

city in Liaoning Province,
northeastern China, situated 56 km/35 mi south of Shenyang. Population: 492,559
(1990)[1]



LiaquatAli Khan

LiaquatAli Khan
Li·a·quat
A·li Khan
[lee ə kwt aallee kn] (1895–1951)

Pakistani statesman. The
first prime minister of Pakistan (1947–1951), he was assassinated while in
office.[1]



liar

liar
li·ar 
[līr] (plural li·ars) noun

teller of lies:
somebody who tells lies[1]



liard

liard
li·ard 
[lee rd, lee r]
noun

small
old European coin: a coin of small value
formerly used in various European countries, including France
[Mid-16th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



Liard

Liard
Li·ard 
[l ərd]

river of western Canada,
rising in the Yukon Territory and flowing through British Columbia and the
Northwest Territories, where it joins the Mackenzie River. Length: 1,115 km/700
mi.[1]



Liassic

Liassic
Li·as·sic 
[lī ássik] adjective

of
a division of the Jurassic: belonging to or dating from
the oldest division of the European Jurassic period, noted for its fossils of
dinosaurs
[Mid-19th century. From
French liassique, from Lias “series of strata forming the lowest
division of the Jurassic system,” from Old French liais “hard
limestone.”][1]



lib.

lib.
lib.

1.  Abbreviation
of
librarian

2.  Abbreviation
of
library

[1]



lib

lib
lib 
[lib] noun

liberation
movement:
a campaign to extend the rights of an oppressed group (dated informal) (usually
used in combination)
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening.]
—lib·ber, noun[1]



Lib.

Lib.
Lib.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Liberal

2.  Abbreviation
of
Liberalism

[1]



libation

libation
li·ba·tion 
[lī báysh’n] (plural li·ba·tions)
noun

1.  RELIGION pouring
of liquid as a religious offering: the pouring out of a
liquid such as wine or oil as a sacrifice to a god or in honor of a dead person

2.  RELIGION something
poured out as a sacrifice: a liquid such as wine or oil
poured out as a religious offering

3.  alcoholic
drink:
an alcoholic drink (humorous)
[14th
century. From the Latin stem libation-, from libare “to pour
out.”]
—li·ba·tion·al, adjective[1]



Libby,Willard Frank

Libby,Willard Frank
Lib·by
[líbbee], Willard Frank (1908–1980)

U.S. chemist. He received the
Nobel Prize in chemistry (1960) for his discovery of radiocarbon dating.[1]



libel

libel
li·bel 
[lb’l] noun (plural li·bels)

1.  LAW defamation:
a false and malicious published statement that damages somebody’s reputation.
Libel can include pictures and any other representations that have public or
permanent form.

2.  attacking
somebody’s reputation: the making of false and
damaging statements about somebody

3.  LAW written
statement:
the plaintiff’s written statement in a case under admiralty law or in an
ecclesiastical court
transitive
verb
(past li·beled, past participle li·beled, present
participle li·bel·ing, 3rd person present singular li·bels)

1.  defame:
to publish false and malicious statements that damage somebody’s reputation

2.  attack:
to give a false and damaging account of somebody

3.  LAW bring
a suit for libel: to bring a suit for libel against
somebody under Admiralty law or in an ecclesiastical court
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin libellus “little book,” diminutive of
liber (see library ). Originally
“written declaration,” later “something setting out the grounds for a
lawsuit.”]
—li·bel·ant,
noun

—li·bel·ee
[lbə l], noun

—li·bel·er,
noun

—li·bel·ist
[lb’list], noun

—li·bel·ous,
adjective

—li·bel·ous·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at malign

[1]



Liberace

Liberace
Lib·er·a·ce
[lìbbər chee] (1919–1987)

U.S.
entertainer. A performer of popular piano pieces, he was distinguished by his
flamboyant attire and lavish presentations.
Real name
Liberace, Wladziu Valentino[1]



liberal

liberal
lib·er·al 
[líbbərəl, líbbrəl]
adjective

1.  broad-minded:
tolerant of different views and standards of behavior in others

2.  POLITICS progressive
politically or socially: favoring gradual reform,
especially political reforms that extend democracy, distribute wealth more
evenly, and protect the personal freedom of the individual

3.  generous:
generous with money, time, or some other asset • My
great-aunt was liberal in her bequests.

4.  generous
in quantity: large in size or amount • a
liberal helping

5.  LANGUAGE not
literal:
not limited to the literal meaning in translation or interpretation

6.  ARTS culturally
oriented:
concerned with general cultural matters and broadening of the mind rather than
professional or technical study • a
liberal education

7.  HISTORY of
political liberalism: relating to a political
ideology of liberalism
noun
(plural lib·er·als)

liberal person:
somebody who favors tolerance or reform
[14th
century. Via French from Latin liberalis, from liber “free”
(source of English liberty ). The
underlying sense is “suitable for a free (later wellbred) person.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at generous

[1]



Liberal

Liberal
Lib·er·al
adjective

of
a Liberal Party: supporting, belonging to, or associated
with a Liberal Party, for example, in the United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia
noun
(plural Lib·er·als)

member of a Liberal Party:
somebody who is a member of or supports a Liberal Party, for example, in the
United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia[1]



liberalarts

liberalarts
lib·er·al
arts
plural noun

1.  education
in culturally oriented subjects: college and university
subjects that are intended to provide students with general cultural knowledge,
for example, languages, literature, history, and philosophy

2.  medieval
education:
the medieval studies known as the trivium and quadrivium

[1]



liberaldemocracy

liberaldemocracy
lib·er·al
de·moc·ra·cy noun

modern Western political
system: a political system that has
free elections, a multiplicity of political parties, political decision made
through an independent legislature, and an independent judiciary, with a state
monopoly on law enforcement[1]



liberalism

liberalism
lib·er·al·ism 
[líbbərə lìzzəm, líbbrə
lìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS progressive
views:
a belief in tolerance and gradual reform in moral, religious, or political
matters

2.  POLITICS political
theory stressing individualism: a political ideology
with its beginnings in western Europe that rejects authoritarian government and
defends freedom of speech, association, and religion, and the right to own
property

3.  ECONOMICS free-market
economics:
an economic theory in favor of free competition and minimal government
regulation

4.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
theological movement: a movement in modern
Protestantism stressing intellectual freedom and the moral content of
Christianity over the doctrines of traditional theology
—lib·er·al·ist,
noun

—lib·er·al·is·tic [lìbbərə lístik, lìbbrə
lístik], adjective[1]



liberality

liberality
lib·er·al·i·ty 
[lìbbə rállətee] noun
Also
called
liberalness

1.  generosity:
generous provision of money, time, or some other asset

2.  largeness:
largeness in size or amount

3.  broad-mindedness:
tolerance of different views and standards of behavior in others

[1]



liberalize

liberalize
lib·er·al·ize 
[líbbərə lz, líbbrə
lz] (past lib·er·al·ized, past participle lib·er·al·ized,
present participle lib·er·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular lib·er·al·iz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

reform:
to reform and become less strict, or reform something and make it less strict
—lib·er·al·i·za·tion
[lìbbərəli záysh’n, lìbbrəli
záysh’n], noun

—lib·er·al·iz·er [líbbərə lzər, líbbrə
lzər], noun[1]



liberally

liberally
lib·er·al·ly
[líbbərəlee, líbbrəlee]
adverb

1.  generously:
giving money, time, or some other asset with generosity

2.  in
large amounts: in large quantities or amounts

[1]



liberalness

liberalness
lib·er·al·ness
[líbbərəlnəss, líbbrəlnəss]
noun

See
liberality[1]



LiberalParty

LiberalParty
Lib·er·al
Par·ty
noun

1.  former
U.K. political party: one of the main British
political parties that evolved from the Whigs and eventually merged with the
Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the Social and Liberal Democratic
Party. The Social and Liberal Democrats later became known as the Liberal Democrats.

2.  Canada
major
Canadian political party: a major Canadian political
party at both the national and provincial levels that first came to power
nationally in 1873

[1]



liberate

liberate
lib·er·ate 
[líbbə ràyt] (past lib·er·at·ed,
past participle lib·er·at·ed, present participle lib·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular lib·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  set
somebody free physically: to release an individual,
group, population, or country from political or military control or from any
severe physical constraint

2.  release
somebody from social stereotyping: to set somebody free
from traditional socially imposed constraints such as those arising from
stereotyping by gender or age

3.  steal:
to steal something (informal)

4.  CHEMISTRY release
gas during a chemical reaction: to free something such
as a gas from combination in a chemical compound during a chemical reaction
[Late 16th century. From
Latin liberare, from liber “free.”][1]



liberatingly

liberatingly
lib·er·at·ing·ly
[líbbə ràytinglee] adverb

so as to produce liberation:
in such a way as to induce a feeling of liberation, especially from traditional
socially imposed constraints such as those arising from stereotyping by age or
gender[1]



liberation

liberation
lib·er·a·tion 
[lìbbə ráysh’n] noun

1.  being
set free:
the process or state of being liberated • When
I left that job, I had a tremendous feeling of liberation.

2.  release
from social stereotyping: gaining equal rights for a
particular group by setting its members free from traditional socially imposed
constraints such as those arising from sexual or ageist stereotyping • My
career wouldn’t have been possible without women’s liberation.
—lib·er·a·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



liberationtheology

liberationtheology
lib·er·a·tion
the·ol·o·gy
noun

Catholic
movement championing the oppressed: a
movement in Roman Catholic religious teaching that argues that the Church
should work actively to combat social, political, and economic oppression. The
movement is international but especially active in Latin America and bases its
case on Jesus Christ’s ministry to the poor and outcast in society.
—lib·er·a·tion
the·o·lo·gi·an, noun[1]



liberator

liberator
lib·er·a·tor
[líbbə ràytər] (plural lib·er·a·tors)
noun

somebody who liberates
others: somebody who sets others
free[1]



Liberia

Liberia



Li·be·ri·a 
[lī bree ə]
republic
in western Africa, on the North Atlantic Ocean. Language: English. Currency:
Liberian dollar. Capital: Monrovia. Population: 2,602,068 (1997) Area: 99,067
sq km/38,250 sq mi. Official name Republic of Liberia
—Li·ber·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



Liberia




Back to definition

Liberia

[1]



libertarian

libertarian
lib·er·tar·i·an 
[lìbbər táiree ən] (plural lib·er·tar·i·ans)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY advocate
of individual responsibility: somebody who believes in the
doctrine of free will

2.  POLITICS advocate
of individual freedom: somebody who believes that
people should have complete freedom of thought and action and should not be
subject to the authority of the state
[Late
18th century. Formed from liberty, modeled
on words such as unitarian .]
—lib·er·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



libertine

libertine
lib·er·tine 
[líbbər tn] (plural lib·er·tines)
noun

philanderer:
somebody, usually a man, who indulges in pleasures that are considered immoral
and who has sexual relationships with many people
[14th
century. From Latin libertinus, from libertus “somebody freed
from slavery,” from liber “free.” The underlying sense is of somebody
unrestrained.]
—lib·er·tin·age,
noun

—lib·er·tin·ism, noun[1]



liberty

liberty
lib·er·ty 
[líbbərtee] (plural lib·er·ties)
noun

1.  right
to choose:
the freedom to think or act without being constrained by necessity or force

2.  freedom:
freedom from captivity or slavery

3.  POLITICS basic
right:
any of the political, social, and economic rights that belong to the citizens
of a state or to all people (often used in the plural)
See
also
civil liberties

4.  breach
of etiquette: an action or remark that violates the
polite distance usually left between individuals and that may strike the person
at whom it is directed as insultingly familiar
[14th
century. Via French liberté from Latin libertas, from liber
“free.”]
at
liberty

1.  free
or freed after a period of imprisonment or other constraint

2.  free
or allowed to do something

take
liberties with

1.  behave
inappropriately toward somebody, especially by way of excessive familiarity or
sometimes sexual harassment

2.  to
be deliberately inaccurate when dealing with facts (disapproving)

take
the liberty

be
bold enough to do something, sometimes without permission





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Liberty
  Leading the People, a painting by French artist Eugène Delacroix ( 1830 ).
  Inspired by a scene witnessed by Delacroix during the 1830 uprisings in
  Paris, this mixture of allegory and realism shows a young woman leading a
  ragged band of rebels over razed barricades. Delacroix’s declaration of
  solidarity with the revolutionary cause, it is also a powerful symbol of
  freedom and the struggle against oppression. The painting is sometimes called
  Liberty on the Barricades .









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  On
  Liberty, an essay by English philosopher John Stuart Mill ( 1859 ). A work
  that has inspired civil libertarians around the world, it examines the
  relationship between the rights of the individual and the power of the state.
  Mill argues for freedom of thought and expression, asserting that the only
  valid restrictions on the rights of individuals are those that protect the
  rights of others.

[1]



libertycap

libertycap
lib·er·ty
cap
(plural lib·er·ty caps) noun

hat symbolizing revolutionary
sentiments: a soft cone-shaped cap
fitting tightly on the head and falling to one side, worn as a symbol of
freedom by French revolutionaries and in the United States before 1800. It was
first worn in ancient Rome, where it was given to people who were set free from
slavery.
Also called
Phrygian cap[1]



LibertyIsland

LibertyIsland
Lib·er·ty
Is·land

island in New York Bay,
southeastern New York. It is the site of the Statue of Liberty. Area: 5
hectares/12 acres. Formerly Bedloe’s Island until 1956[1]



libertypole

libertypole
lib·er·ty
pole
(plural lib·er·ty poles) noun

revolutionary symbol:
a tall flagpole to the top of which a liberty cap or the flag of a new republic
is attached[1]



libertyship

libertyship
lib·er·ty
ship
(plural lib·er·ty ships) noun

cargo ship from World War II:
a type of cargo ship mass-produced in the United States during World War II[1]



libidinous

libidinous
li·bid·i·nous 
[li bídd’nəss] adjective

expressing
sexual desire: having or expressing strong sexual
desires (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin libidinosus, from libido “desire, lust.”]
—li·bid·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—li·bid·i·nous·ness, noun[1]



libido

libido
li·bi·do 
[li b d] (plural li·bi·dos) noun

1.  sex
drive:
sexual drive

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS emotions
theoretically linked to sexuality: in some theories, the
psychic and emotional energy in somebody’s psychological makeup that is related
to the basic human instincts, especially the sex drive
[Early
20th century. From Latin, literally “desire, lust.”]
—li·bid·i·nal
[lə bídd’nəl], adjective

—li·bid·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



Libra

Libra
Li·bra 
[lbrə, lbra]
(plural Li·bras) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY constellation
in the southern hemisphere: a small constellation in the
southern hemisphere between Virgo and Scorpio

2.  ZODIAC seventh
sign of the zodiac: the seventh sign of the
zodiac represented by a pair of scales and lasting from approximately September
23 to October 22. Libra is classified as an air sign and its ruling planet is
Venus.
Also
called
Scales
Also
called
Balance

3.  somebody
born under Libra: somebody whose birthday falls between
September 23 and October 22.
Also
called
Libran
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, literally “balance, scales.”]
—Li·bra, adjective[1]



Libran

Libran
Li·bran 
[lbrən, lbrən]
(plural Li·brans) noun

See
Libra  noun 3
—Li·bran, adjective[1]



librarian

librarian
li·brar·i·an 
[lī bráiree ən] (plural li·brar·i·ans)
noun

library
worker:
somebody who works in or is in charge of a library
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin librarius (see library ),
literally “of books,” also “scribe, somebody concerned with books.”][1]



librarianship

librarianship
li·brar·i·an·ship
noun

See
library science[1]



library

library
li·brar·y 
[lb rèrree, lbrəree]
(plural li·brar·ies) noun

1.  place
where books are kept: the room, building, or
institution where a collection of books or other research materials is kept

2.  collection
of things:
a collection of books, newspapers, records, tapes, or other materials that are
valuable for research

3.  COMPUTING collection
of software: a collection of things for use on a
computer, for example, programs or diskettes, or a collection of routines or
instructions used by a computer program
[14th century. Via French librairie
from, ultimately, Latin libraria “bookshop,” literally “of books,” from,
ultimately, liber “book” (literally “inner bark of a tree,” once used as
writing material).][1]



libraryedition

libraryedition
li·brar·y
e·di·tion
(plural li·brar·y e·di·tions) noun

matched set of books:
a set of books, published in a series, that are either by a single author or on
the same subject and are alike in size and format[1]



Libraryof Congress

Libraryof Congress
Li·brar·y
of Con·gress noun

U.S. national library:
the national library of the United States, located in Washington, D.C. and
founded by an Act of Congress in 1800. It contains more than 28 million books
and pamphlets as well as presidential papers, music, photographs, and
recordings.[1]



librarypaste

librarypaste
li·brar·y
paste
(plural li·brar·y pastes) noun

glue for paper:
thick white glue made from starch that is used on paper and lightweight
cardboard[1]



libraryscience

libraryscience
li·brar·y
sci·ence
noun

methods of organizing and
using libraries: the study of libraries
and their administration, including techniques of research and principles of
organization.
U.K. term
librarianship[1]



libration

libration
li·bra·tion 
[lī bráysh’n] (plural li·bra·tions)
noun

oscillation
of an orbit: a real or apparent oscillation in the
orbit of one celestial body as seen from the one around which it orbits,
especially as seen in the Moon from the Earth
[Early
17th century. From the Latin stem libration-, from librare “to
balance,” from libra “balance, scales.”]
—li·brate
[lī bráyt], intransitive verb

—li·bra·tion·al, adjective[1]



libretti

libretti
lib·ret·ti


Plural of
libretto[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








librettist

librettist
li·bret·tist 
[li bréttist] (plural li·bret·tists)
noun

author of an opera’s words:
somebody who writes the words of a dramatic musical work such as an opera or
musical[1]



libretto

libretto
li·bret·to 
[li bré t] (plural li·bret·tos
or li·bret·ti [li bré t]) noun

words
of an opera: the words of a dramatic musical work
such as an opera, including both the spoken and the sung parts
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “little book,” from libro “book,” from Latin liber
(see library ).][1]



Libreville

Libreville
Li·bre·ville 
[lbrə vìl]

city, chief port, and capital
of Gabon, on the Gulf of Guinea. Population: 365,650 (1993)[1]



Librium

Librium
Lib·ri·um
[líbbree əm] Trademark

a trademark for the
long-acting benzodiazepine drug chlordiazepoxide, used to treat anxiety,
alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and sometimes insomnia[1]



Libya

Libya



Lib·y·a 
[líbbee ə]
country in northern Africa, south of the
Mediterranean Sea. It became independent as a kingdom in 1951. Language:
Arabic. Currency: Libyan dinar. Capital: Tripoli. Population: 5,484,202 (1997)
Area: 1,757,000 sq km/678,400 sq mi. Official name Socialist People’s
Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah[1]



Libya




Back to definition

Libya

[1]



Libyan

Libyan
Lib·y·an 
[líbbyən] (plural Lib·y·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Libya:
somebody who was born or raised in Libya, or who is a citizen of Libya

2.  LANGUAGE language
of ancient Libya: an extinct language formerly spoken in
ancient Libya, belonging to the Nilo-Hamitic branch of Nilo-Saharan languages
[15th
century. Formed from Latin Libya “Libya.”]
—Lib·y·an, adjective[1]



LibyanDesert

LibyanDesert
Lib·y·an
Des·ert

desert, the northeastern
section of the Sahara, extending from eastern Libya into southwestern Egypt and
the extreme northwestern part of Sudan[1]



lice

lice
lice


Plural of
louse[1]



licence

licence2
li·cence2  noun

U.K. =
license[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








licence

licence1
li·cence1 [lss’nss]
(plural li·cenc·es) noun

LAW See license
[14th century. Via French
from Latin licentia “freedom,” later “authority, permission,” from licere
“to be allowed.”][1]



license

license
li·cense 
[lss’ns] noun (plural li·cens·es)

1.  permit:
a printed document that gives official permission to a specific person or group
to own something or do something

2.  LAW legal
authorization: official permission to do something,
either from a government or under a law or regulation

3.  chance
to do something: the opportunity to do something,
especially when this goes beyond normal limits • a
license to print money

4.  permission
to bend truth: the freedom of a writer or artist to
rearrange the facts of ordinary life in order to make a more striking effect • artistic
license

5.  lack
of restraint: freedom in behavior or speech that
exceeds what is considered appropriate
transitive
verb
(past li·censed, past participle li·censed, present
participle li·cens·ing, 3rd person present singular li·cens·es)

formally allow:
to give official permission for somebody to do something or for an activity to
take place (often passive) • He was
licensed to practice medicine in the United States.
[14th
century. Via French from Latin licentia “freedom,” later “authority,
permission,” from licere “to be allowed.”]
—li·cens·a·ble,
adjective

—li·cens·er,
noun

—li·cen·sor, noun[1]



licensedpractical nurse

licensedpractical nurse
li·censed
prac·ti·cal nurse  (plural li·censed prac·ti·cal
nurs·es) noun

nurse who gives basic care:
in the United States, a nurse trained to provide routine nursing care but
allowed to perform more complex tasks only under the direction of a registered
nurse or a doctor[1]



licensee

licensee
li·cens·ee 
[lss’n s] (plural li·cens·ees)
noun

somebody authorized to do
something: somebody who has been
granted official permission to do something[1]



licenseplate

licenseplate
li·cense
plate
(plural li·cense plates) noun

vehicle identification:
a thin flat piece of metal showing the registration number of a vehicle,
usually attached just above the front and back bumpers.
U.K. term
numberplate[1]



licensure

licensure
li·cen·sure 
[lss’nshər, lss’n
shr] noun

giving a permit:
the act of granting a license, especially to practice a profession[1]



licentiate

licentiate
li·cen·ti·ate 
[lī sénshee ət] (plural li·cen·ti·ates)
noun

1.  somebody
authorized in a profession: somebody who has been
granted a license to practice a particular profession or teach a particular
skill

2.  qualification
of a licentiate: the qualification awarded to a
licentiate in a specific profession or to teach a specific skill • He
has a licentiate in music.

3.  academic
degree:
a degree awarded by some European universities that ranks one step below that
of a doctorate

4.  somebody
with a licentiate degree: somebody holding the degree
of licentiate

5.  CHRISTIANITY Presbyterian
preacher:
somebody licensed to preach but not perform the sacraments in a Presbyterian
church, usually a trainee minister who has not yet been ordained
[15th century. From medieval
Latin licentiatus, past participle of licentiare “to permit,”
from Latin licentia (see license ).][1]



licentious

licentious
li·cen·tious 
[lī sénshəss] adjective

sexually
immoral:
pursuing desires aggressively and selfishly, unchecked by morality, especially
in sexual matters (formal disapproving)
[15th
century. From Latin licentiosus, from licentia (see license ).]
—li·cen·tious·ly,
adverb

—li·cen·tious·ness, noun[1]



lichee

lichee
li·chee 
noun

See
lychee[1]



lichen

lichen
li·chen 
[lkən] (plural li·chen or
li·chens) noun

plant
growing on rocks: a gray, green, or yellow plant appearing
in often flat patches on rocks and other surfaces that is a complex organism
consisting of fungi and algae growing together in symbiosis
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek leikhēn .]
—li·chened,
adjective

—li·chen·i·form
[lī kénni fàwrm, lkəni
fàwrm], adjective

—li·chen·oid
[lkə nòyd], adjective

—li·chen·ous, adjective[1]



lichenology

lichenology
li·chen·ol·o·gy 
[lkə nólləjee] noun

study
of lichens:
the scientific study of lichens
—li·chen·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



lich-gate

lich-gate
lich-gate
noun

See
lych-gate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lichtenstein,Roy

Lichtenstein,Roy
Lich·ten·stein
[líktən stn], Roy (1923–1997)

U.S. painter, graphic artist,
and sculptor. A major figure in pop art, he is noted for his paintings
featuring enlarged comic-strip images.[1]



licit

licit
lic·it 
[líssit] adjective

lawful:
allowed by law
[15th
century. From Latin licitus, past participle of licere “to be
allowed.”]
—lic·it·ly,
adverb

—lic·it·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at legal

[1]



lick

lick
lick 
[lik] verb (past licked,
past participle licked, present participle lick·ing,
3rd person present singular licks)

1.  transitive
verb
pass
the tongue over something: to move the tongue across
the surface of something, either to wet or clean it or as a way to move
something into the mouth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb brush
against something: to touch or lightly move
against something

3.  transitive
verb
beat
somebody:
to give somebody a physical beating (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
defeat
a competitor: to defeat somebody easily or thoroughly
(informal)
noun
(plural licks)

1.  movement
of the tongue over something: a movement of the tongue
across the surface of something

2.  quickly
applied coating: a quick coat of something, especially
paint • a
lick of paint

3.  bit
of something: a small amount of something (informal)

4.  punch:
a punch or blow (informal)

5.  MUSIC brief
improvisation: a distinctive few notes or short phrase
in pop music or jazz, often improvised (informal)

6.  natural
salt licked by animals: an exposed natural deposit
of salt that animals lick.
Also
called
saltlick

7.  VETERINARY MEDICINE medicinal
block for animals: a block of salt or chemical
material to be licked by domestic animals as medicine
[Old
English liccian, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English lecher]
—lick·er, noun[1]



lickerish

lickerish
lick·er·ish 
[líkərish] or liquorish [líkərish] adjective (archaic)

1.  greedy:
taking an excessive or unfair amount, without concern for the needs of others

2.  lecherous:
continually thinking about sex or trying to make sexual contact with others
[15th century. An alteration
of lickerous, from an Anglo-Norman variant of French lecheros
“lecherous” (see lecherous ).][1]



lickety-split

lickety-split
lick·e·ty-split 
[lìkəti splít] adverb

quickly:
very quickly (informal)
[Lickety is a playful
lengthening of lick][1]



licking

licking
lick·ing 
[líking] (plural lick·ings) noun
(informal)

1.  beating:
a beating or spanking

2.  defeat:
a severe defeat or setback

[1]



lickspittle

lickspittle
lick·spit·tle 
[lík spìtt’l] (plural lick·spit·tles)
noun

U.K.
toady:
somebody who fawns on social superiors or powerful people (literary insult)[1]



licorice

licorice
lic·o·rice
[líkərish] (plural lic·o·rice)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with a sweet root: a perennial plant growing
near the Mediterranean that has spiked blue feathery leaves and a root with a
sweet flavor. Latin name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

2.  FOOD kind of
candy:
a dense rubbery candy that is usually made in black or red strips or twisted
ropes and flavored with the root of the licorice plant

3.  root
of the licorice plant: the dried black root of the
licorice plant or an extract made from it, used as a laxative and in
confectionery and brewing
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman lycorys from, ultimately, Greek glukurrhiza, from glukus
“sweet” + rhiza “root” (source of English rhizome
).][1]



lictor

lictor
lic·tor 
[líktər] (plural lic·tors) noun

official
in ancient Rome: one of a group of minor officials in
ancient Rome whose duties included carrying the fasces as a symbol of authority
and clearing the way for the chief magistrates
[14th century. From Latin, of
uncertain origin: perhaps formed from ligare “to bind.”][1]



lid

lid
lid 
[lid] (plural lids) noun

1.  top
for a container: a cover of a container that can be
removed or raised on a hinge to open the container

2.  See
eyelid

3.  restraint:
a restraint or control on something that keeps it within acceptable bounds (informal)
• He
promised to put a lid on manufacturing costs.

4.  BIOLOGY See operculum  noun 3

5.  DRUGS ounce
of marijuana: a quantity of marijuana, usually an
ounce (slang)
[Old English hlid .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “cover, something that bends
over,” which is also the ancestor of English lean,
client, and climax .][1]



lidar

lidar
li·dar 
[l dr] (plural li·dars) noun

detection
device using light: a device, similar in
operation to radar, that uses pulses of laser light to analyze atmospheric
phenomena
[Mid-20th century. Blend of light 1, detection, and ranging .][1]



Lidice

Lidice
Li·di·ce 
[líddə chay, líddissee]

village in western
Czechoslovakia, in what is now the Czech Republic. It was the scene of a
retaliatory massacre of villagers by German forces during World War II.[1]



lidless

lidless
lid·less 
[líddləss] adjective

without eyelids:
having no eyelids[1]



Lido

Lido
Li·do 
[l dō]

island reef in northeastern
Italy, separating the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. It is a beach
resort.[1]



lidocaine

lidocaine
li·do·caine 
[ldə kàyn] noun

local
anesthetic drug: a synthetic local anesthetic drug that
may be given by injection or applied to a surface. It can also be given
intravenously to control heart irregularities.
U.K.
term
lignocaine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from acetanilide + -caine
.][1]



lie

lie2
lie2 [lī]
intransitive verb (past lied, past participle lied,
present participle ly·ing, 3rd person present singular lies)

1.  deliberately
say something untrue: to say something that is not
true in a conscious effort to deceive somebody • He
lied about his age in order to get into the army.

2.  be
deceptive:
to give a false impression • Don’t
forget that appearances can lie.
noun
(plural lies)

1.  falsehood:
a false statement made deliberately • She
told me she wasn’t seeing anyone else, but that was a lie.

2.  wrong
impression:
a false impression created deliberately • I’m
beginning to feel that my whole life is a lie.
[Old
English lēogan “to lie” and lyge “a lie,” both ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English warlock]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  lie, untruth, falsehood,
  fabrication, fib, white
  lie
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  that is not true lie; used to
  describe a written or spoken statement that is not true; untruth; a more formal word meaning the same
  as “lie”; falsehood; a formal or
  literary word meaning the same as “lie”; fabrication;
  a statement, story, or account devised with intent to deceive; fib; an informal word for a minor or trivial
  lie, often used by or about children; white
  lie; a minor harmless lie, usually told to avoid hurting
  somebody’s feelings

[1]



lie

lie1
lie1 [lī]
intransitive verb (past lay [lay],
past participle lain [layn], present
participle ly·ing, 3rd person present singular lies)

1.  recline:
to stretch out on a surface that is slanted or horizontal, • She
was lying on the sofa.

2.  be
placed flat on a surface: to be positioned on and
supported by a horizontal surface • A book
lay open on his bedside table.

3.  be
located somewhere: to be located in a
particular place • Mexico lies south of
the United States.

4.  be
buried:
to be buried in a particular place • Here
lies Martha, beloved daughter of John and Mary.

5.  be
in a particular state: to be or continue to be in a
particular condition or state • It lay
hidden for years.

6.  be
in a particular direction: to extend or be in a
particular direction • The
city lies beneath us, glittering with a thousand lights.

7.  be
in store:
to be still to come • A
great deal of hard work lies ahead of us.

8.  stay
undisturbed: to remain undiscussed or undisturbed • Let
sleeping dogs lie.

9.  LAW be
acceptable in law: to be acceptable as an
assertion or as evidence in court
noun
(plural lies)

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
resting place: a place where an animal returns to rest
or hide

2.  GOLF position
of a golf ball: the position of a golf ball after it
comes to rest on a golf course or putting green • The
ball has quite a good lie, in spite of being in the rough.
[Old English licgan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English ledge, lager,
and litter .][1]



liearound

liearound
lie
around
intransitive and transitive verb

idle about:
to sit around doing nothing in particular (informal)[1]



lieback

lieback
lie
back
intransitive verb

recline and relax:
to relax by stretching out flat on the back or reclining in a chair, especially
one that tilts backward[1]



Liebfraumilch

Liebfraumilch
Lieb·frau·milch 
[lb frow mìlk] noun

German
white wine:
a slightly sweet German white wine from the Rhine region
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from lieb “dear” + Frau “lady” (referring to the Virgin
Mary, patroness of the convent where it was first produced) + Milch
“milk.”][1]



Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein



Liech·ten·stein 
[líkt’n stn]
small independent principality in central
Europe, lying between Switzerland, with which it has close ties, and Austria.
Language: German. Currency: Swiss franc. Capital: Vaduz. Population: 31,389
(1997) Area: 160 sq km/62 sq mi. Official name Principality of
Liechtenstein[1]



Liechtenstein




Back to definition

Liechtenstein

[1]



lied

lied
lied 
[leet, leed]
(plural lie·der [ldər]) noun

German
song for voice and piano: a German folk or art song,
especially an art song of the 19th century with a solo voice part and
interwoven piano accompaniment of equal importance. Schubert, Brahms, and
Schumann are major composers of lieder. (usually used in the plural)
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “song.”][1]



liedetector

liedetector
lie
de·tec·tor
(plural lie de·tec·tors) noun

machine for sensing
untruthfulness: a device for finding
out whether somebody is telling the truth during questioning. It has sensors
that measure changes in blood pressure and pulse, which are supposed to reflect
the uneasiness caused by lying.[1]



liedown

liedown
lie
down
intransitive verb

1.  lie
on a surface: to stretch out flat

2.  rest
in bed:
to rest, especially in bed • I need
to lie down for an hour or two.

3.  remain
passive:
to do nothing or make no response • I’m
not going to take this lying down.

[1]



lief

lief
lief 
[leef, leev]
adverb

willingly:
readily or without reluctance (archaic)
adjective
(archaic)

1.  willing:
ready or desirous

2.  beloved:
dear or treasured
[Old English lēof .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English leave 2 and love .][1]



liege

liege
liege 
[leej, lee]
noun (plural lieg·es)

1.  feudal
lord:
a lord or sovereign who deserves loyalty and service under feudal law

2.  vassal:
a vassal or subject who owes loyalty and service to a lord or sovereign under
feudal law.
Also
called
liegeman
adjective

loyal:
faithful or loyal (archaic)
[13th
century. Via French lige from medieval Latin leticus, from letus
“colonist with limited freedom,” of uncertain origin: probably from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “free.”]
—liege·dom, noun[1]



liegeman

liegeman
liege·man 
[ljmən, lmən,
lj màn] (plural liege·men [ljmən]) noun

1.  See
liege  noun 2

2.  loyal
follower:
a faithful or loyal follower

[1]



lien

lien
lien 
[leen, l ən]
(plural liens) noun

legal
claim on somebody’s property: the legal right to keep or
sell somebody else’s property as security for a debt
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin ligamen “bond,” from ligare “to bind.”][1]



lieoff

lieoff
lie
off
intransitive and transitive verb

remain near:
to stay close to the shore or to another ship[1]



lieof the land

lieof the land
lie
of the land
noun

U.K.
(informal) See lay of the land[1]



lierne

lierne
li·erne 
[lee úrn] (plural li·ernes) noun

part
of a Gothic ceiling: a reinforcing rib in the
vaulting of a Gothic cathedral or other roofed structure
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from lier “to bind,” from Latin ligare .][1]



lieto

lieto
lie
to
intransitive verb

face the wind motionless:
to remain motionless, facing the wind[1]



lieu

lieu
lieu 
[loo] noun

place:
place or stead (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin locus “place” (source of English locate ).]
in
lieu

instead of something else
already mentioned or that is usual in the current situation[1]



Lieut.

Lieut.
Lieut.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lieutenant

lieutenant
lieu·ten·ant 
[loo ténnənt] (plural lieu·ten·ants)
noun

1.  deputy:
somebody who acts as an assistant to or in place of somebody else

2.  MILITARY army
officer:
the rank below captain in the British, Australian, and Canadian armies and in
the United States Army, Marine Corps and Air Force.
See
also
first lieutenant
See
also
second lieutenant

3.  NAVY navy
officer:
the rank below lieutenant commander in the United States, British, Australian,
and Canadian navies

4.  EMERGENCIES police
officer or firefighter: an officer in a United
States or Canadian police department or a United States fire department ranking
below a captain
[14th
century. From French, literally “somebody who holds a place,” from lieu
(see lieu ) + tenant (see tenant ).]
—lieu·ten·an·cy, noun[1]



lieutenantcolonel

lieutenantcolonel
lieu·ten·ant
colo·nel
(plural lieu·ten·ant colo·nels) noun

military officer:
an officer in the United States Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps and in the
British Army ranking above a major and below a colonel[1]



lieutenantcommander

lieutenantcommander
lieu·ten·ant
com·man·der
(plural lieu·ten·ant com·mand·ers) noun

naval officer:
an officer in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard and in the British Navy ranking
above a lieutenant and below a commander[1]



lieutenantgeneral

lieutenantgeneral
lieu·ten·ant
gen·er·al
(plural lieu·ten·ant gen·er·als) noun

military officer:
an officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps and in the British Army
ranking above a major general and below a general[1]



lieutenantgovernor

lieutenantgovernor
lieu·ten·ant
gov·er·nor
(plural lieu·ten·ant gov·er·nors) noun

1.  state
official:
an elected official in a state government ranking just below the governor

2.  Canadian
provincial official: an official appointed by the
Canadian federal government who acts for the Crown as the representative of the
British monarch in a province
—lieu·ten·ant
gov·er·nor·ship, noun[1]



lieutenantjunior grade

lieutenantjunior grade
lieu·ten·ant
jun·ior grade (plural lieu·ten·ants jun·ior
grade) noun

U.S. naval officer:
an officer in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ranking above an ensign and below a
lieutenant[1]



liewith

liewith
lie
with
verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
the responsibility of somebody: to be the
responsibility of a particular person or persons

2.  intransitive
verb
have
sex with somebody: to have sexual intercourse
with somebody (archaic)

[1]



life

life
life 
[līf] (plural lives [līvz]) noun

1.  existence
in the physical world: the quality that makes
living animals and plants different from dead organisms and inorganic matter.
Its functions include the ability to take in food, adapt to the environment,
grow, and reproduce.

2.  living
individual:
a living being, especially a person, often used when referring to the number of
people killed in an accident or a war (usually used in the plural) • Two
hundred lives were lost in the crash.

3.  living
things considered together: a group of living things,
usually of a particular kind • She was
an expert on plant life in the Amazon.

4.  whole
time somebody is alive: the entire period during
which somebody is, has been, or will yet be alive • All
my life I’ve wanted to learn to fly.

5.  time
when something functions: the period during which something
continues to function • Cheap
batteries usually have short lives.

6.  some
part of somebody’s life: a particular aspect of
somebody’s life • social life

7.  human
activity:
human existence or activity in general • real
life

8.  life
imprisonment: life imprisonment (informal)

9.  way
in which somebody lives: the character or conditions
of an individual’s existence • Most
people in this city lead hard lives.

10. characteristic
way of living: a way of living that is characteristic
of a particular place or group • country
life

11. biography:
an account of a somebody’s life, usually in writing, but sometimes in other
media such as film, video, or radio • He was
the author of “The Life of Galileo.”

12. vitality:
animation and vitality, or something that produces animation or vitality • We
liked him because he was so full of life.

13. artist’s
subject:
something real used as a subject by an artist, especially human models, who are
often nude • She
always insisted on painting from life.
[Old
English lif, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English live, delay, and liver]
get
a life

to
do something to improve your situation or change your lifestyle for the better
(slang)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Life of Samuel Johnson, a biography by Scottish writer James Boswell ( 1791
  ). Generally considered the finest biography in the English language, it is a
  rounded, revealing, and respectful portrait of one of the great scholars of
  the day. But its greatness also derives from its vivid descriptions of
  contemporary society and the candid revelations of its author.

[1]



life-and-death

life-and-death
life-and-death 
or life-or-death adjective

critical:
extremely important or serious, especially when somebody’s life is at stake • a
life-and-death struggle[1]



lifeassurance

lifeassurance
life
as·sur·ance
noun

U.K.
See life insurance[1]



lifebelt

lifebelt
life
belt
(plural life belts) noun

belt to keep somebody afloat:
a belt made of material that floats, worn by people taking part in water sports
such as sailing to keep them from sinking or drowning[1]



lifeblood

lifeblood
life·blood 
[lf blùd] noun

1.  blood
necessary for life: blood when considered as
necessary in maintaining life (literary)

2.  something
vital to a whole: something that is vitally important to
the welfare of a larger entity • Donations
are the lifeblood of this organization.

[1]



lifeboat

lifeboat
life·boat 
[lf bt] (plural life·boats) noun

1.  boat
used in emergencies: any of a number of small
boats kept on the deck or railings of a larger ship, for use if the ship has to
be abandoned

2.  rescue
boat:
a boat used for rescuing people from ships in trouble at sea

[1]



lifebuoy

lifebuoy
life
buoy
(plural life buoys) noun

buoyant float:
a ring-shaped float used in an emergency to keep somebody’s head and shoulders
above water until help arrives[1]



lifecrisis

lifecrisis
life
cri·sis
noun

major disruption in life:
a major disruptive event that happens in somebody’s lifetime, for example,
bereavement or divorce[1]



lifecycle

lifecycle
life
cy·cle
(plural life cy·cles) noun

1.  stages
of development of a living organism: the
series of changes of form and activity that a living organism undergoes from
its beginning through its development to sexual maturity • the
life cycle of the snail

2.  all
stages of development: the complete process of
change and development during somebody’s lifetime or the useful life of
something such as an organization, institution, or manufactured product

[1]



lifeexpectancy

lifeexpectancy
life
ex·pec·tan·cy noun

average expected length of
life: the number of years that
somebody can be expected to live, according to statistics • The
rise in life expectancy can be traced to advances in nutrition and medical
care.[1]



lifeforce

lifeforce
life
force
noun

See
élan vital[1]



lifeform

lifeform
life
form
(plural life forms) noun

1.  BIOLOGY adult
specimen:
the characteristic form of an organism at maturity

2.  something
alive:
any living organism • They
scanned the surface of the planet for life forms.

[1]



lifeguard

lifeguard
life·guard 
[lf grd] (plural life·guards)
noun

beach or pool attendant:
somebody trained in rescue techniques whose job is to watch over swimmers at a
beach or swimming pool and save those in danger of drowning[1]



lifehistory

lifehistory
life
his·to·ry
noun

1.  BIOLOGY entire
stages of life: all the changes experienced by a living
organism, from its conception to its death

2.  somebody’s
life story:
the story of somebody’s life

3.  SOCIOLOGY somebody’s
life story used for research: an account of the life of an
individual derived from oral or documentary evidence and used in social
research. It may shed light on issues of social concern or add to the sum of
knowledge about society and social institutions.

[1]



lifeimprisonment

lifeimprisonment
life
im·pris·on·ment noun

maximum prison sentence:
a punishment in which somebody convicted of a crime must remain in prison for
the rest of his or her life. It may be shortened for good behavior, but it
normally remains a very lengthy period.[1]



lifeinsurance

lifeinsurance
life
in·sur·ance
noun

way of providing a legacy:
a plan under which regular payments are made to a company during somebody’s
lifetime, and in return the company pays a specified sum to the person’s
beneficiaries after the person’s death.
U.K. term
life assurance[1]



lifejacket

lifejacket

life jack·et
(plural life jack·ets) noun
jacket made of buoyant material:
a sleeveless jacket made of light material or filled with air, used to keep
somebody afloat in water.
Also called
air jacket
Also called
life vest[1]



lifeless

lifeless
life·less 
[lfləss] adjective

1.  dead:
dead, or seeming to be dead

2.  without
life:
not capable of supporting life

3.  dull:
lacking excitement or animation
—life·less·ly,
adverb

—life·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dead

[1]



lifelike

lifelike
life·like 
[lf lk] adjective

true to life:
looking alive, or representing real life accurately[1]



lifeline

lifeline
life·line 
[lf ln] (plural life·lines) noun

1.  SHIPPING safety
cable:
a rope or cable used for safety in dangerous maneuvers, especially at sea, for
example, attached to a diver’s helmet or stretched along the deck of a boat

2.  vital
link:
a means of communication or support that is extremely important to the survival
of an isolated person or group

[1]



lifelist

lifelist
life
list
(plural life lists) noun

list of birds seen during a
lifetime: a bird-watcher’s record of
all the species of birds sighted in a lifetime[1]



lifelong

lifelong
life·long 
[lf làwng] adjective

lasting for life:
lasting the whole of a lifetime[1]



lifemask

lifemask
life
mask
(plural life masks) noun

impression of a face:
a cast made of a living person’s face, using plaster or another soft substance
that hardens when it dries[1]



life-or-death

life-or-death
life-or-death
adjective

See
life-and-death[1]



lifepartner

lifepartner
life
part·ner
(plural life part·ners) noun

long-term sexual partner:
the person with whom somebody has decided to spend the rest of his or her life
in a sexual and romantic relationship “…makes people believe that somewhere
there really is the life partner who will provide the ecstatic happiness
depicted in opera…” The New York Times April 1999[1]



lifepeer

lifepeer
life
peer
(plural life peers) noun

lifetime
member of the House of Lords: somebody who is given a
title and place in the British House of Lords that cannot be passed on to
descendants
—life peer·age, noun[1]



lifepreserver

lifepreserver
life
pre·serv·er
(plural life pre·serv·ers) noun

1.  object
made of buoyant material: a ring, belt, or jacket made
of material that floats in water, designed to prevent drowning by keeping the
wearer’s head and shoulders above water

2.  U.K.
weapon
used for hitting somebody: a hand weapon consisting of
metal stitched into one end of a length of thick flexible leather, used to hit
or batter somebody

[1]



lifer

lifer
lif·er 
[lfər] (plural lif·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  somebody
serving a life sentence: somebody sentenced to life
imprisonment

2.  MILITARY career
member of the military: somebody who spends an
entire career in one of the armed forces

[1]



liferaft

liferaft
life
raft
(plural life rafts) noun

inflatable lifeboat:
a raft usually made of inflatable plastic designed for use during an emergency
at sea[1]



lifesaver

lifesaver
life·sav·er 
[lf sàyvər] (plural life·sav·ers)
noun

rescuer:
somebody who or something that provides help at a time of great need (informal)[1]



lifesaving

lifesaving
life·sav·ing
[lf sàyving] adjective

rescuing
or reviving: used to rescue people or keep them alive
noun

SWIMMING
rescuing of people:
techniques or efforts to rescue people from danger, especially from drowning[1]



lifescience

lifescience
life
sci·ence
(plural life sci·enc·es) noun

study of living things:
a principal branch of science concerned with plants, animals, and other living
organisms and including biology, botany, and zoology (often used in the
plural)[1]



lifesentence

lifesentence
life
sen·tence
noun

judgment of life
imprisonment: a court verdict that
condemns a convicted felon to life in prison for the rest of his or her life.
It may be shortened for good behavior, but it normally remains a very lengthy
sentence.[1]



life-size

life-size
life-size 
adjective

same size as something in
life: being the size of the
original in life[1]



lifespan

lifespan
life
span
(plural life spans) noun

1.  expected
length of life: the length of time that a member of a
particular species can be expected to remain alive

2.  length
of time something lasts: the length of time that
something can be expected to last or function

[1]



lifespan psychology

lifespan psychology
life
span psy·chol·o·gy noun

psychological study of human
development: a field of psychology
that studies human development from birth through death[1]



lifestyle

lifestyle
life·style
[lf stl] (plural life·styles)
noun

manner of living:
the way of life that is typical of a person, group, or culture[1]



life-support

life-support
life-sup·port
adjective

maintaining life:
designed to keep somebody alive in an environment such as space that does not
support life or to maintain breathing, heartbeat, and other vital functions in
somebody who is seriously ill[1]



life-supportsystem

life-supportsystem
life-sup·port
sys·tem 
(plural life-sup·port sys·tems) noun

1.  technical
equipment providing normal living conditions: a
piece of technical equipment that is designed to provide normal living
conditions when these are not available, especially in space

2.  technical
equipment taking over body function: a
piece of technical equipment that temporarily performs a vital body function,
for example, respiration, when somebody’s own organ cannot because of injury or
disease

[1]



lifetable

lifetable
life
ta·ble
(plural life ta·bles) noun

See
mortality table[1]



life-threatening

life-threatening
life-threat·en·ing
adjective

very serious:
very dangerous or serious with the possibility of death as an outcome[1]



lifetime

lifetime
life·time 
[lf tm] (plural life·times) noun

1.  time
remaining alive: the length of time that somebody or
something remains alive

2.  time
that something remains useful: the length of time
that something remains useful or in working order

3.  long
time:
an extremely long time (informal)

[1]



lifevest

lifevest
life
vest
(plural life vests) noun

See
life jacket[1]



lifework

lifework
life·work 
[lf wùrk] noun

work of somebody’s lifetime:
something that is the product, result, or culmination of somebody’s working
life.
Also called
life’s work
U.K. term
life’s work[1]



lifezone

lifezone
life
zone
(plural life zones) noun

region with characteristic
life forms: an area with a
characteristic or identifiable set of animal or plant life forms[1]



life’swork

life’swork
life’s
work
noun

See
lifework[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LIFO

LIFO
LIFO
[lfō]

Abbreviation of
last in, first out[1]



lift

lift2
lift2  [lift]
(plural lifts) noun

operation
altering body part: a surgical operation to
alter a part of the body for cosmetic effect (informal) • Who
did your lift?
[Shortening of face lift][1]



lift

lift1
lift1  [lift]
verb (past lift·ed, past participle lift·ed,
present participle lift·ing, 3rd person present singular lifts)

1.  transitive
verb
raise
something:
to carry or raise something from one position to another, higher position

2.  intransitive
verb
move
higher:
to move to a higher level

3.  transitive
verb
move
something upward: to direct something upward • lifting
her eyes from the book

4.  intransitive
verb
go
upward:
to move, especially mechanically, in an upward direction • Just
press the button, and the car trunk will lift automatically.

5.  transitive
verb
take
something from a place: to grasp something and move
it somewhere else • She lifted the CD from
the rack.

6.  transitive
verb
carry
in an aircraft: to transport somebody or something in an
aircraft • The
rescue helicopter lifted the stranded climbers to safety.

7.  transitive
verb
make
something invalid: to revoke something or make
something no longer apply • The
government has decided to lift the trade restrictions.

8.  transitive
verb
SURGERY remove
wrinkles surgically: to perform cosmetic surgery
on a face to tighten the skin and so reduce wrinkling, or on a woman’s breasts
to reduce or eliminate sagging

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb cheer
somebody or become cheered: to make somebody happier or
more cheerful, or become happier or more cheerful • His
low spirits lifted after a few songs.

10. intransitive
verb
diminish:
to clear, disappear, or become less severe • I
think we should wait until this fog lifts.

11. transitive
verb
steal
something:
to steal something or take something away without the owner’s permission or
knowledge (informal) • A
pickpocket lifted my wallet.

12. transitive
verb
plagiarize
somebody’s work: to take and use somebody else’s work
without attributing it to its creator (informal) • She
was accused of lifting her first two paragraphs from a report on a Web page.

13. transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
ball high into the air: to hit a baseball or golf
ball high into the air

14. transitive
verb
make
something be heard: to make something be heard,
or make something be heard more easily or clearly • The
choir lifted their voices in song.

15. transitive
verb
improve
something:
to raise the level of a performance, or enhance a skill • She
managed to lift her grades last semester.

16. transitive
verb
FINANCE pay
back money:
to pay something back, especially a debt, mortgage, or another obligation

17. transitive
verb
raise
somebody or something’s status: to have the effect of
raising somebody or something in terms of status, respect, or public or
official estimation • Her
latest novel has lifted her into the league of best-selling authors.

18. transitive
verb
MILITARY stop
a military assault: to cease the firing of
artillery or naval guns during a combat operation or assault so as to allow
ground personnel to move forward

19. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING harvest:
to dig up a plant for its edible underground tubers • lift
potatoes

20. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING dig up
a plant for transplanting: to dig up a plant in order
to transplant it
noun
(plural lifts)

1.  rise
in spirits:
a rise in spirits, mood, or emotions that can often be attributed to a specific
cause • audiences
turning to feel-good movies to give themselves a lift

2.  ride
in a vehicle: a free ride as a passenger in somebody
else’s motor vehicle (informal) • Do
you want a lift to the airport?

3.  CLOTHES something
added to a shoe: a layer of something that is put inside
a shoe or added to the heel of a shoe to make the wearer appear taller (dated)

4.  AEROSPACE upward
force acting on an aircraft: the combination of forces
that act to cause an aircraft to leave the ground and stay in the air

5.  ICE SKATING DANCE raising
a partner in the air: an act of raising a partner
in pairs skating or ice dancing into the air as part of a choreographed
sequence

6.  raising
of somebody or something: a placing of somebody or
something in a higher position

7.  degree
of rise:
the degree or distance by which something rises • a
moderate lift in temperature

8.  force
needed to raise something: the power or force
available, necessary, or used for raising something

9.  weight
raised:
a weight or an amount of something that is or can be raised

10. U.K.
cage
moving between floors of a building: a
mechanically or electrically operated cage or platform, housed inside a shaft
that runs vertically between the floors of a building or other construction,
used for transporting people or things.
See
also
elevator
See
also
chair lift
See
also
ski lift

11. AEROSPACE force
making a hot-air balloon rise: the force, usually
provided by heated air, that makes a hot-air balloon or airship rise into the
sky

12. CLOTHES See heeltap  noun 2

13. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
raising device: a typically hydraulic-powered device
that is designed to raise heavy objects such as motor vehicles off the ground

14. MINING amount
of extracted ore: the amount of ore extracted from a seam

15. MINING water
pumps used in mining: a set of pumps used to pump
water out of a mineshaft to the surface
[12th
century. From Old Norse lypta, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English loft .]
—lift·a·ble,
adjective

—lift·er,
noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at raise

[1]



liftgate

liftgate
lift·gate
[líft gàyt] (plural lift·gates)
noun

upward-opening door:
a rear panel that opens upward, especially a station wagon’s rear door[1]



liftoff

liftoff
lift
off
intransitive verb

leave a launch pad:
to leave a launch pad and head upward into the atmosphere (refers to
spacecraft)[1]



liftoff

liftoff
lift·off 
[líft àwf] (plural lift·offs) noun

1.  moment
when a rocket leaves a launch pad: the time when a rocket
or spacecraft leaves the launch pad

2.  initial
thrust sending a rocket from the ground: the
initial thrust that sends a rocket or spacecraft upward from the launch pad
into the atmosphere

[1]



ligament

ligament
lig·a·ment 
[líggəmənt] (plural lig·a·ments)
noun

1.  tough
tissue connecting body parts: a sheet or band of tough
fibrous tissue that connects bones or cartilage at a joint or supports an
organ, muscle, or other body part

2.  connector:
something that forms a connection or bond
[14th
century. From Latin ligamentum, from ligare “to bind.”]
—lig·a·ment·al
[lìggə mént’l], adjective

—lig·a·men·ta·ry
[lìggə méntəree], adjective

—lig·a·men·tous
[lìggə méntəss], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word ligare, from which ligament
  is derived, is also the source of English ally,
  liable, liaison,
  lien, oblige,
  religion, and rely.

[1]



ligan

ligan
li·gan 
noun

NAUTICAL
See lagan[1]



ligand

ligand
li·gand 
[lgənd, líggənd]
(plural li·gands) noun

attached
atom or molecule: an atom, molecule, group, or ion that is
bound to a central atom of a molecule forming a complex
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
ligandus, from ligare “to bind.”][1]



ligase

ligase
li·gase 
[l gàyss, l
gàyz] (plural li·gases) noun

linking
enzyme:
an enzyme that joins two molecules, especially in living organisms
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
ligare “to bind” (see ligament ).][1]



ligate

ligate
li·gate 
[l gàyt] (past li·gat·ed, past
participle li·gat·ed, present participle li·gat·ing, 3rd
person present singular li·gates) transitive verb

tie
up:
to bind something or tie something up (formal or technical)
[Late
16th century. From Latin ligare “to bind” (see ligament
).]
—lig·a·tive [líggətiv], adjective[1]



ligation

ligation
li·ga·tion 
[lī gáysh’n] (plural li·ga·tions)
noun

1.  SURGERY surgical
tying:
the tying of something with a surgical ligature

2.  something
used for tying: something that is used for binding
things or tying things up (formal)

[1]



ligature

ligature
lig·a·ture 
[líggəchər, líggə
chr] (plural lig·a·tures) noun

1.  something
used for tying: something that is used for binding
things or tying things up

2.  tying
process:
the process of binding something or tying something up

3.  bond:
a unifying link or bond (formal)

4.  SURGERY surgical
thread for tying off a duct: a piece of surgical thread
used to tie off a duct or blood vessel in order to cut off the supply of body
fluid normally running through it

5.  PRINTING LINGUISTICS character consisting of
joined letters: a character or piece of type, for
example, æ, that consists of two or more letters joined together.
Also
called
digraph

6.  MUSIC See tie  noun 8

7.  MUSIC symbol
in medieval music: a symbol indicating a group
of notes to be sung to one syllable in the notation of medieval music

8.  MUSIC reed-holder
on woodwind instrument: on a woodwind instrument, a
band, usually made of metal, that holds the reed to the mouthpiece
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin ligare “to bind” (see ligament
).][1]



liger

liger
li·ger 
[lgər] (plural li·gers) noun

offspring
of lion and tiger: the offspring that results
from breeding a male lion with a female tiger.
See
also
tigon
[Mid-20th century. Blend of lion and tiger
.][1]



light

light1
light1 [līt]
noun (plural lights)

1.  energy
producing brightness: the energy producing a
sensation of brightness that makes seeing possible

2.  quality
of light:
a particular kind or quality of brightness • We
won’t get good photographs in this fading light.

3.  artificial
source of light: an artificial source of illumination,
for example, an electric lamp or a candle • turn
the light on

4.  PHYSICS visible
electromagnetic radiation: electromagnetic radiation in
the range visible to the human eye, between approximately 4,000 and 7,700
angstroms

5.  PHYSICS electromagnetic
radiation:
electromagnetic radiation that has wavelengths of any length

6.  path
that light takes: the path that light takes, or somebody’s
share or access to light • asked
her to move out of my light

7.  daylight:
the condition of brightness created by the rays of the sun during the day • keep
filming while there’s still some light left

8.  dawn:
the arrival of the sun’s brightness at the beginning of the day • get
up before light to go running

9.  ARTS representation
of light in art: the representation of light or the
effect it has in a work of art

10. traffic
signal:
a signal that controls the movement of traffic • Turn
right at the first set of lights.

11. general
notice:
general or public notice, attention, or knowledge • facts
that only recently came to light

12. way
something is viewed: the manner in which somebody
or something is regarded, especially by the public • Those
actions have shown the commission in an exceptionally bad light.

13. something
that ignites something: a source of fire, especially
a match

14. gleam
in somebody’s eye: a glint in somebody’s eye
that is taken to indicate a particular mood or expression • had
a mischievous light in her eye

15. entry
in a crossword grid: an entry in the grid of a
cryptic crossword

16. eyesight:
somebody’s general ability to see (archaic)

17. BUILDING window:
a window or other opening in a building, designed to let sunlight in.
See
also
ancient lights
adjective
(comparative light·er, superlative light·est)

1.  full
of brightness: full of illumination, or relatively well
lit • a
light airy room

2.  pale:
of a relatively pale shade • decorated
in light green

3.  with
milk:
served with milk or cream added • Do you
want your coffee light or black?
verb
(past lit [lit] or light·ed,
past participle lit or light·ed, present
participle light·ing, 3rd person present singular lights)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
burning:
to begin to burn, or cause something to begin to burn • still
trying to light the grill?

2.  transitive
verb
illuminate:
to illuminate, brighten, or shine on something • Hundreds
of stars lit the night sky.

3.  transitive
verb
give
something an animated look: to give somebody’s eyes or
face a happy or animated look • A
playful smile lit his face.

4.  transitive
verb
lead
somebody with a light: to lead or direct somebody
with a source of illumination such as a flashlight • The
usher lit the way to our seats. • I’ll
light you down the path to the road.
[Old
English lēoht . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English lucid and illuminate .]
bring
something to light

to
reveal something

come
to light

to
be revealed

go
out like a light

to
fall asleep very quickly and deeply (informal)

in
the light of

or in
light oftaking into consideration what is known, or what has just been said
or found out

the
light of day

the
early hours of daylight, especially at dawn

the
light of somebody’s life

the
person somebody cherishes the most

punch
or put somebody’s lights out

to
give somebody a severe beating

see
the light

1.  to
have a sudden understanding or appreciation of something

2.  to
be converted to a faith, belief, or point of view

see
the light of day

to
be published or made publicly known

shed
or throw or cast light on something

make
it possible or easier to understand something

[1]



light

light2
light2 [līt]
adjective (comparative light·er, superlative light·est)

1.  not
heavy:
weighing comparatively little

2.  lightweight:
made of thin fabric • light
summer apparel

3.  less
severe than possible: considered less severe or
harsh than might have been the case • a
light sentence

4.  not
forceful:
performed with little physical force • She
felt a light tap on her shoulder.

5.  easy
to do:
involving relatively little effort or exertion • a
little light weeding

6.  easily
digested:
easily digested or not very filling • a
light snack

7.  light
or lite FOOD low
in calories: low in calories, especially containing
less than the usual amount of sugar or fat

8.  consuming
little of something: consuming something in small
quantities only • a light eater

9.  not
dense:
low in density or intensity • only a
light shower

10. easily
awakened:
easily awakened or disturbed when asleep • a
light sleeper

11. not
intellectually demanding: not meant for serious study
or contemplation • some light vacation
reading

12. light
or lite BEVERAGES low
in alcohol:
having a very low alcohol content

13. unimportant:
of relatively little importance or seriousness • a
light, throwaway remark

14. weighing
too little:
weighing less than is correct or less than would be expected • This
sack is a couple of ounces light.

15. nimble:
moving with grace, nimbleness, and agility • She’s
very light on her feet.

16. FOOD fluffy
and well risen: of a light, flaky, fluffy, and
well-risen consistency • a very
light pastry

17. short
of something: lacking the usual or expected quantity
of something • a
nice guy, if a little light on brains

18. unworried:
not burdened by worries or troubled • a
light heart

19. dizzy:
slightly dizzy or not quite thinking clearly, for example, because of fatigue,
alcohol or drugs • a light head

20. manufacturing
small products: involved in the manufacture of
comparatively small products, especially consumer goods made without the use of
heavy machinery

21. WINE delicately
flavored:
having a fresh delicate flavor • a
light rosé

22. carrying
small weights: designed to carry something that is
relatively low in weight or relatively small in bulk • a
light delivery van

23. ARMY not
heavily armed: carrying only hand-held weapons • a
light infantry brigade

24. not
loaded:
not containing or carrying a full load

25. AGRICULTURE GARDENING easily
worked:
loose, well aerated, and therefore easily worked • light
soil

26. CHEMISTRY with
a low boiling point: having a relatively low
boiling point

27. PHONETICS unstressed:
used to describe a syllable that is not stressed or accented

28. BRIDGE of low
value:
used to describe a bid in bridge that is made on a fewer than normal number of
points

29. BRIDGE with
too few tricks: used to describe a bridge player who has
taken too few tricks to make a contract

30. immoral:
with low moral standards, especially relating to sexual behavior (archaic)
adverb

1.  with
little luggage: with only a small amount of luggage • to
travel light

2.  leniently:
in a casual or lenient way • Go
light on him –he didn’t mean to break the window.
intransitive
verb
(past light·ed or lit [lit],
past participle light·ed or lit, present
participle light·ing, 3rd person present singular lights)

1.  come
to rest:
to come to rest on a branch after flight (refers to birds)

2.  get
down from a vehicle: to get down from a horse,
vehicle, or other form of transportation (dated)
[Old
English lēocht . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English levity and lung .]
make
light of something

to treat something as
unimportant[1]



Light

Light
Light
noun

1.  JUDEO-CHRISTIAN God:
God as a source of spiritual illumination and strength

2.  CHRISTIANITY See Inner Light

[1]



lightadaptation

lightadaptation
light
ad·ap·ta·tion or light ad·ap·tion noun

eye
changes permitting vision in light: the
rapid changes that occur in the eye to permit vision when moving from darkness
to light. The pupil constricts and the retina is bleached of visual pigment,
making it less sensitive to light.
—light-a·dapt·ed, adjective[1]



lightair

lightair
light
air
noun

light wind:
a wind of between 1.6 and 4.8 km/1 and 3 miles per hour, classified as force
one on the Beaufort scale[1]



lightaircraft

lightaircraft
light
air·craft
noun

See
light plane[1]



lightbread

lightbread
light
bread
(plural light breads) noun

Southern
U.S.
white
bread:
white bread





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term light bread is used in the southern
  United States from the Atlantic coast to Texas, with scattered incidence in
  the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states.

[1]



lightbreeze

lightbreeze
light
breeze
(plural light breez·es) noun

very light wind:
a wind of between 6.4 and 11 km/4 and 7 mi per hour, classified as force two on
the Beaufort scale[1]



lightbulb

lightbulb

light bulb
(plural light bulbs) noun
glass sphere with a filament producing
light: a source of artificial light
in the form of a near-spherical glass case containing a filament that emits
light when an electric current is passed through it. The filament is usually
made of tungsten and is surrounded by argon or neon.
Also called
bulb[1]



lightchain

lightchain
light
chain
(plural light chains) noun

part of an antibody:
the shorter of the two main polypeptides that make up an antibody molecule.
See also
heavy chain[1]



light-emittingdiode

light-emittingdiode
light-e·mit·ting
di·ode 
(plural light-e·mit·ting di·odes) noun

Full form of
LED[1]



lighten

lighten1
light·en1 [lt’n]
(past light·ened, past participle light·ened, present
participle light·en·ing, 3rd person present singular light·ens)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become less heavy: to become less heavy, or
make something less heavy

2.  become
or make something less burdensome: to become, or cause
something to become, less of a burden or chore

3.  become
or make something more cheerful: to become or make
somebody or something become more relaxed or lively • The
mood of the gathering lightened a little.

[1]



lighten

lighten2
light·en2 [līt’n]
(past light·ened, past participle light·ened, present
participle light·en·ing, 3rd person present singular light·ens)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become pale: to become, or cause something to become,
pale or paler in color

2.  intransitive
verb
glow:
to give off shining or glowing illumination

3.  intransitive
verb
flash:
to flash across the sky (refers to lightning)

4.  transitive
verb
enlighten:
to enlighten (archaic)

[1]



lightening

lightening
light·en·ing
[lt’ning] noun

stage in a woman’s pregnancy:
the process or time during late pregnancy when the fetal head begins to descend
into the mother’s pelvis resulting in a lessening of pressure on the diaphragm[1]



lightenup

lightenup
lighten
up
intransitive verb

become happier:
to become less gloomy, serious, or angry (informal)[1]



lighter

lighter1
light·er1 [ltər]
(plural light·ers) noun

1.  small
device for lighting cigarettes: a small typically
gas-filled container with a flint or other spark-producer that produces a flame
used for lighting something that is smoked such as a cigarette, cigar, or pipe.

Also
called
cigarette lighter

2.  somebody
or something that lights something: a
person or device that lights, illuminates, or ignites something (usually
used in combination) • a
firelighter

[1]



lighter

lighter2
light·er2 [ltər]
noun (plural light·ers)

flat-bottomed
cargo boat:
a flat-bottomed open cargo boat or barge, used especially for taking goods to
or from a larger vessel when it is being loaded or unloaded
transitive
verb
(past light·ered, past participle light·ered, present
participle light·er·ing, 3rd person present singular light·ers)

transport
by lighter:
to transport cargo using a lighter
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly formed from light 2, or
possibly from Dutch lichter, which was formed from lichten “to
lighten, unload.”][1]



lighter-than-air

lighter-than-air
light·er-than-air 
adjective

weighing
less than air: used to describe aircraft such as
hot-air balloons and dirigibles that weigh less than the air they displace
noun
(plural light·er-than-airs)

aircraft weighing less than
air: an aircraft, for example, a
hot-air balloon or a dirigible, that weighs less than the air it displaces[1]



lightface

lightface
light·face 
[lt fàyss] adjective light·face
light-faced

not
bold:
having characters formed from relatively narrow lines (refers to printed
type)
noun

lightface type:
printed type that is lightface[1]



lightfast

lightfast
light·fast
[lt fàst] adjective

unaffected
if exposed to light: used to describe a dye or
dyed fabric whose shade or color is unchanged by exposure to light, especially
sunlight
[Early
20th century. Modeled on colorfast .]
—light·fast·ness, noun[1]



light-fingered

light-fingered
light-fin·gered 
adjective

1.  likely
to steal things: skilled at and likely to try
shoplifting, pickpocketing, or petty stealing

2.  nimble
with the fingers: able to move the fingers quickly and
nimbly, and therefore good at doing intricate jobs
—light-fin·gered·ness,
noun[1]



lightflyweight

lightflyweight
light
fly·weight
(plural light fly·weights) noun

1.  weight
category in amateur boxing: a weight category in amateur
boxing for competitors whose weight does not exceed 48 kg106 lbs

2.  light
flyweight boxer: an amateur boxer who competes at light
flyweight level

[1]



light-footed

light-footed
light-foot·ed 
or light·foot adjective

agile
on the feet: able to walk or run with light agile
easy-flowing steps
—light-foot·ed·ly,
adverb

—light-foot·ed·ness, noun[1]



Lightfoot,Gordon

Lightfoot,Gordon
Light·foot
[lt ft], Gordon (1938– )

Canadian-born U.S. folk-pop
singer and writer. His songs include “If You Could Read My Mind” (1971).[1]



light-handed

light-handed
light-hand·ed 
adjective

having
a steady, delicate touch
—light-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—light-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



lightheaded

lightheaded
light·head·ed 
[lt héddəd] adjective

1.  dizzy
or euphoric: slightly dizzy or euphoric, for example
as an effect of caffeine, alcohol, or fatigue

2.  silly:
having a tendency to behave in a frivolous or immature way
—light·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—light·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



lighthearted

lighthearted
light·heart·ed 
[lt hrtəd] adjective

1.  happy
and relaxed: not weighed down with worries or
troubles

2.  enjoyable:
entertaining in an amusing carefree way
—light·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—light·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



lightheavyweight

lightheavyweight
light
heav·y·weight (plural light heav·y·weights)
noun

1.  BOXING weight
category in professional boxing: a weight category in
professional boxing for competitors who weigh between 72.5 and 79.5 kg160 and
175 lbs

2.  BOXING weight
category in amateur boxing: a weight category in amateur
boxing for competitors who weigh between 75 and 81 kg165 and 179 lbs

3.  WRESTLING weight
category in wrestling: a weight category in
wrestling for competitors who weigh between 87 and 97 kg192 and 214 lbs.
See
also
heavyweight
See
also
middleweight

4.  BOXING boxer
competing at light heavyweight: a professional or
amateur boxer who competes at light heavyweight level

5.  WRESTLING wrestler
competing at light heavyweight: a wrestler who
competes at light heavyweight level.
See
also
heavyweight
See
also
middleweight

[1]



lighthouse

lighthouse

light·house 
[lt hòws] (plural light·houses
[lt hòwzəz]) noun
coastal
building with a light for sailors: a strategically placed
coastal building, often a tall round tower, with a powerful flashing light,
designed to guide sailors or warn them of dangers such as rocks





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  To
  the Lighthouse, a novel by English writer Virginia Woolf ( 1927 ). Typical of
  Woolf’s more experimental novels in its unusual structure and use of
  stream-of-consciousness narrative, it is set at the vacation home of the
  Ramsay family on a Scottish island. Through the relationship between Mrs.
  Ramsay and a young painter, Lily Briscoe, Woolf explores the changing roles
  and attitudes of contemporary women.

[1]



light-independentreaction

light-independentreaction
light-in·de·pend·ent
re·ac·tion
noun

BOTANY
See dark reaction[1]



lighting

lighting
light·ing 
[lting] noun

1.  type
of light:
light of a particular quality or type, or the equipment that produces it • subdued
lighting
• lighting
fixtures

2.  equipment
for providing artificial light: the equipment used for
providing artificial light and light effects on a theater stage or a television
or movie set

3.  effect
produced by lights: the overall effect produced
by the lights used on a theater stage or a television or movie set

4.  quality
of light in artwork: the amount or type of light
in a photograph, painting, or other artwork

[1]



lightinto

lightinto
light
into
transitive verb

attack:
to attack somebody or something either verbally or physically (informal)[1]



lightly

lightly
light·ly 
[ltlee] adverb

1.  with
little force: without exerting much pressure, force,
or weight

2.  with
levity:
without seriousness

3.  sparingly:
in small or sparing amounts

4.  gracefully:
in an easy graceful way

[1]



lightmeter

lightmeter
light
me·ter
(plural light me·ters) noun

PHOTOGRAPHY
See exposure meter[1]



lightmiddleweight

lightmiddleweight
light
mid·dle·weight (plural light mid·dle·weights)
noun
See
also
junior middleweight

1.  weight
category in amateur boxing: a weight category in amateur
boxing for competitors who weigh between 67 and 71 kg148 and 157 lbs

2.  amateur
boxer competing at light middleweight: an
amateur boxer who competes at light middleweight level

[1]



light-minded

light-minded
light-mind·ed 
adjective

frivolous
or silly:
not capable of thinking seriously, or not likely to think about serious issues
—light-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—light-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



lightness

lightness1
light·ness1 [ltnəss]
noun

1.  illumination:
the illumination of something relative to its surroundings

2.  OPTICS intensity
of light or color: the attribute of an object
or a color that enables an observer to quantify the amount of light it appears
to reflect

[1]



lightness

lightness2
light·ness2 [ltnəss]
noun

1.  relative
slightness of weight: the condition of something
that weighs relatively little

2.  relative
slightness of force: the condition of something
that has relatively little force • lightness
of touch

3.  ease
or delicacy: the ease or delicacy with which
something is done

4.  nimbleness:
ease and rapidity of movement

5.  untroubled
state:
total freedom from worry and trouble

6.  levity:
lack of the seriousness that is required or expected

[1]



lightning

lightning
light·ning 
[ltning] noun

flash
of light in the sky: flashes of light seen in the
sky when there is a discharge of atmospheric electricity in the clouds or
between clouds and the earth, usually occurring during a thunderstorm
adjective

fast:
very fast and often very sudden
[14th century. Variant of lightening,
formed from lighten 2 .][1]



lightningarrester

lightningarrester
light·ning
ar·rest·er
(plural light·ning ar·rest·ers) noun

device that protects from
electrical surges: a device,
often an antenna, that protects a piece of electrical equipment from damage by
lightning or some other electrical surge by diverting the electricity to the
ground[1]



lightningbug

lightningbug
light·ning
bug
(plural light·ning bugs) noun

See
firefly[1]



lightningchess

lightningchess
light·ning
chess 
noun

fast form of chess:
a fast form of chess in which players either have a limited time to make each
move or have to complete all their moves within a set time[1]



lightningconductor

lightningconductor
light·ning
con·duc·tor
(plural light·ning con·duc·tors) noun

U.K.
See lightning rod[1]



lightningrod

lightningrod
light·ning
rod
(plural light·ning rods) noun

1.  device
protecting a building from lightning: a
metal rod attached to the highest point of a building or other structure to
protect it from lightning by conducting the lightning to the ground.
Also
called
rod
U.K.
term
lightning conductor

2.  focus
of public feelings: somebody who attracts public
disapproval or criticism, thus diverting attention from other issues

[1]



lightopera

lightopera
light
op·er·a
(plural light op·er·as) noun

See
operetta[1]



lightorgan

lightorgan
light
or·gan
noun

ZOOLOGY
See photophore[1]



lightout

lightout
light
out
intransitive verb

depart fast:
to leave a place in a hurry (informal)[1]



lightpen

lightpen
light
pen
(plural light pens) noun

1.  COMPUTING pen-shaped
computer device: a pen-shaped light-sensitive device used
to manipulate information on a computer screen by touching the screen directly.

Also
called
light stylus

2.  U.K.
COMMERCE See bar-code
reader

[1]



lightplane

lightplane
light
plane
(plural light planes) noun

small airplane:
an aircraft with a takeoff weight that does not exceed 5,670 kg12,500 lbs.,
especially a privately operated one[1]



lightpollution

lightpollution
light
pol·lu·tion
noun

excessive artificial light:
excessive artificial light, especially street lighting in towns and cities that
prevents people from seeing the night sky clearly[1]



lightreaction

lightreaction
light
re·ac·tion
(plural light re·ac·tions) noun

initial stage in
photosynthesis: an initial stage in
photosynthesis when light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll and converted into
chemical energy that is stored as ATP ( adenosine triphosphate
). It also generates NADPH, a substance that, like ATP, is essential for
subsequent stages of photosynthesis.[1]



lightreflex

lightreflex
light
re·flex
(plural light re·flex·es) noun

reaction of the pupil to
increased light: the normal contracting
of the pupil of the eye in response to increased light[1]



lights

lights
lights 
[līts] plural noun

lungs
of domestic animals: the lungs of domestic
animals, especially those of hogs, sheep, or cattle when they are used in
making pet food or, occasionally, food for people
[Pre-12th century. From light 2, because
the lungs are full of air and therefore light.][1]



light-sensitive

light-sensitive
light-sen·si·tive
adjective

reacting to light:
affected in some way by the presence of light, as are some materials such as
photographic film or silicon sheets[1]



lightship

lightship
light·ship 
[lt shìp] (plural light·ships)
noun

ship functioning as a
lighthouse: a ship with a bright
flashing light that functions as a lighthouse, especially one that is anchored
in a place where a permanent structure would be impracticable[1]



lightshow

lightshow
light
show
(plural light shows) noun

1.  display
of moving lights: a spectacle in the form of a display of
colorful moving lights, often a feature of a live pop or rock concert

2.  colored
lights synchronized with recorded music: a
form of entertainment in which moving colored lights are synchronized with
recorded music, usually synthesized instrumental music.
See
also
son et lumière

[1]



lightsome

lightsome2
light·some2 [ltsəm]
adjective (archaic or literary)

1.  emitting
light:
producing plenty of light

2.  well
lit:
flooded with light
[14th century. Formed from light 1 .][1]



lightsome

lightsome1
light·some1 [ltsəm]
adjective (archaic or literary)

1.  happy
and carefree: feeling and displaying happiness and
freedom from worry

2.  frivolous:
devoid of seriousness

3.  graceful:
with a graceful lightness of movement
[15th
century. Formed from light 2 .]
—light·some·ly,
adverb

—light·some·ness, noun[1]



lightsout

lightsout
lights
out
(plural lights outs) noun

1.  time
when people must sleep: the time at night when
people, especially those in the armed forces, prison, boarding schools, and
other institutions, are supposed to go to sleep

2.  signal
sounded at lights out: a bugle call, gong, or other
signal sounded at lights out

[1]



light-struck

light-struck
light-struck 
adjective

accidentally exposed to
light: used to describe
photographic material that has become fogged through being accidentally exposed[1]



lightstylus

lightstylus
light
sty·lus
noun

COMPUTING
See light pen  noun 1[1]



lightup

lightup
light
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb light
a cigarette or pipe: to light something such as a
cigarette, cigar, or pipe and begin smoking it

2.  transitive
verb
illuminate
something:
to cast light on somebody or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become cheerful: to become, or cause
something or somebody to become, animated or cheerful

4.  intransitive
verb
begin
shining:
to start to shine

[1]



lightwater

lightwater
light
wa·ter
noun

PHYSICS
ordinary water:
ordinary water, as opposed to heavy water[1]



lightweight

lightweight
light·weight 
[lt wàyt] adjective

1.  not
heavy in weight or texture: relatively light in weight
and in texture

2.  lacking
intellectual depth: fairly frivolous or trivial
and requiring little or no intellectual effort
noun
(plural light·weights)

1.  insignificant
person or thing: somebody or something regarded as
insignificant or without influence, often in a particular area • a
political lightweight

2.  BOXING weight
category in professional boxing: a weight category in
professional boxing for competitors who weigh between 59 and 61 kg130 and 135
lbs

3.  BOXING weight
category in amateur boxing: a weight category in amateur
boxing for competitors who weigh between 57 and 60 kg126 and 132 lbs

4.  BOXING boxer
competing at lightweight: a boxer who competes at
lightweight level

5.  WRESTLING weight
category in wrestling: a weight category in
wrestling for competitors who weigh between 52 and 57 kg115 and 126 lbs

6.  WRESTLING wrestler
who competes at lightweight: a wrestler who competes at
lightweight level

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lightwelterweight

lightwelterweight
light
wel·ter·weight (plural light wel·ter·weights)
noun

1.  weight
category in amateur boxing: a weight category in amateur
boxing for competitors who weigh between 60 and 63.5 kg/132 and 140 lbs

2.  amateur
boxer competing at light welterweight: an
amateur boxer who competes at light welterweight level

[1]



lightwood

lightwood
light·wood
[lt wd] noun

kindling:
resinous pine used for kindling (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Lightwood, meaning “kindling,” is
  also called fat lightwood and lighterd, the latter reflecting a
  common South Midland pronunciation.

[1]



light-year

light-year
light-year
or light year noun (plural light-years) (plural
light years)

unit
of distance in astronomy: a unit of distance in
astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one mean
solar year, approximately 9.46 trillion km/5.88 trillion mi
plural
noun
light years

long way:
a very long way in time, distance, or some other quantity or quality (informal)[1]



lign-

lign-
lign-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
ligni-[1]



ligneous

ligneous
lig·ne·ous 
[lígnee əss] adjective

of
or like wood: consisting of wood, or with the
appearance or texture of wood
[Early 17th century. From
Latin ligneus, from lignum “wood” (see ligni-
).][1]



ligni-

ligni-
ligni-
prefix

wood
• lignicole
[From Latin lignum
“wood, firewood,” literally “something gathered.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to collect,” which is also the ancestor of English select and logic
.][1]



lignicole

lignicole
lig·ni·cole 
[lígnə kl] or lig·ni·co·lous
[lig níkələss] adjective

found
on wood:
living or growing in or on wood
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from ligni- + Latin colere “to
inhabit.”][1]



lignify

lignify
lig·ni·fy 
[lígnə f] (past lig·ni·fied, past
participle lig·ni·fied, present participle lig·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular lig·ni·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become woody: to become woody and relatively rigid as
lignin is deposited in cell walls, or to make plant parts woody in this way
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin lignum “wood” (see ligni- ).]
—lig·ni·fi·ca·tion [lìgnəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



lignin

lignin
lig·nin 
[lígnin] noun

complex
polymer in plant cell walls: the complex polymer that is
laid down in plant cell walls to give plant parts varying degrees of rigidity.
It is the major component of wood, and enables, for example, the trunk of a
tree to support the weight of the crown.
[Early 19th century. From
Latin lignum “wood.”][1]



lignite

lignite
lig·nite 
[líg nt] noun

See
brown coal
[Early
19th century]
—lig·nit·ic [lig níttik], adjective[1]



ligno-

ligno-
ligno-
prefix

wood
• lignocellulose
[From Latin lignum
“wood” (see ligni- )][1]



lignocaine

lignocaine
lig·no·caine
[lígnə kàyn] noun

U.K.
See lidocaine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin “wood.”][1]



lignocellulose

lignocellulose
lig·no·cel·lu·lose 
[lìgnō séllyə lss, lìgnō
séllyə lz] noun

substance in woody tissues of
plants: a substance that gives
strength to the woody tissues of plants and is formed by the combination of
lignin and cellulose[1]



lignumvitae

lignumvitae
lig·num
vi·tae 
[lìgnəm vtee] noun

1.  TREES tropical
American tree: a tropical American tree that has purple
or blue flowers and is grown commercially for its timber. Latin name: Guaiacum
officinale Guaiacum sanctum

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of the lignum vitae tree: the valuable hard resinous
heavy wood from the lignum vitae tree
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “wood of life” (from the medicinal uses of the wood and its
resin).][1]



ligroin

ligroin
lig·ro·in 
[líggrō in] noun

flammable
solvent:
a solvent in the form of a flammable liquid mixture of hydrocarbons. It is
obtained by the distillation of petroleum.
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



ligula

ligula
lig·u·la 
[líggyələ] (plural lig·u·lae [líggyə l] or lig·u·las) noun

1.  INSECTS part
of an insect’s lip: the tip of the lower lip ( labium ) of an insect, which typically has four
lobes

2.  BOTANY See ligule  noun 1
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “strap,” a variant of lingula, literally “little
tongue,” from lingua “tongue” (see lingua
).]
—ligu·lar, adjective[1]



ligulate

ligulate
lig·u·late 
[líggyə làyt] adjective

1.  strap-shaped:
shaped like a strap

2.  BOTANY with a
ligule:
used to describe a plant that has a ligule, or to describe a plant part in the
form of a ligule

[1]



ligule

ligule
lig·ule 
[líggyool] (plural lig·ules) noun

1.  lig·ule
or lig·u·la outgrowth on a leaf in
grasses:
an outgrowth at the junction of the leaf sheath and leaf blade in a grass,
typically a membranous or scaly flap but in some grasses a ring of hairs

2.  strap-shaped
extension of a floret: the strap-shaped extension
of florets found in the flower heads of some members of the daisy family and in
some grasses
[Early 19th century. From
Latin ligula (see ligula ).][1]



LigurianSea

LigurianSea
Li·gu·ri·an
Sea
[li gree ən s]

part of the Mediterranean
Sea, bordering northwestern Italy[1]



likable

likable
lik·a·ble
[lkəb’l] or like·a·ble [lkəb’l] adjective

pleasant
and friendly: pleasant and friendly and, therefore,
easy to like
—lik·a·bil·i·ty
[lkə bíllətee], noun

—lik·a·ble·ness [lkəb’lnəss], noun[1]



Likasi

Likasi
Li·ka·si
[li kssee]

mining and industrial city in
the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Population:
299,118 (1994)[1]



like

like2
like2 [līk]
verb (past liked, past participle liked, present
participle lik·ing, 3rd person present singular likes)

1.  transitive
verb
enjoy:
to regard something as enjoyable • I like
cross-country skiing. • Do
you like prunes?

2.  transitive
verb
consider
pleasant:
to regard somebody as pleasant and enjoy that person’s company • I
like a man with a sense of humor. • Do
you like your new teacher?

3.  transitive
verb
want:
to want to have or do something • Would
you like some coffee? • I’d
like to meet your brother.

4.  transitive
verb
regard
in a positive way: to have a positive opinion
about something or somebody • How do
you like her prose style?

5.  intransitive
verb
have
a preference: to have a specified or unspecified
preference or inclination • We can
leave later than seven if you like. • If
you like, I’ll show you around the house.
noun
(plural likes)

preference:
something that is preferred over others • a
full litany of her likes and dislikes
[Old
English lician “to please”; related to Old Norse líkr (see like 1 )]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  As
  You Like It, a play by English dramatist William Shakespeare ( 1599? ). Based
  on Thomas Lodge’s romance Rosalynde ( 1590 ), it is one of Shakespeare’s most
  charming romantic comedies. Its complex plot revolves around Rosalind,
  daughter of wicked Duke Ferdinand. Her love for a young knight, Orlando,
  results in her being banished to the forest, where she is eventually reunited
  with her lover. The oft-used expression “All the world’s a stage” comes from
  Act II, scene vii, line 139 of this play.

[1]



like

like1
like1 [līk]
(plural likes) CORE MEANING:
a preposition indicating that two things or people are similar or share some of
the same features, qualities, or characteristics; it also introduces an example
of the set of things or people that have just been mentioned • Vivid
red phone booths, looking like London imports, stood nearby.

1.
preposition resembling:
having a resemblance to somebody or something • She
wrapped the towel like a turban on her head. • He
looks like the hero type to me!

2.  such
as:
as a typical instance or example of • She
won’t go to public places like movie theaters. • I
bought things like fishing tackle and waders.

3.  indicates
characteristics: indicates qualities, characteristics, or
features (often used in questions) • What’s
it like, being a mother? • When
you go on like this, you know what you sound like?

4.  typical
of:
in a manner typical or characteristic of somebody or something (often
negative) • It’s not like him to be
this late home.

5.  inclined
toward:
having a tendency or desire for something • I
felt like screaming when I found the kitchen floor flooded.

6.  with
a suggestion of: as though something might happen • It
looks like rain this morning.

7.
conjunction as:
in the same way or manner as something • To
ski like she does requires great athletic ability.

8.  as
if:
as though or as if (nonstandard) • Butch
hops out of the car like it was on fire. • Like
I’d tell you a secret!

9.
adverb in a particular way:
in a particular way or manner (informal) • He
fixed the chair like new.

10. used
as filler or for emphasis: used especially in
conversation as a filler or for emphasis (nonstandard) • You’re,
like, feeling stressed today, aren’t you? • There
were, like, hundreds of people there.

11. introduces
direct speech: used informally to introduce what
somebody says (nonstandard) • Susan
is like “It’s not for me” and Brandon is like, “You had me worried” and Susan
is like, “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

12.
noun something
similar:
a thing or set of things similar to another • window
boxes, planters, flower pots, and the like

13. counterpart:
one person or thing that is regarded as similar or almost identical to another
• Have
you ever tasted the like of this cheesecake? • We
won’t see his like again in this decade.

14.
adjective alike:
having exactly the same or almost identical qualities or characteristics • These
two cats are as like as though they were of the same litter.
• The
new laws affect hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other like institutions.
[12th
century. From Old Norse líkr, shortening of glíkr, from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English alike, each,
and frolic .]
like
as not

to
a probable or likely extent • Like
as not he’ll show up very late.

the
likes of

people or things of the
particular sort • Such
luxuries aren’t for the likes of us.[1]



like

like3
like3 or liked intransitive
verb

Southern
U.S.
be
on the point of doing: to be on the verge or point
of doing or almost doing a particular thing (informal) • I
like to have died when I saw her in that getup.
[15th century. From like 1 .
Originally “to make in a particular likeness, to pretend.”][1]



-like

-like
-like
suffix

resembling
or characteristic of • workmanlike
[From like 1][1]



likelihood

likelihood
like·li·hood 
[lklee hd] noun

1.  degree
of probability: the chance of something happening

2.  probable
event:
something that is likely to happen
in
all likelihood

very probably[1]



likely

likely
like·ly 
[lklee] adjective (comparative
like·li·er, superlative like·li·est)

1.  probable:
that will probably happen

2.  plausible:
fit to be believed (often used ironically)

3.  suitable:
appropriate for a specified activity or purpose

4.  promising:
with a good chance of success or victory

5.  pleasant
or good-looking (regional) • a
likely young woman
adverb

probably: to a
probable degree or extent • It
will very likely snow tomorrow.
[14th
century. From Old Norse (g)líkligr, from líkr (see like 1 ). The underlying sense is
“like the truth, apparently.”]
(as)
likely as not

very
probably

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Adverbial
  uses:
  The
  most traditional usage calls for the adverb likely
  never to be used without a qualifier such as quite or very : • He
  will very likely attend the meeting.
  This stricture has been increasingly ignored, so that sentences like • He
  will likely attend are now common.

[1]



like-minded

like-minded
like-mind·ed 
adjective

sharing
the same opinions: sharing the same or similar
views, opinions, tastes, values, or outlook
—like-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



liken

liken
lik·en 
[lkən] (past lik·ened, past
participle lik·ened, present participle lik·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular lik·ens) transitive verb

compare with another:
to compare something or somebody with another, especially in order to point out
the similarities[1]



likeness

likeness
like·ness 
[lknəss] (plural like·ness·es)
noun

1.  representation
of somebody or something: a representation of somebody
or something, for example a painting or statue, often considered in terms of
how accurately it represents the person or thing

2.  similarity:
similarity of appearance among or between people or things
[Old English (ge)līknes,
formed from the base that also produced alike][1]



Likertscale

Likertscale
Lik·ert
scale
[lkərt skàyl] noun

PSYCHOLOGY scale
showing respondents’ agreement or disagreement: a
scale measuring the degree to which people agree or disagree with a statement,
usually on a 3-, 5-, or 7-point scale
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Rensis Likert ( 1903–1981 ), U.S. psychologist.][1]



likewise

likewise
like·wise 
[lk wz] adverb

1.  in
the same way: in the same or a similar way

2.  also:
used to state that the same applies in a second or subsequent case • She
works as a teacher; her brother likewise.
[15th century. Contraction of
in like wise “in like or similar manner.”][1]



liking

liking
lik·ing 
[lking] noun

1.  fondness:
a feeling of enjoying something or finding it pleasant

2.  preference:
personal taste or choice
[14th
century. From like 2 .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at love

[1]



likuta

likuta
li·ku·ta 
[lee ktə] (plural ma·ku·ta [maa ktə]) noun

1.  minor
unit of currency: a subunit of currency of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, 100 of which are worth one new zaïre

2.  likuta
coin:
a coin worth one likuta
[Mid-20th century. From Kikongo,
literally “the cloth” (a piece of cloth formerly being used as a unit of
currency).][1]



lilac

lilac

li·lac 
[llək] (plural li·lacs or
li·lac) noun

1.  TREES flowering
tree:
a European and Asian shrub or small tree with strongly perfumed sprays of
white, pink, or pale purple flowers. It is a member of the olive family. Genus:
Syringa

2.  PLANTS blossom
of lilac:
a pink, white, or pale purple blossom from the lilac tree or shrub

3.  COLORS pale
pinkish-purple color: a pale pinkish-purple color
with a tinge of blue
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Persian līlak, literally “bluish.”]
—li·lac, adjective[1]



lilangeni

lilangeni
li·lan·ge·ni 
[li lng gènnee] (plural em·a·lan·ge·ni
[èmmə laang génnee]) noun

1.  unit
of currency: the basic unit of currency of Swaziland,
worth 100 cents

2.  lilangeni
coin:
a coin worth one lilangeni
[Late 20th century. From
Bantu .][1]



liliaceous

liliaceous
lil·i·a·ceous 
[lìllee áyshəss] adjective

of
the lily family: used to describe plants that belong to
the lily family
[Mid-18th century. From late
Latin liliaceus, from Latin lilium (see lily
).][1]



Lilith

Lilith
Lil·ith 
[líllith] noun

1.  predecessor
to Eve:
in Hebrew Scripture, the first woman, believed to have been created before Eve

2.  evil
spirit of a woman: in Jewish folklore, an evil
spirit of a woman, believed to lurk in deserted places and attack children

[1]



Liliuokalani

Liliuokalani
Li·li·u·o·ka·la·ni
[lə l ō kə lnee], Queen of Hawaii
(1838–1917)

She was the last native
sovereign to govern Hawaii before its annexation by the United States, which
she strongly opposed.[1]



Lille

Lille
Lille 
[leel]

industrial city and capital
of Nord Department, Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, northern France. Population:
178,301 (1990)[1]



Lilliputian

Lilliputian
Lil·li·pu·tian 
[lìllə pysh’n] or lil·li·pu·tian
[lìllə pysh’n] noun (plural Lil·li·pu·tians)
(plural lil·li·pu·tians)

small person or thing:
a person or thing that is unusually small in height
adjective

1.  tiny:
unusually small

2.  trivial
or petty:
of little or no importance or significance
[Mid-18th century. From the
name of the imaginary country of Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels
(1726) by Jonathan Swift, whose people were only 15 cm./6 in. high.][1]



Lilongwe

Lilongwe
Li·long·we 
[li lóng way]

capital and second largest
city of Malawi. Population: 395,500 (1994)[1]



lilt

lilt
lilt 
[lilt] noun (plural lilts)

1.  variation
in voice pitch: a pleasant rising and falling variation
in the pitch of a person’s voice

2.  cheerful
piece of music: a cheerful song or piece of music,
especially one that is easy to sing along with

3.  bouncy
step:
a light bouncy way of walking, often taken as an indication of a cheerful
disposition
verb
(past lilt·ed, past participle lilt·ed, present
participle lilt·ing, 3rd person present singular lilts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say or
sing something cheerfully: to say, sing, or play
something in a cheerful way, often with pleasant variations in pitch

2.  intransitive
verb
walk
bouncily:
to walk or move in a bouncy cheerful way
[14th
century. Origin uncertain. Originally “to sound an alarm or raise your voice,”
later “to strike up a song.”]
—lilt·ing, adjective[1]



lily

lily

lil·y 
[líllee] noun (plural lil·ies)

1.  PLANTS perennial
plant:
a perennial plant that has layered bulbs, blade-shaped leaves, and single,
large, sometimes trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers often have spotted petals
and conspicuous protruding stamens. Genus: Lilium

2.  PLANTS plant
resembling a lily: a plant that resembles the
lily but is not necessarily related to it, for example, the lily of the valley,
the arum lily, or the water lily

3.  PLANTS flower
of the lily plant: a flower of any of the lily
plants • Julia
chose lilies for her wedding bouquet.

4.  HERALDRY See fleur-de-lis  noun 1

5.  white
or pure thing: somebody or something that is
particularly white or pure (dated)
adjective

pale:
unusually pale in color or shade
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin lilium, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately
from a pre-Indo-European Mediterranean language.]
gild the lily

to try to improve something
that is good or beautiful enough[1]



lilyiron

lilyiron
lil·y
i·ron
(plural lil·y i·rons) noun

harpoon
with a detachable head: a harpoon that has a
detachable head with barbs on it, used especially in swordfishing
[From its shape, thought to
resemble the leaves of a lily][1]



lily-livered

lily-livered
lil·y-liv·ered 
adjective

cowardly:
lacking in courage (literary)
[From the idea that a
cowardly person’s liver is pale through lack of bile, once thought to engender
courage][1]



lilyof the valley

lilyof the valley

lil·y
of the val·ley  (plural lil·ies of the
val·ley or lil·y of the val·ley) noun
small
flowering garden plant: a small ornamental flowering
plant with two long, oval, dark green leaves and small, white or pale pink,
sweet-scented, bell-shaped drooping flowers growing from a single spike. All
parts of the plant, which is grown throughout North America, Europe, and Asia,
are poisonous, including the bright red berries. Genus: Convallaria
[Translation of Latin lilium
convallium, name of an unidentified plant in the Bible][1]



lilypad

lilypad
lil·y
pad
(plural lil·y pads) noun

leaf of a water lily:
a floating leaf of a water lily[1]



lily-white

lily-white
lil·y-white 
adjective

1.  pale
and unblemished: unusually pale in tone and free from
blemishes

2.  prejudiced
against black people: discriminating against or
excluding people of African American origin (disapproving) (sometimes
considered offensive)

3.  unmixed:
characterized by complete or extreme absence of admixture

[1]



Lima




Back to definition

Lima2

[1]



Lima

Lima2

Li·ma2  [lma]
capital city of Peru, situated in the
west central part of the country, on the Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the
Rímac River in an arid coastal region. Population: 6,400,000 (1991)[1]



Lima

Lima1
Li·ma1  [lma]
noun

COMMUNICATION
code word for letter “L”:
a code word for the letter “L,” used in international radio communications[1]



limabean

limabean
li·ma
bean 
[lmə bn] (plural li·ma beans)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
of the bean family: a plant of the bean family,
originally native to tropical America but now widely grown throughout the
United States for its edible seeds that develop inside flat pods. Latin name: Phaseolus
limensis Phaseolus lunatus

2.  FOOD seed
of the lima bean: the pale green edible seed produced by
the lima bean plant.
See
also
butter bean
[Mid-18th century. Named for Lima 1, the
capital of Peru.][1]



limacine

limacine
lim·a·cine 
[límmə sn, lmə
sn] adjective

1.  of
the slug family: belonging or relating to the slug family
of invertebrate terrestrial mollusks

2.  like
a slug:
resembling a slug in appearance or movement
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the Latin stem limac- “slug, snail.”][1]



Limassol

Limassol
Li·mas·sol 
[leemsōl]

city and port in southern
Cyprus. It is the capital of Limassol District. Population: 143,400 (1994)[1]



limaçon

limaçon
lim·a·çon 
[lmə sáwN, límmə
sòn] (plural lim·a·çons) noun

heart-shaped
mathematical curve: a heart-shaped mathematical
curve that is generated by a point on a line that intersects with a circle and
rotates about a point on the circle
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “snail shell,” ultimately from the Latin stem limac-
“slug, snail.”][1]



limb

limb2
limb2 [lim]
(plural limbs) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY rim
of a planet: the illuminated edge of the Sun, the
Moon, or a planet

2.  MATHEMATICS arc-shaped
scale on a measuring device: an arc-shaped scale on an
instrument such as a sextant that measures angles

3.  BOTANY end of
a plant part: the expanded end of a plant part,
especially of a sepal, petal, or leaf

4.  BOTANY rim of
a flower:
the flared outer rim of a bell- or trumpet-shaped flower

5.  ARCHERY part
of a bow:
either of the two halves of a bow used in archery
[14th century. Directly or
via French limbe from Latin limbus (see limbus
).][1]



limb

limb1
limb1 [lim]
(past limb·ed, past participle limb·ed, present
participle limb·ing, 3rd person present singular limbs,
plural limbs) noun

1.  body
part:
an arm, leg, or similar appendage, for example a wing or flipper

2.  large
branch:
any of the major branches of a tree

3.  associated
person or organization: somebody or something that
is affiliated with a larger group or organization

4.  part
sticking out: a part that sticks out, for example, on
a building or a mountain range
[Old
English lim]
—limbed,
adjective

—limb·less,
adjective
go
out on a limb

to
express a viewpoint that risks being controversial

out
on a limb

in an isolated position,
without support[1]



limbate

limbate
lim·bate 
[lím bàyt] adjective

with
edge of different color: used to describe flowers
that are a different color at the edges • limbate
carnations
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin limbatus, from Latin limbus “limbus” (see limbus ).][1]



limber

limber2
lim·ber2 [límbər]
noun (plural lim·bers)

vehicle
for transporting a large gun: a two-wheeled vehicle that
forms the detachable front part of a gun carriage. It was also used for
transporting ammunition and other supplies on the battlefield.
transitive
verb
(past lim·bered, past participle lim·bered, present
participle lim·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular lim·bers)

attach
to a limber: to attach a gun or other piece of field
equipment to a limber
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via French limon “shaft of a cart” from Celtic or a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of limb .][1]



limber

limber1
lim·ber1 [límbər]
adjective

1.  supple
and agile:
able to move with elastic ease and nimble quickness

2.  flexible:
able to be bent easily
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lim·bered,
past participle lim·bered, present participle lim·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular lim·bers)

make or become flexible:
to become, or cause something to become, flexible or supple
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from limber 2, from its ease of movement.]
—lim·ber·ness, noun[1]



limberup

limberup
limber
up
intransitive verb

do preparatory physical
exercise: to do gentle physical
exercises to loosen and warm the muscles prior to taking part in more strenuous
physical activity[1]



limbi

limbi
lim·bi


Plural of
limbus[1]



limbic

limbic
lim·bic 
[límbik] adjective ANATOMY

1.  of
or near a limbus: belonging to a limbus or situated in or
near a limbus

2.  of
the limbic system: belonging to or situated in
the limbic system
[Late 19th century. From
French limbique, ultimately from Latin limbus (see limbus ).][1]



limbicsystem

limbicsystem
lim·bic
sys·tem
(plural lim·bic sys·tems) noun

brain nuclei system:
an interconnected system of brain nuclei associated with basic needs and
emotions, for example, hunger, pain, pleasure, satisfaction, sex, and
instinctive motivation. The most primitive part of the brain, it is situated
close to the inner wall of each cerebral hemisphere and includes the brain
system concerned with the sense of smell.[1]



limbo

limbo2
lim·bo2 [límbō]
noun (plural lim·bos)

West
Indian dance: a West Indian dance that involves
bending the body backward from the knees and moving under a horizontal bar or
rope that is put into progressively lower positions (often used before a
noun) • a
limbo dancer
intransitive
verb

dance
the limbo:
to dance the limbo
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of limber 1 .][1]



limbo

limbo1
lim·bo1 [límbō]
noun

1.  Lim·bo
or lim·bo CHRISTIANITY
place
for souls of unbaptized children: in Roman Catholic
theology, the place that is believed to be home to the souls of children who
have died before baptism, and the souls of the righteous who died before Jesus
Christ. Although they are barred from entry to heaven, they are not condemned to
the eternal suffering of hell.

2.  state
of oblivion: a state in which somebody or something
is neglected or is simply left in oblivion

3.  prison:
a place for the confinement of prisoners (archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin, literally “on the border (of hell),” where limbo was
thought to be, a form of limbus (see limbus
).]
in
limbo

in a state of uncertainty or
of being kept waiting[1]



Limburger

Limburger
Lim·burg·er 
[lím bùrgər] or Lim·burg·er cheese
[lím bùrgər] or Lim·burg cheese
[lìm burg chz] noun

Belgian
white cheese: a soft white Belgian cheese noted for
its characteristically strong smell and taste
[Mid-19th century. From Dutch
or German, literally “from Limburg,” a province of northwestern Belgium, where
it was first made.][1]



limbus

limbus
lim·bus 
[límbəss] (plural lim·bi [lím b]) noun

edge
of a body part: the edge of various organs or body
parts, for example, the area in the eyeball where the cornea and sclera meet
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “edge, border.”][1]



lime

lime2

lime2 [līm]
noun (plural limes)

1.  TREES evergreen
tree:
a small evergreen citrus tree, originally native to Asia, but now widely grown
for its small green fruits. Latin name: Citrus aurantifolia

2.  FOOD small
green fruit: the small acid-tasting citrus fruit of
the lime tree that has a thin green rind and pale green juicy flesh (often
used before a noun) • lime
juice
adjective

COLORS lime-green:
lime-green
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Arabic līma “citrus fruit” (source of English lemon ).][1]



lime

lime3
lime3 [līm]
(plural limes) noun

1.  lime
or lime tree TREES See
linden

2.  INDUSTRY wood:
the wood of the linden tree
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of line, ultimately from Old English linde (probable source
of English linden ).][1]



lime

lime4
lime4 [līm]
(past limed, past participle limed, present
participle lim·ing, 3rd person present singular limes)
intransitive verb

Caribbean
laze
around:
to spend time lazily (slang)
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from offensive limey “low-class Causasian person.”][1]



lime

lime1
lime1 [līm]
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY calcium
oxide:
the chemical calcium oxide

2.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING calcium
used for improving soil: any of several forms of
calcium, especially calcium hydroxide, used for improving soil that has a low
calcium content

3.  HUNTING birdlime:
the substance birdlime
transitive
verb
(past limed, past participle limed, present
participle lim·ing, 3rd person present singular limes)

1.  AGRICULTURE GARDENING spread
calcium on:
to spread calcium, often in the form of ground limestone, on soil in order to
reduce its acidity

2.  BUILDING paint
with whitewash: to cover a surface with whitewash

3.  HUNTING smear
with birdlime: to smear twigs or branches with birdlime
in order to catch small birds

4.  HUNTING catch
birds or animals using birdlime: to catch small birds
or animals using birdlime or some other sticky substance
[Old
English līm, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English slime, loam, and slippery]
—lim·y, adjective[1]



limeade

limeade
lime·ade 
[lī máyd] (plural lime·ades) noun

nonalcoholic lime drink:
a nonalcoholic drink made from or tasting of lime juice[1]



lime-green

lime-green
lime-green
adjective

pale green:
having the pale green color of a lime[1]



limekiln

limekiln
lime·kiln 
[lm kìln] (plural lime·kilns)
noun

oven for heating limestone:
an oven that is used for heating limestone to produce quicklime[1]



limelight

limelight
lime·light 
[lm lt] (plural lime·lights)
noun

1.  focus
of attention: the focus of attention or public
interest

2.  THEATER lamp
in which quicklime is heated: a type of lamp in which
quicklime is heated to produce a brilliant light. It was used in theaters as an
early form of stage lighting.

3.  light
produced by limelight: the light that a limelight
lamp produces.
Also
called
calcium light

[1]



limelighter

limelighter
lime·light·er
[lm ltər] (plural lime·light·ers)
noun

somebody liking public
attention: somebody who wants and
enjoys celebrity status[1]



Limerick

Limerick
Lim·er·ick 
[límmərik]

1.  port
and chief city of Limerick County, southwestern Republic of Ireland.
Population: 75,436 (1991)

2.  county
in the southwestern Republic of Ireland, in Munster Province. Population:
112,975 (1996) Area: 2,686 sq km/1,039 sq mi.

[1]



limerick

limerick
lim·er·ick 
[límmərik] (plural lim·er·icks)
noun

five-line
humorous poem: a five-line humorous poem with regular
meter and rhyme patterns, often dealing with a risqué subject and typically
opening with a line such as “There was a young lady called Jenny.” Lines one,
two, and five rhyme with each other and have three metrical feet, and lines two
and four rhyme with each other and have two metrical feet, giving the poem a
catchy bouncy rhythm.
[Early 19th century. Said to
derive from the Victorian custom of singing nonsense songs with this rhyme
scheme, with the refrain “will you come up to Limerick
.”][1]



limes

limes
limes 
[l mz] (plural lim·i·tes [límmə tz]) noun

boundary:
a boundary or boundary wall, especially one that marked the outskirts of
territory held by the ancient Romans
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
(see limit ).][1]



limestone

limestone
lime·stone 
[lm stn] noun

rock made from marine
organisms: sedimentary rock formed from
the skeletons and shells of marine organisms that consists chiefly of calcium
carbonate and is used widely in construction and in making lime and cement[1]



limetree

limetree
lime
tree
noun

See
lime 3 noun
1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








limetree looper

limetree looper
lime
tree loop·er (plural lime tree loop·ers)
noun

moth whose larvae destroy
citrus trees: a North American moth
whose inchworm larvae are destructive to citrus trees. Latin name: Erannis
tiliaria[1]



limewater

limewater
lime·wa·ter 
[lm wàwtər, lm
wòttər] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY calcium
hydroxide in water: a clear alkaline solution of
calcium hydroxide in water, used in skin lotions and as an antacid

2.  GEOLOGY water
containing calcium salts: water that is naturally high
in dissolved calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate

[1]



limey

limey
lim·ey 
[lmee] noun (plural lim·eys)
U.S. Canada Australia, New Zealand (sometimes
considered offensive)

1.  British
person:
a name, sometimes considered offensive, for a British person, originally a
British sailor (slang offensive)

2.  British
ship:
a name, sometimes considered offensive, for a British commercial or naval
vessel (slang)
adjective

U.S., Canada,
Australia, New Zealand British:
a term, sometimes considered offensive, meaning belonging or relating to the
United Kingdom (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of lime-juicer (because sailors in the British Navy were made
to drink lime juice to prevent scurvy).][1]



liminal

liminal
lim·i·nal 
[límmin’l] adjective

of
conscious awareness: belonging to the point of
conscious awareness below which something cannot be experienced or felt
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin limin-, stem of limen “threshold.”][1]



limit

limit
lim·it 
[límmit] noun (plural lim·its)

1.  farthest
point, degree, or amount: the farthest point, degree,
amount, or boundary, especially one that cannot or should not be passed or
exceeded • impose
a spending limit

2.  maximum
or minimum amount allowed: the maximum or minimum
amount, or the largest or lowest quantity, that is available or allowed • an
upper age limit of 12 years

3.  boundary
of an area:
the boundary or edge of an area, or something that marks a boundary or edge (often
used in the plural) • the
city limits

4.  restriction:
a feature or circumstance that restricts what can be done • a
time limit

5.  GAMBLING maximum
money allowed in betting: the maximum amount of money
that can be staked at any one time in various games of chance

6.  MATHEMATICS maximum
of a mathematical function: a numerical value approached
by a mathematical function as the independent variable of the function
approaches infinity or some specified value

7.  MATHEMATICS value
specifying an integral’s range: one of the two given
values specifying the range over which a definite integral is evaluated
transitive
verb
(past lim·it·ed, past participle lim·it·ed, present
participle lim·i·ting, 3rd person present singular lim·its)

1.  restrict:
to restrict something or somebody in number or quantity, or restrict something
to a specified group • had to
limit the number of guests because of space problems

2.  be
boundary to: to be or act as a boundary to a
specified area
[14th
century. From Latin limit-, stem of limes, literally “ridge of
land separating fields,” later “boundary.”]
—lim·it·a·ble,
adjective
be
the limit

to be so bad as to be almost
beyond what somebody is able or prepared to tolerate[1]



limitary

limitary
lim·i·tar·y 
[límmi tèrree] adjective (archaic)

1.  restricted:
on which limits are imposed

2.  restrictive:
imposing limits of some kind

[1]



limitation

limitation
lim·i·ta·tion 
[lìmmi táysh’n] (plural lim·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  restriction:
an imposed restriction that cannot be exceeded or sidestepped • limitations
on the height of vehicles

2.  restricting
flaw:
a disadvantage or weakness in a person or thing (often used in the plural)
• One
of the limitations of the program is the amount of memory it requires.

3.  setting
of a limit:
the act of limiting something • damage
limitation

4.  LAW maximum
delay allowed: a stated period of time within which a
legal action must start

5.  LAW legal
restriction: a legal restriction on the powers that
somebody has

[1]



limitdown

limitdown
lim·it
down
noun

FINANCE
maximum fall in a commodity price:
under futures exchange rules, the point reached by a commodity price that has
fallen by the maximum amount allowed in a single day’s trading[1]



limited

limited
lim·it·ed 
[límmitəd] adjective

1.  with
a limit imposed: on which some form of limit or
restriction is imposed • We
have limited space available.

2.  lacking
full scope:
existing at below the full degree or extent, usually far below • limited
powers

3.  of
relatively little talent: with talents or skills that
fall short of what is expected or required

4.  POLITICS lacking
full authority: lacking a full range of powers,
especially because of constitutional or legal limitations

5.  lim·it·ed
or Lim·it·ed COMMERCE
with
restricted stockholder liability: used to describe a
British-registered company or other business enterprise whose stockholders’
liability for any debts or losses is restricted

6.  TRANSPORT stopping
at only a few places: used to describe a passenger
train or bus that stops at only a few places along a route
noun
(plural lim·it·eds)

TRANSPORT bus
or train making few stops: a bus or train that stops at
only a few places on its route
—lim·i·ted·ly,
adverb

—lim·i·ted·ness, noun[1]



limited-accesshighway

limited-accesshighway
lim·it·ed-ac·cess
high·way
(plural lim·it·ed-ac·cess high·ways) noun

See
expressway[1]



limitedcompany

limitedcompany
lim·it·ed
com·pa·ny
noun

company with limited
stockholder liability: a
British-registered company in which the stockholders’ liability for any debts
or losses is restricted[1]



limitededition

limitededition
lim·it·ed
e·di·tion
(plural lim·it·ed e·di·tions) noun

edition produced in limited
numbers: an edition, especially of a
book or an art print, of which only a set number of copies have been made. This
has the effect of increasing the item’s exclusivity value. (hyphenated
before a noun) • limited-edition
prints[1]



limitedliability

limitedliability
lim·it·ed
li·a·bil·i·ty noun

investor’s liability for a
company’s debts: an investor’s liability
for no greater a proportion of a company’s debt than is represented by the
value of his or her financial stake in the business[1]



limitedpartner

limitedpartner
lim·it·ed
part·ner 
(plural lim·it·ed part·ners) noun

business
partner investing but not managing: a
business partner who has no management responsibility and whose liability for
company debts is limited to his or her financial stake
—lim·it·ed part·ner·ship,
noun[1]



limitedwar

limitedwar
lim·it·ed
war
(plural lim·it·ed wars) noun

war not aiming for total
defeat: a war in which it is not the
aim of the participants to defeat or destroy the enemy totally, especially a
war in which nuclear weapons are available but are not used[1]



limiter

limiter
lim·it·er 
[límmitər] (plural lim·it·ers)
noun

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING circuit
that limits output: an electronic circuit that
limits the amplitude of an output wave to a specified value.
Also
called
clipper

2.  something
imposing a limit: somebody or something that has a
restricting effect

[1]



limites

limites
lim·i·tes


Plural of
limes[1]



limiting

limiting
lim·it·ing 
[límmiting] adjective

1.  imposing
restrictions: imposing limits of some kind, especially
limits on the scope for development, progress, or improvement • a
limiting factor

2.  GRAMMAR identifying,
not describing: identifying rather than describing the
referent of a noun, as the possessive adjective “your” does in the phrase “your
house.” The term “limiting adjective” is now rarely used, having been
superseded by the term “determiner.”

[1]



limitless

limitless
lim·it·less 
[límmitləss] adjective

apparently
without limit: very great in amount, extent, or degree
• limitless
resources
—lim·it·less·ly,
adverb

—lim·it·less·ness, noun[1]



limitorder

limitorder
lim·it
or·der
noun

FINANCE
instruction to an investment broker:
an order instructing an investment broker to buy or sell something at a set
price or better within a certain period of time[1]



limitpoint

limitpoint
lim·it
point
(plural lim·it points) noun

MATHEMATICS
point in a set of points:
a point in a set of mathematical points, such that for every neighborhood
around the point at least one other point in the set is contained in the
neighborhood.
Also called
point of accumulation[1]



limitrophe

limitrophe
lim·it·ro·phe 
[límmə trf] adjective

on
or near a frontier: on or close to the border of
a country or region (formal)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from late Latin limitrophus, literally “supporting a boundary,”
from the Latin stem limit- “boundary.”][1]



limitup

limitup
lim·it
up
noun

FINANCE
maximum rise in a commodity price:
under futures exchange rules, the point reached by a commodity price that has
risen by the maximum amount allowed in a single day’s trading[1]



limn

limn
limn 
[lim] (past limned, past
participle limned, present participle limn·ing, 3rd
person present singular limns) transitive verb (literary)

1.  draw
or paint:
to draw or paint a picture of somebody or something, especially in outline

2.  describe:
to describe something in words
[15th
century. Alteration of lumine “to illustrate a manuscript,” from Old
French luminer, ultimately from Latin luminare “to illumine,”
from lumin- “light.”]
—limn·er, noun[1]



limnetic

limnetic
lim·net·ic 
[lim néttik] adjective

in
open water:
relating to or living in the deep open water of a freshwater pond or lake
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek limnētēs “living in marshes,” from limnē “marshy
lake.”][1]



limnology

limnology
lim·nol·o·gy 
[lim nólləjee] noun

study
of lakes:
the scientific study of lakes and other bodies of fresh water, including their
physical and biological features
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek limnē “marshy lake” + -logy .]
—lim·no·log·i·cal
[lìmnə lójjik’l], adjective

—lim·no·log·i·cal·ly
[lìmnə lójjikəlee], adverb

—lim·nol·o·gist [lim nólləjist], noun[1]



limo

limo
lim·o 
[límmō] (plural lim·os) noun

limousine:
a limousine (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Limoges

Limoges1
Li·moges1  [lee
mṓ] noun

type
of china:
a fine porcelain made in the town of Limoges, France, since the 19th century
[Mid-19th century. From French
.][1]



Limoges

Limoges2
Li·moges2  [lee
mṓ]

town and capital of
Haute-Vienne Department and Limousin Region, central France. Population:
136,407 (1990)[1]



limonene

limonene
lim·o·nene 
[límmə nn] noun

chemical
found in plant oils: a liquid unsaturated
hydrocarbon that smells like lemon and is found in the essential oils of citrus
fruits and peppermint. It is used as a wetting agent and in making resins. C10H16
[Mid-19th century. From
German Limonen, from Limone “lemon.”][1]



limonite

limonite
li·mo·nite 
[lmə nt] noun

kind
of iron ore: a hydrated iron oxide ore that varies in
color from dark brown to yellow
[Early
19th century. From German Limonit, from Greek leimōn “meadow,”
modeled on earlier German Wiesenerz “limonite,” literally “meadow ore.”]
—li·mo·nit·ic [lmə níttik], adjective[1]



Limon,José Arcadio

Limon,José Arcadio
Li·mon
[li mṓn], José Arcadio (1908–1972)

Mexican-born U.S. dancer and
choreographer. In 1947 he founded the José Limon American Dance Company.[1]



Limousin

Limousin
Li·mou·sin 
[límmə zn, lì
moo záN] (plural Li·mou·sins) noun

cattle:
a breed of large hardy beef cattle that originated in Limousin, a former
province of central France
[Late 20th century. From
French .][1]



limousine

limousine
lim·ou·sine 
[límmə zn, lìmmə
zn] (plural lim·ou·sines) noun

1.  large
automobile:
a large luxurious automobile, usually chauffeur-driven, with a partition
between the chauffeur and passengers

2.  transportation
to airport:
a vehicle used to transport passengers to and from an airport, usually between
a hotel and airport
[Early 20th century. From
French, feminine of Limousin, “caped cloak worn by cart drivers of the
Limousin area,” hence “vehicle with roofed passenger compartment.”][1]



limp

limp2
limp2  [limp]
(comparative limp·er, superlative limp·est) adjective

1.  flexible:
without stiffness or rigidity

2.  weak:
without strength, power, or firmness • a limp
handshake

3.  lacking
force:
without energy, vitality, or enthusiasm

4.  lacking
volume or substance: without a firm or
substantial feel or texture

5.  PUBLISHING not
stiffened by boards: used to describe a book
cover that is not stiffened by boards but is made of more durable material than
a paperback

6.  unconvincing:
not very convincing
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: possibly related to Middle High German lampen
“to hang down.”]
—limp·ly,
adverb

—limp·ness, noun[1]



limp

limp1
limp1  [limp]
intransitive verb (past limped, past participle limped,
present participle limp·ing, 3rd person present singular limps)

1.  walk
unevenly:
to walk with an uneven step, usually because of having an injured leg

2.  proceed
with difficulty: to move or continue with great
difficulty • The
business limped through the recession.
noun
(plural limps)

impaired gait:
a way of walking or running that involves a motion impairment, either slight or
more extensive (offensive in some contexts)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly a back-formation from obsolete limphalt
“motion impaired,” from Old English lemphealt, from lemp (of
uncertain origin) + halt “motion impaired.”]
—limp·er, noun[1]



limpet

limpet
lim·pet 
[límpət] (plural lim·pets or
lim·pet) noun

rock-clinging
mollusk:
a marine gastropod mollusk that has a low rough conical shell and clings to
rocks
[Pre-12th century. Via
medieval Latin lampreda from late Latin lampetra (source also of
English lamprey ), of uncertain
origin: probably literally “lick-rock.”][1]



limpetmine

limpetmine
lim·pet
mine
(plural lim·pet mines) noun

attachable bomb:
an explosive device that can be attached to the hull of a ship[1]



limpid

limpid
lim·pid 
[límpid] adjective

1.  clear:
clear and transparent

2.  lucid:
expressing something in a way that is clear and easy to understand • limpid
prose

3.  unworried:
emotionally calm and composed
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French limpide from Latin limpidus
“clear,” of uncertain origin.]
—lim·pid·i·ty
[lim píddətee], noun

—lim·pid·ly
[límpidlee], adverb

—lim·pid·ness [límpidnəss], noun[1]



limpkin

limpkin
limp·kin 
[límpkin] (plural limp·kins or
limp·kin) noun

kind
of wading bird: a wading bird with a long neck, a long
curved bill, long legs, and short rounded wings. It lives in marshes in South
America and southeastern North America. Latin name: Aramus guarauna
Also
called
courlan
[Late 19th century. Coined
from limp 1 + -kin, from the bird’s limping walk.][1]



Limpopo

Limpopo
Lim·po·po 
[lim pṓpō]

river in southeastern Africa.
Length: 1,800 km/1,100 mi.[1]



limp-wristed

limp-wristed
limp-wrist·ed
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning effeminate (insult)
[From the stereotypic
attitude offensively associated with effeminate or gay men, with hands relaxed
from raised wrists][1]



limulus

limulus
lim·u·lus 
[límmyələss] (plural lim·u·li
[límmyə l, límmyə
l] or lim·u·lus) noun

a
member of a group of arthropods that includes the horseshoe crab. Genus: Limulus
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin, “somewhat sidelong,” from limus “sidelong, oblique”;
from the crab’s sideways motion.][1]



limy

limy
lim·y
[lmee] (comparative lim·i·er,
superlative lim·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with birdlime: smeared with birdlime

2.  of
lime:
consisting of, containing, or similar to lime

[1]



lin.

lin.
lin.

1.  Abbreviation
of
lineal

2.  Abbreviation
of
linear

[1]



linac

linac
lin·ac 
[línn ak] (plural lin·acs) noun

PHYSICS See linear accelerator
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



linage

linage
lin·age 
[lnij] (plural lin·ages) or
line·age [lnij] (plural line·ages)
noun

1.  number
of printed lines: the number of lines in a printed text

2.  payment
by the line: a fixed payment per line of printed text
made to the author

[1]



linalool

linalool
lin·al·o·ol 
[li nállō àwl, línnə
ll] or lin·al·ol [línnə lòl]
noun

fragrant
alcohol:
a colorless liquid with a pleasant smell that is found in many essential plant
oils. It is used in making perfumes.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Mexican Spanish linaloë “lignaloes” + -ol
.][1]



LinBiao

LinBiao
Lin
Biao 
[lìn byów] (1907?–1971)

Chinese
military and political leader. He successfully commanded Communist forces
during the Chinese Civil War, and died in an air crash after a failed coup
attempt.
Real name
Lin Yu-yung[1]



linchpin

linchpin
linch·pin 
[línch pin] (plural linch·pins)
or lynch·pin [línch pin] (plural
lynch·pins) noun

1.  pin
to stop a wheel coming off: a pin placed crosswise
through an axle to prevent a wheel from coming off

2.  essential
element:
somebody or something that is an essential element in the success of something
such as a team or a plan
[14th century. From obsolete linch
“linchpin,” from Old English lynis, + pin
.][1]



Lincoln

Lincoln1
Lin·coln1  [língkən]
(plural Lin·colns) noun

breed of sheep:
a heavy-fleeced sheep of a breed originally developed in Lincolnshire, England,
and raised mainly for its meat[1]



Lincoln

Lincoln2
Lin·coln2  [língkən]

historic cathedral city in
eastern England. Population: 84,300 (1995)[1]



Lincoln,Abraham

Lincoln,Abraham

Lin·coln 
[língkən], Abraham (1809–1865)
U.S.
statesman and 16th president of the United States. He led the Union to victory
in the Civil War and abolished slavery. He was assassinated while attending a
theater performance.

—Lin·coln·esque [lìngkə nésk], adjective[1]



Lincolngreen

Lincolngreen
Lin·coln
green
adjective

bright
green:
of a bright green color
[Early
16th century. Named for the city of Lincoln,
where cloth of this color was originally manufactured.]
—Lin·coln green, noun[1]



Lincolniana

Lincolniana
Lin·col·ni·a·na 
[ling knee nə, ling
knee ánnə] noun

Lincoln-related memorabilia:
objects, writings, or anecdotes relating to the life of Abraham Lincoln[1]



linctus

linctus
linc·tus 
[língktəss] (plural linc·tus·es)
noun

cough
syrup:
a medicinal syrup given to relieve coughs and soothe sore throats
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin, “(medicine) for licking,” from Latin lingere “to lick.”][1]



lindane

lindane
lin·dane 
[lín dàyn] noun

pesticide:
a white poisonous crystalline powder that biodegrades very slowly, used to kill
insects and weeds. C6H6Cl6
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Dutch chemist Teunis van der Linden .][1]



Lindbergh,Charles Augustus

Lindbergh,Charles Augustus

Lind·bergh
[línd bùrg], Charles Augustus (1902–1974)
U.S.
aviator and engineer. In 1927 he became the first person to fly solo across the
Atlantic, which he described in The Spirit of St Louis ( 1953 ).
Known as
Lucky Lindy[1]



linden

linden
lin·den 
[líndən] (plural lin·dens or
lin·den) noun

tree
with fragrant leaves: a deciduous hardwood tree of
the northern hemisphere with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant cream-colored
flowers, grown for its soft lumber and for shade. Genus: Tilia
Also
called
lime
U.K.
term
lime
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from linden “made of limewood,” from lind
“lime tree.”][1]



Lind,Jenny

Lind,Jenny
Lind
[lind], Jenny (1820–1887)

Swedish
soprano. The best known singer of her day, she established the Mendelssohn
Scholarships and various charities.
Known as
The Swedish Nightingale[1]



Lindsay,Vachel

Lindsay,Vachel
Lind·say
[línzee], Vachel (1879–1931)

U.S.
poet. He wrote General Booth Enters into Heaven ( 1913 ) and The
Congo ( 1914 ).
Full name
Lindsay, Nicholas Vachel[1]



lindy

lindy
lin·dy
[líndee] (plural lin·dies) or
lin·dy hop [líndee] (plural lin·dy
hops) noun

kind
of jitterbug: a lively dance for couples that is a
kind of jitterbug
[Early 20th century. From Lindy,
nickname of Charles Augustus Lindbergh .][1]



line

line2
line2 [līn]
(past lined, past participle lined, present
participle lin·ing, 3rd person present singular lines)
transitive verb

1.  reinforce:
to cover or reinforce the inside or unexposed surface of something • a
jacket lined with silk

2.  cover:
to completely cover something with something else • The
walls were lined with books.

3.  fill:
to fill or supply something with something else • a
good hot meal to line your stomach
[14th century. From obsolete line
“spun or woven flax,” from Old English līn, from or related to Latin linum
“flax” (source of line 1 ); from the
frequent use of linen to line garments.][1]



line

line1
line1 [līn]
noun (plural lines)

1.  long
narrow mark: a long narrow mark or stroke made on or
in a surface

2.  traced
path of point: an imaginary path that has length but
not width, traced by a moving point

3.  people
or things waiting: a row of people or things
waiting for a turn at something or for admittance to a place.
U.K.
term
queue

4.  GEOMETRY one-dimensional
element:
a straight geometric element that has length but not width or thickness and
whose identity is determined by two points

5.  row:
a row of people or things

6.  facial
mark:
a wrinkle or crease in the skin of the face (often used in the plural)

7.  border:
a boundary or division between two properties, jurisdictions, or political
units

8.  SPORTS confining
boundary:
a long narrow mark that shows the boundary of any of the divisions of a playing
area or race track

9.  PRINTING row of
print:
a row of words or numbers on a page or other surface • a
few lines of doggerel

10. direction:
a path or direction of movement

11. shape:
the characteristic shape or contour of something (often used in the plural)

12. thin
rope:
a length of rope or wire

13. TRANSPORT route:
a rail, sea, or air route served by a transport organization

14. TRANSPORT transport
company:
a company that runs a regular service of buses, ships, or aircraft on a route

15. RAIL track:
the track on which a railroad train runs

16. RAIL fixed
railroad route: a particular part of a railroad network

17. MUSIC part
of staff:
any of the five horizontal marks that make up a staff

18. ELECTRICITY electric
cable:
a cable used for transmitting electric power or electronic messages

19. MUSIC melody:
the notes that make up a melody

20. COMMUNICATION connection:
a telephone connection

21. FOOTBALL football
players:
either of the two rows of opposing football players facing each other on either
side of the line of scrimmage

22. COMMERCE type
of merchandise: a particular type of product or
merchandise

23. FOOTBALL See line of scrimmage

24. policy:
a policy, a way of thinking, or a version of something • What’s
the government line on this?

25. series:
a series of people, usually in the same family, who follow one another in the
same job or role • the last in a long line
of musicians

26. brief
message:
a short written message • Why
not drop me a line?

27. useful
information: useful information or an insight into
something

28. specialized
field:
a particular area of interest, work, activity, or expertise

29. limit:
any limit or division • a thin
line between happiness and misery

30. approach:
a course or approach followed in doing something • must
decide what line to take before the meeting

31. deceiving
talk:
something said to deceive, impress, or attract somebody (informal) • gave
me that old line about the dog eating his report card

32. odds:
odds for wagering

33. MILITARY positioned
formation:
a formation of troops, ships, weapons, or fortifications positioned in a place
(often used in the plural) • behind
enemy lines

34. THEATER actor’s
words:
the words spoken that make up an actor’s part (often used in the plural)

35. MILITARY fighting
force:
the military or naval units of a country that actually go into battle

36. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING narrow
band of frequencies: a narrow band of frequencies
in an electromagnetic spectrum

37. GEOGRAPHY equator:
the equator (dated)

38. TV part
of television picture: any of the horizontal scans
that make up the picture on a television screen

39. DRUGS amount
of a drug:
a portion of a drug, such as cocaine, scraped into a long thin row to be
inhaled (slang)

40. INSURANCE kind
or amount of insurance: a class or type of
insurance, or the amount of insurance an underwriter will sell to cover a
specific risk
verb
(past lined, past participle lined, present
participle lin·ing, 3rd person present singular lines)

1.  transitive
verb
mark
a line on something: to mark something with lines

2.  transitive
verb
arrange
along an edge: to arrange or be arranged along the edge
or length of something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL hit a line drive:
to hit a line drive in baseball
[Pre-12th
century. Directly or via Old French ligne from Latin linea “linen
string, line,” a form of lineus “made of linen,” from linum
“flax, linen.”]
—lin·a·ble,
adjective
all
along the line

throughout
or at every stage in something

draw
the line

to
restrict or set limits at a particular point

hold
the line

1.  to
keep a telephone connection open while waiting to speak to somebody

2.  MILITARY to resist a military attack
without giving ground or allowing a formation to be broken

3.  to
be firm under pressure in maintaining an existing condition or situation (informal)

in
line

1.  arranged
in an orderly row

2.  in
keeping with a policy or obedient to a set of rules

in
line for

likely
to receive something such as a promotion or position

in
line with

in
agreement or conformity with something

lay
it on the line

to
speak about something frankly (informal)

lay
or put something on the line

to
risk by some action the loss of something valuable (informal)

off
line

temporarily
not connected in an electronic communications system

on
line

connected
in an electronic communications or other system

out
of line

1.  rude
and disrespectful (informal)

2.  unruly
or out of control (informal)

read
between the lines

to
deduce something that is not made explicit (informal)

toe
the line

to
comply with what is expected

[1]



lineage

lineage2
lin·e·age2 [lnij]
noun

See
linage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lineage

lineage1
lin·e·age1 [línnee
ij] (plural lin·e·ages) noun

1.  line
of descent:
the line of descent from an ancestor to a person or family

2.  related
group of people: a group of people related by descent
from a common ancestor
[14th century. From French lignage,
from ligne “line,” (see line 1 ).][1]



lineal

lineal
lin·e·al 
[línnee əl] adjective

in
direct line from an ancestor: in or from a direct line
from an ancestor
—lin·e·al·ly, adverb[1]



lineament

lineament
lin·e·a·ment 
[línnee əmənt] (plural lin·e·a·ments)
noun

1.  facial
feature:
a feature or contour of a face (literary)

2.  characteristic
feature:
a characteristic feature, especially of something immaterial (literary)

3.  GEOLOGY feature
of land:
a major topographical feature, such as a long fault plane, that reveals
something about its subsurface
[15th century. From Latin lineamentum
“line,” from lineare “to make straight,” from linea “line.”][1]



linear

linear
lin·e·ar 
[línnee ər] adjective

1.  relating
to lines:
relating to, consisting of, or using lines

2.  relating
to a straight line: relating to a straight line
or capable of being represented by a straight line

3.  changing
proportionally: changing proportionally and
representable on a graph as a straight line (refers to variables) • There’s
no linear relation between mortality and size.

4.  unimaginative:
developed sequentially from the obvious without in-depth understanding • takes
a somewhat linear approach to the problem

5.  ARTS with
clearly defined lines: dominated by clearly defined
lines rather than relying on the effects of color

6.  MATHEMATICS of
the first degree: about or in the first degree relative to
a mathematical variable

7.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING with
output varying as input does: with an output that varies
directly with the input

8.  BOTANY long
and narrow:
used to describe a leaf that is long and narrow
—lin·e·ar·i·ty
[lìnnee áirətee], noun

—lin·e·ar·ly, adverb[1]



LinearA

LinearA
Lin·e·ar
A 
[línnee ər ay] noun

ancient form of writing:
an undeciphered writing system, dating from about 1500 B.C. and found on clay remains in Crete[1]



linearaccelerator

linearaccelerator
lin·e·ar
ac·cel·er·a·tor (plural lin·e·ar
ac·cel·er·a·tors) noun

device for accelerating
charged particles: a device
that propels charged particles in straight paths by using alternating
high-frequency voltages.
Also called
linac[1]



linearalgebra

linearalgebra
lin·e·ar
al·ge·bra
noun

branch of algebra:
a branch of algebra dealing with linear transformations, vector spaces,
matrices, and determinants[1]



LinearB

LinearB
Lin·e·ar
B
noun

ancient writing system:
an early form of Greek that dates from about 1400 B.C., found on clay remains in Crete and the Greek mainland,
and deciphered about 1952[1]



linearequation

linearequation
lin·e·ar
e·qua·tion
(plural lin·e·ar e·qua·tions) noun

equation of first degree:
an equation with no variable raised to a power.
Also called
simple equation[1]



linearfunction

linearfunction
lin·e·ar
func·tion
(plural lin·e·ar func·tions) noun

See
linear transformation[1]



linearinduction motor

linearinduction motor
lin·e·ar
in·duc·tion mo·tor (plural lin·e·ar
in·duc·tion mo·tors) noun

See
linear motor[1]



linearize

linearize
lin·e·ar·ize 
[línnee ə rz] (past lin·e·ar·ized,
past participle lin·e·ar·ized, present participle lin·e·ar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular lin·e·ar·iz·es) transitive verb

form
into a line: to form or project something into a line
—lin·e·ar·i·za·tion [lìnnee əri záysh’n], noun[1]



linearmeasure

linearmeasure
lin·e·ar
meas·ure
(plural lin·e·ar meas·ures) noun

measure of length:
any system or unit used to measure length.
Also called
long measure[1]



linearmotor

linearmotor
lin·e·ar
mo·tor
(plural lin·e·ar mo·tors) noun

electric motor running in a
line: an electric motor in which
the motion between the rotor and stator is linear so that thrust is produced
along a straight line.
Also called
linear induction motor[1]



linearperspective

linearperspective
lin·e·ar
per·spec·tive noun

form of perspective:
a form of perspective in which drawings or paintings are given apparent depth
by showing parallel lines as converging on the horizon[1]



linearprogramming

linearprogramming
lin·e·ar
pro·gram·ming noun

MATHEMATICS
finding maximum or minimum value:
a method of finding the maximum and minimum values of a linear transformation
using variables that are subject to constraints[1]



lineartransformation

lineartransformation
lin·e·ar
trans·for·ma·tion (plural lin·e·ar
trans·for·ma·tions) noun

mathematical transformation:
a mathematical transformation in which the resulting variables are neither
multiplied together nor raised to any power.
Also called
linear function[1]



lineation

lineation
lin·e·a·tion 
[lìnnee áysh’n] noun

1.  arrangement
of lines:
division into or arrangement of lines

2.  outline:
the outline of an image

[1]



linebacker

linebacker
line·back·er 
[ln bàkər] (plural line·back·ers)
noun

football
player:
a football player who takes a position near and behind the defensive line
—line·back·ing, noun[1]



linebreeding

linebreeding
line
breed·ing
noun

form of inbreeding:
the deliberate mating of closely related individuals in order to retain
characteristics of a common ancestor[1]



linecut

linecut
line
cut
(plural line cuts) noun

photoengraving from line
drawing: a photoengraving made from a
line drawing[1]



linedancing

linedancing
line
danc·ing
noun

country
and western dancing: a style of dancing to
country and western music, in which dancers follow the same steps in rows
rather than as couples
—line
dance, noun, intransitive verb

—line danc·er, noun[1]



linedrawing

linedrawing
line
draw·ing
(plural line draw·ings) noun

drawing with lines only:
a drawing done entirely in lines, with tones shown by the thickness or
closeness of the lines[1]



linedrive

linedrive
line
drive
(plural line drives) noun

ball hit in straight line:
in baseball or softball, a ball batted so that it moves fast, straight, and
low.
Also called
liner[1]



lineengraving

lineengraving
line
en·grav·ing
(plural line en·grav·ings) noun

engraving using hand-cut
lines: an engraving in which lines
are cut by hand into a metal plate from which the print is made[1]



lineitem

lineitem
line
i·tem
(plural line i·tems) noun

data shown on its own line:
an item of financial or other data presented on a separate line, such as in a
ledger or an annual report[1]



linejudge

linejudge
line
judge
(plural line judg·es) noun

See
linesman  noun 2[1]



lineman

lineman
line·man 
[lnmən] (plural line·men [lnmən]) noun

1.  COMMUNICATION somebody
maintaining phone or power lines: somebody who installs
or repairs telephone or power lines.
U.K.
term
linesman  noun 3

2.  FOOTBALL football
player:
in football, a player on the forward line, especially a center, guard, tackle,
or tight end

[1]



linen

linen
lin·en 
[línnən] (plural lin·en or
lin·ens) noun

1.  fabric
made from flax: a thread or durable fabric made from the
spun fibers of flax

2.  things
made from linen: clothes, table coverings, underwear, or
bedclothes made from linen or cotton (often used in the plural)
[Old English līnen
“made of flax,” from līn “flax” (source of English linseed ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English line
and English lingerie .][1]



linenpaper

linenpaper
lin·en
pa·per
(plural lin·en pa·pers) noun

high-quality paper:
fine paper that is made from flax fibers, or given a finish to resemble linen[1]



lineof credit

lineof credit
line
of cred·it
(plural lines of cred·it) noun

See
credit line[1]



lineofficer

lineofficer
line
of·fi·cer
(plural line of·fi·cers) noun

officer in battle:
an officer who serves in combat[1]



lineof fire

lineof fire
line
of fire
(plural lines of fire) noun

1.  path
of fired projectile: the path taken by a bullet
or missile fired from a weapon

2.  exposed
position:
a position exposed to a threat, attack, or criticism

[1]



lineof force

lineof force
line
of force
(plural lines of force) noun

curve of electric field:
an imaginary curve whose tangent at any point is that of the electric or
magnetic field that is operating there[1]



lineof scrimmage

lineof scrimmage
line
of scrim·mage (plural lines of scrim·mage)
noun

line to start a down:
in football, an imaginary line across the field at which the ball rests and
where the players of the opposing teams line up facing each other for a play.
Also called
line
Also called
scrimmage line[1]



lineof sight

lineof sight
line
of sight
(plural lines of sight) noun

1.  line
from eye to object: an imaginary line from an
observer to a distant object

2.  OPTICS See line of vision

3.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS unobstructed
transmitting path: a straight path,
unobstructed by the horizon, between a transmitting and receiving antenna

[1]



lineout

lineout
line
out
intransitive verb

BASEBALL
be put out after a line drive:
to be put out when at bat by hitting a line drive that is caught by a fielder[1]



lineprinter

lineprinter
line
print·er
(plural line print·ers) noun

printer printing full lines:
a printing device that prints a line at a time rather than one character at a
time[1]



liner

liner2
lin·er2 [lnər]
(plural lin·ers) noun

1.  lining:
something used as a lining or padding

2.  RECORDING See jacket  noun 3

3.  ENGINEERING protective
sleeve for component: a protective sleeve, usually
made of metal, fitted inside or outside a cylindrical component

[1]



liner

liner1
lin·er1 [lnər]
(plural lin·ers) noun

1.  TRANSPORT passenger
ship or plane: a passenger ship or airplane run by a
shipping line or airline

2.  COSMETICS See eyeliner

3.  BASEBALL See line drive

[1]



linerboard

linerboard
lin·er·board 
[lnər bàwrd] (plural lin·er·boards)
noun

thick cardboard:
a thick stiff cardboard used for containers, especially corrugated boxes[1]



linernotes

linernotes
lin·er
notes
plural noun

information about a
recording: printed information about a
recording that appears on the cover or as part of the packaging.
U.K. term
sleeve notes[1]



linescore

linescore
line
score
(plural line scores) noun

game statistics:
the score of a baseball game giving the runs scored by both teams in each
inning as well as the total number of runs, hits, and errors[1]



linesman

linesman
lines·man 
[lnzmən] (plural lines·men [lnzmən]) noun

1.  SPORTS referee’s
assistant:
in soccer, tennis, and ice hockey, an official who assists the head official,
referee, or umpire, for example, by deciding whether or not the ball has gone
out of play

2.  FOOTBALL football
official:
an official in football who watches for infringements, marks the downs, and
places the ball in position.
Also
called
line judge

3.  U.K.
COMMUNICATION See lineman  noun 1

[1]



linesperson

linesperson
lines·per·son
[lnz pùrs’n] (plural lines·per·sons)
noun

referee’s assistant:
in tennis, soccer, ice hockey, and football, an official who assists the
referee[1]



linesquall

linesquall
line
squall
(plural line squalls) noun

storm:
a strong storm advancing along a weather front[1]



linestorm

linestorm
line
storm
(plural line storms) noun

See
equinoctial storm[1]



lineswoman

lineswoman
lines·wom·an 
[lnz wmmən] (plural lines·wom·en
[lnz wìmmin]) noun

referee’s assistant:
in tennis, soccer, ice hockey, and football, a woman official who assists the
head official, referee, or umpire, for example, by deciding whether or not the
ball has gone out of play[1]



lineup

lineup
line
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form a
row:
to form a row or form people or things into a row

2.  intransitive
verb
form
a line:
to form a line to wait for a turn

3.  transitive
verb
provide:
to organize, provide, or make something available to somebody • had
lined up a program of entertainments for us

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb align
things:
to align two or more things or be in alignment

[1]



lineup

lineup
line·up
[ln ùp] (plural line·ups) or
line-up [ln ùp] (plural line-ups)
noun

1.  SPORTS list
of players:
a list of players in a team together with the positions they play

2.  TV television
schedule:
a programming schedule of a television network

3.  CRIMINOLOGY people
assembled by police: a group of people, including
a crime suspect, assembled by the police so that a witness or victim of the
crime can identify the person responsible for the crime.
U.K.
term
identification parade

4.  group
united in a purpose: a group of people or
organizations recruited for a cause or common purpose such as raising funds for
a charity

[1]



ling

ling1
ling1 [ling]
(plural ling or lings) noun

edible
sea fish:
an edible fish that is related to the cod and is found off the coasts of
Greenland and northern Europe. Genus: Molva
[13th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



ling

ling2
ling2 [ling]
noun

See
heather  noun 1
[Old English lyng, of
unknown origin][1]



-ling

-ling1
-ling1 suffix

1.  one
connected with or resembling • hatchling

2.  small
one • princeling
• spiderling
[Old English][1]



-ling

-ling2
-ling2 suffix

in
a particular manner or condition • darkling
[Old English][1]



Lingala

Lingala
Lin·ga·la 
[ling glə] noun

language
of Congo:
a language belonging to the Bantu group of Benue-Congo languages and used as a
lingua franca in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 10 million
speakers use Lingala as a second language.
[Early 20th century. From
Bantu .][1]



lingam

lingam
lin·gam 
[líng gəm] (plural lin·gams) noun

phallic
symbol:
a stylized phallus, used to represent the Hindu god Shiva
[Early 18th century. From
Sanskrit liṅga “mark, phallus.”][1]



lingcod

lingcod
ling·cod 
[líng kòd] (plural ling·cod or
ling·cods) noun

spiny-finned
fish:
a spiny-finned large-mouthed fish that lives in the North Pacific Ocean and is
caught for food and sport. Latin name: Ophidion elongatus
[Mid-20th century. From ling + cod .][1]



linger

linger
lin·ger 
[líng gər] (past lin·gered, past
participle lin·gered, present participle lin·ger·ing, 3rd
person present singular lin·gers) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
delay
leaving:
to put off leaving a place because you are reluctant to go

2.  intransitive
verb
wait
around:
to wait around or move about a place slowly and idly

3.  intransitive
verb
be
barely alive: to remain alive, although very weak,
while gradually dying

4.  intransitive
verb
take
time to do something: to take longer than is usual
to do something, for example, to complete a task or look at somebody or
something, usually because you are enjoying yourself • Her
eyes lingered on the letter.

5.  intransitive
verb
persist:
to remain fixed in the mind or noticed by the senses for a long time

6.  transitive
verb
pass
time:
to pass time in a relaxed or uneventful way
[13th
century. Literally “to delay repeatedly,” formed from Middle English lengen
“to delay,” from, ultimately, Old Norse lengja “to lengthen.”]
—lin·ger·er, noun[1]



lingerie

lingerie
lin·ge·rie 
[lnə ráy, lnəree,
lNə r] noun

women’s
underwear:
women’s underwear and nightgowns
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “things made of linen,” from linge “linen,” from Latin
lineus “made of flax.”][1]



lingering

lingering
lin·ger·ing
[líng gəring] adjective

1.  drawn-out:
long and drawn-out, especially with pain

2.  slow:
done slowly in order to prolong something as long as possible

3.  persisting
in the mind: remaining for some time in the thoughts
or mind
—lin·ger·ing·ly, adverb[1]



lingo

lingo
lin·go 
[líng g] (plural lin·goes) noun

a
language that is not the speaker’s native language or a specialized set of
terms requiring to be learned like a language (informal)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of lingua in lingua
franca ; or via Portuguese lingoa or Provençal lingo from,
ultimately, Latin lingua “tongue.”][1]



lingonberry

lingonberry
lin·gon·ber·ry 
[líng gən berree] (plural lin·gon·ber·ry
or lin·gon·ber·ries) noun

See
cowberry
[Mid-20th century. “Lingon”
from Swedish lingon “mountain cranberry.”][1]



lingua

lingua
lin·gua 
[líng gwə] (plural lin·guae [líng gwee]) noun

tongue:
the tongue or a part resembling one
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “tongue.”][1]



linguafranca

linguafranca
lin·gua
fran·ca 
[lìng gwə frángkə] (plural lin·gua
fran·cas or lin·guae fran·cae [lìng
gwee frángkee]) noun

1.  language
used for convenience: a language or mixture of
languages used for communication by people who speak different first languages.

Also
called
koine

2.  traders’
language in Mediterranean: the mixed language used
chiefly by merchants throughout the Mediterranean ports until the 18th century,
consisting mainly of Italian with elements of French, Spanish, Greek, Arabic,
and Turkish
[Late 17th century. From
Italian, literally “Frankish tongue.”][1]



lingual

lingual
lin·gual 
[líng gwəl] adjective

1.  of
the tongue:
relating to, using, or similar to the tongue

2.  of
language:
relating to language or languages
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin lingualis, from Latin lingua
“tongue, language.”]
—lin·gual·ly, adverb[1]



linguine

linguine
lin·gui·ne 
[ling gwnee] or lin·gui·ni [ling gwnee] noun

pasta
in long strips: a type of pasta consisting of long
narrow flat strips
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian linguine, plural of linguina, literally “little tongue,”
from lingua “tongue,” from Latin .][1]



linguist

linguist
lin·guist 
[líng gwist] (plural lin·guists)
noun

1.  speaker
of several languages: somebody who speaks several
languages or finds it easy to learn languages

2.  student
of linguistics: somebody who studies linguistics
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin lingua “tongue, language.”][1]



linguistic

linguistic
lin·guis·tic 
[ling gwístik] adjective

1.  of
language:
relating to language or languages

2.  of
linguistics: relating to linguistics
—lin·guis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



linguisticatlas

linguisticatlas
lin·guis·tic
at·las
(plural lin·guis·tic at·lases) noun

maps showing dialects:
a collection of maps showing the distribution of varying language features in a
region.
Also called
dialect atlas[1]



linguisticform

linguisticform
lin·guis·tic
form
(plural lin·guis·tic forms) noun

speech unit:
an identifiable unit of speech such as a word, prefix, phrase, or sentence[1]



linguisticgeography

linguisticgeography
lin·guis·tic
ge·og·ra·phy noun

study
of speech areas: the study of regional variation in
speech
—lin·guis·tic
ge·og·ra·pher, noun[1]



linguistics

linguistics
lin·guis·tics 
[ling gwístiks] noun

study of language:
the systematic study of language (takes a singular verb)[1]



lingulate

lingulate
lin·gu·late 
[língyə làyt] adjective

tongue-shaped:
shaped like a tongue
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
lingulatus, from lingula, literally “little tongue,” from lingua
“tongue.”][1]



liniment

liniment
lin·i·ment 
[línnəmənt] (plural lin·i·ments)
noun

pain-relieving
liquid rub:
a liquid such as one containing alcohol and camphor, rubbed into the skin to
relieve aches or pain
[15th century. From late
Latin linimentum, from Latin linire “to smear.”][1]



linin

linin
li·nin 
[lnin] noun

connective
material:
a connective material in a cell nucleus
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek linon “thread” + -in .][1]



lining

lining
lin·ing 
[lning] (plural lin·ings) noun

interior
covering:
a layer or a material used to cover, protect, or insulate the inner or
unexposed surface of something
[14th century. Formed from line 2 .][1]



link

link1
link1 [lingk]
noun (plural links)

1.  part
of a chain:
any of the connected rings or loops that make up a chain, or something
resembling a loop in a chain

2.  connection:
something that ties, connects, or relates two or more things

3.  ACCESSORIES See cuff link

4.  TRANSPORT route:
any part of a transportation system, especially a connection between major
routes

5.  COMMUNICATION unit
for communicating broadcasts: a broadcasting unit or
system used to relay radio or television signals, for example, a transmitter,
receiver, or relay station

6.  MEASUREMENTS surveyor’s
unit of length: a unit of length used in surveying equal
to 20.12 cm7.92 in., and one hundredth of a chain
intransitive
and transitive verb (past linked, past
participle linked, present participle link·ing, 3rd
person present singular links)

connect: to
connect, join, or associate somebody or something with another or to become
joined with another
[14th
century. From Old Norse hlekkr “link,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “bending.”]
—link·er, noun[1]



link

link2
link2  [lingk]
(plural links) noun

burning
torch:
a burning torch used in the past to give light
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from medieval Latin linchinus “candle,” alteration of
Latin lichinus “wick,” from Greek lukhnos “light.”][1]



linkage

linkage
link·age 
[língkij] (plural link·ages) noun

1.  link:
a link or connection or the fact of being connected

2.  diplomatic
procedure:
a procedure in diplomacy that requires progress toward an overall objective to
depend on concessions made by the various parties on other related issues

3.  TECHNOLOGY system
of interconnected parts: a system of interconnected
rods, springs, or levers that transmit motion in a mechanism

4.  GENETICS associated
genes:
the proximity of two or more genes on a chromosome, which tends to cause them
to be inherited together

[1]



linkagegroup

linkagegroup
link·age
group
(plural link·age groups) noun

set of inherited genes:
two or more genes on a chromosome that tend to be inherited as a group[1]



linkedlist

linkedlist
linked
list
(plural linked lists) noun

data chain:
chain of items of data each of which is associated with a pointer to the next,
and sometimes also to the previous one[1]



links

links
links 
[lingks] noun (takes a singular or
plural verb)

1.  golf
course:
a golf course

2.  Scotland
undulating
sandy area:
an area of gently undulating sandy ground near a seashore
[Old English hlincas,
plural of hlinc “ridge,” of uncertain origin: possibly formed from hlinian
“to lean”][1]



linkup

linkup
link·up
[língk up] (plural link·ups) noun

connection:
a connection or association between two or more things or people[1]



linkup

linkup
link
up
(past linked up, past participle linked up, present
participle linking up, 3rd person present singular links
up) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb connect
things or people: to join, connect, or unite somebody or
something with another or to become joined with another

2.  intransitive
verb
join:
to meet and join with somebody or something else

[1]



Linköping

Linköping
Lin·kö·ping
[lìn chping]

industrial city and capital
of Östergötland County, southeastern Sweden. Population: 131,370 (1995)[1]



Linnaean

Linnaean
Lin·nae·an
[li n ən] adjective

classifying
plants and animals: relating to the system
devised by Linnaeus for classifying plants and animals under two names, one
referring to the genus and one to the species
[Mid-18th century. From
Carolus Linnaeus, who devised the system.][1]



Linnaeus,Carolus

Linnaeus,Carolus
Lin·nae·us
[li n əss], Carolus (1707–1778)

Swedish
naturalist. A pioneer of taxonomy, he devised the standard system of binomial
nomenclature for plants and animals.
Real name
Carl von Linné[1]



linnet

linnet
lin·net 
[línnət] (plural lin·nets or
lin·net) noun

songbird:
a small brownish songbird of the finch family that lives in Europe, Africa, and
Asia. The male has a red breast and forehead. Latin name: Carduelis
cannabina
[Early 16th century. From Old
French linette, from lin “flax,” from Latin linum ; from
the bird’s diet of flaxseed.][1]



linocut

linocut
li·no·cut 
[lnə kùt] (plural li·no·cuts)
noun

print from design cut in
linoleum: a print made from a design
that has been cut in relief into a piece of linoleum and mounted on a block of
wood, or the design itself[1]



linoleate

linoleate
li·no·le·ate 
[li nṓlee àyt] (plural li·no·le·ates)
noun

salt
of linoleic acid: any salt or ester of linoleic acid
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from linoleic (see linoleic acid ) + -ate .][1]



linoleicacid

linoleicacid
li·no·le·ic
ac·id 
[linnə l ik ássid] noun

essential
fatty acid:
a colorless liquid, essential to human nutrition, found in linseed and other
natural oils and used in making soaps, emulsifiers, and quick-drying oils. C18H32O2
[Linoleic coined from Latin linum
“flax” + oleic][1]



linolenicacid

linolenicacid
lin·o·len·ic
ac·id 
[linnə lènnik ássid] noun

acid
from linseed: a colorless liquid found in linseed and
other natural oils, essential to human nutrition, and used in making paints and
synthetic resins. C18H30O2
[Translation of German Linolensäure,
coined from Linolsäure “linoleic acid,” with insertion of -en,
equivalent to -ene][1]



linoleum

linoleum
li·no·le·um 
[li nṓlee əm] (plural li·no·le·ums)
noun

floor
covering:
a tough washable floor covering, made from canvas or other material coated
under heat and pressure with powdered cork, rosin, and linseed oil
[Late 19th century.
Originally a trademark, from Latin linum “flax” + oleum “oil.”][1]



linsang

linsang
lin·sang 
[lín sàng] (plural lin·sangs or
lin·sang) noun

1.  Asian
animal like a genet: a carnivorous mammal related
to and resembling the civet and genet that lives in forests in southern Asia
and has spotted or banded fur and a long tail. Genus: Prionodon

2.  African
animal:
an animal similar to the Asian linsang that lives in forests in West Africa.
Genus: Poiana
[Early 19th century. From
Javanese lingsang .][1]



linseed

linseed
lin·seed 
[lín seed] noun

See
flaxseed
[Old English līnsd,
from līn “flax” (see linen ) + sd,
an earlier form of seed][1]



linseedoil

linseedoil
lin·seed
oil
[lín sd òyl] (plural lin·seed
oils) noun

oil from flaxseed:
oil pressed from flaxseed, used in making linoleum and in paints and inks to
help them dry more quickly[1]



linsey-woolsey

linsey-woolsey
lin·sey-wool·sey 
[lìnzi wlzee] noun

rough
cloth:
a coarse cloth made from linen interwoven with wool or cotton
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from lyn, from Old English līn “flax” (see linseed ) + wolle, an earlier form of wool, with -sey for a rhyme.][1]



linstock

linstock

lin·stock 
[lín stòk] (plural lin·stocks)
noun
lighted
staff used to fire cannons: a long staff with a forked
end designed to hold a lighted match, used in the past to fire cannons
[Mid-16th century. From Dutch
lontstok, from lont “match” (altered perhaps by association with lint
) + stok “stick.”][1]



lint

lint
lint 
[lint] noun

1.  thread
or fluff:
little pieces of thread or fluff

2.  cotton
fibers:
the fibers that surround unprocessed cotton seeds

3.  material
for covering wounds: a soft absorbent material
made from cotton or linen, used to dress wounds
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old French linette, literally
“small flax,” from lin “flax,” from Latin linum (see line 1 ).]
—lint·y, adjective[1]



lintel

lintel
lin·tel 
[línt’l] (plural lin·tels) noun

supporting
beam:
a horizontal beam that supports the weight of the wall above a window or door
[14th century. From Old
French, from Latin limitaris “relating to a boundary,” from the stem limit-
“boundary” (confused with popular Latin liminaris “of a threshold”).][1]



linter

linter
lint·er 
[líntər] noun (plural lint·ers)

machine
for removing cotton fibers: a machine for removing
fibers sticking to cottonseeds
plural
noun
lint·ers

unwanted cotton fibers:
fibers that stick to cottonseeds[1]



LinYutang

LinYutang
Lin
Yu·tang 
[lìn y tng] (1895–1976)

Chinese-born U.S.
philologist. He brought together Chinese and western culture in his novels, and
worked on the standard system of romanizing Chinese script.[1]



Linz

Linz
Linz 
[lints]

capital of Upper Austria
Province, northern Austria. Population: 203,044 (1991)[1]



Lion

Lion
Li·on 
(plural Li·ons) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY ZODIAC See Leo

2.  charity
club member: a member of a Lions Club

[1]



lion

lion


li·on 
[l ən] (plural li·ons) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY big
wild predatory cat: a large wild member of the
cat family that lives in Africa and India in extended family groups and hunts
cooperatively for prey. It has a tawny yellow coat and the males have a shaggy
mane. Latin name: Panthera leo

2.  somebody
brave and strong: somebody who is very brave, strong, or
fierce

3.  celebrity:
somebody who is admired and celebrated
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman liun and the Latin stem leon- from Greek leōn,
of uncertain origin: probably from a Semitic language.][1]



liondance

liondance
li·on
dance
(plural lion danc·es) noun

traditional Chinese ritual:
a traditional Chinese ritual performed to bring good luck, especially at
Chinese New Year, in which two men dance costumed in a large ornamental
artificial lion head and body[1]



lioness

lioness
li·on·ess 
[l ənəss] (plural li·on·ess·es)
noun

female lion:
a female lion[1]



lionfish

lionfish
li·on·fish 
[l ən fìsh] (plural li·on·fish
or li·on·fish·es) noun

striped scorpion fish:
a scorpion fish that lives in the tropical Pacific Ocean and has a striped
body, long spiny fins, and venomous dorsal spines. Genus: Pterois[1]



lionhearted

lionhearted
li·on·heart·ed 
[l ən hrtəd] adjective

courageous:
very brave[1]



lionize

lionize
li·on·ize 
[l ə nz] (past li·on·ized, past
participle li·on·ized, present participle li·on·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular li·on·iz·es) transitive verb

make
celebrity of: to make somebody into a celebrity or
treat somebody like a celebrity
[Early
19th century. From the notion of a lion as something unusual or celebrated in a
place, and therefore worth going to see.]
—li·on·i·za·tion
[l əni záysh’n], noun

—li·on·iz·er, noun[1]



LionsClub

LionsClub
Li·ons
Club
(plural Li·ons Clubs) noun

charitable club:
any club belonging to the International Association of Lions Clubs, an
organization founded in the United States in 1917 to promote fellowship and
service in local communities[1]



lion’sshare

lion’sshare
li·on’s
share
noun

largest
part:
the largest part or share of something
[Late 18th century. From
Aesop’s story in which a lion joins a hunt with other animals and by means of
spurious reasoning and intimidation gets the whole kill for himself.][1]



lip

lip
lip 
[lip] noun (plural lips)

1.  ANATOMY part
of mouth:
either of two fleshy folds around the mouth that help control eating, drinking,
and the production of sounds by the mouth

2.  something
like a lip:
something like a lip, especially an edge or rim of something hollow

3.  LANGUAGE impertinence:
impudent or disrespectful talk (slang)

4.  ANATOMY part
of vulva:
any of the two sets of folds of skin ( labia
) at the opening of the vulva
transitive
verb
(past lipped, past participle lipped, present
participle lip·ping, 3rd person present singular lips)

1.  GOLF strike
rim with golf ball: to putt a golf ball so that
it strikes the lip of a cup, but does not go in

2.  touch
with lips:
to touch something with the lips

3.  form
lip of:
to form or be a lip of something
[Old
English lippa . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “lip” that
is also the ancestor of English labial
.]
bite
your lip

1.  to
stop yourself from saying something you feel moved to say (informal)

2.  to
show that you are angry (informal)

button
your lip

to
stop speaking, not begin speaking, or to keep a secret (slang)

give
somebody a fat lip

to
punch somebody hard in the mouth (slang)

stiff
upper lip

U.K. a
brave and composed bearing, with no giving way to emotion (informal)

[1]



Lipan

Lipan
Li·pan 
[li pn] noun

Native American people of
Southwest U.S.: a member of a Native
North American people who originally occupied lands in Texas and who now live
mainly in New Mexico[1]



lipase

lipase
lip·ase 
[l pàyss, l
pàyz] (plural lip·ases) noun

fat-reducing enzyme:
an enzyme produced by the liver, pancreas, or stomach, or by plant seeds, that
breaks down fats[1]



lipbalm

lipbalm
lip
balm
(plural lip balms) noun

ointment for lips:
an ointment used on the lips, often in stick form, especially to relieve
chapping or dryness.
U.K. term
lip salve[1]



Lipchitz,Jacques

Lipchitz,Jacques
Lip·chitz
[lípshits], Jacques (1891–1973)

Lithuanian-born French
sculptor. The Cubist style of his early work was replaced by more sensual
sculpture, much of it innovative and experimental.[1]



lipectomy

lipectomy
lip·ec·to·my 
[li péktəmee, lī
péktəmee] (plural lip·ec·to·mies) noun

removal of fat from under
skin: the surgical removal of
fatty tissue from beneath the skin[1]



lipemia

lipemia
li·pe·mi·a 
[li pmee ə] noun

excess of fat in blood:
the presence of excessive fat in the blood[1]



LiPeng

LiPeng
Li
Peng
[l péng] (1928– )

Chinese statesman. Having
become prime minister in 1987, he crushed the pro-democracy movement that had
occupied Tiananmen Square (1989).[1]



lipgloss

lipgloss
lip
gloss
(plural lip gloss·es) or lip-gloss (plural lip-gloss·es)
noun

shiny lip cosmetic:
a cosmetic used on the lips to make them look shiny[1]



lipid

lipid
lip·id 
[líppid, lpid]
(plural lip·ids) or lip·ide [lí pd, l pd]
(plural lip·ides) noun

constituent
of fat:
any of a group of organic compounds consisting of fats, oils, and related
substances that, along with proteins and carbohydrates, are the structural
components of living cells. In addition to fats the group includes waxes, oils,
sterols, triglycerides, phosphatides, and phospholipids.
[Early
20th century. From French lipide, which was coined from Greek lipos
“fat” (see lipo- ) + French -ide,
equivalent to -id .]
—lip·id·ic [li píddik], adjective[1]



Lipizzaner

Lipizzaner
Lip·iz·zan·er 
[lìppit snər] (plural Lip·iz·zan·ers)
or Lip·piz·an·er [lìppit snər]
(plural Lip·piz·an·ers) noun

white
or gray horse: a compact, usually white or gray horse,
belonging to a breed often used in equestrian displays
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “of Lipizza,” named for Lipizza, a place near Trieste
in Italy where the stud producing these horses was located.][1]



lipliner

lipliner
lip
lin·er
(plural lip lin·ers) noun

cosmetic for outlining lips:
a cosmetic, usually in soft pencil form, used to outline the lips before
lipstick is applied[1]



LiPo

LiPo
Li
Po 
[l pṓ] (701–762)

Chinese
poet. His work is known for its lyrical beauty and precise imagery.
Also known as
Li Bo Also known as Li Taipo[1]



lipo-

lipo-
lipo-
prefix

fat,
fatty tissue • lipolysis
[From Greek lipos
“fat.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stick” that is also
the ancestor of English live 1 and liver 1 .][1]



lipogenesis

lipogenesis
li·po·gen·e·sis 
[lìppə jénnəssiss] noun

formation of fatty acids:
the formation of fatty acids in the body[1]



lipoicacid

lipoicacid
lip·o·ic
ac·id
[li p ik ássid] noun

fatty acid:
a fatty acid that contains sulfur, metabolizes carbohydrates in the body, and,
as part of the vitamin B complex, contributes to growth[1]



lipoid

lipoid
lip·oid 
[lí pòyd, l
pòyd] adjective

fatty:
containing or resembling fat
noun
(plural lip·oids)

substance
like fat:
a substance such as wax that is similar to fat
—li·poi·dal [li póyd’l, lī póyd’l],
adjective[1]



lipolysis

lipolysis
li·pol·y·sis 
[li pólləssiss] noun

breakdown
of fats:
the breakdown of fats into other compounds
—lip·o·lyt·ic [lìppə líttik, lpə
líttik], adjective[1]



lipoma

lipoma
li·po·ma 
[li pṓmə, lī pṓmə]
(plural li·po·mas or li·po·ma·ta [li pṓmətə]) noun

fatty
tumor:
a benign tumor made up of fatty tissue
—li·pom·a·tous [li pómmətəss, lī pómmətəss],
adjective[1]



lipophilic

lipophilic
lip·o·phil·ic 
[lìppə fíllik, lpə
fíllik] adjective

with affinity for lipids:
with a chemical affinity for lipids[1]



lipopolysaccharide

lipopolysaccharide
lip·o·pol·y·sac·cha·ride 
[lìppō polli sákə rd, lpō polli sákə rd] (plural lip·o·pol·y·sac·cha·rides)
noun

sugar carbohydrate linked to
a lipid: a carbohydrate consisting of
a sugar chemically linked to a lipid[1]



lipoprotein

lipoprotein
lip·o·pro·tein 
[lìppō prṓ tn, lpō
prṓ tn] (plural lip·o·pro·teins) noun

protein carrying lipids in
bloodstream: a protein that contains
a lipid molecule and carries lipids in the bloodstream[1]



liposome

liposome
lip·o·some 
[líppə sm, lpə
sm] (plural lip·o·somes) noun

sac made from lipids:
a tiny artificial sac formed from one or more layers of lipid, used medicinally
to carry a drug, vaccine, or enzyme to targeted cells in the body[1]



liposuction

liposuction
lip·o·suc·tion 
[líppə sùkshən, lpə
sùkshən] noun

fat removal:
cosmetic surgery in which fat is removed from under the skin by vacuum suction[1]



lipotropic

lipotropic
lip·o·trop·ic 
[lìppō tróppik, lpō
tróppik] adjective

decreasing fat accumulation
in liver: preventing or reducing the
accumulation of fat in the liver[1]



lipotropin

lipotropin
lip·o·tro·pin 
[lìppō trṓpin, lpō
trṓpin] (plural lip·o·tro·pins) noun

pituitary hormone:
either of two hormones produced in the pituitary gland that play a part in
using up fat reserves in the body and are a source of endorphins[1]



-lipped

-lipped
-lipped
suffix

with particular kind of lips:
having a particular kind of lip or lips[1]



Lippizaner

Lippizaner
Lip·piz·an·er 
(plural Lip·piz·an·ers) noun

See
Lipizzaner[1]



Lippmann,Walter

Lippmann,Walter
Lipp·mann
[lípmən], Walter (1889–1974)

U.S. journalist. He was joint
founder of the liberal magazine New Republic ( 1914 ), and won two
Pulitzer Prizes.[1]



lippy

lippy
lip·py
[líppee] (comparative lip·pi·er,
superlative lip·pi·est) adjective

impudent:
tending to say impudent things (informal)[1]



lip-read

lip-read
lip-read 
[líp rd] (past lip-read [líp red], past participle lip-read [líp red], present participle lip-read·ing
[líp rding], 3rd person present singular
lip-reads [líp rds]) intransitive
and transitive verb

understand
by watching speaker’s lips: to understand what is said
by watching how somebody’s lips move rather than by listening
—lip-read·er, noun[1]



lip-reading

lip-reading
lip-read·ing
noun

understanding by watching
speaker’s lips: understanding spoken
words by watching lip movements, rather than by listening.
Also called
speech-reading[1]



lipsalve

lipsalve
lip
salve
(plural lip salves) noun

U.K.
See lip balm[1]



Lipscomb,William Nunn, Jr.

Lipscomb,William Nunn, Jr.
Lip·scomb
[lípskəm], William Nunn, Jr. (1919– )

U.S. chemist. He conducted
pioneering research on the molecular structure and chemical bonding of boron
compounds.[1]



lipservice

lipservice
lip
ser·vice
noun

insincere respect:
support or agreement that does not appear to be sincere because the words
spoken are not followed up by appropriate action or behavior[1]



lipstick

lipstick
lip·stick 
[líp stìk] (plural lip·sticks)
noun

cosmetic for coloring lips:
an oily cosmetic in stick form, in a plastic or metal tube, used to color the
lips[1]



lip-synch

lip-synch
lip-synch
[líp singk] (past lip-synched,
past participle lip-synched, present participle lip-synch·ing,
3rd person present singular lip-synchs) or lip-sync
[líp singk] (past lip-synced, past
participle lip-synced, present participle lip-sync·ing,
3rd person present singular lip-syncs) intransitive and
transitive verb

match lip movements to
recorded sound: to pretend to sing or
speak by moving lips in synchronization with a recorded song or speech, or to
perform a song or speech in this way[1]



Lipton,Seymour

Lipton,Seymour
Lip·ton
[líptən], Seymour (1903–1986)

U.S. sculptor. His innovative
works are constructed of sheet metals hammered into shape.[1]



lipuria

lipuria
lip·u·ri·a 
[li pyree ə] noun

presence
of fat in urine: the abnormal presence of fat in the
urine
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek lipos “fat” + ouron “urine.”][1]



liq.

liq.
liq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
liquid

2.  Abbreviation
of
liquor

[1]



liquate

liquate
li·quate 
[l kwàyt] (past li·quat·ed, past
participle li·quat·ed, present participle li·quat·ing,
3rd person present singular li·quates) transitive verb

separate
minerals from ore: to heat an alloy or ore to a
temperature high enough to separate the constituents with the lowest melting
point from the rest
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin liquat-, past participle stem of liquare “to
liquefy.”]
—li·qua·tion [lī kwáysh’n], noun[1]



liquefacient

liquefacient
liq·ue·fa·cient 
[lìkwə fáysh’nt] noun (plural liq·ue·fa·cients)

something
that turns something to liquid: something that
liquefies or helps to liquefy something else
adjective

turning
something to liquid: capable of liquefying or
helping to liquefy something
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
liquefacient-, present participle stem of liquefacere (see liquefy ).][1]



liquefaction

liquefaction
liq·ue·fac·tion 
[lìkwə fákshən] noun

process
of turning to liquid: the process of liquefying
something or the state of having been liquefied
[14th century. From the late
Latin stem liquefaction-, from Latin liquefacere (see liquefy ).][1]



liquefiedpetroleum gas

liquefiedpetroleum gas
liq·ue·fied
pe·tro·le·um gas noun

fuel for heating and engines:
a mixture of petroleum gases liquefied under pressure and mainly used as
heating or engine fuel[1]



liquefy

liquefy
liq·ue·fy 
[líkwə f] (past liq·ue·fied, past
participle liq·ue·fied, present participle liq·ue·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular liq·ue·fies) or liq·ui·fy
[líkwə f] (past liq·ui·fied, past
participle liq·ui·fied, present participle liq·ui·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular liq·ui·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make liquid: to become or cause something to become
liquid
[14th
century. Via French liquéfier from Latin liquefacere, from lique-,
stem of liquere “to be liquid” (source of English liquid and liquor
) + facere “to make, render.”]
—liq·ue·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—liq·ue·fi·er, noun[1]



liquescent

liquescent
li·ques·cent 
[li kwéssənt] adjective

becoming
liquid:
becoming or tending to become liquid
[Early
18th century. From Latin liquescent-, presentparticiple stem of liquescere
“to become liquid,” from liquere “to be liquid.”]
—li·ques·cence,
noun

—li·ques·cen·cy, noun[1]



liqueur

liqueur
li·queur 
[li kúr, li kyr]
(plural li·queurs) noun

sweet
alcoholic drink: a sweet flavored alcoholic drink usually
considered an after-meal beverage
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Latin liquor “fluid.”][1]



liquid

liquid
liq·uid 
[líkwid] noun (plural liq·uids)

1.  SCIENCE flowing
substance:
a substance in a condition in which it flows, that is a fluid at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure, and whose shape but not volume can be
changed

2.  LINGUISTICS frictionless
consonant:
a consonant that is pronounced without friction and is capable of being
prolonged like a vowel. In modern English, “l” and “r” are liquids.
adjective

1.  consisting
of a liquid: relating to, characteristic of, or
consisting of a liquid or liquids

2.  smooth
and fluent:
moving or produced in a smooth and fluent way

3.  FINANCE convertible
to cash:
easily converted into cash

4.  clear:
clear and shining

5.  LINGUISTICS articulated
without friction: used to describe a consonant that is
articulated without friction and capable of being prolonged like a vowel
[14th
century. Via Old French liquide from Latin liquidus “fluid,” from
liquere “to be fluid.”]
—liq·uid·ly,
adverb

—liq·uid·ness, noun[1]



liquidair

liquidair
liq·uid
air
noun

cooled liquified air:
a pale blue mixture of gases, mainly oxygen and nitrogen, that has been cooled
and liquified to be used in manufacturing pure gases and as a refrigerant[1]



liquidambar

liquidambar
liq·uid·am·bar 
[lìkwi dámbər] (plural liq·uid·am·bars
or liq·uid·am·bar) noun

balsamic
tree:
a tree of North and Central America and Asia that exudes a yellowish aromatic
balsam. Genus: Liquidambar
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, irregularly formed from Latin liquidus (see liquid ) + medieval Latin ambar “amber.”][1]



liquidate

liquidate
liq·ui·date 
[líkwi dàyt] (past liq·ui·dat·ed,
past participle liq·ui·dat·ed, present participle liq·ui·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular liq·ui·dates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE pay debt:
to pay a debt or other financial obligation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE shut down a business:
to shut down a business, paying off its liabilities from its assets, or to
cease trading as a business in this way

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE cash
assets:
to turn assets into cash

4.  transitive
verb
kill:
to kill or dispose of somebody
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin liquidat-, past participle stem of liquidare
“to melt, make clear,” ultimately from Latin liquere “to be liquid or
clear.”]
—liq·ui·da·tion [lìkwi dáysh’n], noun[1]



liquidator

liquidator
liq·ui·da·tor
[líkwi dàytər] (plural liq·ui·da·tors)
noun

somebody overseeing
liquidation of business: somebody
appointed to oversee the liquidation of a business[1]



liquidcrystal

liquidcrystal
liq·uid
crys·tal
(plural liq·uid crys·tals) noun

liquid with variable optical
properties: a liquid that changes
between being clear and cloudy depending on variations in temperature or
applied voltage and is used in some types of display unit[1]



liquid-crystaldisplay

liquid-crystaldisplay
liq·uid-crys·tal
dis·play 
(plural liq·uid-crys·tal dis·plays) noun

electronic display of
characters: a display of numbers or
letters in a calculator, watch, or other electronic device, created by applying
electricity to cells made of liquid crystal to make some of them look darker[1]



liquidity

liquidity
li·quid·i·ty 
[li kwíddətee] noun

1.  state
of being liquid: the state or quality of being liquid

2.  FINANCE assets
converting easily to cash: assets that can easily be
converted into cash

[1]



liquidize

liquidize
liq·uid·ize
[líkwi dz] (past liq·uid·ized,
past participle liq·uid·ized, present participle liq·uid·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular liq·uid·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
to liquid:
to become liquid or cause something to become liquid

2.  transitive
verb
turn
to liquid in liquidizer: to make something solid into
a liquid using a liquidizer

[1]



liquidmeasure

liquidmeasure
liq·uid
meas·ure
(plural liq·uid meas·ures) noun

unit or system for measuring
liquids: any unit or system of units
for measuring liquid volume or capacity[1]



liquidparaffin

liquidparaffin
liq·uid
par·af·fin
noun

U.K.
See mineral oil[1]



liquor

liquor
liq·uor 
[líkər] noun (plural liq·uors)

1.  BEVERAGES alcoholic
beverage:
an alcoholic drink, especially of the type produced by distillation, for
example, whiskey, rather than of the type produced by fermentation, for
example, wine or beer

2.  COOKING cooking
liquid:
a reduced liquid or juice left after cooking food, used as a sauce or as a
basis for sauces

3.  PHARMACOLOGY solution
of drug:
a concentrated solution of a drug in a liquid, usually water

4.  BEVERAGES FOOD TECHNOLOGY water
in which malt is steeped: warm water added to malt in
order to produce wort in the brewing process
intransitive
and transitive verb (past liq·uored,
past participle liq·uored, present participle liq·uor·ing,
3rd person present singular liq·uors)

BEVERAGES FOOD TECHNOLOGY steep
malt in water: to steep malt in warm water in order to
form wort in the brewing of beer
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin .][1]



liquoredup

liquoredup
liq·uored
up
adjective

drunk:
drunk (informal)[1]



liquorstore

liquorstore
liq·uor
store
noun

store that sells alcoholic
beverages: a store that sells alcoholic
beverages for consumption off the premises.
Also called
package store[1]



lira

lira
li·ra 
[lrə] (plural li·re [lr ay, lrə]) noun

1.  Italian
unit of currency: the standard unit of currency of Italy,
worth 100 centesimi

2.  (plural
li·ras) Turkish unit of currency:
the standard unit of currency of Turkey, worth 100 kurus

3.  coin
worth one lira: a coin worth one lira
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin libra, a measure of weight.][1]



Lisbon

Lisbon
Lis·bon 
[lízbən]

capital and largest city of
Portugal. Population: 681,063 (1991)[1]



lisle

lisle
lisle 
[līl] noun

cotton
thread:
a strong smooth fine cotton thread or fabric used for making gloves and
stockings
[Mid-16th century. Named for
the town of Lisle (Lille) in northern France, where it was originally
made.][1]



LISP

LISP
LISP 
[lisp] noun

programming
language:
a high-level computer programming language, widely used in artificial
intelligence research, that converts data into lists
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of List Processing (language) .][1]



lisp

lisp
lisp 
[lisp] noun (plural lisps)

1.  speech
defect:
a minor speech defect in which the sounds “s” and “z” are pronounced like the
soft “th” sound in “third” or “thick.” Small children whose front teeth have
not come in yet often have a temporary lisp.

2.  speech
sound:
the sound produced when “s” and “z” are pronounced like the soft “th” sound in
“third” or “thick”
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lisped, past
participle lisped, present participle lisp·ing, 3rd
person present singular lisps)

1.  pronounce
“s” like “th”: to pronounce something or speak so that
“s” and “z” are pronounced like the soft “th” sound in “third” or “thick”

2.  speak
like a child: to speak in a childish or halting way
[Old
English wlyspian, of prehistoric Germanic origin; ultimately an
imitation of the sound]
—lisp·er,
noun

—lisp·ing,
adjective, noun

—lisp·ing·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lissome

lissome
lis·some 
[líssəm] or lis·som [líssəm] adjective

1.  gracefully
flexible:
slender and able to bend easily and gracefully

2.  quick
and graceful in moving: quick, light, and graceful
in movement
[Late
18th century. Alteration of lithesome .]
—lis·some·ly,
adverb

—lis·some·ness, noun[1]



list

list5
list5 [list]
transitive verb (past list·ed, past participle list·ed,
present participle list·ing, 3rd person present singular lists)
(archaic)

1.  wish
something:
to choose, wish, or like something

2.  please
somebody:
to give pleasure to somebody
noun
(plural lists)

desire: a
choice, wish, or liking (archaic)
[Old English lystan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be eager” that is also the
ancestor of English lust and lascivious .][1]



list

list2
list2 [list]
intransitive and transitive verb (past list·ed, past
participle list·ed, present participle list·ing, 3rd
person present singular lists)

lean
to one side: to lean or make a ship lean to one side
noun

sideways
tilt:
an inclination to one side, especially one developed by a ship
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



list

list1
list1 [list]
noun (plural lists)

1.  ordered
series:
a series of related words, names, numbers, or other items that are arranged in
order, one after the other • a list
of people to call

2.  COMPUTING set
of data:
an ordered set of data
verb
(past list·ed, past participle list·ed, present
participle list·ing, 3rd person present singular lists)

1.  transitive
verb
arrange
items as ordered series: to arrange a series of
related words, names, numbers, or other items one after the other • She
listed the things she intended to get done that afternoon.

2.  transitive
verb
include
in ordered series: to include somebody or
something in a series of words, numbers, or other items arranged one after the
other • He’s
listed among the founding members in the club brochure.

3.  transitive
verb
categorize
somebody:
to place somebody in a category or classification • She
lists herself as a club member but never attends meetings.

4.  transitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE admit
security to exchange: to admit a security for
trading on an exchange

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE set official price:
to set an official retail price, for example, in a catalog or advertisement,
that can often be discounted by the retailer

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb enlist:
to enlist or enlist somebody (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
French liste, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



list

list3
list3 [list]
noun (plural lists)

1.  strip
of material: a band or strip of cloth or other
material, especially one forming a border (archaic)

2.  trimmed
strip of wood: a narrow strip of wood, especially
sapwood, trimmed from a board or plank (archaic)

3.  AGRICULTURE furrows
forming ridge: a ridge of earth formed by two furrows
plowed side by side

4.  ARCHITECTURE See fillet  noun 3

5.  TEXTILES selvage:
a selvage (archaic)
plural
noun
lists

HISTORY MILITARY fenced area in tournament:
an area of combat in a medieval tournament enclosed by a fence of high stakes
transitive
verb
(past list·ed, past participle list·ed, present
participle list·ing, 3rd person present singular lists)

1.  cover
something with strip of material: to cover or border
something with a band or strip of cloth or other material

2.  cut
strip of wood: to cut a narrow strip of wood,
especially sapwood, from a board or plank (archaic)

3.  AGRICULTURE form
ridge from furrows: to plow together two furrows
of earth to form a ridge
[Old
English līste . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “band, strip”
that is also the ancestor of English list 1 .]
enter
the lists

to begin to take part in a
fight or argument[1]



list

list4
list4 [list]
(past list·ed, past participle list·ed, present
participle list·ing, 3rd person present singular lists)
intransitive and transitive verb

listen:
to listen (archaic)
[Old English hlystan][1]



listed

listed
list·ed
[lístəd] adjective

1.  included
in list:
included in a list, catalog, or directory • a
listed phone number

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE tradable
on exchange: placed on a list of securities that may
be traded on an exchange
[Formed from list 1][1]



listel

listel
lis·tel 
[líst’l] (plural lis·tels) noun

ARCHITECTURE See fillet  noun 3
[Late 16th century. From
Italian listello, literally “small border,” from lista “border”;
ultimately of the same prehistoric Germanic origin as English list 2 .][1]



listen

listen
lis·ten 
[líss’n] intransitive verb (past
lis·tened, past participle lis·tened, present
participle lis·ten·ing, 3rd person present singular lis·tens)

1.  make
conscious effort to hear: to concentrate on hearing
somebody or something • We
listened for the sound of the geese overhead.

2.  pay
attention:
to pay attention to something and and take it into account • She
wouldn’t listen to my advice.
noun

act of hearing:
an act of making an effort to hear something (informal) • Why
not give their new CD a listen?
[Old English hlysnan
(influenced by list 4 ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to hear” that is also the
ancestor of English list 4 and loud .][1]



listenable

listenable
lis·ten·a·ble 
[líss’nəb’l] adjective

pleasant
to listen to: pleasant to listen to or suitable for
listening to
—lis·ten·a·bil·i·ty [lìss’nə bíllətee], noun[1]



listener

listener
lis·ten·er
[líss’nər] (plural lis·ten·ers)
noun

listening person:
somebody who listens, especially somebody who tunes in to a radio broadcast[1]



listenership

listenership
lis·ten·er·ship 
[líss’nər shìp] noun

radio audience:
the number or kind of people who listen to a radio broadcast, program, or
station[1]



listenin

listenin
listen
in
intransitive verb

1.  eavesdrop:
to listen to other people, sometimes without their knowing it

2.  listen
to radio:
to listen to a radio broadcast

3.  monitor
telecommunications: to monitor radio or
telephone communications

[1]



listeningpost

listeningpost
lis·ten·ing
post
noun

1.  forward
position:
an advanced position near enemy lines from which troops can detect the enemy’s
movements

2.  monitoring
place:
a post or area where information or intelligence is gathered

[1]



listenup

listenup
listen
up
intransitive verb

heed:
to pay attention or listen carefully (slang)[1]



lister

lister
lis·ter 
[lístər] (plural list·ers) noun

plow
making ridge on both sides: a plow that heaps earth on
both sides of a furrow.
Also
called
middlebreaker
[Late 17th century. Formed
from list 3 .][1]



listeria

listeria
lis·te·ri·a 
[lə stree ə] noun

rod-shaped
bacterium:
a rod-shaped aerobic parasitic bacterium that causes disease, especially
listeriosis. Genus: Listeria
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, formed from the name of Joseph Lister .][1]



listeriosis

listeriosis
lis·te·ri·o·sis 
[lə stree ṓssiss] noun

bacterial
disease:
a disease of the nervous system of mammals, birds, and occasionally humans that
can cause fever, meningitis, miscarriage, or premature birth and is spread by
eating food contaminated with listeria
[Mid-20th century][1]



Lister,Joseph

Lister,Joseph
List·er 
[lístər], Joseph, 1st Baron (1827–1912)

British surgeon. His
discoveries in antisepsis, which led to the use of carbolic acid during
operations, greatly reduced surgical mortality.[1]



listing

listing
list·ing 
[lísting] noun (plural list·ings)

1.  something
entered in list: an entry in a list, catalog, or
directory

2.  list:
a list, catalog, or directory

3.  COMPUTING printout:
a printout of a computer file or program

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE place
on official list of securities: a place on an official
list of securities that can be traded on an exchange
plural
noun
list·ings

ARTS COMMUNICATION lists of events:
published lists of movies, plays, or other cultural events, containing
information such as times, locations, and ticket prices
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from list 1 .][1]



listless

listless
list·less 
[lístləss] adjective

weary
and uninterested: lacking energy, interest, or the
willingness to make an effort
[15th
century. Formed from list 5, literally “without
pleasure.”]
—list·less·ly,
adverb

—list·less·ness, noun[1]



Liston,Sonny

Liston,Sonny
Lis·ton
[lístən], Sonny (1917?–1970)

U.S.
boxer. As world heavyweight champion (1962–1964), he was noted for his power
and physical stature.
Real name
Liston, Charles[1]



listprice

listprice
list
price
noun

official price:
a published or advertised retail price of something that can often be
discounted by the seller.
Also called
sticker price[1]



listserv

listserv
list·serv 
[líst sùrv] (plural list·servs)
noun

Internet service for user
discussions: a free service
available on the Internet that is like a forum that allows users to discuss a
subject via e-mail[1]



Liszt,Franz

Liszt,Franz


Liszt
[list], Franz (1811–1886)
Hungarian pianist, composer, and
conductor. His compositions, including A Faust Symphony ( 1857 ),
arrangements, and transcriptions for piano, influenced other composers. He was
a brilliant virtuoso pianist.[1]



lit.

lit.
lit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
liter

2.  Abbreviation
of
literal

3.  Abbreviation
of
literally

4.  Abbreviation
of
literary

5.  Abbreviation
of
literature

[1]



lit

lit1
lit1

Past participle of
light 1 verb
2
Past tense of light 1 verb
1[1]



lit

lit2
lit2 adjective

drunk:
drunk (slang)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








litany

litany
lit·a·ny 
[lítt’nee] (plural lit·a·nies)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY prayers
during worship: a series of sung or spoken liturgical
prayers or requests for the blessing of God, including invocations from a
priest or minister and responses from a congregation

2.  long
repetitious list: a long and repetitious list of things
such as complaints or problems • recited
a litany of complaints about the system
[13th century. Via Old French
letanie from, ultimately, Greek litaneia “prayer,” from litanos
“entreating,” from litē “supplication,” of unknown origin.][1]



Lit.B.

Lit.B.
Lit.B.

See
Litt.B.[1]



litchi

litchi

li·tchi 
(plural li·tchis) noun
See
lychee[1]



lit.crit.

lit.crit.
lit.
crit.

Abbreviation of
literary criticism[1]



Lit.D.

Lit.D.
Lit.D.

See
Litt.D.
[Shortening of Latin Litterarum
Doctor][1]



lite

lite
lite 
[līt] adjective

containing
low amount of something: low in alcohol, calories,
sugar, or fat (used especially in labeling or advertising foods and
beverages)
[Mid-20th century. Variant of
light .][1]



-lite

-lite
-lite
suffix

mineral,
rock, fossil • halite
• coprolite
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek lithos “stone”][1]



liter

liter
li·ter 
[ltər] (plural li·ters) noun

measure
of volume:
a unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimeter or 1.056 liquid quarts
[Late 18th century. Via
French litre from, ultimately, Greek litra, a unit of measure.][1]



literacy

literacy
lit·er·a·cy 
[líttərəssee, líttrəssee]
noun

1.  ability
to read and write: the ability to read and
write to a competent level

2.  skill
in particular subject: knowledge of or training in
a particular subject or area of activity • computer
literacy

[1]



literal

literal
lit·er·al 
[líttərəl] (plural lit·er·als)
adjective

1.  word
for word:
exactly following the order or meaning of an original word or text

2.  following
basic meaning: adhering strictly to the basic meaning
of an original word or text without further elaboration or interpretation • a
literal reading of the story of Noah

3.  used
to emphasize truth of something: a word used to
emphasize that something is true • That’s
the literal truth.

4.  factual
and unimaginative: simple in a clear
unimaginative way that sticks to the facts and avoids embellishment • a
literal account of the incident for the court

5.  using
alphabetical letters: involving or expressed by
letters of the alphabet
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin literalis, from littera
“letter” (source of English letter
).]
—lit·er·al·ness, noun[1]



literalism

literalism
lit·er·al·ism 
[líttərə lìzzəm] noun

1.  faithfulness
to explicit meaning: strict adherence to the
basic or primary meaning of a word or text

2.  realism:
the realistic representation of something in art or literature
—lit·er·al·ist,
noun

—lit·er·al·is·tic
[lìttərə lístik], adjective

—lit·er·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[lìttərə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



literally

literally
lit·er·al·ly 
[líttərəlee] adverb

1.  strictly
adhering to basic meaning: in a way based on the
explicit meaning of a word or text

2.  used
to emphasize: a word used to emphasize another word or
a phrase (informal) • I was
literally freezing.

[1]



literary

literary
lit·er·ar·y 
[líttə rèree] adjective

1.  relating
to literature: relating to literature, writing, or the
study of literature

2.  formally
expressed:
typical of literature rather than everyday speech

3.  professionally
involved with literature: involved with literature or
writing as a profession

4.  knowledgeable
about literature: well-read or knowledgeable about
literature
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin literarius “having to do with letters,” from littera
“letter” (source of English letter
).]
—lit·er·ar·i·ly,
adverb

—lit·er·ar·i·ness, noun[1]



literaryagent

literaryagent
lit·er·ar·y
a·gent
noun

agent for author:
somebody whose job is to negotiate business contracts on behalf of an author[1]



literaryexecutor

literaryexecutor
lit·er·ar·y
ex·ec·u·tor
noun

posthumous agent for author:
somebody who is appointed to manage literary property on behalf of an author’s
estate[1]



literate

literate
lit·er·ate 
[líttərət] adjective

1.  able
to read and write: having the ability to read
and write

2.  knowledgeable:
having a good understanding of a particular subject • Children
have to become computer-literate.

3.  well-educated
and well-read: well-educated and cultured, particularly
with respect to literature or writing

4.  skillfully
written:
showing skill in the techniques of writing • a
literate account of the voyage
noun
(plural lit·er·ates)

1.  somebody
capable of reading and writing: somebody who is able
to read and write

2.  somebody
with extensive education: somebody who is
well-educated, learned, or cultured
[15th
century. From Latin litteratus “lettered, acquainted with literature,”
from littera “letter” (source of English letter
and literature ).]
—lit·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—lit·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



literati

literati
lit·er·a·ti 
[lìttə rtee] plural noun (formal)

1.  highly
educated people: intellectuals or the educated class

2.  people
deeply involved in literature: authors and other
people closely or professionally involved with literature and the arts
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Italian from Latin litterati, literally “lettered people,” from littera
“letter.”][1]



literatim

literatim
lit·er·a·tim 
[lìttə ráytim] adverb

literally:
word for word (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin, “by the letter.”][1]



literation

literation
lit·er·a·tion
[lìttə ráysh’n] noun

use
of letters to represent something: the representation of
sounds or words by means of alphabetical letters
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin littera “letter” (source of English letter ).][1]



literator

literator
lit·er·a·tor
[líttə ràytər] (plural lit·er·a·tors)
noun

littérateur:
a littérateur (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “teacher of letters,” from littera “letter.”][1]



literature

literature
lit·er·a·ture 
[líttərəchər, líttrəchər,
líttərə chr] noun

1.  written
works with artistic value: written works such as
fiction, poetry, drama, and criticism that are recognized as having important
or permanent artistic value

2.  body
of written works: the body of written works of a culture,
language, people, or period of time • Russian
literature

3.  writings
on specific subject: the body of published work
concerned with a particular subject • scientific
literature

4.  printed
information: printed matter that gives information,
in the form of, for example, brochures or flyers

5.  production
of literary works: the creation of literary
work, especially as an art or occupation
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin litteratura, from litteratus “lettered” (see literate ).][1]



lith-

lith-
lith-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
litho-[1]



Lith.

Lith.
Lith.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Lithuania

2.  Abbreviation
of
Lithuanian

[1]



lith.

lith.
lith.


1.  Abbreviation
of
lithograph

2.  Abbreviation
of
lithography

[1]



-lith

-lith
-lith
suffix

1.  mineral,
rock, stone • batholith

2.  stone
structure or implement • megalith
• microlith

3.  calculus,
concretion • otolith
[Via modern Latin -lithus
from Greek lithos “stone,” of unknown origin][1]



litharge

litharge
lith·arge 
[lì thrj, li
thrj] noun

See
lead monoxide
[14th century. Via Old French
litarge from, ultimately, Greek litharguros, literally
“stone-silver,” from lithos “stone” + arguros “silver.”][1]



lithe

lithe
lithe 
[lī] (comparative lith·er, superlative
lith·est) adjective

flexible
and supple:
able to move or bend the body lightly and gracefully • a
lithe gymnast
[Old
English līþe “gentle.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“flexible,” which is also the ancestor of English linden
and relent .]
—lithe·ly,
adverb

—lithe·ness, noun[1]



lithesome

lithesome
lithe·some 
[lsəm] adjective

lithe:
lithe (archaic or literary)[1]



lithia

lithia
lith·i·a 
[líthee ə] noun

See
lithium oxide
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of earlier lithion (on the model of words such as soda, from Greek lithos “stone.”][1]



lithiasis

lithiasis
li·thi·a·sis 
[li th əssiss] noun

existence
of stones in body: the formation or presence of
stones formed by mineral concretions in the body, for example, in the kidney,
gallbladder, pancreas, or salivary glands
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek, from lithos “stone.”][1]



lithic

lithic2
lith·ic2  [líthik]
adjective

CHEMISTRY of
lithium:
relating to lithium
[Early 19th century. Formed
from lithium .][1]



lithic

lithic1
lith·ic1  [líthik]
adjective

1.  GEOLOGY made
of stone:
consisting of stone

2.  MEDICINE relating
to stones in body: relating to undesirable
mineral concretions in the body, for example, kidney stones
[Late 18th century. From
Greek lithikos, from lithos “stone.”][1]



-lithic

-lithic
-lithic
suffix

of
a particular stage in human beings’ use of stone implements • Neolithic
[Formed from Greek lithos
“stone”][1]



lithify

lithify
lith·i·fy 
[líthə f] (past lith·i·fied, past
participle lith·i·fied, present participle lith·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular lith·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become rock: to change, or change something, from
loose sediments into solid rock
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek lithos “stone.”]
—lith·i·fi·ca·tion [lìthəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



lithium

lithium

lith·i·um 
[líthee əm] noun
extremely
light metallic element: a soft silver-white chemical
element that is the lightest metal known, used in alloys, ceramics, and
batteries, and in compounds as a medical treatment for manic-depressive
disorders. Symbol Li
[Early 19th century. Coined
from lithia + -ium
.][1]



lithiumcarbonate

lithiumcarbonate
lith·i·um
car·bon·ate
noun

white crystalline salt:
a white crystalline salt used in ceramics and glass and medicinally to treat
manic-depressive disorders. Li2CO3[1]



lithiumfluoride

lithiumfluoride
lith·i·um
flu·o·ride
noun

powder used in ceramics:
a white, slightly water-soluble powder used in making ceramics. LiF[1]



lithium-ionbattery

lithium-ionbattery
lith·i·um-ion
bat·ter·y
(plural list·servs) noun

long-life battery:
a lightweight battery charged with lithium atoms that provides more energy for
a longer time than a standard battery[1]



lithiumoxide

lithiumoxide
lith·i·um
ox·ide
noun

white alkaline powder:
a white alkaline solid that absorbs carbon dioxide and water vapor and is used
in ceramics and glass. Li2O
Also called
lithia[1]



litho.

litho.
litho.
or lithog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
lithograph

2.  Abbreviation
of
lithography

[1]



litho-

litho-
litho-
prefix

1.  stone
• lithosphere

2.  calculus,
concretion • lithotomy
[From Greek lithos
“stone,” of unknown origin][1]



lithogenous

lithogenous
lith·o·gen·ous
[li thójjənəss] adjective

rock-building:
secreting stony deposits (refers to organisms such as coral)[1]



lithograph

lithograph
lith·o·graph 
[líthə gràf] noun (plural lith·o·graphs)

lithographic
print:
a print made by lithography
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lith·o·graphed,
past participle lith·o·graphed, present participle lith·o·graph·ing,
3rd person present singular lith·o·graphs)

make
print using lithography: to make a print using the
lithography process
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from lithography .][1]



lithography

lithography
li·thog·ra·phy 
[li thóggrəfee] noun

process
for making prints: a printing process using a
plate on which only the image to be printed takes up ink. The nonprinting area
is treated to repel ink.
[Early
19th century. From German Lithographie, from Greek lithos “stone”
+ graphein “to write”; so called because the printing plate was
originally a porous stone.]
—li·thog·raph·er,
noun

—lith·o·graph·ic
[lìthə gráffik], adjective

—lith·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



lithoid

lithoid
lith·oid 
[lí thòyd] or lith·oid·al [li thóyd’l] adjective

like
stone:
consisting of or resembling stone
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
lithoeidēs, from lithos “stone.”][1]



lithology

lithology
li·thol·o·gy 
[li thólləjee] noun

1.  study
of rocks:
the scientific study of rocks

2.  characteristics
of rocks:
the physical characteristics of a rock or a rock formation
—lith·o·log·i·cal
[lìthə lójjik’l], adjective

—lith·o·log·i·cal·ly
[lìthə lójjikəlee], adverb

—li·thol·o·gist [li thólləjist], noun[1]



lithophane

lithophane
lith·o·phane
[líthə fàyn] noun

ceramic
piece with intaglio design: a piece of thin translucent
porcelain or china with an intaglio design
[Late 19th century. Coined
from litho- + -phane
.][1]



lithophyte

lithophyte
lith·o·phyte 
[líthə ft] (plural lith·o·phytes)
noun

1.  plant
growing on rock: a plant that grows on rock and absorbs
nutrients from the atmosphere

2.  stony
organism:
an organism such as a coral that is composed in part of stony material
—lith·o·phyt·ic [lìthə fíttik], adjective[1]



lithopone

lithopone
lith·o·pone 
[líthə pn] noun

barium
and zinc pigment: a white pigment that is a mixture of
barium sulfate and zinc sulfide and is used in making paints and linoleum
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek litho- + ponos “product.”][1]



lithosol

lithosol
lith·o·sol
[líthə sàwl] noun

soil
consisting of rock fragments: a type of soil with poorly
defined horizons that consists mainly of partially weathered rock fragments
[Early 20th century. Coined
from litho- + Latin solum “soil.”][1]



lithosphere

lithosphere
lith·o·sphere 
[líthə sfr] noun

solid
portion of Earth: the solid outer layer of the Earth above
the asthenosphere, consisting of the crust and upper mantle
—lith·o·sphe·ric [líthə sfrik, líthə
sfèrrik], adjective[1]



lithotomy

lithotomy
li·thot·o·my 
[li thóttəmee] (plural li·thot·o·mies)
noun

surgical
removal of stone: the surgical removal of a stone from an
organ or duct of the body, especially the urinary tract or bladder
—lith·o·tom·ic
[lìthə tómmik], adjective

—lith·o·tom·ist [li thóttəmist], noun[1]



lithotripsy

lithotripsy
lith·o·trip·sy 
[líthō trìpsee] noun

medical
fragmentation of stone: the fragmentation of a stone
in the urinary system or gallbladder, for example, with ultrasound shock waves,
so that the gravel can be passed naturally
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from litho- + Greek tripsis “rubbing,
crushing.”][1]



lithotripter

lithotripter
lith·o·trip·ter 
[líthō trìptər] (plural lith·o·trip·ters)
noun

device
that fragments kidney stones: a device that breaks up
kidney stones using ultrasound shock waves
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of earlier lithotriptor, from, ultimately, Greek lithon
thruptika “capable of pulverizing stones,” from lithos “stone” + thruptein
“to crush.”][1]



Lithuania




Back to definition

Lithuania

[1]



Lithuania

Lithuania



Lith·u·a·ni·a 
[lìth áynee ə]
republic bordering the Baltic Sea in
northeastern Europe. Language: Lithuanian. Currency: litas. Capital: Vilnius.
Population: 3,617,104 (1997) Area: 65,300 sq km/25,200 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Lithuania[1]



Lithuanian

Lithuanian
Lith·u·a·ni·an 
[lìthoo áynee ən] (plural Lith·u·a·ni·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Lithuania: somebody who was born or lives in
Lithuania

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Lithuania: the official language of
Lithuania, also spoken in western parts of European Russia, belonging to the
Balto-Slavonic branch of Indo-European languages. Lithuanian is spoken by about
four million people.
—Lith·u·a·ni·an, adjective[1]



litigable

litigable
lit·i·ga·ble
[líttigəb’l] adjective

giving cause for lawsuit:
able to be pursued in court[1]



litigant

litigant
lit·i·gant 
[líttigənt] (plural lit·i·gants)
noun

party
in lawsuit:
somebody engaged in a lawsuit
—lit·i·gant, adjective[1]



litigate

litigate
lit·i·gate 
[lítti gàyt] (past lit·i·gat·ed,
past participle lit·i·gat·ed, present participle lit·i·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular lit·i·gates) intransitive and
transitive verb

be
part of lawsuit: to contest or be involved in a lawsuit
[Early
17th century. From Latin litigat-, past participle stem of litigare,
from lit-, the stem of lis “lawsuit” + agere “to drive,
pursue.”]
—lit·i·ga·tor, noun[1]



litigation

litigation
lit·i·ga·tion 
[lìtti gáysh’n] (plural lit·i·ga·tions)
noun

1.  existence
of lawsuit:
the act or process of bringing about or contesting a lawsuit or all lawsuits
collectively • The
matter is in litigation.

2.  lawsuit:
a lawsuit (technical)

[1]



litigious

litigious
li·ti·gious 
[li tíjjəss] adjective

1.  relating
to legal action: relating to litigation

2.  inclined
to go to law: tending or wanting to take legal action
• a
litigious person

3.  quarrelsome:
inclined to quarrel or argue (formal)
[14th
century. From French litigieux, from, ultimately, Latin litigium
“litigation,” from litigare “to quarrel” (see litigate
).]
—li·ti·gious·ly,
adverb

—li·ti·gious·ness, noun[1]



litmus

litmus
lit·mus 
[lítməss] noun

acid–base
indicator:
a powdery substance obtained from lichens that is used to indicate whether
something is an acid or a base, turning red in acids and blue in bases
[14th century. From Old Norse
litmosi, from litr “dye” + mosi “moss.”][1]



litmuspaper

litmuspaper
lit·mus
pa·per
noun

paper treated with litmus:
a strip of paper treated with litmus, used to find out if something is an acid
or a base[1]



litmustest

litmustest
lit·mus
test
noun

1.  test
to identify acid or base: a test in which litmus is
used to find out if something is an acid or a base

2.  test
determined by single factor: a test in which a single
factor determines the outcome • The
candidate’s stance on free trade was a litmus for the nomination.

[1]



litotes

litotes
li·to·tes 
[ltə tz, líttə
tz, lī tṓ tz] (plural li·to·tes)
noun

understatement
for effect:
a deliberate understatement, such as an affirmative statement formed by a
negation of the contrary, as in the sentence “I am not unmindful of your
devotion.”
Also
called
meiosis
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek litotēs, from litos “simple, plain.”][1]



litre

litre
li·tre 
(plural li·tres) noun

U.K.
=
liter
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek litre, a unit of measure.][1]



Litt.B.

Litt.B.
Litt.B.
or Lit.B.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Letters

2.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Literature
[From Latin Litterarum
Baccalaureus][1]



Litt.D.

Litt.D.
Litt.D.
or Lit.D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Letters

2.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Literature
[From latin Litterarum
Doctor][1]



litter

litter
lit·ter 
[líttər] noun (plural lit·ters)

1.  scattered
trash:
pieces of trash that have been carelessly left on the ground, especially in a
public place or the outdoors

2.  messy
state or place: a large number of objects that have been
scattered around untidily or a place that is in a messy state • I
found her working away in the litter of her study.

3.  ZOOLOGY animal
offspring:
a group of young animals born at the same time from the same mother

4.  AGRICULTURE bedding
for animals: material such as hay or straw that is
used as bedding for animals

5.  material
for pet’s toilet box: a dry absorbent substance,
often in the form of granules, that is spread in a shallow container where a
pet, especially a cat, can urinate or defecate when indoors

6.  ground
surface of forest: the surface layer of a
forest floor, consisting of partly decomposed leaves and twigs

7.  stretcher
with long shafts: a piece of cloth stretched between two
long poles on either side that is used to carry a sick person or a dead body (dated)

8.  HISTORY couch
for carrying passenger: a couch with poles on either
side, used to transport a single passenger on people’s shoulders or on animals.
It is often enclosed with curtains.
verb
(past lit·tered, past participle lit·tered, present
participle lit·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular lit·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb drop
trash:
to make a place, especially a public place or the outdoors, messy by leaving
pieces of trash behind

2.  transitive
verb
cover
place with scattered objects: to put a place in disorder
by leaving scattered objects in it • Toys
littered the playroom floor.

3.  transitive
verb
fill
with things: to fill something with or contain many
examples of a particular thing • an
essay littered with spelling mistakes

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb ZOOLOGY have young:
to give birth to young (refers to animals)

5.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE supply
animal with bedding: to provide an animal with
hay or straw for bedding
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman litere from medieval Latin lectaria,
from Latin lectus “bed.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to lie,” which is also the ancestor of English lie 1 .]
—lit·ter·er, noun[1]



litterbug

litterbug
lit·ter·bug 
[líttər bùg] (plural lit·ter·bugs)
noun

somebody who strews litter:
somebody who leaves litter, especially in public places or outdoors (informal)[1]



littermate

littermate
lit·ter·mate 
[líttər màyt] (plural lit·ter·mates)
noun

animal born or reared in
litter: one of several animal young
born or reared in the same litter[1]



little

little
lit·tle 
[lítt’l] (comparative lit·tler,
superlative lit·tlest) CORE MEANING:
an adjective meaning “small” or “young,” or a grammatical word indicating that
something exists in small quantities • (adjective)
It was only a very little mistake! • (adjective)
He was helping the little boy put on his boots. • (adjective)
I’ll bring my little sister with me. • (adjective)
There was a little food left. • (adjective)
There was little chance of winning.

1.
adjective small: small
or of less than average size • He
gave her a little Christmas tree ornament.

2.
adjective young: young
• I
met her when she was just a little girl.

3.
adjective younger:
refers to a younger sister or brother • My
little sister is always causing problems.

4.
adjective small and pleasant:
small in a pleasant or good looking way • a
cute little button nose • one
of his sweet little habits

5.
adjective short: short
or quick • Wait
a little while. • He
turned and gave them a little nod.

6.
adjective trivial: of no
importance • It’s
the little things that count when you’re sharing a house with somebody.

7.
adjective pronoun a small amount:
a small amount of something (used after “a”) • (adjective)
She was given a little alimony and a little child support.
• We
paid only a little for it. • A
little of what you desire does you good.

8.
adjective pronoun not much:
only a very small amount • (adjective)
The cleanups had little or no effect on the environment.
• She
would eat very little. • Little
of what was said meant much to me.

9.
adverb hardly:
hardly or not at all • He
little knew what was in store for him.

10.
adverb not often: on
rare occasions • We visit him very
little these days.
[Old
English ltel . From a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “small,” which
is also the ancestor of English lout
.]
little
by little

gradually;
by small degrees • Little by little I grew
too drowsy to think –then too lazy to go on walking.

no
little

considerable
• They
commenced eating with no little appetite.

not
a little

a
lot • I
was pretty shocked and not a little embarrassed.

quite
a little

to
a considerable degree or extent • The
rest of the evening was quite a little triumph for her.

think
little of

to have a low opinion of • I
have learned not to think little of anyone else’s beliefs.[1]



littleauk

littleauk
lit·tle
auk 
(plural lit·tle auks) noun

See
dovekie[1]



LittleBear

LittleBear
Lit·tle
Bear
noun

See
Ursa Minor[1]



LittleBighorn

LittleBighorn
Lit·tle
Big·horn
[lìtt’l bíg hawrn]

river in southern Montana. ( General George Custer ) and his army were defeated
by Native Americans on its banks in 1876. Length: 145 km/90 mi.[1]



little-bitty

little-bitty
lit·tle-bit·ty
adjective

extremely small (informal)[1]



LittleDiomede

LittleDiomede
Lit·tle
Di·o·mede
[lìtt’l d ə md]

the smaller of two islands
situated in the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia. It
belongs to the United States. Area: 6 sq km/2.4 sq mi.[1]



LittleDipper

LittleDipper

Lit·tle Dip·per
noun
See
Ursa Minor[1]



LittleFalls

LittleFalls
Lit·tle
Falls
[lìtt’l fáwlz]

city and county seat of
Morrison County, central Minnesota, situated 40 km/25 mi south of Brainerd.
Population: 6,041 (1990)[1]



littlefinger

littlefinger
lit·tle
fin·ger
noun

smallest finger:
the smallest finger of the human hand, located farthest from the thumb[1]



littlefolk

littlefolk
lit·tle
folk
plural noun

See
little people  npl. 2[1]



littlegrebe

littlegrebe
lit·tle
grebe
noun

small European diving bird:
a small diving bird with brown plumage, the smallest European grebe. Latin
name: Tachybaptus ruficollis[1]



littlegreen man

littlegreen man
lit·tle
green man
noun

imaginary alien:
an imaginary person from outer space (humorous)[1]



littleguy

littleguy
lit·tle
guy
noun

unimportant person:
an average person, as opposed to an important or wealthy one • felt
that big business was always trampling on the little guy.

Also called
little man[1]



littlehours

littlehours
lit·tle
hours
or Lit·tle Hours plural noun

hours for recitation:
the hours of prime, terce, sext, and nones in the divine office to be recited
every day by members of Roman Catholic orders[1]



LittleJohn

LittleJohn
Lit·tle
John
noun

one of Robin Hood’s men:
in English legend, a particularly tall and strong member of Robin Hood’s band
of men[1]



LittleLeague

LittleLeague
Lit·tle
League
(plural Lit·tle Leagues) noun

children’s
baseball league: a baseball league for boys and girls
from 8 to 12 years old, divided into administrative bodies for the United
States, Canada, South America, the Far East, and Europe
—Little Leaguer, noun[1]



littlemagazine

littlemagazine
lit·tle
mag·a·zine
noun

small literary magazine:
a literary magazine primarily made up of work by writers who have yet to become
established, usually having a limited circulation and a small format[1]



littleman

littleman
lit·tle
man
noun

1.  See
little guy

2.  small
business person or investor: somebody who operates a
small business or invests on a small scale

[1]



LittleMissouri

LittleMissouri
Lit·tle
Mis·sou·ri
[lìtt’l mizree]

river in the northwestern
United States, rising in Wyoming, flowing eastward into the Missouri River.
Length: 9,012 km/560 mi.[1]



littleneck

littleneck
lit·tle·neck 
(plural lit·tle·necks) or lit·tle·neck clam (plural
lit·tle·neck clams) noun

small
quahog clam: a small young quahog clam, often eaten
raw
[Mid-19th century. Named for Little
Neck Bay, Long Island, New York, where the clams were once plentiful.][1]



littleoffice

littleoffice
lit·tle
of·fice
or Lit·tle Of·fice noun

CHRISTIANITY
devotional service:
a Roman Catholic office similar to but shorter than a divine office, especially
a liturgical service of psalms and prayers to the Virgin Mary[1]



littleowl

littleowl
lit·tle
owl
noun

small owl with low forehead:
a small owl, native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, that eats insects and small
rodents and has speckled brown feathers, a broad head, and a low forehead.
Genus: Athene noctua[1]



littlepeople

littlepeople
lit·tle
peo·ple
plural noun

1.  people
lacking money and power: people who are typical in
having a small or average income and minimal power and influence

2.  small
supernatural beings: tiny imaginary or
mythological beings such as fairies, elves, and leprechauns.
Also
called
little folk

3.  children:
small children (informal)

[1]



Little,Rich

Little,Rich
Lit·tle 
[lítt’l], Rich (1938– )

Canadian impressionist. His
impressions of contemporary figures, especially Richard Nixon, made him popular
on Canadian and U.S. television.[1]



LittleRichard

LittleRichard
Lit·tle
Richard
[lìtt’l ríchərd] (1935– )

U.S.
pianist and singer. A pioneer of rock-and-roll, his performance of songs such
as “Tutti Frutti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” made them classics of the genre.
Real name
Penniman, Richard Wayne[1]



LittleRock

LittleRock
Lit·tle
Rock 
[lítt’l ròk]

capital of Arkansas and port
in central Arkansas, on the Arkansas River. Population: 175,752 (1996)[1]



littleslam

littleslam
lit·tle
slam
noun

winning 12 out of 13 tricks:
the winning of 12 out of the 13 tricks in a deal in the game of bridge.
Also called
small slam[1]



littletheater

littletheater
lit·tle
the·a·ter
(plural lit·tle the·a·ters) noun

1.  small
experimental theater: a small, usually
noncommercial theater that produces experimental drama

2.  experimental
noncommercial drama: a form of noncommercial
drama emphasizing experimental work

3.  theater
group in small town: an amateur theatrical group
that puts on plays in small cities and towns

[1]



littletoe

littletoe
lit·tle
toe
noun

smallest toe:
the fifth and smallest toe of the human foot, located farthest from the big toe[1]



Littleton

Littleton
Lit·tle·ton 
[lítt’ltən]

city and county seat of
Arapahoe County, central Colorado, situated 13 km/8 mi south of Denver.
Population: 33,685 (1990)[1]



littlewoman

littlewoman
lit·tle
wom·an
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a wife (dated offensive)[1]



littoral

littoral
lit·to·ral 
[líttərəl] adjective

1.  on
or near a shore: on or near a shore, especially the zone
between the high and low tide marks

2.  shore-living:
living on or near a shore
noun
(plural lit·to·rals)

shore: a
shore or coastal region
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
littoralis, from litor-, the stem of litus “shore.”][1]



littérateur

littérateur
lit·tér·a·teur
[lìttərə túr] (plural lit·tér·a·teurs)
noun

professional
writer:
somebody closely involved with literature, especially a professional writer (archaic)
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin litterator, from littera “letter.”][1]



litup

litup
lit
up
adjective

drunk:
drunk (slang)[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








liturgical

liturgical
li·tur·gi·cal 
[li túrjik’l] or li·tur·gic [li túrjik] adjective

1.  of
liturgy:
relating to liturgy

2.  relating
to worship:
relating to religious worship or to a service of worship, especially the
Communion
—li·tur·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



liturgics

liturgics
li·tur·gics 
[li túrjiks] plural noun

study of liturgy:
the study of public worship or liturgies (takes a singular verb)
Also called
liturgiology[1]



liturgiology

liturgiology
li·tur·gi·ol·o·gy 
[lə tùrjee áwləjee] noun

See
liturgics
—li·tur·gi·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



liturgist

liturgist
lit·ur·gist 
[líttərjist] (plural lit·ur·gists)
noun

1.  somebody
who studies liturgies: somebody who studies or
compiles liturgies

2.  practitioner
of liturgy:
somebody who practices the liturgy

3.  supporter
of liturgies: somebody who favors using liturgies
—lit·ur·gism,
noun

—lit·ur·gis·tic [lìttər jístik], adjective[1]



Liturgy

Liturgy
Lit·ur·gy 
(plural Lit·ur·gies) or lit·ur·gy (plural lit·ur·gies)
noun

Christian Communion service:
the form of service used to celebrate Communion in a Christian denomination,
especially the Eucharist in Eastern churches[1]



liturgy

liturgy
lit·ur·gy 
[líttərjee] (plural lit·ur·gies)
noun

form
of worship:
a form and arrangement of public worship laid down by a church or religion
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French liturgie from, ultimately, Greek leitourgia “public
worship service,” from leitourgos “public servant,” from leitos
“public” + ergon “work.”][1]



LiuShaoqi

LiuShaoqi
Liu
Shaoqi
[ly shòw ch] (1898–1969)

Chinese
political leader. He became vice-chairman of the communist party in 1959 but
was forced from office during the Cultural Revolution ( 1966–1969 ).
Alternate name
Liu Shao-ch’i[1]



livable

livable
liv·a·ble
[lívvəb’l] or live·a·ble [lívvəb’l] adjective

1.  comfortable:
comfortable or suitable for living in • a
very livable apartment

2.  worth
living:
endurable and worthwhile • It’s
very tense at home, but still livable.

3.  enjoyable
as living companion: enjoyable to live with
—liv·a·ble·ness,
noun

—liv·a·bil·i·ty [lìvvə bíllətee], noun[1]



live

live1
live1 [liv]
(past lived, past participle lived, present
participle liv·ing, 3rd person present singular lives)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
alive:
to be alive or have life

2.  intransitive
verb
stay
alive:
to remain alive or to continue living • lived
through a serious illness last year

3.  intransitive
verb
make
a home:
to reside in a particular place or way • He
lived in Bangkok for two years. • She
lives alone.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb lead
certain type of existence: to have a particular kind of
life • live
comfortably

5.  intransitive
verb
make
a living:
to earn or make a living • She
wants to be an actor but lives by waiting on tables.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb fully
enjoy life:
to enjoy life to the fullest • He
really knows how to live.

7.  intransitive
verb
continue:
to persist or continue • Her
fame lives on.

8.  transitive
verb
experience:
to experience or go through something • earthquake
survivors living a nightmare

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
life conform: to make your life conform to something
such as a philosophy or religion • lived
her faith
• lived
by strict rules

10. intransitive
verb
be
kept somewhere: to be found or kept in a particular
place (informal) • The
spare car keys live in this drawer.
[Old
English libban, lifian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “fat, to stick,” which is also the ancestor of English lipo- ; in prehistoric Germanic it developed
the sense “to continue, live.”]
live
and let live

to
be tolerant of others

live
it up

to live or celebrate in an
extravagant way (slang)[1]



live

live2
live2 [līv]
adjective

1.  living:
alive or living

2.  broadcast
as it happens: broadcast while an event is happening • Tonight’s
show is live from Paris.

3.  in
person:
appearing or performing in front of an audience or in person, rather than
recorded or filmed • I’d rather dance to
live music.

4.  recorded
during performance: recorded while a performance
is happening • live
footage of the concert

5.  relevant
to current concerns: relevant to current
interests or concerns • a live
topic

6.  ELECTRICITY connected
to power source: connected to an electrical power source
• a
live wire

7.  charged
with explosive: containing an explosive and able to be
used • live
ammunition

8.  SPORTS in
play:
used to describe a ball, such as a baseball or a football, that remains in play
because officials have not halted action (informal)

9.  burning:
burning or glowing • live coals

10. GEOLOGY active:
used to describe a volcano that is still active

11. bright
or vivid:
bright or brilliant, especially in terms of color

12. with
living bacteria: made using living bacteria • live
yogurt cultures

13. highly
resonant:
with highly resonant or reverberant acoustics

14. GEOLOGY found
as original rock: used to describe a rock or mineral that
is found free and not mined or quarried
adverb

1.  in
person:
in front of an audience or in person • performing
live here tomorrow night

2.  broadcast
while event happens: broadcast at exactly the
same time as a performance or event happens • a
live transmission
[Mid-16th century. Shortening
of alive .][1]



livebearer

livebearer
live·bear·er 
(plural live·bear·ers) noun

fish
giving birth to live young: a fish that gives birth to
living young, rather than producing eggs
—live·bear·ing, adjective[1]



livebirth

livebirth
live
birth
noun

birth
of child that lives: the birth of a living infant
—live-born, adjective[1]



lived-in

lived-in
lived-in
adjective

1.  slightly
untidy but homey: with a comfortable but slightly worn or
untidy look that it is consistent with actual or current occupation

2.  careworn:
showing the effects of life’s experiences

[1]



livedo

livedo
liv·e·do 
[li vdō, lī
vdō] (plural liv·e·dos) noun

bluish-black
patch on skin: a bluish-black patch of discolored skin
caused by the settling of blood, especially after death
[From modern Latin, formed
from Latin livere (see livid ), on
the model of comedo][1]



livedown

livedown
live
down
transitive verb

cause something bad to be
forgotten: to live in a blameless or
commendable way long enough for something shameful to be forgotten[1]



livefire

livefire
live
fire
adjective

using live ammunition:
using live ammunition and loaded weapons, usually for military tests or
training[1]



live-forever

live-forever
live-for·ev·er 
(plural live-fore·vers) noun

1.  See
houseleek

2.  See
orpine
[So called because it lives
for a long time][1]



livein

livein
live
in
intransitive verb

live at workplace:
to live at your place of work[1]



live-in

live-in
live-in 
adjective

1.  living
at place of work: living in your place of employment • a
live-in nanny

2.  sharing
home:
sharing a home with a sexual partner
—live-in, noun[1]



livelihood

livelihood
live·li·hood 
[lvlee hd] (plural live·li·hoods)
noun

job,
work, or source of income: work done to earn a living,
or whatever provides a source of income
[13th century. Alteration
(influenced by lively and -hood ) of Old English līflād “way of
living,” from līf “life” + lād “way.”][1]



liveload

liveload
live
load 
noun

weight borne by structure:
the variable load or weight borne by a structure such as a bridge, in addition
to its own weight[1]



livelong

livelong1
live·long1  [lív
làwng] (plural live·longs) adjective

long
and tedious: used to emphasize how long a period of
time seems to last or how tedious it feels (literary) • We
worked all the livelong day.
[14th century. From lief + long,
literally “dearly long,” influenced by live 1 .][1]



livelong

livelong2
live·long2  noun

PLANTS See orpine
[Late 16th century. From live 1 + long ; from its longevity.][1]



lively

lively
live·ly 
[lvlee] (comparative live·li·er,
superlative live·li·est) adjective

1.  full
of energy:
full of life and energy • two
lively children

2.  animated:
animated, exciting, or intellectually stimulating • A
lively discussion ensued.

3.  enthusiastic:
active and enthusiastic • Pat
takes a lively interest in local politics.

4.  full
of movement: full of activity or movement • a
lively dance

5.  vivid:
clear, distinct, and vivid • possessed
a lively recollection of the events of that summer

6.  brilliant
in color:
bright and colorful in a good-looking way

7.  refreshing:
stimulating or refreshing • a
lively little breeze

8.  springy:
bouncy or springy • a lively ball

9.  SAILING responsive:
very responsive to the helm
[Old
English līflīc “life-like”]
—live·li·ly,
adverb

—live·li·ness,
noun
look
lively

or
step livelyto hurry up and get going[1]



liven

liven
li·ven 
[lv’n] (past li·vened, past
participle li·vened, present participle li·ven·ing, 3rd
person present singular li·vens) intransitive and transitive verb

make
or become lively: to become, or make somebody or
something, lively or cheerful • What
can we do to liven up the party? • At
the sound of its trainer’s voice, the sick horse livened considerably.
[Early
18th century. Formed from life .]
—li·ven·er, noun[1]



liveoak

liveoak
live
oak 
noun

1.  evergreen
oak of southern United States: an evergreen oak of
Mexico and the southern United States that has a short broad trunk and shiny
leaves. The live oak is the state tree of Georgia. Latin name: Quercus
virginianus
Also
called
encina

2.  wood
of live oak: the hard strong wood of the live oak
tree
[From live 2 ; from its
being evergreen][1]



liveoff

liveoff
live
off
or live on transitive verb

rely on financially:
to depend on somebody or something as a source of financial support or for a
livelihood • He
lived off his parents. • They
live on a small private income.[1]



liveon

liveon
live
on
transitive verb

1.  See
live off

2.  eat
to survive:
to eat a certain type of food in order to survive or thrive • The
koala lives on eucalyptus leaves.

[1]



liveone

liveone
live
one
noun

1.  (informal
slang) See live wire  noun
1

2.  dupe:
somebody who is easily cheated or duped (informal)

[1]



liveout

liveout
live
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
do
something previously imagined: to do in reality what
had previously only been imagined or fantasized about • live
out a dream

2.  transitive
verb
live
until end of period: to spend the rest of your
life or a period of time in a certain manner or place

3.  intransitive
verb
live
somewhere other than workplace: to live away from the
place where you work

[1]



liver

liver2
liv·er2 [lívvər]
(plural liv·ers) noun

somebody
living in particular way: somebody who lives in a
specified way • a fast liver
[14th century. Formed from live 1 .][1]



liver

liver1

liv·er1 [lívvər]
noun (plural liv·ers)

1.  ANATOMY large
vital organ: a vascular glandular organ in
vertebrates that secretes bile, stores and filters blood, and takes part in
many metabolic functions, for example, the conversion of sugars into glycogen.
The liver is reddish-brown, multilobed, and in humans is located in the upper
right part of the abdominal cavity.

2.  invertebrate
organ:
any of various glandular organs of invertebrates that are involved with
digestion and metabolism

3.  liver
considered as food: the liver of an animal or
fish eaten as food or taken as medicine

4.  COLORS dark
brown color: a dark brown color with a tinge of red
or gray
adjective

COLORS of
dark brown color: of a dark brown color with a tinge of
red or gray
[Old English lifer .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “fat, to stick,” later “to
continue,” hence “life”; the liver was once thought to be the organ that made
blood.][1]



liverfluke

liverfluke
liv·er
fluke
noun

parasitic worm:
a parasitic worm that infests the liver of mammals, including humans. Latin
name: Fasciola hepatica[1]



liveried

liveried
liv·er·ied 
[lívvəreed] adjective

wearing livery:
wearing a livery • the
monarch’s liveried attendants[1]



liverish

liverish
liv·er·ish 
[lívvərish] or liv·er·y [lívvəree, lívvree]
adjective

1.  irritable:
bad-tempered or irritable

2.  like
liver:
resembling liver, especially in color (informal)

3.  with
liver disorder: affected by a liver disorder
—liv·er·ish·ness, noun[1]



Livermore

Livermore
Liv·er·more 
[lívvər màwr]

city in Alameda County,
western California, situated 37 km/23 mi east of San Francisco Bay. Population:
56,741 (1990)[1]



Liverpool

Liverpool
Liv·er·pool 
[lívvər pl]

port and university city in
northwestern England, on the Mersey River. Population: 470,800 (1995)[1]



Liverpudlian

Liverpudlian
Liv·er·pud·li·an 
[lìvvər púddlee ən] (plural Liv·er·pud·li·ans)
noun

somebody
from Liverpool: somebody who lives in or comes from
Liverpool, England
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from an alteration of Liverpool,
substituting puddle for pool .]
—Liv·er·pud·li·an, adjective[1]



liversausage

liversausage
liv·er
sau·sage
noun

U.K.
See liverwurst[1]



liverspot

liverspot
liv·er
spot
noun

brown
spot on skin: a usually dark brown patch of
pigmentation on the skin, usually occurring later in life. It is caused by an
aggregation of cells containing melanin.
[From its color][1]



liverwort

liverwort
liv·er·wort 
[lívvər wùrt, lívvər
wàwrt] (plural liv·er·worts) noun

plant
resembling moss: a small dense green plant that grows on
moist surfaces and resembles moss. Class: Hepaticae
Also
called
hepatic
[Old English liferwyrt,
a translation of medieval Latin hepatica . So called from its lobed
shape, thought to resemble the liver.][1]



liverwurst

liverwurst
liv·er·wurst 
[lívvər wùrst] noun

sausage
made with liver: a sausage containing cooked ground
liver. It is usually eaten cold as a spread.
U.K.
term
liver sausage
[Mid-19th century. Partial
translation of German Leberwurst “liver sausage.”][1]



livery

livery1
liv·er·y1  [lívvəree,
lívvree] (plural liv·er·ies) noun

1.  uniform:
an identifying uniform worn by members of a group or trade, especially men and
boys who are servants of a household or feudal retainers

2.  uniformed
group:
the members of a group or trade who wear a livery (archaic)

3.  characteristic
appearance:
a distinctive coloring, marking, dress, or outward appearance (literary)

4.  professional
care of horses: the care, feeding, and stabling of
horses for money

5.  renting
of horses:
the business of renting out horses

6.  See
livery stable

7.  business
that rents vehicles: a company that rents
vehicles such as cars, bicycles, or boats
[14th century. From Old
French livree “delivery,” from, ultimately, Latin liberare “to
liberate,” from liber “free” (see liberal
).][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








livery

livery2
liv·er·y2  adjective

(informal) See liverish[1]



liveryman

liveryman
liv·er·y·man 
[lívvəreemən, lívvreemən]
(plural liv·er·y·men) noun

owner or employee of livery
stable: somebody who owns or works
in a livery stable[1]



liverystable

liverystable
liv·er·y
stable
or livery (plural liveries) noun

1.  stable
that rents out horses: a stable where horses and
carriages are kept for rent

2.  place
that stables horses: a stable that accommodates
and looks after horses for their owners.
Also
called
livery

[1]



livestock

livestock
live·stock 
[lv stòk] noun

animals kept for sale:
animals raised for food or other products, or kept for use, especially farm
animals such as meat and dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry.
Also called
stock[1]



livethrough

livethrough
live
through
transitive verb

survive:
to experience and survive something difficult or dangerous[1]



livetogether

livetogether
live
together
intransitive verb

share home and be sexual
partners: to share the same home and
have a sexual relationship without being married[1]



livetrap

livetrap
live
trap
noun

animal trap:
a trap designed to catch a wild animal without injuring it[1]



liveup to

liveup to
live
up to
transitive verb

meet expectations:
to meet somebody’s expectations or desires, or match somebody’s good example[1]



livewire

livewire
live
wire 
noun

1.  ELECTRICITY wire
connected to power source: a wire connected to a source
of voltage

2.  energetic
person:
somebody who is keen and energetic (informal)
Also
called
live one

[1]



livewith

livewith
live
with
transitive verb

put up with:
to accept or tolerate something difficult or unpleasant • The
house is tiny, but we’ll just have to live with it.[1]



liveyere

liveyere
liv·ey·ere
[liv yáir] (plural liv·ey·eres)
noun

Canada
Newfoundland
resident:
a permanent resident of Newfoundland
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
livier “lifelong tenant,” from life +
-ier .][1]



livid

livid
liv·id 
[lívvid] adjective

1.  furious:
very angry

2.  with
bluish bruised color: bluish or discolored as a
result of bruising

3.  ashen:
very pale, especially when this is not natural

4.  grayish:
tinged with gray
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin lividus, from livere
“to be bluish in color.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English sloe .]
—li·vid·i·ty
[li víddətee], noun

—liv·id·ly [lívvidlee], adverb[1]



living

living
liv·ing 
[lívving] adjective

1.  alive:
alive, not dead

2.  like
the real thing: realistic or true to life • a
living likeness

3.  interesting
and relevant: interesting in a way that is relevant
and useful • make
history a living subject

4.  suitable
for domestic life: designed for living in,
especially for social and recreational activities • lots
of living space in the home

5.  still
used:
still used or in existence • a
living language

6.  natural:
in a natural condition or place • living
water
noun
(plural liv·ings)

1.  money
or means of earning: a means of earning money to
live on, or the money somebody earns to live on • What
do you do for a living?

2.  maintenance
of way of life: a means of sustaining or maintaining a
way of life • improve
your standard of living

3.  manner
of life:
quality of life or the way in which it is lived • likes
country living
plural
noun

those who are alive:
people who are alive (takes a plural verb)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  living, alive, animate,
  extant
  CORE
  MEANING: having
  life or existence living; used to
  indicate that a person is not dead. It can also be used to describe something
  such as a language or way of life that has not died out; alive; used to indicate that a person,
  animal, or plant is not dead. It can also be used to indicate that a feeling
  of vitality is strong in a person; animate;
  a formal word used to indicate that something is alive. It is also used to
  describe things such as animals and plants that live, as opposed to things
  such as rocks, water, or buildings that do not; extant;
  a formal word emphasizing the continuing existence or survival of something

[1]



livingdeath

livingdeath
liv·ing
death
noun

period of unrelieved misery:
a life or period of time that is full of misery or pain[1]



livingdonor

livingdonor
liv·ing
do·nor
noun

live human donating organ:
somebody who, while still alive, donates all or part of an organ for
transplantation[1]



livingfossil

livingfossil
liv·ing
fos·sil
noun

organism unchanged for eons:
an organism that is virtually unchanged from early geologic time and belongs to
a group whose other members are extinct. Gingko trees and coelacanths are
living fossils .[1]



livingpicture

livingpicture
liv·ing
pic·ture
noun

See
tableau vivant[1]



livingroom

livingroom
liv·ing
room
noun

room for socializing:
a room in a house where people usually relax or entertain guests[1]



livingstandard

livingstandard
liv·ing
stan·dard
noun

See
standard of living[1]



Livingstone

Livingstone
Liv·ing·stone
[lívving stən]

city and tourist center in
southern Zambia, north of the Victoria Falls. Population: 82,218 (1990)[1]



Livingstone,David

Livingstone,David
Liv·ing·stone
[lìvving stṓn], David, Dr. (1813–1873)

British doctor, missionary,
and explorer. One of the most important explorers of the African interior, he
was the first European to visit many areas of the continent.[1]



Livingston,Henry Brockholst

Livingston,Henry Brockholst
Liv·ing·ston 
[lívvingstən], Henry Brockholst (1757–1823)

U.S. jurist. He was an
officer in the Revolution and served on the U.S. Supreme Court (1806–1823).[1]



Livingston,Philip

Livingston,Philip
Liv·ing·ston 
[lívvingstən], Philip (1716–1778)

U.S. patriot, businessman,
and philanthropist. He was one of the signatories of the Declaration of
Independence (1776).[1]



Livingston,Robert

Livingston,Robert
Liv·ing·ston 
[lívvingstən], Robert (1654–1728)

Scottish-born American
patriot and statesman. He was a major figure in New York colonial politics
after 1695.[1]



Livingston,Robert R.

Livingston,Robert R.
Liv·ing·ston 
[lívvingstən], Robert R. (1746–1813)

U.S. patriot and statesman.
After independence he became the first U.S. secretary of foreign affairs
(1781–1783), and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.[1]



Livingston,William

Livingston,William
Liv·ing·ston 
[lívvingstən], William (1723–1790)

U.S. statesman. He opposed
British policies in colonial New York, and was one of the signatories of the
Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



livingwage

livingwage
liv·ing
wage
noun

wage that sustains standard
of living: a wage that will allow a
worker to support a family in reasonable comfort.
Also called
minimum wage[1]



livingwill

livingwill
liv·ing
will
noun

document declining medical
treatment if dying: a document,
typically signed in advance while in good health, in which somebody declines to
be kept alive artificially by life-support systems in case of a terminal
illness[1]



Livonia

Livonia
Liv·o·ni·a 
[li vṓnee ə]

ancient
Baltic region, comprising most of present-day Estonia and Latvia. Russia
annexed it in 1721.
—Livo·ni·an [lə vṓnee ən], adjective, noun[1]



Livorno

Livorno
Li·vor·no 
[lee váwrnō]

port and industrial city in
the Tuscany region, central Italy. Population: 166,394 (1992) English Leghorn[1]



livre

livre
li·vre 
[lvrə] (plural li·vres) noun

old
unit of French currency: an old unit of French
currency, equivalent to a pound of silver
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin libra “pound.”][1]



Livy

Livy
Li·vy 
[lívvee] (59 BC–AD 17)

Roman
historian. His History of Rome, ranging from the foundation of the city
in 753 BC to 9 BC, was the basis for the Western
tradition of historical writing, and remained the primary source of information
about Rome until the 18th century.
Full name
Livius, Titus[1]



lixiviate

lixiviate
lix·iv·i·ate 
[lik sívvee àyt] (past lix·iv·i·at·ed,
past participle lix·iv·i·at·ed, present participle lix·iv·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular lix·iv·i·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

CHEMISTRY leach:
to leach (dated)
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin lixiviare, from Latin lixivius (see lixivium ).]
—lix·iv·i·al,
adjective

—lix·iv·i·a·tion [lik sìvvee áysh’n], noun[1]



lixivium

lixivium
lix·iv·i·um 
[lik sívvee əm] (plural lix·iv·i·ums
or lix·iv·i·a [lik sívvee ə]) noun

solution
extracted by leaching: a solution, for example,
lye, obtained by leaching
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin, from Latin lixivius “made into ashes or lye,” from lix
“lye.”][1]



lizard

lizard

liz·ard 
[lízzərd] (plural liz·ards) noun

1.  four-legged
reptile:
a reptile with a long scaly body, movable eyelids, a long tapering tail, and
four legs, typically living in hot dry regions. Lizards include the gecko,
iguana, chameleon, and horned toad. Suborder: Sauria

2.  large
reptile resembling lizard: any large reptile with four
legs and a tapering tail that resembles the lizard, for example, the alligator,
crocodile, or certain dinosaurs

3.  leather
made from lizard skin: leather made from the skin
of a lizard
[14th century. Via Old French
lesard from Latin lacertus “lizard,” of unknown origin.][1]



lizardfish

lizardfish
liz·ard·fish 
noun

fish with head like lizard’s:
a slender, large-mouthed, predatory marine fish that has a head shaped like
that of a lizard. Family: Synodontidae[1]



Liège

Liège
Li·ège
[lee áy, lye]

city and capital of Liège
Province, eastern Belgium. Population: 190,525 (1996)[1]



Ljubljana

Ljubljana
Lju·blja·na 
[ly blnaa]

capital of Slovenia, in the
central part of the country, near Trieste. Population: 269,972 (1994)[1]



ll

ll
ll
or ll.

Abbreviation of
lines[1]



LL

LL
LL

1.  Abbreviation
of
late Latin

2.  Abbreviation
of
Low Latin

[1]



llama

llama


lla·ma 
[lmə] (plural lla·mas) noun

1.  shaggy-coated
long-necked mammal: a shaggy-coated long-necked
cud-chewing South American mammal related to the camel, kept to carry loads. It
yields wool, leather, milk, and meat, and is believed to be a domesticated
variety of the guanaco. Genus: Llama

2.  wool:
the shaggy wool of a llama

3.  cloth
from llama wool: cloth made from the wool of a llama
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua .][1]



llano

llano
lla·no 
[lnō] (plural lla·nos) noun

grassy
plain in the Americas: a large open grassy plain,
especially in Latin America and the southwestern United States
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin planus “flat, level” (see plain ).][1]



LL.B.

LL.B.
LL.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Laws
[Shortening of Latin Legum
Baccalaureus][1]



LL.D.

LL.D.
LL.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Laws
[Shortening of Latin Legum
Doctor][1]



LL.M.

LL.M.
LL.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Laws
[Shortening of Latin Legum
Magister][1]



LloydGeorge, David

LloydGeorge, David
Lloyd
George
[lòyd jáwrj], David, 1st Earl of Dwyfor
(1863–1945)

British statesman. As the
last Liberal prime minister of the United Kingdom (1916–1922), he was a strong
wartime leader during World War I. He granted home rule to Ireland (1920).[1]



Lloyd,Harold

Lloyd,Harold
Lloyd
[loyd], Harold (1893–1971)

U.S.
comedian. He made almost 500 silent movies and talking pictures, including Safety
Last ( 1923 ), many of which featured stunts and chase sequences.
Full name
Lloyd, Harold Clayton[1]



LloydWebber, Andrew

LloydWebber, Andrew
Lloyd
Web·ber
[lòyd wébbər], Andrew, Lord Lloyd Webber of
Sydmonton (1948– )

British composer. His popular
stage musicals include Jesus Christ Superstar ( 1971 ), Cats (
1981 ), and Phantom of the Opera ( 1986 ).[1]



lm

lm
lm

Symbol for
lumen[1]



LMT

LMT
LMT

Abbreviation of
local mean time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ln

ln
ln

Symbol for
natural logarithm[1]



LNG

LNG
LNG

Abbreviation of
liquefied natural gas[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lo

lo
lo 
[lō] interjection

look!:
used to draw attention to something (archaic or literary)
[Old English lā][1]



loach

loach2
loach2  noun

helicopter:
a U.S. army light helicopter (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



loach

loach1
loach1  [lōch]
(plural loach·es) noun

freshwater
fish:
a freshwater fish of Europe and Asia. It is related to the carp and has a long
slender body with barbels around its mouth. Family: Cobitidae
[14th century. From Old
French locke, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Celtic.][1]



load

load
load 
[lōd] noun (plural loads)

1.  something
carried or transported: something that is carried by
an animal, person, or vehicle, especially something heavy or bulky

2.  amount
carried in one trip: the amount of material,
goods, or people that are carried in one trip (often used in combination)
• delivered
a boatload of passengers to the island

3.  work
demanded of somebody or something: the amount of work
that a person or machine is required to do • unhappy
about his teaching load this term

4.  mental
burden:
something that makes somebody feel mentally weighed down, for example,
responsibility, worry, or guilt • carrying
around a load of guilt

5.  quantity
that machine can cope with: the amount that can be
handled by a machine at one time, especially the amount of clothes that can be
handled by a washing machine

6.  ARMS single
charge for gun: a single charge of ammunition for a
firearm

7.  ELECTRICITY amount
of drawn electrical power: the amount of electrical
power that is drawn from a line or source

8.  ELECTRICITY device
drawing electrical power: any device to which
electrical power is delivered

9.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING force
and weight on structure: the total force and weight
that a structure, for example, a bridge, is designed to withstand. For a bridge
this includes the dynamic loads of traffic, wind, snow, and ice and the static
load of the bridge’s own weight.

10. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING work
required of mechanical device: the work required of
or placed on an engine or machine, measured in kilowatts or horsepower

11. FINANCE charge
added to mutual share price: a charge that is added to
the price of some mutual fund shares as a commission or marketing cost
plural
noun
loads

large amount or number:
a large amount or a lot of (informal) • We
had loads of guests at the party.
adverb
loads

very much: very
much or a great deal (informal) • feeling
loads better
verb
(past load·ed, past participle load·ed, present
participle load·ing, 3rd person present singular loads)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARMS put rounds in gun:
to put ammunition into a firearm • loaded
the rifle

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT put something on vehicle:
to put cargo or passengers on a vehicle, ship, or aircraft or to have cargo or
passengers put on • The aircraft is now
loading.

3.  transitive
verb
put
something in machine: to put into a machine the
items that it will work on, for example, clothes for washing

4.  transitive
verb
put
something on person or animal: to put a load on an
animal or give a load to a person so that it can be carried

5.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL put
runners on all three bases: to cause runners to occupy
first, second, and third bases (often passive) • hit
a home run with the bases loaded

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNOLOGY
put
something in camera: to put a film, plate, or
tape in a camera or to take in a film, plate, or tape

7.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING put
program in computer: to transfer data or a
program to the main memory of a computer

8.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING put
disk in drive on computer: to put a disk or tape in a
drive on a computer

9.  transitive
verb
FINANCE add
extra charge to insurance premium: to add an extra charge
to an insurance premium, for example, because of an increased risk

10. transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING increase
work required of engine: to increase the work
required from an engine or motor

11. transitive
verb
ELECTRICITY increase
electric output of generator: to increase the output
produced by or drawn from a circuit or generator

12. transitive
verb
GAMBLING weight
one side of die: to weight one side of each die in a pair
or one side of a roulette wheel so that it has a bias toward a certain number
[Old
English lād “course, way, carrying.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to go ahead,” which is also the ancestor of lead 1 and lode .]
a
load of

used
to say emphatically that something is ridiculous or nonsensical (informal)
• a
load of nonsense

get
a load of

to
look at or listen to something or somebody (slang)

load
the dice

1.  to
arrange things in advance to create an unfair bias in favor of or against
somebody (informal)

2.  GAMBLING to add weight to a die so
that it always falls on a particular side (informal)

a
load off your mind

a
relief from anxiety or worry

[1]



loaded

loaded
load·ed 
[lṓdəd] adjective

1.  with
full load:
carrying a full load

2.  ARMS containing
ammunition:
containing bullets or other ammunition and ready to fire

3.  with
hidden implication: with a hidden or secondary
implication designed to trick somebody into making an admission or commitment • That
is a loaded question.

4.  rich:
extremely rich (slang) • Her
parents are loaded.

5.  drunk:
very drunk (slang)

6.  intoxicated
by drugs:
under the influence of drugs (slang)

7.  GAMBLING weighted
unfairly:
with one side weighted to prevent dice or a roulette wheel from operating
randomly

8.  with
many extras: supplied with many luxurious extras • a
top-of-the-line car that’s really loaded

[1]



loadfactor

loadfactor
load
fac·tor
(plural load fac·tors) noun

1.  aircraft
payload:
the payload of an aircraft for a particular flight, expressed as a percentage
of the maximum allowable payload

2.  load
divided by weight of aircraft: an external load
divided by the weight of an aircraft

[1]



loading

loading
load·ing 
[lṓding] (plural load·ings) noun

1.  weight
carried:
a load or weight carried

2.  INDUSTRY filler:
material added to something to improve certain properties or add weight

3.  INSURANCE additional
insurance premium: an additional insurance
premium or higher rating incurred by items that are more valuable or at greater
risk

4.  ELECTRICITY addition
of inductance: the addition of inductance to a
transmission line to improve its performance over a given frequency band

[1]



loadline

loadline
load
line
(plural load lines) noun

See
Plimsoll line[1]



loadmaster

loadmaster
load·mas·ter 
[lṓd màstər] (plural load·mas·ters)
noun

somebody in charge of loading
aircraft: somebody who is in charge of
loading cargo on a military or commercial transport aircraft[1]



loadshedding

loadshedding
load
shed·ding
noun

temporary reduction in
electricity supply: a temporary
reduction in a supply of electricity as a method of reducing the demand on the
generator[1]



loadstar

loadstar
load·star 
noun

See
lodestar[1]



loadstone

loadstone
load·stone 
noun

See
lodestone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








loaf

loaf1
loaf1 [lōf]
(plural loaves [lōvz]) noun

1.  quantity
of bread:
a quantity of bread, shaped and baked as a whole

2.  block
of food shaped like loaf: a quantity of food baked in
a loaf pan or shaped to form a rectangular block and baked (used in combination)
[Old English hlāf][1]



loaf

loaf2
loaf2 [lōf]
(past loafed, past participle loafed, present
participle loaf·ing, 3rd person present singular loafs)
intransitive verb

spend
time lazily: to do very little and spend time in a
lazy, wasteful way
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from loafer
.][1]



Loafer

Loafer
Loaf·er
Trademark

a trademark for an open
casual leather shoe like a moccasin but having a wide flat heel[1]



loafer

loafer
loaf·er 
[lṓfər] (plural loaf·ers) noun

lazy
person:
a lazy person who avoids work and wastes time
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German Landläufer “vagabond,” from Land
“country” + laufen “to run.”][1]



loam

loam
loam 
[lōm] noun

1.  GARDENING fertile
workable soil: an easily-worked fertile soil consisting
of a mixture of clay, sand, and silt and sometimes also organic matter

2.  BUILDING clay
and sand mixed for building: a mixture of moist clay and
sand used for making bricks and in plastering
transitive
verb
(past loamed, past participle loamed, present
participle loam·ing, 3rd person present singular loams)

BUILDING use
loam in building job: to use loam in the process of
covering, filling, or coating something
[Old
English lām “clay, earth.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“slippery,” which is also the ancestor of English slime
and slip .]
—loam·y, adjective[1]



loan

loan
loan 
[lōn] noun (plural loans)

1.  money
lent:
an amount of money given to somebody on the condition that it will be paid back
later

2.  lending:
the act of letting somebody use something temporarily

3.  LINGUISTICS See loanword
transitive
verb
(past loaned, past participle loaned, present
participle loan·ing, 3rd person present singular loans)

lend: to
allow somebody to borrow something on the condition that it is returned • Loan
me five bucks, will you?
[12th
century. From Old Norse lán . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to leave,” which is also the ancestor of English lend and relinquish
.]
on
loan

1.  being
lent or borrowed

2.  working
at a temporary location because additional help or expertise is needed there

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  loan
  or lend somebody something?
  If
  you are letting someone else temporarily use physical property or money of
  yours, it is quite acceptable to use the verb loan,
  as in • I
  loaned him some lunch money. This verb, however,
  can be used only with reference to the temporary lending of physical property
  or assets in a physical, nonfigurative transaction. But if the context is
  figurative or nonphysical, lend is the only choice: • The
  evidence lends credence to the witness’s prior testimony. Lend me your ears,
  for I have much to tell. The subtle use of strings lends fluidity to the
  composition.

[1]



loanshark

loanshark
loan
shark
(plural loan sharks) noun

unethical moneylender:
somebody who lends money at excessively high rates of interest[1]



loansharking

loansharking
loan·shark·ing 
[lṓn shrking] noun

lending with high interest:
the activity or business of lending money at excessively high rates of interest[1]



loantranslation

loantranslation
loan
trans·la·tion (plural loan trans·la·tions)
noun

translated
phrase:
a word or expression that enters a language as a direct translation from
another.
Also
called
calque
[Translation of German Lehnübersetzung][1]



loanword

loanword
loan·word
[lṓn wùrd] (plural loan·words)
or loan word [lṓn wùrd] (plural
loan words) noun

word
borrowed from another language: a word from one
language that has become part of everyday usage in another, often with slight
modification.
Also
called
loan
[Late 19th century.
Translation of German Lehnwort .][1]



loath

loath
loath 
[lōth, lō]
or loth [lōth, lō] adjective

reluctant:
unwilling or reluctant to do something
[Old
English lāþ “loathsome”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unwilling

[1]



loathe

loathe
loathe 
[lō] (past loathed, past
participle loathed, present participle loath·ing, 3rd
person present singular loathes) intransitive and transitive verb

dislike
somebody or something: to dislike somebody or
something intensely
[Old
English lāþian . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
despise.”]
—loath·er, noun[1]



loathing

loathing
loath·ing 
[lṓing] noun

intense
dislike:
intense dislike of somebody or something
—loath·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



loathly

loathly2
loath·ly2  [lṓthlee,
lṓlee] adjective

loathsome:
loathsome (archaic)
[Old English lāþlic][1]



loathly

loathly1
loath·ly1  [lṓthlee,
lṓlee] adverb

reluctantly:
reluctantly or unwillingly (archaic)
[Old English lāþlice][1]



loathsome

loathsome
loath·some 
[lṓsəm] adjective

repulsive:
arousing intense dislike and disgust
—loath·some·ness, noun[1]



loaves

loaves
loaves


Plural of
loaf 1[1]



lob

lob
lob 
[lob] verb (past lobbed,
past participle lobbed, present participle lob·bing,
3rd person present singular lobs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS hit ball in high arc:
to hit or throw a ball in a high curving trajectory

2.  transitive
verb
throw
casually:
to throw something in a casual careless way
noun
(plural lobs)

1.  SPORTS high
arching shot: a ball hit or thrown in a high curving
path

2.  TENNIS ball
over tennis player’s head: a ball that travels over the
head of a tennis player
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German .]
—lob·ber, noun[1]



lobar

lobar
lo·bar 
[lṓbər, lṓ bàar]
adjective

ANATOMY
relating to lobe:
relating to or affecting a lobe, for example, in the lungs[1]



lobate

lobate
lo·bate 
[lṓ bàyt] or lo·bat·ed [lṓ bàyt] adjective

1.  BIRDS having
lobed toes:
having toes with rounded flaps on either side, as grebes have

2.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY with or like lobes:
having or resembling a lobe or lobes
—lo·bate·ly, adverb[1]



lobber

lobber
lob·ber
[lóbbər] or lop·per [lóppər] noun

clabber:
clabber (dated) (regional)
[Probably
from an obsolete verb from Old Norse hlaup “coagulation”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Lobber is also called lobber
  milk, lopper milk, and labberd milk . In the East, the
  old-fashioned term is restricted mainly to New York State, Connecticut, and
  New Jersey, with a striking enclave in the Great Lakes state of Michigan.

[1]



lobby

lobby
lob·by 
[lóbbee] noun (plural lob·bies)

1.  ARCHITECTURE entrance
area in public building: a large entrance hall or
foyer immediately inside the door of a hotel, theater, or other public building

2.  POLITICS public
area in legislative building: a public area in or near a
legislative building where people can meet and petition their political
representatives

3.  POLITICS group
trying to influence policy: a group of campaigners and
representatives of particular interests who try to influence political policy
on a particular issue (takes a singular or plural verb) • the
welfare lobby

4.  U.K.
POLITICS British
voting corridor: either of the two rooms in the British
Parliament where members of both houses of Parliament vote for or against bills
and proposals.
Also
called
division lobby
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lob·bied,
past participle lob·bied, present participle lob·by·ing,
3rd person present singular lob·bies)

POLITICS petition
politicians or influential people: to attempt to persuade
a political representative or influential person to support or fight a
particular cause
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin lobia “cloister, covered walk.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word denoting a roof made of bark, which is also
the ancestor of English lodge .]
—lob·by·er, noun[1]



lobbygow

lobbygow
lob·by·gow
[lóbbee gòw] (plural lob·by·gows)
noun

errand
boy:
a messenger or errand boy, especially in the Chinese area of a city (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lobbyist

lobbyist
lob·by·ist
[lóbbee ist] (plural lob·by·ists)
noun

somebody
who lobbies political representatives:
somebody who is paid to lobby political representatives on a particular issue
—lob·by·ism, noun[1]



lobe

lobe
lobe 
[lōb] (plural lobes) noun

1.  ANATOMY earlobe:
an earlobe

2.  ANATOMY rounded
body part:
a rounded division or projection of an organ or part in the body, especially in
the lungs, brain, or liver

3.  rounded
projecting part: a rounded part that projects from the
main body of something

4.  BOTANY rounded
plant part:
a rounded segment on a leaf that is not divided all the way to the midrib
[15th century. Via late Latin
lobus from Greek lobos “lobe, pod.”][1]



lobectomy

lobectomy
lo·bec·to·my 
[lō béktəmee] (plural lo·bec·to·mies)
noun

removal of lobe:
the surgical removal of a lobe, for example, of the lungs, liver, or thyroid[1]



lobefin

lobefin
lobe·fin 
[lṓb fìn] (plural lobe·fins) noun

ZOOLOGY See crossopterygian
—lobe·finned, adjective[1]



lobelia

lobelia
lo·be·li·a 
[lō blyə, lō
blee ə] (plural lo·be·li·as) noun

plant
with red or white flowers: a plant that is widely grown
for its two-lipped blue, red, or white flowers. Some varieties of lobelia are
low-growing or trailing annuals, while others are tall perennials with
lance-shaped leaves. Genus: Lobelia
[Mid-18th century. Named for
Matthias de Lobel 1538–1616, Flemish botanist and physician to James I
of England.][1]



Lobito

Lobito
Lo·bi·to 
[lō btō]

city and port in western
Angola. Population: 150,000 (1983)[1]



LobitoBay

LobitoBay
Lo·bi·to
Bay

arm of the Atlantic Ocean,
western Angola[1]



loblollypine

loblollypine
lob·lol·ly
pine
[lób lòttee pn] (plural lob·lol·ly
pines) or lob·lol·ly [lób lòttee
pn] noun

pine
of southeastern United States: a pine found in the
southeastern United States that has reddish brown flaky bark, long needles
grouped in threes, and oblong cones. Genus: Pinus taeda
[From earlier lobololly
“thick gruel,” of uncertain origin (perhaps from dialect lob “to bubble
while boiling,” an invitation of the sound + dialect lolly “soup”);
possibly from its growing where the ground is swampy or muddy, or perhaps from
the consistency of its pulp when cooked to make paper][1]



lobo

lobo
lo·bo 
[l bṓ] (plural lo·bos) noun

See
gray wolf
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin lupus (see lupine 2 ).][1]



lobola

lobola
lo·bo·la 
[lṓbələ] or lo·bo·lo [lṓbələ] noun

payment
made by bridegroom’s family: a payment, often in cattle,
made by a groom’s family to his bride’s family before their wedding in some
parts of southern and eastern Africa
[Mid-19th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



lobotomize

lobotomize
lo·bot·o·mize 
[lə bóttə mz] (past lo·bot·o·mized,
past participle lo·bot·o·mized, present participle lo·bot·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular lo·bot·o·miz·es) transitive verb

1.  perform
brain surgery: to carry out a surgical operation in
which nerves to the prefrontal lobe of the brain are severed

2.  cause
to feel apathetic or sluggish: to make somebody feel
sluggish, mentally numb, or lacking in energy or vitality (informal)

[1]



lobotomy

lobotomy
lo·bot·o·my 
[lə bóttəmee] (plural lo·bot·o·mies)
noun

prefrontal
lobotomy:
a prefrontal lobotomy (dated)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from lobe + -tomy
.][1]



lobscouse

lobscouse
lob·scouse 
[lób skòwss] noun

thick
meat and vegetable stew: a stew of meat and
vegetables thickened with hardtack, traditionally eaten by sailors
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



lobster

lobster

lob·ster 
[lóbstər] noun (plural lob·sters)

1.  ZOOLOGY edible
sea creature: a hard-shelled edible marine crustacean
that has a pair of large pincers, five pairs of limbs, eyes on stalks, and long
antennae. Family: Homaridae

2.  ZOOLOGY spiny lobster:
a crustacean that is similar in appearance to the true lobster but without the
two large pincers, especially the spiny lobster. Family: Palinuridae

3.  lobster
’s flesh as food: the flesh of a lobster as food. The tail
meat and meat extracted from the claws is particularly valued for its fine,
slightly sweet flavor.
intransitive verb
(past lob·stered, past participle lob·stered, present
participle lob·ster·ing, 3rd person present singular lob·sters)

catch lobsters:
to fish for lobsters
[Old English loppestre,
of uncertain origin: probably an alteration of Latin locusta “locust,
crustacean,” influenced by loppe “spider” and nouns ending in -ster][1]



lobsterman

lobsterman
lob·ster·man 
[lóbstərmən] (plural lob·ster·men)
noun

1.  catcher
of lobsters: somebody who catches lobsters for a
living

2.  lobstering
boat:
a boat designed for catching lobsters

[1]



lobsterNewburg

lobsterNewburg
lob·ster
New·burg
[lòbstər n bùrg] (plural lob·ster
New·burgs) noun

lobster
dish with sherry sauce: lobster meat cooked in a
rich sherry sauce with butter and cream and usually served on small pieces of
toast or croutons or in a pastry shell
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain, possibly from Newburgh, city in New York state.][1]



lobsterpot

lobsterpot

lob·ster pot
(plural lob·ster pots) noun
lobster trap:
a trap in the form of a basket, used for catching lobsters[1]



lobstershift

lobstershift
lob·ster
shift
(plural lob·ster shifts) noun

night shift:
the night shift of a factory, newspaper, or other workplace[1]



lobsterthermidor

lobsterthermidor
lob·ster
ther·mi·dor 
(plural lob·ster ther·mi·dors) noun

lobster
dish served in shell: cooked lobster with a wine
and cream sauce served in the shell with a topping of melted cheese
[Late 19th century. Thermidor
from Thermidor (1891), play by the French dramatist Victorien Sardou
(1831–1908).][1]



lobulate

lobulate
lob·u·late 
[lóbbyə làyt] adjective

with
lobules:
having or made up of small lobes • a
lobulate organ
—lob·u·la·tion [lòbbyə láysh’n], noun[1]



lobule

lobule
lob·ule 
[lób yl] (plural lob·ules) noun

1.  small
lobe:
a small lobe

2.  section
of lobe:
a section or division of a lobe
[Late
17th century. Formed from lobe, on the model
of globule .]
—lob·u·lar,
adjective

—lob·u·late
[lóbbyə làyt], adjective

—lob·u·lose
[lòbbyə lṓss], adjective

—lob·u·lar·ly [lóbbyələrlee], adverb[1]



lobworm

lobworm
lob·worm 
[lób wùrm] (plural lob·worms) noun

See
lugworm
[Mid-17th century. Lob
from obsolete sense “something hanging,” (see lob
).][1]



local

local
lo·cal 
[lṓk’l] adjective

1.  in
nearby area: relating to, situated in, or providing a
service for a particular area, especially the area near home or work • the
local school

2.  typical
of particular area: typical of, or only found
in, a particular area • the
local dialect

3.  not
widespread:
not covering a wide area or the whole country • There
have been local outbreaks of the disease.

4.  POLITICS relating
to governmental region: relating to a comparatively
small region that controls some aspects of practical government such as housing
or education • local
elections

5.  MEDICINE affecting
small part:
affecting only a specific part of the body • local
infection

6.  TRANSPORT stopping
everywhere:
stopping at all the stations or bus stops on a route • a
local train

7.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS to
a phone number nearby: made to a phone number
within a fairly small radius and therefore not itemized on a phone bill • a
phone for local calls only

8.  COMPUTING processed
within the same computer or network:
performed, processed, or transmitted within the same computer or one in a
readily accessible network
noun
(plural lo·cals)

1.  somebody
who comes from particular area: somebody who lives in
a particular area, was born there, or has lived there for a long time

2.  TRANSPORT stopping
train or bus: a train or bus that stops at all the
stations or stops on the route

3.  MEDICINE local
anesthetic:
a local anesthetic (informal)

4.  POLITICS branch
of organization: a local branch or office, especially of
a labor union
[14th
century. Via French from late Latin localis, from Latin locus
“place.”]
—lo·cal·ly,
adverb

—lo·cal·ness, noun[1]



localanesthetic

localanesthetic
lo·cal
an·es·thet·ic (plural lo·cal an·es·thet·ics)
noun

drug that eliminates pain
locally: a drug, usually given by
injection, that eliminates pain, though not necessarily all sensation, in a
particular area of the body without affecting consciousness[1]



localarea network

localarea network
lo·cal
ar·e·a net·work  (plural lo·cal ar·e·a
net·works) noun

network of personal
computers: a network of personal
computers and peripheral devices linked by cable and able to share resources[1]



localauthority

localauthority
lo·cal
au·thor·i·ty noun

U.K.,
New Zealand See local government[1]



localcolor

localcolor
lo·cal
col·or
noun

interesting characteristic
features: unusual or traditional
features of a particular place that make it interesting[1]



locale

locale
lo·cale 
[lō kál] (plural lo·cales) noun

location
of event or story: the place in which something
happens or in which the action in a book or movie takes place
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of French local “local,” on the model of morale .][1]



localgovernment

localgovernment
lo·cal
gov·ern·ment (plural lo·cal gov·ern·ments)
noun

1.  government
of local area: the government of a town, city, county,
or region at a local level by locally elected politicians • worked
in local government all his life

2.  elected
officials at local level: an organization of people,
most of whom are elected, that governs an area smaller than a state, usually a
county, district, or town.
U.K.
term
local authority

[1]



localism

localism
lo·cal·ism 
[lṓk’l ìzzəm] (plural lo·cal·isms)
noun

1.  local
idiom or tradition: a phrase, expression, or
custom peculiar to the people in a particular area

2.  excessive
interest in local affairs: interest in local matters
and customs rather than in national or global issues, sometimes resulting in a
limited perspective
—lo·cal·ist, noun[1]



locality

locality
lo·cal·i·ty 
[lō kállətee] (plural lo·cal·i·ties)
noun

1.  particular
place:
a particular place, district, or neighborhood

2.  situation
in space or time: the fact of being situated at a
particular point in space or time

[1]



localize

localize
lo·cal·ize 
[lṓk’l z] (past lo·cal·ized, past
participle lo·cal·ized, present participle lo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular lo·cal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb confine
or be confined to place: to become confined to or
restrict something to a particular area

2.  transitive
verb
find
location of: to find the source or location of
something

3.  transitive
verb
decentralize
control of:
to transfer power or control from a central authority to local bodies
—lo·cal·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—lo·cal·i·za·tion [lk’li záysh’n], noun[1]



localoption

localoption
lo·cal
op·tion
(plural lo·cal op·tions) noun

local legal policy:
the power granted to a local government to decide whether to implement a
particular policy, especially with regard to the sale of alcohol.
Also called
option[1]



Locarno

Locarno
Lo·car·no 
[lo krnō]

town and resort in Ticino
Canton, southern Switzerland. Population: 14,765 (1992)[1]



locate

locate
lo·cate 
[lṓ kàyt, lō
káyt] (past lo·cat·ed, past participle lo·cat·ed,
present participle lo·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
lo·cates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
find:
to discover where something is

2.  intransitive
verb
establish
business in place: to establish a residence or
business in a particular place

3.  transitive
verb
position:
to put something in a particular place
[Early
16th century. From Latin locat-, past participle stem of locare,
from locus “place.”]
—lo·cat·a·ble,
adjective

—lo·cat·er, noun[1]



located

located
lo·cat·ed
[lṓ kàytəd, lō
káytəd]be located

to exist or be found in a
particular place[1]



location

location
lo·ca·tion 
[lō káysh’n] (plural lo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  position:
the site or position of something

2.  CINEMA movie
setting:
a place away from a studio where scenes for a movie are shot • The
movie was shot on location in Scotland.

3.  discovery:
the discovery of something • A
metal detector is an essential aid in the location of buried treasure.

4.  positioning
of something: the positioning or siting of something
or somebody in a particular place
—lo·ca·tion·al, adjective[1]



locative

locative
loc·a·tive 
[lókətiv] adjective

indicating place or direction:
with the grammatical ending or form that indicates place or direction
noun
(plural loc·a·tives)

1.  grammatical
case:
the grammatical case indicating place or direction

2.  word
in locative case: a word or expression in the locative
case
[Early 19th century. Coined
from locate, on the model of nominative and accusative
.][1]



locator

locator
lo·ca·tor 
[lṓ kàytər, lō
káytər] (plural lo·ca·tors) noun

1.  somebody
who decides land boundaries: somebody who establishes the
boundaries of a piece of land or a mining claim

2.  finding
aid:
a device that helps somebody locate something, such as a table or index

[1]



loc.cit.

loc.cit.
loc.
cit.
or in loc. cit. adverb

in the place cited. Full
form loco citato[1]



loch

loch
loch 
[lok, lawkh]
noun Scotland

1.  lake:
a lake

2.  arm
of sea:
a narrow arm of the sea stretching inland.
Also
called
sea loch
[14th century. From Scottish
Gaelic . Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting a body of water, which
is also the ancestor of English lake
.][1]



lochan

lochan
loch·an 
[lókən, láwkhən]
(plural loch·ans) noun

Scotland
small
lake:
a small lake or pool
[Late 17th century. From
Scottish Gaelic, literally “small loch.”][1]



lochia

lochia
lo·chi·a 
[lṓkee ə, lókee ə]
noun

vaginal
discharge after childbirth: the normal vaginal discharge
of cell debris and blood after childbirth
[Late
17th century. From Greek lokhia, from lokhos “childbirth.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to lie,” which is also the
ancestor of English lie and lay .]
—lo·chi·al, adjective[1]



loci

loci
lo·ci


Plural of
locus[1]



lock

lock2
lock2 [lok]
noun (plural locks)

1.  piece
of hair:
a group of hairs that hang together, on somebody’s head or cut off

2.  TEXTILES wisp
of fiber:
a small bunch of wool, cotton, or other fiber
plural
noun
locks

hair:
somebody’s hair (literary)
[Old English locc][1]



lock

lock1
lock1 [lok]
noun (plural locks)

1.  fastening
mechanism:
a mechanism used to fasten or secure a door, window, or lid, especially one
operated by a key

2.  TRANSPORT gated
section of canal: a short section of a canal or river with
gates at each end and a mechanism for letting water in and out. Boats enter the
lock and are raised or lowered as the water level is altered and then exit to a
higher or lower section of the waterway.

3.  WRESTLING wrestling
hold:
a wrestling hold in which a wrestler twists or puts pressure on part of the
other wrestler’s body

4.  ARMS gun
part:
the part of a gun that makes the charge explode

5.  blocking
device:
a device, for example, one operated by a password, that prevents an
unauthorized person from using something

6.  firm
possession:
firm possession or control of something • a
manufacturer with lock on the market for luxury trucks

7.  ENGINEERING airlock:
an airlock
verb
(past locked, past participle locked, present
participle lock·ing, 3rd person present singular locks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
using lock:
to fasten something or become fastened using a lock

2.  transitive
verb
put
in a secure place: to put something into a safe
place or container that can be locked • Her
diamonds are locked in a safe deposit box.

3.  transitive
verb
secure
place:
to make a building or vehicle secure by locking the doors and windows

4.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING prevent
unauthorized use of: to prevent something from
being used by an unauthorized person, for example via software

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb fix or
be fixed in place: to become fixed in one
position, or fix something in one position, so that it cannot move normally

6.  transitive
verb
hold
firmly:
to hold somebody tightly • locked
in a passionate embrace

7.  transitive
verb
trap
in a difficult situation: to put somebody in a
situation or conflict from which it is difficult to escape • locked
into a lengthy argument

8.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT put
locks on waterway: to put locks on a stretch of
canal or river

9.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT go
through canal locks: to go through a series of
locks on a boat, or take a boat through a series of locks

10. transitive
verb
PRINTING secure
type in press: to secure metal type in a press

11. transitive
verb
FINANCE See lock up  verb 4
[Old
English loc]
—lock·able,
adjective
lock,
stock, and barrel

completely[1]



lockage

lockage
lock·age 
[lókij] noun

1.  passage
through lock: the passage of a boat through a canal or
river lock

2.  fee:
a fee paid by a boat to pass through a lock

3.  locks:
a number of locks on a canal or river

[1]



lockaway

lockaway
lock
away
transitive verb

See
lock up  verb 1
See lock up  verb 2[1]



lockbox

lockbox
lock·box
[lók bòks] (plural lock·boxes)
noun

lockable box:
a strong, lockable box for securing items, such as a ( strongbox
), safe-deposit box or post office box[1]



Locke,John

Locke,John

Locke
[lok], John (1632–1704)
English philosopher. He developed the
doctrine of empiricism according to which knowledge was acquired by experience,
not by intuition.[1]



locker

locker
lock·er 
[lókər] (plural lock·ers) noun

1.  lockable
compartment: a small lockable cupboard or compartment
where personal belongings can be left, for example, at a swimming pool, gym,
school, or workplace

2.  freezer:
a walk-in food freezer

3.  trunk:
a trunk or low chest, used for storage

4.  somebody
or something that locks: a person who or device that
locks something

[1]



Lockerbie

Lockerbie
Lock·er·bie
[lókərbee]

town in Dumfries and
Galloway, southwestern Scotland. In 1988 an airliner was destroyed over the
town by a terrorist bomb, killing all the passengers and crew and 11 of the
town’s residents. Population: 3,982 (1991)[1]



locker-room

locker-room
lock·er-room 
adjective

suitable for locker room:
typical of or suitable only for a men’s locker room • telling
locker-room jokes[1]



lockerroom

lockerroom
lock·er
room
(plural lock·er rooms) noun

changing room with lockers:
a room containing lockers, where people change their clothes for sports or
swimming[1]



locket

locket
lock·et 
[lókət] (plural lock·ets) noun

small
case containing picture: a small decorative metal
case with a hinged cover containing a picture or memento, worn on a neck chain
or bracelet
[14th century. From Old
French locquet, literally “small latch,” from loc “latch,”
ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



lockin

lockin
lock
in
transitive verb

1.  prevent
from leaving: to prevent somebody from leaving a room
or building by locking the door

2.  fix:
to fix something at a particular level for a long period • locked
in a good rate on their mortgage

[1]



lockjaw

lockjaw
lock·jaw 
[lók jàw] noun

1.  See
trismus

2.  See
tetanus
[Early 19th century. From the
muscle spasms in the jaw that affect sufferers.][1]



lockkeeper

lockkeeper
lock·keep·er 
[lók kpər] (plural lock·keep·ers)
or lock·mas·ter [lók màstər] (plural
lock·mas·ters) noun

person in charge of waterway
lock: somebody employed to look
after or control a lock on a waterway and collect any fees payable.
Traditionally, the lockkeeper lives in a house close to the lock.[1]



locknut

locknut
lock·nut
[lók nùt] (plural lock·nuts) noun

1.  second
nut tightened on a first: a second nut tightened on a
first to prevent it from loosening

2.  self-locking
nut:
a nut designed to lock itself in place once tightened

[1]



lock-on

lock-on
lock-on 
noun

MILITARY
point when something tracks target:
the point at which a radar or missile locates and starts to track a target[1]



lockon

lockon
lock
on
intransitive and transitive verb

MILITARY
find and track target:
to find a target and track it automatically, or to make a radar or missile find
and track a target[1]



lockout

lockout
lock·out 
[lók òwt] (plural lock·outs) noun

refusal of entry to workers:
the preventing of workers from entering their workplace, a tactic sometimes
used by management in an industrial dispute.
Also called
shutout[1]



lockout

lockout
lock
out
transitive verb

1.  prevent
from entering: to prevent somebody from entering a
place by locking the door

2.  deny
access to workplace: to prevent workers from
entering their workplace, usually as a strategy in an industrial dispute

[1]



Lockport

Lockport
Lock·port 
[lók pàwrt]

city in western New York,
northeast of Niagara Falls and west of Rochester. Population: 23,300 (1996)[1]



lockram

lockram
lock·ram
[lókrəm] noun

linen:
a coarse linen fabric
[15th century. From French locrenan,
an alteration of Locronan, a village in Brittany where the cloth was
made.][1]



locksmith

locksmith
lock·smith 
[lók smìth] (plural lock·smiths)
noun

somebody who installs and
repairs locks: somebody who makes or
sells locks and keys and repairs and installs locks. A locksmith can also open
a lock when the owner has lost the key or has become locked out.[1]



lockstep

lockstep
lock·step
[lók stèp] noun

1.  MILITARY close
military marching: a form of military marching
with soldiers close together and all moving forward with the same foot at the
same time

2.  mindless
routine:
a process or routine that is standardized and inflexible “It’s a lockstep
process, and if at any point the virus makes a mistake, the host will almost
certainly kill it.” Virginia Morell The Killer Cat Virus that Doesn’t Kill Cats
Discover Magazine July 1995

[1]



lockstitch

lockstitch
lock
stitch
noun

sewing machine stitch:
the usual stitch made by a sewing machine, formed by the thread above the
fabric interlocking with the bobbin thread[1]



lockup

lockup
lock·up 
[lók ùp] (plural lock·ups) noun

1.  place
with prison cells: a small prison, a block of
cells at a police station, or a similar place where prisoners are kept for a
short time

2.  securing
of building: the securing of a building by locking it

3.  time
for locking building: the time at which a building
is locked

4.  FINANCE long
investment:
a long-term investment (informal)

[1]



lockup

lockup
lock
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
imprison:
to put somebody into prison, a secure hospital, or other institution that
deprives him or her of freedom

2.  transitive
verb
store
in a secure place: to put valuables in a secure
locked place

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb secure
building:
to make a building secure by locking all the doors and windows

4.  transitive
verb
FINANCE invest
in long-term plan: to put money into a form of
savings or investment that does not allow easy access to the funds

[1]



loco

loco1
lo·co1 [lṓ
kō] adjective

wildly irrational:
wildly irrational (informal)
noun
(plural lo·cos)

1.  BOTANY See locoweed

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE See
loco disease
transitive
verb
(past lo·coed, past participle lo·coed, present
participle lo·co·ing, 3rd person present singular lo·cos)

1.  AGRICULTURE poison
animal:
to poison an animal with locoweed

2.  make
somebody wildly irrational: to make somebody wildly
irrational (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, “irrational,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Arabic laqwā
“thoughtless.”][1]



loco

loco2
lo·co2 [lṓ
kō] adjective

indicating
return to previous musical register:
indicating that the performer should return to playing notes in the original
register, negating a previous direction that they should be played an octave
higher
[Early
19th century. From Italian, literally “at the place.”]
—lo·co, adverb[1]



lococitato

lococitato
lo·co
ci·ta·to 
[l kō sī táy tò, l
kō si t tò] adverb

Full
form of
loc. cit.
[From Latin, “in the place
cited”][1]



locodisease

locodisease
lo·co
dis·ease
noun

disease of livestock:
a disease of cattle, sheep, and horses in the western United States and Canada,
caused by eating locoweed. It affects the animals’ nervous systems, with
symptoms of weakness, trembling, and inability to move.
Also called
loco[1]



locomote

locomote
lo·co·mote
[lkə mṓt] (past lo·co·mot·ed,
past participle lo·co·mot·ed, present participle lo·co·mot·ing,
3rd person present singular lo·co·motes) intransitive verb

move:
to move under your own power
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from locomotion .][1]



locomotion

locomotion
lo·co·mo·tion 
[lkə mṓsh’n] noun

movement:
movement or the power to move from one place to another
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
loco “from a place” + motion .][1]



locomotive

locomotive
lo·co·mo·tive 
[lkə mṓtiv] noun (plural lo·co·mo·tives)

RAIL rail
engine:
a railroad engine
adjective

1.  movable:
able to move about freely

2.  relating
to locomotion: relating to, allowing, or aiding in the
ability to move • locomotive organs
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin locomotivus, from Latin loco “from a place” + late
Latin motivus “moving” (see motive
).][1]



locomotor

locomotor
lo·co·mo·tor 
[lkə mṓtər] adjective

relating
to locomotion: relating to or aiding in locomotion • locomotor
hyperactivity
[Late 19th century. From
Latin loco “from a place” + motor .][1]



locomotorataxia

locomotorataxia
lo·co·mo·tor
a·tax·i·a 
noun

MEDICINE
See tabes dorsalis[1]



locomotory

locomotory
lo·co·mo·to·ry
[lkə mṓtəree] adjective

independently moving:
able to move independently[1]



locoweed

locoweed
lo·co·weed 
[lṓkō wd] (plural lo·co·weeds)
noun

plant
of western North America: a perennial plant of the pea
family, found in western North America. Animals that eat it can contract loco
disease. Genera: Oxytropis Astragalus
Also
called
loco
Also
called
crazyweed
[Late 19th century. From loco 1 + weed .][1]



locular

locular
loc·u·lar 
[lókyələr] or loc·u·late [lókyələt, lókyə làyt]
adjective

divided
into small cavities: separated into small
chambers or cavities that are divided by membranes
—loc·u·la·tion [lòkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



locule

locule
loc·ule 
[ló kyl] (plural loc·ules) or
loc·u·lus [lókyələss] (plural loc·u·li
[lókyə l]) noun

small
cavity:
a small cavity, chamber, or cell in a plant or animal
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Latin loculus, literally “small place,” from locus
“place.”][1]



locum

locum
lo·cum
[lṓkəm] (plural lo·cums) or
lo·cum te·nens [lkəm ténnənz] (plural
lo·cum te·nen·tes [lkəm tə nén tz])
noun

stand-in:
somebody, especially a member of the clergy, who stands in to do the job of
another who is away or unwell
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin locum tenens “one holding the place,” from Latin locus
“place” + tenere “to hold.”][1]



locus

locus
lo·cus 
[lṓkəss] (plural lo·ci [lṓ s, lṓssee, lṓkee]) noun

1.  place:
a place where something happens

2.  MATHEMATICS set
of points:
a set of points, the positions of which satisfy a set of algebraic conditions

3.  GENETICS gene
position:
the position of a gene in a chromosome
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “place” (source of English local
and locate ), of unknown origin.][1]



locusclassicus

locusclassicus
lo·cus
clas·si·cus 
[lkəss klássikəss] (plural lo·ci
clas·si·ci [lsī klássi s]) noun

quoted
passage:
a much-quoted passage from an authoritative or standard text
[From Latin, “classical
place”][1]



locust

locust

lo·cust 
[lṓkəst] (plural lo·custs) noun

1.  INSECTS swarming
grasshopper: a grasshopper found in warm regions that
often swarms and devours crops and vegetation. Family: Acrididae

2.  INSECTS See seventeen-year locust

3.  TREES deciduous
N American tree: a North American deciduous tree with
hanging clusters of fragrant flowers, compound leaves, thorns, and long seed
pods. Genus: Robinia
U.K.
term
false acacia

4.  TREES pod-bearing
tree:
a pod-bearing tree of the pea family, including honey locust, swamp locust, and
carob

5.  INDUSTRY hard
wood:
the hard yellowish wood of a locust tree
[14th century. Via French
from Latin locusta “locust” (source also of English lobster ); in sense 4, from the supposed
resemblance of the pod to a locust.][1]



locution

locution
lo·cu·tion 
[lō kysh’n, lə
kysh’n] (plural lo·cu·tions) noun

1.  phrase:
a phrase or expression typically used by a group of people

2.  style
of speech:
the way in which somebody speaks
[15th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin locut-, the past participle stem of loqui
“to speak.”][1]



Lod

Lod
Lod
[lod]

city in Israel, situated 37
km/23 mi northwest of Jerusalem. Population: 45,500 (1992)[1]



lode

lode
lode 
[lōd] (plural lodes) noun

1.  GEOLOGY deposit
of ore:
a deposit or vein of ore.
Also
called
lead 1 noun 21

2.  abundant
supply:
an abundant supply of something
[Old English lād,
literally “something that leads” (see load
)][1]



loden

loden
lo·den
[lṓd’n] (plural lo·dens) noun

1.  TEXTILES thick
waterproof woolen cloth: a thick waterproof woolen
cloth used for coats and jackets

2.  COLORS dark
green:
the dark-green color of loden cloth
[Early
20th century. From German .]
—lo·den, adjective[1]



lodestar

lodestar
lode·star
[lṓd stàar] (plural lode·stars)
or load·star [lṓd stàar] (plural
load·stars) noun

1.  the
North Star:
the North Star ( Polaris ), used for
navigation or as a reference position in astronomy

2.  guiding
principle:
something that somebody uses as a model or principle to guide behavior (literary)
[14th century. From lode in the obsolete sense “course, leading” + star .][1]



lodestone

lodestone
lode·stone 
[ld stṓn] (plural lode·stones)
or load·stone [ld stṓn] (plural
load·stones) noun

1.  GEOLOGY magnetite:
magnetite or a piece of magnetite with magnetic properties

2.  attraction:
somebody or something that attracts others like a magnet
[Early 16th century. From lode in the obsolete sense “way, leading,” from
the use of the stone’s magnetic properties as a guide + stone .][1]



lodge

lodge
lodge 
[loj] noun (plural lodg·es)

1.  LEISURE country
building:
a cabin or other building in the country providing temporary accommodation, for
example, as a vacation home or a temporary shelter for campers, walkers,
skiers, or hunters

2.  LEISURE building
in vacation complex: the main building or all the
buildings in a vacation complex, usually providing meals, overnight
accommodation and over guest services. Lodges, including park lodges, hunting
lodges, and ski lodges are usually located in or near mountains or tourist
attractions.

3.  LEISURE inn or
hotel:
a large house or hotel

4.  branch
of union or organization: a local branch or chapter of
a fraternal organization or union

5.  meeting
hall:
a hall or other meeting place used by a branch of a society

6.  Native
N American dwelling: a dwelling traditionally
used by Native North American people, for example, a wigwam, hogan, or
longhouse

7.  small
gatekeeper’s house: in Britain, a small house in
the grounds of a large country house or park, usually near the main gate,
traditionally occupied by a gatekeeper, gardener, or estate worker

8.  ZOOLOGY beaver’s
den:
the den of certain animals, especially the dome-shaped structure built by a
beaver
verb
(past lodged, past participle lodged, present
participle lodg·ing, 3rd person present singular lodg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
register
complaint or appeal: to make a formal complaint,
accusation, or appeal by handing the documents to the appropriate authority

2.  transitive
verb
deposit
something in safe place: to put something somewhere
or give it to somebody for safekeeping

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb stick
or get stuck: to become jammed or embedded somewhere,
or to jam or embed something somewhere • His
head was lodged between the railings.

4.  intransitive
verb
live
in somebody’s house: to live in somebody’s house,
free or as a paying guest (dated)

5.  transitive
verb
put
in accommodations: to place somebody in
temporary accommodations • They
were evacuated and lodged in a nearby school overnight.

6.  transitive
verb
give
somebody power to act: to invest somebody with the
power or authority to do something • powers
that are lodged with the cabinet

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE beat crops flat:
to flatten crops, or be flattened by the wind and rain
[13th century. From Old
French loge “hut.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word denoting
a roof made of bark, which is also the ancestor of English lobby .][1]



Lodge,Henry Cabot

Lodge,Henry Cabot
Lodge 
[loj], Henry Cabot (1850–1924)

U.S. politician. As
Republican leader in the Senate, he promoted U.S. entry into World War I but
opposed the League of Nations (1919).[1]



lodgement

lodgement
lodge·ment 
noun

See
lodgment[1]



lodgepolepine

lodgepolepine
lodge·pole
pine 
[lój pl pn] (plural lodge·pole
pines) noun

tall
pine of North America: a tall pine of western North
America that has paired needles and two types of cones, one of which releases
seeds only after a forest fire. Genus: Pinus contorta
[From Native North Americans’
use of the trees’ trunks as supports for their lodges][1]



lodger

lodger
lodg·er 
[lójjər] (plural lodg·ers) noun

1.  paying
guest:
somebody who rents a room in another person’s house, sharing the accommodation
with the owner (dated) “…the small kitchen in which she cooked the food
for her lodgers” Jack London The People of the Abyss 1905

2.  somebody
lodging something: somebody who lodges
something, for example, a complaint

[1]



lodging

lodging
lodg·ing 
[lójjing] noun

accommodation:
somewhere to stay temporarily • We
asked where we could find lodging for the night.
plural
noun
lodg·ings

rented room:
a room or rooms in a boarding house or private home available for rent (dated)[1]



lodginghouse

lodginghouse
lodg·ing
house
noun

U.K.
(dated) See rooming house[1]



lodgment

lodgment
lodg·ment
[lójmənt] (plural lodg·ments) or
lodge·ment [lójmənt] (plural lodge·ments)
noun

1.  accumulation
or blockage: a build-up of something, especially when
this causes a blockage

2.  MILITARY foothold
in enemy territory: a small area of land that
has been captured and held on the edge of enemy territory

3.  lodging:
the lodging of somebody or something

[1]



Lodi

Lodi
Lo·di 
[lṓ dee]

1.  city
in San Joaquin County, central California, situated 19 km/12 mi north of
Stockton. Population: 51,874 (1990)

2.  borough
in Bergen County, northeastern New Jersey, situated 8 km/5 mi southeast of
Paterson. Population: 22,355 (1990)

[1]



lodicule

lodicule
lod·i·cule 
[lóddi kyl] (plural lod·i·cules)
noun

small
scale of grasses: any of the tiny scales at the base of
the ovary of the flower of certain grasses
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
lodicula, literally “small coverlet,” from lodix “blanket,” of
uncertain origin.][1]



Lodz

Lodz
Lodz
[lj, lodz]
or &Lslash;ódź [lj, lodz]

industrial city in central
Poland, situated about 121 km/75 mi southwest of Warsaw. Population: 825,600
(1995)[1]



Loeb,Jacques

Loeb,Jacques
Loeb
[lōb], Jacques (1859–1924)

German-born U.S.
physiologist. He produced pioneering work in artificial parthenogenesis, and
conducted important research in physiology and psychology.[1]



loess

loess
lo·ess 
[less, luss,
lṓ əss] noun

fine-grained
soil:
a fine-grained yellowish brown deposit of soil left by the wind. The loess
deposited by winds from Central Asia provided the basis for productive farming
in early China.
[Mid-19th century. From
German Löss, from, ultimately, Swiss German lösch “loose.”][1]



Loewe,Frederick

Loewe,Frederick
Loewe
[lō], Frederick (1904–1988)

U.S. composer. His musical
comedies, produced in collaboration with Alan Jay Lerner, include My Fair
Lady ( 1956 ).[1]



Loewi,Otto

Loewi,Otto
Loe·wi
[lṓ ee], Otto (1873–1961)

German pharmacologist. He
shared a Nobel Prize in chemistry (1936) for his work on the chemical
transmission of nerve impulses.[1]



LofotenIslands

LofotenIslands
Lo·fo·ten
Is·lands
[lft’n ləndz]

chain of two groups of rock
islands, northwestern Norway, in the Norwegian Sea. The southernmost group is
the Lofoten, and the Vesterålen are to the north. Population: 26,241 (1970)
Area: 4,044 sq km/1,600 sq mi.[1]



loft

loft
loft 
[loft] noun (plural lofts)

1.  upper
floor of barn: the upper floor of a barn or stable,
used for storing hay • a hay
loft

2.  gallery:
a gallery or balcony, especially the gallery where the organ is situated in a
church • the
organ loft

3.  U.K.
roof
space:
the area between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and the roof (often
used before a noun)

4.  BUILDING upper
floor of warehouse or factory: an upper floor of a
commercial building such as a factory or warehouse, typically converted to
residential or studio use

5.  BUILDING elevated
room in house: a platform, reachable by a ladder or
stairs, that serves as an extra room in a high-ceilinged house

6.  GOLF slanting
angle on golf club: the angle of the face of a
golf club designed to drive the ball high into the air

7.  TEXTILES thickness
of fabric:
the thickness and fluffiness of fabric, especially as an indication of its
warmth
transitive
verb
(past loft·ed, past participle loft·ed, present
participle loft·ing, 3rd person present singular lofts)

1.  SPORTS hit
ball high:
to hit a ball in a high arching path

2.  keep
in loft:
to store something in a loft
[Pre-12th century. From Old
Norse lopt “air, upstairs room.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word meaning “air, sky,” which is also the ancestor of English lift .][1]



lofty

lofty
loft·y 
[lóftee] (comparative loft·i·er,
superlative loft·i·est) adjective

1.  haughty:
behaving in a falsely superior or haughty manner

2.  exalted:
exalted and refined

3.  high-ranking:
of the highest rank or status

4.  very
high:
very high or tall • lofty peaks

[1]



log

log2
log2 [log]
noun

logarithm:
a logarithm (informal)
[Mid-17th century.
Shortening.][1]



log

log1
log1 [log]
noun (plural logs)

1.  piece
cut from tree: a section of the trunk or a thick branch
of a tree that has been cut for fuel or building material

2.  TRANSPORT record
of journey:
a record of a journey made by a ship or aircraft, detailing all events, or the
book in which it is kept

3.  record
of events:
any detailed record of events

4.  NAUTICAL device
for measuring speed: a float attached to a ship
by a line, formerly used for measuring the ship’s speed
verb
(past logged, past participle logged, present
participle log·ging, 3rd person present singular logs)

1.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT record
event in log: to record information or an event in a
log • The
computer will log all these transactions automatically.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fell
trees:
to cut down the trees growing on a particular area of land

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut up
tree for logs: to cut up a tree to produce logs for
fuel or building

4.  transitive
verb
travel
particular distance or speed: to travel a particular
distance, time, or speed that is then recorded in a log • These
checks are made routinely once the aircraft has logged 100,000 miles.

5.  transitive
verb
have
work time in credit: to spend time or accumulate
a certain number of hours, especially for a job, that are usually recorded
somewhere
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
sleep
like a log

to sleep very soundly[1]



loganberry

loganberry

lo·gan·ber·ry 
[lṓgən bèrree] (plural lo·gan·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with edible fruit: a prickly trailing hybrid
plant native to the western United States and northwest Mexico, cultivated for
its edible fruit. Latin name: Rubus ursinus loganobaccus

2.  purplish-red
fruit:
the purplish-red fruit obtained from the loganberry, similar to a large
raspberry
[Late 19th century. Named for
James H. Logan ( 1841–1928 ), U.S. horticulturist who first cultivated
the plant.][1]



Logan,Mount

Logan,Mount
Lo·gan,
Mount
[lṓgən]

the highest peak in Canada,
located in the St. Elias Range in southwestern Yukon Territory. Height: 5,959
m/19,551 ft.[1]



Logan,William Edmond

Logan,William Edmond
Lo·gan 
[lṓgən], Sir William Edmond (1798–1875)

Canadian geologist. He was a
founder and the first director of the Geological Survey of Canada (1842–1869).[1]



logaoedic

logaoedic
lo·ga·oed·ic 
[lòggə dik] adjective

with
mixed meter: used to describe a poem or line of verse
in which different metrical feet are mixed to give an effect like speech or
prose
[Mid-19th century. Via late
Latin from Greek logaoidikos, from logos “speech” + aoidē
“song.”][1]



logarithm

logarithm
log·a·rithm 
[lóggə rìəm] (plural log·a·rithms)
noun

mathematical
raising of base number: the power to which a base
must be raised to equal a given number. For example, the logarithm of 8 to the
base 2 is 3, since 2 3 =
8.
[Early
17th century. From modern Latin logarithmus, from Greek logos
“word, proportion” (see Logos ) + arithmos
“number” (see arithmetic ).]
—log·a·rith·mic
[lòggə rímik], adjective

—log·a·rith·mi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



logbook

logbook
log·book 
[lóg bk] (plural log·books) noun

book
containing record of journey: a book containing a record
of a journey made by a ship or aircraft
[Late 17th century. So called
because it recorded all loggings, measurements of the ship’s speed.][1]



logcabin

logcabin
log
cab·in
(plural log cab·ins) noun

1.  log
house:
a simple house made with logs

2.  SEWING patchwork
design:
a patchwork design formed from blocks that are made up of strips of fabric
attached around each side of a central square

[1]



loge

loge
loge 
[lō] (plural loges) noun

1.  front
of balcony:
the area in a theater at the front of the upper level

2.  box
in theater:
a small private enclosure or box in a theater
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Old French, “hut” (see lodge ).][1]



logger

logger
log·ger 
[lóggər] (plural log·gers) noun

tree cutter:
a person or company in the business of harvesting trees for wood[1]



loggerhead

loggerhead
log·ger·head 
[lóggər hèd] (plural log·ger·heads)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY See loggerhead turtle

2.  BIRDS See loggerhead shrike

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING tool
for hot liquids: a tool consisting of a ball or bulb on a
long handle that can be heated and used to melt pitch

4.  unintelligent
person:
somebody perceived as unintelligent (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from logger “block of wood for
hobbling a horse” (from log 1 ) + head
.]
at
loggerheads

involved in a quarrel or feud[1]



loggerheadshrike

loggerheadshrike
log·ger·head
shrike
(plural log·ger·head shrikes) noun

BIRDS
N American shrike:
a North American shrike that has gray plumage, black and white wings and tail,
a black facial mask, and a hooked beak. Latin name: Lanius ludovicianus
Also called
loggerhead[1]



loggerheadturtle

loggerheadturtle
log·ger·head
tur·tle
(plural log·ger·head tur·tles) noun

large sea turtle:
a large flesh-eating sea turtle that lives in warm waters and has a large head
and rounded shell. Latin name: Caretta caretta
Also called
loggerhead[1]



loggia

loggia
log·gi·a 
[láwjee ə] (plural log·gi·as or
log·gie [láw jày]) noun

1.  covered
balcony and walkway: a covered open-sided
walkway, often with arches, along one side of a building

2.  theater
balcony:
a balcony in a theater
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Old French loge (see lodge
).][1]



logging

logging
log·ging 
[lógging] noun

felling of trees:
the job of felling, trimming, and transporting trees[1]



logia

logia
lo·gi·a


Plural of
logion[1]



logic

logic
log·ic 
[lójjik] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of reasoning: the branch of philosophy that deals with
the theory of deductive and inductive arguments and aims to distinguish good
from bad reasoning

2.  system
of reasoning: any system of or an instance of
reasoning and inference

3.  sensible
argument and thought: sensible rational thought
and argument rather than ideas that are influenced by emotion or whim

4.  reasoning
of particular field: the principles of reasoning
relevant to a particular field

5.  inescapable
relationship and pattern of events: the
relationship between certain events, situations, or objects, and the inevitable
consequences of their interaction

6.  COMPUTING circuit
design:
the circuit design and principles used by a computer in its operation
[14th century. Via French logique
from, ultimately, Greek logikē (tekhnē) “(art) of reason,” from logos
(see logos ).][1]



logical

logical
log·i·cal 
[lójjik’l] adjective

1.  sensible
and based on facts: based on facts, clear
rational thought, and sensible reasoning

2.  able
to think rationally: able to think sensibly and
come to a rational conclusion based on facts rather than emotion

3.  PHILOSOPHY of
philosophical logic: relating to philosophical
logic
—log·i·cal·i·ty
[lòjji kállətee], noun

—log·i·cal·ness [lójjik’lnəss], noun[1]



logicalatomism

logicalatomism
log·i·cal
at·om·ism
noun

philosophical theories about
analyzing propositions: the
philosophical theories of Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s early
period that analyze a proposition in terms of its relation to certain
philosophically basic propositions[1]



logicalconsequence

logicalconsequence
log·i·cal
con·se·quence noun

valid implied proposition:
a proposition that is implied by valid reasoning from true propositions[1]



logicalconstant

logicalconstant
log·i·cal
con·stant
(plural log·i·cal con·stants) noun

connective expression used in
logic: a connective expression such
as “not,” “or,” “if … then,” or “if and only if” that is used in formal logic[1]



logically

logically
log·i·cal·ly
[lójjikəlee] adverb

1.  with
regard to reason: in a rational well-reasoned way • consider
something logically

2.  using
reason:
using good or rational reasoning • Your
conclusion follows logically.

[1]



logicalpositivism

logicalpositivism
log·i·cal
pos·i·tiv·ism noun

theory in linguistic
philosophy: a theory in linguistic
philosophy that holds that in order for a sentence to be cognitively
meaningful, it has to be verifiable[1]



logicaltruth

logicaltruth
log·i·cal
truth
(plural log·i·cal truths) noun

true proposition:
a proposition that is necessarily true[1]



logicbomb

logicbomb
log·ic
bomb
(plural log·ic bombs) noun

software acting as virus:
a piece of software that interferes with the proper working of the computer’s
operating system[1]



logiccircuit

logiccircuit
log·ic
cir·cuit
(plural log·ic cir·cuits) noun

computer operation circuit:
a computer switching circuit that performs operations on input signals[1]



logician

logician
lo·gi·cian 
[lō jísh’n] (plural lo·gi·cians)
noun

logic specialist:
somebody whose special training is in philosophical logic[1]



logicism

logicism
log·i·cism 
[lójji sìzzəm] noun

theory that mathematics is
logical: the theory at the base of
mathematics that mathematics is reducible to logic broadly construed to include
set theory[1]



login

login
log
in
intransitive and transitive verb

See
log on[1]



login

login
log·in
noun

See
logon[1]



logion

logion
lo·gi·on 
[lṓjee òn, lṓgee
òn] (plural lo·gi·a [lṓgee ə])
noun

attributed
saying of Jesus Christ: a saying attributed to Jesus
Christ that is not in the New Testament
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “oracle,” from logos (see Logos
).][1]



logistic

logistic2
lo·gis·tic2  [lə
jístik, lō jístik] or lo·gis·ti·cal
[lə jístik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to transporting of things: involving the planning and
management of how things are moved, especially military forces or industrial
goods

2.  involving
complicated organization: involving the planning and
management of any complex task
[Mid-20th
century. From French logistique (see logistics
).]
—lo·gis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



logistic

logistic1
lo·gis·tic1  [lə
jístik, lō jístik] adjective

relating
to symbolic logic: relating to an uninterpreted
calculus or system of symbolic logic
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin logisticus, from, ultimately, Greek logos
“reckoning, calculation” (see Logos ).]
—lo·gis·ti·cian [lji stísh’n], noun[1]



logistics

logistics
lo·gis·tics 
[lə jístiks, lō
jístiks] noun (takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  organization
of complex task: the planning and implementation of a
complex task

2.  movement
management:
the planning and control of the flow of goods and materials through an
organization or manufacturing process

3.  MILITARY organization
of troop movements: the planning and
organization of the movement of troops, their equipment, and supplies
[Late 19th century. Formed
from French logistique, from loger “to lodge,” from Old French loge
(see lodge ).][1]



logjam

logjam
log·jam 
[lóg jàm] (plural log·jams) noun

1.  deadlock:
a situation where something is blocked or at a standstill and is unable to
progress

2.  river
blockage:
a blockage caused by floating logs in a river

[1]



logline

logline
log
line
(plural log lines) noun

line from ship trailing log:
a line from a ship trailing a floating log to determine the ship’s speed[1]



logo

logo
lo·go 
[lṓ gō] (plural lo·gos) noun

design
symbolizing organization: a design used by an
organization on its letterhead, advertising material, and signs as an emblem by
which the organization can easily be recognized
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of logogram and logotype
.][1]



logo-

logo-
logo-
prefix

word,
thought, speech • logotype
[From Greek logos (see
Logos )][1]



logoff

logoff
log
off
or log out intransitive verb

COMPUTING
end computer session:
to end a session on a computer by typing in the appropriate command[1]



logogram

logogram
log·o·gram 
[lóggə gràm] (plural log·o·grams)
or log·o·graph [lóggə gràf] (plural
log·o·graphs) noun

symbol
representing word: a symbol that represents the
meaning of a whole word or phrase, for example, the symbols used in shorthand,
or the symbol “&” used instead of the word “and”
—log·o·gram·mat·ic
[lòggəgrə máttik], adjective

—log·o·gram·mat·i·cal·ly
[lòggəgrə máttikəlee], adverb[1]



logogriph

logogriph
log·o·griph 
[lóggə grìf] (plural log·o·griphs)
noun

word
puzzle:
a word puzzle, especially an anagram
[Late 16th century. From
French logogriphe, from Greek logos (see Logos
) + griphos “fishing-basket,” hence “anything intricate, riddle.”][1]



logomachy

logomachy
lo·gom·a·chy 
[lō gómməkee] (plural lo·gom·a·chies)
noun

dispute
about words: an argument about the use or meaning of
words
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
logomakhia, from logomakhein “to fight with words,” from logos
“word” (see Logos ) + makhē
“battle.”][1]



logon

logon
log·on
[lóggon] (plural log·ons) or
log·in [lóggin] (plural log·ins)
noun

1.  act
of logging on: the act of logging on to a computer

2.  password
for logging on: a name and password or other appropriate
commands used for logging on to a computer

[1]



logon

logon
log
on
or log in intransitive and transitive verb

COMPUTING
enter a computer system:
to gain access to a computer system by entering a name and password or other
appropriate commands[1]



logorrhea

logorrhea
log·or·rhe·a 
[lòggə r ə] noun

excessive
talkativeness: excessive talkativeness, especially when
the words are uncontrolled or incoherent, as is seen in certain psychiatric
illnesses
—log·or·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



Logos

Logos
Lo·gos 
[lṓ gòss, ló
gòss] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Jesus
Christ as divine wisdom: Jesus Christ, so named in
St. John’s Gospel, as the word of God, the personification of the wisdom of God
and divine wisdom as the means for human salvation.

2.  JUDAISM word
of God:
the divine wisdom of the word of God
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “word, reason.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
collect” and “to speak,” which is also the ancestor of English collect, lecture,
and lexicon .][1]



logotype

logotype
lo·go·type
[lóggə tp] (plural lo·go·types)
noun

1.  PRINTING type
with different characters: a single piece of type that
has different unconnected characters on it

2.  COMMERCE logo:
a logo

[1]



logout

logout
log
out
intransitive verb

See
log off[1]



logroll

logroll
log·roll 
[lóg rl] (past log·rolled, past
participle log·rolled, present participle log·roll·ing,
3rd person present singular log·rolls) intransitive and
transitive verb

trade
votes:
to trade votes with political colleagues to support one another’s interests
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from logrolling .][1]



logrolling

logrolling
log·roll·ing 
[lóg rling] noun

1.  POLITICS exchange
of political support: the striking of a deal
between colleagues in a legislature whereby support is given to a piece of
legislation on the understanding that the favor will be returned at a later
date “The national interest will lose out to the logrolling tradeoffs of Congressional
business.” National Public Telecomputing Network Bush speeches in campaign ’92
1992

2.  mutual
support:
mutual praise, support, or favors

3.  SPORTS balancing
game:
a game played by lumberjacks in which players have to balance on spinning
floating logs
[Early 19th century. From the
former custom of neighbors helping each other to clear land by rolling logs to
burn them.][1]



-logue

-logue
-logue
suffix

speech
• monologue
[Via French from Greek -logos
“speaking,” from logos “word” (see Logos
)][1]



logwood

logwood
log·wood 
[lóg wd] (plural log·woods) noun

1.  spiny
tree that gives dye: a spiny tree of the pea
family that grows in the West Indies and Central America and yields a dye from
the heart of the wood. Latin name: Haematoxylon campechianum

2.  INDUSTRY wood
giving dye:
the wood of the logwood from which a purplish-red dye is obtained
[Late 16th century. So called
because the tree’s wood was imported in log form.][1]



logy

logy
lo·gy 
[lṓgee] (comparative lo·gi·er,
superlative lo·gi·est) adjective

sluggish:
without any energy or enthusiasm
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch log “heavy,” or a variant of loggy
“heavy, dull” (from log ).][1]



-logy

-logy
-logy
suffix

1.  speech,
expression • haplology

2.  science,
study • musicology
[Directly and via French
from, ultimately, Greek -logia, from logos “word, reason” and
from -logos “speaking” (see Logos )][1]



loin

loin
loin 
[loyn] noun (plural loins)

1.  ANATOMY back
between ribs and hips: the area on each side of the
backbone of a human or animal between the ribs and hips

2.  FOOD meat
cut from loin of animal: a prime cut of tender meat
taken from the backbone and rib area of a pig, lamb, or calf. The meat is sold
either as joints or cut into chops.
plural
noun
loins

area below waist:
the hips and the front of the body below the waist, considered as the part of
the body that should be covered and as the site of the sexual organs (literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French loigne from, ultimately, Latin lumbus
(source of English lumbar, sirloin, and lumbago
).]
gird
(up) your loins

to prepare yourself to do something
difficult and challenging[1]



loincloth

loincloth
loin·cloth 
[lóyn klòth] (plural loin·cloths)
noun

cloth worn around hips:
a cloth covering the hips and the genital area.
Also called
breechcloth[1]



Loire

Loire
Loire
[lwaar]

the longest river in France,
rising in the Cévennes mountains, southeastern France. Length: 1,020 km/634 mi.[1]



loiter

loiter
loi·ter 
[lóytər] (past loi·tered, past
participle loi·tered, present participle loi·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular loi·ters) intransitive verb

1.  stand
around idly: to stand around without any obvious
purpose (disapproving)

2.  proceed
slowly:
to do something in a slow lazy way, often stopping to rest
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Middle Dutch loteren “to
totter, linger.”]
—loi·ter·er, noun[1]



Loki

Loki
Lo·ki 
[lṓkee] noun

MYTHOLOGY
evil Norse god:
in Norse mythology, a handsome giant god who was the embodiment of evil[1]



LOL

LOL
LOL

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of laughing out loud[1]



Lolita

Lolita
Lo·li·ta 
[lō ltə] noun

desirable
young girl:
a young teenage girl regarded or depicted as the object of sexual desire
[Mid-20th century. From the
name of the main character in Lolita (1958), a novel by Vladimir Nabokov
.][1]



loll

loll
loll 
[lol] (past lolled, past
participle lolled, present participle loll·ing, 3rd
person present singular lolls) intransitive verb

1.  lounge
in a relaxed way: to relax in a reclining or leaning
position

2.  droop:
to droop or hang down in a loose floppy way
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Middle Dutch lollen “to doze.”][1]



Lolland

Lolland
Lol·land 
[lóllənd]

island of southeastern
Denmark, situated in the Baltic Sea. Population: 72,026 (1994) Area: 1,241 sq
km/479 sq mi.[1]



lollapalooza

lollapalooza
lol·la·pa·loo·za 
[lòlləpə lzə] (plural lol·la·pa·loo·zas)
or lal·a·pa·loo·za [lòlləpə lzə]
(plural lal·a·pa·loo·zas) or lal·la·pa·loo·za [lòlləpə lzə] (plural lal·la·pa·loo·zas)
noun

wonderful
thing:
somebody or something that is wonderful or amazing (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lollipop

lollipop
lol·li·pop 
[lóllee pòp] (plural lol·li·pops)
or lol·ly·pop [lóllee pòp] (plural
lol·ly·pops) noun

candy
on stick:
a piece of hard candy attached to a stick
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from dialect lolly “tongue” (formed from loll ) + pop .][1]



lollop

lollop
lol·lop 
[lólləp] (past lol·loped, past
participle lol·loped, present participle lol·lop·ing, 3rd
person present singular lol·lops) intransitive verb

1.  move
in bouncy uncontrolled way: to move along in a bouncy
relaxed clumsy way

2.  U.K.
lounge
about:
to loll or lounge about
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from loll, under the
influence of gallop .]
—lol·lop·y, adjective[1]



lolly

lolly
lol·ly 
[lóllee] (plural lol·lies) noun

1.  U.K.
lollipop:
a lollipop (informal)

2.  U.K.
money:
money (informal)

3.  Australia
candy:
a piece of candy
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of lollipop .][1]



lollygag

lollygag
lol·ly·gag 
[lóllee gàg] (past lol·ly·gagged,
past participle lol·ly·gagged, present participle lol·ly·gag·ging,
3rd person present singular lol·ly·gags) or lal·ly·gag
[lóllee gàg] (past lal·ly·gagged,
past participle lal·ly·gagged, present participle lal·ly·gag·ging,
3rd person present singular lal·ly·gags) intransitive verb

have
lazy fun:
to have fun, or waste time in a lazy idle way (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lollypop

lollypop
lol·ly·pop 
noun

See
lollipop[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








loma

loma
lo·ma 
[lṓmə] noun

hill
or ridge:
a rounded hill or ridge
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, feminine of lomo “back, ridge,” from Latin lumbus
“loin.”][1]



Lomax,Alan

Lomax,Alan
Lo·max
[lṓ màks], Alan (1915– )

U.S. ethnomusicologist. He
was noted for his work in the collection of American folk songs, in
collaboration with his father John Lomax.[1]



Lomax,John

Lomax,John
Lo·max
[lṓm aks], John (1867–1948)

U.S. ethnomusicologist. He
was noted for his work in the collection of American folk songs, in
collaboration with his son Alan Lomax.[1]



Lombard

Lombard
Lom·bard 
[lóm brd, lúm
brd] noun

1.  somebody
from Lombardy: somebody who was born in or who lives in
Lombardy in Italy

2.  ancient
Italian:
a member of an ancient Germanic people who settled in northern Italy during the
6th century AD, where they soon
became the dominant people.
Also
called
Langobard

[1]



Lombardi,Vince

Lombardi,Vince
Lom·bar·di
[lom brdee], Vince (1913–1970)

U.S.
football coach. As head coach and then general manager, he led the Green Bay
Packers to two Super Bowl victories (1967, 1968).
Full name
Lombardi, Vincent Thomas[1]



Lombardy

Lombardy
Lom·bar·dy 
[lómbərdee, lúmbərdee]

region
in northern central Italy, a major commercial and industrial center
—Lom·bar·dic [lom brdik, lum brdik],
adjective[1]



Lombardypoplar

Lombardypoplar
Lom·bar·dy
pop·lar
(plural Lom·bar·dy pop·lars) noun

variety of poplar:
a variety of poplar that has upright branches and a tall, narrow shape. Latin
name: Populus nigra italica[1]



Lombok

Lombok
Lom·bok 
[lom bók]

island of the Lesser Sunda
Islands, West Nusa Tenggara Province, southern Indonesia, situated east of
Bali. Population: 2,403,399 (1990) Area: 5,180 sq km/2,000 sq mi.[1]



loment

loment
lo·ment 
[lṓ mènt] (plural lo·ment·s) noun

split
pod or fruit: a pod or fruit of certain plants that
splits and separates at maturity into one-seeded segments
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
lomentum “cosmetic made of bean-meal,” from lavare “to wash.”][1]



Lompoc

Lompoc
Lom·poc 
[lóm pk]

city in Santa Barbara County,
southwestern California, situated near the Pacific Ocean 72 km/45 mi northwest
of the city of Santa Barbara. Population: 37,649 (1990)[1]



Lomé

Lomé
Lo·mé 
[lṓ mày]

capital and largest city of
Togo, situated on the Bight of Benin, close to the Ghana border. Population:
450,000 (1990)[1]



London

London

Lon·don 
[lúndən]

1.  capital
city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of
the world’s leading financial, industrial, and cultural centers. Population:
6,967,000 (1994) Area: 1,580 sq km/610 sq mi.

2.  city
in Middlesex County, southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the Thames River.
Population: 325,646 (1996)
—Lon·don·er, noun[1]



London




Back to definition

London

[1]



Londonderry

Londonderry
Lon·don·der·ry 
[lúndən dèree]

1.  city
in northwestern Northern Ireland, officially called Derry until it was
fortified by people from London, England, in 1613. Population: 72,334 (1991)

2.  former
county of Northern Ireland

[1]



London,Jack

London,Jack
Lon·don 
[lúndən], Jack (1876–1916)

U.S.
writer. He wrote realist and humanitarian novels, including The Call of the
Wild ( 1903 ), which was inspired by his experiences in the Klondike.
Full name
London, John Griffith[1]



lone

lone
lone 
[lōn] adjective

1.  solitary:
having no one else around

2.  only:
only or sole

3.  isolated:
situated in an isolated position

4.  single:
without a husband, wife, or partner

5.  lonely:
lonely and having no companions (literary)
[14th century. Shortening of alone by mistaken division of al one “all
by yourself” as a lone .][1]



lonehand

lonehand
lone
hand
(plural lone hands) noun

1.  CARD GAMES hand
played without partner: a hand played in some card
games without help from a partner, or a player without a partner

2.  somebody
operating alone: somebody who lives or works alone

[1]



lonely

lonely
lone·ly 
[lṓnlee] (comparative lone·li·er,
superlative lone·li·est) adjective

1.  feeling
alone:
having or causing a feeling of being alone and sad

2.  isolated:
isolated and rarely visited

3.  lacking
support:
lacking companionship, aid, or encouragement

4.  solitary:
having no one or nothing else around (literary)
—lone·li·ly,
adverb

—lone·li·ness, noun[1]



lonely-hearts

lonely-hearts
lone·ly-hearts
adjective

looking for romantic
relationship: relating to people who
are looking for a partner for a romantic relationship[1]



loner

loner
lon·er 
[lṓnər] (plural lon·ers) noun

somebody who likes being
alone: somebody who prefers to be
alone[1]



lonesome

lonesome
lone·some 
[lṓnsəm] adjective

1.  sad
from being alone: feeling sad, or causing a feeling of
sadness, because of being alone

2.  desolate:
isolated from human habitation

3.  alone:
having no one or nothing else around
—lone·some·ly,
adverb

—lone·some·ness, noun[1]



lonewolf

lonewolf
lone
wolf
noun

loner:
somebody who prefers to be alone[1]



long.

long.
long.

Abbreviation of
longitude[1]



long

long2
long2 [lawng]
(past longed, past participle longed, present
participle long·ing, 3rd person present singular longs)
intransitive verb

want
somebody or something very much: to have a strong
desire or yearning for somebody or something, especially somebody or something
unattainable or not within immediate reach
[Old
English langian, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English long 1 . The meaning “yearn”
developed from “grow long” via “seem long.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



long

long1
long1 [lawng]
adjective (comparative long·er, superlative long·est)

1.  extending
considerable distance: extending a relatively great
length or height

2.  going
on for lengthy period: lasting for an extended
period of time

3.  having
many items:
containing a relatively large number of parts or individual items

4.  of
specified length: of a specified length, height, total,
number, or duration • a book
300 pages long

5.  longer
than it is wide: with a greater length than width • Look
in the long box, not the square one.

6.  beyond
what is wanted: extending in time or space beyond what
is considered normal, reasonable, or desirable

7.  more
distant or lengthy: the more or most distant or
lengthy of two or more things • the
long way home

8.  able
to reach considerable distance: capable of reaching or
traveling far • a long fly ball

9.  seeming
to last forever: appearing to be or take more time than
is really the case • a long hour waiting

10. going
far back in time: extending back in time • a
long memory

11. extensive:
exhaustive and critical • Take a
good long look at yourself.

12. risky:
with an uncertain outcome

13. having
plenty of something: possessing enough or more
than enough of something (informal) • a
politician who is long on rhetoric

14. FINANCE holding
stock in anticipation of rise: used to describe
shares and other securities or commodities that are held with the expectation
that prices will rise

15. PHONETICS drawn
out in pronunciation: used to describe a speech
sound that is relatively drawn out

16. PHONETICS descended
from long vowel: used to describe an English vowel sound
that is historically descended from vowels that were drawn out in
pronunciation, for example, the ones in English “beet” and “bite”

17. POETRY accented:
used to describe a syllable in accentual verse that is stressed

18. POETRY of
greater metrical duration: used to describe a syllable
in quantitative verse that is the one of the two types that is of greater
duration
adverb

1.  for
long time:
for or during a lengthy period of time • Have
you been here long?

2.  far:
at or to a great distance • hit
the ball long

3.  for
certain time: for or during a particular length of
time • work
all day long

4.  at
another time: at a time much later or earlier than the
time specified • long after he left

5.  after
certain time: beyond a particular time • Don’t
stay longer than two hours.

6.  STOCK EXCHANGE in
long stock position: in a long position in
securities or commodities
noun
(plural longs)

1.  a
long time:
a lengthy period of time • Will
you be visiting for long?

2.  PHONETICS long
sound:
a long syllable or sound

3.  CLOTHES size
for tall people: a garment or garment size designed for
somebody tall
[Old
English, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English linger, Lent,
lunge, and long 2]
any
longer

for
any further time

as
or so long as

1.  during
the time that

2.  because
of the fact that

3.  on
the condition that

before
long

before
much time passes

no
longer

as
until the present but not for any further time

not
long for

something
with little time remaining for something

so
long

good-bye
(informal)

the
long and the short of it

the
basic idea or facts

[1]



long-ago

long-ago
long-a·go
adjective

distant in time:
relating to or in the distant past • long-ago
civilizations[1]



longan

longan
lon·gan 
[láwng gən] (plural lon·gans) or
lun·gan [lúng gən] (plural lun·gans)
noun

1.  fruit:
a small juicy fruit with a yellowish brown exterior, white juicy flesh, and a
large black seed. The dried fruit is often used as a Chinese health food or
cooked with herbal medicine.

2.  evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree of tropical and subtropical Asia that has small
yellowish-white flowers and small white-fleshed fruits. Latin name: Euphoria
longan
[Mid-18th century. From
Chinese lóngyan, literally “dragon’s eye” (which the fruit is thought to
resemble).][1]



longanimity

longanimity
lon·ga·nim·i·ty 
[làwngə nímmətee] noun

patience
in suffering: patience and serenity in suffering (archaic)
[14th
century. From late Latin longanimitas, from longanimus, literally
“long-minded,” from animus “mind.”]
—lon·gan·i·mous [lawng gánniməss], adjective[1]



long-awaited

long-awaited
long-a·wait·ed
adjective

awaited for long time:
hoped for and expected for a considerable time[1]



LongBeach

LongBeach
Long
Beach


1.  city
in Los Angeles County, southwestern California, situated on San Pedro Bay.
Population: 433,852 (1994)

2.  city
in Nassau County, southeastern New York, situated off the southern shore of
Long Island 34 km/21 mi southeast of New York City. Population: 33,510 (1990)

[1]



longboat

longboat
long·boat 
[láwng bt] (plural long·boats)
noun

longest boat carried by
sailing ship: the longest boat,
usually a seaworthy rowing boat, carried on board a sailing ship, especially a
merchant ship[1]



longbone

longbone
long
bone
(plural long bones) noun

bone of leg or arm:
any long cylindrical limb bone in vertebrates that contains marrow and ends in
an enlarged head that unites to form a joint with another bone[1]



longbow

longbow
long·bow 
[láwng b] (plural long·bows) noun

large hand-drawn bow:
a large powerful hand-drawn bow made from a long piece of slightly curved wood
and a bowstring, used, especially in medieval England, for hunting and in
warfare[1]



longbowman

longbowman
long·bow·man
[láwng bōmən] (plural long·bow·men
[láwng bōmən]) noun

archer with longbow:
an archer who used a longbow, especially in medieval England[1]



LongBranch

LongBranch
Long
Branch

city in Monmouth County,
eastern New Jersey, situated on the Atlantic Ocean 34 km/21 mi southeast of
Perth Amboy. Population: 28,658 (1990)[1]



longcaseclock

longcaseclock
long·case
clock
(plural long·case clocks) noun

See
grandfather clock[1]



long-chain

long-chain
long-chain
adjective

with a long chain of atoms:
used to describe a molecule or substance that has a relatively long chain of
atoms, especially carbon atoms[1]



long-day

long-day
long-day
adjective

needing long days to flower:
requiring long periods of daylight, usually more than 12 hours, followed by
short nights in order to mature and flower[1]



long-distance

long-distance
long-dis·tance 
adjective

1.  for
long way:
traveling or extending a relatively long way

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS between
distant phones: relating to or providing telephone
service between places that are far apart

3.  between
distant places: occurring between places that are far
apart • a
long-distance romance
noun

TELECOMMUNICATIONS provision
of long-distance telephone services: the
business of providing long-distance telephone services
adverb

TELECOMMUNICATIONS using
long-distance line: using a long-distance
telephone line

[1]



longdivision

longdivision
long
di·vi·sion
(plural long di·vi·sions) noun

division showing each step:
a method or instance of dividing one number by another in which each step is
written out in full[1]



longdozen

longdozen
long
doz·en
(plural long doz·ens) noun

13:
a set of 13 items[1]



long-drawn-out

long-drawn-out
long-drawn-out 
adjective

prolonged:
going on for an undesirably long period of time[1]



long-earedowl

long-earedowl
long-eared
owl
(plural long-eared owls) noun

owl with ear tufts:
a medium-sized owl with distinctive pointed ear tufts that lives in coniferous
forests in Europe, Asia, and North America. Latin name: Asio otus[1]



longeron

longeron
lon·ge·ron 
[lónjə ròn] (plural lon·ge·rons)
noun

part
of airplane’s fuselage: a main structural component
of an airplane’s fuselage that runs from one end of the airplane to the other
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “beam,” ultimately from Latin longus “long.”][1]



longevity

longevity
lon·gev·i·ty 
[lon jévvətee] (plural lon·gev·i·ties)
noun

1.  long
life:
long duration of life

2.  duration
of life:
the length of a person’s or animal’s life

3.  career
span:
the length of somebody’s employment or career
[Early
17th century. From late Latin longaevitas, from Latin longaevus,
literally “of a long age,” from aevum “age.”]
—lon·ge·vous [lon jvəss], adjective[1]



longface

longface
long
face
(plural long fac·es) noun

sad
expression:
a facial expression showing unhappiness, disappointment, or seriousness
—long-faced, adjective[1]



Longfellow,Henry Wadsworth

Longfellow,Henry Wadsworth

Long·fel·low
[láwng fèlō], Henry Wadsworth (1807–1882)
U.S. poet. He wrote many romantic verse
narratives, including “The Song of Hiawatha” ( 1855 ) and “Paul Revere’s Ride”
( 1863 ).[1]



longgreen

longgreen
long
green
noun

money:
money, especially paper money (informal)[1]



longhair

longhair
long·hair 
[láwng hàir] (plural long·hairs)
noun

1.  somebody
dedicated to arts and music: somebody dedicated to the
arts and especially to classical music (informal)

2.  impractical
intellectual: an intellectual who is unconcerned with
practical matters (informal)

3.  long-haired
man:
somebody with long hair, especially a hippie man (dated informal
disapproving)

4.  ZOOLOGY cat
with long fur: a domestic cat with long fur
—long·haired, adjective[1]



longhand

longhand
long·hand 
[láwng hànd] noun

1.  handwriting
in full:
words and letters written by hand in full, rather than in shorthand

2.  cursive
writing:
cursive writing

[1]



long-haul

long-haul
long-haul
adjective

going long distances:
relating to travel or transportation over long distances[1]



longhaul

longhaul
long
haul
(plural long hauls) noun (informal)

1.  lengthy
period:
a long period of time

2.  lot
of work:
a long-lasting job or ordeal

3.  long
distance:
an extensive distance

[1]



longheaded

longheaded
long·head·ed
[lawng héddəd] adjective

wise:
perceptive and wise (archaic or literary)
[From the belief that a long
head indicated wisdom][1]



longhorn

longhorn
long·horn 
[láwng hàwrn] (plural long·horns
or long·horn) noun

1.  U.S.
red cow with long horns: a red or variegated cow with
long horns, belonging to a breed of beef cattle of Spanish origin that was once
very common in the southwestern United States

2.  cow
with long horns: a cow belonging to a breed that has long
horns

3.  U.S.
cylindrical cheese: a mild U.S. cylinder-shaped
Cheddar cheese

[1]



long-hornedbeetle

long-hornedbeetle
long-horned
bee·tle 
(plural long-horned bee·tles) noun

beetle with long antennae:
a beetle with long antennae, long legs and a narrow, often brightly colored
body. The larvae of many species are wood borers. Family: Cerambycidae
Also called
longicorn
U.K. term
longicorn[1]



long-hornedgrasshopper

long-hornedgrasshopper
long-horned
grass·hop·per noun

grasshopper with long
antennae: a large, usually green
grasshopper with long antennae and often a characteristic song. Family:
Tettigoniidae[1]



longhorse

longhorse
long
horse
(plural long hors·es) noun

GYMNASTICS
See vaulting horse[1]



longhouse

longhouse
long·house 
[láwng hòwss] (plural long·hous·es
[láwng hòwzəz]) noun

1.  communal
dwelling of Native N Americans: a long bark-covered
communal dwelling place built by some Native North American peoples, especially
the Iroquois. It had compartments for families around central meeting areas.

2.  communal
dwelling:
a communal dwelling housing entire extended families and found, for example, in
Borneo or Sarawak

[1]



Long,Huey P.

Long,Huey P.
Long 
[long], Huey P. (1893–1935)

U.S.
politician. As governor of Louisiana (1928–1932) and member of the U.S. Senate
(1932–1935), he was noted for his oratory and populist views.
Full name
Long, Huey Pierce[1]



longhundredweight

longhundredweight
long
hun·dred·weight noun

U.K.
See hundredweight  noun 2[1]



longicorn

longicorn
lon·gi·corn 
[lónji kàwrn] noun (plural lon·gi·corns)

U.K.
See long-horned beetle
adjective

with
long antennae: having long antennae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Longicornia, literally “long-horned ones,” former
scientific name, from Latin cornu “horn.”][1]



longing

longing
long·ing 
[láwnging] noun (plural long·ings)

yearning:
a persistent and strong desire, usually for somebody or something unattainable
or not within immediate reach
adjective

showing
yearning:
expressing yearning or desire
—long·ing·ly, adverb[1]



LongIsland

LongIsland
Long
Is·land

the largest island in the
continental United States, southeastern New York. Queens and Brooklyn, two
boroughs of New York City, are situated here. Population: 6,861,474 (1990)
Area: 4,356 sq km/1,682 sq mi.[1]



LongIsland Sound

LongIsland Sound
Long
Is·land Sound

body of salt water situated
between the southern shore of Connecticut and the northern shore of Long
Island, New York. Area: 3,364 sq km/1,299 sq mi.[1]



longitude

longitude
lon·gi·tude 
[lónji td] (plural lon·gi·tudes)
noun
See
also
latitude

1.  angular
distance from prime meridian: the angular distance east or
west of the prime meridian that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole
and passes through Greenwich, England. Longitude is measured in degrees,
minutes, and seconds.

2.  area
of earth’s surface: a region near a particular
longitude
[14th century. From Latin longitudo
“length” (the original sense in English), from longus “long.”][1]



longitudinal

longitudinal
lon·gi·tu·di·nal 
[lònji td’nəl] adjective

1.  going
from top to bottom: extending from the top to
the bottom of something

2.  over
time:
relating to development over a period of time

3.  of
longitude:
relating to longitude or length
—lon·gi·tu·di·nal·ly, adverb[1]



longitudinalwave

longitudinalwave
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
wave
(plural lon·gi·tu·di·nal waves) noun

wave propagated in direction
particles vibrate: a wave, for
example, a sound wave, that is propagated in the same direction in which the
particles of the medium vibrate[1]



longjohns

longjohns
long
johns 
plural noun

long
underpants:
underpants with full-length legs, or one-piece underwear covering the torso,
arms, and legs
[Johns from the name John][1]



longjump

longjump
long
jump
noun

competition for longest jump:
a field event in which competitors jump for distance, usually from a running
start into a sand pit[1]



long-lasting

long-lasting
long-last·ing
adjective

lasting a long time:
continuing for a long time[1]



longleafpine

longleafpine
long·leaf
pine 
[láwng lf pn] noun

1.  TREES U.S.
pine tree:
a pine tree native to the southeastern United States, that has long needles
grouped in threes, long cones, heavy resinous wood, and orange-brown bark. It
is highly valued as a source of lumber, pulp, and turpentine. Latin name: Pinus
palustris

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from longleaf pine: the wood of the longleaf
pine, used for lumber.
Also
called
yellow pine

[1]



long-lived

long-lived
long-lived 
adjective

having long life:
living, lasting, or enduring for a long time[1]



long-lost

long-lost
long-lost
adjective

not seen for long time:
not seen for a long period of time (humorous)[1]



Longmeadow

Longmeadow
Long·mea·dow 
[láwng mèdō]

town in southern
Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River just north of the
Massachusetts-Connecticut border, south of Springfield. Population: 14,864
(1996)[1]



longmeasure

longmeasure
long
meas·ure
(plural long meas·ures) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS See linear measure

2.  See
long meter

[1]



longmeter

longmeter
long
me·ter
(plural long me·ters) noun

POETRY
four-line stanza:
a four-line stanza in which the second and fourth lines always rhyme and the
first and third sometimes rhyme. It is often used for hymns.
Also called
long measure[1]



Longmont

Longmont
Long·mont 
[láwngmont]

city in Boulder County,
northern Colorado, situated 48 km/30 mi north of Denver. Population: 51,555
(1990)[1]



longpig

longpig
long
pig
noun

human
flesh as food: human flesh as eaten by cannibals
[Translation of a Polynesian
name][1]



long-playingrecord

long-playingrecord
long-play·ing
rec·ord
(plural long-play·ing rec·ords) noun

Full form of
LP[1]



long-range

long-range
long-range 
adjective

1.  extending
well into the future: extending a long time into
the future

2.  traveling
long distances: able to travel long distances

3.  ARMS able
to hit distant target: relating to weapons that are
capable of hitting a target a considerable distance away

[1]



Longreach

Longreach
Long·reach
[láwng rch]

town in central Queensland,
Australia, a cattle grazing center. Population: 3,766 (1996)[1]



longship

longship
long·ship
[láwng shìp] (plural long·ships)
noun

Viking ship:
a narrow wooden ship with oars and a large square sail used by the Vikings[1]



longshore

longshore
long·shore 
[láwng shàwr] adjective

coastal:
living, working, or situated on the coast
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of alongshore .][1]



longshoreman

longshoreman
long·shore·man 
[láwng shàwrmən] (plural long·shore·men
[láwng shàwrmən]) noun

dock worker:
somebody whose job is to load and unload cargo vessels in a port.
Also called
docker
U.K. term
docker[1]



longshot

longshot
long
shot
(plural long shots) noun

1.  somebody
or something unlikely to win: somebody or something that
is unlikely to win a race or competition

2.  GAMBLING bet
unlikely to win: a bet on somebody or something that is
unlikely to win a race or competition

3.  venture
unlikely to succeed: a venture, guess, or
possibility that has little chance of success, although, if successful, it
would be very profitable or rewarding

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY camera
shot of distant object: a camera shot taken some
distance from the object or scene
[Originally
in the meaning of “shot fired at a distance”]
(not)
by a long shot

(not) in any way at all (informal)[1]



long-sighted

long-sighted
long-sight·ed 
adjective

See
farsighted
—long-sight·ed·ly,
adverb

—long-sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



longsome

longsome
long·some 
[láwngsəm] adjective

tedious:
extremely long and boring (archaic)[1]



longspur

longspur
long·spur 
[láwng spùr] (plural long·spurs
or long·spur) noun

N American bunting:
a bunting native to the northern United States, Canada, and the Arctic that has
brownish plumage and long-clawed hind toes. Genera: Calcarius Rhyncophanes[1]



long-standing

long-standing
long-stand·ing 
adjective

existing for long time:
having existed or been going on for a long period of time[1]



Longstreet,James

Longstreet,James
Long·street
[láwng street], James (1821–1904)

U.S. soldier. A Mexican War
veteran, he was one of Robert E. Lee’s most senior Confederate generals during
the Civil War. His indecisiveness at the Battle of Gettysburg (1863) was widely
but unfairly blamed for the Confederate loss there.[1]



long-suffering

long-suffering
long-suf·fer·ing 
adjective

patiently
enduring:
patient and enduring in the face of suffering or difficulty
noun

patient
endurance:
patience and endurance in the face of suffering or difficulty
—long-suf·fer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



longsuit

longsuit
long
suit
(plural long suits) noun

1.  CARD GAMES suit
of most cards: the suit to which the majority of cards
in a player’s hand belongs

2.  finest
quality:
somebody’s strongest quality or talent (informal)

[1]



long-tailedduck

long-tailedduck
long-tailed
duck 
(plural long-tailed ducks) noun

See
oldsquaw[1]



longterm

longterm
long
term
noun

time far into future:
the period of time continuing from now long into the future[1]



long-term

long-term
long-term 
adjective

1.  in
future:
relating to or affecting a time long into the future

2.  ACCOUNTING with
longer accounting period: with or relating to an
accounting period of longer than one year

3.  FINANCE maturing
in number of years: maturing only after a long
time, usually a number of years

4.  long-lasting:
continuing for a long period of time

[1]



longtime

longtime
long·time
[láwng tm] adjective

existing for years:
having continued in existence for a long period of time[1]



LongTom

LongTom
Long
Tom
(plural Long Toms) noun

1.  long-barreled
cannon used by navy: a swiveling cannon with a
long barrel, used in the past by the navy

2.  long-range
cannon used by army: a long-range cannon used by
the army. In the United States, the term has usually designated some 155mm
howitzers.

[1]



longton

longton
long
ton
(plural long tons) noun

See
ton 1 noun
2[1]



Longueuil

Longueuil
Lon·gueuil
[long gáyl]

city in southern Quebec
Province, Canada, situated on the St. Lawrence River. Population: 127,977
(1996)[1]



longueur

longueur
lon·gueur 
[lawng gúr] (plural lon·gueurs)
noun

boring
period:
a period of boredom, for example, a boring passage in a book or a boring scene
in a dramatic work (literary)
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “length,” from long “long,” from Latin longus
.][1]



longview

longview
long
view
noun

consideration of future:
the consideration of how events or circumstances are likely to develop in the
long term[1]



Longview

Longview
Long·view 
[láwng vyoo]

city in Cowlitz County,
southwestern Washington State. Population: 31,499 (1990)[1]



longways

longways
long·ways
[láwng wàyz] adjective adverb

See
lengthwise[1]



long-winded

long-winded
long-wind·ed 
adjective

1.  using
too many words: tediously wordy in speech or writing

2.  not
easily becoming short of breath: capable of doing
physical exercise for a relatively long period of time without getting short of
breath
—long-wind·ed·ly,
adverb

—long-wind·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wordy

[1]



longwise

longwise
long·wise 
[láwng wz] adjective adverb

See
lengthwise
U.K. term
lengthways[1]



Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen
Long·year·by·en
[lóng yeer byen]

town in the Svalbard
archipelago of Norway, north of the Arctic Circle[1]



loo

loo1
loo1 [loo]
(plural loos) noun

U.K.
toilet:
a toilet or bathroom (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  most widely claimed source of loo is gardy
  loo (based on pseudo- French gare de l’eau “mind the water”), used
  in 18th-century Edinburgh to warn passers-by when a chamber pot was about to
  be emptied into the street below. However, this is chronologically unlikely,
  as there is no evidence of loo being used
  for “toilet” before the 1930s. Other possible candidates include Waterloo
  (the link with “water” gives this some plausibility) and louvre, from
  the use of slatted screens for a makeshift lavatory. The likeliest source is
  perhaps French lieux d’aisances, literally “places of ease,” hence “toilet,”
  possibly picked up by British service personnel in France during World War I.

[1]



loo

loo2
loo2 [loo]
(plural loos) noun

1.  CARD GAMES gambling
card game:
a gambling card game in which players place the money they are betting in a
pool

2.  GAMBLING bet in
pool at loo: a bet placed in the pool in a game of
loo
[Late 17th century. From
French lantur(e)lu, the meaningless refrain of a popular song, later the
name of the card game.][1]



loofa

loofa
loo·fa
[lfə] (plural loo·fas) or
loo·fah [lfə] (plural loo·fahs)
or luf·fa [lfə, lúffə] (plural luf·fas) noun

1.  natural
sponge:
a sponge made from the dried fibrous interior of an oblong fruit of a tropical
gourd

2.  tropical
vine:
a tropical vine of the gourd family that bears the large oblong fruits from
which loofa sponges are made. Genus: Luffa
Also
called
dishcloth gourd
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic lūfa .][1]



look

look
look 
[lk] verb (past looked,
past participle looked, present participle look·ing,
3rd person present singular looks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb direct
eyes:
to turn the eyes toward or on something

2.  intransitive
verb
use
eyes to search: to use the eyes to examine, watch, or
find somebody or something • We
looked everywhere.

3.  intransitive
verb
seem
as specified: to appear in a specified way • He
looks tired.

4.  intransitive
verb
consider
something:
to direct the attention toward something in order to consider it • Let’s
look at the entire situation.

5.  transitive
verb
fit
something by appearance: to have an appearance that
is in accordance with something • He
looks his age.

6.  intransitive
verb
use
eyes in specified way: to use the eyes in a
specified way • He looked intently at
the ball.

7.  intransitive
verb
face
specified way: to face a specified direction or have a
specified view • The room looks over the
lake

8.  intransitive
verb
tend
toward something: to show a tendency or inclination • The
outcome looks good.

9.  transitive
verb
express
something:
to communicate something by an expression • She
looked her anger at all of us.

10. intransitive
verb
pay
attention:
used to tell somebody to pay attention or see something • Look,
why don’t we split the difference? • Look!
There he goes!
noun
(plural looks)

1.  act
or instance of looking: an act or instance of
looking, for example, to examine, watch, or find something • Take
a look at this.

2.  way
somebody or something appears: an impression conveyed
by a manner or quality • He has
the look of someone enjoying himself.

3.  expression:
a facial expression that communicates something • a
meaningful look

4.  fashion:
an appearance, style, or fashion, especially of dress or hairstyle
plural
noun
looks

outward appearance:
somebody’s outward physical appearance, especially if it is pleasing • good
looks
[Old English lōcian,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



lookafter

lookafter
look
after
transitive verb

take care of somebody or
something: to care for or be
responsible for somebody or something[1]



lookahead

lookahead
look
ahead
intransitive verb

think about future:
to think about or plan for the future[1]



look-alike

look-alike
look-a·like 
(plural look-a·likes) noun

double:
somebody or something that looks like somebody or something else (informal)[1]



lookback

lookback
look
back
intransitive verb

think about past:
to think about the past or past experiences[1]



lookdown

lookdown
look·down 
[lk dòwn] (plural look·downs or
look·down) noun

silvery marine fish:
a silvery marine fish in the jack family found in Atlantic waters, with a
compressed body, a steeply sloping face, and eyes high on the head. Latin name:
Selene vomer[1]



lookdown on

lookdown on
look
down on
or look down up·on transitive verb

treat as inferior:
to regard or treat somebody or something as inferior or with contempt[1]



looker

looker
look·er 
[lkər] (plural look·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who watches: somebody who watches, especially an
observer or spectator

2.  somebody
good-looking: a good-looking person, especially a girl
or woman (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)

[1]



looker-on

looker-on
look·er-on 
(plural look·ers-on) noun

See
onlooker[1]



lookfor

lookfor
look
for
transitive verb

1.  search
for:
to try to find somebody or something

2.  expect:
to hope for or anticipate something • We’re
looking for a successful year.

3.  expect
somebody’s arrival: to expect somebody to arrive
at a certain time (informal) • We’re
looking for the grandchildren at noon next Friday.

[1]



lookforward to

lookforward to
look
forward to
transitive verb

await eagerly:
to anticipate a future event with excitement or pleasure[1]



look-in

look-in
look-in 
noun

brief visit:
a visit of short duration (informal)[1]



lookin

lookin
look
in
intransitive verb

make brief visit:
to pay a short visit (informal)[1]



looking-glass

looking-glass
look·ing-glass
adjective

with
everything the wrong way around: characterized by the
complete reversal of everything normal (literary)
[From Through the Looking
Glass ( 1871 ) by Lewis Carroll][1]



lookingglass

lookingglass
look·ing
glass 
(plural look·ing glass·es) noun

mirror:
a mirror (archaic)
Also
called
glass





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Through
  the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, a children’s story by English
  writer Lewis Carroll ( 1871 ). In this inspired sequel to Alice’s
  Adventures in Wonderland, Alice climbs through a mirror into a magical
  world where chess pieces come alive, and flowers, insects, and animals all
  talk. The story features bizarre characters such as Tweedledum and Tweedledee
  and Humpty Dumpty, and the well-known poems “Jabberwocky” and “The Walrus and
  the Carpenter.” .

[1]



lookinto

lookinto
look
into
transitive verb

investigate carefully:
to carry out a careful investigation of something such as a possibility,
problem, or crime[1]



lookon

lookon
look
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
watch:
to be a spectator or witness

2.  transitive
verb
regard
somebody or something: to regard somebody or
something in a particular way

[1]



lookout

lookout
look·out 
[lk òwt] (plural look·outs) noun

1.  careful
watch:
an act of watching carefully for somebody or something

2.  somebody
watching for danger: somebody who watches
carefully for any signs of attack or danger

3.  place
giving good view: a place or structure that affords a good
view for observation

4.  problem:
a problem or concern (informal) • That’s
your lookout.

[1]



lookout

lookout
look
out
intransitive verb

be careful:
to be careful to avoid danger[1]



lookout for

lookout for
look
out for
transitive verb

1.  keep
watch for somebody or something: to watch for somebody
or something to appear (informal)

2.  take
care of somebody or something: to take particular
care of somebody or something

[1]



lookover

lookover
look
over
transitive verb

examine somebody or
something: to inspect or examine
somebody or something either quickly or carefully[1]



look-see

look-see
look-see 
noun

quick look:
a brief look or inspection (informal)[1]



lookthrough

lookthrough
look
through
transitive verb

ignore or not notice
somebody: to fail to acknowledge
somebody’s presence, either intentionally or unintentionally[1]



lookto

lookto
look
to
transitive verb

1.  expect
somebody to do something: to hope or expect that
somebody or something will do or provide something

2.  want
or hope:
to want or hope to do something (informal) • if
you’re looking to upgrade your computer

[1]



lookup

lookup
look
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
search
for in reference book: to search for information,
for example, by consulting a reference book

2.  intransitive
verb
improve:
to become better

3.  transitive
verb
visit
somebody:
to locate somebody, especially for a visit

[1]



look-up

look-up
look-up 
(plural look-ups) noun

computer procedure to match
information: a computer procedure in
which a term or value is matched against a table of stored information[1]



lookupon

lookupon
look
upon
transitive verb

See
look on  verb 2[1]



lookup to

lookup to
look
up to
transitive verb

respect and admire somebody:
to have respect and admiration for somebody[1]



loom

loom2
loom2 [loom]
(plural looms) noun

1.  INDUSTRY weaving
apparatus:
a hand-operated or machine-operated device for weaving thread or yarn into
cloth

2.  NAUTICAL middle
part of oar: the middle part of an oar between the
blade and the handle
[Old English gelōma
“implement, tool” (source of English heirloom
), of unknown origin][1]



loom

loom1
loom1 [loom]
intransitive verb (past loomed, past participle loomed,
present participle loom·ing, 3rd person present singular looms)

1.  be
seen as large shape: to appear as a large or
indistinct, and sometimes menacing, shape

2.  be
about to happen: to be imminent, often in a threatening
way
noun

appearance of something large:
an appearance of something, usually something large and threatening (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low Dutch, or from a Scandinavian language.][1]



loon

loon1
loon1 [loon]
(plural loons) noun

diving
bird of northern waters: a fish-eating diving bird
found in northern regions of the northern hemisphere. It has a short tail,
webbed feet, smooth black-and-white plumage, and a distinctive laughing call.
Genus: Gavia
U.K.
term
diver
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Old Norse lómr “loon,” also a name
for several other diving birds.][1]



loon

loon2
loon2 [loon]
(plural loons) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s mental condition or
intelligence (informal)

2.  Scotland
boy:
a boy or young man
[15th century. Origin
unknown. In the first sense, influenced by loon 1 (because of
the bird’s call), or by loony .][1]



loonie

loonie
loon·ie
[lnee] (plural loon·ies) or
loon [loon] (plural loons)
noun

Canada
Canadian
dollar coin: a Canadian one-dollar coin with an image
of a loon on the back (informal)
[Late 20th century. Formed
from loon 1 .][1]



loony

loony
loon·y
[lnee] or loon·ey [lnee] or lun·y [lnee] adjective (comparative loon·i·er,
superlative loon·i·est)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning irrational (informal offensive)

2.  silly:
silly, thoughtless or strange (informal) • loony
ideas
noun
(plural loon·ies) (plural loon·eys)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence and ability
to act rationally (informal insult)

2.  somebody
silly:
somebody who behaves in an eccentric or thoughtless way (informal) (often
considered offensive)
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening and alteration of lunatic
.]
—loon·i·ly,
adverb

—loon·i·ness, noun[1]



loonybin

loonybin
loon·y
bin
(plural loon·y bins) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for a hospital for people who have psychiatric
disorders (informal offensive)[1]



loop

loop2
loop2 [loop]
(plural loops) noun

loophole:
a loophole in a wall (archaic)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



loop

loop1
loop1 [loop]
noun (plural loops)

1.  circle
or oval made with string: a circular or oval shape
formed by a line or something such as a piece of string that curves back over
itself

2.  circle
or oval for fastening or holding: something that has a
closed or nearly closed circular or oval shape and is often used to carry or
fasten something

3.  contraceptive
device:
a contraceptive device in the shape of a loop of plastic or metal that is
placed in a woman’s womb

4.  ELECTRICITY closed
circuit:
a closed electric circuit

5.  COMPUT set of
commands in computer program: a set of instructions in a
computer program that is repeated a certain number of times or until a certain
objective has been achieved

6.  AIR flight
maneuver:
a flight maneuver in which a plane flies vertically in a circle • to
loop the loop

7.  CINEMA piece
of film or tape: a piece of film or tape joined at both
ends to allow repeated use of images or sound, especially in dubbing procedures

8.  CRIMINOLOGY common
fingerprint pattern: the most common pattern of a
human fingerprint formed by U-shaped ridges

9.  ICE SKATING skating
jump and turn: a jump in which a skater takes off from
the outer back edge of a blade, turns in the air, and lands again on the same
blade’s outer back edge
verb
(past looped, past participle looped, present
participle loop·ing, 3rd person present singular loops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
loop:
to form or make something form the shape of a loop

2.  transitive
verb
to fasten, join, or arrange something using a loop

3.  intransitive
verb
curve:
to move in a curved path
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Irish lúb “loop, bend.”]
in
or out of the loop

belonging
or not belonging to the people who are decision-makers or are fully informed (informal)

knock
or throw somebody for a loop

to surprise, shock, or upset
somebody (informal)[1]



looped

looped
looped 
[loopt] adjective

1.  formed
into loop:
formed into a circular or oval shape

2.  drunk:
drunk (dated slang)

[1]



looper

looper
loop·er 
[lpər] (plural loop·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that loops: somebody who or something
that makes loops

2.  See
inchworm

[1]



loophole

loophole
loop·hole 
[lp hl] noun (plural loop·holes)

1.  gap
in law:
a small mistake or omission in a rule or law that allows it to be circumvented

2.  MILITARY slit
in wall:
a small slit or hole in a wall, especially one in a fortified wall for firing
guns or other weapons through
transitive
verb
(past loop·holed, past participle loop·holed, present
participle loop·hol·ing, 3rd person present singular loop·holes)

make loopholes in wall:
to provide a wall with loopholes
[Formed from loop 2][1]



loopknot

loopknot
loop
knot
(plural loop knots) noun

square knot with single loop:
a square knot that leaves a single loop hanging free[1]



loopof Henle

loopof Henle
loop
of Hen·le 
[lp əv hénlee, lp
əv hénlə] (plural loops of Hen·le) noun

part
of kidney:
the part of the kidney tubule in birds and mammals that forms a loop between
the cortex and medulla.
Also
called
Henle’s loop
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German anatomist and pathologist Friedrich Gustav Henle ( 1801–1885
).][1]



loopy

loopy
loop·y 
[lpee] (comparative loop·i·er,
superlative loop·i·est) adjective

1.  having
loops:
consisting of loops

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody considered to be irrational (offensive)

[1]



loose

loose
loose 
[looss] adjective

1.  not
firmly fixed: not firmly fastened or fixed in place • a
loose floorboard

2.  slack:
not fastened or pulled tight • a
loose knot

3.  not
tight-fitting: baggy and not fitting closely

4.  free:
allowed to move around freely without any restraint

5.  not
packaged:
not enclosed in a container or bound together • loose
tea

6.  not
firmly packed: not compact or dense in texture or
arrangement • loose
soil

7.  imprecise:
not exact, literal, or precise • a
loose translation

8.  flexible:
not strictly controlled or organized • a
loose arrangement

9.  available:
not earmarked for a particular purpose • loose
funds

10. relaxed:
relaxed or free from tension (informal)

11. irresponsible:
lacking restraint or a sense of propriety (dated) • loose
talk

12. promiscuous:
having many sexual partners (dated)

13. too
fluid:
too fluid in consistency • loose
stools

14. accompanied
by phlegm:
accompanied by the production of phlegm or mucus • a
loose cough
adverb

freely:
freely or without restraint
verb
(past loosed, past participle loosed, present
participle loos·ing, 3rd person present singular loos·es)

1.  transitive
verb
set
free:
to release a person or animal from restraint or confinement

2.  transitive
verb
untie
knot:
to undo, untie, or unfasten something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something less tight: to make something less
tight, or be made less tight

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb fire
missile:
to fire an arrow, bullet, or other missile (literary)

5.  transitive
verb
release
from obligation: to release somebody from an obligation
or pressure
[12th
century. From Old Norse lauss, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English -less .]
—loose·ly,
adverb

—loose·ness,
noun
be
on the loose

1.  to
be free from confinement, for example, a prison

2.  to
be free from responsibilities and having a good time (informal)

let
loose

to
obtain relief from tension or worry

[1]



loosebox

loosebox
loose·box
[lss bòks] (plural loose·box·es)
noun

U.K.
See box stall[1]



loosecannon

loosecannon
loose
can·non
(plural loose can·nons) noun

indiscreet and unpredictable
person: somebody who behaves
unpredictably or indiscreetly, often causing trouble for colleagues or
associates (slang)[1]



loosecover

loosecover
loose
cov·er
(plural loose cov·ers) noun

U.K.
See slipcover[1]



looseend

looseend
loose
end
(plural loose ends) noun

unfinished
detail:
a small part of something, for example, a project or a story, that has not been
completed or fully explained (informal) (often used in the plural)
[Literally
referring to the loose end of a string left hanging]
at
loose ends

not knowing what to do with
yourself, either because you have nothing to do or because you are in an
unusual situation (informal)[1]



loose-fill

loose-fill
loose-fill
noun

packing material:
a lightweight, puffy foam packing material, often shaped like a peanut[1]



loose-jointed

loose-jointed
loose-joint·ed 
adjective

1.  agile:
agile and supple in movement

2.  with
mobile joints: having joints that fit loosely or that
are very mobile
—loose-joint·ed·ness, noun[1]



loose-leaf

loose-leaf
loose-leaf 
adjective

with removable pages:
with pages that can be removed and replaced easily[1]



loose-limbed

loose-limbed
loose-limbed
adjective

with supple limbs:
having supple legs and arms[1]



loose-meatsandwich

loose-meatsandwich
loose-meat
sand·wich
(plural loose-meat sand·wiches) noun

shredded
meat sandwich: a sandwich on a bun with shredded meats
(regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term loose-meat sandwich is most common in
  the Upper Midwest, especially Iowa.

[1]



loosen

loosen
loos·en 
[lss’n] (past loos·ened, past
participle loos·ened, present participle loos·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular loos·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make less tight: to become or make something
become less tight or fixed

2.  transitive
verb
untie
hair or knot: to untie something such as hair or a
knot

3.  transitive
verb
relax
control over somebody or something: to
lessen control, pressure, or strictness

4.  transitive
verb
make
bowels more regular: to make somebody’s bowel
movements more fluid or regular

[1]



loosenup

loosenup
loosen
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb warm
up:
to do exercises or exercise muscles or joints in order to become more limber,
for example, prior to strenuous activity

2.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to become less tense, strict, or serious

[1]



loosesmut

loosesmut
loose
smut
noun

disease of cereal grasses:
a disease of cereal grasses in which powdery spore masses replace the grain
head[1]



loosestrife

loosestrife

loose·strife 
[lss strf] (plural loose·strifes
or loose·strife) noun

1.  plant
with yellow flowers: a plant of the primrose
family with clusters of yellow flowers. Genus: Lysimachia

2.  plant
with purple flowers: a plant with spikes of
purple flowers. Genus: Lythrum
Also
called
purple loosestrife
[Mid-16th century. Literal
translation of Latin lysimachia (as if from Greek lusis
“loosening” [“ending”] + makhē “battle”), named for Lysimachus,
Greek physician and discoverer of the plant.][1]



loose-tongued

loose-tongued
loose-tongued
adjective

likely to reveal secrets:
liable to gossip or reveal information that should not be told (informal)[1]



loot

loot
loot 
[loot] noun

1.  MILITARY spoils
of war or riot: money or goods that have been pillaged
during wartime or a riot

2.  CRIMINOLOGY stolen
goods:
money or goods that have been stolen or obtained illegally

3.  money:
money (informal)

4.  lot
of presents or purchases: a large amount of goods that
have been bought or given on one occasion (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past loot·ed,
past participle loot·ed, present participle loot·ing,
3rd person present singular loots)

steal loot from:
to steal valuables from a place during wartime or a riot
[Mid-19th
century. From Hindi lū .]
—loot·er, noun[1]



lop

lop1
lop1 [lop]
transitive verb (past lopped, past participle lopped,
present participle lop·ping, 3rd person present singular lops)

1.  cut
branch off tree: to cut a branch off a tree cleanly

2.  cut
off something: to cut off something, for example, hair
or a limb, with one stroke

3.  get
rid of somebody or something: to eliminate somebody or
something as superfluous

4.  take
amount off price: to deduct an amount from a price
noun
(plural lops)

cut-off branch:
a branch that has been cut off
[Early
16th century. From or related to archaic lop “smaller branches and twigs
of a tree,” of uncertain origin: perhaps literally “things stripped off.”]
—lop·per, noun[1]



lop

lop2
lop2 [lop]
(past lopped, past participle lopped, present
participle lop·ping, 3rd person present singular lops)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb droop:
to hang or allow something to hang loosely

2.  intransitive
verb
move
awkwardly:
to move with an awkward slouching posture
[Late 16th century. Thought
to suggest the action of flopping about.][1]



lope

lope
lope 
[lōp] verb (past loped,
past participle loped, present participle lop·ing, 3rd
person present singular lopes)

1.  intransitive
verb
run
in long easy strides: to run in a relaxed and easy
way, taking long strides

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb canter:
to canter or to make a horse canter with a long easy stride
noun

long-striding gait:
a relaxed and easy gait with long strides
[13th
century. Ultimately from Old Norse hlaupa “to leap.”]
—lop·er, noun[1]



lop-eared

lop-eared
lop-eared 
adjective

with long hanging ears:
used to describe domestic rabbits, dogs, and goats that have loosely hanging
ears[1]



lophophore

lophophore
lo·pho·phore
[lóffə fàwr, lṓfə
fàwr] (plural lo·pho·phores) noun

food-gathering
organ:
a circular or horseshoe-shaped structure of tentacles around the mouth of a
bryozoan or brachiopod that is used for capturing food
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek lophos “crest” + -phore .][1]



lopolith

lopolith
lop·o·lith
[lóppə lìth] (plural lop·o·liths)
noun

basin-shaped
mass of rock: a basin-shaped body of igneous rock
formed by the penetration of magma between existing layers of rock
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek lopas “basin” + -lith .][1]



lopper

lopper
lop·per
noun

(regional) See lobber[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lopsided

lopsided
lop·sid·ed 
[lóp sdəd, lop
sdəd] adjective

1.  sloping:
leaning or drooping to one side

2.  unbalanced:
unevenly balanced because one side is larger, stronger, or heavier than the
other
[Early 18th century. “Lop”
from lop 2 .][1]



loquacious

loquacious
lo·qua·cious 
[lō kwáyshəss] adjective

talkative:
tending to talk a great deal (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin loquaci-, stem of loquax, from loqui
“to speak” (source of English ventriloquist ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at talkative

[1]



loquat

loquat

lo·quat 
[lṓ kwt, lṓ
kwàt] (plural lo·quats or lo·quat) noun

1.  ornamental
Oriental tree: a small ornamental evergreen tree native
to China and Japan with reddish wooly branches, sweet-smelling white flowers,
and edible fruit. Latin name: Eriobotrya japonica

2.  fruit
of loquat tree: the small pear-shaped orange-yellow
sweet but slightly tangy fruit of the loquat tree, eaten raw or used in cooking
[Early 19th century. From
Chinese luh kwat, literally “rush orange.”][1]



loran

loran
lo·ran 
[láw ràn] noun

long-range
navigation system: a long-distance radio
navigation system by which a ship or aircraft determines its position using
radio signals sent out by two ground stations
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from “long-range navigation.”][1]



Lorca,Federico García

Lorca,Federico García
Lor·ca
[láwrkə], Federico García (1898–1936)

Spanish poet and playwright.
A popular poet and powerful dramatist, he was assassinated by Nationalists
during the Spanish Civil War. His works include Blood Wedding ( 1933 )
and The House of Bernard Alba ( 1936 ).[1]



lord

lord
lord 
[lawrd] noun (plural lords)

1.  powerful
man:
a man who has considerable power, authority, or influence over others, for
example, a business tycoon

2.  aristocrat:
a man who is a member of the nobility, especially in Great Britain

3.  feudal
superior:
in medieval Europe, a powerful land- or property-owner, with authority over an
area, castle, or community, for example, the lord of a manor
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lord·ed,
past participle lord·ed, present participle lord·ing,
3rd person present singular lords)

act in a superior way:
to act in a superior, masterful, or bullying way toward others
[Old
English hlāford, contraction of hlāfweard, literally
“loaf-guardian,” from hlāf, an earlier form of loaf
(source of English lady )]
lord
it (over somebody)

to act in a superior,
masterful, or bullying way toward other people (disapproving)[1]



Lord

Lord
Lord
noun

1.  Christian
God:
a title Christians give to God or specifically to Jesus Christ

2.  Jewish
God:
a title that Jews give to God

3.  U.K.
title
for a man:
used as an alternate title for a marquess, earl, viscount, or baron

4.  U.K.
courtesy
title for a man: used as a courtesy title for the younger
son or sons of a marquess, or duke

5.  U.K.
form
of address for a man: used as a form of address
for an earl, viscount, or baron, and for the younger son of a duke or marquess

6.  title
of high-ranking official: a title given to some
high-ranking British officials
interjection

expressing surprise:
used to express surprise, concern, or annoyance about something (informal)
plural
noun
Lords

House of Lords:
the House of Lords
[Old English][1]



LordChancellor

LordChancellor
Lord
Chan·cel·lor (plural Lord Chan·cel·lors)
noun

head of English and Welsh
judiciary: the cabinet minister in the
British government who is the Speaker in the House of Lords and the official in
charge of the judiciary in England and Wales.
Also called
Lord High Chancellor[1]



lording

lording
lord·ing 
[láwrding] (plural lord·ings) noun
(archaic)

1.  member
of nobility: a gentleman or member of the nobility

2.  young
lord:
a young lord
[Old English][1]



lordling

lordling
lord·ling 
[láwrdling] (plural lord·lings)
noun

petty lord:
an insignificant lord[1]



lordly

lordly
lord·ly 
[láwrdlee] adjective (comparative
lord·li·er, superlative lord·li·est)

1.  arrogant:
arrogant, aloof, and behaving in a superior way

2.  impressive:
very grand, magnificent, and suitable for a lord
adverb

in grand manner:
in the manner of a lord (archaic)
—lord·li·ness, noun[1]



LordMayor

LordMayor
Lord
May·or
(plural Lord May·ors) noun

mayor of large British city:
the mayor of the City of London and some other large British boroughs and
cities, for example York[1]



Lordof Hosts

Lordof Hosts
Lord
of Hosts
noun

God:
the Christian God[1]



Lordof Misrule

Lordof Misrule
Lord
of Mis·rule
(plural Lords of Mis·rule) noun

master of revels:
in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, somebody appointed to organize
celebrations and sporting events, especially at Christmas[1]



Lordof the Flies

Lordof the Flies
Lord
of the Flies noun

See
Beelzebub
[Literal translation of
Hebrew ba’al zeū (see Beelzebub )][1]



lordosis

lordosis
lor·do·sis 
[lawr dṓssiss] (plural lor·dos·es
[lawr dṓ sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE curvature
of back:
an unusual inward curving of the spine in the lower part of the back, which may
be medically significant

2.  ZOOLOGY arching
of back during sex: an inward arching of the
back of female mammals during sexual stimulation
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek lordōsis, from lordos
“bent backward.”]
—lor·dot·ic [lawr dóttik], adjective[1]



LordProtector

LordProtector
Lord
Pro·tec·tor
(plural Lord Pro·tec·tors) noun

See
Protector[1]



lords-and-ladies

lords-and-ladies
lords-and-la·dies
noun

(takes
a singular verb)See cuckoopint
[Said to be because some
plants have dark spadices (the “lords”) and some light (the “ladies”)][1]



lordship

lordship
lord·ship 
[láwrd shìp] (plural lord·ships)
noun

position, land, or tenure of
lord: the position held by, land
owned by, or period of tenure of, a lord (formal)[1]



Lordship

Lordship
Lord·ship
(plural Lord·ships) noun

respectful address for judge
or bishop: in the United Kingdom, a
respectful way to refer to or address a judge, bishop, or some nobles[1]



lordy

lordy
lord·y
[láwrdee] interjection

expressing surprise:
used to express surprise, shock, or disappointment (dated informal)[1]



Lord’sDay

Lord’sDay
Lord’s
Day
noun

Sunday:
the Christian Sabbath[1]



Lord’sPrayer

Lord’sPrayer
Lord’s
Prayer 
noun

most important Christian
prayer: the most important prayer in
Christianity, which Jesus Christ taught to his disciples according to the
Gospels of Luke and Matthew.
Also called
Our Father[1]



Lord’sSupper

Lord’sSupper
Lord’s
Sup·per
noun

See
Holy Communion
[So called because Holy
Communion commemorates the Last Supper of
Jesus Christ and his disciples][1]



Lord’sTable

Lord’sTable
Lord’s
Ta·ble
noun

altar or communion table:
the altar or communion table in a Protestant church[1]



lore

lore2
lore2 [lawr]
(plural lores) noun

1.  BIRDS part
between bird’s eyes and beak: the part on either side of a
bird’s head between its eyes and the base of the bill

2.  ZOOLOGY area
on snake’s or fish’s face: the area on a snake’s or a
fish’s face between its eyes and its mouth
[Early 17th century. From
Latin lorum “strap, thong” (the original sense in English). The
underlying meaning is “flat surface.”][1]



lore

lore1
lore1 [lawr]
noun

1.  knowledge
handed down verbally: acquired knowledge or wisdom
on a particular subject, for example, local traditions, handed down by word of
mouth and usually in the form of stories or historical anecdotes

2.  knowledge
from teaching or experience: knowledge that has been
acquired through teaching or experience

3.  teaching:
teaching, or something that has been taught (archaic)
[Old English lār
“teaching, learning,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English learn][1]



Lorelei

Lorelei1
Lo·re·lei1  [láwrə
l] noun

legendary beautiful German
woman: a legendary beautiful woman
said to live on a rock near the Rhine and lure sailors onto the rocks with
enchanting songs[1]



Lorelei

Lorelei2
Lo·re·lei2  [láwrə
l]

jutting cliff overlooking the
Rhine River, between Mainz and Koblenz, western central Germany. Height: 120
m/390 ft.[1]



Loren,Sophia

Loren,Sophia
Loren
[lərén], Sophia (1934– )

Italian
actor. Her movie career includes both Italian comedies, often with Marcello
Mastroianni, and work in Hollywood.
Real name
Scicolone, Sofia[1]



Lorentz-Fitzgeraldcontraction

Lorentz-Fitzgeraldcontraction
Lo·rentz-Fitz·ger·ald
con·trac·tion  [làwrənts
fits jérrəld kən tràkshən] noun

consequence of relativity on
fast object: the consequence of
relativity that causes a reduction in length of an object traveling at a speed
approaching that of light[1]



Lorenz,Konrad

Lorenz,Konrad
Lo·renz
[lṓ rents, láw
rents], Konrad (1903–1989)

Austrian
zoologist and ethologist. He founded the science of ethology, and his research
on animal behavior included work on imprinting in birds and on human and animal
aggression. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1973.
Full name
Lorenz, Konrad Zacharias[1]



lorgnette

lorgnette
lor·gnette 
[lawrn yét] (plural lor·gnettes)
noun

glasses
with handle: a pair of glasses or opera glasses with
a short handle at the side
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from lorgner “to squint, peer at,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



lorica

lorica
lo·ri·ca 
[law rkə, lə
rkə] (plural lo·ri·cae [law
r s]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY protective
shell:
a lightweight loose-fitting external shell that protects ciliated or
flagellated protozoans

2.  HISTORY ARMS piece of Roman armor:
a protective metal or leather garment covering the chest and back, worn by the
ancient Romans
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “breastplate,” formed from lorum “strap, thong.”][1]



lorikeet

lorikeet
lor·i·keet 
[láwri kt] (plural lor·i·keets
or lor·i·keet) noun

small
parrot:
a small brightly-colored long-necked parrot native to Australia and other
Pacific Islands that has a bristle-tipped tongue for extracting nectar and
pollen from flowers. Genera: Trichoglosus Glossopsitta
[Late 18th century. Formed
from lory, modeled on parakeet .][1]



loris

loris
lo·ris 
[láwriss] (plural lo·ris) noun

small
nocturnal tree-dwelling primate: a small slow-moving
nocturnal tree-dwelling primate native to tropical regions of southern Asia
that has large eyes, dense wooly fur, a vestigial index finger, and no tail
[Late 18th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from obsolete Dutch leoris “clown,
fool,” ultimately from Latin lurid “pale” (source of English lurid .][1]



lorn

lorn
lorn 
[lawrn] adjective

forsaken:
forsaken or forlorn (archaic literary)
[13th century. Past
participle of lese “to lose,” from Old English -lēosan (source of
English forlorn ).][1]



lorry

lorry
lor·ry 
[láwree] (plural lor·ries) noun

U.K.
large
goods vehicle: a large vehicle for transporting goods
by road.
See
also
truck
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the name Laurie ; or from northern English
dialect lurry “to haul,” of unknown origin.][1]



lory

lory
lo·ry
[láwree] (plural lo·ries or
lo·ry) noun

brightly-colored
parrot:
a small brightly-colored parrot native to Australia and Indonesia that has a
bristle-tipped tongue for extracting nectar and pollen from flowers. It has a
heavier build than the lorikeet. Subfamily: Loriidae
[Late 17th century. From
Malay lori .][1]



LOS

LOS
LOS

1.  Abbreviation
of
length of stay

2.  Abbreviation
of
line of scrimmage

3.  Abbreviation
of
line of sight

[1]



LosAlamitos

LosAlamitos
Los
Al·a·mi·tos
[los àlə mtōss]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, situated east of Long Beach. Population: 11,676 (1990)[1]



LosAlamos

LosAlamos
Los
Al·a·mos 
[los àllə mōss]

city in Los Alamos County,
central New Mexico, situated approximately 55 km/35 mi northwest of Santa Fe.
Population: 11,455 (1990)[1]



LosAltos

LosAltos
Los
Al·tos 
[los áltəss]

city in Santa Clara County,
western California, situated southeast of Palo Alto. Population: 26,303 (1990)[1]



LosAngeles




Back to definition

LosAngeles

[1]



LosAngeles

LosAngeles

Los An·ge·les 
[los ánjələss, los
ánjəlz]
city and county seat of Los Angeles
County, southwestern California. Located on the Pacific Ocean, it is the second
most populous city in the United States. Population: 3,448,613 (1994)[1]



lose

lose
lose 
[looz] (past lost [lawst], past participle lost [lawst], present participle los·ing, 3rd
person present singular los·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
mislay:
to be unable to find something, often only temporarily

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
to win:
to fail to win a victory, for example, in a contest, argument, war, game, or in
court

3.  transitive
verb
have
something taken away: to cease to possess or have
something, for example, a job or home

4.  transitive
verb
make
somebody fail to win: to be the cause of
somebody’s failure to win something • The
goalie’s inexperience lost us the match.

5.  transitive
verb
not
use to advantage: to waste or fail to take advantage of
something, for example, time or an opportunity

6.  transitive
verb
be
unable to control something: to be unable to control or
maintain something • He loses his composure
easily.

7.  transitive
verb
experience
reduction in something: to experience a reduction in
something, for example, weight or heat

8.  transitive
verb
be
unable to find way: to be unable to find the way
• lost
his way

9.  transitive
verb
cease
having quality: to cease having a quality, belief,
attitude, or characteristic • He’s
lost the will to live.

10. transitive
verb
cease
having ability or sense: to cease having a particular
ability or sense, for example, through illness or an accident • He
lost his sight in the war.

11. transitive
verb
no
longer see or hear somebody: to be unable to see or hear
somebody or something any longer

12. transitive
verb
have
loved one die: to suffer the loss of somebody through
death, for example, a loved one, a patient, or a baby

13. transitive
verb
leave
somebody following behind: to escape from or leave
behind somebody who is in pursuit

14. transitive
verb
confuse
somebody:
to fail to make somebody understand something • You’ve
lost me there.

15. intransitive
and transitive verb run
slow:
to be or become slow by an amount of time (refers to a timepiece)
[Old
English losian “to perish, destroy, or lose,” formed from los
(see loss )]
—los·a·ble,
adjective

—los·a·ble·ness,
noun
lose
it

1.  to
become removed from reality (informal)

2.  to
be unable to maintain emotional control or composure (informal)

[1]



loseout

loseout
lose
out
intransitive verb

fail to win something:
to fail to win or obtain something in a competition or rivalry (informal)[1]



loser

loser
los·er 
[lzər] (plural los·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who has not won: a person or team that has failed to win
a particular contest

2.  somebody
unsuccessful or unlucky: somebody who is unsuccessful
or unlucky and seems destined to fail repeatedly

3.  social
misfit:
somebody who is unable or unwilling to adjust to society (informal insult)

[1]



Losey,Joseph

Losey,Joseph
Losey
[lṓzee], Joseph (1909–1984)

U.S.
movie director. His works explored social issues and criticized American
society. In 1951 he was blacklisted as left wing and moved to Europe.
Full name
Losey, Joseph Walton[1]



LosGatos

LosGatos
Los
Ga·tos 
[los gáttəss]

town in Santa Clara County,
western California, situated 13 km/8 mi southwest of San Jose. Population:
27,357 (1990)[1]



losings

losings
los·ings
[lzingz] plural noun

monetary losses:
money or possessions that are lost, especially through gambling[1]



loss

loss
loss 
[lawss] (plural loss·es) noun

1.  fact
of no longer having something: the fact of no longer
having something or of having less of something

2.  somebody
or something lost: somebody or something that
has been lost

3.  death:
the death of somebody

4.  money
spent in excess of income: the amount of money by which
a company’s or person’s expenses exceed income or profit (often used in the
plural)

5.  sad
feeling:
a feeling of sadness, loneliness, or emptiness at the absence of somebody or
something

6.  reduction:
a reduction in the level of something, especially in the body • weight
loss

7.  instance
of losing contest: an instance of losing a
competition, race, or contest

8.  ELECTRICITY drop
in power caused by resistance: a drop in power caused
by resistance in an electric circuit

9.  instance
or amount of claim: an instance or the amount of
a claim made by an insurance policyholder
[Old
English los “ruin, destruction,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that
is also the ancestor of English lease,
lorn, and loose
. In later use a back-formation from lost .]
at
a loss

uncertain
what to say or do

cut
your losses

to withdraw from a situation
in which there is no possibility of winning[1]



lossadjuster

lossadjuster
loss
ad·just·er
(plural loss ad·just·ers) noun

U.K.
See adjuster[1]



lossleader

lossleader
loss
lead·er
(plural loss lead·ers) noun

article sold at loss:
an item sold at a price below its cost in the hope that customers who buy it
will also buy other things[1]



lossratio

lossratio
loss
ra·tio
noun

ratio of losses against
premiums: the ratio of the losses paid
out in a year by an insurance company against the income from premiums[1]



lost

lost
lost 
[lawst] verb

Past tense of lose Past participle of lose
adjective

1.  mislaid:
unable to be found temporarily

2.  unable
to find the way: unable to find the way to a place

3.  not
used properly: wasted or not taken advantage of

4.  unappreciated:
not understood or appreciated by somebody

5.  lacking
confidence:
unable to cope with a job or situation, usually because of inexperience or lack
of confidence

6.  gone:
no longer in existence or use

7.  preoccupied:
completely absorbed or involved in something

8.  confused
by something complicated: confused or bewildered by
something complicated or poorly explained

9.  destroyed:
destroyed or killed

10. lacking
morals:
morally or spiritually past hoping for (formal)
get
lost

used to tell somebody in a
blunt and rude way to go away (slang)[1]



lostand found

lostand found
lost
and found
noun

place for lost or found
items: an area or container in a
public building such as a theater or school, where personal possessions that
have accidentally been left behind are kept for reclaiming by their owners.
U.K. term
lost property[1]



lostcause

lostcause
lost
cause
(plural lost caus·es) noun

something that cannot
succeed: somebody who cannot be
influenced to change, or something that cannot succeed[1]



LostGeneration

LostGeneration
Lost
Gen·er·a·tion or lost gen·er·a·tion noun

authors writing after World
War I: the group of authors,
including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who came to prominence
shortly after World War I.[1]



lostproperty

lostproperty
lost
prop·er·ty
noun lost prop·er·ty of·fice

U.K.
See lost and found[1]



losttribes

losttribes
lost
tribes
noun

ten tribes that separated
from others: the ten Hebrew tribes
that separated from the other two to create a kingdom in northern Israel after
Solomon’s death. They were defeated by the Assyrians in 721 BC and may have become assimilated, but
legend predicts their return.[1]



lostwax

lostwax
lost
wax
noun

casting from wax model:
a method of casting metal in which a wax model is coated with a material with a
high melting point. The wax is melted and replaced by the molten metal.
Also called
cire perdue[1]



lot

lot
lot 
[lot] pronoun

many: a
large number of people or things
noun
(plural lots)

1.  a
set:
a set or group of things or people

2.  items
in auction:
an item or group of items on sale at an auction • I
bought the silver as one lot.

3.  group:
a particular group of people (informal) • Don’t
expect any help from that lot.

4.  destiny:
the things somebody has or experiences in life • our
lot in life

5.  piece
of land:
a small area of land that has fixed boundaries • a
vacant lot

6.  CINEMA film studio:
a film studio together with the land that belongs to it
plural
noun
lots

large numbers or large amount:
large numbers of people or things, or a large amount • Lots
of us went.
• I’ve
got lots left.
adverb

1.  to
a great extent: to a great extent or degree • Fishing
has changed a lot in the last century.

2.  often:
often or much of the time • We
went out to restaurants a lot.

3.  lots
much:
a great deal (informal) • I’m
feeling lots better, thanks.
[Old
English hlot “one of a set of objects used to make decisions by chance,”
also “share assigned by lot,” hence “somebody’s destiny decided by fate”]
a
bad lot

an
unpleasant or disreputable person • Don’t
have anything to do with him: he’s a bad lot.

draw
lots

or
cast lotsto choose something at random, for example a straw or piece of
paper, to determine an outcome • We
cast lots to decide who should go first.

the
lot

everything,
or everything considered as one • Personality,
looks, brains…she’s got the lot.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  a
  lot
  or alot ?
  The
  superficial similarity of a lot to adjectives and adverbs like alone
  and aloud gives rise to a temptation to treat the expression as one
  word. This is substandard usage. Even in informal English lot should be treated as a noun, which may be
  used either in the plural ( • I
  have lots of ideas ) or as a singular after
  the indefinite article a ( • Thanks
  a lot
  ).

[1]



Lot

Lot
Lot 
[lot]

in the biblical Book of
Genesis, the son of Haran, brother of Abraham. He is mentioned as Lut in the
Koran.[1]



Lot

Lot
Lot 
[lō]

1.  department
in Midi-Pyrénées Region, southwestern France, known for its scenic beauty.
Population: 155,816 (1990) Area: 5,217 sq km/2,014 sq mi.

2.  river
in southwestern France. Length: 483 km/300 mi.

[1]



lota

lota
lo·ta
[lṓtə] (plural lo·tas) or
lo·tah [lṓtə] (plural lo·tahs)
noun

water
container:
a small round water container, usually made of brass or copper, used in the
Indian subcontinent
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi loā .][1]



loth

loth
loth
[lōth, lō]
adjective

See
loath[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LothairII

LothairII
Lo·thair
II
[lō tháir], King of Germany and Holy Roman
Emperor (1075–1137)

His election as king of
Germany (1125) led to a war between two rival families, the Guelphs and the
Ghibellines.[1]



Lothario

Lothario
Lo·thar·i·o 
[lō thérree ] (plural Lo·thar·i·os)
or lo·thar·i·o [lō thérree ] noun

man
seeking affairs with women: a man who attempts to
persuade women to enter sexual affairs with him (literary)
[Mid-18th century. The name
of such a character in The Fair Penitent ( 1703 ), a tragedy by Nicholas
Rowe .][1]



loti

loti
lo·ti 
[lṓtee] (plural ma·lo·ti [maa lṓtee]) noun

1.  African
monetary unit: the basic unit of currency in the
southern African country of Lesotho

2.  bill
worth a loti: a bill worth a loti
[Late 20th century. From
Sesotho, named for the Maloti mountains in Lesotho.][1]



lotic

lotic
lo·tic 
[lṓtik] adjective

living
in swift-flowing water: used to describe ecological
communities that live in swift-flowing water
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin lotus, past participle of lavare “to wash.”][1]



lotion

lotion
lo·tion 
[lṓsh’n] (plural lo·tions) noun

liquid
skin cream:
a thick liquid preparation that is applied to the skin for cosmetic or medical
reasons
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem lotion-, from lot-, past
participle stem of lavare “to wash.”][1]



lottery

lottery
lot·ter·y 
[lóttəree] (plural lot·ter·ies)
noun

1.  GAMBLING gambling
game:
a large-scale gambling game, usually organized to raise money for a public
cause, in which numbered tickets are sold and a draw is held to select the
winning numbers

2.  situation
where outcome depends on chance: an activity,
situation, or enterprise with an outcome dependent on chance
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from Dutch loterij, from lot
“lot.”][1]



lotto

lotto
lot·to 
[lóttō] (plural lot·tos) noun

1.  game
resembling bingo: a game resembling bingo, in which
numbers are called at random and players try to be the first to cover all the
corresponding numbers on their cards

2.  lot·to
or Lot·to state-run lottery:
a state-run lottery in some U.S. states and some other countries, in which
players buy tickets bearing combinations of numbers. Periodically a combination
of numbers is selected at random and people with matching tickets win cash
prizes.
[Late 18th century. Directly
or via French loto from Italian lotto, ultimately from assumed
Frankish lot “lot.”][1]



lotus

lotus

lo·tus 
[lṓtəss] (plural lo·tus·es or
lo·tus) noun

1.  mythological
fruit causing drowsiness: a fruit in Greek mythology
that made people who ate it feel a pleasant drowsiness

2.  mythological
plant bearing lotus fruit: a plant in Greek mythology
that bore the lotus fruit, thought to be the date or jujube

3.  sacred
water lily:
a white water lily, native to tropical Africa and Asia, that was sacred to the
ancient Egyptians. Latin name: Nymphaea lotus

4.  sacred
pink water lily: a water lily native to Asia and
Australia with large leaves and fragrant pink flowers, regarded as sacred in
India, China, and Tibet. Latin name: Nelumbo nucifera

5.  plant
of pea family: a plant of the pea family with yellow,
pink, or white flowers. Genus: Lotus

6.  RELIGION ARTS lotus flower in sacred art:
a representation of the flower of either of the sacred lotus plants, common in
ancient Egyptian, Hindu, and Buddhist sacred art
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek lōtos, applied by ancient writers to a variety of plants.][1]



lotus-eater

lotus-eater
lo·tus-eat·er 
(plural lo·tus-eat·ers) noun

1.  lazy
and indulgent person: somebody who leads a lazy
and self-indulgent life

2.  MYTHOLOGY somebody
stupefied by eating lotus: somebody who, in the Odyssey,
lived in a state of idle stupor after feeding on the legendary lotus

[1]



lotusposition

lotusposition
lo·tus
po·si·tion
noun

cross-legged
sitting position: a sitting position, used especially in
yoga and meditation, in which the legs are crossed in such a way that each foot
rests on top of the other leg’s thigh
[Lotus from the supposed resemblance
of the position to a lotus blossom][1]



Louangphrabang

Louangphrabang
Lou·ang·phra·bang
[loo àng prə báng]

city in northern Laos, on the
Mekong River. Population: 68,399 (1985)[1]



louche

louche
louche 
[loosh] adjective

disreputable:
disreputable or of doubtful morality
[Early 19th century. Via
French, “cross-eyed, shady,” from Latin luscus “one-eyed,” of unknown
origin.][1]



loud

loud
loud 
[lowd] adjective (comparative loud·er,
superlative loud·est)

1.  high
in volume:
high in volume of sound

2.  expressing
something noisily: expressing something
forcefully and frequently • loud
protests

3.  visually
shocking:
shockingly bright in color or bold in design • a
loud shirt

4.  offensive:
noisy, coarse, and offensive
adverb
(comparative loud·er, superlative loud·est)

loudly: in a
loud way
[Old
English hlūd . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to hear,”
which also produced English listen
and leer . The underlying idea is of
something that is heard.]
—loud·ly, adverb[1]



louden

louden
loud·en 
[lówd’n] (past loud·ened, past
participle loud·ened, present participle loud·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular loud·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

make or become louder:
to become louder, or to make a sound louder[1]



loudhailer

loudhailer
loud·hail·er
[lòwd háylər] (plural loud·hail·ers)
noun

U.K.
See bullhorn[1]



loudmouth

loudmouth
loud·mouth 
[lówd mòwth] (plural loud·mouths
[lówd mòwthz]) noun

loud
boaster:
somebody who talks a lot and loudly, especially gossiping or boasting (informal)
—loud·mouthed [lówd mòwd, lówd
mòwtht], adjective[1]



loudness

loudness
loud·ness
[lówdnəss] noun

1.  degree
of sound volume: the degree of volume of sound

2.  PHYSICS volume
perceived by ear: the magnitude of the physiological
effect produced when a sound stimulates the ear

3.  HOUSEHOLD relative
level of bass to treble: the relative level of bass
to treble in high-fidelity equipment that is adjusted depending on the overall
volume level

[1]



Loudonville

Loudonville
Lou·don·ville
[lówdən vil]

town in Albany County,
eastern New York, situated just north of the city of Albany. Population: 10,822
(1990)[1]



loudpedal

loudpedal
loud
ped·al
(plural loud ped·als) noun

See
sustaining pedal[1]



loudspeaker

loudspeaker
loud·speak·er 
[lòwd spkər] (plural loud·speak·ers)
noun

device for converting signals
into sound: an electronic or
electromagnetic device used to convert electrical energy into sound energy,
providing the audible sound in equipment such as televisions, radios, CD
players, and public-address systems.
Also called
speaker[1]



LouGehrig’s disease

LouGehrig’s disease
Lou
Geh·rig’s dis·ease  [l
gérrigz di zz] noun

See
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Henry Lou is Gehrig (1903–1941), U.S. baseball player who died
from the disease.][1]



lough

lough
lough
[lok, lawkh]
(plural loughs) noun Ireland

1.  lake:
a lake

2.  long
narrow inlet: a long inlet of the sea
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from Old Irish loch “lake,” perhaps via
obsolete Welsh llwch .][1]



Louie

Louie
Lou·ie
[l ee] noun

left turn:
a left turn (informal) • Hang
a Louie![1]



louis

louis
lou·is
noun

See
louis d’or[1]



Louisbourg

Louisbourg
Lou·is·bourg
[lis bərg]

former town in Cape Breton
Island, eastern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is now Canada’s largest national
historic site.[1]



louisd’or

louisd’or
lou·is
d’or
[l ee dáwr] (plural lou·is d’or)
or lou·is [l ee] (plural
lou·is [l ee]) noun

1.  old
French coin: a gold coin of France used from the 17th
century to the Revolution

2.  French
post-Revolution coin: a former gold coin worth 20
francs used in France after the Revolution
[Mid-17th century. From
French, louis d’or, literally “louis of gold,” named after Louis
XIII of France, during whose reign the coin was first issued.][1]



Louisiana

Louisiana


Lou·i·si·an·a 
[loo zee ánə]
state
in the southern United States bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Arkansas,
and Mississippi. Capital: Baton Rouge. Population: 4,351,769 (1997) Area:
128,595 sq km/49,651 sq mi.
—Lou·i·si·an·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Louisiana




Back to definition

Louisiana

[1]



Louis,Joe

Louis,Joe

Lou·is
[l iss], Joe (1914–1981)
U.S.
boxer. He was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1942.
Known as
the Brown Bomber[1]



LouisPhilippe

LouisPhilippe
Lou·is
Phi·lippe 
[l ee fə lp], King of the French
(1773–1850)

Proclaimed
king after the July Revolution (1830), he ruled as a constitutional monarch
until the Revolution of 1848.
Known as
the Citizen King[1]



Louisville

Louisville
Lou·is·ville 
[l i vil, l ee
vìl]

city in northern Kentucky, on
the Ohio River at Kentucky’s border with Indiana. The largest city in the
state, it is the site of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, a
thoroughbred horse race run each May. Population: 260,689 (1996)[1]



LouisXIV

LouisXIV
Lou·is
XIV
[l ee], King of France (1638–1715)

He
was a strong military leader and patron of the arts whose long reign
(1642–1715) saw a great strengthening of the monarchy.
Known as
the Sun King[1]



LouisXV

LouisXV
Lou·is
XV
[l iss], King of France (1710–1774)

His weak leadership and
despotic rule (1715–1774) contributed to the crisis that led to the French
Revolution.[1]



LouisXVI

LouisXVI
Lou·is
XVI
[l ee], King of France (1754–1793)

Coming to the throne (1774)
when France was impoverished, he was deposed during the French Revolution and
executed.[1]



lounge

lounge
lounge 
[lownj] verb (past lounged,
past participle lounged, present participle loung·ing,
3rd person present singular loung·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
lie
or sit lazily: to sit or act in a casual, relaxed way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
time lazily: to pass time in a relaxed or lazy way • lounged
the afternoon away
noun
(plural loung·es)

1.  public
room for relaxing: a room in a public building
or vehicle, for example, a hotel, airport, or ship, in which people may relax
or wait

2.  sitting
room in house: a sitting or living room in a house

3.  room
where cocktails served: a room in a hotel or
restaurant where cocktails are served.
Also
called
cocktail lounge

4.  FURNITURE backless
couch with headrest: a couch without a back but
with a headrest at one end
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete lungis “lanky foolish fellow, slow
person,” from French longis, from Latin Longinus, apocryphal name
of the Roman centurion who pierced Jesus Christ’s side.][1]



loungecar

loungecar
lounge
car
(plural lounge cars) noun

See
club car[1]



loungelizard

loungelizard
lounge
liz·ard
(plural lounge liz·ards) noun

1.  man
frequenting classy venues: a man who goes to places or
events attended by the rich and famous, especially in order to approach wealthy
women (slang insult)

2.  lounge
frequenter:
a frequent patron of cocktail lounges (slang)
[Origin uncertain: probably
an alliterative formation based on the negative associations of reptiles][1]



lounger

lounger
loung·er
[lównjər] (plural loung·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who lounges around: somebody who typically sits
or walks in an especially casual relaxed way

2.  FURNITURE comfortable
chair or couch: an extendable chair or a lightweight,
usually adjustable, couch designed to be comfortable for the user

[1]



loungewear

loungewear
lounge·wear 
[lównj wàir] noun

clothing worn when relaxing:
clothing designed to be worn when relaxing, usually at home[1]



loup

loup
loup
[loop] or lowp [loop] intransitive and transitive verb (past
louped, past participle louped, present participle loup·ing,
3rd person present singular loups) (past lowped, past
participle lowped, present participle lowp·ing, 3rd
person present singular lowps)

Scotland
leap:
to leap or jump
noun
(plural loups) (plural lowps)

Scotland
leap:
a leap or a jump
[14th century. From Old Norse
hlaupa (see leap ).][1]



loupe

loupe
loupe
[loop] (plural loupes) noun

magnifying
glass:
a magnifying glass used especially by jewelers and watchmakers
[Late 19th century. From
French, “flawed gem,” of uncertain origin: probably from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



loup-garou

loup-garou
loup-ga·rou 
[l gə r, l
gaa r] (plural loups-ga·rous) noun

werewolf:
a werewolf (dated)
[Late 16th century. From
French, from Old French leu “wolf” (from Latin lupus ) + garoul
“werewolf,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning literally “man-wolf.”][1]



Lourdes

Lourdes
Lourdes 
[lrd, lrdz]

town and place of pilgrimage
in Hautes-Pyrénées Department, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region, southwestern
France. Population: 16,301 (1990)[1]



louse

louse
louse 
[lowss] noun (plural lice
[līss])

1.  parasitic
insect:
a small wingless insect that lives as a parasite on humans and other
animals.There are sucking lice, for example head and body lice, and biting
lice, for example, bird lice.

2.  small
invertebrate animal: a small invertebrate animal,
for example, a wood louse (often used in combination)

3.  (plural
lous·es) offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s behavior and attitude
toward others (informal insult)
transitive
verb
(past loused, past participle loused, present
participle lous·ing, 3rd person present singular lous·es)

MEDICINE See delouse
[Old English lūs .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “louse.” Celtic languages also
have words meaning “louse” from this ancestor.][1]



lousefly

lousefly
louse
fly
noun

parasitic fly:
a parasitic fly that clings to birds and mammals with strong bristly legs and
is typically wingless. Family: Hippoboscidae[1]



louseup

louseup
louse
up
intransitive and transitive verb

bungle something:
to mishandle a situation or task so that it is ruined (informal)[1]



lousewort

lousewort
louse·wort 
[lówss wùrt, lówss
wàwrt] (plural louse·worts) noun

plant
with spikes of flowers: a plant of the snapdragon
family that is native to northern regions and has feathery leaves and spikes of
white, yellow, or pinkish-purple flowers. Genus: Pedicularis
Also
called
betony noun 3
See
also
wood betony
[From the belief that sheep
feeding on it became infested with lice][1]



lousy

lousy
lous·y 
[lówzee] (comparative lous·i·er,
superlative lous·i·est) adjective

1.  inferior:
inferior or second-rate (informal)

2.  unpleasant:
unpleasant or unacceptable (informal) • a
lousy way to treat somebody

3.  ill:
painful or in bad health (informal)

4.  having
a lot of something: having a large amount of
something (informal) • His
parents are lousy with money.

5.  louse-infested:
infested with lice
—lous·i·ly,
adverb

—lous·i·ness, noun[1]



lout

lout1
lout1 [lowt]
(plural louts) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults the behavior and attitude of
somebody, especially a young man (informal insult)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from lout 2 “to bend.”
The original meaning was “unintelligent person,” so the underlying idea seems
to be of an awkward person who stoops or slouches.][1]



lout

lout2
lout2 [lowt]
(past lout·ed, past participle lout·ed, present
participle lout·ing, 3rd person present singular louts)
intransitive verb

bend:
to bow or bend (archaic)
[Old English lūtan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “small,” which is also the
ancestor of English little . The
underlying idea is of making yourself smaller by bending down.][1]



loutish

loutish
lout·ish 
[lówtish] adjective

acting
badly:
marked by crude and unpleasant behavior
—lout·ish·ly,
adverb

—lout·ish·ness, noun[1]



Louvain

Louvain
Lou·vain 
[loo váN]

town in central Belgium, near
Brussels, famous for its old buildings and churches. Population: 87,132 (1996)[1]



louver

louver

lou·ver 
[lvər] (plural lou·vers) or
lou·vre [lvər] (plural lou·vres)
noun

1.  frame
with horizontal slats: a frame on a door or window
supporting spaced horizontal slats angled to admit air and light but not rain

2.  slat
in louver:
an individual slat in a louver

3.  any
slatted opening: any slatted opening, generally for
ventilation or cooling

4.  roof
structure releasing smoke: a structure such as a
lantern or turret on the roof of a building, especially a medieval building,
that allows smoke to escape
[14th
century. From Old French lover “skylight,” of uncertain origin: probably
from prehistoric Germanic.]
—lou·vered, adjective[1]



louver

louver

lou·ver 
[lvər] (plural lou·vers) or
lou·vre [lvər] (plural lou·vres)
noun

1.  frame
with horizontal slats: a frame on a door or window
supporting spaced horizontal slats angled to admit air and light but not rain

2.  slat
in louver:
an individual slat in a louver

3.  any
slatted opening: any slatted opening, generally for
ventilation or cooling

4.  roof
structure releasing smoke: a structure such as a
lantern or turret on the roof of a building, especially a medieval building,
that allows smoke to escape
[14th
century. From Old French lover “skylight,” of uncertain origin: probably
from prehistoric Germanic.]
—lou·vered, adjective[1]



Louvre

Louvre
Louvre
[lvrə, lvər]
noun

French national art museum:
a museum in Paris, France, that contains the national art collection, including
such famous works as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Located in
the former palace of the kings of France, the museum opened to the public in
1793.[1]



lovable

lovable
lov·a·ble
[lúvvəb’l] or love·a·ble [lúvvəb’l] adjective

worthy
of love:
attracting or worthy of love or affection
—lov·a·bil·i·ty
[lùvvə bíllətee], noun

—lov·a·ble·ness
[lúvvəb’lnəss], noun

—lov·a·bly, adverb[1]



lovage

lovage
lov·age 
[lúvvij] noun

European
plant with aromatic fruit: a perennial herb, native to
the Mediterranean, with greenish flowers. It is cultivated for its small
aromatic fruit used in seasoning. Latin name: Levisticum officinale
[14th century. Alteration (by
folk etymology from love and obsolete ache
“parsley”) of Old French levesche, from late Latin levisticum (apium)
“Ligurian (parsley),” variant of ligusticum “of Liguria,” region in
Italy.][1]



lovat

lovat
lo·vat 
[lúvvət] noun

muted
color:
a color that is a muted dusty mixture of green and yellow or green and blue
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for Thomas Alexander Fraser, Lord Lovat
(1802–1875), Scottish nobleman who popularized tweeds in muted colors as
hunters’ dress.][1]



love

love
love 
[luv] noun (plural loves)

1.  very
strong affection: an intense feeling of tender affection
and compassion • Young children need
unconditional love.

2.  passionate
attraction and desire: a passionate feeling of
romantic desire and sexual attraction

3.  somebody
much loved:
somebody who is loved romantically • He was
her first real love.

4.  romantic
affair:
a romantic affair, possibly sexual

5.  strong
liking:
strong liking for or pleasure gained from something • his
love of music

6.  something
eliciting enthusiasm: something that elicits deep
interest and enthusiasm in somebody • Music
was his greatest love but he also liked ballet.

7.  beloved:
used as an affectionate word to somebody loved

8.  U.K.
term
of friendly address: used as a friendly term of
address, usually to a woman (informal) • Here’s
your change, love.

9.  CHRISTIANITY God’s
love for humanity: the mercy, grace, and
charity shown by God to humanity

10. CHRISTIANITY worship
of God:
the worship and adoration of God

11. SPORTS GAME score of zero:
a score of zero in sports and games, for example, tennis, squash, and whist
verb
(past loved, past participle loved, present
participle lov·ing, 3rd person present singular loves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb feel
tender affection for: to feel tender affection for
somebody, for example, a close relative or friend, or for something such as a
place, an ideal, or an animal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb feel
desire for:
to feel romantic and sexual desire and longing for somebody

3.  transitive
verb
like
very much:
to like something or like doing something very much • I
love watching old movies on TV.

4.  transitive
verb
show
kindness to: to feel and show kindness and charity to
somebody • love
one another and love your neighbor

5.  transitive
verb
have
sexual intercourse with: to have sexual intercourse
with somebody (dated)
[Old
English lufian, from lufu “love” (source of the noun). Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to love,” which is also the ancestor of
English libido, belief, and leave
“absence.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  love, liking, affection,
  fondness, passion,
  infatuation, crush
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  strong positive feeling toward somebody or something love; used to describe a very strong,
  positive feeling toward somebody or something. It is used especially to talk
  about strong romantic or sexual feelings between people; liking; used to talk about positive feelings
  toward somebody or something. These feelings are not as strong as those
  suggested by “love”; affection;
  used to describe warm friendly caring feelings between people. It can also be
  used to talk about a liking for something such as a place; fondness;
  used in a similar way to “affection” to talk about feelings between people.
  It can also be used to describe a strong liking or preference for something; passion; used to describe an exceptionally
  intense love for somebody, usually of a strong sexual nature. It can also be
  used to refer to a strong liking or enthusiasm for something, sometimes of an
  excessive nature; infatuation; used
  to describe an intense but short-lived and often unrealistic love for
  somebody, usually of a romantic or sexual nature; crush;
  used to describe somebody’s strong feeling of attraction toward a person with
  whom he or she is not having a relationship. It is used especially to talk
  about teenagers and young people

[1]



loveaffair

loveaffair
love
af·fair
(plural love af·fairs) noun

1.  sexual
or romantic relationship: a sexual or romantic
relationship between people who are not married to one another or who do not
live together in a permanent relationship

2.  intense
liking for something: an intense liking or
enthusiasm for something • his
love affair with the movies

[1]



loveapple

loveapple
love
ap·ple
(plural love ap·ples) noun

See
tomato
[Translation of French pomme
d’amour and German Liebesapfel, perhaps from the reputed aphrodisiac
properties of the tomato][1]



lovebeads

lovebeads
love
beads
plural noun

necklace of small beads:
a necklace of colored beads, first popular with hippies in the 1960s[1]



lovebird

lovebird
love·bird 
[lúv bùrd] (plural love·birds)
noun

1.  BIRDS small
parrot:
a small greenish short-tailed African parrot, noted for close bonding and
mutual preening between mates. They are popular as cage birds. Genus: Agapornis

2.  lover:
a lover, especially one who is publicly affectionate (usually used in the
plural)
[From the fact that the pairs
display very affectionate behavior][1]



lovebite

lovebite
love·bite
[lúv bt] (plural love·bites) noun

U.K.
See hickey[1]



LoveCanal

LoveCanal
Love
Ca·nal
[lùv kənál]

region near Niagara Falls,
New York, declared an official disaster area due to toxic waste[1]



lovechild

lovechild
love
child
noun

child of unmarried parents:
the child of parents who are not married to each other[1]



Lovecraft,H. P.

Lovecraft,H. P.
Love·craft
[lúv kràft], H. P. (1890–1937)

U.S.
writer. His horror and fantasy novels and short stories only became popular
after his death.
Full name
Lovecraft, Howard Phillips[1]



lovefeast

lovefeast
love
feast
(plural love feasts) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY symbolic
Christian meal: a symbolic meal shared among Christians
as a symbol of love and charity

2.  goodwill
meal:
a meal held with the intention of stimulating goodwill

[1]



lovehandles

lovehandles
love
han·dles
plural noun

fatty region at waist:
two regions of fat located at either side of the back just above the pelvis (humorous
informal)[1]



love-in

love-in
love-in 
(plural love-ins) noun

gathering promoting love:
a relatively large gathering in which participants experience feelings of love
and mutual support (dated)[1]



love-in-a-mist

love-in-a-mist

love-in-a-mist 
noun
Mediterranean
plant:
an erect Mediterranean annual plant with white or pale blue flowers surrounded
by very fine bracts, giving the flowers a delicate appearance. Latin name: Nigella
damascena
[Mist from the mass of
threadlike bracts that surrounds the flower][1]



Lovejoy,Elijah Parish

Lovejoy,Elijah Parish
Love·joy
[lúv jòy], Elijah Parish (1802–1837)

U.S. abolitionist and editor.
He promoted the antislavery movement through the Observer newspaper,
from 1833 to his murder in 1837.[1]



loveknot

loveknot
love
knot
(plural love knots) noun

knot symbolizing love:
a knot or bow of ribbon used to symbolize love.
Also called
lover’s knot[1]



Loveland

Loveland
Love·land 
[lúvlənd]

city in Larimer County,
northern Colorado, situated 19 km/12 mi south of Fort Collins. Population:
37,352 (1990)[1]



loveless

loveless
love·less 
[lúvləss] adjective

1.  empty
of love:
devoid of love • a loveless marriage

2.  not
showing love: not exhibiting or giving love • a
loveless glance

3.  unloved:
not receiving love • a loveless child

[1]



lovelock

lovelock
love·lock 
[lúv lòk] (plural love·locks) noun

long lock of hair:
a long lock of hair separated from the rest by a ribbon, worn forward over the
shoulder in the 16th century, or worn on the forehead in later periods[1]



lovelorn

lovelorn
love·lorn 
[lúv làwrn] adjective

wretched
from love difficulties: terribly unhappy because of
unrequited love or difficulties with love
—love·lorn·ness, noun[1]



lovely

lovely
love·ly 
[lúvlee] adjective (comparative
love·li·er, superlative love·li·est)

1.  beautiful
and pleasing: beautiful and pleasing, especially in a
harmonious way

2.  delightful:
very enjoyable or pleasant

3.  caring:
loving or friendly and caring

4.  attracting
love:
attracting or inspiring love in others
noun
(plural love·lies)

somebody or something good-looking:
somebody who or something that is very good-looking, especially a woman (often
used in the plural; sometimes considered offensive)
[Old
English luflic . The word originally meant “affectionate” and “lovable”;
the modern sense “beautiful” did not develop until the late 13th century.]
—love·li·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at goodlooking

[1]



lovemaking

lovemaking
love·mak·ing 
[lúv màyking] noun

1.  sexual
activity:
sexual activity between lovers, especially sexual intercourse

2.  courtship:
courtship or wooing (dated)

[1]



lovepotion

lovepotion
love
po·tion
(plural love po·tions) noun

drink that supposedly
stimulates sexual desire: a magical
drink intended to stimulate sexual desire in the person who consumes it, for
the person who gives it[1]



lover

lover
lov·er 
[lúvvər] (plural lov·ers) noun

1.  sexual
partner:
somebody’s sexual partner, especially if the two are not married to each other

2.  somebody
having love affair: either of two people
involved in a love affair (often used in the plural)

3.  somebody
devoted to particular thing: somebody who is devoted to
or very much likes a particular thing (often used in combination) • opera-lovers
—lov·er·ly
[lúvvərlee], adjective, adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Lady
  Chatterley’s Lover, a novel by English writer D. H. Lawrence ( 1928 ).
  Lawrence’s last novel, it describes an aristocratic woman’s search for love
  and sexual satisfaction after her husband is crippled in war. The novel’s
  notoriety, and the fact that the publishers of the first unexpurgated British
  edition were prosecuted for obscenity in 1960, has obscured its many
  qualities, including its insightful analysis of contemporary social and
  political values.

[1]



lover’sknot

lover’sknot
lov·er’s
knot
(plural lov·er’s knots) noun

See
love knot[1]



loveseat

loveseat
love
seat
(plural love seats) noun

small sofa:
a small sofa that seats two people[1]



lovesick

lovesick
love·sick 
[lúv sìk] adjective

unhappy
because of love: listless or distracted because of love
—love·sick·ness, noun[1]



lovey-dovey

lovey-dovey
lov·ey-dov·ey 
[lùvvi dúvvee] adjective

showing
affection excessively: showing affection in an
excessive or excessively sentimental way (informal)
[From pet-forms of love and dove][1]



loving

loving
lov·ing 
[lúvving] adjective

1.  showing
affection:
showing or feeling affection

2.  done
with careful attention: done with enjoyment and
careful attention
—lov·ing·ly,
adverb

—lov·ing·ness, noun[1]



lovingcup

lovingcup
lov·ing
cup
(plural lov·ing cups) noun

1.  two-handled
drinking vessel: a large drinking vessel with two or more
handles, sometimes passed between people at a banquet

2.  SPORTS ornamental
vessel:
an ornamental vessel with two handles awarded to the winner of a sports contest
[From the former use of the
vessel in ceremonial drinking at banquets. Two people always stood up together,
one to drink and the other to “defend” the drinker.][1]



loving-kindness

loving-kindness
lov·ing-kind·ness
noun

compassion:
tender compassion[1]



low

low1
low1 [lō]
adjective (comparative low·er, superlative low·est)

1.  close
to the ground: located close or closer than usual to
the ground or the base of something • The
sinking sun was low in the sky.

2.  without
great height: relatively little in height between the
top and bottom • a low fence

3.  below
average:
below the average or expected degree, amount, or intensity • The
lowest rainfall in fourteen years.

4.  containing
small amount: having or containing a relatively small
amount • low
in calories

5.  with
little monetary value: small in monetary value • low
prices

6.  lacking
money:
lacking resources, especially money (informal) • Can
you lend me some cash, I’m a bit low.

7.  of
bad quality: bad in quality or having little value • low
standards

8.  of
little importance: having little importance or
urgency • low
priority

9.  near
depletion:
approaching or near depletion • We’re
low on supplies.

10. turned
down or dimmed: adjusted so that there is less of
something • low
lighting

11. quiet:
at a quiet, soft, or hushed level • a low
murmur

12. MUSIC deep
in pitch:
with a relative pitch that is closer to bass than soprano sounds • Her
singing voice was a low soprano

13. small:
small or relatively small • a low
risk

14. near
bottom of scale: near the beginning or bottom of
something measured on a scale • The
temperature was in the low 80s.

15. dispirited:
melancholy, hopeless, or dispirited • in low
spirits

16. lacking
physical strength: lacking in physical strength
or vitality • feeling
low after a dose of flu

17. CLOTHES showing
neck and chest: cut to show more than usual of the
wearer’s neck and bosom • a low
neckline

18. AUTOMOTIVE providing
slow speed:
providing a relatively slow speed • a low
gear

19. lacking
status:
lacking status or rank, or closer to the bottom of a class system

20. uncomplimentary:
unfavorable or uncomplimentary • a low
opinion of someone

21. unprincipled:
without principles or morals

22. vulgar:
full of vulgarity or coarseness

23. GEOGRAPHY near
equator:
near to the equator

24. BIOLOGY not
complex:
simple in organic structure

25. PHONETICS pronounced
with low tongue: pronounced with the tongue lying low on
the bottom of the mouth • a low
vowel
adverb
(comparative low·er, superlative low·est)

1.  in
low position: in or to a low position, state, degree,
or level • Turn
the gas down low.

2.  near
ground:
near or nearer to the ground • flew
low over the trees

3.  with
a deep pitch: with a low or deep pitch • Play
it a half-step lower.

4.  quietly:
in a soft or quiet way

5.  at
small price: at a low or small price
noun
(plural lows)

1.  something
low:
something such as a position or degree that is low • Sales
dropped to an all-time low.

2.  METEOROLOGY bad
weather region: a region of low barometric pressure that
results in bad weather

3.  unhappy
period:
an unhappy or unfortunate experience or period of somebody’s life
[12th
century. From Old Norse lágr . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to lie,” which also produced English lie 1, lager 1, and fellow . The underlying idea is of lying
flat.]
—low·ness,
noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mean

[1]



low

low2
low2 [lō]
noun (plural lows)

mooing
sound of cow: a characteristic mooing sound made by a
cow or similar animal
intransitive
and transitive verb (past lowed, past
participle lowed, present participle low·ing, 3rd
person present singular lows)

moo:
to make a mooing sound
[Old English hlōwan
“to bellow” (used of cows). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
shout,” which also produced English clamor
and declare .][1]



lowball

lowball
low·ball
[lṓ bàwl] (past low·balled, past
participle low·balled, present participle low·bal·ling,
3rd person present singular low·balls) intransitive and
transitive verb

understate
cost:
to deliberately quote a price or estimate that is lower than the eventual cost
[From the card game lowball,
a game of draw poker in which the player with the lowest-ranking hand wins the
pot][1]



lowbeam

lowbeam
low
beam
(plural low beams) noun

headlight beam:
the headlight beam of a road vehicle that illuminates the road near the vehicle[1]



lowblow

lowblow
low
blow
(plural low blows) noun

unfair
attack:
an unfair comment or blow (informal)
[From boxing, where it is
prohibited to strike the opponent anywhere other than on the upper body or
head][1]



lowborn

lowborn
low·born 
[lṓ bàwrn] adjective

born to low-class parents:
being of common rather than aristocratic parentage[1]



lowboy

lowboy

low·boy 
[lṓ bòy] (plural low·boys) noun
low
chest of drawers: a low chest of drawers, often with
cabriole legs, that is similar to the lower part of a highboy
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on tallboy .][1]



lowbred

lowbred
low·bred 
[lṓ brèd] adjective

coarse:
with a rude and vulgar manner (insult)[1]



lowbrow

lowbrow
low·brow 
[lṓ bròw] adjective

unsophisticated:
unsophisticated or trivial and not requiring intellectual effort to be
understood or appreciated (disapproving)
noun

unsophisticated
person:
somebody who has unsophisticated or unintellectual tastes
[Early 20th century. Modeled
on highbrow .][1]



low-cal

low-cal
low-cal
adjective

low in calories:
with few calories or fewer calories than usual[1]



LowChurch

LowChurch
Low
Church
noun

evangelical branch of
Anglican Church: a branch of the
Anglican Church that favors less ritual and ceremony and prefers an evangelical
approach to services[1]



lowcomedy

lowcomedy
low
com·e·dy
noun

comedy based on slapstick:
comedy based on slapstick and coarse actions rather than more sophisticated
forms of humor[1]



LowCountries

LowCountries
Low
Coun·tries

region in northwestern
Europe, made up of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Population:
26,016,000 (1995) Area: 73,943 sq km/28,550 sq mi.[1]



low-density

low-density
low-den·si·ty
adjective

low in numbers or amount:
having a low concentration of something in an area[1]



low-densitylipoprotein

low-densitylipoprotein
low-den·si·ty
lip·o·pro·tein (plural low-den·si·ty
lip·o·pro·teins) noun

lipid protein complex in the
bloodstream: a blood-plasma
lipoprotein that is high in cholesterol and low in protein content, and that
carries cholesterol to cells and tissue. High levels are associated with the
development of atherosclerosis.[1]



lowdown

lowdown
low·down 
[lṓ dòwn] noun

inside
information: significant information about somebody
or something, especially information that is not widely known (informal)
• waiting
for someone to give us the lowdown
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: from either low down “very low” or low-down
“contemptible”; perhaps because it was considered improper to impart such
information.][1]



low-down

low-down
low-down 
adjective (informal)

1.  mean:
mean and contemptible

2.  very
disheartened: very disheartened

[1]



lowearth orbit

lowearth orbit
low
earth or·bit (plural low earth or·bits)
noun

orbit close to Earth:
an orbit that is nearer to the Earth than a geostationary orbit. Satellites in
such an orbit are usually part of a global mobile telephone system.[1]



Lowell

Lowell
Low·ell 
[lṓ əl]

city in northeastern
Massachusetts, at the junction of the Concord and Merrimack rivers. Population:
100,973 (1996)[1]



Lowell,Amy Lawrence

Lowell,Amy Lawrence
Low·ell 
[lṓ əl], Amy Lawrence (1874–1925)

U.S. poet and critic. A
leader of the imagist school, she wrote poems that exhibit a terseness of style
and a use of free verse.[1]



Lowell,James Russell

Lowell,James Russell
Low·ell 
[lṓ əl], James Russell (1819–1891)

U.S. magazine editor and
diplomat. He headed the Atlantic Monthly ( 1857–1861 ) and North
American Review ( 1864–1872 ) publications and campaigned against slavery.[1]



Lowell,Percival

Lowell,Percival
Low·ell 
[lṓ əl], Percival (1855–1916)

U.S. astronomer. He perceived
what he thought were canals on Mars and claimed them as evidence of life there.[1]



Lowell,Robert

Lowell,Robert

Low·ell 
[lṓ əl], Robert (1917–1977)
U.S.
poet. A lyric poet with a concern for social issues, he won the Pulitzer Prize
for “Lord Weary’s Castle” ( 1946 ).
Full name
Lowell, Robert Traill Spence, Jr.[1]



low-end

low-end
low-end 
adjective

cheapest:
inexpensive compared to a group of similar products[1]



lower

lower1
low·er1 [lṓ
ər] verb (past low·ered, past participle low·ered,
present participle low·er·ing, 3rd person present singular
low·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
bring
to lower level: to move something down to a lower level
or to move something downward • lower
the flag

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
or fall:
to reduce something or fall in quantity, quality, or value • Interest
rates have been lowered by the Federal Reserve Bank.

3.  transitive
verb
reduce
in degree:
to reduce something in degree

4.  transitive
verb
look
downward:
to move the head or eyes downward • She
lowered her eyes.

5.  reflexive
verb
humiliate
yourself:
to reduce your dignity or the respect in which you are held • I
wouldn’t lower myself to discuss it.

6.  transitive
verb
reduce
volume of sound: to reduce the volume of sound that
something produces • lower your voice

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC reduce
sound pitch: to bring a sound to a lower pitch

8.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS modify
vowel sound: to change the sound of a vowel by
pushing the tongue to the bottom of the mouth
adjective

1.  below
something:
physically below another thing, especially one of the same type • the
lower lip

2.  reduced
or less:
reduced or less in amount • agreed
to work for lower wages

3.  closer
to bottom:
closer to the bottom or base of something • camped
on the lower slopes of the mountain

4.  of
less importance: of less importance or inferior status • lower
rank

5.  GEOLOGY earlier
in geological period: relating to the earlier part
of a geological period or system

6.  ZOOLOGY less
advanced:
less advanced in terms of development or complexity

7.  farther
from source: indicating that part of a river that is
farthest away from the source • the
lower Rio Grande
noun
(plural low·ers)

something lower:
something that is the lower of two or more things
[12th century. Comparative of
low 1, literally
“more low.”][1]



lower

lower2
low·er2 [lōr,
lowr] intransitive verb (past low·ered,
past participle low·ered, present participle low·er·ing,
3rd person present singular low·ers)

1.  be
overcast:
to be overcast and threatening storms or heavy rain

2.  look
angry:
to look angry or sullen
noun
(plural low·ers)

scowl: a
scowl or miserable look
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—low·er·ing,
adjective

—low·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



lowerbound

lowerbound
low·er
bound 
(plural low·er bounds) noun

smallest number in set:
a number that is less than or equal to all the members of a set[1]



LowerCalifornia

LowerCalifornia
Low·er
Cal·i·for·ni·a  [l ər
kàlli fáwrnee ə]

See
Baja California[1]



LowerCanada

LowerCanada
Low·er
Can·a·da 
[l ər kánnədə]

southern portion of
present-day Quebec. It was a British province separate from Upper Canada from
1791 to 1840.[1]



LowerCarboniferous

LowerCarboniferous
Low·er
Car·bon·if·er·ous noun

See
Mississippian  noun 2[1]



lowercase

lowercase
low·er·case 
adjective

not
capital:
written in small rather than capital form • written
with a lowercase “p”
transitive
verb
(past low·er·cased, past participle low·er·cased, present
participle low·er·cas·ing, 3rd person present singular low·er·cas·es)

put
in small letters: to put typescript or written material in
lowercase form
noun

small
letters not capitals: the small rather than
capital form of letters • The
advertisement was striking for its use of lowercase.
[Late 17th century. From
compositors’ practice of keeping types for small letters in the lower of a pair
of type cases.][1]



lowerchamber

lowerchamber
low·er
cham·ber
(plural low·er cham·bers) noun

See
lower house[1]



lowerclass

lowerclass
low·er
class 
noun

lowest social group:
the social group considered to occupy the lowest position in a hierarchical
society, typically composed of manual workers and their families[1]



lowerclassman

lowerclassman
low·er·class·man 
[lr klássmən] (plural low·er·class·men)
noun

See
underclassman[1]



lowerdeck

lowerdeck
low·er
deck
(plural low·er decks) noun

deck above the hold:
the next deck in a ship above the hold[1]



lowerhouse

lowerhouse
low·er
house
or lower chamber (plural lower chambers) noun

one of two branches of
legislature: one of two legislative
houses, generally more directly representative and larger than the other house[1]



lowermost

lowermost
low·er·most 
[lṓr mst] adjective

very lowest:
very lowest[1]



lowerworld

lowerworld
low·er
world 
noun

dwelling place of dead:
the dwelling place of the dead, often considered to be beneath the ground[1]



lowestcommon denominator

lowestcommon denominator
low·est
com·mon de·nom·i·na·tor  (plural low·est
com·mon de·nom·i·na·tors) noun

1.  See
least common denominator

2.  undiscerning
public:
the mass of ordinary people, particularly when considered to have low critical
standards and to lack taste

[1]



lowestcommon multiple

lowestcommon multiple
low·est
com·mon mul·ti·ple (plural low·est
com·mon mul·ti·ples) noun

See
least common multiple[1]



low-fat

low-fat
low-fat
adjective

low in fat:
prepared with a reduced amount of fat[1]



lowfrequency

lowfrequency
low
fre·quen·cy
noun

radio frequency:
a radio frequency ranging from 30 to 300 kilohertz[1]



LowGerman

LowGerman
Low
Ger·man
noun

a
Germanic language: the German dialects that are
spoken in northern regions of Germany. Low German dialects differ in their
development from the High German dialects that gave rise to standard German and
are generally regarded as forming a separate language.
See
also
Middle Low German
[“Low” from the fact that the
language is spoken in the low-lying part of Germany near the seacoast][1]



low-grade

low-grade
low-grade 
adjective

1.  inferior
in quality:
bad or inferior in quality or grade

2.  MEDICINE mild:
used to describe a medical condition, especially a fever, that is mild and not
serious

[1]



low-impact

low-impact
low-impact
adjective

1.  not
strenuous:
not requiring a lot of energy or effort

2.  causing
little damage to the environment: causing little or no
damage to the surrounding environment

[1]



low-income

low-income
low-in·come
adjective

poor or for the poor:
having a relatively small income or used by people on a relatively small income
• low-income
families • low-income
housing[1]



lowing

lowing
low·ing
noun

See
low 2[1]



low-key

low-key
low-key
or low-keyed adjective

1.  restrained:
restrained and understated in character • a
relatively low-key campaign

2.  subdued
in color:
subdued or of low intensity, particularly in color

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY PAINTING dark-toned:
used to describe a photograph or painting made up of dark tones and containing
few highlights

[1]



lowland

lowland
low·land 
[lṓlənd] (plural low·lands) noun

low-lying
or flat land: land that is relatively flatter or lower
than adjacent land
—low·land, adjective[1]



low-level

low-level
low-lev·el 
adjective

1.  low
down:
situated or done at a low or lower than usual level

2.  low
in status:
relatively low in terms of importance, status, expertise, or intensity

[1]



low-levellanguage

low-levellanguage
low-lev·el
lan·guage 
(plural low-lev·el lan·guages) noun

COMPUT
machine code:
any computer-oriented programming language such as assembly language, in which
the instructions are written in a code closer to machine code than to human
language[1]



lowlife

lowlife
low·life
[lṓ lf] (plural low·lifes) noun

1.  criminal
or associate: a criminal or somebody who associates
with criminals (informal)

2.  somebody
immoral:
somebody who is disreputable and immoral (insult)

3.  criminal
or immoral people: people with criminal
tendencies or extremely low morals, regarded as a group (informal insult)
—low·life, adjective[1]



lowly

lowly
low·ly 
[lṓlee] adjective (comparative
low·li·er, superlative low·li·est)

1.  low
in status:
low in rank, status, or importance

2.  meek:
with a meek and humble way of behaving

3.  simple
and modest:
simple, plain, and modest in character
adverb
(comparative low·li·er, superlative low·li·est)

1.  in
meek way:
in a humble or meek way

2.  at
low volume:
at a subdued pitch or volume
—low·li·ness, noun[1]



low-lying

low-lying
low-ly·ing 
adjective

closer to sea level:
at a lower level or closer to sea level than neighboring ground[1]



low-maintenance

low-maintenance
low-maintenance
adjective

requiring little attention:
requiring only a little attention or effort to maintain (informal)
See also
high-maintenance[1]



LowMass

LowMass
Low
Mass
(plural Low Mass·es) or low mass (plural low
mass·es) noun

unelaborate Church Mass:
a plain Mass celebrated in a Roman Catholic or Anglican church that is recited,
not sung[1]



low-minded

low-minded
low-mind·ed 
adjective

with
a vulgar mind: thinking or behaving in a coarse vulgar
way
—low-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—low-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



low-necked

low-necked
low-necked 
adjective

with a low neckline:
cut to have a low neckline[1]



low-passfilter

low-passfilter
low-pass
fil·ter
(plural low-pass fil·ters) noun

electronic filter for
signals: an electronic filter that
blocks signals above a specified cutoff frequency but allows those below it to
pass through unchanged[1]



low-pitched

low-pitched
low-pitched 
adjective

1.  low
in pitch:
low in pitch or tonal range • a
low-pitched hum

2.  shallow
in slope:
with a shallow slope • a
low-pitched roof

[1]



low-pressure

low-pressure
low-pres·sure 
adjective

1.  PHYSICS needing
little pressure: having, exerting, or working under
little pressure

2.  relaxed:
relaxed, easygoing, or presenting little stress

[1]



lowprofile

lowprofile
low
pro·file
(plural low pro·files) noun

avoidance of public
attention: a way of behaving in which
somebody deliberately seeks to avoid attention or publicity • keep
a low profile[1]



low-profile

low-profile
low-pro·file
adjective

1.  avoiding
attention:
deliberately avoiding attention or publicity

2.  AUTOMOTIVE wide
relative to height: having a wide tread relative
to its radial height • low-profile
tires

[1]



lowrelief

lowrelief
low
re·lief
(plural low re·liefs) noun

See
bas-relief
[Translation of French bas-relief][1]



low-res

low-res
low-res
adjective

low-resolution:
low-resolution
[Shortening][1]



low-resolution

low-resolution
low-res·o·lu·tion
adjective

marked by ill-defined text or
graphics: relating to a device, such
as a computer screen or printer, in which the text or pictures are not sharply
defined. The relatively large blocks of color that are used cause the text or
pictures to take on an angular appearance.[1]



lowrider

lowrider
low
rid·er
(plural low rid·ers) noun

1.  customized
car with low chassis: a car on which the springs
have been shortened, so that the body of the car is closer to the ground than
usual

2.  Southwestern
U.S.
driver
of low rider: somebody who drives a low rider

[1]



lowrise

lowrise
low
rise
(plural low ris·es) noun

building
of few stories: a building consisting of only a few
stories
[Modeled
on high-rise]
—low-rise, adjective[1]



low-slung

low-slung
low-slung
adjective

close to ground:
closer to the ground or the floor than usual[1]



lowspirits

lowspirits
low
spir·its
plural noun

state
of unhappiness: a state of unhappiness, hopelessness or
despondency • The
search party was in low spirits after three days.
—low-spir·it·ed,
adjective

—low-spir·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—low-spir·it·ed·ness, noun[1]



LowSunday

LowSunday
Low
Sun·day
(plural Low Sun·days) noun

Sunday
after Easter: the Sunday after Easter
[Origin uncertain: “Low”
probably in contrast to the “high” feast of Easter Sunday][1]



lowtech

lowtech
low
tech
noun

low
technology:
low technology
[Shortening
of low technology]
—low-tech, adjective[1]



lowtechnology

lowtechnology
low
tech·nol·o·gy noun

simple technology:
simple technology, especially that used to make basic items or perform basic
tasks[1]



low-tension

low-tension
low-ten·sion 
adjective

carrying low voltage:
capable of carrying low voltage or operating under low-voltage conditions[1]



low-test

low-test
low-test 
adjective

having low volatility and a
high boiling point • low-test
gasoline[1]



low-ticket

low-ticket
low-tick·et
adjective

moderately inexpensive:
moderately inexpensive (informal)[1]



lowtide

lowtide
low
tide
(plural low tides) noun

1.  lowest
tide level:
a tide at its lowest level, or the time of day when this occurs.
Also
called
low water

2.  worst
point:
a lowest or worst point

[1]



lowwater

lowwater
low
wa·ter
noun

See
low tide  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








low-watermark

low-watermark
low-wa·ter
mark
(plural low-wa·ter marks) noun

1.  lowest
level of water: the lowest level reached by a body of
tidal or fresh water

2.  line
marking low-water mark: a natural or artificial line
marking a low-water mark

3.  lowest
point:
a lowest or most difficult point

[1]



lox

lox1
lox1 [loks]
noun

smoked
salmon:
smoked salmon
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish laks from Middle High German Lachs “salmon.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “salmon.”][1]



lox

lox2
lox2 [loks]
noun

liquid
oxygen:
liquid oxygen, especially when used as an oxidizer for rocket fuel
[Early 20th century. From l(iquid)
o(xygen) (e)x(plosive) ; later misinterpreted by folk etymology as from l(iquid)
ox(ygen) .][1]



loxocemuspython

loxocemuspython
lox·o·ce·mus
py·thon
[loksə sməss p thòn] (plural lox·o·ce·mus
py·thons) noun

burrowing Mexican snake:
a stout burrowing snake found on the Pacific coast of Mexico. It is considered
by many to be the only member of the python family in the New World. Latin
name: Loxocemus bicolor[1]



loxodrome

loxodrome
lox·o·drome 
[lóksə drm] (plural lox·o·dromes)
noun

See
rhumb line
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from loxodromic .][1]



loxodromic

loxodromic
lox·o·drom·ic 
[lòksə drómmik] or lox·o·drom·i·cal
[lòksə drómmik’l] adjective

relating
to type of map projection: relating to a map in which
the rhumb lines appear straight, or to the rhumb lines on such a map
[Late
17th century. From French loxodromique, from Greek loxos
“oblique,” of unknown origin, + dromos “course” (source of English -drome ).]
—lox·o·drom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



loxodromiccurve

loxodromiccurve
lox·o·drom·ic
curve
(plural lox·o·drom·ic curves) noun

See
rhumb line[1]



loyal

loyal
loy·al 
[lóy əl] adjective

1.  faithful:
remaining faithful to a country, person, ruler, government, or ideal

2.  expressing
loyalty:
expressing or relating to loyalty
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Old French loial, variant of leial, from
Latin legalis “legal” (see legal ).
The underlying idea is of faithfully carrying out legal obligations.]
—loy·al·ly,
adverb

—loy·al·ness, noun[1]



loyalist

loyalist
loy·al·ist 
[lóy əlist] (plural loy·al·ists)
noun

somebody
loyal to country or government: somebody who firmly
supports a country, ruler, or government
—loy·al·ism [lóy ə lìzzəm], noun[1]



Loyalist

Loyalist
Loy·al·ist
[lóy əlist] (plural Loy·al·ists)
noun

1.  American
who supported British: an American who supported
the British during the American Revolution

2.  Spanish
Civil War supporter of government: a supporter of the
republican government during the Spanish Civil War

3.  U.K.
POLITICS supporter
of Ulster union with Britain: a Northern Ireland
Protestant who wishes to continue Northern Ireland’s political union with
Britain

[1]



loyalty

loyalty
loy·al·ty 
[lóy əltee] (plural loy·al·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being loyal: the quality or state of being loyal

2.  feeling
of duty:
a feeling of devotion, duty, or attachment to somebody or something (often
used in the plural)
[14th century. From Old
French loialté, from loial “loyal” (see loyal
).][1]



lozenge

lozenge

loz·enge 
[lózzənj] (plural loz·eng·es) noun

1.  PHARMACOLOGY medicated
tablet:
a medicated tablet or candy that is dissolved in the mouth, especially to
soothe the throat

2.  MATHEMATICS diamond
shape:
a diamond-shaped figure

3.  HERALDRY diamond-shaped
image:
a diamond-shaped design or device on heraldic arms
[14th
century. From Old French losenge “windowpane, small square cake,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps related to Spanish losa “slab” and ultimately
from Gaulish or Iberian .]
—loz·enged [lózzənjd], adjective[1]



Lozi

Lozi
Lo·zi 
[lṓzee] (plural Lo·zis or
Lo·zi) noun

Benue-Congo
language:
a language of western Zambia, related to Sotho. About 450,000 people speak
Lozi.
[Mid-20th
century. From Bantu.]
—Lo·zi, adjective[1]



LP

LP2
LP2

Abbreviation of
low pressure[1]



LP

LP1
LP1  noun

long-playing
record:
a long-playing phonograph record that turns at 33 ⅓ revolutions per minute


Abbreviation of
Lord Provost[1]



LPG

LPG
LPG

Abbreviation of
liquefied petroleum gas[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LPGA

LPGA
LPGA

Abbreviation of
Ladies Professional Golf Association[1]



LPM

LPM
LPM
or lpm

(refers to a computer
printer)Abbreviation of lines per minute[1]



LPN

LPN
LPN
or L.P.N.

Abbreviation of
licensed practical nurse[1]



LPS

LPS
LPS

Abbreviation of
lipopolysaccharide[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lr

Lr
Lr

Symbol for
lawrencium[1]



LR

LR
LR

(in advertisements)Abbreviation
of living room[1]



LRV

LRV
LRV

Abbreviation of
light rail vehicle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








L.S.

L.S.
L.S.

(on
documents)Abbreviation of locus sigilli
[Latin, “the place of the
seal”][1]



LSAT

LSAT
LSAT
[él sàt]

Abbreviation of
Law School Admissions Test[1]



LSD

LSD
LSD 
noun

hallucinogenic
drug:
a hallucinogenic drug made from lysergic acid that was used experimentally as a
medicine and is taken as an illegal drug.
Also
called
acid
[From German L(yserg)s(äure)-D(iäthylamid)
“lysergic acid diethylamide”][1]



LSI

LSI
LSI

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of large-scale integration[1]



lt.

lt.
lt.

Abbreviation of
light[1]



LT

LT
LT

ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of low
tension[1]



l.t.

l.t.
l.t.

Abbreviation of
local time[1]



Lt.

Lt.
Lt.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant[1]



LTC

LTC
LTC

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant Colonel[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lt.Col.

Lt.Col.
Lt.
Col.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant Colonel[1]



Lt.Comdr.

Lt.Comdr.
Lt.
Comdr.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant Commander[1]



Ltd.

Ltd.
Ltd.
or ltd.

(used after the name of a
British company)Abbreviation of limited (liability)[1]



Lt.Gen.

Lt.Gen.
Lt.
Gen.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant General[1]



Lt.Gov.

Lt.Gov.
Lt.
Gov.

Abbreviation of
Lieutenant Governor[1]



LTJG

LTJG
LTJG

Abbreviation of
lieutenant junior grade[1]



Lu

Lu
Lu

Symbol for
lutetium[1]



Lualaba

Lualaba
Lu·a·la·ba
[l aa l baa]

headstream of the Congo River
in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Length: 1,800 km/1,100 mi.[1]



Luanda

Luanda
Lu·an·da 
[loo ándə]

seaport and capital of
Angola, situated in the northwestern part of the country, on the Atlantic
Ocean. Population: 2,250,000 (1995)[1]



luau

luau
lu·au 
[l òw] (plural lu·aus) noun

Hawaiian
feast:
a Hawaiian feast, usually with music and entertainment
[Mid-19th century. From
Hawaiian lū’au .][1]



Luba

Luba
Lu·ba 
[lbə] (plural Lu·bas or
Lu·ba) noun Lu·ba Lu·ba-Lu·lua

a
Benue-Congo language: a group of languages or
dialects of southern Congo, around Kinshasa. Luba has about 8 million speakers
and belongs to the Bantu group of Benue-Congo languages.
[Late
19th century. From Bantu.]
—Luba, adjective[1]



lubber

lubber
lub·ber 
[lúbbər] (plural lub·bers) noun

1.  clumsy
or unintelligent person: a big person who is clumsy
or unintelligent (insult)

2.  landlubber:
a landlubber
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from lob “lout,” from Low Dutch ; or
from Old French lobeor “swindler, parasite,” from lober “to
deceive,” perhaps from Frankish lobon “to praise.”]
—lub·ber·ly, adjective,
adverb[1]



lubberline

lubberline
lub·ber
line
(plural lub·ber lines) or lub·ber’s line (plural
lub·ber’s lines) noun

mark
on compass indicating course: a mark on a ship’s compass
that indicates the vessel’s heading
[Lubber from the fact that
the line made steering easier for the inexperienced helmsman][1]



lubber’shole

lubber’shole
lub·ber’s
hole
(plural lub·ber’s holes) noun

space
for sailor to climb mast: a space in a platform around
a mast, allowing a sailor to climb through the space and stand on the platform
[Lubber’s from the idea that
the hole was for inexperienced sailors who were too frightened to climb by way
of the ropes at the edge of the platform][1]



lubber’sline

lubber’sline
lub·ber’s
line
noun

See
lubber line[1]



lube

lube
lube 
[loob] noun (plural lubes)

U.S.,
Australia lubricant: a
lubricant (informal)
transitive
verb
(past lubed, past participle lubed, present
participle lub·ing, 3rd person present singular lubes)

U.S.,
Australia lubricate:
to apply lubricant to something (informal)[1]



Lubitsch,Ernst

Lubitsch,Ernst
Lu·bitsch
[lbich], Ernst (1892–1947)

German-born U.S. actor and
movie director. He started making movies in Germany, then moved to Hollywood as
a director of comedies and costume epics.[1]



Lublin

Lublin
Lu·blin 
[lblin]

city in southeastern Poland,
situated about 153 km/95 mi southeast of Warsaw. Population: 353,300 (1995)[1]



lubricant

lubricant
lu·bri·cant 
[lbrikənt] (plural lu·bri·cants)
noun

1.  friction-reducing
substance:
a substance, typically oil or grease, applied to a surface to reduce friction
between moving parts

2.  element
easing difficult situation: somebody or something that
eases or facilitates a solution to a potentially difficult or awkward situation
—lu·bri·cant, adjective[1]



lubricate

lubricate
lu·bri·cate 
[lbri kàyt] (past lu·bri·cat·ed,
past participle lu·bri·cat·ed, present participle lu·bri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular lu·bri·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb apply
lubricant:
to apply an oily or greasy substance to something in order to reduce friction
to moving parts

2.  transitive
verb
make
slippery:
to make something slippery

3.  transitive
verb
make
something run smoothly: to make something run
smoothly and without problems
[Early
17th century. From Latin lubricare, from lubricus “slippery”
(source of English lubricious ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to slide,” which also produced
English sleeve .]
—lu·bri·ca·tion
[lbri káysh’n], noun

—lu·bri·ca·tion·al,
adjective

—lu·bri·ca·tive [lbri kàytiv], adjective[1]



lubricator

lubricator
lu·bri·ca·tor 
[lbri kàytər] (plural lu·bri·ca·tors)
noun

1.  device
for applying lubricant: a device for applying a
lubricant to moving parts

2.  somebody
who eases situation: somebody who is diplomatic
and able to ease a difficult situation

[1]



lubricious

lubricious
lu·bri·cious 
[loo bríshəss] or lu·bri·cous
[lbrikəss] adjective (literary)

1.  lewd
or obscene:
lewd, obscene, or intended to be sexually exciting

2.  slippery:
slippery or oily
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin lubricus “slippery” (see lubricate ). Former meanings of the word include
“slippery” and “fickle.”]
—lu·bri·cious·ly, adverb[1]



lubricity

lubricity
lu·bric·i·ty 
[loo bríssətee] noun

lewdness:
behavior that is obscene or unchaste (literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via French from late Latin lubricitas, from Latin lubricus
“slippery” (see lubricate ).][1]



lubricous

lubricous
lu·bri·cous 
adjective

See
lubricious[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lubumbashi

Lubumbashi
Lu·bum·ba·shi 
[lbm bshee]

industrial city and mining
center in Katanga Region, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Population: 851,381 (1994) Former name Elizabethville[1]



Lucania,Mount

Lucania,Mount
Lu·ca·nia,
Mount
[loo káynee ə]

mountain in the St. Elias
Range, southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada, near the Alaskan border. Height:
5,226 m/17,147 ft.[1]



lucarne

lucarne
lu·carne 
[loo krn] (plural lu·carnes) noun

dormer:
a dormer window
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Provençal lucana, of uncertain origin: perhaps from prehistoric
Germanic.][1]



Lucas,George

Lucas,George
Lu·cas
[lkəss], George (1944– )

U.S. movie director and
producer. After directing American Graffiti ( 1973 ) and Star Wars
( 1977 ), he built up a pioneering special effects company.[1]



Lucca

Lucca
Luc·ca 
[lkə]

historic town and capital of
Lucca Province, Tuscany Region, north-central Italy. Population: 100,508 (1992)[1]



Luce,Henry Robinson

Luce,Henry Robinson
Luce
[looss], Henry Robinson (1898–1967)

U.S. editor and publisher.
The magazines and periodicals he founded include Time (1923), which he
edited until 1964.[1]



lucent

lucent
lu·cent 
[lss’nt] adjective

1.  luminous:
shining with a glowing light

2.  translucent:
translucent or clear
[15th
century. From Latin, the present participle stem of lucere “to shine”
(see lucid ).]
—lu·cen·cy,
noun

—lu·cent·ly, adverb[1]



Lucerne

Lucerne
Lu·cerne 
[loo súrn]

city and capital of Lucerne
Canton, central Switzerland. It is a tourist center. Population: 61,656 (1994)[1]



lucerne

lucerne
lu·cerne 
[loo súrn] noun

U.K.
See alfalfa
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from modern Provençal luzerno, originally “glowworm,” from Latin lucerna
“lamp,” from lucere “to shine” (see lucid
). Perhaps from the plant’s shiny seeds.][1]



Lucerne,Lake of

Lucerne,Lake of
Lu·cerne,
Lake of
[loo shərn]

lake and popular tourist
region in central Switzerland. Area: 114 sq km/44 sq mi.[1]



lucid

lucid
lu·cid 
[lssid] adjective

1.  easily
understood:
clear and easily understood • a
lucid explanation

2.  shining:
emitting light

3.  rational:
rational, and mentally clear, especially only for a period between episodes of
delirium or psychosis
[Late
16th century. From Latin lucidus, from lucere “to shine,” from
the stem luc- “light” (source of English elucidate
and translucent ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that also produced English lunar
.]
—lu·cid·i·ty
[loo síddətee], noun

—lu·cid·ness
[lssidnəss], noun

—lu·cid·ly [lssidlee], adverb[1]



Lucid,Shannon Wells

Lucid,Shannon Wells
Lu·cid 
[lssid], Shannon Wells (1943– )

U.S. astronaut and
biochemist. One of the first women astronauts from the United States, she flew
on several space missions, including five months on the Russian space station
Mir.[1]



Lucifer

Lucifer
Lu·ci·fer 
[lssəfər] noun

1.  Satan:
a rebellious archangel who is held to be the same as Satan

2.  the
morning star: the planet Venus appearing before
sunrise as the morning star
[Pre-12th century. From
Latin, “the planet Venus,” literally “light-bearing,” from the stem luc-
“light” (see lucid ).][1]



lucifer

lucifer
lu·ci·fer
[lssəfər] (plural lu·ci·fers)
noun

match:
a friction match (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From lucifer
match, originally a brand name.][1]



luciferase

luciferase
lu·cif·er·ase 
[lssəfə ràyss, lssəfə
ràyz] noun

enzyme in cells that emit
light: an enzyme that aids the
oxidation of luciferin in the cells of organisms that emit light[1]



luciferin

luciferin
lu·cif·er·in 
[loo síffərin] noun

substance in bioluminescent
cells: a substance found in the
cells of bioluminescent organisms, for example, glowworms and fireflies, that
on oxidation emits bluish-green light with very little heat[1]



luciferous

luciferous
lu·cif·er·ous 
[loo síffərəss] adjective

emitting light:
bringing or emitting light[1]



Lucina

Lucina
Lu·ci·na 
[loo snə] noun

Roman goddess of childbirth:
in Roman mythology, Juno in her capacity as goddess of childbirth[1]



Lucite

Lucite
Lu·cite
[l st] Trademark

a trademark for polymethyl
methacrylate[1]



luck

luck
luck 
[luk] noun

1.  good
fortune:
good fortune • a
stroke of luck

2.  chance:
the arbitrary distribution of events or outcomes • a
game of luck

3.  event
determined by chance: something that seems to
happen by chance rather than as a logical consequence

4.  fortunate
or unfortunate event: something fortunate or
unfortunate that happens to somebody, or a series of such events • Just
my luck!

5.  something
bearing luck: an event, action, or object regarded as
bringing good or bad luck • It’s
said to be bad luck to walk under ladders.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low German luk . The word was most likely
borrowed as a gambling term.][1]



luckily

luckily
luck·i·ly 
[lúkilee] adverb

with good luck:
as a result of or the occasion for good luck[1]



luckinto

luckinto
luck
into
transitive verb

get something good by luck:
to obtain something desirable or experience something pleasurable by chance[1]



luckless

luckless
luck·less 
[lúkləss] adjective

unfortunate:
without success or fortune
—luck·less·ly,
adverb

—luck·less·ness, noun[1]



Lucknow

Lucknow
Luck·now 
[lúk now]

capital of Uttar Pradesh
State, northern India, situated in the Ganges valley, about 64 km/40 mi
northeast of Kanpur. Population: 1,592,010 (1991)[1]



luckout

luckout
luck
out
intransitive verb

succeed by chance:
to be lucky enough to succeed by chance[1]



lucky

lucky
luck·y 
[lúkee] (comparative luck·i·er,
superlative luck·i·est) adjective

1.  fortunate:
having good fortune • You
were lucky not to be seriously injured.

2.  bringing
good fortune: producing or bringing good fortune • lucky
charm

3.  resulting
from good luck: as a result of good luck • lucky
escape
—luck·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  lucky, fortunate, happy, providential
  CORE
  MEANING: relating
  to advantage or good fortune lucky;
  used to describe something that brings success or advantage. It can also be
  used to describe the person who gains the success or advantage, especially
  when this seems to happen by chance; fortunate;
  used to describe something that brings success or advantage, or the person
  who gains the success or advantage, especially when this is to a greater
  degree than was expected or deserved; happy;
  an old-fashioned or literary word used in the same way as “lucky” or
  “fortunate”; providential; used to
  describe something that happens at a favorable time, for example, because it
  presents an opportunity or the means to do something









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Lucky
  Jim, a novel by English writer Kingsley Amis ( 1954 ). The protagonist of
  this satire on academic life, Jim Dixon, is a junior lecturer at a provincial
  university and the plot revolves around his problematic relationships with
  his employers, colleagues, and girlfriend. While some critics condemned the
  book’s amorality, many regarded Jim as a symbol of social protest.

[1]



luckydip

luckydip
luck·y
dip
(plural luck·y dips) noun

U.K.
See grab bag[1]



lucrative

lucrative
lu·cra·tive 
[lkrətiv] adjective

profitable:
producing profit or wealth
[15th
century. From Latin lucrativus, from lucrari “to gain,” from lucrum
“gain” (see lucre ). The word once also
meant “covetous.”]
—lu·cra·tive·ly,
adverb

—lu·cra·tive·ness, noun[1]



lucre

lucre
lu·cre 
[lkər] noun

money:
money, wealth, or profit (dated or humorous) • filthy
lucre
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin lucrum “gain” (source of English lucrative ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that also produced English guerdon
and galore .][1]



lucubration

lucubration
lu·cu·bra·tion 
[lkyə bráysh’n] (plural lu·cu·bra·tions)
noun

1.  piece
of learned writing: a written work resulting
from prolonged study, often having a scholarly or pedantic style (usually
used in the plural)

2.  long
study:
long hard study, especially at night
[Late
16th century. From the Latin stem lucubration-, ultimately from lucubrare
“to compose at night,” from the stem luc- “light” (see lucid ). The underlying idea is of working by
lamplight.]
—lu·cu·brate [lkyoo bràyt], intransitive verb[1]



luculent

luculent
lu·cu·lent 
[lkyələnt] adjective

1.  understandable:
easy to understand

2.  glowing:
shining or glowing
[15th century. From Latin luculentus,
from the stem luc- “light” (see lucid
).][1]



Lucullan

Lucullan
Lu·cul·lan 
[loo kúllən] adjective

lavish:
lavish or overindulgent, especially with regard to food
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
Lucullanus, from (Licinius) Lucullus, a Roman general of the 1st
century B.C. famous for his lavish banquets.][1]



Luddite

Luddite
Lud·dite 
[lú dt] (plural Lud·dites) noun

1.  opponent
of new technology: somebody who opposes
technological or industrial innovation

2.  HISTORY 19thC
protester against technology: a worker involved in
protests in Britain in the 1810s against new factory methods of production and
in favor of traditional methods of work
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: according to tradition, named for Ned Ludd,
an 18th-century farm worker in Leicestershire, England, who destroyed two
stocking frames in a fit of rage.]
—Lud·dite,
adjective

—Lud·dism [lú dìzzəm], noun[1]



ludic

ludic
lu·dic
[ldik] adjective

spontaneously
playful:
playful in a way that is spontaneous and without any particular purpose (literary)
[Mid-20th century. From
French ludique, from Latin ludere “to play,” from ludus
“game” (see ludicrous ).][1]



ludicrous

ludicrous
lu·di·crous 
[ldikrəss] adjective

absurdly
ridiculous:
utterly ridiculous because of being absurd, incongruous, impractical, or
unsuitable
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin ludicrus, from ludus “play.”]
—lu·di·crous·ly,
adverb

—lu·di·crous·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word ludus, from which ludicrous
  is derived, is also the source of English allude,
  collude, delude, elude,
  and illusion.

[1]



Ludlow

Ludlow
Lud·low 
[lúdlō]

town in southwestern
Massachusetts, on the Chicopee River, directly northeast of Springfield and
southwest of Worcester. Population: 18,786 (1996)[1]



Ludwigshafen

Ludwigshafen
Lud·wigs·ha·fen 
[ldvigs hfən]

port in Rhineland-Palatinate
State, southwestern Germany, situated on the western bank of the Rhine River,
opposite Mannheim. Population: 168,100 (1994)[1]



lues

lues
lu·es 
[l z] noun

syphilis:
syphilis
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “plague.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to loosen,”
which also produced English loose, forlorn, and dissolve
.][1]



luff

luff
luff 
[luf] verb (past luffed,
past participle luffed, present participle luff·ing,
3rd person present singular luffs)

1.  transitive
verb
sail
too close to wind: to bring a boat closer in to
the wind, or to sail too close to the wind, so that the sails flap

2.  intransitive
verb
flap:
to flap when a boat is in a position too close to the wind (refers to a sail)
noun

front edge of sail:
the front edge of a sail
[12th century. From Old
French lof, of uncertain origin: probably from Low German lōf or
Dutch loef “windward side of a ship.”][1]



Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe
Luft·waf·fe 
[lft vfə] noun

German
Air Force:
the German Air Force
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “air weapon.”][1]



lug

lug3
lug3  [lug]
(plural lugs) noun

See
lugsail
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of lugsail .][1]



lug

lug2
lug2 [lug]
(plural lugs) noun

1.  projecting
part:
a projecting part, especially one by which something can be moved, rotated, or
supported

2.  projection
for electrical contact: a small metal projection to
which an electrical conductor or wire may be attached, usually by soldering or
using mechanical pressure

3.  small
projection improving traction: a small projection on
a tire or shoe that helps provide traction

4.  fruit
or vegetable box: a box for vegetables or fruit

5.  clumsy
man:
a man, especially one who is unintelligent or clumsy (informal insult)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.][1]



lug

lug4
lug4  [lug]
(plural lugs) noun

See
lugworm  noun
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lug

lug1
lug1 [lug]
transitive verb (past lugged, past participle lugged,
present participle lug·ging, 3rd person present singular lugs)

1.  pull
something with effort: to carry or pull something
that is heavy or bulky, using great effort

2.  introduce
irrelevantly into discussion: to introduce irrelevant
material into a discussion or conversation
noun
(plural lugs)

act of pulling a load:
the effort or action of pulling something very heavy
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.The underlying idea would be
of something that can be pulled or grasped.][1]



Luganda

Luganda
Lu·gan·da 
[loo gándə, loo
gndə] noun

See
Ganda
[Late 19th century. From
Bantu.][1]



Lugano

Lugano
Lu·ga·no
[loo g no]

town and tourist center in
Ticino Canton, southern Switzerland. Population: 26,025 (1992)[1]



Lugano,Lake

Lugano,Lake
Lu·ga·no,
Lake
[loo g no]

lake in southern Switzerland
and northern Italy. Area: 49 sq km/19 sq mi.[1]



luge

luge
luge 
[loozh] noun (plural luges)

racing
toboggan:
a racing toboggan on which the riders lie on their backs with their feet
pointing forward
intransitive
verb
(past luged, past participle luged, present
participle lug·ing, 3rd person present singular luges)

race
on luge:
to race on a luge
[Late
19th century. Via Swiss French from medieval Latin sludia, of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Gaulish, and ultimately from an Indo-European word that
also produced English sled .]
—lug·er, noun[1]



Luger

Luger
Lu·ger 
[lgər] Trademark

a trademark for a German
automatic pistol[1]



luggage

luggage
lug·gage 
[lúggij] noun

suitcases
and bags:
suitcases, bags, and other items for carrying somebody’s belongings during a
journey
[Late 16th century. Formed
from lug 1 “to carry,”
on the model of baggage . The original
meaning was “inconveniently heavy baggage.”][1]



luggagerack

luggagerack
lug·gage
rack
(plural lug·gage racks) noun

1.  frame
on top of car: a frame attached to the top of a motor
vehicle, used for carrying things, especially luggage • The
tent can go on the luggage rack.
U.K.
term
roof rack

2.  overhead
frame for luggage: an overhead frame in a train
or bus for passengers to keep small items of luggage

[1]



lugger

lugger
lug·ger 
[lúggər] (plural lug·gers) noun

small
boat with lugsail: a small boat for fishing or
pleasure sailing that is rigged with a lugsail
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from lug- in lugsail,
or possibly from Dutch logger, from loggen “to fish with a
drag-net.”][1]



lugnut

lugnut
lug
nut
(plural lug nuts) noun

large nut for heavy bolt:
a large nut that screws onto a heavy bolt, especially one used to attach a
wheel to a motor vehicle[1]



Lugosi,Bela

Lugosi,Bela
Lu·go·si
[loo gṓssee], Bela (1884–1956)

Hungarian-born
U.S. actor. He starred in numerous horror movies, and was especially closely
identified with the title role in Dracula ( 1931 ).
Real name
Blasko, Bela Ferenc Denzso[1]



lugsail

lugsail
lug·sail 
[lúgs’l, lúg
sàyl] (plural lug·sails) noun

four-sided
sail:
a four-sided sail bent on a yard that crosses the mast at an angle.
Also
called
lug
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: “lug” probably from lug 2 .][1]



lugubrious

lugubrious
lu·gu·bri·ous 
[loo gbree əss, lə
gbree əss] adjective

gloomy:
extremely mournful, sad, or gloomy
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin lugubris, from lugere “to mourn.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to break.” The underlying idea
seems to be of breaking down emotionally.]
—lu·gu·bri·ous·ly,
adverb

—lu·gu·bri·ous·ness, noun[1]



lugworm

lugworm
lug·worm 
[lúg wùrm] (plural lug·worms) noun

marine
worm:
a segmented marine worm that burrows in sandy shores, has rows of tufted gills,
and is often used as fishing bait. Genus: Arenicola
Also
called
lug
Also
called
lobworm
[Early 19th century. “Lug”
from lug 4 .][1]



Luhansk

Luhansk
Lu·hansk
[loo hnsk] or Lu·hans’k [loo hnsk]

industrial city in eastern
Ukraine. Population: 504,000 (1991)[1]



Luke

Luke
Luke 
[look] noun

3rd book of New Testament:
the third book of the New Testament in which the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ are described. It is believed to have been written by St. Luke.[1]



Luke,Saint

Luke,Saint
Luke 
[look], Saint (lived 1st century AD)

evangelist companion to St.
Paul. Perhaps a physician, he was by tradition author of the biblical Acts of
the Apostles and the third Gospel.[1]



lukewarm

lukewarm
luke·warm 
[lk wàwrm] adjective

1.  warm:
just slightly warm, especially of food or drink that is expected to be hot (disapproving)

2.  showing
little enthusiasm: showing or having little
enthusiasm, interest, support, or conviction
[14th
century. “Luke” from obsolete luke “lukewarm,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps a variant of dialect lew “lukewarm,” from Old English hlēo
“warm,” of unknown origin.]
—luke·warm·ly,
adverb

—luke·warm·ness, noun[1]



Luks,George Benjamin

Luks,George Benjamin
Luks
[looks], George Benjamin (1867–1933)

U.S. artist. A member of the
artistic group called the Eight, he produced realistic paintings of urban
deprivation.[1]



Luleå

Luleå
Lu·le·å
[l le ō]

seaport at the head of the
Gulf of Bothnia, northern Sweden. Population: 71,106 (1995)[1]



lull

lull
lull 
[lul] verb (past lulled,
past participle lulled, present participle lull·ing,
3rd person present singular lulls)

1.  transitive
verb
soothe
or calm somebody: to soothe or calm a person or animal,
especially by using gentle sounds or motions

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody feel safe: to give somebody a false
sense of security so that an unpleasant situation takes the person by surprise
• They
lulled us into thinking we still had time.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
calm:
to become calm or calmer
noun
(plural lulls)

period of calm:
a brief interval of calm or decreased activity
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sounds used to sing a child to sleep.][1]



lullaby

lullaby
lull·a·by 
[lúllə b] noun (plural lull·a·bies)

1.  gentle
song:
a gentle song for soothing a child, especially into sleep

2.  music
for lullaby: instrumental music in the style of a
lullaby
transitive
verb
(past lull·a·bied, past participle lull·a·bied, present
participle lull·a·by·ing, 3rd person present singular lull·a·bies)

soothe child with lullaby:
to soothe a child with a lullaby
[Mid-16th century. From
obsolete lulla “lullaby,” an imitation of the sounds used to sing a
child to sleep + -by, as in bye-bye
.][1]



lulu

lulu
lu·lu 
[l l] (plural lu·lus) noun

somebody
or something outstanding: a remarkable or outstanding
person, object, or idea (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Alteration (perhaps with influence from Lulu, pet-form of the name Louise,
female name) of earlier looly, of unknown origin, used in the admiring
phrase “looliest looly of the loolies.”][1]



Luluabourg

Luluabourg
Lu·lu·a·bourg
[l l ə boorg]

Former name for
Kananga[1]



lumbago

lumbago
lum·ba·go 
[lum báy g] noun

lower
back pain:
pain in the lower or lumbar region of the back
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from lumbus “loin.”][1]



lumbar

lumbar
lum·bar 
[lúmbər, lúm br]
adjective

relating
to lower back: relating to or situated in the loins or
the small of the back
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin lumbaris, from Latin lumbus “loin” (source of
English loin and sirloin ).][1]



lumbarpuncture

lumbarpuncture
lum·bar
punc·ture
noun

insertion of needle into
spinal cord: the insertion of a
needle between two lumbar vertebrae into the spinal cord in order to obtain a
sample of cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis or to introduce medication[1]



lumber

lumber2
lum·ber2 [lúmbər]
(past lum·bered, past participle lum·bered, present
participle lum·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular lum·bers)
intransitive verb

move
clumsily:
to move clumsily or heavily
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian language.][1]



lumber

lumber1
lum·ber1 [lúmbər]
noun

1.  logs
sawed for use: trees that have been sawed and prepared
for use in building, woodworking, or cabinetmaking.
U.K.
term
timber

2.  U.K.
unwanted
objects:
large objects that are not being used and are stored out of sight
verb
(past lum·bered, past participle lum·bered, present
participle lum·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular lum·bers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
trees into lumber: to cut down the trees in a
region and convert them into salable lumber

2.  transitive
verb
U.K. burden
somebody with task: to burden somebody with
something unpleasant or unwanted, especially a responsibility or a task (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
U.K. pile
things together: to pile things together haphazardly
[Mid-16th
century. Originally “disused articles of furniture,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps literally “things that impede movement,” from lumber 2, influenced by obsolete lumber
“pawnbroking establishment” (filled with disused property), variant of Lombard .]
—lum·ber·er, noun[1]



lumberjack

lumberjack
lum·ber·jack 
[lúmbər jàk] (plural lum·ber·jacks)
noun

1.  feller
of trees:
somebody who cuts down trees and transports the lumber

2.  CLOTHES See lumberjacket
[Mid-19th century. Jack from jack “man, laborer.”][1]



lumberjacket

lumberjacket
lum·ber·jack·et
[lúmbər jàkət] (plural lum·ber·jack·ets)
or lum·ber·jack [lúmbər jàkət]
(plural lum·ber·jacks) noun

warm
work jacket: a work jacket made from thick, warm
material, usually brightly colored with a checked pattern
[Mid-20th century. From its
being of a type worn by lumberjacks.][1]



lumberman

lumberman
lum·ber·man
[lúmbərmən] (plural lum·ber·men)
noun

lumber merchant:
somebody who buys and sells lumber[1]



lumberyard

lumberyard
lum·ber·yard 
[lúmbər yrd] (plural lum·ber·yards)
noun

business that sells lumber:
a business that sells or stores lumber and sometimes other building materials.
U.K. term
timberyard[1]



lumen

lumen
lu·men 
[lmən] (plural lu·mens or
lu·mi·na [lmənə]) noun

1.  PHYSICS MEASUREMENTS unit of luminous flux:
the SI unit of luminous flux, equal to the amount of light crossing a unit area
at a unit distance from a light source of luminous intensity of one candela. Symbol
lm

2.  ANATOMY space
within tube: the space inside any tubular structure
in the body, for example, an intestine, artery, or vein

3.  BOTANY cavity
in plant:
the cavity within a plant cell wall
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “light, opening” (see luminous ).][1]



Lumet,Sidney

Lumet,Sidney
Lu·met
[loo mét], Sidney (1924– )

U.S. actor, director, and
screenwriter. Among his greatest successes are Murder on the Orient Express
( 1974 ), Dog Day Afternoon ( 1975 ), and Network ( 1976 ).[1]



luminance

luminance
lu·mi·nance 
[lmənəns] noun

1.  quality
of being luminous: the condition or quality of
emitting or reflecting light. Symbol L

2.  MEASUREMENTS measure
of brightness: a measure of the brightness of a surface
equal to to the amount of luminous flux arriving at, passing through, or
leaving a unit area of surface. It is measured in candelas per square meter.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from luminant “luminous,” from Latin luminant-, the present
participle stem of luminare “to illuminate,” from the stem lumin-
“light” (see luminous ).][1]



luminaria

luminaria
lu·mi·nar·i·a 
[lmə náiree ə] (plural lu·mi·nar·i·as)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
Christmas
candle decoration: a small candle set inside a
paper bag that has been weighted with sand, usually placed outdoors with others
as a Christmas decoration.
Also
called
farolito
[Mid-20th century. Via
Mexican Spanish and Spanish, “decorative light,” from late Latin, “lamp,”
originally plural of luminarium (see luminary
).][1]



luminary

luminary
lu·mi·nar·y 
[lmə nèrree] noun (plural lu·mi·nar·ies)

1.  eminent
person:
an eminent or famous person

2.  sun,
moon, or star: an object, especially a celestial body,
that emits light (literary)
adjective

characterized by light:
relating to or characterized by light
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French luminarie from late Latin luminarium, from the
Latin stem lumin- “light” (see luminous
).][1]



luminesce

luminesce
lu·mi·nesce 
[lmə néss] (past lu·mi·nesced,
past participle lu·mi·nesced, present participle lu·mi·nesc·ing,
3rd person present singular lu·mi·nesc·es) intransitive verb

exhibit
luminescence: to emit light by phosphorescence,
fluorescence, or bioluminescence
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from luminescent (see luminescence
).][1]



luminescence

luminescence
lu·mi·nes·cence 
[lmə néss’ns] noun

1.  light
emission without heat: the emission of light
produced by means other than heat ( incandescence
), for example, phosphorescence, fluorescence, or bioluminescence

2.  light
from luminescence: the light emitted by
luminescence
[Late
19th century. From luminescent, which was coined from the Latin stem lumin-
“light” (see luminous ) + -escent .]
—lu·mi·nes·cent, adjective[1]



luminiferous

luminiferous
lu·mi·nif·er·ous 
[lmə níffərəss] adjective

giving
off light:
generating or giving off light
[Early 19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem lumin- “light” (see luminous
) + -ferous .][1]



luminosity

luminosity
lu·mi·nos·i·ty 
[lmə nóssətee] (plural lu·mi·nos·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being luminous: the state or quality of
being luminous

2.  ASTRONOMY energy
radiated by celestial object: the energy radiated per
second by a celestial body. Symbol L

3.  PHYSICS strength
of light emitted: the visual perception of the extent to
which an object emits light

4.  something
luminous:
something that emits light

[1]



luminous

luminous
lu·mi·nous 
[lmənəss] adjective

1.  light-emitting:
emitting or reflecting light

2.  bright:
startlingly bright • luminous orange

3.  illuminated:
brightly illuminated

4.  understandable:
clear and easy to understand

5.  inspiring:
enlightened and inspiring

6.  PHYSICS relating
to light:
evaluated on the basis of the visual sensation produced in an observer rather
than energy measurements
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin luminosus, from the stem lumin-
“light, opening” (source of English lumen
and illuminate ).]
—lu·mi·nous·ly,
adverb

—lu·mi·nous·ness, noun[1]



luminousenergy

luminousenergy
lu·mi·nous
en·er·gy
noun

total amount of light given
off: the total amount of light
emitted by a source. Symbol Q V[1]



luminousflux

luminousflux
lu·mi·nous
flux
noun

rate of emission of light:
the rate of emission of light evaluated by the visual sensation it produces. Symbol
Φ V[1]



luminousintensity

luminousintensity
lu·mi·nous
in·ten·si·ty noun

amount of light in particular
direction: the amount of light emitted
by a source in a particular direction. Symbol I V[1]



Lumière,Auguste

Lumière,Auguste
Lu·mière
[l myaír], Auguste (1864–1948)

French inventor. He and his
brother Louis invented the cinema camera and projector, and made the first
film, La sortie des usines Lumière ( 1895 ).[1]



Lumière,Louis

Lumière,Louis
Lu·mière
[l myaír], Louis (1862–1954)

French inventor. He and his
brother Auguste invented the cinema camera and projector, and made the first
film, La sortie des usines Lumières ( 1895 ).[1]



lummox

lummox
lum·mox 
[lúmməks] (plural lum·mox·es) noun

clumsy
person:
somebody who is clumsy or unintelligent (informal insult)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lump

lump1
lump1 [lump]
noun (plural lumps)

1.  solid
chunk:
a small irregularly shaped solid mass or piece

2.  tumor:
a tumor or other swelling in the body

3.  sugar
cube:
a small cube of solid sugar

4.  large
and clumsy person: somebody who is large and
unintelligent or clumsy (informal insult)
plural
noun
lumps

hardship:
harsh, often undeserved, criticism, punishment, or hardship (informal) • You
have to take your lumps like everyone else.
verb
(past lumped, past participle lumped, present
participle lump·ing, 3rd person present singular lumps)

1.  transitive
verb
group
things together carelessly: to consider people, ideas,
or objects as a single group, often without good reason • All
the students were lumped together as lazy.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
heavily:
to move in a heavy and clumsy manner • He
lumped along.
adjective

in lumps: in
small cubes or lumps • lump
sugar
[14th century. Origin
uncertain. The underlying idea seems to be of something coarse or shapeless.][1]



lump

lump2
lump2 [lump]
(past lumped, past participle lumped, present
participle lump·ing, 3rd person present singular lumps)
transitive verb

put
up with something: to endure something
unpleasant that cannot be changed (informal) • like
it or lump it
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown. The original sense was “to look sulky”; the meaning “to tolerate”
dates from the mid-19th century.][1]



lumpectomy

lumpectomy
lump·ec·to·my 
[lum péktəmee] (plural lump·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of breast tumor: a surgical operation for breast cancer
in which the surgery is limited to the removal of the visible and palpable
tumor only.
Also
called
tylectomy
[Late 20th century. Coined
from lump, on the model of mastectomy .][1]



lumpen

lumpen
lum·pen 
[lúmpən, lmpən]
adjective (disapproving)

1.  marginalized:
living, or regarded as living, on the margins of society

2.  not
educated or enlightened: stupidly content with a life
regarded as intellectually empty and socially inferior
plural
noun

lumpen people:
people regarded by others as lumpen (disapproving) (takes a plural
verb)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from lumpenproletariat, with
the meaning influenced by lump .][1]



lumpenproletariat

lumpenproletariat
lum·pen·pro·le·tar·i·at 
[lùmpən prōlə táiree ət, lmpən prōlə táiree ət] noun (takes a
singular or plural verb)

1.  POLITICS permanent
underclass:
in Marxist analysis, people regarded as living on the margins of society,
particularly criminals, homeless people, and the long-term unemployed

2.  lower-class
people:
people from the lowest social class who are regarded as too content with a life
supposedly intellectually empty and socially inferior (disapproving)
[Early 20th century. From
German, formed from Lumpen, plural of Lump “ragamuffin” + French prolétariat
(see proletariat ).][1]



lumpfish

lumpfish
lump·fish 
[lúmp fìsh] (plural lump·fish·es
or lump·fish) noun

fish
with thorny lumps: a marine fish of northern
waters that has a short scaleless body covered with rows of thorny lumps. Its
roe is eaten as a cheaper alternative to caviar. Family: Cyclopteridae
Also
called
lumpsucker
[Early 17th century. Lump,
from Middle Dutch lumpe “cod,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately
the same word as lump 1, referring
to the fish’s lumpy shape.][1]



lumpish

lumpish
lump·ish 
[lúmpish] adjective

1.  moving
awkwardly:
tending to move awkwardly or slowly and heavily

2.  unintelligent
and lethargic: with no intelligence, energy, or
enthusiasm (insult)
—lump·ish·ly,
adverb

—lump·ish·ness, noun[1]



lumpsucker

lumpsucker
lump·suck·er
[lúmp sùkər] (plural lump·suck·ers)
noun

See
lumpfish
[Mid-18th century. From
obsolete lump “lumpfish” + sucker .][1]



lumpsum

lumpsum
lump
sum
(plural lump sums) noun

single payment of total
amount: an amount of money that is
given in a single payment, rather than being divided into smaller periodic
payments[1]



lumpy

lumpy
lump·y 
[lúmpee] (comparative lump·i·er,
superlative lump·i·est) adjective

1.  with
lumps:
having or filled with lumps, especially when lumps are unwanted, for example,
in the upholstery of a chair or the mattress of a bed

2.  lacking
smoothness of texture: used to describe semiliquid
foods, for example, sauces and soups, that lack the normal appetizing
smoothness of texture

3.  cumbersome:
with a cumbersome quality or appearance

4.  choppy:
having or exhibiting short choppy waves
—lumpily,
adverb

—lump·i·ness, noun[1]



lumpyjaw

lumpyjaw
lump·y
jaw
noun

See
actinomycosis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lumumba,Patrice

Lumumba,Patrice
Lu·mum·ba
[l mmbə], Patrice (1925–1961)

Congolese statesman. The
first prime minister of the Republic of the Congo (1960–1961), his tenure was
marked by civil war.[1]



Luna

Luna
Lu·na 
[lnə] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
Moon goddess: the goddess of the Moon in Roman
mythology. Greek equivalent Selene

2.  CHEMISTRY silver:
the element silver in alchemy (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin,
“moon” (see lunar ).][1]



lunacy

lunacy
lu·na·cy 
[lnəssee] (plural lu·na·cies)
noun

1.  thoughtlessness:
unintelligent, inconsiderate, or misguided behavior, or an example of it

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive former term for any psychiatric disorder that rendered patients
legally incompetent and required them to be taken into care. This obsolete term
has never been used by physicians in medical or psychiatric contexts. (archaic
offensive)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from lunatic .][1]



lunamoth

lunamoth

lu·na
moth 
(plural lu·na moths) noun
large
N American moth: a large North American moth that has
spotted light-green wings with long thin extensions at the back that look like
tails. Latin name: Actias luna
[From Latin, “moon” (see lunar ); so called because of the crescent-shaped
spots on the moth’s wings][1]



lunar

lunar
lu·nar 
[lnər] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY relating
to moon:
relating to a moon or its movement around a planet, especially the Moon in
relation to the Earth

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY used
for travel to the Moon: for use in space travel to
or on the Moon

3.  crescent-shaped:
in the shape of a crescent moon

4.  pale:
pale and cold-looking, as the Moon is compared to the Sun
[15th century. From Latin lunaris,
from luna “moon” (source of English lunatic
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “light,” which is also the
ancestor of English light, luminous, and lucid
.][1]



lunarcaustic

lunarcaustic
lu·nar
caus·tic
noun

silver nitrate:
silver nitrate, especially when formed into small sticks (archaic)[1]



lunarcycle

lunarcycle
lu·nar
cy·cle
(plural lu·nar cy·cles) noun

Moon’s cycle as basis of
calendar: a principal means of
establishing a calendar, based on the cycles of the Moon. The Muslim calendar
is based on the lunar cycle.[1]



lunareclipse

lunareclipse
lu·nar
e·clipse
(plural lu·nar e·clips·es) noun

eclipse of the Moon:
an eclipse of the Moon caused by the Earth passing between the Sun and the Moon
and casting its shadow on the Moon[1]



lunarexcursion module

lunarexcursion module
lu·nar
ex·cur·sion mod·ule (plural lu·nar
ex·cur·sion mod·ules) noun

See
lunar module[1]



lunarian

lunarian
lu·nar·i·an 
[loo náiree ən] (plural lu·nar·i·ans)
noun

Moon
dweller:
in mythology and science fiction, an inhabitant of the Moon
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin lunaris (see lunar ).][1]



lunarmodule

lunarmodule
lu·nar
mod·ule
(plural lu·nar mod·ules) noun

spacecraft landing on Moon’s
surface: a small spacecraft used to
travel from an orbiting command module to the surface of the Moon and back.
Also called
lunar excursion module[1]



lunarmonth

lunarmonth
lu·nar
month
(plural lu·nar months) noun

1.  period
between new moons: the time between one new
moon and the next, a period of about 29.5 days. It is the time the Moon takes
to make one complete orbit of the Earth.
Also
called
synodic month
Also
called
lunation

2.  28-day
period:
a period of four weeks

[1]



LunarNew Year

LunarNew Year
Lu·nar
New Year
noun

Chinese New Year:
the Chinese New Year, which usually occurs at a point between late January and
mid-February[1]



lunarscape

lunarscape
lu·nar·scape 
[lnər skàyp] (plural lu·nar·capes)
noun

strange rocky landscape:
a rugged barren landscape of strange rock formations, similar to the surface of
the Moon[1]



lunaryear

lunaryear
lu·nar
year
(plural lu·nar years) noun

12 lunar months:
a period of 12 lunar months[1]



lunate

lunate
lu·nate 
[l nàyt] adjective lu·nate lu·nat·ed

crescent-shaped:
shaped like a crescent moon
noun
(plural lu·nates)

ANATOMY See lunate bone
[Late 18th century. From
Latin lunatus, from luna “moon” (see lunar
).][1]



lunatebone

lunatebone
lu·nate
bone
(plural lu·nate bones) noun

wrist
bone:
a bone of the wrist that articulates with the bones of the forearm.
Also
called
lunate
[From the bone’s shape][1]



lunatic

lunatic
lu·na·tic 
[lnətik] adjective

1.  thoughtless:
thoughtless, ridiculous, or reckless

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term formerly meaning affected by psychiatric disorder (offensive)
noun
(plural lu·na·tics)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who has a psychiatric disorder (offensive)

2.  irresponsible
person:
somebody who behaves in a wildly reckless manner (informal) • the
lunatic who ran a red light and hit our car
[13th century. Via French lunatique
from late Latin lunaticus, literally “moonstruck,” from Latin luna
“moon” (see lunar ). From the belief that
the changing phases of the Moon caused periodic symptoms.][1]



lunaticfringe

lunaticfringe
lu·na·tic
fringe
noun

holders of extreme views:
people whose views are regarded as eccentrically radical (insult)[1]



lunation

lunation
lu·na·tion 
[loo náysh’n] (plural lu·na·tions)
noun

See
lunar month  noun 1
[14th century. From the
medieval Latin stem lunation-, from Latin luna “moon” (see lunar ).][1]



lunch

lunch
lunch 
[lunch] noun (plural lunch·es)

1.  midday
meal:
a meal eaten in the middle of the day, especially a light meal that is not the
main meal of the day (often used before a noun)

2.  food
eaten at midday: the food prepared and eaten at the
midday meal • Our
lunch was soup and salad.

3.  Caribbean
afternoon
tea:
mid-afternoon tea, or an afternoon snack (dated)
intransitive
verb
(past lunched, past participle lunched, present
participle lunch·ing, 3rd person present singular lunch·es)

eat lunch: to
eat lunch, especially a specified kind of lunch eaten somewhere other than at
home
[Early
19th century. Shortening of luncheon .]
out
to lunch

displaying
thoughtlessness or unusual behavior that suggests a loss of touch with reality
(slang insult)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at dinner.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Naked Lunch, a novel by writer William Burroughs ( 1959 ). This controversial
  portrayal of drug abuse was written by Burroughs in Tunisia as he attempted
  to free himself of his own addiction. It consists of a series of surreal
  episodes linked by themes and characters and described in language that is by
  turns clinical, hallucinatory, poetic, and scatological.

[1]



lunchbox

lunchbox
lunch·box
[lúnch bòks] (plural lunch·boxes)
noun

sandwich container:
a container for sandwiches or other foods carried somewhere, for example, to
work, to eat for lunch.
Also called
lunchpail[1]



lunchcounter

lunchcounter
lunch
count·er
(plural lunch coun·ters) noun

lunch bar:
a long counter where sandwiches and snacks are served and sold, especially at
lunchtime[1]



luncheon

luncheon
lunch·eon 
[lúnchən] (plural lunch·eons) noun

1.  lunch:
lunch (formal)

2.  midday
gathering with food: an organized gathering in
the middle of the day, with invited guests being served a meal and often
offered some form of entertainment, for example, a guest speaker
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of earlier nuncheon “snack,” from noon + obsolete schench “drink,” under the
influence of obsolete lunch “piece of bread.”][1]



luncheonette

luncheonette
lunch·eon·ette 
[lùnchə nét] (plural lunch·eon·ettes)
noun

small simple restaurant:
a small fairly simple restaurant serving full lunch menus and snacks, and often
breakfast.
Also called
lunchroom[1]



luncheonmeat

luncheonmeat
lunch·eon
meat
(plural lunch·eon meats) noun

cold processed meat:
processed meat, for example, ham, sold in a loaf or sliced, and usually eaten
cold.
Also called
lunch meat[1]



lunchmeat

lunchmeat
lunch·meat 
(plural lunch·meats) noun

See
luncheon meat[1]



lunchpail

lunchpail
lunch·pail
(plural lunch·pail) noun

See
lunchbox[1]



lunchroom

lunchroom
lunch·room 
[lúnch rm, lúnch
rm] (plural lunch·rooms) noun

1.  room
for eating lunch: a room in a school or office where
people can buy lunch or eat a packed lunch

2.  See
luncheonette

[1]



lunchtime

lunchtime
lunch·time 
[lúnch tm] noun

time for eating lunch:
the time, around the middle of the day, when lunch is usually eaten (often
used before a noun)[1]



Lund

Lund
Lund 
[lund]

historic city in southern
Sweden, situated about 18 km/11 mi northeast of Malmö. Population: 96,557
(1995)[1]



Lunda

Lunda
Lun·da
[lndə, lndə]
noun

Bantu
language:
a Bantu language spoken in western parts of Central Africa, especially in
Zaïre. It belongs to the Benue-Congo branch of Niger-Congo languages. Lunda is
spoken by about 82,000 people.
[Late
19th century. From Bantu .]
—Lun·da, adjective[1]



lune

lune
lune
[loon] (plural lunes) noun

1.  GEOMETRY crescent
area on plane or sphere: a crescent-shaped area on
the surface of a plane or sphere defined by two semicircles whose common end
points are diametrically opposed

2.  CHRISTIANITY See lunette  noun 6
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Latin luna “moon” (see lunar
); so called because its shape resembles a crescent moon.][1]



lunette

lunette
lu·nette 
[loo nét] (plural lu·nettes) noun

1.  crescent-shaped
object:
any object that has a crescent shape

2.  ARCHITECTURE window
in domed ceiling: an arch-shaped window at the height of a
domed ceiling

3.  ARCHITECTURE semicircular
panel:
a semicircular panel on a wall, containing a window, painting, or frieze

4.  vehicle’s
towing ring: a metal ring on a vehicle to which a
rope can be attached for towing

5.  GEOGRAPHY crescent-shaped
mound of silt: a crescent-shaped mound of fine silt or
clay similar in form to a sand dune, found especially near the edge of a
temporary lake

6.  CHRISTIANITY container
used in Roman Catholic Mass: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a crescent-shaped container in which the consecrated bread is placed
during a Mass.
Also
called
lune
[Late 16th century. Via
French, literally “little moon,” from, ultimately, Latin luna (see lunar ).][1]



lung

lung

lung 
[lung] (plural lungs) noun

1.  respiratory
organ in vertebrates: in air-breathing vertebrate
animals, either of the paired spongy respiratory organs, situated inside the
rib cage, that transfer oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from it
(often used before a noun)

2.  respiratory
organ in invertebrates: any of various respiratory
organs found in invertebrate animals, especially the highly vascular region of
the mantle cavity in some terrestrial snails
[Old
English . Ultimately, from an Indo-European base meaning “light,” which is also
the ancestor of English light 2 .]
at the top of your lungs

extremely loudly (informal)[1]



lungan

lungan
lun·gan
noun

See
longan[1]



lunge

lunge
lunge 
[lunj] noun (plural lung·es)

1.  sudden
forward movement: a sudden strong attacking movement
forward

2.  FENCING quick
thrust:
a sudden thrust made at an opponent
intransitive
verb
(past lunged, past participle lunged, present
participle lung·ing, 3rd person present singular lung·es)

1.  move
suddenly forward threateningly: to make a sudden
attacking movement, thrusting forward

2.  FENCING make a
quick thrust: to execute a sudden thrust at an
opponent, especially with the sword or épée extended parallel to the floor
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of French allonger, via Old French alongier “to lengthen” from,
ultimately, Latin longus “long.” The underlying meaning is “to lengthen
one’s reach.”][1]



lungfish

lungfish
lung·fish 
[lúng fìsh] (plural lung·fish·es
or lung·fish) noun

fish with gills and lungs:
any of various bony fishes of Australia, Africa, and South America that inhabit
freshwater swamps and pools and have one or two lungs for breathing air as well
as gills. They often become inactive and cocoon themselves in mud during the
dry season. Order: Dipneusti[1]



lungi

lungi
lun·gi
[lng gee, lnjee]
(plural lun·gis) or lun·gyi [lng gee, lnjee]
(plural lun·gyis) noun

garment
for lower body: a long piece of cloth, often brightly
colored, traditionally worn by men as a loincloth in the Indian subcontinent
and like a skirt by men and women in Myanmar
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi lungī from Persian .][1]



lungworm

lungworm
lung·worm 
[lúng wùrm] (plural lung·worms)
noun

parasitic lung-dwelling
nematode worm: a parasitic nematode
worm that inhabits the lungs of mammals and birds, sometimes causing coughs or
respiratory distress[1]



lungwort

lungwort
lung·wort 
[lúng wùrt, lúng
wàwrt] (plural lung·worts) noun

1.  woodland
plant:
any of various perennial woodland plants native to Europe and Asia that have
clusters of purple or blue tubular flowers, often pink as buds. They were used
in the past to treat respiratory disorders. Genus: Pulmonaria

2.  plant
of borage family: any of various plants belonging to the
borage family that have dangling clusters of blue flowers. They are found in
northern temperate regions. Genus: Mertensia

3.  lichen
resembling lung tissue: a lichen that bears a
superficial resemblance to lung tissue. It is dark green when wet and pale
greenish-brown when dry. It was used in the past to treat lung diseases. Latin
name: Lobaria pulmonaria
[Old English lungenwyrt
. So called from the belief that such plants cured lung disorders.][1]



lungyi

lungyi
lun·gyi 
noun

See
lungi[1]



lunisolar

lunisolar
lu·ni·so·lar 
[lnee sṓlər] adjective

relating to Sun and Moon:
relating to both the Sun and the Moon, especially to the gravitational pull of
both the Sun and the Moon[1]



lunitidalinterval

lunitidalinterval
lu·ni·ti·dal
in·ter·val
[lnee td’l íntervel] (plural lu·ni·ti·dal
in·ter·vals) noun

interval between moon and
tide: the time between the moon’s
passing a given point and the next high tide at that point[1]



lunker

lunker
lunk·er 
[lúngkər] (plural lunk·ers) noun

something
very large:
something, especially a game fish, that is very big compared with other things
of the same type (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



lunkhead

lunkhead
lunk·head 
[lúngk hèd] (plural lunk·heads)
noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody considered to be unintelligent (insult)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of lump 1 + head .][1]



Lunt,Alfred

Lunt,Alfred
Lunt
[lunt], Alfred (1893–1977)

U.S.
actor and director. Appearing in plays with his wife Lynn Fontanne, he enjoyed
a successful career as a comedy actor.
Full name
Lunt, Alfred David[1]



lunula

lunula
lu·nu·la 
[lnyələ] (plural lu·nu·lae [lnyəlee]) or lu·nule [ln yl] (plural lu·nules) noun

ANATOMY semicircular
mark:
a semicircular mark, especially the white crescent-shaped area at the base of
the fingernail (technical)
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “small moon,” from luna (see lunar ).]
—lu·nu·lar,
adjective

—lu·nu·late [lnyə làyt], adjective[1]



Luo

Luo
Lu·o
[l ] (plural Lu·o or Lu·os)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of an African
people who migrated from the Upper Nile Valley, establishing a dynasty among
the Bantu-speaking people in the lake region of eastern Africa, around Bunyoro

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in Kenya and Tanzania: a language spoken in parts
of Kenya and Tanzania that belongs to the Nilotic branch of Nilo-Saharan
languages. Luo is spoken by about six million people.
[Early
20th century. From Luo .]
—Lu·o, adjective[1]



Luoyang

Luoyang
Luo·yang 
[lw yng]

city in Henan Province,
northern China, situated on the Luo River. It alternated with Xi’an as the
capital of ancient China, and after 1948 became a major industrial center.
Population: 1,190,000 (1991)[1]



lupine

lupine1

lu·pine1  [lpən]
(plural lu·pines) or lu·pin [lpən] (plural lu·pins) noun
plant
with tall flower spikes: any of various annual or
perennial plants that have tall spikes of flowers and seeds in pods. They are
native to the northern hemisphere. Genus: Lupinus
[14th century. From Latin lupinus
“wolflike” (see lupine 2 ).][1]



lupine

lupine2
lu·pine2 [l
pn] adjective

1.  relating
to a wolf:
relating to wolves, or resembling a wolf

2.  ravenous:
wildly hungry or greedy in behavior or character
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
lupinus, from lupus “wolf.” Ultimately, from the Indo-European
word for “wolf,” which is also the ancestor of English wolf and lycanthrope
.][1]



lupulin

lupulin
lu·pu·lin 
[lpyəlin] noun

bitter
constituent of hops: a sticky yellow powder found
in hop cones and containing the resins and essential oils that give beer its
bitter taste. It was formerly used as a sedative.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin lupulus, species name, from Latin, “hop plant,”
literally “little wolf,” from lupus “wolf.”][1]



lupus

lupus
lu·pus 
[lpəss] noun

1.  See
lupus erythematosus

2.  See
lupus vulgaris
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “wolf.” So called because people having the disease were thought to look
as if they had been attacked by a wolf.][1]



Lupus

Lupus
Lu·pus
[lpəss] noun

southern constellation on
Milky Way: a constellation of the
southern hemisphere lying in the Milky Way, located between Scorpius and
Centaurus[1]



lupuserythematosus

lupuserythematosus
lu·pus
er·y·the·ma·to·sus  [lpəss
èrrə theemə tṓssəss, lpəss èrrə themmə tṓssəss]
noun

disease
of connective tissue: either of two inflammatory
diseases affecting connective tissue. One discoid lupus erythematosus is
largely confined to the skin, the other systemic lupus erythematosus affects
the joints and internal organs.
Also
called
lupus
[Erythematosus via modern Latin
from Greek eruthēma (see erythema )][1]



lupusvulgaris

lupusvulgaris
lu·pus
vul·gar·is 
[lpəss vul gáiriss] noun

tuberculosis
of skin:
tuberculosis of the skin in which reddish-brown patches develop on the face,
leading to tissue destruction and scarring.
Also
called
lupus
[From modern Latin, “common lupus”][1]



lurch

lurch2
lurch2 [lurch]
noun

losing
position in cribbage: in the card game cribbage,
the state of being left with less than 30 points or half the winner’s score at
the end of a game
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from lurching
“decisive defeat at ‘lorche’” (a game resembling backgammon), from obsolete
French lourche, of uncertain origin.]
leave
somebody in the lurch

to leave somebody in a
difficult or embarrassing situation and offer no help[1]



lurch

lurch1
lurch1 [lurch]
intransitive verb (past lurched, past participle lurched,
present participle lurch·ing, 3rd person present singular lurch·es)

1.  move
violently:
to lean or pitch suddenly to one side

2.  move
unsteadily:
to move along unsteadily, swaying from side to side
noun
(plural lurch·es)

sudden sideways movement:
a sudden unbalanced movement to the side
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—lurch·ing·ly, adverb[1]



lurcher

lurcher
lurch·er 
[lúrchər] (plural lurch·ers) noun

1.  U.K.
hunting
dog:
a long-limbed crossbred dog that has predominant greyhound features, especially
one used by poachers for catching rabbits

2.  petty
criminal:
somebody who engages in petty thieving or poaching (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From lurch
“to lurk,” of uncertain origin: probably a variant of lurk
.][1]



lure

lure
lure 
[loor] transitive verb (past lured,
past participle lured, present participle lur·ing, 3rd
person present singular lures)

1.  entice:
to persuade somebody to go so somewhere or do something by offering something
tempting

2.  recall
falcon:
to persuade a falcon to return by swinging a device in the air to attract its
attention
noun
(plural lures)

1.  something
that entices: something that attracts or entices
somebody to do something or go somewhere

2.  attraction:
the attractive or tempting quality that something has

3.  device
attracting fish: a device attached to a fishing line to
attract fish

4.  device
for recalling falcon: a device swung through the
air to attract or recall a falcon, usually a leather bag attached to the end of
a line
[13th
century. From Old French luere, of Germanic origin.]
—lur·er, noun[1]



Lurex

Lurex
Lur·ex
[l rèks] Trademark

a trademark for a
plastic-coated metallic thread or fabric made from this[1]



Luria,Isaac ben Solomon

Luria,Isaac ben Solomon
Lu·ri·a
[lree ə], Isaac ben Solomon (1534–1572)

Palestinian
mystic and scholar. He founded a school of cabbalistic thought.
Known as
The Lion[1]



Luria,Salvador

Luria,Salvador
Lu·ri·a
[lree ə], Salvador (1912–1991)

Italian-born
U.S. biologist. He won a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1969) for his
research into the way viruses reproduce.
Full name
Luria, Salvador Edward[1]



lurid

lurid
lu·rid 
[lrid] adjective

1.  horrifying
or shocking: sensational and shocking, with graphic
details of horror, devastation, or violence

2.  unattractively
bright:
of a sickeningly intense brightness or boldness of color • a
lurid green

3.  glowing
unnaturally: glowing with an unnaturally vivid
brightness

4.  pallid:
with a pale sickly complexion
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin luridus “pale yellow, ghastly,” of unknown origin.]
—lu·rid·ly,
adverb

—lu·rid·ness, noun[1]



Lurie,Alison

Lurie,Alison
Lu·rie
[lree], Alison (1926– )

U.S. novelist and scholar.
Many of her novels deal with middle-class discontent. She won the Pulitzer
Prize for fiction (1985).[1]



lurk

lurk
lurk 
[lurk] (past lurked, past
participle lurked, present participle lurk·ing, 3rd
person present singular lurks, plural lurks) intransitive
verb

1.  move
or wait furtively: to move about furtively, or
wait in a concealed position or a shadowy corner, especially with the intention
of doing something wrong • a
figure lurking in the bushes

2.  exist
unsuspected: to exist as an unsuspected threat or
danger

3.  COMPUTING read
but not send messages: to read messages sent to an
online discussion forum without contributing (slang)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin.]
—lurk·er,
noun

—lurk·ing, adjective[1]



Lurlei

Lurlei
Lur·lei

See
Lorelei[1]



Lusaka

Lusaka
Lu·sa·ka 
[loo skə]

capital city of Zambia,
situated in the southern central part of the country, about 145 km/90 mi
northeast of Kariba Dam, on the Zimbabwe border. Population: 982,362 (1989)[1]



luscious

luscious
lus·cious 
[lúshəss] adjective

1.  sweet
and juicy:
with a rich, sweet, and juicy taste

2.  romantic
and emotional: written in a dramatic and romantic style
with a strong appeal to the emotions and senses

3.  desirable:
very desirable physically, especially with a strong and direct sexual presence
(informal)
[14th
century. Alteration of earlier licious, of uncertain origin: possibly a
shortening of delicious .]
—lus·cious·ly,
adverb

—lus·cious·ness, noun[1]



lush

lush1
lush1 [lush]
adjective

1.  growing
vigorously:
producing a lot of vigorous rich young growth

2.  with
rich taste:
tasting rich, sweet, and juicy

3.  luxurious:
with luxurious decoration and furnishings

4.  in
a dramatic style: written in a dramatic style that is
intended to produce an emotional response

5.  sexy:
voluptuously sensual in appearance or behavior (informal)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of lache “loose,
weak,” via Old French, “soft,” from, ultimately, Latin laxus “loose.”]
—lush·ly,
adverb

—lush·ness, noun[1]



lush

lush2
lush2 [lush]
noun (plural lush·es)

1.  heavy
drinker:
somebody who regularly drinks too much alcohol (slang disapproving)

2.  alcohol:
alcoholic drink (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past lushed, past participle lushed, present
participle lush·ing, 3rd person present singular lush·es)

drink heavily:
to drink too much alcohol regularly (slang disapproving)
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Lushun

Lushun
Lu·shun 
[l shn] or Lü-shun [l shn]

town and seaport in Liaoning
Province, northeastern China, situated opposite the northern coast of Shandong.
Former name Port Arthur[1]



Lusitania

Lusitania
Lu·si·ta·ni·a 
[lssi táynee ə]

ancient
region and Roman province, corresponding approximately to present-day Portugal
and the Spanish provinces of Salamanca and Cáceres
—Lu·si·ta·ni·an, adjective,
noun[1]



lust

lust
lust 
[lust] noun

1.  sexual
desire:
the strong physical desire to have sex with somebody, usually without
associated feelings of love or affection

2.  eagerness:
great eagerness or enthusiasm for something • the
lust for power
intransitive
verb
(past lust·ed, past participle lust·ed, present
participle lust·ing, 3rd person present singular lusts)

1.  desire
sexually:
to feel a strong desire to have sex with somebody

2.  be
eager for something: to have a very strong desire
to obtain something
[Old English, “pleasure,
desire.” Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to be eager,” which is
also the ancestor of English lascivious
.][1]



luster

luster
lus·ter 
[lústər] noun (plural lus·ters)

1.  soft
sheen:
a soft sheen of reflected light, especially from metal that has been polished
gently

2.  shininess:
a bright and shiny condition or tone

3.  splendor:
the glory and magnificence of a great achievement

4.  polish:
polish or wax used to give something a shiny finish

5.  chandelier:
a chandelier or candelabrum made of cut glass, designed to reflect the light

6.  glass
pendant on chandelier: any of the decorative pieces
of cut glass hanging from a chandelier

7.  CERAMICS glaze
on pottery:
an opalescent metallic glaze on pottery, especially porcelain

8.  MINERALS light
reflected by a mineral: the quality and amount of
light reflected from the surface of a mineral. This is one of the ways in which
a mineral is defined, the highest degree of luster being splendent.

9.  TEXTILES glossy
fabric:
fabric with a sheen or glossy surface

10. TIME See lustrum  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past lus·tered, past participle lus·tered, present
participle lus·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular lus·ters)

1.  impart
glossy finish to: to impart a glossy finish or coating to
something

2.  glorify:
to give something a glorious or magnificent quality
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin lustrare “to brighten,” from lustrum
“purification” (see lustrum ).][1]



lustful

lustful
lust·ful 
[lústfəl] adjective

strongly
desiring sex: with strong feelings of sexual desire
—lust·ful·ly,
adverb

—lust·ful·ness, noun[1]



lustra

lustra
lus·tra

Plural of
lustrum[1]



lustral

lustral
lus·tral 
[lústrəl] adjective

1.  RELIGION spiritually
purifying:
serving to purify the spirit, or relating to ceremonies of religious
purification

2.  TIME happening
five-yearly: taking place once every five years
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
lustralis, from lustrum (see lustrum
).][1]



lustrate

lustrate
lus·trate 
[lú stràyt] (past lus·trat·ed,
past participle lus·trat·ed, present participle lus·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular lus·trates) transitive verb

purify
spiritually: to make somebody or something
spiritually pure by means of a special religious ceremony
[Early
17th century. From Latin lustrare “to purify by lustral rites,” from lustrum
(see lustrum ).]
—lus·tra·tion
[lu stráysh’n], noun

—lus·tra·tive [lústrətiv], adjective[1]



lustre

lustre
lus·tre
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
luster[1]



lustrous

lustrous
lus·trous 
[lústrəss] adjective

shining:
with a soft shine or gloss
—lus·trous·ly,
adverb

—lus·trous·ness, noun[1]



lustrum

lustrum
lus·trum 
[lústrəm] (plural lus·trums or
lus·tra [lústrə]) noun (formal)

1.  TIME five-year
period:
a period of five years.
Also
called
luster

2.  HISTORY Roman
purification: purification of the entire ancient Roman
people, taking place every five years after the census
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “purification.” Probably ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“light, bright.”][1]



lusty

lusty
lust·y 
[lústee] (comparative lust·i·er,
superlative lust·i·est) adjective

1.  strong
and healthy: in extremely good physical health,
especially possessing great stamina and strength

2.  energetic:
full of energy, vitality, and enthusiasm

3.  lustful:
strongly desiring sex
—lust·i·ly,
adverb

—lust·i·ness, noun[1]



lususnaturae

lususnaturae
lu·sus
na·tu·rae 
[lssəss nə tree] (plural lu·sus
na·tu·rae or lu·sus·es na·tu·rae) noun

abnormal
thing:
something that has developed abnormally (literary)
[From Latin, literally “sport
of nature”][1]



lute

lute2
lute2 [loot]
noun (plural lutes)

1.  BUILDING sealant
used in the construction industry: any substance, for
example, clay or cement, used for sealing apertures, joints, or porous surfaces
in the construction industry

2.  COOKING flour
and water paste: a paste of flour and water used in
cooking as a seal, for example, to keep a casserole lid on tight

3.  DENTISTRY paste
used in dentistry: a paste used in dentistry to
attach a crown or cap onto a tooth
transitive
verb
(past lut·ed, past participle lut·ed, present
participle lut·ing, 3rd person present singular lutes)

seal with lute:
to seal, pack, or coat something using lute
[14th century. Directly or
via French from medieval Latin lutum, from Latin, “mud, potter’s clay.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “dirt,” which is also the
ancestor of English pollute .][1]



lute

lute1


lute1 [loot]
(plural lutes) noun
musical
instrument:
a plucked musical instrument that is similar to the guitar but has a
pear-shaped body with a flat front. It was popular from the 14th to the 17th
century.
[13th century. Via Old French
lut from, ultimately, Arabic al-`ūd .][1]



luteal

luteal
lu·te·al 
[ltee əl] adjective

of
a menstrual stage: relating to the stage of the
menstrual cycle between the formation of a yellow mass of tissue ( corpus luteum ) after the release of an ovum and
the start of the next period
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin luteus “yellow” + -al .][1]



lutefisk

lutefisk
lu·te·fisk 
[ltə fìsk] or lut·fisk [lt fìsk] noun

dried
cod:
a Scandinavian dish of dried cod, preserved in potash lye, then skinned, boned,
and boiled
[Early 20th century. From
Norwegian, from lut “lye” + fisk “fish.”][1]



lutein

lutein
lu·te·in 
[ltee in, l
tn] noun

1.  yellow
pigment in egg yolk: the yellowish pigment found
in egg yolk, some algae, and many plants, as well as in the tissue ( corpus luteum ) formed following the release of an
ovum

2.  dried
tissue:
a powdered preparation of the tissue ( corpus
luteum ) formed following the release of an ovum
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin luteus “yellow.”][1]



luteinizinghormone

luteinizinghormone
lu·te·in·iz·ing
hor·mone 
[ltee i nīzing háwr mn, lti nīzing háwr mn] noun

pituitary gland hormone:
a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It causes the ovary to produce one
or more eggs, to secrete the hormone progesterone, and to form the corpus
luteum. In the male, the luteinizing hormone promotes the secretion of male sex
hormones by the testes.[1]



luteinizinghormone-releasing hormone

luteinizinghormone-releasing hormone
lu·te·in·iz·ing
hor·mone-re·leas·ing hor·mone  or lu·te·in·iz·ing
hor·mone-re·leas·ing fac·tor noun

a hormone, released by the
hypothalamus, that triggers the secretion of luteinizing hormone by the
anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. It is now known to be identical with
gonadotropin-releasing hormone.[1]



lutenist

lutenist
lu·te·nist 
[lt’nist] (plural lu·te·nists)
noun

lute
player:
somebody who plays the lute.
Also
called
lutist
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin lutanista, from lutana “lute,” of uncertain
origin: probably from Old French lut (see lute 1 ).][1]



lutetium

lutetium

lu·te·ti·um 
[loo tshee əm] noun
metallic
element:
a silvery-white metallic chemical element that belongs to the rare-earth
series. It is used as a catalyst in the nuclear industries. Symbol Lu
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin Lutetia, an ancient name for Paris, the native city of the
French chemist Georges Urbains ( 1872–1938 ), who discovered the element.][1]



Lutheran

Lutheran
Lu·ther·an
[lthərən] noun (plural Lu·ther·ans)

adherent
of Lutheranism: a Christian who is a member of the
Protestant church established by Martin Luther Lutheran Church
adjective

relating to Lutheranism:
relating or belonging to Lutheranism[1]



Lutheranism

Lutheranism
Lu·ther·an·ism
[lthərə nìzzəm] noun

first form of Protestantism:
the first form of Protestantism, founded by Martin Luther in 16th-century
Germany. It focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ and stresses individual
faith over collective church authority. Spreading first through northern
Europe, particularly Scandinavia, it now has adherents worldwide.[1]



Luther,Martin

Luther,Martin

Lu·ther
[lthər], Martin (1483–1546)
German theologian and religious reformer.
His 95 theses against papal indulgences (1517) launched the Protestant
Reformation.[1]



luthier

luthier
lu·thi·er 
[ltee ər] (plural lu·thi·ers)
noun

stringed-instrument
maker:
somebody who makes and repairs violins and other stringed instruments
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from luth “lute,” from Old French lut (see lute 1 ).][1]



lutist

lutist
lu·tist 
[ltist] (plural lu·tists) noun

See
lutenist[1]



lutz

lutz
lutz 
[luts, lts]
(plural lutz·es) noun

figure-skating
jump:
a figure-skating jump from the back edge of one skate, landing on the back edge
of the other, with one or more full rotations
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of the name of the Swiss figure skater
Gustave Lussi ( born 1898 ), who introduced the jump.][1]



Luwian

Luwian
Lu·wi·an 
[l ee ən] noun

extinct
Anatolian language: an extinct Anatolian
language belonging to the Indo-European group of languages
[Early
20th century. Translation of German Luwisch, from Luwia “Luvia,”
the name of an ancient region of Asia Minor where the language was used.]
—Luwian, adjective[1]



lux

lux
lux 
[luks] (plural lu·ces [l seez]) noun

unit
of illumination: the SI unit of illumination, equal to
one lumen per square meter. Symbol lx
[Late 19th century. From
Latin lux “light” (source of English lucid
).][1]



Lux.

Lux.
Lux.

Abbreviation of
Luxembourg[1]



luxate

luxate
lux·ate 
[lúk sàyt] (past lux·at·ed, past
participle lux·at·ed, present participle lux·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular lux·ates) transitive verb

dislocate:
to displace the bones of a joint (technical)
[Early
17th century. From Latin luxare, from luxus “dislocated.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn away,” which is also the
ancestor of English lock, luxury, and leek
.]
—lux·a·tion [luk sáysh’n], noun[1]



Luxembourg

Luxembourg



Lux·em·bourg 
[lúksəm bùrg]

1.  country
in western Europe bordered by Belgium, Germany, and France. Language:
Luxembourgish. Currency: Luxembourg franc. Capital: Luxembourg (City).
Population: 420,415 (1997) Area: 2,586 sq km/998 sq mi. Official name
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

2.  the
largest and southernmost province of Belgium. Population: 241,339 (1996) Area:
4,440 sq km/1,714 sq mi.
—Lux·em·bourg·er, noun[1]



Luxembourg




Back to definition

Luxembourg

[1]



LuxembourgCity

LuxembourgCity
Lux·em·bourg
City

capital of Luxembourg,
situated in the southern central part of the country. Population: 76,446 (1995)[1]



Luxembourgish

Luxembourgish
Lux·em·bourg·ish
[lúksəm bùrg ish] noun

language
of Luxembourg: the official language of Luxembourg, a
form of German with many French elements
—Lux·em·bourg·ish, adjective[1]



Luxemburg,Rosa

Luxemburg,Rosa

Lux·em·burg
[lúksəm bùrg], Rosa (1871–1919)
Polish-born German political activist.
With Karl Liebknecht she founded the Spartacus League (1916), which became the
German Communist Party. She was murdered by German soldiers.[1]



Luxor

Luxor
Lux·or 
[lúk sawr, lk
sawr]

town on the eastern bank of
the Nile River, eastern central Egypt. Population: 146,000 (1992)[1]



luxulyanite

luxulyanite
lux·ul·yan·ite 
[luk slyə nt] noun

type
of granite:
a rare type of granite that contains needles of tourmaline in quartz and
feldspar
[Late 19th century. Named for
the village of Luxullian in Cornwall, England, where it was first
found.][1]



luxuriant

luxuriant
lux·u·ri·ant 
[lug zhree ənt, luk
shree ənt] adjective

1.  lush:
with a lot of young rich healthy growth • luxuriant
ground cover

2.  growing
profusely:
growing thickly and profusely • a
luxuriant mane of dark curly hair

3.  elaborate:
written in an elaborate, showy, and dramatic style

4.  productive:
producing vast quantities of something

5.  luxurious:
of a luxurious rich character
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin luxuriant-, the present participle stem of luxuriare
(see luxuriate ).]
—lux·u·ri·ance,
noun

—lux·u·ri·ant·ly, adverb[1]



luxuriate

luxuriate
lux·u·ri·ate 
[lug zhree àyt, luk
shree àyt] (past lux·u·ri·at·ed, past participle lux·u·ri·at·ed,
present participle lux·u·ri·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular lux·u·ri·ates) intransitive verb

1.  derive
great enjoyment: to enjoy something in a self-indulgent
way, taking great pleasure from the luxury and comfort that it offers

2.  grow
vigorously:
to grow vigorously and successfully
[Early 17th century. From
Latin luxuriat-, the past participle stem of luxuriare, from luxuria
“profusion, excess.”][1]



luxurious

luxurious
lux·u·ri·ous 
[lug zhree əss, luk
shree əss] adjective

1.  comfortable
and expensive: very comfortable, with high-quality
expensive furnishings or fabrics

2.  enjoying
luxury:
with a liking for luxury, or used to living in luxury
—lux·u·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—lux·u·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



luxury

luxury
lux·u·ry 
[lúgzhəree, lúkshəree]
(plural lux·u·ries) noun

1.  pleasurable
self-indulgent activity: an activity that gives great
pleasure, especially one only rarely indulged in

2.  nonessential
item:
an item that is desirable but not essential, and often expensive or hard to get
(often used before a noun)

3.  great
comfort:
expensive high-quality surroundings, and the great comfort that they provide (often
used before a noun)
[14th century. Via Old French
luxurie from Latin luxuria “profusion, excess,” from luxus
“dislocated.”][1]



Luzon

Luzon
Lu·zon 
[loo zón]

the largest island in the
Philippines, situated in the northern part of the country. Population:
30,759,000 (1990) Area: 104,687 sq km/40,420 sq mi.[1]



lv.

lv.
lv.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of leave[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Lv.

Lv.
Lv.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Leviticus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








LV

LV
LV

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Latvia[1]



Lv

Lv
Lv

Abbreviation of
lev[1]



Lviv

Lviv
Lviv
[lə víf] or L’viv or Lvov
[lə vóf]

industrial city in western
Ukraine, capital of L’viv Oblast. Population: 806,000 (1995)[1]



LVN

LVN
LVN
or L.V.N.

Abbreviation of
licensed vocational nurse[1]



LW

LW
LW

Abbreviation of
low water[1]



lwei

lwei
lwei 
[lway] (plural lweis or
lwei) noun

1.  Angolan
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Angola

2.  coin
worth lwei:
a coin worth one lwei
[Late 20th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



LWM

LWM
LWM

Abbreviation of
low water mark[1]



lx

lx
lx

Symbol for
lux[1]



-ly

-ly
-ly
suffix

1.  like,
having the characteristics of • brotherly
• kindly

2.  in
a particular manner • briefly

3.  recurring
at a particular interval of time • monthly
[The adjective is from Old
English -līc ; the adverb from Old English -līce . Both
ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “body, form,” which is also the
ancestor of English like and alike .][1]



lyase

lyase
ly·ase 
[l àyss, l àyz]
(plural ly·ases) noun

enzyme:
any of a group of enzymes that catalyze either the formation of a double bond
within a chemical compound, or the addition of a chemical group at a double
bond
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek luein “to loosen” (see lysis
).][1]



lycanthrope

lycanthrope
ly·can·thrope 
[lkən thrp, lī
kán thrp] (plural ly·can·thropes) noun

werewolf:
a werewolf (literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek lukanthrōpos, from lukos “wolf” + anthrōpos
“human being.”][1]



lycanthropy

lycanthropy
ly·can·thro·py 
[lī kánthrəpee] noun

transformation into a wolf:
in horror stories and legends, the transformation of a person into a wolf[1]



lyceum

lyceum
ly·ce·um 
[lī s əm] (plural ly·ce·ums) noun

1.  building
for public events: a building where concerts,
lectures, and other public events take place (usually used in names of
buildings)

2.  sponsor:
an organization that arranges or sponsors public events and entertainment
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Lukeion (gymnasion), name of the school near Athens where
Aristotle taught, which was named for the nearby temple of Apollo Lukeios
.][1]



lychee

lychee
ly·chee
[lchee] (plural ly·chees) or
li·tchi [lchee] (plural li·tchis)
or li·chee [lchee] (plural
li·chees) noun

1.  FOOD Chinese
fruit:
a small round sweet and juicy Chinese fruit with whitish translucent pulp and a
red heart-shaped crust

2.  TREES Chinese
tree:
the tree that lychees grow on. Latin name: Litchi chinensis
[Late 16th century. From
Mandarin Chinese lìzhī .][1]



lych-gate

lych-gate
lych-gate 
[lích gàyt] (plural lych-gates)
or lich-gate [lích gàyt] (plural
lich-gates) noun

covered
gateway into churchyard: a covered gateway into a
churchyard. Traditionally, pallbearers would rest the coffin there before
carrying it into the church.
[15th century. From Old
English līc “body, corpse” + gate .][1]



Lycian

Lycian
Ly·ci·an 
[líshee ən, lísh’n]
(plural Ly·ci·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Lycia:
somebody from the ancient region of Lycia, in Asia Minor

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
language of Lycians: an extinct language spoken
by the ancient Lycians, belonging to the Anatolian group of languages
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin Lycia “Lycia,” from Greek Lukia
.]
—Ly·ci·an, adjective[1]



lycopodium

lycopodium
ly·co·po·di·um 
[lkə pṓdee əm] (plural ly·co·po·di·ums)
noun

1.  moss
with branching stems: a plant that is a kind of
club moss, with long branching stems covered in small leaves. It has small
spore-carrying cones. Genus: Lycopodium

2.  flammable
powder:
a flammable powder, composed of spores of lycopodium and other club mosses,
used in the past as a coating for pills and suppositories, in fireworks, and in
foundry work
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek lukos “wolf” + the stem pod-
“foot”; so called because of the plant’s clawlike foot.][1]



Lycra

Lycra
Ly·cra
[lkrə] Trademark

a trademark for a lightweight
elastic polyurethane fabric that is widely used in the manufacture of clothing,
particularly sportswear and swimwear[1]



lyddite

lyddite
lyd·dite 
[lí dt] noun

explosive:
a powerful explosive consisting mainly of picric acid mixed with 10 percent
nitrobenzene and 3 percent petroleum jelly. It is used in shells.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the town of Lydd in Kent, England, where the explosive was first
tested.][1]



Lydia

Lydia
Lyd·i·a 
[líddee ə]

ancient country in the
northwestern part of present-day Turkey, on the Aegean Sea. It reached its peak
of wealth in the 7th and 6th centuries BC
before being conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia about 546 BC .[1]



Lydian

Lydian
Lyd·i·an 
[líddee ən] noun (plural Lyd·i·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Lydia:
somebody from the ancient region of Lydia

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
language of Lydians: an extinct language spoken
by the Lydians, belonging to the Anatolian group of languages
adjective

relating to Lydia:
relating to ancient Lydia, or to its people, culture, or language
[15th century. Formed from
Latin Lydius, from Greek Ludios “Lydia.”][1]



lye

lye
lye
[lī] noun

strong
chemical cleaner: a strong solution of sodium hydroxide or
potassium hydroxide in water, used in industrial drain and oven cleaners
[Old English lēag .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to wash,” which is also the
ancestor of English lather, lotion, and deluge
.][1]



Lyele

Lyele
Ly·ele
[lyé lày] noun

language
spoken in Burkina Faso: a language spoken in parts
of Burkina Faso, belonging to the Gur branch of Niger-Congo languages. Lyele is
spoken by about 60,000 people.
—Ly·ele, adjective[1]



lygusbug

lygusbug
ly·gus
bug 
[lgəss bùg] (plural ly·gus bugs)
noun

plant-eating
insect:
a plant-eating insect that is especially common in North America, where it is a
pest of cotton and other crops. Genus: Lygus
[[Lygus], modern Latin, genus
name, of uncertain origin: probably from Greek lugos “chaste-tree,
withy”][1]



lying

lying
ly·ing

Present participle of
lie 1 Present
participle of lie 2[1]



lying-in

lying-in
ly·ing-in 
(plural ly·ings-in) noun

time around childbirth:
the period of time leading up to and immediately following childbirth, during
which women used to be confined to bed (archaic) (often used before a
noun)[1]



Lymedisease

Lymedisease
Lyme
dis·ease 
[lm di zz] noun

serious
infectious disease: an infectious bacterial
disease transmitted by ticks, in which skin rash, fever, and headache precede
arthritis and nervous disorder
[Late 20th century. Named for
the town of Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first reported.][1]



lymegrass

lymegrass
lyme
grass
[lm gràss] noun

dune
grass:
a perennial grass with broad bluish-green leaves that is found on sand dunes in
northern temperate regions. It is sometimes planted to help stabilize shifting
dunes. Latin name: Elymus arenarius
[Origin of lyme uncertain:
perhaps from lime, from the plant’s binding
properties][1]



lymph-

lymph-
lymph-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
lympho-[1]



lymph

lymph
lymph 
[limf] noun

body
fluid containing white cells: a fluid containing white
cells, chiefly lymphocytes, that is drained from tissue spaces by the vessels
of the lymphatic system. It can transport bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells.
Colorless in hue, lymph draining the intestines can turn opalescent from fatty
globules absorbed from a meal.
[Late 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin lympha “water,” of uncertain origin: probably
an alteration of Greek numphē “bride, nymph.”][1]



lymphadenopathy

lymphadenopathy
lym·phad·e·nop·a·thy 
[lim fàdd’n óppəthee, lìmfəd’n óppəthee] (plural lym·phad·e·nop·a·thies)
noun

disease
of lymph nodes: any disease, disorder, or enlargement of
the lymph nodes
[Early 20th century. Coined
from lympho- + adeno-
+ -pathy, literally “lymph gland disease.”][1]



lymphatic

lymphatic
lym·phat·ic 
[lim fáttik] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY relating
to the lymph system: relating to lymph or the
lymphatic system

2.  sluggish:
without any energy or enthusiasm
noun

PHYSIOLOGY vessel
transporting lymph: a vessel that transports or
contains lymph

[1]



lymphaticsystem

lymphaticsystem

lym·phat·ic sys·tem
(plural lym·phat·ic sys·tems) noun
network of lymph vessels:
a network of vessels that transport fluid, fats, proteins, and lymphocytes to
the bloodstream as lymph, and remove microorganisms and other debris from
tissues[1]



lymphgland

lymphgland
lymph
gland
(plural lymph glands) noun

lymph node:
a popular but inaccurate term for a lymph node[1]



lymphnode

lymphnode
lymph
node
(plural lymph nodes) noun

organ filtering lymph:
any of numerous oval bodies, distributed throughout the lymphatic system, that
produce and house lymphocytes and filter microorganisms and other particles
from lymph. The function of these nodes is to reduce the risk of infection.[1]



lympho-

lympho-
lympho-
prefix

lymph,
lymphocyte, lymphatic system • lymphocytosis
[From lymph][1]



lymphoblast

lymphoblast
lym·pho·blast 
[límfə blàst] (plural lym·pho·blasts)
noun

immature form of lymphocyte:
an immature cell that develops into a lymphocyte[1]



lymphoblastic

lymphoblastic
lym·pho·blas·tic
[lìmfə blástik] adjective

relating to lymphocyte
production: relating to the production
of lymphocytes[1]



lymphoblasticleukemia

lymphoblasticleukemia
lym·pho·blas·tic
leu·ke·mi·a
noun

lymph disease:
a disease in which there is great overproduction of immature lymphocytes[1]



lymphocyte

lymphocyte
lym·pho·cyte 
[límfə st] (plural lym·pho·cytes)
noun

immune system cell:
an important cell class in the immune system that produces antibodies to attack
infected and cancerous cells, and is responsible for rejecting foreign tissue.
It is a kind of white blood cell.[1]



lymphocytosis

lymphocytosis
lym·pho·cy·to·sis 
[lìmfō sī tṓssiss] noun

abnormal lymphocyte level:
an abnormal increase in the number of lymphocytes in the bloodstream. It occurs
in some chronic infections, some forms of leukemia, and other diseases.[1]



lymphogranulomavenereum

lymphogranulomavenereum
lym·pho·gran·u·lo·ma
ve·ne·re·um 
[limfō grannyə lmə və nree əm] noun

sexually
transmitted disease: a sexually transmitted
disease caused by a bacterial infection, in which there is swelling of the
genital lymph nodes and, especially in men, a genital ulcer. It occurs mainly
in tropical and subtropical regions.
[From modern Latin, literally
“venereal granuloma of the lymph nodes”][1]



lymphoid

lymphoid
lym·phoid 
[lím fòyd] adjective

relating to lymph:
relating to lymph, lymphatic tissue, or the lymphatic system[1]



lymphokine

lymphokine
lym·pho·kine 
[límfə kn] (plural lym·pho·kines)
noun

substance
released by lymphocytes: any of various soluble
substances released by lymphocytes during an immune response that influence the
behavior of other immune cells. Lymphokines are now included in the more
general class of cytokines. (dated)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from lympho- + Greek kinein “to move”
(see kinetic ).][1]



lymphoma

lymphoma
lym·pho·ma 
[lim fṓmə] (plural lym·pho·mas
or lym·pho·ma·ta [lim fṓmətə])
noun

tumor in lymph node:
a malignant tumor originating in a lymph node, for example, Hodgkin’s disease
or any of the range of cancers known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas[1]



lymphopoiesis

lymphopoiesis
lym·pho·poi·e·sis 
[lìmfō poy ssiss] noun

lymphocyte
production:
the production of lymphocytes, which occurs mainly in the bone marrow, thymus,
lymph nodes, spleen, and tonsils
—lym·pho·poi·et·ic [lìmfō poy éttik], adjective[1]



lynch

lynch
lynch 
[linch] (past lynched, past
participle lynched, present participle lynch·ing, 3rd
person present singular lynch·es) transitive verb

murder
for supposed crime: to seize somebody believed
to have committed a crime and put him or her to death immediately and without
trial, usually by hanging
[Early
19th century. From lynch law .]
—lynch·er,
noun

—lynch·ing, noun[1]



Lynch,David

Lynch,David
Lynch 
[linch], David (1946– )

U.S. movie director. His
distinctively bizarre and surreal work includes the movies Eraserhead (
1977 ) and Blue Velvet ( 1986 ) and the cult television series Twin
Peaks ( 1989–1990 ).[1]



lynchlaw

lynchlaw
lynch
law
noun

punishment
without legal trial: the condemnation and
punishment of somebody by a mob or self-appointed group without a legal trial
[Early 19th century. Named
for Capt. William Lynch ( 1724–1820 ), a planter and justice of the
peace who organized an extralegal tribunal in Virginia in 1780.][1]



lynchmob

lynchmob
lynch
mob
(plural lynch mobs) noun

group of killers:
a group of people who capture and hang somebody without legal arrest and trial,
because they think the person has committed a crime[1]



lynchpin

lynchpin
lynch·pin 
noun

See
linchpin[1]



Lynch,Thomas, Jr.

Lynch,Thomas, Jr.
Lynch 
[linch], Thomas, Jr. (1749–1779)

U.S. patriot. He signed the
Declaration of Independence (1776), and was a member of the Continental
Congress (1776–1777).[1]



Lynn

Lynn
Lynn
[lin]

industrial city in
northeastern Massachusetts, on the northern shore of Massachusetts Bay,
northeast of Boston. Population: 80,563 (1996)[1]



Lynnwood

Lynnwood
Lynn·wood 
[lín wd]

city in Snohomish County,
central Washington state, situated on Puget Sound 24 km/15 mi north of Seattle[1]



Lynwood

Lynwood
Lyn·wood
[lín wd]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, on the Los Angeles River. Population: 61,945 (1990)[1]



lynx

lynx

lynx
[links] (plural lynx or
lynx·es) noun
short-tailed
wildcat:
a short-tailed cat found in northern coniferous forests, with a lightly mottled
yellowish- to reddish-brown coat and tufted ears. Genus: Lynx
See
also
bobcat
See
also
caracal
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek lugx, of uncertain origin. Perhaps, ultimately, from an
Indo-European word meaning “light,” referring to the animal’s shining eyes.][1]



lynx-eyed

lynx-eyed
lynx-eyed 
adjective

sharp-eyed:
with very good eyesight[1]



lyo-

lyo-
lyo-
prefix

dissolution,
dispersion • lyophobic
[From Greek luein “to
loosen, dissolve” (see lysis )][1]



lyolysis

lyolysis
ly·ol·y·sis 
[lī ólləssiss] noun

formation of acid and base:
the reaction of a salt with a solvent to form an acid and a base[1]



Lyon

Lyon
Ly·on


See
Lyons[1]



Lyon,Mary Mason

Lyon,Mary Mason
Ly·on 
[l ən], Mary Mason (1797–1849)

U.S. educator. She pioneered
higher education for women, founding the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (1837),
which became Mount Holyoke College (1893).[1]



Lyonnais

Lyonnais
Ly·on·nais 
[lee əN áy]

historic region of France,
comprising the present-day Loire and Rhône departments[1]



lyonnaise

lyonnaise
ly·on·naise 
[l ə náyz] adjective

with
onions:
cooked with onions, or containing fried onions
[Early 19th century. From
French (à la) lyonnaise “in the manner of Lyons.”][1]



Lyons

Lyons
Ly·ons
[lee óN] or Ly·on [lee óN]

capital of the Rhône
Department and the Rhône-Alpes Region, eastern central France. Population:
422,444 (1990)[1]



lyophilic

lyophilic
ly·o·phil·ic 
[l ə fíllik] adjective

easily dispersed in solvents:
used to describe a finely dispersed solid ( colloid
) that forms a stable dispersion[1]



lyophilize

lyophilize
ly·oph·i·lize 
[lī óffə lz] (past ly·oph·i·lized,
past participle ly·oph·i·lized, present participle ly·oph·i·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular ly·oph·i·liz·es) transitive verb

freeze-dry:
to freeze-dry something (technical)
—ly·oph·i·li·za·tion
[lī òffəli záysh’n], noun

—ly·oph·i·liz·er [lī óffə lzər], noun[1]



lyophobic

lyophobic
ly·o·pho·bic 
[l ə fṓbik] adjective

not dispersing in solvents:
used to describe a finely dispersed solid ( colloid
) that forms an unstable dispersion[1]



Lyra

Lyra
Ly·ra
[lrə] noun

small prominent northern
constellation: a small prominent
constellation of the northern hemisphere between Cygnus and Hercules. It
contains a very bright star Vega and a planetary nebula Ring Nebula .[1]



lyrate

lyrate
ly·rate 
[l ràyt, lrət]
adjective

1.  lyre-shaped:
in the shape of a lyre

2.  BOTANY with
rounded apex: used to describe a leaf that has a broad
rounded apex and small lateral lobes at the base
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin lyra (see lyre ).][1]



lyre

lyre

lyre 
[līr] (plural lyres) noun
string
instrument:
a plucked string instrument associated with ancient Greece and consisting of a
U-shaped frame with a crossbar from which the strings stretch down to the
soundbox
[12th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek lura, of unknown origin.][1]



lyrebird

lyrebird
lyre·bird 
[lr bùrd] (plural lyre·birds)
noun

Australian ground-dwelling
bird: either of two
ground-dwelling birds found in the mountain forests of southeastern Australia.
The males have long tail feathers that form into a lyre shape during courtship.
Family: Menuridae[1]



lyric

lyric
lyr·ic 
[lírrik] adjective

1.  POETRY expressing
personal feelings: relating to poetry that
often has a musical quality and expresses personal emotions or thoughts • a
lyric poet

2.  MUSIC with
lightness of voice: singing with a voice that
has a light quality and a vocally undramatic delivery

3.  MUSIC with
lightness of musical quality: having or played with a
light smooth nondramatic quality that suggests singing

4.  MUSIC relating
to the lyre: relating to or written for the lyre, or
for accompaniment by the lyre
noun
(plural lyr·ics)

1.  MUSIC song
words:
the words of a song, especially a popular song (often used in the plural)

2.  POETRY short
personal poem: a short poem expressing personal
feelings or thoughts
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek lurikos “singing to the lyre,” from lura
“lyre.”][1]



lyrical

lyrical
lyr·i·cal 
[lírrik’l] adjective

1.  POETRY MUSIC See lyric  adjective
1
See lyric  adjective 2
See lyric  adjective 3

2.  gushingly
complimentary: wildly enthusiastic and emotional about
something • critics
waxing lyrical about the new exhibition
—lyr·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—lyr·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



lyricism

lyricism
lyr·i·cism 
[lírrə sìzzəm] noun

1.  POETRY MUSIC lyric style:
a lyric style in poetry or music

2.  enthusiastically
emotional expression: emotional and enthusiastic
expressions of feelings or opinions

[1]



lyricist

lyricist
lyr·i·cist 
[lírrəsist] (plural lyr·i·cists)
noun

1.  MUSIC songwriter:
somebody who writes words for songs, especially popular songs.
Also
called
lyrist

2.  POETRY lyric
poet:
a writer of lyric poems

[1]



lyrist

lyrist
lyr·ist 
[lírrist] (plural lyr·ists) noun

1.  lyre
player:
somebody who plays the lyre

2.  See
lyricist  noun 1
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin lyrista
from Greek luristēs, from lura “lyre.”][1]



lys-

lys-
lys-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
lyso-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








lyse

lyse
lyse
[līss, līz]
(past lysed, past participle lysed, present
participle lys·ing, 3rd person present singular lys·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

cause
or undergo cell destruction: to undergo, or cause cells
to undergo, destruction by disruption of the bounding membrane ( lysis )
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from lysis .][1]



Lysenkoism

Lysenkoism
Ly·sen·ko·ism 
[lī séng k ìzzəm] noun

discredited genetic doctrine:
a biological doctrine, presented by T. D. Lysenko in the 1930s, maintaining
that environmental characteristics acquired by an organism during its lifetime
can be inherited by its offspring. This form of neo-Lamarckism, disputed by
most biologists, found favor with Stalin and maintained a damaging influence
over Soviet genetics until the mid-1960s.[1]



Lysenko,Trofim Denisovich

Lysenko,Trofim Denisovich
Ly·sen·ko
[li séngk ō], Trofim Denisovich (1898–1976)

Russian geneticist and
agronomist. His belief that acquired characteristics can be inherited were at
odds with accepted Mendelian theory.[1]



lysergicacid

lysergicacid
ly·ser·gic
ac·id 
[li sùrjik ássid, lī
sùrjik ássid] noun

acid
produced from fungus: a crystalline acid extracted
from the ergot fungus and soluble in most organic solvents. C16H16N2O2
[Coined from lyso- + ergot +
-ic][1]



lysergicacid diethylamide

lysergicacid diethylamide
ly·ser·gic
ac·id di·eth·yl·am·ide  noun

Full form of
LSD[1]



lysin

lysin
ly·sin 
[lssin] (plural ly·sins) noun

cell-destroying
agent:
an agent, for example, an enzyme or antibody, that is able to destroy cells by
disruption of the bounding membrane ( lysis
)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from lysis .][1]



lysine

lysine
ly·sine 
[l sn, lssin]
noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid that occurs in nature as a component of proteins. It is an
essential nutrient in the diet of people and animals.
[Late 19th century. From
German Lysin, from Greek lusis “loosening” (see lysis ).][1]



lysis

lysis
ly·sis 
[lssiss] (plural lys·es [l sz]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY destructive
disruption of cells: the destruction of cells by
disruption of the bounding membrane, allowing the cell contents to escape

2.  MEDICINE gradual
reduction of disease symptoms: a gradual reduction in
severity of a patient’s signs and symptoms during the course of a disease
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
“loosening,” from Greek lusis, from luein “to loosen.”][1]



-lysis

-lysis
-lysis
suffix

1.  dissolution,
decomposition, disintegration • thermolysis

2.  hydrolysis
• proteolysis
[Via modern Latin from Greek lusis
(see lusis )][1]



Lysithea

Lysithea
Ly·sith·e·a
[lī síthee ə] noun

very small moon of Jupiter:
a very small natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1938. It is
approximately 35 km (22 mi ) in diameter and occupies an intermediate orbit.[1]



lyso-

lyso-
lyso-
prefix

lysis
• lysosome
[From lysis][1]



lysogen

lysogen
ly·so·gen 
[lsəjən] (plural ly·so·gens) noun

1.  virus-releasing
bacterium:
a bacterium that is capable of releasing a bacterium-destroying virus ( bacteriophage )

2.  antigen
stimulating cell-destroying agents: an
agent, particularly an antigen, that provokes the production of cell-destroying
agents ( lysins ) by cells of the immune
system

[1]



lysogenic

lysogenic
ly·so·gen·ic 
[lssə jénnik] adjective

producing
bacterium-destroying virus: used to
describe a bacterium that is capable of producing and releasing a
bacterium-destroying virus ( bacteriophage )
in response to certain stimuli[1]



lysogenize

lysogenize
ly·sog·e·nize 
[lī sójjə nz] (past ly·sog·e·nized,
past participle ly·sog·e·nized, present participle ly·sog·e·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular ly·sog·e·niz·es) transitive verb

make something produce
bacterium-destroying virus: to convert
a bacterium to a lysogenic state by infection with a bacterium-destroying virus
( bacteriophage )[1]



lysogeny

lysogeny
ly·sog·e·ny 
[lī sójjənee] noun

ability to produce
bacterium-destroying virus: the ability
of a bacterial cell to produce and release a bacterium-destroying virus ( bacteriophage ) in response to certain stimuli[1]



lysosome

lysosome
ly·so·some 
[lssə sm] (plural ly·so·somes)
noun

cell
component that recycles molecules: a membrane-bound
cavity in living cells that contains enzymes that are responsible for degrading
and recycling molecules. They can deal with material both originating within
the cell and entering from outside, and are especially important in the immune cells
that ingest and degrade bacteria.
—ly·so·so·mal [lssə sṓm’l], adjective[1]



lysozyme

lysozyme
ly·so·zyme 
[lssə zm] (plural ly·so·zymes)
noun

bodily
fluid enzyme: an enzyme, found in tears, saliva, other
body fluids, and egg white, that weakens the cell walls of some bacteria and
thus contributes to their ultimate destruction. It was the first enzyme to have
its three-dimensional structure determined.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from lyso- + enzyme
.][1]



-lyte

-lyte
-lyte
suffix

a
substance that can be decomposed by a particular process • electrolyte
[From
Greek lutos “soluble,” from the past participle of luein (see lysis )]
—-lytic, suffix[1]



LythamSt. Anne’s

LythamSt. Anne’s
Lyth·am
Saint Anne’s [líthəm
saynt ànz]

popular seaside resort in
western Lancashire, on the northwestern coast of England. Population: 40,866
(1991)[1]



lytic

lytic
lyt·ic 
[líttik] adjective

relating
to the destructive disruption of cells:
relating to, resulting from, or causing the destruction of cells by disruption
of the bounding membrane ( lysis )
[Late 19th century. From
Greek lutikos “able to loosen,” from luein (see lysis ).][1]



-lyze

-lyze
-lyze
suffix

to
cause or undergo lysis • plasmolyze
[Back-formation from -lysis][1]



LZ

LZ
LZ

MILITARY
Abbreviation of landing zone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ländler

ländler
länd·ler 
[léndlər] (plural länd·ler) noun

1.  DANCE slow
German dance: a dance of southern Germany and Austria
in slow triple time, in which couples clap and whirl round. The ländler was a
forerunner of the waltz.

2.  MUSIC music
for ländler: a slow rustic waltz as the music for the
ländler
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “something connected with Landl,” from Landl, a part
of Austria, where the dance was first popular.][1]



Léger,Fernand

Léger,Fernand
Léger
[lay ay], Fernand (1881–1955)

French painter. One of the
founders of the Cubist movement, he developed a personal style that used
rounded and cylindrical forms.[1]



Léger,Jules

Léger,Jules
Léger
[léjjər], Jules (1913–1980)

Canadian government official.
He was governor-general of Canada (1974–1979).[1]



Léopoldville

Léopoldville
Lé·o·pold·ville 
[l ə pōld vìl]

Former name for
Kinshasa until 1966[1]



Lérida

Lérida
Lé·ri·da
[lày rdə, láy
ridə]

capital of Lérida Province in
the autonomous region of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. Population: 114,367
(1995)[1]



Lévi-Strauss,Claude Gustave

Lévi-Strauss,Claude Gustave
Lé·vi-Strauss
[lay vee strówss], Claude Gustave (1908– )

French social anthropologist.
A proponent of structuralism, he originated the thesis that all cultures have a
common framework.[1]



LópezPortillo, José

LópezPortillo, José
Ló·pez
Por·til·lo
[lp ez pawr t ō], José (1920– )

Mexican statesman. As
president of Mexico (1976–1982), he attempted to make the country more
financially independent of the United States.[1]



l’chaim

l’chaim
l’chaim
[lə khī im] or le·chayim [lə khī im] interjection

good
health:
a word used to express good wishes just before drinking an alcoholic drink
noun
(plural l’chaims) (plural le·chayims)

small drink of alcohol:
a small drink of alcohol used to toast somebody or something[1]



L’Engle,Madeleine

L’Engle,Madeleine
L’Engle
[léng’l], Madeleine (1918– )

U.S.
author. A Wrinkle in Time ( 1962 ), her novel for young readers, won the
Newbery Medal (1963).
Born
Camp, Madeleine L’Engle[1]



m

m3
m3

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of modulus[1]



m

m1

m1 [em]
(plural m’s) or M [em]
(plural M’s or Ms) noun

1.  13th
letter of English alphabet: the 13th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “M”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “M”

3.  letter
“M” written: a written representation of the letter
“M”

4.        m
or M PRINTING em:
an em dash[1]



m

m2
m2

1.  Symbol
for
magnetic moment

2.  MEASUREMENTS Symbol for meter

3.  TIME Symbol for minute Symbol for minutes

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for mass

5.  Symbol
for
milli-

6.  Symbol
for
million

7.  PHYSICS Symbol for mutual inductance

[1]



M

M1
M1 or m noun

Roman numeral for 1000:
the Roman numeral for 1000[1]



M

M2
M2

1.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
mass

2.  Abbreviation
of
Master

3.  CLOTHES (used of clothes size)
Abbreviation of medium

4.  Abbreviation
of
mega-

5.  Abbreviation
of
Member

6.  LOGIC Abbreviation of middle term

7.  Abbreviation
of
million

8.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
molar

9.  Abbreviation
of
motorway

[1]



M.

M.
M.

1.  Abbreviation
of
majesty

2.  Abbreviation
of
male

3.  Abbreviation
of
Manitoba

4.  Abbreviation
of
March

5.  Abbreviation
of
May

6.  Abbreviation
of
medieval

7.  Abbreviation
of
middle

8.  MONEY Abbreviation of mill

9.  Abbreviation
of
Monday

10. Abbreviation
of
Monsieur

11. Abbreviation
of
mountain

[1]



m.

m.
m.

1.  M.
Abbreviation of male

2.  Abbreviation
of
manual

3.  Abbreviation
of
married

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of masculine

5.  Abbreviation
of
medium

6.  Abbreviation
of
mile

7.  TIME Abbreviation of minute

8.  CALENDAR Abbreviation of month

[1]



M0

M0
M0
noun

figure for money in
circulation: an assessment of the
amount of money in public circulation, the money represented by banks’
balances, and the money held in banks’ tills narrow money[1]



M1

M1
M1
noun

circulating money and money
in accounts: an assessment of the
amount of money in coins, notes, and checking accounts[1]



M-1rifle

M-1rifle
M-1
ri·fle
noun

.30 caliber army rifle:
a .30 caliber rifle invented by John C. Garand and adopted by the U.S. Army in
1936.[1]



M2

M2
M2
noun

money in M1, savings
accounts, deposits: an
assessment of the amount of money in coins, currency, checking accounts,
savings accounts, and deposits[1]



M3

M3
M3
noun

money in M1, M2,
institutional accounts: an
assessment of the amount of money in M1, M2, and also large denomination
repurchase agreements, institutional money market accounts, and certain
Eurodollar time deposits[1]



mA

mA
mA

Symbol for
milliampere(s)[1]



ma

ma
ma 
[maa] (plural mas) noun

1.  mother:
a word used to refer to a mother or to address your own mother (informal)

2.  woman
past middle age: a way of addressing or referring to a
woman past middle age (often considered offensive)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of mama .][1]



MA

MA
MA
or M.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Massachusetts

2.  Abbreviation
of
Maritime Administration

3.  PSYCHOLOGY Abbreviation of
mental age

4.  Abbreviation
of
Military Academy

5.  Abbreviation
of
military assistant

[1]



M.A.

M.A.
M.A.
or MA

Abbreviation
of
Master of Arts
[Latin Magister Artium][1]



ma-and-pa

ma-and-pa
ma-and-pa
adjective

(informal) See mom-and-pop[1]



maar

maar
maar 
[maar] (plural maars or
maa·re [mree]) noun

volcanic
crater:
a broad flat volcanic crater formed by a single explosive eruption and often
filled with water
[Early 19th century. Via
German dialect, “crater lake,” from, ultimately, Latin mare “sea.”][1]



Maasai

Maasai
Maasai
noun adjective

See
Masai[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Maastricht

Maastricht
Maas·tricht 
[mstrikht] or Maes·tricht [mstrikht]

capital of Limburg Province,
in the southeastern Netherlands. Population: 118,102 (1994)[1]



MaastrichtTreaty

MaastrichtTreaty
Maas·tricht
Trea·ty
noun

European Community treaty:
a treaty signed in Maastricht in late 1991 by heads of the 12 member states of
the European Community that set out a framework for increased political and
economic integration. It was ratified in 1993.[1]



Maat

Maat
Maat
[maat] noun

Egyptian goddess of the
underworld: in Egyptian mythology, the
goddess of the underworld who tests the value of a person’s soul after death by
weighing the heart on an ostrich feather[1]



maatjesherring

maatjesherring
maat·jes
her·ring
noun

See
matjes herring[1]



Mab

Mab
Mab
[mab] noun

Celtic god of light:
in Celtic mythology, the god of light, who mediates between humankind and the
divine[1]



M.A.B.E.

M.A.B.E.
M.A.B.E.

Abbreviation of
Master of Agricultural Business and Economics[1]



mabepearl

mabepearl
mabe
pearl 
[máyb pùrl] (plural mabe pearls)
noun

cultured
pearl:
a cultured pearl with a flat base and a rounded top
[Origin unknown][1]



MAC

MAC
MAC
[mak] noun

1.  television
transmission system: a system for transmitting
pictures to color televisions using satellites. Full form multiplexed
analog component

2.  Abbreviation
of
Municipal Assistance Corporation

[1]



Mac

Mac
Mac 
[mak] noun

U.S.,
Scotland informal form of address:
used as an informal way of addressing a man whose name is not known (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From the
Scottish name element Mac- = Mac or Mc.][1]



mac

mac
mac 
[mak] (plural macs) or mack
[mak] (plural macks) noun

U.K.
mackintosh:
a mackintosh (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Mac.

Mac.
Mac.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Maccabees[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








macabre

macabre
ma·ca·bre 
[mə kbrə, mə
kbr] adjective

horribly
gruesome:
including gruesome and horrific details of death and decay
[15th century. From French (danse)
macabre, a dance in which Death lured people to dance until they dropped
dead. Of uncertain origin: probably an alteration of danse Macabé, a
translation of medieval Latin chorea Machabaeorum “dance of the
Maccabees,” originally probably a representation of the slaughter of the
Maccabees in a medieval mystery play.][1]



macaco

macaco
mac·a·co 
[mə kkō] (plural mac·a·cos) noun

lemur:
a lemur, especially a species of lemur in which the male is black and the
female brown
[Mid-18th century. From
French mococo, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Malagasy maka
“lemur.”][1]



macadam

macadam
mac·ad·am 
[mə káddəm] noun

road
surface of broken stones: a smooth hard road surface
made from small pieces of stone, usually mixed with tar or asphalt, in
compressed layers
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Scottish civil engineer John Loudon McAdam ( 1756–1836 ), who developed
the system.][1]



macadamia

macadamia
mac·a·da·mi·a 
[màkə dáymee ə] (plural mac·a·da·mi·as)
noun

Australian
tree producing edible nuts: an evergreen tree found in
Australia and Southeast Asia that has clusters of white flowers and is
cultivated for its edible nuts. Genus: Macadamia
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, named for the Scottish-born Australian chemist John Macadam
( 1827–1865 ).][1]



macadamianut

macadamianut
mac·a·da·mi·a
nut 
(plural mac·a·da·mi·a nuts) or mac·a·da·mi·a (plural
mac·a·da·mi·as) noun

edible nut:
an edible, round, hard-shelled, waxy nut with a mild creamy flavor, produced by
the macadamia tree[1]



macadamize

macadamize
mac·ad·am·ize 
[mə káddə mz] (past mac·ad·am·ized,
past participle mac·ad·am·ized, present participle mac·ad·am·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mac·ad·am·iz·es) transitive verb

construct
surface using macadam: to build or surface a road
with macadam
—mac·ad·am·i·za·tion
[mə kàddəmi záysh’n], noun

—mac·ad·am·iz·er [mə káddə mzər], noun[1]



macaque

macaque
ma·caque 
[mə kák, mə kk]
(plural ma·caques or ma·caque) noun

short-tailed
monkey:
a short-tailed, sturdily built monkey that inhabits wooded or rocky areas of
Asia and northern Africa. Genus: Macaca
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Bantu makaku, literally “some monkeys.”][1]



macaroni

macaroni
mac·a·ro·ni 
[màkə rṓnee] noun

1.  small
pasta tubes: hollow tubular pasta, usually produced
in short lengths

2.  (plural
mac·a·ro·nis or mac·a·ro·nies) well-traveled
dandy:
an affected, foppish young man of 18th-century Britain who adopted the
fashions, manners, and customs of the other countries he had visited
[Late 16th century. From
Italian dialect maccarone “macaroni, dumpling,” of uncertain origin;
probably from Greek makaria “food made from barley.”][1]



macaronic

macaronic
mac·a·ron·ic 
[màkə rónnik] adjective

1.  mixing
languages in verse: used to describe verse
containing words and phrases from everyday language mixed with Latin or other
foreign words and phrases, or with vernacular terms with Latinate endings
added, usually for comic effect

2.  relating
to a mixture of languages: relating to or involving a
combination of two or more languages
noun
(plural mac·a·ron·ics)

macaronic verse:
a macaronic poem or macaronic poetry in general
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from macaroni
.]
—mac·a·ron·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



macaroon

macaroon
mac·a·roon 
[màkə rn] (plural mac·a·roons)
noun

sweet
cookie:
a cookie made from sugar and egg whites, with ground almonds or pieces of dried
coconut folded in
[Late 16th century. Via
French macaron from Italian dialect maccarone (see macaroni ).][1]



MacArthur,Douglas

MacArthur,Douglas

Mac·Ar·thur
[mik rthər], Douglas, General (1880–1964)
U.S. soldier. He played a key role in
U.S. military affairs in Japan and the Philippines during World War II, and in
Korea (1950–1951).[1]



Macassar

Macassar
Ma·cas·sar 
[mə kássər] or Ma·cas·sar oil
[mə kássər] noun

hair
oil:
an oily substance formerly used to make the hair smooth and shiny
[Early 19th century. Named
for Makassar, from where the ingredients for
the hair oil were claimed to have come.][1]



Macau

Macau
Ma·cau 
[mə ków] or Ma·cao [mə ków]

Portuguese territory in
southern China, on the South China Sea, west of Hong Kong. Population: 497,000
(1996) Area: 17.4 sq km/6.7 sq mi.[1]



macaw

macaw
ma·caw 
[mə káw] (plural ma·caws or
ma·caw) noun

large
tropical parrot: a large parrot with a long tail and
brilliant plumage found in Central and South America. Genus: Anodorhynchus
[Early 17th century. From
Portuguese macao, of unknown origin.][1]



Macbeth

Macbeth
Mac·beth 
[mək béth], King of Scotland (c. 1005–1057)

After murdering Duncan I in
1040, he held the throne until he was killed by Duncan’s son, Malcolm III, in
1057.[1]



Macc.

Macc.
Macc.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Maccabees[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Maccabees

Maccabees
Mac·ca·bees 
[mákəbeez] plural noun

1.  followers
of Judas Maccabeus: the followers of Judas
Maccabeus, who led the revolt of the Jews against Syria in 168 BC. The victory of the Maccabees is
celebrated at Hannukah.

2.  books
of Jewish history: four books of Jewish
history. The first two of these are included in the Apocrypha.
[14th
century. Via Latin Maccabaeus from Greek Makkabaios, a name given
to Judas, perhaps from the Hebrew maqqee “hammer.”]
—Mac·ca·be·an [màkə b ən], adjective[1]



Macdonald,John Alexander

Macdonald,John Alexander
Mac·don·ald
[mək dónn’ld], Sir John Alexander
(1815–1891)

Scottish-born Canadian
lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the first prime minister of Canada
(1867–1873 and 1878–1891).[1]



Macdonald,John Sandfield

Macdonald,John Sandfield
Mac·don·ald
[mək dónn’ld], John Sandfield (1812–1872)

Canadian lawyer and political
leader, who served as the premier of Ontario (1867–1871).[1]



MacDowell,Edward Alexander

MacDowell,Edward Alexander
Mac·Dow·ell
[mək dów əl, mək
dṓ əl], Edward Alexander (1861–1908)

U.S. composer. He produced
romantic piano music such as Woodland Sketches ( 1896 ).[1]



Mace

Mace
Mace
Trademark

a trademark for Chemical
Mace, an aerosol used to immobilize an attacker for a brief time[1]



mace

mace1

mace1 [mayss]
(plural mac·es) noun

1.  ceremonial
staff of office: a stick or rod, usually with an
ornamental head, carried by certain officials on ceremonial occasions as a
symbol of authority

2.  spiked
metal club:
a medieval weapon in the form of a heavy club with a round spiked metal head

3.  See
macebearer

4.  early
billiard cue: an early form of the modern billiard cue
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin mateola “mallet.”][1]



mace

mace2
mace2 [mayss]
noun

spice
made from nutmeg covering: a spice made from the
covering of the nutmeg seed, used in the form of dried blades or as a
yellow-orange powder
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman macis from Latin macir, the name of an Asian spice.
The form “macis” was understood as a plural, and a new supposedly singular form
made.][1]



macebearer

macebearer
mace·bear·er 
[máyss bàirər] (plural mace·bear·ers)
noun

carrier of staff of office:
an official who carries a mace on ceremonial occasions.
Also called
mace[1]



Maced.

Maced.
Maced.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Macedonia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Macedonian

[1]



Macedon

Macedon
Mac·e·don
[mássə don]

See
Macedonia  2[1]



Macedonia

Macedonia
Mac·e·do·ni·a
[màssə dṓnee ə]

1.  republic
in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. See Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

2.  Mac·e·do·ni·a
or Mac·e·don [mássədən, mássə dòn] ancient kingdom in northern Greece,
centralized under Philip II, who, with his son, Alexander the Great, created a
vast empire in the 4th century BC

3.  region
in modern Greece, situated in the northeastern part of the country
noun

Bulgarian district:
a district in southwestern Bulgaria

[1]



Macedonian

Macedonian
Mac·e·do·ni·an 
[màssə dṓnee ən] (plural Mac·e·do·ni·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
somebody who was born in or is a citizen of the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia

2.  somebody
from modern Greek Macedonia: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of the modern Greek region of Macedonia

3.  somebody
from ancient Macedonia: somebody who was born in or
was a citizen of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia

4.  language
of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: the
official language of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, also spoken in
Albania, Bulgaria, and Greece. It belongs to the Balto-Slavonic branch of
Indo-European languages and is spoken by about two million people.

5.  language
of ancient Macedonia: an extinct language formerly
spoken in ancient Macedonia. Its relationship with other European languages
remains unclear.
[Mid-16th
century]
—Mac·e·do·ni·an, adjective[1]



macerate

macerate
mac·er·ate 
[mássə ràyt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past mac·er·at·ed, past participle mac·er·at·ed,
present participle mac·er·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
mac·er·ates)

1.  soften
by soaking:
to soften something by soaking it in liquid or to become soft by soaking in
liquid

2.  separate
by soaking:
to make something break up into pieces or into its various parts by soaking it
in liquid, or to break up in this way

3.  make
something thin or waste away: to make somebody or
something thin or lean, or to become thin or lean, especially by starvation or
fasting
noun
(plural mac·er·ates)

something produced by soaking:
something prepared by soaking in a liquid
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin macerat-, the past participle stem of macere
“to soften.”]
—mac·er·at·er,
noun

—mac·er·a·tive,
adjective

—mac·er·a·tion [màssə ráysh’n], noun[1]



MacGuffin

MacGuffin
Mac·Guf·fin 
[mə gúffin] (plural Mac·Guf·fins)
noun

device
giving impetus to plot: in a movie, play, or book,
something that starts or drives the action of the plot but later turns out to
be unimportant
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
Alfred Hitchcock .][1]



mach.

mach.
mach.

1.  Abbreviation
of
machine

2.  Abbreviation
of
machinery

3.  Abbreviation
of
machinist

[1]



Mach

Mach
Mach
(plural Mach·es) noun

See
Mach number[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Macha

Macha
Ma·cha
[mchə, máchə]
adjective

Spanish
stereotypically
masculine:
in a woman, having or showing characteristics conventionally regarded as
typically male, especially physical strength, courage and aggressiveness (slang)
[Feminine form of macho or perhaps shortened and altered from
machisma][1]



Machadode Assis, Joachim Maria

Machadode Assis, Joachim Maria
Ma·cha·do
de As·sis
[ma shàddoo də a sss], Joachim Maria
(1839–1908)

Brazilian novelist, poet, and
critic. Author of Dom Casmurro ( 1899 ), he founded the Brazilian
Academy of Letters (1896).[1]



mache

mache
mache
[ma sháy] or mâche [ma sháy] noun

See
corn salad
[Late 17th century. From
French .][1]



Mach,Ernst

Mach,Ernst
Mach 
[makh], Ernst (1838–1916)

Austrian physicist and
philosopher. He was noted for his pioneering work in ballistics. The Mach
number and Mach angle are named for him.[1]



machete

machete

ma·chet·e 
[mə shéttee, mə
chéttee] (plural ma·chet·es) noun
large
heavy knife: a large heavy broad-bladed knife used as
a weapon or as a tool for cutting a way through vegetation, especially in
Central and South America and the West Indies
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, literally “little sledgehammer,” from macho “sledge hammer,”
ultimately from Latin mateola “mallet” (source of English mace 1 ).][1]



Machiavellian

Machiavellian
Mach·i·a·vel·li·an 
[màkee ə véllee ən] (plural Mach·i·a·vel·li·ans)
adjective

1.  cunning
and unscrupulous: using clever trickery, amoral methods,
and expediency to achieve a desired goal, especially in politics (disapproving)

2.  relating
to Machiavelli: relating to or characteristic of the
statesman and political philosopher Niccolò dei Machiavelli
[Mid-16th
century. From the advice in the writings of Niccolò dei Machiavelli .]
—Mach·i·a·vel·li·an,
noun

—Mach·i·a·vel·li·an·ism
[màkee ə véllee ə nìzzəm], noun

—Mach·i·a·vel·list [màkee ə véllist], noun, adjective[1]



Machiavellianintelligence

Machiavellianintelligence
Mach·i·a·vel·li·an
in·tel·li·gence noun

social intelligence:
in psychology, social intelligence, especially the intelligence that involves
deception and the formation of coalitions[1]



Machiavelli,Niccolò

Machiavelli,Niccolò
Mach·i·a·vel·li
[màkee ə véllee, mà
kya véllee], Niccolò (1469–1527)

Italian historian, statesman,
and philosopher. He wrote several works on statecraft, of which The Prince
( 1532 ) had a huge influence in his own time and later.[1]



machicolate

machicolate
ma·chic·o·late 
[mə chíkə làyt] (past ma·chic·o·lat·ed,
past participle ma·chic·o·lat·ed, present participle ma·chic·o·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·chic·o·lates) transitive verb

build
castle with projecting galleries: to provide a castle
wall with projecting galleries along its top
[Late 18th century. Via
Anglo-Latin, from, ultimately, Provençal machacol, literally
“neck-crusher,” presumably because of the effect on those underneath.][1]



machicolation

machicolation
ma·chic·o·la·tion 
[mə chìkə láysh’n] (plural ma·chic·o·la·tions)
noun

1.  gallery
on top of castle wall: a projecting gallery on top
of a castle wall, supported by a row of arches and containing openings through
which rocks and boiling oil could be dropped on attackers

2.  opening
in machicolation: an opening in the floor of a
machicolation

3.  row
of arches:
an ornamental row of supported arches that project from a building

[1]



machinate

machinate
mach·i·nate 
[mákə nàyt, máshə
nàyt] (past mach·i·nat·ed, past participle mach·i·nat·ed,
present participle mach·i·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular
mach·i·nates) intransitive and transitive verb

devise
plans and schemes: to devise secret, cunning,
or complicated plans and schemes to achieve a goal or to cause harm to others
[Late
16th century. From Latin machinat-, past participle stem of machinari,
from machina (see machine ).]
—mach·i·na·tor, noun[1]



machination

machination
mach·i·na·tion 
[màkə náysh’n, màshə
náysh’n] (plural mach·i·na·tions) noun

1.  plotting
or intrigue: the devising of secret, cunning, or
complicated plans and schemes

2.  plot
or intrigue: a secret, cunning, or complicated plan
or scheme designed to achieve a particular end

[1]



machine

machine
ma·chine 
[mə shn] noun (plural ma·chines)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
device:
a device with moving parts, often powered by electricity, used to perform a
task, especially one that would otherwise be done by hand • a
washing machine

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING simple
unpowered device: a simple device used to overcome
resistance at one point by applying force at another point, for example, a
lever, pulley, or an inclined plane

3.  powered
form of transportation: an engine-driven means of transportation,
for example, an aircraft, car, or motorcycle

4.  POLITICS group
of people in control: an organized group of people
that controls or directs something, especially a political group • the
party machine

5.  complex
system:
a complex system structured so as to accomplish a specific goal • the
war machine

6.  somebody
who behaves mechanically: somebody who acts or works
like a mechanical device, for example, somebody who is very efficient or who
shows no emotion or initiative • an
editing machine

7.  THEATER device
to produce stage effects: a mechanical device used in
the theater, especially in classical drama, to create special effects such as
the entrance of a supernatural being

8.  LITERATURE literary
device:
somebody or something introduced into a work of literature to produce an effect
or to resolve the plot
verb
(past ma·chined, past participle ma·chined, present
participle ma·chin·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·chines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
with power-driven tool: to cut, shape, or finish a
piece of work using a power-driven tool such as a lathe or drilling device, or
to be cut, shaped, or finished in this way

2.  transitive
verb
use
machine on something: to make or do something
using a machine
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French from Latin machina, “device, engine,
contrivance” from, ultimately, Greek mēkhanē (source of English mechanic ), from Greek mēkhos
“contrivance, means.”]
—ma·chin·a·bil·i·ty
[mə shnə bíllətee], noun

—ma·chin·a·ble
[mə shnəb’l], adjective

—ma·chine·less
[mə shnləss], adjective

—ma·chine·like, adjective[1]



machinebolt

machinebolt
ma·chine
bolt
(plural ma·chine bolts) noun

bolt with geometric head:
a bolt with a square or hexagonal head, usually of heavy duty construction for
use in aircraft and automobiles[1]



machinecode

machinecode
ma·chine
code 
(plural ma·chine codes) noun

See
machine language[1]



machinefinish

machinefinish
ma·chine
fin·ish
noun

See
mill finish[1]



machine-gun

machine-gun
ma·chine-gun 
transitive verb (past ma·chine-gunned, past participle
ma·chine-gunned, present participle ma·chine-gun·ning, 3rd
person present singular ma·chine-guns)

1.  shoot
somebody with machine gun: to shoot or kill somebody
with a machine gun, or to fire a machine gun at somebody or something

2.  address
somebody rapidly: to speak rapidly to somebody (informal)
adjective

staccato:
rapid, abrupt, and staccato in delivery
—ma·chine-gun·ner, noun[1]



machinegun

machinegun
ma·chine
gun
(plural ma·chine guns) noun

automatic weapon:
an automatic weapon that fires rapidly and repeatedly without requiring
separate squeezes on the trigger each time[1]



machinelanguage

machinelanguage
ma·chine
lan·guage
(plural ma·chine lan·guages) noun

computer instructions:
instructions, usually written in binary code, telling a computer how to process
data.
Also called
machine code[1]



machine-made

machine-made
ma·chine-made
adjective

made by machine:
made by a machine rather than by hand[1]



machinepistol

machinepistol
ma·chine
pis·tol
(plural ma·chine pis·tols) noun

submachine gun:
a light automatic or semiautomatic submachine gun that can be discharged using
only one hand[1]



machine-readable

machine-readable
ma·chine-read·a·ble 
adjective

able to be read by computer:
in a form that is able to be used directly by a computer[1]



machinery

machinery
ma·chin·er·y 
[mə shnəree] noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
parts:
the aggregate parts that make up a machine or group of machines

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machines:
machines collectively or in general

3.  system
of machines: a system of machines working together

4.  set
of procedures: an interconnected series of processes
that works like a mechanical system to produce a particular result

5.  literary
devices:
literary devices used for effect, especially in poetry, or to resolve the plot
of a play or book

[1]



machinescrew

machinescrew
ma·chine
screw
(plural ma·chine screws) noun

machine-cut screw:
a slotted or hexagonal-headed screw with a standardized thread used to connect
machine parts together[1]



machineshop

machineshop
ma·chine
shop
(plural ma·chine shops) noun

workshop:
a workshop where various materials, especially metals, are cut, shaped and
worked, often to tight specifications using machine tools[1]



machinetool

machinetool
ma·chine
tool
(plural ma·chine tools) noun

metal-finishing
machine:
a machine such as a lathe or grinder, used for shaping and finishing metals and
other solid materials
—ma·chine-tooled, adjective[1]



machinetranslation

machinetranslation
ma·chine
trans·la·tion noun

computer translation:
the translation of text from one language to another by computer[1]



machine-wash

machine-wash
ma·chine-wash 
(past ma·chine-washed, past participle ma·chine-washed,
present participle ma·chine-wash·ing, 3rd person present
singular ma·chine-wash·es) transitive verb

wash something by machine:
to wash something in a washing machine[1]



machine-washable

machine-washable
ma·chine-wash·a·ble 
adjective

washable in machine:
able to be washed in a washing machine without being damaged[1]



machinist

machinist
ma·chin·ist 
[mə shnist] (plural ma·chin·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
who machines something: somebody whose job involves
machining something or operating a machine or machine tool, especially in a
factory

2.  machine
maker or repairer: somebody who makes or
repairs machines

3.  U.S.
Navy position: a Navy petty officer who is assigned to
a ship’s engine room

4.  THEATER operator
of mechanical stage effects: somebody who is in charge of
the machinery used to create theatrical effects (archaic)

[1]



machismo

machismo
ma·chis·mo 
[mə kízmō, mə
chízmō] noun

stereotypic
masculinity: an exaggerated sense or display of
masculinity, emphasizing characteristics that are conventionally regarded as
typically male, usually physical strength and courage, aggressiveness, and lack
of emotional response
[Mid-20th century. From
Mexican Spanish, formed from macho (see macho
).][1]



Machmeter

Machmeter
Mach·me·ter 
[mk mtər] (plural Mach·me·ters)
noun

aircraft instrument:
an instrument for measuring the Mach number of an aircraft[1]



Machnumber

Machnumber
Mach
num·ber
[mk nùmbər] (plural Mach num·bers)
noun

speed
of object relative to sound: the speed of an object
relative to the speed of sound. An aircraft traveling at twice the speed of
sound has a Mach number of 2.
Also
called
Mach
[Early 20th century. Named
for Ernst Mach, because of his work in
aerodynamics.][1]



macho

macho
ma·cho 
[mchō, máchō]
adjective

stereotypically
masculine:
having or showing characteristics conventionally regarded as typically male,
especially physical strength and courage, aggressiveness, and lack of emotional
response
noun
(plural ma·chos)

stereotypically
masculine male: a male who displays conventionally
typical masculine characteristics
[Early
20th century. From Mexican Spanish macho “male plant or animal,
masculine, vigorous” from Spanish “male, masculine,” from Latin masculus
(source of English masculine and male ).]
—ma·cho·ism, noun[1]



MachuPicchu

MachuPicchu

Ma·chu Pic·chu 
noun
the ruins of a large ancient Inca city in
the Andes in southern Peru, discovered in 1911. It is well known for its
architecture and system of terraces.[1]



machzor

machzor
mach·zor 
[maak záwr, maakh
záwr] noun

See
mahzor[1]



macintosh

macintosh
mac·in·tosh 
(plural mac·in·tosh·es) noun

See
mackintosh[1]



Mackay

Mackay
Mack·ay
[məkay]

salt lake in central
Australia, on the border between Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Area: 3,550 sq km/1,370 sq mi.[1]



Mack,Connie

Mack,Connie
Mack
[mak], Connie (1862–1956)

U.S. baseball manager. He
guided the Philadelphia Athletics to five world championships (1910–1930).[1]



Mackenzie

Mackenzie
Mac·ken·zie
[mə kénzee]

river in the Northwest
Territories, Canada. Its main stream originates in Great Slave Lake. Length:
1,705 km/1,060 mi.[1]



Mackenzie,Alexander

Mackenzie,Alexander
Mac·ken·zie
[mə kénzee], Alexander (1822–1892)

Canadian statesman. He was
the first Liberal prime minister of the Dominion of Canada (1873–1878). During
his term the Canadian Supreme Court was established.[1]



Mackenzie,Alexander

Mackenzie,Alexander
Mac·ken·zie
[mə kénzee], Sir Alexander (1764–1820)

Scottish explorer. He was
founder of the fur-trading North West company. He explored western Canada from
the Arctic to the Pacific and was the first to cross North America overland.[1]



MackenzieMountains

MackenzieMountains
Mac·ken·zie
Moun·tains
[mə kènzee mównt’nz]

mountain range in western
Canada that spans the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon
Territory. Keele Peak is the highest peak, 2,972 m/9,750 ft . Length: 800
km/497 mi.[1]



MacKenzie,William Lyon

MacKenzie,William Lyon
Mac·Ken·zie
[mə kénzee], William Lyon (1795–1861)

Canadian insurgent and
politician. He was leader of the Rebellion of 1837, advocating independent
government for Toronto. He became a member of the Canadian assembly
(1850–1858).[1]



mackerel

mackerel
mack·er·el 
[mákrəl] (plural mack·er·els or
mack·er·el) noun

1.  oily
food fish of northern Atlantic: a bony oily food fish
of northern Atlantic coastal waters that has a greenish-blue body with dark
blue bars and a forked tail. Latin name: Scomber scombrus

2.  fish
like mackerel: any fish that is similar to the
mackerel, for example, the Spanish mackerel. Family: Scombridae
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman, of unknown origin.][1]



mackerelbreeze

mackerelbreeze
mack·er·el
breeze
(plural mack·er·el breez·es) noun

strong breeze:
a breeze strong enough to disturb the surface of the water[1]



mackerelshark

mackerelshark
mack·er·el
shark
noun

large fierce shark:
a large fierce shark with a pointed snout, related to the great white shark,
mako shark, and porbeagle. Family: Lamnidae[1]



mackerelsky

mackerelsky
mack·er·el
sky
noun

sky dappled with small
clouds: a sky covered with
cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds in a pattern that resembles the markings on
a mackerel (regional)
Also called
buttermilk sky[1]



MackinacIsland

MackinacIsland
Mack·i·nac
Is·land


island in northern Michigan,
in the Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan’s northern and southern
peninsulas. Area: 16 sq km/6 sq mi.[1]



Mackinac,Straits of

Mackinac,Straits of
Mack·i·nac,
Straits of
[máki nak]

channel in Michigan,
connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Length: 48 km/30 mi.[1]



mackinaw

mackinaw
mack·i·naw 
[mákə nàw] (plural mack·i·naws)
noun

1.  heavy
woolen fabric: a thick heavy woolen cloth, usually with
a plaid design

2.  short
heavy coat:
a short double-breasted coat made from mackinaw or a similar fabric

3.  See
Mackinaw blanket

4.  NAUTICAL flat-bottomed
boat:
a boat with a pointed bow, a square stern, and a flat bottom, formerly used on
the Great Lakes
[Early 19th century. Named
for the fort, once an important trading post, which once stood on the site of
Mackinaw City, northern Michigan.][1]



Mackinawblanket

Mackinawblanket
Mack·i·naw
blan·ket 
(plural Mack·i·naw blan·kets) noun

thick woolen blanket:
a thick blanket made of heavy woolen cloth, sometimes striped, formerly used by
Native Americans, trappers, or traders in the northern and western parts of
North America.
Also called
mackinaw[1]



Mackinawtrout

Mackinawtrout
Mack·i·naw
trout
(plural Mack·i·naw trouts) noun

See
lake trout  noun 1[1]



Mackinnon,Catherine

Mackinnon,Catherine
Mac·kin·non
[mə kínnən], Catherine (1946– )

U.S. legal scholar. A pioneer
in changing the legal attitude toward sex discrimination, she wrote the
influential Sexual Harassment of Working Women ( 1979 ).[1]



mackintosh

mackintosh
mack·in·tosh 
[mákin tàwsh] (plural mack·in·tosh·es)
or mac·in·tosh [mákin tàwsh] (plural
mac·in·tosh·es) noun U.K.

1.  raincoat:
a waterproof coat worn for protection against the rain, originally one made
from rubberized fabric (dated)

2.  waterproof
fabric:
a waterproof fabric, especially rubberized cotton
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh (1766–1843), who patented a
waterproof rubberized cloth.][1]



Mackintosh,Charles Rennie

Mackintosh,Charles Rennie
Mack·in·tosh 
[mákin tosh], Charles Rennie (1868–1928)

British architect and
interior designer. Noted for his art nouveau designs, he worked primarily on
buildings and interiors in and around Glasgow, Scotland.[1]



mackle

mackle
mack·le 
[mák’l] noun (plural mack·les)

printing
error:
a blurred or double impression caused by the movement of paper or type during
the printing process.
Also
called
macule 2
intransitive
and transitive verb

blur
image:
to cause a printed impression to blur, or to appear blurred
[Late 16th century. Either
directly or via French from Latin macula “spot, stain.”][1]



MacLaine,Shirley

MacLaine,Shirley
Mac·Laine
[mə kláyn], Shirley (1934– )

U.S.
movie actress. Sister of Warren Beatty, she has appeared in many films,
including Terms of Endearment ( 1983 ), and has worked in television.
Real name
MacLean Beatty, Shirley[1]



macle

macle
mac·le 
[mák’l] (plural mac·les) noun

1.  MINERALS See chiastolite

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY twinned
crystal:
a crystal that is twinned

3.  discolored
spot in crystal: a discolored spot within a crystal
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin macula “spot, mesh.”][1]



Maclean,Alistair

Maclean,Alistair
Maclean
[mə kláyn], Alistair (1922–1987)

British novelist. Many of his
adventure stories, set in different parts of the world, were made into movies.[1]



MacLeish,Archibald

MacLeish,Archibald
Mac·Leish
[mə klsh], Archibald (1892–1982)

U.S. poet, playwright, and
public official. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetic biblical drama J.B.
( 1958 ).[1]



MacLennan,Hugh

MacLennan,Hugh
Mac·Len·nan
[mə klénnən], Hugh (1907–1990)

Canadian
writer, known for his novels and critiques of Canadian life as in Barometer
Rising ( 1941 ).
Full name
MacLennan, John Hugh[1]



Macmillan,Harold

Macmillan,Harold
Mac·mil·lan
[mək míllən], Harold, 1st Earl of Stockton
(1894–1986)

British
statesman. He became prime minister of the United Kingdom (1957–1963). His two
successful terms of office were marred by the John Profumo scandal (1963).
Full name
Macmillan, Maurice Harold[1]



Macomb

Macomb
Ma·comb 
[mə kṓm]

city in western Illinois,
east of Keokuk and southwest of Peoria. Population: 18,069 (1996)[1]



macon

macon
ma·con
[maa káwN] (plural ma·cons) or
Ma·con [maa káwN] (plural Ma·cons)
or Mâcon [maa káwN] (plural
Mâcons) noun

burgundy wine:
a red or white wine from the Mâcon area in central France[1]



Macon

Macon
Ma·con 
[máykən]

city in central Georgia. It
is the seat of Bibb county. Population: 109,191 (1994)[1]



Macoun,John

Macoun,John
Macoun
[mə kn], John (1831–1920)

Irish-born Canadian field
naturalist. His collection of flora and fauna formed the basis of the National
Museum of Natural Sciences.[1]



MacPhail,Agnes Campbell

MacPhail,Agnes Campbell
Mac·Phail
[mək fáyl], Agnes Campbell (1890–1954)

Canadian politician. She was
a member of parliament (1921–1940) and of the Ontario legislature (1943–1945
and 1948–1951).[1]



MacquarieHarbour

MacquarieHarbour
Mac·quar·ie
Har·bour
[mə kwáwri]

large natural harbor in
western Tasmania, Australia. Area: 285 sq km/110 sq mi.[1]



MacquarieIsland

MacquarieIsland
Mac·quar·ie
Is·land
[mə kwáwri]

uninhabited Australian island
located in the Southern Ocean, 1,300 km/835 mi southeast of Tasmania. Area: 128
sq km/50 sq mi.[1]



Macquarie,Lake

Macquarie,Lake
Mac·quar·ie,
Lake
[mə kwáwree]

coastal lake in New South
Wales, Australia. It is bordered by residential areas as well as centers of
energy production and tourism. Area: 110 sq km/43 sq mi.[1]



macr-

macr-
macr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
macro-[1]



macramé

macramé
mac·ra·mé 
[màkrə máy] noun

decorative
work in knotted string: pieces of string or cord
knotted together to form a coarse ornamental lacy pattern, or something made
using this method
[Mid-19th century. Via
Turkish makrama “towel, handkerchief, tablecloth,” from Arabic mirama
“bed cover.” Macramé work was first mainly used to make fringes on items such
as towels.][1]



macro

macro
mac·ro 
[mákrō] (plural mac·ros) noun

computer
instruction: a single computer instruction that
initiates a series of additional instructions for a computer to perform.
Also
called
macroinstruction
[Mid-20th century. From macro- .][1]



macro-

macro-
macro-
prefix

1.  large,
inclusive • macrocyte
• macroclimate

2.  long
• macrobiotics
[From Greek makros .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “long, thin,” which is also the
ancestor of English meager and emaciate .][1]



macrobiotics

macrobiotics
mac·ro·bi·ot·ics 
[màkrō bī óttiks] noun

vegan
diet:
a vegan diet of seeds, grains, and organically grown fruit and vegetables, said
to prolong life and balance the body’s systems by adjusting the amount and kind
of food eaten (takes a singular verb)
[Late
18th century. From Greek makrobiotos, literally “long life.”]
—mac·ro·bi·ot·ic, adjective[1]



macrocephaly

macrocephaly
mac·ro·ceph·a·ly 
[màkrō séffəlee] or mac·ro·ce·pha·li·a
[màkrō sə fáylee ə] noun

excessive
largeness of head: the condition of having a
head that is excessively large.
Also
called
megacephaly
Also
called
megalocephaly
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from macro and -cephaly .]
—mac·ro·ce·phal·ic
[màkrō sə fállik], adjective

—mac·ro·ceph·a·lous [màkrō séffələss], adjective[1]



macroclimate

macroclimate
mac·ro·cli·mate 
[mákrō klmət] (plural mac·ro·cli·mates)
noun

climate
of large area: the general climate of a large region
such as a continent
—mac·ro·cli·mat·ic
[màkrō klī máttik], adjective

—mac·ro·cli·mat·i·cal·ly
[màkrō klī máttikəlee], adverb[1]



macrocosm

macrocosm
mac·ro·cosm 
[mákrə kòzzəm] (plural mac·ro·cosms)
noun

complex
system seen as single unit: a complex structure such as
the world or the universe considered as a single entity that contains numerous
similar smaller-scale structures
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin macrocosmus, from Greek makro-
(see macro- ) + kosmos “world.”]
—mac·ro·cos·mic
[màkrə kózmik], adjective

—mac·ro·cos·mic·al·ly
[màkrə kózmikəlee], adverb[1]



macrocyte

macrocyte
mac·ro·cyte 
[mákrō st] (plural mac·ro·cytes)
noun

large
red blood cell: an unusually large red blood cell that
commonly occurs in cases of anemia
[Late
19th century. Coined from macro- + -cyte .]
—mac·ro·cyt·ic [màkrō síttik], adjective[1]



macrocytosis

macrocytosis
mac·ro·cy·to·sis 
[màkrō sī tṓssiss] noun

existence
of abnormally large red cells: the presence of
abnormally large red cells in the blood
—mac·ro·cy·tot·ic [màkrō sī tóttik], adjective[1]



macroeconomics

macroeconomics
mac·ro·ec·o·nom·ics 
[màkrō eekə nómmiks, màkrō ekə nómmiks] noun

study
of large-scale economic systems: a branch of economics
that focuses on the general features and processes that make up a national
economy and the ways in which different segments of the economy are connected (takes
a singular verb)
—mac·ro·ec·o·nom·ic,
adjective

—mac·ro·e·con·o·mist [màkrō i kónnəmist], noun[1]



macroeconomy

macroeconomy
mac·ro·e·con·o·my
[màkrō ikónnəmee] noun

economy
as a whole:
the economy viewed as a whole and in terms of all those factors that control
its overall performance • Employment
rates did not respond to the macroeconomy as expected.
[Combination of macro + economy][1]



macroevolution

macroevolution
mac·ro·ev·o·lu·tion 
[màkrō evvə lsh’n] noun

theorized
large-scale evolution: evolution theorized to occur
over a long period of time, producing major changes in species and other
taxonomic groups
—mac·ro·ev·o·lu·tion·ar·y,
adjective[1]



macrofossil

macrofossil
mac·ro·fos·sil 
[màkrō fóss’l] (plural mac·ro·fos·sils)
noun

relatively large fossil:
a fossil that is large enough to be observed or examined without the aid of a
microscope[1]



macrogamete

macrogamete
mac·ro·gam·ete 
[màkrō gá mt, màkrō
gə mt] (plural mac·ro·gam·etes) noun

larger of two conjugating sex
cells: the larger, usually female
sex cell ( gamete ) in a pair of conjugating
cells of a heterogamous species.
Also called
megagamete[1]



macroglobulin

macroglobulin
mac·ro·glob·u·lin 
[màkrō glóbbyəlin] (plural mac·ro·glob·u·lins)
noun

1.  soluble
protein with high molecular weight: a
soluble protein in the blood with a high molecular weight, typically seen in
some diseases

2.  soluble
protein with normal molecular weight: a
soluble protein in the blood with a normal molecular weight

[1]



macroglobulinemia

macroglobulinemia
mac·ro·glob·u·lin·e·mi·a 
[màkrō globbyələ nmee ə] noun

presence of excessive
macroglobulins in blood: a condition
marked by an increase of macroglobulins in the blood[1]



macrograph

macrograph
mac·ro·graph 
[mákrō gràf] (plural mac·ro·graphs)
noun

lifesize
or magnified image: a drawing, photograph, or
other representation in which something appears at its actual size or larger
[Late
19th century. Coined from macro- + -graph .]
—mac·ro·graph·ic
[màkrō gráffik], adjective

—ma·crog·ra·phy [ma króggrəfee], noun[1]



macroinstruction

macroinstruction
mac·ro·in·struc·tion 
[màkrō in strúksh’n] (plural mac·ro·in·struc·tions)
noun

COMPUTING
See macro[1]



macrolens

macrolens
mac·ro
lens
(plural mac·ro lens·es) noun

photographic lens for
close-ups: a lens used for close-up
photography that produces a lifesize or larger image on film, with a minimum of
1:1 object-to-image ratio[1]



macromere

macromere
mac·ro·mere 
[mákrō mr] (plural mac·ro·meres)
noun

large
yolk-filled cell: a large yolk-filled cell formed from the
unequal splitting of a fertilized egg
[Late 19th century. Coined
from macro- + blastomere .][1]



macromolecule

macromolecule
mac·ro·mol·e·cule 
[màkrō móllə kyl] (plural mac·ro·mol·e·cules)
noun

large
molecule:
a large molecule, for example, that of a protein or polymer, made up of smaller
elements connected to one another
—mac·ro·mo·lec·u·lar [màkrō mə lékyələr], adjective[1]



macron

macron
ma·cron 
[máy kròn, máykrən,
má kròn] (plural ma·crons) noun

1.  PHONETICS mark
indicating long sound: a short horizontal line
placed over a vowel sound to indicate that it is long or stressed. Macrons are
used in some languages, some phonetic transcription systems, and in the study
or analysis of poetic meter.

2.  POETRY long
or stressed syllable: a stressed syllable in a
foot of verse, marked with a macron
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
literally “long thing,” from makros “long.”][1]



macronucleus

macronucleus
mac·ro·nu·cle·us 
[màkrō nklee əss] (plural mac·ro·nu·cle·i
[màkrō nklee ]) noun

protozoan
nucleus:
the larger of two nuclei in most ciliate protozoans, involved in
nonreproductive functions such as feeding and metabolism
—mac·ro·nu·cle·ar, adjective[1]



macronutrient

macronutrient
mac·ro·nu·tri·ent 
[màkrō ntree ənt] (plural mac·ro·nu·tri·ents)
noun

element needed for plant
growth: a chemical element, for
example, nitrogen, carbon, or potassium, needed in large amounts by plants for
normal growth and development[1]



macrophage

macrophage
mac·ro·phage 
[mákrō fàyj] (plural mac·ro·phages)
noun

large
cell protecting against infection: a large cell that is
present in blood, lymph, and connective tissues, removing waste products,
harmful microorganisms, and foreign material from the bloodstream
[Late
19th century. Coined from macro + -phage .]
—mac·ro·phag·ic [màkrō fájjik], adjective[1]



macrophotography

macrophotography
mac·ro·pho·tog·ra·phy
[màkrō fə tóggrəfee] noun

close-up photography:
close-up photography that produces images on the film that are lifesize or
larger than life[1]



macrophysics

macrophysics
mac·ro·phys·ics 
[màkrō fízziks] noun

physics dealing with easily
observable objects: a branch of
physics that studies systems and objects large enough to be easily observed (takes
a singular verb)[1]



macrophyte

macrophyte
mac·ro·phyte 
[mákrō ft] (plural mac·ro·phytes)
noun

plant
large enough to observe: a plant large enough to be
studied and observed using the unaided eye, especially an aquatic plant
[Early
20th century. Coined from macro- + -phyte .]
—mac·ro·phyt·ic [màkrō fíttik], adjective[1]



macropsia

macropsia
ma·crop·sia 
[mə krópsee ə] noun

image
magnification by eye: a condition in which
everything perceived by the eye appears to be larger than it really is, often
as a result of a retinal disease or a brain disorder
[Late 19th century. Coined
from macro- + Greek opsia “seeing.”][1]



macroscopic

macroscopic
mac·ro·scop·ic 
[màkrō skóppik] or mac·ro·scop·i·cal
[màkrō skóppik’l] adjective

1.  visible
to naked eye: large enough to be seen and examined
without the aid of magnifying equipment

2.  comprehensive:
relating to or concerned with large units
[Late
19th century. From macro-, modeled on microscopic .]
—mac·ro·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



macroscopicanatomy

macroscopicanatomy
mac·ro·scop·ic
a·nat·o·my
noun

See
gross anatomy[1]



macrosociology

macrosociology
mac·ro·so·ci·ol·o·gy
[màkrō sōssee ólləjee] noun

study
of whole societies: the branch of sociology
concerned with the study and analysis of societies in their entirety
—mac·ro·so·ci·o·log·i·cal,
adjective[1]



macrosporangium

macrosporangium
mac·ro·spo·ran·gi·um 
[màkrō spaw ránjee əm] (plural mac·ro·spo·ran·gi·a)
noun

BIOLOGY See megasporangium
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from macro- + Greek spora
“spore” + aggeion “vessel.”][1]



macrospore

macrospore
mac·ro·spore 
[màkrō spáwr] (plural mac·ro·spores)
noun

BIOLOGY
See megaspore[1]



macrostructure

macrostructure
mac·ro·struc·ture
[mákrō strùkchər] (plural mac·ro·struc·tures)
noun

visible
structure:
a structure, for example, that of a metal, large enough to be seen or examined
with little or no magnification
—mac·ro·struc·tu·ral [màkrō strúkchərəl], adjective[1]



macula

macula
mac·u·la 
[mákyələ] (plural mac·u·lae [mákyə l] or mac·u·las) noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY small
spot on skin: a small pigmented spot on the skin that
is neither raised nor depressed.
Also
called
macule

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY yellow
spot near retina: a small yellowish spot in the middle of
the retina that provides the greatest visual acuity and color perception.
Also
called
macula lutea
Also
called
yellow spot

3.  ASTRONOMY sunspot:
a sunspot (technical)
[14th
century. From Latin, “spot, stain.”]
—mac·u·lar [mákyələr], adjective[1]



maculalutea

maculalutea
mac·u·la
lu·te·a 
[màkyələ ltee ə] (plural mac·u·lae
lu·te·ae) noun

See
macula  noun 2
[“Lutea” from Latin luteus
“yellow”][1]



maculate

maculate
mac·u·late 
[mákyə làyt] transitive verb (past
mac·u·lat·ed, past participle mac·u·lat·ed, present
participle mac·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular mac·u·lates)
(archaic or literary)

1.  stain
somebody or something: to mark somebody or
something with a spot, blotch, or blemish

2.  make
somebody or something impure: to defile or pollute
somebody or something
adjective
mac·u·late mac·u·lat·ed (archaic or literary)

1.  stained:
marked with spots, blotches, or blemishes

2.  impure:
defiled, polluted, or impure
[15th century. From Latin maculat-,
past participle stem of maculare, from macula “spot.”][1]



maculation

maculation
mac·u·la·tion 
[màkyə láysh’n] noun

1.  spotted
markings:
the pattern of spots on some animals and plants

2.  staining
or being stained: the act of marking something with a
spot, blotch, or blemish, or the state of being marked in this way (archaic
or literary)

[1]



macule

macule1
mac·ule1 [mákyool]
(plural mac·ules) noun

See
macula  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Either
directly or via French from Latin macula “spot, stain.”][1]



macule

macule2
mac·ule2 [mákyəl]
(plural mac·ules) noun

PRINTING
See mackle[1]



macédoine

macédoine
mac·é·doine 
[màssə dwn] (plural mac·é·doines)
or mac·e·doine [màssə dwn] (plural
mac·e·doines) noun

1.  mixed
chopped fruits: a salad of small diced pieces of fruit,
often in syrup or jelly

2.  mixed
chopped vegetables: a mixture of diced
vegetables served hot or cold as a garnish, appetizer, or side dish

3.  medley:
a mixed-up jumble or medley (literary)
[Early 19th century. From
French Macédoine “Macedonia,” the underlying idea being of a mixture of
the different peoples ruled by Alexander the
Great of Macedonia.][1]



MAD

MAD
MAD


1.  PSYCHIATRY Abbreviation of
major affective disorder

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of mutual assured destruction

[1]



mad

mad
mad 
[mad] adjective (comparative mad·der,
superlative mad·dest)

1.  very
angry:
affected by great displeasure or anger

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning affected with psychiatric disorder (offensive)

3.  very
unwise or rash: lacking common sense and not reasoning
logically (insult) (offensive in some contexts)

4.  wildly
excited:
completely unrestrained and out of control (offensive in some contexts)
• went
mad after the last-minute victory

5.  frantic:
done with great haste, excitement, or confusion (offensive in some contexts)

6.  rambunctious:
very exciting or boisterous (offensive in some contexts)

7.  seized
by uncontrollable emotion: overcome with a violent
emotion (offensive in some contexts)

8.  passionate
about something: very fond of, enthusiastic about, or
interested in something, often to the exclusion of everything else (often
used in combination, offensive in some contexts)

9.  abnormally
aggressive:
used to describe an animal that is abnormally aggressive or ferocious (disapproving)
(offensive in some contexts)

10. rabid:
having rabies
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mad·ded,
past participle mad·ded, present participle mad·ding,
3rd person present singular mads)

make or become irrational or furious:
to make somebody furiously angry or insane or to become furiously angry or
irrational (archaic) (offensive in some contexts)
[Old
English ġemd “deprived of reason,” that was formed from gemād
“irrational,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European ancestor meaning “change”
(source of English mutate )]
—mad·dish,
adjective
like
mad

with great speed or energy (offensive
in some contexts)[1]



Mad.

Mad.
Mad.

Abbreviation of
Madagascar[1]



Madag.

Madag.
Madag.
or Mad.

Abbreviation of
Madagascar[1]



Madagascar

Madagascar



Mad·a·gas·car 
[màddə gáskaar]
island
republic separated from southeastern mainland Africa by the Mozambique Channel.
Language: Malagasy. Language: French. Currency: Malagasy franc. Capital:
Antananarivo. Population: 13,671,000 (1996) Area: 587,041 sq km/226,658 sq mi. Official
name Democratic Republic of Madagascar Former name Malagasy Republic
—Mada·gas·can, adjective,
noun[1]



Madagascar




Back to definition

Madagascar

[1]



Madagascaraquamarine

Madagascaraquamarine
Mad·a·gas·car
aq·ua·ma·rine (plural Mad·a·gas·car
aq·ua·ma·rines) noun

blue beryl:
a type of blue beryl found in Madagascar, used as a gemstone[1]



Madagascarperiwinkle

Madagascarperiwinkle
Mad·a·gas·car
per·i·win·kle (plural Mad·a·gas·car
per·i·win·kles) noun

perennial plant from
Madagascar: a perennial plant of India
and Madagascar that is poisonous to domestic animals. It has white or pink
flowers and produces various substances used to treat cancer. Latin name: Catharanthus
roseus
Also called
rose periwinkle[1]



Madam

Madam
Mad·am 
[máddəm] (plural Mes·dames [may dám, may dm]
or Mad·ams) noun

1.  used
to address woman in letter: used at the beginning of a
formal letter to a woman, especially one whose name is not known (formal)

2.  used
to address woman official: used before the name of a
woman’s official position as a term of address • Madam
President

[1]



madam

madam
mad·am
[máddəm] (plural mad·ams) noun

1.  (plural
mes·dames) used to address a woman:
a polite term of address for a woman, especially a customer in a store,
restaurant, or hotel (formal)

2.  woman
running a brothel: a woman who manages a
brothel
[13th century. From Old
French ma dame “my lady,” from, ultimately, Latin mea domina
(source of English Madonna ).][1]



Madame

Madame
Ma·dame 
[máddəm, mə dm]
(plural Mes·dames [may dám, may dm]) or ma·dame [máddəm, mə dm]
(plural mes·dames) noun

title
of Frenchwoman: the title of a Frenchwoman or
French-speaking woman, especially if married, used before her name or as a
polite term of address





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Madame
  Bovary, a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert ( 1857 ). It tells the
  story of Emma Bovary, a young married woman who seeks refuge from the
  mundanity of her provincial life in a series of reckless affairs. The novel’s
  frank depiction of middle-class society and its almost scientific analysis of
  human behavior made it a pioneering work of modern realism.

[1]



madcap

madcap
mad·cap 
[mád kàp] adjective

reckless:
acting or behaving without caring or stopping to think about possible
consequences
[Late
16th century. “Cap” used to represent the head.]
—mad·cap, noun[1]



madcow disease

madcow disease
mad
cow dis·ease  noun

VETERINARY
MEDICINE See BSE[1]



MADD

MADD
MADD
[mad]

Abbreviation of
Mothers Against Drunk Driving[1]



madden

madden
mad·den 
[mádd’n] (past mad·dened, past
participle mad·dened, present participle mad·den·ing, 3rd
person present singular mad·dens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  make
or become angry: to make a person or animal extremely
angry, or to become extremely angry (usually passive)

2.  make
or become irrational or furious: to make somebody
irrational or furious, or to become irrational or furious

[1]



maddening

maddening
mad·den·ing 
[mádd’ning] adjective

1.  causing
anger:
causing anger, impatience, or frustration

2.  causing
intense annoyance and distress: causing intense
annoyance and distress
—mad·den·ing·ly,
adverb

—mad·den·ing·ness, noun[1]



madder

madder1
mad·der1 

Comparative of
mad[1]



madder

madder2

mad·der2  [máddər]
noun (plural mad·ders)

1.  herb
with red root: a perennial Eurasian herb that has open
clusters of small yellow flowers and a red fleshy root. Latin name: Rubia
tinctorum

2.  root
yielding dye: the root of the madder plant, formerly
used for obtaining a red dye by fermentation

3.  red
dye:
a red dye formerly obtained from the root of the madder plant

4.  red
pigment:
a red pigment obtained from alizarin, used in dyes, inks, and paints

5.  COLORS reddish-purple:
a deep reddish-purple color
adjective

COLORS of
reddish-purple: deep reddish-purple in color
[Old English mædere,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



maddest

maddest
mad·dest

Superlative of
mad[1]



madding

madding
mad·ding 
[mádding] adjective

behaving
as if mentally challenged: acting in a way that
suggests or reveals the presence of a psychiatric disorder (archaic)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Far
  from the Madding Crowd, a novel by English writer Thomas Hardy ( 1874 ). The
  first of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex Novels, it is the story of a
  capricious, forceful young woman, Bathsheba Everdene, and her attempts to
  improve her social position through marriage. It was made into a movie by
  John Schlesinger in 1967.

[1]



mad-dogskullcap

mad-dogskullcap
mad-dog
skull·cap 
noun

N American perennial plant:
a North American perennial plant that has clusters of two-lipped blue or white
flowers and is used as an antispasmodic. Latin name: Scutellaria lateriflora[1]



made

made
made 
verb

1.  Past
tense of
make

2.  Past
participle of make
adjective

1.  artificially
produced:
produced by artificial means

2.  contrived:
fictitious, invented, or contrived (dated)

3.  successful:
certain of achieving success

4.  accepted
into criminal group: accepted as a member of an
underworld crime syndicate (slang)
be
made for somebody or something

to
be ideally suited to somebody or something

have
it made

or
got it madeto be in a position to succeed at something without obstacles
or serious problems (informal)[1]



Madeira

Madeira
Ma·dei·ra 
[mə dérrə, mə
drə] (plural Ma·dei·ras) noun

fortified wine:
a sweet or dry wine fortified with brandy, made on the island of Madeira and
usually served as a dessert wine or after a meal[1]



MadeiraIslands

MadeiraIslands
Ma·dei·ra
Is·lands
[mə drə]

group of islands with many
resorts in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. Population: 256,000 (1992) Area:
741 sq km/286 sq mi.[1]



Madeiravine

Madeiravine
Ma·dei·ra
vine
(plural Ma·dei·ra vines) noun

S American ornamental vine:
a tropical South American ornamental vine with small fragrant flowers. Latin
name: Anredera cordifolia[1]



madeleine

madeleine
mad·e·leine 
[máddələn, máddə
làyn] (plural mad·e·leines) noun

1.  small
plain sponge cake: a small light whisked sponge
cake baked in an individual shell-shaped pan

2.  sponge
cake with jam and coconut: a sponge cake that is cooked
in a small cup-shaped mold, coated in raspberry jam, rolled in desiccated
coconut, and topped with a glacé cherry
[Mid-19th century. Probably
named for the 19th-century French pastry cook Madeleine Paulmier.][1]



mademoiselle

mademoiselle
mad·e·moi·selle
[màdmwə zél, màdmə
zél] (plural mes·de·moi·selles or mad·e·moi·selles)
noun

1.  Mad·e·moi·selle
or mad·e·moi·selle title of Frenchwoman:
the title of a French woman or French-speaking young or unmarried woman, used
before her name or as a polite term of address (sometimes considered
offensive)

2.  Frenchwoman:
a young Frenchwoman or French-speaking woman

3.  woman
French teacher: a woman French teacher or French
governess (dated)

4.  ZOOLOGY See silver perch
[15th century. From Old
French ma demoiselle “my damsel.”][1]



made-to-order

made-to-order
made-to-or·der 
adjective

1.  custom-made:
made in accordance with a customer’s specifications or requirements

2.  perfectly
suitable:
perfectly suitable or exactly as required

[1]



made-up

made-up
made-up 
adjective

1.  untrue:
lacking any basis in fact or reality

2.  wearing
cosmetics:
having applied cosmetics to the face

3.  assembled:
completely put together and prepared

[1]



madhouse

madhouse
mad·house 
[mád hòwss] (plural mad·hous·es
[mád hòwzəz]) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for hospital or residential facility for people who have
psychiatric disorders (offensive)

2.  scene
of chaos or confusion: a place where there is much
noise and activity and little order or control (informal) (sometimes
considered offensive)

[1]



Madison

Madison
Mad·i·son 
[máddissən]

1.  river
in southwestern Montana, joining the Gallatin and Jefferson rivers to form the
Missouri River. Length: 241 km/180 mi.

2.  capital
city of Wisconsin, situated in the south central part of the state. Population:
194,586 (1994)

3.  town
in southern Connecticut. Population: 15,485 (1990)

4.  city
in northern New Jersey. Population: 15,763 (1994)

[1]



MadisonAvenue

MadisonAvenue
Mad·i·son
Av·e·nue
noun

U.S.
advertising industry: the center of the U.S.
advertising and public-relations industries, or the U.S. advertising industry
itself
[Named for the street in New
York that is the center of the advertising industry][1]



Madison,James

Madison,James

Mad·i·son 
[máddissən], James (1751–1836)
U.S. statesman and fourth president of
the United States. He played a leading role in the Constitutional Convention
(1787), and enjoyed two terms as president (1809–1817).[1]



madly

madly
mad·ly 
[máddlee] adverb

1.  intensely:
with an extraordinary degree of intensity or devotion

2.  wildly:
in a wild and uncontrolled way

3.  to
no purpose:
with great haste or activity but without accomplishing much

4.  wildly:
wildly and with intense emotion

5.  rashly:
in a rash or thoughtless way

6.  with
signs of mental distress: like somebody who is
affected by a psychiatric disorder

[1]



madman

madman
mad·man 
[mád màn, mádmən]
(plural mad·men [mád mèn, mádmən]) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a man with a psychiatric disorder (offensive)[1]



madmoney

madmoney
mad
mon·ey
noun

money for contingency or
extravagance: a small amount of money
set aside for some unlikely occurrence or for frivolous self-indulgence (informal)[1]



madness

madness
mad·ness 
[mádnəss] noun

1.  offensive
term:
offensive term for psychiatric disorder (offensive)

2.  rashness:
rash or thoughtless behavior

3.  anger:
great anger or fury

4.  excitement:
great enthusiasm or excitement

[1]



Madonna

Madonna
Ma·don·na 
[mə dónnə] (1959– )

U.S.
pop singer and actor. Her career, which started in the early 1980s, shows an
ability to change her style and image ahead of current trends.
Full name
Ciccone, Madonna Louise Veronica[1]



Madonna

Madonna
Ma·don·na 
[mə dónnə] (plural Ma·don·nas)
noun

1.  Virgin
Mary:
the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ

2.  Ma·don·na
or madonna (plural madon·nas) image
of Virgin Mary: a picture, statue, or other artistic
representation of the Virgin Mary

3.  spiritual
saintlike woman: a woman portrayed as exhibiting
characteristics such as saintliness, patience, or spirituality (informal)
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete Italian ma donna “my lady” from Latin mea domina (source
of Madam ).][1]



Madonnalily

Madonnalily
Ma·don·na
lil·y
noun

lily
with trumpet-shaped flowers: an eastern Mediterranean
plant widely cultivated for its white trumpet-shaped flowers that produce an
oil used in the making of perfume. Latin name: Lilium candidum
[Traditionally regarded as a
symbol of purity, and often included in pictures of the Madonna][1]



Madras

Madras
Mad·ras 
[mə drss]

Former name for
Chennai[1]



madras

madras
mad·ras 
[máddrəss, mə
dráss] (plural ma·dras·es) noun

1.  strong
fine cloth:
a strong fine fabric of cotton or silk, often with a woven striped or checked
design

2.  light
cloth:
a light cotton or rayon fabric used to make curtains

3.  brightly
colored scarf: a scarf, handkerchief, or other article
made from brightly colored cotton or silk
[Early 19th century. Named
for Madras in southeastern India, where the
products were made.][1]



madrasa

madrasa
mad·ra·sa
[mə drássə] (plural mad·ra·sas)
noun

Islamic
school:
a school for the study of Islamic religion and thought, especially the Koran
[Mid-17th century. From
Arabic, literally “place to study.”][1]



madrepore

madrepore
mad·re·pore 
[máddrə pàwr] (plural mad·re·pores)
noun

reef-building
tropical coral: a reef-building coral that lives in
tropical waters. Genus: Madreporaria
[Mid-18th
century. Via French or modern Latin from Italian madrepora, from madre
“mother” and either poro “pore, tufa” (from late Latin porus
“passageway, pore”) or Latin porus “calcerous stone” (from Greek poros
).]
—mad·re·po·ral
[màddrə páwrəl], adjective

—mad·repo·ri·an
[màddrə páwree ən], adjective

—mad·re·por·ic
[màddrə páwrik], adjective

—mad·re·por·it·ic [màddrəpə ríttik], adjective[1]



madreporite

madreporite
mad·re·por·ite 
[màddrə páw rt] (plural mad·re·por·ites)
noun

porous
plate in echinoderm: a porous plate in an
echinoderm that takes in water to the vascular system
[Early 19th century. From madrepore .][1]



Madrid

Madrid

Ma·drid 
[mə dríd]
capital and largest city of Spain,
located in the center of the country. Population: 3,029,734 (1995)[1]



Madrid




Back to definition

Madrid

[1]



madrigal

madrigal
mad·ri·gal 
[máddrig’l] (plural mad·ri·gals)
noun

1.  MUSIC English
part song:
a song with parts for several usually unaccompanied voices that was popular in
England in the 16th and 17th centuries

2.  MUSIC medieval
Italian song: a secular Italian song of the 13th and
14th centuries, written for two or three unaccompanied voices singing in
harmony

3.  POETRY lyric
poem:
a short pastoral or love poem suitable for singing as a madrigal
[Late
16th century. Via Roman from Latin matricalis literally “of the
mother,” but used in late Latin to mean “uncomplicated,” from matrix
(see matrix ). A madrigal was originally a
simple unaccompanied song or poem.]
—mad·ri·ga·lesque
[màddrigə lésk], adjective

—mad·ri·ga·li·an
[màddri gáylee ən], adjective

—mad·ri·gal·ist [máddrigəlist], noun[1]



madrilène

madrilène
ma·dri·lène 
[máddri lèn, màddri
lén, máddri làyn, màddri láyn] or ma·dri·lene [máddri lèn, màddri lén,
máddri làyn, màddri
láyn] noun

tomato-flavored
consommé:
a clear soup flavored with tomato, usually served cold
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Spanish madrileño “of Madrid.”][1]



madroña

madroña
ma·dro·ña
[mə drṓnə] (plural ma·dro·ñas)
or ma·dro·ño [mə drṓ n] (plural
ma·dro·ños) noun

N
American tree: a North American evergreen tree of the
heath family, with smooth bark, shiny leathery leaves, white flowers, edible
red berries, and wood often used to make furniture. Latin name: Arbutus
menziestii
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish .][1]



madtom

madtom
mad
tom
(plural mad toms) noun

small
catfish with poisonous spines: a small North American
freshwater catfish that has poisonous pectoral spines, a long adipose fin, and
a rounded dorsal fin. It is common in the east central United States. Genus: Noturus
[Short for “mad tom cat,”
since the fish inflicts nasty wounds with its poisonous spines][1]



Madura

Madura
Ma·du·ra
[mə drə]

island in southwestern
Indonesia, off the northeastern coast of Java. Population: 2,832,900 (1989)
Area: 5,290 sq km/2,042 sq mi.[1]



Madurai

Madurai
Ma·du·rai 
[məd yrī]

historic city and pilgrimage
center in southern India. Population: 951,696 (1991)[1]



maduro

maduro
ma·du·ro 
[mə drō] (plural ma·du·ros) noun

cigar:
a dark strong cigar
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish “ripe, mature.”][1]



madwoman

madwoman
mad·wom·an 
[mád wmmən] (plural mad·wom·en
[mád wìmmin]) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a woman with a psychiatric disorder (offensive)[1]



madwort

madwort
mad·wort 
[mád wùrt, mád
wàwrt] (plural mad·worts or mad·wort) noun

low-growing
Eurasian herb: a low-growing Eurasian herb of the
borage family that has small blue flowers. Latin name: Asperugo procumbens
[Late 16th century. A
translation of the modern Latin alyssum
“removing rabies” because the plant was believed to cure the bites of rabid
dogs.][1]



Maecenas

Maecenas
Mae·ce·nas 
[mī snəss] (plural Mae·ce·nas)
noun

patron of arts:
a rich patron of the arts (literary)[1]



Maelstrom

Maelstrom
Mael·strom 
[máyl strəm]

marine whirlpool in
northwestern Norway between two islands of the Lofoten Islands[1]



maelstrom

maelstrom
mael·strom 
[máylstrəm] (plural mael·stroms)
noun

1.  whirlpool:
an exceptionally large or violent whirlpool

2.  turbulent
or violent situation: a situation marked by
confusion, turbulence, strong feelings, violence, or destruction
[Late 17th century. From
early modern Dutch, formed from maalen “to grind, whirl round” + stroom
“stream.”][1]



maenad

maenad

mae·nad 
[m nàd] (plural mae·nads) noun

1.  woman
member of Dionysian cult: in ancient Greece, a woman
who belonged to the cult of Dionysus and took part in orgiastic rites

2.  wildly
excited woman: a woman affected by wild, uncontrollable
emotion
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek Mainad-, stem of Mainas, from mainesthai
“to rave.”]
—mae·nad·ic
[mee náddik], adjective

—mae·nad·i·cal·ly
[mee náddikəlee], adverb

—mae·nad·ism [mnə dìzzəm], noun[1]



maestoso

maestoso
ma·es·to·so 
[mī stṓ s] adverb

at
stately tempo: in a dignified or majestic manner (used
as a musical direction)
noun
(plural ma·es·to·sos)

maestoso
piece of music: a section of a piece of music played
maestoso
[Early
18th century. Via Italian, literally “majestic,” ultimately from Latin majestas
“majesty” (see majesty ).]
—ma·es·to·so, adjective[1]



maestro

maestro
maes·tro 
[mstrō] (plural maes·tros or
maes·tri [mstree]) noun

expert
or master musician: somebody who is regarded as
an expert in an art or skill, especially a skilled or distinguished musician,
conductor, composer, or music teacher
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian, literally “master,” from Latin magister (source of English magistrate ).][1]



maestrodi cappella

maestrodi cappella
maes·tro
di cap·pel·la  [mstrō dee
kə péllə] (plural maes·tri di cap·pel·la) noun

director
of chapel choir: formerly, somebody in charge of a group
of musicians, especially a chapel choir or the private orchestra of a royal
court or noble household, especially in 17th-century Italy
[“di capella” Italian “of the
chapel”][1]



MaeWest

MaeWest
Mae
West 
[may wést] (plural Mae Wests) or
mae west [may wést] (plural mae
wests) noun (informal)

1.  inflatable
life jacket: an inflatable life jacket, especially
one issued to U.S. pilots during World War II

2.  parachute
malfunction: a parachute malfunction in which a
suspension line goes over the top of the canopy, creating what appears to be a
huge brassiere
[Mid-20th century. So called
because the shape of the inflated jacket reminded airmen of the large bosom of
Mae West .][1]



mafficking

mafficking
maf·fick·ing 
[máffiking] (plural maf·fick·ings)
noun

U.K.
public
celebration: a boisterous and extravagant public
celebration (archaic)
[Early
20th century. A playful coinage based on Mafeking, following the wild
celebrations when news of the relief of the town, which had been beseiged
during the Boer War, reached London in 1900 (see Mafikeng
).]
—maf·fick,
intransitive verb

—maf·ficker, noun[1]



Mafia

Mafia
Ma·fi·a 
[mfee ə, máffee
ə] (plural Ma·fi·as) noun

1.  criminal
organization: a secret criminal organization
originating in Sicily that spread to mainland Italy and the United States and
is involved in international drug-dealing, racketeering, gambling, and
prostitution

2.  ma·fi·a
(plural ma·fi·as) or Ma·fi·a mutually
supportive clique: a close-knit or influential
group of people who work together and protect one another’s interests or the
interests of a particular person
[Mid-19th century. From the
Sicilian dialect of Italian, “bragging, blustering, boldness” especially of the
type shown by the Mafia.][1]



mafic

mafic
maf·ic 
[máffik] adjective

relating
to magnesium and iron minerals: relating to or being a
dark-colored igneous group of minerals that have a high magnesium and iron
content
[Early 20th century. Coined
from magnesium + ferric
.][1]



Mafikeng

Mafikeng
Maf·i·keng 
[máffi kèng]

town in north central South
Africa, formerly known as Mafeking. Population: 6,900 (1994)[1]



Mafioso

Mafioso
Ma·fi·o·so 
[mfee ṓssō, mfee
ṓzō] (plural Ma·fi·o·si [mfee
ṓssee, mfee ṓzee] or Ma·fi·o·sos)
or ma·fi·o·so [mfee ṓssō, mfee ṓzō] noun

Mafia
member:
a member of the Mafia
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, formed from mafia (see Mafia
).][1]



mag

mag
mag 
[mag] (plural mags) noun

PUBLISHING (informal) See
magazine  noun 1
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



mag.

mag.
mag.

1.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
magazine

2.  Abbreviation
of
magnesium

3.  Abbreviation
of
magnet

4.  Abbreviation
of
magnetic

5.  Abbreviation
of
magnetism

6.  Abbreviation
of
magnitude

7.  Abbreviation
of
magnum

[1]



magazine

magazine
mag·a·zine 
[mággə zn] (plural mag·a·zines)
noun

1.  PUBLISHING periodical
publication: a publication issued at regular
intervals, usually weekly or monthly, containing articles, stories,
photographs, advertisements, and other features, with a page size that is
usually smaller than that of a newspaper but larger than that of a book

2.  U.K.
BROADCASTING TV program
containing assorted items: a television or radio
program made up of an assortment of short factual items, often of interest to a
particular group of people

3.  ARMS bullet
or cartridge holder: a detachable container for
cartridges or bullets that can be quickly inserted or removed from a gun

4.  MILITARY storehouse
for military supplies: a structure on land or a
part of a ship where weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other military
equipment or supplies are stored

5.  ARMS stock
of ammunition: a stock of ammunition or other supplies
kept in a storehouse

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY slide
holder:
a container designed to hold a number of photographic slides and feed them
automatically through a projector

7.  PHOTOGRAPHY light-tight
film container: a container that is used for loading
film into a camera without exposing it to light

8.  supply
device:
a device or container attached to a machine that holds or supplies necessary
material
[Late 16th century. Via
French magazin from Italian magazzino, from Arabic mazan
“storehouse.” The sense “periodical publication” developed by way of the idea
of a storehouse of information.][1]



Magdalena

Magdalena
Mag·da·le·na 
[màgdə láynə]

major river of Colombia. It
flows north from the Andes into the Caribbean Sea. Length: 1,540 km/960 mi.[1]



Magdalene

Magdalene
Mag·da·lene
[mágdələn, mágdə
ln] noun

See
Mary Magdalene[1]



Magdeburg

Magdeburg
Mag·de·burg 
[mágdə burg]

capital of Madgeburg
District, Saxony-Anhalt State, north central Germany. Population: 269,500
(1994)[1]



Magellan,Ferdinand

Magellan,Ferdinand
Ma·gel·lan
[mə géllən], Ferdinand (1480?–1521)

Portuguese explorer. He was
the first person to circumnavigate the earth, and the first European to cross
the Pacific Ocean.[1]



MagellanicCloud

MagellanicCloud
Mag·el·lan·ic
Cloud
[màjjə lánnik clowd] (plural Mag·el·lan·ic
Clouds) noun

either
of two small galaxies: either of two small galaxies
near the south celestial pole that are irregularly shaped and closest to the
Milky Way
[Early 17th century. Named
for Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew
discovered them during the first voyage around the world.][1]



Magellan,Strait of

Magellan,Strait of
Ma·gel·lan,
Strait of
[mə géllən ]

channel between the
southernmost tip of the South American mainland and the island of Tierra del
Fuego[1]



MagenDavid

MagenDavid

Ma·gen
Da·vid
[mgən dáyvid] or Mo·gen Dovid
[mgən dáyvid] noun
See
Star of David
[From Hebrew literally
“shield of David”][1]



magenta

magenta
ma·gen·ta 
[mə jéntə] noun

1.  COLORS purplish-pink:
a brilliant purplish-pink color that, together with cyan and yellow, is one of
the three primary colors used in printing and photographic processing

2.  CHEMISTRY See fuchsin
adjective

COLORS of
purplish-pink: brilliant purplish-pink in color
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Magenta in Northern Italy where a major battle was fought shortly before the
discovery of the dye.][1]



maggid

maggid
mag·gid
[mgid] (plural mag·gid·im [maa gdim]) noun

Jewish
traveling teacher: a popular teacher traveling
among the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew maggīḏ “narrator.”][1]



maggiore

maggiore
mag·gio·re
[maa jṓ rày] noun

part
of fugue:
a section of a fugue or set of variations in the major mode that occurs
especially after a section in a minor
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “major.”][1]



Maggiore,Lake

Maggiore,Lake
Mag·gio·re,
Lake
[mə jáwree]

lake that lies partly in the
Ticino Canton, Switzerland, and partly in the Lombardy Region of northern
Italy. Area: 212 sq km/82 sq mi.[1]



maggot

maggot
mag·got 
[mággət] (plural mag·gots) noun

1.  insect
larva:
the worm-shaped larva of any of various members of the fly family, for example,
the housefly, found in decaying matter and used as bait in fishing

2.  somebody
despicable:
a name for somebody who is despised (insult slang)

3.  fancy:
a fanciful notion or idea (archaic)
[14th century. Possibly from
earlier maddock “worm, maggot,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



maggoty

maggoty
mag·got·y
[mággətee] (comparative mag·got·i·er,
superlative mag·got·i·est) adjective

full of maggots:
full of or containing maggots[1]



Magha

Magha
Mag·ha
noun

INDIAN RELIGION 11th
month in Hindu calendar: in the Hindu calendar, the
11th month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and falling in approximately
January to February
[Late 20th century. From
Hindi .][1]



Maghreb

Maghreb
Ma·ghreb
[múgrəb] or Ma·ghrib [múgrəb]

loosely defined region in
northwestern Africa, centered on Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia[1]



magi

magi
ma·gi


Plural of
magus[1]



Magi

Magi
Ma·gi
[máy j, májjī]
plural noun

3
wise men in Bible: in the Bible, the three wise
men, known as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, who came to Bethlehem from the
east to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 2: 1–12) .
Also
called
Three Wise Men
[Plural
of magus]
—Ma·gi·an
[máyjee ən, máyjən],
adjective, noun

—Ma·gi·an·ism [máyjə nìzzəm], noun[1]



magic

magic
mag·ic 
[májjik] noun

1.  conjuring
tricks:
conjuring tricks and illusions that make apparently impossible things seem to
happen, usually performed as entertainment

2.  inexplicable
things:
a special, mysterious, or inexplicable quality, talent, or skill • watched
the dancer’s feet work their magic

3.  supposed
supernatural power: a supposed supernatural
power that makes impossible things happen, or that gives somebody control over
the forces of nature. Magic is used in many cultures for healing, keeping away
evil, seeking the truth, and for vengeful purposes.

4.  practice
of magic:
the use of supposed supernatural power to make impossible things happen
adjective

1.  of
or for magic: relating to magic or used in the working
of magic • a
magic potion

2.  particularly
important:
particularly important or desirable • reach
the magic figure of 100 points
transitive
verb
(past mag·icked, past participle mag·icked, present
participle mag·ick·ing, 3rd person present singular mag·ics)

subject something to magic:
to make somebody or something seem to appear, disappear, change, or move by
using magic
[14th
century. Via Old French magique from, ultimately, Greek magikē,
which in turn was formed, ultimately, from magos (see magus ).]
like
magic

1.  inexplicably,
as though by magic

2.  rapidly

3.  without
obstacles or difficulties





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Magic Mountain, a novel by German writer Thomas Mann ( 1924 ). It describes
  young engineer Hans Castorp’s lengthy stay in a Swiss TB clinic. The clinic
  is a microcosm of European society at the time of World War I, with a
  cosmopolitan group of patients reflecting a range of contemporary political,
  philosophical, and scientific viewpoints.

[1]



magical

magical
mag·i·cal 
[májjik’l] adjective

1.  apparently
produced by magic: made or created by or as if
by magic

2.  wonderful:
so beautiful or pleasing as to seem supernaturally created
—mag·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



magicalrealism

magicalrealism
mag·i·cal
re·al·ism 
noun

See
magic realism[1]



magicbullet

magicbullet
mag·ic
bul·let 
(plural mag·ic bul·lets) noun

1.  miracle
drug:
a drug that cures a serious disease with no undesirable side effects on the
patient

2.  easy
solution:
a quick and easy solution for a difficult problem, or a means of accomplishing
the impossible

[1]



magiccarpet

magiccarpet
mag·ic
car·pet
(plural mag·ic car·pets) noun

imaginary flying carpet:
in fairy stories, a carpet that flies through the air and is used as a form of
transportation[1]



magician

magician
ma·gi·cian 
[mə jísh’n] (plural ma·gi·cians)
noun

1.  conjurer
or illusionist: an entertainer who performs conjuring
tricks and illusions

2.  somebody
who supposedly practices sorcery: somebody who uses
supposed supernatural powers to perform magic

3.  somebody
with exceptional ability: somebody who has
extraordinary skill, power, or ability

[1]



MagicMarker

MagicMarker
Mag·ic
Mark·er
Trademark

a trademark for a
highlighting pen that comes in various colors of ink[1]



magicmushroom

magicmushroom
mag·ic
mush·room
(plural mag·ic mush·rooms) noun

hallucinogenic mushroom:
a fungus that contains a hallucinogenic substance (informal)[1]



magicnumber

magicnumber
mag·ic
num·ber
(plural mag·ic num·bers) noun

specific number of protons or
neutrons: any of the numbers 2, 8, 20,
28, 50, 82, and 126 that represent the number of protons or neutrons in very
stable atomic nuclei[1]



magicrealism

magicrealism
mag·ic
re·al·ism 
or mag·i·cal re·al·ism noun

fantasy
combined with realism: a style of art or literature
that depicts fantastic or mythological subjects in a realistic manner
—mag·ic re·al·ist, noun[1]



magicsquare

magicsquare

mag·ic square
(plural mag·ic squares) noun
square arrangement of numbers:
a square containing rows and columns of numbers arranged in such a way that
each horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line has the same sum[1]



magicwand

magicwand
mag·ic
wand
(plural mag·ic wands) noun

1.  stick
used by magician: a small thin stick used by a sorcerer or
conjurer while performing magic

2.  something
able to work wonders: something fanciful or
make-believe that would, if it existed, be able to solve a difficult or
impossible problem immediately

[1]



Maginotline

Maginotline
Ma·gi·not
line 
[mázhə nō ln, mzhə
nṓ ln] (plural Ma·gi·not lines) noun

1.  fortifications
on Franco-German border: a line of fortifications
constructed by the French along the border between France and Germany before
World War II that failed to stop the German army from invading

2.  ineffective
defense:
an ineffective defensive strategy that is relied on with unthinking confidence
[Mid-20th century. Named for
André Maginot ( 1877–1932 ) who was French Minister of War when it was
built.][1]



magisterial

magisterial
mag·is·te·ri·al 
[màjjə stree əl] adjective

1.  dignified:
showing great authority and dignity

2.  domineering:
behaving in an overbearing or dictatorial way

3.  masterly
and authoritative: produced by or
characteristic of a teacher, scholar, or expert

4.  of
magistrate:
relating to or characteristic of a magistrate
[Early
17th century]
—mag·is·te·ri·al·ly,
adverb

—mag·is·te·ri·al·ness,
noun[1]



magisterium

magisterium
mag·is·te·ri·um 
[màjji stree əm] noun

teaching
authority of Roman Catholic Church: the
authority of the church in the Roman Catholic tradition to teach religious
doctrine
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from magister “master” (source of English magistrate ).][1]



magistracy

magistracy
mag·is·tra·cy 
[májjistrəsee] (plural mag·is·tra·cies)
noun

1.  office
of magistrate: the position or function of a magistrate

2.  magistrate’s
term of office: the term of office of a magistrate

3.  area
of magistrate’s jurisdiction: the district over which a
magistrate has the power and authority to administer justice

4.  magistrates
collectively: magistrates considered as a group

[1]



magistral

magistral
mag·is·tral 
[májjistrəl] adjective

1.  of
magistrate:
relating to or characteristic of a magistrate

2.  of
expert:
relating to or characteristic of an expert or scholar

3.  principal
or determining: used to describe a line of
fortifications that determines the position of other lines
noun
(plural magis·trals)

magistral line of fortifications:
a line of fortifications that determines the position of other lines
—mag·is·tral·i·ty
[màjji strállətee], noun

—mag·is·tral·ly [májjistrəlee], adverb[1]



magistrate

magistrate
mag·is·trate 
[májji stràyt, májjistrət]
(plural mag·is·trates) noun

1.  lower
court judge: a judge in a lower court whose
jurisdiction is limited to the trial of misdemeanors and the conduct of
preliminary hearings on more serious charges

2.  local
law officer: a minor law officer or member of a local
judiciary with extremely limited powers, for example, a justice of the peace
who deals with moving vehicular violations
[14th
century. From Latin magistratus, formed in turn from magister
“master” (source of English mister
and master ).]
—mag·is·trate·ship, noun[1]



maglev

maglev
mag·lev 
[mág lèv] (plural mag·levs) or
Mag·lev [mág lèv] (plural Mag·levs)
noun

train
that glides above line: an electrically operated
high-speed train that glides above a track by means of a magnetic field ( magnetic levitation )
[Late 20th century. A blend
of magnetic and levitation
.][1]



magma

magma
mag·ma 
[mágmə] (plural mag·mas or
mag·ma·ta [mag mtə]) noun

1.  GEOLOGY molten
rock:
molten rock deep within the earth from which igneous rock is formed by
solidification at or near the earth’s surface

2.  CHEMISTRY paste
or suspension: a soft paste or thick suspension made
from fine solid particles mixed with liquid
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek, formed from massein “to knead”; the
underlying idea being of a mixture kneaded together.]
—mag·mat·ic [mag máttik], adjective[1]



magmachamber

magmachamber
mag·ma
cham·ber
(plural mag·ma cham·bers) noun

magma-filled cavity under
volcano: an underground cavity that
contains magma, often located below a volcano[1]



MagnaCarta

MagnaCarta
Mag·na
Car·ta
[màgnə krtə] (plural Mag·na
Car·tas) or Mag·na Char·ta [màgnə
krtə] (plural Mag·na Char·tas) noun

1.  charter
granting rights: charter establishing the rights of
English barons and free citizens, granted by King John at Runnymede in 1215 and
regarded as the basis of civil and political liberty in England

2.  document
acknowledging rights: a document that recognizes
or guarantees rights, privileges, or liberties
[From Latin literally “great
charter”][1]



magnacum laude

magnacum laude
mag·na
cum lau·de 
[màgnə kum lówdə, màgnə
kum lówdee] adverb adjective

with
great distinction: at the second of three
levels of commendation for those who achieve excellent grades in coursework,
especially graduates of North American universities and colleges that have
honors programs involving theses.
See
also
cum laude
See
also
summa cum laude
[From Latin, literally “with
great praise”][1]



MagnaGraecia

MagnaGraecia
Mag·na
Grae·cia 
[màgnə grshə] noun

ancient
southern Italy colonized by Greeks: in
ancient times, the parts of southern Italy and Sicily that contained numerous
Greek colonies
[From Latin, literally “great
Greece”][1]



magnanimity

magnanimity
mag·na·nim·i·ty 
[màgnə nímmətee] (plural mag·na·nim·i·ties)
noun

1.  noble-spiritedness:
great generosity or noble-spiritedness

2.  noble-spirited
act:
a generous or noble-spirited act
[14th century. Via French magnanimité
from Latin magnanimitas, from magnanimus (see magnanimous ).][1]



magnanimous

magnanimous
mag·nan·i·mous 
[mag nánnəməss] adjective

noble-spirited:
very generous, kind, or forgiving
[Late
16th century. From Latin magnanimus, formed from magnus “great”
and animus “mind.”]
—mag·nan·i·mous·ly,
adverb

—mag·nan·i·mous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at generous

[1]



magnate

magnate
mag·nate 
[mág nàyt, mágnət]
(plural mag·nates) noun

somebody
rich and powerful: somebody who has a lot of
wealth and power, especially somebody in business or industry
[15th
century. From late Latin magnat-, stem of magnas, from Latin magnus
“great.”]
—mag·nate·ship, noun[1]



magnesia

magnesia
mag·ne·sia 
[mag nə, mag
nshə] noun

CHEMISTRY See magnesium oxide
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek magnēsia “mineral from Magnesia ”
in Asia Minor (source of English magnet
.]
—mag·ne·sial
[mag n’l, mag
nsh’l], adjective

—mag·ne·sian
[mag n’n, mag
nsh’n], adjective

—mag·ne·sic [mag nssik], adjective[1]



magnesite

magnesite
mag·ne·site 
[mágnə st] noun

naturally
occurring magnesium carbonate: a white or colorless
magnesium carbonate that occurs naturally and is used in making refractories
and as a source of magnesium oxide
[Early 19th century. From magnesia .][1]



magnesium

magnesium

mag·ne·si·um 
[mag nzee əm] noun
light
silver-white metallic element: a light silver-white
metallic element that occurs naturally in compounds and is used in alloys,
metallurgy, photography, and fireworks. Symbol Mg
[Early 19th century. From magnesia .][1]



magnesiumcarbonate

magnesiumcarbonate
mag·ne·si·um
car·bon·ate
noun

white crystalline salt:
a white crystalline salt found naturally as dolomite and magnesite and used in
antacids, glass, and refractories. MgCO3[1]



magnesiumhydroxide

magnesiumhydroxide
mag·ne·si·um
hy·drox·ide
noun

white crystalline powder:
a white crystalline powder used as an antacid and laxative. Mg(OH)2[1]



magnesiumoxide

magnesiumoxide
mag·ne·si·um
ox·ide
noun

white powder:
a white powder found naturally as periclase and used as an antacid and laxative
and in refractories, cements, electrical insulation, and fertilizers. MgO
Also called
magnesia[1]



magnesiumsulfate

magnesiumsulfate
mag·ne·si·um
sul·fate
noun

colorless crystalline salt:
a colorless crystalline salt used in medicine, fertilizers, and various
manufacturing processes. MgSO4[1]



magnet

magnet
mag·net 
[mágnət] (plural mag·nets) noun

1.  piece
of metal that attracts metal: a piece of metal, often
bar-shaped or U-shaped, that has the power to draw iron or steel objects toward
it and to hold or move them

2.  electromagnet:
an electromagnet

3.  source
of great attraction: somebody or something that
has a great power of attraction over people
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French magnete, from Latin magnete, from Greek Magnēs
lithis “stone from Magnesia,” an ancient city in Asia Minor at which
magnetic stone was mined.][1]



magnetic

magnetic
mag·net·ic 
[mag néttik] adjective

1.  having
power of magnet: able to attract iron or steel objects

2.  able
to be magnetized: able to be magnetized, or able to be
attracted by a magnet

3.  relating
to magnetism: relating to, involving, or produced by
magnetism

4.  using
magnet or magnetism: containing or using a magnet
or magnetism

5.  powerfully
charming:
having a great power of attraction over people • a
magnetic personality

6.  of
Earth’s magnetism: relating to the Earth’s
magnetism • magnetic
North Pole
—mag·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



magneticbottle

magneticbottle
mag·net·ic
bot·tle
(plural mag·net·ic bot·tles) noun

magnetic field in nuclear
experiments: a strong magnetic field
used to confine plasma in nuclear fusion experiments.
Also called
magnetic mirror[1]



magneticbubble

magneticbubble
mag·net·ic
bub·ble
(plural mag·net·ic bub·bles) noun

small magnetic region
representing data: a small
movable magnetic region in a thin film of magnetic material, used to store data
in computer memory[1]



magneticcompass

magneticcompass
mag·net·ic
com·pass
(plural mag·net·ic com·pass·es) noun

direction-finding instrument:
an instrument used to indicate magnetic north and other directions, containing
a magnetic needle that swings horizontally around a circle marked in degrees or
with the points of the compass[1]



magneticdeclination

magneticdeclination
mag·net·ic
dec·li·na·tion noun

difference between magnetic
and true north: the angle between
magnetic north and true north at a particular point on the Earth’s surface.
Also called
magnetic variation
Also called
variation[1]



magneticdip

magneticdip
mag·net·ic
dip
noun

See
dip  noun 10[1]



magneticdisk

magneticdisk
mag·net·ic
disk
(plural mag·net·ic disks) noun

COMPUTING
computer disk:
a computer disk consisting of one or more thin magnetically etched plates[1]



magneticepoch

magneticepoch
mag·net·ic
ep·och
(plural mag·net·ic ep·ochs) noun

period of magnetic stability:
a long period of geological time between reversals of the earth’s magnetic
field[1]



magneticequator

magneticequator
mag·net·ic
e·qua·tor
noun

line parallel to geographic
equator: an imaginary line that lies
near the geographical equator and passes through all points where a magnetic
needle has no dip[1]



magneticfield

magneticfield
mag·net·ic
field
(plural mag·net·ic fields) noun

magnetized region of space:
a region of space surrounding a magnetized body or current-carrying circuit in
which the resulting magnetic force can be detected[1]



magneticflux

magneticflux
mag·net·ic
flux
noun

strength of magnetic field:
the strength of a magnetic field represented by lines of force. Symbol φ[1]



magneticflux density

magneticflux density
mag·net·ic
flux den·si·ty noun

strength of magnetic field in
medium: the strength of a magnetic
field multiplied by the porosity of a medium, measured in teslas or gauss. Symbol
B
Also called
magnetic induction[1]



magnetichead

magnetichead
mag·net·ic
head
(plural mag·net·ic heads) noun

electromagnetic device for
reading data: an electromagnetic
device to read, write, or erase data on a magnetic medium[1]



magneticinduction

magneticinduction
mag·net·ic
in·duc·tion
noun

See
magnetic flux density[1]



magneticlevitation

magneticlevitation
mag·net·ic
lev·i·ta·tion noun

system of high-speed rail
travel: a system of high speed rail
travel using magnetism both to suspend and to propel trains above and along the
track.
See also
maglev[1]



magneticmeridian

magneticmeridian
mag·net·ic
me·rid·i·an
noun

imaginary line joining poles:
an imaginary line around the Earth’s surface that passes through both magnetic
poles[1]



magneticmine

magneticmine
mag·net·ic
mine
(plural mag·net·ic mines) noun

underwater mine with magnetic
sensors: an underwater mine equipped
with magnetic sensors that cause it to detonate when a large metal object,
usually a ship, passes into its magnetic field[1]



magneticmirror

magneticmirror
mag·net·ic
mir·ror
(plural mag·net·ic mir·rors) noun

See
magnetic bottle[1]



magneticmoment

magneticmoment
mag·net·ic
mo·ment
noun

torque on a magnet:
a vector quantity representing the torque experienced by a magnetic system in a
magnetic field. Symbol m[1]



magneticneedle

magneticneedle
mag·net·ic
nee·dle
(plural mag·net·ic nee·dles) noun

magnetized rod pointing
north: thin bar of magnetized metal
used in navigational instruments, mounted or suspended so that it swings freely
in a horizontal circle and indicates the direction of the Earth’s magnetic
poles[1]



magneticnorth

magneticnorth
mag·net·ic
north
noun

direction of the north
magnetic pole: the direction of the
north magnetic pole, indicated by the needle of a magnetic compass[1]



magneticpole

magneticpole
mag·net·ic
pole
(plural mag·net·ic poles) noun

1.  end
of a magnet: either of the two points at the end of a
magnet where the magnet’s field is most intense

2.  region
near a geographic pole: either of the two regions on
the Earth’s surface near the geographic poles where the Earth’s magnetic field
is most intense.
Also
called
geomagnetic pole

[1]



magneticrecording

magneticrecording
mag·net·ic
re·cord·ing
(plural mag·net·ic re·cord·ings) noun

1.  storing
data on a magnetized medium: the storage of analog or
digital data on a magnetized medium, for example, audio, video, or computer
data on tape, disk, or cards

2.  surface
containing a magnetic recording: a surface on which
information has been magnetically recorded

[1]



magneticresonance imaging

magneticresonance imaging
mag·net·ic
res·o·nance im·ag·ing noun

medical imaging technique:
an imaging technique, useful in diagnosing certain diseases, that uses
electromagnetic radiation to obtain images of the body’s soft tissues, for
example, the brain and spinal cord. The body is subjected to a powerful
magnetic field, allowing tiny signals from atomic nuclei to be detected and
then processed and converted into images by a computer.[1]



magneticstorm

magneticstorm
mag·net·ic
storm
noun

disturbance in the Earth’s
magnetic field: a disturbance in the
Earth’s magnetic field associated with charged particles from solar flares and
sunspot activity[1]



magneticstripe

magneticstripe
mag·net·ic
stripe
or mag·net·ic strip noun

line on a plastic card:
a strip of magnetic medium on a plastic card such as a credit card, encoded
with information[1]



magneticsusceptibility

magneticsusceptibility
mag·net·ic
sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty noun

number characterizing
magnetization of substance: a number
that characterizes the magnetization of a substance when it is subjected to a
magnetic field.
Also called
susceptibility[1]



magnetictape

magnetictape
mag·net·ic
tape
noun

thin tape coated with iron
oxide: a thin ribbon of material,
usually plastic, coated with iron oxide and used to record sounds, images, or
data. It is the tape used in audio and video cassettes, and on computers with
tape drives.[1]



magnetictransition temperature

magnetictransition temperature
mag·net·ic
tran·si·tion tem·per·a·ture noun

See
Curie point[1]



magneticvariation

magneticvariation
mag·net·ic
var·i·a·tion noun

See
magnetic declination[1]



magnetism

magnetism
mag·net·ism 
[mágnə tìzzəm] noun

1.  PHYSICS attraction
of magnets for iron: the phenomenon of physical
attraction for iron, inherent in magnets or induced by a moving electric charge
or current

2.  PHYSICS magnetic
field force: the force exerted by a magnetic field

3.  attraction:
the strong attractiveness of something, for example, the power of somebody’s
personality to influence others “He was a born boon companion, with a magnetism
which drew good humor from all around him.” Arthur Conan Doyle The Valley of
Fear 1915

[1]



magnetite

magnetite
mag·net·ite 
[mágnə tt] noun

black mineral ore of iron:
a common black magnetic mineral consisting of iron oxide. It is an important
ore of iron. Fe3O4[1]



magnetize

magnetize
mag·net·ize 
[mágnə tz] (past mag·net·ized,
past participle mag·net·ized, present participle mag·net·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mag·net·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS make or become magnetic:
to become magnetic, or to make an object or material magnetic

2.  transitive
verb
attract
somebody strongly: to hold a strong attraction
for somebody • prospectors
magnetized by the possibility of finding gold in the hills
—mag·net·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—mag·net·i·za·tion
[màgnəti záysh’n], noun

—mag·net·iz·er, noun[1]



magneto-

magneto-
magneto-
prefix

magnetic
field • magnetograph
[From magnet][1]



magneto

magneto
mag·ne·to 
[mag ntō] (plural mag·ne·tos)
noun

small
alternator using magnets: a small alternator that uses
permanent magnets to generate a spark in an internal-combustion engine,
especially in marine and aircraft engines
[Late 19th century. Shortening
of magnetoelectric machine .][1]



magnetograph

magnetograph
mag·ne·to·graph 
[mag ntō gràf] noun

magnetic variation recorder:
an instrument used to record variations in a magnetic field, usually that of
the Earth[1]



magnetohydrodynamics

magnetohydrodynamics
mag·ne·to·hy·dro·dy·nam·ics 
[mag ntō hīdrō dī námmiks] noun

study
of electrically conducting fluids: the study of magnetic
and electric fields in relation to the movement of electrically conducting
fluids, for example, plasmas and molten metal (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
hydromagnetics
—mag·ne·to·hy·dro·dy·nam·ic,
adjective[1]



magnetometer

magnetometer
mag·ne·tom·e·ter 
[màgnə tómmətər] noun

instrument for measuring
magnetic fields: a device for measuring
the direction and intensity of a magnetic field[1]



magnetomotiveforce

magnetomotiveforce
mag·ne·to·mo·tive
force 
[mag ntō mtiv fáwrss] noun

magnetic flux source:
a force that produces magnetic flux. Symbol F m[1]



magneton

magneton
mag·ne·ton 
[mágnə tòn] noun

unit
of magnetic force and direction: a unit that expresses
the combined force and direction of a magnetic field ( magnetic
moment ), for example, the magnetic field of an atom or elementary
particle
[Early 20th century. Coined
from magnetic + -on
.][1]



magnetopause

magnetopause
mag·ne·to·pause 
[mag ntə pàwz] noun

space boundary:
the region between the magnetosphere and outer space[1]



magnetosphere

magnetosphere
mag·ne·to·sphere 
[mag ntō sfr] noun

region
of Earth’s magnetic influence: the region surrounding
a celestial body, for example, the Earth, in which charged particles are
trapped and affected by the body’s magnetic field
—mag·ne·to·spher·ic [mag ntō sférrik, mag
ntō sfrik], adjective[1]



magnetron

magnetron
mag·ne·tron 
[mágnə tròn] noun

microwave
generator:
an vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons is manipulated by electric and
magnetic fields to generate microwaves. The microwave radiation produced is
either pulsed, for use in radar applications, or continuous, as required for
microwave cooking.
[Early 20th century][1]



magnetschool

magnetschool
mag·net
school
noun

specialized public school:
a public school specializing in a particular area, for example, languages or
technology, in addition to providing general education. It draws students from
inside and outside the local area, and serves as a way of integrating the
student population and of providing innovative or alternative education.[1]



magnific

magnific
mag·nif·ic 
[mag níffik] or mag·nif·i·cal
[mag níffik’l] adjective (archaic)

1.  magnificent:
magnificent

2.  big
and imposing: large in size and impressive in
appearance

3.  using
impressive words: using high-sounding vocabulary, often
for effect
[15th
century. Directly, or via Old French magnifique, from Latin magnificus,
literally “performing great actions,” from magnus “great” (see magnify ).]
—mag·nif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Magnificat

Magnificat
Mag·nif·i·cat
[mag níffi kàyt] noun

1.  hymn
of the Virgin Mary: the Virgin Mary’s hymn of
praise to God, taken from and sung or chanted in church

2.  hymn
of praise:
any hymn of praise sung or chanted in church
[12th century. From Latin,
literally “(my soul) magnifies,” a form of magnificare (see magnify ), from the opening word of the Latin
version.][1]



magnification

magnification
mag·ni·fi·ca·tion 
[màgnəfi káysh’n] noun

1.  OPTICS increasing
of apparent size: the process of causing an object or
image to appear larger than it really is, especially by using a lens or
microscope

2.  increasing
of actual size: the process of increasing the size or
magnitude of something

3.  growth
in importance: the increasing of the importance
attributed to somebody or something

4.  OPTICS degree
of enlargement: the amount by which an image is made
bigger

5.  enlarged
copy of something: a copy of a map, photograph,
or other image that has been made larger than the original

6.  ratio:
the size of the image of an object, expressed as a ratio of its actual size

[1]



magnificence

magnificence
mag·nif·i·cence 
[mag níffiss’nss] noun

1.  great
beauty:
the impressive beauty or grandeur of somebody or something

2.  richness
of appearance: the great richness and splendor of
somebody or something, usually indicating great wealth
[14th century. Directly, or
via Old French, from Latin magnificentia, from the stem magnificent-
(see magnificent ).][1]



magnificent

magnificent
mag·nif·i·cent 
[mag níffiss’nt] adjective

1.  beautiful:
beautiful, impressive, and splendid in appearance • a
magnificent view of Rome from our balcony

2.  exceptional:
exceptionally good of its kind

3.  very
good:
excellent (informal) • The response
to the appeal has been magnificent.
[15th
century. Directly, or via Old French, from Latin magnificent-, stem of magnificus,
literally “performing great actions,” from magnus “great” (see magnify ).]
—mag·nif·i·cent·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Magnificent Ambersons, a film by director Orson Welles ( 1942 ). Based on a
  novel by Booth Tarkington, it is set in the U.S. Midwest during the
  industrial revolution and contrasts the declining fortunes of the upper-class
  Amberson family with the rise of a young entrepreneur. Despite suffering
  savage cuts at the hands of the studio, it is regarded as one of Welles’s
  masterpieces.

[1]



magnifico

magnifico
mag·nif·i·co 
[mag níffikō] (plural mag·nif·i·coes
or mag·nif·i·cos) noun

1.  magnate:
a rich or powerful person

2.  HISTORY Venetian
nobleman:
a nobleman of the Venetian Republic
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, literally “magnificent.”][1]



magnify

magnify
mag·ni·fy 
[mágnə f] (past mag·ni·fied, past
participle mag·ni·fied, present participle mag·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mag·ni·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
OPTICS increase
the apparent size of something: to cause something to
appear larger than it is, especially by using a microscope or lens • a
virus magnified 50,000 times

2.  transitive
verb
increase
the actual size of something: to increase the size or
magnitude of something

3.  transitive
verb
increase
the importance of something: to increase the importance
attributed to somebody or something • The
complexities of today’s medicine only magnify the need for better hospital
management.

4.  transitive
verb
overstate
the importance of somebody or something: to
cause somebody or something to appear more important than is in fact the case • He
tried to magnify his plight by complaining to the media about unfair stories.

5.  intransitive
verb
have
an enlarging ability: to have the ability to
increase the size or magnitude of something

6.  transitive
verb
RELIGION praise
God:
to give praise or thanks to God (formal) “my heart doth magnify his holy
name” The Book of Mormon [part 1]
[14th
century. Directly, or via Old French magnifier, from Latin magnificare,
literally “to make greater,” ultimately, from magnus “great” (source of
English major and maxim ).]
—mag·ni·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—mag·ni·fi·er, noun[1]



magnifyingglass

magnifyingglass
mag·ni·fy·ing
glass 
noun

hand-held lens:
a convex lens in a frame with a handle, used to make objects viewed through it
appear larger.
Also called
glass[1]



magniloquent

magniloquent
mag·nil·o·quent 
[mag nílləkwənt] adjective

using
important-sounding words: employing impressive words
and an exaggeratedly solemn and dignified style
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin magniloquus, which in turn was coined from magnus
“great” + -loquus “speaking.”]
—mag·nil·o·quent·ly,
adverb

—mag·nil·o·quence, noun[1]



Magnitogorsk

Magnitogorsk
Mag·ni·to·gorsk 
[mag ntə gáwrsk]

city in southwestern Siberian
Russia, on the Ural River. Population: 427,000 (1995)[1]



magnitude

magnitude
mag·ni·tude 
[mágnə td] noun

1.  greatness
of size:
greatness of size, volume, or extent • computing
the magnitude of heavenly bodies

2.  importance:
the importance or significance of something • the
magnitude of the discovery

3.  status:
great personal importance or status • a
person of her magnitude

4.  GEOLOGY measure
of earthquake size: a measure of the energy of
an earthquake, specified on the Richter scale

5.  MATHEMATICS number
assigned to a mathematical quantity: a
numerical value that describes the amount of something, usually expressed in
terms of a multiple of standard units, or the item measured in this way

6.  ASTRONOMY brightness
of a celestial body: a numerical measure of the
apparent brightness of a celestial body, on a scale in which a lower number
represents greater brightness.
Also
called
apparent magnitude
[14th
century. From Latin magnitudo, from magnus “great” (see magnify ).]
—mag·ni·tu·di·nous [màgnə td’nəss], adjective[1]



magnolia

magnolia

mag·no·lia 
[mag nṓlyə] (plural magnolia or
mag·no·lias) noun

1.  flowering
tree:
any one of a group of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs that typically
have large simple leaves and showy yellow, white, pink, or green flowers.
Native to North America and Asia, they are widely cultivated as ornamentals.
Magnolias were among the first plants to have flowers, some 100 million years
ago. Genus: Magnolia

2.  flower:
the flower of a magnolia

3.  COLORS beige:
a creamy-white color
[Mid-18th
century. Named in honor of the French professor of botany Pierre Magnol
(1638–1715).]
—mag·no·lia, adjective[1]



magnum

magnum1
mag·num1 [mágnəm]
(plural mag·nums) noun

1.  large
wine bottle: a wine bottle that holds approximately
1.5 liters, the equivalent of two normal bottles

2.  contents
of magnum:
the volume of liquid contained in a magnum
[Late
18th century. From Latin, a form of magnus “large.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word magnus, from which magnum
  is derived, is also the source of English magnanimous,
  magnate, magnificent, magnify,
  and magnitude.

[1]



magnum

magnum2
mag·num2  [mágnəm]
adjective

with
a larger charge: used to describe firearms cartridges
that have a larger charge and casing and are thus more high-powered than other
gun cartridges of the same caliber
noun

powerful gun:
a gun capable of shooting magnum cartridges[1]



magnumopus

magnumopus
mag·num
o·pus
noun

great
work:
a great work of art or literature, especially the finest work produced by one
individual
[From Latin, “great work”][1]



Magog

Magog
Ma·gog
noun

See
Gog and Magog[1]



magot

magot
ma·got 
[ma gṓ, mággət]
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY Barbary
ape:
a Barbary ape

2.  SCULPTURE crouching
figurine:
a crouching, often grotesque figurine in the Japanese or Chinese style
[Early 17th century. From Old
French magos, a kind of monkey, from Magog “Magog” (see Gog and Magog ), the biblical giant used as an
emblem of ugliness in medieval romance.][1]



magpie

magpie
mag·pie 
[mág p] noun

1.  BIRDS chattering
black-and-white bird: a gregarious bird of the
crow family with vivid black-and-white plumage, a long wedge-shaped tail, and a
chattering call. Genus: Pica

2.  BIRDS Australian
bird:
a large, widely distributed, black-and-white Australian bird with a melodious
song. Latin name: Gymnorhina tibicen

3.  talkative
person:
an incurable chatterer (informal)

4.  avid
collector:
an enthusiastic or compulsive collector, especially of small objects (informal)
[Late 16th century. From Mag,
a shortening of the name Margaret + pie
. It is not known why the “mag” part was added.][1]



M.Agr.

M.Agr.
M.Agr.

Abbreviation of
Master of Agriculture[1]



Magritte,René

Magritte,René
Ma·gritte
[maa grt], René (1898–1967)

Belgian
painter. A leading member of the Belgian surrealists, his work consists of
strange juxtapositions of ordinary objects and parodies of famous paintings.
Full name
Magritte, René François Gislain[1]



Magsaysay,Ramon

Magsaysay,Ramon
Mag·say·say
[maag s s], Ramon (1907–1957)

Philippine statesman. He led
the Huk Rebellion against Communist rule, and served as president of the
Philippines (1953–1957).[1]



magtape

magtape
mag
tape
noun

magnetic tape:
magnetic tape (informal)[1]



maguey

maguey
ma·guey 
[ma gáy, mág wày]
noun

1.  tropical
plant:
any one of various plants cultivated in Mexico and other tropical regions for
their fiber or as a source of an alcoholic drink called pulque. Genus: Agave

2.  fiber:
fiber from the stalks of maguey plants
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish from Taino .][1]



magus

magus
ma·gus 
[máygəss] (plural ma·gi [máy j]) noun

1.  Zoroastrian
priest:
a priest in the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism

2.  man
with magical powers: a man with supernatural or
magical powers, especially in ancient times
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek magos, from Old Persian magŭs
.]
—ma·gi·an
[máyjee ən], adjective

—ma·gi·an·ism
[máyjee ə nìzzəm], noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Magus, a novel by English writer John Fowles ( 1966 ). The plot concerns a young
  teacher, Nicholas Urfe, who takes a job on a Greek island and finds himself
  lured into an elaborate fiction staged by a wealthy resident, Maurice
  Conchis. Fowles uses this enigmatic story to explore the nature of individual
  identity and freedom of choice.

[1]



Magus

Magus
Ma·gus
(plural Ma·gi) noun

BIBLE
man led by a star to Jesus Christ:
in the Bible, one of the men, traditionally three in number, who followed a
star to Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus Christ. They are often called the
Three Wise Men or the Three Kings. (literary)
See also
Caspar
See also
Melchior
See also
Balthazar[1]



Magyar

Magyar
Mag·yar 
[mág yr, mg
yr] (plural Mag·yars or Mag·yar) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Hungarian people: a member of the Hungarian
people that forms the largest population group of Hungary

2.  LANGUAGE See Hungarian
[Late
18th century. From Hungarian .]
—Mag·yar, adjective[1]



Mahabharata

Mahabharata
Ma·hab·ha·ra·ta 
[mə h brətə] noun

Indian
national epic: one of India’s two great national epic
poems, written in Sanskrit from about 300 BC
. It tells of the great war in northern India between the Pandava and Kaurava
families. The “Bhagavad-Gita” is the most important section of the Mahabharata.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit, literally “the great history of the Bharata dynasty.”][1]



Mahajanga

Mahajanga
Ma·ha·janga
[maa ng]

port on the northwestern
coast of Madagascar. Population: 100,807 (1993)[1]



mahaleb

mahaleb
ma·ha·leb 
[mhə lèb] noun

tree
of the rose family: a tree whose seeds are used
in Middle Eastern cookery. It belongs to the rose family and is used as a
grafting stock in the United States. Latin name: Prunus mahaleb
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Arabic maḥaleb .][1]



Mahallatal Kubra

Mahallatal Kubra
Ma·hal·lat
al Ku·bra
[mə hlə el kōbrə]

industrial city in the
central Nile delta, northern Egypt. Population: 408,000 (1992)[1]



Mahan,Alfred Thayer

Mahan,Alfred Thayer
Mahan
[mə hán], Alfred Thayer (1840–1914)

U.S. naval officer. He
devised theories about naval power, published in The Influence of Sea Power
upon History 1660–1783 ( 1870 ).[1]



maharajah

maharajah
ma·ha·ra·jah 
[mhə rjə, mhə
rzhə] or ma·ha·ra·ja [mhə
rjə, mhə rzhə] noun

Indian
prince:
an Indian prince, higher in rank than a rajah, especially the ruler of one of
the former Native States of India
[Late 17th century. From
Sanskrit, formed from mahā “great” + rājān “raja” (see raj ).][1]



maharani

maharani
ma·ha·ra·ni 
[mhə rnee] noun

1.  maharajah’s
wife:
the wife of a maharajah

2.  Indian
princess:
an Indian princess, higher in rank than a rani, especially the ruler of one of
the former Native States of India
[Mid-19th century. From
Hindi, formed from Sanskrit mahā “great” + rājñnī .][1]



Maharashtra

Maharashtra
Ma·ha·rash·tra 
[m hə rshtrə]

state in western India,
situated in the northwestern part of the Deccan plateau. Capital: Mumbai.
Population: 85,865,000 (1994) Area: 307,690 sq km/118,799 sq mi.[1]



maharishi

maharishi
ma·ha·ri·shi 
[mhə rshee] noun

Hindu
religious instructor: a Hindu religious teacher
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit maharṣi from mahā “great” + ṛṣi “inspired sage.”][1]



mahatma

mahatma
ma·hat·ma 
[mə htmə, mə
hátmə] noun

esteemed
one:
in India, a title bestowed on somebody who is deeply revered for wisdom and
virtue
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit mahātman, formed from mahā “great” + ātman
“soul.”][1]



Mahayana

Mahayana
Ma·ha·ya·na 
[mhə ynə] noun

branch
of Buddhism: the branch of Buddhism that includes
Tibetan, Chinese, and Zen Buddhism, developed around AD 1. It stresses compassion for all sentient beings and
universal salvation.
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit, formed from mahā “great” + yanā “vehicle.”][1]



Mahdi

Mahdi
Mah·di 
[mdee] noun

1.  Islamic
messiah:
in Islamic belief, a prophet or messiah who is expected to appear in the world
sometime before it ends

2.  Islamic
leader:
somebody fulfilling a messianic role
[Early
19th century. From Arabic al-mahdī, literally “he who is rightly
guided,” from hadā “to lead in the right way.”]
—Mah·dism,
noun

—Mah·dist, noun[1]



Mahfouz,Naguib

Mahfouz,Naguib

Mah·fouz
[maa fz], Naguib (1911– )
Egyptian novelist and screenwriter. He is
author of The Cairo Trilogy ( 1956–1957 ) and other works that explore
Egyptian society and culture.[1]



Mahican

Mahican
Ma·hi·can 
[mə hkən] or Mo·hi·can [mō hkən] noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American confederacy: a
member of a Native North American confederacy of peoples formerly living in the
upper Hudson River Valley from the Catskill Mountains north to Lake Champlain.
Their descendants live in Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

2.  LANGUAGE Mahican
language:
the Algonquian language spoken by the Mahican people, belonging to the
Algonquian-Wakashan group of Native North American languages
[Early
17th century. From Mahican muhheakunneuw, literally “people of the tidal
water.”]
—Ma·hi·can, adjective[1]



mahi-mahi

mahi-mahi
ma·hi-ma·hi 
[mhee mhee] noun

tropical
marine fish: an edible marine tropical fish that has
a bright blue body and long dorsal fin. Latin name: Coryphaena hippurus
[From Hawaiian][1]



mahjongg

mahjongg
mah·jongg 
[maa zhóng, maa
jóng] or mah·jong [maa zhóng,
maa jóng] noun

Chinese
game:
a game of Chinese origin using 144 small tiles bearing various designs, played
by four people around a square table. The winning player is the first one who
completes a particular pattern using 13 tiles.
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese dialect ma jiang, literally “sparrows.”][1]



Mahler,Gustav

Mahler,Gustav

Mah·ler
[mlər], Gustav (1860–1911)
Czech-born Austrian composer and
conductor. He is best known for his songs and large-scale orchestral works,
many of them involving voices, as in Das Lied von der Erde ( 1908 ).[1]



MahmudII

MahmudII
Mahmud
II 
[maa md] (1785–1839)

Turkish national leader. He
was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1808–1839).[1]



Mahmudof Ghazni

Mahmudof Ghazni
Mahmud
of Ghazni
[maa md əv gznee] (971–1030)

Afghan sultan. He developed
Ghazni into a center of power and culture, through conquest.[1]



mahogany

mahogany
ma·hog·a·ny 
[mə hóggənee] (plural ma·hog·a·nies)
noun

1.  tropical
hardwood tree: any one of several evergreen hardwood
trees native to tropical America but widely cultivated for their red-brown
wood. Genus: Swietenia

2.  reddish-brown
hardwood:
the hard reddish-brown wood of any mahogany tree, used in the construction
industry and for making furniture

3.  COLORS reddish
brown:
a dark reddish-brown color
[Mid-17th
century. From obsolete Spanish mahogani, of uncertain origin: perhaps a
Mayan language.]
—ma·hog·a·ny, adjective[1]



mahonia

mahonia
ma·ho·nia 
[mə hṓnee ə] noun

spiny-leaved
shrub:
any one of various evergreen shrubs native to America and Asia that typically
have spiny leaflets and clusters of small yellow flowers and are widely
cultivated as ornamentals. Genus: Mahonia
See
also
Oregon grape
[Early 19th century. Named
for the U.S. botanist Bernard McMahon ( 1775–1816 ).][1]



mahout

mahout
ma·hout 
[mə hówt] noun

elephant
driver:
in South and Southeast Asia, somebody who trains, drives, and takes care of
elephants
[Mid-17th century. Via Hindi mahāut
from Sanskrit mahāmātra “high official, elephant-keeper,” from mahā
“great” + mātra “measure.”][1]



Mahratta

Mahratta
Mah·rat·ta 
noun

See
Maratha[1]



Mahratti

Mahratti
Mah·rat·ti 
(plural Mah·rat·tis) noun

See
Marathi[1]



mahzor

mahzor
mah·zor
[mkh zàwr, maakh
záwr] (plural mah·zor·im [maakh
záwrim, mkh zaw rm]) or mach·zor
[mkh zàwr, maakh
záwr] (plural mach·zor·im or mach·zors) noun

Jewish
prayer book: a Jewish prayer book that details the
rituals prescribed for festivals and holidays
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew mahzōr .][1]



Mahé

Mahé
Ma·hé
[moháy]

the largest island in the
Republic of Seychelles, in the western Indian Ocean. Population: 59,500 (1987)
Area: 148 sq km/57 sq mi.[1]



maid

maid
maid 
[mayd] noun

1.  woman
servant:
a woman servant, for example, one working in a hotel

2.  young
unmarried woman: a young unmarried woman (archaic or
literary) (sometimes considered offensive)

3.  unmarried
woman:
an unmarried woman past middle age (often considered offensive)

4.  virgin:
a woman who has never had sexual intercourse (archaic or literary)
[12th century. Shortening of maiden .][1]



maiden

maiden
maid·en 
[máyd’n] noun

1.  young
unmarried woman: a young unmarried woman (sometimes
considered offensive)

2.  virgin:
a woman who has never had sexual intercourse (archaic or literary)

3.  HISTORY guillotine:
in 16th and 17th-century Scotland, a guillotine used to execute criminals

4.  HORSERACING horse
yet to win:
a horse that has never won a race
adjective

1.  first:
done for the very first time (offensive in some contexts) • a
maiden voyage

2.  untouched:
still in its original, unused, untouched, or unexplored condition (literary)
(offensive in some contexts)

3.  HORSERACING for
horses yet to win: for horses that have never
won a race
[Old English mægden
from a prehistoric Germanic ancestor meaning “young woman”][1]



maidenhairfern

maidenhairfern

maid·en·hair fern 
[máyd’n hair fùrn] noun
delicate fern:
any one of various ferns with slender dark stems and delicate fronds of
numerous leaflets. Native to warm moist regions worldwide, they are widely
cultivated as ornamentals. Genus: Adiantum[1]



maidenhairtree

maidenhairtree
maid·en·hair
tree
noun

See
ginkgo[1]



maidenhead

maidenhead
maid·en·head 
[máyd’n hèd] noun (literary)

1.  hymen:
the hymen

2.  virginity:
a woman’s virginity
[13th century. Coined from maiden + -head, a variant of hood .][1]



maidenhood

maidenhood
maid·en·hood 
[máyd’n hd] or maid·hood [màyd hd] noun

woman’s
early life:
the period of a woman’s life before marriage or before becoming sexually active
(literary) (sometimes considered offensive)
[Old English][1]



maidenly

maidenly
maid·en·ly 
[máyd’nlee] adjective

like
a maiden:
of, like, or thought suitable for a maiden
—maid·en·li·ness, noun[1]



maidenname

maidenname
maid·en
name
noun

woman’s surname at birth:
the former surname of a woman who has assumed her husband’s surname[1]



maidhood

maidhood
maid·hood 
noun

See
maidenhood
[Old English][1]



maid-in-waiting

maid-in-waiting
maid-in-wait·ing
(plural maids-in-wait·ing) noun

young lady-in-waiting:
a young, usually unmarried lady-in-waiting[1]



MaidMarian

MaidMarian
Maid
Mar·i·an 
[mayd máiree ən] noun

Robin Hood’s beloved:
in English legend, the beautiful young noblewoman loved by Robin Hood[1]



maidof honor

maidof honor
maid
of hon·or
(plural maids of hon·or) noun

1.  bride’s
attendant:
the bride’s main unmarried honor attendant

2.  royal
attendant:
an unmarried woman of noble birth who attends a queen or princess

[1]



maidservant

maidservant
maid·ser·vant 
[máyd sùrvənt] noun

woman servant:
a woman servant, especially one working in a large private house (archaic)[1]



Maiduguri

Maiduguri
Maid·u·gu·ri 
[màydo gree]

city in Borno State,
northeastern Nigeria. Population: 289,100 (1992)[1]



maieutic

maieutic
ma·ieu·tic 
[may ytik, mī
ytik] or ma·ieu·ti·cal [may
tik’l] adjective

PHILOSOPHY Socratic:
Socratic (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
maieutikos, literally “acting as midwife,” ultimately, from maia
“midwife.”][1]



maigre

maigre
mai·gre 
[máygər, mégrə]
adjective CHRISTIANITY

1.  containing
no flesh:
containing no meat and therefore suitable for eating on days when abstinence
from meat is prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church

2.  prescribed
for abstinence from meat: used to describe a day when
abstinence from meat is prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “lean.”][1]



mail

mail2
mail2 [mayl]
noun

1.  HISTORY armor:
a kind of flexible armor made of interlocking metal rings or overlapping plates

2.  ZOOLOGY hard
body covering: the hard protective body covering of
some animals, for example, turtles and crabs
transitive
verb
(past mailed, past participle mailed, present
participle mail·ing, 3rd person present singular mails)

cover the body with mail:
to cover or protect the body with mail • a
mailed torso
[13th century. Via French maille
“mesh” from Latin macula “spot, holes in a net” (source of English immaculate ).][1]



mail

mail1
mail1 [mayl]
noun

1.  items
sent:
the letters, cards, periodicals, and packages that are handled and distributed
in a postal system • Is there any mail for
me?

2.  postal
system:
the system that handles the collection and delivery of mail (often used
before a noun) • send it by mail

3.  specific
mail collection or delivery: a particular collection or
delivery of letters, cards, periodicals, and packages • It
came in yesterday’s mail.

4.  vehicle
delivering mail: a car, train, ship, aircraft, or other
vehicle used to collect and deliver mail

5.  COMPUT See e-mail
transitive
verb
(past mailed, past participle mailed, present
participle mail·ing, 3rd person present singular mails)

U.S., Canada,
Australia send something by mail:
to send a letter, card, periodical, or package by mail
[13th
century. Via Old French male “bag, trunk” from a prehistoric Germanic
word meaning “bag, wallet.” Originally in the meaning of “bag,” hence “letters
carried in a bag.”]
—mail·a·ble, adjective[1]



mailbag

mailbag
mail·bag 
[máyl bàg] noun

1.  bag
for transporting mail: a bag used for transporting
mail, typically a sack made of coarse material

2.  mail
carrier’s bag: a large bag, usually with a shoulder
strap, used by mail carriers.
U.K.
term
postbag

3.  mail
received:
mail received by a person or organization (informal) • This
week’s mailbag is bursting with complaints about the schedule change.

U.K.
term
postbag
[Early 19th century. From mail 1 .][1]



mailbox

mailbox
mail·box 
[máyl bòks] noun

1.  public
collection box for mailing letters: a box
in a public place where letters can be left for later collection by a mail
carrier.
U.K.
term
postbox

2.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand box for receiving mail:
a container into which mail is delivered

3.  COMPUTING message
storage file: an area of computer memory designated
for messages, especially those sent by e-mail • Your
online mailbox is empty.
[Early 19th century. From mail 1 .][1]



mailcarrier

mailcarrier
mail
car·ri·er
noun

post office employee:
a post office employee who delivers mail to homes and businesses[1]



maildrop

maildrop
mail·drop
(plural mail drops) noun

1.  container
for mail:
a container into which delivered mail is placed

2.  delivery
place:
a place where messages or packages can be left for later pickup by somebody
else, often secretly and prearranged

[1]



mailedfist

mailedfist
mailed
fist 
noun

military
threat:
the threat of military force (literary)
[Mailed from mail 2][1]



mailer

mailer
mail·er 
[máylər] noun

1.  mail
container:
a carton or tube for sending objects of a particular kind through the mail

2.  mail
sender:
a person or organization that uses the postal system • Mailers
of valuables are advised to insure them.

3.  somebody
who prepares mail: somebody whose job it is to
address, stamp, weigh, and sort items for mailing

4.  machine
that prepares mail: a machine that seals,
stamps, and sorts letters into piles

5.  advertisement:
an advertising leaflet sent with a letter
[Late 19th century. Formed
from mail 1 .][1]



Mailer,Norman

Mailer,Norman

Mail·er 
[máylər], Norman (1923– )
U.S. writer. A novelist and journalist,
many of his works have been concerned with sociopolitical or popular cultural
themes. Armies of the Night won the Pulitzer Prize (1968).[1]



mailing

mailing
mail·ing 
[máyling] noun

1.  something
sent by mail: a letter, card, or package sent by mail
• send
out a mailing advertising the service

2.  batch
of letters:
mail sent by one sender at one particular time • a
big mailing to her constituents in that county
adjective

for mail:
suitable for or associated with mail • a
mailing label • mailing
costs
[Late 19th century. Formed
from mail 1 .][1]



mailingaddress

mailingaddress
mail·ing
ad·dress
noun

address for mail:
an address to which mail can be delivered[1]



mailinglist

mailinglist
mail·ing
list
noun

list of names and addresses:
a list, typically computerized, of names and addresses to which advertising
material or information can be mailed[1]



maillot

maillot
mail·lot 
[maa yṓ] noun

1.  TEXTILES stretchy
fabric:
a soft stretchable jersey fabric

2.  CLOTHES leotard
or tights:
a leotard or a pair of tights made of maillot, worn for dancing or gymnastics

3.  CLOTHES swimsuit:
a woman’s one-piece bathing suit made of stretchy fabric, especially one with a
high-cut leg

4.  close-fitting
top:
a tight-fitting knitted top or jersey
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Old French, “swaddling clothes,” from maille “mesh” (see mail 2 ).][1]



mailman

mailman
mailman 
[máyl màn, máylmən]
(plural mail·men [máyl mèn, máylmən]) noun

man
who delivers mail: a man who delivers mail.
Also
called
postman
[Late 19th century. From mail 1 .][1]



mailmerge

mailmerge
mail
merge
noun

document production technique
in word processing: the process
of creating a series of individual documents on a computer by combining a list
of different names and addresses with a single body of text[1]



mailorder

mailorder
mail
or·der
noun

1.  selling
by mail:
a method of buying and selling goods by mail (hyphenated before a noun)
• a
mail-order catalog

2.  purchase
order:
an order for goods to be sent by mail

[1]



mailroom

mailroom
mail·room 
[máyl rm, máyl
rm] noun

room
for dealing with mail: a room in an organization
where mail is sorted, prepared, and distributed
[Late 19th century. From mail 1 .][1]



mailslot

mailslot
mail
slot
noun

mail
receptacle:
a narrow opening in a door through which a mail carrier can push envelopes,
cards, and periodicals.
U.K.
term
letterbox
[Mid-20th century. From mail 1 .][1]



maim

maim
maim 
[maym] (past maimed, past
participle maimed, present participle maim·ing, 3rd
person present singular maims) transitive verb

wound
somebody severely: to inflict a severe and
permanent wound on a person or animal, especially one that renders a limb
unable to move • maimed by a land mine
[14th century. From Old
French mahaignier (source of English mangle
and mayhem ), of uncertain origin:
perhaps, ultimately, from Germanic.][1]



Main

Main
Main 
[mīn, mayn]

river in south central
Germany. Length: 494 km/307 mi.[1]



main

main
main 
[mayn] adjective

1.  principal:
greatest in size or importance • the
main reason we’re here

2.  utmost:
exerted to the full or the utmost • main
force

3.  NAUTICAL of a
mainmast:
on or relating to a sailing ship’s mainmast
noun

1.  large
pipe or cable: a large and important pipe or line for
the distribution of water, gas, or electricity • a
ruptured water main

2.  sea:
the open sea (archaic or literary)

3.  mainland:
the mainland (archaic)
[Old
English mægen, influenced by Old Norse magn, from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to have power,” which is also the ancestor of English may and might]
in
the main

largely or in general[1]



mainchance

mainchance
main
chance
noun

best opportunity:
somebody’s chief opportunity or best interest • have
an eye to the main chance[1]



maincourse

maincourse
main
course
noun

principal dish:
the most substantial dish eaten at a meal with several courses[1]



maindrag

maindrag
main
drag
noun

main street:
the principal street of a town or city (slang)[1]



Maine

Maine


Maine 
[mayn]
state in the northeastern United States,
bordered by New Hampshire, Quebec and New Brunswick Provinces, Canada, and the
Atlantic Ocean. Capital: Augusta. Population: 1,242,051 (1997) Area: 85,802 sq
km/33,128 sq mi.[1]



Maine




Back to definition

Maine

[1]



Mainecoon

Mainecoon

Maine coon
or Maine coon cat noun
breed of domestic cat:
a large, long-haired North American cat of a breed with a bold striped pattern,
usually brown with black stripes[1]



mainframe

mainframe
main·frame 
[máyn fràym] noun

powerful central computer:
a fast powerful computer with a large storage capacity that has a number of
terminals for individual users connected to it[1]



mainland

mainland
main·land 
[máynlənd, máyn
lànd] noun

principal
landmass:
a continent’s or country’s principal landmass, as distinct from its islands and
sometimes excluding peninsulas (often used before a noun) • a
ferry from the mainland
—main·land·er, noun[1]



mainline

mainline
main
line 
noun

1.  RAIL principal
rail route:
a major rail route between two cities, often joined by branch lines along its
length

2.  DRUGS principal
vein:
a major vein in the arm or leg into which drugs may be injected (slang)

[1]



mainline

mainline
main·line 
[máyn ln] intransitive and transitive
verb (past main·lined, past participle main·lined,
present participle main·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular
main·lines) (slang)

1.  DRUGS take
drugs intravenously: to inject an illicit drug,
especially heroin or cocaine, intravenously

2.  consume
excessively: to consume or be affected by something
excessively
adjective

1.  established:
well established, accepted, or mainstream • mainline
charitable organizations

2.  RAIL of a
main rail line: situated on or relating to a main rail
line • a
mainline station
—main·lin·er,
noun

—main·lin·ing, noun[1]



mainly

mainly
main·ly 
[máynlee] adverb

usually or mostly:
to a large extent or in most cases • bacteria
that live mainly in the small intestine[1]



mainman

mainman
main
man
noun

good friend:
somebody’s best, most trusted and respected man mentor or friend (slang)[1]



mainmast

mainmast
main·mast 
[máyn màst, máynməst]
noun

ship’s principal mast:
the principal mast on a sailing ship with more than one mast, usually either
the foremost mast or the second from the bow[1]



mainmemory

mainmemory
main
mem·o·ry
noun

principal computer memory:
the random access memory of a computer, which executes instructions in real
time[1]



mainsail

mainsail

main·sail 
[máynsəl, máyn
sàyl] noun
ship’s principal sail:
the largest and most important sail on a sailing ship[1]



mainsequence

mainsequence
main
se·quence
noun

grouping of stars:
a grouping of stars that consists of most of the known stars in the universe,
represented on a graph of luminosity Hertzsprung-Russell diagram as a diagonal
band[1]



mainspring

mainspring
main·spring 
[máyn sprìng] noun

1.  spring
in a watch or clock: the largest and most
important spring in the mechanism of a watch or clock

2.  chief
reason for action: the driving or motive force
behind something such as a course of action

[1]



mainsqueeze

mainsqueeze
main
squeeze
noun

main romantic interest:
a current boyfriend or girlfriend (slang)[1]



mainstay

mainstay
main·stay 
[máyn stày] noun

1.  chief
support:
somebody or something that plays the most important role in a particular group,
place, or situation • Tourism
is the mainstay of the country’s economy.

2.  SAILING rope
securing ship’s mainmast: the strong rope that secures
the mainmast on a sailing ship

[1]



mainstem

mainstem
main
stem
noun

main part of river:
the principal waterway of a river, excluding its tributaries[1]



mainstream

mainstream
main·stream 
[máyn strm] noun

main
current of thought or behavior: the ideas, actions,
and values that are most widely accepted by a group or society • views
well outside those of the mainstream
adjective

reflecting
the norm:
reflecting the most widely accepted views of a nation or culture and therefore
not exceptional, extreme, or avant-garde • The
scandal, previously ignored by the mainstream media, is now on the front pages.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past main·streamed,
past participle main·streamed, present participle main·stream·ing,
3rd person present singular main·streams)

EDUCATION enrol
special students in general classes: to
enrol students with physical disabilities or learning difficulties in general
school classes
—main·stream·er, noun[1]



mainstreaming

mainstreaming
main·stream·ing
[máyn strming] noun

EDUCATION
integration of special students:
the practice of educating special students in regular classes[1]



MainStreet

MainStreet
Main
Street
noun

inhabitants of small towns:
people living in small towns, considered as a group and often described as
conservative and unsophisticated • Main
Street will never accept those fashions.[1]



mainstreet

mainstreet
main
street
noun

principal street:
the most important street in a small town[1]



maintain

maintain
main·tain 
[mayn táyn] (past main·tained,
past participle main·tained, present participle main·tain·ing,
3rd person present singular main·tains) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something continue: to make a situation or
course of action continue in the same way as before • maintained
a semblance of normal procedures even with half the staff out sick

2.  transitive
verb
keep
something in working order: to ensure that something
continues to work properly by checking it regularly and making repairs and
adjustments if required • gives
years of service if maintained properly

3.  transitive
verb
provide
somebody with financial support: to provide somebody
with the money required for a reasonable standard of living • She
maintains a big family on a tight budget.

4.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody alive: to keep a person or animal alive by
providing food and other basic necessities • maintained
the injured animal in a cage over the winter

5.  transitive
verb
declare
something to be true: to insist on the truth of
something in the face of challenge or disbelief • He
maintains that she knew all along.

6.  transitive
verb
speak
in favor of something: to defend an opinion, idea,
or argument against criticism • The governor
continues to maintain his position on cleaning up the environment.

7.  transitive
verb
MILITARY defend
a place:
to defend a place against physical attack • The
unit maintained its position in spite of heavy enemy shelling.

8.  intransitive
verb
keep
going:
to continue in the present state or situation without losing control (informal)
• Until
the reorganization is complete, we’re maintaining, and that’s about it.
[13th
century. Via Old French maintener, from assumed late Latin manutenere,
literally “to hold in the hand,” from Latin manus “hand” (source of
English manual ).]
—main·tain·a·bil·i·ty
[mayn tàynə bíllətee], noun

—main·tain·a·ble,
adjective

—main·tain·er, noun[1]



maintenance

maintenance
main·te·nance 
[máyntənənss] noun

1.  continuing
repair work: work that is done regularly to keep a
machine, building, or piece of equipment in good condition and working order (often
used before a noun) • We
take the car in for maintenance every six months.

2.  condition:
working order • a car in a poor state
of maintenance

3.  maintaining
of something: the continuation or preservation of
something • behavior
that threatens the maintenance of our security

4.  provision
of financial support: the provision of enough
money to enable the things necessary for a decent lifestyle, for example,
clothes, food, and a place to live • responsible
for the maintenance of two retired parents

5.  means
of support:
the money that somebody has to pay for necessities, for example, food,
clothing, and a place to live • Family
maintenance takes a big bite out of our budget.

6.  LAW interference
in legal action: improper or unlawful meddling in a
lawsuit by a party typically with no legal standing in the matter

[1]



Mainz

Mainz
Mainz 
[mīnts]

historic city and river port
in southwestern Germany, on the Rhine River. Population: 185,300 (1994)[1]



maiolica

maiolica
ma·iol·i·ca
noun

See
majolica[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Maisonneuve,Paul de Chomedey

Maisonneuve,Paul de Chomedey
Maisonneuve
[màyz on núrv, mèz
oN núrv], Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de (1612–1676)

French administrator. He was
the founder of Montreal (1642) and the governor of Montreal Island (1642–1665).[1]



Maitland

Maitland
Mait·land
[máytlənd]

city in eastern New South
Wales, Australia, a center of coal mining, light industry, and agriculture.
Population: 50,108 (1996)[1]



maize

maize
maize 
[mayz] noun

U.K.
See corn
[Mid-16th century. Directly,
or via French maïs, from Spanish maís, from Taino mahis .][1]



Maj.

Maj.
Maj.

Abbreviation of
Major[1]



majestic

majestic
ma·jes·tic 
[mə jéstik] adjective

1.  impressive:
greatly impressive in appearance • a
majestic seascape showing the masts of twenty tall ships under full sail

2.  dignified:
showing great dignity and grandeur • a
majestic inclination of the head
—ma·jes·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



majesty

majesty
maj·es·ty 
[májəstee] noun

1.  dignity:
a deeply impressive dignified quality • a
duchess whose majesty was clearly present in her every move

2.  power:
supreme authority and power

3.  splendor:
awesomely large size or splendor • the
majesty of the Rocky Mountain peaks

4.  royalty:
royal status (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
majesté from Latin majestas, from the stem of major (see major ).][1]



Majesty

Majesty
Maj·es·ty
(plural Maj·es·ties) noun

royal title:
the title used to address or refer to a king or queen[1]



Maj.Gen.

Maj.Gen.
Maj.
Gen.

Abbreviation of
Major General[1]



majlis

majlis
ma·jlis 
[maj líss] noun

legislative
assembly:
an assembly or parliament in various countries in North Africa and the Middle
East
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic, “place of session,” from jalasa “to be seated.”][1]



majolica

majolica
ma·jol·i·ca
[mə jóllikə, mə
yólli kə] or ma·iol·i·ca [mə
jóllikə, mə yólli kə] noun

decorated
earthenware: Italian earthenware that is coated with
a tin oxide glaze and highly decorated
[Mid-16th century. From
Italian, an old form of the name of the island of Majorca .][1]



major

major
ma·jor 
[máyjər] noun

1.  MILITARY military
rank:
a military rank immediately below that of lieutenant colonel in many armed
forces around the world, including the British and United States armies and the
United States Air Force and Marine Corps

2.  MILITARY officer:
somebody who holds the rank of major

3.  LAW somebody
of legal age: somebody who has reached the age at
which a person is deemed fully responsible for his or her actions

4.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand EDUCATION
course
concentration: the field of study in which a college or
university student chooses to specialize • a
major in philosophy

5.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand EDUCATION
student
in a specialty: a student studying a particular academic
specialty • a
math major

6.  MUSIC musical
key or harmony: a key or harmony based on a musical
scale that has intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth and the
seventh and eighth notes ( major scale )
plural
noun
ma·jors

SPORTS major
leagues:
the major leagues, such as in football or baseball
adjective

1.  of
high standing: greater in importance than most others • a
major recording artist

2.  significant:
of considerable degree or significance • major
bridge repairs ahead

3.  serious:
of great severity • a major illness

4.  large:
great in number or proportion • A
major part of the meeting was devoted to agreeing on our report.

5.  LAW at the
age of majority: of the age at which a person is deemed
fully responsible for his or her actions

6.  EDUCATION of
a principal subject: relating to a subject
studied as a specialty

7.  MUSIC describing
a musical scale: used to describe a musical scale that
has intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth and the seventh and
eighth notes

8.  MUSIC describing
a musical interval: used to describe the
interval between the keynote of a major scale and any other note in it,
excluding the perfect intervals • a
major sixth

9.  MUSIC describing
a key:
used to describe a key that is based on a major scale • in
B major
intransitive
verb
(past ma·jored, past participle ma·jored, present
participle ma·jor·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·jors)

U.S., Canada,
Australia, New Zealand EDUCATION
study
something as a course concentration: to
make a particular subject the main field of study • She
majored in economics.
[13th century. From Latin,
“greater,” from magnus “great” (source of English mayor and majesty
).][1]



Majorca

Majorca
Ma·jor·ca 
[mə yáwrkə]

largest
of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous region of Spain, in the western
Mediterranean Sea. Population: 736,885 (1994) Area: 3,640 sq km/1,405 sq mi.
—Ma·jor·can, noun,
adjective[1]



major-domo

major-domo
ma·jor-do·mo 
[màyjər dṓ mō] (plural ma·jor-do·mos)
noun

1.  chief
man servant: the chief man servant in a large
household, especially a royal or noble household, responsible for managing
domestic affairs

2.  maker
of arrangements: somebody responsible for managing the
affairs of others, and making arrangements for others (humorous)
[Late 16th century. Via
French, Italian, and Spanish from medieval Latin major domus literally
“chief of the house,” from Latin magnus (see major
) and domus “house” (source of English domestic
).][1]



majorette

majorette
ma·jor·ette 
[màyjə rét] noun

young woman marching with
band: a girl or young woman who
marches in front of a marching band, twirling a baton.
Also called
drum majorette[1]



majorgeneral

majorgeneral
ma·jor
gen·er·al
(plural ma·jor gen·er·als) noun

1.  high
military rank: a military rank immediately below that
of lieutenant general in many armed forces around the world, including the
British and United States Armies, and the United States Air Force and Marine
Corps

2.  military
officer:
a military officer holding the rank of major general

[1]



majorhistocompatibility complex

majorhistocompatibility complex
ma·jor
his·to·com·pat·i·bil·i·ty com·plex noun

genetic signature system:
a cluster of genes occurring in humans and other animals that determines the
recognizable pattern on the surface of the body’s cells. This determines the
extent to which an individual’s immune system will accept or reject tissue from
another individual.[1]



majoritarian

majoritarian
ma·jor·i·tar·i·an 
[mə jàwri táiree ən] adjective

from
majority rule: resulting from or based on rule by the
majority in any given group
noun

supporter
of majority rule: somebody who believes that a group
should be ruled in the way chosen by the majority of its members
—ma·jor·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



majority

majority
ma·jor·i·ty 
[mə jáwritee] (plural ma·jor·i·ties)
noun

1.  greater
number of people or things: most of the people or things
in a large group (takes a singular or plural verb) • The
majority of women now work.

2.  difference
in number of votes: the number of votes by which
the winning party or group beats the opposition • swept
to power with an overwhelming majority

3.  group
in power:
the most powerful party or group voting together in a legislature • The
Democrats were the majority in Congress for many years.

4.  LAW age of
legal responsibility: the age, generally either 18
or 21, at which somebody is legally responsible and can assume civil duties and
rights such as serving on a jury or voting • Until
you’ve reached the age of majority you can’t buy a car without a co-signer.

5.  MILITARY rank
of major:
the military rank of major

6.  pre-eminence:
superior position or status (archaic)

[1]



majorityleader

majorityleader
ma·jor·i·ty
lead·er
noun

head of majority party:
the head of the majority party in a legislature[1]



majorityminority

majorityminority
ma·jor·i·ty
mi·nor·i·ty
noun

majority belonging to a
minority group: a majority of people in
a particular area who belong to a minority group overall • a
majority minority district[1]



majorityrule

majorityrule
ma·jor·i·ty
rule
noun

control by majority:
control of an organization or institution according to the wishes or votes of
the majority of its members[1]



Major,John

Major,John

Ma·jor 
[máyjər], John (1943– )
British statesman. As Conservative prime
minister (1990–1997), he worked toward peace talks with Northern Ireland but
was troubled by party splits on the issue of closer European integration.[1]



major-league

major-league
ma·jor-league 
adjective

1.  of
major sports league: relating to or being a team
member of a major sports league • major-league
ice hockey

2.  of
highest level: being at the top of any field of
activity (informal) • a
major-league law firm
—ma·jor-lea·guer, noun[1]



majorleague

majorleague
ma·jor
league
noun

1.  BASEBALL main
baseball league: either of the two main professional
baseball leagues

2.  SPORTS top
sports league: a top league of professional football,
ice hockey, and basketball teams
plural
noun
ma·jor leagues

high places: the
highest spheres of influence (informal) • a
politician operating in the major leagues

[1]



majorly

majorly
ma·jor·ly
[máyjərlee] adverb

greatly:
in a large degree or to a great extent (informal)[1]



majormedical

majormedical
ma·jor
med·i·cal
noun

main health insurance:
health insurance that covers most if not all of the costs incurred during a
serious illness, including a hospital stay[1]



majororder

majororder
ma·jor
or·der
noun

Roman Catholic order of
ministry: in the Roman Catholic
Church, one of the higher holy orders of bishop, priest, deacon, or subdeacon[1]



majorpenalty

majorpenalty
ma·jor
pen·al·ty
noun

sports penalty:
in sports such as ice hockey and lacrosse, a player’s removal from the game for
five minutes for a serious violation of the rules[1]



majorscale

majorscale
ma·jor
scale
noun

musical scale:
a musical scale with intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth notes
and the seventh and eighth notes and whole tones between all other consecutive
notes. Major scales potentially have a bright and joyful quality.
See also
minor scale[1]



majorsuit

majorsuit
ma·jor
suit
noun

high-scoring suit in card
games: in bridge and some other
card games, spades or hearts, owing to their greater scoring potential[1]



majuscule

majuscule
ma·jus·cule 
[mə jú skyl, májjə
skyl] noun

large
printed letter: a large letter used in writing or
printing, for example, a capital letter or any of the large rounded letters ( uncials ) used in ancient manuscripts
[Early
18th century. Via French from Latin majuscula (littera), literally
“somewhat larger (letters),” from major (see major
).]
—ma·jus·cu·lar [mə júskyələr], adjective[1]



Makalu

Makalu
Mak·a·lu 
[múkəloo]

mountain in the Himalayas, on
the Nepal-China border, estimated to be the fourth or fifth highest in the
world. Height: 8,481 m/27,824 ft.[1]



Makarios

Makarios
Makarios
[mə kree oss], Archbishop (1913–1977)

Cypriot
cleric and statesman. Orthodox archbishop of Cyprus (1950–1974) and first
president of Cyprus (1959–1977), he was noted for his efforts to unify Greek
and Turkish Cypriots.
Real name
Mouskos, Mihail Christodolou[1]



Makarova,Natalia

Makarova,Natalia
Makarova
[màkə rṓvə], Natalia (1940– )

Russian-born U.S. dancer. A
member of the American Ballet Theater, she won a Tony award in the revival of On
Your Toes ( 1983 ).[1]



Makassar

Makassar
Ma·kas·sar
[mə kássər]

Former name for
Ujungpandang[1]



make

make
make 
[mayk] verb (past participle made,
present participle mak·ing, 3rd person present singular makes)

1.  transitive
verb
do:
used with a range of nouns to describe an action, where “make” is used rather
than a more specific verb • She
made no effort whatsoever to pass her exams.

2.  transitive
verb
say:
to say or deliver a statement or speech • He
made an emotional speech about his parents’ struggle to get ahead in a new
country.

3.  transitive
verb
construct:
to assemble something from constituent parts • The
exhibit contains items made out of recyclable materials.

4.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY manufacture:
to manufacture something as a business • The
company makes surgical instruments.

5.  transitive
verb
COOKING produce
by combining ingredients: to prepare food or drink by
mixing and usually cooking a number of ingredients • Let’s
make soup.

6.  transitive
verb
form
with motion: to form something by performing the
movements that it requires • She
made the signs for “I’ll see you later.” • He
made a circular motion with his hands.

7.  transitive
verb
formulate:
to form something in the mind • These
politicians have made a tacit commitment to try to solve the problem.

8.  transitive
verb
understand:
to comprehend the meaning or truth of something • I
couldn’t make anything of her last remark.

9.  transitive
verb
reckon:
to reckon or estimate something • What
time do you make it?

10. transitive
verb
bring
about:
to cause a condition or situation to arise or exist • The
state made it illegal to sell fireworks. • Some
people here have made this a personal issue.

11. transitive
verb
change
somebody or something: to transform somebody or
something into something else • They
made old clothes into patchwork quilts.

12. transitive
verb
appoint:
to appoint somebody to a particular role or position • She’s
made me her deputy.

13. transitive
verb
provide:
to provide something out of what already exists • Make
room for one more. • Can
you make change for a dollar?

14. transitive
verb
cause
somebody to act: to cause somebody to do something or act
in a particular way • I made
him realize how wrong he’d been. • You
made me lose my place.

15. transitive
verb
force:
to force somebody or something to do something or act in a particular way • You
can’t make me wear that dress.

16. transitive
verb
cause
to exist for reason: to cause somebody or
something to exist for a particular reason (usually passive) • She
was made to be a star.

17. transitive
verb
earn:
to earn or be paid a specified sum of money • He
makes $50,000 from rental properties.

18. transitive
verb
cause
sound to be heard: to produce or give rise to a
sound • She
made a choking noise in her throat.

19. transitive
verb
arrange
for use:
to arrange something properly for later use • He
made the bed carefully.

20. transitive
verb
schedule
meeting:
to fix a meeting or time • Let’s
make a date for Friday.

21. transitive
verb
SPORTS score:
to score a goal or points in a game • made a
touchdown

22. transitive
verb
represent
something:
to count as one in a series • That
makes the third time he’s lied to me.

23. transitive
verb
amount
to:
to amount to a total • Five
and three make eight.

24. transitive
verb
have
necessary qualities for something: to have the qualities
required to be something • She’ll
make a very good doctor.

25. transitive
verb
develop
relationship: to acquire a friend, enemy, or
acquaintance • They
made friends right away.

26. transitive
verb
cause
to succeed:
to cause somebody to be successful, or cause something to seem successful • the
novel that made her career

27. transitive
verb
reach
a place:
to reach or arrive at a place • I’m
not sure we can make the island in this boat.

28. transitive
verb
be
in time for: to be in time to do something or for
something to happen • We can
make the 10:05 if we hurry.

29. transitive
verb
cover
distance:
to travel a particular distance • They
made only five miles a day on the ascent.

30. transitive
verb
be
included in: to succeed in being included or
mentioned in something • He
made captain just last Saturday. • stories
that never make the national news

31. intransitive
verb
signal
intentions:
to act so as to indicate what is coming • They
made as if to leave.

32. transitive
verb
achieve
sex with somebody: to succeed in having sex
with somebody (dated slang)

33. transitive
verb
BRIDGE fulfill
bridge contract: to fulfill a contract in a game of
bridge by winning the required number of tricks

34. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES win
trick in cards: to win a trick in a card game

35. transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING close
a circuit:
to close an electric circuit

36. intransitive
verb
AGRICULTURE mature:
to dry and mature (refers to hay)
noun

1.  brand:
a brand of something, for example, an appliance, car, or machine • Specify
the make and model of the car.

2.  process
and output:
the process of making something, or the amount or number made

3.  build
or appearance: the way that something has been made, or
the size or shape it naturally has (literary) • a
woodland cabin of rustic make

4.  sort:
a type with reference to character (archaic or literary) • What
make of man is he?

5.  identification:
the identification of somebody or something, usually made with the help of
police records or information (slang) • The
police got a make on him from their records.
[Old
English macian . Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning
“kneading,” which is also the source of English magma
and match .]
—mak·a·ble,
adjective
make
believe

to
pretend

make
certain

or make
sureto do what is necessary to ensure something • Make
sure the door is locked.

make
do (with something)

to
use something that is an unsatisfactory substitute or temporary alternative for
the real thing

make
it

1.  to
be successful (informal) • You’ll
never make it as an actor.

2.  to
succeed in getting somewhere • We
finally made it to the top of the hill.

3.  to
be able to attend • I can’t make it to the
party tonight.

make
like

to
imitate (informal) • She
made like she was doing the breaststroke.

on
the make

1.  trying
hard to gain a profit or advantage, especially using underhand or dishonest
means (informal)

2.  looking
for or making efforts to persuade somebody to be a sexual partner (slang)  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  make, produce, create,
  fashion, manufacture
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  bring something into existence make;
  to bring something into existence; produce;
  to make something in large quantities or in a commercial setting; create; to make something using imagination
  and artistic skill or to cause something such as a job or opportunity to
  exist; fashion; to make something
  by shaping and working raw materials, especially when using only the hands or
  hand-held tools; manufacture; to
  make something in large numbers, usually in a factory using machinery, or,
  showing disapproval, to make something quickly and cynically, especially
  something that normally requires time and artistic skill

[1]



makeafter

makeafter
make
after
transitive verb

pursue:
to chase after somebody or something[1]



makeaway

makeaway
make
away
intransitive verb

See
make off[1]



makeaway with

makeaway with
make
away with
transitive verb

1.  steal:
to steal something and abscond with it • They
made away with the week’s receipts.

2.  abduct:
to carry somebody off by force

3.  get
rid of:
to destroy or get rid of something incriminating • We
think someone’s made away with the DNA evidence.

4.  kill:
to kill somebody (dated)

[1]



make-believe

make-believe
make-be·lieve 
noun

fantasy:
imaginary situations or events that somebody, especially a child playing,
pretends are true (often used before a noun) • watching
them in their make-believe world[1]



make-do

make-do
make-do 
noun (plural make-dos)

substitute:
a substitute, often an inferior one
adjective

substituting:
temporarily substituting for something else • a
make-do set of draperies in a furnished apartment[1]



makefast

makefast
make·fast 
[máyk fàst] noun

mooring device:
a strong ring, post, or buoy to which a boat or ship is moored[1]



makefor

makefor
make
for
transitive verb

1.  move
toward:
to move quickly in the direction of somebody or something • The
reporters made for the courtroom.

2.  have
as result:
to result in a particular situation • This
plan will make for a successful product launch.

[1]



makeoff

makeoff
make
off
intransitive verb

leave in haste:
to leave a place quickly, usually with good reason[1]



makeoff with

makeoff with
make
off with
transitive verb

See
make away with[1]



make-or-break

make-or-break
make-or-break 
adjective

bringing success or failure:
likely to result in either complete success or complete failure[1]



makeout

makeout
make
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
see
or hear indistinctly: to see or hear somebody or
something but not clearly • I
could just make out her profile in the darkness.

2.  transitive
verb
comprehend:
to identify or understand something • I
can’t make out the suspect’s motive.

3.  transitive
verb
complete
in writing:
to write necessary information such as the date and the recipient’s name on a
bill or similar document • The
deed is made out in my spouse’s name.

4.  transitive
verb
suggest:
to suggest or imply something that may not be true • The
kids make him out to be a real tyrant.

5.  transitive
verb
argue
in support of: to try to prove something is true or
valid by giving good reasons • made
out a case for keeping the work in-house

6.  intransitive
verb
manage:
to perform in a situation • How
did you make out on the test?

7.  intransitive
verb
engage
in sexual activities without intercourse: to
kiss and caress somebody as an expression of sexual desire (slang)

8.  intransitive
verb
have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse (slang)

[1]



makeover

makeover
make
over
transitive verb

1.  LAW make
somebody else owner of something: to transfer the
ownership of money or property to somebody, usually in a legal document • half
of her estate was made over to her cousin

2.  SEWING refashion
garment:
to alter or remodel a garment

3.  change
appearance of somebody or something: to
make major changes to the way somebody or something looks

[1]



makeover

makeover
make·o·ver 
[máyk vər] noun

1.  change
of physical appearance: an alteration of the way
somebody looks, usually including changes in hairstyle and in style of makeup
and clothes

2.  remodeling:
a remodeling of something that completely changes the way it looks

[1]



maker

maker
mak·er 
[máykər] noun

1.  creator
or cause:
somebody who creates something or is the source or cause of it (often used
in combination) • a
maker of mischief

2.  producer
of goods:
a person or organization that produces goods (often used in combination)
• a
maker of mid-priced textiles

3.  LAW signer
of document: somebody who signs a promissory note

[1]



Maker

Maker
Mak·er 
noun

God:
God, regarded as the creator of everything (literary)[1]



makeshift

makeshift
make·shift 
[máyk shìft] adjective

substituting:
providing a temporary and usually inferior substitute
noun

substitute:
a temporary and usually inferior substitute
[Mid-16th century. From to
make shift “to try all means.”][1]



makeup

makeup
make
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
ready:
to get something ready, especially by putting a number of items together • I’ve
made up a box lunch.

2.  transitive
verb
join
to form something: to combine with other people
or objects to form a whole • a
group made up of four men and six women

3.  transitive
verb
constitute:
to form part of something • Women
make up more than half the country’s workforce.

4.  transitive
verb
invent:
to invent an excuse, fact, or story • made
the whole story up to shock her parents

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb THEATER prepare for performance:
to prepare somebody or yourself for an acting performance by applying cosmetics
and fitting costumes necessary for assuming a given role • It
takes her two hours to make up for the role.

6.  transitive
verb
COSMETICS put
on facial cosmetics: to apply cosmetics to your
own face or somebody else’s face

7.  transitive
verb
complete:
to make a number or amount complete • You
three pay $10 each and I’ll make up the rest.

8.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION take
exam or course again: to take an examination or
course of study again because of absence or failure • make
up a French exam

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb resolve
a quarrel:
to become friends again after a quarrel • Haven’t
you two made up yet?

10. transitive
verb
PRINTING arrange
layout of page: to arrange columns of print and
illustrations on a page

11. intransitive
verb
compensate:
to compensate for a failing such as a disappointment, deficiency, or
shortcoming • I’ll
buy lunch to make up for being late.

[1]



makeup

makeup
make·up 
[máyk ùp] or make-up [máyk ùp] noun

1.  cosmetics:
cosmetic products, especially for the face, for example, lipstick and mascara (often
used before a noun) • Slap
on a little makeup and you’ll feel better.

2.  THEATER theatrical
cosmetics:
the cosmetics and costumes that actors wear to alter their appearance on stage
(often used before a noun) • makeup
department

3.  THEATER applying
actors’ cosmetics: the application of actors’
cosmetics and other appearance-altering accessories, for example, false hair (often
used before a noun) • working
in makeup

4.  combination
of parts or qualities: the way parts or qualities
combine or are arranged, especially in somebody’s personality • Self-deprecation
is an intrinsic part of her makeup.

5.  PRINTING arrangement
of type:
the arrangement of typographic elements on a page

6.  EDUCATION special
exam:
a special examination arranged for students who failed or missed the previous
one

[1]



makeup to

makeup to
make
up to
transitive verb

1.  try
to gain somebody’s favor: to try to gain somebody’s
favor by behaving in a flattering and attentive way • making
up to the general manager’s assistant

2.  behave
flirtatiously: to flirt with somebody

[1]



makeweight

makeweight
make·weight 
[máyk wàyt] noun

1.  additional
weight:
something placed on a scale to bring a weight up to a required level

2.  extra
object:
a counterbalancing object, or one that fills in a required number of objects

[1]



makewith

makewith
make
with
transitive verb

proceed with something:
to start doing, using, or producing something (dated slang) • Hey,
let’s make with the party, huh?[1]



make-work

make-work
make-work 
noun

task given to prevent
idleness: unimportant or needless work
assigned to prevent idleness[1]



makimono

makimono
ma·ki·mo·no 
[mki mṓnō] (plural ma·ki·mo·nos)
noun

Japanese
scroll:
a horizontal Japanese scroll decorated with paintings or calligraphy
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, “a scroll,” literally “something rolled up.”][1]



making

making
mak·ing 
[máyking] noun

1.  creative
activity:
the activity of somebody who makes something • during
the making of the movie

2.  cause
of success:
something that causes somebody’s success or progress • a
book that was the making of her career
in
the making

in the process of being made,
formed, or developed[1]



makings

makings
mak·ings
[máykingz] plural noun

1.  required
ingredients: the things required to make something,
especially a dish of food

2.  potential:
the qualities required to become a particular thing • has
the makings of a good lawyer

[1]



makoshark

makoshark
ma·ko
shark
[mkō shrk] (plural ma·ko sharks)
noun

shark:
a slender blue-gray shark with a sharp nose and ferocious teeth, found in
southern oceans. It can exceed 4 m/ 13 ft in length and is prized as a game
fish. Genus: Isurus
[Mako from Maori][1]



Makurdi

Makurdi
Ma·kur·di
[mə kúrdee]

town in northern Benue State,
eastern central Nigeria. Population: 111,410 (1992)[1]



makuta

makuta
ma·ku·ta


Plural of
likuta[1]



Mal.

Mal.
Mal.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Malachi

2.  Abbreviation
of
Malay

3.  Abbreviation
of
Malayan

4.  Abbreviation
of
Malaysia

5.  Abbreviation
of
Malaysian

[1]



mal-

mal-
mal-
prefix

1.  bad,
badly • malpractice

2.  abnormal
or inadequate • malnutrition
[Via Old French from Latin malus
“bad” (source of English malice, malady, malaria,
and dismal ) and male “badly”][1]



MalabarCoast

MalabarCoast
Mal·a·bar
Coast 
[málləbaar kst]

region on the southwestern
coast of India, that stretches from Goa southward and includes most of Kerala
State[1]



malabsorption

malabsorption
mal·ab·sorp·tion 
[màl əb sáwrpshən, màl
əb záwrpshən] noun

inadequate absorption of
nutrients from food: the
inadequate absorption of nutrients from digested food in the alimentary canal,
especially by the small intestine in celiac disease[1]



malac-

malac-
malac-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
malaco-[1]



malacca

malacca
ma·lac·ca
[mə lákə] (plural ma·lac·cas) or
ma·lac·ca cane [mə lákə] (plural
ma·lac·ca canes) or Ma·lac·ca [mə
lákə] (plural Ma·lac·cas) or Ma·lac·ca cane
[mə lákə] noun

1.  rattan
palm stem:
the stem of the rattan palm, used to make walking sticks

2.  rattan
walking stick: a walking stick made from the stem of
the rattan palm
[Mid-19th century. Named for Malacca .][1]



Malacca

Malacca
Ma·lac·ca 
[mə lákə]

Former name for
Melaka[1]



Malacca,Strait of

Malacca,Strait of
Ma·lac·ca,
Strait of
[mə lákə]

strait in southeastern Asia
connecting the Andaman Sea with the South China Sea. Length: 800 km/500 mi.[1]



Malachi

Malachi
Mal·a·chi 
[mállə k] noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
an unidentified Hebrew prophet who wrote in the 5th century BC, usually referred to by this name

2.  book
of the Bible: a book of the Bible containing writings
by Malachi

[1]



malachite

malachite
mal·a·chite 
[mállə kt] (plural mal·a·chites)
noun

green
mineral:
a green naturally-occurring carbonate of copper, used as a decorative stone and
a source of copper. Cu2CO3(OH)2
[14th century. Via Old French
melochite from, ultimately, Greek molokhitis, a stone similar in
color to the mallow leaf, from malakhē “mallow.”][1]



malaco-

malaco-
malaco-
prefix

soft
• malacology
[From Greek malakos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English mild, melt,
and mulch .][1]



malacology

malacology
mal·a·col·o·gy 
[màllə kólləjee] noun

study
of mollusks: the branch of zoology that involves the
study of mollusks
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from, ultimately, modern Latin Malacozoa
“soft-bodied creatures,” from Greek malakos (see malaco- ).]
—mal·a·co·log·i·cal
[màlləkə lójjik’l], adjective

—mal·a·col·o·gist [màllə kólləjist], noun[1]



malacostracan

malacostracan
mal·a·cos·tra·can 
[màllə kóstrəkən] noun

type
of crustacean: a member of a common group of
crustaceans that usually have stalked eyes, a carapace, and a tail fan formed
from the rear limbs. The group includes the lobster, crab, wood louse, and
krill. Subclass: Malacostraca
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Malacostraca, order name, from Greek malakos
“soft” + ostrakon “shell.”]
—mal·a·cos·tra·can, adjective[1]



maladaptation

maladaptation
mal·ad·ap·ta·tion 
[màl a dap táysh’n, màl
addəp táysh’n] noun

incomplete or faulty
adaptation: unsuitable or ineffective
adaptation to a particular situation, function, or purpose[1]



maladapted

maladapted
mal·a·dap·ted 
[màllə dáptəd] adjective

badly or incompletely
adapted: unsuitable for or poorly
adapted to a particular situation, function, or purpose[1]



maladaptive

maladaptive
mal·a·dap·tive 
[màllə dáptiv] adjective

1.  badly
or incompletely adapted: unsuitable for or poorly
adapted to a particular situation, function, or purpose

2.  not
conducive to adaptation: not facilitating or
encouraging adaptation
—mal·a·dap·tive·ly, adverb[1]



maladjusted

maladjusted
mal·ad·just·ed 
[màllə jústəd] adjective

behaving
awkwardly in social settings: unable to cope with everyday
social situations and personal relationships
—mal·ad·just·ment, noun[1]



maladministration

maladministration
mal·ad·min·is·tra·tion
[màlləd minni stráysh’n] noun

bad
management:
incompetent or dishonest management or administration, especially in public
affairs
—mal·ad·min·is·ter [màlləd mínnistər], transitive verb[1]



maladroit

maladroit
mal·a·droit 
[màllə dróyt] adjective

showing
lack of skill or tact: clumsy or insensitive in
speech or behavior (formal)
[Late
17th century. From French, literally “not adept,” from adroit (see adroit ).]
—mal·a·droit·ly,
adverb

—mal·a·droit·ness, noun[1]



malady

malady
mal·a·dy 
[mállədee] (plural mal·a·dies)
noun

1.  illness:
a physical or psychological disorder or disease

2.  problem:
a condition or situation that is problematic and requires a remedy
[13th century. Via French maladie
from, ultimately, Latin male habitus “in bad condition.”][1]



malafide

malafide
ma·la
fi·de 
[màllə fdee] adjective adverb

in
bad faith:
done insincerely or dishonestly (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



Malagasy

Malagasy
Mal·a·gas·y 
[màllə gássee] (plural Mal·a·gas·y
or Mal·a·gas·ies) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Madagascar: somebody who was born on or is a citizen
of Madagascar

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Madagascar: one of the official
languages of Madagascar, belonging to the Western branch of Austronesian
languages. Malagasy is spoken by about 12 million people.
[Mid-19th
century. Variant of Madagascar .]
—Mal·a·gas·y, adjective[1]



MalagasyRepublic

MalagasyRepublic
Mal·a·gas·y
Re·pub·lic
[màllə gássi rə públik]

Former name for
Madagascar 1958–1975[1]



malagueña

malagueña
ma·la·gue·ña
[màllə gáynyə, mlə
gáynyə] (plural ma·la·gue·ñas) or ma·la·gue·na
[màllə gáynyə, mlə
gáynyə] (plural ma·la·gue·nas) noun

1.  DANCE Spanish
dance:
a Spanish dance that is similar to the fandango

2.  MUSIC Spanish
tune:
a Spanish folk song or tune similar to a fandango
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, literally from Malaga, a city in southern Spain.][1]



malaise

malaise
mal·aise 
[mə láyz, ma
láyz, mə léz] (plural mal·aises)
noun

1.  MEDICINE feeling
of illness:
a general feeling of illness or sickness without any specific diagnostic
significance

2.  general
feeling of discontent: a general feeling of worry,
discontent, or dissatisfaction, often resulting in lethargy
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “ill ease,” from aise (see ease
).][1]



Malamud,Bernard

Malamud,Bernard
Mal·a·mud
[málləmd], Bernard (1914–1986)

U.S. novelist and short-story
writer. Known for his parables of Jewish life, he won a Pulitzer Prize for The
Fixer ( 1966 ).[1]



malamute

malamute
mal·a·mute 
[mállə myt] (plural mal·a·mutes)
or mal·e·mute [mállə myt] (plural
mal·e·mutes) noun

working
dog:
an Alaskan dog with a thick gray, black, or white coat, used especially for
pulling sleds.
Also
called
Alaskan malamute
[Late 19th century. From
Inupiaq malimiut, the name of an Alaskan people who developed the
breed.][1]



Malang

Malang
Ma·lang 
[mállang]

city in southwestern
Indonesia, on the island of Java. Population: 548,193 (1989)[1]



malapert

malapert
mal·a·pert 
[mállə pùrt] adjective

saucy
or brazen:
impudent or bold in speech or behavior (archaic or literary)
noun
(plural mal·a·perts)

saucy
or brazen person: somebody who is impudent or bold in
speech or behavior (archaic or literary)
[15th
century. Via Old French, literally “not experienced,” from, ultimately, Latin expertus
(see expert ). The meaning was influenced in
Old French by association with apert “saucy.”]
—mal·a·pert·ly,
adverb

—mal·a·pert·ness, noun[1]



malapportioned

malapportioned
mal·ap·por·tioned 
[màllə páwrsh’nd] adjective

unequally
distributed: used to describe a distribution of
representatives within a legislative body that is unequal or unfair
—mal·ap·por·tion·ment,
noun[1]



malaprop

malaprop
mal·a·prop 
[mállə pròp] (plural mal·a·props)
noun

See
malapropism  noun 2[1]



malapropism

malapropism
mal·a·prop·ism 
[mállə pro pìzzəm] (plural mal·a·prop·isms)
noun

1.  unintentional
use of wrong word: the misuse of a word through
confusion with another word that sounds similar, especially when the effect is
ridiculous

2.  example
of malapropism: an instance of using malapropism.
Also
called
malaprop
[Early
19th century. Formed from the name of Mrs. Malaprop (from malapropos ), a character in Richard Sheridan ’s
play The Rivals, who often confused words in this way.]
—mal·a·prop·ist [mállə pròppist], noun[1]



malapropos

malapropos
mal·a·pro·pos 
[màl apprə pṓ, ma
lápprə p] adjective

out
of place:
not appropriate to the situation in which something is done or said (formal)
adverb

inappropriately
or inopportunely: in an inappropriate way or at an
inopportune moment (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
French mal à propos “ill-suited to the purpose.”][1]



malar

malar
ma·lar 
[máylər] or ma·lar bone [máylər] adjective

of
the cheek or cheekbone: relating to the cheek, the
cheekbone, or the side of the head
noun

cheekbone:
the cheekbone
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin malaris, from Latin mala “jaw, cheekbone,” of
unknown origin.][1]



malaria

malaria
ma·lar·i·a 
[mə láiree ə] noun

recurring
illness transmitted by mosquitoes: an infectious disease
caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
Common in hot countries, the disease is characterized by recurring chills and
fever.
Also
called
marsh fever
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian malaria “bad air,” which was once thought to be
the cause of the disease.]
—ma·lar·i·al,
adjective

—ma·lar·i·an,
adjective

—ma·lar·i·ous, adjective[1]



malariology

malariology
ma·lar·i·ol·o·gy
[mə làiree ólləjee] noun

study
of malaria:
the scientific study of malaria
—ma·lar·i·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



malarkey

malarkey
ma·lar·key 
[mə lrkee] or ma·lar·ky [mə lrkee] noun

insincere
talk:
nonsense or rubbish, especially insincere talk (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



malate

malate
mal·ate 
[má làyt, máy
làyt] (plural mal·ates) noun

compound formed from malic
acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of malic acid[1]



Malawi




Back to definition

Malawi

[1]



Malawi

Malawi



Ma·la·wi 
[məlwee]
republic
in southeastern Africa. Language: English. Currency: kwacha. Capital: Lilongwe.
Population: 9,453,000 (1996) Area: 118,484 sq km/45,747 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Malawi Former name Nyasaland
—Ma·la·wi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Malawi,Lake

Malawi,Lake
Ma·la·wi,
Lake
[məlwee]

See
Nyasa, Lake[1]



Malay

Malay
Ma·lay 
[mə láy, máy lày]
noun (plural Ma·lays)

1.  PEOPLES member
of SE Asian ethnic group: a member of an ethnic group
that inhabits the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, and other islands of the Malay
Archipelago and the Philippines

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Malaysia: a language spoken in Malaysia, also
spoken in parts of Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and surrounding areas. It
belongs to the Western branch of Austronesian languages. Malay is the native
tongue of about 22 million speakers, with approximately 100 million people
using it as a second language.
adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Malays:
relating to the Malay people, or their language or culture

2.  GEOGRAPHY of
Malaysia:
relating to the Malay Peninsula, Malaysia, or the Malay Archipelago
[Late
16th century. From Malay malayu, melayu .]
—Ma·lay·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Malaya,Federation of

Malaya,Federation of
Ma·la·ya,
Fed·er·a·tion of [mə láy ə]

former state in the Malay
Peninsula. It was incorporated into the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.[1]



Malayalam

Malayalam
Mal·a·ya·lam 
[màllə yləm] noun

official
language of Kerala, India: a Dravidian language that is
the official language of the Indian state of Kerala. Malayalam is spoken by
about 30 million people.
[Early
19th century. From Malayalam Malayālam, literally “mountain man.”]
—Mal·a·ya·lam, adjective[1]



MalayArchipelago

MalayArchipelago
Ma·lay
Ar·chi·pel·a·go [mə lày rki
péllə gō]

the world’s largest system of
island groups, comprising over 20,000 islands, mainly in Indonesia and the
Philippines. Area: 2.8 million sq km/1.1 million sq mi.[1]



Malayo-Polynesian

Malayo-Polynesian
Ma·lay·o-Pol·y·ne·sian 
noun

See
Austronesian
—Ma·lay·o-Pol·y·ne·sian,
adjective[1]



MalayPeninsula

MalayPeninsula
Ma·lay
Pen·in·su·la [mə lày pə
nínsələ]

peninsula in southeastern
Asia that includes parts of Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia[1]



Malaysia




Back to definition

Malaysia

[1]



Malaysia

Malaysia



Ma·lay·sia 
[mə láyə, mə
láyshə]
constitutional
monarchy in southeastern Asia, on the South China Sea, comprising the southern
portion of the Malay Peninsula and parts of the Island of Borneo. Language:
Bahasa Malaysia. Currency: ringgit. Capital: Kuala Lumpur. Population:
17,566,982 (1991) Area: 329,758 sq km/127,320 sq mi. Official name
Federation of Malaysia
—Ma·lay·sian (plural
Ma·lay·sians), noun, adjective[1]



MalaysianEnglish

MalaysianEnglish
Ma·lay·sian
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in Malaysia





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Malaysian English is the English
  language as used in Malaysia since the formation of the nation-state in 1963.
  Prior to independence from Britain the term Anglo-Malay was used,
  indicating the influence of the Malay language. From the earlier period come
  such general English words of Malay origin as amok, durian, kampong,
  mango, orang-utan, sago, and sarong . Malaysian
  English is “rhotic” (i.e., “r” is pronounced in such words as art, door,
  and worker ). There is a tendency toward full vowels in all syllables
  (e.g. 7 pronounced “seh-ven,” not “sevn”), and a reduction in
  consonant clusters at the ends of words (“muss” for must, “bes” for best,
  “liv” lived, “relac” relax ). In grammar, reflexive pronouns
  are used for emphasis, often without the verb to be, as in “Himself
  sick,” and certain general-purpose particles are used, such as lah,
  indicating informality and intimacy, as in “Can do it lah?” (“Can you do
  it?”). There is considerable hybridization between Malay and English, as in:
  “She wanted to beli some barang-barang” (“She wanted to buy some things”).
  See ANGLO-HYBRID, SINGAPOREAN ENGLISH.

[1]



MalcolmIII

MalcolmIII
Mal·colm
III
[málkəm], King of Scotland (c. 1031–1093)

He became king after killing
Macbeth in 1057 and ruled until his death. He made peace with the King of
England, William I (the Conqueror), in 1072.[1]



MalcolmX

MalcolmX

Mal·colm
X 
[málkəm] (1925–1965)
U.S.
political activist. He was a prominent member of the Black Muslims and founder
of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (1964). After moderating his views
on black separatism, he was assassinated.
Born
Little, Malcolm[1]



malcontent

malcontent
mal·con·tent 
[málkən tènt] noun (plural mal·con·tents)

discontented
person:
somebody who is discontented or dissatisfied with a particular state of
affairs, for example, a political system, or with things in general
adjective

not
content:
discontented or dissatisfied with something, especially a political system
[Late
16th century. From French, literally “ill contented,” from content (see content ).]
—mal·con·tent·ed
[màlkən téntəd], adjective

—mal·con·tent·ed·ly,
adverb

—mal·con·tent·ed·ness,
noun[1]



malde mer

malde mer
mal
de mer 
[màl də máir] noun

See
seasickness
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “sea sickness.”][1]



Malden

Malden
Mal·den 
[máwldən]

city in northeastern
Massachusetts, a northern suburb of Boston. Population: 52,749 (1996)[1]



maldistribution

maldistribution
mal·dis·tri·bu·tion 
[màl distri bysh’n] noun

unequal distribution:
unequal and unfair distribution of something, especially resources or wealth[1]



Maldives




Back to definition

Maldives

[1]



Maldives

Maldives



Mal·dives 
[máwl deevz, mál
dīvz]
island
republic in southern Asia, located southwest of the southern tip of India.
Language: Divehi. Currency: rufiyaa. Capital: Male. Population: 270,758 (1996)
Area: 298 sq km/115 sq mi. Official name Republic of the Maldives
—Mal·div·an, noun,
adjective[1]



male

male
male 
[mayl] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY producing
sperm:
relating or belonging to the sex that produces sperm to fertilize female eggs

2.  relating
to men or boys: relating to, involving, or traditionally
characteristic of men or boys.
See
also
masculine

3.  BIOLOGY fertilizing
female sex cell: capable of fertilizing a female
reproductive cell ( gamete ) during sexual
reproduction

4.  BOTANY bearing
only stamens: used to describe a flower or plant that
bears stamens but not pistils and does not produce fruit or seeds

5.  ENGINEERING machine
part or fitting: used to describe a projecting part such
as a bolt or plug that is designed to fit into a hollow part or socket that is
the female counterpart
noun
(plural males)

1.  BIOLOGY male
person or animal: a person or animal belonging to the sex
that produces sperm

2.  BOTANY plant
with male flowers only: a plant that has only male
flowers
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin masculus (source of English masculine ), from mas “male person,” of
unknown origin.]
—male·ness, noun[1]



Male

Male
Ma·le 
[m lee]

capital city of the Maldives,
on the Male atoll. Population: 62,973 (1995)[1]



malealto

malealto
male
al·to
(plural male al·tos) noun

See
countertenor[1]



maleate

maleate
ma·le·ate 
[máy lee àyt, máy
lee ət] (plural ma·le·ates) noun

compound formed from maleic
acid: any salt or ester of maleic
acid[1]



MaleboPool

MaleboPool
Ma·le·bo
Pool
[mə làybō pl]

broad section of the Congo
River. Area: 450 sq km/174 sq mi. Former name Stanley
Pool[1]



malechauvinist

malechauvinist
male
chau·vin·ist (plural male chau·vin·ists)
noun

man
believing in superiority of men: a man who believes in
the innate superiority of men over women (disapproving)
—male chau·vin·ism, noun[1]



malechauvinist pig

malechauvinist pig
male
chau·vin·ist pig (plural male chau·vin·ist pigs)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a man who believes that men are innately superior to
women, especially one who expresses his opinions in an aggressive or offensive
way (slang insult)[1]



Malecite

Malecite
Mal·e·cite 
[mállə st] (plural Mal·e·cites
or Mal·e·cite) or Mal·i·seet [mállə st] (plural Mal·i·seets or
Mal·i·seet) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who live in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Maine. The Malecites
joined the Abenaki confederacy and fought against both the Iroquois confederacy
and the British.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Malecites: the language of the Malecites, belonging
to the Algonquian branch of Algonquian-Wakashan languages
[Mid-19th
century. From Micmac malisiit, literally “somebody who speaks an
incomprehensible language.”]
—Mal·e·cite, adjective[1]



maledict

maledict
mal·e·dict 
[mállə dìct] intransitive and transitive
verb (past mal·e·dict·ed, past participle mal·e·dict·ed,
present participle mal·e·dict·ing, 3rd person present singular
mal·e·dicts)

curse
somebody or something: to utter a curse against
somebody or something (literary)
adjective

accursed:
cursed or deserving to be cursed (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin maledicere (see malediction ).][1]



malediction

malediction
mal·e·dic·tion 
[màllə díkshən] (plural mal·e·dic·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  curse:
a curse

2.  slander:
slander or evil talk about somebody
[14th
century. From the Latin stem malediction-, from maledicere “to
speak ill of,” from dicere ).]
—mal·e·dic·tive, adjective[1]



malefactor

malefactor
mal·e·fac·tor 
[mállə fàktər] (plural mal·e·fac·tors)
noun

wrongdoer:
somebody who does wrong, especially a criminal (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin, formed from male facere “to do evil.”]
—mal·e·fac·tion [màllə fákshən], noun[1]



malefern

malefern
male
fern
(plural male ferns) noun

fern used to remove
tapeworms: a fern whose rhizomes and
scaly stalks are used to make a resin that expels tapeworms. Latin name: Dryopteris
filix-mas[1]



malefic

malefic
ma·lef·ic 
[mə léffik] adjective

harmful
or malignant: having a harmful or evil effect or
influence (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
maleficus, literally “evil-doing,” from male “badly.”][1]



maleficent

maleficent
ma·lef·i·cent 
[mə léffiss’nt] adjective

harmful
or evil:
causing harm or doing evil intentionally, or capable of such acts
[Mid-17th
century. Back-formation from earlier maleficence, from Latin maleficentia,
literally “evil doing,” from male “badly.”]
—ma·lef·i·cence, noun[1]



maleicacid

maleicacid
ma·le·ic
ac·id 
[mə l ik ássid] noun

colorless
crystalline acid: a colorless crystalline solid used in
the manufacture of polymers. C4H404
[Maleic from French maléique,
an alteration of malique (see malic
)][1]



malemenopause

malemenopause
male
men·o·pause
noun

midlife anxiety about change:
a period in middle age when some men experience feelings of insecurity and
anxiety about physical decline, sometimes compared to the effects of the
menopause in women[1]



malemute

malemute
mal·e·mute 
noun

See
malamute[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








malevolent

malevolent
ma·lev·o·lent 
[mə lévvələnt] adjective

1.  wanting
to cause harm: having or showing a desire to harm
others

2.  harmful
or evil:
having a harmful or evil effect or influence
[Early
16th century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem malevolent-,
from male “badly” + volens, the present participle of velle
“to wish.”]
—ma·lev·o·lence,
noun

—ma·lev·o·lent·ly, adverb[1]



malfeasance

malfeasance
mal·fea·sance 
[mal fz’nss] (plural mal·fea·sanc·es)
noun (formal)

1.  misconduct:
wrong or illegal conduct, especially in politics or the civil service.
See
also
misfeasance
See
also
nonfeasance

2.  unlawful
act:
an unlawful act, especially one committed by a politician or civil servant
[Late
17th century. From Anglo-Norman malfaisance, from Old French malfaire
“to do ill,” from Latin malefacere .]
—mal·fea·sant, adjective,
noun[1]



malformation

malformation
mal·for·ma·tion 
[màl fawr máysh’n] (plural mal·for·ma·tions)
noun

abnormality in shape or
structure: abnormality in the shape or
structure of something[1]



malformed

malformed
mal·formed 
[màl fáwrmd] adjective

abnormally formed:
abnormal in shape or structure[1]



malfunction

malfunction
mal·func·tion 
[mal fúngkshən] intransitive verb (past
mal·func·tioned, past participle mal·func·tioned, present
participle mal·func·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular mal·func·tions)

fail
to work normally: to fail to function in the correct or
normal way, or stop working altogether, usually because of a fault or bad
design
noun
(plural mal·func·tions)

failure to work normally:
a breakdown or failure to function in the correct or normal way, usually
because of a fault or bad design[1]



Mali

Mali



Ma·li 
[mlee]
landlocked republic in western Africa. A
former French colony, it gained independence in 1960. Language: French.
Currency: C.F.A. franc. Capital: Bamako. Population: 9,204,000 (1996) Area:
1,240,192 sq km/478,841 sq mi. Official name Republic of Mali[1]



Mali




Back to definition

Mali

[1]



malic

malic
mal·ic
[mállik, máylik]
adjective

relating
to malic acid: relating to or derived from malic acid
[Late 18th century. Directly
or via French malique from, ultimately, Latin malum “apple.”][1]



malicacid

malicacid
mal·ic
ac·id
noun

acid in fruit:
a colorless crystalline solid found in fruits such as apples. C4H6O5[1]



malice

malice
mal·ice 
[málliss] noun

1.  wish
to harm others: the desire to cause harm to another or
others, or to see somebody in pain

2.  LAW intent
to harm others: the intention to commit an unlawful act
that will result in harm to others and does not have excusable cause
[Via French from Latin malitia,
from malus (see mal- )][1]



malicious

malicious
ma·li·cious 
[mə líshəss] adjective

deliberately
harmful:
motivated by or resulting from a desire to cause harm or pain to others
—ma·li·cious·ly,
adverb

—ma·li·cious·ness, noun[1]



maliciousmischief

maliciousmischief
ma·li·cious
mis·chief
noun

willful damage or
destruction: deliberate destruction
of or damage to somebody’s property[1]



malign

malign
ma·lign 
[mə ln] transitive verb (past
ma·ligned, past participle ma·ligned, present
participle ma·lign·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·ligns)

defame or speak badly of somebody:
to say or write bad or unpleasant things about somebody or something,
especially things that are potentially damaging and may not be true
adjective

1.  harmful
or evil:
harmful or evil in nature, effect, or intention

2.  wishing
to harm others: having or showing a desire to cause harm
or pain to others
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin malignus, literally “of evil
kind.”]
—ma·lign·er,
noun

—ma·lign·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  malign, cast aspersions,
  defame, slander, libel,
  vilify
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  say or write something damaging about somebody malign;
  to criticize somebody in a spiteful and false or misleading way; cast
  aspersions; to make remarks or comments that challenge somebody’s
  reputation; defame; to make an
  attack on somebody’s good name or reputation with a view to damaging or
  destroying it; slander; in legal
  terms, to make spoken false damaging accusations about somebody injurious to
  the person’s reputation; libel; in
  legal terms, to make false damaging accusations about somebody in writing,
  signs, or pictures; vilify; to make
  viciously defamatory statements about somebody

[1]



malignancy

malignancy
ma·lig·nan·cy 
[mə lígnənsee] (plural ma·lig·nan·cies)
noun

1.  ma·lig·nan·cy
or ma·lig·nance state of being malignant:
the condition or quality of being malignant

2.  MEDICINE cancerous
growth:
a tumor that invades surrounding tissue and may spread to distant parts of the
body by way of the lymphatic system or the circulation of the blood

[1]



malignant

malignant
ma·lig·nant 
[mə lígnənt] adjective

1.  wanting
to do evil:
full of hate and showing a desire to harm others

2.  harmful:
likely to cause harm

3.  MEDICINE likely
to grow or spread: used to describe a tumor
that invades the tissue around it and may spread to other parts of the body

4.  MEDICINE likely
to cause death: used to describe a disease or condition
that is liable to cause death or serious disablement unless effectively treated
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin malignare “to plot against,” from Latin malignus,
literally “of evil kind.”]
—ma·lig·nant·ly, adverb[1]



malignity

malignity
ma·lig·ni·ty 
[mə lígnətee] (plural ma·lig·ni·ties)
noun

1.  desire
to do evil:
intense hatred and a strong desire to harm others

2.  intentionally
harmful act: an intentionally harmful or evil act

3.  harmful
potential:
potential to cause harm or death

[1]



malines

malines
ma·lines 
[mə ln] or ma·line [mə ln] noun

1.  netting
used in dressmaking: thin stiff net with
hexagonal holes that is used in dressmaking

2.  See
Mechlin
[Mid-19th century. From
French, named for the city of Malines (Mechlin) in Belgium.][1]



malinger

malinger
ma·lin·ger 
[mə líng gər] (past ma·lin·gered,
past participle ma·lin·gered, present participle ma·lin·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·lin·gers) intransitive verb

feign
illness:
to pretend to be ill, especially in order to avoid work (disapproving)
[Late
18th century. From French malingre “sickly,” of unknown origin.]
—ma·lin·ger·er, noun[1]



Malinke

Malinke
Ma·lin·ke 
[mə língkee] (plural Ma·lin·ke
or Ma·lin·kes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of W African people: a member of a people who
live in parts of West Africa, especially in the Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, and
Gambia. The Malinke have traditionally used cowrie shells as a medium of
exchange.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Malinke: the language of the Malinke, belonging
to the Mande branch of Niger-Congo languages. Malinke is spoken by about four
million people.
[Late
19th century. From Malinke .]
—Ma·lin·ke, adjective[1]



Maliseet

Maliseet
Mal·i·seet 
noun (plural Mal·i·seets) adjective

See
Malecite[1]



malison

malison
mal·i·son 
[málliss’n, málliz’n]
(plural mal·i·sons) noun

curse:
a curse (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
maleiçon from the Latin stem malediction- (see malediction ).][1]



mall

mall
mall
[mawl] (plural malls) noun

1.  large
indoor shopping complex: a large enclosed building
complex containing shops, restaurants, and other businesses and facilities
serving the general public.
U.K.
term
shopping centre

2.  shady
avenue:
a sheltered and shady avenue or promenade

3.  BUILDING pedestrian
shopping area: an urban shopping area along a street
that is closed to traffic

4.  Northeastern
U.S.
TRANSPORT strip
of land between roadways: a paved or grassy strip of
land between two roadways

5.  GAME HISTORY pall-mall alley:
in former times, an alley used for playing the game of pall-mall
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of pall-mall, formerly a popular game. The
sense “shopping complex” comes from the name of The Mall in London, a
former pall-mall alley that became a fashionable promenade.][1]



mallard

mallard

mal·lard 
[mállərd] (plural mal·lards or
mal·lard) noun
wild
duck:
a wild duck found in most parts of the northern hemisphere. The male has a dark
green head with a white ring around the neck. Latin name: Anas platyrhynchos
[14th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from male (see male ).][1]



mallcrawl

mallcrawl
mall
crawl
(plural mall crawls) noun

visit to different stores in
mall: the act of going to a large
number of different stores in a shopping mall (informal)[1]



malleable

malleable
mal·le·a·ble 
[mállee əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be shaped and bent: used to describe a metal or
other substance that can be shaped or bent without breaking

2.  easily
influenced:
easily persuaded or influenced by others
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin malleus “hammer” (see malleus ).]
—mal·le·a·bil·i·ty
[màllee ə bíllətee, màllə
bíllətee], noun

—mal·le·a·ble·ness
[mállee əb’lnəss], noun

—mal·le·a·bly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pliable

[1]



mallee

mallee
mal·lee 
[mállee] (plural mal·lees) noun

1.  shrubby
eucalyptus:
a low-growing eucalyptus tree that flourishes in desert regions of Australia.
Genus: Eucalyptus

2.  thicket
of mallee trees: a group of mallee trees growing closely
together
[Mid-19th century. From an
Australian Aboriginal language.][1]



mallemuck

mallemuck
mal·le·muck 
[mállə mùk] (plural mal·le·mucks)
noun

sea
bird:
a sea bird such as the fulmar, petrel, or albatross
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch mallemok, literally “stupid gull.”][1]



malleolus

malleolus
mal·le·o·lus 
[mə l ələss] (plural mal·le·o·li
[mə l ə l]) noun

protuberance
at end of leg bone: either of the hammer-shaped
bony protuberances at the sides of the ankle joint that project from the lower
end of the tibia and fibula
[Early
17th century. From Latin, literally “little hammer,” from malleus (see malleus ).]
—mal·le·o·lar, adjective[1]



mallet

mallet

mal·let 
[mállət] (plural mal·lets) noun

1.  tool
similar to hammer: a tool with a large usually
wooden or metal head that is used for driving another tool such as a chisel, or
for striking or molding a material

2.  SPORTS stick
used in croquet or polo: a long stick with a
cylindrical head, used to hit the ball in the games of croquet and polo

3.  MUSIC hammer
used to play percussion instrument: a
small hammer often with a padded head used for playing musical instruments such
as the marimba, xylophone, drums, and chimes
[15th century. From French maillet,
literally “small hammer,” from mail (see maul
).][1]



malleus

malleus
mal·le·us 
[mállee əss] (plural mal·le·i
[mállee ]) noun

small
bone in ear: a hammer-shaped bone, the outermost of
three small bones in the middle ear that transmit sound waves from the eardrum
to the inner ear.
Also
called
hammer
See
also
incus
See
also
stapes
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “hammer” (source of English mallet
and malleable ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to crush,” which is also the ancestor of English meal 1 and molar 1 .][1]



mallow

mallow
mal·low 
[mállō] (plural mal·lows or
mal·low) noun

1.  flowering
plant:
a wild or cultivated plant with pink, purple, or white flowers, fine hairs on
its stem and leaves, and disk-shaped fruit. Genus: Malva

2.  plant
related to mallow: a plant resembling or
related to the true mallow.
See
also
rose mallow
See
also
marshmallow
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
malva .][1]



malm

malm
malm
[maam] noun

1.  GEOLOGY type
of limestone: a limestone that is grayish in color and
crumbles easily

2.  GEOLOGY chalky
soil:
a chalky soil produced by the crumbling of malm

3.  BUILDING mixture
of clay and chalk: a mixture of clay and chalk
used to make bricks
[Old English mealm .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to pound, grind,” which is also
the ancestor of English meal .][1]



malmsey

malmsey
malm·sey 
[mmzee] (plural malm·seys) noun

sweet
Madeira wine: a dark fortified wine produced in
Madeira, the sweetest type of Madeira wine
[14th century. Via Middle
Dutch from medieval Latin malmasia, named for the town of Monemvasia
in southern Greece, where it was originally made.][1]



Malmö

Malmö
Mal·mö
[málmō]

industrial city and port in
southwestern Sweden, opposite Copenhagen on the Danish side of the Øresund.
Population: 245,699 (1996)[1]



malnourished

malnourished
mal·nour·ished 
[mal núrrisht] adjective

poorly
or wrongly fed: having a diet that leads to physical
harm through inadequacy, inappropriateness, or excess
—mal·nour·ish·ment, noun[1]



malnutrition

malnutrition
mal·nu·tri·tion 
[màl noo trísh’n] noun

inadequate nutrition:
a lack of healthy foods in the diet or an excessive intake of unhealthy foods,
leading to physical harm[1]



malocclusion

malocclusion
mal·oc·clu·sion 
[màllə klzh’n] noun

undesirable
positioning of teeth: an undesirable relative
positioning of the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed
—mal·oc·clud·ed, adjective[1]



malodorous

malodorous
mal·o·dor·ous 
[mal ṓdərəss] adjective

smelling
bad:
smelling unpleasant or offensive
—mal·o·dor·ous·ly,
adverb

—mal·o·dor·ous·ness, noun[1]



malonicacid

malonicacid
ma·lo·nic
ac·id 
[mə lnik ássid, mə
lònnik ássid] noun

chemical
used to make pharmaceuticals: a colorless crystalline
solid obtained from sugar beet. It is used in the manufacture of
pharmaceuticals. C3H4O4
[From French malonique,
an alteration of malique (see malic
)][1]



maloti

maloti
ma·lo·ti


Plural of
loti[1]



Malpighiancorpuscle

Malpighiancorpuscle
Mal·pigh·i·an
cor·pus·cle 
[mal pàjjee ən káwrpəss’l] (plural Mal·pigh·i·an
cor·pus·cles) or Mal·pigh·i·an bod·y [mal pàjjee ən káwrpəss’l] noun

blood
vessels in kidney: a cluster of small blood
vessels enclosed in a capsule ( Bowman’s capsule
) at the end of each of the tiny urine-secreting tubules ( nephrons ) of the kidney
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Italian physician and anatomist Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694).][1]



Malpighianlayer

Malpighianlayer
Mal·pigh·i·an
lay·er
(plural Mal·pigh·i·an lay·ers) noun

layer
of skin:
the deepest layer of the outermost part of the skin ( epidermis
), now called the basal cell layer (dated)
[See Malpighian
corpuscle][1]



Malpighiantubule

Malpighiantubule
Mal·pigh·i·an
tu·bule
(plural Mal·pigh·i·an tu·bules) or Mal·pigh·i·an tube
(plural Mal·pigh·i·an tubes) noun

insect’s
excretory organ: a narrow tube in the body of an insect
that serves as an organ of excretion
[See Malpighian
corpuscle][1]



malposition

malposition
mal·po·si·tion 
[màl pə zísh’n] (plural mal·po·si·tions)
noun

undesirable
position:
the undesirable position of something, especially a part of the body or a fetus
in the womb
—mal·posed [mal pṓzd], adjective[1]



malpractice

malpractice
mal·prac·tice 
[mal práktiss] (plural mal·prac·tic·es)
noun

1.  wrong
or negligent conduct of professional:
illegal, unethical, negligent, or immoral behavior by somebody in a
professional or official position, resulting in a failure to fulfill the duties
or responsibilities associated with that position

2.  example
of malpractice: an act or instance of malpractice
—mal·prac·ti·tion·er [màl prak tísh’nər], noun[1]



malt

malt
malt 
[mawlt] noun (plural malts)

1.  grain
used to make alcoholic drinks: grain such as barley
that has begun germination by being soaked in water. It is used chiefly in
brewing and distilling to make beer and whiskey.

2.  U.K.
See malt whiskey

3.  See
malt liquor

4.  See
malted milk  noun 2
verb
(past malt·ed, past participle malt·ed, present
participle malt·ing, 3rd person present singular malts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
grain into malt: to make cereal grain into malt by
soaking it in water to start germination and then drying it in a kiln, or
undergo this process

2.  transitive
verb
make
or mix something with malt: to make something with malt,
or add malt to something
[Old English mealt, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



Malta




Back to definition

Malta

[1]



Malta

Malta



Mal·ta 
[máwltə]
republic consisting of two main islands
and nearby islets in the central Mediterranean Sea. It became independent from
Britain in 1964. Language: Maltese. Language: English. Currency: Maltese lira.
Capital: Valletta. Population: 373,000 (1996) Area: 316 sq km/122 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Malta[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Maltafever

Maltafever
Mal·ta
fe·ver
noun

See
brucellosis
[Named for Malta, because the disease was once common in the
Mediterranean area][1]



maltase

maltase
mal·tase 
[máwl tàyss, máwl
tàyz] noun

enzyme that breaks down
maltose: an enzyme that breaks down
maltose into glucose[1]



maltedmilk

maltedmilk
malt·ed
milk 
(plural malt·ed milks) or malt·ed (plural malt·eds)
noun

1.  powder
used to make drink: a soluble powder made from
dried milk and malted grain

2.  drink
made from malted milk: a drink made from malted
milk, whole milk, ice cream, and flavoring.
Also
called
malt

[1]



Maltese

Maltese
Mal·tese 
[mawl tz, mawl
tss] (plural Mal·tese) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Malta:
somebody who was born on or is a citizen of Malta

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Malta:
one of the official languages of Malta, belonging to the Semitic branch of
Afro-Asiatic languages and featuring a large number of words adopted from
Italian. Maltese is spoken by about 300,000 people.

3.  (plural
Mal·teses) ZOOLOGY Maltese
dog or cat:
a Maltese dog or Maltese cat
—Mal·tese, adjective[1]



Maltesecat

Maltesecat
Mal·tese
cat
noun

short-haired domestic cat:
a domestic cat with short, silky, bluish gray hair[1]



Maltesecross

Maltesecross

Mal·tese cross
(plural Mal·tese cross·es) noun
cross with inward-pointing arms:
a cross with four arms resembling arrowheads that taper toward the center[1]



Maltesedog

Maltesedog
Mal·tese
dog
noun

small long-haired dog:
a small breed of dog with long white silky hair and dark eyes[1]



maltha

maltha
mal·tha 
[málthə, máwlthə]
noun

thick
black sticky tar: a black viscous bitumen that is a
naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbons.
Also
called
mineral tar
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek, a mixture of pitch and wax.][1]



Malthus,Thomas Robert

Malthus,Thomas Robert
Mal·thus
[málthəss], Thomas Robert (1766–1834)

British
economist. His theory of population growth led to fears that the rising number
of living people would produce widespread famine. He advocated birth control as
a means of combating poverty.

—Mal·thu·sian
[mal thzh’n, mal
thzee ən], adjective, noun

—Mal·thu·sian·ism [mal thzh’n ìzzəm, mal
thzee ə nìzzəm], noun[1]



maltliquor

maltliquor
malt
liq·uor
(plural malt liq·uors) noun

alcoholic drink made from
malt: an alcoholic drink that is
brewed from malt, especially one having a higher alcohol content than most beer
or ale.
Also called
malt[1]



maltose

maltose
mal·tose 
[máwl tss, máwl
tz] noun

white
crystalline sugar: a white crystalline sugar
formed from starch by enzymes and used as a sweetener and nutrient. C12H22O11 
Also
called
malt sugar
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from malt .][1]



maltreat

maltreat
mal·treat 
[mal trt] (past mal·treat·ed,
past participle mal·treat·ed, present participle mal·treat·ing,
3rd person present singular mal·treats) transitive verb

treat
somebody or something badly: to treat somebody or
something badly or cruelly, usually through neglect or abuse
[Early
18th century. From French maltraiter, literally “to treat badly,” from traiter
(see treat ).]
—mal·treat·er,
noun

—mal·treat·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at misuse

[1]



maltster

maltster
malt·ster
[máwltstər] (plural malt·sters)
noun

maker of or dealer in malt:
somebody whose job involves producing or selling malt[1]



maltsugar

maltsugar
malt
sug·ar
noun

See
maltose[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








maltwhiskey

maltwhiskey
malt
whis·key
noun

1.  whiskey
made from malted barley: a whiskey distilled from
malted barley, often one designated single-malt

2.  portion
of malt whiskey: a drink or measure of malt whiskey

[1]



malvasia

malvasia
mal·va·si·a 
[màlvə z ə] noun

grape
used to make malmsey: the variety of grape that is
used to make malmsey wine
[Mid-19th
century. Via Italian from medieval Latin, a variant of malmasia (see malmsey ).]
—mal·va·si·an, adjective[1]



malversation

malversation
mal·ver·sa·tion 
[màlvər sáysh’n] noun

corrupt
misconduct of official or professional:
dishonest or unethical conduct by somebody in a professional position or public
office, often involving bribery, extortion, or embezzlement (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin male versari “to behave badly.”][1]



mama

mama
ma·ma
[mmə, mámmə]
(plural ma·mas) or mam·ma [mmə,
mámmə] (plural mam·mas) noun

1.  mother:
mother (informal) (usually used by or to children)

2.  woman
or wife:
a woman, especially somebody’s girlfriend or wife (slang) (sometimes
considered offensive)
[Late 16th century. From
children’s first attempts at speech.][1]



Mamaroneck

Mamaroneck
Ma·mar·o·neck 
[mmarōnek]

village in southeastern New
York, on Long Island Sound, a suburb of New York City. Population: 17,325
(1990)[1]



mama’sboy

mama’sboy
ma·ma’s
boy
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a man’s strength of character,
courage, or independence (informal insult)
U.K. term
mummy’s boy[1]



mamba

mamba
mam·ba 
[mmbə] (plural mam·bas) noun

large
venomous snake: a large venomous snake found in tropical
Africa, especially a green or black snake that lives in trees. Genus: Dendroaspis
[Mid-19th century. From Zulu imamba
.][1]



mambo

mambo
mam·bo 
[mm b] noun (plural mam·bos)

1.  DANCE dance
resembling rumba: a modern Latin American dance
originating in Cuba, similar to the rumba

2.  MUSIC music
for mambo:
the music for the mambo . It is in 4/4 time and has strong accents on the
backbeats.
intransitive
verb
(past mam·boed, past participle mam·boed, present
participle mam·bo·ing, 3rd person present singular mam·bos)

dance the mambo:
to dance the mambo
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish, of uncertain origin.][1]



Mameluke

Mameluke
Mam·e·luke 
[mámmə lk] (plural Mam·e·lukes)
or Mam·luk [mámlook] (plural
Mam·luks) noun

member
of military caste: a member of a former
military caste, originally comprising enslaved Turks, that ruled Egypt from the
13th century to the 16th, remaining powerful until the early 19th century
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Arabic mamlūk “enslaved person,” from malaka “to
possess.”][1]



Mamet,David

Mamet,David
Mam·et
[mámmit], David (1947– )

U.S. playwright, and movie
director. His work, for example, the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, often
focuses on the alienation of lower middle-class life.[1]



mamey

mamey
ma·mey 
[maa m] (plural ma·meys) noun

1.  TREES W
Indian tree: a tree that grows in the West Indies,
bears large edible fruit, and has white fragrant flowers. Latin name: Mammea
americana
Also
called
mammee

2.  FOOD red-skinned
fruit:
the edible fruit of the mamey tree that has red skin, yellow flesh, and
poisonous seeds.
Also
called
mammee apple
[Late 16th century. Via
American Spanish mamei from Taino .][1]



mamm-

mamm-
mamm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
mammo-[1]



mamma

mamma1
mam·ma1 [mámmə]
(plural mam·mae [má m]) noun

milk-secreting
organ:
the milk-secreting organ of female mammals, for example, a woman’s breast or a
cow’s udder. It includes the mammary gland and associated exterior structures
such as the nipple or teat. (technical)
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “mother,”
ultimately from children’s first attempts at speaking.]
—mam·mate
[má màyt], adjective

—mam·mi·form [mámmi fàwrm], adjective[1]



mamma

mamma2
mam·ma2 (plural mam·mas)
noun

(informal) See mama[1]



mammae

mammae
mam·mae

Plural of
mamma 1[1]



mammal

mammal

mam·mal 
[mámm’l] (plural mam·mals) noun
class
of warm-blooded vertebrate animals: a
class of warm-blooded vertebrate animals that have, in the female,
milk-secreting organs for feeding the young. The class includes human beings,
apes, many four-legged animals, whales, dolphins, and bats.
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin Mammalia, class name, from Latin mamma
(see mamma 1 ).]
—mam·ma·li·an [mə máylee ən], adjective[1]



mammalogy

mammalogy
mam·mal·o·gy 
[mə málləjee, ma
málləjee] noun

study
of mammals:
the branch of zoology that deals with the study of mammals
—mam·ma·log·i·cal
[màmmə lójjik’l], adjective

—mam·mal·o·gist [mə málləjist, ma málləjist],
noun[1]



mammaplasty

mammaplasty
mam·ma·plas·ty 
noun

See
mammoplasty[1]



mammary

mammary
mam·ma·ry 
[mámməree] adjective

relating
to breast or udder: relating or belonging to the
milk-secreting organ of a female mammal, for example, the breast or udder
[Late 17th century. Formed
from mamma 1 .][1]



mammarygland

mammarygland
mam·ma·ry
gland
(plural mam·ma·ry glands) noun

female milk-producing gland:
a large milk-producing gland in female mammals that consists of a network of
ducts and cavities leading to a nipple or teat. Mammary glands usually occur in
pairs.[1]



mammee

mammee
mam·mee 
[maa m] noun

See
mamey  noun 1
[Variant of mamey][1]



mammeeapple

mammeeapple
mam·mee
ap·ple
noun

See
mamey  noun 2[1]



mammiferous

mammiferous
mam·mif·er·ous 
[mə míffərəss, ma
míffərəss] adjective

having
milk-producing glands: having mammary glands
[Early 19th century. Coined
from mamma 1 + -ferous .][1]



mammilla

mammilla
mam·mil·la 
[mə míllə, ma
míllə] (plural mam·mil·lae [mə
mí l]) noun

1.  nipple:
a nipple or teat

2.  part
resembling nipple: a protuberance or organ that
resembles a nipple or teat
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “little breast,” from mamma (see mamma 1 ).]
—mam·mil·lar·y [mámmə lèrree], adjective[1]



mammillate

mammillate
mam·mil·late 
[mámmə làyt] or mam·mil·lat·ed
[mámmə làytəd] adjective

1.  having
nipples:
having nipples or protrusions that resemble nipples

2.  like
a nipple:
resembling a nipple in shape or function

[1]



mammo-

mammo-
mammo-
prefix

breast
• mammogram
[From Latin mamma (see
mamma 1 )][1]



mammogram

mammogram
mam·mo·gram
[mámmə gràm] (plural mam·mo·grams)
noun

breast
X-ray:
the procedure of taking an X-ray of all or part of the breast
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin mamma “breast” + -gram .][1]



mammography

mammography
mam·mog·ra·phy 
[ma móggrəfee] noun

breast-screening
procedure:
X-ray examination of the breast, used for the early detection of developing
tumors, especially cancerous ones
—mam·mo·graph·ic [màmmə gráffik], adjective[1]



Mammon

Mammon
Mam·mon 
noun

personification of wealth:
the personification of wealth portrayed as a false god in the Bible[1]



mammon

mammon
mam·mon
[mámmən] noun

wealth
as evil influence: wealth and riches considered
as an evil and corrupt influence (disapproving)
[14th
century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Aramaic māmōnā “riches.”]
—mam·mon·ism,
noun

—mam·mon·ist, noun[1]



mammoplasty

mammoplasty
mam·mo·plas·ty 
[mámmə plàstee] (plural mam·mo·plas·ties)
or mam·ma·plas·ty [mámmə plàstee]
(plural mam·ma·plas·ties) noun

surgery on woman’s breast:
plastic surgery performed on a woman’s breast to alter the shape or size, for
example, as reconstruction following a mastectomy or as cosmetic surgery[1]



mammoth

mammoth
mam·moth 
[mámməth] noun (plural mam·moths
or mam·moth)

1.  extinct
elephant:
a large extinct elephant that had long curved tusks and was covered with hair.
It existed mainly in the northern hemisphere and died out more than 10,000
years ago. Genus: Mammuthus

2.  something
enormous:
something that is a particularly large example of its kind
adjective

very large: of
very great size or extent
[Early
18th century. From obsolete Russian mámot, ultimately from a Siberian
language.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  its original Siberian language (possibly Ostyak) mammoth
  meant literally “earth, soil”: the first remains of mammoths to be found were
  dug out of the frozen soil of Siberia, and it came to be believed that the
  animals burrowed in the earth. The adjectival use of mammoth
  for “huge” dates from the early 19th century.

[1]



MammothCave National Park

MammothCave National Park
Mam·moth
Cave Na·tion·al Park [màmməth
kayv náshənəl prk]

national park in southwestern
Kentucky, established in 1941. More than 480 km/300 mi of its multilevel cave
system, the longest in the world, have been explored. Area: 21,380
hectares/52,830 acres.[1]



mammy

mammy
mam·my 
[mámmee] (plural mam·mies) noun
mam·my mam·mie

mother:
mother (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[Early 16th century. Variant
of mamma 2 .][1]



Mamoré

Mamoré
Ma·mo·ré 
[maamṓray]

river in northern Bolivia,
flowing northward into the Madeira River on the Brazilian border. Length: 1,900
km/1,200 mi.[1]



mamzer

mamzer
mamz·er 
[mmzər] (plural mamz·er·im [mmzə rm]) noun

1.  child
born of adultery or incest: in Jewish religious law, a
child born of an adulterous or incestuous relationship

2.  mamz·er
(plural mamz·ers) or mom·ser (plural mom·sers)
or momz·er (plural momz·ers) offensive
term:
an offensive term for an untrustworthy or despicable person (slang insult)
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Hebrew mamzēr .][1]



man.

man.
man.

Abbreviation of
manual[1]



Man.

Man.
Man.

PAPER Abbreviation of Manila Abbreviation of Manila paper


Abbreviation of
Manitoba[1]



MAN

MAN
MAN 
(plural MANs)

Abbreviation of
metropolitan area network[1]



man

man
man 
[man] noun (plural men
[men])

1.  adult
male human:
an adult male human being

2.  person:
a person, regardless of sex or age (often considered offensive) • a
six-man crew

3.  particular
type of man: an adult male human being with a
particular occupation, responsibility, background, or nationality (usually
used in combination) • the TV
repairman
• I’m
not a dogs man.

4.  human
race:
the human race in general (often considered offensive)

5.  ZOOLOGY modern
or earlier human being: a member of the group that
comprises modern humans and their ancestors. Genus: Homo (sometimes
considered offensive)

6.  employee
or worker:
an employee or worker of either sex (often considered offensive)

7.  MILITARY male
member of armed forces: a male member of the armed
forces, especially one who is not an officer (usually used in the plural)

8.  servant:
a man who is a servant (dated)

9.  virile
person:
the personification of qualities traditionally associated with the male sex,
including courage, strength, and aggression, or somebody with such qualities

10. husband
or man companion: a husband, or a man who is a woman’s
companion or lover (slang)

11. term
of address:
a term of address to a person of either sex (slang) (sometimes
considered offensive) • Cool
it, man!

12. man
or Man authority figure:
somebody in a position of authority, or a group that is seen as having an
unfair advantage or undue power over others (slang) (sometimes
considered offensive) • in
trouble with the Man

13. GAME piece
used in board games: a piece used in playing
board games such as checkers

14. HISTORY medieval
vassal:
in feudal societies of the early Middle Ages, an adult male human who swore
allegiance to a lord in return for help and protection

15. NAUTICAL ship:
a ship, especially one of a particular kind (used in combination) • man-of-war
transitive
verb
(past manned, past participle manned, present
participle man·ning, 3rd person present singular mans)
(often considered offensive)

1.  supply
something with workers: to provide something with
workers, operators, or military personnel

2.  be
ready for action: to be ready to operate or defend
something
interjection

used for emphasis:
used to add emphasis (slang) (sometimes considered offensive) • Man,
that was exciting!
[Old
English man(n) . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “person,
man,” which is also the ancestor of English manikin,
mensch, and muzhik .]
as
a man

or
as one manunanimously or without exception (often considered
offensive)

be
your own man

to
have the resources or confidence to be responsible for yourself or your actions
(often considered offensive)

to
a man

everyone,
without any exceptions (often considered offensive)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at person.









     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  etymologically primary sense of man is
  “human being, person,” and that is what it generally meant in Old English:
  the sexes were usually distinguished by wer “man” (which survives
  probably in WEREWOLF ) and wīf
  (source of modern English WIFE ) or cwene
  “woman.” But during the Middle English and early modern English periods “male
  person” gradually came to the fore, and today man
  is decidedly on the decline (helped on its way by those who feel that the
  usage discriminates against women).

[1]



mana

mana
ma·na 
[mnə] noun

New
Zealand
supernatural
force or power: a life force associated with ritual
power and high social status, especially in Polynesia and Melanesia
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



manabout town

manabout town
man
a·bout town
(plural men a·bout town) or man-a·bout-town (plural
men-a·bout-town) noun

sophisticated man in
fashionable society: a
sophisticated and cultured man who socializes in fashionable circles (dated)[1]



manacle

manacle
man·a·cle 
[mánnək’l] noun (plural man·a·cles)

ring
around prisoner’s wrist: either of a pair of metal
rings joined by a chain and fastened around the wrists of a prisoner to be
restrained (usually used in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past man·a·cled, past participle man·a·cled, present
participle man·a·cling, 3rd person present singular man·a·cles)

put
manacles on somebody: to restrain somebody using
manacles
[14th century. Via French manicle
“handcuff” from Latin manicula, from manus “hand.”][1]



manage

manage
man·age 
[mánnij] (past man·aged, past
participle man·aged, present participle man·ag·ing, 3rd
person present singular man·ag·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb achieve
something with difficulty: to succeed in doing
something, especially something that seems difficult or impossible • I
finally managed to open the door.

2.  intransitive
verb
cope
in difficult situation: to survive or continue
despite difficulties, especially a lack of resources • He
manages with very little money.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BUSINESS administer or run something:
to be in charge of something such as a store, department, or project and be
responsible for its smooth running and for any personnel employed • manages
a department of 25 people

4.  transitive
verb
handle
and control something: to handle and keep control
of something such as a weapon or tool • could
manage a computer without difficulty

5.  transitive
verb
discipline
or control person or animal: to keep control of a person
or animal, or a number of people or animals, especially when they are wild or
unruly

6.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS be
somebody’s manager: to guide the career and
control the business affairs of somebody such as a professional entertainer or
athlete
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian maneggiare “to train a horse” from, ultimately, Latin manus
“hand.”][1]



manageable

manageable
man·age·a·ble 
[mánnijəb’l] adjective

easy
to deal with: able to be handled or controlled without
much difficulty
—man·age·a·bil·i·ty
[mànnijə bíllətee], noun

—man·age·a·ble·ness
[mánnijəb’lnəss], noun

—man·age·a·bly, adverb[1]



managedcare

managedcare
man·aged
care 
noun

medical provision and
accounting system: a system of
managing medical care in which nonmedical administrators such as insurance
companies or HMOs control and limit the provison of such things as procedures
and medicines[1]



management

management
man·age·ment 
[mánnijmənt] noun

1.  administration
of business: the organizing and controlling of the
affairs of a business or a particular sector of a business

2.  managers
as a group:
managers and employers considered collectively, especially the directors and
executives of a business or organization

3.  handling
of something successfully: the act of handling or
controlling something successfully

4.  skill
in handling or using something: the skillful handling
or use of something such as resources
—man·age·men·tal [mànnij mént’l], adjective[1]



managementinformation system

managementinformation system
man·age·ment
in·for·ma·tion sys·tem (plural man·age·ment
in·for·ma·tion sys·tems) noun

system helping managers run
company: a system for gathering the
financial, production, and other information that managers need to operate a
business, especially a system that is computerized[1]



manager

manager
man·ag·er 
[mánnijər] (plural man·ag·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who manages business: somebody who is responsible
for directing and controlling the work and personnel of a business, or of a
particular department within a business

2.  somebody
who controls somebody’s business affairs:
somebody who organizes and controls somebody’s business affairs, especially
those of a professional actor, singer, or other entertainer

3.  somebody
organizing affairs of athlete: somebody who organizes
and controls the training of an individual athlete or of a team

4.  SPORTS student
in charge of team’s equipment: a student who takes
care of the equipment and records of a high school or college sports team under
the supervision of a coach

5.  somebody
who manages something well: somebody who handles or
controls something such as resources, especially one who does so with skill

6.  program
for basic computer operations: a computer program
designed to carry out the basic functions of a computer’s operations
—man·ag·er·ship, noun[1]



managerial

managerial
man·a·ge·ri·al
[mànni jree əl] adjective

relating
to manager:
involving or characteristic of a manager or management, especially in business
—man·a·ge·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



managingeditor

managingeditor
man·ag·ing
ed·i·tor 
(plural man·ag·ing ed·i·tors) noun

somebody in charge of
editorial process: an editor
of books, newspapers, or other publications who is responsible for the
administration of the editorial process[1]



Managua

Managua
Ma·na·gua 
[mə ngwə]

capital city of Nicaragua,
located in the west of the country, near the Pacific Ocean. Population:
1,500,000 (mid-1990s)[1]



Managua,Lake

Managua,Lake
Ma·na·gua,
Lake
[mə ngwə]

lake in western Nicaragua,
and the country’s second largest. It is drained by the Tipitapa River. Area:
1,049 sq km/405 sq mi.[1]



manakin

manakin
man·a·kin 
[mánnəkin] (plural man·a·kins)
noun

colorful
S American bird: a small South American bird with a short
bill and bright colorful plumage. Family: Pipridae
[Early 17th century. Variant
of manikin .][1]



Manama

Manama
Ma·na·ma 
[mə nmə]

capital city of Bahrain,
situated in the northeastern part of the country. Population: 136,999 (1991)[1]



Manapouri,Lake

Manapouri,Lake
Man·a·pou·ri,
Lake
[mnə pree]

lake in the southwestern part
of the South Island, New Zealand. At 444 m/1,455 ft deep, it is the deepest
lake in New Zealand. Area: 142 sq km/55 sq mi.[1]



Manassas

Manassas
Ma·nas·sas 
[mə nássəs]

independent city in
northeastern Virginia. It was the site of two Confederate victories at the
Civil War battles of Bull Run in 1861 and 1862.[1]



man-at-arms

man-at-arms
man-at-arms
(plural men-at-arms) noun

soldier:
a soldier, especially a medieval mounted soldier who was heavily armed[1]



manatee

manatee
man·a·tee 
[mánnə t] (plural man·a·tees)
noun

large
aquatic mammal: a large plant-eating mammal found in
warm Atlantic coastal waters. It has front flippers and a broad flattened tail.
Genus: Trichechus
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish manatí from Carib manáti “breast.”][1]



Manawatu-Wanganui

Manawatu-Wanganui
Man·a·wa·tu-Wang·a·nu·i
[mànə w too wòng gə nee]

administrative region of New
Zealand, situated in the southwestern part of the North Island. Population:
229,989 (1996) Area: 25,317 sq km/9,775 sq mi.[1]



Mance,Jeanne

Mance,Jeanne
Mance
[maNss, maanss],
Jeanne (1606–1673)

French-born Canadian
missionary. She was the founder of the Hotel-Dieu Hospital, Montreal (1642).[1]



Manchester

Manchester
Man·ches·ter 
[mán chestər]

1.  city
in northwestern England. Population: 432,600 (1995)

2.  historic
town in central Connecticut. Population: 52,208 (1994)

3.  the
largest city in New Hampshire, located in the south of the state. Population: 96,640
(1994)

[1]



Manchesterterrier

Manchesterterrier

Man·ches·ter
ter·ri·er
(plural Man·ches·ter ter·ri·ers) noun
shorthaired
terrier:
a small terrier with a shorthaired coat that is mainly black with tan patches.
Also
called
black-and-tan terrier
[Named for the city of Manchester, England, where the breed originated][1]



man-child

man-child
man-child
(plural men-chil·dren) noun

boy:
a male child (literary)[1]



manchineel

manchineel
man·chi·neel 
[mànchə nl] (plural man·chi·neels
or man·chi·neel) noun

tropical
tree with poisonous fruit: a tropical American tree of
the spurge family that has poisonous apple-shaped fruit and milky sap that
causes blistering. Latin name: Hippomane mancinella
[Mid-17th century. Via French
mancenille from Spanish manzanilla, literally “little apple,”
from manzana “apple,” ultimately from Latin matiana, a kind of
apple, named after Matia, a Roman gens.][1]



Manchu

Manchu
Man·chu 
[man ch] (plural Man·chu or
Man·chus) noun

1.  PEOPLES Manchurian
invaders of China: a member of a people who
originally came from Manchuria and invaded China in the 17th century,
establishing a powerful dynasty that lasted until the beginning of the 20th
century

2.  LANGUAGE language
spoken in China: a language spoken in northeastern parts
of the People’s Republic of China. It belongs to the Manchu-Tungus branch of
Altaic languages. Manchu is spoken by about 20,000 people.
[Late
17th century. From Manchu, literally “pure.”]
—Man·chu, adjective[1]



Manchuria

Manchuria
Man·chu·ri·a 
[man chree ə]

historical
name for the mountainous region of northeastern China comprising the modern-day
provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning
—Man·chu·ri·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Manchu-Tungus

Manchu-Tungus
Man·chu-Tun·gus
noun

See
Tungusic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mancunian

Mancunian
Man·cu·ni·an 
[man kynee ən] (plural Man·cu·ni·ans)
noun

somebody
from Manchester: somebody who was born in, or who lives
in, the city of Manchester, in northwestern England
[Early
20th century. Formed from Latin Mancunium “Manchester.”]
—Man·cu·ni·an, adjective[1]



-mancy

-mancy
-mancy
suffix

divination
• geomancy
[Via Old French -mancie
from, ultimately, Greek mantis (see mantic
)][1]



Mandaean

Mandaean
Man·dae·an 
[man d ən] (plural Man·dae·ans)
or Man·de·an [man d ən] (plural
Man·de·ans) noun

1.  RELIGION worshiper
of John the Baptist: a member of a Gnostic
religious group who believe themselves to be descendants of John the Baptist.
The group originated in Jordan and still exists in Iraq and Iran.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Mandaean texts: a form of Aramaic used in
Mandaean sacred writings
[Late
18th century. Formed from Mandaean mandaia “having knowledge,” from manda
“knowledge.”]
—Man·dae·an,
adjective

—Man·dae·an·ism, noun[1]



mandala

mandala

man·da·la 
[mándələ] (plural man·da·las) noun

1.  INDIAN RELIGION Buddhist
or Hindu symbol: a geometric or pictorial design usually
enclosed in a circle, representing the entire universe. It is used in
meditation and ritual in Buddhism and Hinduism.

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS symbol
representing self: in Jungian psychology, a
symbol representing the self and harmony within the individual
[Mid-19th
century. From Sanskrit maṇḍalam “circle.”]
—man·dal·ic [man dállik], adjective[1]



Mandalay

Mandalay
Man·da·lay 
[màndə láy]

city and transportation
center on the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar. Population: 532,949 (1983)[1]



mandamus

mandamus
man·da·mus 
[man dáyməss] (plural man·da·mus·es)
noun

order
from high court: an order from a high court to a lower
court or to an authority instructing it to perform a specific action or duty
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “we command.”][1]



Mandan

Mandan
Man·dan 
[mán dàn] (plural Man·dan or
Man·dans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people of North Dakota who originally occupied lands along the
Missouri River and who now mainly live on the Fort Berthold Reservation near
Lake Sakakawea

2.  LANGUAGE Mandan
language:
the language of the Mandan, belonging to the Siouan branch of Hokan-Siouan
languages. Mandan is spoken by about 1,200 people.
[Late 18th century. From
North American French Mandane, of uncertain origin: probably from Dakota
mawátãna .][1]



mandarin

mandarin1
man·da·rin1  [mándərin]
(plural man·da·rins) noun

1.  former
high-ranking Chinese official: in the Chinese Empire,
a member of any of the nine highest ranks of public officials, attained by
examinations

2.  high-ranking
civil servant: a high-ranking civil servant or
bureaucrat with wide-ranging powers

3.  influential
member of elite group: an influential member of an
elite group, especially a literary or intellectual group
[Late
16th century. Via Spanish mandarín and Portuguese mandarim from,
ultimately, the Sanskrit stem mantrin- “counselor,” from mantraḥ
“counsel” (see mantra ).]
—man·dar·i·nate
[mándəri nàyt], noun

—man·da·ri·nic
[màndə rínnik], adjective

—man·da·ri·nism [mándəri nìzzəm], noun[1]



Mandarin

Mandarin
Man·da·rin 
or Man·da·rin Chi·nese noun

official
language of China: the official language of the
People’s Republic of China, also spoken by people of Chinese descent in various
parts of the world. It belongs to the Chinese branch of Sino-Tibetan languages.
Mandarin Chinese is spoken by about 800 million people as a first language and
one hundred million people as a second language.
—Man·da·rin Chi·nese, adjective[1]



mandarin

mandarin2
man·da·rin2  [mándərin]
(plural man·da·rins) noun

1.  citrus
fruit resembling a small orange: a small citrus fruit,
similar in size to a tangerine but with a loose orange skin that is easy to
peel, especially a variety with a yellow-orange skin.
Also
called
mandarin orange

2.  small
citrus tree: a small citrus tree that originated in
China and is cultivated for its edible fruit. Latin name: Citrus reticulata
[Late 18th century. Via
French mandarine from, ultimately, Spanish mandarín (see mandarin 1 ), so
called because of its color, likened to that of mandarins’ yellow robes.][1]



mandarincollar

mandarincollar
man·da·rin
col·lar
(plural man·da·rin col·lars) noun

upright collar:
a narrow collar that stands up from a close-fitting neckline and opens at the
front[1]



mandarinduck

mandarinduck
man·da·rin
duck
noun

Asian duck with colorful
plumage: an Asian duck with a crested
head and colorful plumage. The male has one enlarged showy orange feather on
each wing, which it uses in displays. Latin name: Aix galericulata[1]



mandarinorange

mandarinorange
man·da·rin
or·ange
noun

See
mandarin 2 noun
1[1]



mandatary

mandatary
man·da·tar·y 
[mándə tèrree] (plural man·da·tar·ies)
noun

person or state holding
mandate: a person or state that has
been given a mandate.
Also called
mandatory[1]



mandate

mandate
man·date 
[mán dàyt] noun (plural man·dates)

1.  authoritative
order:
an official command or instruction from an authority

2.  POLITICS support
for government from electorate: the authority bestowed
on a government or other body by an electoral victory, effectively authorizing
it to carry out the policies for which it campaigned • The
party in power has a clear mandate for reform.

3.  LAW agreement
for free service: a contract by which somebody agrees to
perform a service without payment

4.  LAW instruction
from superior court or official: an order from a
superior court or official to a lower one

5.  HISTORY region
ruled by outside power: any of the territories that
were placed by the League of Nations under the administration of one of its
European member states after World War I.
Also
called
mandated territory

6.  HISTORY commission
to administer state: the power conferred by the
League of Nations on a member state to administer a region
transitive
verb
(past man·dat·ed, past participle man·dat·ed, present
participle man·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular man·dates)

1.  INTERNATIONAL LAW assign
colony to a nation: to assign a territory or
region to a particular nation under a mandate

2.  make
something mandatory: to require or order
something by making it mandatory • The
law mandates systematic tracking and reporting of hazardous wastes.
[Early
16th century. From Latin mandatum, from the past participle of mandare,
literally “to give into somebody’s hand,” ultimately from the Indo-European
word for “hand.”]
—man·da·tor, noun[1]



mandatedterritory

mandatedterritory
man·dat·ed
ter·ri·tory
noun

See
mandate  noun 5[1]



mandatory

mandatory
man·da·to·ry 
[mándə tàwree] adjective

1.  compulsory:
needing to be done, followed, or complied with, usually because of being
officially required

2.  with
power of mandate: resembling or having the power of a
mandate

3.  INTERNATIONAL LAW authorized
to administer territory: having a mandate to
administer a region or territory
noun
(plural manda·to·ries)

See mandatary
—man·da·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



mandatoryminimum

mandatoryminimum
man·da·to·ry
min·i·mum
noun

minimum fixed sentence:
a minimum sentence that must be imposed for a particular crime, without
consideration of mitigating circumstances[1]



man-day

man-day
man-day
(plural man-days) noun

one day’s work:
the work done by one person in one day[1]



Mande

Mande
Man·de 
[mn dày] (plural Man·de or
Man·des) noun

1.  group
of West African languages: a group of around 20
languages spoken in western Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea,
and the Ivory Coast. It is a branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages.
About nine million people speak one of the Mande languages.

2.  Mande
speaker:
a member of any of the West African groups that speak a Mande language
[Late
19th century. From Mande, literally “little mother.”]
—Man·de, adjective[1]



Mandean

Mandean
Man·de·an
noun adjective

See
Mandaean[1]



Mandela,Nelson

Mandela,Nelson

Man·de·la
[man déllə, man
dáylə], Nelson (1918– )
South African statesman. After a long
incarceration as a political prisoner (1964–1990), in 1994 he became the first
black president of the Republic of South Africa.[1]



Mandela,Winnie

Mandela,Winnie
Man·de·la
[man déllə, man
dáylə], Winnie (1934– )

South
African political activist. She married Nelson Mandela in 1958 (divorced 1996),
and continued his work after his imprisonment. She was convicted of a
kidnapping charge in 1991.
Born
Madikizela, Nkosikazi Nomzamo[1]



mandible

mandible

man·di·ble 
[mándib’l] (plural man·di·bles)
noun

1.  ANATOMY lower
jaw of vertebrate: the lower jaw of a person or
animal, usually containing a single bone (technical)

2.  BIRDS bird’s
beak:
the upper or lower part of a bird’s beak

3.  ZOOLOGY insect’s
mouthpart:
either of a pair of parts in insects and similar animals used for biting and
cutting food
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via Old French from late Latin mandibula, from
Latin mandere “to chew” (source of English manger
and mange ).]
—man·dib·u·lar
[man díbbyələr], adjective

—man·dib·u·late [man díbbyələt, man
díbbyə làyt], adjective, noun[1]



Mandingo

Mandingo
Man·din·go 
[man díng gō] (plural Man·din·gos
or Man·din·goes or Man·din·go) noun

1.  PEOPLES a
member of a West African people: a member of any of
several peoples that live in parts of western Africa, especially along the
Niger River valley

2.  LANGUAGE West
African language group: a group of languages spoken
in parts of western Africa, especially along the Niger River valley. It forms a
subgroup of the Mande branch of Niger-Congo languages. About six million people
speak one of the Mandingo languages.
[Early
17th century. From Mandingo, from Mande mandi (see Mande ).]
—Man·din·go, adjective[1]



mandolin

mandolin


man·do·lin 
[màndə lín, mánd’lin]
(plural man·do·lins) noun
stringed
instrument of lute family: a stringed instrument of the
lute family with a pear-shaped body and four or more pairs of strings, usually
played with a plectrum
[Early
18th century. Via French from Italian mandolino, literally “small lute,”
from mandola “mandola.”]
—man·do·lin·ist [màndə línnist], noun[1]



mandragora

mandragora
man·drag·o·ra
[màndrə gáwrə, man
drággərə] (plural man·drag·o·ras) noun

See
mandrake  noun 1
[Pre-12th century. Via French
mandragore and medieval Latin mandragora from Greek mandragoras,
of unknown origin.][1]



mandrake

mandrake

man·drake 
[mán dràyk] (plural man·drakes)
noun

1.  plant
of nightshade family: a plant of Europe and Asia
that has yellow or purplish flowers and a forked root resembling a human body.
It was formerly believed to have magical powers and a drug was prepared from
the root. Latin name: Mandragora officinarum
Also
called
mandragora

2.  See
May apple  noun 2
[14th century. Alteration of
medieval Latin mandragora, under the influence of man (from the shape of the plant’s root) and drake “dragon” (from its emetic and narcotic
properties).][1]



mandrel

mandrel
man·drel 
[mándrəl] (plural man·drels) or
man·dril [mándrəl] (plural man·drils)
noun

1.  tapered
shaft for securing work to: a tapered shaft or arbor to
which work is secured during machining or turning, for example, on a lathe

2.  core
rod:
a rod around which materials such as metal or glass are molded, forged, or
shaped

3.  shaft
for mounting tool: a shaft on which a tool such
as a dentist’s drill or machining tool is mounted
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



mandrill

mandrill
man·drill 
[mándril] (plural man·drills) noun

large
baboon:
a large baboon of western Africa with a beard, mane, and crest. The male also
has a brilliant ribbed blue, white, and scarlet muzzle. Latin name: Mandrillus
sphinx
[Mid-18th century. Said to be
coined from man and drill 4 .][1]



Mandurah

Mandurah
Man·du·rah
[mán doorə]

coastal town in southwestern
Western Australia, on the Peel Inlet south of Perth. Population: 35,945 (1996)[1]



mane

mane
mane 
[mayn] (plural manes) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY hair
on animal’s neck: long hair on the head and neck of an
animal such as a lion or horse

2.  person’s
long hair:
a large amount of thick long hair on somebody’s head (literary or informal)
[Old
English manu]
—maned, adjective[1]



man-eater

man-eater
man-eat·er 
[mán tər] (plural man-eat·ers)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY man-eating
animal:
an animal such as a tiger or great white shark that eats or is thought to eat
human flesh

2.  cannibal:
somebody who eats human flesh

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman who pursues men in order to make them her lovers
and then discards them (offensive)
—man-eat·ing, adjective[1]



manedwolf

manedwolf
maned
wolf
noun

S American wild canine:
a wild South American member of the dog family with long legs, a shaggy
yellowish-red coat and black markings on the neck and legs. Latin name: Chrysocyon
brachyurus[1]



manes

manes
ma·nes
[m nàyz, máy
nz] or Ma·nes [m nàyz,
máy nz] noun

honored
ghost:
the revered spirit of a dead person (literary) (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

spirits
of ancestors: in ancient Roman religious belief, the
divine spirits of the dead (takes a plural verb)
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “good ones,” from manus “good.”][1]



Manet,Édouard

Manet,Édouard

Ma·net
[mán ay], Édouard (1832–1883)
French painter. His innovative work such
as The Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882) contributed to the development
of impressionism.[1]



maneuver

maneuver
ma·neu·ver 
[mə nvər] noun (plural ma·neu·vers)

1.  skilled
movement:
a movement or action that requires skill or dexterity

2.  MILITARY military
movement:
a planned movement of one or several military or naval units

3.  devious
act:
an action, especially a devious or deceptive one, done to gain advantage • one
of his little maneuvers to try to stay in total control

4.  TRANSPORT change
of course:
a controlled change of course of a vehicle or vessel
plural
noun
ma·neu·vers

MILITARY military
exercises:
large-scale military exercises used for training or practice
verb
(past ma·neu·vered, past participle ma·neu·vered, present
participle ma·neu·ver·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·neu·vers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move skillfully:
to move or cause something to move skillfully

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY do military exercises:
to perform or cause somebody or something to perform military maneuvers

3.  transitive
verb
manipulate
somebody or something: to manipulate somebody or
something to gain advantage • trying
to maneuver her into agreeing

4.  intransitive
verb
behave
deviously:
to use devious means in order to gain advantage • various
candidates maneuvering for party leadership
[15th
century. Via French manoeuvre “manipulation” from Old French maneuvre
“manual labor,” from medieval Latin manuoperare “to work with the
hands,” from Latin manus “hand.”]
—ma·neu·ver·a·bil·i·ty
[mə nvərə bíllətee], noun

—ma·neu·ver·a·ble
[mə nvərəb’l], adjective

—ma·neu·ver·er, noun[1]



manFriday

manFriday
man
Fri·day
(plural man Fri·days or men Fri·day) noun

man
acting as servant: a man acting as an assistant
or servant who is loyal and able to do many things
[Named for the loyal servant
of the title character in the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel
Defoe][1]



manful

manful
man·ful 
[mánfəl] adjective

traditionally
brave and determined: brave, strong, and resolute,
as a man is conventionally supposed to be
—man·ful·ly,
adverb

—man·ful·ness, noun[1]



manga

manga
man·ga
[máng gə] noun

Japanese comic books or
cartoons: a Japanese style of comic
books or animated cartoons, often very violent or erotic[1]



mangabey

mangabey
man·ga·bey 
[máng gə bày, máng
gə b] (plural man·ga·beys) noun

large
African monkey: a large agile African monkey with a long
tail, slender body, and white eyelids. Genus: Cercocebus
[Late 18th century. Named for
the Mangabey region in Madagascar, to which monkeys of this genus were wrongly
believed to be native.][1]



Mangalore

Mangalore
Man·ga·lore
[màng gə láwr]

city and seaport in
southwestern India, on the Arabian Sea. Population: 272,819 (1991)[1]



mangan-

mangan-
mangan-
prefix

manganese
• manganous
[From manganese][1]



manganate

manganate
man·ga·nate 
[máng gə nàyt] (plural man·ga·nates)
noun

salt
containing manganese: any mixed-metal salt
containing manganese and oxygen in the form of an anion
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from manganese + -ate
.][1]



manganese

manganese

man·ga·nese 
[máng gə nz, máng
gə nss] noun
brittle
grayish-white metallic element: a brittle
grayish-white metallic chemical element found in pyrolusite and rhodonite and
used in strengthening steel and alloys. Symbol Mn
[Late 17th century. Via
French and Italian from medieval Latin magnesia “magnesia.”][1]



manganesenodule

manganesenodule
man·ga·nese
nod·ule
(plural man·ga·nese nod·ules) noun

stony manganese-rich nodule:
a stony nodule rich in manganese, found on the ocean floor[1]



manganesesteel

manganesesteel
man·ga·nese
steel
(plural man·ga·nese steels) noun

hard steel:
steel containing 11 to 14 percent manganese, used to make drills and crushing
blades and tools[1]



manganic

manganic
man·gan·ic 
[man gánnik] adjective

containing
manganese:
containing or derived from manganese, especially with a valence of three or six
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from manganese .][1]



manganite

manganite
man·ga·nite 
[máng gə nt] noun

dark
mineral:
a grayish crystalline mineral consisting of a hydroxide of manganese
[Early 19th century. Coined
from manganese + -ite
.][1]



manganous

manganous
man·ga·nous 
[máng gənəss] adjective

containing manganese:
containing or derived from manganese, especially with a valence of two[1]



mange

mange
mange 
[maynj] noun

skin
disease of animals: an infectious skin disease
of animals and sometimes humans that is caused by mites and results in hair
loss, scabs, and itching
[15th century. From French manjue
“itch,” from Old French mangier “to eat,” from Latin manducare
(see manger ).][1]



mangel

mangel
man·gel
[máng g’l] (plural man·gels) or
man·gel-wur·zel [máng g’l wùrz’l] (plural
man·gel-wur·zel) or man·gold [máng
g’ld, máng gld] (plural man·golds)
or man·gold-wur·zel [máng g’ld,
máng gld] (plural man·gold-wur·zels)
noun

coarse
beet:
a large yellow or reddish variety of beet that is grown as food for livestock.
See
also
beet
[Late 18th century. From
German Mangoldwurzel “beet root.”][1]



manger

manger
man·ger 
[máynjər] (plural man·gers) noun

eating
trough for animals: a trough from which
livestock eat
[14th century. From Old
French mangeoire, from mangier “to eat,” from Latin manducare
“to chew,” from, ultimately, mandere (source of English mange and mandible
).][1]



Mangeshkar,Lata

Mangeshkar,Lata
Man·gesh·kar
[man gésh kaar], Lata (1929– )

Indian
singer. She provided playback singing voices in Hindi films for more than 30
years, making over 30,000 recordings before retiring in 1984.
Full name
Mangeshkar, Lata Dinanath[1]



mangetout

mangetout
mange·tout 
[moNzh t] (plural mange·touts)
or mange·tout pea [moNzh t] (plural
mange·tout peas) noun

U.K.
pea
with edible pod: a variety of pea in which the whole pod
is eaten.
See
also
snow pea
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “eat-all.”][1]



mangle

mangle2
man·gle2 [máng
g’l] noun (plural man·gles)

1.  machine
for pressing fabric: a large machine for pressing
sheets or fabric by means of two heated rollers through which the material is
passed

2.  U.K.
See wringer
transitive
verb
(past man·gled, past participle man·gled, present
participle man·gling, 3rd person present singular man·gles)

put something through a mangle:
to put washing through a mangle in order to squeeze out water
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch mangelstok “mangling roller,” of uncertain origin: ultimately
perhaps from Greek magganon “war engine” (see mangonel
) or assumed Vulgar Latin mahagnare “to wound” (see mangle 1 ).][1]



mangle

mangle1
man·gle1 [máng
g’l] (past man·gled, past participle man·gled,
present participle man·gling, 3rd person present singular man·gles)
transitive verb

1.  destroy
somebody or something by crushing: to mutilate or
disfigure somebody or something by violent tearing, cutting, or crushing

2.  ruin
something:
to spoil or ruin something through carelessness or ineptitude • a
reading that mangled the rhythm of the poem
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman mahangler, of uncertain origin: perhaps
literally “to maim repeatedly,” from Old French mahaigner “to maim,”
from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin mahagnare “to wound.”]
—man·gler, noun[1]



mango

mango
man·go 
[máng gō] (plural man·goes or
man·gos) noun

1.  tropical
Asian evergreen tree: a tropical Asian evergreen
tree of the cashew family, grown for its edible fruit. Latin name: Magifera
indica

2.  sweet
red fruit:
the mango tree’s red or green fruit with juicy, sweet, orange-yellow pulp
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese manga and Malay mangga from Tamil mānkāy “mango
-tree fruit.”][1]



mangold

mangold
man·gold
or man·gold-wur·zel noun

See
mangel[1]



mangonel

mangonel
man·go·nel 
[máng gə nèl] (plural man·go·nels)
noun

medieval
weapon:
a medieval military machine used for hurling stones at an enemy
[13th century. Via Old French
mangonel(le) from medieval Latin manganellus “little war-engine,”
ultimately from Greek magganon “war engine, axis of pulley.”][1]



mangosteen

mangosteen
man·go·steen 
[máng gə stn] (plural man·go·steens)
noun

1.  evergreen
tree of Southeast Asia: an evergreen tree native to
Southeast Asia that has leathery leaves and large edible fruit. Latin name: Garcinia
mangostana

2.  reddish-brown
fruit:
the fruit with a hard reddish-brown rind and sweet juicy pulp that the
mangosteen tree produces
[Late 16th century. From
Malay manggustan, an alteration of manggis .][1]



mangrove

mangrove

man·grove 
[mán grv, máng
grv] (plural man·groves) noun
tropical
evergreen tree of tidal coasts: a tropical evergreen
tree or shrub with intertwined roots and stems resembling stilts that grows in
dense groves along tidal coasts. Genus: Rhizophora
[Early 17th century. Blend of
Portuguese mangue or Spanish mangle, from Taino, and grove .][1]



mangy

mangy
mang·y 
[máynjee] (comparative mang·i·er,
superlative mang·i·est) adjective

1.  having
mange:
affected by or caused by mange

2.  scruffy:
having a dirty or shabby appearance (informal)
—mang·i·ly,
adverb

—mang·i·ness, noun[1]



manhandle

manhandle
man·han·dle 
[mán hànd’l] (past man·han·dled,
past participle man·han·dled, present participle man·han·dling,
3rd person present singular man·han·dles) transitive verb

1.  handle
somebody or something roughly: to pull or push
somebody or something around roughly

2.  move
something by hand: to move something using
human strength alone rather than machinery

[1]



Manhattan

Manhattan1
Man·hat·tan1  [man
hátt’n] (plural Man·hat·tans) or man·hat·tan
[man hátt’n] (plural man·hat·tans)
noun

whiskey
cocktail:
a cocktail made from sweet vermouth, whiskey, and a dash of bitters
[Late 19th century. Named for
Manhattan, where it was invented.][1]



Manhattan

Manhattan2
Man·hat·tan2  [man
hátt’n]

1.  borough
and main economic hub of New York City, occupying Manhattan Island at the
northern end of New York Bay together with several adjacent areas. Population:
1,487,536 (1990) Area: 80 sq km/31 sq mi.

2.  city
in northeastern Kansas, northeast of Junction City and northwest of Topeka.
Population: 42,117 (1996)

[1]



ManhattanBeach

ManhattanBeach
Man·hat·tan
Beach
[man hàtt’n bch]

city in southwestern
California, in Los Angeles County, on the Pacific Ocean. Population: 33,288
(1994)[1]



Manhattanclam chowder

Manhattanclam chowder
Man·hat·tan
clam chow·der noun

clam soup:
a soup made from clams, vegetables, and tomatoes[1]



Manhattanize

Manhattanize
Man·hat·tan·ize 
[man hátt’n z] (past Man·hat·tan·ized,
past participle Man·hat·tan·ized, present participle Man·hat·tan·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Man·hat·tan·iz·es) transitive verb

build
skyscrapers in: to change the appearance of a city by
constructing skyscrapers close together
—Man·hat·tan·i·za·tion
[man hàtt’ni záysh’n], noun[1]



ManhattanProject

ManhattanProject
Man·hat·tan
Proj·ect
noun

secret
research into first atomic bombs: the top-secret
research and development in several places in the United States that led to the
successful construction and detonation of the first atomic bombs
[Mid-20th century. From Manhattan
District, the codename that was given to the research project.][1]



manhole

manhole
man·hole 
[mán hl] (plural man·holes) noun

sewer opening:
an opening with a detachable cover that gives access to an enclosed area,
especially a sewer, drain, or tank[1]



manhood

manhood
man·hood 
[mán hd] noun

1.  state
of being a man: the state of being an adult male human

2.  traditional
manliness:
the qualities and attributes conventionally thought to be appropriate to a man,
especially physical strength, courage, and determination

3.  men:
men considered collectively • the
nation’s manhood

4.  penis:
a man’s penis (literary or humorous)

[1]



man-hour

man-hour
man-hour 
(plural man-hours) noun

work of one person per hour:
the amount of work that can be done by one person in one hour, used as a means
of assessing requirements, production, and performance • the
number of man-hours lost through sickness[1]



manhunt

manhunt
man·hunt 
[mán hùnt] (plural man·hunts) noun

search
for criminal: an organized search, especially by the
police, for an escaped criminal or other wanted person
—man·hunt·er, noun[1]



mania

mania
ma·ni·a 
[máynee ə] (plural ma·ni·as) noun

1.  obsession:
an excessive and intense interest in or enthusiasm for something

2.  psychiatric
disorder:
psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive physical activity, rapidly
changing ideas, and impulsive behavior
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek mania “loss of reason,” from mainesthai “to rage.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “think.”][1]



-mania

-mania
-mania
suffix

excessive
enthusiasm for or attachment to • pyromania
[From mania][1]



maniac

maniac
ma·ni·ac 
[máynee àk] noun (plural ma·ni·acs)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who behaves in such an uncontrolled manner as to
appear to be affected by mania (offensive)

2.  enthusiast:
somebody who has an excessive and intense interest in or enthusiasm for a
particular thing

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody affected by mania (offensive)
adjective

See maniacal
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin maniacus from late Greek maniakos, from mania (see mania ).][1]



maniacal

maniacal
ma·ni·a·cal 
[mə n ək’l] adjective (offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning so uncontrolled as to appear to be affected by mania

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning or indicative of mania
—ma·ni·a·cal·ly, adverb[1]



manic

manic
man·ic 
[mánnik] adjective

1.  relating
to mania:
relating to or affected by mania

2.  hectic:
extremely or excessively busy (informal) (sometimes considered
offensive)

3.  overexcited:
in a state of abnormally high excitement, especially because of tension (informal)
[Early
20th century. Coined from mania + -ic .]
—man·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



manic-depressive

manic-depressive
man·ic-de·pres·sive 
noun (plural man·ic-de·pres·sives)

person
with bipolar disorder: somebody affected by bipolar
disorder
adjective

characteristic of bipolar
disorder: typical of or affected by
bipolar disorder[1]



manic-depressivedisorder

manic-depressivedisorder
man·ic-de·pres·sive
dis·or·der
or man·ic-de·pressive ill·ness noun

See
bipolar disorder[1]



Manichaeism

Manichaeism
Man·i·chae·ism 
[mànni k ìzzəm] or Man·i·che·ism
[mànni k ìzzəm] noun

1.  RELIGION ancient
dualist belief system: a religious doctrine based
on the separation of matter and spirit and of good and evil that originated in
3rd-century Persia and combined elements of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism,
Christianity, and Gnosticism

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
religious dualism: a heretical Christian belief
in the separate nature of matter and spirit
[Early
17th century. Formed from late Latin Manichaeus, from, ultimately, Manes,
(216?–276?), name of the Persian founder of this belief system.]
—Man·i·chae·an
[mànni k ən], adjective

—Man·i·chee [mánni k], noun[1]



manicotti

manicotti
man·i·cot·ti 
[mànni kóttee] noun

baked
pasta dish:
a dish of large pasta tubes that are usually stuffed with a ricotta or meat
filling and then baked
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “sleeves.”][1]



manicure

manicure
man·i·cure 
[mánni kyr] noun (plural man·i·cures)

COSMETICS hand
and nail cosmetic treatment: a cosmetic treatment for the
hands and nails that usually involves shaping and polishing the fingernails,
pushing back the cuticles, and treating rough skin
transitive
verb
(past man·i·cured, past participle man·i·cured, present
participle man·i·cur·ing, 3rd person present singular man·i·cures)

1.  treat
hands and nails: to treat the hands and fingernails by
cutting, shaping, and polishing the nails, and softening the hands

2.  cut
and shape something carefully: to cut and shape
something with great care and precision
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Latin manus cura “hand care.”][1]



manicurist

manicurist
man·i·cur·ist 
[mánni kyrist] (plural man·i·cur·ists)
noun

somebody who does manicures:
somebody whose job is to give people manicures[1]



manifest

manifest
man·i·fest 
[mánnə fèst] adjective

obvious: clear
to see or understand
verb
(past man·i·fest·ed, past participle man·i·fest·ed,
present participle man·i·fest·ing, 3rd person present singular
man·i·fests)

1.  transitive
verb
show
something clearly: to make something evident by
showing or demonstrating it very clearly

2.  intransitive
verb
appear:
to appear or be revealed

3.  transitive
verb
include
something in cargo list: to include something in a
ship’s cargo list
noun
(plural man·i·fests)

1.  ship’s
cargo list:
a list giving details of a ship’s cargo, its destination, and other particulars
for customs purposes

2.  plane
or train’s cargo list: a list of cargo or
passengers on a plane or train
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin manifestus
“apprehensible” (literally “seized by hand”), from manus “hand” and festus
“seizable.”]
—man·i·fest·a·ble,
adjective

—man·i·fest·ly,
adverb

—man·i·fest·ness, noun[1]



manifestation

manifestation
man·i·fes·ta·tion 
[mànnə fes táysh’n] (plural man·i·fes·ta·tions)
noun

1.  act
of showing something: an act of showing or
demonstrating something

2.  state
of being manifested: the state or condition of
being shown or perceptible

3.  sign:
an indication that something is present, real, or exists • one
of the first manifestations of the disease

4.  public
demonstration: a public demonstration, usually over a
political issue

5.  materialization:
a supposed appearance in visible form by a spiritual being

6.  visible
form of divine being: a visible form in which a
divine being, idea, or person is believed to be revealed or expressed
—man·i·fes·ta·tional, adjective[1]



manifestcontent

manifestcontent
man·i·fest
con·tent
noun

surface meaning of dream:
in dream analysis, the overt meaning of a dream remembered by the dreamer on
waking that requires analysis to interpret its latent content or real meaning[1]



ManifestDestiny

ManifestDestiny
Man·i·fest
Des·ti·ny
noun

historical expansionist
doctrine: the 19th-century doctrine
according to which the United States was believed to have the God-given right
to expand into and possess the whole of the North American continent[1]



manifesto

manifesto
man·i·fes·to 
[mànnə féstō] (plural man·i·fes·tos
or man·i·fes·toes) noun

declaration
of principles: a public written declaration of
principles, policies, and objectives, especially one issued by a political
movement or candidate
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, where it was formed from manifestare “to make evident,”
ultimately from Latin manifestus (see manifest
).][1]



manifold

manifold
man·i·fold 
[mánnə fld] adjective

1.  many
and various: of many different kinds • The
reasons for the crisis are manifold.

2.  having
many forms:
having many parts, forms, or applications • a
manifold political system
noun
(plural man·i·folds)

1.  ENGINEERING chamber
with ports:
a chamber or pipe with several openings for receiving or distributing a fluid
or gas, such as the intake or exhaust manifolds of an internal-combustion
engine

2.  MATHEMATICS topological
space:
a topological space or surface satisfying specific conditions
transitive
verb
(past man·i·fold·ed, past participle man·i·fold·ed,
present participle man·i·fold·ing, 3rd person present singular
man·i·folds)

1.  multiply:
to multiply something

2.  make
copies of something: to make several copies of a
book or page
[Old
English manigfeald, from earlier forms of many
+ fold]
—man·i·fold·er,
noun

—man·i·fold·ly,
adverb

—man·i·fold·ness, noun[1]



manikin

manikin
man·i·kin 
[mánnikin] (plural man·i·kins)
or man·ni·kin [mánnikin] (plural
man·ni·kins) noun

1.  CLOTHES See mannequin  noun 1

2.  anatomical
model of human body: an anatomical model of the
human body, used in teaching art or medicine

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a very short man (offensive)
[Mid-16th century. From Dutch
manneken “little man,” from man “man.”][1]



manila

manila
ma·nil·a 
[mə níllə] or Ma·nil·a [mə níllə] adjective

made of manila paper:
made of manila paper • a
manila envelope
noun
(plural ma·nil·as) (plural Ma·nil·as)

1.  cigar:
a cigar made in Manila

2.  See
Manila hemp

3.  See
Manila paper
[Late 17th century. Named for
the port of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.][1]



Manila

Manila

Ma·nil·a 
[mè níllə]
capital city of the Philippines, located
on the coast of Luzon Island. Population: 1,601,234 (1990)[1]



Manila




Back to definition

Manila

[1]



ManilaBay

ManilaBay
Ma·nil·a
Bay
[mə nìllə báy]

bay of the South China Sea in
the northern Philippines, on Luzon Island. Area: 2,000 sq km/770 sq mi. Length:
60 km/37 mi.[1]



Manilahemp

Manilahemp
Ma·nil·a
hemp
or Ma·nil·la hemp noun

rope
fiber:
a strong fiber obtained from the Philippine abaca plant and used in making rope
and paper.
Also
called
abaca
Also
called
manila
[Mid-19th century. Named for Manila .][1]



Manilapaper

Manilapaper
Ma·nil·a
pa·per
or Ma·nil·la pa·per noun

strong
brown paper: a strong pale-brown paper with a smooth
surface, made from Manila hemp and used for wrapping or for envelopes.
Also
called
manila
[Late 19th century. Named for
Manila, where it was originally made.][1]



manille

manille
ma·nille 
[mə níl] noun

CARD GAMES second-best
trump:
the second-best trump in the card games ombre and quadrille
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Spanish malilla “little bad (card).”][1]



manin the moon

manin the moon
man
in the moon
noun

fictitious person on moon:
the imaginary being behind the apparent face on the moon when it is full[1]



manin the street

manin the street
man
in the street or man on the street noun

ordinary person:
the average person, as opposed to an expert, celebrity, or prominent person[1]



manioc

manioc
man·i·oc 
[mánni òk] noun

See
cassava
[Mid-16th century. From Tupi mandioca
(influenced by French manihot ), from Guarani mandio .][1]



maniple

maniple
man·i·ple 
[mánnəp’l] (plural man·i·ples)
noun

1.  HISTORY part
of Roman legion: in the ancient Roman army, a subdivision
of a legion, containing 60 or 120 men

2.  CHRISTIANITY former
ecclesiastical adornment: a silk band or folded napkin
formerly worn on the left arm of somebody administering the Eucharist
[Late 16th century. From
Latin manipulus “handful,” from manus “hand.”][1]



manipular

manipular
ma·nip·u·lar 
[mə níppyələr] adjective

1.  HISTORY of
Roman maniple: relating to an ancient Roman maniple

2.  of
manipulation: relating to or constituting manipulation

[1]



manipulate

manipulate
ma·nip·u·late 
[mə níppyə làyt] (past ma·nip·u·lat·ed,
past participle ma·nip·u·lat·ed, present participle ma·nip·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·nip·u·lates) transitive verb

1.  operate
something:
to operate, use, or handle something • manipulating
the crane into position

2.  COMPUTING handle
numbers:
to work with data on a computer

3.  control
somebody or something deviously: to control or
influence somebody or something in an ingenious or devious way

4.  falsify
something:
to change or present something in a way that is false but personally
advantageous

5.  MEDICINE treat
body part using hands only: to treat a part of the body,
or to move a part such as a joint during examination, using the hands only
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from manipulation, from French, where it was
formed from manipule, literally “handful,” from Latin manipulus
(see maniple ). Originally “digging for
silver ore,” hence “skillful handling.”]
—ma·nip·u·la·bil·i·ty
[mə nìppyələ bíllətee], noun

—ma·nip·u·la·ble
[mə níppyələb’l], adjective

—ma·nip·u·lat·a·ble
[mə níppyə làytəb’l], adjective

—ma·nip·u·la·tion
[mə nìppyə láysh’n], noun

—ma·nip·u·la·tor,
noun

—ma·nip·u·la·to·ry, adjective[1]



manipulative

manipulative
ma·nip·u·la·tive
[mə níppyələtiv, mə
níppyə làytiv] adjective

1.  devious:
using clever, devious ways to control or influence somebody or something • a
manipulative personality

2.  of
manipulation: relating to or involved in manipulation
• a
manipulative technique
—ma·nip·u·la·tive·ly,
adverb

—ma·nip·u·la·tive·ness,
noun[1]



Manitoba




Back to definition

Manitoba

[1]



Manitoba

Manitoba


Man·i·to·ba 
[mànni tṓbə]
province
in south central Canada, the easternmost of Canada’s three Prairie provinces.
Capital: Winnipeg. Population: 1,145,200 (1997) Area: 649,950 sq km/250,947 sq
mi.
—Man·i·to·ban, adjective,
noun[1]



Manitoba,Lake

Manitoba,Lake
Man·i·toba,
Lake
[manitōbə]

lake in southern Manitoba,
Canada. It discharges through the Dauphin River to Lake Winnipeg. Area: 4,659
sq km/1,798 sq mi.[1]



manitou

manitou
man·i·tou 
[mánni t] (plural man·i·tous)
or man·i·tu [mánni t] (plural
man·i·tus) or man·i·to [mánni
t] (plural man·i·tos) noun

supernatural
force:
a supernatural force or spirit believed by Algonquian peoples to suffuse
various living things and inanimate objects
[Late 16th century. From
Narragansett manittówock .][1]



ManitoulinIslands

ManitoulinIslands
Man·i·tou·lin
Is·lands 
[màni tlin ləndz]

archipelago on the border
between the United States and Canada, in northern Lake Huron. They include
Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater island.[1]



Manizales

Manizales
Ma·ni·za·les 
[mànni thlayss]

city in western Colombia. It
is the capital of Caldas Department, in the Andes mountains. Population:
329,844 (1993)[1]



manjack

manjack
man
jack
noun

individual:
a single individual (informal) (often considered offensive)[1]



Mankiewicz,Joseph L.

Mankiewicz,Joseph L.
Mankiewicz
[máng kye vich], Joseph L. (1909–1993)

U.S.
movie director and screenwriter. He won Academy Awards for A Letter to Three
Wives ( 1949 ) and All About Eve ( 1950 ).
Full name
Mankiewicz, Joseph Lee[1]



Mankiller,Wilma

Mankiller,Wilma
Mankiller
[mánkilər], Wilma (1945– )

U.S. Native American leader.
She was the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation (1985–1995).[1]



mankind

mankind
man·kind 
[mán knd] noun

1.  all
human beings: human beings considered collectively (often
considered offensive)

2.  men,
not women:
men considered collectively, as distinct from women (dated)

[1]



Manley,Michael

Manley,Michael
Man·ley
[mánnlee], Michael (1923–1997)

Jamaican
statesman. He served twice as prime minister of Jamaica (1972–1980, and
1989–1992).
Full name
Manley, Michael Norman[1]



manly

manly
man·ly 
[mánlee] (comparative man·li·er,
superlative man·li·est) adjective

1.  conventionally
typical of a man: having or showing qualities
conventionally thought to be typical of or appropriate to a man, especially
physical strength or courage

2.  considered
appropriate for a man: considered suitable or
appropriate for a man
—man·li·ness, noun[1]



man-made

man-made
man-made
[mán màyd] or man·made [mán màyd] adjective

artificial:
made by human beings and not occurring naturally (often considered offensive)[1]



manna

manna
man·na 
[mánnə] noun

1.  BIBLE divinely
provided sustenance: in the Bible, food provided
miraculously to feed the Israelites in the wilderness

2.  unexpected
benefit:
something very welcome or of great benefit that comes unexpectedly

3.  TREES sweet substance
from ash tree: a sweet substance, used in the past as a
laxative, exuded by the European ash tree

4.  INSECTS sweet
insect substance: a sweet substance excreted by a scale
insect that feeds on the tamarisk and eaten by ants
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Hebrew mān .][1]



MannAct

MannAct
Mann
Act
noun

law against prostitution:
a 1910 federal law that criminalized the interstate transportation of women for
immoral purposes[1]



mannan

mannan
man·nan 
[má nàn, mánnən]
(plural man·nans) noun

plant
carbohydrate: a complex carbohydrate found in the cell
walls of some plants such as the ivory nut and carob bean
[Late 19th century. Coined
from mannose + -an
.][1]



Mannar,Gulf of

Mannar,Gulf of
Man·nar,
Gulf of
[mə nr]

arm of the Indian Ocean
between the southern tip of India and western Sri Lanka[1]



manned

manned
manned 
[mand] adjective (often considered
offensive)

1.  having
people aboard: having a human crew

2.  having
staff:
operated or attended by staff

[1]



mannequin

mannequin
man·ne·quin 
[mánnikin] (plural man·ne·quins)
noun

1.  CLOTHES dummy
for displaying clothes: a usually life-size model of
the human body used to display or fit clothes.
Also
called
manikin

2.  FASHION model:
a model (dated)

3.  ARTS See lay figure
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Dutch manneken (see manikin ).][1]



manner

manner
man·ner 
[mánnər] noun (plural man·ners)

1.  way
something is done: the way in which something
is done or happens • His manner of doing
things is often a little unconventional.

2.  way
of being:
the characteristic way in which somebody behaves • had
a capricious manner about him

3.  type:
a type or kind • What manner of insect
makes this hole?

4.  style
of work of art: the style in which a work of art is
executed • painted
in the manner of Vermeer
plural
noun
man·ners

1.  social
behavior:
social behavior, especially in terms of what is considered correct or
unacceptable

2.  customs
and practices: the customs and practices of a
particular society or period in time • 18th-century
manners
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman manere “way of handling,” from Latin manuarius
“of the hand,” from manus “hand.”]
in
a manner of speaking

in
some ways, though not exactly or not in all ways

to
the manner born

naturally adapted to
something as though accustomed to it from birth[1]



mannered

mannered
man·nered 
[mánnərd] adjective

1.  affected:
characterized by affected mannerisms • her
mannered tones

2.  behaving
in particular way: behaving in a particular way
or having manners of a particular kind (usually used in combination) • an
ill-mannered child

[1]



mannerism

mannerism
man·ner·ism 
[mánnə rìzzəm] (plural man·ner·isms)
noun

1.  idiosyncrasy:
a particular gesture, habit, or way of doing something • one
of his odd little mannerisms

2.  affected
behavior:
affected or exaggerated speech, behavior, or writing
—man·ner·is·tic
[mànnə rístik], adjective

—man·ner·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Mannerism

Mannerism
Man·ner·ism
[mánnə rìzzəm] or man·ner·ism
[mánnə rìzzəm] noun

pre-Baroque
style of art and architecture: a style of art and
architecture, predominant in Italy in the late 16th century, characterized by
stylized and elongated forms and the pursuit of a representation of idealized
beauty
—Man·ner·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



mannerless

mannerless
man·ner·less
[mánnərləss] adjective

ill-mannered:
having or showing bad manners
—man·ner·less·ness, noun[1]



mannerly

mannerly
man·ner·ly 
[mánnərlee] adjective

polite:
well-mannered or polite
adverb

politely:
in a well-mannered or polite way (archaic) “A child should always say
what’s true, And speak when he is spoken to, And behave mannerly at table; At
least as far as he is able.” Robert Louis Stevenson A Child’s Garden of Verse
1885
—man·ner·li·ness, noun[1]



Mannheim

Mannheim
Mann·heim 
[mán hīm]

city and river port in
southwestern Germany, on the Rhine River. Population: 317,300 (1994)[1]



Mannheimschool

Mannheimschool
Mann·heim
school
noun

pre-Classical
style:
a style of orchestral and string playing associated with the rise of the
Classical period, developed at the court of Mannheim in the 18th century
[Named for Mannheim][1]



mannikin

mannikin
man·ni·kin 
(plural man·ni·kins) noun

See
manikin[1]



mannish

mannish
man·nish 
[mánnish] adjective

1.  like
or for a man: resembling or suitable for a man instead
of a woman (often considered offensive)

2.  typical
of a man:
considered characteristic of a man
[Old
English]
—man·nish·ly,
adverb

—man·nish·ness, noun[1]



mannitol

mannitol
man·ni·tol 
[mánni tàwl] or man·nite [má nt] noun

white
crystalline alcohol in plants: a sweet white
crystalline alcohol found in some plants and used as a sweetener, dietary
supplement, diuretic, and in kidney testing. C6H14O6
[Late
19th century. Formed from manna .]
—man·nit·ic [mə níttik], adjective[1]



mannose

mannose
man·nose 
[má nss] noun

plant
sugar:
a plant sugar obtained from manna and mannitol. C6H12O6
[Late 19th century. Coined
from mannite + -ose .][1]



Mann,Thomas

Mann,Thomas

Mann
[man, maan],
Thomas (1875–1955)
German-born U.S. novelist and critic. His
work, much of which explores the relationship between society and the creative
artist, earned him the Nobel Prize in literature (1929).[1]



mano

mano
ma·no 
[mnō] (plural ma·nos) noun

grain
grinder:
the stone held in the hand when grinding grain on a stone block ( metate )
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, from Latin manus “hand.”][1]



manoa mano

manoa mano
ma·no
a ma·no 
[mnō aa mnō] noun (plural ma·nos
a ma·nos)

1.  face-to-face
confrontation: a face-to-face confrontation between
opposing people or sides

2.  bullfight
in which matadors take turns: a bullfight during which two
competing matadors take turns fighting several bulls each
adjective
adverb

competing directly:
competing directly with somebody or something
[Late 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “hand to hand.”][1]



manoeuvre

manoeuvre
ma·noeu·vre 
intransitive and transitive verb noun

U.K. =
maneuver[1]



manof God

manof God
man
of God
(plural men of God) noun

1.  clergyman:
a man who is a member of the clergy

2.  saint:
a saint or godly man

[1]



manof letters

manof letters
man
of let·ters
(plural men of let·ters) noun

writer:
a man who is a writer or scholar (literary)[1]



manof straw

manof straw
man
of straw
(plural men of straw) noun

U.K.
See straw man[1]



manof the cloth

manof the cloth
man
of the cloth (plural men of the cloth) noun

clergyman:
a man who is a member of the clergy[1]



man-of-war

man-of-war
man-of-war 
[mànnə wáwr] (plural men-of-war
[mènnə wáwr]) or man o’war [mànnə wáwr] (plural men o’war [mènnə wáwr]) noun

1.  warship:
a warship (archaic)

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY See
Portuguese man-of-war

[1]



man-of-warbird

man-of-warbird
man-of-war
bird
(plural man-of-war birds) or man-o’-war bird (plural
man-o’-war birds) noun

See
frigate bird[1]



manometer

manometer

ma·nom·e·ter 
[mə nómmətər] (plural ma·nom·e·ters)
noun
instrument
for measuring gas pressure: an instrument used to
measure the pressure of a gas
[Mid-18th
century. From French manomètre, from Greek manos “thin, rare” +
an equivalent French form of meter .]
—man·o·met·ric
[mànnə méttrik], adjective

—man·o·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—ma·nom·e·try [mə nómmətree], noun[1]



manon horseback

manon horseback
man
on horse·back (plural men on horse·back)
noun

1.  military
strongman:
a powerful man, usually a member of a nation’s armed forces, who uses his
popularity and influence to become the head of state, often in a dictatorship

2.  dictator:
a military dictator

[1]



manor

manor
man·or 
[mánnər] (plural man·ors) noun

1.  noble’s
house and land: a house and the land surrounding it,
owned by a medieval noble

2.  former
inheritable land: in North America before 1776, an area of
land in some colonies with hereditary rights granted by royal charter to the
proprietor

3.  See
manor house
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman maner from Old French maneir “dwelling
place,” ultimately from Latin manere, “to remain, stay.”]
—ma·no·ri·al
[mə náwree əl], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word manere, from which manor
  is derived, is also the source of English maisonette, manse, mansion,
  menagerie, permanent, and remain.

[1]



manorhouse

manorhouse
man·or
house
(plural man·or hous·es) noun

lord’s or lady’s house:
the residence of the lord or lady of a manor.
Also called
manor[1]



manpower

manpower
man·pow·er 
[mán pòwr] noun

power provided by people:
power in terms of the number of people available or needed to do something[1]



manqué

manqué
man·qué 
[maaN káy] adjective

frustrated
in ambitions: having wanted unsuccessfully to be or do
something • an
artist manqué
[Late 18th century. From
French, past participle of manquer “to fail, lack.”][1]



mansard

mansard
man·sard 
[mán srd] (plural man·sards) noun

place
under mansard roof: the part of a building
enclosed by a mansard roof
[Mid-18th century. From
French, named for François Mansard ( 1598–1666 ), the architect credited
with designing buildings with roofs of this type.][1]



mansardroof

mansardroof
man·sard
roof
(plural man·sard roofs) noun

roof sloping all round:
a roof that slopes on all four sides, with each side divided into a gentle
upper slope and a steeper lower slope[1]



manse

manse
manse 
[mans] (plural mans·es) noun

1.  Christian
minister’s house: a house provided for a church minister
by some Christian denominations, especially in the Presbyterian Church

2.  large
house:
a large, stately house
[Late 15th century. From
medieval Latin mansus “unit of land,” from Latin manere (see manor ).][1]



Mansell,Nigel

Mansell,Nigel
Man·sell
[máns’l], Nigel (1953– )

British motor racing driver.
He won the World Grand Prix Formula One Championship (1992) and then started
racing in the United States, where he won the Indy Car Championship (1993).[1]



manservant

manservant
man·ser·vant 
[mán sùrvənt] (plural men·ser·vants
[mén sùrvənts]) noun

man acting as servant:
a man who is a servant, especially somebody’s valet[1]



Mansfield,Jayne

Mansfield,Jayne
Mans·field 
[mánz feeld], Jayne (1933–1967)

U.S.
movie actor. As a movie comedienne she played leading roles in The Girl
Can’t Help It ( 1956 ) and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? ( 1957 ).
Real name
Palmer, Vera Jayne[1]



Mansfield,Katherine

Mansfield,Katherine
Mans·field 
[mánss feeld], Katherine (1888–1923)

New
Zealand-born British writer. She was a major figure in the development of the
short-story form.
Pseudonym of
Beauchamp, Katherine Mansfield[1]



Mansfield,Mount

Mansfield,Mount
Mans·field,
Mount
[mánzfeeld]

mountain in northern Vermont
in the Green Mountains, the highest point in the state. Height: 1,339 m/4,393
ft.[1]



mansion

mansion
man·sion 
[mánshən] (plural man·sions) noun

1.  large
house:
a large and stately house

2.  ZODIAC division
of zodiac:
any one of the 28 divisions of the zodiac through which the Moon passes
successively each month
[14th century. Via Old
French, “dwelling place,” from Latin manere “to remain, stay” (source of
English manor and remain ).][1]



man-sized

man-sized
man-sized 
or man-size adjective

1.  large:
larger than the ordinary size • a
man-sized appetite

2.  big
enough for man: the same size as or big enough for a man
• a
man-sized hole in the fence

[1]



manslaughter

manslaughter
man·slaugh·ter 
[mán slàwtər] noun

unpremeditated killing:
the unlawful killing of one human being by another without advance planning[1]



Manson,Charles

Manson,Charles
Man·son
[mánssən], Charles (1934– )

U.S. cult leader and
murderer. Founder of the “Manson Family,” he was sentenced to death for ritual
murders carried out in California in 1969, but his sentence was later commuted
to life imprisonment by a Supreme Court ruling.[1]



mansuetude

mansuetude
man·sue·tude 
[mánswə td] noun

gentleness:
a meek or gentle attitude or behavior (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
or directly from Latin mansuetudo, from mansuetus “tame,”
literally “accustomed to the hand,” from suescere “to accustom.”][1]



Mansura

Mansura
Man·su·ra
[man srə]

city in northeastern Egypt,
in the Nile delta. Population: 371,000 (1992)[1]



manta

manta
man·ta 
[mántə] (plural man·tas) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
warm-water ray: a large warm-water ray with wide
pectoral fins, a long tail, and two fins resembling horns that project from the
head. Family: Mobulidae
Also
called
manta ray
U.K.
term
manta ray

2.  Southwestern
U.S.
TEXTILES square
of rough cloth: a square piece of rough cloth, used as a
cape, shawl, or horse blanket
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, literally “blanket, mantle” (because the ray is traditionally caught
in a blanketlike fishtrap).][1]



man-tailored

man-tailored
man-tai·lored 
adjective

styled like men’s clothing:
cut and styled like men’s suits • She
favors man-tailored suits for the office.[1]



mantaray

mantaray
man·ta
ray
(plural man·ta rays) noun

ZOOLOGY
See manta  noun 1[1]



mantel

mantel

man·tel 
[mánt’l] (plural man·tels) noun
fireplace
frame:
an ornamental frame around a fireplace, usually made of stone or wood
[15th century. From mantle .][1]



mantelet

mantelet
man·tel·et 
[mánt’lət, mántlət]
(plural man·tel·ets) or mant·let [mántlət] (plural mant·lets) noun

19thC woman’s short cape:
a short cape worn by women in the 19th century[1]



mantelpiece

mantelpiece
man·tel·piece 
[mánt’l pss] (plural man·tel·pieces)
or man·tle·piece [mánt’l pss]
(plural man·tle·pieces) noun

fireplace surround:
the mantel of a fireplace, especially its projecting top[1]



mantelshelf

mantelshelf
man·tel·shelf 
[mánt’l shèlf] (plural man·tel·shelves
[mánt’l shèlvz]) or man·tle·shelf
[mánt’l shèlf] (plural man·tle·shelves)
noun

top of mantel:
the projecting top of the mantel of a fireplace, used as a shelf[1]



manteltree

manteltree
man·tel·tree 
[mánt’l tr] (plural man·tel·trees)
or man·tle·tree [mánt’l tr] (plural
man·tle·trees) noun

support for masonry above
fireplace: a stone or beam that acts as
a support for the masonry above a fireplace[1]



mantic

mantic
man·tic 
[mántik] adjective

prophetic:
relating to or having powers of divination or prophecy
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek mantikos, from mantis “prophet,” from mainesthai
“to rage” (see mania ).]
—man·tic·al·ly, adverb[1]



mantid

mantid
man·tid 
[mántis] (plural man·tids) or
man·tis [mántis] noun

See
mantis[1]



mantilla

mantilla
man·til·la 
[man tyə, man
tíllə] (plural man·til·las) noun

1.  lace
headscarf:
a lace scarf that covers the head and shoulders, often worn by women in church,
especially in Spain and Latin America

2.  short
cloak:
a short light cape
[Early 18th century. From
Spanish, “little mantle.”][1]



mantis

mantis
man·tis 
[mántiss] (plural man·tis·es or
man·tes [mán tz]) noun

large
predatory insect: a large, usually green insect that feeds
on other insects and has a long body, large eyes, and strong grasping front
legs that it holds up at rest. Family: Mantidae
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek, literally “prophet” (see mantic
). From the insect’s forelegs, the position of which suggests an attitude of
prayer.][1]



mantiscrab

mantiscrab
man·tis
crab
(plural man·tis crabs) noun

See
squilla[1]



mantissa

mantissa
man·tis·sa 
[man tíssə] (plural man·tis·sas)
noun

fractional
part of logarithm: the fractional part of a
logarithm, to the right of the decimal point
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “makeweight,” of ultimately unknown origin, perhaps from Etruscan .][1]



mantisshrimp

mantisshrimp
man·tis
shrimp
(plural man·tis shrimps) noun

See
squilla[1]



mantle

mantle
man·tle 
[mánt’l] noun (plural man·tles)

1.  transferred
or inherited position: a role or position,
especially one that can be passed from one person to another (formal) • assumed
the mantle of the Presidency

2.  covering:
something that envelops or covers something else (literary) • a
mantle of snow

3.  CLOTHES sleeveless
cloak:
a loose sleeveless cloak

4.  wire
mesh for gas light: a small circle of wire mesh
in a gas or oil lamp that gives out incandescent light when heated by the flame
it surrounds

5.  ZOOLOGY shell-producing
gland:
a layer of epidermis in a mollusk or brachiopod with glands that secrete a
shell-producing substance.
Also
called
pallium

6.  BIRDS feathers:
the back, inner-wing, and shoulder-area ( scapular
) plumage of a bird.
Also
called
pallium

7.  GEOLOGY central
part of Earth: the part of the Earth or another planet
that lies between the crust and core

8.  See
mantel
verb
(past man·tled, past participle man·tled, present
participle man·tling, 3rd person present singular man·tles)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something:
to cover something with a mantle or with something resembling a mantle • hilltops
mantled with snow

2.  intransitive
verb
flush:
to become flushed (refers to sb’s face) • His
puffy face mantled in angry red blotches.
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French mantel from Latin mantellum “cloak” (source of English mantelpiece and dismantle
), of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Celtic .][1]



Mantle,Mickey

Mantle,Mickey

Mantle 
[mánt’l], Mickey (1931–1995)
U.S.
baseball player. He played center field for the New York Yankees (1951–1969)
where his many achievements included a Triple Crown in batting, home runs, and
runs batted in.
Full name
Mantle, Mickey Charles[1]



mantlepiece

mantlepiece
man·tle·piece
[mánt’l pss] (plural man·tle·piec·es)
noun

See
mantelpiece[1]



mantleshelf

mantleshelf
man·tle·shelf
noun

See
mantelshelf[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mantlet

mantlet
mant·let 
[mántlət] (plural mant·lets) noun

See
mantelet[1]



mantletree

mantletree
man·tle·tree
noun

See
manteltree[1]



mantling

mantling
mant·ling
[mántling] noun

drapery around shield:
ornamental drapery around a shield on a coat of arms.
Also called
lambrequin[1]



man-to-man

man-to-man
man-to-man 
adjective

1.  honest
and intimate: honest and intimate and treating
somebody as an equal • a
man-to-man talk

2.  SPORTS pairing
players:
in sports such as basketball, having each defensive player of one team guard a
corresponding offensive player of the other team (sometimes considered
offensive) • a man-to-man defense
—man-to-man, adverb[1]



Mantouxtest

Mantouxtest
Man·toux
test 
[man t tèst] (plural Man·toux
tests) noun

test
of immunity to tuberculosis: a test to determine whether
somebody has ever had the tuberculosis infection and so has a measure of
immunity to the disease
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the French physician Charles Mantoux ( 1877–1947 ), its inventor.][1]



mantra

mantra
man·tra 
[mántrə] (plural man·tras) noun

1.  RELIGION holy
word in meditation: a sacred word, chant, or
sound that is repeated during meditation to facilitate spiritual power and
transformation of consciousness

2.  often
repeated expression or idea: an expression or idea that
is repeated, often without thinking about it, and closely associated with
something
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit, literally “thought,” from man “to think.”][1]



mantrap

mantrap
man·trap 
[mán tràp] (plural man·traps) noun

trap to catch people:
an illegal trap set to catch poachers or trespassers on private land, usually
in the form of a metal device that snaps shut onto somebody’s leg[1]



mantua

mantua
man·tu·a 
[mánchoo ə, mántoo
ə] (plural man·tu·as) noun

woman’s
gown with open front: a woman’s gown, fitted above
the waist, with an open front and draped skirt to show the underskirt, worn in
Europe in the late 17th and 18th centuries
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of manteau, modeled on Mantua,
which was famous for fabric production.][1]



Mantua

Mantua
Man·tu·a 
[mán choo ə]

historic city in northern
Italy, a tourist and agricultural. Population: 52,205 (1993)[1]



manual

manual
man·u·al 
[mánnyoo əl] adjective

1.  using
hands:
relating to, done with, or involving the hands • manual
dexterity

2.  physical:
involving physical rather than mental exertion • manual
tasks

3.  operated
by person:
operated by human effort rather than by a machine, computer, or type of power • switching
to manual control
noun
(plural man·u·als)

1.  handbook:
a book that contains information and instructions about the operation of a
machine or how to do something

2.  MUSIC keyboard
played with hands: an organ or harpsichord
keyboard that is played with the hands alone

3.  ARMS rifle
drill:
a drill or exercise in the use of a hand-held weapon • cadets
practicing the manual of arms
[15th
century. Via French manuel or directly from Latin manualis “of
the hand,” from manus “hand.”]
—man·u·al·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word manus, from which manual
  derives, is also the source of English amanuensis,
  command, demand, emancipate,
  manacle, manage, mandate,
  manifest, manipulate, manner,
  maneuver, manufacture, manure,
  mastiff, maundy, and remand.

[1]



manualalphabet

manualalphabet

man·u·al al·pha·bet
noun
finger alphabet for hearing-impaired
people: an alphabet in which various
finger movements and positions stand for letters, used with other hand signs by
hearing-impaired people[1]



manualtransmission

manualtransmission
man·u·al
trans·mis·sion (plural man·u·al
trans·mis·sions) noun

gear-shifting device:
a vehicle transmission that requires the driver to shift gears using a clutch[1]



manubrium

manubrium
ma·nu·bri·um 
[mə nbree əm] (plural ma·nub·ria
[mə nbree ə] or ma·nu·bri·ums)
noun

handle-shaped
anatomical part: a handle-shaped anatomical part, for
example, the upper part of the sternum or part of the inner ear
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “handle,” from manus “hand.”]
—ma·nu·bri·al, adjective[1]



ManuelI Comnenus

ManuelI Comnenus
Manuel
I Comnenus
[man wèl kom nnəss] (1122–1180)

Byzantine emperor. He reigned
from 1143 to 1180 and expanded his empire to the west.[1]



manuf.

manuf.
manuf.
or manufac.

1.  Abbreviation
of
manufacture

2.  Abbreviation
of
manufactured

3.  Abbreviation
of
manufacturer

[1]



manufactory

manufactory
man·u·fac·to·ry 
[mànnyə fáktəree] (plural man·u·fac·to·ries)
noun

factory:
a factory (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from manufacture, modeled on factory .][1]



manufacture

manufacture
man·u·fac·ture 
[mànnyə fákchər] verb (past man·u·fac·tured,
past participle man·u·fac·tured, present participle man·u·fac·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular man·u·fac·tures)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb INDUSTRY to produce something
industrially: to make something into a finished
product using raw materials, especially on a large industrial scale • built
up a business manufacturing lightweight metal goods

2.  transitive
verb
BIOCHEMISTRY make
body chemical: to produce a substance needed by the
body • Bile
is manufactured in the liver.

3.  transitive
verb
produce
mechanically: to produce something in the manner of a
machine, without creativity

4.  transitive
verb
invent:
to invent or make something up • manufactured
an excuse to get out the meeting
noun
(plural man·u·fac·tures)

1.  INDUSTRY production
of goods:
the production of finished goods from raw materials, especially on a large
industrial scale • engaged in the
manufacture of arms for the military

2.  COMMERCE product:
something that has been produced from raw materials, especially on a large
industrial scale

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY making
of body chemical: the production of a substance needed by
the body
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Italian manifattura “something made by hand,”
from Latin manu factum “made by hand,” from manus “hand” + facere
“to make.”]
—man·u·fac·tur·a·ble,
adjective

—man·u·fac·tur·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at make

[1]



manufacturedhome

manufacturedhome
man·u·fac·tured
home
(plural man·u·fac·tured homes) noun

1.  prefabricated
dwelling:
a dwelling produced in prefabricated sections that are then quickly erected on
site

2.  See
mobile home

[1]



manufacturedhousing

manufacturedhousing
man·u·fac·tured
hous·ing
noun

prefabricated dwellings:
prefabricated dwellings as a group[1]



manufacturer

manufacturer
man·u·fac·tur·er 
[mànnyə fákchərər] (plural man·u·fac·tur·ers)
noun

producer of goods:
a factory, individual, or organization that produces finished goods from raw
materials, especially on a large industrial scale[1]



manumit

manumit
man·u·mit 
[mànnyə mít] (past man·u·mit·ted,
past participle man·u·mit·ted, present participle man·u·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular man·u·mits) transitive verb

free
from slavery: to free somebody from slavery (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin manumittere, from manu emittere, literally
“to send out from your hand.”]
—man·u·mis·sion
[mànnyə mísh’n], noun

—man·u·mit·ter, noun[1]



manure

manure
ma·nure 
[mə nr] noun (plural ma·nures)

fertilizer
made from dung: animal excrement, often mixed with
straw, used as fertilizer for soil.
Also
called
dung
transitive
verb
(past ma·nured, past participle ma·nured, present
participle ma·nur·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·nures)

fertilize
with manure: to spread manure on land or soil to
fertilize it
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Old French manouvrer “to work with the
hands,” from medieval Latin manuoperare (see maneuver
). Originally “to cultivate, manage land.”]
—ma·nur·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  When
  English originally took the word manure
  over from Anglo-Norman, its connotations of manual labor had been channeled
  into the management of land, and in particular the cultivation of land. It
  was not until the middle of the 16th century that the noun manure came to denote “dung spread in cultivating
  the land.” The related MANEUVER,
  reborrowed from French in the 18th century, has remained in more refined use.

[1]



manus

manus
ma·nus 
[máynəss, mnəss]
(plural ma·nus) noun

wrist
and hand:
the wrist and hand of humans or the carpus and forefoot of other vertebrates (technical)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, “hand.”][1]



manuscript

manuscript
man·u·script 
[mánnyə skrìpt] (plural man·u·scripts)
noun

1.  handwritten
book:
a book or other text written by hand, especially one written before the
invention of printing • rare
medieval manuscripts

2.  author’s
original text: an author’s text for a book, article, or
other piece of written work as it is submitted for publication

3.  handwriting:
handwriting as opposed to the printed word • a
manuscript version of the text
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin manuscriptus “written by hand,” from scribere “to
write” (source of English inscription
and scribble ).][1]



Manx

Manx
Manx 
[mangks] adjective

of
Isle of Man: relating to the Isle of Man, its people,
language, or culture
noun

old
Isle of Man language: a language formerly spoken
on the Isle of Man, belonging to the Goidelic group of the Celtic branch of
Indo-European languages. The last native speaker died in the 1970s, but it
survives especially in legal documents and is kept alive as the second language
of the island by the Manx Society.
plural
noun

Manx
people:
the people of the Isle of Man
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of assumed Old Norse manskr, from Old Irish Manu “Isle
of Man.”][1]



Manxcat

Manxcat
Manx
cat 
(plural Manx cats) or manx cat (plural manx
cats) noun

tailless
cat:
a short-haired, tailless, domestic cat
[From the origin of the breed
in the Isle of Man][1]



Manxman

Manxman
Manx·man 
[mángksmən] (plural Manx·men [mángksmən]) noun

man from Isle of Man:
a man who comes from or lives on the Isle of Man[1]



Manxshearwater

Manxshearwater
Manx
shear·wa·ter (plural Manx shear·wa·ters)
noun

Atlantic seabird:
an Atlantic seabird with black plumage on its upper parts and white plumage on
its underparts that nests in burrows on rocky islands. Latin name: Puffinus
puffinus[1]



Manxwoman

Manxwoman
Manx·wom·an 
[mángks wmmən] (plural Manx·wom·en
[mángks wìmmin]) noun

woman from Isle of Man:
a woman who comes from or lives on the Isle of Man[1]



many

many
man·y 
[ménnee] CORE
MEANING:
a considerable number of people or things • (det)
Many people own their homes. • (det)
Not many people know about this. • (pronoun)
Many believe that the matter will never come to trial.
• (pronoun)
Many of you may have heard this. • (adjective)
He was among the many visitors to this town.

1.
det pronoun adjective a
considerable number: a considerable number of
people or things • (det) Many children are
in the park today. • (pronoun)
He is a friend to many. • (pronoun)
Many of us agree with you. • (adjective)
Among his many faults is self-importance.

2.
det pronoun a large number:
a large number of people or things (used after “so,” “too,” “not,” “as” or
“that”) • (det)
She has so many clocks, she can’t be sure exactly what time it is.
• (det)
I’ve just seen too many government studies that don’t move quickly enough.
• (det)
There aren’t that many people who would agree with you.
• (pronoun)
Help yourself –you can have as many as you like.

3.
det each
of a considerable number: each of a considerable
number (used before “a,”“an” or “another”) • The
situation has caused them many a sleepless night. • We
did better than many another regiment.

4.
pronoun the majority: the
majority of people • All these advantages should
be available to the many –not just the few.
[Old English manig .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “many, often.”][1]



manyfold

manyfold
man·y·fold 
[ménni fld] adverb

by
many times:
many times over • The nation’s problems
have increased manyfold.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from many + -fold,
modeled on manifold .][1]



manyplies

manyplies
man·y·plies 
[ménni plz] (plural man·y·plies)
noun

See
omasum
[Late 18th century. From many + ply,
because of the organ’s many folds.][1]



many-sided

many-sided
man·y-sid·ed 
adjective

having
many sides:
having a large number of sides, aspects, or abilities
—man·y-sid·ed·ness, noun[1]



many-valuedlogic

many-valuedlogic
man·y-val·ued
log·ic
noun

logic with multiple values:
a system of logic in which propositions may have values in addition to true or
false[1]



manzanilla

manzanilla
man·za·nil·la
[mànzə nyə, mànzə
níllə] (plural man·za·nil·las) noun

dry
Spanish sherry: a pale dry Spanish sherry
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “camomile,” because its smell resembles camomile.][1]



manège

manège
ma·nège
[ma nézh] (plural ma·nèges) or
ma·nege [ma nézh] (plural ma·neges)
noun

1.  art
of riding:
the art of riding or training horses

2.  trained
horse’s movements: the movements that a horse
has been trained to make

3.  riding
school:
a school where people are taught to ride and horses trained
[Mid-17th century. From
French, from Italian maneggio, from maneggiare (see manage ).][1]



man’sman

man’sman
man’s
man
(plural men’s men) noun

man preferring company of
men: a man who prefers the
company of other men to that of women (informal)[1]



Maoism

Maoism
Mao·ism 
[mów ìzzəm] noun

politics
of Mao Zedong: the Marxist-Leninist doctrines,
teachings, and policies of the former Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong
—Mao·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



Maojacket

Maojacket
Mao
jack·et 
[mów jàkət] (plural Mao jack·ets)
noun

Chinese jacket:
a plain tunic-style jacket with a stand-up collar worn by Chairman Mao Zedong
and the Chinese people under his regime[1]



Maori

Maori
Mao·ri 
[mówree] (plural Mao·ri) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of New Zealand people: a member of a people living
in New Zealand and on the Cook Islands. The Maori are believed to have
originated on various Polynesian islands and to have migrated to New Zealand
using canoes before the 14th century AD.

2.  LANGUAGE Maori
language:
the language of the Maori people, belonging to the Eastern branch of
Austronesian languages. Maori is spoken by about 300,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Maori .]
—Mao·ri, adjective[1]



Maoriland

Maoriland
Mao·ri·land 
[mówri lànd] noun

New
Zealand:
New Zealand (archaic)
[From
the fact that the Maoris were the land’s original inhabitants]
—Mao·ri·lan·der, noun[1]



Maosuit

Maosuit
Mao
suit
(plural Mao suits) noun

two-piece Chinese suit:
a style of suit consisting of plain loose-fitting trousers and a tunic-style
jacket with a stand-up collar worn by Chairman Mao Zedong and the Chinese
people under his regime.
Also called
Mao jacket[1]



MaoZedong

MaoZedong

Mao Ze·dong 
[mòw tsay tng] or Mao Tse-tung
[mòw tsay tng] (1893–1976)
Chinese statesman. Leader of the Long
March in the Chinese Civil War (1934), he became the first president of
Communist China (1949–1967).[1]



map

map
map 
[map] noun (plural maps)

1.  geographic
diagram:
a visual representation that shows all or part of the Earth’s surface with
geographic features, urban areas, roads, and other details

2.  diagram
of stars:
a representation of the stars or the surface of a planet, usually in the form
of a diagrammatical drawing

3.  drawing
showing route or location: a diagrammatical drawing of
something such as a route or area made to show the location of a place or how
to get there

4.  MATHEMATICS See function  noun 6
transitive
verb
(past mapped, past participle mapped, present
participle map·ping, 3rd person present singular maps)

1.  create
map of something: to represent a geographic or other
defined area on a map • mapping
the heavens

2.  discover
and show:
to discover something and create a visual representation of it

3.  BIOLOGY note
gene sequence: to determine and record the sequence of
encoded information on a gene or chromosome

4.  MATHEMATICS match
set elements: to assign an element in one set to an
element in another through a mathematical correspondence
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin mappa (mundi), literally “sheet (of
the world),” from Latin mappa “towel, sheet” (source of English napkin and apron
).]
—map·pa·ble,
adjective

—map·per,
noun
on
the map

so
as to be famous or important (slang)

off
the map

so as to be no longer famous
or important (slang)[1]



maple

maple

ma·ple 
[máyp’l] (plural ma·ples) noun

1.  TREES deciduous
tree with winged seeds: a deciduous tree of northern
temperate regions with divided leaves that have attractive fall colors and
winged seeds occurring in pairs. Genus: Acer

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from maple:
the hard wood from the maple tree, used to make furniture and flooring

3.  FOOD sugar
maple flavor: the flavor of the processed sap of the
sugar maple
[Old English mapul-][1]



MapleLeaf

MapleLeaf
Ma·ple
Leaf
noun

Canadian flag:
the Canadian flag, showing a stylized red maple leaf on a white background
between vertical red bars[1]



maplesugar

maplesugar
ma·ple
sug·ar
(plural ma·ple sug·ars) noun

sugar from maple syrup:
a sugar made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple[1]



maplesyrup

maplesyrup
ma·ple
syr·up
(plural maple syr·ups) noun

sweet syrup:
a sweet syrup made from the sap of the sugar maple, or from various other
sugars and artificially flavored with maple[1]



mapmaker

mapmaker
map·mak·er 
[máp màykər] (plural map·mak·ers)
noun

maker
of maps:
somebody who makes maps
—map·mak·ing, noun[1]



mapout

mapout
map
out
transitive verb

plan something:
to construct something such as a plan in detail[1]



mapping

mapping
map·ping 
[mápping] (plural map·pings) noun

1.  making
of maps:
the act or process of making maps

2.  MATHEMATICS See function  noun 6

[1]



Mapplethorpe,Robert

Mapplethorpe,Robert
Map·ple·thorpe
[máyp’l thàwrp], Robert (1946–1989)

U.S. photographer. Acclaimed
for his elegant photographic technique and experimentation with printing,
light, and color, he was controversial for the sexually explicit content of his
work.[1]



mapprojection

mapprojection
map
pro·jec·tion (plural map pro·jec·tions)
noun

two-dimensional map:
a representation of or way of representing a three-dimensional object on a
two-dimensional surface[1]



Mapuche

Mapuche
Ma·pu·che
[mə pchee] (plural Ma·pu·che or
Ma·pu·ches) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native S American people: a member of a subgroup of
the Araucanian people of central Chile and areas of western Argentina, known
for their resistance to Spanish and Chilean rule

2.  LANGUAGE Mapuche
language:
the language of the Mapuche people, belonging to the Araucanian family. About
400,000 people speak Mapuche.
—Ma·pu·che, adjective[1]



Maputo

Maputo
Ma·pu·to 
[mə ptō]

capital city of Mozambique,
situated on Delagoa Bay in the southeastern part of the country. Population:
1,098,000 (1991)[1]



maquette

maquette
ma·quette 
[ma két] (plural ma·quettes) noun

preliminary
model:
a small model of a planned sculpture or architectural work
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Italian macchietta “little spot,” from Latin maculare
“to spot, stain” (source of English immaculate
).][1]



maquiladora

maquiladora
ma·qui·la·do·ra 
[mə k laa dáw r, maa
k laa dáw r] (plural ma·qui·la·do·ras) noun

assembly
plant in Mexico: an assembly plant in Mexico run by the
United States or other foreign interests. Parts are shipped to Mexico, products
are assembled, and finished goods are returned for sale in the markets of
origin.
[Late 20th century. From
Mexican Spanish, where it was formed from maquilar “to assemble.”][1]



maquillage

maquillage
ma·quil·lage 
[mkee zh] noun

makeup:
makeup, or the art of applying makeup
[Late 19th century. From
French, from maquiller “to make up face,” from Old French masquiller
“to stain.”][1]



maquis

maquis
ma·quis 
[ma k, maa k]
(plural ma·quis) noun

1.  dense
coastal vegetation: dense shrubby vegetation of
Mediterranean coastal regions

2.  ma·quis
or Ma·quis HISTORY French
Resistance:
the underground French Resistance movement that fought against the German
occupying forces during World War II

3.  ma·quis
or Ma·quis HISTORY See
Maquisard
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Italian macchia, literally “spot,” from Latin macula (from
the vegetation’s resemblance to spots). “French Resistance” from the use of the
maquis countryside for hiding.][1]



Maquisard

Maquisard
Ma·qui·sard 
[màkee zrd, màkee
zr] (plural Ma·qui·sards) noun

member
of French Resistance: a member of the World War II
French Resistance movement.
Also
called
maquis
[Mid-20th century. From
French, where it was formed from maquis .][1]



mar

mar
mar 
[maar] (past marred, past
participle marred, present participle mar·ring, 3rd
person present singular mars) transitive verb

spoil:
to spoil or detract from something
[Old English merran
“to waste, spoil,” from prehistoric Germanic][1]



mar.

mar.
mar.

1.  Abbreviation
of
maritime

2.  Abbreviation
of
married

[1]



Mar.

Mar.
Mar.
or Mar

Abbreviation of
March[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mara

mara
ma·ra 
[mə r] (plural ma·ras) noun

S
American rodent: a large long-legged member of the cavy
family that resembles a hare and is native to the Argentine pampas. Latin name:
Dolichotis patagonum
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish mará .][1]



Mara

Mara
Ma·ra
[m r] noun

evil
force:
in Buddhism, a force of evil, sometimes conceived of as a being
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit Māra “death,” from the stem mṛ- “to die.”][1]



marabou

marabou
mar·a·bou 
[mérrə b] (plural mar·a·bous)
or mar·a·bout [mérrə b] (plural
mar·a·bouts) noun

1.  BIRDS large
African stork: a large African carrion stork that has
dark gray plumage and a short naked neck with a pink pouch at the front. Latin
name: Leptoptilos crumeniferus

2.  marabou
feathers:
down taken from the tail of the marabou and used as trimming for clothes

3.  TEXTILES raw
silk:
a fine white raw silk
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Arabic murābit “holy man,” because the stork was considered
holy by Muslims.][1]



marabout

marabout
mar·a·bout
[mérrə b] (plural mar·a·bouts)
noun

1.  Muslim
hermit or monk: a Muslim hermit, monk, or holy man,
especially in North Africa

2.  tomb
of marabout: the tomb or a shrine of a marabout that
is often a destination for pilgrims
[Early 17th century. Via
French and Portuguese from Arabic murābit, from ribāt “frontier
post,” because hermits would go to such places to gain merit.][1]



maraca

maraca


ma·ra·ca 
[mə rkə] (plural ma·ra·cas) noun
rattle
used as percussion instrument: a percussion
instrument usually shaken in pairs as an accompaniment to Latin American music
and consisting of a hollow rattle filled with small pebbles or beans
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese maracà from Tupi maráka .][1]



Maracaibo,Lake

Maracaibo,Lake
Ma·ra·cai·bo,
Lake

large shallow lake in
northwestern Venezuela. It is the largest lake in South America. Area: 13,300
sq km/5,140 sq mi.[1]



Maracay

Maracay
Ma·ra·cay 
[màrra káy]

city in northern Venezuela,
and capital of the state of Aragua, in the central highlands. Population:
538,616 (1990)[1]



Maradona,Diego

Maradona,Diego
Mar·a·do·na
[màrrə dónnə], Diego (1960– )

Argentinian soccer player. An
outstanding midfielder and goal-scorer, he captained Argentina to World Cup
victory in 1986.[1]



maragingsteel

maragingsteel
ma·ra·ging
steel
[m ràyjing stl] noun

tough
steel:
a strong, low-carbon, martensitic steel formed by aging and heating and
containing up to 25 percent nickel with lesser amounts of titanium, aluminum,
and niobium
[Maraging from a blend of martensite and age][1]



Marajó

Marajó
Mar·a·jó
[màrra zhṓ]

island in Brazil, in Para
State, in the delta of the River Amazon. Area: 40,100 sq km/15,500 sq mi.[1]



maranta

maranta
ma·ran·ta 
[mə rántə] (plural ma·ran·tas)
noun

tropical
American plant: a tropical American plant, widely
cultivated for its variegated thin leaves. Genus: Maranta
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin Maranta, named for Bartolomeo Maranta, an Italian
herbalist of the 16th century.][1]



marasca

marasca
ma·ras·ca 
[mə ráskə] (plural ma·ras·cas)
noun

cherry
tree:
a cultivated variety of the sour cherry tree that produces the fruit used to
make maraschino. Latin name: Prunus cerasus
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, alteration of amarasca, from amaro “bitter.”][1]



maraschino

maraschino
mar·a·schi·no 
[mèrrə sknō, mèrrə
shnō] (plural mar·a·schi·nos) noun

cherry
liqueur:
a cordial distilled from marasca cherries
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, where it was formed from marasca (see marasca
).][1]



maraschinocherry

maraschinocherry
mar·a·schi·no
cher·ry
noun

syrupy cocktail cherry:
a bright red cherry preserved in a sweet syrup flavored with maraschino or an
imitation of this, used especially as an addition to cocktails or to decorate
cakes[1]



marasmus

marasmus
ma·ras·mus 
[mə rázməss] noun

process
of emaciation: a gradual wasting away of the body,
generally associated with severe malnutrition or inadequate absorption of food
and occurring mainly in young children
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek marasmos “wasting, decay,” from marainein
“to waste away.”]
—ma·ras·mic, adjective[1]



Maratha

Maratha
Ma·ra·tha 
[mə rtə, mə
ráttə] (plural Ma·ra·thas) or Ma·rat·ta [mə rtə, mə ráttə]
(plural Ma·rat·tas) or Mah·rat·ta [mə rtə, mə ráttə]
(plural Mah·rat·tas) noun

member
of people living in Maharashtra: a member of a people
living mainly in the Deccan plateau in the Indian state of Maharashtra
[Mid-18th century. From
Marathi marāthā, or Hindi marhattā, from Sanskrit Mahārāṣra
“great kingdom.”][1]



Marathi

Marathi
Ma·ra·thi 
[mə rtee, mə
ráttee] or Mah·rat·ti [mə
rtee, mə ráttee] noun

language
spoken in Maharashtra: a language belonging to the
Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages and spoken mainly in the Indian
state of Maharashtra, where it is the state language. Marathi is spoken by
about 70 million people.
adjective

of
Maharashtra: relating to the Indian state of
Maharashtra, its people, language, or culture
[Late 17th century. From
Marathi marāhī, from Sanskrit Mahārāṣrī, from Mahārāṣra
(see Maratha ).][1]



marathon

marathon
mar·a·thon 
[márrə thòn] (plural mar·a·thons)
noun

1.  long-distance
race:
a long-distance footrace run over a distance of 42.195 km/26 mi 385 yds

2.  lengthy
and difficult task: a lengthy and difficult
task, event, or activity

3.  endurance
test:
a test of endurance, especially in a competition • a
dance marathon
[Late
19th century. Named for Marathon in Greece.
In 490 BC, a messenger supposedly
ran from there to Athens, bearing news of a victory against Persian invaders.]
—mar·a·thon·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  According
  to tradition, when the Greek army defeated the Persians at Marathon, on the northeastern coast of Attica,
  in 490 BC, the runner
  Pheidippides was dispatched to bring the good news to Athens (in fact there
  is no contemporary evidence for the story, which is not recorded until 700
  years after the event). When the modern Olympic Games were first held, in
  Athens in 1896, a long-distance race was introduced to commemorate the
  ancient feat, run over a course supposedly equal in distance to the journey
  from Marathon to Athens (about 35 km/22
  mi). The present distance was established at the 1948 Olympics in London,
  England.

[1]



Marathon

Marathon
Mar·a·thon 
[mérrə thòn]

plain in Attica, northeast of
Athens, Greece. It was the site of an important Greek victory over the Persians
in 490 BC .[1]



Maratta

Maratta
Ma·rat·ta
noun

See
Maratha[1]



maraud

maraud
ma·raud 
[mə ráwd] (past ma·raud·ed, past
participle ma·raud·ed, present participle ma·raud·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·rauds) intransitive and
transitive verb

raid
for plunder: to rove around carrying out violent
attacks or looking for plunder, or to raid a place in search of plunder
[Late
17th century. From French marauder, from maraud “rogue,
vagabond.”]
—ma·raud·er, noun[1]



marauding

marauding
ma·raud·ing
[mə ráwding] adjective

behaving recklessly and
violently: roving around carrying out
violent attacks or looking for plunder • marauding
pirates cruising the high seas[1]



Marañón

Marañón
Ma·ra·ñón
[màrra nyṓn]

river in South America,
flowing northward from the Andes into the River Amazon. Length: 1,415 km/879
mi.[1]



marble

marble
mar·ble 
[mrb’l] noun (plural mar·bles)

1.  INDUSTRY dense
crystallized rock: a form of limestone
transformed through the heat and pressure of metamorphism into a dense,
variously colored, crystallized rock used in building, sculpture, and monuments

2.  SCULPTURE marble
sculpture:
a sculpture made from marble • the
Elgin Marbles

3.  something
resembling marble: something that resembles
marble in being cold, hard, smooth, or white (literary)

4.  GAME small
glass ball:
a small hard ball, usually made of glass, used in the game of marbles
plural
noun
mar·bles

1.  game
with glass balls: a game, played mainly by children, in
which small hard balls are rolled on the ground with the aim of hitting the
opponent’s ball (takes a singular verb)

2.  wits:
mental abilities or sense of reality (slang)
transitive
verb
(past mar·bled, past participle mar·bled, present
participle mar·bling, 3rd person present singular mar·bles)

color something with mottled streaks:
to color something, usually paper, with mottled streaks to give the appearance
of marble • an
18th-century volume with marbled endpapers
[12th
century. Via Old French marbre and Latin marmor from Greek marmaros,
“hard, shiny stone” (influenced by marmairein “to shine”).]
—mar·bly, adjective[1]



marblecake

marblecake
mar·ble
cake
(plural mar·ble cakes) noun

two-colored cake:
a type of cake made with two different flavors of sponge, often chocolate and
plain, dropped into the same cake pan and very lightly mixed before baking[1]



Marblehead

Marblehead
Mar·ble·head 
[mrb’l hed]

resort town in northeastern
Massachusetts, on the northern shore of Massachusetts Bay, southwest of
Gloucester. Population: 19,973 (1996)[1]



marblewood

marblewood
mar·ble·wood 
[mrb’l wd] (plural mar·ble·woods)
noun

1.  TREES Malaysian
tree:
a Malaysian tree with mottled black-banded wood. Latin name: Diospyros
marmorata

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from marblewood tree: the wood of the marblewood
tree, used in cabinetmaking

[1]



marbling

marbling
mar·bling 
[mrbling] noun

1.  coloring
like marble: coloring or mottling that looks like
marble

2.  creation
of marbled effect: the process of applying
mottled streaks of color to paper or other material to create the appearance of
marble

3.  streaks
of fat in meat: streaks of fat in lean meat

[1]



Marburgdisease

Marburgdisease
Mar·burg
dis·ease
[mr bùrg di zz] noun

viral
infection:
a severe viral infection causing high fever, hemorrhaging, rashes, vomiting,
and often death. The source of human infection has been traced to green monkeys
imported from Africa for use in laboratory experiments.
Also
called
green monkey disease
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the city of Marburg in Germany, where the first major outbreak
occurred.][1]



marc

marc
marc 
[maark] (plural marcs) noun

1.  skins
and pulp of pressed fruit: the skins and pulp remaining
after grapes, apples, or other fruit have had their juice pressed out, for
example, for wine making

2.  WINE brandy
from fruit skins and pulp: brandy made from the skins
and pulp that remain when grapes and other fruit have had their juice pressed
out
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from marcher, in an earlier sense “to tread or trample”
(see march 1 ).][1]



marcasite

marcasite
mar·ca·site 
[mrkə st, mrkə
zt] (plural mar·ca·sites) noun

1.  MINERALS yellow
mineral:
a yellowish mineral consisting of iron sulfide, used in jewelry. Marcasite is
chemically identical to iron pyrites, but has a different crystalline
structure. FeS2

2.  ACCESSORIES decorative
piece of polished metal: polished steel or other
white metal cut with facets and used in jewelry, or something made from this
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin marcasita from Arabic marašīa, of
Persian or Aramaic origin.]
—mar·ca·sit·i·cal [mrkə síttik’l], adjective[1]



marcato

marcato
mar·ca·to 
[maar k t] adverb

with
heavy accentuation: with a heavy accentuation of
individual notes that are often also played in a detached style (used as a
musical direction)
[Mid-19th
century. From Italian, literally “marked, accented.”]
—mar·ca·to, adjective[1]



Marceau,Marcel

Marceau,Marcel
Mar·ceau
[maar sṓ], Marcel (1923– )

French mime artist. His
white-faced character, Bip, became for a time synonymous with mime.[1]



marcel

marcel
mar·cel 
[maar sél] noun (plural mar·cels)
mar·cel (plural mar·cels) mar·cel wave (plural
mar·cel waves)

wavy
hairstyle:
a women’s hairstyle, popular in the 1920s, consisting of regular, deep waves
created with curling irons
transitive
verb
(past mar·celled, past participle mar·celled, present
participle mar·cell·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·cels)

style
hair in a marcel: to style somebody’s hair in a marcel
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French hairdresser François Marcel Grateau ( 1852–1936 ), who
devised the method.][1]



marcescent

marcescent
mar·ces·cent 
[maar séss’nt] adjective

withering
but not falling off plant: remaining attached to a
plant when withered
[Early 18th century. From
Latin marcescent-, the present participle stem of marcescere,
literally “to begin to wither,” from marcere “to wither, decay.”][1]



March

March
March 
(plural Marches) noun

3rd
month of Gregorian calendar: in the Gregorian calendar,
the third month of the year, made up of 31 days
[Via Anglo-Norman from Latin Martius
(mensis) “(month) of Mars”][1]



March.

March.
March.

Abbreviation of
Marchioness[1]



march

march2
march2 [maarch]
noun (plural march·es)

1.  border
area between two countries: an area along the border
between two countries, especially an outlying area that is subject to
territorial disputes and hostile incursions

2.  border:
a border between countries or territories
intransitive
verb
(past marched, past participle marched, present
participle march·ing, 3rd person present singular march·es)

share border: to
share a border with a country or territory (formal)
[13th century. From Old
French marche, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English mark . The
underlying sense is of territory marked out.][1]



march

march1
march1 [maarch]
verb (past marched, past participle marched,
present participle march·ing, 3rd person present singular march·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
walk
in military fashion: to walk with regular
formalized movements of the arms and legs at a steady rhythmic pace, often in a
military formation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in military-style formation: to proceed somewhere, or
direct a body of people or troops to proceed somewhere, on foot, in a
disciplined military or military-style formation • marched
the troops off to battle

3.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY set
off:
to set off, usually on foot, on a military campaign or expedition • Our
orders are to march at daybreak.

4.  intransitive
verb
walk
with determination: to walk quickly and with an
air of determination • She
marched into the store and demanded to see the manager.

5.  transitive
verb
force
somebody to go somewhere: to force somebody to go
along with you somewhere, usually by physically taking hold of the person • Police
marched the suspects into the jail.

6.  intransitive
verb
walk
to protest or publicize something: to take part in a
protest march or demonstration • A huge
crowd marched in support of the needy.

7.  intransitive
verb
pass
steadily:
to pass steadily or inexorably • Time
marches on.
noun
(plural march·es)

1.  act
or extent of marching: a journey on foot,
especially under military discipline or in a military formation • After
a four-hour march, they arrived back at the camp.

2.  marching
speed:
a particular speed or style of marching • The
funeral procession advanced at a slow march.

3.  walk
for protest or publicity: a political demonstration or
protest, in the form of an organized walk in procession by a group of people to
a place in support of a particular cause • Police
estimated that about 20,000 people took part in yesterday’s march against world
hunger.

4.  movement
forward:
a steady forward movement or progression • the
march of time

5.  MUSIC music
in marching rhythm: a piece of music especially
written or suitable to accompany marching, usually with a regular emphatic beat
and in a military style
[14th
century. From Old French marchier, ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to measure off, mark out” that is also the ancestor of
English mark and margin .]
—march·er,
noun
on
the march

1.  proceeding
somewhere on foot, especially purposefully and in a military or military-style
formation

2.  advancing
or making progress

steal
a march on somebody

to
do or achieve something before somebody else, thereby gaining an advantage over
the person

[1]



M.Arch.

M.Arch.
M.Arch.
noun

Abbreviation of
Master of Architecture[1]



marchesa

marchesa
mar·che·sa 
[maar káyzə] (plural mar·che·se
[maar káy zày]) noun

Italian
marchioness: an Italian marchioness, holding the
title either in her own right or as the wife or widow of a marchese
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, feminine of marchese (see marchese
).][1]



marchese

marchese
march·ese 
[maar káy zày] (plural mar·che·si
[maar káyzee]) noun

Italian
marquess:
an Italian marquess, a nobleman of a rank between a prince and a count
[Early 16th century. Via
Italian from medieval Latin (comes) marcensis “count of the border,”
from marca “border,” of prehistoric Germanic origin; ultimately related
to English mark 1 .][1]



March,Fredric

March,Fredric
March 
[maarch], Fredric (1897–1975)

U.S.
stage and movie actor. He won Academy Awards for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
( 1932 ) and The Best Years of Our Lives ( 1946 ).
Real name
Bickell, Fredric Ernest McIntyre[1]



marchingorders

marchingorders
march·ing
or·ders 
plural noun

1.  dismissal:
a summary dismissal or request to leave (informal)

2.  MILITARY orders
to march:
orders to soldiers to set off on a military campaign or expedition

[1]



marchioness

marchioness
mar·chio·ness 
[mrshənəss, mrshə
néss] (plural mar·chio·ness·es) noun

noblewoman
ranking between duchess and countess: in
Great Britain and Ireland, a noblewoman ranking between duchess and countess,
or the wife or widow of a marquess
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin marchionissa from, ultimately, marca “borderland,”
of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



marchland

marchland
march·land 
[mrch lànd, mrchlənd]
(plural march·lands) noun

border
area:
an area along the border between two countries
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from march 2 .][1]



marchpane

marchpane
march·pane 
[mrch pàyn] noun

marzipan:
marzipan (archaic)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via obsolete French marcepain from, ultimately,
Italian marzapane (see marzipan ).][1]



march-past

march-past
march-past 
(plural march-pasts) noun

formal parade past dignitary:
a formal parade by troops or other people who march in formation past somebody
who reviews them from a stand or other vantage point[1]



Marciano,Rocky

Marciano,Rocky
Mar·ci·a·no
[mrssee nō, mrssi
ánnō], Rocky (1923–1969)

U.S.
boxer. At the end of his four years holding the heavyweight title (1952–1956),
he was the only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.
Real name
Marchegiano, Rocco Francis[1]



Marconi,Guglielmo

Marconi,Guglielmo
Mar·co·ni
[maar kṓnee], Guglielmo (1874–1937)

Italian electrical engineer.
He pioneered the practical development of radio signaling. In 1909 he shared
the Nobel Prize in physics for his work in wireless telegraphy.[1]



Marconirig

Marconirig
Mar·co·ni
rig
(plural Mar·co·ni rigs) noun

See
Bermuda rig
[Named
for Guglielmo Marconi, comparing the rig’s
unusually tall mast with early radio towers]
—Mar·co·ni-rigged, adjective[1]



Marcos,Ferdinand

Marcos,Ferdinand
Mar·cos
[mrk oss], Ferdinand (1917–1989)

Philippine
statesman. During most of his term as president (1965–1986), he ruled the
Philippines as a dictator under martial law, amassing a large personal fortune.
Ousted after rigging national elections in 1986, he died in exile.
Full name
Marcos, Ferdinand Edralin[1]



Marcy,Mount

Marcy,Mount
Mar·cy,
Mount
[mrssee]

peak in the Adirondack
Mountains, northeastern New York. It is the highest point in the state, 1,629
m/5,344 ft .[1]



MardalWaterfall

MardalWaterfall
Mar·dal
Wa·ter·fall

waterfall in Norway, one of
the highest in the world. Height: 517 m/1,696 ft.[1]



MardiGras

MardiGras
Mar·di
Gras 
[mrdee gr] (plural Mar·dis Gras
[mrdee gr]) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Tuesday
before Lent: the name given in France and many other
places to Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the beginning of Lent in the
Christian calendar

2.  LEISURE carnival
before Lent: in some places, a carnival held or
ending on the day before the beginning of Lent, in the Christian calendar,
often celebrated with costumes, parades, balls, and other festivities
[From French, literally “fat
Tuesday” (the day on which rich foods were used up before Lent)][1]



Marduk

Marduk
Mar·duk 
[mr dk, mr
dùk] noun

Babylonian god:
in Babylonian mythology, the god who defeated the great goddess Tiamat and
created humankind[1]



mare

mare2
ma·re2 [m
rày, mree] (plural ma·ri·a
[mree ə] or ma·res) noun

dark
plain on Moon or Mars: any of the large dark plains
on the surface of the Moon, or any similar area on Mars.
Also
called
sea
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “sea” (source of English marine
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English mere, marsh,
morass, and meerschaum .][1]



mare

mare1
mare1 [mair]
(plural mares) noun

adult
female horse: an adult female horse, or adult female
of a species closely related to the horse such as the zebra
[Old English mearh .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “horse.”][1]



mareclausum

mareclausum
ma·re
clau·sum 
[m ray kláwssəm, m
ray klów sm, mri kláwssəm, mri klów sm] (plural ma·re clau·sums)
noun

sea
controlled by one country: a sea or other area of water
that is under the jurisdiction of one country and closed to all others
[From Latin, literally
“closed sea,” the title of a work ( 1635 ) by John Selden defending the right
of a single nation to control parts of the sea][1]



MareCrisium

MareCrisium
Ma·re
Cris·i·um
[m ray kríssee əm] noun

a lunar lowland plain
surrounded by high mountains, approximately 435 × 565 km/270 × 350 mi . Visible
with the unaided eye as a dark area near the Moon’s eastern edge.[1]



MareFecunditatis

MareFecunditatis
Ma·re
Fe·cun·di·ta·tis [m ray fe
kùndi ttiss] noun

a lunar lowland region of
irregular shape. It is visible with the unaided eye as a dark area southeast of
Mare Tranquillitatis.[1]



MareFrigoris

MareFrigoris
Ma·re
Fri·gor·is
[m ray fri gáwriss] noun

a long narrow lunar lowland
region near to the North Pole. It is just visible as a dark area north of Mare
Imbrium and Mare Serentitatis.[1]



MareHumorum

MareHumorum
Ma·re
Hu·mor·um
[m ray hyoo máwrəm] noun

a lunar lowland plain,
approximately 420 km/260 mi across. It is just visible with the unaided eye as
a dark area near the Moon’s southwestern edge.[1]



MareImbrium

MareImbrium
Ma·re
Im·bri·um
[m ray ímbree əm] noun

lunar plain:
a large round lunar lowland plain, approximately 1250 km/775 mi across. It is
easily visible with the unaided eye as a large dark area in the Moon’s
northwest quadrant.[1]



mareliberum

mareliberum
ma·re
li·be·rum 
(plural ma·re liberums) noun

sea
open to all: an area of sea that is open to the ships
of all countries
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “free sea,” the title of a treatise ( 1609 ) by the Dutch
jurist Hugo Grotius, defending free access to the ocean by all nations.][1]



maremma

maremma
mar·em·ma 
[mə rémmə] (plural mar·em·me [mə rémmee]) noun

marshy
ground near sea: an area of marshy ground near the sea,
especially in Italy
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin maritimus, from mare “sea.”][1]



MareNectaris

MareNectaris
Ma·re
Nec·tar·is
[m ray nek triss] noun

a rounded lunar lowland
plain, approximately 400 km/250 mi across. It is visible with the unaided eye
as a dark area south of Mare Tranquillitatis.[1]



Marengo

Marengo
Ma·ren·go 
[mə réng g] adjective

cooked
in tomato and wine sauce: browned in oil and cooked in
a sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, onion, and white wine • chicken
Marengo
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the village of Marengo in northern Italy, where such a dish is said to
have been served to Napoleon in 1800.][1]



marenostrum

marenostrum
ma·re
nos·trum 
[m ray nóstrəm, m
ray nó strm, mri nóstrəm, mri nó strm] (plural ma·re nos·trums)
noun

sea
under single-country or shared control: an
area of sea that is under the jurisdiction of one country or shared by two or
more countries
[From Latin, literally “our
sea” (the Roman name of the Mediterranean)][1]



MareNubium

MareNubium
Ma·re
Nu·bi·um
[m ray nybee əm] noun

a lunar lowland region that
is irregularly shaped. It is visible with the unaided eye as a dark area near
the center of the Moon’s southwest quadrant.[1]



MareOrientale

MareOrientale
Ma·re
O·ri·en·tale [m ray
àwree en tlee] noun

a round lunar lowland region
on the side of the Moon that is furthest from the Earth[1]



MareSerenitatis

MareSerenitatis
Ma·re
Se·ren·i·ta·tis [m ray sə
rènni ttiss] noun

a large rounded lunar lowland
plane where Apollo 17 landed. It is approximately 580 × 680 km/360 × 425 mi and
easily visible in the Moon’s northeast quadrant.[1]



MareTranquillitatis

MareTranquillitatis
Ma·re
Tran·quil·li·ta·tis [m
ray trang kwìlli ttiss] noun

a large irregularly-shaped
lunar lowland plain, approximately 650 × 900 km/405 × 560 mi, where Apollo 11
made the first manned lunar landing in 1969[1]



mare’snest

mare’snest
mare’s
nest 
(plural mare’s nests) noun

1.  complicated
situation:
a complicated or muddled situation

2.  discovery
found to be valueless: a discovery at first thought
to be important or valuable but subsequently found to be an illusion, a hoax,
or valueless
[Late 16th century][1]



mare’s-tail

mare’s-tail
mare’s-tail 
(plural mare’s-tails) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY strand
of cloud:
a long wispy strand of cloud (usually used in the plural)

2.  PLANTS water
plant:
a water plant that has erect, partially submerged stems with narrow leaves and
insignificant flowers. Latin name: Hippuris vulgaris

[1]



Marfansyndrome

Marfansyndrome
Mar·fan
syn·drome 
[mr fan sìn drōm] or Mar·fan’s
syn·drome [mr fans sìn drōm] noun

hereditary
disorder:
a hereditary disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the French pediatrician A. B. J. Marfan ( 1858–1942 ).][1]



marg.

marg.
marg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
margin

2.  Abbreviation
of
marginal

[1]



Margaret

Margaret
Mar·gar·et
[mrgrət, mrgərət],
Saint, Queen of Scotland (1046?–1093)

Sister of Edgar (the
Aetheling) and wife of Malcolm Canmore, she instigated reforms in the Celtic
Church.[1]



Margaret(of Anjou)

Margaret(of Anjou)
Mar·gar·et
(of An·jou) 
[mrgrət, mrgərət]
(1430?–1482)

Queen of England. She was the
wife of Henry VI of England, and led the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses.[1]



Margaret,Princess

Margaret,Princess
Mar·gar·et
[mrgrət, mrgərət],
Princess, Countess of Snowdon (1930– )

. The younger sister of
Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, she was the first president of the
Royal Ballet.[1]



margaric

margaric
mar·gar·ic 
[maar gérrik] or mar·garitic [mrgə ríttik] adjective

like
a pearl:
resembling a pearl or pearls (formal)
[Early 19th century. Via
French margarique from, ultimately, Greek margaron “pearl.”][1]



margarine

margarine
mar·ga·rine 
[mrjərin] (plural mar·ga·rines)
noun

yellow
fat for spreading and cooking: a yellow fat for
spreading and cooking that usually consists of a blend of vegetable oils or
animal fats mixed with water, vitamins, coloring, flavoring, and other
ingredients. Originally produced as a butter substitute and considered inferior
to it in all uses, it is now a food in its own right.
Also
called
oleomargarine
[Late 19th century. From
French .][1]



margarita

margarita
mar·ga·ri·ta 
[mrgə rtə] (plural mar·ga·ri·tas)
noun

tequila
cocktail:
a cocktail made with tequila, lemon or lime juice, and an orange-flavored
liqueur, typically served in a chilled glass whose rim has been dipped into
salt
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, from the name Margarita .][1]



margaritic

margaritic
mar·ga·rit·ic
adjective

See
margaric[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Margasirsa

Margasirsa
Mar·gas·ir·sa
noun

ninth month of Hindu
calendar: in the Hindu calendar, the
ninth month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and occurring about the same
time as November to December[1]



Margate

Margate
Mar·gate 
[mr gayt]

city in southeastern Florida,
a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. Population: 47,450 (1994)[1]



margay

margay
mar·gay 
[mr gày] (plural mar·gays) noun

American
wild cat:
a wild cat not much bigger than a domestic cat with coloring and markings
similar to those of a leopard, found in the rainforests of Central and South
America. Latin name: Felis wiedi
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Portuguese maracaj’a, from Tupi marakaya .][1]



margent

margent
mar·gent
[mrjənt] (plural mar·gents) noun

margin:
a margin or edge (archaic or literary)[1]



margin

margin
mar·gin 
[mrjin] noun (plural mar·gins)

1.  blank
space at side of page: a blank space on the left or
right edge, or the top or bottom, of a written or printed page • comments
scribbled in the margin

2.  line
down side of page: a straight line drawn down
the left- or right-hand side of a page to separate a narrow section from the
main part • Draw
a margin about one inch from the edge of the paper.

3.  outer
edge:
the edge of something, especially the outer edge, or the area close to it • dark-green
leaves with reddish margins

4.  part
farthest from center: that part of anything, for
example, a society or organization, that is least integrated with its center,
least often considered, least typical, or most vulnerable (often used in the
plural) • people
living on the margins of society

5.  limit:
a boundary indicating the limit beyond which something should not go or below
which something should not fall (often used in the plural) • beyond
the margins of good taste

6.  difference
between one amount and another: the difference between
two amounts or scores • She
won by a margin of only 270 votes.

7.  additional
amount:
an amount over and above what is strictly necessary, included, for example, for
safety reasons or to allow for mistakes or delays • They
left no margin for error.

8.  COMMERCE profit:
the profit on a transaction, or the amount by which the price of something
exceeds its cost • We’ve cut our margins
to the absolute bare minimum.

9.  FINANCE broker’s
loss cover:
the amount or percentage deposited with a stockbroker by a client to cover
possible losses on transactions made on account

10. FINANCE difference
between loan and collateral values: the
difference between the face value of a loan and the value of the collateral
given to secure the loan

11. ECONOMICS lowest
acceptable profit: the minimum profit that a
business must make in order to remain viable
transitive
verb
(past mar·gined, past participle mar·gined, present
participle mar·gin·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·gins)

1.  create
margin around: to create a margin around something

2.  FINANCE place
as deposit with broker: to place something such as
collateral with a broker as a deposit
[14th century. From Latin margin-,
the stem of margo . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“boundary, border” that is also the ancestor of English mark 1 and march 1 .][1]



marginal

marginal
mar·gin·al 
[mrjin’l] (plural marginals) adjective

1.  in
a margin:
written in a margin

2.  small
in scale:
very small in scale or importance • You
can ignore any marginal discrepancies you find.

3.  irrelevant:
not of central importance or relevance • In
what follows, I have ignored everything that is marginal to my main thesis.

4.  on
the fringe:
operating or existing on the fringes of a group or movement • a
marginal group with no political base

5.  very
low:
at or close to the lowest acceptable or viable limit • a
marginal standard of living

6.  ECONOMICS barely
covering costs: barely able to cover the costs of
production when sold or when producing goods for sale

7.  AGRICULTURE difficult
to cultivate: difficult to cultivate and therefore
only brought into use if profits are high enough to make it worth the effort • marginal
land
—mar·gin·al·i·ty [mrji nállətee], noun[1]



marginalia

marginalia
mar·gi·na·li·a 
[mrji náylee ə, mrji
náylyə] plural noun

marginal notes:
notes written in a margin[1]



marginalize

marginalize
mar·gin·al·ize 
[mrjin’l z] (past mar·gin·al·ized,
past participle mar·gin·al·ized, present participle mar·gin·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mar·gin·al·iz·es) transitive verb

prevent
from having attention or power: to take or keep
somebody or something away from the center of attention, influence, or power
—mar·gin·al·i·za·tion
[mrjin’li záysh’n], noun[1]



marginally

marginally
mar·gin·al·ly
[mrjin’lee] adverb

1.  slightly:
very slightly

2.  barely:
only just or barely

[1]



marginalutility

marginalutility
mar·gin·al
u·til·i·ty
noun

ECONOMICS
increase in utility:
the increase in utility prompted by one extra unit of a given service or
product[1]



marginate

marginate
mar·gin·ate 
[mrji nàyt] transitive verb (past
mar·gin·at·ed, past participle mar·gin·at·ed, present
participle mar·gin·at·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·gin·ates)

add
margin to:
to add a margin to something, or provide something with a margin
adjective
mar·gin·ate mar·gin·at·ed

BIOLOGY with
different edge: with a border or edge of a different
color or pattern • a marginate leaf
—mar·gin·a·tion [mrji náysh’n], noun[1]



margravate

margravate
mar·gra·vate 
[mrgrə vàyt] (plural mar·gra·vates)
or mar·gra·viate [maar gráyvee ət,
maar gráyvee àyt] (plural mar·gra·vi·ates)
noun

1.  margrave’s
territory:
the territory ruled by a margrave or margravine

2.  rank
of margrave: the rank or position of a margrave or
margravine

[1]



margrave

margrave
mar·grave 
[mr gràyv] (plural mar·graves)
noun

German
nobleman:
in the past, a German nobleman of a rank equivalent to a British marquess
[Mid-16th
century. From Middle Dutch markgrave, literally “count of the border.”]
—mar·gravial, adjective[1]



margraviate

margraviate
mar·gra·vi·ate 
(plural mar·gra·vi·ates) noun

See
margravate[1]



margravine

margravine
mar·gra·vine 
[mrgrə vn] (plural mar·gra·vines)
noun

German
noblewoman:
in the past, a German noblewoman, equal in rank to a British marchioness, who
is the wife or widow of a margrave or who holds the rank in her own right
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch markgravin, feminine of markgraaf “margrave.”][1]



marguerite

marguerite
mar·gue·rite 
[mrgə rt, mrgyə
rt] (plural mar·gue·rites) noun

plant
resembling daisy: a widely cultivated garden plant from
the Canary Islands that has a flower resembling a daisy with narrow white or
pale yellow petals radiating from a yellow center. Latin name: Chrysanthemum
frutescens
[Early 17th century. From
French, from the female name Marguerite .][1]



maria

maria
ma·ri·a


Plural of
mare 2[1]



mariachi

mariachi
ma·ri·a·chi 
[mree chee, mèrree
chee] (plural ma·ri·a·chis) noun

1.  Mexican
street band: a Mexican street band usually consisting
of stringed instruments, especially violins and guitars, but sometimes also
including brass instruments and singers

2.  mariachi
band member: a member of a mariachi band

3.  mariachi
music:
traditional Mexican folk music as played by a mariachi band
[Mid-20th century. From
Mexican Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps from French mariage
“wedding,” because such bands probably played at weddings.][1]



Marian

Marian
Mar·i·an
[máiree ən] adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY of
Virgin Mary: relating to, characteristic of, or
devoted to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ

2.  HISTORY of
Mary:
relating to any Mary other than the Virgin Mary, especially Mary Queen of Scots
or Queen Mary I of England
noun
(plural Mar·i·ans)

CHRISTIANITY devotee
of Virgin Mary: somebody who is especially devoted to
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ

[1]



MarianaIslands

MarianaIslands
Mar·i·an·a
Is·lands 
[màrree nə ]

island group in the western
Pacific Ocean, south of Japan and east of the Philippines. It comprises the
island of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Area: 958
sq km/370 sq mi.[1]



Marianao

Marianao
Ma·ri·a·nao
[mÀarja n ō]

city in western Cuba, on the
northern coast, in City of Havana Province. Population: 133,016 (1989)[1]



MarianaTrench

MarianaTrench
Mar·i·an·a
Trench
[màrree nə trénch]

the deepest ocean trench, in
the western Pacific Ocean, stretching from northwest of the Mariana Islands to
southwest of Guam. Length: 2,500 km/1,554 mi.[1]



Marianne

Marianne
Mar·i·anne
[mèrree án] noun

personification
of French republic: an image of a woman
personifying the French republic, for example, on French coins, usually
depicted in a light flowing robe and wearing the Phrygian cap of liberty
[Late 19th century. From
French .][1]



MariaTheresa

MariaTheresa
Ma·ri·a
The·re·sa 
[mə r ə tə ráyzə], Archduchess of Austria
and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1717–1780)

Her succession as ruler of
the Hapsburg dominions led to the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748)
and the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).[1]



MariaTheresa dollar

MariaTheresa dollar
Ma·ri·a
The·re·sa dol·lar [mə r ə tə
ráyssə dòllər] (plural Ma·ri·a The·re·sa dol·lars) noun

old
silver coin: a silver coin minted in 1780 and used in
the Middle East
[Named for Maria Theresa, whose image appears on it][1]



Maricopa

Maricopa
Ma·ri·co·pa 
[mèrri kṓpə] (plural Ma·ri·co·pa
or Ma·ri·co·pas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that live in Arizona where they share reservation lands with
the Pima

2.  LANGUAGE Maricopa
language:
the language of the Maricopa people
—Ma·ri·co·pa, adjective[1]



mariculture

mariculture
mar·i·cul·ture 
[mérrə kùlchər] noun

cultivation
of marine life: the cultivation of sea animals and
plants in their usual habitats, generally for commercial purposes
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin mari- (stem of mare “sea”) + culture .]
—mar·i·cul·tur·al
[mèrrə kúlchərəl], adjective

—mar·i·cul·tur·ist [mèrrə kúlchərist], noun[1]



MarieAntoinette

MarieAntoinette

Ma·rie An·toi·nette 
[mə r àntwə nét], Queen of France
(1755–1793)
The wife of Louis XVI, she was unpopular
for promoting the interests of her native Austria and for her extravagance. She
was captured after attempting to escape the French Revolution, imprisoned, and
guillotined.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MarieByrd Land

MarieByrd Land
Ma·rie
Byrd Land 
[mree búrd land]

unclaimed ice-covered region
in Antarctica, on the Amundsen Sea, in the southern Pacific Ocean[1]



Mariede Médicis

Mariede Médicis
Ma·rie
de Méd·i·cis  [mə r də
méddi chee], Queen of France (1573–1642)

As widow of Henry IV of
France, she became regent during Louis XIII’s minority. Political intrigue
resulted in her exile in 1630.[1]



MarieGalante

MarieGalante
Ma·rie
Ga·lante
[maa rgaa lóNt]

island in the French West
Indies, in the Caribbean Sea. It is a dependency of Guadeloupe. Population:
3,757 (1982) Area: 158 sq km/61 sq mi.[1]



Marie-Louise(of Austria)

Marie-Louise(of Austria)
Marie-Louise
(of Austria) [mə r loo
z əv óstree ə], Empress of France (1791–1847)

She was Napoleon Bonaparte’s
second wife.[1]



Marietta

Marietta
Mar·i·et·ta 
[màree éttə]

city in northwestern Georgia,
32 km/20 mi northwest of Atlanta. Population: 50,290 (1994)[1]



marigold

marigold

mar·i·gold 
[mérrə gld] (plural mar·i·golds)
noun
garden
plant with yellow flower: a common garden plant,
native to tropical America, with scented stems and strikingly rich yellow or
orange flowers. Genus: Tagetes
[14th century. From the name Mary
(referring to the Virgin Mary) + Old English golde “marigold, corn
marigold”; so called because of its medicinal properties.][1]



marigram

marigram
mar·i·gram
[mérrə gràm] (plural mar·i·grams)
noun

record
of tide levels: a printed record of tide levels at a
particular place
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin mari-, stem of mare “sea” + -gram
.][1]



marigraph

marigraph
mar·i·graph
[mérrə gràf] (plural mar·i·graphs)
noun

device
recording tide levels: an instrument for recording
tide levels
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin mari-, the stem of mare “sea” ( + -graph ).][1]



marijuana

marijuana
ma·ri·jua·na 
[mèrrə hwnə, mèrrə
wnə] or mar·i·hua·na [mèrrə
hwnə, mèrrə wnə] noun

1.  DRUGS drug
from hemp:
the dried flowers and leaves of the Indian hemp plant, smoked or eaten as a
drug

2.  PLANTS hemp
plant:
the Indian hemp plant that is the source of the drugs marijuana and cannabis.
Latin name: Cannabis sativa
[Late 19th century. From
Mexican Spanish mariguana, marihuana, of unknown origin.][1]



marimba

marimba


ma·rim·ba 
[mə rímbə] (plural ma·rim·bas)
noun
musical
instrument like xylophone: a large musical instrument
like a xylophone, with resonators made from metal or hollow gourds beneath the
bars, used especially in African and Latin American music
[Early
18th century. From Portuguese, of Bantu origin.]
—ma·rim·bist, noun[1]



marina

marina
ma·ri·na 
[mə rnə] (plural ma·ri·nas) noun

harbor
for pleasure boats: a harbor specially designed
to cater to the needs of pleasure boats and their owners
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian or Spanish, “seashore,” from, ultimately, Latin marinus, from mare
“sea.”][1]



Marina

Marina
Ma·ri·na 
[mə rnə]

city in Monterey County,
California. Population: 15,433 (1994)[1]



marinade

marinade
mar·i·nade 
noun [mèrrə náyd] (plural mar·i·nades)

flavorings
for food before cooking: a liquid or paste made with
ingredients such as vinegar, wine, oil, spices, and herbs, in which food is
soaked or allowed to stand to give extra flavor and tenderness before cooking
intransitive
and transitive verb [mérrə
nàyd] (past mar·i·nad·ed, past participle mar·i·nad·ed,
present participle mar·i·nad·ing, 3rd person present singular
mar·i·nades)

See
marinate
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Italian marinare or Spanish marinar (see
marinate ).][1]



marinara

marinara
ma·ri·na·ra 
[mèrrə nérrə, mrrə
nrə] adjective

1.  made
with tomatoes and garlic: made with tomatoes and
garlic, often with other ingredients such as onions, parsley, capers, or
olives, to serve on pasta or as a pizza topping • marinara
sauce

2.  with
marinara sauce: served with marinara sauce • spaghetti
marinara
[Mid-20th
century. From Italian alla marinara “in sailor style,” from marinaro
“sailor,” from marino “marine,” from Latin marinus, from mare
“sea.”]
—ma·ri·na·ra, noun[1]



marinate

marinate
mar·i·nate 
[mérrə nàyt] (past mar·i·nat·ed,
past participle mar·i·nat·ed, present participle mar·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular mar·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

soak
in sauce before cooking: to soak or stand, or leave
food to soak or stand, in a marinade before cooking
[Mid-17th
century. From Italian marinare or Spanish marinar “to pickle in
brine,” both from Latin (aqua) marina “sea (water), brine,” feminine of marinus,
from mare “sea.”]
—mar·i·na·tion [mèrrə náysh’n], noun[1]



marine

marine
ma·rine 
[mə rn] adjective

1.  of
the sea:
relating to, found in, or living in the sea

2.  NAUTICAL nautical:
relating to ships or sailing

3.  MILITARY of
seagoing soldiers: relating to soldiers who
serve at sea as well as on land
noun
(plural ma·rines)

1.  ma·rine
or Ma·rine MILITARY seagoing
soldier:
a soldier who serves at sea as well as in the air and on land, for example, a
member of the U.S. Marine Corps

2.  SHIPPING nation’s
commercial fleet: a fleet of merchant or naval ships and
their crews (formal)

3.  PAINTING sea
scene:
a painting or photograph of a seascape, ship, or scene at sea
[14th
century. Via French from Latin marinus, from mare “sea” (see mare 2 ).]
tell
that to the marines

used to express disbelief (slang)[1]



marinearchitect

marinearchitect
ma·rine
ar·chi·tect
(plural ma·rine ar·chi·tects) noun

ship
designer:
somebody specially trained to design ships
—ma·rine ar·chi·tec·ture,
noun[1]



marinebiology

marinebiology
ma·rine
bi·ol·o·gy
noun

biology
of the seas: the branch of biology that deals with
the plants and animals of the oceans
—ma·rine bi·ol·o·gist,
noun[1]



MarineCorps

MarineCorps
Ma·rine
Corps
noun

U.S. marines:
a branch of the United States armed forces, trained to operate on land, at sea,
and in the air, and especially in amphibious assaults. The Marine Corps comes
under the authority of the Secretary of the Navy.[1]



marineengineer

marineengineer
ma·rine
en·gi·neer
(plural ma·rine en·gi·neers) noun

somebody responsible for
engines at sea: somebody who attends to
the engines and other heavy machinery on board a ship or any other offshore
structure[1]



mariner

mariner
mar·i·ner 
[mérrənər] (plural mar·i·ners)
noun

sailor
or navigator: somebody who sails or navigates vessels
at sea
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman or French marinier from Latin marinarius,
from marinus, from mare “sea.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a poem by the English writer Samuel Taylor
  Coleridge ( 1798 ). A cautionary tale of sin and redemption, it describes a
  curse placed on a sailor after he kills an albatross that has led his ship
  out of danger. The vessel is becalmed and the rest of the crew die of thirst.
  After his rescue, the sailor is compelled to repeat his story for the
  remainder of his days. The expressions “Water, water, every where/ Nor any
  drop to drink” and “He prayest best who loveth best/ All things both great
  and small” come from Part II, stanza 9, and Part VII, stanza 23 respectively,
  of this poem.

[1]



marinière

marinière
ma·rin·ière
adjective

cooked
with wine, herbs, and onion: cooked with a little wine,
herbs, and chopped onion or shallot, in a closed pan, so that the main
ingredient, which is usually mussels, is partly poached and partly steamed • mussels
marinière
[From French, literally
“sailor-style,” possibly a translation of Italian marinara (see marinara )][1]



Mariolatry

Mariolatry
Mar·i·ol·a·try 
[mèrree óllətree] noun

extreme
devotion to Virgin Mary: extreme devotion to Mary,
the mother of Jesus Christ
[Early
17th century. Coined from Latin Maria “Mary” + -latry
.]
—Mar·i·ol·a·ter,
noun

—Mar·i·ol·a·trous, adjective[1]



Mariology

Mariology
Mar·i·ol·o·gy
[mèrree ólləjee] noun

study
of teachings about Virgin Mary: the study of the
doctrines and beliefs concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin Maria “Mary” + -logy
.]
—Mar·i·o·log·i·cal
[mèrree ə lójjik’l], adjective

—Mar·i·ol·o·gist [mèrree ólləjist], noun[1]



Marion

Marion
Mar·i·on 
[máree ən]

city in southern Illinois,
just east of Orchard Lake and Carbondale and southeast of Herrin. Population:
15,619 (1996)[1]



marionette

marionette
mar·i·o·nette 
[mèrree ə nét] (plural mar·i·o·nettes)
noun

puppet
worked by strings: a puppet operated by means
of strings attached to its hands, legs, head, and body
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “little Mary,” from Marion, of the same meaning.][1]



Marion,Francis

Marion,Francis
Marion 
[márree ən], Francis (1732–1795)

U.S.
military officer. He engaged in successful anti-British guerrilla tactics
during the Revolution (1775–1783).
Known as
Swamp Fox[1]



mariposa

mariposa
mar·i·po·sa 
[mèrrə pṓssə, mèrrə
pṓzə] (plural mar·i·po·sas) noun

N
American plant with flowers resembling tulips: a
western North American plant of the lily family that grows from a bulb and
bears brightly colored flowers resembling tulips. Genus: Calochortus
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “butterfly” (because of its brightly-colored flowers).][1]



Maris,Roger

Maris,Roger

Maris
[márriss], Roger (1934–1985)
U.S.
baseball player. He played for the New York Yankees (1960–1966). He broke Babe
Ruth’s home run record and was named Most Valuable Player in the American
League in 1960 and 1961.
Full name
Maris, Roger Eugene[1]



Marist

Marist
Mar·ist 
[mérrist] (plural Mar·ists) noun

member
of Roman Catholic order: a member of either of two
Roman Catholic orders, the Society of Mary or Marist Fathers, and the Little
Brothers of Mary or Marist Brothers
[Late
19th century. From French mariste, from Marie “Mary.”]
—Mar·ist, adjective[1]



maritage

maritage
mar·i·tage 
[mérritij] noun

1.  right
of lord to arrange marriage: the right of a feudal lord
to choose the husband or wife of a vassal’s heir

2.  fine
paid to feudal lord: money paid to a feudal lord
in return for his not exercising his right to choose the husband or wife of a
vassal’s heir
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin maritagium, a latinized form of French mariage,
from marier (see marry ).][1]



marital

marital
mar·i·tal 
[mérrət’l] adjective

1.  of
marriage:
relating to marriage or the marriage of a particular couple

2.  of
husbands:
relating to a husband or husbands (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin maritalis, from maritus “married” (source
also of English marry 1 ).]
—mar·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



maritime

maritime
mar·i·time 
[mérrə tm] adjective

1.  SHIPPING of the
sea:
relating to the sea, shipping, sailing in ships, or living and working at sea

2.  close
to the sea:
situated or living close to the sea

3.  METEOROLOGY influenced
by the sea:
influenced by the sea, and therefore generally temperate and with relatively
small variations in seasonal temperatures
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin maritimus, from mare “sea” (see mare 2 ).][1]



MaritimeProvinces

MaritimeProvinces
Mar·i·time
Prov·inc·es
or Mar·i·times

collective
name for the eastern Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and
Prince Edward Island
—Mar·i·tim·er, noun[1]



Maritsa

Maritsa
Ma·ri·tsa 
[mə rtsə]

river in southeastern Europe,
in the Balkan Peninsula. Length: 480 km/300 mi.[1]



Mariupol

Mariupol
Ma·ri·u·pol
[məree pəl]

city in southeastern Ukraine,
on the Sea of Azov. Population: 510,000 (1996)[1]



marjoram

marjoram
mar·jo·ram 
[mrjərəm] noun

herb
used in cooking: a Mediterranean herb that has small
purple or white flowers and aromatic leaves, often used as a seasoning in
cookery and salads. Latin name: Origanum majorana
[14th century. Via Old French
marjorane, from medieval Latin majorana, of unknown origin.][1]



mark

mark2
mark2 [maark]
noun

1.  MONEY See deutsche mark

2.  MONEY old
coin in England and Scotland: a former unit of currency in
England and Scotland that was worth 13 shillings and 4 pence, or two thirds of
a pound

3.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of weight:
formerly, a unit of weight equivalent to 227 gr/8 oz that was used for weighing
gold and silver
[Old English marc, a
unit of weight. From a prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor also of English mark 1 ). In
the sense “Deutschmark”: late 19th century, from German .][1]



Mark

Mark
Mark
noun

gospel in the Bible:
the second of the gospels in the Bible in which the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ are described. It is thought to have been written by St. Mark.[1]



mark

mark1
mark1 [maark]
noun (plural marks)

1.  spot,
scratch, or dirt: a colored, discolored, or dirty patch, a
scratch, dent, or impression, either deliberately or accidentally made, that
makes a usually small area of a surface visibly different from the rest • The
hot plate left a mark on the table.

2.  symbol:
a recognizable sign or symbol used, for example, to indicate ownership, the
quality or origin of goods, or punctuation in a piece of writing (often used
in combination) • a
question mark

3.  substitute
for signature: a cross or other symbol used in place of
a signature by somebody who cannot write

4.  indication
of feeling:
an action, gesture, or other outward sign of somebody’s feeling or attitude • a
mark of respect

5.  sign
of influence or involvement: something that is evidence
of somebody’s or something’s influence on or involvement in something • He
left his mark on the firm.

6.  identifying
feature or characteristic: a distinctive and
identifying feature or characteristic • That
perfect finish is the mark of the true professional.

7.  indication
of correctness or quality: a number, letter, or
percentage indicating somebody’s assessment of something, for example, the
correctness or quality of answers to examination questions or somebody’s
performance in a gymnastic or ice-skating contest • She
always gets top marks in English.

8.  indicator
of position or extent: any object, sign, or line
used to indicate the position, extent, or amount of something • the
high-water mark

9.  amount:
the amount, distance, or level reached by something • The
temperature is way above the 90 degree mark.

10. standard:
the desired or required standard for something • Your
work is simply not up to the mark these days.

11. type:
a model or variety, for example, of a car, aircraft, or weapon, usually
distinguished from earlier or later models by a number

12. ARMS target:
a target, or something that somebody aims at with a weapon • He
missed the mark.

13. goal:
a goal or standard that somebody wishes to achieve

14. CRIMINOLOGY victim
of crime:
the victim or intended victim of a theft or swindle (slang) • an
easy mark

15. NAVIGATION guide
to position or direction: a conspicuous object or
another point of reference that serves as a visual guide to somebody when
proceeding in a particular direction or carrying out an action

16. SPORT starting
line:
the starting line for a race

17. SPORTS runner’s
starting position: an individual runner’s
starting position for a race

18. BOXING middle
of stomach:
the middle of an opponent’s stomach

19. SPORTS See jack 1 noun 5

20. SAILING something
that indicates depth of water: a knot or other marker
used to indicate intervals of fathoms on a sounding line

21. HISTORY common
land:
in medieval Germany and England, land held in common by the members of a
community
verb
(past marked, past participle marked, present
participle mark·ing, 3rd person present singular marks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or get spots or scratches: to make or get a colored or
discolored patch, dent, scratch, or other mark on something, either
accidentally or deliberately • The
mugs have marked the table.

2.  transitive
verb
put
mark or symbol on something: to put a recognizable sign
or symbol or write on something, for example, to show ownership, to indicate
price, or to give a warning or instruction • All
items of clothing must be clearly marked with the student’s name.

3.  transitive
verb
make
clearly identifiable: to make something clearly
visible, recognizable, or traceable by putting a mark on it • I’ve
marked on the map where our house is.

4.  transitive
verb
indicate
where something is or happened: to be an indicator
showing where something is situated, how far it extends, or where an event took
place • This
monument marks their last resting place.

5.  transitive
verb
be
or indicate point of change: to indicate that a
significant point in time or in a process has been reached • It
marks the end of an era in American theater.

6.  transitive
verb
give
prominence to event: to do something to celebrate
or give prominence to a particular event • We
should do something really special to mark their 50th anniversary.

7.  transitive
verb
select
for special attention: to select or destine
somebody or something for particular attention or treatment • He
was always marked out for success.

8.  transitive
verb
characterize:
to characterize, distinguish, or set somebody or something apart in some way • The
originality of her approach marks her as a candidate of real distinction.

9.  transitive
verb
assess
and indicate quality or correctness: to
assess the quality or correctness of something and indicate the assessment by
means of a mark such as a check or cross, a letter, number, or percentage • marking
exam papers

10. transitive
verb
assess
the work of somebody: to assess the quality or
correctness of the work or performance of somebody and indicate the assessment
by means of a mark • marked him high on the
test

11. transitive
verb
take
notice of:
to pay attention to something or somebody (often used as a command) • Mark
my words: this’ll make them sit up and take notice.

12. transitive
verb
see
something:
to see or notice something (archaic)

13. transitive
verb
SPORTS stay
close to player: in games such as soccer and field
hockey, to stay close to an attacking player in the opposing team to prevent
the player from receiving the ball or scoring

14. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS keep score:
to keep a note of the score
[Old
English mearc “boundary, marker.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “boundary,” which is also the ancestor of English march and margin
.]
mark
time

1.  to
continue marching in rhythm without moving forward

2.  to
do something that makes no contribution toward achieving a goal or ambition
while awaiting an opportunity to make progress

make
your mark

to
achieve recognition or success, usually in a particular field

mark
you

U.K. used
to call somebody’s attention to a point or remark that you are making

on
your mark

used
as a command to runners to take up their starting positions ready for the start
of a race

quick
off the mark

or slow
off the markquick or slow to begin, react to, or understand something

up
to the mark

of
an acceptable standard or quality, or at an acceptable level

wide
of the mark

or off
the markinaccurate or incorrect

[1]



markdown

markdown
mark·down 
[mrk dòwn] (plural mark·downs)
noun

price reduction:
a reduction in price[1]



markdown

markdown
mark
down
transitive verb

1.  lower
price:
to lower the price of something

2.  make
written note: to make a written note of something
somewhere

3.  give
lower mark:
to reduce the mark given to something or somebody in a test, examination, or
contest, as a result of a mistake or inadequacy • You
get marked down for bad spelling.

4.  characterize:
to form an opinion as to the character or likely behavior of somebody

[1]



marked

marked
marked 
[maarkt] adjective

1.  noticeable:
very noticeable • a marked contrast

2.  singled
out:
singled out for surveillance, suspicion, hostility, or an unpleasant fate • a
marked man

3.  with
mark on back: having a concealed identifying mark that
makes it easier to use when cheating in card games or performing conjuring
tricks • marked
cards

4.  LINGUISTICS with
distinctive linguistic feature: having an extra or
less usual distinctive linguistic feature
—mark·ed·ness [mrkədnəss], noun[1]



markedly

markedly
mark·ed·ly
[mrkədlee] adverb

significantly:
to a significant extent[1]



marker

marker
mark·er 
[mrkər] (plural mark·ers) noun

1.  indicator
of position, presence, or route: an object or sign that
indicates the position or presence of something or the direction in which
somebody is to go

2.  something
that makes marks: something used to make marks, especially
a felt-tip pen

3.  IOU:
a debt to be paid off (slang)

4.  SPORTS scorekeeper:
somebody who keeps a note of the score in certain games, for example, pool and
billiards, or something that shows the score

5.  EDUCATION somebody
who assesses students’ answers: somebody who grades
examination papers or student exercises

6.  SPORTS player
marking another: in games such as football and
fieldhockey, a player who stays close to an attacking player in the opposing
team to prevent the player from receiving the ball or scoring

[1]



market

market
mar·ket 
[mrkət] noun (plural mar·kets)

1.  COMMERCE gathering
for buying and selling: a gathering of people who
sell things, especially food or animals, in a place open to the public or other
buyers, especially a gathering that is held regularly • a
cattle market

2.  market
building or place: a building or open space
where a market is regularly held

3.  COMMERCE collection
of shops or stalls: a number of small shops or
stalls, housed in the same building and sometimes all selling the same type of
goods, belonging to different, independent traders

4.  COMMERCE shop:
a shop, especially one that sells goods or food of a particular type

5.  FINANCE supply
and demand:
the whole area of economic activity where buyers are in contact with sellers
and in which the laws of supply and demand operate. Besides being considered as
the arena for buying and selling, the market is often thought of as a
controlling or regulatory force affecting both economic and political affairs.
• market
forces

6.  FINANCE buying
and selling of particular commodity: the
trade in, or buying and selling of, a particular commodity • the
futures market

7.  COMMERCE region
or group considered as customers: a geographic area or a
section of the population, considered from the point of view of the amount of
goods that can be sold to it • the
teenage market

8.  COMMERCE demand:
the demand for a particular type of goods or service being offered for sale • You’ve
got to go out and create a market if you want to succeed.

9.  ECONOMICS total
amount of product sold: the total amount of a
particular product sold within a particular geographical area or over a
particular period of time

10. STOCK EXCHANGE • Prices
rose on the New York and Chicago markets this morning.
See stock market

11. FINANCE trading
in stocks:
trading in stocks and commodities • The
market was very slow this morning but picked up later.

12. FINANCE prices
or exchange rates: the prices or rates of
exchange offered for stocks or commodities • The
market fell this morning but rallied later.
transitive
verb
(past mar·ket·ed, past participle mar·ket·ed, present
participle mar·ket·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·kets)

MARKETING offer
for sale:
to offer something for sale, or sell something, especially by using advertising
and other techniques to attract buyers • If
this is marketed in the right way, it’ll sell very well.
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French dialect from, ultimately, Latin mercatus, from
the past participle of mercari “to buy,” from merx “goods”
(source of English merchant and commerce ).]
—mar·ket·er,
noun
come
onto the market

to
become available for customers to buy

in
the market (for something)

interested
in buying or ready to buy something

on
the market

available
for customers to buy

on
the open market

where
goods are freely available and prices are subject mainly to the law of supply
and demand

put
something on the market

to offer something for sale[1]



marketable

marketable
mar·ket·a·ble 
[mrkətəb’l] adjective

1.  COMMERCE suitable
for selling: fit to be sold • a
highly marketable property

2.  in
demand:
in demand and therefore relatively easy to sell • skills
that are readily marketable

3.  FINANCE convertible
into cash:
able to be converted into cash quickly, but at a price that is determined by
the market in that commodity • marketable
value
—mar·ket·a·bil·i·ty
[mrkətə bíllətee], noun

—mar·ket·a·ble·ness
[mrkətəb’lnəss], noun

—mar·ket·a·bly, adverb[1]



marketbasket

marketbasket
mar·ket
bas·ket
(plural mar·ket bas·kets) noun

1.  grocery
cart:
a supermarket or grocery store cart

2.  selection
of foods for statistical family: a selection of foods
representing the requirements of a statistical household of 3.2 people or a
family of four, the cost of which is a factor in cost-of-living statistics

[1]



marketeconomy

marketeconomy
mar·ket
e·con·o·my
noun

economy regulated by market
forces: an economy where prices and
wages are determined mainly by the market and the laws of supply and demand,
rather than being regulated by a government[1]



marketeer

marketeer
mar·ket·eer
[mrkə tr] (plural mar·ket·eers)
noun

1.  COMMERCE somebody
who trades at market: somebody who buys or sells
things either at a market or in ordinary trade

2.  POLITICS supporter
of type of market: somebody who advocates or
supports a particular type of market (usually used in combination) • a
free marketeer

[1]



marketgarden

marketgarden
mar·ket
gar·den
(plural mar·ket gar·dens) noun

plot
for produce grown for market: a plot of ground or small
farm where fruit, vegetables, and sometimes flowers are grown for sale rather
than for the grower’s own use
—mar·ket
gar·den·er, noun

—mar·ket gar·den·ing, noun[1]



marketing

marketing
mar·ket·ing 
[mrkəting] noun

1.  selling
of products or services: the business activity of
presenting products or services to potential customers in such a way as to make
them eager to buy. Marketing includes such matters as the pricing and packaging
of the product and the creation of demand by advertising and sales campaigns.

2.  FOOD COMMERCE grocery shopping:
the buying of household provisions

[1]



marketingboard

marketingboard
mar·ket·ing
board
(plural mar·ket·ing boards) noun

Canada,
U.K. government organization
selling agricultural products: an
organization set up by a government to promote and regulate the sale of a
particular agricultural product, for example, grain, dairy products, or poultry[1]



marketingmix

marketingmix
mar·ket·ing
mix
(plural mar·ket·ing mix·es) noun

mixture of marketing
techniques: the particular mixture of
marketing techniques, for example, pricing, packaging, and advertising, used to
promote the sale of a product[1]



marketleader

marketleader
mar·ket
lead·er
(plural mar·ket lead·ers) noun

company with largest market
share: a company or brand that has
a very large, or the largest, share of the market for a particular product[1]



marketmaker

marketmaker
mar·ket
mak·er
(plural mar·ket mak·ers) noun

somebody who buys and sells
securities: a dealer who buys and sells
securities such as stocks[1]



marketorder

marketorder
mar·ket
or·der
(plural mar·ket or·ders) noun

order to sell immediately:
an order instructing a broker to buy or sell an asset immediately at the best
prevailing price[1]



marketplace

marketplace
mar·ket·place
[mrkət plàyss] (plural mar·ket·places)
noun

1.  open
space for market: an open space where a market is held

2.  COMMERCE sphere
of trading:
the commercial sphere where buying and selling takes place and the laws of
supply and demand operate

3.  setup
where ideas can be discussed: a forum in which ideas are
exchanged, discussed, and compete for recognition

[1]



marketprice

marketprice
mar·ket
price
(plural mar·ket pric·es) noun

current price:
the price at which something is currently being bought by the majority of
customers[1]



marketresearch

marketresearch
mar·ket
re·search
noun

study
of consumers’ wants: the gathering and analysis
of information about what people want or like, or what they actually buy
—mar·ket re·search·er,
noun[1]



marketshare

marketshare
mar·ket
share
(plural mar·ket shares) noun

share of total sales:
the proportion of the total sales of a product secured by one particular
company or brand[1]



markettown

markettown
mar·ket
town
(plural mar·ket towns) noun

town with regular market:
a town in which a market is held regularly, usually the chief town of a farming
area[1]



marketvalue

marketvalue
mar·ket
val·ue
(plural mar·ket val·ues) noun

amount expected from
open-market sale: the amount that a
seller could expect to obtain for property or goods sold on the open market[1]



Markham,Edwin Ansan

Markham,Edwin Ansan
Markham 
[mrkəm], Edwin Ansan (1852–1940)

U.S.
poet. His social protest poem “The Man with the Hoe” (1899) made him nationally
famous.
Full name
Markham, Charles Edward Ansan[1]



markhor

markhor
mar·khor 
[mr kàwr] (plural mar·khors or
mar·khor) noun

largest
wild goat:
the largest wild goat, which has a reddish-brown coat, spiral horns, and a
shaggy beard on the male, and is found in the Himalayas. Latin name: Capra
falconeri
[Mid-19th century. From
Persian mār-wār, literally “serpent-eater.”][1]



marking

marking
mark·ing 
[mrking] (plural mark·ings) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY mark
or marks:
a mark or pattern of marks that occurs naturally, for example, on an animal’s
coat (often used in the plural)

2.  AIR aircraft
identifying mark: an identifying mark, usually a colored
symbol, on an aircraft (often used in the plural)

3.  EDUCATION assessment
and grading of written work: a teacher’s correction and
assessment of students’ written work

[1]



markingink

markingink
mark·ing
ink
(plural mark·ing inks) noun

ink that does not wash out:
a type of ink used for writing on such things as clothes and bed linen because
it does not wash out[1]



markka

markka
mark·ka 
[mr k, mrkə]
(plural mark·kaa or mark·kas) noun

1.  unit
of Finnish currency: the basic unit of currency
in Finland

2.  coin
worth a markka: a coin worth one markka
[Early 20th century. Via
Finnish from Swedish marka .][1]



markoff

markoff
mark
off
transitive verb

1.  separate
one area from another: to separate one area from
another by means of a boundary line or barrier

2.  put
a mark on something: to put a mark such as a
check, cross, or line beside, through, or around something, to show that it has
been dealt with or to highlight it

[1]



markout

markout
mark
out
transitive verb

indicate boundaries and
divisions of something: to draw
lines or use some other method to indicate the boundaries and divisions of
something, especially the playing area for a game or a racecourse[1]



Markova,Dame Alicia

Markova,Dame Alicia
Mar·ko·va
[maar kṓvə], Dame Alicia (1910– )

British
ballerina. She was a cofounder of the London Festival Ballet (1950) and
director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet (1963–1969).
Real name
Marks, Lillian Alicia[1]



Markovchain

Markovchain
Mar·kov
chain
[mr kàwv chàyn] (plural Mar·kov
chains) noun

discrete
random process: a random process in which events are
discrete rather than continuous and the future development of each event is
independent of all historical events or dependent only on the immediately
preceding event
[See Markov
process][1]



Markovprocess

Markovprocess
Mar·kov
proc·ess
(plural Mar·kov proc·ess·es) noun

process
governing sequence of events: a continuous random process
in which the probability of occurrence of each random event in a series is
independent of all historical events or dependent only on the immediately
preceding event
[Named for the Russian
mathematician A. A. Markov, who developed it.][1]



Mark,Saint

Mark,Saint
Mark
[maark], Saint (lived 1st century)

apostle. A disciple of St.
Peter and one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, he is credited with writing the
New Testament Gospel of Mark.[1]



marksman

marksman
marks·man 
[mrksmən] (plural marks·men [mrksmən]) noun

1.  somebody
skilled in shooting: somebody who is able or
trained to shoot accurately, especially with a firearm

2.  somebody
considered good or bad shot: somebody considered from the
point of view of his or her ability to shoot accurately
—marks·man·ship, noun[1]



markswoman

markswoman
marks·wo·man 
[mrks wmmən] (plural marks·wo·men
[mrks wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
skilled in shooting: a woman who is able or
trained to shoot accurately, especially with a firearm

2.  woman
considered good or bad shot: a woman considered from the
point of view of her ability to shoot accurately

[1]



markup

markup
markup 
(plural markups) noun

COMMERCE
amount added to price:
the difference between the manufacturing cost or wholesale price of an item and
its selling price, that is, the amount added to provide the seller with a
profit[1]



markup

markup
mark
up
transitive verb

1.  BUSINESS increase
price:
to increase the price of something, especially to provide the seller with a
profit

2.  PUBLISHING mark
corrections and instructions on text: to
prepare a piece of written work for printing or rekeying by making corrections
to it or adding instructions to the typesetters or keyboarders

3.  EDUCATION increase
grades or scores awarded: to increase the grades
awarded to somebody on a test, examination, or contest

[1]



marl

marl1
marl1  [maarl]
noun (plural marls)

GEOLOGY mixture
of clay and lime: a naturally occurring fine crumbly
mixture of clay and limestone, often containing shell fragments and sometimes
other minerals. Marls are used as fertilizer and to soften water.
transitive
verb
(past marled, past participle marled, present
participle marl·ing, 3rd person present singular marls)

AGRICULTURE fertilize
with marl:
to add marl to soil as a fertilizer
[14th
century. Via Old French marle from medieval Latin margila, from
Latin marga “marl,” on the model of argilla “white clay.”]
—mar·la·cious
[maar láyshəss], adjective

—marl·y [mrlee], adjective[1]



marl

marl2
marl2  [maarl]
(past marled, past participle marled, present
participle marl·ing, 3rd person present singular marls,
plural marls) transitive verb

bind
with marline: to bind something with a light
two-stranded rope
[Early 18th century. From
Dutch marlen, literally “to keep binding,” from Middle Dutch marren
“to bind” (source of English marline
).][1]



Marley,Bob

Marley,Bob
Mar·ley
[mrlee], Bob (1945–1981)

Jamaican musician. His music,
much of which he wrote himself, established reggae internationally as an
important part of pop music.[1]



marlin

marlin1
mar·lin1 [mrlin]
(plural mar·lins or mar·lin) noun

fish
with elongated upper jaw: a large food and game fish
found in warm and tropical regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that has
a very long thin upper jaw, like a spear. It can reach 4.5 m/14 ft in length
and 680 kg/1,500 lb in weight. Family: Istiophoridae
[Early 20th century.
Shortened from marlinspike, from the shape of its upper jaw.][1]



marlin

marlin2
mar·lin2  noun

See
marline[1]



marline

marline
mar·line
[mrlin] (plural mar·lines) or
mar·lin [mrlin] (plural mar·lins)
noun

light
rope:
a light two-stranded rope, used especially for binding around larger ropes to
prevent them from fraying
[15th century. Via Dutch marlijn,
literally “binding line,” and marling “binding,” both ultimately from
Middle Dutch marren “to bind.”][1]



marlinespike

marlinespike
mar·line·spike
[mrlin spk] (plural mar·line·spikes)
or mar·lin·spike [mrlin spk]
(plural mar·lin·spikes) noun

pointed
tool:
a pointed metal tool used to separate strands of rope that are being spliced
[Early 17th century.
Alteration (under the influence of marline )
of earlier marlingspike, from marl 2 + spike .][1]



marlite

marlite
mar·lite 
[mr lt] noun

rock
like marl:
a rock with the same composition as marl but with a harder, more resistant
texture.
Also
called
marlstone
[Late
18th century. Formed from marl 1 .]
—mar·lit·ic [maar líttik], adjective[1]



marlstone

marlstone
marl·stone 
[mrl stn] noun

See
marlite[1]



marmalade

marmalade
mar·ma·lade 
[mrmə làyd] noun (plural mar·ma·lades)

FOOD citrus
fruit jelly: a clear or thick preserve made with
citrus fruits, usually containing the shredded rind of the fruit, and
traditionally made with bitter Seville oranges
adjective

U.K.
ZOOLOGY with
orange fur:
used to describe cats with orange fur, or orange fur streaked with yellow or
brown
[15th century. Via French marmelade
“quince jam,” from Portuguese marmelada, from marmelo “quince,”
from, ultimately, Greek melimēlon, literally “honey-apple,” denoting a
kind of apple grafted onto the quince.][1]



marmaladebox

marmaladebox
mar·ma·lade
box
(plural mar·ma·lade box·es) noun

tropical American fruit:
the reddish-brown edible fruit of the genipap tree[1]



marmaladeplum

marmaladeplum
mar·ma·lade
plum
(plural mar·ma·lade plums) noun

fruit of marmalade tree:
the edible brownish fruit of the marmalade tree, with sweet, slightly spicy,
reddish flesh.
Also called
sapote[1]



marmaladetree

marmaladetree
mar·ma·lade
tree
(plural mar·ma·lade trees) noun

American tree with edible
fruit: a tree found in Central
America, Mexico, and the southern United States, with brownish edible fruit ( marmalade plums ). Latin name: Calocarpum
sapota[1]



marmite

marmite
mar·mite 
[mr mt, maar
mt] (plural mar·mites) noun

large
pot:
a deep earthenware or metal cooking pot with a close-fitting lid, used for
making soups, stews, or stock
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Old French, literally “hypocritical” (perhaps because the food is
concealed), from marmouser “to murmur” + mite “cat,” both
imitations of sounds.][1]



marmoreal

marmoreal
mar·mo·re·al 
[maar máwree əl] adjective

marble:
made of marble, or like marble, especially in being white, cold, or aloof and
impressive (formal)
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin marmoreus, from marmor (see marble ).]
—mar·mo·re·al·ly, adverb[1]



marmoset

marmoset
mar·mo·set 
[mrmə sèt, mrmə
zèt] (plural mar·mo·sets or mar·mo·set) noun

S
American monkey: a small monkey that lives in Central and
South America and has soft thick fur, tufts of fur around its head and ears, a
long tail, and clawed digits. Family: Callithricidae
[14th century. From French marmouset
“grotesque figure,” of uncertain origin.][1]



marmot

marmot
mar·mot 
[mrmət] (plural mar·mots or
mar·mot) noun

ground-living
rodent:
a large brownish stout-bodied rodent of the squirrel family that lives on the
ground and in burrows and is found throughout North America, Europe, and
northern Asia. One species of American marmot is known as the woodchuck or
groundhog. Genus: Marmota
[Early 17th century. From
French marmotte, of uncertain origin.][1]



marocain

marocain
mar·o·cain 
[mérrə kàyn, mèrrə
káyn] noun

crepe
fabric:
a ribbed crepe fabric
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “Moroccan.”][1]



Maronite

Maronite
Mar·o·nite 
[mérrə nt] adjective

relating
to Christian Uniat church: belonging or relating to the
Christian Uniat Church of Lebanon, an Eastern Catholic church
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin Maronita, from the name of the 4th
century Syrian hermit Maro, who founded the group.]
—Mar·o·nite, noun[1]



Maroochydore

Maroochydore
Ma·roochy·dore
[marchee dàwr]

coastal town in southeastern
Queensland, Australia, located at the mouth of the Maroochy River. Population:
36,406 (1996)[1]



maroon

maroon1
ma·roon1 [mə
rn] adjective

deep
purplish-red: of a deep purplish-red color with a
tinge of brown
noun
(plural ma·roons)

deep
purplish-red color: a deep purplish-red color
tinged with brown
[Late 18th century. Via
French marron “large sweet chestnut,” from, ultimately, medieval Greek maraon
. So called because of the color of the nut’s inner skin.][1]



maroon

maroon2
ma·roon2 [mə
rn] transitive verb (past ma·rooned, past
participle ma·rooned, present participle ma·roon·ing, 3rd
person present singular ma·roons)

1.  NAUTICAL leave
in lonely place: to put somebody ashore on a lonely
island or coast and leave the person there with no means of escape

2.  leave
somebody isolated: to leave somebody somewhere
with no means of getting away
noun
(plural ma·roons)

1.  ma·roon
or Ma·roon PEOPLES descendant
of people escaped from slavery: a descendant of people
escaped from slavery in Guyana and the remoter parts of the West Indies

2.  marooned
person:
somebody who has been marooned, especially on a desert island
[Mid-17th century. From
French marron “fugitive from slavery,” shortening of American Spanish cimarrón
“wild, untamed,” probably from cima “peak.”][1]



maroquin

maroquin
mar·o·quin 
[mérrəkin] noun

morocco
leather:
morocco leather, used especially for bookbindings and shoes
[Early 16th century. From
French, formed from Maroc “Morocco,” probably under the influence of
Spanish marroquin “Moroccan, morocco leather.”][1]



Marq.

Marq.
Marq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Marquess

2.  Abbreviation
of
Marquis

[1]



marque

marque
marque 
[maark] (plural marques) noun

brand:
a brand or make of product, especially a make of luxury or high-performance car
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from marquer “to mark or brand,” ultimately of
prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



marquee

marquee
mar·quee 
[maar k] (plural mar·quees) noun

1.  covering
like roof:
a permanent canopy, often of metal and glass, projecting out over the entrance
to a large building such as a hotel or theater.
Also
called
marquise

2.  large
tent:
a very large tent with straight sides that can be rolled up or removed, used
for large gatherings such as parties, meetings, sales, and exhibitions
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of French marquise (see marquise
), which also denoted a canopy erected over the tent of a nobleman or officer
to distinguish it from others.][1]



MarquesasIslands

MarquesasIslands
Mar·que·sas
Is·lands 
[maar káyssəss ləndz]

group of volcanic islands in
French Polynesia, 1,200 km/740 mi north of Tahiti, in the Pacific Ocean.
Population: 7,538 (1988) Area: 1,274 sq km/492 sq mi.[1]



marquess

marquess
mar·quess 
[mrkwəss] (plural mar·quess·es)
noun

nobleman
between duke and earl: in Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, a nobleman ranking between a duke and an earl
[15th
century. From Old French marchis, from marche “border land” (see march 2 ).]
—mar·ques·sate [mrkwə sàyt, mrkwə
zàyt] (plural mar·ques·sates), noun[1]



marquetry

marquetry
mar·que·try 
[mrkətree] or mar·que·terie [mrkətree] noun

1.  decorative
designs made of inlaid materials: designs or pictures
made of thin pieces of wood, metal, shell, or other materials, inlaid in a wood
veneer and often applied as decoration to pieces of furniture

2.  craft
of making marquetry: the craft of making
marquetry designs or pictures
[Mid-16th century. From
French marqueterie, from marqueter “to variegate,” from marquer
“to mark or brand.”][1]



Marquette,Jacques

Marquette,Jacques
Marquette 
[maar két], Jacques (1637–1675)

French
Jesuit missionary and explorer. He explored the Mississippi River basin
(1673–1674) with Louis Jolliet.
Known as
Père Marquette[1]



marquis

marquis
mar·quis 
[mrkwiss, maar
k] (plural mar·quis·es [mrkwissəz]
or mar·quis [maar kz]) noun

nobleman:
in various European countries, a nobleman ranking above a count
[14th
century. From Old French, an alteration of Old French marchis (see marquess ).]
—mar·quis·ate [mrkwəzət, mrkwəssət]
(plural mar·quis·ates), noun[1]



Marquis,Don

Marquis,Don
Mar·quis
[mrkwiss], Don (1878–1937)

U.S.
writer. He is best known for his humorous poems supposedly written by a
cockroach called Archy.
Full name
Marquis, Donald Robert Perry[1]



marquise

marquise
mar·quise 
[maar kz] (plural mar·quis·es)
noun

1.  noblewoman:
in various European countries, a noblewoman ranking above a countess, or the
wife or widow of a marquis

2.  See
marquee  noun 1

3.  CRAFT pointed
oval gem:
a gem cut into the shape of a pointed oval and usually faceted

4.  ACCESSORIES ring
with pointed oval: a ring set with a pointed
oval gem, or a cluster of stones arranged in a pointed oval shape
[Early 17th century. From
French, feminine of marquis .][1]



marquisette

marquisette
mar·qui·sette 
[mrkə zét, mrkwə
zét] noun

fine
woven fabric: a fine woven fabric, often made of
cotton or silk, that is used for making curtains and mosquito nets
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “little marquise.”][1]



Marrakesh

Marrakesh
Mar·ra·kesh 
[màrrə késh] or Mar·ra·kech [màrrə késh]

city in western Morocco, on
the fertile Haouz Plain, at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. Population:
602,000 (1994)[1]



Marrano

Marrano
Mar·ra·no 
[mə r nō] (plural Mar·ra·nos)
noun

Iberian
Jew:
in the Middle Ages, a Jew from Spain or Portugal who converted to Christianity
under duress and without conviction, and who continued to practise Judaism in
secret
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, literally “pig” (because of the Jewish prohibition against pork), of
uncertain origin: probably from Arabic maḥram “something forbidden”
(because of the Islamic prohibition against pork).][1]



marriage

marriage
mar·riage 
[mérrij] (plural mar·riages) noun

1.  legal
relationship between spouses: a legally recognized
relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony, between two people
who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners

2.  particular
marriage relationship: a married relationship
between two particular people, or an individual’s relationship with an
individual spouse

3.  joining
in wedlock:
the joining together in wedlock of two people

4.  marriage
ceremony:
the ceremony in which two people are joined together formally in wedlock

5.  union
of two things: a close union, blend, or mixture of two
things • Civilization
is based on the marriage of tradition and innovation.

6.  CARD GAMES king
and queen of same suit: a combination of the king
and queen of the same suit, in card games such as pinochle and bezique
[13th century. From French mariage,
from marier (see marry ).][1]



marriageable

marriageable
mar·riage·a·ble 
[mérrijəb’l] adjective

suitable
for marriage: suitable or ready for marriage, or old
enough to be married
—mar·riage·a·bil·i·ty
[mèrrijə bíllətee], noun

—mar·riage·a·ble·ness
[mérrijəb’lnəss], noun[1]



marriagecounseling

marriagecounseling
mar·riage
coun·sel·ing noun

advice to married couples:
advice given by professionals to help married couples who are having
difficulties in their relationship to solve their problems[1]



marriageof convenience

marriageof convenience
mar·riage
of con·ven·ience (plural mar·riages of
con·ven·ience) noun

marriage
for benefit rather than love: a marriage between two
people that is intended to serve a practical, financial, or political purpose
and is not based on their love for each other
[Translation of French mariage
de convenance, literally “marriage for expediency”][1]



married

married
mar·ried 
[mérreed] adjective

1.  having
a spouse:
having a wife or husband • married
people

2.  joined
in marriage: joined together in marriage • get
married

3.  relating
to marriage: arising out of or connected with
marriage • her
married name

4.  completely
dedicated to something: completely dedicated to
something and devoting a lot of time and effort to it • married
to her job
plural
noun
mar·rieds

married people:
people who are married • young
marrieds

[1]



marronglacé

marronglacé
mar·ron
gla·cé
[ma ròN glə sáy, mə
rN glə sáy] (plural mar·rons gla·cés [ma ròN glə sáy, mə rN
glə sáy]) noun

candied
chestnut:
a chestnut cooked and preserved in sugar syrup, drained and then coated with a
sugar glaze finish
[From French, literally “iced
chestnut”][1]



marrow

marrow
mar·row 
[mérrō] (plural mar·rows) noun

1.  ANATOMY soft
tissue in bones: soft red or yellow fatty tissue that
fills the central cavities of bones. Red marrow is the site of blood cell
production.

2.  essence:
the essence, core, or key part of something (literary)

3.  vitality:
vigor or vitality (archaic)

4.  U.K.
FOOD See marrow squash  noun 1

5.  (plural
mar·rows or mar·row) U.K. PLANTS See marrow squash  noun
2
[Old
English mærh . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “marrow.”]
to
the marrow (of your bones)

used to emphasize how
intensely or deeply somebody is affected by something, especially the cold or
an unpleasant experience • I
was chilled to the marrow.[1]



marrowbone

marrowbone
mar·row·bone 
[mérrō bn] (plural mar·row·bones)
noun

bone with edible marrow:
a hollow bone that contains edible marrow, traditionally considered to be a
culinary delicacy[1]



marrowfat

marrowfat
mar·row·fat 
[mérrō fàt] (plural mar·row·fats)
or mar·row·fat pea [mérrō fàt]
(plural mar·row·fat peas) noun

large
pea:
a particularly large type of pea, or the variety of pea plant on which it
grows.
Also
called
marrow pea
[Mid-18th century. From an
earlier sense denoting a substance like tallow, obtained by boiling down
marrow, which the pea’s texture resembles.][1]



marrowpea

marrowpea
mar·row
pea
(plural mar·row peas) noun

See
marrowfat[1]



marrowpea

marrowpea
mar·row
pea
(plural mar·row peas) noun

See
marrowfat[1]



marrowsquash

marrowsquash
mar·row
squash
noun

1.  FOOD large
long green vegetable: a large long cylindrical
vegetable with a tough green or green and yellow rind, creamy-white flesh, and
a core of seeds that is usually scraped out before it is eaten

2.  PLANTS marrow
squash plant: a plant in the cucumber family that
produces marrow squash as fruit. Latin name: Cucurbita pepo

[1]



marry

marry1
mar·ry1 [mérree]
(past mar·ried, past participle mar·ried, present
participle mar·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·ries)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
somebody in marriage: to commit yourself to
somebody, or yourselves to each other, formally in marriage

2.  transitive
verb
LAW RELIGION join in marriage:
to officiate at somebody’s marriage ceremony and give legal sanction or a
religious blessing to the marriage

3.  transitive
verb
LAW give
in marriage: to give somebody, usually a child or
ward, to somebody in marriage, or bring about his or her marriage to somebody

4.  transitive
verb
acquire
by marriage: to acquire something, especially money,
by marry ing somebody who has it • wanted
to marry wealth and power, and got both

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
successfully: to combine successfully, or match things
with each other that combine successfully • The
meat and the spices marry well.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb See marry up

7.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL match
two pieces of rope together: to match two pieces of rope
together, especially before splicing them together
[13th
century. Via French marier, from Latin maritare, from maritus
“married person, husband,” literally “somebody who has a wife.”]
—mar·rier (plural
mar·ri·ers), noun[1]



marry

marry2
mar·ry2 [mérree]
interjection

exclamation
of surprise or indignation: used to add emphasis to a
statement, or to convey surprise or indignation (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.][1]



marrying

marrying
mar·ry·ing
[mérree ing] adjective

likely to marry:
likely or inclined to get married[1]



marryinto

marryinto
marry
into
transitive verb

join or get by marriage:
to become part of something, or gain something, through marriage[1]



marryoff

marryoff
marry
off
transitive verb

find marriage partner for
somebody: to find a husband or wife
for somebody, especially a child of yours, often to serve your own ends or to
free yourself from responsibility for the person[1]



marryup

marryup
marry
up
intransitive and transitive verb

fit together:
to fit and join together, or make two things fit and join together[1]



Mars

Mars
Mars 
[maarz] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
god of war:
in Roman mythology, the god of war and the father of Romulus, the founder of
Rome. Greek equivalent Ares

2.  ASTRONOMY planet
4th from the Sun: the third smallest planet in the solar
system and the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars has two small satellites and
its surface is a reddish-orange color.

[1]



Marsala

Marsala
Mar·sa·la 
[maar slə] noun

Sicilian
wine:
a sweet or dry dark red fortified wine from Sicily
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Sicilian port of Marsala, from which it was exported.][1]



Marsalis,Wynton

Marsalis,Wynton


Marsalis
[maar sliss], Wynton (1961– )
U.S. musician and bandleader. His skill
on the trumpet has won him renown in jazz and classical music.[1]



Marseillaise

Marseillaise
Mar·seillaise 
[mrssə yéz, mrssə
láyz] noun

French national anthem:
the French national anthem, written in Strasbourg in 1792 by Claude-Joseph
Rouget de Lisle, a captain in the French revolutionary army. Originally called
“War Song of the Army of the Rhine,” its present name derives from its
popularity with army units from Marseilles, the first to sing it in Paris.[1]



marseille

marseille
mar·seille 
[maar sáy, maar
sáyl] or mar·seilles [maar sáy,
maar sáyl] noun

cotton
fabric:
a heavy cotton fabric with a raised pattern, used for such things as bedspreads
[Mid-18th century. Named for Marseilles, from which it was exported.][1]



Marseilles

Marseilles
Mar·seilles
[maar sáy] or Mar·seille [maar sáy]

the leading port and capital
of Bouches-du-Rhône Department, Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur Region, southern
France. Population: 1,230,936 (1990)[1]



marsh

marsh
marsh 
[maarsh] (plural marsh·es) noun

soft
wet ground:
an area of low-lying waterlogged land, often beside water, that is poorly
drained and liable to flood, difficult to cross on foot, and unfit for
agriculture or building
[Old English merisc .
From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English mere, morass,
meerschaum, and mermaid ; ultimately from an Indo-European
word that also produced English marine
.][1]



marshal

marshal
mar·shal 
[mrsh’l] noun (plural mar·shals)

1.  MILITARY high
rank or high-ranking officer: an officer of the highest
rank in some armies and air forces

2.  somebody
in charge of event: somebody in charge of or
controlling an event or gathering such as a parade, ceremony, or sports
competition

3.  parade
honoree:
somebody who is the honoree in a parade, and who usually rides in a vehicle at
the head of the lines of marchers and floats

4.  LAW federal
law enforcement officer: a federal law enforcement
officer who carries out court orders in a given federal judicial district and
whose duties are similar to those of a local sheriff

5.  city
law officer: a municipal law enforcement officer in
some U.S. cities • The city marshal’s
office delivered the subpoenas.

6.  senior
fire or police officer: the head of the fire or
police departments in some U.S. cities
verb
(past mar·shaled or mar·shalled, past participle
mar·shaled or mar·shalled, present participle mar·shal·ing
or mar·shal·ling, 3rd person present singular mar·shals)

1.  transitive
verb
arrange:
to arrange things in an appropriate order so that they can be used effectively
• marshal
your thoughts

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY gather and organize troops:
to gather troops together and organize them, or gather together and organize,
before embarking on a military campaign or expedition

3.  transitive
verb
gather
together:
to gather people together and organize them into an effective body • marshal
your supporters

4.  transitive
verb
guide
or lead:
to guide or lead somebody carefully or in an officious or ceremonious way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb act as
marshal:
to act as a marshal at something such as a ceremony, parade, or sports event
[13th
century. From Old French mareschal “royal court official”; ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “groom,” literally “horse-servant.”]
—mar·shal·cy,
noun

—mar·shal·er,
noun

—mar·shal·ship, noun[1]



marshalingyard

marshalingyard
mar·shal·ing
yard
(plural mar·shal·ing yards) noun

place where trains are made
up: an area occupied by many
parallel railroad tracks, where railroad cars are made up into trains[1]



Marshall,George C.

Marshall,George C.
Mar·shall
[mrsh’l], George C. (1880–1959)

U.S.
military commander and politician. As secretary of state he initiated the
Marshall Plan (1948) to coordinate European economic recovery after World War
II.
Full name
Marshall, George Catlett[1]



MarshallIslands

MarshallIslands


Mar·shall Is·lands 
[mrsh’l ləndz]
republic consisting of 34 islands in the
central North Pacific Ocean. Population: 60,652 (1997) Area: 181 sq km/70 sq
mi. Official name Republic of the Marshall Islands[1]



Marshall,John

Marshall,John

Mar·shall
[mrsh’l], John (1755–1835)
U.S. jurist and statesman. He established
the principle of judicial review while serving as U.S. chief justice
(1801–1835).[1]



MarshallPlan

MarshallPlan
Mar·shall
Plan
noun

U.S.
postwar aid program: a program of loans and other
economic assistance provided by the U.S. government between 1947 and 1952 to
help western European nations rebuild after World War II
[Mid-20th century. Named for
George C. Marshall, who proposed it.][1]



Marshall,Thurgood

Marshall,Thurgood

Mar·shall
[mrsh’l], Thurgood (1908–1993)
U.S. civil rights lawyer and U.S. Supreme
Court justice. As chief counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (1939–1961), he
won nearly every civil rights case he argued, including the landmark Brown
v. Board of Education (1954) that ended racial segregation in public
schools. He was a consistently liberal voice on the U.S. Supreme Court
(1967–1991).[1]



Marshalltown

Marshalltown
Mar·shall·town 
[mrshəl tòwn]

city in central Iowa, on the
Iowa River, northeast of Des Moines and west of Cedar Rapids. Population:
25,321 (1996)[1]



Marsh,Dame Ngaio

Marsh,Dame Ngaio
Marsh
[maarsh], Dame Ngaio (1899–1982)

New
Zealand writer and theater director. She wrote more than 30 crime novels, and
played an important part in the development of live theater in New Zealand.
Full name
Marsh, Dame Edith Ngaio[1]



marshelder

marshelder
marsh
el·der
noun

coarse shrubby plant:
a coarse shrubby composite plant with unisexual flowers and greenish flower
heads, found growing in marshy areas of eastern and central North America,
especially in salt marshes. Genus: Iva[1]



marshfever

marshfever
marsh
fe·ver
noun

See
malaria[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








marshgas

marshgas
marsh
gas
noun

methane formed in marshes:
a gas, consisting mostly of methane, formed by the decomposition of plant
matter in the absence of air, for example, in marshes. Spontaneous combustion
of marsh gas is usually supposed to be the cause of the phenomenon known as a
will-o’-the-wisp or ignis fatuus.[1]



marshharrier

marshharrier
marsh
har·ri·er
noun

European marsh hawk:
a long-winged long-tailed hawk, the largest of the harriers, found mainly in
Europe and Asia, almost always in marshland and reed-beds. Latin name: Circus
aeruginosis[1]



marshhawk

marshhawk
marsh
hawk
noun

See
northern harrier[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








marshhen

marshhen
marsh
hen
(plural marsh hens) noun

wading marsh bird:
a wading bird that inhabits marshy areas and belongs to the family of birds
that includes the rail, coot, and gallinule. Family: Rallidae[1]



marshland

marshland
marsh·land 
[mrsh lànd, mrshlənd]
(plural marsh·lands) noun

marshy ground:
marshy ground, or an area or expanse of it[1]



marshmallow

marshmallow
marsh·mal·low 
[mrsh mèllō] (plural marsh·mal·lows)
noun

1.  soft
spongy candy: a soft spongy candy made from sugar
syrup, starch, gelatin, egg whites, flavoring, and setting agents, formerly
made from the root of the marshmallow plant

2.  marsh·mal·low
or marsh mal·low (plural marsh mal·lows) European
herb:
a perennial shrubby European plant that grows in marshes and has pink flowers
and sticky roots that were used in confections and medicine. It is now
naturalized in marshes of eastern North America. Latin name: Althacea
officinalis
—marsh·mal·low·y, adjective[1]



marshmarigold

marshmarigold
marsh
mar·i·gold
noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a plant of the buttercup family that grows in swampy areas of Europe and North
America and has round or kidney-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers. Latin
name: Caltha palustris
Also called
cowslip[1]



Marsh,Othniel Charles

Marsh,Othniel Charles
Marsh
[maarsh], Othniel Charles (1831–1899)

U.S. paleontologist. He
discovered many dinosaur fossils in North America. He strongly supported
Darwin’s theory of evolution.[1]



Marsh,Reginald

Marsh,Reginald
Marsh
[maarsh], Reginald (1898–1954)

U.S. painter. He depicted
scenes of New York City life in works such as The Bowery ( 1930 ).[1]



marshtit

marshtit
marsh
tit
(plural marsh tits) noun

small European bird:
a small European bird belonging to the tit family that has brownish-gray wings
and a black cap and is found in wooded, but not necessarily marshy, areas.
Latin name: Parus palustris[1]



marshtreader

marshtreader
marsh
tread·er
(plural marsh tread·ers) noun

thin water insect:
a slender aquatic insect with an elongated head that crawls on floating
vegetation and the surface of water, preying on mosquito larvae and tiny
crustaceans. Family: Hydrometridae
Also called
water measurer[1]



marshy

marshy
marsh·y 
[mrshee] (comparative marsh·i·er,
superlative marsh·i·est) adjective

consisting
of or like marsh: wet, soft, and muddy underfoot, or
consisting of marshland
—marsh·i·ness, noun[1]



marsupial

marsupial
mar·su·pi·al 
[maar spee əl] (plural mar·su·pi·als)
noun

animal
with a pouch: a mammal, for example, a kangaroo,
wombat, opossum, or koala, having no placenta and bearing immature young that
are developed in a pouch on the mother’s abdomen. Order: Marsupialia
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin marsupialis, from marsupium (see marsupium ).]
—mar·su·pi·al·ian
[maar spee áylee ən], adjective

—mar·su·pi·an [maar spee ən], adjective[1]



marsupialfrog

marsupialfrog
mar·su·pi·al
frog
(plural mar·su·pi·al frogs) noun

tree frog with a pouch:
any one of several species of tree frog in which the female carries the eggs in
a pouch on her back[1]



marsupium

marsupium
mar·su·pi·um 
[maar spee əm] (plural mar·su·pi·a
[maar spee ə]) noun

pouch
on marsupials: a pouch on the abdomen of most
marsupials that encloses the mammary glands and in which the animal’s newly
born offspring complete their development
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek marsupion, “pouch,” literally “little purse,” from marsippos
“purse,” perhaps of Iranian origin.][1]



mart

mart
mart 
[maart] (plural marts) noun

market:
a market, salesroom, or large store
[15th century. Via Dutch, an
obsolete variant of markt, from Latin mercatus (see market ).][1]



Mart.

Mart.
Mart.

Abbreviation of
Martinique[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Martaban,Gulf of

Martaban,Gulf of
Mar·ta·ban,
Gulf of
[mrtə bn]

inlet of the Andaman Sea,
east of the Irrawaddy delta, southeastern Myanmar[1]



martagon

martagon
mar·ta·gon 
[mrtəgən] (plural mar·ta·gons)
or mar·ta·gon lil·y [mrtəgən]
noun

lily
with mottled pinkish-purple flowers: a
lily native to Europe and Asia with mottled pinkish-purple flowers. Latin name:
Lilium martagon
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Turkish maraġān, a kind of turban, which the flower
is thought to resemble.][1]



Martello

Martello
Mar·tel·lo
[maar téllō] (plural Mar·tel·los)
or Mar·tel·lo tow·er [maar téllō]
(plural Mar·tel·lo tow·ers) noun

small
fort:
a fort in the form of a small circular tower, especially one built on the coast
for defense against invasion during the Napoleonic Wars
[Early 19th century. An
alteration, influenced by Italian martello “hammer,” of Cape Mortella
in Corsica, where such a tower was captured with great difficulty by the
British fleet in 1794.][1]



martelé

martelé
mar·te·lé 
[mrt’l áy] or mar·tel·la·to [mrt’l  t] adverb

in
an accented way: with the strings played in a strongly
accented way (used as a musical direction)
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “hammered.”][1]



marten

marten
mar·ten 
[mrt’n] (plural mar·ten or
mar·tens) noun

weasel-like
mammal:
a short-legged bushy-tailed mammal with a long slender body that lives in
trees, is carnivorous, and is found in northern forests. It is related to the
weasel. Genus: Martes
[13th century. Via Middle
Dutch martren from, ultimately, Old French martre, ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



martensite

martensite
mar·ten·site 
[mrt’n zt] noun

iron-carbon
material:
the hard solid solution of iron and carbon used in making hardened steel tools
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German metallurgist Adolf Martens ( 1850–1914 ).][1]



Martha

Martha
Mar·tha 
[mrthə] noun

friend of Jesus Christ:
in the Bible, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, and friend of Jesus Christ (Luke
10: 38–42)[1]



Martha’sVineyard

Martha’sVineyard
Mar·tha’s
Vine·yard 
[mrthəz vín yərd]

island in southeastern
Massachusetts, in the Atlantic Ocean, near Cape Cod. It is a popular summer
resort. Area: 280 sq km/108 sq mi.[1]



martial

martial
mar·tial 
[mrsh’l] adjective

1.  of
soldiers and war: typical of or suitable for soldiers, the
military life, or war

2.  warlike:
warlike and fierce
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin martialis, from Mars,
the god of war.]
—mar·tial·ism,
noun

—mar·tial·ist
(plural mar·tial·ists), noun

—mar·tial·ly,
adverb

—mar·tial·ness, noun[1]



martialart

martialart
mar·tial
art
(plural mar·tial arts) noun

combat technique:
a system of combat and self-defense, for example, judo or karate, developed
especially in Japan and Korea and now usually practiced as a sport[1]



martiallaw

martiallaw
mar·tial
law
noun

control by armed forces:
the control and policing of a civilian population by military forces and
according to military rules, imposed, for example, in wartime or when the
civilian government no longer functions[1]



Martian

Martian
Mar·tian 
[mrsh’n] adjective

of
the planet Mars: found on, typical of, or originating
from the planet Mars
noun
(plural Mar·tians)

inhabitant
of Mars:
a supposed inhabitant of the planet Mars
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French martien from Latin Martianus, from Mart-,
the stem of Mars “Mars.”][1]



martin

martin
mar·tin 
[mrt’n] (plural mar·tins) noun

swallow:
a bird of the swallow genus with a notched or square tail, for example, the
house martin or the purple martin
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly referring to St. Martin of Tours, perhaps because
the birds migrate around the time of his feast day in mid-November.][1]



martinet

martinet
mar·ti·net 
[mrt’n ét] (plural mar·ti·nets)
noun

1.  military
disciplinarian: a military officer who demands absolute
adherence to military rules and behavior by subordinates and peers

2.  rigid
disciplinarian: somebody who imposes strict discipline
on others
[Late
17th century. Named for Jean Martinet ( died 1672 ), who introduced
drills into the French army.]
—mar·ti·net·tish, adjective[1]



Martinez

Martinez
Mar·ti·nez 
[maar tnəz]

city in western California.
It is the seat of Contra Costa County. Population: 31,808 (1990)[1]



martingale

martingale
mar·tin·gale 
[mrt’n gàyl] (plural mar·tin·gales)
noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN part
of a horse’s harness: a strap of a horse’s harness
connecting the girth to the reins to keep the horse from throwing its head back

2.  mar·tin·gale
(plural martingales) or mar·tin·gale shroud (plural
martingale shrouds) NAUTICAL
part
of a sailing ship’s rigging: a rope or cable that
supports the forward-projecting spar ( bowsprit
) on some sailing ships

3.  GAMBLING gambling
system:
gambling in which the stakes are doubled after each loss
[Late 16th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from modern Provençal marte(n)gal
“inhabitant of Martiques (in Provence)” or an alteration of Spanish almártaga
“rein.”][1]



Martin,Glenn Luther

Martin,Glenn Luther
Mar·tin
[mrtin], Glenn Luther (1886–1955)

U.S. airplane manufacturer.
He designed the China Clipper and the Hawaiian Clipper, as well as World War II
bombers.[1]



martini

martini
mar·ti·ni 
[maar tnee] (plural mar·ti·nis)
noun

cocktail:
a cocktail made of gin or vodka with vermouth
[Late 19th century. From
Italian Martini, the surname of a winemaker.][1]



Martinique

Martinique

Mar·tin·ique 
[mrtə nk, mrt’n
k]
island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, an
overseas department of France. Population: 363,031 (1990) Area: 1,102 sq km/425
sq mi.[1]



Martinique




Back to definition

Martinique

[1]



MartinLuther King Day

MartinLuther King Day
Mar·tin
Lu·ther King Day noun

3rd Monday in January:
the third Monday in January, designated a public holiday in many states to
commemorate the life and work of Martin Luther King[1]



Martinsburg

Martinsburg
Mar·tins·burg
[mrtənz bùrg]

city in northeastern West
Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, southwest of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Population: 14,541 (1996)[1]



Martins,Peter

Martins,Peter
Mar·tins
[mrtinz], Peter

Danish-born U.S. dancer and
choreographer. He became director of the New York City Ballet in the 1980s.[1]



Martin,Steve

Martin,Steve
Mar·tin
[mrtin], Steve (1945– )

U.S. comedian and actor. He
became known for his appearances on television’s Saturday Night Live
during the 1970s and for numerous movie comedies.[1]



MartinV

MartinV
Mar·tin
V
[mrtin ə fífth], Pope (1368–1431)

His election in 1417, at the
Council of Constance, ended the Great Schism. He reunified the Western Church
and the Papal States.[1]



martlet

martlet
mart·let 
[mrtlət] (plural mart·lets) noun

1.  BIRDS house
martin:
a house martin (archaic or literary)

2.  HERALDRY bird
symbol on a coat of arms: on coats of arms, a footless
bird used to represent a fourth son
[Early 16th century. From
French martelet, alteration of martinet, pet form of the male
name Martin .][1]



martyr

martyr
mar·tyr 
[mrtər] noun (plural mar·tyrs)

1.  somebody
put to death: somebody who chooses to die rather than
deny religious or political beliefs

2.  somebody
who makes sacrifices: somebody who makes
sacrifices or suffers greatly in order to advance a cause or principle

3.  somebody
in pain:
somebody who experiences frequent or constant pain as a result of something

4.  somebody
seeking attention: somebody who complains a
great deal in order to get sympathy from others
verb
(past mar·tyred, past participle mar·tyred, present
participle mar·tyr·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·tyrs)

1.  transitive
verb
kill
somebody for holding beliefs: to kill somebody for
refusing to deny religious or political beliefs

2.  reflexive
verb
make
sacrifices for something: to make sacrifices or endure
hardship for something
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from Greek martur “witness.”][1]



martyrdom

martyrdom
mar·tyr·dom 
[mrtərdəm] noun

1.  being
a martyr:
the state of having been killed for refusing to deny religious or political
beliefs

2.  demise
of a martyr: the actual death of a martyr

3.  sacrifices
and endurance: the hardship and endurance involved in
making sacrifices for a cause

[1]



Martí,José Julian

Martí,José Julian

Mar·tí
[mrtee], José Julian (1853–1895)
Cuban revolutionary leader and poet. He
fought for Cuban independence from Spain and wrote many poems and essays on the
theme of political freedom.[1]



MaruyamaOkyo

MaruyamaOkyo
Maruyama
Okyo
[marroo ymə ṓki ō] (1733–1795)

Japanese
artist. He was founder of the Maruyama school of painting.
Born
Maruyama Mondo[1]



marvel

marvel
mar·vel 
[mrv’l] noun (plural mar·vels)

1.  wonderful
thing:
something that inspires awe, amazement, or admiration • one
of the marvels of the Ancient World

2.  somebody
skillful or helpful: somebody who is very good at
something, often somebody who gives much-needed help
transitive
verb
(past mar·veled, past participle mar·veled, present
participle mar·vel·ing, 3rd person present singular mar·vels)

be amazed: to be
very impressed, surprised, or bewildered • I
could only marvel at her stamina.
[13th century. Via French merveille
from Latin mirabilis “wonderful,” from mirari “to wonder at
something” (see miracle ).][1]



Marvell,Andrew

Marvell,Andrew
Mar·vell
[mrvəl], Andrew (1621–1678)

English poet and politician.
A metaphysical poet, he also wrote verse satires vigorously opposing the
post-Restoration government.[1]



marvelous

marvelous
mar·vel·ous
[mrvələss] or mar·vel·lous [mrvələss] adjective

1.  amazingly
impressive:
extraordinarily wonderful • a
marvelous example of Baroque architecture

2.  extremely
good:
very good or pleasing • It was
marvelous to see them all again.
—mar·vel·ous·ly,
adverb

—mar·vel·ous·ness, noun[1]



MarxBrothers

MarxBrothers
Marx
Broth·ers
[mrks brùthərz]

U.S. comedians. Chico (born
Leonard, 1891–1961), Groucho (born Julius Henry, 1895–1977), and Harpo (born
Adolph, 1888–1964), the three most prominent of the brothers, appeared in
comedy films such as A Night at the Opera ( 1935 ) and were known for
their anarchic verbal and visual humor. Groucho later hosted the television
game show You Bet Your Life ( 1950–1961 ). Two other brothers, Gummo
(born Milton, 1893–1977) and Zeppo (born Herbert, 1901–1979), appeared in some
of the Marx Brothers’ early work.[1]



Marxian

Marxian

Marx·i·an 
[mrksee ən] adjective
See
Marxist  adjective[1]



Marxism

Marxism
Marx·ism 
[mrk sìzzəm] noun

1.  Marx’s
theories:
the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, in which
class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western
societies

2.  politics
based on Marx’s theories: political ideology based on
the theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

[1]



Marxism-Leninism

Marxism-Leninism
Marx·ism-Len·in·ism 
noun

expansion
of Marxism:
Marxism with the inclusion of Lenin’s idea that imperialism is the final stage
of capitalism, and Lenin’s shifting of the focus of class struggle from
industrialized to nonindustrialized societies.
See
also
Leninism
—Marx·ist-Len·in·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



Marxist

Marxist
Marx·ist 
[mrksist] noun

follower
of Marxism:
somebody who supports or practices Marxism
adjective

of or supporting Marxism:
relating to, supporting, or implementing Marxism[1]



Marx,Karl

Marx,Karl

Marx 
[maarks], Karl (1818–1883)
German philosopher. His books, especially
the Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1867, 1885,
1894), were the basis of Communism.[1]



Mary

Mary
Ma·ry 
[máiree], Queen of the United Kingdom
(1867–1953)

A
great-granddaughter of King George III, she was the queen consort of George V
and the mother of Edward VIII and George VI. She is remembered especially for
her charitable and relief work during World War II.
Known as
Mary of Teck[1]



MaryI

MaryI
Mary
I
[máiree], Queen of England and Ireland
(1516–1558)

She was the daughter of Henry
VIII and Catherine of Aragon. As queen (1553–1558) she tried to restore Roman
Catholicism in England, and to cement union with Spain by marrying Philip II (1554).[1]



MaryII

MaryII
Mary
II
[máiree], Queen of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1662–1694)

After the Glorious Revolution
(1688) she was made coregent with her husband William III (Prince of Orange),
during whose absences she governed as regent.[1]



MaryJane

MaryJane
Mar·y
Jane 
[màiri jáyn] noun

marijuana:
marijuana (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Spanish Maria Juana, by folk etymology from mariguana
(see marijuana ).][1]



MaryJanes

MaryJanes
Mar·y
Janes
Trademark

a trademark for shoes and
boots, especially low-cut patent-leather shoes for girls with a strap fastening
near the ankle at the side[1]



Maryknoller

Maryknoller
Mar·y·knol·ler
[máiri nlər] (plural Mar·y·knol·lers)
noun

Roman
Catholic missionary: a member of the Catholic
Foreign Mission Society of America
[Mid-20th century. Named for Maryknoll,
New York, where the Society was founded.][1]



Maryland




Back to definition

Maryland

[1]



Maryland

Maryland


Mar·y·land 
[mérrilənd]
state
in the eastern United States, bordered by Delaware, the District of Columbia,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Atlantic Ocean. Capital:
Annapolis. Population: 5,094,289 (1997) Area: 27,089 sq km/10,455 sq mi.
—Mar·y·land·er, noun[1]



MaryMagdalene

MaryMagdalene
Ma·ry
Mag·da·lene 
noun

follower of Jesus Christ:
in the Bible, a follower of Jesus Christ, who cured her of evil spirits (Luke
8:2)[1]



Mary(Queen of Scots)

Mary(Queen of Scots)
Mary
(Queen of Scots) [máiree]
(1542–1587)

The
daughter of James V of Scotland, she was dowager queen of France when her
marriage to Lord Darnley (1565) gave her a claim to the English throne.
Elizabeth I imprisoned her in England after 1568 and signed the warrant under
which she was executed for treason in 1587.
Born
Stuart, Mary[1]



Mary,Saint

Mary,Saint
Ma·ry 
[máiree], Saint

Mother of Jesus Christ.
Christians believe that she conceived Jesus Christ without human contact,
through the direct intervention of God. In Islam she is venerated as Maryan.[1]



marzipan

marzipan
mar·zi·pan 
[mrzə pàn, mrtsə
pàn] noun

almond
paste:
a sweet paste made of ground almonds and sugar, often with egg whites or yolks,
used as a layer in cakes or molded into ornamental shapes
[15th
century. Via German from Italian marzapane “type of box,” originally for
candy or coins. Ultimately from Arabic mawtabān, literally “enthroned
king.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Arabic
  mawtabān meant literally “enthroned king.” It was used by the Saracens
  as the name of a medieval Venetian coin that had a figure of the seated Jesus
  Christ on it. In the Italian dialect of Venice the word became matapan,
  and eventually, in general Italian, marzapane ; and its meaning
  supposedly progressed from the “coin” via “measure of weight or capacity,”
  “box of such capacity,” and “such a box containing confectionery” to “the
  contents of such a box.” After English originally acquired the word (possibly
  via French) it became anglicized to marchpane, and that remained the
  standard form until the 19th century. Around this time marzipan was borrowed from German. This was an
  alteration of Italian marzapane, based on the misconception that it
  came from Latin marci panis “St. Mark’s bread.”

[1]



Masada

Masada
Ma·sa·da 
[mə sdə]

ancient ruined fortress in
Israel, on a mountaintop 48.3 km/30 mi southeast of Jerusalem, southwest of the
Dead Sea[1]



Masai

Masai
Ma·sai 
[maa s, m s]
(plural Ma·sai or Ma·sais) or Maa·sai
[maa s, m s]
(plural Maa·sai or Maa·sais) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an E African people: a member of a people who
live in East Africa, mainly in Kenya and Tanzania. Characteristically tall and
slender, the Masai are a pastoral people with strong warrior traditions.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Masai: the Nilotic language of the Masai, from
the Nilo-Saharan family of languages. About 700,000 people speak Masai.
—Ma·sai, adjective[1]



masala

masala
ma·sa·la
[mə slə] (plural masalas) noun

South
Asia
gossip:
casual conversation (informal)
[Late 18th century. From Urdu
maṣālaḥ .][1]



Masbate

Masbate
Mas·ba·te 
[maa btee]

island in the central
Philippines, in Masbate Province. Area: 4,046 sq km/1,562 sq mi.[1]



masc.

masc.
masc.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of masculine[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mascara

mascara
mas·car·a 
[ma skérrə, mə
skérrə] noun

eyelash
cosmetic:
thick colored paste applied to the eyelashes with a fine brush to darken them
and give the appearance of greater length and thickness
transitive
verb
(past mas·car·aed, past participle mas·car·aed, present
participle mas·car·aing, 3rd person present singular mas·car·as)

put
on mascara:
to apply mascara to eyelashes
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Spanish or Italian maschera (see mask ).][1]



MascareneIslands

MascareneIslands
Mas·ca·rene
Is·lands 
[màskərn ləndz]

group of islands east of
Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, including Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues.
Population: 1,798,000 (1996)[1]



mascarpone

mascarpone
mas·car·po·ne 
[ms kaar pṓnee, ms
kaar pṓn] noun

Italian
cheese:
a rich fatty unsalted Italian cream cheese with a spreadable texture
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “rich whey cheese.”][1]



mascle

mascle
mas·cle 
[máskəl] (plural mas·cles) noun

shape
on coats of arms: a design on coats of arms in the form of
a lozenge with a lozenge-shaped hole in the middle
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin macula “mesh.”][1]



mascon

mascon
mas·con 
[máss kòn] (plural mas·cons) noun

high-gravity
area on Moon: an area of higher-than-normal gravity on
the surface of the Moon
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of mass concentration .][1]



mascot

mascot
mas·cot 
[más kòt, máskət]
(plural mas·cots) noun

symbol
of good luck: a person, animal, or thing that is
believed to bring good luck, usually one that becomes the symbol of a
particular group, especially a team
[Late 19th century. Via
French mascotte from modern Provençal mascotto “little witch.”][1]



masculine

masculine
mas·cu·line 
[máskyəlin] adjective

1.  of
men and boys: relating or belonging to men and boys
rather than women and girls

2.  of
traditional manly character: traditionally associated
with men or boys rather than women or girls

3.  GRAMMAR of certain
grammatical gender: relating to one of the
classes that words and grammatical forms are divided into in some languages

4.  MUSIC concluding
on an accented beat: ending on a beat that is
accented
noun

GRAMMAR masculine
gender:
the masculine gender, or a word or form in the masculine gender
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin masculinus, from masculus
.]
—mas·cu·line·ly,
adverb

—mas·cu·line·ness, noun[1]



masculinecadence

masculinecadence
mas·cu·line
ca·dence
(plural mas·cu·line ca·denc·es) noun

MUSIC
end on strong beat:
a closing section of music ( cadence ) that
ends on a strong beat[1]



masculineending

masculineending
mas·cu·line
end·ing
(plural mas·cu·line end·ings) noun

1.  POETRY stressed
line ending: a stressed syllable that ends a line of
poetry

2.  GRAMMAR ending
marking masculine gender: an ending that marks a word
as belonging to the masculine gender in some languages

[1]



masculinerhyme

masculinerhyme
mas·cu·line
rhyme
(plural mas·cu·line rhymes) noun

POETRY
rhyme on stressed syllables:
a rhyme between two monosyllabic words, for example, “gab” and “blab,” or
between the final stressed syllables of polysyllabic words, for example,
“connive” and “survive”[1]



masculinity

masculinity
mas·cu·lin·i·ty 
[màskyə línnətee] noun

1.  condition
of male human: the state of being a man or boy

2.  traditional
manly qualities: those qualities conventionally supposed
to make a man a typical or excellent specimen of manhood, traditionally
physical strength and courage

[1]



masculinize

masculinize
mas·cu·lin·ize 
[máskyələ nz] (past mas·cu·lin·ized,
past participle mas·cu·lin·ized, present participle mas·cu·lin·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mas·cu·lin·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something seem male: to give something or
somebody features conventionally associated with maleness

2.  produce
male characteristics in female: to cause a female
animal or a plant to acquire male sexual characteristics, for example, as a
result of administering steroids
—mas·cu·lin·i·za·tion
[màskyələni záysh’n], noun[1]



Masefield,John

Masefield,John
Mase·field
[màyss fld], John (1878–1967)

British poet. The author of
vigorous narrative verse, collected in Salt Water Ballads ( 1902 ) and
other volumes, he was named poet laureate in 1930.[1]



maser

maser
ma·ser 
[máyzər] (plural ma·sers) noun

device
producing microwave beam: a device used in radar and
radio astronomy to boost the strength of microwaves
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
.][1]



Maseru

Maseru
Mas·er·u 
[mə sáiroo]

capital of Lesotho, situated
on the Caledon River, near the border with South Africa. Population: 130,000
(1992)[1]



MASH

MASH
MASH 
[mash] or M.A.S.H. [mash]

Abbreviation
of
mobile army surgical hospital





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  M*A*S*H,
  a movie by director Robert Altman ( 1970 ). Set in a Mobile Army Surgical
  Hospital during the Korean War, this dark satire focuses on a group of
  eccentric medics who combat the horrors of war with cynicism, ribald humor,
  and practical jokes. The movie gave rise to a long-running television series
  that made household names of characters such as Hawkeye Pierce, Hot Lips
  Houlihan, and Major Frank Burns.

[1]



mash

mash
mash 
[mash] noun

1.  BEVERAGES grain
and water mix: a fermentable mixture of hot water and
grain, usually barley or wheat, from which alcohol is brewed or distilled

2.  AGRICULTURE animal
food:
a mixture of ground feeds for livestock or poultry

3.  pulpy
mass:
the consistency of a soft pulp
transitive
verb
(past mashed, past participle mashed, present
participle mash·ing, 3rd person present singular mash·es)

1.  soak
grain:
to soak grain in hot water to make a mash for brewing or for feeding to animals

2.  make
pulp of:
to squash something into a pulpy mass

3.  crush
something:
to crush or grind something (informal)

4.  make
advances:
to make sexual advances toward somebody, especially as a man to a woman (dated
slang)
[Old English masc
“mash for brewing,” ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English mix and promiscuous][1]



masher

masher
mash·er 
[máshər] (plural mash·ers) noun

man who accosts women:
a man who inflicts his attentions on a woman (dated slang)[1]



mashgiah

mashgiah
mash·gi·ah 
[maash g kh] (plural mash·gi·him
[maash g khim, msh
gee khm]) or mash·gi·ach [maash
g kh] (plural mash·gi·chim) noun

Jewish
food official: an Orthodox rabbi, or a man appointed or
approved by such a rabbi, who inspects slaughterhouses, meat markets, and
restaurants to check that kosher food has been properly prepared and served
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew mašgīaḥ “supervisor.”][1]



mashie

mashie
mash·ie
[máshee] (plural mash·ies) noun

early
golf club:
an obsolete golf club similar to the modern five-iron
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via French massue “club” from, ultimately, late Latin
mattea “mace.”][1]



mashieniblick

mashieniblick
mash·ie
nib·lick
(plural mash·ie nib·licks) noun

early golf club:
an obsolete golf club similar to the modern six-iron[1]



Mashona

Mashona
Ma·sho·na
[mə shṓnə] noun adjective

See
Shona[1]



mask

mask

mask 
[mask] noun (plural masks)

1.  covering
for the face: a covering for the eyes, mouth, or whole
face

2.  concealing
thing:
something that conceals or disguises something else, for example, true motives
or feelings

3.  facelike
ornament:
a representation of a face used as an ornament or decoration

4.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
face markings: the face or facial markings of some
animals, for example, foxes and raccoons

5.  MILITARY concealment
for troops:
a natural or artificial feature that hides military troops and installations
from an enemy

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING template
for electronic chips: a template used to control
the pattern of conducting material deposited or etched onto a semiconductor
chip

7.  COSMETICS beauty
treatment:
a facial preparation used to tighten the skin and remove impurities, applied to
the skin as a paste and allowed to dry before being removed

8.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
guard:
a guard, often a sheet of paper, placed over areas of unexposed photographic
film to stop light from hitting it
transitive verb
(past masked, past participle masked, present
participle mask·ing, 3rd person present singular masks)

1.  hide
something:
to conceal or disguise something, for example, an unpleasant smell or a true
intention

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY shield
part of something: to cover part of a surface
using masking tape before painting or spraying

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY shield
photographic film from light: to prevent stray or unwanted
light from reaching areas of unexposed photographic film, either using hands or
a special shield

4.  CHEMISTRY stop
chemical from reacting: to prevent a chemical
substance from reacting by the addition of another chemical
[Early
16th century. Via French masque from late Latin masca “ghost,
mask,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Arabic masara “buffoon.”]
—mask·a·ble, adjective[1]



masked

masked
masked 
[maskt] adjective

1.  wearing
a mask:
with the face covered in order to prevent recognition

2.  MEDICINE not
detectable:
used to describe diseases and symptoms that are present but not yet perceptible

3.  BOTANY See personate

4.  ZOOLOGY with
markings like a mask: with markings on the head or
around the eyes that resemble a mask

[1]



maskedball

maskedball
masked
ball
(plural masked balls) noun

ball with masked dancers:
a ball at which people wear masks[1]



maskedhunter

maskedhunter
masked
hun·ter
(plural masked hun·ters) noun

insect that hunts other
insects: a central European insect,
belonging to the assassin bug family, introduced to the southern United States,
that usually preys on household insects, but occasionally bites humans. Latin
name: Reduvius personatus[1]



masker

masker
mask·er
[máskər] (plural mask·ers) noun

somebody wearing costume
mask: somebody who wears a mask at
a masked ball.
Also called
masquer[1]



masking

masking
mask·ing 
[másking] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY covering
one sense with another: the hiding or screening of
one sensory process, for example, hearing, by another, for example, sight

2.  THEATER scenery
hiding stage: scenery that is used to hide a part of
the stage from the audience

[1]



maskingtape

maskingtape
mask·ing
tape
noun

adhesive tape:
easy-to-remove adhesive tape used to cover parts of a surface that are not
meant to be painted[1]



Maslow,Abraham Harold

Maslow,Abraham Harold
Mas·low
[mázzlō, másslō],
Abraham Harold (1908–1970)

U.S. psychologist. He
developed the principles of humanistic psychology, most notably in Toward a
Psychology of Being ( 1962 ).[1]



masochism

masochism
mas·och·ism 
[mássə kìzzəm] noun

1.  sexual
pleasure achieved through humiliation:
sexual gratification achieved by humiliation and the acceptance of physical and
verbal abuse

2.  need
for pain:
the psychological disorder in which somebody needs to be emotionally or
physically abused in order to be sexually satisfied

3.  search
for abusive sexual partners: the active seeking out of
sexual partners who will dominate, humiliate, and physically and verbally abuse

4.  enjoyment
of hardship: the tendency to invite and enjoy misery
of any kind, especially in order to be pitied by others or perhaps admired for
forbearance
[Late
19th century. Named for the Austrian novelist Leopold von Sacher- Masoch ( 1836–1895
), who described such sexual practices.]
—mas·o·chist, noun[1]



masochistic

masochistic
mas·och·is·tic 
[màssə kístik] adjective

1.  of
or feeling masochism: relating to or experiencing
the desire to be humiliated and abused by others in order to feel sexually
fulfilled

2.  liking
and inviting misery: tending to invite and enjoy
misery
—mas·och·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Mason

Mason
Ma·son
[máyssən] noun

See
Freemason[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mason

mason
ma·son 
[máyss’n] noun (plural ma·sons)

somebody
working with stone: somebody who makes things
out of stone, for example, buildings or statues, or who prepares stone for
builders to use
transitive
verb
(past ma·soned, past participle ma·soned, present
participle ma·son·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·sons)

build
using stone: to build or strengthen something using
stone
[12th century. From Old
Norman French machun or Old French masson, of uncertain origin:
probably from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English make .][1]



masonbee

masonbee
ma·son
bee
(plural ma·son bees) noun

bee that builds clay nests:
any solitary bee that builds nests of sand or clay held together with saliva[1]



MasonCity

MasonCity
Ma·son
Ci·ty 
[màysən síttee]

city in northern Iowa, north
of Iowa Falls and northwest of Cedar Falls. Population: 28,972 (1996)[1]



Mason-DixonLine

Mason-DixonLine
Ma·son-Dix·on
Line 
[màyss’n díks’n ln] noun

line
between free and slave states: the boundary that
separated Pennsylvania from Maryland and Virginia, regarded as the dividing
line between free and slave states before the Civil War
[Named for the 18th century
surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon][1]



Mason,George

Mason,George
Ma·son 
[máyss’n], George (1725–1792)

American patriot. He
influenced the Declaration of Independence (1776) and argued for the Bill of
Rights (1791).[1]



Masonic

Masonic
Ma·son·ic 
adjective

of Freemasonry:
relating to Freemasons or Freemasonry[1]



masonic

masonic
ma·son·ic
[mə sónnik] adjective

of
stonemasonry: relating to stonemasons or their work
—ma·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Masonite

Masonite
Ma·son·ite
[máyssə nt] Trademark

a trademark for fiberboard
products used as insulation, paneling, and partitions in buildings[1]



Masonjar

Masonjar
Ma·son
jar
(plural Ma·son jars) noun

jar
for preserving food: a wide-mouthed glass jar
with a lid that screws or clips on and forms a vacuum seal, used for preserving
food, especially fruits and vegetables
[Late 19th century. Named for
its inventor, John Mason ( 1832–1902 ).][1]



Masonry

Masonry
Ma·son·ry
[máyssənree] noun

Freemasonry:
Freemasonry[1]



masonry

masonry
ma·son·ry 
[máyss’nree] noun

1.  mason’s
trade:
the trade of a mason

2.  mason’s
work:
the work done by a mason

3.  stonework:
the stone or brick parts of a building or other structure

[1]



masonwasp

masonwasp
ma·son
wasp
(plural ma·son wasps) noun

wasp nesting in mortar:
a solitary wasp that builds mud nests or digs out nests in old mortar. Genus: Odynerus[1]



Masorete

Masorete
Ma·sor·ete
[mássə rt] (plural Ma·sor·etes)
or Ma·sor·ite [mássə rt] (plural
Ma·sor·ites) noun

early
Jewish scholar: one of the scholars who produced the
traditional text of the Hebrew Bible ( Masoretic
text )
[Late 16th century. Via
French or modern Latin Massoreta from a misuse of Hebrew māsōre
).][1]



Masoretic

Masoretic
Mas·o·ret·ic
[màssə réttik] adjective

of Hebrew Bible:
used to describe or relating to the traditional text of the Hebrew Bible[1]



Masoretictext

Masoretictext
Mas·o·ret·ic
text
noun

Hebrew Bible:
the traditional text of the Hebrew Bible, revised and annotated by Jewish
scholars between the 6th and 10th centuries A.D.[1]



Masorite

Masorite
Ma·sor·ite
(plural Ma·sor·ites) noun

See
Masorete[1]



masque

masque
masque 
[mask] (plural masques) noun

1.  performance:
a dramatic entertainment similar to opera, popular in England in the 16th and
17th centuries, in which masked performers represented mythological or
allegorical characters

2.  text
of masque:
the music and words written for a masque

3.  See
masquerade  noun 1
[Early 16th century. From
French (see mask ).][1]



masquer

masquer
mas·quer 
[maskər] (plural mas·quers) noun

See
masker[1]



masquerade

masquerade
mas·quer·ade 
[màskə ráyd] noun (plural mas·quer·ades)

1.  party
with masks:
a party at which masks and costumes are worn, whether an informal gathering of
friends or a formal ball.
Also
called
masque noun 3

2.  disguising
costume:
a costume worn to a masquerade

3.  disguising
pretense:
a pretense or disguise
intransitive
verb
(past mas·quer·ad·ed, past participle mas·quer·ad·ed,
present participle mas·quer·ad·ing, 3rd person present
singular mas·quer·ades)

1.  pretend:
to pretend to be somebody or something else

2.  wear
a costume:
to wear a particular costume to a party
[Late
16th century. Via French mascarade from Italian mascherata, from maschera
mask .]
—mas·quer·ad·er, noun[1]



Mass

Mass
Mass
(plural Masses) or mass (plural mass·es)
noun

1.  Christian
ceremony:
in the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestant churches, the religious
ceremony of the Communion

2.  musical
setting of Mass: a part of the text of a Roman Catholic
Mass set to music, to be sung by a choir
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin missa from, ultimately, Latin mittere “send
away.”][1]



mass

mass
mass 
[mass] noun (plural mass·es)

1.  lump:
a body of matter that forms a whole but has no definable shape

2.  collection:
a collection of many individual parts • The
garden is a mass of weeds.

3.  great
unspecified quantity: a large but unspecified
number or quantity • I have masses of work
to do.

4.  major
part:
the greater part or majority • The
mass of respondents oppose the legislation.

5.  PHYSICS physical
quantity:
the property of an object that is a measure of its inertia, the amount of
matter it contains, and its influence in a gravitational field. Symbol m

6.  PAINTING area
of painting: a large area of a painting where the
light, shade, or color is uniform

7.  PHARMACOLOGY mixture
containing drugs: a thick paste containing drugs that is
made into pills

8.  MINING deposit
of ore:
an irregular deposit of ore that does not occur in veins
intransitive
and transitive verb (past massed, past
participle massed, present participle mass·ing, 3rd
person present singular mass·es)

collect: to
gather or be gathered in a mass • Troops
are massing on the border.
adjective

1.  of
a large number: made up of or containing a large number
• a
mass demonstration

2.  general:
broadly general, in scope or effect • The
mass effect is rather disappointing.
[14th century. Via French masse
and Latin massa from Greek maza “barley cake.”][1]



Mass.

Mass.
Mass.

Abbreviation of
Massachusetts[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Massachusett

Massachusett
Mas·sa·chu·sett
[màssə chssət] (plural Mas·sa·chu·sett
or Mas·sa·chu·setts) or Mas·sa·chu·set [màssə chssət] (plural Mas·sa·chu·set
or Mas·sa·chu·sets) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who used to live in the Massachusetts Bay area

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
N American language: an extinct Native North
American language formerly spoken in an area around Massachusetts Bay and
belonging to the Algonquian branch of Algonquian-Wakashan languages. It died
out in the 17th century when disease wiped out the entire population of its
speakers.
—Mas·sa·chu·sett, adjective[1]



Massachusetts




Back to definition

Massachusetts

[1]



Massachusetts

Massachusetts


Mas·sa·chu·setts 
[màssə chssəts]
state in the northeastern United States,
bordered by Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and
the Atlantic Ocean. Capital: Boston. Population: 6,117,520 (1997) Area: 21,399
sq km/8,262 sq mi. Official name Commonwealth of Massachusetts[1]



MassachusettsBay

MassachusettsBay
Mas·sa·chu·setts
Bay
[màssə chssəts báy]

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean,
eastern Massachusetts[1]



massacre

massacre
mas·sa·cre 
[mássəkər] noun (plural mas·sa·cres)

1.  killing
of many people: the vicious killing of large numbers of
people or animals

2.  bad
defeat:
a contest in which one side is badly beaten (informal)
transitive
verb
(past mas·sa·cred, past participle mas·sa·cred, present
participle mas·sa·cring, 3rd person present singular mas·sa·cres)

1.  kill
in large numbers: to kill large numbers of people or
animals

2.  defeat
somebody completely: to defeat somebody
completely, especially in a sports contest (informal)
[Late
16th century. From French, “butchery,” of unknown origin.]
—mas·sa·crer, noun[1]



massage

massage
mas·sage 
[mə szh, mə sj]
noun (plural mas·sag·es)

rubbing of the body:
a treatment that involves rubbing or kneading the muscles, either for medical
or therapeutic purposes or simply as an aid to relaxation
transitive
verb
(past mas·saged, past participle mas·saged, present
participle mas·sag·ing, 3rd person present singular mas·sag·es)

1.  rub
somebody’s muscles: to rub or knead somebody’s
muscles

2.  manipulate
deceptively: to manipulate statistics or other
information in order to create a more suitable or falsely impressive result • They
massaged the figures.

3.  enhance:
to give something a boost with kind or uplifting treatment, especially
somebody’s ego with flattery
[Late
19th century. From French, from masser “to massage,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Arabic masaa “to stroke” or Portuguese amassar
“to knead.”]
—mas·sag·er, noun[1]



massageparlor

massageparlor
mas·sage
par·lor
(plural mas·sage par·lors) noun

1.  place
for massage: a place that provides massages to paying
customers

2.  brothel:
a place that offers sex services for money, including sexual massages

[1]



Massapequa

Massapequa
Mas·sa·pe·qua 
[màssə pkwə]

city in New York, in Nassau
county. Population: 22,018 (1990)[1]



massasauga

massasauga
mas·sa·sau·ga 
[màssə sáwgə] (plural mas·sa·sau·gas)
noun

N
American rattlesnake: a small North American
rattlesnake that has variable coloring. Latin name: Sistrurus catenatus
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Mississagi, a river in southeastern Ontario, Canada.][1]



Massasoit

Massasoit
Massa·soit 
[mássə soyt] (1580?–1661)

Native North American leader.
He negotiated peace with the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony, and shared the first
Thanksgiving feast (1621).[1]



massbalance

massbalance
mass
bal·ance
noun

mathematical indicator of
input and output: a mathematical
equation, table, or quantitative chart showing the mass inputs and outputs of a
process, plant, or machine, the principle being that what goes in must come out[1]



masscommunication

masscommunication
mass
com·mu·ni·ca·tion or mass com·mu·ni·ca·tions
noun

communication by mass media:
communication by means of broadcasting and newspapers, that reaches all or most
people in society[1]



masscult

masscult
mass·cult 
[máss kùlt] noun

culture
relayed via mass media: culture as it is presented
and interpreted by the mass media (informal)
[Shortening of mass culture][1]



massdefect

massdefect
mass
de·fect
noun

disparity in atomic mass:
the difference between the mass of an isotope and the element’s mass number[1]



Massena

Massena
Mas·se·na
[mə snə]

village in northeastern New
York State, near the St. Lawrence River. Population: 11,867 (1994)[1]



mass-energyequivalence

mass-energyequivalence
mass-en·er·gy
e·quiv·a·lence  noun

theory that mass equals
energy: the principle in the theory
of relativity that mass and energy are equivalent and interchangeable according
to the equation E = mc 2[1]



Massenet,Jules Emile Frédéric

Massenet,Jules Emile Frédéric
Mas·se·net
[mássə nay], Jules Emile Frédéric
(1842–1912)

French composer. Famous for
his opera Manon ( 1884 ), he also wrote oratorios, cantatas, and
orchestral pieces.[1]



masses

masses
mass·es
[mássiz, mássəz]
plural noun

ordinary people:
ordinary people in society, as distinct from political leaders, aristocracy, or
educated people[1]



masseter

masseter
mas·se·ter 
[mə stər, ma
stər] (plural mas·se·ters) noun

cheek
muscle:
a muscle in the cheek that moves the jaws during chewing
[Late
16th century. From Greek masētēr, from masasthai “to chew.”]
—mas·se·ter·ic [màssə térrik], adjective[1]



masseur

masseur
mas·seur 
[ma súr, mə súr,
ma sr] (plural mas·seurs) noun

man
who massages: a man who gives massages professionally
[Late 19th century. From
French, from masser (see massage ).][1]



masseuse

masseuse
mas·seuse 
[ma sz] (plural mas·seuses) noun

woman
who massages: a woman who gives massages
professionally
[Late 19th century. From
French, feminine of masseur (see massage
).][1]



massextinction

massextinction
mass
ex·tinc·tion noun

destruction of a whole
species: the destruction of a whole
species by force of nature such as climate change, volcanic eruption, or an
asteroid collision, thought by many scientists to account for the end of
dinosaurs[1]



Massey,Charles Vincent

Massey,Charles Vincent
Mas·sey
[mássee], Charles Vincent (1887–1967)

Canadian statesman and
diplomat. He was Canada’s first native-born governor general (1952–1959).[1]



Massey,Raymond

Massey,Raymond
Mas·sey
[mássee], Raymond (1896–1983)

Canadian
actor. He starred for many years as Dr. Gillespie in TV’s long-running Dr.
Kildare series and played the title role in the movie Abe Lincoln in
Illinois ( 1938 ).
Full name
Massey, Raymond Hart[1]



massicot

massicot
mas·si·cot 
[mássi kòt, mássi
k] noun

form
of lead:
a yellow mineral consisting of lead oxide, or a powdered form of it used as a
pigment
[15th century. From French,
of uncertain origin: probably from Italian marzacotto “potter’s glaze,”
perhaps ultimately of Arabic or Greek origin.][1]



massif

massif
mas·sif 
[ma sf] (plural mas·sifs) noun

1.  mountains:
a large mountain mass, or a group of connected mountains that form a mountain
range

2.  Earth’s
crust:
a part of the Earth’s crust that is surrounded by faults and may be shifted or
displaced by tectonic movements
[Early 16th century. From
French (see massive ).][1]



MassifCentral

MassifCentral
Mas·sif
Cen·tral 
[màssif sen trl]

highland region in south
central France[1]



massin

massin
mass
in
transitive verb

color something in:
to fill in areas of color or shade in a drawing or painting[1]



massive

massive
mas·sive 
[mássiv] adjective

1.  unusually
large:
large in comparison with what is typical or usual • gained
a massive amount of weight

2.  bulky:
large, solid, and heavy

3.  large-scale:
extremely large in amount, degree, or scope

4.  MINERALS devoid
of visible crystals: with no visible crystalline
structure

5.  GEOLOGY homogenous:
used to describe rock that is of the same composition throughout, as distinct
from being layered
[15th
century. Via French massif and Old French massiz from,
ultimately, Latin massa (see mass ).]
—mas·sive·ness, noun[1]



Massive,Mount

Massive,Mount
Mas·sive,
Mount
[mássiv]

mountain in central Colorado
in the Sawatch Range. Height: 4,396 m/14,421 ft.[1]



massleisure

massleisure
mass
lei·sure
noun

population’s leisure
activities: the everyday leisure
pursuits of the majority of a population, an aspect of popular culture. It is
shaped by and shapes the values, behaviors, and economics of societies and
cultures.[1]



massless

massless
mass·less 
[mássləss] adjective

having zero mass:
with a mass of zero[1]



mass-market

mass-market
mass-mar·ket 
adjective

appealing
to widest clientele: designed for sale to as wide
a range of people as possible, rather than to a particular group in society
transitive
verb

sell something to many
people: to sell something to as many
people as possible by advertising and promoting it widely[1]



massmedia

massmedia
mass
me·di·a
noun

communications media in
general: all of the communications
media that reach a large audience, especially television, radio, and newspapers
(takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



massnoun

massnoun
mass
noun
(plural mass nouns) noun

usually uncountable noun:
a noun representing something that cannot be counted, for example, “water,” or
something that can only be counted if the meaning is a single type or serving,
for example, “coffee”[1]



massnumber

massnumber
mass
num·ber
(plural mass num·bers) noun

CHEMISTRY
number of protons and neutrons:
the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of a particular
substance. Symbol A
Also called
nucleon number[1]



mass-produce

mass-produce
mass-pro·duce 
transitive verb

make
products in large volumes: to manufacture a product in
very large quantities in factories, especially using mechanization and
assembly-line methods
—mass pro·duc·er, noun[1]



massproduction

massproduction
mass
pro·duc·tion noun

large-scale manufacturing:
the manufacturing of products on a large scale in factories, especially using
mechanization and assembly-line methods[1]



masssociety

masssociety
mass
so·ci·e·ty
noun

society lacking diversity:
a society in which the national or global nature of the influences on life, for
example, mass production and the mass media, has stripped the population of its
diversity[1]



massspectrograph

massspectrograph
mass
spec·tro·graph (plural mass spec·tro·graphs)
noun

CHEMISTRY
device separating molecules:
an instrument that separates atoms and molecules according to their mass and
that records the resulting mass spectrum[1]



massspectrum

massspectrum
mass
spec·trum
(plural mass spec·trums) noun

CHEMISTRY
record of chemical constituents:
a record of the chemical constituents of a substance separated according to
their mass and presented as a spectrum[1]



massé

massé
mas·sé 
[ma sáy] (plural mas·sés) noun

curving
billiards shot: a shot in cue games in which the cue is
held almost vertically to strike the cue ball off center, making it curve
around one ball to hit another
[Late 19th century. From
French, from masse (see mace 1 ).][1]



mast-

mast-
mast-
prefix

breast,
nipple, mammary gland • mastitis
[From Greek mastos, of
unknown origin][1]



mast

mast2
mast2 [mast]
noun

AGRICULTURE nuts
as hog feed: the nuts of certain trees, such as
beech, oak, and chestnut, especially when used as food for hogs
[Old English mæst
“fodder.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “meat.”][1]



mast

mast1

mast1 [mast]
noun (plural masts)

1.  NAUTICAL vertical
support:
a vertical spar that supports sails, rigging, or flags on a ship

2.  upright
pole:
a vertical pole

3.  BROADCASTING broadcast
tower:
a tall broadcasting antenna

4.  NAVY See captain’s mast
intransitive and transitive verb
(past mast·ed, past participle mast·ed, present
participle mast·ing, 3rd person present singular masts)

NAVY subject
to captain’s mast: to subject somebody charged
with a usually shipboard or on-base crime or infringement to a disciplinary
hearing ( captain’s mast ), or undergo such
a hearing
[Old
English mæst, ultimately from Indo-European]
at half mast

1.  partway
down a flagpole, usually as a sign of respect following a death • flags
flying at half mast

2.  partway
up or down from the usual position at which something is worn (informal
humorous) • pants at half mast

before the mast

serving
as an ordinary sailor or apprentice seaman

[1]



mastaba

mastaba
mas·ta·ba
[mástəbə] (plural mas·ta·bas) or
mas·ta·bah [mástəbə] (plural mastabahs)
noun

Egyptian
tomb:
an ancient Egyptian mudbrick tomb built with a flat base, sloping sides, and a
flat roof. Its design inspired the pyramids.
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic maṣaba .][1]



mastalgia

mastalgia
mas·tal·gia
[ma stáljə, ma
stáljee ə] noun

breast pain:
pain in the breast[1]



mastcell

mastcell
mast
cell
(plural mast cells) noun

connective
tissue cell: a large cell in connective tissue
consisting of granules that release histamine and heparin during allergic
reactions
[From German Mast
“fattening, feeding”][1]



mastectomy

mastectomy
mas·tec·to·my 
[ma stéktəmee] (plural mas·tec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of breast:
the surgical removal of a breast, usually as a treatment for breast cancer
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek mastos “breast” + -ectomy
.][1]



Master

Master
Mas·ter
[mástər] noun

1.  prefix
to boy’s name: a title sometimes prefixed to a boy’s
surname in formal circumstances

2.  RELIGION religious
teacher:
a title used to address a man who is a religious leader or teacher (sometimes
considered offensive)

3.  Mister:
Mister (archaic)

[1]



master

master
mas·ter 
[mástər] noun (plural mas·ters)

1.  boss:
a man in a position of authority, for example, over a business, servants, or an
animal

2.  somebody
highly skilled: somebody who has great skill in a
particular area

3.  somebody
in control:
somebody or something controlling or influencing events or other things (sometimes
considered offensive)

4.  abstract
control:
an abstract idea or force that is thought of as having control or influence (sometimes
considered offensive)

5.  INDUSTRY skilled
worker:
somebody who is highly skilled in a trade or craft and is qualified to teach
apprentices (usually used in combination)

6.  original
copy:
an original copy of something such as a recording tape or a stencil, from which
other copies can be made

7.  GAME player
at high level: somebody who has reached a level of
excellence in some games, especially chess or bridge, reckoned by number of
games or points won in major tournaments.
See
also
International Master

8.  leader:
somebody whose philosophy or religious belief has attracted followers (sometimes
considered offensive)

9.  NAUTICAL ship’s
officer:
the captain of a merchant ship.
Also
called
master mariner

10. LAW specialist
assisting judge: a specialist, sometimes a retired judge,
who assists a court by making a report to the judge presiding over a case,
often a highly complex case

11. victor:
somebody who defeats another (literary)

12. COMPUT MECHANICAL ENGINEERING controlling
machine:
a device or computer that controls the operation of one or more other connected
devices or computers (sometimes considered offensive)
adjective
(sometimes considered offensive)

1.  main:
devised to operate on the broadest level • a
master plan for flood evacuations

2.  controlling:
controlling the operation of everything or of all others

3.  principal:
biggest or primary among several • redecorated
the master bedroom
transitive
verb
(past mas·tered, past participle mas·tered, present
participle mas·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular mas·ters)

1.  learn
something:
to become highly skilled in something, or acquire a complete understanding of
it

2.  control
something:
to learn to control feelings or behavior (sometimes considered offensive)

3.  control
somebody:
to break the will of a person or animal (sometimes considered offensive)

4.  RECORDING make
master recording: to produce a master recording
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old English mæġister and Old French maistre from
Latin magister “chief” (source of English magistrate
), from magis “more.”]
—mas·ter·less, adjective[1]



master-at-arms

master-at-arms
mas·ter-at-arms 
(plural mas·ters-at-arms) noun

ship’s noncommissioned
officer: a noncommissioned officer
aboard a naval vessel who is responsible for maintaining order and enforcing
discipline in the ship’s company[1]



masterbuilder

masterbuilder
mas·ter
build·er
(plural mas·ter build·ers) noun

builder:
an especially accomplished builder, especially one licensed to employ others as
labor (sometimes considered offensive)[1]



masterchief petty officer

masterchief petty officer
mas·ter
chief pet·ty of·fi·cer (plural mas·ter
chief pet·ty of·fi·cers) noun

Navy or Coast Guard
noncommissioned rank: the highest
noncommissioned rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard, or a person holding it[1]



masterclass

masterclass
mas·ter
class
(plural mas·ter clas·ses) noun

class given by expert:
a class given by an acknowledged expert in a particular field (sometimes
considered offensive)[1]



masterful

masterful
mas·ter·ful 
[mástərfəl] adjective

1.  expert:
demonstrating exceptional skill or ability in a specific area (sometimes
considered offensive)

2.  showing
leadership:
showing the ability or tendency to lead others
—mas·ter·ful·ly,
adverb

—mas·ter·ful·ness, noun[1]



masterkey

masterkey
mas·ter
key
(plural mas·ter keys) noun

key opening all locks in
place: a key that will open all the
locks in a particular set or place.
Also called
passkey[1]



masterly

masterly
mas·ter·ly 
[mástərlee] adjective

brilliantly
skilled:
demonstrating outstanding skill
—mas·ter·li·ness, noun[1]



mastermariner

mastermariner
mas·ter
mar·i·ner
(plural mas·ter mar·i·ners) noun

See
master  noun 9[1]



mastermind

mastermind
mas·ter·mind 
[mástər mnd] noun (plural mas·ter·minds)

chief
planner:
somebody who plans, organizes, and oversees a complex operation
transitive
verb
(past mas·ter·mind·ed, past participle mas·ter·mind·ed,
present participle mas·ter·mind·ing, 3rd person present
singular mas·ter·minds)

oversee operation:
to plan, organize, and oversee a complex operation[1]



Masterof Arts

Masterof Arts
Mas·ter
of Arts
(plural Mas·ters of Arts) noun

college degree:
a degree in a nonscience subject, usually awarded after one or two years of
postgraduate study[1]



masterof ceremonies

masterof ceremonies
mas·ter
of cer·e·mo·nies noun

formal host:
somebody who performs the duties of a host at a formal event, making the
opening speech and introducing other speakers or performers (sometimes
considered offensive)[1]



Masterof Science

Masterof Science
Mas·ter
of Sci·ence
(plural Mas·ters of Sci·ence) noun

college degree:
a degree in a science subject, usually awarded after one or two years of
postgraduate study[1]



masterpiece

masterpiece
mas·ter·piece 
[mástər pss] (plural mas·ter·piec·es)
noun

1.  great
artistic work: an exceptionally good piece of creative
work, for example, a book, film, or performance.
Also
called
masterwork

2.  artist’s
best work:
the best piece of work by a particular artist or craftsperson.
Also
called
masterwork

3.  work
earning recognition by guild: the piece of work presented
to a medieval guild to show that its maker was worthy of the rank of master
craftsman
[Early 17th century. Formed
on the model of Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstück .][1]



masterrace

masterrace
mas·ter
race
noun

group claiming superiority:
a group of people who consider themselves a race superior to all others,
especially the Aryans in the ideology of Nazi Germany (offensive in some
contexts)[1]



Masters,Edgar Lee

Masters,Edgar Lee
Mas·ters
[mstərz], Edgar Lee (1869–1950)

U.S. poet. He is best known
for his free-verse small-town epic Spoon River Anthology ( 1915 ).[1]



mastersergeant

mastersergeant
mas·ter
ser·geant
(plural mas·ter ser·geants) noun

1.  noncommissioned
rank:
a senior noncommissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and
certain other military groups, ranking immediately below the most senior
noncommissioned rank

2.  holder
of rank:
somebody in a U.S. military organization who holds the rank of master sergeant

[1]



mastersinger

mastersinger
mas·ter·sing·er 
[mástər sìngər] (plural mas·ter·sing·ers)
noun

See
Meistersinger
[Early 19th century. An
Anglicization of Meistersinger .][1]



Masterson,Bat

Masterson,Bat
Mas·ter·son
[mstərssən], Bat (1853–1921)

Canadian-born
U.S. sheriff. He was based in Dodge City, Kansas (1887–1879) where he also
worked as a journalist.
Born
Masterson, Bartholomew Full name Masterson, William Barclay[1]



masterstroke

masterstroke
mas·ter·stroke 
[mástər strk] (plural mas·ter·strokes)
noun

good idea:
a brilliant idea or very clever tactic[1]



Masterton

Masterton
Mas·ter·ton
[mástərtən]

town in the south of the
North Island, New Zealand. Population: 19,954 (1996)[1]



masterwork

masterwork
mas·ter·work 
[mástər wùrk] noun

See
masterpiece  noun 1
See masterpiece  noun 2[1]



mastery

mastery
mas·ter·y 
[mástəree] noun

1.  expert
skill:
expert knowledge or outstanding ability

2.  complete
control:
total control over somebody or something (sometimes considered offensive)

[1]



Master’sdegree

Master’sdegree
Mas·ter’s
de·gree
(plural Mas·ter’s de·grees) noun

college degree:
a college degree with the title Master, usually awarded after one or two years
of postgraduate study[1]



masthead

masthead
mast·head 
[mást hèd] (plural mast·heads)
noun

1.  PRESS newspaper’s
title as displayed: the name of a newspaper or
magazine as it appears in large letters on the front cover

2.  PRESS newspaper
information: the list that provides information about
staff, owners, and circulation in a newspaper or magazine, usually printed on
the first page

3.  SAILING mast’s
top:
the top of a mast

[1]



mastic

mastic
mas·tic 
[mástik] (plural mas·tics) noun

1.  resin:
an aromatic resin produced by a Mediterranean tree, used to make lacquer,
varnish, adhesives, and condiments

2.  INDUSTRY cement:
a flexible cement used as a filler, adhesive, or sealant in woodwork, plaster,
or brickwork

3.  BEVERAGES liquor:
a liquor in which mastic gum is used as a flavoring

4.  TREES See mastic tree  noun
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek mastikhan “to grind the teeth.” So called
because the resin of the mastic tree can be chewed.][1]



masticate

masticate
mas·ti·cate 
[másti kàyt] (past mas·ti·cat·ed,
past participle mas·ti·cat·ed, present participle mas·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular mas·ti·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb chew
food:
to grind and pulverize food inside the mouth, using the teeth and jaws

2.  transitive
verb
grind
to a pulp:
to grind or crush something until it turns to pulp
[Mid-17th
century. Via the past participle stem of Latin masticare from Greek mastikhan
“to grind the teeth.”]
—mas·ti·ca·ble,
adjective

—mas·ti·ca·tion
[màsti káysh’n], noun

—mas·ti·ca·tor [másti kàytər], noun[1]



masticatory

masticatory
mas·ti·ca·to·ry 
[mástikə tàwree] adjective

of
chewing:
relating to chewing
noun
(plural mas·ti·ca·to·ries)

MEDICINE
medicine:
a medicine made to be chewed in order to increase the production of saliva[1]



mastictree

mastictree
mas·tic
tree
(plural mas·tic trees) noun

evergreen shrub:
a small Mediterranean evergreen shrub belonging to the cashew family, grown for
its resin. Latin name: Pistachia lentiscus
Also called
lentisk
Also called
mastic[1]



mastiff

mastiff
mas·tiff 
[mástif] (plural mas·tiffs) noun

big
smooth-haired dog: a breed of large powerful
smooth-haired dogs, often tan or grayish with a dark face
[14th century. Via Old French
mastin from, ultimately, Latin mansuetus literally “used to the
hand,” from manus “hand.”][1]



mastiffbat

mastiffbat
mas·tiff
bat
(plural mas·tiff bats) noun

snub-nosed bat:
a snub-nosed bat found in most of the warm regions of the world. It has narrow
wings and brown, gray, or black fur. Family: Molossidae[1]



mastigure

mastigure
mas·tig·ure
[másti gyr] (plural mas·tig·ures)
noun

spiny-tailed
lizard:
a lizard of northern Africa and the Middle East that blocks its burrow with its
very spiny tail. Genus: Uromastix
[Mid-19th century. Coined via
modern Latin from Greek mastix “whip” + oura “tail.”][1]



mastitis

mastitis
mas·ti·tis 
[ma sttiss] noun

breast
inflammation: inflammation of a woman’s breast or an
animal’s udder, usually as a result of bacterial infection
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from masto- + -itis .]
—mas·tit·ic [ma stíttik], adjective[1]



mastodon

mastodon
mas·to·don 
[mástə dòn] (plural mas·to·dons)
noun

large
shaggy extinct mammal: a large extinct mammal that
resembled an elephant, with shaggy hair and two sets of tusks. Genus: Mastodon
[Early
19th century. Coined from masto- + Greek odōn “tooth.” So called because
it had nipple-shaped tubercles on its molars.]
—mas·to·don·ic
[màstə dónnik], adjective

—mas·to·don·tic [màstə dóntik], adjective[1]



mastoid

mastoid
mas·toid 
[máss tòyd] adjective

1.  nipple-shaped:
shaped like a nipple or breast

2.  of
mastoid process: relating to the mastoid process
noun
(plural mas·toids)

ANATOMY See mastoid process
[Mid-18th century. Via French
mastoïde or modern Latin mastoides from Greek mastoeidēs,
from mastos “breast.”][1]



mastoidbone

mastoidbone
mas·toid
bone
(plural mas·toid bones) noun

See
mastoid process[1]



mastoidcell

mastoidcell
mas·toid
cell
(plural mas·toid cells) noun

part of mastoid process:
an air-filled space in the mastoid process[1]



mastoidectomy

mastoidectomy
mas·toid·ec·to·my 
[màss toy déktəmee] (plural mas·toid·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal of mastoid process:
a surgical operation to remove part of an infected mastoid process to allow pus
to drain off and prevent infection from spreading to the meninges[1]



mastoiditis

mastoiditis
mas·toid·i·tis 
[màss toy dtəss] noun

mastoid inflammation:
inflammation of the mastoid process and mastoid cells[1]



mastoidprocess

mastoidprocess
mas·toid
proc·ess
(plural mas·toid proc·ess·es) noun

bony part of ear:
a bony protuberance on the skull, found behind the ear in many vertebrates,
including humans.
Also called
mastoid bone
Also called
mastoid[1]



Mastroianni,Marcello

Mastroianni,Marcello
Mas·troi·an·ni
[màst roy yánnee], Marcello (1924–1996)

Italian movie actor.
Specializing in romantic or bittersweet comedy, he worked with many of the
great Italian directors, including Federico Fellini in La Dolce Vita (
1960 ).[1]



masturbate

masturbate
mas·tur·bate 
[mástər bàyt] (past mas·tur·bat·ed,
past participle mas·tur·bat·ed, present participle mas·tur·bat·ing,
3rd person present singular mas·tur·bates) intransitive and
transitive verb

stroke
genitals:
to give oneself or somebody else sexual pleasure by stroking the genitals,
usually to orgasm
[Mid-19th
century. From the past participle of masturbari, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from manu stuprare “to defile with the hand.”]
—mas·tur·ba·tor, noun[1]



masturbation

masturbation
mas·tur·ba·tion 
[màstər báysh’n] noun

stroking genitals:
the stroking of genitals for sexual pleasure, usually to orgasm[1]



masturbatory

masturbatory
mas·tur·ba·to·ry
[mástərbə tàwree] adjective

of masturbation:
relating to or for the purpose of masturbation[1]



masurium

masurium
ma·sur·i·um 
[mə sree əm] noun

technetium:
the metallic element technetium (dated)
[Early 20th century. From
German, named for Masuria, a region of northeastern Poland.][1]



mat

mat2
mat2 [mat]
noun (plural mats)

1.  ARTS picture
border:
a border of stiff material placed around a picture to act as a simple frame or
as a decorative edge within a frame

2.  mat
or matte nongloss finish:
a dull or nonglossy finish, for example, on paintwork or photographic prints
transitive
verb
(past mat·ted, past participle mat·ted, present
participle mat·ting, 3rd person present singular mats)

frame with mat:
to put a mat around a picture
adjective
mat matte

having mat finish:
with a mat finish
[Variant of matt from French,
“dull”][1]



mat

mat3
mat3 noun adjective

See
matt[1]



mat.

mat.
mat.
or mat

Abbreviation of
matinée[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mat

mat1
mat1 [mat]
noun (plural mats)

1.  piece
of carpet:
flat material placed on a floor for decoration or protection or for wiping the
feet

2.  SPORTS LEISURE piece of padded material:
a piece of padded material placed on the floor for use in some sports and
activities, for example, to absorb the impact of falling in judo

3.  HOUSEHOLD protective
cover:
a piece of fabric or board that protects tables and other surfaces from damage
by heat or scratching, for example, placed under hot dinner plates or ornaments

4.  thick
mass:
any thick or interwoven mass, for example, a tangle of hair
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mat·ted,
past participle mat·ted, present participle mat·ting,
3rd person present singular mats)

form tangled mass:
to make something into or become a thick tangled mass
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
matta, of uncertain origin: probably from a Phoenician word.][1]



M.A.T.

M.A.T.
M.A.T.

Abbreviation of
Master of Arts in Teaching[1]



Matabeleland

Matabeleland
Mat·a·be·le·land 
[màttə blə land]

region in southern Zimbabwe[1]



Matadi

Matadi
Ma·ta·di
[mə tdee]

capital of Bas-Congo Region,
western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Population: 172,730 (1994)[1]



matador

matador
mat·a·dor 
[máttə dàwr] (plural mat·a·dors)
noun

1.  bullfighter:
the main bullfighter, whose job is to kill the bull

2.  CARD GAMES high
card:
one of the highest playing cards in some games such as skat

3.  GAME domino
game:
a variety of the game of dominoes in which the dots on adjacent halves must
total seven
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, from matar “to kill,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from late
Latin mattare “to beat senseless” or Persian māt “dead.”][1]



matagouri

matagouri
mat·a·gou·ri 
[màttə gree] (plural mat·a·gou·ris)
noun

New
Zealand bush: a thorny bush that forms thickets in
open areas of New Zealand. Latin name: Discaria toumatou
Also
called
tumatakuru
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Maori tumatakuru .][1]



MataHari

MataHari

Ma·ta
Ha·ri 
[mtə hree] (1876–1917)
Dutch
dancer and spy. Through her liaisons with high-ranking officers, she gathered
intelligence for the Germans during World War I. She was executed by the
French.
Real name
Zelle, Margaretha Geertruida[1]



MataHari

MataHari
Ma·ta
Ha·ri 
[mtə hree] noun

fish
from Pacific and Indian oceans: a valuable food fish
in the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans that looks like a snapper with a
scaleless head. Latin name: Lethrinus nebulosis
[From Mata Hari, formed from Malay mata “eye” + hari
“day”][1]



matai

matai
mat·ai 
[m t] (plural mat·ais) noun

New
Zealand tree: a cone-bearing evergreen tree found in
New Zealand with bluish bark and small narrow leaves that grow in two rows. Its
wood is often used for flooring. Latin name: Podocarpus spicatus
Also
called
black pine
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



Matamoros

Matamoros
Ma·ta·mo·ros 
[màttə máwrəss]

city and port in northeastern
Mexico, near the mouth of the Rio Grande and across the river from Brownsville,
Texas. Population: 266,065 (1990)[1]



match

match1
match1 [mach]
noun (plural match·es)

1.  contest:
a contest between opponents, especially a sports contest

2.  something
similar:
somebody who or something that resembles another in certain qualities

3.  an
equal:
somebody or something capable of competing equally with another

4.  good
complement:
something that combines well with something else

5.  marital
partnership: a partnership in wedlock

6.  potential
partner:
somebody who is thought to be a suitable marriage or romantic partner

7.  counterpart:
somebody who or something that is identical to another or is one half of a pair
verb
(past matched, past participle matched, present
participle match·ing, 3rd person present singular match·es)

1.  transitive
verb
be
alike:
to be similar or identical to somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
compete
equally:
to be as good, or sometimes as bad, as somebody or something else

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
well:
to make a suitable or pleasing combination, or put things together to make such
a combination

4.  transitive
verb
be
in harmony:
to correspond with something or reflect certain features

5.  transitive
verb
find
something that combines: to find something that makes
a suitable accompaniment

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
cleanly:
to fit or join something smoothly

7.  transitive
verb
place
in opposition: to provide somebody or something with an
opponent

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb toss coins:
to toss coins to see which sides land face up in order to determine a choice or
decision

9.  transitive
verb
marry
somebody:
to give or join somebody in marriage (archaic)
[Old
English gemæcca “spouse, lover.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English make
.]
—match·a·bil·i·ty
[màchə bíllətee], noun

—match·a·ble
[máchəb’l], adjective

—match·er, noun[1]



match

match2
match2 [mach]
(plural match·es) noun

1.  stick
producing fire: a thin stick of wood whose tip is coated
with a combustible material that ignites when scraped against a rough surface,
used to light a fire, candle, or gas appliance

2.  ARMS explosives
fuse:
a slow-burning fuse used in cannons and explosives
[14th century. Via Old French
meiche from, ultimately, Greek muxa “lampwick” (original sense in
English).][1]



matchboard

matchboard
match·board 
[mách bàwrd] (plural match·boards)
noun

board to be joined:
a board that has a tongue along one edge and a groove along the other so that
it can be fitted together with other boards[1]



matchbook

matchbook
match·book 
[mách bk] (plural match·books)
noun

book for matches:
a small cardboard folder with safety matches inside and a striking surface
usually on the outside[1]



matchbox

matchbox
match·box 
[mách bòks] (plural match·box·es)
noun

box for matches:
a small cardboard box for matches, with a striking surface along one or both
sides[1]



matchless

matchless
match·less 
[máchləss] adjective

unrivaled:
so outstandingly great as to have no rival
—match·less·ly,
adverb

—match·less·ness, noun[1]



matchlock

matchlock
match·lock 
[mách lòk] (plural match·locks)
noun

1.  trigger:
an old trigger mechanism in guns that ignited the powder with a slow-burning
fuse

2.  gun:
a gun equipped with a matchlock

[1]



matchmaker

matchmaker
match·mak·er 
[mách màykər] (plural match·mak·ers)
noun

somebody who arranges
relationships: somebody who tries to
arrange romantic partnerships or marriages, either professionally or informally[1]



matchplay

matchplay
match
play
noun

golf
scoring method: a method of golf scoring in which the
number of holes won is counted rather than the number of strokes
—match play·er, noun[1]



matchpoint

matchpoint
match
point
(plural match points) noun

1.  SPORTS final
point:
the final point needed to win a match, especially in tennis and other racket
games

2.  BRIDGE scoring
unit:
a unit used for scoring in bridge tournaments

[1]



matchstick

matchstick
match·stick 
[mách stìk] noun (plural match·sticks)

stem of match:
the wooden part of a match
adjective

1.  made
from matches: built of matchsticks

2.  like
sticks in thinness: in the form of thin strips
or simple lines

[1]



matchup

matchup
match·up 
[mách ùp] (plural match·ups) noun

matching of competitors:
a matching of two people or two teams in a competitive sport[1]



mate

mate2
mate2  noun (plural mates)
transitive verb (past mat·ed, past participle mat·ed,
present participle mat·ing, 3rd person present singular mates)

CHESS See checkmate
[14th century. (See checkmate ).][1]



mate

mate1
mate1  [mayt]
noun (plural mates)

1.  SHIPPING deck
officer:
a deck officer ranking below the master on a merchant ship, or the rank the
officer holds

2.  NAVY petty
officer:
a petty officer in the U.S. Navy who is assistant to a warrant officer, or the
rank the officer holds

3.  partner
in sex or wedlock: a sexual or marriage partner

4.  skilled
worker’s helper: an assistant to a skilled worker • a
plumber’s mate

5.  something
that matches: one of a pair of things that belong
together

6.  breeding
partner:
either of a pair of animals that breed together

7.  U.K.
friend:
a friend, also used as a friendly, or sometimes hostile, form of address to a
man
verb
(past mat·ed, past participle mat·ed, present
participle mat·ing, 3rd person present singular mates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breed:
to come together or be brought together to breed

2.  intransitive
verb
have
sex:
to engage in sex

3.  transitive
verb
connect
two objects: to combine or connect two things

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb marry:
to join or become joined in marriage (informal or humorous)
[14th
century. From Middle Low German gemate . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English meat
. The underlying sense is “somebody you share food with.”]
—mate·less, adjective[1]



matelote

matelote
mat·e·lote 
[mátt’l t, mtə
lṓt] (plural mat·e·lotes) noun

fish
stew:
a chunky fish stew made with wine
[Early 18th century. Via
French, “sailor,” from Middle Dutch mattenoot “bed companion.”][1]



mater

mater
ma·ter 
[máytər] (plural ma·ters) noun

U.K.
mother:
mother (dated informal or humorous)
[Late
16th century. From Latin (see mother ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word from which mater derives is
  also the source of English madrigal,
  material, maternal, matriculate,
  matrimony, matrix, matron,
  and matter . Its ultimate
  Indo-European ancestor also produced English metropolis
  and mother.

[1]



materfamilias

materfamilias
ma·ter·fa·mil·i·as 
[màytər fə míllee ass] (plural ma·tres·fa·mil·i·as
[mày trayz fə míllee ass]) noun

woman
head of family: a woman described in her role as head of
a household or as the mother of her children (literary)
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “mother of the family.”][1]



material

material
ma·te·ri·al 
[mə tree əl] noun

1.  something
used in making items: the substance used to make
things

2.  information:
information such as facts, notes, and research, used in the making of a book,
movie, or other work

3.  (plural
ma·te·ri·als) TEXTILES fabric:
woven flat cloth or fabric

4.  somebody
suitable:
somebody regarded in terms of his or her suitability to perform a certain job
or do a task • She’s
certainly executive material.
plural
noun
ma·te·ri·als

equipment: the
tools and other things needed to perform a particular task
adjective

1.  physical:
relating to or consisting of solid physical matter • the
material universe

2.  worldly:
relating to physical well-being rather than emotional or spiritual well-being • material
comforts

3.  pertinent:
relevant or important

4.  LAW important
in court:
important to a case that is being tried in court • testimony
that is material to the case

5.  PHILOSOPHY of
content not form: relating to the substance of reasoning
rather than the form it takes
[14th
century. Via French matériel from late Latin materialis, from
Latin materia (see matter ).]
—ma·te·ri·al·i·ty
[mə tree állətee], noun

—ma·te·ri·al·ness [mə tree əlnəss], noun[1]



materialism

materialism
ma·te·ri·al·ism 
[mə tree ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of the physical: the theory that physical matter is the
only reality and that psychological states such as emotions, reason, thought,
and desire will eventually be explained as physical functions

2.  focus
on possessions: devotion to material wealth and
possessions at the expense of spiritual or intellectual values

[1]



materialist

materialist
ma·te·ri·al·ist
[mə tree əlist] noun (plural ma·te·ri·al·ists)

1.  somebody
concerned about possessions: somebody who is concerned
with material wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual and
intellectual values

2.  PHILOSOPHY supporter
of philosophical materialism: somebody who supports the
view that physical matter is the only reality and that psychological states
will eventually be explained as physical functions
adjective

See materialistic

[1]



materialistic

materialistic
ma·te·ri·al·is·tic
[mə tree ə lístik] adjective

focusing
on material things: concerned with material
wealth and possessions at the expense of spiritual and intellectual values
—ma·te·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



materialize

materialize
ma·te·ri·al·ize 
[mə tree ə lz] (past ma·te·ri·al·ized,
past participle ma·te·ri·al·ized, present participle ma·te·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·te·ri·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
real:
to become real or become fact

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb assume
physical form: to assume, or cause a ghost or spirit to
assume, a physical form

3.  intransitive
verb
appear:
to appear suddenly, as if out of nowhere
—ma·te·ri·al·i·za·tion
[mə tree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



materially

materially
ma·te·ri·al·ly 
[mə tree əlee] adverb

1.  much:
in a real sense or to a significant degree

2.  physically:
in terms of material wealth and possessions

[1]



materialsscience

materialsscience
ma·te·ri·als
sci·ence 
noun

study of materials:
the study of the features and applications of the different materials used in
science and technology such as metals, plastics, and ceramics[1]



maternal

maternal
ma·ter·nal
[mə túrn’l] adjective

1.  of
or like a mother: belonging or relating to motherhood, a
mother, or mothers in general • maternal
pride

2.  caring:
kind, caring, and protective in a motherly way • a
very maternal person

3.  on
or from the mother’s side: relating to or inherited
from the mother or the mother’s side of a family • Her
maternal grandfather was Polish.
[15th
century. Via French maternel from assumed Vulgar Latin maternalis,
from Latin maternus, from mater (see matter
).]
—ma·ter·nal·ism,
noun

—ma·ter·nal·is·tic
[mə tùrn’l ístik], adjective

—ma·ter·nal·ly [mə túrn’lee], adverb[1]



maternity

maternity
ma·ter·ni·ty
[mə túrnətee] noun

1.  motherhood:
the condition of being a mother • Maternity
did not affect the progress of her career.

2.  motherly
characteristics: the characteristics and emotions
traditionally associated with being a mother such as loving kindness and
protectiveness

3.  hospital
section caring for newborns: a ward, floor, or other
section of a hospital where mothers and newborn babies are cared for
adjective

of or for pregnancy or birth:
relating to or provided for pregnancy, pregnant women, or women who have just
given birth • maternity
clothes
[Early 17th century. Via
French maternité from, ultimately, Latin maternus (see maternal ).][1]



maternityleave

maternityleave
ma·ter·ni·ty
leave
noun

leave from work to have baby:
paid or unpaid leave from work that a woman is entitled to take before, at, and
after the time that she has a child[1]



maternityward

maternityward
maternity
ward
(plural maternity wards) noun

ward for new mothers and
babies: a hospital ward for the care
of newly delivered babies and their mothers, often also with beds for pregnant
women who need medical attention before having their babies[1]



matey

matey
mat·ey
[máytee] adjective (comparative
mat·i·er, superlative mat·i·est)

U.K. friendly:
friendly, especially in a way that is familiar or seems insincere • Those
two have been very matey lately.
noun
(informal)

1.  term
of address for unknown man: used by a man to address
another man he does not know

2.  (plural
mateys) friend: a man
who is another man’s friend and companion
—mat·i·ness, noun[1]



math

math
math
[math] noun

mathematics:
mathematics.
U.K.
term
maths
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



math.

math.
math.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mathematical

2.  Abbreviation
of
mathematically

3.  Abbreviation
of
mathematician

4.  Abbreviation
of
mathematics

[1]



mathematic

mathematic
math·e·mat·ic
[màthə máttik] adjective

mathematical:
mathematical (archaic or literary)
noun

math:
mathematics (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via French mathématique from Latin mathematicus, from,
ultimately, the Greek stem mathēmat- “something learned,” related to manthanein
“to learn.”][1]



mathematical

mathematical
math·e·mat·i·cal
[màthə máttik’l] adjective

1.  of
mathematics: belonging to, relating to, or used in
mathematics

2.  accurate:
as accurate as if calculated by mathematics • crafted
the strategy with mathematical precision

3.  worked
out by mathematics: calculated or proved by
mathematics • It’s
a mathematical certainty that two numbers in the set will be the same.

4.  good
at mathematics: skilled in mathematics • more
artistic than mathematical
[15th
century. Formed from French mathématique or its source Latin mathematicus
(see mathematic ).]
—math·e·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mathematicalexpectation

mathematicalexpectation
math·e·mat·i·cal
ex·pec·ta·tion (plural math·e·mat·i·cal
ex·pec·ta·tions) noun

See
expected value[1]



mathematicalinduction

mathematicalinduction
math·e·mat·i·cal
in·duc·tion
noun

See
induction  noun 9[1]



mathematician

mathematician
math·e·ma·ti·cian
[màthəmə tísh’n] (plural math·e·ma·ti·cians)
noun

student or user of
mathematics: a student or expert in
mathematics, or somebody whose job involves mathematics[1]



mathematics

mathematics
math·e·mat·ics 
[màthə máttiks] noun

1.  MATHEMATICS study
of relationships using numbers: the study of the
relationships among numbers, shapes, and quantities. It uses signs, symbols,
and proofs and includes arithmetic, algebra, calculus, geometry, and
trigonometry. (takes a singular verb)

2.  calculations:
the calculations involved in a process, estimate, or plan (takes a plural
verb) • I
like the idea, but the mathematics of it are beyond me.
[Late 16th century. Formed
from mathematic, probably modeled on French (les)
mathématiques, a rendering of Latin mathematica, from, ultimately,
Greek mathēmat- (see mathematic ).][1]



mathematize

mathematize
math·e·ma·tize
[máthəmə tz] (past math·e·ma·tized,
past participle math·e·ma·tized, present participle math·e·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular math·e·ma·tiz·es) transitive verb

reduce
to mathematics: to consider something in, or reduce it
to, purely mathematical terms • Members
of the Institute were apt to mathematize everything, including their social
lives.
—math·e·ma·ti·za·tion
[màthəməti záysh’n], noun[1]



Mather,Cotton

Mather,Cotton
Mather
[máər, máyər],
Cotton (1663–1728)

U.S. puritan minister and
theologian. He published 469 works on witchcraft, ethics, religion, natural
history, medicine and science, and championed inoculations against smallpox.[1]



Mather,Increase

Mather,Increase
Mather
[máyər, máər],
Increase (1639–1723)

U.S. puritan minister. Father
of Cotton Mather, he was president of Harvard College (1685–1701). He
campaigned against the prevailing witchcraft hysteria of the day.[1]



Mathewson,Christy

Mathewson,Christy
Mathewson
[máthyoossən], Christy (1880–1925)

U.S.
baseball player. He played as pitcher for the New York Giants (1901–1916) and
set the record for the most wins.
Full name
Mathewson, Christopher Nickname Big Six[1]



maths

maths
maths
[maths] noun

U.K.
(informal) See math
[Early 20th century.
Contraction.][1]



Mathura

Mathura
Ma·thu·ra 
[mútərə]

capital city of Mathura
District, Uttar Pradesh State, northern India. Population: 226,850 (1991)[1]



Matilda

Matilda
Matilda 
[mə tíldə] (1102–1167)

English princess. Though she
was the daughter and acknowledged heir of Henry I of England, the throne was
seized by Stephen and she was never crowned queen.[1]



matilijapoppy

matilijapoppy
ma·til·i·ja
pop·py
[mə tíllee h pòppee] noun

plant
with white flower: a perennial Californian and
Mexican herb of the poppy family that produces a single large white flower.
Latin name: Romneya coulteri
[Named for Matilija
Canyon in California][1]



matin

matin
mat·in
[mátt’n] or mat·in·al [mátt’nəl] adjective

of
matins:
belonging or relating to matins, or taking place during matins
[13th century. From French matines
(see matins ).][1]



matins

matins
mat·ins
[mátt’nz] noun

1.  mat·ins
or Mat·ins CHRISTIANITY
morning
liturgy:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the morning hours of the Divine Office

2.  CHRISTIANITY morning
prayer:
in the Church of England, the ceremony of morning prayer

3.  CHRISTIANITY hours
before Vigil: in some Roman Catholic monastic
communities, the hours before a Vigil

4.  dawn
chorus:
a morning song, especially one sung by birds (literary)
[13th century. Via French matines
from, ultimately, Latin matutinus “of the morning,” from Matuta
“goddess of dawn” (related to maturus, source of English mature ).][1]



matinée

matinée
mat·i·née
[màtt’n áy] (plural mat·i·nées)
or mat·i·nee [màtt’n áy] (plural
mat·i·nees) noun

1.  afternoon
performance: a performance of a play, concert, or
motion picture that is given during the day, especially in the afternoon, often
with cheaper seats than the evening performance

2.  midday
or afternoon event: an event or social occasion
taking place at midday or in the afternoon • The
Senior Center holds a matinée dance on the first Saturday of each month.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “morning,” because it takes place in the daytime, from matin
(see matins ).][1]



matinéeidol

matinéeidol
mat·i·née
i·dol
(plural mat·i·née i·dols) noun

handsome movie star:
an actor, especially a good-looking man movie star of the 1930s and 1940s, who
was attractive to matinée audiences formed mostly of women (dated)[1]



Matisse,Henri

Matisse,Henri

Ma·tisse
[mə tss], Henri (1869–1954)
French
artist. A leader of the fauve group from 1904, and an influential 20th-century
artist, he used bold colour to create rhythmical forms and a flat perspective,
later working with brightly colored cut-out paper on canvas.
Full name
Matisse, Henri Émile Benoît[1]



matjesherring

matjesherring
mat·jes
her·ring
[mtyəss hérring] or maat·jes
her·ring [mtyəss hérring] noun

raw
herring:
a filet or filets of herring, especially of a young herring that has not
spawned, that is lightly salted, usually sweetened with sugar and flavored with
spice, and eaten raw with onions.
Also
called
maatjes herring
[Partial translation of Dutch
maatjesharing, literally “maiden’s herring,” from maatjes
“maiden’s,” from its use for young herring, + haring “herring”][1]



MatoGrosso

MatoGrosso
Mat·o
Gros·so
[màttō gróssō]

state in southwestern Brazil.
Population: 2,020,581 (1991) Area: 881,000 sq km/340,000 sq mi.[1]



MatopoHills

MatopoHills
Ma·to·po
Hills
[mə tpə hílz]

region of granite hills in
southwestern Zimbabwe. Area: 3,240 sq km/1,250 sq mi.[1]



matri-

matri-
matri-
prefix

mother,
maternal • matrilineal
• matriarchy
[From Latin matr-, the
stem of mater (see mater )][1]



matriarch

matriarch
ma·tri·arch
[máytree rk] (plural ma·tri·archs)
noun

1.  woman
head of a family or group: a woman who is recognized as
being the head of a family, community, or people

2.  strong
senior woman: a woman, usually a grandmother, who is
highly respected by her family and to whom the family turns for advice and help

3.  woman
in a powerful position: a woman who holds a position
of dominance, authority, or respect
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin matri- (see matri-
), on the model of patriarch .]
—ma·tri·ar·chic [màytree rkik], adjective[1]



matriarchal

matriarchal
ma·tri·ar·chal
[màytree rk’l] adjective

1.  in
which women hold power: used to describe a society
in which power and property are held by women and handed down through
matrilineal descent

2.  controlled
by women:
controlled or dominated by women

3.  with
the traditional qualities of a strong woman:
showing strength and assurance as the most respected woman in a group • My
grandmother was a powerful, matriarchal figure.

4.  of
matriarchs:
relating to a matriarch or to matriarchs in general
—ma·tri·ar·chal·ism, noun[1]



matriarchate

matriarchate
ma·tri·ar·chate
[máytree r kàyt, máytree
rkət] (plural ma·tri·ar·chates) noun

See
matriarchy  noun 2
[Late 19th century. Formed
from matriarch on the model of patriarchate
.][1]



matriarchy

matriarchy
ma·tri·ar·chy
[máytree rkee] (plural ma·tri·ar·chies)
noun

1.  social
order where women have power: a form of social order where
women are in charge and are recognized as the heads of families, with power,
lineage, and inheritance passing, where possible, from mothers to daughters

2.  community
where women have power: any community, society, or
social group that is based on matriarchy.
Also
called
matriarchate

3.  organization
where women have power: any form of organization or
government where women have power
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on patriarchy .][1]



matrices

matrices
ma·tri·ces

Plural of
matrix[1]



matricide

matricide
mat·ri·cide
[máttrə sd] (plural mat·ri·cides)
noun

1.  killing
of own mother: the act of murdering your own mother

2.  killer
of own mother: somebody who has murdered his or her own
mother
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin matricidium, from matr-
(see matri- ).]
—mat·ri·ci·dal [màttrə sd’l], adjective[1]



matriclinous

matriclinous
mat·ri·cli·nous 
[màttrə klnəss] or mat·ro·cli·nous
[màttrə klnəss] or mat·ro·cli·nal
[màttrə klnəl] adjective

having characteristics of the
woman parent: having obvious
characteristics that are inherited predominantly from the woman parent[1]



matriculant

matriculant
ma·tric·u·lant
[mə tríkyələnt] (plural ma·tric·u·lants)
noun

See
matriculate  noun
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin matriculant-, the present participle stem of matriculare
(see matriculate ).][1]



matriculate

matriculate
ma·tric·u·late
verb [mə tríkyə làyt] (past ma·tric·u·lat·ed,
past participle ma·tric·u·lat·ed, present participle ma·tric·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ma·tric·u·lates)

1.  transitive
verb
admit
somebody as student: to admit a student to
membership of a college or university

2.  intransitive
verb
be
enrolled as a student: to be enrolled at a college
or university, after meeting the academic standard required to be accepted for
a course of further education
noun
[mə tríkyələt, mə
tríkyə làyt] (plural ma·tric·u·lates)

somebody enrolled:
somebody who has matriculated.
Also
called
matriculant
[Late
16th century. From assumed medieval Latin matriculare, from matricula,
literally “little list,” from matrix (see matrix
).]
—ma·tric·u·la·tion
[mə trìkyə láysh’n], noun

—ma·tric·u·la·tor [mə tríkyə làytər], noun[1]



matrilineage

matrilineage
mat·ri·lin·e·age
[màttrə línnee ij] (plural mat·ri·lin·e·ag·es)
noun

line of descent through
mothers: the line of genealogical
relationship or descent that follows the women’s side of a family[1]



matrilineal

matrilineal
mat·ri·lin·e·al
[màttrə línnee əl] adjective

1.  following
the female line: used to describe the line of
genealogical relationship or descent that follows the female side of a family

2.  related
through mothers: used to describe a group that is related
by descent through mothers

3.  coming
through the women’s line: inherited or traced through
the women’s line of descent
—mat·ri·lin·e·al·ly, adverb[1]



matrilocal

matrilocal
mat·ri·lo·cal
[màttrə lṓk’l] adjective

1.  involving
a move to a wife’s family home: used to describe a
form of marriage in which, after the wedding, the bridegroom moves to his new
wife’s family home

2.  involving
living with a wife’s family: used to describe a culture
in which young men live with their brides’ families after marriage
—mat·ri·lo·cal·ly, adverb[1]



matrimonial

matrimonial
mat·ri·mo·ni·al
[màttrə mṓnee əl] adjective

of
marriage:
belonging or relating to marriage or to a particular marriage
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin matrimonialis, from matrimonium
(see matrimony ).]
—mat·ri·mo·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



matrimony

matrimony
mat·ri·mo·ny
[máttrə mnee, máttrəmənee]
noun

1.  married
state:
the state or condition of being married

2.  marriage
ceremony:
the religious ceremony of marriage
[13th century. Directly or
via Anglo-Norman matrimonie from Latin matrimonium, literally
“state of motherhood” (because of the association of marriage with parenthood),
from matri- (see matri- ).][1]



matrimonyvine

matrimonyvine
matrimony
vine
noun

bright-berried shrub:
any one of several shrubs cultivated for their bright berries and purple
flowers. Genus: Lycium[1]



matrix

matrix
ma·trix
[máytriks] (plural ma·tri·ces
[máytrə sz] or ma·trix·es) noun

1.  substance
that contains something: a substance in which
something is embedded or enclosed

2.  situation
in which something develops: a situation or set of
circumstances that allows or encourages the origin, development, or growth of
something • The
matrix of video and computers is producing new forms of art.

3.  BIOLOGY tissue-forming
substance:
the substance that exists between cells and from which tissue, for example,
cartilage and bone, develops

4.  PHYSIOLOGY tissue
at the base of the nail: the thickened tissue at the
base of a fingernail, toenail, or tooth from which a new nail or tooth grows

5.  GEOLOGY soil
or rock containing something: the soil or rock in which
something such as a fossil, crystal, or mineral is embedded.
See
also
gangue

6.  METALLURGY main
part of an alloy: the main metal component in an alloy

7.  MATHEMATICS array
of mathematical elements: a rectangular array of
mathematical elements, for example, the coefficients of linear equations, whose
rows and columns can be combined with those of other arrays to solve problems

8.  COMPUTING network
of circuit elements: a network of circuit
elements, for example, transistors and resistors

9.  PRINTING metal
type mold:
a metal mold from which type is cast in the hot-metal process

10. MANUFACTURING mold
made from a raised surface: a mold made by taking the
impression of a raised surface in a substance such as plastic, used in
stereotyping or electrotyping

11. RECORDING phonograph
record mold: a mold used in the production of
phonograph records

12. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING bed
or surround of material: a bed or surround of
material that gives protection or absorbs a force

13. womb:
the womb (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via French matrice from Latin matrix “womb” (the original sense
in English ), later “list,” from, ultimately, mater “mother.” The
underlying idea is of something growing.][1]



matrixsentence

matrixsentence
ma·trix
sen·tence
(plural ma·trix sen·tenc·es) noun

main clause:
the main clause in a complex sentence[1]



matro-

matro-
matro-
prefix

See
matri-[1]



matroclinal

matroclinal
ma·tro·cli·nal
adjective

See
matriclinous[1]



matroclinous

matroclinous
ma·tro·cli·nous
adjective

See
matriclinous[1]



matron

matron
ma·tron
[máytrən] (plural ma·trons) noun

1.  mature
woman:
a woman, especially a married woman of middle age or later, who has had
children and is thought of as being mature, sensible, and of good social
standing

2.  woman
warden:
a woman who is a warden in a women’s correctional institution

3.  U.K.
supervisor:
a woman in charge of the medical and housekeeping arrangements in an
institution, for example, a British boarding school

4.  U.K.
head
nurse:
a woman who is head of the nursing staff in a hospital, nursing home, or other
medical institution, equivalent to a nursing director (no longer used
technically)
[14th
century. Directly or via French matrone from Latin matrona, from matr-
(see matri- ).]
—ma·tron·al,
adjective

—matron·hood,
noun

—matronship, noun[1]



matronly

matronly
ma·tron·ly
[máytrənlee] adjective

1.  like
a matron:
having qualities associated with a matron, especially dignity and placidity

2.  mature
and full-figured: mature and plump, especially with a
large bosom

3.  of
a matron:
relating to or typical of a matron • matronly
duties
—ma·tron·li·ness, noun[1]



matronof honor

matronof honor
ma·tron
of hon·or
(plural ma·trons of hon·or) noun

bride’s married attendant:
a married woman who is the chief attendant at the wedding of a woman friend or
relative[1]



matronymic

matronymic
mat·ro·nym·ic
[màttrə nímmik] (plural mat·ro·nym·ics)
or met·ro·nym·ic [mèttrə nímmik,
mtrə nímmik] (plural met·ro·nym·ics)
adjective

name
from a woman ancestor: a name derived from a mother
or a matrilineal ancestor
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin matr- (see matri- ).][1]



MatsuIslands

MatsuIslands
Mat·su
Is·lands
[m ts ləndz]

island group in Taiwan, close
to the Chinese mainland[1]



matsutake

matsutake
mat·su·ta·ke
[màtsoo tkee] (plural mat·su·ta·kes)
or mat·su·ta·ke mush·room [màtsoo
tkee] (plural mat·su·ta·ke mush·rooms) noun

edible
Japanese mushroom: an edible dark brown
mushroom with a cinnamon fragrance, native to Japan. Latin name: Tricholoma
matsutake
[From Japanese, literally
“pine mushroom”][1]



Matsuyama

Matsuyama
Ma·tsu·ya·ma 
[màat s ymə]

industrial city in
southwestern Japan, on the island of Shikoku. Population: 443,322 (1990)[1]



matte

matte2
matte2 [mat]
noun

1.  mixture
of metal sulfides: a mixture of metal sulfides
formed during the smelting of sulfide ores, for example, ores of copper or
nickel

2.  device
obscuring part of image: a mask used for obscuring
part of an image so that another image can be put on top of the original.
See
also
matte shot
[Mid-19th century. From
French (see mat ), used as a noun.][1]



matte

matte1
matte1 [mat]
noun adjective

See
mat 2 noun
2
See mat 2 adjective[1]



matted

matted
mat·ted
[máttəd] adjective

1.  tangled:
forming a thick tangled mass • Long-haired
cats need lots of brushing to prevent their coats from becoming matted.

2.  with
mats:
covered with mats or matting

[1]



matter

matter
mat·ter
[máttər] noun

1.  (plural
matters) something under consideration:
something that is being considered or needs to be dealt with • This
is a matter for serious thought.

2.  substance:
a substance or material of a particular kind • reading
matter

3.  PHYSICS material
substance:
the material substance of the universe that has mass, occupies space, and is
convertible to energy

4.  printed
text:
text or other material that is printed • cheaper
rates for printed matter

5.  subject
of speech or writing: the subject that is dealt
with in speech or writing, as opposed to its presentation • The
subject matter was well presented.

6.  PHILOSOPHY what
is perceived by the mind: in Cartesian philosophy,
something that is extended in space and persists through time, and is
contrasted with mind

7.  (plural
mat·ters) LAW something
to be proved: a case to be proved or resolved in a
court of law • Who
is the defendant in this matter?

8.  MEDICINE bodily
discharge:
something such as pus that is discharged from the body
plural
noun
mat·ters

circumstances:
the current situation or circumstances • We
were both under a lot of stress, which didn’t improve matters.
intransitive
verb
(past mat·tered, past participle mat·tered, present
participle mat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular mat·ters)

1.  have
importance:
to be important • The only thing that
matters is for you to get better.

2.  make
difference:
to make a difference • It
doesn’t matter how you tell her, just make sure she knows.

3.  MEDICINE produce
pus:
to form or discharge pus
[12th
century. Directly or via Anglo-Norman mater(i)e and French matière,
from Latin materia “timber, stuff of which something is made,” later
“subject, topic,” from mater “mother.”]
for
that matter

as
far as that is concerned

a
matter of opinion

a
subject about which there are varying views

something
or nothing is or nothing the matter

something
is wrong • What’s
the matter with the toaster?  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at subject

[1]



Matterhorn

Matterhorn
Mat·ter·horn 
[máttər hàwrn]

steep pyramid-shaped peak in
southwestern Switzerland, near the Italian border. Height: 4,478 m/14,692 ft.[1]



matter-of-fact

matter-of-fact
mat·ter-of-fact
adjective

1.  rational:
straightforward and not fanciful or emotional • I
admired her matter-of-fact approach to life.

2.  factual:
dealing with facts and not emotions or opinions • The
report gave a very matter-of-fact account of the incident.
—mat·ter-of-fact·ly,
adverb

—mat·ter-of-fact·ness,
noun[1]



mattery

mattery
mat·ter·y
[máttəree] adjective

producing pus:
secreting or discharging pus[1]



matteshot

matteshot
matte
shot
(plural matte shots) noun

visual technique:
in filmmaking, a visual effect that is achieved by masking out part of an image
using a matte and superimposing another image so that it combines with the rest
of the original[1]



Matthau,Walter

Matthau,Walter
Matthau
[mát ow], Walter (1920– )

U.S.
actor. He is best known for his part in both stage and movie versions of The
Odd Couple ( 1965, 1968 ). He won an Academy Award for The Fortune
Cookie ( 1966 ).
Real name
Matasschanskayasky, Walter[1]



Matthew

Matthew
Mat·thew 
noun

gospel in the Bible:
the first of the gospels of the Bible in which the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ are described. It is thought to have been written by St. Matthew.[1]



Matthew,Saint

Matthew,Saint
Mat·thew 
[máthyoo], Saint (lived 1st century)

 One of the 12 apostles. He
is credited with writing the Gospel According to Matthew.[1]



MatthewWalker

MatthewWalker
Mat·thew
Walk·er
(plural Mat·thew Walk·ers) noun

knot:
a type of knot made in the strands at the end of a rope
[Mid-19th century. Probably
the name of the person who invented or introduced it.][1]



Matthias

Matthias
Mat·thi·as
[mə th əss] noun

disciple of Jesus Christ:
in the Bible, the disciple chosen to replace Judas as one of the 12 apostles of
Jesus Christ (Acts 1:15–26)[1]



MatthiasCorvinus

MatthiasCorvinus
Matthias
Corvinus
[mə th əss kawr vnəss], King of Hungary
(1443–1490)

His acquisition of Austria
and various provinces made him a powerful ruler. He was also a patron of the
arts.[1]



matting

matting1
mat·ting1 [mátting]
noun

1.  (plural
mattings) material woven from natural fibers:
a coarse material woven from natural fibers such as hemp or grass and used
especially to make mats or other coverings • coconut
matting

2.  mats:
mats, taken collectively • Matting
is integral to Japanese interior design.

3.  layer
of natural materials: a bed or layer formed by
natural materials, for example, by fallen leaves in a forest • We
walked through the pines on a matting of needles.

4.  making
mats:
the process of making a mat or mats

[1]



matting

matting2
mat·ting2 [mátting]
noun

1.  dull
surface:
a surface that is dull or without sheen

2.  dulling
of surface:
the process of giving a surface, especially a metallic one, a dull finish

[1]



mattock

mattock
mat·tock
[máttək] (plural mat·tocks) noun

tool
like a pickax: a tool like a pickax with one end of its
blade flattened at right angles to its handle and used for loosening soil and
cutting through roots
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from assumed Vulgar Latin matteuca “club.”][1]



mattress

mattress
mat·tress
[mátrəss] (plural mat·tress·es)
noun

1.  pad
for sleeping on: a large pad on which to sleep, usually
containing springs or a material such as foam rubber, flock, horsehair, or
straw. Some modern mattresses have electronic controls that allow them to tilt
into different positions.

2.  inflatable
pad:
a large pad that can be filled with air or water and used as a bed or for
floating on, for example, in a pool

3.  CONSTRUCTION foundation:
a slab or platform used as a foundation for a building
[13th century. Via Old French
materas, from, ultimately, Arabic al-matraḥ “carpet, cushion,
bed,” from the practice of sleeping on cushions, copied by Europeans from Arabs
during the Crusades.][1]



maturate

maturate
mat·u·rate
[máchə ràyt] (past mat·u·rat·ed,
past participle mat·u·rat·ed, present participle mat·u·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular mat·u·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make more mature: to mature, ripen, or
develop, or develop or ripen something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: either from Latin maturare (see mature ) or a back-formation from maturation .]
—mat·u·ra·tive, adjective[1]



maturation

maturation
mat·u·ra·tion
[màchə ráysh’n] noun

1.  progress
to maturity: the process of becoming mature, ripe, or
more developed

2.  process
of making something more mature: the process of
ripening or developing something, or of making it more mature

3.  BIOLOGY process
of cell development: the process in which
immature cells in the ovary and testes develop into ova and spermatozoa
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the medieval Latin stem maturation-,
from, ultimately, maturare (see mature
).]
—mat·u·ra·tion·al, adjective[1]



maturationdivision

maturationdivision
mat·u·ra·tion
di·vi·sion
(plural mat·u·ra·tion di·vi·sions) noun

cell division:
the process of cell division by which the ova and spermatozoa are developed[1]



mature

mature
ma·ture
[mə chr] adjective

1.  acting
or seeming like an adult: showing mental, emotional,
or physical characteristics that are typical of a fully developed adult person
• Philip
is only 12 but he’s very tall and already quite mature.

2.  experienced:
showing qualities gained by development and experience • in
the author’s mature writings

3.  adult:
adult or fully grown • a
mature animal capable of breeding

4.  BIOLOGY fully
developed:
fully developed to a complete or final stage

5.  FOOD WINE old and of good flavor:
old enough to have acquired the maximum flavor • mature
cheddar

6.  in
later life:
no longer young • the wisdom shown by the
mature dramatist

7.  adult:
made up of or suitable only for adults • Because
of the subject matter of this movie it is recommended for mature audiences
only.

8.  involving
serious thought: involving or reached by a period of
serious thought • On mature reflection, I
feel it would be wiser to sell.

9.  FINANCE due
for payment: used to describe a financial arrangement
that has reached a previously set or mutually agreed-on time limit and is
therefore due for payment or repayment • mature
bonds

10. COMMERCE not
subject to major change: no longer subject to the
instability of early development or expansion • Hydroelectric
power is a mature industry in the region.

11. GEOLOGY in the
middle of an erosion cycle: used to describe a natural
feature or landform that is in the middle stages of an erosion cycle
verb
(past ma·tured, past participle ma·tured, present
participle ma·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular ma·tures)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb develop:
to go through, or make something or somebody go through, a developmental
process • Children
begin to mature at different ages.

2.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE fall
due for payment: to reach a previously set or mutually
agreed-on time limit and therefore fall due for payment or repayment (refers
to a financial arrangement) • When
will those Treasury bonds mature?

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb develop
into something finished: to become fully worked out,
or work something out fully, especially through long consideration • The
plan had matured over the intervening months.
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin maturus “ripe, mature,
timely, early” (source also of Old French mur, which produced English demure ). The underlying idea is of
“earliness, calmness.”]
—ma·ture·ly,
adverb

—ma·ture·ness, noun[1]



mature-onsetdiabetes

mature-onsetdiabetes
ma·ture-on·set
di·a·be·tes 
noun

See
noninsulin-dependent diabetes[1]



maturestudent

maturestudent
ma·ture
stu·dent
(plural ma·ture stu·dents) noun

older student:
a student aged 25 or over who has gone into higher education later than is
usual, especially after working or raising a family[1]



maturity

maturity
ma·tur·i·ty
[mə chrətee] noun

1.  full
growth or development: the state or condition of
being fully grown or developed • Girls
tend to reach maturity earlier than boys.

2.  FINANCE time
for repayment: the time when a financial arrangement
falls due for payment or repayment

3.  FINANCE readiness
for repayment: the state of a financial arrangement
when it falls due for payment or repayment

4.  mature
state:
the condition of being ripe, fully aged, or fully grown, especially mentally or
emotionally • I’m
amazed at the maturity shown by these young people.

5.  GEOLOGY mature
state of a landform: the stage in the development
of a landform at which there is maximum relief and drainage is well developed
[15th century. Directly or
via French maturité from Latin maturitas, from maturus
(see mature ).][1]



matutinal

matutinal
ma·tu·ti·nal
[mə tt’nəl, màchə
tn’l] adjective

of
the morning: relating to or happening in the morning
or in the early part of the day (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin matutinalis, from Matuta, goddess of the
dawn.]
—ma·tu·ti·nal·ly, adverb[1]



MATV

MATV
MATV

Abbreviation of
master antenna television[1]



matzo

matzo
mat·zo
[mtsə] or mat·zoh [mtsə] noun (plural mat·zos or
mat·zoth) (plural mat·zohs or mat·zoth)

unleavened
bread:
unleavened bread that is traditionally eaten during Passover in commemoration
of the unleavened bread eaten by Hebrews escaping from slavery in Egypt
adjective

of
or for matzo: made from or like matzo, or used to make
matzo • matzo
meal
• matzo
balls
[Mid-19th century. Via
Yiddish matse from Hebrew massāh .][1]



matzoth

matzoth
mat·zoth

Plural of
matzo[1]



maté

maté
ma·té 
[m tày, maa táy]
(plural ma·tés) noun

1.  TREES evergreen
tree:
a South American evergreen tree widely grown for its leaves that are used to
make a tea. Latin name: Ilex paraguariensis
Also
called
yerba

2.  (plural
matés) BEVERAGES stimulating
drink:
a popular South American milky drink containing caffeine that is made from the
dried leaves of the maté tree.
Also
called
yerba
Also
called
Paraguay tea
[Early 18th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua mati .][1]



matériel

matériel
ma·té·ri·el
[mə tree él] or ma·te·ri·el [mə tree él] noun

military
supplies and equipment: the supplies, weapons, and
equipment associated with a military force
[Early 19th century. From
French (see material ).][1]



maudlin

maudlin
maud·lin
[máwdlin] adjective

sentimental:
overly or tearfully sentimental, especially because affected by alcohol
[Early
16th century. Via French Madeleine “Madeleine,” from, ultimately, Greek Mariaē
Magdalēnē “Mary Magdalene,” because she was commonly represented in
medieval art weeping in repentance.]
—maud·lin·ism,
noun

—maud·lin·ly,
adverb

—maud·lin·ness, noun[1]



Maui

Maui
Mau·i 
[mówee]

the second largest island of
Hawaii, consisting of two oval peninsulas connected by an isthmus. Population:
100,374 (1990) Area: 1,884 sq km/727 sq mi.[1]



maul

maul
maul
[mawl] transitive verb (past mauled,
past participle mauled, present participle mauling,
3rd person present singular mauls)

1.  assault
or attack somebody: to beat, batter, or tear at
a person or animal • He got mauled in the
ring by a better boxer.

2.  handle
somebody or something roughly: to handle somebody or
something too roughly or clumsily • Children
may need to be taught not to maul their pets.

3.  criticize
somebody or something fiercely: to criticize somebody
or something severely or mercilessly • Despite
being a box-office success, her new movie was mauled by the critics.

4.  to
split wood using a large heavy hammer and a wedge
noun
(plural mauls)

1.  CONSTRUCTION pile-driving
hammer:
a large heavy hammer, usually with a wooden head, that is used for driving in
piles, stakes, or wedges

2.  log-splitting
hammer:
a heavy hammer that has one side of the head shaped like a wedge, making it
suitable for splitting logs or wood
[13th
century. Via Old French mail “hammer” (source of English mallet ) from Latin malleus (source of
English malleable and mall “shopping precinct”). Originally in the
sense “to strike with a hammer.”]
—maul·er, noun[1]



Mauldin,Bill

Mauldin,Bill
Mauldin
[máwldin], Bill (1921– )

U.S.
cartoonist. He is known for his cartoons of World War II seen from the combat
soldier’s point of view, particularly via his two characters Willie and Joe.
Full name
Mauldin, William Henry[1]



MauMau

MauMau
Mau
Mau
[mów mòw] plural noun

1950s
Kenyan independence organization: a secret Kenyan
organization set up in 1952 with the aim of forcing European settlers from the
land and ending British rule in Kenya
[Mid-20th century. From
Kikuyu .][1]



mau-mau

mau-mau
mau-mau
[mow mów] (past mau-maued, past
participle mau-maued, present participle mau-mauing, 3rd
person present singular mau-maus) transitive verb mau-mau
(present participle mau-mauing, 3rd person present singular
mau-maus)

intimidate:
to confront somebody, for example, a public official or bureaucrat, with the
intent of gaining concessions, benefits, or advantage through intimidation (slang)[1]



MaunaKea

MaunaKea
Mau·na
Ke·a 
[màwnə k ə]

dormant volcano in Hawaii, on
northern Hawaii Island. It is the highest point in the state, 4,205 m/13,796 ft
.[1]



MaunaLoa

MaunaLoa
Mau·na
Lo·a 
[màwnə lṓ ə, mównə
lṓ ə]

active volcano on Hawaii
Island. It is one of the world’s largest volcanoes. Height: 4,170 m/13,680 ft.[1]



maund

maund
maund 
(plural maunds) noun

unit
of weight in Indian subcontinent: a unit of weight used
in the Indian subcontinent, with a value that varies from place to place but is
often equal to 37 kg/82 lb
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic mann .][1]



maunder

maunder
maunder 
[máwn dər] (past maundered, past
participle maundered, present participle maundering, 3rd
person present singular maunders) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something vague or incoherent: to talk or say
something in a vague, rambling, or incoherent way

2.  intransitive
verb
move
or act without purpose: to move or act in a vague,
aimless, or directionless way
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from earlier maund “to
beg” in the literal sense of “to keep on begging,” or perhaps an imitation of
the sound of muttering.]
—maunderer [máwn dər ər], noun[1]



maundy

maundy
maundy
[máwn dee] noun

Christian
ceremony on Thursday before Easter: a
ceremony held in some Christian churches on Maundy Thursday that involves an
actual or symbolic washing of people’s feet in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s
washing of his disciples’ feet (John 13:3–34)
[13th century. Via Old French
mandé from Latin mandatum “commandment” (source also of English mandate ), in mandatum novum “new
commandment,” the first words of an antiphon sung in the ceremony.][1]



Maundy

Maundy
Maundy
[máwn dee] noun

distribution of Maundy money:
the distribution of Maundy money by the British sovereign[1]



Maundymoney

Maundymoney
Maundy
money
noun

money for Maundy Thursday
distribution: specially minted silver
coins that the British sovereign distributes in a church ceremony on Maundy
Thursday[1]



MaundyThursday

MaundyThursday
Maundy
Thursday 
noun

Thursday before Easter:
the Thursday before Easter Sunday, observed in Christian belief in
commemoration of the Last Supper.
See also
Holy Thursday[1]



Maupassant,Guy de

Maupassant,Guy de

Maupassant
[mṓ pass oN, m
pass N], Guy de (1850–1893)
French
novelist and short-story writer. His short stories have been particularly
influential and are written with a direct realism, portraying ordinary people
in extraordinary situations.
Full name
Maupassant, Henri René Albert Guy de[1]



Mauritania




Back to definition

Mauritania

[1]



Mauritania

Mauritania



Mau·ri·ta·ni·a 
[màw rə táynee ə]
republic
in northwestern Africa. It became independent from France in 1960. Language:
Arabic. Language: French. Currency: ouguiya. Capital: Nouakchott. Population:
2,333,000 (1996) Area: 1,030,700 sq km/397,955 sq mi. Official name
Islamic Republic of Mauritania
—Mau·ri·ta·ni·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Mauritius

Mauritius



Mau·ri·tius 
[mə ríshəss]
island
republic in the western Indian Ocean consisting of the islands of Mauritius and
Rodrigues and some islets. Language: English. Currency: Mauritian rupee.
Capital: Port Louis. Population: 1,141,000 (1996) Area: 2,045 sq km/790 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Mauritius
—Mau·ri·tian [ma ríshən], noun, adjective[1]



Mauritius




Back to definition

Mauritius

[1]



Mauser

Mauser
Mau·ser
[mówzər] Trademark

a trademark for a repeating
rifle and other firearms[1]



mausoleum

mausoleum

mau·so·le·um 
[màwzə l əm, màwssə
l əm] (plural mau·so·le·ums or mau·so·le·a
[màwzə l ə]) noun

1.  tomb:
a large tomb, especially one that is ornately decorated or made from expensive
stone

2.  building
containing tombs: a building, often a highly decorated or
elaborate one, that houses a tomb or several tombs

3.  gloomy
interior:
a large gloomy oppressive room or building • I
can’t study in the library; it’s a mausoleum.
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek Mausōleion “tomb of Mausolus” (a
4th-century BC king of Caria in
Asia Minor), built in 353 BC at
Halicarnassus (now Bodrum in Turkey).]
—mau·so·le·an, adjective[1]



mauve

mauve
mauve 
[mōv] (plural mauves) noun

pale
purplish color: a pale color between purple and blue or
pink
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Latin malva “mallow plant” (source of English mallow ); from the color of its flowers.]
—mauve, adjective[1]



maven

maven
ma·ven 
[máyvən] (plural ma·vens) or
ma·vin [máyvən] (plural ma·vins)
noun

expert
or enthusiast: somebody who is an expert or
knowledgeable enthusiast in a particular field
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish meyvn from Hebrew mēīn, literally “somebody who
understands.”][1]



maverick

maverick
mav·er·ick 
[mávvərik, mávvrik]
(plural mav·er·icks) noun

1.  independent
person:
somebody who holds independent views and who refuses to conform to the accepted
or orthodox thinking on a subject

2.  AGRICULTURE unbranded
animal:
an unbranded animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its
mother and herd. By convention, it can become the property of whoever finds it
and brands it.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803–1870), a
Texas cattle owner who did not brand some of his calves.][1]



mavin

mavin
ma·vin 
(plural ma·vins) noun

See
maven[1]



mavis

mavis
ma·vis 
[máyviss] (plural ma·vis·es) noun

song
thrush:
a song thrush (literary)
[14th century. From French mauvis,
of uncertain origin: probably formed from mauve “gull,” from Old English
mw (source of English mew ).][1]



maw

maw
maw 
[maw] (plural maws) noun

1.  animal’s
mouth:
the mouth, jaws, throat, or stomach of an animal, especially a carnivorous
animal that devours food greedily

2.  greedy
person’s mouth: the mouth, throat, or stomach of a
greedy person (informal)

3.  gaping
hole:
anything that seems like a gaping hole that devours things or people • the
ravenous maw of readers’ expectations
[Old English maga
“stomach.” From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of Welsh megin
“bellows” and Lithuanian makas “purse,” the underlying idea being
“bag.”][1]



mawkish

mawkish
mawk·ish 
[máwkish] adjective

1.  sentimental:
sentimental, especially in a contrived or offputting way

2.  bland
or unpleasant: bland or unappetizing in taste or smell
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from earlier mawk “maggot,” from Old Norse maðkr
. Originally in the sense “nauseated, lacking appetite.”]
—mawk·ish·ly,
adverb

—mawk·ish·ness, noun[1]



Mawlidal-Nabi

Mawlidal-Nabi
Maw·lid
al-Na·bi
[màwlid al nbee] noun

Islamic
festival:
in Islam, the celebrations held in honor of the prophet Muhammad’s birthday,
which falls on the 12th day of the month of Rabi I.
Also
called
Prophet’s Birthday
[From Arabic, literally
“birthday of the prophet”][1]



max

max
max 
[maks] noun

maximum:
the maximum limit or amount of something (informal) • I
could lend you $100, but that’s my max.
adjective

most:
most or highest (slang) • Turn
up the volume to get the max effect.
adverb

at
the most:
as a maximum (slang) • We
were offered $200 max.
intransitive
verb
(past maxed, past participle maxed, present
participle max·ing, 3rd person present singular max·es)

reach
the highest limit: to come to the point that it
is impossible to exceed (slang) • The
car maxes at 120 mph.
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of maximum .][1]



max.

max.
max.

Abbreviation of
maximum[1]



maxi

maxi
max·i 
[máksee] noun (plural max·is)

1.  ankle-length
piece of clothing: an ankle-length coat, skirt,
or dress

2.  CRIMINOLOGY maximum
security prison: a maximum security prison (informal)
adjective

ankle-length: used
to describe an article of clothing that is ankle-length.
See
also
mini
[Mid-20th century. From maximum .][1]



maxilla

maxilla

max·il·la 
[mak síllə] (plural max·il·lae
[mak sí l] or max·il·las) noun

1.  upper
jaw of vertebrates: either of a pair of bones
that are fused at the midline and together form the upper jawbone in
vertebrates

2.  mouthpart
of arthropods: a mouthpart that is one of one or two
pairs behind the mandibles of arthropods
[Late
17th century. Directly and via Old French maxille from Latin maxilla,
literally “little jaw,” from mala “jaw.”]
—max·il·lar·y, adjective[1]



maxilliped

maxilliped
max·il·li·ped 
[mak síllə pèd] (plural max·il·li·peds)
noun

crustacean
feeding part: one of the six specialized feeding
appendages arranged in pairs and located just behind the maxillae on the heads
of crustaceans
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from maxilla + -i- + -ped .]
—max·il·li·ped·ar·y [mak sìllə péddəree, mak
sìllə pdəree], adjective[1]



maxillofacial

maxillofacial
max·il·lo·fa·cial 
[mak sìllō fáysh’l] adjective

of
the face around the upper jaw: relating to, located
in, or affecting the face in the region of the upper jaw
[Early 20th century. From maxilla + facial
.][1]



maxim

maxim
max·im 
[máksim] (plural max·ims) noun

1.  saying:
a succinct or pithy saying that has some proven truth to it

2.  general
rule:
a general rule, principle, or truth
[15th century. Via French
from medieval Latin maxima, literally “largest,” used as a noun (a
shortening of maxima propositio “largest proposition,” hence
“fundamental axiom”), a form of maximus (see maximum
).][1]



Maxim

Maxim
Max·im
(plural Max·ims) noun

See
Maxim gun[1]



maxima

maxima
max·i·ma


Plural of
maximum[1]



maximal

maximal
max·i·mal 
[máksim’l] adjective

1.  constituting
a maximum:
relating to or constituting a maximum

2.  best
possible:
the best or greatest possible
—max·i·mal·ly, adverb[1]



maximalist

maximalist
max·i·mal·ist 
[máksiməlist] (plural max·i·mal·ists)
noun

somebody
who rejects compromise: somebody who is determined
to achieve a political aim, by direct action or intervention if necessary, and
is unwilling to compromise
[Early
20th century. Formed from maximal on the
model of Russian maksimalist .]
—max·i·ma·list, adjective[1]



Maximalist

Maximalist
Max·i·mal·ist 
[máksiməlist] (plural Max·i·mal·ists)
noun

Russian revolutionary:
a member of a Russian group that, in the early 20th century, advocated
terrorist action to get rid of the tsar and the setting up of a temporary
proletarian dictatorship[1]



Maximgun

Maximgun
Max·im
gun
(plural Max·im guns) noun

machine
gun:
an early single-barreled machine gun that was cooled by an outer casing
containing water.
Also
called
Maxim
[Late 19th century. Named for
Sir Hiram Maxim who invented it.][1]



Maxim,Hiram

Maxim,Hiram
Max·im 
[máksim], Sir Hiram (1840–1916)

U.S.-born British engineer
and inventor. He is best known for inventing the Maxim gun, an automatic
machine gun.[1]



Maximilian

Maximilian
Max·i·mil·ian 
[màksi míllee ən], Archduke of Austria
(1832–1867)

He was made Emperor of Mexico
by Napoleon III of France in 1863, but was executed by Mexican republicans.[1]



MaximilianI

MaximilianI
Max·i·mil·ian
I
[màksi míllee ən], Holy Roman Emperor
(1459–1519)

He made the Hapsburg Dynasty
a major power through diplomacy and marriage policy.[1]



maximin

maximin
max·i·min
[máksimin] (plural max·i·mins)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS largest
of a set:
the largest of a set of minimum values

2.  strategy
of increasing smallest advantage: in game theory, a
strategy of attempting to maximize the smallest possible advantage
[Mid-20th century. Blend of maximum and minimum
; modeled on minimax .][1]



maximize

maximize
max·i·mize 
[máksi mz] (past max·i·mized,
past participle max·i·mized, present participle max·i·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular max·i·miz·es) transitive verb

1.  increase
something to the maximum: to make something as large
as possible • You
can maximize the picture by clicking on this button.

2.  regard
something as most important: to attach the greatest
importance to something • Historians
maximize the treaty’s benefits to trade and tend not to mention its political
costs.

3.  MATHEMATICS find
a function’s largest value: to find or work out the
largest value of a function
—max·i·mi·za·tion
[màksimi záysh’n], noun

—max·i·miz·er [máksi mzər], noun[1]



maximum

maximum
max·i·mum 
[máksiməm] noun (plural max·i·ma
[máksimə] or max·i·mums)

1.  greatest
possible amount: the largest or greatest amount, number,
extent, or degree possible or allowed • The
stadium seats a maximum of 60,000.

2.  highest
amount or level reached: the largest amount, level,
or value that something variable can reach or reaches during a period • Even
at its maximum, the noise did not exceed legal levels.

3.  MATHEMATICS largest
number:
the largest number in a set

4.  MATHEMATICS function’s
greatest value: the greatest value that a continuous
function can attain over a specific interval

5.  ASTRONOMY time
of a star’s greatest brightness: the interval during
which a variable star is most luminous

6.  ASTRONOMY variable
star’s magnitude: the magnitude of a variable star at its
greatest
adjective

greatest possible:
of the greatest possible or permitted amount or value • visual
effects with maximum impact • Maximum
occupancy in this building is 235.
adverb

at the maximum:
at the maximum extent • The
hall seats 400 maximum.
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from modern Latin, a form of Latin maximus “greatest”
(used as a noun), from magnus “great” (source of English magnify ).][1]



maximum-security

maximum-security
max·i·mum-se·cu·ri·ty 
adjective

high-level security
arrangements: protected or made
secure by tight and elaborate security arrangements • a
maximum-security prison[1]



maxixe

maxixe
ma·xixe 
[mə shsh, mə
shshə] (plural ma·xixes) noun

1.  DANCE Brazilian
dance:
a Brazilian dance performed in duple time

2.  MUSIC music
for maxixe:
music suitable for a maxixe
[Early 20th century. From
Brazilian Portuguese .][1]



maxout

maxout
max
out
intransitive and transitive verb

reach a limit:
to reach a limit in a personal attribute or ability, or reach the limit of a
resource (slang) • started
strong but maxed out after 12 hours
• I
maxed out my credit card last week.[1]



maxwell

maxwell
max·well 
[máks wèl, mákswəl]
(plural max·wells) noun

unit
of magnetic flux: the centimeter-gram-second unit of
magnetic flux, equal to the flux over one square centimeter perpendicular to a
magnetic field of one gauss. Symbol Mx
[Late 19th century. Named for
James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879), a Scottish physicist.][1]



may

may1
may1 [may]
(past might [mīt], 3rd
person present singular may) CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb indicating that something could be true, or could have happened,
or will possibly happen in the future • I
may not be able to meet you. • He
may have been working too hard. • A
verdict may be announced today. verb

1.  indicates
possibility: indicates that something is possibly
true • I
may have left my book on the bus.

2.  indicates
that something could happen: indicates that something
could have happened, or could happen in the future • The
crash may well have been caused by faulty brakes. • The
comet may be remembered best for its nonscientific impact.

3.  indicates
permission:
indicates that somebody is asking somebody for permission or giving somebody
permission to do something (formal) • “May
I leave the table?” “No, you may not.”

4.  indicates
a right:
indicates that somebody has a legal or moral right to do something • You
may withdraw money from this account at any time.

5.  indicates
requests or suggestions: indicates polite requests,
suggestions, or offers • May I
remind you of our earlier agreement? • May
I help you with that bag?

6.  indicates
a wish:
indicates that somebody wishes for something very strongly (formal) • May
God bless us, every one.
[Old
English mæg, a form of magan “to be able.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English machine and magic
.]
come
what may

whatever
happens • He
swore that, come what may, he would never let her out of his sight again.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at can.

[1]



may

may2
may2 [may]
(plural mays) noun

U.K.
See may blossom
[From May, this being the month in which it comes into flower][1]



May

May
May 
(plural Mays) noun

5th
month of the Gregorian calendar: in the Gregorian
calendar, the fifth month of the year, made up of 31 days
[12th century. Via French mai
from Latin Maius, a form of Maia “Maia” (a fertility goddess).][1]



maya

maya
ma·ya 
[m yə] noun

1.  illusion
of material world: in Hinduism, the material
world, considered in reality to be an illusion

2.  ability
to create illusion: in Hinduism, the ability to
create illusion through supernatural, magical, or sacred power
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit māyā .]
—ma·yan, adjective[1]



Maya

Maya2
Ma·ya2  [m
yə] noun

mother of the Buddha:
the mother of the Buddha, by a miraculous virgin birth[1]



Maya

Maya1

Ma·ya1  [m
y] (plural Ma·ya or Ma·yas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Central American people: a member of a Native
American people of Central America and southern Mexico whose classical culture
featured highly developed mathematics, religion, writing, and monumental
architecture. It flourished from the 4th to the 8th century AD, and was in decline by the 12th
century.

2.  LANGUAGE Native
American language: a Mayan language spoken in
parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Maya is spoken by about half a million
people.
[Early
19th century. Via Spanish from Maya .]
—Ma·ya, adjective[1]



Mayagüez

Mayagüez
Ma·ya·güez
[m yaa gwáyz]

city and seaport in western
Puerto Rico. Population: 100,937 (1996)[1]



Mayakovsky,Vladimir

Mayakovsky,Vladimir
Ma·ya·kov·sky
[myə káwfskee], Vladimir (1893–1930)

Russian
poet and propagandist. He wrote propaganda for the Bolsheviks after the Russian
Revolution, but later fell from favor and committed suicide.
Full name
Mayakovsky, Vladimir Vladimirovich[1]



Mayan

Mayan
Ma·yan 
[m yən] adjective

of the Maya:
relating to the Maya, their classical culture, or their language
noun
(plural Ma·yans)

1.  PEOPLES member
of the Maya: a member of the Maya people

2.  LANGUAGE group
of Central American languages: a group of Native
Middle American languages spoken in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It
forms a branch of the Penutian family of languages.

[1]



Mayapple

Mayapple

May
ap·ple
noun

1.  plant
with a single yellow fruit: a plant of the barberry
family that grows in eastern North America. It has a single white flower that
produces an oval yellowish fruit with edible pulp. Other parts of the plant,
notably the roots, leaves, and seeds, are poisonous. Latin name: Podophyllum
peltatum

2.  fruit
of May apple plant: the edible fruit of the May
apple plant.
Also
called
mandrake
[Because the fruit is
produced in the month of May][1]



Mayapán

Mayapán
Ma·ya·pán
[m yaa pn]

ruined ancient Maya city in
southeastern Mexico, in Yucatan State[1]



maybe

maybe
may·be 
[máybee] adverb

1.  perhaps:
expresses uncertainty • Maybe
I’m being too optimistic, but I really think we can get the best players.

2.  neither
yes nor no:
used to give a response that is neither yes nor no • “So
do you want to come with us or not?” “Well, maybe.”

3.  introduces
suggestions: used to introduce advice or suggestions
• Maybe
you should ask her what she means before you jump to conclusions.

4.  approximately:
indicates an approximate estimation, for example of frequency or a number • The
coastal glacier gives off large icebergs maybe every three or four years.
• The
forests in this region are no more than 60, maybe 70, years old.
[14th century. From the
phrase (it) may be .][1]



Maybeetle

Maybeetle
May
bee·tle
(plural May bee·tles) noun

1.  See
June bug

2.  U.K.
See cockchafer
[Because they appear in late
spring][1]



mayblossom

mayblossom
may
blos·som
(plural may blos·soms) noun

U.K.
hawthorn flower:
the flower of the hawthorn.
Also called
may[1]



Maybug

Maybug
May
bug
(plural May bugs) noun

1.  See
June bug

2.  U.K.
See cockchafer
[See May
beetle][1]



May,Cape

May,Cape
May,
Cape
[may]

cape at the southern tip of
New Jersey, at the entrance to Delaware Bay[1]



MayDay

MayDay
May
Day
(plural May Days) noun

1.  spring
festival:
the first of May, traditionally a time for celebrating the coming of spring,
often with dancing around a maypole, sports, and other festivities

2.  holiday
in recognition of workers: the first of May, a national
holiday in some countries in recognition of the importance of workers, and a
time when workers march and demonstrate to show their solidarity. It is called
Labor Day in many countries, but in the United States Labor Day is in early
September.

[1]



mayday

mayday
may·day 
[máy dày] noun

distress
call:
the internationally recognized communications distress call, used especially by
ships and aircraft
[Early 20th century.
Representing the pronunciation of French m’aider in venez m’aider
“come and help me!”][1]



Mayer,Louis Burt

Mayer,Louis Burt
May·er
[máy ər], Louis Burt (1885–1957)

Russian-born
U.S. movie producer. He created and ran the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio (
1924–1951 ).
Real name
Meir, Lazar[1]



mayest

mayest
may·est 
verb

See
mayst[1]



mayflower

mayflower
may·flow·er 
[máy flòwr] (plural may·flow·ers
or may·flow·er) noun

1.  plant
that flowers in May: any of various plants that
flower in May

2.  See
trailing arbutus

[1]



mayfly

mayfly
may·fly 
[máy fl] (plural may·flies) noun

1.  INSECTS short-lived
insect:
any one of various insects that live as adults for only a few days, typically
having two or four pairs of flimsy wings and two or three long slender tail
appendages. The female lays her eggs in fresh water, where the larvae develop
without a chrysalis stage. Order: Ephemeroptera
Also
called
day fly
Also
called
ephemera
Also
called
shadfly

2.  ANGLING fishing
fly:
a fishing fly that looks like a mayfly
[Mid-17th century. From a
mistaken belief that they appear only in May.][1]



mayhap

mayhap
may·hap 
[máy hàp] adverb

perhaps:
perhaps (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From the
phrase it may hap “it may happen (by chance).”][1]



mayhem

mayhem
may·hem 
[máy hèm] noun

1.  chaos:
absolute chaos or severe disruption (informal) • Whenever
the teacher left the room, it was mayhem.

2.  LAW serious
and deliberate injury: malicious injury that
disfigures or disables a person
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman mahem and Old French mahaing “mutilating injury”
(the original sense in English ), from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin mahagnare
“to injure” (source also of English maim
).][1]



maying

maying
may·ing
[máy ing] or May·ing [máy ing] noun

May Day celebrations:
May Day celebrations, or participation in them[1]



mayn’t

mayn’t
may·n’t 
[maynt] contraction

may not:
may not[1]



mayo

mayo
may·o 
[máy ] (plural may·os) noun

mayonnaise:
mayonnaise (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



mayonnaise

mayonnaise
may·on·naise 
[máy ə nàyz, mày
ə náyz] (plural may·on·naises) noun

creamy
sauce made from egg yolks: a rich creamy sauce or
dressing made from egg yolks, vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and spices,
and served with salads, sandwiches, and other foods
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably from French .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  There
  are several conflicting theories about the origin of mayonnaise,
  among them that it is an alteration of bayonnaise, as if the sauce
  originated in Bayonne, in southwestern France; that it was derived from the
  French verb manier “to stir”; and that it goes back to Old French mayou
  “egg yolk.” But the early variant spelling mahonnaise suggests that it
  originally meant literally “of Mahon,” and that the sauce was so named to
  commemorate the taking of Port Mahon, the capital of the island of Minorca,
  by the duc de Richelieu in 1756.

[1]



MayonVolcano

MayonVolcano
Ma·yon
Vol·ca·no
[ma yn vol káynō]

active volcano in the
northeastern Philippines, on Luzon Island, beside the city of Legaspi. Height:
2,421 m/7,943 ft.[1]



mayor

mayor
may·or 
[máyər] (plural may·ors) noun

head
of city or town government: the person elected to be
head of government in a city, town, or borough in many countries including the
United States, and in the United Kingdom except for Scotland
[13th
century. Via French maire from Latin major, literally “more
great” (source also of English major
), from magnus “great” (source of English maximum
).]
—may·or·al,
adjective

—may·or·ship,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Mayor of Casterbridge, a novel by English writer Thomas Hardy ( 1886 ). It is
  the tragic story of Michael Henchard, a laborer whose success in business
  raises him to the position of mayor of his hometown, but who then loses his
  fortune as a result of a petty dispute with his assistant. An instructive
  character study, it is also a revealing portrait of contemporary rural mores.

[1]



mayoralty

mayoralty
may·or·al·ty 
[máyərəl tee] (plural may·or·al·ties)
noun

1.  mayor’s
official position: the official position held
by a mayor • The
mayoralty was fiercely contested.

2.  mayor’s
period in office: the length of time that a mayor holds
office • a
five-year mayoralty • one
of the longest mayoralties in New York history

[1]



mayoress

mayoress
may·or·ess 
[máyərəss] (plural may·or·ess·es)
noun

wife of a mayor:
the wife of a mayor (dated)[1]



Mayotte

Mayotte
Ma·yotte 
[ma yáwt]

island in the western Indian
Ocean near Madagascar, an overseas dependency of France. One of the Comoros
islands, it stayed under French control when the remaining islands declared
independence in 1975. Language: French. Currency: French franc. Capital:
Mamoudzou. Population: 108,000 (1996) Area: 373 sq km/144 sq mi.[1]



Mayo,William Worral

Mayo,William Worral
Ma·yo 
[máy ō], William Worral (1819–1911)

U.S. physician and surgeon.
He ran St. Mary’s Hospital in Minnesota, which later became the Mayo Clinic.[1]



maypole

maypole
may·pole 
[máy pl] (plural may·poles) noun

pole for May Day
celebrations: a tall pole that is
traditionally erected for May Day celebrations, usually decorated with flowers
and with long colored ribbons attached at the top. Dancers each take hold of
the end of a ribbon and dance around the pole so that the ribbons become wrapped
around the pole, forming colored patterns.[1]



maypop

maypop
may·pop 
[máy pòp] (plural may·pops) noun

1.  climbing
plant with edible fruit: a climbing plant of the
southeastern United States that has purple and white flowers, three-lobed
leaves, and edible but somewhat tasteless yellow fruit. Latin name: Passiflora
incarnata

2.  fruit
of the maypop plant: the fruit of the maypop
plant
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of earlier maycock, a kind of melon, from obsolete maracock
“maypop,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Virginian Algonquian .][1]



Mayqueen

Mayqueen
May
queen
(plural May queens) noun

girl reigning over May Day
celebrations: a young woman chosen,
often for her beauty and charm, to reign over a May Day celebration.
Also called
Queen of the May[1]



mayst

mayst
mayst 
[mayst] or may·est [mayst] verb

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of may 1[1]



Mays,Willie

Mays,Willie
Mays
[máyz], Willie (1931– )

U.S.
baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was the
first player to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases.
Full name
Mays, Willie Howard, Jr Known as the Say Hey Kid[1]



mayweed

mayweed
may·weed 
[máy wd] (plural may·weeds) noun

weed
with foul-smelling leaves: a straggly weed of the daisy
family that has foul-smelling leaves and white flowers resembling daisies.
Latin name: Anthemis cotula
Also
called
dog fennel
[Mid-16th century. May an
alteration of earlier maythe “mayweed, camomile,” from Old English magoþe
.][1]



Maywine

Maywine
May
wine
noun

1.  wine
flavored with woodruff: a white wine flavored with
woodruff

2.  wine
punch flavored with woodruff: a punch of champagne,
claret, and other wines flavored with woodruff
[Translation of German Maiwein][1]



mazaltov

mazaltov
ma·zal·tov
[mz’l tàwv] or ma·zal tov [mz’l tàwv] interjection

See
mazeltov[1]



Mazarin,Jules

Mazarin,Jules
Maz·a·rin
[mázər ìn, ma za
ráN], Jules, Cardinal (1602–1661)

Italian-born
French clergyman and statesman. He virtually governed France during the
minority of Louis XIV, when his absolutist policies resulted in the
antiroyalist rebellions known as the Fronde (1648–1653). He negotiated the
Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), ending major
European wars.
Born
Mazzarino, Giulio Raimondo[1]



Mazatlán

Mazatlán
Ma·za·tlán
[mzatln]

city, seaport, and tourist
resort in western Mexico. Population: 314,345 (1990)[1]



Mazdaism

Mazdaism
Maz·da·ism
[mázdə ìzzəm] or Maz·de·ism [mázdə ìzzəm] noun

RELIGION See Zoroastrianism
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Avestan mazdā, from Ahura Mazda, the name of the supreme god
of ancient Persian religion.][1]



maze

maze

maze 
[mayz] noun (plural maz·es)

1.  puzzle
made of connecting paths: an area of interconnected
weaving paths that it is difficult to find a way through, especially one in a
garden with hedges between the paths or one designed for laboratory animals

2.  route
tracing puzzle: a diagrammatic version of a maze, where
the object is to arrive at a specific point by tracing a route with a pen or
pencil

3.  confusing
network of paths: a network, especially of paths, streets,
or passageways, that a walker or driver might easily become lost in • a
maze of narrow passageways

4.  confusing
muddle:
any confusing tangle or muddle, for example, of regulations or procedures, that
is difficult to negotiate • a maze
of official rules
transitive verb
(past mazed, past participle mazed, present
participle maz·ing, 3rd person present singular maz·es)

Southern U.S., U.K.
astonish
somebody:
to astonish, stun, or stupefy somebody (regional)
[13th century. Shortening of amaze, originally in the sense “to stupefy,
daze.”][1]



mazeltov

mazeltov
ma·zel·tov
[mz’l tàwv] or ma·zel tov [mz’l tàwv] or ma·zal·tov [mz’l tàwv] or ma·zal tov [mz’l tàwv] interjection

congratulations:
used to express good wishes or congratulations
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Hebrew mazzāl ō, literally “good star.”][1]



mazer

mazer
ma·zer 
[máyzər] (plural ma·zers) noun

large
drinking cup: a large drinking cup or bowl, usually
made from hardwood or metal (archaic)
Also
called
mazzard
[13th century. Via Old French
masere “kind of hardwood, maple,” and perhaps reinforced by Middle Dutch
maeser “maple,” from prehistoric Germanic. Originally, “hardwood (such
as maple) for making cups.”][1]



mazourka

mazourka
ma·zour·ka 
noun

See
mazurka[1]



mazuma

mazuma
ma·zu·ma 
[mə zmə] noun

money:
money, especially cash or loose change (informal)
[20th C. From Yiddish.][1]



mazurka

mazurka
ma·zur·ka 
[mə zúrkə, mə
zrkə] (plural ma·zur·kas) or ma·zour·ka [mə zúrkə, mə zrkə]
(plural ma·zour·kas) noun

1.  DANCE lively
Polish dance: a Polish national dance, similar to the
polka

2.  MUSIC music
for a mazurka: a piece of music composed for or
suitable for the mazurka, usually in three-four time and having several
repeated sections
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Russian from Polish mazurek “dance of an
inhabitant of Mazovia (an ancient part of Poland),” from mazur
“inhabitant of Mazovia.”][1]



mazy

mazy
maz·y 
[máyzee] (comparative maz·i·er,
superlative maz·i·est) adjective

1.  like
a maze:
tangled and interwoven like a maze

2.  confusing:
confusing or complicated
—maz·i·ly,
adverb

—maz·i·ness, noun[1]



mazzard

mazzard
maz·zard 
[mázzərd] (plural maz·zards) noun

1.  TREES wild
cherry tree: a wild sweet cherry tree that fruit
growers often use as grafting stock for cultivated varieties of cherry. Latin
name: Prunus avium

2.  HOUSEHOLD (archaic) See
mazer
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



maîtred’

maîtred’
maî·tre
d’
[màytrə d] (plural maî·tre d’s)
noun

maître d’hôtel:
a maître d’hôtel (informal)[1]



maîtred’hôtel

maîtred’hôtel
maî·tre
d’hô·tel 
[màytrə dō tél] (plural maî·tres
d’hô·tel [màytrə dō tél]) noun

1.  headwaiter:
a headwaiter in a restaurant or a hotel dining room

2.  head
man servant: the senior man servant in a large
household
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “master of house.”][1]



mañana

mañana
ma·ña·na
[maa nynə] adverb

1.  tomorrow:
on the day following the present day

2.  later:
at some unspecified time in the future
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, “morning, tomorrow,” from, ultimately, Latin mane “in the
morning.”][1]



ma’am

ma’am
ma’am 
[mam] noun

1.  formal
form of address: used when addressing royal women or
other women of high status (formal)

2.  respectful
form of address: used when addressing a woman in a polite
and respectful way (dated informal)
[Mid-17th century.
Contraction of madam .][1]



Ma’ariv

Ma’ariv
Ma’a·riv
[mriv] or Maa·riv [mriv] noun

Jewish
evening prayer: in Judaism, the evening service of
prayer.
Also
called
Arevit
[Late 20th century. From
Hebrew ma’ărībh “evening prayer.”][1]



mb

mb
mb

Abbreviation of
millibar[1]



MB

MB
MB

1.  Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Medicine

2.  Abbreviation
of
Manitoba

3.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
megabyte

4.  Abbreviation
of
Medal of Bravery

[1]



M.B.A.

M.B.A.
M.B.A.
or MBA

Abbreviation of
Master of Business Administration[1]



Mbabane

Mbabane
Mba·bane 
[əmba bnee]

town and capital of
Swaziland, located in the western part of the country near the border with
South Africa. Population: 42,000 (1992)[1]



mbira

mbira


mbi·ra 
[əm brə] (plural mbi·ras) noun
African
musical instrument: an African musical
instrument that has a resonating box which is often a hollow gourd, with tuned
strips of wood or metal attached to it that are plucked using the thumbs
[Late 19th century. From
Bantu .][1]



MBO

MBO
MBO

1.  Abbreviation
of
management by objectives

2.  Abbreviation
of
management buyout

[1]



Mbps

Mbps
Mbps

Abbreviation of
megabytes per second[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mbuji-Mayi

Mbuji-Mayi
Mbu·ji-Ma·yi
[əmbjə m ee]

town in south central
Democratic Republic of the Congo, the capital of Kasai-Oriental Region.
Population: 806,475 (1994)[1]



Mbyte

Mbyte
Mbyte

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of megabyte[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MC

MC
MC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Marine Corps

2.  Abbreviation
of
master of ceremonies

3.  Abbreviation
of
Medical Corps

4.  Abbreviation
of
Midheaven

5.  Abbreviation
of
Military Cross

[1]



Mc

Mc
Mc

Symbol for
megacycle[1]



mc

mc
mc

Abbreviation of
millicurie[1]



M.C.

M.C.
M.C.

Abbreviation of
Member of Congress[1]



McAdoo,William Gibbs

McAdoo,William Gibbs
McAdoo
[mə káddoo], William Gibbs (1863–1941)

U.S. businessman and
statesman. He twice unsuccessfully sought a Democratic U.S. presidential
nomination (1920 and 1924).[1]



MCAT

MCAT
MCAT

Abbreviation of
Medical College Admissions Test[1]



McCarthyism

McCarthyism
Mc·Car·thy·ism 
[mə krthee ìzzəm] noun

1.  public
accusation of Communist sympathies: the
practice of publicly accusing somebody, especially somebody in government or
the media, of subversive or Communist activities or sympathies, especially
without real evidence to substantiate this

2.  unfair
accusation or investigation of people: the
practice of using unsubstantiated accusations or unfair methods of
investigation to discredit people
[Mid-20th
century. Named for Joseph R. McCarthy, who
pursued this policy.]
—Mc·Car·thy·ist,
noun, adjective

—Mc·Car·thy·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



McCarthy,Joseph R.

McCarthy,Joseph R.
Mc·Car·thy
[mə krthee], Joseph R. (1908–1957)

U.S.
politician. A Republican U.S. senator (1947–1957), he instigated highly
publicized Senate hearings in the early 1950s into Communist subversion of the
U.S. government. His often unsubstantiated charges and extreme methods led to a
Senate censure, and the period is often referred to as “the McCarthy era.”
Full name
McCarthy, Joseph Raymond[1]



McCarthy,Mary

McCarthy,Mary
Mc·Car·thy
[mə krthee], Mary (1912–1989)

U.S.
writer and critic. She was best known for her novel The Group ( 1969 ).
Full name
McCarthy, Mary Therese[1]



McCartney,Paul

McCartney,Paul
Mc·Cart·ney
[mə krtnee], Sir Paul (1942– )

British
singer and songwriter. He was a founder member, singer, and bass guitarist of
the Beatles (1959–1970), cowriting most of their songs with John Lennon.
He later formed the band Wings (1971–1981) with his wife, Linda.
Full name
McCartney, Sir James Paul[1]



McClellan,George Brinton

McClellan,George Brinton
McClellan
[mə kléllən], George Brinton (1826–1885)

U.S. Union army commander. He
lost his bid for the U.S. presidency to Abraham Lincoln (1864).[1]



McClintock,Barbara

McClintock,Barbara

McClintock
[mə klíntək, mə
klínt òk], Barbara (1902–1992)
U.S. botanist and geneticist. Her
research into genetics and DNA won her a Nobel Prize (1983).[1]



McCormack,John

McCormack,John
Mc·Cor·mack
[mə káwrmək, mə
káwrm ak], John (1884–1945)

Irish-born U.S. tenor. He was
noted for his solo performances of Irish folk songs, and also enjoyed a
successful career as an opera singer.[1]



McCormick,Cyrus Hall

McCormick,Cyrus Hall
Mc·Cor·mick
[mə káwrmik], Cyrus Hall (1809–1884)

U.S. inventor. He patented a
mechanical reaping machine (1834), which had a major impact on agriculture.[1]



McCoy

McCoy
Mc·Coy 
[mə kóy][Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Mackay, as the title of the chief of
a branch of the Mackay clan, whose leadership was regularly disputed.]
the
real McCoy

somebody
or something that is genuine (informal)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Among
  the suggested origins of the phrase the real
  McCoy are that it may be an alteration of the Reay Mackay, a
  title applied to Lord Reay, the name of the chief of the northern
  branch of the Scots Mackay clan, the leadership of which was disputed
  by various branch factions; that it may be from Mackay, a whiskey named for
  its makers A. and M. Mackay of Glasgow (once referred to as the
  clear McCoy ); and that it may be from the professional name of the U.S.
  welterweight boxing champion Kid McCoy —real name Norman Selby (
  1873-1940 )— so named to distinguish himself from another boxer of the same
  name.

[1]



McCrae,John

McCrae,John
McCrae
[mə kráy], John (1872–1918)

Canadian poet. He was best
known for his war poem “In Flanders Fields” ( 1915 ).[1]



McCullers,Carson

McCullers,Carson

Mc·Cul·lers
[mə kúllərz], Carson (1917–1967)
U.S.
writer. Her novels include Southern Gothic tales such as Ballad of the Sad
Café ( 1951 ).
Born
Smith, Lula Carson[1]



McCullough,Colleen Margaretta

McCullough,Colleen Margaretta
McCullough
[mə kúllək, mə
kúlləkh], Colleen Margaretta (1937– )

Australian novelist. Her
novel The Thorn Birds ( 1977 ) was an international bestseller.[1]



McEnroe,John

McEnroe,John

Mc·En·roe
[mákən r], John (1959– )
U.S.
tennis player. He was four times winner of the U.S. Open (1979, 1980, 1981, and
1984) and won the Wimbledon men’s singles title three times (1981, 1983, and
1984).
Full name
McEnroe, John Patrick, Jr.[1]



McEntire,Reba

McEntire,Reba
McEntire
[mákən tr], Reba (1955– )

U.S. country-and-western
singer. This popular singer rejected the “countrypolitan” style in favor of a
return to traditional country music values.[1]



McGillivray,Alexander

McGillivray,Alexander
McGillivray
[mə gíllivree, mə
gílliv ray], Alexander (1759–1793)

Native American leader. His
Treaty of New York (1790) helped to maintain the independence of his people,
the Creek.[1]



McGillivray,William

McGillivray,William
McGillivray
[mə gíllə vrày], William (1764–1825)

Scottish-born Canadian
fur-trade merchant. He was chief director of the North West Company, who fought
in the War of 1812 at the capture of Detroit.[1]



McGovern,George

McGovern,George
Mc·Gov·ern
[mə gúvvərn], George (1922– )

U.S.
statesman. A Democratic U.S. representative (1956–1961) and senator
(1963–1981), he was a leading opponent of the Vietnam War. He lost a populist
run for the presidency to Richard Nixon by a landslide in 1972.
Full name
McGovern, George Stanley[1]



McGuffey,William Holmes

McGuffey,William Holmes
McGuffey
[mə gúffee], William Holmes (1800–1873)

U.S. educator and writer. He
wrote a series of influential reading texts called the Eclectic Readers
( 1836–1857 ).[1]



mCi

mCi
mCi

Symbol for
millicurie[1]



McKean,Thomas

McKean,Thomas
McKean
[mə kn], Thomas (1734–1817)

U.S. jurist and statesman. He
was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and governor of
Pennsylvania (1799–1808).[1]



McKim,Charles Follen

McKim,Charles Follen
McKim
[mə kím], Charles Follen (1847–1909)

U.S. architect. His designs
include the Boston Public Library ( 1887 ).[1]



McKinley,Mount

McKinley,Mount

Mc·Kin·ley, Mount
[mə kínlee]
the highest mountain in North America, in
Denali National Park and Preserve, south central Alaska. Height: 6,194 m/20,320
ft.[1]



McKinley,William

McKinley,William

Mc·Kin·ley
[mə kínlee], William (1843–1901)
U.S. statesman and 25th president of the
United States (1897–1901). Shortly after election to his second term he was
assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz.[1]



McLuhan,Marshall

McLuhan,Marshall

Mc·Lu·han
[mə klən], Marshall (1911–1980)
Canadian-born
U.S. critic and theorist. His writings dealt with the effects of media
technology on the public.
Full name
McLuhan, Herbert Marshall[1]



McNamara,Robert

McNamara,Robert
Mc·Na·ma·ra
[màknə márrə], Robert (1916– )

U.S.
business executive and public official. He left the presidency of Ford Motor
Company to serve as secretary of defense (1961–1967) during the Vietnam War,
which he championed while in office. He was later president of the World Bank
(1968–1981).
Full name
McNamara, Robert Strange[1]



M.Com.

M.Com.
M.Com.

Abbreviation of
Master of Commerce[1]



MCP

MCP
MCP

(informal insult) Abbreviation
of male chauvinist pig[1]



McPherson

McPherson
Mc·Pher·son
[mək frsən]

city in central Kansas, south
of Saline and northwest of Wichita. Population: 12,746 (1996)[1]



McPherson,Aimee Semple

McPherson,Aimee Semple
Mc·Pher·son
[mək fúrss’n], Aimee Semple (1890–1944)

Canadian-born
U.S. preacher. She founded the Church of the Four Square Gospel (1927) and was
one of the first evangelists to use the radio.
Born
Kennedy, Aimee Elizabeth[1]



MCPO

MCPO
MCPO

Abbreviation of
master chief petty officer[1]



McQueen,Steve

McQueen,Steve
Mc·Queen
[mə kwn], Steve (1930–1980)

U.S.
actor. He achieved his greatest success in tough-guy and loner roles in movies
such as The Magnificent Seven ( 1960 ) and Bullitt ( 1968 ).
Full name
McQueen, Terence Steven[1]



Md

Md
Md

Symbol for
mendelevium[1]



Md.

Md.
Md.

Abbreviation of
Maryland[1]



MD

MD
MD

1.  Abbreviation
of
Maryland

2.  Abbreviation
of
medical department

3.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Medicine

4.  BANKING Abbreviation of
memorandum of deposit

5.  Abbreviation
of
muscular dystrophy

6.  Abbreviation
of
musical director

[1]



m/d

m/d1
m/d1

COMMERCE
Abbreviation of months after date[1]



m/d

m/d2
m/d2 or M/d

Abbreviation of
months after date[1]



M.D.

M.D.
M.D.

Abbreviation of
Doctor of Medicine[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








M-day

M-day
M-day


Abbreviation of
mobilization day[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








M.Div.

M.Div.
M.Div.

Abbreviation of
Master of Divinity[1]



Mdm.

Mdm.
Mdm.

Abbreviation of
Madam[1]



MDMA

MDMA
MDMA
noun

Ecstasy:
the drug Ecstasy. Full form methylenedioxymethamphetamine[1]



M.D.S.

M.D.S.
M.D.S.

Abbreviation of
Master of Dental Surgery[1]



mdse.

mdse.
mdse.

Abbreviation of
merchandise[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MDT

MDT
MDT

Abbreviation of
Mountain Daylight Time[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ME

ME
ME

1.  Abbreviation
of
Maine

2.  Abbreviation
of
mechanical engineer

3.  Abbreviation
of
Methodist Episcopal

4.  Abbreviation
of
Middle English

5.  Abbreviation
of
mining engineer

6.  Abbreviation
of
Most Excellent

[1]



Me

Me
Me

Symbol for
methyl[1]



Me.

Me.
Me.

Abbreviation of
Maine[1]



me

me1
me1  [mee]
pronoun

1.  the
speaker or writer: used to refer to the speaker
or writer • asked
her to do me a big favor • Listen
to me!
• Was
it me?

2.  personality
of the speaker or writer: used to refer to the
personality of the speaker or writer, or something that may express it (informal)
• I
don’t think I like this hat; it isn’t really me.

3.  myself:
myself (informal) • I’ll
get me a new boyfriend, see if I don’t.
[Old English mē, me
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English mine, French me, Greek me, emé,
Welsh and Irish mi, and German mich .][1]



me

me2
me2  (plural mes) noun

MUSIC
See mi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








M.E.

M.E.
M.E.

Abbreviation of
Middle English[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








meaculpa

meaculpa
me·a
cul·pa 
[mày ə kl p] interjection

expressing
guilt or fault: used to express an admission of your own
guilt (formal or humorous)
noun
(plural me·a cul·pas)

formal
apology:
a formal apology or acknowledgment of responsibility or guilt • His
grudging mea culpa failed to soothe feelings.
[From Latin, literally
“(through) my fault,” these words being taken from the prayer of confession in
the Roman Catholic Church’s Latin liturgy][1]



mead

mead2
mead2 [meed]
(plural meads) noun

meadow:
a meadow (archaic or literary)
[Old English md (see meadow )][1]



mead

mead1
mead1 [meed]
(plural meads) noun

drink
made from honey: an alcoholic drink made by fermenting
honey with water, often with added spices
[Old English me(o)du .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “honey, sweet drink,” which is
also the ancestor of Greek methu “wine” (source of English amethyst ).][1]



Meade,George Gordon

Meade,George Gordon

Meade
[meed], George Gordon (1815–1872)
U.S. Union general. He commanded the Army
of the Potomac (1863–1865) in the Revolution.[1]



Mead,George Herbert

Mead,George Herbert
Mead 
[meed], George Herbert (1863–1931)

U.S. philosopher and social
psychologist. He developed theories of self and self-consciousness.[1]



Mead,Lake

Mead,Lake
Mead,
Lake
[meed]

artificial lake in Arizona
and Nevada, formed by the Hoover Dam across the Colorado River. Area: 603 sq
km/233 sq mi.[1]



Mead,Margaret

Mead,Margaret

Mead 
[meed], Margaret (1901–1978)
U.S. anthropologist. In such influential
books as Coming of Age in Samoa ( 1928 ) she formalized her field work
research on child care, adolescence, and sexual behavior in North American
society and nonindustrial societies.[1]



meadow

meadow
mead·ow 
[méddō] (plural mead·ows) noun

1.  grassy
field:
a grassy field used for producing hay or for grazing domestic livestock

2.  grassy
area:
an area of low-lying grassland, especially a marshy one near a river
[Old
English mdwe, a form of md, from, ultimately, an Indo-European
base meaning “to cut grass with a scythe,” which is also the ancestor of
English mow]
—mead·ow·y, adjective[1]



meadowbeauty

meadowbeauty
mead·ow
beau·ty
noun

plant with purple flowers:
any of several related low-growing perennial plants with pretty purple flowers
that grow in marshy ground in North America. Genus: Rhexia[1]



meadowfern

meadowfern
mead·ow
fern
noun

See
sweet gale[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








meadowfescue

meadowfescue
mead·ow
fes·cue
noun

perennial grass:
a perennial grass that grows throughout Europe and Asia and has shiny leaves
and stem bases that are surrounded by brown sheaths. Latin name: Festuca
pratensis[1]



meadowgrasshopper

meadowgrasshopper
mead·ow
grass·hop·per noun

large green grasshopper:
a large green grasshopper with delicate wings that look like leaves and help it
to remain concealed among foliage. Latin name: Tettigonia viridissima[1]



meadowland

meadowland
mead·ow·land 
[méddō lànd] noun

area of meadow:
a large area of land that is made up of meadows[1]



meadowlark

meadowlark

mead·ow·lark 
[méddō lrk] (plural mead·ow·larks
or mead·ow·lark) noun
N American songbird:
either of two related North American songbirds of the blackbird family that
have brown speckled feathers, a yellow breast, and a black crescent-shaped mark
just under the bill. Genus: Sturnella[1]



meadowmouse

meadowmouse
mead·ow
mouse
noun

field mouse:
a field mouse or vole[1]



meadowmushroom

meadowmushroom
mead·ow
mush·room
(plural mead·ow mush·rooms) noun

edible mushroom:
an edible mushroom that grows in European grassland. It has a white cap, a
white stem, and pink gills that turn to brown as it matures. Latin name: Agaricus
campestris[1]



meadownematode

meadownematode
mead·ow
nem·a·tode
(plural mead·ow nem·a·todes) noun

parasitic worm:
any of several parasitic nematode worms that infest and destroy the roots of
plants. Genus: Pratylenchus[1]



meadowrue

meadowrue
mead·ow
rue
noun

plant with small yellow
flowers: any of several plants
related to the buttercup, with small yellow flowers. They grow in Northern
temperate zones. Genus: Thalictrum[1]



meadowsaffron

meadowsaffron
mead·ow
saf·fron
noun

See
autumn crocus[1]



meadowsweet

meadowsweet

mead·ow·sweet 
[méddō swt] (plural mead·ow·sweets
or mead·ow·sweet) noun

1.  N
American plant: any of several North American plants of
the rose family that have clusters of small white flowers. Genus: Spiraea

2.        European
plant with creamy-white flowers: a
tall European perennial plant of the rose family that grows in damp and marshy
places and has clusters of tiny creamy-white flowers with a sweet smell. Latin
name: Filipendula ulmaria
See also
dropwort[1]



meager

meager
mea·ger
[mgər] or mea·gre [mgər] adjective

1.  unsatisfactorily
small:
unsatisfactory in quantity, substance, or size • a
company that is notorious for paying meager salaries

2.  of
bad quality: bad and unsatisfying in quality,
strength, or effectiveness • The
street outside my window furnished meager entertainment.

3.  thin:
very thin, especially through malnutrition or illness
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman megre, French maigre “lean, thin,” from
Latin macr-, the stem of macer (source of English emaciate ).]
—mea·ger·ly,
adverb

—mea·ger·ness, noun[1]



meal

meal2
meal2 [meel]
noun

1.  ground
grain:
the edible part of a cereal crop that has been ground to a powder

2.  ground-up
substance:
any substance ground to a fine or coarse powder • fish
meal
[Old English melu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to crush, grind,” which is also
the ancestor of English maul, mill, and molar
.][1]



meal

meal1
meal1 [meel]
(plural meals) noun

1.  food
eaten at one time: a substantial amount of
food, often more than one course, that is provided and eaten at one time

2.  time
for eating food: any of the usual occasions, for example,
breakfast or lunch, when a substantial amount of food is provided and eaten
[Old
English ml “measure, mealtime.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word, ancestor also of German mal “time, occasion.”]
make
a meal of something

1.  to
put more time or effort into something than is usual or necessary (informal)

2.  to
exaggerate the importance, intensity, or severity of something (informal)

[1]



mealie

mealie
meal·ie
[mlee] (plural meal·ies) noun

South
Africa
ear
of corn:
an ear of corn.
See
also
mealies
[Early 19th century. Via
Afrikaans mielie from, ultimately, Latin milium (see millet ).][1]



mealson wheels

mealson wheels
meals
on wheels
noun

service bringing hot meals to
homes: a service, usually provided
by a social work department or charity, whereby hot meals are brought to
seniors, physically challenged people, or housebound people (takes a
singular verb)[1]



mealticket

mealticket
meal
tick·et
(plural meal tick·ets) noun

1.  dependable
source of money or support: somebody who or something
that can be counted on, or is exploited for financial gain or support (informal)

2.  ticket
for meal:
a ticket that entitles the holder to a meal

[1]



mealtime

mealtime
meal·time 
[ml tm] (plural meal·times) noun

usual time of a meal:
the time when a meal is usually or regularly served[1]



mealworm

mealworm
meal·worm 
[ml wùrm] (plural meal·worms or
meal·worm) noun

beetle larva:
the larva of various beetles that feeds on stored grain or flour and can cause
severe damage and loss. Genus: Tenebrio[1]



mealy

mealy
meal·y 
[mlee] (comparative meal·i·er,
superlative meal·i·est) adjective

1.  like
meal:
powdery or granular, like meal or grain • mealy
potatoes

2.  made
of meal:
containing, made of, or covered with meal

3.  dappled:
with a spotted or dappled hide or coat

4.  pale:
exceptionally pale, especially through malnutrition or illness
—meal·i·ness, noun[1]



mealybug

mealybug
meal·y
bug
noun

insect feeding on citrus
crops: any of various scale insects
that are covered with a white powdery secretion and feed on plants, often
causing significant damage to citrus crops and greenhouse plants. Family:
Pseudococcidae[1]



mealy-mouthed

mealy-mouthed
meal·y-mouthed 
adjective

lacking frankness or
directness: wary of speaking plainly or
openly, especially of admitting unpleasant truths (disapproving)[1]



mean

mean1
mean1 [meen]
(past meant [ment], past
participle meant [ment], present
participle mean·ing, 3rd person present singular means)
transitive verb
See
also
means

1.  have
a particular sense: to indicate or represent a
particular sense • I don’t know what half
these words mean. • When
he raises his hand, it means he’s making a bid.

2.  intend
to express something: to intend or be intended to
express a particular idea in speech or writing • That’s
not quite what I meant. • Just
what’s that supposed to mean?

3.  intend
to do something: to have an intention to do something • I
didn’t mean to upset you. • I’ve
been meaning to call you for weeks.

4.  express
an opinion or intention: to be expressing a definite
opinion or intention in what you say • She
says she’s resigning, and I think this time she means it.

5.  be
a cause or sign of something: to be a cause or indication
of something • The
strike will mean a hard winter for many families. • A
red sunset means fine weather.

6.  go
with something: to accompany or be associated with
something • For
Sam, summer meant golf.
[Old English mānan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English mind .][1]



mean

mean2
mean2 [meen]
(comparative mean·er, superlative mean·est) adjective

1.  unkind:
unkind or malicious • You
hurt her feelings –that was a mean thing to do.

2.  cruel:
cruel and bad-tempered • He can
be pretty mean at times.

3.  shabby:
shabby and poor-looking • streets
full of small mean houses

4.  excellent:
excellent or skillful (informal) • He
plays a mean sax.

5.  base:
base or unworthy

6.  humble:
of low social position (archaic) • living
among the poor and mean

7.  uncomfortable:
uncomfortable or disagreeable • This
is the meanest climate I’ve ever lived in.

8.  U.K.
not
generous:
unwilling to spend money on other people • the
meanest person I know
[Old
English māne, from gemāne “shared by everyone.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor also of German gemein ). The modern
sense evolved via “inferior.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  mean, nasty, vile,
  low, base, ignoble
  CORE
  MEANING: referring
  to somebody or something below normal standards of decency mean; used to describe people or their
  attitudes and behavior when they are unkind, unfair, or spiteful; nasty; a general word used to describe
  somebody or something extremely unpleasant, offensive, or spiteful; vile; used to emphasize that somebody or
  something is utterly despicable or wicked; low;
  used to describe somebody or something dishonorable or despicable. It is used
  especially to describe behavior or actions that seem to take advantage of
  somebody; base; a formal or
  literary word meaning dishonorable or despicable; ignoble;
  a formal word used to describe somebody or something that seems to have no
  admirable or worthy qualities at all. It can be used to suggest that
  somebody’s behavior is unworthy of him or her

[1]



mean

mean3
mean3 [meen]
noun (plural means)
See
also
means

1.  MATHEMATICS intermediate
value:
a value that is intermediate between other values, for example, an average or
expected value

2.  MATHEMATICS medium
term of a proportion: either the second or third
term of a proportion

3.  middle
way:
a medium or moderate alternative or course of action, in the middle of a range
of possibilities • We need to find the
mean between these extremes.
adjective

See
also
means

1.  medium:
medium or intermediate in size, strength, or quality

2.  in
an intermediate position: occupying an intermediate
position in a range • Speech
was achieved in 74.3 percent of patients within a mean time interval of 63
days.
[14th century. Via Old French
meien from Latin medianus (see median
).][1]



meander

meander
me·an·der 
[mee ándər] intransitive verb (past
me·an·dered, past participle me·an·dered, present
participle me·an·der·ing, 3rd person present singular me·an·ders)

1.  follow
a twisting route: to follow an indirect route or course,
especially one with a series of twists and turns • The
river meanders to the sea.

2.  wander
slowly and aimlessly: to move in a leisurely way,
especially for pleasure or because of a lack of motivation • meandering
through the park
noun
(plural me·an·ders)

1.  relaxed
walk:
a slow leisurely walk or journey • We
went for a meander in the woods.

2.  twist
or bend:
a twist or bend in something, especially a river, path, or street

3.  twisting
route:
an indirect course or route, especially one that twists and turns • We
followed the meanders of the path.

4.  ARTS ornamental
design:
an ornamental design, popular in ancient Greek art and architecture, made by a
continuous line that forms square shapes by doubling back on itself
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin, “winding course,” from Greek maiandros,
from the name of a river (now called the Büyük Menderes) in Turkey.]
—me·an·der·er,
noun

—me·an·der·ing·ly,
adverb

—me·an·drous [mee ándrəss], adjective[1]



meandeviation

meandeviation
mean
de·vi·a·tion (plural mean de·vi·a·tions)
noun

measure of dispersion:
in statistics, the mean of the absolute values of the differences between
individual values and the mean or median, used as a measure of dispersion.
Also called
average deviation[1]



meandistance

meandistance
mean
dis·tance
(plural mean dis·tanc·es) noun

average radius of an orbit:
the average distance between an orbiting celestial object and the object it is
orbiting[1]



meanfree path

meanfree path
mean
free path
(plural mean free paths) noun

average distance traveled by
a gas molecule: the average distance a
gas molecule travels before it collides with another molecule or the containing
vessel. Symbol &lambda;[1]



meanie

meanie
mean·ie 
[mnee] (plural mea·nies) or
mean·y [mnee] (plural mean·ies)
noun

mean person:
a mean, bad-tempered, small-minded person (informal)[1]



meaning

meaning
mean·ing 
[mning] noun (plural mean·ings)

1.  what
something means: what a word, sign, or symbol means • Do
you know the meaning of this word?

2.  what
somebody wants to express: what somebody intends to
express • I
want to make my meaning very clear.

3.  what
something signifies: what something signifies or
indicates • I
could not fathom the meaning of their glances.

4.  inner
importance:
psychological or moral sense, purpose, or significance • an
empty life without meaning
adjective

significant:
conveying a significance that is not directly expressed • A
meaning silence followed these words.

[1]



meaningful

meaningful
mean·ing·ful 
[mningfəl] adjective

1.  with
meaning:
having a discernible meaning • To me,
that is not a meaningful expression.

2.  significant:
conveying a meaning or significance that is not directly expressed • She
gave me a meaningful glance.

3.  adding
value to life: adding significance, meaning, or purpose
to somebody’s life • I’m not claiming that
we have a deep and meaningful relationship, but we do have fun.
—mean·ing·ful·ly,
adverb

—mean·ing·ful·ness, noun[1]



meaningless

meaningless
mean·ing·less 
[mningləss] adjective

1.  without
meaning:
having no discernible meaning • a
meaningless scrawl

2.  without
purpose:
lacking purpose or significance • Offering
to help now could be a meaningless gesture
—mean·ing·less·ly,
adverb

—mean·ing·less·ness, noun[1]



meanlethal dose

meanlethal dose
mean
le·thal dose (plural mean le·thal dos·es)
noun

SCIENCE
See median lethal dose[1]



means

means
means
[meenz] noun

something
enabling somebody to do something: something that is
available and makes it possible for somebody to do something (takes a
singular or plural verb) • You
can’t live out there alone with no means of transportation
plural
noun

available
money:
the money and other resources that somebody has to live on • It’ll
be impossible to find a house in this area that’s within their means.
[From
mean 3]
by
all means

used
as a polite way to give permission

by
no means

used to emphasize a negative
• You
were by no means the worst player.[1]



meansof production

meansof production
means
of pro·duc·tion plural noun

things needed for
manufacturing: in Marxism, the raw
materials, tools, machinery, and other necessities required in the
manufacturing process[1]



meansolar day

meansolar day
mean
so·lar day
noun

standard 24-hour day:
the constant interval between two successive transits of the mean sun across
the meridian[1]



mean-spirited

mean-spirited
mean-spir·it·ed
adjective

malicious:
malicious or bad-tempered
—mean-spir·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—mean-spir·it·ed·ness,
noun[1]



meansquare

meansquare
mean
square
(plural mean squares) noun

mean of squares of a set:
the mean of the squares of a set of values[1]



meanstest

meanstest
means
test 
(plural means tests) noun

examination
of somebody’s income: an examination of somebody’s
income and savings, carried out in order to determine whether the criteria for
a type of assistance or financial aid are met
—means test·ing, noun[1]



meansun

meansun
mean
sun
noun

sun used in timekeeping:
in timekeeping, an imaginary sun that moves uniformly in the celestial equator
taking the same time to complete a circuit as the real sun takes in the
ecliptic[1]



meant

meant
meant


Past participle of
mean 1 Past
tense of mean 1[1]



meantime

meantime
mean
time
(plural mean times) noun

time measured by the mean
sun: time measured with reference
to the mean sun crossing a given meridian[1]



meantime

meantime
mean·time 
[mn tm] noun

the time between events:
the intervening period of time between two events, or from now until something
else happens • I’ll
start dinner now and in the meantime you can have an apple.
• I’ll
come as soon as I can; just wait there for the meantime.
• Repairs
will be done tomorrow and meantime please don’t use the sink.[1]



meanwhile

meanwhile
mean·while 
[mn hwl] adverb

1.  during
a period:
during the period of time between two events • I’ll
meet you later; meanwhile I’ll leave you to your food.

2.  while
something is happening: at the same time as
something is happening • I
tried to keep everybody calm, meanwhile struggling to open the car door.

[1]



meany

meany
mean·y
noun

See
meanie[1]



meas.

meas.
meas.

1.  Abbreviation
of
measure

2.  Abbreviation
of
measurement

[1]



measles

measles
mea·sles 
[mz’lz] noun

1.  contagious
viral disease: a very contagious acute viral disease
with symptoms that include a high temperature, sore throat, and a bright red
rash of small spots that spread to cover the whole body. The presence of small
white spots, known as Koplik’s spots, in the mouth on the inside of the cheeks
a few days before the rash appears is often used as a diagnostic symptom of the
disease. (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  measles
spots:
the spots that are characteristic of measles
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German masele or Middle Dutch masel
“spot, blemish,” and by folk etymology from earlier mesel “leper.”][1]



measly

measly
mea·sly 
[mzlee] (comparative mea·sli·er,
superlative mea·sli·est) adjective

1.  very
little and pointless: ridiculously or
disappointingly small or inadequate (informal) • He
tipped me a measly dime.

2.  having
measles:
infected with measles
[The sense “inadequate”
evolved from “infected with measles” via “spotty”][1]



measurable

measurable
meas·ur·a·ble 
[mézhərəb’l] adjective

able
to be measured: capable of being measured or perceived
[13th
century. Via French mesurable from late Latin mensurabilis
(source of English mensurable ),
from, ultimately, Latin mensura (see measure
.]
—meas·ur·a·bil·i·ty
[mèzhərə bíllətee], noun

—mea·sur·a·ble·ness
[mézhərəb’lnəss], noun

—meas·ur·a·bly [mézhərəblee], adverb[1]



measure

measure
meas·ure 
[mézhər] noun (plural meas·ures)

1.  size:
the size or extent of something, especially in comparison with a known standard

2.  system
for determining size: a particular system used to
determine the dimensions, area, volume, or weight of something

3.  standard
used for figuring size: a standard used for
determining the dimensions, area, volume, or weight of something

4.  way
of evaluating: a way of evaluating something, or a
standard against which something can be compared

5.  unit
in a system: a unit in a system that is used to
determine the dimensions, area, volume, or weight of something

6.  action
taken:
an action taken to make something happen or prevent something (often used in
the plural) • to take precautionary
measures

7.  something
used to figure quantity: something used to determine
a quantity, for example, a ruler, or a spoon or small container that holds a
known volume

8.  standard
amount of something: a standard amount of
something, for example, of an alcoholic beverage poured into a glass for
drinking

9.  degree
of something: an extent or amount that is limited,
appropriate, or has its size specified • Their
help contributed in no small measure to our success.

10. limits:
a limit or limits, especially one that is reasonable or appropriate • His
rage had no measure.

11. MUSIC See bar 1 noun 14

12. LAW law:
a bill to be enacted into law, or a law that has been enacted

13. POETRY poetic
meter:
the rhythm or meter of a piece of poetry

14. POETRY metrical
foot:
a foot or unit of meter in poetry

15. dance:
a dance (archaic)
plural
noun
meas·ures

MINING GEOLOGY rock layers:
strata of rock, especially when they contain a particular material
verb
(past meas·ured, past participle meas·ured, present
participle meas·ur·ing, 3rd person present singular meas·ures)

1.  transitive
verb
find
size, length, quantity, or rate: to find out the size,
length, quantity, or rate of something using a suitable instrument or device

2.  transitive
verb
assess
effect or quality: to assess the effect or
quality of something, often against a standard • You
can’t measure a hospital just by its facilities.

3.  transitive
verb
be
a particular size, length, quantity: to be
a particular size, length, quantity, or rate

4.  transitive
verb
determine
somebody’s size for clothes: to determine somebody’s size
in order to make a garment or garments that will fit • She
was being measured for her wedding dress.

5.  transitive
verb
compare
size or quality: to compare the size, effect, or quality
of something with another thing • The
champion needs to measure his skill against a worthy challenger.

6.  transitive
verb
adjust
for effect:
to adjust something so that it is suitable or effective • He
measured his punch exactly to catch his opponent on the jaw.

7.  intransitive
verb
journey:
to travel a particular distance (archaic)
[12th
century. Via French mesure from Latin mensura, from mens-
the past participle stem of metiri “to measure.”]
—meas·ur·er,
noun
beyond
measure

very
greatly, or to an enormous extent

for
good measure

as
something extra to the amount required, especially to make sure of something

get
or have or take somebody’s measure

to
arrive at an accurate assessment of somebody’s qualities or abilities





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin stem mens-, from which measure
  derives, is also the source of English commensurate,
  dimension, and immense.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  Measure
  for Measure, a play by English William Shakespeare ( 1604 ). Set in the court
  of the Duke of Vienna, this tragicomedy tells of a sister’s attempts to win
  clemency for her brother, who has been condemned to death for the relatively
  minor crime of permissive behavior. It deals broadly with morality and the
  nature of justice.

[1]



measured

measured
meas·ured 
[mézhərd] adjective

1.  unhurried
or reasonable: slow, deliberate, or carefully
considered • spoke
in measured tones

2.  adjusted
for effect:
adjusted to be suitable or effective • a
measured response to the criticism

3.  by
measurement: determined as a result of measuring • a
measured mile
—meas·ured·ly,
adverb

—meas·ured·ness, noun[1]



measureless

measureless
meas·ure·less 
[mézhərləss] adjective

not
measurable:
too great to be measured “Through caverns measureless to man” Samuel Taylor
Coleridge Kubla Khan 1816
—meas·ure·less·ly,
adverb

—mea·sure·less·ness, noun[1]



measurement

measurement
meas·ure·ment 
[mézhərmənt] (plural meas·ure·ments)
noun

1.  size
of something measured: the size, length, quantity,
or rate of something that has been measured

2.  body
dimension measured for clothing: the size of a part of
somebody’s body, especially used to fit or make clothing (often used in the
plural)

3.  measuring
of something: an act of measuring something

[1]



measureoff

measureoff
measure
off
transitive verb

1.  measure
a length for cutting: to determine a particular
length of something so that this amount may be cut off

2.  mark
off an area: to find or mark the limits of an area

[1]



measureout

measureout
measure
out
transitive verb

1.  measure
an amount for use: to take a particular amount
from a larger amount of something for use

2.  mark
off area:
to find or mark the limits of an area

[1]



measureup

measureup
measure
up
intransitive verb

be good enough:
to be good enough to meet a standard • Her
new play didn’t measure up to expectations.[1]



measuringworm

measuringworm
meas·ur·ing
worm 
[mézhəring wùrm] (plural meas·ur·ing
worms) noun

See
inchworm[1]



meat

meat
meat 
[meet] (plural meats) noun

1.  edible
animal flesh: the flesh of an animal that is
considered edible, especially a mammal or bird

2.  edible
part:
the edible part of anything, for example, a coconut

3.  important
part:
the essence or important part of something • the
meat of the argument

4.  material
for thought: material that is interesting or
stimulates thought • There is plenty of meat
in the book.
[Old
English mete “food.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“measure,” which is also the ancestor of English measure,
the underlying idea being “measured portion of food.”]
—meat·less,
adjective
meat
and drink

something
that somebody particularly enjoys





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  sense of meat as “animal flesh (eaten as
  food)” developed in the 13th century, but the original English sense “food”
  still survives in phrases such as meat and drink and “one man’s meat
  is another man’s poison” (and is also seen in the word’s relatives Danish mad,
  Icelandic matur, and Swedish mat ).

[1]



meatand potatoes

meatand potatoes
meat
and po·ta·toes noun

most
basic idea:
the most basic or important idea or aspect of something (takes a singular or
plural verb)
—meat-and-po·ta·toes, adjective[1]



meatball

meatball
meat·ball 
[mt bàwl] (plural meat·balls)
noun

1.  ground
meat in ball shape: ground meat that is shaped
into a small round ball, usually with seasonings and a binding ingredient such
as breadcrumbs or egg, and then cooked

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or energy (slang
insult)

[1]



meathead

meathead
meat·head 
[mt hèd] (plural meat·heads) noun

somebody unintelligent:
somebody who is unintelligent or imperceptive (informal insult)[1]



meathook

meathook
meat
hook
noun (plural meat hooks)

hook
for hanging meat carcasses: a large hook used for
hanging carcasses of meat
plural
noun
meat hooks

hands:
the hands or fists (slang)[1]



meatloaf

meatloaf
meat
loaf
noun

loaf-shaped ground meat
mixture: a mixture of ground meat and
other ingredients, usually cooked in a loaf pan and served hot or cold[1]



meatmarket

meatmarket
meat
mar·ket
(plural meat mar·kets) noun

place to find a sexual
partner: a place where people go to
find sexual partners, such as a bar or nightclub (slang)
U.K. term
cattle market[1]



meatpacking

meatpacking
meat·pack·ing 
[mt pàking] noun

meat
industry:
the industry that deals with the slaughtering and butchering of meat
—meat·pack·er, noun[1]



meatus

meatus
me·a·tus 
[mee áytəss] (plural me·a·tus·es
or me·a·tus) noun

body
opening:
a body opening, for example, the passage in the ear that leads to the eardrum
[15th century. From Latin,
“passage, channel,” the past participle of meare “to go, pass” (source
of English permeate ).][1]



meaty

meaty
meat·y 
[mtee] (comparative meat·i·er,
superlative meat·i·est) adjective

1.  containing
or tasting of meat: containing a high proportion
of meat or tasting strongly of meat

2.  interesting
and thought-provoking: full of interesting and
thought-provoking material • a
meaty role

3.  fleshy
or muscled:
big and fleshy or muscular
—meat·i·ness, noun[1]



Mecca

Mecca
Mec·ca 
[mékə]

city in western Saudi Arabia,
the birthplace of Muhammad. It is considered by Muslims the most sacred of the
holy cities of Islam. Population: 1,500,000 (1994)[1]



mecca

mecca
mec·ca 
[mékə] (plural mec·cas) noun

central or popular place:
a place that is an important center for a particular activity or that is
visited by a great many people[1]



mech.

mech.
mech.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mechanical

2.  Abbreviation
of
mechanics

3.  Abbreviation
of
mechanism

[1]



mechan-

mechan-
mechan-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
mechano-[1]



mechanic

mechanic
me·chan·ic 
[mə kánnik] (plural me·chan·ics)
noun

somebody
who repairs machinery: a skilled worker who is
employed to repair or operate machinery or engines
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French mechanique from Latin mechanicus, from, ultimately,
Greek mēkhanē (see machine ).][1]



mechanical

mechanical
me·chan·i·cal 
[mə kánnik’l] adjective

1.  machine-operated:
operated by or using a machine or mechanism

2.  involving
a machine or engine: involving or located in or
on a machine or engine • mechanical
failure

3.  lacking
human qualities: done automatically or as if by a machine
instead of a thinking and feeling human being • His
playing was mechanical.

4.  understanding
machines:
having an aptitude for using or understanding machines • I’m
not very mechanical

5.  involving
physical forces: relating to, involving, or done by
physical forces • mechanical erosion

6.  PHYSICS of
mechanics:
relating to, involving, or typical of the science of mechanics • mechanical
energy

7.  PHILOSOPHY See mechanistic
noun
(plural me·chan·i·cals)

PRINTING material
ready for printing: copy consisting of type
proofs and artwork that is laid out and ready to be photographed or
electronically scanned for the purpose of preparing printing plates
—me·chan·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—me·chan·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



mechanicaldrawing

mechanicaldrawing
me·chan·i·cal
draw·ing
(plural me·chan·i·cal draw·ings) noun

1.  drawing
of machinery to scale: a drawing done to scale
using specialized instruments, for example, a sketch showing machinery or an
architectural plan

2.  process
of drawing:
the process of making mechanical drawings

[1]



mechanicalengineering

mechanicalengineering
me·chan·i·cal
en·gi·neer·ing noun

branch
of engineering: the branch of engineering that deals
with the design, production, and use of machinery and tools, as well as the
generation and transmission of heat and mechanical power
—me·chan·i·cal en·gi·neer,
noun[1]



mechanicalpencil

mechanicalpencil
me·chan·i·cal
pen·cil
(plural me·chan·i·cal pen·cils) noun

pencil with replaceable lead:
a pencil with replaceable lead that may be advanced as needed.
U.K. term
propelling pencil[1]



mechanicalweathering

mechanicalweathering
me·chan·i·cal
weath·er·ing noun

erosion without chemical
alteration: the breakdown of rocks and
minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, and tree roots, with no
chemical alteration[1]



mechanics

mechanics
me·chan·ics 
[mə kánniks] noun

1.  study
of energy and forces: the branch of physics and
mathematics that deals with the effect of energy and forces on systems (takes
a singular verb)

2.  making
and running of machines: the application of the
science of mechanics to the design, making, and operating of machines (takes
a singular or plural verb)
plural
noun

how something works or is done:
the details of how something works or the way it is done • She’s
a strategic player who really understands the mechanics of the game.

[1]



mechanism

mechanism
mech·a·nism 
[mékə nìzzəm] (plural mech·a·nisms)
noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY machine
part:
a machine or part of a machine that performs a particular task

2.  something
like a machine: something that is not a machine but is
like one or is studied as if it were one • the
fragile mechanism of the planet’s ecology

3.  method
or means:
a method or means of doing something • Interest
rates are only one mechanism for controlling inflation.

4.  way
that something works: the methods, procedures, or
processes involved in how something works or is done • the
mechanism of international diplomacy

5.  PSYCHOLOGY instinctive
behavioral reaction: a natural unconscious
reaction or type of behavior that comes into action when somebody is faced with
a particular situation • defense
mechanisms

6.  PHILOSOPHY philosophical
theory:
the philosophical theory that all natural phenomena, including human behavior,
can be explained by physical causes and processes
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin mechanismus, from Greek mēkhanē (see machine ).][1]



mechanist

mechanist
mech·a·nist 
[mékənist] (plural mech·a·nists)
noun

PHILOSOPHY somebody
believing in philosophical mechanism:
somebody who believes that all natural phenomena, including human behavior, can
be explained by physical causes and processes
[Early 17th century. Formed
from mechanic .][1]



mechanistic

mechanistic
mech·a·nis·tic 
[mèkə nístik] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY explaining
behavior mechanically: explaining human behavior or
other natural processes in terms of physical causes and processes

2.  like
a machine:
typical of a machine rather than a thinking and feeling human being

3.  PHYSICS of the
science of mechanics: relating to, involving, or
typical of the science of mechanics
—mech·a·nis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



mechanize

mechanize
mech·a·nize 
[mékə nz] (past mech·a·nized,
past participle mech·a·nized, present participle mech·a·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular mech·a·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  use
machinery to do something: to change a process so that
it is performed by machinery rather than human or animal labor

2.  equip
with machinery: to equip a place of work or a workforce
with machines to do work previously done by human or animal labor

3.  MILITARY equip
an army with tracked vehicles: to equip an armed
force with tracked armored vehicles
[Late
17th century. Formed from mechanic .]
—mech·a·ni·za·tion
[mèkəni záysh’n], noun

—mech·a·nized
[mékə nzd], adjective

—mech·a·niz·er [mékə nzər], noun[1]



mechano-

mechano-
mechano-
prefix

1.  mechanical
• mechanoreceptor

2.  machinery
• mechanize
[From Greek mēkhanē
(see machine )][1]



mechanochemistry

mechanochemistry
mech·a·no·chem·is·try
[mèkənō kémmistree] noun

study
of chemical energy and work: the branch of chemistry
concerned with the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work
—mech·a·no·chem·i·cal
[mèkənō kémmik’l], adjective[1]



mechanoreceptor

mechanoreceptor
mech·a·no·re·cep·tor 
[mèkənō ri séptər] (plural mech·a·no·re·cep·tors)
noun

receptor
sensitive to mechanical change: a sensory receptor of
a nerve that responds to pressure, vibration, or some other mechanical stimulus
—mech·a·no·re·cep·tion,
noun

—mech·a·no·re·cep·tive,
adjective[1]



mechanotherapy

mechanotherapy
mech·a·no·ther·a·py 
[mèkənō thérrəpee] noun

medical
treatment by mechanical means: the treatment of
injuries through mechanical means such as massage and exercise machines
—mech·a·no·ther·a·pist,
noun[1]



Mechlin

Mechlin
Mech·lin 
[méklin] or Mech·lin lace [méklin] noun

bobbin
lace:
a type of bobbin lace made at Mechlin, Belgium.
Also
called
malines
[15th century. Named for Mechlin,
the former English name of the Belgian city Mechelen, where it was first
made.][1]



meconium

meconium
me·co·ni·um 
[mi kṓnee əm] noun

first
feces of a newborn baby: the dark greenish feces that
have collected in the intestines of an unborn baby and are released shortly
after birth
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, “poppy juice,” hence “newborn baby’s feces” (because of the similarity
in color), from Greek mēkōnion “poppy juice,” from mēkōn
“poppy.”][1]



mecopteran

mecopteran
me·cop·ter·an 
[mə kóptərən] (plural me·cop·ter·ans)
noun

insect
with beaky structure on head: an insect with long legs and
wings and a structure resembling a beak at the front of the head, for example
the scorpion fly. Order: Mecoptera
[Formed
from modern Latin Mecoptera, order name, from Greek mēkos
“length” + ptera “wings”]
—me·cop·ter·ous, adjective[1]



Med

Med
Med 
[med] noun

Mediterranean:
the Mediterranean Sea (informal)[1]



med.

med.
med.

1.  Abbreviation
of
medical

2.  Abbreviation
of
medicine

3.  Abbreviation
of
medieval

4.  Abbreviation
of
medium

[1]



M.Ed.

M.Ed.
M.Ed.

Abbreviation of
Master of Education[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








medaka

medaka
me·da·ka 
[mə dkə] (plural me·da·kas) noun

small
Japanese freshwater fish: a small Japanese freshwater
fish of the killifish family that is popular as an aquarium fish. Latin name: Oryzias
latipes
Also
called
rice fish
[Mid-20th century. From Japanese,
literally “eye-high.”][1]



medal

medal

med·al 
[médd’l] noun (plural med·als)

1.  piece
of metal given as an award: a small flat piece of metal,
usually shaped like a coin and stamped with an inscription or design, awarded
to somebody for outstanding achievement or bravery or to commemorate something

2.  religious
image worn as accessory: a cut and shaped piece of
metal on which a religious image is often stamped, worn as a pin or on a chain
intransitive verb
(past med·aled or med·alled, present participle
med·al·ing or med·al·ling, 3rd person present singular
med·als)

win a medal: to
win a medal in a competition • She medaled
in the javelin throw.
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin medalia
“coins worth half the value of a denarius,” from, ultimately, late Latin medialis
“medial” (source of English middle
).]
—me·dal·lic [mə dállik], adjective[1]



Medalfor Merit

Medalfor Merit
Med·al
for Merit 
noun

civilian medal:
a medal awarded by the U.S. government to civilians for outstanding service[1]



medalist

medalist
med·al·ist 
[médd’list] (plural med·al·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
awarded a medal: somebody who has been awarded a medal,
especially in a sports competition

2.  medal
designer, maker, or collector: somebody who designs,
makes, collects, or is an expert on medals

3.  GOLF winner
of a medal play tournament: a golfer who wins a medal
play tournament

[1]



medallion

medallion
me·dal·lion 
[mə dállyən] (plural me·dal·lions
[me dàlli yóN]) noun

1.  medal:
a large medal

2.  large
decorative metal disk: a large metal disk worn as
an ornament, usually on a chain around the neck

3.  COOKING round
thin food slice: a round thin slice or portion of meat or
another food

4.  ARTS round
decoration on something: a round or oval decoration
on something, for example, a building, vase, or piece of material
[Mid-17th century. Via French
médaillon from Italian medaglione, literally “large medal,” from medaglia
(see medal ).][1]



medallist

medallist
med·al·list 
[médd’list] noun

U.K. =
medalist[1]



Medalof Freedom

Medalof Freedom
Med·al
of Free·dom
(plural Med·als of Free·dom) noun

U.S. award for outstanding
achievement: an award given to U.S.
civilians for outstanding achievement[1]



Medalof Honor

Medalof Honor
Med·al
of Hon·or
(plural Med·als of Hon·or) noun

See
Congressional Medal of Honor[1]



medalplay

medalplay
med·al
play
noun

GOLF
golf counting strokes not holes won:
a way of scoring in golf in which the total number of strokes taken for the
round is counted rather than the number of holes won[1]



Medan

Medan
Me·dan 
[máy daan]

industrial city in western
Indonesia on the island of northern Sumatra. Population: 1,730,052 (1990)[1]



Medawar,Peter

Medawar,Peter
Med·a·war
[méddəwər], Sir Peter (1915–1987)

Brazilian-born
U.K. zoologist and immunologist. He shared a Nobel Prize in physiology or
medicine (1960) for his work on immunology in organ transplants and skin
grafts.
Full name
Medawar, Sir Peter Brian[1]



meddle

meddle
med·dle 
[médd’l] (past med·dled, past
participle med·dled, present participle med·dling, 3rd
person present singular med·dles) intransitive verb

interfere
in somebody else’s concerns: to interfere or become
involved in somebody else’s concerns or with something that is somebody else’s
property (disapproving) • I
don’t mean to meddle, only to offer advice. • Who’s
been meddling with the settings on my computer?
[13th
century. Via Old French me(s)dler (variant of mesler ), from
assumed Vulgar Latin misculare “to mix thoroughly.”]
—med·dler, noun[1]



meddlesome

meddlesome
med·dle·some 
[médd’lsəm] adjective

interfering
unnecessarily: tending to interfere in other people’s
business (disapproving)
—med·dle·some·ly,
adverb

—med·dle·some·ness, noun[1]



Mede

Mede
Mede 
[meed] (plural Medes) noun

member
of an ancient Indo-European people: a
member of an Indo-European people who ruled an empire northwest of Persia in
ancient times
[Via Latin Medi,
plural of Medus][1]



Medea

Medea
Me·de·a 
[mə d ə] noun

princess in Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, a woman with magical powers who was the daughter of the
king of Colchis. She helped Jason steal the Golden Fleece and, when he deserted
her, killed their children in revenge.[1]



Medellín

Medellín
Me·del·lín
[màydə yn]

major city and capital of
Antioquia Department in west central Colombia. Population: 1,621,356 (1995)[1]



medevac

medevac
med·e·vac 
[méddə vàk] noun (plural med·e·vacs)

1.  medical
evacuation of injured: the removal of injured
people from the scene of their injury to the nearest hospital or place of
treatment

2.  (plural
mede·vacs) helicopter used to evacuate injured:
an aircraft, especially a helicopter, used to take injured people from the
scene of their injury to the nearest hospital or place of treatment
transitive
verb
(past med·e·vaced, past participle med·e·vaced, present
participle med·e·vac·ing, 3rd person present singular med·e·vacs)

evacuate an injured person:
to evacuate somebody who is injured in order to take them to a hospital or
place of treatment
[Mid-20th century. Blend of medical and evacuation
.][1]



medfly

medfly
med·fly 
[méd fl] (plural med·flies) noun

fruit fly:
a Mediterranean fruit fly (informal)[1]



Medford

Medford
Med·ford 
[médfərd]

1.  city
in northeastern Massachusetts, a northwestern suburb of Boston. Population:
56,190 (1996)

2.  city
in Oregon, the administrative seat of Jackson County. Population: 52,611 (1994)

[1]



Med.Gr.

Med.Gr.
Med.
Gr.

Abbreviation of
medieval Greek[1]



Media

Media
Me·di·a 
[mdee ə]

ancient
country corresponding to modern-day northeastern Iran
—Me·di·an, adjective,
noun[1]



media

media2
me·di·a2 [mdee
ə] (plural me·di·ae [mdee ])
noun

1.  ANATOMY layer
of a blood vessel: the middle, muscular layer
of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel

2.  INSECTS vein
in an insect’s wing: a primary vein in an
insect’s wing
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “middle,” the feminine of medius (see medium
).][1]



media

media1
me·di·a1 [mdee
ə] noun

television,
newspapers, and radio collectively: the
various means of mass communication thought of as a whole, including
television, radio, magazines, and newspapers, together with the people involved
in their production (takes a singular or plural verb)


Plural
of
medium
[Early 20th century. Plural
of medium .][1]



mediacircus

mediacircus
me·di·a
cir·cus
(plural me·di·a cir·cus·es) noun

excessive media coverage:
a situation in which members of the media vie with each other in covering an
event so that the coverage overwhelms the event and distorts its importance (informal
disapproving)[1]



mediacy

mediacy
me·di·a·cy 
[mdee əss] noun

condition
of being intermediate: the condition of being
intermediate or of having an intermediate effect
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from mediate .][1]



mediae

mediae
me·di·ae

Plural of
media[1]



mediaeval

mediaeval
me·di·ae·val 
adjective

See
medieval[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mediaevalism

mediaevalism
me·di·ae·val·ism
noun

See
medievalism[1]



mediaevalist

mediaevalist
me·di·ae·val·ist
(plural me·di·ae·val·ists) noun

See
medievalist[1]



mediaevent

mediaevent
me·di·a
e·vent
(plural me·di·a e·vents) noun

event attracting media
coverage: something that attracts
great attention from the mass media, often arranged specifically for that
purpose[1]



mediagenic

mediagenic
me·di·a·gen·ic 
[mdee ə jénnik] adjective

attractive to the media:
appealing or attractive when covered by the media and thus highly suitable for
media exposure[1]



medial

medial
me·di·al 
[mdee əl] adjective

1.  at
the middle:
situated in or toward the middle

2.  ordinary:
not extreme or exceptional but average

3.  STATISTICS See median  adjective 2

4.  ZOOLOGY near
the median plane: near the median plane of an organism or
body part

5.  LINGUISTICS in
the middle of a language unit: occurring between the
first and last positions in a word or linguistic unit ( morpheme )
noun
(plural me·di·als)

PHONETICS sound
between strong and soft: a speech sound midway
between a strong sound ( fortis ) and a soft
sound ( lenis )
[Late
16th century. From late Latin medialis, from Latin medius (see medium ).]
—me·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



median

median
me·di·an 
[mdee ən] noun (plural me·di·ans)

1.  middle
point:
a point, line, part, or plane that is in the middle

2.  TRANSPORT See median strip

3.  STATISTICS middle
of ordered values: the middle value in a set of
statistical values that are arranged in ascending or descending order

4.  STATISTICS midpoint
in a frequency distribution: the value in a frequency
distribution above and below which values with equal total frequencies appear

5.  GEOMETRY line
dividing a triangle: a line connecting a vertex
of a triangle and the midpoint of the opposite side

6.  GEOMETRY line
dividing a trapezoid: a line connecting the
midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid
adjective

1.  in,
to, or through the middle: in, toward, or passing
through the middle

2.  STATISTICS of
or as a statistical median: relating to, involving, or
constituting a statistical median

3.  ZOOLOGY in the
middle of a bilateral animal: lying in the plane that
divides a bilaterally symmetrical animal into right and left halves
[14th
century. Directly or via French (veine) médiane “median (vein)” (the
original sense in English ), from Latin medianus “median,” from medius
(see medium ).]
—me·di·an·ly, adverb[1]



medianlethal dose

medianlethal dose
me·di·an
le·thal dose (plural me·di·an le·thal
dos·es) noun

dose killing half of
experimental animals: the dose of
something, for example, a drug or ionizing radiation, that, in a specified
period of time, will kill half the experimental animals to whom it is given.
Also called
mean lethal dose[1]



medianplane

medianplane
me·di·an
plane
(plural me·di·an planes) noun

plane dividing a body in
half: a vertical plane that
divides a bilaterally symmetrical animal into right and left halves[1]



medianstrip

medianstrip
me·di·an
strip
(plural me·di·an strips) noun

U.S.,
Australia central strip separating
traffic lanes: a strip of land down
the center of a road that separates lanes of traffic traveling in opposite
directions.
Also called
median[1]



mediant

mediant
me·di·ant 
[mdee ənt] (plural me·di·ants)
noun

3rd
note in a musical scale: the third note of a major or
minor musical scale, and the harmony built upon this note
[Mid-18th century. Via French
médiante from, ultimately, late Latin mediare “to be in the
middle” (source of English mediate ),
from Latin medius (see medium ).][1]



mediastinum

mediastinum
me·di·as·ti·num 
[mdee ə stnəm] (plural me·di·as·ti·na
[mdee ə stnə]) noun

region
in the chest: in mammals, the region of the chest
between the lungs that contains the heart, trachea, and other organs
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin, “medial,” the neuter form of mediastinus,
from Latin, “common servant,” from medius (see medium
).]
—me·di·as·ti·nal, adjective[1]



mediastudies

mediastudies
me·di·a
stud·ies
noun

mass media as an academic
subject: a field of academic work
that examines the role and operation of the mass media (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



mediate

mediate
me·di·ate 
verb [mdee àyt] (past me·di·at·ed,
past participle me·di·at·ed, present participle me·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular me·di·ates)

1.  intransitive
verb
intervene
to resolve conflict: to work with both sides in a
dispute in an attempt to help them reach an agreement • mediating
between the government and the rebels

2.  transitive
verb
oversee
attempts to solve a dispute: to oversee an attempt to
solve a dispute by working with both sides to help them reach an agreement • appointed
to mediate the talks

3.  transitive
verb
achieve
agreement between disputing groups: to
achieve a solution, settlement, or agreement by working with both sides in a
dispute • negotiators
have mediated a ceasefire

4.  transitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY transfer:
to act as a medium that transfers something from one place to another

5.  intransitive
verb
be
between:
to be between two stages, ideas, times, or things
adjective
[mdee ət]

depending on intermediate action:
involving or depending on an intermediary or an intermediate action
[15th
century. Partly from late Latin mediare “to halve, be in the middle,
mediate,” from Latin medius (see medium
), and partly by back-formation from mediation
.]
—me·di·ate·ly,
adverb

—me·di·ate·ness,
noun

—me·di·a·tive [mdee àytiv], adjective[1]



mediation

mediation
me·di·a·tion 
[mdee áysh’n] noun

1.  intervention
to settle a dispute: the intervention by a third
party between two sides in a dispute in an attempt to help them reach an
agreement

2.  PHYSIOLOGY action
as medium:
the action a medium that transfers something from one place to another
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French mediacion from the late Latin stem mediation-,
from, ultimately, Latin mediare (see mediate
).][1]



mediatize

mediatize
me·di·a·tize 
[mdee ə tz] (past me·di·a·tized,
past participle me·di·a·tized, present participle me·di·a·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular me·di·a·tiz·es) transitive verb

annex
a country:
to take control of another country but allow its ruler to retain his or her
title and have some role in governing the country
[Early
19th century. Via French médiatiser from, ultimately, late Latin mediare
(see mediate ).]
—me·di·a·ti·za·tion [mdee əti záysh’n], noun[1]



mediator

mediator
me·di·a·tor 
[mdee àytər] (plural me·di·a·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
helping end a dispute: somebody who works with both
sides in a dispute in an attempt to help them reach an agreement

2.  PHYSIOLOGY substance
acting as a medium: a substance that acts as a
medium in transferring something from one place to another in the body
[14th
century. Directly or via French médiateur from ecclesiastical Latin mediator,
from late Latin mediare (see mediate
).]
—me·di·a·to·ri·al
[mdee ə táwree əl], adjective

—me·di·a·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



medic

medic2
med·ic2  [méddik]
(plural med·ics) or med·ick [méddik] (plural med·icks) noun

plant
used as fodder: a plant of the pea family that has
three-lobed leaves and is often used as fodder. Genus: Medicago
[14th century. Via Latin medica
from Greek Mēdikē (poa), literally “Median (poppy),” Media being
the name of an ancient southwestern Asian country (present-day northwestern
Iran).][1]



medic

medic1
med·ic1  [méddik]
(plural med·ics) noun

1.  doctor:
a doctor or medical student (informal)

2.  MILITARY member
of an army medical corps: an enlisted or
noncommissioned member of a military medical corps
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
medicus (see medicine ). Perhaps also
by back-formation from medical .][1]



Medicaid

Medicaid
Med·i·caid
[méddi kàyd] noun

government-funded
health care: a program funded by the U.S. and state
governments that pays the medical expenses of people who are unable to pay some
or all of their own expenses.
See
also
Medicare
[Mid-20th century. Blend of medical and aid
.][1]



medical

medical
med·i·cal 
[méddik’l] adjective

involving
medicine:
relating to, involving, or used in medicine or treatment given by doctors
noun
(plural med·i·cals)

physical
examination to determine health: a physical examination
by a doctor to check a patient’s state of health
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin medicalis, from Latin medicus
(see medicine ).][1]



medicalexaminer

medicalexaminer
med·i·cal
ex·am·in·er
(plural med·i·cal ex·am·in·ers) noun

physician establishing the
cause of death: a physician who is
appointed by a state or local government to establish the cause of somebody’s
death, especially in cases where death is not the result of natural causes[1]



medicalfood

medicalfood
med·i·cal
food 
(plural med·i·cal foods) noun

medication
disguised as food: an attractively packaged,
bite-size dose of medication configured, for example, as a piece of candy.
Also
called
nutriceutical
[Mid-20th century][1]



medicaljurisprudence

medicaljurisprudence
med·i·cal
ju·ris·pru·dence noun

See
forensic medicine[1]



medicalmall

medicalmall
med·i·cal
mall 
(plural med·i·cal malls) noun

medical
and commercial complex: a complex of facilities
under one roof offering diagnostics, primary and outpatient care, a pharmacy,
and therapy along with banks, dry cleaners, and restaurants for patients and
their families
[Mid-20th century][1]



medicament

medicament
me·dic·a·ment 
[mə díkəmənt, méddikəmənt]
(plural me·dic·a·ments) noun

medicine:
a substance used to treat an illness
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin medicamentum, from medicari (see medicate ).][1]



Medicare

Medicare
Med·i·care
[méddi kàir] noun

1.  public
health care for senior citizens: a health insurance
program in the United States under which medical care and hospital treatment
for people over 65 is partially paid by the government

2.  Australian
health insurance scheme: in Australia, the national
health insurance scheme, which is funded by a tax levy
[Mid-20th century. Blend of medical and care
.][1]



medicate

medicate
med·i·cate 
[méddi kàyt] (past med·i·cat·ed,
past participle med·i·cat·ed, present participle med·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular med·i·cates) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE give
medicine to somebody: to treat a patient with a
drug (often passive)

2.  PHARMACOLOGY add
a drug to something: to add a drug to something,
for example, an antibacterial agent to a soap, or an anesthetic to a throat
lozenge
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: either from Latin medicari “to heal,
cure,” later “to treat,” from medicus (see medicine
); or by back-formation from medication .]
—med·i·cat·ed,
adjective

—med·i·ca·tive, adjective[1]



medication

medication
med·i·ca·tion 
[mèddi káysh’n] (plural med·i·ca·tions)
noun

1.  drug:
a drug used to treat an illness

2.  treatment
with medicine: treatment of an illness using drugs
[15th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin medicari (see medicate ).][1]



Medicean

Medicean
Med·i·ce·an
[mèddee sən] adjective

of the Medicis:
relating to the Medici family and the period of their rule over Florence and
Tuscany[1]



Medici,Cosimo de’

Medici,Cosimo de’
Med·i·ci 
[méddə ch], Cosimo de’ (1389–1464)

Italian
banker and statesman. He established the Medici as virtual rulers of Florence
without holding public office himself, and was a patron of the arts and
learning.
Known as
Cosimo the Elder[1]



Medici,Cosimo I de’

Medici,Cosimo I de’
Med·i·ci 
[méddə ch], Cosimo I de’, 1st Grand Duke of
Tuscany (1519–1574)

He became the sovereign ruler
of Florence (1570) and established firm autocratic control over Florence and
Tuscany.[1]



medicide

medicide
med·i·cide 
noun

physician-assisted suicide:
physician-assisted suicide (informal)[1]



Medici,Lorenzo de’

Medici,Lorenzo de’
Med·i·ci 
[méddə ch], Lorenzo de’ (1449–1492)

Italian
statesman. He was the virtual ruler of the Florentine Republic, a poet, and a
patron of the arts.
Known as
Lorenzo the Magnificent[1]



medicinal

medicinal
me·dic·i·nal 
[mə díssən’l, mə
dísnəl] adjective

1.  capable
of treating illness: having properties that can
be used to treat illness • a
medicinal plant

2.  intended
to improve somebody’s wellbeing: intended to improve
somebody’s physical or emotional wellbeing in the way a medicine does • a
drink taken for medicinal purposes

3.  like
medicine:
like medicine, especially in having a bitter taste
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin medicinalis, from medicina
(see medicine ).]
—me·dic·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



medicinalleech

medicinalleech
me·dic·i·nal
leech
(plural me·dic·i·nal leech·es) noun

leech used for bloodletting:
a large European freshwater leech that lives on blood. In the past doctors used
it in bloodletting, and it is still occasionally used to prevent coagulation.
Latin name: Hirudo medicinalis[1]



medicine

medicine
med·i·cine 
[méddəssin] (plural med·i·cines)
noun

1.  drug
for treating illness: a drug or remedy used for
treating illness • cough medicine

2.  treatment
of illness:
the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, wounds, and injuries

3.  treatment
using drugs: the treatment of illness or injury using
drugs rather than surgery

4.  medical
profession:
the profession of treating illness as a doctor

5.  ANTHROPOLOGY ritual
practice or sacred object: a ritual practice or sacred
object believed, especially by Native Americans, to control supernatural powers
or work as a preventive or remedy of illness
[12th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin medicina “practice of medicine,” formed from medicus
“doctor,” from mederi “to heal.”][1]



medicineball

medicineball
med·i·cine
ball
(plural med·i·cine balls) noun

ball used in exercise:
a large heavy ball that people throw to one another as a strength-building
exercise[1]



medicinechest

medicinechest
med·i·cine
chest
(plural med·i·cine chests) noun

cupboard for storing
medicines: a small cupboard or chest
where medicines, bandages, and other things used in treating illness or injury
are stored[1]



medicinedance

medicinedance
med·i·cine
dance
(plural med·i·cine danc·es) noun

dance for supernatural aid:
a ceremonial religious dance performed by an aboriginal group or individual to
obtain supernatural assistance for something, for example, to cure illness[1]



MedicineHat

MedicineHat
Med·i·cine
Hat 
[mèddəssin hát]

city in southeastern Alberta,
Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Population: 46,783 (1996)[1]



medicinelodge

medicinelodge
med·i·cine
lodge
(plural med·i·cine lodg·es) noun

Native N American ritual
building: a wooden building used by
some Native North American peoples for rituals, for example, ceremonial curing[1]



medicineman

medicineman
med·i·cine
man
noun

supernatural healer:
somebody who is believed to heal others by using supernatural powers,
especially among Native North American peoples[1]



medicineshow

medicineshow
med·i·cine
show
(plural med·i·cine shows) noun

traveling show selling
medicines: a traveling show, especially
in the United States in the 19th century, in which medicines were sold to the
people who came to see the entertainments[1]



medick

medick
med·ick 
noun

PLANTS
See medic 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








medico

medico
med·i·co 
[méddi k] (plural med·i·cos) noun

doctor:
a doctor or medical student (informal)
[Late 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin medicus (see medicine
).][1]



medieval

medieval
me·di·e·val
[mdee v’l, mèddee
v’l] or me·di·ae·val [mdee
v’l, mèddee v’l] adjective

1.  of
the Middle Ages: relating to, involving, belonging to, or
typical of the Middle Ages in Europe

2.  old-fashioned:
old-fashioned, especially because lacking modern enlightened attitudes • Some
of the attitudes in the industry were positively medieval.
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin medium aevum “middle age.”]
—me·di·e·val·ly, adverb[1]



medievalGreek

medievalGreek
me·di·e·val
Greek 
noun

7C
to 13C Greek: the form of Greek used between the 7th
and 13th centuries.
Also
called
Middle Greek
—Me·di·e·val Greek, adjective[1]



medievalism

medievalism
me·di·e·val·ism 
[mdee v’l ìzzəm, mèddee
v’l ìzzəm] (plural me·di·e·val·isms) or me·di·ae·val·ism
[mdee v’l ìzzəm, mèddee
v’l ìzzəm] (plural me·di·ae·val·isms) noun

1.  customs
and beliefs of the Middle Ages: the customs,
practices, or beliefs during the Middle Ages in Europe

2.  devotion
to the Middle Ages: devotion to the spirit or
beliefs of the Middle Ages in Europe

3.  something
from the Middle Ages: a belief, custom, or style
from or like one from the Middle Ages

[1]



medievalist

medievalist
me·di·e·val·ist 
[mdee v’list, mèddee
v’list] (plural me·di·e·val·ists) or me·di·ae·val·ist
[mdee v’list, mèddee
v’list] (plural me·di·ae·val·ists) noun

somebody knowledgeable about
the Middle Ages: somebody who studies,
teaches the history of, or has special knowledge of the Middle Ages in Europe[1]



medievalLatin

medievalLatin
me·di·e·val
Lat·in
noun

Latin
used in the Middle Ages: the form of Latin used in
Europe during the Middle Ages
—Me·di·e·val Lat·in, adjective[1]



Medina

Medina
Me·di·na 
[mə dnə]

city in western Saudi Arabia,
the site of the Mosque of the Prophet that houses the tomb of Muhammad.
Population: 500,000 (1990)[1]



medina

medina
me·di·na 
[mə dnə] (plural me·di·nas) or
Me·di·na [mə dnə] (plural Me·di·nas)
noun

oldest
part of an African city: the oldest part of many
North African cities
[Early 20th century. From
Arabic, literally “town.”][1]



mediocre

mediocre
me·di·o·cre 
[m dee ṓkər, m
dee kər] adjective

average:
adequate but not very good
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin mediocris, literally “middle of a rugged
mountain,” hence “in a middle state,” from medius “middle” + ocris
“rugged mountain.”][1]



mediocrity

mediocrity
me·di·oc·ri·ty 
[mdee ókrətee] (plural me·di·oc·ri·ties)
noun

1.  averageness:
a quality that is acceptable but not very good • His
poetry seldom rises above the level of mediocrity.

2.  mediocre
person:
somebody who is not particularly good at anything
[15th century. Directly or
via French médiocrité from Latin mediocritas, from mediocris
(see mediocre ).][1]



Medit.

Medit.
Medit.

Abbreviation of
Mediterranean[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








meditate

meditate
med·i·tate 
[méddi tàyt] (past med·i·tat·ed,
past participle med·i·tat·ed, present participle med·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular med·i·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
empty
or concentrate the mind: to empty the mind of
thoughts, or concentrate the mind on one thing, in order to develop the mind or
spirit, aid contemplation, or relax

2.  intransitive
verb
think
carefully about something: to think about something
calmly, seriously, and for some time

3.  transitive
verb
plan
something:
to plan or consider doing something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: either from Latin meditare, literally “to
keep on measuring,” related to mederi “to cure” (source of English remedy ); or by back-formation from meditation .]
—med·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



meditation

meditation
med·i·ta·tion 
[mèddi táysh’n] (plural med·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  emptying
or concentration of the mind: the emptying of the mind of
thoughts, or concentration of the mind on just one thing, in order to aid
mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation

2.  pondering
of something: the act of thinking about something
deeply and carefully, or an instance of such thinking

3.  serious
study of a topic: an extended and serious study of a
particular topic
[15th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem meditation-, from,
ultimately, meditari (see meditate
).]
—med·i·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—med·i·ta·tive
[méddi tàytiv], adjective

—med·i·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—med·i·ta·tive·ness, noun[1]



Mediterranean

Mediterranean
Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an 
[mèddi tə ráynee ən] noun (plural
Mediter·raneans)

1.  Mediterranean
Sea or surrounding area: the Mediterranean Sea or the
lands bordering it • vacationing in the
Mediterranean

2.  somebody
from the area of the Mediterranean Sea:
somebody who lives in or comes from a region bordering the Mediterranean Sea
adjective

1.  in
or near the Mediterranean Sea: in the Mediterranean
Sea, or in a region that borders it

2.  of
or about Mediterraneans: of or about the people living
in a region that borders the Mediterranean Sea

3.  METEOROLOGY with
hot summers and warm winters: having hot summers and warm
winters, with most of the rainfall occurring in the winter

4.  ANTHROPOLOGY with
dark hair and olive skin: resembling people from
countries around the Mediterranean Sea, who often have dark hair and olive
complexions

[1]



Mediterraneanfever

Mediterraneanfever
Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an
fe·ver
noun

See
brucellosis
[Because it is commonly
contracted in that region][1]



Mediterraneanflour moth

Mediterraneanflour moth
Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an
flour moth
(plural Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an flour moths) noun

small gray moth:
a small gray moth, common worldwide, whose larvae feed on grain and grain
products. Latin name: Anagasta kuehniella[1]



Mediterraneanfruit fly

Mediterraneanfruit fly
Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an
fruit fly
noun

fly that destroys fruit
crops: a black-and-white two-winged
fly that spread worldwide from the Mediterranean region. It lays its eggs in
citrus and other types of fruit, which the maggots then destroy. Latin name: Ceratitis
capitata[1]



MediterraneanSea

MediterraneanSea
Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an
Sea

inland sea of Europe, Asia,
and Africa, linked to the Atlantic Ocean at its western end by the Strait of
Gibraltar. Area: 2,510,000 sq km/969,000 sq mi.[1]



medium

medium
me·di·um 
[mdee əm] adjective

1.  neither
large nor small: of middling size or dimensions, neither
large nor small • a man of medium build

2.  COOKING between
rare and well-done: cooked so that the meat is
brown on the outside but slightly pink and moist inside
noun
(plural me·dia [mdee ə] or
me·di·ums)

1.  state
between extremes: an intermediate state or condition
halfway between two extremes

2.  means
of mass communication: one of the means of mass
communication such as television, radio, or newspapers

3.  vehicle
for ideas:
a means of conveying ideas or information • French
is the medium of instruction in all subjects.

4.  substance
conveying something: a substance through which
something is carried or transmitted

5.  (plural
me·di·ums) PARANORMAL somebody
supposedly communicating with dead:
somebody who is supposedly able to convey messages between the spirits of the
dead and living people

6.  means
of achieving something: the means by which something
is carried out or achieved

7.  COMPUTING material
holding data: any form of material on which data is
stored or printed, for example, paper, tape, or disk

8.  BIOLOGY preserving
substance:
a substance in which specimens of animals and plants are preserved or mounted

9.  BIOLOGY See culture medium

10. BIOLOGY natural
environment: a substance or the environment in which
an organism naturally lives or grows

11. ARTS type
of art:
a method that an artist uses or a category such as sculpture in which an artist
works

12. ARTS artist’s
materials:
the materials that an artist uses in creating a work

13. INDUSTRY solvent:
a solvent mixed with a pigment or paint to make it thinner

14. PAPER paper
size:
any of several similar sizes of paper, especially 47 cm by 58.5 cm /18.5 in. by
23 in
[Late
16th century. From Latin, the neuter of medius “middle.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word medius, from which medium
  is derived, is also the source of English immediate,
  intermezzo, mean, media,
  mediate, medieval, mediocre,
  meridian, mezzanine, mitten,
  and moiety.

[1]



mediumfrequency

mediumfrequency
me·di·um
fre·quen·cy
noun

radio frequency:
a radio frequency lying between 300 and 3,000 kilohertz[1]



mediumof exchange

mediumof exchange
me·di·um
of ex·change (plural me·di·a of ex·change
or me·di·ums of ex·change) noun

something used like money:
something commonly recognized in a country or community as a standard of value
and used in the same way as money, for example, gold[1]



mediumshot

mediumshot
me·di·um
shot
(plural me·di·um shots) noun

view between long shot and
closeup: a filmed view, midway
between long shot and closeup, that shows a standing person from the waist up
or the full body of a sitting person • a
medium shot of the two characters in conversation[1]



medlar

medlar

med·lar 
[méddlər] (plural med·lars) noun

1.  TREES tree
with apple-shaped fruit: a small tree of the rose
family, native to Europe and Asia, that has white flowers, long oblong leaves,
and small apple-shaped fruit. Latin name: Mespilus germanica

2.  FOOD fruit
of the medlar tree: the small apple-shaped fruit
of the medlar tree. It can be eaten raw when overripe but is more often used to
make preserves.
[14th century. Via Old French
medler, from medle “medlar fruit” (a variant of mesle ),
from, ultimately, Greek mespilē .][1]



Med.Lat.

Med.Lat.
Med.
Lat.

Abbreviation of
medieval Latin[1]



medley

medley
med·ley 
[méddlee] (plural med·leys) noun

1.  MUSIC musical
sequence of different songs: a continuous piece of music
consisting of two or more different tunes or songs played one after the other

2.  mixture
of things:
a mixture or assortment of various things

3.  med·ley
or med·ley re·lay SWIMMING
swimming
race using different strokes: a relay swimming race in
which each team member must use a different stroke

4.  med·ley
or med·ley re·lay SPORTS
relay
race with different lengths: a relay race in which each
member of a team runs a different length
[14th century. Via Old French
medlee (variant of meslee “mêlée,” source of English melee ), ultimately from medieval Latin misculare
“to mix thoroughly.”][1]



medulla

medulla
me·dul·la 
[mə dúllə] (plural me·dul·las or
me·dul·lae [mə dú l]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY innermost
structure:
the innermost area of a part or organ of an animal or plant • the
adrenal medulla

2.  ANATOMY See medulla oblongata

3.  BOTANY See pith  noun 2
[14th
century. From Latin, “pith, marrow,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from medius
(see medium ).]
—me·dul·lar, adjective[1]



medullaoblongata

medullaoblongata
me·dul·la
ob·lon·ga·ta  [mə dùllə
ob long gtə] (plural me·dul·la ob·lon·gatas or me·dul·lae
ob·lon·ga·tae [mə dù lee ob long gtee])
noun

lower
part of the brain: the lowermost part of the
brain in vertebrates. It is continuous with the spinal cord and controls
involuntary vital functions such as those involved with the heart and lungs.
Also
called
medulla
[From Latin, literally
“prolonged marrow”][1]



medullaryray

medullaryray
med·ul·lar·y
ray
[mə dùlləree ráy] (plural med·ul·lar·y
rays) noun

plant tissue:
any one of the bands or sheets of connective tissue that radiate between the
pith and bark in the stems of some higher woody plants[1]



medullarysheath

medullarysheath
med·ul·lar·y
sheath
(plural med·ul·lar·y sheaths) noun

ANATOMY
See myelin sheath[1]



medullated

medullated
med·ul·lat·ed 
[médd’l àytəd, méjjə
làytəd] adjective

1.  ANATOMY See myelinated

2.  BIOLOGY with
medulla:
having a medulla • medullated fibers

[1]



medulloblastoma

medulloblastoma
med·ul·lo·blas·to·ma
[mə dùllō bla stṓmə] (plural med·ul·lo·blas·to·mas
or med·ul·lo·blas·to·ma·ta [mə dùllō
bla stṓmətə]) noun

malignant
tumor of the brain: a rapidly growing malignant
tumor of the central nervous system arising in the brain. It occurs especially
in children.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from medulla + blasto-
+ -oma .][1]



Medusa

Medusa
Me·du·sa 
noun

Gorgon:
in Greek mythology, a Gorgon who could turn to stone anyone who looked at her.
She was killed by Perseus.
—Me·du·san, adjective[1]



medusa

medusa
me·dus·a 
[mə dzə, mə
dssə] (plural me·dus·as or me·dus·ae [mə dzee, mə dssee])
noun

1.  reproductive
stage of jellyfish: the free-swimming
reproductive stage of an animal such as a jellyfish, during which it has a
transparent umbrella-shaped body with tentacles.
Also
called
medusoid

2.  See
jellyfish
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin, the genus name, from, ultimately, Greek Medousa
“Medusa,” from the resemblance of the tentacles to the snakes on Medusa’s
head.]
—me·du·san, adjective[1]



medusoid

medusoid
me·du·soid 
[mə d zòyd, mə
d sòyd] adjective

like
a medusa:
relating to, typical of, or like a medusa
noun

See
medusa  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from medusa + -oid
.][1]



Medway

Medway
Med·way
[méd wày]

river in southeastern
England, flowing through Kent to the Thames Estuary. Length: 112 km/70 mi.[1]



meed

meed
meed 
[meed] noun

reward:
something given as a reward or compensation (archaic or literary)
[Old English mēd
“price, bribe, compensation,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



meek

meek
meek 
[meek] (comparative meeker, superlative
meekest) adjective

1.  mild:
showing mildness or quietness of nature

2.  cowed:
showing submissiveness and lack of initiative or will
[12th
century. From Old Norse mjúkr “soft, pliant.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic stem meaning “soft,” which is also the ancestor of English
muck .]
—meek·ly,
adverb

—meek·ness, noun[1]



meerkat

meerkat
meer·kat 
[mr kàt] (plural meer·kats) noun

S
African mongoose: a burrowing South African mongoose with
four-toed feet and a grayish coat with faint black markings. Meerkats live in
colonies and often stand erect near their burrows. Latin name: Suricata
suricatta
Also
called
suricate
[Early 19th century. Via
Afrikaans from, ultimately, Middle Low German meerkatte, literally
“sea-cat,” from meer “sea” + katte “cat,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps an alteration of an Asian word.][1]



meerschaum

meerschaum
meer·schaum 
[mrshəm, mr
shàwm] noun

1.  mineral
resembling clay: a fine whitish mineral, hydrous
magnesium silicate, that resembles clay and is found in the Mediterranean
region.
Also
called
sepiolite

2.  meer·schaum
(plural meer·schaums) or meer·schaum pipe (plural
meer·schaum pipes) pipe with a meerschaum bowl:
a tobacco pipe with a bowl made of meerschaum
[Late 18th century. From
German, literally “sea-foam,” from Meer “sea” + Schaum “foam,” a
translation of Persian kef-i-daryā “sea-foam,” from its frothy
appearance.][1]



meet

meet2
meet2 [meet]
(comparative meet·er, superlative meet·est) adjective

appropriate:
suitable or fitting for a particular situation (archaic)
[Old
English gemte . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
measure,” which is also the ancestor of English mete out .
Originally also, “having the correct dimensions.”]
—meet·ly, adverb[1]



meet

meet1
meet1 [meet]
verb (past met [met], past
participle met [met], present
participle meet·ing, 3rd person present singular meets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
across somebody: to encounter somebody without having
arranged to do so beforehand • Guess
who I met in the supermarket?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
together:
to get together with somebody by arrangement • We
could meet for lunch tomorrow.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb encounter
somebody for first time: to encounter somebody or be
introduced for the first time • It’s
exactly a year since they met.

4.  transitive
verb
greet
somebody:
to go somewhere to greet or fetch somebody who is arriving there • I’ll
come and meet you at the airport.

5.  intransitive
verb
gather
for discussion: to gather in a place to discuss
something • The
committee meets monthly.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb join
something:
to join, cross, or be adjacent to something or each other • where
the two roads meet

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb touch
something:
to come into contact with something, or bring two objects into contact • I
can’t get the two ropes to meet.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
something:
to experience something, for example, a difficulty, challenge, or success • All
our attempts met with failure.

9.  transitive
verb
satisfy
something:
to cope with, satisfy, or fulfill what is required

10. transitive
verb
agree:
to come to an agreement on something • I
think we can meet you on that price.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb look
at something: to look at or confront something, or
look at or confront each other • Their
glances met.

12. intransitive
and transitive verb compete
or fight with somebody: to come together to compete
or fight with somebody else • The
two teams have already met this year.

13. transitive
verb
respond
in a particular way: to respond to a situation
with a particular type of behavior • He met
success and failure with equal indifference.

14. intransitive
verb
occur
together:
to happen or come together in the same place or person • The
extremes of creativity and irresponsibility meet in this genius.
noun
(plural meets)

SPORTS sports
occasion:
an occasion at which numbers of competitors and spectators come together
[Old
English mētan “to come upon, fall in with, find, find out.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “meeting,” which is also the ancestor
of English moot .]
—meet·er, noun[1]



meeting

meeting
meet·ing 
[mting] (plural meet·ings) noun

1.  gathering
of people for discussion: an occasion when people
gather together to discuss something

2.  group
at a meeting: the people attending a meeting • The
speaker stood up to address the meeting.

3.  occasion
when somebody meets somebody else: an occasion when
somebody encounters somebody else, either accidentally or by arrangement

4.  CHRISTIANITY occasion
for worship: a regular occasion when a group of
people, especially Quakers, gather for worship

[1]



meetinghouse

meetinghouse
meet·ing·house 
[mting hòwss] (plural meet·ing·houses
[mting hòwzəz]) noun

place for worship:
a room or building where some religious groups, especially Quakers, meet to
worship[1]



meetup

meetup
meet
up
intransitive verb

join somebody:
to get together with somebody[1]



mefenamicacid

mefenamicacid
mef·e·nam·ic
ac·id 
[meffə nàmmik ássid] noun

painkilling
drug:
a drug used to reduce inflammation and to relieve the pain of rheumatoid
arthritis and menstruation
[Mid-20th century. Mefenamic
coined from methyl + -fen- (an alteration
and shortening of phenyl ) + am- (a
shortening of amino- ) + -ic (a shortening of benzoic ).][1]



meg

meg
meg
[meg] (plural megs) noun

megabyte:
a megabyte (informal)[1]



meg-

meg-
meg-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
mega-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mega-

mega-
mega-
prefix

1.  one
million (10 6 ) • megavolt.
Symbol M

2.  COMPUT a binary million (2 20 ) • megabyte

3.  very
large • megadose

4.  very
great or excellent (slang) • megastar

5.  to
a great extent (slang) • megastar
[From Greek megas
“great.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “large,” which is also
the ancestor of English much, magnitude, major,
and maharajah .][1]



mega

mega
me·ga
[meggə] adjective

excellent:
extremely good or successful (slang) • This
is going to be mega![1]



megabar

megabar
meg·a·bar
[méggə br] (plural meg·a·bars)
noun

unit of pressure:
a unit of pressure equal to one million bars[1]



megabit

megabit
meg·a·bit 
[méggə bìt] (plural meg·a·bits)
noun

1.  1,048,576
bits:
2 20 ( = 1,048,576) bits

2.  COMPUTING million
bits:
one million bits

[1]



megabuck

megabuck
meg·a·buck 
[méggə bùk] noun (plural meg·a·bucks)

million
dollars:
a million dollars (slang)
plural
noun
meg·a·bucks

large amount of money:
a large unspecified amount of money (slang) • an
actor earning megabucks in Hollywood[1]



megabyte

megabyte
meg·a·byte 
[méggə bt] (plural meg·a·bytes)
noun

1.  1,048,576
bytes:
a unit of computer memory or disk storage space equal to 1,048,576 bytes

2.  million
bytes:
one million bytes

[1]



megacephaly

megacephaly
meg·a·ceph·a·ly 
[mèggə séffəlee] noun

See
macrocephaly
—meg·a·ce·phal·ic
[mèggəsə fállik], adjective

—meg·a·ceph·a·lous [mèggə séffələss], adjective[1]



megacycle

megacycle
meg·a·cy·cle 
[méggə sk’l] (plural meg·a·cy·cles)
noun

See
megahertz[1]



megadeath

megadeath
meg·a·death 
[méggə dèth] (plural meg·a·deaths)
noun

one million deaths:
one million deaths, used as a unit for recording deaths in a nuclear war[1]



megadose

megadose
meg·a·dose 
[méggə dss] (plural meg·a·dos·es)
noun

large dose:
a very large dose of a medical drug or food supplement[1]



Megaera

Megaera
Me·gae·ra 
[mə jrə] noun

one of the Furies:
in Greek mythology, one of the Furies.
See also
Alecto
See also
Tisiphone[1]



megafauna

megafauna
meg·a·faun·a
[mèggə fáwnə] noun

larger
fauna of a region: all the animals in a certain
place that are larger than microscopic size
—meg·a·faun·al, adjective[1]



megagamete

megagamete
meg·a·gam·ete 
[méggə gà mt] (plural meg·a·gam·etes)
noun

See
macrogamete[1]



megahertz

megahertz
meg·a·hertz 
[méggə hùrts] (plural meg·a·hertz)
noun

million hertz:
one million hertz.
Also called
megacycle Symbol MHz[1]



megakaryocyte

megakaryocyte
meg·a·kar·y·o·cyte 
[mèggə kérree ə st] (plural meg·a·kar·y·o·cytes)
noun

bone-marrow cell:
a large cell in bone marrow that fragments to produce blood platelets[1]



megal-

megal-
megal-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
megalo-[1]



megalith

megalith
meg·a·lith 
[méggə lìth] (plural meg·a·liths)
noun

large
standing stone: an enormous stone, usually standing
upright or forming part of a prehistoric structure
—meg·a·lith·ic [mèggə líthik], adjective[1]



megalo-

megalo-
megalo-
prefix

exceptionally
large • megalocardia
[From Greek megal-,
the stem of megas (see mega- )][1]



megaloblast

megaloblast
meg·a·lo·blast 
[méggəlō blàst] (plural meg·a·lo·blasts)
noun

large red blood cell:
an abnormally large red blood cell that has failed to mature properly, found
especially in people affected by anemia[1]



megaloblasticanemia

megaloblasticanemia
meg·a·lo·blas·tic
a·ne·mi·a
[meggəlō blàstik ə nmee ə] noun

anemia
with large red blood cells: a form of anemia in which
the red blood cells are abnormally large because they fail to mature properly.
It includes the type formerly known as pernicious anemia.
[Megaloblastic formed from megaloblast][1]



megalocardia

megalocardia
meg·a·lo·car·di·a 
[mèggəlō kárdee ə] noun

See
cardiomegaly[1]



megalocephaly

megalocephaly
meg·a·lo·ceph·a·ly 
[mèggəlō séffəlee] noun

See
macrocephaly
—meg·a·lo·ce·phal·ic
[mèggəlō sə fállik], adjective

—meg·a·lo·ceph·a·lous
[mèggəlō séffələss], adjective[1]



megalomania

megalomania
meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a 
[mèggəlō máynee ə, mèggələ
máynee ə] noun

1.  greed
for power:
the enjoyment of having power over other people and the craving for more of it
(disapproving)

2.  PSYCHIATRY psychiatric
disorder with delusions of power: a psychiatric disorder
in which the patient experiences delusions of great power and importance
—meg·a·lo·ma·ni·ac,
noun, adjective

—meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a·cal
[mèggəlō mə n ək’l], adjective

—meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a·cal·ly
[mèggə lō mə n əkəlee], adverb[1]



megalopolis

megalopolis
meg·a·lop·o·lis 
[mèggə lóppəliss] (plural meg·a·lop·o·lis·es)
noun

1.  area
containing large cities: an area in which there are
several large cities whose suburbs meet or nearly meet.
Also
called
megapolis

2.  very
large city:
an extremely large and populous city
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from megalo- + Greek polis
“city.”]
—meg·a·lop·o·lis·tic
[mèggə loppə lístik], adjective

—meg·a·lo·pol·i·tan [mèggələ póllit’n], adjective[1]



megalosaur

megalosaur
meg·a·lo·saur 
[méggələ sàwr] (plural meg·a·lo·saurs)
noun

huge
dinosaur:
a very large carnivorous dinosaur of the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods.
Genus: Megalosaurus
[Mid-19th
century. Anglicization of modern Latin megalosaurus, from megalo- + Greek sauros “lizard” (source of
English dinosaur ).]
—meg·a·lo·sau·ri·an [mèggələ sáwree ən], adjective[1]



-megaly

-megaly
-megaly
suffix

abnormal
enlargement • hepatomegaly
[From modern Latin -megalia,
from Greek megal- (see megalo- ) + -ia
(see -y 1 )][1]



Megan’sLaw

Megan’sLaw
Megan’s
Law
[méggənz làw] noun

LAW neighborhood
notification law: an amendment to the Violent Crime
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, requiring community notification when
a paroled or released sex offender who has been convicted of that crime moves
into a neighborhood
[Late 20th century. Named for
Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old girl killed by a convicted child molester
who had moved into her New Jersey neighborhood.][1]



megaphone

megaphone
meg·a·phone 
[méggə fn] noun (plural meg·a·phones)

funnel-shaped
device to amplify the voice: a device shaped like a
funnel, used to channel the voice in a certain direction and increase its
volume
intransitive
and transitive verb (past meg·a·phoned,
past participle meg·a·phoned, present participle meg·a·phon·ing,
3rd person present singular meg·a·phones)

speak
through a megaphone: to speak using a megaphone
or to say something through one
—meg·a·phon·ic
[mèggə fónnik], adjective

—meg·a·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



megaplex

megaplex
megaplex 
[méggə plèks] (plural megaplexes)
noun

large multiple-screen movie
theater: a large movie theater
complex housing at least fifteen screens, often with the same movie playing
simultaneously in three or four of the theaters[1]



megapode

megapode
meg·a·pode 
[méggə pd] (plural meg·a·podes)
noun

ground-dwelling
bird:
a large Australasian ground-dwelling bird that builds a large mound of earth in
which to incubate its eggs. Family: Megapodiidae
Also
called
moundbird
Also
called
mound-builder
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Megapodius, genus name, from mega-
+ modern Latin -podius, masculine of -podium “-pod.”][1]



megapolis

megapolis
me·gap·o·lis 
[mə gáppəliss] (plural me·gap·o·lis·es)
noun

See
megalopolis  noun 1
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from mega- + Greek polis “city.”][1]



Megara

Megara
Meg·a·ra 
[méggarə]

historic town in southern
Greece. It once rivaled ancient Athens in power. Population: 26,562 (1991)[1]



megaron

megaron
meg·a·ron 
[méggə ròn] (plural meg·a·ra) noun

ancient
Greek room:
the largest room in a house built during the Mycenaean period of ancient Greek
civilization
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “large room, hall, sanctuary, shrine.”][1]



megascopic

megascopic
meg·a·scop·ic 
[mèggə skóppik] adjective

See
macroscopic
—meg·a·scop·i·cal·ly [mèggə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



megaspore

megaspore
meg·a·spore 
[méggə spàwr] (plural meg·a·spores)
noun

spore in seed plants:
the larger of two kinds of spore produced by seed plants and some ferns that
develops into a female gametophyte.
Also called
macrospore
See also
microspore[1]



megasporogenesis

megasporogenesis
meg·a·spo·ro·gen·e·sis 
[mèggə spawrə jénnəssiss] noun

formation of megaspores:
the formation and maturing of the large spores known as megaspores[1]



megastar

megastar
meg·a·star
[méggə str] (plural meg·a·stars)
noun

well-known celebrity:
somebody who is very famous, especially an entertainer who is extremely popular[1]



megathere

megathere
meg·a·there 
[méggə thr] (plural meg·a·theres)
noun

extinct
ground sloth: a large extinct American ground sloth
that lived in the Miocene and Pleistocene epochs. Family: Megatheriidae
[Mid-19th
century. Anglicization of modern Latin Megatherium, the genus name, from
Greek mega- “large” + thērion “animal.”]
—meg·a·the·ri·an [mèggə three ən], adjective[1]



megaton

megaton
meg·a·ton 
[méggə tùn] (plural meg·a·tons)
noun

1.  unit
of explosive power: a unit of explosive power,
for example, in a nuclear weapon, that is equivalent to one million tons of TNT

2.  million
tons:
one million tons
—meg·a·ton·ic
[mèggə túnnik], adjective

—meg·a·ton·nage [mèggə túnnij], noun[1]



megavitamin

megavitamin
meg·a·vi·ta·min 
[mèggə vtəmin] (plural meg·a·vi·ta·mins)
noun

large
dose of vitamins: a dose of a vitamin or vitamins that is
much higher than the normal dose
—meg·a·vi·ta·min, adjective[1]



megavolt

megavolt
meg·a·volt 
[méggə vlt] (plural meg·a·volts)
noun

million
volts:
one million volts
—meg·a·volt·age, noun[1]



megawatt

megawatt
meg·a·watt 
[méggə wòt] (plural meg·a·watts)
noun

million
watts:
one million watts
—meg·a·watt·age [méggə wòttij], noun[1]



Megiddo

Megiddo
Me·gid·do 
[mə gdō]

ruined ancient city in
northern Israel, thought to be the predicted site of the battle of Armageddon
described in the Bible[1]



megillah

megillah
meg·il·lah
[mə gíllə] (plural meg·il·lahs
or meg·il·loth [mə gí lt]) noun

1.  JUDAISM Hebrew
scroll:
a scroll containing part of the Hebrew Bible, especially the scroll containing
the Book of Esther

2.  (plural
megillahs) overly elaborate account:
an overly elaborate and unnecessarily lengthy account of something
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew, literally “roll, scroll,” from gālal “roll.”][1]



megilp

megilp
meg·ilp 
[mə gílp] or mag·ilp [mə gílp] noun

solvent
for oil paints: a mixture of linseed oil and mastic
varnish or turpentine, used as a solvent for oil paints
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



megrim

megrim
me·grim 
[mgrim] noun (plural me·grims)
(archaic)

1.  MED migraine:
a migraine headache

2.  whim:
a sudden change of mind, or something about which somebody is briefly
enthusiastic (often used in the plural)
plural
noun
me·grims

melancholy: a
spell of melancholy or low spirits (archaic)
[15th century. Variant of migraine .][1]



meibomiancyst

meibomiancyst
mei·bo·mi·an
cyst
[mī bmee ən síst] (plural mei·bo·mi·an
cysts) noun

swelling
in the eyelid: a painless swelling in the eyelid,
somewhat like a pea, caused by blockage of the outlet duct of a meibomian gland
and the resulting accumulation of fatty secretion.
Also
called
chalazion
[See meibomian
gland][1]



meibomiangland

meibomiangland
mei·bo·mi·an
gland
(plural mei·bo·mi·an glands) noun

gland
in the eyelid: any of the sebaceous glands in the
eyelid
[Early 19th century. Named
for Heinrich Meibom ( 1638–1700 ), a German anatomist who discovered
it.][1]



Meighen,Arthur

Meighen,Arthur
Meighen
[máygən], Arthur (1874–1960)

Canadian lawyer, businessman,
and statesman. He was prime minister of Canada (1920–1921 and 1926).[1]



Meiji

Meiji
Mei·ji 
[may j, mày j]
noun

reign
of Meiji Tenno: the reign of the Japanese emperor Meiji
Tenno (1867–1912), a period of extensive reform, including the abolition of
feudalism
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “enlightened government.”][1]



MeijiTenno

MeijiTenno
Mei·ji
Ten·no
[may j ténnō], Emperor of Japan (1852–1912)

During
a long reign (1867–1912), he modernized Japanese industry and introduced a new
constitution (1889).
Born
Mutsuhito[1]



meiosis

meiosis
mei·o·sis 
[mī ṓssiss] noun

1.  CELL BIOLOGY process
of cell division: in organisms that reproduce sexually, a
process of cell division during which the nucleus divides into four nuclei,
each of which contains half the usual number of chromosomes.
Also
called
reduction
Also
called
reduction division

2.  LITERATURE See litotes
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Greek meiōn “less.” Originally meaning
“litotes.”][1]



Meir,Golda

Meir,Golda

Meir
[m ər, may r],
Golda (1898–1978)
Russian-born national leader of Israel.
She entered the Labor government of Israel in 1949 and served as prime minister
from 1969 until 1974, when she resigned after the Yom Kippur War (1973).[1]



Meissen

Meissen2
Meis·sen2  [mssən]

town in east central Germany,
famous for its porcelain manufacture. Population: 36,800 (1989)[1]



Meissen

Meissen1
Meis·sen1  [mss’n]
noun

fine German porcelain:
fine and delicate porcelain as made in Meissen since the early 18th century.
Also called
Dresden china
U.K. term
Dresden china[1]



Meissner’scorpuscle

Meissner’scorpuscle
Meissner’s
corpuscle
(plural Meissner’s corpuscles) noun

See
tactile corpuscle[1]



Meistersinger

Meistersinger
Meis·ter·sing·er 
[mstər sìngər] (plural Meis·ter·sing·ers
or Meis·ter·sing·er) noun

early
German composer or poet: somebody who belonged to one
of the German guilds for poets and musicians in the 14th, 15th, and 16th
centuries. A Meistersinger had completed an apprenticeship and composed
original work.
Also
called
Mastersinger
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “master-singer.”][1]



Meknés

Meknés
Mek·nés 
[mèk nés]

city and former capital of
Morocco, located in the north of the country. Population: 401,000 (1993)[1]



Mekong

Mekong
Me·kong 
[mee kóng]

major river in southeastern
Asia, flowing through a number of countries before emptying into the South
China Sea. Length: 4,200 km/2,600 mi.[1]



Melaka

Melaka
Me·la·ka
[mə lákə]

city and seaport in Malaysia,
on the southern coast of the Malay Peninsula. Population: 295,999 (1991) Former
name Malacca[1]



melaleuca

melaleuca
mel·a·leu·ca 
[mèllə lkə] (plural mel·a·leu·cas)
noun

Australian wetland tree or
shrub: a tree or shrub of the
myrtle family that is native to Australia and grows especially in swampy areas
and along rivers. One species has naturalized in California and Florida and has
become a pest plant in the Everglades. Genus: Melaleuca[1]



melamine

melamine
mel·a·mine 
[méllə mn] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY compound
used in resins: a white crystalline solid used in making
synthetic resins and in leather tanning. C3H6N6

2.  INDUSTRY type
of resin or plastic: a resin made from melamine,
or a plastic made from such a resin
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from German Melamin, a substance obtained from the
distillation of ammonium thiocyanate.][1]



melan-

melan-
melan-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
melano-[1]



melancholia

melancholia
mel·an·cho·li·a 
[mèllən kṓlee ə] noun

depression:
depression as a form of psychiatric disorder (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin (see melancholy
).]
—mel·an·cho·li·ac [mèllən kṓlee àk], noun, adjective[1]



melancholic

melancholic
mel·an·chol·ic 
[mèllən kóllik] adjective

1.  pensively
sad:
feeling or tending to feel a thoughtful or gentle sadness

2.  depressed:
experiencing psychiatric depression (archaic)
noun
(plural mel·an·chol·ics)

depressed person:
somebody who has psychiatric depression (archaic)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: either formed from melancholy,
or via French mélancolique from, ultimately, Greek melankholikhos,
from melankholia (see melancholy ).]
—mel·an·chol·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



melancholy

melancholy
mel·an·chol·y 
[méllən kòllee] adjective

feeling or causing pensive sadness:
feeling or making somebody feel a thoughtful or gentle sadness
noun

1.  pensive
sadness:
thoughtful or gentle sadness

2.  gloomy
character:
the gloomy character of somebody said to have an excess of black bile, one of
the four bodily humors that were once thought to determine people’s health and
emotional state (archaic)

3.  (archaic)
See black bile
[14th
century. Directly or via French mélancholie from late Latin melancholia,
from Greek melankholia, literally “black bile,” from melan-, the
stem of melas “black” + kholē “bile.”]
—mel·an·chol·i·ly,
adverb

—mel·an·chol·i·ness, noun[1]



Melanchthon,Philipp

Melanchthon,Philipp
Me·lanch·thon
[mə lángkthən, me
lánkh ton], Philipp (1497–1560)

German
religious reformer. Working in association with Martin Luther, he produced some
of the most important theological works of the Protestant Reformation,
including Commonplaces of Theology ( 1521 ) and the Augsburg Confession
(1530).
Real name
Schwartzert, Philipp[1]



Melanesia

Melanesia
Mel·a·ne·sia 
[mèllə nzee ə, mèllə
nzhə]

ethnographic region in
Oceania, encompassing a number of island groups in the western Pacific Ocean,
south of the equator[1]



Melanesian

Melanesian
Mel·a·ne·sian 
[mèllə nzh’n] adjective

of Melanesia:
relating to Melanesia, or its peoples, cultures, or languages
noun
(plural Mel·a·ne·sians)

1.  LANGUAGE group
of Pacific island languages: a group of languages,
including Fijian, spoken in Melanesia, a subgroup of the Eastern branch of the
Austronesian family of languages. About 300,000 people speak a Melanesian
language.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Melanesia: a member of any of the peoples living on
the islands of Melanesia

[1]



melanin

melanin
mel·a·nin 
[méllənin] noun

brown
skin pigment: a dark brown or black pigment that is
naturally present to varying degrees in the skin, hair, eyes, fur, or feathers
of people and animals as well as in plants
—mel·a·noid, adjective[1]



melanism

melanism
mel·a·nism 
[méllə nìzzəm] noun

1.  BIOLOGY dark
pigmentation: dark pigmentation of the skin, hair,
fur, or feathers in a human being, animal, or plant, resulting from the
presence of melanin

2.  MEDICINE See melanosis
—me·lan·ic
[mə lánnik], adjective

—mel·a·nis·tic [mèllə nístik], adjective[1]



melanite

melanite
mel·a·nite 
[méllə nt] (plural mel·a·nites)
noun

black
garnet:
a black form of andradite garnet containing titanium
—mel·a·nit·ic [mèllə níttik], adjective[1]



melano-

melano-
melano-
prefix

black,
dark • melanocyte
[From Greek melan-,
the stem of melas “black” (source of English melancholy
)][1]



melanoblast

melanoblast
mel·a·no·blast 
[méllə nō blàst, mə
lánnə blàst] (plural mel·a·no·blasts) noun

pigment
cell:
a cell that gives rise to either a melanocyte or melanophore, which produces
the black or dark brown pigment melanin
—mel·a·no·blas·tic [mèllə nō blástik, mə
lànnə blástik], adjective[1]



melanocyte

melanocyte
mel·a·no·cyte 
[méllə nō st, mə
lánnə st] (plural mel·a·no·cytes) noun

cell producing melanin:
a cell in the epidermal layer of the skin that produces the black or dark brown
pigment melanin[1]



melanocyte-stimulatinghormone

melanocyte-stimulatinghormone
mel·a·no·cyte-stim·u·lat·ing
hor·mone
(plural mel·a·no·cyte-stim·u·lat·ing hor·mones) noun

hormone regulating skin
pigmentation: either of two hormones
in vertebrates produced in the pituitary gland that darken the skin by
regulating melanin dispersal.
Also called
intermedin[1]



melanoma

melanoma
mel·a·no·ma 
[mèllə nṓmə] (plural mel·a·no·mas
or mel·a·no·ma·ta [mèllə nṓmətə])
noun

tumor of the skin:
a malignant tumor, most often on the skin, that contains dark pigment and
develops from a melanin-producing cell ( melanocyte
)[1]



melanophore

melanophore
mel·a·no·phore 
[méllə nō fàwr, mə
lánnə fàwr] (plural mel·a·no·phores) noun

pigment-containing cell:
a cell in fishes, amphibians, and reptiles that contains the black to dark
brown pigment melanin[1]



melanosis

melanosis
mel·a·no·sis 
[mèllə nṓssiss] noun

unexpected
presence of dark pigmentation: an unexpected presence
of dark pigmentation in the tissues.
Also
called
melanism
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, from the Greek stem melan- (see melancholy ).]
—me·lan·ic
[mə lánnik], adjective

—mel·a·noid
[méllə nòyd], adjective

—mel·a·not·ic [mèllə nóttik], adjective[1]



melanous

melanous
mel·a·nous 
[méllənəss] adjective

with
dark complexion: having a dark complexion and dark hair
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from the Greek stem melan- (see melancholy
).]
—mel·a·nos·i·ty [mèllə nóssətee], noun[1]



melatonin

melatonin
mel·a·to·nin 
[mèlə tṓnin] noun

color-changing
hormone:
a hormone derived from serotonin and secreted by the pineal gland that produces
changes in the skin color of vertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians and is
important in regulating biorhythms
[Mid-20th century. Blend of melano- + serotonin
.][1]



Melba,Dame Nellie

Melba,Dame Nellie
Mel·ba
[mélbə], Dame Nellie (1861–1931)

Australian
opera singer. She was a soprano who won international acclaim for her
performances in roles such as Mimi in La Bohème.
Real name
Mitchell, Helen Porter[1]



Melbasauce

Melbasauce
Mel·ba
sauce
noun

sweet
raspberry sauce: a sauce consisting of puréed sweetened
raspberries, served especially with poached peaches and ice cream in peach
Melba
[Early 20th century. Named
for Nellie Melba, in whose honor peach Melba
was created.][1]



Melbatoast

Melbatoast
Mel·ba
toast
noun

thin
crisp toast: very thin slices of bread toasted on
both sides, sliced horizontally to expose two untoasted sides of bread that are
then toasted too, causing the bread to curl
[Early 20th century. Named
for Nellie Melba, because it was part of her
diet during an illness in 1897.][1]



Melbourne

Melbourne
Mel·bourne 
[mélburn, mélbawrn]

1.  city
in southeastern Australia, the capital of the state of Victoria. Population:
2,865,329 (1996)

2.  coastal
city in eastern Florida. Population: 59,646 (1990)

[1]



Melchior,Lauritz

Melchior,Lauritz
Melchior 
[mélkee àwr], Lauritz (1890–1973)

Danish-born
U.S. opera singer. He was a tenor known for his Wagnerian roles, especially at
the Metropolitan Opera House ( 1929–1950 ).
Full name
Melchior, Lauritz Lebrecht Hommel[1]



Melchite

Melchite
Mel·chite 
(plural Mel·chites) noun

RELIGION
See Melkite[1]



Melchizedek

Melchizedek
Mel·chiz·e·dek 
[mel kízzə dèk] noun

1.  biblical
priest and king: in the Bible, a priest and king of Salem
who blessed Abraham

2.  senior
Mormon priests: the senior order of priests in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

[1]



meld

meld1
meld1 [meld]
intransitive and transitive verb (past meld·ed, past
participle meld·ed, present participle meld·ing, 3rd
person present singular melds)

combine:
to cause various things to combine or blend and become one thing or substance,
or be combined or blended in this way
noun
(plural melds)

combination:
a combination or blend of various things
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the past participle of a dialect word mell “to
mix,” from Old French mesler (see melee
).][1]



meld

meld2
meld2 [meld]
intransitive and transitive verb (past meld·ed, past
participle meld·ed, present participle meld·ing, 3rd
person present singular melds)

show
a hand of cards: to show or declare some or all of a hand
of cards in order to score points in games such as canasta or pinochle
noun
(plural melds)

hand
of shown or declared cards: a hand of cards that are
shown or declared in order to score points in games such as canasta or
pinochle, or an act of showing or declaring these cards
[Late 19th century. From
German melden “to announce.”][1]



Meleager

Meleager
Me·lea·ger 
[mèlee áyjər] noun

slayer of the Calydonian
boar: in Greek mythology, a prince
who killed the Calydonian boar[1]



melee

melee
me·lee 
[máy lày, may
láy] (plural me·lees) or mê·lée [me láy] (plural mê·lées) noun

1.  fight:
a noisy confused fight

2.  confused
mingling:
a confused, often noisy mixing of people or things, usually in a public place
[Mid-17th century. Via French
mêlée from Old French meslee, the past participle of mesler
“to mix,” via assumed Vulgar Latin misculare from Latin miscere
.][1]



melena

melena
me·le·na 
[mə lnə] noun

production
of black feces: a condition characterized by the
production of black stools that are caused by bleeding into the bowel and the
subsequent chemical changes in the blood effected by the bowel fluids
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek melaina, feminine of melas “black”
(source of English melancholy and melano- ).][1]



melic

melic
mel·ic 
[méllik] adjective

meant
to be sung:
used to describe an ancient Greek lyric poem that is meant to be sung rather
than recited
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek melikos, from melos “song” (source of English melody and melodrama
).][1]



Melilla

Melilla
Me·lil·la 
[mə lllə]

Spanish enclave and port on
the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Population: 64,727 (1995) Area: 14 sq
km/5.5 sq mi.[1]



melilot

melilot
mel·i·lot 
[méllə lòt] (plural mel·i·lots)
noun

yellow-flowered
sweet clover: a plant belonging to the pea family that
has compound leaves consisting of three oval leaflets, and spikes of small
flared yellow or white flowers. Genus: Melilotus
Also
called
sweet clover
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek melilōtos, from meli “honey” + lōtos
“lotus, clover.”][1]



melinite

melinite
mel·i·nite
[méllə nt] noun

explosive:
an explosive made from picric acid
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from Greek mēlinos “quince-colored,” from mēlon
“apple, quince” (source of English melon
); so called because of its yellow color.][1]



meliorate

meliorate
mel·io·rate 
[mlee ə ràyt] (past mel·io·rat·ed,
past participle mel·io·rat·ed, present participle mel·io·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular mel·io·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

improve:
to become better, or make something better
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin meliorare, from Latin melior “better.”]
—mel·io·ra·ble,
adjective

—mel·io·ra·tion
[mlee ə ráysh’n], noun

—mel·io·ra·tive
[mlee ə ràytiv], adjective

—mel·io·ra·tor [mlee əràytər], noun[1]



meliorism

meliorism
mel·io·rism 
[mlee ə rìzzəm] noun

belief
in progress and improvement: the belief that human
society has a natural tendency to improve and that people can consciously
assist this process
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin melior “better.”]
—mel·io·rist,
noun

—mel·io·ris·tic [mlee ə rístik], adjective[1]



melisma

melisma
me·lis·ma 
[mə lízmə] (plural me·lis·ma·ta
[mə lízmətə] or me·lis·mas) noun

1.  several
notes sung on one syllable: a decorative phrase or
passage in vocal music, especially one in which one syllable of a plainsong
text is sung to a melodic sequence of several notes

2.  embellishment
of melody:
an embellishment or decoration of a melody

3.  See
cadenza
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek, “tune,” from melizein “to
sing,” from melos “song” (source of English melody
).]
—mel·is·mat·ic [mèlliz máttik], adjective[1]



Melkite

Melkite
Mel·kite
[mél kt] (plural Mel·kites) or
Mel·chite [mél kt] (plural Mel·chites)
noun

member
of a Uniat church: a member of any of several
Christian churches in the Middle East that use the Greek Orthodox liturgy but
acknowledge the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope
[Early 17th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from Byzantine Greek Melkhitai “Melkites,” from Syriac
malkāyê, literally “royalists,” from malkā “king.”][1]



melli-

melli-
melli-
prefix

honey
• melliphagous
[From Latin mel
(source of English molasses ).
Ultimately from the Indo-European for “honey,” which is also the ancestor of marmalade and mildew
.][1]



melliferous

melliferous
mel·lif·er·ous 
[mə líffərəss] or mel·lif·ic [mə líffik] adjective

honey-producing:
producing or bearing large quantities of honey
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin mellifer “honey-bearing,” from mel “honey.”][1]



mellifluous

mellifluous
mel·lif·lu·ous 
[mə líffloo əss] or mel·lif·lu·ent
[mə líffloo ənt] adjective

pleasant
to hear:
pleasant and soothing to listen to, and sweet or rich in tone
[15th
century. Formed from late Latin mellifluus, literally “flowing like
honey,” from Latin mel “honey” (see melli-
) + fluere “to flow” (see fluent ).]
—mel·lif·lu·ous·ly,
adverb

—mel·lif·lu·ous·ness, noun[1]



melliphagous

melliphagous
mel·liph·a·gous 
[mə líffəgəss] or mel·liv·o·rous
[mə lívvərəss] adjective

honey-eating:
feeding on honey[1]



mellophone

mellophone
mel·lo·phone 
[méllə fn] (plural mel·lo·phones)
noun

brass
musical instrument: a portable brass musical
instrument similar in tone to a French horn, used mainly in brass bands and
marching bands
[Early 20th century. Coined
from mellow + -phone
.][1]



mellow

mellow
mel·low 
[méllō] adjective (comparative
mel·low·er, superlative mel·low·est)

1.  soft
in color or tone: comfortingly soft, warm, and rich in
color or tone and lacking any harsh, brash, or jarring quality

2.  smooth
and rich in taste: matured to a long-lasting
smooth, rich taste

3.  fully
ripe:
soft, juicy, fully ripened, and sweet

4.  easygoing:
good-humored, tolerant, and approachable, especially as a result of long
experience or a relaxed atmosphere

5.  mildly
intoxicated: mildly intoxicated by drink or drugs

6.  AGRICULTURE moist
and rich in texture: having a moist, rich, loamy
texture
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mel·lowed,
past participle mel·lowed, present participle mel·low·ing,
3rd person present singular mel·lows)

1.  become
more easygoing: to become or make somebody more
good-humored, tolerant, and approachable, especially as a result of long
experience or a relaxed atmosphere

2.  become
or make richer in quality: to become or make something
richer, smoother, or softer in taste, color, tone, or atmosphere
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an adjectival use of Old English melu
“meal, flour,” the underlying sense being “soft and rich like flour.”]
—mel·low·ly,
adverb

—mel·low·ness, noun[1]



mellowout

mellowout
mellow
out
intransitive and transitive verb (slang)

1.  relax:
to become or make somebody more relaxed and friendly

2.  calm
down:
to become calm, or make somebody calm

[1]



melodeon

melodeon
me·lo·de·on 
[mə lṓdee ən] (plural me·lo·de·ons)
noun

1.  small
reed organ:
a small reed organ, similar to a harmonium, that uses suction bellows to draw
air through its reeds

2.  small
accordion:
a small accordion, used especially by German folk musicians
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of melodium “small reed organ,” from melody on the model of harmonium
.][1]



melodic

melodic
me·lod·ic 
[mə lóddik] adjective

1.  consisting
of melody:
consisting of the melody of a piece of music • the
melodic line

2.  relating
to melody:
relating to or characteristic of melody or the composition of melodies

3.  See
melodious
—me·lod·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



melodicminor scale

melodicminor scale
me·lod·ic
mi·nor scale (plural me·lod·ic mi·nor
scales) noun

scale with sharpened notes:
a scale with the sixth and seventh notes raised a half step when played in
ascending order but in the natural minor pitch when played in descending order[1]



melodious

melodious
me·lo·di·ous 
[mə lṓdee əss] adjective

1.  pleasing
to hear:
tuneful or varied and interesting in tone

2.  characterized
by melody:
having the character of a melody
—me·lo·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—me·lo·di·ous·ness, noun[1]



melodist

melodist
mel·o·dist
[méllə dist] (plural mel·o·dists)
noun

1.  composer
of melodies: somebody who composes melodies,
especially beautiful or memorable melodies for song lyrics

2.  singer:
somebody who sings sweetly

[1]



melodize

melodize
mel·o·dize 
[méllə dz] (past mel·o·dized,
past participle mel·o·dized, present participle mel·o·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular mel·o·diz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb compose
melodies:
to compose a melody or melodies, or compose a melody to which lyrics can be
sung

2.  transitive
verb
make
something melodious: to make something tuneful
and pleasing to hear
—mel·o·diz·er, noun[1]



melodrama

melodrama
mel·o·dra·ma 
[mèllə drmə, mèllə
drámmə] (plural mel·o·dra·mas) noun

1.  sensationalized
dramatic or literary work: a dramatic or other literary
work characterized by the use of stereotyped characters, exaggerated emotions
and language, simplistic morality, and conflict

2.  dramatic
or literary genre: melodramas collectively
considered as a dramatic or literary genre

3.  histrionic
behavior:
exaggerated behavior or emotional displays, like those characteristic of a
melodrama

4.  drama
interspersed with music: formerly, a play with a
sensational or romantic plot that is interspersed with musical numbers and
often has music accompanying the action

5.  spoken
words with musical accompaniment: a piece of poetry or a
scene in a dramatic or operatic work in which the text is recited to a musical
accompaniment
[Early 19th century. From
French mélodrame “drama with songs,” from Greek melos “song” +
French drame (see drama ).][1]



melodramatic

melodramatic
mel·o·dra·mat·ic 
[mèllə drə máttik] adjective

1.  exaggeratedly
theatrical:
behaving, speaking, done, or said in a way that is more dramatic, shocking, or
highly emotional than the situation demands

2.  relating
to melodrama: relating to or typical of melodrama
[Early
19th century. Formed from melodrama, on the
model of dramatic .]
—mel·o·dra·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



melodramatics

melodramatics
mel·o·dra·mat·ics 
[mèllə drə máttiks] plural noun

melodramatic behavior:
exaggeratedly theatrical behavior, speech, or writing[1]



melodramatize

melodramatize
melo·dra·ma·tize
[mèllə drmə tz, mèllə
drámmə tz] (past melo·dra·ma·tized, past participle
melo·dra·ma·tized, present participle melo·dra·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular melo·dra·ma·tizes) intransitive
and transitive verb

treat
something in a melodramatic way: to treat or react to
something in an exaggeratedly theatrical way
[Early
19th century. Formed from melodrama, on the
model of dramatize .]
—melo·dra·ma·ti·za·tion
[mèllə draaməti záysh’n, mèllə dramməti záysh’n], noun[1]



melody

melody
mel·o·dy 
[méllədee] (plural mel·o·dies)
noun

1.  tune:
a series of musical notes that form a distinct unit, are recognizable as a
phrase, and usually have a distinctive rhythm

2.  linear
musical structure: the linear structure of a
piece of music in which single notes follow one another

3.  main
tune:
the primary and most recognizable part in a harmonic piece of music

4.  musically
expressive quality: the musically expressive
quality of something, especially poetry

5.  musical
lyric:
a poem that lends itself easily to being set to music or sung
[12th century. Via French mélodie
from, ultimately, Greek melōidia “choral song,” from melos “tune”
+ aoidē “song” (see ode ).][1]



meloid

meloid
mel·oid 
[mé lòyd] (plural mel·oids) noun

flexible-bodied
beetle:
any beetle with a flexible body, for example, the blister beetle or the oil
beetle. Family: Meloidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Meloidae, family name, from Meloë, genus name, of
uncertain origin.][1]



melon

melon

mel·on 
[méllən] (plural mel·ons) noun

1.  FOOD round
juicy gourd fruit: the round edible fruit of
vines belonging to the gourd family, with a tough rind and sweet juicy flesh
ranging in color from pale yellow to deep orange

2.  PLANTS plant
that bears melons: a vine of the gourd family
widely grown for its edible fruit. Latin name: Cucumis melo Citrullus
lanatus

3.  ZOOLOGY sound
organ in sea mammal’s head: a rounded waxy mass found in
the head of some dolphins and toothed whales that is thought to play a part in
the focusing of sound signals

4.  FINANCE surplus
profit:
a surplus of profit that can be distributed to stockholders (informal)

5.  FINANCE an unexpected financial gain
(informal)

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman’s large breast (offensive)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek mēlopepōn, a kind of gourd, from mēlon
“apple” + pepōn “gourd.”][1]



Melpomene

Melpomene
Mel·pom·e·ne 
[mel pómmənee] noun

muse of tragedy:
in Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy[1]



Melrose

Melrose
Mel·rose 
[mél rz]

city in northeastern
Massachusetts, north of Malden, a northern suburb of Boston. Population: 27,426
(1996)[1]



MelrosePark

MelrosePark
Mel·rose
Park

village in northeastern
Illinois, west of Oak Park, a western suburb of Chicago. Population: 20,597
(1996)[1]



melt

melt1
melt1  [melt]
verb (past melted, past participle melted, present
participle melting, 3rd person present singular melts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
from a solid to a liquid state: to change a substance
from a solid to a liquid state by heating it, or be changed in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dissolve:
to dissolve something, for example, sugar, in a liquid or be dissolved in a
liquid

3.  intransitive
verb
disappear:
to disappear gradually and inconspicuously

4.  intransitive
verb
merge
into:
to change into, or blend with, something in such a way that the actual point of
change or blending is almost imperceptible

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
moved emotionally: to cause somebody to be
moved emotionally so as to become gentler and more sympathetic, or be moved in
this way

6.  intransitive
verb
feel
hot:
to feel uncomfortably hot (informal)
noun
(plural melts)

1.  mass
of melted material: a mass or an amount of melted
material, especially metal, produced in a single operation or during a specific
period of time

2.  molten
material:
a material such as metal or glass in a molten state

3.  melting
of something: the process of melting something

4.  liquefaction:
the state or condition of being liquefied

5.  METEOROLOGY period
of thaw:
the period of time during which snow and ice thaw

6.  FOOD grilled
sandwich:
an open-faced hot sandwich with melted cheese on top
—melt·a·bil·i·ty
[mèltə bíllətee], noun

—melt·a·ble,
adjective

—melt·er, noun[1]



melt

melt2
melt2  [melt]
(plural melts) noun

animal
spleen:
the spleen of a slaughtered animal, used mainly for animal food (often used
in the plural)
[Late 16th century. Variant
of milt .][1]



meltage

meltage
melt·age 
[méltij] (plural melt·ages) noun

1.  melting
of something: the process of melting something

2.  substance
produced by melting: a liquefied substance
produced by a heating process, or an amount of such a substance

[1]



meltdown

meltdown
melt
down
intransitive and transitive verb

liquefy by heating:
to liquefy metal or glass by heating in order to reuse it, or to be liquefied
in this way[1]



meltdown

meltdown
melt·down 
[mélt dòwn] (plural melt·downs)
noun

1.  PHYSICS melting
of nuclear reactor fuel rods: the melting of fuel rods in
a nuclear reactor because of overheating that results in the escape of
radioactive materials or radiation

2.  complete
collapse of an organization: a situation of complete
collapse of an organization or institution (informal)

3.  extremely
angry state: a loss of composure, especially an
extremely angry response to something (informal)

4.  personal
breakdown:
a loss of coherence, rationality, or awareness of reality (informal)

[1]



melting

melting
melt·ing
[mélting] adjective

sweet
and tender:
full of or causing sweet and tender or sentimental emotion
—melt·ing·ly,
adverb

—melt·ing·ness, noun[1]



meltingpoint

meltingpoint
melt·ing
point 
(plural melt·ing points) noun

PHYSICS
temperature at which something melts:
the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid form[1]



meltingpot

meltingpot
melt·ing
pot
noun

1.  METALLURGY container
for melting and mixing: a container in which
substances, especially metals, are placed to be liquefied and mixed together

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES society
composed of many different cultures: a
place where people of different ethnic groups are brought together and can
assimilate, especially a country that takes immigrants from many different
ethnic backgrounds

3.  process
that creates something new: a process of mixture and
integration of different elements that can produce something new

[1]



melton

melton
mel·ton 
[méltən] noun

heavy
wool cloth:
a type of smooth heavy wool cloth, used primarily to make overcoats
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England, where it was
made.][1]



meltwater

meltwater
melt·wa·ter
[mélt wàwtər, mélt
wòttər] noun

melted ice and snow:
water formed by the melting of ice or snow, especially from a glacier[1]



Melville,Herman

Melville,Herman

Mel·ville
[mélvil], Herman (1818–1891)
U.S. writer. His allegorical sea novel Moby
Dick ( 1851 ) is sometimes held to be the greatest work of American
fiction.[1]



MelvilleIsland

MelvilleIsland
Mel·ville
Is·land
[mèlvil lənd]

uninhabited island in
northwestern Canada, divided between Nunavut and Northwest Territories, in the
Arctic Ocean. Area: 42,149 sq km/16,274 sq mi.[1]



mem

mem
mem 
[mem] (plural mems) noun

13th
letter of the Hebrew alphabet: the 13th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “m”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew mēm, literally “water.”][1]



mem.

mem.
mem.

1.  Abbreviation
of
member

2.  Abbreviation
of
memoir

3.  Abbreviation
of
memorandum

4.  Abbreviation
of
memorial

[1]



member

member
mem·ber 
[mémbər] (plural mem·bers) noun

1.  somebody
belonging to particular group: somebody who belongs
to and participates in a particular group by birth, for example, a family,
species, or social class, or by choice, for example, a club, church, or
organization

2.  mem·ber
or Mem·ber (plural Mem·bers) POLITICS political
representative: somebody elected to a legislative body
such as the British Parliament or the U.S. Congress

3.  limb:
a part or organ of a plant or animal body, especially a limb

4.  penis:
a penis (formal or humorous)

5.  individual
part of a whole: a separate and distinct part of a whole,
for example, an object belonging to a mathematical set, a clause in a sentence,
or a proposition in a syllogism

6.  CONSTRUCTION structural
unit in building: a beam, wall, or similar structural unit
in a building or other construction

7.  MATHEMATICS element
in a mathematical equation: either of the expressions in
a mathematical equation linked by an equal sign
[14th
century. Via French membre from Latin membrum “limb, part”
(source also of English membrane ).]
—mem·ber·less, adjective[1]



memberfirm

memberfirm
mem·ber
firm
(plural mem·ber firms) noun

company belonging to a stock
exchange: a company trading in
securities that belongs to an organized exchange[1]



Memberof Congress

Memberof Congress
Mem·ber
of Con·gress (plural Mem·bers of Con·gress)
noun

somebody elected to Congress:
somebody elected to the U.S. Congress, especially to the House of
Representatives[1]



Memberof Parliament

Memberof Parliament
Mem·ber
of Par·lia·ment (plural Mem·bers of
Par·lia·ment) noun

somebody elected to
parliament: somebody who has been
elected to a parliament[1]



membership

membership
mem·ber·ship 
[mémbər shìp] (plural mem·ber·ships)
noun

1.  being
a member of something: the state or condition
belonging to a particular group, for example, a species, social class, team,
club, or political party

2.  members
of an organization: the members of a group, for
example, a species, social class, organization, or mathematical set, considered
collectively

[1]



membrane

membrane
mem·brane 
[mém bràyn] (plural mem·branes)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY thin
layer of tissue: a thin flexible sheet of tissue
connecting, covering, lining, or separating various parts or organs in animal
and plant bodies, or forming the external wall of a cell

2.  CHEMISTRY thin
porous sheet: a thin, pliable, and often porous sheet
of any natural or artificial material

3.  piece
of parchment: a piece of parchment forming part of a
roll
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin membrana “skin (covering part
of the body),” from membrum “limb, part” (source of English member ).]
—mem·bra·na·ceous
[mèmbrə náyshəss], adjective

—mem·bra·nal
[mémbrən’l], adjective

—mem·braned [mém bràynd], adjective[1]



membranebone

membranebone
mem·brane
bone
(plural mem·brane bones) noun

bone from the tissue of
membrane: a bone that develops
directly out of membranous connective tissue rather than from cartilage, for
example, the clavicle and some cranial bones[1]



membranetransport

membranetransport
mem·brane
trans·port
noun

chemical body process:
the process by which substances in solution pass through a biological membrane[1]



membranous

membranous
mem·bra·nous 
[mémbrənəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY relating
to a membrane: relating to or similar to a membrane,
especially in being thin, pliable, and often translucent

2.  PHYSIOLOGY resulting
in the formation of a membrane: resulting in the
formation of a membrane or of a thin layer similar to a membrane
—mem·bra·nous·ly, adverb[1]



membranouslabyrinth

membranouslabyrinth
mem·bra·nous
lab·y·rinth
(plural mem·bra·nous lab·y·rinths) noun

fluid-filled sacs in ear:
the structure of fluid-filled sacs in the inner ear that are vital to hearing
and balance[1]



memento

memento
me·men·to 
[mə mén tō] (plural me·men·tos
or me·men·toes) noun

souvenir:
an object given or kept as a reminder of or in memory of somebody or something
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “remember” (originally the first word in prayers for the dead), from meminisse
“to remember.”][1]



mementomori

mementomori
me·men·to
mo·ri 
[mə mèn tō máwree] (plural me·men·to
mo·ri) noun

1.  reminder
of death:
an object, especially a skull, intended as a reminder of the fact that humans
die

2.  reminder
of human error: a reminder of the fact that humans fail
and make mistakes (literary)
[From Latin, “remember (that
you have) to die”][1]



Memnon

Memnon
Mem·non 
[mém nòn] noun

Ethiopian king at the siege
of Troy: in Greek mythology, the
Ethiopian king who fought for the Trojans in the siege of Troy and was killed
by Achilles[1]



memo

memo
mem·o 
[mémmō] (plural mem·os) noun

1.  written
communication: a written communication similar to a
letter but without the formal address blocks at the beginning, especially one
that is circulated to people within an office or organization.
Also
called
memorandum

2.  U.K.
=
memorandum  noun 2
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of memorandum .][1]



memoir

memoir
mem·oir 
[mém wr] noun (plural mem·oirs)

1.  biography
or historical account: a biography or an account of
historical events, especially one written from personal knowledge

2.  essay
on a scholarly subject: a short essay, article, or
report on a scholarly subject, usually one in which the writer is a recognized
specialist
plural
noun
mem·oirs

1.  autobiography:
somebody’s written account of his or her own life, or of events in which he or
she took part

2.  proceedings:
the records of the business and discussions of a learned society
[Mid-17th century. Via French
mémoire “memory, recollection” from Old French memorie (see memory ).][1]



memorabilia

memorabilia
mem·o·ra·bil·i·a 
[mèmmərə bíllee ə] plural noun

1.  objects
connected with a famous person: objects associated
with a famous person or event, especially considered as collectors’ items

2.  personal
souvenirs:
objects collected as souvenirs of important personal events or experiences
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “memorable things,” formed from memorabilis (see memorable ).][1]



memorable

memorable
mem·o·ra·ble 
[mémmərəb’l] adjective

1.  worth
remembering: sufficiently interesting, exciting, or
unusual to be worth remembering or likely to be remembered

2.  easily
remembered:
easy to remember
[15th
century. Via French from Latin memorabilis, from memorare “to
bring to mind” (source of English commemorate
), from memor “mindful” (see memory
).]
—mem·o·ra·bil·i·ty
[mèmmərə bíllətee], noun

—mem·o·ra·ble·ness
[mémmərəb’lnəss], noun

—mem·o·ra·bly [mémmərəblee], adverb[1]



memorandum

memorandum
mem·o·ran·dum 
[mèmmə rándəm] (plural mem·o·ran·dums
or mem·o·ran·da [mèmmə rándə])
noun

1.  COMMERCE See memo  noun 1

2.  reminder:
a note to serve as a reminder of something.
Also
called
memo

3.  POLITICS brief
diplomatic communication: a brief, often unsigned
communication circulated among diplomats, especially one that summarizes a
country’s position on a particular issue

4.  LAW summary
of a legal agreement: a written statement
summarizing the terms of a contract or a similar legal transaction

5.  TRANSPORT consignor’s
statement:
a consignor’s brief statement about a shipment of returnable goods
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “thing to be remembered,” from memorare “to bring to mind,”
from memor “mindful” (see memory ).][1]



memorial

memorial
me·mo·ri·al 
[mə máwree əl] noun (plural me·mo·ri·als)

1.  commemorative
object:
something that is intended to remind people of a person who has died or an
event in which people died, for example, a statue, speech, or special ceremony

2.  statement
of facts accompanying a petition: a written statement of
facts accompanying a petition presented to somebody in authority
adjective

commemorative:
intended as a reminder of a person or event or as a celebration of somebody’s
life and work
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin memoria (see memory ).]
—me·mo·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



MemorialDay

MemorialDay
Me·mo·ri·al
Day 
(plural Me·mo·ri·al Days) noun

U.S. holiday:
a public holiday to commemorate soldiers who died in war, now observed on the
last Monday in May but originally celebrated on May 30[1]



memorialist

memorialist
me·mo·ri·al·ist 
[mə máwree əlist] (plural me·mo·ri·al·ists)
noun

1.  writer
of memoirs:
somebody who writes memoirs

2.  writer
of a memorial accompanying a petition:
somebody who writes, signs, or presents a memorial accompanying a petition

[1]



memorialize

memorialize
me·mo·ri·al·ize 
[mə máwree ə lz] (past me·mo·ri·al·ized,
past participle me·mo·ri·al·ized, present participle me·mo·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular me·mo·ri·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  commemorate
something:
to serve as a memorial to somebody or something, or provide somebody or
something with a memorial

2.  present
somebody with a memorial accompanying a petition: to
present a written memorial accompanying a petition to somebody or a group in
power
—me·mo·ri·al·i·za·tion
[mə màwree əli záysh’n], noun

—me·mo·ri·al·iz·er [mə máwree ə lzər], noun[1]



memorialpark

memorialpark
me·mo·ri·al
park
(plural me·mo·ri·al parks) noun

cemetery:
a cemetery[1]



memoriatechnica

memoriatechnica
mem·o·ri·a
tech·ni·ca
[mə màwree ə ték nikə] (plural mem·o·ri·a
tech·ni·cas) noun

memory
aid:
a means or device that aids the memory (formal)
[From modern Latin,
“artificial memory”][1]



memorize

memorize
mem·o·rize 
[mémmə rz] (past mem·o·rized,
past participle mem·o·rized, present participle mem·o·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular mem·o·riz·es) transitive verb

learn
and remember something: to commit something to
memory
—mem·o·riz·a·ble,
adjective

—mem·o·ri·za·tion
[mèmməri záysh’n], noun

—mem·o·riz·er [mémmə rzər], noun[1]



memory

memory
mem·o·ry 
[mémməree] (plural mem·o·ries)
noun

1.  ability
to retain knowledge: the ability of the mind or
of an individual or organism to retain learned information and knowledge of
past events and experiences and to retrieve it

2.  somebody’s
stock of retained knowledge: an individual’s stock of
retained knowledge and experience • has a
good memory for faces

3.  retained
impression of particular event: the knowledge or
impression that somebody retains of a particular person, event, period, or subject
• memories
of a happy childhood

4.  recollection:
the act or a specific instance of remembering

5.  preservation
of knowledge: the preservation of knowledge of and,
usually, celebration of a deceased person or past event • a
poem in memory of her father

6.  posthumous
impression:
the knowledge or impression of somebody retained by other people after that
person’s death

7.  temporal
extent of recollection: the period of past time that
a person or group is able to remember • within
living memory

8.  COMPUT data
storage unit in computer: the part of a computer in
which data is stored.
Also
called
memory bank

9.  COMPUT computer’s
data storage capacity: the data storage capacity of
a computer

10. ability
to return to original shape: the ability of some
materials, for example, plastics and metals, to return to their original shape
after being subject to deformation
[13th century. Via Old French
memorie from Latin memoria, from memor “mindful.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to remember,” which is also the
ancestor of English remember and mourn .][1]



memorybank

memorybank
mem·o·ry
bank
(plural mem·o·ry banks) noun

COMPUT
See memory  noun 8[1]



memoryengram

memoryengram
mem·o·ry
en·gram
(plural mem·o·ry en·grams) noun

PSYCHOLOGY
(technical or archaic) See engram[1]



memorylane

memorylane
mem·o·ry
lane
noun

shared past:
the past, especially the past shared and remembered by a group of people,
thought of as a path that can be traveled along to visit specific former times[1]



memoryspan

memoryspan
mem·o·ry
span
(plural mem·o·ry spans) noun

storage capacity of
short-term memory: a measure
of somebody’s memory, often for units of information such as nonsense syllables
or sequences of random numbers, over a short period of time[1]



memorytrace

memorytrace
mem·o·ry
trace
(plural mem·o·ry trac·es) noun

PSYCHOLOGY
See engram[1]



Memphian

Memphian
Mem·phi·an
[mémfee ən] (plural Mem·phi·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Memphis, Tennessee: somebody who was born or
raised in, or who lives in the city of Memphis, Tennessee

2.  somebody
from Memphis, Egypt: somebody who was born in or
lived in the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis
—Mem·phi·an, adjective[1]



Memphis

Memphis
Mem·phis 
[mém fiss]

1.  ruined
city and capital of ancient Egypt, located at the head of the Nile delta in the
north of the country

2.  the
largest city in Tennessee, located in the southwestern corner of the state.
Population: 614,289 (1994)

[1]



Memphremagog,Lake

Memphremagog,Lake
Mem·phrem·a·gog,
Lake
[mèmfrə máygog]

lake in Quebec, Canada, and
Vermont. It is the second largest lake in Vermont. Length: 43 km/27 mi.[1]



memsahib

memsahib
mem·sa·hib 
[mem sb] (plural mem·sa·hibs)
noun

South
Asia
European
woman in India: a respectful form of address formerly
used by Indians to a European married woman
[Mid-19th century. From ma’am + sahib
.][1]



men-

men-
men-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
meno-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








men

men
men


Plural of
man[1]



menace

menace
men·ace 
[ménnəss] noun (plural men·ac·es)

1.  possible
source of danger: somebody who or something that is a
possible source of danger or harm to somebody or something else

2.  nuisance:
somebody who or something that is a constant source of trouble and annoyance (informal)

3.  threatening
quality:
a threatening quality, feeling, or tone

4.  threatening
act:
a threatening act, gesture, or speech • demanding
money with menaces
verb
(past men·aced, past participle men·aced, present
participle men·ac·ing, 3rd person present singular men·ac·es)

1.  transitive
verb
be
dangerous to somebody or something: to be
a possible or actual source of danger or harm to somebody or something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
threat against somebody: to behave toward or speak to
somebody in a way that threatens injury or harm (often passive)
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin minax “threatening,” from minari
“to threaten,” from minae “threats,” literally “projecting points.”]
—men·ac·er,
noun

—men·ac·ing,
adjective

—men·ac·ing·ly, adverb[1]



menadione

menadione
men·a·di·one 
[mènnə d n] noun

fungicide:
a yellow crystalline solid used as a fungicide and as a vitamin K supplement in
medicines and animal feedstuffs. C11H8O2
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of methyl + naphthalene + di-
+ -one .][1]



menagerie

menagerie
me·nag·er·ie 
[mə nájjə r] noun

1.  wild
animal exhibit: a collection of wild animals kept in
captivity for the curiosity and entertainment of the public, sometimes as part
of a traveling show such as a circus

2.  wild
animal enclosure: an enclosure in which wild animals are
kept for public exhibition

3.  diverse
or exotic group: a diverse, exotic, or peculiar group of
people or things

[1]



MenaiStrait

MenaiStrait
Men·ai
Strait
[mènnī stráyt]

narrow arm of the sea in
northwestern Wales, separating the island of Anglesey from the mainland[1]



menaquinone

menaquinone
men·a·quin·one 
[mènnə kwí nn, mènnə
kwi nṓn] noun

form
of vitamin K: a form of vitamin K, produced by
bacteria in the large intestine, that plays an essential part in the
blood-clotting process
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of methyl + naphthalene + quinone
.][1]



menarche

menarche
me·nar·che 
[mə nr kee] (plural me·nar·ches)
noun

first
menstruation: the first time that a girl or young
woman menstruates (formal)
[Early
20th century. Coined from meno- + Greek arkhē
“beginning” (see archaic ).]
—me·nar·che·al, adjective[1]



Menasha

Menasha
Me·nash·a
[mə nshə]

city in Wisconsin, in
Winnebago County. Population: 15,557 (1994)[1]



menazon

menazon
men·a·zon 
[ménnə zòn] (plural men·a·zons)
noun

insecticide:
a colorless crystalline solid used to kill aphids. C6H8N5O2PS2
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of methyl + amino- + azo- +
thionate .][1]



Mencius

Mencius
Men·ci·us 
[ménshee əss] (371? BC–289 BC)

Chinese
philosopher. The successor of Confucius, he argued that humans are born good
and are made better or worse by their environment.
Born
Meng-tzu[1]



Mencken,H. L.

Mencken,H. L.

Menck·en
[méngkən], H. L. (1880–1956)
U.S.
journalist and critic. An authority on the American language, he was also an
effective satirist.
Full name
Mencken, Henry Louis[1]



mend

mend
mend 
[mend] verb (past mend·ed,
past participle mend·ed, present participle mend·ing,
3rd person present singular mends)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb restore
something to satisfactory condition: to
work on something that is damaged or defective and return it to its original or
a satisfactory condition

2.  transitive
verb
remove
a hole:
to fill, cover, or otherwise remove damage such as a hole or break

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb improve
something:
to improve something or make it more acceptable, or be improved or made more
acceptable • You’d
better mend your ways.

4.  intransitive
verb
recover
or heal:
to heal or return to a healthy state after illness or injury
noun
(plural mends)

repair: an
instance of repair work or a repaired place on a damaged object, especially a
darn on a piece of clothing
[12th
century. Partly a shortening of amend, and
partly from Anglo-Norman mender (a shortening of amender ; see amend ).]
—mend·a·ble,
adjective

—mend·er,
noun
on
the mend

recovering or healing after
illness or injury[1]



mendacious

mendacious
men·da·cious 
[men dáyshəss] adjective

1.  telling
lies:
having lied in the past, or prone to lying at any time

2.  false:
deliberately untrue
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin mendac-, the stem of mendax
“lying.”]
—men·da·cious·ly,
adverb

—men·da·cious·ness, noun[1]



mendacity

mendacity
men·dac·i·ty 
[men dássətee] (plural men·dac·i·ties)
noun

1.  telling
of lies:
deliberate untruthfulness

2.  lie:
a lie or falsehood
[Mid-17th century. Via French
mendacité from, ultimately, Latin mendax “lying.”][1]



Mende

Mende
Men·de
[méndee] (plural Men·de or
Men·des) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Sierra Leone ethnic group: a member of one of
several ethnic groups living in Sierra Leone

2.  LANGUAGE Niger-Congo
language:
a language of the Niger-Congo language group, spoken by the Mende of Sierra
Leone. Over one million people speak Mende.
[Mid-18th century. From Mende
.][1]



mendelevium

mendelevium

men·de·le·vi·um 
[mèndə lvee əm] noun
synthetic
transuranic element: a synthetic short-lived
radioactive chemical element produced by bombarding einsteinium atoms with
helium particles. Symbol Md
[Mid-20th century. Named in
honor of the Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev
.][1]



Mendeleyev,Dmitri Ivanovich

Mendeleyev,Dmitri Ivanovich
Men·de·le·yev
[mèndə lyəv], Dmitri Ivanovich (1834–1907)

Russian chemist. He
formulated the periodic law of elements and devised the periodic table (1869),
using it to predict the existence of several then-unknown elements. He wrote a
classic text, Principles of Chemistry ( 1868–1870 ).[1]



Mendel,Gregor Johann

Mendel,Gregor Johann

Men·del
[ménd’l], Gregor Johann (1822–1884)
Austrian
monk and scientist. Through his experiments he developed the principles of
heredity, and so laid the basis of modern genetics.

—Men·de·li·an [mèn dlyən], adjective[1]



Mendelism

Mendelism
Men·del·ism 
[ménd’l ìzzəm] or Men·de·li·an·ism
[ménd’l ìzzəm] noun

principles of genetic
inheritance: the theory of heredity
formulated by Mendel, which explains how certain characteristics are passed on
from one generation to the next through genes[1]



Mendelssohn,Felix

Mendelssohn,Felix

Men·dels·sohn
[ménd’lssən], Felix (1809–1847)
German
composer. His orchestral, choral, and keyboard music are key works of the
romantic tradition.
Full name
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Jakob Ludwig Felix[1]



Mendel’sLaws

Mendel’sLaws
Men·del’s
Laws
plural noun

laws of heredity formulated
by Mendel: the laws of heredity
formulated by Mendel to explain the transmission of characteristics from one
generation to the next. There are two laws, the Law of Segregation and the Law
of Independent Assortment.[1]



Menderes

Menderes
Men·de·res 
[men dérrəss]

river in southwestern Turkey,
flowing west from the Anatolian Plateau into the Aegean Sea. Length: 584 km/363
mi.[1]



mendicant

mendicant
men·di·cant 
[méndikənt] adjective

living on alms:
begging for and living on alms
noun
(plural men·di·cants)

1.  beggar:
somebody who begs for money, usually in the street (formal)

2.  friar
begging for alms: a member of a religious order, for
example, the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, or Augustinians, that forbids
the ownership of property and encourages working or begging for a living
[14th century. From Latin mendicare
“to beg,” from mendicus “beggar,” from mendum “defect” (source of
English amend, mend ).][1]



mending

mending
mend·ing 
[ménding] noun

articles to be mended:
articles, especially clothes, to be mended[1]



Mendoza

Mendoza
Men·do·za 
[men dṓzə]

city in western Argentina,
the capital of Mendoza Province. Population: 121,696 (1991)[1]



meneer

meneer
men·eer 
[mə nr] (plural men·eers) noun

South
Africa
Afrikaans
title of respect: a title in Afrikaans equivalent to “Mr.”
or a respectful form of address equivalent to “sir.”
[Mid-17th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch mijnheer, literally “my lord.”][1]



Menelaus

Menelaus
Men·e·la·us 
[mènnə láyəss] noun

king of Sparta:
in Greek mythology, the king of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy. Her
abduction by the Trojan prince Paris led to the Trojan War.[1]



Menem,Carlos Saúl

Menem,Carlos Saúl

Men·em
[mén em], Carlos Saúl (1930– )
Argentine political leader. A Peronist
politician, he was twice elected president (1989 and 1995).[1]



menfolk

menfolk
men·folk 
[mén fk] or men·folks [mén fk] plural noun (takes a plural
verb)

1.  men
associated with a family or group: the men associated
with a particular family or group

2.  men
in general:
men in general or considered collectively

[1]



M.Eng.

M.Eng.
M.Eng.

Abbreviation of
Master of Engineering[1]



menhaden

menhaden
men·ha·den 
[men háyd’n] (plural men·ha·dens
or men·ha·den) noun

N
American marine fish: a North American marine fish
belonging to the herring family, used mainly as a source of oil, fertilizer,
and bait. Latin name: Brevoortia tyrannus
Also
called
mossbunker
Also
called
pogy
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of Narragansett munnawhattea,
literally “they fertilize” (from the fish’s use as fertilizer by Native
Americans), influenced by U.S. English dialect poghaden “menhaden” (of
Algonquian origin).][1]



menhir

menhir
men·hir 
[mén hr] (plural men·hirs) noun

single
standing stone: a large single upright stone, erected by
prehistoric people and thought to have been used for astronomical observations,
found in the British Isles and northern France
[Mid-19th century. Directly
or via French from Breton maen-hir, literally “long stone,” from men
“stone” (source of English dolmen ) +
hir “long.”][1]



menial

menial
me·ni·al 
[mnee əl] adjective

1.  unskilled:
relating to or involving work that requires little skill or training, is not
interesting, and confers low social status on the person doing it

2.  relating
to servants: suitable, typical of, or relating to a
servant or servants
noun
(plural me·ni·als)

1.  domestic
servant:
a domestic servant, especially one of low status

2.  somebody
who does menial work: somebody employed to do work
that requires no skill or training (formal)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, “of a household” from, ultimately, Latin mansio
“house” (see mansion ).]
—me·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



menilite

menilite
me·ni·lite 
[ménnə lt] (plural me·ni·lites)
noun

liver
opal:
a liver opal, especially a brown or gray one
[Early 19th century. From
French, named for Ménilmontant, a quarter of Paris where such stones
were found.][1]



mening-

mening-
mening-
prefix

See
meningo-[1]



meninges

meninges
me·nin·ges 
[mə nínjeez] plural noun

protective
spine and brain membranes: the three membranes that
surround and protect the brain and the spinal cord, called the dura mater, the
arachnoid mater, and the pia mater
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek mēnigg-, the stem of mēnigx
“membrane.”]
—me·nin·ge·al [mə nínjee əl], adjective[1]



meningi-

meningi-
meningi-
prefix

See
meningo-[1]



meningioma

meningioma
me·nin·gi·o·ma 
[mə nìnjee ṓmə] (plural me·nin·gi·o·mas
or me·nin·gi·o·ma·ta [mə nìnjee ṓmətə])
noun

tumor
affecting meninges: a slow-growing benign tumor
that affects the meninges of the brain or spinal cord and may cause serious
damage by compression
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of meningothelioma, from meningo-
+ endothelioma .][1]



meningitis

meningitis
men·in·gi·tis 
[mènnin jítiss] noun

inflammation
of the meninges: a serious, sometimes fatal illness in
which a viral or bacterial infection inflames the meninges, causing symptoms
such as severe headaches, vomiting, stiff neck, and high fever
—men·in·git·ic [mènnin jíttik], adjective[1]



meningo-

meningo-
meningo-
prefix

meninges
• meningocele
[From Greek mēnigg-,
the stem of mēnigx “membrane”][1]



meningocele

meningocele
men·in·go·cele
[mə níng gə sl] noun

protrusion of the meninges
through the skull: the
protrusion of the meninges through a defect in the skull or backbone to form a
cyst[1]



meningococcus

meningococcus
me·nin·go·coc·cus 
[mə nìng gə kókəss] (plural me·nin·go·coc·ci
[mə nìng gə kók s, mə
nìng gə kó k]) noun

bacterium
causing meningitis: a bacterium that causes
cerebrospinal meningitis. Latin name: Neisseria meningitidis
—me·nin·go·coc·cal,
adjective

—me·nin·go·coc·cic [mə nìng gə kóksik], adjective[1]



meningoencephalitis

meningoencephalitis
me·nin·go·en·ceph·a·li·tis 
[mə nìng gō en seffə ltiss] noun

inflammation
of the brain and meninges: an inflammation of the brain
and the meninges
—me·nin·go·en·ceph·a·lit·ic
[mə nìng gō en seffə líttik], adjective[1]



meniscus

meniscus
me·nis·cus 
[mə nískəss] (plural me·nis·ci
[mə nís k] or me·nis·cus·es) noun

1.  PHYSICS upper
surface of liquid: the curved upper surface of
a still liquid in a tube, concave if the liquid wets the walls of the
container, convex if it does not, caused by surface tension

2.  ANATOMY cartilage
disk:
a crescent-shaped cartilage disk cushioning the end of a bone where it meets
another bone in a joint, especially in the knee

3.  OPTICS concavo-convex
lens:
a lens that is convex on one side and concave on the other

4.  crescent
shape:
a crescent-shaped body or figure
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek mēniskos, literally “little
moon,” from mēnē “moon” (see meno-
).]
—me·nis·cal,
adjective

—me·nis·cate
[mə nís kàyt], adjective

—me·nis·coid
[mə nís kòyd], adjective

—men·is·coi·dal [mènniss kóyd’l], adjective[1]



MenloPark

MenloPark
Men·lo
Park 
[mènlō prk]

1.  city
in western California, in San Mateo County. Population: 29,755 (1994)

2.  town
in central New Jersey, the location of Thomas Edison’s laboratory

[1]



Mennonite

Mennonite
Men·non·ite 
[ménnə nt] (plural Men·non·ites)
noun

member
of a Protestant group: a member of a Protestant
denomination emphasizing adult baptism and pacifism and rejecting church
organization and, in many cases, the holding of public office and the taking of
oaths. There are many different bodies of Mennonites throughout the world, with
especially large communities in the United States and Canada.
[Mid-16th
century. From German Mennonit, from the name of Menno Simons (
1496–1561 ), an early Frisian leader of the group.]
—Men·non·it·ism, noun[1]



meno-

meno-
meno-
prefix

menstruation
• menopause
[Formed from Greek mēn(ē)
“month.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English moon, month, and menses,
from a base meaning “to measure.”][1]



meno

meno
me·no
[máynō, ménnō]
adverb

less:
used with a musical direction to mean less quickly or softly
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “less.”][1]



menology

menology
me·nol·o·gy
[mə nólləjee] (plural me·nol·o·gies)
noun

church
calendar of months: a church calendar of the
months, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, that shows saints’ days and
gives biographies of the saints
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from ecclesiastical Greek mēnologion, literally
“month-reckoning,” from mēn “month” + logos “account.”][1]



Menominee

Menominee2
Me·nom·i·nee2  [mə
nómən]

river in Wisconsin, formed by
the Brule and Michigamme rivers, and flowing into Lake Michigan. Length: 201
km/125 mi.[1]



Menominee

Menominee1
Me·nom·i·nee1  [mə
nómmən] (plural Me·nom·i·nee or Me·nom·i·nees)
or Me·no·mi·ni [mə nómmən] (plural
Me·no·mi·ni or Me·no·mi·nis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who used to live along the shores of the Menominee River, some
of whom now live in northeastern Wisconsin

2.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
an Algonquian language spoken in parts of Wisconsin, belonging to the Algonquian-Wakashan
languages
[Mid-18th
century. From Ojibwa manōminī, literally “wild-rice person.”]
—Me·nom·i·nee, adjective[1]



MenomoneeFalls

MenomoneeFalls
Me·nom·o·nee
Falls 
[menmənee]

village in Wisconsin, in
southeastern Waukesha County. Population: 28,448 (1994)[1]



menomosso

menomosso
me·no
mos·so 
[màynō máwsō, mènnō
máwsō] adverb

more
slowly:
at a slower speed (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian, literally
“less agitated”][1]



menopause

menopause
men·o·pause 
[ménnə pàwz] noun

end
of menstruation: the time in a woman’s life when
menstruation diminishes and ceases, usually between the ages of 45 and 50.
Also
called
change of life
[Late
19th century. Coined from meno- + Greek pausis
(see pause ).]
—men·o·paus·al
[mènnə páwz’l], adjective

—men·o·paus·ic [mènnə páwzik], adjective[1]



menorah

menorah

me·no·rah 
[mə náwrə] (plural me·no·rahs)
noun

1.  7-branched
ceremonial candleholder: a ceremonial candleholder
consisting of a central stem surrounded by six curved branches, used in the
Jewish Temple and as an emblem of Judaism and the state of Israel

2.  8-branched
Hanukkah candleholder: an eight-branched
candleholder, lit during the festival of Hanukkah
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew měnōrāh, literally “candlestick.”][1]



Menorca

Menorca1
Me·nor·ca1  [mi
náwrkə] or Mi·nor·ca [mi náwrkə]

Spanish
island in the western Mediterranean Sea, the second largest of the Balearic
Islands. Population: 66,900 (1989) Area: 702 sq km/271 sq mi.
—Mi·nor·can [mi náwrkən], adjective, noun[1]



menorrhagia

menorrhagia
men·or·rha·gi·a 
[mènnə ráyjee ə] noun

excessive
bleeding during menstruation: abnormally heavy or
prolonged bleeding during menstruation
—men·or·rha·gic [mènnə ráyjik], adjective[1]



menorrhea

menorrhea
men·or·rhea
[mènnə r ə] noun

menstrual
bleeding:
normal bleeding during menstruation
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from amenorrhea .][1]



menorrhoea

menorrhoea
men·or·rhoea
noun

U.K. =
menorrhea[1]



Menotti,Gian-Carlo

Menotti,Gian-Carlo
Menotti
[mə nóttee], Gian-Carlo (1911– )

Italian-born U.S. composer.
He is known for his operas including The Consul ( 1950 ) and The
Saint of Bleecker Street ( 1954 ).[1]



Mensa

Mensa
Men·sa 
[ménssə] noun

1.  constellation
in the southern hemisphere: a faint constellation, found
between Hydrus and Volans in the southern hemisphere, that forms part of the
Large Magellanic Cloud

2.  high-IQ
organization: an international organization for people
with a very high IQ. Members are admitted after passing an IQ test.
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, “table.”][1]



mensal

mensal2
men·sal2  [ménssəl]
adjective

relating
to meals:
used or done at the meal table, or connected with eating meals
[15th century. From late
Latin mensalis, from Latin mensa “table,” of unknown origin.][1]



mensal

mensal1
men·sal1  [ménssəl]
adjective

monthly:
occurring monthly
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin mensis “month.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English moon and
month, from a base meaning “to
measure.”][1]



mensch

mensch
mensch 
[mensh] (plural mensch·en [ménshən] or mensch·es) or mensh
[mensh] (plural mensh·en or
mensh·es) noun

good
person:
somebody good, kind, decent, and honorable (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from, ultimately, Old High German mennisco “manly, human.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “person, man” that is also the
ancestor of English man .][1]



menses

menses
men·ses 
[mén sz] noun (technical) (takes
a singular or plural verb)

1.  menstruation:
menstruation, or the period of time that it lasts

2.  menstrual
discharge:
the blood and other matter discharged from the womb during menstruation
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, plural of mensis “month” (see mensal 1 ).][1]



Menshevik

Menshevik
Men·she·vik 
[ménshəvìk] (plural Men·she·viks
or Men·she·vi·ki [mènshə vkee])
noun

moderate
Russian Marxist: a member of the moderate minority
faction of the Marxist Social Democratic Party in pre-revolutionary Russia that
advocated a gradual approach to social reform, in contrast to the Bolsheviks
[Early
20th century. From Russian men’shevik, from men’she “less”; so
called because they favored less extreme Socialist reform than the Bolsheviks.]
—Men·she·vism
[ménshə vìzzəm], noun

—Men·she·vist, noun[1]



mensrea

mensrea
mens
re·a 
[mènz r ə, menz
ráyə] noun

criminal
intent:
prior intention to commit a criminal act, without necessarily knowing that the
act is a crime. For all but some minor statutory offenses, mens rea is basic to
establishing the actual guilt of somebody alleged to have committed a crime.
[From modern Latin, “guilty
mind”][1]



menssana in corpore sano

menssana in corpore sano
mens
sa·na in cor·po·re sa·no  [menz
snə in kawrpəray snō] noun

healthy
mind in a healthy body: a healthy mind in a healthy
body, as an ideal in living (formal)
[From Latin][1]



menstrual

menstrual
men·stru·al 
[ménstroo əl] adjective

relating to menstruation:
occurring during, or connected with, menstruation[1]



menstruate

menstruate
men·stru·ate 
[ménstroo àyt] (past men·stru·at·ed,
past participle men·stru·at·ed, present participle men·stru·at·ing,
3rd person present singular men·stru·ates) intransitive verb

discharge
menstrual blood: to discharge blood and other matter from
the womb as part of the menstrual cycle
[Early 19th century. Via late
Latin menstruare from, ultimately, Latin menstruus “monthly,
menstrual,” from mensis “month” (see mensal 1 ).][1]



menstruation

menstruation
men·stru·a·tion 
[mènstroo áysh’n] noun

monthly discharge from the
womb: the monthly process of
discharging blood and other matter from the womb that occurs between puberty
and menopause in women and female primates who are not pregnant[1]



menstruous

menstruous
men·stru·ous 
adjective

See
menstrual[1]



menstruum

menstruum
men·stru·um 
[ménstroo əm] (plural men·stru·ums
or men·stru·a [ménstroo ə]) noun

solvent:
a solvent, especially one used to extract compounds from plant or animal tissue
or in the preparation of drugs
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin, literally “menstruation,” singular of Latin menstrua
(see menstruate ). By analogy between the
alchemical use of solvents and the menses’ supposed function in nurturing
unborn babies.][1]



mensurable

mensurable
men·su·ra·ble 
[ménsərəb’l, ménshərəb’l]
adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS able
to be measured: capable of being measured

2.  MUSIC See mensural  adjective 2
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin mensurabilis from, ultimately, Latin mensura
“measure” (see measure ).]
—men·su·ra·bil·i·ty
[mènsərə bíllətee, mènshərə
bílətee], noun

—men·su·ra·ble·ness [ménsərəb’lnəss, ménshərəb’lnəss],
noun[1]



mensural

mensural
men·su·ral 
[ménsərəl, ménshərəl]
adjective

1.  relating
to measurement: relating to or involving measurement or
measurable values

2.  MUSIC using
notes with fixed values: used to describe or relating
to notes, particularly in medieval music, that have a fixed length or time
value relative to one another
[Late 16th century. From
Latin mensuralis, from mensura (see measure
).][1]



mensuration

mensuration
men·su·ra·tion 
[mènsə ráysh’n, mènshə
ráysh’n] noun

1.  MATHEMATICS working
out geometric quantities: the calculation of geometric
quantities such as length, area, and volume from dimensions and angles that are
already known

2.  measurement:
the act, process, or skill of measuring something (formal)
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Latin mensura (see measure ).]
—men·su·ra·tion·al,
adjective

—men·su·ra·tive [ménsə ràytiv, ménshə
ràytiv], adjective[1]



menswear

menswear
mens·wear
[ménz wàir] or men’s wear [ménz wàir] noun

1.  men’s
clothing:
clothing designed to be worn by men

2.  menswear
department:
the department in a store that sells menswear

[1]



-ment

-ment
-ment
suffix

1.  action,
process • arraignment
• betterment

2.  result
of, or condition resulting from an action • bewilderment

3.  instrument
or agent of an action • refreshment

4.  place
• emplacement
• escarpment
[Directly and via French from
Latin -mentum][1]



mental

mental
men·tal
[mént’l] adjective

1.  relating
to the mind: relating to, found in, or occurring in
the mind • mental
stimulation

2.  carried
out in the mind: carried out in the mind without any
physical action or the use of any physical aid • mental
arithmetic

3.  produced
by the mind: produced by the mind and visible only in
the mind • mental
imagery

4.  experiencing
extreme emotion: affected by extreme distress, anxiety,
anger, or other emotional reaction to somebody or something (informal
offensive)

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having a psychiatric disorder (offensive)

6.  unintelligent:
extremely unintelligent or silly (informal insult)
[15th
century. Via French from Latin ment-, the stem of mens “mind.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to think,” also the ancestor of
English mind, mania, demented,
and amnesia .]
—men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



mentalage

mentalage
men·tal
age
(plural men·tal ag·es) noun

measure of intellectual
ability: a measure of intellectual
development developed by the French psychologist Binet, who devised norms
against which children could be compared with other children of the same
chronological age • a
four-year-old with a mental age of seven[1]



mentalblock

mentalblock
men·tal
block
(plural men·tal blocks) noun

inability to carry out a
mental task: an inability to carry
out a mental task such as remembering something, especially when caused by
subconscious emotional factors[1]



mentalcruelty

mentalcruelty
men·tal
cru·el·ty
noun

infliction of psychological
pain: the infliction of
psychological pain on somebody[1]



mentalhandicap

mentalhandicap
men·tal
hand·i·cap
(plural men·tal hand·i·caps) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for an intellectual impairment (offensive)[1]



mentalillness

mentalillness
men·tal
ill·ness
(plural men·tal ill·ness·es) noun

psychiatric disorder:
any psychiatric disorder of the mind that causes untypical behavior[1]



mentalism

mentalism
men·tal·ism 
[mént’l ìzzəm] noun

belief
that everything exists in the mind: the
belief that all objects of knowledge, including the physical universe,
ultimately have no existence except as creations of the mind
—men·tal·ist
[mént’list], noun

—men·tal·is·tic
[mènt’l ístik], adjective

—men·tal·is·ti·cal·ly
[mèntə’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



mentality

mentality
men·tal·i·ty 
[men tállətee] (plural men·tal·i·ties)
noun

1.  perceptual
framework:
a habitual way of thinking or interpreting events peculiar to an individual or
type of person, especially with reference to the behaviors that it produces

2.  intellectual
ability:
somebody’s intellectual ability

[1]



mentallexicon

mentallexicon
men·tal
lex·i·con
(plural men·tal lex·i·cons) noun

personal vocabulary:
the words of a language that somebody knows the meanings of, can use, or uses
habitually[1]



mentallychallenged

mentallychallenged
men·tal·ly
chal·lenged
adjective

with learning difficulties:
affected by a condition that limits the ability to learn and to function
independently, as a result of congenital causes, brain injury, or disease[1]



mentalretardation

mentalretardation
men·tal
re·tar·da·tion noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for difficulty in learning or in daily functions (dated
offensive)[1]



mentation

mentation
men·ta·tion 
[men táysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  thinking:
mental activity, especially thinking

2.  state
of mind:
somebody’s state of mind or general attitude
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin ment-, the stem of mens “mind” (see mental ).][1]



menthol

menthol
men·thol 
[mén thàwl] noun

mint-tasting
compound from peppermint oil: an organic compound
extracted from peppermint oil that has a cool minty taste and is used as a
flavoring and as a mild anesthetic. CH3C6H9(C3H7)OH
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “mint-oil,” formed from Latin mentha (see mint ).][1]



mentholated

mentholated
men·tho·lat·ed
[ménthə làytəd] adjective

flavored with menthol:
flavored with or containing menthol[1]



mention

mention
men·tion 
[ménshən] verb (past men·tioned,
past participle men·tioned, present participle men·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular men·tions)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say a
particular word or thing: to use a particular word or
name when speaking or writing, often in a casual way • I
happened to mention your name to her.

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY cite
somebody for bravery: to refer to somebody by name
in an official report as a way of acknowledging exceptional conduct, especially
during a military action
noun
(plural men·tions)

1.  specific
reference:
the use of a particular word or name, or a reference to a particular person or
thing

2.  MILITARY acknowledgment
of somebody’s exceptional conduct: an acknowledgment,
especially in an official report, of somebody’s exceptional conduct

3.  honorable
mention:
an honorable mention

4.  LOGIC linguistic
self-reference: the use of a word to refer to itself
instead of to perform its usual linguistic function
[14th
century. Via French from Latin mention-, the stem of mentio
“calling to mind.”]
—men·tion·a·ble,
adjective

—men·tion·er,
noun
don’t
mention it

used
in reply to an expression of thanks as a polite way of saying that none are
necessary

not
to mention

used to emphasize a point by
introducing somebody who or something that needs to be taken into consideration
and is even more significant than what has been spoken of before[1]



Mentor

Mentor
Men·tor 
noun

teacher and protector of
Telemachus: in Homer’s Odyssey,
the friend whom Odysseus left in charge of the household while he was at Troy
and who was the teacher and protector of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son[1]



mentor

mentor
men·tor 
[mén tàwr, méntər]
noun (plural men·tors)

experienced
adviser and supporter: somebody, usually older and
more experienced, who provides advice and support to, and watches over and
fosters the progress of, a younger, less experienced person
transitive
verb
(past men·tored, past participle men·tored, present
participle men·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular men·tors)

be
a mentor to somebody: to act as a mentor to
somebody, especially a junior colleague
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek Mentōr (see Mentor
).][1]



mentoring

mentoring
men·tor·ing
[méntəring] noun

acting as mentor:
the task of acting as a mentor to somebody, especially a junior colleague, or
the system of appointing mentors[1]



menu

menu
men·u 
[mén y, máyn y]
(plural menus) noun

1.  FOOD list
of dishes available: a list of the dishes that
can be ordered in a restaurant or that are to be served at a formal meal

2.  COMPUT list
of program options: a list on a computer screen
of the various options available to the user of a program or function

3.  list
or collection: a list of things available, or a
collection of things from which a selection can be made
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, “minute, detailed,” from Latin minutus “small” (see minute 2 ); the
underlying meaning is “detailed list.”][1]



menu-driven

menu-driven
men·u-driv·en
adjective

COMPUT
operated using menus:
operated by selecting options from menus[1]



Menuhin,Yehudi

Menuhin,Yehudi
Men·u·hin
[ménnyoo in, ménn
ìn], Yehudi, Baron Menuhin of Stoke d’Abernon (1916–1999)

U.S.-born British violinist.
He was known as much for mentoring younger players as for his own virtuoso
performances.[1]



men’sroom

men’sroom
men’s
room 
(plural men’s rooms) noun

men’s bathroom:
a public toilet for men[1]



meow

meow

me·ow
[mee ów] noun
characteristic
cry of a cat: the characteristic cry made by a
domestic cat
intransitive
verb
(past me·owed, past participle me·owed, present
participle me·ow·ing, 3rd person present singular me·ows)
utter
meow:
to utter a meow
interjection
designating
a spiteful or mean comment: used to indicate that you
think somebody’s comment is spiteful or malicious (informal)
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



MEP

MEP
MEP
(plural MEPs)

Abbreviation of
Master of Engineering Physics[1]



meperidine

meperidine
me·per·i·dine 
[mə pérrə dn] noun

painkiller:
a white crystalline compound used as a painkiller and sedative. C15H21NO2 
U.K.
term
pethidine
[Mid-20th century. Blend of methyl and piperidine
.][1]



Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles
Meph·i·stoph·e·les 
[mèffi stóffə lz] or Me·phis·to
[mə fístō] noun

subordinate
of Satan:
in medieval mythology, a subordinate to the Devil, one of the seven archangels
cast out of heaven, to whom Faust sold his soul
—Me·phis·to·phe·le·an
[mə fìstō flyən, mə
fìstō flee ən], adjective[1]



mephitic

mephitic
me·phit·ic 
[mə fíttik] or me·phit·i·cal [mə fíttik’l] adjective

foul-smelling:
relating to or resembling a poisonous or foul smell (literary)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin mephiticus “pestilential,” from Latin mephitis
(see mephitis ).]
—me·phit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mephitis

mephitis
me·phi·tis 
[mə ftiss] noun

1.  GEOLOGY foul-smelling
gas:
a foul-smelling or poisonous vapor coming out of the earth

2.  stench:
a foul smell (literary)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



meprobamate

meprobamate
mep·ro·bam·ate 
[mèpprō bá màyt, mə
prṓbə màyt] noun

tranquilizer:
a bitter white powder used as a tranquilizer and muscle relaxant. C9H18N2O4
[Mid-20th century. Blend of methyl, propyl,
and carbamate .][1]



mer.

mer.
mer.

Abbreviation of
meridian[1]



mer-

mer-
mer-
prefix

See
mero-[1]



-mer

-mer
-mer
suffix

polymer
• oligomer
[Back-formation from -merism][1]



Merano

Merano
Mer·a·no
[me rnō]

city and health resort in
Bolzano Province, Trentino-Alto Adige Region, northeastern Italy. Population:
33,638 (1993)[1]



meranti

meranti
mer·an·ti 
[mə rántee] noun

hardwood
from a Malaysian tree: a hardwood, white, yellow,
or red in color, obtained from some Malaysian and Indonesian trees. Genus: Shorea
[Late 18th century. From
Malay .][1]



merbromin

merbromin
mer·bro·min 
[mər brṓmin] noun

green
crystalline solid: a green crystalline solid
that forms a red solution when dissolved in water, mainly used as an
antiseptic. C20H8Br2HgNa2O6
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from mercuric + brom-
+ -in .][1]



Mercalliscale

Mercalliscale
Mer·cal·li
scale 
[mair kállee skayl] noun

earthquake-measuring
scale:
a scale for measuring the intensity of earthquakes, ranging from 1 to 12, in
which 1 denotes a weak earthquake and 12 one that causes complete destruction.
See
also
Richter scale
[Early 20th century. Named
for Giuseppe Mercalli (1850–1914), the Italian geologist who devised
it.][1]



mercantile

mercantile
mer·can·tile 
[múrkən tl] adjective

1.  relating
to merchants or trading: used for trade or by
merchants, or characteristic of merchants or trading

2.  relating
to mercantilism: relating to or typical of mercantilism
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Italian mercante “merchant,” from Latin mercari
“to trade” (see merchant ).][1]



mercantilism

mercantilism
mer·can·til·ism 
[múrkənti lìzzəm] noun

1.  economic
theory and system: an early modern European
economic theory and system that actively supported the establishment of
colonies that would supply materials and markets and relieve home nations of
dependence on other nations

2.  commercialism:
the principles and methods of commerce
—mer·can·til·ist,
noun

—mer·can·til·is·tic [mùrkənti lístik], adjective[1]



mercaptan

mercaptan
mer·cap·tan 
[mər káp tàn] noun

See
thiol
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin (corpus) mercurium captans, literally “(substance)
that seizes mercury.”][1]



mercaptopurine

mercaptopurine
mer·cap·to·pu·rine 
[mər kàptō pyrin] noun

leukemia
drug:
a drug used in the treatment of leukemia. C5H4N4S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from mercapto- + purine .][1]



Mercator,Gerardus

Mercator,Gerardus
Mer·ca·tor
[mur káytər], Gerardus (1512–1594)

Flemish
geographer, cartographer, and mathematician. His map projection allowed compass
courses to be plotted as straight lines, and is widely used in navigation.
Born
Kremer, Gerhard[1]



MercatorProjection

MercatorProjection

Mer·ca·tor
Pro·jec·tion [mər káytər
prə jèkshən] noun
method
of making a map of the world: a method of making a map of
the globe on a flat surface in which the meridians and latitudes are shown as
straight lines that cross at right angles
[Mid-17th century. Named for
Gerardus Mercator, who invented it.][1]



Merced

Merced
Mer·ced 
[mər séd]

city in central California,
the administrative seat of Merced County. Population: 60,348 (1994)[1]



mercenary

mercenary
mer·ce·nar·y 
[múrs’n èrree] noun (plural mer·ce·nar·ies)

1.  MILITARY professional
soldier:
a professional soldier paid to fight for an army other than that of his or her
country

2.  somebody
interested only in profit: somebody who works or serves
only for personal profit
adjective

1.  motivated
only by money: motivated solely by a desire for money

2.  relating
to mercenaries: paid to serve in a foreign army, or
consisting of mercenaries
[14th
century. Directly or via French mercenaire from Latin mercen(n)arius
“hireling,” from merces “wages” (source of English mercy ).]
—mer·ce·nar·i·ly,
adverb

—mer·ce·nar·i·ness, noun[1]



mercerize

mercerize
mer·cer·ize 
[múrsə rz] (past mer·cer·ized,
past participle mer·cer·ized, present participle mer·cer·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mer·cer·iz·es) transitive verb

treat
cotton with alkali: to treat cotton fabric or
thread with an alkali to strengthen it and make it more lustrous and more
receptive to dyes
[Mid-19th
century. Named for John Mercer (1791–1866), the English calico printer who is
said to have discovered the process.]
—mer·cer·i·za·tion [mùrsəri záysh’n], noun[1]



merchandise

merchandise
mer·chan·dise 
[múrchən dz] noun

goods: goods
bought and sold for profit
verb
(past mer·chan·dised or mer·chan·dized, past
participle mer·chan·dised or mer·chan·dized, present
participle mer·chan·dis·ing or mer·chan·diz·ing, 3rd
person present singular mer·chan·dis·es or mer·chan·dizes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb trade
commercially: to trade in or buy and sell products for
profit

2.  transitive
verb
market
products:
to promote a product by developing strategies for packaging, display, and
publicity
[13th
century. From French marchandise “goods,” from Old French marchant
(see merchant ).]
—mer·chan·dis·able,
adjective

—mer·chan·dis·er, noun[1]



merchandising

merchandising
mer·chan·dis·ing
[múrchən dzing] or mer·chan·diz·ing
[múrchən dzing] noun

1.  marketing:
the promotion of a product by developing strategies for packaging, displaying,
and publicizing it

2.  spin-off
products:
commercial products that are developed as spin-offs from the success of a
movie, TV program, sports team, or event

[1]



merchant

merchant
mer·chant 
[múrchənt] noun (plural mer·chants)

1.  dealer
in wholesale goods: somebody who buys and sells
goods, especially as a wholesaler or on the international market

2.  retailer:
somebody who sells products at retail, especially in a store or other outlet

3.  somebody
noted for some activity: somebody who is noted for a
particular activity or characteristic (informal) (usually used in
combination) • a speed merchant in a
souped-up car
adjective

1.  relating
to trade or merchants: used for or relating to
commerce, wholesalers, or retailers

2.  SHIPPING of a
merchant marine: relating to, belonging to, or involving
a merchant marine
transitive
verb

deal in something:
to trade or deal in products
[12th
century. Via Old French marchant from, ultimately, Latin mercari
“to trade,” from merc-, the stem of merx “merchandise” (source of
English merchandise and market ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Merchant of Venice, a play by English William Shakespeare ( 1596-1597 ). The
  story revolves around a loan made by usurer Shylock to Venetian merchant
  Antonio, and Shylock’s subsequent attempts to claim the pound of flesh he has
  stipulated as security. Among the more serious issues raised in this blend of
  comedy, romance, and realism are the correct administration of justice and
  the power conferred by wealth. The well-known saying “It is a wise father
  that knows his own child” comes from Act II, scene ii, line 83 of this play.

[1]



merchantable

merchantable
mer·chant·a·ble 
[múrchəntəb’l] adjective

marketable:
suitable or of a sufficiently high quality for buying and selling
—mer·chant·a·bil·i·ty
[mùrchəntə bíllətee], noun[1]



merchantbank

merchantbank
mer·chant
bank
(plural mer·chant banks) noun

U.K.
commercial
services bank: a bank that provides financial services
mainly for companies and large-scale investors
—mer·chant
bank·er, noun

—mer·chant bank·ing, noun[1]



Merchant,Ismail

Merchant,Ismail
Mer·chant 
[múrchənt], Ismail (1936– )

Indian movie producer and
director. In partnership with James Ivory, he produced films set in India and
created adaptations of European literary classics.[1]



merchantman

merchantman
mer·chant·man 
[múrchənt mən] (plural mer·chant·men
[múrchənt mən]) noun

See
merchant ship[1]



merchantmarine

merchantmarine
mer·chant
ma·rine
(plural mer·chant ma·rines) noun

country’s merchant ships:
a country’s fleet of merchant ships, or the sailors who serve in them.
U.K. term
merchant navy[1]



merchantnavy

merchantnavy
mer·chant
na·vy
noun

U.K.
See merchant marine[1]



merchantprince

merchantprince
mer·chant
prince
(plural mer·chant princes) noun

rich and powerful merchant:
an extremely wealthy, powerful, and prestigious merchant, especially in
Renaissance Italy[1]



merchantship

merchantship
mer·chant
ship
(plural mer·chant ships) noun

ship that carries goods:
a seagoing ship designed to carry goods, especially for international trade.
Also called
merchantman[1]



Mercian

Mercian
Mer·ci·an 
[múrsh’n] noun

dialect
of Old English: a dialect of Old English spoken in the
Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, in central and southern England
adjective

of Mercia:
relating to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, its people, its language, or its
culture[1]



merciful

merciful
mer·ci·ful 
[múrseef’l] adjective

1.  showing
mercy:
showing mercy or compassion to somebody

2.  welcome:
welcome because putting an end to something unpleasant or distressing
—mer·ci·ful·ness, noun[1]



mercifully

mercifully
mer·ci·ful·ly
[múrseefəlee] adverb

1.  so
as to show mercy: so as to show mercy or compassion

2.  fortunately:
fortunately or luckily

[1]



merciless

merciless
mer·ci·less 
[múrseeləss] adjective

1.  lacking
mercy:
showing no mercy or compassion toward somebody or something

2.  strict
and intolerant: very strict or harsh in the treatment of
other people and extremely intolerant of their weaknesses or mistakes

3.  relentless:
continuing at a high level of violence or unpleasantness without pause or
relief
—mer·ci·less·ly,
adverb

—mer·ci·less·ness, noun[1]



mercur-

mercur-
mercur-
prefix

mercury
• mercurous
[From mercury][1]



mercurate

mercurate
mer·cu·rate 
[múrkyə ràyt] (past mer·cu·rat·ed,
past participle mer·cu·rat·ed, present participle mer·cu·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular mer·cu·rates) transitive verb

treat
with mercury: to treat or combine something with
mercury
—mer·cu·ra·tion [mùrkyə ráysh’n], noun[1]



Mercurial

Mercurial
Mer·cu·ri·al
adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY of
the god Mercury: relating to the Roman god Mercury

2.  ASTRONOMY of
the planet Mercury: relating to the planet
Mercury

[1]



mercurial

mercurial
mer·cu·ri·al 
[mər kyree əl] adjective

1.  lively
and unpredictable: lively, witty, fast-talking,
and likely to do the unexpected

2.  CHEMISTRY containing
mercury:
containing or caused by mercury
noun
(plural mer·cu·ri·als)

MEDICINE medicine
containing mercury: formerly, a drug or chemical
preparation containing mercury
[14th
century. Directly and via French mercuriel from Latin mercurialis,
from Mercurius “Mercury.”]
—mer·cu·ri·al·i·ty
[mər kyree állətee], noun

—mer·cu·ri·al·ly
[mər kyree əlee], adverb

—mer·cu·ri·al·ness [mər kyreeəlnəss], noun[1]



mercurialism

mercurialism
mer·cu·ri·al·ism 
[mər kyree ə lìzzəm] noun

mercury poisoning:
poisoning caused by ingesting mercury[1]



mercurialize

mercurialize
mer·cu·ri·al·ize
[mər kyree ə lz] (past mer·cu·ri·al·ized,
past participle mer·cu·ri·al·ized, present participle mer·cu·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mer·cu·ri·al·izes) transitive verb

treat
something with mercury: to treat somebody or
something with mercury or with a compound containing mercury
—mer·cu·ri·al·i·za·tion
[mər kyree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



mercuric

mercuric
mer·cu·ric 
[mər kyrik] adjective

relating to divalent mercury:
relating to or containing mercury with a valence of 2[1]



mercuricchloride

mercuricchloride
mer·cu·ric
chlo·ride
noun

poisonous crystalline solid:
a white crystalline solid that is poisonous, soluble, and used mainly as an
insecticide, fungicide, or wood preservative or in photography. HgCl2 
Also called
corrosive sublimate
Also called
mercury chloride[1]



mercuricoxide

mercuricoxide
mer·cu·ric
ox·ide
noun

red or yellow pigment:
a poisonous orange-yellow solid used as a pigment. HgO[1]



mercuricsulfide

mercuricsulfide
mer·cu·ric
sul·fide
(plural mer·cu·ric sul·fides) noun

red or black pigment:
a poisonous compound existing as a red or a black solid, both forms being used
as pigments. HgS[1]



Mercurochrome

Mercurochrome
Mer·cu·ro·chrome
[mər kyrə krm] Trademark

a trademark for a liquid
antiseptic[1]



mercurous

mercurous
mer·cu·rous 
[múrkyərəss] adjective

relating to monovalent
mercury: relating to or containing
mercury with a valence of 1[1]



Mercury

Mercury
Mer·cu·ry 
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
god:
the Roman god of commerce and rhetoric, who also acted as a messenger between
humans and gods. His symbol is the caduceus, a staff with two snakes entwined
around it.

2.  ASTRONOMY planet
nearest the Sun: the smallest planet in the solar system
and the one nearest the Sun
[12th century. From Latin Mercurius,
from merc-, the stem of merx “merchandise” (source of English merchant ).][1]



mercury

mercury

mer·cu·ry 
[múrkyəree] (plural mer·cu·ries)
noun

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS liquid
metallic element: a poisonous heavy silver-white metallic
chemical element that is liquid at room temperature. It is obtained chiefly
from the mineral cinnabar and is used in thermometers, barometers,
pharmaceuticals, dental fillings, and lamps. Symbol Hg

2.  METEOROLOGY temperature
or pressure: the mercury in a weather thermometer or
barometer, or the air temperature or pressure it indicates • The
mercury rose steadily throughout the early part of the day.

3.  PLANTS weedy
plant:
any of various weedy plants. Genera: Mercurialis Acalypha
[14th century. From Latin Mercurius
(see Mercury ).][1]



mercurychloride

mercurychloride
mer·cu·ry
chlo·ride
noun

CHEMISTRY
See mercuric chloride[1]



mercury-vaporlamp

mercury-vaporlamp
mer·cu·ry-va·por
lamp 
(plural mer·cu·ry-va·por lamps) noun

lamp containing mercury
vapor: an electric lamp whose light
is generated when electricity is passed through a vapor of low-pressure
mercury. Its bright bluish-green light has a strong ultraviolet component, and
these rays are used for cosmetic and therapeutic treatment.[1]



mercy

mercy
mer·cy 
[múrsee] (plural mer·cies) noun

1.  compassion:
kindness or forgiveness shown to an offender or to somebody a person has power
over • The
judge showed mercy and imposed the shortest sentence he could.

2.  compassionate
disposition: a disposition to be compassionate or
forgiving of others • a
killer completely without mercy

3.  something
to be thankful for: a welcome event or situation
that provides relief or prevents something unpleasant from happening • It
was a mercy that no one was hurt in the accident.

4.  easing
of distress: the easing of distress or pain • The
supply convoy was on a mission of mercy.
[12th
century. Via French merci “thank you”, from Latin merces “reward,
wages” (source of English mercenary
).]
at
the mercy of somebody or something

completely unprotected
against whatever somebody or something does[1]



mercykilling

mercykilling
mer·cy
kill·ing
(plural mer·cy kill·ings) noun

1.  euthanasia:
euthanasia regarded as motivated by compassion

2.  act
of euthanasia: an act of killing somebody out of
compassion, often at that person’s request, in order to end his or her pain or
distress

[1]



mercyseat

mercyseat
mer·cy
seat
noun

1.  JUDAISM covering
for the Ark of the Covenant: the gold covering on the Ark
of the Covenant, regarded as God’s resting place

2.  CHRISTIANITY God’s
throne:
the throne of God in heaven
[Modeled on late Latin propitiatorium,
literally “something atoning,” and German Gnadenstuhle, literally “mercy
seat”][1]



mere

mere2
mere2 [meer]
(plural meres) noun

lake:
a body of standing fresh water, especially a lake (archaic or literary)
(often used in place names)
[Old English, originally used
for “sea” (source also of English mermaid
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Latin mare
(source of English marine ).][1]



mere

mere1
mere1 [meer]
(superlative mer·est) adjective

1.  utter:
just what is specified and nothing more • She
was no mere journalist.

2.  by
itself:
by itself and without anything more • The
mere mention of his ex-’s name would make him upset.
[14th century. Directly or
via Anglo-Norman meer, Old French mier, from Latin merus
“pure, unmixed” (especially of wine), the original meaning in English .][1]



mere

mere3
mere3 [meer]
(plural meres) noun

boundary:
a boundary, or something that marks a boundary (archaic)
[Old English (ge)mre
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to fix, build fences,” which
is also the ancestor of English mural
and ammunition .][1]



-mere

-mere
-mere
suffix

part,
segment • centromere
[Via French from Greek meros
(see mero- )][1]



Meredith,George

Meredith,George
Mer·e·dith
[mérrə dìth], George (1828–1909)

British novelist and poet.
His novels are noted for their psychological analysis and distinctive style.
They include The Egoist (1879) and Diana of the Crossways (1885).[1]



merely

merely
mere·ly 
[mrlee] adverb

simply:
only as described and nothing more • merely
silly • merely
a temporary setback[1]



merengue

merengue
me·ren·gue 
[mə réng gày] (plural me·ren·gues)
noun

1.  BALLROOM dance:
a ballroom dance, originally from Dominica and Haiti, characterized by a
shuffling step

2.  MUSIC music
for merengue: a piece of music for the merengue
[Mid-20th century. Via
American Spanish from Haitian creole méringue, literally “meringue,”
from French (see meringue ).][1]



meretricious

meretricious
mer·e·tri·cious 
[mèrrə tríshəss] adjective

1.  superficially
attractive:
attractive in a superficial or vulgar manner but without real value (formal)
• meretricious
extras that don’t really add to the car’s value

2.  misleadingly
plausible:
seemingly plausible or significant, but actually insincere or false • Don’t
be swayed by this meretricious argument in the project’s favor.

3.  of
prostitutes: relating to or like a prostitute (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin meretricius, from, ultimately, meretrix
“prostitute,” from mereri (see merit
).]
—mer·e·tri·cious·ly,
adverb

—mer·e·tri·cious·ness,
noun[1]



merganser

merganser


mer·gan·ser 
[mər gánsər] (plural mer·gan·sers)
noun
fish-eating
diving duck: a fish-eating diving duck with a crested
head and a long bill notched like the blade of a saw. Genus: Mergus
Also
called
fish duck
Also
called
sheldrake
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “diver goose,” from Latin mergus “diver” + anser
“goose.”][1]



merge

merge
merge 
[murj] (past merged, past
participle merged, present participle merg·ing, 3rd
person present singular merg·es) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  combine:
to combine or unite with something to form a single entity, or make two or more
things do this • Two of the country’s
largest banks have decided to merge.

2.  blend:
to blend or make two or more things blend together gradually • The
sky and sea seem to merge at the horizon.
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin mergere “to plunge, dip” (source also of English submerge and immerse
), the original sense in English .]
—mer·gence,
noun

—merg·ing, noun[1]



merger

merger
merg·er 
[múrjər] (plural merg·ers) noun

1.  BUSINESS combining
of companies: the joining together of two or more
companies or organizations • a
merger between two of the country’s leading manufacturers

2.  union:
a blending, combining, or joining of something with something else, or the
state of being blended, combined, or joined together
[Early 18th century. From
Anglo-Norman, literally “to drown,” from, ultimately, Latin mergere (see
merge ).][1]



Meriden

Meriden
Mer·i·den 
[mérridən]

city in southern Connecticut,
on the Quinnipiac River. Population: 56,928 (1994)[1]



meridian

meridian

me·rid·i·an 
[mə ríddee ən] (plural me·rid·i·ans)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY line
of longitude: an imaginary line between the North and
South poles that crosses the equator at right angles. A meridian is designated
by the degrees of longitude that it is west or east of the prime meridian.

2.  GEOGRAPHY half
of a circle between poles: either half of the circle of
the meridian, from pole to pole

3.  ASTRONOMY celestial
great circle: a great circle of the celestial sphere
that passes through the celestial poles and the zenith of the observer

4.  highest
point:
the peak or a high point, for example, of development or success (literary)
• the
decade when the empire’s power reached its meridian

5.  Midwestern
U.S.
TRANSPORT See median strip

6.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE line
of acupuncture points: in acupuncture, one of the
pathways in the body along which the body’s energy is believed to flow and
along which acupuncture points are located

7.  TIME noon:
the hour of midday (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin meridianus, from meridies “midday,” an alteration of medidies,
literally “middle day” from medius “middle” + dies “day.”][1]



Meridian

Meridian
Me·rid·i·an 
[mə ríddee ən]

city in eastern Mississippi.
Population: 41,036 (1990)[1]



meridional

meridional
me·rid·i·o·nal 
[mə ríddee ən’l] adjective

1.  of
a meridian:
along, belonging to, relating to, or like a meridian

2.  GEOGRAPHY of
southern regions: of, about, or located in the south,
especially southern Europe

3.  of
southern peoples: of or about people who live in the
south, especially southern Europe
noun
(plural me·rid·i·o·nals)

PEOPLES southern
person:
somebody born or living in the south, especially the south of France
[14th
century. Via French from late Latin meridionalis, from Latin meridies
(see meridian ) on the model of septentrionalis
“northern.”]
—me·rid·i·on·al·ly, adverb[1]



meringue

meringue
me·ringue 
[mə ráng] (plural me·ringues) noun

1.  whipped
egg whites:
a mixture of egg whites and sugar beaten until stiff, cooked, and used as a
topping for pies or to make cookies and shells

2.  meringue
cookie or shell: a cake, cookie, or shell made of
meringue, often with a cream filling
[Early 18th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps via French dialect maringue
“shepherd’s loaf,” from Latin merenda “snack,” from a form of merere
“to earn.”][1]



merino

merino
me·ri·no 
[mə rnō] noun (plural me·ri·nos)

1.  me·ri·no
or me·ri·no sheep ZOOLOGY
sheep
bred for wool: a sheep of a breed originally from Spain
that is bred for its wool in many parts of the world, especially Australia

2.  wool:
the long fine white wool of the merino sheep

3.  TEXTILES yarn
or fabric:
a fine yarn or fabric made from the wool of the merino sheep, often mixed with
cotton
adjective

TEXTILES of
merino wool: made of merino wool • a
merino shawl
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish from Arabic (banū) marīn, the name of a Berber people who raised
the breed.][1]



-merism

-merism
-merism
suffix

denoting
a relationship between chemical constituents • isomerism
[Coined from Greek meros
“part” + -ism][1]



meristem

meristem
mer·i·stem 
[mérri stèm] (plural mer·i·stems)
noun

growing
plant tissue: embryonic plant tissue that is actively
dividing, such as is found at the tip of stems and roots
[Late
19th century. From Greek meristos “divided,” from merizein “to
divide,” from meros “part” (see -mere
).]
—mer·i·ste·mat·ic
[mèrristə máttik], adjective

—mer·is·te·mat·i·cal·ly
[mèrristə máttikəlee], adverb[1]



meristic

meristic
me·ris·tic 
[mə rístik] adjective BIOLOGY

1.  segmented:
divided into or having segments

2.  with
changing body parts: involving a change in the
number or arrangement of body parts or segments
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek meris, meros “part.”]
—me·ris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



merit

merit
mer·it 
[mérrit] noun (plural mer·its)

1.  value:
value that deserves respect and acknowledgment • The
movie is a work of considerable technical as well as artistic merit.

2.  good
quality:
a good or praiseworthy characteristic that somebody or something has (often
used in the plural)

3.  ability:
proven ability or accomplishment • She
got her promotion based on merit.

4.  RELIGION spiritual
credit:
spiritual worthiness achieved by doing good works
plural
noun
mer·its

facts of a case:
the facts of a matter considered without regard for emotional, procedural, or
other issues • to
consider a proposal on its merits
transitive
verb
(past mer·it·ed, past participle mer·it·ed, present
participle mer·it·ing, 3rd person present singular mer·its)

deserve: to be
worthy of or earn something • Some
people feel the award wasn’t merited.
[12th century. Via French mérite
from Latin meritum “price, value,” a form of the past participle of merere
“to earn” (source of English emeritus
), used as a noun.][1]



meritocracy

meritocracy
mer·i·toc·ra·cy 
[mèrri tókrəssee] (plural mer·i·toc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  system
based on ability: a social system that gives opportunities
and advantages to people on the basis of their ability rather than, for
example, wealth or seniority

2.  elite
group:
an elite group of people who achieved their positions on the basis of ability
and accomplishment

3.  leadership
by elite:
leadership by an elite group of people who are chosen on the basis of their
abilities and accomplishments
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from merit + -cracy .]
—mer·it·o·crat·ic [mèrritə kráttik], adjective[1]



meritorious

meritorious
mer·i·to·ri·ous 
[mèrri táwree əss] adjective

showing
merit:
deserving honor and recognition (formal) • She
was awarded a medal for meritorious service.
[15th
century. Formed from Latin meritorius, from merere “to earn.”]
—mer·i·to·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—mer·i·to·ri·ous·ness,
noun[1]



meritsystem

meritsystem
mer·it
sys·tem
(plural mer·it sys·tems) noun

civil service system:
a system of appointing and promoting civil servants on the basis of their
ability rather than political connections[1]



merle

merle
merle
[murl] (plural merles) or
merl [murl] (plural merls)
noun

blackbird:
a blackbird (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Via French
from Latin merula, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English ouzel .][1]



Merlin

Merlin
Mer·lin 
noun

magician:
a legendary magician and adviser to King Arthur[1]



merlin

merlin
mer·lin 
[múrlin] (plural mer·lins) noun

small
falcon:
a small dark falcon found throughout the northern hemisphere that has a broad
black band on the end of its tail. Latin name: Falco columbarius
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman merilun, an alteration of Old French esmirillon,
literally “large merlin,” from esmiril “merlin,” of uncertain origin.][1]



merlon

merlon

mer·lon 
[múrlən] (plural mer·lons) noun
wall
between openings: a solid part between two openings ( crenels ) in a battlement, for example, on a
castle
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian merlone, literally “large battlement,” from merlo
“battlement.”][1]



merlot

merlot
mer·lot 
[mər lṓ, mair lṓ]
(plural mer·lots) or Mer·lot [mər lṓ, mair lṓ]
(plural Mer·lots) noun

1.  wine:
a red wine made from a variety of black grape

2.  wine
grape:
a variety of black grape used in winemaking, originally grown in France and now
raised in many wine-growing regions worldwide
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “small blackbird,” from merle “blackbird” (source of
English merle ), probably from the
color of the grape.][1]



mermaid

mermaid

mer·maid 
[múr màyd] (plural mer·maids) noun
mythical
sea creature: a mythical sea creature with the head
and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish instead of legs
[14th century. From mere 2 + maid .][1]



mermaid’spurse

mermaid’spurse
mer·maid’s
purse 
(plural mer·maid’s purs·es) noun

MARINE
BIOLOGY See sea purse[1]



merman

merman
mer·man 
[múr màn, múrmən]
(plural mer·men [múr mèn, múrmən]) noun

mythical
sea creature: a mythical sea creature with the head
and upper body of a man and the tail of a fish instead of legs
[Early 17th century. Coined
from mere 2 + man .][1]



mero-

mero-
mero-
prefix

part,
partial • merozoite
• meroplankton
[From Greek meros
“part”][1]



meroblastic

meroblastic
mer·o·blas·tic 
[mèrrə blástik] adjective

undergoing
partial division: used to describe an egg undergoing only
partial division after being fertilized, with the undivided cells becoming the
yolk
—mer·o·blas·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



merocrine

merocrine
mer·o·crine 
[mérrəkrin, mérrə
krn] adjective

without
cell damage: relating to or produced by glands that
make secretions without cell damage or disintegration
[Early 20th century. Coined
from mero- + Greek krinein “to
separate.”][1]



meroplankton

meroplankton
mer·o·plank·ton 
[mèrrə plángktən] (plural mer·o·plank·tons
or mer·o·plank·ton) noun

larvae
as plankton: organisms that are plankton only for
part of their life cycle, usually during the larval stage
—mer·o·plank·ton·ic [mèrrə plangk tónnik], adjective[1]



-merous

-merous
-merous
suffix

having
a particular number or kind of parts • tetramerous
• heteromerous
[Formed from Greek meros
“part”][1]



Merovingian

Merovingian
Mer·o·vin·gi·an 
[mèrrə vínjee ən, mèrrə
vínjən] adjective

of
a Frankish dynasty: belonging or relating to a
dynasty of Frankish kings that was founded by Clovis I and reigned in Gaul and
Germany from about AD 500 to 751
noun
(plural Mer·o·vin·gi·ans)

Merovingian
king:
a member of the Merovingian dynasty
[Late 17th century. Via
French mérovingien from, ultimately, Latin Meroveus “Merowig” (d.
458), the grandfather of Clovis.][1]



merozoite

merozoite
mer·o·zo·ite 
[mèrrə zṓ t] (plural mer·o·zo·ites)
noun

protozoan cell:
any of the protozoan cells produced by the fission of a schizont, for example,
that of the malaria protozoan[1]



Meroë

Meroë
Mer·o·ë
[mérrō ]

1.  ruined
city in northern Sudan, on the Nile River

2.  ancient
kingdom ruled from the city of Meroë

[1]



Merriam

Merriam
Mer·ri·am
[mérree əm]

city in northeastern Kansas,
a southwestern suburb of Kansas City. Population: 12,160 (1996)[1]



Merrimack

Merrimack
Mer·ri·mack 
[mérri màk] or Mer·ri·mac [mérri màk]

river in the northeastern
United States, flowing south through New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Length:
177 km/110 mi.[1]



merriment

merriment
mer·ri·ment 
[mérrimənt] noun

fun:
fun and enjoyment marked by noise and laughter[1]



MerrittIsland

MerrittIsland
Mer·ritt
Is·land 
[mèrrit lənd]

island off the eastern coast
of central Florida, lying between Cape Canaveral and the mainland. Area: 179 sq
km/93 sq mi.[1]



merry

merry
mer·ry 
[mérree] (comparative mer·ri·er,
superlative mer·ri·est) adjective

1.  lively
and cheerful: full of or showing lively cheerfulness
or enjoyment • a
merry laugh

2.  delightful:
tending to produce cheerfulness or happiness in people (archaic) • the
merry month of May

3.  quick
in movement: quick or fast in movement or manner • The
train moved at a merry clip.
[Old
English myrige “pleasant.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “short,” which is also the ancestor of English mirth . The underlying idea is of making time
seem short.]
—mer·ri·ly,
adverb

—mer·ri·ness,
noun
make
merry

to
be amused, or take part in a celebration or festivity





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Merry Wives of Windsor, a play by English William Shakespeare ( 1600-1601 ).
  Shakespeare’s only play in prose was written to exploit the popularity of
  Falstaff, a comic character in Henry IV . It tells of Falstaff’s
  attempts to woo two married women in order to gain access to their wealth,
  the wives’ discovery of his plan, and their imaginative revenge. The
  adjective Falstaffian, convivially jovial, derives from the character
  in both of the plays.

[1]



merry-andrew

merry-andrew
mer·ry-an·drew 
[mèrree ándroo] (plural mer·ry-an·drews)
noun

clown:
a buffoon, clown, or jester (archaic)
[Andrew the forename, used in
the sense of “any man”][1]



merry-bells

merry-bells
mer·ry-bells 
(plural mer·ry-bells) noun

BOTANY
See bellwort[1]



merry-go-round

merry-go-round
mer·ry-go-round 
(plural mer·ry-go-rounds) noun

1.  amusement
park ride:
an amusement park or fairground ride with a rotating circular platform fitted
with seats that are usually shaped like animals such as horses and move up and
down to music.
Also
called
carousel

2.  revolving
ride in a playground: a piece of playground equipment
in the form of a revolving structure for children to sit on and push, or be
pushed, round and round.
U.K.
term
roundabout  noun 1

3.  whirl
of activity: a busy or continuous cycle of fast-paced
activities or events • a
merry-go-round of press interviews and promotional events

[1]



merrymaking

merrymaking
mer·ry·mak·ing 
[mérree màyking] noun

celebration:
lively celebration, fun, or enjoyment
—mer·ry·mak·er, noun[1]



merrymen

merrymen
mer·ry
men
plural noun

followers:
somebody’s followers (humorous)[1]



Merton,Robert K.

Merton,Robert K.
Mer·ton
[múrt’n], Robert K. (1910– )

U.S.
sociologist. He published important work on social deviance and mass
persuasion, and helped to establish sociology as an academic discipline.
Full name
Merton, Robert King[1]



mes-

mes-
mes-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
meso-[1]



Mesa

Mesa
Me·sa 
[máyssə]

city in south central
Arizona, a southeastern suburb of Phoenix. It is a noted resort. Population:
344,764 (1996)[1]



mesa

mesa
me·sa 
[máyssə] (plural me·sas) noun

flat
elevated area: a relatively flat elevated area with
steep sides that is less extensive than a plateau, found especially in the
southwestern United States.
See
also
butte
[Mid-18th
century. From Spanish, literally “table,” from Latin mensa .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Mesa is most common in the southwestern
  states, including Colorado. The term contrasts with butte, which is
  used more frequently in the northwest, contrasting the place names Mesa
  County, Colorado, and Mesa, Arizona, with Butte County,
  South Dakota, and Butte, Montana.

[1]



MesabiRange

MesabiRange
Me·sa·bi
Range 
[mə sbee ráynj]

narrow range of hills in
northeastern Minnesota, parallel to Lake Superior, rich in iron ore. Length:
210 km/130 mi.[1]



mesarch

mesarch
me·sarch 
[mé zrk, m
zrk] adjective

ECOLOGY from a
moist habitat: used to describe a succession of plant
or animal communities ( sere ) that
originates in a moist habitat
[Late 19th century. Coined
from meso- + Greek arkhē “beginning,
origin.”][1]



MesaVerde National Park

MesaVerde National Park
Me·sa
Ver·de Na·tion·al Park [màyssə
vúrd náshənəl prk]

national park in southwestern
Colorado, established in 1906. It is noted for its well-preserved ancient cliff
dwellings. Area: 21,093 hectares/52,122 acres.[1]



mescal

mescal
mes·cal 
[mess kál] (plural mes·cals or
mes·cal) noun

1.  alcoholic
beverage:
a colorless Mexican liquor distilled from the fermented sap of some species of
agave plant. It is often sold with an agave worm in the bottle.
See
also
tequila

2.  See
peyote
[Early 18th century. Via
Spanish mezcal from Nahuatl mexcalli “mescal liquor.”][1]



Mescalero

Mescalero
Mes·ca·le·ro 
[mèsskə lérrō] (plural Mes·ca·le·ro
or Mes·ca·le·ros) noun

member
of a N Native American people: a member of a Native
North American people who originally occupied lands in Mexico, New Mexico, and
Texas, and whose members now live mainly in southern New Mexico
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from mezcal (see mescal ).][1]



mescaline

mescaline
mes·ca·line
[mésskə ln, mésskəlin]
noun

hallucinogenic
drug:
a hallucinogenic drug that is extracted from the button-shaped nodules on the
stem of the peyote
[Late 19th century. From
German Mezcalin, from Spanish mezcal (see mescal .][1]



mescla

mescla
mes·cla
[mésklə] noun

DRUGS
low-grade cocaine:
a drug made from the residue of processing cocaine, which is mixed with
marijuana and smoked[1]



mesclun

mesclun
mes·clun
[méssklən] noun

mixed
salad greens: a green salad made from several types of
young leaves, typically including arugula, dandelion, radicchio, and endive
[From Provençal mesclar
“to mix,” from Old French mescler, ultimately from Latin miscere][1]



Mesdames

Mesdames
Mes·dames
[may dm]

1.  Plural
of
Madame

2.  Plural
of
Madam

3.  Plural
of
Mrs.
[Late 16th century. From
French, plural of Madame .][1]



mesdemoiselles

mesdemoiselles
mes·de·moi·selles


Plural of
mademoiselle[1]



meseems

meseems
me·seems 
[mi smz] (past me·seemed) intransitive
verb

I
think:
it seems to me (archaic)
[14th century. From an
earlier form of the phrase it seems to me .][1]



mesembryanthemum

mesembryanthemum
me·sem·bry·an·the·mum
[mə zèmbree ánthəməm] (plural me·sem·bry·an·the·mums
or me·sem·bry·an·the·mum) noun

plant
with colorful flowers: a southern African succulent
plant that has thick fleshy leaves and is widely grown for its colorful
flowers. Genus: Mesembryanthemum
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Greek mesēmbria “noon” + anthemon
“flower.”][1]



mesencephalon

mesencephalon
mes·en·ceph·a·lon 
[mèz en séffə lòn, mèz
en séffələn] (plural mes·en·ceph·a·lons) noun

midbrain:
the midbrain (technical)
—mes·en·ce·phal·ic [mèz ensə fállik], adjective[1]



mesenchyme

mesenchyme
mes·en·chyme 
[mézzən km] noun

embryonic
cell mass:
the cells within the embryo that develop into connective tissue, bone,
cartilage, blood, and the lymphatic system
[Late
19th century. Anglicization of mesenchyma, literally “middle infusion,”
from Greek mesos “middle” + egkhuma “infusion.”]
—mes·en·chy·mal
[mə zéngkim’l], adjective

—mes·en·chym·a·tous [mèzz’n kímmətəss], adjective[1]



mesenteritis

mesenteritis
mes·en·ter·i·tis 
[mez èntə rtiss, mess
èntə rtiss] noun

inflammation of the
mesentery: inflammation of the
mesentery of the peritoneum[1]



mesenteron

mesenteron
mes·en·ter·on 
[mez éntə ròn] (plural mes·en·ter·a
[mez éntərə]) noun

middle
of the embryonic intestine: the middle section of the
embryonic intestine, which develops into the stomach, small intestine, and most
of the large intestine
—mes·en·ter·on·ic [mez èntə rónnik, mess
èntə rónnik], adjective[1]



mesentery

mesentery
mes·en·ter·y 
[mézz’n tèrree, méss’n
tèrree] (plural mes·en·ter·ies) noun

1.  ANATOMY supporting
membrane:
a membrane that supports an organ or body part, especially the double-layered
membrane of the peritoneum attached to the back wall of the abdominal cavity
that supports the small intestine

2.  ZOOLOGY membrane
in invertebrates: a supportive membrane surrounding and
giving structure to the inner organs of invertebrates
[15th
century. Via modern Latin mesenterium from Greek mesenterion,
literally “middle intestine,” from enteron “intestine” (source of
English enteron ).]
—mes·en·ter·ic [mèzz’n térrik, mèss’n
térrik], adjective[1]



mesh

mesh
mesh 
[mesh] noun (plural mesh·es)

1.  netlike
material:
material or a piece of material made of plastic, thread, or wire woven together
like a net • wire
mesh

2.  opening
in a net:
the open space between the threads or wires of a net

3.  strands
of net:
the threads or wires that make up a net

4.  trap:
something that holds or entangles like a net or a trap (often used in the
plural) • caught
in the meshes of the criminal underworld

5.  something
interwoven:
an interwoven or interlinked arrangement or construction • the
mesh of the girders against the sky

6.  interlocking
metal links: a material consisting of interlocking
metal links, used in jewelry

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING engagement
of gears:
engagement of the teeth on gear wheels

8.  opening
in a screen: a measure of the number of openings in a
screen for sorting things into different sizes, usually per inch. A 20-mesh
screen has 20 openings per inch.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past meshed, past
participle meshed, present participle mesh·ing, 3rd
person present singular mesh·es)

1.  fit
together:
to fit or work closely or well together, or make things work closely or well
together • Her
vision of the company’s future meshes perfectly with ours.

2.  catch
or entangle: to catch or entangle somebody or
something, or become caught or entangled, in a mesh

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING engage
gears:
to make gear teeth engage together, or become engaged
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch maesche, and
ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “knot” or “to knit.”]
—mesh·y, adjective[1]



meshuga

meshuga
me·shu·ga 
[mə shgə] or me·shu·gah [mə shgə] adjective

totally
unreasonable: totally unreasonable or thoughtless (slang
insult)
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish meshuge from Hebrew mĕshuggā .][1]



meshuggener

meshuggener
me·shug·gen·er
[mə shgənər] (plural me·shug·ge·ner)
or me·shu·ga·na [mə shgənər]
(plural me·shu·ga·nas) noun

totally
unreasonable person: somebody who is totally
unreasonable or thoughtless (slang insult)
[Early 20th century. Variant
of meshuga .][1]



meshwork

meshwork
mesh·work
[mésh wurk] (plural mesh·works)
noun

web:
material consisting of meshes[1]



mesial

mesial
me·si·al 
[mzee əl] adjective

DENTISTRY of
the middle dental arch: relating to or occurring
along the dental arch near the middle of the front of the jaw
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek mesos “middle.”]
—me·si·al·ly, adverb[1]



mesic

mesic2
mes·ic2  [mézzik]
adjective

PHYSICS of a
meson:
relating to a meson
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from meson .][1]



mesic

mesic1
mes·ic1  [mézzik]
adjective

ECOLOGY with
moderate moisture: growing in or characterized
by moderate moisture
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek mesos “middle.”]
—mes·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mesmeric

mesmeric
mes·mer·ic
[mez mérrik] adjective

fascinating:
completely absorbing somebody’s attention
[Early
19th century. Formed from Mesmer (see mesmerize
).]
—mes·mer·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mesmerism

mesmerism
mes·mer·ism 
[mézzmə rìzzəm] noun

1.  fascinating
power:
the power to fascinate somebody in a way that is almost hypnotic

2.  HISTORY hypnotism:
hypnotism, formerly believed to involve animal magnetism
[Late
18th century. Formed from Mesmer (see mesmerize
).]
—mes·mer·ist, noun[1]



mesmerize

mesmerize
mes·mer·ize 
[mézzmə rz] (past mes·mer·ized,
past participle mes·mer·ized, present participle mes·mer·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mes·mer·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  absorb
somebody’s attention: to fascinate somebody or
absorb all of somebody’s attention • The
speaker mesmerized the audience with his dramatic tale.

2.  hypnotize:
to hypnotize somebody, especially formerly in a way believed to involve animal
magnetism
[Early
19th century. Formed from the name of F. A. Mesmer ( 1734–1815 ), an
Austrian physician who conducted experiments in which he induced trancelike
states in his subjects.]
—mes·mer·i·za·tion
[mèzzməri záysh’n], noun

—mes·mer·iz·er [mézzmə rzər], noun[1]



mesne

mesne
mesne 
[meen] adjective

LAW intermediate:
happening or appearing between two other things, especially assignments of
property
[Mid-16th century. From legal
French, a variant of Anglo-Norman meen “middle.”][1]



meso-

meso-
meso-
prefix

middle,
intermediate • mesopelagic
[From Greek mesos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English middle and medial
.][1]



Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica
Mes·o·a·mer·i·ca 
[mèzzō ə mérrikə, mèssō
ə mérrikə] noun

part
of Central America: a region of Central America
and southern North America that was occupied by several civilizations,
especially the Mayan, in pre-Columbian times
—Mes·o·a·mer·i·can, adjective,
noun[1]



mesoblast

mesoblast
mes·o·blast 
[mézzə blàst, méssə
blàst] (plural mes·o·blasts) noun

CELL
BIOLOGY See mesoderm[1]



mesocarp

mesocarp
mes·o·carp 
[mézzə krp, méssə
krp] (plural mes·o·carps) noun

fleshy part of fruit:
the middle layer of a fruit wall ( pericarp
), for example, the fleshy part of some fruits[1]



mesocratic

mesocratic
mes·o·crat·ic
[mèzzə kráttik, mèssə
kráttik] adjective

containing ferromagnesium
minerals: used to describe igneous
rock containing as much as 60 percent heavy dark ferromagnesium minerals in its
composition[1]



mesoderm

mesoderm
mes·o·derm 
[mézzə dùrm, méssə
dùrm] (plural mes·o·derms) noun

embryonic
cell layer:
the middle of the three cell layers in an embryo, from which connective tissue,
muscle, blood, dermis, and bone develop.
Also
called
mesoblast
—mes·o·der·mal
[mèzzə dúrm’l, mèssə
dúrm’l], adjective

—mes·o·der·mic, adjective[1]



mesoglea

mesoglea
mes·o·gle·a
[mèzzə gl ə, mèssə
gl ə] (plural mes·o·gle·as) or mes·o·gloe·a
[mèzzə gl ə, mèssə
gl ə] (plural mesogloeas) noun

gelatinous
layer:
a layer of gelatinous substance separating the inner and outer walls of a
coelenterate such as a jellyfish
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “middle glue,” from Greek glia
“glue” (source of English glia ).]
—mes·o·gle·al, adjective[1]



Mesolithic

Mesolithic
Mes·o·lith·ic 
[mèzzə líthik, mèssə
líthik] or mesolithic [mèzzə
líthik, mèssə líthik] noun

middle
Stone Age:
the middle period of the Stone Age, between the Paleolithic and Neolithic
—Me·so·lithic, adjective[1]



mesomorph

mesomorph
mes·o·morph 
[mézzə màwrf, méssə
màwrf] (plural mes·o·morphs) noun

muscular person:
a husky muscular body, or somebody who has such a body.
See also
ectomorph
See also
endomorph[1]



meson

meson
mes·on 
[m zòn, mé zòn]
(plural mes·ons) noun

medium-sized
elementary particle: an elementary particle, for
example, a pion or kaon, that has a rest mass between that of an electron and
proton and participates in the strong interaction. Mesons consist of a quark
and antiquark, and have a spin that is zero or an integer.
—me·son·ic [me zónnik, m zónnik],
adjective[1]



mesopause

mesopause
mes·o·pause 
[mézzə pàwz, méssə
pàwz] noun

atmospheric boundary:
the upper boundary of the mesosphere, approximately 80 km/50 mi above the
Earth’s surface[1]



mesopelagic

mesopelagic
mes·o·pe·lag·ic 
[mèzzə pə lájjik, mèssə
pə lájjik] adjective

of the intermediate ocean
depths: found in or relating to the
intermediate oceanic depths between approximately 100 and 1,000 m/300 and 3,300
ft[1]



mesophyll

mesophyll
mes·o·phyll 
[mézzə fìl, méssə
fìl] (plural mes·o·phylls) noun

part
of a leaf:
the soft tissue ( parenchyma ) containing
chlorophyll between the epidermal layers of a plant leaf
—mes·o·phyl·lic
[mèzzə fíllik, mèssə
fíllik], adjective

—mes·o·phyl·lous [mèzzə fílləss, mèssə
fílləss], adjective[1]



mesophyte

mesophyte
mes·o·phyte 
[mézzə ft, méssə
ft] (plural mes·o·phytes) noun

plant
needing moisture: a land plant that needs moderate amounts
of moisture for growth
—mes·o·phyt·ic [mèzzə fíttik, mèssə
fíttik], adjective[1]



Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia
Mes·o·pot·am·i·a 
[mèssəpə táymee ə]

ancient
region located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern Iraq and
Syria. It was the site of several early urban civilizations, including
Babylonia.
—Mes·o·pot·am·i·an, noun[1]



mesosome

mesosome
mes·o·some 
[mézzə sm, méssə
sm] (plural mes·o·somes) noun

bacterial structure:
an indentation in the cell membrane of some bacteria[1]



mesosphere

mesosphere
mes·o·sphere 
[mézzə sfr, méssə
sfr] noun

atmospheric
layer:
the layer of the Earth’s atmosphere in which temperature decreases rapidly,
located between the stratosphere and thermosphere
—mes·o·spher·ic [mèzzə sférrik, mèssə
sférrik, mèzzə sfrik], adjective[1]



mesothelium

mesothelium
mes·o·the·li·um 
[mèzzə thlee əm, mèssə
thlee əm] (plural mes·o·the·li·a [mèzzə thlee ə, mèssə thlee ə])
noun

cell
layer in a vertebrate embryo: a cell layer derived from
mesoderm that lines the body cavity of a vertebrate embryo and develops into
epithelia and muscle tissue
—mes·o·the·li·al, adjective[1]



mesothorax

mesothorax
mes·o·tho·rax 
[mèzzə tháw ràks, mèssə
tháw ràks] (plural mes·o·tho·rax·es or mes·o·tho·ra·ces
[mèzzə tháwrə sz, mèssə
tháwrə sz]) noun

insect
segment:
the middle of the three segments of an insect’s thorax, from which the middle
pair of legs and first pair of wings grow
—mes·o·tho·rac·ic [mèzzəthə rássik, mèssəthə
rássik], adjective[1]



Mesozoic

Mesozoic
Mes·o·zo·ic 
[mèzzə zṓ ik, mèssə
zṓ ik] adjective

belonging
to prehistoric era: belonging to or dating from
an era of geologic time 250 to 65 million years ago, between the Permian and
Tertiary eras, when dinosaurs, birds, and flowering plants first appeared
noun

Mesozoic era:
the Mesozoic era[1]



mesquite

mesquite
mes·quite 
[me skt] (plural mes·quite or
mes·quites) noun

1.  TREES small
spiny tree:
a small spiny tree or shrub of the legume family that grows in the southwestern
United States and has pods that are used as fodder. Genus: Prosopis

2.  INDUSTRY mesquite
wood:
the wood of a mesquite tree or shrub, often burned in a barbecue to flavor food
[Mid-18th
century. Via Mexican Spanish mezquite from Nahuatl mizquitl .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Mesquite is common in Upper Mexico
  and the lower Southwestern states, especially in Texas, where such growth is
  also called chaparral (a Spanish loanword), mesquite flat(s), mesquite
  thicket, and mesquital.

[1]



mess

mess
mess 
[mess] noun (plural mess·es)

1.  untidy
condition:
a dirty or untidy state • The
apartment was left in a terrible mess after the party.

2.  chaotic
state:
a chaotic, confused, or troublesome state or situation • Their
business affairs were in a complete mess.

3.  untidy
person or thing: somebody or something in a confused,
dirty, or untidy state (informal insult)

4.  place
for communal meals: a place where a group of
people, especially members of the armed forces, have meals together

5.  people
who eat together: a group of people, especially members of
the armed forces, who have meals together

6.  communal
meal:
a meal eaten together by a group of people, especially members of the armed
forces

7.  quantity
of food:
a serving or quantity of food, especially of soft or soggy food (archaic)
verb
(past messed, past participle messed, present
participle mess·ing, 3rd person present singular mess·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
meddle:
to interfere or meddle in something • Don’t
mess in their business.

2.  intransitive
verb
use
something carelessly: to use something carelessly,
causing a problem or damage as a result • Who’s
been messing with my computer?

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something dirty: to make something dirty, muddled, or
disordered • She
messed her jacket while checking the oil.

4.  intransitive
verb
eat
together:
to take meals along with a particular group of people, especially members of
the armed forces • I used to mess with the
three of them.
[13th century. From Old
French, “portion of food,” the original sense in English, from, ultimately,
Latin mittere “to send, put,” the underlying idea being “placing (as if
on the table).”][1]



message

message
mes·sage 
[méssij] noun (plural mes·sages)

1.  communication:
a communication in speech, writing, or signals

2.  meaning:
a lesson, moral, or important idea that somebody wants to communicate, for
example, in a work of art

3.  errand:
the mission or errand of a messenger (dated) • sent
on a message to her grandmother’s

4.  commercial:
a commercial, especially one on television, paid for by the sponsors of a
program or event • and now a message from
our sponsor
transitive
verb
(past mes·saged, past participle mes·saged, present
participle mes·sag·ing, 3rd person present singular mes·sages)

1.  communicate
with somebody: to send a message to somebody • Can
you message me about that?

2.  communicate
something to somebody: to send something as a
message • to
message the news to your boss
[13th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin missus, the past participle
of mittere “to send” (source of English mission,
transmit, and promise ).]
get
the message

to take something in and
understand it (informal)[1]



messageboard

messageboard
mes·sage
board
noun

COMPUTING
See bulletin board[1]



messaging

messaging
mes·sag·ing 
[méssijing] noun

1.  system
for messages: a system for sending messages to people,
for example, by computer, telephone, or pager

2.  sending
of messages: the process of sending a message using a
messaging system

[1]



messaline

messaline
mes·sa·line 
[mèssə ln] noun

silk
fabric:
a soft shiny lightweight silk fabric, used for making dresses
[Early 20th century. From
French, from the name of Valeria Messalina, adulterous wife of the Roman
emperor Claudius; perhaps because the fabric was considered sensuous.][1]



messaround

messaround
mess
around
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
waste
time:
to waste time in an unproductive or aimless manner (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to spend time in a leisurely and pleasant manner (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb interfere:
to interfere or meddle in something (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
associate
with somebody: to associate with somebody, especially
somebody who is seen as undesirable (informal) • She
started messing around with that crowd last summer.

5.  intransitive
verb
behave
in unserious way: to joke or behave playfully (informal)
• I
thought he was just messing around.

6.  intransitive
verb
be
sexually unfaithful: to have sexual activity with
somebody other than a spouse or regular partner (slang)

[1]



Messeigneurs

Messeigneurs
Mes·sei·gneurs

Plural of
Monseigneur[1]



messenger

messenger
mes·sen·ger 
[méss’njər] noun (plural mes·sen·gers)

1.  somebody
carrying message: somebody who carries a message or
messages between people

2.  paid
courier:
somebody who is employed to carry messages, especially an employee of a courier
or telegram delivery service or a government courier

3.  somebody
running errand: somebody who runs an errand

4.  herald:
a herald or forerunner of something (archaic)

5.  mes·sen·ger
or mes·sen·ger line (plural mes·sen·ger lines) NAUTICAL light
rope:
a lightweight rope that is used to haul a heavier one, for example, from one
ship to another
transitive
verb
(past mes·sen·gered, past participle mes·sen·gered,
present participle mes·sen·ger·ing, 3rd person present
singular mes·sen·gers)

send by messenger:
to send something by messenger
[12th century. From French messager,
from message “a message .”][1]



messengerRNA

messengerRNA
mes·sen·ger
RNA
noun

RNA for protein synthesis:
a form of RNA that is transcribed from a strand of DNA and translated into a
protein sequence at a cell ribosome[1]



Messerschmitt

Messerschmitt
Mes·ser·schmitt 
[méssər shmìt] (plural Messer·schmitts)
noun

fighter
airplane:
a fighter airplane, especially the Me-109 or the Me-262, used by the German air
force in World War II
[Mid-20th century][1]



messhall

messhall
mess
hall
(plural mess halls) noun

place for communal meals:
a building or room where a group of people, especially members of the armed
forces, eat their meals together[1]



Messiah

Messiah
Mes·si·ah 
[mə s ə] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Jesus
Christ:
in Christianity, Jesus Christ regarded as the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew
Bible

2.  JUDAISM king
of the Jews: in the Hebrew Bible, an anointed king
who will lead the Jews back to the land of Israel and establish justice in the
world
[12th
century. Via French Messie from, ultimately, Greek Messias, from
Aramaic mĕšīā and Hebrew māšhīă, literally “anointed,” from māšha
“to anoint.”]
—Mes·si·ah·ship, noun[1]



messiah

messiah
mes·si·ah
[mə s ə] (plural mes·si·ahs) noun

savior
or liberator: somebody regarded as or claiming to be a
savior or liberator of a country, people, or the world
—mes·si·ah·ship, noun[1]



messianic

messianic
mes·si·an·ic 
[mèssee ánnik] adjective

1.  mes·si·an·ic
or Mes·si·an·ic JUDEO-CHRISTIAN
relating
to the Messiah: belonging or relating to the Messiah

2.  JUDAISM of
Judaic golden age: relating to, belonging to,
or constituting a Judaic golden age of peace, truth, and happiness

3.  of
a liberator: relating or belonging to an
inspirational leader, especially one claiming to be or regarded as a savior or
liberator

4.  involving
great enthusiasm: done with or showing great enthusiasm or
devotion • preaching
with messianic fervor
—mes·si·an·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



messianism

messianism
mes·si·a·nism 
[mə s ə nìzzəm, méssee
ə nìzzəm] or Mes·si·a·nism [mə
s ə nìzzəm, méssee ə nìzzəm] noun

belief in the Messiah:
belief in the coming of the Messiah or a messiah or messianic age[1]



Messidor

Messidor
Mes·si·dor
[méssi dàwr] noun

10th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
tenth month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
June 20 to July 19 in the Gregorian calendar
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “harvest gift,” from Latin messis “harvest” + Greek dōron
“gift.”][1]



Messieurs

Messieurs
Mes·sieurs

Plural of
Monsieur[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








messjacket

messjacket
mess
jacket
(plural mess jack·ets) noun

short formal military jacket:
a waist-length jacket, worn as part of a military uniform, especially on formal
occasions[1]



messkit

messkit
mess
kit
(plural mess kits) noun

cooking and eating utensils:
a compact set of cooking and eating utensils, usually made of metal, used
especially by soldiers or campers[1]



messmate

messmate
mess·mate 
[méss màyt] (plural mess·mates)
noun

somebody sharing meals:
somebody with whom somebody regularly eats, especially in a military mess[1]



Messrs.

Messrs.
Messrs.


Plural of
Mr.[1]



messuage

messuage
mes·suage 
[mésswij] (plural mes·suag·es)
noun

dwelling
and its land: a dwelling with its outbuildings and the
surrounding land that is used by the dwelling’s occupants
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman, of uncertain origin: probably from a misreading of mesnage,
from Old French (see ménage ).][1]



messup

messup
mess
up
verb (informal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ruin
something:
to spoil or bungle something, or make a mistake • The
rain messed up our plans for a picnic.

2.  transitive
verb
make
something messy: to make something dirty or disordered

3.  transitive
verb
upset
somebody:
to confuse or upset somebody

[1]



messy

messy
mess·y 
[méssee] (comparative mess·i·er,
superlative mess·i·est) adjective

1.  dirty
or disordered: involving, producing, or marked by dirt
or disorder • Repairing
a car can be a messy business.

2.  difficult
to sort out: complicated and unpleasant to resolve or
deal with

3.  careless:
showing a lack of carefulness or precision • an
erroneous conclusion resulting from messy reasoning
—mess·i·ly,
adverb

—mess·i·ness, noun[1]



mestiza

mestiza
mes·ti·za
[mes tzə] (plural mes·ti·zas)
noun

woman
of combined ancestry: a woman who has parents or
ancestors of different racial origins, especially a woman in Latin America of
both Native American and European ancestry
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, the feminine of mestizo .][1]



mestizo

mestizo
mes·ti·zo 
[mes t z] (plural mes·ti·zos
or mes·ti·zoes) noun

person
of combined ancestry: somebody who has parents or
ancestors of different racial origins, especially somebody in Latin America of
both Native American and European ancestry. Mestizos form the largest
population group in many Latin American countries.
[Late 16th century. Via Spanish,
from Latin mixtus, the past participle of miscere “to mix”
(source of English mix and meddle ).][1]



mestranol

mestranol
mes·tra·nol 
[méstrə nàwl] noun

synthetic
estrogen:
a synthetic estrogen used in oral contraceptives. C21H26O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from methyl + estradiol
+ -ol .][1]



Mestrovic,Ivan

Mestrovic,Ivan
Mes·tro·vic
[mésh trovich], Ivan (1883–1962)

Croatian-born U.S. sculptor.
His works have religious and folkloric subjects. He also sculpted portrait
busts.[1]



met

met
met


Past tense of
meet Past participle of meet[1]



Met

Met
Met
[met]

1.  Abbreviation
of
Metropolitan Museum of Art (in New York)

2.  Abbreviation
of
Metropolitan Opera House (in New York)

[1]



met-

met-
met-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
meta-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








met.

met.
met.

1.  Abbreviation
of
metallurgy

2.  Abbreviation
of
metaphor

3.  Abbreviation
of
metaphysics

4.  Abbreviation
of
meteorological

5.  Abbreviation
of
meteorology

6.  Abbreviation
of
metropolitan

[1]



meta-

meta-
meta-
prefix

1.  later,
behind • metaphase
• metathorax

2.  beyond,
transcending, encompassing • metagalaxy
• metalanguage

3.  change,
transformation • metaplasia

4.  higher,
more developed • metaxylem

5.  used
in chemical names • metaphosphate
[From Greek meta
“beside, after.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “between” that
is also the ancestor of English midwife
.][1]



metabolic

metabolic
met·a·bol·ic 
[mèttə bóllik] adjective

of
metabolism:
relating to or typical of metabolism
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek metabolikos “changeable,” from metabolē (see metabolism ).]
—met·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metabolism

metabolism
me·tab·o·lism 
[mə tábbə lìzzəm] noun

1.  life-sustaining
chemical activity: the ongoing interrelated
series of chemical interactions taking place in living organisms that provide
the energy and nutrients needed to sustain life

2.  chemical
activity involving particular substance: the
chemical activity involving a particular substance in a living organism
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek metabolē “change,” from metaballein, literally “to
throw differently,” from ballein “to throw” (source of English ballistic ).][1]



metabolite

metabolite
me·tab·o·lite 
[mə tábbə lt] (plural me·tab·o·lites)
noun

byproduct of metabolism:
a substance that is involved in or is a byproduct of metabolism[1]



metabolize

metabolize
me·tab·o·lize 
[mə tábbə lz] (past me·tab·o·lized,
past participle me·tab·o·lized, present participle me·tab·o·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular me·tab·o·liz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

subject
something to metabolism: to subject something to the
biochemical processes of metabolism, or to undergo metabolism
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek metabolē (see metabolism
).]
—me·tab·o·liz·a·ble, adjective[1]



metacarpal

metacarpal
met·a·car·pal 
[mèttə krp’l] noun (plural met·a·car·pals)

hand
or forefoot bones: any of the bones in the
human hand between the wrist and digits, or the similar bones in a vertebrate
animal’s forefoot
adjective

of
hand or forefoot bones: relating or belonging to the
metacarpals
—met·a·car·pal·ly, adverb[1]



metacarpus

metacarpus
met·a·car·pus 
[mèttə krpəss] (plural met·a·car·pi
[mèttə kr p]) noun

1.  ANATOMY bones
in human hand: the set of five long bones ( metacarpals ) in the human hand between the wrist
and fingers

2.  ZOOLOGY forefoot
region:
the region between the wrist and digits of the forefoot or hand of a vertebrate
animal

[1]



metacenter

metacenter
met·a·cen·ter 
[méttə sèntər] (plural met·a·cen·ters)
noun

intersection of buoyancy
lines: the intersection of the
vertical line through the center of buoyancy of an object at equilibrium with
the vertical line through the center of buoyancy when the object is tilted[1]



metacentric

metacentric
met·a·cen·tric 
[mèttə séntrik] (plural meta·centrics)
adjective

1.  of
metacenter:
relating or belonging to a metacenter

2.  GENETICS having
centromere in middle: used to describe a
chromosome whose centromere is located at or near the middle.
See
also
acentric
See
also
telocentric

[1]



metachromatic

metachromatic
met·a·chro·mat·ic
[mèttə krō máttik] adjective

1.  taking
on different color: taking on a color atypical
of the staining solution

2.  producing
different shades: able to produce a color in different
shades in tissue or cells
[Late 19th century. Coined
from meta- + Greek khrōmat- (see chromat- ) + -ic .][1]



metachromatism

metachromatism
met·a·chro·ma·tism 
[mèttə krṓmə tìzzəm] noun

stimulus-induced change in
color: a change in color caused by
a change in physical conditions such as temperature[1]



metacognition

metacognition
met·a·cog·ni·tion
[mèttə kog nísh’n] noun

knowledge
about own thinking: knowledge about your own
thoughts and the factors that influence your thinking
—met·a·cog·ni·tive [mèttə kógnitiv], adjective[1]



metaethics

metaethics
met·a·eth·ics 
[mèttə éthiks] noun

study
of ethical language: the branch of linguistic
philosophy that analyzes and seeks to clarify the meaning and use of ethical
expressions such as “good” and “ought” (takes a singular verb)
—met·a·eth·i·cal, adjective[1]



metafemale

metafemale
met·a·fe·male
[mèttə f màyl] (plural met·a·fe·males)
noun

female with extra female
chromosome: a female organism with an
extra female chromosome[1]



metafiction

metafiction
met·a·fic·tion 
[méttə fìkshən] (plural met·a·fic·tions)
noun

1.  fiction
about nature of literature: fiction that emphasizes the
nature of fiction, the techniques and conventions used to write it, and the
role of the author

2.  piece
of metafiction: a work of metafiction
—met·a·fic·tion·al,
adjective

—met·a·fic·tion·ist, noun[1]



metagalaxy

metagalaxy
met·a·gal·ax·y 
[mèttə gálləksee] noun

all
galaxies:
the total of all galaxies making up the universe
—met·a·ga·lac·tic [mèttə gə láktik], adjective[1]



metage

metage
met·age 
[mtij] (plural met·ages) noun

1.  official
measurement: the official measurement of the contents
or weight of a load, for example, of coal or grain

2.  charge:
a charge for making an official measurement of the contents or weight of a load
[Early 16th century. Formed
from mete “to measure.”][1]



metagnathous

metagnathous
me·tag·na·thous 
[mə tágnəthəss] adjective

with
crossed bill: used to describe a bird that has the
tips of its bill crossed
—me·tag·na·thism, noun[1]



Metairie

Metairie
Met·ai·rie 
[méttəree]

city in Louisiana, west of
New Orleans. Population: 149,428 (1990)[1]



metal

metal
met·al 
[métt’l] noun (plural met·als)

1.  METALLURGY type
of chemical element: a chemical element such as
copper or iron that is usually solid in form, is usually a good conductor of
heat and electricity, is malleable and ductile, and has a characteristic luster

2.  METALLURGY mixture
of metals:
a mixture ( alloy ) of one or more metals

3.  MUSIC heavy
metal:
heavy metal (informal)

4.  PRINTING printing
type:
printer’s type made of metal

5.  CRAFT molten
glass:
molten glass for use in glassmaking

6.  HERALDRY gold
or silver:
gold or silver when used in heraldry

7.  NAVY weight
fired in broadside: the collective weight of the
projectiles a warship can fire in a broadside
transitive
verb
(past met·aled or met·alled, past participle
met·aled or met·alled, present participle met·al·ing
or met·al·ling, 3rd person present singular met·als)

fit with metal:
to cover, fit, or provide something with metal
[13th century. Directly or
via French from Latin metallum “mine, metal,” from Greek metallon,
of unknown origin.][1]



metal.

metal.
metal.

1.  Abbreviation
of
metallurgic

2.  Abbreviation
of
metallurgy

[1]



metalanguage

metalanguage
met·a·lan·guage
[méttə làng gwij] (plural met·a·lan·guages)
noun

language used to describe
language: a language or system of
symbols used to describe or analyze another language or system of symbols[1]



metaldetector

metaldetector
met·al
de·tec·tor
(plural met·al de·tec·tors) noun

1.  device
for detecting buried metal: a portable electronic device
with a search head that is swept over the ground and used to detect buried
metal objects such as coins

2.  device
for detecting weapons: an electronic device for
detecting metal weapons, and for example, to screen passengers at an airport

3.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY device
for detecting metal in food: an electronic device used in
the food industry to check for the presence of pieces of metal that might have
accidentally gotten into food during processing

[1]



metalinguistic

metalinguistic
met·a·lin·guis·tic
[mèttə ling gwístik] adjective

relating to metalanguage:
relating to a metalanguage or to metalinguistics[1]



metalinguistics

metalinguistics
met·a·lin·guis·tics 
[mèttə ling gwístiks] noun (takes
a singular verb)

1.  study
of metalanguages: the branch of linguistics that deals
with the study of metalanguages

2.  study
of language and culture: the branch of linguistics
that deals with the relation between a language and other aspects of a
particular culture

[1]



metalize

metalize
met·al·ize
[métt’l z] transitive verb

See
metallize[1]



metall-

metall-
metall-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
metallo-[1]



metall.

metall.
metall.

1.  Abbreviation
of
metallurgic

2.  Abbreviation
of
metallurgy

[1]



metallic

metallic
me·tal·lic 
[mə tállik] adjective

1.  containing
or being metal: made of, containing, or constituting
metal or a metal

2.  of
metal:
typical of a metal

3.  shiny:
shiny and highly reflective • a
sports car with a metallic finish

4.  tasting
of metal:
sharp and bitter to the taste • This
water has a slightly metallic taste.

5.  sounding
like hit metal: like the sound of a metal object hitting
or knocking against something

6.  harsh-sounding:
harsh and unpleasant in tone • speaking
with a metallic edge to her voice
—me·tal·li·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metallicbond

metallicbond
me·tal·lic
bond
(plural me·tal·lic bonds) noun

chemical bond:
a chemical bond characteristic of metals, in which electrons are shared between
atoms and move about in the crystal[1]



metalliclens

metalliclens
me·tal·lic
lens
(plural me·tal·lic lens·es) noun

wave-focusing device:
a device consisting of louvers or slats, used to focus electromagnetic or sound
waves[1]



metalliferous

metalliferous
met·al·lif·er·ous 
[mètt’l íffərəss] adjective

containing metal:
containing or yielding metal[1]



metalline

metalline
met·al·line 
[métt’lin, métt’l
`_in] adjective

1.  like
metal:
resembling a metal

2.  with
metal ions:
containing metal ions

[1]



metallize

metallize
met·al·lize
[métt’l z] (past met·al·lized,
past participle met·al·lized, present participle met·al·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular met·al·lizes) or met·al·ize
[métt’l z] transitive verb

coat with metal:
to coat or cover something with metal[1]



metallo-

metallo-
metallo-
prefix

metal
• metallophone
[From Latin metallum
(see metal )][1]



metallography

metallography
met·al·log·ra·phy 
[mètt’l óggrəfee] noun

study
of structure of metals: the study of the composition
and microscopic structure of metals
—met·al·log·ra·pher,
noun

—me·tal·lo·graph·ic
[mə tàllə gráffik], adjective

—me·tal·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[mə tàllə gráffikəlee], adverb

—met·al·lo·graph·ist [mètt’l óggrəfist], noun[1]



metalloid

metalloid
met·al·loid 
[métt’l òyd] noun (plural met·al·loids)

nonmetallic element with metal
properties:
a nonmetallic element such as silicon that has properties between those of a
metal and nonmetal
adjective
met·al·loid met·al·loi·dal

1.  of
metalloid:
relating to or having the characteristics of a metalloid

2.  like
metal:
resembling a metal

[1]



metallophone

metallophone
met·al·lo·phone 
[mə tállə fn] (plural met·al·lo·phones)
noun

percussion instrument:
a musical instrument, similar to a xylophone, with tuned metal bars that are
struck with mallets[1]



metallurgy

metallurgy
met·al·lur·gy 
[métt’l ùrjee] noun

study
of metals:
the study of the structure and properties of metals, their extraction from the
ground, and the procedures for refining, alloying, and making things from them
—met·al·lur·gic
[mètt’l úrjik], adjective

—met·al·lur·gi·cal
[mètt’l úrjik’l], adjective

—met·al·lur·gi·cal·ly
[mètt’l úrjikəlee], adverb

—met·al·lur·gist [métt’l ùrjist], noun[1]



metalwork

metalwork
met·al·work 
[métt’l wùrk] noun

1.  making
of metal objects: the craft of making objects out of metal

2.  metal
things:
objects made of metal

3.  metal
part of something: the metal part of an object
—met·al·work·er, noun[1]



metalworking

metalworking
met·al·work·ing 
[métt’l wùrking] noun

making of metal objects:
the process or technique of making or shaping objects out of metal[1]



metamale

metamale
met·a·male
[méttə màyl] (plural met·a·males)
noun

male with extra male
chromosome: a male organism with an
extra male chromosome[1]



metamere

metamere
met·a·mere 
[méttə mr] (plural met·a·meres)
noun

body segment:
any of the series of similar segments into which the bodies of animals such as
worms or lobsters are divided[1]



metameric

metameric
met·a·mer·ic
[mèttə mérrik] adjective

1.  having
metameres:
with a body divided into a series of similar segments ( metameres )

2.  of
metamerism:
relating to or typical of metamerism
—met·a·mer·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metamerism

metamerism
me·tam·er·ism 
[mə támmə rìzzəm] noun

having body of similar
segments: the condition of having the
body divided into a series of similar segments ( metameres
), or an embryonic stage in which the body is divided in this way[1]



metamorphic

metamorphic
met·a·mor·phic 
[mèttə máwrfik] or met·a·mor·phous
[mèttə máwrfəss] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY by or
from metamorphism: relating to or having
undergone metamorphism

2.  of
metamorphosis: relating to or involving a change in
physical form, appearance, or character
—met·a·mor·phi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



metamorphism

metamorphism
met·a·mor·phism 
[mèttə máwr fìzzəm] noun

1.  GEOLOGY change
in rock structure: a change in the physical
structure of rock that results from long-term heat and pressure, especially a
change that increases the rock’s hardness and crystalline structure

2.  metamorphosis:
metamorphosis (archaic)

[1]



metamorphose

metamorphose
met·a·mor·phose 
[mèttə máwr fz, mèttə
máwr fss] (past met·a·mor·phosed, past participle met·a·mor·phosed,
present participle met·a·mor·phos·ing, 3rd person present
singular met·a·mor·phos·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
physical form: to undergo or make somebody or something
undergo a complete or marked change of physical form, structure, or substance • The
water had metamorphosed into ice.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
appearance or character: to undergo or make somebody
or something undergo a complete or marked change in appearance, character, or
condition

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
supposedly by magic: to undergo or make somebody
or something undergo a transformation supposedly by magic

4.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY undergo
bodily changes during growth: to undergo a complete or
marked change of bodily form while developing into an adult animal • The
tadpole has metamorphosed into a frog.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY change rock structure:
to undergo or make a rock undergo metamorphism
[Late 16th century. From
French métamorphoser, from métamorphose “metamorphosis,” from
Latin metamorphosis (see metamorphosis
).][1]



metamorphosis

metamorphosis
met·a·mor·pho·sis 
[mèttə máwrfəssiss] (plural met·a·mor·pho·ses
[mèttə máwrfə sz]) noun

1.  change
of physical form: a complete or marked change of physical
form, structure, or substance • the
overnight metamorphosis of the pond water into ice

2.  change
of appearance or character: a complete or marked change
in appearance, character, or condition

3.  supposed
supernatural transformation: a transformation caused by
supposed supernatural powers

4.  transformed
person or thing: somebody or something that has gone
through a complete or marked change

5.  ZOOLOGY change
in animal form: a complete or marked change in the form
of an animal as it develops into an adult, for example, the change from tadpole
to frog or from caterpillar to butterfly
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun
“to transform,” literally “to form differently,” from morphē “form” (see
morph- ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Metamorphoses,
  a poem by the Roman poet Ovid ( AD 8 ). This long narrative work consists of
  a series of tales in which characters undergo some kind of transformation.
  The stories were based on Greek myths and legends and are presented in
  chronological order, but much of their liveliness derives from events,
  characters, and details invented by the poet.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Metamorphosis, a short novel by Czech writer Franz Kafka ( 1915 ). The
  protagonist of this bizarre tale, Gregor Samsa, awakens to find himself
  transformed into an insect, then dies as a result of his family’s neglect and
  his own failure to act. Gregor’s metamorphosis can be read as both a
  portrayal of the author’s troubled family life and a metaphor for the
  artist’s power to transform life into art.

[1]



metanephros

metanephros
met·a·neph·ros 
[mèttə né fròss] (plural met·a·neph·roi
[mèttə né fròy]) noun

embryonic
kidney:
an embryonic organ of excretion in reptiles, birds, and mammals that develops
into the kidney
[Late 19th century. Coined
from meta- + Greek nephros “kidney”
(see nephr- ).][1]



metaphase

metaphase
met·a·phase 
[méttə fàyz] (plural met·a·phases)
noun

stage of cell division:
the second stage of cell division, during which chromosomes line up in
preparation for separation.
See also
anaphase
See also
prophase
See also
telophase[1]



metaphaseplate

metaphaseplate
met·a·phase
plate
(plural met·a·phase plates) noun

equatorial plane of dividing
cell: the equatorial plane along
which chromosomes line up during the second stage of cell division in
preparation for separation[1]



metaphor

metaphor
met·a·phor 
[méttə fàwr] (plural met·a·phors)
noun

1.  implicit
comparison:
the application of a word or phrase to somebody or something that is not meant
literally but to make a comparison, for example, saying that somebody is a
snake.
See
also
mixed metaphor
See
also
simile

2.  figurative
language:
all language that involves figures of speech or symbolism and does not
literally represent real things

3.  symbol:
one thing used or considered to represent another
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Greek metaphora, from metapherein “to
transfer,” literally “to carry between,” from pherein “to carry” (see -phore ).]
—met·a·phor·ic
[mèttə fáwrik], adjective

—met·a·phor·i·cal
[mèttə fáwrik’l], adjective

—met·a·phor·i·cal·ly [mèttə fáwrikəlee], adverb[1]



metaphosphate

metaphosphate
met·a·phos·phate 
[mèttə fós fàyt] (plural met·a·phos·phates)
noun

salt of metaphosphoric acid:
any salt or ester of metaphosphoric acid[1]



metaphosphoricacid

metaphosphoricacid
met·a·phos·phor·ic
ac·id 
[mettə fos fàwrik ássid] noun

solid acid:
a glassy solid containing linked phosphate groups and used as a drying agent
and in dental cements. HPO3[1]



metaphrase

metaphrase
met·a·phrase 
[méttə fràyz] noun (plural met·a·phras·es)

literal translation:
a word-for-word translation of something
transitive
verb
(past met·a·phrased, past participle met·a·phrased,
present participle met·a·phras·ing, 3rd person present
singular met·a·phras·es)

1.  translate
something literally: to translate something,
especially word for word

2.  change
wording of:
to change the wording of a text
[Mid-16th century. From,
ultimately, Greek metaphrasis, from metaphrazein “to translate,”
literally “to tell differently,” from phrazein “to tell.”][1]



metaphrast

metaphrast
met·a·phrast 
[méttə fràst] (plural met·a·phrasts)
noun

somebody
who recasts text: somebody who changes the form of a text,
for example, from prose into verse
[Early
17th century. From Greek metaphrastēs, from metaphrazein “to
translate” (see metaphrase ).]
—met·a·phras·tic
[mèttə frástik], adjective

—met·a·phras·ti·cal
[mèttə frástik’l], adjective

—met·a·phras·ti·cal·ly
[mèttə frástikəlee], adverb[1]



metaphysic

metaphysic
met·a·phys·ic 
noun

See
metaphysics[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Metaphysical

Metaphysical
Met·a·phys·i·cal
or met·a·phys·i·cal adjective

of
early 17C poetry: relating to the poetic style of John
Donne, George Herbert, and other early 17th-century English poets who used
consciously intellectual language and elaborate metaphors that compared
dissimilar things
noun
(plural Met·a·phys·i·cals) (plural met·a·phys·i·cals)

Metaphysical poet:
a poet of the Metaphysical group[1]



metaphysical

metaphysical
met·a·phys·i·cal 
[mèttə fízzik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to metaphysics: relating to the philosophical study of
the nature of being and beings or a philosophical system resulting from such
study

2.  speculative:
based on speculative reasoning and unexamined assumptions that have not been
logically examined or confirmed by observation • a
metaphysical system whose claim to truth is undermined by contradictions

3.  abstract:
extremely abstract or theoretical • metaphysical
subjects removed from everyday life

4.  incorporeal:
without material form or substance • the
metaphysical realm of pure thought

5.  supernatural:
originating not in the physical world but somewhere outside it • a
metaphysical explanation of beauty and goodness
—met·a·phys·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metaphysics

metaphysics
met·a·phys·ics 
[mèttə fízziks] or met·a·phys·ic
[mèttə fízzik] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  philosophy
of being:
the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of the nature of being and
beings, existence, time and space, and causality

2.  underlying
principles:
the ultimate underlying principles or theories that form the basis of a
particular field of knowledge • Symmetry
is part of the metaphysics of quantum mechanics.

3.  abstract
thinking:
abstract discussion or thinking
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin metaphysica (plural), from medieval Greek (ta)
metaphusika “(the) metaphysics,” from ta meta ta phusika “the (works
of Aristotle) after the ‘Physics’” (see physics
).][1]



metaplasia

metaplasia
met·a·pla·sia 
[mèttə pláyzhə, mèttə
pláyzhee ə] noun

tranformation
of tissue:
the transformation of one kind of tissue into another undesirable type, for
example, in tumor formation
[Late
19th century. From Greek metaplassein “to mold into a new form,” from plassein
“to mold” (see -plasia ).]
—met·a·plas·tic [mèttə plástik], adjective[1]



metapsychology

metapsychology
met·a·psy·chol·o·gy 
[mèttə sī kólləjee] noun

speculative
psychology:
the philosophical study of those aspects of psychology that cannot be examined
experimentally
—met·a·psy·cho·log·i·cal
[mètə sīkə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



metasequoia

metasequoia
met·a·se·quo·ia
[mèttə si kwóyə] (plural met·a·se·quo·ias
or met·a·se·quo·ia) noun

See
dawn redwood[1]



metasomatism

metasomatism
met·a·so·ma·tism 
[mèttə sṓmə tìzzəm] or met·a·so·ma·to·sis
[mèttə sōmə tṓssiss] noun

change
in rock structure: the gradual change in rock
structure caused by the natural replacement of chemicals through interaction
with liquids or gases
[Late
19th century. Coined from meta- + the Greek
stem sōmat- “body” (see somatic ) + -ism .]
—met·a·so·mat·ic
[mèttə sō máttik], adjective

—met·a·so·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



metastable

metastable
met·a·sta·ble 
[mèttə stáyb’l] (plural metasta·bles)
adjective

1.  in
apparent equilibrium: in an apparent state of
equilibrium, but likely to change to a more truly stable state if conditions
change

2.  in
excited state: remaining in an excited physical state
for a relatively long time
—met·a·sta·bil·i·ty [mèttə stə bíllətee], noun[1]



metastasis

metastasis
me·tas·ta·sis 
[mə tástəssiss] (plural me·tas·ta·ses
[mə tástə sz]) noun

1.  spread
of cancer:
the spread of a cancer from the original tumor to other parts of the body by
means of tiny clumps of cells transported by the blood or lymph

2.  malignant
tumor:
a malignant tumor that has developed in the body as a result of the spread of
cancer cells from the original tumor
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Greek, “removal, change,” from methistanai
“to remove,” literally “to place differently,” from histanai “to place”
(see apostasy ).]
—met·a·stat·ic
[mèttə státtik], adjective

—met·a·stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metastasize

metastasize
me·tas·ta·size 
[mə tástə sz] (past me·tas·ta·sized,
past participle me·tas·ta·sized, present participle me·tas·ta·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular me·tas·ta·siz·es) intransitive
verb

spread elsewhere in the body:
to spread in the body from the site of the original tumor by means of tiny
cells transported by the blood or lymph (refers to a cancer)[1]



metatarsal

metatarsal
met·a·tar·sal 
[mèttə trs’l] adjective

of
foot bones:
belonging or relating to the bones between the toes and ankle
noun
(plural met·a·tar·sals)

foot
bone:
any of the set of bones between the toes and ankle
—met·a·tar·sal·ly, adverb[1]



metatarsus

metatarsus
met·a·tar·sus 
[mèttə trsiss] (plural met·a·tar·si
[mèttə tr s, mèttə
trsee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY bones
of human foot: the set of five long bones in the human
foot between the toes and ankle

2.  ZOOLOGY part
of vertebrate hind foot: the region between the ankle
and toes of the hind foot in vertebrates

[1]



metatherian

metatherian
met·a·the·ri·an
[mèttə three ən] adjective

of
marsupials:
relating or belonging to marsupials
noun
(plural met·a·the·ri·ans)

marsupial:
a marsupial
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Metatheria, group name, literally “wild animals
between,” from Greek thēria “wild animals,” plural of thērion
“wild animal.”][1]



metathesis

metathesis
me·tath·e·sis 
[me táthəssiss] (plural me·tath·e·ses
[me táthə sz]) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS transposition
of sounds:
a reversal of the order of two sounds or letters in a word, either as a
mispronunciation or as a historical development

2.  CHEMISTRY See double decomposition
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Greek, from metatithenai “to transpose,”
literally “to place differently,” from tithenai “to place” (see thesis ).]
—met·a·thet·ic
[mèttə théttik], adjective

—met·a·thet·i·cal,
adjective

—met·a·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metathesize

metathesize
me·tath·e·size 
[mə táthə sz] (past me·tath·e·sized,
past participle me·tath·e·sized, present participle me·tath·e·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular me·tath·e·siz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

LINGUISTICS
transpose sounds in word:
to change or make a word change by metathesis[1]



metathorax

metathorax
met·a·tho·rax 
[mèttə tháwraks] (plural met·a·tho·rax·es
or met·a·tho·ra·ces [mèttə tháwrə sz])
noun

last
segment of insect thorax: the last segment of an
insect’s thorax, where the hind legs and hind wings are located
—me·ta·tho·rac·ic [mèttəthə rássik], adjective[1]



metaxylem

metaxylem
met·a·xy·lem 
[mèttə zləm] (plural met·a·xy·lems)
noun

mature plant tissue:
the rigid thick-walled tissue of plant parts that have matured[1]



metazoan

metazoan
met·a·zo·an 
[mèttə zṓ ən] (plural met·a·zo·ans)
noun

animal
with specialized cells: an animal whose body
consists of cells that are separated into different parts such as tissues and
organs. All animals except for sponges and protozoans are classified as
metazoans . Group: Metazoa
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Metazoa, division name, from
Greek meta- “beside, after” + zoion “animal.”]
—met·a·zo·an, adjective[1]



metempsychosis

metempsychosis
me·tem·psy·cho·sis 
[mə tèmsə kṓssiss, mèttəm
sī kṓssiss] noun

reincarnation:
the passage of somebody’s soul after death into the body of another person or
an animal
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek metempsukhōsis, from meta “after” + empsukhos
“having a soul within.”][1]



metencephalon

metencephalon
met·en·ceph·a·lon 
[mèt en séffə lòn] (plural met·en·ceph·a·lons
or met·en·ceph·a·la [mèt en séffələ])
noun

brain
part:
the part of an embryo’s brain that develops into the cerebellum and the pons
—met·en·ce·phal·ic [mèt en sə fállik], adjective[1]



meteor.

meteor.
meteor.

Abbreviation of
meteorology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








meteor

meteor
me·te·or 
[mtee ər, mtee
àwr] (plural me·te·ors) noun

1.  fiery
mass of rock from space: a mass of rock from space
that burns up after entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
See
also
meteoroid
See
also
meteorite

2.  light
from meteor: the brief streak of light that a meteor
creates, visible in the night sky.
Also
called
falling star
Also
called
shooting star
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin meteorum “atmospheric phenomenon” from Greek meteōron,
literally “something raised up,” from meta “up” + -aoros
“lifted.”][1]



meteoric

meteoric
me·te·or·ic 
[mtee áwrik] adjective

1.  relating
to meteors:
relating to or resembling meteors

2.  very
fast or brilliant: characterized by great speed
or brilliance
—me·te·or·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



meteoricwater

meteoricwater
me·te·or·ic
wa·ter
noun

water in ground formed from
atmosphere: water in the ground that has
recently come from the atmosphere, rather than forming chemically underground[1]



meteorite

meteorite
me·te·or·ite 
[mtee ə rt] (plural me·te·or·ites)
noun

rock
from outer space: a piece of rock that has reached the
Earth from outer space.
See
also
meteor
See
also
meteoroid
[Early 19th century. Formed
from meteor .][1]



meteoritics

meteoritics
me·te·or·it·ics
[mtee ə ríttiks] noun

study
of meteors and meteorites: the scientific study of
meteors and meteorites
—me·te·or·it·i·cist [mtee ə ríttəsist], noun[1]



meteoroid

meteoroid
me·te·or·oid 
[mtee ə ròyd] (plural me·te·or·oids)
noun

mass
of rock in space: a mass of rock in space, often a remnant
of a comet, that becomes a meteor when it enters the earth’s atmosphere and a
meteorite when it falls to earth.
See
also
meteor
See
also
meteorite
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from meteor .]
—me·te·or·oid·al, adjective[1]



meteorol.

meteorol.
meteorol.

Abbreviation of
meteorology[1]



meteorology

meteorology
me·te·or·ol·o·gy 
[mtee ə rólləjee] noun

weather
science:
the scientific study of the Earth’s atmosphere, especially its patterns of
climate and weather
[Early
17th century. From Greek meteōrologia, from meteōron (see meteor ).]
—me·te·or·o·log·i·cal
[mtee ərə lójjəkəl], adjective

—me·te·or·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—me·te·or·ol·o·gist [mtee ə rólləjist] (plural me·te·or·ol·o·gists),
noun[1]



meteorshower

meteorshower
me·te·or
show·er
(plural me·te·or show·ers) noun

meteors seen in the sky:
a number of meteors seen at regular intervals in a particular area of the sky
when a large group of meteors passes through the Earth’s atmosphere[1]



meteout

meteout
mete
out
transitive verb

give
something out: to give out something such as punishment
or justice, especially in a way that seems harsh or unfair
[Mete from Old English metan
“to measure.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor
of English meet 2, moderate, and meditate
.][1]



meter

meter3
me·ter3 [mtər]
noun (plural me·ters)

1.  device
for measuring amount or flow: a device that measures and
records the quantity or flow of something such as electricity, gas, water,
distance, or time

2.  See
parking meter
transitive
verb
(past me·ter·ed, past participle me·ter·ed, present
participle me·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular me·ters)

measure amount or flow of something:
to measure the amount or flow of something such as electricity or water, using
a meter
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally formed from mete “to measure out,” later
influenced by -meter .][1]



meter

meter2
me·ter2 [mtər]
(plural me·ters) noun

unit
of length:
the basic SI unit of length, equivalent to approximately 1.094 yd or 39.37 in.
Originally based on a meter-long platinum-iridium bar kept in Paris, France, it
is now defined as the distance traveled by light in vacuum in 1/299,792,458
seconds. Symbol m
[Late 18th century. Via
French metre from Greek metron (see meter 1 ).][1]



meter

meter1
me·ter1 [mtər]
(plural me·ters) noun

1.  pattern
in verse:
an arranged pattern of rhythm in a line of verse

2.  pattern
of rhythm in music: the pattern of beats that
combines to form musical rhythm
[Pre-12th century. Directly
and via French metre from Latin metrum, from Greek metron
“measure” (see meter 1 ).][1]



-meter

-meter
-meter 
suffix

measuring
device • heliometer
[Via French -mètre
from Greek metron “measure” (see meter 1 )][1]



meteredmail

meteredmail
me·tered
mail
noun

mail stamped by machine:
mail that is postmarked privately by a postage meter[1]



meter-kilogram-second

meter-kilogram-second
me·ter-kil·o·gram-sec·ond 
adjective

using metric units:
using or based on the meter, kilogram, and second as the measuring units of
length, mass, and time[1]



metermaid

metermaid
me·ter
maid
(plural me·ter maids) noun

woman assigned to give
parking tickets: a woman assigned by a
police department to issue tickets for parking violations (dated informal)[1]



meth-

meth-
meth-
prefix

methyl
• methicillin
[Shortening][1]



Meth.

Meth.
Meth.

Abbreviation of
Methodist[1]



methacrylate

methacrylate
meth·ac·ry·late 
[meth ákrə làyt] (plural meth·ac·ry·lates)
noun

compound from methacrylic
acid: an ester derived from
methacrylic acid[1]



methacrylicacid

methacrylicacid
meth·a·cryl·ic
ac·id 
[methə krìllik ássid] noun

liquid
used to make plastic: a synthetic, colorless
liquid used to make plastic. C4H6O2
[Coined from meth- + acrylic][1]



methadone

methadone
meth·a·done 
[méthə dn] or meth·a·don [méthə dòn] noun

synthetic
painkilling drug: a synthetic narcotic drug similar in its
painkilling effect to morphine and often prescribed as a substitute for heroin
in the treatment of addiction. C21H27NO
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from meth- + amino
+ di- + -one
.][1]



methaemoglobin

methaemoglobin
meth·aem·o·glo·bin
[met hmə glbin] noun

U.K. =
methemoglobin[1]



methamphetamine

methamphetamine
meth·am·phet·a·mine 
[mèth am féttə mn, mèth
am féttəmin] (plural meth·am·phet·a·mines) noun

stimulant:
a form of the stimulant amphetamine. C10H15N[1]



methanal

methanal
meth·an·al
[méthə nàl] noun

See
formaldehyde
[Late 19th century. Formed
from methane .][1]



methane

methane
meth·ane 
[mé thàyn] noun

fuel
gas:
a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is the main constituent of natural
gas and is used as a fuel. CH4
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from methyl .][1]



methanoicacid

methanoicacid
meth·a·no·ic
ac·id
[mèthə nṓ ik ássid] noun

See
formic acid
[Formed from methane][1]



methanol

methanol
meth·a·nol 
[méthə nàwl] (plural meth·a·nols)
noun

poisonous
alcohol:
a colorless, volatile, poisonous, water-soluble liquid that is used as a
solvent, a fuel, and in antifreeze for motor vehicles. CH3OH
Also
called
methyl alcohol
Also
called
wood alcohol
Also
called
wood spirit
[Late 19th century. Formed
from methane .][1]



methaqualone

methaqualone
meth·a·qua·lone 
[mèthə kwáy ln] noun

sedative:
a drug that is used to induce sleep and is also taken illegally. C16H14N2O
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from meth- + a contraction of quinazolinon,
a derivative of quinoline.][1]



Methedrine

Methedrine
Meth·e·drine
[méthə drn, méthədrin]
Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
methamphetamine[1]



methemoglobin

methemoglobin
met·he·mo·glo·bin 
[met hmə glbin] noun

abnormal
hemoglobin:
an abnormally altered form of hemoglobin that can occur as a result of
poisoning with certain drugs or as a genetic disorder
[Late 19th century. Coined
from meta- + hemoglobin
.][1]



methemoglobinemia

methemoglobinemia
met·he·mo·glo·bi·ne·mi·a
[met hmə glōbi nmee ə] noun

blood disorder:
the presence in the blood of methemoglobin[1]



methenamine

methenamine
me·the·na·mine 
[mə thnə mn, mə
thnəmin] noun

See
hexamethylenetetramine
[Early 20th century.
Contraction of methylene + amine .][1]



methicillin

methicillin
meth·i·cil·lin 
[mèthə síllin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic used against infections that are resistant to penicillin. C17H19N2NaO6S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from meth- + penicillin
.][1]



methinks

methinks
me·thinks 
[mi thíngks] (past me·thought
[mi tháwt], past participle me·thought)
intransitive verb

it
seems to me: it seems to me (humorous or archaic)
[Old English mē þyncþ
“it seems to me,” from þyncan “to seem.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English think, thought,
and thank .][1]



methionine

methionine
me·thi·o·nine 
[mə th ə nn] noun

amino
acid:
a sulfur-containing amino acid that occurs in proteins or can be prepared
synthetically
[Early 20th century. Coined
from meth- + thio-
+ -ine .][1]



method

method
meth·od 
[méthəd] (plural meth·ods) noun

1.  way
of doing something: a way of doing something or
carrying something out, especially according to a plan

2.  orderliness:
orderly thought, action, or technique • There
is no method whatsoever in his approach to business.

3.  body
of scientific techniques: the body of systematic
techniques used by a particular discipline, especially a scientific one
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek methodos “pursuit, way,” from meta- “after” + hodos
“journey.”][1]



Method

Method
Meth·od
noun

acting technique:
a theory and system of acting that involves the actor identifying strongly with
the internal motivation of the character being portrayed. It is based on the
teachings of Konstantin Stanislavsky.
Also called
Stanislavsky method[1]



methodical

methodical
me·thod·i·cal 
[mə thóddik’l] or me·thod·ic [mə thóddik] adjective

systematic:
systematic or painstaking
—me·thod·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—me·thod·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



Methodism

Methodism
Meth·od·ism 
[méthə dìzzəm] noun

principles of Methodist
Church: the doctrines, principles,
or organization of the Methodist church, or a specific feature of this Church[1]



Methodist

Methodist
Meth·od·ist 
[méthədist] noun (plural Meth·od·ists)

member
of Methodist Church: a member of the Methodist
Church
adjective

relating
to the Methodist Church: relating to Methodism or
membership of the Methodist Church
[Mid-18th
century. Originally applied to members of a society founded at Oxford, from the
methodical habits of life and worship it promoted.]
—Meth·od·is·tic
[mèthə dístik], adjective

—Meth·od·is·ti·cal·ly
[mèthə dístikəlee], adverb[1]



MethodistChurch

MethodistChurch
Meth·od·ist
Church
noun

Christian evangelical church:
a group of evangelical Protestant denominations founded in 18th century England
by John Wesley and his followers. The Methodist Church came out of the
evangelical revivalist movement, and is rooted in personal faith, the singing
of hymns, and praying.[1]



methodize

methodize
meth·od·ize 
[méthə dz] (past meth·od·ized,
past participle meth·od·ized, present participle meth·od·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular meth·od·iz·es) transitive verb

organize
something:
to reduce or arrange something according to a method
—meth·od·i·za·tion
[mèthədi záysh’n], noun

—meth·od·iz·er, noun[1]



methodology

methodology
meth·od·ol·o·gy 
[mèthə dólləjee] (plural meth·od·ol·o·gies)
noun

1.  organizing
system:
the methods or organizing principles underlying a particular art, science, or
other area of study

2.  PHILOSOPHY study
of organizing principles: in philosophy, the study of
organizing principles and underlying rules

3.  study
of research methods: the study of methods of
research
—meth·od·o·log·i·cal
[mèthədə lójjik’l], adjective

—meth·od·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—meth·od·ol·o·gist [mèthə dólləjist], noun[1]



methotrexate

methotrexate
meth·o·trex·ate 
[mèthə trék sàyt] noun

anticancer
drug:
a drug that inhibits cellular reproduction and is used to treat cancer. C20H22N8O5
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from meth- + -trex-, of unknown
origin.][1]



methought

methought
me·thought


Past participle of
methinks Past tense of methinks[1]



methoxide

methoxide
meth·ox·ide
[meth ók sd] (plural meth·ox·ides)
noun

derivative
of methanol: any chemical derivative of methanol that
has some features of a salt, for example, sodium methoxide. NaOCH3 
Also
called
methylate
[Late 19th century. Coined
from meth- + oxy-
+ -ide .][1]



methoxychlor

methoxychlor
me·thox·y·chlor 
[mə thóksi klàwr] noun

insecticide:
a white crystalline compound used as an insecticide. C16H15Cl3O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from meth- + oxy-
+ chlorine .][1]



Methuselah

Methuselah
Me·thu·se·lah 
[mə thzələ] noun

1.  biblical
figure:
a man in the Bible who was an ancestor of Noah and is said to have lived 969
years. (Gen 5: 21–27) .

2.  large
wine bottle: a wine or champagne bottle that holds
the equivalent of eight normal bottles, approximately 6 l/208 fl oz

[1]



methyl

methyl
meth·yl 
[méthəl] (plural meth·yls) adjective

containing
particular group of atoms: containing the group of
atoms CH 3
[Mid-19th
century. From French méthyl, a back-formation from méthylène (see
methylene ).]
—me·thyl·ic [mə thíllik], adjective[1]



methylacetate

methylacetate
meth·yl
ac·e·tate
noun

chemical solvent:
a fragrant colorless liquid used as a solvent in paint removers. C3H6O2[1]



methylal

methylal
meth·yl·al 
[méthə làl] noun

chemical used in adhesives:
a colorless flammable liquid used as a solvent and in making perfumes and
adhesives. C3H8O2[1]



methylalcohol

methylalcohol
meth·yl
al·co·hol
noun

See
methanol[1]



methylamine

methylamine
meth·yl·a·mine 
[mèthələ mn, mèthə
lá mn, mə thíllə mn] (plural
meth·yl·a·mines) noun

ammonia chemical:
any of three colorless flammable derivatives of ammonia, especially a gas used
in dyes, drugs, and herbicides. CH5N[1]



methylate

methylate
meth·yl·ate 
[méthə làyt] noun (plural meth·yl·ates)

See methoxide
transitive
verb
(past meth·yl·at·ed, past participle meth·yl·at·ed,
present participle meth·yl·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
meth·yl·ates)

1.  replace
hydrogen atom with methyl group: to replace one or more
hydrogen atoms in a molecule with the methyl group

2.  mix
with methanol: to mix something with methanol
—meth·yl·a·tion
[mèthə láysh’n], noun

—meth·yl·a·tor, noun[1]



methylatedspirit

methylatedspirit
meth·yl·at·ed
spir·it 
or meth·yl·at·ed spir·its noun

alcohol used as fuel:
ethanol with methanol added, to make it undrinkable, and colored with a violet
dye, used as a fuel and in solvents[1]



methylbenzene

methylbenzene
meth·yl·ben·zene 
[mèthəl bén zn, méthəl
ben zn] noun

See
toluene[1]



methylbromide

methylbromide
meth·yl
bro·mide
noun

poisonous gas or liquid:
a poisonous colorless gas or liquid used as a solvent, fumigant, and
refrigerant. CH3Br[1]



methylcellulose

methylcellulose
meth·yl·cel·lu·lose 
[mèthəl séllyə lss, mèthəl séllyə lz] noun

chemical thickener:
a grayish-white powder derived from cellulose that swells up in water and is
used as a food additive and in making paints and cosmetics[1]



methylchloride

methylchloride
meth·yl
chlo·ride
noun

poisonous gas used as
anesthetic: a colorless poisonous gas
used as a refrigerant and local anesthetic. CH3Cl
Also called
chloromethane[1]



methyldopa

methyldopa
meth·yl·do·pa 
[mèthəl dṓpə] noun

hypertension drug:
a white powder used as a drug to treat hypertension. C10H13NO4[1]



methylene

methylene
meth·yl·ene 
[méthə ln] noun

methane
derivative:
a bivalent group of atoms derived from methane. CH2
adjective

containing
methylene group of atoms: containing or relating to
the group of atoms derived from methane containing one carbon atom and two
hydrogen atoms. CH2
[Mid-19th century. From
French méthylène, from Greek methu “wine”) + hulē “wood,
substance.”][1]



methyleneblue

methyleneblue
meth·yl·ene
blue
noun

chemical turning blue in
water: a crystalline compound that
turns blue when dissolved in water and is used as a dye, an antiseptic, an
antidote for cyanide poisoning, and a stain in laboratories. C16H18ClN3S[1]



methylisocyanate

methylisocyanate
meth·yl
i·so·cy·a·nate noun

toxic liquid used in
herbicides: a flammable, colorless,
extremely toxic liquid that is used in making herbicides. CH3NCO[1]



methylmercury

methylmercury
meth·yl·mer·cu·ry
[mèthəl múrkyəree] noun

toxic mercury compound:
an extremely toxic compound formed from metallic mercury by the action of
microorganisms and used as a seed disinfectant. Mercury compounds such as this
can enter the food chain and are toxic to living organisms.[1]



methylmethacrylate

methylmethacrylate
meth·yl
meth·ac·ry·late noun

flammable liquid for making
plastic resins: a colorless flammable
liquid that can be converted into clear plastic resins[1]



methylnaphthalene

methylnaphthalene
meth·yl·naph·tha·lene 
[mèthəl náfthə ln, mèthəl
nápthə ln] noun

liquid or solid compound:
either of two forms of naphthalene, a liquid used in making diesel fuels, or a
solid used in making insecticides. C11H10[1]



methylorange

methylorange
meth·yl
or·ange
noun

yellow dye:
an alkaline dye that is used as a chemical indicator. It turns yellow when
neutral and pink when acid.[1]



methylphenidate

methylphenidate
meth·yl·phen·i·date 
[mèthəl fénni dàyt, mèthəl
fni dàyt] noun

stimulant
used in treating narcolepsy: a stimulant of the central
nervous system used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder. C14H19NO2
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of methyl + phenyl + piperidine
+ acetate .][1]



metical

metical
met·i·cal 
[métti kàl, mètti
kl] (plural met·i·cais or met·i·cals) noun

1.  unit
of currency in Mozambique: the standard unit of
currency in Mozambique, worth 100 centavos

2.  bill
worth one metical: a bill worth a metical
[Late 20th century. Via
Portuguese matical from Arabic miāl, a unit of weight, from aala
“to weigh.”][1]



meticulous

meticulous
me·tic·u·lous 
[mə tíkyələss] adjective

precise
and painstaking: extremely careful and precise
[Early
19th century. From Latin meticulosus “fearful, timid,” from metus
“fear,” of unknown origin.]
—me·tic·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—me·tic·u·lous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



Metis

Metis
Me·tis
[mtiss] noun

very small innermost moon of
Jupiter: the innermost known natural
satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1979. It is irregularly shaped and
approximately 40 km (25 mi ) in diameter.[1]



metol

metol
me·tol 
[m tàwl] noun

salt
for developing photographs: a colorless soluble salt
used in developing photographs. C14H20N2O6S
[Late 19th century.
Arbitrarily coined by its inventor.][1]



Metoniccycle

Metoniccycle
Me·ton·ic
cy·cle 
[mə tònnik sk’l] (plural Me·ton·ic
cy·cles) noun

lunar
cycle lasting 19 years: a cycle of 235 lunar months,
after which the phases of the moon occur on the same days of the month as they
did at the start of the cycle
[Late 17th century. Named for
the Athenian astronomer Metōn of the 5th century BC, who discovered it.][1]



metonym

metonym
met·o·nym 
[méttə nìm] (plural met·o·nyms)
noun

part
of figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a
figure of speech in which an attribute of something is used to stand for the
thing itself
[Late
16th century. Back-formation from metonymy
.]
—met·o·nym·ic
[mèttə nímmik], adjective

—met·o·nym·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metonymy

metonymy
me·ton·y·my 
[mə tónnəmee] noun

figure
of speech:
a figure of speech in which an attribute of something is used to stand for the
thing itself, such as “laurels” when it stands for “glory” or “brass” when it
stands for “military officers”
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek metōnumia, literally “change of name,” from meta-
“beside, different” + onuma “name.”][1]



me-too

me-too
me-too
adjective

copied
from somebody else: using products, methods, or
policies copied from somebody else (informal)
—me-too·er,
noun

—me-too·ism, noun[1]



metope

metope
met·o·pe 
[méttəpee] (plural met·o·pes) noun

square
space on frieze: in a Doric frieze, a square space
between two sets of three vertical grooves ( triglyphs
)
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
metopē, from meta- “between” + opē “hole.”][1]



metopic

metopic
me·top·ic 
[mə tóppik] adjective

of
the forehead: relating to the forehead
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek metōpon “forehead,” from meta- “between” + ōps
“eye.”][1]



metralgia

metralgia
me·tral·gi·a 
[mə tráljee ə] noun

womb pain:
pain in the womb[1]



metre

metre
me·tre
noun

U.K. =
meter 2[1]



metric

metric
met·ric
[méttrik] adjective

1.  MEASUREMENTS relating
to metric system: relating to or using the metric system
of measurement

2.  See
metrical
noun
(plural met·rics)

MATHEMATICS mathematical
function:
a mathematical function defined for a coordinates system that associates
properties to each pair of elements that are analogous to distance between
points on a line

[1]



metrical

metrical
met·ri·cal 
[méttrik’l] adjective

relating
to poetic meter: relating to or using poetic meter
—met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metricate

metricate
met·ri·cate
[méttri kàyt] (past met·ri·cated,
past participle met·ri·cated, present participle met·ri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular met·ri·cates) transitive verb

make
metric:
to convert something from nonmetric to metric units of measurement
—met·ri·ca·tion [mèttri káysh’n], noun[1]



metricize

metricize
metri·cize
[méttri sz] (past metri·cized,
past participle metri·cized, present participle metri·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular metri·cizes) transitive verb

express in metric units:
to express a measurement in metric units or change it into metric units[1]



metrics

metrics
met·rics 
[méttriks] noun

use of poetic meter:
the art of using meter in poetry (takes a singular verb)[1]



metricsystem

metricsystem
met·ric
sys·tem
noun

system of weights and
measures: a decimal system of weights
and measures based on units such as the kilogram and meter[1]



metricton

metricton
met·ric
ton
(plural met·ric tons) noun

1000 kg:
a unit of weight equal to 1000 kg[1]



metrify

metrify
met·ri·fy
[méttri f] (past met·ri·fied,
past participle met·ri·fied, present participle met·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular met·ri·fies) transitive verb

put
into verse:
to put prose into verse or meter
—met·ri·fi·er, noun[1]



metrist

metrist
met·rist
[méttrist, mtrist]
(plural met·rists) noun

user of poetic verse:
somebody who is skilled in using poetic meter[1]



metritis

metritis
me·tri·tis 
[mi trtiss] noun

inflammation of womb:
inflammation of the womb[1]



metro

metro
met·ro
[méttrō] adjective

metropolitan:
metropolitan (informal)
noun
(plural met·ros)

1.  met·ro
or Met·ro subway:
an undergound railroad or subway system in a town or city

2.  metropolis:
metropolis (informal)

3.  Canada
local
government:
the metropolitan area or government of a large city
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of metropolitan .][1]



metro-

metro-
metro-
prefix

uterus
• metrorrhagia
[From Greek mētra,
related to mētēr “mother.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for
“mother,” that is also the ancestor of English mother
and maternal .][1]



metrology

metrology
me·trol·o·gy 
[mə trólləjee] (plural me·trol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of measurement: the scientific study of units of
measurement

2.  measurement
system:
a system of measurement
[Early
19th century. Via French from Greek metrologie, from metron
“measure” (see meter 1 ).]
—met·ro·log·ic
[mèttrə lójjik], adjective

—met·ro·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—me·trol·o·gist [mə trólləjist], noun[1]



metronidazole

metronidazole
me·tron·i·da·zole 
[mèttrə ndə zl] noun

chemical
compound for treating infections: a yellow crystalline
compound used in treating infections, especially vaginal infections. C6H9N3O3
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of methyl + nitro- + imidazole,
elements of its chemical name.][1]



metronome

metronome

met·ro·nome 
[méttrə nm] (plural met·ro·nomes)
noun
device
to mark time: a device used to indicate a given tempo
by means of an aural or visual signal produced electronically or by an
adjustable pendulum
[Early
19th century. From Greek metron “measure, meter” + nomos “rule,
division.”]
—met·ro·nom·ic
[mèttrə nómmik], adjective

—met·ro·nom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



metronymic

metronymic
me·tro·nym·ic 
adjective

See
matronymic[1]



metropolis

metropolis
me·trop·o·lis 
[mə tróppəliss] (plural me·trop·o·lis·es)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY large
city:
a very large city, often the capital or chief urban center of a country, state,
or region

2.  center
of an activity: the center or principal place for a
particular activity

3.  CHRISTIANITY main
diocese:
in Christianity, the principal diocese or see in an ecclesiastical province
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek mētropolis, literally “mother city,”
from mētēr “mother” + polis “city.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at city

[1]



metropolitan

metropolitan
met·ro·pol·i·tan 
[mèttrə póllit’n] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY forming
large city:
constituting a large urban area, usually including a city and its suburbs and
outlying areas

2.  GEOGRAPHY typical
of a metropolis: typical of a metropolis in scale,
variety, or sophistication

3.  GEOGRAPHY domestic
and internal: relating to the home territory of a
country rather than its territories elsewhere

4.  CHRISTIANITY relating
to ecclesiastical metropolis: relating to or constituting
an ecclesiastical metropolis
noun
(plural met·ro·pol·i·tans)

1.  GEOGRAPHY metropolis
inhabitant:
somebody who lives in a metropolis

2.  CHRISTIANITY high-ranking
church official: in Christianity, a high-ranking church
dignitary such as an archbishop or head of an ecclesiastical province

3.  CHRISTIANITY head
of Russian Orthodox Church: the head of the Russian
Orthodox Church, based in Moscow

[1]



metrorrhagia

metrorrhagia
me·tror·rha·gi·a 
[mtrə ráyjə, mtrə
ráyjee ə, mèttrə ráyjə] noun

excessive
bleeding from womb: excessive discharge of blood
from the womb
—me·tror·rha·gic [mtrə ráyjik, mèttrə
ráyjik], adjective[1]



-metry

-metry
-metry
suffix

measuring
• cephalometry
[From Greek -metria,
which was formed from metron “measure” (see meter 1 )][1]



Metternich,Klemens

Metternich,Klemens
Met·ter·nich
[métə nikh], Klemens, Prince of (1773–1859)

German-born
Austrian statesman. An Austrian diplomat and chancellor of the Hapsburg Empire
(1821–1848), he was the most powerful political figure in Europe between 1814
and 1848. He was driven from office in the Revolution of 1848.
Full name
Metternich, Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar von[1]



mettle

mettle
met·tle 
[métt’l] noun

1.  strength
of character: courage, spirit, or strength of
character

2.  inherent
temperament: the particular mental and emotional
character unique to an individual
[Mid-16th
century. Variant of metal . The underlying
meaning is “the substance somebody is made of.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at courage

[1]



mettlesome

mettlesome
met·tle·some 
[métt’lsəm] adjective

courageous:
spirited and courageous[1]



Metuchen

Metuchen
Me·tuch·en
[mi túchən]

city in New Jersey, in
Middlesex County. Population: 113,008 (1994)[1]



Metz

Metz
Metz 
[mets]

capital of Moselle
Department, Lorraine region, eastern France. Population: 119,594 (1990)[1]



meunière

meunière
meu·nière
[mən yáir] adjective

floured
and fried:
dredged in flour, fried in butter, and sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped
parsley • sole
meunière
[Mid-19th century. From
French à la meunière, literally “in the way of a miller’s wife.”][1]



Meursault

Meursault
Meur·sault 
[mər sṓ] (plural Meur·saults) noun

dry
white wine:
a dry white wine from the Burgundy region of northeastern France
[Mid-19th century. From
French, name of a commune in the Côte de Beaune.][1]



Meuse

Meuse
Meuse 
[möz]

river that flows through
northeastern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Length: 900 km/560 mi.[1]



MeV

MeV
MeV
or Mev or mev

Symbol for
million electron volts[1]



mew

mew2
mew2 [myoo]
(plural mews) noun

seagull:
any common seagull, especially the common gull
[Old English mw][1]



mew

mew1
mew1 [myoo]
intransitive verb (past mewed, past participle mewed,
present participle mew·ing, 3rd person present singular mews)

make
high-pitched cry: to give out a high-pitched cry (refers
to cats and kittens)
noun
(plural mews)

high-pitched
cry:
the high-pitched sound a cat or kitten makes
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



mew

mew3
mew3 [myoo]
noun (plural mews)

cage for hawks:
a cage for keeping hawks in
verb
(past mewed, past participle mewed, present
participle mew·ing, 3rd person present singular mews)

1.  transitive
verb
confine
hawk or falcon: to confine a hawk or falcon, especially
by tying it to a perch

2.  intransitive
verb
molt:
to shed feathers
[14th century. From French mue,
from muer “to molt,” from Latin mutare “to change” (see mutation .][1]



mewl

mewl
mewl 
[myool] (past mewled, past
participle mewled, present participle mewl·ing, 3rd
person present singular mewls) intransitive verb

cry
weakly:
to whimper or cry weakly
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound.]
—mewl·er, noun[1]



mews

mews
mews
[myooz] noun

U.K.
residential
street:
a street that originally had stables built on it but has now been converted
into housing, or the houses themselves (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Early
19th century. From mew 3 .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  the latter part of the 14th century the Royal Mews were built in London on
  the site of what is now Trafalgar Square, to house the royal hawks. By Henry
  VII’s time they were being used as stables, and from at least the early 17th
  century the term mews was used for
  “stabling around an open yard.” The modern application to a “street of former
  stables converted to human dwellings” dates from the early 19th century.

[1]



Mex.

Mex.
Mex.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Mexican

2.  Abbreviation
of
Mexico

[1]



Mexicali

Mexicali
Mex·i·cal·i 
[meksə klee]

city in northwestern Mexico,
on the border with the United States. Population: 601,938 (1990)[1]



Mexican

Mexican
Mex·i·can 
[méksikən] (plural Mex·i·cans)
adjective

PEOPLES
of Mexico:
relating to Mexico, or its people or culture[1]



Mexicanbean beetle

Mexicanbean beetle
Mex·i·can
bean bee·tle (plural Mex·i·can bean
bee·tles) noun

North American ladybug:
a North American ladybug that feeds on the leaves of bean plants. Latin name: Epilachna
varivestis[1]



Mexicanhairless

Mexicanhairless
Mex·i·can
hair·less
(plural Mex·i·can hair·lesses) noun

very small hairless dog:
a tiny, mainly hairless dog, belonging to a breed originating in Mexico[1]



Mexicanivy vine

Mexicanivy vine
Mex·i·can
i·vy vine
(plural Mex·i·can i·vy vines) noun

See
cup-and-saucer plant[1]



Mexicanjumping bean

Mexicanjumping bean
Mex·i·can
jump·ing bean (plural Mex·i·can jump·ing
beans) noun

See
jumping bean[1]



MexicanSpanish

MexicanSpanish
Mex·i·can
Span·ish
noun

Spanish
spoken in Mexico: the form of the Spanish language used in
Mexico
—Mex·i·can Span·ish, adjective[1]



Mexicanstandoff

Mexicanstandoff
Mex·i·can
stand·off
(plural Mex·i·can stand·offs) noun

stalemate:
a dispute or argument that cannot be won (informal)[1]



MexicanWar

MexicanWar
Mex·i·can
War
noun

war between United States and
Mexico: a war between Mexico and the
United States that lasted from 1846 to 1848, during which the United States won
territory that now constitutes most of the states of the Southwest[1]



Mexicanwave

Mexicanwave
Mex·i·can
wave
(plural Mex·i·can waves) noun

U.K.
See wave
[So called because it was
first used at the World Cup soccer finals in Mexico in 1986][1]



Mexico




Back to definition

Mexico

[1]



Mexico

Mexico



Mex·i·co 
[méksik ]
federal republic in North America, south
of the United States. Language: Spanish. Currency: peso. Capital: Mexico City.
Population: 96,807,451 (1997) Area: 1,964,382 sq km/758,452 sq mi. Official
name United Mexican States[1]



MexicoCity

MexicoCity

Mex·i·co City

capital city of Mexico and of the Federal
District, located in the south central part of the country. It the most
populous urban area in the world. Population: 8,236,960 (1990)[1]



MexicoCity




Back to definition

MexicoCity

[1]



Mexico,Gulf of

Mexico,Gulf of
Mex·i·co,
Gulf of
[méksik ]

arm of the Atlantic Ocean,
bordered on the north by the United States, on the east by Cuba, and on the
south and west by Mexico. Area: 1,812,990 sq km/700,000 sq mi.[1]



Meynell,Alice

Meynell,Alice
Mey·nell
[mə nél], Alice (1847–1922)

British poet and literary
critic. Her essay collections include The Colour of Life (1896) and Hearts
of Controversy (1917).[1]



meze

meze
me·ze 
[mé zày, máy zày]
(plural me·zes or me·ze) noun

assortment
of snacks:
an assortment of snacks served with drinks as an appetizer or a light meal in
Greece and the Near East and usually consisting of simple foods such as olives,
cheese, cucumber, stuffed vine leaves, small pastries, or grilled sausages
[Early 20th century. Via
Turkish from Persian maza “to taste, relish.”][1]



mezereon

mezereon
me·ze·re·on 
[mə zrree ən] (plural me·ze·re·ons)
noun

medicinal
shrub:
a poisonous shrub of Europe and Asia that has clusters of fragrant purplish
flowers and bark that was once used to treat blisters and arthritis. Latin
name: Daphne mezereum
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin from Arabic māzaryūn .][1]



mezuzah

mezuzah
me·zu·zah 
[mə zzzə] (plural me·zu·zahs or
mezu·zot [mə z zt]) noun

small
parchment scroll: a scroll with biblical passages on one
side and a name of God on the other, inserted in a small case attached by
religious Jews to doorposts in the home
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew mězūzāh, literally “doorpost.”][1]



mezzanine

mezzanine
mez·za·nine 
[mézz’n n, mèzz’n
n] noun (plural mez·za·nines)

1.  mez·za·nine
or mez·za·nine floor intermediate story:
a low story, especially one between the first floor and the second floor in a
building.
Also
called
entresol

2.  theater’s
lowest balcony: the lowest balcony in a theater
adjective

FINANCE within
intermediate range of investment: constituting an
intermediate range of funding or investment, such as certain unsecured
high-yielding loans
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian mezzanino, literally “small one in the middle,” from
mezzano “middle,” from Latin medianus (see median ).][1]



mezzavoce

mezzavoce
mez·za
vo·ce 
[mètsə vṓ chày] adverb

with
moderate volume: with moderate volume from the voice or
instrument (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian, literally “half voice”]
—mez·za vo·ce, adjective[1]



mezzo

mezzo
mez·zo 
[métsō, médzō]
adverb

moderately:
moderately (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural mez·zos)

See
mezzo-soprano
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian, literally “middle, half,” from Latin medius (see medium ).][1]



mezzoforte

mezzoforte
mez·zo
for·te 
adverb

moderately
loud:
moderately loud (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian]
—mez·zo for·te, adjective[1]



mezzopiano

mezzopiano
mez·zo
pi·a·no 
adverb

moderately
soft:
moderately soft (used as a musical direction)
[From
Italian]
—mez·zo pi·a·no, adjective[1]



mezzo-relievo

mezzo-relievo
mez·zo-re·lie·vo 
(plural mez·zo-re·lie·vos) noun

moderately
deep carving: a carving in which the depth of the
relief is midway between high relief and bas relief
[From Italian, literally
“half-relief”][1]



mezzo-soprano

mezzo-soprano
mez·zo-so·pran·o 
noun

singer
with moderately high range: a woman whose singing voice
is between a soprano and a contralto in range
[From Italian, literally
“half soprano”][1]



mezzotint

mezzotint
mez·zo·tint 
[métsō tìnt, médzō
tìnt] noun (plural mez·zo·tints)

1.  engraving
process:
an engraving process that involves scraping and burnishing the roughened
surface of a copper plate

2.  mezzotint
print:
a print produced by the mezzotint process
transitive
verb
(past mez·zot·int·ed, past participle mez·zot·int·ed,
present participle mez·zot·int·ing, 3rd person present
singular mez·zo·tints)

engrave plate using mezzotint:
to engrave a copper plate by using the mezzotint process
[Mid-18th
century. Anglicization of Italian mezzotinto, literally “half-tint.”]
—mez·zot·in·ter, noun[1]



mf

mf
mf

1.  Abbreviation
of
medium frequency

2.  Abbreviation
of
mezzo forte

3.  Abbreviation
of
millifarad

[1]



mF

mF
mF

Abbreviation of
millifarad[1]



MF

MF
MF

1.  Abbreviation
of
machine finished

2.  Abbreviation
of
medium frequency

3.  Abbreviation
of
Middle French

[1]



M/F

M/F
M/F
or m/f

(in advertisements)Abbreviation
of male or female[1]



m.f.

m.f.
m.f.

Abbreviation of
mezzo forte[1]



M.F.A.

M.F.A.
M.F.A.

Abbreviation of
Master of Fine Arts[1]



mfd.

mfd.
mfd.

Abbreviation of
manufactured[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mfg.

mfg.
mfg.

Abbreviation of
manufacturing[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mfr.

mfr.
mfr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
manufacture

2.  Abbreviation
of
manufacturer

[1]



Mg

Mg
Mg

Symbol for
magnesium[1]



MG

MG
MG

1.  Abbreviation
of
machine glazed

2.  Abbreviation
of
machine gun

3.  Abbreviation
of
Major General

4.  Abbreviation
of
military government

[1]



mg

mg
mg

Symbol for
milligram[1]



MGB

MGB
MGB
noun

Soviet
secret police: the secret police of the former Soviet
Union from 1946 to 1954. Abbreviation of Ministerstvo Gosudarstvennoi
Bezopasnosti
[Mid-20th C. Shortening of
Russian “Ministry of State Security.”][1]



mgd

mgd
mgd

Abbreviation of
million gallons per day[1]



mgmt.

mgmt.
mgmt.

Abbreviation of
management[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mgr.

Mgr.
Mgr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Monseigneur

2.  Abbreviation
of
Monsignor

[1]



mgr.

mgr.
mgr.

Abbreviation of
manager[1]



mgt.

mgt.
mgt.

Abbreviation of
management[1]



MH

MH
MH

1.  Abbreviation
of
Medal of Honor

2.  Abbreviation
of
mental health

[1]



mH

mH
mH

Symbol for
millihenry[1]



MHA

MHA
MHA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Hospital Administration

2.  Abbreviation
of
Member of the House of Assembly

[1]



MHC

MHC
MHC
noun

a group of genes in mammals
located next or near to one another that serve to make cells separate and
distinguishable from those of other organisms. Abbreviation of major histocompatibility complex[1]



MHD

MHD
MHD

Abbreviation of
magnetohydrodynamics[1]



MHG

MHG
MHG

Abbreviation of
Middle High German[1]



M.H.L.

M.H.L.
M.H.L.

Abbreviation of
Master of Hebrew Literature[1]



mho

mho
mho 
[mō] (plural mhos) noun

See
siemens
[Late 19th century. Inverted
spelling of ohm, because conductance is the
reciprocal of resistance.][1]



M.H.R.

M.H.R.
M.H.R.

Abbreviation of
Member of the House of Representatives[1]



MHz

MHz
MHz

Symbol for
megahertz[1]



MI

MI
MI

1.  Abbreviation
of
Michigan

2.  Abbreviation
of
Military Intelligence

3.  Abbreviation
of
myocardial infarction

[1]



mi

mi
mi
[mee] or me [mee] noun

MUSIC syllable
used in singing: a syllable that represents the third
note in a scale, used for singing solfège. In fixed solfège it represents the
note E, the third note in the scale of C, while in solfège with movable do, it
is used to represent the third note of the key being sung.
[15th century. From medieval
Latin .][1]



mi.

mi.
mi.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mile

2.  Abbreviation
of
mill

[1]



MI5

MI5
MI5
noun

former name for British
counterintelligence service: a former
official and current popular name for Military Intelligence, section five, the
British security and counterintelligence service[1]



MI6

MI6
MI6
noun

former name for British
secret intelligence service: a former
official and current popular name for Military Intelligence, section six, the
British secret intelligence and espionage service[1]



MIA

MIA
MIA


Abbreviation
of
Master of International Affairs
noun

soldier reported missing in
action: a soldier who is reported
missing during a military mission. Full form missing
in action[1]



Miami

Miami

Mi·am·i 
[mī ámee]
city and seaport in southeastern Florida.
Population: 373,024 (1994)[1]



Miami




Back to definition

Miami

[1]



MiamiBeach

MiamiBeach
Mi·am·i
Beach
[mī ámee beech]

city and tourist resort in
southeastern Florida. Population: 90,153 (1994)[1]



Miao

Miao
Miao
[myow] noun adjective

See
Hmong
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese Miáo, literally “people.”][1]



Miao-Yao

Miao-Yao
Miao-Yao 
[myòw yów] noun

group
of languages in Southeast Asia: a group of languages,
including Hmong and Yao, spoken in parts of the People’s Republic of China,
Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. About six million people speak one of the Miao-Yao
languages.
—Miao-Yao, adjective[1]



miasma

miasma
mi·as·ma 
[mī ázmə, mee
ázmə] (plural mi·as·mas [mī
ázmətə] or mi·as·ma·ta) noun

1.  harmful
fumes:
a harmful or poisonous emanation, especially one caused by burning or decaying
organic matter

2.  unwholesome
atmosphere:
an unwholesome or menacing atmosphere
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French miasme from Greek miasma
“defilement, pollution,” from miainein “to pollute.”]
—mi·as·mal,
adjective

—mi·as·mat·ic [m əz máttik], adjective[1]



Mic.

Mic.
Mic.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Micah[1]



mica

mica
mi·ca 
[mkə] (plural mi·cas) noun

common
mineral:
any of several shiny silica minerals that occur in igneous and metamorphic
rocks. They split easily and are used as electrical insulators and in heating
elements because of their resistance to electricity and heat.
Also
called
isinglass
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “grain, crumb.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Greek mikros “small” (source of English micro- ).][1]



Micah

Micah2
Mi·cah2 noun

book of Bible:
one of the 12 prophetic books of the Bible known as the Minor Prophets,
containing both threats of doom and the prophecy of an age of universal peace.
It is traditionally attributed to the prophet Micah .[1]



Micah

Micah1
Mi·cah1 [mkə]
noun

Hebrew prophet:
in the Bible, a prophet who lived during the 8th century BC . He was a contemporary of Isaiah.[1]



Micawber

Micawber
Mi·caw·ber
[mi káwbər] noun

somebody
expecting better fortune: somebody who is poor and
idle but expects a better life to come along someday
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Wilkins Micawber, a character in David Copperfield
(1850) by Charles Dickens .]
—Mi·caw·ber·ish, adjective[1]



Miccosukee

Miccosukee
Mic·co·su·kee 
[mìkə skee] noun (plural Mic·co·su·kees
or Mic·co·su·kee) adjective

See
Mikasuki[1]



mice

mice
mice


Plural
of
mouse





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Of
  Mice and Men, a novella by author John Steinbeck ( 1937 ). With great
  compassion and realism, Steinbeck recounts the tragic tale of two itinerant
  laborers, George Milton and Lennie Small. When Lennie, a mentally challenged
  giant, accidentally kills a girl, George shoots his friend rather than
  surrender him to a lynch mob. It was made into a film by Lewis Milestone in
  1939.

[1]



micelle

micelle
mi·celle 
[mī sél, mi sél]
(plural mi·celles) noun

electrically
charged group of molecules: an electrically charged
particle formed by an aggregate of ions or molecules in soaps, detergents, and
other suspensions
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin micella, literally “small crumb,” from
Latin mica (see mica ).]
—mi·cel·lar, adjective[1]



Mich.

Mich.
Mich.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Michaelmas

2.  Abbreviation
of
Michigan

[1]



Michael

Michael
Mi·chael 
[mk’l], King of Romania (1921– )

He held the throne from 1927
to 1930 and from 1940 to 1947, when he abdicated and went into exile.[1]



Michaelmas

Michaelmas
Mich·ael·mas 
[mík’lməss] noun

feast
of St. Michael: a Christian holy day on September 29
celebrating the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.
Also
called
Feast of St Michael and All Angels
[Pre-12th century.
Contraction of Michael’s mass .][1]



Michaelmasdaisy

Michaelmasdaisy
Mich·ael·mas
dai·sy
noun

aster:
a common aster that has small purple, pink, or white flowers and blooms in the
fall[1]



Michelangelo

Michelangelo


Michelangelo
[mk’l ànjəlō] (1475–1564)
Italian
sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. One of the great masters of the High
Renaissance, his major works, such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the
Vatican, were executed for patrons in Florence and Rome.
Full name
Buonarroti Simoni, Michelangelo di Lodovico[1]



Michelson,Albert Abraham

Michelson,Albert Abraham
Mi·chel·son
[mk’lssən], Albert Abraham (1852–1931)

German-born U.S. physicist.
He won a Nobel Prize in physics (1907) for his precise measurements of the
velocity of light.[1]



Michener,James Albert

Michener,James Albert
Mich·e·ner
[míchənər], James Albert (1907–1997)

U.S. writer. He wrote popular
novels and short stories, such as the Pulitzer-prize-winning Tales of the
South Pacific ( 1947 ), source of the musical South Pacific ( 1949
).[1]



Michigan




Back to definition

Michigan1

[1]



Michigan

Michigan2
Mich·i·gan2  [míshigən]
noun

CARD GAMES card
game:
a gambling card game in which cards in the hand are played to match a sequence
on the table.
U.K.
term
Newmarket
[Early 20th century. Named
for the state of Michigan .][1]



Michigan

Michigan1


Mich·i·gan1  [míshigən]
state
in the northern United States, consisting of two peninsulas situated among four
of the Great Lakes. It has a border with Canada, and the states of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Capital: Lansing. Population:
9,773,892 (1997) Area: 151,549 sq km/58,513 sq mi.
—Mich·i·gan·der
[mìshi gándər], noun

—Mich·i·gan·ite [míshigə nt], noun, adjective[1]



MichiganCity

MichiganCity
Mich·i·gan
City
[míshəgin sitee]

city in northern Indiana, on
the southern shore of Lake Michigan just southwest of the Indiana-Michigan
border. Population: 32,979 (1996)[1]



Michigan,Lake

Michigan,Lake
Mich·i·gan,
Lake
[míshəgin]

lake in the northern United
States. It is the only one of the Great Lakes that lies entirely in the United
States. Area: 57,800 sq km/22,300 sq mi.[1]



Mick

Mick
Mick
[mik] (plural Micks) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s Irish origin or
Roman Catholic faith or an Irish person or a Roman Catholic (offensive)
[Mid-19th century. From Mick,
nickname for Michael .][1]



mickey

mickey
mick·ey 
[míkee] (plural mick·eys) noun
(informal)

1.  See
Mickey Finn

2.  Canada
bottle
of liquor:
a bottle of liquor, formerly a pint, now 375 ml, shaped to fit in a pocket
[Early 20th century][1]



MickeyFinn

MickeyFinn
Mick·ey
Finn 
(plural Mick·ey Finns) noun

drugged
drink:
an alcoholic drink to which a strong sedative has been added to make the
drinker unconscious (informal)
Also
called
mickey
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps the name of an unidentified individual.][1]



mickle

mickle
mick·le 
[mík’l] adjective

Scotland
abundant:
abundant or much
adverb

Scotland
greatly:
greatly or much
[Old English micel
(source also of much ), later
reinforced by Old Norse mikill, both ultimately from an Indo-European
base that is also the ancestor of English magnify,
major, maximum,
and mega-][1]



Micmac

Micmac
Mic·mac 
[mík màk] (plural Mic·mac or
Mic·macs) or Mi’kmaq noun

Native
American language: a Native North American
language belonging to the Algonquian branch of Algonquian-Wakashan languages,
spoken in eastern parts of Canada. Micmac is spoken by about three thousand
people.
[Early
18th century. Via French from Micmac migmac, literally “allies.”]
—Mic·mac, adjective[1]



micr-

micr-
micr-
prefix

(sometimes used before
vowels)See micro-[1]



micro

micro
mi·cro 
[mkrō] adjective

small: very
small
noun
(plural mi·cros) (informal)

1.  microprocessor:
a microprocessor

2.  microwave
oven:
a microwave oven

3.  microcomputer:
a microcomputer
[Mid-19th century. From micro- .][1]



micro-

micro-
micro-
prefix

1.  small,
minute • microseism.
Symbol µ

2.  using
a microscope or requiring magnification • microanatomy

3.  one
millionth (10  –6 ) • microcurie.
Symbol small mu

4.  of
a small area or on a small scale • microhabitat
• microteaching

5.  microfilm,
microphotography • microform

6.  abnormally
small • microdot
[From Greek mikros
“small” (source of English micron and
omicron )][1]



microaerophile

microaerophile
mi·cro·ae·ro·phile
[mkrō áirə fl] (plural mi·cro·ae·ro·philes)
noun

organism needing little
oxygen: a tiny organism, for
example, a bacterium, that is capable of living in an environment where there
is not much oxygen[1]



microampere

microampere
mi·cro·am·pere 
[mkrō ám pr] (plural mi·cro·am·peres)
noun

millionth of an ampere:
one millionth part of an ampere[1]



microanalysis

microanalysis
mi·cro·a·nal·y·sis 
[mkrō ə nálləssiss] (plural mi·cro·a·nal·y·ses
[mkrō ə nállə sz]) noun

1.  analysis
of a tiny sample: the chemical analysis of tiny samples of
a substance

2.  detailed
analysis:
any extremely detailed analysis of something
—mi·cro·an·a·lyst
[mkrō ánn’list], noun

—mi·cro·an·a·lyt·i·cal
[mkrō ann’l íttik’l], adjective[1]



microanatomy

microanatomy
mi·cro·a·nat·o·my 
[mkrō ə náttəmee] noun

See
histology
—mi·cro·an·a·tom·i·cal
[mkrō annə tómmik’l], adjective[1]



microbalance

microbalance
mi·cro·bal·ance 
[mkrō bàlləns] (plural mi·cro·bal·anc·es)
noun

balance for small amounts:
a balance for precisely weighing extremely small quantities up to 0.1 gm[1]



microbar

microbar
mi·cro·bar 
[mkrō br] (plural mi·cro·bars)
noun

millionth of a bar:
a unit of pressure equal to one millionth of a bar[1]



microbarograph

microbarograph
mi·cro·bar·o·graph 
[mkrō bérrə gràf] (plural mi·cro·bar·o·graphs)
noun

very sensitive barograph:
a barograph that records tiny changes in atmospheric pressure[1]



microbe

microbe
mi·crobe 
[m krb] (plural mi·crobes) noun

microscopic
organism:
a microscopic organism, especially one that transmits a disease
[Late
19th century. From French, from Greek mikros “small” + bios
“life.”]
—mi·cro·bi·al [mī krṓbee əl], adjective[1]



microbiology

microbiology
mi·cro·bi·ol·o·gy 
[mkrō bī ólləjee] noun

branch
of biology:
the scientific study of microscopic organisms and their effects
—mi·cro·bi·o·log·i·cal
[mkrō bī ə lójjik’l], adjective

—mi·cro·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



microbrewery

microbrewery
mi·cro·brew·e·ry 
[mkrō br əree] (plural mi·cro·brew·e·ries)
noun

small
brewery:
a small, usually independently owned brewery that produces limited quantities
of specialized beers, often selling them on the premises.
Also
called
boutique brewery
—mi·cro·brew·er,
noun

—mi·cro·brew·ing, noun[1]



microburst

microburst
mi·cro·burst 
[mkrō bùrst] (plural mi·cro·bursts)
noun

strong downdraft:
a strong localized air current that hits the ground and spreads, causing wind
to rapidly change direction and speed[1]



microbus

microbus
mi·cro·bus 
[mkrō bùss] (plural mi·cro·bus·es
or mi·cro·bus·ses) noun

vehicle shaped like bus:
a vehicle resembling a small bus that has a passenger compartment with two or
three rows of seats[1]



microcapsule

microcapsule
mi·cro·cap·sule 
[mkrō kàpsəl, mkrō
kàp sool] (plural mi·cro·cap·sules) noun

tiny capsule:
a tiny capsule used to release a drug, flavor, or chemical[1]



microcassette

microcassette
mi·cro·cas·sette
[mkrō kə sét] (plural mi·cro·cas·settes)
noun

small cassette:
a small audiotape cassette designed to fit into a pocket-size tape recorder or
dictation machine[1]



microcephaly

microcephaly
mi·cro·ceph·a·ly 
[mkrō séffəlee] or mi·cro·ceph·a·li·a
[mkrō séffəlee] noun

small
head:
the condition of having a small head or having reduced space for the brain in
the skull. This is often associated with learning difficulties.
—mi·cro·ce·phal·ic [mkrō sə fállik], adjective[1]



microchemistry

microchemistry
mi·cro·chem·is·try 
[mkrō kémmistree] noun

branch
of chemistry: the scientific study of extremely small
quantities of substances
—mi·cro·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—mi·cro·chem·ist, noun[1]



microchip

microchip
mi·cro·chip 
[mkrə chìp] (plural mi·cro·chips)
noun

See
chip[1]



microcircuit

microcircuit
mi·cro·cir·cuit 
[mkrō sùrkit] (plural mi·cro·cir·cuits)
noun

See
integrated circuit
—mi·cro·cir·cuit·ry [mkrō sùrkitree], noun[1]



microclimate

microclimate
mi·cro·cli·mate 
[mkrō klmət] (plural mi·cro·cli·mates)
noun

climate
of small area: the climate of a confined space or small
geographical area
—mi·cro·cli·mat·ic
[mkrō klī máttik], adjective

—mi·cro·cli·mat·i·cal·ly
[mkrō klī máttikəlee], adverb[1]



microclimatology

microclimatology
mi·cro·cli·ma·tol·o·gy
[mkrō klmə tólləjee] noun

study
of microclimates: the scientific study of microclimates
—mi·cro·cli·ma·to·log·ic
[mkrō klīmətə lójjik], adjective

—mi·cro·cli·ma·tol·o·gist
[mkrō klīmə tólləjist], noun[1]



microcline

microcline
mi·cro·cline 
[mkrō kln] noun

feldspar
mineral:
a mineral of the feldspar group used in manufacturing glass and porcelain.
KAlSi3O8
[Mid-19th century. From
German Mikroklin, from Greek mikros “small” + klinein “to
lean”; so called because its angle of cleavage differs only slightly from 90°.][1]



micrococcus

micrococcus
mi·cro·coc·cus 
[mkrō kókəss] (plural mi·cro·coc·ci
[mkrō kó k, mkrō
kók s]) noun

bacterium:
any mainly harmless spherical bacterium, such as the one that ferments milk.
Genus: Micrococcus
—mi·cro·coc·cal, adjective[1]



microcomputer

microcomputer
mi·cro·com·put·er 
[mkrō kəm pytər] (plural mi·cro·com·put·ers)
noun

small
computer:
a small computer in which the central processing unit is a single silicon chip
( microprocessor )
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on minicomputer .][1]



microcopy

microcopy
mi·cro·cop·y 
[mkrō kòppee] (plural mi·cro·cop·ies)
noun

copy of something on
microfilm: a photographic reproduction
of something on microfilm or microfiche[1]



microcosm

microcosm
mi·cro·cosm 
[mkrə kòzzəm] (plural mi·cro·cosms)
noun

small
version of something larger: a miniature copy of
something, especially when it represents or stands for a larger whole • Our
classroom was a microcosm of the university.
Also
called
microcosmos
[12th
century. Via French microcosme from, ultimately, Greek mikros kosmos
“little world.”]
—mi·cro·cos·mic
[mkrə kózmik], adjective

—mi·cro·cos·mi·cal·ly
[mkrə kózmikəlee], adverb[1]



microcosmicsalt

microcosmicsalt
mi·cro·cos·mic
salt
(plural mi·cro·cos·mic salts) noun

salt used in laboratory
testing: a colorless odorless salt
obtained from human urine and used to test metallic salts and oxides[1]



microcosmos

microcosmos
mi·cro·cos·mos 
[mkrō kòzməss, mkrō
kàz mss] (plural mi·cro·cos·moses) noun

See
microcosm[1]



microcrystal

microcrystal
mi·cro·crys·tal
[mkrō krìst’l] (plural mi·cro·crys·tals)
noun

very
tiny crystal: a crystal that can only be seen under a
microscope
—mi·cro·crys·tal·line
[mkrō krístəlin], adjective[1]



microcurie

microcurie
mi·cro·cur·ie
[mkrō kyree, mkrō
ky r] (plural mi·cro·cur·ies) noun

unit of radioactivity:
a unit of radioactivity that is equal to a millionth of a curie[1]



microcyte

microcyte
mi·cro·cyte 
[mkrə st] (plural mi·cro·cytes)
noun

small
red blood cell: an unusually small red blood cell
—mi·cro·cyt·ic [mkrə síttik], adjective[1]



microdissection

microdissection
mi·cro·dis·sec·tion
[mkrō di sékshən, mkrō
dī sékshən] noun

dissection under microscope:
dissection carried out using a microscope[1]



microdot

microdot
mi·cro·dot 
[mkrə dòt] (plural mi·cro·dots)
noun

1.  tiny
photograph:
a tiny photographic reproduction of something, about the size of a dot or a
pinhead

2.  dose
of LSD:
a dose of LSD in a tiny tablet (informal)

[1]



microeconomics

microeconomics
mi·cro·e·co·nom·ics 
[mkrō eekə nómmiks, mkrō ekə nómmiks] noun

branch
of economics: the study of specific or localized
aspects of an economy (takes a singular verb)
—mi·cro·e·co·nom·ic, adjective[1]



microelectronics

microelectronics
mi·cro·e·lec·tron·ics 
[mkrō i lek trónniks] noun

branch
of electronics: the technology and techniques involved
in the design, development, and construction of extremely small electronic
circuits, for example, computers on a single silicon chip (takes a singular
verb)
—mi·cro·e·lec·tron·ic,
adjective

—mi·cro·e·lec·tron·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



microelement

microelement
mi·cro·el·e·ment 
[mkrō èlləmənt] (plural mi·cro·el·e·ments)
noun

See
trace element[1]



microencapsulate

microencapsulate
mi·cro·en·cap·su·late 
[mkrō in kápsə làyt] (past mi·cro·en·cap·su·lat·ed,
past participle mi·cro·en·cap·su·lat·ed, present participle
mi·cro·en·cap·su·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular mi·cro·en·cap·su·lates)
transitive verb

enclose
in microcapsule: to enclose a substance in microcapsules
—mi·cro·en·cap·su·la·tion
[mkrō in kapsə láysh’n], noun[1]



microevolution

microevolution
mi·cro·ev·o·lu·tion 
[mkrō evvə lsh’n, mkrō
eevə lsh’n] noun

limited
change:
minor change within a species or small group of organisms, usually within a
short period of time
—mi·cro·ev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
[mkrō evvə lsh’n èrree, mkrō eevə lsh’n èrree], adjective[1]



microfarad

microfarad
mi·cro·far·ad 
[mkrō fè rad, mkrō
fèrrəd] (plural mi·cro·far·ads) noun

millionth of farad:
one millionth part of a farad[1]



microfauna

microfauna
mi·cro·fau·na
[mkrō fáwnə] plural noun

microscopic
animals:
animals so small that they can only be seen under a microscope
—mi·cro·fau·nal, adjective[1]



microfibril

microfibril
mi·cro·fib·ril
[mkrō fíbbrəl] (plural mi·cro·fib·rils)
noun

fine structure in cell:
in cells, any extremely fine structure resembling a thread[1]



microfiche

microfiche
mi·cro·fiche 
[mkrō fsh] (plural mi·cro·fiche
or mi·cro·fich·es) noun

sheet
of reduced photographs: a sheet of microfilm
containing information laid out in a grid pattern
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from Greek mikros “small” + French fiche “slip of
paper.”][1]



microfilament

microfilament
mi·cro·fil·a·ment 
[mkrō fílləmənt] (plural mi·cro·fil·a·ments)
noun

filament
in cells:
a very thin cellular filament that contains protein, found in muscle and the
cytoplasm of other cells
—mi·cro·fil·a·men·tous
[mkrō fillə méntəss], adjective[1]



microfilaria

microfilaria
mi·cro·fi·lar·i·a 
[mkrō fi láiree ə] (plural mi·cro·fi·lar·i·as
or mi·cro·fi·lar·i·ae [mkrō fi
láiree ]) noun

parasitic
larva:
the early larval stage of a parasitic nematode worm ( filaria
), a cause of heartworm in dogs and elephantiasis in humans
—mi·cro·fi·lar·i·al, adjective[1]



microfilm

microfilm
mi·cro·film 
[mkrə fìlm] noun (plural mi·cro·films)

tiny
photographs: a strip of photographic film on which
highly miniaturized reproductions have been recorded
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mi·cro·filmed,
past participle mi·cro·filmed, present participle mi·cro·film·ing,
3rd person present singular mi·cro·films)

photograph
on microfilm: to photograph something on microfilm
—mi·cro·film·a·ble, adjective[1]



microflora

microflora
mi·cro·flo·ra
[mkrō fláwrə] plural noun

microscopic
plants:
plants that can only be seen under a microscope
—mi·cro·flo·ral, adjective[1]



microform

microform
mi·cro·form 
[mkrə fàwrm] (plural mi·cro·forms)
noun

miniaturized reproductions:
film or paper that contains miniature reproductions, as microfilm and
microfiche do[1]



microfossil

microfossil
mi·cro·fos·sil 
[mkrō fòss’l] (plural mi·cro·fos·sils)
noun

microscopic fossil:
a fossil that can only be studied with a microscope, for example, a bacterium
fossil[1]



microfungus

microfungus
mi·cro·fun·gus
[mkrō fùng gəss] (plural mi·cro·fun·gi
[mkrō fùn j, mkrō
fùng g] or mi·cro·fun·gus·es) noun

fungus with unseen
reproductive parts: any fungus
that has tiny or unobservable reproductive organs[1]



microgram

microgram
mi·cro·gram
[mkrə gràm] (plural mi·cro·grams)
noun

millionth of gram:
one millionth part of a gram[1]



micrograph

micrograph
mi·cro·graph 
[mkrə gràf] (plural mi·cro·graphs)
noun

1.  picture
as seen through microscope: a photograph or drawing of
something as seen through a microscope

2.  device
for producing fine engravings: a device that can
produce engraving or writing using very fine lines
—mi·cro·graph·ic
[mkrə gráffik], adjective

—mi·cro·graph·i·cal·ly
[mkrə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



microgravity

microgravity
mi·cro·grav·i·ty
[mkrō grávvitee] noun

zero gravity:
a force of gravity so low that weightlessness occurs, for example, during space
travel[1]



microgroove

microgroove
mi·cro·groove
[mkrō grv] (plural mi·cro·grooves)
noun

narrow record groove:
the narrow spiral groove on a gramophone record[1]



microhabitat

microhabitat
mi·cro·hab·i·tat 
[mkrō hábbi tàt] (plural mi·cro·hab·i·tats)
noun

immediate localized
environment of organism: an
environment that has a unique set of ecological conditions within a larger
habitat and supports distinct flora and fauna. For example, wood lice are found
beneath the bark of rotting wood in a deciduous woodland microhabitat.[1]



microinch

microinch
mi·cro·inch
[mkrō ìnch] (plural mi·cro·inch·es)
noun

one millionth of inch:
a unit of linear measurement equivalent to one millionth of an inch. Symbol
µin[1]



microinjection

microinjection
mi·cro·in·jec·tion 
[mkrō in jékshən] (plural mi·cro·in·jec·tions)
noun

injection
into single cells: the injection of a very
small amount of liquid into individual cells, using a specialized instrument
and a microscope for observation
—mi·cro·in·ject, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



microinstruction

microinstruction
mi·cro·in·struc·tion 
[mkrō in strúkshən] (plural mi·cro·in·struc·tions)
noun

programming instruction:
a single instruction in a low-level computer program[1]



microlepidopteran

microlepidopteran
mi·cro·lep·i·dop·ter·an
[mkrō lèppi dóptərən] (plural mi·cro·lep·i·dop·ter·a
[mkrō lèppi dóptərə]) noun

tiny moth:
a small or medium-sized moth, for example, a leaf miner, that is of little
interest to a collector[1]



microlith

microlith
mi·cro·lith
[mkrə lìth] (plural mi·cro·liths)
noun

prehistoric
stone tool:
a tiny flint tool, usually triangular, found in Mesolithic sites in Europe and
dating from 12,000 to 3,000 BC
—mi·cro·lith·ic [mkrə líthik], adjective[1]



micromanage

micromanage
mi·cro·man·age
[mkrō mánnij] (past mi·cro·man·aged,
past participle mi·cro·man·aged, present participle mi·cro·man·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular mi·cro·man·ag·es) transitive verb

attend
to small details in management: to manage a business
or organization by paying extreme attention to small details
—mi·cro·man·age·ment,
noun

—mi·cro·man·ag·er, noun[1]



micromanipulator

micromanipulator
mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tor 
[mkrō mə níppyə làytər] (plural mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tors)
noun

device
controlling tiny tools: a device consisting of
geared controls for the manipulation of extremely small dissecting tools or
miniature surgical instruments under a microscope
—mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tion
[mkrō mə nìppyə láysh’n], noun

—mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tive
[mkrō mə níppyə làytiv], adjective[1]



micromere

micromere
mi·cro·mere 
[mkrō mr] (plural mi·cro·meres)
noun

small cell in fertilized egg:
either of the small cells ( blastomeres ) formed by the division of a
fertilized egg[1]



micrometeorite

micrometeorite
mi·cro·me·te·or·ite 
[mkrō mtee ə rt] (plural mi·cro·me·te·or·ites)
noun

particle
of cosmic dust on Earth: a particle of cosmic dust
that falls to Earth or onto the Moon’s surface. Micrometeorites originate in
space where they are called micrometeoroids.
—mi·cro·me·te·or·it·ic
[mkrō mtee áwrik], adjective[1]



micrometeoroid

micrometeoroid
mi·cro·me·te·or·oid 
[mkrō mtee ə ròyd] (plural mi·cro·me·te·or·oids)
noun

small dust particle in space:
an extremely small dust particle found in space that may land on Earth or the
Moon as a micrometeorite[1]



micrometeorology

micrometeorology
mi·cro·me·te·or·ol·o·gy 
[mkrō mtee ə rólləjee] noun

study
of weather in small area: the study of weather
conditions in the air immediately above ground level, especially in small areas
such as the area around a tree trunk or above a puddle
—mi·cro·me·te·or·o·log·i·cal
[mkrō mtee ərə lójjik’l], adjective

—mi·cro·me·te·or·ol·o·gist
[mkrō mtee ə rólləjist], noun[1]



micrometer

micrometer2
mi·cro·me·ter2 [mkrō
mtər] (plural mi·cro·me·ters) noun

one millionth of meter:
a unit of linear measurement equivalent to one millionth of a meter. Symbol
µm[1]



micrometer

micrometer1
mi·cro·me·ter1 [mī
krómmətər] noun

device
for measuring small distances accurately: a
device for measuring small diameters, thicknesses, distances, or angles to a
high degree of accuracy. The gap between the two measuring faces of the
instrument is measured by the movement of one face that has a finely threaded
screw marked with calibrated divisions.
[Late
17th century. From French micromètre .]
—mi·cro·met·ric
[mkrō méttrik], adjective

—mi·cro·met·ri·cal·ly
[mkrō méttrikəlee], adverb

—mi·crom·e·try [mī krómmətree], noun[1]



micrometre

micrometre
mi·cro·me·tre
noun

U.K. =
micrometer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








microminiaturization

microminiaturization
mi·cro·min·i·a·tur·i·za·tion
[mkrō minnee əchəri záysh’n, mkrō minnəchəri záysh’n] noun

production
and use of tiny circuitry: the production and use of
extremely small electronic components, especially semiconductors
—mi·cro·min·i·a·tur·ize
[mkrō mínnee əchə rz, mkrō mínnəchə rz], transitive verb

—mi·cro·min·i·a·tur·ized
[mkrō mínnee əchə rzd, mkrō mínnəchə rzd], adjective[1]



micromole

micromole
mi·cro·mole 
[mkrə ml] (plural mi·cro·moles)
noun

one
millionth of mole: a molecular weight expressed
in grams that is equivalent to one millionth of a mole. Symbol µmol
—mi·cro·mo·lar [mkrə mṓlər], adjective[1]



micromorphology

micromorphology
mi·cro·mor·phol·o·gy
[mkrō mawr fólləjee] noun

study
of details of external form: the study of the fine detail
in the external form and structure of organisms, or of other objects such as
metal surfaces
—mi·cro·mor·pho·log·i·cal
[mkrō màwrfə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



micron

micron
mi·cron
[m kròn] (plural mi·crons) noun

one
millionth of meter: a unit of linear measurement
equivalent to one millionth of a meter
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek mikros “small” + -on .][1]



Micronesia

Micronesia2


Mic·ro·nes·i·a2  [mkrə n_zhə, mkrə
nshə]
country in the western Pacific Ocean,
comprising more than 600 islands, about 60 of which are inhabited. Language:
English. Currency: U.S. dollar. Capital: Palikir. Population: 127,616 (1997)
Area: 702 sq km/271 sq mi. Official name Federated States of Micronesia[1]



Micronesia

Micronesia1
Mic·ro·nes·i·a1  [mkrə
n_zhə, mkrə nshə]

one of the three major
divisions of the Pacific Islands, comprising over 2,000 small islands in the
western Pacific Ocean, mainly north of the equator[1]



Micronesian

Micronesian
Mi·cro·ne·sian 
[mkrō nzh’n, mkrō
nsh’n] adjective

of Micronesia:
relating to Micronesia or its people or culture
noun
(plural Mi·cro·ne·sians)

1.  inhabitant
of Micronesia: a member of any of the groups of people
native to Micronesia

2.  group
of languages spoken in Micronesia: a group of languages,
including Gilbertese and Marshallese, spoken in Micronesia. It forms a subgroup
of the Eastern branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages. About 200,000 people
speak a Micronesian language.

[1]



micronize

micronize
mi·cron·ize 
[mkrə nz] (past mi·cron·ized,
past participle mi·cron·ized, present participle mi·cron·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mi·cron·iz·es) transitive verb

reduce
to particles of few microns: to reduce the particle size
of a powder down to a few millionths of a meter
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from micron .][1]



micronucleus

micronucleus
mi·cro·nu·cle·us 
[mkrō nklee əss] (plural mi·cro·nu·cle·i
[mkrō nklee ] or mi·cro·nu·cle·us·es)
noun

smaller
nucleus in protozoan cell: the smaller of the two
nuclei in the cells of ciliate protozoans. It contains genetic material and is
involved in sexual reproduction.
—mi·cro·nu·cle·ar, adjective[1]



micronutrient

micronutrient
mi·cro·nu·tri·ent 
[mkrō ntree ənt] (plural mi·cro·nu·tri·ents)
noun

nutrient needed in tiny
amounts: a substance such as a
vitamin or mineral that an organism requires for normal growth and development
but only in very small quantities[1]



microorganism

microorganism
mi·cro·or·gan·ism 
[mkrō áwrgə nìzzəm] (plural mi·cro·or·gan·isms)
noun

microscopic organism:
a tiny organism such as a virus, protozoan, or bacterium that can only be seen
under a microscope[1]



micropaleontology

micropaleontology
mi·cro·pa·le·on·tol·o·gy 
[mkrō pallee on tólləjee] noun

study
of microscopic fossils: a branch of paleontology
that studies the microorganisms preserved as fossils in sedimentary rocks
—mi·cro·pa·le·on·to·log·ic
[mkrō pallee əntə lójjik], adjective

—mi·cro·pa·le·on·tol·o·gist
[mkrō pallee on tólləjist], noun[1]



microparasite

microparasite
mi·cro·par·a·site
[mkrō pérrə st] (plural mi·cro·par·a·sites)
noun

parasitic
microorganism: a microorganism that lives as a parasite
on other organisms
—mi·cro·par·a·sit·ic [mkrō perrə síttik], adjective[1]



microphage

microphage
mi·cro·phage 
[mkrə fàyj] (plural mi·cro·phages)
noun

small
white blood cell: a small white blood cell, part of the
immune system, that removes bacteria and other foreign bodies from blood and
tissue
—mi·cro·phag·ic [mkrə fáyjik], adjective[1]



microphagous

microphagous
mi·cro·phag·ous
[mī króffəgəss] adjective

feeding on small food
particles: feeding on food in the form
of microscopic particles, for example, marine organisms[1]



microphone

microphone
mi·cro·phone 
[mkrə fn] (plural mi·cro·phones)
noun

device
for converting sounds: a device that converts
sounds to electrical signals by means of a vibrating diaphragm. The signals can
then be amplified, transmitted for broadcasting, or used for recording the
sounds.
[Late
17th century. The word originally denoted a device for making faint sounds
louder.]
—mi·cro·phon·ic [mkrō fónnik], adjective[1]



microphonics

microphonics
mi·cro·phon·ics
[mkrō fónniks] noun

audible vibration from
electronic device: the sound
heard from an electronic device, especially a loudspeaker, caused by the
vibration of some mechanical part (takes a plural verb)[1]



microphotograph

microphotograph
mi·cro·pho·to·graph 
[mkrō fṓtə gràf] (plural mi·cro·pho·to·graphs)
noun

1.  tiny
photographic image: a photographic image, for
example, on microfilm, that is so small that it has to be magnified in order to
be viewed

2.  photograph
of microscope image: a photograph of an object
viewed through a microscope
—mi·cro·pho·tog·ra·pher
[mkrō fə tóggrəfər], noun

—mi·cro·pho·to·graph·ic
[mkrō fōtə gráffik], adjective

—mi·cro·pho·tog·ra·phy
[mkrō fə tóggrəfee], noun[1]



microphysics

microphysics
mi·cro·phys·ics 
[mkrō fízziks] noun

study
of properties of molecules: the branch of physics that
studies objects and systems such as molecules, atoms, and elementary particles
that are observable only microscopically or indirectly (takes a singular
verb)
—mi·cro·phys·i·cal,
adjective

—mi·cro·phys·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mi·cro·phys·i·cist, noun[1]



microphyte

microphyte
mi·cro·phyte 
[mkrə ft] (plural mi·cro·phytes)
noun

microscopic
plant:
a plant observable only under a microscope, especially one that is parasitic
—mi·cro·phyt·ic [mkrə fíttik], adjective[1]



micropipette

micropipette
mi·cro·pi·pette 
[mkrō pī pét] (plural mi·cro·pi·pettes)
noun

instrument for measuring tiny
amounts: a very slender graduated
tube that is used to measure, transfer, or remove minute amounts of something[1]



microprint

microprint
mi·cro·print
[mkrə prìnt] (plural mi·cro·prints)
noun

tiny printed text:
printed text, for example, on microfilm, that is so small that it has to be
magnified in order to be viewed[1]



microprism

microprism
mi·cro·prism
[mkrə prìzzəm] (plural mi·cro·prisms)
noun

small prism in camera’s
focusing screen: a small prism that is
part of the focusing screen of many single-lens reflex cameras. When the image
is in focus, the prism prevents it from shimmering.[1]



microprocessor

microprocessor
mi·cro·proc·es·sor 
[mkrō pró sèssər] (plural mi·cro·proc·es·sors)
noun

central chip in
microcomputer: the central processing
unit that performs the basic operations in a microcomputer. It consists of an
integrated circuit contained on a single chip.
Also called
processor[1]



microprogram

microprogram
mi·cro·pro·gram
[mkrə prgrəm] (plural mi·cro·pro·grams)
noun

computer program built into
microprocessor: a built-in program used
within a microprocessor, consisting of a series of arithmetic and logic steps
that enable basic instructions to be carried out[1]



microprogramming

microprogramming
mi·cro·pro·gram·ming 
[mkrə prgrəming] noun

means of programming
computer: a means of programming the
central processing unit of a computer by breaking down instructions into a
series of small steps[1]



micropsia

micropsia
mi·crop·si·a
[mī króppsee ə] noun

vision
defect making objects appear smaller: a
vision defect in which the cones of the retina are abnormally separated by
local swelling, making objects appear smaller than they really are
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from micro- + Greek opsis “sight” + -ia .][1]



micropyle

micropyle
mi·cro·pyle 
[mkrə pl] (plural mi·cro·pyles)
noun

1.  small
opening in plant ovule: a small opening in the
covering of the ovule of a plant through which the pollen tube passes prior to
fertilization. After fertilization, the ovule becomes a seed and water is
absorbed through the opening.

2.  small
pore of insect egg: a small pore in the membrane
of an insect egg that allows sperm to enter and fertilize the egg
[Early
19th century. From French, from micro- “micro-” + Greek pulē
“gate” (source of English pylon ).]
—mi·cro·py·lar [mkrō plər], adjective[1]



microradiography

microradiography
mi·cro·ra·di·og·ra·phy
[mkrō raydee óggrəfee] noun

technique
for enlarging X-rays: a technique that enlarges
X-ray radiographs so that fine details can be examined
—mi·cro·ra·di·o·graph
[mkrō ráydee ə gràf], noun

—mi·cro·ra·di·o·graph·ic
[mkrō raydee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



microreader

microreader
mi·cro·read·er 
[mkrō rdər] (plural mi·cro·read·ers)
noun

device for reading microfilm:
a device that projects enlarged images and text from microfilm and microfiche
onto a screen for easy reading[1]



microscope

microscope

mi·cro·scope 
[mkrə skp] (plural mi·cro·scopes)
noun
magnifying instrument:
a device that uses a lens or system of lenses to produce a greatly magnified
image of an object. An optical microscope uses transmitted or reflected light
to obtain the image. An electron microscope uses a beam of electrons and a
system of electron-focusing lenses to obtain images.[1]



microscopic

microscopic
mi·cro·scop·ic 
[mkrə skóppik] adjective

1.  very
small:
extremely small

2.  thorough
and detailed: very thorough and meticulous

3.  mi·cro·scop·ic
or mi·cro·scop·i·cal invisible without
microscope:
invisible without the use of a microscope

4.  mi·cro·scop·ic
or mi·cro·scop·i·cal involving microscope:
using or involving a microscope
—mi·cro·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Microscopium

Microscopium
Mi·cro·sco·pi·um 
[mkrō skṓpee əm] noun

small constellation near
Sagittarius: a small inconspicuous
constellation in the skies of the southern hemisphere near Sagittarius[1]



microscopy

microscopy
mi·cros·co·py 
[mī króskəpee] (plural mi·cros·co·pies)
noun

1.  study
of microscopes: the study and design of microscopes

2.  experiment
using microscope: an investigation, observation, or
experiment that involves the use of a microscope
—mi·cros·co·pist, noun[1]



microsecond

microsecond
mi·cro·sec·ond
[mkrō sékənd] (plural mi·cro·sec·onds)
noun

one millionth of second:
a measurement of time equivalent to one millionth of a second. Symbol µs[1]



microseism

microseism
mi·cro·seism 
[mkrə szzəm] (plural mi·cro·seisms)
noun

faint
tremor:
a recurrent low-level earth tremor caused by phenomena such as the force of
crashing waves rather than by movement of rock masses
—mi·cro·seis·mic [mkrō szmik], adjective[1]



microsome

microsome
mi·cro·some 
[mkrə sm] (plural mi·cro·somes)
noun

small
cellular particle: a small particle obtained
after isolating a cell using centrifugal action, typically consisting of
ribosomes associated with fragments of endoplasmic reticulum. Microsomes are
filled with enzymes and may be involved in the synthesis of proteins.
—mi·cro·so·mal [mkrə sṓm’l], adjective[1]



microsporangium

microsporangium
mi·cro·spo·ran·gi·um 
[mkrō spə ránjee əm] (plural mi·cro·spo·ran·gi·a
[mkrō spə ránjee ə]) noun

structure
producing microspores: a part of the reproductive
structure of certain plants, especially ferns, that produces microspores.
See
also
sporangium
—mi·cro·spo·ran·gi·ate
[mkrō spə ránjee ət], adjective[1]



microspore

microspore
mi·cro·spore 
[mkrə spàwr] (plural mi·cro·spores)
noun

smaller spore produced by
seed plants: the smaller of two
kinds of spore produced by seed plants and some ferns that develops into a male
gametophyte[1]



microsporemother cell

microsporemother cell
mi·cro·spore
moth·er cell (plural mi·cro·spore moth·er
cells) noun

See
microsporocyte[1]



microsporocyte

microsporocyte
mi·cro·spo·ro·cyte 
[mkrə spáwrə st] (plural mi·cro·spo·ro·cytes)
noun

plant cell that splits into
microspores: a plant cell that
divides to produce four microspores.
Also called
microspore mother cell[1]



microsporophyll

microsporophyll
mi·cro·spo·ro·phyll 
[mkrə spáwrə fìl] (plural mi·cro·spo·ro·phylls)
noun

leaf with
microspore-producing part: a leaf that
bears a structure by which microspores are formed. In ferns, these are normal
foliage leaves, the equivalent of the stamen of a flowering plant.[1]



microstructure

microstructure
mi·cro·struc·ture 
[mkrō strùkchər] (plural mi·cro·struc·tures)
noun

fine
structure of material: the fine structure of a
material, usually only visible through a microscope and sometimes after some
form of surface preparation, for example, the etching of metal alloys
—mi·cro·struc·tur·al [mkrō strúkchərəl], adjective[1]



microsurgery

microsurgery
mi·cro·sur·ger·y 
[mkrō súrjəree] noun

delicate
surgery using precision instruments:
surgery performed with the aid of miniaturized precision instruments, including
scalpels, needles, and a specially designed optical microscope. Microsurgery is
used to perform almost all eye operations, in surgery on the middle and inner
ear, and to reattach limbs.
—mi·cro·sur·gi·cal, adjective[1]



microswitch

microswitch
mi·cro·switch
[mkrə swìch] (plural mi·cro·switch·es)
noun

small sensitive switch:
a very small sensitive switch that acts by the movement of a small lever and is
used where rapid precise movements are required, especially in keyboards and
automatic control devices[1]



microteaching

microteaching
mi·cro·teach·ing 
[mkrə tching] noun

teacher training using
videotape: a training exercise used in
teacher training in which a student or student teacher is videotaped during a
class. The videotape is then played back for analysis and evaluation.[1]



microtome

microtome
mi·cro·tome 
[mkrə tm] (plural mi·cro·tomes)
noun

instrument for cutting tissue
specimens: an instrument that uses a
steel blade to cut biological tissues into very thin transparent slices a few
millionths of a meter thick for microscopic examination[1]



microtomy

microtomy
mi·crot·o·my 
[mī króttəmee] noun

preparation
of thin tissue specimens: the process of preparing
thin slices of biological tissues using a microtome, so that they can be
observed under a microscope
—mi·cro·tom·ic
[mkrə tómmik], adjective

—mi·cro·tom·ist [mī króttəmist], noun[1]



microtone

microtone
mi·cro·tone 
[mkrə tn] (plural mi·cro·tones)
noun

musical
interval less than semitone: a musical interval smaller
than a semitone, especially a quarter tone
—mi·cro·ton·al
[mkrə tṓn’l], adjective

—mi·cro·to·nal·i·ty
[mkrə tō nállətee], noun

—mi·cro·ton·al·ly [mkrə tṓnəlee], adverb[1]



microtubule

microtubule
mi·cro·tu·bule 
[mkrō t byl] (plural mi·cro·tu·bules)
noun

tubular
structure in cell: a hollow tubular structure
composed of the protein tubulin that helps to maintain the shape and movement
of a living cell and the transport of material within it.
See
also
tubule
—mi·cro·tu·bu·lar [mkrō tbyələr], adjective[1]



microvasculature

microvasculature
mi·cro·vas·cu·la·ture 
[mkrō váskyələ chr, mkrō váskyələchər] noun

system
of small circulatory vessels: a part of the circulatory
system made up of the smallest vessels such as capillaries, arterioles, and
venules
—mi·cro·vas·cu·lar, adjective[1]



microvillus

microvillus
mi·cro·vil·lus 
[mkrō vílləss] (plural mi·cro·vil·li
[mkrō ví l]) noun

microscopic
cell in small intestine lining: a microscopic
hair-shaped cell that projects from the surface of the lining of the small
intestine, increasing the surface area available for the absorption of
nutrients.
See
also
epithelium
—mi·cro·vil·lar, adjective[1]



microvolt

microvolt
mi·cro·volt 
[mkrə vlt] (plural mi·cro·volts)
noun

one millionth of volt:
a unit of electric potential or electromotive force equivalent to one millionth
of a volt. Symbol µV[1]



microwatt

microwatt
mi·cro·watt 
[mkrə wòt] (plural mi·cro·watts)
noun

one millionth of watt:
a measurement of power equivalent to one millionth of a watt. Symbol µW[1]



microwave

microwave
mi·cro·wave 
[mkrə wàyv] noun (plural mi·cro·waves)

1.  high-frequency
electromagnetic wave: a type of electromagnetic
wave whose wavelength ranges from 1.0 mm to 30 cm, used in radar, to carry
radio transmissions, and in cooking or heating devices

2.  oven
using electromagnetic radiation: an oven that cooks or
heats food or beverages relatively quickly using high-frequency electromagnetic
radiation.
Also
called
microwave oven
transitive
verb
(past mi·cro·waved, past participle mi·cro·waved, present
participle mi·cro·wav·ing, 3rd person present singular mi·cro·waves)

heat or cook in a microwave:
to heat or cook food or beverages using an oven that uses high-frequency
electromagnetic radiation
—mi·cro·wav·a·ble, adjective[1]



microwaveoven

microwaveoven
mi·cro·wave
ov·en
noun

See
microwave  noun 2[1]



micturate

micturate
mic·tu·rate 
[míkchə ràyt] (past mic·tu·rat·ed,
past participle mic·tu·rat·ed, present participle mic·tu·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular mic·tu·rates) intransitive verb

urinate:
to urinate (technical)
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from micturition “urination,” from Latin micturire,
literally “to want to urinate,” from mict-, the past participle stem of meiere
“to urinate.”]
—mic·tu·ra·tion [mìkchə ráysh’n], noun[1]



mid.

mid.
mid.

Abbreviation of
middle[1]



mid

mid
mid
[mid] adjective

1.  occupying
middle or central position: being in the center or
halfway through something

2.  done
with tongue in middle position: produced as a vowel
with the tongue halfway between the high and low positions, for example, in the
words “but” or “bet”
[Old English midd .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English medium and meso-
.][1]



mid-

mid-
mid-
prefix

middle
• midrange
• midmost
[From mid][1]



Mid.

Mid.
Mid.

Abbreviation of
Midshipman[1]



midafternoon

midafternoon
mid·af·ter·noon
[mìd aftər nn] noun

middle
of afternoon: the part of the afternoon midway between
noon and sunset
—mid·af·ter·noon, adjective[1]



midair

midair
mid·air 
[mid áir] noun

point
in air above surface: a point in the air above the
ground or another surface
adjective

occurring in air above
surface: occurring or located at a
point in the air above the ground or another surface[1]



Midas

Midas
Mi·das 
[mdəss] noun

king who turned objects to
gold: in Greek mythology, a
Phrygian king who had befriended Silenus, a follower of Dionysus, and was
rewarded by Dionysus with the gift of making everything he touched turn into
gold[1]



Midastouch

Midastouch
Mi·das
touch
noun

ability to acquire riches:
the ability to make large amounts of money, often with very little apparent
effort[1]



mid-Atlantic

mid-Atlantic
mid-At·lan·tic
adjective

North American and British in
style: influenced by both North
America and Great Britain, especially in behavior or speech[1]



Mid-AtlanticRidge

Mid-AtlanticRidge
Mid-At·lan·tic
Ridge

submarine mountain range that
runs north-south through the Atlantic Ocean[1]



Mid-AtlanticStates

Mid-AtlanticStates
Mid-At·lan·tic
States 
plural noun

See
Middle Atlantic States[1]



midbrain

midbrain
mid·brain 
[míd bràyn] (plural mid·brains)
noun

middle part of brain:
the middle part of the three main divisions of either the embryonic or the
adult brain in vertebrates. Technical name mesencephalon[1]



midcourse

midcourse
mid·course 
[míd kàwrss] noun (plural mid·cours·es)

missile’s
flight between launch and reentry: the part of a
missile’s flight between the end of its launch and the beginning of its reentry
adjective

happening partway through
something: present or occurring partway
through a course or course of action[1]



midday

midday
mid·day 
[míd dày] noun

middle of day:
noon or the period around the middle of the day[1]



midden

midden
mid·den 
[mídd’n] (plural mid·dens) noun

1.  dunghill:
a pile of dung or refuse (archaic)

2.  See
kitchen midden
[14th century. Of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



Middle

Middle
Mid·dle
adjective

midway through linguistic or
literary development: relating to
a language or literature between its early and later stages of development[1]



middle

middle
mid·dle 
[mídd’l] adjective

1.  central
and equidistant from limits: equidistant from the sides,
edges, or ends of something

2.  being
halfway between beginning and end: occurring or located
halfway between the start and finish of a period of time, an event, or a series

3.  occupying
intermediate position: situated in an intermediate
position, for example, in age or status

4.  being
midway between extremes: lying between two extremes
or opposites and, consequently, usually moderate

5.  GRAMMAR concerning
voice expressing reflexive action: relating to the voice
of verbs in some languages such as ancient Greek and Sanskrit that expresses
the action of a subject on or for itself
noun
(plural mid·dles)

1.  midway
part or position: the part or position farthest from the
sides, edges, or ends of something • sitting
in the middle of the row

2.  part
between beginning and end: the part between or halfway
between the beginning and end of a period of time or an event • in
the middle of June

3.  position
between highest and lowest: the position or rank midway
between the highest and lowest

4.  inside
part:
the interior or central part of something

5.  central
part of body: the waist, stomach, or central area of
the human body (informal)

6.  SPORTS center
of team’s formation: the center of a team’s
formation or positioning, especially, in baseball, the area around second base

7.  GRAMMAR voice
expressing reflexive action: the voice of verbs in some
languages such as ancient Greek and Sanskrit that expresses the action of a
subject on or for itself
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mid·dled,
past participle mid·dled, present participle mid·dling,
3rd person present singular mid·dles)

1.  put
something in middle: to place something
equidistant from the sides, edges, or ends of something

2.  SAILING fold
sail in half: to fold a sail in half or to be folded
in half
[Old English middel][1]



middleage

middleage
mid·dle
age
noun

period between youth and
later life: the period in somebody’s
life when that person is no longer considered young, usually between 40 and 60.

Also called
midlife[1]



middle-aged

middle-aged
mid·dle-aged 
adjective

1.  no
longer young: no longer considered young, but not yet
considered old

2.  typical
of somebody middle-aged: characterized by the
behavior, attitudes, lifestyle, or interests considered characteristic of
middle age, especially staidness, conventionality, or old-fashionedness

[1]



MiddleAges

MiddleAges
Mid·dle
Ag·es
noun

period between antiquity and
Renaissance: the period in European
history between antiquity and the Italian Renaissance, often considered to be
between the end of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and the early 15th
century[1]



MiddleAmerica

MiddleAmerica
Mid·dle
A·mer·i·ca 
noun

1.  socially
traditional U.S. middle class: a section of the
middle class in the United States considered to be politically conservative and
to hold traditional social and moral values

2.  See
Midwest

3.  Mexico
and Central America: the area to the south of the
United States and the north of South America that includes Mexico, Central
America, and sometimes the West Indies
—Mid·dle A·mer·i·can, adjective,
noun[1]



MiddleAtlantic States

MiddleAtlantic States
Mid·dle
At·lan·tic States  or Mid-At·lan·tic States plural
noun

U.S. states on mid-Atlantic
coast: the states midway along the
Atlantic coast of the United States, consisting of New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania, and usually Delaware and Maryland[1]



middlebreaker

middlebreaker
mid·dle·break·er
[mídd’l bràykər] (plural mid·dle·break·ers)
or mid·dle·bust·er [mídd’l bùstər]
(plural mid·dle·bust·ers) noun

See
lister[1]



middlebrow

middlebrow
mid·dle·brow 
[mídd’l bròw] (plural mid·dle·brows)
noun

somebody
culturally conventional and moderate:
somebody who is conventional and moderately inclined in cultural tastes and
interests (informal)
See
also
highbrow
See
also
lowbrow
[Early
20th century. Modeled on highbrow and lowbrow .]
—mid·dle·brow, adjective[1]



middleC

middleC
mid·dle
C
noun

note in middle of piano
keyboard: a note roughly in the middle
of a piano keyboard, written in musical notation on the first ledger line below
the treble staff or above the bass staff[1]



middleclass

middleclass
mid·dle
class
(plural mid·dle class·es) noun

social
class with average incomes: the section of society
between the poor and the wealthy, including many business and professional
people and skilled workers
—mid·dle-class, adjective[1]



middledistance

middledistance
mid·dle
dis·tance
noun

1.  area
between foreground and background: the portion of space
that is further away from a viewer than the foreground but nearer than the
background, especially in a landscape painting or photograph.
Also
called
middle ground

2.  medium-length
foot race:
a foot race that is between 400 m440 yards and 1500 mone mile long

[1]



MiddleDutch

MiddleDutch
Mid·dle
Dutch
noun

Dutch language from 1100 to
1500: the form of the Dutch
language spoken and written from about the 12th to the beginning of the 16th
centuries AD[1]



middleear

middleear

mid·dle ear
(plural mid·dle ears) noun
part of inner ear:
the narrow air-filled space between the ear drum and the outer wall of the
inner ear that contains the three tiny bones that transmit sound vibrations[1]



MiddleEarth

MiddleEarth
Mid·dle
Earth
noun

See
Midgard[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MiddleEast

MiddleEast

Mid·dle
East
noun

1.  region
stretching from Egypt to Iran: the region stretching
from the eastern Mediterranean to the western side of the Indian subcontinent,
including Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey,
Iran, and Iraq.
Also
called
Mideast
Also
called
Near East

2.  historical
area from Iran to Myanmar: formerly, the area extending
from Iran to Myanmar, including Afghanistan, India, and Tibet
—Mid·dle
East·ern, adjective

—Mid·dle East·ern·er, noun[1]



MiddleEast




Back to definition

MiddleEast

[1]



MiddleEnglish

MiddleEnglish
Mid·dle
Eng·lish
noun

English language from 1100 to
1500: the form of the English
language spoken and written from about the 12th to the beginning of the 16th
centuries AD. The leading dialects
of this period were Kentish, West Saxon, West Midland, East Midland, and
Northern.
See also
Old English
See also
Modern English[1]



MiddleFrench

MiddleFrench
Mid·dle
French
noun

French language from 1300 to
1600: the form of the French
language spoken and written from about the 14th to the beginning of the 17th
centuries AD.
See also
Old French[1]



middlegame

middlegame
mid·dle
game
noun

middle part of chess game:
the middle part of a game of chess, after the opening moves and before the
endgame[1]



MiddleGreek

MiddleGreek
Mid·dle
Greek
noun adjective

See
Medieval Greek[1]



middleground

middleground
mid·dle
ground
noun

1.  See
middle distance

2.  position
between extremes: an intermediate position between two
opposing views or factions • The
two parties were unable to find any middle ground.

[1]



MiddleHigh German

MiddleHigh German
Mid·dle
High Ger·man noun

High German from 1100 to
1500: the form of High German
spoken and written from about the 12th to the beginning of the 16th centuries AD[1]



middle-income

middle-income
mid·dle-in·come 
adjective

earning average salary:
earning a wage or salary that is roughly the same as the average for a
population[1]



MiddleIrish

MiddleIrish
Mid·dle
I·rish
noun

Irish Gaelic from 1000 to
1400: the form of Irish Gaelic
spoken and written from about the 11th to the beginning of the 15th centuries AD[1]



MiddleKingdom

MiddleKingdom
Mid·dle
King·dom
noun

1.  period
of ancient Egyptian history: a period of Egyptian history
from the late 11th dynasty, approximately 2040 BC,
to the 13th dynasty, 1670 BC

2.  former
Chinese Empire: the former Chinese Empire, so called
because it was supposedly at the center of the earth

3.  central
territory of Chinese Empire: the central territory held
by most Chinese Empires, including the Huang and Yangtze river valleys, and
eventually the eighteen inner provinces of China

[1]



middlelamella

middlelamella
mid·dle
la·mel·la
(plural mid·dle la·mel·lae) noun

membrane separating plant
cells: a thin membrane, composed of
pectin and other polysaccharides, that cements the walls of two adjacent plant
cells together[1]



MiddleLow German

MiddleLow German
Mid·dle
Low Ger·man
noun

Low German from 1100 to 1500:
the form of Low German spoken and written from about the 12th to the beginning
of the 16th centuries AD[1]



middleman

middleman
mid·dle·man 
[mídd’l màn] (plural mid·dle·men
[mídd’l mèn]) noun

1.  somebody
who buys and sells goods: a trader who buys goods from
a producer and then sells them to retailers or consumers

2.  go-between:
somebody who acts as a negotiator or intermediary

[1]



middlemanagement

middlemanagement
mid·dle
man·age·ment noun

managers
below top executives: managers who are responsible
for relatively small numbers of staff and are involved in the details of
running an organization rather than in making major decisions or setting policy
—mid·dle man·ag·er, noun[1]



middlemost

middlemost
mid·dle·most 
[mídd’l mst] adjective

See
midmost[1]



middlename

middlename
mid·dle
name
noun

name between first name and
surname: the name between a first
name and a surname[1]



middle-of-the-road

middle-of-the-road
mid·dle-of-the-road 
adjective

1.  occupying
intermediate position: taking a course of action or
adopting a point of view that is midway between two extremes

2.  MUSIC intended
to have broad music appeal: intended to be musically
appealing to many people and avoiding stylistic extremes
—mid·dle-of-the-road·er,
noun[1]



MiddlePaleolithic

MiddlePaleolithic
Mid·dle
Pa·le·o·lith·ic noun

period between Lower and
Upper Paleolithic: the period
between the Lower and Upper Paleolithic ages, from about 70 000 BC to 32 000 BC[1]



middlepassage

middlepassage
mid·dle
pas·sage
noun

journey from Africa in slave
ships: the journey from western
Africa across the Atlantic to the West Indies or the Americas, undertaken by
many slave ships[1]



middleschool

middleschool
mid·dle
school
noun

school for preteens:
a school for children between the ages of about 11 and 14 years, depending on
the school’s location.
See also
junior high[1]



MiddleScots

MiddleScots
Mid·dle
Scots
noun

intermediate form of Scots
language: the form of the Scots
language written and spoken between the late 15th and the early 17th centuries[1]



middle-sized

middle-sized
mid·dle-sized
adjective

of average size:
neither very big nor very small[1]



middleterm

middleterm
mid·dle
term
noun

LOGIC
term in both premises of syllogism:
a term that appears in both premises of a syllogism but not in the conclusion[1]



Middleton,Arthur

Middleton,Arthur
Mid·dle·ton
[mídd’ltən], Arthur (1742–1787)

U.S. statesman. He was a
member of the Continental Congress (1776–1777) and signed the Declaration of
Independence (1776).[1]



Middletown

Middletown
Mid·dle·town 
[mídd’l town]

1.  city
in central Connecticut, in Middlesex County, on the Connecticut River.
Population: 42,615 (1994)

2.  city
in southeastern New York, northwest of Spring Valley and southwest of Newburgh.
Population: 24,192 (1996)

[1]



middleware

middleware
mid·dle·ware 
[mídd’l wàir] noun

COMPUT
software connecting client and database:
software that manages the connection between a client and a database[1]



middlewatch

middlewatch
mid·dle
watch
noun

NAUTICAL
watch between midnight and 4:00 A.M.:
the watch from midnight until 4:00 A.M.
aboard a vessel[1]



middleweight

middleweight
mid·dle·weight 
[mídd’l wàyt] (plural mid·dle·weights)
noun

1.  BOXING professional
boxer lighter than light heavyweight: a
professional boxer weighing between 66.5 and 72.5 kg/147 and 160 lb, heavier
than a welterweight but lighter than a light heavyweight

2.  BOXING amateur
boxer lighter than light heavyweight: an
amateur boxer weighing between 71 and 75 kg/157 and 165 lb

3.  SPORTS WRESTLING wrestler of intermediate
weight:
a contestant in various sports, such as wrestling, of approximately the same
weight as a middleweight boxer

[1]



MiddleWelsh

MiddleWelsh
Mid·dle
Welsh
noun

Welsh language from 1100 to
1400: the form of the Welsh
language written and spoken from about the 12th to the beginning of the 15th
centuries AD[1]



MiddleWest

MiddleWest
Mid·dle
West
noun

See
Midwest
—Mid·dle
West·ern, adjective

—Mid·dle West·ern·er, noun[1]



middling

middling
mid·dling 
[míddling] adjective

1.  medium,
moderate, or average: of average size, quantity,
quality, or position

2.  ordinary
and unexceptional: neither good nor bad,
especially in health or mood
plural
noun
mid·dlings

1.  Southern
U.S.
FOOD cut of
pork:
a cut of pork taken from between the ham and the shoulder and often cured or
salted

2.  COMMERCE things
of average quality: commodities or resources,
such as ore or petroleum, that are of average quality, grade, or price

3.  FOOD poor-quality
flour:
poor-quality flour made from coarsely ground wheat and bran (takes a
singular or plural verb)
[Late
16th century. Formed from mid + -ling .]
—mid·dling·ly, adverb[1]



middy

middy
mid·dy 
[míddee] (plural mid·dies) noun

1.  NAVY midshipman:
a midshipman (informal)

2.  mid·dy
or mid·dy blouse CLOTHES
blouse
with sailor collar: a loose blouse with a sailor
collar worn by women and children

[1]



Mideast

Mideast
Mid·east 
[mid st] noun

Middle
East:
the Middle East
—Mid·east·ern,
adjective

—Mid·east·ern·er, noun[1]



midfield

midfield
mid·field 
[míd fld] noun

1.  central
area of field: the middle portion of a sports field,
especially the area midway between the goals

2.  players
in central area of field: the group of players who
contest control of the central area of the field between the two penalty areas
(takes a singular or plural verb)
—mid·field·er, noun[1]



Midgard

Midgard
Mid·gard 
[míd grd] or Mid·garth [míd gr] or Mid·garthr [míd grər] noun

abode of humankind in Norse
mythology: in Norse mythology, the home
of humankind, midway between Asgard and the underworld, encircled by a huge
serpent, and formed from the body of the giant Ymir.
Also called
Middle Earth[1]



midge

midge
midge 
[mij] (plural midges) noun

1.  INSECTS tiny
swarming fly: a small slender flying insect that
occurs globally, particularly in swarms near bodies of standing water, or a
related biting insect that can transmit blood-borne diseases. Family:
Chironomidae Ceratopogonidae

2.  person
of small stature: a person or animal of small stature
[Old English mycg .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base, probably originally an imitation of the
sound of humming, that is also the ancestor of English mosquito, musket,
and myiasis .][1]



midget

midget
midg·et 
[míjjit] noun (plural midg·ets)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a very short person whose skeleton and features are of
normal proportions (offensive)

2.  very
small version of something: a very small version of
something, such as a car or boat
adjective

miniature or smaller than usual:
miniaturized or belonging to a class smaller than the ordinary size
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from midge, literally “little midge.”][1]



midgut

midgut
mid·gut 
[míd gùt] (plural mid·guts) noun

1.  BIOLOGY part
of digestive tract: the central section of the
digestive tract of a vertebrate, in which the processes of digestion and
absorption take place

2.  BIOLOGY part
of invertebrate alimentary canal: the middle section of
the alimentary canal of an invertebrate

3.  EMBRYOLOGY part
of embryo:
the middle portion of the gut of an embryo that develops into most of the small
intestine and part of the large intestine

[1]



Midheaven

Midheaven
Mid·heav·en
[míd hèvv’n] noun

point where meridian is
crossed: the point on the apparent
annual path of the sun in the celestial sphere where the meridian is crossed,
or the sign of the zodiac that contains it[1]



MIDI

MIDI
MIDI 
[míddee] noun

interface between electronic
instrument and computer: the
interface between an electronic musical instrument and a computer, used in
composing and editing music to allow the computer to control an instrument or
one instrument to control others. Abbreviation of musical instrument
digital interface[1]



Midi

Midi
Mi·di 
[mdee]

name for the south of France[1]



midi

midi
mid·i 
[míddee] (plural mid·is) noun

garment
ending just below knee: a skirt or coat that comes
down to just below the knee or halfway down the calf
[Mid-20th century. From midi-
“medium-sized,” a combining form formed from mid
on the model of mini- and maxi- .][1]



Midi,Canal du

Midi,Canal du
Mi·di,
Canal du
[mee d]

canal that links the Bay of
Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea[1]



midiron

midiron
mid·i·ron 
[míd rn] (plural mid·i·rons) noun

iron-headed golf club:
in golf, a number 5, 6, 7, or 8 iron, used to give the ball a medium amount of
lift[1]



midland

midland
mid·land 
[míddlənd] noun

interior
part of country: the middle, inland, or interior part of
a country
adjective

of middle of country:
relating to or being in the middle or interior of a country[1]



Midland

Midland
Mid·land 
noun

1.  form
of American English: a variety of American
English spoken in parts of states south from New Jersey to Georgia, especially
in the Appalachian and Piedmont mountains and in the Shenandoah Valley

2.  U.K.
form
of British English: a variety of British English
spoken in the Midlands of England, divided into East Midland and West Midland

[1]



Midlands

Midlands
Mid·lands 
[mídləndz]

central,
largely industrialized part of England, centered on Birmingham (takes a
singular or plural verb)
—Mid·land·er, noun[1]



Midler,Bette

Midler,Bette
Mid·ler
[míddlər], Bette (1945– )

U.S.
singer and actress. Known for her lively stage act, she also played the Janis
Joplin-like character in the movie The Rose ( 1979 ).
Known as
The Divine Miss M[1]



midlife

midlife
mid·life 
[míd lf] noun

See
middle age[1]



midlifecrisis

midlifecrisis
mid·life
cri·sis
(plural mid·life cri·ses) noun

loss of confidence in middle
age: feelings of self-doubt and a
lack of confidence experienced by some people when they become middle-aged[1]



midmorning

midmorning
mid·morn·ing
[mìd máwrning] noun

middle
of morning:
the middle part of the morning
—mid·morn·ing, adjective[1]



midmost

midmost
mid·most
[míd mst] adjective

located
at or nearest center: situated at or nearest the
center of something
adverb

in
middle:
in the middle or midst of something
[Old English midmest][1]



Midn.

Midn.
Midn.

Abbreviation of
Midshipman[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








midnight

midnight
mid·night 
[míd nt] noun

1.  midpoint
of night:
twelve o’clock at night or the period around the middle of the night

2.  time
of great darkness: a period of intense darkness
or gloom (literary)
—mid·night·ly, adjective,
adverb[1]



midnightblue

midnightblue
mid·night
blue
adjective

blackish
blue:
of a dark blue color verging on black, like the sky on a clear night
—mid·night blue, noun[1]



midnightsun

midnightsun
mid·night
sun
noun

sun visible at midnight at
pole: the sun when it is visible
from within the Arctic or Antarctic circles at midnight during their respective
summer months[1]



mid-oceanridge

mid-oceanridge
mid-o·cean
ridge 
noun

undersea mountain range:
a long underwater mountain range of the Atlantic, Indian, or South Pacific
Oceans formed from volcanic rock released during the movement of tectonic
plates[1]



midpoint

midpoint
mid·point 
[míd pòynt] (plural mid·points)
noun

1.  point
halfway between beginning and end: the point on a line,
journey, or distance that is halfway between the beginning and end

2.  point
of time halfway through something: the point of time
halfway between the beginning and end of an event, course of action, or period
of time

[1]



midrange

midrange
mid·range
[míd ràynj] noun

middle
of series:
the middle of a series, array, or range
adjective

covering medium distance:
covering a distance midway between a short-range and long-range trajectory[1]



Midrash

Midrash
Mid·rash 
[mí drsh] (plural Mid·rash·im
[mi drshim, mì
draa shm]) noun

commentary
on Hebrew Bible: a body of Rabbinic literature consisting
of commentary on and clarification of biblical texts, first compiled before 500
AD
[Early 17th century. From
Hebrew midrāš, from dāraš “to expound.”][1]



midrash

midrash
mid·rash 
(plural mid·rash·im) noun

technique of commenting on
Hebrew Scriptures: the
technique of interpreting or commenting on the Hebrew Scriptures[1]



midrib

midrib
mid·rib 
[míd rìb] (plural mid·ribs) noun

thick central vein of leaf:
the thick central vein that runs from the base of a leaf to its apex[1]



midriff

midriff
mid·riff 
[míddrif] (plural mid·riffs) noun

1.  middle
front area of human body: the area of the human body
between the chest and the waist

2.  ANATOMY diaphragm:
the diaphragm (dated)

3.  CLOTHES part
of clothing over middle: the part of clothing that
covers the area of the human body from the chest to the waist

4.  CLOTHES clothing
exposing stomach area: an article of clothing that
exposes the stomach area
[Old English midhrif
“diaphragm,” from midd (see mid ) + hrif
“belly” (ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “body” that is also the
ancestor of English corpse )][1]



mid-rise

mid-rise
mid-rise 
adjective

moderately
high:
relating to or consisting of buildings that are of moderate height, about five
to ten stories
noun
(plural mid-ris·es)

moderately high building:
a building of moderate height, about five to ten stories[1]



midsagittal

midsagittal
mid·sag·it·tal 
[mid sájjit’l] adjective

of imaginary midline plane
through body: relating to or situated
along an imaginary plane that passes through the midline of the body or an
organ[1]



midsection

midsection
mid·sec·tion 
[míd sèkshən] (plural mid·sec·tions)
noun

middle part of something:
the middle part of something, especially the area of the human body between the
chest and waist[1]



midship

midship
mid·ship 
[míd shìp] (plural mid·ships) adjective

relating to middle section of
ship: relating to or located in
the middle section of a ship or vessel[1]



midshipman

midshipman
mid·ship·man 
[míd shìpmən] (plural mid·ship·men)
noun

1.  student
training to be naval officer: a student who is training to
be a naval officer, especially one at a naval academy.
See
also
cadet

2.  North
American toadfish: a toadfish of North America
that has rows of light-producing organs along the underside of its body and
produces a buzzing sound. Genus: Porichthys
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier midshipsman, so called because such officers were
originally stationed amidships.][1]



midships

midships
mid·ships 
[míd shìps] adverb adjective

See
amidships
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



midsize

midsize
mid·size
[míd sz] or mid·sized [míd sz] adjective

medium-sized:
with a size midway between large and small[1]



midst

midst
midst 
[midst, mitst]
noun

center:
the middle or central part of something
preposition

amid:
amid somebody or something (literary)
[15th
century. Alteration of earlier middes, from mid
.]
in
the midst of

in
the middle of a situation, place, event, or period of time

in
our midst

among us[1]



midstream

midstream
mid·stream 
[mid strm] noun

1.  middle
part of river: the middle part of a river or stream
where the current is often very strong

2.  point
halfway through something: a point after the beginning
and before the end of something such as a speech or course of action
—mid·stream, adverb[1]



midstream

midstream
mid·stream 
[mid strm] noun

1.  middle
part of river: the middle part of a river or stream
where the current is often very strong

2.  point
halfway through something: a point after the beginning
and before the end of something such as a speech or course of action
—mid·stream, adverb[1]



midsummer

midsummer
mid·sum·mer 
[míd sùmmər] noun

1.  middle
of summer:
the period of time in the middle of summer

2.  See
summer solstice

[1]



MidsummerDay

MidsummerDay
Mid·sum·mer
Day 
(plural Mid·sum·mer Days) or Mid·sum·mer’s Day (plural
Mid·sum·mer’s Days) noun

day of June 24:
the day of June 24, celebrated by Christians as the feast of St. John the
Baptist.
Also called
St. John’s Day[1]



midterm

midterm
mid·term 
[míd tùrm] noun (plural mid·terms)

1.  EDUCATION POLITICS midpoint
of term:
the middle of an academic term or a term of office

2.  EDUCATION exam
halfway through academic term: an exam taken halfway
through an academic term (often used in the plural)

3.  OBSTETRICS period
midway through pregnancy: the period halfway through a
pregnancy
adjective

in middle of term of office:
occurring in the middle of a term of office, especially the term of a president
of the United States • midterm
elections

[1]



midtown

midtown
mid·town 
[míd tòwn] noun

central area of city:
the central area of a city between the uptown and downtown areas especially in
Manhattan[1]



midway

midway
mid·way 
[míd wày] adverb adjective

1.  half
of the way:
halfway between two points, parts, or places

2.  halfway
through something: halfway through an event,
course of action, or period of time
noun
(plural mid·ways)

area of sideshows at fair:
an area in a fair, carnival, or circus for sideshows and other amusements
[Old English midweg][1]



MidwayIslands

MidwayIslands
Mid·way
Is·lands 
[míd way ləndz]

coral atoll consisting of two
islets in the central Pacific Ocean, belonging to the United States. Area: 5 sq
km/2 sq mi.[1]



Midweek

Midweek
Mid·week
[míd wk] (plural Mid·weeks) noun

Quaker name for Wednesday:
the day of Wednesday, so called by members of the Society of Friends[1]



midweek

midweek
mid·week 
[míd wk] noun

middle
of week:
the period of time in the middle of a week
adjective
adverb

in
middle of week: on a day in the middle of the week
—mid·week·ly [mìd wklee], adjective, adverb[1]



Midwest




Back to definition

Midwest

[1]



Midwest

Midwest

Mid·west 
[mid wést] noun
central
United States: the northern region of the central
United States east of the Rocky Mountains, generally including the states of
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio,
and Wisconsin.
Also
called
Middle West
Also
called
Middle America
—Mid·west·ern,
adjective

—Mid·west·ern·er, noun[1]



midwife

midwife
mid·wife 
[míd wf] noun (plural mid·wifes
[míd wvz])

1.  MEDICINE somebody
trained to deliver babies: somebody trained to help
deliver babies and offer support and advice to pregnant women

2.  somebody
helping to create something: somebody who or something
that helps create or produce something new
transitive
verb
(past mid·wifed or mid·wived, past participle
mid·wifed or mid·wived [míd
wvd], present participle mid·wif·ing or mid·wiv·ing
[míd wving], 3rd person present singular
mid·wifes)

assist in birth of baby:
to assist in the delivery of a baby
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from obsolete mid “with” + wife
in the obsolete sense “woman.”][1]



midwifery

midwifery
mid·wife·ry 
[míd wfəree, mid
wfəree] noun

profession of delivering
babies: the technique or practice of
helping to deliver babies and offering advice and support to pregnant women[1]



midwinter

midwinter
mid·win·ter 
[mid wíntər] noun

1.  middle
of winter:
the period in the middle of winter

2.  See
winter solstice

[1]



midyear

midyear
mid·year 
[míd yr] (plural mid·years) noun

1.  middle
of year:
the period in the middle of the academic, calendar, or fiscal year

2.  exam
halfway through academic year: an exam taken halfway
through the academic year (informal)

[1]



mien

mien
mien 
[meen] noun

somebody’s
general air: somebody’s appearance, bearing, or
posture, especially facial expressions, as an indication of mood or character (literary)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of obsolete demeine “demeanor” (from
Old French, from demener ; see demean
); subsequently influenced by French mine “facial appearance.”][1]



Miesvan der Rohe, Ludwig

Miesvan der Rohe, Ludwig
Mies
van der Ro·he [mz van dər
rṓ ə], Ludwig (1886–1969)

German-born U.S. architect
and designer. He was a pioneer in the design of glass-walled skyscrapers, in
particular the Seagram Building, New York City (1958), on which he collaborated
with Philip Johnson. His architecture and furniture are characterized by
austere forms, elegant materials such as marble and chrome, and subtle
proportion and detailing.[1]



mifepristone

mifepristone
mi·fep·ri·stone 
[mi fépprə stn] noun

abortion
drug:
a drug used to abort a fetus in the first nine weeks following conception. It
acts by blocking the hormone progesterone which is essential for maintaining a
pregnancy.
Also
called
abortion pill
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of aminophenol + propyne + estradiol (elements
of the drug’s chemical name) + -one .][1]



miff

miff
miff 
[mif] transitive verb (past miffed,
past participle miffed, present participle miff·ing,
3rd person present singular miffs)

annoy or offend:
to annoy or anger somebody (informal) (often passive)
noun
(plural miffs)

1.  ill
humor:
an angry mood or sulk (informal)

2.  petty
quarrel:
a tiff or trivial quarrel
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of an exclamation of disgust.][1]



miffy

miffy
mif·fy 
[míffee] (comparative mif·fi·er,
superlative mif·fi·est) adjective

1.  touchy
and easily offended: easily upset or offended (informal
disapproving)

2.  BOTANY hard
to grow:
difficult to propagate because very specific environmental conditions are
required (refers to a plant)
—mif·fi·ly,
adverb

—mif·fi·ness, noun[1]



MiG

MiG
MiG
[mig] (plural MiGs) noun

jet
fighter:
a type of high-speed high-altitude fighter aircraft built in Russia
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from the names of A. I. Mikoyan and M. I. Gurevich, the
aircraft’s designers.][1]



might

might2
might2 [mīt]
noun

1.  great
power:
great power or influence • up
against the might of a huge organization

2.  physical
strength:
physical strength and determination • We
must push with all our might.
[Old English miht .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be able” that is also the
ancestor of English may, main, and mechanism
.][1]



might

might1
might1 [mīt]
CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb indicating the possibility that something is true or will happen
in the future • She said that John
might be living abroad now. • The
meeting might be next week. intransitive verb

1.  giving
advice:
used as a polite way of making suggestions and giving advice • I
thought we might go out tonight. • You
might want to give him a ring first.

2.  expressing
obligation:
used to indicate that somebody ought to do something, often when you are
annoyed that the person has not done it • You
might at least have told me!
[Old English mihte, meahte,
the past tense of magan (see may )][1]



might-have-been

might-have-been
might-have-been 
(plural might-have-beens) noun

something that might have
happened: an event or outcome that
could have occurred but did not[1]



mightily

mightily
might·i·ly 
[mtilee] adverb

1.  very:
to a great extent or degree (dated) • mightily
relieved

2.  with
much physical power: with considerable physical
strength and effort

[1]



mightn’t

mightn’t
might·n’t 
[mt’nt] contraction

might not:
a spoken form of “might not”[1]



mighty

mighty
might·y 
[mtee] (comparative might·i·er,
superlative might·i·est) adjective

1.  strong
and powerful: of great strength and power

2.  big
and impressive: very impressive in size, scope, or
extent

3.  very
much so:
extremely or to a great degree (informal) (regional) • mighty
fine
[Old
English mihtig, from miht (see might 2 )]
—might·i·ness, noun[1]



migmatite

migmatite
mig·ma·tite 
[mígmə tt] (plural mig·ma·tites
or mig·ma·tite) noun

coarsely
crystalline rock: a coarsely crystalline rock composed of
a mixture of bands of metamorphic and igneous rocks and found in areas where
high-grade metamorphic rocks are partly melted to form igneous rock
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek migmat-, the stem of migma “mixture” + -ite .][1]



mignon

mignon
mig·non 
[(dainty) mín yòn, (meat) meen yáwN, mn yàwN]
adjective

small
and pretty:
very delicate and pretty (literary)
noun
(plural mig·nons)

small
beef portion: a small portion of prime beef,
especially filet mignon
[Mid-16th century. From
French, an alteration of Old French mignot, of uncertain origin.][1]



mignonette

mignonette
mi·gnon·ette 
[mìnnyə nét] (plural mi·gnon·ettes
or mi·gnon·ette) noun

plant
with fragrant greenish white flowers: a
Mediterranean plant with small fragrant greenish white flowers and spiky
leaves. Genus: Reseda
[Early 18th century. From
French, mignon “dainty” (see mignon
).][1]



migraine

migraine
mi·graine 
[m gràyn] (plural mi·graines)
noun

extremely
bad headache: a recurrent, throbbing, very painful
headache, often affecting one side of the head and sometimes accompanied by
vomiting or by distinct warning signs including visual disturbances.
Also
called
sick headache
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek hēmikrania “half of the
skull,” from hēmi- “half” + kranion “skull” (see cranium ).]
—mi·grain·ous [mī gráynəss], adjective[1]



migrant

migrant
mi·grant 
[mgrənt] noun (plural mi·grants)

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES somebody
moving from place to place: somebody who moves from one
region or country to another, often in search of work or other economic
opportunities

2.  ZOOLOGY migratory
animal:
an animal, especially a bird, that moves from one region to another, often at
specific times of the year in order to breed or avoid unsuitable weather
conditions
adjective

moving from place to place:
moving from one region or country to another
[Late 17th century. From
Latin migrant-, the present participle stem of migrare (see migrate ).][1]



migrate

migrate
mi·grate 
[m gràyt] (past mi·grat·ed, past
participle mi·grat·ed, present participle mi·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular mi·grates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
SOCIAL SCIENCES move
from place to place: to move from one region or
country to another, often to seek work or other economic opportunities

2.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY move
between habitats: to move from one habitat or environment
to another in response to seasonal changes and variations in food supply

3.  intransitive
verb
move
position within organism: to move within an organism
or substance as, for example, cells do during the growth of an embryo

4.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING move
between systems: to transfer a file from one system to
another
[Early
17th century. From Latin migrat-, the past participle stem of migrare
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to move, change” that is also
the ancestor of English mutate and amoeba .]
—mi·gra·tor, noun[1]



migration

migration
mi·gra·tion 
[mī gráysh’n] (plural mi·gra·tions)
noun

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES movement
from one place to another: the act or process of moving
from one region or country to another

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES people
or animals migrating together: a group of people or
animals that are moving together from one region or country to another

3.  shift
of ions:
the movement of ions under the influence of an electric field

4.  CHEMISTRY movement
of atoms:
the movement of an atom or a group of atoms or double bonds, from one part of a
molecule to another
—mi·gra·tion·al, adjective[1]



migratory

migratory
mi·gra·to·ry 
[mgrə tàwree] or mi·gra·tive
[mgrətiv] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY moving
to another region every year: moving as part of a bird,
fish, or other animal population from one region to another every year, usually
at specific times in order to breed or avoid unsuitable weather conditions

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES relating
to movement from place to place: relating to the
movement of people or animals from one place to another in order to achieve
better living conditions

3.  not
settling down: tending to wander from one region or
country to another without settling down in one place for any length of time

[1]



mihrab

mihrab
mih·rab 
[mrəb] (plural mih·rabs) noun

niche
in mosque pointing toward Mecca: a small niche in a
mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic miḥrāb .][1]



mikado

mikado
mi·ka·do 
[mi k d] (plural mi·ka·dos) noun

former
title of Japanese emperor: formerly a title of the
Japanese emperor
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, literally “honorable gate.”][1]



Mikan,George Lawrence

Mikan,George Lawrence
Mikan
[mkən], George Lawrence (1924– )

U.S. basketball player. A
player in the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1956), he was one of the first very tall
players in the professional sport.[1]



Mikasuki

Mikasuki
Mik·a·su·ki
[mìkə skee] (plural Mik·a·su·ki
or Mik·a·su·kis) or Mic·co·su·ki [mìkə skee] (plural Mic·co·su·ki or
Mic·co·su·kis) or Mic·co·su·kee [mìkə
skee] (plural Mic·co·su·kee or Mic·co·su·kees)
noun

1.  member
of Native American people from Florida: a
member of a Native North American people that originally occupied lands in
northern Florida and whose members now live mainly in southern Florida.
Also
called
Miccosukee

2.  Mikasuki
language:
the language of the Mikasuki people. It belongs to the Muskogean branch of
Hokan-Siouan languages.
Also
called
Miccosukee

3.  member
of a Florida people: a member of a Native N
American people from Florida
[Mid-20th
century. From the Mikasuki language, the name of a lake in northern Florida
where they first settled.]
—Mik·a·su·ki, adjective[1]



Mike

Mike
Mike
or mike noun

code word for letter “m”:
a code word used to represent the letter “m” in international radio
communications[1]



mike

mike
mike 
[mīk] noun (plural mikes)

microphone:
a microphone (informal)
transitive
verb
(past miked, past participle miked, present
participle mik·ing, 3rd person present singular mikes)

fit
with microphone: to supply somebody with or transmit
something through a microphone (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



mikvah

mikvah
mik·vah 
[míkvə, meek v]
(plural mik·vahs) or mik·veh [míkvə] (plural mik·vehs) or mik·ve
[míkvə] (plural mik·ves) noun

ritual
bath for purification: among Orthodox Jews, a
ritual bath for cleansing or purification, especially before the Sabbath or
following menstruation, childbirth, or contact with a dead body
[Mid-19th century. Via
Yiddish mikve from Hebrew miqweh, literally “mass (of water).”][1]



mil

mil
mil 
[mil] (plural mils) noun

1.  one
thousandth of inch: a unit of linear measurement
equivalent to 0.0254 mmone thousandth of an inch, often used in measuring the
diameter of wires

2.  unit
of angular measurement for artillery: a
unit of measurement in the military that is the equivalent to the angle
subtended by 1/6400th of a circumference. It is used in aiming artillery.

3.  one
milliliter:
a unit of volume equivalent to one milliliter or a cubic centimeter

4.  million
dollars:
a million dollars (slang)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of Latin millesimus “thousandth,” from mille
thousand.][1]



mil.

mil.
mil.

1.  Abbreviation
of
military

2.  Abbreviation
of
militia

[1]



milady

milady
mi·la·dy 
[mi láydee] (plural mi·la·dies)
noun (archaic)

1.  aristocratic
British woman: a British gentlewoman or a woman member
of the aristocracy

2.  form
of address for gentlewoman: a form of address for a
gentlewoman or female member of the aristocracy
[Late 18th century. Via
French from English my lady .][1]



milage

milage
mil·age 
noun

See
mileage[1]



Milan

Milan
Mi·lan 
[mi ln]

capital of Milan Province and
Lombardy Region, northern Italy. Population: 1,334,171 (1993)[1]



Milanese

Milanese
Mil·a·nese
[mìllə nz, mìllə
nss] (plural Mil·a·nese) noun

1.  somebody
from Milan:
somebody who was born in or is a resident of the Italian city of Milan

2.  Milanese
dialect:
the dialect of Italian spoken in and around Milan

3.  knitted
fabric used for women’s clothes: a knitted fabric of
silk, rayon, or nylon, usually used in making women’s clothing
—Mil·a·nese, adjective[1]



milchcow

milchcow
milch
cow
[mílch kòw, mílk
kòw] (plural milch cows) noun

(dated)
See milk cow
[Milch from Old English -milce
“a milking,” from the same prehistoric Germanic base as milk][1]



mild

mild
mild 
[mīld] (comparative mild·er, superlative
mild·est) adjective

1.  gentle
and amiable: gentle, easy-going, and slow to get
angry

2.  FOOD lightly
flavored:
lightly flavored and not strong, hot, spicy, or bitter in taste • a
mild sauce

3.  METEOROLOGY pleasant
and temperate: pleasant and temperate and not
excessively hot or cold • one of
the mildest winters on record

4.  slight
or not harsh: not strict, severe, or strong • a
mild earth tremor
[Old
English milde . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “soft”
that is also the ancestor of English melt
and mollify .]
—mild·ly,
adverb

—mild·ness, noun[1]



mildew

mildew
mil·dew 
[míl d] noun

1.  fungal
disease of plants: a plant disease in which the
parasitic fungus is visible as white or gray powdery deposits on the leaves or
fruit

2.  gray
or white fungus: a gray or white fungus that grows on
walls, paper, leather, and other similar materials in damp conditions
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mil·dewed,
past participle mil·dewed, present participle mil·dew·ing,
3rd person present singular mil·dews)

affect or be affected by fungus:
to become affected or to affect something with a gray or white fungus
[Old
English mildēaw “honeydew, nectar.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “honey” (source also of English mellifluous + an earlier
form of dew ). The sense “kind of fungus”
developed as a result of its appearance.]
—mil·dew·y, adjective[1]



mild-mannered

mild-mannered
mild-man·nered
adjective

gentle and polite:
polite and of a gentle disposition[1]



mildsteel

mildsteel
mild
steel
noun

low-carbon
steel:
a strong steel containing a low proportion of carbon
[From its being easily
worked][1]



mile

mile
mile 
[mīl] noun (plural miles)

1.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of distance: a unit of linear measurement on land,
used in English-speaking countries, equivalent to 5,280 ft or 1,760 yd or 1.6
km.
Also
called
statute mile

2.  MEASUREMENTS See nautical mile

3.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of measurement comparable to mile: a unit of distance or
length used in different historical periods or in non-English-speaking
countries, for example, the Roman mile

4.  SPORT race
over one mile: a foot race that is a mile long
plural
noun
miles

a long way: a
considerable distance (informal) • We’re
miles from anywhere.
[Old English mīl,
from, ultimately, Latin milia (passuum) “a thousand (paces)”), from mille
“thousand”][1]



mileage

mileage
mile·age
[mlij] or mil·age [mlij] noun

1.  distance
in miles:
a distance or length measured in miles

2.  number
of miles vehicle has traveled: the total number of
miles a vehicle has traveled

3.  miles
vehicle travels on fuel: the total number of miles a
vehicle can travel on a specified amount of fuel, such as a gallon or a liter

4.  travel
allowance at fixed rate: a travel allowance, usually
set and paid per mile by somebody’s employer

5.  advantage
or usefulness of something: the amount of use,
advantage, profit, or service that may be obtained from something (informal)

[1]



mileometer

mileometer
mile·om·e·ter
[mī lómmətər] (plural mile·om·e·ters)
or mil·om·e·ter [mī lómmətər]
(plural mil·om·e·ters) noun

U.K.
See odometer[1]



milepost

milepost
mile·post 
[ml pst] (plural mile·posts)
noun

post showing distance to
place: a post by the side of a road
indicating the number of miles to a certain place, or placed a mile from a
similar post[1]



miler

miler
mil·er 
[mlər] (plural mil·ers) noun

competitor in one-mile race:
an athlete or horse that competes in a one-mile race[1]



milesgloriosus

milesgloriosus
mi·les
glo·ri·o·sus  [m layz
glawree ṓssəss] (plural mi·li·tes glo·ri·o·si [mlee tayz glawree ṓssee]) noun

swashbuckling
soldier:
an arrogant, bragging, and often cowardly soldier, especially one who appears
as a stock character in comedies (literary)
[From Latin, literally
“boastful soldier,” the title of a comedy by Plautus][1]



Milesian

Milesian2
Mi·le·sian2 [mī
lzh’n, mī lsh’n] (plural Mi·le·sians)
noun

mythological
Spanish invader of Ireland: in Irish mythology, a member
of a group of people from a royal Spanish family who invaded Ireland about 1300
BC and became the ancestors of the
modern Irish
[Late 16th century. Named for
Milesius, the legendary head of the family.][1]



Milesian

Milesian1
Mi·le·sian1 [mī
lzh’n, mī lsh’n] noun (plural
Mi·le·sians)

somebody
from Miletus: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of the ancient Ionian city of Miletus
adjective

of
Miletus:
relating to the ancient Ionian city of Miletus, its people, or its culture
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin Milesius, from Greek Milēsios, from Milētos
“Miletus.”][1]



milestone

milestone
mile·stone 
[ml stn] (plural mile·stones)
noun

1.  stone
showing distance to place: a stone by the side of a
road indicating the number of miles to a certain place

2.  important
event:
a significant or important event, for example, in the history of a country or
in somebody’s life

[1]



Miletus

Miletus
Mi·let·us
[mə ltəss]

ruined ancient Greek city of
western Anatolia, in modern Turkey[1]



milfoil

milfoil
mil·foil 
[míl fòyl] (plural mil·foils or
mil·foil) noun

1.  See
yarrow

2.  See
water milfoil
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin mil(l)efolium, literally “thousand-leaf,” a translation of
Greek muriophullon ; from the plant’s feathery leaves.][1]



Milford

Milford
Mil·ford 
[mílfərd]

1.  city
in southwestern Connecticut, in New Haven County, on Long Island Sound.
Population: 49,092 (1994)

2.  town
in southern Massachusetts, south of Marlborough and southeast of Worcester.
Population: 25,194 (1996)

[1]



MilfordSound

MilfordSound
Mil·ford
Sound
[mìlfərd sównd]

deep coastal inlet in the
southwestern part of the South Island, New Zealand[1]



Milhaud,Darius

Milhaud,Darius
Mil·haud
[m ō], Darius (1892–1974)

French composer and teacher.
A member of Les Six, his work was marked by polytonality and elements of jazz.[1]



miliaria

miliaria
mil·i·ar·i·a 
[mìllee áiree ə] noun

prickly
heat:
prickly heat (technical)
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Latin miliarius (see miliary ).]
—mil·i·ar·i·al, adjective[1]



miliary

miliary
mil·i·ar·y 
[míllee èrree] adjective

1.  like
millet seeds: resembling millet seeds

2.  DERMATOLOGY having
small nodules or lesions: consisting of or
characterized by small nodules or lesions resembling millet seeds
[Late 17th century. From
Latin miliarius, from milium “millet” (source also of English millet ).][1]



miliarytuberculosis

miliarytuberculosis
mil·i·ar·y
tu·ber·cu·lo·sis noun

tuberculosis with lesions
resembling millet seeds: an acute
form of tuberculosis in which lesions resembling millet seeds occur in the
affected organs after bacilli are spread by the blood from one point of
infection[1]



milieu

milieu
mi·lieu 
[mil y, mi ly]
(plural mi·lieus or mi·lieux) noun

surroundings:
the surroundings or environment that somebody lives in and is influenced by (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “middle-place,” from mi “mid” (from Latin medius
) + lieu “place.”][1]



milit.

milit.
milit.

Abbreviation of
military[1]



militant

militant
mil·i·tant 
[míllit’nt] adjective

1.  aggressive:
extremely active in the defense or support of a cause, often in ways that other
people find unacceptable

2.  involved
in fighting: engaged in fighting or warfare
noun
(plural mil·i·tants)

somebody aggressively supporting cause:
somebody who is active in the defense or support of a cause, often using
methods that other people find unacceptable
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin militant-, the present
participle stem of militare “to be a soldier,” from the stem milit-
(see military ).]
—mil·i·tan·cy,
noun

—mil·i·tant·ly, adverb[1]



militaria

militaria
mil·i·tar·i·a 
[mìlli táiree ə] noun

collectable
military objects: military objects such as weapons,
medals, and uniforms that are collected as a hobby or for historical interest
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from military .][1]



militarism

militarism
mil·i·ta·rism 
[míllitə rìzzəm] noun

1.  pursuit
of military aims: the pursuit or celebration of military
ideals

2.  strong
influence of military on government: a
high level of influence by military personnel and ideals in the government or
policies of a country or state

3.  government
policy of investing in military: a government policy of
investing heavily in and strengthening the armed forces

[1]



militarist

militarist
mil·i·ta·rist
[míllitərist] (plural mil·i·ta·rists)
noun

1.  supporter
of militarism: somebody who zealously supports and
promotes military ideals

2.  student
of military history: a student of military
history and strategy
—mil·i·ta·ris·tic
[mìllitə rístik], adjective

—mil·i·ta·ris·ti·cal·ly
[mìllitə rístikəlee], adverb[1]



militarize

militarize
mil·i·ta·rize 
[míllitə rz] (past mil·i·ta·rized,
past participle mil·i·ta·rized, present participle mil·i·ta·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular mil·i·ta·riz·es) transitive verb

1.  equip
or train for war: to equip or train a person or group of
people for war

2.  convert
for military use: to convert something such as a piece of
land or a building for military use

3.  persuade
to support militarism: to persuade somebody to
support a policy of aiding and promoting the military
—mil·i·ta·ri·za·tion [mìllitəri záysh’n], noun[1]



military

military
mil·i·tar·y 
[mílli tèrree] adjective

1.  of
war or armed forces: relating to matters of war
or the armed forces

2.  of
army:
relating to the army, especially as distinguished from the navy or air force

3.  typical
of soldier:
characteristic of a soldier or the armed forces
noun

armed forces or its high-ranking
officers:
the armed forces or high-ranking members of the armed forces
[15th
century. Directly or via French militaire from Latin militaris,
from milit-, the stem of miles “soldier,” of uncertain origin.]
—mil·i·tar·i·ly
[mìlli térrilee], adverb

—mil·i·tar·i·ness [mílli tèrreenəss], noun[1]



militaryacademy

militaryacademy
mil·i·tar·y
a·cad·e·my
noun

1.  training
school for officers: a secondary school or
college that prepares students to enter the military at officer level, and that
typically emphasizes rigorous discipline

2.  school
with military discipline: a secondary school or
college that follows military procedures and discipline and usually requires
students to wear military uniforms but does not necessarily entitle them to
become officers

[1]



militaryattaché

militaryattaché
mil·i·tar·y
at·ta·ché
noun

military officer on embassy
staff: an officer in the armed
forces who has been assigned to the official staff of an ambassador in order to
gather military intelligence[1]



military-industrialcomplex

military-industrialcomplex
mil·i·tar·y-in·dus·tri·al
com·plex
noun

military and industry as
political influence: the
military and the defense industries considered as a combined influence on
foreign and economic policy[1]



militaryintelligence

militaryintelligence
mil·i·tar·y
in·tel·li·gence noun

military information gathered
secretly: information gathered about
another country’s military equipment and capabilities by means of observation,
exchange of information, surveillance, or spying[1]



militarylaw

militarylaw
mil·i·tar·y
law
noun

legal system applying to
military personnel: the legal
system, including statutes, regulations, and procedures, that applies to
military personnel[1]



militarypolice

militarypolice
mil·i·tar·y
po·lice
noun

body policing the armed
forces: a police force within the
armed forces[1]



militaryscience

militaryscience
mil·i·tar·y
sci·ence
noun

academic study of warfare:
the academic study of the principles and procedures that govern the conduct of
war[1]



militate

militate
mil·i·tate 
[mílli tàyt] (past mil·i·tat·ed,
past participle mil·i·tat·ed, present participle mil·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular mil·i·tates) intransitive verb

have
influence on something: to have an influence,
especially a negative one, on something
[Late 16th century. From
Latin militat-, the past participle stem of militare “to be a
soldier, wage war,” from the stem milit- (see military
).][1]



militia

militia
mi·li·tia 
[mə líshə] (plural mi·li·tias)
noun

1.  soldiers
who are also civilians: an army of soldiers who are
civilians but take military training and can serve full-time during emergencies

2.  reserve
military force: a reserve army that is not part of the
regular armed forces but that can be called up in an emergency

3.  unauthorized
quasi-military group: an unauthorized group of
people who arm themselves and conduct quasi-military training
[Late 16th century. From Latin,
“military service, body of soldiers,” from the stem milit- (see military ).][1]



militiaman

militiaman
mi·li·tia·man 
[mə líshəmən] (plural mi·li·tia·men)
noun

member of militia:
a man who serves in a militia[1]



militiawoman

militiawoman
mili·tia·wom·an
[mə líshə wmmən] (plural mili·tia·wom·en
[mə líshə wìmmin]) noun

woman member of militia:
a woman who serves in a militia[1]



milium

milium
mil·i·um 
[míllee əm] (plural mil·i·a [míllee ə]) noun

whitehead:
a whitehead (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “millet” (source of English millet
); so called from the nodule’s size and shape.][1]



milk

milk
milk 
[milk] noun (plural milks)

1.  BIOLOGY nutritious
fluid produced by mammals: a nutritious white fluid
that women and other female mammals produce to feed their young immediately
after birth. It is rich in protein, fats, lactose, and vitamins.

2.  FOOD dairy
product:
an opaque white fluid produced by mammals and used by human beings as a food
and for other purposes. Milk, especially that produced by cows and goats, is
widely used as a beverage, as a cooking ingredient, and to make other dairy products,
for example, butter, cheese, yogurt, and cream.

3.  BOTANY plant
sap:
a white or off-white liquid from a plant, such as the liquid inside a coconut
or the sap of certain trees

4.  COSMETICS cosmetic
or pharmaceutical product: a cosmetic or pharmaceutical
product that is thick and white • cleansing
milk
verb
(past milked, past participle milked, present
participle milk·ing, 3rd person present singular milks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
milk from cow: to draw milk for use as a dairy product
from the udder of a cow, goat, sheep, or similar mammal manually or by using a
special machine

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
milk:
to yield or supply milk (refers to a dairy animal)

3.  transitive
verb
remove
venom or sap from: to remove the venom from a
snake or drain the sap from a tree

4.  transitive
verb
steal
money in slow steady amounts: to steal money from
something such as a fund, in small quantities over a period of time (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
exploit:
to get as much money or benefit from something as possible, often in a
dishonest or unscrupulous way (informal disapproving)
[Old
English milc . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to rub,
milk” that is also the ancestor of English emulsion
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Under
  Milk Wood, a play by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas ( 1953 ). This play for voices
  was originally written for radio but is occasionally presented as a stage
  play. It describes a day in the life of a Welsh fishing village and is noted
  for its poetic prose, rich humor, and vivid characterization.

[1]



Milk

Milk
Milk 
[milk]

river that originates in
Montana and flows into Alberta, Canada, before joining the Missouri River.
Length: 1,006 km/625 mi.[1]



milk-and-water

milk-and-water
milk-and-wa·ter 
adjective

insipid:
weak or bland, especially in expression or sentiment
[From the idea of dilution][1]



milkchocolate

milkchocolate
milk
choc·o·late
(plural milk choc·o·lates) noun

chocolate made with milk:
chocolate that has been made with milk and has a sweet creamy taste[1]



milkcow

milkcow
milk
cow
(plural milk cows) noun
Also
called
milch cow

1.  cow
giving milk: a cow that produces milk (dated)

2.  source
of easy income: a source of easily gained income (informal)

[1]



milker

milker
milk·er
[mílkər] (plural milk·ers) noun

1.  milk-yielding
animal:
an animal that produces milk used for human consumption, especially a cow

2.  person
or machine that milks animals: a milking machine, or
somebody who milks animals, especially cows

[1]



milkfever

milkfever
milk
fe·ver
noun

1.  fever
following childbirth: mild fever that some new
mothers have around the time that they begin to produce breast milk

2.  animal
disease:
a disease in cows, sheep, and goats that have recently given birth, caused by
mineral depletion due to milk production. Symptoms include temporary loss of
consciousness or ability to move.

[1]



milkfish

milkfish
milk·fish 
[mílk fìsh] (plural milk·fish·es
or milk·fish) noun

large
silver fish: a large toothless silver fish that lives
in warm parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans and grows up to 1.5 m/5 ft long.
It is related to the herring and the salmon. Latin name: Chanos chanos
[Early 20th century. Milk
from its color.][1]



milkglass

milkglass
milk
glass
noun

white glass:
white or translucent whitish glass used in decorative glasswork[1]



milking

milking
milk·ing
[mílking] (plural milk·ings) noun

taking milk from cows:
the task of drawing milk from cows, goats, or sheep for human consumption, or a
time when this is done (often used before a noun)[1]



milkingstool

milkingstool
milk·ing
stool
noun

three-legged stool:
a short simple three-legged stool of a style used in the past when milking cows[1]



milkleg

milkleg
milk
leg
noun

leg swelling after
childbirth: painful leg swelling that
some women have following childbirth, caused by inflammation and clotting in
the femoral vein[1]



milkmaid

milkmaid
milk·maid 
[mílk màyd] (plural milk·maids)
noun

woman who milks cows:
a woman or girl who milks cows or does other jobs in a dairy[1]



milkman

milkman
milk·man 
[mílk màn, mílkmən]
(plural milk·men [mílk mèn, mílkmən]) noun

man who delivers milk:
a man who delivers or sells milk door to door[1]



Milkof Magnesia

Milkof Magnesia
Milk
of Mag·ne·sia Trademark

a trademark for a milky
mixture of magnesium hydroxide and water, used as a laxative and antacid[1]



milkpunch

milkpunch
milk
punch
(plural milk punch·es) noun

alcoholic milky drink:
a drink consisting of alcoholic liquor, milk, and sometimes sugar or spices[1]



milkrun

milkrun
milk
run
(plural milk runs) noun

routine
trip:
a routine trip, especially an airline’s regular flight or an uneventful sortie
made by a military aircraft (informal)
[From the routine early
morning trips of milk trains][1]



milkshake

milkshake
milk
shake
(plural milk shakes) or milk·shake (plural milk·shakes)
noun

1.  cold
milk drink:
a cold drink made by whisking or blending milk, flavoring, and usually ice
cream.
Also
called
shake

2.  flavored
milk:
in New England, a drink made of milk and flavored syrup that is whipped until
it is frothy (regional)

[1]



milksickness

milksickness
milk
sick·ness
noun

MED
illness from poisoned milk:
a now uncommon disease caused by eating dairy products or meat from a cow that
has eaten white snakeroot. The symptoms include shaking, weakness, vomiting,
and constipation.[1]



milksnake

milksnake
milk
snake
(plural milk snakes) noun

harmless
snake:
a white or tan nonpoisonous king snake of North America with red, yellow,
brown, or black markings. Genus: Lampropeltis
[Milk from its color][1]



milksop

milksop
milk·sop 
[mílk sòp] (plural milk·sops) noun

weak
man:
a weak-willed or ineffectual man (dated insult)
[14th century. The original
meaning was “bread soaked in milk.”][1]



milksugar

milksugar
milk
sug·ar
noun

See
lactose[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








milktoast

milktoast
milk
toast
noun

toast in hot milk:
buttered toast served in warm milk, often with sugar and cinnamon[1]



milktooth

milktooth
milk
tooth
noun

baby tooth:
a tooth in young mammals including humans that falls out in early life to be
replaced by the adult tooth.
Also called
baby tooth
Also called
primary tooth
Also called
deciduous tooth[1]



milkvetch

milkvetch
milk
vetch
(plural milk vetch·es) noun

flowering plant:
a plant with yellow, white, or purple flowers and seeds in pods. It is thought
by some to increase milk production in goats. Genus: Astragalus[1]



milkweed

milkweed
milk·weed 
[mílk wd] (plural milk·weeds)
noun

plant with milky sap:
a flowering plant that secretes a milky latex. The seed pods burst open to
release seeds with a tuft of silky hair. Genus: Asclepias
Also called
silkweed[1]



milkweedbug

milkweedbug
milk·weed
bug
(plural milk·weed bugs) noun

black and red insect:
a black crawling insect with red markings that feeds on the juice of the
milkweed and is often used in scientific research. Latin name: Oncopeltus
fasciatus[1]



milkweedbutterfly

milkweedbutterfly
milk·weed
but·ter·fly
noun

kind of butterfly:
any of a family of butterflies whose larvae feed on milkweed plants, such as
the monarch butterfly. Family: Danaidae[1]



milkwort

milkwort
milk·wort 
[mílk wùrt, mílk
wàwrt] (plural milk·worts) noun

flowering plant with winged
petals: a plant with blue, pink, or
white flowers with winged petals that in the past was believed to increase milk
production in nursing mothers. Genus: Polygala[1]



milky

milky
milk·y 
[mílkee] (comparative milk·i·er,
superlative milk·i·est) adjective

1.  milk-colored:
like milk in color or consistency

2.  containing
milk:
full of or containing milk

3.  opaque:
cloudy or translucent, as if milk had been added

4.  lacking
courage:
lacking courage, strength, or steadfastness (dated)
—milk·i·ly,
adverb

—milk·i·ness, noun[1]



milkydisease

milkydisease
milk·y
dis·ease
noun

beetle larva disease:
a disease in the larvae of Japanese beetles and other scarabs that is caused by
bacteria and turns the larvae white.
Also called
milky spore disease[1]



MilkyWay

MilkyWay
Milk·y
Way 
noun

the
Earth’s galaxy: the spiral galaxy to which the Earth and
its solar system belong, some of which appears as a faint band of light in the
night sky.
Also
called
Galaxy
[14th century. A translation
of Latin via lactea (compare galaxy
).][1]



mill

mill1
mill1 [mil]
noun (plural mills)

1.  INDUSTRY flour-making
factory:
a building or group of buildings in which cereal grains are ground to make meal
or flour. In previous times this place would have been a windmill or a water
mill.

2.  INDUSTRY processing
plant:
a building or group of buildings used for processing raw materials and
manufacturing a product such as paper, fabric, or steel

3.  small
device for grinding grains: a small device for grinding
something such as coffee, pepper, or salt into granules

4.  INDUSTRY processing
machine:
a machine that repeats a simple manufacturing procedure, for example, one that
stamps or cuts metal

5.  juicer:
a machine that extracts juice from fruit or vegetables

6.  INDUSTRY See milling cutter

7.  See
milling machine

8.  something
working repetitively or unthinkingly: an
institution, person, or process that operates in the same automatic,
repetitive, or productive manner as a factory (disapproving) • Our
family is a regular rumor mill.

9.  tedious
process:
a slow, unpleasant, or tedious process • Getting
the book through the editorial mill could take months.

10. BOXING fight:
a boxing match or other fist fight (archaic slang)
verb
(past milled, past participle milled, present
participle mill·ing, 3rd person present singular mills)

1.  transitive
verb
grind
grain by machine: to grind grain or seed by machine

2.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY manufacture
by machine:
to manufacture a product such as paper or fabric from raw materials by machine

3.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY process
materials using rotary machinery: to process materials
using machinery that grinds, presses, or pulverizes raw materials using a
rotary motion

4.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY shape
metal by machine: to use a milling cutter or milling
machine to cut, shape, or finish metals

5.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY put
ridges on coin edge: to cut ridges or grooves
into something metal, especially the edge of a coin

6.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY process
rubber:
to pass rubber through spinning rollers as part of the manufacturing process

7.  transitive
verb
make
cream frothy: to whisk or shake something, for
example, cream or chocolate, until it is foamy

8.  transitive
verb
halt
stampede:
to stop a cattle stampede by turning the lead animals so that the cattle move
in a circle, rather than forward (regional)

9.  intransitive
verb
INDUSTRY undergo
crushing process: to undergo the process of being crushed
to make flour (refers to grain)

10. intransitive
verb
fight
with fists:
to fight using the fists (archaic slang)
[Pre-12th
century. From late Latin molina, from, ultimately, Latin molere
“to grind” (source of English molar
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English meal .]
—mill·a·ble,
adjective
put
somebody through the mill

to
subject somebody to a difficult or unpleasant ordeal (informal)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE








  The
  Mill on the Floss, a novel by English writer George Eliot ( 1860 ). Set in
  eastern England in the early 19th century, it describes the intellectual and
  emotional development of Maggie Tulliver, the daughter of a miller. By
  contrasting Maggie’s inquisitiveness and independent spirit with the dreary
  conservatism of most of her family and acquaintances, Eliot highlights the
  obstacles faced by women in English society at the time.

[1]



mill

mill2
mill2 [mil]
(plural mill·s) noun

thousandth
of dollar:
a monetary unit equal to one thousandth of a U.S. dollar, used in accounts and
calculations but not in everyday currency
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of Latin millesimum “thousandth” (see mil ), on the model of cent
.][1]



millabout

millabout
mill
about
or mill a·round intransitive verb

wander about:
to wander about aimlessly, restlessly, or in confusion[1]



millage

millage
mill·age 
[míllij] noun

property tax rate:
a property tax rate stated in terms of tenths of cents in tax per dollar of
property value[1]



Millais,John Everett

Millais,John Everett
Mil·lais
[míl ay, mi láy],
Sir John Everett (1829–1896)

British painter. A leading
member of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, he painted many historical scenes and
worked as a portraitist.[1]



Milland,Ray

Milland,Ray
Milland
[míllənd, mi
lánd], Ray (1905–1986)

British-born
U.S. actor. He won an Academy Award as the alcoholic writer in The Lost
Weekend ( 1945 ).
Real name
Tuscott-Jones, Reginald Alfred[1]



Millay,Edna St. Vincent

Millay,Edna St. Vincent

Mil·lay
[mi láy], Edna St. Vincent (1892–1950)
U.S. poet and playwright. She is noted
for her lyrical poetry of the 1920s and the satirical play Aria da Capo
( 1919 ).[1]



millboard

millboard
mill·board 
[míl bàwrd] (plural mill·boards)
noun

thick
paper used in book covers: thick paperboard used in
binding books
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of milled board .][1]



milldam

milldam
mill·dam 
[míl dàm] (plural mill·dams) noun

dam supplying water for
millwheel: a dam built near a mill in
order to raise the water level of a stream so that the flow is strong enough to
turn a mill wheel[1]



milled

milled
milled
[mild] adjective

1.  INDUSTRY processed
or ground in mill: processed or ground in a
mill especially in an industrial context

2.  ridged:
with grooves or ridges cut by machine

3.  INDUSTRY pressed
flat:
pressed flat by rollers

4.  INDUSTRY polished:
polished by a machine (archaic)

[1]



Milledgeville

Milledgeville
Mil·ledge·ville
[míllij vil]

city in central Georgia, the
seat of Baldwin County. Population: 18,376 (1994)[1]



millefeuille

millefeuille
mille·feuille
[meel föy] (plural mille·feuilles)
noun

type
of pastry:
a dessert or pastry consisting of several layers of puff pastry with a filling
of cream and fruit preserves, topped with confectioners’ sugar or frosting
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “a thousand leaves.”][1]



millefiori

millefiori
mil·le·fi·o·ri 
[mìllə fee áwree] noun

multi-colored
glassware:
decorative glassware made by cutting and arranging cross sections of fused
glass rods of varied color and thickness.
Also
called
millefiori glass
[Mid-19th century. From Italian,
literally “a thousand flowers.”][1]



millefleurs

millefleurs
mille·fleurs 
[meel flúr, meel
flr, meel flör] adjective

with
flower pattern: covered with a design of small flowers
or plants
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “a thousand flowers.”][1]



millenarian

millenarian
mil·le·nar·i·an 
[mìllə náiree ən] (plural mil·le·nar·i·ans)
or mil·le·nar·y [míllə nèrree]
(plural mil·le·nar·ies) adjective

1.  CHRISTIANITY relating
to Jesus Christ’s Second Coming: relating to or
believing in Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, a final conflict between good and
evil, the end of the world, or similar doctrines, especially based on the book
of Revelation

2.  relating
to future utopia: relating to or expressing belief in the coming
of some future utopian age

3.  relating
to end of world: relating to or suggesting the end of the
world

4.  relating
to 1,000:
relating to units of 1,000, especially 1,000 years
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin millenarius, from, ultimately, mille
“thousand.”]
—mil·le·nar·i·an,
noun

—mil·le·nar·i·an·ism [mìllə náiree ə nìzzəm], noun[1]



millenarianism

millenarianism
mil·le·nar·i·an·ism
[mìllə náiree ə nìzzəm] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY belief
in Jesus Christ’s Second Coming: belief in Jesus
Christ’s Second Coming, a final conflict between good and evil, the end of the
world, or similar doctrines, especially based on the book of Revelation

2.  belief
in coming utopia: belief in a future utopian age,
especially one created through revolution

3.  belief
in end of world: belief that the end of the world is near

[1]



millenary

millenary
mil·le·nar·y 
[míllə nèrree] adjective

See millenarian
noun

1.  (plural
mil·le·nar·ies) See millennium  noun
1

2.  See
millenarian
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin millenarius (see millenarian
).]
—mil·le·nar·ism [míllənə rìzzəm], noun[1]



millend

millend
mill
end
(plural mill ends) noun

finished end of fabric:
either end of a roll of fabric or carpet that is finished, rather than cut[1]



millennium

millennium
mil·len·ni·um 
[mi lénnee əm] (plural mil·len·ni·ums
or mil·len·ni·a [mi lénnee ə])
noun

1.  1,000
years:
a period of 1,000 years, especially a period that begins or ends in a year that
is a multiple of 1000.
Also
called
millenary

2.  CHRISTIANITY prophesied
rule by Jesus Christ: the thousand-year period of
peace on earth that, according to one interpretation of prophecies in the book
of Revelation, will follow the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

3.  hoped-for
utopian age: an imagined future utopian period of
joy, peace, and justice, especially one created through revolution

4.  thousandth
anniversary: a thousand-year anniversary, especially
the one in the year 2000
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin mille “thousand” + annus
“year” (see annual ).]
—mil·len·ni·al,
adjective

—mil·len·ni·al·ism,
noun

—mil·len·ni·al·ist,
noun

—mil·len·ni·al·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at century.

[1]



millenniumbug

millenniumbug
mil·len·ni·um
bug
noun

computer problem with year
2000: the problem posed by the
year 2000 for computer software coding dates using only the last two digits of
each year (informal)[1]



MillenniumDome

MillenniumDome
Mil·len·ni·um
Dome
noun

a large structure by the
Thames River in Greenwich, London, England, designed by Richard Rogers
Partnership to celebrate the year 2000. The world’s largest dome, more than 1
km/ half a mile in circumference, it houses commercial and educational
facilities.[1]



millepore

millepore
mil·le·pore 
[míllə pàwr] (plural mil·le·pores)
noun

white
or yellow coral: a kind of coral that forms white or
yellow reefs
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin Millepora, genus name, from Latin mille “thousand” +
porus “pore” (see pore ).][1]



miller

miller
mill·er 
[míllər] (plural mill·ers) noun

1.  mill
operator:
somebody who owns, manages, or operates a mill

2.  machine
that mills:
a machine that mills materials

3.  moth
with powdery wings: any of various moths whose
wings have a powdery appearance

[1]



Miller,Arthur

Miller,Arthur

Mill·er 
[míllər], Arthur (1915– )
U.S. playwright. He won a Pulitzer Prize
for his tragedy Death of a Salesman ( 1949 ). His play The Crucible
( 1953 ) was a veiled critique of the House Un-American Activities committee.
His second wife was the movie actor Marilyn Monroe.[1]



Miller,Glenn

Miller,Glenn
Mill·er 
[míllər], Glenn (1904–1944)

U.S.
bandleader and composer. Leader of a big-band orchestra of the late 1930s and
early 1940s, he was noted for swing music such as “In the Mood” (1939).
Full name
Miller, Alton Glenn[1]



Miller,Henry

Miller,Henry

Mill·er 
[míllər], Henry (1891–1980)
U.S.
writer. His novels Tropic of Cancer ( 1934 ) and Tropic of Capricorn
( 1939 ) are sexually explicit and were banned in the United States.
Full name
Miller, Henry Valentine[1]



millerite

millerite
mil·ler·ite 
[míllə rt] noun

nickel
sulfide:
nickel sulfide in the form of long wiry crystals. It is one of the sources of
nickel. NiS
[Mid-19th century. Named for
W. H. Miller ( 1801–1880 ), English mineralogist.][1]



miller’sthumb

miller’sthumb
mill·er’s
thumb 
(plural mill·er’s thumbs) noun

spiny
fish:
a small, flat, spiny fish found in European and North American fresh waters.
Genus: Cottus
[From the shape of its body,
alluding to the proverbial distrust of millers’ methods of measurement][1]



millesimal

millesimal
mil·les·i·mal 
[mə léssim’l] adjective

relating
to thousandths: divided by one thousand or relating to
thousandths
noun
(plural mil·les·i·mals)

thousandth
part:
a thousandth part of something
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin millesimus “thousandth,” from mille
“thousand.”]
—mil·les·i·mal·ly [mə léssiməlee], adverb[1]



millet

millet
mil·let 
[míllit] noun

1.  cereal
plant:
a fast-growing annual cereal plant grown for its seed and used for hay. Latin
name: Panicum miliaceum

2.  grain:
the pale shiny grain of the millet plant, used for food and as birdseed

3.  grass
plant:
a grass that is similar or related to millet and is grown for its grain, for
example, pearl millet
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin milium .][1]



millfinish

millfinish
mill
fin·ish
noun

paper finish:
a particularly smooth surface on paper, made by a machine.
Also called
machine finish[1]



milli-

milli-
milli-
prefix

one
thousandth (10  –3 )
• milliroentgen.
Symbol m
[From Latin, formed from mille
“thousand”][1]



milliampere

milliampere
mil·li·am·pere 
[mìllee ám pr] (plural mil·li·am·peres)
noun

unit of electricity:
a unit of electric current equal to one thousandth of an ampere[1]



milliary

milliary
mil·li·ar·y 
[míllee èrree] adjective

marking
a Roman mile: indicating or marking a distance of one
Roman mile, measured as one thousand paces
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
milliarius, from mille “thousand” (see mile
).][1]



millibar

millibar
mil·li·bar 
[míllə br] (plural mil·li·bars)
noun

thousandth of atmospheric
bar: a unit of atmospheric
pressure equal to one thousandth of a bar[1]



millicurie

millicurie
mil·li·cur·ie 
[mìlli kyree] (plural mil·li·cur·ies)
noun

unit of radioactivity:
a unit of radioactivity equal to one thousandth of a curie[1]



millieme

millieme
mil·lieme 
[mil yém] noun

1.  minor
unit of Egyptian and Sudanese currency: minor
unit of currency in Egypt and Sudan equal to one thousandth of a pound

2.  See
millime
[Early 20th century. From
French millième (see millime ).][1]



millifarad

millifarad
mil·li·far·ad 
[mílli fèrrəd, mílli
fèr àd] (plural mil·li·far·ads) noun

unit of capacitance:
a unit of electrical capacitance equal to one thousandth of a farad[1]



milligram

milligram
mil·li·gram 
[mílli gràm] (plural mil·li·grams)
noun

unit of weight:
a unit of mass and weight equal to one thousandth of a gram[1]



millihenry

millihenry
mil·li·hen·ry 
[míllə hènree] (plural mil·li·hen·ries)
noun

unit of electrical
inductance: a unit of electrical
inductance equal to one thousandth of a henry[1]



Millikan,Robert Andrews

Millikan,Robert Andrews
Mil·li·kan
[míllikən], Robert Andrews (1868–1953)

U.S. physicist. He received a
Nobel Prize in physics (1923) for measuring the charge on the electron, and
coined the term “cosmic rays.”[1]



millilambert

millilambert
mil·li·lam·bert 
[míllə làmbərt] (plural mil·li·lam·berts)
noun

unit of luminance:
a unit of luminance equal to one thousandth of a lambert[1]



milliliter

milliliter
mil·li·li·ter 
[mìllə ltər] (plural mil·li·li·ters)
noun

unit of volume:
a unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter[1]



millilitre

millilitre
mil·li·li·tre 
[mìlli ltər, mílli
ltər] noun

U.K. =
milliliter[1]



millime

millime
mil·lime 
[míllim, mí lm]
(plural mil·limes) or mil·lieme [mil yém] (plural mil·liemes) noun

minor
unit of Tunisian currency: a minor unit of currency in
Tunisia equal to one thousandth of a dinar
[Mid-20th century. Via French
millième “thousandth” from Latin millesimus, from mille
“thousand.”][1]



millimeter

millimeter
mil·li·me·ter 
[míllə mtər] (plural mil·li·me·ters)
noun

unit of length:
a unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter[1]



millimetre

millimetre
mil·li·me·tre 
[mìlli mtər, mílli
mtər] noun

U.K. =
millimeter[1]



millimicron

millimicron
mil·li·mi·cron 
[mìllə m kròn] (plural mil·li·mi·crons)
noun

nanometer:
an obsolete name for a unit of length equal to one millionth of a millimeter,
now called a nanometer (dated)[1]



millimole

millimole
mil·li·mole 
[míllə ml] (plural mil·li·moles)
noun

unit
of chemical substance: a unit used to measure the
amount of a chemical substance, equal to one thousandth of a mole
—mil·li·mo·lar [mìllee mṓlər], adjective[1]



milline

milline
mil·line 
[mí ln, mi ln]
(plural mil·lines) noun

1.  unit
of advertising copy: a unit of advertising copy
equal to one column line in agate type in one million copies of a newspaper or
magazine

2.  See
milline rate
[Late 20th century. Blend of million and line
.][1]



milliner

milliner
mil·li·ner 
[míllənər] (plural mil·li·ners)
noun

maker
of women’s hats: somebody who designs, makes, or sells
hats for women
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of earlier Milaner “importer of fancy fabrics and wares from Milan,
Italy.”][1]



millinerate

millinerate
mil·line
rate
(plural mil·line rates) noun

cost of advertising:
the cost per unit of advertising copy.
Also called
milline[1]



millinery

millinery
mil·li·ner·y 
[míllə nèrree] noun

1.  women’s
hats:
hats and other accessories for women, sold by a milliner

2.  hat
business:
the design, manufacture, or sale of women’s hats

[1]



milling

milling
mill·ing 
[mílling] (plural mill·ings) noun

ridged coin edge:
the ridged edge of a coin[1]



millingcutter

millingcutter
mill·ing
cut·ter
(plural mill·ing cut·ters) noun

rotary metal-working tool:
a rotary tool used for cutting, shaping, and finishing metal objects.
Also called
mill[1]



millingmachine

millingmachine
mill·ing
ma·chine
(plural mill·ing ma·chines) noun

metal-working machine:
a machine fitted with milling cutters to cut, shape, or finish metal objects.
Also called
mill[1]



Millington

Millington
Mill·ing·ton 
[míllingtən]

city in New Jersey, in Morris
County, on the Passaic River[1]



million

million
mil·lion 
[míllyən] noun (plural mil·lions)

1.  thousand
thousand:
a thousand thousand (10 6 )

2.  large
number:
a very large number (often used in the plural)

3.  million
units of a currency: a million units of a
currency, especially dollars or pounds

4.  fifth
digit to left of decimal: the fifth digit to the left
of the decimal point in the decimal number system • In
the number 54321, the 5 is in the millions place.
plural
noun
mil·lions

ordinary people:
ordinary people, considered collectively • entertainment
for the millions
[14th
century. Via French from obsolete Italian millione, literally “great
thousand,” from Latin mille “thousand” (source of English mile and milli-
).]
—million, adjective[1]



millionaire

millionaire
mil·lion·aire 
[mìllyə náir, míllyə
nàir] (plural mil·lion·aires) noun

wealthy
person:
somebody whose net worth or income is more than one million dollars, or other
unit of currency (often used before a noun)
[Early 19th century. From
French, where it was formed from million (see million
).][1]



millionairess

millionairess
mil·lion·air·ess
[mìllyə náirəss] (plural mil·lion·air·es·ses)
noun

wealthy woman:
a wealthy woman whose net worth or income is more than one million dollars or
other unit of currency[1]



millionth

millionth
mil·lionth 
[míllyənth] (plural millionths)
noun

one
of a million parts: one of a million equal parts
of something
—millionth, adjective[1]



millipede

millipede
mil·li·pede 
[míllə pd] (plural mil·li·pedes)
or mil·le·pede [míllə pd] (plural
mil·le·pedes) noun

many-legged
arthropod:
a small plant-eating arthropod with a tubular body made up of segments. Most
segments have two pairs of legs. Class: Diplopoda
[Early 17th century. From
Latin millipeda “woodlouse,” literally “with a thousand feet,” from the
stem ped- “foot” (see pedal ).][1]



millisecond

millisecond
mil·li·sec·ond 
[míllə sèkənd] (plural mil·li·sec·onds)
noun

unit of time:
a unit of time equal to one thousandth of a second[1]



millivolt

millivolt
mil·li·volt 
[míllə vàwlt] (plural mil·li·volts)
noun

electrical unit:
a unit of electrical voltage or potential difference equal to one thousandth of
a volt. Symbol mV[1]



milliwatt

milliwatt
mil·li·watt 
[míllə wòt] (plural mil·li·watts)
noun

electrical unit:
a unit of electrical power equal to one thousandth of a watt. Symbol mW[1]



Mill,James

Mill,James
Mill
[mil], James (1773–1836)

British philosopher and
economist. Father of John Stuart Mill and an associate of Jeremy Bentham, he
was one of the founders of utilitarianism.[1]



Mill,John Stuart

Mill,John Stuart
Mill
[mil], John Stuart (1806–1873)

British philosopher and
economist. The son of James Mill, he was one of the leading intellectuals of
his day, and a major proponent of utilitarianism. His most important works
include A System of Logic ( 1843 ) and the essay “On Liberty” ( 1859 ).[1]



millpond

millpond
mill·pond 
[míl pònd] (plural mill·ponds)
noun

pond serving mill:
a pond created by damming a stream in order to create a flow of water to turn a
mill wheel[1]



millrace

millrace
mill·race 
[míll ràyss] (plural mill·rac·es)
noun

1.  water
in mill wheel: the stream of water that flows through a
mill wheel, making it turn.
Also
called
millrun
Also
called
millstream

2.  channel
providing water for mill wheel: a channel that directs
water to and from a mill wheel.
Also
called
millrun

[1]



millrun

millrun
mill·run 
[míll rùn] (plural mill·runs) noun

1.  See
millrace

2.  mineral
from test:
a quantity or quality of mineral yielded by a millrun test

3.  sawmill
output:
the output of a sawmill

4.  test
of mineral:
a test to determine the quality of a mineral or the mineral content of an ore

[1]



millstone

millstone
mill·stone 
[míl stn] (plural mill·stones)
noun

1.  grain-grinding
stone:
either of two large circular stones used to grind grain in a mill.
Also
called
grindstone

2.  burdensome
responsibility: a great burden or responsibility

[1]



millstream

millstream
mill·stream 
[míl strm] (plural mill·streams)
noun

1.  stream
supplying mill: a stream from which the water turns a
mill wheel

2.  See
millrace  noun 1

[1]



MillValley

MillValley
Mill
Val·ley
[mil vállee]

city in California, in Marin
County. Population: 13,190 (1994)[1]



millwheel

millwheel
mill
wheel
noun

wheel powering mill:
a wheel that powers a mill, typically turned by a flow of water[1]



millwork

millwork
mill·work 
[míl wùrk] noun

sawmill items:
items of woodwork such as doors banisters and moldings made in a lumber mill[1]



millwright

millwright
mill·wright 
[míl rt] (plural mill·wrights)
noun

designer, builder, or
maintainer of mills: somebody
who designs, builds, or maintains mills or mill machinery[1]



Milne,A. A.

Milne,A. A.

Milne
[miln], A. A. (1882–1956)
British
writer. He created the character Winnie the Pooh to amuse his son Christopher
Robin, and wrote four much-loved collections of children’s poems and stories,
including Now We Are Six ( 1927 ) and The House at Pooh Corner (
1928 ).
Full name
Milne, Alan Alexander[1]



milo

milo
mi·lo 
[mlō] (plural mi·los) noun

early
growing sorghum: a variety of sorghum grain that
resembles millet, known for growing early and resisting drought
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Sesotho maili .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Milo is common in the Plains states from
  Iowa to Texas with scattered occurrences to the east and west.

[1]



milord

milord
mi·lord 
[mi láwrd] (plural mi·lords) noun

1.  British
aristocrat:
a British gentleman or member of the aristocracy

2.  form
of address for a gentleman: a form of address for a
gentleman or member of the aristocracy
[Late 16th century. Via
French, from English my lord .][1]



Milošević,Slobodan

Milošević,Slobodan

Mi·lo·še·vić
[mi lóssə vich], Slobodan (1941– )
Yugoslavian national leader. After the
breakup of the former Yugoslavia, he became president of Serbia (1989–1997) and
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1997).[1]



milpa

milpa
mil·pa
[mílpə] (plural mil·pas) noun

temporary
field:
an agricultural field that is made by clearing forest and then farmed for only
a few seasons before being abandoned, especially such fields in Central America
and Mexico
[Mid-19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl .][1]



milquetoast

milquetoast
milque·toast 
[mílk tst] (plural milque·toasts)
or Milque·toast [mílk tst] (plural
Milque·toasts) noun

timid
man:
a timid or submissive person, especially a man (dated)
[Mid-20th century. From
Casper Milquetoast, a cartoon character created by Harold Tucker Webster
(1885–1952).][1]



milreis

milreis
mil·reis
[mill ráyss] (plural mil·reis
[mill ráyz]) noun

old
Portuguese and Brazilian currency: an obsolete Portuguese
and Brazilian unit of currency and coin equal to one thousand reis
[Late 16th century. From
Portuguese, formed from mil “thousand” + real “real” (a unit of
currency).][1]



Milstein,Cesar

Milstein,Cesar
Mil·stein
[míl stīn], Cesar (1927– )

Argentine-born British
immunologist. He shared a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1984) for his
development of monoclonal antibody technology.[1]



Milstein,Nathan

Milstein,Nathan
Mil·stein
[míl stīn], Nathan (1904–1992)

Russian-born U.S. violinist.
He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and lived in the United States
from 1929.[1]



milt

milt
milt 
[milt] (plural milts) noun

fish
semen:
the semen and seminal fluid of a fish
[Old English milte
“spleen,” later reinforced by Middle Dutch milte “milt”][1]



milter

milter
milt·er 
[míltər] (plural milt·ers) noun

male fish at mating season:
a fertile male fish during the mating season[1]



Milton

Milton
Mil·ton 
[míltən]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, a southern suburb of Boston. Population: 25,794 (1996)[1]



Milton,John

Milton,John

Mil·ton 
[míltən], John (1608–1674)
English
poet. His poems rank among the greatest treasures of English literature, and
include the epic narrative of Adam and Eve’s banishment from Paradise, Paradise
Lost ( 1667 ). During the English Civil Wars, he wrote powerful polemics
that championed religious and civil liberty.

—Mil·to·ni·an
[mil tṓnee ən], adjective

—Mil·ton·ic [mil tónnik], adjective[1]



Milwaukee

Milwaukee
Mil·wau·kee 
[mil wáwkee]

the
largest city in Wisconsin, located in the southeastern corner of the state.
Population: 617,044 (1994)
—Mil·wau·kee·an (plural
Mil·wau·kee·ans), adjective, noun[1]



Mimas

Mimas
Mi·mas 
[mməss, mməss]
noun

satellite of Saturn:
one of the satellites of Saturn, the nearest to the planet[1]



Mimbres

Mimbres
Mim·bres 
[mímbrəss] noun

period
of Native American culture: the last period of the
Native American Mogollon culture, running from the 9th to the 13th century,
noted for its distinctive black-and-white pottery (often used before a noun)
[From Spanish, “willows,
withies,” from Latin vimen “withy, wicker” (from the painted designs on
pottery of the period)][1]



mime

mime
mime 
[mīm] noun (plural mimes)

1.  acting
using only gesture and action: a style of performance
in which people act out situations or portray characters using only gesture and
action (often used before a noun)

2.  performer
who uses mime: a performer who relies on gesture,
facial expression, and action rather than using the voice.
Also
called
mime artist

3.  theatrical
performance in mime: a theatrical piece performed
with gesture, facial expression, and action rather than with words

4.  ancient
farce:
in ancient Greek and Roman theater, a lewd comedy including dialogue, dance,
and gesture
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mimed, past
participle mimed, present participle mim·ing, 3rd
person present singular mimes)

1.  express
something in mime: to express something or act
it out using gestures and facial expressions only

2.  See
mimic  verb 2
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin mimus from Greek mimos “imitator, mimic” (source of English
mimic ).][1]



mimeograph

mimeograph
mim·e·o·graph 
[mímmee ə gràf] or mim·e·o [mímmee ] noun (plural mim·e·o·graphs)
(plural mim·e·os)

1.  mim·e·o·graph
(plural mim·e·o·graphs) or Mim·e·o·graph (plural
Mim·e·o·graphs) copying machine:
a machine that prints copies onto paper from an inked stencil that is rotated
on a cylinder across the pages

2.  mim·e·o·graph
(plural mim·e·o·graphs) or Mimeograph (plural
Mimeographs) mimeographed copy:
a copy made on a mimeograph
transitive
verb
(past mim·e·o·graphed, past participle mim·e·o·graphed,
present participle mim·e·o·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular mim·e·o·graphs) (past mim·e·oed, past
participle mim·e·oed, present participle mim·e·o·ing, 3rd
person present singular mim·e·os)

make copies using mimeograph:
to make a copy of a document using a mimeograph
[Late 19th century.
Originally a trademark, coined from Greek mimeisthai (see mimesis ) + -graph
.][1]



mimesis

mimesis
mi·me·sis 
[mi mssiss, mī
mssiss] noun

1.  BIOLOGY See mimicry  noun 2

2.  MEDICINE disease
symptoms in healthy person: the occurrence of a
disease’s symptoms in somebody who does not have the disease, often
psychosomatically caused

3.  art’s
imitation of life: the imitation of life or
nature in the techniques and subject matter of art and literature

4.  rhetorical
device:
the rhetorical use of what somebody else might have said
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
mimēsis, from mimeisthai “to imitate,” from mimos “mime.”][1]



mimetic

mimetic
mi·met·ic 
[mi méttik, mī
méttik] or mi·met·i·cal [mi
méttik’l] adjective

1.  imitating
something:
imitating something, or relating to imitation, for example, in artistic or
literary mimesis

2.  BIOLOGY MEDICINE relating to biological
mimicry:
relating to mimicry in animals and plants
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek mimētikos, from mimēsis (see mimesis ).]
—mi·met·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mimic

mimic
mim·ic 
[mímmik] transitive verb (past
mim·icked, past participle mim·icked, present
participle mim·ick·ing, 3rd person present singular mim·ics)

1.  imitate
somebody:
to imitate somebody, or copy somebody’s voice, gestures, or appearance

2.  mock
somebody through imitation: to make fun of somebody by
imitating him or her in an exaggerated way

3.  copy
something:
to resemble something in a way that seems like a deliberate copy • houses
with façades that mimic the colonial style

4.  BIOLOGY resemble
other species: to take on the appearance of another
plant or animal, for example, when a harmless animal evolves to look like a
poisonous one to discourage predators
noun
(plural mim·ics)

somebody who imitates others:
somebody who imitates others, especially for comic effect
adjective

1.  relating
to mimicry:
relating to mime, mimicry, or imitation

2.  simulated:
simulated or pretend (literary)

3.  resembling
something:
imitating or resembling something (literary)
[Late
16th century. Via Latin mimicus from Greek mimikos, from mimos
(see mime ).]
—mim·ick·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at imitate

[1]



mimicry

mimicry
mim·ic·ry 
[mímmikree] noun

1.  art
of imitation: the imitating of other people’s voices,
gestures, or appearance, often for comic effect

2.  BIOLOGY similarity
of appearance in nature: a plant’s or animal’s
resemblance to another species or to a feature of its natural surroundings,
evolved as protection from predators.
Also
called
mimesis

3.  BIRDS birds’
imitation of others’ calls: the ability of some birds to
imitate the songs of other species and incorporate them into their own
repertoire, especially developed in the mockingbird family

[1]



Mimir

Mimir
Mi·mir 
[m mr] noun

Norse god of wisdom:
in Norse mythology, the god of wisdom, a giant water demon who was said to
reside at and drink from the well of wisdom at Yggdrasil[1]



mimosa

mimosa

mi·mo·sa 
[mi mṓssə, mi mṓzə]
(plural mi·mo·sas) noun

1.  flowering
tree with sensitive leaves: a tree or shrub that grows
in warm climates and has round clusters of white, yellow, or pink flowers and
leaves that are sensitive to touch. Genus: Mimosa

2.  See
silk tree

3.  champagne
cocktail:
a cocktail of champagne and orange juice
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin mimus “imitator” (see mime ), because its leaves seem to flinch when
touched, mimicking a recoiling animal.][1]



mimulus

mimulus
mim·u·lus 
[mímmyələss] (plural mim·u·lus)
noun

See
monkey flower
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “little mime,” from Latin mimus (see
mime ); perhaps from its mask-like flowers.][1]



min.

min.
min.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mineralogical

2.  Abbreviation
of
mineralogy

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
minim

4.  Abbreviation
of
minimum

5.  Abbreviation
of
minister

6.  Abbreviation
of
minor

7.  Abbreviation
of
minute

[1]



mina

mina
mi·na
[mnə] (plural mi·nae [m n] or mi·nas) noun

ancient
unit of weight and money: a unit of weight and money
used in ancient Greece and Asia, usually equal to one sixtieth of a talent
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
and Greek from Akkadian .][1]



minacious

minacious
mi·na·cious 
[mi náyshəss] adjective

threatening:
menacing or threatening (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from the Latin stem minac-, from minari “to
threaten” (see menace ).]
—mi·na·cious·ly,
adverb

—mi·na·cious·ness,
noun

—mi·nac·i·ty [mi nássətee], noun[1]



Minamatadisease

Minamatadisease
Min·a·ma·ta
dis·ease 
[mìnnə mtə di zz] noun

neurological
disease from mercury poisoning: a severe degenerative
disease of the nervous system caused by mercury contamination, especially
through eating mercury-tainted seafood
[Mid-20th century. Named for Minamata,
a town in Japan.][1]



MinamotoYoritomo

MinamotoYoritomo
Minamoto
Yoritomo
[mìnnəmōtō yórri tṓmō] (1147–1199)

Japanese leader. He founded
the shogunate form of government, ruling most of medieval Japan (1192–1199).[1]



minaret

minaret

min·a·ret 
[mìnnə rét] (plural min·a·rets)
noun
mosque
tower:
a tall slender tower attached to a mosque, from which the muezzin calls the
faithful to prayer
[Late 17th century. Via
French and Turkish from Arabic manāra “lighthouse, minaret.”][1]



MinasBasin

MinasBasin
Mi·nas
Ba·sin 
[mnəs báyss’n]

tidal inlet on the coast of
Nova Scotia, southeastern Canada. It is connected by the Bay of Fundy. Length:
80 km/50 mi.[1]



MinasGerais

MinasGerais
Mi·nas
Gerais
[mnaz zhay ryəss]

inland state in eastern
Brazil. Much of its terrain is mountainous. Capital: Belo Horizonte.
Population: 15,731,961 (1991) Area: 586,624 sq km/226,497 sq mi.[1]



minatory

minatory
min·a·to·ry 
[mínnə tàwree] or min·a·to·ri·al
[mìnnə táwree əl] adjective

menacing:
menacing or threatening (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin minatorius, from Latin minari “to
threaten” (see menace ).]
—min·a·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb

—min·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



minaudière

minaudière
min·au·dière
[mnō dyáir] (plural min·au·dières)
noun

women’s
cosmetic case: a small decorative cosmetic or jewelry
case that can be carried in a woman’s purse (archaic)
[Mid-20th century. From
French, where it was formed from minauder “to flirt, be affected,” from mine
“mood, bearing.”][1]



mince

mince
mince 
[minss] (past minced, past
participle minced, present participle minc·ing, 3rd
person present singular minc·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
See grind

2.  transitive
verb
divide
something up: to divide land or property into very
small portions, especially in a way regarded as detrimental

3.  transitive
verb
use
tact:
to use words or deal with matters delicately, so as not to offend or upset
others • She
did not mince her words.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
daintily:
to walk with small light steps in an affectedly dainty way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
daintily:
to speak, or say something, in an affectedly dainty way
[14th
century. Via Old French mincier from assumed Vulgar Latin minutiare,
from minutus “very small” (see minute
).]
—mincer, noun[1]



mincemeat

mincemeat
mince·meat 
[mínss mt] noun

1.  fruit
and spice mixture: a mixture of spiced and
finely chopped fruits, such as apples and raisins, usually cooked in pies

2.  minced
meat:
finely ground meat
[Mid-17th
century. Alteration of minced meat .]
make
mincemeat of somebody or something

to defeat somebody or
something thoroughly (informal)[1]



Mincha

Mincha
Min·cha
[mínkhə, min kh]
or Minchah [mínkhə, min kh] noun

Jewish
afternoon prayer: a daily Jewish prayer said in the
afternoon
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew minḥāh, literally “offering.”][1]



Mincho

Mincho
Min·cho
[mìn chṓ, mínchō]
(1352–1431)

Japanese
artist and Buddhist priest. He was noted for his Buddhist icons and ink
paintings.
Full name
Kichizan Mincho[1]



Minch,The

Minch,The
Minch,
The
[minch] or Minch·es, The [mínchəz]

sea channel in northwestern
Scotland, separating the Outer Hebrides from the Inner Hebrides and the
mainland. It is divided into the North Minch and the Little Minch.[1]



mincing

mincing
minc·ing 
[mínssing] adjective

overly
dainty:
affectedly dainty or prim
—minc·ing·ly, adverb[1]



mind

mind
mind 
[mīnd] noun (plural minds)

1.  seat
of thought and memory: the center of consciousness
that generates thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perceptions and stores knowledge
and memories

2.  thinking
capacity:
the capacity to think, understand, and reason (often used in combination)

3.  concentration:
concentration, or the ability to concentrate • My
mind was wandering.

4.  way
of thinking: an opinion or personal way of thinking
about something • I’ve changed my mind
about going with you.

5.  state
of thought or feeling: the state of thought or
feeling that is regarded as normal

6.  desire:
the desire or intention to act or behave in a specified way • After
such insults, I had a mind to leave right then.

7.  intellectual
person:
somebody considered in terms of his or her intellect or intelligence • Einstein
was among the greatest minds of the modern era.

8.  general
type of person: a pattern of thinking or feeling that is
typical of a particular group • Who
knows what goes through the criminal mind?

9.  PHILOSOPHY nonmaterial
things:
in the philosophy of Descartes, all things that are not matter
verb
(past mind·ed, past participle mind·ed, present
participle mind·ing, 3rd person present singular minds)

1.  transitive
verb
pay
attention to: to pay attention to something,
especially so as to avoid danger or an accident • Mind
your step!

2.  transitive
verb
control:
to remain aware of the need to control something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb object
to:
to object to somebody or something • Do you
mind if we leave early?

4.  transitive
verb
temporarily
watch over:
to watch over and look after somebody or something, usually for a short time • Will
you mind the dog over the weekend?

5.  transitive
verb
obey:
to listen to and obey somebody • Be
sure to mind your father while I’m away.

6.  transitive
verb
remember:
to remember something (regional) • Mind
what I told you.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
careful:
be careful or cautious • Mind
what you’re doing, or you’ll spill your milk.

8.  transitive
verb
Scotland, U.S. remind:
to remind somebody of something (regional)

9.  transitive
verb
take
note of something: to notice or perceive
something (regional) • Mind
the new detour signs or you’ll get lost.
[Old
English gemynd . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
think,” which is also the ancestor of English mental,
amnesia, mania,
and monitor .]
—mind·er,
noun
mind
you

used to qualify something you
have just said (informal)[1]



mind-altering

mind-altering
mind-al·ter·ing 
adjective

changing perception or
thought: changing perceptions, moods,
or thought patterns[1]



Mindanao

Mindanao
Min·da·na·o 
[mində nów]

island in the southern
Philippines, the largest after Luzon. Population: 14,536,000 (1990) Area:
94,630 sq km/36,537 sq mi.[1]



mind-bending

mind-bending
mind-bend·ing 
adjective

1.  overwhelming:
mentally overwhelming, for example, because of great size or complexity (informal)

2.  altering
perceptions: changing perceptions, moods, or thought
patterns (dated informal)
—mind-bend·ing·ly, adverb[1]



mind-blowing

mind-blowing
mind-blow·ing 
adjective (informal)

1.  altering
perceptions: changing perceptions, moods, or thought
patterns

2.  extremely
exciting:
extremely exciting, surprising, or shocking
—mind-blow·er, noun[1]



mind-bodyproblem

mind-bodyproblem
mind-bod·y
prob·lem
noun

relation between mind and
body: the philosophical question
of whether the mind is part of the body or separate from it, first formulated
as a problem by the French philosopher René Descartes[1]



mind-boggling

mind-boggling
mind-bog·gling 
adjective

overwhelming:
mentally overwhelming, for example, because of great size or complexity (informal)
—mind-bog·gling·ly, adverb[1]



mindcandy

mindcandy
mind
can·dy
noun

entertainment
requiring little intelligence: something that is
entertaining but not intellectually demanding (slang)
[Late 20th century][1]



minded

minded
mind·ed 
[mndəd] adjective

inclined:
inclined to do a particular thing or act in a particular way (formal)[1]



mind-expanding

mind-expanding
mind-ex·pand·ing 
adjective

1.  altering
perceptions: changing perceptions, moods, or thought
patterns

2.  expanding
knowledge:
expanding knowledge and awareness

[1]



mindful

mindful
mind·ful 
[mndfəl] adjective

aware:
paying attention or taking care
—mind·ful·ly,
adverb

—mind·ful·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at aware

[1]



mindgame

mindgame
mind
game
noun

deceptive practice:
a psychologically manipulative and deceptive practice intended to deceive or
confuse somebody (informal)[1]



mindless

mindless
mind·less 
[mndləss] adjective

1.  unintelligent:
requiring or displaying very little intelligence

2.  purposeless:
having no apparent purpose or rational cause

3.  unconcerned:
not careful or concerned
—mind·less·ly,
adverb

—mind·less·ness, noun[1]



mind-numbing

mind-numbing
mind-numb·ing
adjective

boring:
inspiring no interest or thought, especially because of dullness or
repetitiveness
—mind-numb·ing·ly, adverb[1]



MindoroIsland

MindoroIsland
Min·do·ro
Is·land
[min dáwrō lənd]

island in the western
Philippines. Area: 9,738 sq km/3,760 sq mi.[1]



mindreader

mindreader
mind
read·er
(plural mind read·ers) noun

somebody who senses others’
thoughts: somebody who can sense the
thoughts of others without being told what they are[1]



mindscape

mindscape
mind·scape 
[mnd skàyp] (plural mind·scapes)
noun

1.  imagined
scene:
a mental scene constructed from memory or imagination

2.  picture
of mind’s contents: an artistic representation
of a mental scene constructed from memory or imagination
[Formed from mind, modeled on landscape][1]



mindset

mindset
mind·set
[mnd sèt] (plural mind·sets) noun

beliefs that affect
somebody’s attitude: a set of
beliefs or a way of thinking that determine somebody’s behavior and outlook[1]



mind’seye

mind’seye
mind’s
eye 
noun

visual imagination and
memory: the mind as a place where
visual images are conjured up from memory or imagination[1]



mine

mine1
mine1 [mīn]
noun (plural mines)

1.  hole
in earth for extracting minerals: an excavated area from
which minerals, often in the form of ore, are extracted

2.  mineral-excavating
business:
the industrial and commercial buildings, machinery, and personnel used to work
a mine

3.  mineral
deposit:
an area within or on the surface of the earth where there is a deposit of ore,
minerals, or precious stones

4.  source:
a rich source of something, especially information

5.  ARMS hidden
explosive:
an explosive device that is concealed underground or underwater to be detonated
by nearby people or vehicles

6.  MILITARY tunnel
under enemy territory: a tunnel dug under enemy
territory in order to gain entry, undermine fortifications, or lay explosives

7.  ZOOLOGY insect
burrow:
a tunnel made by a burrowing insect or larva, especially in a plant leaf
verb
(past mined, past participle mined, present participle
min·ing, 3rd person present singular mines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MINING remove minerals:
to extract minerals from the earth

2.  transitive
verb
ARMS lay
explosive mines in: to place mines throughout an
area of ground or water

3.  transitive
verb
dig
tunnel beneath: to dig a tunnel under the surface of the
earth

4.  transitive
verb
make
use of resource: to make use of a particular resource • Generations
of scholars mined the archives.

5.  transitive
verb
undermine:
to undermine (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French from assumed Vulgar Latin mina, of uncertain
origin: probably from Celtic .]
—min·a·ble, adjective[1]



mine

mine2
mine2 [mīn]
pronoun

indicates
possession:
refers to something that belongs or relates to the speaker or writer • He
put on his coat, and told me to put mine on. • She
was a friend of mine.
adjective

my:
belonging to or associated with me (archaic) (used before a vowel)
• By
mine eyes and by mine ears I swear.
[Old English min .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “me,” which is also the ancestor
of English me and my .][1]



minedetector

minedetector
mine
de·tec·tor
(plural mine de·tec·tors) noun

instrument that senses
explosive mines: an instrument used for
finding explosive mines hidden under the ground or in water[1]



minefield

minefield
mine·field 
[mn fld] (plural mine·fields)
noun

1.  area
containing explosive mines: an area of land or sea in
which explosive mines have been placed

2.  hazardous
situation:
a situation in which great care is needed to avoid the many hazards that exist

[1]



minelayer

minelayer
mine·lay·er 
[mn làyr] (plural mine·lay·ers)
noun

ship that lays explosive
mines: a ship fitted with equipment
for laying explosive mines under water[1]



Mineola

Mineola
Min·e·o·la 
[minə ṓlə]

village in New York,
predominantly in North Hempstead town, Nassau County. Population: 18,629 (1994)[1]



miner

miner
min·er 
[mnər] (plural min·ers) noun

1.  somebody
working in mine: somebody who works in a mine digging for
minerals, especially coal

2.  mineral-extracting
machine:
a machine that extracts minerals, especially coal, from the ground

3.  somebody
laying explosive mines: somebody whose task is to
place and set explosive mines

4.  INSECTS See leaf miner

[1]



mineral

mineral
min·er·al 
[mínnərəl] noun (plural min·er·als)

1.  inorganic
substance in nature: an inorganic solid substance
that occurs naturally in rocks and in the ground and has its own characteristic
appearance and chemical composition

2.  mined
substance:
any naturally occurring substance that is mined or extracted from the ground

3.  matter
not animal or vegetable: non-technically anything
that is not made of animal or vegetable matter

4.  inorganic
nutritive substance: an inorganic substance that
must be ingested by animals or plants in order to remain healthy
adjective

containing minerals:
made of or containing minerals
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin minerale from, ultimately, Old French miniere “mine,” from mine
(see mine 1 ).][1]



mineralize

mineralize
min·er·al·ize 
[mínnərə lz] (past min·er·al·ized,
past participle min·er·al·ized, present participle min·er·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular min·er·al·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
impregnate
something with minerals: to impregnate something, for
example, water or organic matter, with minerals

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become mineral: to transform organic matter
into a mineral, as happens in petrification, or to be transformed in this way
—min·er·al·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—min·er·al·i·za·tion, noun[1]



mineralocorticoid

mineralocorticoid
min·er·al·o·cor·ti·coid 
[mìnnərəlō káwrti kòyd] (plural min·er·al·o·cor·ti·coids)
noun

hormone
that regulates fluid balance: a hormone ( corticosteroid ), for example, aldosterone, that
controls electrolyte and fluid balance in the body and is secreted by the
adrenal cortex
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from mineral + corticosteroid
.][1]



mineralogy

mineralogy
min·er·al·o·gy 
[mìnnə rólləjee] (plural min·er·al·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of minerals: the scientific study of minerals and how
to classify, distinguish, and locate them

2.  area’s
mineral deposits: a profile of an area’s mineral deposits
—min·er·a·log·i·cal
[mìnnərə lójjik’l], adjective

—min·er·a·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—min·er·al·o·gist [mìnnə rólləjist], noun[1]



mineraloil

mineraloil
min·er·al
oil
(plural min·er·al oils) noun

1.  laxative
oil:
a clear oil distilled from petroleum and used as a laxative and skin softener.
U.K.
term
liquid paraffin

2.  oil
from minerals: any oil obtained from minerals,
especially from petroleum

[1]



mineralspirits

mineralspirits
min·er·al
spir·its
plural noun

paint thinner:
a liquid distilled from petroleum and used to thin paint and varnish (takes
a singular or plural verb)[1]



mineralspring

mineralspring
min·er·al
spring
(plural min·er·al springs) noun

source of mineral water:
a spring whose water has high mineral or gas content[1]



mineraltar

mineraltar
min·er·al
tar
noun

See
maltha[1]



mineralwater

mineralwater
min·er·al
wa·ter
(plural min·er·al wa·ters) noun

water with mineral salts:
drinkable water with a high mineral salt or gas content, either obtained from a
mineral spring or with minerals added. It is usually sold in bottles.[1]



mineralwax

mineralwax
min·er·al
wax
(plural min·er·al wax·es) noun

wax derived from mineral:
wax made from a mineral, especially a hydrocarbon wax ( ozocerite ) found in veins in sandstone[1]



mineralwool

mineralwool
min·er·al
wool
(plural min·er·al wools) noun

insulation material:
a lightweight fibrous material made from slag or glass, used for insulation,
packing material, and filters.
Also called
rock wool[1]



Minerva

Minerva
Mi·ner·va 
[mi núrvə] noun

Roman goddess of wisdom:
in Roman mythology, the goddess of wisdom and patron of arts, trade, and the
art of war, who was born fully armed from the head of Jupiter[1]



miner’slettuce

miner’slettuce
min·er’s
let·tuce 
(plural min·er’s let·tuces) noun

See
winter purslane
[Miner’s because it grows
commonly in the foothill country, where gold mines were active][1]



mineshaft

mineshaft
mine·shaft 
[mn shàft] (plural mine·shafts)
noun

passage to mine:
a nearly vertical passageway that provides access or ventilation to an
underground mine[1]



minestrone

minestrone
min·e·stro·ne 
[mìnnə strṓnee] (plural min·e·stro·nes)
noun

Italian
soup:
an Italian soup made with vegetables, pasta, beans, and herbs. It is often
served sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, from, ultimately, Latin ministrare “to serve,” from minister
“servant” (see minister ).][1]



minesweeper

minesweeper
mine·sweep·er 
[mn swpər] (plural mine·sweep·ers)
noun

ship that detects explosive
mines: a ship fitted with equipment
for detecting and clearing underwater explosive mines[1]



mineworker

mineworker
mine·work·er 
[mn wùrkər] (plural mine·work·ers)
noun

somebody working in mine:
somebody who works in a mine[1]



Ming

Ming
Ming 
[ming] noun

Chinese
dynasty:
the Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1364 to 1644, under which arts, trade, and
scholarship were greatly developed (often used before a noun)
[Late 18th century. From
Chinese, literally “bright, clear.”][1]



mingle

mingle
min·gle 
[míng g’l] (past min·gled, past
participle min·gled, present participle min·gling, 3rd
person present singular min·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb mix
gently:
to mix, or mix ingredients, together gently or gradually • Heat
gently to allow the flavors to mingle.

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
to people:
to circulate among a group of people, for example, guests at a party
[15th century. Alteration of
obsolete menglen, literally “to keep mixing,” from Old English mengan
“to mix.”][1]



Mingrel

Mingrel
Min·grel
[míng grəl] or Min·grel·i·an [míng grəl] noun

Caucasian language related to
Georgian: a language spoken in the
mountainous region to the northeast of the Black Sea. It belongs to the
southern branch of Caucasian languages and is closely related to Georgian.[1]



mingtree

mingtree
ming
tree
(plural ming trees) noun

1.  bonsai
tree:
an evergreen tree used for bonsai, usually in a flat-topped asymmetrical
arrangement

2.  artificial
bonsai:
an artificial bonsai tree
[Ming of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Ming][1]



Mingus,Charles

Mingus,Charles

Min·gus
[míng gəss], Charles (1922–1979)
U.S. double bassist and composer. He
played in various jazz bands, establishing the double bass as a principal jazz
instrument.[1]



mingy

mingy
min·gy 
[mínjee] (comparative min·gi·er,
superlative min·gi·est) adjective

U.K.
stingy:
mean or stingy (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps a blend of mean and stingy .][1]



mini-

mini-
mini-
prefix

small,
short, miniature • ministroke
[Shortening of miniature][1]



mini

mini
min·i 
[mínnee] (plural min·is) noun

smaller
version of something: something that is small
compared to other things of its type, especially a minicomputer or a miniskirt
(informal)
[Mid-20th century. From mini- .][1]



miniature

miniature
min·i·a·ture 
[mínnee ə chər, mínnee
ə chr, mínnichər] noun (plural
min·i·a·tures)

1.  smaller
version:
a smaller-than-usual version of something, for example, a very small model or a
smaller version of a particular breed of animal

2.  ARTS tiny
painting:
a very small, detailed, and well-finished painting, especially a portrait made
to fit inside a locket or other piece of jewelry

3.  PAINTING painting
of miniatures: the art of painting miniatures

4.  illuminated
manuscript illustration: a small picture or
decorative initial in an illuminated manuscript
adjective

smaller than usual:
smaller in size or scale than others of its type
[Late
16th century. Via Italian miniatura “illumination,” from, ultimately,
Latin minium “red lead.”]
in
miniature

on
a small scale





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Red
  lead was used in ancient and medieval times for making a sort of red ink with
  which manuscripts were decorated, and so the medieval Latin verb miniare
  was coined from minium, “red lead,” meaning “to illuminate a
  manuscript.” Italian took this over and derived miniatura “painting,
  illumination” from it. It referred particularly to the small paintings in
  manuscripts, and, after English acquired it, it was soon broadened out to
  refer to any “small image.” Association with minute, minimum, etc. led
  by the early 18th century to its adjectival use for “small.”

[1]



miniaturegolf

miniaturegolf
min·i·a·ture
golf
noun

novelty version of golf:
a novelty version of golf played with a putter on a very small course with
obstacles such as tunnels and bridges for the ball to avoid or go through[1]



miniaturize

miniaturize
min·i·a·tur·ize 
[mínnee əchə rz, mínnichə
rz] (past min·i·a·tur·ized, past participle min·i·a·tur·ized,
present participle min·i·a·tur·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular min·i·a·tur·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something in small size: to make a version of
something in a much smaller size or on a greatly reduced scale
—min·i·a·tur·i·za·tion
[mìnnee əchəri záysh’n, mìnnichəri záysh’n], noun[1]



minibar

minibar
min·i·bar 
[mínnee br] (plural min·i·bars)
noun

refrigerator in hotel room:
a small refrigerator in a hotel room stocked with alcoholic beverages and often
also with soft drinks and snacks[1]



mini-blind

mini-blind
mi·ni-blind
(plural mi·ni-blinds) noun

blind with narrow slits:
a venetian blind with narrow slits[1]



minibreak

minibreak
mi·ni·break
[mínnee bràyk] noun

advantage in tennis
tie-break: a point won against the
serve in a tie-break in a tennis match (informal)[1]



minibus

minibus
min·i·bus 
[mínnee bùss] (plural min·i·bus·es)
noun

small bus:
a small bus for carrying around 10 to 15 passengers, usually on short journeys[1]



Minicam

Minicam
Min·i·cam
[mínnee kàm] Trademark

a trademark for a portable,
shoulder-mounted television camera used in outside broadcasts[1]



minicar

minicar
min·i·car 
[mínnee kr] (plural min·i·cars)
noun

very small car:
a very small automobile[1]



minicompact

minicompact
mi·ni·com·pact
[mìnnee kóm pàkt] (plural mi·ni·com·pacts)
noun

car smaller than subcompact:
a passenger vehicle smaller than a subcompact in size[1]



minicomputer

minicomputer
min·i·com·put·er 
[mínnee kəm pytər] (plural min·i·com·put·ers)
noun

medium-power computer:
a computer of a size, speed, and capacity intermediate between a standard
personal computer and a mainframe[1]



Miniconjou

Miniconjou
Min·i·con·jou 
[mìnni kón j] (plural Min·i·con·jous
or Min·i·con·jou) or Min·ne·con·jou [mìnni kón j] (plural Min·ne·con·jous)
noun

Native N American people:
a member of a Native North American people who originally occupied lands from
the Black Hills to the Platte River, and whose members now live mainly in South
Dakota[1]



miniconvention

miniconvention
min·i·con·ven·tion 
[mínnee kən vènshən] (plural min·i·con·ven·tions)
noun

small convention:
a small-scale convention, especially one that takes place before a larger
political convention[1]



minicourse

minicourse
min·i·course 
[mínnee kàwrs] (plural min·i·courses)
noun

short educational course:
a short course of study, especially an intensive introductory course lasting
less than a semester[1]



MiniDisc

MiniDisc
Min·i·Disc
[mínnee dìsk] Trademark

a trademark for a small
recordable compact disc housed in a rectangular plastic case. It measures 5 cm2
in. in diameter.[1]



minidress

minidress
min·i·dress
[mínnee drèss] noun

above-the-knee dress:
a dress with a hemline above the knee[1]



minify

minify
min·i·fy 
[mínnə f] (past min·i·fied, past
participle min·i·fied, present participle min·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular min·i·fies) transitive verb

reduce
size or importance of something: to understate or
reduce the size or importance of something
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin minimus “least” (see minimum ), on the model of magnify .]
—min·i·fi·ca·tion [mìnnəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



minikin

minikin
min·i·kin 
[mínnikin] noun (plural min·i·kins)

tiny
creature:
a tiny or dainty creature (archaic)
adjective

delicate:
small and delicate (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Dutch
minneken “darling,” from minne “love.”][1]



minilab

minilab
min·i·lab
[mínni làb] (plural min·i·l·abs)
noun

photo-developing business:
a business that does basic photographic developing and printing on site, often
within an hour[1]



minim

minim
min·im 
[mínnəm] (plural min·ims) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of fluid measure: a unit of fluid measure equal to one
sixtieth of a fluid dram, 0.0616 milliliters, or approximately one drop

2.  MUSIC See half note

3.  pen
stroke:
a downward vertical stroke of the pen in handwriting
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin minimus “least,” from Latin (see minimum
).][1]



minima

minima
min·i·ma
noun

Plural of
minimum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








minimal

minimal
min·i·mal 
[mínnəm’l] adjective

1.  very
small:
very small in amount or extent

2.  smallest
possible:
smallest possible in amount or least possible in extent

3.  min·i·mal
or Min·i·mal relating to minimalism:
relating to or displaying attributes associated with minimalism
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin minimus “least” (see minimum
).]
—min·i·mal·i·ty
[mìnnə mállətee], noun

—min·i·mal·ly
[mínnəm’lee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Extensions
  of meaning
  :
  Strictly speaking, minimal means “the
  least possible,” just as minimize means “to reduce to a minimum; to
  reduce to the least possible amount.” Often, however, these words are not
  used strictly: • a minimal amount of
  noise
  is unlikely to mean none at all but may simply be the least amount of noise
  conveniently possible to make. If the word is to retain any sense of being a
  superlative (like least ), it should not be used with modifiers such
  as rather, somewhat, and slightly . Small, limited,
  reduced, and as little as possible are all suitable
  alternatives to overextending minimal ;
  and diminish, lessen, and reduce do the job that minimize
  is sometimes improperly asked to do.

[1]



minimalart

minimalart
min·i·mal
art
or Min·i·mal Art noun

1.  See
minimalism  noun 1

2.  minimalist
art works:
minimalist works of art
—min·i·mal art·ist, noun[1]



minimalism

minimalism
min·i·mal·ism 
[mínnəm’lìzzəm] noun

1.  min·i·mal·ism
or Min·i·mal·ism artistic movement:
a movement of abstract artists who produce uncluttered paintings and sculptures
that make use of basic colors and geometric shapes in impersonal arrangements.
The movement originated in New York in the 1960s.
Also
called
minimal art

2.  simplicity
of style:
simplicity in artwork, design, interior design, or literature, achieved by
using a few very simple elements to maximum effect

3.  MUSIC movement
for simplicity in music: a trend in music toward
simplicity of rhythm and tone, including sustained or repeated rhythmic and
melodic patterns resulting in a hypnotic effect

[1]



minimalist

minimalist
min·i·mal·ist 
[mínnəm’list] noun (plural min·i·mal·ists)

1.  min·i·mal·ist
or Min·i·mal·ist practitioner of
artistic minimalism: somebody whose works of art,
literature, or music display the simplicity associated with minimalism

2.  advocate
of smaller role for government: somebody who advocates
restricting the power and goals of an organization, especially somebody who
wishes to restrict government involvement in nongovernmental matters
adjective

providing minimum amount:
providing only the least amount that is needed
[Early 20th century.
Translation of Russian men’shevik .][1]



Minimalist

Minimalist
Min·i·mal·ist 
[mínnəməlist] noun

See
Menshevik
[Early 20th century.
Translation of Russian men’shevik .][1]



minimalize

minimalize
min·i·mal·ize 
[mínnəm’l z] (past min·i·mal·iz·ed,
past participle min·i·mal·iz·ed, present participle min·i·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular min·i·mal·iz·es, plural min·i·mal·iz·es)
or min·i·mal·ise [mínnəm’l z]
(past min·i·mal·is·ed, past participle min·i·mal·is·ed,
present participle min·i·mal·is·ing, 3rd person present
singular min·i·mal·is·es, plural min·i·mal·is·es) transitive
verb

reduce
to minimum:
to reduce something to the minimum
—min·i·mal·i·za·tion [mìnnəm’li záysh’n], noun[1]



minimalpair

minimalpair
min·i·mal
pair
noun

words differing in just one
sound: in linguistics, a pair of
words or other linguistic expressions that are the same except for one sound,
for example, “bit” and “pit”[1]



minimax

minimax
min·i·max 
[mínnə màks] noun

MATHEMATICS lowest
maximum:
the lowest of a set of maximum values
adjective

designed
to minimize loss: used to describe options or strategies
designed to minimize the risk of sustaining maximum loss in any situation that
involves conflict or competition.
See
also
game theory
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from minimum + maximum
.][1]



minimill

minimill
min·i·mill 
[mínnee mil] (plural min·i·mills)
noun

small mill:
a small mill, especially a steel mill that processes scrap metal[1]



minimize

minimize
min·i·mize 
[mínnə mz] (past min·i·mized,
past participle min·i·mized, present participle min·i·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular min·i·miz·es) transitive verb

1.  reduce
something to minimum: to reduce something to the
lowest possible amount or degree

2.  underrate
something:
to play down the extent or seriousness of something
—min·i·mi·za·tion
[mìnnəmi záysh’n], noun

—min·i·miz·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at minimal.

[1]



minimum

minimum
min·i·mum 
[mínnəməm] noun (plural min·i·mums
or min·i·ma [mínnəmə])

1.  lowest
possible degree: the lowest possible amount or degree of
something

2.  lowest
recorded degree: the lowest recorded amount or degree of
something

3.  lowest
permissible degree: the lowest amount or degree
of something permitted by law, for example, the lowest speed on a highway or
the youngest age at which something can be done legally

4.  sum
that patron must spend: an minimum amount of money
that a restaurant or nightclub requires each patron to spend

5.  MATHEMATICS lowest
number:
the lowest number in a finite set

6.  MATHEMATICS function’s
lowest value: the smallest value of a continuous
function over a particular interval
adjective

lowest allowed:
lowest possible, recorded, or allowed
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, from minimus “least.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
denoting “small,” which is also the ancestor of English minor, minute,
diminish, and minister .][1]



minimum-security

minimum-security
min·i·mum-se·cu·ri·ty 
adjective

with relatively relaxed
security measures: with
security measures appropriate to inmates or patients who are not considered
dangerous or who are not likely to try to escape[1]



minimumwage

minimumwage
min·i·mum
wage
(plural min·i·mum wag·es) noun

1.  lowest
legal rate of pay: the lowest rate of pay
allowed by law or contract, either in general or for a certain type of work

2.  See
living wage

[1]



minimus

minimus
min·i·mus
[mínnəməss] (plural min·i·mi) noun

insignificant
person:
a very small or insignificant person (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “least” (see minimum ).][1]



mining

mining
min·ing 
[mning] noun

1.  removing
minerals from earth: the process or business of
removing minerals from the earth (often used before a noun)

2.  ARMS laying
explosives:
the process of laying explosive mines

[1]



minion

minion
min·ion 
[mínnyən] (plural min·ions) noun

1.  assistant:
a servile or slavish follower of somebody generally regarded as important

2.  servant:
a servant or enslaved person (archaic or literary)

3.  favorite:
a favored person (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
French mignon “darling” (see mignon
).][1]



minipark

minipark
min·i·park 
[mínnee prk] (plural min·i·parks)
noun

small park:
a small maintained grassy area or playground in an urban area[1]



minipill

minipill
min·i·pill
[mínnee pil] (plural min·i·pills)
noun

contraceptive:
an oral contraceptive that contains progesterone but not estrogen[1]



miniseries

miniseries
min·i·se·ries 
[mínnee sriz] (plural min·i·se·ries)
noun

short series of TV programs:
a short series of television programs, often a serialized fictional story,
usually airing on consecutive nights[1]



miniski

miniski
min·i·ski 
[mínnee sk] (plural min·i·skis)
noun

short snow ski:
a short snow ski for beginners or one that attaches to a vehicle used to travel
over snow ( skibob )[1]



miniskirt

miniskirt
min·i·skirt 
[mínnee skùrt] (plural min·i·skirts)
noun

short skirt:
a skirt with a hemline well above the knee[1]



ministate

ministate
min·i·state 
[mínnee stàyt] (plural min·i·states)
noun

small nation:
a nation that is very small in terms both of geographical area and population[1]



minister

minister
min·is·ter 
[mínnistər] noun (plural min·is·ters)

1.  CHRISTIANITY member
of clergy:
a member of the clergy of a Christian, especially Protestant, church

2.  CHRISTIANITY head
of Roman Catholic order: the superior in some orders
in the Roman Catholic Church

3.  POLITICS senior
officer of state: a senior officer of state in a
government department, especially in the parliamentary system of government

4.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS diplomat
ranked under ambassador: a diplomat representing a
country, especially in the rank below ambassador

5.  business
representative: somebody’s agent or representative (formal
or literary)
verb
(past min·is·tered, past participle min·is·tered, present
participle min·is·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular min·is·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
give
help:
to give help to somebody in need (formal)

2.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY do
religious minister’s work: to perform the duties of a
member of the clergy

3.  transitive
verb
give
something:
to administer something, for example, aid, medicine, or a sacrament (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin, “servant.”]
—min·is·ter·ship, noun[1]



ministerial

ministerial
min·is·te·ri·al 
[mìnni stree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to clergy:
relating to a religious minister

2.  relating
to government minister: relating to a government
minister or the minister’s department

3.  LAW requiring
following of instructions: allowing no personal
discretion, only the strict following of law

4.  instrumental:
playing an important part in achieving something (formal)
—min·is·te·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



ministerplenipotentiary

ministerplenipotentiary
min·is·ter
plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·y (plural min·is·ters
plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·y) noun

diplomat with full powers:
a diplomat who ranks below an ambassador but who has full power and authority
to represent a government[1]



ministerresident

ministerresident
min·is·ter
res·i·dent
(plural min·is·ters res·i·dent) noun

junior diplomat:
a diplomat who is ranked below a minister plenipotentiary[1]



ministerwithout portfolio

ministerwithout portfolio
min·is·ter
with·out port·fo·li·o (plural min·is·ters
with·out port·fo·li·o) noun

minister without departmental
responsibility: a senior officer of
state who has no direct responsibility for a government department[1]



ministrant

ministrant
min·is·trant 
[mínnistrənt] noun (plural min·is·trants)

1.  religious
minister:
somebody serving as a religious minister (formal)

2.  aid
giver:
somebody who gives aid to others (literary)
adjective

helping:
giving aid or serving others (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
ministrant-, the present participle stem of ministrare “to
serve,” from minister “servant” (see minister
).][1]



ministration

ministration
min·is·tra·tion 
[mìnni stráysh’n] (plural min·is·tra·tions)
noun

1.  treatment:
help, treatment, or service (formal) (often used in the plural)

2.  religious
minister’s work: the service provided by a religious
minister

3.  act
of supplying: the supplying or administering of
something (archaic)
[14th century. From the Latin
stem ministration-, from ministrare (see ministrant
).][1]



ministroke

ministroke
min·i·stroke 
[mínnee strk] (plural min·i·strokes)
noun

minor blockage of blood to
brain: a temporary blockage of
blood circulation in some part of the brain, causing short-term stroke
symptoms, for example, dizziness, inability to speak or move, or loss of senses[1]



ministry

ministry
min·is·try 
[mínnistree] (plural min·is·tries)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY work
of religious minister: the profession and services
of a religious minister

2.  CHRISTIANITY period
of service:
a religious minister’s career or period of service

3.  CHRISTIANITY ministers:
ministers collectively, especially religious ministers (takes a singular or
plural verb)

4.  min·is·try
or Min·is·try POLITICS
government
department:
a government department headed by a minister

5.  POLITICS prime
minister’s service: the period of government
under a prime minister

6.  POLITICS government
building:
the building in which a government department is housed
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin ministerium, from minister “servant” (see minister ).][1]



Minitrack

Minitrack
Min·i·track
[mínni tràk] Trademark

a trademark for an electronic
system that tracks artificial satellites by sending and receiving radio signals
from ground stations[1]



minium

minium
min·i·um 
[mínnee əm] noun

See
red lead
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
.][1]



minivan

minivan
min·i·van 
[mínni vàn] (plural min·i·vans)
noun

van for passengers and cargo:
a small passenger van, often with seats that can be removed or rearranged to
accommodate cargo[1]



miniver

miniver
min·i·ver 
[mínnivər] noun

white
fur trim:
white or light gray fur used as trim on ceremonial costumes
[Late 16th century. From Old
French menu vair “small vair.”][1]



Miniéball

Miniéball
Min·ié
ball
[mínnee bàwl, mínnee
ày bàwl] (plural Min·ié balls) noun

conical
rifle bullet: a bullet with a cone-shaped head and a
hollow base that expands when fired, used in muzzle-loading rifles of the 19th
century
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French army officer Claude-Étienne Minié (1804–1879), who invented
it.][1]



mink

mink
mink 
[mingk] noun

1.  (plural
minks or mink) web-toed
member of weasel family: either of two species of
semiaquatic carnivorous members of the weasel family with webbed toes, a bushy
tail, and thick dark brown fur. One is found in North America, the other in
Europe. Genus: Mustela

2.  mink
fur:
the highly valued, thick, shiny brown fur of the mink (often used before a
noun)

3.  (plural
minks) mink fur garment:
a coat, stole, or other garment made of mink fur
[15th century. From Swedish
.][1]



minkewhale

minkewhale
min·ke
whale 
(plural min·ke whales) noun

small
whale:
a small gray and white whale with a pointed snout. It is the smallest of the
rorqual family, the family that includes the blue whale, and grows up to 10
m/30 ft long. Latin name: Balaenoptera acutorostrata
[Mid-20th century. Minke
from Norwegian, of uncertain origin: possibly named for Meincke, a
gunner on a 19th century whaling crew.][1]



Minn.

Minn.
Minn.

Abbreviation of
Minnesota[1]



Minna

Minna
Min·na
[mínnə]

city in west central Nigeria,
the capital of Niger State, situated about 80 km/50 mi northwest of Abuja.
Population: 134,000 (1995)[1]



Minneapolis

Minneapolis
Min·ne·a·pol·is 
[mìnnee áppəliss]

the largest city in
Minnesota, in the southeastern part of the state, close to St. Paul.
Population: 368,383 (1990)[1]



MinnehahaFalls

MinnehahaFalls
Min·ne·ha·ha
Falls
[mìnnə hhaa fawlz]

waterfall on Minnehaha Creek,
southern Minnesota, celebrated in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of
Hiawatha. Height: 15 m/50 ft.[1]



Minnelli,Liza

Minnelli,Liza
Min·nelli
[mi néllee], Liza (1946– )

U.S.
stage and screen performer. Daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, she
won an Academy Award for Cabaret ( 1972 ).
Full name
Minnelli, Liza May[1]



minneola

minneola
min·ne·o·la 
[mìnnee ṓlə] (plural min·ne·o·las)
noun

tangerine-grapefruit
hybrid:
an orange colored citrus fruit that is a cross between a tangerine and a
grapefruit
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the town of Minneola in Florida, where it was developed.][1]



minnesinger

minnesinger
min·ne·sing·er 
[mínni sìngər, mínni
zìngər] (plural min·ne·sing·ers) noun

medieval
German troubadour: a German lyric poet and
singer popular in the 12th to 14th centuries
[Early 19th century. Via
German from Middle High German, literally “love singer.”][1]



Minnesota




Back to definition

Minnesota1

[1]



Minnesota

Minnesota1


Min·ne·so·ta1  [mìnnə
sṓtə]
state
in the north central United States, bordered by Iowa, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Wisconsin, the Manitoba and Ontario Provinces of Canada, and Lake
Superior. Capital: St. Paul. Population: 4,685,549 (1997) Area: 218,588 sq
km/84,397 sq mi.
—Min·ne·so·tan [mìnni sṓt’n], adjective, noun[1]



Minnesota

Minnesota2
Min·ne·so·ta2  [mìnnə
sṓtə]

river in southern Minnesota
State, flowing from Big Stone Lake into the Mississippi River. Length: 534
km/332 mi.[1]



MinnesotaMultiphasic Personality Inventory

MinnesotaMultiphasic Personality Inventory
Min·ne·so·ta
Mul·ti·pha·sic Per·son·al·i·ty In·ven·to·ry noun

psychological
assessment test: a standardized test that uses true-false
questions to assess somebody’s psychological and social adjustment. It is
widely used in recruitment and screening.
[Named for the University of Minnesota, where it was developed][1]



minnow

minnow
min·now 
[mínnō] (plural min·nows) noun

1.  bait
fish:
any small freshwater fish of the carp family, commonly used as fishing bait.
Family: Cyprinidae

2.  small
fish:
any small silvery freshwater fish

3.  insignificant
person or thing: a person or organization of relatively
low status or little importance
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably related to Old English myne “minnow” and perhaps
influenced by French menu “small.”][1]



Minoan

Minoan
Mi·no·an 
[mi nṓ ən] adjective

relating
to ancient Crete: relating or belonging to the Bronze Age
civilization that flourished on Crete from around 3000 to 1100 BC
noun
(plural Mi·no·ans)

native
of ancient Crete: somebody who was born on or was a
citizen of the island of Crete during ancient times, especially when the Minoan
Bronze Age civilization flourished
[Late 19th century. Named for
Minos, legendary king of Crete associated with the great palace at
Knossos.][1]



minor

minor
mi·nor 
[mnər] adjective

1.  small:
relatively small in quantity, size, or degree

2.  low
in rank:
relatively low in rank or importance

3.  low
in severity: relatively low in severity or danger

4.  MUSIC describing
musical scale: used to describe a scale that has a
semitone interval between the second and third, fifth and sixth, and sometimes
seventh and eighth notes

5.  MUSIC describing
musical interval: used to describe an interval that is a
semitone less than a major interval

6.  MUSIC describing
a key:
used to describe a key that is based on a minor scale • in
B minor

7.  LAW not
legally adult: younger than the legal age of adulthood

8.  EDUCATION relating
to secondary specialization: secondary to the major
course of study
noun
(plural mi·nors)

1.  LAW somebody
not legally adult: somebody who has not reached
the legal age of adulthood

2.  MUSIC musical
key or harmony: a key or harmony based on a musical
scale whose third and, usually, sixth and seventh notes are lower by a semitone
than those in the major scale

3.  EDUCATION secondary
subject:
a second specialization in higher education that requires fewer courses than a
major

4.  EDUCATION somebody
following minor course: somebody who is following or
has followed a particular course of study as a secondary specialization
intransitive
verb
(past mi·nored, past participle mi·nored, present
participle mi·nor·ing, 3rd person present singular mi·nors)

study as secondary subject:
to have as a second specialization in higher education, in addition to a major
specialization
[13th century. From Latin,
“lesser.”][1]



minoraxis

minoraxis
mi·nor
ax·is
noun

shorter axis:
the shorter axis of an ellipse[1]



Minorca

Minorca2
Mi·nor·ca2  [mi
náwrkə] (plural Mi·nor·cas) noun

Mediterranean
chicken:
a white and black domestic chicken from the Mediterranean region
[Mid-19th century. Named for Menorca .][1]



minorelement

minorelement
mi·nor
el·e·ment
noun

See
trace element  noun 2[1]



minoritarianism

minoritarianism
mi·nor·i·tar·i·an·ism 
[mi nàwrə táiree ə nízzəm, mī náwrə tà iree ə nízzəm] noun

political action for
minority: advocacy or political action
on behalf of a minority[1]



Minorite

Minorite
Mi·nor·ite 
[mnə rt] (plural Mi·nor·ites)
noun

Franciscan
friar:
a friar of the Franciscan order
[Mid-16th century. From Minor
Friars, a translation of medieval Latin Fratres Minores, literally
“lesser brethren,” because the Franciscan order stressed the virtue of
humility.][1]



minority

minority
mi·nor·i·ty 
[mi náwrətee, mī
náwrətee] noun (plural mi·nor·i·ties)

1.  small
group:
a group of people or things that is a small part of a much larger group

2.  group
with insufficient votes to win: a group that has fewer
votes in an organization than another group or groups

3.  smaller
socially defined group: a group of people, within a
society, whose members have different ethnic, racial, national, religious,
sexual, political, linguistic, or other characteristics from the rest of
society

4.  offensive
term:
offensive term for minority member, now avoided by careful speakers because it
can cause offense (offensive)

5.  LAW nonadulthood:
the state or period of being younger than the legal age of adulthood
adjective

of a minority:
relating to or constituting a minority

[1]



minorityleader

minorityleader
mi·nor·i·ty
lead·er
(plural mi·nor·i·ty lead·ers) noun

leader of minority party:
the head of a minority party in a legislature[1]



minorkey

minorkey
mi·nor
key
noun

key from minor scale:
a key based on a minor scale[1]



minorleague

minorleague
mi·nor
league
(plural mi·nor leagues) noun

professional sports league:
a league of professional baseball, football, ice hockey, and basketball teams
that do not belong to the major leagues[1]



minor-league

minor-league
minor-league
adjective

1.  of
minor sports league: relating to or being a team
member of a minor sports league

2.  mediocre:
mediocre in quality or position (informal)

[1]



minorscale

minorscale
mi·nor
scale
(plural mi·nor scales) noun

musical scale:
a scale whose third and, usually, sixth and seventh notes are lower by a
semitone than those in the major scale, giving it a less bright, more
emotionally suggestive quality.
See also
major scale[1]



minorsuit

minorsuit
mi·nor
suit
noun

clubs or diamonds:
either clubs or diamonds, which in bridge and similar games are ranked below
hearts and spades[1]



Minos

Minos
Mi·nos 
[mn oss] noun

king of Crete:
in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and the king of Crete, who kept a monster (
Minotaur ) in a labyrinth[1]



Minot

Minot
Mi·not 
[m not]

city in northern North
Dakota, west of Grand Forks and northwest of Bismarck. Population: 35,926
(1996)[1]



Minotaur

Minotaur
Minotaur
[mínnə tàwr, mnə
tàwr] noun

Greek monster killed by
Theseus: in Greek mythology, a
monster with the body of a man and head of a bull that lived in the Cretan
labyrinth and was fed human sacrifices until it was killed by Theseus[1]



MINS

MINS
MINS
[minz]

LAW
Abbreviation of minor in need of supervision[1]



Minsk

Minsk
Minsk 
[minsk]

capital city of Belarus,
situated in the north of the country. It is a major industrial city.
Population: 1,700,000 (1996)[1]



minster

minster
min·ster 
[mínstər] (plural min·sters) noun

cathedral
or church:
a large or important cathedral or church, usually one originally connected with
a monastery
[Old English mynster,
from, ultimately, late Latin monasterium (see monastery
)][1]



minstrel

minstrel
min·strel
[mínstrəl] (plural min·strels)
noun

1.  medieval
traveling musician: a medieval singer, musician,
or reciter of poetry who traveled around from place to place giving
performances

2.  blackface
entertainer in variety show: one of a group of
entertainers who wore blackface makeup and sang and performed in variety shows
(a form of entertainment now usually considered racist and highly offensive)
[13th century. Via Old French
menestral “entertainer, handicraftsman” from, ultimately, late Latin ministerialis
“official,” from ministerium (see ministry
).][1]



minstrelsy

minstrelsy
min·strel·sy 
[mínstrəlsee] (plural min·strel·sies)
noun

1.  minstrel’s
art:
a minstrel’s art or performance, or the profession of a minstrel

2.  minstrels’
poems and songs: the poems and songs written and
performed by minstrels or by a particular minstrel

3.  minstrel
troupe:
a troupe of medieval minstrels
[14th century. From Old
French menestralsie, from menestrel (see minstrel
).][1]



mint

mint2

mint2 [mínt]
noun (plural mints)

1.  place
coining money: a place where the coins used in a
currency are manufactured under government control

2.  much
money:
a large amount of money (informal)
transitive verb
(past mint·ed, past participle mint·ed, present
participle mint·ing, 3rd person present singular mints)

1.  make
coins:
to make coins by stamping metal

2.  invent:
to create or invent something, especially a word or phrase, that is new
adjective

in perfect condition:
in perfect condition as when first made
[Old
English mynet . Via prehistoric Germanic from Latin moneta “mint
money” (see money ).]
—mint·er,
noun
in mint condition

in perfect condition, as if
brand-new[1]



mint

mint1
mint1 [mint]
(plural mints) noun

1.  plant
used for flavoring: a plant with aromatic leaves
that grows in northern temperate regions. Some types, like peppermint and
spearmint, are used for flavoring. Genus: Mentha

2.  piece
of mint-flavored candy: a piece of mint-flavored
candy
[Old
English minte . Via prehistoric Germanic from Latin mentha, from
Greek minthē, of unknown origin.]
—mint·y, adjective[1]



mintage

mintage
mint·age 
[míntij] (plural mint·ag·es) noun

1.  minting
coins:
the minting of coins

2.  coins
from mint:
coins made in a mint, especially a quantity of coins minted at the same time

3.  fee
for minting: a fee paid to a mint by a government for
minting its coins

[1]



mintjulep

mintjulep
mint
ju·lep
(plural mint ju·leps) noun

alcoholic drink with mint
garnish: a drink made by pouring
liquor, usually bourbon, and sugar, over crushed ice and flavoring or
garnishing with mint.
Also called
julep[1]



mintmark

mintmark
mint·mark 
[mínt mrk] (plural mint·marks)
noun

identifying symbol:
a letter or symbol stamped on a coin that identifies the mint where it was made[1]



minuend

minuend
min·u·end 
[mínnoo ènd] (plural min·u·ends)
noun

number
from which other number subtracted: the
number from which another number ( subtrahend
) is to be subtracted
[Early 18th century. From
Latin minuendus “to be made smaller,” from minuere “to
diminish.”][1]



minuet

minuet
min·u·et 
[mìnnoo ét] (plural min·u·ets)
noun

1.  stately
court dance: a slow stately court dance in triple
time that originated in France in the 17th century

2.  music
for minuet:
a piece of music in slow triple time written for or in the style of a minuet,
often forming part of a Baroque dance suite or classical sonata or symphony
[Late 17th century. From
French, noun use of menuet “small, dainty,” from, ultimately, Latin minutus
(source of English minute ) from the
steps taken in the dance.][1]



Minuit,Peter

Minuit,Peter
Min·u·it
[mínnwit], Peter (1580–1638)

Dutch-born American colonial
administrator. He founded the seaport of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island,
which eventually became New York City.[1]



minus

minus
mi·nus 
[mnəss] preposition

1.  MATHEMATICS less:
reduced by the subtraction of a number • Seven
minus four is three.

2.  without:
lacking in or deprived of something • Minus
the tools, he cannot do the work required.
adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS showing
subtraction: relating to or showing subtraction • a
minus sign

2.  MATHEMATICS less
than zero:
relating to or showing a value less than zero • Temperatures
hovered near minus 20 degrees • a
minus amount

3.  having
detrimental effect: having a negative or
detrimental effect • a minus factor in our
assessment

4.  slightly
below standard level: used in grading or assessing
something to show that it is slightly below the average standard indicated by a
particular symbol • a grade of C minus
noun
(plural mi·nus·es)

1.  The
minus shows that it’s a subtraction. See
minus sign

2.  negative
quantity:
a quantity below zero • If we
take that away we’re left with a minus.

3.  disadvantage:
something that is detrimental or disadvantageous • The
power problem may prove to be a minus.
[15th century. From Latin,
from minor “less” (source of English minor
).][1]



minuscule

minuscule
min·us·cule 
[mínnə skyl] adjective

1.  extremely
small:
extremely small or completely insignificant

2.  lowercase:
lowercase, or printed in lowercase letters
noun
(plural min·us·cules)

1.  PRINTING small
letter:
a lowercase letter

2.  PRINTING medieval
writing style: a small cursive style of writing used in
certain medieval manuscripts

3.  letter
written in minuscule: a letter of the alphabet
written in minuscule style
[Early
18th century. Via French from Latin minusculus “rather small,” from minus
“less” (see minus ).]
—mi·nus·cu·lar [mi núskyələr], adjective[1]



minussign

minussign
mi·nus
sign
(plural mi·nus signs) or mi·nus noun

symbol of subtraction:
a symbol, (-), used to indicate subtraction or a negative quantity[1]



minute

minute1
min·ute1 [mínnit]
noun (plural min·utes)

1.  60
seconds:
a period of 60 seconds, or a 60th part of an hour

2.  very
short time:
a very short period of time • I’ll
only be gone a minute.

3.  moment:
a particular moment • The
minute we got there the show began.

4.  short
distance:
a distance that can be traveled in a minute • The
villa is only a couple of minutes from the ocean.

5.  unit
of angular measure: one 60th of a degree, a unit
used in measuring angles

6.  brief
note:
a brief note or memorandum
plural
noun
min·utes

record of a meeting’s proceedings:
an official record of what is said or done during a meeting
transitive
verb
(past min·ut·ed, past participle min·ut·ed, present
participle min·ut·ing, 3rd person present singular min·utes)

write down meeting’s proceedings:
to record or summarize officially what happens during a meeting, or make a note
in the minutes of a particular thing that is said or done
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin minuta, from minutus,
the past participle of minuere “to make small” (source of English
diminish ). From medieval Latin pars minuta prima “first minute (i.e.
small) part,” referring to one sixtieth of a unit.]
up
to the minute

aware of, taking account of,
or reporting the very latest developments[1]



minute

minute2
mi·nute2 [mī
nt] (comparative mi·nut·er, superlative mi·nut·est)
adjective

1.  very
small:
extremely small in size or scope

2.  insignificant:
so very small as not to matter

3.  concerned
with every detail: extremely or laboriously
thorough and painstaking, and concerned with every detail
[Early
17th century. From Latin minutus (see minute 1 ).]
—mi·nute·ness, noun[1]



minutegun

minutegun
min·ute
gun
[mínnit gùn] (plural min·ute guns)
noun

gun fired as distress signal:
a gun fired every minute as a distress signal or sign of mourning[1]



minutehand

minutehand
min·ute
hand 
[mínnit hànd] (plural min·ute
hands) noun

longer clock hand:
the longer pointer on a watch or clock that indicates the minutes[1]



minutely

minutely
mi·nute·ly 
[mī ntlee] adverb

1.  in
great detail: very thoroughly, carefully, and in great
detail

2.  to
small extent: to a very small extent

3.  into
something very small: into a very small shape or
very small pieces

[1]



Minuteman

Minuteman
Min·ute·man 
(plural Min·ute·men) or min·ute·man (plural min·ute·men)
noun

missile:
an intercontinental ballistic missile of the United States armed forces[1]



minuteman

minuteman
min·ute·man 
[mínnit màn] (plural min·ute·men
[mínnit mèn]) noun

militiaman of Revolutionary
War: an armed fighter in the
Revolutionary War pledged to be ready to fight for the American cause at a
minute’s notice[1]



minutesteak

minutesteak
min·ute
steak 
[mínnit stàyk] (plural min·ute
steaks) noun

quick-cooking steak:
a piece of steak sliced so thinly that it can be cooked very quickly[1]



minutiae

minutiae
mi·nu·ti·ae
[mī nshee ] plural noun

small
details:
small or trivial details
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “small things,” from minutus (see minute 1 ).][1]



minx

minx
minx 
[mingks] (plural minx·es) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s or girl’s sense of
propriety and decorous behavior (offensive)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch minnekijn
“darling.”]
—minx·ish, adjective[1]



Minya,Al-

Minya,Al-
Min·ya,
Al-
[mínyə]

city and trading center in
the Nile valley, eastern Egypt. Population: 208,000 (1992)[1]



minyan

minyan
min·yan 
[mínnyən, meen
yn] (plural min·yan·im [mn
yaa nm, mìnnyə ním] or min·yans)
noun

number
needed for religious service: the minimum number, ten, of
adult Jewish men required to be present for an orthodox religious service
[Mid-18th century. From
Hebrew, “count, reckoning.”][1]



Miocene

Miocene
Mi·o·cene 
[m ə sn] noun

geologic
epoch:
the epoch of geologic time when the great mountain ranges of Europe, Asia, and
the Americas were created and the mastodon first appeared, 23.3 to 5.2 million
years ago
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek meiōn “less” + kainos “recent,” from the
remains of fewer modern species than in the Pliocene
.]
—Mi·o·cene, adjective[1]



miosis

miosis
mi·o·sis
[mī ṓssiss] (plural mi·o·ses [mī ṓ sz]) or my·o·sis [mī ṓssiss] (plural my·o·ses) noun

contraction
of pupil:
a contraction of the pupil of the eye, caused for example, by a reaction to a
drug
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek muein “to shut the eyes” + -osis .]
—mi·ot·ic, my·ot·ic [mī óttik], adjective[1]



MIP

MIP
MIP

1.  Abbreviation
of
marine insurance policy

2.  Abbreviation
of
monthly investment plan

[1]



MIPS

MIPS
MIPS 
[mips] or mips [mips]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of million instructions per second[1]



MiquelonIsland

MiquelonIsland
Mi·que·lon
Is·land

See
St Pierre and Miquelon[1]



Mir

Mir
Mir
noun

Russian space station:
a space station launched by the former Soviet Union in 1986, designed to be
permanently crewed[1]



mir

mir
mir 
[meer] (plural mirs) noun

peasant
commune:
a peasant commune in tsarist Russia
[Late 19th century. From
Russian .][1]



mirabiledictu

mirabiledictu
mi·ra·bi·le
dic·tu 
[mi rbilee dík t] interjection

expression
of wonder:
used to introduce the announcement of something the speaker, genuinely or
ironically, considers to be amazing
[From Latin, “amazing to
relate,” literally “amazing in the saying”][1]



miracidium

miracidium
mir·a·cid·i·um
[mrə síddee əm] (plural mir·a·cid·i·a
[mrə síddee ə]) noun

larva
of trematode worm: the free-swimming
first-stage larva of a trematode worm that hatches from an egg and then
reproduces asexually
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek meirakidion “little boy.”]
—mir·a·cid·i·al, adjective[1]



miracle

miracle
mir·a·cle 
[mírrək’l] (plural mir·a·cles)
noun

1.  act
of God:
an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature and is regarded as
an act of God

2.  amazing
event:
an event or action that is totally amazing, extraordinary, or unexpected • It’ll
be a miracle if we get there on time.

3.  marvelous
example of skill: something admired as a marvelous
creation or example of a particular type of science or skill • a
miracle of modern engineering
[12th century. Via Old French
from Latin miraculum “object of wonder,” from mirari “to wonder
at,” from mirus “wonderful.”][1]



miracledrug

miracledrug
mir·a·cle
drug
(plural mir·a·cle drugs) noun

extraordinarily effective
drug: a drug, usually a new one,
that is extraordinarily effective and seems to represent a breakthrough in the
treatment of disease.
Also called
wonder drug[1]



miracleplay

miracleplay
mir·a·cle
play
(plural mir·a·cle plays) noun

play about miracles:
a medieval play broadly depicting miracles taken from the life of a saint or a
story from the Bible[1]



miraculous

miraculous
mi·rac·u·lous 
[mi rákyələss] adjective

1.  regarded
as caused by supernatural intervention:
apparently contrary to the laws of nature and caused by a supernatural power

2.  extraordinary:
totally unexpected, extraordinary, and marvelous

3.  able
to perform miracles: having the power to perform
miracles
[15th
century. Directly or via French miraculeux, from, ultimately, medieval
Latin miraculum (see miracle ).]
—mi·rac·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—mi·rac·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



mirador

mirador
mir·a·dor 
[mrə dáwr] (plural mir·a·dors)
noun

place
giving wide view: a window, balcony, or turret designed to
command a wide view
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, from mirar “to look,” from Latin mirare (see mirage ).][1]



Miraflores,Lake

Miraflores,Lake
Mi·ra·flo·res,
Lake
[mrə fláwrayz]

lake in Panama, through which
the Panama Canal passes[1]



mirage

mirage
mi·rage 
[mi rzh] (plural mi·rag·es) noun

1.  optical
illusion:
an optical illusion of a sheet of water appearing in the desert or on a hot
road, caused by light being distorted by alternate layers of hot and cool air

2.  something
illusory:
something that is unreal or merely imagined
[Early 19th century. From
French, from mirer “to look at,” from Latin mirare “to wonder
at,” variant of mirari (see miracle
).][1]



Miramar

Miramar
Mir·a·mar 
[mírrə mr]

city in southeastern Florida,
in Broward County, near the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 47,985 (1994)[1]



Miranda

Miranda
Mi·ran·da
[mə ránndə] noun

satellite of Uranus:
one of the satellites of Uranus[1]



Miranda,Carmen

Miranda,Carmen
Mi·ran·da 
[mi rándə], Carmen (1909–1955)

Portuguese
dancer and singer. Star of Brazilian and Hollywood musicals, she is remembered
particularly for her elaborate costumes and head-dresses made from tropical
fruit.
Born
Cunha, Carmo Miranda da[1]



Mirandarights

Mirandarights
Mi·ran·da
rights
plural noun

legal
rights during police questioning: the rights of a person
being arrested to remain silent, in order to avoid self-incrimination, and to
have an attorney present during questioning
[Late 20th century. Named for
Ernesto A. Miranda, plaintiff in the case that led to the ruling.][1]



Mirandize

Mirandize
Mi·ran·dize 
[mə rán dz] (past Mi·ran·dized,
past participle Mi·ran·dized, present participle Mi·ran·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular Mi·ran·diz·es) transitive verb

inform somebody of legal
rights: to inform formally a person
being arrested of the rights to remain silent and to have an attorney (informal)[1]



mire

mire
mire 
[mīr] noun (plural mires)

1.  thick
mud:
thick slimy mud

2.  bog:
an area of very marshy ground or deep slushy mud

3.  difficult
situation:
a troublesome or oppressive situation or state that is very difficult to escape
from
verb
(past mired, past participle mired, present
participle mir·ing, 3rd person present singular mires)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
something stuck in mud: to sink into mud, or make
something sink into mud, and become stuck

2.  transitive
verb
make
muddy:
to make something muddy or dirty

3.  transitive
verb
entangle:
to involve or entangle somebody or something in difficulties
[13th
century. From Old Norse myrr “bog.”]
—mir·i·ness,
noun

—mir·y, adjective[1]



mirex

mirex
mi·rex 
[m rèks] noun

insecticide:
an insecticide used especially to kill ants. C10Cl12
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of pismire and exterminate .][1]



mirror

mirror
mir·ror 
[mírrər] noun (plural mir·rors)

1.  highly
reflective surface: a surface such as glass or
polished metal that reflects light without diffusing it so that it will give
back a clear image of anything placed in front of it

2.  glass
for reflecting an image: a piece of reflective
material, especially glass coated on one side with metal, mounted in a frame
for use, for example, in the home or a vehicle

3.  something
accurately reproducing something else:
something that accurately reproduces, describes, or conveys something else

4.  example
to others:
something or somebody that serves as an example to others (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past mir·rored, past participle mir·rored, present
participle mir·ror·ing, 3rd person present singular mir·rors)

1.  reflect
in surface:
to reflect something clearly in a surface (often passive) • The
mountains were mirrored in the lake.

2.  be
similar to:
to be very similar to or correspond closely with something else, or to
reproduce it accurately • These developments
are now mirrored on the other side of the world.
[13th century. From Old
French mirour, from, ultimately, an assumed Vulgar Latin form of Latin mirari
“to wonder at” (see miracle ).][1]



mirrorcarp

mirrorcarp
mir·ror
carp
noun

shiny-bodied fish:
a carp with very small scales that give its body a smooth shiny appearance.
Latin name: Cyprinus carpio[1]



mirrorimage

mirrorimage
mir·ror
im·age
(plural mir·ror im·ag·es) noun

reversed image:
something that, like a reflection in a mirror, is identical to something else
but reversed[1]



mirth

mirth
mirth 
[murth] noun

laughter:
happiness or enjoyment, especially accompanied by laughter
[Old English myrgÞ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “pleasant, joyful,” which
is also the ancestor of English merry
.][1]



mirthful

mirthful
mirth·ful 
[múrthfəl] adjective

full
of gaiety and laughter: full of gaiety, laughter, or
amusing things
—mirth·ful·ly,
adverb

—mirth·ful·ness, noun[1]



mirthless

mirthless
mirth·less 
[múrthləss] adjective

not
glad or amused: without, or not expressing, amusement,
good humor, or gladness
—mirth·less·ly,
adverb

—mirth·less·ness, noun[1]



MIRV

MIRV
MIRV 
[murv]

Abbreviation of
multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicle[1]



Mirza

Mirza
Mir·za
[meerzə] (plural Mir·zas) noun

Iranian
title:
an Iranian title of respect signifying a learned man or official when placed
before a name, or formerly a royal prince when placed after a name
[Early 17th century. From
Persian .][1]



Miró,Joan

Miró,Joan
Mi·ró
[mrō, mee rṓ],
Joan (1893–1983)

Spanish painter, sculptor,
and printmaker. A leading surrealist, he developed a form of abstraction, that
produced his dreamlike, ethereal compositions.[1]



mis-

mis-
mis-
prefix

1.  badly,
wrongly • mishandle

2.  bad,
wrong • misdeed

3.  opposite,
lack, failure • mislike
[Partly Old English, and
partly via Old French mes- from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
go wrong,” which is also the ancestor of English miss and amiss][1]



MIS

MIS
MIS

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of management information
system[1]



misaddress

misaddress
mis·ad·dress 
[mìssə dréss] (past mis·ad·dressed,
past participle mis·ad·dressed, present participle mis·ad·dress·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·ad·dress·es) transitive verb

address wrongly:
to put an incorrect address on an item of mail[1]



misadventure

misadventure
mis·ad·ven·ture 
[mìssəd vénchər] (plural mis·ad·ven·tures)
noun

unfortunate
event:
an unfortunate event, especially something untoward, unlucky, or amusing that
happens to somebody
[13th century. From Old
French mesaventure, from mesavenir “to turn out badly,” from avenir
“to happen,” from Latin advenire “to come to.”][1]



misalign

misalign
mis·align
[misə ln] (past mis·a·ligned,
past participle mis·a·ligned, present participle mis·align·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·aligns) transitive verb

align
wrongly:
to position or arrange something improperly in relation to something else
—mis·a·lign·ment [míssə lnmənt], noun[1]



misalliance

misalliance
mis·al·li·ance 
[mìssə l əns] (plural mis·al·li·anc·es)
noun

alliance of mismatched
partners: an unsuitable alliance,
especially a marriage between mismatched partners[1]



misandry

misandry
mis·an·dry
[mí sàndree] noun

hatred
of men:
hatred of men as a sexually defined group
[Early
20th century. Coined from the Greek stem andr- “man,” on the model of misogyny .]
—mis·an·drist,
noun

—mis·an·drous, adjective[1]



misanthrope

misanthrope
mis·an·thrope 
[míss’n thrp] (plural mis·an·thropes)
or mis·an·thro·pist [mi sánthrəpist]
(plural mis·an·thropists) noun

somebody
who hates people: somebody who hates humankind in general,
or dislikes and distrusts other people and tends to avoid their company
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Greek misanthrōpos, from misein “to hate” + anthrōpos
“man.”]
—mis·an·throp·ic
[mìss’n thróppik], adjective

—mis·an·throp·i·cal·ly
[mìss’n thróppikəlee], adverb

—mis·an·thro·py [mi sánthrəpee], noun[1]



misapprehend

misapprehend
mis·ap·pre·hend 
[miss àppri hénd] (past mis·ap·pre·hend·ed,
past participle mis·ap·pre·hend·ed, present participle mis·ap·pre·hend·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·ap·pre·hends) transitive verb

misunderstand:
to fail to understand (formal)[1]



misapprehension

misapprehension
mis·ap·pre·hen·sion
[miss àppri hénshən] noun

(plural
mis·ap·pre·hen·sions) false impression:
a false impression or incorrect understanding, especially of the nature of a
situation or somebody’s intentions
—mis·ap·pre·hen·sive,
adjective

—mis·ap·pre·hen·sive·ly,
adverb

—mis·ap·pre·hen·sive·ness,
noun[1]



misappropriate

misappropriate
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate 
[mìssə prṓpree àyt] (past mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ed,
past participle mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ed, present participle mis·ap·pro·pri·at·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·ap·pro·pri·ates) transitive
verb

take
or use dishonestly: to take something,
especially money, dishonestly, or in order to use it for an improper or illegal
purpose
—mis·ap·pro·pri·a·tion
[missə prpree áysh’n], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



misbecome

misbecome
mis·be·come 
[mìssbi kúm] (past mis·be·came,
past participle mis·be·come, present participle mis·be·com·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·be·comes) transitive verb

be unsuitable for:
to be unsuitable for or detrimental to somebody, or unfitting for an event or
occasion (formal)[1]



misbegotten

misbegotten
mis·be·got·ten 
[mìssbi gótt’n] adjective

1.  ill-conceived
and generally bad: from a bad source, badly
planned, badly thought out, or generally deplorable from start to finish

2.  dishonestly
obtained:
obtained by dishonest means

3.  illegitimate:
born to parents who are not married to each other

[1]



misbehave

misbehave
mis·be·have 
[mìssbi háyv] (past mis·be·haved,
past participle mis·be·haved, present participle mis·be·hav·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·be·haves) intransitive verb

1.  be
naughty and troublesome: to be naughty and
troublesome, or otherwise behave in an unacceptable way

2.  not
function properly: to function badly or not at
all, or to cause problems (informal)
—mis·be·hav·er, noun[1]



misbehavior

misbehavior
mis·be·hav·ior
[mìssbi háyvyər] noun

unacceptable behavior:
unacceptable behavior, especially naughtiness, disobedience, or troublesomeness
on the part of children[1]



misbehaviour

misbehaviour
mis·be·hav·iour
noun

U.K.
See misbehavior[1]



misbelief

misbelief
mis·be·lief 
[mìssbi lf] (plural mis·be·liefs)
noun

false or unorthodox belief:
a belief that is or is considered to be false or unorthodox[1]



misbelieve

misbelieve
mis·be·lieve 
[mìssbi lv] (past mis·be·lieved,
past participle mis·be·lieved, present participle mis·be·liev·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·be·lieves) intransitive verb

hold
false or unorthodox beliefs: to hold beliefs that are or
are considered to be false or unorthodox, especially on religious matters (disapproving)
—mis·be·liev·er, noun[1]



misbrand

misbrand
mis·brand 
[miss bránd] (past mis·brand·ed,
past participle mis·brand·ed, present participle mis·brand·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·brands) transitive verb

label product incorrectly:
to falsely label a product[1]



misc.

misc.
misc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
miscellaneous

2.  Abbreviation
of
miscellany

[1]



miscalculate

miscalculate
mis·cal·cu·late 
[miss kálkyə làyt] (past mis·cal·cu·lat·ed,
past participle mis·cal·cu·lat·ed, present participle mis·cal·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·cal·cu·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  calculate
wrongly:
to calculate something incorrectly

2.  make
wrong assessment: to judge or assess something
incorrectly, or form false expectations as to the consequences of an action
—mis·cal·cu·la·tion
[miss kàlkyə láysh’n], noun

—mis·cal·cu·la·tor [miss kálkyə làytər], noun[1]



miscall

miscall
mis·call 
[miss kól] (past mis·called, past
participle mis·called, present participle mis·call·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·calls) transitive verb

name
wrongly:
to use the wrong or an inappropriate name for somebody or something
—mis·call·er, noun[1]



miscarriage

miscarriage
mis·car·riage 
[miss kérrij] (plural mis·car·riag·es)
noun

1.  premature
expulsion of fetus: an involuntary ending of a
pregnancy through the discharge of the fetus from the womb at too early a stage
in its development for it to survive. Technical name abortion
Also
called
spontaneous abortion

2.  failure
of undertaking: the mishandling or failure of something,
such as a plan or project (formal)

[1]



miscarriageof justice

miscarriageof justice
mis·car·riage
of jus·tice
(plural mis·car·riag·es of jus·tice) noun

unjust ruling:
a failure of the legal system to come to a just decision[1]



miscarry

miscarry
mis·car·ry 
[miss kérree] (past mis·car·ried,
past participle mis·car·ried, present participle mis·car·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·car·ries) intransitive verb

1.  have
spontaneous abortion: to lose a fetus, especially
a human fetus, through a miscarriage

2.  be
spontaneously aborted: to be expelled from the womb
at too early a stage in development to be able to survive

3.  fail:
to result in failure (formal)

[1]



miscast

miscast
mis·cast 
[miss kást] (past mis·cast, past
participle mis·cast, present participle mis·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular mis·casts) transitive verb (often
passive)

1.  give
actor unsuitable part: to choose somebody to play a
stage or movie part to which he or she is unsuited

2.  choose
wrong actors for: to choose unsuitable actors for the
roles in a play or movie, or an unsuitable actor for a particular role

[1]



miscegenation

miscegenation
mis·ceg·e·na·tion 
[mìssijə náysh’n] noun (offensive
when used disapprovingly, as often formerly)

1.  sexual
relations between races: sexual relations between
people of different races, especially of different skin colors, leading to the
birth of children

2.  intermarriage
between races: marriage or cohabitation between people
of different races
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin miscere “to mix” + genus “race” + -ation .]
—mis·ceg·e·na·tion·al,
adjective[1]



miscellanea

miscellanea
mis·cel·la·ne·a 
[mìssə láynee ə] plural noun

collected
miscellaneous items: miscellaneous things,
especially pieces of writing, brought together as a collection
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, from miscellaneus (see miscellaneous
).][1]



miscellaneous

miscellaneous
mis·cel·la·ne·ous 
[mìssə láynee əss] adjective

1.  composed
of varied things: made up of many different things or
kinds of things that have no necessary connection with each other

2.  each
being different: each being different or having different
abilities or qualities from the others • a
task force of miscellaneous specialists
[Early
17th century. From Latin miscellaneus, from, ultimately, miscere
“to mix” (source of English mix ).]
—mis·cel·la·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—mis·cel·la·ne·ous·ness,
noun[1]



miscellanist

miscellanist
mis·cel·la·nist 
[mìssə láynist] (plural mis·cel·la·nists)
noun

compiler of miscellanies:
somebody who compiles or writes miscellanies[1]



miscellany

miscellany
mis·cel·la·ny 
[míssə làynee] (plural mis·cel·la·nies)
noun

1.  miscellaneous
collection:
a miscellaneous collection of things

2.  collected
miscellaneous writings: a collection of
miscellaneous pieces of writing in one volume, often by different authors on
various subjects and in different genres
[Late 16th century. Via
French miscellanées from Latin miscellanea (see miscellanea ).][1]



mischance

mischance
mis·chance 
[miss chánss] (plural mis·chanc·es)
noun

1.  misfortune:
the occurrence of unfortunate events by chance

2.  piece
of bad luck: something that happens through bad luck
[14th century. From Old
French mescheance (see chance ).][1]



mischief

mischief
mis·chief 
[mísschif] (plural mis·chiefs)
noun

1.  naughty
behavior:
behavior, especially by children, that is undesirable or troublesome without
being malicious

2.  tendency
to naughty behavior: a tendency to mildly
troublesome or undesirable behavior such as teasing or practical jokes

3.  injury
or damage:
injury or damage caused by the actions of somebody or something

4.  harmless
troublemaker: somebody who causes or enjoys causing
harmless trouble

5.  source
of harm or trouble: something or somebody that
causes serious harm or trouble to somebody
[13th century. From Old
French meschef, from meschever “to meet with misfortune,” from chever
“to come to an end,” from chef “head.”][1]



mischief-maker

mischief-maker
mis·chief-mak·er
(plural mis·chief-mak·ers) noun

troublemaker or spreader of
gossip: somebody who deliberately
causes trouble and sets people against each other, especially by spreading
malicious gossip[1]



mischievous

mischievous
mis·chie·vous 
[mísschivəss] adjective

1.  playfully
naughty or troublesome: behaving or likely to behave
in a naughty or troublesome way, but in fun and not meaning serious harm

2.  troublesome
or irritating: intended to tease or cause trouble,
though usually in fun or without much malice

3.  full
of mischief: expressing somebody’s intention or
inclination to have fun by teasing, playing tricks, or causing trouble

4.  damaging:
causing or meant to cause serious trouble, damage, or hurt (formal)
—mis·chie·vous·ly,
adverb

—mis·chie·vous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bad

[1]



mischmetal

mischmetal
misch
met·al
[mísh mètt’l] noun

alloy:
an alloy of cerium and rare earth metals used, for example, in the flints of
cigarette lighters
[Early 20th century. From
German Mischmetall, literally “mix-metal.”][1]



miscible

miscible
mis·ci·ble 
[míssəb’l] adjective

mixable:
used to describe two or more liquids that can be mixed together
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin miscibilis, from Latin miscere “to mix” (source of
English mix ).][1]



miscommunication

miscommunication
mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tion 
[mìsskə myni káysh’n] (plural mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tions)
noun

1.  failure
to communicate something clearly: failure to communicate
something clearly or correctly

2.  unclear
communication: a communication that is unclear or
likely to be misinterpreted

[1]



misconceive

misconceive
mis·con·ceive 
[mìsskən sv] (past mis·con·ceived,
past participle mis·con·ceived, present participle mis·con·ceiv·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·con·ceives) transitive verb

fail to understand:
to fail to understand something correctly, or to form a false conception of
something[1]



misconceived

misconceived
mis·con·ceived
[mìsskən svd] adjective

resulting from wrong
understanding of something: resulting
from a wrong or faulty understanding or idea of something and consequently
doomed to failure[1]



misconception

misconception
mis·con·cep·tion 
[mìsskən sépshən] (plural mis·con·cep·tions)
noun

mistaken idea:
a mistaken idea or view resulting from a misunderstanding of something[1]



misconduct

misconduct
mis·con·duct 
noun [miss kón dùkt]

1.  immoral,
unethical, or unprofessional behavior:
behavior that is not in accordance with accepted moral or professional
standards (disapproving)

2.  incompetence:
incompetent or dishonest management of something, especially on behalf of
others
verb
[mìsskən dúkt] (past mis·con·duct·ed,
past participle mis·con·duct·ed, present participle mis·con·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·con·ducts)

1.  reflexive
verb
act
immorally:
to act in an immoral or improper way

2.  transitive
verb
manage
incompetently: to manage something in an incompetent or
dishonest way • guilty of misconducting
the whole affair

[1]



misconstruction

misconstruction
mis·con·struc·tion 
[mìsskən strúkshən] (plural mis·con·struc·tions)
noun GRAMMAR

1.  faulty
understanding: a faulty understanding or interpretation
of something

2.  faulty
grammar:
a faulty grammatical construction

[1]



misconstrue

misconstrue
mis·con·strue 
[mìsskən str] (past mis·con·strued,
past participle mis·con·strued, present participle mis·con·stru·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·con·strues) transitive verb

misunderstand or
misinterpret: to understand or
interpret something incorrectly[1]



miscount

miscount
mis·count 
[miss kównt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past mis·count·ed, past participle mis·count·ed,
present participle mis·count·ing, 3rd person present singular
mis·counts)

count
incorrectly: to make a mistake when counting
something
noun
(plural mis·counts)

incorrect count:
an incorrect count or calculation[1]



miscreant

miscreant
mis·cre·ant 
[mísskree ənt] (plural mis·cre·ants)
noun

1.  somebody
who does wrong: a villain, wrongdoer, or generally
malicious and contemptible person (literary)

2.  infidel:
an infidel or heretic (archaic insult)
[13th century. From Old
French, present participle of mescroire “to disbelieve,” from,
ultimately, Latin credere “to believe” (source of English creed ).][1]



miscue

miscue
mis·cue 
[miss ky] noun (plural mis·cues)

1.  CUE GAMES faulty
shot in billiards: in billiards, a shot that
fails because the cue does not strike the cue ball properly

2.  mistake:
a mistake, especially one that involves giving somebody the wrong cue to say or
begin something or giving a cue at the wrong time (informal)
verb
(past mis·cued, past participle mis·cued, present
participle mis·cu·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·cues)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CUE GAMES make faulty shot:
in billiards, to fail to strike the cue ball properly, or to play a miscue

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb miss a
cue:
to fail to respond to a cue, to give the wrong cue for something, or to give a
cue at the wrong time

3.  intransitive
verb
err:
to make a mistake (informal)

[1]



misdeal

misdeal
mis·deal 
[miss dl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past participle mis·dealt, present participle mis·deal·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·deals)

deal
cards wrongly: to deal playing cards incorrectly
noun
(plural mis·deals)

mistake
in dealing cards: a mistake in the way playing cards are
dealt, or an incorrectly dealt hand
—mis·deal·er, noun[1]



misdeed

misdeed
mis·deed 
[miss dd] (plural mis·deeds) noun

wicked act:
a wicked, blameworthy, or unlawful act (formal)[1]



misdemeanant

misdemeanant
mis·de·mean·ant 
[mìssdi mnənt] (plural mis·de·mean·ants)
noun

LAW
somebody guilty of misdemeanor:
somebody convicted of a misdemeanor[1]



misdemeanor

misdemeanor
mis·de·mean·or 
[mìssdi mnər] (plural mis·de·mean·ors)
noun

1.  less
serious crime: a crime less serious than a felony and
resulting in a less severe punishment

2.  minor
misdeed:
a relatively minor misdeed

[1]



misdemeanour

misdemeanour
mis·de·mean·our 
noun

U.K. =
misdemeanor[1]



misdial

misdial
mis·di·al 
(past mis·di·aled, past participle mis·di·aled, present
participle mis·di·al·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·di·als,
plural mis·di·als) intransitive and transitive verb [miss d əl]

dial
incorrectly: to dial a telephone number incorrectly
—mis·di·al [míss dī əl], noun[1]



misdirect

misdirect
mis·di·rect 
[mìssdi rékt] (past mis·di·rect·ed,
past participle mis·di·rect·ed, present participle mis·di·rect·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·di·rects) transitive verb

1.  give
wrong directions: to give somebody wrong directions or
instructions

2.  wrongly
address mail: to put a wrong address on an item of
mail

3.  aim
inaccurately: to aim something, for example, a punch
or bullet, inaccurately, or direct something, for example, a comment or insult,
at the wrong person

[1]



misdoubt

misdoubt
mis·doubt 
[miss dówt] (past mis·doubt·ed,
past participle mis·doubt·ed, present participle mis·doubt·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·doubts) transitive verb

suspect:
to doubt or suspect somebody or something (archaic)[1]



miseen scène

miseen scène
mise
en scène
[mz aaN sén] (plural mises en
scène) noun

1.  CINEMA THEATER arrangement of actors,
scenery, etc: the positioning of actors, scenery, and
properties on a stage or movie set for a particular scene or particular
production

2.  setting
for something: the physical environment in which an
event takes place
[From French, literally
“putting on stage”][1]



miser

miser
mi·ser 
[mzər] (plural mi·sers) noun
(disapproving)

1.  somebody
who hoards money: somebody who hoards money, hates
spending it, and as a result, though rich, lives as if he or she were poor

2.  ungenerous
or selfish person: somebody who is mean and
ungenerous, or selfish and greedy
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “unfortunate.”][1]



miserable

miserable
mis·er·a·ble 
[mízzərəb’l] adjective

1.  very
unhappy:
experiencing a serious lack of contentment or happiness • feeling
a bit miserable

2.  very
unpleasant:
causing or accompanied by discomfort, unpleasantness, or unhappiness

3.  contemptible:
deserving contempt or condemnation

4.  inadequate:
inadequate, often insultingly or embarrassingly inadequate, in quantity or
quality

5.  dirty
or squalid:
dirty, squalid, and lacking any comfort
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin miserabilis “pitiable,” from,
ultimately, miser “unfortunate.”]
—mis·er·a·ble·ness,
noun

—mis·er·a·bly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Les
  Misérables, a novel by French writer Victor Hugo ( 1862 ). Set in mid-19th
  century France, it tells the story of Jean Valjean, whose attempts to escape
  his criminal past are dogged by guilt, fate, and persistent police inspector
  Javert. This epic tale is noted for its gripping plot and vivid descriptions
  of events such as the battle of Waterloo. The noun javert, meaning a
  persistent, bloodhound-like pursuing detective or prosecutor, derives
  directly from the name of the detective in this novel. The novel was
  successfully adapted as a stage musical.

[1]



Miserere

Miserere
Mis·e·re·re
[mìzzə ráiree, mìzzə
rree] noun

1.  BIBLE 50th
or 51st Psalm: the 50th or 51st Psalm, depending on the
version of the Bible

2.  MUSIC musical
Miserere:
a musical setting of the Miserere
[13th century. From the first
word of the Latin text, beginning Miserere mei, Deus “have mercy on me, O God”
(see miserere ).][1]



miserere

miserere
mis·e·re·re 
[mìzzə ráiree, mìzzə
rree] (plural mis·e·re·res) noun

See
misericord
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “have mercy!”, from misereri “to have mercy,” from miser
“unfortunate.”][1]



misericord

misericord
mis·er·i·cord
[mízzəri kàwrd, mi
zérri kàwrd] (plural mis·er·i·cords) noun

support
for standing worshiper: a projecting ledge often
with elaborate carving on the underside of a seat in a church stall that, when
the seat is turned up, gives a standing person something to rest against.
Also
called
miserere
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin misericors “merciful, compassionate,” from miser
“unfortunate” + cor “heart.”][1]



miserly

miserly
mi·ser·ly
[mzərlee] adjective

1.  avaricious:
greedy for money and unwilling to share or to spend it

2.  extremely
small:
so small as to be insufficient or inadequate
—mi·ser·li·ness, noun[1]



misery

misery
mis·er·y 
[mízzəree] (plural mis·er·ies)
noun

1.  great
unhappiness: a serious lack of contentment or
happiness

2.  source
of great unhappiness: something that causes great
unhappiness

3.  poverty:
a state of extreme poverty and squalor
[14th
century. Directly or via Anglo-Norman miserie, from Latin miseria,
from Latin miser “unfortunate.”]
put
somebody out of his or her misery

to
put an end to somebody’s suspense or anxiety, especially by revealing something
that he or she is desperate to know (humorous)

put
something out of its misery

to kill an animal in order to
prevent it suffering further pain[1]



misfeasance

misfeasance
mis·fea·sance 
[miss fz’ns] noun

LAW illegally
performing something legal: acting improperly or
illegally in performing an action that is in itself lawful.
See
also
malfeasance
See
also
nonfeasance
[Early
17th century. From Anglo-Norman mesfaisance, from mesfaire “to
misdo,” from mes- “wrongly” + faire “to do,” from Latin facere
.]
—mis·fea·sor, noun[1]



misfire

misfire
mis·fire 
intransitive verb [miss fr] (past
mis·fired, past participle mis·fired, present
participle mis·fir·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·fires)

1.  not
fire properly: to fail to shoot a bullet or shell when
fired

2.  fail
to operate properly: to fail to ignite the fuel
mixture in the cylinder or to ignite it at the wrong time (refers to an
internal-combustion engine)

3.  go
wrong:
to fail to achieve a planned result • the
plot misfired
noun
[míss fr, miss
fr] (plural mis·fires)

malfunction in firing:
a failure to fire or function properly

[1]



misfit

misfit
mis·fit 
(plural mis·fits) noun [míss
fìt]

1.  somebody
who does not belong: somebody who is out of place
in a particular situation or environment

2.  something
ill-fitting: something that does not fit properly

[1]



misfortune

misfortune
mis·for·tune 
[miss fáwrchən] (plural mis·for·tunes)
noun

1.  ill
luck:
bad luck

2.  unhappy
event:
an undesirable or unhappy event or circumstance

[1]



misgive

misgive
mis·give 
[miss gív] (past mis·gave [miss gáyv], past participle mis·giv·en
[miss gívvən], present participle mis·giv·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·gives) transitive verb

be
fearful:
to feel apprehensive, or to cause a feeling of apprehension or foreboding in
somebody (literary)
[Early 16th century. Formed
from give in the obsolete sense “to
suggest.”][1]



misgiving

misgiving
mis·giv·ing 
[miss gívving] (plural mis·giv·ings)
noun

feeling of doubt or
apprehension: a feeling of doubt or
apprehension, especially about undertaking a course of action (often used in
the plural) • I
had misgivings about the plan from the beginning.[1]



misguide

misguide
mis·guide 
[miss gd] (past mis·guid·ed, past
participle mis·guid·ed, present participle mis·guid·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·guides) transitive verb

mislead:
to lead somebody in a wrong direction or into making a mistake
—mis·guid·ance,
noun

—mis·guid·er, noun[1]



misguided

misguided
mis·guid·ed 
[miss gdəd] adjective

mistaken,
heedless, or inappropriate: motivated by or based on
ideas that are mistaken, heedless, or inappropriate (disapproving)
—mis·guid·ed·ly,
adverb

—mis·guid·ed·ness, noun[1]



mishandle

mishandle
mis·han·dle 
[miss hánd’l] (past mis·han·dled,
past participle mis·han·dled, present participle mis·han·dling,
3rd person present singular mis·han·dles) transitive verb

1.  deal
with incompetently: to deal with something or
somebody in an incompetent or ineffective way

2.  treat
roughly:
to treat something or somebody roughly

[1]



mishap

mishap
mis·hap 
[míss hàp] (plural mis·haps) noun

1.  accident:
an unfortunate accident or piece of bad luck

2.  bad
luck:
an unfortunate circumstance or set of circumstances (formal)

[1]



mishear

mishear
mis·hear 
[miss hr] (past mis·heard [miss húrd], past participle mis·heard
[miss húrd], present participle mis·hear·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·hears) intransitive and
transitive verb

not hear correctly:
to fail to hear somebody or something correctly[1]



Mishima,Yukio

Mishima,Yukio

Mi·shi·ma
[míshimə], Yukio (1925–1970)
Japanese
novelist. He celebrated Japan’s nationalist and imperialist history, deploring
the sterility of contemporary life, and committed ritual suicide. His novels
include the tetralogy The Sea of Fertility ( 1965–1970 ).
Pseudonym of
Kimitake, Hiraoka[1]



mishit

mishit
mis·hit 
(past mis·hit, past participle mis·hit, present
participle mis·hit·ting, 3rd person present singular mis·hits,
plural mis·hits) transitive verb [miss
hít]

strike
something wrongly: to hit something badly, for
example, a ball or puck, so that it does not go in the desired direction or has
insufficient force behind it
—mis·hit, noun[1]



mishmash

mishmash
mish·mash 
[mísh màsh] (plural mish·mash·es)
noun

hodgepodge:
a disorderly collection or confused mixture of things
[15th century. Formed from
the repetition of mash .][1]



Mishmi

Mishmi
Mish·mi
[míshmee] (plural Mish·mi or
Mish·mis) noun

1.  member
of people in Assam: a member of a people living
in a mountainous region of Assam in northeast India

2.  Mishmi
language:
the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Mishmi people
—Mish·mi, adjective[1]



Mishnah

Mishnah
Mish·nah
[míshnə] or Mish·na [míshnə] noun

1.  Jewish
law:
the primary body of Jewish civil and religious law, forming the first part of
the Talmud. These laws were handed down orally until written down around AD 200.

2.  Jewish
oral law:
Jewish law from the oral tradition, as distinguished from law derived from the
scriptures

3.  Jewish
legal teaching: the teaching of an authority on Jewish
law
[Early
17th century. From Hebrew mišnāh “repetition, teaching.”]
—Mish·na·ic, adjective[1]



misinform

misinform
mis·in·form 
[mìssin fáwrm] (past mis·in·formed,
past participle mis·in·formed, present participle mis·in·form·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·in·forms) transitive verb

give
wrong information to: to give incorrect
information to somebody
—mis·in·form·ant,
noun

—mis·in·for·ma·tion,
noun

—mis·in·form·er, noun[1]



misinterpret

misinterpret
mis·in·ter·pret 
[mìssin túrprət] (past mis·in·ter·pret·ed,
past participle mis·in·ter·pret·ed, present participle mis·in·ter·pret·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·in·ter·prets) transitive verb

interpret
wrongly:
to understand or explain the meaning of something incorrectly
—mis·in·ter·pret·er, noun[1]



misjoinder

misjoinder
mis·join·der 
[miss jóyndər] (plural mis·join·ders)
noun

improper combination of
lawsuit elements: an improper combining
of plaintiffs, defendants, or causes of action in a single lawsuit[1]



misjudge

misjudge
mis·judge 
[miss júj] (past mis·judged, past
participle mis·judged, present participle mis·judg·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·judg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
bad judgment: to make a mistake when judging or
assessing something, or when attempting to do something that requires accurate
judgment

2.  transitive
verb
form
incorrect opinion: to form an incorrect opinion
about somebody or something, especially to attribute bad qualities to somebody
unjustly or mistakenly
—mis·judg·er,
noun

—mis·judg·ment, noun[1]



miskick

miskick
mis·kick
[miss kík] (past mis·kicked, past
participle mis·kicked, present participle mis·kick·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·kicks, plural mis·kicks)
intransitive and transitive verb

fail to kick properly:
to fail to kick a ball in the right or intended way[1]



Miskito

Miskito
Mis·ki·to 
[mi sktō] (plural Mis·ki·to or
Mis·ki·tos) noun

1.  member
of Native Central American people: a member of a Native
Central American people living along the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and
Honduras

2.  Miskito
language:
the language of the Miskito people
[Late
18th century. From miskito .]
—Mis·ki·to, adjective[1]



Miskolc

Miskolc
Mis·kolc 
[mísh koolts]

historic and industrial city
in northeastern Hungary. Population: 182,000 (1995)[1]



mislay

mislay
mis·lay 
[miss láy] (past mis·laid, past
participle mis·laid [miss láyd], present
participle mis·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·lays)
transitive verb

lose
temporarily: to lose something temporarily,
especially by forgetting where it was put
—mis·lay·er, noun[1]



mislead

mislead
mis·lead 
[miss ld] (past participle mis·led
[miss léd], present participle mis·lead·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·leads) transitive verb

1.  inform
falsely:
to cause somebody to make a mistake or form a false opinion or belief, either
by employing deliberate deception or by supplying incorrect information • The
defendant is trying to mislead the jury.

2.  lead
into bad actions: to be responsible for making somebody,
especially somebody younger, do wrong or adopt bad habits

3.  lead
in wrong direction: to lead somebody in a wrong
direction
—mis·lead·er, noun[1]



misleading

misleading
mis·lead·ing 
[miss lding] adjective

confusing
or deceptive: likely or deliberately intended to
confuse people or give them a false idea of something
—mis·lead·ing·ly, adverb[1]



misled

misled
mis·led 
[miss léd]

Past participle of
mislead Past tense of mislead[1]



mislike

mislike
mis·like 
[miss lk] (past mis·liked, past
participle mis·liked, present participle mis·lik·ing, 3rd
person present singular mis·likes, plural mis·likes) transitive
verb (archaic)

1.  dislike:
to dislike somebody or something

2.  displease:
to displease somebody

[1]



mismanage

mismanage
mis·man·age 
[miss mánnij] (past mis·man·aged,
past participle mis·man·aged, present participle mis·man·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·man·ag·es) transitive verb

manage
incompetently: to run, organize, or deal with something
incompetently
—mis·man·age·ment, noun[1]



mismatch

mismatch
mis·match 
noun [míss màch] (plural mis·match·es)

unlikely
or ill-suited pair: a pairing or combination of
people or things that are incompatible with or apparently ill-suited to each
other
transitive
verb
[miss mách] (past mis·matched,
past participle mis·matched, present participle mis·match·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·match·es)

fail to match well:
to fail to match or pair suitably (usually passive) • They’d
been mismatched from the start.[1]



misnomer

misnomer
mis·no·mer 
[miss nṓmər] (plural mis·no·mers)
noun

1.  unsuitable
name:
a wrong or unsuitable name or term for something or somebody

2.  calling
something by a wrong name: a use of a wrong or
unsuitable name or term to describe something or somebody
[15th century. From Old
French, from mes- “wrongly” + nommer “to name,” from Latin nominare
.][1]



miso

miso
mi·so 
[mssō] noun

fermented
soy product: Japanese fermented soy bean paste used
mainly in vegetarian cooking
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



misogamy

misogamy
mi·sog·a·my 
[mi sóggəmee] noun

hatred
of marriage: an aversion to marriage and the married
state
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin misogamia, which was coined from Greek misein
“to hate” + gamos “marriage.”]
—mis·o·gam·ic
[mìssə gámmik], adjective

—mis·og·a·mist [mi sóggəmist], noun[1]



misogyny

misogyny
mi·sog·y·ny 
[mi sójjənee] noun

hatred
of women:
the hatred of women, as a sexually defined group
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek misogunia, from misein “to hate” + gunē
“woman.”]
—mis·o·gyn·ic
[mìssə jínnik], adjective

—mi·sog·y·nist
[mi sójjənist], noun

—mi·sog·y·nis·tic
[mi sòjjə nístik], adjective

—mi·sog·y·nis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



misology

misology
mi·sol·o·gy
[mi sólləjee] noun

hatred
of logic:
the hatred of reason, logical argument, or enlightenment
[Early
19th century. From Greek misologia, from misein “to hate” + -logia
-logy .]
—mi·sol·o·gist, noun[1]



misoneism

misoneism
mis·o·ne·ism 
[mìssə n ìzzəm] noun

hatred
of the new:
the hatred of new things or change
[Late
19th century. From Italian misoneismo, which was coined from Greek misein
“to hate” + neos “new” + Italian -ismo “-ism.”]
—mis·o·ne·ist,
noun

—mis·o·ne·is·tic [mìssə nee ístik], adjective[1]



mispickel

mispickel
mis·pick·el 
[míss pìk’l] noun

See
arsenopyrite
[Late 17th century. From
German, variant of earlier Mispūtl, of unknown origin.][1]



misplace

misplace
mis·place 
[miss pláyss] (past mis·placed,
past participle mis·placed, present participle mis·plac·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·plac·es) transitive verb

1.  put
in wrong place: to put something in a wrong place or
position

2.  mislay:
to lose something, especially temporarily, through forgetting where it was put

3.  rely
on somebody or something inappropriate: to
put confidence, faith, or trust in somebody or something unsuitable or unworthy
—mis·place·ment, noun[1]



misplacedmodifier

misplacedmodifier
mis·placed
mod·i·fi·er 
(plural mis·placed mod·i·fi·ers) noun

ambiguous modifier:
a phrase positioned so that it is unclear what exactly it refers to, for
example, lying in the gutter in “Lying in the gutter, we saw a dead
rat.”
Also called
dangling participle[1]



misplay

misplay
mis·play 
transitive verb [miss pláy] (past
mis·played, past participle mis·played, present
participle mis·play·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·plays)

make
bad move:
to play or move something such as a ball or game piece badly or carelessly
noun
[míss plày, miss
pláy] (plural mis·plays)

mistake made in game:
a bad or unintended play in sports or a game[1]



misplead

misplead
mis·plead
[miss pld] (past mis·plead·ed,
past participle mis·plead or mis·pled [miss pléd], present participle mis·plead·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·pleads) intransitive and
transitive verb

plea something improperly in
a lawsuit: to make or answer an
allegation in a lawsuit in a manner not in accordance with procedure or the law[1]



mispleading

mispleading
mis·plead·ing
[miss plding] (plural mis·plead·ings)
noun

error in pleading:
an error made or contained in the pleading in a lawsuit[1]



misprint

misprint
mis·print 
noun [míss prìnt, miss prínt] (plural mis·prints)

mistake
in printed copy or printing: an error in the printed copy
of a text resulting from a mistake made when the text was being printed
transitive
verb
[miss prínt] (past mis·print·ed,
past participle mis·print·ed, present participle mis·print·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·prints)

print incorrectly:
to print something wrongly[1]



misprision

misprision1
mis·pri·sion1 [miss
prízh’n] noun

1.  hiding
a crime:
the failure of somebody who knows of but is not involved in a felony or treason
to report it to the authorities

2.  wrongdoing
in official duties: neglect or wrong done by a
public official in the performance of the duties of his or her office

3.  sedition:
sedition against a government or court
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman mesprisioun “error,” from Old French mesprendre “to
make a mistake.”][1]



misprision

misprision2
mis·pri·sion2 [miss
prízh’n] noun (archaic)

1.  contempt:
disdain for something or somebody considered of little value

2.  failure
to understand or see value: a misunderstanding of
something, especially a failure to appreciate the true worth of somebody or
something
[Late 16th century. Formed
from misprize + -ion
on the model of misprision 1 .][1]



misprize

misprize
mis·prize 
[miss prz] (past mis·prized, past
participle mis·prized, present participle mis·priz·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·priz·es) transitive verb (formal)

1.  undervalue:
to fail to appreciate the true worth of something or somebody

2.  consider
contemptible: to consider somebody or something
unworthy of respect or admiration
[14th
century. From Old French mesprisier, literally “to misestimate value,”
from prisier (see prize ).]
—mis·priz·er, noun[1]



mispronounce

mispronounce
mis·pro·nounce 
[mìssprə nówns] (past mis·pro·nounced,
past participle mis·pro·nounced, present participle mis·pro·nounc·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·pro·nounc·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

say
something incorrectly: to pronounce something
incorrectly
—mis·pro·nun·ci·a·tion,
noun[1]



misquote

misquote
mis·quote 
[miss kwṓt] (past mis·quot·ed,
past participle mis·quot·ed, present participle mis·quot·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·quotes) intransitive and
transitive verb

quote
inaccurately: to quote somebody or something
inaccurately
—mis·quot·er, noun[1]



misread

misread
mis·read 
[miss rd] (past mis·read, past
participle mis·read [miss réd], present
participle mis·read·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·reads)
transitive verb

1.  read
wrongly:
to make a mistake in reading something, for example, reading aloud
inaccurately, mistaking one word for another, or misunderstanding the sense of
what is written

2.  misinterpret:
to fail to understand the true meaning or nature of something

[1]



misrepresent

misrepresent
mis·rep·re·sent 
[miss rèppri zént] (past mis·rep·re·sent·ed,
past participle mis·rep·re·sent·ed, present participle mis·rep·re·sent·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·rep·re·sents) transitive verb

1.  give
false account of: to give an inaccurate or deliberately
false account of the nature of somebody or something

2.  not
represent truly: not to be truly or typically
representative of somebody or something
—mis·rep·re·sen·ta·tion
[miss rèppri zen táysh’n], noun

—mis·rep·re·sen·ta·tive
[miss rèppri zéntətiv], adjective

—mis·rep·re·sent·er [miss rèppri zéntər], noun[1]



misrule

misrule
mis·rule 
[miss rl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past mis·ruled, past participle mis·ruled,
present participle mis·rul·ing, 3rd person present singular
mis·rules)

rule badly: to
govern a people or place unjustly or inefficiently
noun

1.  bad
government:
unjust or inefficient government of a people or place

2.  public
disorder:
a state of public disorder or anarchy

[1]



Miss

Miss
Miss
(plural Miss·es) noun

1.  title
preceding a name: a title placed before the name of a girl
or unmarried woman

2.  winner’s
title:
used together with a place name or another word in the winner’s title awarded
in a beauty contest or similar event • Miss
Panama

[1]



Miss.

Miss.
Miss.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mission

2.  Abbreviation
of
missionary

3.  Abbreviation
of
Mississippi

[1]



miss

miss1
miss1 [miss]
verb (past missed, past participle missed, present
participle miss·ing, 3rd person present singular miss·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
hit target:
to fail to hit, reach, or make contact with somebody or something that is being
aimed at

2.  transitive
verb
not
attend or catch: to fail to be present or on time for
something, or to fail to meet or be on time for somebody

3.  transitive
verb
not
hear, see, or understand: to fail to hear, see, or
understand something, for example, through inattention or being distracted

4.  transitive
verb
not
take advantage of chance: to fail to take advantage of
a chance or opportunity

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
to achieve:
to fail to achieve a set target or goal

6.  transitive
verb
avoid:
to escape or avoid somebody or something, especially being hurt or being
involved in a dangerous or unpleasant situation

7.  transitive
verb
omit:
to leave something out

8.  transitive
verb
desire
somebody’s presence: to feel sorry that somebody
or something is absent • missed
her a lot while she was away

9.  transitive
verb
discover
absence of:
to realize that somebody or something is not there, at a time when or in a
place where somebody would expect him, her, or it to be present • He
was halfway home before he missed his wallet.

10. intransitive
verb
misfire:
to fail to ignite the fuel mixture in the cylinder (refers to an
internal-combustion engine)
noun
(plural miss·es)

1.  failure
to hit:
a failure to hit, reach, or make contact with somebody or something aimed at

2.  a
failure:
something that does not succeed or fails to impress
[Old
English missan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
go wrong,” which is also the ancestor of English mis-
.]
—miss·a·ble,
adjective
miss
the boat

to fail to take advantage of
an opportunity[1]



miss

miss2
miss2 [miss]
(plural miss·es) noun

1.  way
of addressing a young woman: a term of address for a girl
or young woman, sometimes used in place of her name

2.  young
woman:
a girl or young woman
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of mistress .][1]



missal

missal
mis·sal 
[míss’l] (plural mis·sals) noun

Roman
Catholic prayer book: a book that contains all the
prayers, responses, and hymns used in the Roman Catholic Mass
[13th century. From medieval
Latin missale, from, ultimately, late Latin missa (see Mass ).][1]



misselthrush

misselthrush
mis·sel
thrush 
[míss’l thrùsh] noun

See
mistle thrush[1]



missense

missense
mis·sense 
[míss sèns] noun

genetic mutation:
a genetic mutation in which a genetic coding sequence ( codon ) for one amino acid is changed to one that codes for
another[1]



misshapen

misshapen
mis·shap·en
[miss sháypən] or mis·shaped [miss sháypt] adjective

having
undesirable shape: having an undesirably
unusual shape
—mis·shap·en·ly,
adverb

—mis·shap·en·ness, noun[1]



missile

missile
mis·sile 
[míss’l] (plural mis·siles) noun

1.  rocket-propelled
weapon:
a weapon consisting of a warhead propelled by a rocket

2.  projectile:
any object thrown or launched as a weapon, for example, a rock or bullet
[Early 17th century. From
Latin missilis, from, ultimately, mittere “to send” (source of
English mission ).][1]



missilery

missilery
mis·sile·ry
[míss’lree] or mis·sil·ry [míss’lree] noun

1.  missiles
collectively: missiles, considered collectively

2.  operating
of missiles: the designing, building, or operating of
missiles

[1]



missing

missing
miss·ing 
[míssing] adjective

1.  absent:
not present in an expected place, absent, or lost • There’s
a page missing from the book.

2.  disappeared:
not yet traced and not known for certain to be alive, but not confirmed as dead
• missing
persons
missing
in action

absent after combat and not
known to be captured, injured, or dead[1]



missinglink

missinglink
miss·ing
link
(plural miss·ing links) noun

1.  animal
linking apes to humans: an animal theorized or
sought as a transitional evolutionary stage between apes and humans

2.  something
required for completion: something that is absent
from a sequence or series and is needed to connect up its various parts and
complete it

[1]



missiology

missiology
mis·si·ol·ogy
[mìssee ólləjee] noun

study
of missionary work: the study of Christian
missionary work
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from mission + -ology .][1]



mission

mission
mis·sion 
[mísh’n] noun (plural mis·sions)

1.  assigned
task:
a particular task given to a person or group to carry out

2.  calling:
an aim or task that somebody believes it is his or her duty to carry out or to
which he or she attaches special importance and devotes special care

3.  AEROSPACE space
vehicle’s trip: a single flight or voyage of a military
aircraft or a spacecraft

4.  group
of representatives: a group of people sent to a
country to represent their government, a business, or other organization

5.  POLITICS representation
abroad:
a permanent diplomatic delegation in another country

6.  CHRISTIANITY group
of church workers: a body of people sent by a
church to another part of the country or to a foreign country to spread their
faith or do medical and social work

7.  CHRISTIANITY church
work in the community: a campaign of religious
work, often including community aid at home or abroad, carried out by a church

8.  CHRISTIANITY communication
of beliefs:
the vocation or work of a church or other religious organization or of
individuals in communicating their faith in a variety of ways to the wider
community

9.  CHRISTIANITY housing
used by missionaries: a building or group of
buildings belonging to a missionary organization

10. CHRISTIANITY missionary’s
territory:
an area assigned to a missionary or missionary group

11. CHRISTIANITY place
that helps the needy: a center run by a religious
or charitable organization offering food, shelter, aid, and spiritual comfort
to needy people

12. CHRISTIANITY minor
church:
a church that has no permanent clergy and is supported by a larger church
adjective
mis·sion Mis·sion

in Spanish mission style:
relating to or similar to a style of architecture or heavy dark oak furniture
used in early Spanish missions in the southwestern United States
transitive
verb
(past mis·sioned, past participle mis·sioned, present
participle mis·sion·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·sions)

1.  send
on a mission: to send somebody on or give somebody a
mission

2.  operate
a mission:
to establish or conduct a religious mission in a place or among a people
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem mission-, from,
ultimately, mittere “to send off.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin word mittere, from which mission
  is derived, is also the source of English admit,
  commit, mess,
  message, missile, missive,
  permit, promise,
  remit, submit,
  and transmit.

[1]



missionary

missionary
mis·sion·ar·y 
[mísh’n èrry] noun (plural mis·sion·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
who does a church’s work abroad: somebody sent to
another country by a church to spread its faith or to do social and medical
work.
Also
called
missioner

2.  persuader:
somebody who tries to persuade others to accept or join something such as a
belief, cause, or movement
adjective

of or like a missionary:
relating to or typical of a missionary

[1]



missionaryposition

missionaryposition
mis·sion·ar·y
po·si·tion
noun

sexual
position with the man on top: a position for sexual
intercourse in which the woman lies on her back and the man lies on top of and
facing her
[Because missionaries held it
to be least reprehensible][1]



MissionaryRidge

MissionaryRidge
Mis·sion·ar·y
Ridge 
[mìshə neree ríj]

ridge in Georgia and
Tennessee, southeastern United States, in the Appalachian mountains. Length: 16
km/10 mi.[1]



MissionBend

MissionBend
Mis·sion
Bend
[mìshən bénd]

park in Oklahoma, Mayes
County[1]



missioner

missioner
mis·sion·er 
[mísh’nər] (plural mis·sion·ers)
noun

See
missionary[1]



missionstatement

missionstatement
mis·sion
state·ment
(plural mis·sion state·ments) noun

formal business statement of
aims: a formal document that
states the aims of a company or organization[1]



MissionViejo

MissionViejo
Mis·sion
Vi·e·jo 
[mìsh’n veeáyhō]

city in California, in Orange
County, near the Pacific Ocean coast. Population: 83,813 (1994)[1]



missis

missis
mis·sis
[míssiss] or missus [míssiss] noun (informal)

1.  way
of addressing a woman: used as a term of address
for a woman, sometimes in place of her name

2.  wife:
used to refer to a man’s wife or woman partner, usually either by the man
himself or by another man (sometimes considered offensive)
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of mistress .][1]



Mississauga

Mississauga
Mis·sis·sau·ga 
[mìssi sáwgə]

city in southern Ontario,
Canada, on the shore of Lake Ontario. Population: 544,383 (1996)[1]



Mississippi




Back to definition

Mississippi

[1]



Mississippi

Mississippi


Mis·sis·sip·pi 
[mìssi síppee]

1.  state
in the southeastern United States, bordered by Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana,
and Arkansas, and northwest of the Gulf of Mexico. Capital: Jackson.
Population: 2,730,501 (1997) Area: 123,530 sq km//47,695 sq mi.

2.        largest
river in the United States, flowing between Minnesota and Louisiana, with a
basin of 3,100,000 sq km/1,200,000 sq mi. Length: 3,782 km//2,350 mi.[1]



Mississippian

Mississippian
Mis·sis·sip·pi·an 
[mìssi síppee ən] (plural Mis·sis·sip·pi·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Mississippi: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the state of Mississippi

2.  GEOLOGY geologic
epoch:
the epoch of geologic time in North America when large land masses were
submerged underwater, 362.5 to 320 million years ago. It is the first of two
epochs of the Carboniferous Period used by North American geologists.
—Mis·sis·sip·pi·an, adjective[1]



Mississippianculture

Mississippianculture
Mis·sis·sip·pi·an
cul·ture
noun

Native American
mound-building culture: the last of
the Native North American mound-building cultures, which flourished from about AD 800 to 1300. Its communities were
characterized by large towns and ceremonial centers.[1]



missive

missive
mis·sive 
[míssiv] (plural mis·sives) noun

letter:
a letter or written communication
[Early 16th century. Via
medieval Latin missivus from, ultimately, Latin mittere “to send”
(source of English mission ).][1]



Missouri




Back to definition

Missouri1

[1]



Missouri

Missouri2
Mis·sou·ri2  [mi
zree]

the longest river in the
United States, flowing from Montana into the Mississippi River in Missouri.
Length: 4,128 km/2,565 mi.[1]



Missouri

Missouri1


Mis·sou·ri1  [mi
zree]
state
in the north central United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Capital: Jefferson City.
Population: 5,402,058 (1997) Area: 180,545 sq km/69,709 sq mi.
—Mis·sourian, noun,
adjective[1]



missout

missout
miss
out
intransitive verb

lose opportunity:
to lose an opportunity of doing something[1]



misspell

misspell
mis·spell 
[miss spél] (past mis·spelled,
past participle mis·spelled, present participle mis·spell·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·spells) transitive verb

spell incorrectly:
to spell a word incorrectly[1]



misspelling

misspelling
mis·spell·ing 
[miss spélling] (plural mis·spell·ings)
noun

incorrect spelling:
an incorrect spelling of a word[1]



misspend

misspend
mis·spend 
[miss spénd] (past mis·spent, past
participle mis·spent [miss spént],
present participle mis·spend·ing, 3rd person present singular
mis·spends) transitive verb

squander
time or money: to spend money or time badly or
wastefully
—mis·spend·er, noun[1]



misstate

misstate
mis·state 
[miss stáyt] (past mis·stat·ed,
past participle mis·stat·ed, present participle mis·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·states) transitive verb

state
something incorrectly: to state something
incorrectly, for example, by giving false information or mispronouncing
something
—mis·state·ment, noun[1]



misstep

misstep
mis·step 
[miss stép] (plural mis·steps)
noun

1.  wrong
step:
a bad or awkward step, or a step in a wrong direction

2.  faux
pas:
an error in judgment or conduct

[1]



missus

missus
mis·sus 
[míssəz] (plural mis·sus·es) noun

See
missis[1]



missy

missy
miss·y 
[míssee] (plural miss·ies) noun

girl:
used as a term of address for a girl or young woman, often expressing affection
or reprimand (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)[1]



mist

mist
mist 
[mist] noun (plural mists)

1.  METEOROLOGY thin
fog:
a thin gray cloud of water droplets that condenses in the atmosphere just above
the ground, limiting the view and making objects appear indistinct

2.  condensed
water vapor: a film of water vapor that has condensed
on a surface

3.  fine
spray:
a fine spray of liquid, for example, from an atomizer or aerosol

4.  liquid
suspension in gas: a suspension of liquid in a
gas

5.  obscuring
thing:
something that makes it difficult to see or understand something
verb
(past mist·ed, past participle mist·ed, present
participle mist·ing, 3rd person present singular mists)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb film
over:
to cover or obscure something in a mist, or to become covered in or obscured by
mist

2.  intransitive
verb
become
blurred by tears: to become blurred by tears

3.  transitive
verb
spray
something:
to apply a fine liquid spray to something
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “urinate,” which is also the ancestor of
English micturate .][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.








mistake

mistake
mis·take 
[mi stáyk] noun (plural mis·takes)

1.  incorrect
act or decision: an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate act
or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information or care • It’s
an easy mistake to make.

2.  error:
something in a piece of work that is incorrect, for example, a misspelling or a
misprint

3.  misunderstanding:
a misunderstanding of something • There
must be some mistake, I didn’t order this.
transitive
verb
(past mis·took [mi stk], past
participle mis·tak·en [mi stáykən],
present participle mis·tak·ing, 3rd person present singular
mis·takes)

1.  misunderstand
something:
to misunderstand or misinterpret something • I
mistook the meaning of the phrase.

2.  identify
somebody or something incorrectly: to identify somebody
or something incorrectly or fail to recognize somebody or something • We
tend to mistake infatuation for real love.

3.  choose
something incorrectly: to choose something
incorrectly or injudiciously
[14th
century. From Old Norse mistaka “to take in error.”]
—mis·tak·a·ble,
adjective

—mis·tak·a·bly,
adverb

—mis·tak·er,
noun
by
mistake

accidentally,
without wishing or intending to do something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  mistake, error, inaccuracy,
  slip, blunder, faux
  pas
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  incorrect or improper mistake; a
  general word used to talk about something incorrect, inappropriate, or
  unwise; error; something that
  deviates from a recognized standard or guide. It is also used as a more
  formal word for mistake; inaccuracy;
  something that is incorrect because it has been measured, calculated, or
  copied incorrectly; slip; a fairly
  informal word for a minor mistake, especially one caused by carelessness; blunder; an obvious and usually serious
  mistake, especially one that seems to be a result of ignorance or ineptitude;
  faux pas; a fairly formal term for
  a mistake in behavior or speech that constitutes a breach of etiquette

[1]



mistaken

mistaken
mis·tak·en 
[mi stáykən] adjective

1.  wrong
in your opinion: wrong or incorrect in, for example, an
assumption, belief, or your understanding of something • If
you think that’ll work, then you’re sadly mistaken.

2.  based
on incorrect information: based on incorrect
information or values • a
mistaken sense of loyalty
—mis·tak·en·ly,
adverb

—mis·tak·en·ness, noun[1]



mister

mister
mis·ter
[místər] noun

1.  way
to address a man: used as a term of address for a man,
usually in place of his name

2.  husband:
used to refer to a woman’s husband or man partner, either by the woman or by
another woman (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of master .][1]



Mister

Mister
Mis·ter 
noun

form
of “Mr.”:
used as the full form of the courtesy title “Mr”
[Mid-18th century. From mister .][1]



misterm

misterm
mis·term
[miss túrm] (past mis·termed, past
participle mis·termed, present participle mis·term·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·terms) transitive verb

name wrongly:
to call something by a wrong or inappropriate name[1]



mistime

mistime
mis·time 
[miss tm] (past mis·timed, past
participle mis·timed, present participle mis·tim·ing, 3rd
person present singular mis·times) transitive verb

estimate
time inaccurately: to time something wrongly,
usually by missing the precise point of time at which something should be done
to be successful
[Old English mistimian,
from timian “to time”][1]



Misti,Volcán

Misti,Volcán
Mis·ti,
Volcán
[mstə]

dormant volcano in southern
Peru, in the Andes mountains, northeast of Arequipa city. Height: 5,822
m/19,101 ft.[1]



mistlethrush

mistlethrush
mis·tle
thrush
[míss’l thrùsh] (plural mis·tle
thrush·es) or mis·sel thrush [míss’l
thrùsh] (plural mis·sel thrush·es) noun

large thrush:
a large European thrush with a spotted breast and grayish back that feeds on
berries, especially those of mistletoe. Latin name: Turdus viscivorus[1]



mistletoe

mistletoe

mis·tle·toe 
[míss’l t] noun

1.  parasitic
shrub:
an evergreen shrub of Europe and Asia that grows as a parasite on trees such as
apple and oak, has leaves in horseshoe-shaped pairs, and bears white berries in
winter. Latin name: Viscum album

2.  plant
resembling mistletoe: a North American shrub that
resembles the true mistletoe. Latin name: Phoradendron flavescens

3.  Christmas
decoration:
a sprig of mistletoe traditionally used as a decoration and for kissing under
at Christmas
[Old English misteltan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “urine” (because it is
propagated by the droppings of the mistle thrush).][1]



mistook

mistook
mis·took


Past tense of
mistake[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mistral

mistral
mis·tral 
[místrəl, mi
strl] noun

wind
in France:
a powerful cold dry northeasterly wind that blows in the south of France
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin magistralis “dominant,” from its power.][1]



mistreat

mistreat
mis·treat 
[miss trt] (past mis·treat·ed,
past participle mis·treat·ed, present participle mis·treat·ing,
3rd person present singular mis·treats) transitive verb

abuse
somebody or something: to treat somebody or
something badly or roughly

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at misuse

[1]



mistress

mistress
mis·tress 
[místrəss] (plural mis·tress·es)
noun

1.  extramarital
lover:
a woman with whom a man has a usually long-term extramarital sexual
relationship and for whom he often provides financial support

2.  woman
owner or controller of something: a woman who owns or
controls something, for example, a woman owner of an estate, head of a
household, or employer of servants

3.  personification
as woman:
something that rules or controls, personified as a woman • Venice,
once mistress of the seas

4.  able
woman:
a woman who is highly skilled in a particular activity • a
mistress of the art of negotiation

5.  woman
owner of a pet: the woman owner of a pet animal

6.  loved
woman:
a woman with whom a man is in love (archaic)
[13th century. From Old
French maistresse, feminine of maistre (see master ).][1]



Mistress

Mistress
Mis·tress
[místrəss] noun

used as a courtesy title to
address a married woman, usually in front of the surname (archaic)[1]



mistressof ceremonies

mistressof ceremonies
mis·tress
of cer·e·mo·nies (plural mis·tress·es of
cer·e·mo·nies) noun

woman managing an event:
a woman in charge of the proceedings at an event or entertainment[1]



mistrial

mistrial
mis·tri·al 
[miss tr əl, miss
trl] (plural mis·tri·als) noun

1.  invalid
trial:
a trial that is invalid because a mistake such as an error in procedure has
been made

2.  inconclusive
trial:
a trial that does not come to a proper conclusion, for example, because the
jury cannot agree on a verdict

[1]



mistrust

mistrust
mis·trust 
[miss trúst] noun

suspicion:
suspicion about or lack of confidence in somebody or something
transitive
verb
(past mis·trust·ed, past participle mis·trust·ed, present
participle mis·trust·ing, 3rd person present singular mis·trusts)

be
suspicious of somebody or something: to be
suspicious of and unable to trust or rely on somebody or something
—mis·trust·er,
noun

—mis·trust·ful,
adjective

—mis·trust·ful·ly,
adverb

—mis·trust·ful·ness, noun[1]



misty

misty
mist·y 
[místee] (comparative mist·i·er,
superlative mist·i·est) adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY covered
in mist:
with a lot of mist in the air or surrounded or covered by mist • a
misty mountain • a
misty morning

2.  like
mist:
like mist, especially in being in a cloud or spray of fine drops

3.  dim
and indistinct: dim and indistinct, as if veiled by mist

4.  sad
and nostalgic: feeling sad or nostalgic
[Old
English mistig, from mist (see mist
)]
—mist·i·ly,
adverb

—mist·i·ness, noun[1]



misty-eyed

misty-eyed
mist·y-eyed 
adjective

1.  with
tears in the eyes: with a film of tears in the
eyes

2.  sentimental:
sentimental or dreamlike

[1]



misunderstand

misunderstand
mis·un·der·stand 
[mìss undər stánd] (past mis·un·der·stood
[mìss undər std], past participle mis·un·der·stood,
present participle mis·un·der·stand·ing, 3rd person present
singular mis·un·der·stands) intransitive and transitive verb

not get the meaning:
to fail to realize the real or intended meaning of something, the true nature
of something, or what somebody is really like[1]



misunderstanding

misunderstanding
mis·un·der·stand·ing 
[mìss undər stánding] (plural mis·un·der·stand·ings)
noun

1.  lack
of comprehension: a failure to understand or interpret
something correctly

2.  minor
dispute:
a minor disagreement or dispute

[1]



misunderstood

misunderstood
mis·un·der·stood


Past
participle of misunderstand
Past tense of misunderstand
adjective

not correctly understood:
not correctly understood, or not properly and sympathetically appreciated • a
misunderstood teenager[1]



misusage

misusage
mis·us·age 
[miss yssij] (plural mis·us·ag·es)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE inappropriate
use of language: a wrong or inappropriate use of language

2.  See
misuse  noun 1

[1]



misuse

misuse
mis·use 
noun [miss yss] (plural mis·us·es)

1.  wrong
use:
the incorrect or improper use of something.
Also
called
misusage

2.  cruel
treatment:
cruel treatment of a person or animal
transitive
verb
[miss yz] (past mis·used, past
participle mis·used, present participle mis·us·ing, 3rd
person present singular mis·us·es)

1.  use
something wrongly: to use something in an
incorrect or improper way or for a dishonest purpose

2.  treat
somebody cruelly: to treat a person or animal cruelly
—mis·used,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  misuse, abuse, ill-treat,
  maltreat, mistreat
  CORE
  MEANING: wrong
  or bad use or treatment of somebody or something misuse;
  a neutral word meaning to put something to an inappropriate use or purpose.
  It can be used in more formal contexts to talk about treating a person or
  animal badly or harshly; abuse; a
  stronger word than misuse, used to emphasize that the way something is
  being used is wrong or inappropriate, especially something that should be
  used responsibly such as power or privilege or a substance that should be
  used with caution such as alcohol or a drug. It is also used to refer to
  cruel or violent treatment of a person or animal, especially on a regular or
  habitual basis; ill-treat; used to
  talk about treating a person or animal badly or wrongly. It suggests a more
  severe degree of bad treatment than “mistreat”; maltreat;
  a more formal word meaning the same as ill-treat; mistreat; to treat a person badly,
  inconsiderately, or unfairly, not necessarily in a way that involves cruelty,
  physical abuse, or the desire to harm. It can also be used to mean treating
  an animal badly

[1]



misuser

misuser
mis·us·er 
[miss yzər] noun

illegal
use of something: the illegal use of a right, privilege,
or position of authority
[Mid-16th century][1]



misère

misère
mi·sère
[mi záir] (plural mi·sères) noun

1.  call
in solo whist: a call in certain card games, especially
solo whist, indicating that a hand is expected to win no tricks

2.  hand
winning no tricks: a hand that is expected to
win no tricks
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “poverty, misery.”][1]



MIT

MIT
MIT

Abbreviation of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology[1]



Mitchell

Mitchell
Mitch·ell
[míchəl]

city in southeastern South
Dakota, northwest of Sioux Falls and south of Huron. Population: 14,191 (1996)[1]



Mitchell,Joni

Mitchell,Joni
Mitch·ell
[míchəl], Joni (1943– )

Canadian
singer and songwriter. Her albums include Clouds (1969), Blue
(1971), and Wild Things Run Fast (1982).
Real name
Roberta Joan Anderson[1]



Mitchell,Margaret

Mitchell,Margaret

Mitch·ell
[míchəl], Margaret (1900–1949)
U.S.
writer. She wrote the enormously popular Civil War novel Gone With the Wind
( 1936 ), which won a Pulitzer Prize.
Full name
Mitchell, Margaret Munnerlyn[1]



Mitchell,Maria

Mitchell,Maria

Mitch·ell
[míchəl], Maria (1818–1889)
U.S. astronomer. She discovered a comet
and tracked its orbit in 1847, and also researched sunspots.[1]



Mitchell,Mount

Mitchell,Mount
Mitch·ell,
Mount
[míchəl]

mountain in western North
Carolina. It is the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi
River. Height: 2,037 m/6,684 ft.[1]



Mitchell,William

Mitchell,William
Mitch·ell
[míchəl], William (1879–1936)

U.S. army officer. He
commanded U.S. air forces (1917–1918) during World War I, subsequently becoming
an advocate of air power.[1]



Mitchum,Robert

Mitchum,Robert
Mitch·um
[míchəm], Robert (1917–1986)

U.S. movie actor. His many
movies include Night of the Hunter ( 1955 ), Farewell My Lovely (
1975 ), and Cape Fear ( 1961 ).[1]



mite

mite2
mite2 [mīt]
(plural mites) noun

1.  small
child:
a small child or animal, especially one that inspires pity (informal)

2.  small
amount:
a small piece or small amount (dated)

3.  small
coin:
a small coin of little value (archaic)
[14th century. From Middle
Low German and Middle Dutch mîte, a small Flemish coin, also “tiny
animal.”][1]



mite

mite1
mite1 [mīt]
(plural mites) noun

tiny
8-legged creature: a tiny eight-legged creature
related to spiders and ticks. Some mites live freely and some as parasites that
can carry disease, attack plants, and cause human allergies. Order: Acarina
[Old English mîte,
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “cut” (which probably also produced
English mite 2 ),
via the meaning “something cut up small”][1]



miter

miter

mi·ter 
[mtər] noun (plural mi·ters)

1.  CHRISTIANITY bishop’s
hat:
the ceremonial headdress of a Christian bishop or abbot, consisting of a tall
pointed hat creased across the top, with two ribbons hanging down the back

2.  WOODWORK See miter joint

3.  WOODWORK surfaces
of a miter joint: either of the surfaces that are joined
together to form a miter joint

4.  SEWING diagonal
join at the corner between hems: in sewing, a diagonal
join between the edges of two hems that meet at a corner of a piece of fabric
transitive verb
(past mi·tered, past participle mi·tered, present
participle mi·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular mi·ters)

1.  WOODWORK join
pieces of wood: to join pieces of wood using a miter
joint

2.  WOODWORK shape
wood for joint: to shape the end of a piece of wood,
especially by cutting it off at an angle of 45º when making a corner or miter
joint

3.  SEWING diagonally
join hems at the corner: in sewing, to make a
diagonal join at a corner between two hems

4.  CHRISTIANITY give
a miter to somebody: to confer a miter on
somebody, indicating promotion to the rank of bishop
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin mitra, from Greek, “belt, turban,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps from an Asian language.]
—mi·ter·er, noun[1]



miterblock

miterblock
mi·ter
block
(plural mi·ter blocks) noun

cutting block for miter
joints: a block with slots cut in it
to guide a handsaw at the appropriate angle when cutting a miter joint[1]



miterbox

miterbox

mi·ter box
(plural mi·ter box·es) noun
box to guide a handsaw:
a box with open ends that is used to hold wood and guide a handsaw at the
appropriate angle when cutting a miter joint[1]



miterjoint

miterjoint

mi·ter joint
(plural mi·ter joints) noun
woodworking joint:
a corner joint in woodwork, usually made by cutting two ends to be joined at
45º angles and gluing or nailing them together into a right angle.
Also called
miter[1]



mitersquare

mitersquare
mi·ter
square
(plural mi·ter squares) noun

marking tool:
a tool used in cutting wood at an angle that has a beveled arm either fixed at
an angle of 45º or adjustable to any angle[1]



miterwort

miterwort
mi·ter·wort 
[mtər wùrt, mtər
wàwrt] (plural mi·ter·worts or mi·ter·wort) noun

Asian
and N American flowering plant: an Asian and North
American plant of the saxifrage family with clusters of small white flowers and
seed pods that look a little like a bishop’s miter. Genus: Mitella
Also
called
bishop’s-cap
[Mid-19th century. From the
shape of its capsule.][1]



Mitford,Jessica

Mitford,Jessica
Mit·ford
[mítfərd], Jessica (1917–1997)

British-born U.S. writer. Her
best-known book is The American Way of Death ( 1965 ). Hons and
Rebels ( 1960 ) gives an account of her unconventional family, including
her sister Nancy Mitford.[1]



Mitford,Nancy

Mitford,Nancy
Mit·ford
[mítfərd], Nancy (1904–1973)

British writer. Author of Love
in a Cold Climate ( 1949 ) and The Blessing ( 1951 ), she was the
sister of Jessica Mitford.[1]



Mithraism

Mithraism
Mith·ra·ism 
[míthrə ìzzəm] noun

ancient
religion:
a religion originating in Persia and involving worship of the god Mithras. It
became popular among the Roman military in the Late Roman Empire.
[Early
19th century]
—Mith·ra·ic
[mi thráy ik], adjective

—Mith·ra·ist [míthrə ist], noun[1]



Mithras

Mithras
Mith·ras 
[míthrəss] noun

Persian
god:
the god of light, truth, and goodness in the Zoroastrian tradition and Persian
mythology. He is often shown with a bull, which he is said to have slain before
fertilizing the world with its blood.
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin Mithras
from, ultimately, Old Persian and Avestan Mithra .][1]



mithridate

mithridate
mith·ri·date 
[míthrə dàyt] (plural mith·ri·dates)
noun

cure-all
substance:
a substance believed in ancient medicine and folklore to be an antidote to
every poison and a cure for every disease
[Early
16th century. Via medieval Latin mithridatum, from, ultimately, late
Latin mithridatius “relating to Mithridates.” Named after Mithridates
VI, king of Pontus (died 63 BC ),
who was reputedly immune to poisons.]
—mith·ri·dat·ic
[mìthrə dáttik], adjective

—mith·ri·da·tism [mìthrə dáy tìzzəm], noun[1]



miticide

miticide
mi·ti·cide 
[mítti sd] (plural mi·ti·cides)
noun

mite-killing
substance:
a substance that kills mites
—mi·ti·cid·al [mìtti sd’l], adjective[1]



mitigate

mitigate
mit·i·gate 
[mítti gàyt] (past mit·i·gat·ed,
past participle mit·i·gat·ed, present participle mit·i·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular mit·i·gates) transitive verb

1.  partly
excuse a crime: to make an offense or crime less serious
or more excusable

2.  lessen
something:
to make something less harsh, severe, or violent
[15th
century. From Latin mitigatus, past participle of mitigare “to
make mild,” from assumed mitigus “making mild,” ultimately from mitis
“gentle, soft” + agere “to make.”]
—mit·i·ga·tion
[mìtti gáysh’n], noun

—mit·i·ga·ble [míttigəb’l], adjective[1]



mitigating

mitigating
mit·i·gat·ing
[mítti gàyting] adjective

partly excusing a crime:
making an offense or a crime seem less serious, or partly excusing it • mitigating
circumstances[1]



mitigationspecialist

mitigationspecialist
mit·i·ga·tion
spe·cial·ist  (plural mit·i·ga·tion
spe·cial·ists) noun

criminal defense researcher:
a member of a criminal defense team who gathers detailed information about a
defendant in order to persuade a jury not to impose the death penalty[1]



mitis

mitis
mi·tis
[mtiss, mtiss]
or mi·tis met·al [mtiss, mtiss] noun

malleable
form of iron: a form of iron made malleable by having
a small amount of aluminum added to it
[Late 19th century. Named by
the inventor of the process, P. Östberg of Stockholm, apparently from Latin mitis
“mild” used in the sense found in “mild steel.”][1]



Mitnagged

Mitnagged
Mit·nag·ged
[mìt naa géd] (plural Mit·nag·dim
[mìt naagə dm]) or Mit·na·ged
[mìt naa géd] (plural Mit·nag·dim)
or Mis·nag·ed [mi sngəd] (plural
Mis·nag·dim [mi sngədim]) noun

Jew
opposing Hassidism: in the 18th and 19th
centuries, a Jew in central and eastern Europe who believed in rationalism and
opposed Hassidism
[Early 20th century. From
Hebrew minaggēḏ “opponent.”][1]



mitochondrion

mitochondrion
mi·to·chon·dri·on 
[mtə kóndree ən] (plural mi·to·chon·dri·a
[mtə kóndree ə]) noun

small
body in cells: a small round or rod-shaped body that is
found in the cytoplasm of most cells and produces enzymes for the metabolic
conversion of food to energy
[Early 20th century. From
Greek mitos “thread” + khondrion, from khondros “granule,
lump (of salt).”][1]



mitogen

mitogen
mi·to·gen 
[mtəjən] (plural mi·to·gens) noun

PHYSIOLOGY mitosis-inducing
substance:
a substance or agent that induces mitosis
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from mitosis + -gen
.][1]



mitomycin

mitomycin
mi·to·my·cin 
[mtə mss’n] noun

antibiotic:
any of a group of antibiotics produced by a soil bacterium that inhibit DNA
synthesis and are used against tumors
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from mito- (perhaps from Greek mitos “thread,” mitosis,
or mitochondrion ) + -mycin .][1]



mitosis

mitosis
mi·to·sis 
[mī tṓssiss] noun

cell
division:
the process by which a cell divides into two daughter cells, each of which has
the same number of chromosomes as the original cell.
Also
called
karyokinesis
See
also
meiosis
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek mitos “thread” + -osis .
So named because in the first stage of the process the chromatin of the cell
nucleus appears as long threads.][1]



mitrailleuse

mitrailleuse
mi·trail·leuse 
[mtrə yz] (plural mi·trail·leuses)
noun

early
machine gun: an early machine gun that had 35 barrels
that could be fired simultaneously or in sequence and was mounted on a carriage
drawn by four horses. The gun was developed in France and first used in the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
[Late 19th century. Ultimately
from French mitrailler “to fire mitraille,” from mitraille “small
money, pieces of metal,” alteration of Old French mitaille, from mite
.][1]



mitral

mitral
mi·tral 
[mtrəl] adjective

relating
to a bishop’s miter: relating to a bishop’s miter
or like it in shape, especially in having separate front and back sections
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin mitralis from Latin mitra (see miter ).][1]



mitralstenosis

mitralstenosis
mi·tral
ste·no·sis
noun

narrowing of the mitral
valve: the narrowing of the heart’s
mitral valve as the result of disease[1]



mitralvalve

mitralvalve
mi·tral
valve
(plural mi·tral valves) noun

heart
valve:
the one-way valve between the upper and lower chambers, or atrium and
ventricle, on the left side of the heart.
Also
called
bicuspid valve
Also
called
left atrioventricular valve
[Named for its shape][1]



mitre

mitre
mi·tre 
[mtər] noun transitive verb

U.K. =
miter[1]



Mitropoulos,Dimitri

Mitropoulos,Dimitri
Mi·tro·pou·los
[mi tròppoo lóss], Dimitri (1896–1960)

Greek-born U.S. conductor and
composer. Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra ( 1949–1958 ) and
the Metropolitan Opera orchestra ( 1954–1960 ), he was known for championing
modern music.[1]



mitt

mitt
mitt 
[mit] (plural mitts) noun

1.  mitten:
a mitten, especially a child’s mitten (informal)

2.  hand
covering:
a covering for the hand and fingers, especially one shaped like a mitten • an
oven mitt

3.  hand:
a hand, especially when large, clumsy, or dirty (slang)

4.  BASEBALL baseball
player’s padded glove: in baseball, a glove,
especially a large fingerless padded glove worn by the catcher

5.  glove
without fingers: a woman’s glove, popular in the 19th
century, that left the fingers uncovered
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of mitten .][1]



mitten

mitten
mit·ten 
[mítt’n] (plural mit·tens) noun

glove
with two sections: a glove with one covering
for the thumb and one covering for the four fingers
[14th century. From French mitaine,
of uncertain origin: perhaps originally denoting “glove cut off at the middle,”
ultimately from Latin medietas “half” (source of English moiety ).][1]



Mitterrand,François

Mitterrand,François

Mit·ter·rand
[mtə rN], François (1916–1996)
French statesman. A Socialist, as
president (1981–1995) he worked to strengthen France’s position in the European
Union.[1]



mittimus

mittimus
mit·ti·mus 
[míttəməss] (plural mit·ti·mus·es)
noun

order
of imprisonment: an official order to send somebody to
prison
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “we send,” the first word of this order in Latin.][1]



mitzvah

mitzvah
mitz·vah 
[mítsvə, míts v]
(plural mitz·voth [míts vt, míts vth] or mitz·vahs) noun

1.  religious
duty:
a Jewish religious duty or obligation, especially one of the commandments of
Jewish religious law

2.  good
deed:
an act of kindness performed by or to a Jewish person
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew miṣwāh “commandment.”][1]



mix

mix
mix 
[miks] verb (past mixed,
past participle mixed, present participle mix·ing, 3rd
person present singular mix·es)

1.  transitive
verb
combine
ingredients: to combine ingredients by putting them
together or blending them to make a single new substance • Mix
the flour and dried fruit together.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
combined:
to become combined, or be capable of becoming combined • Oil
and water don’t mix.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something by combining: to form or create something
by combining separate ingredients • Would
you mix me a cocktail?

4.  transitive
verb
add
something extra: to add something as an extra or later
ingredient • Mix
the fruit into the batter.

5.  transitive
verb
combine
things:
to do something at the same time as something else, or to arrange things next
to or alongside each other • able
to mix business with pleasure

6.  intransitive
verb
go
together:
to go well together • Reds
and greens just don’t mix.

7.  intransitive
verb
meet
people:
to meet other people socially, or enjoy being with other people in social
situations

8.  transitive
verb
consume
things together: to consume different drinks or foods on
a single occasion

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb RECORDING blend musical sounds:
to adjust and blend sounds from prerecorded tracks or live performers to create
the desired combination of musical sounds. The process is done either by using
a mixing deck or a multitrack tape machine.

10. transitive
verb
BIOLOGY crossbreed
plants or animals: to breed one variety of a
plant or animal with a different variety in order to create a new variety
noun
(plural mix·es)

1.  act
of mixing something: an act of mixing something,
or an occasion on which it is done • Give
all the ingredients a good mix.

2.  combination:
a combination or blend of things • There’s
an intriguing mix of styles on her latest CD.

3.  substance
used to prepare something: a substance, especially a
number of dried ingredients in powder form, from which something is prepared • cake
mix

4.  RECORDING musical
blend:
a balanced blend of live or prerecorded musical sound • He
thinks the drums are too low in the mix.

5.  RECORDING version
of a recording: a version of a musical recording that
has been changed in some way to give it a different type of sound • Their
last hit has been rereleased in a disco mix.

6.  BUILDING ratio
of mortar ingredients: the ratio of sand and cement
in mortar, or of sand, cement, and gravel in concrete
[15th
century. Formed from mixed .]
—mix·a·ble, adjective[1]



mixdown

mixdown
mix·down
[míks dòwn] (plural mix·downs)
noun

mixing of a recording:
the process of converting a multitrack recording, usually a master tape
recorded in a studio, into a stereo recording, usually for public release[1]



mixdown

mixdown
mix
down
transitive verb

make a sound recording:
to create a final finished sound recording by blending elements that have been
recorded separately[1]



mixed

mixed
mixed 
[mikst] adjective

1.  with
different things combined: consisting of different
elements or different kinds of things combined

2.  involving
both sexes:
intended for, used by, or done by people of both sexes together

3.  involving
different races: intended for, used by, or done by people
of different races together

4.  with
inconsistent elements: consisting of inconsistent
or conflicting elements • The
play has had mixed reviews.
[15th
century. Ultimately via Old French from Latin mixtus (source of English mustang ), past participle of miscere
“to mix” (source of English meddle, miscellaneous, and promiscuous
).]
—mix·ed·ly,
adverb

—mixed·ness, noun[1]



mixedbag

mixedbag
mixed
bag
(plural mixed bags) noun

diverse group:
a group of people or things of widely differing kinds[1]



mixedblessing

mixedblessing
mixed
bless·ing
(plural mixed bless·ings) noun

something both good and bad:
something that has both advantages and disadvantages or good points and bad
points[1]



mixeddoubles

mixeddoubles
mixed
dou·bles
noun

match between men and women:
a tennis, table tennis, or badminton match played by two pairs, each consisting
of a man and a woman (takes a singular verb)[1]



mixeddrink

mixeddrink
mixed
drink
(plural mixed drinks) noun

drink of two or more
ingredients: a drink made by mixing
two or more ingredients, at least one of which is alcoholic[1]



mixedeconomy

mixedeconomy
mixed
e·con·o·my
noun

mixture of government and
private ownership: an economy
in which some industries and businesses are government-owned and some are
privately owned[1]



mixedfarming

mixedfarming
mixed
farm·ing 
noun

farming of crops and animals:
farming that combines growing crops and rearing livestock on the same farm[1]



mixedmarriage

mixedmarriage
mixed
mar·riage
(plural mixed mar·riages) noun

marriage joining races or
religions: a marriage between people of
different racial or religious backgrounds[1]



mixedmedia

mixedmedia
mixed
me·di·a
noun

1.  using
different artistic media: the use of different
artistic media, for example, painting combined with photography or collage, in
a single composition or work

2.  using
different advertising methods: the use of different
advertising media together, for example, billboards, TV, and radio

[1]



mixedmetaphor

mixedmetaphor
mixed
met·a·phor
(plural mixed met·a·phors) noun

awkward combination of ideas:
a combination of two or more metaphors that together evoke a strange or
incongruous image, for example, “This thorn in my side has finally bitten the
dust”[1]



mixednerve

mixednerve
mixed
nerve
(plural mixed nerves) noun

nerve with motor and sensory
fibers: a nerve that has both motor
and sensory fibers, and thus has nerve impulses passing in both directions[1]



mixednumber

mixednumber
mixed
num·ber
(plural mixed num·bers) noun

combination of whole number
and fraction: a figure that consists
of a whole number and a fraction, such as the figure 2 ¾[1]



mixed-up

mixed-up
mixed-up 
adjective (informal)

1.  badly
organized:
in a disorganized state

2.  confused:
in a state of emotional or psychological confusion

[1]



mixed-use

mixed-use
mixed-use 
adjective

combining commercial and
residential elements: combining
commercial and residential elements in a single property, for example, an
apartment building with offices or stores[1]



mixer

mixer
mix·er 
[míksər] (plural mix·ers) noun

1.  mixing
device:
a machine or device for mixing food, cement, or some other substance

2.  nonalcoholic
drink often mixed with alcohol: a nonalcoholic drink,
for example, fruit juice or soda water, that is often mixed with alcoholic
drinks

3.  sociable
person:
a person considered in terms of whether he or she is good at socializing (usually
used in combination) • She’s
a good mixer.

4.  get-together:
an informal party held as a way of allowing a group of people to get to know
each other

5.  RECORDING electronic
device for mixing sounds: an electronic device used to
adjust and combine various inputs, for example, performed or broadcast sounds,
to create a single output

6.  BROADCASTING CINEMA somebody
creating sound for film: somebody who combines
various sound recordings to create the final soundtrack of a motion picture

[1]



mixology

mixology
mix·ol·o·gy 
[mik sólləjee] noun

preparing
cocktails:
the skill of preparing cocktails, especially cocktails containing alcohol (informal)
—mix·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



Mixtec

Mixtec
Mix·tec 
[mss tèk] (plural Mix·tec or
Mix·tecs) or Mix·tec·an [meess
tékən] (plural Mix·tec·ans or Mix·tec·an) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native Middle American people: a
member of a Native Middle American people that originally lived in southern
Mexico and are now spread throughout Mexico. The Mixtec are noted for their
artistic and architectural skills.

2.  LANGUAGE Native
Middle American language: a Native Middle American
language spoken in parts of Mexico, belonging to the Oto-Manguean family of
languages. Mixtec is spoken by about 400,000 people.
[Late
18th century. Via Spanish from Nahuatl mixtecah “person from a cloudy
place.”]
—Mix·tec, adjective[1]



mixture

mixture
mix·ture 
[míkschər] (plural mixtures) noun

1.  blend
of ingredients: a substance containing several
ingredients combined or blended together • cough
mixture

2.  different
things combined: a number of different elements brought
or existing together • a
mixture of old and new styles

3.  CHEMISTRY substance
formed without chemical reaction: a substance consisting
of two or more substances that have been combined without chemical bonding
taking place

4.  ENGINEERING fuel
and air mix: the combination of gasoline vapor and
air in an internal-combustion engine

5.  act
of mixing:
the combining or mixing of different ingredients or elements (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin mixtura, from mixt-,
the past participle stem of miscere (see mixed
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  mixture, blend, combination,
  compound, alloy, amalgam
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  formed by mixing materials mixture;
  a general word used to talk about something formed by mixing two or more
  things. It does not necessarily suggest that the materials involved have
  bonded together to form a new whole; blend;
  something formed by putting together two or more things, especially in a
  skilled or scientific way, in order to form a new whole in which the original
  constituents are bonded irreversibly; combination;
  something formed by mixing two or more things, usually in a skilled or
  careful way, especially when the result is pleasing or successful. It is
  usually used to describe a process in which the original constituents retain
  their separate identities; compound;
  a technical word for a chemical formed from two or more elements. It is also
  used generally to describe a combination of two or more things and in
  particular a word that is made up of two or more existing words; alloy; a technical word for a metal such as
  steel that is formed by combining two or more different metallic elements; amalgam; a technical word for an alloy formed
  by combining mercury with another metal. It can also be used in a general
  context to describe something that is a mixture of two or more things

[1]



mixup

mixup
mix
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
mistake
the identity of things: to confuse things or people
and mistakenly identify one as the other • People
always mix her up with her sister.

2.  transitive
verb
change
the order of things: to change the usual or
previous order of things, either deliberately or by accident • The
pages got mixed up on the way to the printer’s.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
involved in something: to involve yourself with a
particular group of people or activity, especially something wrong or illegal

4.  transitive
verb
make
something from ingredients: to prepare or make something
by mixing different ingredients

[1]



mix-up

mix-up
mix-up
(plural mix-ups) noun

confusion or mistake:
a state of confusion, or an error resulting from confusion • an
administrative mix-up[1]



Mizar

Mizar
Mi·zar 
[m zr] noun

multiple
star:
a four-component multiple star in the constellation Ursa Major
[From Arabic Mi’zar
“cloak, Mizar”][1]



mizzen

mizzen
miz·zen
[mízz’n] noun (plural miz·zens)

1.  sail
on a mizzenmast: a sail on a mizzenmast

2.  See
mizzenmast
adjective

of a mizzenmast:
relating to, or used on, a mizzenmast or its sail
[15th century. From French misaine
“foresail, foremast,” either from or influenced by Italian mezzana
“middle,” with both forms ultimately from Latin medianus “of the middle,
median.”][1]



mizzenmast

mizzenmast
miz·zen·mast 
[mízz’n màst, mízz’nməst]
(plural miz·zen·masts) noun
Also
called
mizzen

1.  3rd
mast:
on a ship with three or more masts, the third mast from the front

2.  rear
mast:
on a boat such as a ketch or yawl, the mast nearest the back

[1]



mizzle

mizzle
miz·zle
[mízz’l] noun

drizzle:
very fine rain (regional)
intransitive
verb
(past miz·zled, past participle miz·zled, present
participle miz·zling, 3rd person present singular miz·zles)

drizzle:
to rain lightly in fine drops (regional)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German miseln .]
—miz·zling,
adjective

—miz·zly, adjective[1]



Miłosz,Czeslaw

Miłosz,Czeslaw

Mi·łosz
[m losh, m
wosh], Czeslaw (1911– )
Lithuanian-born U.S. writer. He defected
from communist Poland to the West in 1951, and wrote poetry, fiction,
translations, and essays, often treating the relationship between culture, morality,
and politics. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1980.[1]



Mk

Mk
Mk

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Mark

2.  AUTOMOBILES Abbreviation of
mark

[1]



mk.

mk.
mk.
FINANCE

1.  Abbreviation
of
mark

2.  Abbreviation
of
markka

[1]



mks

mks
mks
or MKS

1.  FINANCE Abbreviation of marks

2.  Abbreviation
of
meter-kilogram-second

[1]



mksA

mksA
mksA

Abbreviation of
meter-kilogram-second-ampere[1]



mksunits

mksunits
mks
u·nits
plural noun

metric units:
the metric system of measurement, which has the meter, the kilogram, and the
second as its basic units of length, mass, and time[1]



mkt.

mkt.
mkt.

Abbreviation of
market[1]



mktg.

mktg.
mktg.

Abbreviation of
marketing[1]



ml

ml
ml

Abbreviation of
milliliter[1]



mL

mL
mL

Symbol for
millilambert[1]



MLA

MLA
MLA
or M.L.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Landscape Architecture

2.  Abbreviation
of
Modern Language Association

[1]



MLD

MLD
MLD

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of minimum lethal dose[1]



MLF

MLF
MLF

Abbreviation of
multilateral (nuclear) force[1]



MLG

MLG
MLG

Abbreviation of
Middle Low German[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mlle.

Mlle.
Mlle.

Abbreviation of
Mademoiselle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mlles.

Mlles.
Mlles.

Abbreviation of
Mesdemoiselles[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MM.

MM.
MM.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Messieurs

2.  Abbreviation
of
Military Medal

[1]



mm

mm
mm

Abbreviation of
millimeter[1]



m.m.

m.m.
m.m.

Abbreviation of
mutatis mutandis[1]



MMDS

MMDS
MMDS

RADIO
Abbreviation of multipoint microwave distribution system[1]



Mme.

Mme.
Mme.

Abbreviation of
Madame[1]



Mmes.

Mmes.
Mmes.

Abbreviation of
Mesdames[1]



mmf

mmf
mmf
or m.m.f.

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of magnetomotive force[1]



mmHg

mmHg
mmHg
noun

unit of atmospheric pressure:
a unit for measuring atmospheric pressure. Full form millimeter of
mercury[1]



MMPI

MMPI
MMPI

PSYCHOLOGY
Abbreviation of Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory[1]



MMRvaccine

MMRvaccine
MMR
vac·cine
noun

measles, mumps, and rubella
vaccine: a vaccine that is routinely
given to small children to protect them against measles, mumps, and rubella[1]



M.Mus.

M.Mus.
M.Mus.

Abbreviation of
Master of Music[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Mn

Mn
Mn

Symbol for
manganese[1]



MN

MN
MN

1.  Abbreviation
of
Minnesota

2.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
magnetic north

[1]



MNA

MNA
MNA

Abbreviation of
Member of the National Assembly (of Quebec)[1]



MNC

MNC
MNC

Abbreviation of
multinational corporation[1]



mnemonic

mnemonic
mne·mon·ic 
[ni mónnik] noun (plural mne·mon·ics)

memory aid: a
short rhyme, phrase, or other mental technique for making information easier to
memorize
adjective

1.  acting
as a mnemonic: acting as a memory aid

2.  relating
to mnemonics: relating to the practice of improving
the memory, or to systems designed to improve the memory
[Mid-18th century. Either
formed from mnemonics or, perhaps via
medieval Latin, from Greek mnēmonikos “relating to memory,” from the
stem mnēmon- “mindful.”][1]



mnemonics

mnemonics
mne·mon·ics 
[ni mónniks] noun

memory
improvement: the practice of improving or helping the
memory, or the systems used to achieve this (takes a singular verb)
[Early 18th century. From
Greek mnēmonika, neuter plural of mnēmonikos (see mnemonic ).][1]



Mnemosyne

Mnemosyne
Mne·mos·y·ne 
[ni móssənee, ni
mózzənee] noun

Greek
goddess of memory: in Greek mythology, the
goddess of memory and mother of the Muses
[Via Latin from Greek Mnēmosunē][1]



mngr.

mngr.
mngr.

Abbreviation of
manager[1]



Mo

Mo
Mo

Symbol for
molybdenum[1]



mo

mo
mo
[mō] (plural mos) noun

U.K.
short
while:
a moment or short while (informal) • I’ll
be there in half a mo.
[Late 19th century.
Shortening, in the sense “short while,” of moment
.][1]



MO

MO
MO

1.  Abbreviation
of
Missouri

2.  m.o.
Abbreviation of money order

3.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
magneto-optical

[1]



m.o.

m.o.
m.o.

See
MO[1]



Mo.

Mo.
Mo.

Abbreviation of
Missouri[1]



mo.

mo.
mo.

Abbreviation of
month[1]



M.O.

M.O.
M.O.
or m.o.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mail order

2.  Abbreviation
of
Medical Officer

3.  Abbreviation
of
modus operandi

[1]



-mo

-mo
-mo
suffix

used
after numerals to indicate the number of pages made by folding a sheet of paper
• 16mo
[From 12mo, an abbreviation
of Latin (in) duodecimo “(in) a twelfth”; duodecimus (see duodecimal )][1]



moa

moa
mo·a 
[mṓ ə] (plural mo·as) noun

extinct
bird:
a large extinct flightless bird of New Zealand similar to the ostrich that
existed in a number of varieties and died out at the end of the 18th century.
Family: Dinornithidae
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



Moab

Moab2
Mo·ab2  [mṓ
àb]

ancient
kingdom situated on a plateau to the east of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan
—Mo·a·bite [mṓ ə bt], noun, adjective[1]



Moab

Moab1
Mo·ab1  [mṓ
ab] noun

son of Lot:
the son of Lot and his eldest daughter, whose descendants were the enemies of
Israel[1]



moan

moan
moan 
[mōn] verb (past moans,
past participle moaned, present participle moaned, 3rd
person present singular moan·ing)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a low sound expressing pain: to make a long low sound
that expresses pain or misery

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb complain:
to complain about something, especially unreasonably or needlessly (informal)
• What’s
he moaning on about?

3.  transitive
verb
say
something in a pained voice: to say something in a voice
that expresses pain or misery • “Oh
no!”, she moaned

4.  intransitive
verb
make
a noise like somebody in pain: to make a long low
noise that sounds like somebody expressing pain • the
wind moaning in the trees
noun

1.  sound
of pain:
a long, low sound made by somebody expressing pain or misery

2.  sound
like moan:
a long, low sound that resembles an expression of pain or misery, made by
something such as the wind

3.  complaint:
a complaint, especially one that is unreasonable or trivial (informal)
[12th
century. Via assumed Old English mān “complaint” from a prehistoric
Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English bemoan
and mean 1 .]
—moan·er,
noun

—moan·ful, adjective[1]



moat

moat
moat 
[mōt] noun (plural moats)

1.  ditch
around a castle: a wide water-filled ditch around a
castle or fort, dug to give protection from invaders

2.  ditch
acting as a barrier: a water-filled ditch dug to
prevent access or escape, for example, to confine animals in a zoo
transitive
verb
(past moat·ed, past participle moat·ed, present
participle moat·ing, 3rd person present singular moats)

put a moat around a castle:
to surround a castle or other fortified place with a moat
[14th century. From Old
French mote “mound” (source of English motte
) or medieval Latin mota, perhaps of Gaulish origin. The sense “ditch
around a castle” developed from “mound,” which it surrounded.][1]



Mob

Mob
Mob 
(plural Mobs) noun

criminals:
a group of people who are involved in organized crime, or the world of
organized crime (informal)[1]



mob

mob
mob 
[mob] noun (plural mobs)

1.  noisy
crowd:
a large and unruly crowd of people

2.  U.K.
group
of people:
a particular group of people (informal)

3.  ordinary
people:
ordinary people, especially when thought of collectively as unintelligent or
irrational (informal)
transitive
verb
(past mobbed, past participle mobbed, present
participle mob·bing, 3rd person present singular mobs)

1.  crowd
around somebody: to crowd around somebody or something
noisily and excitedly

2.  crowd
into a place: to crowd into and fill a place

3.  attack
somebody:
to attack somebody in a large group

4.  ZOOLOGY attack
a predator:
among animals that are preyed upon, to surround and harass a potential predator
[Late
17th century. Shortening of archaic mobile, from Latin mobile (vulgus),
literally “excitable (crowd),” a form of mobilis (source of English mobile ).]
—mob·ber,
noun

—mob·bish, adjective[1]



mobbed

mobbed
mobbed
adjective

U.K.
crowded:
crowded with people (informal)[1]



mobcap

mobcap
mob·cap 
[mób kàp] (plural mob·caps) noun

1.  woman’s
indoor cap:
a loose-fitting frilly cap women often wore indoors in the 18th and early 19th
centuries

2.  hat
shaped like a mobcap: a soft hat that is shaped
like a mobcap and worn especially by small children and babies
[Mid-18th century. Mob from
obsolete mob “prostitute, negligé,” variant of mab “promiscuous
woman,” of unknown origin.][1]



mobile

mobile
mo·bile 
[mṓb’l, mṓ bl,
mṓ bl] adjective

1.  easy
to move:
able to move freely or easily • She’s
mobile again after her skiing accident.

2.  operating
from a vehicle: operating from or set up in a vehicle
that travels from place to place

3.  changing
expression:
changing expressions quickly and easily • a
mobile face

4.  prepared
for change:
able or willing to change job, move home, or alter other arrangements at short
notice if necessary

5.  changing
socially:
moving or able to move from one social or professional class or group to
another, for example, by changing jobs or moving to a new neighborhood
noun
(plural mo·biles)

1.  hanging
decoration:
a hanging sculpture or decoration whose parts are balanced to move in response
to air currents

2.  U.K.
mobile
telephone:
a cellular telephone (informal)

3.  outside
employee:
somebody who works for a company outside its offices, especially using a
computer link
[15th century. Via French
from Latin mobilis “movable,” shortening of assumed movibilis,
from movere “to move” (source of English move
).][1]



Mobile

Mobile
Mo·bile 
[mō bl]

1.  river
in southwestern Alabama, flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Length: 61 km/38 mi.

2.  city
and port in southwestern Alabama, on the northwestern shore of Mobile Bay.
Population: 202,581 (1996)

[1]



-mobile

-mobile
-mobile
suffix

automobile,
vehicle • bloodmobile
• snowmobile
[From automobile][1]



mobilehome

mobilehome
mo·bile
home 
(plural mo·bile homes) noun

large trailer:
a large trailer that can be transported on the back of a truck but is usually
connected to utilities and left on a single site.
Also called
manufactured home[1]



mobilephone

mobilephone
mo·bile
phone
(plural mo·bile phones) noun

portable telephone:
a portable telephone that works using a series of locally based cellular radio
networks[1]



mobility

mobility
mo·bil·i·ty 
[mō bíllətee] noun

1.  ability
to move:
the ability to physically move about, especially to do work or take exercise

2.  movement
to another social group: the ability of people to
move from one social group or class to another
[15th century][1]



mobilize

mobilize
mo·bi·lize 
[mṓbə lz] (past mo·bi·lized, past
participle mo·bi·lized, present participle mo·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·bi·liz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

prepare
forces for action: to organize people or
resources to be ready for action, or to take action, especially in a military
or civil emergency or to be the subject of such an organization
[Mid-19th
century. From French mobiliser, from mobile “movable,” from Latin
mobilis (see mobile ).]
—mo·bi·liz·a·ble,
adjective

—mo·bi·li·za·tion [mbəli záysh’n], noun[1]



mobocracy

mobocracy
mob·oc·ra·cy 
[mo bókrəssee] (plural mob·oc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  control
by a mob:
political control exercised by a mob (disapproving)
Also
called
ochlocracy

2.  place
run by a mob: a place where a mob has political
control
—mob·o·crat
[móbbə kràt], noun

—mob·o·crat·ic
[mòbbə kráttik], adjective

—mob·o·crat·i·cal, adjective[1]



mobster

mobster
mob·ster 
[móbstər] (plural mob·sters) noun

gangster:
somebody who is involved in organized crime (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from mob (sense 4) + -ster, on the model of gangster .][1]



Mobutu,Lake

Mobutu,Lake
Mo·bu·tu,
Lake
[mə btoo]

lake on the Zaire-Uganda
border, in the north of the Rift Valley system. Area: 5,600 sq km/2,160 sq mi.
Length: 160 m/100 mi.[1]



MobutuSese Seko

MobutuSese Seko

Mo·bu·tu
Se·se Se·ko
[mə btoo sayssay sáykō] (1930–1997)
Zaïrean
soldier and statesman. He was president of Zaïre (Democratic Republic of the
Congo) from 1965 until he was forced into exile in 1997.
Born
Mobutu, Joseph Désiré[1]



moc

moc
moc
[mok] (plural mocs) noun

moccasin
shoe:
a moccasin shoe (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



moccasin

moccasin
moc·ca·sin 
[mókəssin] (plural moc·ca·sins)
noun

1.  CLOTHES Native
N American shoe: a Native North American heelless shoe
made of deerskin or other soft leather wrapped around over the foot and
stitched on top

2.  CLOTHES leather
shoe:
a low-heeled leather shoe whose side panels are joined to the upper panel using
prominent stitching to form a raised puckered seam

3.  ZOOLOGY See water moccasin  noun 1
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian mockasin ; in sense 3 there may be a different,
unknown, origin.][1]



moccasinflower

moccasinflower
moc·ca·sin
flow·er
(plural moc·ca·sin flow·ers) noun

See
lady’s slipper
[From the shape][1]



mocha

mocha
mo·cha 
[mṓkə] noun

1.  strong
Arabian coffee: a dark brown strong-tasting coffee from
Yemen and some other countries on the Arabian peninsula

2.  flavoring:
a flavoring made by mixing coffee and cocoa, used in baking
adjective

dark brown: of a
dark brown color, like mocha coffee
noun

INDUSTRY leather:
soft suede leather made from sheepskin or goatskin, originally from Africa
[Late 18th century. Named for
Mocha, from where these goods were
originally exported.][1]



Mocha

Mocha
Mo·cha 
[mṓkə, mókə]

town and seaport in
southwestern Yemen, on the Red Sea, historically a coffee-exporting center.
Population: 1,163 (1977 estimate)[1]



Moche

Moche
Mo·che
[mṓ chày, mṓ chè]
adjective

of
the Mochica people: relating to the Mochica
people or their culture
noun

See
Mochica
[From Moche, an
archaeological site and valley on the northwestern coast of Peru][1]



Mochica

Mochica
Mo·chi·ca 
[mō chkə] (plural Mo·chi·cas or
Mo·chi·ca) or Mo·che [mō chkə]
(plural Mo·ches or Mo·che) noun

member
of an ancient S American people: a member of an ancient
Native South American people that lived along the northern coast of Peru, where
their civilization flourished between the sixth century BC and the second century BC.
The Mochica are particularly noted for their pottery, which was decorated with
realistic paintings of human and animal forms.
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from a Native American word.][1]



mock

mock
mock 
[mok] verb (past mocked,
past participle mocked, present participle mock·ing,
3rd person present singular mocks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb treat
something with scorn: to treat somebody or
something with scorn or contempt

2.  transitive
verb
mimic
somebody:
to imitate people in a way that is intended to make them appear silly or
ridiculous

3.  transitive
verb
prevent
something:
to prevent something from succeeding in a way that causes frustration or
humiliation • the
wind mocking his efforts to light a fire
adjective

1.  imitation:
made to appear like something else, usually something older or more expensive • mock
leather

2.  pretend:
done as an act, especially in order to amuse people • frowned
in mock disapproval

3.  practice:
done as practice for the real thing • mock
exams
noun
(plural mocks)

1.  an
imitation:
something made as an imitation

2.  object
of scorn:
something or somebody ridiculed by others (dated)
[15th
century. From Old French mocquer, perhaps from assumed Vulgar Latin muccare
“to wipe the nose,” and perhaps of imitative origin.]
—mock·a·ble,
adjective

—mock·er,
noun

—mock·ing,
adjective

—mock·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ridicule

[1]



mockernut

mockernut
mock·er·nut
[mókər nùt] (plural mock·er·nuts)
noun

1.  N
American hickory tree: a North American hickory
tree with smooth bark and fragrant leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall.
Latin name: Carya tomentosa

2.  nut
of the mockernut tree: the large nut produced by
the mockernut tree

[1]



mockery

mockery
mock·er·y 
[mókəree] (plural mock·er·ies)
noun

1.  scorn:
words or behavior intended to make something or somebody look silly or
ridiculous

2.  something
inadequate:
something that is ridiculously inadequate or wholly unsuccessful • the
survey was a mockery from start to finish
[15th century][1]



mock-heroic

mock-heroic
mock-he·ro·ic 
adjective

comic
in heroic style: used to describe poetry that satirizes
the heroic style by using it to describe something trivial. Traditionally,
heroic and mock-heroic poetry used classical forms such as the iambic
pentameter ( heroic couplet ) or the
hexameter ( alexandrine ).
noun
(plural mock-he·ro·ics)

mock-heroic verse:
verse written in the mock-heroic style[1]



mockingbird

mockingbird
mock·ing·bird 
[móking bùrd] (plural mock·ing·birds)
noun

bird
that imitates others’ calls: a long-tailed grayish North
American bird that incorporates the songs and calls of other birds into its own
song. Latin name: Mimus polyglottus





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  To
  Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee ( 1960 ). Set in the southern
  United States, it tells the story of a white lawyer who agrees to defend an
  African American man wrongly accused of the rape of a white girl. The events are
  narrated from the point of view of the lawyer’s six-year-old daughter, Scout.
  It was made into a movie by Robert Mulligan in 1962.

[1]



mockmoon

mockmoon
mock
moon
(plural mock moons) noun

ASTRONOMY
See paraselene[1]



mockorange

mockorange
mock
or·ange
(plural mock or·ang·es) noun

1.  tree
with flowers like the orange tree: a shrub or tree that
bears fragrant white flowers like the flowers of an orange tree. Genus: Philadelphus

Also
called
philadelphus
Also
called
syringa

2.  tree
similar to the mock orange: a shrub or tree that
resembles the mock orange

[1]



mocksun

mocksun
mock
sun
(plural mock suns) noun

ASTRONOMY
See parhelion[1]



mockturtle soup

mockturtle soup
mock
tur·tle soup (plural mock tur·tle soups)
noun

calf’s head soup:
an old-fashioned soup made in imitation of turtle soup, using meat from a
calf’s head to replace the flesh of the green turtle[1]



mockup

mockup
mock
up
[mók ùp] or mock·up [mók ùp] transitive verb

make a model of something:
to make a full-scale model of something, for example, a working model of a
machine to undergo testing[1]



mock-up

mock-up
mock-up
(plural mock-ups) noun

1.  full-scale
model:
a full-sized model of something, built to scale and with working parts, used
especially for testing or research

2.  PUBLISHING layout:
a preliminary layout of a newspaper, magazine, or other publication, showing
the size and arrangement of material to be included

[1]



mod.

mod.
mod.

1.  Abbreviation
of
moderate

2.  Abbreviation
of
moderato

3.  Abbreviation
of
modern

[1]



Mod

Mod
Mod
[mod] or mod [mod] (plural mods) noun mod
Mod

member
of 1960s U.K. youth culture: a member of a youth group in
1960s Britain remembered especially for their fashionable dress, motor
scooters, and fights with motorcycle gangs ( rockers
)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of modern or modernism
.][1]



modal

modal
mo·dal 
[mṓd’l] (plural modals) adjective

1.  GRAMMAR expressing
grammatical mood: used to describe verbs and auxiliary
verbs expressing a grammatical mood, for example, possibility or necessity.
See
also
modal auxiliary

2.  MUSIC relating
to musical modes: relating to or using a mode, especially
instead of a major or minor scale

3.  PHILOSOPHY describing
logical modalities: used to describe
propositions involving necessity or probability, and those relating to
knowledge, belief, and obligation
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin modalis, from Latin modus
(see mode ).]
—mo·dal·ly, adverb[1]



modalauxiliary

modalauxiliary
mo·dal
aux·il·ia·ry noun

kind of verb:
a verb used with other verbs to express such ideas as permission, possibility,
and necessity. The modal auxiliaries in English grammar are “can,” “could,”
“may,” “might,” “must,” “ought to,” “shall,” “should,” “will,” and “would.”
Some classifications also include “dare,” “need,” and “used.”
Also called
modal[1]



modality

modality
mo·dal·i·ty 
[mō dállətee] noun (plural mo·dal·i·ties)

1.  GRAMMAR what a
modal verb expresses: the idea or concept that a
modal auxiliary verb expresses

2.  PHILOSOPHY propositions
of necessity or possibility: the purely logical
classification of propositions that relate to necessity or possibility

3.  MEDICINE treatment:
something used in the treatment of a disorder, for example, surgery or
chemotherapy
plural
noun
mo·dal·i·ties

POLITICS protocol:
procedures that are followed in the course of political or diplomatic
negotiations
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French modalité from Medieval Latin modalitas, from modalis
(source of English modal ), in turn
formed from Latin modus (see mode ).][1]



modallogic

modallogic
mo·dal
log·ic
noun

branch of logic:
the branch of logic that studies the relations between modal propositions[1]



mode

mode

mode 
[mōd] (plural modes) noun

1.  manner
or form:
a way, manner, or form, for example, a way of doing something, or the form in
which something exists

2.  style
or fashion:
a style or fashion, for example, in art or in dress

3.  machine
setting:
a setting or function on a machine such as a computer

4.  type
of automatic behavior: a way of behaving,
especially one that is instinctive, familiar, or habitual (informal humorous)

5.  MUSIC musical
scale:
a musical scale that is one of the seven patterns of notes that can be played
over an octave using only the white notes of the piano keyboard. Some modes
were widely used in European religious, folk, and art music until around 1600,
after which they were largely replaced by keys, while others were used in
ancient Greece, although their exact nature remains unknown.

6.  MATHEMATICS STATISTICS most
frequent value: the value that has the highest frequency
within a statistical range.
Also
called
norm

7.  LOGIC modal
status of a proposition: the modal status of a
proposition, for example, its being necessary or merely possible.
Also
called
mood

8.  PHYSICS radio
frequency:
one of the radio frequencies characteristic of a given resonator or oscillator

9.  PHILOSOPHY combination
of ideas:
a combination of ideas that cannot be worked out merely by analysis of its
components
[14th century. From Latin modus
“measure, rhythm, song, manner”; in the sense “fashion,” from French mode
.][1]



model

model
mod·el 
[módd’l] noun (plural mod·els)

1.  copy
of an object: a copy of an object, especially one made
on a smaller scale than the original (often used before a noun)

2.  particular
version of manufactured article: a particular version
of a manufactured article • had
traded in her car for the latest model

3.  something
copied:
something that is copied or used as the basis for a related idea, process, or
system

4.  somebody
paid to wear clothes: somebody who is paid to wear
clothes and demonstrate merchandise as a profession, for example, in fashion
shows and photographs for magazines and catalogues

5.  simplified
version:
a simplified version of something complex used, for example, to analyze and
solve problems or make predictions • a
financial model

6.  perfect
example:
an excellent example that deserves to be imitated

7.  artist’s
subject:
somebody who poses for a painter, sculptor, photographer, or other artist

8.  ZOOLOGY animal
copied by another animal: an animal species repellent
to predators which another animal mimics for protection

9.  LOGIC interpretation:
an interpretation of a theory arrived at by assigning referents in such a way
as to make the theory true

10. U.K.
FASHION exclusive
garment:
the first sewn example of a couturier’s or clothing manufacturer’s design, from
which a new line of garments is produced
verb
(past mod·eled, past participle mod·eled, present
participle mod·el·ing, 3rd person present singular mod·els)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
as fashion model: to work as a fashion model, wearing
clothes, makeup, and other items in order to display them to others

2.  intransitive
verb
be
an artist’s model: to sit as a model for
somebody such as a painter or photographer

3.  transitive
verb
base
something on something else: to base something,
especially somebody’s appearance or behavior, on somebody or something else • She
modeled herself on her older sister.

4.  transitive
verb
shape
something:
to make something by shaping a substance or material, for example, clay or wood
[Late
16th century. Via French modèle from Italian modello “model,”
from, ultimately, Latin modulus “measure” (source of English module ), from modus (see mode ).]
—mod·el·er, noun[1]



modelhome

modelhome
mo·del
home
noun

demonstration
house:
a house on a housing development that is decorated and furnished to show to
prospective buyers.
U.K.
term
show house
[19th century][1]



modeling

modeling
mod·el·ing 
noun

1.  fashion
model’s work: the work of a fashion model

2.  making
models:
the activity or hobby of making models

3.  PSYCHOLOGY demonstration
of behavior: the demonstration of a way of behaving
to somebody, especially a child, in order for that behavior to be imitated

[1]



modelling

modelling
mod·el·ling
noun

U.K. =
modeling[1]



modeltheory

modeltheory
mod·el
the·o·ry
noun

branch
of logic:
the branch of logic that deals with providing models for theories
—mod·el-the·o·ret·ic, adjective[1]



modem

modem
mo·dem 
[mṓ dèm] (plural mo·dems) noun

device
connecting computers via a phone line: an
electronic device that connects computers via a telephone line, allowing the
exchange of information. It consists of a modulator to convert computer
information into a telephone signal and a demodulator to convert it back again.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of modulate and demodulate
.][1]



Modena

Modena
Mo·de·na 
[maw dnə, mawd’nə]

historic city in northern
Italy. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Population: 176,972 (1992)[1]



moderate

moderate
mod·er·ate 
adjective [móddərət]

1.  small
or slight:
not large, great, or severe • a
moderate portion

2.  reasonable:
not excessive or unreasonable • a
moderate eater

3.  middle-of-the-road:
not extreme or radical • moderate
views

4.  average:
neither particularly good nor particularly bad • moderate
results
noun
(plural mod·er·ates)

somebody with moderate views:
somebody who holds views, especially political views, that are not extreme
intransitive
and transitive verb [móddə
ràyt] (past mod·er·at·ed, past participle mod·er·at·ed,
present participle mod·er·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
mod·er·ates)

1.  make
or become less extreme: to become, or make something
become, less great, extreme, violent, or severe

2.  preside
over something: to chair or preside over something such
as a meeting or discussion
[14th
century. From Latin moderat-, past participle stem of moderari
“regulate,” from a prehistoric pre-Latin stem that is also the source of
English modest .]
—mod·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—mod·er·ate·ness, noun[1]



moderatebreeze

moderatebreeze
mod·er·ate
breeze
(plural mod·er·ate breez·es) noun

degree of wind force:
a wind that measures force four on the Beaufort scale, with a speed of between
13 and 18 mph or 20.9 and 29 kph[1]



moderategale

moderategale
mod·er·ate
gale
(plural mod·er·ate gales) noun

degree of wind force:
a wind that measures force seven on the Beaufort scale, with a speed of between
32 and 38 mph or 51.5 and 61.2 kph.
Also called
near gale[1]



moderate-income

moderate-income
mod·er·ate-in·come 
adjective

with an average income:
having an income close to the national average, and therefore neither poor nor
rich[1]



moderation

moderation
mod·er·a·tion
[mòddə ráysh’n] noun

1.  being
moderate:
the state in which something remains moderate rather than becoming extreme or
excessive • moderation
in all things

2.  making
something moderate: the limiting, controlling,
or restricting of something so that it becomes or remains moderate

3.  acting
as moderator: the position or function of moderating
something
[15th
century]
in
moderation

within reasonable limits, and
never to excess[1]



moderato

moderato
mod·e·ra·to 
[mòddə rtō] adverb

at
a moderate tempo: at a moderate tempo (used as a
musical direction)
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin moderat- (see moderate
).][1]



moderator

moderator
mod·er·a·tor 
[móddə ràytər] (plural mod·er·a·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
in charge of discussions: somebody who presides over
an assembly, especially a legislative assembly, or who acts as a mediator in
discussions or negotiations

2.  CHRISTIANITY presiding
minister:
in the Presbyterian denominations of the Christian church, a minister presiding
over a church court or other assembly

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS neutron
absorber:
a substance, for example, graphite or beryllium, that slows neutrons in a
nuclear reactor so that they can bring about the fission of uranium
—mod·er·a·tor·ship, noun[1]



modern

modern
mod·ern 
[móddərn] adjective

1.  belonging
to the present day: relating or belonging to the
present period in history

2.  of
the latest kind: of the latest, most advanced kind, or
using the most advanced equipment and techniques available • modern
medicine

3.  using
the latest styles: relating to or using ideas
and techniques that have only recently been developed or are still considered
experimental.
See
also
modern dance
See
also
modern jazz

4.  LINGUISTICS of
a language’s latest stage: relating or belonging to the
most recent stage in the development of a language.
See
also
modern English
See
also
modern Greek
See
also
modern Hebrew
noun
(plural mod·erns)

1.  modern
person:
somebody living in the present period, especially somebody whose tastes and
attitudes are regarded as nontraditional or strikingly new

2.  PRINTING typeface:
a typeface with heavy vertical strokes and straight serifs
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French moderne from Latin modernus,
from modo “just now, in a (certain) manner,” from modus (see mode ).]
—mod·ern·ly,
adverb

—mod·ern·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at new

[1]



moderndance

moderndance
mod·ern
dance
noun

freestyle theatrical dancing:
a free unrestricted style of theatrical dancing that developed in the early
20th century as a reaction against the conventions of ballet[1]



moderne

moderne
mo·derne 
[mō dáirn] adjective

describing
modernistic style: used to describe a style of
architecture and design popular in the 1920s and 1930s and characterized by
streamlined and curved forms
[Mid-20th century. From
French moderne (see modern ).][1]



modernEnglish

modernEnglish
mod·ern
Eng·lish
noun

current
form of English: the English language from about 1500,
when it began to develop a more standardized form compared with the many
dialects of Middle English. Modern English developed mainly from the East
Midland dialect, and the standardization process was accelerated by the
introduction of the printing press during the 1470s.
See
also
Old English
See
also
Middle English
—mod·ern Eng·lish, adjective[1]



modernGreek

modernGreek
mod·ern
Greek
noun

modern
form of Greek: the form of Greek spoken since around
1453, the year of the fall of Byzantium
—mod·ern Greek, adjective[1]



modernHebrew

modernHebrew
mod·ern
He·brew
noun

current
form of Hebrew: the form of the Hebrew language that is
the official language of the state of Israel. It is a revival of the ancient
form of the language.
—mod·ern He·brew, adjective[1]



modernhistory

modernhistory
mod·ern
his·to·ry
noun

European history after 1789:
the study of the period of European history after 1789. In the U.K. this term
refers to the period from the end of the Middle Ages in Europe, around the
middle of the 15th century, to the present day.[1]



modernism

modernism
mod·ern·ism 
[móddər nìzzəm] (plural mod·ern·isms)
noun

1.  latest
things:
the latest styles, tastes, attitudes, or practices

2.  ARTS modern
styles in art: the revolutionary ideas and styles in
art, architecture, and literature that developed in the early 20th century as a
reaction to traditional forms

3.  CHRISTIANITY movement
within Roman Catholicism: a movement in European Roman
Catholicism in which scholars and theologians attempt to accommodate the
contemporary world view within Roman Catholic theology and doctrine
—mod·ern·ist,
noun, adjective

—mod·ern·is·tic
[mòddər nístik], adjective

—mod·ern·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



modernity

modernity
mo·der·n·i·ty 
[mo dúrnətee, mō
dúrnətee] (plural mo·der·ni·ties) noun

1.  quality
of being modern: the quality of being modern or
up-to-date

2.  something
modern:
a modern thing

[1]



modernize

modernize
mod·ern·ize 
[móddər nz] (past mod·ern·ized,
past participle mod·ern·ized, present participle mod·ern·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mod·ern·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
something more modern: to change something in order
to make it conform to modern tastes, attitudes, or standards
[Mid-18th
century]
—mod·ern·iz·er,
noun

—mod·ern·i·za·tion [mòddərni záysh’n], noun[1]



modernjazz

modernjazz
mod·ern
jazz
noun

jazz style:
a style of jazz that developed in the early 1940s, with rhythms and harmonies
much more complex than those of traditional jazz[1]



modernpentathlon

modernpentathlon
mod·ern
pen·tath·lon noun

athletic event:
an athletic competition consisting of the five events of swimming, horse riding
and jumping, cross-country running, fencing, and pistol shooting.
Also called
pentathlon[1]



modest

modest
mod·est 
[móddəst] adjective

1.  humble:
not having or expressing a high opinion of your own achievements or abilities

2.  shy:
not confident or assertive, and tending to be easily embarrassed in company

3.  reasonable:
not large, extreme, or excessive • a
modest income

4.  simple:
not showy, elaborate, or pretentious • a
modest dwelling

5.  not
overtly sexual: not drawing attention to or discussing
sexuality, and so unlikely to offend or arouse others
[Mid-16th
century. Perhaps both a back-formation from modesty
and via French modeste from Latin modestus “kept within due
measure” (from the same source as English moderate
).]
—mod·est·ly, adverb[1]



Modesto

Modesto
Mo·des·to 
[mə déstō]

city in central California.
It is the seat of Stanislaus County. Population: 176,357 (1994)[1]



modesty

modesty
mod·es·ty 
[móddəstee] noun

1.  humility:
unwillingness to draw attention to your own achievements or abilities

2.  sexual
reserve:
reserve about nudity or sexual matters, especially a preference for clothes
that keep much of the body covered

3.  shyness:
lack of confidence when speaking to others or stating opinions, and the
tendency to be uneasy or embarrassed in company

4.  simplicity:
lack of grandeur or ostentation

5.  moderation:
moderation in size, scale, or extent
[Mid-16th century][1]



modicum

modicum
mod·i·cum 
[móddikəm] (plural mod·i·cums)
noun

small
amount:
a small amount, especially of something abstract, such as a particular quality
• It
only requires a modicum of common sense.
[Late 15th century. From
Latin, “little way, short time,” a form of modicus “moderate,” from modus
(see mode ).][1]



modif.

modif.
modif.

1.  Abbreviation
of
modification

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of modifier

[1]



modification

modification
mod·i·fi·ca·tion 
[mòddəfi káysh’n] (plural mod·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  change:
a slight change or alteration made to improve something or make it more
suitable • made
a few modifications to the original design

2.  act
of modifying: the act or process of modifying
something, or the condition of having been modified • in
need of modification

3.  something
modified:
something that has been modified • The
new version is a modification and is based on existing software.

4.  GRAMMAR grammatical
relationship with a modifier: in grammar, the relationship
between a modifier and what it modifies
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin modificatio(n)-, past
participle stem of modificare (see modify
).]
—mod·i·fi·ca·tive
[móddəfi kàytiv], adjective

—mod·i·fi·ca·tor,
noun

—mod·i·fi·ca·to·ry, adjective[1]



modifier

modifier
mod·i·fi·er 
[móddə fr] (plural mod·i·fi·ers)
noun GRAMMAR

1.  somebody
or something that modifies something:
somebody or something that makes slight changes to something, especially to
improve it

2.  word
qualifying another: a word or phrase that
affects the meaning of another, usually describing it or restricting its
meaning. “Pink” in the phrase “the pink ribbon,” “fire” in the compound “fire
alarm,” and “in the morning” in the sentence “She always goes jogging in the
morning” are modifiers.

[1]



modify

modify
mod·i·fy 
[móddə f] (past mod·i·fied, past
participle mod·i·fied, present participle mod·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mod·i·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
changes to something: to make a slight change or
alteration to something, or to change slightly

2.  transitive
verb
lessen
something:
to make something less extensive, severe, or extreme

3.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR affect
a word’s meaning: to affect the meaning of a word, usually
by describing or limiting it, by adding an adjective, noun, or phrase

4.  transitive
verb
LINGUISTICS change
a vowel sound: to change the sound of a vowel by adding
an umlaut
[14th
century. Via French modifier from Latin modificare “to limit,”
ultimately from modus “measure” (source of English mode ) + the base of facere “to make”
(source of English fact ).]
—mod·i·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[mòddə fī ə bíllətee], noun

—mod·i·fi·a·ble·ness
[móddə fī əb’lnəss], noun

—mod·i·fi·a·ble
[móddə fī əb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



Modigliani,Amedeo

Modigliani,Amedeo
Mo·di·glia·ni
[mòddil ynee], Amedeo (1884–1920)

Italian painter and sculptor.
His distinctive style, seen to best effect in his portraits, is characterized
by graceful, elongated proportions.[1]



modillion

modillion
mo·dil·lion 
[mō díllyən] (plural mo·dil·lions)
noun

ARCHITECTURE a
bracket in Corinthian order: a small curved ornamental
bracket under the corona of a Corinthian or Composite column
[Mid-16th century. Via French
modillion from Italian modiglione, from, ultimately, Latin mutulus
“mutule” (source of English mutule ),
perhaps of Etruscan origin.][1]



modiolus

modiolus
mo·di·o·lus 
[mō d ələss] (plural mo·di·o·li
[mō d ə l]) noun

part
of the inner ear: the bony central pillar of the cochlea
in the inner ear
[Late 17th century. From
Latin “nave of a wheel,” originally “small measure,” from modius “a
measure.”][1]



modish

modish
mod·ish 
[mṓdish] adjective

fashionable:
in, or conforming to the very latest fashions or styles, especially those
considered extreme or outrageous
—mod·ish·ly,
adverb

—mod·ish·ness, noun[1]



modiste

modiste
mo·diste 
[mō dst] (plural mo·distes) noun

maker
or seller of women’s clothes: a designer, maker, or seller
of fashionable women’s clothes, especially in the late 18th and early 19th
century (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from mode “fashion” (source of English mode in the sense “fashion”).][1]



Modred

Modred
Mo·dred
[máwdrəd, mṓ
drèd] or Mor·dred [máwrdrəd]
noun

killer of King Arthur:
in Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table who killed his uncle, King
Arthur[1]



modular

modular
mod·u·lar 
[mójjələr] adjective

1.  involving
modules:
made up of separate modules that can be rearranged, replaced, or interchanged
easily • modular
construction techniques

2.  involving
moduli:
relating to or resembling a modulus, or made up of moduli • modular
construction techniques
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin modularis, from Latin modulus
(see modulus ).]
—mod·u·lar·i·ty
[mòjjə lérrətee], noun

—mod·u·lar·ly [mójjələrlee], adverb[1]



modulararithmetic

modulararithmetic
mod·u·lar
a·rith·me·tic noun

arithmetic using remainders:
a branch of arithmetic that deals with the remainders of whole numbers after
the numbers have been divided by a modulus[1]



modularized

modularized
mod·u·lar·ized 
[mójjələ rzd] adjective

modular:
made up of separate parts or modules that can be rearranged, replaced, or
interchanged easily[1]



modulate

modulate
mod·u·late 
[mójjə làyt] (past mod·u·lat·ed,
past participle mod·u·lat·ed, present participle mod·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular mod·u·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
change
sound:
to change the tone, pitch, or volume of sound or something that produces sound,
for example, a musical instrument or the human voice, usually by lowering or
softening it

2.  transitive
verb
alter
something:
to make alterations in something to make it less strong, forceful, or severe

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC change key:
in tonal music, to change from one key to another through a harmonic
progression

4.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS vary
wave characteristics: to vary the frequency,
amplitude, or other characteristic of a radio wave or some other carrier wave
in order to transmit information
[Mid-16th
century. Perhaps both a back-formation from modulation
and from Latin modulat-, past participle stem of modulari “to
measure, adjust to rhythm,” from modulus (see modulus
).]
—mod·u·la·ble,
adjective

—mod·u·la·bil·i·ty
[mòjjələ bíllətee], noun

—mod·u·la·tive
[mójjə làytiv], adjective

—mod·u·la·tor
[mójjə lày tər], noun

—mod·u·la·to·ry [mójjələ tàwree], adjective[1]



modulation

modulation

mod·u·la·tion 
[mòjjə láysh’n] (plural mod·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  adjustment
of sound:
adjustment of the tone, pitch, or volume of sound, or of something that
produces sound, for example, a musical instrument or the human voice

2.  slight
alteration:
slight alteration that makes something less strong, forceful, or severe

3.        PHYSICS process
of modulating carrier wave: the process
of changing the amplitude or frequency of a wave, used in radio broadcasting to
superimpose a sound signal on a continuously transmitted carrier wave[1]



module

module
mod·ule 
[mójjool] (plural mod·ules) noun

1.  independent
interchangeable unit: a unit that is combined with
others to form a larger structure or system and is self-contained enough to be
easily rearranged, replaced, or interchanged to form different structures or
systems

2.  EDUCATION short
course of study: a short course of study that forms part
of a larger academic course or training program, for example, any of the
elements that form part of a degree program

3.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY part
of a space vehicle: one of the self-contained
units or craft that make up a space vehicle

4.  ARCHITECTURE unit
of measurement: a unit of measurement or a standard,
used especially in measuring architectural elements
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin modulus (see modulus
). The current sense of “independent part” evolved from “allotted measure.”][1]



modulo

modulo
mod·u·lo 
[mójjə lō] preposition

MATHEMATICS relating
to a modulus: with respect to a particular modulus • 9
and 30 are congruent modulo 7 because both leave the same remainder if they are
divided by 7.
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, ablative singular of modulus (see modulus
).][1]



modulus

modulus
mod·u·lus 
[mójjələss] (plural mod·u·li [mójjə l]) noun

1.  PHYSICS coefficient:
a coefficient expressing the degree to which a substance exhibits a particular
property

2.  MATHEMATICS division
number:
a number by which two other numbers can be divided so that both give the same
remainder

3.  MATHEMATICS absolute
value:
the absolute value of a complex number

4.  MATHEMATICS logarithm
factor:
the factor by which a logarithm of one base must be multiplied to become the
logarithm of another base
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “small measure,” from modus “measure” (source of English mode ).][1]



modusoperandi

modusoperandi
mo·dus
op·er·an·di 
[mdəss oppə rándee, mdəss oppə rán d] (plural mo·di op·er·an·di [m dee oppə rándee, m
dī oppə rán d]) noun

method:
a particular way of doing things
[From Latin, “mode of
operating”][1]



modusvivendi

modusvivendi
mo·dus
vi·ven·di 
[mdəss vi véndee, mdəss
vi vén d] (plural mo·di vi·ven·di [m dee vi véndee, m
dī vi vén d]) noun

1.  compromise:
a practical arrangement that allows conflicting people, groups, or ideas to
coexist

2.  way
of life:
the way that a particular person or group of people lives
[From Latin, “mode of
living”][1]



mofette

mofette
mo·fette 
[mō fét] (plural mo·fettes) noun

fumarole:
a fumarole (archaic)
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Neapolitan Italian mofetta, from muffa “mold, moldy
smell,” probably of Germanic origin.][1]



Mogadishu

Mogadishu
Mog·a·dish·u 
[mògə dísh]

capital city and chief port
of Somalia, situated in the southeast of the country. Population: 1,200,000
(1990)[1]



MogenDavid

MogenDavid
Mo·gen
Da·vid 
[mòggən dáyvid] noun

See
Star of David
[From Hebrew, literally
“shield of David”][1]



moggy

moggy
mog·gy
[móggee] (plural mog·gies) noun

cat:
a cat (slang)
[Late 17th century. Variant
of Maggie, from Mag, shortening of Margaret .][1]



Moghul

Moghul
Mo·ghul
noun

See
Mogul[1]



Mogollon

Mogollon
Mo·gol·lon 
[mgə yṓn] (plural Mo·gol·lons
or Mo·gol·lon) noun

member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people whose civilization flourished in parts of Arizona and New
Mexico from around the 2nd century BC
to the 13th century AD. The
Mogollon are particularly noted for their attractive pottery, traditionally
decorated with black and white designs.
[From the Mogollon
Rim, Arizona, and the Mogollon Mountains, New Mexico, both named after
Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon, governor of New Mexico 1712–1715][1]



Mogul

Mogul
Mo·gul 
[mṓ gùl] (plural Mo·guls) or
Mo·ghul [mṓ gùl] (plural Mo·ghuls)
or Mu·ghal [múgg’l] (plural
Mu·ghals) noun

1.  member
of an Indian Muslim dynasty: a member of the Muslim
dynasty of Mongol origin that ruled large parts of India from 1526 to 1857

2.  Mogul
emperor:
the Mogul emperor of Delhi
[Late 16th century. Via Urdu muġal
from Persian and Urdu muġul “Mongol.”][1]



mogul

mogul1
mo·gul1  [mṓg’l,
mṓ gùl] (plural mo·guls) noun

powerful
person:
an important or powerful person, especially somebody working in the media
[Late 17th century. From Mogul .][1]



mogul

mogul2
mogul2  [mṓg’l,
mṓ gùl] (plural moguls) noun

skiing
obstacle:
a mound of hard compacted snow formed as an obstacle on a ski slope
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from southern German dialect Mugel or a Scandinavian
word.][1]



mohair

mohair
mo·hair 
[mṓ hàir] noun

wool:
the soft silky wool of the Angora goat.
See
also
angora
[Late 16th century. By folk
etymology (from hair ) from earlier mocayre,
ultimately from Arabic muayyar “cloth of goat’s hair,” literally
“select, choice,” past participle of ayyara “to prefer.”][1]



Mohammed

Mohammed
Mo·ham·med


See
Muhammad[1]



Moharram

Moharram
Mo·har·ram 
[mō hérrəm] noun

See
Muharram[1]



Mohave

Mohave
Mo·ha·ve
[mō hvee] (plural Mo·ha·ve or
Mo·haves) or Mo·ja·ve [mō
hvee] (plural Mo·ja·ve or Mo·ja·ves) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people that originally occupied lands along the Colorado River
valley on the border between California and Arizona

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native North American
language spoken along parts of the Colorado River valley. It belongs to the
Yuman branch of Hokan-Siouan languages.
[Mid-19th
century. From Mohave hàmakhá:v .]
—Mo·ha·ve, adjective[1]



Mohawk

Mohawk1
Mo·hawk1 (plural Mo·hawk
or Mo·hawks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people that originally occupied lands along the Mohawk and
Hudson rivers, and whose members now live mainly in Ontario and New York State.
The Mohawk were one of the five peoples who formed the Iroquois Confederacy, which
later became known as the Six Nations.

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native North American
language spoken in Quebec, Ontario, and northern New York State, belonging to
the Iroquoian language family. About 3,000 people speak Mohawk.
[Mid-17th century. From
Narragansett mohowawog, literally “man-eaters.”][1]



Mohawk

Mohawk2
Mo·hawk2  [mṓ
hàwk]

river in central New York. It
is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. Length: 238 km/148 mi.[1]



mohawk

mohawk
mo·hawk
[mṓ hàwk] (plural mo·hawks) noun

shaved
hairstyle:
a hairstyle in which the sides of the head are shaved and the remaining hair is
worn sticking up. It became associated with the punk movement and was often
brightly colored.
Also
called
mohican
[Late 19th century. From
Algonquian Mohawk, the name of a Native American people, because it
resembles a hairstyle worn by them.][1]



Mohegan

Mohegan
Mo·he·gan 
[mō hgən] (plural Mo·he·gan or
Mo·he·gans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people that originally occupied lands in eastern Connecticut,
and whose members now live mainly in southeastern Connecticut and Wisconsin

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: an Algonquian language
spoken in Connecticut and Wisconsin that belongs to the Algonquian-Wakashan
languages. Mohegan is spoken by around one thousand people.
[Variant
of Mohican]
—Mo·he·gan, adjective[1]



mohel

mohel
mo·hel
[mṓ hèl, mṓ èl]
(plural mo·he·lim) noun

somebody
who performs circumcisions: somebody who is qualified
under Jewish religious law to carry out circumcisions
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew môhēl .][1]



Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro
Mo·hen·jo-da·ro 
[məhèn jō drō]

ruined Bronze Age city in
southern Pakistan. It formed part of the Indus Valley civilization.[1]



Mohican

Mohican
Mo·hi·can 
(plural Mo·hi·can or Mo·hi·cans) noun

Mahican:
a Mahican or the Mahican language (archaic)
—Mo·hi·can, adjective[1]



mohican

mohican
mo·hi·can
[mō hkən, mə
hkən] (plural mo·hi·cans) noun

See
mohawk
[Mid-20th century. From the
deer-hair topknots worn by Native American men in Last of the Mohicans
(1826), a novel by (1789–1851).][1]



Moho

Moho
Mo·ho 
[mṓ h] noun

GEOGRAPHY See Mohorovicic discontinuity
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Mohock

Mohock
Mo·hock
[mṓ hòk] (plural Mo·hocks) noun

18C
ruffian:
a member of a gang of ruffians from the upper classes who terrorized people in
the streets of London in the early 18th century
[Mid-17th century. Originally
a variant of Mohawk .][1]



Moholy-Nagy,László

Moholy-Nagy,László
Mo·holy-Nag·y
[mō hlee nój], László (1895–1946)

Hungarian-born U.S. artist.
He was codirector, with Walter Gropius, of Chicago’s American School of Design
( 1937–1939 ), and was known for his artistic experiments involving modern technology.[1]



Mohorovicicdiscontinuity

Mohorovicicdiscontinuity
Mo·ho·ro·vi·cic
dis·con·ti·nu·i·ty  [mōhə
rvichich diss kòntə n ətee] noun

boundary
between crust and mantle: the boundary between the
Earth’s crust and the mantle, occurring on average at 8 km/5 mi under the
oceans to 35 km/22 mi under the continents.
Also
called
Moho
[Mid-20th century. Named for
A. Mohorovičić (1857–1936), Yugoslav seismologist.][1]



Mohsscale

Mohsscale
Mohs
scale 
[mṓz skàyl] noun

hardness
scale:
a scale ranging from zero to ten used to measure the hardness of minerals, with
talc at the bottom end and diamond at the top end. Each mineral on the scale is
hard enough to scratch the one below it in the scale.
[Late 19th century. Named
after Friedrich Mohs (1773–1839), German mineralogist.][1]



mohur

mohur
mo·hur 
[mṓ ər, mə hr]
(plural mo·hurs) noun

Indian
gold coin:
a gold coin worth 15 rupees used in British India in the 19th and early 20th
centuries
[Late 17th century. From
Persian and Urdu muhr “seal.”][1]



moidore

moidore
moi·dore 
[móy dàwr, moy
dáwr] (plural moi·dores) noun

Portuguese
or Brazilian gold coin: an obsolete Portuguese or
Brazilian gold coin
[Early 18th century. From
Portuguese moeda d’ouro “coin of gold.”][1]



moiety

moiety
moi·e·ty 
[móy ətee] (plural moi·e·ties)
noun

1.  one
of two parts: either of the two parts, not necessarily
equal, into which something is divided (formal)

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY social
group:
among Native South Americans and Aboriginal Australians, one of two halves into
which society is divided for ritual and marriage purposes. Marriages are
forbidden within the same moiety.
[15th century. Via French moitié
“half” from late Latin medietas, from medius “middle.”][1]



moil

moil
moil 
[moyl] noun (archaic) (regional)

1.  drudgery:
hard work

2.  U.K.
mud:
sticky, slimy dirt or mud

3.  U.K.
turmoil:
a state of agitation or confusion
verb
(past moiled, past participle moiled, present
participle moil·ing, 3rd person present singular moils)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
hard:
to work very hard • toiling and moiling

2.  transitive
verb
U.K. make
something dirty: to dirty something, especially with soil
or mud (archaic) (regional)
[14th
century. Via Old French moillier “to moisten, paddle in mud” from,
ultimately, Latin mollire “to soften,” from mollis “soft.”]
—moil·er, noun[1]



Moirai

Moirai
Moi·rai 
[móy r] plural noun

See
Fates  npl.
[From Greek][1]



moire

moire
moi·re 
[mwaar, mwaa ráy]
or moi·ré [mwaa ráy] noun

moiré
fabric:
a moiré fabric, especially silk but also, in the past, mohair
[Mid-17th century. From
French, a later form of mouaire “mohair.”][1]



moiré

moiré
moi·ré 
[mwaa ráy] adjective

TEXTILES with a
wavy pattern: used to describe fabric with a shiny or
wavy pattern on the surface
noun
(plural moi·rés)

1.  TEXTILES wavy
pattern on fabric: a shiny finish and wavy
pattern on fabric, especially silk, created by using engraved rollers

2.  TEXTILES See moire

3.  wavy
pattern:
the wavy or blurred effect created by superimposing one geometric pattern on a
similar or identical pattern that is slightly out of alignment with the first.
Also
called
moiré effect
Also
called
moiré pattern
[Early 19th century. From
French moiré, the past participle of moirer “to water,” from moire
“moiré fabric,” probably an alteration of mohair
.][1]



moiréeffect

moiréeffect
moi·ré
ef·fect
(plural moi·ré ef·fects) noun

See
moiré[1]



moirépattern

moirépattern
moi·ré
pat·tern
(plural moi·ré pat·terns) noun

See
moiré  noun 3[1]



moist

moist
moist 
[moyst] (comparative moist·er,
superlative moist·est) adjective

1.  damp:
slightly wet or damp

2.  fresh:
pleasantly fresh, rather than dry or stale • a
rich, moist fruitcake

3.  tearful:
full of tears • moist eyes

4.  rainy:
humid or rainy, especially with light rain or drizzle
[14th
century. Via Old French moiste from, ultimately, Latin mucidus
“moldy,” from mucus “slime” (source of English mucus ), apparently influenced by musteus
“new.”]
—moist·ly,
adverb

—moist·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



moisten

moisten
mois·ten 
[móyss’n] (past mois·tened, past
participle mois·tened, present participle mois·ten·ing,
3rd person present singular mois·tens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
something moist: to make something moist or to become
moist • Moisten
the mixture with a little beaten egg.
—mois·ten·er, noun[1]



moisture

moisture
mois·ture 
[móyschər] noun

wetness:
wetness, especially droplets of condensed or absorbed liquid, or in a vapor
[14th century. From Old
French moistour, from moiste (see moist
).][1]



moisturize

moisturize
mois·tur·ize 
[móyschə rz] (past mois·tur·ized,
past participle mois·tur·ized, present participle mois·tur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mois·tur·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
cream on face: to apply a cosmetic cream or lotion to
the skin, especially on the face, to help prevent the skin drying out

2.  transitive
verb
make
something moist: to make something moist or more moist

[1]



moisturizer

moisturizer
mois·tur·iz·er 
[móyschər zər] noun

skin lotion for the face:
a cosmetic cream or lotion used to make the skin, especially on the face, feel
less dry[1]



mojarra

mojarra
mo·jar·ra 
[mō hrə] (plural mo·jar·ras or
mo·jar·ra) noun

small
fish:
a small silvery sea fish found mainly in shallow tropical American waters, with
mouthparts that can be thrust outward. Family: Gerridae
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish .][1]



Mojave

Mojave
Mo·ja·ve 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Mohave[1]



MojaveDesert

MojaveDesert
Mo·ja·ve
Des·ert
[mō hvee dézzərt]

arid region in southern
California, part of the Great Basin region. Area: 39,000 sq km/15,000 sq mi.[1]



mojo

mojo
mo·jo
[mṓ j] (plural mo·joes or
mo·jos) noun (slang)

1.  magic:
witchcraft or magic, or some powerful influence

2.  magic
charm:
an object believed to have magical powers, especially the power to keep away
evil spirits
[Early 20th century. Probably
of African origin.][1]



moke

moke
moke 
[mōk] (plural mokes) noun

1.  U.K.
donkey:
a donkey (slang)

2.  an
offensive term: an offensive term for a black person (offensive)
[Mid-19th century. Probably
from a personal name.][1]



moksha

moksha
mok·sha
[mṓkshə] noun

release
from rebirth: in Hinduism, the spiritual goal of
release from reincarnation
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit mokṣa, from muc “to set free, release.”][1]



mol

mol
mol


CHEMISTRY
Symbol mole[1]



mol.

mol.
mol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
molecular

2.  Abbreviation
of
molecule

[1]



mola

mola2
mo·la2 [mṓlə,
mṓ l] (plural mo·las) noun

decorative
cloth square: a square of brightly colored cloth,
woven or sewn with reverse appliqué in traditional Central American style and
used on clothing, as a wall hanging, or draped over furniture
[Mid-20th century. From Cuna
.][1]



mola

mola1
mo·la1 [mṓlə]
(plural mo·las or mo·la) noun

See
ocean sunfish
[Late 17th century. From
French mole .][1]



molal

molal
mo·lal 
[mṓləl] adjective

of a given strength:
used to describe a solution consisting of one mole of dissolved substance ( solute ) per 1,000 grams of solution[1]



molality

molality
mo·lal·i·ty 
[mō lállətee] (plural mo·lal·i·ties)
noun

concentration of a solution:
the concentration of a solution, expressed as the number of moles of a
dissolved substance ( solute ) that can be
found in 1,000 grams of solvent[1]



molar

molar2
mo·lar2 [mṓlər]
adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY relating
to a mole:
used to describe something that relates to or is a mole of a substance • the
molar volume of hydrogen

2.  CHEMISTRY containing
one mole per liter: containing one mole of
substance per liter of solution

3.  PHYSICS relating
to a whole rather than parts: relating to a body of matter
rather than the properties of its molecules or atoms
[In
the chemical senses: Mid-19th century, formed from mole
. In the sense “relating to a whole”: Early 20th century, formed from Latin moles
“mass.”]
—mo·lar·i·ty [mə lárrətee] (plural mo·lar·i·ties),
noun[1]



molar

molar1
mo·lar1 [mṓlər]
(plural mo·lars) noun

back
tooth:
a large back tooth in humans and other mammals, used for chewing and grinding.
Human beings have twelve molars.
See
also
incisor
See
also
canine
See
also
premolar
[14th century. From Latin molaris
“of a mill; grindstone, molar tooth,” from mola “mill.”][1]



molasses

molasses
mo·las·ses 
[mə lássəz] noun

1.  syrup
from sugar refining: the thick sticky sweet syrup
produced during the refining of raw sugar, which ranges in color from dark
brown to gold.
U.K.
term
treacle

2.  U.K.
residue
of sugar refining: the thick dark bitter
residue produced at the end of the sugar refining process
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese melaço from late Latin mellaceum “new wine, must,”
from, ultimately, Latin mel “honey.”][1]



mold

mold1
mold1 [mōld]
noun (plural molds)

1.  container
for making a shape: a container that gives a
shape to a molten or liquid substance poured into it to harden

2.  frame:
a frame on which something is formed or built

3.  object
made in a mold: an object that was formed using a mold

4.  shape
of a mold:
the shape or form of a mold

5.  general
shape:
the general shape or form of something

6.  distinctive
type:
a particular type that has a distinctive character or nature • a
leader in the heroic mold

7.  set
of assumptions: a fixed pattern or framework of
assumptions, especially when regarded as restricting • negotiators
who break out of the traditional diplomatic mold

8.  See
molding  noun 1
verb
(past mold·ed, past participle mold·ed, present participle
mold·ing, 3rd person present singular molds)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something in mold: to shape or form something
in a mold

2.  transitive
verb
give
something shape: to shape or give form to something

3.  transitive
verb
influence
somebody’s character: to guide or influence the
growth or development of somebody or something • the
childhood experience that helped mold her personality

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb fit
the contours of something: to fit closely by following
the contours or acquiring the shape of something

5.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY make
a mold from something: to make a material into a
mold to be used in casting metal

6.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE put
molding on something: to decorate something with a
molding
[12th
century. Via Old French modle from Latin modulus, literally
“little measure,” from modus “measure” (source of English mode ).]
—mold·a·ble, adjective[1]



mold

mold3
mold3 [mōld]
noun

1.  soil
rich in humus: soil that is rich in humus and easily
worked or crumbled

2.  U.K.
earth:
the earth or ground (literary)
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to grind,” which is also the ancestor of
English meal 2 and mill 1 .][1]



mold

mold2
mold2 [mōld]
noun (plural molds)

1.  fungus:
a fungus that causes organic matter to decay

2.  growth
of mold:
a growth of mold on the surface of something, or the discoloration caused by
the growth of mold
intransitive
verb
(past mold·ed, past participle mold·ed, present
participle mold·ing, 3rd person present singular molds)

become covered with mold:
to become covered with or affected by mold
[15th century. From earlier
English moul “to go moldy,” from assumed Old Norse mugla .][1]



Moldavia

Moldavia
Mol·da·vi·a 
[mol dáyvee ə]

former
principality, located in what is now Romania and Moldova
—Mol·da·vi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



moldboard

moldboard
mold·board 
[mṓld bàwrd] (plural mold·boards)
noun

1.  blade
of a plow:
the curved metal blade of a plow that turns over the soil

2.  blade
of a bulldozer or snowplow: the large curved blade on
the front of a bulldozer or snowplow that pushes the soil or snow

3.  CONSTRUCTION side
of a concrete mold: a board that forms one side
or one surface of a concrete mold

[1]



molder

molder2
mold·er2  [mṓldər]
(plural mold·ers) noun

somebody who molds:
somebody who makes molds or who molds things[1]



molder

molder1
mold·er1  [mṓldər]
(past mold·ered, past participle mold·ered, present
participle mold·er·ing, 3rd person present singular mold·ers)
intransitive and transitive verb

rot:
to crumble or decay because of natural processes, or to make something crumble
or decay
[Mid-16th century. From mold
“loose soil,” from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
grind.”][1]



molding

molding
mold·ing 
(plural mold·ings) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE WOODWORK decorative
strip:
a strip of wood or some other material that is used to decorate or finish a
surface of a wall or a piece of furniture

2.  something
made in a mold: something that is produced using a mold

[1]



Moldova




Back to definition

Moldova

[1]



Moldova

Moldova



Mol·do·va 
[mol dṓvə]
independent
republic in southeastern Europe. It was a republic of the Soviet Union until
1991. Language: Romanian. Currency: leu. Capital: Chisinau. Population:
4,372,000 (1996) Area: 33,008 sq km/13,012 sq mi. Official name Republic
of Modova
—Mol·do·van, noun,
adjective[1]



moldy

moldy
mold·y 
[mṓldee] (comparative mold·i·er,
superlative mold·i·est) adjective

1.  with
mold:
with mold growing on or inside it

2.  stale
from age or rot: stale and unpleasant from old age,
neglect, or fungal growth

3.  old:
old-fashioned or out-of-date (informal)
—mold·i·ness, noun[1]



mole

mole3
mole3 [mōl]
(plural moles) noun

1.  sea
wall:
a massive wall, usually made of stone, that extends into the sea and encloses
or protects a harbor

2.  harbor:
a harbor enclosed or protected by a mole
[Mid-16th century. Via French
môle and medieval Greek molos from Latin moles “mass,
massive structure,” the original sense in English .][1]



mole

mole4
mole4 [mōl]
(plural moles) noun

International
System unit of substance amount: the basic
International System unit of amount of substance equal to the amount containing
the same number of elementary units as the number of atoms in 12 grams of
carbon-12. Symbol mol
Also
called
gram molecule
[Early 20th century. From
German Mol, a shortening of Molekul “molecule.”][1]



mole

mole5
mo·le5 [mṓlee]
(plural mo·les) noun

spicy
chocolate sauce: a spicy Mexican sauce made with
unsweetened chocolate and a variety of chilies and spices, used especially for
cooking poultry
[Mid-20th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl molli “sauce, stew.”][1]



mole

mole2
mole2 [mōl]
(plural moles) noun

growth
on skin:
a small dark, sometimes raised, growth on the human skin, sometimes with a hair
or hairs growing from it
[Old English māl
“discolored mark.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “spot,
mark,” which is also the ancestor of German malen “paint.”][1]



mole

mole1
mole1 [mōl]
(plural moles) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY burrowing
mammal:
a small mammal that usually lives underground and has large forelimbs for
digging, no external ears, minute eyes, and dense velvety fur. Family: Talpidae

2.  CONSTRUCTION tunneling
machine:
a machine designed for boring through hard materials such as rock

3.  spy:
somebody employed by a group or organization such as a government ministry who
discloses sensitive information while keeping his or her own identity secret
[14th century. Probably from
Middle Dutch mol, of unknown origin.][1]



Molech

Molech
Mo·lech
noun

BIBLE
See Moloch[1]



molecrab

molecrab
mole
crab 
(plural mole crabs) noun

small burrowing crustacean:
a small crustacean that has long eyestalks and hairy antennae and is often
found burrowing in the sand on ocean beaches. Genus: Emerita[1]



molecricket

molecricket
mole
crick·et 
(plural mole crick·ets) noun

burrowing insect:
a cricket with a heavy body and short wings that burrows in the ground using
front legs that are adapted for digging. It feeds primarily on plant roots.
Family: Gryllotalpidae[1]



molecular

molecular
mo·lec·u·lar 
[mə lékyələr] adjective

1.  SCIENCE relating
to molecules: relating to or made up of molecules

2.  LOGIC made
up of simpler parts: relating to or organized
from simpler parts
—mo·lec·u·lar·i·ty
[mə lèkyə lérrətee], noun

—mo·lec·u·lar·ly [mə lékyələrlee], adverb[1]



molecularbiology

molecularbiology
mo·lec·u·lar
bi·ol·o·gy
noun

study of biology at molecular
level: the branch of biology
concerned with the nature and function, at the molecular level, of biological
phenomena, such as RNA and DNA, proteins, and other macromolecules[1]



molecularfilm

molecularfilm
mo·lec·u·lar
film
(plural mo·lec·u·lar films) noun

SCIENCE
See monolayer[1]



molecularformula

molecularformula
mo·lec·u·lar
for·mu·la
noun

type of chemical formula:
a chemical formula that specifies which atoms and how many of each atom there
are in a molecule of a compound[1]



moleculargenetics

moleculargenetics
mo·lec·u·lar
ge·net·ics
noun

study of genetics at
molecular level: the branch of genetics
that studies genes, chromosomes, and the transmission of hereditary
characteristics at the molecular level (takes a singular verb)[1]



molecularsieve

molecularsieve
mo·lec·u·lar
sieve
(plural mo·lec·u·lar sieves) noun

compound for separating
molecules: a crystalline compound with
molecule-sized pores that can be used in separating larger molecules from
smaller ones[1]



molecularvolume

molecularvolume
mo·lec·u·lar
vol·ume
(plural mo·lec·u·lar vol·umes) noun

volume of one mole:
the volume occupied by one mole of a substance when in the form of a gas[1]



molecularweight

molecularweight
mo·lec·u·lar
weight
(plural mo·lec·u·lar weights) noun

See
relative molecular mass[1]



molecule

molecule
mol·e·cule 
[móllə kyl] (plural mol·e·cules)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY smallest
part of a chemical compound: the smallest physical unit
of a substance that can exist independently, consisting of one or more atoms
held together by chemical forces

2.  tiny
amount:
a very small amount of something
[Late 18th century. Via
French molécule from modern Latin molecula, literally “small
mass,” from Latin moles “mass.”][1]



molehill

molehill
mole·hill 
[mṓl hìl] (plural mole·hills) noun

small mound of earth:
a small mound of earth on the surface of the ground dug up by a burrowing mole[1]



molerat

molerat
mole
rat
(plural mole rats) noun

1.  European
and Middle Eastern rodent: a tailless rodent found in
eastern Europe and the Middle East that digs burrows with its enlarged incisors
and powerful head. Genus: Spalax

2.  African
rodent:
a rodent found in Africa south of the Sahara that has large protruding incisors
for digging burrows. Family: Bathyergidae

[1]



moleskin

moleskin
mole·skin 
[mṓl skìn] noun (plural mole·skins)

1.  ZOOLOGY fur of
the mole:
the short dense soft fur of a mole

2.  TEXTILES clothing
fabric:
a strong heavy cotton fabric used for clothing

3.  MEDICINE protective
patch:
a soft fabric, usually with an adhesive backing, used to protect part of a foot
from rubbing against a shoe
plural
noun
mole·skins

CLOTHES moleskin
clothing:
clothing, especially trousers, made of moleskin fabric

[1]



molest

molest
mo·lest 
[mə lést] (past mo·lest·ed, past
participle mo·lest·ed, present participle mo·lest·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·lests) transitive verb

1.  LAW abuse
somebody sexually: to force unwanted sexual
attentions on somebody, especially a child or physically weaker adult (disapproving)

2.  annoy
somebody:
to pester, bother, or disturb a person or animal
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French molester from Latin molestare,
from molestus “troublesome.”]
—mo·les·ta·tion
[m le stáysh’n], noun

—mo·lest·er [mə léstər], noun[1]



moline

moline
mo·line
[mō ln, mṓlin]
adjective

HERALDRY with
forking arms that curve backward: used to describe a
heraldic cross that has arms of equal length that broaden at the ends by
forking and curving backward
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Anglo-Norman, from molin “mill,” from late Latin
molinum .][1]



Moline

Moline
Mo·line 
[mō ln]

city in northwestern
Illinois, in Rock Island County, on the Mississippi River. Population: 43,472
(1994)[1]



Molière

Molière

Mo·lière
[mōl yáir] (1622–1673)
French
dramatist. He satirized contemporary society in a series of witty plays such as
Tartuffe ( 1664 ). He also wrote Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ( 1670
) and Le Malade imaginaire ( 1673 ).
Pseudonym of
Poquelin, Jean-Baptiste[1]



moll

moll
moll 
[mol] (plural molls) noun
(slang)

1.  gangster’s
woman companion: the woman companion of a gangster.
Also
called
gun moll

2.  prostitute:
a woman prostitute
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of the forename Molly, a petform of Mary .][1]



mollie

mollie
mol·lie 
noun

ZOOLOGY
See molly[1]



mollify

mollify
mol·li·fy 
[móllə f] (past mol·li·fied, past
participle mol·li·fied, present participle mol·li·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mol·li·fies) transitive verb

1.  pacify
somebody:
to calm or soothe somebody who is angry or upset

2.  temper
something:
to make something less intense or severe

3.  soften
something:
to make something less hard, rigid, or stiff
[15th
century. Directly or via French mollifier “mollify.”]
—mol·li·fi·a·ble
[mòllə f əb’l], adjective

—mol·li·fi·ca·tion
[mòlləfi káysh’n], noun

—mol·li·fi·er
[móllə fr], noun

—mol·li·fy·ing·ly [móllə f inglee], adverb[1]



mollusc

mollusc
mol·lusc 
noun

See
mollusk[1]



molluscicide

molluscicide
mol·lus·ci·cide 
[mə lúski sd] (plural mol·lus·ci·cides)
noun

mollusk
poison:
a chemical that kills mollusks
—mol·lus·ci·cid·al [mə lùski sd’l], adjective[1]



molluscumcontagiosum

molluscumcontagiosum
mol·lus·cum
con·ta·gi·o·sum  [mə lùskəm
kən tayjee ṓssəm] noun

skin
disease:
a benign viral skin infection characterized by numerous small round dimpled
pearly white nodules
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “contagious fungus.”][1]



mollusk

mollusk

mol·lusk 
[mólləsk] (plural mol·lusks) or
mol·lusc [mólləsk] (plural mol·luscs)
noun
clam,
snail, slug, or octopus: an invertebrate with a soft
unsegmented body, usually protected by a shell in one, two, or three pieces.
The mollusks include clams, snails, slugs, squid, and octopuses. Most mollusks
are aquatic. Phylum: Mollusca
[Late
18th century. Via French mollusque from, ultimately, Latin molluscus
“thin-shelled nut,” from mollis (see mollify
).]
—mol·lus·kan [mə lúskən], adjective, noun[1]



molly

molly
mol·ly
[móllee] (plural mol·lies) or
mol·lie [móllee] (plural mol·lies)
noun

aquarium
fish:
a tropical and subtropical fish native to Central and South America that bears
live young and is popular as an aquarium fish. Genera: Poecilia Mollienesia
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of modern Latin Mollienisia, the name of the genus, named for the French
statesman Count F. N. Mollien (1758–1850).][1]



mollycoddle

mollycoddle
mol·ly·cod·dle 
[móllee kòdd’l] transitive verb (past
mol·ly·cod·dled, past participle mol·ly·cod·dled, present
participle mol·ly·cod·dling, 3rd person present singular mol·ly·cod·dles)

pamper
and spoil somebody: to treat somebody in an
overprotective and overindulgent way
noun
(plural mol·ly·cod·dles)

overprotected
boy:
a child, especially a boy, who is spoiled and overprotected
[Mid-19th
century. From the name Molly (used for an effeminate boy or man) + coddle .]
—mol·ly·cod·dler, noun[1]



MollyMaguire

MollyMaguire
Mol·ly
Ma·guire
[mòllee mə gwr] (plural Mol·ly
Ma·guires) noun

1.  Irish
fighter against government evictions: a
member of a secret organization founded in Ireland in 1843 that used violent
methods to stop evictions by the government

2.  Irish-American
miner fighting for better conditions: a
member of a secret Irish-American organization, active in the coalmining
districts of Pennsylvania from about 1865 to 1877, that used violent methods to
try to get improved working conditions
[Mid-19th century. From the
common Irish name, because members of the original society disguised themselves
as women.][1]



Moloch

Moloch
Mo·loch 
[mṓ lèk] (plural Mo·lochs) or
Mo·lech [mṓ lèk] (plural Mo·lechs)
noun

1.  BIBLE biblical
deity given child sacrifices: in the Bible, a Semitic
deity to whom children were sacrificed

2.  something
requiring costly sacrifices: somebody or something that
requires a costly and painful sacrifice
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek Molokh, from Hebrew mōle .][1]



moloch

moloch

mo·loch 
[mṓ lòk, móllək]
(plural mo·lochs) noun
lizard
with large spiny scales: a lizard found in the plains
and deserts of central and southern Australia that has large spiny scales
covering its head and back. Latin name: Moloch horridus
[Mid-19th century. Via late
Latin from Greek Molokh from Hebrew Mōlek “a Canaanite idol.”][1]



Molokai

Molokai
Mo·lo·kai 
[mōlō k, mṓlə
k]

volcanic island in central
Hawaii, between Oahu and Maui islands. Population: 6,717 (1990) Area: 673 sq
km/260 sq mi.[1]



Molotovcocktail

Molotovcocktail
Mo·lo·tov
cock·tail
(plural Mo·lo·tov cock·tails) noun

simple
gasoline bomb: a crude bomb, usually made of a bottle
filled with a flammable liquid such as gasoline and a wick that is set alight
just before it is thrown.
U.K.
term
petrol bomb
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, who ordered
their large-scale production after the Nazi invasion of Russia.][1]



Molotov,Vyacheslav Mikhailovich

Molotov,Vyacheslav Mikhailovich
Mo·lo·tov
[mòllə táwf], Vyacheslav Mikhailovich
(1890–1986)

Soviet
statesman. He was a close associate and advisor of Joseph Stalin as premier
(1930–1941) and foreign minister (1939–1949, 1953–1956) of the Soviet Union. He
negotiated the German-Soviet nonaggression pact in 1939.
Born
Scriabin, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich[1]



Molson,John

Molson,John
Mol·son
[mólssən], John (1763–1836)

British-born Canadian
entrepreneur. He made his fortune as a brewer, banker, and steamship builder.[1]



molt

molt
molt 
[mōlt] intransitive and transitive verb
(past molt·ed, past participle molt·ed, present
participle molt·ing, 3rd person present singular molts)

lose feathers, fur, or skin:
to shed feathers, hair, or skin periodically, especially seasonally, to allow
replacement of what is lost with new growth
noun
(plural molts)

1.  loss
of feathers, fur, or skin: the process or time during
which a bird or animal casts off all or part of its feathers, fur, or skin

2.  shed
feathers, fur, hair, or skin: the material shed during
molting
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin mutare “to change” (which also produced English mutate ).]
—molter, noun[1]



molten

molten
mol·ten 
[mṓlt’n] adjective

1.  melted:
changed into liquid form by heat

2.  molded:
produced by melting a material and then shaping it in a mold

3.  glowing:
glowing with great heat
[13th century. Originally the
past participle of melt .][1]



molto

molto
mol·to 
[mṓltō] adverb

very:
used for emphasis before or after a musical direction derived from Italian
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from Latin multus “much” (source of English multitude ).][1]



Moluccas

Moluccas
Mo·luc·cas 
[mə lúkəz]

group
of islands in eastern Indonesia, part of the Malay Archipelago. Population:
1,741,800 (1998) Area: 74,500 sq km/28,800 sq mi.
—Mol·uc·can, noun,
adjective[1]



molwt

molwt
mol
wt


Abbreviation of
molecular weight[1]



moly

moly
mo·ly 
[mṓlee] (plural mo·lies) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY magic
herb:
in Homers’ “Odyssey,” a magic herb with milky white flowers and black roots
that Hermes gave to Odysseus to protect him from Circe’s spells

2.  PLANTS European
plant with yellow flowers: a plant of the garlic family
that has yellow flowers and is native to southern Europe. Latin name: Allium
moly
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek mōlu .][1]



molybdate

molybdate
mo·lyb·date 
[mə líb dàyt] (plural mo·lyb·dates)
noun

molybdenum
salt:
any salt of molybdenum
[Late 18th century. Formed
from molybdic .][1]



molybdenite

molybdenite
mo·lyb·de·nite 
[mə líbdə nt] (plural mo·lyb·de·nites)
noun

molybdenum
sulfide in mineral form: a grayish mineral,
consisting of molybdenum sulfide, that is the main ore of molybdenum. MoS2
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin molybdenum (see molybdenum
).][1]



molybdenous

molybdenous
mo·lyb·de·nous 
[mə líbdənəss] adjective

relating
to molybdenum: relating to or containing molybdenum,
especially with a valence of 2
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin molybdenum (see molybdenum
).][1]



molybdenum

molybdenum

mo·lyb·de·num 
[mə líbdənəm] noun
metallic
element:
a very hard, silver-colored metallic chemical element, used to strengthen steel
alloys and found as a trace element in plants and animals. Symbol Mo
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek molubdaina “piece of lead,” from molubdos
“lead.”][1]



molybdenumsulfide

molybdenumsulfide
mo·lyb·de·num
sul·fide
(plural mo·lyb·de·num sul·fides) or mo·lyb·de·num
di·sul·fide (plural mo·lyb·de·num di·sul·fides) noun

black crystalline powder used
as a lubricant: a black crystalline
powder that is insoluble in water and is used as a lubricant. MoS2[1]



molybdic

molybdic
mo·lyb·dic 
[mə líbdik] adjective

relating
to molybdenum with a high valence: relating to or
containing molybdenum, especially with a valence of 6
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin molybdenum (see molybdenum
).][1]



molybdous

molybdous
mo·lyb·dous 
[mə líbdəss] adjective

relating
to molybdenum with a low valence: relating to or
containing molybdenum, especially with a valence lower than 6
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin molybdenum (see molybdenum
).][1]



mom

mom
mom 
[mom] (plural moms) noun

mother:
somebody’s mother (informal)
U.K.
term
mum
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of momma .][1]



m.o.m.

m.o.m.
m.o.m.

ACCOUNTING
Abbreviation of middle of month[1]



MOMA

MOMA
MOMA
[mṓmə]

Abbreviation of
Museum of Modern Art (New York)[1]



mom-and-pop

mom-and-pop
mom-and-pop 
or ma-and-pa adjective

1.  family-run:
used to describe a business that is owned and operated by a family, especially
by a husband and wife

2.  friendly
and informal: friendly, relaxed, and pleasantly
informal

[1]



Mombasa

Mombasa
Mom·ba·sa 
[mom bássə]

city and chief seaport of
Kenya, in the southeast of the country on the Indian Ocean. It is also a
tourist center. Population: 600,000 (1991)[1]



moment

moment
mo·ment 
[mṓmənt] (plural mo·ments) noun

1.  unspecified
short time:
a very short period of time • Wait a
moment.

2.  specific
instant:
a specific instant in time • At
that moment she walked in the door.

3.  present:
the present time • busy at the moment

4.  significant
period:
an important or significant time or occasion • great
moments in world history

5.  short
period of excellence: a brief period of excellence
or interest (often used in the plural) • It’s
not a great opera, but it has its moments.

6.  importance:
special importance or significance (formal) • a
decision of great moment

7.  PHILOSOPHY specific
stage:
a specific stage or aspect of something

8.  PHILOSOPHY momentum:
a momentum (dated)

9.  PHYSICS tendency
to produce rotation: a tendency to cause motion,
especially rotation

10. PHYSICS product
of force times distance: the product of a quantity,
for example, force, multiplied by its perpendicular distance from a given point

11. STATISTICS mean
in frequency distribution: the expected value of the
deviations of a variable, compared to a fixed value, raised to a given power
[14th century. Via French
from Latin momentum, literally “movement,” later “instant, moment” (from
the notion of a tiny movement), hence “importance,” from, ultimately, movere
“to move” (source of English move ).][1]



momentarily

momentarily
mo·men·tar·i·ly 
[mmən térrilee] adverb

1.  briefly:
for a brief period of time

2.  progressively:
with every passing moment

3.  very
soon:
within a very short period of time • He’ll
be here momentarily.

[1]



momentary

momentary
mo·men·tar·y 
[mṓmən tèrree] adjective

1.  very
brief:
lasting for a very short time

2.  constant:
present or happening at every moment

3.  with
short life:
living or continuing for only a relatively short time
—mo·men·tar·i·ness, noun[1]



momently

momently
mo·ment·ly 
[mṓməntlee] adverb

1.  progressively:
with every passing moment • to
grow momently more uneasy

2.  very
soon:
within a very short period of time

3.  for
an instant:
for a very short period of time

[1]



momentof inertia

momentof inertia
mo·ment
of in·er·tia (plural mo·ments of in·er·tia)
noun

PHYSICS
measure of resistance to angular
acceleration: a measure of resistance
to changes in angular speed, calculated as the sum of the products of the
component masses of an object multiplied by the square of their distance from
the axis. Symbol I[1]



momentof truth

momentof truth
mo·ment
of truth
(plural mo·ments of truth) noun

1.  decisive
point:
a point in time when a crucial decision has to be taken or when somebody or
something is put to an important test

2.  moment
of bullfighter’s killing blow: in a bullfight, the
point at which the bull is about to be killed with the final blow

[1]



momentous

momentous
mo·men·tous 
[mō méntəss] adjective

highly
significant: extremely important or crucial,
especially in its effect on the future course of events
—mo·men·tous·ly,
adverb

—mo·men·tous·ness, noun[1]



momentum

momentum
mo·men·tum 
[mō méntəm] (plural mo·men·ta
[mō méntə] or mo·men·tums) noun

1.  capacity
for progressive development: the power to increase or
develop at an ever-growing pace • The
project was in danger of losing momentum.

2.  forward
movement:
the speed or force of forward movement of an object • the
momentum gained on the downhill stretches of the course

3.  PHYSICS measure
of movement: a quantity that expresses the motion of
a body and its resistance to slowing down. It is equal to the product of the
body’s mass and velocity. Symbol p

4.  PHILOSOPHY basic
element:
an essential part of a whole
[Early 17th century. From
Latin momentum (see moment ).][1]



momma

momma
mom·ma 
[mómmə] (plural mom·mas) noun

mother:
somebody’s mother (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of mamma .][1]



mommy

mommy
mom·my 
[mómmee] (plural mom·mies) noun

mother:
somebody’s mother (informal)
U.K.
term
mummy 2
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of mammy .][1]



mommytrack

mommytrack
mom·my
track
noun

working mother’s career
route: a career route taken by a
woman that may reduce her chances of career advancement by working flextime or
fewer hours in order to look after a child or children (informal)
See also
daddy track[1]



Momus

Momus
Mo·mus 
[mṓməss] noun

god
of fault-finding: the god of fault-finding and mockery in
Greek mythology. He is a son of Night.
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Mōmos .][1]



mon-

mon-
mon-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
mono-[1]



mon.

mon.
mon.

1.  Abbreviation
of
monastery

2.  Abbreviation
of
monetary

[1]



Mon

Mon
Mon 
[mōn] (plural Mon or Mons)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from the Thailand and Myanmar border: a
member of a people that lives in adjacent parts of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Thailand and Myanmar border:
Mon-Khmer language belonging to the the Austro-Asiatic languages that is spoken
in adjacent parts of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). Mon is spoken by about
700,000 people.
[Late
18th century. From Mon .]
—Mon, adjective[1]



Mon.

Mon.
Mon.

Abbreviation of
Monday[1]



Monacan

Monacan
Mon·a·can
[mónnəkən] noun (plural Mon·a·cans)
adjective

See
Monegasque[1]



monachal

monachal
mon·a·chal 
[mónnik’l] adjective

monastic:
relating to a monastery or monks, or resembling monastic life
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French monacal from ecclesiastical Latin monachalis,
from late Latin monachus (see monk
).]
—mon·a·chism,
noun

—mon·a·chist, adjective,
noun[1]



monacid

monacid
mon·ac·id
noun

See
monoacid
adjective

See
monoacidic[1]



monacidic

monacidic
mon·a·cid·ic
adjective

See
monoacidic[1]



Monaco

Monaco



Mon·a·co 
[mónnəkō]
small
independent principality of Europe, bordered by France and the Mediterranean
Sea. Language: French. Currency: French franc. Capital: Monaco. Population:
31,719 (1996) Area: 1.95 sq km/0.75 sq mi. Official name Principality of
Monaco
—Mon·a·can, noun,
adjective[1]



Monaco




Back to definition

Monaco

[1]



monad

monad
mo·nad 
[mṓ nàd] (plural mo·nads) noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY basic
entity in the metaphysics of Leibnitz: in
the metaphysics of Leibnitz, an indivisible indestructible unit that is the
basic element of reality and a microcosm of it

2.  BIOLOGY single-celled
microorganism: a microorganism consisting of just one
cell, especially a flagellate protozoan. Genus: Monas

3.  CHEMISTRY atom
with valence of one: an atom or chemical group
that has a valence of one
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French monade from the late Latin stem monad-,
from, ultimately, Greek monos (see mono-
).]
—mo·nad·ic
[mō náddik], adjective

—mo·nad·i·cal
[mō náddə k’l], adjective

—mo·nad·i·cal·ly
[mō náddə kəlee], adverb

—mo·nad·ism [mṓnə dìzzəm], noun[1]



monadelphous

monadelphous
mon·a·del·phous 
[mònnə délfəss] adjective

1.  with
filaments in a tube shape: used to describe stamens
that have all the filaments united to form a single bundle in the shape of a
tube

2.  with
monadelphous stamens: used to describe a flower
that has monadelphous stamens
[Early 19th century. Coined
from mono- + Greek adelphos
“brother.”][1]



monadnock

monadnock
mo·nad·nock 
[mə nád nòk] (plural mo·nad·nocks)
noun

isolated
mountain:
an isolated mountain or rock that has resisted the process of erosion and
stands alone in an otherwise flat area
[Late 19th century. Named for
such a peak in New Hampshire.][1]



monandrous

monandrous
mo·nan·drous 
[mə nándrəss] adjective

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY with
one husband: having only one husband at a time

2.  with
one male lover: having a sexual relationship with only
one man during a period of time

3.  BOTANY with
one stamen:
used to describe a flower that has a single stamen

4.  BOTANY with
monandrous flowers: used to describe a plant
that has monandrous flowers

[1]



monandry

monandry
mo·nan·dry 
[mə nándree] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY marriage
to one husband: the practice of having only one husband
at a time

2.  taking
of one lover: the practice of having a sexual
relationship with only one man during a period of time

[1]



MonaPassage

MonaPassage
Mo·na
Pas·sage 
[mnə pássij]

area of sea separating the
islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, linking the Atlantic Ocean to the
Caribbean Sea[1]



monarch

monarch
mon·arch 
[mónnərk] (plural mon·archs) noun

1.  supreme
ruler:
somebody, especially a king or queen, who rules a state or territory, usually
for life and by hereditary right

2.  exceptionally
powerful person: somebody who possesses exceptional power
or influence in a given sphere of activity (literary)

3.  something
outstanding or predominant: something that occupies a
preeminant or predominant position (literary)

4.  See
monarch butterfly
[15th
century. Directly or via French monarque from late Latin monarcha
from Greek monarkhos, literally “to rule alone,” from mono- “alone” + arkhein “to rule.”]
—mo·nar·chal
[mə nrkəl], adjective

—mo·nar·chal·ly [mə nr kəlee], adverb[1]



monarchbutterfly

monarchbutterfly
mon·arch
but·ter·fly
noun

large orange and black
butterfly: a large migrating orange and
black North American butterfly whose caterpillars feed on milkweed plants.
Latin name: Danaus plexippus
Also called
monarch[1]



monarchic

monarchic
mo·nar·chic 
[mə nrkik] or mo·nar·chi·cal
[mə nrkik’l] adjective

relating
to monarchy: relating to a monarch or monarchy
—mo·nar·chi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



monarchism

monarchism
mon·ar·chism 
[mónnər kìzzəm] noun

1.  support
for monarchy: belief in or support for monarchy as a
system of government

2.  government
by monarchy: the system of government in which a
monarch rules
—mon·ar·chist,
noun, adjective

—mon·ar·chis·tic [mònnər kístik], adjective[1]



monarchy

monarchy
mon·ar·chy 
[mónnərkee] (plural mon·ar·chies)
noun

1.  system
of rule by monarchs: a political system in which
a state is ruled by a monarch

2.  royal
family:
a monarch and his or her family

3.  state
ruled by a monarch: a country ruled by a monarch

[1]



monarda

monarda
mo·nar·da 
[mə nrdə] (plural mo·nar·das)
noun

N
American aromatic plant: a North American aromatic
plant of the mint family. Bee balm and bergamot are monardas. Genus: Monarda
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, the name of the genus. Named for the Spanish botanist Nicolas Monardes
(1493–1588).][1]



monastery

monastery
mon·as·ter·y 
[mónnə stèrree] (plural mon·as·ter·ies)
noun

1.  monks’
residence:
a building or buildings with grounds in which a group of people observing
religious vows, especially monks, live together

2.  community
of monks:
a group of people, especially monks, living together and observing religious
vows
[14th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin monasterium from, ultimately, Greek monazein
“to live alone,” from monos (see mono-
).]
—mon·as·te·ri·al [mònnə stree əl], adjective[1]



monastic

monastic
mo·nas·tic 
[mə nástik] adjective mo·nas·tic
mo·nas·ti·cal

1.  RELIGION of
monks, nuns, or monasteries: relating to monks, nuns, or
their way of life or the buildings in which they live • monastic
rule

2.  reclusive
or austere:
characteristic of the life of a monk, especially in being reclusive,
self-denying, or austere
noun
(plural mo·nas·tics)

RELIGION monk:
somebody, especially a monk, who lives with others in a monastery and observes
religious vows
[15th
century. Directly or via French monastique from late Latin monasticus
(source of English minister ), from,
ultimately, Greek monazein (see monastery
).]
—mo·nas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



monasticism

monasticism
mo·nas·ti·cism 
[mə násti sìzzəm] noun

monastic lifestyle:
the way of life typical of monks or nuns, in which they withdraw entirely or in
part from society to devote themselves to prayer, solitude, and contemplation[1]



monatomic

monatomic
mon·a·tom·ic 
[mònnə tómmik] or mon·o·a·tom·ic
[mònnō ə tómmik] adjective

1.  with
one atom:
having only one atom in the molecule

2.  with
one replaceable atom or group: with one atom or
chemical group that can be replaced during a chemical reaction

3.  See
monovalent
—mon·a·tom·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



monaural

monaural
mon·au·ral 
[mon áwrəl] adjective

1.  MEDICINE hearing
with just one ear: relating to or involving the
hearing of sound by one ear

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See
monophonic
—mon·au·ral·ly, adverb[1]



monaxial

monaxial
mon·ax·i·al 
[mon áksee əl] adjective

CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
See uniaxial[1]



monazite

monazite
mon·a·zite 
[mónnə zt] (plural mon·a·zites)
noun

reddish-brown
mineral:
a reddish-brown mineral that is a phosphate of cerium and lanthanum and
contains some thorium
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek monazein “to be alone,” from monos (see mono- ), because of its rare occurrence.][1]



Moncton

Moncton
Monc·ton 
[múngktən]

city in southeastern New
Brunswick, Canada. It is a transportation center for the country’s Maritime
Provinces. Population: 159,313 (1996)[1]



Mondale,Walter Frederick

Mondale,Walter Frederick

Mon·dale
[món dàyl], Walter Frederick (1928– )
U.S. statesman. He was a U.S. senator
(1965–1977) and U.S. vice president under Jimmy Carter (1977–1981).[1]



Monday

Monday
Mon·day
[mún dày, múndee]
(plural Mon·days) noun

1st
day of the working week: the first day of the
traditional working week, coming after Sunday and before Tuesday
[Old English mōnandæg
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic translation of Latin lunae dies
“day of the moon,” which also produced German montag .][1]



Mondaymorning quarterback

Mondaymorning quarterback
Mon·day
morn·ing quar·ter·back (plural Mon·day
morn·ing quar·ter·backs) noun

somebody
who second-guesses: somebody who is critical of
what somebody else has done or who claims to have the right answer after an
event or situation has occurred (informal)
[From
the idea of someone knowing what the coach and team did wrong the day after a
football game]
—Mon·day morn·ing
quar·ter·back·ing, noun[1]



Mondays

Mondays
Mon·days
[mún dàyz, múndeez]
adverb

every Monday:
every Monday[1]



Mondrian,Piet

Mondrian,Piet
Mon·dri·an
[mòndree n, móndree
aan], Piet (1872–1944)

Dutch
painter. Founder of the magazine De Stijl, he formulated neoplasticism,
a form of geometric abstraction with flat planes and straight lines.
Born
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan[1]



monecious

monecious
mo·ne·cious 
adjective

BOTANY
ZOOLOGY See monoecious[1]



Monel

Monel
Mo·nel 
[mō nél] Trademark

a trademark for a
corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper with some iron, manganese, and
aluminum[1]



monestrous

monestrous
mon·es·trous 
[mon éstrəss] adjective

with one estrous cycle in a
year: used to describe mammals
that have only one estrous cycle in a year or breeding season[1]



monetarism

monetarism
mon·e·ta·rism 
[mónnətə rìzzəm] noun

1.  money
supply theory: the theory that inflation and other
economic variations are caused by changes in the money supply

2.  control
of the money supply: the policy of controlling an
economic system by increasing or decreasing the money supply, especially in a
gradual manner
—mon·e·ta·rist, noun,
adjective[1]



monetary

monetary
mon·e·tar·y 
[mónnə tèrree] adjective

1.  relating
to money:
relating to or involving money

2.  relating
to currency: relating to a national currency • The
monetary unit of the U.S. is the dollar.
[Early
19th century. Directly or via French monétaire from late Latin monetarius,
from Latin moneta (see money ).]
—mon·e·tar·i·ly [mònnə térrilee], adverb[1]



Monet,Claude

Monet,Claude

Mon·et
[món ay], Claude (1840–1926)
French
painter. A leading figure of the impressionist movement, he is noted for his
studies of the effects of light on scenes and subjects in nature.
Full name
Monet, Claude Oscar[1]



monetize

monetize
mon·e·tize 
[mónnə tz] (past mon·e·tized,
past participle mon·e·tized, present participle mon·e·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular mon·e·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something legal tender: to make something the legal
tender of a country

2.  coin
metal:
to convert a metal into coins

3.  convert
debt into available money: to convert a government debt
into available currency, especially by issuing securities
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin moneta (see money
).]
—mon·e·ti·za·tion [mònnəti záysh’n], noun[1]



money

money
mon·ey 
[múnnee] noun

1.  somebody’s
coins and bills: the amount of coins and bills in
somebody’s possession at any one time

2.  savings
or credit:
the amount of money held in a bank account or available on credit to somebody

3.  wages
or salary:
the amount somebody is paid for working

4.  convertible
assets:
assets or property that can be converted into cash

5.  national
currency:
the official currency of a country

6.  official
medium of exchange: a commodity, usually gold,
that is an official medium of exchange and a measure of value

7.  unofficial
medium of exchange: a medium of exchange that
can be used to purchase goods and services

8.  rich
people:
a rich individual, family, or class • She
married money.
plural
noun
mon·ey (plural monies)

sum of money: a sum
or amount of money, especially one that has a particular origin • state
education moneys
[13th
century. Via Old French monie from Latin moneta “mint, money”
(source also of English mint ), from Moneta
(epithet of the goddess Juno, in whose temple coins were minted).]
for
somebody’s money

in
somebody’s opinion

in
the money

having
a lot of money

on
the money

correct
or accurate

put
your money where your mouth is

to take action to show that
you truly mean what you have said (informal)[1]



money-back

money-back
mon·ey-back
adjective

promising refund:
refunding money paid for something if the product or service is unsatisfactory
• It
comes with a money-back guarantee.[1]



moneybags

moneybags
mon·ey·bags
[múnnee bàgz] (plural mon·ey·bags)
noun

ostentatiously rich person:
somebody who is rich, especially somebody who makes a show of being wealthy (informal)
(takes a singular verb)[1]



moneychanger

moneychanger
mon·ey·chang·er 
[múnnee chàynjər] (plural mon·ey·chang·ers)
noun

1.  foreign
currency exchanger: somebody who exchanges
currencies of different countries, usually for a fee

2.  machine
dispensing coins: a machine that dispenses coins in
exchange for paper money

[1]



moneyed

moneyed
mon·eyed
[múnneed] or mon·ied [múnneed] adjective

1.  rich:
possessing a great deal of money

2.  consisting
of money:
consisting of or resulting from money

[1]



moneygrubber

moneygrubber
mon·ey·grub·ber 
[múnnee grùbbər] (plural mon·ey·grub·bers)
noun

somebody
determined to make money: somebody bent on making
money at every possible opportunity (disapproving)
—mon·ey·grub·bing, adjective,
noun[1]



moneylender

moneylender
mon·ey·lend·er 
[múnnee lèndər] (plural mon·ey·lend·ers)
noun

somebody who lends money at
interest: somebody whose business is
lending money in exchange for interest on the amount borrowed[1]



moneymaker

moneymaker
mon·ey·mak·er
[múnnee màykər] (plural mon·ey·mak·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
good at making money: somebody who is very good at
making money

2.  something
that makes much money: a business, product, or
project that makes a lot of money
—mon·ey·mak·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



moneyman

moneyman
mon·ey·man 
[múnnee màn] (plural mon·ey·men
[múnnee mèn]) noun (informal)

1.  finance
and economics expert: somebody who is an expert on
finance and economics

2.  financial
manager:
somebody who is the financial manager or accountant of a business or
organization

[1]



moneymarket

moneymarket
mon·ey
mar·ket
(plural mon·ey mar·kets) noun

1.  short-term
trade in low-risk securities: the trade in low-risk
securities that have a life of one year or less

2.  mon·ey
mar·ket
or mon·ey mar·ket fund mutual
fund:
a type of mutual fund that sells its shares to buy short-term securities and
then converts the profits into additional shares for its shareholders

[1]



moneyof account

moneyof account
mon·ey
of ac·count
noun

monetary unit for accounting:
a monetary unit that is used to keep accounts. It does not necessarily
correspond to an actual currency unit.[1]



moneyorder

moneyorder
mon·ey
or·der
(plural mon·ey or·ders) noun

document for payment of
money: an order for a specific sum
of money, usually purchased with cash at a bank or post office, that can be
used to make payments.
U.K. term
postal order[1]



moneyplant

moneyplant
mon·ey
plant
(plural mon·ey plants) noun

BOTANY See honesty  noun 3
[From its coin-like seedpods][1]



moneyshell

moneyshell
mon·ey
shell
(plural mon·ey shells) noun

clam shell used as money:
the shell of the butter clam, formerly used as money by Native Americans on the
western coast of North America[1]



moneysupply

moneysupply
mon·ey
sup·ply
noun

money circulating in the
economy: the total amount of money
available in a given economy. The money supply may be measured in various ways,
for example, as the total amount of currency in circulation combined with the
money available in bank deposits.[1]



moneywort

moneywort
mon·ey·wort 
[múnnee wùrt, múnnee
wàwrt] (plural mon·ey·worts) noun

evergreen creeping plant:
an evergreen creeping plant of Europe and eastern North America that has
coin-shaped leaves and yellow flowers. Latin name: Lysimachia nummularia

Also called
creeping Charlie
U.K. term
creeping Jennie[1]



-monger

-monger
-monger
suffix

seller,
dealer, promoter • fashionmonger
[Old English mangere,
via prehistoric Germanic from, ultimately, Latin mango “peddler,
swindler”][1]



mongo

mongo
mon·go 
[móng gō] (plural mon·go or
mon·gos) noun

Mongolian
currency unit: a Mongolian sub-unit of currency equal
to one hundredth of a tugrik
[Mid-20th century. From
Mongolian möngö “silver.”][1]



mongol

mongol
mon·gol
[móng g’l, móng
gl] (plural mon·gols) noun

highly offensive term:
a highly offensive term for somebody who is affected by Down syndrome (dated
offensive)[1]



Mongol

Mongol
Mon·gol 
adjective

PEOPLES of
Mongolia or Mongols: relating to Mongolia, the
Mongols, or their language or culture
noun
(plural Mon·gols)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Mongolia: a member of the originally nomadic
peoples who inhabit Mongolia and established the Mongol Empire in the 13th
century

2.  LANGUAGE See Mongolian  noun 2
[Late 17th century. From
Mongolian .][1]



Mongolia




Back to definition

Mongolia

[1]



Mongolia

Mongolia



Mon·gol·i·a 
[mong gṓlee ə]
nation in eastern Asia, bounded on the
north by Russia and on the east, south, and west by China. Language: Mongolian.
Currency: tughrik. Capital: Ulan Batar. Population: 2,538,211 (1997) Area:
1,566,500 sq km/604,830 sq mi.[1]



Mongolian

Mongolian
Mon·go·li·an 
[mong gṓlee ən, mon
gṓlee ən] (plural Mon·go·li·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Mongolia: somebody who was born in or lives in
Mongolia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Mongolia: a group of languages or dialects of the
Altaic family spoken in Mongolia, in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, in
the Buryat Republic of Russia, and elsewhere in Central Asia. About 6 million
people speak one of the varieties of Mongolian.
—Mon·go·li·an, adjective[1]



Mongolic

Mongolic
Mon·gol·ic 
[mong góllik, mon
góllik] noun

LANGUAGE group
of Altaic languages: a group of languages
belonging to the Altaic family that includes Mongolian, Buryat, and Santa
adjective

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY relating
to Mongoloid racial group: belonging or relating to
Mongoloid racial group (dated)

2.  LANGUAGE relating
to Mongolic language: relating to the Mongolic
languages

[1]



mongolism

mongolism
mon·gol·ism
[móng gə lìzzəm] noun

highly offensive term:
a highly offensive term for Down syndrome (dated offensive)[1]



Mongoloid

Mongoloid
Mon·gol·oid 
(plural Mon·gol·oids) adjective

of
an E Asian racial group: relating to or belonging to
the racial group that includes the peoples of eastern Asia, the Inuit, and the
Native Americans (no longer used technically)
—Mon·gol·oid, noun[1]



mongoloid

mongoloid
mon·gol·oid
[móng gə lòyd] adjective

highly offensive term:
a highly offensive term for Down syndrome (dated offensive)[1]



mongoose

mongoose

mon·goose 
[món gss] (plural mon·goos·es)
noun
animal
resembling a ferret: a small short-legged
carnivorous mammal that resembles a ferret and is native to India, noted for
its ability to kill poisonous snakes. Genus: Herpestes
[Late 17th century. From
Marathi maṅgūs .][1]



mongrel

mongrel
mon·grel 
[móng grəl] noun (plural mon·grels)

1.  ZOOLOGY dog of
mixed breed: a dog that is a mixture of different
breeds

2.  BIOLOGY animal
or plant of mixed breed: an animal or plant that is a
mixture of different breeds or strains

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is of mixed racial ancestry (offensive)

4.  strange
mixture:
a combination or mixture of different people or things, especially one that
seems particularly strange
adjective

mixed in origin or character:
of mixed breed, descent, type, or character
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic
base meaning “to mix” (source of English among
and mingle ), the underlying idea
being “mixture.”]
—mon·grel·ism,
noun

—mon·grel·ly, adjective[1]



mongrelize

mongrelize
mon·grel·ize 
[móng grə lz] (past mon·grel·ized,
past participle mon·grel·ized, present participle mon·grel·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mon·grel·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something or somebody mongrel: to make something or
somebody become mongrel or mixed in character, type, or race (offensive when
used of a person)
—mon·grel·i·za·tion [mòng grəli záysh’n], noun[1]



Monicagate

Monicagate
Mon·i·ca·gate 
noun

Presidential
sex scandal: the 1998–1999 sex scandal involving U.S.
President William Jefferson Clinton and a former White House intern,
culminating in his impeachment and subsequent acquittal (slang)
[From, Monica S. Lewinsky,
the name of the intern + -gate .][1]



monicker

monicker
mon·ick·er 
noun

(dated slang) See
moniker[1]



monied

monied
mon·ied 
adjective

See
moneyed[1]



monies

monies
mon·ies


(formal) Plural of
money[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








moniker

moniker
mon·i·ker 
[mónnikər] (plural mon·i·kers)
or mon·ick·er [mónnikər] (plural
mon·ick·ers) noun

name:
somebody’s name or nickname (dated slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



moniliform

moniliform
mo·nil·i·form 
[mə níllə fàwrm, mō
níllə fàwrm] adjective

resembling
a string of beads: used to describe a plant
root or insect antenna that resembles a string of beads
[Early
19th century. Directly or via French moniliforme from modern Latin moniliformis
.]
—mo·nil·i·form·ly, adverb[1]



monism

monism
mo·nism 
[mṓ nìzzəm, mó
nìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of reality as a single entity: the theory that
reality is a unified whole and is grounded in a single basic substance or
principle

2.  single
explanation for everything: a theory or point of view
that attempts to explain everything in terms of a single principle
—mo·nist,
noun, adjective

—mo·nis·tic
[mō nístik, mo
nístik], adjective

—mo·nis·ti·cal·ly [mō nísti kəlee], adverb[1]



monition

monition
mo·ni·tion 
[mə nísh’n] (plural mo·ni·tions)
noun

1.  warning
of danger:
a warning, especially a warning of danger

2.  urging
to be cautious: a piece of advice urging caution

3.  LAW summons:
an order to appear in court

4.  CHRISTIANITY warning
from a bishop: an official warning from a bishop to
refrain from doing something
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin monit-, the past participle stem of monere
“to warn.”][1]



monitor

monitor
mon·i·tor 
[mónnitər] noun (plural mon·i·tors)

1.  TV closed-circuit
television set: a receiving device used in a
closed-circuit television or video system

2.  COMPUTING computer
video display: a video device that displays data or
images generated by a computer or terminal

3.  ARTS stage
loudspeaker: a loudspeaker on a stage during a
concert used to let performers hear what they are playing • playing
a guitar solo with one foot up on the monitor

4.  somebody
who checks foreign broadcasts: somebody who listens
to and checks broadcasts from other countries for information useful to the
government or organization he or she works for

5.  somebody
ensuring proper conduct: somebody who checks for
incorrect or unfair conduct

6.  EDUCATION school
student given special duty: a school student who helps a
teacher by being given a particular responsibility or special duty

7.  BROADCASTING viewing
device in a studio: a receiver in a studio that
enables the audience to watch the recorded portions of a show or performers to
view parts of a program

8.  ZOOLOGY See monitor lizard

9.  COMPUTING computer
program:
a computer program that observes and controls other programs in a system

10. nozzle:
a jointed device with a rotating nozzle that controls and aims a jet of water.
Also
called
giant

11. NAVY warship:
a warship used to bombard coastlines
transitive
verb
(past mon·i·tored, past participle mon·i·tored, present
participle mon·i·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular mon·i·tors)

watch over to check conduct:
to watch over somebody or something, especially in order to ensure that good
order or proper conduct is maintained
noun
(plural mon·i·tors)

HISTORY 19thC
warship:
a heavily armored warship with gun turrets used in the 19th century in coastal
and inland waters
transitive
verb
(past mon·i·tored, past participle mon·i·tored, present
participle mon·i·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular mon·i·tors)

1.  check
regularly for developments: to check something at
regular intervals in order to find out how it is progressing or developing

2.  listen
to broadcasts or telephone conversations: to
use an electronic receiver to listen in on broadcasts or telephone
conversations, especially in order to discover secret or illegal plans and
activities

3.  BROADCASTING check
the quality of transmitted signals: to
use an electronic receiver to check the quality of transmitted audio or visual
signals
[Early
16th century. From Latin, from monit-, the past participle stem of monere
(see monition ).]
—mon·i·to·ri·al
[mònni táwree əl], adjective

—mon·i·to·ri·al·ly
[mònni táwree əlee], adverb

—mon·i·tor·ship
[mónnətər shìp], noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin word monere, from which monitor
  is derived, is also the source of English admonish,
  demonstrate, monster, monument,
  muster, premonition,
  remonstrate, and summon.

[1]



monitorlizard

monitorlizard
mon·i·tor
lizard
(plural mon·i·tor liz·ards) noun

large
lizard:
a large tropical carnivorous lizard found in Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Family: Varanidae
U.K.
term
monitor
[From the belief that they
warn of the proximity of crocodiles][1]



monitory

monitory
mon·i·to·ry 
[mónni tàwree] adjective

warning:
communicating a warning
noun
(plural mon·i·to·ries)

CHRISTIANITY
warning letter:
a letter, usually from a bishop, that warns somebody to refrain from doing
something[1]



monk

monk
monk 
[mungk] (plural monks) noun

man
living in a religious community: a man who withdraws
entirely or in part from society and goes to live in a religious community to
devote himself to prayer, solitude, and contemplation
[Old English munuc .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word, from late Latin monachus,
from, ultimately, Greek monos “alone” (source of English mono- ).][1]



monkery

monkery
monk·er·y 
[múngkəree] (plural monk·er·ies)
noun (disapproving)

1.  monastic
way of life: the way of life led by monks in a
monastery

2.  monks:
monks as a group

[1]



monkey

monkey
mon·key 
[múngkee] noun (plural mon·keys)

1.  ZOOLOGY nonhuman
primate:
a medium-sized primate found mostly in tropical areas. Monkeys include baboons,
marmosets, capuchins, macaques, guenons, and tamarins, but exclude apes,
lemurs, and tarsiers.

2.  mischievous
child:
somebody, usually a child, who behaves badly, annoyingly, or high-spiritedly (informal)

3.  CONSTRUCTION pile
driver ram:
the ram of a pile driver

4.  DANCING 1960s
dance:
a dance popular in the 1960s in which the partners move their hands up and
down, as if climbing a pole, and jerk their heads back and forth

5.  dupe:
somebody who has been made to look foolish or ridiculous (informal) • Nobody
makes a monkey out of me.
transitive
verb
(past mon·keyed, past participle mon·keyed, present
participle mon·key·ing, 3rd person present singular mon·keys)

mimic: to
copy or imitate somebody or something (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from, ultimately, Arabic maimūn, the
probable source of Spanish mono and Old Italian monno .]
have
a monkey on your back

1.  to
have an addiction to drugs (slang)

2.  to
have a serious problem or be in serious difficulties (informal)

I’ll
be a monkey’s uncle

used
to express surprise (dated informal)

[1]



monkeyaround

monkeyaround
monkey
around
intransitive verb

behave stupidly:
to behave in a silly, casual, or careless way[1]



monkeybars

monkeybars
mon·key
bars
plural noun

See
jungle gym[1]



monkeybite

monkeybite
mon·key
bite
(plural mon·key bites) noun

mark
on skin from kissing: a mark on the skin caused
during lovemaking by kissing, biting, or sucking (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Also
  called octopus bite and sucker bite, monkey bite is
  primarily recorded in California, with scattered instances in the South
  Atlantic states.

[1]



monkeybread

monkeybread
mon·key
bread
(plural mon·key breads) noun

1.  gourd-shaped
fruit:
the gourd-shaped fruit of the baobab tree. Its pulp is eaten by monkeys.

2.  mon·key
bread
or mon·key bread tree (plural mon·key bread trees) See
baobab tree

[1]



monkeybusiness

monkeybusiness
mon·key
busi·ness
noun (informal)

1.  tricks:
silly or mischievous behavior

2.  dubious
activity:
illegal, dishonest, or dubious activity

[1]



monkey-facedowl

monkey-facedowl
mon·key-faced
owl 
(plural mon·key-faced owls) noun

See
barn owl[1]



monkeyflower

monkeyflower
mon·key
flow·er
(plural mon·key flow·ers) noun

plant
with yellow or red flowers: a plant of the figwort
family that has variously colored flowers with two lips. Genus: Mimulus
U.K.
term
mimulus
[Because spots on the flowers
form a pattern that is reminiscent of a monkey’s face][1]



monkeyin the middle

monkeyin the middle
mon·key
in the mid·dle noun

children’s game:
a game played by children in which two people throw a ball to each other and a
third person stands in the middle and tries to intercept it.
Also called
keep-away
U.K. term
piggy in the middle[1]



monkeyjacket

monkeyjacket
mon·key
jack·et
(plural mon·key jack·ets) noun

tight-fitting
short jacket: a tight-fitting waist-length jacket,
especially one worn by a sailor or as part of a military dress uniform
[Because it resembles the
kind worn by an organ grinder’s monkey][1]



monkeypot

monkeypot
mon·key
pot
(plural mon·key pots) noun

1.  TREES tropical
American tree with large pods: a tropical American
tree that bears large pods. Genus: Lecythis

2.  TREES pod of
the monkey pot tree: a large bulbous woody pod of
the monkey pot tree

3.  CRAFT glassmaking
pot:
a melting pot used in the manufacture of flint glass

[1]



monkey-puzzle

monkey-puzzle
mon·key-puz·zle 
(plural mon·key-puz·zles) or mon·key-puz·zle tree (plural
mon·key-puz·zle trees) noun

large
Chilean evergreen tree: a large, cone-bearing,
evergreen Chilean tree with spreading branches, stiff sharp dark green leaves,
and edible nuts. Latin name: Araucaria araucana
Also
called
Chile pine
[Apparently because of its
long intertwining limbs and leaves][1]



monkeysuit

monkeysuit
mon·key
suit
(plural mon·key suits) noun

1.  tuxedo:
a suit worn by a man as part of formal evening wear (slang)

2.  uniform:
a uniform, especially a military one (dated slang)

[1]



monkeywith

monkeywith
monkey
with
transitive verb

tamper with something:
to touch or move something casually or carelessly[1]



monkeywrench

monkeywrench
mon·key
wrench
(plural mon·key wrench·es) noun

1.  type
of adjustable wrench: a wrench with a jaw that can
be adjusted so that it can be used to turn nuts of different sizes

2.  problem:
something that causes a problem for a plan or project (informal)

[1]



monkfish

monkfish
monk·fish 
[múngk fìsh] (plural monk·fish
or monk·fish·es) noun

1.  large
edible anglerfish: a large grotesque
bottom-dwelling edible anglerfish of European and African Atlantic waters.
Latin name: Lophius piscatorius
Also
called
goosefish

2.  See
angel shark
[Early 17th century. Monk
perhaps because its head slightly resembles a cowl.][1]



Mon-Khmer

Mon-Khmer
Mon-Khmer 
[mn kmáir, mn
kə máir] noun

Asian
language group: a group of languages of the
Austro-Asiatic family that includes Mon and Khmer, spoken in parts of Southeast
Asia
—Mon-Khmer, adjective[1]



monkish

monkish
monk·ish 
[múngkish] adjective

1.  RELIGION relating
to monks:
relating to monks or their way of life

2.  reclusive
or austere:
characteristic of the life of a monk, especially in being reclusive,
self-denying, or austere
—monk·ish·ly,
adverb

—monk·ish·ness, noun[1]



monkseal

monkseal
monk
seal
(plural monk seals) noun

small
dark brown seal: a small dark brown subtropical seal that
inhabits the waters of the Hawaiian Islands and the Mediterranean and is now
endangered. Genus: Monachus
[Perhaps from the color of
its coat, which is like that of a monk’s robe][1]



monkshood

monkshood
monks·hood 
[múngks hd] (plural monks·hood
or monks·hoods) noun

1.  poisonous
N European plant: a poisonous perennial plant native to
northern Europe that has purplish flowers. Latin name: Aconitum napellus

2.  See
aconite
[Late 16th century. From the
hooded shape of its flowers.][1]



Monk,Thelonious

Monk,Thelonious


Monk 
[mungk], Thelonious (1917–1982)
U.S.
pianist and composer. An influential modern jazz musician, he was known for his
compositions in the bop style.
Full name
Monk, Thelonious Sphere[1]



monk’scloth

monk’scloth
monk’s
cloth 
(plural monk’s cloths) noun

heavy cotton cloth:
a heavy cotton fabric with a basket weave, used primarily to make drapes or
bedcovers[1]



mono

mono2
mon·o2 [mónnō]
noun

infectious
mononucleosis: infectious mononucleosis (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



mono

mono1
mon·o1 [mónnō]
noun

monophonic
reproduction: monophonic sound reproduction
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



mono-

mono-
mono-
prefix

1.  one,
single, alone • monoculture

2.  containing
a single atom, radical, or group • monoxide

3.  monomolecular
• monolayer
[Via Old French and Latin
from Greek monos (source of English monad
and monk )][1]



monoacid

monoacid
mon·o·ac·id 
[mònnō ássid] (plural mon·o·ac·ids)
or mon·ac·id [mən ássid] (plural
mon·ac·ids) noun

acid with one replaceable
hydrogen atom: an acid that has only
one replaceable hydrogen atom[1]



monoacidic

monoacidic
mon·o·a·cid·ic
[mònnō ə síddik] or mon·a·cid·ic
[mòn ə síddik] or mon·ac·id [mòn ə síddik] adjective

with one replaceable hydroxyl
group: used to describe a chemical
base or alcohol that has only one hydroxyl group that can react with an acid[1]



monoamine

monoamine
mon·o·am·ine 
[mònnō ámn, mònnō
ə mn] (plural mon·o·am·ines) noun

amine compound containing one
amino group: an amine compound that
contains one amino group, especially a compound such as adrenaline or serotonin
that transmits nerve impulses[1]



monoamineoxidase

monoamineoxidase
mon·o·am·ine
ox·i·dase
(plural mon·o·am·ine ox·i·das·es) noun

enzyme that breaks down
monoamines: an enzyme in cell tissue
that breaks down monoamines[1]



monoamineoxidase inhibitor

monoamineoxidase inhibitor
mon·o·am·ine
ox·i·dase in·hib·i·tor (plural mon·o·am·ine
ox·i·dase in·hib·i·tors) noun

antidepressant drug:
an antidepressant drug that works by blocking the breakdown of monoamines by
monoamine oxidase in the brain, thus allowing monoamines to build up[1]



monoatomic

monoatomic
mon·o·a·tom·ic
adjective

See
monatomic[1]



monobasic

monobasic
mon·o·ba·sic 
[mònnə báyssik] adjective

with one replaceable hydrogen
atom: used to describe an acid
that has only one replaceable hydrogen atom in each molecule[1]



monocarboxylic

monocarboxylic
mon·o·car·box·y·lic
[mònnə kaar bok síllik] adjective

with only one carboxyl group:
used to describe an acid that has only one carboxyl group[1]



monocarp

monocarp
mon·o·carp 
[mónnə krp] (plural mon·o·carps)
noun

plant flowering only once:
a plant that flowers and bears fruit only once before dying[1]



monocarpellary

monocarpellary
mon·o·car·pel·lar·y 
[mònnə krpə lèrree] or mon·o·car·pous
[mònnə krpəss] adjective

1.  with
only one carpel: used to describe a flower that has only
one carpel

2.  consisting
of only one carpel: used to describe a plant
gynoecium that consists of only one carpel

[1]



monocarpic

monocarpic
mon·o·car·pic 
[mònnə krpik] or mon·o·car·pous
[mònnə krpəss] adjective

flowering only once:
used to describe a plant that flowers and bears fruit only once before dying[1]



monocarpous

monocarpous
mon·o·car·pous
adjective BOTANY

1.  See
monocarpic

2.  See
monocarpellary

[1]



monocephalic

monocephalic
mon·o·ce·phal·ic 
[mònnō sə fállik] or mon·o·ceph·a·lous
[mònnō séffələss] adjective

with a single flower head:
used to describe a plant, for example, a tulip or dandelion, with a stalk that
bears a single flower head[1]



Monoceros

Monoceros
Mo·noc·er·os 
[mə nóssərəss] noun

Unicorn
constellation: the Unicorn, a constellation lying
across the celestial equator near Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Orion
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek monokerōs “having one horn.”][1]



monochasium

monochasium
mon·o·cha·si·um 
[mònnə káyzhee əm, mònnə
káyzhəm] (plural mon·o·cha·si·a [mònnə
káyzhee ə, mònnə káyzhə]) noun

flower
cluster:
a flower cluster in which each branch bears one other branch and ends in a
single flower
[Late
19th century. Coined from mono- + dichasium .]
—mon·o·cha·si·al, adjective[1]



monochord

monochord
mon·o·chord 
[mónnə kàwrd] (plural mon·o·chords)
noun

one-stringed acoustical
device: an ancient acoustical device
consisting of a single string stretched over an oblong sounding box, used to
determine mathematical intervals between musical tones[1]



monochromat

monochromat
mon·o·chro·mat 
[mònnə krṓ màt] noun

somebody
completely colorblind: somebody who is unable to
perceive any colors and sees only shades of gray.
Also
called
achromat
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from monochromatic .][1]



monochromatic

monochromatic
mon·o·chro·mat·ic 
[mònnə krō máttik] adjective

1.  COLORS with
only one color: having, or perceived as having, only one
color

2.  PHYSICS with
only one wavelength: consisting of radiation that
has only one wavelength, like the light of a laser

3.  in
one color:
painted, decorated, or printed in a single color

4.  MEDICINE relating
to total colorblindness: relating to or having total
colorblindness ( monochromatism )
[Early
19th century]
—mon·o·chro·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mon·o·chro·ma·tic·i·ty
[mònnə krōmə tíssətee], noun[1]



monochromatism

monochromatism
mon·o·chro·ma·tism 
[mònnə krṓmə tìzzəm] noun

complete colorblindness:
a defect of vision in which the retina cannot distinguish any colors and a
person sees only shades of gray[1]



monochrome

monochrome
mon·o·chrome 
[mónnə krm] adjective

1.  COLORS in
shades of one color: photographed in, using, or
displaying only shades of one color or black and white

2.  COLORS consisting
of one color: painted or drawn in different shades of
a single color

3.  dull:
dull, insipid, and lacking interest or distinctiveness
noun
(plural mon·o·chromes)

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY black-and-white
image:
a black-and-white photograph or transparency

2.  ARTS artwork
in one color: a painting, drawing, or print done in
different shades of a single color.
Also
called
monotint

3.  COLORS black-and-white
coloration:
the condition of being only in black and white

4.  PAINTING DRAWING art technique using one
color:
the art of painting or drawing using different shades of a single color

5.  ARTS state
of having one color: the condition of being
painted, drawn, or printed in shades of a single color
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin monochroma from Greek monokhrōmatos
“of one color,” from khrōma “color.”]
—mon·o·chro·mic
[mònnə krṓmik], adjective

—mon·o·chro·mist [mónnə krmist], noun[1]



monocle

monocle
mon·o·cle 
[mónnək’l] (plural mon·o·cles)
noun

eyeglass
for one eye: an eyeglass for correcting the vision of
one eye, held in position by the muscles around the eye socket
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from late Latin monoculus “single-eyed,” from Greek mono-
“single” + Latin oculus “eye.”][1]



monocline

monocline
mon·o·cline 
[mónnə kln] (plural mon·o·clines)
noun

GEOLOGY rock
structure with one slope: a rock structure in which
all the strata slope in one direction
[Late
19th century. Coined from mono- + Greek klinein
“to lean.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English lean and lid .]
—mon·o·cli·nal
[mònnə kln’l], adjective

—mon·o·cli·nal·ly [mònnə kln’lee], adverb[1]



monoclinic

monoclinic
mon·o·clin·ic 
[mònnə klínnik] adjective

with
3 unequal axes: used to describe a type of crystal that
has three unequal axes, with one pair not at right angles
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek klinein (see monocline ).][1]



monoclinous

monoclinous
mon·o·cli·nous 
[mònnə klnəss] adjective

with
both pistils and stamens: used to describe a flower
that has both pistils and stamens
[Early 19th century. Directly
or via French monocline from modern Latin monoclinus, literally
“in a single bed,” from Greek klinē “bed” (source of English clinic ).][1]



monoclonal

monoclonal
mon·o·clo·nal 
[mònnə klṓn’l] adjective

coming from a single clone:
used to describe cells or products of cells that are formed or derived from a
single clone[1]



monoclonalantibody

monoclonalantibody
mon·o·clo·nal
an·ti·bod·y
noun

antibody produced by a cell
clone: a highly specific antibody
produced in large quantities by clones of an artificially created cell[1]



monocoque

monocoque
mon·o·coque 
[mónnə kk, mónnə
kòk] (plural mon·o·coques) noun

1.  metal
outer shell: the metal outer shell of an aircraft,
boat, or rocket that absorbs most of the stresses to which the craft is
subjected

2.  integrated
car design:
a type of motor vehicle design in which the body and frame are integrated
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “having a single shell,” from coque “shell.”][1]



monocot

monocot
mon·o·cot 
[mónnə kòt] (plural mon·o·cots)
noun

monocotyledon:
a monocotyledon (informal)[1]



monocotyledon

monocotyledon
mon·o·cot·y·le·don 
[mònnə kott’l d’n] (plural mon·o·cot·y·le·dons)
noun

plant
with a single seed leaf: a flowering plant that has a
single leaf in the seed and floral parts in multiples of three. Monocotyledons
include grasses and lilies. Class: Monocotyledones
—mon·o·cot·y·le·don·ous
[mònnə kott’l d’nəss], adjective[1]



monocracy

monocracy
mo·noc·ra·cy 
[mo nókrəssee, mə
nókrəssee] (plural mo·noc·ra·cies) noun

rule
by one person: a form of government in which one person
alone rules
—mon·o·crat
[mónnə kràt], noun

—mon·o·crat·ic [mònnə kráttik], adjective[1]



monocular

monocular
mo·noc·u·lar 
[mə nókyələr] noun (plural monoc·u·lars)

optical
device for one eye: an optical device such as a
field glass or a microscope designed for use with one eye only
adjective

relating
to one eye:
relating to, affecting, or having only one eye
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin monoculus (see monocle
).]
—mo·noc·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



monoculture

monoculture
mon·o·cul·ture 
[mónnə kùlchər] (plural mon·o·cul·tures)
noun

1.  practice
of growing just one crop: the practice of growing a
single crop plant in a field or a larger area, for example, a cereal crop such
as wheat or corn

2.  single
crop:
a crop plant that is the only one grown in a field
—mon·o·cul·tur·al [mònnə kúlchərəl], adjective[1]



monocycle

monocycle
mon·o·cy·cle 
[mónnə sk’l] (plural mon·o·cy·cles)
noun

See
unicycle[1]



monocyclic

monocyclic
mon·o·cy·clic 
[mònnə sīklik, mònnə
síklik] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY with
a single-ring molecular structure: used to describe a
chemical compound that has a molecular structure in which there is only one
ring

2.  BIOLOGY forming
one whorl:
forming a single whorl as, for example, the petals of a flower do

3.  BOTANY living
during one year: used to describe a plant that completes
its life cycle within a single year

[1]



monocyte

monocyte
mon·o·cyte 
[mónnə st] (plural mon·o·cytes)
noun

type
of white blood cell: a large circulating white
blood cell, formed in the bone marrow and in the spleen, that has a single
well-defined nucleus and consumes large foreign particles and cell debris
—mon·o·cyt·ic
[mònnə síttik], adjective

—mon·o·cy·toid [mònnə s tòyd], adjective[1]



monocytosis

monocytosis
mon·o·cy·to·sis 
[mònnə sī tṓssiss] noun

abnormal increase of white
blood cells: an abnormal increase in
the numbers of a type of white blood cell ( monocyte
)[1]



monodrama

monodrama
mon·o·dra·ma 
[mónnə drmə, mónnə
dràmmə] (plural mon·o·dra·mas) noun

play
for one actor: a dramatic piece written for one actor
—mon·o·dra·mat·ic [mònnə drə máttik], adjective[1]



monody

monody
mon·o·dy 
[mónnədee] (plural mon·o·dies)
noun

1.  THEATER ode
sung by one actor: in Greek tragedy, an ode for
one actor to sing alone

2.  POETRY elegy:
a poem that mourns somebody’s death

3.  MUSIC 17C
Italian vocal music: a type of Italian vocal
music of the 17th century for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment

4.  MUSIC music
with a single melodic line: a piece of music that has a
single melodic line
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin monodia from, ultimately, Greek monōdos
“singing alone,” from ōdē “song” (source of English ode ).]
—mo·nod·ic
[mə nóddik], adjective

—mo·nod·i·cal·ly
[mə nóddikəlee], adverb

—mon·o·dist [mónnədist], noun[1]



monoecious

monoecious
mo·noe·cious 
[mə nshəss] or mo·ne·cious [mə nshəss] or mo·noi·cous [mə nóykəss] adjective

with
both male and female flowers: used to describe a plant
that has separate male and female flowers on the same plant
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from modern Latin Monoecia, the class name, literally
“single house” (perhaps from the idea of males and females cohabiting), from
Greek oikos “house.”]
—mo·noe·cious·ly, adverb[1]



monofilament

monofilament
mon·o·fil·a·ment 
[mònnə fílləmənt] (plural mon·o·fil·a·ments)
noun

single strand of fiber:
an untwisted and continuous single strand of natural or artificial fiber such
as nylon, often used for fishing line[1]



monogamy

monogamy
mo·nog·a·my 
[mə nóggəmee] noun

1.  practice
of having one sexual partner: the practice of having a
sexual relationship with only one partner during a period of time

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY marriage
to one person: the practice of being married to only
one person at a time.
See
also
monandry
See
also
monogyny

3.  ZOOLOGY practice
of having one mate: the practice of having only
one mate at a time or during a lifetime
[Early
17th century. Via French monogamie from, ultimately, Greek monogamos,
literally “monogamous,” which was coined from mono- “mono-” + gamos
“marriage.”]
—mo·nog·a·mist,
noun

—mo·nog·a·mous,
adjective

—mo·nog·a·mous·ly, adverb[1]



monogenean

monogenean
mon·o·ge·ne·an 
[mònnə jnee ən] (plural mon·o·ge·ne·ans)
noun

fish
parasite:
a parasitic flatworm that spends its entire life cycle on the outside of the
same fish. Order: Monogenea
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Monogenea, the order name, literally “single
generation,” from Greek genea “generation” (source of English genealogy ).][1]



monogenesis

monogenesis
mon·o·gen·e·sis 
[mònnə jénnəssiss] noun BIOLOGY

1.  descent
from a single cell: the theory that all living
organisms are ultimately descended from a single cell

2.  asexual
reproduction: reproduction that does not involve the
fusion of male and female gametes. See asexual reproduction
—mo·nog·e·nous [mə nójjənəss], adjective[1]



monogenetic

monogenetic
mon·o·ge·net·ic 
[mònnəjə néttik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY relating
to monogenesis: relating to or involving monogenesis

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY living
as a parasite on one fish: used to describe a nematode
that spends its entire life cycle as a parasite on the outside of the same fish

[1]



monogenic

monogenic
mon·o·gen·ic 
[mònnə jénnik] adjective GENETICS

1.  controlled
by one gene: used to describe a characteristic that
is controlled by one gene or one pair of genes

2.  having
one sex of offspring: producing offspring that are
all of the same sex
—mon·o·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



monoglot

monoglot
mon·o·glot 
[mónnə glòt] noun (plural mon·o·glots)

somebody
speaking only one language: somebody who is able to
speak only one language
adjective

speaking
only one language: able to speak only one
language
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
monoglōttos, literally “one tongue,” from glōtta “tongue.”][1]



monoglyceride

monoglyceride
mon·o·glyc·er·ide
[mònnə glíssə rd] (plural mon·o·glyc·er·ides)
noun

ester derived from glycerol:
any ester derived from glycerol in which only one hydroxyl group has combined
with an acid[1]



monogram

monogram
mon·o·gram 
[mónnə gràm] noun (plural mon·o·grams)

set
of decorative initials: a design of one or more
letters, usually the initials of a name, used to decorate or identify an object
transitive
verb
(past mon·o·grammed or mon·o·gramed, past participle
mon·o·grammed or mon·o·gramed, present participle mon·o·gram·ming
or mon·o·gram·ing, 3rd person present singular mon·o·grams)

put
a monogram on something: to mark or decorate
something with a monogram
—mon·o·gram·mat·ic [mònnəgrə máttik], adjective[1]



monograph

monograph
mon·o·graph 
[mónnə gràf] (plural mon·o·graphs)
noun

scholarly
piece of writing: a scholarly article, paper, or book on a
single topic
—mo·nog·ra·pher
[mə nóggrəfər], noun

—mon·o·graph·ic
[mònnə gráffik], adjective

—mon·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[mònnə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



monogyny

monogyny
mo·nog·y·ny 
[mə nójjənee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY practice
of having one wife: the practice of having only
one wife at a time.
See
also
monogamy

2.  practice
of having one female lover: the practice of having a
sexual relationship with only one woman during a period of time.
See
also
monandry
See
also
monogamy
—mo·nog·y·nist,
noun

—mo·nog·y·nous, adjective[1]



monohull

monohull
mon·o·hull
[mónnō hùl] (plural mon·o·hulls)
noun

boat with single hull:
a boat that has a single hull[1]



monohybrid

monohybrid
mon·o·hy·brid 
[mònnō hbrid] (plural mon·o·hy·brids)
noun

hybrid with a single gene
pair difference: a hybrid from parents
that are different only with respect to a single gene pair[1]



monohydrate

monohydrate
mon·o·hy·drate 
[mònnō h dràyt] (plural mon·o·hy·drates)
noun

hydrate with one water
molecule: a salt that is combined with
one molecule of water[1]



monohydric

monohydric
mon·o·hy·dric 
[mònnō hdrik] adjective

with one replaceable hydrogen
atom: used to describe an alcohol
that contains one replaceable atom of hydrogen[1]



monohydroxy

monohydroxy
mon·o·hy·drox·y
[mònnō hī dróksee] adjective

containing one hydroxyl
group: used to describe a compound
that contains one hydroxyl group[1]



monoicous

monoicous
mo·noi·cous 
adjective

BOTANY
See monoecious[1]



monolayer

monolayer
mon·o·lay·er 
[mónnō làyr] (plural mon·o·lay·ers)
noun

1.  SCIENCE layer
one molecule in thickness: a film or or other coating
of a compound that is one molecule thick.
Also
called
molecular film

2.  BIOLOGY layer
one cell in thickness: a cultured layer of cells
that is one cell thick

[1]



monolingual

monolingual
mon·o·lin·gual 
[mònnə líng gwəl] adjective

1.  speaking
only one language: able to speak only one
language

2.  using
only one language: written, spoken, or produced
in only one language
—mon·o·lin·gual·ism, noun[1]



monolith

monolith
mon·o·lith 
[mónnə lìth] (plural mon·o·liths)
noun

1.  pillar
of rock:
a tall block of solid stone standing by itself, whether a natural rock feature
or a stone column shaped and erected by people, for example, as a monument

2.  CONSTRUCTION large
block of building material: a large uniform block of a
single building material such as concrete pieced together with others to form a
building or other structure

3.  something
large and immovable: something massive and
unchanging, especially a large and long-established organization that is slow
to change, uniform in character, and difficult to deal with on a human level

[1]



monolithic

monolithic
mon·o·lith·ic 
[mònnə líthik] adjective

1.  in
the form of a large stone block: consisting of or
formed into a tall column of solid stone

2.  built
using large blocks: constructed using massive
stones or solid blocks of material

3.  large
and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow
to change
—mon·o·lith·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



monolithictechnology

monolithictechnology
mon·o·lith·ic
tech·nol·o·gy noun

technology used in
electronics manufacture: a
technology in electronic manufacturing in which all circuit components, for
example, resistors, capacitors, and diodes, are mounted on a single uniform
piece of material[1]



monologue

monologue
mon·o·logue 
[mónnə lòg] (plural mon·o·logues)
or mon·o·log [mónnə lòg] (plural
monologs) noun

1.  THEATER actor’s
long speech: a long passage in a play or motion
picture spoken by one actor, or an entire play for one actor only

2.  somebody’s
long uninterrupted speech: a long tedious uninterrupted
speech during a conversation

3.  ARTS performance
by comedian: a set of jokes or humorous stories
following one another without a break, told by a solo entertainer
—mon·o·log·ic
[mònnə lójjik], adjective

—mo·nol·o·gist
[mə nólləjist, mónnə
lòggist], noun

—mo·nol·o·gize [mə nóllə jz, mónnələ
gz], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



monomania

monomania
mon·o·ma·ni·a 
[mònnə máynee ə] (plural mon·o·ma·ni·as)
noun

obsessive
preoccupation: an obsessive interest in a single thing
or a preoccupation with a single idea or thought
—mon·o·ma·ni·ac,
noun

—mon·o·ma·ni·a·cal·ly
[mònnə mə n əkəlee], adverb[1]



monomer

monomer
mon·o·mer 
[mónnəmər] (plural mon·o·mers)
noun

single
unjoined organic molecule: a relatively light, simple
organic molecule that can join in long chains with other molecules to form a
more complex molecule or polymer
—mon·o·mer·ic [mònnə mérrik], adjective[1]



monometallic

monometallic
mon·o·me·tal·lic 
[mònnō mə tállik] adjective

1.  ECONOMICS using
one metal as a monetary standard: used to describe a
currency or monetary system that uses one type of metal, especially gold or
silver, as a monetary standard

2.  made
of single metal: made of one type of metal only

[1]



monometallism

monometallism
mon·o·met·al·lism 
[mònnō métt’l ìzzəm] noun

ECONOMICS
monetary system using one metal:
the use of just one metal, especially gold or silver, as a basic monetary
standard[1]



monomial

monomial
mo·no·mi·al 
[mə nṓmee əl, mo
nṓmee əl] (plural mo·no·mi·als) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS algebraic
expression:
an expression in algebra consisting of a single term, for example, 3y, as
distinct from one that contains two or more terms, for example, 3x + 5y

2.  BIOLOGY scientific
name with one element: a scientific name that
consists of one element only, as do the names of most families of plants and
animals
[Early
18th century. Formed from mono- on the model
of binomial (see binomial ).]
—mo·no·mi·al, adjective[1]



monomolecular

monomolecular
mon·o·mo·lec·u·lar 
[mònnō mə lékyələr] adjective

1.  relating
to a single molecule: relating to or involving
single molecules

2.  with
the thickness of a single molecule: used
to describe a surface film that has a thickness of only one molecule.
Monomolecular layers of alcohols or acids are used to retard water evaporation.
—mon·o·mo·lec·u·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



monomorphic

monomorphic
mon·o·mor·phic 
[mònnō máwrfik] or mon·o·mor·phous
[mònnō máwrfəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY with a
single discrete form: used to describe an organism
or species that exists in a single discrete form, as distinct from one that
changes form, as a caterpillar does when it becomes a butterfly

2.  CHEMISTRY with
one crystalline form: exhibiting only a single
crystalline form
—mon·o·mor·phism, noun[1]



Monongahela

Monongahela
Mo·non·ga·he·la
[mə nòng gə hlə]

river in the east central
United States. It flows north through West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Length:
206 km/128 mi.[1]



mononuclear

mononuclear
mon·o·nu·cle·ar 
[mònnō nklee ər] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY with a
single nucleus: used to describe a cell that has a
single nucleus

2.  CHEMISTRY with
one ring of atoms: used to describe an organic
compound with a molecular structure containing only one ring of atoms

[1]



mononucleosis

mononucleosis
mon·o·nu·cle·o·sis 
[mònnō nooklee ṓssiss] noun

1.  abnormal
presence of lymphocytes: a significant rise in the
number of atypical lymphocytes in the blood

2.  See
infectious mononucleosis

[1]



mononucleotide

mononucleotide
mon·o·nu·cle·o·tide 
[mònnō nklee ə td] (plural mon·o·nu·cle·o·tides)
noun

simple nucleotide:
a nucleotide that contains one molecule each of phosphoric acid, a sugar, and a
nitrogenous base[1]



monophagous

monophagous
mo·noph·a·gous 
[mo nóffəgəss] adjective

eating
one food only: feeding on a single type of plant or
animal
—mo·noph·a·gy [mo nóffəjee], noun[1]



monophonic

monophonic
mon·o·phon·ic 
[mònnə fónnik] adjective

using
one channel to reproduce sound: using only one channel
to carry sound from the source to the loudspeaker, as distinct from, for
example, stereophonic sound that transmits across multiple channels to give
some auditory perspective
—mon·o·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



monophthong

monophthong
mon·oph·thong 
[mónnəf thàwng, mónnəf
thòng] (plural mon·oph·thongs) noun

vowel
made of one sound: a vowel sound that keeps the
same quality for the whole syllable
[Early
17th century. From Greek monophthoggos, from phthoggos “sound.”]
—mon·oph·thon·gal [mònnəf thàwng g’l, mònnəf
thóng g’l], adjective[1]



monophyletic

monophyletic
mon·o·phy·let·ic 
[mònnō fī léttik] adjective

with
common ancestor: used to describe a group of plants or
animals that are descended from a single stock or ancestral form
—mon·o·phy·let·ic·al·ly,
adverb

—mon·o·phy·let·ism [mònnō flə tìzzəm], noun[1]



Monophysite

Monophysite
Mo·noph·y·site 
[mə nóffə st] (plural Mo·noph·y·sites)
noun

believer
in Jesus Christ’s single nature: somebody who believes
that Jesus Christ has a single inseparable nature that is both human and
divine. This belief is held by the Coptic and Armenian churches among others.
[Late
17th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin Monophysita from ecclesiastical
Greek monophusitēs, from phusis “nature” (see physic ).]
—Mo·noph·y·sit·ic
[mə nòffə síttik], adjective

—Mo·noph·y·sit·ism [mə nóffə sī tìzzəm], noun[1]



monoplane

monoplane
mon·o·plane 
[mónnə plàyn] (plural mon·o·planes)
noun

airplane with single set of
wings: an airplane that has just
one pair of wings[1]



monoplegia

monoplegia
mon·o·ple·gi·a 
[mònnə pljee ə, mònnə
pljə] noun

inability
to move one limb: inability to move a single limb or a
single group of muscles
—mon·o·ple·gic, adjective[1]



monopod

monopod
mon·o·pod
[mónnə pòd] adjective

consisting
of one-legged structure: used to describe a structure
whose only support is one central pillar. Such designs are used in drilling
rigs in the Arctic where the shifting ice could damage conventional supports.
noun
(plural mon·o·pods)

one-legged camera support:
a single-legged adjustable support used to steady a camera[1]



monopode

monopode
mon·o·pode 
[mónnə pd] (plural mon·o·podes)
noun

1.  BOTANY See monopodium

2.  one-footed
animal:
a person or animal with a single foot, especially a member of a mythical
African race of one-legged people
[Early
19th century. From late Latin monopodius (see monopodium
).]
—mon·o·po·di·al·ly [mònnə pṓdee əlee], adverb[1]



monopodium

monopodium
mon·o·po·di·um 
[mònnə pṓdee əm] (plural mon·o·po·di·a
[mònnə pṓdee ə]) noun

main plant stem:
the main axis of some plants such as the pine tree that extends to the tip of
the plant and produces lateral branches.
Also called
monopode[1]



monopole

monopole
mon·o·pole 
[mónnə pl] (plural mon·o·poles)
noun

1.  PHYSICS singular
magnetic pole or electric charge: an electric charge or
hypothetical magnetic pole isolated from its opposite charge or pole

2.  PHYSICS hypothetical
magnetically charged elementary particle: a
theoretical elementary particle that has only one magnetic pole, instead of the
two present in ordinary magnetic bodies

3.  RADIO radio
antenna:
a radio antenna made of an electrically charged conducting rod with an
electrical connection at one end

[1]



monopolist

monopolist
mo·nop·o·list 
[mə nóppəlist] (plural mo·nop·o·lists)
noun

1.  controller
of a monopoly: somebody who controls a monopoly

2.  supporter
of monopoly: a supporter of monopolistic policies
—mo·nop·o·lis·tic
[mə nòppə lístik], adjective

—mo·nop·o·lis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



monopolize

monopolize
mo·nop·o·lize 
[mə nóppə lz] (past mo·nop·o·lized,
past participle mo·nop·o·lized, present participle mo·nop·o·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·nop·o·liz·es) transitive verb

1.  BUSINESS have
exclusive commercial control of: to have complete
control of an industry or service and prevent other companies or people from
participating or competing in it

2.  dominate
selfishly:
to demand or take all of something such as somebody’s time, attention, or
affections, in a selfish way
—mo·nop·o·li·za·tion
[mə nòppəli záysh’n], noun

—mo·nop·o·liz·er, noun[1]



monopoly

monopoly
mo·nop·o·ly 
[mə nóppəlee] (plural mo·nop·o·lies)
noun

1.  ECONOMICS control
of market supply: a situation in which one company
controls an industry or is the only provider of a product or service

2.  COMMERCE business
corporation with exclusive control: a
company with a commercial monopoly

3.  ECONOMICS exclusive
commodity or area of control: a product or service whose
supply is controlled by only one company

4.  LAW legal
right granted to somebody: a legal right to the
exclusive control of an industry or service, as granted by a government

5.  personal
and exclusive possession: an exclusive right to have
or do something • He seems to think he
has a monopoly on common sense.
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin monopolium from Greek monopōlion, from pōlein
“to sell.”]
—mo·nop·o·lism, noun[1]



Monopoly

Monopoly
Mo·nop·o·ly
Trademark

a trademark for a real-estate
trading board game[1]



monopsony

monopsony
mo·nop·so·ny 
[mə nópsənee] (plural mo·nop·so·nies)
noun

single-customer
market:
a situation in which a particular type of product or service is only being
bought or used by one customer
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from mono + Greek opsōnein
“to purchase provisions.”]
—mo·nop·so·nist,
noun

—mo·nop·so·nis·tic [mə nòpsə nístik], adjective[1]



monopteros

monopteros
mo·nop·ter·os 
[mo nóptə ròss] (plural mo·nop·ter·oi
[mo nóptə ròy]) or mo·nop·ter·on
[mo nóptə ròn] (plural mo·nop·ter·a
[mo nóptərə]) noun

circular
row of columns: a circular classical temple surrounded
by a single ring of columns
[Late
17th century. Via Latin from Greek “having one wing,” formed from pteron
“wing.”]
—mo·nop·ter·al, adjective[1]



monorail

monorail
mon·o·rail 
[mónnə ràyl] (plural mon·o·rails)
noun

single-track railroad:
a passenger transport system in which the cars straddle or are suspended from a
single beam[1]



monosaccharide

monosaccharide
mon·o·sac·cha·ride 
[mònnə sákə rd, mònnə
sákərid] (plural mon·o·sac·cha·rides) noun

simplest sugar:
a simple sugar such as glucose or fructose that cannot be broken down into
simpler sugars.
Also called
simple sugar[1]



monosemy

monosemy
mon·o·se·my 
[mo nóssəmee, mónnō
smee] noun

LINGUISTICS singleness
of meaning:
the linguistic feature or fact of having only one meaning
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from mono-, on the model of polysemy .][1]



monoski

monoski
mon·o·ski
[mónnō sk] (plural mon·o·skis)
noun

broad
single ski:
a broad single ski on which a skier stands with both feet
—mon·o·ski·er,
noun

—mon·o·ski·ing, noun[1]



monosodiumglutamate

monosodiumglutamate
mon·o·so·di·um
glu·ta·mate 
[monnə sdee əm gltə màyt] noun

condiment and flavor
enhancer: the crystalline sodium salt
of glutamic acid, used in cooking primarily to enhance the flavor of food. Some
people are sensitive to it and react with headaches or vomiting.
Also called
sodium glutamate[1]



monosome

monosome
mon·o·some 
[mónnə sm] (plural mon·o·somes)
noun

1.  unpaired
chromosome:
a chromosome that abnormally exists on its own, without its usual pair,
especially an unpaired X-chromosome

2.  single
ribosome:
a single protein-manufacturing particle ( ribosome
) combined with messenger RNA
[Early
20th century. Formed from -some .]
—mon·o·so·mic
[mònnə sṓmik], adjective

—mon·o·so·my, noun[1]



monospermous

monospermous
mon·o·sper·mous 
[mònnə spúrməss] adjective

producing a single seed:
used to describe a plant that produces only one seed[1]



monosyllabic

monosyllabic
mon·o·syl·lab·ic 
[mònnə si lábbik] adjective

1.  brief
and unhelpful: saying very little, often in a way that
gives an impression of unfriendliness or unintelligence

2.  containing
only one syllable: consisting of one syllable
only
—mon·o·syl·lab·ic·al·ly,
adverb

—mon·o·syl·lab·ic·i·ty
[mònnə silə bíssətee], noun[1]



monosyllable

monosyllable
mon·o·syl·la·ble 
[mónnə sìlləb’l] (plural mon·o·syl·la·bles)
noun

word consisting of one
syllable: a word or sentence
consisting of only one syllable, for example, “Yes” or “me”[1]



monotheism

monotheism
mon·o·the·ism 
[mónnə thee ìzzəm] noun

belief
in a single God: the belief that there is only one God.
This belief is found, for example, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
—mon·o·the·ist
[mónnə th ist], noun, adjective

—mon·o·the·is·tic
[mònnə thee ístik], adjective

—mon·o·the·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



monotint

monotint
mon·o·tint 
[mónnə tìnt] (plural mon·o·tints)
noun

DRAWING
PAINTING See monochrome[1]



monotone

monotone
mon·o·tone 
[mónnə tn] noun (plural mon·o·tones)

1.  one
unchanging sound tone: a sound, especially a speech
sound, that does not rise and fall in pitch, but stays on the same tone all the
time

2.  series
of identical sounds: a sequence of sounds, such
as a piece of speech, singing, or music, that stays at exactly the same pitch
throughout

3.  unvarying
quality:
complete lack of variety in color, expression, or style

4.  MUSIC singer
with no sense of pitch: somebody who cannot produce,
or distinguish between, sounds of varying pitches when singing
adjective

1.  with
unvarying quality: lacking variety in pitch,
color, or another quality

2.  mon·o·tone
or mon·o·ton·ic MATHEMATICS
ascending
or descending in sequence: used to describe a function
or a sequence of real numbers that steadily increases or decreases
—mon·o·to·nic·i·ty [mònnə tō níssətee], noun[1]



monotonous

monotonous
mo·not·o·nous 
[mə nótt’nəss] adjective

1.  repetitious
and uninteresting: uninteresting or boring as a
result of being repetitive and unvaried

2.  uttered
in unvaried tone: uttered or performed in one unvaried
tone
—mo·not·o·nous·ly,
adverb

—mo·not·o·nous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boring

[1]



monotony

monotony
mo·not·o·ny 
[mə nótt’nee] noun

1.  tedious
lack of variety: boredom or dullness arising from the
fact that nothing different ever happens

2.  unvarying
condition:
repetitiousness or lack of variation in pitch or tone, especially in relation
to music or speech

[1]



monotype

monotype
mon·o·type 
[mónnə tp] (plural mon·o·types)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY sole
member of a biological group: a plant or animal that is
the only member of the taxonomic category to which it belongs

2.  ART unique
printed image: an artwork created by pressing on paper
laid on an inked metal plate or sheet of glass. Although similar prints can be
made, each one will be unique.
—mon·o·typ·ic [mònnə típpik], adjective[1]



Monotype

Monotype
Mon·o·type 
Trademark

a trademark for a typesetting
machine that is run from a keyboard activating a unit that sets type by
individual characters[1]



monounsaturated

monounsaturated
mon·o·un·sat·u·rat·ed
[mònnō un sáchə ràytəd] adjective

with only one double carbon
bond: used to describe vegetable
oils and fatty acids whose molecular structure includes only one double carbon
bond[1]



monovalent

monovalent
mon·o·va·lent 
[mònnə váylənt] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY with
a valence of one: used to describe a chemical element or
isotope that has a valence of one

2.  IMMUNOLOGY with
one kind of antibody: containing only one type of
antibody
—mon·o·va·lence,
noun

—mon·o·va·len·cy, noun[1]



monoxide

monoxide
mon·ox·ide 
[mə nók sd] (plural mon·ox·ides)
noun

oxide containing one oxygen
atom: a chemical compound with
molecules that consist of one atom of oxygen and one or more atoms of another
element[1]



monozygotic

monozygotic
mon·o·zy·got·ic 
[mònnō zī góttik] adjective

from a single egg:
used to describe twins that are derived from a single fertilized egg. In
humans, identical twins are monozygotic .[1]



Monroe

Monroe
Mon·roe 
[mən rṓ]

city in northeastern
Louisiana, on the eastern bank of the Ouachita River, northeast of Alexandria
and east of Shreveport. Population: 54,588 (1996)[1]



Monroedoctrine

Monroedoctrine
Mon·roe
doc·trine
noun

U.S.
foreign policy statement: the political principle, as
stated by President James Monroe in 1823, that Europe should no longer involve
itself in the American continent. The policy was part of the U.S. recognition
of the independence of several Latin American countries.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
James Monroe, during whose presidency the
principle was first advocated.][1]



Monroe,James

Monroe,James

Mon·roe 
[mən rṓ], James (1758–1821)
U.S. statesman and 5th President of the
United States. He held numerous state and national offices in nearly fifty
years of public service, and was a popular president (1817–1825).[1]



Monroe,Marilyn

Monroe,Marilyn

Mon·roe 
[mən rṓ], Marilyn (1926–1962)
U.S.
actor. She starred in movies such as Bus Stop ( 1956 ), Some Like It
Hot ( 1959 ), and The Misfits ( 1961 ). She was married to the
baseball player Joe DiMaggio and later the playwright Arthur Miller.
Real name
Mortenson, Norma Jean[1]



Monrovia

Monrovia
Mon·ro·vi·a 
[mon rṓvee ə]

1.  capital
city and chief seaport of Liberia, situated in the west of the country.
Population: 490,000 (1992)

2.  city
in southwestern California, in Los Angeles County, below the San Gabriel
Mountains. Population: 38,764 (1994)

[1]



Mons

Mons
Mons 
[moNs]

historic city in southwestern
Belgium, situated about 48 km30 mi southwest of Brussels. Population: 92,260
(1996)[1]



mons

mons
mons 
[monz] (plural mon·tes [món tz]) noun

fleshy
mound:
a fleshy body part that sticks out, especially the one formed by a pad of flesh
at the juncture of the pubic bones.
See
also
mons pubis
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of mons pubis .][1]



Monseigneur

Monseigneur
Mon·sei·gneur 
[mòn say nyúr, màwN
say nyúr, màwN see nyúr] (plural
Mes·sei·gneurs [màyssə nyúr, mày say nyúr]) noun

French
title of respect: a title given to some dignitaries,
especially bishops and princes, in France and French-speaking countries
[Early 17th century. From
French, from mon “my” + seigneur “lord” (see seigneur ).][1]



Monsieur

Monsieur
Mon·sieur 
[mə syúr, mə sr]
(plural Mes·sieurs [may syúr, may syúrz]) or mon·sieur [mə syúr, mə sr]
(plural mes·sieurs) noun

1.  French
for “Mr.”:
a title for a man in France or a French-speaking country, if he has no other
special title

2.  French
word used to address man: a form of address used when
speaking or referring to a French or French-speaking man whose name is not
known
[Early 16th century. From
French, from mon “my” + sieur “lord,” from, ultimately, Latin senior
“older” (see senior ).][1]



Monsignor

Monsignor
Mon·si·gnor 
[mon snyər] (plural Mon·si·gnors
or Mon·si·gnor·i [mòn seen yáwree])
noun

title
for a high-ranking priest: a title used when speaking
or referring to certain clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, especially
bishops and officials of the papal court
[Late
16th century. Via Italian from French monseigneur (see Monseigneur ).]
—Mon·si·gnor·i·al [mòn seen yáwree əl], adjective[1]



monsoon

monsoon
mon·soon 
[mon sn] (plural mon·soons) noun

1.  winds
that reverse direction seasonally: a large-scale wind
system that seasonally blows in opposite directions and determines the climate
of large regions. The reversal of wind direction is caused by the greater
annual temperature differences over large land masses than over the adjacent
waters.

2.  rainy
season, especially in India: any period of heavy
rainfall, especially during the summer over Southeast Asia and India

3.  heavy
rainfall:
a very heavy fall of rain (informal)
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete Dutch monssoen from Portuguese monção,
from Arabic mawsim “season.”]
—mon·soon·al, adjective[1]



monspubis

monspubis
mons
pu·bis
[mònz pybiss] (plural mon·tes
pu·bis) noun

fleshy
area over pubic bones: a prominence caused by the
pad of fat that overlies the junction of the pubic bones in women and girls.
Also
called
mons veneris
[Late 19th century. From Latin,
literally “mount of the pubes.”][1]



monster

monster
mon·ster 
[mónstər] (plural mon·sters) noun

1.  ugly
terrifying creature: any large, ugly, terrifying
animal or person found in mythology or created by the imagination, especially
something fierce that kills people. Monsters often feature in folklore and
fairytales as evil creatures resembling a mixture of different animals.

2.  evil
person:
somebody whose inhumanity or vicious behavior terrifies and disgusts people

3.  huge
thing:
something extraordinarily or unusually large (informal) (often used
before a noun)

4.  PATHOLOGY improperly
formed fetus: a fetus that is markedly improperly
formed, especially one that cannot live outside the uterus

5.  somebody
or something undesirably formed: a person, animal, or
plant that is undesirably formed (archaic offensive)
[13th century. Via French monstre
from Latin monstrum “monster, divine omen,” from monere “to warn,
remind” (source of English muster and
monument ).][1]



monstrance

monstrance
mon·strance 
[mónstrəns] (plural mon·stranc·es)
noun

CHRISTIANITY container
for consecrated bread: a large gold or silver
container in which the Host is placed and then shown to the congregation for
adoration in a Roman Catholic Mass.
Also
called
ostensorium
Also
called
ostensory
[13th century. Via medieval
Latin monstrantia from, ultimately, Latin monstrare “to show,”
from monstrum (see monster ).][1]



monstrosity

monstrosity
mon·stros·i·ty 
[mon stróssətee] (plural mon·stros·i·ties)
noun

1.  very
ugly thing:
an object, animal, or person that is very unpleasant or frightening to look at,
often because it is large and strangely shaped

2.  monstrousness:
frightening size, shape, and ugliness • a
figure of overwhelming monstrosity
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin monstrositas, from Latin monstruosus (see monstrous ).][1]



monstrous

monstrous
mon·strous 
[mónstrəss] adjective

1.  shocking
and morally unacceptable: wicked, cruel, or unpleasant
to an extent that is morally unacceptable

2.  extremely
large:
extremely large, often in a way that seems ugly and frightening

3.  like
a monster:
resembling a monster of the type found in folklore and fairytales

4.  extremely
unusual:
greatly different from the norm (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French monstreux from Latin monstruosus, from monstrum
(see monster ).]
—mon·strous·ness, noun[1]



monstrously

monstrously
mon·strous·ly
[mónstrəsslee] adverb

extremely badly:
in a way or to an extent that shocks or offends other people[1]



monsveneris

monsveneris
mons
ve·ne·ris 
[mònz vénnəriss] (plural mon·tes
ve·ne·ris) noun

See
mons pubis
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “the mount of Venus,” goddess of love.][1]



Mont.

Mont.
Mont.

Abbreviation of
Montana[1]



montadale

montadale
mon·ta·dale
[móntə dàyl] noun

white-faced
sheep:
a white-faced sheep belonging to a U.S. breed that is raised for its wool or
meat
[Mid-20th century. Blend of Montana and dale,
on the model of names such as Corriedale .][1]



montage

montage
mon·tage 
[mon tzh] noun

1.  ARTS artwork
created from many small pieces: a picture or other
work of art composed by assembling, overlaying, and overlapping many different
materials or pieces collected from different sources, for example, photographs,
magazines, and other pictures

2.  ARTS creation
of image from collected pieces: the technique of
creating a montage

3.  CINEMA sequence
of overlapping film clips: a motion-picture sequence
consisting of a series of dissolves, superimpositions, or cuts used to condense
time or to suggest memories or hallucinations

4.  CINEMA moviemaking
style:
a style of moviemaking that makes extensive use of cuts, camera movements, and
changes of camera position, particularly to set up new meanings not conveyed by
the filmed action itself
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from monter “to mount” (see mount
).][1]



Montagnais

Montagnais
Mon·tag·nais 
[mòntən yáy] (plural Mon·tag·nais)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native American people: a member of a Native
American people who live in parts of Quebec and Labrador

2.  LANGUAGE Montagnais
language:
the Algonquian language of the Montagnais people. Montagnais is spoken by about
four thousand people.
[Early
18th century. From French, formed from montagne “mountain.”]
—Mon·tag·nais, adjective[1]



Montagnard

Montagnard
Mon·ta·gnard
[mòntən yrd, mòntən
yr] (plural Mon·ta·gnard or Mon·ta·gnards) noun

people
of Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia: a member of a people
who live in the mountainous border region between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “mountaineer,” from montagne “mountain.”][1]



Montaigne,Michel de Eyquem

Montaigne,Michel de Eyquem
Mon·taigne
[mon táyn, mon
tényə], Michel de Eyquem (1533–1592)

French essayist. He invented
the essay form in his Essays ( 1572–1580,1588 ), original pieces on the
ideas and personalities of his time.[1]



Montana




Back to definition

Montana

[1]



Montana

Montana


Mon·tan·a 
[mon tnə]
state
in the northwestern United States, bordered by Canada, and the states of North
Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho. Capital: Helena. Population: 878,810
(1997) Area: 380,849 sq km/147,046 sq mi.
—Mon·tan·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Montana,Joe

Montana,Joe
Mon·tan·a 
[mon tánnə], Joe (1956– )

U.S.
football player. A quarterback, he led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super
Bowl victories (1982, 1985, 1989, and 1990).
Full name
Montana, Joseph[1]



montane

montane
mon·tane 
[mon táyn, món
tàyn] adjective

belonging
to mountainous regions: growing or living in
mountainous regions
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
montanus, from the stem mont- “mountain” (see mountain ).][1]



montanwax

montanwax
mon·tan
wax 
[móntən wàks, món
tàn wàks] noun

brittle
wax obtained from lignite: a brittle, white to dark
brown wax extracted from lignite and substituted in polishes and candles for
carnauba and beeswax
[Early 20th century. From
Latin montanus “montane” (see montane
), because it is extracted from lignite, a mountain ore.][1]



Montauk

Montauk
Mon·tauk 
[món tàwk] (plural Mon·tauk or
Mon·tauks) noun

member
of Native North American people: a member of a Native
American people that originally occupied lands in the eastern part of New
York’s Long Island
[Mid-19th century. From Montauk,
a local place name.][1]



MontBlanc

MontBlanc
Mont
Blanc 
[mnt blángk, mN
blN]

the highest mountain in
western Europe, in the western Alps on the border of France and Italy. Height:
4,807 m/15,771 ft.[1]



Montcalm,Louis-Joseph de

Montcalm,Louis-Joseph de
Mont·calm
[mont km, moN
kálm], Louis-Joseph de, Marquis de Montcalm (1712–1759)

French soldier. He was
commander of the French forces during the French and Indian War and he was
mortally wounded fighting the British in the battle of the Plains of Abraham.[1]



Montclair

Montclair
Mont·clair 
[mont klár]

1.  city
in southeastern California, in San Bernadino County. Population: 28,544 (1994)

2.  city
in northeastern New Jersey, in Essex County. Population: 37,729 (1990)

[1]



monte

monte
mon·te 
[móntee] (plural mon·tes) noun

CARD GAMES betting
game played with cards: a game in which a player
chooses between two cards and bets on being dealt a card of that same suit
before being dealt a card of the other suit
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, the Latin stem mont- “mountain” (see mountain ); from the mountain or heap of cards
present on the table.][1]



MonteCarlo

MonteCarlo
Mon·te
Car·lo 
[mònti krlō]

tourist resort with a famous
casino in Monaco, on the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 13,154 (1982)[1]



MontegoBay

MontegoBay
Mon·te·go
Bay 
[mon tgō báy]

1.  inlet
of the Caribbean Sea in northwestern Jamaica

2.  city,
seaport and tourist resort in Jamaica, located on the bay of the same name.
Population: 83,446 (1991)

[1]



monteith

monteith
mon·teith 
[mon tth] (plural mon·tei·ths)
noun

large
ornamental metal bowl: a silver or pewter basin
with notches around the edge, made to hold punch, or to cool punch glasses by
resting their bases over the scalloped edge
[Late 17th century. Said to
be named for a Scotsman Monteith, known for his capes with scalloped
hems.][1]



Montenegro

Montenegro
Mon·te·ne·gro 
[mòntə négrō]

constituent
republic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, along with Serbia. Until 1991
it was part of the larger state of Yugoslavia. Capital: Podgorica. Population:
635,442 (1996) Area: 13,812 sq km/5,333 sq mi.
—Mon·te·ne·grin, noun,
adjective[1]



Monterey

Monterey
Mon·te·rey 
[mòntə ráy]

city and port in western
California, on Monterey Bay. Population: 29,812 (1994)[1]



MontereyJack

MontereyJack
Mon·te·rey
Jack
noun

semihard
cheese:
a semihard cheese that is mild when young and becomes stronger and drier as it
ages
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Monterey County, California, where it was first made.][1]



Montereypine

Montereypine
Mon·te·rey
pine
noun

Californian pine used for
timber: a pine tree that is native
to the Monterey Peninsula of California and is now widely planted throughout
the world for timber. Latin name: Pinus radiata
Also called
radiata[1]



MonteRosa

MonteRosa
Mon·te
Ro·sa
[mòntee rṓzə]

mountain in the Pennine Alps,
on the Swiss-Italian border, south of Zermatt. Height: 4,633 m/15,200 ft.[1]



Monterrey

Monterrey
Mon·ter·rey
[mòntə ráy]

an industrial city in
northeastern Mexico, capital of Nuevo Leon State. Population: 1,064,197 (1990)[1]



MontesAlpes

MontesAlpes
Mon·tes
Alp·es
[mòn tayz ál pàyz] noun

lunar mountain range:
an extensive range of mountains on the Moon arching around the northeast of
Mare Imbrium[1]



MontesApenninus

MontesApenninus
Mon·tes
Ap·en·ni·nus [mòn tayz
àppa nnəss]

extensive range of mountains
on the Moon surrounding the southeastern edge of Mare Imbrium[1]



MontesJura

MontesJura
Mon·tes
Ju·ra
[mòn tayz jra]

range of lunar mountains
north of Mare Imbrium. Height: 4,500 m/15,000 ft.[1]



Montesquieu,Charles Louis de Secondat

Montesquieu,Charles Louis de Secondat
Mon·tes·quieu 
[móntə sky], Charles Louis de Secondat,
Baron de la Brède et de (1689–1755)

French jurist and writer. His
works, including his seminal comparative political study The Spirit of Laws
( 1748 ), contributed to the European Enlightenment and helped to create the
political climate that led to the French Revolution.[1]



Montessori,Maria

Montessori,Maria
Mon·tes·so·ri
[mòntə sáwree], Maria (1870–1952)

Italian physician and
educationalist. She devised a system for educating young children.[1]



Montessorimethod

Montessorimethod
Mon·tes·so·ri
meth·od
noun

special method for teaching
children: a system of educating young
children that was initiated by Maria Montessori in 1952 and aims to develop the
child’s natural interests and activities rather than use formal teaching
methods[1]



Monteverdi,Claudio

Monteverdi,Claudio
Mon·te·ver·di
[mònti váirdee], Claudio (1567–1643)

Italian
composer. His secular and sacred choral works and his operas mark the
transition from Renaissance to Baroque music.
Full name
Monteverdi, Claudio Giovanni Antonio[1]



Montevideo

Montevideo
Mon·te·vi·de·o 
[mòntəvi dáyō]

capital city of Uruguay,
located on the Atlantic Ocean in the south of the country. Population:
1,251,647 (1985)[1]



MontezumaII

MontezumaII
Mon·te·zu·ma
II 
[mònti zmə] (1466–1520)

Aztec emperor. His empire was
brought down by Spanish invaders (1520).[1]



Montezuma’srevenge

Montezuma’srevenge
Mon·te·zu·ma’s
re·venge
[montə zməz ri vénj] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for diarrhea and sickness experienced when visiting a foreign
country, originally Mexico, and eating unfamiliar food (informal offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the last Aztec emperor of Mexico, Montezuma II,
as if the malady were his revenge for the loss of his empire to the Spanish.][1]



Montgomery

Montgomery
Mont·gom·er·y 
[mənt gəmməree]

capital city of Alabama, in
the center of the state. It is a port on the Alabama River. Population: 196,363
(1996)[1]



Montgomery,Bernard Law

Montgomery,Bernard Law
Mont·gom·er·y 
[mont gúmməree], Bernard Law, 1st Viscount
Montgomery of Alamein (1887–1976)

British soldier. In World War
II, he commanded the Eighth Army in northern Africa defeating Rommel, and
became chief of the land forces in the Normandy invasion. After the war, he was
deputy supreme commander of NATO forces (1951–1958).[1]



Montgomery,L. M.

Montgomery,L. M.
Mont·gom·er·y 
[mont gúmməree], L. M. (1874–1942)

Canadian
writer, known for her novel Anne of Green Gables ( 1908 ).
Full name
Montgomery, Lucy Maud[1]



month

month
month 
[munth] noun (plural months)

1.  CALENDAR major
division of year: any of the major named divisions of the
year in various calendar systems. In the Gregorian calendar, there are 12
months, varying in length from 28 to 31 days.
Also
called
calendar month

2.  CALENDAR four
weeks or 30 days: a period of time equivalent to about
four weeks or 30 days

3.  interval
between dates in consecutive months: a
time lasting from a specified date in one calendar month until the same date in
the next calendar month.
Also
called
calendar month

4.  ASTRONOMY See solar month

5.  ASTRONOMY See lunar month

6.  ASTRONOMY See sidereal month
plural
noun
months

long period of time:
a long time, often an excessively or unacceptably long time
[Old
English mōnaþ . Ultimately “something measured by the revolutions of the
moon,” from an Indo-European word meaning “to measure” that is also the
ancestor of English moon .]
a
month of Sundays

a long time, or one that is
apparently unending (informal)[1]



monthly

monthly
month·ly 
[múnthlee] adjective

1.  happening
each month:
done, held, or arranged once every month • a
monthly meeting

2.  produced
every month: published or issued once a month • a
monthly periodical

3.  lasting
a month:
valid for one month • a monthly
pass
adverb

once a month: at
intervals of one month
noun
(plural month·lies)

1.  PUBLISHING magazine
issued every month: a publication or periodical
that is produced once a month

2.  woman’s
menstrual period: a woman’s monthly menstruation (informal)
(usually plural)

[1]



monticule

monticule
mon·ti·cule 
[mónti kyl] (plural mon·ti·cules)
noun

1.  secondary
volcanic cone: a subordinate volcanic cone

2.  mound:
any mound or small hill
[Late 18th century. Via
French from late Latin monticulus, a diminutive of the Latin stem mont-
“mountain” (see mountain ).][1]



Montmorency

Montmorency
Mont·mo·ren·cy
[mòntmə rénsee]

river in southern Quebec,
Canada. It flows south to join the St. Lawrence River. Length: 97 km/60 mi.[1]



MontmorencyFalls

MontmorencyFalls
Mont·mo·ren·cy
Falls

the highest falls in Quebec,
Canada. They are located east of Quebec City where the Montmorency River
empties into the St. Lawrence River. Height: 84 m/275 ft.[1]



montmorillonite

montmorillonite
mont·mo·ril·lo·nite 
[mòntmə ríllə nt] noun

clayey
mineral:
a soft clayey mineral that is composed of hydrous aluminum silicate. It is the
major component of bentonite clay deposits.
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Montmorillon, the French town where it was
discovered.]
—mont·mo·ril·lo·nit·ic
[mòntmə rillə níttik], adjective[1]



Montpellier

Montpellier
Mont·pel·lier 
[moN pə lyáy]

city in southern France,
capital of the Hérault Department and administrative and commercial center of
the Languedoc-Roussillon Region. Population: 207,996 (1990)[1]



Montreal

Montreal

Mon·tre·al
[mòntree áwl]
the second largest city in Canada,
situated on Montreal Island in the St. Lawrence River, Quebec. Population:
3,326,510 (1996)[1]



Montreal




Back to definition

Montreal

[1]



Montreux

Montreux
Mon·treux
[mon trō]

major resort area in western
Switzerland, on the northeastern shore of Lake Geneva. Population: 20,060
(1990)[1]



Mont-Saint-Michel

Mont-Saint-Michel

Mont-Saint-Mi·chel 
[moN saN mi shél]
steep granite hill off the Normandy coast
in northern France that becomes an island when the tides are high[1]



Montserrat

Montserrat
Mont·ser·rat 
[mòntsə rát]

island in the eastern
Caribbean Sea, a dependency of the United Kingdom. It was economically
devastated by volcanic eruptions in 1997. Population: 12,771 (1996) Area: 102
sq mi/39 sq mi.[1]



Monts,Pierre du Gua

Monts,Pierre du Gua
Monts
[monts], Pierre du Gua, Sieur de
(1560?–1630?)

French explorer. He colonized
what are now the Maritime Provinces of Canada for France and founded Port
Royal, Nova Scotia (1604).[1]



Montélimar

Montélimar
Mon·té·li·mar
[mòn tay lee mr]

town in Drôme Department,
central France, situated about 129 km80 mi south of Lyon. Population: 31,386
(1990)[1]



monument

monument
mon·u·ment 
[mónnyəmənt] (plural mon·u·ments)
noun

1.  large
stone statue or carving: something designed and built
as a lasting public tribute to a person, a group of people, or an event

2.  famous
place or building: a site or structure that is
preserved because of its historical, cultural, or aesthetic importance

3.  carved
headstone:
a tombstone, plaque, or ornamental stone structure placed on somebody’s grave.
A monument in a cemetery is usually inscribed with the name and dates of birth
and death of the deceased person, and often a religious quotation or verse.

4.  worthy
reminder of something: something that remains as a
reminder of something, especially something fine or distinguished

5.  memorial
tribute:
a memorial to somebody in the form of a written or spoken tribute

6.  boundary
marker:
an object such as a stone that marks a boundary
[13th century. Via French
from Latin monumentum, from monere “to remind.”][1]



monumental

monumental
mon·u·men·tal 
[mònnyə mént’l] adjective

1.  large:
huge in size, importance, or intensity

2.  deserving
special admiration: so important or enduring
that people cannot fail to notice or be impressed

3.  making
carved headstones: related to or involved in
the making of tombstones and memorial items to go in cemeteries and churches

4.  of
monuments:
relating to monuments or taking the form of a monument
—mon·u·men·tal·i·ty
[mònnyə men tállətee], noun

—mon·u·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



MonumentValley

MonumentValley
Mon·u·ment
Val·ley
[mònnyəmənt vállee]

region in northeastern
Arizona and southeastern Utah, notable for its scenic rock formations[1]



monuron

monuron
mon·u·ron 
[mónnyə ròn] noun

herbicide
for broad-leaved weeds: a herbicide that is
particularly effective against broad-leaved weeds, in the form of a white
crystalline odorless solid
[Mid-20th century. Blend of mono- and urea
and -on .][1]



Monza

Monza
Mon·za 
[mṓntsa, mónzə]

city in northern Italy,
situated about 13 km8 mi northeast of Milan. Population: 120,054 (1992)[1]



monzonite

monzonite
mon·zo·nite 
[mon zṓ nt, mónzə
nt] noun

coarse-grained
igneous rock: a visibly crystalline, granular igneous
rock composed chiefly of equal amounts of two feldspar minerals, plagioclase
and orthoclase, and small amounts of a variety of colored minerals
[Late
19th century. Named for Mount Monzoni in the Tyrol.]
—mon·zo·nit·ic [mònzə níttik], adjective[1]



Monégasque

Monégasque
Mo·né·gasque 
[mònnə gsk] noun (plural Mon·é·gasques)

somebody
from Monaco: somebody who was born in or who lives in
Monaco.
Also
called
Monacan
adjective

relating
to Monaco:
relating to Monaco, or its people or culture
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Mounegue “Monaco.”][1]



moo

moo

moo 
[moo] intransitive verb (past mooed,
past participle mooed, present participle moo·ing, 3rd
person present singular moos)
make
noise like cow: to produce the deep drawn-out sound that
a cow makes
noun
(plural moos)
noise
that cow makes: a deep drawn-out sound made by a cow, or
by somebody imitating this sound
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



mooch

mooch
mooch 
[mooch] (past mooched, past
participle mooched, present participle mooch·ing, 3rd
person present singular mooch·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
things for nothing from others: to get something for
nothing from somebody by asking directly for it, without making any personal
effort for it (informal) • He’s
always mooching off friends.

2.  transitive
verb
steal:
to steal something (slang)

3.  intransitive
verb
wander
aimlessly:
to wander or linger in an aimless way (slang) • just
mooching about

4.  intransitive
verb
sneak
around suspiciously: to move around or wait
somewhere quietly and secretly, trying not to be noticed (slang)
[15th
century. From Old French muchier “to hide,” of unknown origin.]
—mooch·er, noun[1]



mood

mood1
mood1 [mood]
(plural moods) noun

1.  state
of mind:
a state of mind that somebody experiences at a particular time • a
good mood

2.  general
feeling of group: the way a group of people think and feel
about something at a particular time • The
mood of the country after the war was generally optimistic.

3.  bad
temper:
a feeling or display of sullen anger or irritability, especially one that
begins suddenly or lasts a relatively short time • He’s
in a mood.
[Old
English mōd “mind, courage,” from a prehistoric Germanic word]
in
the mood

in the right or best state of
mind for a particular activity or experience[1]



mood

mood2
mood2 [mood]
(plural moods) noun

1.  GRAMMAR set of
verb forms:
a group of verb forms expressing a particular attitude. English has the
indicative mood, expressing factual statements, the imperative mood, expressing
commands, and the subjunctive mood, expressing possibilities and wishes.

2.  LOGIC See mode  noun 7
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of mode .][1]



moody

moody
mood·y 
[mdee] (comparative mood·i·er,
superlative mood·i·est) adjective

1.  unpredictably
grumpy or gloomy: tending to change mood unpredictably
from cheerful to bad-tempered

2.  changeable:
unusually changeable or difficult to predict

3.  displaying
particular mood: displaying particular emotions,
especially unhappiness or anger, clearly and intensely
[Old
English]
—mood·i·ly,
adverb

—mood·i·ness, noun[1]



Moody,Dwight Lyman

Moody,Dwight Lyman
Mood·y 
[mdee], Dwight Lyman (1837–1899)

U.S. evangelist. He founded
Northfield Seminary girls’ school (1879) and Mount Hermon School for boys
(1881).[1]



moola

moola
moo·la 
[m l] or moo·lah [m l] noun

money:
money (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



mooli

mooli
moo·li
[mlee] (plural moo·lis or
moo·li) noun

U.K.
See daikon
[Mid-20th century. From Hindi
mūlī .][1]



moon

moon
moon 
[moon] noun (plural moons)

1.  moon
or Moon ASTRONOMY only
natural satellite of Earth: the Earth’s only natural
satellite. It is the astronomical body nearest to the Earth, except for some
artificial satellites and occasional meteors.

2.  ASTRONOMY planet’s
natural satellite: any natural satellite
revolving around a planet. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune each have
more than one moon .

3.  Moon’s
shape as seen from Earth: a form or view of the Moon,
called its phase, at a specific point in the lunar cycle. Since it shines only
by reflected sunlight, the phases of the Moon depend on its position relative
to the Earth and the Sun.

4.  symbolic
representation of Moon: a simple or stylized
representation of the Moon, usually in the form of a circle or crescent

5.  period
of time:
a month, either as a rough estimate of time or as the time it takes for the
Moon to complete its cycle of the Earth (archaic or literary)

6.  moonlight:
light given out by the Moon
verb
(past mooned, past participle mooned, present
participle moon·ing, 3rd person present singular moons)

1.  intransitive
verb
wander
aimlessly:
to wander around in a dreamy or listless state, unable to concentrate on
anything

2.  intransitive
verb
yearn
for loved one: to be stricken with longing for an
absent loved one, and rendered listless and dreamy as a result (literary or
humorous)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bare
the buttocks: to bend over and deliberately expose the
bare buttocks to somebody, either as a rude joke or as an act of defiance and
disrespect (informal)
[Old English mōna,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English month (see month
)][1]



moonbeam

moonbeam
moon·beam 
[mn bm] (plural moon·beams) noun

shaft of moonlight:
a pale, milky, or iridescent beam of light reflected to the Earth by the Moon
at night[1]



moonblindness

moonblindness
moon
blind·ness
noun

periodic loss of vision in
horses: periodic episodes of
impaired vision in horses that often lead to permanent loss of sight[1]



mooncalf

mooncalf
moon·calf 
[mn kàf] (plural moon·calves
[mn kàvz]) noun

1.  thoughtless
person:
an unintelligent or thoughtless person (archaic insult)

2.  something
badly formed: something that is badly formed,
especially a stillborn human or animal baby (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From moon + calf ;
originally in the meaning of “shapeless fleshy mass in the womb,” thought to be
caused by the influence of the moon.][1]



moondog

moondog
moon
dog
(plural moon dogs) noun

ASTRONOMY
See paraselene[1]



mooneye

mooneye
moon·eye 
[mn ] (plural moon·eyes) noun

large-eyed N American fish:
a silvery freshwater fish found in North America that looks like a herring with
very large eyes. Latin name: Hiodon tergisus[1]



moon-faced

moon-faced
moon-faced 
adjective

with round face:
with a large round face[1]



moonflower

moonflower
moon·flow·er 
[mn flòwr] (plural moon·flow·ers)
noun

night-blooming plant:
a name given to various plants whose flowers open at night, especially climbing
plants related to the morning glories[1]



Moonie

Moonie
Moon·ie
[mnee] (plural Moon·ies) noun

member of Unification Church:
somebody who belongs to the Unification Church founded by Sun Myung Moon (informal)
(often considered offensive)[1]



moonlight

moonlight
moon·light 
[mn lt] noun

light
from the Moon: the pale cool light that shines from the
Moon on a clear night, often considered eerie or romantic. Moonlight is light
from the Sun reflected from the Moon’s surface.
intransitive
verb
(past moon·light·ed, past participle moon·light·ed,
present participle moon·light·ing, 3rd person present singular
moon·lights)

work
at second job: to have a second job in addition to a
main job (informal)
—moon·light·ing,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Moonlight
  Sonata, a piano sonata by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1801 ).
  This nickname for Beethoven’s somber piano sonata in C# minor, op. 27 no. 2,
  was coined by the poet Heinrich Renstab. In his review of the composition, he
  described how the first movement brought to his mind the image of moonlight
  on Lake Lucerne.

[1]



moonlit

moonlit
moon·lit 
[mn lìt] adjective

brightened by moonlight:
brightened or illuminated by light from the Moon[1]



moonpool

moonpool
moon
pool
(plural moon pools) noun

INDUSTRY
drill shaft in drilling ship:
an open shaft in a deep-sea drilling vessel, usually located in the center of
the hull, through which the drilling takes place[1]



moonraker

moonraker
moon·rak·er
[mn ràykər] (plural moon·rak·ers)
noun

small
sail on square-rigged ship: a small sail sometimes set
above the skysail on a square-rigged ship
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from its great height (compare skyscraper
).][1]



moonrise

moonrise
moon·rise 
[mn rz] (plural moon·ris·es)
noun

1.  moment
when Moon appears: the time of day when the
Moon rises over the horizon

2.  Moon’s
appearance in sky: the Moon’s rising in the sky
over the horizon
[Early 18th century. Formed
from moon on the model of sunrise .][1]



moonscape

moonscape
moon·scape 
[mn skàyp] (plural moon·scapes)
noun

1.  view
of the Moon’s surface: the general appearance of
the surface of the Moon as seen or portrayed

2.  bare
deserted landscape: a view or place that looks
as rough, gray, and bleak as the surface of the Moon

[1]



moonseed

moonseed
moon·seed 
[mn sd] (plural moon·seeds) noun

plant
with crescent-shaped seeds: a name given to various
climbing plants that have tiny greenish flowers and red or black fruit with
crescent-shaped seeds. Genera: Menispermum Cocculus
[Mid-18th century. From the
crescent shape of their seeds.][1]



moonset

moonset
moon·set 
[mn sèt] (plural moon·sets) noun

1.  moment
when Moon goes down: the time of day when the
Moon disappears below the horizon

2.  Moon’s
leaving the sky: the disappearance of the Moon below the
horizon
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from moon on the model of sunset .][1]



moonshell

moonshell
moon
shell
(plural moon shells) noun

marine snail:
a carnivorous marine mollusk with a smooth rounded shell. Family: Naticidae[1]



moonshine

moonshine
moon·shine 
[mn shn] noun

1.  illegally
made alcohol: whiskey or other strong liquor produced
and sold illegally (informal)
Also
called
mountain dew

2.  nonsense:
talk, opinions, or ideas dismissed as senseless (informal)

3.  moonlight:
moonlight
—moon·shin·er, noun[1]



moonshot

moonshot
moon·shot
[mn shòt] (plural moon·shots)
noun

launch of a lunar mission:
the launch of a crewed or uncrewed spacecraft to orbit or land on the Moon[1]



moonstone

moonstone
moon·stone 
[mn stn] (plural moon·stones)
noun

gemstone
variety of feldspar: a translucent variety of the
mineral feldspar that has a bluish-white luster and is used as a gemstone





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Moonstone, a novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins ( 1868 ). The first
  English detective novel, it involves the disappearance of a priceless Indian
  diamond and a subsequent puzzling murder. All the classic elements of the
  whodunit genre are present, including red herrings, alibis, and sufficient
  clues for the reader to solve the crime ahead of its hero, Sergeant Cuff of
  Scotland Yard.

[1]



moonstruck

moonstruck
moon·struck 
[mn strùk] adjective

1.  in
a daze:
acting in a rather irrational, dreamy, confused way, often out of love (informal
humorous)

2.  wildly
confused:
behaving in a wild or confused way (dated literary)
[Late 17th century. The two senses
of the word came from the romantic associations of moonlight and the popular
belief that the Moon has an effect upon mental stability.][1]



moonwalk

moonwalk
moon·walk 
[mn wàwk] noun (plural moon·walks)

instance of walking on Moon:
an exploratory walk or expedition across part of the Moon’s surface, carried
out by an astronaut. The first person to walk on the Moon was Neil Armstrong on
July 20, 1969.
intransitive
verb
(past moon·walked, past participle moon·walked, present
participle moon·walk·ing, 3rd person present singular moon·walks)

1.  go
on foot across Moon’s surface: to walk away from a
spacecraft for some distance across the surface of the Moon

2.  DANCE perform
gliding disco dance: to perform a disco dance
with gliding movements of the feet and legs
—moon·walk·er, noun[1]



moony

moony
moon·y 
[mnee] (comparative moon·i·er,
superlative moon·i·est) adjective

1.  dreamy:
in a distracted or dreamy state, with little energy or concentration (informal)

2.  relating
to Moon:
relating to or resembling the Moon
—moon·i·ly,
adverb

—moon·i·ness, noun[1]



moor

moor2
moor2 [moor]
(past moored, past participle moored, present
participle moor·ing, 3rd person present singular moors)
intransitive and transitive verb

tie
watercraft or aircraft with ropes: to fix a boat, ship,
or aircraft to one place with cables, chains, or an anchor, or to be secured in
this way
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German mōren .][1]



Moor

Moor
Moor 
(plural Moors) noun

member
of nomadic Arab people: a member of a nomadic people
of Arab and Berber descent who originally occupied lands in various parts of
North Africa, and whose members continue to live there. Their civilization
flourished from the 8th to the 15th centuries, during which time they also
settled in Spain.
[14th century. Via Old French
More from Latin Maurus, from Greek Mauros (source of
English morris dance ), of uncertain
origin: probably from a North African language.][1]



moor

moor1
moor1 [moor]
(plural moors) noun

wild
area of countryside: a large uncultivated
treeless stretch of land covered with bracken, heather, coarse grasses, or moss
(often used in the plural)
[Old English mōr, from
prehistoric Germanic][1]



moorage

moorage
moor·age 
[mrij] (plural moor·ag·es) noun

1.  See
mooring  noun 1

2.  mooring
fee:
the fee charged for mooring somewhere

[1]



Moore

Moore
Moore
[moor, mawr]
noun adjective

LANGUAGE
PEOPLES See Mossi[1]



Moore,Clement Clarke

Moore,Clement Clarke
Moore
[moor, mawr],
Clement Clarke (1779–1863)

U.S. scholar and writer. He
is best known for the Christmas poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1823).[1]



Moore,Demi

Moore,Demi
Moore
[moor, mawr],
Demi (1962– )

U.S.
actor. She first became well known for her role in Ghost ( 1990 ).
Real name
Guynes, Demi[1]



Moore,Dudley

Moore,Dudley
Moore
[moor, mawr],
Dudley (1935– )

British actor, comedian, and
pianist. After working in partnership with comedian Peter Cook, he appeared in
Hollywood movie comedies.[1]



Moore,Henry

Moore,Henry


Moore
[moor, mawr],
Henry (1898–1986)
British sculptor, and printmaker. He is
noted for his large-scale, stylized representations of the human body, many
made for outdoor locations.[1]



Moore,Marianne

Moore,Marianne

Moore
[moor, mawr],
Marianne (1887–1972)
U.S.
poet. She is known for her witty ironic poetry, which covers a wide range of
subjects. Her Collected Poems ( 1951 ) won a Pulitzer Prize.
Full name
Moore, Marianne Craig[1]



Moore,Mary Tyler

Moore,Mary Tyler
Moore 
[moor, mawr],
Mary Tyler (1936– )

U.S. actor. She is best known
for her television roles, as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show (
1961–1966 ) and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show ( 1970–1977
).[1]



moorhen

moorhen
moor·hen 
[mr hèn] (plural moor·hens) noun

black water bird with red
bill: a medium-sized water bird
found in marshy areas throughout the world. It has black plumage and a red
bill. Latin name: Gallinula chloropus[1]



mooring

mooring
moor·ing 
[mring] (plural moor·ings) noun

1.  NAUTICAL AIR place for securing watercraft
or aircraft: a place where a boat, ship, or aircraft
can be moored.
Also
called
moorage

2.  NAUTICAL AIR cable securing watercraft or
aircraft:
a rope, cable, or chain used to stop a watercraft or aircraft from drifting
away

3.  physical
or emotional tie: something such as a family bond that
gives a feeling of emotional or physical security (usually used in the
plural)

[1]



mooringtower

mooringtower
moor·ing
tow·er
(plural moor·ing tow·ers) noun

tower for tying airships to:
a permanent structure built as a place to moor airships. The structure provides
facilities for transferring passengers, crew, and freight, for refueling, and
for replenishing ballast and lifting gas.[1]



Moorish

Moorish
Moor·ish 
[mrish] adjective

1.  of
Moors:
relating to the Moors or their culture

2.  ARCHITECTURE with
ornate curved decoration: built or designed in an
architectural style popular in Spain between the 8th and the 16th century,
noted for its use of ornate, curving decoration

[1]



Moorishidol

Moorishidol
Moor·ish
i·dol
(plural Moor·ish i·dols) noun

tropical
fish:
a tropical marine fish that lives near Indo-Pacific reefs and has broad black
and yellow stripes on its sides. Latin name: Zanclus canescens
[Because its markings
resemble those found in Moorish art][1]



moorland

moorland
moor·land 
[mr lànd, mrlənd]
(plural moor·lands) noun

area
of moor:
countryside, or a piece of countryside, consisting of a moor
[Old English][1]



moose

moose


moose 
[mooss] (plural moose) noun
large
mammal with flat antlers: a large mammal of the deer
family, with long legs and, in the male, large flat palmate antlers, found in
North America, Europe, and Asia. Latin name: Alces alces
U.K.
term
elk
[Early 17th century. From
Abenaki mos .][1]



Moose

Moose
Moose
(plural Moose) noun

member
of fraternal organization: a member of the Loyal Order
of Moose, a fraternal organization
[Late 19th century. From the
tradition of naming such organisations after animals native to the area that
are thought to have qualities such as strength and dignity.][1]



MooseJaw

MooseJaw
Moose
Jaw


city in southeastern
Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the site of the nation’s largest military
jet-training base. Population: 32,973 (1996)[1]



moosewood

moosewood
moose·wood 
[mss wd] noun

See
striped maple[1]



moot

moot
moot 
[moot] adjective

1.  arguable:
open to argument • a moot point

2.  not
relevant:
irrelevant or unimportant (informal) • Whether
you want to go or not is moot, because the performance has been cancelled.
verb
(past moot·ed, past participle moot·ed, present
participle moot·ing, 3rd person present singular moots)

1.  transitive
verb
suggest
formally:
to offer an idea for consideration or a topic for discussion (usually
passive)

2.  intransitive
verb
have
formal argument: to take part in a debate, especially one
organized as an academic exercise, for example, among law students (formal)
noun
(plural moots)

1.  debate
on hypothetical issue: an academic discussion in
which people such as law students argue hypothetically or plead a hypothetical
legal case

2.  HISTORY Anglo-Saxon
local court: in Anglo-Saxon England, a formal
gathering for settling legal and administrative matters
[Old English mōt
“assembly, meeting, litigation,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“meeting” that is also the ancestor of English meet][1]



mootcourt

mootcourt
moot
court
(plural moot courts) noun

training law court:
a court in which imaginary legal cases are conducted and tried by law students
as part of their training[1]



mop

mop
mop 
[mop] noun (plural mops)

1.  floor-washing
tool:
a long-handled tool for washing floors, with a washing head consisting of a
large sponge or a thick mass of absorbent threads or fabric strips

2.  dishwashing
tool:
a short-handled dishwashing tool with a washing head consisting of a mass of
twisted cotton threads

3.  untidy
mass:
a thick or scruffy-looking tangle of hair
transitive
verb
(past mopped, past participle mopped, present
participle mop·ping, 3rd person present singular mops)

1.  wash
with a mop:
to use a mop to wipe a floor surface clean, usually using warm, soapy water

2.  wipe
to remove perspiration: to wipe perspiration from a
part of the body, for example, with a handkerchief
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps directly or via French dialect from Latin mappa
“napkin, towel.” Originally in the meaning of “bundle of cloth for caulking a
ship.”][1]



mopboard

mopboard
mop·board 
[móp bàwrd] (plural mop·boards)
noun

See
baseboard[1]



mope

mope
mope 
[mōp] intransitive verb (past moped,
past participle moped, present participle mop·ing, 3rd
person present singular mopes)

1.  be
miserable:
to be full of self-pity or sulky unhappiness and lose interest in everything
else

2.  wander
about sadly: to show self-pity and sulky unhappiness,
especially by listless or aimless lingering or with a self-consciously slumping
gait
noun
(plural mopes) mope (plural mopes)

miserable person:
somebody who tends to mope and who depresses others as a result (informal)
plural
noun
mopes

gloomy mood: a
bout of melancholy or sulkiness (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian language.]
—mop·er,
noun

—mop·ey, adjective[1]



moped

moped
mo·ped 
[mṓ pèd] (plural mo·peds) noun

motorized
bicycle:
a lightweight pedaled motorcycle with an engine of less than 50cc. Mopeds
generally need pedals to start them up and to supply extra power, for example,
when going uphill.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of motor and pedal
.][1]



moppet

moppet
mop·pet 
[móppət] (plural mop·pets) noun

child,
or child’s affectionate nickname: a small child, or a
term of endearment for a child (informal)
[Early 17th century.
Literally “small ‘mop’,” formed from obsolete mop “baby, doll,” earlier
“fool,” of uncertain origin.][1]



mopup

mopup
mop
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
rid of liquid with cloth: to wipe or rub a piece of
material over a liquid to soak it up

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY deal
with remaining enemy forces: to capture or kill remaining
enemy troops in order to secure an area after a decisive victory

3.  transitive
verb
finish
off:
to complete or carry out the final details of a task (informal)
[Early 18th century. From mop .][1]



moquette

moquette
mo·quette 
[mō két] noun

furnishing
fabric:
thick fabric with a velvety texture, used as carpeting or for upholstery
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



MOR

MOR
MOR

MUSIC
(used especially in radio programming) Abbreviation of middle-of-the-road[1]



mor.

mor.
mor.

Abbreviation of
morocco[1]



Mor.

Mor.
Mor.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Morocco

2.  Abbreviation
of
Moroccan

[1]



moraine

moraine
mo·raine 
[mə ráyn] (plural mo·raines) noun

accumulated
glacial debris: a mass of earth and rock debris carried
by an advancing glacier and left at its front and side edges as it retreats
[Late
18th century. Via French from French dialect morena “mound,” from,
ultimately, an unassumed Vulgar Latin word.]
—mo·rain·al,
adjective

—mo·rain·ic, adjective[1]



moral

moral
mor·al 
[máwrəl] adjective

1.  involving
right and wrong: relating to issues of right and wrong
and to how individuals should behave

2.  derived
from personal conscience: based on what somebody’s
conscience suggests is right or wrong, rather than on what the law says should
be done

3.  in
terms of natural justice: regarded in terms of what is
known to be right or just, as opposed to what is officially or outwardly
declared to be right or just • a
moral victory.

4.  encouraging
goodness and respectability: giving guidance on how to
behave decently and honorably

5.  good
by accepted standards: good or right, when judged
by the standards of the average person or society at large

6.  telling
right from wrong: able to distinguish right from wrong and
to make decisions based on that knowledge

7.  based
on conviction: based on an inner conviction, in the
absence of physical proof
noun
(plural mor·als)

1.  valuable
lesson in behavior: a conclusion about how to
behave or proceed drawn from a story or event

2.  final
sentence of story giving advice: a short, precise rule,
usually written in a rather literary style as the conclusion to a story, used
to help people remember the best or most sensible way to behave
plural
noun
mor·als

standards of behavior:
principles of right and wrong as they govern standards of general or sexual
behavior
[14th
century. From Latin moralis, from mor-, stem of mos
“custom,” in plural “morals” (source of English morale
and morose ).]
—morally, adverb[1]



morale

morale
mo·rale 
[mə rál, maw rál]
noun

how
somebody feels emotionally: the general level of
confidence or optimism felt by a person or group of people, especially as it
affects discipline and willingness
[Mid-18th century. Via French
moral from Latin moralis (see moral
). The spelling was altered in English to indicate syllable to be stressed.][1]



moralism

moralism
mor·al·ism 
[máwrə lìzzəm] (plural mor·al·isms)
noun

1.  piece
of moral advice: a conventional moral maxim or saying

2.  moral
behavior:
behavior conforming to a system of moral standards that do not depend on
religion

3.  moralizing:
criticism of other people’s moral standards (formal or dated)

[1]



moralist

moralist
mor·al·ist 
[máwrəlist] (plural mor·al·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
giving advice on moral standards: somebody who
criticizes or lectures other people about their standards of morality, or who
tries to teach them better moral standards

2.  somebody
with high moral standards: somebody who follows a
strict, personal, moral code

3.  specialist
who studies morality: somebody who studies or
teaches morals as an academic discipline
—mor·al·is·tic
[màwrə lístik], adjective

—mor·al·is·ti·cal·ly [màwrə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



morality

morality
mo·ral·i·ty 
[mə rállətee, màw
rállətee] (plural mo·ral·i·ties) noun

1.  accepted
moral standards: standards of conduct that are accepted
as right or proper

2.  how
right or wrong something is: the rightness or wrongness
of something as judged by accepted moral standards

3.  moral
lesson:
a lesson in moral behavior

[1]



moralityplay

moralityplay
mo·ral·i·ty
play
(plural mo·ral·i·ty plays) noun

medieval play about good and
evil: a play intended to teach a
moral lesson, in which the characters embody human virtues and vices, for
example, Mercy and Lust, especially a medieval play written in verse. Morality
plays were popular in Europe from the 15th century to the 17th century, the
later plays featuring some humor and satire.[1]



moralize

moralize
mor·al·ize 
[máwrə lz] (past mor·al·ized,
past participle mor·al·ized, present participle mor·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mor·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
criticize
the morals of others: to criticize other people’s
conduct or standards of behavior or give advice on how general moral standards
should be improved

2.  transitive
verb
analyze
in terms of morality: to consider and explain
something in terms of its moral significance

3.  transitive
verb
make
more moral:
to change something to make it conform, or conform better, with society’s ideas
of what is good, right, or decent
—mor·al·i·za·tion
[màwrəli záysh’n], noun

—mor·al·iz·er, noun[1]



moralizing

moralizing
mor·al·iz·ing
[máwrə lzing] noun

criticizing people’s moral
standards: lecturing others on their
low moral standards or pronouncing on how general standards of behavior should
be improved[1]



moraltheology

moraltheology
mor·al
the·ol·o·gy
noun

study of ethics from
Christian viewpoint: the
academic study of moral and ethical questions from a Christian viewpoint[1]



morass

morass
mo·rass 
[mə ráss, màw
ráss] (plural mo·rass·es) noun

1.  area
of soggy ground: an area of low-lying ground that is soft
and wet to a great depth and therefore difficult to walk on

2.  something
that overwhelms, confuses, or impedes: a
frustrating, confusing, or unmanageable situation that makes any kind of
progress extremely slow
[Mid-17th century. Via Dutch moeras
from, ultimately, French marais, of uncertain origin: probably from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English marsh .][1]



moratorium

moratorium
mor·a·to·ri·um 
[màwrə táwree əm] (plural mor·a·to·ri·ums
or mor·a·to·ri·a [màwrə táwree ə])
noun

1.  agreed
period of delay: a formally agreed period during which a
specific activity is halted or a planned activity is postponed

2.  allowed
delay in meeting obligation: a period during which a
person, usually a debtor, has the right to postpone meeting an obligation
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from late Latin moratorius “delaying” (see moratory ).][1]



moratory

moratory
mor·a·to·ry 
[máwrə tàwree] adjective

approving
delaying of payments: giving somebody the right to
delay making payments on a debt
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin moratorius “delaying,” from Latin morat-, the past
participle stem of morari “to delay,” from mora “delay.”][1]



Morava

Morava
Mo·ra·va 
[mə rvə]

river in Serbia, in the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It flows northward to join the Danube River.
Length: 160 km/100 mi.[1]



Moravia

Moravia
Mo·ra·vi·a 
[mə ráyvee ə]

region occupying the eastern
part of the Czech Republic. Major cities include Brno and Ostrava.[1]



Moravian

Moravian
Mo·ra·vi·an 
[mə ráyvee ən, maw
ráyvee ən] (plural Mo·ra·vi·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Moravia: somebody who was born or raised in
Moravia

2.  CHRISTIANITY Moravian
Church member: a member of the Moravian Church

3.  LANGUAGE dialect
of Czech:
the dialect of the Czech language spoken in Moravia
—Mo·ra·vi·an, adjective[1]



MoravianChurch

MoravianChurch
Mo·ra·vi·an
Church
noun

evangelical Protestant
church: a Protestant church founded
in Moravia in 1722 whose members place a strong emphasis on evangelism,
ecumenism, and the authority of the Bible[1]



moray

moray

mo·ray 
[máw rày, mə ráy]
(plural mo·rays) or mo·ray eel [máw rày, mə ráy]
(plural mo·ray eels) noun
tropical
eel with sharp teeth: a brightly colored
sharp-toothed voracious eel that lives in rocky crevices of tropical coastal
waters or reefs. Family: Muraenidae
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese moréia from Latin murena, from, ultimately, Greek muros
“sea eel.”][1]



morbid

morbid
mor·bid 
[máwrbid] adjective

1.  interested
in gruesome subjects: showing a strong interest in
unpleasant or gloomy subjects such as death, murder, or accidents

2.  grisly:
inspiring disgust or horror

3.  MEDICINE relating
to disease:
relating to or resulting in illness
[Early
17th century. From Latin morbidus “diseased,” from morbus
“sickness.”]
—mor·bid·ly,
adverb

—mor·bid·ness, noun[1]



morbidity

morbidity
mor·bid·i·ty 
[mawr bíddətee] noun

1.  diseased
state:
the presence of illness or disease

2.  MEDICINE occurrence
of a disease: the relative frequency of occurrence of
a particular disease in a particular area (often used before a noun)

[1]



morceau

morceau
mor·ceau 
[mawr sṓ] (plural mor·ceaux [mawr sṓ, mawr sṓz])
noun

1.  short
composition: a short musical or literary composition

2.  small
piece:
a tiny piece, for example, a small mouthful of food
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Old French morsel morsel .][1]



mordacious

mordacious
mor·da·cious 
[mawr dáyshəss] adjective

1.  sharply
sarcastic:
deliberately bitter or critical, and intended to hurt somebody’s feelings

2.  biting:
capable of biting or tending to bite (archaic or literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From the Latin stem mordac- “biting,” from mordere “to
bite.”]
—mor·da·cious·ly,
adverb

—mor·da·cious·ness,
noun

—mor·dac·i·ty [mawr dássətee], noun[1]



mordant

mordant
mor·dant 
[máwrd’nt] adjective

1.  sarcastic:
sharply sarcastic or bitingly critical

2.  corrosive:
having a corrosive effect
noun
(plural mor·dants) INDUSTRY

1.  substance
that fixes dyes: a substance that fixes a dye in and on
textiles and leather by combining with the dye to form a stable insoluble
compound ( lake ). Some dyes assume
different colors depending on the mordant used.

2.  acid
used in etching: a corrosive substance used to etch
treated areas on a metal plate
transitive
verb
(past mor·dant·ed, past participle mor·dant·ed, present
participle mor·dant·ing, 3rd person present singular mor·dants)

TEXTILES apply
mordant to:
to apply a mordant to fabric in order to fix a dye
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, a Vulgar Latin variant of Latin mordere
“to bite” (source of English morsel
and remorse ).]
—mor·dan·cy [máwrd’nsee], noun[1]



mordantly

mordantly
mor·dant·ly
[máwrd’ntlee] adverb

sarcastically or critically:
in a cruelly sarcastic or bitingly critical way[1]



mordent

mordent
mor·dent 
[máwrd’nt] (plural mor·dents) noun

musical
embellishment with extra notes: a musical
embellishment, similar to a short trill, in which either the note above or the
note below the written note is played as well as the principal note
[Early 19th century. Via
German from Italian mordente, from mordere “to bite,” from,
ultimately, Latin .][1]



Mordvin

Mordvin
Mord·vin
[máwrdvin] (plural Mord·vin or
Mord·vins) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Finnish people: a member of a Finnish people
who live mainly in the middle of the Volga region of western Russia

2.  LANGUAGE Mordvin
language:
the Finno-Ugric language of the Mordvin people. Mordvin is spoken by about one
million people.
[Mid-18th
century. From Russian .]
—Mord·vin, adjective[1]



more

more
more 
[mawr] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word, the comparative of “much” and “many,” used to indicate a
greater number of something, either a greater number than before, than average,
or than something else • (adjective)
a need for more adult education programs • (pronoun)
As benefits go, this job offers me more.

1.
adverb to a greater extent:
having a larger amount or a greater extent of a particular quality (forming
the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs) • (adv-attrib)
This problem is more complex than the other one.

2.
adverb for a longer time:
doing something or happening for a longer time • We
chatted a bit more.

3.
adverb pronoun with greater frequency or
intensity:
used as the comparative of “much” to mean “with greater frequency or intensity”
• (adv-degree)
We go out more than we used to. • (adv-degree)
It inspires me more now than ever. • (pronoun)
The more you listen, the more you hear.

4.
adjective pronoun additional:
additional or further (Pronoun takes a singular or plural verb) • (adjective)
I need more light. • (pronoun)
There aren’t any more of these. • (pronoun)
No more is expected.
[Old
English māra, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor
of English most]
more
or less

1.  approximately

2.  essentially
or basically

more
so

or all
the more soto an even greater extent or degree

what
is more

moreover,
or furthermore

[1]



Moree

Moree
Mo·ree
[maw r]

town in northern New South
Wales, a major cotton-growing center. Population: 9,270 (1996)[1]



moreen

moreen
mo·reen 
[mə rn, maw rn]
noun

heavy
curtain fabric: a thick, ribbed curtain material made of
wool, cotton, or a mixture of both
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



morel

morel

mo·rel 
[mə rél, maw rél]
(plural mo·rels) noun
edible
mushroom:
an edible mushroom with a brown pitted spongy cap. Genus: Morchella
Also
called
sponge mushroom
[Late 17th century. From
French morille, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin Maurus
“Moor” (see Moor ).][1]



morello

morello
mo·rel·lo 
[mə réllō, maw
réllō] (plural mo·rel·los) noun

small
cultivated cherry: a small sour cultivated
cherry with dark red skin
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Italian amarello “amarelle” (influenced by
Italian morello “blackish”), from, ultimately, Latin Maurus
“Moor” (see Moor ).][1]



morendo

morendo
mo·ren·do
[mə réndō, maw
réndō] adverb

dying
away:
growing continuously softer and sometimes slower (used as a musical
direction)
[Early
19th century. From Italian, literally “dying,” a form of morire “to
die.”]
—mo·ren·do, adjective[1]



moreover

moreover
more·o·ver 
[maw rṓvər] adverb

furthermore or besides:
used to add a further piece of information that supports a previous statement[1]



mores

mores
mo·res 
[máw ràyz, máw
rz] plural noun

established
customs:
the customs and habitual practices, especially as they reflect moral standards,
that a particular group of people accept and follow
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, plural of mos “manner, custom” (see moral
).][1]



Moresco

Moresco
Mo·res·co
[mə réskō] adjective

Moorish:
Moorish (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From
Italian, formed from Moro “Moor,” from Latin Maurus (see Moor ).][1]



Moresque

Moresque
Mo·resque 
[mə résk] adjective

ARCHITECTURE Moorish:
Moorish (dated)
[Early 17th century. Via
French, from Italian moresco (see Moresco
).][1]



More,Thomas, Saint

More,Thomas, Saint
More 
[mawr], Sir Thomas, Saint (1478–1535)

English statesman and
scholar. He resigned as Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor (1529–1532) in protest
against the King’s break with the Roman Catholic Church, and was executed after
refusing to recognize Henry as the head of the English Church. His literary works
include Utopia ( 1516 ).[1]



MoretonBay

MoretonBay
More·ton
Bay
[màwrt’n báy]

bay in southeastern
Queensland, Australia, bounded in the east by Moreton and North Stradbroke, two
large islands. Area: 800 sq km/310 sq mi.[1]



MoretonBay chestnut

MoretonBay chestnut
More·ton
Bay chest·nut (plural More·ton Bay
chest·nuts) noun

See
black bean  noun 3[1]



MoretonBay fig

MoretonBay fig
More·ton
Bay fig
(plural More·ton Bay figs) noun

large Australian tree:
a large fig tree with glossy leaves that is native to eastern Australia. It has
massive buttresses at the foot of its trunk and huge spreading roots. Latin
name: Ficus macrophylla[1]



MoretonIsland

MoretonIsland
More·ton
Is·land
[máwrt’n lənd]

island in Moreton Bay, off
the coast of Queensland, Australia. Population: 455 (1996) Area: 170 sq km/66
sq mi.[1]



Morgan

Morgan
Mor·gan 
[máwrgən] (plural Mor·gans) noun

U.S.
horse for hunting: a black, bay, brown, or
chestnut horse with a full mane and tail, short deep body, and slender legs,
belonging to a U.S. breed popular for hunting, jumping, and recreation
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Justin Morgan (1747–1798), U.S. schoolteacher and owner of a stallion from
which the breed descends.][1]



morganatic

morganatic
mor·ga·nat·ic 
[màwrgə náttik] adjective

between
people of different social ranks: used to describe a
marriage in which neither the spouse of lower social rank nor any children of
the marriage may inherit the title or possessions of the higher-ranking spouse
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French or German from medieval Latin (matrimonium
ad) morganaticam “(marriage for the) morning-gift” (the bridegroom’s gift
to the bride, which relieved him of further responsibility).]
—mor·ga·nat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



MorganCity

MorganCity
Mor·gan
City
[màwrgən síttee]

city in southeastern
Louisiana, on the Intracoastal Waterway, west of Houma and south of Baton
Rouge. Population: 13,996 (1996)[1]



morganite

morganite
mor·gan·ite 
[máwrgə nt] noun

pink
gemstone:
a pink gemstone that is a variety of beryl
[Early 20th century. Named
for John Pierpont Morgan .][1]



Morgan,John Pierpoint

Morgan,John Pierpoint
Mor·gan 
[máwrgən], John Pierpoint (1837–1913)

U.S. financier. He was the
founder of J. P. Morgan and Company (1895), and a noted art collector and
philanthropist.[1]



Morganle Fay

Morganle Fay
Mor·gan
le Fay 
[màwrgən lə fáy] noun

evil sorceress:
in Arthurian legend, an evil sorceress who was the half-sister and enemy of
King Arthur[1]



Morgan,Thomas Hunt

Morgan,Thomas Hunt
Mor·gan 
[máwrgən], Thomas Hunt (1866–1945)

U.S. geneticist and
biologist. He received a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1933) for his
discovery that chromosomes are the carriers of genetic information.[1]



Morganton

Morganton
Mor·gan·ton
[máwrgəntən]

city in western North
Carolina. It is the seat of Burke County. Population: 17,370 (1994)[1]



Morgantown

Morgantown
Mor·gan·town 
[máwrgən town]

city and port in northern
West Virginia, on the Monongahela River, southeast of Wheeling. Population:
26,919 (1996)[1]



morgen

morgen
mor·gen 
[máwrgən] (plural mor·gens) noun

unit
of land measurement: a unit of measurement for
land area formerly used in various parts of the world and still in use in South
Africa. It is equal in South Africa to just over 0.85 hectare/ 2 acres.
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch and German, with the sense “area of land that can be ploughed in a
morning.”][1]



Morgenthau,Henry, Jr.

Morgenthau,Henry, Jr.
Mor·gen·thau
[máwrgən thaw], Henry, Jr. (1891–1967)

U.S. public official. He was
secretary of the treasury (1934–1945).[1]



morgue

morgue
morgue 
[mawrg] (plural morgues) noun

1.  place
for dead bodies: a room or building usually run by a
state or municipal government in which dead bodies are kept until they are
autopsied or identified

2.  PRESS collection
of information: a room or file in a newspaper office
containing miscellaneous pieces of information kept for future reference, for
example, for writing obituaries

3.  dismal
place:
a gloomy place that lacks warmth or cheer (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. From French Morgue, a building in Paris used as a morgue,
perhaps from morgue “room in a prison where new prisoners were
examined,” perhaps ultimately from morgue “haughtiness.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Murders in the Rue Morgue, a novel by writer Edgar Allan Poe ( 1841 ).
  Regarded as the world’s first detective story, it begins with the brutal
  murder of an old woman and her daughter, a crime that perplexes the police
  since the women’s apartment is sealed from the inside. Amateur sleuth C.
  Auguste Dupin comes to their aid, providing an explanation based on a
  brilliant analysis of scattered clues.

[1]



moribund

moribund
mor·i·bund 
[máwrə bùnd] adjective

1.  dying:
nearly dead

2.  stagnant:
having lost all sense of purpose or vitality

3.  obsolescent:
becoming obsolete
[Early
18th century. From Latin moribundus, from mori “to die” (source
of English mortuary ).]
—mor·i·bun·di·ty
[màwrə búndətee], noun

—mor·i·bund·ly [máwrə bùndlee], adverb[1]



Moriori

Moriori
Mor·i·or·i 
[màwree áwree] (plural Mor·i·or·i
or Mor·i·or·is) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of extinct New Zealand people: a member of a now
extinct indigenous people that lived in New Zealand, especially on the Chatham
Islands

2.  LANGUAGE Moriori
language:
the extinct language of the Moriori people. It belongs to the Eastern branch of
Malayo-Polynesian languages.
[Mid-19th
century. From Polynesian .]
—Mor·i·or·i, adjective[1]



Morisco

Morisco
Mo·ris·co 
[mə rískō] (plural Mo·ris·cos or
Mo·ris·coes) or Mo·res·co [mə
réskō] (plural Mo·res·cos or Mo·res·coes) noun

RELIGION Muslim
convert to Christianity: a Muslim of medieval Spain
who was forcibly converted to Christianity and often continued the
surreptitious practice of Islam, or a descendant of such a person
[Mid-16th
century. From Spanish, from Moro “Moor.”]
—Mo·ris·co, adjective[1]



Morison,Samuel Eliot

Morison,Samuel Eliot
Mor·i·son
[mórrissən], Samuel Eliot (1887–1976)

U.S. historian. He wrote the
Pulitzer-Prize-winning Admiral of the Ocean Sea ( 1942 ) and John
Paul Jones ( 1959 ).[1]



Morisot,Berthe

Morisot,Berthe

Mo·ri·sot
[mòrri sṓ], Berthe (1841–1895)
French painter. Her paintings, in a
subtle and delicate impressionistic style, often depict landscapes or women and
children.[1]



Mormon

Mormon
Mor·mon 
[máwrmən] noun (plural Mor·mons)

See
Latter-day Saint
adjective

relating
to Latter-day Saints: relating to the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its members, or its doctrines and beliefs
[Mid-19th
century. Named for the prophet believed to be the author of the Book of
Mormon, a sacred history of the Americas, translated by Joseph Smith .]
—Mor·mon·ism, noun[1]



Mormoncricket

Mormoncricket
Mor·mon
crick·et
(plural Mor·mon crick·ets) noun

U.S.
grasshopper: a large wingless grasshopper of western
parts of the United States that can be a serious crop-eating pest. Latin name: Anabrus
simplex
[From their presence in areas
settled by Mormons][1]



Mormonrainstorm

Mormonrainstorm
Mor·mon
rain·storm
(plural Mor·mon rain·storms) noun

Rocky
Mountains
dust
storm:
a dust storm (humorous)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is a playful term, used by non-Mormons in Idaho. The usage parallels other
  terms for a dust storm, Arizona cloudburst, Idaho rainstorm,
  and Oklahoma rainstorm, wherein this dreaded phenomenon is jokingly
  blamed on people and states.

[1]



morn

morn
morn 
[mawrn] (plural morns) noun

morning:
a morning (literary)
[Old English morgen,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



Mornay

Mornay
Mor·nay 
[mawr náy] adjective

served
in cheese sauce: served in a white sauce containing
grated cheese • eggs/ Mornay
[Early 20th century. Perhaps
named for Philippe de Mornay (1549–1623), a French Huguenot writer.][1]



morning

morning
morn·ing 
[máwrning] noun (plural morn·ings)

1.  early
part of day: the early part of the day, from dawn
until noon or lunchtime

2.  midnight
to noon:
the part of the day between midnight and noon

3.  dawn:
dawn or daybreak

4.  early
part:
the beginning of something
interjection

good morning: good
morning (informal)
[13th century. Coined from morn + -ing,
modeled on evening .][1]



morning-afterpill

morning-afterpill
morn·ing-af·ter
pill 
(plural morn·ing-af·ter pills) noun

contraceptive pill:
a contraceptive pill designed to be taken after sexual intercourse[1]



morningdress

morningdress
morn·ing
dress
noun

man’s formal daytime suit:
a man’s suit worn to formal daytime events such as weddings, consisting of a
black cutaway, striped black pants, usually a vest, and sometimes a top hat[1]



morningglory

morningglory

mor·ning glo·ry
noun
climbing plant with showy flowers:
a climbing plant of the bindweed family, widely cultivated for its
trumpet-shaped blue, purple, pink, or white flowers that close toward evening.
Genus: Ipomoea[1]



morningline

morningline
morn·ing
line
(plural morn·ing lines) noun

list of race entrants and
odds: a list of entrants and their
odds for a race, estimated by a bookmaker and posted before betting begins,
usually on the morning of the race[1]



MorningPrayer

MorningPrayer
Morn·ing
Prayer 
noun

Anglican morning service:
the morning service of worship in the Anglican Church[1]



mornings

mornings
morn·ings
[máwrningz] adverb

every morning:
during the morning or every morning (informal)[1]



morningsickness

morningsickness
morn·ing
sick·ness
noun

nausea in pregnant women:
nausea and vomiting experienced by many pregnant women, usually in the morning
and during the early months of pregnancy[1]



morningstar

morningstar
morn·ing
star
noun

planet seen at dawn:
a planet, especially Venus, seen in the eastern sky around dawn[1]



MorningtonIsland

MorningtonIsland
Morn·ing·ton
Is·land
[máwrningtən lənd]

island in the Gulf of
Carpentaria, Australia, largest of the Wellesley group. Population: 1,114
(1996) Area: 1,002 sq km/387 sq mi.[1]



MorningtonPeninsula

MorningtonPeninsula
Morn·ing·ton
Pen·in·su·la [màwrningtən
pə nínsələ]

peninsula in southern
Victoria, Australia, near the city of Melbourne[1]



Moro,Aldo

Moro,Aldo
Mo·ro 
[máwrō], Aldo (1916–1978)

Italian statesman. He was
prime minister of Italy twice (1963–1968 and 1974–1976). In 1978 he was
kidnapped and murdered by the Red Brigades.[1]



morocco

morocco
mo·roc·co 
[mə rókō] or mo·roc·co leath·er
[mə rókō] noun

INDUSTRY goatskin
leather:
a soft leather made from goatskin, used especially for covering books and for
shoes, or any similar leather made in imitation of it from sheepskin or
calfskin
[Mid-17th century. Named for Morocco, where it was first made.][1]



Morocco




Back to definition

Morocco

[1]



Morocco

Morocco



Mo·roc·co 
[mə rókō]
monarchy
in northwestern Africa. Formerly ruled by France and Spain, it became an
independent kingdom in 1956. Language: Arabic. Currency: dirham. Capital:
Rabat. Population: 27,020,000 (1996) Area: 446,550 sq km/172,414 sq mi. Official
name Kingdom of Morocco
—Mo·roc·can, noun,
adjective[1]



moron

moron
mo·ron 
[máw ròn] (plural mo·rons) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (offensive
insult)

2.  PSYCHOLOGY offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody with very significant learning difficulties and
difficulty in carrying out usual social functions (offensive)
[Early
20th century. From Greek mōron, neuter of mōros “unintelligent,
thoughtless.”]
—mo·ron·ic
[mə rónnik, maw
rónnik], adjective

—mo·ron·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mo·ron·ism
[máwrə nìzzəm, máw
ro nìzzəm], noun

—mo·ron·i·ty [mə rónnətee, maw rónnətee],
noun[1]



morose

morose
mo·rose 
[mə rṓss, maw rṓss]
adjective

gloomy:
having a withdrawn gloomy personality
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin morosus “peevish,” from, ultimately, mos
“manner, disposition,” which also produced English moral
.]
—mo·rose·ly,
adverb

—mo·rose·ness,
noun

—mo·ros·i·ty [mə róssətee, maw róssətee],
noun[1]



morph

morph1
morph1  [mawrf]
(plural morphs) noun

element
of language: an element of speech or writing that
represents and expresses one or more morphemes
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of morpheme .][1]



morph

morph3
morph3  [mawrf]
(past morphed, past participle morphed, present
participle morph·ing, 3rd person present singular morphs)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  transform
from one image to another: to transform one graphic
image on screen into another or others, through the use of sophisticated
computer software, or to be transformed in this way

2.  transform
quickly:
to cause something to change its outward appearance completely and
instantaneously, or to undergo this process
[Late 20th century. From metamorphosis .][1]



morph

morph2
morph2  [mawrf]
(plural morphs) noun

variant
form of animal or plant: one of two or more variant
forms of an animal or plant
[Mid-20th century. From Greek
morphē “form.”][1]



morph.

morph.
morph.

1.  Abbreviation
of
morphological

2.  Abbreviation
of
morphology

[1]



-morph

-morph
-morph
suffix

something
that has a particular form, shape, or structure • mesomorph
[From
Greek morphē (see morpho- )]
—-morphic,
suffix

—-morphism,
suffix

—-morphous,
suffix

—-morphy, suffix[1]



morphactin

morphactin
mor·phac·tin
[mawrf áktin] noun

plant
growth inhibitor: a chemical that disrupts various aspects
of plant development and induces dwarfing
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably coined from morph- + active
+ -in .][1]



morphallaxis

morphallaxis
mor·phal·lax·is 
[màwrfə láksiss] noun

regeneration
of body parts: the process whereby an organism
regenerates body parts by the reorganization and transformation of existing
tissue, rather than by the formation of new tissue
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek morphē “form” + allaxis “exchange.”][1]



morpheme

morpheme
mor·pheme 
[máwr fm] (plural mor·phemes)
noun

smallest
unit of speech: the smallest meaningful element of
speech or writing
[Late
19th century. Via French, from Greek morphē “form,” modeled on English phoneme .]
—mor·phem·ic
[mawr fmik], adjective

—mor·phem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



morphemics

morphemics
mor·phem·ics 
[mawr fmiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  morpheme
combination process: the way in which morphemes
combine to form words in a language

2.  study
of morpheme combination: the study and description of
the ways in which morphemes combine in languages

[1]



Morpheus

Morpheus
Mor·phe·us 
[máwrfee əss, máwr
fyss] noun

Greek
god of dreams and sleep: in Greek mythology, the god
of dreams and sleep, and son of Hypnos
[14th
century. From Latin .]
—Mor·phe·an [máwrfee ən], adjective[1]



morphia

morphia
mor·phi·a 
[máwrfee ə] noun

morphine:
morphine (archaic)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Morpheus .][1]



morphine

morphine
mor·phine 
[máwr fn] noun

pain-relieving
drug:
an alkaloid drug derived from opium and used in medicine to relieve severe
pain. Prolonged non-medical use may lead to addiction.
[Early 19th century. Via
French, from Morphée, from Latin Morpheus (see Morpheus ).][1]



morphinism

morphinism
mor·phin·ism 
[máwrfee nìzzəm, máwrfə
nìzzəm] noun

addiction
to morphine: addiction to morphine and the related
health problems of such addiction (dated)
—mor·phin·ist [máwrfeenist, máwrfənist],
noun[1]



morpho

morpho
mor·pho 
[máwrfō] (plural mor·phos) noun

blue
tropical American butterfly: a large tropical American
butterfly with iridescent blue wings. Genus: Morpho
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, from Greek Morphō, an epithet of Aphrodite
.][1]



morpho-

morpho-
morpho-
prefix

form,
shape, structure • morphogenesis
[From Greek morphē, of
unkown origin][1]



morphogen

morphogen
mor·pho·gen 
[máwrfəjən] (plural mor·pho·gens)
noun

substance
important for development of embryo: a
substance produced in an embryo that influences the differentiation and
development of the embryonic cells
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from morpho- + -gen
.][1]



morphogenesis

morphogenesis
mor·pho·gen·e·sis 
[màwrfō jénnəssiss] noun

1.  development
of individual organism: the origin and development
of an organism or of some part of one, as it grows from embryo to adult

2.  development
of species of organism: the development of an
organism or of some part of one, as it changes as a species
[Late
19th century. Coined from morpho- + -genesis .]
—mor·pho·ge·net·ic
[màwrfə jə néttik], adjective

—mor·pho·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mor·pho·gen·ic [màwrfə jénnik], adjective[1]



morphol.

morphol.
morphol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
morphological

2.  Abbreviation
of
morphology

[1]



morphology

morphology
mor·phol·o·gy 
[mawr fólləjee] (plural mor·phol·o·gies)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY structure
of organism: the form and structure of an organism or
of any part of an organism

2.  BIOLOGY study
of structure of organisms: the study of the form and
structure of organisms

3.  LINGUISTICS structure
of words:
the structure of words in a language, including patterns of inflections and
derivation

4.  LINGUISTICS study
of word formation: the study of the structure
of words in a language

5.  structure
of something: the structure of something, or the study
of the structure of something
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from morpho- + -logy .]
—mor·pho·log·ic
[màwrfə lójjik], adjective

—mor·pho·log·i·cal,
adjective

—mor·pho·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mor·phol·o·gist [mawr fólləjist], noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








morphometry

morphometry
mor·phom·e·try 
[mawr fómmətree] noun

external
measurement: the measurement of the outside of
something
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from morpho- + -metry .]
—mor·pho·met·ric
[màwrfə méttrik], adjective

—mor·pho·met·ri·cal·ly
[màwrfə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



morphosis

morphosis
mor·pho·sis 
[mawr fṓssiss] (plural mor·pho·ses
[mawr fṓ sz]) noun

variation
in biological development: a variation in the pattern
of development ( morphogenesis ) of an
organism as a result of changes in the external environment
[Late
17th century. From Greek morphōsis “a shaping,” from, ultimately, morphē
“form.”]
—mor·phot·ic [mawr fóttik], adjective[1]



Morrill,Justin Smith

Morrill,Justin Smith
Mor·rill
[mórril], Justin Smith (1810–1898)

U.S. politician. He
introduced the Tariff Act (1861) and the Land-Grant College Act (1862).[1]



morris

morris
mor·ris 
[máwriss] (plural mor·ris·es) noun

English
folk dance:
a lively English folk dance, traditionally performed by men, usually in white
costumes and using small bells, sticks, and handkerchiefs.
U.K.
term
morris dance
[15th century. From Old
French morois “Moorish,” from More “Moor,” because it is perhaps
of Moorish origin.][1]



Morrischair

Morrischair
Mor·ris
chair
noun

padded
wooden armchair: a light carved wooden armchair with
removable cushions and a reclining back that can be set at varying angles
[Named for William Morris][1]



morrisdance

morrisdance
mor·ris
dance
noun

See
morris
—mor·ris
danc·er, noun

—mor·ris danc·ing, noun[1]



Morris,Gouverneur

Morris,Gouverneur
Mor·ris 
[mórriss], Gouverneur (1752–1816)

U.S. politician. He was a
member of the Continental Congress and a senator (1800–1803). He co-authored
the Constitution (1787) and also spent many years in revolutionary France.[1]



Morris,Lewis

Morris,Lewis
Mor·ris 
[mórriss], Lewis (1726–1798)

American patriot. He was a
signatory of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the half-brother of
Gouverneur Morris.[1]



Morrison,James

Morrison,James
Mor·ris·on
[mórriss’n], James (1962– )

Australian jazz musician. A
performer on several instruments, he is known both for his solo and ensemble
work.[1]



Morrison,Jim

Morrison,Jim
Mor·ris·on
[mórriss’n], Jim (1943–1971)

U.S.
rock singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the Doors and attracted a
cult following after his death.
Full name
Morrison, James Douglas[1]



Morrison,Toni

Morrison,Toni

Mor·ris·on
[mórriss’n], Toni (1931– )
U.S.
writer. Her novels deal with the experience of being an African American. She
received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993.
Pseudonym of
Wofford, Chloe Anthony[1]



Morris,Robert

Morris,Robert
Mor·ris 
[mórriss], Robert (1734–1806)

American patriot and
financier. He was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and
helped to finance the American Revolution.[1]



Morris,William

Morris,William
Mor·ris 
[mórriss], William (1834–1896)

British artist, poet, and
social activist. His decorations and furnishings drew on medieval tradition and
his love of craftsmanship, and laid the foundations for the Arts and Crafts
movement and art nouveau. His poetry included classical translations, some
published in fine editions by Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1890.[1]



morro

morro
mor·ro
[máwrō] (plural mor·ros) noun

rounded
projection of land: a hill or headland with a
rounded outline
[From Spanish][1]



morrow

morrow
mor·row 
[máwrō] noun

1.  next
day:
the day after today or after a particular day (archaic or literary)

2.  following
period of time: the period of time following an event or
occurrence (literary)
[13th century. Variant of
earlier form of morn .][1]



Mors

Mors
Mors 
[mawrz] noun

Roman
god of death: in Roman mythology, the god of death. Greek
equivalent Thanatos
[From Latin, literally
“death”][1]



Morse

Morse


Morse
[mawrs] or Morse code [mawrs] noun
signaling
code of dots and dashes: a system for representing
letters and numbers by signs consisting of one or more short or long signals of
sound or light that are printed out as dots and dashes
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Samuel F. B. Morse .][1]



morsel

morsel
mor·sel 
[máwrs’l] noun (plural mor·sels)

1.  small
piece of food: a small piece of something, especially
of food

2.  small
amount:
a small amount of something
transitive
verb
(past mor·seled or mor·selled, past participle
mor·seled or mor·selled, present participle mor·sel·ing
or mor·sel·ling, 3rd person present singular mor·sels)

divide up: to
divide something into portions
[13th century. From Old
French, “little bite,” from mors “bite,” from, ultimately, the past
participle of Latin mordere “to bite.”][1]



Morse,Samuel F. B.

Morse,Samuel F. B.

Morse
[mawrss], Samuel F. B. (1791–1872)
U.S.
inventor and artist. He invented the electric telegraph (1837) and the Morse
code.
Full name
Morse, Samuel Finley Breese[1]



mortadella

mortadella
mor·ta·del·la 
[màwrtə déllə] (plural mor·ta·del·las)
noun

Italian
sausage:
a smoked, fried, or steamed Italian sausage consisting of pork and beef
flavored with wine, garlic, and pepper
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian, from Latin murtatum “(sausage) seasoned with myrtle berries.”][1]



mortal

mortal
mor·tal 
[máwrt’l] adjective

1.  eventually
dying:
certain to die eventually

2.  human:
relating to human beings

3.  fatal:
causing death • a mortal blow

4.  continuing
until somebody dies: continuing, or intended to
continue, until somebody dies • mortal
combat

5.  of
death:
relating to or accompanying death • in
mortal agony

6.  showing
hatred:
showing great and unrelenting hatred • his
mortal enemy

7.  intense:
intensely felt • mortal fear

8.  conceivable:
being within the bounds of what is imaginable or possible • What
mortal reason could there be for him to leave like that?
adjective
adverb

used for emphasis:
used for emphasis, and sometimes indicating that the speaker is frustrated or
annoyed (dated)
noun
(plural mor·tals)

human being: a
human being, who will eventually die
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French, from Latin mortalis, from,
ultimately, mors “death” (which also produced English mortify ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deadly

[1]



mortality

mortality
mor·tal·i·ty 
[mawr tállətee] noun

1.  certainty
to die:
the state of being certain to die eventually

2.  number
of deaths:
the number of deaths that occur at a given time, in a given group, or from a
given cause

3.  many
deaths:
great loss of life

4.  rate
of failure:
the rate of failure of something, such as businesses or farms

5.  human
beings:
the human race

6.  death:
death (archaic)
[14th century][1]



mortalityrate

mortalityrate
mor·tal·i·ty
rate
noun

ratio of deaths to total
number: the number of deaths in a
particular place or group compared with the total number of residents in that
place or members of that group.
Also called
death rate[1]



mortalitytable

mortalitytable
mor·tal·i·ty
ta·ble
noun

insurance table of life
expectancy: a table listing the life
expectancy and death rate for various ages or occupations and based on
mortality statistics over the course of a number of years.
Also called
life table[1]



mortally

mortally
mor·tal·ly
[máwrtəlee] adverb

1.  fatally:
so badly that death follows

2.  very:
in an extreme or intense way

[1]



mortalsin

mortalsin
mor·tal
sin
noun

CHRISTIANITY
sin bringing damnation:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a sin considered to be so evil that it causes a
complete loss of grace and leads to damnation unless it is absolved.
See also
venial sin[1]



mortar

mortar

mor·tar 
[máwrtər] noun (plural mor·tars)

1.  BUILDING cement,
sand, and water: a mixture of sand, water, and cement or
lime that becomes hard like stone and is used in building to join and hold
bricks and stones together

2.  ARMS cannon:
a cannon with a relatively short and wide barrel, used for firing shells at a
high angle over a short distance. Formerly, mortars were heavy cannons operated
by the artillery, but they are now light guns used by the infantry.

3.  gun
firing a lifeline: a gun for firing something
other than a bullet, for example, a rope to somebody in need of rescue

4.  COOKING bowl
used for grinding: a hard, heavy bowl in which
substances are ground into small pieces or powder by means of a club-shaped
tool ( pestle )

5.  MINING bowl
for crushing ore: a cast-iron bowl in which ore is crushed
transitive verb
(past mor·tared, past participle mor·tared, present
participle mor·tar·ing, 3rd person present singular mor·tars)

1.  ARMS fire
at somebody or something: to fire at somebody or
something with a mortar

2.  BUILDING secure
something with mortar: to hold stones and bricks
together with mortar
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
English mortere and French mortier, “bowl for mixing,” from Latin
mortarium “bowl, substance prepared in it.” In the sense “cannon,” via
French mortier in that sense.][1]



mortarboard

mortarboard

mor·tar·board 
[máwrtər bàwrd] (plural mor·tar·boards)
noun

1.  BUILDING board
for carrying mortar: a square board with a handle
in the center of the underside, used by bricklayers for carrying mortar

2.        EDUCATION academic
hat: a hat often worn on formal
academic occasions, consisting of a round cap with a hard, square, flat top and
usually a tassel[1]



mortgage

mortgage
mort·gage 
[máwrgij] noun (plural mort·gag·es)

1.  loan
agreement for property: an agreement by which
somebody borrows money from an organization and gives that organization the
right to take possession of property given as security if the loan is not
repaid. It is the main means by which people purchase homes.

2.  contract
between borrower and lender: a written contract
describing the agreement between a borrower and a lender by which a loan is
given against security

3.  total
money borrowed: the total amount of money lent to a
borrower by a money-lending organization, with some of the borrower’s property
being given as security

4.  loan
installment to be repaid: the money paid by a
borrower, usually monthly, to a bank or savings-and-loan association until the
entire sum borrowed by a mortgage agreement has been repaid
transitive
verb
(past mort·gaged, past participle mort·gaged, present
participle mort·gag·ing, 3rd person present singular mort·gag·es)

1.  grant
claim to ownership of property: to give a claim to
legal possession of property to a money-lending organization such as a bank or
savings-and-loan association as security for a loan

2.  pledge
riskily:
to pledge something when risk is involved (informal)
[14th
century. From Old French, from mort “dead” + gage “pledge,”
because property pledged as security is lost to a mortgagor who fails to repay
the loan.]
—mort·gage·a·ble, adjective[1]



mortgagee

mortgagee
mort·ga·gee 
[màwrgi j] (plural mort·ga·gees)
noun

lender in mortgage agreement:
an organization that lends money to a borrower by a mortgage agreement[1]



mortgager

mortgager
mort·gag·er
(plural mort·gag·ers) noun

See
mortgagor[1]



mortgagerate

mortgagerate
mort·gage
rate
noun

interest rate on mortgage
loans: the interest rate charged by
lenders on mortgage loans[1]



mortgagor

mortgagor
mort·ga·gor 
[màwrgi jáwr, máwrgijər]
(plural mort·ga·gors) or mort·gag·er [màwrgi jáwr, máwrgijər]
(plural mort·gag·ers) noun

borrower
in mortgage agreement: somebody who borrows money
under a mortgage agreement
[Late 16th century][1]



mortice

mortice
mor·tice 
noun

See
mortise[1]



mortician

mortician
mor·ti·cian 
[mawr tísh’n] (plural mor·ti·cians)
noun

See
undertaker  noun 1
[Late 19th century. Formed
from the stem of Latin mors “death” + English
-ician .][1]



mortification

mortification
mor·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[màwrtəfi káysh’n] (plural mor·ti·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  shame:
deep shame and humiliation

2.  something
causing mortification: something that causes a
feeling of shame and humiliation

3.  RELIGION self-imposed
hardship:
the use of self-imposed discipline, hardship, abstinence from pleasure, and
especially self-inflicted pain in an attempt to control or put an end to
desires and passions, especially for religious purposes

4.  MEDICINE death
and decay of living tissue: the death and decaying of a
part of a living body, for example, because the blood supply to it has been cut
off (archaic)
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French, from late Latin mortificatio(n-) “destruction,” from the
past participle stem of mortificare (see mortify
).][1]



mortify

mortify
mor·ti·fy 
[máwrtə f] (past mor·ti·fied,
past participle mor·ti·fied, present participle mor·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mor·ti·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
shame
somebody:
to make somebody feel ashamed and humiliated

2.  transitive
verb
RELIGION impose
hardship on: to use self-imposed discipline,
hardship, abstinence from pleasure, and especially self-inflicted pain in an
attempt to control or put an end to desires and passions, especially for
religious purposes

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE decay:
to decay and die (archaic) (refers to living tissue)
[14th
century. Via Old French mortifier, from Latin mortificare “kill,”
from the stem of mors “death.” The main modern meaning developed via the
sense “subdue by discipline.”]
—mor·ti·fi·er,
noun

—mor·ti·fy·ing,
adjective

—mor·ti·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



mortise

mortise
mor·tise 
[máwrtiss] or mor·tice [máwrtiss] noun (plural mor·tis·es)
(plural mor·tic·es)

1.  FURNITURE BUILDING hole
cut to hold other part: a hole or slot cut into a
piece of wood, stone, or other material, for a projecting part ( tenon ) to be inserted into it, in order to form a
tight joint

2.  PRINTING hole
in printing plate: a hole cut in a printing
plate to receive type or another plate
transitive
verb
(past mor·tised, past participle mor·tised, present
participle mor·tis·ing, 3rd person present singular mor·tis·es)
(past mor·ticed, past participle mor·ticed, present
participle mor·tic·ing, 3rd person present singular mor·tic·es)

1.  FURNITURE BUILDING cut
mortise in:
to cut a mortise in something

2.  FURNITURE BUILDING join
by mortise and tenon: to join two things or parts
by means of a mortise and tenon

3.  PRINTING cut
hole in printing plate: to cut a hole in a printing
plate
[14th
century. From Old French, probably from Arabic murtaj “locked.”]
—mor·tis·er, noun[1]



mortmain

mortmain
mort·main 
[máwrt màyn] noun

1.  perpetual
ownership of property: the perpetual,
nontransferable, and nonsalable ownership of property by organizations such as
churches

2.  influence
of past on present: the usually stultifying or
stifling influence of the past on current events and living people
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French from medieval Latin mortua manus “dead
hand,” from, ultimately, Latin mortuus “dead” + manus “hand,” as
a metaphor for impersonal ownership.][1]



MortonGrove

MortonGrove
Mor·ton
Grove
[màwrt’n grṓv]

village in northeastern
Illinois, west of Skokie, a northern suburb of Chicago. Population: 22,258
(1996)[1]



Morton,Jelly Roll

Morton,Jelly Roll
Mor·ton
[máwrt’n], Jelly Roll (1885–1941)

U.S.
pianist and composer. He was a major figure in the development of jazz.
Real name
La Menthe, Ferdinand Joseph[1]



Morton,John

Morton,John
Mor·ton
[máwrt’n], John (1724–1777)

American patriot. He was one
of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



Morton,Levi Parsons

Morton,Levi Parsons
Mor·ton
[máwrt’n], Levi Parsons (1824–1920)

U.S. banker and politician.
He served as vice president of the United States under Benjamin Harrison
(1889–1895).[1]



Morton,William Thomas Green

Morton,William Thomas Green
Mor·ton
[máwrt’n], William Thomas Green (1819–1868)

U.S. dentist. He claimed to
be the first to have used ether as an anesthestic (1844).[1]



mortuary

mortuary
mor·tu·ar·y 
[máwrchoo èrree] noun (plural mor·tu·ar·ies)

place
for dead bodies: a room or building in which dead bodies
are kept until they are buried or cremated
adjective

relating
to death:
relating to death or funerals
[14th century. Directly or
via Anglo-Norman, from, ultimately, Latin mortuus “dead,” the past
participle of mori “to die” (source of English moribund ).][1]



mortuaryscience

mortuaryscience
mor·tu·ar·y
sci·ence
noun

care of the dead:
the study and practice of embalming bodies and administering funerals[1]



morula

morula
mor·u·la 
[máwryələ, máwrələ]
(plural mor·u·las or mor·u·lae [máwryəlee]) noun

early
embryonic development: an early stage in the
development of an animal embryo, consisting of a solid ball of cells derived by
cleavage of the fertilized egg ( zygote ).
It precedes the blastocyst.
[Mid-19th
century. From an obsolete sense “growth (or disease causing growths) that
resembles a berry,” because of the segmentation, from modern Latin, “little
mulberry,” from morum “mulberry.”]
—mor·u·lar,
adjective

—mor·u·la·tion [màwryə láysh’n, màwrə
láysh’n], noun[1]



Morwell

Morwell
Mor·well
[máwrwəl]

town in southeastern
Victoria, Australia, a mining and dairy farming center. Population: 13,823
(1996)[1]



MOS

MOS
MOS

1.  Abbreviation
of
metal-oxide semiconductor

2.  Abbreviation
of
military occupational specialty

[1]



mos.

mos.
mos.

Abbreviation of
months[1]



mosaic

mosaic

mo·sa·ic 
[mō záy ik] noun (plural mo·sa·ics)

1.  ARTS picture
made with small colored pieces: a picture or design
made with small pieces of colored material such as glass or tile stuck onto a
surface

2.  ARTS making
of mosaics:
the art of making mosaics

3.  something
consisting of variety of elements: something consisting
of a number of things of different types, forms, or colors

4.  TV light-sensitive
surface in TV camera: a light-sensitive surface on
a television camera tube, consisting of a thin sheet covered by particles that
convert incoming light into an electric charge for scanning by an electron beam

5.  BOTANY viral
plant disease: a plant disease, often caused by a virus,
in which the foliage develops irregular patches of discoloration. Tobacco,
corn, and sugar cane are among the crops that can be seriously affected.

6.  BOTANY plant
discoloration: a pattern of light green or yellowish
mottling on the foliage of a plant, usually caused by a viral infection

7.  GENETICS See chimera  noun 2
transitive verb
(past mo·sa·icked, past participle mo·sa·icked, present
participle mo·sa·ick·ing, 3rd person present singular mo·sa·ics)

decorate with mosaic:
to make something into, or decorate something with, a mosaic
[14th century. Via Old
French, from, ultimately, Latin Musa “Muse,” from the decorations of
medieval shrines dedicated to the Muses.][1]



Mosaic

Mosaic
Mo·sa·ic 
[mō záy ik’l] or Mo·sa·i·cal [mō záy ik’l] adjective

relating
to Moses:
relating to the biblical figure Moses
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French, from, ultimately, Latin Moses “Moses,” from Hebrew Mōšeh
.][1]



mosaicgold

mosaicgold
mo·sa·ic
gold
noun

1.  tin
disulfide:
tin disulfide used in gilding

2.  alloy
resembling gold in appearance: an alloy of copper and
either zinc or tin that looks like gold and is used to decorate such things as
furniture and jewelry

[1]



mosaicism

mosaicism
mo·sa·i·cism 
[mō záy ə sìzzəm] noun

genetically distinct cells
within organism: the occurrence of
genetically distinct cells within tissue or an individual organism[1]



MosaicLaw

MosaicLaw
Mo·sa·ic
Law
noun

Hebrew body of law:
the ancient code of law of the Hebrews, beginning with the Ten Commandments,
believed to have been set down by Moses and contained in the Pentateuch.
Also called
Law of Moses[1]



mosasaur

mosasaur
mo·sa·saur 
[mṓssə sàwr] (plural mo·sa·saurs)
noun

aquatic
dinosaur:
an extinct marine lizard that had a long slender body with limbs resembling
paddles for steering, and a long flexible tail for propulsion. Family:
Mosasauridae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Mosaurus, the genus name, from Latin Mosa, the River
Meuse, where the first remains were found.][1]



moschatel

moschatel
mos·cha·tel 
[mòskə tél, móskə
tèl] (plural mos·cha·tels or mos·cha·tel) noun

yellow-flowered
plant of temperate regions: a low-growing plant found in
moist locations in northern temperate regions and bearing clusters of small
yellowish-green flowers arranged like the faces of a cube. Latin name: Adoxa
moschatellina
Also
called
Good Friday plant
Also
called
muskroot
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, Italian moscato “musk,” from the scent of the
flowers.][1]



Moscow




Back to definition

Moscow

[1]



Moscow

Moscow

Mos·cow 
[móss kō]

1.  capital
city of Russia, located in the west central European part of the country. It
was also the capital of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1991. Population:
8,300,000 (1994)

2.        city
in northwestern Idaho, on the border with Washington, north of Lewiston.
Population: 20,101 (1996)[1]



Moselle

Moselle1
Mo·selle1  [mō
zél] (plural Mo·selles) noun

German white wine:
a light dry to sweet white wine from the Moselle valley in Germany[1]



Moselle

Moselle2
Mo·selle2  [mō
zél]

river in France and Germany.
Length: 515 km/320 mi.[1]



Moses

Moses
Mos·es 
[mṓziz] noun

Hebrew prophet:
in the Bible, a Hebrew prophet and the brother of Aaron who led the Israelites
from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. He is believed to have written down
the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) .[1]



Moses,Grandma

Moses,Grandma

Mos·es 
[mṓziz], Grandma (1860–1961)
U.S.
artist. She is known for her primitivist paintings of U.S. rural life, which
she began in her late seventies.
Real name
Moses, Anna Mary Robertson[1]



MosesLake

MosesLake
Mos·es
Lake
[mziz láyk]

city in Washington, in Grant
County, on the northeastern shore of Moses Lake. Population: 11,235 (1990) Former
name Neppel[1]



mosey

mosey
mo·sey 
[mṓzee] (past mo·seyed, past
participle mo·seyed, present participle mo·sey·ing, 3rd
person present singular mo·seys) intransitive verb

walk
unhurriedly: to walk somewhere at a leisurely
unhurried pace (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening and alteration of Spanish vamos “let’s
go,” or an alteration of dialectal English mose about “to go about in a
purposeless manner.”][1]



mosh

mosh
mosh
[mosh] (past moshed, past
participle moshed, present participle mosh·ing, 3rd
person present singular mosh·es) transitive verb

dance
violently:
to dance to rock music in a frenzied violent way (informal)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably thought to suggest the action.][1]



moshav

moshav
mo·shav 
[mō shv] (plural mo·sha·vim [m shaa vém]) noun

cooperative
farming settlement in Israel: in Israel, a cooperative
settlement consisting of independent small farms, or land farmed by the whole
community with each family having its own house and garden
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Hebrew mōšā “dwelling, colony.”][1]



moshpit

moshpit
mosh
pit
(plural mosh pits) noun

area near stage at rock
concert: an area in front of the
stage at a rock concert where people dance in an unrestrained way (informal)[1]



Moslem

Moslem
Mos·lem 
[mózləm, móssləm]
noun (plural Mos·lems or Mos·lem) adjective

Muslim:
a Muslim (dated offensive)
[Variant][1]



Mosley,Oswald Ernald

Mosley,Oswald Ernald
Mos·ley
[mṓzlee], Sir Oswald Ernald (1896–1980)

British politician. He
founded the British Union of Fascists in 1932.[1]



mosque

mosque


mosque 
[mosk] (plural mosques) noun
Muslim
place of worship: a building in which Muslims worship
[15th century. Via French,
from, ultimately, Arabic masjid “place of worship,” from sajada
“bow down.”][1]



mosquito

mosquito
mos·qui·to 
[mə sktō] (plural mos·qui·toes
or mos·qui·tos) noun

small
slender biting fly: a small slender fly found
worldwide, especially in the tropics, that feeds on the blood of mammals,
including humans, and transmits diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and
dengue. Typically, only females are blood-feeders, the males feeding on plant juices.
Family: Culicidae
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish, “little fly,” from mosca “fly,” from Latin musca .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base, imitative of humming, that is also the
ancestor of English midge .][1]



mosquitocoil

mosquitocoil
mos·qui·to
coil
(plural mos·qui·to coils) noun

mosquito repellent:
incense in the form of a coil that is lit at night to repel mosquitoes[1]



mosquitofern

mosquitofern
mos·qui·to
fern
noun

small floating fern:
a small floating fern that has branched stems with small leaves resembling
scales and is found on freshwater ponds and lakes, especially in warmer
regions. The leaves harbor a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium and the fern is
grown in rice paddies to enhance fertility. Genus: Azolla
Also called
water fern[1]



mosquitofish

mosquitofish
mos·qui·to
fish
noun

mosquito-eating fish:
a small, surface-feeding freshwater fish belonging to the guppy family and
found in the southeastern United States that feeds on mosquito larvae and has
been introduced widely to control mosquitoes. Latin name: Gambusia affinis[1]



mosquitohawk

mosquitohawk
mos·qui·to
hawk
noun

1.  BIRDS See nighthawk  noun 1

2.  INSECTS dragonfly:
a dragonfly (regional)
[“Mosquito” probably because
it feeds on mosquitoes][1]



mosquitonet

mosquitonet
mos·qui·to
net
noun

fine net curtain:
a curtain of fine netting hung over a bed or across a window as a protection
against mosquitoes[1]



moss

moss
moss 
[mawss] (plural moss·es) noun
PLANTS

1.  simple
nonflowering plant: a simple nonflowering plant
( bryophyte ) that has short stems bearing
small spirally arranged leaves resembling scales and inhabits moist shady sites
worldwide. Certain mosses, notably sphagnums, flourish in bogs, where their
remains can accumulate to form peat. Class: Musci

2.  plant
resembling moss: a plant that in some way resembles a
true moss, for example, a variety of seaweed known as Irish moss
[Old English mos
“swamp” (of which moss is the characteristic plant), from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English mire][1]



Mossad

Mossad
Mos·sad 
[màw sd] noun

Israel’s
intelligence service: the intelligence service of
Israel, established in 1951
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew mosad “institution.”][1]



mossagate

mossagate
moss
ag·ate
(plural moss ag·ates) noun

agate with markings
resembling moss: a whitish agate with
dark green patterns resembling moss or ferns in it[1]



mossanimal

mossanimal
moss
an·i·mal
noun

See
bryozoan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mossback

mossback
moss·back 
[máwss bàk] (plural moss·backs
or moss·back) noun

1.  old
turtle, shellfish, or fish: an old turtle, shellfish, or
fish with algae growing on its back

2.  somebody
conservative: somebody who is very old-fashioned or
conservative (insult)

[1]



mossbunker

mossbunker
moss·bunk·er 
[móss bùngkər] (plural moss·bunk·ers)
noun

See
menhaden
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch marsbanker .][1]



mosscampion

mosscampion
moss
cam·pi·on
noun

pink-flowered plant
resembling moss: a plant of the pink
family found in cool alpine regions that forms tufts of leaves resembling moss
and bears solitary pink flowers. Latin name: Silene acaulis[1]



mossgreen

mossgreen
moss
green
adjective

dull
yellowish green: of a dull green color tinged with yellow
—moss green, noun[1]



mossgrown

mossgrown
moss·grown 
[máwss grn] adjective

1.  moss-covered:
covered with moss

2.  old-fashioned:
old-fashioned or out-of-date

[1]



Mossi

Mossi
Mos·si
[máwssee] (plural Mos·si or
Mos·sis) noun
Also
called
Moore

1.  PEOPLES member
of W African people: a member of a people living
in West Africa, especially in Burkina Faso

2.  LANGUAGE Mossi
language:
the language of the Mossi people. It belongs to the Gur branch of Niger-Congo
languages. Mossi is spoken by about six million people.
[Mid-19th century. An African
name.][1]



mosso

mosso
mos·so 
[máwssō] adverb

quickly:
in a quick and lively way (used as a musical direction)
See
also
meno mosso
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, the past participle of muovere “move.”][1]



mosspink

mosspink
moss
pink
noun

spreading flowered plant:
a plant of the pink family native to eastern North America but widely grown
ornamentally that produces spreading mats of tiny leaves and lavender, pink, or
white flowers. Latin name: Phlox subulata[1]



mossrose

mossrose
moss
rose
noun

rose with mossy surface:
a rose with a mossy surface to the calyx and flower stalk, and fragrant pink
flowers. Latin name: Rosa centifolia muscosa[1]



Moss,Stirling

Moss,Stirling
Moss 
[moss], Stirling (1929–1998)

British
racing driver. He was winner of the British Grand Prix (1955, 1957) and the
Mille Miglia (1955). An accident in 1962 ended his career.
Full name
Moss, Stirling Crauford[1]



mossstitch

mossstitch
moss
stitch
noun

alternate knit and purl
stitches: a basic knitting stitch
consisting of alternating knit and purl stitches in one row, then alternating
purl and knit stitches in the next row, producing a regular raised design[1]



mossy

mossy
moss·y 
[máwssee] (comparative moss·i·er,
superlative moss·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with moss:
covered or overgrown with moss

2.  resembling
moss:
similar to moss, for example, in texture or color

3.  old-fashioned:
old-fashioned or out-of-date (informal)
—moss·i·ness, noun[1]



mossyzinc

mossyzinc
moss·y
zinc
noun

grainy-textured zinc:
a form of zinc with a grainy texture made by pouring melted zinc into water[1]



most

most
most 
[mōst] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating nearly all or the majority of the people or
things mentioned • Most people enjoy
watching a good movie. • We’d
finished off most of the work by lunchtime.

1.
adjective pronoun greatest:
greatest in number, amount, extent, or degree • (adjective)
He won the most seats in the election. • (pronoun)
The most I can lend you is 50 dollars.

2.
adverb to the greatest extent:
in or to the greatest extent (used to form the superlative of adjectives and
adverbs) • the
most expensive suit I’d ever bought • It
works most effectively if you heat it gently first.

3.
adverb superlative of “much”:
the superlative of “much” • What I
like most about him is his easygoing attitude.

4.
adverb very: in a
high degree • a
most enjoyable day

5.
adverb almost:
nearly but not entirely • Most
everyone was invited.
[Old
English mæst . Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “big.”]
at
(the) most

at
the maximum • It’ll
take you two hours at the most.

the
most

the
best of all (slang) • That
song is the most!

for
the most part

in
the majority of cases

make
the most of something

to take full advantage of
something[1]



-most

-most
-most
suffix

1.  nearest
to or toward • endmost

2.  most
• nethermost
[Old English -mest,
which was formed from -mo, -ma][1]



Mostaganem

Mostaganem
Mos·ta·ga·nem
[mə stággə nèm]

fishing port on the
Mediterranean Sea coast in northwestern Algeria. Population: 114,037 (1987)[1]



Mostar

Mostar
Mos·tar
[móss taar]

city in Herzegovina, southern
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Population: 126,000 (1991)[1]



mostfavored nation

mostfavored nation
most
fa·vored na·tion noun

nation granted favorable
status by another: a nation
accorded the most favorable trading terms by another nation[1]



mostly

mostly
most·ly 
[mṓstlee] adverb

1.  mainly:
almost entirely • The audience was mostly
made up of younger fans.

2.  usually:
on most occasions • I swim mostly at
weekends.

[1]



MostReverend

MostReverend
Most
Rev·er·end
adjective

title of cardinals and
archbishops: a title given to to
cardinals and archbishops in the Roman Catholic Church and to Anglican
archbishops[1]



mote

mote
mote
[mōt] (plural motes) noun

particle:
a tiny speck or particle
[Old English mot, of
unknown origin][1]



motel

motel
mo·tel 
[mō tél] (plural mo·tels) noun

motorists’
hotel:
a hotel intended to provide short-term lodging for traveling motorists, usually
situated close to a highway and having rooms accessible from the parking area.
Also
called
motor hotel
Also
called
motor inn
[Early 20th century. Blend of
motor and hotel
.][1]



motet

motet
mo·tet 
[mō tét] (plural mo·tets) noun

vocal
composition based on a sacred text: a
vocal composition with parts for different voices, usually based on a sacred
text
[14th century. Via Old French
“little word,” from, ultimately, Latin muttire “to murmur.”][1]



moth

moth

moth 
[mawth] (plural moths) noun
night-flying
insect resembling a butterfly: an insect resembling a
butterfly typically generally differing in having a duller color and
differently shaped antennae, and in being active at night. Order: Lepidoptera
[Old English moþþe, of
uncertain origin][1]



mothball

mothball
moth·ball 
[máwth bàwl] noun (plural moth·balls)

moth-repellent chemical ball:
a small ball of a strong-smelling chemical such as camphor or naphthalene, used
for keeping clothes moths away from clothing and other materials
transitive
verb
(past moth·balled, past participle moth·balled, present
participle moth·ball·ing, 3rd person present singular moth·balls)

1.  put
something off indefinitely: to postpone work or
discussion on something for an indefinite time • We’ll
mothball the expansion plans until we have the financing.

2.  INDUSTRY take a
factory out of operation: to take a factory out of
operation but protect the equipment in it so that it can be used again at some
time in the future

3.  INSURANCE AEROSPACE seal a
craft up for storage: to seal all the openings in
a ship or aircraft in order to protect it from corrosion while it is not in use
in
mothballs

put aside or stored and not
in use[1]



mothbean

mothbean
moth
bean
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE plant
grown to boost soil fertility: a plant of the pea
family grown in tropical regions, especially India, to provide forage, to boost
soil fertility, and for its seeds. It has hairy foliage and small yellow
flowers. Latin name: Phaseolus aconitifolius

2.  FOOD seed
of the moth bean plant: the yellowish-brown seed of
the moth bean plant that is used for food

[1]



moth-eaten

moth-eaten
moth-eat·en 
adjective

1.  eaten
by moth larvae: damaged by clothes moth caterpillars

2.  worn-out:
old and worn-out from use

3.  outdated:
no longer usable or appropriate (informal)

[1]



mother

mother2
moth·er2 [múər]
noun

slimy
mass on a vinegary liquid: a slimy mass of bacteria and
yeast cells that forms on the surface of alcohol being converted into acetic
acid. It is added to wine or cider to make vinegar.
Also
called
mother of vinegar
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably by folk etymology from obsolete Dutch moeder, from
Middle Dutch moeder “female parent,” from its part in the production of
vinegar.][1]



Mother

Mother
Moth·er 
noun

title for a nun:
used as a title or form of address for a senior nun in a religious community[1]



mother

mother1
moth·er1 [múər]
noun (plural moth·ers)

1.  female
parent:
a woman who has a child or a female animal that has produced young

2.  woman
acting as parent: a woman who acts as the parent of a
child to whom she has not given birth

3.  characteristics
of a mother: the qualities or feelings that are
traditionally associated with being a mother • brought
out the mother in her

4.  originator:
a woman regarded as the creator, instigator, or founder of something

5.  origin
of something: the cause, source, or origin of
something • Necessity
is the mother of invention

6.  protector:
something that protects and nourishes like a mother

7.  Moth·er
or moth·er title of respect:
used as a title of respect for a woman past middle age (archaic) (sometimes
considered as offensive)

8.  good
or bad example of something: something very big, good,
bad, or extreme, or particularly noteworthy in some other way (slang) (sometimes
considered offensive) • a real
mother of a headache

9.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to somebody regarded as despicable or
contemptible (taboo offensive)
transitive
verb
(past moth·ered, past participle moth·ered, present
participle moth·er·ing, 3rd person present singular moth·ers)

1.  look
after somebody with care: to look after somebody with
great care and affection, sometimes to an excessive degree

2.  give
birth to a baby: to give birth to and bring up a baby

3.  bring
something about: to give rise to something
[Old
English modor . Ultimately from an Indo-European word with descendants
in most modern European languages, based on the baby-talk form ma, that also
produced English mammal .]
at
your mother’s knee

in
early childhood

every
mother’s son

every man or boy (dated)[1]



motherboard

motherboard

moth·er·board 
[múər bàwrd] (plural moth·er·boards)
noun
main circuit board of a computer:
a circuit board in a minicomputer or microcomputer through which all signals
are directed[1]



MotherCarey’s chicken

MotherCarey’s chicken
Moth·er
Car·ey’s chick·en  (plural Moth·er Car·ey’s
chick·ens) noun

storm
petrel:
a storm petrel (dated)
[Probably a translation and
alteration of medieval Latin mater cara “Virgin Mary”][1]



mothercell

mothercell
moth·er
cell
noun

cell that divides to form
cells: a cell that gives rise to
other cells by cell division[1]



motherchurch

motherchurch
moth·er
church
noun

church controlling other
churches: a church from which other
churches derive their authority[1]



mothercountry

mothercountry
moth·er
coun·try
noun

1.  country
colonists have left: the country of origin of
people who have left to found a colony or colonies elsewhere

2.  country
of birth:
the country that somebody was born and grew up in

[1]



motherfigure

motherfigure
moth·er
fig·ure
noun

somebody resembling mother:
a woman who embodies the qualities traditionally associated with a mother,
especially support, advice, and affection[1]



motherfucker

motherfucker
moth·er·fuck·er 
[múər fùkər] (plural moth·er·fuck·ers)
noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term referring to somebody regarded as despicable or
contemptible (offensive)[1]



MotherGoose

MotherGoose
Moth·er
Goose
noun

supposed author of nursery
rhymes: the supposed author of a
collection of nursery rhymes first published in the 18th century[1]



motherhood

motherhood
moth·er·hood 
[múər hd] noun

1.  state
of being a mother: the status of a mother or
the state of being a mother

2.  qualities
traditionally characteristic of mothers: the
qualities traditionally associated with mothers

[1]



motherhouse

motherhouse
moth·er·house 
[múər hòwss] (plural moth·er·houses
[múər hòwzəz]) noun

original monastery or
convent: a monastery or convent from
which monks or nuns have gone out to found new monasteries and convents[1]



MotherHubbard

MotherHubbard
Moth·er
Hub·bard 
[mùər húbbərd] noun

long
loose dress: a long loose-fitting shapeless dress
[Late 16th century. Named for
a nursery rhyme character who was depicted wearing such a dress.][1]



mother-in-law

mother-in-law
moth·er-in-law 
(plural moth·ers-in-law) noun

spouse’s mother:
the mother of your spouse[1]



mother-in-lawapartment

mother-in-lawapartment
moth·er-in-law
a·part·ment
(plural moth·er-in-law a·part·ments) noun

apartment for a parent:
a small self-contained apartment that is in or attached to a house and is
considered suitable for a parent in later years to live in independently of the
rest of the family.
U.K. term
granny flat[1]



mother-in-law’stongue

mother-in-law’stongue
moth·er-in-law’s
tongue
(plural moth·er-in-law’s tongues) noun

PLANTS See sansevieria
[From its long pointed
leaves][1]



motherland

motherland
moth·er·land 
[múər lànd] (plural moth·er·lands)
noun

country of birth:
the country that somebody was born and grew up in[1]



motherless

motherless
moth·er·less 
[múərləss] adjective

without
a mother:
without a mother or having lost a mother through bereavement
[Old English modorleas][1]



motherlode

motherlode
moth·er
lode
(plural moth·er lodes) noun

1.  MINING main
vein of ore: the main vein of ore in a mine

2.  good
supply:
a plentiful supply of something

[1]



motherly

motherly
moth·er·ly 
[múərlee] adjective

maternal:
having or showing qualities traditionally considered to be typical of a mother,
especially kindness and protectiveness
[Old
English]
—moth·er·li·ness, noun[1]



mother-naked

mother-naked
moth·er-na·ked
adjective

nude:
completely naked[1]



MotherNature

MotherNature
Moth·er
Na·ture
noun

nature personified:
the forces of nature conceived of as a wilful being[1]



Motherof God

Motherof God
Moth·er
of God
noun interjection

title of the mother of Jesus
Christ: a title given to Mary, the
mother of Jesus Christ, especially by Catholics[1]



mother-of-pearl

mother-of-pearl
moth·er-of-pearl 
noun

pearly
inside layer of shells: the hard pearly internal
layer of the shells of some mollusks such as oysters and clams, used, for
example, as a gemstone and as a decorative inlay.
Also
called
nacre
Also
called
pearl
[Early 16th century.
Translation of obsolete French mère perle .][1]



mother-of-thousands

mother-of-thousands
moth·er-of-thou·sands
(plural moth·ers-of-thous·ands or moth·er-of-thous·ands)
noun

trailing plant with many
small flowers: a creeping or trailing
plant that produces masses of small flowers, especially the ivy-leaved toadflax
or the strawberry geranium[1]



motherof vinegar

motherof vinegar
moth·er
of vin·e·gar noun

See
mother 2[1]



mothership

mothership
moth·er
ship
noun

ship servicing smaller ships:
a ship or spaceship that provides services and supplies for a number of other,
usually smaller ships[1]



mothersuperior

mothersuperior
moth·er
su·pe·ri·or
(plural moth·er su·pe·ri·ors or moth·ers su·pe·ri·or)
noun

chief nun:
the head of a convent or community of Christian nuns[1]



mother-to-be

mother-to-be
moth·er-to-be
(plural moth·ers-to-be) noun

pregnant woman:
a woman who is expecting a baby[1]



mothertongue

mothertongue
moth·er
tongue
noun

1.  first
language:
the first language somebody learns as a child at home

2.  original
language:
a language from which other languages have developed

[1]



Motherwell,Robert

Motherwell,Robert
Moth·er·well
[múərwəl, mùər
wèl], Robert (1915–1991)

U.S.
artist. He is known for his brilliantly colored or black-and-white abstract
expressionist paintings.
Full name
Motherwell, Robert Burns[1]



motherwit

motherwit
moth·er
wit
noun

natural intelligence:
natural intelligence or good sense[1]



motherwort

motherwort
moth·er·wort 
[múər wùrt, múər
wàwrt] (plural moth·er·worts or moth·er·wort)
noun

plant
traditionally used in childbirth: a plant of Europe and
Asia with deeply lobed leaves and white or pink purple-spotted flowers that was
traditionally used as a medicinal herb during childbirth. Latin name: Leonarus
cardiaca
[14th century. From obsolete
sense of mother “womb.”][1]



Mother’sDay

Mother’sDay
Moth·er’s
Day 
(plural Moth·er’s Days) noun

day mothers are given cards
and presents: the second Sunday in
May, when people traditionally give cards and presents to their mothers[1]



mothfly

mothfly
moth
fly
noun

tiny insect resembling a
moth: a tiny insect with wings
covered with hairs that resembles an extremely small moth. Family: Psychodidae[1]



mothproof

mothproof
moth·proof 
[máwth prf] adjective

protected
against clothes moths: treated with a substance
designed to prevent damage by clothes moths
transitive
verb
(past moth·proofed, past participle moth·proofed, present
participle moth·proof·ing, 3rd person present singular moth·proofs)

protect
against clothes moths: to treat something such as
clothing with a substance designed to protect it from damage by clothes moths
—moth·proof·er, noun[1]



mothy

mothy
moth·y 
[máwthee] (comparative moth·i·er,
superlative moth·i·est) adjective

1.  damaged
by moths:
damaged by the action of clothes moths

2.  full
of moths:
full of or infested by moths

[1]



motif

motif
mo·tif 
[mō tf] (plural mo·tifs) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE DESIGN repeated
design:
a repeated design, shape, or pattern.
Also
called
motive

2.  CRAFT sewn
or printed decoration: a decorative repetitive
design sewn into or printed on something such as a piece of clothing, or a
single example of the pattern

3.  LITERATURE theme
in a work of literature: an important and sometimes
recurring theme or idea in a work of literature.
Also
called
motive

4.  MUSIC prominent
sequence of notes: a short prominent sequence
of notes forming the basis for development in a piece of music.
Also
called
motto
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, from Old French (see motive ).][1]



motile

motile
mo·tile 
[mṓt’l, mṓ tl]
adjective

capable
of movement: capable of or demonstrating movement by
independent means
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin motus “motion,” from the past participle of movere
“to move.”]
—mo·til·i·ty [mō tíllətee], noun[1]



motion

motion
mo·tion 
[mṓsh’n] noun (plural mo·tions)

1.  act
of moving:
the act or process of moving or the way in which somebody or something moves • walked
with a swaying motion

2.  a
movement:
a movement, action, or gesture • made a
quick motion of the wrist

3.  power
of movement: the power or ability to move something

4.  proposal:
a proposal put forward for discussion at a meeting

5.  LAW application
to a judge or court: an application made to a
court or judge for an order or ruling in a legal proceeding

6.  MUSIC movement
from one note to another: the movement from one note
to the next by a voice or instrument

7.  U.K.
PHYSIOLOGY passing
of solid waste from the body: the passing of solid waste
matter out of the body through the anus

8.  U.K.
PHYSIOLOGY stool:
a piece of evacuated fecal matter (dated) (often used in the plural)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mo·tioned,
past participle mo·tioned, present participle mo·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·tions)

signal to somebody:
to gesture or signal something such as a request or intention to somebody • motioned
me over and told me to sit down
[14th
century. Via Old French, from, ultimately, the past participle of Latin movere
“to move” (source of English move ).]
go
through the motions

to
do something in a perfunctory or mechanical way, without enthusiasm or
commitment

put
or set something in motion

to cause something to start
moving, functioning, or happening[1]



motionless

motionless
mo·tion·less 
[mṓsh’nləss] adjective

still:
not moving
—mo·tion·less·ly,
adverb

—mo·tion·less·ness, noun[1]



motionpicture

motionpicture
mo·tion
pic·ture
noun

movie:
a movie (formal or technical)[1]



motionsickness

motionsickness
mo·tion
sick·ness
noun

sick
feeling caused by movement: a feeling of nausea
resulting from overstimulation of the part of the ear that controls balance,
caused especially by travel in a moving vehicle.
U.K.
term
travel sickness
—mo·tion sick, adjective[1]



motionstudy

motionstudy
mo·tion
stud·y
noun

See
time and motion study[1]



motivate

motivate
mo·ti·vate 
[mṓtə vàyt] (past mo·ti·vat·ed,
past participle mo·ti·vat·ed, present participle mo·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·ti·vates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody an incentive: to give somebody a reason or
incentive to do something

2.  make
somebody willing: to make somebody feel enthusiastic,
interested, and committed to something

3.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody’s behavior: to be the cause or driving
force behind something that somebody does • motivated
purely by greed
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from motive, modeled on
French motiver “to motivate.”]
—mo·ti·va·tor, noun[1]



motivated

motivated
mo·ti·vat·ed
[mṓtə vàytəd] adjective

1.  interested
or enthusiastic: having enough interest or incentive to
do something

2.  having
something as a motive: having something such as an
emotion or a belief as a motive

[1]



motivation

motivation
mo·ti·va·tion 
[mtə váysh’n] (plural mo·ti·va·tions)
noun

1.  giving
of a reason to act: the act of giving somebody a
reason or incentive to do something

2.  enthusiasm:
a feeling of interest or enthusiasm that makes somebody want to do something,
or something that causes such a feeling

3.  reason:
a reason for doing something or behaving in some way

4.  PSYCHOLOGY forces
determining behavior: the biological, emotional,
cognitive, or social forces that activate and direct behavior
—mo·ti·va·tive
[mṓtə vàytiv], adjective

—mo·ti·va·tion·al
[mtə váyshən’l, mtə
váyshnəl], adjective

—mo·ti·va·tion·al·ly [mtə váyshən’lee], adverb[1]



motivationalresearch

motivationalresearch
mo·ti·va·tion·al
re·search
or mo·ti·va·tion re·search noun

study of the motivation of
consumers: the study of the motivation
of consumers in their buying practices, used to plan marketing and sales[1]



motive

motive
mo·tive 
[mṓtiv] noun (plural mo·tives)

1.  reason:
the reason for doing something or behaving in a particular way

2.  ARTS See motif  noun 1
See motif  noun 3
adjective

1.  causing
motion:
capable of causing or producing motion

2.  driving
somebody to do something: tending to make somebody
want or be willing to do something
transitive
verb
(past mo·tived, past participle mo·tived, present
participle mo·tiv·ing, 3rd person present singular mo·tives)

motivate somebody:
to make somebody want or be willing to do something
[14th
century. Via Old French motif, from, ultimately, the past participle of
Latin movere “to move” (source of English mobile
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  motive, incentive, inducement, spur,
  goad
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  that prompts action motive; the
  emotion or intention that an action is driven by, e.g., love, revenge, or
  ambition; incentive; something
  external that inspires extra enthusiasm or effort, often suggesting some kind
  of reward; inducement; something
  external that persuades or attracts somebody to a course of action; spur; something external or internal that
  increases effort or energy without necessarily involving reward; goad; similar to spur but often used
  to suggest that force is used on an unwilling subject

[1]



motivepower

motivepower
mo·tive
pow·er
(plural mo·tive pow·ers) noun

1.  ENGINEERING energy
or a source of energy: the power or energy that
drives a piece of machinery, or the source of that power or energy

2.  motivating
force:
the driving force behind an action or activity

[1]



motivic

motivic
mo·tiv·ic 
[mō tívvik] adjective

of a musical motif:
relating to a musical motif or motifs[1]



motivity

motivity
mo·ti·vi·ty 
[mō tívvətee] noun

power to move:
the power to move or to make something move[1]



motjuste

motjuste
mot
juste 
[m jst] (plural mots justes)
noun

right
word:
exactly the right word or words to express something
[From French][1]



motley

motley
mot·ley 
[móttlee] adjective (comparative
mot·li·er, superlative mot·li·est)

1.  made
up of different types: consisting of people or
things that are very different from one another and do not seem to belong
together

2.  of
varied colors: made up of different colors
noun
(plural mot·lies)

1.  CLOTHES jester’s
costume:
the multicolored clothing worn by medieval jesters

2.  varied
group:
a group of people or things that are very different from one another and do not
seem to belong together
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Anglo-Norman, from earlier English mot “speck”
(source of English mote ).][1]



motmot

motmot
mot·mot 
[mót mòt] (plural mot·mots) noun

tropical
American bird with greenish plumage: a
Central and South American bird with a broad downward-curved bill, long tail,
and usually greenish plumage with a black patch on the chest. Family: Momotidae
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish, of imitative origin.][1]



motocross

motocross
mo·to·cross 
[mṓtō kràwss] (plural mo·to·cross·es)
noun

motorcycle
racing over rough ground: a motorcycle race, or the
sport of racing motorcycles, over a rough course with steep hills, wet or muddy
areas, and turns of varying difficulty
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from moto “motorcycle” + English cross(-country) .][1]



motoneuron

motoneuron
mo·to·neu·ron 
[mtə n ròn] (plural mo·to·neu·rons)
noun

See
motor neuron
[Early
20th century. Coined from motor + neuron .]
—mo·to·neu·ron·al [mtə nrən’l], adjective[1]



motor

motor
mo·tor 
[mṓtər] noun (plural mo·tors)

1.  ENGINEERING machine
that creates motion: a machine that converts
energy into motion and can be used as a power source, for example, to drive
another machine or to move a vehicle

2.  AUTOMOTIVE engine:
the engine of a car or other self-powered vehicle (informal)

3.  U.K.
car:
a vehicle, especially a car, powered by a motor (dated or slang)
adjective

1.  AUTOMOTIVE of
vehicles:
relating to vehicles, especially cars, powered by a motor

2.  AUTOMOTIVE motor
-driven:
powered by a motor

3.  causing
motion:
causing or producing motion

4.  PHYSIOLOGY of
muscle activity: relating to muscle activity, especially
voluntary muscle activity, and the consequent body movements
intransitive
verb
(past mo·tored, past participle mo·tored, present
participle mo·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular mo·tors)

1.  drive
in a car:
to travel by car or some other form of private vehicle, especially for pleasure
(dated)

2.  proceed
smoothly:
to be moving toward an objective, for example, in work, with the desired degree
of speed and momentum (slang) • Now
we’re really motoring!
[15th century. From Latin,
“mover,” from movere “to move” (source of English momentum ).][1]



motorbike

motorbike
mo·tor·bike 
[mṓtər bk] (plural mo·tor·bikes)
noun

1.  light
motorcycle:
a light motorcycle

2.  bicycle
with a motor: a bicycle powered by a small motor

[1]



motorboat

motorboat
mo·tor·boat 
[mṓtər bt] (plural mo·tor·boats)
noun

small
boat with an engine: a small boat powered by an
engine
—mo·tor·boat·er,
noun

—mo·tor·boat·ing, noun[1]



motorbus

motorbus
mo·tor·bus 
[mṓtər bùss] (plural mo·tor·bus·es)
noun

passenger bus:
a passenger bus (dated)[1]



motorcade

motorcade
mo·tor·cade 
[mṓtər kàyd] (plural mo·tor·cades)
noun

parade
of cars:
a procession of cars or other vehicles, especially one forming an escort for
somebody important
[Early 20th century. Coined
from motor + cavalcade
.][1]



motorcar

motorcar
mo·tor·car 
[mṓtər kr] (plural mo·tor·cars)
noun

car:
a car (dated or formal)[1]



motorcaravan

motorcaravan
mo·tor
car·a·van
noun

U.K.
See motor home[1]



motorcortex

motorcortex
mo·tor
cor·tex
noun

part of the brain controlling
voluntary muscles: the region
of the outer surface of the brain ( cortex )
where nervous impulses controlling voluntary muscle activity are initiated. The
motor cortex in the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for
controlling muscles in the left side of the body, and vice versa for the left
hemisphere.[1]



motorcycle

motorcycle

mo·tor·cy·cle 
[mṓtər sk’l] noun (plural mo·tor·cy·cles)
2-wheeled
motor-powered vehicle: a two-wheeled road vehicle
powered by an engine
intransitive
verb
(past mo·tor·cy·cled, past participle mo·tor·cy·cled,
present participle mo·tor·cy·cling, 3rd person present
singular mo·tor·cy·cles)
ride
on a motorcycle: to ride or travel on a motorcycle
—mo·tor·cy·clist, noun[1]



motordrive

motordrive
mo·tor
drive
noun

mechanism for advancing
camera film: a motorized mechanism
to advance film in a camera[1]



motorhome

motorhome
mo·tor
home
noun

motor vehicle with living
facilities: a motor vehicle that has
facilities for cooking, living, and sleeping.
U.K. term
motor caravan[1]



motorhotel

motorhotel
mo·tor
ho·tel
noun

See
motel[1]



motoric

motoric
mo·tor·ic
[mō táwrik] adjective

of
muscle movement: relating to voluntary muscle movement
—mo·tor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



motorinn

motorinn
mo·tor
inn
noun

See
motel[1]



motorist

motorist
mo·tor·ist 
[mṓtərist] (plural mo·tor·ists)
noun

motor vehicle driver:
a driver of a motor vehicle, especially a car[1]



motorize

motorize
mo·tor·ize 
[mṓtə rz] (past mo·tor·ized, past
participle mo·tor·ized, present participle mo·tor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mo·tor·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  fit
something with a motor: to fit something with a
motor

2.  give
troops vehicles: to provide troops with motor vehicles
—mo·tor·i·za·tion [mtəri záysh’n], noun[1]



motorman

motorman
mo·tor·man 
[mṓtərmən] (plural mo·tor·men
[mṓtərmən]) noun

driver of a train or tramcar:
the driver of a streetcar, train locomotive, or subway train[1]



motormouth

motormouth
mo·tor·mouth
[mṓtər mòwth] (plural mo·tor·mouths)
noun

overly talkative person:
somebody who talks too much or too fast (informal insult)[1]



motorneuron

motorneuron
mo·tor
neu·ron
noun

nerve cell conveying messages
to muscles: a nerve cell ( neuron ) that conveys nerve impulses from the
spinal cord or brainstem away from the central nervous system toward a muscle
or gland.
Also called
efferent neuron
Also called
motoneuron[1]



motorneuron disease

motorneuron disease
mo·tor
neu·ron dis·ease noun

disease causing muscle
weakness and wasting: a
progressive degenerative disease involving the motor neurons and causing
weakness and wasting of the muscles[1]



motorpool

motorpool
mo·tor
pool
noun

vehicles kept by organization
for staff: a number of motor vehicles
kept by an organization for use as needed by its personnel.
Also called
car pool[1]



motorracing

motorracing
mo·tor
rac·ing
noun

U.K.
See auto racing[1]



motorrhythm

motorrhythm
mo·tor
rhythm
noun

rhythmic motif at a fast
tempo: a rhythmic motif in a piece
of music maintaining a constant pulse, usually at a fast tempo, for an extended
period[1]



motorsailer

motorsailer
mo·tor
sail·er
noun

motorized sailboat:
a sailboat equipped with a motor[1]



motorscooter

motorscooter
mo·tor
scoot·er
noun

light motorcycle:
a light motorcycle with small wheels, an enclosed engine, and a framework that
includes a protective front plate and support for the rider’s feet.
Also called
scooter[1]



motorship

motorship
mo·tor
ship
noun

engine-driven ship:
a ship powered by an engine[1]



motortorpedo boat

motortorpedo boat
mo·tor
tor·pe·do boat (plural mo·tor tor·pe·do boats)
noun

U.K.
See PT boat[1]



motorunit

motorunit
mo·tor
u·nit
noun

motor neuron plus muscle
fibers: a motor neuron and the
muscle fibers it acts on[1]



motorvehicle

motorvehicle
mo·tor
ve·hi·cle
noun

road vehicle powered by an
engine: a car, truck, or other road
vehicle powered by an engine[1]



motorvoter

motorvoter
mo·tor
vo·ter
noun

1.  voter
registration legislation: legislation that requires a
state to allow citizens to register to vote when applying for or renewing a
driver’s license (informal) (hyphenated when used before a noun)
• motor
voters increasing in number in rural areas

2.  voter
registering when getting a license: a
citizen who registers to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license

[1]



motorway

motorway
mo·tor·way 
[mṓtər wày] (plural mo·tor·ways)
noun

U.K.
superhighway:
in the U.K., a limited-access road usually consisting of three lanes for
vehicles moving in both directions, intended for traveling relatively fast over
long distances[1]



Motown

Motown
Mo·town
[mṓ tòwn] Trademark

a
trademark for a music company based in Detroit whose music, consisting of
elements of pop, soul, and gospel, was especially popular during the 1960s and
1970s
[From the nickname for
Detroit, itself a shortening of Motor Town, from the association of the city
with the auto industry][1]



motte

motte
motte 
[mot] (plural mottes) noun

mound
for building a castle on: a mound on which a castle
was built.
Also
called
moat
[Late 19th century. Via
French, “mound,” from Old French mote (source also of English moat ).][1]



mottle

mottle
mot·tle 
[mótt’l] transitive verb (past
mot·tled, past participle mot·tled, present participle
mot·tling, 3rd person present singular mot·tles)

mark something with different colors:
to mark something with an irregular pattern of patches or spots of different
colors
noun
(plural mot·tles)

1.  irregular
pattern of colors: an irregular pattern of
patches or spots of different colors

2.  patch
of color:
a patch or spot of color that forms part of an irregular pattern
[Late 17th century. Probably
a back-formation from motley .][1]



mottledenamel

mottledenamel
mot·tled
e·nam·el
noun

discolored tooth enamel:
tooth enamel that is mottled as a result of swallowing excessive amounts of
fluoride at the age when teeth harden[1]



Mott,Lucretia

Mott,Lucretia

Mott
[mot], Lucretia (1793–1880)
U.S.
feminist and abolitionist. She ran the American Antislavery Society (1833) and
the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention (1848).
Born
Mott, Lucretia Coffin[1]



motto

motto
mot·to 
[móttō] (plural mot·toes or
mot·tos) noun

1.  rule
to live by:
a short saying that expresses a rule to live by “I heartily accept the motto,
‘That government is best which governs least’; and I should like to see it
acted up to more rapidly and systematically.” Henry David Thoreau Civil
Disobedience 1849

2.  HERALDRY saying
on a coat of arms: a short saying that forms
part of a coat of arms and expresses something about the family or place whose
coat of arms it is

3.  quotation
at beginning of writing: a short quotation at the
beginning of a piece of writing, for example, a book, a chapter of a book, or a
poem, related in some way to its contents

4.  MUSIC See motif  noun 4
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, probably from an assumed Vulgar Latin word meaning “word.”][1]



motuproprio

motuproprio
mo·tu
pro·pri·o
[m too prṓpree ] (plural mo·tu
pro·pri·os) noun

papal
decree:
a decree issued by a pope acting independently and on his own initiative
[From Latin, literally “on
your own initiative”][1]



moue

moue
moue 
[moo] (plural moues) noun

pout:
a look of discontent with the lips pressed together and forward
[Mid-19th century. From
French . Ultimately of Germanic origin.][1]



mouflon

mouflon
mou·flon 
[m flòn] (plural mou·flons) noun

reddish-brown
wild sheep:
a reddish-brown wild sheep belonging to a Sardinian and Corsican breed. The
males have prominent curved horns and a white patch on the back and on the
rump. Latin name: Ovis musimon
[Late 18th century. Via
French, from Italian muflone .][1]



mouillé

mouillé
mouil·lé 
[moo yáy] adjective

PHONETICS with
the tongue against the palate: used to describe a
consonant pronounced with the tongue touching the palate
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of mouiller “to wet, moisten.”][1]



moulage

moulage
mou·lage 
[moo l] (plural mou·lag·es) noun

1.  making
of a cast of something as evidence: the
process of making of a mold or cast of something, for example, a footprint, in
the course of a criminal investigation

2.  mold
or cast:
a mold or cast made in the course of a criminal investigation
[Early 20th century. Via
French, “molding, molded copy,” from, ultimately, Old French mouler “to
mold.”][1]



mould

mould
mould
[mōld] noun intransitive and
transitive verb

U.K. =
mold[1]



moulder

moulder
moul·der 
[mṓldər] intransitive verb noun

U.K. =
molder[1]



moulding

moulding
mould·ing 
[mṓlding] noun

U.K. =
molding[1]



mouldy

mouldy
mould·y 
[mṓldee] adjective

U.K. =
moldy[1]



moulesmarinières

moulesmarinières
moules
ma·ri·nières [ml marə
nyáir] plural noun

a
dish of mussels cooked and served in their shells with a wine sauce
[French][1]



moulin

moulin
mou·lin 
[moo láN] (plural mou·lins) noun

shaft
bored into a glacier by debris: an almost vertical
shaft in a glacier, created by meltwater and debris boring into a crack in the
surface of the ice
[Mid-19th century. Via French
“mill,” from, ultimately, late Latin molinum (source of English mill ).][1]



moult

moult
moult 
[mōlt] intransitive and transitive verb
noun

U.K. =
molt[1]



mound

mound
mound 
[mownd] noun (plural mounds)

1.  small
hill:
a small hill

2.  constructed
pile of something: a pile of earth, stones, or
other material built up for some purpose, for example, to provide shelter,
defense, or concealment

3.  pile
of objects:
a messy heap or pile of objects • a
mound of dirty laundry on the floor

4.  large
amount:
a large amount of something • a
mound of mashed potato

5.  BASEBALL baseball
pitcher’s place: the slightly raised spot on a baseball
diamond where the pitcher plays.
Also
called
pitcher’s mound
transitive
verb
(past mound·ed, past participle mound·ed, present
participle mound·ing, 3rd person present singular mounds)

make something into a mound:
to form something into a mound
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



moundbird

moundbird
mound·bird 
[mównd bùrd] (plural mound·birds)
noun

See
megapode
[Mid-19th century. From its
custom of depositing its eggs in a mound.][1]



mound-builder

mound-builder
mound-build·er
(plural mound-build·ers) noun

See
megapode
[See moundbird][1]



MoundBuilder

MoundBuilder
Mound
Build·er 
(plural Mound Build·ers) noun

Native N American who built
earthworks: a member of an early Native
North American people who built burial mounds and earthwork fortifications in
what is now the Midwest and Southeast of the United States[1]



mount

mount1
mount1 [mownt]
verb (past mount·ed, past participle mount·ed,
present participle mount·ing, 3rd person present singular mounts)

1.  transitive
verb
begin
a course of action: to put into operation a
course of action such as a campaign, rescue, or attack

2.  transitive
verb
organize
an arts production: to organize something such
as an exhibition or production of a play

3.  intransitive
verb
increase:
to become greater, stronger, or more intense • tension
was mounting

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
onto or in something: to get onto an animal or a
form of transportation such as a bicycle

5.  transitive
verb
put
somebody on a form of transportation: to
put somebody onto an animal or a form of transportation such as a bicycle

6.  transitive
verb
get
onto something higher: to get up onto a platform or
other raised position

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb climb:
to climb up something such as stairs or a hill

8.  intransitive
verb
go
up into the air: to move upward into the air

9.  transitive
verb
secure
something to something else: to attach something securely
to something, for example, a picture into a frame, a specimen onto a slide, a
stamp into an album, or an exhibit onto a stand or support

10. transitive
verb
put
something somewhere for use: to put something onto a
support or into a particular position so that it is ready for use • mount
a camera

11. transitive
verb
have
sex with:
to climb onto an animal or person, especially from behind, in order to copulate
(technical or offensive)
noun
(plural mounts)

1.  something
for fixing something in place: something such as a
stand, support, frame, or backing on which or with which something can be
mounted

2.  animal
for riding:
an animal, for example, a horse, used for riding

3.  STAMPS something
for mounting a stamp: an envelope or card on which
to mount a stamp
[13th
century. Via Old French monter “to go up,” from, ultimately, Latin mons
“mountain” (see mountain ).]
—mount·a·ble,
adjective

—mount·er, noun[1]



mount

mount2
mount2 [mownt]
(plural mounts) noun

(often
used in place names)See mountain
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
English mount and Old French mont from Latin mons
“mountain” (see mountain ).][1]



mountain

mountain
moun·tain 
[mównt’n] (plural moun·tains) noun

1.  high
point of land: a high and often rocky area of a land
mass with steep or sloping sides • a
plateau surrounded by mountains

2.  large
pile:
a large pile or heap of something • a
mountain of books

3.  moun·tain
or moun·tains large amount:
a large amount of something (informal) • a
mountain of work

4.  surplus:
a large surplus of a particular commodity (informal) (usually used in
combination) • a butter mountain.

See
also
lake 1
[13th
century. Via Old French montaigne from, ultimately, Latin mont-,
stem of mons . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
project,” which is also the ancestor of English prominent
.]
make
a mountain out of a molehill

treat something that is not
important as if it were[1]



mountainash

mountainash
moun·tain
ash
(plural moun·tain ash·es) noun

shrub with red or orange
berries: a shrub or bush of the rose
family with small white flowers and red or orange berries that is common in the
northern hemisphere. Genus: Sorbus
Also called
rowan[1]



mountainavens

mountainavens
moun·tain
av·ens
noun

white-flowering mountain
shrub: a small trailing plant of
the rose family that grows in temperate mountainous and arctic areas and has
white flowers. Latin name: Dryas octopetala
Also called
avens[1]



mountainbeaver

mountainbeaver
moun·tain
bea·ver
noun

N American rodent:
a large thick-set rodent that lives in colonies made up of extensive burrows in
northwestern North America. Latin name: Aplodontia rufa
Also called
sewellel[1]



mountainbike

mountainbike

moun·tain bike 
(plural moun·tain bikes) noun
bicycle for rough terrain:
a bicycle built for rough terrain with wide fat tires, straight handlebars, a
strong frame, and more gears than a standard bicycle[1]



mountainbluebird

mountainbluebird
moun·tain
blue·bird
(plural moun·tain blue·birds) noun

N American bluebird:
a bluebird of western North America with a bright blue head, back, and wings
and a pale blue breast. Latin name: Sialia currocoides[1]



mountaincat

mountaincat
moun·tain
cat
(plural moun·tain cats) noun

mountain lion:
a mountain lion (regional)[1]



mountainchain

mountainchain
moun·tain
chain
(plural moun·tain chains) noun

range of mountains:
a range of mountains or a string of adjacent mountain peaks[1]



mountaincranberry

mountaincranberry
moun·tain
cran·ber·ry
noun

See
cowberry[1]



mountaindew

mountaindew
moun·tain
dew
noun

(informal) See moonshine  noun 1[1]



mountaineer

mountaineer
moun·tain·eer 
[mòwnt’n r] noun (plural moun·tain·eers)

1.  mountain
climber:
somebody who climbs mountains for sport

2.  mountain
inhabitant:
somebody who lives in a mountainous area
intransitive
verb
(past moun·tain·eered, past participle moun·tain·eered,
present participle moun·tain·eer·ing, 3rd person present
singular moun·tain·eers)

climb mountains:
to climb mountains for sport

[1]



mountaineering

mountaineering
moun·tain·eer·ing 
[mòwnt’n ring] noun

climbing of mountains:
the sport or pastime of climbing mountains[1]



mountaineverlasting

mountaineverlasting
moun·tain
ev·er·last·ing noun

PLANTS
See cat’s-foot[1]



mountaingoat

mountaingoat
moun·tain
goat
(plural moun·tain goats) noun

N American goat:
a large white wild North American goat with a woolly coat that lives above the
timberline in mountains from Alaska to Colorado. Latin name: Oreamnus
americanus
Also called
Rocky Mountain goat[1]



mountaingorilla

mountaingorilla
moun·tain
go·ril·la
(plural moun·tain go·ril·las) noun

African gorilla:
a gorilla that lives in forests in the mountainous regions of east central
Africa. Latin name: Gorilla gorilla beringei[1]



mountainlaurel

mountainlaurel

moun·tain lau·rel
(plural moun·tain lau·rels) noun
N American shrub:
an evergreen shrub of the heath family that grows in eastern North America and
has white or pink flowers and shiny poisonous leaves. It is the state flower of
Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Latin name: Kalmia latifolia
Also called
calico bush[1]



mountainlion

mountainlion
moun·tain
lion
(plural moun·tain li·ons) noun

large
wild cat:
a large wild cat with a light tan coat found in mountainous areas of the
western hemisphere. Latin name: Felis concolor
Also
called
catamount
Also
called
cougar
Also
called
panther
Also
called
puma
U.K.
term
puma





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  Western term mountain lion goes by many
  other names, including California cat, mountain cat, and mountain
  panther . With scattered instances in the East, especially New York,
  Pennsylvania, and Georgia, the mountain lion
  is found most frequently in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states.

[1]



mountainman

mountainman
moun·tain
man
(plural moun·tian men) noun

mountain dweller:
a man who leads a solitary life in the mountains, especially an early North
American pioneer[1]



mountainous

mountainous
moun·tain·ous 
[mównt’nəss] adjective

1.  having
mountains:
characterized by many mountains

2.  very
large:
very large in height, shape, or size • The
ship was battered by mountainous waves.
—moun·tain·ous·ness, noun[1]



mountainpanther

mountainpanther
moun·tain
pan·ther
noun

mountain lion:
a mountain lion (regional)[1]



mountainrange

mountainrange
moun·tain
range
(plural moun·tain rang·es) noun

group of mountains:
a series of adjacent or interconnected mountains forming a distinct group and
usually dating from the same geologic period[1]



mountainrescue

mountainrescue
moun·tain
res·cue
noun

climbers who rescue people
from mountains: an organization of
experienced climbers who go to the aid of people who get into difficulties in a
mountainous place[1]



mountainsheep

mountainsheep
moun·tain
sheep
noun

wild sheep:
any of several kinds of wild sheep that live in mountainous areas, for example,
the bighorn[1]



mountainsickness

mountainsickness
moun·tain
sick·ness
noun

See
altitude sickness[1]



mountainside

mountainside
moun·tain·side 
[mównt’n sd] (plural moun·tain·sides)
noun

side of a mountain:
the sloping side of a mountain[1]



MountainStandard Time

MountainStandard Time
Moun·tain
Stan·dard Time or Moun·tain Time noun

standard time in western N
America: the standard time in the
time zone centered on longitude 105° W, which includes the Rocky Mountains
region of North America. It is seven hours earlier than Universal Coordinated
Time.[1]



mountaintop

mountaintop
moun·tain·top 
[mównt’n tòp] (plural moun·tain·tops)
noun

mountain’s peak:
the summit of a mountain[1]



mountainy

mountainy
moun·tain·y
[mównt’nee] adjective

having many mountains:
having many mountains or forming part of a mountainous area[1]



Mountbatten,Louis

Mountbatten,Louis
Mount·bat·ten
[mownt bátt’n], Louis, 1st Earl Mountbatten
of Burma (1900–1979)

British naval officer and
diplomat. After service in World War II he became the last viceroy of India in
1947. He was killed by an IRA bomb.[1]



MountDesert Island

MountDesert Island
Mount
Des·ert Is·land  [mownt dézzərt
lənd]

island in the Atlantic Ocean
off southeastern Maine. Approximately half of the island is occupied by Acadia
National Park. Area: 285 sq km/110 sq mi.[1]



mountebank

mountebank
moun·te·bank 
[mówntə bàngk] (plural moun·te·banks)
noun (literary)

1.  deceiver:
somebody who deceives other people

2.  fake
healer:
in the past, somebody who sold ineffective medicines in public places
[Late
16th century. From Italian montambanco, from monta in banco
(command) “get up onto the bench,” from the quack’s practice of hocking goods
from a platform.]
—moun·te·bank·er·y, noun[1]



mounted

mounted
mount·ed
[mówntəd] adjective

1.  on
horseback:
riding on a horse • mounted policemen

2.  fixed
in place:
fixed onto something for use or display

[1]



MountGambier

MountGambier
Mount
Gam·bier
[mòwnt gámbee ər]

town in southeastern South
Australia, built on the slopes of an extinct volcano. Population: 22,037 (1996)[1]



Mountie

Mountie
Mount·ie
[mówntee] (plural Mount·ies) or
Mount·y [mówntee] (plural Mount·ies)
noun

Canadian
police officer: a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from mounted .][1]



mounting

mounting
mount·ing 
[mównting] noun (plural mount·ings)

supporting
device:
a support onto which another thing is fixed
adjective

becoming greater:
becoming greater in size, number, or intensity • We
listened to the news with mounting alarm.[1]



mountingblock

mountingblock
mount·ing
block
(plural mount·ing blocks) noun

step for getting on a horse:
a block of stone on which somebody stands to get onto a horse (archaic)[1]



MountIsa

MountIsa
Mount
I·sa
[mòwnt zə]

city in western Queensland,
Australia. Population: 21,751 (1996)[1]



MountLofty Ranges

MountLofty Ranges
Mount
Loft·y Rang·es [mòwnt
lòftee ráynjəz]

range of hills in South
Australia, situated east of Adelaide. It forms part of the Flinders Range.
Length: 320 km/200 mi.[1]



MountRainier National Park

MountRainier National Park
Mount
Rai·nier Na·tion·al Park [mownt
ràynee ər náshənəl prk]

national park in western
Washington State, established in 1899 and centered around Mount Rainier and its
glacier system. Area: 95,349 hectares/235,613 acres.[1]



MountRushmore National Memorial

MountRushmore National Memorial

Mount Rush·more Na·tion·al Me·mo·ri·al
[mownt rùsh mawr nashən’l mə máwree əl]
national memorial in South Dakota,
featuring the heads of four U.S. presidents carved onto the face of Mount
Rushmore, each approximately 20 m/60 ft tall. Area: 517 hectares/1,278 acres.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MountVernon

MountVernon
Mount
Ver·non 
[mownt vúrnən]

city in southeastern New York
State, on the Bronx River. It is a northern suburb of New York City.
Population: 67,112 (1996)[1]



mourn

mourn
mourn 
[mawrn] (past mourned, past
participle mourned, present participle mourn·ing, 3rd
person present singular mourns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
sadness at somebody’s death: to feel and show sadness
because somebody has died • mourning
the loss of his father

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb wear
mourning clothes: to wear mourning clothes or other things
that indicate grief over a death

3.  intransitive
verb
express
sadness at something lost: to feel and show sadness
because something has been lost or no longer exists • She
mourned the loss of her independence.
[Old
English murnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
remember,” which is also the ancestor of English remember
and memory .]
—mourn·er, noun[1]



mournful

mournful
mourn·ful 
[máwrnfəl] adjective

1.  feeling
sad:
expressing or feeling deep sadness • a
youth with a mournful face

2.  causing
sadness:
causing or suggesting deep sadness • a
mournful anniversary
—mourn·ful·ly,
adverb

—mourn·ful·ness, noun[1]



mourning

mourning
mourn·ing 
[máwrning] noun

1.  show
of sadness:
the feeling or showing of deep sadness following the death of somebody • was
still in mourning over the death of her mother

2.  clothing
for somebody who is mourning: clothing of a particular
style, fabric, or color, for example, black in Christian cultures, worn as a
sign of sorrow following somebody’s death • wore
mourning for a year

3.  period
of sadness:
the period during which the death of somebody is mourned • The
family observed a period of 40 days’ mourning.
[Old
English]
—mourn·ing·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Mourning
  Becomes Electra, a play by dramatist Eugene O’Neill ( 1931 ). This 13-act
  drama, lasting six hours, is a somewhat Freudian reworking of the Oresteia
  trilogy by Greek author Aeschylus. Set in New England during the Civil War
  (O’Neill’s equivalent of the Trojan Wars), it portrays Lavinia Brant’s
  attempts to avenge her mother’s infidelity by turning the rest of the family
  against her.

[1]



mourningband

mourningband
mourn·ing
band
(plural mourn·ing bands) noun

black armband:
a band of black cloth worn on the arm as a sign of mourning[1]



mourningcloak

mourningcloak
mourn·ing
cloak
(plural mourn·ing cloaks) noun

ZOOLOGY
butterfly with spotted wings:
a European and North American butterfly with purplish-brown wings that are
spotted and rimmed with bright yellow. Latin name: Nymphalis antiopa
U.K. term
Camberwell beauty[1]



mourningdove

mourningdove

mourn·ing
dove
(plural mourn·ing doves) noun
common
dove:
a common North American dove with grayish-brown feathers, a long pointed tail,
and a mournful call. Latin name: Zenaida macroura
Also
called
turtle dove
[Mourning from the bird’s
mournful call][1]



mouse

mouse1
mouse1 [mowss]

MILITARY
Abbreviation of minimum orbital unmanned satellite of the earth[1]



mouse

mouse2
mouse2 [mowss]
noun (plural mice [mīss])

1.  small
rodent:
a small rodent found all over the world that has a brown or grayish-brown coat
and a long mostly hairless tail. Family: Muridae Cricetidae

2.  coward:
somebody who is thought to be timid or cowardly (insult)

3.  (plural
mous·es or mice) computer
controlling device: a hand-held device for
controlling a computer. A pointer on the screen ( cursor
) is controlled by moving the device, which has one or more pushbuttons that
transmit instructions to the computer.

4.  black
eye:
a dark swelling under the eye that is caused by a blow (dated slang)
intransitive
verb
(past moused, past participle moused, present
participle mous·ing, 3rd person present singular mous·es)

hunt mice: to
hunt for and kill mice
[Old English mūs .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “mouse,” which is also the
ancestor of English muscle and murine .][1]



mousebird

mousebird
mouse·bird
[mówss bùrd] (plural mouse·birds)
noun

See
coly
[Early 19th century. Mouse
from the bird’s soft hairlike plumage.][1]



mousebutton

mousebutton
mouse
but·ton
(plural mouse but·tons) noun

pushbutton on a computer
mouse: a pushbutton, typically one
of two or three, on a computer mouse that transmits instructions to the
computer[1]



mouse-colored

mouse-colored
mouse-col·ored
adjective

COLORS
brownish or grayish:
of a dull nondescript brown or gray color[1]



mouse-colored

mouse-colored
mouse-col·ored
adjective

COLORS
brownish or grayish:
of a dull nondescript brown or gray color[1]



mousedeer

mousedeer
mouse
deer
noun

See
chevrotain
[From the animal’s small size
and its similarity in form to a deer][1]



mouse-ear

mouse-ear
mouse-ear
or mouse-ear chick·weed noun

plant with leaves like mouse
ears: a variety of chickweed or
hawkweed with short hairy leaves resembling mouse ears. Genus: Cerastium[1]



mousemat

mousemat
mouse
mat
(plural mouse mats) or mouse pad (plural mouse
pads) noun

surface for a computer mouse:
a piece of foam-backed material for a computer mouse to move on while being
used[1]



mousepotato

mousepotato
mouse
po·ta·to
noun

somebody
always at a computer: somebody who spends a great
deal of time sitting at a computer (slang)
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on couch potato .][1]



mouser

mouser
mous·er 
[mówssər] (plural mous·ers) noun

animal that catches mice:
a domestic animal such as a dog or cat that catches mice[1]



mousetail

mousetail
mouse·tail
[mówss tàyl] (plural mouse·tails)
noun

temperate flowering plant:
a plant that grows in temperate regions and has long flower spikes resembling
tails. Genus: Myosurus[1]



mousetrap

mousetrap
mouse·trap 
[mówss tràp] noun (plural mouse·traps)

trap
for catching mice: a trap for catching and
often killing mice
transitive
verb
(past mouse·trapped, past participle mouse·trapped,
present participle mouse·trap·ping, 3rd person present singular
mouse·traps)

to trap:
to trap or ensnare somebody by clever deception[1]



mousey

mousey
mous·ey 
adjective

See
mousy[1]



mousing

mousing
mous·ing 
[mówssing] (plural mous·ings) noun

NAUTICAL
securing device:
a cord or bar across the opening of a hook to prevent its load from slipping[1]



moussaka

moussaka
mous·sa·ka 
[moo skə, mssə
k] (plural mous·sa·kas) noun

Greek
eggplant and ground meat dish: a Greek casserole with
alternating layers of eggplant and ground meat in a tomato sauce, topped with a
savory white sauce
[Mid-20th century. Via
Turkish musakka from Arabic musaā .][1]



mousse

mousse
mousse 
[mooss] noun (plural mouss·es)

1.  light
food:
a light rich dish consisting mostly of whipped cream, eggs, or gelatin that is
sweetened to serve as dessert, or flavored with vegetables, meat, or fish

2.  foamy
hair product: a foamy substance used to set or style
hair
transitive
verb
(past moussed, past participle moussed, present
participle mouss·ing, 3rd person present singular mouss·es)

style hair: to
apply mousse to hair in order to style it
[Mid-19th century. From French,
“moss, foam,” of Germanic origin.][1]



mousseline

mousseline
mousse·line 
[moo sln] (plural mousse·lines)
noun

1.  TEXTILES loosely
woven fabric: a loosely woven fine fabric of natural
or synthetic fibers, resembling muslin

2.  CRAFT glass:
a type of delicate blown glass

3.  COOKING See mousseline sauce

4.  COOKING aspic:
an aspic with whipped cream as one of its ingredients
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian mussolina, named for Mosul, a city of Iraq
where the fabric was once manufactured.][1]



mousselinede laine

mousselinede laine
mousse·line
de laine 
[moo sln də láyn] (plural mousse·lines
de laine) noun

wool
muslin:
a thin lightweight woolen fabric, often with a printed pattern
[From French, literally,
“muslin of wool”][1]



mousselinede soie

mousselinede soie
mousse·line
de soie
[moo sln də sw] (plural mousse·lines
de soie) noun

thin
fabric:
a thin plain-woven fabric of rayon or silk
[From French, literally,
“muslin of silk”][1]



mousselinesauce

mousselinesauce
mousse·line
sauce
[m sleen sáwss] (plural mousse·line
sauces) noun

light sauce:
hollandaise sauce to which whisked egg white or whipped cream has been added.
Also called
mousseline[1]



moustache

moustache
mous·tache
[mú stàsh, mə
stásh] (plural mous·taches) noun

U.K.
=
mustache
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian mostaccio, from, ultimately, Greek mustax
“upper lip, moustache.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “chew,”
which is also the ancestor of English masticate
.][1]



Mousterian

Mousterian
Mous·te·ri·an 
[moo stree ən] noun

prehistoric
culture:
a prehistoric culture of the Paleolithic period in Europe, North Africa, and
the Middle East associated with the Neanderthals and marked by the use of flint
tools
[Late 19th century. From
French moustérien, named for Le Moustier, a cave in southwestern
France where remains from this period were discovered.][1]



mousy

mousy
mous·y
[mówssee] (comparative mous·i·er,
superlative mous·i·est) or mous·ey [mówssee] (comparative mous·i·er, superlative
mous·i·est) adjective

1.  dull
brown:
dull brown in color

2.  timid:
shy or uncommunicative, especially boringly or irritatingly so

3.  full
of mice:
overrun with mice

4.  resembling
mouse:
having features that resemble a mouse, for example, big front teeth or a
pointed nose
—mous·i·ly,
adverb

—mous·i·ness, noun[1]



mouth

mouth
mouth 
noun [mowth] (plural mouths
[mowz])

1.  ANATOMY food
and voice organ: in people and animals, the opening in
the head and its surrounding lips, gums, tongue, and teeth, through which food
is taken in and through which sounds come out

2.  ANATOMY face
feature:
the part of the mouth visible to others, including the lips and the opening
between them • She
kissed him on the mouth.

3.  speech
organ:
the mouth regarded as the organ of speech • You
wouldn’t believe some of the things that came out of his mouth.

4.  way
of speaking: a particular way of using language that
other people think is inappropriate or offensive (disapproving) • a
foul mouth

5.  back
talk:
a response that refuses to respond to a question or an order and is impudent or
sarcastic (informal) • All I
got from them was a lot of mouth.

6.  water
junction:
the place where a stream or river enters a sea or lake

7.  opening
in the earth: an opening to a cave, tunnel, mineshaft,
or volcano

8.  container
opening:
the opening of a container such as a jar, tube, or bottle

9.  opening
between parts of a tool: the opening between the two
sides of a device that can be closed to hold something, for example, in a vice
or clamp

10. grimace:
a facial expression that shows displeasure, distaste, or sulkiness (dated)
• She
made a mouth at him and quickly turned away.

11. MUSIC pipe
opening:
the slit in the pipe of a pipe organ

12. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC flute opening:
the hole in a flute that the player blows into
transitive
verb
[mow] (past mouthed, past
participle mouthed, present participle mouth·ing, 3rd
person present singular mouths)

1.  say
something insincerely: to speak or say something in
a loud, affected, or insincere way • How
can you get up there and mouth such clichés?

2.  form
words:
to form words with the tongue and lips without making a sound, usually in order
to prevent being heard or to pretend to speak or sing something

3.  mumble
something:
to say something in an indistinct way

4.  put
something in the mouth: to put and hold something in
the mouth as babies and young animals do

5.  caress
something with the mouth: to touch or caress something
with the mouth

6.  U.K.
train
a horse:
to train a horse to get used to a bit and bridle
[Old
English mūþ . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
project,” which is also the ancestor of English eminent
and mountain .]
a
mouth to feed

somebody
who must be provided for, especially fed

be
all mouth

to
boast about doing something but never actually do it (informal)

down
in the mouth

looking
sad or gloomy (informal)

give
mouth to

to express something in
speech or writing[1]



mouthbreeder

mouthbreeder
mouth·breed·er 
[mówth brdər] (plural mouth·breed·ers)
noun

fish that carries its eggs in
its mouth: a freshwater fish that
carries its eggs and young in its mouth, especially an African fish of the
cichlid family. Genus: Haplochromis Tilapia[1]



-mouthed

-mouthed
-mouthed
suffix

1.  with
a particular kind of mouth • wide-mouthed

2.  speaking
in a particular way • foul-mouthed

[1]



mouthful

mouthful
mouth·ful 
[mówth fl] (plural mouth·fuls)
noun

1.  quantity
of food:
the amount of food that can comfortably be chewed in the mouth at one time

2.  small
amount of food: only a very little amount to eat • You
can’t go all day on a mouthful of food like that.

3.  hard-to-pronounce
word or phrase: a word or phrase that is hard to
pronounce because of its unfamiliar sound combinations • Her
last name’s a mouthful!
say
a mouthful

to say something that is very
meaningful or profound[1]



mouthguard

mouthguard
mouth
guard
noun

protective cover for teeth
and gums: a hard plastic cover that
fits inside somebody’s mouth over the teeth and gums, worn as protection from
injury by people involved in contact sports such as boxing and football.
U.K. term
gumshield[1]



mouthing

mouthing
mouth·ing 
[mówing] (plural mouthings) noun

hypocritical statement:
something said that is hypocritical or meaningless[1]



mouthoff

mouthoff
mouth
off
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  talk
back rudely: to reply rudely and impudently to
somebody

2.  express
forcefully:
to express views loudly and forcefully in a way that annoys others • They
are always mouthing off about controversial issues.

[1]



mouthorgan

mouthorgan
mouth
or·gan
(plural mouth or·gans) noun

See
harmonica[1]



mouthpart

mouthpart
mouth·part 
[mówth prt] (plural mouth·parts)
noun

part of an insect’s mouth:
a body part near the mouth of an insect or other arthropod that it uses to
gather or chew food[1]



mouthpiece

mouthpiece
mouth·piece 
[mówth pss] (plural mouth·pieces)
noun

1.  part
held to the mouth: a part of a musical
instrument, telephone, or other device that is held to or in the mouth

2.  conduit
for views:
a person or publication that expresses the views of an organization • He
is the mouthpiece for big business in this city.

3.  lawyer:
a criminal lawyer (slang)

4.  device
to protect an athlete’s teeth: a rubber or plastic
mold inserted between the teeth to protect them during a sport activity.
U.K.
term
gumshield

[1]



mouth-to-mouth

mouth-to-mouth
mouth-to-mouth
or mouth-to-mouth re·sus·ci·ta·tion noun

revival method:
a method of reviving somebody who is not breathing in which the rescuer places
his or her mouth over the mouth of the person not breathing and inflates the
lungs with air[1]



mouthwash

mouthwash
mouth·wash 
[mówth wàwsh] (plural mouth·wash·es)
noun

gargling solution:
a medicated liquid that is gargled and swished in the mouth to cleanse it and
to freshen the breath[1]



mouthwatering

mouthwatering
mouth·wa·ter·ing
[mówth wàwtəring, mówth
wòttəring] adjective

whetting
the appetite: stimulating the appetite by having a
delicious smell or appearance
—mouth·wa·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



mouthy

mouthy
mouth·y 
[mówee, mówthee]
(comparative mouth·i·er, superlative mouth·i·est) adjective

having
much to say: tending to talk rudely, loudly, or too
much (informal)
—mouth·i·ness, noun[1]



mouton

mouton
mou·ton 
[m tòn] (plural mou·tons) noun

treated
sheepskin:
sheepskin processed to resemble a fur such as seal or beaver
[Mid-20th century. From
French (see mutton ).][1]



movable

movable
mov·a·ble
[mvəb’l] or move·a·ble [mvəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
moved:
able to move or be moved easily

2.  changing
date from year to year: falling on a different date
from year to year
noun
(plural mov·a·bles) (plural move·a·bles)

LAW property:
something that can be easily moved from one place to another, especially
personal property such as an item of furniture (often used in the plural)
—mov·a·bil·i·ty
[mvə bíllətee], noun

—mov·a·ble·ness
[mvəb’lnəss], noun

—mov·a·bly [mvəblee], adverb[1]



movablefeast

movablefeast
mov·a·ble
feast
(plural mov·a·ble feasts) noun

festival on a different day
each year: a religious festival that is
not fixed but falls on a different day from year to year, as does Easter in the
Christian calendar[1]



move

move
move 
[moov] verb (past moved,
past participle moved, present participle mov·ing, 3rd
person present singular moves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
position:
to change position or location, or to change the position or location of
something • Something
moved behind that tree.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
your residence, job, or school: to change your place
of residence, work, or study, or make somebody change • move
to the other side of town

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
action:
to take action, or make somebody act • It’s
due next week so we need to move quickly.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
your view:
to change a view or opinion or cause somebody to do so • She
has moved to a more moderate position.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb improve
or progress: to make progress or start to go in the
desired direction • Finally things have
started moving.

6.  intransitive
verb
associate
with a group: to associate with a particular group • She
moves among the yachting set.

7.  intransitive
verb
propose
action:
to propose formally that something should happen or be done • I
move that the meeting be adjourned.

8.  transitive
verb
stir
somebody’s emotions: to make somebody feel
something, especially tender feelings • Her
performance moved all of us.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOARD GAMES take a turn in a game:
to take a turn in a board game • Did
you move yet?

10. intransitive
and transitive verb sell
something:
to sell well or effectively, or sell something well or effectively • The
souvenir mugs aren’t really moving.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb empty
the bowels:
to empty the bowels
noun
(plural moves)

1.  act
of moving:
an act or instance of moving • One
false move and we’re done for.

2.  step
in series:
an action considered as one of a series • Keep
your rivals guessing what your next move will be.

3.  BOARD GAMES somebody’s
turn to play: somebody’s turn in a board game • It’s
your move.

4.  change
of location: a change of residence or location • I’m
considering a move across town.

5.  maneuver:
a maneuver or particular way of doing something • If
you’re interested in martial arts, I could show you a few moves.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman mover from Latin movere .]
get
a move on

start
doing something right away, or do something faster (informal)

make
a move on somebody

to
proposition somebody sexually (slang)

move
it

to
hurry, or do something quickly (informal)

on
the move

1.  going
from one place to another

2.  busy
doing one thing after another

3.  going
forward, or making progress





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word movere, from which move
  is derived, is also the source of English commotion,
  emotion, mobile, moment,
  motif, motive,
  motor, mutiny,
  promote, and remote.

[1]



movein

movein
move
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
living or working somewhere: to begin living or doing
business in a place

2.  intransitive
verb
get
closer:
to approach closer to somebody or something, especially to make an attack • move
in for the kill

[1]



movein on

movein on
move
in on
transitive verb

1.  intrude
on somebody: to intrude on somebody

2.  attempt
to take control: to attempt to take control of somebody
or something, or take over from somebody • They’re
trying to move in on our station’s share of prime time.

3.  approach
to attack:
to approach closer to somebody or something, especially to make an attack • The
guards are moving in on the intruders.

[1]



moveinto

moveinto
move
into
transitive verb

1.  set
up home:
to begin living in a particular place • move
into a new apartment

2.  start
dealing with something: to begin dealing with
something or doing business in a particular field • The
company is set to move into home banking.

[1]



movement

movement
move·ment 
[mvmənt] noun (plural move·ments)

1.  act
of moving:
an act of changing location or position • an
instrument to detect subtle movements

2.  way
of moving:
the way in which somebody or something moves • the
awkward movement of an injured arm

3.  effort
by many to achieve something: a collective effort by a
large number of people to try to achieve something, especially a political or
social reform • the civil rights
movement

4.  people
organized to effect change: the people who organize
themselves in order to achieve some political or social reform

5.  moving
parts:
the parts of a clock or watch mechanism that drive and regulate it

6.  STOCK EXCHANGE change
in price:
a change in the prices of traded securities • upward
movement before the close of trading

7.  LITERATURE plot
events:
developments in the plot of a literary work • no
movement in the plot for three chapters

8.  ARTS suggested
motion:
the illusion or suggestion of motion in a work of art, for example, a sculpture
or painting

9.  MUSIC section
of musical work: one of several self-contained sections
that make up a large-scale musical work, often differentiated from one another
by different tempos and characters • the
concerto’s third movement

10. MILITARY tactical
change of position: a tactical change in the
position or location of a military unit

11. POETRY rhythm:
the cadence or rhythm of a piece of poetry

12. PHYSIOLOGY act
of emptying bowels: an act of emptying of the
bowels, or the matter emptied.
U.K.
term
motion  noun 7

U.K.
term
motion  noun 8
plural
noun
move·ments

activities and location:
what somebody does and where he or she goes, noted over a period of time • The
accused was asked to describe his movements on the day in question.

[1]



moveon

moveon
move
on
intransitive verb

1.  leave
for elsewhere: to leave a place and go somewhere else • I
think I’ll be moving on.

2.  do
something else: to stop doing or dealing with something
and start doing something else • Let’s
move on to the next item in the agenda.

[1]



moveout

moveout
move
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
relocate:
to leave a place of residence or business, or help somebody do this

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
elsewhere:
to withdraw from a place, or make or help somebody do this • Tell
the platoon to move out, on the double.

[1]



moveover

moveover
move
over
intransitive and transitive verb

move to one side:
to move to one side in order to make room, or to help or make somebody do this
• If you
move over I’ll be able to sit down.[1]



mover

mover
mov·er 
[mvər] (plural mov·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that causes motion: somebody or something
that causes movement or accomplishes something • She’s
the prime mover behind the project.

2.  somebody
with a particular social circle: somebody who
associates with a particular group of people socially • a
mover in high places

3.  moving
company:
a company or individual whose work is to transport the personal property of
households or businesses from one location to another

4.  somebody
who makes a motion: somebody who formally
proposes something during a meeting • Does
the mover of the motion consent to the amendment?

[1]



moversand shakers

moversand shakers
mov·ers
and shak·ers plural noun

influential people:
people in society who are powerful or influential • one
of the industry’s movers and shakers[1]



movie

movie
mov·ie 
[mvee] noun (plural mov·ies)

series of moving pictures on a screen:
a series of real or fictional events recorded by a camera and projected onto a
screen as a sequence of moving pictures, usually with an accompanying
soundtrack.
U.K.
term
film
plural
noun
mov·ies

1.  motion
picture industry: the motion picture industry, treated as
a whole

2.  movie
showing:
the showing of a movie in a theater
[Early 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of moving picture .][1]



moviecamera

moviecamera
mov·ie
cam·er·a
(plural mov·ie cam·er·as) noun

camera for making moving
pictures: a camera that records live
action on film.
U.K. term
cine camera[1]



moviefilm

moviefilm
mov·ie
film
(plural mov·ie films) noun

film for movie cameras:
film for use in a movie camera.
U.K. term
cine film[1]



moviegoer

moviegoer
mov·ie·go·er 
[mvee gr] (plural mov·ie·go·ers)
noun

viewer of movies:
somebody who goes to a theater to see movies.
U.K. term
filmgoer[1]



moviemaker

moviemaker
mov·ie·mak·er 
[mvi màykər] (plural mov·ie·mak·ers)
noun

See
filmmaker[1]



moviestar

moviestar
mov·ie
star
(plural mov·ie stars) noun

popular motion-picture actor
or actress: an extremely popular
motion-picture actor or actress.
U.K. term
film star[1]



Movietone

Movietone
Mov·ie·tone
[mvee tn] Trademark

a trademark for a technique
of adding a soundtrack to a motion picture[1]



moving

moving
mov·ing 
[mving] adjective

1.  making
people feel emotion: making people feel deep
emotions, especially sadness or compassion • After
such a moving speech we were all in tears.

2.  movable:
able to move • moving
parts

3.  in
motion:
in a state of movement (usually used in combination) • slow-moving

4.  caused
by changing places: involved in or caused by a
change of residence or business location

5.  while
driving:
happening while a vehicle is being driven • a
moving violation

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  moving, pathetic, pitiful,
  poignant, touching, heartwarming,
  heartrending
  CORE
  MEANING: arousing
  emotion moving; causing feelings of
  deep sadness or compassion. It can also be used to describe something that
  arouses other strong emotions; pathetic;
  likely to arouse feelings of compassion and pity, often centered on somebody
  who is vulnerable, helpless, or unfortunate; pitiful;
  used in a similar way to pathetic but without necessarily suggesting
  vulnerability or helplessness on the part of the person pitied; poignant; causing strong, often bitter-sweet
  feelings of sadness or regret; touching;
  causing feelings of warmth and tenderness; heartwarming;
  making people feel happy and more positive or optimistic because it involves
  people doing good things or behaving kindly to one another; heartrending; arousing feelings of intense
  sadness or pity, especially because it involves suffering or tragic events

[1]



movingly

movingly
mov·ing·ly
[mvinglee] adverb

touchingly:
in a way that makes people feel deep emotions, especially tender ones • She
spoke movingly about their plight.[1]



movingpavement

movingpavement
mov·ing
pave·ment
noun

U.K.
See moving sidewalk[1]



movingpicture

movingpicture
mov·ing
pic·ture
(plural mov·ing pic·tures) noun

motion picture:
a motion picture (dated)[1]



movingsidewalk

movingsidewalk
mov·ing
side·walk
(plural mov·ing side·walks) noun

conveyor belt for people:
an endless, moving belt on a long, flat, or inclined surface on which
pedestrians are carried forward, typically found in airports.
U.K. term
moving pavement[1]



movingspirit

movingspirit
mov·ing
spir·it
(plural mov·ing spir·its) noun

motivating person:
somebody who works hard to bring something about and inspires others to do the
same • She
was one of the moving spirits behind the campaign.[1]



Moviola

Moviola
Mov·i·o·la
[mvee ṓlə] Trademark

a trademark for a film
editing machine[1]



mow

mow1
mow1 [mō]
(past mowed, past participle mown [mōn] or mowed, present participle
mow·ing, 3rd person present singular mows) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
down tall growth: to cut tall grass, hay, or grain with a
scythe or machine

2.  transitive
verb
cut
grass:
to cut the grass, hay, or grain growing in a particular place • Mow
the front lawn today, please.
[Old English māwan .
From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English meadow and aftermath
.][1]



mow

mow2
mow2 [mō]
(plural mows) noun

1.  storage
place for hay: the part of a barn where hay or grain is
stored when it has been harvested

2.  stored
hay:
a pile of hay or grain, especially in a barn
[Old English mūga, of
unknown origin][1]



Mowat,Oliver

Mowat,Oliver
Mow·at
[mṓ ət, mów ət],
Sir Oliver (1820–1903)

Canadian statesman. He was
prime minister of Ontario (1872–1896).[1]



mowdown

mowdown
mow
down
transitive verb

1.  kill
many people quickly: to kill people quickly and
in large numbers

2.  knock
somebody down: to knock somebody or something down by
force

3.  overwhelm
somebody:
to overwhelm somebody decisively

[1]



mown

mown
mown

Past participle of
mow[1]



MOX

MOX
MOX
[moks] noun

recycled
fuel for nuclear reactors: reactor fuel made from
plutonium that has been separated from spent nuclear fuel by chemical
reprocessing and mixed with natural or depleted uranium
[Blend of mixed and oxide][1]



moxie

moxie
mox·ie 
[móksee] noun

courage:
courage combined with inventiveness (slang dated)
[Mid-20th century. Named for
a brand of soft drink that was originally marketed as a “nerve tonic,” said to
restore virility and intelligence.][1]



Moynihan,Daniel Patrick

Moynihan,Daniel Patrick
Moy·ni·han
[móynəe hàn], Daniel Patrick (1927– )

U.S. academic and politician.
He was ambassador to India (1973–1974), and won a seat in the Senate (1976).[1]



Moz.

Moz.
Moz.

Abbreviation of
Mozambique[1]



Mozambique




Back to definition

Mozambique

[1]



Mozambique

Mozambique



Mo·zam·bique 
[m zəm bk]
republic
in southeastern Africa. It became independent from Portugal in 1975. Language:
Portuguese. Currency: metical. Capital: Maputo. Population: 18,028,000 (1996)
Area: 801,590 sq km/309,496 sq mi. Official name Republic of Mozambique
—Mo·zam·bi·can, noun,
adjective[1]



Mozarab

Mozarab
Moz·ar·ab 
[mō zérrəb] (plural Moz·ar·abs)
noun

Christian
in Moorish Spain: a Christian living in Moorish Spain who
adopted some Arab customs without converting to Islam
[Early
17th century. Via Spanish mozárabe from Arabic musta’rib
“becoming an Arab.”]
—Moz·ar·a·bic, adjective[1]



Mozart,Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart,Wolfgang Amadeus


Mo·zart
[mṓts aart], Wolfgang Amadeus (1756–1791)
Austrian composer. A figure of key
importance in Western music, his compositions, in almost every musical genre,
epitomize the classical style.[1]



mozetta

mozetta
mo·zet·ta 
noun

CHRISTIANITY
See mozzetta[1]



mozzarella

mozzarella
moz·za·rel·la 
[mòtsə réllə] (plural moz·za·rel·las)
noun

white
cheese:
a rubbery white unsalted Italian cheese used in salads, cooking, and especially
on pizza
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “little mozza,” from mozza, type of cheese (literally
“a cut”), from mozzare “to cut off.”][1]



mozzetta

mozzetta
moz·zet·ta 
[mō zéttə, mōt
séttə] or mo·zet·ta [mō zéttə,
mōt séttə] noun

short
cape:
a short hooded cape worn by the pope and other senior Roman Catholic clergymen
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, medieval Latin almutia (also the source of
English amice ), of unknown origin.][1]



mp

mp
mp
or m.p.

1.  Abbreviation
of
melting point

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of mezzo piano

[1]



MP

MP
MP
or M.P.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Member of Parliament

2.  Abbreviation
of
military police

3.  Abbreviation
of
mounted police

[1]



M.P.A.

M.P.A.
M.P.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Professional Accounting

2.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Public Administration

3.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Public Accounting

[1]



M.P.E.

M.P.E.
M.P.E.

Abbreviation of
Master of Public Education[1]



mpg

mpg
mpg
or m.p.g.

Abbreviation of
miles per gallon[1]



mph

mph
mph
or m.p.h.

Abbreviation of
miles per hour[1]



M.Phil.

M.Phil.
M.Phil.

Abbreviation of
Master of Philosophy[1]



M.P.P.

M.P.P.
M.P.P.

Abbreviation of
Member of the Provincial Parliament (of Ontario)[1]



Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga
M·pu·ma·lang·a
[əm pmə láng gə]

province in northeastern
South Africa, bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. Capital: Nelspruit.
Population: 3,007,100 (1995) Area: 78,370 sq km/30,259 mi. Former name
Eastern Transvaal[1]



Mr.

Mr.
Mr. 
[místər] noun

1.  man’s
title:
the customary title of courtesy used before the name or names of a man • Mr.
Smith

2.  job
or function title: a courtesy title used for a
man before the name of his position or function • Mr.
President

3.  descriptive
title:
a humorous title used for a man before a place, name, thing, or description
that he is supposed to typify or represent • He’s
not exactly Mr. Personality, is he?

4.  junior
officer’s title: a title used in addressing an officer in
the navy below the rank of commander, a warrant officer in the army, or a cadet
in a service academy
[15th century. Contraction of
maister, an earlier form of master .][1]



Mr.Big

Mr.Big
Mr.
Big
noun

boss:
a powerful or important man, for example, the chief of a criminal organization
(slang)[1]



MRBM

MRBM
MRBM

Abbreviation of
medium-range ballistic missile[1]



MRCA

MRCA
MRCA

Abbreviation of
multirole combat aircraft[1]



Mr.Clean

Mr.Clean
Mr.
Clean
noun

morally
upright individual: somebody, especially a
public figure, who is seen as being admirably upright, honest, and moral (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Named for
a cleaning solution trademark.][1]



M.R.E.

M.R.E.
M.R.E.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of meal, ready to eat[1]



MRI

MRI
MRI

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of magnetic resonance imaging[1]



mridanga

mridanga
mri·dan·ga 
[mri dúng gə] (plural mri·dan·gas)
or mri·dang [mri dúng] (plural
mri·dangs) or mri·dan·gam [mri
dúng gəm] (plural mri·dan·gams) noun

Indian
drum:
an Indian drum that is shaped like a barrel and is made in various sizes
[Late 19th century. From
Tamil .][1]



mRNA

mRNA
mRNA

Abbreviation of
messenger RNA[1]



Mr.Right

Mr.Right
Mr.
Right
noun

ideal partner:
somebody seen as being a perfect partner for somebody else (informal) • One
day Mr. Right will come along.[1]



Mrs.

Mrs.
Mrs. 
[míssiz] noun

married
woman’s title: a customary title of courtesy for a
married or widowed woman, used before her name or names or those of her husband
• Mrs.
Wright
[Early 17th century.
Contraction of mistress .][1]



Mrs.Grundy

Mrs.Grundy
Mrs.
Grun·dy 
[mìssiz grúndee] noun

conventional
person:
an extremely conventional or rigid person, especially somebody who is about
prescriptive grammatical rules (informal disapproving)
[Late 18th century. Named for
a character in the play Speed the Plough, by Thomas Morton ( 1764–1838
).][1]



MS

MS
MS

1.  Abbreviation
of
mail steamer

2.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Surgery

3.
(on gravestones) Abbreviation of sacred to the memory of

4.  Abbreviation
of
Mississippi

5.  Abbreviation
of
motor ship

6.  Abbreviation
of
multiple sclerosis

[1]



M.S.

M.S.
M.S.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Science
[From Latin Magister
Scientiae][1]



Ms.

Ms.
Ms.
[məz, miz]
noun

1.  woman’s
title:
a customary title of courtesy used before the name or names of a woman without
making a distinction between married and unmarried status • Ms.
Bennett

2.  woman’s
descriptive title: a title used for a woman
before a place, name, thing, or description that she is supposed to typify or
represent • Ms.
Efficiency
[Mid-20th century. Blend of Miss and Mrs.][1]



ms

ms
ms

Abbreviation of
millisecond[1]



ms.

ms.
ms.
ms. MS.

Abbreviation of
manuscript[1]



MSB

MSB
MSB

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of most significant bit[1]



M.Sc.

M.Sc.
M.Sc.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Science
[From Latin Magister
Scientiae][1]



MS-DOS

MS-DOS
MS-DOS 
[èm ess dáwss, èm
ess dóss] Trademark

a trademark for a widely used
computer operating system[1]



msec

msec
msec

Abbreviation of
millisecond[1]



Mses.

Mses.
Mses.


Plural of
Ms.[1]



MSG

MSG
MSG

Abbreviation of
monosodium glutamate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








msg.

msg.
msg.

Abbreviation of
message[1]



Msgr.

Msgr.
Msgr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Monseigneur

2.  Abbreviation
of
Monsignor

[1]



M.Sgt.

M.Sgt.
M.Sgt.

Abbreviation of
Master Sergeant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








MSGT

MSGT
MSGT

Abbreviation of
Master Sergeant[1]



MSH

MSH
MSH

Abbreviation of
melanocyte-stimulating hormone[1]



MSI

MSI
MSI

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of
medium scale integration[1]



M.S.L.

M.S.L.
M.S.L.
or m.s.l.

Abbreviation of
mean sea level[1]



M.S.N.

M.S.N.
M.S.N.

Abbreviation of
Master of Science in Nursing[1]



Ms.Right

Ms.Right
Ms.
Right
noun

ideal partner:
somebody seen as being the perfect romantic partner for somebody else • tired
of waiting for Ms Right to come along[1]



mss.

mss.
mss.
or MSS.

Abbreviation of
manuscripts[1]



MST

MST
MST
or M.S.T.

Abbreviation of
Mountain Standard Time[1]



MSTS

MSTS
MSTS

Abbreviation of
Military Sea Transportation Service[1]



M.S.W.

M.S.W.
M.S.W.

Abbreviation of
Master in Social Work[1]



mt

mt
mt

1.  Abbreviation
of
mount

2.  Abbreviation
of
mountain

3.  Abbreviation
of
Mountain Time

[1]



m.t.

m.t.
m.t.

Abbreviation of
metric ton[1]



mt.

mt.
mt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
megaton

2.  Abbreviation
of
mount

3.  Abbreviation
of
mountain

[1]



Mt.

Mt.
Mt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Mount

2.  Abbreviation
of
Mountain

[1]



Mt

Mt
Mt

1.  Abbreviation
of
Mount

2.  Abbreviation
of
Mountain

[1]



MT

MT
MT

1.  Abbreviation
of
machine translation

2.  Abbreviation
of
megaton

3.  Abbreviation
of
Montana

4.  Abbreviation
of
Mountain Time

[1]



MtaraziWaterfall

MtaraziWaterfall
M·ta·ra·zi
Wa·ter·fall

falls in Zimbabwe, south
eastern Africa, one of the highest in the world. Height: 762 m/2,500 ft.[1]



MTBE

MTBE
MTBE
noun

petrol additive:
a lead-free antiknock gasoline additive. Abbreviation of methyl
tertiary-butyl ethyl[1]



MTBF

MTBF
MTBF

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of mean time between failures[1]



M.Tech.

M.Tech.
M.Tech.
[èm ték]

Abbreviation of
Master of Technology[1]



mtg.

mtg.
mtg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
meeting

2.  Abbreviation
of
mortgage

[1]



mtge.

mtge.
mtge.

Abbreviation of
mortgage[1]



Mtn.

Mtn.
Mtn.

Abbreviation of
mountain[1]



mtn.

mtn.
mtn.

Abbreviation of
mountain[1]



Mt.Rev.

Mt.Rev.
Mt.
Rev.

Abbreviation of
Most Reverend[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mts.

mts.
mts.
or Mts.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mountains

2.  Abbreviation
of
mounts

[1]



MTTR

MTTR
MTTR

MANUFACTURING
Abbreviation of mean time to repair[1]



mu

mu
mu 
[myoo, moo]
noun

Greek
letter:
the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as
“m”
[Late 19th century. From
Greek .][1]



Mubarak,Hosni

Mubarak,Hosni

Mu·bar·ak
[m brək, moo
brək], Hosni (1928– )
Egyptian
statesman. He succeeded Anwar Sadat as president of Egypt in 1981. He continued
Sadat’s foreign policy of peace with Israel while mending strained relations
with the Arab League.
Full name
Mubarak, Muhammad Hosni Said[1]



muc-

muc-
muc-
prefix

See
muco-
[See muco-][1]



much

much
much 
[much] adverb

1.  largely:
used to indicate that something exists or is true to a great extent, intensity,
or degree • She
hasn’t changed much over the years. • It’s
a much more difficult game than the other.

2.  often:
happening often or frequently • I
don’t get out much these days. • Do
you see your children much over the holidays?

3.  nearly:
nearly or practically • One
day is much like the next when you’re ill. • It’s
much the same problem all over again.
adjective
pronoun

large amount: a
large amount or degree • (adjective)
He doesn’t have much free time due to the demands of work.
• (pronoun)
Much remains to be done. • (pronoun)
She does much of her writing at home.
pronoun

impressive:
something impressive, important, or unusual • The
house isn’t much to look at, but it’s very comfortable.
[13th
century. Shortening of Old English mycel . Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “great,” which is also the ancestor of English major and mickle
.]
as
much

precisely
that • I
wasn’t surprised when she said she’d taken the money, as I’d suspected as much
from the start.

(as)
much as

although,
or even though • As much as I’d like to
join you, I’m afraid I can’t.

much
as

to
almost the same degree, or in a similar manner • You
cook it much as you would a potato.

not
much of a

not particularly good at
something or not a very good example of something • It
wasn’t much of a celebration, was it?[1]



muchacha

muchacha
mu·cha·cha 
[moo ch ch] (plural mu·cha·chas)
noun

girl:
a girl (offensive in some contexts)
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, the feminine of muchacho .][1]



muchacho

muchacho
mu·cha·cho 
[moo ch ch] (plural mu·cha·chos)
noun

boy:
a boy (offensive in some contexts)
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish .][1]



muchness

muchness
much·ness 
[múchnəss] noun

great
quantity:
greatness in quantity, extent, or degree (archaic)
much
of a muchness

amounting to or being
practically the same (informal)[1]



muci-

muci-
muci-
prefix

See
muco-[1]



mucicacid

mucicacid
mu·cic
ac·id
[myssik ássid] noun

organic acid:
a colorless crystalline solid obtained from lactose. It is used in the
manufacture of other chemicals. C4H4(OH)4(COOH)2[1]



muciferous

muciferous
mu·cif·er·ous 
[myoo síffərəss] adjective

relating to mucus:
producing or containing a lot of mucus[1]



mucigen

mucigen
mu·ci·gen 
[myssəjən] (plural mu·ci·gens)
noun

mucin precursor:
a substance in mucous cells that is converted into mucin[1]



mucilage

mucilage
mu·ci·lage 
[myssəlij] (plural mu·ci·lages)
noun

1.  glue:
a thick water-based solution used as an adhesive

2.  sticky
plant product: a gummy substance secreted by some
plants such as seaweed that contains protein and carbohydrates
[14th century. Via French
from late Latin mucillago “moldy juice,” from Latin mucus (see mucus ).][1]



mucilaginous

mucilaginous
mu·ci·lag·i·nous 
[myssə lájjənəss] adjective

1.  producing
mucilage:
relating to or producing mucilage

2.  moist
and sticky:
moist and sticky like glue
—mu·ci·lag·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—mu·ci·lag·i·nous·ness,
noun[1]



mucin

mucin
mu·cin 
[myssin] (plural mu·cins) noun

complex
protein:
a complex protein found in the substances secreted by mucous membranes
—mu·cin·ous, adjective[1]



muck

muck
muck 
[muk] noun

1.  sticky
dirt:
soft moist dirt or filth (informal)

2.  manure:
moist manure or compost, especially when used to fertilize land

3.  U.K.
rubbish:
something that is distasteful, disgusting, or of very poor quality (informal)
• don’t
know how they can publish such muck

4.  mine
waste:
waste material from mining, for example, earth or rubble
transitive
verb
(past mucked, past participle mucked, present
participle muck·ing, 3rd person present singular mucks)

1.  fertilize
land:
to fertilize land with manure or compost (informal)

2.  clean
out a place: to clean the muck out of a place such as
a stable or barn

3.  make
something dirty: to pollute something or make something
dirty (informal)
[13th century. From
Scandinavian, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “soft.”
Originally “excrement”; the more general “dirt” is a 14th century development.][1]



muckamuck

muckamuck
muck·a·muck 
(plural muck·a·mucks) noun

(informal) See high-muck-a-muck[1]



muckaround

muckaround
muck
around
intransitive verb

U.K.
waste time:
to waste time instead of doing something useful or important (informal)
• We’d
get this job finished sooner if you two stopped mucking around.[1]



mucker

mucker
muck·er
[múkər] (plural muck·ers) noun

waste remover:
somebody whose job is to remove rocky mine waste[1]



muckluck

muckluck
muck·luck
(plural muck·lucks) noun

CLOTHES
See mukluk[1]



muckrake

muckrake
muck·rake 
[múk ràyk] intransitive verb (past
muck·raked, past participle muck·raked, present
participle muck·rak·ing, 3rd person present singular muck·rakes)

expose
scandal:
to seek out and publicize misconduct by prominent people
noun
(plural muck·rakes)

rake
for manure:
a rake used to spread manure or compost
[Late
17th century. From muck + rake .]
—muck·rak·er,
noun

—muck·rak·ing, noun[1]



muckup

muckup
muck
up
transitive verb

damage something:
to ruin or make a mess of something (informal) • She’s
really mucked up her chances now.[1]



muckworm

muckworm
muck·worm 
[múk wùrm] (plural muck·worms)
noun

insect larva:
an insect larva that lives in mud or manure[1]



mucky

mucky
muck·y
[múkee] (comparative muck·ier,
superlative muck·i·est) adjective

filthy:
very dirty or covered with muck (informal)
—muck·i·ly,
adverb

—muck·i·ness, noun[1]



mucocutaneous

mucocutaneous
mu·co·cu·ta·ne·ous 
[mykō kyoo táynee əss] adjective

relating to skin and mucous
membrane: involving both skin and
mucous membrane[1]



mucoid

mucoid
mu·coid 
[my kòyd] (plural mu·coids) or
mu·coid·al [my kòyd’l] adjective

like mucus:
resembling mucus in appearance, consistency, or function[1]



mucolytic

mucolytic
mu·co·lyt·ic 
[mykə líttik] adjective

breaking down substances
containing mucus: able to break down
substances that contain mucus[1]



mucopeptide

mucopeptide
mu·co·pep·tide 
[mykō pép td] (plural mu·co·pep·tides)
noun

See
peptidoglycan[1]



mucopolysaccharide

mucopolysaccharide
mu·co·pol·y·sac·cha·ride 
[mykō pollee sákə rd] (plural mu·co·pol·y·sac·cha·rides)
noun

polysaccharide containing an
amino group: a polysaccharide that
forms complexes with proteins and contains an amino group[1]



mucoprotein

mucoprotein
mu·co·pro·tein 
[mykō prṓ tn] (plural mu·co·pro·teins)
noun

protein-containing substance:
a complex protein that is found in body fluids and tissues[1]



mucopurulent

mucopurulent
mu·co·pu·ru·lent 
[mykō pyrələnt] adjective

containing mucus and pus:
containing both mucus and pus[1]



mucosa

mucosa
mu·co·sa 
[myoo kṓssə] (plural mu·co·sae
[myoo kṓssee]) noun

See
mucous membrane
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin (membrana) mucosa “mucous membrane,” from the feminine of
Latin mucosus (see mucous ).][1]



mucous

mucous
mu·cous 
[mykəss] adjective

involving
mucus:
containing, secreting, resembling, or covered with mucus
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
mucosus, from mucus (see mucus
).][1]



mucousmembrane

mucousmembrane
mu·cous
mem·brane
(plural mu·cous mem·branes) noun

moist passage lining:
a moist lining in the body passages of all mammals that contains
mucus-secreting cells and is open directly or indirectly to the external
environment.
Also called
mucosa[1]



mucoviscidosis

mucoviscidosis
mu·co·vis·ci·do·sis 
[mykō vissi dṓssiss] noun

See
cystic fibrosis
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from viscid .][1]



mucro

mucro
mu·cro 
[my kr] (plural mu·cros) noun

point:
a sharp point projecting from an organ or plant part
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “sharp point, sword.”][1]



mucronate

mucronate
mu·cro·nate 
[mykrə nàyt] or mu·cro·nat·ed
[mykrə nàytəd] adjective

BOTANY ZOOLOGY ending in a point:
ending in a sharp point
—mu·cro·na·tion [mykrə náysh’n], noun[1]



mucus

mucus
mu·cus 
[mykəss] noun

slimy
secretion:
the clear slimy lubricating substance consisting mostly of mucins and water
that coats and protects mucous membranes
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “slimy,” which is also the
ancestor of English meek and moist .][1]



mud

mud
mud 
[mud] (plural muds) noun

1.  wet
dirt:
earth that is very wet, soft, and gummy

2.  defamatory
material:
defamatory things said or written about somebody
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Low German mudde .]
(as)
clear as mud

not
clear or understandable at all (informal)

sling
or throw mud at

make defamatory statements
about somebody or something (informal)[1]



mudbath

mudbath
mud·bath
[múd bàth] (plural mud·baths [múd bàths, múd bàz])
noun

1.  beauty
treatment:
a bath in heated mud, thought to tone the skin and organs

2.  activity
in a muddy place: something such as a football game that
takes place outdoors in very muddy conditions (informal)

[1]



mudboat

mudboat
mud·boat
(plural mud·boats) noun

Midwestern
U.S.
flat-bottomed
skiff:
a flat-bottomed skiff propelled by means of a pole





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  mud boat is also called stone boat, mud skid, mud
  sled, and mud wagon . Primarily, an Ohio usage, the term recurs
  with diminished frequency to the west, in Indiana and Illinois.

[1]



mudcat

mudcat
mud·cat
[múd kàt] (plural mud·cats) noun

Southern U.S.
catfish:
a catfish[1]



muddauber

muddauber
mud
daub·er
(plural mud daub·ers) noun

See
mud wasp[1]



muddle

muddle
mud·dle 
[múdd’l] verb (past mud·dled,
past participle mud·dled, present participle mud·dling,
3rd person present singular mud·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
mix
things together in disorder: to mix things together in a
confused or disordered way • The disks
have been carefully filed, so don’t muddle them.

2.  transitive
verb
confuse
things:
to confuse things in the mind (often passive) • They
look so much alike that it’s easy to muddle them up.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb confuse
or be confused: to be confused or bemused or to cause
somebody to be so • Tell me again slowly
–you’re muddling me.

4.  transitive
verb
make
water muddy: to make water muddy and unclear by
stirring it

5.  transitive
verb
stir
an alcoholic beverage gently: to mix or stir an alcoholic
drink
noun
(plural mud·dles)

1.  confused
state:
something that is in such a confused condition that it is hard to organize or
understand • How
did our records get into such a muddle?

2.  mix-up:
a misunderstanding arising from or causing a confused situation or state • There’s
been a muddle over the bookings.
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Middle Dutch moddelen “to make
muddy,” from modde “mud.”]
—mud·dler,
noun

—mud·dly, adjective[1]



muddled

muddled
mud·dled
[múdd’ld] adjective

confused:
being in a condition of disorder or confusion[1]



muddleheaded

muddleheaded
mud·dle·head·ed
[mùdd’l héddəd] adjective

1.  confused:
unable to think clearly

2.  inept:
not clearly thought out
—mud·dle·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—mud·dle·head·ed·ness,
noun[1]



muddlethrough

muddlethrough
muddle
through
intransitive verb

succeed despite a lack of
organization: to succeed or manage to
keep going despite being disorganized • I
expect we’ll muddle through somehow.[1]



muddy

muddy
mud·dy 
[múddee] adjective (comparative
mud·di·er, superlative mud·di·est)

1.  marked
with mud:
full of, covered in, or dirtied with mud

2.  resembling
mud:
like mud in being cloudy or thick

3.  lacking
clarity:
lacking clarity, brightness, or transparency • a
muddy color

4.  confused:
hard to understand or lacking in logical reasoning
transitive
verb
(past mud·died, past participle mud·died, present
participle mud·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular mud·dies)

1.  make
something muddy: to make something muddy

2.  make
something unclear: to make something confused
and unclear
—mud·di·ly,
adverb

—mud·di·ness, noun[1]



mudeel

mudeel
mud
eel
(plural mud eels) noun

U.S.
salamander:
a salamander of the southeastern United States that has two short front legs,
no hind legs, and external gills. Latin name: Siren lacertina
[Mud because the salamander
lives in muddy water][1]



mudfish

mudfish
mud·fish 
[múd fìsh] (plural mud·fish or
mud·fish·es) noun

fish living in muddy waters:
a fish that lives in muddy waters, especially the bowfin[1]



mudflap

mudflap
mud
flap
(plural mud flaps) noun

U.K.
See splashguard[1]



mudflat

mudflat
mud·flat
[múd flàt] (plural mud·flats) or
mud flat [múd flàt] (plural mud
flats) noun

muddy beach:
an area of low muddy land that is underwater only at high tide, especially one
near an estuary[1]



mudflow

mudflow
mud·flow 
[múd fl] (plural mud·flows) noun

flowing mud:
a fast-moving downhill flow of mud and soil loosened by rainfall or melting
snow[1]



mudguard

mudguard
mud·guard 
[múd grd] (plural mud·guards)
noun

1.  See
splashguard

2.  U.K.
See fender

[1]



mudhen

mudhen
mud
hen
(plural mud hens) noun

marsh bird:
a bird that lives in marshes and low wetlands, for example, the coot or rail[1]



mudminnow

mudminnow
mud
min·now
(plural mud min·nows) noun

fish used as bait:
a small North American freshwater fish that can survive in muddy
oxygen-deficient water and is often used as bait. Family: Umbridae[1]



mudpack

mudpack
mud·pack
[múd pàk] (plural mud·packs) noun

facial treatment:
a beauty treatment for the face made of fuller’s earth and additives that is
allowed to dry before being removed[1]



mudpie

mudpie
mud
pie
(plural mud pies) noun

child’s cake of mud:
a mass of mud shaped by children as a game[1]



mudpuppy

mudpuppy
mud
pup·py
[múd pùppee] or mud·pup·py [múd pùppee] (plural mud·pup·pies) noun

large N American salamander:
an eastern North American salamander that lives on muddy banks and has dark red
external gills. Genus: Necturus[1]



mudra

mudra
mu·dra 
[mə dr] (plural mu·dras) noun

hand
position:
any of the various symbolic positions in which the hands are held in Indian
dancing and ritual
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit mudrā “seal, sign.”][1]



mudroom

mudroom
mud·room 
[múd rm, múd
rm] (plural mud·rooms) noun

room for removing dirty
clothing: a small room near the
entrance of a house where people remove muddy or wet shoes and clothing[1]



mudsill

mudsill
mud·sill 
[múd sìl] (plural mud·sills) noun

low sill:
the lowest sill or horizontal support of a building, at or below ground level[1]



mudskipper

mudskipper
mud·skip·per 
[múd skìppər] (plural mud·skip·pers)
noun

crawling fish:
an Asian or African tropical fish of the goby family that can maneuver on land
or climb roots on its pectoral fins to feed. Genera: Periophthalmus Bolepphthalmus[1]



mudslide

mudslide
mud·slide 
[múd sld] (plural mud·slides)
noun

flow of mud:
a slow-moving and often destructive mass of mud flowing down a slope[1]



mudslinging

mudslinging
mud·sling·ing
[múd slìnging] noun

defaming
of an opponent: the making of defamatory remarks about
somebody, especially a political opponent or other competitor • The
level of debate in this election has seldom risen above petty mudslinging.
—mud·sling·er, noun[1]



mudsnake

mudsnake
mud
snake
(plural mud snakes) noun

nonpoisonous N American
snake: a burrowing snake of the
southeastern United States that is related to the grass snake and is dark blue
and red in color. Latin name: Farancia abacura[1]



mudstone

mudstone
mud·stone 
[múd stn] noun

rock resembling shale:
a gray sedimentary rock formed from mud, similar to shale but with less
developed lamination[1]



mudturtle

mudturtle
mud
tur·tle
(plural mud tur·tles) noun

small American turtle:
a small North and Central American freshwater turtle that lives at the bottom
of muddy ponds and streams. Genus: Kinosternon[1]



mudvolcano

mudvolcano
mud
vol·ca·no
noun

mud mound:
a conical mound of mud that forms around a hot spring or geyser[1]



mudwasp

mudwasp
mud
wasp
(plural mud wasps) noun

wasp that builds nests with
mud: a wasp that builds
multicellular nests with mud. Family: Sphecidae
Also called
mud dauber
U.K. term
mud dauber[1]



Mudéjar

Mudéjar
Mu·dé·jar 
[moo dé hr, moo
é khr] noun (plural Mu·dé·ja·res [moo dé h rayss])

Spanish
Moor:
a Moor who was allowed to stay in a part of Spain after it had been recaptured
by the Christians
adjective

of
the Spanish Moors: belonging to the Mudéjares,
especially their style of architecture
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from Arabic mudajjan, the past participle of dajjana “to
permit to stay.”][1]



Muenster

Muenster
Muen·ster 
[múnstər, mnstər]
(plural Muen·sters) or muen·ster [múnstər, mnstər]
(plural muen·sters) or Mun·ster [múnstər, mnstər]
(plural Mun·sters) or mun·ster [múnstər, mnstər]
(plural mun·sters) noun

mild
cheese:
a white to yellow semisoft mildly flavored cheese that typically has an orange
edible rind
[Early 20th century. Named
for the town of Munster in northeastern France, known for production of
this cheese.][1]



muesli

muesli
mues·li 
[myzlee] (plural mues·lis) noun

breakfast
food:
an originally Swiss mixture of cereal flakes and rolled oats with dried fruit
and nuts, eaten with milk for breakfast
[Mid-20th century. From Swiss
German, literally “little purée,” from German Mus “purée.”][1]



muezzin

muezzin
mu·ez·zin 
[myoo ézzin, my
əzin, moo ézzin] (plural mu·ez·zins)
noun

man
who calls Muslims to prayer: a mosque official who calls
Muslims to prayer from a minaret five times a day
[Late 16th century. From a
dialect variant of Arabic mu’aḏḏin, active participle of “aḏḏana”
“to call to prayer,” from “uḏn” “ear.”][1]



muff

muff1
muff1 [muf]
(plural muffs) noun

1.  CLOTHES furry
cylinder:
an open-ended cylinder of fur or cloth used for keeping hands warm, one hand
going in at each end

2.  BIRDS fowl
feathers:
either of the tufts of feathers on each side of the face of some fowl
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch mof, a shortening of Middle Dutch moffel, from medieval
Latin muffula “glove,” of unknown origin.][1]



muff

muff2
muff2 [muf]
transitive verb (past muffed, past participle muffed,
present participle muff·ing, 3rd person present singular muffs)

1.  fail
to catch something: to fail to catch a ball or
make a shot • He
got right under the ball and still muffed it.

2.  do
something badly: to do something badly or awkwardly • The
play got off to a bad start when the actors muffed the opening lines.
noun
(plural muffs)

failed action:
a badly performed catch, shot, or action
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



muffin

muffin
muf·fin 
[múffin] (plural muf·fins) noun

1.  small
cake:
a small round cake for one person made from a thick batter and often containing
fruit or nuts, eaten at breakfast or for a snack

2.  U.K.
See English muffin
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German muffen, plural of muffe “small
cake.”][1]



muffle

muffle1
muf·fle1 [múff’l]
transitive verb (past muf·fled, past participle muf·fled,
present participle muf·fling, 3rd person present singular muf·fles)

1.  wrap
something to stifle sound: to wrap or pad something
with material in order to deaden the sound it makes

2.  make
something less loud: to make a sound less loud • He
put his hands over his ears to muffle the noise of the sirens.

3.  prevent
something being expressed: to prevent something from
being said or written • a
government that sought to muffle all opposition

4.  keep
somebody warm: to wrap somebody or a part of somebody’s
body in a garment or cloth for warmth • She
muffled herself up in a thick shawl.
noun
(plural muf·fles)

1.  something
muffling a sound: something used to muffle a sound.
Also
called
muffler

2.  type
of kiln:
a kiln in which objects being fired are protected from direct contact with the
flames
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via Old French moufler from, ultimately, medieval
Latin muffula “glove,” of unknown origin.][1]



muffle

muffle2
muf·fle2 [múff’l]
(plural muf·fles) noun

upper
lip:
the moist fleshy hairless upper lip of some rodents and ruminants
[Early 17th century. From
French mufle, of unknown origin.][1]



muffled

muffled
muf·fled
[múff’ld] adjective

1.  not
heard clearly: unable to be heard clearly because of
being deadened or stifled • There
was a muffled cheer from the back of the audience.

2.  wrapped
to stifle sound: wrapped or padded with material in order
to deaden the sound it is making • The
soldiers in the funeral procession marched to the beat of muffled drums.
[Late 16th century. Formed
from muffle 1 .][1]



muffler

muffler
muf·fler 
[múfflər] (plural muf·flers) noun

1.  scarf:
a scarf worn around the neck for warmth

2.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand car part:
a device attached to a car’s exhaust pipe to reduce the amount of noise made by
the engine

3.  See
muffle 1 noun 1
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from muffle 1 .][1]



Mufti

Mufti
Muf·ti
[múftee, mftee]
(plural Muf·tis) noun

Islamic
jurist:
an expert on Islamic religious law
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic muftī, past participle of aftā “to decide a legal point.”][1]



mufti

mufti
muf·ti
[múftee] noun

civilian
clothes:
ordinary clothes when worn by somebody who is normally in uniform
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a humorous use of Mufti
“Muslim jurist.”][1]



mug

mug1
mug1 [mug]
(past mugged, past participle mugged, present
participle mug·ging, 3rd person present singular mugs,
plural mugs) noun

1.  drinking
cup:
a large round straight-sided cup typically made of earthenware and having a
handle

2.  contents
of a mug:
what a mug has in it, or the amount of liquid it can hold • a
mug of hot soup.
Also
called
mugful
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Scandinavian .][1]



mug

mug2
mug2 [mug]
noun (plural mugs)

1.  somebody’s
face:
somebody’s face or mouth (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
violent
man:
a rough and violent man

3.  mug
shot:
a photograph of a suspected criminal’s face (informal)

4.  U.K.
unintelligent
person:
somebody who is unintelligent or easily deceived (slang)
verb
(past mugged, past participle mugged, present
participle mug·ging, 3rd person present singular mug)

1.  transitive
verb
rob
somebody:
to attack and rob somebody, especially a pedestrian in a public place

2.  transitive
verb
photograph
suspected criminal: to photograph a criminal or
suspect in a crime

3.  intransitive
verb
make
faces:
to make exaggerated facial expressions when performing or posing for a camera • The
actors were playing it for laughs, mugging in every scene.

[1]



Mugabe,Robert

Mugabe,Robert

Mu·ga·be
[m gbee], Robert (1924– )
Zimbabwean
politician. After leading the struggle against the white government of
Rhodesia, he became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe (1980–1987) and then
president (1987–). Abandoning attempts to form a one-party state, he held
multiparty elections in 1990.
Full name
Mugabe, Robert Gabriel[1]



mugful

mugful
mug·ful
[múg fool] (plural mugfuls) noun

See
mug 1 noun
2[1]



mugger

mugger1
mug·ger1 [múggər]
(plural mug·gers) noun

1.  attacker:
somebody who attacks and robs another in a public place

2.  somebody
who overacts: somebody who overacts, especially by
making faces

[1]



mugger

mugger2
mug·ger2 [múggər]
(plural mug·gers [múggər]) or
mug·gar [múggər] (plural mug·gars)
or mug·gur [múggər] (plural
mug·gurs) noun

Indian
crocodile:
a freshwater crocodile of India and Sri Lanka. Latin name: Crocodylus
palustris
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
magar .][1]



mugging

mugging
mug·ging 
[múgging] noun

crime
of robbery:
the crime of attacking and robbing somebody

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at theft

[1]



muggy

muggy
mug·gy 
[múggee] (comparative mug·gi·er,
superlative mug·gi·est) adjective

very
humid:
unpleasantly hot and humid
[Mid-18th
century. Ultimately from the obsolete and dialect form mug “to rain
lightly,” of Scandinavian origin.]
—mug·gi·ly,
adverb

—mug·gi·ness, noun[1]



Mughal

Mughal
Mu·ghal 
noun

HISTORY
See Mogul[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








mugshot

mugshot
mug
shot
[múg shòt] (plural mug shots) or
mug·shot [múg shòt] (plural mug·shots)
noun

photo of a face:
a photograph of somebody’s face, especially one of a suspected criminal’s face
or profile taken by police[1]



mugwort

mugwort
mug·wort 
[múg wùrt, múg
wàwrt] noun

plant
with green flowers: an herbaceous perennial
wormwood that grows in temperate regions in the northern hemisphere and has
aromatic leaves and small pale green flowers. Latin name: Artemisia vulgaris
[Old English mucgwyrt,
from earlier forms of midge + wort][1]



Mugwump

Mugwump
Mug·wump 
(plural Mug·wumps) noun

wayward
Republican:
a U. S. Republican who refused to support the party’s candidates in the 1884
presidential election.
[Late 19th century. From mugwump .][1]



mugwump

mugwump
mug·wump 
[múg wùmp] (plural mug·wumps) noun

independent
person:
somebody who takes an independent or neutral stance, especially in politics
[Mid-19th
century. From Massachusett mugquomp “war leader.”]
—mug·wump·er·y,
noun

—mug·wump·ish,
adjective

—mug·wump·ism, noun[1]



Muhammad

Muhammad
Mu·ham·mad 
[mə hámmid] or Mo·ham·med [mə hámmid] (570?–632)

Arabian founder of Islam.
According to Islamic tradition he received his first command from Allah in 610.
In 628 he made Mecca the religious capital of Islam. He recorded his visions and
teachings in the Koran.[1]



Muhammad,Elijah

Muhammad,Elijah
Mu·ham·mad 
[mə hámmid], Elijah (1897–1975)

U.S.
political activist. He was leader of the Nation of Islam group (1934–1975).
Born
Poole, Elijah[1]



Muharram

Muharram
Mu·har·ram 
[moo hérrəm] or Mo·har·ram [moo hérrəm] noun

Islamic
1st month:
the first month of the Islamic calendar, made up of 30 days and falling around
the same time as September to October
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic muḥarram “inviolable,” the past participle of ḥarrama “to
forbid.”][1]



MuirGlacier

MuirGlacier
Muir
Gla·cier

glacier in southeastern
Alaska. It reaches the sea at Glacier Bay.[1]



Muir,John

Muir,John
Muir
[myoor], John (1838–1914)

Scottish-born U.S. naturalist
and explorer. He helped establish Yosemite, King’s Canyon, and Sequoia national
parks in the U.S.[1]



mujaheddin

mujaheddin
mu·ja·hed·din 
[m jaahə dn, mjəhə
dn] or mu·ja·he·deen [m jaahə
dn, mjəhə dn] or mu·ja·hi·deen
[m jaahə dn, mjəhə
dn] or mu·ja·hi·din [m jaahə
dn, mjəhə dn] plural noun

Islamic
guerrillas:
Islamic guerrillas based in Iran and Pakistan who fought holy war ( jihad ) against the Soviet forces occupying
Afghanistan in the late 1970s and the 1980s
[Mid-20th century. From
Persian or Arabic mujāhidīn, the plural of mujāhid “one who
fights a jihad.”][1]



mukluk

mukluk
muk·luk 
[múk lùk] (plural muk·luks) or
muck·luck [múk lùk] (plural muck·lucks)
noun

1.  large
boot:
a waterproof boot made of animal skin or canvas that is large enough to be worn
over shoes or several pairs of socks

2.  Inuit
sealskin boot: a sealskin boot originally worn by the
Inuit
[Mid-19th century. From Yupik
maklak “bearded seal,” misunderstood as meaning “sealskin” and then used
as the name of the boot made of this material.][1]



mulatto

mulatto
mu·lat·to 
[m láttō, m
ltō] (plural mu·lat·tos or mu·lat·toes) noun
(dated offensive)

1.  offensive
term referring to parents’ races: an offensive term for
somebody who has one black and one Caucasian parent

2.  referring
to ancestors’ races: an offensive term for
somebody who has both black and Caucasian ancestors
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish mulato “young mule,” from mulo “mule,” from Latin mulus
(source of English mule ).][1]



mulberry

mulberry

mul·ber·ry 
[múl bèrree] noun (plural mul·ber·ries)

1.  TREES tree
with edible purple fruit: a deciduous tree that grows
in temperate regions with purplish edible fruit and leaves that are fed to
silkworms. Genus: Morus

2.  purple
fruit:
the fruit of the mulberry

3.  COLORS purple
color:
a dark purple color with a tinge of red or gray.
Also
called
murrey
adjective

COLORS of
dark purple: of a dark purple color tinged with red
or gray
[Old English mōrberie,
from mōr-, from Latin morum “mulberry,” + berry][1]



mulch

mulch
mulch 
[múlch] noun (plural mulch·es)

soil
covering:
a protective covering of organic material laid over the soil around plants to
prevent erosion, retain moisture, and sometimes enrich the soil
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mulched,
past participle mulched, present participle mulch·ing,
3rd person present singular mulch·es)

cover
soil with mulch: to cover soil with mulch • mulch
with newspaper
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English melsc “soft”; ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “soft,” which is also the ancestor of English melt and mollify
.][1]



mulct

mulct
mulct 
[mulkt] transitive verb (past mulct·ed,
past participle mulct·ed, present participle mulct·ing,
3rd person present singular mulcts) (archaic)

1.  fine
somebody:
to fine somebody as a penalty

2.  cheat
somebody:
to cheat somebody out of something
noun
(plural mulcts)

penalty: a
fine or penalty (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin mulctare,
from mulcta “fine.”][1]



mule

mule1
mule1 [myool]
(plural mules) noun

1.  cross
between a horse and donkey: the offspring of a female
horse and a male donkey

2.  hybrid
plant or animal: the sterile offspring of two closely
related species of animal or plant

3.  stubborn
person:
somebody who is very stubborn (informal)

4.  drug
courier:
somebody who transports illegal drugs for a dealer (slang)

5.  spinning
machine:
a machine that draws and spins cotton fibers into yarn and winds it onto
spindles.
Also
called
spinning mule
[Old English mūl, of
uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately via Latin mulus from a pre-Latin
language of the Mediterranean][1]



mule

mule2
mule2 [myool]
(plural mules) noun

shoe:
a backless slipper or shoe
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin mulleus (calceus) “reddish-purple (shoe).” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “having dark color,” which is also the ancestor of
English mullet and melano- .][1]



muledeer

muledeer
mule
deer
noun

large N American deer:
a large deer of western North America that has a grayish-brown coat, some white
underparts, a black tail, and long ears. Latin name: Odocoileus hemionus[1]



muleskinner

muleskinner
mule·skin·ner 
[myl skìnnər] (plural mule·skin·ners)
noun

muleteer:
a muleteer (informal)[1]



muleta

muleta
mu·le·ta 
[moo láytə, moo
léttə] (plural mu·le·tas) noun

matador’s
short cape:
a short red cape attached to a stick that a matador uses instead of the full
cape in the final stages of a bullfight
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, a diminutive of mula “female mule,” from, ultimately, Latin mulus
“mule” (see mule 1 ).][1]



muleteer

muleteer
mu·le·teer 
[mylə tr] (plural mu·le·teers)
noun

mule
driver:
somebody whose occupation is driving mules
[Mid-16th century. From
French muletier, from mulet, a diminutive of Old French mul
“mule,” from Latin mulus (see mule 1 ).][1]



muley

muley
mu·ley 
[mllee, mlee,
mylee] adjective

hornless:
having no horns
noun
(plural mu·leys)

hornless
animal:
an animal that does not have horns
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Irish maol or Welsh moel “bald”;
ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut,” which is also the
ancestor of English mite .][1]



Mulhacen

Mulhacen
Mul·ha·cen 
[mla tháyn]

the highest peak on the
Spanish mainland, situated in the Sierra Nevada, about 32 km/20 mi southeast of
Granada. Height: 3,478 m/11,411 ft.[1]



Mulhouse

Mulhouse
Mul·house 
[mə lz]

industrial city in Haut-Rhin
Department, Alsace Region, northeastern France. Population: 108,357 (1990)[1]



muliebrity

muliebrity
mu·li·eb·ri·ty 
[mylee ébbrətee] noun (literary)

1.  being
a woman:
the condition of being a woman

2.  conventionally
womanly qualities: the qualities conventionally
associated with women
[Late 16th century. From
Latin muliebritas, from, ultimately, mulier “woman.”][1]



mulish

mulish
mul·ish 
[mylish] adjective

stubborn:
obstinate and unwilling to cooperate or listen to suggestions
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from mule 1 .]
—mul·ish·ly,
adverb

—mul·ish·ness, noun[1]



mull

mull4
mull4 [mul]
noun

humus:
nonacidic humus on a forest floor that eventually integrates into the soil
beneath it
[Early 20th century. From
Danish muld “mold.”][1]



mull

mull1
mull1 [mul]
(plural mulls) noun

period
of careful deliberation: a period of deep thought
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete and dialect mull “to pulverize”;
ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to crush,” which is also the
ancestor of English meal .][1]



mull

mull3
mull3 [mul]
noun

muslin:
soft cotton muslin used in dresses
[Late 17th century.
Shortening of Hindi malmal .][1]



mull

mull2
mull2 [mul]
(past mulled, past participle mulled, present
participle mull·ing, 3rd person present singular mulls)
transitive verb

heat
and flavor a drink: to heat, sweeten, and flavor
wine, beer, or cider
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



mullah

mullah
mul·lah 
[múllə, mlə]
(plural mul·lahs) noun

1.  Muslim
scholar:
in Iran and Central Asia, a Muslim cleric who specializes in the interpretation
of Islamic religious law

2.  man’s
title:
used in Iran and Central Asia as a term of respect for a Muslim man who is
thought to be very wise
[Early 17th century. Via
Persian or Urdu mullā from, ultimately, Arabic mawlā .][1]



mullein

mullein
mul·lein 
[múllin] noun

flowering
plant:
a tall plant that grows in Europe and Asia and has spikes of yellow, lavender,
or white flowers and hairy leaves. Genus: Verbascum
Also
called
flannel leaf
Also
called
velvet plant
[15th century. From Old
French moleine, of uncertain origin: perhaps from a prehistoric Celtic
word meaning “yellow.”][1]



muller

muller
mul·ler 
[múllər] (plural mul·lers) noun

grinding
implement:
a heavy smooth object made of stone, metal, wood, or glass, used for grinding
paints or drugs on a flat surface
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Anglo-Norman moldre “to grind,” from,
ultimately, Latin molere (see molar
).][1]



mullet

mullet
mul·let 
[múllət] noun

(plural
mul·lets or mul·let) edible
fish:
an edible spiny small-mouthed fish that lives in fresh water or salt water and
is found all over the world. Family: Mugilidae Mullidae
[15th century. From Old
French mulet, from mul, from Latin mullus “red mullet,”
from Greek mullos “a sea-fish.”][1]



mulligan

mulligan
mul·li·gan 
[múlligən] (plural mul·li·gans)
noun

retaken
golf shot:
a shot that, against the rules, a golfer allows an opponent to take again
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the name Mulligan .][1]



mulliganstew

mulliganstew
mul·li·gan
stew
(plural mul·li·gan stews) noun

improvised
stew:
a stew made from whatever suitable ingredients are at hand
[Mulligan of uncertain
origin: probably from the name Mulligan][1]



mulligatawny

mulligatawny
mul·li·ga·taw·ny 
[mùlligə táwnee] (plural mul·li·ga·taw·nies)
noun

spicy
soup:
a spicy meat and vegetable soup originally from eastern India
[Late 18th century. From
Tamil miḷaku-taṇṇi, literally “pepper-water.”][1]



Mulliken,Robert Sanderson

Mulliken,Robert Sanderson
Mul·li·ken
[múllikən], Robert Sanderson (1896–1986)

U.S. chemist. He won a Nobel
Prize in chemistry (1966) for his molecular studies. He helped develop the
atomic bomb during World War II.[1]



mullion

mullion
mul·lion 
[múllyən] (plural mul·lions) noun

vertical
window divider: a vertical piece of stone, metal, or
wood that divides the panes of a window or the panels of a screen
[Mid-16th
century. Variant (through the exchange of letters) of obsolete monial
“mullion,” from Anglo-Norman moinel, literally “middle (part),” from moien
“in the middle, median.”]
—mul·lioned, adjective[1]



Mullis,Kary B.

Mullis,Kary B.
Mul·lis
[múlliss], Kary B. (1944– )

U.S. biochemist. He won a
Nobel Prize in chemistry (1993) for developing a polymerase chain reaction.[1]



mullite

mullite
mul·lite
[mú lt] noun

colorless
mineral:
a colorless mineral consisting of crystalline aluminum silicate, able to
withstand corrosion and very high temperatures
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Mull Mull, name of an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the coast
of Scotland, where the mineral was first identified + -ite
.][1]



mullover

mullover
mull
over
intransitive and transitive verb

think about something:
to consider something thoroughly[1]



Mulroney,Brian

Mulroney,Brian
Mul·ro·ney
[mul rnee], Brian (1939– )

Canadian
statesman. As leader of the Progressive Party he was prime minister of Canada
from 1984 to 1993.
Full name
Mulroney, Martin Brian[1]



mult-

mult-
mult-
prefix

See
multi-[1]



Multan

Multan
Mul·tan 
[ml tn] or Multān [ml tn]

industrial town, district,
and division of Punjab Province, eastern Pakistan. Population: 1,257,000 (1995)[1]



multi-

multi-
multi-
prefix

many,
multiple, more than one or two • multilevel
• multiparous
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin multus “much, many” (source of English multitude )][1]



multiaccess

multiaccess
mul·ti·ac·cess
[mùltee áksess, mùltī
áksəss] (plural mul·ti·ac·cesses) adjective

allowing group use:
relating to a computer system that allows several users to access it at the
same time[1]



multicasting

multicasting
mul·ti·cast·ing 
[múltee kàsting] noun

sending
of data to many users at once: the process of sending
out data across a network to a number of selected recipients at the same time
—mul·ti·cast, transitive
verb[1]



multicellular

multicellular
mul·ti·cel·lu·lar 
[mùltee séllyələr, mùltī
séllyələr] or mul·ti·celled [mùltee
séld, mùltī séld] adjective

with
many cells:
consisting of many cells
—mul·ti·cel·lu·lar·i·ty
[mùltee sellyə lérrətee, mùltī sèllyə lérrətee], noun[1]



multichannelcommunication

multichannelcommunication
mul·ti·chan·nel
com·mu·ni·ca·tion [mùltee
channəl kə myoonə kayshən, mùltī chánnəl]
noun

communication using two or
more channels: the existence or use of
two or more communication channels over the same path, for example, in radio
transmission or within a communication cable[1]



multicolor

multicolor
mul·ti·col·or 
[múlti kùllər] or mul·ti·col·ored
[múlti kùllər] adjective

1.  of
different colors: of many different colors

2.  PRINTING producing
several colors at once: able to print more than one
color at once

[1]



multicultural

multicultural
mul·ti·cul·tur·al 
[mùltee kúlchərəl, mùltī
kúlchərəl] adjective

1.  of
more than one culture: relating to, consisting of,
or participating in the cultures of different countries, ethnic groups, or
religions

2.  supporting
integration: advocating or encouraging the
integration of people of different countries, ethnic groups, and religions into
all areas of society
—mul·ti·cul·tur·al·ism,
noun

—mul·ti·cul·tur·al·ist,
noun[1]



multidimensional

multidimensional
mul·ti·di·men·sion·al 
[mùltee di ménshən’l, mùltī di ménshən’l] adjective

1.  with
more than three dimensions: relating to or having more
than three dimensions

2.  with
many different aspects: having several different
aims, qualities, or aspects
—mul·ti·di·men·sion·al·i·ty
[mùltee di mènshə nállətee, mùltī di mènshə nállətee], noun[1]



multidirectional

multidirectional
mul·ti·di·rec·tion·al 
[mùltee di rékshən’l, mùltī di rékshən’l] adjective

1.  with
several aims or concerns: having several aims or
covering several aspects of a situation

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING covering
several different directions: going, operating, or
pointing in several different directions

[1]



multidisciplinary

multidisciplinary
mul·ti·dis·ci·pli·nar·y 
[mùltee díssipli nèrree, mùltī díssipli nèrree] or mul·ti·dis·ci·pline
[mùltee díssiplin, multi
díssiplin] adjective

involving a range of
subjects: studying or using several
specialized subjects or skills[1]



multiethnic

multiethnic
mul·ti·eth·nic 
[mùltee éthnik, mùltī
éthnik] adjective

of several different ethnic
groups: relating to or including
several different ethnic groups[1]



multifaceted

multifaceted
mul·ti·fac·et·ed 
[mùltee fássətəd, mùltī
fássətəd] adjective

1.  with
diverse qualities: with many different talents,
qualities, or features

2.  with
many facets: having many facets or cut surfaces

[1]



multifactorial

multifactorial
mul·ti·fac·to·ri·al 
[mùltee fak táwree əl, mùltī fak táwree əl] or mul·ti·fac·tor
[mùltee fáktər, mùltī
fáktər] adjective

1.  with
multiple factors: involving several different factors or
elements

2.  depending
on multiple genes: relating to or used to
describe inheritance depending on more than one gene. Height and weight are
examples of characters determined by multifactorial inheritance.
—mul·ti·fac·to·ri·al·ly,
adverb[1]



multifamily

multifamily
mul·ti·fam·i·ly 
[mùltee fámmilee, mùltī
fámmilee, mùltee fámmlee] adjective

for several families:
of or intended for use by several different families • a
multifamily house[1]



multifarious

multifarious
mul·ti·far·i·ous 
[mùltə fáiree əss] adjective

diverse:
including parts, things, or people of many different kinds
[Late
16th century. From Latin multifarius “varied, diverse,” from multi-
“many” + the suffix -farius “doing,” a relative of facere “to
do.”]
—mul·ti·far·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—mul·ti·far·i·ous·ness,
noun[1]



multifid

multifid
mul·ti·fid 
[múltə fìd] adjective

with many lobes:
having many lobe-shaped segments[1]



multiflorarose

multiflorarose
mul·ti·flo·ra
rose 
[mùltə fláwrə rz] (plural mul·ti·flo·ra
roses) noun

wild climbing rose:
a wild climbing rose, native to Asia, that has clusters of small fragrant
flowers. It is the origin of many cultivated roses. Latin name: Rosa multiflora[1]



multiflorous

multiflorous
mul·ti·flo·rous 
[mùltə fláwrəss] adjective

with
many flowers: having many flowers
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from late Latin multiflorus, from Latin multi- “many” + the stem flor-
“flower” (see flora ).][1]



multifoil

multifoil
mul·ti·foil 
[múltə fòyl] (plural mul·ti·foils)
noun

many-lobed architectural
shape: in architecture, a flat
shape, opening, or decorative design with many lobes or scallops at its edges[1]



multiform

multiform
mul·ti·form 
[múltə fàwrm] adjective

of
many different kinds: including or existing in
many different shapes or kinds
[Early
17th century. From French multiforme or Latin multiformis .]
—mul·ti·for·mi·ty [mùltə fáwrmətee], noun[1]



multigenerational

multigenerational
mul·ti·gen·er·a·tion·al 
[mùltee jennə ráyshən’l, mùltee jennə ráyshnəl, mùltī
jennə ráyshən’l] adjective

of multiple generations:
including or affecting several generations[1]



multigradeoil

multigradeoil
mul·ti·grade
oil
[mùltə grayd óyl] or mul·ti·grade
[mùltə grayd óyl] noun

versatile oil:
engine oil that has a range of viscosities and is therefore effective over a
range of temperatures[1]



multigrain

multigrain
mul·ti·grain
[múltee gràyn] adjective

made from more than one
grain: used to describe bread that
is made from several different types of grains[1]



multigravida

multigravida
mul·ti·grav·i·da 
[mùlti grávvidə] noun

woman not in her first
pregnancy: a pregnant woman who has had
at least one previous pregnancy.
See also
primigravida[1]



multigym

multigym
mul·ti·gym
[múlti jìm] (plural mul·ti·gyms)
noun

exercise
equipment:
an exercise apparatus with a range of weights, used for muscle toning
[Late 20th century][1]



multihull

multihull
mul·ti·hull
[múlti hùl] (plural mul·ti·hulls)
noun

sailing vessel:
a sailing vessel with two or more hulls[1]



multilateral

multilateral
mul·ti·lat·er·al 
[mùltee láttərəl, mùltī
láttərəl] adjective

1.  involving
several parties: involving more than two parties or
countries

2.  GEOMETRY many-sided:
having many sides
[Late
17th century. From medieval Latin multilateralis, from Latin multi-
“many” + lateralis “belonging to the side” (see lateral
).]
—mul·ti·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



multilateralism

multilateralism
mul·ti·lat·er·al·ism
[mùltee láttərə lìzzəm, mùltī láttərə lìzzəm] noun

cooperation
between nations: the principle or belief that several
nations should be cooperatively involved in the process of achieving something,
especially nuclear disarmament
[Early
20th century]
—mul·ti·lat·er·al·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



multilingual

multilingual
mul·ti·lin·gual 
[mùltee líng gwəl, mùltī
líng gwəl] adjective

1.  speaking
several languages: able to speak more than two
languages fluently

2.  involving
several languages: written in, expressed in, or
using more than two languages
—mul·ti·lin·gual·ism,
noun

—mul·ti·lin·gual·ly, adverb[1]



multilocular

multilocular
mul·ti·loc·u·lar 
[mùltee lókyələr, mùltī
lókyələr] adjective

BIOLOGY
with several cavities:
consisting of or having several different chambers or cavities[1]



multimedia

multimedia
mul·ti·me·di·a 
[mùltee mdee] noun

1.  COMPUTING sound
and video on computers: programs, software, and
hardware capable of using a wide variety of media such as film, video, and
music as well as text and numbers

2.  EDUCATION use
of media in teaching: the use of film, video, and
music in addition to more traditional teaching materials and methods (often
used before a noun)

3.  ARTS use of
various materials and media: the use in art, especially
the plastic arts, of different kinds of materials and media such as television,
sound, and text (often used before a noun)

4.  MARKETING use
of all communications media: the use in advertising of a
combination of media such as television, radio, and the press (often used
before a noun)

[1]



multimeter

multimeter
mul·ti·me·ter
[múlti mtər] (plural mul·ti·me·ters)
noun

instrument that measures
electricity: an instrument that
reads and measures the values of several different electrical parameters such
as current, voltage, and resistance[1]



multimillionaire

multimillionaire
mul·ti·mil·lion·aire 
[mùltee millyə náir, mùltī millyə náir] (plural mul·ti·mil·lion·aires)
noun

very rich person:
somebody with money or assets worth several million dollars[1]



multinational

multinational
mul·ti·na·tion·al 
[mùltee náshən’l, mùlti
náshnəl] adjective

1.  operating
in several countries: operating or having
investments in several countries

2.  involving
people from several countries: relating to or
including people from more than two countries
noun
(plural mul·ti·na·tion·als)

large company operating in several
countries:
a large company that operates or has investments in several different countries
—mul·ti·na·tion·al·ism,
noun[1]



multinomial

multinomial
mul·ti·no·mi·al 
[mùlti nṓmee əl, múlti
nmee əl] noun (plural mul·ti·no·mi·als) adjective

MATHEMATICS
See polynomial[1]



multinuclear

multinuclear
mul·ti·nu·cle·ar 
[mùltee nklee ər, mùltī
nklee ər] or mul·ti·nu·cle·ate [mùltee
nklee ət, mùltī nklee ət] or
mul·ti·nu·cle·at·ed [mùltee nklee àytəd,
mùltī nklee àytəd] adjective

with multiple nuclei:
having more than two nuclei[1]



multipack

multipack
mul·ti·pack 
[múlti pàk] (plural mul·ti·packs)
noun

package of several items:
a package that contains more than two of a particular item of consumer
products, for example, batteries, and is sold at a reduced price[1]



multipara

multipara
mul·tip·a·ra 
[mul típpərə] (plural mul·tip·a·rae
[mul típpəree] or mul·tip·a·ras)
noun

woman
who has given birth several times: a woman who has borne
a live child from each of two or more pregnancies
[Mid-19th century. From the
feminine form of modern Latin multiparus (see multiparous
).][1]



multiparous

multiparous
mul·tip·a·rous 
[mul típpərəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY producing
several young at one time: used to describe an animal,
especially a mammal, that normally gives birth to two or more offspring at one
time

2.  MEDICINE having
borne at least two children: used to describe a woman who
has borne a child from each of two or more pregnancies, each pregnancy lasting
for at least 20 weeks
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin multiparus, from Latin multi- “many” +
-parus “-bearing” (see -parous ).]
—mul·ti·par·i·ty [mùlti pérrətee], noun[1]



multipartite

multipartite
mul·ti·par·tite 
[mùlti pr tt] or mul·ti·par·ty
[múltə prtee] adjective

1.  POLITICS involving
several parties: involving more than two parties or
countries

2.  with
many sections: divided into many sections

[1]



multipath

multipath
mul·ti·path
[múlti pàth] adjective

reaching a receiver by
different paths: relating to or used to
describe television or radio signals that use more than one route from the
transmitter to the receiver, causing picture or sound distortion[1]



multiplane

multiplane
mul·ti·plane
[múlti plàyn] (plural mul·ti·planes)
noun

aircraft with multiple wings:
an aircraft with more than one pair of wings[1]



multiple

multiple
mul·ti·ple 
[múltip’l] adjective

involving several things:
involving or including several things, people, or parts
noun
(plural mul·ti·ples)

1.  MATHEMATICS number
divisible by another: a number that can be divided
exactly by a particular smaller number

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS system
with many possible access points: a system of wiring so
arranged that a group of communication lines are accessible at a number of
points.
Also
called
multipoint
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from late Latin multiplus, an alteration of Latin multiplex (see multiplex ).][1]



multiplealleles

multiplealleles
mul·ti·ple
al·leles
plural noun

different forms of a gene:
three or more different forms of a gene. Any two of these forms can be present
in a normal diploid cell or organism.[1]



multiple-choice

multiple-choice
mul·ti·ple-choice 
adjective

offering several possible
answers: requiring the choice of the
correct answer or answers out of several possible suggested answers • a
multiple-choice question[1]



multiplefactor

multiplefactor
mul·ti·ple
fac·tor
(plural mul·ti·ple fac·tors) noun

polygene:
a polygene (dated)[1]



multiplefission

multiplefission
mul·ti·ple
fis·sion
noun

reproduction of single-celled
organisms: a form of asexual
reproduction occurring in some single-celled organisms such as malaria
parasites in which a single parent cell breaks up to yield numerous daughter
cells. The nucleus of the parental cell divides to form many daughter nuclei,
then the cytoplasm divides to form the daughter cells.[1]



multiplefruit

multiplefruit
mul·ti·ple
fruit
(plural mul·ti·ple fruits) noun

fruit from many flowers:
a fruit such as a pineapple or fig that is produced from the ovaries of several
flowers that merge to form a single structure[1]



multipleintelligences

multipleintelligences
mul·ti·ple
in·tel·li·genc·es plural noun

different types of human
intelligence: the several independent
forms of human intelligence that exist, according to a recent psychological
theory. They include verbal, quantitative, spatial, musical, kinesthetic,
interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence.[1]



multiplemyeloma

multiplemyeloma
mul·ti·ple
my·e·lo·ma
noun

cancer of the bone marrow:
a form of cancer of the bone marrow characterized by swellings, deformities,
and fractures of various bones and accompanied by pain, anemia, and weight
loss. It affects the plasma cells that produce antibodies and can be diagnosed
by the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood.[1]



multipleneuritis

multipleneuritis
mul·ti·ple
neu·ri·tis
noun

See
polyneuritis[1]



multiplepersonality

multiplepersonality
mul·ti·ple
per·son·al·i·ty noun

psychiatric disorder:
a very rare psychological disorder in which somebody appears to have two or
more distinct, independent, and often complex personalities that are present at
different times and dominate behavior. It is a form of dissociative disorder.
Also called
split personality[1]



multiplesclerosis

multiplesclerosis
mul·ti·ple
scle·ro·sis
noun

disease of the nervous
system: a serious progressive
disease of the central nervous system, occurring mainly in young adults and
thought to be caused by a malfunction of the immune system. It leads to the
loss of myelin in the brain or spinal cord and causes muscle weakness, poor eyesight,
slow speech, and some inability to move.[1]



multiplestar

multiplestar
mul·ti·ple
star
(plural mul·ti·ple stars) noun

group of stars:
a group of three or more stars, usually with the same gravitational center,
that appears as one star to the naked eye[1]



multiplestore

multiplestore
mul·ti·ple
store
(plural mul·ti·ple stores) noun

U.K.
See chain store[1]



multiplet

multiplet
mul·ti·plet 
[múltiplət] (plural mul·ti·plets)
noun

1.  spectral
line:
a line in a spectrum made up of two or more component lines, caused by slight
variations in atomic or molecular energy levels

2.  group
of related elementary particles: a group of elementary
particles such as nucleons that have a different electric charge but have
otherwise similar properties
[Early 20th century. Coined
from multiple, on the model of “doublet,”
“triplet.”][1]



multiplex

multiplex
mul·ti·plex 
[múlti plèks] noun (plural mul·ti·plex·es)

1.  CINEMA movie
theater complex: a large movie theater complex that has
several separate units with screens

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING multiple
transmission: the simultaneous transmission of two or
more signals along one communications channel

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING system
for simultaneous transmission: a transmission system
that carries two or more individual channels over a single communication path
adjective

complex:
involving or including several different things, parts, or factors
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mul·ti·plexed,
past participle mul·ti·plexed, present participle mul·ti·plex·ing,
3rd person present singular mul·ti·plex·es)

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING send
by multiplex: to send two or more messages or signals
along one communications channel at the same time
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, formed from multi- “many” + -plex “-fold” (see -plex ).][1]



multiplexer

multiplexer
mul·ti·plex·er
[múlti plèksər] (plural mul·ti·plex·ers)
or mul·ti·plex·or [múlti plèksər]
(plural mul·ti·plex·ors) noun

1.  COMPUTING device
for routing data: a device for sending several different
data streams down a single communications line and for splitting a received
multiple stream into component parts

2.  VIDEO film-to-video
system:
a device for transferring projected film to video

[1]



multiplicand

multiplicand
mul·ti·pli·cand 
[mùltəpli kánd] (plural mul·ti·pli·cands)
noun

multiplied
number:
a number that is multiplied by another number ( multiplier
). The number 2 is the multiplicand in the statement 2 × 4 = 8.
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin multiplicandus, the gerundive of Latin multiplicare
(see multiply ).][1]



multiplicate

multiplicate
mul·tip·li·cate 
[múltipli kàyt] adjective

with
many parts:
containing many elements or parts
[15th century. From Latin multiplicat-,
the past participle stem of multiplicare (see multiply
).][1]



multiplication

multiplication
mul·ti·pli·ca·tion 
[mùltipli káysh’n] noun

1.  MATHEMATICS arithmetic
operation:
a mathematical operation, symbolized by ×, that for integers is equivalent to
adding a number to itself a particular number of times

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
operation:
a mathematical operation equivalent to multiplication extended to expressions
that are not numbers, for example, functions or matrices

3.  increase:
a marked increase in the number or amount of something • a
multiplication of claims

4.  BIOLOGY reproduction:
the act or process of reproduction in animals, plants, or people
—mul·ti·pli·ca·tion·al,
adjective[1]



multiplicationsign

multiplicationsign
mul·ti·pli·ca·tion
sign
(plural mul·ti·pli·ca·tion signs) noun

symbol that indicates
multiplication: the symbol × or ·, used
to indicate that one number is to be multiplied by another[1]



multiplicative

multiplicative
mul·ti·pli·ca·tive 
[mùltə plíkətiv, múltəpli
kàytiv] adjective

1.  increasing:
likely to increase, or capable of increasing

2.  MATHEMATICS involving
multiplication: involving or relating to multiplication
—mul·ti·pli·ca·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



multiplicity

multiplicity
mul·ti·plic·i·ty 
[mùltə plíssətee] (plural mul·ti·plic·i·ties)
noun

1.  great
variety:
a considerable number or variety • Her
style was shaped by a multiplicity of influences.

2.  complexity:
the state of being multiple or varied

3.  PHYSICS number
of molecular energy levels: the number of energy levels
of a molecule, atom, or nucleus that result from interactions between angular
momenta

4.  PHYSICS particles
in a multiplet: the number of elementary particles that
form a multiplet
[15th century. From late
Latin multiplicatus, from Latin multiplic-, the stem of multiplex
(see multiplex ).][1]



multiplier

multiplier
mul·ti·pli·er 
[múltə plr] (plural mul·ti·pli·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that multiplies: somebody who or something
that multiplies or increases

2.  MATHEMATICS multiplying
number:
the number by which another number ( multiplicand
) is multiplied, for example, the number 4 is the multiplier in the statement 2
× 4 = 8

3.  PHYSICS See photomultiplier

[1]



multiply

multiply1
mul·ti·ply1 [múltə
pl] (past mul·ti·plied, past participle mul·ti·plied,
present participle mul·ti·ply·ing, 3rd person present singular
mul·ti·plies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS perform multiplication:
to perform the mathematical operation of multiplication

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in amount:
to increase or make something increase by a considerable number, amount, or
degree

3.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY breed:
to increase in number by breeding
[12th
century. Via French multiplier from Latin multiplicare, from the
stem multiplic- (see multiplicity ).]
—mul·ti·pli·a·ble,
adjective

—mul·ti·plic·a·ble [mùltə plíkəb’l], adjective[1]



multi-ply

multi-ply
mul·ti-ply
adjective

with more than one layer:
having more than one layer • multi-ply
tissues[1]



multiply

multiply2
mul·ti·ply2 [múltə
pl] adverb

many times or ways:
many times or in many different ways[1]



multipoint

multipoint
mul·ti·point
[múlti pòynt] (plural mul·ti·points)
noun

See
multiple  noun 2[1]



multipolar

multipolar
mul·ti·po·lar 
[mùltee pṓlər, mùltī
pṓlər] adjective

1.  with
more than two major powers: having several countries
that are centers of power or influence

2.  ANATOMY with
many connections: used to describe a nerve cell with more
than two of the connecting fibers that carry impulses into the cell body

3.  with
multiple poles: having several poles
—mul·ti·po·lar·i·ty [mùltee pō lérrətee, mùltī
pō lérrətee], noun[1]



multiport

multiport
mul·ti·port 
[múlti pàwrt] adjective

having several connection
points: used to describe a computer
network with more than one point of access or connection[1]



multipotent

multipotent
mul·ti·po·tent
[mul típpətənt] or mul·ti·po·ten·tial
[mùltee pə ténshəl, mùltī
pə ténshəl] adjective

able to develop differently:
capable of developing into various types of cells, depending on the surrounding
conditions[1]



multiprocessing

multiprocessing
mul·ti·pro·cess·ing
[mùltee pró sèssing, mùltī pró sèssing] noun

use of multiple computer
programming units: the
operation of a computer in which two or more processing units work on separate
parts of the same program or set of instructions in order to reduce processing
time[1]



multiprocessor

multiprocessor
mul·ti·pro·ces·sor
[mùlti pró sèssər] (plural mul·ti·pro·ces·sors)
noun

computer system for parallel
processing: a system of linked central
processing units on which two or more programs can be run simultaneously by
parallel processing[1]



multipronged

multipronged
mul·ti·pronged 
[mùltee próngd, mùltī
próngd] adjective

1.  with
multiple elements: involving several different
approaches or elements

2.  with
multiple prongs: having several prongs

[1]



multipurpose

multipurpose
mul·ti·pur·pose 
[mùltee púrpəss, mùltī
púrpəss] adjective

with several uses:
designed or able to be used for several different purposes[1]



multiracial

multiracial
mul·ti·ra·cial
[mùltee ráysh’l, mùltī
ráysh’l] adjective

of
more than one race: relating to, made up of, or
involving people from several races • a
multiracial society
—mul·ti·ra·cial·ly, adverb[1]



multiracialism

multiracialism
mul·ti·ra·cial·ism 
[mùltee ráysh’l ìzzəm, mùltī ráysh’l ìzzəm] noun

achieving
of a multiracial society: the principle or practice of
ensuring that people of various races are fully integrated into a society
—mul·ti·ra·cial·ist, adjective[1]



multiscreen

multiscreen
mul·ti·screen
[múlti skrn] (plural mul·ti·screens)
adjective

with several screens:
with several screens for showing movies, videos, or slides[1]



multisense

multisense
mul·ti·sense 
[múlti sèns] adjective

having many meanings:
having many different meanings[1]



multisensory

multisensory
mul·ti·sen·so·ry 
[mùlti sénsəree] adjective

involving several bodily
senses: relating to or involving two
or more of the senses[1]



multiservice

multiservice
mul·ti·serv·ice 
[mùlti súrviss] adjective

1.  with
multiple services: offering more than one type
of service

2.  MILITARY of
multiple military forces: relating to or involving
members of the different branches of the armed forces

[1]



multisport

multisport
mul·ti·sport 
[múlti spàwrt] or mul·ti·sports
[múlti spàwrt] adjective

1.  for
multiple sports: designed for or involving a variety of
sports

2.  skilled
in multiple sports: trained, skilled, or
competing in a variety of sporting disciplines

[1]



multistage

multistage
mul·ti·stage 
[múlti stàyj] adjective

1.  in
several stages: divided into or taking place in several
separate stages

2.  with
several sources of motion: having several propulsion
units, each of which operates sequentially • a
multistage rocket

[1]



multistagerocket

multistagerocket
mul·ti·stage
rock·et
(plural mul·ti·stage rock·ets) noun

rocket with two propulsion
units: a rocket with two or more
propulsion units that are used and discarded in succession.
Also called
step rocket[1]



multistate

multistate
mul·ti·state 
[múlti stàyt] adjective

of several states:
relating to or involving several states • a
multistate study of brain cancer rates[1]



multistory

multistory
mul·ti·sto·ry 
[múlti stàwree] or mul·ti·sto·ried
[múlti stàwreed] adjective

with several levels:
having several stories[1]



multitasking

multitasking
mul·ti·task·ing
[múlti tàsking] noun

running a number of programs
simultaneously: the simultaneous
management of two or more distinct tasks by a computer[1]



multiton

multiton
mul·ti·ton
[múlti tùn] adjective

weighing
or holding several tons: weighing or capable of
carrying several tons
[Mid-20th century][1]



multitrack

multitrack
mul·ti·track 
[múlti tràk] adjective

1.  recording
on separate tracks: using, capable of, or
produced by the separate recording of several different tracks

2.  with
multiple topics: involving more than one topic or set of
simultaneous discussions • multitrack
negotiations

3.  EDUCATION for
students of varying ability: having more than one set of
courses for students according to their abilities or interests

[1]



multitude

multitude
mul·ti·tude 
[múlti td] (plural mul·ti·tudes)
noun

1.  crowd:
a large crowd of people

2.  large
number:
a very large number of things or people (often used in the plural)

3.  majority:
the majority of ordinary people
[14th century. Via French
from Latin multitudo, from multus “much, many” (see multi- ).][1]



multitudinous

multitudinous
mul·ti·tu·di·nous 
[mùlti td’nəss] adjective

1.  very
numerous:
very great in number

2.  full
of variety:
with many parts, great in number, or existing in many varieties

3.  crowded:
crowded with people (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin multitudin-, the stem of multitudo
(see multitude ).]
—mul·ti·tu·di·nous·ly,
adverb

—mul·ti·tud·in·ous·ness,
noun[1]



multiuser

multiuser
mul·ti·us·er
[mùlti yzər] adjective

used by several people:
capable of being used by several people at the same time[1]



multivalent

multivalent
mul·ti·va·lent 
[mùltee váylənt, mùltī
váylənt] adjective

1.  See
polyvalent  adjective 1

2.  with
multiple meanings: with several meanings or
values
—mul·ti·va·lence, noun[1]



multivariate

multivariate
mul·ti·var·i·ate
[mùltee váiree ət, mùltī
váiree ət] or mul·ti·var·i·a·ble [mùltee
váiree əb’l] adjective

involving several statistical
variables: used to describe or relating
to a statistical distribution that involves a number of random but often
related variables[1]



multiversity

multiversity
mul·ti·ver·si·ty 
[mùlti vúrsətee] (plural mul·ti·ver·si·ties)
noun

university
and affiliated institutions: a university that has many
affiliated or associated institutions such as research centers and colleges
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from multi- + university
.][1]



multivibrator

multivibrator
mul·ti·vi·bra·tor
[mùlti vī bráytər] (plural mul·ti·vi·bra·tors)
noun

oscillating electronic
circuit: an oscillating electronic
circuit consisting of pairs of tubes, transistors, or other components, whose
oscillation is sustained by coupling the output of one to the input of the
other[1]



multivitamin

multivitamin
mul·ti·vi·ta·min 
[mùlti vtəmin] noun (plural mul·ti·vi·ta·mins)

pill
containing several vitamins: a tablet or capsule
containing a range of vitamins and sometimes minerals
adjective

containing
several vitamins: containing a range of vitamins and
sometimes minerals
[Mid-20th century][1]



multivolume

multivolume
mul·ti·vol·ume
[mùltee vóllyəm, mùltī
vóllyəm] adjective

in multiple volumes:
published in several volumes[1]



multiyear

multiyear
mul·ti·year
[múlti yr] adjective

over
several years: existing, valid, or taking place over
several years • a multiyear agreement
[Late 20th century][1]



MultnomahFalls

MultnomahFalls
Mult·no·mah
Falls 
[mult n maar fáwlz]

falls on Larch Mountain in
northwestern Oregon, east of Portland on a Columbia River tributary. Height:
189 m/620 ft.[1]



multumin parvo

multumin parvo
mul·tum
in par·vo 
[ml tm in pr v] noun

much
expressed in little: the quality or fact of
containing, implying, or expressing much in a little space or time
[From Latin, “much in
little”][1]



mum

mum2
mum2 [mum]
(past mummed, past participle mummed, present
participle mumming, 3rd person present singular mums) intransitive
verb

1.  act
in a play:
to act in a masked folk play or mime

2.  celebrate
in disguise: to participate in festivities wearing a
mask or disguise
[Mid-16th century. From
French momer “to act in a mime” (see mummer
).][1]



mum

mum1
mum1 [mum]
adjective

silent:
saying nothing, especially about a sensitive piece of information (informal)
interjection

keep
quiet:
used to tell somebody to keep quiet
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound made when the lips are closed.][1]



mum

mum4
mum4 [mum]
(plural mums) noun

U.K.
(informal) See mom[1]



mum

mum3
mum3 [mum]
(plural mums) noun

PLANTS chrysanthemum:
a chrysanthemum (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



mum

mum5
mum5 [mum]
noun

strong
beer:
a strong beer of German origin
[Early 17th century. From
German Mumme .][1]



Mumbai




Back to definition

Mumbai

[1]



Mumbai

Mumbai

Mum·bai
[mm b]
capital of Maharashtra State and the
largest city in India, situated on the Arabian Sea. Population: 9,925,891
(1991) Former name Bombay[1]



mumble

mumble
mum·ble 
[múmb’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past mum·bled, past participle mum·bled, present
participle mum·bling, 3rd person present singular mum·bles)

1.  mutter:
to speak or utter something quietly and unclearly without opening the mouth
very much

2.  chew
with difficulty: to chew food with difficulty
noun
(plural mum·bles)

indistinct speech:
an indistinct and quiet utterance
[14th
century. Formed from earlier English mum “to make an indistinct sound
with closed lips.” Also, probably thought to be imitative of the sound of
mumbling.]
—mum·bler,
noun

—mum·bling,
adjective

—mum·bling·ly,
adverb

—mum·bly, adjective[1]



mumblety-peg

mumblety-peg
mum·ble·ty-peg 
[múmb’ltee pèg] or mum·ble-the-peg
[múmb’ltee pèg] noun

game
of throwing knife: a game in which players flip
a knife, trying to stick the blade into the ground, usually while standing in
various prescribed positions
[Mumble in the obsolete sense
“to bite or chew (as if) toothlessly”; originally the unsuccessful player had
to pull a peg out of the ground by biting it][1]



mumbojumbo

mumbojumbo
mum·bo
jum·bo 
[mùmbō júmbō] noun

1.  confusing
language:
complicated and confusing language, especially technical jargon, that is
difficult to understand (informal)

2.  worthless
religious belief or ritual: religious beliefs, language,
or rituals that appear pointless or meaningless to the speaker (disapproving)
(offensive in some contexts)

3.  object
believed supernatural: an object or effigy that is
believed to hold supernatural powers
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Mande mama “ancestor” + dyumbo
“pompom-wearer”; originally applied to a masked figure worshipped by the Mande
peoples of West Africa.][1]



mumeson

mumeson
mu
mes·on
(plural mu mes·ons) noun

See
muon[1]



mumm

mumm
mumm
transitive verb

See
mum 2[1]



mummer

mummer
mum·mer 
[múmmər] (plural mum·mers) noun

1.  somebody
who celebrates in disguise: somebody who participates in
festivities wearing a mask or disguise

2.  actor:
one of a group of actors in a folk play or mime show

3.  mime
artist:
an artist who performs in mimes

4.  actor:
an actor (humorous)
[15th century. From Old
French momeur, from momer “to act in a mime,” perhaps ultimately
of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



mummery

mummery
mum·mer·y 
[múmməree] (plural mum·mer·ies)
noun

1.  performance
by mummers:
a performance by a group of mummers

2.  showy
ceremony:
a showy or hypocritical ceremony (disapproving)

[1]



mummichog

mummichog
mum·mi·chog 
[múmmi chòg] (plural mum·mi·chogs)
noun

burrowing
fish:
a North American fish in the killifish family that lives in salt marshes in
Atlantic coastal regions and can bury itself in mud when the tide recedes.
Latin name: Fundulus heteroclitus
[Late 18th century. From
Narragansett moamitteaug .][1]



mummify

mummify
mum·mi·fy 
[múmmə f] (past mum·mi·fied, past
participle mum·mi·fied, present participle mum·mi·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mum·mi·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
preserve
corpse for burial: to preserve the corpse of a
person or animal for burial by embalming it and wrapping it in cloth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shrivel:
to dry out and shrivel, or cause something to dry out and shrivel
[Early
17th century. Formed from mummy 1 on the model of French momifier
.]
—mum·mi·fi·ca·tion [mùmməfi káysh’n], noun[1]



mummy

mummy2
mum·my2 [múmmee]
(plural mum·mies) noun

U.K.
(usually used by or to children) See mommy
[Late 18th century. Dialectal
variant of mammy .][1]



mummy

mummy1

mum·my1 [múmmee]
(plural mum·mies) noun

1.  preserved
body:
the body of a person or animal that has been embalmed and wrapped in cloth,
especially as was the custom in ancient Egypt

2.  naturally
preserved body: the body of an organism preserved by
natural processes, for example, by burial in peat or ice
[Early 17th century. Via Old
French momie from, ultimately, Arabic mūmiyā “embalmed body,”
perhaps formed from Persian mūm “wax.”][1]



mumps

mumps
mumps 
[mumps] noun

contagious
disease:
an acute contagious disease, usually affecting children, that causes a fever
with swelling of the salivary glands, sometimes also affecting the pancreas and
ovaries or testes. It is caused by a virus and can be prevented through
vaccination. It may cause sterility if contracted by a man. (takes a
singular or plural verb)
[Late 16th century. Plural of
the obsolete noun mump “grimace,” an imitation of the sounds made with a
closed mouth.][1]



mumu

mumu
mu·mu
noun

See
muumuu[1]



munch

munch
munch 
[munch] (past munched, past
participle munched, present participle munch·ing, 3rd
person present singular munch·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

chew
noisily:
to chew food purposefully, usually with visible movements of the jaw and
sometimes with a crunching sound
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French mangier “to eat” from
Latin manducare “to chew.”]
—munch·er, noun[1]



Munch,Edvard

Munch,Edvard
Munch 
[mngk], Edvard (1863–1944)

Norwegian painter. His work,
suffused with melancholy and anguish, most famously in The Scream ( 1893
), anticipates expressionism.[1]



munchies

munchies
munch·ies 
[múncheez] plural noun

1.  snack
food:
snack food, especially of the kind served with drinks at a party (slang)

2.  hunger
for snacks:
a craving for snack food (informal)

[1]



munchkin

munchkin
munch·kin 
[múnchkin] (plural munch·kins)
noun

1.  small
person:
a small, sweet-natured, and harmless person

2.  child:
a small child (informal)

3.  insignificant
person:
an insignificant person who keeps busy with trivial matters (informal)
[Late 20th century. From the
name of creatures invented by L. Frank Baum in The Wizard of Oz (1900).][1]



Muncie

Muncie
Mun·cie 
[múnssee]

city in eastern Indiana, on
the White River, southwest of Fort Wayne and northeast of Indianapolis.
Population: 69,058 (1996)[1]



Munda

Munda
Mun·da
[mndə] (plural Mun·das) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Indian
language group: one of the four major Indian language
groups spoken throughout the Indian subcontinent. Over 5 million people speak a
Munda language.

2.  PEOPLES speaker
of Munda:
somebody who speaks Munda as a native language
[Mid-19th
century. From Munda Muṇḍā .]
—Mun·da, adjective[1]



mundane

mundane
mun·dane 
[mun dáyn] adjective

1.  ordinary:
commonplace, not unusual, and often boring

2.  of
this world:
relating to matters of this world
[15th
century. Via French mondain from late Latin mundanus, from Latin mundus
“world.”]
—mun·dane·ly,
adverb

—mun·dane·ness, noun[1]



Mundelein

Mundelein
Mun·de·lein 
[múndə ln]

village in northeastern
Illinois, southwest of North Chicago, a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 27,043 (1996)[1]



mungbean

mungbean
mung
bean 
[múng bn] (plural mung beans)
noun

1.  FOOD green
or yellow bean: a small green or yellow bean that is
dried, sometimes split, and used in Indian cooking. It is also germinated to
produce bean sprouts.

2.  PLANTS bean
plant:
a bean plant native to eastern Asia that produces mung beans and is used as
food for livestock. Latin name: Vigna radiata
[Mung from Hindi mūng][1]



mungo

mungo
mun·go
[múng gō] (plural mun·gos) or
mon·go [móng gō] (plural mon·gos)
or mon·goe [móng gō] (plural
mon·goes) noun

cheap
fabric:
a cheap fabric made from waste wool and rags
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from dialectal mong “mixture,” possibly on the
model of the Scottish forename Mungo .][1]



Mungo,Lake

Mungo,Lake
Mun·go,
Lake
[múng gō]

dry lake in western New South
Wales, Australia. It is part of Mungo National Park.[1]



muni

muni
mu·ni 
[mynee] (plural mu·nis) noun

municipal
bond:
a municipal bond (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Munich

Munich
Mu·nich 
[mynikh]

capital and largest city in
the state of Bavaria, southeastern Germany. Population: 1,251,100 (1994)[1]



MunichConference

MunichConference
Mu·nich
Con·fer·ence noun

meeting with Hitler:
a meeting concerning Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, at which
Western leaders agreed to the division of Czechoslovakia after receiving
Hitler’s assurances that he would take no more land[1]



municipal

municipal
mu·nic·i·pal 
[myoo níssəp’l] adjective

1.  of
a municipality: relating to a town, city, or region that
has its own local government

2.  POLITICS relating
to state’s internal affairs: relating to a nation’s or
state’s internal affairs (archaic)
noun
(plural mu·nic·i·pals)

FINANCE See municipal bond
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin municipalis, from the stem municip-
“holder of a civic office,” from munus “gift, service, duty” (see munificent ) + capere “to take” (see capable ).]
—mu·nic·i·pal·ly, adverb[1]



municipalbond

municipalbond
mu·nic·i·pal
bond
(plural mu·nic·i·pal bonds) noun

bond issued by local
government: a bond or security issued by
a city or other local government, usually to pay for public improvements.
Also called
municipal[1]



municipality

municipality
mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty 
[myoo nìssə pállətee] (plural mu·nic·i·pal·i·ties)
noun

1.  place
with own local government: a city, town, or other
region that has its own local government

2.  members
of local government: the appointed or elected
members of a local government

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at city

[1]



municipalize

municipalize
mu·nic·i·pal·ize 
[myoo níssəp’l z] (past mu·nic·i·pal·ized,
past participle mu·nic·i·pal·ized, present participle mu·nic·i·pal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mu·nic·i·pal·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  bring
something under municipal control: to bring something
such as a public service or area of land under the ownership or control of a
city, town, or region with its own local government

2.  make
place a municipality: to grant a city, town, or
region powers of government on local matters
—mu·nic·i·pal·i·za·tion
[myoo nìssəp’li záysh’n], noun[1]



munificent

munificent
mu·nif·i·cent 
[myoo níffiss’nt] adjective

1.  very
generous:
very generous in giving

2.  ample:
characterized by generosity • a
munificent award
[Late
16th century. From Latin, formed from munificus “generous,” from munus
“gift, service, duty” (source also of English municipal
and remunerate ).]
—mu·nif·i·cence,
noun

—mu·nif·i·cent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at generous

[1]



muniment

muniment
mu·ni·ment 
[myneemənt] noun (plural mu·ni·ments)

MILITARY protection:
something providing defense or protection (archaic)
plural
noun
mu·ni·ments

LAW documents
that support a claim: documents by which a claim
to property or rights is supported, for example, the title deeds to land
[15th century. From Latin munimentum
“fortification,” from munire “to fortify” (see munition
). The meaning “title deeds” developed in medieval Latin.][1]



munition

munition
mu·ni·tion 
[myoo nísh’n] transitive verb (past
mu·ni·tioned, past participle mu·ni·tioned, present
participle mu·ni·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular mu·ni·tions)

supply
with weapons: to supply somebody or a group with arms
and ammunition
plural
noun
mu·ni·tions

military
supplies:
military supplies such as weapons and ammunition
[Early
16th century. Via French from the Latin stem munition-, from munire
“to fortify,” from moenia “defensive walls.”]
—mu·ni·tion·er, noun[1]



munnion

munnion
mun·nion 
[múnnyən] (plural mun·nions) noun

mullion:
a mullion between panes of glass in a window (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of obsolete monial (see mullion
).][1]



Munro,Alice

Munro,Alice
Mun·ro
[mən rṓ], Alice (1931– )

Canadian
writer, known for her short stories of rural Ontario life.
Pseudonym of
Laidlaw, Alice Anne[1]



Munsee

Munsee
Mun·see 
[múnsee] (plural Mun·see or
Mun·sees) or Mun·si [múnsee]
(plural Mun·si or Mun·sis) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Algonquian
language:
an Algonquian language spoken by the Delaware peoples in New Jersey and New
York

2.  PEOPLES speaker
of Munsee:
somebody who speaks Munsee as a native language
—Mun·see, adjective[1]



Munster

Munster1
Mun·ster1  noun

See
Muenster[1]



Munster

Munster2
Mun·ster2  [múnstər]

town in northwestern Indiana,
near the border with Illinois, southwest of Gary, part of the suburban area of
Chicago. Population: 20,438 (1996)[1]



muntin

muntin
mun·tin 
[múnt’n] (plural mun·tins) noun

piece
separating panes of window: a strip of wood or metal
that separates and holds in place the panes of a window
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Old French montant “upright,” from the present participle
of monter (see mount ).][1]



muntjac

muntjac
munt·jac
[múnt jàk] (plural munt·jacs or
munt·jac) or munt·jak [múnt
jàk] (plural munt·jaks or munt·jak) noun

small
deer:
a small deer, native to Southeast Asia, that has a reddish-brown coat, a cry
like a dog’s bark, and small antlers. Genus: Muntiacus
[Late 18th century. From
Sundanese (an Austronesian language of western Java) minchek and Malay menjangan
“deer.”][1]



muon

muon
mu·on 
[my òn] (plural mu·ons) noun

elementary
particle:
an elementary particle with a mass about 200 times that of an electron. It is a
lepton with a negative charge and a half-life of two-millionths of a second.
Also
called
mu meson
[Mid-20th
century. Contraction of mu meson .]
—mu·on·ic [my ónnik], adjective[1]



muonneutrino

muonneutrino
mu·on
neu·tri·no
noun

elementary particle:
a lepton that exists in association with a muon. It has zero rest mass and no
charge.[1]



MuradIV

MuradIV
Mu·rad
IV
[myr ad] (1609–1640)

Arabian sultan. He succeeded
Mustafa I as sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1623–1640).[1]



mural

mural
mu·ral 
[myrəl] noun (plural mu·rals)

PAINTING painting
on wall:
a usually large picture painted directly onto an interior or exterior wall
adjective

of
walls:
applied to or relating to a wall
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin muralis, from murus “wall” (source
also of English immure ).]
—mu·ral·ist, noun[1]



muramicacid

muramicacid
mu·ram·ic
ac·id 
[my rámmik àssid] noun

amino
sugar:
an amino sugar found in the cell walls of blue-green algae. C9H17NO7
[Muramic coined from Latin murus
“wall” + amine + -ic][1]



Murasaki,Shikibu

Murasaki,Shikibu
Mu·ra·sa·ki
[mr aa skee], Shikibu (978?–1031?)

Japanese court lady and
writer. She is known for The Tale of Genji ( ?1010 ), considered one of
the world’s first novels.[1]



Murcia

Murcia
Mur·cia 
[múrssee ə]

capital of Murcia Province
and Murcia Region, southeastern Spain. Population: 344,904 (1995)[1]



murder

murder
mur·der 
[múrdər] noun (plural mur·ders)

LAW crime
of killing somebody: the crime of killing another
person deliberately and not in self-defense or with any other extenuating
circumstance recognized by law
verb
(past mur·dered, past participle mur·dered, present
participle mur·der·ing, 3rd person present singular mur·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW kill somebody illegally:
to kill another person deliberately and not in self-defense or with any other
extenuating circumstance recognized by law

2.  transitive
verb
kill
somebody brutally: to kill somebody with great
violence and brutality

3.  transitive
verb
destroy:
to put an end to or destroy something (slang) • The
fire murdered their chances of selling the house.

4.  transitive
verb
spoil:
to spoil something such as a song or a piece of writing by performing it badly
or changing it (slang)

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS defeat
completely:
to defeat a person or team completely, especially in a sporting contest (slang)
[Old
English morþor . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English mortal, moribund, and ambrosia
. Later reinforced by Old French murdre, from prehistoric Germanic.]
—mur·der·er,
noun

—mur·der·ess,
noun
get
away with murder

to
escape punishment for or detection of wrongdoing

something
is murder

something
is very difficult or unpleasant, requiring great effort or hardship (slang)
• Driving
in this morning was murder.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill

[1]



murderee

murderee
mur·der·ee
[mùrdə r] (plural mur·der·ees)
noun

murder victim:
a victim of murder[1]



murderous

murderous
mur·der·ous 
[múrdərəss] adjective

1.  likely
to murder:
capable of, guilty of, or likely to commit murder

2.  likely
to cause death: violent and likely to result in
bloodshed or murder

3.  difficult:
very difficult, unpleasant, or dangerous (informal)
—mur·der·ous·ly,
adverb

—mur·der·ous·ness, noun[1]



Murdoch,Dame Iris

Murdoch,Dame Iris
Mur·doch
[múr dok], Dame Iris (1919–1999)

Irish-born
British novelist and philosopher. Her many novels are noted for their
thoughtful exploration of moral and philosophical problems. She is the author
of A Severed Head ( 1961 ) and the Booker Prize-winning The Sea, the
Sea ( 1978 ).
Full name
Murdoch, Dame Jean Iris[1]



Murdoch,Rupert

Murdoch,Rupert
Mur·doch
[múr dok], Rupert (1931– )

Australian-born
U.S. media proprietor. He extended his family newspaper empire to control a
global network of media organizations.
Full name
Murdoch, Keith Rupert[1]



murein

murein
mu·re·in 
[myree in, myreen]
(plural mu·re·ins) noun

See
peptidoglycan
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin murus “wall” (see mural )
on the model of protein ; from its forming
the walls of cells.][1]



murex

murex
mu·rex 
[my rèks] (plural mu·ri·ces [myri sz] or mu·rex·es) noun

spiny
warm-water shellfish: a gastropod marine shellfish
that lives mainly in tropical waters and typically has a spiny shell. One
species yields a purple dye. Genus: Murex
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



muriaticacid

muriaticacid
mu·ri·at·ic
ac·id 
[myree áttik ássid] noun

See
hydrochloric acid
[Muriatic from Latin muriaticus
“pickled in brine,” from muria “brine”][1]



muricate

muricate
mu·ri·cate 
[myri kàyt, myrikət]
or mu·ri·cat·ed [myri kàytəd]
adjective

spiny:
covered in short spines or points
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
muricatus “shaped like a murex,” from murex (see murex ).][1]



murid

murid
mu·rid
[myrid] (plural mu·rids) noun

mouse
or related animal: an animal such as a mouse or
rat that belongs to the rodent family. Family: Muridae
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of modern Latin Muridae, family name, from Latin mur-,
the stem of mus (see mouse ).][1]



murine

murine
mu·rine 
[myrin, my rn]
adjective

1.  of
mouse and rat family: relating to or belonging to
the family of long-tailed rodents that includes rats and mice. Family: Muridae

2.  like
a rodent:
like a mouse or a rat

3.  spread
by rodents:
caused or transmitted by mice or rats
[Early 17th century. From
Latin murinus, from mur-, the stem of mus “mouse.”
Ultimately from the same Indo-European word as produced English mouse .][1]



murinetyphus

murinetyphus
mu·rine
ty·phus
noun

typhus spread by rats:
a relatively mild form of typhus that is transmitted from rats to humans by
fleas or lice. Symptoms include fever, headaches, and muscular pain, and
recovery is usually rapid. It is caused by the microorganism Rickettsia
typhi.[1]



murk

murk
murk 
[murk] noun

1.  gloomy
darkness:
gloomy darkness caused by mist, smoke, or cloud

2.  Northern
England
mist:
a mist or thin fog (informal)
adjective

murky: murky
(archaic or literary)
[Old English mirce, myrce
. Supplemented in Middle English by the related Old Norse myrkr .][1]



murky

murky
murk·y 
[múrkee] (comparative murk·i·er,
superlative murk·i·est) adjective

1.  gloomy:
dark and gloomy

2.  hard
to see through: thick with fog, cloud, smoke, or dirt,
and difficult to see through

3.  obscure:
unclear and difficult to understand • offered
several murky excuses

4.  dishonest:
involving dishonesty or illegal activities
—murk·i·ly,
adverb

—murk·i·ness, noun[1]



Murmansk

Murmansk
Mur·mansk 
[mur mánsk]

city in northwestern Russia,
on the Kola Inlet, an arm of the Barents Sea. Population: 472,000 (1990)[1]



murmur

murmur
mur·mur 
[múrmər] noun (plural mur·murs)

1.  continuous
hum:
a continuous low sound that often seems to be coming from some distance away

2.  something
said quietly: something said that is either very quiet
or sounds indistinct

3.  complaint:
a complaint, especially one that is not made openly

4.  MEDICINE symptomatic
sound in the chest: a soft blowing or fluttering
sound, usually heard via a stethoscope, that originates from the heart, lungs,
or arteries and may indicate disease or structural concerns. It is caused by
turbulent blood flow.
verb
(past mur·mured, past participle mur·mured, present
participle mur·mur·ing, 3rd person present singular mur·murs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something softly: to say something very softly so that it
can hardly be heard

2.  intransitive
verb
complain
discreetly:
to complain in a discreet or secretive way

3.  intransitive
verb
make
a continuous low sound: to make a continuous low
sound, as if from a distance
[14th
century. Via French murmurer from Latin murmurare . Probably an
imitation of the sound (compare Greek mormurein and German murmeln,
which have a similar meaning).]
—mur·mur·er,
noun

—mur·mur·ing·ly,
adverb

—mur·mur·ous,
adjective

—mur·mur·ous·ly, adverb[1]



murmuration

murmuration
mur·mu·ra·tion
[mùrmə ráysh’n] noun

1.  murmuring:
an act or sound of murmuring

2.  starlings:
a flock of starlings
[14th century. “Flock of
starlings” because of the sound they make.][1]



murmurings

murmurings
mur·mur·ings
[múrməringz] plural noun

quiet complaints:
quiet and unforceful expressions of discontent[1]



murphy

murphy
mur·phy
[múrfee] (plural mur·phies) noun

potato:
a potato (dated informal)
[Early 19th century. From the
Irish surname Murphy ; from the stereotypical prominence of the potato
in the Irish diet.][1]



Murphy

Murphy
Mur·phy 
[múrfee] (plural Mur·phies) or
mur·phy [múrfee] (plural mur·phies)
noun

CRIMINOLOGY
See Murphy game[1]



Murphybed

Murphybed
Mur·phy
bed
(plural Mur·phy beds) noun

foldaway
bed:
a bed that can be folded or swung into a closet or wall recess when not in use
[Early 20th century. Named
for the American inventor William L. Murphy (1876–1959), who developed
it.][1]



Murphy,Eddie

Murphy,Eddie
Mur·phy 
[múrfee], Eddie (1961– )

U.S. actor and comedian. He
came to prominence in U.S. television’s Saturday Night Live ( 1981–1984
) and has since appeared in numerous movies.[1]



Murphy,Emily Gowan

Murphy,Emily Gowan
Mur·phy 
[múrfee], Emily Gowan (1868–1933)

Canadian
writer and political and legal reformer. She was the first woman magistrate in
the British Empire (1916) and an advocate of women’s suffrage.
Born
Ferguson, Emily Gowan Pseudonym Janey Canuck[1]



Murphy,Frank

Murphy,Frank
Mur·phy 
[múrfee], Frank (1890–1949)

U.S. government official and
jurist. He was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court (1940) and consistently
upheld civil liberties.[1]



Murphygame

Murphygame
Mur·phy
game
(plural Mur·phy games) or mur·phy game (plural
mur·phy games) noun

confidence
game:
a confidence game in which somebody is lured into handing over money for
something that is promised but never given, sometimes receiving only paper when
the money is apparently returned.
Also
called
Murphy
[Mid-20th century. Named for
an imaginary prostitute, Miss Murphy, who was used as a lure.][1]



Murphy’sLaw

Murphy’sLaw
Mur·phy’s
Law
noun

law
of low expectations: the law or principle that if
anything can go wrong, it will (informal)
U.K.
term
Sod’s law
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the American engineer Edward A. Murphy (b. 1917), who enunciated it.][1]



murrain

murrain
mur·rain 
[múrrən] (plural mur·rains) noun
(archaic)

1.  cattle
disease:
an infectious disease such as anthrax that affects cattle

2.  plague:
an infectious and fast-spreading disease
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman moryn and French morine, from mourir “to
die,” from, ultimately, Latin mori (source of English mortgage and mortuary
).][1]



Murray

Murray
Mur·ray 
[múrree]

1.  major
river in southeastern Australia. Length: 2,520 km/1,566 mi.

2.  city
in southwestern Kentucky, on the Clarke River, southwest of Hopkinsville and
southeast of Paducah. Population: 15,316 (1996)

[1]



Murray,James

Murray,James
Mur·ray 
[múrree], James (1721?–1794)

British military officer and
colonial administrator. He was the first British governor of Quebec
(1760–1766).[1]



Murray,John

Murray,John
Mur·ray 
[múrree], John (1741–1815)

British-born U.S. clergyman.
He preached universal salvation and established the universalist church in
North America (1779).[1]



murre

murre
murre 
[mur] (plural murres) noun

black
and white auk: an auk that has predominantly black
plumage with white markings. Genus: Uria
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



murrelet

murrelet
mur·re·let 
[múrlət] (plural mur·re·lets or
mur·re·let) noun

small diving bird:
a small diving bird that is related to and resembles an auk. Genera: Brachyramphus
Synthliboramphus[1]



murrey

murrey
mur·rey 
[múrree] adjective

mulberry:
of the purplish-red color mulberry (archaic)
[15th century. Via Old French
moré from medieval Latin moratus, from Latin morum
“mulberry.”][1]



murrhine

murrhine
mur·rhine
[múrrin, mú rn]
or mur·rine [múrrin, mú rn] noun

substance
used in making Roman vases: a substance, possibly
fluorite, that the ancient Romans used to make vases, cups, and other similar
objects
[Late 16th century. From
Latin murr(h)inus, from murra, denoting this substance.][1]



Murrow,Edward Roscoe

Murrow,Edward Roscoe
Mur·row
[múrrō], Edward Roscoe (1908–1965)

U.S. journalist. His World
War II radio broadcasts from London helped swing U.S. opinion behind the Allied
cause. He went on to pioneer broadcast reportage in the early days of
television.[1]



Murrumbidgee

Murrumbidgee
Mur·rum·bidg·ee 
[mùrrəm bíjee]

river in southeastern
Australia. Length: 1,690 km/1,050 mi.[1]



murther

murther
mur·ther 
[múrər] (plural mur·thers) noun

murder:
murder, or a murder (archaic)
[14th century. Variant of murder .][1]



mus.

mus.
mus.

1.  Abbreviation
of
museum

2.  Abbreviation
of
music

3.  Abbreviation
of
musical

4.  Abbreviation
of
musician

[1]



Musaf

Musaf
Mu·saf
[mssəf] noun

extra
prayers:
in Judaism, a group of additional prayers that is included in morning services
on Sabbaths, festivals, and Rosh Chodesh
[From Hebrew, literally
“addition”][1]



Mus.B.

Mus.B.
Mus.B.
or Mus.Bac.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Music
[Latin Musicae
Baccalaureus][1]



Musca

Musca
Mus·ca 
[múskə] noun

southern constellation:
a small constellation in the southern hemisphere between the Southern Cross and
Chamaeleon[1]



muscadel

muscadel
mus·ca·del
or mus·ca·delle noun

See
muscatel[1]



Muscadet

Muscadet
Mus·ca·det 
[mùskə dáy] (plural Mus·ca·dets)
noun

dry
white wine:
a dry white wine from the Loire Valley in France
[Early 20th century. From
French, name of the grape from which this wine is made, from muscade
“nutmeg,” from musc “musk” (see musk
).][1]



muscadine

muscadine
mus·ca·dine 
[múskə dn, múskədin]
(plural mus·ca·dines) noun

1.  wild
grapevine:
a grapevine, native to the southeastern United States, that is the ancestor of
cultivated varieties used for winemaking. Latin name: Vitis rotundifolia

2.  purple
grape:
a purple grape from the muscadine vine with a thick skin and musky smell, used
for making wine
[Mid-16th century. Probably a
variant of muscatel .][1]



muscaevolitantes

muscaevolitantes
mus·cae
vol·i·tant·es  [m skī vōlə
tn tàyz] plural noun

MEDICINE floaters:
specks that appear to float before the eyes (technical)
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “flies flying about.”][1]



muscarine

muscarine
mus·ca·rine 
[múskərin, múskə
rn] noun

toxic
alkaloid:
a toxic substance, found in fly agaric and certain other fungi, that when
ingested affects the nervous system. Among other effects it dilates blood
vessels, slows heart rate, constricts the airways, and stimulates the gut.
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Muscaria, species name of the fly
agaric, from Latin musca “fly.”]
—mus·ca·rin·ic [mùskə rínnik], adjective[1]



Muscat

Muscat
Mus·cat
[mús kàt] or Mas·qat [máss gàt]

capital city of Oman, on the
northeastern coast of the country, on the Gulf of Oman. Population: 622,506
(1993)[1]



muscat

muscat
mus·cat 
[mú skàt, múskət]
(plural mus·cats) noun

1.  PLANTS white
grapevine:
a grapevine with sweet white grapes that are used for winemaking and are dried
as raisins

2.  FOOD white
grape:
a sweet white grape from a muscat vine

3.  WINE See muscatel  noun 1
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Provençal, formed from musc (see musk
).][1]



muscatel

muscatel
mus·ca·tel 
[mùskə tél] (plural mus·ca·tels)
or mus·ca·del [mùskə déll] (plural
mus·ca·dels) or mus·ca·delle [mùskə
déll] (plural mus·ca·delles) noun

1.  sweet
white wine:
a sweet white wine made from muscat grapes.
Also
called
muscat

2.  white
grape or raisin: a grape or raisin from the muscat vine
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from Provençal, literally “little muscat,” formed from muscat
(see muscat ).][1]



Muscatine

Muscatine
Mus·ca·tine 
[mùss kə tn]

city in southeastern Iowa,
situated on the Mississippi River. Population: 23,096 (1996)[1]



muscid

muscid
mus·cid 
[mússid] (plural mus·cids) noun

member
of a fly family: any fly of the family that includes the
housefly and the stable fly. Family: Muscidae
[Late
19th century. Back-formation from modern Latin Muscidae, family name,
from Latin musca “fly.”]
—mus·cid, adjective[1]



muscle

muscle
mus·cle 
[múss’l] noun (plural mus·cles)

1.  body
tissue producing movement: a tissue that is specialized
to undergo repeated contraction and relaxation, thereby producing movement of
body parts, maintaining tension, or pumping fluids within the body. There are
three types: voluntary ( striped muscle ),
involuntary ( smooth muscle ), and branched
or heart muscle.

2.  organ
composed of muscle tissue: an organ composed of bundles
or sheets of muscle tissue, bound together with connective tissue and with
tendons by which the contracting part is attached to the bones that it moves

3.  influence:
power and influence, especially in the realm of politics, finance, or the
military

4.  strength:
physical strength (informal) • put
some muscle into it

5.  hired
thugs:
men who are employed to intimidate, harm, or menace people (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mus·cled,
past participle mus·cled, present participle mus·cling,
3rd person present singular mus·cles)

move by using strength:
to move, or make somebody or something move, using strength and force or effort
(informal)
[14th
century. Via French from Latin musculus, literally “small mouse,” from mus
“mouse”; from the resemblance of certain muscles to mice moving under the
skin.]
—mus·cly, adjective[1]



musclebound

musclebound
mus·cle·bound
[múss’l bòwnd] or mus·cle-bound
[múss’l bòwnd] adjective

1.  with
overdeveloped muscles: with muscles so bulky that
they restrict movement

2.  rigid
and inflexible: too large, powerful, or overdeveloped to
be capable of flexibility or a swift response

[1]



musclecandy

musclecandy
mus·cle
candy 
noun

dietary
supplement:
a dietary supplement used by athletes to enhance bursts of high performance (slang)
[Late 20th century][1]



musclecar

musclecar
mus·cle
car
(plural mus·cle cars) noun

powerful car:
a flashy car with a big engine, designed to look like a sports car[1]



musclefiber

musclefiber
mus·cle
fi·ber
(plural mus·cle fi·bers) noun

unit of muscle tissue:
a basic contracting unit of striated muscle, as found, for example, in arm and
leg muscles. Each is a microscopic threadlike structure, formed from several
fused cells. It contains numerous cylindrical structures ( myofibrils ) that contract when stimulated.[1]



musclein

musclein
muscle
in
intransitive verb

intrude:
to become involved in or interfere in something by disregarding other people’s
wishes or by using strength, power, or influence (informal)[1]



muscleman

muscleman
mus·cle·man
[múss’l màn] (plural mus·cle·men
[múss’l mèn]) noun

1.  strong
man:
a man with highly developed muscles who is very strong

2.  bodyguard:
a strong man hired by a criminal or gangster for protection and to intimidate
enemies

[1]



musclemary

musclemary
mus·cle
mar·y
(plural mus·cle mar·ys) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a gay man with a very muscular physique (slang
offensive)[1]



musclesense

musclesense
mus·cle
sense
noun

See
kinesthesia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








muscovado

muscovado
mus·co·va·do 
[mùskə váy dō, mùskə
v dō] or mus·ca·va·do [mùskə
váy dō, mùskə v dō] noun

unrefined
sugar:
a raw or unrefined sugar made by evaporating the molasses from sugar-cane juice
[Early 17th century. From
Portuguese mascabado “made badly,” referring to the quality of
refinement.][1]



Muscovite

Muscovite
Mus·co·vite 
[múskə vt] noun (plural Mus·co·vites)

somebody
from Moscow: somebody who lives in or comes from
Moscow, the capital of Russia
adjective

Russian:
Russian (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from modern Latin Muscovia, from Russian Moskva “Moscow.”][1]



muscovite

muscovite
mus·co·vite 
[múskə vt] noun

mica
mineral:
the most common of the mica group of minerals, consisting of potassium aluminum
silicate and found in plutonic and sedimentary rocks.
Also
called
white mica
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Muscovy glass “mica” (from its being obtained from Russia) + -ite .][1]



Muscovy

Muscovy
Mus·co·vy 
[múskəvee]

former principality in
western Russia, centered on Moscow[1]



Muscovyduck

Muscovyduck
Mus·co·vy
duck
[múskəvee dùk] noun

large
domesticated duck: a large duck, native to
Central America but widely domesticated, valued for its succulent flesh. It has
greenish-black plumage with white markings and heavy red wattles. Latin name: Cairina
moschata
Also
called
musk duck
[Alteration (by association
with archaic Muscovy “of Moscow”) of musk
duck][1]



muscular

muscular
mus·cu·lar 
[múskyələr] adjective

1.  of
the muscles: consisting of, relating to, or affecting
muscles

2.  strong:
physically strong and with well-developed muscles

3.  vigorous:
having considerable power or strength but sometimes lacking subtlety
[Late
17th century. Alteration of obsolete musculous, which came directly or
via French musculeaux from Latin musculosus, from musculus
(see muscle ).]
—mus·cu·lar·i·ty
[mùskyə lérrətee], noun

—mus·cu·lar·ly [múskyələrlee], adverb[1]



musculardystrophy

musculardystrophy
mus·cu·lar
dys·tro·phy
noun

muscle-wasting disease:
a medical condition in which there is gradual wasting and weakening of skeletal
muscles. There are several forms in humans, generally linked to genetic defects
and showing characteristic patterns of inheritance, the most common being
Duchenne muscular dystrophy.[1]



musculature

musculature
mus·cu·la·ture 
[múskyələchər, múskyələ
chr] noun

1.  arrangement
of muscles:
the way a person’s or animal’s muscles are arranged in a limb or organ

2.  muscular
system:
an organism’s entire muscular system
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from Latin musculus (see muscle
).][1]



musculo-

musculo-
musculo-
prefix

muscle,
muscular • musculocutaneous
[From Latin musculus
(see muscle )][1]



musculocutaneous

musculocutaneous
mus·cu·lo·cu·ta·ne·ous
[mùskyə lō kyoo táynee əss] adjective

of muscles and skin:
relating to or supplying the muscles and skin[1]



musculoskeletal

musculoskeletal
mus·cu·lo·skel·e·tal 
[mùskyə lō skéllət’l] adjective

of muscles and skeleton:
relating to or involving the muscles and the skeleton[1]



Mus.D.

Mus.D.
Mus.D.
or Mus.Doc.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Music
[Latin Musicae Doctor][1]



Muse

Muse
Muse 
(plural Muses) noun

goddess of art:
in Greek mythology, one of the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddess of
memory. The Muses inspired and presided over the different creative arts. They
are Calliope (the muse of epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry),
Euterpe (lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (sacred song),
Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy).[1]



muse

muse2
muse2  [myooz]
(plural mus·es) noun

1.  somebody
who inspires an artist: somebody who is a source of
inspiration for an artist, especially a poet

2.  artist’s
inspiration: the inspiration that supposedly visits,
leaves, and suggests things to an artist, especially a poet

3.  artist’s
particular talent: the particular gift or
talent of an artist, especially a poet “With Donne, whose muse on dromedary
trots, Wreathe iron pokers into true-love knots” Samuel Taylor Coleridge On
Donne’s Poetry 1818
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin musa, from Greek mousa .][1]



muse

muse1
muse1  [myooz]
verb (past mused, past participle mused, present
participle mus·ing, 3rd person present singular mus·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb think
about something: to think about something in a deep and
serious or dreamy and abstracted way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something thoughtfully: to say something in a
thoughtful or questioning way (literary)

3.  intransitive
verb
gaze
thoughtfully: to gaze at somebody or something
thoughtfully or abstractedly (literary)
noun

thoughtful state:
a state of deep thought (literary)
[14th
century. From Old French muser “to meditate,” perhaps literally “to go
around with your nose in the air,” from muse “muzzle, snout,” from
medieval Latin musum (source of English muzzle
).]
—mus·er, noun[1]



museology

museology
mu·se·ol·o·gy 
[myzee ólləjee] noun

science
of museums:
the study of how museums are designed, organized, and managed
—mu·se·o·log·i·cal
[myzee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—mu·se·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mu·se·ol·o·gist [myzee ólləjist], noun[1]



musette

musette
mu·sette 
[myoo zét] (plural mu·settes) noun
MUSIC

1.  French
bagpipe:
a French bagpipe that makes a relatively soft sound. It was popular in the
17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

2.  pastoral
dance music: a piece of pastoral dance music that
imitates the sound of a bagpipe or has a bagpipe playing the bass line
[14th century. From French,
literally “little bagpipe,” formed from muse “bagpipe.”][1]



musette

musette
mu·sette 
[myoo zét] (plural mu·settes) or
mu·sette bag [myoo zét] (plural
mu·sette bags) noun

soldier’s bag:
a small leather or canvas knapsack with one shoulder strap, used by soldiers[1]



museum

museum
mu·se·um 
[myoo z əm] (plural mu·se·ums)
noun

place
where important things are preserved: a
building or institution where objects of artistic, historical, or scientific
importance and value are kept, studied, and put on display
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, “library, academy,” from Greek mouseion “place of the Muses,”
from mousa “muse” (see muse 2 ).][1]



museumpiece

museumpiece
mu·se·um
piece
(plural mu·se·um piec·es) noun

1.  valuable
and interesting object: an object that is so
valuable, interesting, or old that it could be in a museum

2.  somebody
or something old-fashioned: somebody or something
considered very old-fashioned (informal)

[1]



MusgraveRanges

MusgraveRanges
Mus·grave
Rang·es
[mùss grayv ráynjəz]

mountain range in central
Australia, on the border between the Northern Territory and South Australia[1]



mush

mush1
mush1 [mush]
noun

1.  pulp:
a soft pulpy mass

2.  sentimental
stuff:
overly romantic and sentimental words or ideas, for example, in a book or movie

3.  FOOD cooked
cereal:
a thick mixture made from cornmeal and milk or water
transitive
verb
(past mushed, past participle mushed, present
participle mush·ing, 3rd person present singular mush·es)

mash something:
to mash something into a soft pulpy mass
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of mash .][1]



mush

mush2
mush2 [mush]
interjection

command
to sled dogs: used to make sled dogs start pulling or
moving faster
noun
(plural mush·es)

dogsled
trip:
a trip on a dogsled
intransitive
and transitive verb (past mushed, past
participle mushed, present participle mush·ing, 3rd
person present singular mush·es)

travel
by dogsled:
to travel on a dogsled, or drive a dogsled or team of dogs
[Mid-19th
century. From North American Mush on!, perhaps a variant of French marchons
“let us march,” from marcher “to march” (source of English march ).]
—mush·er, noun[1]



mushroom

mushroom

mush·room 
[músh rm] noun (plural mush·rooms)

1.  umbrella-shaped
fungus:
the typically umbrella-shaped spore-producing body of a fungus that consists of
a usually fleshy cap on a stalk. Class: Basidiomycetes

2.  edible
fungus:
an edible mushroom, especially the field mushroom

3.  fast-growing
thing:
something that grows very fast
intransitive verb
(past mush·roomed, past participle mush·roomed, present
participle mush·room·ing, 3rd person present singular mush·rooms)

1.  grow
quickly:
to grow or develop very rapidly

2.  become
mushroom-shaped: to swell into a shape like a mushroom

3.  pick
mushrooms:
to go mushroom picking
[15th
century. Via French mousseron from the late Latin stem mussirion-
“type of mushroom,” of unknown origin.]
—mush·room·y, adjective[1]



mushroomcloud

mushroomcloud
mush·room
cloud
(plural mush·room clouds) noun

cloud caused by an explosion:
the large mushroom-shaped cloud of dust and debris caused by an explosion,
especially a nuclear explosion[1]



mushy

mushy
mush·y 
[múshee] (comparative mush·i·er,
superlative mush·i·est) adjective

1.  too
sentimental: overly romantic or sentimental

2.  pulpy:
forming a thick soft pulp
—mush·i·ly,
adverb

—mush·i·ness, noun[1]



music

music
mu·sic 
[myzik] noun

1.  sounds
that produce effect: sounds, usually produced by
instruments or voices, that are arranged or played in order to create a
pleasing or stimulating effect

2.  art
of arranging sounds: the art of arranging or
making sounds, usually those of musical instruments or voices, in groups and
patterns that create a pleasing or stimulating effect

3.  type
of music:
music of a particular type, for example, of a particular place or time, for a
particular instrument, of a particular style, or appealing to a particular
group • rock-and-roll
music

4.  written
music:
written notation on paper indicating the pitch, duration, rhythm, and tone of
notes to be played

5.  pleasing
sound:
any sound or group of sounds that is pleasing or stimulating • the
music of the wind in the trees

6.  group:
a group of musicians (archaic)
[13th
century. Via French musique from, ultimately, Greek mousikē “art
of the Muse, music,” from mousikos “of a Muse,” from mousa “muse”
(see muse 2 ).]
face
the music

to deal with a pressing and
difficult situation arising from something done previously[1]



musical

musical
mu·si·cal 
[myzik’l] adjective

1.  of
or for music: relating to or producing music

2.  pleasant-sounding:
sounding pleasant and melodious

3.  good
at music:
having a talent for or a strong interest in music

4.  with
music:
set to, consisting of, or involving music
noun
(plural mu·si·cals)

1.  movie
or play with songs: a lighthearted movie or play
that has singing, music, and often dancing in it as important elements in
developing the story and portraying the emotions of the characters

2.  musicale:
a musicale (archaic)
—mu·si·cal·ly,
adverb

—mu·si·cal·ness, noun[1]



musicalbox

musicalbox
mu·si·cal
box
(plural mu·si·cal box·es) noun

U.K.
See music box[1]



musicale

musicale
musicale
[myzi kál] noun

social event with music:
a social occasion in which music is the featured entertainment[1]



musicbox

musicbox
mu·sic
box
(plural mu·sic box·es) noun

box playing music:
a box containing a mechanical device that plays music.
U.K. term
musical box[1]



musicdrama

musicdrama
mu·sic
dra·ma
(plural mu·sic dra·mas) noun

dramatic opera:
a type of opera, first composed by Richard Wagner in the late 19th century, in
which the dramatic and musical content are intended to be of equal importance[1]



musichall

musichall
mu·sic
hall
(plural mu·sic halls) noun

1.  auditorium:
an auditorium for musical and theatrical productions

2.  U.K.
See vaudeville

3.  U.K.
theater:
a vaudeville theater

[1]



musician

musician
mu·si·cian 
[myoo zísh’n] (plural mu·si·cians)
noun

music
maker:
somebody who plays, performs, conducts, or composes music, either as a hobby or
a profession
—mu·si·cian·ly, adjective[1]



musicianship

musicianship
mu·si·cian·ship
[myoo zísh’n shìp] noun

musical skill:
skill in playing or performing music[1]



musicof the spheres

musicof the spheres
mu·sic
of the spheres noun

heavenly music:
the perfect but inaudible music that Pythagoras and other later philosophers
believed was created by the movement of the celestial bodies[1]



musicology

musicology
mu·si·col·o·gy 
[myzi kólləjee] noun

study
of music:
the academic study of music and its history
—mu·si·co·log·i·cal
[myzikə lójjik’l], adjective

—mu·si·co·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mu·si·col·o·gist [myzi kólləjist], noun[1]



musicstand

musicstand
mu·sic
stand
(plural mu·sic stands) noun

stand for holding player’s
music: a height-adjustable frame
for holding printed music that is being performed[1]



musicvideo

musicvideo
mu·sic
vid·e·o
noun

video accompanying pop song:
a short video or film made to accompany a song or piece of popular music, often
as a cinematic or dramatic interpretation of it[1]



musings

musings
mus·ings
[myzingz] plural noun

thoughts:
thoughts, especially when aimless and unsystematic • philosophical
musings[1]



musiqueconcrète

musiqueconcrète
mu·sique
con·crète
[myoo zk kong krét] noun

electronically
composed music: recorded music composed by
electronically combining and enhancing natural and musical sounds.
Also
called
concrete music
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “concrete music.”][1]



musk

musk
musk 
[musk] (plural musks) noun

1.  glandular
secretion of deer: a pungent and greasy
secretion from a gland in the male musk deer, used in the manufacture of
perfumes

2.  substance
like musk:
a secretion similar to musk from other animals such as the civet or otter, or a
synthetic substance with similar properties

3.  PLANTS plant
with musky scent: a plant that has a musky scent,
especially the musk plant

4.  smell
of musk:
the smell of musk, or a similar smell

5.  See
musk deer
[14th century. Ultimately
from Latin muscus, from Persian mušk, perhaps from Sanskrit muṣka
“scrotum” (from the shape of the musk gland of the musk deer), literally
“little mouse,” from mūṣ “mouse.”][1]



muskdeer

muskdeer
musk
deer
noun

deer producing musk:
a small mountain-dwelling deer native to central and northeastern Asia. The
males lack antlers but possess long canine teeth and secrete musk from an
abdominal gland. Latin name: Moschus moschiferus
Also called
musk[1]



muskduck

muskduck
musk
duck
noun

See
Muscovy duck
[From its smell][1]



muskeg

muskeg
mus·keg 
[mú skèg] noun

1.  boggy
land:
an area of swamp or boggy land covered in sphagnum moss, leaves, and a mass of
dead plant matter resembling peat

2.  dead
plant matter: the dead plant matter resembling peat
that covers areas of muskeg
[Early 19th century. From
Cree maske:k .][1]



muskellunge

muskellunge
mus·kel·lunge 
[máskə lùnj] (plural mus·kel·lung·es
or mus·kel·lunge) or mus·ke·lunge [máskə lùnj] (plural mus·ke·lung·es or
mus·ke·lunge) or mas·ki·nonge [máskə
nùnj] (plural mas·ki·nong·es or mas·ki·nonge)
noun

freshwater
fish:
a large freshwater fish of the pike family, native to the Great Lakes region of
North America, that is a fierce predator and is caught for game and food. It is
the largest member of the pike family, and can reach the weight of 45.4 kg/ 100
lb. Latin name: Esox masquinongy
Also
called
muskie
[Late 18th century. From
Ojibwa muskinonje “big fish.”][1]



musket

musket

mus·ket 
[múskət] (plural mus·kets) noun
long-barreled
gun:
a shoulder gun with a long barrel and a smooth bore. It was used between the
16th and 18th centuries, before rifling was invented.
[Late
16th century. Via French mousquet from Italian moschetto
“crossbow bolt,” from mosca “fly,” from Latin musca .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Early
  muskets could fire crossbow bolts as well as bullets. The name was probably
  reinforced by Italian moschetto “sparrow hawk” (from its flylike
  markings), early guns being often named after birds of prey (e.g.,
  “falconet,” a type of small cannon).

[1]



musketeer

musketeer
mus·ket·eer 
[múskə tr, mùskə
tr] (plural mus·ket·eers) noun

1.  infantryman:
an infantryman armed with a musket

2.  royal
bodyguard:
a member of a company of musketeers in the French royal household’s personal
troops in the 17th and 18th centuries





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Three Musketeers, a novel by French writer Alexandre Dumas ( 1844 ). Set in
  France during the reign of Louis XIII, this historical romance tells the
  story of a young adventurer, D’Artagnan, who is taken under the wing of three
  musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The four become embroiled in a series
  of adventures involving love, politics, swordsmanship, and the machinations
  of the evil Cardinal Richelieu.

[1]



musketry

musketry
mus·ket·ry 
[múskətree] noun

1.  muskets
or musketeers: a group of muskets or musketeers

2.  firing
of small guns: the technique or practice of using small
arms

[1]



muskie

muskie
mus·kie
[múskee] (plural mus·kies) or
mus·ky [múskee] (plural mus·kies
or mus·ky) noun

See
muskellunge
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



muskmallow

muskmallow
musk
mal·low
(plural musk mal·lows) noun

1.  mallow
with pink flowers: a plant of the mallow
family, native to Europe and northern Africa, with a hairy and often
purple-spotted stem, pink flowers, and a slight musky scent. Latin name: Malva
moschata

2.  See
abelmosk

[1]



muskmelon

muskmelon
musk·mel·on 
[músk mèllən] (plural musk·mel·ons)
noun

1.  PLANTS melon
plant:
a trailing vine that bears melons with a ridged skin such as the cantaloupe.
Latin name: Cucumis melo

2.  FOOD melon
fruit:
the fruit of a muskmelon plant, having a ribbed or rough rind and white,
yellow, or green flesh with a sweet full flavor and a pleasant slightly musky
smell

[1]



Muskogean

Muskogean
Mus·ko·ge·an
[mu skṓgee ən] or Mus·kho·ge·an
[mu skṓgee ən] noun

family
of Native N American languages: a branch of Native
North American languages from the Hokan-Siouan family. It includes Chickasaw,
Choctaw, and Creek.
—Mus·ko·ge·an, adjective[1]



Muskogee

Muskogee
Mus·ko·gee 
[mu skṓgee] (plural Mus·ko·gee
or Mus·ko·gees) noun

member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who inhabited the southeastern part of North America and formed
part of the confederacy that included the Creek
[Late 18th century. From
Creek ma:skó:ki .][1]



muskox

muskox
musk
ox
[músk òks] (plural musk ox·en)
or musk·ox [músk òks] (plural
musk·ox·en) noun

large wild ox:
a large wild ox, native to the arctic tundra of northern Canada and Greenland,
with a black or brown shaggy coat and flat downward-curving horns. Males emit a
strong musky smell during the breeding season. Latin name: Ovibos moschatus[1]



muskplant

muskplant
musk
plant
(plural musk plants) noun

plant with musky smell:
a perennial North American plant of the figwort family with yellow tubular
flowers that have a musky smell. Latin name: Mimulus moschatus[1]



muskrat

muskrat
musk·rat 
[mú skràt] (plural musk·rat or
musk·rats) noun

1.  large
rodent:
a large amphibious rodent, native to North America and widespread in Europe,
with a thick brown coat and musk glands. Latin name: Ondatra zibethica
Also
called
water rat
Also
called
musquash

2.  muskrat
fur:
the fur of the muskrat.
Also
called
musquash
[Early 17th century. By folk
etymology from Algonquian muscasus, literally “it is red” (from the
animal’s color), by association with musk
and rat .][1]



muskroot

muskroot
musk·root 
[músk rt] (plural musk·roots)
noun

See
moschatel[1]



muskrose

muskrose
musk
rose
(plural musk roses) noun

musk-scented rose:
a rose, native to the Mediterranean, that is widely cultivated for its
musk-scented flowers. Latin name: Rosa moschata[1]



muskturtle

muskturtle
musk
tur·tle
(plural musk tur·tles) noun

small freshwater turtle:
a small freshwater turtle native to the eastern United States and Canada that
gives off a pungent smell. Genus: Sternotherus[1]



musky

musky
musk·y
[múskee] (comparative musk·i·er,
superlative musk·i·est) adjective

smelling
like musk:
with a sweet pungent smell similar to that of musk
—musk·i·ly,
adverb

—musk·i·ness, noun[1]



Muslim

Muslim
Mus·lim 
[múzzləm, mzləm]
noun (plural Mus·lims)

follower
of Islam:
somebody who believes in and practices Islam
adjective

followers
of Islam:
relating to the followers of Islam or to areas, cultures, or activities in
which followers of Islam are especially numerous
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic, literally “somebody who surrenders (to God),” the active participle of ’aslama
(see Islam ).][1]



MuslimBrotherhood

MuslimBrotherhood
Mus·lim
Broth·er·hood noun

Egyptian Muslim nationalist
movement: an Egyptian nationalist
movement founded by Hasan al-Bannah in 1928 that is committed to the Islamic
fundamentalist cause and opposes Western influence. The Muslim Brotherhood is
active in several other countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South
Asia, and Southeast Asia.[1]



MuslimLeague

MuslimLeague
Mus·lim
League
noun

Muslim organization in India:
an organization founded in 1906 to support the demands of Muslims for separate
electorates and legislative seats in Hindu-dominated India. It caused a
division within the Indian nationalist movement.[1]



muslin

muslin
mus·lin 
[múzzlin] (plural mus·lins) noun

thin
cotton fabric: a thin plain-weave cotton cloth used for
curtains, sheets, and dresses
[Early 17th century. Via
French mousseline mousseline and
Italian mussolina from Arabic mawsiliy “of Mosul,” the Iraqi city
where the fabric was made.][1]



Mus.M.

Mus.M.
Mus.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Music
[Latin Musicae Magister][1]



musquash

musquash
mus·quash 
[mú skwàwsh] (plural mus·quash·es)
noun

See
muskrat
[Early 17th century. From
Western Abnaki mòskwas .][1]



muss

muss
muss 
[muss] transitive verb (past mussed,
past participle mussed, present participle muss·ing,
3rd person present singular muss·es)

mess
up:
to make something, especially somebody’s hair or clothes, messy or ruffled (informal)
noun

mess:
a state of messiness or disorder (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Probably a
variant of mess .][1]



mussel

mussel

mus·sel 
[múss’l] (plural mus·sels) noun

1.  edible
marine mollusk: an edible marine bivalve mollusk with a
blue-black shell that lives attached to objects in the sea. Genus: Mytilus

2.  freshwater
mollusk:
a freshwater bivalve mollusk whose shell is a source of mother-of-pearl.
Genera: Anodonta Unio
[Pre-12th century. From
assumed Vulgar Latin muscula, an alteration of Latin musculus,
literally “small mouse” (see muscle ); from
the mussel’s supposed resemblance in shape and color to a mouse.][1]



Mussolini,Benito

Mussolini,Benito

Mus·so·li·ni
[mssə lnee], Benito (1883–1945)
Italian
statesman. He founded the Italian fascist party in 1919 and served as prime
minister from 1922 and dictator (1925–1943). After forming an alliance with
Germany in 1939, he brought Italy into World War II (1940). Overthrown three
years later, he was assassinated by the Italian Resistance.
Full name
Mussolini, Benito Amilcaro Andrea Known as Il Duce[1]



Mussulman

Mussulman
Mus·sul·man 
[múss’lmən] (plural Mus·sul·men
[múss’lmən] or Mus·sul·mans) noun

Muslim:
a Muslim (archaic literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Persian musulmān “Muslim” (adjective), from Arabic muslim
“Muslim” (see Muslim ).][1]



mussy

mussy
muss·y
[mússee] (comparative mus·si·er,
superlative mus·si·est) adjective

messy:
not neat or in an orderly state (informal)
—muss·i·ly,
adverb

—muss·i·ness, noun[1]



must

must4
must4 noun

See
musth[1]



must

must3
must3 [must]
noun

musty
condition:
the condition of being musty or moldy
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from musty .][1]



must

must1
must1 [must]
(3rd person present singular must, plural musts) CORE
MEANING:
a modal indicating that somebody is compelled to do something because of a rule
or law, or that it is necessary or advisable to do something • Accidents
causing injury must be reported immediately. • Employment
decisions must be based on ability. • We
must improve our schools. • You
must give him a chance to state his case.

1.
verb be
compelled:
to be compelled to do something because of a rule or law • You
must stop when the light is red. • All
guests must vacate their rooms by 12 noon.

2.
verb be
necessary:
to be important or necessary to do something • Henceforth,
he said, the central organizing principle of all governments must be the
environment. • Health
care insurance must be affordable.

3.
verb be
certain:
indicates that somebody is sure that something is the case • This
must seem strange to you. • Those
must be your footprints in the garden.

4.
verb indicates
belief:
indicates that somebody concludes that something is the case, based on the
available evidence • Paleontologists know
that primates must have immigrated to South America sometime before 28 million
years ago.

5.
verb intend:
to intend or be determined to do something • I
must be going. • I
must telephone my brother.

6.
verb used
to make suggestions: used to make suggestions or
invitations, or to give advice • You
must see a doctor. • You
must come around for dinner one evening.

7.
noun something
essential:
something that is essential or obligatory • Formal
attire is a must at a state dinner.

8.
prefix absolutely necessary:
absolutely necessary for somebody or highly recommended for somebody (informal)
(added to a verb to form a noun or adjective) • a
must-see movie • a
must-have fashion
[Old English mōste,
past tense of assumed mōtan “to have to, be able to”][1]



must

must2
must2 [must]
noun

unfermented
grape juice: the juice from grapes or other fruit
that is to be fermented into wine.
Also
called
stum
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
mustum, a form of mustus “new, fresh” (source of English mustard ).][1]



mustache

mustache
mus·tache
[mú stàsh, mə
stásh] (plural mus·tach·es) noun

1.  hair
on upper lip: facial hair allowed to grow on
somebody’s upper lip and often down the sides of the mouth or onto the cheeks

2.  hair
on animal’s face: hair, bristles, or feathers around the
mouth or beak of an animal
[Late
16th century. Via French from Italian mostaccio, ultimately from Greek mustak-,
stem of mustax “upper lip, mustache.”]
—mus·tached, adjective[1]



mustachio

mustachio
mus·ta·chio
[mə stáshee ] (plural mus·ta·chios)
noun

thick
or fancy mustache: a mustache that is thick or
trimmed into a fancy shape (archaic or humorous) (often used in the
plural)
[Mid-16th
century. Blend of Spanish mostacho and its source Italian mostaccio
(see mustache ).]
—mus·ta·chioed, adjective[1]



mustang

mustang
mus·tang 
[mú stàng] (plural mus·tangs) noun

American
wild horse:
a small hardy wild horse, living on the plains of North America, descended from
Arabian horses brought to the continent by Spanish soldiers
[Early 19th century. Via
Mexican Spanish mestengo from Spanish, “ownerless,” literally “mixed
(with ranchers’ herds),” from mesta “ranchers who appropriated wild
cattle,” from Latin mixta, a form of mixtus “mixed.”][1]



mustard

mustard

mus·tard 
[mústərd] noun (plural mus·tards)

1.  PLANTS plant
with pungent seeds: a plant with small yellow
flowers and long thin seed pods containing small pungent seeds. Genus: Brassica

2.  FOOD spicy
condiment:
powdered mustard seeds, or a hot spicy paste made from powdered, or sometimes
whole, mustard seeds, water, and other ingredients, eaten in small quantities
as a condiment

3.  enthusiasm:
enthusiasm or zest (informal)

4.  COLORS dark
yellow color: a dark yellow color tinged with brown,
like that of mustard
adjective

COLORS of
dark yellow color: of a dark yellow color
tinged with brown, like that of mustard
[12th
century. Via Old French mo(u)starde from, ultimately, Latin mustum
“must, new wine” (the condiment originally having been made by mixing crushed
seeds with must 2 .]
—mus·tard·y,
adjective
cut the mustard

to be up to the desired
standard of performance, ability, or quality (informal)[1]



mustardgas

mustardgas
mus·tard
gas
noun

type
of poison gas: an oily liquid, made from ethene and
disulfur dichloride, that evaporates to a poison gas. Used in chemical warfare,
it burns the skin and causes often fatal respiratory damage. (ClCH2CH2)2
[Mustard from its smell,
which resembles mustard][1]



mustardoil

mustardoil
mus·tard
oil
noun

oil from mustard seeds:
an oil obtained from mustard seeds that is used in making soap[1]



mustardplaster

mustardplaster
mus·tard
plas·ter
(plural mus·tard plas·ters) noun

medicinal paste put on skin:
a paste made from black mustard seeds, formerly applied to the skin to
stimulate blood flow. It was a folk remedy used to aid healing and counter
inflammation.[1]



mustee

mustee
mus·tee
[mu st, mústee]
(plural mus·tees) noun (dated offensive)

1.  offensive
term referring to parents’ races: an offensive term
referring to somebody with one Caucasian parent and one parent who has one
black grandparent

2.  offensive
term referring to ancestors’ race: an offensive term
referring to somebody of mixed racial descent
[Late 17th century.
Shortening and alteration of Spanish mestizo (see mestizo ).][1]



musteline

musteline
mus·te·line 
[mústə ln, mústəlin]
(plural muste·lines) adjective

of
weasel family: belonging to, relating to, or typical of
the group of mammals that includes weasels, otters, badgers, and skunks.
Family: Mustelidae
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
mustelinus, from mustel “weasel,” of uncertain origin: probably
formed from mus “mouse” (source of English muscle
) + -tela, an element of unknown origin.][1]



muster

muster
mus·ter 
[mústər] verb (past mus·tered,
past participle mus·tered, present participle mus·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular mus·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY assemble people:
to bring together a group of soldiers or the members of a crew for a particular
reason, for example, inspection, or assemble in this way

2.  transitive
verb
gather
people or things: to gather people or things together for
a particular reason

3.  transitive
verb
call
up something: to summon up something such as strength
or courage that will help in doing something
noun
(plural mus·ters)

1.  MILITARY military
assembly:
a gathering of soldiers or a crew for a particular reason, for example,
inspection

2.  MILITARY See muster roll

3.  gathering
or collection: any gathering of people or collection of
things
[14th
century. Via Old French mo(u)strer “to show” and moustre
“showing” from Latin monstrare, from monstrum “(evil) omen, sign”
(source of English monster ).]
pass
muster

to measure up to set
standards or to expectations[1]



musterin

musterin
muster
in
intransitive and transitive verb

enroll for military service:
to enroll somebody or be enrolled for military service[1]



musterout

musterout
muster
out
intransitive and transitive verb

leave or discharge from
military service: to discharge somebody,
or be discharged, from military service[1]



musterroll

musterroll
mus·ter
roll
(plural mus·ter rolls) noun

list of members:
a list of the members of a military or naval unit.
Also called
muster[1]



musth

musth
musth 
[must] or must [must] noun

increased
sexual activity in large animals: a state of increased
sexual activity, accompanied by aggression, in large male land mammals,
especially male elephants, lasting 2–3 months. At this time, testosterone
levels are high, and an additional hormone, temporin, is excreted from a gland
between the eye and the ear.
[Late 19th century. Via Urdu mast
from Persian, literally “drunk, intoxicated.”][1]



must-have

must-have
must-have
(plural must-haves) noun

something essential:
something that is considered to be essential • a
list of this year’s must-have accessories[1]



Mustique

Mustique
Mus·tique
[mus tk]

island in the eastern
Caribbean Sea. It is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[1]



mustn’t

mustn’t
must·n’t 
[múss’nt] contraction

must not:
must not • You
mustn’t worry.[1]



must-see

must-see
must-see 
(plural must-sees) noun

important or beautiful place
or thing: something such as a place,
movie, or work of art that is so important, beautiful, or excellent that
everyone should see it (slang)[1]



musty

musty
must·y 
[mústee] (comparative must·i·er,
superlative must·i·est) adjective

1.  with
old damp smell: smelling old, damp, and stale because of
not having been used or exposed to fresh air for a long time

2.  stale:
tasting old, stale, and moldy

3.  outdated
and uninteresting: no longer relevant or
interesting because of being old-fashioned
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of obsolete moisty
“moist, damp,” from moist .]
—must·i·ly,
adverb

—must·i·ness, noun[1]



Muswellbrook

Muswellbrook
Mus·well·brook
[mússəl brk]

town in eastern New South
Wales, Australia, a coal mining and agricultural center. Population: 10,541
(1996)[1]



mutable

mutable
mu·ta·ble 
[mytəb’l] adjective

1.  changeable:
tending or likely to change

2.  capable
of change:
capable of changing, or subject to change

3.  BIOLOGY tending
to undergo mutation: used to describe a gene or
organism that has a tendency to undergo mutation

4.  ZODIAC of
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces: used
to describe the signs of the zodiac Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces,
thought to be characterized by adaptability.
See
also
cardinal
See
also
fixed
[14th
century. From Latin mutabilis, from mutare “to change” (source of
English mew, molt, and mutant
).]
—mu·ta·bil·i·ty
[mytə bílətee], noun

—mu·ta·ble·ness
[mytəb’lnəss], noun

—mu·ta·bly, adverb[1]



mutagen

mutagen
mu·ta·gen 
[mytəjən] (plural mu·ta·gens)
noun

something
that increases mutation: an external agent, for
example, radiation or some chemicals or viruses, that increases the rate of
mutation of cells or organisms
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from mutation + -gen .]
—mu·ta·gen·ic
[mytə jénnik], adjective

—mu·ta·gen·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mu·ta·ge·nic·i·ty [mytəjə níssətee], noun[1]



mutagenesis

mutagenesis
mu·ta·gen·e·sis 
[mytə jénnəssiss] noun

mutation
process:
the process of mutation in a cell or organism
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from mutation + -genesis
.][1]



mutant

mutant
mu·tant 
[myt’nt] noun (plural mu·tants)

1.  BIOLOGY something
that has mutated: an animal, organism, cell, or gene that
has mutated.
Also
called
mutation

2.  something
odd-looking: somebody who or something that has a
strange appearance, unlike others of a similar type (slang)
adjective

1.  BIOLOGY resulting
from mutation: undergoing or resulting from mutation

2.  resembling
genetic mutant: with an odd appearance or other
qualities comparable to those of a genetic mutant (slang)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin mutant-, the present participle stem of mutare “to change”
(see mutable ).][1]



Mutare

Mutare
Mu·tare
[moo tree]

resort town and capital of
Manicaland Province in eastern Zimbabwe, close to the Mozambique border.
Population: 131,808 (1992)[1]



mutase

mutase
mu·tase 
[my tàyss, my
tàyz] (plural mu·tas·es) noun

type
of enzyme:
an enzyme that promotes change in the arrangement of molecules in a substance,
especially the movement of a phosphate group from one carbon to another
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin mutare “to change” (see mutable
) + -ase .][1]



mutate

mutate
mu·tate 
[my tàyt, myoo
táyt] (past mu·tat·ed, past participle mu·tat·ed,
present participle mu·tat·ing, 3rd person present singular
mu·tates) intransitive and transitive verb

change:
to undergo or make something undergo mutation
[Mid-18th
century. Partly a back-formation from mutation
; partly from Latin mutatus, the past participle of mutare “to
change” (see mutable ).]
—mu·ta·tive [my tàytiv, mytətiv],
adjective[1]



mutation

mutation
mu·ta·tion 
[myoo táysh’n] (plural mu·ta·tions)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY change
in genetic material: a random change in a gene or
chromosome resulting in a new trait or characteristic that can be inherited.
Mutation can be a source of beneficial genetic variation, or it can be neutral
or harmful in effect.

2.  BIOLOGY See mutant  noun 1

3.  alteration:
the action or process of changing something or of being changed

4.  PHONETICS See umlaut

5.  PHONETICS phonetic
change:
a phonetic change found in Celtic languages in which the initial consonant of a
word changes according to the preceding word
—mu·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—mu·ta·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



mutationstop

mutationstop
mu·ta·tion
stop
(plural mu·ta·tion stops) noun

organ stop:
a stop that controls a set of organ pipes that do not play the tones of the
written notes but usually a fifth or third above them[1]



mutatismutandis

mutatismutandis
mu·ta·tis
mu·tan·dis 
[moo ttiss moo tndiss, moo ttiss moo tándiss] adverb

including
changes:
with the necessary changes having been made (formal)
[From Latin, literally “with
things being changed that have to be changed”][1]



mute

mute
mute 
[myoot] adjective

1.  unable
to speak:
unable or unwilling to speak

2.  making
no sound:
saying nothing, or making no sound

3.  not
expressed in words: felt or expressed without
speech

4.  LAW refusing
to answer charge: refusing to answer a charge brought in a
court of law

5.  PHONETICS See plosive  adjective

6.  PHONETICS not
pronounced:
not pronounced, like the final “e” in “cheese”
noun
(plural mutes)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is unable or unwilling to speak (offensive)

2.  LAW somebody
refusing to answer charge: somebody who refuses to
answer a charge in a court of law

3.  MUSIC device
to alter instrument’s tone: a pad, clip, or other device
used to reduce or alter in some way the tone of a brass or stringed instrument

4.  PHONETICS silent
letter:
a letter that is not pronounced

5.  PHONETICS See plosive

6.  HISTORY hired
mourner:
somebody who is paid to act as a mourner at a funeral
transitive
verb
(past mut·ed, past participle mut·ed, present
participle mut·ing, 3rd person present singular mutes)

1.  turn
down sound:
to moderate the volume of a sound

2.  make
something less bright: to make a color or light
less bright or harsh

3.  MUSIC alter
instrument’s tone: to reduce or alter in some
way the tone of a brass or stringed instrument using a pad, clip, or other
device
[14th
century. From French muet, literally “slightly mute,” from Old French mu,
from Latin mutus .]
—mute·ly,
adverb

—mute·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at silent

[1]



muted

muted
mut·ed 
[mytəd] adjective

1.  not
bright or intense: not bright, intense, or
harsh in color or tone

2.  not
loud:
not loud or distinct enough to be heard clearly

3.  understated:
subdued and understated rather than forceful or enthusiastic

4.  MUSIC made
by instrument fitted with mute: fitted with a mute, or
produced by an instrument fitted with a mute

[1]



muteswan

muteswan
mute
swan
(plural mute swans) noun

large white swan:
a large white swan with an orange bill, common in Europe and Asia and
introduced to other regions. Latin name: Cygnus olor[1]



mutilate

mutilate
mu·ti·late 
[myt’l àyt] (past mu·ti·lat·ed,
past participle mu·ti·lat·ed, present participle mu·ti·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular mu·ti·lates) transitive verb

1.  remove
or destroy body part: to inflict serious injury on
a person or animal or part of somebody or something’s body by removing or
destroying parts of it

2.  ruin
something by removing parts: to damage or spoil something
such as a piece of writing or a movie by removing important parts of it

3.  damage
something seriously: to inflict serious damage on
something
[Mid-16th
century. Partly from Latin mutilat-, the past participle stem of mutilare
“to cut or lop off,” from mutilus “maimed”; partly from earlier mutilate
“mutilated,” of the same origin.]
—mu·ti·la·tive,
adjective

—mu·ti·la·tor, noun[1]



mutilation

mutilation
mu·ti·la·tion
[myt’l áysh’n] (plural mu·ti·la·tions)
noun

infliction of visible damage
to body: an act, the process, or the
result of inflicting serious injury on a person or animal or part of somebody
or something’s body by removing or destroying parts of it[1]



mutineer

mutineer
mu·ti·neer 
[myt’n r] (plural mu·ti·neers)
noun

somebody
who mutinies: somebody who rebels against the legal
authority of others, especially a soldier or sailor
[Early 17th century. From
French mutinier, from Old French mutin “rebellious” (see mutiny ).][1]



mutinous

mutinous
mu·ti·nous 
[myt’nəss] adjective

1.  involving
mutiny:
plotting, participating in, or typical of a mutiny

2.  refusing
to obey:
refusing to obey or submit to control, especially military control
[Late
16th century. Either from Old French mutineus, from mutin
“rebellious” (see mutiny ), or formed from
English mutine “mutiny,” ultimately of the same origin.]
—mu·ti·nous·ly,
adverb

—mu·ti·nous·ness, noun[1]



mutiny

mutiny
mu·ti·ny 
[myt’nee] noun (plural mu·ti·nies)

rebellion
against legal authority: a rebellion against legal
authority, especially by soldiers or sailors refusing to obey orders and,
often, attacking their officers
intransitive
verb
(past mu·ti·nied, past participle mu·ti·nied, present
participle mu·ti·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular mu·ti·nies)

participate
in mutiny:
to take part in a rebellion against legal authority
[Mid-16th century. Via
obsolete mutine “to revolt” from French mutiner, from Old French mutin
“rebellious,” from muete “revolt” (literally “movement”), via assumed
Vulgar Latin movitus from Latin motus “moved” (see motion ).][1]



mutism

mutism
mut·ism 
[my tìzzəm] noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for the inability to speak (offensive)

2.  refusal
to speak:
a refusal to speak either at all times or at some, which may indicate trauma or
stress

[1]



muton

muton
mu·ton 
[my tòn] (plural mu·tons) noun

smallest
known unit of mutable DNA: the smallest known unit of
DNA in which mutation can take place, either spontaneously or caused by an
external agent
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from mutation + -on
.][1]



mutt

mutt
mutt 
[mut] (plural mutts) noun

1.  mongrel
dog:
a dog that is of mixed or unknown breed (slang)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or
knowledge (slang insult)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of muttonhead .][1]



mutter

mutter
mut·ter 
[múttər] verb (past mut·tered,
past participle mut·tered, present participle mut·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular mut·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something quietly: to speak or say something
quietly and indistinctly

2.  intransitive
verb
grumble:
to say something in a quiet voice, especially as a complaint or in annoyance
noun
(plural mut·ters)

something said quietly:
an act of saying something quietly and indistinctly, or something said in this
way
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin muttire .][1]



mutton

mutton
mut·ton 
[mútt’n] noun

meat
of sheep:
the flesh of a fully grown sheep, eaten as food
[13th
century. Directly or via Old French molton “ram, wether, sheep” from
medieval Latin multon-, the stem of multo, of uncertain origin:
probably ultimately from assumed Gaulish multo .]
—mut·ton·y, adjective[1]



muttonbird

muttonbird
mut·ton
bird
(plural mut·ton birds) noun

type
of sea bird: an Australasian sea bird of the
shearwater family. Mutton birds are traditionally hunted by the Maori for food.
[Mutton from the taste of its
cooked flesh, which is said to resemble mutton][1]



muttonchops

muttonchops
mut·ton·chops 
[mútt’n chòps] plural noun

elaborately
shaped whiskers: facial hair trimmed into a narrow strip
beside each ear, broadening out along the lower cheek and stopping at the side
of the chin, which is kept bare
[From the shape][1]



muttonfish

muttonfish
mut·ton·fish 
[mútt’n fìsh] (plural mut·ton·fish
or mut·ton·fish·es) noun

sea
fish:
a bottom-dwelling sea fish with a large head and an elongated body that lives
in the coastal waters of northeastern North America. Latin name: Macrozoarces
americanus
[Mutton from the taste of its
flesh, likened to mutton][1]



muttonhead

muttonhead
mut·ton·head 
[mútt’n hèd] (plural mut·ton·heads)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or
knowledge (offensive insult)
—mut·ton·head·ed [mùtt’n héddəd], adjective[1]



muttonsnapper

muttonsnapper
mut·ton
snap·per
(plural mut·ton snap·pers) noun

tropical sea fish:
an olive-green fish in the snapper family that lives in tropical seas of the
western Atlantic and is caught for food and sport. Latin name: Lutjanus
analis[1]



mutual

mutual
mu·tu·al 
[mychoo əl] adjective

1.  felt
and expressed by each: done, felt, or expressed by
each toward or with regard to the other

2.  with
same feelings or relationship: with the same
feelings, or in the same relationship to each other

3.  shared
by two people or groups: shared by or common to two
or more people or groups

4.  INSURANCE of
mutual insurance: relating to mutual insurance
noun
(plural mu·tu·als)

BUSINESS See mutual fund
[15th
century. From French mutuel, from Latin mutuus “borrowed,
reciprocal, done in exchange.”]
—mu·tu·al·i·ty
[mychoo állətee], noun

—mu·tu·al·ly
[mychoo əlee], adverb

—mu·tu·al·ness, noun[1]



mutualassured destruction

mutualassured destruction
mu·tu·al
as·sured de·struc·tion noun

result of nuclear war:
the enormous reciprocal damage that the superpowers and their allies would
inflict on each other in the event of a nuclear war[1]



mutualfund

mutualfund
mu·tu·al
fund
(plural mu·tu·al funds) noun

type of investment company:
an investment company that uses members’ capital to buy a diverse group of
stocks from other companies. It offers additional shares and buys back those
shares as demand requires.
Also called
mutual
Also called
open-end investment company
U.K. term
unit trust[1]



mutualinductance

mutualinductance
mu·tu·al
in·duc·tance noun

inductance measured in
circuit: a measure of the change in
the electromotive force of a circuit caused by a change in the current flowing
through an associated circuit. It is given as the ratio of the electromotive
force induced to the rate of current change producing it. Symbol M[1]



mutualinduction

mutualinduction
mu·tu·al
in·duc·tion
noun

production of electromotive
force in circuit: the production of an
electromotive force in a circuit resulting from a change in the current flowing
through another circuit to which it is magnetically linked[1]



mutualinsurance

mutualinsurance
mu·tu·al
in·sur·ance
noun

customer-owned insurance
method: a method of insurance in
which the customers buying policies own the company, pay premiums into a common
fund to cover claims, and share in the profits[1]



mutualism

mutualism
mu·tu·al·ism 
[mychoo ə lìzzəm] noun

advantageous
relationship between species: a relationship between two
organisms of different species that benefits both and harms neither. For
example, lichens are a fungus and an alga living in mutualism: The fungus
provides a protective structure, and the alga produces a carbohydrate as food for
the fungus.
See
also
symbiosis
—mu·tu·al·ist,
noun

—mu·tu·al·is·tic [mychoo ə lístik], adjective[1]



mutualize

mutualize
mu·tu·al·ize 
[mychoo ə lz] (past mu·tu·al·ized,
past participle mu·tu·al·ized, present participle mu·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular mu·tu·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become mutual: to become mutual, or make something
mutual

2.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS alter
organization of company: to alter the organization of
a company so that the majority of its shares become owned by the employees and
customers
—mu·tu·al·i·za·tion [mychoo əli záysh’n], noun[1]



mutualsavings bank

mutualsavings bank
mu·tu·al
sav·ings bank (plural mu·tu·al sav·ings
banks) noun

type of savings bank:
a bank without shareholders in which the depositors are technically the owners[1]



mutuel

mutuel
mu·tu·el
noun

See
pari-mutuel[1]



mutule

mutule
mu·tule
[my chl] (plural mu·tules) noun

block
in cornice:
a projecting block that holds a gutta under a Doric cornice
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin mutulus .][1]



muumuu

muumuu
muu·muu 
[m m] (plural muu·muus) or
mu·mu [m m] (plural mu·mus)
noun

loose
Hawaiian dress: a loose shapeless dress made of brightly
colored fabric worn especially by women in Hawaii
[Early 20th century. From
Hawaiian mu’u mu’u, literally “cut off” (from the fact that there was
originally no yoke).][1]



mux

mux
mux
[muks] noun

multiplexer:
a multiplexer (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Muzak

Muzak
Mu·zak 
[my zàk] Trademark

a trademark for recorded
background music played in stores, restaurants, elevators, and other public
places[1]



muzhik

muzhik
mu·zhik 
[mzhik] (plural mu·zhiks) noun

Russian
peasant:
a Russian peasant, especially during the tsarist era
[Mid-16th century. From
Russian, literally “small man,” from muzh “man, husband.”][1]



muzzle

muzzle
muz·zle 
[múzz’l] noun (plural muz·zles)

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
nose and jaws: the projecting part of an animal’s face,
made up of its nose and jaws

2.  restraining
device for animal: a device that is strapped
over the nose and jaws of an animal to prevent it from opening its mouth, for
example, to bite, bark, or eat

3.  ARMS end of
gun barrel:
the front open end of the barrel of a firearm

4.  something
that prevents free expression: something that is
meant to prevent free expression
transitive
verb
(past muz·zled, past participle muz·zled, present
participle muz·zling, 3rd person present singular muz·zles)

1.  put
muzzle on animal: to put a muzzle over the nose and jaws
of an animal

2.  prevent
somebody’s free expression: to prevent a person or group
from publicly expressing particular views or opinions

3.  SAILING take
in a sail:
to roll up and secure a sail
[14th
century. From Old French musel, literally “small muzzle,” from muse
“muzzle,” from assumed Gallo-Romance musa “snout,” of unknown origin.]
—muz·zler, noun[1]



muzzleloader

muzzleloader
muz·zle·load·er 
[múzz’l ldər] (plural muz·zle·load·ers)
noun

gun loaded through muzzle:
a firearm that is loaded through its muzzle[1]



muzzlevelocity

muzzlevelocity
muz·zle
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

speed of projectile leaving
muzzle: the speed of a bullet or
other projectile as it leaves the muzzle of a firearm[1]



muzzy

muzzy
muz·zy 
[múzzee] (comparative muz·zi·er,
superlative muz·zi·est) adjective

1.  not
thinking clearly: thinking in a confused way, especially
as a result of illness or drinking alcohol

2.  vague:
vague and confused
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of muddled
and fuzzy .]
—muz·zi·ly,
adverb

—muz·zi·ness, noun[1]



MuñozMarin, Luis

MuñozMarin, Luis
Mu·ñoz
Ma·rin
[moo nz ma rín], Luis (1898–1980)

Puerto Rican statesman. He
was the first elected governor (1949–1965), after Puerto Rico’s status changed
to that of a commonwealth (1952).[1]



Mu’awiya

Mu’awiya
Mu’aw·i·ya
noun

Umayyad caliph:
a leader of the Umayyad clan who became the first Umayyad caliph following
civil war with Ali. He died in AD
680.[1]



MV

MV
MV

1.  STATISTICS Abbreviation of
mean variation

2.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
megavolt

3.  ARMS Abbreviation of muzzle velocity

[1]



mV

mV
mV

Abbreviation of
millivolt[1]



m.v.

m.v.
m.v.

Abbreviation of
market value[1]



mv

mv
mv

Abbreviation of
mezza voce[1]



MVD

MVD
MVD
noun

Soviet secret police:
the Ministry for Internal Affairs in the former Soviet Union from 1946 to 1960,
acting as secret police. Full form Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del[1]



MVP

MVP
MVP

Abbreviation of
Most Valuable Player (award)[1]



mW

mW
mW

Abbreviation of
milliwatt[1]



MW

MW
MW

1.  RADIO Abbreviation of
medium wave

2.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
molecular weight

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
megawatt

4.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Malawi

[1]



mwahmwah

mwahmwah
mwah
mwah
[mw mw] or muah muah [mw mw] noun

imitation of social kissing:
used as a humorous representation of the sound of ritual social kissing, which
does not involve physical contact[1]



Mx

Mx
Mx

Abbreviation of
maxwell[1]



MX

MX
MX

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
missile experimental

2.  MOTOR SPORTS Abbreviation of
motocross

[1]



mxd.

mxd.
mxd.

Abbreviation of
mixed[1]



my-

my-
my-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
myo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








my

my2
my2 

Abbreviation of
million years[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








my

my1
my1  [mī]
adjective

belonging
to me:
belonging or relating to the speaker (first person possessive adjective)
• You
can borrow my car. • I
always keep my promises.
interjection

used
to express sudden emotion: used to express sudden
emotion such as surprise, fright, concern, or pleasure • My!
What a mess!
[12th century. Shortening of mine originally found only before consonants other
than “h.”][1]



MY

MY
MY

Abbreviation of
motor yacht[1]



myalgia

myalgia
my·al·gi·a 
[mī áljee ə, mī
áljə] noun

muscle
pain:
pain or tenderness in a muscle or group of muscles
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from my- my-
+ Greek -algia (see -algia ).]
—my·al·gic, adjective[1]



myalism

myalism
my·al·ism 
[m ə lìzzəm] noun

witchcraft:
a type of witchcraft practiced in the West Indies
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from myal, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Hausa maye
“sorcerer.”]
—my·al·ist, noun[1]



MyallLake

MyallLake
Myall
Lake
[m awl láyk]

coastal lake in eastern New
South Wales, north of Port Stephens. Area: 310 sq km/120 sq mi.[1]



Myanmar




Back to definition

Myanmar

[1]



Myanmar

Myanmar



Myan·mar 
[m ən maar]
republic in southeastern Asia. It became
independent from Britain as the Union of Burma in 1948. Language: Burmese.
Currency: kyat. Capital: Yangon. Population: 45,570,000 (1996) Area: 676,552 sq
km/261,218 sq mi. Official name Union of Myanmar Former name Burma[1]



myasthenia

myasthenia
my·as·the·ni·a 
[m əs thnee ə (gráviss)] or my·as·the·ni·a
gra·vis [m əs thnee ə (gráviss)] noun

muscle
weakness:
chronic condition of muscle weakness. Myasthenia is an autoimmune disease.
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from my- my-
+ asthenia (see asthenia ).]
—my·as·then·ic [m əs thénnik], adjective[1]



mycelium

mycelium
my·ce·li·um 
[mī slee əm] (plural my·ce·li·a
[mī slee ə]) noun

main
part of fungus: a loose network of the delicate
filaments ( hyphae ) that form the body of a
fungus, consisting of the feeding and reproducing hyphae
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek mukēs “fungus” on the model of
modern Latin epithelium (see epithelium
).]
—my·ce·li·al,
adjective

—my·ce·loid [mssə lòyd], adjective[1]



Mycenae

Mycenae
My·ce·nae 
[mì s nee] noun

ancient
Greek city:
an ancient Greek city in the Peloponnese that was a center of Bronze Age
culture until its destruction around 1100 BC
—My·ce·nae·an, noun,
adjective[1]



mycet-

mycet-
mycet-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
myceto-[1]



-mycete

-mycete
-mycete
suffix

fungus:
a fungus
[Via modern Latin -mycetes
from Greek mukētes, the plural of mukēs “fungus” (source of
English mycelium )][1]



myceto-

myceto-
myceto-
prefix

fungus,
fungi • mycetophagous
[Via modern Latin from Greek mukēt,
the stem of mukēs (see myco- )][1]



mycetoma

mycetoma
my·ce·to·ma 
[mssə tṓmə] (plural my·ce·to·mas
or my·ce·to·ma·ta [mssə tṓmətə])
noun

fungal
infection with swelling: an inflammation of tissues
caused by a fungal or bacterial infection, usually of the feet or legs, which
swell and develop pus-discharging nodules
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek mukēt-, the stem of mukēs
“fungus.”]
—my·ce·to·ma·tous, adjective[1]



mycetophagous

mycetophagous
my·ce·to·phag·ous
[mssə tóffəgəss] adjective

fungus-eating:
feeding on fungi[1]



-mycin

-mycin
-mycin
suffix

a
substance derived from a bacterium • streptomycin
[Coined from myco- + -in ;
so called because the bacteria were originally thought to be fungi][1]



myco-

myco-
myco-
prefix

fungus,
fungi • mycotoxin
[From Greek mukēs .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “slimy,” which is also the
ancestor of English mucus .][1]



mycobacterium

mycobacterium
my·co·bac·te·ri·um 
[mkō bak tree əm] (plural my·co·bac·te·ri·a
[mkō bak tree ə]) noun

bacterium:
a rodlike Gram-positive aerobic bacterium that can form branching structures
resembling filaments. Some cause diseases in humans, for example, tuberculosis
or leprosy. Genus: Mycobacterium
—my·co·bac·ter·i·al, adjective[1]



mycology

mycology
my·col·o·gy 
[mī kólləjee] noun

1.  BOTANY study
of fungi:
a branch of botany that specializes in the scientific study of fungi

2.  FUNGI fungi
of particular area: the fungi that live in a
particular area

3.  FUNGI characteristics
of individual fungus: the characteristics of a
particular fungus
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin mycologia, from myco- myco- + Latin -logia (see -logy ).]
—my·co·log·ic
[mkə lójjik], adjective

—my·co·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—my·col·o·gist [mī kólləjist], noun[1]



mycophagist

mycophagist
my·co·phag·ist
[mī kóffəjist] (plural my·co·phag·ists)
noun

fungus-eating
animal:
an animal that eats fungi
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from mycophagy, from myco- + -phagy .][1]



mycophagous

mycophagous
my·coph·a·gous 
[mī kóffəgəss] adjective

fungus-eating:
feeding on fungi
—my·coph·a·gy [mī kóffəjee], noun[1]



mycoplasma

mycoplasma
my·co·plas·ma 
[mkō plázmə] (plural my·co·plas·mas)
noun

minute
organism like bacterium: a microorganism of a genus
considered to be the smallest known living cells. Some species cause
respiratory diseases in animals and human being. Regarded by some as primitive
bacteria, they need sterols such as cholesterol for growth. Genus: Mycoplasma
—my·co·plas·mal, adjective[1]



mycorrhiza

mycorrhiza
my·cor·rhi·za
[mkə rzə] (plural my·cor·rhi·zas
or my·cor·rhi·zae [mkə rzee])
or my·co·rhi·za [mkə rzə] (plural
my·co·rhi·zas or my·co·rhi·zae) noun

symbiotic
relationship between fungus and plant: a
mutually beneficial association of a fungus and the roots of a plant such as a
conifer or an orchid, in which the plant’s mineral absorption is enhanced and
the fungus obtains nutrients
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from myco- (See myco- ) + Greek rhiza “root.”]
—my·cor·rhi·zal, adjective[1]



mycosis

mycosis
my·co·sis 
[mī kṓssiss] (plural my·co·ses
[mī kṓ sz]) noun

fungal infection or disease:
any disease or infection of human beings or animals caused by a fungus[1]



mycotoxin

mycotoxin
my·co·tox·in 
[mkə tóksin] (plural my·co·tox·ins)
noun

fungal toxin:
a poisonous substance produced by a fungus. Mycotoxins may affect foods such as
peanuts.[1]



mycotrophic

mycotrophic
my·co·troph·ic
[mkō tróffik] adjective

symbiotic with fungus:
used to describe a plant that lives in association with a fungus, as do various
orchids in which the fungus lives on the roots[1]



mydriasis

mydriasis
my·dri·a·sis 
[mi dr əssiss, mī
dr əssiss] noun

excessive
dilation of pupils: excessive dilation of the
pupils of the eye, usually caused by prolonged drug therapy, coma, or injury to
the eye
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin from Greek mudriasis .][1]



myel-

myel-
myel-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
myelo-[1]



myelencephalon

myelencephalon
my·e·len·ceph·a·lon 
[m ələn séffə lòn] (plural my·e·len·ceph·a·lons)
noun

part
of the brain: a part of the embryonic hindbrain formed
by an extension of the spinal cord into the skull. It is the major pathway for
nerve impulses leaving and entering the brain.
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from myel- myel-
+ encephalon (see encephalon ).]
—my·e·len·ce·phal·ic [m ələnsə fállik], adjective[1]



myelin

myelin
my·e·lin 
[m əlin] noun

material
surrounding nerves: a whitish material made up
of protein and fats that surrounds some nerve cells in concentric sheaths,
insulating adjacent nerve fibers and enabling transmission of nerve impulses
[Late 19th century. Coined
from myel- + -in
.][1]



myelinated

myelinated
my·e·li·nat·ed 
[m əli nàytəd] adjective

surrounded by myelin sheath:
used to describe nerve fibers that are surrounded by a sheath of myelin[1]



myelinsheath

myelinsheath
my·e·lin
sheath
(plural my·e·lin sheaths) noun

nerve-insulating layer:
a layer of myelin that insulates some nerve cells. In multiple sclerosis, the
myelin sheath is damaged and the nerve impulse is impaired.
Also called
medullary sheath[1]



myelitis

myelitis
my·e·li·tis 
[m ə ltiss] noun

spinal cord or bone marrow
inflammation: inflammation of the
spinal cord or bone marrow[1]



myelo-

myelo-
myelo-
prefix

1.  bone
marrow • myelofibrosis

2.  spinal
cord, spinal column • myelencephalon
[Via modern Latin from Greek muelos
“marrow,” of uncertain origin: probably formed from mus “muscle” (see myo- )][1]



myeloblast

myeloblast
my·e·lo·blast 
[m ələ blàst] (plural my·e·lo·blasts)
noun

cell
in bone marrow: a cell that develops into a type of
white blood cell ( granulocyte ) and that is
normally seen only in the bone marrow where blood is formed. In some diseases,
for example, leukemia, myeloblasts may appear in the blood.
—my·e·lo·blas·tic [m ələ blástik], adjective[1]



myelocyte

myelocyte
my·e·lo·cyte 
[m ələ st] (plural my·e·lo·cytes)
noun

kind
of white blood cell: an immature form of a type
of white blood cell ( granulocyte ),
normally found in the blood-forming tissue of the bone marrow
—my·e·lo·cy·tic [m ələ síttik], adjective[1]



myelofibrosis

myelofibrosis
my·e·lo·fi·bro·sis 
[m ə lō fī brṓssiss] noun

blood
cell disease: a progressive disease in which the cells
of the bone marrow that produce fiber rather than blood cells proliferate,
leading to anemia and enlargement of the spleen and liver
—my·e·lo·fi·brot·ic [m ə lō fī bróttik], adjective[1]



myelogenous

myelogenous
my·e·log·e·nous 
[m ə lójjənəss] or my·e·lo·gen·ic
[m ələ jénnik] adjective

from bone marrow:
originating in or produced by the bone marrow[1]



myelogenousleukemia

myelogenousleukemia
my·e·log·e·nous
leu·ke·mi·a
noun

See
myeloid leukemia[1]



myelogram

myelogram
my·el·o·gram 
[m ələ gràm] (plural my·el·o·grams)
noun

X
ray image of spine: a radiographic image created
by injecting an X ray-opaque liquid into the spinal cord, to diagnose disorders
of the spine including slipped disks or tumors
—my·e·log·ra·phy [m ə lóggrəfee], noun[1]



myeloid

myeloid
my·e·loid 
[mī ə lòyd] adjective

of bone marrow or spinal
cord: relating to, involving, or
derived from bone marrow or the spinal cord[1]



myeloidleukemia

myeloidleukemia
my·e·loid
leu·ke·mi·a
noun

variety of leukemia:
a variety of leukemia in which some types of white blood cells, originating in
the myeloid tissue of the bone marrow, proliferate abnormally, suppressing
healthy red and white blood cells.
Also called
myelogenous leukemia[1]



myeloma

myeloma
my·e·lo·ma 
[m ə lṓmə] (plural my·e·lo·mas
or my·e·lo·ma·ta [m ə lṓmətə])
noun

tumor
of bone marrow: a malignant tumor that develops in the
blood-cell-producing cells of the bone marrow
—my·e·lo·ma·toid, adjective[1]



myiasis

myiasis
my·ia·sis 
[m əssiss] (plural my·ia·ses
[m ə sz]) noun

maggot
infestation: an infestation of living tissue or an
organism by maggots such as fly larvae. It can affect the skin, eyes, digestive
tract, or open wounds.
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek muia “fly.”][1]



MyLai

MyLai
My
Lai 
[m lī]

village in Vietnam that was
the site of a massacre of civilians by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War
(1968)[1]



Mylar

Mylar
My·lar 
[m lr] Trademark

a trademark for a thin strong
polyester film used in packaging, insulation, recording tapes, and photography[1]



mylonite

mylonite
my·lo·nite 
[mīlə nt] (plural my·lo·nites)
noun

metamorphic
rock:
a fine-grained layered metamorphic rock, formed where the movement of rocks
against each other causes crushing and grinding. It is found in fault zones.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek mulōn “mill” (source of English amyl
).][1]



mynah

mynah
my·nah 
[mnə] (plural my·nahs) or
my·nah bird [mnə] (plural my·nah
birds) or my·na [mnə] (plural
my·nas) noun

talking
bird:
a medium-sized bird of the starling family, native to southeastern Asia and
Australia. Some varieties are known for their ability to mimic human speech.
Genera: Acridotheres Gracula
[Mid-18th century. From Hindi
mainā .][1]



Mynheer

Mynheer
Myn·heer
[mə nr] noun

1.  title
for Dutch man: a title used to address a Dutch man,
equivalent to “Mr.” when used before a surname and to “sir” when used alone.

2.  Myn·heer
(plural Myn·heers) or myn·heer (plural myn·heers)
Dutchman:
a Dutchman (informal)
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
mijnheer, literally “my lord,” from heer “lord, master.”][1]



myo-

myo-
myo-
prefix

muscle
• myofibril
[Via modern Latin from Greek mus
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “mouse,” which is also the
ancestor of English mouse and muscle .][1]



MYOB

MYOB
MYOB

(informal) Abbreviation
of mind your own business[1]



myocardial

myocardial
my·o·car·di·al
[mī ō krdee əl] adjective

of heart wall:
relating to or affecting the thick muscular wall of the heart.
See also
myocardium[1]



myocardialinfarction

myocardialinfarction
my·o·car·di·al
in·farc·tion (plural my·o·car·di·al
in·farc·tions) noun

heart attack:
the death of a segment of heart muscle, caused by a blood clot in the coronary
artery interrupting blood supply[1]



myocarditis

myocarditis
my·o·car·di·tis 
[m ō kaar dtiss] noun

inflammation of heart muscle:
acute or chronic inflammation of the heart muscle[1]



myocardium

myocardium
my·o·car·di·um 
[m ō krdee əm] (plural my·o·car·di·a
[m ō krdee ə]) noun

heart
muscle tissue: the thick muscular wall of the heart.
The myocardium is thickest around the left ventricle where the pressure
generated by the heart is greatest.
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from myo- myo- + Greek kardia
“heart.”][1]



myoclonus

myoclonus
my·oc·lo·nus 
[mī óklənəss] noun

muscular
spasm:
a sudden muscular contraction, or a series of these, which if persistent
usually indicates a disorder of the nervous system. It is normal to experience
these contractions when falling asleep.
—my·o·clon·ic [m ə klónnik], adjective[1]



myoelectric

myoelectric
my·o·e·lec·tric 
[m ō i léktrik] or my·o·e·lec·tri·cal
[m ō i léktrik’l] adjective

1.  of
electrical properties of muscle: relating to or
involving the electrical properties of muscle

2.  using
electrical properties of muscle: using the detection of
electrical impulses in muscle to activate a bionic part such as an artificial
limb

[1]



myofascialrelease

myofascialrelease
my·o·fas·ci·al
re·lease
[mīō fàysh’l ri lss] noun

gentle massage of body
tissue: a form of gentle massage
involving the stretching and manipulation of the tough connective tissue ( fascia ) that surrounds the body[1]



myofibril

myofibril
my·o·fib·ril 
[m ə fíbbril, m
ə fbril] (plural my·o·fib·rils) noun

muscle structure like thread:
structure resembling a thread running through a muscle cell that enables the
muscle to contract.
Also called
sarcostyle[1]



myofilament

myofilament
my·o·fil·a·ment 
[m ō fílləmənt] (plural my·o·fil·a·ments)
noun

component of myofibril:
one of the filaments that make up a myofibril, either the thicker filaments
composed of the protein myosin or the thinner filaments composed of the
proteins actin or troponin[1]



myogenic

myogenic
my·o·gen·ic 
[m ə jénnik] adjective

originating in muscle cells:
originating in or able to form in muscle cells, as are the contractions of
heart muscle fibers that are spontaneous and do not depend on nerve stimulation[1]



myoglobin

myoglobin
my·o·glo·bin 
[m ə glṓbin] noun

muscle protein:
an iron-containing protein resembling hemoglobin, found in muscle cells. It
takes oxygen from the blood, releasing it to the muscles during strenuous
exercise. The three-dimensional structure of myoglobin and the alpha and beta
chains of hemoglobin are almost identical.[1]



myograph

myograph
my·o·graph 
[m ə gràf] (plural my·o·graphs)
noun

instrument
measuring muscle activity: an instrument that produces
a tracing corresponding to muscle contractions
—my·o·graph·ic
[m ə gráffik], adjective

—my·o·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



myology

myology
my·ol·o·gy 
[mī ólləjee] noun

study
of muscle:
the study of the structure, function, and diseases of muscle
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French myologie from modern Latin myologia,
from myo- (See myo- ) + -logia
(see -logy ).]
—my·o·log·ic
[m ə lójjik], adjective

—my·ol·o·gist [mī ólləjist], noun[1]



myoma

myoma
my·o·ma 
[mī ṓmə] (plural my·o·mas or
my·o·ma·ta [mī ṓmətə]) noun

benign
muscle tumor: a benign tumor of the muscle tissue
—my·o·ma·tous [mī ṓmətəss, mī ómmətəss],
adjective[1]



myoneural

myoneural
my·o·neu·ral 
[m ō nrəl] adjective

involving both muscles and
nerves: relating to or involving
both muscles and nerves[1]



myopathy

myopathy
my·op·a·thy 
[mī óppəthee] (plural my·op·a·thies)
noun

muscle
disease:
any disease of the muscles or muscle tissues, either inherited such as muscular
dystrophy or acquired such as polio. All myopathies are characterized by muscle
weakness and wasting with pain and tenderness.
—my·o·path·ic [m ə páthik], adjective[1]



myope

myope
my·ope 
[m p] (plural my·opes) noun

somebody
with myopia: somebody affected by myopia
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Latin myop-, the stem of myops “short-sighted,” from
Greek muōps (see myopia ).][1]



myopia

myopia
my·o·pi·a 
[mī ṓpee ə] noun

1.  MEDICINE shortness
of sight:
a common condition in which light entering the eye is focused in front of the
retina and distant objects cannot be seen sharply. In high myopia the eyeball
is unusually long, whereas in physiological myopia the eyeball length is normal
but the power of the cornea is too great for the axial length.

2.  lack
of foresight: lack of foresight or long-term planning
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from late Greek muōpia, from Greek muōps
“short-sighted,” from muein “to blink” (source of English mystery 1 ).][1]



myopic

myopic
my·op·ic
[mī óppik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE having
myopia:
affected by myopia

2.  lacking
in foresight: showing a lack of foresight or long-term
planning
—my·op·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



myosin

myosin
my·o·sin 
[m əssin] noun

muscle
protein:
a protein that is present in the filaments of muscles and is responsible for
the contraction of muscle cells
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from my- + -ose
+ -in .][1]



myosis

myosis
my·o·sis 
noun

See
miosis[1]



myositis

myositis
my·o·si·tis 
[m ō stiss] noun

muscle
inflammation: muscle inflammation and soreness
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek muos “of a muscle,” a form of mus
“mouse, muscle.”][1]



myosotis

myosotis
my·o·so·tis 
[m ə sṓtiss] (plural my·o·so·tes
[m ə sō teez]) or my·o·sote [m ə st] (plural my·o·sotes) noun

plant
of borage family: a plant of the borage family with hairy
leaves and stems and small flowers that may be pink at first and then blue. The
forget-me-not is one variety of myosotis . Genus: Myosotis
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, “mouse-ear (a plant),” from Greek muōsotis,
from, ultimately, mus “mouse, muscle” + ous “ear” (source of
English otic ).][1]



myotome

myotome
my·o·tome 
[m ə tm] (plural my·o·tomes)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY type
of embryonic cell: any of the cells in early
embryos that give rise to all the muscles in the body

2.  ANATOMY type
of muscle:
a muscle that is supplied by a nerve of the spine

[1]



myotonia

myotonia
my·o·to·ni·a 
[m ə tṓnee ə] noun

muscle
condition:
a muscle condition that results in the muscles maintaining contractions for
much longer than normal and having difficulty in relaxing
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from myo- (See myo-
) + Greek tonos “tone.”]
—my·o·ton·ic [m ə tónnik], adjective[1]



myriad

myriad
myr·i·ad 
[mree əd] adjective

1.  too
numerous to count: so many that they cannot be
counted

2.  of
many different elements: made up of many different
elements
noun
(plural myr·i·ads)

1.  large
number:
a huge number

2.  ten
thousand:
ten thousand (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via Old French from the late Latin stem myriad-, from Greek muriad-,
from, ultimately, murios “countless” (plural murioi “ten
thousand”).][1]



myriapod

myriapod
myr·i·a·pod 
[mree ə pòd] (plural myr·i·a·pods)
noun

small
long arthropod: an arthropod, such as a centipede or
millipede with a head, a long segmented body, and at least nine pairs of legs.
Class: Myriapoda
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin Myriapoda, class name, literally “with a myriad of feet,”
from, ultimately, Greek murias “myriad.”][1]



myrica

myrica
my·ri·ca 
[mi rkə] noun

myrtle
tonic:
a tonic and anti-diarrhea agent extracted from the root bark of the wax myrtle
tree
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin, “tamarisk,” from Greek murikē .][1]



myristicacid

myristicacid
my·ris·tic
ac·id 
[mə rìstik ássid, mī
rìstik ássid] noun

fatty
acid:
an acid found in the fats of plants and animals and used in making soaps,
flavorings, cosmetics, and perfumes. C14H28O2
[Myristic from modern Latin Myristica
(name of a genus of trees), from medieval Latin (nux) myristica
“nutmeg,” from Greek murizein “to anoint”][1]



myrmecology

myrmecology
myr·me·col·o·gy 
[mùrmə kólləjee] noun

study
of ants:
the scientific study of ants
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek murmēko-, from murmēx “ant.”]
—myr·me·co·log·ic
[mùrməkə lójjik], adjective

—myr·me·col·o·gist [mùrmə kólləjist], noun[1]



myrmidon

myrmidon
myr·mi·don
[múrmi dòn, múrmid’n]
(plural myr·mi·dons) noun

faithful
follower:
a faithful follower who obeys orders unquestioningly
[Mid-17th century. See Myrmidon .][1]



Myrmidon

Myrmidon
Myr·mi·don 
(plural Myr·mi·dons) noun

member
of people led by Achilles: in Greek mythology, a member
of a people who lived in Thessaly and were led by Achilles to the Trojan War
[15th century. Via Latin Myrmidones
(plural) from Greek Murmidones from murmèkes (according to
legend, from “ants,” from which they were created according to legend.][1]



myrobalan

myrobalan
my·rob·a·lan 
[mī róbbələn, mee
róbbələn] (plural my·rob·a·lans) noun

1.  fruit
used in dyeing: the dried fruit of a tropical shrub that
resembles a plum and is used in dyeing and in making ink

2.  See
cherry plum
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin myrobalanum, from Greek murobalanon,
from muron “balsam, ointment” + balanos “acorn.”][1]



myrrh

myrrh
myrrh 
[mur] noun

1.  aromatic
resin:
an aromatic resinous gum obtained from various trees and shrubs that are native
to Africa and southern Asia, used in perfume, incense, and medicinal
preparations

2.  BOTANY See sweet cicely
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
myrrha, from Greek murra, of Semitic origin (source of English myrtle ).][1]



myrtle

myrtle

myr·tle 
[múrt’l] (plural myr·tles) noun

1.  TREES evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree or shrub, native to the Mediterranean region and western
Asia, with white or pink flowers and edible blue-black fruit. Family: Myrtaceae

2.  PLANTS See periwinkle 2 noun
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from medieval Latin myrtilla, literally “small myrtle
tree,” from Latin myrtus “myrtle tree,” from Greek murtos, of
Semitic origin.][1]



MyrtleBeach

MyrtleBeach
Myr·tle
Beach


city and resort in eastern
South Carolina, on the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florence. Population:
25,456 (1996)[1]



myself

myself
my·self 
[mī sélf] pronoun

1.  refers
back to speaker: used to refer to the speaker or writer (first
person reflexive pronoun, used when the object of a verb or preposition refers
to the same person as the subject of the verb) • I
didn’t enjoy myself very much. • Of
all the people I am hard on, I am hardest on myself.

2.  refers
emphatically to speaker: refers emphatically to the
speaker or writer • I’m curious about that
myself.
• I
can’t expect you to be able to read my writing; I myself can’t read it.

3.  my
normal self: my normal or usual self • I
haven’t been myself since the accident.
[Old English mēseolf,
literally “me self” ( self in the obsolete sense of “same”)][1]



Mysore

Mysore
My·sore 
[mī sáwr]

city in the Mysore District,
south central Karnataka State, southern India. Population: 480,006 (1991)[1]



mystagogue

mystagogue
mys·ta·gogue 
[místə gòg] (plural mys·ta·gogues)
noun

1.  instructor
of initiates: somebody who instructs candidates for
initiation into sacred mysteries

2.  somebody
spreading mystical doctrines: somebody who believes in and
disseminates mystical doctrines
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin mystagogus, from Greek mustagōgos,
literally “leader of candidates for initiation,” from mustēs “initiated
person” (see mystery 1 ).]
—mys·ta·gog·ic
[mìstə gójjik], adjective

—mys·ta·gog·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—mys·ta·go·gy [místə gòjee], noun[1]



mysterious

mysterious
mys·te·ri·ous 
[mi stree əss] adjective

1.  about
which little is known: about whom or which little
is known or explained

2.  difficult
to understand: difficult to understand or explain

3.  full
of mystery:
full of or suggesting mystery
[Late
16th century. Formed from French mystérieux, from mystère
“mystery,” via Old French from Latin mysterium (see mystery 1 ).]
—mys·te·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



mysteriously

mysteriously
mys·te·ri·ous·ly
[mi stree əsslee] adverb

1.  in
a puzzling way: in a way that is difficult to understand
or explain

2.  in
a way full of mystery: in a way that is full of or
reminiscent of mystery

[1]



mystery

mystery1
mys·ter·y1 [místəree]
noun (plural mys·ter·ies)

1.  puzzling
event or situation: an event or situation that
is difficult to understand or explain

2.  somebody
unknown:
somebody who or something that is unknown, secret, or hidden

3.  strangeness:
the quality of being strange, secret, or puzzling

4.  story
about puzzling event: a book, play, or movie about
a puzzling event, especially an unsolved crime, that makes great use of
suspense

5.  CHRISTIANITY something
known by divine revelation: a Christian belief or truth
that is considered to be beyond human understanding and can be made known only
by divine revelation

6.  CHRISTIANITY incident
from life of Jesus Christ: an incident in the life of
Jesus Christ that Christians believe to have particular spiritual significance,
especially, in Roman Catholicism, one of 15 events including the Annunciation
and the Crucifixion

7.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
sacrament:
one of the Christian sacraments, especially Communion

8.  RELIGION religious
group:
a religious group having secret rites, especially one of the ancient
Mediterranean religions, for example, of the Romans

9.  RELIGION religious
rite:
a secret rite or ceremony performed by a religious group, especially belonging
to one of the ancient Mediterranean religions (often used in the plural)

10. ARTS See mystery play
plural
noun
mys·ter·ies

1.  secret
knowledge:
special knowledge known only to people skilled or involved in a particular
activity, group, or subject

2.  CHRISTIANITY consecrated
bread and wine: in Christianity, the consecrated bread
and wine used in the sacrament of Communion
[14th
century. Directly or via assumed Anglo-Norman from Latin mysterium, from
Greek mustērion “secret rite,” from mustēs “initiated person,”
from muein “to close the eyes or lips, initiate.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at problem

[1]



mystery

mystery2
mys·ter·y2 [místəree]
(plural mys·ter·ies) noun (archaic)

1.  guild:
a guild of merchants or craftsmen

2.  craft:
a handicraft or trade
[13th century. From medieval
Latin misterium “service, office,” a contraction (influenced by Latin mysterium
“mystery”) of Latin ministerium, from minister “servant” (see minister ).][1]



mysteryplay

mysteryplay
mys·ter·y
play
(plural mys·ter·y plays) noun

drama staged by medieval
guild: a medieval drama staged by a
craft guild and often based on stories from the Bible such as the Flood or
incidents from the life of Jesus Christ.
Also called
mystery[1]



mystic

mystic
mys·tic 
[místik] noun (plural mys·tics)

RELIGION follower
of mysticism: somebody who practices or believes in
mysticism
adjective

See
mystical
[14th century. Directly or
via French mystique (adjective) from Latin mysticus, from Greek mustikos,
from mustēs “initiated person” (see mystery 1 ).][1]



mystical

mystical
mys·ti·cal 
[místik’l] adjective

1.  RELIGION with
divine meaning: with a divine meaning beyond human
understanding

2.  RELIGION of
mysticism:
relating to or involving mysticism or mystics

3.  PARANORMAL with
supernatural significance: with supernatural or
spiritual significance or power

4.  mysterious:
mysterious or difficult to understand
—mys·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—mys·ti·cal·ness, noun[1]



mysticism

mysticism
mys·ti·cism 
[místə sìzzəm] noun

1.  RELIGION belief
in intuitive spiritual revelation: the belief that
personal communication or union with the divine is achieved through intuition,
faith, ecstasy, or sudden insight rather than through rational thought

2.  RELIGION spiritual
system:
a system of religious belief or practice that people follow to achieve personal
communication or union with the divine

3.  confused
and vague ideas: vague or unsubstantiated thought or
speculation about something

[1]



mystify

mystify
mys·ti·fy 
[místə f] (past mys·ti·fied, past
participle mys·ti·fied, present participle mys·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular mys·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  puzzle
somebody:
to put somebody in a position of being unable to understand or explain
something

2.  make
something mysterious: to make something mysterious
or unclear
[Early
19th century. From French mystifier, from mystère “mystery”
(ultimately from Latin mysterium ; see mystery 1 ) or mystique
“mystic” (see mystic ).]
—mys·ti·fi·ca·tion
[mìstəfi káysh’n], noun

—mys·ti·fi·er [místə fr], noun[1]



mystifying

mystifying
mys·ti·fy·ing
[místi fī ing] adjective

difficult
to understand: difficult to understand or explain
—mys·ti·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



mystique

mystique
mys·tique 
[mi stk] noun

mysterious
quality:
a special quality or air that makes somebody or something appear mysterious,
powerful, or desirable
[Late 19th century. Via
French (source of English mystic )
from, ultimately, Greek mustikos, from mustēs “initiated person”
(see mystery 1 ).][1]



myth

myth
myth 
[mith] (plural myths) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY ancient
story:
a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often explaining the
origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior

2.  LITERATURE MYTHOLOGY myths
collectively: myths considered as a group or a type of
story

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES symbolic
character or story: a character, story, theme,
or object that embodies a particular idea or aspect of a culture

4.  somebody
or something fictitious: somebody or something whose
existence is or was widely believed in, but who is fictitious

5.  allegory
or parable:
a story that has a hidden meaning, especially one that is meant to teach a
lesson
[Mid-19th century. Directly
or via French mythe from modern Latin mythus, from Greek muthos
“speech, myth” (source of English mythos
).][1]



myth.

myth.
myth.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mythological

2.  Abbreviation
of
mythology

[1]



mythical

mythical
myth·i·cal 
[míthik’l] or myth·ic [míthik] adjective

1.  typical
of myth:
relating to, appearing in, based on, or typical of myth

2.  imaginary:
not true or real, but existing only in somebody’s imagination

3.  like
myth:
like a myth, especially in being widely known or considered wonderful
—myth·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mythicize

mythicize
myth·i·cize 
[míthi sz] (past myth·i·cized,
past participle myth·i·cized, present participle myth·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular myth·i·ciz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
into myth:
to make somebody or something into a myth

2.  treat
as myth:
to see or explain an event or person as a myth
—myth·i·ci·za·tion
[mìthissi záysh’n], noun

—myth·i·ciz·er [míthi szər], noun[1]



mythmaker

mythmaker
myth·mak·er 
[míth màykər] (plural myth·mak·ers)
noun

creator
of myths:
somebody who creates myths
—myth·mak·ing, noun[1]



mythography

mythography
my·thog·ra·phy 
[mi thóggrəfee] (plural my·thog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  LITERATURE volume
of myths:
a collection of myths

2.  ARTS artistic
representation: the representation of a mythical subject
in a work of art

[1]



mythoi

mythoi
my·thoi


Plural of
mythos[1]



mythol.

mythol.
mythol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
mythological

2.  Abbreviation
of
mythology

[1]



mythological

mythological
myth·o·log·i·cal 
[mìthə lójjik’l] or myth·o·log·ic
[mìthə lójjik] adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY in
myths:
relating to, typical of, or appearing in myth

2.  imaginary:
not real, but existing only in the imagination
—myth·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



mythologist

mythologist
my·thol·o·gist 
[mi thólləjist] (plural my·thol·o·gists)
noun

1.  writer
of myths:
somebody who writes or collects myths

2.  student
of myths:
somebody who studies or is an expert on myths

[1]



mythologize

mythologize
my·thol·o·gize 
[mi thóllə jz] (past my·thol·o·gized,
past participle my·thol·o·gized, present participle my·thol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular my·thol·o·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
into myth:
to make somebody or something into a myth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb explain
or make up myths: to explain or relate myths

3.  intransitive
verb
create
myths:
to create or make up myths
—myth·ol·o·gi·za·tion
[mi thòlləji záysh’n], noun

—my·thol·o·giz·er [mi thóllə jzər], noun[1]



mythology

mythology
my·thol·o·gy 
[mi thólləjee] (plural my·thol·o·gies)
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY body
of myths:
a group of myths that belong to a particular people or culture and tell about
their ancestors, heroes, gods and other supernatural beings, and history

2.  body
of stories:
a body of stories, ideas, or beliefs that are not necessarily true about a
particular place or individual

3.  MYTHOLOGY myths
collectively: myths considered as a group

4.  MYTHOLOGY study
of myths:
the study of myths, or the branch of knowledge that deals with myths
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin mythologia, from Greek muthologia,
literally “science of myths,” from muthos (see myth
).]
—myth·o·log·er, noun[1]



mythomania

mythomania
myth·o·ma·ni·a 
[mìthō máynee ə] noun

very
strong tendency to lie: a very strong tendency to
tell lies or exaggerate, which may be symptom of a disorder
—myth·o·ma·ni·ac, noun[1]



mythopoeia

mythopoeia
myth·o·poe·ia 
[mìthō p ə] or myth·o·po·e·sis
[mìthō pō ssiss] noun

making
of myths:
the creating of myths
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or via late Latin from Greek muthopoiia, from muthos
(see myth ) + poiein “to make”
(source of English poem ).]
—myth·o·poe·ist, noun[1]



mythopoeic

mythopoeic
myth·o·poe·ic 
[mìthō p ik] adjective

of
production of myths: relating to, involving, or
engaged in the production of myths
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek muthopoios, from muthos (see myth
) + poiein “to make.”][1]



mythos

mythos
my·thos 
[m thòss, mí
thòss] (plural my·thoi [m
thoy]) noun

1.  set
of attitudes: the interrelated set of beliefs,
attitudes, and values held by a society or cultural group

2.  myth
or mythology: a myth or mythology
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
muthos “speech, myth” (source of English myth
).][1]



myx-

myx-
myx-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
myxo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








myxedema

myxedema
myx·e·de·ma 
[mksi dmə] noun

1.  thyroid
disease:
a disease caused by an underactive or atrophied thyroid gland, characterized by
sluggishness and weight gain. It can be treated with artificial thyroid
hormone.

2.  skin
swelling:
dry swelling of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, associated with an
underactive thyroid gland
—myx·e·dem·a·tous
[mksi démmətəss, mksi
dmətəss], adjective

—myx·e·dem·ic [mksə démmik], adjective[1]



myxo-

myxo-
myxo-
prefix

mucus
• myxomycete
[Via modern Latin from Greek muxa
“slime, mucus” (source of English match
)][1]



myxoma

myxoma
myx·o·ma 
[mik sṓmə] (plural myx·o·mas or
myx·o·ma·ta [mik sṓmətə]) noun

benign
tumor:
a benign tumor composed of mucus and gelatinous material embedded in connective
tissue, typically in the heart where it can obstruct blood flow and lead to
sudden unconsciousness
—myx·o·ma·tous [mik sómmətəss], adjective[1]



myxomatosis

myxomatosis
myx·o·ma·to·sis 
[mik smə tṓssiss] noun

disease
of rabbits:
a highly infectious disease of rabbits caused by a virus, leading to swelling
of the mucous membranes and the formation of tumors similar to myxomas
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from myxomat-, the stem of myxoma (see myxoma ).][1]



myxomycete

myxomycete
myx·o·my·cete 
[mìksō m seet] (plural myx·o·my·cetes)
noun

See
slime mold
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Myxomycetes, class name, from myxo- myxo- + Greek mukētes, the plural of mukēs
“fungus.”][1]



myxovirus

myxovirus
myx·o·vir·us 
[míksə vrəss] (plural myx·o·vir·us·es)
noun

virus containing RNA:
any of a group of RNA-containing viruses, including those that cause diseases
of the respiratory tract such as influenza, and those that cause measles and
mumps ( paramyxoviruses )[1]



Málaga

Málaga
Má·la·ga
[máləgə]

city, seaport, and holiday
resort in southern Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the center of the
Costa del Sol, a major tourist region. Population: 532,425 (1995)[1]



Mâcon

Mâcon
Mâ·con
[máykən]

capital of Saône-et-Loire
Department, in Burgundy, east central France. Population: 106,612 (1990)[1]



Mälaren

Mälaren
Mä·lar·en
[máy lr ən]

lake in southeastern Sweden.
Stockholm lies on its eastern shore. Area: 1,140 sq km/440 sq mi.[1]



médaillon

médaillon
mé·dail·lon 
[mày da yáwN] (plural mé·dail·lons)
noun

(often
used in the plural)
Also
called
médallion See medallion  noun 3
[Early 20th century. From
French, plural of médaillon (see medallion
).][1]



mélange

mélange
mé·lange 
[may lNzh, may
lnzh] (plural mé·langes) or me·lange [may lNzh, may lnzh]
(plural me·langes) noun

1.  mixture
of things:
a collection of things of different kinds (literary or formal)

2.  GEOLOGY mixture
of rocks:
a region of rock that consists of a mixture of dissimilar rocky materials
[Mid-17th century. From
French mélange, from mêler “to mix,” ultimately from Latin miscere
(see mixed ).][1]



ménage

ménage
mén·age 
[may nzh] (plural mén·ages) noun
(formal)

1.  household:
a group of people living together as a household

2.  management
of a house:
the running of a household
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin manere “to dwell, stay” (see remain ).][1]



ménageà trois

ménageà trois
mén·age
à trois 
[may nzh aa trw] (plural mén·ages
à trois [mày naazh aa trw]) noun

3-person
sexual relationship: a sexual relationship
involving three people
[From French, literally
“household for three”][1]



Ménière’sdisease

Ménière’sdisease
Mén·i·ère’s
dis·ease
[màyn yáirz di zz] or Mén·i·ère’s
syn·drome [màyn yáirz di zz] noun

ear
disorder:
a disorder caused by an accumulation of fluid in the labyrinths of the inner
ear. Symptoms include vertigo, persistent ringing in the ears, and some loss of
hearing.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physician Prosper Ménière ( 1799–1862 ), who described it.][1]



Mérida

Mérida
Mé·ri·da 
[mèrreedə]

1.  city
in southeastern Mexico, the capital of Yucatán State. It was founded by the
Spanish on a Maya site in 1542. Population: 523,422 (1990)

2.  city
in western Spain, in Bajadoz Province. Population: 52,200 (1987)

[1]



Mérimée,Prosper

Mérimée,Prosper
Mérimée
[mèrri máy], Prosper (1803–1870)

French writer. His works
include the novella Carmen (1845), the basis of Bizet’s opera. He was
also a historian.[1]



mésalliance

mésalliance
mé·sal·li·ance 
[may zállee əns, may
zàl yNs] (plural mé·sal·li·anc·es) noun

socially
mismatched marriage: a marriage with somebody of
a lower social position, regarded as a bad match
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “bad alliance,” from alliance “alliance,” from Old
French aliance .][1]



métier

métier
mé·tier 
[me tyáy, may
tyáy] (plural mé·tiers) or me·tier [me tyáy, may tyáy]
(plural me·tiers) noun

1.  occupation:
somebody’s occupation or trade

2.  forte:
an activity that somebody is particularly good at
[Late 18th century. Via
French from assumed Vulgar Latin misterium, alteration of Latin ministerium
(see ministry ).][1]



Möbiusstrip

Möbiusstrip

Mö·bi·us
strip 
[mṓbee əss strìp] noun
single-sided
loop:
a continuous single-sided surface formed by rotating one end of a strip through
180° and joining it to the other end
[Early 20th century. Named
for the German mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius (1790–1868).][1]



Müllerianmimicry

Müllerianmimicry
Mül·le·ri·an
mim·ic·ry 
[myoo lree ən mímmikree] noun

mimicry
between animals: mimicry in which two or more animals
that are inedible or harmful assume one another’s appearance so that predators
will leave them alone
[Late 19th century. Named for
J. F. T. Müller (1821–1897), the German-born Brazilian zoologist who
described the phenomenon.][1]



Müller-Lyerillusion

Müller-Lyerillusion
Mül·ler-Ly·er
il·lu·sion
[mylər īər l’n] (plural Mül·ler-Ly·er
il·lu·sions) noun

optical
illusion:
an optical illusion in which a line with inward-pointing arrows is seen as
longer than one of equal length with outward-pointing arrows
[Late 19th century.
Müller-Lyer after Franz Carl Müller-Lyer (1857–1916), German sociologist and
philosopher.][1]



Müller,Paul Hermann

Müller,Paul Hermann
Müller
[múllər, mylər],
Paul Hermann (1899–1965)

Swiss chemist. He
demonstrated the insecticidal properties of DDT, which was widely used from the
1940s to the 1970s.[1]



Münchausensyndrome

Münchausensyndrome
Mün·chau·sen
syn·drome
[mún chowz’n sìndrōm] noun

feigning
serious illness: a psychological disorder in which
somebody pretends to have a serious illness in order to undergo testing or
treatment or be admitted to a hospital. In Münchausen syndrome by proxy,
medical attention is sought for somebody else, who is sometimes harmed by
attempts to create an illness to warrant such attention.
[From Baron Münchausen,
hero of exaggerated traveler’s tales in a book (1785) by R. E. Raspe.][1]



n

n3
n3

1.  Symbol
for
amount of substance

2.  n
or N PRINTING Symbol
for en dash

3.  PHYSICS OPTICS Symbol for index
of refraction

4.  MEASUREMENTS Symbol for nano-

5.  PHYSICS Symbol for neutron

[1]



n

n2
n2 noun

indefinite number:
an indefinite whole number[1]



N.

N.
N.

1.  GEOGRAPHY (in place names)
Abbreviation of New

2.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Norse

[1]



n-

n-
n-
prefix

normal[1]



n

n4
n4 or n. or
N or N.

1.  Abbreviation
of
north

2.  Abbreviation
of
northern

[1]



n

n1

n1 [en]
(plural n’s) or N [en]
(plural N’s or Ns) noun

1.  14th
letter of English alphabet: the 14th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “N”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “N”

3.        letter
“N” written: a written
representation of the letter “N”[1]



N

N2
N2

1.  CHESS Abbreviation of knight

2.  AUTOMOBILES (used on gearshifts)
Abbreviation of neutral

3.  Abbreviation
of
November

[1]



N

N1
N1

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for Avogadro’s number

2.  PHYSICS MEASUREMENTS Symbol for newton

3.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for nitrogen

[1]



n.

n.
n.

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of net

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of neuter

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of nominative

4.  Abbreviation
of
noon

5.  Abbreviation
of
note

6.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of noun

7.  Abbreviation
of
number

[1]



Na

Na
Na

Symbol
for
sodium
[Shortening of modern Latin natrium,
from, ultimately, Greek nitron “niter”][1]



N.A.

N.A.
N.A.

1.  DRUGS Abbreviation of
Narcotics Anonymous

2.  Abbreviation
of
National Academy

3.  Abbreviation
of
North America

[1]



n/a

n/a
n/a

1.  Abbreviation
of
not applicable

2.  Abbreviation
of
not available

[1]



NAACP

NAACP
NAACP
or N.A.A.C.P.

Abbreviation of
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People[1]



nab

nab
nab 
[nab] (past nabbed, past
participle nabbed, present participle nab·bing, 3rd
person present singular nabs) transitive verb

1.  grab
something:
to seize, snatch, or take something suddenly

2.  catch
somebody:
to catch and arrest a criminal or fugitive (informal)
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of earlier nap, from
Scandinavian .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



Nabataean

Nabataean
Nab·a·tae·an
[nàbbə t ən] (plural Nab·a·tae·ans)
or Nab·a·te·an [nàbbə t ən] (plural
Nab·a·tea·ns) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of an Arab people: a member of an Arab people
who in Roman times lived in part of modern Jordan, and whose capital city was
Petra

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
Nabataean language: the now extinct language
spoken by the Nabataeans, a dialect of Aramaic
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin Nabat(h)aeus .]
—Nab·a·tae·an, adjective[1]



nabe

nabe
nabe 
[nayb] (plural nabes) noun
(slang)

1.  THEATER movie
theater:
a neighborhood movie theater (often used in the plural)

2.  neighborhood:
somebody’s neighborhood
[Mid-20th century. From the
pronunciation of neighb(orhood) .][1]



Nabis

Nabis
Na·bis 
[nbee] plural noun

group
of French artists: a group of 19th-century
French artists, including Bonnard, who embraced symbolism rather than the
naturalism of the impressionist painters
[Mid-20th century. Plural of nabi
“member of the Nabis,” from Hebrew nābī “prophet.”][1]



Nablus

Nablus
Na·blus
[nábbləss, nbləss]

See
Nabulus[1]



nabob

nabob
na·bob 
[náy bòb] (plural na·bobs) noun

1.  somebody
rich:
somebody who is very rich or powerful (informal)

2.  HISTORY See nawab  noun
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese nababo or Spanish nabab from Urdu nawwāb
“deputy governor.”][1]



Nabokov,Vladimir

Nabokov,Vladimir

Na·bo·kov
[nə bṓk of, nə
bók of, nábbə kof], Vladimir
(1899–1977)
Russian-born
U.S. writer. He is known for the stylish word-play of his novels, especially
the controversial Lolita ( 1955 ).
Full name
Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich[1]



Nabulus

Nabulus
Nab·u·lus 
[nábbəlss] or Nab·lus [nábbəlss] or Nāb·u·lus [nábbəlss]

city in the West Bank Region,
48 km30 mi north of Jerusalem. Population: 106,944 (1987)[1]



nacelle

nacelle
na·celle 
[nə sél] (plural na·celles) noun

enclosure
on aircraft: a separate streamlined enclosure on an
aircraft for crew, cargo, or engines
[Early 20th century. Via
French, “dinghy, gondola,” from late Latin navicella “boat” (literally
“small ship”), from Latin navis “ship” (source of English navy ).][1]



nachos

nachos
na·chos
[n chōz] plural noun

dish
of tortilla chips: a hot dish of tortilla chips
covered with melted cheese, chili sauce, or another spicy topping, usually
served as a snack or an appetizer
[Mid-20th century. Plural of nacho,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Mexican Spanish, nickname for Ignacio,
the name of the chef who is said to have created it.][1]



NacimientoPeak

NacimientoPeak
Nacimiento
Peak
[nàssimee èntō pk]

mountain in southern Rio
Arriba County, northern New Mexico. Height: 3,060 m/10,045 ft.[1]



nacre

nacre
na·cre 
[náykər] noun

See
mother-of-pearl
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian naccaro, from Arabic nāqūr “hunting horn,”
from the similarity in shape to a mollusk.][1]



nacreous

nacreous
na·cre·ous 
[náykree əss] adjective

1.  of
mother-of-pearl: relating to, typical of, or made of
mother-of-pearl

2.  like
mother-of-pearl: with the iridescent quality of
mother-of-pearl

[1]



nacreouscloud

nacreouscloud
na·cre·ous
cloud
(plural na·cre·ous clouds) noun

iridescent cloud:
an iridescent cloud that looks like a cirrus and appears especially in the
winter at high latitudes[1]



NACU

NACU
NACU

Abbreviation of
National Association of Colleges and Universities[1]



NAD

NAD
NAD 
noun

coenzyme:
a coenzyme acting as a hydrogen acceptor in many biochemical reactions, for
example, in the electron transport chain, where it is vital in the production
of energy. Full form nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide[1]



Na-Dene

Na-Dene
Na-Den·e
[naa dénnee] or Na-Dén·é [naa dénnee] noun

Native
American language group: a language group of over 30
Native North American languages spoken in parts of Alaska, Canada, and the
southwestern United States. About 200,000 people speak a Na-Dene language.
[From
Athapaskan na + North Athapaskan dene “people”]
—Na-Den·e, adjective[1]



Nader,Ralph

Nader,Ralph

Na·der
[náydər], Ralph (1934– )
U.S. consumer-protection advocate. He led
several campaigns and wrote the controversial Unsafe at Any Speed ( 1965
) on the automobile industry.[1]



NADH

NADH
NADH 
noun

reduced
form of NAD: the chemically reduced form of NAD that
reverts to NAD in a process that initiates the generation of cellular energy
[Mid-20th century. From NAD + H “hydrogen.”][1]



nadir

nadir
na·dir 
[náydər, náy dr]
(plural na·dirs) noun

1.  lowest
point:
the lowest possible point • the
nadir of despair

2.  ASTRONOMY point
on celestial sphere: the point on the celestial
sphere directly below the observer and opposite the zenith
[14th century. Via French and
medieval Latin from Arabic naẓîr (as-samt), literally “opposite (the
zenith).”][1]



NADP

NADP
NADP 
noun

a coenzyme in living cells
that is similar to NAD but with an extra phosphate group. It tends to
participate in biochemical syntheses rather than energy-yielding reactions. C21H28N7O17P3 Full
form nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

Also called
triphosphopyridine nucleotide[1]



nae

nae
nae
[nay] adverb Scotland

1.  no:
no

2.  not:
not

[1]



naevus

naevus
nae·vus
(plural nae·vi) noun

U.K.
See nevus[1]



naff

naff
naff
[naf] adjective

U.K.
unstylish:
lacking real or fashionable stylishness and appearing boring, tasteless, or
unattractive (informal)[1]



naffoff

naffoff
naff
off
(past naffed off, past participle naffed off, present
participle naffing off, 3rd person present singular naffs
off, plural naffs off) intransitive verb

U.K.
go away:
used as a rude way of telling somebody to go away (informal)[1]



NAFTA

NAFTA
NAFTA
[nftə] noun

U.S. trade agreement:
a free trade agreement signed between the United States and Canada in 1989, and
extended to include Mexico in 1994. Full form North American Free Trade
Agreement[1]



nag

nag1
nag1 [nag]
verb (past nagged, past participle nagged, present
participle nag·ging, 3rd person present singular nags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ask
repeatedly:
to ask or urge somebody persistently and annoyingly to do something • He
keeps nagging me to go and see the doctor.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
criticizing: to complain repeatedly to somebody in an
irritating way, for example, about some aspect of their behavior or appearance

3.  intransitive
verb
be
persistently painful or bothersome: to be
a persistent cause of discomfort, anxiety, or unease • My
conscience had been nagging me all week. • a
nagging pain
noun
(plural nags)

somebody who nags:
somebody, especially a woman, who tends to nag (insult)
[Early
19th century. Originally “to gnaw, nibble,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Old Norse gnaga “to bite” or Low German (g)naggen “to irritate.”]
—nag·ger,
noun

—nag·ging,
noun

—nag·ging·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



nag

nag2
nag2 [nag]
(plural nags) noun

1.  old
horse:
an old horse, especially one that is worn out

2.  racehorse:
a horse, especially a racehorse (slang)

3.  small
horse:
a small horse for riding (archaic)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Naga

Naga
Na·ga
[ngə] (plural Na·ga or
Na·gas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of South Asian people: a member of a South Asian
people who live in northeastern India and western Myanmar. They were
headhunters until the 20th century and still maintain a traditional style of
life.

2.  LANGUAGE Naga
language:
the Tibeto-Burman language of the Naga people. It is spoken by about 120,000
people.
Also
called
Naga-Mikir
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Sanskrit nagna “naked” or naga
“mountain.”]
—Naga, adjective[1]



Nagaland

Nagaland
Na·ga·land
[ngə land]

state in northeastern India,
bordering Myanmar. Area: 16,579 sq km/6,400 sq mi. Population: 1,410,000 (1994)[1]



Naga-Mikir

Naga-Mikir
Na·ga-Mi·kir
[nga mi kr] noun

LANGUAGE
See Naga[1]



nagana

nagana
na·ga·na 
[nə gnə] or n’ga·na [əng gnə] noun

cattle
disease in Africa: an often fatal disease
caused by trypanosome protozoan parasites that affects hoofed animals such as
cattle, horses, and goats in tropical Africa and is transmitted by the tsetse
fly. It is related to sleeping sickness.
[Late 19th century. From Zulu
nakane .][1]



Nagano

Nagano
Na·ga·no 
[nə gnō]

city and port in Japan, on
Honshu Island. It is the commercial center and capital of Nagano Prefecture.
Population: 347,036 (1990)[1]



Nagari

Nagari
Na·ga·ri
[ngəree] noun

1.  set
of Indian alphabets: a set of alphabets used for
several languages of the Indian subcontinent, including Sanskrit and Hindi

2.  See
Devanagari
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit nagari, literally “script of the city.”][1]



Nagasaki

Nagasaki
Na·ga·sa·ki 
[nàggə skee]

city and port in southern
Japan, on Kyushu Island, and capital of Nagasaki Prefecture. It was destroyed
by an atomic bomb in 1945. Population: 445,000 (1990)[1]



Nagoya

Nagoya
Na·go·ya 
[na góy yə]

city in Japan, on Honshu
Island. It is the capital city and industrial center of Aichi Prefecture.
Population: 2,091,000 (1994)[1]



Nagpur

Nagpur
Nag·pur
[nag pr]

city in central India, in
Maharashtra State, on the Nag River. Population: 1,622,225 (1991)[1]



Nagy,Imre

Nagy,Imre
Nagy
[nóddyə], Imre (1896–1958)

Hungarian statesman. Prime
minister of communist Hungary (1953–1955 and 1956), he led the Hungarian
uprising (1956) and was later executed.[1]



nah

nah
nah
[na, naa]
interjection

no:
no (nonstandard)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of no .][1]



Nah.

Nah.
Nah.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Nahum[1]



NahanniNational Park

NahanniNational Park
Na·han·ni
Na·tion·al Park [nə hni
náshənəl prk]

national park and preserve in
northern Canada, in southwestern Northwest Territories, on the South Nahanni
River. It is a World Heritage Site. Area: 4,766 sq km/1,840 sq mi.[1]



Nahuatl

Nahuatl
Na·hua·tl 
[n wt’l] (plural Na·hua·tl or
Na·hua·tls) or Na·hua [n w]
(plural Na·hua or Na·huas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native Central American people: a member of a Native
Central American people who live in southern Mexico and Central America. The
Nahuatl include the ancient Aztecs.

2.  Na·hua·tl
or Na·hua or Na·huat·lan LANGUAGE Nahuatl language:
the language of the Nahuatl people. It belongs to the Uto-Aztecan family of
languages, and is spoken by over one million people.
Also
called
Aztec
[Early
l9th century. Via Spanish from Nahuatl, singular of Nahua “the Nahuatl
people.” English words of Nahuatl origin include: avocado, Aztec, cacao, chili,
chocolate, coyote, guacamole, mesquite, peyote, tamale, tomato.]
—Na·hua·tl, adjective[1]



Nahum

Nahum
Na·hum 
[náyhəm, náyəm]
noun

1.  biblical
Hebrew prophet: a Hebrew prophet who lived in the 7th
century BC. He was one of the
minor prophets.

2.  book
of the Bible: a book of the Bible that records the
prophecies of Nahum, including the prophecy foretelling the siege and sack of
the Assyrian capital of Nineveh in 612 BC

[1]



NAIA

NAIA
NAIA

Abbreviation of
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes[1]



naiad

naiad
nai·ad 
[náy ad, náy àd,
n àd, náy əd]
(plural nai·ads or nai·a·des [náyə dz, n ə dz])
noun

1.  (plural
nai·ads) MYTHOLOGY Greek
water nymph: in Greek mythology, a nymph of lakes,
rivers, springs, and fountains. The naiads were skilled in music and dancing,
and were supposed to have healing powers.

2.  INSECTS aquatic
larva:
the immature water-dwelling form ( larva )
of a dragonfly, damselfly, mayfly, or stonefly

3.  BOTANY aquatic
plant:
a plant that grows under water and has narrow leaves and small white flowers.
Genus: Najas
[14th century. Via the Latin
stem naiad- from the Greek stem naiad- “water nymph,” from naein
“to flow.”][1]



Naiad

Naiad
Nai·ad 
[náy ad n ad] noun

small innermost moon of
Neptune: the innermost known natural
satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1989 by Voyager 2. It is approximately 58
km36 mi in diameter.[1]



nail

nail

nail 
[nayl] noun (plural nails)

1.  short
pointed metal pin: a strong metal pin with a
flat round head and a pointed end that is hammered into wood or masonry and
used to fasten objects together or hang something on

2.  something
like nail:
something that is like a nail in its shape, in being sharp, or in the way it is
used

3.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY hard area on finger or toe:
in humans and other primates, the thin horny covering that grows on the upper
surface of the end of each finger and toe

4.  ZOOLOGY claw:
the claw of a bird, mammal, or reptile

5.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of measure:
an old unit of measure for cloth that was equal to 5.7 cm2¼ in
transitive verb
(past nailed, past participle nailed, present
participle nail·ing, 3rd person present singular nails)

1.  attach
with nails:
to fasten, attach, or secure something using nails

2.  fix
steadily:
to keep something fixed or focused on something • His
gaze was nailed to the astonishing scene.

3.  catch
or convict guilty person: to catch somebody who is
guilty of an offense, prove the person’s guilt, or have the person convicted (informal)
• It
took them five years to nail him for insider trading.

4.  expose
untruth:
to prove that something is not true or valid and so stop others from believing
it (informal)

5.  hit
with bullet or projectile: to hit or bring down
somebody or something with a bullet or a projectile

6.  stop:
to stop somebody and speak to him or her (informal) • nailed
me in the corridor and demanded a raise

7.  do
precisely or well: to catch, hit, seize, or
execute something adroitly or precisely (informal)

8.  pin
down:
to identify somebody or establish something precisely (informal) • I
nailed him as a fraud as soon as he started talking about his wealthy
background.

9.  BASEBALL put
somebody out: in baseball, to put out a runner by
tagging
[Old
English nægl . Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting a
fingernail or toenail that is also the ancestor of English onyx and ungulate
. The meaning “fastener” evolved in prehistoric Germanic.]
—nail·a·ble,
adjective

—nail·er,
noun
hit the nail on the head

to
be absolutely correct or accurate

a nail in somebody’s coffin

an
event or action that further weakens the position of somebody or something
already in decline

on the nail

accurate or exact[1]



nailbed

nailbed
nail
bed
(plural nail beds) noun

nail-producing tissue at base
of nail: the layer of tissue at the
base of a fingernail or toenail from which new nail material develops[1]



nail-biter

nail-biter
nail-bit·er
(plural nail-bit·ers) noun

1.  cause
of tension:
a situation or contest that is extremely tense and exciting because its outcome
remains uncertain until the end (informal)

2.  somebody
who bites nails: somebody who has the habit of biting off
the ends of his or her fingernails
[From the stereotype of
nail-biting as a sign of anxiety][1]



nail-biting

nail-biting
nail-bit·ing
noun

habit
of biting fingernails: the habit of biting off the
ends of the fingernails, especially out of anxiety, tension, or boredom
adjective

tense:
extremely tense and exciting because the outcome is uncertain
[See nail-biter][1]



nailbomb

nailbomb
nail
bomb
(plural nail bombs) noun

bomb containing nails:
a bomb packed with nails to cause widespread injuries among people who are near
it when it goes off[1]



nailbrush

nailbrush
nail·brush 
[náyl brùsh] (plural nail·brush·es)
noun

brush for cleaning
fingernails: a small brush used for
cleaning the fingernails, with short stiff bristles on one or both sides[1]



nailclippers

nailclippers
nail
clip·pers
plural noun

tool for trimming
fingernails: a small pair of
clippers used for trimming fingernails and toenails[1]



naildown

naildown
nail
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
pin
down:
to make somebody be definite about something

2.  transitive
verb
settle
finally:
to settle something finally or come to a final decision about something

3.  establish
definitively: to establish something clearly and
conclusively • an
investigation that will attempt to nail down what really happened here

4.  beat
somebody conclusively: to defeat an opponent
decisively

[1]



nailfile

nailfile
nail
file
noun

file for fingernails:
a small file used for smoothing and shaping the ends of the fingernails[1]



nailhead

nailhead
nail·head
[náyl hèd] (plural nail·heads)
noun

nail-shaped decoration:
a decorative design that resembles the round head of a nail, used on furniture
and leather[1]



nailpolish

nailpolish
nail
pol·ish
noun

varnish for fingernails:
a fast-drying colored or transparent varnish, often worn by women on their
fingernails or toenails[1]



nailpunch

nailpunch
nail
punch
(plural nail punch·es) or nail set (plural nail
sets) noun

CONSTRUCTION
tool for making nail lie flat:
a tool that pushes a nail level with or lower than the surrounding surface[1]



nailscissors

nailscissors
nail
scis·sors
(plural nail scis·sors) plural noun

small scissors for
fingernails: small scissors,
sometimes with curved blades, used for trimming fingernails or toenails (takes
singular or plural verb)[1]



nainsook

nainsook
nain·sook 
[náyn sk] noun

cotton
fabric:
a lightweight cotton fabric used for babywear and lingerie, originally from
India
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi nainsukh, literally “pleasure to the eye.”][1]



Naipaul,V. S.

Naipaul,V. S.
Nai·paul
[n pawl], V. S. (1932– )

West-Indian
born British novelist. His novels include A House for Mr. Biswas (1961)
and the Booker Prize-winning In a Free State (1971).
Full name
Naipaul, Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad[1]



naira

naira
nai·ra 
[nrə] noun

1.  unit
of currency in Nigeria: the standard unit of
currency in Nigeria, worth 100 kobo

2.  bill
worth one naira: a bill worth one naira
[Late 20th century. From
Nigerian English, alteration of Nigeria .][1]



Nairnshire

Nairnshire
Nairn·shire
[náirn sheer, náirnshər]

former county of northern
Scotland, abolished in 1975, and incorporated into Highland Region[1]



Nairobi




Back to definition

Nairobi

[1]



Nairobi

Nairobi

Nai·ro·bi 
[nī rṓbee]
capital city of Kenya, situated in the
south central part of the country. Population: 1,673,000 (1993)[1]



NairobiNational Park

NairobiNational Park
Nai·ro·bi
Na·tion·al Park

national park in south
central Kenya, near the capital city. It was established in 1946. Area: 115 sq
km/44 sq mi.[1]



Naismith,James

Naismith,James
Nai·smith
[náy smith], James (1861–1939)

Canadian-born U.S. physical
education teacher. He invented basketball (1891).[1]



naive

naive
na·ive 
[naa v] (comparative na·iv·er,
superlative na·iv·est) or na·ïve [naa v] (comparative na·ïv·er, superlative
na·ïv·est) or na·ïf [naa f]
(comparative na·ïf·er, superlative na·ïf·est) adjective

1.  extremely
simple and trusting: having or showing an
excessively simple and trusting view of the world and human nature, often as a
result of youth and inexperience

2.  not
shrewd or sophisticated: showing a lack of
sophistication and subtlety or of critical judgment and analysis • a
politically naive statement

3.  artless:
admirably straightforward and uncomplicated or refreshingly innocent and
unaffected

4.  ARTS rejecting
sophisticated techniques in art: not using the
conventional styles and techniques of trained artists, for example, in the
treatment of perspective or light and shade

5.  SCIENCE not
previously experimented on: not previously used in any
scientific tests or experiments or not having previously used a particular drug
• naive
laboratory mice
[Mid-17th
century. From French naïve, feminine of naïf, from Latin nativus
“born” (source of English native ).
The underlying idea is of the innocence or gullibility of the newborn.]
—na·ive·ly,
adverb

—na·ive·ness, noun[1]



naiverealism

naiverealism
na·ive
re·al·ism
noun

commonsense theory of
perception: the theory of perception
that holds that when we look at an object what we see is the actual object, not
a mental representation of it[1]



naiveté

naiveté
na·ive·té
[n eevə táy, naa
və tày] (plural na·ive·tés) or na·ïve·té [n eevə táy, naa və
tày] (plural na·ïve·tés) noun

1.  naiveness:
a naive quality or naive behavior

2.  naive
action:
a naive action or remark

[1]



Najd

Najd
Najd 
[najd, nejd]

region in central Saudi
Arabia. Area: 1,158,000 sq km/447,000 sq mi.[1]



NAK

NAK
NAK
[nak] or nak [nak] noun

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
ASCII code for message not received:
an ASCII control code used to indicate to the sender that a transmitted message
has not been properly received. Full form negative acknowledgment[1]



NakasoneYasuhiro

NakasoneYasuhiro
Nakasone
Yasuhiro
[nàkə sṓni yàssoo hrō] (1918– )

Japanese statesman. He was
prime minister of Japan (1982–1987).[1]



naked

naked
na·ked
[náykəd] adjective

1.  with
no clothes on: not covered by clothing, especially
having no clothing on any part of the body

2.  lacking
covering:
without the usual covering or protection • a
naked light bulb

3.  not
concealed:
openly displayed or expressed and often threatening or disturbing • naked
aggression

4.  unadorned:
plain and lacking any decoration or embellishment • the
naked truth

5.  unarmed:
unarmed and defenseless “If you carry this resolution you will send Britain’s
Foreign Secretary naked into the conference chamber.” Aneurin Bevan 1957

6.  devoid
of something: without or unaccompanied by a particular
quality or thing • naked of all
pretensions to grandeur

7.  without
natural covering: without any natural covering in the form
of earth, vegetation, or foliage

8.  ZOOLOGY without
hair, fur, or feathers: without hair, fur, scales,
shell, or feathers

9.  BOTANY with
no growth:
without a covering of leaves or hairs • naked
stems

10. BOTANY not
enclosed in ovary: used to describe conifer
seeds that are not enclosed in an ovary

11. BOTANY without
sepals or petals: used to describe flowers that have no
sepals or petals
[Old
English nacod . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English nude .]
—na·ked·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  naked, bare, nude,
  undressed, unclothed
  CORE
  MEANING: devoid
  of clothes or covering naked; the
  most general word used to describe somebody who is not wearing any clothes.
  It can also be used to describe an object that is uncovered or undecorated,
  especially when this is not what is usual or desirable; bare; used to describe a part of somebody’s
  body that is uncovered. It can also be used to describe objects or surfaces
  that are not decorated or covered; nude;
  used to describe somebody who is not wearing any clothes at all, especially
  in an artistic context; undressed;
  a general word used to describe somebody who is not wearing any clothes at
  all, especially in a situation where clothes have just been removed. It can
  also be used to describe somebody who has not finished putting on or taking
  off his or her clothes; unclothed; a fairly formal word used to
  describe somebody who is not wearing any clothes









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Naked and the Dead, a novel by Norman Mailer ( 1948 ). Set on a Pacific
  island during World War II, it is both a powerful account of the experience
  of war and, through its description of the conflicting political and
  philosophical views of the principal characters, a portrayal of some of the
  tensions in contemporary American society. It was made into a movie by Raoul
  Walsh in 1958.

[1]



nakedeye

nakedeye
na·ked
eye
noun

unaided vision:
human sight without the aid of a microscope, telescope, or other optical
instrument[1]



nakedly

nakedly
na·ked·ly
[náykədlee] adverb

plainly:
without any attempt at disguise or concealment • a
description of the state as a nakedly repressive machine[1]



nakedoption

nakedoption
na·ked
op·tion
(plural na·ked op·tions) noun

high-risk option:
a stock or commodity option sold by somebody who does not own the underlying
asset, and who is exposed to considerable risk if the price of the underlying
asset changes adversely[1]



nakedreverse

nakedreverse
na·ked
re·verse
(plural na·ked re·vers·es) noun

FOOTBALL
rush without blockers:
a deceptive rushing play in football in which the ball carrier takes a handoff
from a player going in the opposite direction and goes downfield with no
blockers[1]



Nakuru

Nakuru
Na·ku·ru
[nə k roo]

city in west central Kenya.
It is the capital of Rift Valley Province. Population: 124,200 (1994)[1]



Nakuru,Lake

Nakuru,Lake
Na·ku·ru,
Lake
[nə k roo]

lake in west central Kenya,
noted for its flamingos and other birds. Area: 62 sq km/24 sq mi.[1]



nalbuphine

nalbuphine
nal·bu·phine
[nal by fn] noun

morphine
substitute:
a painkilling drug similar to morphine that is used for moderate to severe
pain. C21H27NO4
[Mid-20th century. Blend of nalorphine and butyl
.][1]



naled

naled
na·led 
[náy lèd] noun

insecticide:
a short-lived insecticide used to control mosquitoes and crop pests. C4H7Br2Cl2O4P
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nalidixicacid

nalidixicacid
na·li·dix·ic
ac·id 
[nàyli dìkssik ássid] noun

medicine
for urinary infections: an antibacterial drug used
to treat bacterial infections of the urinary tract. C12H12N2O3
[“Nalidixic” coined from naphthalene + di + carboxylic][1]



nalorphine

nalorphine
nal·or·phine 
[na láwr fn] noun

antidote
for morphine: a drug resembling morphine used to
diagnose narcotics addiction and to reverse the effects of narcotics poisoning
by blocking morphine receptor cells, thereby preventing the morphine from
acting. C19H21NO3
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of N-allylnormorphine, coined from N- + allyl
+ nor- + morphine
.][1]



naloxone

naloxone
nal·ox·one 
[na lók sn] noun

antidote
for morphine: a drug resembling morphine that is used
to diagnose narcotics addiction and to reverse the effects of narcotics
poisoning by blocking morphine receptor cells, thereby preventing the morphine
from acting. C19H21NO4
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of N-allylnoroxymorphone, coined from N- + allyl
+ nor- + oxy-
+ morphine + -one
.][1]



N.Am.

N.Am.
N.
Am.

1.  Abbreviation
of
North America

2.  Abbreviation
of
North American

[1]



Nam

Nam
Nam 
[naam, nam]
noun

Vietnam:
a name for Vietnam, used particularly by veterans of the war there during the
1960s and 1970s (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Nama

Nama
Na·ma 
[nmaa, nmə]
(plural Na·ma or Na·mas) or Na·ma·qua
[nə mkwə] (plural Na·ma·qua or
Na·ma·quas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of a Khoikhoi
people who live in southwestern Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Nama
language:
the language of the Nama people. It belongs to the San branch of Khoisan
languages and features the use of click consonants. Nama is spoken by about
25,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From the Khoikhoin language.]
—Na·ma, adjective[1]



namable

namable
nam·a·ble
[náyməb’l] or name·a·ble [náyməb’l] adjective

identifiable by name:
able to be identified by name[1]



Namaqualand

Namaqualand
Na·ma·qua·land 
[nə mkwə land]

coastal region in
southwestern Africa, in southern Namibia and South Africa. It is the homeland
of the Nama people.[1]



namaste

namaste
na·maste 
[nə mú stày] or na·mas·kar [nummə skr] noun

Indian
gesture of greeting: a polite bow of greeting or
farewell used by Hindus, made with the hands held at chest height and both
palms pressed together
[Mid-20th century. From
Hindi, literally “bowing to you.”][1]



Nambour

Nambour
Nam·bour
[nám br]

town in southeastern
Queensland, northeastern Australia. Population: 12,205 (1996)[1]



namby-pamby

namby-pamby
nam·by-pam·by 
[nàmbee pámbee] adjective (informal)

1.  weak:
feeble, childish, and weak

2.  silly:
silly, sentimental, or overly sensitive
noun
(plural nam·by-pam·bies)

namby-pamby person:
somebody who is considered weak or silly (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Originally
a mocking nickname for the English poet Ambrose Philips (1674–1749), who wrote
feebly sentimental pastorals; based on Amb(rose) .][1]



name

name
name
[naym] noun (plural names)

1.  what
somebody or something is called: a word, term, or
phrase by which somebody or something is known and distinguished from other
people or things

2.  uncomplimentary
word about somebody: a usually uncomplimentary or
abusive word or phrase used to describe somebody’s character • called
him names behind his back

3.  reputation:
the reputation or standing of somebody or something • She’s
made quite a name for herself in the music world.

4.  famous
person:
somebody who is famous • All
the big Hollywood names were there.
adjective

respected:
having an established and good reputation • name
brands at discount prices
transitive
verb
(past named, past participle named, present
participle nam·ing, 3rd person present singular names)

1.  give
a name to:
to give somebody or something a name • They
named the dog Sport.

2.  identify
by name:
to identify somebody or something by giving his, her, or its name • He
says he can name all fifty state capitals.

3.  decide
on something: to decide upon or specify something,
such as a date, time, or price • would
not name a figure

4.  appoint
to office:
to choose somebody for a particular office or honor • They
haven’t yet named her successor.
[Old
English nama . Ultimately from an Indo-European word.]
—nam·er
(plural nam·ers), noun
in
name only

supposedly
or officially, but not in any real sense

in
the name of

1.  by
the authority of

2.  for
the sake of something

name
names

to
mention the names of specific people in order to blame or accuse them of
something

somebody’s
name is mud

somebody
is in trouble or the object of somebody else’s disapproval

to
somebody’s name

belonging
to somebody • hasn’t
got a penny to his name

the
name of the game

what
something is all about, its most important element or the kind of thing that
most commonly happens in it

you
name it

used
to suggest that an enormous number of things are involved or an enormous number
of options are possible (informal)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of name is also the
  ultimate source of English anonymous,
  nomenclature, nominate, noun,
  renown, pseudonym,
  and synonym.

[1]



nameand shame

nameand shame
name
and shame
intransitive and transitive verb

tell
public of wrongdoings: to reveal the name of a
person, company, or organization that has done something illegal or immoral in
order to embarrass them and shame them into not doing it again
[Late 20th century][1]



name-calling

name-calling
name-call·ing 
noun

use of abusive language:
verbal abuse, especially as a substitute for reasoned argument in a dispute[1]



nameday

nameday
name
day
(plural name days) noun

feast of saint somebody named
for: in the Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox Churches, the feast day of the saint that somebody is named
for[1]



name-dropping

name-dropping
name-drop·ping
noun

mentioning
of famous acquaintances: the practice of frequently
mentioning the names of famous or influential people as friends or
acquaintances in order to impress people
—name-drop,
intransitive verb

—name-drop·per, noun[1]



nameless

nameless
name·less 
[náymləss] adjective

1.  lacking
a name:
not having a name

2.  anonymous:
having a name that is unknown or not revealed

3.  indescribable:
unable to be accurately described • a
nameless fear

4.  distressing
beyond words: too unpleasant or disgusting to be
described or mentioned

5.  illegitimate:
illegitimate or not legally entitled to a name

[1]



namely

namely
name·ly 
[náymlee] adverb

specifically:
used to introduce a specific description or explanation of something just
referred to in a more general way • She
was given a new post, namely, that of head of department.[1]



nameplate

nameplate
name·plate 
[náym plàyt] (plural name·plates)
noun

plaque with name:
a plate or plaque, for example, on a door, bearing a name and associating the
named person with the place or thing that the plate is attached to[1]



namesake

namesake
name·sake 
[náym sàyk] (plural name·sakes)
noun

somebody
with same name: somebody or something with the same name
as somebody or something else
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from for one’s name’s sake .][1]



nametag

nametag
nametag
[náym tàg] (plural nametags) noun

badge with name on:
a small piece of metal or plastic with your name on, attached to your clothing
for purposes of identification at work or social functions[1]



nametape

nametape
nametape
[náym tàyp] (unmarked inflection nametapes)
noun

piece of cloth with name on:
a small strip of cloth with somebody’s name on, sewn onto the inside of his or
her clothing as proof of ownership[1]



NamibDesert

NamibDesert
Na·mib
Des·ert 
[nə mìb dézzərt]

desert in southwestern
Africa, mostly in Namibia. Length: 1,930 km/1,200 mi.[1]



Namibe

Namibe
Na·mibe
[na mb]

city and port in southwestern
Angola. It is the capital of Namibe Province. Population: 77,000 (1987) Former
name Moçâmedes until 1982[1]



Namibia

Namibia



Na·mib·i·a 
[nə míbbee ə]
republic
in southwestern Africa, with its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean, directly
north of South Africa. Language: English. Language: German. Language:
Afrikaans. Currency: Namibian dollar. Capital: Windhoek. Population: 1,709,000
(1996) Area: 824,268 sq km/318,252 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Namibia
—Na·mib·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Namibia




Back to definition

Namibia

[1]



Namoi

Namoi
Nam·oi 
[nám oy]

river in northeastern New
South Wales, southeastern Australia. Length: 845 km/525 mi.[1]



Nampa

Nampa
Nam·pa 
[námpə]

city in southwestern Idaho,
west of Boise and east of the Oregon border. Population: 37,558 (1996)[1]



nampla

nampla
nam
pla
[nám plaa] noun

fish
sauce:
a thin sauce of fermented fish with a strong flavor and smell and a salty
taste, widely used in Southeast Asian cookery
[From Thai][1]



Namur

Namur
Na·mur 
[nə mr próvvənss]

city in southeastern Belgium.
It is the capital city of Namur Province. Population: 105,059 (1996)[1]



nan

nan
nan
[nan] (plural nans) noun

flat
Indian bread: a flat round or oval bread served with
Indian food
[Early 20th century. From
Persian and Urdu nān .][1]



nana

nana
nan·a 
[nánnə, nnə]
(plural nan·as) or nan·na [nánnə,
nnə] (plural nan·nas) noun

grandmother:
somebody’s grandmother (informal)[1]



Nanaimo

Nanaimo
Na·nai·mo 
[nə nmō]

city in southwestern Canada,
on Vancouver Island, on the Strait of Georgia. Population: 85,585 (1996)[1]



Nanaimobar

Nanaimobar
Na·nai·mo
bar
(plural Na·nai·mo bars) noun

Canadian chocolate
confection: in Canada, a layered
confection consisting of a base of chocolate and coconut, a center of custard
and a chocolate topping[1]



Nanak

Nanak
Na·nak 
[nnək] (1469–1539)

Indian
religious leader. He founded the Sikh religion, and his teachings were
collected as the Adi Granth, the Sikh scriptures.
Known as
Guru Nanak[1]



Nanchang

Nanchang
Nan·chang 
[nan chúng]

city in eastern China. It is
the capital of Jiangxi Province. Population: 1,350,000 (1991)[1]



Nancy

Nancy
Nan·cy 
[noN s]

city in northeastern France,
in Lorraine Region. It is the capital of Meurthe-et-Moselle Department.
Population: 102,410 (1990)[1]



nancy

nancy
nan·cy 
[nánsee] (plural nancies) or
nan·cy boy [nánsee] (plural nan·cy
boys) or nance [nánsee] (plural
nan·ces) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for an effeminate man or a homosexual man (slang
offensive)[1]



NAND

NAND
NAND
[nand] (plural NANDs) or
NAND gate [nand] (plural NAND
gates) noun

logical
operator:
a logic operator used in computing that produces an output signal only if at
least one of its inputs has no signal, thus being the inverse of an AND
operator
[Mid-20th century. Blend of not and and .][1]



NandaDevi

NandaDevi
Nan·da
De·vi 
[nùndə dvee]

the second highest mountain
in India after Kangchenjunga. It is in the extreme northwest of the country, in
the Himalayas, near the Tibetan border. Height: 7,817 m/25,645 ft.[1]



NangaParbat

NangaParbat
Nan·ga
Par·bat 
[nùng gə pr baat]

mountain in northeastern
Pakistan, in the Himalayas. Height: 8,126 m/26,660 ft.[1]



Nanjing

Nanjing
Nan·jing 
[nn jíng]

city in eastern China, on the
Yangtze River. It is the capital of Jiangsu Province. Population: 2,090,204
(1990) Former name Nanking[1]



nankeen

nankeen
nan·keen 
[nan kn] noun

cotton
fabric:
a durable yellowish-brown cotton fabric
[Mid-18th century. Named for Nanking
(Nanjing), city in China, because it was originally made there.][1]



Nanking

Nanking
Nan·king 
[nan kíng]

Former name for
Nanjing[1]



nanna

nanna
nan·na
noun

(informal) See nana[1]



Nanning

Nanning
Nan·ning 
[nan níng]

city and capital of Guangxi
Zhuangzu Autonomous Region, southeastern China, situated approximately 530
km/330 mi west of Guangzhou. Population: 721,877 (1990)[1]



nannofossil

nannofossil
nan·no·fos·sil 
(plural nan·no·fos·sils) noun

See
nanofossil[1]



nannoplankton

nannoplankton
nan·no·plank·ton
noun

See
nanoplankton[1]



nanny

nanny
nan·ny
[nánnee] (plural nan·nies) or
nan·nie [nánnee] (plural nan·nies)
noun

somebody
employed to watch a family’s children:
somebody who is employed full-time to take care of one or more children in a
family home, often living in the family home
[Early 18th century. Nickname
for name Ann(e) .][1]



nannygoat

nannygoat
nan·ny
goat
(plural nan·ny goats) noun

female
goat:
a female domestic goat
[Nanny a former variant of
the name Anne][1]



nano-

nano-
nano-
prefix Symbol n

1.  extremely
small • nanofossil
• nanotechnology

2.  one
billionth (10 –9 ) • nanosecond
[Via Greek nan(n)os
“dwarf”][1]



nanobot

nanobot
nan·o·bot
[nánnō bòt] (plural nan·o·bots)
noun

microscopic
robot:
a robot of microscopic proportions built using nanotechnology (informal)
[Combination of prefix nano-
+ robot][1]



nanofossil

nanofossil
nan·o·fos·sil 
[nánnō fòss’l] (plural nan·o·fos·sils)
or nan·no·fos·sil [nánnō fòss’l]
(plural nan·no·fos·sils) noun

small fossil:
a very small fossil, especially of nanoplankton[1]



nanogram

nanogram
nan·o·gram 
[nánnə gràm] (plural nan·o·grams)
noun

1/1,000,000,000 gram:
one billionth of a gram[1]



nanometer

nanometer
nan·o·me·ter 
[nánnə mtər] (plural nan·o·me·ters)
noun

1/1,000,000,000 meter:
one billionth of a meter[1]



nanoplankton

nanoplankton
nan·o·plank·ton 
[nánnō plàngktən] or nan·no·plank·ton
[nánnō plàngktən] noun

small plankton:
very small plankton including bacteria, algae, and protozoa. They are usually
in the size range 5–60 micrometers.[1]



nanosecond

nanosecond
nan·o·sec·ond 
[nánnə sèkənd] (plural nan·o·sec·onds)
noun

1/1,000,000,000 second:
one billionth of a second[1]



nanotechnology

nanotechnology
nan·o·tech·nol·o·gy 
[nànnō tek nólləjee] (plural nan·o·tech·nol·o·gies)
noun

technology for microscopic
devices: the art of manipulating
materials on a very small scale in order to build microscopic machinery[1]



Nansen,Fridtjof

Nansen,Fridtjof
Nan·sen
[nánss’n], Fridtjof (1861–1930)

Norwegian explorer and
statesman. He led several expeditions to the Arctic and was also involved in
humanitarian projects, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.[1]



Nantong

Nantong
Nan·tong
[nan tng]

city and seaport in eastern
China, in southeastern Jiangsu Province. Population: 343,341 (1990)[1]



Nantucket

Nantucket
Nan·tuck·et 
[nan túkət]

island in southeastern
Massachusetts, in the Atlantic Ocean, south of Cape Cod. Population: 6,012
(1990) Area: 148 sq km/57 sq mi.[1]



Nantwich

Nantwich
Nant·wich
[nántwich]

market town in northwestern
England, in Cheshire. Population: 11,695 (1991)[1]



Nanuet

Nanuet
Nan·u·et
[nánny ət]

city in New York, in Rockland
County. Population: 14,065 (1990)[1]



Naomi

Naomi
Na·o·mi 
[nay ṓmee] noun

biblical character:
in the Bible, the mother-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 1: 2)[1]



naos

naos
na·os 
[náy òss] (plural na·oi [náy òy]) noun

ARCHITECTURE See cella
[Late 18th century. From
Greek, “temple.”][1]



nap

nap3
nap3 [nap]
(plural naps) noun CARD
GAMES Full form napoleon

1.  card
game:
a card game similar to euchre, played with hands of five cards, in which
players bid for the number of tricks they will take

2.  bid
in nap:
a bid to win all five tricks in the game of nap
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of Napoleon .][1]



nap

nap2
nap2 [nap]
noun

pile:
the small soft fibers that stick up slightly from the surface of a fabric such
as velvet and that usually all lie in one direction only
transitive
verb
(past napped, past participle napped, present
participle nap·ping, 3rd person present singular naps)

raise
pile of fabric: to raise the nap of a fabric by brushing
it
[15th century. From Middle
Low German and Middle Dutch noppe, from a prehistoric Germanic word
perhaps meaning “to pluck,” that may also be the ancestor of English nip .][1]



nap

nap1
nap1 [nap]
noun (plural naps)

short sleep: a
period of short light sleep, especially during the day
intransitive
verb
(past napped, past participle napped, present
participle nap·ping, 3rd person present singular naps)

1.  sleep
lightly:
to have a short period of light sleep

2.  be
off guard:
to be inattentive or off guard
[Old English hnappian][1]



Napa

Napa
Nap·a 
[náppə]

city in west central Florida.
It is the administrative seat of Napa County. Population: 61,842 (1990)[1]



napalm

napalm
na·palm 
[náy pm, náy
plm] noun

1.  jelly
used for fire bombs: a highly flammable jelly,
produced by mixing a thickening agent with gasoline and used in flamethrowers
and fire bombs

2.  CHEMISTRY thickening
agent for jellied gasoline: a thickening agent,
consisting of aluminum soap, that can be used for making jellied gasoline
transitive
verb
(past na·palmed, past participle na·palmed, present
participle na·palm·ing, 3rd person present singular na·palms)

attack with napalm:
to attack or destroy something with napalm
[Mid-20th century. Blend of naphthene and palmitate
.][1]



nape

nape
nape 
[nayp] (plural napes) noun

back
of neck:
the back part of the neck
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Naperville

Naperville
Na·per·ville 
[náypər vil]

city in northeastern
Illinois, southeast of Aurora, and west of Chicago. Population: 85,351 (1990)[1]



napery

napery
na·per·y 
[náypəree] noun

table
linens:
tablecloths and napkins, collectively (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French naperie, from nappe “tablecloth” (see napkin ).][1]



Naphtali

Naphtali
Naph·ta·li 
[náftə l] noun

biblical Hebrew patriarch:
in the Bible, the son of Jacob and Rachel’s handmaid, Bilhah (Genesis 30: 7–8)[1]



naphtha

naphtha
naph·tha 
[náfthə, nápthə]
noun

distillation
product:
a clear colorless flammable mixture of light hydrocarbons obtained from
petroleum. It boils at between 45°C and 155°C and is used as a raw material for
many petrochemicals and plastics.
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek, originally “inflammable liquid coming from the earth,” from Iranian
.][1]



naphthalene

naphthalene
naph·tha·lene 
[náfthə ln, nápthə
ln] noun

chemical
derived from coal tar: a white crystalline
hydrocarbon derived from coal tar and used as a moth repellent, in solvents,
and in the manufacture of dyes, resins, plasticizers, polyesters, and
explosives. C10H8 
Also
called
tar camphor
[Early
19th century. Coined from naphtha + -al 3 + -ene
.]
—nap·tha·len·ic [nàfthə lénnik, nàpthə
lénnik], adjective[1]



naphthene

naphthene
naph·thene 
[náf thn, náp
thn] noun

cycloalkane:
a cycloalkane obtained from petroleum
[Late
19th century. Coined from naphtha + -ene .]
—naph·then·ic [naf thnik, nap thnik,
naf thénnik], adjective[1]



naphthol

naphthol
naph·thol 
[náf thàwl, náp
thàwl] (plural naph·thols) noun

antiseptic
chemical:
either of two derivatives of naphthalene that are isomers, and are used as
antiseptics and in manufacturing. C10H7OH
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from naphtha .][1]



Napier

Napier
Na·pi·er
[náypee ər]

city in New Zealand, situated
on the eastern coast of the North Island. Devastated by an earthquake in 1931,
it was rebuilt in a distinctive art-deco style. Population: 55,044 (1996)[1]



Napierianlogarithm

Napierianlogarithm
Na·pier·i·an
log·a·rithm 
[nay pree ən lóggə rìəm] (plural Na·pier·i·an
log·a·rithms) noun

See
natural logarithm
[Early 19th century. Named
for John Napier .][1]



Napier,John

Napier,John
Na·pi·er
[náypee ər], John (1550–1617)

Scottish mathematician. He
invented logarithms and a calculating device called Napier’s bones.[1]



Napier’sbones

Napier’sbones
Na·pi·er’s
bones 
[này peerz bṓnz] plural noun

mathematical
tool:
a set of graduated rods based upon the principles of logarithms, formerly used
to perform multiplication and division but now used primarily for educational
purposes
[Mid-17th century. Named for
John Napier .][1]



napiform

napiform
na·pi·form 
[náypə fàwrm] adjective

turnip-shaped:
shaped like a turnip in being conical at one end and spherical at the other
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin napus “turnip” + -form .][1]



napkin

napkin
nap·kin 
[nápkin] (plural nap·kins) noun

1.  piece
of cloth for wiping mouth: a usually square piece of
cloth or tissue paper used at mealtimes to protect clothes and wipe the mouth

2.  See
sanitary pad
[14th century. Formed from
French nap(p)e “tablecloth,” from Latin mappa “napkin, cloth”
(source of English map ), from
Carthaginian or Phoenician .][1]



Naples

Naples
Na·ples 
[náyp’lz]

1.  city
in southern Italy. It is the capital of Campania Region and of Napoli Province
and an important seaport. Population: 1,061,583 (1993)

2.  city
in southwestern Florida, in Collier County, on the Gulf of Mexico. Population:
19,505 (1990)

[1]



napoleon

napoleon
na·po·le·on 
[nə pṓlee ən, nə
pṓlyən] (plural na·po·le·ons) noun

1.  FOOD flaky
pastry:
a rectangular flaky pastry shape filled with custard cream

2.  MONEY old
French coin: a gold coin formerly used in France,
equivalent to 20 francs

3.  CARD GAMES Full form of nap 3
[Early 19th century. Named
for Napoleon I ; because the coin was issued
in his reign.][1]



NapoleonI

NapoleonI

Na·po·le·on
I
[nə pṓlee ən, nə
pṓlyən], Emperor of the French (1769–1821)
He
made his name as a general, was appointed first consul of France in 1799, and
took the title of emperor in 1804. After conquering most of Europe, he was
exiled after defeat at the battle of Waterloo (1815).
Real
name
Bonaparte, Napoleon
—Na·po·le·on·ic [nə plee ónnik], adjective[1]



nappa

nappa
nap·pa
[náppə] noun

soft
leather:
a soft leather made from sheep or kid’s skin
[Late 19th century. Named
after Nappa, a county, town, and valley in California.][1]



nappe

nappe
nappe 
[nap] (plural nappes) noun

1.  sheet
of water:
a sheet of water flowing over a dam or a spillway

2.  GEOLOGY sheet
of rock:
a large arch-shaped sheet of rock that has been forced over underlying rocks by
internal stresses

3.  GEOMETRY part
of cone:
either of the two parts, or sheets, of a conical or pyramidal surface that are
separated by a line through the vertex
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “tablecloth” (see napkin
).][1]



nappy

nappy
nap·py
[náppee] (plural nap·pies) noun

U.K.
See diaper
[Early 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of napkin .][1]



naproxen

naproxen
na·prox·en 
[nə próksən] noun

pain
medication:
a drug used to treat pain, especially in arthritis and other diseases of the
joints
[Late 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of methoxynaphthylpropionic (acid), one of its
chemical names.][1]



Nara

Nara
Na·ra 
[nrə]

city in Japan, on southern
Honshu Island. It is the capital of Nara Prefecture. Population: 349,349 (1990)[1]



Naracoorte

Naracoorte
Na·ra·coorte
[nárrə kawrt]

agricultural town in southern
South Australia. Population: 4,674 (1996)[1]



Narayan,Jayaprakash

Narayan,Jayaprakash
Na·ra·yan
[nə ryən], Jayaprakash (1902–1979)

Indian politician. He was the
uniting force in the Janata Party, which defeated the government of Indira
Gandhi in 1977.[1]



Narayan,R. K.

Narayan,R. K.
Na·ra·yan
[nə ryən], R. K. (1906– )

Indian
writer. Many of his gentle novels are set in the fictional southern Indian town
of Malgudi. They include The Vendor of Sweets ( 1967 ) and The World
of Nagaraj ( 1990 ).
Full name
Narayan, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy[1]



narc

narc2
narc2 [naark]
(past narced, past participle narced, present
participle narc·ing, 3rd person present singular narcs,
plural narcs) or nark [naark]
(past narked, past participle narked, present
participle nark·ing, 3rd person present singular narks,
plural narks) intransitive verb

act
as informer: to act as an informer, especially for
the police (slang)
U.K.
term
nark 1 verb 2
[Mid-19th century. From
Romany nāk “nose.”][1]



narc

narc1
narc1 [naark]
(plural narcs) or nark [naark]
(plural narks) noun

narcotics
agent:
a government agent who investigates narcotics violations (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of narcotics agent .][1]



narcissism

narcissism
nar·cis·sism 
[nrsə sìzzəm] noun

1.  self-admiration:
excessive self-admiration and self-centeredness

2.  personality
disorder:
in psychiatry, a personality disorder characterized by the patient’s
overestimation of his or her own appearance and abilities and an excessive need
for admiration. In psychoanalytic theory, emphasis is placed on the element of
self-directed sexual desire in the condition.
[Early
19th century. Named for Narcissus .]
—nar·cis·sist,
noun

—nar·cis·sis·tic [nrsə sístik], adjective[1]



narcissus

narcissus

nar·cis·sus 
[naar síssəss] (plural nar·cis·si
[naar sí s] or nar·cis·sus·es
or nar·cis·sus) noun
plant
with yellow or white flowers: a spring-blooming plant that
grows from a bulb and has narrow leaves and showy yellow or white flowers with
a cup-shaped center. Genus: Narcissus
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek narkissos, from narkē “numbness” (source of English narcotic ); in reference to its narcotic
properties.][1]



Narcissus

Narcissus
Nar·cis·sus 
noun

Greek youth turned into
flower: in Greek mythology, a youth
who was punished for repulsing Echo’s love by being made to fall in love with
his own reflection in a pool. He died gazing at his own image, and was turned
into a flower.[1]



narco-

narco-1
narco-1 prefix

sleep,
stupor • narcolepsy
[From Greek narkoun
“to make numb,” from narkē “numbness”][1]



narco-

narco-2
narco-2 prefix

relating to illicit narcotics
and the narcotics trade (informal)[1]



narco

narco
nar·co
[nrkō] (plural nar·cos) noun

drug trafficker:
a drug trafficker (informal)[1]



narcoanalysis

narcoanalysis
nar·co·a·nal·y·sis 
[nrkō ə nálləssiss] noun

method
of psychoanalysis: psychoanalysis using drugs
to induce a state akin to sleep
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from narco- + analysis
.][1]



narcolepsy

narcolepsy
nar·co·lep·sy 
[nrkə lèpsee] noun

condition
with uncontrollable sleeping: a condition characterized by
frequent, brief, and uncontrollable bouts of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied
by hallucinations and inability to move
[Late
19th century. Coined from narco- + -lepsy, on the model of epilepsy
.]
—nar·co·lep·tic [nrkə léptik], adjective, noun[1]



narcosis

narcosis
nar·co·sis 
[naar kṓssiss] noun

drug-induced
stupor:
a state of unconsciousness or stupor caused by a narcotic or other drug
[Late 17th century. From
Greek narkōsis, from narkoun (see narcotic
).][1]



narcotic

narcotic
nar·cot·ic 
[naar kóttik] noun (plural nar·cot·ics)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY drug:
a drug, especially one derived from opium, that has effects ranging from mild
dulling of the senses, pain relief, and sleep, to stupor, coma, and
convulsions. Most narcotics are addictive.

2.  DRUGS illegal
drug:
a drug whose use is illegal, whether or not it is an addictive narcotic

3.  soothing
thing:
something that soothes, induces sleep, relieves pain or stress, or causes a
sensation of mental numbness
adjective

1.  causing
sleep:
able to induce drowsiness, sleep, or stupor, or alter mental states through its
chemical properties

2.  soothing:
having a generally soothing, numbing, or soporific effect

3.  PHARMACOLOGY of
narcotics:
relating to narcotic drugs and their use

4.  DRUGS of
addicts:
relating to people addicted to narcotics
[14th
century. Via French narcotique and medieval Latin from Greek narkōtikos
“numbing,” from narkoun “to make numb,” from narkē “numbness.”]
—nar·cot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



narcotization

narcotization
nar·co·ti·za·tion
[nrkətə záysh’n] noun

increasing of social
influence of drugs: the process
by which a society falls under the control of drugs, drug traffickers, and the
illegal drug business (informal)[1]



narcotize

narcotize
nar·co·tize 
[nrkə tz] (past nar·co·tized,
past participle nar·co·tized, present participle nar·co·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular nar·co·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  treat
with narcotic: to treat somebody with a narcotic

2.  put
into stupor: to induce stupor in somebody, especially
by administering a narcotic drug

[1]



nard

nard
nard 
[naard] noun

See
spikenard
[14th century. Via Latin nardus
from Greek nardos, probably ultimately from Sanskrit naladam
“Indian spikenard.”][1]



nares

nares
nar·es 
[náireez] plural noun

nostrils:
openings or passages leading out of the nose or naval cavity. Most vertebrate
animals have paired external nares, the nostrils, and a pair of internal nares
opening into the mouth.
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, plural of naris “nostril.”][1]



narghile

narghile
nar·ghi·le 
[nrgəlee] (plural nar·ghi·les)
or nar·gi·leh [nrgəlee] (plural
nar·gi·lehs) noun

See
hookah
[Mid-18th century. From
(partly via French and Turkish ) Persian nārgīl “coconut, hookah,” from
Sanskrit nārikela “coconut.”][1]



nark

nark1
nark1 [naark]
(past narked, past participle narked, present
participle nark·ing, 3rd person present singular narks,
plural narks) verb

1.  transitive
verb
U.K. annoy:
to irritate, offend, or annoy somebody (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
(slang) See narc
[Mid-19th century. From
Romany nāk “nose.”][1]



nark

nark2
nark2  (plural narks)
noun

CRIMINOLOGY
DRUGS (slang) See narc[1]



Narrabri

Narrabri
Nar·ra·bri
[nárrə brī]

town in northeastern New
South Wales, southeastern Australia. Population: 14,653 (1991)[1]



Narraganset

Narraganset
Nar·ra·gan·set 
[nèrrə gánsət] (plural Nar·ra·gan·sets
or Nar·ra·gan·set) or Nar·ra·gan·sett [nèrrə gánsət] (plural Nar·ra·gan·setts
or Nar·ra·gan·sett) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally lived in a broad territory centered on the
western edge of present-day Rhode Island. The Narragansets were among the
largest and strongest of the northeastern Native American peoples until large numbers
of them were killed in a war against the New England colonists in the late 17th
century.

2.  LANGUAGE Narraganset
language:
the now extinct Iroquoian language of the Narraganset people
[Early
17th century. From Narraganset .]
—Nar·ra·gan·set, adjective[1]



Narragansett

Narragansett
Nar·ra·gan·sett
[nàrrə gánssət]

town and summer resort in
southern Rhode Island, Washington County. Population: 14,985 (1990)[1]



NarragansettBay

NarragansettBay
Nar·ra·gan·sett
Bay

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean
in eastern Rhode Island. Length: 42 km/26 mi.[1]



narrate

narrate
nar·rate 
[né ràyt] (past nar·rat·ed, past
participle nar·rat·ed, present participle nar·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular nar·rates) transitive verb

1.  tell
the story of something: to be the teller of a story,
or to give an account of something in detail

2.  BROADCASTING speak
on film:
to provide the narration for a film or television program
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, past participle stem of narrare, from gnarus
“knowing.”]
—nar·rat·a·ble, adjective[1]



narration

narration
nar·ra·tion 
[ne ráysh’n] (plural nar·ra·tions)
noun

1.  act
of narrating: the act of telling a story or giving an
account of something

2.  something
narrated:
a narrative or story

3.  BROADCASTING CINEMA soundtrack
voiced by actor: the voiced soundtrack of a broadcast or
film when given by an actor or commentator who does not appear
—nar·ra·tion·al, adjective[1]



narrative

narrative
nar·ra·tive 
[nérrətiv] noun

1.  story:
a story or an account of a sequence of events in the order in which they
happened

2.  process
of narrating: the art or process of telling a story or
giving an account of something

3.  LITERATURE story
in literary work: the part of a literary work that is
concerned with telling the story
adjective

1.  telling
a story:
having the aim or purpose of telling a story • narrative
poetry

2.  relating
to narration: relating to or involving the art of
storytelling
—nar·ra·tive·ly, adverb[1]



narrator

narrator
nar·ra·tor
[né ràytər] (plural nar·ra·tors)
noun

1.  storyteller:
somebody who tells a story or gives an account of something

2.  LITERATURE talking
character:
a character in a work of fiction who is presented as telling the story and who
refers to himself or herself as “I”

3.  CINEMA BROADCASTING commentator:
somebody who provides the narration for a film or television program

[1]



narrow

narrow
nar·row 
[nárrō] adjective

1.  small
in width:
having a small width, especially in comparison to height or length • a
narrow gap

2.  limited
in size:
limited or restricted in size or scope • a
narrow range of options

3.  narrow-minded:
limited and usually inflexible in outlook • a
narrow view of events

4.  just
enough for success: barely sufficient for
success • a
narrow victory • a
narrow escape

5.  not
generous:
mean and stingy

6.  thorough:
close and thorough, leaving nothing uninvestigated

7.  PHONETICS See tense 1 adjective 4

8.  AGRICULTURE high
in protein:
used to describe animal feed that is very rich in protein
noun
(plural nar·rows)

a narrow passage:
a narrow place or passage.
See
also
narrows
intransitive
and transitive verb (past nar·rowed,
past participle nar·rowed, present participle nar·row·ing,
3rd person present singular nar·rows)

1.  make
or become narrow: to make something, or to become, narrow
or narrower

2.  contract
or be contracted: to restrict or limit the scope or extent
of something, or to become restricted or limited in scope or extent • narrowed
the focus of their investigation to two individuals
[Old
English nearu, from prehistoric Germanic]
—nar·row·ness, noun[1]



narrowband

narrowband
nar·row·band
[nérrō bànd] adjective

using narrow band of
frequencies: functioning within a
narrow band of broadcasting frequencies[1]



narrowcast

narrowcast
nar·row·cast 
[nérrō kàst] (past nar·row·cast
or nar·row·cast·ed, past participle nar·row·cast or
nar·row·cast·ed, present participle nar·row·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular nar·row·casts) transitive verb

aim at specialized audience:
to aim a radio or television transmission at a limited group of people such as
cable subscribers or a particular target audience[1]



narrowgauge

narrowgauge
nar·row
gauge
(plural nar·row gaug·es) noun

1.  reduced
distance between rails: a distance between the two
rails of a railroad track that is less than the 143.5 cm/4 ft 8½ in. distance
of the standard gauge railroads

2.  track
or vehicle with narrow gauge: a railroad line with track
of a narrow gauge, or a car or locomotive designed to run on one
—narrow-gauge, adjective[1]



narrowly

narrowly
nar·row·ly
[nérrōlee] adverb

1.  by
small margin: by a very small margin or distance • narrowly
avoided capture

2.  intently:
in a very concentrated, searching, or detailed way • eyed
him narrowly

3.  within
narrow limits: in a way that allows little freedom or
scope • narrowly
circumscribed

[1]



narrow-minded

narrow-minded
nar·row-mind·ed 
adjective

with
limited outlook: having or showing a limited and often
prejudiced or intolerant outlook
—nar·row-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—nar·row-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



narrows

narrows
narrows
[nérrōz] noun

narrow stretch of river or
sea: a narrow section of a river,
or a narrow stretch of sea usually between two larger bodies of water (takes
a singular or plural verb)
See also
narrow[1]



narthex

narthex

nar·thex 
[nr thèks] (plural nar·thex·es)
noun

1.  entrance
hall of church: an entrance hall at the west end of a
Christian church between the porch and the nave

2.  screened
area at end of nave: an area at the west end of
the nave of an early Christian church separated off by a screen or railing
behind which women, catechumens, or penitents were admitted
[Late 17th century. Via late
Greek narthēx “giant fennel,” later “casket” (because the plant was used
to make boxes). The modern meaning evolved via the idea of an enclosed space.][1]



Narváez,Pánfilo de

Narváez,Pánfilo de
Nar·vá·ez
[naar v ez], Pánfilo de (1470?–1528)

Spanish explorer. His attempt
to conquer Florida ended in disaster and his own death.[1]



narwhal

narwhal

nar·whal 
[nr wl, nrwəl,
nr hwl] (plural nar·whal or
nar·whals) or nar·wal [nr wl,
nrwəl, nr hwl]
(plural nar·wal or nar·wals) or nar·whale
[nr wl, nrwəl,
nr hwl] (plural nar·whale or
nar·whales) noun
small
arctic whale: a small arctic whale, about 6 m/20 ft
long, with a spotted body, short flippers, and, in the male, a long twisted
ivory tusk. It was formerly hunted for oil and ivory. Latin name: Monodon
monoceros
[Mid-17th century. From
Danish or Norwegian narhval, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old Norse
náhvalr, literally “corpse-whale,” from nár “corpse” (in allusion
to its pale skin).][1]



nary

nary
nar·y 
[náiree] adjective

none:
not a single • Nary
a word was said.
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
and contraction of ne’er “a.”][1]



NAS

NAS
NAS

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Academy of Sciences

2.  Abbreviation
of
naval air station

[1]



NASA

NASA
NASA 
[nássə] noun

U.S. space agency:
the U.S. government agency responsible for nonmilitary programs in the
exploration and scientific study of space. Full form National
Aeronautics and Space Administration[1]



nasal

nasal
na·sal 
[náyz’l] adjective

1.  of
the nose:
forming part of or relating to the nose

2.  PHONETICS pronounced
through nose: pronounced with breath escaping mainly
through the nose rather than the mouth

3.  with
nasal sounds: characterized by nasal sounds • a
nasal accent
noun
(plural na·sals)

1.  PHONETICS nasal
sound:
a nasal sound or a letter that represents it

2.  helmet
part:
the nosepiece of a helmet
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin nasalis, from Latin nasus
“nose.”]
—na·sal·i·ty
[nay zállətee], noun

—na·sal·ly, adverb[1]



nasalize

nasalize
na·sal·ize 
[náyz’l z] (past na·sal·ized,
past participle na·sal·ized, present participle na·sal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular na·sal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
a sound nasal: to make a sound nasal by lowering the
soft palate so that air flows through the nose
—na·sal·i·za·tion [nàyz’li záysh’n], noun[1]



NASCAR

NASCAR
NASCAR
[nás kr]

Abbreviation of
National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing[1]



nascence

nascence
nas·cence 
[náyss’ns, náss’ns]
or nas·cen·cy [náyss’ns see] noun

beginning:
the beginning or coming into being of something (literary)[1]



nascent

nascent
nas·cent 
[náyss’nt, náss’nt]
adjective

1.  just
beginning to develop: in the process of emerging,
being born, or starting to develop

2.  CHEMISTRY produced
in reaction medium: in the process of being
created in a reaction medium, often in a highly active form
[Early 17th century. From
Latin nascent-, present participle stem of nasci “to be born”
(source of English nation and nature ).][1]



NASD

NASD
NASD

Abbreviation of
National Association of Securities Dealers[1]



NASDAQ

NASDAQ
NASDAQ 
[náz dàk] noun

market for over-the-counter
securities: an electronic communications
system that links all over-the-counter securities dealers to form a single
market. Full form National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
Quotation System[1]



naseberry

naseberry
nase·ber·ry 
[náyz bèrree] (plural nase·ber·ries)
or nees·ber·ry [nz bèrree] (plural
nees·ber·ries) noun

TREES See sapodilla
[Late 17th century. By folk
etymology from Spanish nispero or Portuguese nespera, from Latin mespilus
“medlar,” by association with berry .][1]



Nash,Ogden

Nash,Ogden

Nash 
[nash], Ogden (1902–1971)
U.S.
writer and lyricist. He is known for his comic verse and the musical One
Touch of Venus ( 1943 ).
Full name
Nash, Frederic Ogden[1]



Nashua

Nashua
Nash·u·a 
[násh ə]

city in southern New
Hampshire. It is the administrative seat of Hillsborough County. Population:
79,662 (1990)[1]



Nashville

Nashville
Nash·ville 
[násh vìl]

capital city of Tennessee,
situated in the north central part of the state. It is a major center for
country-and-western music. Population: 504,505 (1994)[1]



nasigoreng

nasigoreng
na·si
go·reng
[naàssi gə réng] noun

Malaysian
fried rice dish: a Malaysian dish of fried rice with
other ingredients, usually including meat or fish
[From Malay, literally “fried
rice”][1]



nasion

nasion
na·si·on 
[náyzee òn] (plural na·si·ons)
noun

point
on bridge of nose: the point where the bridge
of the nose meets the forehead
[Late
19th century. From French, formed from nasal “nasal,” on the model of inion .]
—na·si·al, adjective[1]



naso-

naso-
naso-
prefix

nose,
nasal • nasogastric
[From Latin nasus
(source also of English nasturtium .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “nose” that is also the ancestor of nose and ness
.][1]



nasofrontal

nasofrontal
na·so·fron·tal 
[nàyzō frúnt’l] adjective

of nasal and frontal bones:
relating to the nasal and the frontal bones jointly[1]



nasogastric

nasogastric
na·so·gas·tric
[nàyzō gástrik] adjective

through nose to stomach:
passing through the nose to the stomach[1]



nasolacrimal

nasolacrimal
na·so·lac·ri·mal
[nàyzō lákrəm’l] or na·so·lach·ry·mal
[nàyzō lákrəm’l] adjective

of nose and tear glands:
relating to or connecting the nose and the tear-producing sacs[1]



nasopharyngeal

nasopharyngeal
na·so·pha·ryn·ge·al
[nàyzō fərrín jee əl, nàyzō fə rínjəl, nàyzō
fàrrən jée əl] adjective

relating to nose and pharynx:
relating to the nose and pharynx or to the nasopharynx[1]



nasopharynx

nasopharynx
na·so·phar·ynx 
[nàyzō férringks] (plural na·so·pha·ryn·ges
[nàyzō fə rín jz] or na·so·phar·ynx·es)
noun

upper pharynx:
the upper part of the pharynx, behind and above the soft palate, continuous
with the nasal passages[1]



Nasruddin

Nasruddin
Nas·rud·din
[naàzr deén] noun

Muslim
mythological figure: a trickster who appears in
Muslim folklore. He first appeared in stories used by Sufis to teach their
students.
[Mid-20th century. From
Turkish .][1]



Nassau

Nassau
Nas·sau 
[nássaw]

capital city and principal
port of the Bahamas, situated on the northeastern coast of New Providence
Island. Population: 171,542 (1990)[1]



Nasser,Gamel Abdel

Nasser,Gamel Abdel

Nas·ser
[nássèr, nssər],
Gamel Abdel (1918–1970)
Egyptian statesman. Originally a soldier,
he became prime minister in 1954 and president two years later.[1]



Nastase,Ilie

Nastase,Ilie
Na·sta·se
[nə stássee], Ilie (1946– )

Romanian tennis player. He
won the U.S. Open (1972) and French Open (1973), and many doubles titles.[1]



nastic

nastic
nas·tic 
[nástik] adjective

BOTANY responding
to external stimuli: relating to the movement of
the parts of a plant in response to external stimuli such as the opening of a
crocus flower in response to temperature
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek nastos “pressed together,” from nassein “to press.”][1]



Nast,Thomas

Nast,Thomas
Nast 
[nast], Thomas (1840–1902)

German-born U.S. satirical
cartoonist. He is known for his attacks on the Tammany Ring ( 1869–1872 ), and
for creating the symbols of the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey.[1]



nasturtium

nasturtium

nas·tur·tium 
[nə stúrshəm, na
stúrshəm] (plural nas·tur·tiums) noun
showy
ornamental flower: a plant with shield-shaped
pungent leaves and showy long-spurred yellow, orange, or red irregular flowers.
Its leaves, flowers, and seeds are edible. Genus: Tropaeolum
[12th century. From Latin, of
uncertain origin: probably an alteration of assumed nasitortium,
literally “nose-twister.” From its pungent odor.][1]



nasty

nasty
nas·ty 
[nástee] adjective (comparative
nas·ti·er, superlative nas·ti·est)

1.  spiteful:
showing spitefulness, malice, or ill-nature • a
nasty trick to play on someone

2.  repugnant
to senses:
repugnant or disgusting to the senses • a
nasty smell

3.  unpleasant:
generally disagreeable, unpleasant, or causing discomfort • The
weather turned nasty.

4.  serious:
likely to cause harm or to be painful • a
nasty accident • a
nasty bump on the head

5.  morally
offensive:
morally offensive or obscene (informal)

6.  difficult:
difficult to solve or deal with (informal)
noun
(plural nas·ties)

unpleasant person or thing:
somebody or something that is very disagreeable, harmful, or offensive (informal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word meaning “dirty.”]
—nas·ti·ly,
adverb

—nas·ti·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mean

[1]



-nasty

-nasty
-nasty
suffix

nastic
response • thermonasty
[Formed from Greek nastos
(see nastic )][1]



nat.

nat.
nat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
national

2.  Abbreviation
of
natural

3.  Abbreviation
of
native

[1]



Natal

Natal
Na·tal 
[nə tl]

1.  city
and seaport in northeastern Brazil. It is the capital of Rio Grande do Norte
State. Population: 606,541 (1991)

2.  former
province of eastern South Africa, merged in 1994 with KwaZulu to form
KwaZulu-Natal

[1]



natal

natal2
na·tal2  [náyt’l]
adjective

of
buttocks:
relating to the buttocks
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin natis (see nates ).][1]



natal

natal1
na·tal1  [náyt’l]
adjective

of
birth:
relating to birth or to the time and place of birth
[14th century. Via Latin natalis
(source of English noel ) from,
ultimately, nasci “to be born” (see nation
).][1]



natality

natality
na·tal·i·ty 
[nə tállətee, nay
tállətee] noun

See
birthrate[1]



natant

natant
na·tant 
[náyt’nt] adjective

ZOOLOGY on
water:
floating or swimming in water (technical)
[15th century. From Latin natant-,
the present participle stem of natare (see natatory
).][1]



Nataraja

Nataraja
Nat·ar·a·ja
[ntə rjə] noun

dancing
Shiva:
the Hindu god Shiva when represented as a dancing figure with several arms and
legs
[Early 20th century. From
Hindi, literally “prince of dancers.”][1]



natation

natation
na·ta·tion 
[nə táysh’n, nay
táysh’n] noun

swimming:
the action or skill of swimming (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From the Latin stem natation-, ultimately from natare
(see natatory ).]
—na·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



natatory

natatory
na·ta·to·ry
[náytə tàwree] or na·ta·to·ri·al
[nàytə táwree əl] adjective

of
swimming:
relating to or adapted for swimming (formal)
[Late 18th century. Via late
Latin natatorius from Latin natator “swimmer,” from natare
“to keep on swimming,” from nare “to swim, float.”][1]



natch

natch
natch 
[nach] adverb

of
course:
naturally or of course (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of naturally .][1]



Natchitoches

Natchitoches
Natch·i·toches 
[nákə tòsh]

city in western Louisiana,
just west of the Red River. Population: 17,267 (1996)[1]



nates

nates
na·tes 
[náy tz] plural noun

buttocks:
the buttocks
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, the plural of natis “buttock, rump.”][1]



Nathan

Nathan
Na·than 
noun

biblical Hebrew prophet:
in the Bible, a prophet at David’s court (2 Samuel 7:1–17, 12:1–15)[1]



Natick

Natick
Na·tick 
[náttik]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, east of Framingham and southwest of Boston. Population: 31,310
(1996)[1]



nation

nation
na·tion 
[náysh’n] (plural nations) noun

1.  people
in land under single government: a community of people
or peoples who live in a defined territory and are organized under a single
government

2.  people
of same ethnicity: a community of people who
share a common ethnic origin, culture, historical tradition, and, frequently,
language, whether or not they live together in one territory or have their own
government

3.  Native
American people or federation: a Native American people
or a federation of peoples • the
Apache nation

4.  land
of Native American nation: a territory occupied by a
Native American nation

5.  group
with common interest: a group of people united by
a common interest • the hip-hop nation
[13th
century. Via French from the Latin stem nation- “birth, race, nation,”
from nat-, past participle stem of nasci “to be born” (source of
English innate ).]
—na·tion·hood, noun[1]



national

national
na·tion·al 
[náshən’l, náshnəl]
adjective

1.  of
a nation:
relating or belonging to, or representing a nation, especially a nation as a
whole rather than any particular part of it or section of its territory • the
national team

2.  for
whole nation: relating or applicable to, or
representing a whole nation • the
chairman of a national search committee

3.  characteristic
of people of particular nation: relating to or
characteristic of the people of a particular nation • the
British national character

4.  owned
or controlled by central government:
owned, maintained, or controlled by the central government of a nation • a
national film museum
noun
(plural na·tion·als)

1.  citizen
of particular nation: a citizen of a particular
nation, especially when living in another country

2.  SPORTS competition
involving contestants from whole country: a
sports contest involving participants from every part of a country (often
used in the plural)

[1]



nationalanthem

nationalanthem
na·tion·al
an·them
(plural na·tion·al an·thems) noun

country’s official song:
a nation’s official hymn or song, expressing patriotic sentiments and played or
sung on public occasions[1]



NationalAssembly

NationalAssembly
Na·tion·al
As·sem·bly
noun

1.  legislative
assembly of French Revolution: the first legislative
assembly set up during the French Revolution and ruling from 1789 to 1791

2.  Quebec
legislature: the legislative assembly in Quebec

[1]



nationalassembly

nationalassembly
na·tion·al
as·sem·bly
noun

national legislative body:
a legislative body consisting of the elected
representatives of a particular nation or country[1]



nationalbank

nationalbank
na·tion·al
bank
(plural na·tion·al banks) noun

1.  private
bank under federal charter: a bank in a system of
privately owned commercial banks in the United States, operating under federal
charter and legally required to be a member of the Federal Reserve System

2.  bank
acting for government: a bank that acts as banker
to a government and performs duties relating to national finances, especially
the country’s fiscal and monetary policy

[1]



NationalCity

NationalCity
Na·tion·al
Cit·y


city in southwestern
California, in San Diego County, south of San Diego. Population: 54,249 (1990)[1]



nationalconsciousness

nationalconsciousness
na·tion·al
con·scious·ness noun

attitudes thought typical of
nation: the ideas, beliefs, and
attitudes regarded as characteristic of a nation[1]



nationalcostume

nationalcostume
na·tion·al
cos·tume
(plural na·tion·al cos·tumes) noun

See
national dress[1]



nationaldebt

nationaldebt
na·tion·al
debt
(plural na·tion·al debts) noun

total debts of government:
the total amount of money owed by a nation’s central government as a result of
borrowing.
Also called
public debt[1]



nationaldress

nationaldress
na·tion·al
dress
noun

traditional clothes of
country: clothes of a distinctive
design that are, or were, typical of the people of a particular country.
Also called
national costume[1]



nationalforest

nationalforest
na·tion·al
for·est
(plural na·tion·al for·ests) noun

forest protected by
government: a forested area that is
owned and maintained by the federal government[1]



NationalGallery

NationalGallery
Na·tion·al
Gal·ler·y
noun

British national art museum:
a museum in Trafalgar Square, London, that contains more than 2,000 paintings
from the national collection. Founded in 1824, it opened in its present
building in 1838.[1]



NationalGallery of Art

NationalGallery of Art
Na·tion·al
Gal·ler·y of Art noun

U.S. national art museum:
a museum in Washington, D.C. that contains the national collection of
paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and other works of art.
It was founded in 1937 with the gift to the nation of the art collection of the
financier Andrew W. Mellon.[1]



NationalGallery of Australia

NationalGallery of Australia
Na·tion·al
Gal·ler·y of Aus·tra·lia noun

Australian national art
museum: a museum in Canberra that
contains the national collection of Aboriginal, modern Australian, and world
art. The collection was begun in 1911, and is housed in a building dating from
1982. Formerly called Australian National Gallery[1]



NationalGallery of Canada

NationalGallery of Canada
Na·tion·al
Gal·ler·y of Can·a·da noun

Canadian national art museum:
a museum in Ottawa that contains the national collection of Canadian and
European art. It was created by an Act of Parliament in 1913.[1]



nationalguard

nationalguard
na·tion·al
guard
noun

military defense or police
force: a military organization that
operates as a national defense or police force[1]



NationalGuard

NationalGuard
Na·tion·al
Guard
noun

U.S. military reserve:
in the United States, the military reserve units controlled by individual
states and equipped by the federal government that can be called into service
by either federal or state governments[1]



NationalHealth Service

NationalHealth Service
Na·tion·al
Health Ser·vice noun

British state healthcare
provision: in the United Kingdom, the
state system for providing free or subsidized medical care, established in 1948[1]



NationalHockey League

NationalHockey League
Na·tion·al
Hock·ey League noun

professional ice hockey
league: the major league of
professional ice hockey teams in Canada and the United States[1]



nationalincome

nationalincome
na·tion·al
in·come
(plural na·tion·al in·comes) noun

total income of nation:
the total money earned or gained by all residents of a country over a
particular period of time, including income from rent, profits, interest,
government benefits, salaries, and wages[1]



nationalinterest

nationalinterest
na·tion·al
in·ter·est
noun

things of benefit to nation:
whatever will benefit a nation, or a nation’s concern for its own survival and
prosperity[1]



nationalism

nationalism
na·tion·al·ism 
[náshən’l ìzzəm, náshnə
lìzzəm] noun

1.  desire
for political independence: the desire to achieve
political independence, especially by a country under foreign control or by a
people with a separate identity and culture but no state of their own

2.  patriotism:
proud loyalty and devotion to a nation

3.  excessive
devotion to nation: excessive or fanatical
devotion to a nation and its interests, often associated with a belief that one
country is superior to all others
—nationalist, noun,
adjective[1]



nationalistic

nationalistic
na·tion·al·is·tic
[nàshən’l ístik, nàshnə
lístik] adjective

relating
to nationalism: relating to or supporting nationalism,
especially the kind that emphasizes fervent devotion to one nation and its
interests above all others
—na·tion·al·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



nationality

nationality
na·tion·al·i·ty 
[nàshə nállətee] (plural na·tion·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  citizenship
of particular nation: the status of belonging to a
specific nation by origin, birth, or naturalization

2.  people
forming nation-state: a people with a common
origin, tradition, and often language, who form or are capable of forming a
nation-state

3.  ethnic
group within a larger entity: an ethnic group that is part
of a larger entity such as a state

4.  nationhood:
political independence as a separate nation

5.  national
character:
the character of a nation of people

[1]



nationalize

nationalize
na·tion·al·ize 
[náshən’l z, náshnə
lz] (past na·tion·al·ized, past participle na·tion·al·ized,
present participle na·tion·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular na·tion·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  transfer
business to state ownership: to transfer a business,
property, or industry from private to governmental control or ownership

2.  make
national:
to make something national or to give a national character to something

3.  See
naturalize  verb 1
—na·tion·al·i·za·tion
[nàshən’li záysh’n, nàshnəli
záysh’n], noun

—na·tion·al·ized
[náshnə lzd], adjective

—na·tion·al·iz·er, noun[1]



NationalLibrary of Australia

NationalLibrary of Australia
Na·tion·al
Li·brar·y of Aus·tra·lia noun

Australian national library:
the national library of Australia, in Canberra, established as an independent
institution by an Act of Parliament in 1960. It was founded in 1901 as part of
the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library.[1]



NationalLibrary of Canada

NationalLibrary of Canada
Na·tion·al
Li·brar·y of Can·a·da noun

Canadian national library:
the national library of Canada, founded in Ottawa in 1953[1]



NationalLibrary of New Zealand

NationalLibrary of New Zealand
Na·tion·al
Li·brar·y of New Zea·land noun

NZ national library:
the national library of New Zealand, in Wellington, created in 1966 by
combining the collections of the General Assembly Library, the Alexander
Turnbull Library, and the National Library Service[1]



nationally

nationally
na·tion·al·ly
[náshən’lee, náshnəlee]
adverb

in whole nation:
in, to, or throughout an entire nation[1]



nationalmonument

nationalmonument
na·tion·al
mon·u·ment
(plural na·tion·al mon·u·ments) noun

important place protected by
government: a structure or site of
scenic, historical, or scientific significance that is protected and maintained
by a national government[1]



nationalpark

nationalpark
na·tion·al
park
(plural na·tion·al parks) noun

land protected by government:
a large area of public land chosen by a government for its scenic,
recreational, scientific, or historical importance and usually given special
protection[1]



NationalParty

NationalParty
Na·tion·al
Par·ty
noun

South African political
party: in South Africa, a
conservative political party that developed from the Afrikaner nationalist
movement, came to power in 1948, was largely responsible for instituting
apartheid, and relinquished power in 1994[1]



nationalsecurity

nationalsecurity
na·tion·al
se·cu·ri·ty
noun

protection of nation from
danger: the protection of a nation
from attack or other danger by maintaining adequate armed forces and guarding
state secrets[1]



NationalSecurity Adviser

NationalSecurity Adviser
Na·tion·al
Se·cu·ri·ty Ad·vis·er (plural Na·tion·al
Se·cu·ri·ty Ad·vis·ers) noun

security advisor to
President: a member of the White House
staff who advises the President on security matters[1]



NationalSecurity Council

NationalSecurity Council
Na·tion·al
Se·cu·ri·ty Coun·cil noun

council for national
security: a council consisting of the
President, the secretary of state, and top military and intelligence officers
that decides on policies and measures to maintain national security[1]



nationalservice

nationalservice
na·tion·al
ser·vice
noun

compulsory service in armed
forces: compulsory service in the
armed forces or in a civilian role, as prescribed in some countries[1]



nationalsocialism

nationalsocialism
na·tion·al
so·cial·ism
or Na·tion·al So·cial·ism noun

ideology
and practices of Nazi Party: the ideology and practices
of the Nazi Party, in Germany’s Third Reich, which included national expansion,
state control of the economy, the totalitarian principle of government, and
antisemitism
—na·tion·al so·cial·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



Nation,Carry

Nation,Carry

Na·tion 
[náysh’n], Carry (1846–1911)
U.S.
temperance leader. She believed that she had a divine calling to carry out
violent anti-alcohol attacks on saloons, armed with a hatchet.
Full name
Carry Amelia Moore Nation[1]



Nationof Islam

Nationof Islam
Na·tion
of Is·lam
noun

black Islamic movement:
a movement of African Americans founded in 1930 whose members follow Islamic
religious practice, because of a belief that black Americans have Muslim
origins. Malcolm X was a leading spokesman for the organization until he left
it in 1964.[1]



nation-state

nation-state
na·tion-state 
(plural na·tion-states) noun

independent state:
an independent state recognized by and able to interact with other states,
especially one composed of people who are of one, as opposed to several,
nationalities[1]



nationwide

nationwide
na·tion·wide 
[náysh’n wd] adjective

everywhere
in nation:
applying to, happening in, or found in all parts of a nation • a
nationwide advertising campaign
adverb

throughout nation:
covering the whole nation or throughout the nation[1]



native

native
na·tive 
[náytiv] adjective

1.  inborn:
existing in or belonging to someone by nature • her
native intelligence

2.  born
or originating somewhere: born or originating in a
particular place

3.  relating
to somebody because of birth: relating or belonging to
somebody or something because of the place or circumstances of birth

4.  indigenous:
originating, produced, growing, or living naturally in a place

5.  local,
especially aboriginal, inhabitants:
characteristic of, belonging to, or relating to, the indigenous inhabitants of
a particular place, particularly those with an aboriginal culture

6.  not
externally affected: unaffected by artificial or
outside influences

7.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS occurring
naturally:
found in nature, especially in a pure or unadulterated form • native
copper

8.  COMPUTING for
particular computer system: designed exclusively for a
particular computer operating system
noun
(plural na·tives)

1.  someone
born in particular place: someone born or brought up
in a particular place • a
native of Birmingham

2.  indigenous
inhabitant:
an original indigenous inhabitant of a place

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an original inhabitant of a place belonging to an
indigenous non-white people with a traditional culture, as distinct from a
colonial settler and immigrant (dated offensive)

4.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY indigenous plant or animal
species:
a plant or animal species that originates from a particular area
[14th
century. Directly or via French natif from Latin nativus “born”
(source of English naive ), from,
ultimately, nasci “to be born” (see nation
).]
—na·tive·ly,
adverb

—na·tive·ness,
noun
go
native

to
take up the customs and culture of the foreign place where you have settled (humorous)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  native, aboriginal, indigenous, autochthonous
  CORE
  MEANING: originating
  in a particular place native; used
  to describe somebody or something born or originating in a particular place; aboriginal; used to describe the people who
  are the earliest known inhabitants of a particular region; indigenous; a fairly formal word used to
  describe species that occur naturally in a particular place and were not
  introduced from elsewhere; autochthonous;
  a technical word used to refer to rocks and minerals that were formed in
  their present position

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word nasci, from which native
  is derived, and its past participle natus are also the source of
  English cognate, impregnate, innate,
  naive, nascent,
  nation, nature,
  noel, pregnant,
  puny, and renaissance.

[1]



NativeAmerican

NativeAmerican

Na·tive
A·mer·i·can 
noun (plural Na·tive A·mer·i·cans)
aboriginal
American:
a member of any of the indigenous peoples of North, South, or Central America,
belonging to the Mongoloid group of peoples
adjective
relating
to indigenous American peoples: relating to any of the
indigenous American peoples, their languages, or their cultures

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Indian.

[1]



native-born

native-born
na·tive-born 
adjective

belonging by birth:
belonging to a place by birth[1]



nativeland

nativeland
na·tive
land
(plural na·tive lands) noun

somebody’s land by birth:
the land to which somebody belongs by birth[1]



NativePeople

NativePeople
Na·tive
Peo·ple
(plural Native Peoples) plural noun

aboriginal Canadian people:
a term used in Canada to describe any one of the aboriginal peoples indigenous
to Canada, or all these people collectively[1]



nativeson

nativeson
na·tive
son
(plural na·tive sons) noun

native of a place:
somebody born in a particular place and still associated with it • Illinois
is expected to support its native son in the presidential primary.[1]



nativespeaker

nativespeaker
na·tive
speak·er
(plural na·tive speak·ers) noun

first-language speaker:
somebody who has learned to speak a particular language as a first language[1]



nativetongue

nativetongue
na·tive
tongue
(plural na·tive tongues) noun

somebody’s first language:
the first language that somebody learns to speak[1]



nativism

nativism
na·tiv·ism 
[náyti vìzzəm] noun

1.  POLITICS policy
of favoring native inhabitants: a policy, especially
in the United States, of favoring the interests of the native inhabitants of a
country over those of immigrants

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY policy
of reaffirming indigenous culture: a policy of protecting
and celebrating traditional cultures

3.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
of innate ideas: the belief that the mind possesses some
ideas that are inborn and not derived from external sources

4.  PSYCHOLOGY theory
claiming personality is innately determined: a
theory claiming that personality and behavior are determined from within, not
externally
—na·tiv·ist,
noun, adjective

—na·tiv·is·tic [nàyti vístik], adjective[1]



Nativity

Nativity
Na·tiv·i·ty
(plural Na·tiv·i·ties) noun

1.  birth
of Jesus Christ: the birth of Jesus Christ, which is
celebrated by Christians at Christmas

2.  representation
of Jesus Christ’s birth: an artistic representation,
especially a painting, of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ

[1]



nativity

nativity
na·tiv·i·ty 
[nə tívvətee] (plural na·tiv·i·ties)
noun

1.  birth
or origin:
birth or origin, especially the place, process, or circumstances of being born

2.  horoscope:
a horoscope based on the time of somebody’s birth
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin nativitas, from nativus (see native
).][1]



natl.

natl.
natl.

Abbreviation of
national[1]



NATO

NATO
NATO
[náytō] or Nato [náytō] noun

international military
alliance: an international
organization established in 1949 to promote mutual defense and collective
security that was the primary Western alliance during the Cold War. Full
form North Atlantic Treaty Organization[1]



natrium

natrium
na·tri·um 
[náytree əm] noun

sodium:
the Latin name for sodium, which gave it its chemical symbol of Na
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from natron .][1]



natriuresis

natriuresis
na·tri·u·re·sis 
[nàytree y rssiss] noun

excretion
of sodium:
the excretion of sodium in urine, especially in excessive amounts
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from natrium + Greek ourēsis
“urination.”]
—na·tri·u·ret·ic [nàytree y réttik], adjective[1]



natrolite

natrolite
na·tro·lite 
[náytrə lt, náttrə
lt] noun

white
mineral:
a white hydrous silicate of sodium and aluminum related to zeolite
[Early 19th century. Coined
from natron + -lite
.][1]



natron

natron
na·tron 
[náy tròn, náytrən]
noun

light-colored
mineral:
a white, yellow, or gray mineral consisting of hydrous sodium carbonate, found
in saline residues, and once used in embalming
[Late 17th century. Via
French, Spanish, and Arabic natrūn from Greek nitron (see niter ).][1]



natter

natter
nat·ter 
[náttər] intransitive verb (past
nat·tered, past participle nat·tered, present
participle nat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular nat·ters)

chat:
to talk about not very serious matters, often rapidly and at length and
sometimes in an irritating way (informal)
noun

U.K.
non-serious
conversation: a trivial or gossipy conversation (informal)
[Early 19th century. Variant
of earlier gnatter “to chat, grumble, gnaw,” of uncertain origin:
probably an imitation of the sound made when talking rapidly.][1]



natty

natty
nat·ty 
[náttee] (comparative nat·ti·er,
superlative nat·ti·est) adjective

dapper:
neat and fashionable in appearance or dress
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of earlier netty
“neat,” from net “clean, tidy” (see neat
).]
—nat·ti·ly,
adverb

—nat·ti·ness, noun[1]



natural

natural
nat·u·ral 
[náchərəl, náchrəl]
adjective

1.  of
nature:
relating to nature

2.  conforming
with nature: in accordance with the usual course of
nature • natural
symptoms of aging

3.  produced
by nature:
present in or produced by nature, rather than being artificial or created by
people • a
natural sapphire

4.  of
physical world: relating to the physical rather than the
spiritual world

5.  like
human nature: in accordance with human nature • It’s
only natural that they should want to be independent.

6.  innate:
inborn, rather than acquired • lots
of natural charm

7.  being
something by nature: having a particular
character by nature • a
natural leader

8.  not
affected:
behaving in a sincere and unaffected way and not affected or adopted for a
particular purpose

9.  not
artificial:
not artificially colored or treated

10. like
real life:
representing something in a way that seems true to life

11. illegitimate:
illegitimate (archaic) • a
natural child

12. biological:
related by blood, rather than adoption • her
natural mother

13. MUSIC not
sharp or flat: used to describe a note in music that is
neither sharp nor flat

14. MUSIC without
sharps or flats: used to describe a musical key or scale
containing no sharps or flats

15. CARD GAMES without
joker or wild card: not made using a joker or a
wild card • a
natural flush
noun
(plural nat·u·rals)

1.  somebody
with natural skills or abilities: somebody who has
seemingly innate skills or abilities • a
natural at bowling

2.  MUSIC musical
sign canceling sharp or flat: a sign placed before a
musical note in order to cancel a previous sharp or flat

3.  MUSIC note
affected by natural sign: a musical note affected by a
natural sign

4.  CARD GAMES GAMBLING stake-winning
result or combination: a result or combination in
certain card and dice games such as craps and blackjack that immediately wins
the stake

5.  COLORS light
color:
a nearly white color with tints of gray, yellow, or brown, like that of undyed
fibers or yarn
[13th
century. Via French from Latin naturalis, from natura (see nature ).]
—nat·u·ral·ness, noun[1]



naturalchildbirth

naturalchildbirth
nat·u·ral
child·birth
(plural nat·u·ral child·births) noun

childbirth with little
medical help: childbirth with little
or no medication or medical intervention. The mother uses special techniques
and exercises in order to minimize pain and assist in the delivery.[1]



naturaldeath

naturaldeath
nat·u·ral
death
(plural nat·u·ral deaths) noun

death by disease or old age:
death caused by disease or old age rather than by an act of violence or an
accident[1]



naturaldisaster

naturaldisaster
nat·u·ral
dis·as·ter
(plural nat·u·ral dis·as·ters) noun

disaster caused by natural
forces: a disaster such as an
earthquake caused by natural forces rather than by human action[1]



naturalfiber

naturalfiber
nat·u·ral
fi·ber
(plural nat·u·ral fi·bers) noun

naturally occurring fiber:
a fiber such as cotton, wool, or silk that forms naturally[1]



naturalfood

naturalfood
nat·u·ral
food
(plural nat·u·ral foods) noun

minimally processed food:
food that has been minimally processed and does not contain any additives such
as preservatives or artificial coloring[1]



naturalgas

naturalgas
nat·u·ral
gas
noun

combustible mixture of
hydrocarbon gases: a mixture
of combustible hydrocarbon gases, mostly methane and ethane, found trapped in
the pore spaces of certain sedimentary rocks, often along with petroleum
deposits[1]



naturalhistory

naturalhistory
nat·u·ral
his·to·ry
noun

1.  study
and description of nature: the study and description of
living things, especially their behavior and how they relate to one another

2.  natural
phenomena of time or place: the natural phenomena,
especially plants and animals, of a particular time or place

3.  natural
development of something: the natural development of
something such as an organism or a disease over a period of time • the
natural history of the leech

4.  written
account of aspect of nature: a written account of a
particular aspect of the natural world

[1]



naturalism

naturalism
nat·u·ral·ism 
[náchərə lìzzəm, náchrə
lìzzəm] noun

1.  ARTS LITERATURE movement or school advocating
realistic description: in art or literature, a
movement or school advocating factual or realistic description of life
including its less pleasant aspects. In literature, it is applied especially to
Zola, Maupassant, and other 19th-century French writers. In the visual arts, it
refers to the practice of faithfully representing subjects.

2.  RELIGION belief
in religious truth from nature: a belief that all
religious truth is derived from nature and natural causes, and not from
revelation

3.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
rejecting spiritual explanations of world: a
system of thought that rejects all spiritual and supernatural explanations of
the world and holds that science is the sole basis of what can be known

[1]



naturalist

naturalist
nat·u·ral·ist 
[náchərəlist, náchrəlist]
noun (plural nat·u·ral·ists)

1.  BIOLOGY somebody
studying natural history: somebody who studies or is
interested in natural history, especially botany or zoology. The term is
particularly used to describe a field biologist.

2.  ARTS PHILOSOPHY advocate of naturalism:
somebody who believes in or practices naturalism, especially in the arts
adjective

relating to beliefs of naturalism:
relating to or in accordance with the beliefs of naturalism

[1]



naturalistic

naturalistic
nat·u·ral·is·tic 
[nàchərə lístik, nàchrə
lístik] adjective

1.  reproducing
effects of nature: imitating or reproducing
nature or perceived reality in a very exact and faithful way

2.  relating
to beliefs of naturalism: relating to, characteristic
of, or in accordance with the tenets of naturalism, especially in art or
literature

3.  of
naturalists: relating to naturalists or natural
history
—nat·u·ral·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



naturalize

naturalize
nat·u·ral·ize 
[náchərə lz, náchrə
lz] (past nat·u·ral·ized, past participle nat·u·ral·ized,
present participle nat·u·ral·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular nat·u·ral·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grant
citizenship to: to grant citizenship to somebody of
foreign birth, or to acquire citizenship in an adopted country

2.  transitive
verb
introduce
something foreign into general use: to
introduce something foreign such as a word or custom into general use or into
the language of a community

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY ZOOLOGY acclimate
plant or animal: to cause a plant or animal from another
region to become established in a new environment or to adapt successfully to
new environmental conditions

4.  transitive
verb
explain
in natural terms: to explain a phenomenon in terms of
natural as opposed to supernatural causes

5.  transitive
verb
make
natural:
to make something natural or lifelike
—nat·u·ral·i·za·tion
[nàchərəli záysh’n, nàchrəli
záysh’n], noun

—nat·u·ral·ized
[náchərə lzd, náchrə
lzd], adjective

—nat·u·ral·iz·er [náchərə lzər], noun[1]



naturalkiller cell

naturalkiller cell
nat·u·ral
kill·er cell (plural nat·u·ral kill·er
cells) noun

cell that fights infection:
a white blood cell ( lymphocyte ) that can
recognize microbes and tumor cells as “foreign,” without requiring prior
exposure to them, and destroy them[1]



naturallanguage

naturallanguage
nat·u·ral
lan·guage
(plural nat·u·ral lan·guag·es) noun

1.  naturally
evolved human language: a naturally evolved human
language as opposed to a created language such as a computer language

2.  naturally
evolved human languages: naturally evolved human
languages considered collectively

[1]



naturallanguage processing

naturallanguage processing
nat·u·ral
lan·guage proc·ess·ing noun

using computers to process
natural language: the branch of
computational linguistics concerned with the use of artificial intelligence to
process natural languages as, for example, in machine translation[1]



naturallaw

naturallaw
nat·u·ral
law
(plural nat·u·ral laws) noun

1.  law
of morality: a law of morality believed to be derived
from human beings’ inherent sense of right and wrong, rather than from
revelation or the legislation produced by society

2.  law
of nature:
a law that governs the behavior of natural phenomena

3.  PHILOSOPHY belief
in universal justice system: the belief that general laws
of nature can be applied as a system of justice for all societies, regardless
of their individual culture or customs

[1]



naturallight

naturallight
nat·u·ral
light
noun

light from natural source:
light from a natural source, usually the sun, as opposed to artificial light[1]



naturallogarithm

naturallogarithm
nat·u·ral
log·a·rithm
(plural nat·u·ral log·a·rithms) noun

logarithm:
a logarithm with the irrational number e as a base.
Also called
Napierian logarithm[1]



naturally

naturally
nat·u·ral·ly 
[náchərəlee, náchrəlee]
adverb

1.  as
expected:
as might be expected • They
naturally objected to being treated in this way.

2.  of
course:
without any question or doubt • “You’ll
go then?”“Naturally.”

3.  by
nature:
as a result of a natural feature, talent, or quality that somebody possesses • a
naturally gifted player

4.  in
normal way:
in a normal and unaffected manner • People
seldom act naturally when being filmed.

5.  without
artificial aid or treatment: occurring as a natural
feature or quality without artificial aid

6.  realistically:
in a manner that faithfully represents nature

[1]



naturalmedicine

naturalmedicine
nat·u·ral
med·i·cine
noun

See
naturopathy[1]



naturalnumber

naturalnumber
nat·u·ral
num·ber
(plural nat·u·ral num·bers) noun

whole number greater than
zero: any whole number greater
than zero[1]



naturalphilosophy

naturalphilosophy
nat·u·ral
phi·los·o·phy noun

scientific study of nature:
the study of nature and natural phenomena (archaic)[1]



naturalresource

naturalresource
nat·u·ral
re·source
(plural nat·u·ral re·sourc·es) noun

naturally occurring
exploitable material: a naturally
occurring material such as coal or wood that can be exploited by people.
Also called
resource[1]



naturalscience

naturalscience
nat·u·ral
sci·ence
(plural nat·u·ral sci·ences) noun

science
of nature:
any of the sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics that deal with
phenomena observable in nature
—nat·u·ral sci·en·tist,
noun[1]



naturalselection

naturalselection
nat·u·ral
se·lec·tion
noun

process of adapting to
environment: the process, according
to Darwin, by which organisms best suited to survival in a particular
environment achieve greater reproductive success, thereby passing advantageous
genetic characteristics on to future generations.
See also
artificial selection[1]



naturaltheology

naturaltheology
nat·u·ral
the·ol·o·gy
noun

theology based on reason not
revelation: a theology that holds that
knowledge of God can be derived by human reason alone, not requiring divine
revelation[1]



naturalvirtue

naturalvirtue
nat·u·ral
vir·tue
(plural nat·u·ral vir·tues) noun

virtue of which people are
capable: in theology, one of the four
virtues of which people are capable without direct assistance from God,
specifically fortitude, justice, prudence, and temperance[1]



naturalworld

naturalworld
nat·u·ral
world
noun

natural phenomena:
natural phenomena collectively, as opposed to supernatural or paranormal
phenomena or those created by human activity[1]



nature

nature
na·ture 
[náychər] (plural na·tures) noun

1.  physical
world:
the physical world including all natural phenomena and living things

2.  na·ture
or Na·ture forces controlling physical
world:
the forces and processes collectively that control the phenomena of the
physical world independently of human volition or intervention, sometimes
personified as a woman called “Mother Nature”

3.  countryside:
the countryside or the environment in a condition relatively unaffected by
human activity or as the home of living creatures other than human beings

4.  type:
a type or sort of thing • a
detective novel or something of that nature

5.  intrinsic
character of person or thing: the intrinsic or essential
character of somebody or something

6.  temperament:
disposition or temperament in a person • It’s
just not part of his nature to act unkindly.

7.  real
appearance or aspect: the appearance or aspect of
a person, place, or thing that is considered to reflect reality • The
portrait was remarkably true to nature.

8.  primitive
existence:
a basic state of existence, untouched and uninfluenced by civilization

9.  RELIGION natural
state of humankind: the natural and original
condition of humankind, as distinguished from a state of grace

10. universal
human behavior: the patterns of behavior or the moral
standards that are considered to be universally found and recognized among
human beings

11. genetic
material affecting organism: the inherited genetic
material that partly determines the behavior, character, and structure of an
organism, as opposed to what is learned from experience or the environment • nature
versus nurture
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin natura “birth, innate qualities,
nature” from, ultimately, nasci “to be born” (see nation ).]
by
nature

as
a part of his, her, or its essential character

call
of nature

the
need to urinate or defecate (humorous)

in
the nature of somebody or something

1.  characteristic
of somebody or something

2.  in
the category of something

[1]



-natured

-natured
-natured
adjective

with
temperament of particular kind: having or showing a
particular nature or disposition (often used in combination) • good-natured
[Formed from nature][1]



naturereserve

naturereserve
na·ture
re·serve
(plural na·ture re·serves) or na·ture pre·serve (plural
na·ture pre·serves) noun

protected area for rare
species: a managed and protected area
of land usually containing rare or endangered plants or animals[1]



naturetrail

naturetrail
na·ture
trail
(plural na·ture trails) noun

planned country walk:
a route through a natural area that is specially designed to draw attention to
interesting natural features[1]



naturism

naturism
na·tur·ism 
[náychə rìzzəm] noun

1.  wearing
no clothes as a custom: the practise of going
without clothes, usually in a communal setting or in designated areas, in the
belief that nudity is a healthy natural state.
Also
called
nudism

2.  RELIGION nature
worship:
worship of nature in general, or of objects of nature such as trees and
mountains

[1]



naturist

naturist
na·tur·ist 
[náychərist] (plural na·tur·ists)
noun

somebody
who practices naturism
—na·tur·is·tic
[nàychə rístik], adjective

—na·tur·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



naturopathy

naturopathy
na·tur·op·a·thy 
[nàychə róppəthee] noun

drug-free
medical treatment: a system of medicine founded
on the belief that diet, mental state, exercise, breathing, and other natural
factors are central to the origin and treatment of disease.
Also
called
natural medicine
—na·tur·o·path
[náychərə pàth], noun

—na·tur·o·path·ic
[nàychərə páthik], adjective

—na·tur·o·path·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Naugahyde

Naugahyde
Nau·ga·hyde
[náwgə hd] Trademark

a trademark for an imitation
leather fabric[1]



Naugatuck

Naugatuck
Nau·ga·tuck 
[náwgə tùk]

1.  river
in western Connecticut. Length: 105 km/65 mi.

2.  town
in southern Connecticut, in New Haven County, south of Waterbury. Population:
30,625 (1990)

[1]



naught

naught
naught 
[nawt] or nought [nawt] noun

1.  zero:
the number zero.
U.K.
term
nought  noun 1

2.  nothing:
nothing at all (archaic or literary) • Their
efforts were all for naught.
[Old English nāwiht .
From nā no + wiht “thing,
being.”][1]



naughty

naughty
naugh·ty 
[náwtee] (comparative naugh·ti·er,
superlative naugh·ti·est) adjective

1.  badly
behaved:
badly behaved, especially by being mischievous or disobedient

2.  mildly
indecent:
mildly indecent or improper (humorous) • a
naughty smile

3.  sinful:
mildly sinful (humorous) • Would
it be naughty of me to have another chocolate?
[14th
century. The current meaning evolved from “having naught, poor” via “bad.”]
—naugh·ti·ly,
adverb

—naugh·ti·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bad

[1]



nauplius

nauplius
nau·pli·us 
[náwplee əss] (plural nau·pli·i
[náwplee ]) noun

crustacean
larva:
a free-swimming larva that is produced by many different crustaceans, with an
unsegmented body, three pairs of limbs, and a single eye
[Mid-19th century. Via Latin,
“kind of shellfish,” from Greek nauplios .][1]



Nauru

Nauru


Na·u·ru 
[nə r]
island
republic in Micronesia, in the central Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia.
Language: English. Language: Nauruan. Currency: Australian dollar. Capital:
Yaren. Population: 10,273 (1996) Area: 21 sq km/8.1 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Nauru Former name Pleasant Island
—Naur·u·an, noun,
adjective[1]



nausea

nausea
nau·se·a 
[náwzee ə, náwshə]
noun

1.  sickness
of the stomach: the unsettling feeling in the stomach
that accompanies the urge to vomit

2.  disgust:
deep disgust (literary)
[15th
century. Via Latin and Greek nausia from, ultimately, naus (see nautical ). The underlying idea is of
seasickness.]
—nau·se·ant [náwzee ənt, náwshee ənt],
adjective, noun[1]



nauseate

nauseate
nau·se·ate 
[náwzee àyt, náwshee
àyt] (past nau·se·at·ed, past participle nau·se·at·ed,
present participle nau·se·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
nau·se·ates) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become sick: to have, or make somebody have, the
unsettling feeling in the stomach that accompanies the urge to vomit

2.  disgust
or become disgusted: to feel, or make somebody
feel, deep disgust

[1]



nauseating

nauseating
nau·se·at·ing
[náwzee àyting, náwshee
àyting] adjective

1.  causing
sickness in stomach: producing the unsettling
feeling in the stomach that accompanies the urge to vomit

2.  disgusting:
deeply disgusting
—nau·se·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



nauseous

nauseous
nau·seous 
[náwzee əss, náwshəss]
adjective

1.  sick
in the stomach: suffering from the unsettling feeling in
the stomach that accompanies the urge to vomit

2.  causing
sickness in stomach: producing the unsettling
feeling in the stomach that accompanies the urge to vomit
—nau·seous·ly,
adverb

—nau·seous·ness, noun[1]



naut.

naut.
naut.

Abbreviation of
nautical[1]



nautch

nautch
nautch 
[nawch] (plural nautch·es) noun

performance
of Indian dancing: a professional performance
of traditional Indian dancing
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi nāc from, ultimately, Sanskrit nt “to dance.”][1]



nautical

nautical
nau·ti·cal 
[náwtik’l] adjective

relating
to seafaring: relating to sailors, ships, or seafaring
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek nautikos, from nautēs “sailor,”
from naus “ship” (source of English astronaut,
nausea, and noise ).]
—nau·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



nauticalmile

nauticalmile
nau·ti·cal
mile
(plural nau·ti·cal miles) noun

1.  international
sea measure: an international unit of measurement of
distance at sea equal to 1.852 kilometers.
Also
called
mile

2.  U.K.
measurement at sea: a measurement of distance at
sea used in the U.K. and taken to be equal to 1.8532 kilometers or about 6076
ft.
Also
called
sea mile

[1]



nautiloid

nautiloid
nau·ti·loid 
[náwt’l òyd] (plural nau·ti·loids)
noun

mollusk
with outer shell: a mollusk that belongs to the group that
includes the nautiluses and many fossil species. The group includes species
with chambered, straight, and coiled shells. Subclass: Nautiloidea
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from nautilus .][1]



nautilus

nautilus

nau·ti·lus 
[náwt’ləss] (plural nau·ti·lus·es
or nau·ti·li [náwt’l ]) noun

1.  sea
creature with a coiled shell: a mollusk with numerous
tentacles, a horny beak, and a spiral shell with gas-filled chambers for
buoyancy. It is found in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. Genus: Nautilus

Also
called
pearly nautilus

2.  See
paper nautilus
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek nautilos “sailor, nautilus,” from nautēs (see nautical ).][1]



NAV

NAV
NAV

FINANCE
Abbreviation of net asset value[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nav.

nav.
nav.

1.  Abbreviation
of
naval

2.  Abbreviation
of
navigable

3.  Abbreviation
of
navigation

[1]



Navajo

Navajo
Nav·a·jo 
[návvə h, nvə
h] or Nav·a·ho [návvə h,
nvə h] noun (plural Nav·a·jo
or Nav·a·jos) (plural Nav·a·ho or Nav·a·hos)

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people living mainly in northern New Mexico and Arizona. They
are the most populous of all U.S. Native American peoples.

2.  PEOPLES member
of Navajo:
a member of the Navajo people

3.  LANGUAGE language
of the Navajo: a Native North American language spoken
in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It belongs to the Athabaskan branch
of Na-Déné languages and is spoken by about 225,000 people.
adjective

of the Navajos:
produced by or belonging to the Navajo • a
Navajo rug
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish (Apaches de) Navajó, literally “(Apaches of) Navajó,” from
extinct Tewa (a Tanoan language) navahū “fields adjoining a ravine.”][1]



naval

naval
na·val 
[náyv’l] adjective

of
navies or warships: relating or belonging to a
navy or to warships
—na·val·ly, adverb[1]



navalarchitect

navalarchitect
na·val
ar·chi·tect
(plural na·val ar·chi·tects) noun

ship
designer:
somebody who designs ships
—na·val ar·chi·tec·ture,
noun[1]



navalstores

navalstores
na·val
stores
plural noun

boatbuilding products:
products used in boatbuilding and shipbuilding, especially and originally
turpentine and pitch[1]



Navarre

Navarre
Na·varre 
[nə vr]

autonomous region in
northeastern Spain, between the Basque Country and Catalonia. Capital:
Pamplona. Population: 519,227 (1991) Area: 10,421 sq km/4,024 sq mi.[1]



nave

nave1
nave1 [nayv]
(plural naves) noun

central
part of a church: the long central hall of a cross-shaped
church, often with pillars on each side, where the congregation sits
[Late 17th century. Via
medieval Latin from Latin navis (see navy
). Perhaps from its resemblance in shape to or from the idea of the church as a
ship.][1]



nave

nave2
nave2 [nayv]
(plural naves) noun

hub:
the hub of a wheel
[Old English nafu .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English navel .][1]



navel

navel
na·vel 
[náyv’l] (plural na·vels) noun

hollow
on the surface of the stomach: a small rounded hollow
on the surface of the human stomach, where the end of the umbilical cord was
tied after being cut. Technical name umbilicus
[Old
English nafela . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also
produced English nave and Latin umbilicus
(source of English umbilical ).]
examine
or contemplate your navel

to spend too much time in
pointless self-analysis (informal humorous)[1]



navel-gazing

navel-gazing
na·vel-gaz·ing 
noun

pointless self-analysis:
pointless self-analysis as opposed to considering broader issues or making a
decision[1]



navelorange

navelorange
na·vel
or·ange
(plural na·vel or·anges) noun

seedless orange:
a sweet seedless orange with a small navel-shaped depression or bump at its
blossom end enclosing a smaller secondary fruit. Latin name: Citrus sinensis[1]



navelwort

navelwort
na·vel·wort 
[náyv’l wùrt, náyv’l
wàwrt] (plural na·vel·worts) noun

See
pennywort
[15th century. From the
navel-shaped indentation on its leaves.][1]



navicular

navicular
na·vic·u·lar
[nə víkyələr] noun (plural na·vic·u·lars)

ANATOMY See navicular bone
adjective

1.  boat-shaped:
shaped like a boat (formal)

2.  MEDICINE of the
navicular bone: relating to a navicular bone
[15th century. From late
Latin navicularis, from Latin navicula, literally “a small ship,”
from navis (see navy ).][1]



navicularbone

navicularbone
na·vic·u·lar
bone
(plural na·vic·u·lar bones) noun

1.  ANATOMY human
bone:
a small boat-shaped bone in the human wrist or ankle.
Also
called
navicular

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE horse
bone:
a small bone in a horse’s hoof. It is prone to disease navicular disease,
causing lameness.

[1]



navigable

navigable
nav·i·ga·ble 
[návvigəb’l] adjective

1.  passable
by ship:
passable by ship or boat, especially deep enough and wide enough to allow ships
or boats to sail through

2.  steerable:
able to be steered or otherwise controlled
—nav·i·ga·bil·i·ty
[nàvvigə bíllətee], noun

—nav·i·ga·bly [návvi gəblee], adverb[1]



navigate

navigate
nav·i·gate 
[návvi gàyt] (past nav·i·gat·ed,
past participle nav·i·gat·ed, present participle nav·i·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular nav·i·gates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb find a
route:
to find a way through a place, or direct the course of something, especially a
ship or aircraft, using a route-finding system • navigating
by the stars

2.  transitive
verb
pass
through a place: to follow a correct or satisfactory
course along a route • Even a
champion rafter would have difficulty navigating those rapids.

3.  intransitive
verb
keep
a car on the right route: to have responsibility for
keeping a car on the right route, for example, by following a map and giving
the driver instructions

4.  transitive
verb
find
your way:
to find a way to a place, usually with difficulty (informal) • managed
to navigate his way through the fog
[Late 16th century. From the
past participle stem of Latin navigare “to sail,” from navis (see
navy ) + agere “to drive.”][1]



navigation

navigation
nav·i·ga·tion 
[nàvvi gáysh’n] noun

1.  science
of navigating: the science of plotting and following a
course from one place to another and of determining the position of a moving
ship, aircraft, or other vehicle

2.  directing
of a vehicle’s course: the plotting and directing
of the course of a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle

3.  movement
through a place: the act or task of moving through a
place or along a route, for example, along a river or through a range of
mountains
—nav·i·ga·tion·al,
adjective

—nav·i·ga·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



navigationlight

navigationlight
nav·i·ga·tion
light
(plural nav·i·ga·tion lights) noun

craft’s external light:
any one of a number of lights on the outside of a ship or aircraft that alert
others to its position and direction[1]



navigationsatellite

navigationsatellite
nav·i·ga·tion
sat·el·lite
(plural nav·i·ga·tion sat·el·lites) noun

satellite aiding navigation:
an artificial satellite, used as an aid to navigation, that follows a fixed
orbit made known to navigators on ships and aircraft[1]



navigator

navigator
nav·i·ga·tor 
[návvi gàytər] (plural nav·i·ga·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
in charge of navigation: somebody who is qualified in
navigation, especially somebody responsible for navigating a ship or aircraft

2.  driver’s
route instructor: somebody who gives information on the
route ahead to the driver of a car

[1]



Navratilova,Martina

Navratilova,Martina

Nav·ra·ti·lova
[nàvrə ti lṓvə], Martina (1956– )
Czech-born U.S. tennis player. She holds
the women’s record of 167 singles championships (1974–1994), including nine
Wimbledon titles.[1]



NAVSAT

NAVSAT
NAVSAT
[náv sàt]

(informal) Abbreviation
of navigation satellite[1]



navvy

navvy
nav·vy 
[návvee] (plural nav·vies) noun

U.K.
laborer:
an unskilled laborer, especially somebody who does the heavy digging work
involved in the building of roads, railroads, and canals (dated)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of navigator (in its earlier
meaning “canal laborer”).][1]



navy

navy
na·vy 
[náyvee] noun (plural na·vies)

1.  seagoing
military force: the branch of a country’s armed forces
that crews, maintains, and fights on warships

2.  fleet
of ships:
a fleet of ships, especially one belonging to a country

3.  COLORS See navy blue
adjective

COLORS See navy blue
[14th century. Via Old French
navie “fleet,” from, ultimately, Latin navis “ship.”][1]



navybean

navybean
na·vy
bean
(plural na·vy beans) noun

white
bean:
a small white variety of kidney bean.
Also
called
pea bean
[From its former use as a
food staple in the U.S. Navy][1]



navyblue

navyblue
na·vy
blue
or na·vy noun (plural na·vy blues)

dark
blue:
a dark blue color
adjective

COLORS dark
blue in color: of a dark blue color (hyphenated
before a noun) • a navy-blue dress
[From the color of the
British naval uniform][1]



NavyCross

NavyCross
Na·vy
Cross
(plural Na·vy Crosses) noun

military decoration:
a decoration awarded by the U.S. Navy for outstanding heroism in armed combat[1]



navyyard

navyyard
na·vy
yard
(plural na·vy yards) noun

shipyard for warships:
a navy-owned shipyard where warships are built and repaired.
U.K. term
naval dockyard[1]



nawab

nawab
na·wab 
[nə wób] (plural na·wabs) noun

Indian
nobleman:
a title used for a local nobleman in India during the Mogul empire.
Also
called
nabob
[Mid-18th century. Via Urdu nawāb
from, ultimately, Arabic nā’ib “deputy.”][1]



nay

nay
nay 
[nay] noun

(plural
nays) no vote: a
vote of no or somebody who votes no
adverb

introducing
correction:
used to introduce a phrase that corrects something just said, often a phrase
that states the truth in stronger terms (archaic or literary) • It
was a disappointing, nay, humiliating, outcome.
interjection

no:
no (archaic)
[12th century. From Old Norse
nei, from ne “not” + ei “ever” (source of English aye ).][1]



naysay

naysay
nay·say 
[náy sày] (past participle nay·said
[náy sèd], present participle nay·say·ing,
3rd person present singular nay·says) transitive verb

say no:
to refuse, oppose, or criticize a proposal[1]



naysayer

naysayer
nay·say·er 
[náy sàyər] (plural nay·say·ers)
noun

dissenter:
somebody who votes no or who speaks against something[1]



Nazarene

Nazarene
Naz·a·rene 
[názzə rn, nàzzə
rn] (plural Naz·a·renes) noun

1.  somebody
from Nazareth: somebody who was born or raised in
Nazareth

2.  member
of Protestant church: a member of the Church of
the Nazarene, a modern Protestant denomination

3.  Jesus
Christ:
Jesus Christ, as connected with Nazareth (literary)
[13th century. Via late Latin
from Greek Nazarēnos, from Nazaret “Nazareth.”][1]



Nazareth

Nazareth
Naz·a·reth 
[názzərəth]

town in northern Israel, in
Galilee, situated southeast of Haifa. It is believed to be where Jesus Christ
lived during his childhood. Population: 49,800 (1992)[1]



Nazarite

Nazarite
Naz·a·rite
[názzə rt] (plural Naz·a·rites)
or Naz·i·rite [názzə rt] (plural
Naz·i·rites) noun

member
of religious group: a member of a Jewish
religious group in biblical times whose members made various vows of
abstinence, including a vow not to drink wine or cut their hair
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from late Latin Nazaraeus, from Greek Nazōraios, from Nazaret
“Nazareth.”][1]



NazcaLines

NazcaLines
Naz·ca
Lines
[názkə] noun

Peruvian desert carvings:
a group of large-scale figures carved into the desert near Nazca, southern
Peru, in pre-Inca times. They consist of long straight lines representing
birds, fish, animals, or geometrical figures and are only visible from the air.[1]



Nazi

Nazi
Na·zi 
[ntsee, nátsee]
(plural Na·zis) noun

1.  follower
of Hitler:
a member of the German National Socialist Party that came to power under the
leadership of Adolf Hitler in 1933 (often used before a noun)

2.  racist:
somebody with right-wing political views, especially somebody with right-wing
views on race and immigration (insult)

3.  Na·zi
or na·zi (plural na·zis) bossy
person:
somebody who behaves in an authoritarian or dictatorial manner (insult)
(offensive in some contexts)
[Mid-20th
century. From German, a shortening of Nationalsozialist “national
socialist” or Nationalsozialismus “national socialism.”]
—Na·zi·fi·ca·tion
[ntsifi káysh’n, nàtsifi
káysh’n], noun

—Na·zi·fy [ntsə f, nátsə f],
transitive verb[1]



Nazirite

Nazirite
Naz·i·rite 
(plural Naz·i·rites) noun

See
Nazarite[1]



Nazism

Nazism
Na·zism 
[nt sìzzəm, nát
sìzzəm] noun

Hitler’s philosophy:
the philosophy of the German National Socialist Party under the leadership of
Adolf Hitler. Central to it was a belief in the inherent superiority of a
supposed Aryan race.[1]



naïf

naïf
na·ïf
[naa f] or na·if [naa f] (plural na·ïfs or na·ifs)
noun

somebody
naive:
a naive person
[Late 16th century. From
French naïf (see naive ).][1]



NB

NB
NB
or N.B.

Abbreviation of
New Brunswick[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Nb

Nb
Nb

Symbol for
niobium[1]



n.b.

n.b.
n.b.
or nb

used
to call attention to something: used to draw
somebody’s attention to something particularly important, usually an addition
to or qualification of a previous statement. Full form nota bene
[Latin, nota bene
“note well”][1]



NBA

NBA
NBA
or N.B.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Boxing Association

2.  Abbreviation
of
National Basketball Association

[1]



NBC

NBC
NBC

Abbreviation of
National Broadcasting Company[1]



NbE

NbE
NbE

Abbreviation of
north by east[1]



NBL

NBL
NBL

Abbreviation of
National Book League[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NbW

NbW
NbW

Abbreviation of
north by west[1]



NC

NC
NC

1.  Abbreviation
of
no charge

2.  Abbreviation
of
noncallable

3.  NC
or N.C. Abbreviation of North
Carolina

[1]



n/c

n/c
n/c

Abbreviation of
no charge[1]



NC-17

NC-17
NC-17 
noun

movie rating:
a rating indicating that a movie cannot be seen by children under the age of 17
because of adult content[1]



NCAA

NCAA
NCAA
[èn s dùbb’l áy] or N.C.A.A.
[èn s dùbb’l áy]

Abbreviation of
National Collegiate Athletic Association[1]



NCO

NCO
NCO
or N.C.O.

Abbreviation of
noncommissioned officer[1]



NCTE

NCTE
NCTE

Abbreviation of
National Council of Teachers of English[1]



NCTM

NCTM
NCTM

Abbreviation of
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics[1]



ND

ND
ND
or N.D.

Abbreviation of
North Dakota[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Nd

Nd
Nd

Symbol for
neodymium[1]



n.d.

n.d.
n.d.
or N.D.

Abbreviation of
no date[1]



N.Dak.

N.Dak.
N.
Dak.

Abbreviation of
North Dakota[1]



NDE

NDE
NDE

Abbreviation of
near-death experience[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NDEA

NDEA
NDEA

Abbreviation of
National Defense Education Act[1]



NDP

NDP
NDP

Canada
Abbreviation of New Democratic Party[1]



Ne

Ne
Ne

Symbol for
neon[1]



NE

NE
NE

1.  Abbreviation
of
Nebraska

2.  NE
or N.E. Abbreviation of New
England

3.  COMPASS Abbreviation of northeast

4.  COMPASS Abbreviation of northeastern

[1]



Ne.

Ne.
Ne.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Nehemiah[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NEA

NEA
NEA

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Education Association

2.  ARTS Abbreviation of
National Endowment for the Arts

[1]



Neandertal

Neandertal
Ne·an·der·tal
[nee ándər taal] or Ne·an·der·thal
[nee ándər thl] adjective

1.  relating
to Neandertal man: relating to Neandertal man
or the culture

2.  Ne·an·der·tal
or ne·an·der·tal offensive term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody displaying the lack of intellect,
lack of sensitivity, and boorishness traditionally associated with cavemen (insult)

3.  Ne·an·der·tal
or ne·an·der·tal old-fashioned:
very old-fashioned or conservative (insult)
noun
(plural Ne·an·der·tals) (plural Ne·an·der·thals) Ne·an·der·tal
ne·an·der·tal

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody who is crude, primitive, or excessively
old-fashioned (insult)
[Mid-19th century. Named for
a valley in western Germany where evidence of Neandertal man was first found.][1]



Neandertalman

Neandertalman
Ne·an·der·tal
man
noun

extinct race of humans:
an extinct subspecies of human beings that populated Europe, northern Africa,
and western Asia in the early Stone Age. Physical characteristics include a
sloping forehead and large brow ridges.[1]



neap

neap
neap
[neep] noun

See
neap tide
adjective

relating
to neap tide: relating to or associated with a neap
tide
[15th century. From Old
English nēp-, of uncertain origin.][1]



Neapolitan

Neapolitan
Ne·a·pol·i·tan 
[nee ə póllət’n] adjective

of
Naples:
relating to the Italian city of Naples, or its people or culture
noun
(plural Ne·a·pol·i·tans)

somebody
from Naples: somebody who was born or raised or who
lives in Naples
[15th century. Via Latin Neapolitanus
from, ultimately, Greek Neapolis, literally “new town,” “Naples.”][1]



Neapolitanice cream

Neapolitanice cream
Ne·a·pol·i·tan
ice cream
noun

striped ice cream:
ice cream made in differently colored and flavored layers[1]



neaptide

neaptide
neap
tide 
(plural neap tides) noun

lowest high tide:
a tide that shows the least range between high and low and occurs twice a month
between the first and third quarters of the moon.
Also called
neap[1]



near

near
near 
[neer] (past neared, past
participle neared, present participle near·ing, 3rd
person present singular nears, comparative near·er, superlative
near·est) CORE MEANING: at or
to a point that is not far away in space • (preposition)
The art exhibit is near here. • (adverb)
He took a step nearer to the water. • (adverb)
as the car drew nearer • (adjective)
There must be a restaurant nearer than that. • (adjective)
Can you tell me where the nearest telephone is?

1.
adverb preposition adjective short
time away:
at or to a time not far away • (adverb)
as the time for her to leave drew near • (preposition)
He should arrive near the end of the week • (adjective)
We’ll be moving in the very near future.

2.
adverb adjective close:
at a point that is not far away in state, resemblance, or number • (adverb)
He felt a sensation that was near to fear. • (adjective)
the nearest thing to a champion this county has ever had

3.
adverb adjective almost:
almost the state or situation mentioned • (adverb)
I damn near fainted. • (adverb)
near total failure • (adjective)
living in near poverty

4.
adjective noun on the left:
on the left side, especially of an animal or a horse-drawn vehicle • the
near foreleg.
See
also
nearside

5.
adjective closely related:
closely related to somebody

6.
adjective miserly:
reluctant to give or spend money (archaic)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb approach:
to approach, or approach a particular place, time, or state • The
project is nearing completion. • With
the big event nearing, everyone was working hard.
[12th
century. From Old Norse nær “nearer,” from nā “near.”]
—near·ness, noun[1]



nearabout

nearabout
near
a·bout
or near hand adjective adverb

close:
close or almost (informal) (regional) • Is
it near about? • He’s
near hand 90.[1]



nearbeer

nearbeer
near
beer
(plural near beers) noun

drink with very low alcohol
level: a malt-based beverage that
contains a negligible amount of alcohol, specifically below 0.5 percent[1]



nearby

nearby
near·by 
[neer b] adjective adverb

not far off:
in, at, or to a place a short distance away • a
nearby grocer • His
mother was waiting nearby. • The
children’s school is quite nearby.[1]



Nearctic

Nearctic
Ne·arc·tic 
[nee rktik] adjective

near
Arctic:
related to or located in the region of plant and animal life in the Arctic and
temperate areas of Greenland and North America
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from neo- + arctic
.][1]



near-deathexperience

near-deathexperience
near-death
ex·pe·ri·ence (plural near-death
ex·pe·ri·enc·es) noun

sensation experienced on
brink of death: a sensation that people
on the brink of death have described as leaving their own bodies and observing
them as though they were bystanders[1]



NearEast

NearEast
Near
East 
noun

1.  See
Middle East  noun 1

2.  the
Balkans:
the countries on the Balkan peninsula, comprising Greece, Albania, Romania,
Bulgaria, the states of the former Yugoslavia, and the European part of Turkey
(dated)

[1]



neargale

neargale
near
gale
(plural near gales) noun

See
moderate gale[1]



nearletter quality

nearletter quality
near
let·ter qual·i·ty adjective

of high print quality:
used to describe the printing quality of a computer printer that produces
printed characters as clear as a typewriter’s[1]



nearly

nearly
near·ly 
[nrlee] adverb

1.  almost:
almost but not quite the case • We
waited for nearly an hour.

2.  closely:
closely, in time, proximity, or relationship “Brennan described to the police
the man he saw in the window and then identified Oswald as the person who most
nearly resembled the man he saw.” Earl Warren et al The Report of the Warren
Commission 1964
not
nearly

used to emphasize that
something stated, implied, or assumed is very far from being the case • not
nearly enough time to answer all the questions[1]



nearmiss

nearmiss
near
miss
(plural near miss·es) noun

1.  shot
near target: a shot or strike that comes very close
to a target but does not quite hit it

2.  near
collision:
a situation in which two vehicles only narrowly avoid colliding with each other

3.  barely
averted disaster: something, especially something
undesirable, that is only narrowly avoided or averted (informal)

[1]



nearpoint

nearpoint
near
point
(plural near points) noun

eye’s nearest focus point:
the point nearest the eye at which an object remains in focus[1]



nearsighted

nearsighted
near·sight·ed 
[nr stəd] adjective

with bad distance vision:
unable to see clearly objects that are far away. U.K. = shortsighted[1]



neat

neat
neat
[neet] (comparative neater, superlative
neat·est) adjective

1.  orderly
in appearance: orderly and in a clean condition

2.  orderly
by nature:
tending to keep things in an orderly and clean condition • My
husband’s very neat in the kitchen.

3.  excellent:
used as a general term of approval (informal) • Her
parents are really neat.

4.  elegant:
simple, effective, and elegant • a neat
solution to a complex problem

5.  skillfully
performed:
performed with skill, ingenuity, and apparent ease • a
neat pirouette

6.  compact:
appealingly regular or compact • She
stood admiring her own neat little figure in the mirror.

7.  undiluted:
not diluted with water, ice cubes, or a mixer

8.  FINANCE See net 2 adjective 1
[Mid-16th
century. Via French net from Latin nitidus “shiny,” from nitere
“to shine” (source of English net ).]
—neat·ness, noun[1]



neaten

neaten
neat·en 
[nt’n] (past neat·ened, past
participle neat·ened, present participle neat·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular neat·ens) transitive verb

make something neat:
to make something neat or orderly[1]



neath

neath
neath
[neeth] or ’neath [neeth] preposition

beneath:
beneath (literary)
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of beneath .][1]



neatly

neatly
neat·ly
[ntlee] adverb

1.  carefully:
with care, order, and some precision • a pile
of clothes neatly folded

2.  elegantly:
simply, effectively, and elegantly

3.  skillfully:
with skill, ingenuity, and apparent ease

[1]



neat’s-footoil

neat’s-footoil
neat’s-foot
oil 
noun

oil
for treating leather: a pale yellow oil made from
the feet and shinbones of cattle, used to treat leather
[From neat][1]



neb

neb
neb 
[neb] (plural nebs) noun

1.  point
or projection: something that sticks out, for example,
an overhanging rock or peak (archaic)

2.  Northern
England
animal’s
nose:
an animal’s bill, beak, nose, or snout (informal)
[Old English nebb][1]



Neb.

Neb.
Neb.

Abbreviation of
Nebraska[1]



NEB

NEB
NEB

Abbreviation of
New English Bible[1]



nebbish

nebbish
neb·bish 
[nébbish] (plural neb·bish·es)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s courage, personality,
and initiative (informal insult)
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish nebekh “poor thing” from, ultimately, assumed Common Slavic ne-bogǔ
“poor.”][1]



NEbE

NEbE
NEbE

Abbreviation of
northeast by east[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NEbN

NEbN
NEbN

Abbreviation of
northeast by north[1]



Nebr.

Nebr.
Nebr.

Abbreviation of
Nebraska[1]



Nebraska




Back to definition

Nebraska

[1]



Nebraska

Nebraska


Ne·bras·ka 
[nè bráskə]
state
in the central United States, bordered by South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas,
Colorado, and Wyoming. Capital: Lincoln. Population: 1,656,870 (1997) Area:
200,359 sq km/77,359 sq mi.
—Ne·bras·kan, noun,
adjective[1]



NebuchadnezzarII

NebuchadnezzarII
Neb·u·chad·nez·zar
II 
[nèbbykəd nézzər] (lived 6th century BC)

Babylonian king. He conquered
and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC,
consigning its inhabitants to captivity. He is thought to have created the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.[1]



nebula

nebula

neb·u·la 
[nébbyələ] (plural neb·u·lae [nébbyə l] or neb·u·las) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY space
dust:
a region or cloud of interstellar dust and gas appearing variously as a hazy
bright or dark patch.
Also
called
nebulosity

2.  MEDICINE flaw
on eyeball:
a faint cloudy area or scar on the cornea

3.  MEDICINE cloudy
urine:
cloudiness in the urine

4.  MEDICINE liquid
for spraying: liquid prepared for use in any kind of
atomizing sprayer, especially a nebulizer
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “mist, vapor.”]
—neb·u·lar, adjective[1]



nebularhypothesis

nebularhypothesis
neb·u·lar
hy·poth·e·sis noun

theory of the solar system’s
origin: a now largely rejected
theory that the solar system evolved from a hot rotating flattened gaseous
nebula. The theory states that as the nebula cooled, the Sun condensed at the
center and planets and their moons formed from contracting concentric rings at the
rim.[1]



nebulize

nebulize
neb·u·lize 
[nébbyə lz] (past neb·u·lized,
past participle neb·u·lized, present participle neb·u·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular neb·u·liz·es) transitive verb

convert
liquid to spray: to reduce a liquid to a fine spray for
medical use
—neb·u·li·za·tion [nèbbyəli záysh’n], noun[1]



nebulizer

nebulizer
neb·u·liz·er 
[nébbyə lzər] (plural neb·u·liz·ers)
noun

device releasing medicinal
spray: a device, with a face mask
attached, for administering a medicinal liquid in the form of a fine spray that
is breathed in through the mouth or nose[1]



nebulosity

nebulosity
neb·u·los·i·ty 
[nèbbyə lóssətee] (plural neb·u·los·i·ties)
noun

See
nebula  noun 1[1]



nebulous

nebulous
neb·u·lous 
[nébbyələss] adjective

1.  unclear:
not clear, distinct, or definite

2.  ASTRONOMY relating
to nebulas:
relating to or resembling a nebula
—neb·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—neb·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



necessarily

necessarily
nec·es·sar·i·ly 
[nèssə sérrəlee] adverb

1.  inevitably:
inevitably, or in every case • This
route isn’t necessarily the best one.

2.  unavoidably:
following as an unavoidable result or consequence • Voting
was a necessarily slow and complex process.

[1]



necessary

necessary
nec·es·sar·y 
[néssə sèrree] adjective

1.  required:
needed, essential, or required by authority or convention • Is
it really necessary to contact the police?

2.  following
inevitably:
inevitable given what has happened previously • No
doubt they will draw the necessary conclusion.

3.  LOGIC logically
true:
logically true because of being impossible to be false
noun
(informal)

1.  (plural
nec·es·sar·ies) something essential:
an essential item • I’ve packed the
necessaries.

2.  U.K.
something
needed:
something that is needed, especially a sum of money or a particular action • Tell
him to do the necessary.
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin necessarius, from necesse,
literally “unyielding,” from cess-, the stem of cedere (see cede ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  necessary, essential, vital, indispensable,
  requisite, needed
  CORE
  MEANING: used
  to describe something that is required necessary;
  used to describe something that must be done or provided, or to indicate that
  somebody’s presence is required; essential;
  used to emphasize that something is necessary, for example, because a process
  could not take place without it; vital;
  a very emphatic word used to stress that something is urgently necessary; indispensable; literally suggesting somebody
  who or something that cannot be done without, but also often used simply to
  indicate that something is desirable or useful; requisite;
  a formal word used especially to suggest that something has been made
  necessary by a particular circumstance; needed;
  used to describe something that is required or desired but implying less
  urgency than the other words in the group

[1]



necessarycondition

necessarycondition
nec·es·sar·y
con·di·tion
(plural nec·es·sar·y con·di·tions) noun

precondition:
something that must happen or exist in order for something else to happen or
exist[1]



necessaryevil

necessaryevil
nec·es·sar·y
e·vil
(plural nec·es·sar·y e·vils) noun

unpleasant necessity:
something that is unpleasant or undesirable but is needed to achieve a desired
result[1]



necessitarian

necessitarian
ne·ces·si·tar·i·an
[nə sèssi táiree ən] (plural ne·ces·si·tar·i·ans)
noun

somebody
denying free will: somebody who believes that
there is no free will and that all events are determined by previous causes
—ne·ces·si·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



necessitate

necessitate
ne·ces·si·tate 
[nə séssi tàyt] (past ne·ces·si·tat·ed,
past participle ne·ces·si·tat·ed, present participle ne·ces·si·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ne·ces·si·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something necessary: to make something necessary
or inescapable • a dry climate that
necessitates water conservation

2.  transitive
verb
oblige
somebody:
to force or oblige somebody to do something (formal)
—ne·ces·si·ta·tion
[nə sèssi táysh’n], noun

—ne·ces·si·ta·tive [nə séssi tàytiv], adjective[1]



necessitous

necessitous
ne·ces·si·tous 
[nə séssitəss] adjective

1.  poor:
in a state of poverty (literary) “grew necessitous, pawn’d his cloaths,
and wanted bread” Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 1788

2.  necessary:
pressingly necessary (formal)
—ne·ces·si·tous·ly,
adverb

—ne·ces·si·tous·ness, noun[1]



necessity

necessity
ne·ces·si·ty 
[nə séssətee] (plural ne·ces·si·ties)
noun

1.  something
essential:
something that is essential, especially a basic requirement • food,
shelter, and the other necessities of life

2.  compelling
circumstances: circumstances that create a need or an
obligation • The
decision was taken out of necessity.

3.  need:
the condition of being needed or required • We’ll
hire new staff when the necessity arises.

4.  PHILOSOPHY necessary
quality:
the quality of being necessary or of not being able to be otherwise
[14th century. Via French necessité
from Latin necessitas, from necesse (see necessary
).][1]



neck

neck
neck 
[nek] noun (plural necks)

1.  ANATOMY part
between head and body: the part of the body that
joins the head to the rest of the body

2.  CLOTHES garment
part around neck: the part of a garment that goes around
or lies below the wearer’s neck

3.  FOOD cut of
meat:
a cut of meat from the neck of an animal

4.  long
opening:
a long narrow opening • a
bottle with a long neck

5.  GEOGRAPHY strip
of land or water: a long narrow strip of land or stretch
of water

6.  MUSIC long
narrow fingerboard: the long narrow fingerboard
that projects out of the body or sound box of a hand-held string instrument
such as a guitar or violin

7.  HORSERACING winning
margin:
in horseracing, a narrow winning margin equal to the distance between a horse’s
nose and its shoulder

8.  something
important risked or saved: somebody’s life, job,
reputation, or other important asset that has been placed at risk or saved from
danger (informal) • I’m
not going to lie to save your neck again.

9.  GEOLOGY solidified
lava:
a plug of solidified lava or igneous rock filling the vent of an extinct or
dormant volcano

10. MARINE BIOLOGY See
siphon  noun 3

11. ARCHITECTURE band
around pillar: a narrow band around the top of a pillar
verb
(past necked, past participle necked, present participle
neck·ing, 3rd person present singular necks) (informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
kiss
and cuddle:
to kiss and embrace sexually, usually sitting or lying with clothes on • teenagers
necking in the car

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING kill
poultry:
to kill a bird to be cooked by breaking its neck or chopping its head off
[Old
English hnecca “nape.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“high point, ridge,” which also produced German Nacken “nape.”]
be
breathing down somebody’s neck

1.  to
be close behind somebody

2.  to
be putting pressure on somebody to do something more quickly

be
in something up to your neck

to
be very much involved in something, often something dishonest or illegal

break
your neck

to
try very hard to achieve something (informal)

get
it in the neck

to
be punished or scolded severely (informal)

neck
and neck

level
in a competition and with an equal chance of winning (informal)

neck
of the woods

a
particular area or part of the country (informal)

stick
your neck out

to
take a risk by saying or doing something that could bring blame or censure (informal)

[1]



neckband

neckband
neck·band 
[nék bànd] (plural neck·bands)
noun

garment part around neck:
the part of a garment that fits or wraps around the neck[1]



necked

necked
necked 
adjective

with a neck of a particular
kind: with a particular kind of
neck (used in combination) • long-necked[1]



neckerchief

neckerchief
neck·er·chief 
[nékər chìf, nékər
chf] (plural neck·er·chiefs or neck·er·chieves
[nékər chìvz, nékər
chvz]) noun

small
scarf:
a square of cloth worn tied around the neck as a scarf
[14th century. From neck + kerchief
.][1]



necking

necking
neck·ing 
[néking] (plural neck·ings) noun

1.  kissing
and cuddling: kissing and embracing sexually while
sitting or lying with clothes on (informal)

2.  ARCHITECTURE part
at top of pillar: a molding at the top of a pillar, below
the capital

[1]



necklace

necklace
neck·lace 
[nékləss] (plural neck·lac·es)
noun

neck
ornament:
a decorative chain or string of jewels worn around the neck
[From lace, “cord, string”][1]



neckline

neckline
neck·line 
[nék ln] (plural neck·lines) noun

garment’s edge around neck:
the line formed by the edge of a garment at or under the neck, especially at
the front[1]



neckring

neckring
neck
ring
(plural neck rings) noun

tight rigid necklace:
a rigid necklace or ornamental band that fits snugly around the neck[1]



necktie

necktie
neck·tie 
[nék t] (plural neck·ties) noun

1.  man’s
neck garment: a shaped strip of cloth tied around the
collar of a man’s shirt, with the ends hanging down the front. It is usually
worn as formal or professional wear.

2.  noose:
a noose for hanging somebody (slang)

[1]



neckwear

neckwear
neck·wear 
[nék wàir] noun

neck garments:
garments or fashion accessories worn around the neck, for example, ties,
cravats, and scarves[1]



necr-

necr-
necr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
necro-[1]



necro-

necro-
necro-
prefix

death,
the dead, dead body • necrophobia
[From Greek nekros
“corpse.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English pernicious, noxious, innocent,
and nectar .][1]



necrobiosis

necrobiosis
nec·ro·bi·o·sis 
[nèkrō bī ṓssiss] noun

natural
death of cells: the degeneration and death of the body’s
cells from natural processes.
See
also
necrosis
—nec·ro·bi·ot·ic [nèkrō bī óttik], adjective[1]



necrolatry

necrolatry
ne·crol·a·try
[ne króllətree] noun

worshiping
the dead:
the worship of the dead
—ne·crol·a·trous, adjective[1]



necrology

necrology
ne·crol·o·gy 
[ne królləjee] (plural ne·crol·o·gies)
noun (formal)

1.  list
of the dead: a list of people who have died recently
or during a particular period

2.  obituary:
a notice of somebody’s death
—nec·ro·log·i·cal
[nèkrə lójjik’l], adjective

—ne·crol·o·gist [ne królləjist], noun[1]



necromancy

necromancy
nec·ro·man·cy 
[nékrə mànssee] noun

1.  prediction
using spirits: the practice of attempting to
communicate with the spirits of the dead in order to predict or influence the
future

2.  witchcraft:
witchcraft or sorcery in general (literary)
[13th
century. Alteration of earlier nigromancie, via Old French, from
medieval Latin nigromantia from late Latin necromantia
(influenced by Latin niger “black”) from Greek nekromanteia, from
nekros “corpse” + manteia “divination.”]
—nec·ro·man·cer
[nékrə mànsər], noun

—nec·ro·man·tic
[nèkrə mántik], adjective

—nec·ro·man·ti·cal·ly
[nèkrə mántikəlee], adverb[1]



necrophagous

necrophagous
ne·croph·a·gous 
[ne króffəgəss] adjective

eating dead animals:
feeding on the flesh of dead animals ( carrion
)[1]



necrophilia

necrophilia
nec·ro·phil·i·a 
[nèkrə fíllee ə] noun

sexual
desire for dead bodies: sexual feelings for or
sexual acts with dead bodies
—nec·ro·phil·i·ac
[nèkrə fíllee àk], noun

—nec·ro·phil·ic [nèkrə fíllik], adjective[1]



necrophobia

necrophobia
nec·ro·pho·bi·a 
[nèkrə fṓbee ə] noun

irrational
fear of death: an irrational fear of death or of dead
bodies
—nec·ro·pho·bic [nèkrə fṓbik], adjective[1]



necropolis

necropolis
ne·crop·o·lis 
[ne króppəliss] (plural ne·crop·o·lis·es
or ne·crop·o·leis [ne króppə làyss])
noun

cemetery:
a cemetery, especially a large, elaborate, or ancient one
[Early 19th century. From
Greek, from nekros (see necro- ) + polis
“city.”][1]



necropsy

necropsy
nec·rop·sy 
[né kròpsee] (plural nec·rop·sies)
noun

See
autopsy
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from necro- + autopsy
.][1]



necrosis

necrosis
ne·cro·sis 
[ne krṓssiss] (plural ne·cro·ses
[ne krṓ sz]) noun

tissue
death:
the death of cells in a tissue or organ caused by disease or injury.
See
also
necrobiosis
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin, formed from Greek nekrōsis “deadness,” from,
ultimately, nekros (see necro- ).]
—ne·crot·ic [ne króttik], adjective[1]



necrotizing

necrotizing
nec·ro·tiz·ing
[nékrə tzing] adjective

causing
or undergoing cell death: causing or undergoing the
death of cells ( necrosis ) • necrotizing
bacteria
[Late 19th century. Formed
from necrotize “to become affected with necrosis,” from necrotic
(formed from Greek nekroun “to kill”).][1]



necrotizingfaciitis

necrotizingfaciitis
nec·ro·tiz·ing
fa·ci·it·is
[nèkrə t_`zing fàshee tiss] noun

flesh-rotting disease:
a severe bacterial infection that causes cell tissue to decay rapidly. This is
the “flesh-eating bacterium” sometimes referred to in the media.[1]



nectar

nectar
nec·tar 
[néktər] noun

1.  BOTANY plant
liquid:
the sweet liquid that flowering plants produce as a way of attracting the
insects and small birds that assist in pollination

2.  MYTHOLOGY drink
of the gods: in Greek and Roman mythology, the drink
of the gods that sustained their beauty and immortality

3.  enjoyable
drink:
an enjoyable or much appreciated drink (informal)

4.  BEVERAGES pulpy
juice:
a thick drink made from pureed fruit • mango
nectar
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek nektar “drink of the gods.”]
—nec·tar·ous, adjective[1]



nectarine

nectarine

nec·tar·ine 
[néktə rn] (plural nec·tar·ines)
noun

1.  FOOD smooth-skinned
peach:
a variety of peach that has a smooth skin

2.        TREES peach
tree: the tree that nectarines
grow on. Latin name: Prunus persica[1]



nectary

nectary
nec·ta·ry 
[néktəree] (plural nec·ta·ries)
noun

flower
part:
the nectar-producing organ of a flowering plant
—nec·tar·i·al
[nek táiree əl], adjective

—nec·tar·ied [néktərid], adjective[1]



need

need
need 
[need] verb (past need·ed,
past participle need·ed, present participle need·ing,
3rd person present singular needs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb require:
used to indicate that something is required in order to have success or achieve
something • Do
you need any money? • He
told me that I didn’t need to know.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
unnecessary: used to indicate that a course of action
is not desirable or not necessary (used in negative statements) • You
don’t need to thank me; I’m happy to help whenever I can.
• Studying
medicine need not mean you can’t study architecture later.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb deserve:
to deserve a particular, usually punishing treatment (informal) • That
little boy needs to be given a good talking to. • Those
troops need to be shown who’s boss.

4.  intransitive
verb
to
be essential: essential or necessary to something (archaic)
“I think that we are all agreed in this matter, and therefore there needs no
more words about it.” John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress 1678
noun

requirement:
something that is a requirement or is wanted • an
economic system that recognizes the need for financial security
• His
needs are small.
[Old
English nē(o)d . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of German Not “need, misery.”]
in
need

1.  not
having enough of things essential for an adequate standard of living • children
in need

2.  needing
something

no
need to or for

no
reason or justification for something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at necessary

[1]



needful

needful
need·ful 
[ndfəl] adjective

1.  required:
necessary or required (formal or archaic) “erection of forts, magazines,
arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings” Constitution of the
Confederate States 1860–1861

2.  requiring:
lacking or requiring (formal) • a
situation needful of common sense

3.  poor:
poverty-stricken (archaic)
—need·ful·ly,
adverb

—need·ful·ness, noun[1]



Needham

Needham
Need·ham 
[ndəm]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, east of Natick and west of Boston. Population: 27,828 (1996)[1]



needle

needle
nee·dle 
[nd’l] noun (plural nee·dles)

1.  SEWING sewing
tool:
a small sharp metal pin used for sewing, with a hole at the blunt end for
holding thread

2.  CRAFT knitting
tool:
a rod with a dull point used in knitting

3.  HOUSEHOLD stylus:
the stylus on a record player

4.  MEASUREMENTS pointer:
a pointed indicator on a dial, scale, or scientific instrument such as a
compass or a car’s speedometer

5.  MEDICINE syringe:
a hypodermic syringe, or its hollow pointed end

6.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE acupuncture
tool:
a small sharp metal pin used in acupuncture to stimulate points on the body

7.  BOTANY conifer
leaf:
a small pointed leaf of a conifer tree • pine
needles

8.  BIOLOGY pointed
part:
a long thin pointed part of an animal’s body, for example, a porcupine quill or
a sea urchin spine

9.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY pointed
crystal:
a long thin pointed crystal

10. ARCHITECTURE obelisk:
a tall stone pillar

11. CRAFT engraving
tool:
a sharp tool used in engraving

12. BUILDING supporting
beam:
a beam that passes through a wall as a temporary support

13. provocation:
a remark or action intended to tease or provoke somebody (informal)
transitive
verb
(past nee·dled, past participle nee·dled, present
participle nee·dling, 3rd person present singular nee·dles)

1.  provoke:
to tease or provoke somebody, especially repeatedly in an indirect way (informal)

2.  CRAFT use a
needle on something: to sew, prick, or pierce
something with a needle
[Old
English n_ædl . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to sew,”
which is also the ancestor of English nerve
and neural .]
—nee·dler, noun[1]



needlecraft

needlecraft
nee·dle·craft 
[nd’l kràft] noun

See
needlework[1]



needleexchange

needleexchange
nee·dle
ex·change
(plural nee·dle ex·chang·es) noun

provision of needles for drug
users: a public health program that
allows drug addicts to exchange used hypodermic needles for new ones in an
effort to stop the spread of disease and infection[1]



needlefish

needlefish
nee·dle·fish 
[nd’l fìsh] noun

1.  long
marine fish: a carnivorous marine fish found in
tropical and subtropical waters that has a very long slender body and long jaws
with sharp teeth. Family: Belonidae

2.  See
pipefish

[1]



needlepoint

needlepoint
nee·dle·point 
[nd’l pòynt] noun (often used
before a noun)

1.  See
tapestry

2.  lace:
a kind of lace made with a needle and a paper pattern

[1]



needless

needless
need·less 
[ndləss] adjective

without
reason:
without reason or justification
—need·less·ly,
adverb

—need·less·ness, noun[1]



needlevalve

needlevalve
nee·dle
valve
(plural nee·dle valves) noun

control valve:
a valve in which the flow of a fluid or gas is precisely controlled by a
needle-shaped insert in a conical seat[1]



needlewoman

needlewoman
nee·dle·wom·an
[nd’l wmən] (plural nee·dle·wom·en
[nd’l wìmmin]) noun

See
seamstress[1]



needlework

needlework
nee·dle·work 
[nd’l wùrk] noun

1.  crafts
using needles: a craft such as sewing, needlepoint,
embroidery, quilting, crochet, or knitting, that involves the use of a needle

2.  piece
of sewing or embroidery: an example or piece of work
done with a needle in a craft such as sewing, needlepoint, embroidery,
quilting, crochet, or knitting
—nee·dle·work·er, noun[1]



needn’t

needn’t
need·n’t 
[nd’nt] contraction

need
not:
need not
[Mid-19th century.
Contraction.][1]



needs

needs
needs 
[needz] adverb (archaic)

1.  emphasizing
necessity:
used before or after “must” to reinforce necessity, urgency, or inevitability
“any abstract ideas that are once true must needs be eternal” John Locke An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding 1690

2.  emphasizing
determination: used after “will” or “would” to
emphasize determination or resolve “these men, who will needs have all
knowledge” John Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 1690

[1]



needy

needy
need·y 
[ndee] (comparative need·i·er,
superlative need·i·est) adjective

1.  poor:
living in poverty • gifts for needy
children

2.  needing
affection:
feeling or showing a strong need for affection, love, or other emotional
support
—need·i·ly,
adverb

—need·i·ness, noun[1]



neem

neem
neem 
[neem] (plural neems) noun

Asian
tree:
a tall evergreen tree native to India, grown for its bark, resin, and seed oil.
Latin name: Azadirachta indica
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi nīm from Sanskrit nimba .][1]



nefarious

nefarious
ne·far·i·ous 
[nə férree əss] adjective

evil:
utterly immoral or wicked
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin nefarius, from nefas “sin,” from ne
“not” + fas “divine law.”]
—ne·far·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—ne·far·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



Nefertiti

Nefertiti
Nef·er·ti·ti 
[nèffər ttee], Queen of ancient Egypt
(lived 14th century BC)

As the chief wife of King
Akhenaton, she supported his religious and cultural reforms. Her carved and
painted image is a famous surviving Egyptian artwork.[1]



neg.

neg.
neg.

Abbreviation of
negative[1]



negate

negate
ne·gate 
[nə gáyt] (past ne·gat·ed, past
participle ne·gat·ed, present participle ne·gat·ing, 3rd
person present singular ne·gates) transitive verb (formal)

1.  prove
something is false: to deny the truth of
something, or prove something to be false • a
theory that negates all previous research

2.  invalidate
something:
to officially declare something to be invalid or render it invalid • Failure
to disclose such a change of circumstances would automatically negate the
policy.
[Early
17th century. From the past participle stem of Latin negare “to deny.”]
—ne·ga·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at nullify

[1]



negation

negation
ne·ga·tion 
[nə gáysh’n] (plural ne·ga·tions)
noun

1.  denial
or annulment: the denying, disproving, or nullifying
of something

2.  LOGIC logical
denial:
a statement of denial or contradiction, especially an assertion that a
particular proposition is false

3.  negative
of something: the opposite of something regarded as
positive, or the absence of such a thing • The
existence of happiness implies its negation.

[1]



negative

negative
neg·a·tive 
[néggətiv] adjective

1.  meaning
“no”:
meaning “no,” or refusing or denying something • a
negative response

2.  bad:
unhappy, discouraging, angry, or otherwise detracting from a happy situation • You’re
having very negative feelings toward him.

3.  pessimistic:
pessimistic, or tending to have a pessimistic outlook • Don’t
be so negative, cheer up!

4.  MEDICINE showing
that something is not present: not showing the
presence of a particular disease or condition that is being tested for • The
test came back negative.

5.  MEDICINE See Rh negative

6.  MATHEMATICS less
than zero:
indicating a quantity that is less than zero • a
negative number

7.  MATHEMATICS opposite
to positive: used to describe something, for example,
a quantity or angle, of the same magnitude as, but opposite to, something
considered positive

8.  PHYSICS having
same charge as electron: with the same electric
charge as that of an electron, shown by the symbol −

9.  PHYSICS showing
direction of current: indicating the direction
toward which current flows in an external circuit

10. PHOTOGRAPHY with
tones and colors reversed: used to describe
photographic film that has been exposed to light, used as a basis for preparing
final prints. Black and white tones are reversed and colors are complementary.

11. LOGIC opposing:
denying or contradicting a statement, proof, or argument

12. BIOLOGY moving
away:
moving or growing away from a source of stimulation, for example, heat or light
• negative
tropism
noun
(plural neg·a·tives)

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
image:
a photographic image, or the film containing it, that shows black and white
tones reversed and colors as complementary. It is used to make prints.

2.  answer
of “no”:
an answer meaning “no” • The
general answered in the negative.

3.  GRAMMAR word
implying “no”: any word that expresses the idea “no,”
for example, the words “not,” “nothing,” and “never”

4.  LOGIC negating
proposition: a statement that contradicts, denies, or
disproves something

5.  ELECTRICITY destination
of electrons: the part of an electric circuit to which
the electrons flow, for example, a terminal or the cathode where negative ions
are formed in electrolytic applications

6.  something
or somebody undesirable: something that or somebody
who is bad, undesirable, discouraging, or otherwise detracts from a pleasant
situation (informal) • The
area’s harsh winters will be a negative for anyone who doesn’t like snow.

7.  MATHEMATICS quantity
opposite to positive: a number or quantity, for
example, speed, angle, or direction, that is less than zero or considered to be
the opposite of positive
interjection

no: used
to say “no” to something or somebody (formal)
transitive
verb
(past neg·a·tived, past participle neg·a·tived, present
participle neg·a·tiv·ing, 3rd person present singular neg·a·tives)

1.  say
“no”:
to refuse, reject, deny, cancel, or forbid something (formal) “a polite
request that Elizabeth would lead the way, which the other politely and more
earnestly negatived” Jane Austen Pride And Prejudice 1813

2.  LOGIC disprove
proposition: to contradict or invalidate a
proposition (informal)
—neg·a·tive·ness,
noun

—neg·a·tiv·i·ty [nèggə tívvətee], noun[1]



negativeequity

negativeequity
neg·a·tive
eq·ui·ty
noun

loss in value of real estate:
a situation in which, as a result of falling prices, a piece of real estate is
worth less than the amount of money that was borrowed to buy it[1]



negativefeedback

negativefeedback
neg·a·tive
feed·back
noun

modification of output:
in an electronic or mechanical system, the redirecting of part of the output
back to the input as a way of improving the quality of the output[1]



negatively

negatively
neg·a·tive·ly
[néggətivlee] adverb

1.  saying
“no”:
in a way that means “no”

2.  adversely:
in an adverse way • patients reacting
negatively to the medication

3.  pessimistically:
in a pessimistic or defeatist way

4.  PHYSICS with
negative electrical charge: with the same electric
charge as that of one or more electrons, shown by the symbol −

[1]



negativereinforcement

negativereinforcement
neg·a·tive
re·in·force·ment noun

encouraging desired response
using unpleasant stimulus:
encouragement of a desired response by giving an unpleasant stimulus when the
response is absent, or discouragement of an undesired response by an unpleasant
stimulus when the response is present. An unpleasant stimulus is something such
as pain or disapproval.[1]



negativestaining

negativestaining
neg·a·tive
stain·ing
noun

biological staining:
staining of an area around a biological subject, rather than the subject
itself, so that the subject can be clearly seen against it[1]



negativetransfer

negativetransfer
neg·a·tive
trans·fer
or neg·a·tive trans·fer·ence noun

transferred hostility:
a stage in psychotherapy at which a patient relives hostile feelings toward
parents by experiencing hostility to the therapist[1]



negativism

negativism
neg·a·tiv·ism 
[néggəti vìzzəm] noun

1.  habitual
skepticism:
a strong tendency to be pessimistic, to assess situations in the worst light,
or to be unreasonably skeptical about generally accepted beliefs

2.  PSYCHOLOGY persistent
unreasonable defiance: persistent defiance of
authority and refusal to obey instructions
—neg·a·tiv·ist,
noun

—neg·a·tiv·is·tic
[nèggəti vístik], adjective

—neg·a·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neglect

neglect
ne·glect 
[nə glékt] transitive verb (past
ne·glect·ed, past participle ne·glect·ed, present
participle ne·glect·ing, 3rd person present singular ne·glects)

1.  not
care for something properly: to fail to give the proper
or required care and attention to somebody or something

2.  fail
to do something: to fail to do something, especially
because of carelessness or forgetfulness • I
neglected to tell you that I won’t be here next week.
noun

1.  withholding
of proper care: the failure to give proper care or
attention to somebody or something • parents
charged with criminal neglect

2.  lack
of care:
lack of proper care or attention • Soon
the business began to suffer from neglect.
[Early
16th century. From the past participle stem of Latin neglegere, from legere
“to choose” (source of English collect,
legion, and lecture ).]
—ne·glect·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  neglect, forget, omit,
  overlook
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  fail to do something neglect; to
  fail to act in a situation where it is obligatory or important to do so,
  especially as a result of carelessness or indifference; forget; to fail to remember to do something;
  omit; to fail to do something
  either deliberately or as a result of carelessness or haste; overlook; to fail to notice or check
  something as a result of inattention, preoccupation, or haste

[1]



neglectful

neglectful
ne·glect·ful 
[nə gléktfəl] adjective

irresponsible:
tending to ignore or forget responsibilities
—ne·glect·ful·ly,
adverb

—ne·glect·ful·ness, noun[1]



negligee

negligee
neg·li·gee 
[nègli zháy, négli
zhày] (plural neg·li·gees) or neg·li·gée [nègli zháy, négli zhày]
(plural neg·li·gées) or neg·li·gé [nègli zháy, négli zhày]
(plural neg·li·gés) noun

1.  long
silky nightgown: a woman’s long nightgown made of thin
silky often see-through fabric

2.  casual
dress:
informal dress (dated formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
French négligé, the past participle of négliger “to neglect,”
from Latin neglegere (see neglect ).
The underlying idea is of having failed to get fully dressed.][1]



negligence

negligence
neg·li·gence 
[négglijəns] noun

1.  condition
of being negligent: the condition or quality of
being negligent

2.  LAW civil
wrong causing injury or harm: a civil wrong ( tort ) causing injury or harm to another person or
to property as the result of doing something or failing to provide a proper or
reasonable level of care.
See
also
contributory negligence

3.  casualness:
casualness in matters of dress or general appearance, whether regarded as
stylish or slovenly (dated formal) “clad in an artist’s velvet, but with
none of an artist’s negligence” G. K. Chesterton The Wisdom of Father Brown
1914

[1]



negligent

negligent
neg·li·gent 
[négglijənt] adjective

1.  habitually
careless:
habitually careless or irresponsible

2.  LAW guilty
of negligence: guilty of failing to provide a proper or
reasonable level of care

3.  casual
in appearance: casual in matters of dress or general
appearance, whether considered stylish or slovenly (dated formal)
[14th
century. Via French from Latin negligent-, the present participle stem
of negligere, a variant of neglegere (see neglect ).]
—neg·li·gent·ly, adverb[1]



negligible

negligible
neg·li·gi·ble 
[négglijəb’l] adjective

insignificant:
too small or unimportant to be worth considering
[Early
19th century. From obsolete French négligible, from négliger “to
neglect,” from Latin neglegere (see neglect
).]
—neg·li·gi·bil·i·ty
[nègglijə bíllətee], noun

—neg·li·gi·ble·ness
[négglijəb’lnəss], noun

—neg·li·gi·bly, adverb[1]



negotiable

negotiable
ne·go·tia·ble 
[nə gṓshəb’l, nə
gṓshee əb’l] adjective

1.  open
to discussion: not fixed but able to be established or
changed through discussion and compromise • Salary
is negotiable, according to education and experience.

2.  FINANCE exchangeable
for money:
used to describe financial instruments, for example, checks and securities,
that can be transferred to another person in exchange for money

3.  navigable:
able to be crossed, passed, or successfully dealt with
—ne·go·tia·bil·i·ty
[nə gshə bíllətee, nə
gshee ə bíllətee], noun

—ne·go·tia·bly [nə gṓshəblee, nə gṓshee
əblee], adverb[1]



negotiant

negotiant
ne·go·ti·ant 
[nə gṓshənt, nə
gṓshee ənt] (plural ne·go·ti·ants) noun

(formal) See negotiator[1]



negotiate

negotiate
ne·go·ti·ate 
[nə gṓshee àyt] (past ne·go·ti·at·ed,
past participle ne·go·ti·at·ed, present participle ne·go·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ne·go·ti·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb discuss
terms of agreement: to attempt to come to an
agreement on something through discussion and compromise

2.  transitive
verb
FINANCE sell
something:
to transfer ownership of a financial instrument, for example, a check or
security, to somebody else in exchange for money

3.  transitive
verb
navigate
something successfully: to manage to get past or
deal with something that constitutes a hazard or obstacle • A
canoe can negotiate these waters when the wind is calm.
[Late 16th century. From the
past participle stem of Latin negotiari “to do business,” from negotium
“business,” from neg- “not” + otium “leisure” (source of English otiose ).][1]



negotiation

negotiation
ne·go·ti·a·tion 
[nə gshee áysh’n] noun (plural
ne·go·ti·a·tions)

1.  resolving
of disagreements: the reaching of agreement through
discussion and compromise

2.  navigation:
the tackling of a hazard or problem (formal)
plural
noun
ne·go·ti·a·tions

discussion sessions:
one or more meetings at which attempts are made to reach agreement through
discussion and compromise • Negotiations
are already under way between the opposing factions.

[1]



negotiator

negotiator
ne·go·ti·a·tor
[nə gṓshee àytər] (plural ne·go·ti·a·tors)
noun

somebody who negotiates:
somebody who negotiates, especially in a political or diplomatic context.
Also called
negotiant[1]



Negress

Negress
Ne·gress 
[ngrəss] (plural Ne·gress·es)
noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for a black woman (offensive)[1]



Negrillo

Negrillo
Ne·gril·lo
[nə gríllō] (plural Ne·gril·los
or Ne·gril·loes) noun

member
of an African people: a member of any of a number
of peoples of central and southern Africa.
Also
called
Pygmy
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “a small Negro,” from negro (see Negro ).][1]



Negrito

Negrito
Ne·gri·to 
[nə grtō] (plural Ne·gri·tos or
Ne·gri·toes) noun

member
of an Asian people: a member of any of a number
of Asian peoples, including the Eta of the Philippines, the Semang of the Malay
Peninsula, and the people of the Andaman Islands of India.
Also
called
Pygmy
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “a small Negro,” from negro (see Negro ).][1]



negritude

negritude
ne·gri·tude 
[néggri td] noun

affirmation of black
identity: identity as a black person,
especially awareness of a distinct black history and culture as something to be
proud of (dated)[1]



Negro

Negro
Ne·gro 
[n grō] (plural Ne·groes) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a black person (offensive)
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese from the Latin stem nigr- “black” (source of
English denigrate and niello ).][1]



Negroid

Negroid
Ne·groid 
[n gròyd] adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to a division of humankind that originated in
Africa (offensive)[1]



negrophile

negrophile
ne·gro·phile
[ngrə fl] (plural ne·gro·philes)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a person who favors the interests of black people (offensive)
—ne·gro·phil·i·a
[ngrə fíllee ə], noun

—ne·gro·phil·ism [ni gróffə lìzzəm], noun[1]



negus

negus
ne·gus 
[ngəss] (plural ne·gus·es) noun

hot
wine drink:
a hot drink made of port or sherry with water, sugar, lemon juice, and spices
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the English colonel Francis Negus (died 1732 ), who reputedly invented
the drink.][1]



Negus

Negus
Ne·gus 
[ngəss] (plural Ne·gus·es) noun

Ethiopian
king:
a title used in the past for the king or emperor of Ethiopia
[Late 16th century. From
Amharic n’gus “kinged, king.”][1]



Neh.

Neh.
Neh.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Nehemiah[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NEH

NEH
NEH

Abbreviation of
National Endowment for the Humanities[1]



Nehemiah

Nehemiah1
Ne·he·mi·ah1  [n
hə m ə] noun

Jewish leader:
in the Bible, a Jewish leader and governor of Judea. He was responsible for
rebuilding Jerusalem in 444 BC .[1]



Nehemiah

Nehemiah2
Ne·he·mi·ah2  noun

book of Bible:
a book of the Bible, recounting the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the 5th century BC and the reforms undertaken after its
completion. It is traditionally attributed to Nehemiah .[1]



Nehrujacket

Nehrujacket
Neh·ru
jack·et
(plural Neh·ru jack·ets) noun

long
jacket:
a long narrow jacket with a high stand-up collar
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Jawaharlal Nehru, who often wore jackets of
this style.][1]



Nehru,Jawaharlal

Nehru,Jawaharlal

Neh·ru
[náy roo], Jawaharlal (1889–1964)
The first prime minister of independent
India (1947–1964). He abandoned his legal career to follow Gandhi in 1929 and
was elected president of the Indian National Congress. He was the father of
Indira Gandhi.[1]



neigh

neigh

neigh 
[nay] noun (plural neighs)
horse
sound:
the long high-pitched sound that a horse makes
intransitive
verb
(past neighed, past participle neighed, present
participle neigh·ing, 3rd person present singular neighs)
make
sound of horse: to make the high-pitched sound
characteristic of a horse
[Old English hngan,
of uncertain origin: probably an imitation of the sound][1]



neighbor

neighbor
neigh·bor 
[náybər] noun (plural neigh·bors)

1.  somebody
living nearby: somebody who lives or is located very
close by, for example, on the same street or in the same town

2.  something
or somebody nearby: a person, place, or thing
located next to another or very nearby (often used before a noun) • the
Spanish and their Portuguese neighbors

3.  fellow
human:
a fellow human being (archaic or literary)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past neigh·bored,
past participle neigh·bored, present participle neigh·bor·ing,
3rd person present singular neigh·bors)

be close to something or somebody:
to be very close to something or somebody
[Old English nēahgebūr,
from nēah “near” (source of English nigh
) + gebūr “dweller”][1]



neighborhood

neighborhood
neigh·bor·hood 
[náybər hd] (plural neigh·bor·hoods)
noun

1.  community:
a local community with characteristics that distinguish it from the areas
around it

2.  approximation
of amount:
an approximate amount, size, or range (informal) • expenses
in the neighborhood of $175,000

3.  MATHEMATICS surrounding
points:
the set of all points within a given distance from a specified point

[1]



neighborhoodwatch

neighborhoodwatch
neigh·bor·hood
watch
noun

crime prevention by
residents: a program to raise awareness
of crime and crime prevention within local communities, with members taking
part in various initiatives, sometimes involving the patrolling of streets[1]



neighboring

neighboring
neigh·bor·ing
[náybəring] adjective

nearby:
situated or located nearby[1]



neighborly

neighborly
neigh·bor·ly 
[náybərlee] adjective

friendly
or kind:
friendly, helpful, and kind, especially to a neighbor
—neigh·bor·li·ness, noun[1]



neighbornote

neighbornote
neigh·bor
note
(plural neigh·bor notes) noun

auxiliary note:
an auxiliary musical note a second away from its principal note[1]



neighbour

neighbour
neigh·bour 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
neighbor[1]



neighbourhood

neighbourhood
neigh·bour·hood
noun

U.K. =
neighborhood[1]



neighbouring

neighbouring
neigh·bour·ing
adjective

U.K. =
neighboring[1]



neighbourly

neighbourly
neigh·bour·ly
adjective

U.K. =
neighborly[1]



Neill,Sam

Neill,Sam
Neill
[neel], Sam (1948– )

New
Zealand actor. His movies include Jurassic Park ( 1993 ) and The
Piano ( 1993 ).
Real name
Neill, Nigel[1]



neither

neither
nei·ther 
[nər] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that each of two things or people is
included when making a negative statement • (adjective)
Neither shirt looks good on you. • (pronoun)
Neither of the boys wants to go. • (pronoun)
“Would you like pork or fish?” “Neither, thank you.”

1.
conjunction not:
used preceding two alternatives joined by “nor” to indicate that both did not
happen or are not true • Neither
my boss nor his wife can cook.
See
also
nor
See
also
either

2.
adverb also not: used
to indicate people or things that can also be included in a statement just made
(used in response to no, not, or another negative) • “We’ve
never been to Paris.” “Neither have I.” • She
doesn’t want to go? Me neither! • She
can’t play today, and neither can her brother.
See
also
either
See
also
nor
[12th
century. Alteration (influenced by either )
of Old English nawÞer, a contraction of nāhwæÞer, from nā
“not” + hwæþer “which of two” (source of whether
).]
neither
here nor there

not relevant and therefore
not important[1]



nekton

nekton
nek·ton 
[néktən, nék tòn]
noun

swimming
organism:
a creature that lives in water and can actively swim against currents, for
example, a fish, reptile, mammal, or seabird, as opposed to microorganisms that
are simply carried along
[Late
19th century. From Greek nēkton, a form of nēktos “swimming,”
from nēkhein “to swim.”]
—nek·ton·ic [nek tónnik], adjective[1]



Nelligan,Kate

Nelligan,Kate
Nelligan
[néllig’n], Kate (1951– )

Canadian stage and movie
actress. She is known for her stage roles in Plenty ( 1983 ) and the
revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten ( 1984 ).[1]



nelly

nelly
nel·ly
[néllee] (plural nel·lies) or
nel·lie [néllee] (plural nel·lies)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for an effeminate or homosexual man (offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from the name Helen or Eleanor .][1]



Nelson

Nelson
Nel·son 
[nélsən]

river in eastern Canada, in
northern Manitoba. It rises in Lake Winnipeg and empties into Hudson Bay.
Length: 644 km/400 mi.[1]



nelson

nelson
nel·son 
[nélsən] (plural nel·sons) noun

wrestling
hold:
a wrestling hold in which one arm half nelson or both arms full nelson are
passed through the opponent’s arms from behind and pulled back, levering
against the opponent’s back
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Nelson,Horatio

Nelson,Horatio
Nel·son 
[néls’n], Horatio, Viscount (1758–1805)

English admiral. He defeated
the French at Trafalgar (1805), but was killed during the battle. His affair
with Lady Hamilton caused a considerable scandal.[1]



Nelson,Thomas

Nelson,Thomas
Nel·son 
[néls’n], Thomas (1738–1789)

U.S. patriot. He signed the
Declaration of Independence (1776) and commanded the Virginia state forces
(1777–1782) during the Revolution.[1]



Nelson,Willie

Nelson,Willie
Nel·son 
[néls’n], Willie (1933– )

U.S. country-and-western
singer and songwriter. His songs include “Georgia on My Mind.”[1]



nemat-

nemat-
nemat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
nemato-[1]



nematic

nematic
ne·mat·ic 
[nə máttik] adjective

with
axes parallel: used to describe a phase of liquid
crystals in which the axes of the molecules become parallel in response to a
magnetic field
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Greek stem nēmat- (see nemato-
).][1]



nemato-

nemato-
nemato-
prefix

1.  thread,
threadlike • nematocyst

2.  nematode
• nematocide
[From Greek nēmat-,
the stem of nēma “thread.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to spin,” which is also the ancestor of English needle .][1]



nematocide

nematocide
nem·a·to·cide 
[némmətə sd, nə
máttə sd] (plural nem·a·to·cides) or nem·a·ti·cide
[némmətə sd, nə
máttə sd] (plural nem·a·ti·cides) noun

nematode
poison:
a substance that destroys nematodes
—nem·a·to·ci·dal [nèmmətə sd’l, nə màttə
sd’l], adjective[1]



nematocyst

nematocyst
nem·a·to·cyst 
[némmətə sìst, nə
máttə sìst] (plural nem·a·to·cysts) noun

stinging organ in jellyfish:
a sting found in animals of the jellyfish family. It comprises a fluid-filled
sac within which is a coiled hollow thread that is rapidly turned outward ( everted ) to capture food or for defense.[1]



nematode

nematode
nem·a·tode 
[némmə td] (plural nem·a·todes)
noun

tiny
worm:
a worm, often microscopic, with a cylindrical unsegmented body protected by a
tough outer skin ( cuticle ). Some nematodes
are parasites of plants and animals, for example, pinworms and hookworms.
Phylum: Nematoda
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, coined from nemato- + modern
Latin -ōda (an alteration of Greek -oeidēs (see -oid ).][1]



nematology

nematology
nem·a·tol·o·gy 
[nèmmə tólləjee] noun

study
of nematodes: the branch of zoology that is concerned
with the study of nematodes
—nem·a·to·log·i·cal
[nèmmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—nem·a·to·log·i·cal·ly
[nèmmətə lójjikəlee], adverb

—nem·a·tol·o·gist [nèmmə tólləjist], noun[1]



Nembutal

Nembutal
Nem·bu·tal
[némbyə tàwl] Trademark

a trademark for pentobarbital
sodium, a barbiturate used as a sedative and an anticonvulsant[1]



nem.con.

nem.con.
nem.
con.
[nèm kón] adverb

unopposed:
without opposition • The motion was carried
nem. con.
[From Latin, shortening of nemine
contradicente “with no one contradicting”][1]



Nemeanlion

Nemeanlion
Ne·me·an
lion
[nmee ən l ən, ni
m ən l ən] noun

lion
Hercules killed: in Greek mythology, the huge lion that
Hercules killed as the first of his twelve labors
[Late 16th century. Named for
Nemea, a district in ancient Greece, where it was killed.][1]



nemertean

nemertean
ne·mer·te·an 
[ni múrtee ən] (plural ne·mer·te·ans)
noun

burrowing
marine worm: a burrowing marine worm with a long flat
unsegmented body. Phylum: Nemertia
Also
called
ribbon worm
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Nemertes, genus name, from Greek Nēmertēs
“Nereid.”][1]



Nemesis

Nemesis
Nem·e·sis
noun

goddess of retribution:
the ancient Greek goddess of just punishment or vengeance[1]



nemesis

nemesis
nem·e·sis 
[némməssiss] (plural nemeses [némməsseez]) noun (literary)

1.  unbeatable
opponent:
a bitter enemy, especially one who seems unbeatable

2.  source
of harm:
a source of harm or ruin • Chocolate
chip cookies have been the nemesis of my dieting plan.

3.  deserved
punishment:
punishment that is deserved, especially when it results in somebody’s downfall

4.  avenger:
a person or force that inflicts punishment or revenge
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “Nemesis, righteous indignation,” from nemein “to distribute what
is due.”][1]



nene

nene
ne·ne 
[náy này] (plural ne·nes) noun

Hawaiian
wild goose:
a rare wild goose with a grayish-brown body and a black face that is found in
the Hawaiian Islands. Latin name: Branta sandvicensis
[Early 20th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



neo-

neo-
neo-
prefix

new,
recent • neotype
• neo-Darwinism
[From Greek neos .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “new,” which is also the ancestor of
English new and novel .][1]



neoclassical

neoclassical
ne·o·clas·si·cal 
[n ō klássik’l] or ne·o·clas·sic
[n ō klássik] noun

ARTS of
revival of classicism in art: an 18th- and 19th-century
revival in art and architecture of the simple symmetrical styles of ancient
Greece and Rome, or created in this style
adjective

1.  LITERATURE of
classical revival: relating to or typical of
the European revival of Greek and Roman literary form

2.  MUSIC of
pre-Romantic style: relating to a movement in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries that favored the more formal style of
composers before the Romantic movement

3.  ECONOMICS of
macroeconomic monetarist theory: related to macroeconomic
monetarist theories that emphasize the need for the free operation of market
forces
—ne·o·clas·si·cism,
noun

—ne·o·clas·si·cist, noun[1]



neocolonialism

neocolonialism
ne·o·co·lo·ni·al·ism 
[n ō kə lṓnee ə lìzzəm] noun

economic
domination:
the domination by a powerful, usually Western nation of another nation that is
politically independent but has a weak economy greatly dependent on trade with
the powerful nation
—ne·o·co·lo·ni·al,
adjective

—ne·o·co·lo·ni·al·ist,
noun[1]



neocon

neocon
ne·o·con 
[n ō kòn] (plural ne·o·cons) noun

neoconservative:
a neoconservative (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



neoconservative

neoconservative
ne·o·con·ser·va·tive 
[n ō kən súrvətiv] noun (plural
ne·o·con·ser·va·tives)

supporter
of return to conservative values: somebody who, during
the mid-1980s, began to support conservatism in society, and in politics in
particular, as a reaction to the social freedoms sought throughout the 1960s
and early 1970s
adjective

relating
to shift toward conservatism: relating to or forming part
of the shift during the mid-1980s toward social and political conservatism that
occurred after the freedom movement of the 1960s and early 1970s
—ne·o·con·ser·va·tism,
noun[1]



neocortex

neocortex
ne·o·cor·tex 
[n ō káwr tèks] (plural ne·o·cor·ti·ces
[n ō káwrtə sz] or ne·o·cor·tex·es)
noun

region
of brain:
the roof of the cerebral cortex that forms the part of the mammalian brain that
has evolved most recently and makes possible higher brain functions such as
learning
—ne·o·cor·ti·cal [n ō káwrtik’l], adjective[1]



neo-Darwinism

neo-Darwinism
ne·o-Dar·win·ism 
noun

modern
theory of evolution: a theory of evolution that
combines Darwin’s theory and modern genetics, especially with regard to
variations in populations as a result of genetic mutations
—ne·o-Dar·win·i·an,
adjective

—ne·o-Dar·win·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



neodymium

neodymium

ne·o·dym·i·um 
[n ō dímmee əm] noun
metallic
element:
a silvery-white or yellowish metallic chemical element used in lasers and glass
that is one of the lanthanide series or rare-earth elements. Symbol Nd
[Late 19th century. Coined
from neo- + didymium,
because didymium was found to consist of two elements (neodymium and
praesodymium).][1]



neoexpressionism

neoexpressionism
ne·o·ex·pres·sion·ism
noun

20C
movement in art: a 20th-century art movement, begun in
Germany, Italy, and the United States, and based on expressionism, that focuses
on the artist’s inner experiences and often produces violent or erotic
paintings
—ne·o·ex·pres·sion·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



neofascism

neofascism
ne·o·fas·cism 
[n ō fá shìzzəm] noun

1.  modern
support for fascism: the modern-day revival of
Fascist beliefs of the 1930s and 1940s, which assume that a supposed Aryan race
is superior to all others and justify genocide

2.  racist
beliefs:
the views or actions of any modern-day Caucasian group or movement that holds
racist views, especially anyone involved in the violent intimidation of people
of color
—ne·o·fas·cist (plural
ne·o·fas·cists), adjective, noun[1]



neo-Freudianism

neo-Freudianism
ne·o-Freud·i·an·ism
noun

Freudian
theory combined with social factors: a
theory of psychoanalysis that modifies Freudian theory by emphasizing social
and cultural influences on personality development
—ne·o-Freud·i·an, adjective,
noun[1]



neogenesis

neogenesis
ne·o·gen·e·sis 
[n ō jénnəssiss] noun

regrowth
of tissue:
the regrowth of living tissue
—ne·o·ge·net·ic
[n ō jə néttik], adjective

—ne·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neo-Gothic

neo-Gothic
ne·o-Goth·ic
adjective

based
on the Gothic Revival: based on a reintroduction of
the Gothic style of architecture, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries
noun

Gothic Revival:
the Gothic Revival style[1]



neoimpressionism

neoimpressionism

ne·o·im·pres·sion·ism
[n ō im présh’n ìzzəm] noun
19C
movement in painting: the 19th-century movement in
painting, led by the pointillist Georges Seurat, that favored stricter and more
formal techniques of composition
—ne·o·im·pres·sion·ist,
adjective, noun[1]



Neo-Latin

Neo-Latin
Ne·o-Lat·in
noun adjective

See
New Latin
adjective

of Romance languages:
relating to a language that has developed from Latin[1]



neoliberalism

neoliberalism
ne·o·lib·er·al·ism 
[n ō líbbərə lìzzəm, n ō líbbrə lìzzəm] noun

political
philosophy:
the political view, arising in the 1960s, that emphasizes the importance of
economic growth and asserts that social justice is best maintained by minimal
government interference and free market forces
—ne·o·lib·er·al, adjective,
noun[1]



neolith

neolith
ne·o·lith 
[n ə lìth] (plural ne·o·liths)
noun

Neolithic tool:
a stone tool from the Neolithic period[1]



Neolithic

Neolithic
Ne·o·lith·ic 
[n ə líthik] noun

New
Stone Age:
the latest period of the Stone Age, between about 8000 BC and 5000 BC,
characterized by the development of settled agriculture and the use of polished
stone tools and weapons
adjective

relating
to Neolithic: relating to or characteristic of the
Neolithic
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from neo- + -lith + -ic by Sir John Lubbock in his work Prehistoric
Times .]
—Ne·o·lith·ic, adjective[1]



neologism

neologism
ne·ol·o·gism 
[nee óllə jìzzəm] (plural ne·ol·o·gisms)
or ne·ol·o·gy [nee ólləjee] (plural
ne·ol·o·gies) noun

1.  new
word or meaning: a recently coined word or phrase, or a
recently extended meaning of an existing word or phrase

2.  coinage
of new words: the practice of coining new words or
phrases, or of extending the meaning of existing words or phrases
[Early
19th century. From French néologisme, from néo- neo- + Greek logos “word.”]
—ne·ol·o·gist,
noun

—ne·ol·o·gis·tic
[nee òllə jístik], adjective

—ne·ol·o·gis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neologize

neologize
ne·ol·o·gize 
[nee óllə jz] (past ne·ol·o·gized,
past participle ne·ol·o·gized, present participle ne·ol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular ne·ol·o·giz·es) intransitive verb

coin new words:
to coin new words or phrases, or extend the meaning of existing words or
phrases[1]



neology

neology
ne·ol·o·gy 
noun

See
neologism[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








neo-Melanesian

neo-Melanesian
ne·o-Mel·a·ne·sian
noun

English-based creole
language: a creole language based on
English with borrowings from other languages that is widely used in the island
groups of the southwestern Pacific[1]



neomycin

neomycin
ne·o·my·cin 
[n ō mss’n] noun

antibiotic for treating
bacterial infections: an
antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections, especially
skin and eye infections, and obtained from the bacterium Streptomyces
fradiae[1]



neon

neon

ne·on 
[n òn] (plural ne·ons or
ne·on) noun

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS gas
that glows orange: a colorless odorless gaseous
chemical element that occurs in very small quantities in the air and glows
orange when electricity is passed through it. Symbol Ne

2.  ZOOLOGY See neon tetra
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, a form of neos “new.” Coined by the British chemists Sir William
Ramsay and Morris W. Travers, who discovered the gas.][1]



neonate

neonate
ne·o·nate 
[n ə nàyt] (plural ne·o·nates)
noun

newborn
child:
a newborn child, especially one less than one month old
[Early
20th century. Coined from neo- + Latin natus
“born” (see natal ).]
—ne·o·na·tal [n ō náyt’l], adjective[1]



neonatology

neonatology
ne·o·na·tol·o·gy 
[n ō nay tólləjee] noun

care
of newborn babies: the branch of medicine that
deals with the care and development of newborn babies and the treatment of
their diseases
—ne·o·na·to·log·i·cal
[n ō nàytə lójjik’l], adjective

—ne·o·na·tol·o·gist [n ō nay tólləjist], noun[1]



neo-Nazi

neo-Nazi
ne·o-Na·zi 
(plural ne·o-Na·zis) noun

1.  modern-day
advocate of Nazism: a member of a modern-day
movement that promotes the idea that a supposed race of Aryans is superior to
all others, and that genocide is justifiable

2.  Caucasian
racist:
a member of any modern-day group or movement of Caucasians who hold racist
views, especially those involved in violent attacks on people of color
—ne·o-Na·zism, noun[1]



neontetra

neontetra
ne·on
tet·ra
noun

iridescent
tropical fish: a small iridescent blue and red
freshwater fish found in the Amazon river and often kept in aquariums. Latin
name: Hyphessobrycon innesi
Also
called
neon
[From its bright colors like
that of neon glowing][1]



neoorthodoxy

neoorthodoxy
ne·o·or·tho·dox·y
[n ō áwrthə dòksee] noun

20C
Protestant movement: an early 20th-century
Protestant movement connected with the theology of Karl Barth that emphasizes
ethics and the teachings of the Bible
—ne·o·or·tho·dox, adjective[1]



neophilia

neophilia
ne·o·phil·i·a 
[n ō fíllee ə] noun

love
of new things: a liking for new things, change for the
sake of change, or novelty
—ne·o·phile
[n ə fl], noun

—ne·o·phil·i·ac [n ō fíllee àk], noun, adjective[1]



neophyte

neophyte
ne·o·phyte 
[n ə ft] (plural ne·o·phytes)
noun

1.  beginner:
a beginner or novice at some task, work, or endeavor

2.  recent
convert:
somebody who has recently converted to a particular religion

3.  religious
novice:
somebody who has recently joined a religious community but has not yet taken
vows and is therefore not yet part of the order
[14th
century. Via late Latin neophytus from Greek neophutos, literally
“newly planted,” from, ultimately, phuein “to plant, cause to grow.”]
—ne·o·phyt·ic [n ə fíttik], adjective[1]



neoplasia

neoplasia
ne·o·pla·sia 
[n ō pláyzhə, n
ō pláyzhee ə] noun

formation of tumors:
the formation or existence of tumors[1]



neoplasm

neoplasm
ne·o·plasm 
[n ə plàzzəm] (plural ne·o·plasms)
noun

abnormal
growth of tissue: a tumor or tissue containing an abnormal
growth
[Late 19th century. Coined
from neo- + Greek plasma “formation,”
from plassein “to form, mold.”][1]



neoplasticism

neoplasticism
ne·o·plas·ti·cism
[n ə plástə sìzzəm] noun

style
of abstract painting: a style of abstract
painting, as found in the work of Mondrian, using black, gray, white, and the
primary colors and horizontal and vertical lines and planes
—ne·o·plas·tic [n ə plástik], adjective[1]



neoplasty

neoplasty
ne·o·plas·ty 
[n ə plàstee] noun

surgical
repair of tissue: the surgical construction of new tissue,
or the repair of damaged tissue
—ne·o·plas·tic [n ə plástik], adjective[1]



neo-Platonism

neo-Platonism
ne·o-Pla·to·nism
[n ō pláyt’n ìzzəm] or Ne·o·pla·to·nism
[n ō pláyt’n ìzzəm] noun

philosophical
system:
a philosophical system combining Platonism with mysticism and Judaic and
Christian ideas and positing one source for all existence, developed by
Plotinus and his followers in the 3rd century AD
—ne·o-Pla·ton·ic
[n ō plə tónnik], adjective

—ne·o-Pla·to·nist [n ō pláyt’nist], noun[1]



neoprene

neoprene
ne·o·prene 
[n ə prn] noun

synthetic
rubber:
a synthetic material resembling rubber that does not deteriorate as quickly as
rubber and is more resistant to oil, used in the manufacture of equipment for
which waterproofing is important
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from neo- + chloroprene
.][1]



neorealism

neorealism
ne·o·re·al·ism
[n ō r ə lìzzəm] noun

filmmaking
dealing with ordinary working-class life: a
style of filmmaking developed in Italy in the 1940s by directors such as
Rossellini, De Sica, and Visconti, dealing typically with the problems of
ordinary working-class life
—ne·o·re·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—ne·o·re·al·is·tic [n ō r ə lístik], adjective[1]



Neorican

Neorican
Ne·o·ri·can
[n ō rkən] (plural Ne·o·ri·cans)
noun

Puerto
Rican expatriate: a Puerto Rican who lives on the United
States mainland, or who lived there for a time but has now returned to Puerto
Rico
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps coined from neo- + Rican
(as in Puerto Rican ), or perhaps from Spanish Neorriqueño .][1]



neoscholasticism

neoscholasticism
ne·o·scho·las·ti·cism
noun

Roman
Catholic movement: a late 19th-century Roman
Catholic movement that used the writings of the early Scholasticists such as
Albert the Great and Anselm as the basis for its teachings
—ne·o·scho·las·tic, adjective[1]



neostigmine

neostigmine
ne·o·stig·mine 
[n ō stíg mn, n
ō stígmin] noun

drug
used for myasthenia: a white crystalline compound
used in the treatment of myasthenia
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from neo- + physostigmine
.][1]



neoteny

neoteny
ne·o·te·ny 
[nee óttənee, nee
ótt’nee] noun

juvenile
features in adult animal: the existence of juvenile
features in an adult animal, for example, the retention of gills in certain
salamanders.
Also
called
pedomorphosis
[Late 19th century. Coined
from neo- + Greek teinein “to
stretch, extend.”][1]



neoteric

neoteric
ne·o·ter·ic 
[n ə térrik] adjective

modern:
having a contemporary origin
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek neōterikos “youthful.”][1]



Neotropical

Neotropical
Ne·o·trop·i·cal 
[n ō tróppik’l] or Ne·o·trop·ic
[n ō tróppik] adjective

of biogeographic region:
relating to a geographic area of plant and animal distribution east, south, and
west of Mexico’s central plateau that includes Central and South America and
the West Indies[1]



neotype

neotype
ne·o·type 
[n ə tp] (plural ne·o·types)
noun

new
specimen example: a specimen of a plant or animal selected
to replace an original representative example used in classification ( holotype ) that has been lost or destroyed
—ne·o·typ·i·cal [n ə típpik’l], adjective[1]



Nepal

Nepal



Ne·pal 
[nə pl]
monarchy in southern Asia, northeast of
India, in a mountainous region. Language: Nepali. Currency: rupee. Capital:
Katmandu. Population: 22,090,000 (1996) Area: 140,797 sq km/54,362 sq mi. Official
name Kingdom of Nepal[1]



Nepal




Back to definition

Nepal

[1]



Nepalese

Nepalese
Nep·al·ese 
[nèpp lz, nèpp
lss] (plural Nep·al·ese) noun

1.  LANGUAGE dialect
of Nepali:
any of the several dialects, sometimes considered as separate languages, of
Nepali spoken throughout Nepal and in some parts of adjacent countries

2.  PEOPLES See Nepali  noun 2
—Nep·al·ese, adjective[1]



Nepali

Nepali
Ne·pal·i 
[nə plee] (plural Ne·pal·i or
Ne·pal·is) noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
of Nepal:
the official language of Nepal, also spoken in parts of Bhutan and northeastern
India. It belongs to the Indic group of the Indo-Iranian branch of
Indo-European languages. Nepali is spoken by about 16 million people.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Nepal:
somebody who was born, raised, or lives in Nepal.
Also
called
Nepalese
—Ne·pal·i, adjective[1]



nepenthe

nepenthe
ne·pen·the 
[nə pénthee] (plural ne·pen·thes)
noun

1.  ancient
drug inducing forgetfulness: a supposed substance that
people took in ancient times to forget their sadness or troubles, or the plant
that produced the substance

2.  distraction:
something that eases pain or makes people forget their troubles (literary)
“respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore” Edgar Allan Poe The Raven
1845
[Late
16th century. Alteration (modeled on Italian nepente ) of Greek nēpenthēs,
literally “banishing pain,” from nē “not” + penthos “grief.”]
—ne·pen·the·an [nə pénthee ən], adjective[1]



neper

neper
ne·per
[náypər, npər]
noun

unit for comparing two
currents: a unit for comparing two
currents, voltages, or related quantities, equal to the natural logarithm of
the ratio of the quantities. Symbol Np[1]



nepheline

nepheline
neph·e·line 
[néffə ln, néffəlin]
or neph·e·lite [néffə lt] noun

white
mineral:
a white aluminosilicate of potassium and sodium found in igneous rock and used
in the manufacture of glass and ceramics
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Greek nephelē “cloud.” The underlying idea is that the
crystals become cloudy when immersed in nitric acid.][1]



nephelinite

nephelinite
neph·e·lin·ite 
[néffəli nt] noun

rock containing nepheline:
a fine-grained igneous rock that has nepheline and pyroxene as its main mineral
ingredients[1]



nephelite

nephelite
neph·e·lite 
noun

See
nepheline[1]



nephelometer

nephelometer
neph·e·lom·e·ter 
[nèffə lómmətər] (plural neph·e·lom·e·ters)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY instrument
measuring particle size or density: an
instrument that uses reflected light to measure the size or density of solid
particles present in a liquid

2.  METEOROLOGY device
measuring cloudiness of sky: an instrument used to
measure the degree of cloudiness in the sky
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek nephelē “cloud” + -meter .]
—neph·e·lo·met·ric
[nèffələ méttrik], adjective

—neph·e·lom·e·try [nèffə lómmətree], noun[1]



nephew

nephew
neph·ew 
[néffyoo] (plural neph·ews) noun

sibling’s
or in-law’s son: the son of somebody’s brother, sister,
brother-in-law, or sister-in-law
[13th century. Via French neveu
from the Latin stem nepot- “sister’s son, grandson, descendant” (source
of English nepotism ).][1]



nephogram

nephogram
neph·o·gram 
[néffə gràm] (plural neph·o·grams)
noun

cloud
photograph:
a photograph of a cloud
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek nephos “cloud” + -gram .][1]



nephograph

nephograph
neph·o·graph
[néffə gràf] (plural neph·o·graphs)
noun

camera
for photographing clouds: a device for taking
photographs of clouds
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek nephos “cloud” + -graph .][1]



nephology

nephology
ne·phol·o·gy 
[ne fólləjee] noun

study
of clouds:
the branch of meteorology concerned with the study of clouds
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek nephos “cloud” + -logy .]
—neph·o·log·i·cal
[nèffə lójjik’l], adjective

—ne·phol·o·gist [ne fólləjist], noun[1]



nephoscope

nephoscope
neph·o·scope
[néffə skp] (plural neph·o·scopes)
noun

instrument
measuring cloud movement: an instrument for measuring
the altitude, speed, and direction of movement of clouds
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek nephos “cloud” + -scope .][1]



nephr-

nephr-
nephr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
nephro-[1]



nephralgia

nephralgia
ne·phral·gia 
[nə fráljə] noun

kidney pain:
pain in the kidneys[1]



nephrectomy

nephrectomy
ne·phrec·to·my 
[nə fréktəmee] (plural ne·phrec·to·mies)
noun

removal of kidney:
the surgical removal of a kidney[1]



nephric

nephric
neph·ric 
[néffrik] adjective

of kidneys:
relating to or affecting the kidneys[1]



nephridium

nephridium
ne·phrid·i·um 
[nə fríddee əm] (plural ne·phrid·i·a
[nə fríddee ə]) noun

1.  excretory
organ:
a simple tube-shaped organ in earthworms and many other invertebrate organisms
for releasing waste matter into the gut or out of the body

2.  embryonic
kidney:
the organ that develops into the kidney in a vertebrate animal’s embryo
[Late
19th century. Coined from nephro- “small
kidney” + modern Latin -idium “small one” (from Greek -idion ).]
—ne·phrid·i·al, adjective[1]



nephrite

nephrite
neph·rite 
[né frt] (plural neph·rites) noun

jade:
a variety of jade that ranges in color from white to dark green and is made up
primarily of iron, calcium, and magnesium in monoclinic crystalline form[1]



nephritic

nephritic
ne·phrit·ic 
[nə fríttik] adjective

1.  relating
to nephritis: relating to or affected by nephritis

2.  of
the kidneys: relating to or affecting the kidneys

[1]



nephritis

nephritis
ne·phri·tis 
[ni frtiss] noun

kidney inflammation:
severe inflammation of the kidney, caused by infection, degenerative disease,
or disease of the blood vessels[1]



nephro-

nephro-
nephro-
prefix

kidney
• nephrogenous
[From Greek nephros][1]



nephrogenous

nephrogenous
ne·phrog·e·nous 
[ni frójjənəss] or neph·ro·gen·ic
[nèffrə jénnik] adjective

1.  found
in kidney:
located in or moving into a kidney

2.  developing
into kidney tissue: capable of developing into
kidney tissue

[1]



nephrology

nephrology
ne·phrol·o·gy 
[nə frólləjee] noun

study
of the kidneys: the branch of medicine concerned with
the study and treatment of diseases of the kidneys
—neph·ro·log·i·cal
[nèffrə lójjik’l], adjective

—ne·phrol·o·gist [nə frólləjist], noun[1]



nephron

nephron
neph·ron 
[né fròn] (plural neph·rons) noun

small tube in kidney:
any of the numerous fine tubules in the kidneys of vertebrates that filter and
excrete waste materials from the blood and produce urine[1]



nephropathy

nephropathy
ne·phrop·a·thy 
[nə fróppəthee] (plural ne·phrop·a·thies)
noun

kidney
disease:
a disease or medical disorder of the kidney
—neph·ro·path·ic [nèffrə páthik], adjective[1]



nephroscope

nephroscope
neph·ro·scope 
[néffrə skp] (plural neph·ro·scopes)
noun

instrument for examining
kidneys: a tube-shaped instrument
inserted into an incision in the body wall in order to examine a patient’s
kidneys[1]



nephrosis

nephrosis
ne·phro·sis 
[nə frṓssiss] noun

degenerative
kidney disease: a disease that causes the kidneys to
degenerate without inflaming them, especially one that affects the nephrons
—ne·phrot·ic [nə fróttik], adjective[1]



nephrostome

nephrostome
neph·ro·stome 
[néffrə stm] (plural neph·ro·stomes)
noun

opening
to nephridium: the funnel-shaped inner opening of a
nephridium that is lined with cilia and allows water and waste to enter from
the body cavity
[Late 19th century. Coined
from nephro- + Greek stoma “mouth.”][1]



nephrotomy

nephrotomy
ne·phrot·o·my 
[nə fróttəmee] (plural ne·phrot·o·mies)
noun

kidney surgery:
a surgical incision into a kidney[1]



neplus ultra

neplus ultra
ne
plus ul·tra 
[này plss ltrə, n
pluss últrə] noun

perfection:
the highest level of excellence, or something that reaches it (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “not farther beyond,” supposed to have been inscribed on the
Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar) as a warning to ships.][1]



nepotism

nepotism
nep·o·tism 
[néppə tìzzəm] noun

favoritism
shown to relatives: favoritism shown by somebody
in power to relatives and friends, especially in appointing them to good
positions
[Mid-17th
century. Via French népotisme from, ultimately, the Latin stem nepot-
“grandson, descendant, sister’s son” (source of English nephew ).]
—nep·o·tist,
noun

—nep·o·tis·tic
[nèppə tístik], adjective

—nep·o·tis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Neptune

Neptune

Nep·tune 
[nép tn] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY eighth
planet:
the eighth planet from the Sun in our solar system

2.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
god of sea:
in Roman mythology, the god of the sea, son of Saturn, brother of Jupiter and
Pluto. Greek equivalent Poseidon
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin Neptunus .][1]



neptunium

neptunium

nep·tu·ni·um 
[nep tnee əm] noun
chemical
element:
a silvery radioactive metallic chemical element found in small amounts in
uranium ores. It is artificially produced in nuclear reactors as a by-product
of plutonium production. Symbol Np
[Late 19th century. Coined by
R. Hermann as the next chemical element discovered after uranium; the sequence
of names follows the order of the planets (Uranus, Neptune).][1]



nerd

nerd
nerd 
[nurd] (plural nerds) noun
(slang insult)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s, especially a man’s or
boy’s, social skills or intelligence

2.  single-minded
enthusiast:
an enthusiast whose interest is regarded as too technical or scientific and who
seems obsessively wrapped up in it (often used in combination)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps created by children’s author Dr. Seuss
(Theodore Seuss Geisel, 1904–1991 ) in If I Ran the Zoo (1950),
referring to a small angry humanoid animal.]
—nerdish,
adjective

—nerd·y, adjective[1]



Nereid

Nereid2
Ne·re·id2  [nree
id] noun

ASTRONOMY
outermost moon of Neptune:
the outermost known natural satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1949. It is 340
km (211 mi ) in diameter.[1]



Nereid

Nereid1
Ne·re·id1  [nree
id] (plural Ne·re·id·es) noun

sea
nymph:
in Greek mythology, a sea nymph, one of the 50 daughters of Nereus
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from the Greek stem Nērēid-, from Greek Nēreus, name of a Greek
sea god.][1]



nereis

nereis
ne·re·is 
[nree iss] (plural ne·re·i·des
[nə r i dz] or ne·re·is·es) noun

segmented
worm:
a large segmented worm usually found living in saltwater, for example, the
clamworm. Genus: Nereis
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Latin (see Nereid
).][1]



neritic

neritic
ne·rit·ic 
[nə ríttik] adjective

found
in shallow coastal waters: relating to or found in
shallow coastal waters
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin nerita, type of shellfish of shallow seas, from, ultimately,
Greek Nēreus (see Nereid ).][1]



Nero

Nero
Ne·ro
[nrō] (AD
37–68)

Roman
emperor. He succeeded Claudius ( AD
54), but his tyrannical and neglectful rule led to his deposition, and he
committed suicide.
Born
Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius Full name Nero, Claudius Caesar Drusus
Germanicus[1]



nerol

nerol
ne·rol 
[nr àwl, né
ràwl] noun

oil
used in perfumes: a colorless alcohol obtained from neroli
and other essential oils, used in perfumes
[Early 20th century. Coined
from neroli + -ol
.][1]



neroli

neroli
ner·o·li 
[nérrəlee] or ner·o·li oil [nérrəlee] noun

essential
oil of oranges: an oil distilled from the flowers of
orange trees, especially the Seville orange, used in aromatherapy, in perfumes,
and as a flavoring in food
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian, from the name of an Italian princess who supposedly
discovered the oil.][1]



nerts

nerts
nerts 
[nurts] interjection

expression
of contempt or refusal: a word used to express
contempt, disgust, or unqualified refusal (dated slang)
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of nuts .][1]



Neruda,Pablo

Neruda,Pablo

Ne·ru·da
[ne rdə, ne rə],
Pablo (1904–1973)
Chilean
poet and diplomat. He is known for his socialist poetry and won the Nobel Prize
in literature in 1971.
Pseudonym of
Reyes Basoalto, Neftali y Ricardo[1]



Nerva,Marcus Cocceius

Nerva,Marcus Cocceius
Ner·va
[núrvə], Marcus Cocceius (AD 35?–98)

Roman emperor. He succeeded
Domitian in 96, and introduced measures to help the poor. He was succeeded by
his son Trajan.[1]



nerve

nerve
nerve 
[nurv] noun (plural nerves)

1.  fibers
communicating between brain and body: a
bundle of fibers forming a network that transmits messages, in the form of
impulses, between the brain or spinal cord and the body’s organs. Motor nerves
carry impulses outward to the muscles and glands, while sensory nerves carry
inbound information about the body’s movements and sensations. Mixed nerves
perform both functions.

2.  sensitive
pulp in tooth: the sensitive tissue inside the roots of
a tooth

3.  courage:
courage or self-assurance • lost
his nerve

4.  boldness:
boldness or impudence • You’ve
got a nerve!

5.  BOTANY leaf
vein:
a vein in a leaf

6.  INSECTS vein
in insect’s wing: a thin rib visible inside an insect’s
wing
plural
noun
nerves

1.  stress
threshold:
somebody’s ability to tolerate emotional stress or excitement • My
nerves are shattered.

2.  nervousness:
a state of emotional agitation (informal) • He’s
a bundle of nerves before every performance.
transitive
verb
(past nerved, past participle nerved, present
participle nerv·ing, 3rd person present singular nerves)

steel yourself:
to gather all your courage or self-control in preparation for dealing with
something difficult, stressful, or frightening
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French nerf “sinew, tendon” from Latin nervus
“nerve, sinew, tendon.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at courage

[1]



nerveblock

nerveblock
nerve
block
(plural nerve blocks) noun

use of local anesthetic:
use of a local anesthetic to numb a part of the body, thereby preventing the
transmission of pain messages to the brain[1]



nervecell

nervecell
nerve
cell
(plural nerve cells) noun

See
neuron[1]



nervecenter

nervecenter
nerve
cen·ter
(plural nerve cen·ters) noun

1.  control
center:
a place from which a large organization, system, or network is controlled

2.  PHYSIOLOGY group
of neurons:
a cluster of interconnected nerve cells that performs a specific function in
the body

[1]



nervecord

nervecord
nerve
cord
(plural nerve cords) noun

strand of nerve tissue:
a strand of nerve tissue, for example, the spinal cord, that runs the length of
the body and forms a principal part of an animal’s nervous system[1]



nervefiber

nervefiber
nerve
fi·ber
(plural nerve fi·bers) noun

neuron extension:
one of the long thin extensions of a neuron such as an axon or dendrite[1]



nervegas

nervegas
nerve
gas
noun

gas attacking nervous system:
a poisonous gas used as a weapon of war that attacks the central nervous system
and stops the breathing[1]



nerveimpulse

nerveimpulse
nerve
im·pulse
(plural nerve im·puls·es) noun

electrical signal sent along
nerve: a rapid and momentary change
in electrical activity that passes along a nerve fiber to other neurons,
muscles, or other body organs and signals instructions or information[1]



nerveless

nerveless
nerve·less 
[núrvləss] adjective

1.  numb:
having no sensation or strength

2.  fearless:
showing calmness, courage, or confidence, especially in a dangerous situation

3.  cowardly:
lacking courage or determination
—nerve·less·ly,
adverb

—nerve·less·ness, noun[1]



nervenet

nervenet
nerve
net
(plural nerve nets) noun

network of nerves in
invertebrates: a simple nervous
system, found in some invertebrates such as jellyfish, consisting of
interconnecting nerve cells but lacking a control center such as a brain[1]



nerve-racking

nerve-racking
nerve-rack·ing
or nerve-wrack·ing adjective

distressing:
causing great anxiety or distress[1]



nervetrunk

nervetrunk
nerve
trunk
(plural nerve trunks) noun

stem of nerve:
a bundle of nerve fibers surrounded by a sheath of connective tissue that forms
the main stem of a nerve[1]



nervous

nervous
nerv·ous 
[núrvəss] adjective

1.  uneasy:
having a feeling of dread or apprehension • feeling
nervous about meeting his parents

2.  timid:
easily worried or frightened • people
of a nervous disposition

3.  affecting
the nerves:
relating to somebody’s ability to tolerate anxiety and stress • a
nervous illness

4.  of
nerves:
relating to or located in nerves, or the nervous system • nervous
tissue
[14th
century. Originally in the sense “sinewy”; its most important meanings today, of
fear and worry, date from the 18th century.]
—ner·vos·i·ty
[nur vóssətee], noun

—nerv·ous·ly
[núrvəsslee], adverb

—nerv·ous·ness, noun[1]



nervousbreakdown

nervousbreakdown
nerv·ous
break·down
(plural nerv·ous break·downs) noun

psychiatric disorder:
a psychiatric disorder, usually caused by intense stress or anxiety, in which
somebody becomes incapable of coping with daily life and exhibits low
self-esteem or depression[1]



nervoussystem

nervoussystem

nerv·ous sys·tem
(plural nerv·ous sys·tems) noun
large system of nerves:
the network of nerve cells and nerve fibers in most animals that conveys
sensations to the brain and motor impulses to organs and muscles[1]



nervoustic

nervoustic
nerv·ous
tic
(plural nerv·ous tics) noun

muscle twitch:
an involuntary twitch of a muscle, especially of the face, that is sometimes a
symptom of nervousness or a nervous disease[1]



nervure

nervure
ner·vure 
[núrvyər, núr
vyr] (plural ner·vures) noun

1.  INSECTS structure
in insect’s wing: a supporting structure resembling a rod
that is visible inside an insect’s wing

2.  BOTANY See vein  noun 3
[Early 19th century. Via
French, literally “strap,” from, ultimately, Latin nervus (see nerve ).][1]



nervy

nervy
nerv·y 
[núrvee] (comparative nerv·i·er,
superlative nerv·i·est) adjective

1.  fearless:
showing a lot of courage or foolhardiness (informal)

2.  aggressive:
acting in ways that show lack of respect for the boundaries or feelings of
other people (informal)

3.  sinewy:
extremely strong (archaic)
—nerv·i·ly,
adverb

—nerv·i·ness, noun[1]



NES

NES
NES

Abbreviation of
National Employment Service[1]



nescience

nescience
nes·cience 
[nésh’ns, néshee
əns, néssee əns] noun

ignorance:
lack of knowledge or experience (formal)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin nescientia, from Latin nescient-,
present participle stem of nescire “not to know,” from scire “to
know” (see science ).]
—nes·cient,
adjective

—nes·cient·ly, adverb[1]



ness

ness
ness 
[ness] (plural ness·es) noun

projecting
coastline:
a section of coastline that projects into the sea (often used in place names)
[Old English næs(s) .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of nose . The underlying idea is of a nose-shaped
projection from the mainland.][1]



-ness

-ness
-ness
suffix

state,
condition, quality • callousness
[Old English -nes][1]



nesselrode

nesselrode
nes·sel·rode
[néss’l rd] (plural nes·sel·rodes)
or Nes·sel·rode [néss’l rd] (plural
Nes·sel·rodes) noun

frozen
pudding:
a creamy frozen dessert containing puréed chestnuts, candied fruit, and usually
a sweet wine or liqueur
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Russian statesman Karl-Robert Nesselrode (1780–1862), whose chef
invented it.][1]



Ness,Loch

Ness,Loch
Ness,
Loch

long narrow lake in northern
Scotland, forming part of the Caledonian Canal. It is believed by some people
to be the home of an ancient monster. Length: 39 km/24 mi.[1]



nest

nest
nest 
[nest] noun (plural nests)

1.  bird
or animal’s dwelling: a structure that birds and
other animals such as mice build to shelter themselves and their young, using
available natural materials such as grass, twigs, and mud

2.  community
of animals:
the community of animals living in a nest

3.  something
shaped like bird’s nest: something shaped more or
less like a bird’s nest, especially something that encloses or contains things
• a
meringue nest

4.  cozy
place:
a cozy, protected, or secluded place

5.  bad
place:
a place where something bad, such as crime or treason, flourishes • a
nest of vice

6.  criminals’
secret place: a hideaway for criminals, or a group of
criminals hiding away there • a nest
of thieves

7.  set
of things:
a set of things such as tables or wooden eggs that fit one inside the other

8.  gun
emplacement: a protected or camouflaged place from
which a gun or other weapon is fired
verb
(past nest·ed, past participle nest·ed, present
participle nest·ing, 3rd person present singular nests)

1.  intransitive
verb
build
nest:
to make or live in a nest, especially in preparation for giving birth to young

2.  intransitive
verb
make
place more homelike: to make a place more
comfortable and homelike (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
put
things together: to put one thing inside another, or
group things together into a single unit such as kitchen utensils of graduated
size

4.  intransitive
verb
look
for birds’ nests: to go looking for birds’ nests in order
to take the eggs
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “place where a bird sits down.”][1]



nest-building

nest-building
nest-build·ing
noun

1.  bird’s
building of nest: a bird’s construction of a nest in
preparation for having young

2.  making
place more homelike: the process of making a
place more comfortable and homelike (informal)

[1]



nestegg

nestegg
nest
egg
(plural nest eggs) noun

1.  savings:
a sum of money put aside for future expenses or emergencies

2.  egg
to encourage laying: a real or artificial egg
that is put in a hen’s nest to encourage it to continue laying after the other
eggs have been removed

[1]



nestle

nestle
nes·tle 
[néss’l] (past nes·tled, past
participle nes·tled, present participle nest·ling, 3rd
person present singular nes·tles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb settle
into comfortable position: to settle into a position
that feels comfortable, warm, and safe, or lay a part of the body in such a
position

2.  transitive
verb
cushion
something with soft material: to put something such as
delicate china or glassware in a protected cushion of soft material

3.  intransitive
verb
be
secluded:
to be in a sheltered or secluded place
[Old
English nestlian . From a prehistoric Germanic word that was formed from
the ancestor of English nest .]
—nes·tler, noun[1]



nestling

nestling
nest·ling 
[néstling, néssling]
(plural nest·lings) noun

young
bird:
a young bird that does not yet have its flight feathers, and is therefore not
yet able to leave the nest
[Late 14th century. Origin
uncertain: formed from nest or nestle, perhaps on the model of Dutch nesteling
.][1]



Nestorian

Nestorian
Nes·to·ri·an 
[ne stáwree ən] adjective

relating
to Asian Christian group: relating to an Asian
Christian denomination that believes that two distinct persons, one divine and
the other human, existed in Jesus Christ. This doctrine was declared heresy in AD 431.
noun
(plural Nes·to·ri·ans)

member
of Nestorian group: a member of the Nestorian
denomination
[15th century. From late
Latin Nestorianus, named for Nestorius ( AD 428–31), patriarch of Constantinople, who originated the
doctrine.][1]



net

net1
net1 [net]
noun (plural nets)

1.  mesh:
material made from threads or wires knotted, twisted, or woven to form a
regular pattern with spaces between the threads

2.  meshwork
bag:
a piece of meshwork fabric in a shape resembling a bag that is used for
holding, carrying, trapping, or confining something • a
fishing net

3.  light
meshwork fabric: a fine light fabric with an open weave,
usually made of cotton or synthetic yarn

4.  selecting
or restricting system: a plan or system designed to
select or restrict somebody or something • those
who slip through the net

5.  SPORTS strip
of material across playing area: a strip of meshwork
material that divides a court into halves in some sports, for example, tennis
and volleyball, and over which the players must hit a ball or shuttlecock

6.  SPORTS goal
in some sports: a goal in some sports, for example,
soccer and water polo, with a backing made of meshwork material

7.  BASKETBALL part
of basketball net: an open-bottomed piece of
meshwork material attached to the hoop of the basket in basketball

8.  BROADCASTING network:
a network

9.  COMPUTING BROADCASTING network:
telecommunications or computer network
verb
(past net·ted, past participle net·ted, present
participle net·ting, 3rd person present singular nets)

1.  transitive
verb
trap
in net:
to catch or snare something in a net

2.  transitive
verb
get
something:
to manage to obtain or achieve something (informal) • We
may net ourselves several new clients this way.

3.  transitive
verb
protect
with net:
to cover something with a net in order to keep something out or away • Net
the cherry trees to keep birds out.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
net:
to make a net by knotting, twisting, or weaving threads or wires together

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
ball into net to score: to score by hitting the ball
into the net in games such as soccer

6.  transitive
verb
SPORTS serve
ball into net: to lose a serve, and sometimes a point,
by hitting the ball into the net in games such as tennis and volleyball
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bind, tie,” which
is also the ancestor of English nettle,
node, and connect
.]
—net·less,
adjective

—net·less·ly, adverb[1]



Net

Net
Net
or net noun

Internet:
the Internet (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



net

net2
net2 [net]
adjective

1.  FINANCE left
after deductions: remaining from an amount, especially of
money, after all necessary deductions have been made

2.  relating
to contents: relating to contents only, excluding the
container or the packaging

3.  having
all things considered: general or overall when
positive and negative features have been weighed against each other
transitive
verb
(past net·ted, past participle net·ted, present
participle net·ting, 3rd person present singular nets)

FINANCE earn profit:
to earn or provide a sum of money as pure profit after all necessary deductions
have been made
noun
(plural nets)

1.  net
amount:
a net profit or weight

2.  GOLF golfer’s
score:
a player’s final score after his or her handicap has been deducted
[15th century. Via Italian netto
from Latin nitidus “gleaming, clean, elegant” (see neat ).][1]



NET

NET
NET

Abbreviation of
National Educational Television[1]



Netanyahu,Benjamin

Netanyahu,Benjamin

Net·an·ya·hu
[nètt’n yhoo], Benjamin (1949– )
Israeli statesman. He was elected Likud
prime minister in 1996. He was criticized for failing to press for the
implementation of the peace agreements with the Palestinians.[1]



netasset value

netasset value
net
as·set val·ue (plural net as·set val·ues)
noun

value of mutual-fund
securities: the value of the securities
owned by a mutual fund, calculated as the total value of assets minus the total
amount of liabilities divided by the number of shares issued[1]



netcord

netcord
net
cord
(plural net cords) noun

1.  tennis
shot touching net: a tennis shot, especially a
serve, that touches the net before landing on the opponent’s side. In the case
of a serve, the server retakes the shot.

2.  wire
supporting tennis net: the wire that holds up the
net on a tennis court

[1]



netdomestic product

netdomestic product
net
do·mes·tic prod·uct noun

final value of goods
produced: the gross sum of domestic
production minus the cost of depreciation of capital goods[1]



Neth.

Neth.
Neth.

Abbreviation of
Netherlands[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nether

nether
neth·er 
[néər] adjective

lower:
located in a low or lower position or under something (formal)
[Old English neoþera .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “down,” which is also one of the
ancestors of English nest .][1]



Netherlands

Netherlands



Neth·er·lands

monarchy
in northwestern Europe, west of Germany, on the North Sea. Language: Dutch.
Currency: guilder. Capital: Amsterdam. Population: 15,451,000 (1995) Area:
41,526 sq km/16,033 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of the Netherlands
—Neth·er·land·er,
noun

—Neth·er·land·ish, adjective[1]



Netherlands




Back to definition

Netherlands

[1]



NetherlandsAntilles

NetherlandsAntilles

Neth·er·lands An·til·les

two Dutch island groups in the western
Caribbean Sea, part of the Lesser Antilles. Population: 202,244 (1994) Area:
996 sq km/390 sq mi.[1]



NetherlandsAntilles




Back to definition

NetherlandsAntilles

[1]



NetherlandsGuiana

NetherlandsGuiana
Neth·er·lands
Gui·an·a
[nethərlənds geenə]

Former name for
Suriname[1]



nethermost

nethermost
neth·er·most 
[néər mst] adjective

lowest:
lowest or farthest down (formal)[1]



netherworld

netherworld
neth·er·world 
[néər wùrld] (plural neth·er·worlds)
noun

1.  RELIGION hell:
hell, or the place where evil spirits live in the belief system of some
cultures (formal)

2.  MYTHOLOGY abode
of dead souls: in Greek and Roman mythology, the place
below the earth’s surface where the souls of the dead live

3.  criminal
underworld:
the world of organized crime, or the people involved in it (literary)

[1]



netiquette

netiquette
net·i·quette
[nétti kèt] noun

rules
used on Internet: a set of empirically derived rules for
getting along harmoniously in the electronic communication environment (informal)
[Late 20th century. Blend of net and etiquette
.][1]



netizen

netizen
net·i·zen
[néttiz’n] (plural net·i·zens)
noun

Internet
user:
somebody who has access to and uses the Internet frequently (informal)
[Late 20th century. Blend of net and citizen
.][1]



netnational product

netnational product
net
na·tion·al prod·uct (plural net
na·tion·al prod·ucts) noun

gross national product minus
depreciation costs: the amount
left after subtracting a depreciation allowance for capital goods from the
gross national product[1]



netpresent value

netpresent value
net
pres·ent val·ue (plural net pres·ent val·ues)
noun

value of investment project:
the value of an investment project found by adding the present value of
expected future cash flows and the cost of the initial investment[1]



netprofit

netprofit
net
prof·it
(plural net prof·its) noun

gross profit minus expenses:
gross profit minus all the costs incurred by a business[1]



netrealizable value

netrealizable value
net
re·al·iz·a·ble val·ue (plural net
re·al·iz·a·ble val·ues) noun

market value of asset:
the value an asset would have if sold, allowing for the costs of bringing it to
a condition for sale and making the sale[1]



netsuke

netsuke

net·su·ke 
[nét skee, nétskee]
(plural net·su·ke or net·su·kes) noun
toggle
on kimono cord: a carved wooden or ivory ornamental
toggle worn at the end of a cord that holds a kimono closed, originally used to
fasten a purse or pouch
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Netsurfing

Netsurfing
Net
surf·ing
noun

accessing the Internet:
browsing through the information and sites available on the Internet,
especially casually[1]



netter

netter
net·ter
[néttər] (plural net·ters) noun

somebody on Internet:
somebody with an Internet address (slang)[1]



netting

netting
net·ting 
[nétting] noun

mesh:
fabric made from threads or wires knotted, twisted, or woven to form a regular
pattern with spaces between the threads[1]



nettle

nettle

net·tle 
[nétt’l] noun (plural net·tles)

1.  plant
with stinging leaves: a wild plant with
serrated-edged leaves that are covered with fine hairs or spines that sting
when touched. Genus: Urtica
Also
called
stinging nettle

2.  nonstinging
plant resembling nettle: a wild plant with serrated
leaves like a stinging nettle, but without the stinging hairs, especially a
deadnettle. Genus: Lamium
transitive verb
(past net·tled, past participle net·tled, present
participle net·tling, 3rd person present singular net·tles)

1.  irritate
somebody:
to irritate or annoy somebody (informal)

2.  sting:
to sting somebody
[Old English netele .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to tie,” which also produced
English net . Nettles were often used
as a source of fiber for making cords.][1]



nettlerash

nettlerash
net·tle
rash
noun

See
urticaria[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








netton

netton
net
ton
(plural net tons) noun

See
ton 1 noun 1
[From net 2][1]



netweight

netweight
net
weight
(plural net weights) noun

weight
of contents: the weight of the contents only,
excluding the weight of the container or packaging
[From net 2][1]



net-winged

net-winged
net-winged
adjective

having veins in wings:
used to describe the wings of beetles and midges that have a network of veins[1]



netwire

netwire
net
wire
noun

Southern
U.S.
wire
fencing:
a lightweight flexible galvanized wire fencing, usually made with a hexagonal
mesh





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Sometimes
  called chicken wire, but more frequently hog wire, this term
  most frequently identifies animal fencing in the Lower Mississippi Valley
  states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, as well as Texas.

[1]



network

network
net·work 
[nét wùrk] noun (plural net·works)

1.  system
of interconnected lines: a pattern or system that
looks like a series of branching or interconnecting lines

2.  coordinated
system of people or things: a large and widely
distributed group of people or things such as shops, colleges, or churches,
that communicate with one another and work together as a unit or system

3.  BROADCASTING group
of broadcasting affiliates: a group of radio or
television station affiliates with a core of programs that they all broadcast
at the same time, with local or regional variations at other times

4.  ELECTRICITY system
of electrical circuits: a system of interconnected
electrical circuits or components

5.  COMPUTING system
of linked computers: a system of two or more
computers, terminals, and communications devices linked by wires, cables, or a
telecommunications system in order to exchange information. The network may be
limited to a group of users in a local area ( local
area network ), or be global in scope, as the Internet is.

6.  netting:
net or netting
verb
(past net·worked, past participle net·worked, present
participle net·work·ing, 3rd person present singular net·works)

1.  transitive
verb
BROADCASTING broadcast
something simultaneously: to broadcast a program
simultaneously on all the station affiliates that form a network

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING link
computers:
to link a group of computers or their users so that information can be mutually
accessed or exchanged

3.  intransitive
verb
maintain
relationships with people: to build up or maintain
informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring
advantages such as job or business opportunities

[1]



networking

networking
net·work·ing 
[nét wùrking] noun

1.  COMPUTING linking
of computers: the linking of computers so that users
can exchange information or share access to a central store of information

2.  gathering
of acquaintances or contacts: the building up or
maintaining of informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship
could bring advantages such as job or business opportunities
—net·work·er, noun[1]



Neumann,John von

Neumann,John von
Neumann 
[nymən], John von (1903–1957)

Hungarian-born
U.S. mathematician. He developed game theory and quantum mechanics, and was a
pioneer in computer theory and design.
Born
>von Neumann, Johann[1]



neume

neume
neume 
[noom] (plural neumes) or
neum [noom] (plural neums)
noun

early
musical notation: during the Middle Ages in Europe, an
early kind of musical notation that sometimes indicated only the approximate
shape of a melody
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek pneuma “breath.” The modern
usage is a 19th century revival.]
—neu·mat·ic [noo máttik], adjective[1]



neur.

neur.
neur.

1.  Abbreviation
of
neurological

2.  Abbreviation
of
neurology

[1]



neur-

neur-
neur-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
neuro-[1]



neural

neural
neu·ral 
[nrəl] adjective

of
nerves:
relating to or located in a nerve or the nervous system
—neu·ral·ly, adverb[1]



neuralarch

neuralarch
neu·ral
arch
(plural neu·ral arch·es) noun

bony arch around spinal cord:
a bony or cartilaginous arch enclosing the spinal cord on the outward-facing
side of a vertebra[1]



neuralcomputer

neuralcomputer
neu·ral
com·put·er
(plural neu·ral com·put·ers) noun

See
neurocomputer[1]



neuralcrest

neuralcrest
neu·ral
crest
(plural neu·ral crests) noun

ridge of cells in vertebrate
embryo: a ridge of cells in the
ectoderm of the vertebrate embryo that develops into cranial, spinal, and
autonomic ganglia[1]



neuralgia

neuralgia
neu·ral·gia 
[noo ráljə] noun

nerve
pain:
intermittent and often severe pain in a part of the body that a particular
nerve runs through, especially when there is no physical change in the nerve
itself
—neu·ral·gic, adjective[1]



neuralnet

neuralnet
neu·ral
net
(plural neu·ral nets) noun

computer system mimicking
brain: a system of electrical
circuits designed to perform like the human nervous system, especially a
computer system mimicking the human brain.
Also called
neural network[1]



neuralnetwork

neuralnetwork
neu·ral
net·work 
(plural neu·ral net·works) noun

1.  ANATOMY system
of neurons:
an interconnecting system of nerve cells such as the system that makes the
brain function

2.  COMPUTING See neural net

[1]



neuralspine

neuralspine
neu·ral
spine
(plural neu·ral spines) noun

vertebral projection:
a projection that points backward from the neural arch of a vertebra[1]



neuraltube

neuraltube
neu·ral
tube
(plural neu·ral tubes) noun

embryonic structure in
vertebrates: the hollow tube of
tissue in the embryo of humans and other vertebrates that develops into the
spinal cord and brain[1]



neuraltube defect

neuraltube defect
neu·ral
tube de·fect (plural neu·ral tube de·fects)
noun

congenital disorder:
a congenital disorder such as spina bifida caused by failure of the neural tube
to close completely and resulting in loss of muscle function and various
medical disorders[1]



neurasthenia

neurasthenia
neu·ras·the·ni·a 
[nrəss thnee ə] noun

chronic
fatigue:
a condition marked by chronic mental and physical fatigue and depression (dated)
—neu·ras·then·ic
[nrəss thénnik], adjective

—neu·ras·then·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neurectomy

neurectomy
neu·rec·to·my 
[noo réktəmee] (plural neu·rec·to·mies)
noun

surgical removal of nerve
part: the removal of part of a
nerve using surgery, for example, as a treatment for neuralgia[1]



neurilemma

neurilemma
neu·ri·lem·ma 
[nrə lémmə] (plural neu·ri·lem·mas)
or neu·ro·lem·ma [nrə lémmə, nyrə lémmə] (plural neu·ro·lem·mas)
noun

membrane
covering nerve fiber: the outermost layer of the
myelin sheath that surrounds the axon of a myelinated nerve cell
[Early
19th century. Coined from neur- + Greek eilēma
“covering.”]
—neu·ri·lem·mal,
adjective

—neu·ri·lem·mal·ly, adverb[1]



neurilemmoma

neurilemmoma
neu·ri·lem·mo·ma
[nrələ mṓmə, nyrələ
mṓmə] (plural neu·ri·lem·mo·mas or neu·ri·lem·mo·ma·ta
[nrələ mṓmətə]) noun

See
neurofibroma
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from neurilemma + -oma
.][1]



neurinoma

neurinoma
neu·ri·no·ma
[nrə nṓmə, nyrə
nṓmə] (plural neu·ri·no·mas or neu·ri·no·ma·ta
[nrə nṓmətə]) noun

MEDICINE See neurofibroma
[Early 20th century. Coined
from neuro- + ino- + -oma .][1]



neuritis

neuritis
neu·ri·tis 
[noo rtiss] noun

inflammation
of nerve:
inflammation of a nerve, accompanied by pain, loss of reflexes, and muscle
shrinkage
—neu·rit·ic [noo ríttik], adjective[1]



neuro-

neuro-
neuro-
prefix

nerve,
neural • neurosurgery
[From Greek neuron
(see neuron )][1]



neuroactive

neuroactive
neu·ro·ac·tive
[nrō áktiv] adjective

affecting neural tissue:
having an effect on neural tissue or the nervous system[1]



neuroanatomy

neuroanatomy
neu·ro·a·nat·o·my 
[nrō ə náttəmee] noun

1.  structure
of nervous system: the structure of the nervous
system

2.  branch
of anatomy:
the branch of anatomy that studies the structure of the nervous system
—neu·ro·an·a·tom·i·cal
[nrō ə ànnə tómmik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·an·a·tom·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·a·nat·o·mist [nrō ə náttəmist], noun[1]



neurobiology

neurobiology
neu·ro·bi·ol·o·gy 
[nrō bī ólləjee, nyrō
bī ólləjee] noun

See
neuroscience
—neu·ro·bi·o·log·i·cal
[nrō b ə lójjik’l, nyrō b ə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·bi·ol·o·gist [nrō bī ólləjist, nyrō
bī ólləjist], noun[1]



neuroblast

neuroblast
neu·ro·blast 
[nrō blàst] (plural neu·ro·blasts)
noun

embryonic nerve cell:
an embryonic cell that develops into a nerve cell[1]



neuroblastoma

neuroblastoma
neu·ro·blas·to·ma 
[nrō bla stṓmə] (plural neu·ro·blas·to·mas
or neu·ro·blas·to·ma·ta [nrō bla stṓmətə])
noun

tumor of embryonic nerve
cells: a malignant tumor of
embryonic nerve cells ( neuroblasts )[1]



neurochemistry

neurochemistry
neu·ro·chem·is·try 
[nrō kémmistree] noun

study
of chemistry of nervous system: the study of the
chemical composition and reactions within the nervous system
—neu·ro·chem·i·cal
[nrō kémmik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·chem·ist [nrō kémmist], noun[1]



neurocomputer

neurocomputer
neu·ro·com·put·er
[nrō kəm pytər] (plural neu·ro·com·put·ers)
noun

computer
mimicking brain: a computer designed to imitate the human
brain’s ability to identify patterns, learn by trial and error, and find
relationships in information. It is used in artificial intelligence research
and to perform such tasks as machine translation, process control, handwriting
recognition, and weather forecasting.
Also
called
neural computer
—neu·ro·com·put·ing,
noun

—neu·ro·com·pu·ta·tion·al
[nrō kòmpyoo táyshən’l, nrō kòmpyoo táyshnəl], adjective[1]



neuroendocrine

neuroendocrine
neu·ro·en·do·crine 
[nrō éndəkrin, nrō
éndə krn] adjective

of hormones and nervous
system: relating to or involving a
nerve cell that releases a chemical messenger, especially a neurohormone,
directly into the bloodstream[1]



neuroendocrinology

neuroendocrinology
neu·ro·en·do·cri·nol·o·gy 
[nrō endəkrə nólləjee] noun

study
of endocrine and nervous systems: the study of the
interrelationships between the nervous system, the endocrine system, and
hormones
—neu·ro·en·do·cri·no·log·i·cal
[nrō endə krinnə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·en·do·cri·no·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·en·do·cri·nol·o·gist
[nrō endəkrə nólləjist], noun[1]



neurofibril

neurofibril
neu·ro·fi·bril 
[nrə fbrəl, nrə
fíbbrəl] (plural neu·ro·fi·brils) noun

microscopic
strand in neurons: a microscopic thin strand
that occurs inside the cell body, axon, and dendrites of a nerve cell
—neu·ro·fi·bril·lar·y
[nrə fíbbrə lèrree], adjective[1]



neurofibroma

neurofibroma
neu·ro·fi·bro·ma 
[nrō fī brṓmə] (plural neu·ro·fi·bro·mas
or neu·ro·fi·bro·ma·ta [nrō fī brṓmətə])
noun

kind of tumor:
a usually benign tumor arising from the sheath of a nerve.
Also called
neurilemmoma
Also called
neurinoma
Also called
neuroma[1]



neurofibromatosis

neurofibromatosis
neu·ro·fi·bro·ma·to·sis 
[nrō fī brōmə tṓssiss] noun

disorder caused by
neurofibromas: an inherited disorder
marked by coffee-colored patches on the skin and neurofibromas formed along
nerves, causing visual and hearing defects, other nervous disorders, and
sometimes major deformities[1]



neurogenesis

neurogenesis
neu·ro·gen·e·sis 
[nrō jénnəssiss] noun

growth
of nerve cells: the formation and development of nerve
cells
—neu·ro·ge·net·ic
[nrōjə néttik], adjective

—neu·ro·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[nrōjə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



neurogenetics

neurogenetics
neu·ro·ge·net·ics 
[nrō jə néttiks] noun

study
of genetic influences: the branch of medicine that
studies the genetic influences involved in neurological disorders (takes a
singular verb)
—neu·ro·ge·net·i·cist,
noun[1]



neurogenic

neurogenic
neu·ro·gen·ic 
[nrō jénnik] adjective

1.  causing
growth of nerve tissue: causing or relating to the
growth of nerve tissue

2.  of
nervous system: arising in or stimulated by nerve tissue
or the nervous system
—neu·ro·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



neuroglia

neuroglia
neu·rog·li·a 
[noo rógglee ə, nyə
rógglee ə, nrə gl ə] noun

supporting
neural network: the network of supporting tissue and
fibers that nourishes nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. It
comprises several layers of cells and makes up about 40 percent of the total
volume of nerve tissue.
Also
called
glia
U.K.
term
glia
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from neuro- + Greek glia
“glue.”]
—neu·rog·li·al, adjective[1]



neurohormone

neurohormone
neu·ro·hor·mone 
[nrō háwr mn] (plural neu·ro·hor·mones)
noun

nervous
system hormone: a hormone such as noradrenaline or
vasopressin that acts on nerve cells or the nervous system
—neu·ro·hor·mo·nal
[nrō hawr mṓn’l], adjective

—neu·ro·hor·mo·nal·ly,
adverb[1]



neurohypophysis

neurohypophysis
neu·ro·hy·poph·y·sis 
[nrō hī póffəssiss] (plural neu·ro·hy·poph·y·ses
[nrō hī póffə sz] or neu·ro·hy·poph·y·sis·es)
noun

lobe
of pituitary gland: the posterior lobe of the
pituitary gland that secretes hormones such as vasopressin
—neu·ro·hy·po·phys·e·al
[nrō hīpə fízzee əl, nrō hi póffəsee əl], adjective[1]



neurolemma

neurolemma
neu·ro·lem·ma
noun

See
neurilemma[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








neuroleptic

neuroleptic
neu·ro·lep·tic 
[nrō léptik] adjective

tranquilizing:
reducing nerve activity and producing a tranquilizing effect
noun
(plural neu·ro·lep·tics)

tranquilizer:
a drug used in the treatment of conditions such as delirium and behavioral
disturbances that has a tranquilizing effect by reducing nerve activity
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from neuro- + Greek lēptikos
“seizing,” from, ultimately, lambanein “to seize, take.”]
—neu·ro·lep·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neurolinguisticprogramming

neurolinguisticprogramming
neu·ro·lin·guis·tic
pro·gram·ming noun

1.  relationship
between communication and behavior: a
theory and model of human behavior and communication based on linguistic
insights into how people avoid change and how to assist them in changing

2.  goal-oriented
therapy:
a system of therapy in which the brain is viewed as a computer that can be
reprogrammed to think and feel in a way that helps people achieve specific
goals

[1]



neurolinguistics

neurolinguistics
neu·ro·lin·guis·tics 
[nrō ling gwístiks] noun

linkage
between language and brain: the branch of linguistics
that explores how the brain encodes language (takes a singular verb)
—neu·ro·lin·guist
[nrō líng gwist], noun

—neu·ro·lin·guis·tic
[nrō ling gwístik], adjective

—neu·ro·lin·guis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neurology

neurology
neu·rol·o·gy 
[noo rólləjee] noun

study
of nervous system: the branch of medicine that
deals with the structure and function of the nervous system and the treatment
of the diseases and disorders that affect it
—neu·ro·log·ic
[nrə lójjik], adjective

—neu·ro·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·rol·o·gist [noo rólləjist], noun[1]



neuroma

neuroma
neu·ro·ma
[noo rṓmə] (plural neu·ro·mas or
neu·ro·ma·ta [noo rṓmətə]) noun

MEDICINE See neurofibroma
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from neur- + -oma
.][1]



neuromuscular

neuromuscular
neu·ro·mus·cu·lar 
[nrō múskyələr] adjective

1.  of
nerve and muscle tissue: relating to or affecting
both nerve and muscle tissue

2.  in
both nerve and muscle tissues: having features common
to both nerve and muscle tissue
—neu·ro·mus·cu·lar·ly,
adverb[1]



neuromuscularjunction

neuromuscularjunction
neu·ro·mus·cu·lar
junc·tion
(plural neu·ro·mus·cu·lar junc·tions) noun

nerve and muscle connection:
the connection between a nerve cell and a muscle, where nerve impulses are
transmitted to initiate contraction of the muscle[1]



neuron

neuron
neu·ron 
[n ròn] (plural neu·rons) or
neu·rone [n rn] (plural neu·rones)
noun

nerve
cell:
a cell, typically consisting of a cell body, axon, and dendrites, that
transmits nerve impulses and is the basic functional unit of the nervous
system.
Also
called
nerve cell
[Late
19th century. Via German from Greek neuron “sinew, cord, nerve.”]
—neu·ron·al
[nrənəl], adjective

—neu·ron·al·ly [n rṓnəlee, nrənəlee],
adverb[1]



neuropath

neuropath
neu·ro·path
[nrə pàth] (plural neu·ro·paths)
noun

somebody with disorder of
nervous system: somebody affected by a
disorder of the nervous system[1]



neuropathology

neuropathology
neu·ro·pa·thol·o·gy 
[nrōpə thólləjee] noun

study
of disorders of nervous system: the branch of medicine
that studies diseases and disorders of the nervous system
—neu·ro·path·o·log·i·cal
[nrō pàthə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·path·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·pa·thol·o·gist
[nrō pə thólləjist], noun[1]



neuropathy

neuropathy
neu·rop·a·thy 
[noo róppəthee] (plural neu·rop·a·thies)
noun

disease
of nervous system: a disease or disorder,
especially a degenerative one, that affects the nervous system
—neu·ro·path·ic
[nrō páthik], adjective

—neu·ro·path·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neuropeptide

neuropeptide
neu·ro·pep·tide
[nrō pép td] (plural neu·ro·pep·tides)
noun

peptide affecting neural
activity: a peptide that has the
properties of a hormone or other neurotransmitter and is released into the
blood stream by a nerve cell, not by endocrine tissue[1]



neuropharmacology

neuropharmacology
neu·ro·phar·ma·col·o·gy 
[nrō faarmə kólləjee] noun

study
of drugs and nervous system: the branch of medicine that
studies the effects of drugs on the nervous system
—neu·ro·phar·ma·co·log·i·cal
[nrō faarməkə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·phar·ma·co·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·phar·ma·col·o·gist
[nrō faarmə kólləjist], noun[1]



neurophysiology

neurophysiology
neu·ro·phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[nrō fizzee ólləjee] noun

study
of functions of nervous system: the branch of
physiology that studies how the nervous system functions
—neu·ro·phys·i·o·log·i·cal
[nrō fizzee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·phys·i·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·phys·i·ol·o·gist
[nrō fizzee ólləjist], noun[1]



neuropsychiatry

neuropsychiatry
neu·ro·psy·chi·a·try 
[nrō si k ətree, nrō
sī k ətree] noun

neurology
of psychiatric disorders: the study of the
neurological aspects of psychiatric disorders
—neu·ro·psy·chi·at·ric
[nrō skee áttrik], adjective

—neu·ro·psy·chi·at·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·psy·chi·a·trist
[nrō si k ətrist, nrō
sī k ətrist], noun[1]



neuropsychology

neuropsychology
neu·ro·psy·chol·o·gy 
[nrō sī kólləjee] noun

behavioral
neurology:
the branch of neurology that studies behavior, especially in disorders such as
epilepsy, memory loss, or speech impairment
—neu·ro·psy·cho·log·i·cal
[nrō skə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·psy·cho·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·psy·chol·o·gist
[nrō sī kólləjist], noun[1]



neuropteran

neuropteran
neu·rop·ter·an
[noo róptərən] (plural neu·rop·ter·ans)
noun

carnivorous
insect:
an insect such as the antlion or lacewing that has two large pairs of veined
wings and mouthparts adapted for chewing. Order: Neuroptera
—neu·rop·ter·ous, adjective[1]



neuroradiology

neuroradiology
neu·ro·ra·di·ol·ogy 
[nrō raydee ólləjee] noun

use
of X-rays on nervous system: the use of X-rays to
diagnose and treat physiological disorders and diseases of the nervous system,
or the branch of medicine that deals with their use in this way
—neu·ro·ra·di·o·log·i·cal
[nrō raydee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—neu·ro·ra·di·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·ra·di·ol·o·gist
[nrō raydee ólləjist], noun[1]



neuroscience

neuroscience
neu·ro·sci·ence 
[nrō s əns] (plural neu·ro·sci·enc·es)
noun

1.  scientific
study of nervous system: a scientific discipline such
as neuroanatomy and neurophysiology that studies nerve cells or the nervous
system or all such disciplines collectively

2.  molecular
and cellular neurology: the scientific study of the
molecular and cellular levels of the nervous system, of systems within the
brain such as vision and hearing, and behavior produced by the brain.
Also
called
neurobiology
—neu·ro·sci·en·tif·ic
[nrō sī ən tíffik], adjective

—neu·ro·sci·en·tif·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·sci·en·tist [nrō s əntist], noun[1]



neurosensory

neurosensory
neu·ro·sen·so·ry 
[nrō sénsəree] adjective

of
sensory activity of nerve cells: relating to the
sensory activity of nerve cells or the nervous system
—neu·ro·sen·so·ri·ly, adverb[1]



neurosis

neurosis
neu·ro·sis 
[noo rṓssiss] (plural neu·ro·ses
[noo rṓ sz]) noun

mild psychiatric disorder:
a mild psychiatric disorder characterized by anxiety, depression, and
hypochondria (dated)
Also called
psychoneurosis[1]



neurosurgery

neurosurgery
neu·ro·sur·ger·y 
[n rō súrjəree] noun

operation
on nervous system: surgery on any part of the
nervous system, including the brain
—neu·ro·sur·geon,
noun

—neu·ro·sur·gi·cal,
adjective

—neu·ro·sur·gi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neurotic

neurotic
neu·rot·ic 
[n róttik] adjective PSYCHIATRY

1.  affected
by neurosis: relating to, involving, affected by, or
typical of a mild mental disorder characterized by depression, anxiety, and
hypochondria (dated)

2.  overanxious
or obsessive: overanxious, oversensitive, or obsessive
about everyday things (informal) (often considered offensive)
noun
(plural neu·rot·ics)

1.  PSYCHIATRY somebody
affected by neurosis: somebody diagnosed as
affected by neurosis (dated)

2.  somebody
who is extremely sensitive: somebody who is overanxious,
oversensitive, or obsessive (informal) (often considered offensive)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Greek neuron (see neuro-
).]
—neu·rot·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·rot·i·cism, noun[1]



neurotomy

neurotomy
neu·rot·o·my 
[n róttəmee] (plural neu·rot·o·mies)
noun

surgical cutting of nerve:
a surgical operation to cut a nerve, especially in order to relieve pain[1]



neurotoxin

neurotoxin
neu·ro·tox·in 
[n rō tòksin] (plural neu·ro·tox·ins)
noun

substance
toxic to nerves: a substance that damages, destroys, or
impairs the functioning of nerve tissue
—neu·ro·tox·ic
[nrō tóksik], adjective

—neu·ro·tox·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·ro·tox·ic·i·ty [nrō tok síssətee], noun[1]



neurotransmitter

neurotransmitter
neu·ro·trans·mit·ter 
[n rō transs míttər] (plural neu·ro·trans·mit·ters)
noun

chemical carrying
communication between nerves: a chemical
that carries messages between different nerve cells or between nerve cells and
muscles, for example, usually to trigger or prevent an impulse in the receiving
cell. Excitatory neurotransmitters trigger a nerve impulse in the receiving
cell while inhibitory neurotransmitters act to prevent further transmission of
an impulse.[1]



neurotropic

neurotropic
neu·ro·trop·ic 
[nrə tróppik] adjective

affecting
nerve tissue: affecting or having an affinity with
nerve tissue
—neu·ro·trop·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—neu·rot·ro·pism [n róttrə pìzzəm], noun[1]



neurula

neurula
neu·ru·la
[nrələ] (plural neu·ru·lae [nrə l] or neu·ra·las) noun

stage
of embryo:
a vertebrate embryo in an early stage during which the nervous system begins to
develop
[Late
19th century. Coined from neuro- + Latin -ula
“small” on the model of blastula and scrofula .]
—neu·ru·la·tion [nrə láysh’n], noun[1]



neuston

neuston
neus·ton 
[n stòn] noun

minute
organisms on surface of water: minute organisms that
float or swim on the surface of water
[Early 20th century. From
German, from a form of Greek neustos “swimming,” from nein “to
swim.”][1]



neut.

neut.
neut.

1.  Abbreviation
of
neuter

2.  Abbreviation
of
neutral

[1]



neuter

neuter
neu·ter 
[ntər] transitive verb (past neu·tered,
past participle neu·tered, present participle neu·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular neu·ters)

VETERINARY MEDICINE remove
testicles or ovaries: to remove the testicles or
ovaries of an animal
adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY without
sex organs:
with undeveloped, nonfunctioning, or no sexual organs

2.  not
indicating sex or other characteristics: not
indicating the sex of a person, the qualities of a thing, or an attitude toward
somebody or something

3.  GRAMMAR grammatically
neither masculine nor feminine: used to describe nouns
and adjectives in languages such as Latin or German belonging to a separate
gender that is neither masculine nor feminine

4.  GRAMMAR intransitive:
used to describe a verb that is neither active nor passive

5.  neutral:
supporting or belonging to neither side in a dispute (archaic)
noun
(plural neu·ters)

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE castrated
or spayed animal: an animal that has been castrated or
spayed

2.  GRAMMAR grammatically
neuter word: a grammatically neuter noun, adjective,
or verb

3.  INSECTS insect
with undeveloped sexual organs: an insect with
undeveloped sexual organs, for example, a worker bee

4.  BOTANY flower
without stamen or pistil: an asexual flower without a
stamen or pistil
[14th century. From Latin ne
“not” + uter “which of two,” thus meaning “neither one thing nor the
other” (compare English neither ).][1]



neutral

neutral
neu·tral 
[ntrəl] adjective

1.  not
taking sides: not belonging to, favoring, or assisting
any side in a war, dispute, contest, or controversy

2.  without
distinctive qualities: not possessing any
particular quality or revealing a particular attitude or feeling • She
was careful to explain the problem in neutral terms.

3.  COLORS without
hue:
used to describe a color such as white, black, or gray that does not belong in
the spectrum

4.  COLORS not
strongly colored and blendable: not strongly or
strikingly colored and thus relatively inconspicuous and able to blend easily
with other colors

5.  PHYSIOLOGY See neuter  adjective 1

6.  CHEMISTRY not
acid or alkaline: neither acidic nor alkaline

7.  PHYSICS with
zero electric charge: with zero electric charge or
potential

8.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING with
no motion transmitted: in which no motion is
transmitted

9.  PHONETICS pronounced
with tongue midway: used to describe a vowel
articulated with the tongue relaxed and in the mid-central position, as, for
example, in the first syllable of “away”
noun
(plural neu·trals)

1.  AUTOMOTIVE gear
with no motion transmitted: a gear in which no power is
transmitted from the engine to the moving parts

2.  POLITICS somebody
or something nonaligned: somebody who or a country
that remains neutral in a war, dispute, contest, or controversy
[15th
century. From Latin neutralis “of neuter gender,” from neuter
(see neuter ).]
—neu·tral·ly, adverb[1]



neutralcorner

neutralcorner
neu·tral
cor·ner
(plural neu·tral cor·ners) noun

two unoccupied corners in
boxing ring: either of the two
corners of a boxing ring that are not used by boxers between rounds. If one
boxer is knocked down during a round, the other must go to a neutral corner.[1]



neutralground

neutralground
neu·tral
ground
(plural neu·tral grounds) noun

Southern U.S.
strip of land between lanes:
a paved or grassy strip of land between two lanes of a highway[1]



neutralism

neutralism
neu·tral·ism 
[ntrə lìzzəm] noun

policy
of remaining neutral: the policy of remaining
neutral in wars and other disputes, or support for this policy
—neu·tral·ist,
noun, adjective

—neu·tral·is·tic
[nytrə lístik], adjective

—neu·tral·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



neutrality

neutrality
neu·tral·i·ty 
[noo trállətee] noun

condition of not taking
sides: the state of being neutral,
especially as regards noninvolvement in wars and disputes, not taking sides,
and not joining alliances[1]



neutralize

neutralize
neu·tral·ize 
[ntrə lz] (past neu·tral·ized,
past participle neu·tral·ized, present participle neu·tral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular neu·tral·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  render
something ineffective: to make something
ineffective, especially by removing its ability to act as a threat or obstacle

2.  POLITICS make a
place nonaligned: to make or declare a country unaligned
in an international dispute or war

3.  CHEMISTRY make
something neither acid nor alkaline: to
render a substance neither acid nor alkaline

4.  PHYSICS give
zero charge to something: to make the electric charge
or potential of something zero
—neu·tral·i·za·tion
[ntrəli záysh’n], noun

—neu·tral·iz·er [ntrə lzər], noun[1]



neutralspirits

neutralspirits
neu·tral
spir·its
noun

alcohol at or above 190
proof: alcohol distilled at or
above 190 proof, often used in blending liquors (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



neutralzone

neutralzone
neu·tral
zone
(plural neu·tral zones) noun

area between teams’
territories: the space between the
areas of two competing teams, specifically the area between the linemen of
football teams or the middle area of an ice hockey rink between the two blue
lines[1]



neutrino

neutrino
neu·tri·no 
[noo tr n] (plural neu·tri·nos)
noun

neutral
elementary particle: any of three stable neutral
elementary particles of the lepton family with a zero rest mass and no charge.
Neutrinos have a spin of 1/2.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from neutral + Italian -ino “small.”][1]



neutron

neutron
neu·tron 
[n tròn] (plural neu·trons) noun

elementary
particle without electric charge: a neutral elementary
particle of the baryon family with a zero electrical charge and a mass
approximately equal to that of a proton
[Early
20th century. Coined from neutral + -on .]
—neu·tron·ic [noo trónnik], adjective[1]



neutronbomb

neutronbomb
neu·tron
bomb
(plural neu·tron bombs) noun

nuclear bomb with low
contamination: a nuclear bomb designed
to kill all life by a heavy bombardment with neutrons but to cause little blast
damage and leave relatively low radioactive contamination[1]



neutronstar

neutronstar
neu·tron
star
(plural neu·tron stars) noun

star composed of neutrons:
a celestial body consisting entirely of a very dense compact mass of neutrons,
the remnant of a star that has collapsed under its own gravity[1]



neutrophil

neutrophil
neu·tro·phil 
[ntrə fil] adjective

stainable
only with neutral dyes: used to describe cells or
tissues, for example, white blood cells, that are readily stainable only with
chemically neutral dyes
noun
neu·tro·phil neu·tro·phile (plural neu·tro·philes)

common
white blood cell: the most common type of white blood cell
in vertebrates, responsible for protecting the body against infection and
stainable with neutral dyes.
Also
called
polymorph
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin neutr-, stem of neuter (see neuter ), + -phil
.]
—neu·tro·phil·ic [ntrə fíllik], adjective[1]



Nev.

Nev.
Nev.

Abbreviation of
Nevada[1]



Nevada




Back to definition

Nevada

[1]



Nevada

Nevada


Ne·vad·a 
[nə vdə]
state
in the western United States, bordered by Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and
California. Capital: Carson City. Population: 1,676,809 (1997) Area: 286,367 sq
km/110,567 sq mi.
—Ne·vad·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Nevelson,Louise

Nevelson,Louise
Nev·el·son
[névv’lssən], Louise (1900–1988)

Russian-born U.S. sculptor.
She is best known for her ’sculptural walls’ –arrangements of boxes filled with
miscellaneous objects.[1]



never

never
never 
[névvər] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb indicating that something will not happen at any time, or that
somebody will definitely not do something • The
details will never be known. • I
would never do anything to harm or hurt her.

1.
adverb at no time: at no
time in the past or the future • The
bird has never been seen in Iceland before. It may never appear there again.

2.
adverb certainly not:
not in any circumstances at all • I
would never turn my back on them.

3.
interjection exclamation of surprise:
an exclamation indicating surprise or shock • “He’s
won the election after all.”“Never!”
[Old
English, from ne “not” + an earlier form of ever]
never
ever

an
emphatic expression for “never” (informal)

something
will or would never do

indicates
that something is not appropriate or suitable in the circumstances

well
I never!

an exclamation of surprise or
shock • Well
I never! You’ve done it again![1]



never-ending

never-ending
never-ending 
adjective

apparently unlikely ever to
stop: continuing on and on and
seeming unlikely ever to stop[1]



nevermore

nevermore
nev·er·more 
[nèvvər máwr] adverb

never again:
never again (literary)[1]



never-never

never-never
nev·er-nev·er
noun

U.K.
installment purchase:
the installment plan (dated informal) • They
bought a three-piece suite on the never-never.[1]



never-neverland

never-neverland
nev·er-nev·er
land 
noun

imaginary
land:
an unreal or imaginary place, especially one where wonderful things happen • My
opponent’s budget proposals spring from the same never-never land as his job
proposals.
[From Never Never Land
in J. M. Barrie ’s Peter Pan ( 1904 ).][1]



nevertheless

nevertheless
nev·er·the·less 
[nèvvər ə léss] adverb

in spite of that:
despite a situation or comment[1]



NEW

NEW2
NEW2

Abbreviation
of
nonexplosive warfare
[This term was coined in 1988
by Richard Danzig who later became Secretary of the Navy in the Clinton
Administration. It refers to two kinds of viruses—biological and and
high-tech—that terrorists and rogue nations can use against a nation’s military
and civilian infastructure, creating illness, death, and communication chaos.][1]



new

new
new 
[noo] (comparative newer, superlative
newest) adjective

1.  recently
made:
recently made, created, or invented • a new
drug

2.  first-hand:
indicates that something has not been used by anyone else • It’s
a totally new washing machine

3.  replacement:
replaced by something recent or innovative • new
rules to enhance security

4.  recently
discovered:
recently discovered or noticed • The
new comet will be visible at the beginning of July this year.

5.  at
start of period: at the beginning of another day, month,
or year • I
will come to visit you in the new year.

6.  recently
acquired or become: having recently acquired a
particular status or position • a new
mother
• the
new medical school graduates

7.  recently
introduced:
recently introduced and previously unfamiliar • The
city was completely new to me.

8.  recently
introduced to something: recently introduced to a
place or situation • He’s not new to this
city.

9.  changed:
changed, especially for the better • I felt
as if I had slept, and had now just awakened –a new woman, with a new mind.

10. early:
early in the season • new
potatoes
[Old
English nēowe . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English novel, neon, and renovate
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  new, fresh, modern,
  newfangled, novel, original
  CORE
  MEANING: never
  experienced before or having recently come into being new; a general word used to describe
  something that has just been invented, discovered, made, bought or
  experienced. It can also be used to describe somebody or something not
  previously known or encountered, for example, a new friend or a new doctor; fresh; used to describe something new and
  different, especially when it involves a reexamination or reappraisal of
  somebody or something. It can also be used to describe something that seems
  interesting or exciting because it has not been tried or experienced before; modern; used to describe something that is
  the result of or is characterized by up-to-date ideas, techniques, design,
  and equipment; newfangled; used
  informally to show disapproval of something such as a machine or a system
  that is new or different, especially because it seems gimmicky or
  overcomplicated; novel; used to
  describe something that is new and inventive; original;
  used to describe something that is new and unique

[1]



NEW

NEW1
NEW1

Abbreviation of
net economic welfare[1]



NewAge

NewAge
New
Age
adjective

of
modern movement emphasizing spirituality:
relating to a cultural movement dating from the 1980s that emphasizes spiritual
consciousness, and often involves belief in reincarnation and astrology and the
practice of meditation, vegetarianism, and holistic medicine
noun
New Age New Age mu·sic

music
inducing serenity: a style of instrumental
music with simple repetitive melodies, often synthesized or reproducing natural
sounds, that is intended to promote mental tranquility
—New Ag·er, noun[1]



NewAmerican Bible

NewAmerican Bible
New
A·mer·i·can Bi·ble noun

Roman Catholic translation of
Bible: an English translation of
the Bible produced by Roman Catholic scholars in the United States and first
published in 1970[1]



Newark

Newark
New·ark 
[n ərk]

1.  city
in northeastern New Jersey. It is the county seat of Essex County, situated 14
km/9 mi west of New York. Population: 258,751 (1994)

2.  city
in Alameda County, western California, east of San Francisco. Population:
37,861 (1990)

3.  city
in northern Delaware, in New Castle County, situated 19 km/12 mi southwest of
Wilmington. Population: 25,098 (1990)

[1]



newarrival

newarrival
new
ar·ri·val
(plural new ar·ri·vals) noun

1.  baby:
a recently born baby (informal) • I
hear there’s been a new arrival in the family.

2.  most
recent arrival: somebody who or something that is the
latest to arrive • She’s a new arrival at the
company.

[1]



NewBedford

NewBedford
New
Bed·ford


city and port in southeastern
Massachusetts, on Buzzards Bay, southeast of Taunton. It was a major whaling
center during the 1800s. Population: 96,903 (1996)[1]



NewBern

NewBern
New
Bern


city, port, and county seat
of Craven County, eastern North Carolina, situated 48 km/30 mi west of Pamlico
Sound. Population: 17,363 (1990)[1]



newbie

newbie
new·bie
[nbee] (plural new·bies) or
New·bie [nbee] (plural New·bies)
noun

new user of Internet service:
a new user of on-line computer services, especially the Internet • most
users welcome newbies[1]



newblood

newblood
new
blood
noun

incoming people with new
ideas: a person or group bringing
fresh ideas and enthusiasm to a place, situation, or organization[1]



newborn

newborn
new·born 
[n bàwrn] adjective

1.  born
recently:
born very recently

2.  newly
discovered or recovered: recently discovered or
recovered afresh • newborn faith
noun
(plural new·borns)

new baby: a
newborn child

[1]



NewBrunswick

NewBrunswick


New
Bruns·wick 
[noo brúnz wik]

1.  region
in eastern Canada, the largest of the Maritime Provinces. Capital: Fredericton.
Population: 738,133 (1996) Area: 73,440 sq km/28,355 sq mi.

2.        city
in central New Jersey. It is the county seat of Middlesex County, situated 14
km/9 mi west of Perth Amboy. Population: 41,711 (1990)[1]



NewBrunswick




Back to definition

NewBrunswick

[1]



Newburg

Newburg
New·burg
[n bùrg] adjective

with
a rich sauce: cooked and served with a rich sauce of
cream, butter, sherry, and egg yolks • lobster
Newburg
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Newburgh

Newburgh
New·burgh
[nbərg]

city in southeastern New York
State, on the Hudson River, northwest of New York City. Population: 26,248
(1996)[1]



Newburyport

Newburyport
New·bur·y·port 
[nbəree pawrt]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, on the Atlantic coast, directly south of the New Hampshire
border and northwest of Gloucester. Population: 16,558 (1996)[1]



NewCanaan

NewCanaan
New
Ca·naan


town in southwestern
Connecticut, in southwestern Fairfield County, situated on the New York State
border. Population: 17,864 (1990)[1]



NewCarrollton

NewCarrollton
New
Car·roll·ton [noo kárrəltən]

city in west central
Maryland. It is a northeastern suburb of Washington, D.C. Population: 12,811
(1996)[1]



NewCastle

NewCastle
New
Cas·tle 
[n kassəl]

city in western Pennsylvania
on the Shenango River. Population: 28,334 (1990)[1]



Newcastledisease

Newcastledisease
New·cas·tle
dis·ease
[n kàss’l di zz] noun

highly
infectious disease affecting birds: a
highly infectious viral disease that affects poultry and other birds, attacking
the lungs and nervous system
[Early 20th century. Named
for Newcastle upon Tyne in England, where it
was first recorded.][1]



Newcastleupon Tyne

Newcastleupon Tyne
New·cas·tle
up·on Tyne 
[n kassəl ə pon tn]

city and port on the Tyne
River, northeastern England. It is situated at one end of Hadrian’s Wall, and
the Romans built a bridge over the river there. Population: 283,600 (1994)[1]



Newcombe,John

Newcombe,John
New·combe
[nykəm], John (1944– )

Australian
tennis player. He was singles champion at Wimbledon in 1967, 1970, and 1971.
Full name
Newcombe, John David[1]



newcomer

newcomer
new·com·er 
[n kùmmər] (plural new·com·ers)
noun

recent arrival:
somebody who has recently arrived in a place, situation, or organization, or
something that has recently appeared or been introduced[1]



NewCountry

NewCountry
New
Coun·try
noun

urban country-and-western
music: a form of
country-and-western music, originating in the 1980s, that typically features
bland lyrics and smooth arrangements and is designed to appeal to an urban
audience[1]



NewDeal

NewDeal
New
Deal
noun

1.  Roosevelt
reform policies: the policies of social and economic
reform introduced in the United States in the 1930s under the presidency of
Franklin D. Roosevelt.

2.  period
of Roosevelt reforms: the period during which
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies of social and economic reform were
implemented.
[From
the likening of the policies to a new deal in a card game]
—New Deal·er, noun[1]



NewDelhi

NewDelhi
New
Del·hi


capital city of India,
situated in the northern part of the country adjacent to Delhi. It was built
between 1912 and 1929 and inaugurated as the capital in 1931. Population:
294,149 (1991)[1]



NewDemocrat

NewDemocrat
New
Dem·o·crat
(plural New Dem·o·crats) noun

centrist Democrat:
a moderate Democrat dedicated to economic reform and the concerns of the
average voter rather than social issues of special interest groups[1]



NewEconomic Policy

NewEconomic Policy
New
Ec·o·nom·ic Pol·i·cy noun

program of limited Soviet
private enterprise: a program
implemented in the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1928 that permitted some
private enterprise although the state retained overall economic control[1]



newel

newel
new·el 
[n əl] (plural new·els) noun

1.  new·el
or new·el post (plural new·el posts) post
for handrail: a post supporting the handrail of a
staircase at the top or bottom or on a landing

2.  support
for staircase: a vertical pillar to which the steps of
a spiral staircase are attached
[14th century. Via French novel
“knob,” from assumed Vulgar Latin nodellus “little knot.”][1]



NewEng.

NewEng.
New
Eng.

Abbreviation of
New England[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NewEngland

NewEngland
New
Eng·land


region
in the northeastern United States, comprising the states of Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut
—New Eng·lan·der, noun[1]



NewEnglish Bible

NewEnglish Bible
New
En·glish Bi·ble noun

Bible in modern English:
a version of the Bible in modern English translated by British scholars from
various denominations and published in 1970[1]



Newf

Newf
Newf
[noof, nyoof]
(plural Newfs) noun

Canada
(informal) See Newfie[1]



Newf.

Newf.
Newf.

Abbreviation of
Newfoundland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NewFairfield

NewFairfield
New
Fair·field
[noo fáir feeld]

town in Fairfield County,
southwestern Connecticut, situated 32 km20 mi southwest of Waterbury.
Population: 12,911 (1990)[1]



newfangled

newfangled
new·fan·gled 
[noo fáng g’ld] adjective

puzzlingly
new:
puzzlingly or suspiciously new or novel
[15th
century. -Fangled from the past participle of Old English fōn “to
capture.”]
—new-fan·gled·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at new

[1]



new-fashioned

new-fashioned
new-fash·ioned 
adjective

up-to-date:
up-to-date or modern (informal)
[Modeled on old-fashioned][1]



Newfie

Newfie
New·fie
[nfee] (plural New·fies) noun

Canada
Newfoundlander:
somebody who comes from Newfoundland (informal)
Also
called
Newf
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and alteration of Newfoundland .][1]



newfound

newfound
new·found 
[n fòwnd] adjective

recently discovered:
recently discovered or met[1]



Newfoundland

Newfoundland
New·found·land 
[nfəndlənd, nfənd
lànd] (plural New·found·lands) noun

breed of large dog:
a large sturdy dog with a long straight back and a dense, usually black, coat,
belonging to a breed formerly used in water rescues[1]



Newfoundlandand Labrador

Newfoundlandand Labrador


New·found·land
and Lab·ra·dor
the
easternmost province in Canada, comprising the island of Newfoundland and
Labrador on the mainland. Capital: St. John’s. Population: 551,792 (1996) Area:
405,720 sq km/156,649 sq mi.
—New·found·land·er, noun[1]



Newfoundlandand Labrador




Back to definition

Newfoundlandand Labrador

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Newfoundland,Island of

Newfoundland,Island of
New·found·land,
Is·land of
[noo fówndlənd, n
fəndlənd]

island
in the Atlantic Ocean. Along with Labrador. It is part of the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador. Area: 93,830 sq km/36,900 sq mi.
—New·found·land·er, noun[1]



NewfoundlandStandard Time

NewfoundlandStandard Time
New·found·land
Stan·dard Time noun

time zone in Newfoundland:
a time zone used in Newfoundland, Canada, that is 3 hours and 30 minutes behind
Greenwich time and half an hour behind Atlantic Standard Time[1]



newgames

newgames
new
games
plural noun

relaxing noncompetitive
games: forms of play that attempt
to minimize stress and anxiety by emphasizing participation, minimal equipment
and expense, and cooperation over competition[1]



newground

newground
newground
noun

South
Atlantic U.S. land
cleared for cultivation: land that has been recently
cleared and prepared for the cultivation of crops





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Also
  called new land, new ground is mainly recorded in the Central
  and South Atlantic and the Gulf states, with scattered incidence to the north
  and west.

[1]



NewGuinea

NewGuinea
New
Guin·ea


the
second largest island in the world, in the western Pacific Ocean, off the
northern coast of Australia. It is divided between the Indonesian province of
Irian Jaya in the west and Papua New Guinea in the east. Area: 808,510 sq
km/312,170 sq mi.
—New Guin·e·an, noun,
adjective[1]



NewHampshire




Back to definition

NewHampshire

[1]



NewHampshire

NewHampshire


New
Hamp·shire

state
in the northeastern United States, bordered by Canada, Maine, the Atlantic
Ocean, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Capital: Concord. Population: 1,172,709
(1997) Area: 24,043 sq km/9,283 sq mi.
—New Hamp·shir·ite, noun[1]



NewHarmony

NewHarmony
New
Har·mo·ny


town in Posey County,
southwestern Indiana, situated 37 km23 mi northwest of Evansville. The Harmony
Society and Robert Owen both established utopian communities here in the 19th
century. Population: 846 (1990)[1]



NewHaven

NewHaven
New
Ha·ven 
[n hàyv’n]

city in New Haven County,
southern Connecticut, situated 58 km36 mi southwest of Hartford. Population:
119,604 (1994)[1]



NewHebrides

NewHebrides
New
Heb·ri·des


Former name for
Vanuatu until 1980[1]



NewIberia

NewIberia
New
I·be·ri·a


city in southern Louisiana,
southwest of Baton Rouge and southeast of Lafayette. Population: 32,513 (1996)[1]



NeWin

NeWin
Ne
Win
[này wín] (1911– )

Burmese
statesman. Dictator (1962–1974) and president (1974–1981) of Burma (now
Myanmar), he nationalized the economy and suppressed dissent.
Real name
Maung Shu Maung[1]



NewJersey




Back to definition

NewJersey

[1]



NewJersey

NewJersey


New
Jer·sey

state
on the eastern coast of the United States, bordered by New York, the Atlantic
Ocean, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Capital: Trenton. Population: 8,052,849
(1997) Area: 21,277 sq km/8,215 sq mi.
—New
Jer·sey·an, noun, adjective

—New Jer·sey·ite, noun[1]



NewJournalism

NewJournalism
New
Jour·nal·ism noun

subjective journalism:
a style of journalism originating in the United States in the 1960s that
emphasizes the subjective impressions of the reporter and uses techniques
typically found in fiction writing.
Also called
parajournalism[1]



NewKingdom

NewKingdom
New
King·dom
noun

period of Egyptian history:
a period in the history of ancient Egypt, from the 18th to the 20th dynasty
(circa 1580 to 1090 BC )[1]



NewLatin

NewLatin
New
Lat·in
noun

modern form of Latin:
the form of the Latin language used since about the beginning of the 16th
century AD especially for
scientific and taxonomic classification.
Also called
Neo-Latin[1]



NewLeft

NewLeft
New
Left
noun

political
movement:
a political movement, chiefly among students and intellectuals in the United
States and Europe during the 1960s and 1970s, that sought radical social and
economic change
—New Left·ist, noun[1]



NewLondon

NewLondon
New
Lon·don


city in New London County,
southeastern Connecticut, situated on Long Island Sound, 69 km43 mi east of New
Haven. Population: 28,540 (1990)[1]



newlook

newlook
new
look
noun

radical
change in appearance: a radical change in
appearance, design, or style
—new-look, adjective[1]



NewLook

NewLook
New
Look
noun

postwar fashion:
a style in women’s clothes introduced in 1947 by the designer Christian Dior
that featured broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long full skirts[1]



newly

newly
new·ly 
[nlee] adverb

1.  lately:
recently or lately

2.  again:
again or once more

3.  differently:
in a different or novel way

[1]



newlywed

newlywed
new·ly·wed 
[nlee wèd] (plural new·ly·weds)
noun

somebody
recently married: somebody who has recently been married
—new·ly·wed, adjective[1]



NewMan

NewMan
New
Man
(plural New Men) noun

modern sensitive nonmacho
man: a late-20th-century man
characterized by emotional sensitivity, recognition of women as equals, and a
desire to share in domestic chores and the work associated with child rearing[1]



Newman,Barnett

Newman,Barnett
New·man 
[nmən], Barnett (1905–1970)

U.S. painter. His abstract
expressionist works feature a color field broken by one or more vertical lines.[1]



Newman,John Henry

Newman,John Henry
New·man 
[nmən], John Henry, Cardinal (1801–1890)

English theologian. After
converting in 1845, he became the leading British Roman Catholic and was made a
cardinal in 1879.[1]



Newman,Paul

Newman,Paul
New·man 
[nmən], Paul (1925– )

U.S. stage and movie actor. A
popular leading man, he won an Academy Award for The Color of Money (
1986 ).[1]



Newmarket

Newmarket1
New·mar·ket1 [n
mrkət] (plural New·mar·kets) noun

close-fitting
jacket with full skirt: a long double-breasted
close-fitting jacket with a full skirt worn in the 19th century as a riding
coat or overcoat
[Late 17th century. Named for
Newmarket 2 .][1]



Newmarket

Newmarket2
New·mar·ket2  [n
maarkət]

market town in Suffolk,
England, famous for its horseracing since the early 1600s. Population: 16,498
(1991)[1]



newmath

newmath
new
math
noun

elementary set theory:
a method of teaching mathematics, devised in the 1960s, in which children are
introduced to elementary set theory at an early stage[1]



NewMexico




Back to definition

NewMexico

[1]



NewMexico

NewMexico


New
Mex·i·co

state
in the southwestern United States, bordered by Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas,
Mexico, and Arizona. Capital: Santa Fe. Population: 1,729,751 (1997) Area:
314,937 sq km/121,598 sq mi.
—New Mex·i·can, noun,
adjective[1]



NewMilford

NewMilford
New
Mil·ford


town in Litchfield County,
northwestern Connecticut. Population: 23,629 (1990)[1]



newmoney

newmoney
new
mon·ey
noun

recently acquired wealth:
recently acquired wealth or people who have it • It’s
largely new money that’s buying this kind of property these days.[1]



newmoon

newmoon
new
moon
noun

1.  moon
as narrow crescent: the moon at the beginning of
its cycle, when it is invisible from earth or when only a narrow crescent on
the right-hand side of its surface as seen from Earth is visible

2.  moon
period:
the period during which there is a new moon

3.  phase
of moon:
one of the four phases of the Moon, during which it is directly between Earth
and the Sun and invisible or seen only as a narrow crescent

[1]



NewOrleans




Back to definition

NewOrleans

[1]



NewOrleans

NewOrleans

New
Or·leans 
[noo áwrleenz, noo
áwrlinz]
city
in southeastern Louisiana, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. The
largest city in the state, it is known for its annual Mardi Gras festival.
Population: 476,625 (1996)
—New Or·lea·ni·an, noun[1]



Newport

Newport
New·port 
[n pawrt]

1.  city
in northern Kentucky, on the Ohio River, that borders Ohio, east of Covington.
It is a southern suburb of Cincinnati. Population: 16,957 (1996)

2.  city
in southeastern Rhode Island, on Rhode Island itself, connected to the mainland
by bridges. Population: 24,295 (1996)

[1]



NewportBeach

NewportBeach
New·port
Beach

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, situated on the Pacific Ocean coast, 29 km18 mi
southeast of Long Beach. Population: 66,643 (1990)[1]



NewPort Richey

NewPort Richey
New
Port Rich·ey [n pawrt
ríchee]

city in Pasco County, central
Florida, situated 32 km/20 mi northwest of Tampa. Population: 14,044 (1990)[1]



NewRight

NewRight
New
Right
noun

right-wing political
movement: a conservative political
movement that arose during the late 1960s and affirmed a commitment to
established religion, patriotism and smaller, less interventionist government[1]



NewRiver

NewRiver
New
Riv·er

river in the eastern United
States that flows from North Carolina into West Virginia to form the Great
Kanawha River. Length: 515 km/320 mi.[1]



NewRochelle

NewRochelle
New
Ro·chelle 
[noo ro shél]

city in southeastern New
York, on Long Island Sound. It is a northeastern suburb of New York City.
Population: 67,369 (1996)[1]



NewRochelle

NewRochelle
New
Ro·chelle 
[noo ro shél]

city in southeastern New
York, on Long Island Sound. It is a northeastern suburb of New York City.
Population: 67,369 (1996)[1]



news

news
news 
[nooz] noun

1.  recent
information: information about recent events or
developments • I
phoned the hospital, and the news is good.

2.  current
events:
information about current events printed in newspapers or broadcast by the
media • She
has been in the news a lot lately.

3.  program:
a radio or television broadcast presenting the important events or developments
that have taken place on a particular day • I
heard about it on the news.

4.  somebody
or something interesting: somebody or something
considered as being of interest to people in general

5.  something
previously unknown: something previously unknown
to somebody that he or she is surprised to hear about • Their
divorce was news to me.
[15th century. Plural of new .][1]



newsagency

newsagency
news
a·gen·cy
noun

newsgathering organization:
an organization that gathers information about current events and supplies it
to the media.
Also called
news service
Also called
press agency[1]



newsagent

newsagent
news·a·gent
[nz ayjənt] (plural news·a·gents)
noun

U.K.
See newsdealer[1]



newsboy

newsboy
news·boy 
[nz bòy] (plural news·boys) noun

boy selling newspapers:
a boy who sells newspapers in the street or delivers them to houses[1]



newsbreak

newsbreak
news·break 
[nz bràyk] (plural news·breaks)
noun

1.  news
during station break: a short station break during
which two or three news items are broadcast

2.  newsworthy
item:
something that is newsworthy

[1]



newscast

newscast
news·cast 
[nz kàst] (plural news·casts)
noun

broadcast of news:
a television or radio broadcast consisting of news[1]



newscaster

newscaster
news·cast·er
[nz kàstər] (plural news·cast·ers)
noun

somebody presenting news:
somebody who reads or presents the news on a television or radio broadcast[1]



newsconference

newsconference
news
con·fer·ence (plural news con·fer·enc·es)
noun

See
press conference[1]



newsdealer

newsdealer
news·deal·er
[nz dlər] (plural news·deal·ers)
noun

newspaper seller:
somebody who keeps a store or stall selling mainly newspapers, magazines, and
often paperback books and candy[1]



newsdesk

newsdesk
news
desk
(plural news desks) noun

area where news is prepared:
an area of a newspaper office or a radio or television studio where news is
prepared for publication or broadcasting[1]



newsflash

newsflash
news
flash
(plural news flash·es) noun

brief news item:
a brief item of urgent news, often broadcast at short notice interrupting a
scheduled program.
Also called
flash[1]



newsgathering

newsgathering
news·gath·er·ing 
[nz gàəring] noun

collecting
of news:
the collecting of news for possible use in a newspaper, news magazine, or
broadcast
—news·gath·er·er, noun[1]



newsgirl

newsgirl
news·girl 
[nz gùrl] (plural news·girls)
noun

girl selling newspapers:
a girl who sells newspapers in the street or delivers them to houses[1]



newsgroup

newsgroup
news·group
[nz grp] noun

Internet discussion group:
a discussion group maintained on a computer network such as the Internet in
which people leave messages on topics of mutual interest for other participants
to read[1]



newshawk

newshawk
news·hawk
[nz hàwk] (plural news·hawks)
or news·hound [nz hàwk] (plural
news·hounds [nz hownd]) noun

newspaper reporter:
a newspaper reporter (informal)[1]



newsletter

newsletter
news·let·ter 
[nz lèttər] (plural news·let·ters)
noun

printed news report for
group: a printed report or letter
containing news of interest to a particular group, for example, the members of
a society or employees of an organization, and circulated to them periodically[1]



newsmagazine

newsmagazine
news
mag·a·zine
(plural news mag·a·zines) noun

1.  PRESS weekly
news magazine: a magazine, usually published weekly,
containing news and news analysis from the preceding week

2.  BROADCASTING news-magazinesweekly
radio or TV program: a weekly radio or television
program of interviews, investigative reportage, features, and commentary on the
news

[1]



newsmaker

newsmaker
news·mak·er 
[nz màykər] (plural news·mak·ers)
noun

somebody who is newsworthy:
somebody whose activities are considered interesting enough to qualify as news
for the general public[1]



newsman

newsman
news·man 
[nzmən, nz màn]
(plural news·men [nzmən, nz mèn]) noun

man reporting news:
a man journalist or broadcaster who reports news[1]



newsmonger

newsmonger
news·mon·ger 
[nz mùng gər, nz
mòng gər] (plural news·mon·gers) noun

gossip:
somebody who gathers and spreads gossip
—news·mon·ger·ing, noun[1]



NewSouth Wales

NewSouth Wales


New South Wales

state in southeastern Australia. Capital:
Sydney. Population: 6,204,000 (1996) Area: 801,600 sq km/309,500 sq mi.[1]



NewSouth Wales




Back to definition

NewSouth Wales

[1]



newspaper

newspaper
news·pa·per 
[nz pàypər, nsspàypər]
(plural news·pa·pers) noun

1.  printed
account of news: a publication, usually appearing daily
or weekly, containing news and comment on current events, together with
features and advertisements, and printed on large sheets of paper that are
folded together.
Also
called
paper

2.  organization:
an organization that produces a newspaper

3.  paper
from a newspaper: a sheet or sheets of the printed paper
from a newspaper when used for a purpose other than reading

[1]



newspaperman

newspaperman
news·pa·per·man 
[nz paypər màn, nss
paypər màn] (plural news·pa·per·men [nz paypər mèn]) noun

1.  man
news journalist: a man who writes or edits for a
newspaper

2.  newspaper
owner:
a man who owns or publishes a newspaper

[1]



newspaperwoman

newspaperwoman
news·pa·per·wom·an 
[nz paypər wmmən, nss
paypər wmmən] (plural news·pa·per·wom·en [nz paypər wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
news journalist: a woman who writes or edits for a
newspaper

2.  woman
newspaper owner: a woman who owns or publishes a
newspaper

[1]



newspeak

newspeak
new·speak 
[n spk] noun

ambiguous
language:
language that is ambiguous and designed to conceal the truth, especially that
sometimes used by bureaucrats and propagandists
[Named with reference to the
propagandist language given official recognition in Nineteen Eighty-Four,
by British novelist George Orwell, 1949][1]



newsperson

newsperson
news·per·son 
[nz pùrs’n] (plural news·per·sons
or news·peo·ple [nz pp’l]) noun

newsman or newswoman:
a journalist or broadcaster who reports news[1]



newsprint

newsprint
news·print 
[nz prìnt] noun

paper for newspapers:
a relatively cheap and low-quality paper made from recycled materials or wood
pulp and used for printing newspapers.
Also called
newspaper[1]



newsreader

newsreader
news·read·er
[nz rdər] (plural news·read·ers)
noun

U.K.
See anchor[1]



newsreel

newsreel
news·reel 
[nz rl] (plural news·reels) noun

news film:
a short film about recent news events, formerly often shown before a feature
film[1]



newsrelease

newsrelease
news
re·lease
(plural news re·leas·es) noun

See
press release[1]



newsroom

newsroom
news·room 
[nz rm, nz
rm] (plural news·rooms) noun

room where news is prepared:
a room in a radio or television studio or newspaper office where news is
prepared for publication or broadcasting[1]



newsservice

newsservice
news
ser·vice
(plural news serv·ic·es) noun

See
news agency[1]



newsstand

newsstand
news·stand 
[nz stànd] (plural news·stands)
noun

stall selling newspapers:
a stall or booth where newspapers and magazines are sold[1]



NewStyle

NewStyle
New
Style
noun

use of Gregorian calendar:
the reckoning of dates by the Gregorian calendar, in use since 1582[1]



newsvendor

newsvendor
news·ven·dor
[nz vèndər] (plural news·ven·dors)
noun

U.K.,
Canada newspaper seller:
somebody who sells newspapers[1]



newsweekly

newsweekly
news·week·ly 
[nz wklee] (plural news·week·lies)
noun

weekly newspaper:
a weekly newspaper or news magazine[1]



newswoman

newswoman
news·wom·an 
[nz wmmən] (plural news·wom·en
[nz wìmmin]) noun

woman reporting news
journalist: a woman journalist or
broadcaster who reports news[1]



newsworthy

newsworthy
news·wor·thy 
[nz wùree] (comparative news·wor·thi·er,
superlative news·wor·thi·est) adjective

interesting
enough to be news: interesting or important
enough to be reported in the media
—news·wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—news·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



newswriting

newswriting
news·writ·ing
[nz rting] noun

craft of writing the news:
the craft of writing news stories[1]



newsy

newsy
news·y 
[nzee] (comparative news·i·er,
superlative news·i·est) adjective

filled
with news:
filled with news and gossip
—news·i·ly,
adverb

—news·i·ness, noun[1]



newt

newt
newt 
[noot] (plural newts) noun

tailed
amphibian:
a small amphibian of the salamander family with short legs and a well-developed
tail. Family: Salamandridae
[15th century. From the
mistaken division of an ewte, ewte being a variant of Middle
English evete “eft.”][1]



NewTerritories

NewTerritories
New
Ter·ri·to·ries [noo
térritriz, noo térritəriz]

former region of Hong Kong
that was leased to Great Britain by China[1]



NewTestament

NewTestament
New
Tes·ta·ment
noun

second section of Christian
Bible: the second section of the
Christian Bible dealing with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, containing
the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Book of
Revelations[1]



newton

newton
new·ton 
[nt’n] (plural new·tons) noun

unit
of force:
an SI unit of force equivalent to the force that produces an acceleration of
one meter per second on a mass of one kilogram. Symbol N
[Early 20th century. Named
for Sir Isaac Newton .][1]



Newton

Newton
New·ton 
[nt’n]

city in eastern
Massachusetts, composed of 14 villages, west of Boston and east of Marlborough.
Population: 80,238 (1996)[1]



Newtonian

Newtonian
New·to·ni·an
[noo tṓnee ən, nyoo
tṓnee ən] adjective

of Isaac Newton:
relating to, involving, derived from, or typical of the work and theories of
Sir Isaac Newton • Newtonian
physics[1]



Newtoniantelescope

Newtoniantelescope
New·to·ni·an
tel·e·scope
(plural New·to·ni·an tel·e·scopes) noun

reflecting telescope:
a type of reflecting telescope in which mirrors transfer an image to an
eyepiece in the side of the telescope’s body[1]



Newton,Isaac

Newton,Isaac

New·ton 
[|nt’n|], Sir Isaac (1642–1727)
English scientist. He discovered
gravitation, invented calculus, and formulated the laws of motion. He
recognized that white light is a mixture of colored lights, and wrote Mathematical
Principles of Natural Philosophy ( 1687 ) and Opticks ( 1704 ).[1]



Newton-John,Olivia

Newton-John,Olivia
New·ton-John
[nyt’n jón], Olivia (1948– )

Australian singer and actor.
She has starred in several movies including Grease ( 1978 ).[1]



Newton’scradle

Newton’scradle
New·ton’s
cra·dle
(plural New·ton’s cra·dles) noun

toy
with balls in framework: a toy consisting of five
metal balls hanging side by side in a frame. Swinging one ball transmits force
along the line so the other end ball swings away.
[Named for Sir Isaac Newton][1]



Newton’srings

Newton’srings
New·ton’s
rings
noun

pattern
of rings:
a pattern of light interference created by the contact of a convex lens with a
glass plate, appearing as a series of alternating bright and dark rings
[Named for Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered the pattern][1]



Newtown

Newtown
New·town 
[n town]

town in Fairfield County,
Connecticut. Population: 1,770 (1994)[1]



newtown

newtown
new
town
(plural new towns) noun

self-sufficient planned town:
a complete self-contained town with all the usual facilities, created on an
open site, usually to accommodate excess population from existing urban areas[1]



newwave

newwave
new
wave
(plural new waves) noun

1.  CINEMA form
of French film-making: a form of film-making
originating in France during the 1950s that emphasized spontaneity,
unconventionality, and the individual styles of directors.
Also
called
nouvelle vague

2.  ARTS innovative
arts movement: any new and innovative movement in the
arts

3.  MUSIC post-punk
rock music:
rock music made in the late 1970s after the punk rock era

[1]



NewWestminster

NewWestminster
New
West·min·ster  [n
wéstminstər]

city in southwestern British
Columbia, western Canada, situated on the Fraser River, 18 km12 mi southeast of
Vancouver. Population: 43,585 (1991)[1]



NewWorld

NewWorld
New
World 
noun

Western Hemisphere:
North and South America as considered by Europeans following Columbus’s
discovery of the Americas (dated)
See also
Old World[1]



newyear

newyear
new
year
noun

next year:
the year following the current year, especially the early part of it • We
hoped that things would be better in the new year.[1]



NewYear

NewYear
New
Year
noun

first few days of year:
the first day or first few days of a calendar year[1]



NewYear’s Day

NewYear’s Day
New
Year’s Day 
noun

first day of year:
1 January, the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, widely
celebrated as a public holiday[1]



NewYear’s Eve

NewYear’s Eve
New
Year’s Eve 
noun

December 31:
December 31, the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, or the evening
of December 31[1]



NewYear’s resolution

NewYear’s resolution
New
Year’s res·o·lu·tion (plural New Year’s
res·o·lu·tions) noun

decision made at New Year:
a decision to do or stop doing something, made or announced at the New Year,
which is traditionally considered a time for a fresh start[1]



NewYork

NewYork

New
York 
[n yáwrk]

1.  New
York
or New York City city and major port in southeastern New York
State. It is the most populous city in the United States. It comprises
Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island boroughs. Population:
7,380,906 (1996)



2. state
in the eastern United States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec in Canada, Vermont, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. Capital: Albany. Population: 18,137,226 (1997) Area: 139,831 sq
km/53,989 sq mi.
—New York·er, noun[1]



NewYork (city)




Back to definition

NewYork (city)

[1]



NewYork English

NewYork English
New
York Eng·lish noun

a
variety of English spoken in New York





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  New York English is the English language as
  used in New York City, whose idiom has been influenced by waves of
  immigration, especially from Central Europe (notably Jewish and Italian
  immigrants) and from Latin America (notably Puerto Rican immigrants). Local
  pronunciation is largely “non-rhotic” (that is, “r” is not pronounced in such
  words as art, door, and worker ). There is a distinctive
  “o”-sound in such words as coffee (“kawfee”) and ought
  (“awght”). Although “broad New York” tends to have low prestige in the United
  States (including among its own speakers), its everyday usage has had a
  marked influence nationwide and abroad, notably in Yiddish-derived words like
  bagel, chutzpah, klutz, maven, s(c)hmaltz,
  and s(c)hlock, and the humorously or ironically dismissive repeated
  element s(c)h- as in “fancy-s(c)hmancy” (too fancy to be acceptable).
  New York English is also called New Yorkese.

[1]



NewYork (state)




Back to definition

NewYork (state)

[1]



newzaire

newzaire
new
za·ire
(plural new za·ire or new za·ires) noun

See
zaire[1]



NewZealand

NewZealand



New
Zea·land 
[noo zlənd]
country
in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consisting of two large islands, the North
Island and the South Island, and numerous smaller islands. Its Maori name is
Aotearoa, meaning “Land of the Long White Cloud.” Language: English. Currency:
New Zealand dollar. Capital: Wellington. Population: 3,681,546 (1996) Area:
270,534 sq km/104,454 sq mi.
—New Zea·lan·der, noun[1]



NewZealand




Back to definition

NewZealand

[1]



NEX

NEX
NEX

Abbreviation of
Navy exchange[1]



next

next
next 
[nekst] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is close to something else, for
example in space or time • (adjective)
He lives next door to me. • (adjective)
When I returned, my next patient was waiting. • (adverb)
Which patient do you want to see next?

1.
adjective adverb immediately following:
following immediately after the present or previous one • (adjective)
Our next meeting is on April 2nd. • (adverb)
Are you wondering what to do next?

2.
adjective the one after this one:
the day, month, or year following this one • The
case is scheduled for trial next month. • There
is no way of predicting whether this might happen next year or in 300 years.

3.
adjective adjoining: the
one that is nearest • My
colleague in the next office called.

4.
adjective closest to:
closest to in degree • It’s
40 times heavier than the next heaviest quark.
[Old
English nēhsta, literally “most near,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “near,” which is also the ancestor of English nigh]
next
to

1.  adjacent
to or beside something or somebody • Come
and sit next to me.

2.  closest
to, in comparison with something else • Cleanliness,
he said, was next to godliness.

3.  almost,
but not completely (used with a negative) • I
have spent many days trying to figure out a good alternative, and it’s next to
impossible.

[1]



nextdoor

nextdoor
next
door
adverb

1.  in
next house or room: in or into the house or room
next to the one somebody is in • Go
next door and see if their phone’s working.

2.  very
close:
a very short distance away
adjective

immediately adjacent:
situated immediately beside or very close to the one somebody is in or at, or
living in the adjoining house or apartment (hyphenated when used before a
noun)

[1]



nextfriend

nextfriend
next
friend
(plural next friends) noun

somebody acting for another:
somebody who acts for a person who is not legally allowed to act independently,
for example, a child[1]



nextof kin

nextof kin
next
of kin
(plural next of kin) noun

nearest relative:
somebody’s nearest relative or relatives[1]



nexus

nexus
nex·us 
[néksəss] (plural nex·us or
nex·us·es) noun

1.  connection:
a connection or link associating two or more people or things

2.  connected
group:
a group or series of connected individuals or things

3.  center:
the center or focus of something

4.  BIOLOGY specialized
part of cell membrane: a specialized area of the
cellular membrane that helps cells to communicate or adhere
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin nex-, past participle stem of nectere
“to bind.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word nectere, from which nexus
  is derived, is also the source of English connect.

[1]



NezPercé

NezPercé
Nez
Per·cé 
[nez púrss, ness
púrss, nèz pur sáy] (plural Nez
Per·cé or Nez Per·cés) or Nez Per·ce [nez púrss, ness púrss]
(plural Nez Per·ce or Nez Per·ces) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands along the Snake River, and whose
members now live mainly in western Idaho and northeastern Washington state

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native North American
language, spoken in parts of Idaho and Washington, belonging to the
Sahaptin-Chinook branch of Penutian languages. Nez Percé is spoken by about
5,000 people.
[From French, literally
“pierced nose”][1]



ne’er

ne’er
ne’er 
[nair] adverb

never:
never (archaic or literary)
[13th century. Contraction.][1]



ne’er-do-well

ne’er-do-well
ne’er-do-well 
noun (plural ne’er-do-wells)

lazy
person:
a lazy and irresponsible person
adjective

lazy:
lazy and irresponsible[1]



NF

NF
NF

1.  Abbreviation
of
Newfoundland

2.  NF
or N/F or n/f BANKING
Abbreviation of no funds

3.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Norman French

[1]



NFC

NFC
NFC

Abbreviation of
National Football Conference[1]



NFFE

NFFE
NFFE

Abbreviation of
National Federation of Federal Employees[1]



NFL

NFL
NFL

Abbreviation of
National Football League[1]



Nfld.

Nfld.
Nfld.

Abbreviation of
Newfoundland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NFS

NFS
NFS

1.  Abbreviation
of
network file service

2.  Abbreviation
of
network file system

3.  Abbreviation
of
not for sale

[1]



N.G.

N.G.
N.G.

Abbreviation of
National Guard[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ng

ng
ng

Abbreviation of
nanogram[1]



NG

NG
NG
or N.G. or n.g.

Abbreviation of
no good[1]



NgoDinh Diem

NgoDinh Diem
Ngo
Dinh Di·em
[’ng g din dm] (1901–1963)

South Vietnamese statesman.
During his presidency (1955–1963), communist insurgence from North Vietnam
became frequent and disruptive. He was assassinated in a coup.[1]



ngultrum

ngultrum
ngul·trum 
[əng gltrəm, əng
gltrəm] (plural ngul·trums) noun

1.  Bhutanese
currency unit: the main unit of currency in Bhutan

2.  coin
or bill worth a ngultrum: a coin or bill worth one
ngultrum
[Late 20th century. From
Tibetan .][1]



ngwee

ngwee
ngwee 
[əng gwáy, əng
gw] (plural ngwee) noun

1.  minor
unit of Zambian currency: a minor currency unit of
Zambia

2.  coin
worth one ngwee: a coin worth a ngwee, 100 of which are
worth one kwacha
[Mid-20th century. From Bantu
.][1]



NH

NH
NH
or N.H.

Abbreviation of
New Hampshire[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NHL

NHL
NHL

Abbreviation of
National Hockey League[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NI

NI
NI

Abbreviation of
Northern Ireland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ni

Ni
Ni

Symbol for
nickel[1]



niacin

niacin
ni·a·cin 
[n əssin] noun

form
of vitamin B: a vitamin of the B complex, found in
wheat, meat, and dairy products, and used to prevent and treat pellagra. C6H5NO2 
Also
called
nicotinic acid
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from nicotine + acid
+ -in .][1]



niacinamide

niacinamide
ni·a·cin·a·mide 
[n ə sínnə md] noun

compound of vitamin B:
a compound of the vitamin B complex that is an amide of niacin and is important
in the human diet. C6H6N2O
Also called
nicotinamide[1]



Niagara

Niagara
Ni·ag·a·ra 
[nī ággərə]

river in east central North
America, in New York State and Ontario, flowing between Lake Erie and Lake
Ontario via the Niagara Falls. Length: 55 km/34 mi.[1]



NiagaraFalls

NiagaraFalls
Ni·ag·a·ra
Falls 
[nīgárə fawlz]

1.  two
waterfalls in North America, on the United States-Canada border, on the Niagara
River.  and Height: 49 m to51 m/161 ft to167 ft.

2.  city
in Welland County, southeastern Ontario, Canada, situated on the Niagara River,
directly below the falls. Population: 75,399 (1991)

3.  city
in New York, on the Niagara Falls, across the Niagara River from Ontario,
Canada. Population: 58,357 (1996)

[1]



Niamey

Niamey
Nia·mey 
[nyaa máy]

capital city of Niger,
situated on the Niger River in the southwestern part of the country.
Population: 495,000 (1995)[1]



nib

nib
nib 
[nib] (plural nibs) noun

1.  metal
writing tip of pen: a shaped detachable metal
tip on the end of a pen such as a fountain pen, by means of which the ink is
transferred to the paper

2.  sharp
point:
a sharp point or tip, especially the sharpened end of a quill pen

3.  BIRDS beak:
a bird’s beak
[Late 16th century.
Originally a Scottish variant of Old English nebb “beak, bill,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “beak.”][1]



nibble

nibble
nib·ble 
[níbb’l] verb (past nib·bled,
past participle nib·bled, present participle nib·bling,
3rd person present singular nib·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
small quick bites: to take a series of small
quick bites at something, or eat something in a series of small quick bites • She
nibbled an apple while she read.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb eat
something daintily or cautiously: to take dainty,
cautious, or reluctant little bites of something or eat something in this way
taking a very small amount at a time • The
mouse had nibbled the cheese.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bite
playfully and caressingly: to take gentle playful
little bites at part of somebody’s body as a form of caress • The
lion cubs nibbled at each other playfully.

4.  intransitive
verb
reduce
gradually:
to reduce or wear away something gradually by taking a small amount at a time • These
day-to-day expenses nibble away at our money.

5.  intransitive
verb
show
mild interest: to show a tentative interest in
something • Lower
the price a little and the buyers will start to nibble.
noun
(plural nib·bles)

1.  act
of nibbling: a series of small quick or gentle bites
at something

2.  tiny
amount of food: a tiny amount of some type of food (informal)

3.  expression
of mild interest: an expression of tentative interest • I’ve
been trying to make a sale all day but not a nibble so far.
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German nibbeln “to
nibble, gnaw.”]
—nib·bler, noun[1]



Nibelung

Nibelung
Ni·be·lung 
[nbə lng] noun

dwarf
in German mythology: in German mythology, a
member of a race of dwarfs who owned a hoard of treasure that was captured by
the heroic prince Siegfried
[Mid-19th century. From
German .][1]



niblick

niblick
nib·lick 
[níbblik] (plural nib·licks) noun

golf
club:
a golf club that has a short iron head with a steeply sloping face, used to
give extra lift, for example, when playing out of a sand trap (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nibs

nibs
nibs 
[nibz] noun

mock
title:
used as a kind of mock title when referring to an important or self-important
person (informal) • His
nibs will doubtless be expecting the red carpet treatment.
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Nic.

Nic.
Nic.

Abbreviation of
Nicaragua[1]



nicad

nicad
ni·cad
[n kàd] (plural ni·cads) or
ni·cad bat·ter·y [n kàd] noun

battery
using nickel and cadmium: a dry cell battery with
electrodes of nickel and cadmium in an alkaline electrolyte.
Also
called
nickel-cadmium battery
[Mid-20th century. From nickel + cadmium
.][1]



Nicaragua




Back to definition

Nicaragua

[1]



Nicaragua

Nicaragua



Nic·a·ra·gua 
[nìkə rgwə]
republic
and largest nation in Central America, situated between the North Pacific Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea. Language: Spanish. Currency: córdoba. Capital: Managua.
Population: 4,272,000 (1996) Area: 131,812 sq km/50,893 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Nicaragua
—Ni·ca·ra·guan, noun,
adjective[1]



niccolite

niccolite
nic·co·lite 
[níkə lt] noun

mineral
containing nickel: a copper-colored mineral
that is a source of nickel. NiAs
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin niccolum “nickel.”][1]



nice

nice
nice 
[nīss] (comparative nic·er, superlative
nic·est) adjective

1.  pleasant:
pleasant or enjoyable

2.  kind:
kind, or showing courtesy, friendliness, or consideration • It
was a nice gesture to return the money.

3.  respectable:
respectable, or of an acceptable social or moral standard • She’s
made some nice friends at work.

4.  good-looking:
good-looking or pleasing to look at • What a
nice hat you’re wearing!

5.  accomplished:
skillful and accomplished • That
was a nice try.

6.  subtle:
subtle and involving delicacy or fine discrimination • You
may be correct technically, but that’s a nice distinction you’re making.

7.  fastidious
and fussy:
very concerned and careful about choosing, or being seen to do, the right thing
• You
can’t be too nice about your methods if you want to get the job done.
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin nescius “ignorant.” The
meanings “minutely discriminating” and “pleasant” developed by way of “shy,”
“fastidious,” and “refined.”]
—nice·ly,
adverb

—nice·ness,
noun
nice
and

sufficiently or pleasingly • It’s
nice and warm by the fire.[1]



Nicenecreed

Nicenecreed
Ni·cene
creed
[n seen krd, nī
sn krd] noun

statement of Christian
beliefs: a formal statement of
Christian beliefs formulated at the first Nicene Council, held in Nicaea in AD 325, subsequently altered and
expanded, and still in use in most Christian churches[1]



nice-nelly

nice-nelly
nice-nel·ly 
[nīss néllee] adjective

1.  prudish:
prudish or excessively modest

2.  full
of euphemisms: using or including a great many
euphemisms (disapproving)
noun
nice-Nel·ly (plural nice-Nel·lies)

prude:
somebody who is excessively prudish (disapproving)
[From
the name Nelly]
—nice-nel·ly·ism, noun[1]



nicety

nicety
ni·ce·ty 
[nssətee] (plural ni·ce·ties)
noun

1.  refinement
or detail:
a subtle distinction or point, or a small detail, especially of proper
procedure or social etiquette (often used in the plural)

2.  refined
feature:
a feature that makes something particularly refined and pleasurable (often
used in the plural)

3.  subtlety:
a subtle, delicate, or fastidious quality, especially in somebody’s feelings or
taste

4.  precision:
the ability to be precise and accurate and make fine distinctions • the
nicety of his powers of judgment
to
a nicety

with great precision or
exactness[1]



niche

niche
niche 
[nich] noun (plural nich·es)

1.  suitable
place for somebody: a position or activity that
particularly suits somebody’s talents and personality or that somebody can make
his or her own • She carved out her own
niche in the industry.

2.  COMMERCE specialized
market:
an area of the market specializing in a particular type of product • designed
to undercut the competition in the same niche
“Thanks to the Internet, small niche companies can reach mass markets in a
heartbeat.” Forbes Global Business and Finance November 1998

3.  ECOLOGY place
in nature:
the role of an organism within its natural environment that determines its
relations with other organisms and ensures its survival

4.  ARCHITECTURE wall
recess:
a recess in a wall, especially one made to hold a statue

5.  GEOLOGY recess
in rock:
any recess or hollow, such as in a rock formation
transitive
verb
(past niched, past participle niched, present
participle nich·ing, 3rd person present singular nich·es)

put something in niche:
to place something in a niche
[Early 17th century. Via Old
French nichier “to build a nest, nestle,” from Latin nidus “nest”
(see nest ).][1]



Nichiren

Nichiren
Ni·chi·ren
[nch ee ren] (1222–1282)

Japanese Buddhist monk. He
established a form of Buddhism based on the Lotus Sutra, and has many followers
in Japan today.[1]



NicholasI

NicholasI
Nich·o·las
I
[níkələss], Tsar of Russia (1796–1855)

Tsar from 1825, his attempts
to take Constantinople led to the Crimean War (1853–1856).[1]



NicholasII

NicholasII
Nich·o·las
II
[níkələss], Tsar of Russia (1868–1918)

The last tsar of Russia
(1894–1917), he was overthrown in the Russian Revolution and executed with his
family.[1]



Nicholas,Saint

Nicholas,Saint
Nich·o·las 
[níkələss], Saint (lived 4th century)

Churchman from Asia Minor. He
is patron saint of Russia, children, and merchants, and is associated with
Santa Claus.[1]



Nicholasville

Nicholasville
Nich·o·las·ville
[níkələss vìl]

city in central Kentucky,
south of Lexington and northeast of Danville. Population: 16,603 (1996)[1]



Nicholson,Jack

Nicholson,Jack
Nich·ol·son
[ník’lssən], Jack (1937– )

U.S. film actor. He won
Academy Awards for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ( 1975 ), Terms of
Endearment ( 1983 ), and As Good As It Gets ( 1997 ).[1]



nick

nick
nick 
[nik] noun (plural nicks)

1.  notch:
a small V-shaped cut or indentation in an edge or surface

2.  small
cut:
a small cut on the skin

3.  PRINTING groove
on type:
a groove on the side of a piece of metal printing type, used to identify and
orient it

4.  U.K.
police
station:
a police station (slang)

5.  U.K.
prison:
prison (slang) • He
spent ten years in the nick.
transitive
verb
(past nicked, past participle nicked, present
participle nick·ing, 3rd person present singular nicks)

1.  notch
or cut slightly: to make a notch, indentation, or small
cut in something • The scythe blade had
been nicked by a stone.

2.  cheat:
to cheat or defraud somebody (slang)

3.  U.K.
steal
something:
to steal something (slang)

4.  U.K.
arrest
somebody:
to place somebody under arrest (slang)

5.  VETERINARY MEDICINE incise
horse’s tail: to make a cut in the tendons at the root
of a horse’s tail to make the tail stick up
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
in
the nick of time

at
the critical or last possible moment

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



nickel

nickel

nick·el 
[ník’l] noun (plural nick·ells)

1.  silvery
white metallic element: a hard silvery-white
metallic element that is resistant to corrosion and used in alloys, batteries,
electroplating, and as a catalyst. Symbol Ni

2.  five-cent
coin:
a coin worth five cents

3.  FOOTBALL defense
with five backs: defensive football formation with five
backs, used when a pass is expected

4.  5-year
prison term: a prison sentence of five years (slang)
transitive verb
(past nick·elled, past participle nick·elled, present
participle nick·el·ling, 3rd person present singular nick·ells)

coat something with nickel:
to plate something with nickel
adjective

costing five dollars:
costing or worth five dollars (slang)
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of German Kupfernickel “copper nickel”: “nickel” from nickel
“mischievous demon,” because the ore yielded no copper.][1]



nickel-and-dime

nickel-and-dime
nick·el-and-dime 
adjective

1.  low-paid:
paying or involving only a small amount of money (slang)

2.  minor:
small-scale or of little importance (informal)
transitive
verb
(past nick·el-and-dimed, past participle nick·el-and-dimed,
present participle nick·el-and-dim·ing, 3rd person present
singular nick·el-and-dimes)

1.  impoverish
through small expenses: to get somebody or something
into financial trouble by accumulating many small costs and expenses (slang)

2.  bother
somebody in many small ways: to hinder or harass somebody
with trivialities and insignificant matters

[1]



nickel-cadmiumbattery

nickel-cadmiumbattery
nick·el-cad·mi·um
bat·ter·y
noun

See
nicad battery[1]



nickelic

nickelic
nick·el·ic 
[ni kéllik, níkəlik]
adjective

containing nickel:
containing nickel, especially nickel with a valence of three[1]



nickeliferous

nickeliferous
nick·el·if·er·ous 
[nìkə líffərəss] adjective

containing nickel:
containing or yielding nickel[1]



nickelodeon

nickelodeon
nick·el·o·de·on 
[nìkə lṓdee ən] (plural nick·el·o·de·ons)
noun

1.  early
jukebox:
an early variety of coin-operated jukebox

2.  five-cent
movie theater: an early 20th-century movie theater,
charging five cents for admission

3.  coin-operated
player piano: an early variety of player piano
operated by inserting coins
[Early 20th century. From nickel + shortening of melodeon
.][1]



nickelous

nickelous
nick·el·ous 
[níkələss] adjective

containing nickel:
containing nickel, especially nickel with a valence of two[1]



nickelplate

nickelplate
nick·el
plate
noun

coating
of nickel:
a thin coating of nickel applied to something, usually by electrolysis
—nick·el-plat·ed,
adjective

—nick·el-plat·ing, noun[1]



nickelsilver

nickelsilver
nick·el
sil·ver
noun

metal alloy:
a hard durable white alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel, used, for example, in
making cutlery and wire.
Also called
German silver[1]



nicker

nicker1
nick·er1  [níkər]
(past nick·ered, past participle nick·ered, present
participle nick·er·ing, 3rd person present singular nick·ers,
plural nick·ers) intransitive verb

neigh
softly:
to make a soft neighing sound • The
pony nickered and shook its head.
[Late
16th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—nick·er, noun[1]



nicker

nicker2
nick·er2  [níkər]
(plural nick·er) noun

U.K.
pound
sterling:
a pound sterling (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Nicklaus,Jack

Nicklaus,Jack
Nick·laus 
[ník lowss], Jack (1940– )

U.S.
golfer. He dominated professional golf in the 1960s and 1970s, winning a record
20 championship titles.
Known as
Golden Bear Full name Nicklaus, Jack William[1]



nick-nack

nick-nack
nick-nack 
(plural nick-nacks) noun

See
knickknack[1]



nickname

nickname
nick·name 
[ník nàym] noun (plural nick·names)

1.  invented
name:
an invented name for somebody or something, used humorously or affectionately
instead of the real name and usually based on a conspicuous characteristic of
the person or thing involved

2.  short
name:
a shortened or altered form of a name, such as “Billy” for “William” or “Peggy”
for “Margaret”
transitive
verb
(past nick·named, past participle nick·named, present
participle nick·nam·ing, 3rd person present singular nick·names)

call by nickname:
to give a nickname to somebody or something
[15th
century. Mistaken division of an eke name “an additional name.”]
—nick·nam·er (plural
nick·nam·ers), noun[1]



NicobarIslands

NicobarIslands
Nic·o·bar
Is·lands 
[níkə br ləndz]

southern part of the Indian
union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, situated between the Bay of
Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The Nicobar Islands consist of 19 islands.
Population: 39,022 (1991) Area: 1,841 sq km/711 sq mi.[1]



Nicosia

Nicosia
Nic·o·si·a 
[nìkə s ə]

capital city of Cyprus,
situated on the Pedhieos River in the northern part of the island. In 1974 it
was partitioned into Turkish and Greek Cypriot sectors. Population: 228,215
(1994)[1]



nicotiana

nicotiana
ni·co·ti·an·a 
[ni kshee ánnə, ni
kshee nə] (plural ni·co·ti·an·as or ni·co·ti·an·a)
noun

flowering
plant:
a perennial or annual flowering plant with fragrant white, yellow, or purple
flowers, of a genus that includes the tobacco plant and belongs to the
nightshade family. Genus: Nicotiana
[Early 17th century. Named
for French courtier Jacques Nicot (1530–1604), ambassador to Lisbon, who
introduced tobacco to France.][1]



nicotinamide

nicotinamide
nic·o·tin·a·mide 
[nìkə tínnə mīd] noun

See
niacinamide[1]



nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide

nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide
nic·o·tin·a·mide
ad·e·nine di·nu·cle·o·tide  noun

Full form of
NAD[1]



nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide phosphate

nicotinamideadenine dinucleotide phosphate
nic·o·tin·a·mide
ad·e·nine din·u·cle·o·tide phos·phate noun

Full form of
NADP[1]



nicotine

nicotine
nic·o·tine 
[níkə tn] noun

1.  poisonous
alkaloid:
a toxic alkaloid found in tobacco and also used in liquid form as an
insecticide. C10H14N2

2.  tobacco:
tobacco products, or the smoking of them (informal)
[Early
19th century. Shortening of nicotiana +
chemical suffix -ine .]
—nic·o·tin·ic, adjective[1]



nicotinegum

nicotinegum
nic·o·tine
gum
noun

chewing gum with nicotine:
chewing gum containing nicotine, used as a substitute for tobacco by people who
are trying to give up smoking[1]



nicotinepatch

nicotinepatch
nic·o·tine
patch
(plural nic·o·tine patch·es) noun

nicotine-impregnated patch
worn on skin: a small patch that when
placed on the skin releases nicotine directly into the bloodstream, used by
people who are trying to give up smoking[1]



nicotinicacid

nicotinicacid
nic·o·tin·ic
ac·id
noun

See
niacin[1]



nicotinism

nicotinism
nic·o·tin·ism 
[níkə tee nìzzəm] noun

nicotine poisoning:
poisoning caused by an excessive intake of nicotine through smoking[1]



nictitate

nictitate
nic·ti·tate 
[níkti tàyt] (past nic·ti·tat·ed,
past participle nic·ti·tat·ed, present participle nic·ti·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular nic·ti·tates) or nic·tate
[ník tàyt] (past nic·tat·ed, past
participle nic·tat·ed, present participle nic·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular nic·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

blink:
to blink or wink (technical)
[Early
19th century. Ultimately from medieval Latin nictitat-, past participle
stem of nictitare, literally “to wink repeatedly,” from Latin nictare
“to wink.”]
—nic·ta·tion
[nik táysh’n], noun

—nic·ti·ta·tion [nik táysh’n], noun[1]



nictitatingmembrane

nictitatingmembrane
nic·ti·tat·ing
mem·brane 
noun

inner eyelid:
a thin transparent layer of skin underneath the eyelid that can cover the eye
surface of birds, reptiles, and some mammals to moisten and protect it.
Also called
haw 4 
Also called
third eyelid[1]



nide

nide
nide 
[nīd] (plural nides) noun

U.K.
brood
of pheasants: a brood of pheasants or a pheasant’s
nest
[Late 17th century. Via
French nid, from Latin nidus “nest.”][1]



nidi

nidi
nidi


Plural of
nidus[1]



nidicolous

nidicolous
ni·dic·o·lous 
[nī díkələss] adjective

staying
in nest:
used to describe young birds that remain in the nest for some time after
hatching
[Early 20th century.
Literally “frequenting a nest,” formed from Latin nidus “nest.”][1]



nidificate

nidificate
nid·i·fi·cate
[nìddífə kayt, nī
díffə kayt] intransitive verb

See
nidify
[Early 19th century. From the
Latin stem nidificat-, past participle stem of nidificare (see nidify ).][1]



nidifugous

nidifugous
ni·dif·u·gous 
[nī díffyəgəss] adjective

leaving
the nest early: used to describe young birds that leave
the nest a short time after hatching
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin nidus “nest” (see nest ) +
fugere “to flee.”][1]



nidify

nidify
nid·i·fy 
[níddə f] (past nid·i·fied, past
participle nid·i·fied, present participle nid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular nid·i·fies) or nid·i·fi·cate
[níddəfi kàyt] (past nid·i·fi·cat·ed,
past participle nid·i·fi·cat·ed, present participle nid·i·fi·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular nid·i·fi·cates) intransitive verb

build
nest:
to build a nest
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin nidificare “to build a nest,” from nidus
“nest” (see nest ).]
—nid·i·fi·ca·tion [nìddəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



nidus

nidus
ni·dus 
[ndəss] (plural ni·dus·es or
ni·di [n d]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY spider
or insect nest: a nest in which spiders or insects
deposit eggs

2.  MEDICINE focus
of infection: a site in the body at which an infection
develops

3.  BOTANY spore-developing
plant part:
a place in a plant where its spores develop
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “nest” (see nest ).][1]



niece

niece
niece 
[neess] (plural niec·es) noun

daughter
of sibling:
a daughter of somebody’s brother, brother-in-law, sister, or sister-in-law
[13th century. Via Old
French, from Latin neptis “granddaughter, niece.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English nephew and nepotism
.][1]



niello

niello
ni·el·lo 
[nee éllō] noun (plural ni·el·li
[nee éllee] or ni·el·los)

1.  black
alloy used as inlay: a deep black alloy of sulfur
and silver, lead, or copper, used to fill lines inlaid as decoration on a metal
surface

2.  use
of niello:
the process of using niello to decorate a metal surface

3.  something
decorated with niello: something decorated with
niello as an inlay
transitive
verb
(past ni·el·loed, past participle ni·el·loed, present
participle ni·el·lo·ing, 3rd person present singular ni·el·los)

decorate something with niello:
to decorate something using niello as an inlay
[Early
19th century. Via Italian from Latin nigellus “blackish,” diminutive of niger
“black.”]
—ni·el·list, noun[1]



nielsbohrium

nielsbohrium
niels·bohr·i·um 
[neelz báwree əm] noun

radioactive
element:
an artificially produced radioactive chemical element with the atomic number
105
[Late 20th century. Named in
honor of Niels Bohr ( 1885–1962 ), Danish physicist.][1]



Niemeyer,Oscar

Niemeyer,Oscar
Nie·mey·er
[n mī ər], Oscar (1907– )

Brazilian
architect. He is best known for designing the major buildings in Brasília (
1956–1964 ), the new capital of Brazil.
Full name
Niemeyer Soares Filho, Oscar[1]



Nietzsche,Friedrich Wilhelm

Nietzsche,Friedrich Wilhelm

Nie·tzsche 
[nchə, nchee],
Friedrich Wilhelm (1844–1900)
German
philosopher. Author of Thus Spake Zarathustra ( 1883–1885 ) and one of
the most influential thinkers of the 19th century, he founded his philosophy on
the will-to-power and rejected religion.

—Ni·et·zschean,
noun, adjective

—Ni·et·zschean·ism, noun[1]



nifedipine

nifedipine
ni·fed·i·pine 
[nə féddə pn, nī
féddəpin] noun

calcium
blocker:
a drug that stops the heart muscles from taking up calcium and is used to treat
high blood pressure and angina pectoris. C17H18N2O6
[Late 20th century. Coined
from nitro- + fe (shortening and
alteration of phenyl ) + di- “twice” + pine (contraction of pyridine ).][1]



nifty

nifty
nif·ty 
[níftee] adjective (comparative
nif·ti·er, superlative nif·ti·est) (informal)

1.  stylish
and good-looking: fashionable and good-looking

2.  agile:
good, quick, and clever at doing something or using something

3.  very
good:
very good or effective
noun
(plural nif·ties)

something clever:
something clever, neat, or excellent, especially a witticism (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
—nif·ti·ly,
adverb

—nif·ti·ness, noun[1]



Nig.

Nig.
Nig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Nigeria

2.  Abbreviation
of
Nigerian

[1]



Niger




Back to definition

Niger1

[1]



Niger

Niger2
Ni·ger2  [njər]

river in northern West
Africa. The third longest river in Africa, it rises in southern Guinea, and
flows northward through Mali, then southwest into the Gulf of Guinea, through
Niger and Nigeria. Length: 4,180 km/2,600 mi.[1]



Niger

Niger1



Ni·ger1  [njər]
republic in northwestern Africa, north of
Nigeria and south of Libya. Language: French. Currency: CFA franc. Capital:
Niamey. Population: 9,465,000 (1996) Area: 1,267,000 sq km/489,191 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Niger[1]



Niger-Congo

Niger-Congo
Ni·ger-Con·go 
noun

African
family of languages: a family of over one
thousand languages spoken in central and southern parts of Africa, the major
branches of which are Adamawa-Eastern, Benue-Congo, Gur, Kwa, Mande, and West
Atlantic. Well over 200 million people speak one of the Niger-Congo languages.
—Ni·ger-Con·go, adjective[1]



Nigeria

Nigeria



Ni·ge·ri·a 
[nī jree ə]
republic
in western Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea, south of Niger. Language: English.
Currency: kobo. Capital: Abuja. Population: 103,912,000 (1996) Area: 923,773 sq
km/356,669 sq mi. Official name Federal Republic of Nigeria
—Ni·ge·ri·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Nigeria




Back to definition

Nigeria

[1]



NigerianEnglish

NigerianEnglish
Ni·ger·i·an
Eng·lish
noun

English
of Nigeria:
a variety of English spoken in Nigeria





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Nigerian English is the English language as
  it has been used in the region of the Niger, West Africa, for purposes of
  trade since at least the 18th century, at missions since the 19th century,
  and increasingly in education, administration, the media, and the 20th-century
  workplace, especially since the formation by the British of a unified Nigeria
  in 1914. The existence of a single Nigerian English continues to be debated
  and disputed within the country, in which there is a spectrum of usage from
  West African Pidgin English through varieties influenced by local languages
  such as Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, to a standardizing general usage similar to
  other English-speaking West African countries. All varieties are “non-rhotic”
  (that is, “r” is not pronounced in such words as art, door, and
  worker ). There is a tendency toward full vowels in all syllables
  (e.g., 7 pronounced seh-ven, not sevn ). There is often
  no distinction between words like chip and cheap and ones like caught,
  cot, and court . In grammar, there is a tendency toward
  countability in nouns (as in I gave them some advices ) and the
  reflexive pronoun themselves is often used instead of one another
  (as in That couple really love themselves ). Distinctive vocabulary
  includes borrowings and loan translations from local languages, such as danshiki
  from Hausa (“a gown worn by men”) and to throw water (“to offer
  a bribe”). See AFRICAN ENGLISH.

[1]



niggard

niggard
nig·gard 
[níggərd] (plural nig·gards) noun

miserly
person:
somebody who is stingy or miserly
[14th century. Alteration of nigon,
of uncertain origin: possibly formed from nig “stingy,” from
Scandinavian .][1]



niggardly

niggardly
nig·gard·ly 
[níggərdlee] adjective (comparative
nig·gard·li·er, superlative nig·gard·li·est)

1.  not
generous:
very reluctant to give or spend anything

2.  small
or inadequate: very small or inadequate in quantity
adverb

in a stingy way:
in a miserly or stingy way
—nig·gard·li·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Although
  the etymology of niggardly and niggard
  remains subject to debate, these words probably have a Scandinavian origin
  not associated historically with the origin of the offensive word Negro
  and its related offensive racist slurs. These are derived ultimately from
  Latin. Niggardly, then, is in no way a
  racial slur. However, the fact that the word sounds as if it might be one is
  reason to consider context very carefully before using it.

[1]



nigger

nigger
nig·ger 
[níggər] (plural nig·gers) noun
(taboo)

1.  taboo
offensive term: a highly offensive taboo term for a
black person

2.  taboo
offensive term: a highly offensive taboo term for a
dark-skinned person
[Late
17th century. Via Spanish negro from Latin niger “black.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Racism
  issue:
  This
  term is arguably the single most offensive racist slur in the English
  language. The fact that African Americans and other people of color sometimes
  use this word in reference to themselves does not excuse its present-day use
  by members of other ethnic groups. Those who persist in using it should
  remember that their use of the word reflects directly upon them, the users.
  The terms of choice are African American, Black or Black
  person, and person of color.

[1]



niggle

niggle
nig·gle 
[nígg’l] verb (past nig·gled,
past participle nig·gled, present participle nig·gling,
3rd person present singular nig·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
criticize
in petty way: to criticize or find fault continually,
especially about small matters

2.  intransitive
verb
be
preoccupied with details: to be preoccupied with petty
details

3.  transitive
verb
worry
somebody:
to be a source of worry and irritation to somebody, especially in a small way
over a long period of time
noun
(plural nig·gles) U.K. Canada

1.  petty
criticism:
a petty or carping criticism • Once
we have a broad agreement, we can sort out these niggles.

2.  nagging
worry:
a small but continuing source of annoyance or worry
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Scandinavian .]
—nig·gler, noun[1]



niggling

niggling
nig·gling 
[níggling] adjective

1.  too
preoccupied with detail: petty or too preoccupied
with details

2.  irritating:
irritating, painful, or worrying, especially in a small but persistent way
—nig·gling,
noun

—nig·gling·ly, adverb[1]



nigh

nigh
nigh 
[nī] adverb (comparative nigher,
superlative nighest) adjective

near:
near in place or time • (adverb)
Daybreak drew nigh. • (adjective)
Morning was nigh.
adverb
(comparative nigher, superlative nighest)

almost:
nearly • We
talked for nigh on to two hours.
[Old English nēah,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English near and next][1]



nighhorse

nighhorse
nigh
horse
(plural nigh hors·es) noun

Midwestern
U.S.,
Northeastern U.S. horse on left side of
vehicle:
the horse on the left side of a pair of horses drawing a vehicle (dated)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  nigh horse is also called the near horse or lead horse .
  Old-fashioned today, and disappearing because of automative farming, the term
  endures in the Northeastern and Great Lakes states.

[1]



night

night
night 
[nīt] noun (plural nights)

1.  daily
period of darkness: the period of darkness
occurring each day in most parts of the world, or the entire period between
sunset and sunrise

2.  time
between bedtime and waking: the time between somebody’s
going to sleep in the evening and waking the next morning

3.  period
of evening activities: the period between sunset
and bedtime, especially when spent in entertainment or some other activity • We
had a great night at her birthday party.

4.  night
or Night evening devoted to special
activity:
any period after sunset devoted to a special activity, function, or observance
• Tomorrow
night is Family Night at the ballpark.

5.  nightfall:
the period of time just after the sun goes down, when it gets dark

6.  dark
or darkened state: a dark or darkened state, or
an absence of light, consciousness, or enlightenment (literary)

7.  sad
or bad period: a period marked by grief, gloom,
ignorance, or obscurity • Europe
slipped into the long night of the Dark Ages.
adjective

1.  occurring
at night:
occurring, appearing, or visible at night • night
terrors

2.  used
at night:
used chiefly at night • Use
the night entrance.

3.  working
at night:
working at night in a job also done during the day • the
night porter

4.  active
at night:
awake or active at night • night
feeders
interjection

goodnight:
goodnight (informal)
[Old
English niht . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English nocturnal and equinox .]
night
and day

the entire time[1]



nightblindness

nightblindness
night
blind·ness
noun

impaired
sight in dim light: an inability to see clearly
in dim light while having normal vision in clear light. Technical name nyctalopia
—night-blind, adjective[1]



night-bloomingcereus

night-bloomingcereus
night-bloom·ing
ce·re·us 
noun

flowering cactus:
a cactus whose large fragrant flowers open at night. Genera: Hylocereus,
Peniocereus, Nyctocereus, Selenicereus[1]



nightcap

nightcap
night·cap 
[nt kàp] (plural night·caps) noun

1.  BEVERAGES drink
before sleep: a drink, often alcoholic, taken before
going to bed

2.  CLOTHES cap
used as nightwear: a soft cap worn in bed to
keep the head warm, in use mainly until the late 19th century

3.  SPORTS last
event:
the last event of a day of sports, especially the second game of a baseball
double-header

[1]



nightclothes

nightclothes
night·clothes 
[nt klz, nt
klz] plural noun

clothes for wearing in bed:
any clothes designed to be worn in bed[1]



nightclub

nightclub
night·club 
[nt klùb] (plural night·clubs)
noun

place of entertainment open
late: a place of entertainment
open late at night, offering music, dancing, and drinks, and sometimes serving
food and providing a floor show.
Also called
club
Also called
nightspot[1]



nightclubbing

nightclubbing
night·club·bing
[nt klùbbing] noun

See
clubbing  noun 1[1]



nightcourt

nightcourt
night
court
(plural night courts) noun

court in session at night:
a court that sits at night, especially for routine matters like disposition of
charges and granting of bail[1]



nightcrawler

nightcrawler
night
crawl·er
(plural night crawl·ers) noun

earthworm
used as bait: a large earthworm found on the surface
of the ground at night, often used as bait in fishing





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Night crawler is a northern term that
  has spread across the country to become common everywhere except in the lower
  southern states.

[1]



nightdepository

nightdepository
night
de·pos·i·to·ry noun

safe with access from
outside: a safe in the wall of a bank
that can be opened from the outside to allow people to deposit money at times
when the bank is closed.
U.K. term
night safe[1]



nightdress

nightdress
night·dress 
[nt drèss] (plural night·dress·es)
noun

1.  See
nightgown

2.  See
sleepwear

[1]



nightfall

nightfall
night·fall 
[nt fàwl] noun

beginning of night:
the time of evening at which it becomes dark and night begins • Be
home by nightfall.[1]



nightfighter

nightfighter
night
fight·er
(plural night fight·ers) noun

night-flying fighter
aircraft: a fighter aircraft designed
to fly at night[1]



nightglow

nightglow
night·glow 
[nt gl] noun

dim light seen at night:
a dim light from the upper atmosphere seen at night[1]



nightgown

nightgown
night·gown 
[nt gòwn] (plural night·gowns)
noun

woman’s night garment:
a loose dress of light material worn in bed by women and girls.
Also called
nightdress
U.K. term
nightdress[1]



nighthawk

nighthawk
night·hawk 
[nt hàwk] (plural night·hawks)
noun

1.  insect-feeding
nightjar:
a North American nightjar, related to the whippoorwill, that feeds on flying
insects after dark and has long pointed wings and black, white, and buff
plumage. Genus: Chordeiles
Also
called
bullbat
Also
called
mosquito hawk

2.  (informal)
See night owl

[1]



nightheron

nightheron
night
her·on
(plural night her·ons) noun

nocturnal heron:
a stocky heron with short legs and a thick bill that is active at night or
twilight. Genus: Nycticorax[1]



nightie

nightie
night·ie 
[ntee] (plural night·ies) or
night·y [ntee] (plural night·ies)
noun

nightgown:
a nightgown (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening and alteration.][1]



nightingale

nightingale
night·in·gale 
[nt’n gàyl, nting
gàyl] (plural night·in·gales) noun

1.  night-singing
songbird of thrush family: a migratory songbird of the
thrush family with brownish plumage. The male is known for its melodious song,
especially noticeable at night during the breeding season. Latin name: Luscinia
megarhynchos

2.  woman
singer:
a woman who sings sweetly (dated)
[13th
century. Alteration of Old English nihtegala, from a prehistoric
Germanic compound meaning “night-singer,” from the ancestors of English night and yell
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Ode
  to a Nightingale, a poem ( 1819 ) by English writer John Keats. The poet
  recounts how on hearing the joyful song of the nightingale he is filled with
  an intense joy that provides an escape from his woes. But, as he considers
  the fact that the bird’s song has been an inspiration throughout history, the
  sound fades and he is suddenly returned to reality.

[1]



Nightingale,Florence

Nightingale,Florence

Night·in·gale 
[nting gàyl], Florence (1820–1910)
British nurse. She worked in the Crimean
War, becoming known as “The Lady with the Lamp.” Later she founded the
Nightingale School of Nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital, London.[1]



nightjar

nightjar
night·jar 
[nt jr] (plural night·jars) noun

nocturnal
bird:
a bird with a short bill, large gaping mouth, and dark plumage that is active
at night and twilight and feeds on insects caught in flight. Family:
Caprimulgidae
Also
called
goatsucker
[Jar from jar 2 with the
sense “quivering sound”][1]



nightjasmine

nightjasmine
night
jas·mine
noun

1.  Asian
shrub:
an Asian shrub with small fragrant orange-and-white flowers. Latin name: Nyctanthes
arbortristis

2.  West
Indian shrub: a West Indian shrub with small,
greenish-white flowers that release fragrance at night. Latin name: Cestrum
nocturnum

[1]



nightlatch

nightlatch
night
latch
(plural night latch·es) noun

door lock:
a door lock operated from inside by a knob and from outside by a key[1]



nightlife

nightlife
night·life 
[nt lf] noun

evening entertainment:
the entertainment or social life that goes on in a place in the evenings • Let’s
go out and check out the local nightlife.[1]



nightlight

nightlight
night·light
[nt lt] (plural night·lights)
noun

small light on at night:
a small lamp or candle lit to give a dim light during the night, especially in
a child’s bedroom[1]



nightlizard

nightlizard
night
liz·ard
noun

nocturnal lizard:
any lizard of the southwest United States, Mexico, and Central America,
typically found in arid regions and active only at night. Family: Xantusiidae[1]



nightlong

nightlong
night·long 
[nt làwng] adjective

throughout
entire night: lasting or occurring throughout the
entire night
—night·long, adverb[1]



nightly

nightly
night·ly 
[ntlee] adjective

1.  happening
every night: taking place every night

2.  occurring
at night:
typically occurring at night
adverb

every night: on or
during each and every night • The
band is playing nightly this week.

[1]



nightmare

nightmare
night·mare 
[nt màir] noun (plural night·mares)

1.  bad
dream:
a frightening or upsetting dream

2.  traumatic
experience:
a traumatic, very upsetting, or extremely difficult and troublesome experience
or situation

3.  dreaded
event:
a situation or event that somebody particularly fears

4.  PARANORMAL evil
spirit:
a malign spirit formerly believed to suffocate or haunt people during sleep
adjective

extremely frightening or difficult:
extremely frightening, upsetting, or difficult to deal with
[13th
century. Literally “night goblin”; mare from Old English, from
prehistoric Germanic.]
—night·mar·ish,
adjective

—night·mar·ish·ly, adverb[1]



nightowl

nightowl
night
owl
(plural night owls) noun

somebody active at night:
somebody who stays up late at night, especially to work or socialize (informal)

Also called
nighthawk[1]



nightraven

nightraven
night
rav·en
(plural night rav·ens) noun

bird crying at night:
any bird that cries at night (literary)[1]



nightrider

nightrider
night·rid·er 
[nt rdər] (plural night·rid·ers)
noun

terrorist after Civil War:
a member of a group of masked horsemen who at night terrorized or intimidated
African Americans and their sympathizers in the southern United States in the
period after the Civil War[1]



nights

nights
nights
[nīts] adverb

during the night:
during the night or every night • They
work nights.[1]



nightsafe

nightsafe
night
safe
(plural night safes) noun

U.K.
See night depository[1]



nightschool

nightschool
night
school
(plural night schools) noun

school with evening classes:
a school or college that holds classes in the evening, especially for people
who are at work during the day[1]



nightscope

nightscope
night·scope
[nt skp] (plural night·scopes)
noun

device for seeing in dark:
an optical device, for example, using infrared radiation, that gives better
vision in the dark[1]



nightshade

nightshade
night·shade 
[nt shàyd] (plural night·shades)
noun

poisonous
plant:
a wild plant, related to potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants, with flowers that
have five petals, and small berries. Some are poisonous, for example, deadly
nightshade. Family: Solanaceae
[Said to be so called with
reference to its poisonous properties][1]



nightshift

nightshift
night
shift
(plural night shifts) noun

1.  nighttime
work period: a set period of work during the night • The
manager asked if anyone wanted to work a night shift.

2.  people
working at night: a group of people who work during a set
period at night • The night shift
finishes up at seven in the morning.

[1]



nightshirt

nightshirt
night·shirt 
[nt shùrt] (plural night·shirts)
noun

man’s night garment:
a long loose shirtlike garment worn in bed by men[1]



nightside

nightside
night·side
[nt sd] (plural night·sides)
noun

dark side of planet or moon:
the side of a planet or moon that is not lit by the sun[1]



nightsight

nightsight
night
sight
(plural night sights) noun

rifle sight:
an infrared sight on a rifle used for taking aim in darkness[1]



nightsoil

nightsoil
night
soil
noun

excrement used as fertilizer:
human excrement collected at night from toilets or cesspools, especially for
use as fertilizer[1]



nightspot

nightspot
night·spot 
[nt spot] (plural night·spots)
noun

See
nightclub[1]



nightstand

nightstand
night·stand 
[nt stand] (plural night·stands)
noun

See
night table[1]



nightstick

nightstick
night·stick 
[nt stìk] (plural night·sticks)
noun

police
officer’s club: a club carried by a police officer
[Night because the club was
traditionally carried especially at night][1]



nighttable

nighttable
night
ta·ble
(plural night ta·bles) noun

bedside table:
a bedside table or stand.
Also called
night stand[1]



nightterror

nightterror
night
ter·ror
(plural night ter·rors) noun

waking up frightened:
a sudden awakening from sleep in a condition of extreme fear that is not
associated with a dream or nightmare[1]



nighttime

nighttime
night·time 
[nt tm] noun

night:
the period of each day when it is dark, or the time between sunset and sunrise[1]



nightvision

nightvision
night
vi·sion
noun

ability to see in darkness:
somebody’s ability to see in the dark • They
say eating carrots improves your night vision.[1]



nightwatch

nightwatch
night
watch
(plural night watch·es) noun

1.  guard
kept at night: a guard or watch kept during the night • I’m
on night watch this week.

2.  See
night watchman  noun

[1]



nightwatchman

nightwatchman
night
watch·man
noun

somebody guarding at night:
somebody who keeps watch over or guards a building or a place such as a
building site or factory at night.
Also called
night watch[1]



nightwear

nightwear
night·wear 
[nt wair] noun

See
sleepwear[1]



nighty

nighty
night·y
noun

See
nightie[1]



nigrescence

nigrescence
ni·gres·cence 
[nī gréss’nss] noun

becoming
black:
the process of becoming black or dark (formal)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin nigrescent-, present participle stem of nigrescere
“to grow black,” from niger “black.”]
—ni·gres·cent,
adjective

—ni·gres·cent·ly, adverb[1]



nigrosine

nigrosine
ni·gro·sine 
[níggrə sn, níggrəssin]
or ni·gro·sin [níggrəssin] noun

black
dye:
a black aniline pigment or dye used in making ink and polish and in dyeing
textiles
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin niger “black” (see Negro )
+ -ose + -ine
.][1]



NIH

NIH1
NIH1

Abbreviation of
National Institutes of Health[1]



NIH

NIH2
NIH2 adjective

(informal) • They
would have accepted the other department’s suggestion if it hadn’t been for the
NIH factor. Abbreviation of not
invented here[1]



nihilism

nihilism
ni·hil·ism 
[n ə lìzzəm, n
ə lìzzəm, níhi lìzzəm] noun

1.  total
rejection of social mores: the general rejection of
established social conventions and beliefs, especially of morality and religion

2.  belief
that nothing is worthwhile: a belief that life is
pointless and human values are worthless

3.  disbelief
in objective truth: the belief that there is no
objective basis for truth

4.  belief
in destruction of authority: the belief that all
established authority is corrupt and must be destroyed in order to rebuild a
just society

5.  ni·hil·ism
or Ni·hil·ism Russian political movement:
a political movement in late 19th-century Russia that sought to bring about a
just new society by destroying the existing one through acts of terrorism and assassination
[Early
19th century. From German Nihilismus, from Latin nihil
“nothing.”]
—ni·hil·ist,
noun

—ni·hil·is·tic
[n ə lístik, n
ə lístik], adjective

—ni·hil·is·ti·cal·ly [n ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



nihility

nihility
ni·hil·i·ty 
[nī híllətee] noun

nothingness:
the condition of being nothing
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin nihilitas, from Latin nihil “nothing.”][1]



nihilobstat

nihilobstat
ni·hil
ob·stat 
[n hil ób stàt] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY lack
of objection to publication: a statement by a Roman
Catholic Church official that a publication is not offensive to religion or
morals

2.  statement
of nonopposition: any official statement of nonopposition
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, literally “nothing hinders.”][1]



Niigata

Niigata
Ni·i·ga·ta 
[nyee ə gtə]

city and port in Japan, on
northern Honshu. It is the capital city of Niigata Prefecture. Population:
486,097 (1990)[1]



Nijinsky,Vaslav

Nijinsky,Vaslav

Ni·jin·sky
[ni zhínskee, ni
jínskee], Vaslav (1890–1950)
Russian ballet dancer. The leading dancer
of the original Ballets Russes, he choreographed several innovative ballets,
such as The Rite of Spring ( 1913 ).[1]



-nik

-nik
-nik
suffix

somebody
associated with or characterized by • refusenik
[Directly and via Yiddish
from Russian][1]



Nikko

Nikko
Nik·ko 
[nkō]

city in Japan, in Tochigi
Prefecture, central Honshu, 145 km/90 mi north of Tokyo. Population: 20,128
(1990)[1]



nil

nil
nil 
[nil] noun

zero:
nothing or zero
[Early 19th century.
Contraction of Latin nihil “nothing.”][1]



Nile

Nile
Nile 
[nīl]

river in northeastern Africa.
It is the longest river in the world. Rising in east central Africa near Lake
Victoria, it flows 6,695 km/4,160 mi northward through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt
before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.[1]



Nileblue

Nileblue
Nile
blue
adjective

pale
greenish blue: of a pale greenish blue color
—Nile blue, noun[1]



Nilegreen

Nilegreen
Nile
green
adjective

yellowish
green:
of a yellowish green color
—Nile green, noun[1]



Niles

Niles
Niles 
[nīlz]

city in northeastern
Illinois, east of Park Ridge. It is a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 29,081 (1996)[1]



nilgai

nilgai
nil·gai 
[níl g] (plural nil·gai or
nil·gais) or nil·gau [níl gaw]
(plural nil·gau or nil·gaus) or nil·ghau
[níl gaw] (plural nil·ghau or
nil·ghaus) noun

Indian
antelope:
a large antelope of India, the male of which is bluish gray and horned, the
female brown and hornless. Latin name: Boselaphus tragocamelus
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi nīlgāe, from Sanskrit nīla “blue” + -gāvī “cow.”][1]



Nilo-Saharan

Nilo-Saharan
Ni·lo-Sa·har·an 
[nlo sə hárrən, nlo
sə hrrən] noun

Central-African
language family: a family of around 100 languages spoken
in some central parts of Africa, the major branches of which are Chari-Nile,
Nilotic, and Saharan. About 15 million people speak one of the Nilo-Saharan
languages.
—Ni·lo-Sa·har·an, adjective[1]



Nilotic

Nilotic
Ni·lot·ic 
[nī lóttik] adjective

1.  relating
to the Nile: relating to, involving, or living beside
the Nile River

2.  of
Nilotic people or language: relating to a Nilotic people
or language
noun
(plural Ni·lot·ics)

Nile valley language group:
a group of languages spoken in parts of the Nile valley, mainly in Uganda and
Sudan and forming a branch of the Nilo-Saharan family of languages. About three
million people speak a Nilotic language.
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Greek Neilos “Nile.”][1]



nim

nim
nim
[nim] noun

game
of taking things away: a game in which players
remove small, differently arranged items from piles, the winner being the
player who takes, or sometimes does not take, the final item
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps from German nimm, imperative form of nehmen
“to take.”][1]



nimble

nimble
nim·ble 
[nímb’l] (comparative nim·bler,
superlative nim·blest) adjective

1.  fast
and agile:
agile, fast, and light in movement

2.  quick-thinking:
able to think quickly and cleverly
[Alteration
(modeled on bramble and thimble ) of Old English n_æmel and numol
“quick at grasping,” from niman “to take”]
—nim·ble·ness,
noun

—nim·bly, adverb[1]



nimbostratus

nimbostratus
nim·bo·stra·tus 
[nìmbō stráytəss, nìmbō
stráttəss] (plural nim·bo·stra·ti [nìmbō stráy t]) noun

rain
cloud:
a low dark layer of rain-bearing cloud covering all of the sky.
See
also
stratus
[Late 19th century. See nimbus .][1]



nimbus

nimbus
nim·bus 
[nímbəss] (plural nim·bus·es or
nim·bi [ním b]) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY dark
rain-bearing cloud: a dense, dark rain-bearing
cloud

2.  RELIGION cloud
of light around deity: a cloud of light believed to
surround a god or goddess while on earth or a saint or holy person

3.  PAINTING image
of halo:
a bright halo or disk around the head of a deity, saint, or sovereign in a
painting, icon, or medal

4.  aura
of splendor: an aura or atmosphere of splendor
surrounding somebody or something
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “cloud, rain, corona.”]
—nim·bused, adjective[1]



NIMBY

NIMBY
NIM·BY
[nímbee] (plural NIM·BYs) or
Nim·by [nímbee] (plural Nim·bys)
noun

1.  somebody
objecting to location of something:
somebody who objects to something unpleasant or dangerous being located near
his or her home but is perfectly happy to see it located elsewhere (informal)

2.  NIMBY
attitude:
the attitude of a NIMBY
[Late
20th century. Acronym from not in my backyard .]
—nim·by·ism, noun[1]



nimiety

nimiety
ni·mi·e·ty 
[ni m ətee] (plural ni·mi·e·ties)
noun

excess:
an excess or overabundance of something (formal)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin nimis “too much.”][1]



Nimitz,Chester William

Nimitz,Chester William
Nim·itz
[nímmits], Chester William (1885–1966)

U.S. naval officer. He was
commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II.[1]



nimrod

nimrod
nim·rod
[ním ròd] (plural nim·rods) noun

hunter:
any skillful or enthusiastic hunter (literary)
[Mid-16th century. From the
tradition of Nimrod as a “mightly hunter” (Genesis 10:9).][1]



Nin,Anaïs

Nin,Anaïs
Nin
[nin], Anaïs (1903–1977)

French writer. She is best
known for her passionate and self-revelatory Journals ( 1966–1983 ).[1]



nincompoop

nincompoop
nin·com·poop 
[nínkəm pp, níngkəm
pp] (plural nin·com·poops) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or
competence (informal insult)
[Late
17th century. Alteration of nicompoop, of uncertain origin, possibly
from French nicodême “simpleton” + poop with sense “clown.”]
—nin·com·poop·er·y,
noun

—nin·com·poop·ish, adjective[1]



nine

nine
nine 
[nīn] (plural nines) noun

1.  number
9:
the cardinal number 9

2.  something
with value of 9: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 9 • a
nine of clubs • to
play the nine

3.  BASEBALL baseball
team:
a team of nine baseball players

4.  GOLF half
of golf course: half of the total number of holes on a
golf course, usually specified as the front nine or the back nine

5.  group
of nine:
a group of nine objects or people
[Old
English nigon . Ultimately from an Indo-European word.]
—nine,
adjective

—nine,
pronoun
dressed
(up) to the nines

very elaborately or formally
dressed[1]



nine-bandedarmadillo

nine-bandedarmadillo
nine-band·ed
ar·ma·dil·lo  noun

common armadillo:
an armadillo with nine bands of hinged bony plates that is native to Central
and South America and the southern United States. The female nine-banded
armadillo usually gives birth to quadruplets that are always of the same sex.
Latin name: Dasypus novemcinctus[1]



ninebark

ninebark
nine·bark 
[nn brk] (plural nine·barks)
noun

shrub with separable bark
layers: a shrub of the rose family
native to eastern North America with bark that separates into many layers.
Genus: Physocarpus[1]



ninedays’ wonder

ninedays’ wonder
nine
days’ won·der  (plural nine days’ won·ders)
or nine day won·der (plural nine day won·ders) noun

something
temporarily famous: something that, or somebody
who, briefly arouses great interest or excitement but is soon forgotten again
[Named with reference to Lady
Jane Grey (1537–1554), who was proclaimed Queen of England in 1553 but was
deposed after only nine days and subsequently beheaded][1]



ninefold

ninefold
nine·fold
adjective [nn fld]

1.  by
nine times:
of nine times the original figure • a
ninefold rise

2.  with
nine parts:
made up of nine parts • The
problem is ninefold.
adverb
[nīn fṓld, nn
fld]

by nine times as much:
by nine times as much or as many • The
numbers increased ninefold.

[1]



ninepin

ninepin
nine·pin 
[nn pìn] (plural nine·pins) noun

pin used in bowling game:
a pin in the game of ninepins.
U.K. term
skittle[1]



ninepins

ninepins
nine·pins
[nn pìnz] noun

bowling game:
a game in which players try to knock over nine bottle-shaped pins by bowling a
ball at them (takes a singular verb)
U.K. term
skittles[1]



nineteen

nineteen
nine·teen 
[nīn tn] noun

1.  number
19:
the cardinal number 19

2.  something
with value of 19: something in a numbered series with a
value of 19

3.  group
of 19:
a group of 19 objects or people
[Old
English nigontne, from a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning
“nine-ten”]
—nine·teen,
adjective

—nine·teen, pronoun[1]



nineteenth

nineteenth
nine·teenth 
[nīn tnth] noun

one
of 19 parts: one of 19 equal parts of something • My
share came to three-nineteenths.
—nine·teenth,
adjective

—nine·teenth, pronoun[1]



nineteenthhole

nineteenthhole
nine·teenth
hole
noun

drinking
place for golfers: a place, especially the bar
of a clubhouse, where players can drink and socialize after a round of golf (slang)
[Named as the hole after the
conventional 18 holes on a golf course][1]



ninetieth

ninetieth
nine·ti·eth 
[nntee əth] noun

one
of 90 parts: one of 90 equal parts of something • a
ninetieth of the whole
—nine·ti·eth,
adjective

—nine·ti·eth, pronoun[1]



nine-to-five

nine-to-five
nine-to-five
adjective

with regular hours:
requiring regular attendance, for example, at an office job, especially between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (informal) • without
the self-discipline to hold down a nine-to-five job[1]



nine-to-fiver

nine-to-fiver
nine-to-fiv·er 
(plural nine-to-fiv·ers) noun

somebody with regular working
hours: somebody who works regular
hours, especially from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (informal) • She
took the morning train with the rest of the nine-to-fivers.[1]



ninety

ninety
nine·ty 
[nntee] noun (plural nine·ties)

number 90: the
cardinal number 90
plural
noun

1.  nine·ties
numbers
between 90 and 99: the numbers between 90 and
99, particularly as a range of Fahrenheit temperature

2.  years
90 to 99:
the years in a century from 90 to 99

3.  period
from age 90 to 99: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 90 to 99
—nine·ty,
adjective

—nine·ty, pronoun[1]



Nineveh

Nineveh
Nin·e·veh 
[nínnəvə]

ancient capital of the
Assyrian Empire, situated on the Tigris River in northern Iraq. At the height
of its importance from about 705 BC,
it was destroyed by the Babylonians and Medes in 612 BC .[1]



Ningbo

Ningbo
Ning·bo 
[ning bṓ]

city in northeastern Zhejiang
Province, eastern China, situated approximately 145 km90 mi southeast of
Hangzhou. Population: 552,540 (1990)[1]



ninja

ninja
nin·ja 
[nínjə] (plural nin·jas or
nin·ja) noun

mercenary
in feudal Japan: a member of a group of mercenaries in
feudal Japan who were trained in stealth and the martial arts and employed as
spies, saboteurs, or assassins
[Mid-20th century. From Japanese,
“spy.”][1]



ninjitsu

ninjitsu
nin·jit·su
[nin jút s] noun

Japanese
martial art: a Japanese martial art that emphasizes
stealth in movement and camouflage
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “stealth art.”][1]



ninny

ninny
nin·ny 
[nínnee] (plural nin·nies) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence, common
sense, or effectiveness (informal insult)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain, perhaps from a misdivision and shortening of an
inno(cent) .]
—nin·ny·ish, adjective[1]



ninon

ninon
ni·non 
[n nòn] noun

sheer
fabric:
a sturdy sheer fabric made of silk or synthetic material
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



ninth

ninth
ninth 
[nīnth] (plural ninths) noun

1.  one
of 9 parts:
one of 9 equal parts of something • A
ninth of the total is still a lot of money.

2.  MUSIC musical
tone or interval: a musical tone separated from another by
an interval of an octave and a second, or the interval of this tone
—ninth,
adjective

—ninth, pronoun[1]



ninthchord

ninthchord
ninth
chord
(plural ninth chords) noun

musical chord with four
thirds: a musical chord containing
four thirds, including the ninth, added above the root[1]



niobic

niobic
ni·o·bic
[nī ṓbik] adjective

with pentavalent niobium:
concerning or containing niobium with a valence of five[1]



niobite

niobite
ni·o·bite 
[n ə bīt] noun

See
columbite[1]



niobium

niobium

ni·o·bi·um 
[nī ṓbee əm] noun
ductile
metallic element: a lustrous light gray ductile metallic
chemical element, a superconductor that resembles tantalum chemically and is
used in steel alloys. Symbol Nb
[Mid-19th century. From the association
of the element with tantalum, Tantalus being the father of Niobe .][1]



niobous

niobous
ni·o·bous
[nī ṓbəss] adjective

with niobium not pentavalent:
concerning or containing niobium with a valence less than five[1]



nip

nip1
nip1 [nip]
verb (past nipped, past participle nipped, present
participle nip·ping, 3rd person present singular nips)

1.  transitive
verb
pinch
something:
to take hold of something and squeeze or compress it, often painfully, between
two surfaces, for example, to pinch skin between a forefinger and thumb

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
brief bite at something: to bite something briefly,
often painfully, but without doing much damage

3.  transitive
verb
sever
something:
to remove something by pinching, biting, or clipping • She
nipped off the growing point of the plant to encourage bushiness.

4.  transitive
verb
affect
somebody with cold: to sting or chill a person
or part of the body painfully with cold • As
she struggled with the car door the frost began to nip her fingers.

5.  transitive
verb
injure
growth of something: to halt or destroy the
growth of something

6.  transitive
verb
make
something narrower: to make something narrower
or tighter • The
dress is nipped in at the waist.

7.  transitive
verb
steal
something:
to steal or snatch something (informal)

8.  intransitive
verb
U.K. go
quickly:
to go somewhere quickly or briefly (informal) • She
nipped down to the shop for bread.
noun
(plural nips)

1.  sharp
squeeze:
a sharp or painful squeeze with the fingers or between two surfaces

2.  small
brief bite:
a small bite with the teeth that may be painful but does not do much damage • The
dog tried to give my ankle a nip as I passed.

3.  small
cut-out piece: a small piece cut from something

4.  chill:
a chilly feeling caused by a marked drop in temperature • There’s
a nip in the air tonight.

5.  sharp
flavor:
a sharp or pungent flavor
[14th
century. From Middle Low German nipen “to nip.”]
nip
and tuck

very closely and evenly
contested so that the outcome remains in doubt[1]



nip

nip2
nip2 [nip]
noun

BEVERAGES small
drink of something: a small portion or drink of
something alcoholic
intransitive
and transitive verb (past nipped, past
participle nipped, present participle nip·ping, 3rd
person present singular nips)

sip:
to drink an alcoholic beverage in small sips
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of archaic nipperkin, literally “small
sip.”][1]



nipa

nipa
ni·pa 
[npə] (plural ni·pas) noun

1.  (plural
ni·pas or ni·pa) TREES
Asian
palm tree:
a palm tree of southern Asia with long feathery leaves and edible fruit. Latin
name: Nipa fruticans

2.  FOOD fruit
of palm tree: the edible fruit of the nipa palm

3.  leaves
of palm tree: the long feathery leaves of the nipa
palm, used in thatching and basketry

4.  BEVERAGES drink
from palm sap: an alcoholic drink made from the sap of
the nipa palm
[Late 16th century. From
Malay nipah .][1]



nipper

nipper
nip·per 
[níppər] noun (plural nip·pers)

1.  ZOOLOGY pincer:
a large claw of a crustacean, especially a lobster or crab

2.  U.K.
child:
a small child (informal)
plural
noun
nip·pers

pliers: a
tool, such as pliers, used to squeeze or clip something
[Mid-16th century. “Small
child” probably from an earlier sense of “costermonger’s boy,” because he
nipped off to run errands.][1]



nipping

nipping
nip·ping 
[nípping] adjective

1.  sharp
and cold:
very cold and biting

2.  sarcastic:
bitingly sarcastic
—nip·ping·ly, adverb[1]



nipple

nipple
nip·ple 
[nípp’l] (plural nip·ples) noun

1.  ANATOMY tip of
mammary gland: a small knob in the center of the breast
that in females is the outlet for the ducts that provide young mammals with
milk. In humans it is also an erogenous zone.

2.  rubber
bottle top:
the soft cap of a baby bottle, made of a synthetic material, through which a
baby can suck milk.
U.K.
term
teat

3.  See
pacifier

4.  small
outlet:
a small knob on a device that is the outlet for fluid such as oil or grease

5.  CONSTRUCTION coupler
for pipes:
a short piece of pipe threaded at both ends used for coupling other pipes
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “little neb,” formed from neb
.][1]



nipplewort

nipplewort
nip·ple·wort 
[nípp’l wùrt, nípp’l
wàwrt] (plural nip·ple·worts or nip·ple·wort)
noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a European annual plant, now naturalized in eastern North America, that has
small yellow flowers and a milky juice. It was once used as an herbal remedy
for breast tumors. Latin name: Lapsana communis[1]



Nippon

Nippon
Nip·pon 
[ní pon]

the
Japanese name for Japan
—Nip·pon·ese [nìppə nz], adjective[1]



nippy

nippy
nip·py 
[níppee] (comparative nip·pi·er,
superlative nip·pi·est) adjective

1.  chilly:
rather chilly

2.  FOOD sharp-tasting:
slightly sharp in flavor

3.  tending
to bite:
inclined to attempt to bite people or animals
—nip·pi·ly,
adverb

—nip·pi·ness, noun[1]



nip-up

nip-up
nip-up 
(plural nip-ups) noun

springing movement:
an acrobatic move in which a gymnast lying with the back flat on the floor or
mat springs to an upright position[1]



N.Ire.

N.Ire.
N.Ire.

Abbreviation of
Northern Ireland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Nirenberg,Marshall Warren

Nirenberg,Marshall Warren
Nir·en·berg
[nrən burg], Marshall Warren (1927– )

U.S. biochemist. He shared
the 1968 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for research into how DNA
determines the structure of proteins.[1]



nirvana

nirvana
nir·va·na 
[neer vnə, nur
vnə] noun

1.  nir·va·na
or Nir·va·na RELIGION
spiritual
enlightenment: in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, the
attainment of enlightenment and freeing of the spiritual self from attachment
to worldly things, ending the cycle of birth and rebirth

2.  completely
enjoyable experience: an ultimate experience of
some pleasurable emotion such as harmony or joy
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit, from nirvā- “to be extinguished,” from nis- “out” + vā-
“to blow.”][1]



Nisan

Nisan
Ni·san 
[níss’n, nee sn]
or Nis·san [níss’n, nee sn] noun

7th month in Jewish calendar:
in the Jewish calendar, the seventh month of the religious year and first of
the civil year. It is 30 days long and occurs around March or April.
Also called
Aviv[1]



Nisei

Nisei
Ni·sei 
(plural Ni·sei or Ni·seis) noun

second-generation
Japanese in N America: somebody born or raised in
the United States or Canada whose parents immigrated from Japan.
See
also
Issei
See
also
Sansei
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “second generation.”][1]



nisi

nisi
ni·si 
[n s, nssee]
adjective

taking
effect unless reason not to: scheduled to take effect on
a specified date unless some cause can be shown for canceling or changing the
date
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “unless.”][1]



Nissan

Nissan
Nis·san
noun

See
Nisan[1]



Nissenhut

Nissenhut
Nis·sen
hut 
[níss’n hùt] (plural Nis·sen huts)
noun

metal
hut:
a temporary shelter made of corrugated steel in the shape of a half cylinder
that was first used by the British during World War I
[Early 20th century. Named
for its inventor Lt. Col. Peter Norman Nissen ( 1871–1930 ).][1]



NIST

NIST
NIST

Abbreviation of
National Institute of Standards and Technology[1]



nisus

nisus
ni·sus 
[nssəss] (plural ni·sus) noun

attempt
to achieve something: an attempt or effort to
accomplish an aim or goal (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, from niti “to strive.”][1]



nit

nit
nit 
[nit] (plural nits) noun

egg
of a louse:
the egg or larva of a parasitic insect, especially a louse
[Old
English hnitu, ultimately from Indo-European. Partly a shortening of nitwit .]
—nit·ty, adjective[1]



NIT

NIT
NIT

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Intelligence Test

2.  SPORTS Abbreviation of
National Invitational Tournament

[1]



nite

nite
nite
[nīt] (plural nites) noun

night:
a slang spelling of the word “night,” not appropriate for use in formal writing
(slang)[1]



Niten

Niten
Ni·ten
[nt en, nee tén]
(1584–1645)

Japanese
artist and soldier. He is noted for his sumi-e ink paintings of birds,
and was renowned for developing the technique of fencing with two swords.
Real name
Miyamoto Musashi[1]



niter

niter
ni·ter 
[ntər] noun

1.  See
potassium nitrate

2.  See
sodium nitrate
[14th century. Via Old
French, from Latin nitrum, from Greek nitron, of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Semitic, or Egyptian ntrj .][1]



nitpick

nitpick
nit·pick 
[nít pìk] (past nit·picked, past
participle nit·picked, present participle nit·pick·ing,
3rd person present singular nit·picks) intransitive and
transitive verb

criticize
something pettily: to find fault, often
unjustifiably, with insignificant details of something
—nit·pick·er,
noun

—nit·pick·y,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at criticize

[1]



nitpicking

nitpicking
nit·pick·ing 
[nít pìking] noun

petty criticism:
trivial, unnecessary, detailed, and often unjustified faultfinding[1]



nitr-

nitr-
nitr- 
prefix

(used before vowels)See
nitro-[1]



nitrate

nitrate
ni·trate 
[n tràyt] noun (plural ni·trates)

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
radical:
a univalent radical or a compound such as a salt or an ester of nitric acid
that contains the radical NO 3

2.  AGRICULTURE fertilizer:
a fertilizer that consists of sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or ammonium
nitrate
transitive
verb
(past ni·trat·ed, past participle ni·trat·ed, present
participle ni·trat·ing, 3rd person present singular ni·trates)

CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY use
nitrate on something: to treat something with a
nitrate or nitric acid, usually in order to change an organic compound into a
nitrate
[Late
18th century. From French, formed from nitre “niter.”]
—ni·tra·tion [nī tráysh’n], noun[1]



nitre

nitre
ni·tre 
[ntər] noun

U.K. =
niter[1]



nitric

nitric
ni·tric 
[ntrik] adjective

containing nitrogen:
made from or containing nitrogen, especially in a high valence state[1]



nitricacid

nitricacid
ni·tric
ac·id
noun

corrosive liquid:
a transparent fuming corrosive colorless or yellowish liquid that is a highly
reactive oxidizing agent. It has many industrial uses, including the making of
explosives, fertilizers, and rocket fuels, and is also used in various
metallurgical processes. HNO3[1]



nitricoxide

nitricoxide
ni·tric
ox·ide
noun

colorless poisonous gas:
a colorless poisonous gas that is a stage in the production of nitric acid from
ammonia or atmospheric nitrogen. NO[1]



nitride

nitride
ni·tride 
[n trd] (plural ni·trides) noun

nitrogen
compound:
a compound made up of nitrogen and another more electropositive element such as
phosphorus or a metal
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from nitrogen + -ide
.][1]



nitrify

nitrify
ni·tri·fy 
[ntrə f] (past ni·tri·fied, past
participle ni·tri·fied, present participle ni·tri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ni·tri·fies) transitive verb

1.  CHEMISTRY treat
with nitrogen: to treat or combine something with
nitrogen or nitrogen compounds

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY oxidize
ammonia ion: to oxidize ammonia ions into nitrite or
nitrate ions, as nitrobacteria do

3.  AGRICULTURE fertilize
soil:
to introduce nitrogen or nitrogen compounds into the soil in order to increase
fertility
[Early
19th century. From French nitrifier, from nitre niter .]
—ni·tri·fi·ca·tion
[ntrəfi káysh’n], noun

—ni·tri·fi·er [ntrə fr], noun[1]



nitrile

nitrile
ni·trile 
[ntrəl] (plural ni·triles) noun

organic cyanide:
an organic cyanide[1]



nitrite

nitrite
ni·trite 
[n trt] (plural ni·trites) noun

nitrous acid salt:
a salt or ester of nitrous acid[1]



nitritebacterium

nitritebacterium
ni·trite
bac·te·ri·um noun

ammonia-converting
nitrobacterium: a nitrobacterium that
converts ammonia to nitrites by oxidation[1]



nitro

nitro
ni·tro
[n tr] noun

nitroglycerin:
nitroglycerin (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



nitro-

nitro-
nitro-
prefix

1.  nitrogen
• nitrify

2.  niter,
nitrate • nitrogen

3.  containing
a univalent NO 2 group • nitroparaffin
[From Latin nitrum
(see niter )][1]



nitrobacterium

nitrobacterium
ni·tro·bac·te·ri·um 
[ntrō bak tree əm] (plural ni·tro·bac·te·ri·a
[ntrō bak tree ə]) noun

nitrite-producing bacterium:
a type of bacterium, found in soil and water, that is involved in the nitrogen
cycle and converts ammonium compounds into nitrites, or nitrites into nitrates[1]



nitrobenzene

nitrobenzene
ni·tro·ben·zene 
[ntrō bén zn] noun

poisonous organic compound:
a poisonous organic compound that occurs either as bright yellow crystals or an
oily liquid that smells like almonds. It is used to make polishes and
insulating compounds. C6H5NO2[1]



nitrocellulose

nitrocellulose
ni·tro·cel·lu·lose 
[ntrō séllyə lss, ntrō
séllyə lz] noun

chemical used in plastics:
a chemical compound produced by the reaction of nitric and sulfuric acids on
cellulose, used in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, and lacquers.
See also
guncotton[1]



nitrochloroform

nitrochloroform
ni·tro·chlo·ro·form 
[ntrō kláwrə fàwrm] noun

See
chloropicrin[1]



nitrogen

nitrogen

ni·tro·gen 
[ntrəjən] noun
colorless
odorless gas: a nonmetallic chemical element that
occurs as a colorless odorless almost inert gas and makes up four fifths of the
Earth’s atmosphere by volume. It is important in the making of ammonia,
explosives, and fertilizers. Symbol N
[Late
18th century. From French nitrogène from nitre niter and -gène -gen
.]
—ni·trog·e·nous [nī trójjənəss], adjective[1]



nitrogenase

nitrogenase
ni·trog·e·nase 
[nī trójjə nàyss, nī
trójjə nàyz] noun

enzyme for converting
nitrogen to ammonia: an enzyme
found in nitrogen-fixing bacteria that catalyzes the conversion of nitrogen to
ammonia. It is a key component of the nitrogen cycle, providing nitrogen
compounds for plants.[1]



nitrogenbalance

nitrogenbalance
ni·tro·gen
bal·ance
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY nitrogen
intake and excretion: the difference between the
amount of nitrogen taken into the body and the amount excreted

2.  AGRICULTURE nitrogen
absorbed and lost by soil: the difference between the
amount of nitrogen absorbed by the soil and the amount lost

[1]



nitrogencycle

nitrogencycle
ni·tro·gen
cy·cle
noun

nitrogen circulation between
air and plants: the series of processes
by which nitrogen is converted from a gas in the atmosphere to
nitrogen-containing substances in soil and living organisms, then reconverted
to a gas. The main chemical transformations are performed by microorganisms and
include nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.[1]



nitrogendioxide

nitrogendioxide
ni·tro·gen
di·ox·ide
noun

poisonous brown gas:
a highly poisonous brown gas used to make nitric and sulfuric acids. It is
often found in smog and in the exhaust from vehicles that lack pollution
control devices. NO2[1]



nitrogenfixation

nitrogenfixation
ni·tro·gen
fix·a·tion
noun

1.  BIOLOGY natural
nitrogen conversion: the conversion of
atmospheric nitrogen by certain bacteria found in the nodules of legumes into
compounds in the soil that plants and other organisms can use

2.  INDUSTRY industrial
nitrogen conversion: a process in which nitrogen
from the atmosphere is changed into compounds such as ammonia by either
chemical or bacterial agents
—ni·tro·gen-fix·er,
noun

—ni·tro·gen-fix·ing, adjective[1]



nitrogenize

nitrogenize
ni·trog·en·ize 
[nī trójjə nz] (past ni·trog·en·ized,
past participle ni·trog·en·ized, present participle ni·trog·en·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ni·trog·en·iz·es) transitive verb

combine
something with nitrogen: to combine or treat
something with nitrogen or one of its compounds
—ni·trog·en·i·za·tion
[nī tròjjəni záysh’n], noun[1]



nitrogenmustard

nitrogenmustard
ni·tro·gen
mus·tard
(plural ni·tro·gen mus·tards) noun

nitrogen compound used in
treating cancer: a poisonous substance
similar to mustard gas but containing nitrogen instead of sulfur. Such
compounds have been used to treat leukemia and other cancers.[1]



nitrogennarcosis

nitrogennarcosis
ni·tro·gen
nar·co·sis
noun

confusion from nitrogen in
blood: light-headedness, confusion,
or exhilaration caused by increased nitrogen in the blood. This occurs in
deep-sea divers exposed to pressures several times that of the atmosphere.
Also called
rapture of the deep[1]



nitroglycerin

nitroglycerin
ni·tro·glyc·er·in 
[ntrō glíssərin, ntrə
glíssərin] or ni·tro·glyc·er·ine [ntrō
glíssərin, ntrə glíssərin] noun

explosive liquid:
a colorless thick oily flammable and explosive liquid used to manufacture
explosives and in medicine to dilate veins in the treatment of angina pectoris.
C3H5N3O9 
Also called
glyceryl trinitrate[1]



nitrohydrochloricacid

nitrohydrochloricacid
ni·tro·hy·dro·chlo·ric
ac·id 
[ntrō hdrō klàwrik ássid] noun

See
aqua regia[1]



nitromethane

nitromethane
ni·tro·meth·ane 
[ntrō mé thàyn] noun

methane derivative:
a poisonous colorless oily slightly water-soluble liquid used to make dyes,
resins, and rocket fuels, and as a solvent and gasoline additive. CH3NO2[1]



nitroparaffin

nitroparaffin
ni·tro·par·af·fin 
[ntrō pérrəfin] (plural ni·tro·par·af·fins)
noun

colorless simple hydrocarbon:
a colorless simple hydrocarbon containing the chemical group NO 2[1]



nitrosamine

nitrosamine
ni·tros·a·mine 
[ntrōssə mn, ntrō
sá mn] (plural ni·tros·a·mines) noun

carcinogenic
compound:
an organic carcinogenic compound found in various foods. R2NNO
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin nitrosus “nitrous” + amine
.][1]



nitrous

nitrous
ni·trous 
[ntrəss] adjective

containing nitrogen:
made from or containing nitrogen, especially in a low valence state[1]



nitrousacid

nitrousacid
ni·trous
ac·id
noun

weak acid:
a weak inorganic acid found only in solution or in the form of its salts. HNO2[1]



nitrousoxide

nitrousoxide
ni·trous
ox·ide
noun

sweet-smelling gas:
a colorless nonflammable sweet-smelling, sweet-tasting gas used as an
anesthetic in dentistry and surgery. N2O
Also called
laughing gas[1]



nitty-gritty

nitty-gritty
nit·ty-grit·ty 
[nìttee gríttee] noun

basics: the
basic and most important details of something (informal)
adjective
(informal)

1.  basic
and important: concerning or involving the most
important aspects of a subject

2.  practical:
useful and direct in a practical down-to-earth way • a
nitty-gritty approach to teaching
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nitwit

nitwit
nit·wit 
[nít wìt] (plural nit·wits) noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody thought to be silly or unintelligent (insult)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German dialect nit “not” + wit .][1]



nival

nival
ni·val 
[nv’l] adjective

growing
in snow:
growing in or under the snow
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
nivalis, from niv-, stem of nix “snow.”][1]



niveous

niveous
niv·e·ous 
[nívvee əss] adjective

snow-colored:
resembling snow in color
[Early 17th century. From
Latin niveus, from niv-, stem of nix “snow.”][1]



Nivôse

Nivôse
Niv·ôse
(plural Niv·ôs·es) noun

4th month of French
Revolutionary calendar: the fourth
month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
December 22 to January 20 in the Gregorian calendar[1]



nix

nix1
nix1 [niks]
transitive verb (past nixed, past participle nixed,
present participle nix·ing, 3rd person present singular nix·es)

say
no to something: to refuse, forbid, or veto something (slang)
noun

nothing:
nothing (dated slang)
interjection

stop!:
used to warn somebody not to do something or stop doing something (dated
slang)
[Late
18th century. From German, dialectal and colloquial variant of nichts
“nothing.”]
—nixed, adjective[1]



nix

nix2
nix2 [niks]
(plural nix·es) noun

See
nixie 1
[Mid-19th century. From
German .][1]



nixie

nixie2
nix·ie2 [níksee]
(plural nix·ies) or nix·y [níksee]
(plural nix·ies) noun

MAIL undeliverable
item of mail: an item of mail that cannot be delivered
because it has the wrong address or the address is unreadable (slang)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from nix 1 .][1]



nixie

nixie1
nix·ie1 [níksee]
(plural nix·ies) noun

sprite:
in German mythology, a female water spirit that can appear in human form or as
half-human, half-fish
[Early 19th century. From
German Nixe, feminine of Nix (see nix 2 ).][1]



Nixon,Richard Milhous

Nixon,Richard Milhous

Nix·on
[níks’n], Richard Milhous (1913–1994)
U.S. statesman and 37th president of the
United States. President from 1969 until 1974, he was forced to resign after
the Watergate scandal (1974). He was responsible for ending the U.S. commitment
in Vietnam.[1]



NJ

NJ
NJ
or N.J.

Abbreviation of
New Jersey[1]



Nkrumah,Kwame

Nkrumah,Kwame

Nkru·mah
[’n krmə, ’ng
krmə], Kwame (1909–1972)
Ghanaian statesman. He was the first
prime minister (1957–1960) and president (1960–1966) of Ghana, and a strong
supporter of pan-Africanism.[1]



NKVD

NKVD
NKVD
or N.K.V.D. noun

Soviet
secret police: the Soviet secret police from 1934 to
1946. Full form Narodny Kommissariat Vnutrennikh Del
[Russian, “People’s
Commissariat of Internal Affairs”][1]



NL

NL
NL
or N.L.

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of
National League

2.  Abbreviation
of
New Latin

[1]



n.l.

n.l.
n.l.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of new line[1]



NLF

NLF
NLF

Abbreviation of
National Liberation Front[1]



NLP

NLP
NLP

1.  Abbreviation
of
neurolinguistic programming

2.  Abbreviation
of
natural language processing

[1]



NLRB

NLRB
NLRB
or N.L.R.B.

Abbreviation of
National Labor Relations Board[1]



n.m.

n.m.
n.m.

Abbreviation of
nautical mile[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NM

NM
NM

1.  Abbreviation
of
New Mexico

2.  Abbreviation
of
nautical mile

[1]



nm

nm
nm

1.  Abbreviation
of
nanometer

2.  Abbreviation
of
nautical mile

3.  Abbreviation
of
nuclear magneton

[1]



N.Mex.

N.Mex.
N.Mex.
or N.M.

Abbreviation of
New Mexico[1]



NMI

NMI
NMI

Abbreviation of
no middle initial[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NMR

NMR
NMR

Abbreviation of
nuclear magnetic resonance[1]



NNE

NNE
NNE

Abbreviation of
north-northeast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NNP

NNP
NNP

Abbreviation of
net national product[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NNW

NNW
NNW

Abbreviation of
north-northwest[1]



no

no1
no1 [nō]
interjection

1.  an
interjection used to indicate a negative response in order to refuse, deny, or
disagree with something • “Will
you be taking the car?” –“No, not today.” • “Would
you like coffee?” –“No, I’m fine, thanks.”

2.  acknowledging
a negative statement: used to acknowledge a
negative statement, by expressing acceptance or understanding of something • “Nobody
seems to have the time to really listen these days.” –“No, they don’t.”

3.  indicating
disbelief:
used to indicate shock, disbelief, or disappointment at something somebody has
said • “The
car’s going to be in the shop for another week.” –“Oh no!”
noun

1.  (plural
noes or nos) answer or vote:
an answer or vote of “no” • They
all gave resounding noes to the proposition.

2.  somebody
voting “no”: somebody who answers “no” to a question
or votes against something
[Old
English nā, from ne “not” + ā “ever” (see aye )]
the
noes have it

used to indicate that a
majority has have voted against something[1]



no

no2
no2 [nō]
CORE
MEANING:
an adjective used to indicate that there is not any or not one person or thing
• There
is nothing in walking distance: no post office, no bank.
• I
had no choice in the matter. • They
pay no attention to me. adjective

1.  not
at all:
used to indicate that somebody or something does not have any of the
characteristic or identity mentioned • She’s
no fool.

2.  not:
not exceeding a particular amount or quality (used with comparative
adjectives and adverbs) • The
issue was no less important to us than you.
[12th century. Shortening of none .][1]



no.

no.
no.
or No.

1.  Abbreviation
of
north

2.  Abbreviation
of
northern

3.  Abbreviation
of
number

[1]



No

No2
No2

Symbol for
nobelium[1]



No

No1
No1 or Noh noun

type
of Japanese drama: a form of Japanese drama
that presents a story in a highly stylized fashion, using music, dance, and
elaborate costumes. It flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries, and its
development was influenced by Zen Buddhism.
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese nō “talent, ability.”][1]



NOAA

NOAA
NOAA

Abbreviation of
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[1]



no-account

no-account
no-ac·count 
or no-count adjective

good-for-nothing:
not have any redeeming or useful qualities (informal)[1]



Noachian

Noachian
No·a·chi·an 
[nō áykee ən] or No·ach·ic [nō áykik] or No·ach·i·cal [nō áykik’l] adjective

1.  of
Noah:
typical of or relating to Noah or his time

2.  antiquated:
long out-of-date
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Noach, a form of Noah .][1]



Noah

Noah
No·ah 
[nṓ ə] noun

biblical patriarch:
in the Bible, at God’s command, Noah built an ark and saved himself, his
family, and a pair of every kind of animal from the Flood (Genesis 6–9)[1]



Noah’sark

Noah’sark
No·ah’s
ark
noun

See
ark  noun 1[1]



nob

nob2
nob2 [nob]
(plural nobs) noun

1.  head:
the human head (slang)

2.  CARD GAMES jack
of suit turned up: in cribbage, the jack of the
suit that the dealer turns up, which scores one point for the player who holds
it
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from knob .][1]



nob

nob1
nob1 [nob]
(plural nobs) noun

U.K.
somebody
rich:
somebody who is rich or socially powerful (informal)
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nobby

nobby
nob·by 
[nóbbee] adjective

U.K.
stylish:
fashionable or elegant (informal)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from nob 2 .][1]



Nobel,Alfred

Nobel,Alfred

No·bel
[nō bél], Alfred (1833–1896)
Swedish
chemist. His development of dynamite brought him great wealth, which was used
after his death to set up the Nobel Prizes.
Full name
Nobel, Alfred Bernhard[1]



Nobelist

Nobelist
No·bel·ist 
[nō béllist] (plural No·bel·ists)
noun

Nobel prizewinner:
somebody who has been awarded a Nobel Prize[1]



nobelium

nobelium

no·bel·i·um 
[nō blee əm] noun
artificially
produced chemical element: an artificial chemical
element produced from curium. Symbol No
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Nobel Institute for Physics, and named for Alfred Nobel (see Nobel
prize ).][1]



NobelPrize

NobelPrize
No·bel
Prize
[nō bèl prz] (plural No·bel
priz·es) noun

international
award for achievement: any of six international
awards made annually for outstanding achievement in the fields of chemistry,
literature, physics, physiology or medicine, economics, and for promoting world
peace
[Early
20th century. Named for the Swedish inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel
who established the original five prizes.]
—No·bel
prize·win·ner, noun

—No·bel-prize·win·ning,
adjective[1]



nobiliary

nobiliary
no·bil·i·ar·y 
[nō bíllee èrree, nō
bíllyəree] adjective

of nobility:
relating to the nobility[1]



nobiliaryparticle

nobiliaryparticle
no·bil·i·ar·y
par·ti·cle
(plural no·bil·i·ar·y par·ti·cles) noun

preposition before title:
a preposition, such as “de” in French or “von” in German, used before a title
or surname as a mark of rank[1]



nobility

nobility
no·bil·i·ty 
[nō bíllətee] (plural no·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  aristocrats:
a noble class or people of noble rank in a country

2.  noble
rank:
aristocratic social position or rank

3.  noble
character:
high ideals or excellent moral character

4.  magnificence:
impressiveness or magnificence
[14th century. Directly or
via French nobilité from Latin nobilis, from nobilis (see noble ).][1]



noble

noble
no·ble 
[nṓb’l] adjective (comparative
no·bler, superlative no·blest)

1.  having
excellent moral character: possessing high ideals or
excellent moral character

2.  relating
to high moral principles: based on high ideals or
revealing excellent moral character

3.  magnificent:
impressive in quality or appearance

4.  aristocratic:
belonging or relating to an aristocratic social or political class

5.  CHEMISTRY nonreactive:
chemically inactive or inert
noun
(plural no·bles)

1.  aristocrat:
somebody who belongs to a titled aristocracy

2.  MONEY former
English coin: a gold coin worth half a mark, formerly
used in England
[13th
century. Via French, from Latin (g)nobilis (source of English ignoble ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English know
.]
—no·ble·ness,
noun

—no·bly, adverb[1]



noblegas

noblegas
no·ble
gas
noun

inert rare gas:
a chemically inert rare gas belonging to group 18 of the periodic table,
including helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.
Also called
inert gas
Also called
rare gas[1]



nobleman

nobleman
no·ble·man 
[nṓb’lmən] (plural no·ble·men)
noun

man aristocrat:
a man who belongs to a titled aristocracy[1]



noblemetal

noblemetal
no·ble
met·al
(plural no·ble met·als) noun

noncorroding metal:
a metal, such as gold, silver, or platinum that is resistant to oxidation[1]



noblerot

noblerot
no·ble
rot
noun

grape fungus:
a parasitic fungus that shrivels ripe grapes, increasing the proportion of
sugar to liquid in them. It is desirable in the making of certain wines such as
French Sauternes. Latin name: Botrytis cinerea[1]



noblesavage

noblesavage
no·ble
sav·age
(plural no·ble sav·ag·es) noun

somebody leading simple life:
somebody belonging to a nontechnological culture whose life is, according to an
idea popularized by Rousseau, purer because it is closer to nature (offensive
in some contexts)[1]



noblesse

noblesse
no·blesse 
[nō bléss] noun

1.  noble
rank:
aristocratic social position or rank

2.  aristocrats:
the members of an aristocracy, especially the French aristocracy
[13th century. From French,
“nobility,” from noble (see noble ).][1]



noblesseoblige

noblesseoblige
no·blesse
o·blige 
[nō blèss ə blzh] noun

notion
of aristocratic responsibilities: the idea that people
born into the nobility or upper social classes must behave in an honorable
generous way toward those less privileged
[From French, literally
“nobility obliges”][1]



noblewoman

noblewoman
no·ble·wom·an 
[nṓb’l wmmən] (plural no·ble·wom·en
[nṓb’l wìmmin]) noun

woman aristocrat:
a woman who belongs to a titled aristocracy[1]



nobody

nobody
no·bod·y 
[nṓbədee, nṓ
bòddee, nṓ bùddee] pronoun

not
one person:
not one single person • Nobody
can order the attack except the general.
noun
(plural no·bod·ies)

somebody unimportant:
somebody who feels or is regarded as unimportant or insignificant • I
felt like a nobody among so many important scientists[1]



no-brainer

no-brainer
no-brain·er
(plural no-brain·ers) noun

something self-evident or
easy: something such as an idea or
question that is so easily understood or done that it requires no thought (slang)[1]



nocent

nocent
no·cent 
[nṓss’nt] adjective

harmful:
causing harm, injury, or damage
[15th
century. From Latin nocent-, present participle stem of nocere
“to hurt, harm” (source of English noxious
).]
—no·cent·ly, adverb[1]



nociceptive

nociceptive
no·ci·cep·tive 
[nssi séptiv] adjective

1.  causing
pain:
used to describe a stimulus that causes pain

2.  in
response to pain: caused by or reacting to pain
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin nocere “to hurt, harm” (source of
English noxious ) + receptive .]
—no·ci·cep·tive·ly, adverb[1]



nock

nock
nock 
[nok] noun (plural nocks)

1.  groove
on bow:
one of the grooves at either end of a bow that holds the bowstring

2.  notch
on arrow:
the notch at the end of an arrow that holds it on the bowstring
transitive
verb
(past nocked, past participle nocked, present
participle nock·ing, 3rd person present singular nocks)

1.  prepare
to fire arrow: to place an arrow on a bowstring

2.  notch
bow or arrow: to put a notch in a bow or an arrow
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch nocke “projection, tip.”][1]



nocontest

nocontest
no
con·test
noun

See
nolo contendere[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








noct-

noct-
noct-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
nocti-[1]



nocti-

nocti-
nocti-
prefix

night,
at night • noctilucent
[From Latin noct-, the
stem of nox “night” (source of English equinox
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of night .][1]



noctiluca

noctiluca
noc·ti·lu·ca 
[nòktə lkə] (plural noc·ti·lu·cae
[nòktə l s]) noun

light-producing
plankton:
a plankton that produces light. When present in large groups they make the sea
appear to glow. Genus: Noctiluca
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “moon, lantern.”][1]



noctilucent

noctilucent
noc·ti·lu·cent 
[nòktə lss’nt] adjective

luminous
at night:
used to describe high clouds that are visible at night
[Late 19th century. Coined
from nocti- + Latin lucere “to
shine.”][1]



noctuid

noctuid
noc·tu·id 
[nókchoo id] (plural noc·tu·ids)
noun

moth
with destructive larvae: a dull-colored moth whose
larvae, called army worms and cutworms, are destructive to young plants.
Family: Noctuidae
Also
called
owlet moth
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin noctua “night-owl.”]
—noc·tu·id, adjective[1]



noctule

noctule
noc·tule 
[nók chl] (plural noc·tules) noun

large
bat of Europe and Asia: a large reddish brown bat,
common in Europe and Asia, that eats insects. Latin name: Nyctalus noctula
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Italian nottola “bat.”][1]



nocturn

nocturn
noc·turn 
[nók tùrn] (plural noc·turns) noun

early
morning prayers: one of the three divisions of the Roman
Catholic service of matins, the first service of the day, previously held at
midnight but now usually at daybreak
[14th century. Directly or
via French nocturne, from ecclesiastical Latin nocturnus, from
Latin “of the night,” from noct-, stem of nox “night.”][1]



nocturnal

nocturnal
noc·tur·nal 
[nok túrn’l] adjective
See
also
diurnal

1.  at
night:
occurring at night, as opposed to during the day

2.  ZOOLOGY active
at night:
used to describe animals that are active at night rather than during the day

3.  BOTANY flowering
at night:
used to describe flowers that open at night and close during the day
—noc·tur·nal·ly, adverb[1]



nocturne

nocturne
noc·turne 
[nók tùrn] (plural noc·turnes)
noun

1.  MUSIC dreamy
music:
a musical composition, especially for the piano, that suggests a tranquil,
dreamy mood. It evolved during the early 19th century, and Chopin was the most
famous composer of nocturnes.

2.  PAINTING night
scene:
a painting of a night scene
[Mid-19th century. From
French (see nocturn ).][1]



nocuous

nocuous
noc·u·ous 
[nókyoo əss] adjective

harmful:
likely to cause injury or damage
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin nocuus, from nocere “to hurt.”]
—noc·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—noc·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



nod

nod
nod 
[nod] verb (past nod·ded,
past participle nod·ded, present participle nod·ding,
3rd person present singular nods)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
head in agreement: to lower and then raise the
head quickly in order to show agreement or recognition

2.  intransitive
verb
doze:
to let the head fall forward because of sleepiness

3.  intransitive
verb
lose
concentration: to be momentarily careless or negligent

4.  intransitive
verb
move
in wind:
to droop, bend, or sway in a breeze
noun
(plural nods)

1.  movement
of head to show agreement: a quick lowering and raising
of the head in order to show agreement or recognition

2.  approval
of something: an indication of approval or agreement
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German .]
—nod·der,
noun
on
the nod

U.K.
agreed without formal discussion or procedures (informal)[1]



nodal

nodal
nod·al 
[nṓd’l] adjective

like
or at node:
resembling, constituting, or found at or near a node
—nod·al·ly, adverb[1]



noddingacquaintance

noddingacquaintance
nod·ding
ac·quain·tance (plural nod·ding
ac·quain·tanc·es) noun

1.  slight
knowledge of something: a slight familiarity with or
knowledge of somebody or something

2.  slight
acquaintance of somebody: somebody whom somebody does
not know very well

[1]



noddle

noddle
nod·dle 
[nódd’l] (plural nod·dles) noun

head:
the human head or brain (dated slang)
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



noddy

noddy
nod·dy 
[nóddee] (plural nod·dies) noun

tropical
seabird:
a dark-colored tern found on the coasts and islands of tropical waters in both
hemispheres. Genera: Anous Micranous
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from nod .][1]



node

node
node 
[nōd] (plural nodes) noun

1.  lump
on something: a protruding knob, lump, or swelling on
something

2.  ANATOMY bulge
or swelling: a knob, knot, or other kind of swelling
that sticks out

3.  BOTANY point
on plant stem: the place on a plant stem where a leaf
is attached or has been attached

4.  PHYSICS point
on wave:
in physics, a place in a standing wave that has little or no amplitude

5.  GEOMETRY point
where parts of curve intersect: in geometry, a place
on a curve where it crosses itself

6.  MATHEMATICS point
of intersection: a point where lines meet or intersect in
a diagram or graph

7.  ASTRONOMY point
where orbit intersects ecliptic: either of the two
points where an orbit, for example, that of a planet, crosses the ecliptic
plane

8.  COMPUTING terminal
or point in network: a terminal or other point in
a computer network where a message can be created, received, or repeated

9.  LINGUISTICS point
in sentence structure: in transformational
grammars, a point in a sentence diagram where a category label, indicating the
part of speech, appears and from which further branches may lead off
[14th century. From Latin nodus
“knot.”][1]



nodeof Ranvier

nodeof Ranvier
node
of Ran·vier 
[nòd əv raaN vyáy] (plural nodes
of Ran·vier) noun

gap
in nerve sheath: a short gap in the myelin sheath that
occurs at intervals along the length of a nerve fiber
[Named for the French
histologist Louis Antoine Ranvier ( 1835–1922 ), who described them in
1878][1]



nodoff

nodoff
nod
off
intransitive verb

doze:
to fall asleep unintentionally or go into a drug-induced state of
semiconsciousness[1]



nodose

nodose
no·dose 
[n dṓss, n dṓz]
adjective

knobby:
having many points at which leaves join the stem
—no·dos·i·ty [nō dóssətee], noun[1]



nodule

nodule
nod·ule 
[nó jl] (plural nod·ules) noun

1.  small
lump:
a small protruding knob, lump, or swelling on something

2.  BOTANY root
protuberance: a swelling or knob on the roots of
legumes that contains bacteria

3.  ANATOMY cell
or tissue mass: a small mass of cells or tissue, which
may be a normal part of the body or a growth such as a tumor

4.  GEOLOGY large
rounded mineral form: a form of a mineral that is
massive with a rounded outer surface
[15th
century. From Latin nodulus “small knot,” from nodus (see node ).]
—nod·u·lar
[nójjələr], adjective

—nod·u·lose [nójjə lss], adjective[1]



Noel

Noel
No·el
(plural No·els) or No·ël (plural No·ëls)
noun

Christmas:
Christmas, especially in carols or greetings[1]



noel

noel
no·el
[nō él] (plural no·els) or
no·ël [nō él] (plural no·ëls)
noun

carol:
a Christmas carol (archaic or literary)
[12th century. From French,
from nael, from Latin (dies) natalis “birth (day),” ultimately
from nasci “to be born” (source of English nascent
).][1]



noetic

noetic
no·et·ic 
[nō éttik] adjective

of
the intellect: typical of, coming from, or understood
by the human mind
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek noētikos, ultimately from noein “to think,”
from nous “mind” (source of English nous
).]
—no·et·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



no-fault

no-fault
no-fault 
adjective

INSURANCE compensating
without assigning blame for accident:
relating to a system of motor vehicle insurance in which insurance companies
compensate accident victims without determining who is responsible for the
accident
noun

LAW
divorcing without assigning blame:
relating to a form of divorce in which no blame is placed on either party for
the breakdown of the marriage[1]



no-fly-zone

no-fly-zone
no-fly-zone
(plural no-fly-zones) noun

1.  area
forbidden to aircraft: an area over which aircraft,
especially those of another country, are forbidden to fly, and in which they
will be attacked if they enter it

2.  forbidden
topic:
a topic of questioning or conversation that is off-limits (slang) • The
press secretary declared that issue to be a no-fly-zone for reporters.

[1]



no-frills

no-frills
no-frills 
adjective

without any luxuries:
relating to a kind of service or establishment that does not offer extra or
special treatment (informal)[1]



nog

nog1
nog1 [nog]
noun (plural nogs)

1.  BUILDING wooden
block for nailing: a block of wood inserted
into masonry or brickwork so that something can be nailed to it

2.  CONSTR peg:
a wooden peg or pin
transitive
verb
(past nogged, past participle nogged, present
participle nog·ging, 3rd person present singular nogs)

BUILDING fill
with bricks: to fill a wall or partition with small
stones or bricks
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nog

nog2
nog2 [nog]
(plural nogs) noun

See
eggnog
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Nogales

Nogales
No·gal·es 
[no gləz]

1.  city
in Sonora State, northwestern Mexico, situated on the United States border.
Population: 107,119 (1990)

2.  city
in southeastern Arizona south of Tucson, on the Mexican border opposite
Nogales, Mexico. Population: 22,087 (1996)

[1]



noggin

noggin
nog·gin 
[nóggin] (plural nog·gins) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS one
fourth of pint: a measure for liquor equivalent to 0.148
liters¼ of a pint (dated)

2.  cup:
a small cup or mug (dated)

3.  head:
the human head (dated informal)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



nogging

nogging
nog·ging
[nógging] (plural nog·gings) noun

1.  masonry
between studs: small stones, bricks, or bits of masonry
used to fill the spaces between studs in a wall or partition

2.  wooden
piece between timbers: one of the pieces of wood
that are inserted between the main timbers of a half-timbered wall

[1]



no-go

no-go
no-go 
noun

something
that will not happen: an event or situation that
is not going to occur because of adverse conditions (informal)
adjective

canceled:
no longer going to happen or scheduled to occur[1]



no-goarea

no-goarea
no-go
ar·e·a
(plural no-go ar·e·as) noun

restricted area:
an area in which unauthorized people are forbidden to go[1]



no-good

no-good
no-good 
adjective

good-for-nothing:
lacking merit, virtue, worth, or morals (insult)
noun
(plural no-goods)

somebody or something
worthless: somebody or something
considered to lack merit, virtue, worth, or morals (insult)[1]



Noguchi,Hideyo

Noguchi,Hideyo
No·gu·chi
[naw gchee], Hideyo (1876–1928)

Japanese bacteriologist. He
helped discover the spirochete that causes syphilis, and devised a method to
diagnose the disease.[1]



Noguchi,Isamu

Noguchi,Isamu
No·gu·chi
[naw gchee], Isamu (1904–1988)

U.S. sculptor. He is known
for his abstract sculptures and his sculpture gardens.[1]



Noh

Noh
Noh 
noun

THEATER
See No 1[1]



no-hit

no-hit
no-hit 
adjective

with no hits by opponent:
relating to a baseball or softball game in which the opponents do not get a hit[1]



no-hitter

no-hitter
no-hit·ter 
(plural no-hit·ters) noun

baseball game with no
hitting: a baseball or softball game
in which the pitcher does not allow opponents a hit[1]



no-holds-barred

no-holds-barred
no-holds-barred 
adjective

completely unrestrained:
happening, or engaged in something, without restraint or control, like a
wrestling match in which any hold is permitted (informal)[1]



nohow

nohow
no·how 
[nṓ hòw] adverb

not at all:
not in any way (nonstandard)[1]



NoI

NoI
NoI

Abbreviation of
Nation of Islam[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








noil

noil
noil 
[noyl] (plural noils) noun

separated
short fibers: short fibers separated during combing
from the long fibers of cotton, wool, or another material
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French noel, from medieval Latin nodellus
“small knot,” from Latin nodus “knot” (source of English node ).][1]



noise

noise
noise 
[noyz] noun (plural nois·es)

1.  unpleasant
sound:
a loud, surprising, irritating, or unwanted sound

2.  any
sound:
any sound or combination of sounds

3.  outcry:
a loud clamor or commotion concerning something

4.  complaint:
a complaint or protest about something (informal)

5.  rumor:
idle talk, rumor, or gossip (informal)

6.  PHYSICS electric
disturbance: a random disturbance in an electric
circuit that makes clear reception of a signal difficult

7.  COMPUTING meaningless
data:
unwanted or meaningless data intermixed with the relevant information in the
output from a computer
verb
(past noised, past participle noised, present
participle nois·ing, 3rd person present singular nois·es)

1.  transitive
verb
spread
gossip:
to spread a rumor or gossip • an
ugly story that was being noised about in newsrooms across the nation

2.  intransitive
verb
talk
a lot:
to talk too much (dated)
[13th
century. Via French, “uproar, brawl,” from assumed late Latin nausea
“discomfort,” from Latin, “seasickness,” ultimately from Greek naus
“ship” (source of English nausea ).]
make
noises

to do or say something
intended to attract attention or indicate an intention • He’s
making noises about a career change.[1]



noiseabatement

noiseabatement
noise
a·bate·ment
noun

reducing
of harmful noise: the reduction of noise pollution
—noise-a·bat·ing, adjective[1]



noiseless

noiseless
noise·less 
[nóyzləss] adjective

quiet:
not making any noise
—noise·less·ly,
adverb

—noise·less·ness, noun[1]



noisemaker

noisemaker
noise·mak·er 
[nóyz màykər] (plural noise·mak·ers)
noun

1.  rattle
or horn for celebrating: a device such as a rattle or
horn used to make noise at a party or a celebration

2.  somebody
making noise: somebody who or something that makes
noise or noises
—noise·mak·ing, noun[1]



noisepollution

noisepollution
noise
pol·lu·tion
noun

irritating noise from
environment: irritating,
distracting, or physically dangerous noise to which people are exposed in their
environment and over which they usually have no control.
Also called
sound pollution[1]



noisette

noisette
noi·sette 
[nwaa zét] (plural noi·settes)
noun

cut
of meat:
a piece of boned and rolled meat, especially the neck or loin of lamb
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “little nut,” from its shape.][1]



noisome

noisome
noi·some 
[nóyssəm] adjective

1.  foul:
so offensive, especially to the senses, as to arouse feelings of disgust or
repulsion

2.  dangerous:
extremely harmful
[14th
century. From obsolete noy, a shortening of annoy,
+ -some .]
—noi·some·ly,
adverb

—noi·some·ness, noun[1]



noisy

noisy
nois·y 
[nóyzee] (comparative nois·i·er,
superlative nois·i·est) adjective

1.  making
noise:
making a loud and annoying racket

2.  containing
much noise:
full of or characterized by loud sounds
—nois·i·ly,
adverb

—nois·i·ness, noun[1]



Nok

Nok
Nok
[nók] noun

ancient Nigerian
civilization: a civilization located
in the forests of central Nigeria that flourished between 500 B.C. and A.D.
300. It is known for its highly developed art style.[1]



no-kill

no-kill
no-kill
noun (plural no-kills)

type
of animal shelter: an animal shelter that does
not euthanize the animals housed there, except under certain limited conditions
adjective

not killing animals:
opposed to the euthanization of animals housed in an animal shelter, or not
euthanizing animals, except under certain limited conditions[1]



Noland,Kenneth

Noland,Kenneth
No·land
[nṓlənd], Kenneth (1924– )

U.S. painter. His abstract
works feature various geometrical motifs, often on irregularly-shaped
canvasses.[1]



Nolan,Sidney Robert

Nolan,Sidney Robert
No·lan
[nṓlən], Sir Sidney Robert (1917–1992)

Australian painter. His
colorful figurative works, often based on Australian folk history, include the Ned
Kelly series.[1]



nolensvolens

nolensvolens
no·lens
vo·lens 
[nlənz vṓlənz] adverb

willing
or not:
whether willing or not willing
[From Latin, literally
“unwilling willing”][1]



nolime tangere

nolime tangere
noli
me tan·ge·re [nlee may
táng gə rày] (plural noli me tan·geres) noun

1.  prohibition
against touching: a warning not to touch or interfere with
somebody or something

2.  somebody
or something not for touching: somebody who or
something that must not be touched or interfered with

3.  PAINTING painting
of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene: a
depiction in art of Jesus Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene after his
resurrection
[From Latin, literally “do
not touch me,” from Jesus Christ’s words to Mary Magdalene in the Bible, John
20:17][1]



nolleprosequi

nolleprosequi
nol·le
pros·e·qui 
[nlee próssə kw] noun

decision
not to proceed with case: an entry made in a court
record when a plaintiff or a prosecutor decides not to proceed further with a
case or action
[From Latin, literally “to be
unwilling to pursue”][1]



nolo

nolo
no·lo 
[n lṓ] (plural no·los) noun

(informal)
See nolo contendere
[Shortening][1]



no-load

no-load
no-load 
adjective

free from commission or fees:
sold directly to customers at net asset value without the addition of a sales
commission or other fees • a
no-load mutual fund[1]



nolocontendere

nolocontendere
no·lo
con·ten·de·re  [n lō kən
téndəree] (plural no·lo con·ten·de·res) noun

plea
accepting charges without admitting guilt: in
law, a plea entered by a defendant that does not explicitly admit guilt, but
subjects the defendant to punishment, while allowing denial of the alleged
facts in other proceedings.
Also
called
no contest
Also
called
nolo
[From Latin, literally “I do not
wish to contend”][1]



no-lose

no-lose
no-lose 
adjective

sure to be successful:
certain to result in success or be beneficial, regardless of the outcome • a
no-lose proposition[1]



nol-pros

nol-pros
nol-pros 
[nàwl próss] (past nol-prossed,
past participle nol-prossed, present participle nol-pros·sing,
3rd person present singular nol-pros·ses) transitive verb

end
prosecution of case: to end the prosecution of a
case by entering “nolle prosequi” in the court records
[Shortening of Latin nolle
prosequi, literally “to be unwilling to pursue”][1]



nol.pros.

nol.pros.
nol.
pros.
[nòl próss]

Abbreviation of
nolle prosequi[1]



nom.

nom.
nom.

Abbreviation of
nominative[1]



noma

noma
no·ma 
[nṓmə] noun

severe
inflammation with gangrene: a severe gangrenous
inflammation of the mouth or genitals, usually occurring in children who are
malnourished or otherwise debilitated
[Mid-19th century. From a
modern Latin alteration of Latin nome, ultimately from Greek nom-,
stem of nemein “to feed.”][1]



nomad

nomad
no·mad 
[nṓ màd] (plural no·mads) noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY member
of itinerant people: somebody who belongs to a
group of people who move from place to place seasonally in search of pasture
for their herds or food and water

2.  wanderer:
somebody who wanders from one place to another
[Late
16th century. From French nomade, ultimately from Greek nomas
“wandering about to find pasture,” from nemein “to pasture.”]
—no·mad·ic
[nō máddik], adjective

—no·mad·i·cal·ly
[nō máddikəlee], adverb

—no·mad·ism [nṓ ma dìzzəm], noun[1]



noman’s land

noman’s land
no
man’s land 
noun

1.  MILITARY territory
between opposing forces: the area of land that lies
between two opposing armies and is held by neither side

2.  unclaimed
territory:
any area of land that no one has established a claim to

3.  RACKET GAMES bad
position on tennis court: in tennis and other court
games, an area on a court in which a player is tactically at a disadvantage

4.  ambiguous
area:
any indefinite or ambiguous situation in which boundaries, rules, or authority
are unclear or unfamiliar

[1]



nomarchy

nomarchy
nom·ar·chy 
[nómmərkee] (plural nom·ar·chies)
noun

Greek
administrative district: any of the administrative
provinces into which modern Greece is divided.
Also
called
nome
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
nomarkhia, from nomos “district” (see nome
) + -arkhia “government.”][1]



nombril

nombril
nom·bril 
[nómbrəl] (plural nom·brils) or
nom·bril point [nómbrəl] (plural
nom·bril points) noun

midpoint
of lower half: in heraldry, the midpoint of the lower
half of an escutcheon, halfway between the fess point and the base point
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “navel.”][1]



nomde guerre

nomde guerre
nom
de guerre 
[nòm də gáir] (plural noms de
guerre [nòm də gáir]) noun

pseudonym:
an assumed name that somebody uses in certain situations, for example, when
fighting
[From French, literally “name
of war”][1]



nomde plume

nomde plume
nom
de plume 
[nòm də plm] (plural noms de
plume [nòm də plóom]) noun

See
pen name
[From French, literally “name
of pen”][1]



nome

nome
nome 
[nōm] (plural nomes) noun

1.  HISTORY Egyptian
province:
a province of ancient Egypt

2.  See
nomarchy
[Early 18th century. From
Greek nomos, from nemein “to divide.”][1]



Nome

Nome
Nome
[nōm]

city in western Alaska, on
Seward Peninsula, on the northern shore of Norton Sound. Population: 3,792
(1996)[1]



nomen

nomen
no·men
[nṓmən] (plural nom·i·na [nómmənə]) noun

ancient
Roman second name: in ancient Rome, a citizen’s
second name, which indicated the clan to which he or she belonged
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “name.”][1]



nomenclator

nomenclator
no·men·cla·tor 
[nmən kláytər] (plural no·men·cla·tors)
noun

assigner
of names:
somebody who assigns names to objects or items in a scientific classification
system ( taxonomy )
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from nomen “name” + calare “to call.”][1]



nomenclature

nomenclature
no·men·cla·ture 
[nmən kláychər] (plural no·men·cla·tures)
noun

1.  assigning
of names:
the assigning of names to organisms in a scientific classification system ( taxonomy )

2.  name
system:
a system of names assigned to objects or items in a particular science or art
[Early
17th century. Via French from Latin nomenclatura, formed from nomen
“name” + calare “to call.”]
—no·men·cla·tur·al, adjective[1]



nomenklatura

nomenklatura
no·men·kla·tu·ra 
[nmən klə trə, nmən
klaa trə] noun

1.  elite
Communist class: in Communist governments, the elite,
privileged class consisting of the people holding positions of authority in the
bureaucracy (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  Communist
patronage system: the system in the former Soviet Union
and other Communist countries, controlled by committees in the Communist Party,
for assigning senior positions in the bureaucracy (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th century. From Russian,
from Latin nomenclatura nomenclature
.][1]



nomina

nomina
nom·i·na

Plural of
nomen[1]



nominal

nominal
nom·i·nal 
[nómmən’l] adjective

1.  so-called:
acting or being something in name only, but not in reality

2.  very
low in cost: representing very little cost when
compared with the actual value received

3.  ACCOUNTING relating
to current prices: considered in terms of the
stated or original value only, and ignoring changes due to inflation and other
factors

4.  GRAMMAR of
noun:
relating to a noun or a group of words that functions as a noun

5.  bearing
somebody’s name: assigned to a named person, and bearing
that person’s name

6.  of
names:
relating to or consisting of a name or names
noun
(plural nom·i·nals)

GRAMMAR noun
or noun group: a word or group of words that functions
as a noun
[15th
century. Either directly or via French from Latin nominalis, from nomen
“name.”]
—nom·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



nominalism

nominalism
nom·i·nal·ism 
[nómmən’l ìzzəm] noun

rejection
of universals in philosophy: the philosophical doctrine
that there are no realities other than concrete individual objects
—nom·i·nal·ist,
noun, adjective

—nom·i·nal·is·tic
[nòmmən’l ístik], adjective

—nom·i·nal·is·ti·cal·ly
[nòmmən’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



nominalize

nominalize
nom·i·nal·ize
[nómmən’l z] (past nom·i·nal·ized,
past participle nom·i·nal·ized, present participle nom·i·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular nom·i·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  form
noun from word: to change a part of speech into a noun
by the addition of a suffix

2.  form
noun group from clause: to change an underlying
clause by a syntactic process or series of rules so that it functions like a
noun
—nom·i·nal·i·za·tion [nòmmən’li záysh’n], noun[1]



nominalquote

nominalquote
nom·i·nal
quote
(plural nom·i·nal quotes) noun

approximate price for
security: an approximate price given
for a security when there is no firm bid or asking price[1]



nominalvalue

nominalvalue
nom·i·nal
val·ue
(plural nom·i·nal val·ues) noun

See
par value[1]



nominalwages

nominalwages
nom·i·nal
wag·es
plural noun

actual wages paid:
wages expressed in terms of the money actually paid, rather than in terms of
the purchasing power of the wages[1]



nominate

nominate
nom·i·nate 
[nómmə nàyt] (past nom·i·nat·ed,
past participle nom·i·nat·ed, present participle nom·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular nom·i·nates) transitive verb

1.  propose
somebody:
to suggest somebody for appointment or election to a position or for an honor
or award

2.  appoint
somebody:
to appoint somebody to a position, or make somebody responsible for a duty

3.  HORSERACING enter
horse for race: to enter a horse in a race
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin nominat-, past participle stem of nominare
“to name,” from nomin-, stem of nomen “name.”]
—nom·i·na·tor, noun[1]



nomination

nomination
nom·i·na·tion 
[nòmmə náysh’n] (plural nom·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  proposal:
a suggestion of somebody for appointment or election to a position or for
receiving an honor or award

2.  somebody
or something proposed: somebody or something
suggested for appointment or election to a position or for receiving an honor
or award

3.  appointment:
the appointment of somebody to a position, or assignment of somebody to a duty

[1]



nominative

nominative
nom·i·na·tive 
[nómmə nàytiv, (grammatical case) nómmənətiv] adjective

1.  GRAMMAR of the
subject case: relating or belonging to the case used
in some languages to designate a noun or pronoun that is functioning as the
subject of a clause or sentence. Other words such as adjectives may have a
nominative form in agreement with a noun.

2.  appointed
to or proposed for office: appointed or suggested for
election to an office or position

3.  with
owner’s name: having the name of the owner specified
on it
noun
(plural nom·i·na·tives) GRAMMAR

1.  subject
noun case:
the grammatical case in some languages of a noun functioning as a subject of a
sentence or clause, and of some other words agreeing with the noun

2.  noun
in subject case: a form of a noun used in some languages
when the noun functions as the subject of a sentence or clause, or when another
word agrees with such a noun
[14th century. Either
directly or via French nominatif from Latin nominativus (casus)
“nominative (case),” from nominat- (see nominate
).][1]



nominee

nominee
nom·i·nee 
[nòmmə n] (plural nom·i·nees)
noun

1.  somebody
proposed:
somebody who has been suggested for a position, honor, or award, or as a
candidate for office

2.  BUSINESS nominal
owner:
a person or group that holds title to a security or piece of real estate but is
not actually the holder or owner
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from nominate .][1]



nomograph

nomograph

nom·o·graph 
[nómmə gràf, nṓmə
gràf] (plural nom·o·graphs) or nom·o·gram [nómmə gràm] (plural nom·o·grams) noun

1.  graph
with three scales: a graph with three lines
graduated so a straight line intersecting any two of the lines at their known
values intersects the third at the value of the related variable. To show the
relationship of the variables in more complicated expressions, nomographs often
have to resort to nonuniform and even curved scales.

2.  graph:
any graph that represents numerical relationships
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from Greek nomos “law, custom” + -graph .]
—nom·o·graph·ic
[nòmmə gráffik, nmə
gráffik], adjective

—no·mog·ra·phy [nō móggrəfee], noun[1]



nomothetic

nomothetic
nom·o·thet·ic 
[nòmmə théttik, nmə
théttik] or nom·o·thet·i·cal [nòmmə
théttik’l] adjective

1.  POLITICS legislative:
relating to the enactment of laws

2.  PSYCHOLOGY relating
to discovery of general laws: relating to the discovery of
universal laws, for example, those principles that explain how some aspects of
personality affect behavior
[Early
17th century. From Greek nomothetikos, from nomothetēs
“lawgiver,” from nomos “law.”]
—nom·o·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



-nomy

-nomy
-nomy
suffix

system
of rules, laws, or knowledge about a particular field • gastronomy
[From
Greek -nomia, from nomos “law, custom”]
—-nomic,
suffix

—-nomical,
suffix

—-nomically, suffix[1]



non-

non-
non-
prefix

not,
without, the opposite of
[Via Old French from Latin non
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English no, un-,
and in- .][1]



nona-

nona-
nona-
prefix

nine
• nonagon
[From Latin nonus
“ninth” (source of English noon ).
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “nine,” which is also the ancestor
of nine, November,
and ennead .][1]



nonacademic

nonacademic
non·ac·a·dem·ic
[non akə démmik] adjective

1.  not
teaching:
working at a university or college but not involved in teaching or research

2.  not
studious:
lacking an aptitude for studying

3.  vocational:
practical or vocational in content

[1]



nonage

nonage
non·age 
[nónnij, nṓnij]
noun

1.  LAW not
being of legal age: the status of being under
the requisite age for some legal entitlement (formal)

2.  time
before maturity: any time of immaturity
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman nounage, a variant of Old French nonage, literally
“not (the full) age,” from age (see age
).][1]



nonagenarian

nonagenarian
non·a·ge·nar·i·an 
[nònnəjə nérree ən, nnəjə
nérree ən] noun (plural non·a·ge·nar·i·ans)

somebody
90 to 99 years old: somebody 90 years of age or
between 90 and 100 years old
adjective

90
to 99 years old: 90 years of age or between 90 and 100
years old
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin nonagenarius “consisting of ninety,” from, ultimately, nonaginta
“ninety,” from nonus (see noon ).][1]



nonaggression

nonaggression
non·ag·gres·sion 
[nònnə grésh’n] noun

lack of aggression:
a policy of not attacking other countries • The
two countries signed a nonaggression pact.[1]



nonagon

nonagon

non·a·gon 
[nónnə gòn, nṓnə
gòn] (plural non·a·gons) noun
nine-sided
polygon:
a plane geometric figure with nine angles and sides
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from nona- + -gon .]
—non·ag·o·nal [nō nággən’l], adjective[1]



nonalcoholic

nonalcoholic
non·al·co·hol·ic 
[non alkə hóllik] adjective

containing no alcohol:
containing no alcohol, or an extremely low amount of alcohol[1]



nonaligned

nonaligned
non·a·ligned 
[nònnə lnd] adjective

having
no major ally: not allied with any major world power
—non·a·lign·ment, noun[1]



non-A,non-B hepatitis

non-A,non-B hepatitis
non-A,
non-B hep·a·ti·tis noun

nonspecific viral liver
disease: an acute chronic viral
disease of the liver, similar to hepatitis B but caused by neither the
hepatitis A nor the hepatitis B virus. Among the several new hepatitis viruses
discovered relatively recently, non-A, non-B hepatitis, in most cases, is
thought to be due to the hepatitis C virus.[1]



nonappearance

nonappearance
non·ap·pear·ance 
[nònnə prəns] (plural non·ap·pear·anc·es)
noun

failure to show up:
failure to appear or attend, especially the failure of a defendant or witness
to turn up for a court appearance[1]



nonassessable

nonassessable
non·as·sess·a·ble 
[nònnə séssəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to determine: impossible to estimate or determine • nonassessable
losses

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE not
liable to financial penalty: used to describe stock for
which an investor cannot be assessed or held liable for any financial loss
beyond the amount of his or her investment

[1]



nonbank

nonbank
non·bank 
[non bángk] (plural non·banks)
noun

financial
company:
a financial enterprise that is not a bank but performs a number of the
functions of a bank
—non·bank·ing, adjective[1]



nonbeliever

nonbeliever
non·be·liev·er 
[nònbi lvər] (plural non·be·liev·ers)
noun

nonreligious person:
somebody who has no religious faith or beliefs[1]



nonbook

nonbook
non·book 
[nón bk] noun (plural non·books)

book
of other than literary importance: a book meant primarily
for practical use or visual enjoyment rather than literary merit
adjective

not in book form:
kept in a permanent form other than as books, for example, as videotapes • the
library’s nonbook holdings[1]



nonbreaking

nonbreaking
non·break·ing
[non bráyking] adjective

designed to not break:
designed so as not to break • a
nonbreaking windshield[1]



nonbreeding

nonbreeding
non·breed·ing
[non brding] adjective

not kept for breeding:
not kept for breeding purposes[1]



nonbusiness

nonbusiness
non·busi·ness 
[non bíznəss] adjective

not relating to business:
personal and not relating to business • details
of nonbusiness expenditure[1]



noncallable

noncallable
non·call·a·ble 
[non káwləb’l] adjective

not payable on demand:
used to describe a bond, stock, or security that is not subject to payment on
demand or redemption prior to maturity[1]



nonce

nonce
nonce 
[nons] noun

present
time:
the present time
[12th
century. Alteration resulting from misdivision of for then anes “for the
one (occasion),” from for + then, a form of the + anes, an obsolete form of one .]
for
the nonce

1.  for
the present occasion

2.  for
the time being

[1]



nonceword

nonceword
nonce
word
(plural nonce words) noun

specially coined word:
a word that is coined for a single occasion[1]



nonchalance

nonchalance
non·cha·lance 
[nònshə lns, nónshə
lns] noun

casual attitude:
the quality of appearing calm and unconcerned[1]



nonchalant

nonchalant
non·cha·lant 
[nònshə lnt, nónshə
lnt] adjective

indifferent:
calm and unconcerned about things
[Mid-18th
century. From French, literally “not being concerned,” from chalant,
present participle of chaloir “to be concerned,” from, ultimately, Latin
calere “to be hot or roused.”]
—non·cha·lant·ly, adverb[1]



noncling

noncling
non·cling
[non klíng] adjective

not clinging to body:
made of a material that prevents the garment from clinging to the wearer’s body[1]



nonclinical

nonclinical
non·clin·i·cal
[non klínnik’l] adjective

not involved with patient
care: not relating to or involved
in the medical care of patients[1]



noncollegiate

noncollegiate
non·col·le·giate
[nònkə ljee ət] adjective

1.  not
consisting of colleges: used to describe a
university that does not consist of colleges

2.  not
belonging to college: not associated with or
belonging to a particular college within a university

[1]



noncom

noncom
non·com 
[nón kòm] (plural non·coms) noun

noncommissioned
officer:
a noncommissioned officer (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



noncombatant

noncombatant
non·com·bat·ant 
[nònkəm bátt’nt] (plural non·com·bat·ants)
noun

1.  civilian
in wartime:
somebody who is not in the armed forces during a war

2.  nonfighting
member of armed forces: a chaplain, medical officer,
or other member of the armed forces who does not take part in battle

[1]



noncommissionedofficer

noncommissionedofficer
non·com·mis·sioned
of·fi·cer 
[nonkə mish’nd óffissər] (plural non·com·mis·sioned
of·fi·cers) noun

officer without commission:
an enlisted member of any of the armed forces who, without being given a
commission, has been appointed to a position of authority over other enlisted
members[1]



noncommittal

noncommittal
non·com·mit·tal 
[nònkə mítt’l] adjective

not
expressing an opinion: not making clear any
personal opinions or feelings about something
—non·com·mit·tal·ly, adverb[1]



noncompetitive

noncompetitive
non·com·pet·i·tive
[nònkəm péttitiv] adjective

1.  COMMERCE without
business rivalry: not characterized by competition between
rival businesses or organizations

2.  COMMERCE unable
to compete commercially: unable to compete
commercially against rival businesses or organizations

3.  COMMERCE neither
cheap nor good enough: neither low enough in price
nor high enough in quality to compete in the marketplace

4.  unambitious:
not having the type of personality that makes somebody want to compete against
and beat other people

5.  SPORTS not
involving competing sportspeople: not involving
competition between athletes, players, or teams

[1]



noncompetitivebid

noncompetitivebid
non·com·pet·i·tive
bid 
(plural non·com·pet·i·tive bids) noun

purchase of Treasury bills:
a method of buying United States Treasury bills by which the purchaser commits
to taking a specific amount of securities at the average weekly price[1]



noncompliance

noncompliance
non·com·pli·ance 
[nònkəm pl əns] noun

failure
to comply:
a refusal or failure to obey a law, rule, contractual agreement, or a
physician’s order for medicine-taking
—non·com·pli·ant, adjective[1]



noncompos mentis

noncompos mentis
non
com·pos men·tis  [non kòmpəss
méntiss] adjective

of
legally incompetent mind: in law, not mentally
competent to understand what is happening and to make important decisions
[From Latin, literally “not
having control of (your) mind”][1]



nonconductor

nonconductor
non·con·duc·tor 
[nònkən dúktər] (plural non·con·duc·tors)
noun

substance
that does not conduct: a substance that does not
conduct heat, electricity, or sound
—non·con·duct·ing, adjective[1]



nonconformist

nonconformist
non·con·form·ist 
[nònkən fáwrmist] adjective

unconventional:
not conforming to an established pattern of behavior
noun
(plural non·con·form·ists)

1.  unconventional
person:
somebody who does not conform to an accepted pattern of behavior

2.  non·con·form·ist
or Non·con·form·ist (plural Non·con·form·ists) CHRISTIANITY member
of dissenting Protestant church: a member of a
Protestant church not adhering to the doctrines or usage of a national or
established church, especially in Britain
—non·con·form·ism [nònkən fáwr mìzzəm], noun[1]



nonconformity

nonconformity
non·con·form·i·ty 
[nònkən fáwrmətee] noun

1.  unconventionality:
the practice of not conforming to an established pattern of behavior

2.  lack
of agreement: the state of being in disagreement with
something

[1]



noncontributory

noncontributory
non·con·trib·u·to·ry 
[nònkən tríbbyə tàwree] adjective

1.  not
requiring contributions: used to describe a health
insurance or pension plan that does not require contributions from an employee
or member

2.  not
contributing: not contributing to a health insurance
or pension plan

[1]



noncooperation

noncooperation
non·co·op·er·a·tion 
[nònkō oppə ráysh’n] noun

1.  refusal
to cooperate: refusal or failure to cooperate

2.  POLITICS civil
disobedience: the practice of refusing to pay taxes or
otherwise obey government decrees, as a means of protest
—non·co·op·er·a·tive [nònkō óppərətiv, nònkō
óppə ràytiv], adjective[1]



noncredit

noncredit
non·cred·it 
[non kréddit] adjective

conferring no academic
credit: used to describe an
educational course that contributes no official credit toward an academic
degree[1]



noncustodial

noncustodial
non·cus·to·di·al 
[nònkə stṓdee əl] adjective

1.  LAW not
involving imprisonment: not involving imprisonment
or detention in custody

2.  LAW SOCIAL SCIENCES not having custody of
child:
not granted legal custody of a child

[1]



nondairy

nondairy
non·dair·y 
[non dáiree] adjective

not
containing dairy products: used to describe ingredients
or foods that contain no dairy products and can be substituted for them, for
example, some kinds of margarine
noun

product with no milk content:
a commercial product containing no ingredients such as milk, cream, or cheese[1]



nondeductible

nondeductible
non·de·duct·i·ble 
[nòndi dúktəb’l] adjective

not deductible from taxable
income: not allowed to be deducted,
especially as an allowance against income taxes[1]



nondegradable

nondegradable
non·de·grad·a·ble
[nòndi gráydəb’l] adjective

not capable of being
decomposed: not subject to decomposition
by biological or chemical means[1]



nondenominational

nondenominational
non·de·nom·i·na·tion·al 
[nòndi nommə náyshən’l, nòndi nommə náyshnəl] adjective

not associated with religious
denomination: not associated with or
restricted to a particular religious denomination[1]



nondescript

nondescript
non·de·script 
[nòndi skrípt] adjective

unremarkable:
with no interesting or remarkable characteristics
noun
(plural non·de·scripts)

unremarkable
person:
somebody with no interesting or remarkable characteristics
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin descriptus, past participle of describere (see describe ).][1]



nondestructivetesting

nondestructivetesting
non·de·struc·tive
test·ing
[nondi strùktiv tésting] noun

technique for finding flaws:
any technique used to test for flaws in materials, components, and joints
without causing damage or destruction[1]



nondirective

nondirective
non·di·rec·tive 
[nòndi réktiv] adjective

patient-focused therapy:
used to describe a form of psychotherapy or counseling in which the patient is
encouraged to speak freely with minimal input from the therapist[1]



nondisclosureagreement

nondisclosureagreement
non·dis·clo·sure
a·gree·ment
[nondi sklər ə grmənt] (plural non·dis·clo·sure
a·gree·ment) noun

agreement not to disclose
proprietary information: an
agreement, often required of new or departing employees, not to disclose any
proprietary or secret information relating to their new or previous employer[1]



nondiscrimination

nondiscrimination
non·dis·crim·i·na·tion 
[nòndi skrimmi náysh’n] noun

1.  fair
and equal treatment for all: the practice of treating
different people or groups fairly, equally, and without prejudice

2.  no
discrimination: the absence of discrimination
—non·dis·crim·i·na·to·ry
[nòndi skrímmənə tàwree], adjective[1]



nondisjunction

nondisjunction
non·dis·junc·tion 
[nòndiss júngkshən] noun

failure
of chromosomal separation: a failure of paired
chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate during cell division
—non·dis·junc·tion·al,
adjective

—non·dis·junc·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



nondistinctive

nondistinctive
non·dis·tinc·tive 
[nòndi stíngktiv] adjective

not distinguishing meanings:
used to describe features of speech sounds that do not distinguish meanings[1]



nondit

nondit
non
dit
[nòn d] noun

something
not discussed: a taboo subject or fact that remains
unspoken or is not discussed • His
absence was a non dit.
[Late 20th century. From
French le non-dit, “what is left unsaid.”][1]



nondrinker

nondrinker
non·drink·er 
[non dríngkər] (plural non·drink·ers)
noun

teetotaler:
somebody who does not drink alcohol
—non·drink·ing, adjective[1]



nondrip

nondrip
non·drip
[non dríp] adjective

not producing drips:
not likely to drip while being applied[1]



none

none
none 
[nun] pronoun

1.  nobody:
not one person • Wealth that is free for
all is valued by none. • None
of us wanted the situation to continue.

2.  not
any:
not any of something, or any part of something • None
of it seemed to matter any more. • We
wrote last week demanding some answers, but so far have received none.
adjective

not any of: not
any of (archaic) (used before vowels)
[Old
English nān, literally “not one,” from ne “not” + ān, an
earlier form of one]
have
none of something

to
refuse to tolerate something • We
asked him to explain himself, but he would have none of it.

none
the

in
no degree (used in front of comparative adjectives) • I’m
still none the wiser.

none
too

not very • The
room is none too pretty, painted like that.[1]



nonelected

nonelected
non·e·lect·ed 
[nònni léktəd] adjective

not voted into a post:
holding a position or office without having been elected to it[1]



nonelectrolyte

nonelectrolyte
non·e·lec·tro·lyte
[nònni léktrə lt] (plural non·e·lec·tro·lytes)
noun

poor conductor of
electricity: a substance that does
not ionize readily in solution or in the molten state and is therefore a bad
conductor of electricity[1]



nonentity

nonentity
non·en·ti·ty 
[non éntitee] (plural non·en·ti·ties)
noun

1.  insignificant
person:
somebody who has no importance, influence, or significance

2.  something
nonexistent: something that does not exist in reality

3.  not
existing:
the state of being nonexistent
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin nonentitas, from entitas “existence” (see entity ).][1]



nonequivalence

nonequivalence
non·e·quiv·a·lence
[nònni kwívvələns] noun

1.  not
being equal: the state of not being equal or
equivalent

2.  LOGIC difference
in truth values: a situation in which two propositions
can have different truth values
—non·e·quiv·a·lent, adjective[1]



nones

nones
nones 
[nōnz] noun (takes a singular or
plural verb)

1.  CALENDAR HISTORY day in Roman calendar:
the ninth day before the ides of each month in the ancient Roman calendar

2.  CHRISTIANITY time
for afternoon prayer: the fifth canonical hour of
prayer, originally held at the ninth hour after sunrise
[15th century. “9th day” via
French from Latin nonas, plural of nonus “ninth.” “Prayer hour”
plural of none, ultimately from Latin nona, feminine of nonus
(see noon ).][1]



nonessential

nonessential
non·es·sen·tial 
[nònni sénshəl] adjective

1.  not
necessary:
not absolutely necessary

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY not
necessary to the diet: manufactured by the body and
therefore not essential in the diet
noun
(plural non·es·sen·tials)

nonessential person or thing:
somebody who or something that is not absolutely necessary

[1]



nonesuch

nonesuch
none·such 
[nún sùch] (plural none·such·es)
or non·such [nún sùch] (plural
non·such·es) noun

somebody
or something unparalleled: somebody who or something
that has no equal (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From none + such .][1]



nonet

nonet
no·net 
[nō nét] (plural no·nets) noun

1.  composition
for nine voices or instruments: a piece of music
composed for nine voices or instruments

2.  group
of nine musicians: a group of nine singers or
instrumentalists
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian nonetto, literally “small ninth,” from nono “ninth,” from
Latin nonus (see noon ).][1]



nonetheless

nonetheless
none·the·less 
[nùnə léss] adverb

See
nevertheless[1]



non-Euclidean

non-Euclidean
non-Eu·clid·e·an 
adjective

not based on Euclid’s
postulates: used to describe or relating
to any branch of geometry not based on the postulates of Euclid[1]



nonevent

nonevent
non·e·vent 
[nònni vént] (plural non·e·vents)
noun

boring occasion:
an occasion that is disappointingly unexciting[1]



nonexistent

nonexistent
non·ex·ist·ent
[nònnig zístənt] adjective

not
existing:
not in existence
—non·ex·ist·ence, noun[1]



nonfat

nonfat
non·fat 
[non fát] adjective

with fat content removed:
without fat solids, or with the fat content removed[1]



nonfeasance

nonfeasance
non·fea·sance 
[non fz’ns] noun

failure
to meet legal obligations: failure to do something that
is legally obligatory.
See
also
malfeasance
See
also
misfeasance
[Early 17th century. Formed
from obsolete feasance “doing,” from Anglo-Norman fesa(u)nce and
French faisance, from fais-, present stem of faire “to
do,” from Latin facere .][1]



nonferrous

nonferrous
non·fer·rous 
[non férrəss] adjective

1.  containing
no iron:
not composed of or containing iron

2.  not
iron:
being a metal other than iron

[1]



nonfiction

nonfiction
non·fic·tion 
[non fíkshən] noun

prose
that is not fictitious: prose literature that
consists of factual information rather than works of the imagination • her
first nonfiction work
—non·fic·tion·al, adjective[1]



nonfigurative

nonfigurative
non·fig·u·ra·tive
[non fíggyərətiv] adjective

1.  See
literal

2.  ARTS See nonrepresentational

[1]



nonflammable

nonflammable
non·flam·ma·ble 
[non flámməb’l] adjective

difficult to burn:
difficult to burn or ignite[1]



nonfood

nonfood
non·food 
[non fd] adjective

not for eating or drinking:
used to describe something that is sold in a supermarket that is not for eating
or drinking[1]



nongonococcalurethritis

nongonococcalurethritis
non·gon·o·coc·cal
u·re·thri·tis  [nòn gonnə
kókəl yrri thrtis] noun

sexually transmitted
infection of urethra:
inflammation of the urethra not caused by any specific infection. It is
sexually transmitted but is not caused by gonorrheal organisms.
Also called
nonspecific urethritis
U.K. term
nonspecific urethritis[1]



nongraded

nongraded
non·grad·ed 
[non gráydəd] adjective

1.  EDUCATION not
divided into classes: used to describe an
elementary school that is not divided into classes

2.  not
sorted by size: not sorted into different sizes • nongraded
rocks

[1]



nongrata

nongrata
non
gra·ta 
[non grtə, non
gráttə] adjective

unwelcome:
not welcome
[Extracted from persona non grata][1]



nonhero

nonhero
non·he·ro 
[nòn hrō] (plural non·he·roes)
noun

See
antihero[1]



nonidentical

nonidentical
non·i·den·ti·cal 
[nòn ī déntik’l] adjective

1.  different:
not the same

2.  BIOLOGY • nonidentical
twins.
See fraternal  adjective 4

[1]



nonillion

nonillion
no·nil·lion 
[nō níllyən] (plural no·nil·lions)
noun

1.  one
followed by 30 zeros: the number equal to 10 30, written as 1 followed by 30
zeros

2.  U.K.
one
followed by 54 zeros: the number equal to 10 54, written as 1 followed by 54
zeros
[Late
17th century. From French, coined from Latin nonus “ninth” + -illion
as in million .]
—no·nil·lionth, adjective,
noun[1]



nonimmigrant

nonimmigrant
non·im·mi·grant 
[non ímmigrənt] (plural non·im·mi·grants)
noun

1.  temporary
noncitizen resident: somebody who enters a
country of which he or she is not a citizen for a temporary stay

2.  returning
citizen:
somebody who returns to his or her own country after a period of time spent in
another country

[1]



noninflammable

noninflammable
non·in·flam·ma·ble
[nònnin flámməb’l] adjective

U.K.
See nonflammable[1]



non-insulin-dependentdiabetes

non-insulin-dependentdiabetes
non-in·su·lin-de·pend·ent
di·a·be·tes 
noun

diabetes not requiring
insulin: a type of diabetes mellitus
that does not require insulin for its treatment.
Also called
mature-onset diabetes[1]



nonintervention

nonintervention
non·in·ter·ven·tion 
[nòn intər vénshən] noun

not
interfering in other countries: the policy and
practice of a nation’s abstaining from involvement in the affairs of another
state or population group
—non·in·ter·ven·tion·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



noninvasive

noninvasive
non·in·va·sive 
[nònnin váyssiv] adjective

1.  not
entering into the body: not involving cutting into
the body or entry into a body cavity, for example, the colon or stomach

2.  locally
confined:
not spreading or likely to spread to other parts of the body

[1]



noninvolvement

noninvolvement
non·in·volve·ment 
[nònnin vólvmənt] noun

refusal or failure to take
part: the practice of not
participating in something or not being associated with something[1]



noniron

noniron
non·i·ron
[non rn] adjective

U.K.
not requiring ironing:
not needing to be ironed because it is crease-resistant[1]



nonissue

nonissue
non·is·sue 
[non íshoo] (plural non·is·sues)
noun

something irrelevant:
something that is so unimportant that it is not worth considering or discussing[1]



nonjoinder

nonjoinder
non·join·der 
[non jóyndər] noun

omission of party from
lawsuit: failure to include a party
in a lawsuit who should have been included[1]



nonjudgmental

nonjudgmental
non·judg·men·tal 
[nòn juj mént’l] adjective

not
making moral judgments: not making or involving
moral judgments
—non·judg·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



nonjuror

nonjuror
non·ju·ror 
[non jrər, non
j ràwr] (plural non·ju·rors) noun

somebody
refusing to take an oath: somebody who refuses to take
an oath, especially a member of the Church of England clergy who refused to
take an oath of allegiance to William and Mary in 1689
—nonjuring, adjective[1]



nonjury

nonjury
non·ju·ry
[non jree] adjective

not having a jury:
used to describe a trial where the verdict is not the responsibility of a jury
but of a judge[1]



nonlinear

nonlinear
non·lin·e·ar 
[non línnee ər] adjective

1.  not
in a line:
not lying on the same straight line

2.  not
predictable from past: varying markedly as a result
of individual factors or circumstances and so difficult to anticipate or likely
to depart from previous patterns

3.  ALGEBRA not in
direct proportion: used to describe a
relationship or function that is not strictly proportional

[1]



nonmemberfirm

nonmemberfirm
non·mem·ber
firm 
(plural non·mem·ber firms) noun

company not belonging to
stock exchange: a company that is not a
member of a stock exchange and thus requires an intermediary to operate on its
behalf there[1]



nonmetal

nonmetal
non·met·al 
[non métt’l] (plural non·met·als)
noun

element without metallic
properties: a chemical element that does
not have the chemical and physical properties of a metal, for example, carbon
or oxygen[1]



nonmoral

nonmoral
non·mor·al 
[non máwrəl] adjective

1.  independent
of moral considerations: neither immoral nor moral,
but unrelated to moral or ethical considerations

2.  without
morals:
not having or showing moral principles

[1]



nonnegative

nonnegative
non·neg·a·tive 
[non néggətiv] adjective

greater than or equal to
zero: in mathematics, relating to
or being a real quantity that is positive or zero[1]



nonnegotiable

nonnegotiable
non·ne·go·tia·ble 
[nònnə gṓshee əb’l, nòn
nə gṓshee əb’l] adjective

1.  not
open to negotiation: not open to negotiation or
arbitration

2.  not
marketable:
not legally transferable from one owner to another

[1]



nonnuclear

nonnuclear
non·nu·cle·ar 
[non nklee ər] adjective

not using nuclear devices:
not using nuclear power or weapons[1]



no-no

no-no
no-no 
(plural no-nos) noun

something not allowed:
something that is not allowed or is disapproved of (informal)[1]



nonobjective

nonobjective
non·ob·jec·tive 
[nònnəb jéktiv] adjective

1.  not
impartial:
based on somebody’s opinions or feelings, rather than on facts or evidence

2.  ARTS See nonrepresentational
—non·ob·jec·tiv·i·ty [nòn ob jek tívvətee], noun[1]



nonobservance

nonobservance
non·ob·ser·vance 
[nònnəb zúrvəns] noun

not
obeying something: a failure to comply with
something such as a law or practice, especially a religious practice
—non·ob·ser·vant, adjective[1]



nonobstante

nonobstante
non
ob·stan·te 
[non əb stántee, nn
əb stántee] preposition

notwithstanding:
notwithstanding (formal)
[From medieval Latin,
literally “not standing in the way”][1]



no-nonsense

no-nonsense
no-non·sense 
adjective

1.  businesslike:
direct and practical in dealing with things or people

2.  basic
and unadorned: basic and offering no extras, frills, or
luxuries

[1]



nonoxynol-9

nonoxynol-9
non·ox·y·nol-9 
[no nóksi nawl nn] noun

spermicide:
a type of spermicide used in contraceptive preparations
[From nonyl + oxy- + phenol +
9 (from the fact that the compounds contained have an average of nine ethylene
oxide groups per molecule)][1]



nonpareil

nonpareil
non·pa·reil 
[nònpə rél, nónpə
rèl] noun (plural non·pa·reils)

1.  somebody
or something unparalleled: somebody who or something
that has no equal

2.  FOOD confectionery
decoration:
a small crisp bead of colored sugar used to decorate cookies and other
confectionery

3.  FOOD sugar-covered
chocolate disk: a small disk of chocolate covered in
small beads of white nonpareils

4.  PRINTING six-point
type:
a size of printers’ type equivalent to six point (dated)
adjective

peerless:
having no equal
[15th century. From French,
literally “not (having) equal,” from pareil “equal,” from popular Latin pariculus,
diminutive of Latin par “equal” (see pair
).][1]



nonpartisan

nonpartisan
non·par·ti·san 
[non prtizən] or non·par·ti·zan
[non prtizən] adjective

not
supporting any political party: not belonging to,
supporting, or biased in favor of any political party
noun
(plural non·par·ti·sans) (plural non·par·ti·zans)

somebody not supporting any
political party: somebody who does not
belong to, support, or show bias in favor of any political party[1]



nonpayment

nonpayment
non·pay·ment
[non páymənt] noun

failure to pay:
a refusal or failure to pay money owed[1]



nonpenetrative

nonpenetrative
non·pen·e·tra·tive
[non pénnə tràytiv] adjective

not involving sexual
penetration: not involving
penetration of the vagina or anus by the penis[1]



nonperformance

nonperformance
non·per·for·mance
[nònpər fáwrməns] adjective

delinquent:
used to describe a loan that is delinquent and making no progress toward
becoming current[1]



nonpersistent

nonpersistent
non·per·sis·tent 
[nònpər sístənt] adjective

decomposing quickly:
used to describe chemicals, especially pesticides, that tend to decompose
within a short time after application and are used with a view to limiting
environmental damage[1]



nonplacet

nonplacet
non
pla·cet 
[non pláyssət, nn
pláyssət] (plural non pla·cets) noun

negative
vote:
a negative vote in an ecclesiastical or academic assembly
[From Latin, literally “it
does not please”][1]



nonplaying

nonplaying
non·play·ing
[non pláy ing] adjective

not taking part as a player:
not playing in a game or competition, but usually having a coaching or advisory
role[1]



nonplus

nonplus
non·plus 
[non plúss] transitive verb (past
non·plussed or non·plused, past participle non·plussed
or non·plused, present participle non·plus·sing or
non·plus·ing, 3rd person present singular non·plus·ses or
non·plus·es)

confuse
somebody:
to make somebody feel confused and unable to decide what to do
noun
(plural non·plus·es)

state
of confusion: a state of confusion and nervousness (dated)
[Late
16th century. From Latin non plus “no more”; from being a state in which
“no more” can be done.]
—non·plussed, adjective[1]



nonpointsource

nonpointsource
non·point
source
[non póynt sàwrs] (plural non·point
sources) noun

pollution source:
a large or dispersed land area, for example, a farm or street, that discharges
pollutants into the environment over a wide area[1]



nonprescription

nonprescription
non·pre·scrip·tion 
[nònprə skrípsh’n] adjective

PHARMACOLOGY
See over-the-counter  adjective
3[1]



nonproductive

nonproductive
non·pro·duc·tive 
[nònprə dúktiv] adjective

1.  not
producing good results: not producing adequate or
satisfactory results

2.  ECONOMICS not
involved in producing goods: not directly involved in
producing goods

3.  not
yielding something: not producing crops or a
natural resource

4.  MED not
productive of phlegm: used to describe a cough
that does not produce phlegm
—non·pro·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—non·pro·duc·tive·ness,
noun[1]



nonprofessional

nonprofessional
non·pro·fes·sion·al 
[nònprə féshən’l, nònprə
féshnəl] noun (plural non·pro·fes·sion·als)

somebody
who is not professional: somebody who does not have
professional status
adjective

not professional:
not having professional status[1]



nonprofit

nonprofit
non·prof·it 
[non próffit] adjective

not
run for profit: not operated with the aim of making a
profit.
U.K.
term
non-profitmaking
noun
non·prof·it (plural non·prof·its)

non-profit organization:
a non-profit organization[1]



nonprofitmaking

nonprofitmaking
nonprof·it·mak·ing
[non próffit màyking] adjective

U.K.
See nonprofit[1]



nonproliferation

nonproliferation
non·pro·lif·er·a·tion 
[nònprə liffə ráysh’n] noun

avoidance of spreading:
the practice of limiting the production or spread of something, especially
nuclear weapons (often used before a noun) • nonproliferation
agreements[1]



nonpros

nonpros
non·pros 
[non próss] noun (plural non·pros·ses)

(informal)
See non prosequitur
transitive
verb
(past non·prossed, past participle non·prossed, present
participle non·pros·sing, 3rd person present singular non·pros·ses)

judge
against plaintiff in default: to enter a judgment against
a plaintiff who fails to appear in court (informal)
[Late 17th century.
Shortening.][1]



nonprosequitur

nonprosequitur
non
pro·se·qui·tur  [non prə
sékwitər] (plural non pro·se·qui·turs) noun

default
judgment in defendant’s favor: a judgment in the
defendant’s favor when the plaintiff fails to appear in court.
Also
called
nonpros
[From Latin, “he or she does
not prosecute”][1]



nonreader

nonreader
non·read·er 
[non rdər] (plural non·read·ers)
noun

somebody who cannot read:
somebody who does not or is unable to read, especially a child who has
difficulty in learning to read[1]



nonrecombinant

nonrecombinant
non·re·com·bi·nant 
[nòn ree kómbinənt] adjective

not artificially manipulated:
not produced by artificially manipulating genetic material[1]



nonrelativistic

nonrelativistic
non·rel·a·tiv·is·tic
[nòn relləti vístik] adjective

not
affected by relativistic effects: not affected by the
effects of relativity
—non·rel·a·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



nonrepresentational

nonrepresentational
non·rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al 
[nòn repprə zen táyshən’l, nòn repprə zen táyshnəl, nòn
repprəzən táyshən’l, nòn repprəzən táyshnəl]
adjective

abstract:
not aiming to depict an object but composed with the focus on internal
structure and form
—non·rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al·ism,
noun

—non·rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



nonresident

nonresident
non·res·i·dent 
[non rézzidənt] adjective

1.  not
residing in a place: not living or staying in a
particular place

2.  not
involving living at workplace: not involving living
at the place of work
noun
(plural non·res·i·dents)

somebody not residing in place:
somebody who is not living or staying in a particular place or at a workplace
—non·res·i·dence,
noun

—non·res·i·den·cy,
noun

—non·res·i·den·tial [nn rezzi dénshəl], adjective[1]



nonresistant

nonresistant
non·re·sis·tant 
[nònri zístənt] adjective

1.  susceptible
to something: unable to withstand something,
especially a disease

2.  passively
obedient:
exhibiting passive obedience to people in authority
—non·re·sis·tance, noun[1]



nonrestrictive

nonrestrictive
non·re·stric·tive 
[nònri stríktiv] adjective

not restrictive:
with few or no restrictions[1]



nonrestrictiveclause

nonrestrictiveclause
non·re·stric·tive
clause
(plural non·re·stric·tive claus·es) noun

parenthetical relative
clause: a relative clause that gives
additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause but that is
not essential to the understanding of the main clause. A nonrestrictive clause
is usually separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, for example, “My
partner, who is an artist, comes from Chicago.”
Also called
descriptive clause[1]



nonrigid

nonrigid
non·rig·id 
[non ríjjid] adjective

1.  flexible:
not stiff

2.  AIR with a
flexible gas container: used to describe airships
such as balloons or dirigibles that have a flexible gas container held in shape
by the internal gas pressure

[1]



nonrun

nonrun
non·run
[non rún] (plural non·runs) adjective

designed not to develop runs:
designed not to develop runs easily • nonrun
pantyhose[1]



nonscheduled

nonscheduled
non·sched·uled 
[non ské jld] adjective

1.  unplanned:
not planned to happen as part of a schedule

2.  TRANSPORT operating
without published schedule: operating according to
demand, rather than on a published schedule

[1]



nonsectarian

nonsectarian
non·sec·tar·i·an 
[nònsek táiree ən] adjective

1.  not
relating to religious subgroup: not relating to a
group or denomination within a wider religion or disputes between such groups

2.  not
restricted to one denomination: not restricted to
members of one religious denomination, but open to all

[1]



nonself

nonself
non·self 
[non sélf] noun

foreign material in body:
any substance or tissue that is not recognized as part of the body by that
body’s immune system[1]



nonsense

nonsense
non·sense 
[nónsəns] noun

1.  meaningless
language or behavior: pointless or meaningless
language or behavior

2.  pointless
act or utterance: an instance of pointless or meaningless
language or behavior • To pay
more than the price would be a nonsense.

3.  irritating
behavior:
disrespectful, obnoxious, or irritating behavior • the
kind of judge who won’t stand for any nonsense from lawyers

4.  See
nonsense verse

5.  non·sense
or non·sense co·don (plural non·sense co·dons) GENETICS DNA
section producing no amino acid: a triplet of
nucleotides, or codon, in a DNA molecule that does not code for any amino acid.
These codons are believed to signal the beginning and end of the synthesis of
particular protein molecules.
interjection

expression of contradiction:
used to contradict what somebody has said or written
[Early 17th century. Coined
from non- + sense .][1]



nonsenseverse

nonsenseverse
non·sense
verse
noun

absurd humorous poetry:
poetry that is written in deliberately absurd language for humorous effect,
mainly for children.
Also called
nonsense[1]



nonsenseword

nonsenseword
non·sense
word
(plural non·sense words) noun

meaningless word:
a word with no meaning, usually created for humorous effect[1]



nonsensical

nonsensical
non·sen·si·cal 
[non sénsik’l] adjective

1.  meaningless:
having no sense or meaning

2.  laughable:
deserving ridicule
—non·sen·si·cal·ly,
adverb

—non·sen·si·cal·ness, noun[1]



nonsequitur

nonsequitur
non
se·qui·tur 
[non sékwitər] (plural non
se·qui·turs) noun

1.  incongruous
statement:
a statement that appears unrelated to a statement that it follows

2.  unwarranted
conclusion:
a conclusion that does not follow from its premises
[From Latin, literally “it
does not follow”][1]



nonsexist

nonsexist
non·sex·ist 
[non séksist] adjective

not involving sexual
discrimination: avoiding or not
involving discrimination, limitation, or stereotypes based on gender[1]



nonshrink

nonshrink
non·shrink
[non shríngk] adjective

not shrinking when washed:
resistant to shrinking when washed[1]



nonsked

nonsked
non·sked 
[non skéd] (plural non·skeds (informal))
noun

nonscheduled
airline or plane: a nonscheduled airline or plane (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and alteration of nonscheduled .][1]



nonskid

nonskid
non·skid 
[non skíd] adjective

designed to prevent skidding:
designed to prevent or lessen skidding[1]



nonslip

nonslip
non·slip
[non slíp] adjective

preventing slipping:
designed to prevent people from slipping[1]



nonsmoker

nonsmoker
non·smok·er 
[non smṓkər] (plural non·smok·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who does not smoke: somebody who does not smoke
cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe

2.  RAIL compartment
where no smoking is allowed: a car or compartment in a
train in which smoking is not allowed

[1]



nonsmoking

nonsmoking
non·smok·ing 
[non smṓking] adjective

1.  restricted
to nonsmokers: reserved for people who do not want to
smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes

2.  not
smoking:
not smoking cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe
noun

area where smoking is forbidden:
an area of, for example, a restaurant or an aircraft, where smoking is not
permitted • Do
you want smoking or nonsmoking?
Also
called
no-smoking

[1]



nonspecificurethritis

nonspecificurethritis
non·spe·cif·ic
u·re·thri·tis noun

See
nongonococcal urethritis[1]



nonstandard

nonstandard
non·stan·dard
[non stándərd] adjective

1.  not
of accepted standard: not conforming to an
accepted standard

2.  LANGUAGE not
used in standard language: not conforming to a standard
accepted as grammatically correct by educated native speakers, or not used by
educated native speakers

[1]



nonstarter

nonstarter
non·start·er 
[non strtər] (plural non·start·ers)
noun

1.  something
or somebody unlikely to succeed: something that or
somebody who is obviously going to be unsuccessful right from the beginning (informal)

2.  SPORTS competitor
who withdraws before start: a competitor who does not
start a race, event, or competition in which he or she has been entered

3.  U.K.
HORSERACING horse
that does not compete: a horse that does not run in
a race in which it has been entered

[1]



Non-StatusIndian

Non-StatusIndian
Non-Stat·us
In·di·an
[nòn stáytəss ìndee ən] (plural Non-Stat·us
In·di·ans) or non-sta·tus In·di·an [nòn
stáytəss ìndee ən] (plural non-sta·tus In·di·ans) noun

Canada
indigenous person not recognized by
government: a member of an indigenous
people whom the federal government do not recognize as having special rights
and privileges, especially the right to live on a reserve.
Also called
non-treaty Indian[1]



nonsteroid

nonsteroid
non·ster·oid
[non sté ròyd, non
str òyd] noun (plural non·ster·oids)

drug
without steroid: a drug that does not contain a steroid
adjective
non·ste·roid non·ste·roid·al

not steroid:
not containing or being a steroid[1]



nonstick

nonstick
non·stick 
[non stík] adjective

preventing food from
sticking: with a coating or surface
that prevents food from sticking during cooking[1]



nonstop

nonstop
non·stop 
[non stóp] adjective adverb

1.  without
stop:
continuing without a stop • a
nonstop flight

2.  without
interruption: continuing without interruption or rest
• a
weekend of nonstop partying

[1]



nonsuch

nonsuch
non·such 
[nón sùch] (plural non·such·es)
noun

See
nonesuch[1]



nonsuit

nonsuit
non·suit 
[non st] (plural non·suits) noun

dismissal of a lawsuit:
the dismissal of a suit by a judge when the plaintiff fails to make out a legal
case or to produce adequate evidence[1]



nonsupport

nonsupport
non·sup·port 
[nònsə páwrt] noun

failure to supply legally
required support: failure or refusal to
supply legally required financial support, usually for a child or ex-spouse[1]



nontarget

nontarget
non·tar·get 
[non trgət] adjective

not intended to be treated:
used to describe cells, tissues, or organisms that are not intended for
treatment, for example, by drugs or radiation, but may be affected by such
treatment aimed elsewhere[1]



nontenured

nontenured
non·ten·ured 
[non ténnyərd] adjective

not tenured:
not having or conferring tenure[1]



non-treatyIndian

non-treatyIndian
non-trea·ty
In·di·an
[nòn trtee ìndee ən] (plural non-trea·ty
In·di·ans) noun

Canada
See Non-Status Indian[1]



nontroppo

nontroppo
non
trop·po 
[non tróppō] adverb adjective

in
moderation:
not too much (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian][1]



non-U

non-U
non-U 
adjective

U.K.
not
upper class: not belonging to or characteristic of
the upper classes (dated informal) • a
non-U word for “napkin”
[U abbreviation of upper
(class)][1]



nonunion

nonunion
non·un·ion 
[non ynyən] adjective

1.  not
in union:
not belonging to a labor union

2.  not
using union members: not employing labor union
members

3.  not
made by union members: not produced by labor union
members
—non·un·ion·ized, adjective[1]



nonuser

nonuser
non·us·er 
[non yzər] (plural non·us·ers)
noun

somebody not using something:
somebody who does not use something, especially somebody who does not take
addictive drugs[1]



nonverbal

nonverbal
non·ver·bal 
[non vúrb’l] adjective

not involving words:
not using or involving words[1]



nonverbalcommunication

nonverbalcommunication
non·ver·bal
com·mu·ni·ca·tion noun

communication not involving
words: methods of communicating
other than by using words, for example, facial expressions, hand gestures, and
tone of voice[1]



nonviable

nonviable
non·vi·a·ble 
[non v əb’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY not
able to develop alone: incapable of growing and
developing independently

2.  not
able to succeed: not capable of succeeding

[1]



nonvintage

nonvintage
non·vin·tage
[non víntij] adjective

not identified by year:
not belonging to an especially good year for a wine and not identified by year[1]



nonviolence

nonviolence
non·vi·o·lence 
[non v ələns, non
vləns] noun

1.  principle
of refraining from using violence: the principle of
refraining from using violence, especially as a means of protest

2.  absence
of violence: the absence of or freedom from violence
—non·vi·o·lent,
adjective

—non·vi·o·lent·ly, adverb[1]



nonvoter

nonvoter
non·vot·er 
[non vṓtər] (plural non·vot·ers)
noun

somebody who does not vote:
somebody who does not vote or is not entitled to vote[1]



nonvoting

nonvoting
non·vot·ing
[non vṓting] adjective

not granting vote:
used to describe stock that does not give the holder the right to vote at
company meetings[1]



nonwoven

nonwoven
non·wo·ven 
[non wṓv’n] adjective

made of bonded or interlocked
fibers: made of fibers that have
been bonded or interlocked by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or solvent methods[1]



nonzero

nonzero
non·ze·ro 
[non zro] adjective

not equal to zero:
greater or less than zero in value or quantity[1]



noodle

noodle3
noo·dle3 [nd’l]
(past noo·dled, past participle noo·dled, present
participle noo·dling, 3rd person present singular noo·dles)
intransitive and transitive verb

improvise
as warmup:
to improvise on a musical instrument in a random, meandering fashion, often for
the purpose of warming up (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from likening such playing to the disorganized, convoluted
appearance of a dish of noodles.][1]



noodle

noodle2
noo·dle2 [nd’l]
(plural noo·dles) noun

head:
the head or mind (slang)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of noddle
.][1]



noodle

noodle1
noo·dle1 [nd’l]
(plural noo·dles) noun

long
thin strip of pasta: a long thin strip of pasta.
Noodles are a staple of Italian and Chinese cooking. (often used in the
plural)
[Late 18th century. From
German Nudel, of uncertain origin: perhaps a variant of Knödel
“dumpling.”][1]



nook

nook
nook 
[nk] (plural nooks) noun

1.  private
place:
a quiet private place

2.  small
corner or recess: a corner or small recess in a room
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse .]
every
nook and cranny

every tiny part of a place[1]



nookie

nookie
nook·ie
[nkee] or nook·y [nkee] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for sexual intercourse (slang offensive)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from nook (from
sex taking place in a private place).][1]



noon

noon
noon 
[noon] noun

1.  12
o’clock midday: 12 o’clock in the middle of the day

2.  most
important period: the most important period of something (literary)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
nona (hora) “ninth (hour) (of the Roman day, counted from sunrise),”
feminine of nonus “ninth” (source of English nonagenarian
). Originally about 3 p.m.][1]



noonday

noonday
noon·day 
[nn dày] adjective

relating
to midday:
relating to or happening at midday
noun

midday:
the middle of the day (dated or literary)[1]



noone

noone
no
one
pronoun

nobody:
no person at all[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








noontide

noontide
noon·tide 
[nn td] noun

noontime:
the middle of the day (literary)[1]



noontime

noontime
noon·time 
[nn tm] noun

middle of day:
the middle of the day, around 12 o’clock[1]



noose

noose

noose 
[nooss] noun (plural noos·es)

1.  loop
in rope:
a loop, tied with a knot, at the end of a rope that permits tightening and
slackening, and is used for trapping animals or hanging people

2.  something
that traps somebody: something that traps
somebody in an unpleasant or unwanted situation
transitive verb
(past noosed, past participle noosed, present
participle noos·ing, 3rd person present singular noos·es)

1.  catch
with a noose: to catch somebody or something with a
noose

2.  tie
in a noose:
to tie a rope or cord in a noose
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French nos (singular) and nous
(plural) from Latin nodus “knot” (source of English denouement and node
).][1]



Nootka

Nootka
Noot·ka 
[ntkə] (plural Noot·kas or
Noot·ka) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of the western coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and
Cape Flattery, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Nootka:
the language of the Nootka, belonging to the Wakashan family of languages. Few
people now speak Nootka.
[Early
19th century. Named for Nootka Sound, an inlet on the coast of Vancouver
Island, British Columbia, Canada.]
—Noot·ka, adjective[1]



n.o.p.

n.o.p.
n.o.p.

Abbreviation of
not otherwise provided (for)[1]



nopal

nopal
no·pal 
[nṓp’l] (plural no·pals or
no·pal) noun

1.  PLANTS American
cactus:
an American cactus that has red flowers and long stamens and is a host plant to
the cochineal insect. Latin name: Nopalea cochinellifera

2.  FOOD fruit
of nopal:
the edible fruit of a nopal cactus, used in Mexican cookery
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Nahuatl nopalli, literally “cactus.”][1]



no-par

no-par
no-par 
or no-par-val·ue adjective

without face value:
used to describe a security without a par or face value[1]



nope

nope
nope 
[nōp] interjection

no:
used to indicate a negative response in order to refuse, deny, or disagree with
something (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of no 1 (probably
reflecting the sound of the lips’ closure after an emphatic pronunciation of
the word).][1]



nor

nor
nor
[nawr] conjunction

1.  and
not:
used to introduce an alternative, after a first alternative that is preceded by
“neither” (used in negative statements) • Neither
he nor his wife had profited in any way from the crime.

2.  and
not either:
used to indicate that what has just been said also applies to somebody or
something else, or to add extra information to what has just been said (used
after negative statements and followed by “have,” “do,” or “be”) • He
doesn’t want to move to another town, and nor do I. • No
surrounding tissue was damaged, nor did the infection spread.
preposition

than: than
(nonstandard)
conjunction

neither:
neither (literary)
[13th century. Contraction of
obsolete nouther “neither, nor” (see neither
).][1]



Nor.

Nor.
Nor.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Norman

2.  Abbreviation
of
North

3.  Abbreviation
of
Norway

4.  Abbreviation
of
Norwegian

[1]



nor-

nor-
nor-
prefix

an
unaltered parent compound • nornicotine
[Shortening of normal][1]



NOR

NOR
NOR
[nawr] noun

logical
operator:
a logical operator with two arguments that returns true if, and only if, both
arguments are false
[Mid-20th century. Blend of not and or .][1]



NORAD

NORAD
NO·RAD
[náwr àd]

Abbreviation of
North American Air Defense Command[1]



noradrenaline

noradrenaline
nor·a·dren·a·line
[nàwrə drénnəlin] or nor·a·dren·a·lin
[nàwrə drénnəlin] noun

U.K.
MEDICINE See norepinephrine[1]



noradrenergic

noradrenergic
nor·ad·ren·er·gic 
[nàwr addrə núrjik] adjective

relating to norepinephrine:
releasing or involving norepinephrine in the transmission of nerve impulses[1]



NORcircuit

NORcircuit
NOR
cir·cuit
(plural NOR cir·cuits) noun

inverse of OR circuit:
a computer circuit with two inputs and one output where the output is on only
when both inputs are off.
Also called
NOR gate[1]



Norco

Norco
Nor·co 
[náwrcō]

city in Riverside County,
southeastern California, situated 72 km/45 mi west of Palm Springs. Population:
23,302 (1990)[1]



Nordic

Nordic
Nor·dic 
[náwrdik] adjective

1.  Scandinavian:
relating to the countries of northwestern Europe, especially the Scandinavian
countries and Iceland

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY tall,
fair, and blue-eyed: tall, blond, fair-skinned
and blue-eyed, in a way that is considered to be of or about people from
Scandinavian countries

3.  Nor·dic
or nor·dic SKIING involving
cross-country skiing or jumping: used to describe or
relating to ski events involving either cross-country racing or ski jumping or
both
noun
(plural Nor·dics)

somebody Nordic:
somebody from a Nordic country or of Nordic appearance
[Late 19th century. From
French nordique, from nord “north,” ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English north
.][1]



NordicTrack

NordicTrack
Nor·dic
Track
Trademark

a trademark for a
cross-country ski exercise machine[1]



norepinephrine

norepinephrine
nor·ep·i·neph·rine 
[nàwr eppə néffrin] noun

MEDICINE
hormone and neurotransmitter:
a hormone, secreted by the adrenal gland and similar to epinephrine, that is
also the principal neurotransmitter of sympathetic nerve endings supplying the
major organs and skin. It increases blood pressure and rate and depth of
breathing, raises the level of blood sugar, and decreases the activity of the
intestines.
U.K. term
noradrenaline[1]



norethisterone

norethisterone
no·re·this·ter·one
[nàwr e thístə rn] noun

oral progestogen:
a progestogen drug used in oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy
and to treat premenstrual syndrome, menstrual disorders, endometriosis, and
cancer[1]



NorfolkIsland pine

NorfolkIsland pine

Nor·folk Is·land pine
noun
decorative pine tree:
a tall symmetrical pine tree, native to Norfolk Island off the eastern coast of
Australia, but now found in many parts of Australia, especially lining the
promenades of eastern coastal towns. Latin name: Araucaria heterophylla[1]



Norfolkjacket

Norfolkjacket
Nor·folk
jack·et
(plural Nor·folk jack·ets) noun

belted
jacket:
a loose jacket with a belt and box pleats, first worn by men and later adapted
to women’s fashions
[Named for Norfolk, a
county in the east of England][1]



Norfolkterrier

Norfolkterrier
Nor·folk
ter·ri·er
(plural Nor·folk ter·ri·ers) noun

small
wirehaired terrier: a small wirehaired breed of
terrier with a short tail and drop ears
[See Norfolk
jacket][1]



NORgate

NORgate
NOR
gate 
[náwr gàyt] (plural NOR gates)
noun

See
NOR circuit[1]



nori

nori
no·ri 
[náwree] noun

edible
seaweed:
an edible preparation of dried pressed seaweed, often used to wrap sushi
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



noria

noria
no·ri·a 
[náwree ə] (plural no·ri·as) noun

device
for raising water: a series of buckets on a
water wheel, used for raising water from a stream
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish from Arabic nāy’ūra .][1]



Noriega,Manuel

Noriega,Manuel
Noriega
[nòrree áygə], Manuel (1934– )

Panamanian
dictator. He took power in 1983, but was seized by U.S. forces in 1989, and
later jailed for drug trafficking and other offenses.
Full name
Noriega Morena, Manuel Antonio[1]



norite

norite
nor·ite 
[náw rt] noun

type
of igneous rock: a coarse-grained igneous rock containing
mainly plagioclase and orthopyroxene
[Late
19th century. Formed from Norway + -ite .]
—nor·it·ic [naw ríttik], adjective[1]



Norm

Norm
Norm 
[nawrm] (plural Norms) noun

Australia
male
watching sport television: an Australian man who enjoys
watching sport on television while consuming large quantities of beer (slang)
• It’s
Grand Final week, so your average Norm will be glued to the box.
[From the first name Norm,
short for Norman, influenced by norm,
normal][1]



norm.

norm.
norm.

GEOMETRY
Abbreviation of normal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Norm.

Norm.
Norm.

Abbreviation of
Norman[1]



norm

norm
norm 
[nawrm] (plural norms) noun

1.  standard
pattern of behavior: a standard pattern of
behavior that is considered normal in a particular society

2.  usual
situation:
the usual situation or circumstances

3.  required
achievement level: a required level of
achievement

4.  PSYCHOLOGY expected
range of functioning: the range of functioning
that can be expected of members of a particular population, for example, babies
of nine months or ten-year-old children. Psychologists use this to determine
whether individuals functioning outside the expected range may need specialist
help or support.

5.  MATHEMATICS real-valued
function:
the magnitude of a vector expressed as the square root of the sum of the
squares of the absolute values of the components of the vector

6.  MATHEMATICS See mode  noun 6
[Early 19th century.
Anglicization of Latin norma “carpenter’s square, rule,” of uncertain
origin; perhaps ultimately from Greek gnōmōn . Subsequently influenced
by normal .][1]



Norma

Norma
Nor·ma 
[náwrmə] noun

small faint southern
constellation: a small faint
constellation of the southern hemisphere lying in the Milky Way, located
between Ara and Lupus[1]



Normal

Normal
Nor·mal 
[náwrməl]

city in north central
Illinois, southeast of Peoria and northeast of Bloomington. Population: 42,655
(1996)[1]



normal

normal
nor·mal 
[náwrm’l] adjective

1.  usual:
conforming to the usual standard, type, or custom

2.  healthy:
physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy

3.  occurring
naturally:
maintained or occurring in a natural state

4.  MEASUREMENTS one
gram equivalent weight per liter: containing an
equivalent weight of solute in grams per liter of solution

5.  CHEMISTRY unbranched:
used to describe aliphatic hydrocarbons with unbranched chains of carbon atoms

6.  GEOMETRY See perpendicular  adjective 1
noun
(plural nor·mals)

1.  usual
standard:
the usual standard, type, or custom

2.  GEOMETRY perpendicular
line or plane: a line or plane that is perpendicular to
another line or plane
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin normalis “made according to
the square,” from norma (see norm ).]
—nor·mal·ly, adverb[1]



normalcurve

normalcurve
nor·mal
curve
(plural nor·mal curves) noun

bell-shaped curve:
the symmetrical bell-shaped curve of a normal distribution.
Also called
Gaussian curve[1]



normalcy

normalcy
nor·mal·cy 
[náwrm’lsee] noun

See
normality[1]



normaldistribution

normaldistribution
nor·mal
dis·tri·bu·tion noun

probability frequency
distribution: a probability frequency
distribution for a random variable that theoretically takes on a bell shape
symmetrical about the mean.
Also called
Gaussian distribution[1]



normality

normality
nor·mal·i·ty 
[nawr mállətee] noun

normal circumstances:
the way things are under normal circumstances.
Also called
normalcy[1]



normalize

normalize
nor·mal·ize 
[náwrm’l z] (past nor·mal·ized,
past participle nor·mal·ized, present participle nor·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular nor·mal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become normal: to make something normal or return
something to normal, or become or return to normal

2.  transitive
verb
make
conform:
to make something or somebody conform to a standard

3.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY heat
steel:
to heat steel above a particular temperature and then cool it in order to
reduce internal stress
—nor·mal·i·za·tion [nàwrm’li záysh’n], noun[1]



normalschool

normalschool
nor·mal
school
(plural nor·mal schools) noun

teacher-training
college:
a school or college for training teachers, especially in France and, in the
past, in England, the United States, and Canada (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
French école normale ; from the first French school so named being
considered a model for others.][1]



Norman

Norman
Nor·man 
[náwrmən] (plural Nor·mans) noun

1.  HISTORY medieval
inhabitant of Normandy or England: a member of a Viking
people who raided and then settled in the French province subsequently known as
Normandy and who later successfully invaded England in 1066

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Normandy: a person who was born or raised in the
French region of Normandy

3.  LANGUAGE See Norman French  noun 1

4.  ARCHITECTURE style
of medieval architecture: in Europe, a style of
Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the Middle Ages,
characterized by groined vaults, heavy walls, and deeply recessed portals
[13th
century. From Old French Normans, plural of Normant, from Old
Norse Norðmaðr ( Norðmenn in plural), literally “northman,” from norð
“north.”]
—Nor·man, adjective[1]



NormanConquest

NormanConquest
Nor·man
Con·quest
noun

conquest of England by
Normans: the invasion and conquest of
England by the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, in 1066[1]



Normandy

Normandy
Nor·man·dy 
[náwrməndee]

region in northwestern
France, on the English Channel. Capital: Rouen.[1]



Normanesque

Normanesque
Nor·man·esque
[nàwrmə nésk] adjective

resembling Norman style:
resembling the Norman style of architecture[1]



NormanFrench

NormanFrench
Nor·man
French
noun

1.  French
spoken by medieval Normans: a variety of French spoken
by the Normans in the Middle Ages.
Also
called
Norman

2.  French
dialect of modern Normandy: the French dialect spoken in
modern Normandy

[1]



Norman,Greg

Norman,Greg
Nor·man 
[náwrmən], Greg (1955– )

Australian
golfer. He was the winner of the British Open (1986, 1993), and the World Match
Play Championship (1980, 1983, and 1986).
Full name
Norman, Gregory John Known as Great White Shark[1]



normative

normative
nor·ma·tive 
[náwrmətiv] adjective (formal)

1.  of
standards:
relating to standards

2.  creating
standards:
tending to create or prescribe standards
[Late
19th century. From French, from Latin norma (see norm ).]
—nor·ma·tive·ly,
adverb

—nor·ma·tive·ness, noun[1]



norming

norming
norm·ing
[náwrming] noun

adjusting standardized test
scores as compensation: the
practice of adjusting the scores on standardized tests in order to compensate
for the possible effects that ethnic and cultural differences may have on the
test results[1]



normotensive

normotensive
nor·mo·ten·sive 
[nàwrmō ténsiv] adjective

with
normal blood pressure: having or indicating normal
blood pressure
noun
(plural nor·mo·ten·sives)

somebody
with normal blood pressure: somebody who has normal
blood pressure
[Mid-20th century. From norm or normal
+ tensive .][1]



normothermia

normothermia
nor·mo·ther·mi·a 
[nàwrmō thúrmee ə] noun

normal
body temperature: the state of having a normal body
temperature
—nor·mo·ther·mic, adjective[1]



norm-referenced

norm-referenced
norm-ref·er·enced
adjective

using comparison with other
pupils: using a comparison of a
pupil’s performance in a test with the performance of other children in the
same test[1]



Norris,Frank

Norris,Frank
Nor·ris
[nórriss], Frank (1870–1902)

U.S.
writer. He is known for his naturalistic novels, McTeague ( 1899 ) and The
Octopus ( 1901 ).
Full name
Norris, Frank Benjamin Franklin[1]



Norse

Norse
Norse 
[nawrs] adjective

1.  HISTORY of old
Scandinavia: relating to ancient or medieval
Scandinavia, or its people or culture

2.  of
Norway:
relating to Norway, or its people or culture

3.  LANGUAGE of N
Germanic languages: relating to the North
Germanic languages
plural
noun

1.  HISTORY Vikings:
the Viking people of medieval Scandinavia

2.  PEOPLES Norwegians:
the people of Norway

3.  PEOPLES Scandinavians:
the people of Scandinavia

4.  LANGUAGE PEOPLES N Germanic native speakers:
the people who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native
language
noun

LANGUAGE N
Germanic language: a language belonging to the
North Germanic branch of Indo-European, especially Danish, Icelandic, or
Norwegian in their earlier forms.
See
also
Old Norse
See
also
Proto-Norse
[Late 16th century. Via Dutch
Noorsch from noordsch “northern.”][1]



Norseman

Norseman
Norse·man 
[náwrsmən] (plural Norse·men [náwrsmən]) noun

medieval Scandinavian:
a member of one of the medieval Scandinavian groups, especially a Viking.
Also called
Northman
See also
Viking[1]



north

north
north 
[nawrth] noun

1.  direction:
the direction that lies directly to the left of somebody facing the rising sun
or that is located toward the top of a conventional map of the world

2.  compass
point:
one of the cardinal points on a compass. North is 90 degrees counterclockwise
from east.

3.  north
or North area in the north:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the north

4.  CHRISTIANITY left-hand
side of church: the left-hand side of a church as you
face the altar from the central section of the building

5.  north
or North position equivalent to north:
the position equivalent to north in any diagram consisting of four points at
90-degree intervals
adjective

1.  in
the north:
situated in, facing, or coming from the north of a place, region, or country

2.  from
the north:
blowing from the north • a
north wind
adverb

toward the north:
in or toward the north
[Old English norþ, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



NorthAdams

NorthAdams
North
Ad·ams 
[nawrth áddəmz]

town in northwestern
Massachusetts, on the Hoosic River, northeast of Pittsfield. Population: 15,847
(1996)[1]



NorthAfrica

NorthAfrica
North
Af·ri·ca


northern
part of the African continent, comprising Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and
northern Egypt
—North Af·ri·can, adjective,
noun[1]



NorthAmerica

NorthAmerica

North
A·mer·i·ca

the
third largest continent in the world, comprising Greenland, Canada, the United
States, and Mexico
—North A·mer·i·can, adjective,
noun[1]



NorthAmerica




Back to definition

NorthAmerica

[1]



Northampton

Northampton
North·amp·ton 
[nàwr thámptən]

city in west central
Massachusetts, on the western bank of the Connecticut River, north of Holyoke.
It is home to Smith College. Population: 28,838 (1996)[1]



NorthAndover

NorthAndover
North
An·do·ver


town in northeastern
Massachusetts, at the confluence of the Shawshine and Merrimack rivers,
southeast of Lawrence. Population: 24,283 (1996)[1]



NorthAtlanta

NorthAtlanta
North
At·lan·ta


city in Georgia, in DeKalb
County, situated north of Atlanta. Population: 27,812 (1990)[1]



NorthAtlantic drift

NorthAtlantic drift
North
At·lan·tic drift noun

warm current influencing
weather in Europe: the
relatively warm current, originating in the Gulf of Mexico, that flows across
the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to northwestern
Europe, influencing the latter’s climate[1]



NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization

NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization
North
At·lan·tic Trea·ty Or·ga·ni·za·tion noun

Full form of
NATO[1]



NorthAttleboro

NorthAttleboro
North
At·tle·bor·o  [nàwrth
átt’lbərə]

town in southeastern
Massachusetts, just east of the Rhode Island border, southwest of Brockton.
Population: 25,550 (1996)[1]



NorthBattleford

NorthBattleford
North
Bat·tle·ford [nawrth
bátt’lfərd]

city in western Saskatchewan,
Canada, on the North Saskatchewan River. Population: 17,987 (1996)[1]



NorthBay

NorthBay
North
Bay


city on Lake Nipissing in
southeastern Ontario, Canada. Population: 64,785 (1996)[1]



NorthBellmore

NorthBellmore
North
Bell·more 
[nawrth bél mawr]

town in Nassau County, New
York, situated on Long Island, east of New York City. Population: 19,707 (1990)[1]



NorthBergen

NorthBergen
North
Ber·gen


city in New Jersey, Hudson
County. Population: 48,414 (1990)[1]



northbound

northbound
north·bound 
[náwrth bòwnd] adjective

going north:
leading, going, or traveling toward the north[1]



Northbrook

Northbrook
North·brook 
[náwrth brk]

village in northeastern
Illinois, northwest of Wilmette. It is a northern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 32,943 (1996)[1]



northby east

northby east
north
by east
noun

compass
point between N and NNE: the direction or compass
point midway between north and north-northeast
—north by east, adjective,
adverb[1]



northby west

northby west
north
by west
noun

compass
point between N and NNW: the direction or compass
point midway between north and north-northwest
—north by west, adjective,
adverb[1]



NorthCarolina




Back to definition

NorthCarolina

[1]



NorthCarolina

NorthCarolina


North
Car·o·li·na 
[nawrth karə lnə]
state
in the eastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina,
Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Capital: Raleigh. Population: 7,425,183
(1997) Area: 136,420 sq km/52,672 sq mi.
—North Car·o·lin·i·an,
adjective, noun[1]



NorthCascades National Park

NorthCascades National Park

North Cas·cades Na·tion·al Park
national park in northwestern Washington,
established in 1968 and noted for its glaciers. Area: 2,043 sq km/789 sq mi.[1]



NorthCharleston

NorthCharleston
North
Charles·ton


city in southeastern South
Carolina between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, north of Charleston. Population:
59,923 (1996)[1]



NorthChicago

NorthChicago
North
Chi·ca·go


city in northeastern
Illinois, on Lake Michigan, south of Waukegan and north of Chicago. Population:
31,665 (1996)[1]



NorthDakota

NorthDakota


North
Da·ko·ta

state
in the north central United States, bordered by Minnesota, South Dakota,
Montana, and Canada. Capital: Bismarck. Population: 640,883 (1997) Area:
183,123 sq km/70,704 sq mi.
—North Da·ko·tan, adjective,
noun[1]



NorthDakota




Back to definition

NorthDakota

[1]



Northeast

Northeast

North·east
noun

1.  northeastern
U.S. region: a region of the northeastern United
States, usually thought of as consisting of the New England states, sometimes
together with eastern New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey

2.        U.K.
northeastern England:
northeastern England, especially the area from the Tees River northward
including Tyneside, Northumberland, and Durham[1]



Northeast




Back to definition

Northeast

[1]



northeast

northeast
north·east 
[nawrth st, nautical usage nawr st] noun

1.  compass
point between N and E: the direction or compass
point midway between north and east

2.  north·east
or North·east area in the northeast:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the
northeast
adjective

1.  north·east
or North·east in the northeast:
situated in, facing, or lying toward the northeast of a region, place, or
country

2.  METEOROLOGY from
northeast:
blowing from the northeast • a
northeast wind
adverb

toward the northeast:
in or toward the northeast

[1]



northeastby east

northeastby east
north·east
by east
noun

compass
point between NE and ENE: the direction or compass
point midway between northeast and east-northeast
—north·east by east, adjective,
adverb[1]



northeastby north

northeastby north
north·east
by north
noun

compass
point between NE and NNE: the direction or compass
point midway between northeast and north-northeast
—north·east by north, adjective,
adverb[1]



northeaster

northeaster
north·east·er 
[nawrth stər, nautical usage nawr stər] (plural north·east·ers) noun

storm
from northeast: a storm or wind that blows from the
northeast.
Also
called
nor’ easter
Also
called
northeasterly





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  word is recurrent in Atlantic and Great Lakes states, from Pennsylvania to
  Minnesota. It is also gaining ground nationwide because of its use by
  television weathercasters.

[1]



northeasterly

northeasterly
north·east·er·ly 
[nawrth stərlee, nautical usage nawr stərlee] adjective

1.  in
the northeast: situated in or toward the northeast

2.  METEOROLOGY from
the northeast: blowing from the northeast • a
northeasterly wind
noun
(plural north·east·er·lies)

METEOROLOGY See northeaster
—north·east·er·ly, adverb[1]



northeastern

northeastern
north·east·ern
[nawrth stərn, nautical usage nawr stərn] adjective

1.  in
the northeast: situated in the northeast of a region or
country

2.  coming
from or facing northeast: coming or blowing from, or
facing toward the northeast

3.  north·east·ern
or North·east·ern of the northeast:
relating or native to the northeast of a region or country
—north·east·ern·er,
noun

—north·east·ern·most, adjective[1]



NortheastPassage

NortheastPassage
North·east
Pas·sage


sea passage extending from
the North Sea eastward along the northern coast of Europe and Asia to the
Pacific Ocean. It was first successfully navigated by Adolf Erik Nordensköld in
1878–1879.[1]



northeastward

northeastward
north·east·ward 
[nawrth stwərd, nautical usage nawr stwərd] adjective

in
the northeast: toward or in the northeast
noun

point
in the northeast: a direction toward or a point in the
northeast
adverb

east
of north:
toward or from east of due north
—north·east·ward,
adverb

—north·east·ward·ly, adjective,
adverb[1]



norther

norther
north·er 
[náwrər] (plural north·ers) noun

wind or storm from north:
a very cold wind or storm that suddenly appears from the north[1]



northerly

northerly
north·er·ly 
[náwrərlee] adjective

1.  in
the north:
situated in or toward the north

2.  from
the north:
blowing from the north • a
northerly wind
noun
(plural north·er·lies)

METEOROLOGY wind
from the north: a wind blowing from the north
[Mid-16th
century. Ultimately from north, on the model
of easterly .]
—north·er·ly, adverb[1]



northern

northern
north·ern 
[náwrərn] adjective

1.  in
the north:
situated in the north of a region or country

2.  north
of equator:
lying north of the equator or north of the celestial equator

3.  facing
north:
situated on the north side of something or facing north

4.  north·ern
or North·ern of the north:
relating or native to the north of a region or country

5.  METEOROLOGY from
the north:
blowing from the north • a
northern wind

[1]



NorthernCross

NorthernCross
North·ern
Cross
noun

six stars in Cygnus
constellation: a cross formed by six
stars in the constellation Cygnus[1]



NorthernCrown

NorthernCrown
North·ern
Crown
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Corona Borealis[1]



northerner

northerner
north·ern·er
noun

somebody from the north:
somebody who lives in or comes from the northern part of a country or region[1]



northernharrier

northernharrier
north·ern
har·ri·er
noun

brown or grayish hawk:
a slim-bodied brown or grayish hawk that lives in marshy areas of North
America, Europe, and Asia, and has a conspicuous white patch on its tail. Latin
name: Circus cyaneus
Also called
marsh hawk
U.K. term
hen harrier[1]



northernhemisphere

northernhemisphere
north·ern
hem·i·sphere noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY half
of Earth north of equator: the half of the Earth that
lies to the north of the equator

2.  ASTRONOMY northern
half of celestial sphere: the half of the celestial
sphere north of the celestial equator

[1]



Northernism

Northernism
North·ern·ism
[náwrər nìzzəm] (plural North·ern·isms)
noun

northern linguistic feature:
a pronunciation, word, or other linguistic construction characteristic of the
northern region of a country[1]



northernlights

northernlights
north·ern
lights
plural noun

See
aurora borealis[1]



NorthernMariana Islands

NorthernMariana Islands
North·ern
Mar·i·an·a Is·lands  [nàwərn
màrree ánnə ləndz]

self-governing commonwealth
of the United States, situated in the western Pacific Ocean and comprising all
of the Mariana Islands except Guam. Area: 477 sq km/184 sq mi.[1]



northernmost

northernmost
north·ern·most 
[náwrərn mst] adjective

farthest north:
situated farthest north[1]



northernoriole

northernoriole
north·ern
o·ri·ole
noun

N American oriole:
a North American oriole that has two subspecies, the Baltimore oriole and
Bullock’s oriole. The males have black and orange plumage. Latin name: Icterus
galbula[1]



NorthernPaiute

NorthernPaiute
North·ern
Pai·ute
(plural North·ern Pai·ute or North·ern Pai·utes) or
North·ern Pi·ute (plural North·ern Pi·ute or North·ern
Pi·utes) noun
See
also
Southern Paiute

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of Oregon, Nevada, and northeastern California

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native North American
language spoken in Oregon, Nevada, and northeastern California, belonging to
the Uto-Aztecan branch of Aztec-Tanoan languages. Northern Paiute is spoken by
about 6,000 people.
—North·ern Pai·ute, adjective[1]



northernpike

northernpike
north·ern
pike
noun

ZOOLOGY See pike 1 noun 1





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  With
  scattered instances in the East and South, the term, denoting the fish,
  recurs with high frequency in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

[1]



NorthernPiute

NorthernPiute
North·ern
Pi·ute

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Northern Paiute[1]



NorthernRenaissance

NorthernRenaissance
North·ern
Ren·ais·sance noun

15C N European intellectual
movement: a northern European cultural
and intellectual movement of the 15th century in France, England, Scotland, the
Low Countries, and Germany that placed more emphasis on religion than the
Italian Renaissance did[1]



NorthernYukon National Park

NorthernYukon National Park
North·ern
Yu·kon Na·tion·al Park

national park in northwestern
Canada, in the northwestern corner of Yukon Territory, on the Alaskan border.
It is a sanctuary for Arctic wildlife and Inuit archaeological sites. Area:
9,995 sq km/3,859 sq mi.[1]



NorthFort Myers

NorthFort Myers
North
Fort My·ers


city in southwestern Florida,
near Fort Myers, in Lee County. Population: 30,027 (1990)[1]



North,Frederick

North,Frederick
North 
[nawrth], Frederick, 8th Baron North
(1732–1792)

British
statesman. He was British prime minister from 1770 to 1782, and was widely held
responsible for the American Revolution despite his opposition to the war.
Known as
Lord North[1]



NorthGermanic

NorthGermanic
North
Ger·man·ic
noun

language
group comprising Scandinavian languages: a
group of languages that includes Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, and
Swedish and forms a subgroup of the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages.
About 20 million people speak one of the North Germanic languages.
—North Ger·man·ic, adjective[1]



NorthHaven

NorthHaven
North
Ha·ven


town in southern Connecticut,
in central New Haven County, northeast of New Haven. Population: 22,247 (1990)[1]



NorthHighlands

NorthHighlands
North
High·lands


town in Sacramento County,
north central California, northeast of Sacramento. Population: 42,105 (1990)[1]



northing

northing
north·ing 
[náwrthing, náwring]
(plural north·ings) noun

1.  NAUTICAL movement
north:
distance covered or movement made in a northerly direction, especially as
measured by the difference in latitude between two points

2.  NAUTICAL progress
north:
progress made in a northern direction

3.  MAPS latitudinal
grid line on map: a grid line on a map that runs from east
to west.
See
also
easting

4.  MAPS distance
northward:
the distance northward from a particular east-west grid line shown in the
second half of a map reference

[1]



NorthIsland

NorthIsland
North
Is·land

island in New Zealand, in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is the smaller and more northern of the
country’s two main islands. Population: 2,749,980 (1996) Area: 115,777 sq
km/44,689 sq mi.[1]



NorthKingstown

NorthKingstown
North
Kings·town


town in south central Rhode
Island, on the western shore of Narragansett Bay, southwest of Warwick.
Population: 25,594 (1996)[1]



NorthKorea

NorthKorea
North
Ko·re·a


See
Korea, North[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Northland

Northland
North·land

1.  Scandinavian
peninsula:
the Scandinavian peninsula containing Norway and Sweden

2.  Canada
far
northern Canada: parts of Canada in the far north

[1]



northland

northland
north·land
[náwrth lànd, náwrthlənd]
(plural north·lands) noun

northern region:
the northern part of a country[1]



NorthLauderdale

NorthLauderdale
North
Lau·der·dale

city in southeastern Florida
in Broward County, situated northwest of Fort Lauderdale. Population: 26,506
(1990)[1]



NorthLittle Rock

NorthLittle Rock
North
Lit·tle Rock

city in central Arkansas,
across the Arkansas River from Little Rock. Population: 60,468 (1996)[1]



northmagnetic pole

northmagnetic pole
north
mag·net·ic pole noun

point compass needle is
attracted to: the point on the
Earth’s surface to which the north-seeking pole of a compass needle is
attracted.
Also called
north pole[1]



Northman

Northman
North·man 
[náwrthmən] (plural North·men
[náwrthmən]) noun

See
Norseman[1]



NorthMiami

NorthMiami
North
Mi·am·i


city in southeastern Florida,
in Miami-Dade County. It is a suburb of Miami. Population: 49,998 (1990)[1]



NorthMiami Beach

NorthMiami Beach
North
Mi·am·i Beach

city in Dade County,
southeastern Florida, situated north of Miami Beach. Population: 35,359 (1990)[1]



north-northeast

north-northeast
north-north·east 
noun

compass
point between N and NE: the direction or compass
point midway between north and northeast
adjective
adverb

in
north-northeast: in, from, facing, or toward the
north-northeast
—north-north·east,
adjective, adverb

—north-north·east·er·ly,
adjective, adverb[1]



north-northwest

north-northwest
north-north·west 
noun

compass
point between N and NW: the direction or compass
point midway between north and northwest
adjective

in
north-northwest: in, from, facing, or toward the
north-northwest
—north-north·west,
adjective, adverb

—north-north·west·er·ly,
adjective, adverb[1]



northpole

northpole
north
pole
(plural north poles) noun

1.  north
pole
or North Pole northern end of Earth’s axis:
the northern end of the Earth’s axis at a latitude of 90° N

2.  ASTRONOMY north
end of axis of rotation: the north end of the axis of
rotation of a planet or other celestial body

3.  See
north magnetic pole

4.  point
at northern extension of Earth’s axis: the
point at infinity along the northern extension of one end of the Earth’s axis
of rotation

[1]



NorthProvidence

NorthProvidence
North
Prov·i·dence

town in northeastern Rhode
Island, southeast of Woonsocket. It is a northern suburb of Providence.
Population: 31,194 (1996)[1]



NorthShore

NorthShore
North
Shore
noun

1.  Connecticut
shoreline:
the Connecticut coast, which forms the northern side of Long Island Sound

2.  shore
north of Boston: the area of the Atlantic coastline
immediately north of Boston

3.  Canada
shore
in British Columbia: the shore of the Burrard
north of the city of Vancouver

4.  Canada
shore
in eastern Quebec: the northern shore of the
St. Lawrence River.

5.  Canada
shore
in eastern New Brunswick: the northern coast along the
Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

[1]



NorthSlope

NorthSlope
North
Slope

area of northern Alaska that
holds the largest petroleum reserves in the United States[1]



NorthStar

NorthStar
North
Star
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Polaris[1]



NorthStradbroke Island

NorthStradbroke Island
North
Strad·broke Is·land [nawrth
strádbrok lənd]

island of northeastern
Australia, in Moreton Bay, off the coast of southeastern Queensland.
Population: 2,290 (1994) Area: 319 sq km/123 sq mi.[1]



NorthTonawanda

NorthTonawanda
North
Ton·a·wan·da  [nàwrth
tónnə wóndə]

city in western New York,
southeast of Niagara Falls and north of Buffalo. Population: 33,773 (1996)[1]



NorthUist

NorthUist
North
Uist
[nawrth y ist]

island in northwestern
Scotland, in the Outer Hebrides, situated off the northwestern coast of the
mainland. Population: 1,404 (1991)[1]



Northumbrian

Northumbrian
North·um·bri·an 
[nawr thúmbree ən] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY of
Northumberland: relating to the English county of
Northumberland, or its people or culture

2.  HISTORY of
Northumbria: relating to Northumbria, a region of
Anglo-Saxon Britain, or its people or culture

3.  LANGUAGE of
dialect of Old and Middle English: relating to the
dialect of Old and Middle English spoken in Northumbria
noun

LANGUAGE dialect
of Old and Middle English: a dialect of Old and Middle
English spoken in an area roughly north of the Humber and Mersey rivers and
into the Borders of Scotland

[1]



NorthVancouver

NorthVancouver
North
Van·cou·ver


city in southwestern Canada,
in southern British Columbia, situated on Burrard Inlet across from Vancouver.
Population: 38,436 (1991)[1]



northward

northward
north·ward 
[náwrthwərd, nautical usage náwərd] or north·wards [náwrthwərd, nautical usage náwərd] adverb

toward
the north:
in a northerly direction
noun

northward
point in the north: a direction toward or a
point in the north
—north·ward,
adjective

—north·ward·ly, adjective,
adverb[1]



northwest

northwest
north·west 
[nawrth wést, nautical usage nawr wést] noun

1.  compass
point between N and W: the direction or compass
point midway between north and west

2.  north·west
or North·west area in the northwest:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the
northwest
adjective

1.  north·west
or North·west in the northwest:
situated in, facing, or lying toward the northwest of a region, place, or
country

2.  METEOROLOGY from
northwest:
blowing from the northwest • a
northwest wind
adverb

toward the northwest:
in or toward the northwest

[1]



Northwest

Northwest
North·west
noun

1.  northwestern
United States: the northwestern area of the United
States, including the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

2.  former
area of the United States: formerly, a region of the
United States west of the Mississippi River and north of the Missouri River

3.  Canada
Canadian
region:
the area of Canada north and west of the Great Lakes

4.  U.K.
area
of England:
the northwestern region of England, especially Cumbria and Lancashire and
including the Lake District

[1]



northwestby north

northwestby north
north·west
by north
noun

compass
point between NW and NNW: the direction or compass
point midway between northwest and north-northwest
adjective
adverb

toward
point between NW and NNW: in, from, facing, or toward
the point between northwest and north-northwest
—north·west by north, adjective,
adverb[1]



northwestby west

northwestby west
north·west
by west
noun

compass
point between NW and WNW: the direction or compass
point midway between northwest and west-northwest
adjective
adverb

toward
point between NW and WNW: in, from, facing, or toward
the point between northwest and west-northwest
—north·west by west, adjective,
adverb[1]



northwester

northwester
north·west·er 
[nawrth wéstər, nautical usage nawr wéstər] (plural north·west·ers)
noun

wind from the northwest:
a wind blowing from the northwest.
Also called
nor’wester[1]



northwesterly

northwesterly
north·west·er·ly 
[nawrth wéstərlee, nautical usage nawr wéstərlee] adjective

1.  in
the northwest: situated in or toward the northwest

2.  METEOROLOGY from
the northwest: blowing from the northwest • a
northwesterly wind
—north·west·er·ly, adverb[1]



northwestern

northwestern
north·west·ern
[nawrth wéstərn, nautical usage nawr wéstərn] adjective

1.  in
the northwest: situated in the northwest of a region or
country

2.  facing
northwest:
coming or blowing from, or facing toward the northwest

3.  of
the northwest: native to the northwest of a region or
country
—north·west·ern·er,
noun

—north·west·ern·most, adjective[1]



NorthwestPassage

NorthwestPassage
North·west
Pas·sage


sea passage through the
Arctic regions of North America, connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic
Ocean[1]



NorthwestTerritories




Back to definition

NorthwestTerritories

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NorthwestTerritories

NorthwestTerritories


North·west Ter·ri·to·ries

region in northern Canada, and its
largest political subdivision, constituting a northern mainland region and
numerous islands to the north. Capital: Yellowknife. Population: 64,402 (1996)
Area: 3,426,320 sq km/1,322,904 sq mi.[1]



northwestward

northwestward
north·west·ward 
[nawrth wéstwərd, nautical usage nawr wéstwərd] adjective

in
the northwest: toward or in the northwest
noun

point
in the northwest: a direction toward or a point in the
northwest
—north·west·ward·ly,
adjective, adverb

—north·west·ward, adverb[1]



Norton,Charles Eliot

Norton,Charles Eliot
Nor·ton
[náwrt’n], Charles Eliot (1827–1908)

U.S. scholar and editor. He
cofounded The Nation ( 1865 ) and pioneered the teaching of art history
at Harvard (1873–1897).[1]



nortriptyline

nortriptyline
nor·trip·ty·line 
[nawr tríptə ln] noun

antidepressant
and tranquilizer: a compound used as an antidepressant,
tranquilizer, and pain reliever. C19H21N
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from nor- + tri + ptyl (a shortening
of heptyl ) + -ine .][1]



Norw.

Norw.
Norw.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Norway

2.  Abbreviation
of
Norwegian

[1]



Norway




Back to definition

Norway

[1]



Norway

Norway



Nor·way 
[náwr way]
monarchy in northern Europe, occupying
the western and northern portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Language:
Norwegian. Currency: krone. Capital: Oslo. Population: 4,369,957 (1996) Area:
323,877 sq km/125,016 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Norway[1]



Norwaymaple

Norwaymaple
Nor·way
ma·ple
noun

tall shade tree:
a tall Eurasian maple with broad five-lobed green or reddish leaves, widely
grown as a shade tree in the United States. Latin name: Acer plantanoides[1]



Norwayrat

Norwayrat
Nor·way
rat
(plural Nor·way rats) noun

See
brown rat[1]



Norwayspruce

Norwayspruce
Nor·way
spruce
noun

European spruce tree:
a European spruce tree with dark green needles, drooping branches, and long
cones, widely grown for its timber and as an ornamental. Latin name: Picea
abies[1]



Norwegian

Norwegian
Nor·we·gian 
[nawr wjən] noun (plural Nor·we·gians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Norway: somebody who was born or raised in
Norway, or who has Norwegian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Norway: the official language of
Norway, belonging to the North Germanic group of Indo-European languages.
Norwegian is spoken by about five million people.
See
also
Landsmål
adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Norway:
relating to Norway, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Norwegian:
relating to the Norwegian language
[Early 17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Norvegia “Norway,” from Old Norse Norvegr .][1]



Norwegianelkhound

Norwegianelkhound
Nor·we·gian
elk·hound
(plural Nor·we·gian elk·hounds) noun

medium-sized hunting dog:
a sturdy medium-sized dog with pointed ears, a broad head, and a thick gray
coat, belonging to a breed developed in Norway to hunt elk and other game[1]



Norwich

Norwich
Nor·wich
[nórrich]

city in southeastern
Connecticut, in New London County. Population: 37,391 (1990)[1]



Norwichterrier

Norwichterrier
Nor·wich
ter·ri·er
(plural Nor·wich ter·ri·ers) noun

small English terrier:
a small short-legged dog with wiry fur and erect ears, belonging to a breed
that originated in East Anglia, England[1]



nor’easter

nor’easter
nor’east·er 
[nawr stər] (plural nor’east·ers)
noun

METEOROLOGY See northeaster
[Mid-19th century.
Alteration.][1]



nor’wester

nor’wester
nor’west·er
[nawr wéstər] (plural nor’west·ers)
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY See northwester

2.  U.K.
BEVERAGES alcoholic
drink:
a strong alcoholic drink (slang)

[1]



n.o.s.

n.o.s.
n.o.s.

Abbreviation of
not otherwise specified[1]



nos.

nos.
nos.
or Nos.

Abbreviation of
numbers[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nose

nose

nose 
[nōz] noun (plural nos·es)

1.  ANATOMY organ
of smell:
the part of the face or head through which a person or animal breathes and
smells

2.  sense
of smell:
the sense of smell, especially the ability to recognize things by smell or to
follow a scent

3.  talent
for finding something: an intuitive ability to
discover, detect, or recognize something

4.  part
resembling nose: a part that resembles the nose of a person
or animal in appearance or function

5.  AUTOMOTIVE AIR projecting
front part of vehicle: the pointed or rounded front
end of an aircraft, spacecraft, boat, car, or other vehicle

6.  distinctive
smell:
the characteristic aroma of something, for example, wine or tobacco
verb (past
nosed, past participle nosed, present participle nos·ing,
3rd person present singular nos·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
pry
or snoop:
to try to make discoveries by searching or asking questions in an inquisitive,
impertinent, or intrusive manner (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb advance
with caution: to move forward slowly, carefully, or
cautiously, or make something move in this way

3.  transitive
verb
touch
something with nose: to touch, rub, or push
somebody or something with the nose

4.  transitive
verb
smell
something:
to smell or sniff something

5.  intransitive
verb
search
for by scent: to try to find something by smelling or
sniffing
[Old
English nosu . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English nasal, pince-nez, and nasturtium
.]
—nose·less,
adjective
get up somebody’s nose

U.K. to
irritate or annoy somebody (informal)

keep your nose clean

to
avoid getting into trouble (informal)

look down your nose at somebody or
something

to
regard somebody or something arrogantly or disdainfully as inferior or not
worth your attention

nose to tail

so
close together that the front of one vehicle almost touches the rear end of
another

on the nose

1.  absolutely
on target, with total accuracy, or completely correctly (informal) • at
10 o’clock on the nose

2.  in
betting on horseraces, for a horse to win only, not to be placed second or
third (slang)

put somebody’s nose out of joint

to
make somebody feel thwarted or offended because you do, obtain, or achieve
something that he or she was intending or hoping for

turn up your nose at something

to
refuse to accept something because you feel it is inferior or unworthy of you (informal)

under somebody’s nose

in
full view of or very close to somebody

[1]



nosearound

nosearound
nose
around
intransitive and transitive verb

search intrusively:
to look or search through a place in an inquisitive and often intrusive way (informal)[1]



nosebag

nosebag
nose·bag 
[nṓz bàg] (plural nose·bags) noun

See
feedbag[1]



noseband

noseband
nose·band 
[nṓz bànd] (plural nose·bands)
noun

part of bridle:
the part of a horse’s bridle that goes over its nose.
Also called
nosepiece[1]



nosebleed

nosebleed
nose·bleed 
[nṓz bld] noun (plural nose·bleeds)

bleeding
from nose:
a flow of blood from the nose. Technical name epistaxis
adjective

extremely high:
extremely high or excessive, for example, in price or profit level (informal)[1]



nosecandy

nosecandy
nose
can·dy
noun

cocaine:
cocaine (slang)[1]



nosecone

nosecone
nose
cone
(plural nose cones) noun

conical front part:
the pointed front section of a missile, rocket, spacecraft, aircraft, or race
car, designed for aerodynamic efficiency[1]



nose-dive

nose-dive
nose-dive 
intransitive verb

1.  AIR plunge
very steeply through air: to fall vertically or almost
vertically with the front end pointing downward (refers to aircraft)

2.  decrease
sharply:
to experience a sudden very significant fall or decline in price, value,
amount, or quality
—nose-div·er, noun[1]



nosedive

nosedive
nose·dive 
[nṓz dv] (plural nose·dives) noun

1.  AIR steep
plunge through air: an extremely steep sudden
plunge by an aircraft toward the earth

2.  sharp
decrease:
a sudden very significant fall or decline in price, value, amount, or quality

[1]



nosedrops

nosedrops
nose
drops
plural noun

nasal medicine:
liquid medication for the nose inserted in drops through the nostrils[1]



no-see-um

no-see-um
no-see-um 
[nō s əm] (plural no-see-ums)
noun

See
punkie
[From caricatured Native
American English, “you can’t see them,” from its small size][1]



noseflute

noseflute
nose
flute
(plural nose flutes) noun

flute blown by nose:
a wind instrument of the South Pacific Islands, usually played by being
breathed into through one nostril while the other one is plugged[1]



nosegay

nosegay
nose·gay 
[nṓz gày] (plural nose·gays) noun

posy
of flowers:
a small bouquet of flowers (dated)
[Gay from gay in the obsolete sense “ornament”][1]



noseguard

noseguard
nose·guard
[nṓz grd] (plural nose·guards)
noun

defensive lineman:
in football, a defensive lineman who plays opposite the center in the offensive
line.
Also called
nose tackle[1]



nosejob

nosejob
nose
job
(plural nose jobs) noun

plastic surgery on nose:
a surgical operation to improve the shape or size of the nose (informal)
Technical name rhinoplasty[1]



noseornament

noseornament
nose
or·na·ment
(plural nose or·na·ments) noun

decorative ring or stud for
nose: a decorative ring or stud
worn through the nostril or septum[1]



noseout

noseout
nose
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
narrowly
defeat opponent: to defeat an opponent by a very narrow
margin

2.  intransitive
verb
drive
cautiously forward: to move a vehicle very
slowly and cautiously forward out of a place

3.  transitive
verb
find
something out by prying: to discover something by
thorough and often cunning or intrusive searching or questioning

4.  transitive
verb
find
something by scent: to discover something by
smelling or sniffing, or as if by following a scent

[1]



nosepiece

nosepiece
nose·piece 
[nṓz pss] (plural nose·piec·es)
noun

1.  part
of eyeglasses: the part of a pair of eyeglasses that
fits over the nose and connects the lenses

2.  part
of microscope: the end piece of a microscope to which
one or more objective lenses are attached

3.  protection
for nose:
the part of a helmet or piece of armor that protects the nose

4.  See
noseband

[1]



nosering

nosering
nose
ring 
(plural nose rings) noun

1.  ring
fixed through animal’s nose: a ring put through an
animal’s nose to lead or control it

2.  ring
worn in nose as ornament: a ring worn for adornment
through a hole pierced in the nostril or septum

[1]



nosestud

nosestud
nose
stud
(plural nose studs) noun

stud worn in nose as
ornament: a small stud worn for
adornment in a hole pierced in the nostril or septum[1]



nosetackle

nosetackle
nose
tack·le
(plural nose tack·les) noun

FOOTBALL
See noseguard[1]



nosewheel

nosewheel
nose
wheel
(plural nose wheels) noun

wheel at front of aircraft:
a landing-gear wheel at the front end of an aircraft[1]



nosey

nosey
nos·ey 
adjective

See
nosy[1]



nosh

nosh
nosh 
[nosh] noun (plural nosh·es)

snack: a
snack (informal)
verb
(past noshed, past participle noshed, present
participle nosh·ing, 3rd person present singular nosh·es)
(informal)

1.  transitive
verb
eat:
to eat something

2.  intransitive
verb
to eat a snack between meals
[Early
20th century. From Yiddish nashen “to nibble,” from Middle High German naschen
.]
—nosh·er, noun[1]



no-show

no-show
no-show 
(plural no-shows) noun

somebody expected who does
not come: somebody who makes a
reservation or appointment, or buys a ticket, but fails to arrive, without
cancellation or explanation[1]



nosing

nosing
nos·ing 
[nṓzing] (plural nos·ings) noun

1.  projecting
edge of stair tread: the rounded edge of a stair
tread that projects horizontally

2.  protection
for nosing:
a shield that protects a nosing on a staircase

3.  ARCHITECTURE projecting
edge of molding: the rounded projecting edge of a molding

[1]



no-smoking

no-smoking
no-smok·ing
adjective

not
allowing smoking: where smoking is not allowed, or that
prohibits smoking
noun

See
nonsmoking[1]



noso-

noso-
noso-
prefix

disease
• nosophobia
[From Greek nosos, of
unknown origin][1]



nosocomial

nosocomial
nos·o·co·mi·al
[n zō kṓmee əl] adjective

originating
in hospital: originating or occurring in a hospital
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek nosokomos “somebody who tends the sick.”][1]



nosography

nosography
no·sog·ra·phy 
[nō sóggrəfee] (plural no·sog·ra·phies)
noun

description
of diseases: a detailed classification and
description of known diseases
—no·sog·ra·pher,
noun

—no·so·graph·ic
[nssə gráffik], adjective

—nos·o·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



nosology

nosology
no·sol·o·gy 
[nō sólləjee] (plural no·sol·o·gies)
noun

1.  classifying
of diseases: the branch of medicine concerned with
the classification and description of known diseases

2.  classified
list of diseases: a completed classification of known
diseases
—no·so·log·i·cal
[nssə lójjik’l], adjective

—no·so·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—no·sol·o·gist [nō sólləjist], noun[1]



nosophobia

nosophobia
nos·o·pho·bi·a
[nssə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of catching diseases:
an irrational fear of catching diseases[1]



nostalgia

nostalgia
nos·tal·gi·a 
[no stáljə, nə
stáljə] noun

1.  sentimental
recollection: a mixed feeling of happiness, sadness,
and longing when recalling a person, place, or event from the past, or the past
in general

2.  things
that arouse nostalgia: something, or things,
intended to arouse a feeling of nostalgia or to evoke the past nostalgically

3.  homesickness:
a longing for home or family when away from either (dated)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, “homesickness,” from Greek nostos
“homecoming” + algos “pain.”]
—nos·tal·gic,
adjective

—nos·tal·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



nostoc

nostoc
nos·toc 
[nó stòk] (plural nos·tocs) noun

freshwater
blue-green alga: a freshwater blue-green alga that lives
in spherical colonies as coiled filaments and fixes atmospheric nitrogen.
Genus: Nostoc
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin ; invented by Paracelsus (1493–1541), Swiss physician.][1]



nostology

nostology
nos·tol·o·gy 
[no stólləjee] noun

MEDICINE See gerontology
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek nostos “return home” (from the former idea
that later life is like a return to early years) + -ology .]
—nos·to·log·ic
[nòstə lójjik], adjective

—nos·to·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—nos·tol·o·gist [no stólləjist], noun[1]



Nostradamus

Nostradamus
Nos·tra·da·mus 
[nòstrə dáyməss, nòstrə
dməss] (1503–1566)

French
astrologer and physician. His prophecies, composed in rhyming quatrains and
first published as Centuries in 1555, were consulted for hundreds of
years.
Born
Notredame, Michel de[1]



nostril

nostril
nos·tril 
[nóstrəl] (plural nos·trils) noun

breathing
hole in nose: either of the two openings at the end of
the nose of a person or animal
[Old English nosþyrl,
from nosu, an earlier form of nose + þrl
“hole,” from þurh, an earlier form of through][1]



nostrum

nostrum
nos·trum 
[nóstrəm] (plural nos·trums) noun

1.  ineffective
remedy:
a remedy for a social, political, or economic problem, especially an idea or
scheme that is often suggested but never proved to be successful

2.  quack
remedy:
a medicine prepared or prescribed by an unqualified person whose claims for its
effectiveness have no scientific basis
[Early 17th century. From
Latin nostrum (remedium) “our (remedy),” a form of noster “our.”][1]



nosy

nosy
nos·y
[nṓzee] (comparative nos·i·er,
superlative nos·i·est) or nos·ey [nṓzee] (comparative nos·i·er, superlative
nos·i·est) adjective

intrusively
inquisitive: too curious about other people’s
business (informal)
—nos·i·ly,
adverb

—nos·i·ness, noun[1]



nosyparker

nosyparker
nos·y
park·er
[nzee prkər] (plural nos·y
park·ers) noun

U.K.
somebody
intrusively inquisitive: somebody who pries into
other people’s affairs, especially somebody who asks impertinent or intrusive
questions (informal disapproving)
[Said to refer to Elizabeth
I’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker, who was noted for detailed
inquiries concerning ecclesiastical affairs][1]



not

not
not 
[not] adverb

1.  forming
negatives:
a negative adverb used to form structures indicating that something is to no
degree or in no way the case or conveying the general notion “no.” It is often
used to express refusal, denial, or the negation of a statement just made. (often
contracted in spoken and informal written English to “n’t”) • Don’t
you think you’ve done enough? • Not
every household has a dishwasher. • There’s
nothing in my account; not one cent. • Not
only was the meal expensive, the service was bad too.

2.  sentence
substitute:
used as a sentence substitute when indicating denial, refusal, or negation, in
order to avoid repetition • “Won’t
you come with us?”- “Certainly not.” • I
don’t think I’ll be late, at least I hope not.
interjection

used to contradict:
used alone after somebody’s statement to indicate decided opposition or
contradiction (slang) • “Of
course the team will win the playoffs hands down.”“Not!”
[14th
century. Contraction of nought .]
not
at all

used
as a polite way of acknowledging somebody’s thanks

not
that

used to introduce a clause
that explicitly denies something that the listener might infer from a previous
or subsequent statement • I’m
actually seeing her tonight. Not that it’s any of your business![1]



NOT

NOT
NOT
[not] noun

NOT circuit:
a NOT circuit (technical)[1]



nota

nota
no·ta


Plural of
notum[1]



notabene

notabene
no·ta
be·ne 
[ntə bénnee] interjection

used
to call attention to something: used to draw
somebody’s attention to something particularly important, usually an addition
to or qualification of a previous statement (formal) Full form of
n.b. Full form of N.B.
[From Latin, from nota,
imperative form of notare “to mark” + bene “well”][1]



notability

notability
no·ta·bil·i·ty 
[ntə bíllətee] (plural no·ta·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  somebody
important:
a particularly important or distinguished person

2.  significance:
the importance of somebody or something, or the quality that makes somebody or
something worth paying attention to

[1]



notable

notable
no·ta·ble 
[nṓtəb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of note:
significant or great enough to deserve attention or to be recorded • a
notable contribution to our understanding of this complex phenomenon

2.  interesting:
interesting, significant, and worth calling attention to • more
notable for what it leaves out than for what it includes

3.  distinguished:
particularly important, distinguished, or famous
noun
(plural no·ta·bles)

somebody important:
a particularly important or distinguished person
[14th
century. From Old French notable, from Latin notare “to note.”]
—no·ta·ble·ness, noun[1]



notably

notably
no·ta·bly
[nṓtəblee] adverb

1.  especially:
especially, or in the most significant case • There
has been much opposition, notably from the farming community.

2.  extremely:
extremely or remarkably • She
seems notably unimpressed by all their arguments.

[1]



notarial

notarial
no·tar·i·al 
[nō táiree əl] adjective

of
notary public: relating to or done by a notary public
—no·tar·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



notarize

notarize
no·ta·rize 
[nṓtə rz] (past no·ta·rized, past
participle no·ta·rized, present participle no·ta·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular no·ta·riz·es) transitive verb

certify
legally:
to certify something, for example, a signature on a legal document, as
authentic or legitimate by affixing a notary’s stamp and signature
—no·ta·ri·za·tion [ntəri záysh’n], noun[1]



notary

notary
no·ta·ry 
[nṓtəree] (plural no·ta·ries) noun

1.  See
notary public

2.  clerk:
a secretary or clerk (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
notarie, from Latin notarius “shorthand writer, clerk.”][1]



notarypublic

notarypublic
no·ta·ry
pub·lic
(plural no·ta·ries pub·lic) noun

certifier of legal documents:
somebody who is legally authorized to certify the authenticity of signatures
and documents.
Also called
notary[1]



notate

notate
no·tate 
[nṓ tàyt] (past no·tat·ed, past
participle no·tat·ed, present participle no·tat·ing, 3rd
person present singular no·tates) transitive verb

write
in notation: to write something down using notation,
especially musical notation
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from notation .][1]



notation

notation

no·ta·tion 
[nō táysh’n] (plural no·ta·tions)
noun

1.  symbolic
representation: a set of written symbols used to
represent something, for example, the length and pitch of musical notes

2.  use
of notation: the process of using a system of
notation

3.  note:
a note or annotation

4.  noting:
the act of making a note or writing something down
[Late16th century. Via Old
French or Latin from the Latin past participle stem notat-, from notare
“to note.”][1]



notch

notch
notch 
[noch] noun (plural notch·es)

1.  nick
or indentation: a small V-shaped cut in the edge or on
the surface of something

2.  nick
used as tally: any of a series of cuts made to record a
score, a debt, or the number of times something has been done

3.  degree
on scale:
a level or step on a scale, especially one measuring quality or achievement • raise
the tension on the wire another notch

4.  GEOGRAPHY pass
or gorge:
a narrow valley between hills or mountains
transitive
verb
(past notched, past participle notched, present
participle notch·ing, 3rd person present singular notch·es)

1.  make
V-shaped cut in: to make a notch in or on something

2.  record
with notches: to record a score or debt by making a
series of cuts in a surface

3.  achieve
or score:
to achieve a victory or success, or score a point or goal (slang) • notched
up one more win
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from an Anglo-Norman word.]
—notch·y, adjective[1]



notchback

notchback
notch·back 
[nóch bàk] (plural notch·backs)
noun

car with sharply sloping
roof: a car with a sloping roof
that drops sharply to the beginning of the trunk.
See also
hatchback[1]



NOTcircuit

NOTcircuit
NOT
cir·cuit
(plural NOT cir·cuits) noun

computer logic circuit:
a logic circuit in a computer that produces a high-voltage output signal if the
input signal is low, or a low-voltage output signal if the input signal is
high.
Also called
NOT
Also called
NOT gate[1]



note

note
note 
[nōt] noun (plural notes)

1.  jotted
record or summary: something written down,
often in abbreviated form, as a record or reminder

2.  informal
letter:
a short written message or informal letter

3.  MUSIC musical
or vocal sound: a sound of a particular pitch, quality,
or duration produced by a musical instrument or by the voice of a person or
animal.
Also
called
tone

4.  MUSIC symbol
in music:
in written or printed music, a symbol representing a sound of a particular
duration and pitch

5.  MUSIC key on
keyboard:
a black or white key of a piano or other keyboard instrument

6.  PRINTING PUBLISHING item of supplementary
information: a piece of additional information about
something in a printed text, usually given at the bottom of the relevant page
or at the end of the book or article

7.  written
comment:
a short written comment or item of information, for example, written in the
margin of a book or piece of work

8.  hint:
a hint or suggestion of something • a note
of dissatisfaction

9.  LANGUAGE intonation
showing emotion: a tone in the voice that indicates the
speaker’s feelings or adds to the meaning of what is said • a
note of urgency

10. characteristic
feature:
a distinctive element, feeling, quality, or atmosphere • a
note of caution

11. distinction:
distinction or excellence • a
writer of note

12. FINANCE See promissory note

13. FINANCE See bill 1 noun 6

14. POLITICS official
letter:
a formal communication in writing, especially between governments

15. document:
a short official document

16. MUSIC tune:
a tune (archaic)
plural
noun
notes

summary for future reference:
important facts written down by somebody listening to something, for example, a
student during a lesson
transitive
verb
(past not·ed, past participle not·ed, present
participle not·ing, 3rd person present singular notes)

1.  observe
something:
to notice or remember something by paying particular attention to it

2.  perceive
something:
to notice or become aware of something

3.  mention
something:
to mention something important

4.  write
something down: to write down something important as a
record or reminder
[13th
century. Via Old French note “sign, characteristic, short letter,” from
Latin nota “sign, mark.”]
—note·less,
adjective

—not·er, noun[1]



notebook

notebook
note·book 
[nṓt bk] (plural note·books) noun

1.  small
writing book: a small book in which to write,
containing blank or lined pages

2.  COMPUT small
personal computer: a small thin portable
personal computer

[1]



notecard

notecard
note
card
(plural note cards) noun

decorative card for short
letter: a folded sheet of paper or
thin card with a picture on the front, used for writing short informal letters.

U.K. term
notelet[1]



noted

noted
not·ed 
[nṓtəd] adjective

1.  well-known:
well-known and especially distinguished by or admired for a particular thing or
quality • He
is not noted for his generosity.

2.  marked
or significant: significant or distinctive enough to be
noticeable
—not·ed·ly,
adverb

—not·ed·ness, noun[1]



notelet

notelet
note·let
[nṓtlət] (plural note·lets) noun

U.K.
See note card[1]



noteof hand

noteof hand
note
of hand
(plural notes of hand) noun

FINANCE
See promissory note[1]



notepad

notepad
note·pad
[nṓt pàd] (plural note·pads) noun

pad for writing on:
a number of small sheets of blank or lined paper on which to write, fastened
together in a way that makes it easy to detach a single page[1]



notepaper

notepaper
note·pa·per
[nṓt pàypər] (plural note·pa·pers)
noun

writing paper:
paper for writing letters or making notes on[1]



noterow

noterow
note
row
(plural note rows) noun

MUSIC
See tone row[1]



noteworthy

noteworthy
note·wor·thy 
[nṓt wùree] (comparative note·wor·thi·er,
superlative note·wor·thi·est) adjective

deserving
attention:
deserving notice or attention, usually because of particular significance,
excellence, uniqueness, or interest
—note·wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—note·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



NOTgate

NOTgate
NOT
gate 
(plural NOT gates) noun

COMPUTING
See NOT circuit[1]



nothing

nothing
noth·ing 
[núthing] pronoun

1.  not
anything:
an indefinite pronoun indicating that there is not anything, not a single
thing, or not a single part of a thing • There
is nothing more annoying than people who can’t keep their personal lives private.
• There’s
nothing else I can do for you. • There’s
nothing like a good soak in a hot bath to relieve backache.

2.  something
of no importance: a thing or matter of no importance or
significance • It’s
nothing to me whether they win or lose.

3.  not
having a quality: used to indicate the complete lack of
the quality mentioned in somebody or something • He
wore an ordinary dark blue jacket, with nothing special about it.
• Nothing
of any consequence was said.

4.  zero
amount:
a zero quantity or zero • We
won, three to nothing.

5.  state
of nonexistence: a state of nonexistence, or the absence
of any perceptible qualities • vanished
into nothing
noun
(plural noth·ings)

somebody or something completely
unimportant: somebody who or something that is
totally unimportant
adjective

completely undistinguished:
completely lacking in distinguishing qualities, interest, or significance (informal)
• a
nothing product, despite all the hype
[Old
English nāðinc, from earlier forms of no
+ thing]
all
or nothing

used
to indicate that only complete success or obtaining everything counts and
anything less than that has no value

not
for nothing

for
a very good reason

nothing
but

only

nothing
doing

used
to indicate a complete refusal to do something or to cooperate (informal)

nothing
for it

used
to indicate that there is no other course of action open to somebody • There
was nothing for it but for us to admit our error.

nothing
if not

definitely,
undoubtedly, or at the very least • He’s
nothing if not fair.

nothing
less than

or
nothing short ofused to emphasize forcefully that something truly,
definitely, or amazingly is as described

nothing
like

having
no resemblance to somebody or something else

nothing
to it

used to indicate that
something is very easy[1]



nothingness

nothingness
noth·ing·ness 
[núthingnəss] (plural noth·ing·ness·es)
noun

1.  absence
of everything: the absence of life, existence, and all
discernible qualities

2.  vacuum:
space with nothing in it

3.  complete
worthlessness: complete worthlessness or insignificance

4.  somebody
or something completely worthless: somebody or something
without any worth or significance

5.  PHILOSOPHY lack
of apparent meaning: the condition of lacking any
apparent meaning





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Being
  and Nothingness, an extended essay by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (
  1943 ). The fullest expression of Sartre’s existential philosophy, it
  suggests that humans can be distinguished from the simple being or
  “thing-ness” of objects and other creatures by their consciousness or
  “no-thingness.” This awareness provides humans with their freedom, but it
  also leaves them searching for meaning in life.

[1]



notice

notice
no·tice 
[nṓtiss] noun (plural no·tic·es)

1.  public
sign:
a sign in a public place giving information, instructions, or a warning

2.  written
announcement: a written or printed announcement or
statement of information, often displayed on a board or wall or published in a
newspaper or magazine

3.  warning:
advance warning or notification of something • gave
us notice that the system would be changed

4.  period
of warning:
the period of time between the giving of a warning or notification and its
taking effect • a day’s notice of
repairs to the water mains

5.  LAW warning
of end of employment: official notification of the
exercise of a right, especially the right to terminate employment, or the
amount of time in advance that such notification is given

6.  attention:
somebody’s attention, observation, or consideration • How
can such a glaring error possibly have escaped your notice?

7.  critical
review:
a written or published review of a book, play, or movie
verb
(past no·ticed, past participle no·ticed, present
participle no·tic·ing, 3rd person present singular no·tic·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb observe
something:
to see or catch sight of somebody or something and register the fact in the
mind • Did
you notice what he had in his hand?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb perceive:
to become aware of something or somebody and register the fact in the mind • I
noticed that he avoided mentioning her name.

3.  transitive
verb
mention
something:
to mention or remark on something

4.  transitive
verb
recognize:
to recognize somebody, or indicate that you recognize somebody

5.  transitive
verb
treat
politely:
to treat somebody with polite attention

6.  transitive
verb
write
critical review of: to write or publish a review
of a book, play, or movie

7.  transitive
verb
give
official notice to: to give official notice to
somebody (formal)
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin notitia “being known, fame, knowledge,” from notus
“known.”][1]



noticeable

noticeable
no·tice·a·ble 
[nṓtissəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
seen:
easy to see, hear, feel, or detect

2.  noteworthy:
important, distinctive, or worthy of comment
—no·tice·a·bil·i·ty
[ntissə bíllətee], noun

—no·tice·a·ble·ness
[nṓtissəb’lnəss], noun

—no·tice·a·bly, adverb[1]



noticeboard

noticeboard
no·ticeboard
(plural no·tice boards [nṓtiss bàwrd])
noun

U.K.
See bulletin board[1]



notifiable

notifiable
no·ti·fi·a·ble
[ntə f əb’l] adjective

having to be reported:
used to describe an infectious disease of people or animals that must be
reported to the appropriate authorities when it occurs so that control or
preventive measures can be taken[1]



notification

notification
no·ti·fi·ca·tion 
[ntəfi káysh’n] (plural no·ti·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  formal
announcement or warning: official information about
something that has happened or will happen, or a document containing such
information

2.  act
of informing officially: the act of informing
somebody officially about something

[1]



notify

notify
no·ti·fy 
[nṓtə f] (past no·ti·fied, past
participle no·ti·fied, present participle no·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular no·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  tell
officially:
to inform or warn somebody officially about somebody or something

2.  make
something known: to announce or report something
officially, or make something officially known
[14th
century. Via Old French notifier, from Latin notificare “to make
known,” from notus “known.”]
—no·ti·fi·er, noun[1]



no-tillage

no-tillage
no-till·age
noun

farming method:
a method of farming in which crops are planted in narrow slit trenches, without
any plowing, and weeds are controlled with chemical weedkillers[1]



notion

notion
no·tion 
[nṓsh’n] noun (plural no·tions)

1.  idea:
an idea, opinion, or concept

2.  impression:
a vague understanding or impression

3.  desire:
a sudden desire or whim
plural
noun
no·tions

items for needlework:
small items used in sewing, for example, needles, pins, thread, and buttons
[14th century. From the Latin
stem notion- “concept,” from not-, past participle stem of noscere
“to know.”][1]



notional

notional
no·tion·al 
[nṓshən’l, nṓshnəl]
adjective

1.  imaginary
or hypothetical: existing only as an idea or in theory,
not in reality

2.  abstract
or speculative: relating to or characteristic of ideas
or concepts

3.  LINGUISTICS used
with definite meaning: used in a particular,
concrete sense, like, for example, “did” in “We did the work,” as opposed to
expressing a grammatical relationship, like “did” in “Why didn’t she come?”
See
also
relational
—no·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



notochord

notochord
no·to·chord 
[nṓtə kàwrd] (plural no·to·chords)
noun

supporting
rod of cells: a long flexible rod of cells that
supports the body of chordates, for example, the lamprey, and vertebrate
embryos and is in effect a primitive backbone
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek notōn “back” + chord,
with the sense “line.”]
—no·to·chord·al [ntə káwrd’l], adjective[1]



notorious

notorious
no·to·ri·ous 
[nə táwree əss, nō
táwree əss] adjective

1.  famous
for something bad: well-known for some
undesirable feature, quality, or act

2.  well-known:
widely known (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from medieval Latin notorius, from the past participle
of noscere “to know” (source of English recognize
).]
—no·to·ri·e·ty
[ntə r ətee], noun

—no·to·ri·ous·ly
[nə táwree əsslee, nō
táwree əsslee], adverb

—no·to·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



notornis

notornis
no·tor·nis 
[nō táwrniss] (plural no·tor·nes
[nō táwrneez]) noun

flightless
New Zealand bird: a rare flightless bird native to New
Zealand, especially the takahe. Genus: Notornis
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek notos “south” + ornis
“bird.”][1]



notrump

notrump
no
trump
(plural no-trumps) noun

1.  bid
without trumps in cards: a bid or contract to play a
hand of cards without a trump suit, especially in bridge

2.  hand
suitable for no trump: a hand of cards suitable for
playing without a trump suit
—no-trump, adjective[1]



Notts

Notts
Notts
[nots]

Abbreviation of
Nottinghamshire[1]



notum

notum
no·tum 
[nṓtəm] (plural no·ta [nṓtə]) noun

part
of insect’s thorax: a hard protective covering
on an insect’s thorax
[Late 19th century. From
Greek nōton “back.”][1]



notwithstanding

notwithstanding
not·with·stand·ing 
[nòt wi stánding, nòt
with stánding] preposition

despite:
in spite of (formal) (often used after a noun) • Its
democratic structures, notwithstanding inevitable flaws, are among the most
solid on the continent. • The
lack of a decent catalog notwithstanding, the exhibition contains much to
marvel at.
adverb

nevertheless:
nevertheless, or in spite of this (formal) • They,
notwithstanding, persisted in their inquiries.
conjunction

although:
in spite of the fact that (formal) • Notwithstanding
they were provoked, they ought not to have reacted so violently.
[14th century. Modeled on Old
French non obstante “being of no hindrance.”][1]



notwork

notwork
not·work
[nótwùrk] noun

nonfunctional
network:
a computer network that is nonfunctional (slang humorous)
Also
called
nyetwork
[Late 20th century. Blend of not + network
.][1]



nougat

nougat
nou·gat 
[ngət] (plural nou·gats) noun

chewy
candy containing nuts: a chewy candy made with egg
whites, honey, and usually chopped nuts or dried fruit that is wrapped in rice
paper and cut into strips or pieces
[Early 19th century. From
Provençal nogat, from noga “nut,” from Latin nux .][1]



nought

nought
nought 
[nawt] noun (plural noughts)

1.  U.K.
See naught  noun 1

2.  nothing:
nothing (archaic)
See
also
naught
adverb

not at all: not
in the least (archaic)
See
also
naught
adjective

worth nothing:
worthless in character or behavior (archaic)
See
also
naught
[Old English nōwiht,
from ne “not” + ōwiht “anything,” a variant of aught][1]



noughtsand crosses

noughtsand crosses
noughts
and cross·es noun

U.K.
See tick-tack-toe[1]



noumenon

noumenon
nou·me·non 
[nmə nòn] (plural nou·me·na [nmənə]) noun

1.  object
of intellect: something beyond the tangible world that
can only be known or identified by the intellect, not by the senses

2.  independent
object in Kantian philosophy: in Kantian philosophy,
something that exists independently of intellectual or sensory perception of
it, for example, the soul in some beliefs
[Late
18th century. Via German from Greek, from the present participle of noien
“to apprehend, conceive.”]
—nou·men·al,
adjective

—nou·men·al·ly, adverb[1]



noun

noun
noun 
[nown] (plural nouns) noun

naming
word:
a word or group of words used as the name of a class of people, places, or
things, or of a particular person, place, or thing. For example, the words bottle,
spider, charity, and Africa are nouns.
[14th century. Via Anglo
Norman, “name, noun,” from Old French nom, from Latin nomen
“name” (source of English nominal ).][1]



nounphrase

nounphrase
noun
phrase
(plural noun phras·es) noun

group of words functioning as
noun: a word or group of words
that functions syntactically as a noun, for example, as the subject, object, or
topic, in a clause or sentence[1]



nourish

nourish
nour·ish 
[núr ish] (past nour·ished, past
participle nour·ished, present participle nour·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular nour·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  give
food to:
to give people, animals, or plants the substances they require to live, grow,
or remain fit and healthy

2.  support
or foster:
to encourage or strengthen a feeling or idea

3.  help
to develop:
to help something to grow or develop
[13th
century. From the Old French stem norriss-, from norir, from
Latin nutrire “to suckle.”]
—nour·ish·er, noun[1]



nourishing

nourishing
nour·ish·ing
[núr ishing] adjective

providing
good sustenance: providing people, animals, or plants
with a substantial quantity of the substances they require to live, grow, or
remain fit and healthy
—nour·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



nourishment

nourishment
nour·ish·ment 
[núr ishmənt] noun

1.  food
or food value: food, or the valuable substances in food
that a person, animal, or plant requires to live, grow, or remain fit and
healthy

2.  something
encouraging growth: something that provides a
stimulating and healthy emotional or intellectual environment for people or
animals

[1]



nous

nous
nous 
[nooss, nowss]
noun

1.  intellectual
ability:
in ancient Greek philosophy, the capacity to reason and acquire knowledge, as
distinguished from sensation

2.  intellect:
the part of the human spirit that is capable of rational thought

3.  cosmic
principle of order: the principle of the cosmic
mind that some believe to govern order in the physical universe

4.  rational
cosmic principle: in Stoic philosophy, the active,
material, rational principle of the cosmos

5.  image
of absolute good: in Neo-Platonic philosophy, the
reflection of the absolute good, which includes the universe of rational beings
[Late 17th century. From
Greek, “intelligence.”][1]



nouveau

nouveau
nou·veau 
[noo vṓ] adjective

recent:
having recently appeared or become fashionable (humorous)
[Early 20th century. From
French .][1]



nouveauriche

nouveauriche
nou·veau
riche 
[nvō rsh] (plural nou·veaux
rich·es [nvō rsh]) noun

somebody
with newly acquired wealth: somebody who has recently
become rich, especially a former member of the lower or middle classes who
ostentatiously displays newly acquired wealth.
See
also
arriviste
[Early
19th century. From French, literally “new rich.”]
—nou·veau riche, adjective[1]



nouveauroman

nouveauroman
nou·veau
ro·man 
[n vō rō mn] (plural nou·veaux
ro·mans [n vō rō mn]) noun

LITERATURE See antinovel
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “new novel.”][1]



nouvellecuisine

nouvellecuisine
nou·velle
cui·sine 
[noo vèl kwi zn, noo
vèl kwee zn] noun

lighter
style of French cooking: a style of French cooking
consisting of tiny but beautifully presented dishes made from fresh lightly
cooked ingredients in less rich sauces than in traditional French cooking
[Late 20th century. From
French, literally “new cooking.”][1]



nouvellevague

nouvellevague
nou·velle
vague 
[noo vél vaag] noun

CINEMA See new wave  noun 1
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “new wave.”][1]



Nov.

Nov.
Nov.
or Nov

Abbreviation of
November[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nova

nova
no·va 
[nṓvə] (plural no·vas or
no·vae [nṓvee]) noun

star
that flares and fades: a star that suddenly
increases dramatically in brightness and then fades to its original luminosity
over a short period of months or years
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, a form of novus “new.”][1]



Nova

Nova
No·va
[nṓvə] (plural No·vae) noun

See
Nova Scotia salmon[1]



novaculite

novaculite
no·vac·u·lite 
[nō vákyə lt] noun

hard
fine-grained rock: a hard dense fine-grained
sedimentary rock containing quartz and feldspar and used as a whetstone
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin novacula “razor.”][1]



NovaScotia




Back to definition

NovaScotia

[1]



NovaScotia

NovaScotia


No·va
Sco·tia 
[nòvə skóshə]
region
of eastern Canada, and one of the three Maritime Provinces, consisting of a
peninsula off New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island. Capital: Halifax.
Population: 909,282 (1996) Area: 55,490 sq km/21,425 sq mi.
—No·va Sco·tian, adjective[1]



NovaScotia salmon

NovaScotia salmon
No·va
Sco·tia salm·on noun

lox:
lox made from salmon caught near Nova Scotia. It is less salty than other lox.
Also called
Nova[1]



novation

novation
no·va·tion 
[nō váysh’n] noun

renewal
of contract: the replacement of an old contract or
obligation with a new one
[Early 16th century. From the
late Latin stem novation-, from, ultimately, novare “to make
new,” from novus “new.”][1]



Novato

Novato
No·va·to 
[nō vtō]

city in western California in
Marin County, western California, situated north of San Francisco. Population:
47,585 (1990)[1]



novel

novel3
nov·el3  [nóvv’l]
noun

new
decree:
in Roman law, a new decree or something that changes an existing statute
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin novella (constitutio), literally “new (constitution),” a form
of Latin novellus (see novel ).][1]



novel

novel2
nov·el2 [nóvv’l]
adjective

refreshingly
new:
new, original, and different, and often particularly interesting or unusual as
well
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin novellus, literally “slightly new,”
from novus “new.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at new

[1]



novel

novel1
nov·el1 [nóvv’l]
(plural nov·els) noun

1.  long
story:
a fictional prose work with a relatively long and often complex plot, usually
divided into chapters, in which the story traditionally develops through the
thoughts and actions of its characters

2.  literary
genre:
novels considered collectively as a literary genre
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin novellus, from novus “new.” The meaning “prose
narrative” came from Italian storia novella “short story” (literally
“new story”).][1]



novelese

novelese
nov·el·ese 
[nòvv’l z, nòvv’l
ss] noun

characteristic style of bad
novels: a type of language or style
of writing that is typical of inferior novels (disapproving)[1]



novelette

novelette
nov·el·ette 
[nòvv’l ét] (plural nov·el·ettes)
noun

1.  LITERATURE short
novel:
a long story or short novel.
See
also
novella

2.  LITERATURE sentimental
novel:
a light romantic novel, especially one that is considered trite or sentimental

3.  MUSIC short
lyrical musical composition: a short piece of music
written in a free lyrical style, usually for the piano
—nov·el·et·tist, noun[1]



novelettish

novelettish
nov·el·et·tish
[nòvv’l éttish] adjective

trite and sentimental in
style: having the qualities of an
inferior piece of writing, especially triteness or sentimentality[1]



novelist

novelist
nov·el·ist 
[nóvv’list] (plural nov·el·ists)
noun

writer of novels:
somebody who writes novels[1]



novelistic

novelistic
nov·el·is·tic 
[nòvv’l ístik] adjective

like
style of novel: characteristic of a novel, especially in
the treatment of real people or historical events
—nov·el·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



novelize

novelize
nov·el·ize 
[nóvv’l z] (past nov·el·ized,
past participle nov·el·ized, present participle nov·el·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular nov·el·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  convert
movie into novel: to write the story of a movie, play, or
television series in the form of a novel

2.  convert
fact into fiction: to retell a true story in
the form of a novel, sometimes adding fictional details
—nov·el·i·za·tion [nòvv’li záysh’n], noun[1]



novella

novella
no·vel·la 
[nō véllə] (plural no·vel·las)
noun

1.  short
novel:
a fictional prose work that is longer than a short story but shorter than a
novel.
See
also
novelette

2.  moral
tale:
a moral or satirical tale (archaic)
[Early 20th century. From
Italian (storia) novella (see novel 1 ).][1]



novelty

novelty
nov·el·ty 
[nóvv’ltee] (plural nov·el·ties)
noun

1.  small
toy or trinket: a small inexpensive toy, ornament, piece
of jewelry, or trinket

2.  newness
and originality: the quality of being new, original, and
different

3.  new
thing or experience: something new, original, and
different that is interesting or exciting, though often for only a short time

[1]



November

November
No·vem·ber 
[nō vémbər] (plural No·vem·bers)
noun

1.  11th
month of Gregorian calendar: in the Gregorian calendar,
the 11th month of the year, made up of 30 days

2.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “N”: a code word for the letter
“N,” used in international radio communications
[13th century. Via Old French
Novembre from Latin November, the ninth month of the Roman
calendar, from novem “nine.”][1]



novena

novena
no·ve·na 
[nō vnə] (plural no·ve·nas or
no·ve·nae [nō vnee]) noun

recitation
of prayers:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the recitation of prayers for nine consecutive
days to achieve a particular purpose
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin novena, a form of novenus “ninefold,” from novem
“nine.”][1]



novercal

novercal
no·ver·cal 
[nō vúrk’l] adjective

stepmotherly:
relating to or said to be typical of a stepmother (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin novercalis, from noverca “stepmother.”][1]



novice

novice
nov·ice 
[nóvviss] (plural nov·ic·es) noun

1.  beginner:
somebody who has just started learning or doing something new and has no
previous experience in the skill or activity

2.  RELIGION religious
student:
somebody who has joined a religious order but has not yet taken the final vows
of a monk or nun.
Also
called
novitiate
[14th
century. Via Old French from late Latin novicius “newly enslaved person”
or “inexperienced person in a new situation,” from novus “new.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at beginner

[1]



novitiate

novitiate
novitiate 
[nō víshət, nō
víshee ət] (plural no·vi·ti·ates) or no·vi·ci·ate
[nō víshət, nō
víshee ət] (plural no·vi·ci·ates) noun

1.  probationary
period:
the period of time during which somebody is a novice, especially in a religious
order

2.  novices’
living quarters: the part of a monastery or convent where
novices live

3.  See
novice  noun 2
[Early 17th century. From
French noviciat, or medieval Latin noviciatus, formed from late
Latin novicius (see novice ).][1]



Novocain

Novocain
No·vo·cain 
[nṓvə kàyn] Trademark

a trademark for a synthetic
anesthetic drug[1]



NOW

NOW
NOW
[now]

Abbreviation of
National Organization for Women[1]



now

now
now 
[now] adverb

1.  at
present time: at the present time, often as opposed to
in the past or in the future • I’ve
never done this before, and I’m not starting now.

2.  immediately:
at once or at this exact time • We’ll
miss our train if we don’t go now.

3.  given
the current situation: under the present
circumstances • She asked me not to
tell anyone, but now I don’t suppose she’ll mind.

4.  up
to the present time: used with statements of time
to indicate that something has been happening for a particular length of time
up to the present • For six months now,
I’ve been telling you to clean this room.

5.  used
to preface or clarify remark: used to preface a remark,
the second step in an argument, or a clarification of a statement, or to get
somebody’s attention, or for emphasis • Now,
what would you like to drink?

6.  used
in hesitation: used in speech when hesitating, when
thinking of what to say next (informal)

7.  used
in hesitation: used in speech when hesitating and
thinking of what to say next (informal)
conjunction

since:
since, or in view of the fact that this is the present situation • She
can afford a decent car now that she’s working.
noun

present time: the
present time or moment • Now
would be a good time to tell her.
adjective

fashionable: in
the latest fashion (informal) • the
now look in menswear
[Old
English nu, ultimately from Indo-European]
(every)
now and then

or (every)
now and again1.  occasionally

2.  a
short time ago

3.  at
the present moment

for
now

for
the time being, as a temporary measure

now
now

1.  used
as a friendly way of trying to comfort somebody

2.  used
to warn or reprimand somebody gently

now
then

used
to warn or reprimand somebody gently

[1]



NOWaccount

NOWaccount
NOW
ac·count 
[nów ə kòwnt] (plural NOW
ac·counts) noun

interest-paying
savings account: a savings account that pays depositors
interest and against which checks can be written
[Late 20th century. NOW an
acronym of negotiable order of withdrawal .][1]



nowadays

nowadays
now·a·days 
[nów ə dàyz] adverb

in
the present: in the present, or in the times in which
we are now living, usually in contrast to the past
[14th century. Coined from now + adayes “during the day,” from day .][1]



noway

noway
no·way 
[nṓ wày] adverb noway noways

not
in any way:
in no way or not at all
interjection
no·way no way

certainly not:
used to express emphatic refusal or denial (informal)[1]



nowhere

nowhere
no·where 
[nṓ wàir, nṓ
hwàir] adverb

in
or to no place: not in or to any place • Nowhere
does it mention any side-effects.
noun

remote
place:
a remote or insignificant place
get
nowhere

or
go nowhereto fail to make any progress with something you are trying to
do

nowhere
near

not at all, or a long way
from being as specified (informal)[1]



nowheres

nowheres
no·wheres 
[nṓ wàirz, nṓ
hwàirz] adverb

nowhere:
nowhere (regional)[1]



no-win

no-win
no-win 
[nṓ win, nō wín]
adjective

sure to fail or lose:
in which there is no chance of a successful outcome for a participant (informal)
• a
no-win situation[1]



nowise

nowise
no·wise 
[nṓ wīz] adverb

in no manner at all:
in no manner or by no means at all[1]



noxious

noxious
nox·ious 
[nókshəss] adjective

1.  physically
harmful:
harmful to life or health, especially by being poisonous

2.  morally
harmful:
likely to cause moral, spiritual, or social harm or corruption

3.  disgusting:
very unpleasant • a noxious smell
[15th
century. Formed from Latin noxius “hurtful, damaging.”]
—nox·ious·ly,
adverb

—nox·ious·ness, noun[1]



nozzle

nozzle
noz·zle 
[nózz’l] (plural noz·zles) noun

1.  projecting
spout:
a narrow or tapering part at the end of a tube or pipe, used to direct or
control the flow of a liquid or gas

2.  short
tapered tube: a short tapered tube that directs or
accelerates the flow of a fluid, for example, in a jet engine

3.  nose:
somebody’s nose (slang)
[Early 17th century.
Literally “noselike appliance,” coined from nose
+ -le .][1]



no-’count

no-’count
no-’count
adjective

(informal) See no-account[1]



np

np
np
or n.p.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of new paragraph[1]



Np

Np
Np

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS Symbol
for neper

2.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for neptunium

[1]



N.P.

N.P.
N.P.

Abbreviation of
Notary Public[1]



NP

NP
NP
(plural NPs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Park

2.  Australia,
New Zealand,
South Africa Abbreviation of National
Party

3.  Abbreviation
of
neuropsychiatry

4.  Abbreviation
of
nurse practitioner

5.  Abbreviation
of
noun phrase

[1]



NPD

NPD
NPD

Abbreviation of
new product development[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NPN

NPN
NPN

CHEMISTRY
Abbreviation of nonprotein nitrogen[1]



NPR

NPR
NPR

Abbreviation of
National Public Radio[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NPV

NPV
NPV
or n.p.v.

1.  Abbreviation
of
net present value

2.  Abbreviation
of
no par value

[1]



nr

nr
nr

Abbreviation of
near[1]



NRA

NRA
NRA

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Recovery Administration

2.  Abbreviation
of
National Rifle Association

3.  Abbreviation
of
Naval Reserve Association

[1]



NRC

NRC
NRC

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Research Council

2.  Abbreviation
of
Nuclear Regulatory Commission

[1]



NRDS

NRDS
NRDS

Abbreviation of
neonatal respiratory distress syndrome[1]



NREM

NREM
NREM

Abbreviation of
nonrapid eye movement[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NRV

NRV
NRV

Abbreviation of
net realizable value[1]



n.s.

n.s.
n.s.

1.  Abbreviation
of
new series

2.  Abbreviation
of
not specified

[1]



NS

NS
NS
or N.S.

1.  U.K.
Abbreviation of New Style

2.
(funds) Abbreviation of not sufficient

3.  Abbreviation
of
Nova Scotia

4.  Abbreviation
of
nuclear ship

[1]



ns

ns
ns

Abbreviation of
nanosecond[1]



n/s

n/s
n/s

1.  Abbreviation
of
nonsmoking

2.  Abbreviation
of
nonsmoker

3.  BANKING Abbreviation of not
sufficient (funds)

[1]



N/S

N/S
N/S

Abbreviation of
nonsmoker[1]



NSA

NSA
NSA

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Security Agency

2.  Abbreviation
of
National Standards Association

[1]



NSAID

NSAID
NSAID
(plural NSAIDs) noun

painkiller:
a drug taken by mouth or applied externally and used to relieve pain and
inflammation in a wide range of conditions, especially arthritic or muscular
pain and menstrual period pain. Full form nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug[1]



NSB

NSB
NSB

1.  Abbreviation
of
National Savings Bank

2.  Abbreviation
of
National Science Board

[1]



NSC

NSC
NSC

Abbreviation of
National Security Council[1]



NSE

NSE
NSE

Abbreviation of
National Stock Exchange[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nsec

nsec
nsec

Abbreviation of
nanosecond[1]



N.S.P.C.A.

N.S.P.C.A.
N.S.P.C.A.

Abbreviation of
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals[1]



NST

NST
NST

Canada
Abbreviation of Newfoundland Standard Time[1]



NSU

NSU
NSU

Abbreviation of
nonspecific urethritis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NSW

NSW
NSW
or N.S.W.

Australia
Abbreviation of New South Wales[1]



NT

NT
NT

1.  NT
or N.T. Abbreviation of New
Testament

2.  NT
or N.T. Australia Abbreviation of Northern
Territory

3.  Canada
Abbreviation of Northwest Territories

4.  NT
or N.T. CARD GAMES Abbreviation
of no trump

[1]



nth

nth
nth 
[enth] adjective

1.  last
or most recent: last or latest in a long and often
tedious series of similar occurrences (informal)

2.  MATHEMATICS indefinitely
large numerically: used to describe a very
large, but unspecified, ordinal number, usually one that is the largest in a
series of values
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from n “indefinitely large or small
amount.”][1]



NTI

NTI
NTI

Abbreviation of
Nielsen Television Index[1]



N.T.P.

N.T.P.
N.T.P.
or n.t.p.

Abbreviation of
normal temperature and pressure[1]



NTSB

NTSB
NTSB

Abbreviation of
National Transportation Safety Board[1]



nt.wt.

nt.wt.
nt.
wt.

Abbreviation of
net weight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nu

nu
nu 
[noo] (plural nus) noun

13th
letter of the Greek alphabet: the 13th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “n”
[Via Greek from a Semitic
word][1]



nuance

nuance
nu·ance 
[n ns] (plural nu·anc·es) noun

1.  subtle
difference:
a very slight difference in meaning, feeling, tone, or color

2.  use
of nuances:
the use or awareness of subtle shades of meaning or feeling, especially in
artistic expression or performance
[Late
18th century. From French, “slight difference of tone,” from nuer “to
shade,” ultimately from Latin nubes “cloud.”]
—nu·anced, adjective[1]



nub

nub
nub 
[nub] (plural nubs) noun

1.  heart
of something: the main point or core of something

2.  small
lump:
a small lump or chunk

3.  small
projection:
a small protuberance

4.  TEXTILES fiber
knot:
a knot of fibers in yarn
[Late
16th century. From Middle Low German knubbe, variant of knobbe
“knob.” Originallly “small lump or boil on the body.”]
—nub·bi·ness,
noun

—nub·by, adjective[1]



Nuba

Nuba
Nu·ba
[nbə] (plural Nu·ba or
Nu·bas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a southern Sudanese people: a member of any of
various peoples inhabiting the mountains of central Sudan

2.  LANGUAGE See Nubian  noun 2

[1]



nubbin

nubbin
nub·bin 
[núbbin] (plural nub·bins) noun

undeveloped
part:
a small undeveloped part of a fruit or vegetable, for example, an ear of corn
[Late 17th century. Literally
“small nub,” formed from nub .][1]



nubble

nubble
nub·ble
[núbb’l] (plural nub·bles) noun

small
lump:
a small lump or knob
—nub·bli·ness,
noun

—nub·bly, adjective[1]



nubecula

nubecula
nu·bec·u·la 
[noo békyələ] (plural nu·bec·u·lae
[noo békyəlee]) noun

Magellanic
Cloud:
a Magellanic Cloud (technical)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “small cloud,” from nubes “cloud.”][1]



Nubia

Nubia
Nu·bi·a 
[nbee ə, nybee
ə]

region in the Nile River
valley in northeastern Africa between Aswan in Egypt and Khartoum in Sudan[1]



Nubian

Nubian
Nu·bi·an 
[nbee ən, nybee
ən] (plural Nu·bi·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES inhabitant
of Nubia:
somebody who lived in the ancient kingdom of Nubia

2.  LANGUAGE Nilo-Saharan
language:
a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in Sudan. Nubian is spoken by about one million
people.
Also
called
Nuba
[15th
century. From medieval Latin Nubianus, from Nubia .]
—Nu·bi·an, adjective[1]



nubile

nubile
nu·bile 
[nb’l, n bl]
adjective

1.  ready
for marriage: used to describe a young woman who is
physically mature enough to have sexual intercourse and therefore suitable for
marriage (dated)

2.  young
and desirable: young and sexually desirable (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin nubilis, from nubere “to take a husband”
(source of English nuptial and connubial ).]
—nu·bil·i·ty [noo bíllətee], noun[1]



nucellus

nucellus
nu·cel·lus 
[noo sélləss] (plural nu·cel·li
[noo séllī]) noun

central
part of a plant ovule: the central part of a plant
ovule in which the embryo develops
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, of uncertain origin: probably literally “small kernel,” formed
from nucleus (see nucleus ).][1]



nucl-

nucl-
nucl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
nucleo-[1]



nuclear

nuclear
nu·cle·ar 
[nklee ər] adjective

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS of
an atom nucleus: relating to the nucleus of an atom

2.  ARMS MILITARY of nuclear weapons:
relating to or using weapons that produce a nuclear explosion

3.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS of
nuclear energy: relating to, using, or producing nuclear
energy through fission or fusion

4.  BIOLOGY of a
cell nucleus: relating to, involving, or contained in
the nucleus of a cell

5.  BIOLOGY forming
a nucleus:
forming or resembling a nucleus
[Mid-19th century. Formed from
Latin nucleus, from nux “nut, kernel.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “lump.”][1]



nuclearbomb

nuclearbomb
nu·cle·ar
bomb
(plural nu·cle·ar bombs) noun

atomic or hydrogen bomb:
a bomb in which the explosive potential is controlled by nuclear fission or
fusion.
See also
atomic bomb
See also
hydrogen bomb[1]



nuclearchemistry

nuclearchemistry
nu·cle·ar
chem·is·try
noun

branch of chemistry:
the branch of chemistry in which nuclear reactions are studied[1]



nucleardeterrent

nucleardeterrent
nu·cle·ar
de·ter·rent
(plural nu·cle·ar de·ter·rents) noun

nuclear weapons as a
deterrent: the nuclear weapons
possessed by a country or an alliance thought of as a means of discouraging
enemy attack[1]



nucleardisarmament

nucleardisarmament
nu·cle·ar
dis·ar·ma·ment noun

giving up of nuclear weapons:
the reduction or elimination of a nation’s nuclear weapons or its capacity to
manufacture them[1]



nuclearemulsion

nuclearemulsion
nu·cle·ar
e·mul·sion
(plural nu·cle·ar e·mul·sions) noun

photographic emulsion:
a photographic emulsion used to identify and show the paths of subatomic
particles after development[1]



nuclearenergy

nuclearenergy
nu·cle·ar
en·er·gy
noun

energy from nuclear fission
or fusion: the energy released by
nuclear fission or fusion[1]



nuclearenvelope

nuclearenvelope
nu·cle·ar
en·ve·lope
(plural nu·cle·ar en·ve·lopes) noun

CELL
BIOLOGY See nuclear membrane[1]



nuclearfamily

nuclearfamily
nu·cle·ar
fam·i·ly
noun

unit of parents with their
children: a social unit that consists
of a mother, a father, and their children[1]



nuclearfission

nuclearfission
nu·cle·ar
fis·sion
noun

See
fission  noun 1[1]



nuclear-freezone

nuclear-freezone
nu·cle·ar-free
zone 
(plural nu·cle·ar-free zones) noun

area forbidding nuclear
activity: an area, usually within a
country, where all activities involving nuclear weapons or nuclear power are
officially banned[1]



nuclearfuel

nuclearfuel
nu·cle·ar
fu·el
(plural nu·cle·ar fu·els) noun

fissionable substance
providing power: a substance such as an
isotope of uranium that undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor and is used to
provide power for electricity and submarines[1]



nuclearfusion

nuclearfusion
nu·cle·ar
fu·sion
noun

atomic combination that
releases energy: the process in which
light atoms such as those of hydrogen and deuterium combine and form heavier
atoms, releasing a great amount of energy, that primarily manifests itself in
the form of heat[1]



nuclearize

nuclearize
nu·cle·ar·ize 
[nklee ə rz] (past nu·cle·ar·ized,
past participle nu·cle·ar·ized, present participle nu·cle·ar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular nu·cle·ar·iz·es) transitive verb

supply
with nuclear weapons: to provide or equip a
military force with nuclear weapons
—nu·cle·ar·i·za·tion [nklee əri záysh’n], noun[1]



nuclearmagnetic resonance

nuclearmagnetic resonance
nu·cle·ar
mag·net·ic res·o·nance noun

energy pulse from an atomic
nucleus: the energy pulse released by
an atomic nucleus exposed to high-frequency radiation in a magnetic field,
which is used to provide data about the atom that can be transformed into an
image by computer techniques. This phenomenon is the basis of devices used in
medicine, where it is called magnetic resonance imaging, to produce images of
tissues, and in physics and chemistry to study molecular structure.[1]



nuclearmedicine

nuclearmedicine
nu·cle·ar
med·i·cine
noun

medicine using radioactive
materials: the branch of medicine in
which radioactive materials are used to diagnose and treat diseases[1]



nuclearmembrane

nuclearmembrane
nu·cle·ar
mem·brane
(plural nu·cle·ar mem·branes) noun

membrane surrounding the
nucleus: a two-layered membrane
surrounding the nucleus of a cell.
Also called
nuclear envelope[1]



nuclearphysics

nuclearphysics
nu·cle·ar
phys·ics
noun

physics
of nuclear structures: the branch of physics in
which the structure, forces, and behavior of the atomic nucleus are studied
—nu·cle·ar phys·i·cist,
noun[1]



nuclearpore

nuclearpore
nu·cle·ar
pore
(plural nu·cle·ar pores) noun

opening in a nuclear
membrane: any of thousands of complex
openings in a nuclear membrane[1]



nuclearpower

nuclearpower
nu·cle·ar
pow·er
noun

power
from nuclear fission or fusion: the power, usually
electrical or motive power, produced by nuclear fission or fusion
—nu·cle·ar-pow·ered, adjective[1]



nuclearpower station

nuclearpower station
nu·cle·ar
pow·er sta·tion (plural nu·cle·ar pow·er
sta·tions) or nu·cle·ar pow·er plant (plural nu·cle·ar
pow·er plants) noun

station using heat from a
nuclear reactor: a power station in
which the heat for producing steam to drive electric turbogenerators is derived
from a nuclear reactor[1]



nuclearreaction

nuclearreaction
nu·cle·ar
re·ac·tion
(plural nu·cle·ar re·ac·tions) noun

nuclear fission or fusion:
a process in which energy is produced by either the splitting of heavy atoms ( nuclear fission ) or the combining of light atoms
( nuclear fusion )[1]



nuclearreactor

nuclearreactor
nu·cle·ar
re·ac·tor
(plural nu·cle·ar re·ac·tors) noun

device producing heat from
nuclear fission: a device in which
controlled nuclear fission takes place to produce heat energy[1]



nuclearreprocessing plant

nuclearreprocessing plant
nu·cle·ar
re·pro·cess·ing plant (plural nu·cle·ar
re·pro·cess·ing plants) noun

facility that reprocesses
used reactor rods: a facility
in which various useful isotopes are removed from used rods of nuclear reactors[1]



nuclearsap

nuclearsap
nu·cle·ar
sap
noun

liquid in the cell nucleus:
the colorless liquid in the nucleus of a cell.
Also called
karyolymph[1]



nuclearsubmarine

nuclearsubmarine
nu·cle·ar
sub·ma·rine
(plural nu·cle·ar sub·ma·rines) noun

1.  submarine
propelled by nuclear energy: a submarine in which a
nuclear reactor produces steam to drive turbines for propulsion

2.  submarine
carrying nuclear weapons: a submarine that carries
nuclear weapons

[1]



nuclearthreshold

nuclearthreshold
nu·cle·ar
thresh·old
noun

point where nuclear weapons
are first used: the point in a war
being fought with conventional weapons when one of the opposing forces decides
to use nuclear weapons[1]



nuclearwarhead

nuclearwarhead
nu·cle·ar
war·head
(plural nu·cle·ar war·heads) noun

warhead carrying an explosive
nuclear device: the forward part of a
missile or other projectile whose explosive device derives its power from
nuclear fission or fusion[1]



nuclearwaste

nuclearwaste
nu·cle·ar
waste
noun

leftover nuclear material:
unwanted, often radioactive, material that is produced by nuclear reactors and
reprocessing plants[1]



nuclearweapon

nuclearweapon
nu·cle·ar
weap·on
(plural nu·cle·ar weap·ons) noun

explosive nuclear device:
a military weapon that derives its explosive power from nuclear fission or
fusion[1]



nuclearwinter

nuclearwinter
nu·cle·ar
win·ter
(plural nu·cle·ar win·ters) noun

cold dark period after
nuclear explosions: a period of
continual cold and darkness believed to follow a nuclear war, caused by the
blocking of the Sun’s rays by high-altitude dust clouds, with disastrous
environmental consequences[1]



nuclease

nuclease
nu·cle·ase 
[nklee àyss, nklee
àyz] (plural nu·cle·as·es) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that breaks down nucleic acids
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a shortening of nucleic + -ase .][1]



nucleate

nucleate
nu·cle·ate 
or nu·cle·at·ed [nklee àytəd]
adjective [nklee ət, nklee àyt]

BIOLOGY with a
nucleus:
having a nucleus or nuclei
intransitive
and transitive verb [nklee
àyt] (past nu·cle·at·ed, past participle nu·cle·at·ed,
present participle nu·cle·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
nu·cle·ates)

form
a nucleus:
to come together as a nucleus, or to bring things together to form a nucleus
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from a shortening of nuclear
+ -ate .]
—nu·cle·a·tor, noun[1]



nucleation

nucleation
nu·cle·a·tion
[nklee áysh’n] noun

1.  METEOROLOGY formation
process in clouds: the process by which ice
crystals and rain drops form in clouds around a solid core

2.  GEOLOGY formation
of crystals: the formation of crystals from a melt,
often around a core of solid material

[1]



nuclei

nuclei
nu·cle·i


Plural of
nucleus[1]



nucleicacid

nucleicacid
nu·cle·ic
ac·id 
[noo kl ik ássid, noo
klày ik ássid] noun

complex acid found in living
cells: any of various
high-molecular-weight acids, for example, DNA and RNA, consisting of nucleotide
chains that convey genetic information and are found in all living cells and
viruses[1]



nuclein

nuclein
nu·cle·in 
[nklee in] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
See nucleoprotein[1]



nucleo-

nucleo-
nucleo-
prefix

1.  nucleus,
nuclear • nucleoplasm

2.  nucleic
acid • nucleocapsid
[From nucleus][1]



nucleocapsid

nucleocapsid
nu·cle·o·cap·sid 
[nklee ə kápsid] noun

virus structure:
the basic viral structure consisting of a core of nucleic acid surrounded by a
protein coat[1]



nucleolate

nucleolate
nu·cle·o·late 
[nklee ə làyt] adjective

with a nucleolus:
having a nucleolus or nucleoli[1]



nucleolus

nucleolus
nu·cle·o·lus 
[nklee ələss] (plural nu·cle·o·li
[nklee ə l]) noun

small
rounded body within the cell nucleus: a
small round body inside a cell nucleus, composed of protein and RNA and
associated with the formation of ribosomes and ribosomal RNA
[Mid-19th
century. From late Latin, “little nucleus,” from Latin nucleus (see nucleus ).]
—nu·cle·o·lar, adjective[1]



nucleon

nucleon
nu·cle·on 
[nklee òn] noun

proton or neutron:
a proton or neutron, especially when part of an atomic nucleus[1]



nucleonics

nucleonics
nu·cle·on·ics 
noun

branch of physics:
the branch of physics dealing with the properties of nucleons and the atomic
nucleus (takes a singular verb)[1]



nucleonnumber

nucleonnumber
nu·cle·on
num·ber
noun

PHYSICS
See mass number[1]



nucleophile

nucleophile
nu·cle·o·phile 
[nklee ə fl] noun

electron
donor:
a substance that becomes an electron donor in bonding during a chemical
reaction
—nu·cle·o·phil·ic [nklee əfíllik], adjective[1]



nucleoplasm

nucleoplasm
nu·cle·o·plasm 
[nklee ə plàzzəm] noun

cell nucleus liquid:
the liquid matter ( protoplasm ) of a cell
nucleus.
Also called
karyoplasm[1]



nucleoprotein

nucleoprotein
nu·cle·o·pro·tein 
[nklee ə pró tn] noun

protein combined with a
nucleic acid: a protein in
combination with a nucleic acid in cells that is the main constituent of
genetic material in chromosomes.
Also called
nuclein[1]



nucleoside

nucleoside
nu·cle·o·side 
[nklee ə sd] noun

component
of DNA and RNA: a type of organic compound, found
especially in DNA and RNA in living organisms, consisting of a purine or
pyrimidine base linked to a sugar, particularly ribose or deoxyribose
[Early 20th century. Coined
from nucleo- + glycoside
.][1]



nucleosome

nucleosome
nu·cle·o·some 
[nklee ə sòm] noun

component in chromosomes:
a minute particle of DNA and protein that forms the basic packing unit of
chromatin, the substance of chromosomes. Nucleosomes fit together like a
tightly condensed string of beads.[1]



nucleosynthesis

nucleosynthesis
nu·cle·o·syn·the·sis 
[nklee ō sínthəssiss] noun

formation of heavier elements
within a star: the synthesis of
heavier elements from lighter elements by fusion reactions within stars[1]



nucleotide

nucleotide
nu·cle·o·tide 
[nklee ə td] noun

structural
unit of nucleic acids: a type of chemical compound
occurring most notably in nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA, consisting of a
nucleoside linked to a phosphate group
[Early 20th century. An
alteration of nucleoside .][1]



nucleus

nucleus
nu·cle·us 
[nklee əss] (plural nu·cle·i
[nklee ] or nu·cle·us·es) noun

1.  important
element:
a central or most important item or part that has others grouped or built
around it

2.  PHYSICS central
region of an atom: the positively charged
central region of an atom, consisting of protons and neutrons and containing
most of the mass

3.  BIOLOGY central
part of a living cell: the central body, usually
spherical, within a eukaryotic cell, which is a membrane-encased mass of
protoplasm containing the chromosomes and other genetic information necessary
to control cell growth and reproduction

4.  ASTRONOMY central
portion of a nebula or galaxy: the central brighter
portion of a nebula or galaxy

5.  ASTRONOMY core
of a comet’s head: the central core in the head
of a comet, consisting of ice, frozen gases, and dust

6.  CHEMISTRY stable
atoms in a molecule: a stable group of atoms in a
molecule, for example, a benzene ring, that forms the base structure of many
compounds and remains unchanged in chemical reactions

7.  ANATOMY group
of nerve cells: a group of nerve cells in the central
nervous system or a small mass of gray matter in the brain that has a
specialized function

8.  BOTANY inner
kernel of a nut: the central kernel of a nut seed

9.  BOTANY starch
granule’s center: the central part of a starch granule

10. PHONETICS most
resonant part of a syllable: the most resonant part of a
syllable, usually the vowel
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin nuculeus “kernel of a nut,” from nuculus “little nut,” from
nux “nut” (source of English nougat
).][1]



nuclide

nuclide
nu·clide 
[nk ld] noun

uniquely
identifiable atomic nucleus: one or more atomic nuclei
identifiable as being of the same element by having the same number of protons
and neutrons and the same energy content. Alternatively, the nuclide may be
specified by its mass number, atomic number, and energy content.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from nucleus + -ide
.][1]



nude

nude
nude 
[nood] adjective (comparative nud·er,
superlative nud·est)

1.  unclothed:
wearing no clothes • the nude figure of a
man

2.  for
unclothed people: intended for, or done by, people wearing
no clothes • a
nude beach

3.  plain:
bare or plain, with no covering or decoration

4.  COLORS light-colored:
matching the skin color of a Caucasian person • nude
hose

5.  LAW lacking
a legal requisite: lacking a legal requisite
such as supporting evidence or a contract
noun

unclothed figure:
an unclothed person, especially an unclothed figure in a painting or other
artistic work
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin nudus .]
—nude·ly,
adverb

—nude·ness,
noun
in
the nude

without
clothes

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naked

[1]



NUDETS

NUDETS
NUDETS

Abbreviation of
nuclear detection system[1]



nudge

nudge1
nudge1 [nuj]
verb (past nudged, past participle nudged, present
participle nudg·ing, 3rd person present singular nudg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
push
somebody or something gently: to push or poke somebody
gently, usually with a motion of the elbow

2.  transitive
verb
move
something gently: to move something gently, especially by
pushing it slowly and carefully

3.  transitive
verb
approach
a level:
to have very nearly reached a particular level or standard • Their
profits are nudging the 100 million mark.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
slowly:
to move slowly or little by little

5.  transitive
verb
gently
persuade:
to persuade somebody into an action, gently and delicately
noun

1.  gentle
push:
a gentle push to get somebody’s attention

2.  bit
of persuasion: a gentle piece of persuasion
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



nudge

nudge2
nudge2 [nuj]
transitive verb (past nudged, past participle nudged,
present participle nudg·ing, 3rd person present singular nudg·es)

pester
somebody:
to annoy somebody in a persistent and pestering way (slang) • Can
you stop always nudging me about money?
noun

(slang
insult) See nudnik
[Via Yiddish nudyen
“to pester, bore” from Polish nudzić][1]



nudibranch

nudibranch
nu·di·branch 
[ndə bràngk] noun

ZOOLOGY See sea slug
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Nudibranchia, order name.]
—nu·di·bran·chi·ate
[ndə brángkee ət], adjective

—nu·di·bran·chi·an [ndə brángkee ən], adjective[1]



nudie

nudie
nud·ie
[ndee] adjective

of
unclothed people: relating to or involving people who are
unclothed (slang)
noun

something depicting unclothed
people: something, for example, a
movie or a magazine, that depicts unclothed people (slang)[1]



nudism

nudism
nud·ism 
[n dìzzəm] noun

See
naturism  noun 1[1]



nudist

nudist
nud·ist
[ndist] noun

somebody
preferring nudity: somebody who prefers to go
without clothes, especially somebody who spends time in communes or designated
areas with others who feel the same way
adjective

for nudists:
intended for people who prefer to go without clothes[1]



nudistcolony

nudistcolony
nud·ist
col·o·ny
noun

place for nudists:
a place where the wearing of clothes is not allowed, intended for people who
believe nudity is a healthy natural state[1]



nudity

nudity
nu·di·ty
[ndətee] noun

1.  being
unclothed:
the state of having no clothes on

2.  bareness:
bareness or plainness, with no covering or decoration

[1]



nudnik

nudnik
nud·nik 
[ndnik] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody considered to be annoying or boring (slang
insult)
Also
called
nudge
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Yiddish nudne “boring” + -nik .][1]



nuevosol

nuevosol
nuevo
sol
[nwáyvō sōl] (plural nuevos soles
[nwàyvōs sṓlays]) noun

MONEY
See sol 4[1]



nugatory

nugatory
nu·ga·to·ry 
[ngə tàwree] adjective

1.  trivial:
of no importance whatsoever

2.  LAW not
valid:
with no legal force
[Early
17th century. Via Latin nugatorius from, ultimately, nugae
“trifling matters.”]
—nu·ga·to·ri·ly [n gə táwrəlee], adverb[1]



nugget

nugget
nug·get 
[núggət] noun

1.  MINERALS lump
of precious metal: a lump of gold or other
precious metal in its natural state, dug up out of the ground

2.  small
precious thing: any small item or piece, especially of
something abstract such as knowledge or information, regarded as very precious

3.  FOOD a
small round piece of food: a small piece of food,
usually coated with breadcrumbs and fried or baked in an oven
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an English dialect word meaning “lump.”][1]



nuisance

nuisance
nui·sance 
[nss’nss] noun

1.  somebody
or something irritating: an annoying or irritating
person or thing

2.  LAW illegal
thing:
something not allowed by law because it causes harm or offense, either to
people in general ( public nuisance ) or to
a private individual
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin nocere “to harm, injure” (source of English innocent and innocuous
).][1]



nuisancecall

nuisancecall
nui·sance
call
noun

phone call that deliberately
annoys: a usually anonymous
telephone call made to annoy, harass, upset, or scare somebody[1]



nuisancetax

nuisancetax
nui·sance
tax
noun

direct tax:
a tax that is collected directly from the consumer on a wide variety of goods[1]



nuisancevalue

nuisancevalue
nui·sance
val·ue
noun

thing’s capacity to make
trouble: the relative usefulness of
something based on its potential to cause problems or difficulties for somebody[1]



nuke

nuke
nuke 
[nook] transitive verb (past nuked,
past participle nuked, present participle nuk·ing, 3rd
person present singular nukes)

1.  MILITARY attack
people:
to attack people or places with nuclear weapons (slang)

2.  FOOD microwave
something:
to cook something in a microwave oven (informal)
noun
(slang)

1.  nuclear
weapon:
a nuclear weapon

2.  nuclear
power plant: a nuclear power plant
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of nuclear .][1]



null

null
null 
[nul] adjective

1.  LAW invalid:
having no legal validity

2.  valueless:
having no value or importance

3.  amounting
to nothing:
amounting to nothing in terms of context or character

4.  at
zero level:
at the level of zero or nothing

5.  MATHEMATICS relating
to zero:
equal to or relating to zero

6.  MATHEMATICS empty:
containing no elements • the
null set

7.  MATHEMATICS ending
in zero:
converging to zero • a null sequence

8.  PHYSICS indicating
a reading of zero: indicating a reading of zero
when a measured quantity is undetectable or equal to another in comparison
noun

zero: a
zero (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French nul from Latin nullus “not any.”]
null
and void

not legally valid[1]



nullah

nullah
nul·lah
[núllə] noun

ditch:
a ditch or ravine in India and other parts of Asia
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi nālā .][1]



nullification

nullification
nul·li·fi·ca·tion 
[nùlləfi káysh’n] noun

1.  LAW making
something invalid: the act of making something
legally invalid

2.  canceling
out of something: the act of canceling something out

3.  LAW state’s
rejection of a law: the refusal by a state
government to allow application of a section of federal law
—nul·li·fi·ca·tion·ist,
noun[1]



nullify

nullify
nul·li·fy 
[núllə f] (past nul·li·fied, past
participle nul·li·fied, present participle nul·li·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular nul·li·fies) transitive verb

1.  LAW make
something invalid: to make something legally
invalid or ineffective

2.  cancel
something out: to have the effect of canceling
something out
—nul·li·fi·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  nullify,
  abrogate, annul, repeal,
  invalidate, negate
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  put an end to the effective existence of something nullify; a fairly formal word meaning to end the
  effectiveness of something such as a contract, especially by doing something
  that counteracts its terms; abrogate;
  a formal word used mainly in official or legal contexts to indicate the
  bringing to an end of a formal agreement, treaty, or contract; annul; to declare something officially or
  legally invalid or ineffective in such a way as to indicate negation of its
  prior existence; repeal; to end a
  law officially; invalidate; to
  cause something to be considered illegal, unsound, or ineffective, e.g., by
  failing to comply with certain terms and conditions; negate; to render something ineffective, for
  example, by doing something that counterbalances its force or effectiveness

[1]



nullipara

nullipara
nul·lip·a·ra 
[nə líppərə] (plural nul·lip·a·ras
or nul·lip·a·rae [nə líppə r])
noun

woman
with no children: a woman who has never given birth to a
child
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin nullus “none” + English -para “woman who has given
birth,” from Latin parere “to give birth.”][1]



nullity

nullity
nul·li·ty 
[núllətee] noun

1.  LAW legal
invalidity:
the state of being legally invalid

2.  noneffectiveness:
lack of effectiveness or usefulness

[1]



num.

num.
num.
or num

1.  Abbreviation
of
number

2.  Abbreviation
of
numeral

[1]



Num.

Num.
Num.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Numbers[1]



numb

numb
numb 
[num] adjective

1.  with
no feeling:
unable to feel or have sensations, for example, as a result of extreme cold or
the application of a local anesthetic

2.  emotionless:
unable to feel emotions
transitive
verb
(past numbed, past participle numbed, present
participle numb·ing, 3rd person present singular numbs)

1.  take
sensation away from something: to take away from a
part of the body the power to feel or have sensations, or to take away the
sensations themselves

2.  take
away somebody’s feelings: to make somebody incapable
of feeling emotion, or deaden somebody’s emotions or feelings
[15th
century. Originally a past participle of Old English niman “to take.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to grasp,” which is also
the ancestor of English nimble .]
—num·bly,
adverb

—numb·ness, noun[1]



number

number
num·ber 
[númbər] noun

1.  identifying
figure:
any figure or group of figures identifying somebody or something, for example,
a set of figures identifying somebody as a telephone subscriber, or a figure
identifying a sports player or competitor • Let
me have your fax number.

2.  quantity:
a quantity of people or things, especially a large quantity • We
have received a number of complaints.

3.  total:
a total or sum • The number of people
treated has risen to over 3 million.

4.  MUSIC piece
of music:
a self-contained piece of popular music, especially one of several that feature
in a performance

5.  CLOTHES garment:
an item of clothing, especially women’s clothing (informal) • a
little silk number

6.  thing:
a thing of any kind, especially something that gives pleasure or impresses (informal)

7.  GRAMMAR grammatical
quantity:
quantity expressed, in some languages, by the form of a word • The
qualifying adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number.

8.  single
thing in a series: a single one of a series of
things produced in sequence, especially a single issue of a magazine

9.  person:
somebody regarded in sexual terms (informal) (sometimes considered
offensive)

10. counting,
or figures used to count: the concept of calculating
quantities of individual things, or any of the words, figures, or symbols used
in doing this
verb
(past num·bered, past participle num·bered, present
participle num·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular num·bers)

1.  transitive
verb
assign
a number to something: to give something or
somebody an identifying number • Don’t
forget to number the pages.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
as total:
to reach a particular total amount • Supporters
numbered over 300, while there were only 15 dissenters.

3.  transitive
verb
include
something:
to include somebody or something as one of a group • It
is numbered among the world’s most prestigious hotels.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman numbre from Latin numerus (source of
English numerous and enumerate ).]
—num·ber·er,
noun
do
a number on somebody

to
treat somebody unfairly or harshly, for example, by criticizing or ridiculing
him or her in a deliberate and systematic way (slang)

get
or have somebody’s number

to
understand somebody’s true motives or character and so be well placed to deal
with him or her

somebody’s
days are numbered

somebody’s life or term of
employment is about to come to an end[1]



numbercruncher

numbercruncher
num·ber
crunch·er
noun (slang)

1.  computer:
a computer designed to perform large quantities of complex numerical
calculations

2.  somebody
who does calculations: somebody whose job consists
of performing large quantities of arithmetic calculations
—num·ber crunch·ing, noun[1]



numberedaccount

numberedaccount
num·bered
ac·count
noun

bank account with no name
required: a bank account identified by
a number only, allowing the account holder to keep his or her identity secret[1]



numberless

numberless
num·ber·less 
[númbərləss] adjective

1.  countless:
too numerous to be counted

2.  not
numbered:
not given a number or marked with a number

[1]



NumberOne

NumberOne
Num·ber
One
noun

senior naval officer:
the first officer or first mate on a ship, next in rank after the captain (informal)[1]



numberone

numberone
num·ber
one
noun

1.  first
thing:
the first one in a series of things or people • She’s
number one among the top candidates.

2.  MUSIC bestselling
record:
a recording in a particular category that has sold the most copies in a given
week

3.  self:
yourself and your own interests (informal)
Also
called
numero uno

4.  important
person:
the leader or the most important person in a group or organization (informal)

5.  urination:
the act or an instance of urinating, or urine (babytalk)
See
also
number two  noun 2
adjective

1.  most
important:
first, best, or most important

2.  excellent:
of a very high standard or quality (informal)

[1]



numberplate

numberplate
num·ber
plate
[númbər plàyt] noun

U.K.
See license plate[1]



numbers

numbers
num·bers
[númbərz] noun

kind of gambling:
an illegal form of gambling in which people bet on an unpredictable number to
be drawn or determined later (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also called
numbers game[1]



Numbers

Numbers
Num·bers
noun

book of Bible:
the fourth book of the Bible[1]



numbersgame

numbersgame
num·bers
game 
noun

GAMBLING
See numbers  noun[1]



numbertheory

numbertheory
num·ber
the·o·ry
noun

math of integer properties:
the branch of mathematics that deals with the properties of integers and
relationships between integers[1]



numbertwo

numbertwo
num·ber
two
noun

1.  deputy:
somebody’s deputy or second-in-command (informal)

2.  defecation:
the act or an instance of defecating, or feces (babytalk)
See
also
number one  noun 5

[1]



numbing

numbing
numb·ing
[númming] adjective

1.  causing
numbness:
causing numbness in part of the body

2.  deadening
feelings or thoughts: temporarily taking away
somebody’s ability to feel or think, for example, as a result of shock • a
numbing experience

[1]



numbskull

numbskull
numb·skull 
[núm skùl] noun

See
numskull[1]



numen

numen
nu·men 
[nmən] (plural nu·mi·na [nmənə]) noun

1.  spirit
inhabiting a place: a god or spirit believed to
inhabit a place or living object such as a tree

2.  guiding
force:
any guiding force or influence
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “nod, command, divine power.”][1]



numerable

numerable
nu·mer·a·ble 
[nmərəb’l] adjective

countable:
able to be counted[1]



numeracy

numeracy
nu·mer·a·cy 
[nmərəssee] noun

mathematical
competence:
competence in the mathematical skills needed to cope with everyday life and the
understanding of information presented in mathematical terms like graphs,
charts, or tables
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from numerate, on the model of literacy .][1]



numeral

numeral
nu·mer·al 
[nmərəl] noun

symbol
representing a number: a symbol or set of symbols
used to represent a number, for example, the Arabic numeral 5, the equivalent
Roman numeral V, and the equivalent binary numeral 101
adjective

of
numbers:
relating to numbers or representing a number or numbers
[14th
century. Via late Latin numeralis from Latin numerus (see number ).]
—nu·mer·al·ly, adverb[1]



numerary

numerary
nu·mer·ar·y
[nmərəree] adjective

of
numbers:
relating to numbers
[Early 18th century. Via
medieval Latin numerarius from, ultimately, Latin numerus (see number ).][1]



numerate

numerate
nu·mer·ate 
adjective [nmərət]

1.  mathematically
competent:
able to do arithmetic calculations

2.  with
some math knowledge: having a basic understanding
of mathematics
transitive
verb
[nmə ràyt] (past nu·mer·at·ed,
past participle nu·mer·at·ed, present participle nu·mer·at·ing,
3rd person present singular nu·mer·ates)

enumerate things:
to name a number of things in turn or in sequence (archaic)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin numeratus, the past participle stem of numerare “to count,”
from numerus (see number ).][1]



numeration

numeration
nu·mer·a·tion 
[nmə ráysh’n] noun

1.  giving
or naming of numbers: the naming of numbers, for
example, by schoolchildren, or the giving of numbers to items in a set or group

2.  counting
system:
a system of symbols used for counting or numbering things

[1]



numerator

numerator
nu·mer·a·tor 
[nmə ràytər] noun

part of a fraction:
the part of a common fraction appearing above the line, representing the number
of parts of the whole that are being considered[1]



numerical

numerical
nu·mer·i·cal 
[noo mérrik’l] or nu·mer·ic [noo mérrik] adjective

1.  consisting
of numbers:
using numbers or consisting of numbers

2.  of
numbers of things: in terms of the number of
people or things
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin numerus (see number ).][1]



numericalanalysis

numericalanalysis
nu·mer·i·cal
a·nal·y·sis 
noun

branch
of mathematics: a branch of mathematics dealing with the
use of repeatedly used quantitative approximations to solve problems, and the
measurement of the errors involved. Usually computers are used to execute the
calculations.
—nu·mer·i·cal an·a·lyst,
noun[1]



numericalcontrol

numericalcontrol
nu·mer·i·cal
con·trol
noun

computerized control of
machine tools: an often computerized
technique for controlling machine tools where the position or action of a tool,
for example, the depth of a drill, is determined by a numerical value.
Also called
numeric control[1]



numerically

numerically
nu·mer·i·cal·ly
[noo mérrikəlee] adverb

in number:
in terms of the numbers of people or things involved • His
forces were numerically superior to those of the enemy.[1]



numericalorder

numericalorder
nu·mer·i·cal
or·der
noun

sequence according to number:
an ordering of people or things identified by number from the lowest to the
highest[1]



numericaltaxonomy

numericaltaxonomy
nu·mer·i·cal
tax·on·o·my
noun

comparative scientific
procedure: a procedure that involves
comparing a large number of characteristics of one organism with the same
characteristics of another.
Also called
taximetrics[1]



numericcontrol

numericcontrol
nu·mer·ic
con·trol
noun

ENGINEERING
See numerical control[1]



numerickeypad

numerickeypad
nu·mer·ic
key·pad 
noun

part of a computer keyboard:
a section of a computer keyboard, usually to the right of the main keypad,
containing numbered keys in the same layout as the numbers on a calculator. The
keys can be used in conjunction with other keys to perform special functions.[1]



numerology

numerology
nu·mer·ol·o·gy 
[nmə rólləjee] noun

study
of the supposed influence of numbers: the
study of the occult use and supposed influence of numbers
—nu·mer·o·log·i·cal
[nmərə lójjik’l], adjective

—nu·mer·o·log·i·cal·ly
[nmərə lójjikəlee], adverb

—nu·mer·ol·o·gist [nmə rólləjist], noun[1]



numerouno

numerouno
nu·me·ro
u·no
[nmərō nō] noun (informal
humorous)

1.  See
number one  noun 3

2.  VIP:
the leader or most important person in a group or organization
[Late 20th century. From
Spanish or Italian, “number one.”][1]



numerous

numerous
nu·mer·ous 
[nmərəss] adjective

many:
many in number
[15th
century. From Latin numerosus, from numerus (see number ).]
—nu·mer·ous·ly,
adverb

—nu·mer·ous·ness, noun[1]



numinous

numinous
nu·mi·nous 
[nmənəss] adjective

1.  mysteriously
associated with a deity: having a mysterious power
that suggests the presence of a spirit or god (formal)

2.  holy:
filled with inextricable associations with God (formal)

3.  of
numina:
relating to numina, the spirits or gods believed in some cultures to inhabit
places or things
[Mid-17th
century. From the stem of Latin numen (see numen
).]
—nu·mi·nous·ly,
adverb

—nu·mi·nous·ness, noun[1]



numismatic

numismatic
nu·mis·mat·ic 
[nmiz máttik, nmis
máttik] adjective

of
coin collecting: relating to the study or collecting of
coins and medals
[Late
18th century. Via French numismatique from, ultimately, Greek nomisma
“coin, currency,” from nomizein “to have in use,” from nomos
“custom.”]
—nu·mis·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



numismatics

numismatics
nu·mis·mat·ics 
[nmiz máttiks, nmis
máttiks] noun

coin
collecting:
the study and collecting of coins and medals (takes a singular verb)
—nu·mis·ma·tist [noo mízmətist], noun[1]



NumLock

NumLock
Num
Lock
[nùm lòk] noun

keyboard feature:
a toggle feature of computer keyboards that cancels the scrolling and
cursor-moving abilities of keys on the numeric keypad so that it can be used to
input numbers[1]



nummary

nummary
num·ma·ry 
[númməree] adjective

of
coins:
relating to coins, or to coins and banknotes
[Early 17th century. From
Latin nummarius, from nummus “coin.”][1]



nummular

nummular
num·mu·lar 
[númmyələr] adjective

coin-shaped:
shaped like a coin or disk (formal)
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin nummulus “small coin,” from nummus (see nummary ).][1]



nummulite

nummulite
num·mu·lite 
[númmyə lt] noun

limestone
fossil:
a type of fossil commonly found in limestone dating from between 56.5 million
and 5.2 million years ago. It is common in the Mediterranean and is shaped like
a flat disk.
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Nummulites, former genus name,
from Latin nummulus (see nummular ),
because of its shape.]
—num·mu·lit·ic [nùmmyə líttik], adjective[1]



numnah

numnah
num·nah 
[núm n] noun

pad
for a saddle: a pad placed under a saddle
[Mid-19th century. From Urdu namadā
(see numdah ).][1]



numskull

numskull
num·skull 
[núm skùl] or numb·skull [núm skùl] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (insult)
[Early 18th century. Formed
from numb + skull
.][1]



nun

nun2
nun2 [nun]
noun

14th
letter of the Hebrew alphabet: the 14th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “n”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew nûn .][1]



nun

nun1
nun1  [nun]
noun

1.  RELIGION religious
woman:
a member of a religious community of women, for example, any of various
Christian orders of women who dedicate their lives to religious devotion and
undertake not to marry

2.  BIRDS kind
of pigeon:
a variety of domestic pigeon with black-and-white feathers all over and a ring
of white feathers around its neck and head that looks a little like a nun’s
headdress
[Old English nunne .
Via Old French nonne from ecclesiastical Latin nonna, from nonnus
“monk.”][1]



nunatak

nunatak
nun·a·tak 
[núnnə tàk] noun

exposed
mountain peak: a mountain peak surrounded by glacial
ice, originally in Norway and Greenland
[Late 19th century. From
Inuit (Eskimo) nunataq .][1]



Nunavut

Nunavut


Nun·a·vut
[nnə vt]
territory created at the end of the 20th
century in northern Canada, replacing the central and eastern part of the
Northwest Territories. It is a homeland for the Inuit people. The name means
“our land” in Inuit. Capital: Iqaluit. Population: 22,000 (1997) Area: 2
million sq km/770,000 sq mi.[1]



Nunavut




Back to definition

Nunavut

[1]



nunbuoy

nunbuoy
nun
buoy 
noun

cone-shaped
buoy:
a buoy with a rounded middle and tapering ends, used to mark the right-hand
side of a channel that leads into a harbor
[Early 18th century. From nun
“child’s top.”][1]



NuncDimittis

NuncDimittis
Nunc
Di·mit·tis 
[nùngk di míttiss, nngk
di míttiss] noun

hymn or canticle:
a hymn or canticle with a text from Luke 2:29–32, starting in Latin with “Nunc
dimittis servum tuum,” in English meaning “Lord, now you are dismissing your
servant in peace.” The passage in the Bible describes Simeon being presented
with the baby Jesus Christ.[1]



nunchaku

nunchaku
nun·cha·ku 
[nùn ch k] noun

martial
arts weapon: a martial arts weapon consisting of two
thick sticks joined at their ends by a rawhide band, a rope, or a chain
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese dialect .][1]



nunciature

nunciature
nun·ci·a·ture 
[núnsee ə chr] noun

rank
or service of nuncio: the rank or position of a
nuncio, or the period of time somebody spends as a nuncio
[Early 17th century. From
Italian nunciatura, from nuncio (see nuncio
).][1]



nuncio

nuncio
nun·ci·o 
[núnsee , nnsee
] (plural nun·ci·os) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY pope’s
representative: somebody appointed by the pope to
represent him in a country, with the diplomatic status of an ambassador

2.  representative
or intermediary: somebody sent by a person to act on his
or her behalf, especially a person regarded as self-important or authoritarian
(formal humorous)
[Early 16th century. Via
Italian from Latin nuntius “messenger” (source of English announce and enunciate
).][1]



nuncupative

nuncupative
nun·cu·pa·tive 
[núngkyə pàytiv] adjective

LAW made
orally:
given or declared orally by somebody making a will, and written down later by
somebody else
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin nuncupativus from Latin nuncupare “to name, declare,” from nomen
“name” + capere “to take” (see captive
).][1]



nunnery

nunnery
nun·ner·y 
[núnnəree] (plural nun·ner·ies)
noun

convent:
a convent[1]



Nupe

Nupe
Nu·pe
[n pày] (plural Nu·pe or
Nu·pes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Nigerian people: a member of a Nigerian
people who live between the rivers Benue and Niger

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Nupe: the language spoken by the Nupe,
belonging to the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages.
Nupe is spoken by about one million people.
[Early 19th century. Named
for a former kingdom at the junction of the Niger and Benue.][1]



nuptial

nuptial
nup·tial 
[núpshəl, núpchəl]
adjective

1.  of
marriage:
relating to marriage or weddings.
See
also
nuptials

2.  of
animal breeding: relating to mating or breeding in
animals
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin nuptiae “wedding,” from nubere
“to take a husband” (source of English nubile
).]
—nup·tial·ly, adverb[1]



nuptialplumage

nuptialplumage
nup·tial
plum·age
noun

bird’s feathers in the mating
season: the distinctive feathers
that some birds grow during their mating season[1]



nuptials

nuptials
nup·tials
[núpshəlz, núpchəlz]
plural noun

wedding:
a wedding ceremony (literary)[1]



Nuremberg

Nuremberg
Nu·rem·berg


city in Bavaria, southern
Germany. After 1933 the German Nazi Party held annual rallies in a stadium in
the city, and between 1945 and 1946 it was the scene of Allied trials of German
war criminals. Population: 497,496 (1992)[1]



Nureyev,Rudolf

Nureyev,Rudolf

Nu·re·yev
[nyree ef, nyoo
ráy ef], Rudolf (1938–1993)
Russian-born
dancer and choreographer. He was connected from 1962 with Britain’s Royal
Ballet, where he often performed with Margot Fonteyn.
Full name
Nureyev, Rudolf Hametovich[1]



nurse

nurse
nurse 
[nurss] noun

1.  MEDICINE somebody
caring for patients: somebody trained to look
after sick and injured people, especially somebody who works in a hospital or
clinic, administering the care and treatment that a doctor prescribes

2.  nanny:
a nanny or nursemaid (dated)

3.  See
wet nurse

4.  INSECTS insect
looking after young: an insect that looks after
the young or the larvae in a colony of social insects such as ants or bees
verb
(past nursed, past participle nursed, present
participle nurs·ing, 3rd person present singular nurs·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breast-feed:
to breast-feed a baby, or suckle at a mother’s breast

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE care
for a sick person: to take care of somebody who
is ill or injured

3.  transitive
verb
consume
something slowly: to consume something, especially a
drink, very slowly in order to make it last • nursing
her espresso

4.  transitive
verb
keep
a feeling:
to keep a feeling in the mind for a long time and perhaps indulge in it,
allowing it to grow or deepen • nursing
his resentment

5.  transitive
verb
manage
somebody or something carefully: to manage, guide, or
supervise somebody or something with care and devotion

6.  transitive
verb
treat
a health problem: to take care of yourself while ill or
injured • I
have been nursing a bad cold for three days.

7.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE work
as a nurse:
to do the work of a nurse, especially professionally in a hospital

8.  transitive
verb
hold
something:
to hold something precious with love or care
[13th
century. Via Old French norrice from, ultimately, Latin nutricia
“wet nurse,” from Latin nutrix .]
—nurs·er, noun[1]



nursemaid

nursemaid
nurse·maid 
[núrss màyd] noun

woman looking after young
children: a woman employed to look
after somebody’s children when they are young (dated)[1]



nursepractitioner

nursepractitioner
nurse
prac·ti·tion·er noun

nurse doing some of a
physician’s work: a registered nurse
trained in primary health care to assume certain responsibilities once assumed
only by a physician, such as the diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses[1]



nursery

nursery
nurs·er·y 
[núrssəree, núrssree]
(plural nurs·er·ies) noun

1.  GARDENING place
growing plants commercially: a place where plants are
grown commercially, either for sale direct to the public or to other retailers

2.  MEDICINE hospital
room for newborns: a room in a hospital where
newborns stay and are cared for by the nursing staff and pediatricians prior to
going home

3.  EDUCATION See nursery school

4.  child’s
room:
a child’s bedroom or playroom in a house

5.  EDUCATION See day nursery

6.  place
fostering something: a place where talents or
abilities are allowed or encouraged to develop and flourish (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
norricerie from norrice “wet nurse” (see nurse
). Originally in English, “attentive care.”][1]



nurseryman

nurseryman
nurs·er·y·man
[núrssəreemən, núrssreemən]
(plural nurs·er·y·men [núrssəreemən])
noun

grower of plants:
a man who works in or owns a nursery where plants are grown commercially[1]



nurseryrhyme

nurseryrhyme
nurs·er·y
rhyme
noun

child’s song or poem:
a short song or poem for young children, especially one that has become
traditional[1]



nurseryschool

nurseryschool
nurs·er·y
school
noun

school for children under
five: a prekindergarten school for
children between the ages of three and five, staffed wholly or partly by
qualified teachers who encourage and supervise educational play rather than
simply providing childcare.
Also called
preschool
Also called
nursery[1]



nurseryslopes

nurseryslopes
nurs·er·y
slopes
plural noun

U.K.
SKIING See bunny slopes[1]



nurseshark

nurseshark
nurse
shark
noun

warm-water
shark:
a warm-water shark that has a bristle ( barbel
) hanging from its jaw and a deep groove on either side of its mouth. Family:
Orectolobidae
[So called because it tends
its eggs until they hatch][1]



nurse’saide

nurse’saide
nurs·e’s
aide 
noun

somebody doing basic nursing
tasks: somebody with no specialized
training employed in a hospital or other healthcare facility to perform basic
nursing-support tasks such as bedmaking or giving patients baths.
U.K. term
healthcare assistant[1]



nursing

nursing
nurs·ing 
[núrssing] noun

1.  caring
for sick people: the profession or task of looking after
people who are sick or injured

2.  breast-feeding:
breast-feeding, or the period of time that a mother spends breast-feeding her
baby

[1]



nursingbra

nursingbra
nurs·ing
bra
noun

bra for a nursing mother:
a bra with removable or openable cups, worn by breast-feeding mothers[1]



nursinghome

nursinghome
nurs·ing
home
noun

long-term healthcare
facility: a long-term healthcare
facility that provides full-time care and medical treatment for people who are
unable to take care of themselves[1]



nursling

nursling
nurs·ling 
[núrssling] noun (literary)

1.  breast-fed
infant:
a baby that is being breast-fed

2.  child
being cared for: a baby or child that somebody is looking
after or bringing up, especially somebody else’s child

3.  something
fostered:
something fostered or developed by a person, a place, or a set of circumstances

[1]



nurture

nurture
nur·ture 
[núrchər] transitive verb (past
nur·tured, past participle nur·tured, present
participle nur·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular nur·tures)

1.  care
for a young thing: to give tender care and
protection to a child, a young animal, or a plant, helping it to grow and
develop

2.  encourage
to flourish: to encourage somebody or something to
grow, develop, thrive, and be successful • an
agent who nurtured several budding young playwrights

3.  keep
a feeling:
to keep a feeling in the mind for a long time, allowing it to grow or deepen
noun

1.  care
or encouragement: care and protection given to a young
child, animal, or plant, or support and encouragement given to something to help
it develop

2.  environmental
influence:
environmental influence on an organism, especially when contrasted with what is
determined genetically.
See
also
nature
[14th
century. Via Old French from late Latin nutritura, from Latin nutrire
“to suckle” (see nourish ).]
—nur·tur·er, noun[1]



nut

nut

nut 
[nut] noun

1.  BOTANY plant’s
shell-covered fruit: the fruit of a plant,
especially a tree, with a hard outer shell and a fairly hard kernel or inner
part that is the plant’s seed

2.  FOOD edible
kernel:
the kernel of a plant’s shell-covered fruit, especially when it is edible

3.  BOTANY hard
fruit of some plants: the hard dry one-seeded
fruit of various plants, which does not split open to scatter its seed when it
is mature

4.  fastening
screwed onto a bolt: a piece of metal, usually
square or hexagonal, with a hole in the middle, screwed on the end of a bolt as
a fastening for it

5.  enthusiast:
somebody with a deep interest in something (informal)

6.  human
head:
a person’s head (informal)

7.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for somebody with a psychiatric disorder (offensive)

8.  costs
of a business: the amount of money needed to launch a
business, particularly an entertainment business, or to keep it running (slang)
• The
dance club’s weekly nut is in the thousands.

9.  MUSIC part
of a string instrument: a ridge at the top end of
the fingerboard of a violin, guitar, or other string instrument that the
strings pass over just before they reach the tuning pegs

10. MUSIC part
of an instrument’s bow: a device like a screw at one
end of a bow for a musical instrument that is turned to tighten the hairs of
the bow
plural noun nuts

testicles: a
man’s testicles (slang) (sometimes considered offensive)
noun

PRINTING See en
intransitive verb
(past nut·ted, past participle nut·ted, present
participle nut·ting, 3rd person present singular nuts)

gather nuts: to
gather edible nuts from trees
[Old English hnutu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of Latin nux
(source of English nucleus and nougat ).][1]



nutation

nutation
nu·ta·tion 
[noo táysh’n] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY wobbly
rotation:
the wobbly rotation of a spinning object, especially a planet, caused by a
temporary shift in the position of its axis

2.  BOTANY plant’s
irregular growth: a spiral movement of a plant part caused
by varying growth rates on each side

3.  nodding:
the nodding of somebody’s head (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin nutation-, from the past participle stem of nutare
“to nod.”]
—nu·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



nut-brown

nut-brown
nut-brown
adjective

brown:
dark brown or reddish-brown in color[1]



nutcase

nutcase
nut·case
[nút kàyss] noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for somebody with a psychiatric disorder (informal
offensive)[1]



nutcracker

nutcracker

nut·crack·er 
[nút kràkər] noun

1.  tool
for cracking nuts’ shells: a tool for cracking hard
edible nutshells, usually consisting of two hinged metal arms between which the
nut is squeezed

2.  BIRDS bird
that eats pine nuts: a bird of the crow family
that feeds mainly on nuts and the seeds of pines. Genus: Nucifraga





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Nutcracker, a ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky ( 1892 ).
  Based on Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the King of the Mice, it
  depicts the dream of a young girl during which her nutcracker turns into a
  handsome prince who leads her to the magical realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
  Though the story is particularly popular with children, the music and
  choreography have universal and lasting appeal.

[1]



nutgall

nutgall
nut·gall 
[nút gàwl] noun

growth on a tree trunk:
a hollow nut-shaped growth on the trunks of oak and other trees caused by the
gall wasp, which uses the growth as a shelter for its larvae[1]



nuthatch

nuthatch
nut·hatch 
[nút hàch] noun

small
tree-climbing bird: a small bird with a
blue-gray back that usually hangs upside down on a tree trunk and works its way
down, eating insects, seeds, and nuts. Family: Sittidae
[14th century. From nut + hache “hatchet, ax,” from Old French
(see hatchet ), from its habit of hacking at
nuts with its beak after wedging them into crevices.][1]



nuthouse

nuthouse
nut·house
[nút hòwss] (plural nut·houses
[nút hòwzəz]) noun

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for psychiatric hospital (slang offensive)

2.  chaotic
place:
a place full of noisy, boisterous, chaotic activity (slang)

[1]



nutlet

nutlet
nut·let 
[nútlət] noun

1.  small
nut:
a small nut, especially a small hard dry one-seeded fruit of various plants

2.  fruit’s
stone:
the stone of fruits such as the cherry and the plum

[1]



nutmeat

nutmeat
nut·meat 
[nút mt] noun

edible nut kernel:
the edible inside part of a nut[1]



nutmeg

nutmeg

nut·meg 
[nút mèg] noun

1.  COOKING spice:
an aromatic spice made by grinding or grating the large hard seed of a nutmeg
tree

2.  TREES tropical
evergreen tree: an evergreen tree native to eastern
India and widely grown in tropical regions for its seeds, which are the source
of nutmeg and mace. Latin name: Myristica fragrans
adjective

COLORS light
brown:
of a light brown color with a grayish tinge
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from medieval Latin nux muscata,
literally “nut smelling like musk,” from nux “nut” + late Latin muscus
(see musk ).][1]



nutpick

nutpick
nut·pick
[nút pìk] or nut pick [nút pìk] noun

tool for extracting nutmeats:
a sharp metal tool for digging nutmeats out of their shells[1]



nutria

nutria
nu·tri·a 
[ntree ə] noun

1.  coypu’s
fur:
the light brown fur of the coypu

2.  ZOOLOGY See coypu
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin lutra “otter.”][1]



nutriceutical

nutriceutical
nu·tri·ceu·ti·cal 
[ntri stik’l] noun

See
medical food[1]



nutrient

nutrient
nu·tri·ent 
[ntree ənt] noun

nourishing
substance:
any substance that provides nourishment, for example, the minerals that a plant
takes from the soil or the constituents in food that keep a human body healthy
and help it grow
adjective

nourishing:
providing nourishment
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
nutriens, the present participle stem of nutrire (see nourish ).][1]



nutriment

nutriment
nu·tri·ment 
[ntrəmənt] noun

nourishment:
nourishment or nourishing substances
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
nutrimentum, from nutrire (see nourish
).][1]



nutritionaltherapy

nutritionaltherapy
nu·tri·tion·al
ther·a·py
noun

treating illness through
food: the alleviation of symptoms
by dietary changes, sometimes using vitamin and mineral pills[1]



nutritionist

nutritionist
nu·tri·tion·ist 
[noo trísh’nist] noun

somebody studying nutrition:
somebody who studies or is an expert on nutrition[1]



nutritious

nutritious
nu·tri·tious 
[noo tríshəss] adjective

nourishing:
containing minerals, vitamins, and other substances that promote health
—nu·tri·tious·ly,
adverb

—nu·tri·tious·ness, noun[1]



nutritive

nutritive
nu·tri·tive 
[ntrətiv] adjective

1.  nourishing:
providing nutrients

2.  of
nourishment: relating to or providing nutrition
[15th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin nutritivus, from the past
participle stem of nutrire (see nourish
).]
—nu·tri·tive·ly, adverb[1]



nuts

nuts
nuts 
[nuts] adjective

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term meaning having a psychiatric disorder (slang
offensive)

2.  enthusiastic:
wildly enthusiastic about something, or extremely fond of somebody (slang)
interjection

expression of annoyance:
used to express annoyance, disbelief, or contempt (slang)

[1]



nutsand bolts

nutsand bolts
nuts
and bolts
plural noun

basics:
the most basic components, elements, or constituents of something (informal)
adjective
nuts-and-bolts

basic:
extremely basic, for example, in attitude, approach, or strategy (informal)
• took a
nuts-and-bolts approach to paring down the city’s budget[1]



nutshell

nutshell
nut·shell 
[nút shèl] noun

nut’s
shell:
the hard outer shell of a nut that surrounds the edible inner nut or kernel
in
a nutshell

in very few words, getting
right to the main point[1]



nutsy

nutsy
nut·sy
[nutsee] (comparative nut·si·er,
superlative nut·si·est) adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning having a psychiatric disorder (slang offensive)[1]



nutty

nutty
nut·ty 
[núttee] (comparative nut·ti·er,
superlative nut·ti·est) adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having a psychiatric disorder (slang offensive)

2.  with
nuts:
containing a large amount of nuts

3.  like
nuts:
like nuts in taste, appearance, texture, or smell
—nut·ti·ly,
adverb

—nut·ti·ness, noun[1]



Nu,U

Nu,U
Nu
[nyoo], U (1907–1995)

Burmese statesman. He was the
first prime minister of independent Burma (1948–1958 and 1960–1962) and a
leader of the prodemocracy movement from 1988.[1]



nuxvomica

nuxvomica
nux
vom·i·ca 
[nùks vómmikə] (plural nux
vom·i·ca) noun

1.  TREES Asian
tree:
an Asian tree that has narrow leaves and orange-red berries containing seeds
from which a former cardiac medication was made. Latin name: Strychnos
nux-vomica

2.  BOTANY seeds
of nux vomica tree: the highly poisonous seeds
of the nux vomica tree, which contain strychnine and other poisonous substances

3.  MEDICINE medicine:
a medicine or homeopathic remedy made from the seeds of nux vomica
[From medieval Latin, literally
“emetic nut”][1]



nuzzle

nuzzle
nuz·zle 
[núzz’l] verb (past nuz·zled,
past participle nuz·zled, present participle nuz·zling,
3rd person present singular nuz·zles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rub
something with the nose: to rub or push something
gently with the nose, especially as a way of showing affection

2.  intransitive
verb
rub
something with the face: to make affectionate rubbing
or stroking movements with the face
noun

rubbing movement:
a rubbing or stroking movement with the nose or face
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from noseling “on
your nose,” from nose .]
—nuz·zler, noun[1]



NV

NV
NV

1.  MAIL Abbreviation of Nevada

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of
nonvoting

[1]



NW

NW
NW

1.  Abbreviation
of
northwest

2.  Abbreviation
of
northwestern

[1]



NWbN

NWbN
NWbN

Abbreviation of
northwest by north[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NWbW

NWbW
NWbW

Abbreviation of
northwest by west[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Nwfld.

Nwfld.
Nwfld.

Abbreviation of
Newfoundland[1]



n.wt.

n.wt.
n.wt.

Abbreviation of
net weight[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








NWT

NWT
NWT

Canada
Abbreviation of Northwest Territories[1]



NY

NY
NY
or N.Y.

Abbreviation of
New York[1]



nyala

nyala
nya·la 
[nylə] (plural nya·la or
nya·las) noun

1.  central
African antelope: an antelope found in central Africa,
usually near water, that has vertical white stripes on its sides and, on the
male, spiral horns. Latin name: Tragelaphus angasi

2.  NE
African mountain antelope: an antelope with spiral
horns on the male found in mountainous regions in northeastern Africa, above
2,7439,000 ft. Latin name: Tragelaphus buxtoni
[Late 19th century. From Zulu
i-nyala .][1]



Nyanja

Nyanja
Nyan·ja 
noun (plural Nyan·ja or Nyan·jas) adjective

LANGUAGE See Chewa
[Mid-19th century. From Bantu
nyanja “lake.”][1]



nybble

nybble
nyb·ble
[níbb’l] noun

half
of a byte:
half of one byte, or four bits in size
[Humorous play on the idea of
a small bite][1]



NYC

NYC
NYC
or N.Y.C.

Abbreviation of
New York City[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








nyctalopia

nyctalopia
nyc·ta·lo·pi·a 
[niktə lṓpee ə] noun

sightlessness
at night:
the state of being unable to see well at night (technical)
[Late
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek nuktalōps “sightless at night,”
from the stem of nux “night” + alaos “sightless” + ōps
“eye” (source of English myopia and triceratops ).]
—nyc·ta·lo·pic [nìktə lóppik], adjective[1]



nyctitropism

nyctitropism
nyc·tit·ro·pism 
[nik títtrə pìzzəm] noun

leaves’
changing position: the movement of parts of a
plant in response to light and temperature differences between night and day,
such as the opening and closing of flowers and the folding together of leaves
at night.
Also
called
sleep
[Late
19th century. Formed from the stem of Greek nux “night” (see nyctalopia ) + tropism
.]
—nyc·ti·tro·pic [nìktə tróppik], adjective[1]



nyctophobia

nyctophobia
nyc·to·pho·bi·a 
[nìktə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of dark:
an irrational fear of the night, or of darkness in general
[Early
20th century. Formed from the stem of Greek nux “night” (see nyctalopia ) + -phobia
.]
—nyc·to·pho·bic,
adjective

—nyc·to·pho·bi·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



nyetwork

nyetwork
nyet·work
[nyétwùrk] noun

(slang
humorous) See notwork
[Late 20th century. Blend of
Russian nyet “no” + network .][1]



nylon

nylon
ny·lon 
[n lòn] noun

TEXTILES synthetic
material:
a tough synthetic material widely used in different forms in manufactured
articles, for example, in food containers, in brush bristles, and in clothing
plural
noun
ny·lons

CLOTHES women’s
stockings:
stockings made of a synthetic fiber such as nylon
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
its inventors, perhaps modelled on rayon .][1]



NYMEX

NYMEX
NYMEX

Abbreviation of
New York Mercantile Exchange[1]



nymph

nymph
nymph 
[nimf] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY spirit
of nature:
a minor goddess or spirit of nature in mythology, inhabiting areas of natural
beauty such as woods, mountains, and rivers and traditionally regarded as a
beautiful young woman

2.  woman:
a beautiful young woman (literary)

3.  INSECTS insect
larva:
the larva of some insects, for example, the mayfly, dragonfly, and grasshopper,
that resembles the adult and develops into the adult insect directly, without
passing through the intermediate pupa stage
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek nymphē “bride, nymph.”][1]



nympha

nympha
nym·pha 
[nímfə] (plural nym·phae [nímfee]) noun

skin
around the vagina: either of the small inner
folds of skin ( labia minora ) that form the
opening to the vagina
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek nymphē (see nymph ).][1]



nymphalid

nymphalid
nym·pha·lid 
[nim fállid] adjective

of
the tortoiseshell family of butterflies:
belonging to a family of butterflies that has brightly colored wings and
includes the tortoiseshell butterfly and the red admiral. Family: Nymphalidae
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Nymphalidae, family name, from, ultimately, Latin nympha
(see nymph ).][1]



nymphet

nymphet
nym·phet 
[ním fèt, ním fət]
or nym·phette [nim fét] noun

desirable
young woman: a sexually aware and sexually desirable
young woman, especially a woman in her early teens
[Early 17th century.
Originally, “a small or young nymph”; the modern sense appeared in the mid-20th
century.][1]



nympho

nympho
nym·pho
[ním fō] (plural nym·phos) noun

nymphomaniac:
a nymphomaniac (informal offensive)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



nymphomania

nymphomania
nym·pho·ma·ni·a 
[nìmfə máynee ə] noun

woman’s obsessive sexual
desire: a woman’s compulsive desire
to have sex with many different men, theorized to occur in some women (often
considered offensive)[1]



nymphomaniac

nymphomaniac
nym·pho·ma·ni·ac
[nìmfə máynee àk] noun

1.  woman
supposed to have sexual compulsion: a
woman supposed to have a compulsive desire to have sex with many different men

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman who is very active sexually, especially when she
is regarded with distaste (informal offensive)
—nym·pho·ma·ni·a·cal [nìmfəmə n ək’l], adjective[1]



Nynorsk

Nynorsk
Ny·norsk 
[noo náwrsk] noun

LANGUAGE See Landsmal
[Mid-20th century. From
Norwegian, literally “new Norwegian.”][1]



NYP

NYP
NYP

Abbreviation of
not yet published[1]



NYSE

NYSE
NYSE

Abbreviation of
New York Stock Exchange[1]



nystagmus

nystagmus
nys·tag·mus 
[ni stágməss] noun

involuntary
movement of the eyeball: an involuntary rhythmic
movement of somebody’s eyes, usually from side to side, caused by some
illnesses that affect the nerves and muscle behind the eyeball
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek nustagmos “drowsiness,” from nustazein
“to nod, be sleepy.”][1]



nystatin

nystatin
nys·ta·tin 
[nístətin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic drug used to treat fungal infections, especially thrush
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from N(ew) Y(ork) Stat(e), where it was developed.][1]



NZ

NZ
NZ

Abbreviation of
New Zealand[1]



NZeal.

NZeal.
N
Zeal.

Abbreviation of
New Zealand[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








né

né
né
[nay] adjective

1.  born
as:
used to introduce a man’s former or original name

2.  formerly
known as:
used to introduce the name that something was formerly known under
[Mid-20th century. From
French, the past participle of naître (see née
).][1]



née

née
née
[nay] or nee [nay] adjective

1.  born
as:
used to introduce a married woman’s maiden name • née
Leppo

2.  formerly
known as:
used to introduce the name that something was formerly known under
[Mid-18th century. From
French, the feminine form of the past participle of naître “to be born,”
from Latin nasci (see nature ).][1]



névé

névé
né·vé 
[nay váy] (plural né·vés) noun

1.  snow
at glacier top: compact granular snow, found at the top
of a glacier, that has not yet become ice.
Also
called
firn

2.  field
of compacted snow on glacier: a field of compacted
granular snow at the top of a glacier
[Mid-19th century. From Swiss
French, ultimately from Latin nivatus “snow-cooled,” from the stem niv-
“snow.”][1]



Núñezde Balboa, Vasco

Núñezde Balboa, Vasco
Nú·ñez
de Bal·bo·a, Vas·co

town and port in Panama where
the Panama Canal flows into the Gulf of Panama. Population: 1,214 (1990)[1]



n’

n’
n’
[en] or ’n’ [en] conjunction

and:
and[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








o.

o.
o.

1.  o.
or O or O. GEOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of ocean

2.  o.
or O or O. PRINTING
Abbreviation of octavo

3.  o.
or O Abbreviation of old

4.  o.
or O. MATHEMATICS Abbreviation
of order

5.  o.
or o or O BASEBALL
Abbreviation of out

6.  o.
or o or O CRICKET
Abbreviation of over(s)

7.  PHARMACOLOGY Abbreviation of
pint
[shortening of modern Latin octarius][1]



O

O3
O3  noun

MEDICINE
human blood type:
a human blood type of the ABO group containing the O antigen. Somebody with
type O blood can donate to all other types in the group but can receive only O
blood.[1]



O

O2
O2 

CHEMISTRY
Symbol for oxygen[1]



o

o

o 
[ō] (plural o’s) or O
[ō] (plural O’s or Os)
noun

1.  15th
letter of English alphabet: the 15th letter of the
English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “O”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “O”

3.        letter
“O” written: a written
representation of the letter “O”[1]



O

O1
O1  interjection

1.  used
to address somebody: used in addressing a person
or topic or at the start of a plea or wish

2.  expression
of wonder:
used in expressing surprise or great wonderment (literary)
[12th century. Representing a
natural exclamation.][1]



-o

-o
-o
suffix

1.  used
to form abbreviated words • aggro
• demo
• hypo

2.  somebody
or something associated with or having the characteristics of something • dumbo
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from oh][1]



o/a

o/a
o/a

Abbreviation of
on or about[1]



OA

OA
OA

MED
Abbreviation of osteoarthritis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oaf

oaf
oaf 
[ōf] noun (insult)

1.  somebody
unintelligent: an unintelligent person

2.  somebody
clumsy:
an awkward or clumsy person

3.  somebody
loutish:
a rough loutish person
[Early 17th century. From Old
Norse álfr “elf.”][1]



oafish

oafish
oaf·ish
[ṓfish] adjective

like
an oaf:
resembling an oaf, for example, in clumsiness, unintelligence, or loutishness (insult)
—oaf·ish·ly,
adverb

—oaf·ish·ness, noun[1]



Oahu

Oahu

O·a·hu 
[ə w hoo, ō 
hoo]
island in Hawaii, the most populous and
third largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Area: 1,575 sq km/608 sq mi.[1]



oak

oak

oak 
[ōk] noun

1.  TREES tree
bearing acorns: a deciduous or evergreen tree or shrub
that has acorns as fruit, and leaves with several rounded or pointed
projections. Genus: Quercus

2.  PLANTS shrub
with lobed leaves: a shrub such as the
Jerusalem oak or poison oak with lobed leaves like those of oak trees

3.  INDUSTRY hard
wood of oak tree: the hard wood of the oak tree, highly
valued by furniture makers and formerly widely used in construction and
shipbuilding

4.  oak
wreath or garland: a decoration made from the
leaves of an oak tree, especially a wreath or garland
adjective

COLORS of
rich brown color: of a rich brown color, similar to the
color of oak wood
[Old English āc][1]



oakapple

oakapple
oak
ap·ple
noun

growth on oak tree:
a rounded hollow growth on the trunk of an oak tree caused by infestation with
gall wasps, which use the growths as shelters for their larvae.
Also called
oak gall[1]



oaken

oaken
oak·en
[ṓkən] adjective

made of oak:
made of oak wood (literary)[1]



oakfern

oakfern
oak
fern
noun

woodland fern:
a light green woodland fern found in northern climates. Latin name: Thelypteris
dryopteris[1]



OakForest

OakForest
Oak
For·est
[ōk fáwrist]

city in northeastern
Illinois, northeast of Joliet, a southern suburb of Chicago. Population: 27,461
(1996)[1]



oakgall

oakgall
oak
gall
[ṓk gawl, ṓk
gaal] noun

See
oak apple[1]



Oakland

Oakland
Oak·land 
[ṓk lənd]

city and county seat of
Alameda County, western California, situated on the eastern side of San
Francisco Bay. Population: 372,242 (1990)[1]



OaklandPark

OaklandPark
Oak·land
Park

city in Broward County,
southeastern Florida, situated north of Fort Lauderdale. Population: 26,326
(1990)[1]



oakleaf cluster

oakleaf cluster
oak
leaf clus·ter noun

military decoration:
a small decoration shaped like a bunch of oak leaves and acorns, added to
another military decoration to show that it has been awarded to the wearer more
than once[1]



Oakley,Annie

Oakley,Annie

Oak·ley
[ṓklee], Annie (1860–1926)
U.S.
sharpshooter. She performed with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and inspired
the musical Annie Get Your Gun ( 1946 ).
Full name
Moses, Phoebe Anne Oakley[1]



oakmoss

oakmoss
oak·moss
[ṓk mòss] noun

perfume-making lichen:
any of various lichens that grow on oak trees and produce a resin used in the
making of some perfumes. Latin name: Evernia prunastri[1]



OakPark

OakPark
Oak
Park

town in northeastern
Illinois, on the western boundary of Chicago, north of Cicero. Population:
51,585 (1996)[1]



oakpruner

oakpruner
oak
prun·er
noun

long-horned beetle:
a long-horned beetle that as a larva bores oak twigs until they are cut off.
Latin name: Hypermallus villosus[1]



oakum

oakum
oa·kum 
[ṓkəm] noun

old
tar-soaked rope: hemp or jute fibers, especially old
ropes unraveled, soaked in tar, and used to seal the gaps between the planks
forming a wooden ship’s or boat’s hull
[Old English ācumba
“broken fibers,” literally “off-combing”][1]



Oakville

Oakville
Oak·ville 
[ṓk vil]

town in Halton Municipal
Region, southeastern Ontario, Canada, situated 35 km22 mi southwest of Toronto.
Population: 114,670 (1991)[1]



oakwilt

oakwilt
oak
wilt
noun

disease of oaks:
a disease of oak trees caused by a fungus that kills their leaves[1]



Oamaru

Oamaru
Oa·ma·ru
[ómmə r]

town and fishing port on the
east coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Population: 13,695 (1996)[1]



O& M

O& M
O
& M

Abbreviation of
organization and method[1]



OAP

OAP
OAP
(plural OAPs) noun

U.K.
old-age pensioner:
somebody who is old enough to draw a pension from the state[1]



oar

oar
oar 
[awr] noun

1.  pole
used to propel boat: a wooden pole with one broad
flat end, used either singly or in pairs to propel a boat by dipping the broad
end in the water

2.  somebody
rowing:
somebody who rows a boat, especially one of a team of rowers
intransitive
and transitive verb (past oared, past
participle oared, present participle oar·ing, 3rd
person present singular oars)

to row: to
row a boat
[Old English ār][1]



oarfish

oarfish
oar·fish 
[áwr fìsh] (plural oar·fish or
oar·fish·es) noun

long
fish:
a long marine fish shaped like an eel that grows up to 7 m/23 ft and has a
dazzling red head fin and a red dorsal fin running the length of its body. It
is found in tropical seas and warmer parts of the Atlantic. Latin name: Regalecus
glesne
[Mid-19th century. From the
shape of its body.][1]



oarlock

oarlock
oar·lock 
[áwr lòk] noun

rest
for oar:
a U-shaped pivoting metal rest attached to the side of a boat, in which an oar
rests.
U.K.
term
rowlock
[Old English ārloc, ār
“oar” + loc “lock”][1]



oarsman

oarsman
oars·man 
[áwrzmən] (plural oars·men [áwrzmən]) noun

man
rowing a boat: a man who rows a boat, especially as
part of a team of rowers
—oars·man·ship, noun[1]



oarswoman

oarswoman
oars·wom·an 
[áwrz wmmən] (plural oars·wom·en
[áwrz wìmmin]) noun

woman rowing a boat:
a woman who rows a boat, especially as part of a team of rowers[1]



OAS

OAS
OAS

Abbreviation of
Organization of American States[1]



OASDHI

OASDHI
OAS·DHI

Abbreviation of
Old Age, Survivors, Disability, and Health Insurance[1]



oasis

oasis
o·a·sis 
[ō áyssiss] (plural o·a·ses [ō áy sz]) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY fertile
land in desert: fertile ground in a desert where the
level of underground water rises to or near ground level, where plants grow and
travelers can replenish water supplies

2.  place
or time of relief: a place or period that gives
relief from a troubling or chaotic situation
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek . Probably ultimately of Egyptian origin.][1]



oast

oast
oast 
[ōst] noun

hop-drying
kiln:
a kiln used for drying hops, especially hops used to flavor beer
[Old English āst
“kiln.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be hot, burn” that is
also the ancestor of English estuary
and edifice .][1]



oasthouse

oasthouse
oast·house
[ṓst hòwss] (plural oast·hous·es
[ṓst hòwzəz]) noun

building containing hop
kilns: a building that contains, or
formerly contained, hop-drying kilns and typically has conical or
pyramid-shaped towers[1]



oat

oat
oat 
[ōt] noun

grass
with edible seed: a grass that has edible seeds and is
grown in numerous northern countries as a cereal crop. Latin name: Avena
sativa
plural
noun
oats

edible
seeds of the oat: the seeds of the oat grown as a cereal
crop and used to make foods such as oatmeal and as a livestock feed
[Old English āte][1]



oatcake

oatcake
oat·cake 
[ṓt kàyk] noun

flat cake:
a flat cake made of oatmeal[1]



oat-cell

oat-cell
oat-cell
adjective

of
a form of lung cancer: relating to a highly
malignant form of lung cancer characterized by the rapid growth of
undifferentiated small round cells. Oat-cell carcinoma is usually related to
smoking.
[Because the cells look like
grains of oats][1]



oaten

oaten
oat·en 
[ṓt’n] adjective

of oats:
made from oats, oatmeal, or oat straw[1]



oater

oater
oat·er 
[ṓtər] noun

western
movie:
a movie about cowboys, Native Americans, and settlers in the Old West (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From the
staple food of the horses that were ubiquitous in them.][1]



Oates,Joyce Carol

Oates,Joyce Carol
Oates
[ōts], Joyce Carol (1938– )

U.S. writer. Her naturalistic
novels, often depicting violence in U.S. society, include them (1969),
for which she won the National Book award.[1]



oatgrass

oatgrass
oat
grass
noun

grass resembling oat:
a grass, especially in Africa and Asia, that looks like the oat. Genera: Arrhenatherum
Danthonia[1]



oath

oath
oath 
[ōth] (plural oaths [ōthz]) noun

1.  solemn
promise:
a formal or legally binding pledge to do something such as tell the truth in a
court of law, made formally and often naming God or a loved one as a witness

2.  words
of promise:
the words said when making a formal pledge, especially when reciting a
conventional formula such as that used in a court of law

3.  swearword:
a swearword, especially one that uses the name of God or another sacred name in
a disrespectful way
[Old English āþ][1]



oatmeal

oatmeal
oat·meal 
[ṓt ml] noun

1.  crushed
oats:
oat grains ground or crushed into flakes or powder, used to make various foods
such as cereal or oatcakes • oatmeal
cookies

2.  breakfast
cereal:
a breakfast cereal made from rolled oats cooked in milk or water.
U.K.
term
porridge
adjective

COLORS of a
light brown color: of a light grayish-brown
color

[1]



OAU

OAU
OAU

Abbreviation of
Organization of African Unity[1]



Oaxaca

Oaxaca
Oa·xa·ca 
[waa kh kaa, wə
h kə]

historic city in southern
Mexico, the capital of Oaxaca State. It was founded by the Aztecs. Population:
212,818 (1990)[1]



Ob.

Ob.
Ob.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Obadiah[1]



ob-

ob-
ob-
prefix

inverse,
inversely • obvolute
[From Latin ob “in the
way, against, toward”][1]



ob.

ob.
ob.

1.  ob.
or Ob. or OB MEDICINE
Abbreviation of obstetric

2.  ob.
or Ob. or OB MEDICINE
Abbreviation of obstetrics

3.  ob.
or Ob. or OB MEDICINE
Abbreviation of obstetrician

4.  MUSIC Abbreviation of oboe

5.  Abbreviation
of
he or she died
[Shortening of Latin obiit
(see obit )][1]



oba

oba
oba 
[ṓbə] noun

African
ruler:
a ruler among the Yoruba people of West Africa
[Early 20th century. From
Yoruba .][1]



Obad.

Obad.
Obad.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Obadiah[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Obadiah

Obadiah
O·ba·di·ah 
[bə d ə] noun

1.  biblical
Hebrew prophet: in the Bible, a minor Hebrew prophet of
the 6th century BC

2.  book
of the Bible: a book of the Bible containing the
prophecies of Obadiah. Obadiah is the shortest book of the Bible.

[1]



obb.

obb.
obb.

Abbreviation of
obbligato[1]



obbligato

obbligato
ob·bli·ga·to 
[òbli g tō] or ob·li·ga·to [òbli g tō] adjective

not
to be left out: not to be omitted from a musical piece,
either as an instrumental part in the piece or as an instrument accompanying a
singer (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural ob·bli·ga·tos or ob·bli·ga·ti [òbli gtee])

essential
part:
a musical part or accompaniment that is not to be left out
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian, literally “obliged,” from Latin (see obligate
).][1]



obcompressed

obcompressed
ob·com·pressed 
adjective

BOTANY
flattened:
flattened from back to front, like the fruits of penny grass[1]



obconic

obconic
ob·con·ic
[ob kónnik] or ob·con·i·cal [ob kónnik’l] adjective

BOTANY
shaped like an inverted cone:
cone-shaped and attached to a plant by the pointed end • an
obconic fruit[1]



obcordate

obcordate
ob·cor·date 
[ob káwr dàyt] adjective

BOTANY
shaped like an inverted heart:
heart-shaped and attached to a plant by the pointed end[1]



obduracy

obduracy
ob·du·ra·cy 
[ób doorəssee] noun

refusal to change mind:
stubborn and total refusal to change an opinion or stance[1]



obdurate

obdurate
ob·du·rate 
[ób doorət] adjective

1.  stubborn:
not easily persuaded or influenced

2.  hard-hearted:
not influenced by emotions, especially not inclined to feel sympathy or pity
[15th
century. From late Latin obduratus, the past participle of obdurare
“to be hard,” from durus “hard” (see endure
).]
—ob·du·rate·ly,
adverb

—ob·du·rate·ness, noun[1]



O.B.E.

O.B.E.
O.B.E.

Abbreviation of
Officer of the (Order of the) British Empire[1]



obeah

obeah
o·be·ah 
[ṓbee ə] or o·bi [ṓbee ə] noun

1.  West
Indian religion: a religion that involves witchcraft,
originally practiced in Africa and surviving now in parts of the West Indies

2.  a
charm:
an object believed to have magical powers, used in practicing obeah
[Mid-18th century. From Twi ōbayifo
.][1]



obedience

obedience
o·be·di·ence 
[ō bdee ənss, ə
bdee ənss] noun

1.  act
of obeying:
the action or condition of obeying authority

2.  CHRISTIANITY church’s
rule:
the religious authority of a church or of a priest or other member of the
clergy, or the people who are under this authority

[1]



obedient

obedient
o·be·di·ent 
[ō bdee ənt, ə
bdee ənt] adjective

doing
as told:
carrying out or willing to carry out what is demanded or ordered, particularly
by somebody in authority
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin oboediens, the present participle stem of oboedire
(see obey ).][1]



obeisance

obeisance
o·bei·sance 
[ō báyss’nss, ə
báyss’nss] (plural o·bei·sanc·es) noun

1.  respectful
gesture:
a gesture of respect or deference, for example, a bow of the head (formal)

2.  respectful
behavior:
the attitude or behavior of somebody who pays respect or homage to somebody or
something
[14th century. From Old
French, from obeir (see obey ).
Originally borrowed in its French meaning “obedience.”][1]



obeli

obeli
ob·e·li


Plural of
obelus[1]



obelia

obelia

o·be·lia 
[ō blyə] (plural o·be·lias) noun
polyp
that forms colonies: a marine hydrozoan polyp
that forms colonies that resemble moss on rocks, ships’ hulls, and pilings.
Genus: Obelia
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek obelias “leaf baked on a spit,”
from obelos (see obelus ).][1]



obelisk

obelisk

ob·e·lisk 
[óbbəlisk] noun

1.  stone
pillar:
a pillar of stone, especially one built as a monument, that has a square base
and sides that taper like a pyramid toward a pointed top

2.  PRINTING See dagger
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin obeliscus from Greek obeliskos, from obelos
(see obelus ).]
—ob·e·lis·koid [òbbə lís kòyd], adjective[1]



obelize

obelize
ob·e·lize 
[óbbə lz] (past ob·e·lized, past
participle ob·e·lized, present participle ob·e·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·e·liz·es) transitive verb

mark
passage with dagger: to mark a written or printed
word or passage with a dagger or obelus
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
obelizein, from obelos (see obelus
).][1]



obelus

obelus
ob·e·lus 
[óbbələss] (plural ob·e·li [óbbə l]) noun

1.  See
dagger

2.  mark
in ancient manuscripts: a printed mark (†) used in
modern editions of ancient manuscripts to indicate that the passage marked is
thought not to be genuine
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek obelos “spit, obelisk.”][1]



obento

obento
o·ben·to 
[ō béntō] (plural o·ben·tos) or
ben·to [béntō] (plural ben·tos)
noun

boxed
Japanese meal: a Japanese meal that is packaged in a
partitioned lacquer box
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Oberammergau

Oberammergau
O·ber·am·mer·gau 
[bər mər gòw]

town in Bavaria, southeastern
Germany, famous for producing a Passion Play every ten years. Population: 5,425
(1991)[1]



Oberon

Oberon
O·ber·on 
[ṓbə ron] noun

second-largest moon of
Uranus: the second-largest natural
satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1787. It is 1,522 km/945 mi in diameter and
has a highly cratered surface.[1]



obese

obese
o·bese 
[ō bss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE unhealthily
overweight:
so overweight as to be at risk from several serious illnesses, including
diabetes and heart disease, if action is not taken to control the weight

2.  overweight:
overweight (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin obesus, the past participle of assumed obedere
“to eat until overweight,” from edere “to eat” (see edible ).]
—o·bese·ly,
adverb

—o·bese·ness, noun[1]



obesity

obesity
o·be·si·ty 
[ō bsətee] noun

state of being unhealthily
overweight: a condition in which
somebody’s weight is more than 20 percent higher than is recommended for that
person’s height[1]



obey

obey
o·bey 
[ō báy] (past o·beyed, past
participle o·beyed, present participle o·bey·ing, 3rd
person present singular o·beys) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  do
as told:
to follow instructions or behave in accordance with a law, rule, or order

2.  be
controlled:
to be controlled by somebody or something
[13th
century. Via Old French obeir from Latin oboedire “to listen to,”
from audire “to hear” (source of English audition
).]
—o·bey·er, noun[1]



obfuscate

obfuscate
ob·fus·cate 
[óbfə skàyt] (past ob·fus·cat·ed,
past participle ob·fus·cat·ed, present participle ob·fus·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·fus·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something obscure: to make something obscure or
unclear, especially by making it unnecessarily complicated

2.  transitive
verb
make
dark:
to make something dark or hard to see (archaic)

3.  transitive
verb
confuse:
to make somebody confused (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin obfuscat -, the past participle stem of obfuscare
“to darken,” from fuscus “dark.”]
—ob·fus·ca·tion [òbfə skáysh’n], noun[1]



ob-gyn

ob-gyn
ob-gyn 
[ bee j wī én] (plural ob-gyns)
or Ob-Gyn [ bee j wī én] (plural
Ob-Gyns) noun (informal)

1.  obstetrics
and gynecology: the branch of medicine that deals with
obstetrics and gynecology

2.  medical
specialist in babies and women: a specialist in
obstetrics and gynecology

[1]



obi

obi2
o·bi2  noun

See
obeah[1]



obi

obi1
o·bi1  [ṓbee]
(plural o·bis) noun

Japanese
sash:
a silk sash worn by a Japanese person in traditional dress to fasten the kimono
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “belt, band, girdle.”][1]



Obie

Obie
O·bie 
[ṓbee] (plural O·bies) noun

theater
award:
an annual award for achievement in off-Broadway theater
[Mid-20th century. From the
pronunciation of OB “off Broadway.”][1]



obit

obit
o·bit 
[ṓbit, ō bítt]
(plural o·bits) noun

obituary:
an obituary (informal)
[14th century. Via French
from Latin obitus “death,” from (mortem) obire “to die,”
literally “to meet (death),” from ire “to go.”][1]



obiterdictum

obiterdictum
o·bi·ter
dic·tum 
[bitər díktəm] (plural o·bi·ter
dic·ta [bitər díktə]) noun

1.  judge’s
observation: an observation made by a judge that is
incidental to the case being tried and, while being authoritative, is not
binding on future courts under the doctrine of precedent

2.  passing
comment:
a comment made in passing
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “said by the way, said in passing.”][1]



obituary

obituary
o·bit·u·ar·y 
[ə bíchoo èrree, ō
bíchoo èrree] noun (plural o·bit·u·ar·ies)

announcement
of death:
an announcement, especially in a newspaper, of somebody’s death, often with a
short biography
adjective

recording
a death:
relating to or recording a death
[Early 18th century. From
medieval Latin obituarius, from Latin obitus “death” (see obit ).][1]



obj.

obj.
obj.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of object

2.  Abbreviation
of
objection

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of objective

[1]



object

object
ob·ject 
noun [óbjəkt, ób jèkt] (plural ob·jects)

1.  something
visible or tangible: something that can be seen
or touched

2.  focus:
a focus of somebody’s attention or emotion

3.  aim:
an aim or purpose

4.  GRAMMAR noun
affected by verb: a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase denoting
somebody or something that is acted on by a verb or affected by the action of a
verb

5.  GRAMMAR noun
governed by preposition: a noun, pronoun, or noun
phrase that is governed by a preposition

6.  PHILOSOPHY something
perceived and named as separate: something that is
perceived as an entity and referred to by a name • mental
objects

7.  OPTICS source
of light rays: the point or series of points that
appear to be the source of light rays in an optical system. A point that is the
source of the rays is called a real object, while a point that only appears to
be the source is called a virtual object.

8.  COMPUTING unit
of information: a block of information such as a text or
graphics document or a part of a document that can be linked to and embedded in
other documents. Changes subsequently made to the original information are
reflected in the other documents in which it appears.

9.  COMPUTING unit
of computer programming: a collection of variables,
data structures, and procedures stored as an entity and forming a basic
building block of object-oriented programming
verb
[əb jékt] (past ob·ject·ed, past
participle ob·ject·ed, present participle ob·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·jects)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
opposed:
to be opposed to something, or express opposition to it

2.  transitive
verb
state
as objection: to state something as a reason for being
opposed to something
[14th
century. From medieval Latin objectum “thing presented (to the sight),”
ultimately from Latin obicere “to present, throw against,” from jacere
“to throw.”]
something
is no object

used
in order to say that something is not a concern or difficulty • I
want the best room you have –money’s no object.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  object, protest, demur,
  remonstrate, expostulate
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  indicate opposition to something object;
  a general word used to talk about being opposed or averse to something,
  whether or not these feelings are expressed; protest;
  to express strong feelings of objection in speech, writing, or actions; demur; to raise objections in a hesitant or
  tentative way; remonstrate; to
  indicate disagreement or objection by arguing with somebody and trying to
  dissuade him or her from a course of action; expostulate;
  a formal word used to indicate that a disagreement or objection is expressed
  very vehemently

[1]



objectball

objectball
ob·ject
ball
(plural ob·ject balls) noun

target ball:
in pool or billiards, the ball that a player intends to hit with the cue ball
in a particular shot[1]



objectcode

objectcode
ob·ject
code 
noun

encoded software:
the binary version of a computer program that is used by the computer to run
the program.
See also
source code[1]



objectcomplement

objectcomplement
ob·ject
com·ple·ment (plural ob·ject com·ple·ments)
noun

U.K.
See objective complement[1]



objectglass

objectglass
ob·ject
glass
(plural ob·ject glass·es) noun

OPTICS
See objective  noun 5[1]



objectify

objectify
ob·jec·ti·fy 
[ob jéktə f] (past ob·jec·ti·fied,
past participle ob·jec·ti·fied, present participle ob·jec·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·jec·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
actual:
to think of or represent an idea or emotion as if it were something that
actually exists

2.  reduce
to object:
to reduce somebody, or something that is complex and multifaceted, to the
status of a simple object

[1]



objection

objection
ob·jec·tion 
[ob jékshən] (plural ob·jec·tions)
noun

1.  expression
of opposition: a feeling or expression of opposition

2.  cause
of opposition: a reason for a feeling or expression of
opposition

[1]



objectionable

objectionable
ob·jec·tion·a·ble 
[ob jékshənəb’l] adjective

causing
disapproval: causing disapproval, offense, or
opposition • an
objectionable habit
—ob·jec·tion·a·ble·ness,
noun

—ob·jec·tion·a·bil·i·ty
[ob jèkshənə bíllətee], noun

—ob·jec·tion·a·bly [ob jékshənəblee], adverb[1]



objective

objective
ob·jec·tive 
[ob jéktiv] adjective

1.  free
of bias:
free of any bias or prejudice caused by personal feelings

2.  based
on facts:
based on facts rather than thoughts or opinions

3.  MEDICINE observable:
used to describe disease symptoms that can be observed by somebody other than
the person who is ill

4.  PHILOSOPHY existing
independently of mind: existing independently of
the individual mind or perception

5.  GRAMMAR being
object of verb: in or constituting the grammatical case
of a noun or pronoun that is the object of a verb
noun
(plural ob·jec·tives)

1.  aim:
an aim or goal

2.  military
target:
the target or goal of a military operation

3.  GRAMMAR objective
case:
the objective grammatical case

4.  GRAMMAR noun
in objective case: a noun or pronoun in the
objective case

5.  OPTICS lens
nearest object: the lens or combination of lenses in an
optical instrument nearest to and facing the object being viewed.
Also
called
object glass
Also
called
objective lens
Also
called
object lens
—ob·jec·tive·ness, noun[1]



objectivecomplement

objectivecomplement
ob·jec·tive
com·ple·ment (plural ob·jec·tive
com·ple·ments) noun

GRAMMAR
complement referring to object:
a noun, pronoun, or adjective that is a complement of a verb and qualifies its
direct object, for example, “angry” in “He makes me angry.”
U.K. term
object complement[1]



objectivecorrelative

objectivecorrelative
ob·jec·tive
cor·rel·a·tive (plural ob·jec·tive
cor·rel·a·tives) noun

LITERATURE
emotive element in literary work:
something in a written or performed work that is associated with a particular
emotion and used to evoke it in the reader or audience[1]



objectivelens

objectivelens
ob·jec·tive
lens
(plural ob·jec·tive lens·es) noun

OPTICS
See objective  noun 5[1]



objectively

objectively
ob·jec·tive·ly
[ob jéktivlee] adverb

1.  without
bias:
without being influenced by personal feelings

2.  accurately:
on the basis of fact, experience, or some measurable quality • objectively
derived measures such as test scores

[1]



objectivism

objectivism
ob·jec·tiv·ism 
[ob jékti vìzzəm] noun

1.  LITERATURE emphasis
on the actual: the emphasizing of external realities
rather than beliefs or feelings in literature or art

2.  PHILOSOPHY belief
in independent truths: a philosophical belief that
moral truths or external objects exist independently of the individual mind or
perception
—ob·jec·tiv·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



objectivity

objectivity
ob·jec·tiv·i·ty 
[òb jek tívvətee] noun

1.  ability
to view things objectively: the ability to perceive or
describe something without being influenced by personal emotions or prejudices

2.  PHILOSOPHY actual
existence:
the actual existence of something, without reference to people’s impressions or
ideas

3.  accuracy:
the quality of being accurate and independent of individual perceptions

[1]



objectivize

objectivize
ob·jec·ti·vize 
[ob jékti vÌz] (past ob·jec·ti·vized,
past participle ob·jec·ti·vized, present participle ob·jec·ti·viz·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·jec·ti·viz·es) transitive verb

See
objectify  verb 1[1]



objectlanguage

objectlanguage
ob·ject
lan·guage
(plural ob·ject lan·guag·es) noun COMPUTING

1.  language
of computer: the language that a computer interprets
in running programs

2.  See
target language  noun 3

[1]



objectlens

objectlens
ob·ject
lens
(plural ob·ject lens·es) noun

OPTICS
See objective  noun 5[1]



objectlesson

objectlesson
ob·ject
les·son
(plural ob·ject les·sons) noun

demonstration of how to do
something: an incident that provides an
opportunity for learning something, especially the best way to do something • an
object lesson in tact[1]



object-orientedprogramming

object-orientedprogramming
ob·ject-o·ri·ent·ed
pro·gram·ming noun

programming based on objects:
a form of computer programming based on objects arranged in a branching
hierarchy[1]



objectrelations

objectrelations
ob·ject
re·la·tions
plural noun

psychoanalytic theory:
a psychoanalytic theory that sees an individual as motivated by a desire to
form bonds with appropriate objects or people, rather than merely satisfying
impulses in order to discharge tension[1]



objetd’art

objetd’art
ob·jet
d’art 
[àwb zhay dr] (plural ob·jets
d’art [òb ay dr]) noun

object
with artistic value: an object that has artistic
value, especially a small piece
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “object of art.”][1]



objettrouvé

objettrouvé
ob·jet
trou·vé 
[àwb zhay troo váy] (plural ob·jets
trou·vés [òb zhay tr vay]) noun

everyday
object seen as art: a natural or everyday object
such as a pebble from a beach, treated as something of artistic value or
incorporated into a work of art.
Also
called
found object
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “found object.”][1]



objurgate

objurgate
ob·jur·gate 
[óbjər gàyt] (past ob·jur·gat·ed,
past participle ob·jur·gat·ed, present participle ob·jur·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·jur·gates) transitive verb

scold:
to scold somebody angrily (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin objurgat-, the past participle stem of objurgare,
literally “to quarrel against,” from jurgium “quarrel.”]
—ob·jur·ga·tion
[òbjər gáysh’n], noun

—ob·jur·ga·tor, noun[1]



objurgatory

objurgatory
ob·jur·ga·to·ry 
[ob júrgə tàwree] adjective

scolding:
angry and scolding (literary)
—ob·jur·ga·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



obl.

obl.
obl.

Abbreviation of
oblique[1]



oblast

oblast
o·blast 
[ó blàst, ṓ
blàst] (plural o·blasts) noun

subdivision
of a former Soviet republic: a subdivision of a republic
of the former Soviet Union
[Late 19th century. From
Russian óblast, literally “authority on,” from vlast “authority,
power.”][1]



oblate

oblate1
ob·late1 [ó
blàyt, o bláyt] adjective

GEOMETRY shaped
like flattened sphere: shaped like a sphere but
with the length of the diameter at the equator greater than the length from
pole to pole
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin oblatus “brought against or inversely,”
formed from Latin latus “brought,” past participle of ferre “to
bring,” on the model of prolatus “lengthened.”]
—ob·late·ly,
adverb

—ob·late·ness, noun[1]



oblate

oblate2
ob·late2 [ó
blàyt] (plural ob·lates) noun

CHRISTIANITY layperson
in religious community: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a layperson who is part of a religious community
[Late 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin oblatus, literally “brought to,” from the
past participle of Latin offerre (see offer
).][1]



oblation

oblation
ob·la·tion 
[ə bláysh’n, ō
bláysh’n] (plural ob·la·tions) noun

1.  RELIGION offering
of gift to deity: the offering of a gift or sacrifice to a
deity

2.  CHRISTIANITY Communion
offering:
the offering of bread and wine to God during the Christian service of Communion

3.  religious
or charitable gift: something offered in a
religious rite or as a charitable gift
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from the late Latin stem oblation-,
from Latin offerre (see offer ).]
—ob·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



obligate

obligate
ob·li·gate 
transitive verb [óbbli gàyt] (past
ob·li·gat·ed, past participle ob·li·gat·ed, present
participle ob·li·gat·ing, 3rd person present singular ob·li·gates)

1.  compel
legally or morally: to compel somebody to do
something as a legal or moral duty

2.  FINANCE commit
funds as security: to commit something,
especially funds, to fulfil an obligation, for example, as security
adjective
[óbbligət, óbbli
gàyt]

BIOLOGY only
existing in one environment: used to describe an organism
that can exist only in a particular role or under particular environmental
conditions.
See
also
facultative
[15th
century. From Latin obligatus, past participle of obligare (see oblige ).]
—ob·li·ga·ble
[óbbligəb’l], adjective

—ob·li·gate·ly,
adverb

—ob·li·ga·tor, noun[1]



obligation

obligation
ob·li·ga·tion 
[òbbli gáysh’n] (plural ob·li·ga·tions)
noun

1.  state
of owing:
the state or condition of being obligated

2.  duty:
something that must be done because of legal or moral duty

3.  something
owed:
something such as assistance or a debt that somebody owes in return for
something given

4.  LAW binding
legal agreement: a legal agreement by which somebody is
bound to do something, especially pay money, or to refrain from doing something

5.  LAW legal
contract:
a legal contract that contains a penalty for non-fulfilment of it
—ob·li·ga·tion·al, adjective[1]



obligatory

obligatory
o·blig·a·to·ry 
[ə blíggə tàwree] adjective

legally,
morally, or religiously required: required by law or by
a moral or religious rule
—o·blig·a·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



oblige

oblige
o·blige 
[ə blj] (past o·bliged, past
participle o·bliged, present participle o·blig·ing, 3rd
person present singular o·blig·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
require
somebody to do something: to bind somebody morally or
legally to do something

2.  transitive
verb
force
somebody to do something: to make it necessary for
somebody to do something

3.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to feel indebted: to cause somebody to feel
indebted by doing something for that person

4.  transitive
verb
do
favor for somebody: to do a favor or service for
somebody • Would
you oblige me by closing the door?

5.  intransitive
verb
be
helpful:
to do something necessary or helpful • was
only too happy to oblige
[13th
century. Via Old French oblig(i)er from Latin obligare “to tie
to,” from ligare “to tie, bind” (source of English ligation ).]
—o·blig·er, noun[1]



obligee

obligee
ob·li·gee 
[òbblə j] (plural ob·li·gees)
noun

LAW
somebody owed something:
somebody to whom another person is legally or morally bound, for example by a
financial debt or obligation to do something[1]



obliging

obliging
o·blig·ing 
[ə bljing] adjective

helpful:
willing to be helpful or do favors
—o·blig·ing·ly,
adverb

—o·blig·ing·ness, noun[1]



obligor

obligor
ob·li·gor 
[òbblə gáwr, óbblə
gàwr] (plural ob·li·gors) noun

LAW
somebody agreeing to do something:
somebody who makes a legally binding agreement to do or pay something[1]



oblique

oblique
o·blique 
[ō blk, ə blk]
adjective

1.  sloping:
sloping or joining something at an angle that is not a right angle

2.  indirect:
not straightforward or direct • an
oblique reference to the lateness of the hour

3.  GEOMETRY not
parallel or perpendicular: neither perpendicular nor
parallel to another line or plane

4.  GEOMETRY not
right-angled: not being or containing a right angle or
a multiple of a right angle

5.  GRAMMAR not
being subject: being a grammatical case other than the
nominative or vocative

6.  BOTANY with
sides of different length: used to describe leaves that
have sides of different length

7.  ANATOMY not
being on anatomical plane: slanting away from any of
the anatomical planes of the body, for example, the horizontal or perpendicular
plane

8.  GEOGRAPHY being
at tangent to Earth’s surface: used to describe a map
projection based on a plane of projection that is at a tangent to the Earth’s
surface at a point between the poles and the equator
adverb

MILITARY changing
direction at 45º: changing direction to or at an angle of
45º
noun
(plural o·bliques)

1.  something
slanting:
something that is oblique, for example, a slanting line

2.  NAVIGATION course
change of less than 90º: a change of course of less
than 90º
intransitive
verb
(past o·bliqued, past participle o·bliqued, present
participle o·bliqu·ing, 3rd person present singular o·bliques)

1.  take
oblique direction: to move or slant in an
oblique direction

2.  MILITARY advance
in oblique direction: to move forward at an angle
in a military formation
[15th
century. From Latin obliquus “slanting, sidelong,” of unknown origin.]
—o·blique·ness, noun[1]



obliquely

obliquely
o·blique·ly
[ō blklee, ə
blklee] adverb

1.  indirectly:
in a way that is not direct or straightforward

2.  at
an angle:
at an angle that is not a right angle

[1]



obliqueprojection

obliqueprojection
o·blique
pro·jec·tion (plural o·blique pro·jec·tions)
noun

projection at tangent to
Earth’s surface: a map projection based
on a plane of projection that is at a tangent to the Earth’s surface at a point
between the poles and the equator[1]



oblique-slipfault

oblique-slipfault
o·blique-slip
fault
(plural o·blique-slip faults) noun

GEOLOGY
fracture with horizontal and vertical
movement: a fracture in a layer of
rock in which the movement is both horizontal and vertical[1]



obliquity

obliquity
o·bliq·ui·ty 
[ə blíkwətee, ō
blíkwətee] (plural o·bliq·ui·ties) noun

1.  state
of being oblique: the state or condition of being oblique

2.  deviation
from plane:
a deviation from the horizontal or perpendicular

3.  character
flow:
a departure from morality or reason

4.  lack
of directness: a lack of directness or
straightforwardness in speech or conduct

5.  obliquity
or obliquity of the ecliptic ASTRONOMY
angle
between Earth’s orbit and equator: the angle between the
plane of the Earth’s equator and the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the sun,
approximately 23.5º

[1]



obliquityof the ecliptic

obliquityof the ecliptic
o·bliq·ui·ty
of the e·clip·tic noun

ASTRONOMY
See obliquity  noun 5[1]



obliterate

obliterate
o·blit·er·ate 
[ə blíttə ràyt, ō
blíttə ràyt] (past o·blit·er·at·ed, past participle
o·blit·er·at·ed, present participle o·blit·er·at·ing, 3rd
person present singular o·blit·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  destroy
utterly:
to destroy something so utterly that nothing is left

2.  erase
or obscure:
to erase or obscure something completely, leaving no trace
[Late
16th century. From Latin oblitterat-, the past participle stem of oblitterare
“to blot out, erase,” from literally “to remove letters,” ob- and littera “letter” (see literal ).]
—o·blit·er·a·tion
[ə blìttə ráysh’n, ō
blìttə ráysh’n], noun

—o·blit·er·a·tive
[ə blíttə ràytiv, ō
blíttə ràytiv], adjective

—o·blit·er·a·tor, noun[1]



oblivion

oblivion
o·bliv·i·on 
[ə blívvee ən] noun

1.  state
of being forgotten: a state of being utterly
forgotten

2.  state
of forgetting: a state of forgetting everything or of
being unaware of surroundings

3.  LAW overlooking
of past offenses: the deliberate overlooking of past
offenses
[14th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem oblivion-, from oblivisci “to forget,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps literally “to smooth over,” from levis
“smooth.”][1]



oblivious

oblivious
o·bliv·i·ous 
[ə blívvee əss] adjective

1.  unaware:
unaware of or paying no attention to somebody or something

2.  forgetting:
forgetting about somebody or something
—o·bliv·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—o·bliv·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



oblong

oblong
ob·long 
[ób lòng] adjective

elongated:
having a shape that is considerably longer than it is wide, especially a
rectangular or roughly elliptical shape
noun
(plural ob·longs)

elongated
shape:
something with a length greater than its width, especially a rectangle or
distorted circle
[15th century. From Latin oblongus
“rather long,” from longus “long.”][1]



obloquy

obloquy
ob·lo·quy 
[óbbləkwee] noun (formal or
literary)

1.  censure:
statements that severely criticize or defame somebody

2.  disgrace:
a state of disgrace brought about by being defamed
[15th century. From late
Latin obloquium “contradiction,” literally “talking against,” from loqui
“to talk.”][1]



obnoxious

obnoxious
ob·nox·ious 
[ob nókshəss, əb
nókshəss] adjective

objectionable:
very offensive and unpleasant • obnoxious
stench
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin obnoxius “vulnerable to harm” (its
original English meaning), from noxa “harm” (source of English noxious ).]
—ob·nox·ious·ly,
adverb

—ob·nox·ious·ness, noun[1]



oboe

oboe


o·boe 
[ṓ b] (plural o·boes) noun

1.  woodwind
instrument:
a woodwind instrument that produces a penetrating high sound and consists of a
long slim tube enclosing a double reed with a conical bore and keys operated by
the fingers

2.  player
of oboe:
somebody who plays an oboe
[Late
17th century. Via Italian from French hautbois (see hautboy ).]
—o·bo·ist, noun[1]



oboeda caccia

oboeda caccia
o·boe
da cac·cia 
[ bō də kchə] noun

early
oboe:
an early form of oboe from which the cor anglais was developed
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “hunting oboe.”][1]



oboed’amore

oboed’amore
o·boe
d’a·mo·re 
[ bō daa máw rày] (plural o·boes
d’a·mo·re) noun

low-pitched
oboe:
an oboe used mainly in baroque music that has a lower pitch than the standard
instrument
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “oboe of love.”][1]



obol

obol
ob·ol 
[óbbəl] (plural ob·ols) or
ob·o·lus [óbbələss] (plural ob·o·li
[óbbə l]) noun

ancient
Greek coin:
a coin or unit of weight used in ancient Greece, equal to one sixth of a
drachma
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek obolos “obol” (unit of weight and of money), variant of obelos
“a spit.”][1]



Obon

Obon
Ob·on
[ō bón] noun

Japanese festival:
a Buddhist festival celebrating All Souls, held in Japan from July 13 to 31[1]



obovate

obovate
ob·o·vate 
[o bṓ vàyt] adjective

BOTANY oval:
used to describe leaves that are oval with the narrow end at the base
[Late 18th century. Coined
from ob- + ovate
.][1]



obovoid

obovoid
ob·o·void 
[o bṓ vòyd] adjective

BOTANY egg-shaped:
used to describe fruits that are egg-shaped, with the narrow end at the base
[Early 19th century. Coined
from ob- + ovoid
.][1]



obruk

obruk
ob·ruk
[ób rk] noun

duty of Russian peasants:
work obligations owed by Russian peasants to either their aristocratic
landlords or the state during the 18th century[1]



obs.

obs.
obs.

1.  Abbreviation
of
obscure

2.  Abbreviation
of
observation

3.  obs.
or Obs. ASTRONOMY Abbreviation
of observatory

4.  Abbreviation
of
obsolete

5.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of obstetrics

[1]



obscene

obscene
ob·scene 
[ob sn] adjective

1.  indecent:
offensive to conventional standards of decency, especially by being sexually
explicit

2.  disgusting:
disgusting and morally offensive, especially because of showing total disregard
for other people
[Late
16th century. Via Old French from Latin obscenus “ill-omened, offensive,
hateful,” of unknown origin.]
—ob·scene·ly, adverb[1]



obscenity

obscenity
ob·scen·i·ty 
[əb sénnətee, ob
sénnətee] (plural ob·scen·i·ties) noun

1.  indecency:
offensiveness to conventional standards of decency, especially as a result of
sexual explicitness

2.  obscene
expression:
a word, phrase, or statement that is offensive, especially because of being
sexually explicit

3.  something
obscene:
something that is disgusting and morally offensive

[1]



obscurant

obscurant
ob·scur·ant 
[əb skyrənt, ob
skyrənt] noun (plural ob·scur·ants) adjective

See
obscurantist
adjective

causing
obscurity:
concealing something or making it obscure (literary)
[Late 18th century. Via
German from Latin obscurant-, present participle stem of obscurare
“to make dark,” from obscurus (see obscure
).][1]



obscurantist

obscurantist
ob·scur·ant·ist
[əb skyrəntist, ob
skyrəntist] or ob·scur·ant [əb
skyrəntist, ob skyrəntist] adjective

opposed
to new ideas: opposing or hindering the spread of new
ideas and new social or political developments
noun
(plural ob·scur·ant·ists) (plural ob·scur·ants)

opponent
of new ideas: somebody who opposes or hinders the
spread of new ideas and new social or political developments
—ob·scur·ant·ism, noun[1]



obscure

obscure
ob·scure 
[əb skyr, ob
skyr] adjective

1.  hard
to understand: difficult to understand because of not
being fully or clearly expressed • an
obscure passage in the manuscript

2.  indistinct:
not able to be seen or heard distinctly

3.  unimportant
or unknown:
not important or well-known • an
obscure portrait painter

4.  known
to few people: unknown to most people, for example,
because of being hidden or remote

5.  dark:
dark, shadowy, or clouded • an
obscure corner of the hall

6.  LINGUISTICS unstressed:
used to describe a vowel that has a neutral, unstressed pronunciation (technical)
transitive
verb
(past ob·scured, past participle ob·scured, present
participle ob·scur·ing, 3rd person present singular ob·scures)

1.  make
unclear:
to make something unclear, indistinct, or hidden

2.  darken:
to make something dark or cover something with cloud
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin obscurus “dark, unknown,” literally
“covered over,” from the base - scurus “covered.”]
—ob·scu·ra·tion
[òbskyə ráysh’n], noun

—ob·scure·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  obscure, abstruse, recondite,
  arcane, cryptic, enigmatic
  CORE
  MEANING: difficult
  to comprehend obscure; a general
  word for something that is difficult to understand because it is expressed in
  a complicated way or because it involves areas of knowledge or study that are
  not known to most people; abstruse;
  a formal word for something that is difficult to understand, often because it
  involves specialist knowledge or is expressed in specialist language; recondite; a formal word for something that
  is difficult to understand without a high degree of scholarship or specialist
  knowledge; arcane; a formal word
  for something secret known only to very few people; cryptic; puzzling, often because it is
  expressed in code or in terms that only some people would understand; enigmatic; having a quality of mystery and
  ambiguity that makes it difficult to understand or interpret

[1]



obscurely

obscurely
ob·scure·ly
[əb skyrlee, ob
skyrlee] adverb

1.  unclearly:
in a way that is not clear, definite, or easy to understand

2.  dimly:
dimly or indistinctly

3.  away
from people’s attention: in a place or position that
is remote, secluded, or not prominent or well-known

[1]



obscurity

obscurity
ob·scu·ri·ty 
[əb skyrətee, ob
skyrətee] (plural ob·scu·ri·ties) noun

1.  state
of being unknown: a state of being unknown or
inconspicuous • plucked from obscurity
to star in a Broadway musical

2.  unclearness:
difficulty in being understood or unclearness of meaning

3.  somebody
or something obscure: an obscure person or thing

[1]



obsecrate

obsecrate
ob·se·crate 
[óbsə kràyt] (past ob·se·crat·ed,
past participle ob·se·crat·ed, present participle ob·se·crat·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·se·crates) transitive verb

beseech:
to beseech a god or important person to give or do something (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From Latin obsecrat-, the past participle stem of obsecrare
“to beseech (in the name of something sacred),” ultimately from sacer
(see sacred ).]
—ob·se·cra·tion [òbsə kráysh’n], noun[1]



obsequent

obsequent
ob·se·quent
[óbsəkwənt] adjective

GEOGRAPHY flowing
against main current: used to describe a river,
stream, or drainage system that flows into a subsidiary ( subsequent ) river in a direction contrary to that
of the flow of the main ( consequent ) river
[Late 19th century. From
Latin obsequent-, present participle stem of obsequi “to comply,”
literally “to follow towards,” from sequi “to follow” (see sequence ).][1]



obsequies

obsequies
ob·se·quies
[óbsəkweez] plural noun

funeral
rites:
rites or ceremonies carried out at a funeral
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from late Latin obsequiae, alteration (influenced by obsequium
“compliance,” see obsequious ) of exequiae,
literally “those following out (to the grave),” from exsequi (see execute ).][1]



obsequious

obsequious
ob·se·qui·ous 
[əb s kwee əss, ob
s kwee əss] adjective

too
eager to please or obey: excessively eager to please
or to obey all instructions
[15th
century. From Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium “compliance,”
from obsequi (see obsequent ).]
—ob·se·qui·ous·ly,
adverb

—ob·se·qui·ous·ness, noun[1]



observable

observable
ob·serv·a·ble 
[əb zúrvəb’l] adjective

1.  noticeable:
able to be seen or detected

2.  worthy:
worthy of notice and attention (archaic)

3.  requiring
respect:
needing to be followed or respected (archaic)
noun
(plural ob·serv·a·bles)

something directly measurable:
something such as temperature that can be measured or observed directly
—ob·serv·a·bil·i·ty [əb zùrvə bíllətee], noun[1]



observably

observably
ob·serv·a·bly
[əb zúrvəblee] adverb

noticeably:
in a way or to an extent that can be seen or detected[1]



observance

observance
ob·ser·vance 
[əb zúrvənss] (plural ob·ser·vanc·es)
noun

1.  compliance:
the execution of or compliance with laws, instructions, or customs

2.  ritual:
a custom, ritual, or ceremony, especially a religious one

3.  performance
of religious ceremonies: the celebration of a
religious occasion, or the practice of a religious rite, ceremony, or action

4.  religious
rule:
a rule of a religious order

5.  observation:
careful watching or close attention

[1]



observant

observant
ob·ser·vant 
[əb zúrvənt] adjective

1.  attentive:
paying such careful attention that little or nothing is unnoticed

2.  obedient:
carrying out rituals or obeying laws, especially religious ones
—ob·ser·vant·ly, adverb[1]



observation

observation
ob·ser·va·tion 
[òbzər váysh’n] (plural ob·ser·va·tions)
noun

1.  paying
attention:
the attentive watching of somebody or something

2.  observing
of developments in something: the careful observing and
recording of something that is happening, for example, a natural phenomenon

3.  remark
or comment:
a remark or comment on something that has been noticed

4.  record
of something seen or noted: the result or record of
observing something such as a natural phenomenon and noting developments

5.  act
of observing or obeying: the act of observing a
religious occasion or ritual or of obeying a law or rule

6.  NAVIGATION sighting
with navigational instrument: a sighting with a
navigational instrument to establish the observer’s position in relation to a
heavenly body such as the Sun

7.  NAVIGATION navigational
instrument reading: the reading taken from a
navigational instrument that has been used to find the observer’s position in
relation to a heavenly body
—ob·ser·va·tion·al,
adjective

—ob·ser·va·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



observationcar

observationcar
ob·ser·va·tion
car
(plural ob·ser·va·tion cars) noun

railroad viewing car:
a railroad car fitted with extra or larger windows and often a partly
transparent roof to allow passengers a better view of passing scenery[1]



observationpost

observationpost
ob·ser·va·tion
post
(plural ob·ser·va·tion posts) noun

place to watch from:
a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements and direct artillery
fire[1]



observatory

observatory
ob·ser·va·to·ry 
[əb zúrvə tàwree] (plural ob·ser·va·to·ries)
noun

1.  place
for scientific observations: a building, station, or
artificial satellite used for scientific observation of natural phenomena such
as astronomical objects, the weather, or earthquakes

2.  place
for looking at view: a place or building that
commands an expansive view

[1]



observe

observe
ob·serve 
[əb zúrv] (past ob·served, past
participle ob·served, present participle ob·serv·ing, 3rd
person present singular ob·serves) verb

1.  transitive
verb
notice:
to see or notice something, especially while watching carefully

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb watch
attentively: to watch somebody or something
attentively, especially for scientific purposes

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
formal witness: to be a formal witness to something

4.  intransitive
verb
be
spectator:
to watch something without taking part

5.  transitive
verb
comment:
to make a comment or remark on something seen or noticed

6.  transitive
verb
comply
with:
to carry out or comply with something such as a law or custom

7.  transitive
verb
celebrate
festival:
to celebrate or keep a religious or traditional festival
[14th century. Via Old French
observer from Latin observare, literally “to watch toward,” from servare
“to watch, pay attention.”][1]



observer

observer
ob·serv·er 
[əb zúrvər] (plural ob·serv·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who sees or watches something: somebody who observes
something that is happening

2.  nonparticipating
witness:
somebody who attends something as a witness, often a formal one, without taking
part

3.  somebody
observing ceremony or obeying law: somebody who observes
a religious ceremony or ritual, or obeys a rule or law

4.  aircraft
identifier:
somebody trained in identifying aircraft

5.  watcher
of enemy movements: a soldier who watches enemy
movements or directs artillery fire

[1]



obsess

obsess
ob·sess 
[əb séss, ob
séss] (past ob·sessed, past participle ob·sessed,
present participle ob·sess·ing, 3rd person present singular
ob·sess·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
preoccupy:
to occupy somebody’s thoughts constantly and exclusively • The
desire for vengeance obsesses him.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
preoccupied with: to think or worry about something
constantly and compulsively • You
can’t spend your vacation obsessing about money.
[Early 16th century. From
Latin obsess-, past participle stem of obsidere “to besiege,”
literally “to sit opposite to,” from sedere “to sit” (source of English session ).][1]



obsession

obsession
ob·ses·sion 
[əb sésh’n, ob
sésh’n] (plural ob·ses·sions) noun

1.  preoccupation:
an idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind

2.  state
of being obsessed: the state of being obsessed
by somebody or something • Their
devotion to each other borders on obsession.

3.  PSYCHIATRY uncontrollable
persistence of idea: the uncontrollable
persistence of an idea or emotion in the mind, sometimes associated with
psychiatric disorder
—ob·ses·sion·al,
adjective

—ob·ses·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



obsessive

obsessive
ob·ses·sive 
[əb séssiv, ob
séssiv] adjective

1.  resembling
obsession:
amounting to an obsession or as strong as an obsession

2.  worrying
uncontrollably: worrying compulsively about a particular
thing, or things generally
noun
(plural ob·ses·sives)

PSYCHIATRY somebody
with an obsession: somebody who has an
obsession or a tendency to form obsessions
—ob·ses·sive·ly,
adverb

—ob·ses·sive·ness, noun[1]



obsessive-compulsive

obsessive-compulsive
ob·ses·sive-com·pul·sive 
adjective

PSYCHIATRY with
obsessive-compulsive disorder: with or characteristic
of obsessive-compulsive disorder such as hand-washing
noun
(plural ob·ses·sive-com·pul·sives)

obsessive-compulsive person:
somebody with obsessive-compulsive disorder[1]



obsessive-compulsivedisorder

obsessive-compulsivedisorder
ob·ses·sive-com·pul·sive
dis·or·der
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
psychiatric condition of compulsive
behavior: a psychiatric disorder
characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior, for example,
continual washing of the hands prompted by a feeling of uncleanliness[1]



obsidian

obsidian
ob·sid·i·an 
[əb síddee ən, ob
síddee ən] (plural ob·sid·i·ans) noun

jet-black
volcanic glass: a jet-black volcanic glass, chemically
similar to granite and formed by the rapid cooling of molten lava, that was
used by early civilizations for manufacturing tools and ceremonial objects
[14th century. From Latin (lapis)
Obsidianus, a copyist’s error for Obsianus “(stone) of Obsius,” a
Roman who according to Pliny the Elder discovered this or a similar stone in
Ethiopia.][1]



obsolesce

obsolesce
ob·so·lesce 
[òbsə léss] (past ob·so·lesced,
past participle ob·so·lesced, present participle ob·so·lesc·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·so·lesc·es) intransitive verb

become
obsolete:
to become obsolete by being replaced by something new
[Late 19th century. From
Latin obsolescere (see obsolescent
).][1]



obsolescence

obsolescence
ob·so·les·cence 
[òbsə léss’ns] noun

state of becoming obsolete:
the state of becoming obsolete by being replaced by something new[1]



obsolescent

obsolescent
ob·so·les·cent 
[òbsə léss’nt] adjective

becoming
obsolete:
becoming obsolete or disappearing from use or existence by being replaced by
something new
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin obsolescent-, present participle stem of obsolescere
“to wear out, decay,” from solere “to be accustomed.”]
—ob·so·les·cent·ly, adverb[1]



obsolete

obsolete
ob·so·lete 
[òbsə lt] adjective

1.  not
used any more: no longer in use because replaced by
something new

2.  out-of-date:
superseded by something newer, though possibly still in use

3.  BIOLOGY undeveloped:
used to describe a part or organ of an animal or plant that is undeveloped or
no longer functional
[Late
16th century. From Latin obsoletus, past participle of obsolescere
(see obsolescent ).]
—ob·so·lete·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



obstacle

obstacle
ob·sta·cle 
[óbstək’l] (plural ob·sta·cles)
noun

1.  hindrance:
somebody or something that hinders or prevents progress

2.  something
in way:
something that blocks or impedes a road, passage, or somebody’s way

3.  SPORTS hurdle:
a fence or hedge set up for horses to jump over in show jumping
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin obstaculum, from obstare “to stand in the way, block,”
from stare “to stand.”][1]



obstaclecourse

obstaclecourse
ob·sta·cle
course
(plural ob·sta·cle cours·es) noun

1.  MILITARY training
area for soldiers: a training area where
soldiers have to get past various obstacles such as ditches or high walls as
quickly as possible.
U.K.
term
assault course

2.  SPORTS sports
course:
an area similar to a military obstacle course, used by competitors in an
obstacle race

[1]



obstaclerace

obstaclerace
ob·sta·cle
race
(plural ob·sta·cle rac·es) noun

race with obstacles:
a race in which competitors have to get past a range of obstacles[1]



obstet.

obstet.
obstet.

1.  Abbreviation
of
obstetric

2.  Abbreviation
of
obstetrics

[1]



obstetric

obstetric
ob·stet·ric 
[ob stéttrik] adjective

of
childbirth:
relating to childbirth or obstetrics
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
obstetricius “of a midwife,” from the stem obstetric- “midwife,”
literally “woman who is present, stands before,” from, ultimately, stare
“to stand.”][1]



obstetrician

obstetrician
ob·ste·tri·cian 
[òbstə trísh’n] (plural ob·ste·tri·cians)
noun

pregnancy doctor:
a doctor who specializes in pregnancy, delivering babies, and the care of women
after childbirth[1]



obstetrics

obstetrics
ob·stet·rics 
[ob stéttriks] noun

medical care during pregnancy
and childbirth: the branch of medicine
that deals with the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth, and for some
six weeks following delivery (takes a singular verb)[1]



obstinacy

obstinacy
ob·sti·na·cy 
[óbstinəssee] (plural ob·sti·na·cies)
noun

1.  stubbornness:
the quality of being obstinate

2.  obstinate
act:
an example of obstinate behavior

[1]



obstinate

obstinate
ob·sti·nate 
[óbstinət] adjective

1.  stubborn:
determined not to agree with other people’s wishes or accept their suggestions

2.  refusing
to change:
unwilling to change or give up something such as an idea or attitude

3.  difficult
to control:
difficult to control, get rid of, solve, or cure • an
obstinate blockage in the pipe
[14th
century. From Latin obstinatus, past participle of obstinare “to
be resolved,” literally “to stand by,” from stare “to stand.”]
—ob·sti·nate·ly,
adverb

—ob·sti·nate·ness, noun[1]



obstipation

obstipation
ob·sti·pa·tion
[òbstə páysh’n] noun

severe
constipation: severe constipation, often caused by a
blockage in the intestines
[Late 16th century. From the
late Latin stem obstipation-, literally “pressing in the way of,” from stipare
“to press.”][1]



obstreperous

obstreperous
ob·strep·er·ous 
[ob stréppərəss] adjective

1.  noisy:
noisily and aggressively boisterous

2.  unruly:
strongly objecting to something or noisily refusing to be controlled
[Late
16th century. From Latin obstreperus “clamorous,” literally “rattling
against,” from, ultimately, strepere “to rattle, rustle.”]
—ob·strep·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—ob·strep·er·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



obstruct

obstruct
ob·struct 
[ob strúkt, əb
strúkt] (past ob·struct·ed, past participle ob·struct·ed,
present participle ob·struct·ing, 3rd person present singular
ob·structs) transitive verb

1.  block:
to block a road, course, or passage

2.  hinder:
to hinder or impede somebody or something

3.  impede
view:
to be in the way and prevent a clear view
[Early
17th century. From Latin obstructus, past participle of obstruere,
“to build up against,” from struere “to heap up, pile.”]
—ob·struc·tor,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hinder

[1]



obstruction

obstruction
ob·struc·tion 
[əb strúkshən, ob
strúkshən] (plural ob·struc·tions) noun

1.  block
or hindrance: somebody or something that causes or
forms a blockage or hindrance

2.  act
of blocking: an act of blocking or hindering of
somebody or something

3.  state
of being blocked: the state of being obstructed

4.  delaying
of something: the deliberate delaying of the business
of something such as a legislative body

5.  SPORTS unfair
impeding of opponent: in soccer, the unfair
impeding of an opposing player or competitor

[1]



obstructionist

obstructionist
ob·struc·tion·ist 
[əb strúkshənist, ob
strúkshənist] adjective

using
delaying tactics: deliberately causing delay or impeding
progress
noun
(plural ob·struc·tion·ists)

somebody
who delays something: somebody who deliberately
causes delay or impedes progress
—ob·struc·tion·is·tic
[əb strùkshə nístik, ob strùkshə nístik], adjective

—ob·struc·tion·ism [əb strúkshə nìzzəm, ob
strúkshə nìzzəm], noun[1]



obstructionof justice

obstructionof justice
ob·struc·tion
of jus·tice
(plural ob·struc·tions of jus·tice) noun

obstructing of legal process:
the criminal offense of obstructing the administration and process of the law[1]



obstructive

obstructive
ob·struc·tive
[əb strúktiv, ob
strúktiv] adjective

1.  uncooperative:
hindering or preventing the progress of something

2.  MEDICINE of or
caused by obstruction: relating to or caused by the
obstruction of a passage in the body
—ob·struc·tive·ly,
adverb

—ob·struc·tive·ness, noun[1]



obstructivesleep apnea

obstructivesleep apnea
ob·struc·tive
sleep ap·ne·a noun

MEDICINE
stopping of breathing while asleep:
cessation or restriction of breathing during sleep that results in loud snoring[1]



obstruent

obstruent
ob·stru·ent 
[ób stroo ənt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE obstructing
passage in body: obstructing or closing a passage in the
body, for example, the intestinal tract

2.  PHONETICS produced
by cutoff of air: used to describe a speech sound produced
by a stoppage of air from the lungs
noun
(plural ob·stru·ents)

1.  MEDICINE obstruction:
something that obstructs or closes a passage in the body

2.  PHONETICS sound
produced by cutoff of air: a speech sound produced by a
stoppage of air from the lungs.
See
also
sonorant
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
obstruent-, the present participle stem of obstruere (see obstruct ).][1]



obtain

obtain
ob·tain 
[ob táyn] (past ob·tained, past
participle ob·tained, present participle ob·tain·ing, 3rd
person present singular ob·tains) verb

1.  transitive
verb
get:
to get possession of something, especially by making an effort or having the
necessary qualifications

2.  intransitive
verb
be
established: to be established, valid, or current • under
the regulations that obtained at the time

3.  intransitive
verb
result:
to follow as a result (formal) • the
unfortunate situation that obtains when such diverse elements are forced
together

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb arrive
at:
to reach a place or goal (archaic)
[15th
century. Via Old French obtenir from Latin obtinere “to take hold
of,” literally “to hold to,” from tenere “to hold” (source of English tenant ).]
—ob·tain·er,
noun

—ob·tain·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at get

[1]



obtainable

obtainable
ob·tain·a·ble
[ob táynəb’l] adjective

available:
able to be obtained or reached[1]



obtrude

obtrude
ob·trude 
[ob trd] (past ob·trud·ed, past
participle ob·trud·ed, present participle ob·trud·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·trudes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb impose:
to impose something such as opinions or yourself on other people

2.  transitive
verb
push
out:
to push something out or forward

3.  intransitive
verb
appear
unwelcome:
to appear or be present in a way that is unwelcome but cannot be ignored “Not a
leaf stirred; not a sound obtruded upon great Nature’s meditation.” Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1875
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin obtrudere “to thrust against,” from trudere
“to thrust.”]
—ob·trud·er,
noun

—ob·tru·sion [ob trzh’n], noun[1]



obtrusive

obtrusive
ob·tru·sive 
[ob trssiv] adjective

1.  annoying:
tending to force your presence or opinions on other people • plagued
by an obtrusive photographer

2.  highly
noticeable:
highly noticeable, often with a bad or unwelcome effect

3.  sticking
out:
projecting or sticking out
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin obtrusus, past participle of obtrudere
(see obtrude ).]
—ob·tru·sive·ly,
adverb

—ob·tru·sive·ness, noun[1]



obtund

obtund
ob·tund 
[ob túnd] (past ob·tund·ed, past
participle ob·tund·ed, present participle ob·tund·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·tunds) transitive verb

make
dull:
to blunt, dull, or deaden something (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin obtundere “to strike against, blunt,” from tundere
“to beat, strike.”]
—ob·tund·ent, adjective[1]



obtuse

obtuse

ob·tuse 
[əb tss, ob
tss] adjective

1.  slow
to understand: slow to understand or perceive something

2.  MATHEMATICS between
90º and 180º: used to describe an angle greater than
90º and less than 180º

3.  MATHEMATICS with
internal angle greater than 90º: used to describe a
triangle with one internal angle greater than 90º

4.  blunt:
not sharp or pointed

5.  BOTANY with
rounded or blunt tip: used to describe a leaf that
has a rounded or blunt tip
[Early
16th century. From Latin obtusus “blunted,” past participle of obtundere
(see obtund ).]
—ob·tuse·ly,
adverb

—ob·tuse·ness, noun[1]



obverse

obverse
ob·verse 
noun [ób vùrs, ob vúrs, əb vúrs]
(plural ob·vers·es)

1.  main
side of coin or medal: the side of a coin or medal
that has the more important design on it, especially a head.
See
also
reverse

2.  counterpart:
a counterpart, complement, or opposite

3.  LOGIC equivalent
categorical proposition: a proposition derived from
another proposition by denying it and then negating the predicate, for example,
“Everything is possible” becomes “Nothing is impossible”
adjective
[ob vúrs, əb
vúrs, ób vùrs]

1.  visible:
facing an observer

2.  being
a counterpart: forming a counterpart to something else

3.  BOTANY narrower
at base:
used to describe a leaf that is narrower at the base than the tip
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
obversus, past participle of obvertere (see obvert ).][1]



obversion

obversion
ob·ver·sion 
[ob vúrzh’n, əb
vúrzh’n] noun

1.  process
of showing other side: the process of turning
something so that the other side is seen

2.  LOGIC forming
of obverse of proposition: the process of forming the
obverse of a proposition

[1]



obvert

obvert
ob·vert 
[ob vúrt] (past ob·vert·ed, past
participle ob·vert·ed, present participle ob·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·verts) transitive verb

1.  show
other side of: to turn something such as a coin or
medal so that the other side is seen

2.  LOGIC form
obverse of:
to convert a proposition to its obverse
[Early 17th century. From
Latin obvertere “to turn toward,” from vertere “to turn.”][1]



obviate

obviate
ob·vi·ate 
[óbvee àyt] (past ob·vi·at·ed,
past participle ob·vi·at·ed, present participle ob·vi·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ob·vi·ates) transitive verb

1.  make
unnecessary: to render something unnecessary (formal)

2.  to
anticipate and dispose of: to avoid an anticipated
difficulty by doing something to prevent its arising
[Late
16th century. From Latin obviat-, past participle stem of obviare
“to withstand,” literally “to stand in the way of,” from via “way.”]
—ob·vi·a·tion
[òbvee áysh’n], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  obviate
  the need for
  Because
  one of the meanings of obviate is “to make
  unnecessary,” it is sometimes argued that • obviate
  the need
  (or • necessity
  ) • for
  is redundant. An older but still current meaning, however, is “to anticipate
  and dispose of” obstacles, that is, “to do away with” them. In a sentence
  like • Addressing
  these issues early can obviate any need for a joint resolution,
  the need can be perceived as an obstacle —or early consideration can make the
  resolution unnecessary, in which case any need for is indeed
  redundant. There is little reason to prefer either interpretation to the
  other, except that the meaning “to make unnecessary” allows much the same
  thought to be expressed with fewer words.

[1]



obvious

obvious
ob·vi·ous 
[óbvee əss] adjective

1.  easy
to see:
easy to see or understand because not concealed, difficult, or ambiguous

2.  unsubtle:
lacking subtlety or any attempt at concealment
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin obvius “in the way,” hence “readily
seen,” from via “way” (source of English voyage
).]
—ob·vi·ous·ness, noun[1]



obviously

obviously
ob·vi·ous·ly
[óbvee əsslee] adverb

1.  clearly:
in a way or to an extent that is obvious

2.  undoubtedly:
used to suggest that there can be no doubt or uncertainty about something • They
want you to do it, obviously.

[1]



obvolute

obvolute
ob·vo·lute
[óbvə lt] adjective

BOTANY overlapping:
used to describe leaves or petals that are folded so as to overlap each other
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin obvolutus, past participle of obvolvere “to
wrap around,” from volvere “to roll.”]
—ob·vo·lu·tion
[òbvə lsh’n], noun

—ob·vo·lu·tive [óbvə ltiv], adjective[1]



Ob’-Irtysh

Ob’-Irtysh
Ob’·-Ir·tysh

river system in western
Siberia, and the longest in Asia, incorporating the rivers Irtysh and Ob’.
Length: 5,410 km/3,362 mi.[1]



o/c

o/c
o/c

Abbreviation of
overcharge[1]



O.C.

O.C.
O.C.

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
Officer Commanding

2.  STAMPS Abbreviation of
original cover

[1]



o.c.

o.c.
o.c.

Abbreviation
of
in the work cited
[Shortening of Latin opere
citato][1]



Oc.

Oc.
Oc.
or oc.

GEOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of Ocean[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oca

oca
oca 
[ṓkə] (plural ocas) noun

1.  PLANTS S
American plant with edible tubers: a South American plant
grown for its edible tubers. Genus: Oxalis

2.  FOOD edible
oca tuber:
the edible tuber of the oca plant
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua ócca .][1]



Ocala

Ocala
O·cal·a 
[ō kállə]

city and county seat of
Marion County, northern Florida, situated 56 km/35 mi south of Gainesville.
Population: 42,045 (1990)[1]



OCanada

OCanada
O
Can·a·da
noun

Canadian national anthem:
the title of the national anthem of Canada[1]



ocarina

ocarina


oc·a·ri·na 
[òkə rnə] (plural oc·a·ri·nas)
noun
wind
instrument:
a simple wind instrument related to the flute that has an oval body, finger
holes, and a protruding mouthpiece
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “little goose” (from its shape), from oca “goose,”
from assumed Vulgar Latin avica, ultimately from Latin avis
“bird.”][1]



OCAS

OCAS
OCAS

Abbreviation of
Organization of Central American States[1]



occ.

occ.
occ.

1.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
occident

2.  Abbreviation
of
occupation

[1]



Occam’srazor

Occam’srazor
Oc·cam’s
ra·zor 
noun

See
Ockham’s razor[1]



occas.

occas.
occas.

1.  Abbreviation
of
occasional

2.  Abbreviation
of
occasionally

[1]



occasion

occasion
oc·ca·sion 
[ə káyzh’n] noun (plural oc·ca·sions)

1.  particular
time:
a particular time, especially a time when something happens

2.  chance
or opportunity: a chance or opportunity to do something
• You
might never have another occasion to do it.

3.  cause
or reason:
a cause of or reason for something • He has
no occasion to criticize me.

4.  need:
the need for something or to do something • has
never had occasion to use it

5.  important
event:
an important or special event
plural
noun
oc·ca·sions

somebody’s business:
somebody’s business or needs (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past oc·ca·sioned, past participle oc·ca·sioned, present
participle oc·ca·sion·ing, 3rd person present singular oc·ca·sions)

cause: to
cause or lead to something
[14th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem occasion- “falling down,
happening,” ultimately from cadere “to fall.”]
on
occasion

from time to time[1]



occasional

occasional
oc·ca·sion·al 
[ə káyzhən’l, ə
káyzhnəl] adjective

1.  infrequent:
happening, seen, used, or doing something from time to time but not regularly
or frequently

2.  relating
to special event: done for or connected with a special
event • occasional
verse

3.  FURNITURE designed
for use from time to time: intended for use as needed,
but not essential or in constant use • an
occasional table

4.  causing:
serving as the cause of something (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at periodic

[1]



occasionally

occasionally
oc·ca·sion·al·ly 
[ə káyzhən’lee, ə
káyzhnəlee] adverb

sometimes:
from time to time, but not regularly or frequently[1]



occident

occident
oc·ci·dent 
[óksidənt, óksi
dènt] noun

west:
the west (literary or formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin occident-, the present participle of occidere “to fall
down, set (of the sun),” ultimately from cadere “to fall.”][1]



Occident

Occident
Oc·ci·dent 
[óksid’nt] noun

western hemisphere:
the western hemisphere, especially the countries in Europe and America.
See also
Orient[1]



Occidental

Occidental
Oc·ci·den·tal 
adjective

PEOPLES of
Occident:
relating to any of the countries of the Occident, or their peoples or cultures.

See
also
Oriental
noun
(plural Oc·ci·den·tals)

Westerner:
somebody who lives in or comes from the West.
See also
Oriental[1]



occidental

occidental
oc·ci·den·tal 
[òksi dénnt’l] adjective

western:
western (literary or formal)[1]



occidentalize

occidentalize
oc·ci·den·tal·ize
[òksi dént’l z] (past oc·ci·den·tal·ized,
past participle oc·ci·den·tal·ized, present participle oc·ci·den·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular oc·ci·den·tal·iz·es) or Oc·ci·den·tal·ize
[òksi dént’l z] transitive verb

westernize:
to make somebody or something conform to the culture of the West[1]



occipita

occipita
oc·cip·i·ta


Plural of
occiput[1]



occipital

occipital
oc·cip·i·tal 
[ok síppət’l] adjective

of
back of head: relating to or located at the back of
the head or skull
noun
(plural oc·cip·i·tals)

See
occipital bone
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin occipitalis, from Latin occiput (see
occiput ).]
—oc·cip·i·tal·ly, adverb[1]



occipitalbone

occipitalbone

oc·cip·i·tal bone
(plural oc·cip·i·tal bones) noun
bone at back of skull:
the saucer-shaped bone at the rear of the skull that connects with the spinal
column and has an opening at its base through which the spinal cord passes.
Also called
occipital[1]



occipitallobe

occipitallobe

oc·cip·i·tal lobe
(plural oc·cip·i·tal lobes) noun
back part of brain:
the pyramid-shaped area at the back of each hemisphere of the brain that deals
with the interpretation of vision[1]



occiput

occiput
oc·ci·put 
[óksi pùt] (plural oc·ci·puts or
oc·cip·i·ta [ok síppətə]) noun

ANATOMY back
of head:
the back part of the head or skull
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “back of the head,” from caput “head.”][1]



occlude

occlude
oc·clude 
[ə kld] (past oc·clud·ed, past
participle oc·clud·ed, present participle oc·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular oc·cludes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
stop
up:
to block or stop up something such as a passage

2.  transitive
verb
cut
off flow of: to cut off or prevent the flow or
passage of something such as light or liquid

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb DENTISTRY align teeth properly:
to align the upper and lower teeth in the proper position for chewing or for
being in normal contact when the mouth is closed

4.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY absorb
or adsorb:
to absorb or adsorb a liquid or gas on the surface of or within a solid

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb METEOROLOGY form occluded front:
to form an occluded front, or to undercut a mass of warm air so that it is no
longer in contact with the earth’s surface
[Late 16th century. From
Latin occludere “to close up,” from claudere “to close” (see close ).][1]



occludedfront

occludedfront
oc·clud·ed
front 
(plural oc·clud·ed fronts) noun

METEOROLOGY
warm air forced above cold air:
a composite front formed when a cold air mass meets and undercuts a warm air
mass, and forces the warm air upwards and away from contact with the earth’s
surface.
Also called
occlusion[1]



occlusal

occlusal
oc·clu·sal 
[ə klss’l] adjective

of biting surface of molar:
relating to the biting surface of a molar or pre-molar tooth[1]



occlusion

occlusion
oc·clu·sion 
[ə klzh’n] (plural oc·clu·sions)
noun

1.  act
of occluding: an act of occluding or the state of
being occluded

2.  obstruction:
something that obstructs or occludes

3.  METEOROLOGY See occluded front

4.  DENTISTRY meeting
of upper and lower teeth: the relation between the
upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed and their surfaces come in contact

5.  closure
of hollow organ: the closure of a hollow organ such as
the vocal tract in articulating a speech sound

6.  CHEMISTRY absorption
or adsorption of liquid: the absorption or adsorption
of a liquid or gas on or in a solid
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin occlus-, past participle stem of occludere (see occlude ).][1]



occlusive

occlusive
oc·clu·sive 
[ə klssiv] adjective

of
occlusion:
relating to, involving, or producing an occlusion
noun
(plural oc·clu·sives)

closed speech sound:
a speech sound that involves a closure of the vocal tract[1]



occult

occult
oc·cult 
[ə kúlt] adjective

1.  supposedly
supernatural or magic: relating to, involving, or
typical of the supposed supernatural, magic, or witchcraft

2.  not
understandable: not capable of being understood by
ordinary human beings

3.  secret:
secret or known only to the initiated

4.  MEDICINE hidden:
used to describe a diseased condition that is hidden or difficult to detect

5.  MEDICINE difficult
to see:
not visible to the naked eye, and only detectable by microscope or chemical
testing
noun

the supposed supernatural:
the realm of the supposed supernatural, magic, or witchcraft
intransitive
and transitive verb (past oc·cult·ed,
past participle oc·cult·ed, present participle oc·cult·ing,
3rd person present singular oc·cults)

1.  ASTRONOMY temporarily
hide celestial body: to hide a celestial body
temporarily by moving between it and an observer, or to be hidden in this way

2.  hide
or be hidden: to hide something from view or be hidden
from view
[Early
16th century. From Latin occultus, past participle of occulere
“to conceal,” of uncertain origin: probably literally “to conceal over,” from celare
“to hide.”]
—oc·cult·ly,
adverb

—oc·cult·ness, noun[1]



occultation

occultation
oc·cul·ta·tion 
[ò kul táysh’n] (plural oc·cul·ta·tions)
noun

1.  temporary
disappearance of celestial body: the temporary complete
or partial disappearance of a celestial body when another moves between it and
an observer

2.  act
of hiding:
an act of hiding something from view or the state of being hidden from view

[1]



occultism

occultism
oc·cult·ism 
[ə kúl tìzzəm] noun

belief in the supposed
supernatural: the belief in and study
of the supposed supernatural, magic, or witchcraft[1]



occupancy

occupancy
oc·cu·pan·cy 
[ókyəpənsee] (plural oc·cu·pan·cies)
noun

1.  act
of occupying: the act or state of occupying something
such as a building or an official position

2.  level
of occupation: the level of occupation of a place • an
apartment building with high occupancy

3.  dwelling
place:
a building or part of a building where people can live

4.  time
of occupying: the period of time during which somebody
occupies something such as a building or an official position

5.  LAW possession
of unowned property: the act of taking possession
of property, especially land, that has no owner, with the intention of becoming
its owner

6.  LAW legal
preemption:
the presence of a higher level of government in an area of law that preempts
the law of the lower level • The federal
government’s occupancy of immigration law precludes state action.

[1]



occupant

occupant
oc·cu·pant 
[ókyəpənt] (plural oc·cu·pants)
noun

1.  holder
or resident: somebody who lives or works in a place,
or who holds a position of some sort

2.  LAW somebody
taking possession: somebody who takes
possession of property, especially land, that has no owner, with the intention
of becoming its owner

[1]



occupation

occupation
oc·cu·pa·tion 
[òkyə páysh’n] (plural oc·cu·pa·tions)
noun

1.  job:
the job by which somebody earns a living

2.  activity:
an activity on which time is spent

3.  act
of occupying: an act of occupying or the state of
being occupied

4.  MILITARY invasion:
the invasion and control of a country or area by enemy forces

5.  time
of occupying: the period of time during which
something is occupied

[1]



occupational

occupational
oc·cu·pa·tion·al 
adjective

relating
to work:
relating to or caused by somebody’s job
—oc·cu·pa·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



occupationaldisease

occupationaldisease
oc·cu·pa·tion·al
dis·ease
(plural oc·cu·pa·tion·al dis·eas·es) noun

disease caused by job:
a disease that is directly caused by the conditions of somebody’s work[1]



occupationalmedicine

occupationalmedicine
oc·cu·pa·tion·al
med·i·cine
(plural oc·cu·pa·tion·al med·i·cines) noun

medicine of occupational
diseases: the branch of medicine that
deals with work-related diseases and injuries incurred at work[1]



occupationaltherapy

occupationaltherapy
oc·cu·pa·tion·al
ther·a·py
noun

therapy
through activity: the use of regular periods of suitable
productive activity as part of the treatment of illness or medical condition
—oc·cu·pa·tion·al
ther·a·pist, noun[1]



occupy

occupy
oc·cu·py 
[ókyə p] (past oc·cu·pied, past
participle oc·cu·pied, present participle oc·cu·py·ing,
3rd person present singular oc·cu·pies) transitive verb

1.  live
in place:
to live in or be the established user of a place such as a home or office

2.  engage
somebody’s attention: to take up somebody’s time
or attention (often passive)

3.  fill
space or time: to take up a space or an amount of time
(often passive)

4.  MILITARY take
over place:
to invade and take control of a country, area, or building

5.  hold
position:
to hold a position or rank
[14th
century. Via Old French occuper from Latin occupare “to take hold
of,” literally “to take over,” ultimately from capere “to take” (source
of English captive ).]
—oc·cu·pi·er, noun[1]



occur

occur
oc·cur 
[ə kúr] (past oc·curred, past
participle oc·curred, present participle oc·cur·ring, 3rd
person present singular oc·curs) intransitive verb

1.  happen:
to happen or come about

2.  exist:
to exist or be present

3.  enter
mind:
to come into somebody’s mind • It
didn’t occur to him to lock the door.
[Early 16th century. From
Latin occurrere “to run to meet,” literally “to run against,” from currere
“to run” (see course ).][1]



occurrence

occurrence
oc·cur·rence 
[ə kúrrəns] (plural oc·cur·renc·es)
noun

1.  happening:
something that happens

2.  fact
of occurring: the fact or act of something happening
—oc·cur·rent, adjective[1]



OCD

OCD
OCD

Abbreviation of
obsessive-compulsive disorder[1]



ocean

ocean
o·cean 
[ṓsh’n] (plural o·ceans) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY large
sea:
a large expanse of salt water, especially any of the Earth’s five largest such
areas, the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic Oceans. The oceans
occupy huge regions of the Earth’s surface, and their boundaries are usually
established by continental land masses and ridges in the ocean floor.

2.  GEOGRAPHY Earth’s
seas together: the whole body of salt water on the
Earth

3.  large
amount:
a vast amount or expanse of something
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin oceanus, from Greek ōkeanos, the river surrounding the
disk of the Earth, later applied to the Atlantic.][1]



oceanarium

oceanarium
o·cean·ar·i·um 
[shə náiree əm] (plural o·cean·ar·i·ums
or o·cean·ar·i·a [shə náiree ə])
noun

aquarium
for marine life: a large saltwater aquarium for observing
and exhibiting marine animals and plants
[Mid-20th century. Blend of
ocean and aquarium .][1]



oceanaut

oceanaut
o·cea·naut 
[ṓshə nawt] (plural o·cea·nauts)
noun

underwater
swimmer with aqualung: somebody who swims
underwater in an ocean using an aqualung
[Mid-20th century. Blend of ocean and aquanaut
.][1]



OceanCity

OceanCity
O·cean
Cit·y
[ shənsíttee]

1.  town
and resort in Worcester County, southeastern Maryland, situated on a barrier
island. Population: 5,146 (1990)

2.  city
in Cape May County, southern New Jersey, situated on the Atlantic Ocean 16
km/10 mi southwest of Atlantic City. Population: 15,512 (1990)

[1]



oceanfront

oceanfront
o·cean·front 
[ṓsh’n frùnt] (plural o·cean·fronts)
noun

1.  land
bordering ocean: land next to the ocean (often used
before a noun) • oceanfront property

2.  OCEANOGRAPHY division
between warm and cold ocean: the point at which two
oceanic water masses of different thermal characteristics meet

[1]



oceangoing

oceangoing
o·cean·go·ing 
[ṓsh’n g ing] adjective

for travel on ocean:
built, equipped, or used for travel on the ocean[1]



oceangreyhound

oceangreyhound
o·cean
grey·hound
(plural o·cean grey·hounds) noun

fast liner:
a fast ocean liner[1]



Oceania

Oceania
O·ce·a·nia 
[shee ánnee ə]

geographical
region consisting of most of the smaller islands of the Pacific Ocean,
sometimes including Australia and New Zealand
—O·ce·an·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



oceanic

oceanic
o·ce·an·ic 
[shee ánnik] adjective

1.  in
or from an ocean: living, situated in, produced by, or
taking place in an ocean, especially the depths of the open sea

2.  GEOLOGY volcanic:
resulting from volcanic activity in the ocean • oceanic
island

3.  immense:
immense, vast, or overwhelming

[1]



Oceanic

Oceanic
O·ce·an·ic
noun

language
of Oceania:
a group of languages spoken mainly on the Pacific islands lying to the north
and east of Australia. It forms a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian family of
languages. About two million people speak one of the Oceanic languages.
adjective

of Oceania:
relating to any of the countries of Oceania, or their peoples or cultures[1]



oceanicridge

oceanicridge
o·ce·an·ic
ridge
(plural o·ce·an·ic ridg·es) noun

mountains under oceans:
any section of a range of underwater mountains, found in all major oceans[1]



oceanictrench

oceanictrench
o·ce·an·ic
trench
(plural o·ce·an·ic trench·es) noun

canyon on seabottom:
a long narrow deep furrow in the earth’s crust at the bottom of an ocean[1]



oceanography

oceanography
o·cean·og·ra·phy 
[shə nóggrəfee] noun

scientific
study of oceans: the scientific study of oceans,
including their chemistry, biology, and geology
—o·cean·og·ra·pher,
noun

—o·cean·o·graph·ic
[sh’nə gráffik], adjective

—o·cean·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[sh’nə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



oceanology

oceanology
o·cean·ol·o·gy 
[shə nólləjee] noun

practical
oceanography: the branch of oceanography that studies
how oceans may be used for economic or technological purposes
—o·cean·o·log·i·cal
[sh’nə lójjik’l], adjective

—o·cean·o·log·i·cal·ly
[sh’nə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



oceanperch

oceanperch
o·cean
perch
noun

See
rosefish  noun 1[1]



Oceanside

Oceanside
O·cean·side 
[ṓ shən sìd]

1.  city
in San Diego County, southwestern California, situated 72 km/45 mi north of San
Diego. Population: 128,398 (1990)

2.  city
in Nassau County, New York, situated on Long Island. Population: 32,423 (1990)

[1]



oceansunfish

oceansunfish
o·cean
sun·fish
noun

marine sunfish:
a large brown and gray sunfish that lives in temperate or tropical seas and
frequently lies on the surface of the water. Family: Molidae
Also called
mola
U.K. term
sunfish[1]



oceantramp

oceantramp
ocean
tramp
(plural ocean tramps) noun

See
tramp steamer[1]



OceanusProcellarum

OceanusProcellarum
O·ce·a·nus
Pro·cel·lar·um [ssee nəss
prò se lən] noun

a vast lunar lowland plain
stretching between Mare Imbrium and Mare Humorum visible as a dark area in the
west covering. more than Area: 2,000,000 sq km/775,000 sq mi.[1]



ocellus

ocellus
o·cel·lus 
[ō sélləss] (plural o·cel·li [ō sé l]) noun

1.  INSECTS simple
eye in invertebrates: a simple eye in some insects
and other invertebrates that is sensitive to light but unable to focus clearly

2.  BIRDS eye-shaped
spot on feathers: an eye-shaped spot on the feathers of
some birds such as the peacock

3.  BOTANY eye-shaped
spot on leaf: an enlarged discolored eye-shaped spot
on a leaf

4.  ZOOLOGY eye-shaped
spot on fish: an eye-shaped spot on a fish, usually
dark-ringed with a lighter color inside, believed to deceive predators
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “small eye,” from oculus “eye.”][1]



ocelot

ocelot

oc·e·lot 
[óssə lòt, ṓssə
lòt] (plural oc·e·lots or oc·e·lot) noun
small
wild cat resembling leopard: a small wild cat with dark
spots on a light brownish coat that is found in small numbers from the southern
United States to South America. Latin name: Felis pardalis
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Nahuatl tlatlocelotl, literally “field jaguar.”][1]



ocher

ocher
o·cher 
[ṓkər] or o·chre [ṓkər] noun

COLORS brownish-yellow
color:
a brownish-yellow color
[14th
century. Via French ocre from Latin ochra from, ultimately, Greek
ōkhros “pale, yellow.”]
—o·cher,
adjective

—o·cher·ous,
adjective

—o·cher·y, adjective[1]



ochlocracy

ochlocracy
och·loc·ra·cy 
[ok lókrəssee] (plural och·loc·ra·cies)
noun

See
mobocracy
[Late
16th century. Via French ochlocratie from Greek okhlokratia “mob
rule,” from okhlos “mob.”]
—och·lo·crat
[óklə kràt], noun

—och·lo·crat·ic
[òklə kráttik], adjective

—och·lo·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Ochoa,Severo

Ochoa,Severo
Ochoa 
[ō chṓ ə, ō kṓ ə],
Severo (1905–1993)

Spanish-born U.S. biochemist.
He shared a Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine (1959) for his work on
synthesizing nucleic acids.[1]



ochre

ochre
o·chre 
noun adjective

See
ocher[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ock

-ock
-ock
suffix

something
small or worthless • hillock
[Old English -oc, -uc][1]



Ockham,William of

Ockham,William of
Ock·ham
[ókəm], William of (1285?–1349)

English philosopher. He
revived nominalism, and enunciated the principle known as Ockham’s razor.[1]



Ockham’srazor

Ockham’srazor
Ock·ham’s
ra·zor 
[ókəmz ràyzər] or Occ·am’s ra·zor
[ókəmz ràyzər] noun

rule
of philosophical simplicity: the philosophical and
scientific rule that simple explanations should be preferred to more
complicated ones, and that the explanation of a new phenomenon should be based
on what is already known.
Also
called
law of parsimony
[Mid-19th century. Named for
William of Ockham .][1]



Ocmulgee

Ocmulgee
Oc·mul·gee 
[ōk mùl gee rívver]

river in Georgia, United
States, flowing south and joining the Oconee River, to form the Altamaha River.
Length: 410 km/255 mi.[1]



ocotillo

ocotillo
o·co·til·lo 
[kə tyō] (plural o·co·til·los
or o·co·til·lo) noun

TREES shrub
with red flowers: a spiny shrub with red flowers at the
tip of each branch, found in dry parts of the southwestern United States and in
Mexico. Latin name: Fouqueria splendens
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish, literally “small ocote,” from ocote “Mexican pine
tree,” from Nahuatl ocotl “torch.”][1]



OCR

OCR
OCR

1.  Abbreviation
of
optical character reader

2.  Abbreviation
of
optical character recognition

[1]



ocrea

ocrea
oc·re·a 
[ókree ə] (plural oc·re·ae [ókree ee]) noun

BOTANY sheaf
at base of leaf: a cup-shaped sheath formed by appendages
at the base of a leaf, as in rhubarb
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “soldier’s leg-armor.”][1]



OCS

OCS
OCS

Abbreviation of
Officer Candidate School[1]



oct.

oct.
oct.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of octavo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oct-

oct-
oct-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
octo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Oct.

Oct.
Oct.

Abbreviation of
October[1]



octa-

octa-
octa-
prefix

See
octo-[1]



octad

octad
oc·tad 
[ók tàd] (plural oc·tads) noun

group
of eight:
a group or series of eight
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek oktad-, the stem of oktas, from oktō
(see octo- ).]
—oc·tad·ic [ok táddik], adjective[1]



octagon

octagon

oc·ta·gon 
[óktə gòn] (plural oc·ta·gons)
noun
eight-sided shape:
a closed plane figure that has eight sides and eight angles[1]



octagonal

octagonal
oc·tag·o·nal 
[ok tággən’l] adjective

eight-sided:
having eight sides and eight angles[1]



octahedral

octahedral
oc·ta·he·dral 
[òktə hdrəl] adjective

like
an octahedron: shaped like an octahedron
—oc·ta·he·dral·ly, adverb[1]



octahedron

octahedron

oc·ta·he·dron 
[òktə hdrən] (plural oc·ta·he·drons
or oc·ta·he·dra [òktə hdrə]) noun
8-sided, 3-dimensional figure:
a three-dimensional figure that has eight faces[1]



octal

octal
oc·tal 
[ókt’l] adjective

MATHEMATICS COMPUTING having
number system based on eight: using or having a number
system based on eight instead of ten
noun
(plural oc·tals) COMPUTING

1.  See
octal notation

2.  octal
number:
a number with eight as its base.
Also
called
octonary

[1]



octalnotation

octalnotation
oc·tal
no·ta·tion
noun

COMPUTING
computer-programming number system:
a number system used in writing computer programs that is based on eight and
uses numerals 0 through 7, one octal unit equaling three bits.
Also called
octal[1]



octameter

octameter
oc·tam·e·ter 
[ok támmətər] (plural oc·tam·e·ters)
noun

line of poetry with eight
feet: a line of verse with eight
metrical units or feet[1]



octane

octane
oc·tane 
[ók tàyn] (plural oc·tanes) noun

1.  petroleum
component:
a liquid hydrocarbon found in petroleum that exists in 18 structurally
different forms. C8H18

2.  See
octane number
[Late 19th century. Coined
from octo- + -ane
; from the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon.][1]



octanenumber

octanenumber
oc·tane
num·ber
(plural oc·tane num·bers) or octane rating (plural
octane ratings) noun

measure of fuel quality:
a number that measures the ability of a liquid motor fuel such as gasoline to
prevent preignition or knocking. Fuels with higher numbers are less likely to
cause knocking.
Also called
octane[1]



Octans

Octans
Oc·tans 
[ók tànz] noun

faint southern constellation
containing pole: a faint constellation
of the southern hemisphere that contains the south celestial pole[1]



octant

octant
oc·tant 
[óktənt] (plural oc·tants) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY eighth
of a celestial circle: the position of one body in
the sky one-eighth of a circle (45°) from another

2.  eighth
of a circle: one-eighth of a circle, with or without
the enclosed area

3.  MATHEMATICS region
of space in Cartesian system: any one of the eight regions
into which space is divided by the three planes of the Cartesian coordinate
system
[Late
17th century. From Latin octant-, the stem of octans
“half-quadrant”, from octo (see octo-
).]
—oc·tan·tal [ok tánt’l], adjective[1]



octapeptide

octapeptide
oc·ta·pep·tide 
[òktə pép td] (plural oc·ta·pep·tides)
noun

peptide of eight amino acids:
a peptide consisting of eight amino acids[1]



octavalent

octavalent
oc·ta·va·lent
[òktə váylənt] adjective

with a valence of eight:
used to describe an element, atom, or group that has a valence of eight[1]



octave

octave

oc·tave 
[óktiv, ók tàyv]
(plural oc·taves) noun

1.  MUSIC interval
on musical scale: an interval between two notes consisting
of eight notes inclusive or seven steps on the diatonic scale

2.  MUSIC note
at each end of octave: the note at each end of an
octave, especially the higher one, considered in relation to the note at the
other end

3.  MUSIC notes
at end of octave together: the two notes at each end of
an octave played together

4.  MUSIC all
notes included within octave: the series of notes that
fall within an octave, including the octave on each end, or the strings, keys,
or other musical devices that produce these notes

5.  MUSIC organ
stop for producing higher notes: an organ stop that
causes tones to be produced an octave higher than the keys played alone

6.  POETRY eight
lines of poetry: a group of eight lines of verse,
especially the first eight lines of a sonnet, or a poem that consists of eight
lines.
Also
called
octet

7.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
feast day and following week: in Christianity, a feast day
and the week following it

8.  CHRISTIANITY eighth
day after feast day: the eighth day after an
octave feast day when the feast day is counted as one

9.  FENCING eighth
defensive position in fencing: the eighth of eight basic
defensive positions in fencing, known as a rotating perry

10. eighth
item:
the eighth in a series

11. set
of eight:
a set or series of eight
[14th century. Via French
from Latin octava, the feminine of octavus “eighth,” from octo
“eight.”][1]



octavecoupler

octavecoupler
oc·tave
cou·pler
(plural oc·tave cou·plers) noun

MUSIC
mechanism for playing octaves
simultaneously: a mechanism on an organ
or harpsichord that allows somebody simultaneously to play one note and another
one an octave higher or lower[1]



Octavia

Octavia
Oc·ta·vi·a
[ok táyvee ə] (69? BC–11 BC)

Roman aristocrat. The sister
of Augustus, she married Mark Antony in a vain attempt to effect a
reconciliation between the two men.[1]



octavo

octavo
oc·ta·vo 
[ok táyvō, ok
tvō] (plural oc·ta·vos) noun

book
size:
a book size of about 16 by 23 cm6 by 9 in., or a book of this size.
Also
called
eightvo
[Late 16th century. From
Latin “in an eighth (of a sheet),” from octavus (see octave ) from the folding of a sheet eight times.][1]



octet

octet
oc·tet 
[ok tét] (plural oc·tets) noun

1.  group
of eight, especially musicians: a group of eight,
especially eight singers or instrumentalists

2.  MUSIC musical
composition for group of eight: a musical composition
for a group of eight voices or instruments

3.  POETRY See octave  noun 6
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Italian otteto (from, ultimately, Latin octo “eight”),
influenced by octo-, on the model of words
such as duet .][1]



octo-

octo-
octo-
prefix

eight
• octosyllable
[From Latin octo and
Greek oktō . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “eight” that is
also the ancestor of English eight .][1]



October

October
Oc·to·ber 
[ok tṓbər] (plural Oc·to·bers)
noun

10th
month of Gregorian calendar: in the Gregorian calendar,
the tenth month of the year, made up of 31 days
[Pre-12th century. From
Latin, “eighth month,” from octo “eight.” The early Romans calculated
the beginning of their year from March, and so October was the eighth month.][1]



octodecimo

octodecimo
oc·to·dec·i·mo 
[òktō déssəmō] (plural oc·to·dec·i·mos)
noun

book
size:
a book size of about 10 by 16 cm4 by 4 ¼ in., or a book of this size.
Also
called
eighteenmo
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “in an eighteenth (of a sheet),” from, ultimately, octodecim,
literally “eight and ten”; from the folding of a sheet 18 times.][1]



octogenarian

octogenarian
oc·to·ge·nar·i·an 
[òktə jə náiree ən] (plural oc·to·ge·nar·i·ans)
noun

somebody
in his or her eighties: somebody who is between 80
and 89 years old
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin octogenarius, from octoginta “eighty,” literally
“eight times ten.”][1]



octonary

octonary
oc·to·nar·y 
[óktə nèrree] adjective

1.  based
on eight:
based on the number eight

2.  consisting
of eight:
consisting of eight things
noun
(plural oc·to·nar·ies)

1.  group
of eight:
a group or set of eight things

2.  COMPUTING See octal  noun 2
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
octonarius “containing eight,” from octo (see octo- ).][1]



octoploid

octoploid
oc·to·ploid 
[óktə plòyd] (plural oc·to·ploids)
noun

GENETICS
nucleus with eight sets of chromosomes:
a cell nucleus or an organism, especially a plant, containing eight haploid
sets of chromosomes.
See also
haploid
See also
diploid
See also
triploid
See also
tetraploid[1]



octopod

octopod
oc·to·pod 
[óktə pòd] (plural oc·to·pods)
noun

mollusk
with eight tentacles: a shell-less mollusk such as
the octopus with a large head and eyes and eight tentacles. Order: Octopoda
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin Octopoda, order name, from Greek oktōpod-,
the stem of oktōpous (see octopus ).]
—oc·to·pod·ous [ok tóppədəss], adjective[1]



octopus

octopus


oc·to·pus 
[óktəpəss] (plural oc·to·pus·es
or oc·to·pi [óktə p] or
oc·to·pus) noun

1.  sea
animal with eight arms: a sea animal with a big
head, a soft oval body, well-developed eyes, and eight arms containing rows of
suckers. It usually lives on the ocean floor. Genus: Octopus
See
also
squid

2.  something
with far-reaching influence: something, especially an
organization, that has many branches and forms of influence or control
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek oktōpous, literally “eight feet,”
from oktō “eight” + pous “foot.”][1]



octoroon

octoroon
oc·to·roon 
[òktə rn] (plural oc·to·roons)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who has one black great-grandparent and no other
black ancestors (archaic offensive)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from octo- on the model of quadroon .][1]



octosyllable

octosyllable
oc·to·syl·la·ble 
[òktə sílləb’l] (plural oc·to·syl·la·bles)
noun

POETRY eight-syllable
unit of language: a language unit of eight syllables,
usually a complete line of verse but occasionally just a word
—oc·to·syl·lab·ic [òktə si lábbik], adjective[1]



octuple

octuple
oc·tu·ple 
[ók tp’l, ok
tp’l, óktəp’l] adjective

1.  eight
times as large: eight times as large or effective

2.  with
eight parts: consisting of eight parts
intransitive
and transitive verb

multiply by eight:
to multiply something by eight or to be multiplied by eight
noun

quantity eight times greater:
an amount that is eight times more than another amount

[1]



ocul-

ocul-
ocul-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
oculo-[1]



ocular

ocular
oc·u·lar 
[ókyələr] adjective

relating
to eyes or eyesight: relating to, perceived by,
or performed by the eye
noun
(plural oc·u·lars)

eyepiece:
an eyepiece in an optical instrument
[Late
16th century. Via French oculaire from late Latin ocularis, from
Latin oculus “eye.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of ocular is also
  the ultimate source of English atrocious,
  eye, ferocious,
  inoculate, and optical.

[1]



oculist

oculist
oc·u·list 
[ókyəlist] (plural oc·u·lists)
noun

optometrist or
ophthalmologist: an optometrist or
ophthalmologist (dated)[1]



oculo-

oculo-
oculo-
prefix

eye
• oculomotor
[From Latin oculus
(see ocular )][1]



oculogyric

oculogyric
oc·u·lo·gy·ric 
[òkyəlō jrik] adjective

of rotation of eyeball:
relating to the movement of an eyeball in its socket[1]



oculomotor

oculomotor
oc·u·lo·mo·tor 
[òkyəlō mṓtər] adjective

of eyeball movement:
relating to or causing movement of the eyeball[1]



oculomotornerve

oculomotornerve
oc·u·lo·mo·tor
nerve
(plural oc·u·lo·mo·tor nerves) noun

nerve controlling eye
muscles: either of the third pair of
cranial nerves that carry nerve fibers from the brain to the eye muscles and
eyelids[1]



O/D

O/D
O/D
or o/d

1.  Abbreviation
of
overdraft

2.  Abbreviation
of
overdrawn

[1]



o.d.

o.d.
o.d.

1.  Abbreviation
of
outside diameter

2.  Abbreviation
of
on demand

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of olive drab

4.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of right
eye
[Shortening of Latin [oculus
dexter]][1]



O.D.

O.D.
O.D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
overdraft

2.  Abbreviation
of
overdrawn

3.  Abbreviation
of
Officer of the Day

4.  Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Optometry

5.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Old
Dutch

6.  MILITARY Abbreviation of olive drab

[1]



Od

Od
Od 
[od] interjection

archaic
oath:
used euphemistically as an oath to mean “God” (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of God .][1]



OD

OD
O·D
[ō d] intransitive verb (past
O·Ded, past participle O·Ded, present participle O·D·ing,
3rd person present singular O·Ds)

take
deadly amount of drug: to take a dangerous amount
of a drug, often causing hospitalization or death (slang)
noun
(plural O·Ds)

overdose:
an overdose (slang) See overdose
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of overdose .][1]



odalisque

odalisque
o·da·lisque 
[ṓd’l ìsk] (plural o·da·lisques)
or o·da·lisk [ṓd’l ìsk] (plural
o·da·lisks) noun

1.  enslaved
woman in harem: an enslaved woman or concubine,
especially, formerly, in a Turkish harem

2.  PAINTING SCULPTURE artistic representation of
odalisque:
a representation of an odalisque in art
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Turkish ōdalik, literally “somebody who works in a chamber,”
from ōda “chamber.”][1]



OdaNobunaga

OdaNobunaga
O·da
No·bu·na·ga
[də nóbbyoo ngə] (1534–1582)

Japanese feudal lord. He
began the 16th-century reunification of Japan.[1]



odd

odd
odd 
[od] adjective

1.  unusual:
peculiar, unusual, or out of the ordinary • There’s
something very odd about the letter.

2.  MATHEMATICS not
divisible exactly by 2: being a number such as 1, 3,
5, 7, 9, or 11 that, when divided by 2, leaves a remainder of 1.
See
also
even

3.  leftover:
leftover, and usually few in number • a few
odd coins

4.  separated
from pair or set: left on its own without the other member
or members of its pair, set, or series • a
number of odd socks in the drawer

5.  irregular:
irregular or occasional • We get
the odd day off here and there.

6.  slightly
greater than stated number: used after a number to mean
a little more than the number stated • I
figured on paying 50-odd dollars for it.

7.  remote:
not usually visited or reached by many people • We
found the papers lying about in odd corners of the house.

8.  MATHEMATICS having
changing mathematical signs: used to refer to a function
that changes sign but not value when the sign of each independent variable is
changed at the same time
noun
(plural odds)

something odd in number:
something that is odd in number or numerical order
[14th
century. From Old Norse oddi “third or odd number.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “pointed upward,” the underlying idea being
“triangular,” hence “having one left over from two.”]
—odd·ish,
adjective

—odd·ly,
adverb

—odd·ness, noun[1]



oddball

oddball
odd·ball 
[ód bàwl] (plural odd·balls) noun

somebody unconventional:
somebody who is unconventional, unusual, or not typical, usually in a harmless
way (informal insult) (often used before a noun)[1]



OddFellow

OddFellow
Odd
Fel·low
noun

member
of private charitable club: a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, a secret international social and charitable fraternity
founded in England in the 18th century
[From odd “remote, out-of-the-way,” with reference to the Order’s
mystic practices][1]



oddity

oddity
odd·i·ty 
[óddətee] (plural odd·i·ties) noun

somebody or something
different: somebody or something
unique, unusual, or unconventional[1]



oddjob

oddjob
odd
job
(plural odd jobs) noun

occasional job:
any of a series of unrelated unspecialized jobs such as household repairs,
usually done casually and for low pay (often used in the plural) • does
odd jobs for a living[1]



oddlot

oddlot
odd
lot
(plural odd lots) noun

smaller trading unit:
a quantity or number of shares that is smaller than the usual trading unit, for
example, fewer than 100 shares when traded on a stock exchange, or less than
one whole share when liquidated[1]



oddman out

oddman out
odd
man out
(plural odd men out) or odd one out (plural odd
ones out) noun

somebody excluded from a
group: somebody in a group who
differs from the rest of the group in some way, or who is not treated as part
of the group[1]



oddment

oddment
odd·ment 
[ódmənt] noun (plural odd·ments)

1.  something
left over:
something left over when most of something has been used or disposed of (usually
used in the plural) • By the
time she arrived there were only oddments left in the sale.

2.  oddity:
an odd thing (dated)
plural
noun
odd·ments

odds and ends:
odds and ends (dated)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from odd on the model of fragment .][1]



odd-pinnate

odd-pinnate
odd-pin·nate 
adjective

pinnate
with single leaf at top: used to describe a plant
leaf such as that of the rose that is pinnate with a single leaflet at the top
—odd-pin·nate·ly, adverb[1]



odds

odds
odds 
[odz] plural noun

1.  chances
of something happening: the likelihood or
probability that something will occur, sometimes expressed as a ratio such as
10 to 1 • The
odds are that you’ll never make it.

2.  BETTING predicted
chances in betting: a ratio of probability given
to people placing a bet, usually the likelihood of a specific event happening,
or of a competitor, team, or animal winning • The
horse was given odds of four to one.
Also
called
price

3.  SPORTS handicap
or advantage used in competition: an advantage or
handicap given to a person, animal, or team in a sporting contest, to equalize
the chances of winning

4.  perceived
advantage or disadvantage: a perceived advantage or
disadvantage, especially one that one person is believed to have over another
in a competition
[Early
16th century. Plural of odd .]
at
odds with somebody or something

in
disagreement with somebody, or in conflict with something

over
the odds

more
than is usual or necessary

what’s
the odds?

used to indicate that something
is of no importance[1]



oddsand ends

oddsand ends
odds
and ends
plural noun

miscellaneous items:
a group of miscellaneous items • The
top drawer is where I keep my odds and ends.[1]



oddsmaker

oddsmaker
odds·mak·er 
[ódz màykər] (plural odds·mak·ers)
noun

somebody who calculates odds:
somebody who officially calculates betting odds[1]



odds-on

odds-on
odds-on 
adjective

likeliest to happen:
likeliest to win, succeed, or happen (informal) • It
was odds-on that he would succeed his father.[1]



ode

ode
ode 
[ōd] (plural odes) noun

1.  POETRY type
of lyric poem: a lyric poem, usually expressing exalted
emotion in a complex scheme of rhyme and meter

2.  MUSIC HISTORY ancient Greek song:
an ancient Greek song written either for a chorus or for a solo singer
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek ōidē “song.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to speak,” also the ancestor of English melody and comedy
.]
—od·ic,
adjective

—od·ist, noun[1]



-ode

-ode
-ode
suffix

1.  electrically
conducting element • electrode

2.  electrode
• tetrode
[From Greek hodos
“way, road, journey” (source of English exodus,
method, odometer,
and period )][1]



Odense

Odense
O·den·se 
[ṓd’n sə, locally  ənzə]

city and port in south
central Denmark, on the island of Fyn. Population: 182,617 (1995)[1]



Oder

Oder
O·der 
[ṓ dər]

river in north central
Europe. Its northern course forms part of Poland’s border with Germany. Length:
906 km/563 mi.[1]



Odessa

Odessa
O·des·sa 
[ō déssə] or O·desa [ō déssə]

city and port in south
central Ukraine, on the Black Sea. Population: 1,060,000 (1995)[1]



Odets,Clifford

Odets,Clifford
O·dets 
[ō déts], Clifford (1906–1963)

U.S. playwright. He is best
known for his social-protest play Waiting for Lefty ( 1935 ) and the
boxing drama Golden Boy ( 1937 ).[1]



odeum

odeum
o·de·um 
[ṓdee əm] (plural o·de·a [ṓdee ə]) or o·de·on [ṓdee ən] (plural o·de·a) noun

Greek
or Roman concert hall: an ancient Greek or Roman
building in which musical performances were held
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin odeum, from Greek ōideion, from ōidē
(see ode ).][1]



odious

odious
o·di·ous 
[ṓdee əss] adjective

hateful:
inspiring hatred, contempt, or disgust
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin odiosus, from odium (see odium ).]
—o·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—o·di·ous·ness, noun[1]



odium

odium
o·di·um 
[ṓdee əm] noun

1.  hatred:
intense dislike, repugnance, or contempt for somebody or something • incurred
scorn and odium for his actions

2.  state
of being odious: the state of being hateful,
contemptuous, or disgusting

3.  disrepute
or disgrace: a state of being considered odious by
others
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (source also of English annoy
).][1]



odometer

odometer
o·dom·e·ter 
[ō dómmətər] (plural o·dom·e·ters)
noun

distance
recording device: a device built into the dashboard of a
vehicle that records the distance traveled.
U.K.
term
mileometer
[Late 18th century. Via
French odomètre or formed directly from Greek hodos “way.”][1]



odonate

odonate
o·do·nate 
[ṓd’n àyt] (plural o·do·nates)
noun

insect
of the dragonfly order: an insect belonging to the
order of insects that includes the dragonfly and damselfly. Order: Odonata
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Odonata, order name, from Greek odōn, a variant of odous
“tooth.”][1]



odont-

odont-
odont-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
odonto-[1]



-odont

-odont
-odont
suffix

having
a particular kind of teeth • acrodont
[From Greek odont-,
the stem of odous (see odonto- )][1]



odontalgia

odontalgia
o·don·tal·gia 
[d on táljee ə] noun

DENTISTRY
toothache:
toothache (technical)[1]



-odontia

-odontia
-odontia
suffix

condition
or treatment of teeth • anodontia
[Formed from Greek odont-,
the stem of odous (see odonto- )][1]



odonto-

odonto-
odonto-
prefix

tooth,
teeth • odontology
[From Greek odont-,
the stem of odous “tooth.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for
“tooth,” which is also the ancestor of English tooth
and dental .][1]



odontoblast

odontoblast
o·don·to·blast 
[ō dóntə blàst] (plural o·don·to·blasts)
noun

cell
inside the tooth that forms dentin: one
of a layer of cells lining the pulp cavity of a tooth and taking part in the
formation of dentin
—o·don·to·blas·tic [ō dòntə blástik], adjective[1]



odontoglossum

odontoglossum
o·don·to·glos·sum
[ō dòntə glóssəm] (plural o·don·to·glos·sums)
noun

brightly-colored
orchid:
a variety of orchid that grows on other plants in mountainous areas from
Bolivia to Mexico and is widely cultivated for its clusters of brightly colored
flowers. Genus: Odontoglossum
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “tooth tongue,” from Greek odont-
“tooth” + glōssa “tongue”; from the toothlike projection on the end of
the flower.][1]



odontoid

odontoid
o·don·toid 
[ō dón tòyd] adjective

like a tooth:
resembling a tooth, especially in shape[1]



odontoidprocess

odontoidprocess
o·don·toid
proc·ess
(plural o·don·toid proc·ess·es) noun

tooth-shaped projection on a
vertebra: a tooth-shaped peg that
projects upward from the second neck vertebra to engage with the first, acting
as a pivot for side-to-side movements of the head[1]



odontology

odontology
o·don·tol·o·gy 
[ don tólləjee] noun

science
of the teeth: the branch of science that studies the
teeth and their anatomy, development, and diseases
—o·don·to·log·i·cal
[ō dòntə lójjik’l], adjective

—o·don·to·log·i·cal·ly
[ō dòntə lójjikəlee], adverb

—o·don·tol·o·gist [ don tólləjist], noun[1]



odor

odor
o·dor 
[ṓdər] (plural o·dors) noun

1.  smell:
smell or scent, whether pleasant or unpleasant • the
delicious odor of baking bread

2.  pervasive
quality:
a quality or attitude that suggests or resembles a particular thing • odor
of sanctity
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman and Old French odor, odur from Latin odor
“smell.”][1]



odorant

odorant
o·dor·ant
[ṓdərənt] (plural o·dor·ants) noun

odorous substance:
something that gives a characteristic smell to a product[1]



odoriferous

odoriferous
o·dor·if·er·ous 
[də ríffərəss] adjective

having
a strong odor: having or diffusing a strong odor (formal
or technical)
—o·dor·if·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—o·dor·if·er·ous·ness,
noun[1]



odorless

odorless
o·dor·less 
[ṓdərləss] adjective

having
no odor:
having no smell that is strong enough to be detected by the human nose
—o·dor·less·ness, noun[1]



odour

odour
o·dour 
(plural o·dours) noun

U.K.
=
odor

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



Odysseus

Odysseus
O·dys·seus 
[ō díss yss, ō
díssee əss] noun

wandering Greek hero:
in Greek mythology, the King of Ithaca and one of the senior Greeks in the
Trojan War. He is the main character in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey .
See also
Ulysses[1]



odyssey

odyssey
od·ys·sey 
[óddəssee] (plural od·ys·seys)
noun

series
of travels:
a long series of travels and adventures
[Late
19th century. From the Odyssey, from, ultimately, Greek Odusseia,
from Odysseus .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Odyssey, an epic poem by the Greek writer Homer ( ?8th century BC ). The oldest surviving source of
  Greek mythology along with the Iliad, it describes Odysseus’s ten-year
  journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. It provides both an insight into
  a long-lost civilization and a gripping narrative rich in evocative details,
  complex characters, and universal themes.

[1]



OE

OE
OE
or O.E.

LANGUAGE
Abbreviation of Old English[1]



Oe

Oe
Oe

Symbol for
oersted[1]



OECD

OECD
OECD

Abbreviation of
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development[1]



oedema

oedema2
oe·de·ma2  (plural oe·de·mas)
noun

1.  excess
fluid:
an abnormal buildup of excess serous fluid between tissue cells

2.  excess
fluid in plant: an abnormal swelling in a plant, chiefly
caused by a buildup of excess water
[15th century. From Greek oidēma
“swelling tumor,” from oidein “to swell.”][1]



oedema

oedema1
oe·de·ma1  [i
dmə, ə dmə] noun

MEDICINE
U.K. = edema[1]



Oedipal

Oedipal
Oed·i·pal 
[éddəp’l, dəp’l]
adjective

of
Oedipus or the Oedipus complex: referring or relating
to Oedipus or the Oedipus complex
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Oedipus .][1]



Oedipus

Oedipus
Oed·i·pus 
[éddəpəss, dəpəss]
noun

in Greek mythology, a son of
Jocasta and Laius, King of Thebes, who unwittingly killed his father and
married his mother. He put out his own eyes when he discovered what he had
done.[1]



Oedipuscomplex

Oedipuscomplex
Oed·i·pus
com·plex
noun

theorized
unconscious sexual desire for parent:
according to the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud, feelings or desires
originating when a child, especially a son, unconsciously seeks sexual
fulfillment with the parent of the opposite sex.
See
also
Electra complex
[Early 20th C. Named for Oedipus .][1]



OEIC

OEIC
OEIC

Abbreviation of
open-ended investment company[1]



OEM

OEM
OEM


Abbreviation of
original equipment manufacturer[1]



oenology

oenology
oe·nol·o·gy 
[i nólləjee] noun

U.K. =
enology[1]



oenomel

oenomel
oe·no·mel 
[nə mèl] (plural oe·no·mels) noun
(literary)

1.  honeyed
wine:
a drink of wine and honey made in ancient Greece

2.  strong,
sweet language or thought: words or ideas that combine
strength and sweetness
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin oenomeli from Greek oinomeli, literally “honey wine,” from oinos
“wine” + meli “honey.”][1]



oenophile

oenophile
oe·no·phile 
[nə fl] (plural oe·no·philes)
noun

connoisseur
or lover of wines: somebody who has a
passionate interest in wine or is an expert on wines (formal)
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from oeno-, from Greek oinos “wine.”][1]



OEO

OEO
OEO

Abbreviation of
Office of Economic Opportunity[1]



oersted

oersted
oer·sted 
[úr stèd, úrstəd]
(plural oer·steds) noun

measure
of magnetic strength: the unit measure of magnetic
field strength in the centimeter-gram-second system. It is equal to the
magnetic field strength experienced by a magnetic pole when undergoing a force
of one dyne in a free space. Symbol Oe
[Late19th century. Named
after H.C. Oersted (1777–1851), Danish physicist who discovered the
magnetic effect of an electric current.][1]



oestradiol

oestradiol
oes·tra·di·ol
noun

U.K. =
estradiol[1]



oestriol

oestriol
oes·tri·ol
noun

U.K. =
estriol[1]



oestrogen

oestrogen
oes·tro·gen 
noun

See
estrogen[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oestrone

oestrone
oes·trone
noun

U.K. =
estrone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oestrous

oestrous
oes·trous
adjective

U.K. =
estrous[1]



oestrus

oestrus
oes·trus 
noun

See
estrus[1]



oeuvre

oeuvre
oeu·vre 
[övrə, vrə]
(plural oeu·vres) noun

artistic
work:
a work of art or literature, or such works considered as a unit, especially the
complete work of a single artist (formal)
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Latin opera, the plural of opus “work” (source of
English opus ).][1]



OF

OF
OF

1.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of outfielder

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of outfield

3.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Old French

[1]



of

of
of 
[uv, ov, unstressed
form əv] CORE
MEANING:
used between two nouns, the second providing more information about the first • Most
software has complex sets of commands and options. • She
let out a little squeal of delight. preposition

1.  affected
by action:
used to indicate the person or thing affected by or performing an action • the
promotion of junior staff • the
death of her father

2.  used
in measuring quantities: used after words or phrases
expressing quantities to indicate the substance or thing being measured • millions
of dollars
• a
herd of cows • 10
gallons of oil

3.  connected
with:
used to indicate the place that somebody or something belongs to or is
connected with • the president of France

4.  containing:
containing the substance mentioned • a mug
of coffee
• a
busload of schoolchildren

5.  part
of something: used to indicate a part of something
that is normally considered as a whole • a
slice of cake • a
square of fabric

6.  made
from:
made from or used as a material to form something • ruled
with a rod of iron • a
paste of flour and water

7.  indicating
relationship or association: used to indicate a
relationship, association, or cause • I’ll
be thinking of you. • accused
of negligence

8.  relating
to:
used after words describing feelings and qualities to indicate the person or
thing they relate to • He’s
very sure of himself. • It’s
very kind of you to come.

9.  indicating
a particular type: used to describe somebody or
something in terms of a particular type or kind • one
heck of a gymnast

10. having
a particular quality: used to indicate a quality
that somebody or something has, or the person or thing having a particular
quality • announcements
of a general nature • a
musician of great talent • the
gentleness of his manner

11. indicating
amount:
used to indicate an amount, age, or value • There
is a limit of eight characters in a computer user name.
• a
young boy of 12

12. every:
used to indicate a day or other period of time when an activity regularly
occurs (informal) • We
usually go out for a meal of a Friday.

13. before:
before the hour of • It was a quarter of ten
before she returned.

14. by:
used to indicate the agent of an action (archaic) (used in the
passive) • admired
of everyone
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the source of English off and German ab “away.”][1]



ofay

ofay
o·fay 
[ṓ fày] (plural o·fays) noun

Caucasian
person:
a word used, especially by black people, to refer to a Caucasian person
disparagingly and sometimes offensively (slang insult)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



off.

off.
off.

1.  Abbreviation
of
officer

2.  Abbreviation
of
office

3.  Abbreviation
of
official

[1]



off

off
off 
[awf, of]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate separation or distance between two points,
especially movement away from the speaker • (adverb)
He ran off before I could stop him. • (preposition)
The bottle rolled off the ledge and fell to the floor.

1.
preposition adverb so as to leave:
to come out of or leave a bus, train, or plane • Check
you have all your belongings before getting off the bus.
• He
got off at the next stop.

2.
preposition adverb so as to keep away
from:
so as to keep away from, avoid stepping on, or be at a distance from or to the
side of • The
sign said “Please keep off the grass.” • I
stepped off the curb.

3.
preposition adverb away from work:
away from work or usual duties owing to illness, holidays, or normal nonwork
time • trying
to get time off work to visit her in the hospital • I
didn’t see Jane –it must be her night off.

4.
preposition adverb reduced by:
so as to be reduced by the amount indicated • 10
percent off all swimwear this week • She
knocked $10 off for the slight stain on the sleeve.

5.
preposition adverb in the future:
a particular distance away in the future • My
fortieth birthday is only two years off!

6.
preposition adverb so as to remove:
so as to eliminate or remove something from view • The
dirt should wash off easily. • He
was rubbing something off the board when I came in.

7.
adverb to a distant place:
so as to be away from the present location • He
hopped in the car, started it up, and took off.

8.
adverb away: at a
particular physical distance away • The
nearest stop’s about two miles off.

9.
adverb measured: so as
to be divided or measured • Measure
the gap, mark it off with a pencil, and cut the wood to size.

10.
adverb to completion:
to the point of completion • We’re
trying to get our bills paid off.

11.
adverb into a particular state:
into a particular state, especially an unconscious state • The
baby dozed off on the way over here.

12.
preposition abstaining from:
no longer participating in or using • stay
off caffeine for a week

13.
preposition not liking:
no longer inclined toward • I’m
really off horror movies at the moment.

14.
preposition on a diet of:
using as a means of subsistence • living
off vegetables from our garden

15.
preposition branching out from:
near or next to, and leading or branching away from • He
lives in an apartment block just off the main street.

16.
preposition from:
used to show the object of an action (nonstandard) • I
got these sunglasses off my sister for my birthday.

17.
adverb adjective not in operation:
not functioning or in use • Shall
I switch the engine off? • He
was always constantly checking to make sure the lights were off.

18.
adverb adjective canceled:
so as to be no longer taking place • The
deal’s off.

19.
adjective no longer fresh:
smelling and tasting bad because of being no longer fresh • We
had to throw the fish away –it was going off.

20.
adjective in a particular condition:
in a particular condition with regard to something • How
are you off for cash?

21.
adjective not correct: in
error or out of alignment

22.
adjective on the right of:
situated on the right side of a vehicle, farthest away from the curb

23.
adjective unacceptable:
unacceptable or disappointing, not up to normal standards (informal) • He
was off his game today.
[Old
English . Originally an emphatic variant of of
.]
off
and on

occasionally[1]



off-air

off-air
off-air 
adjective

not
broadcast:
spoken or occurring in broadcasting studios but not used during a broadcast
—off air, adverb[1]



offal

offal
of·fal 
[áwf’l, óff’l]
noun

1.  edible
internal organs: the edible, mainly internal organs of an
animal, for example, the heart, liver, brains, and tongue, sometimes regarded
as unpalatable or even inedible

2.  something
thrown away: something discarded as refuse
[14th century. Formed from off + fall ;
probably modeled on Dutch afval .][1]



offbeat

offbeat
off·beat 
[áwf bt, óf bt]
adjective

unconventional:
not conforming to convention or to expectations[1]



offbeat

offbeat
off
beat
(plural off beats) noun

unaccented musical beat:
any unaccented beat in a bar of music[1]



off-Broadway

off-Broadway
off-Broad·way 
noun

professional New York shows
outside Broadway: professional
productions of drama in New York City, sometimes experimental or innovative,
that are staged outside the principal theater district, Broadway[1]



off-camera

off-camera
off-cam·er·a
adjective

not
on camera:
out of sight of the camera
—off cam·er·a, adverb[1]



off-campus

off-campus
off-cam·pus
adjective

done
outside campus: done, taking place, or existing outside
the area of a university, college, or other campus
—off cam·pus, adverb[1]



off-center

off-center
off-cen·ter
adjective

1.  not
at the center: not at the center and therefore
sometimes causing a lack of symmetry, balance, or evenness of movement

2.  eccentric:
slightly unconventional or eccentric
—off cen·ter, adverb[1]



offchance

offchance
off
chance
or off-chance noun

slight
possibility: a slight or remote possibility
on
the off chance (that)

just in case something
happens[1]



off-color

off-color
off-col·or 
adjective

1.  rude:
rude, especially sexually indecent or suggestive (informal disapproving)

2.  U.K.
ill:
ill or not very well • I’m
feeling a bit off-color today.

3.  not
colored normally: not having the usual or desired color

[1]



off-course

off-course
off-course
adjective

U.K.
See off-track[1]



offcut

offcut
off·cut
[áwf kùt, óf kut]
(plural off·cuts) noun

remaining scrap of something:
a remnant left after the main pieces of something such as fabric or paper have
been cut[1]



Offenbach

Offenbach
Of·fen·bach 
[áwf’n bkh, áwf’nbk]

city in Hesse State, west
central Germany, on the Main River. Population: 116,700 (1994)[1]



Offenbach,Jacques

Offenbach,Jacques
Of·fen·bach 
[áwf’n bkh, áwf’nbk],
Jacques (1819–1880)

German-born
French composer. He wrote witty satirical operettas, one of which includes the
famous “Can-can,” as well as the opera The Tales of Hoffmann ( 1880 ).
Born
Eberst, Jacob[1]



Offenbach,Jacques

Offenbach,Jacques
Of·fen·bach 
[áwf’n bkh, áwf’nbk],
Jacques (1819–1880)

German-born
French composer. He wrote witty satirical operettas, one of which includes the
famous “Can-can,” as well as the opera The Tales of Hoffmann ( 1880 ).
Born
Eberst, Jacob[1]



offence

offence
of·fence 
noun

U.K. =
offense[1]



offend

offend
of·fend 
[ə fénd] (past of·fend·ed, past
participle of·fend·ed, present participle of·fend·ing,
3rd person present singular of·fends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
somebody anger, resentment, or hurt: to
hurt somebody’s feelings, or cause resentment, irritation, anger, or
displeasure • The
book offended too many people.

2.  intransitive
verb
break
a law:
to violate a law or code of conduct • he
offended against the club’s rules of proper dress
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French offendre from Latin offendere
“to strike.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English gun .]
—of·fend·er,
noun

—of·fend·ing, adjective[1]



offense

offense
of·fense 
[ə féns] (plural of·fens·es) noun

1.  legal
or moral crime: an official crime, or a crime against
moral, social, or other accepted standards • mail
fraud is a federal offense

2.  MILITARY SPORTS attack:
an attack or assault, usually in the military or in sports • The
army launched its great offense that spring.

3.  SPORTS attacking
players on a team: the players making up the
part of a team that attempts to score in a game, as distinct from the defense
that tries to stop the other team from scoring • We
lacked a good offense last spring.
See
also
defense

4.  anger
or resentment: anger, resentment, hurt, or displeasure
• “Please
don’t take offense.” • His
remarks caused great offense.

5.  cause
of displeasure or anger: something that causes
displeasure, humiliation, anger, resentment, or hurt • The
request was an offense to their dignity.
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin offens-, the past participle stem of offendere
(see offend ).][1]



offensive

offensive
of·fen·sive 
[ə fénssiv] adjective

1.  upsetting,
insulting, or irritating: causing anger, resentment,
or moral outrage • removed the offensive
material from the play

2.  unpleasant
to the senses: causing physical repugnance • an
offensive smell

3.  aggressive:
demonstrating aggression • warned
that this would be seen as an offensive action

4.  used
when attacking: used, or designed to be used, when
attacking • an
offensive weapon

5.  SPORTS in
possession:
relating to the team that has possession of the ball or puck in a game
noun
(plural of·fen·sives)

MILITARY attack
or assault:
an attack, assault, or siege • The
platoon braced itself for the dawn offensive.

[1]



offer

offer
of·fer 
[áwfər, óffər]
transitive verb (past of·fered, past participle of·fered,
present participle of·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular
of·fers)

1.  present
something for acceptance or rejection: to
attempt to give somebody something that may be taken or refused, usually
something desirable • They
offered me the job.

2.  have
something for the use of others: to provide something,
or make something available for those who want it • The
town offered many attractions.

3.  volunteer
to do something: to suggest doing something yourself as a
favor for somebody else • I
offered to bring the salad.

4.  COMMERCE have
something for sale or rent: to present or have something
for sale or rental • the first gym to offer
professional trainers at a low cost

5.  RELIGION give
as worship:
to present something to God, often as part of worship • We
offer hymns of praise to God.

6.  exhibit
a quality:
to exhibit or demonstrate a particular quality • The
city offered little resistance against the army. • a
plan that offers hope to millions

7.  COMMERCE make a
bid:
to make a bid or financial proposal for something • They
offered 40 cents a share.
noun
(plural of·fers)

1.  proposal
of a suggested gift or action: a suggestion from
somebody to give something or do something for somebody else • A
home-cooked meal and a place to stay: that’s the best offer I’ve had all day!

2.  COMMERCE financial
proposal or bid: a sum of money suggested as payment for
something such as a house • They
made an offer for the house but we refused it.

3.  COMMERCE reduced
price:
a reduced price for something • this
week’s special offer

4.  LAW proposal
leading to a binding contract: a proposal that, if
accepted, creates a binding contract
[Old
English offrian . Via prehistoric Germanic from Latin offerre,
literally “to bring to,” formed from ferre “to bring.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word (ancestor also of English bear
“to carry”).]
—of·fer·er, noun[1]



offering

offering
of·fer·ing 
[áwfəring, óffəring]
(plural of·fer·ings) noun

1.  contribution:
something that is offered, or the act of offering • What
are the bookstores latest offerings?

2.  RELIGION gift
for god:
something offered as a sacrifice to a deity

3.  CHRISTIANITY money
given during a church service: a financial
contribution to a church, often made during a church service.
See
also
collection
[Old English offrung][1]



offerprice

offerprice
of·fer
price
(plural of·fer pric·es) noun

price of something being
sold: the price at which
something, especially a share of a stock or mutual fund, is offered for sale[1]



offertory

offertory
of·fer·to·ry 
[áwfərtàwree, óffərtawree]
(plural of·fer·to·ries) noun

1.  offering
of Communion bread and wine: the offering of the bread
and wine during the Christian service of Holy Communion

2.  church
collection:
the offering of money or gifts made by a church congregation

3.  part
of a Christian service: a part of a church service
during which prayers are said or sung while offerings are received
[14th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin offertorium “offering place,” from, ultimately,
Latin offerre (see offer ).][1]



offerup

offerup
offer
up
transitive verb

RELIGION
See offer  verb 5[1]



off-glide

off-glide
off-glide
(plural off-glides) noun

PHONETICS
gliding speech sound:
a sound produced by the vocal organs prior to their making another sound or
assuming a neutral position[1]



off-guard

off-guard
off-guard
adjective

unprotected:
not paying attention or being prepared for possible attack (not hyphenated
after a verb) • caught
the enemy off-guard[1]



offhand

offhand
off·hand 
[awf hánd, of
hánd, áwf hànd, óf hànd] adverb

1.  casually:
casually, thoughtlessly, or spontaneously

2.  without
preparation: without preparation or research • Offhand,
I’d say there must be 50 people in there.
adjective
off·hand off·hand·ed

1.  unconcerned
and uncaring: so casual, uninterested, or blunt as to
appear impolite or uncaring (disapproving) • She
was pretty offhand about the whole affair.

2.  casually
done:
taken or made casually or without planning, usually on the spur of the moment • Only
through her offhand comment did I realize who she was.

[1]



off-hour

off-hour
off-hour 
(plural off-hours) noun (informal)

1.  time
outside of the rush hour: a period of time that is not
crowded with cars or people (often used before a noun) • We
try to visit the zoo during off-hours.

2.  time
outside of working hours: a period of time outside of
normal business hours

[1]



office

office
of·fice 
[áwfiss, óffiss]
noun (plural of·fic·es)

1.  room
used for business activity: a room in which business or
professional activities take place, often occupied by a single person or a
single section of the business

2.  place
of business: the quarters in which a commercial,
professional, or government organization carries out its activities

3.  official
organization: a commercial or professional
organization

4.  staff
in an office: the people who work in an office • get-well
cards from the office

5.  POLITICS large
departments in some governments: a major executive
branch in some national governments • He
works for the British Home Office.

6.  POLITICS U.S.
government agency or department: a U.S. government
agency or subdivision, especially of the federal government

7.  position
of responsibility: an official post or position
of duty, trust, or responsibility • The
mayor has been in office four years now.

8.  place
for tickets or information: a booth or other place where
tickets or information may be obtained

9.  CHRISTIANITY set
form of a Christian service: the prescribed order or form
of a Christian church service, or of daily prayers

10. task
or assignment: a task, assignment, or chore (formal)
(usually used in the plural)
plural
noun
of·fic·es

1.  something
done on behalf of another: something said or done by
somebody to or for another person (formal) • I
got the job through her kind offices.

2.  U.K.
areas
or buildings where servants work: the outbuildings or
parts of a house in which the servants work (dated)
[13th century. Via French
from Latin officium, literally “doing work,” from, ultimately, opus
“work” + facere “to do.”][1]



officeblock

officeblock
of·fice
block
(plural of·fice blocks) noun

See
office building[1]



officeboy

officeboy
of·fice
boy
(plural of·fice boys) noun

man or boy assistant in an
office: a boy or man who does
errands around an office (dated)[1]



officebuilding

officebuilding
of·fice
build·ing
noun

building with offices:
a large building holding offices.
Also called
office block[1]



office-free

office-free
of·fice-free
adjective

not needing to work in an
office: relating to or involving a
workforce that is not required to work from or at an office[1]



officehours

officehours
of·fice
hours
plural noun

times that a business is
open: the regular times during
which a business or profession, or business as a whole, is conducted[1]



officer

officer
of·fi·cer 
[áwfissər, óffissər]
noun (plural of·fi·cers)

1.  MILITARY somebody
of rank in the armed forces: somebody in a military force
who has rank or authority

2.  elected
or appointed official: somebody who is elected or
appointed to an administrative position in a society, corporation, or
government department

3.  See
police officer

4.  SHIPPING somebody
in authority on ship: somebody on a civilian ship
who has a specialized or responsible post
transitive
verb
(past of·fi·cered, past participle of·fi·cered, present
participle of·fi·cer·ing, 3rd person present singular of·fi·cers)

MILITARY NAVY supply something with
officers:
to provide something such as a military unit or a ship with officers

[1]



officerof arms

officerof arms
of·fi·cer
of arms
(plural of·fi·cers of arms) noun

HERALDRY
herald:
a herald, especially one who devises, grants, or confirms coats of arms[1]



official

official
of·fi·cial 
[ə físh’l] noun (plural of·fi·cials)

somebody holding office:
somebody who has a position of authority in an organization, corporation, or
government department
adjective

1.  of
a governmental or organizational office:
relating to or concerned with a governmental or organizational office • official
rules and regulations

2.  authorized
by some authority: approved, recognized, or
issued by some authority • No
official statement has been issued.

3.  formal:
formal or ceremonial • invited
to attend the official opening
—of·fi·cial·ly, adverb[1]



officialdom

officialdom
of·fi·cial·dom
noun

bureaucrats and bureaucracy:
bureaucracy and those who work within it, especially when viewed as inefficient
or pompous (informal) • caught
up in the red tape of officialdom[1]



officialese

officialese
of·fi·cial·ese 
[ə fìsh’l z, ə
fìsh’l ss] noun

pompous, wordy language:
unclear, pedantic, and verbose language considered characteristic of official
documents[1]



officialism

officialism
of·fi·cial·ism 
[ə físh’l ìzzəm] noun

slavish respect for
regulations: excessive respect or
adherence to official routines and regulations, considered to be characteristic
of officials (informal)[1]



officiant

officiant
of·fi·ci·ant 
[ə físhee ənt] (plural of·fi·ci·ants)
noun

conductor of a ceremony:
somebody who conducts a religious ceremony[1]



officiary

officiary
of·fi·ci·ar·y 
[ə físhee èrree] adjective

derived
from holding of office: derived from the holding of
an office, or having a title that is derived from an office held • an
officiary title
noun
(plural of·fi·ci·ar·ies)

official
or body of officials: an official or an organized
group of officials
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin officiarius, from Latin officium (see office ).][1]



officiate

officiate
of·fi·ci·ate 
[ə físhee àyt] (past of·fi·ci·at·ed,
past participle of·fi·ci·at·ed, present participle of·fi·ci·at·ing,
3rd person present singular of·fi·ci·ates) intransitive verb

act
in an official capacity: to preside in an official
capacity, especially at a religious ceremony
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin officiat-, the past participle stem of officiare
“to conduct sacred service,” from Latin officium (see office ).][1]



officinal

officinal
of·fic·i·nal 
[ə físsən’l] noun

PHARMACOLOGY medicine
kept in stock: a medicine kept in stock in a pharmacy
rather than specially prepared according to a prescription (archaic)
adjective

BOTANY medicinal:
having medicinal properties, especially those recognized by a pharmacopoeia (archaic)
[Late
17th century. Via medieval Latin officinalis, from officina,
literally “workshop” (later “storeroom for medicines”), from Latin officium
(see office ).]
—of·fic·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



officious

officious
of·fi·cious 
[ə físhəss] adjective

1.  meddlesome
and interfering: characteristic of somebody who is eager
to give unwanted help or advice • whisked
away our unfinished meal in an officious manner

2.  unofficial:
unofficial or informal, especially in political or diplomatic dealings

3.  helpful:
kind and helpful (archaic)
[Late
15th century. Formed from Latin officiosus, from officium (see office ). Originally in the sense “performing a
function eagerly.”]
—of·fi·cious·ly,
adverb

—of·fi·cious·ness, noun[1]



offing

offing
off·ing 
[áwfing, óffing]
noun

NAUTICAL distant
sea seen from the shore: the more distant part of the
sea seen from the shore
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from off
.]
in
the offing

expected or likely in the
future[1]



offish

offish
off·ish 
[áwfish, óffish]
adjective

standoffish:
standoffish (informal)[1]



off-key

off-key
off-key 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  MUSIC out of
tune:
not having the correct pitch

2.  inappropriate:
not usual, conventional, or appropriate
adverb

out of tune: above
or below the correct pitch

[1]



off-label

off-label
off-la·bel
adjective

not approved:
using or involving the use of a prescription drug to treat a condition for
which the drug has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration[1]



off-limits

off-limits
off-lim·its 
adjective

out of bounds:
to which entry is forbidden or barred • That
part of town was off-limits to us.[1]



offline

offline
off
line 
adjective

1.  COMPUTING disconnected
from a computer network: used to describe a computer
terminal or peripheral device that is disconnected or is functioning separately
from an associated computer or computer network • The
printer was taken off line for repairs.
See
also
online

2.  COMMUNICATION relating
to preparing broadcast material: involved in preparing
but not transmitting material for broadcasting • off
line editing
—off
line, adverb
take
something off line

to remove something such as a
discussion from a public forum to a more private one, for example, from a chat
room to personal e-mail[1]



off-linenewsreader

off-linenewsreader
off-line
news·read·er (plural off-line news·read·ers)
noun

software allowing off-line
reading of newsgroups: software
that allows a user to read newsgroup articles when the computer is not
connected to the Internet[1]



offload

offload
off·load
[awf lṓd, áwf
lōd, of lṓd, óf
lōd] (past off·load·ed, past participle off·load·ed,
present participle off·load·ing, 3rd person present singular
off·loads) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb unload
goods:
to unload goods or a cargo from a vehicle or container • ships
waiting to offload

2.  transitive
verb
get
rid of:
to get rid of something unwanted by passing it on to somebody else • managed
to offload some of the work onto colleagues

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb unburden
yourself:
to relieve yourself of a stressful emotion such as anxiety or frustration by
talking to someone (informal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUT transfer data:
to transfer data from one computer to another in order to create spare capacity
in the original computer

[1]



off-off-Broadway

off-off-Broadway
off-off-Broad·way
or Off-Off-Broad·way noun

fringe theatrical
productions: New York City
theatrical productions that are considered to be fringe, experimental, or
avant-garde.
See also
off-Broadway[1]



off-peak

off-peak
off-peak 
adjective

relating
to the least busy time: relating to the periods
outside that of maximum use, frequency, or demand
—off peak, adverb[1]



off-piste

off-piste
off-piste 
adjective

not
on regular ski-runs: relating to or taking place
on fresh trackless snow that is away from the regular skiing runs
—off piste, adverb[1]



off-plan

off-plan
off-plan
adjective

before
building is complete: based only on the plans of a
building that has not yet been built
—off plan, adverb[1]



off-price

off-price
off-price 
adjective

cut-price:
offering goods at low prices, or being sold at a discount (informal)[1]



offprint

offprint
off·print 
[áwf print, óf
print] (plural off·prints) noun

printed version of a single
article: a separate printing of a
single article from a periodical, often given in small quantities to each
individual contributor.
Also called
reprint[1]



off-putting

off-putting
off-put·ting 
adjective

irritating
or disconcerting: arousing irritation, repugnance, or mild
unease
—off·put·ting·ly, adverb[1]



off-ramp

off-ramp
off-ramp
noun

road off a highway:
a one-way road serving as an exit from a main highway[1]



off-rhyme

off-rhyme
off-rhyme
(plural off-rhymes) noun

near rhyme:
a partial or near rhyme[1]



off-road

off-road
off-road 
adjective

for use away from public
roads: designed, manufactured, or
used for travel off public roads, especially over rough terrain[1]



off-roadvehicle

off-roadvehicle
off-road
ve·hi·cle
(plural off-road ve·hi·cles) noun

vehicle used away from public
roads: any motorized vehicle
designed or used for travel away from public roads or on rough terrain[1]



offscourings

offscourings
off·scour·ings
[áwf skòwringz, óf
skòwringz] plural noun

dregs or refuse:
the leftover or discarded parts of something[1]



off-screen

off-screen
off-screen
adjective

1.  not
visible on a screen: not visible on a television
or movie screen • an off-screen
commentator

2.  occurring
in ordinary life: occurring in ordinary life, not as
fiction on television or in a movie • Her
off-screen life was just as exciting.
adverb

in ordinary life:
aside from television or movie performances • Off-screen,
he mostly played golf.

[1]



off-season

off-season
off-sea·son 
noun (plural off-sea·sons)

time
of less activity: a time of year when activity or business
is at a low level (often used before a noun) • Hotel
rooms were cheaper in the off-season.
adverb

in the off-season:
during the off-season • He
liked to travel off-season.[1]



offset

offset
off·set 
[áwf sèt, óf sèt]
noun (plural off·sets)

1.  something
counterbalancing something else: something that
counterbalances or compensates, or an allowance made in order to counterbalance
something (often used before a noun)

2.  CONSTRUCTION abrupt
bend in a straight line: an abrupt bend put into an
otherwise straight bar or pipe in order to avoid an obstruction

3.  PRINTING printing
process using ink transfer: a method of printing in
which inked impressions are transferred onto paper from another surface (often
used before a noun)

4.  PRINTING unintentional
marking from wet ink: an accidental transfer of
ink, usually from one piece of paper to another (often used before a noun)

Also
called
setoff

5.  BOTANY offshoot
capable of propagation: an offshoot or runner from
the base of a plant that can propagate the plant

6.  GENETICS offshoot
or descendant: something that has developed from
something else, for example, a collateral descendant or group of descendants of
a family

7.  GEOLOGY spur
in a mountain range: a projecting spur or ridge
in a mountain range (often used before a noun)

8.  GEOLOGY horizontal
displacement of rock: the horizontal displacement
that occurs as a result of the movement of a rock mass along a fault

9.  something
set apart:
anything set apart from something else (often used before a noun)

10. surveying
line:
a short distance measured at right angles from a main survey line, used in
finding the area of a piece of land

11. beginning:
the beginning of something (dated)

12. ARCHITECTURE See setback  noun 2
verb
[awf sét, of sét,
áwf sèt, óf sèt]
(past off·set, past participle off·set, present
participle off·set·ting, 3rd person present singular off·sets)

1.  transitive
verb
counteract
something:
to balance or make up for something (often passive) • These
improved sales were offset by last month’s losses.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING print something by transfer:
to print something by offset printing, or to accidentally transfer ink by an
offset

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CONSTRUCTION form or be an offset in
something:
to make an offset in something such as a wall or pipe, or to be formed into an
offset
—off·set, adverb[1]



offshoot

offshoot
off·shoot 
[áwf sht, óf
shoot] (plural off·shoots) noun

1.  BOTANY shoot
from the main stem of plant: a branch or shoot growing
from the main stem of a plant

2.  something
that comes from something else: something that springs
or spreads from or that is a subsidiary of a main source or origin • The
company was an offshoot of their leisure empire.

3.  descendant
or branch of another group: an individual or group
descending from specified ancestors, or branching off from a specified social
group

[1]



offshore

offshore
off·shore 
[awf sháwr, of
sháwr] adverb

1.  from
water to land: on or over land that is near water,
especially from a body of water • An icy
wind blew offshore.

2.  in
water some way from shore: in a body of water at some
distance from the shore • anchored
offshore
adjective

1.  blowing
from water to land: blowing or moving from water
to land • offshore
breezes

2.  at
sea some way from shore: located at sea a
considerable distance from shore

3.  FINANCE in
foreign country: based in a foreign country, usually in
order to avoid taxes

[1]



offside

offside
off·side 
[(adj-predicative) awf sd, of sd, (adj-attributive) áwf sd, óf sd]
(plural off·sides) adjective

illegally
beyond the ball: illegally beyond or in advance of a ball
or puck during play
—off·side, adverb[1]



offsite

offsite
off·site
[áwf st, óf st]
adjective

not on main site:
not based or occurring in an organization’s principal place of activity[1]



off-speed

off-speed
off-speed 
adjective

slower than expected:
used to describe a baseball pitch that is slower than is ordinary or expected[1]



offspring

offspring
off·spring 
[áwf sprìng, óf
sprìng] (plural off·spring or off·springs) noun

1.  descendants:
the descendants of people, animals, or sometimes plants

2.  result
of something: the product, consequence, or effect of
something

[1]



offstage

offstage
off·stage
[of stáyj] adverb

1.  THEATER outside
acting area: away from the area of the stage used for
a performance, usually out of the view of the audience

2.  in
private life: in private life, especially as opposed
to the character an actor plays or the personality a performer projects

3.  out
of public view: unseen by the public and media
adjective

1.  THEATER happening
offstage:
happening or situated outside the area of the stage visible to the audience

2.  private:
occurring in or characteristic of somebody’s private life

3.  happening
unseen:
occurring out of the gaze of the public and the media

[1]



off-street

off-street
off-street
adjective

not in street:
not in the street but in a parking lot, garage, driveway, or another place • off-street
parking[1]



off-the-books

off-the-books
off-the-books
adjective

1.  not
written in account books: not recorded in the accounts
of a company

2.  not
declared for tax: not registered for the purposes of
paying income tax

[1]



off-the-cuff

off-the-cuff
off-the-cuff 
adjective

unprepared:
delivered spontaneously or without preparation or notes
[From
the custom of scribbling extempore remarks on a starched shirt cuff]
—off the cuff, adverb[1]



off-the-peg

off-the-peg
off-the-peg
adjective

U.K.
See off-the-rack
—off the peg, adverb[1]



off-the-rack

off-the-rack
off-the-rack 
adjective

not
tailor-made: ready-made and sold in standard sizes,
not tailored for the individual customer • off-the-rack
evening wear
—off the rack, adverb[1]



off-the-record

off-the-record
off-the-rec·ord 
adjective

unofficial:
not intended for publication or to be attributed by name to the person who said
it
—off the rec·ord, adverb[1]



off-the-shelf

off-the-shelf
off-the-shelf 
adjective

from
existing stock: readily obtainable or taken from an
existing stock of merchandise or supplies • a
mix of components that were both cheap and off the shelf
—off the shelf, adverb[1]



off-the-wall

off-the-wall
off-the-wall 
adjective

bizarrely
unusual:
unusual or unconventional in a way that is particularly bizarre (informal)
[Perhaps
from the expression bouncing off the walls, an allusion to the padded cells
once used to contain people with psychiatric disorders]
—off the wall, adverb[1]



off-track

off-track
off-track 
adjective

not at racetrack:
occurring somewhere other than a racetrack • off-track
betting.
U.K. term
off-course[1]



off-white

off-white
off-white 
adjective

near-white
in color:
of a very pale color, for example, cream, that is a shade or two away from pure
white
—off-white, noun[1]



offyear

offyear
off
year
(plural off years) noun

year
without presidential election: a year in which no
major election, especially a presidential one, takes place
—off-year, adjective[1]



oft

oft
oft 
[awft, oft]
adverb

often:
often (archaic or literary) (now often used in combination) • oft-repeated
phrase
[Old English . Related to
German oft and Swedish ofta .][1]



often

often
of·ten 
[áwff’n, óff’n]
adverb

frequently:
at short intervals or repeatedly
[13th
century. An alteration of oft, probably
influenced by selden “seldom.”]
every
so often

regularly
but with fairly long intervals between each occurrence

more
often than not

or
as often as notfairly frequently, or in a majority of instances[1]



oftentimes

oftentimes
of·ten·times 
[áwff’n tmz, óff’n
tmz] or oft·times [áwft tmz,
óft tmz] adverb

often:
frequently (archaic or literary)[1]



OG

OG
OG
or o.g.

STAMPS
Abbreviation of original gum[1]



ogam

ogam
og·am 
noun

See
ogham[1]



Ogbomosho

Ogbomosho
Og·bo·mo·sho 
[gbə mṓ shō]

city in Oyo state,
southwestern Nigeria, situated approximately 201 km/125 mi northeast of Lagos.
Population: 660,600 (1992)[1]



Ogdensburg

Ogdensburg
Og·dens·burg
[ógdənz bùrg]

city in St. Lawrence County,
northern New York. It was the site of the Ogdensburg Agreement between Canada
and the United States (1940).[1]



ogee

ogee

o·gee 
[ṓ j] (plural o·gees) noun
ARCHITECTURE

1.  S-shaped
molding:
a decorative molding with an ogee -shaped profile.
Also
called
talon

2.  See
ogee arch
[Late 17th century. An
alteration of ogive .][1]



ogeearch

ogeearch
o·gee
arch
(plural o·gee arch·es) noun

arch with S-shaped sides:
an arch whose sides curve gently inward near the top and then curve upward
steeply to meet in a point.
Also called
ogee[1]



ogham

ogham
og·ham 
[óggəm] (plural og·hams) or
og·am [óggəm] (plural og·ams)
noun

1.  ancient
Celtic writing system: an ancient British and Irish
Celtic alphabet consisting of twenty characters formed by inscribing lines on
either side of or across a long straight baseline

2.  Celtic
letter:
any of the characters used in the ogham alphabet

3.  Celtic
inscription: an inscription written in ogham, or a
stone bearing such an inscription
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Irish from Old Irish ogam, named for Ogma, the Celtic god
who supposedly invented it.][1]



ogive

ogive
o·give 
[ṓ jv] (plural o·gives) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE rib
in Gothic vault: a diagonal rib in a Gothic vault

2.  ARCHITECTURE pointed
arch:
an arch that rises to a sharp point

3.  STATISTICS cumulative
frequency graph: a graph or curve that represents the
cumulative frequencies of a set of values
[Origin uncertain; perhaps
via Old French augive from, ultimately, late Latin obviare “to
resist”][1]



ogle

ogle
o·gle 
[ṓg’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past o·gled, past participle o·gled, present
participle o·gling, 3rd person present singular o·gles)

stare
at somebody desirously: to look at somebody for
sexual enjoyment or as a way of showing sexual interest
noun
(plural o·gles)

desirous
look:
a prolonged flirtatious or desirous look at somebody
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Low German oegeln “to keep
eyeing,” from oege “eye.” Related to Old English ēage “eye.”]
—o·gler,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at gaze

[1]



Ogooué

Ogooué
Og·oo·ué
[gə wáy]

river in Gabon, western
central Africa. Length: 970 km/683 mi.[1]



ogre

ogre
o·gre 
[ṓgər] (plural o·gres) noun

1.  evil
monster:
an evil giant or monster in fairy tales, especially one who eats people

2.  frightening
person:
a person who is particularly unpleasant and frightening
—o·gre·ish [ṓgərish, ṓgrish],
adjective[1]



ogress

ogress
o·gress 
[ṓgrəss] (plural o·gress·es) noun

1.  mean
female monster: an evil female giant or monster in fairy
tales, especially one who eats people

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s appearance and
temperament

[1]



Ogun

Ogun
O·gun
[ō gn]

state in southwestern
Nigeria, north of Lagos State. Capital: Abeokuta. Population: 2,338,570 (1991)
Area: 16,762 sq km/6,472 sq mi.[1]



oh

oh
oh 
[ō] interjection

1.  used
to express strong emotion: used to express a strong
emotional reaction to something, for example, surprise, shock, pain, or extreme
pleasure • Oh!
That’s wonderful news!

2.  used
to introduce strong reaction: used to introduce short
phrases that express a strong emotion, for example, anger, shock, delight, or
triumph • Oh
what a fool I’ve been

3.  used
to introduce response: used to introduce a response
to what somebody has just said or asked • Oh,
I’m fine. How are you?

4.  used
to show thought: used to indicate thought or hesitation
concerning what will be said next • We’ve
got, oh, fifteen minutes before the bus is due.

5.  used
to attract attention: used to attract somebody’s
attention or call attention to something • Oh,
John, can you come over here a minute?
[Mid-16th century. An
alteration of O .][1]



OH

OH
OH

Abbreviation of
Ohio[1]



OHG

OHG
OHG
or O.H.G.

Abbreviation of
Old High German[1]



Ohio

Ohio2

O·hi·o2  [ō h ō]
major river of the eastern United States,
originating from the confluence of two other rivers at Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, and flowing southward to join the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois.
Length: 1,579 km/981 mi.[1]



Ohio




Back to definition

Ohio1

[1]



Ohio

Ohio1


O·hi·o1  [ō
h ō]
state
of the United States bordered by Michigan, Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. Capital: Columbus. Population: 11,186,331
(1997) Area: 116,104 sq km/44,828 sq mi.
—O·hi·o·an, adjective,
noun[1]



ohm

ohm
ohm 
[ōm] (plural ohms) noun

unit
of electrical resistance: the SI unit of electrical
resistance, equal to the resistance between two points on a conductor when a
potential difference of 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere. Symbol Ω
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Georg Simon Ohm, who studied the measurement
of electrical resistance.][1]



ohmage

ohmage
ohm·age
[ṓmij] (plural ohm·ag·es) noun

electrical resistance:
electrical resistance measured in ohms[1]



Ohm,Georg Simon

Ohm,Georg Simon
Ohm 
[ōm], Georg Simon (1787–1854)

German physicist. His
research on electric currents led to the formulation of Ohm’s law. The ohm is
named for him.[1]



ohmmeter

ohmmeter
ohm·me·ter 
[ṓm mtər] (plural ohm·me·ters)
noun

instrument measuring
resistance: an instrument that measures
electrical resistance in ohms[1]



Ohm’slaw

Ohm’slaw
Ohm’s
law
noun

electrical
law:
the law of physics that states that electric current is directly proportional
to the voltage applied to a conductor and inversely proportional to that
conductor’s resistance
[Named for Georg Simon Ohm, who formulated it][1]



oho

oho
o·ho 
[ō hṓ] interjection

expressing
surprise or jubilation: used to express surprise or
exultation, for example, at making a discovery
[14th century. Formed from O + ho .][1]



OHV

OHV
OHV

1.  Abbreviation
of
off-highway vehicle

2.  OHV
or o.h.v. MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING Abbreviation of overhead valve

[1]



-oid

-oid
-oid
suffix

like,
resembling, related to • toxoid
• cylindroid
[From Greek -oeidēs,
from eidos “form, shape” (see idol )][1]



oidium

oidium
o·id·i·um 
[ō íddee əm] (plural o·id·i·a
[ō íddee ə]) noun

spore
of fungi:
a thin-walled egg-shaped fungal spore produced by the fragmentation of a hypha
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek ōion “egg” (see oo-
).][1]



oil

oil
oil 
[oyl] noun (plural oils)

1.  thick
greasy liquid: a liquid fat obtained from plant seeds,
animal fats, mineral deposits, and other sources that is thicker than and does
not dissolve in water and will burn. Oils are used for a wide variety of
purposes, most commonly as lubricants and fuels and in cooking.

2.  petroleum:
petroleum, the crude product that is distilled and refined to produce a wide
variety of industrial oils and oil -based products (often used before a noun)
• oil
prices

3.  petroleum
derivative:
any of various liquids extracted from petroleum, for example, heating oil and
motor oil, that are used as domestic fuels or as machinery and engine
lubricants (often used before a noun)

4.  petroleum
industry:
the worldwide industry that is based on petroleum extraction and refining (often
used before a noun) • oil
companies

5.  thick
liquid containing oil: a thick liquid containing
oil or with the consistency of oil, especially a cosmetic

6.
(usually used in the plural) See oil
paint

7.  oil
painting:
a painting done in oil paints

8.  flattery:
insincere praise or flattery (dated slang)
verb
(past oiled, past participle oiled, present
participle oil·ing, 3rd person present singular oils)

1.  transitive
verb
apply
oil to something: to put oil into or onto something in
order to lubricate, polish, preserve, or soften it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fuel:
to take on oil as a fuel, or supply a ship with oil

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
into oil:
to become an oily liquid, or turn a solid fat, for example, butter or lard,
into an oily liquid
[12th
century. From Old French, via Latin oleum “olive oil” from Greek elaion,
from elaia “olive” (source of English olive
).]
burn
the midnight oil

to work or study until very late
at night[1]



oilbeetle

oilbeetle
oil
bee·tle
(plural oil bee·tles) noun

beetle emitting foul
substance: a beetle that emits a
foul-smelling oily substance from the joints of its legs to deter predators.
Family: Meloidae[1]



oilbird

oilbird
oil·bird 
[óyl bùrd] (plural oil·birds) noun

American bird:
a Central and South American bird whose young have fatty flesh that was once
used as a source of oil for cooking and lighting. Latin name: Steatornis
caripensis
Also called
guacharo[1]



oilcake

oilcake
oil
cake
noun

livestock feed:
the solid residue remaining after extraction of the oil from some seeds, for
example, cottonseed and linseed. It is used as livestock feed.[1]



oilcan

oilcan
oil·can 
[óyl kàn] (plural oil·cans) noun

container for oil:
a metal container with a long thin spout, used to squirt lubricating oil into
machinery[1]



oilcloth

oilcloth
oil·cloth 
[óyl klàwth] (plural oil·cloths)
noun

oil-treated cloth:
cloth that has been treated with oil or a synthetic resin to make it
waterproof, often used as a wipe-clean covering for tables (often used
before a noun)[1]



oil-cooled

oil-cooled
oil-cooled
adjective

using oil as coolant:
with a cooling system that uses oil[1]



Oildale

Oildale
Oil·dale 
[óyl dàyl]

city in Kern County,
California. Population: 26,553 (1990)[1]



oildrum

oildrum
oil
drum
(plural oil drums) noun

large storage cylinder:
a large metal cylinder designed for transporting and storing oil. Empty oil
drums are often used as trash cans, flotation devices, and grills and to make
instruments for steel bands.[1]



oiled

oiled
oiled 
[oyld] adjective

1.  treated
with oil:
treated with oil, usually for waterproofing or lubrication

2.  drunk:
drunk (slang)

[1]



oiler

oiler
oil·er 
[óylər] (plural oil·ers) noun

1.  refueling
tanker:
an oil tanker, especially one that refuels ships at sea

2.  oil-fueled
ship:
a ship that uses oil as fuel

3.  oil
well:
an oil well (informal)

[1]



oilfield

oilfield
oil
field
(plural oil fields) noun

oil-producing area:
an area of land or sea under which there are substantial reserves of petroleum,
especially one that is being exploited[1]



oilgland

oilgland
oil
gland
(plural oil glands) noun

oil-secreting gland:
a gland at the base of a bird’s tail that secretes an oily substance that the
bird uses to preen and waterproof its feathers[1]



oilman

oilman
oil·man
[óyl màn, óylmən]
(plural oil·men [óyl mèn, óylmən]) noun

1.  oil
executive:
an executive in the petroleum industry

2.  oil
field worker: somebody who works in an oil field

[1]



oilof cloves

oilof cloves
oil
of cloves
noun

essential oil used for
toothache: an essential oil extracted
from clove flowers, used to relieve toothache and used by dentists, mixed with
zinc oxide, to form a pain-killing cement for use in temporary fillings[1]



oilof wintergreen

oilof wintergreen
oil
of win·ter·green noun

fragrant oily substance:
an aromatic oil obtained from an evergreen North American shrub, used
medicinally in liniments and also as a flavoring in food. It is the methyl
ester of salicylic acid.
Also called
wintergreen[1]



oilpaint

oilpaint
oil
paint
(plural oil paints) noun

paint containing oil:
a paint that consists of pigment mixed with a drying oil.
Also called
oil[1]



oilpainting

oilpainting
oil
paint·ing
(plural oil paint·ings) noun
Also
called
oil

1.  picture
using oil paints: a picture painted with oil paints

2.  use
of oil paints: the art of painting with oil paints

[1]



oilpalm

oilpalm
oil
palm
(plural oil palms) noun

African palm tree:
an African palm tree whose fruit and seeds are the source of palm oil. Latin
name: Elaeis guineensis[1]



oilpan

oilpan
oil
pan
(plural oil pans) noun

engine oil reservoir:
the lower section of the crankcase in an internal-combustion engine, which acts
as a reservoir of motor oil.
U.K. term
sump[1]



oilpatch

oilpatch
oil
patch
noun

U.S. oil region:
the region of the United States where there are substantial petroleum deposits,
including the states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana (informal)[1]



oilrig

oilrig
oil
rig
(plural oil rigs) noun

oil-drilling equipment:
the equipment used for drilling for oil, including the platform that supports
the drilling equipment[1]



oilshale

oilshale
oil
shale
noun

petroleum-containing shale:
a black or dark brown type of shale from which petroleum can be extracted by
distillation[1]



oilskin

oilskin
oil·skin 
[óyl skìn] noun (plural oil·skins)

1.  waterproof
fabric:
cotton fabric that has been treated with oil to make it waterproof

2.  waterproof
garment:
a garment, especially a coat, made of oilskin
plural
noun
oil·skins

waterproof clothing:
waterproof outerwear consisting of a coat and pants made of oilskin

[1]



oilslick

oilslick
oil
slick
(plural oil slicks) noun

film of oil:
a film of oil covering part of the surface of something, especially a large
expanse of oil floating on the sea following a spillage of oil from an oil
tanker[1]



oilstone

oilstone
oil·stone 
[óyl stn] (plural oil·stones)
noun

whetstone used with oil:
a fine-grained stone that is lubricated with oil and used to sharpen cutting
tools[1]



oilwell

oilwell
oil
well
(plural oil wells) noun

borehole for extracting oil:
a shaft drilled into the earth or the bottom of the sea, through which
petroleum is extracted[1]



oily

oily
oil·y 
[óylee] (comparative oil·i·er,
superlative oil·i·est) adjective

1.  dirty
with oil:
covered, smeared, or dirtied with oil • don’t
want to get my hands oily

2.  containing
oil:
containing or producing a lot of oil

3.  like
oil:
reminiscent of oil in texture, smell, or taste

4.  ingratiating:
unpleasantly eager to please or charm, or distressingly expert at doing this (disapproving)
—oil·i·ness, noun[1]



oink

oink

oink 
[oyngk] interjection noun (plural
oinks)
hog
sound:
a word used for the nasal grunting sound made by a hog
intransitive
verb
(past oinked, past participle oinked, present
participle oink·ing, 3rd person present singular oinks)
make
hog sound:
to make the nasal grunting sound of a hog
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ointment

ointment
oint·ment 
[óyntmənt] (plural oint·ments)
noun

greasy
soothing or softening substance: a smooth greasy
substance used on the skin to soothe soreness or itchiness, help wounds heal,
or make the skin softer
[13th century. Via Old French
oignement from, ultimately, Latin unguentum (source of English unguent, unctuous,
and anoint ).][1]



Oise

Oise
Oise 
[waaz]

river in western Europe,
flowing from southern Belgium through France and into the Seine. Length: 299
km/186 mi.[1]



Oita

Oita
O·i·ta 
[ṓ i t]

city and seaport in Japan. It
is the capital of Oita prefecture, on northeastern Kyushu Island. Population:
417,051 (1992)[1]



OJ

OJ
OJ
or oj

Abbreviation of
orange juice[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ojibwa

Ojibwa
O·jib·wa 
[ō jíbbwə, ō jíb
wày] (plural O·jib·was or O·jib·wa) or
O·jib·way [ō jíb wày] (plural O·jib·ways
or O·jib·way) noun
Also
called
Chippewa

1.  Native
N American people: a Native North American
people who once lived north of Lake Huron but who later moved into territories
ranging from Saskatchewan across to Michigan

2.  Native
N American language: the Algonquian language
spoken by the Ojibwa
[Early
18th century. From Ojibwa ojibwe .]
—O·jib·wa, adjective[1]



OJT

OJT
OJT

Abbreviation of
on-the-job training[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








OK

OK2
OK2

Abbreviation of
Oklahoma[1]



OK

OK1
OK1 [ō
káy] or o·kay [ō káy] interjection
(informal)

1.  indicating
agreement:
used to indicate agreement to or approval of what somebody said or did • “Can
you help?”“OK. What do you want me to do?”

2.  used
to check for approval: used at the end of a
statement to inquire whether somebody has understood and agrees with or
approves of what was said • It’s
your job to make the arrangements, OK?

3.  used
to indicate finishing something: used to indicate that
something is finished and that something else will now be done or discussed • OK,
let’s move to the next item on the agenda.
adjective
(informal)

1.  passable:
acceptable or tolerable but not exceptional • It’s
OK for a first effort.

2.  physically
well:
in good health or condition • I’ll
be OK if I can just sit down for a minute.

3.  allowable:
acceptable to somebody or permissible • Is
it OK for me to call home on the office phone?

4.  rather
good or pleasant: better than just satisfactory or
acceptable • Her
parents are OK; we get along really well.
adverb

fairly well: in an
acceptable, tolerable, or satisfactory manner (informal) • Everything’s
going OK, except that we’re a little bit behind schedule.
transitive
verb
(past OK’ed, past participle OK’ed, present
participle OK’ing, 3rd person present singular OK’s) (past
o·kayed, past participle o·kayed, present participle
o·kay·ing, 3rd person present singular o·kays) (informal)

1.  give
approval for something: to approve of or consent to
something • I
just need you to OK the agenda.

2.  obtain
somebody’s consent: to obtain somebody’s
approval of or consent to something • I’ll
need to OK that with my boss.
noun
(plural OK’s) (plural o·kays)

approval:
approval to do something or consent to something (informal) • As
soon as she gives the OK, we’ll start work.
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Of
  the many competing theories about the origins of OK,
  the one now most widely accepted is that the letters stand for oll or orl
  korrect, a facetious early 19th-century American phonetic spelling of all
  correct, and that this was reinforced by the fact that they were also
  coincidentally the initial letters of Old Kinderhook, the nickname of
  U.S. president Martin Van Buren (who was born in Kinderhook, New York State),
  which were used as a slogan in the presidential election of 1840 (a year
  after the first record of OK in print).

[1]



Okanagan

Okanagan
O·ka·na·gan
[kə ngən] (plural O·ka·na·gans
or O·ka·na·gan) or O·ka·nog·an [kə ngən] (plural O·ka·nog·ans or
O·ka·nog·an) noun

1.  Native
N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who live in and around the Okanagan river valley that runs from
British Columbia down through Washington State

2.  LANGUAGE See Okinagan
—O·ka·na·gan, adjective[1]



Okanagan,Lake

Okanagan,Lake
O·ka·na·gan,
Lake
[kə ngən]

lake in southern British
Columbia, Canada. Area: 352 sq km/136 sq mi.[1]



okapi

okapi

o·ka·pi 
[ō kpee] (plural o·ka·pis or
o·ka·pi) noun
African
mammal resembling giraffe: a plant-eating mammal of
central Africa that looks rather like a small giraffe without the long neck. It
is chestnut brown with white stripes on its hindquarters. Latin name: Okapia
johnstoni
[Early 20th century. From an
African language.][1]



Okavango

Okavango
O·ka·van·go 
[kə vng gō]

river in south central
Africa, rising in Angola, where it is called Cubango, and flowing through
Namibia and Botswana into the Okavango Swamp. Length: 1,600 km/1,000 mi.[1]



OkavangoSwamp

OkavangoSwamp
O·ka·van·go
Swamp

marsh region in northwestern
Botswana, southern Africa, occupying an inland drainage basin. Area: 16,800 sq
km/6,500 sq mi.[1]



okay

okay
o·kay 
interjection adjective adverb transitive verb noun

See
OK 1[1]



Okayama

Okayama
O·ka·ya·ma 
[kaa ymaa]

city and port in Japan, on
western Honshu Island, on the Inland Sea. Population: 593,730 (1990)[1]



Okeechobee,Lake

Okeechobee,Lake
O·kee·cho·bee,
Lake
[kə chṓbee]

lake in Florida, north of the
Everglades, forming part of the Cross-Florida Waterway. Area: 1,717 sq km/663
sq mi.[1]



OkefenokeeSwamp

OkefenokeeSwamp
O·ke·fe·no·kee
Swamp 
[kifə nṓkiswomp]

marsh region in southeastern
Georgia and northeastern Florida, It is noted for its rich wildlife. Area:
1,709 sq km/660 sq mi.[1]



okeydokey

okeydokey
o·key·do·key
[ki dṓk] or o·key·doke [ki dṓkee] interjection

OK:
OK (informal)
[Mid-20th century. An
alteration of OK 1 .][1]



Okhotsk,Sea of

Okhotsk,Sea of
Ok·hotsk,
Sea of
[ō kótsk, ə
khótsk]

sea lying off the eastern
coast of Siberia, part of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Area: 1,530,000 sq
km/590,000 sq mi.[1]



Okie

Okie
O·kie 
[ṓkee] (plural Ok·ies) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a poor migrant farm laborer, especially one from Oklahoma
or neighboring Dust Bowl states during the 1930s (offensive)

2.  Oklahoman:
somebody who was born or who lives in Oklahoma (slang)

[1]



Okinagan

Okinagan
Ok·i·na·gan
[ki nóggən] noun

Native N American language:
a Native North American language spoken by the Okanagan people. It belongs to
the Salishan branch of Algonquian-Wakashan languages.[1]



Okinawa

Okinawa
O·ki·na·wa
[ki nwə]

1.  city
on south central Okinawa Island, Japan. Population: 105,845 (1990)

2.  the
largest of the Ryukyu Islands in southwestern Japan, between the East China Sea
and the North Pacific Ocean. Area: 1,176 sq km/454 sq mi.

[1]



Okla.

Okla.
Okla.

Abbreviation of
Oklahoma[1]



Oklahoma

Oklahoma


O·kla·ho·ma 
[klə hṓmə]
state
of the United States bordered by Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas,
and New Mexico. Capital: Oklahoma City. Population: 3,317,091 (1997) Area:
181,048 sq km/69,903 sq mi.
—O·kla·ho·man [klə hṓmən], adjective, noun[1]



Oklahoma




Back to definition

Oklahoma

[1]



OklahomaCity

OklahomaCity
O·kla·ho·ma
City


capital city of Oklahoma,
located in the central part of the state. Population: 463,201 (1994)[1]



okra

okra

o·kra 
[ṓkrə] (plural o·kra or
o·kras) noun

1.  pod
used as vegetable: a pod used as a vegetable
and in soups and stews as a thickener.
Also
called
gumbo

2.  plant
with finger-shaped pods: a tall tropical Asian plant
cultivated in warmer regions for its edible, usually green pods, that are about
as long as a finger. Latin name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Also
called
gumbo

3.  See
gumbo  noun 1
[Early 18th century. Of West
African origin, related to Igbo okuro .][1]



okta

okta
ok·ta 
[óktə] (plural ok·tas) noun

measure
of cloud cover: a unit of measure used to specify the
amount of cloud cover, especially over an airfield, equivalent to enough clouds
to cover one eighth of the sky
[Mid-20th century. An
alteration of octo- .][1]



-ol

-ol2
-ol2 suffix

See
-ole[1]



-ol

-ol1
-ol1 suffix

compound
containing hydroxyl, especially an alcohol or phenol • glycerol
[From alcohol][1]



old

old
old 
[ōld] adjective (comparative old·er,
superlative old·est)

1.  having
lived long:
having lived for many years compared to others

2.  originating
years ago:
made, produced, or originating many years ago and still in existence

3.  senior:
showing physical or mental characteristics sometimes associated with long life

4.  wise:
showing the understanding, wisdom, or behavior that results from long
experience of life • She acts much older
than she is.

5.  existing
for specified time: having lived or existed for
a specified amount of time (usually used in combination) • The
day was only a few hours old.

6.  ancient:
from the remote past • the
remains of an old civilization

7.  former:
from an earlier period of something such as somebody’s life • We
drove past my old school.

8.  familiar:
familiar from past experience • She
always makes the same old excuses.

9.  existing
or used over time: having existed or been used
for a long time, especially if showing wear or age • Change
into old clothes before gardening.

10. experienced:
skilled or knowledgeable as a result of much experience over time • Take
advice from someone who’s an old hand at this work.

11. old
or Old earlier:
existing before one or all of the other stages, forms, or instances of
something • Old
English words

12. used
for emphasis: used as an intensifier (informal)
• any
old reason

13. expressing
familiarity: used to express affection or familiarity
(informal) • Good old Charlie!

14. annoyingly
familiar:
annoyingly familiar, especially as a result of repetition (informal) • That
silly joke has gotten very old.

15. GEOLOGY eroded:
reduced through erosion and weathering.
See
also
young

16. GEOLOGY slower-moving:
characterized by slower moving water and broad, flat floodplains.
See
also
young
noun

1.  person
of particular age: somebody of a particular age
(used in combination) • a
two-year-old

2.  old
things:
a thing or things that are old • to
balance the old with the new
plural
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for people who have lived a long time (offensive)
[Old
English eald (source of alderman
). Related to Dutch oud and German alt .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Old is ultimately from an Indo-European
  word meaning “to grow, nourish,” which is also the ancestor of English adult, alumnus,
  and alimony . In Latin the meaning
  evolved into “high,” as seen in the English derivatives altitude, exalt,
  and haughty, whereas the Germanic
  languages preserved an old past participle meaning “grown, old,” which is
  also the ancestor of English elder,
  eldest, and world.

[1]



oldage

oldage
old
age
noun

later years of life:
the latter years of somebody’s life lived out to its full term.
See also
middle age[1]



oldboy

oldboy
old
boy
(plural old boys) noun U.K.

1.  former
student:
a former student of a boys’ or men’s school, especially a British prep school
or college

2.  familiar
address to man: a familiar way of addressing a man or
boy (dated informal) • See
here, old boy, you can’t enter this club uninvited.
[In school sense modeled on new
boy][1]



old-boynetwork

old-boynetwork
old-boy
net·work 
(plural old-boy net·works) noun

system of informal contacts:
a system of informal contacts between men who belong to a particular group,
especially alumni of a school or university, and use their influence to help
one another[1]



OldChurch Slavonic

OldChurch Slavonic
Old
Church Sla·von·ic noun

oldest Slavonic language:
the earliest written Slavonic language, into which the Bible was translated in
the ninth century. It is still used in religious services in some Eastern
Orthodox Churches.[1]



oldcountry

oldcountry
old
coun·try
noun

home country:
an immigrant’s country of origin[1]



olden

olden
old·en 
[ṓldən] adjective

from
past:
in or from the distant past (archaic or literary)
[14th century. Formed from old + -en .][1]



Oldenburg

Oldenburg
Ol·den·burg 
[ṓldən brk, ṓldənbùrg]

city and river port in Lower
Saxony State, northwestern Germany, situated approximately 40 km/25 mi west of
Bremen. Population: 148,700 (1994)[1]



Oldenburg,Claes

Oldenburg,Claes

Oldenburg
[ṓldən burg], Claes (1929– )
Swedish-born
U.S. sculptor. A pioneer of pop art, he is known for his sagging “soft
sculptures” of everyday objects.
Full name
Oldenburg, Claes Thure[1]



OldEnglish

OldEnglish
Old
Eng·lish
noun

1.  LANGUAGE earliest
form of English: the earliest form of the English
language, used up to around AD
1150. Its three main dialects were West Saxon, Kentish, and Anglian. It was
first written using the runic alphabet.
Also
called
Anglo-Saxon
See
also
Middle English
See
also
Modern English

2.  PRINTING typeface:
a form of black letter typeface used by English printers until the 18th century
—Old Eng·lish, adjective[1]



OldEnglish sheepdog

OldEnglish sheepdog
Old
Eng·lish sheep·dog (plural Old
Eng·lish sheep·dogs) noun

shaggy
dog:
a large dog with a long shaggy coat and dark gray and white markings.
Also
called
English sheepdog
[Because they were originally
bred in England][1]



oldface

oldface
old
face
noun

U.K.
See old style[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oldfangled

oldfangled
old·fan·gled
[ōld fáng g’ld] adjective

outmoded:
antiquated or out of date (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
newfangled .][1]



oldfart

oldfart
old
fart
(plural old farts) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody, usually a person in authority, who is
regarded as being set in his or her ways and as lacking a sense of humor or fun
(offensive)[1]



old-fashioned

old-fashioned
old-fash·ioned 
adjective

1.  out
of date:
typical of or belonging to a time in the past and no longer considered
fashionable or suitable for the present • an
old-fashioned car with a running board

2.  maintaining
old-style ways: favoring or deliberately maintaining
ideas, behavior, or ways of doing things from an earlier time
noun
(plural old-fash·ioneds)

BEVERAGES whiskey
cocktail:
a cocktail made with whiskey, bitters, sugar, and lemon peel and garnished with
fruit

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  old-fashioned, outdated, antiquated,
  archaic, obsolete, passe, antediluvian
  CORE
  MEANING: no
  longer in current use or no longer considered fashionable old-fashioned; used to describe something
  that is no longer in common use because of changes in taste or technology,
  although it may still be in existence. It is often used to suggest that
  something is out of date, but can also be used nostalgically to recall how
  things used to be; out-dated; used to describe something that no
  longer seems relevant to modern life because it has been superseded by
  something better, more fashionable, or more technologically advanced; antiquated; used to describe something such
  as a piece of machinery or a system that is old and outdated but still
  functioning or in use, although not very efficiently; archaic; used to describe something that is
  so old-fashioned that it seems to have no relevance to modern life. It can
  also be used to describe things such as words that are no longer in common
  use but that could be used to create a particular effect; obsolete; used to describe something that
  has passed totally out of use; passe; a rather formal word used in a
  disapproving, sometimes even contemptuous, way to suggest something that is
  no longer current or fashionable; antediluvian;
  a formal or literary word often used in a deliberately humorous way to
  suggest that something is extremely old-fashioned and outdated

[1]



old-field

old-field
old-field 
(plural old-fields) noun

fallow field:
a field lying fallow after being overcultivated (archaic) (regional)[1]



old-fieldcolt

old-fieldcolt
old-field
colt
(plural old-field colts) noun

illegitimate
child:
a child born to parents who are not married (archaic) (regional)
[From the unauthorized
breeding of horses in fields that are not being watched][1]



OldFrench

OldFrench
Old
French
noun

earliest
form of French: the earliest form of the French
language, used until about AD 1400
or, in some analyses, AD 1600.
See
also
Middle French
—Old French, adjective[1]



oldgirl

oldgirl
old
girl
(plural old girls) noun U.K.

1.  former
student:
a former student at a girls’ or women’s school, especially a British prep
school or college

2.  familiar
address to woman: a familiar way of addressing a woman or
girl (dated informal) • Sorry,
old girl, didn’t mean to lose my temper like that.

[1]



old-girlnetwork

old-girlnetwork
old-girl
net·work 
(plural old-girl net·works) noun

system of informal contacts:
a system of informal contacts between women who belong to a particular group,
especially alumnae of a school or university, and use their influence to help
one another[1]



OldGlory

OldGlory
Old
Glo·ry
noun

U.S. flag:
a nickname for the flag of the United States[1]



oldgold

oldgold
old
gold
adjective

dark
yellow:
of a dark dull yellow color sometimes tinged with brown
—old gold, noun[1]



oldgrowth

oldgrowth
old
growth
noun

mature woodland:
a long-established forest or woodland that contains some large old trees and
has a relatively stable and diverse community of plants and animals (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



oldguard

oldguard
old
guard
or Old Guard noun

old conservative members:
the members of a group or organization who have been in it the longest, are the
staunchest defenders of its traditions, and are the least amenable to change (takes
a singular or plural verb)[1]



oldhand

oldhand
old
hand
(plural old hands) noun

very experienced person:
somebody who has acquired skill and knowledge through long experience in a
field of activity[1]



oldhat

oldhat
old
hat
adjective

overfamiliar:
boringly familiar or old-fashioned (informal)[1]



OldHigh German

OldHigh German
Old
High Ger·man noun

earliest
form of High German: the standard, literary form
of German ( High German ) used in written
documents up to around AD 1200
—Old High Ger·man, adjective[1]



oldie

oldie
old·ie 
[ṓldee] (plural old·ies) noun

old thing:
something old, especially an old popular song (informal)[1]



OldKingdom

OldKingdom
Old
King·dom
noun

period of Egyptian history:
the period of ancient Egyptian history that comprises the third to sixth
dynasties, from around 2700 to 2150 BC,
when the capital was at Memphis and the great pyramids were built[1]



oldlady

oldlady
old
la·dy
noun (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody’s mother

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man’s wife, or his girlfriend whom he lives with

[1]



OldLatin

OldLatin
Old
Lat·in
noun

earliest
form of Latin: the form of the Latin language used
until around the middle of the first century BC,
when what is known as Classical Latin began to be used
—Old Lat·in, adjective[1]



old-line

old-line
old-line 
adjective

1.  conservative:
conservative or traditional in principles, policy, or outlook • old-line
fans praising players of 40 years ago

2.  old
and established: in existence for a long time and having
a high social status or good reputation that has endured • an
old-line publisher still proudly independent

[1]



oldmaid

oldmaid
old
maid
(plural old maids) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman in or past middle age who has never been married
and seems unlikely ever to marry (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
a man or woman insulted as being excessively prim and fussy (offensive)

3.  CARD GAMES card
game:
a card game played with a deck from which one card, usually a queen, has been
removed, or the resulting unpaired card left at the end of the game. The
players collect pairs of cards, and the player left with the unpaired card
loses.

4.  CARD GAMES loser
in old maid: the losing player in a game of old maid
—old-maid·ish, adjective[1]



oldmaid flower

oldmaid flower
old
maid flow·er (plural old maid flow·ers)
noun

Southern U.S.
zinnia:
a zinnia[1]



oldman

oldman
old
man
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody’s father (slang offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman’s husband, or the man whom she lives with (slang
offensive)

3.  commanding
officer:
a man in a position of authority, especially a commanding officer (slang)
• The
old man is on the bridge, mad as a hornet.

4.  U.K.
familiar
address to man: a familiar way of addressing another man
(informal dated) • Look
here, old man, I’m in a spot of bother and wonder if you could help me out.

[1]



old-man’s-beard

old-man’s-beard
old-man’s-beard 
noun

white hairy plant:
a popular name for several plants that have trailing or hanging whitish
growths, especially traveler’s-joy, Spanish moss, and the fringe tree[1]



oldmaster

oldmaster
old
mas·ter
(plural old mas·ters) noun

1.  great
European painter: any of the great European painters of
the period dating roughly from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century

2.  painting
by old master: a picture painted by an old master

[1]



OldNick

OldNick
Old
Nick 
noun

Devil:
a nickname for the Devil (dated slang)[1]



OldNorse

OldNorse
Old
Norse
noun

old
Germanic language: the old Germanic language
from which the modern Scandinavian languages are derived, in use in Scandinavia
from around AD 700 to 1350
—Old Norse, adjective[1]



OldRed Sandstone

OldRed Sandstone
Old
Red Sand·stone noun

red sedimentary rock:
a sedimentary rock, usually red in color, formed during the Devonian period and
found in Britain and northwestern Europe[1]



oldrose

oldrose
old
rose
adjective

deep
pink:
of a deep pink color tinged with gray
—old rose, noun[1]



oldsalt

oldsalt
old
salt
(plural old salts) noun

experienced sailor:
a sailor who has years of experience at sea.
Also called
salt[1]



OldSaxon

OldSaxon
Old
Sax·on
noun

See
Saxon  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oldschool

oldschool
old
school
noun

traditionalists:
a group of people who adhere to traditional or old-fashioned values and
practices • As
a disciplinarian of the old school, he was horrified at the laxity of the new
regime.[1]



oldschool tie

oldschool tie
old
school tie
(plural old school ties) noun

1.  U.K.
necktie:
a necktie whose colors indicate which school, especially which British prep
school, the wearer attended

2.  school
loyalty and tradition: the shared attitudes,
traditions, and loyalties attributed to people who attended the same school,
especially the same prep school or college

3.  clannishness:
an attitude of smug self-sufficiency coupled with indifference or hostility to
outsiders that is shown by members of a tight-knit group

[1]



oldsoldier

oldsoldier
old
sol·dier
(plural old sol·diers) noun

1.  veteran
soldier:
an experienced and long-serving soldier, or a former soldier

2.  veteran:
somebody with a great deal of experience

[1]



oldsquaw

oldsquaw
old·squaw 
[ṓld skwàw] (plural old·squaws)
or old-squaw [ṓld skwàw] (plural
old-squaws) or old squaw [ṓld
skwàw] (plural old squaws) noun

Arctic
duck:
a long-tailed duck common in Arctic seas that has a black back and wings, a
white breast, and a brown-and-white head. Latin name: Clangula hyemalis
Also
called
oldwife
Also
called
long-tailed duck
U.K.
term
long-tailed duck
[Mid-19th century. Probably
from its gabbling voice.][1]



oldster

oldster
old·ster 
[ṓldstər] (plural old·sters) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who has reached an advanced age (offensive)
[Early 19th century. Modeled
on youngster . Originally it referred to a
midshipman who had seen four years’ service.][1]



oldstyle

oldstyle
old
style
noun

old typeface:
a typeface that shows little difference between light and heavy strokes and has
slanting serifs. It originated in the 18th century.
U.K. term
old face[1]



old-style

old-style
old-style
adjective

old-fashioned:
typical of the past but now superseded by something else[1]



OldStyle

OldStyle
Old
Style
adjective

according to Julian calendar:
used to indicate a date recorded according to the Julian calendar[1]



OldTestament

OldTestament
Old
Tes·ta·ment
noun

first part of Christian
Bible: the first part of the
Christian Bible, corresponding to the Hebrew Bible, that recounts the creation
of the world and the history of ancient Israel and contains the Psalms and the
prophetic books[1]



old-time

old-time
old-time 
adjective

1.  old-fashioned:
typical of or dating from a time in the past • old-time
religion

2.  long-established:
in existence for a long time • the
old-time families of the town

[1]



old-timer

old-timer
old-tim·er 
(plural old-tim·ers) noun

1.  senior
citizen:
a senior citizen, especially a man (sometimes considered offensive)

2.  experienced
person:
somebody who has lived in or worked at a particular place for a long time

[1]



OlduvaiGorge

OlduvaiGorge
Ol·du·vai
Gorge 
[ṓld vī, ṓldvày,
ṓldwày]

ravine in northern Tanzania,
where fossil remains of early humans and hominids have been found. It is the
site of many important archaeological discoveries.[1]



oldwife

oldwife
old·wife 
[ṓld wf] (plural old·wives [ṓld wvz] or old·wife) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fish:
a popular name for several fishes, for example, the alewife and the menhaden

2.  (plural
old·wives) BIRDS See
oldsquaw

[1]



oldwives’ tale

oldwives’ tale
old
wives’ tale 
(plural old wives’ ta·les) noun

superstitious
or erroneous belief: a traditional belief or
story, passed down by word of mouth, that is now considered untrue or
superstitious
[From old wife, an old
woman][1]



oldwoman

oldwoman
old
wom·an
noun (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody’s mother

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man’s wife, or the woman whom he lives with

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a man’s courage and decisiveness
—old-wom·an·ish, adjective[1]



old-world

old-world
old-world
adjective

typical of former age:
considered to be typical of a former and more gracious age[1]



OldWorld

OldWorld
Old
World 
noun

eastern hemisphere:
the part of the world that was known to Europeans before Columbus’s first
voyage to the Americas, comprising Europe, Asia, and Africa.
See also
New World[1]



OldWorld monkey

OldWorld monkey
Old
World mon·key noun

monkey related to apes:
any of a family of monkeys closely related to the great apes, with close-set
nostrils and nongrasping tails. The family includes baboons and mandrills.
Family: Cercopithecidae[1]



ole-

ole-
ole-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
oleo-[1]



OLE

OLE
OLE 
[ṓlee]

Abbreviation of
object linking and embedding[1]



-ole

-ole
-ole
suffix

1.  a
chemical compound containing a five-membered, usually heterocyclic ring • carbazole

2.  a
chemical compound, usually an ether, that does not contain hydroxyl • anisole
[Via French from Latin oleum
(see oil )][1]



olea

olea
o·le·a


Plural of
oleum[1]



oleaginous

oleaginous
o·le·ag·i·nous 
[lee ájjənəss] adjective

1.  containing
oil:
containing or producing oil

2.  like
oil:
similar to oil in nature or consistency

3.  ingratiating:
unpleasantly eager to please, charm, or be of service to people • An
oleaginous embassy attaché showered me with obviously false compliments.
[Mid-17th
century. Directly and via Old French oleagineux from Latin oleaginus
“of an olive tree, oily,” from olea “olive tree,” an alteration of oliva
(see olive ).]
—o·le·ag·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—o·le·ag·i·nous·ness, noun[1]



Olean

Olean
O·le·an 
[lee án]

city in Cattaraugus County,
southwestern New York, situated on the Allegheny River. Population: 16,946
(1990)[1]



oleander

oleander
o·le·an·der 
[lee ándər] (plural o·le·an·ders
or o·le·an·der) noun

flowering
evergreen shrub: a poisonous evergreen shrub native to
the Mediterranean region. It has leathery lance-shaped leaves, sweet-smelling
white, pink, or purple flowers, and long seed pods. Latin name: Nerium
oleander
Also
called
rosebay
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin .][1]



oleaster

oleaster
o·le·as·ter 
[lee ástər] (plural o·le·as·ters
or o·le·as·ter) noun

1.  tree
with fruits like olives: a small tree that is similar
to the olive tree. It has silvery leaves and branches, greenish yellow flowers,
and fruits that resemble olives. Genus: Elaeagnus

2.  fruit
of oleaster: the fruit of the oleaster, which
resembles an olive.
Also
called
silverberry
Also
called
Russian olive
[14th century. Via Latin from
olea “olive tree,” an alteration of oliva (see olive ).][1]



oleate

oleate
o·le·ate
[ṓlee àyt] (plural o·le·ates) noun

oleic acid derivative:
a salt or ester of oleic acid[1]



olecranon

olecranon
o·lec·ra·non 
[ō lékrə nòn] (plural o·lec·ra·nons)
noun

ANATOMY elbow
bone:
the upper end of the ulna bone that extends beyond the joint of the elbow to
form the elbow’s hard projecting point
[Early 18th century. From
Greek ōlekranon, from ōlenē “elbow” + kranion “head.”][1]



olefin

olefin
o·le·fin 
[ṓləfin] (plural o·le·fins) noun

1.  o·le·fin
or o·le·fin fi·ber (plural o·le·fin fi·bers) synthetic
fiber:
any of a group of synthetic fibers that are long chains of polymers

2.  CHEMISTRY See alkene
[Mid-19th century. From
French (gaz) oléfiant, literally “oil-forming (gas),” from Latin oleum
“oil” (see oil ).][1]



oleic

oleic
o·le·ic 
[ō l ik] adjective

1.  relating
to oil:
derived from or relating to oil

2.  relating
to oleic acid: derived from or relating to oleic acid

[1]



oleicacid

oleicacid
o·le·ic
ac·id
noun

colorless oily liquid:
a colorless oily liquid found in almost all animal and vegetable fats. An
unsaturated fatty acid, it is used to make soap, ointments, cosmetics, and
lubricating oils. C18H34O2[1]



olein

olein
o·le·in 
[ṓlee in] or o·le·ine [ṓlee in] noun

oily yellow liquid:
a yellow oily liquid that occurs naturally in most fats and is mainly used as a
textile lubricant[1]



oleo-

oleo-
oleo-
prefix

1.  oil,
oily • oleograph

2.  oleic
acid • oleate
[Via French oléo-
from, ultimately, Latin oleum (see oil
)][1]



oleo

oleo
o·le·o 
[ṓlee ] (plural o·le·os) noun

1.  margarine:
margarine (dated)

2.  oleograph:
an oleograph (informal)

[1]



oleograph

oleograph
o·le·o·graph 
[ṓlee ə gràf] (plural o·le·o·graphs)
noun

oil-color
lithograph:
a colored lithographic print made on canvas with oil colors in order to imitate
an oil painting.
Also
called
oleo
—o·le·o·graph·ic [lee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



oleomargarine

oleomargarine
o·le·o·mar·ga·rine 
[li ō márjərən] (plural o·le·o·mar·ga·rines)
noun

See
margarine  noun[1]



oleooil

oleooil
o·le·o
oil
(plural o·le·o oils) noun

yellow fatty substance:
a yellow fatty substance extracted from beef fat, used in the manufacture of
margarine and soap[1]



oleoresin

oleoresin
o·le·o·res·in 
[lee ō rézz’n] (plural o·le·o·res·ins)
noun

resin-oil mixture:
a mixture of a resin and an essential oil, either obtained naturally from
plants or produced synthetically[1]



oleum

oleum
o·le·um 
[ṓlee əm] (plural o·le·a [ṓlee ə] or o·le·ums) noun

sulfur
trioxide solution: a solution of sulfur
trioxide in sulfuric acid
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, “oil” (see oil ).][1]



olfaction

olfaction
ol·fac·tion 
[ol fákshən] noun

1.  smelling
sense:
the sense of smell

2.  act
of smelling: the smelling of something
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin olfacere “to smell.”][1]



olfactometer

olfactometer
ol·fac·tom·e·ter 
[òl fak tómmətər] (plural ol·fac·tom·e·ters)
noun

smell-sensitivity
instrument:
an instrument for measuring the keenness of somebody’s sense of smell
[Late 19th century. Coined
from olfaction + -meter
.][1]



olfactory

olfactory

ol·fac·to·ry 
[ol fáktəree] adjective
relating
to smelling: used in smelling or relating to the
sense of smell
[Mid-17th century. Via
assumed Latin olfactorius “used for smelling” from, ultimately, olfacere
“to smell,” from olere (source of English redolent
) + facere “to do.”][1]



Olgas,The

Olgas,The
Ol·gas,
The
[ólgəz]

group of monolithic rocks in
southwestern Northern Territory, Australia, 26 km/16 mi west of Ayers Rock.
Their highest point is Mount Olga, 3,516ft/1,072m .[1]



olibanum

olibanum
ol·i·ba·num 
[o líbbə nəm] noun

See
frankincense
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin olibanum and Greek libanos from Arabic al-lubān
“storax.”][1]



oligarch

oligarch
ol·i·garch 
[ólli grk] (plural ol·i·garches)
noun

member
of oligarchy: a ruler or leader in an oligarchy
[Early 17th century. From
Greek oligarkhēs, from oligos “few” + -arkhēs “ -arch .”][1]



oligarchy

oligarchy
ol·i·gar·chy 
[ólli grkee] (plural ol·i·gar·chies)
noun

1.  small
governing group: a small group of people who together
govern a nation or control an organization, often for their own purposes

2.  entity
ruled by oligarchy: a nation governed or an
organization controlled by an oligarchy

3.  government
by small group: government or control by a small group
of people
[Late
15th century. From Greek oligarkhia, from oligos “few” + -arkhia
“-archy” (see -arch ).]
—ol·i·gar·chic [òlli grkik], adjective[1]



oligo-

oligo-
oligo-
prefix

few
• oligophagous
[From Greek oligos
“small, little, few”][1]



Oligocene

Oligocene
Ol·i·go·cene 
[ólli gō sn, ə
líggə sn] noun

third
geologic period of Tertiary Era: the third geologic
period of the Tertiary Era, from 40 to 25 million years ago, when primates
first appeared
—Ol·i·go·cene, adjective[1]



oligoclase

oligoclase
ol·i·go·clase 
[ólli gō klàyss, ə
líggə klàyss] (plural ol·i·go·clase) noun

feldspar
mineral:
a white, bluish, or reddish yellow feldspar mineral of the plagioclase series,
found especially in more acidic igneous and metamorphic rock
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from oligo- + Greek klasis
“breaking,” from klan “to break” (see clastic
), from its imperfect cleavage.][1]



oligomer

oligomer
o·lig·o·mer 
[ólligəmər, ə
líggəmər] (plural o·lig·o·mers) noun

kind
of polymer:
a polymer consisting of less than five monomer units
—o·lig·o·mer·ic
[òlligə mérrik, ə
lìggə mérrik], adjective

—o·lig·o·mer·i·za·tion
[òlligəməri záysh’n, ə lìggəməri záysh’n], noun[1]



oligonucleotide

oligonucleotide
ol·i·go·nu·cle·o·tide 
[òlli gō nklee ə td, ə lìggə nklee ə td] (plural ol·i·go·nu·cle·o·tides)
noun

short nucleotide chain:
a polymeric chain containing ten nucleotides or fewer[1]



oligophagous

oligophagous
ol·i·goph·a·gous 
[òlli góffəgəss] adjective

eating limited range of
things: feeding on a restricted
range of foodstuffs, usually a small number of different plants[1]



oligopoly

oligopoly
ol·i·gop·o·ly 
[òlli góppəlee] (plural ol·i·gop·o·lies)
noun

small
number of sellers: an economic condition in
which there are so few suppliers of a particular product that one supplier’s
actions can have a significant impact on prices and on its competitors
[Late
19th century. Coined from oligo- + monopoly .]
—ol·i·gop·o·lis·tic [òlli góppə lístik], adjective[1]



oligopsony

oligopsony
ol·i·gop·so·ny 
[òlli gópsənee] (plural ol·i·gop·so·nies)
noun

small
number of buyers: an economic condition in which there are
so few buyers for a particular product that one buyer’s actions can have a
significant impact on prices and the market in general
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from oligo- + monopsony .]
—ol·i·gop·so·nis·tic [òlli gopsə nístik], adjective[1]



oligosaccharide

oligosaccharide
ol·i·go·sac·cha·ride 
[òlli gō sákə rd, ə
lìggə sákə rd] (plural ol·i·go·sac·cha·rides) noun

type of carbohydrate:
a carbohydrate made up of a relatively small number of linked monosaccharides.
See also
polysaccharide[1]



oligotrophic

oligotrophic
ol·i·go·tro·phic 
[òlli gō tróffik, ə
lìggə tróffik] adjective

nutrient-poor and
oxygen-rich: containing relatively
little plant life and nutrients in its waters but rich in dissolved oxygen[1]



olingo

olingo
o·lin·go 
[ō líng gō] (plural o·lin·gos)
noun

small
S American mammal: a small tree-dwelling
nocturnal mammal that is native to the tropical forests of South and Central
America and looks a little like a slim sleek raccoon. Latin name: Bassaricyon
gabbii
[Early 20th century. From
American Spanish .][1]



olio

olio
o·li·o 
[ṓlee ] (plural o·li·os) noun

1.  spiced
stew:
a highly spiced stew made from a variety of meats and vegetables and usually
including chickpeas

2.  assortment:
a miscellaneous collection of things

3.  ARTS miscellany
or medley:
something made up of works of various kinds or works by different people, for
example, a literary miscellany or a musical medley
[Mid-17th century. An
alteration of Spanish olla “pot, stew,” (see olla
).][1]



olive

olive

ol·ive 
[ólliv] noun (plural ol·ives)

1.  FOOD green
or black fruit: a small oval bitter-tasting fruit with a
pit, green when unripe and black when ripe. It is the source of olive oil.

2.  TREES olive
tree:
an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean that produces the olive. Latin
name: Olea europaea (often used before a noun)

3.  INDUSTRY olive
wood:
the wood of the olive tree, used in decorative work

4.  TREES tree
resembling olive: a tree or shrub that resembles the olive
tree
noun (plural
ol·ives) adjective

COLORS See olive green
[12th century. Via Latin oliva
from Greek elaiwa, a variant of elaia “olive, olive oil” (source
of English oil ).][1]



olivebranch

olivebranch
ol·ive
branch
(plural ol·ive branch·es) noun

1.  conciliatory
gesture:
a gesture or offer intended to bring about a reconciliation

2.  symbol
of peace:
a branch of an olive tree used as a symbol of peace
[From Genesis 8:11][1]



olivedrab

olivedrab
ol·ive
drab
noun

1.  COLORS grayish
green:
a grayish green color

2.  TEXTILES green
cloth:
cloth dyed in an olive drab color, used especially for military uniforms

3.  (plural
ol·ive drabs) MILITARY green
military uniform: a military uniform made of olive drab
cloth, especially one worn in the United States army
—ol·ive drab, adjective[1]



olivegreen

olivegreen
ol·ive
green
adjective

yellowish
green:
of a deep yellowish green color
—ol·ive green, noun[1]



olivenite

olivenite
o·liv·e·nite 
[ō lívvə nt, óllivə
nt] noun

copper
mineral:
a rare mineral that is often olive green in color. It is a hydrated arsenate of
copper. Cu2(AsO4)OH
[Early 19th century. From
German Olivenit, from Olive “olive,” from its color.][1]



oliveoil

oliveoil
ol·ive
oil
(plural ol·ive oils) noun

oil from olives:
monounsaturated oil with a distinctive flavor extracted from olives,
extensively used in salad dressings and for cooking, and in the manufacture of
soap and cosmetics. Extra virgin and virgin olive oil, pressed from olives
without pits, are the best quality oils.[1]



Oliver,King

Oliver,King
Ol·i·ver 
[óllivər], King (1885–1938)

U.S.
musician. A cornet player, he was a pioneer of early New Orleans jazz, strongly
influencing Louis Armstrong.
Born
Oliver, Joseph[1]



Olives,Mount of

Olives,Mount of
Ol·ives,
Mount of
[óllivz, ólləvz]

ridge in central Israel, east
of Jerusalem, with many biblical associations. It is separated from Jerusalem
by the Valley of Kidron. Height: 823 m/2,700 ft.[1]



Olivier,Laurence

Olivier,Laurence

O·liv·i·er 
[ə lívvee ày], Laurence, 1st Baron Olivier
of Brighton (1907–1989)
British
actor and director. An influential Shakespearean actor, he was a founding
director of the British National Theatre (1961–1973).
Full name
Olivier, Laurence Kerr[1]



olivine

olivine
ol·i·vine 
[ólli vn] noun

magnesium-iron
silicate:
an olive-green form of magnesium-iron silicate that occurs naturally in igneous
rocks. It is used in refractories and as a gemstone. (MgFe)2SiO4
—ol·i·vin·ic
[òlli vínnik], adjective

—ol·i·vi·nit·ic [òllivə níttik], adjective[1]



olla

olla
ol·la 
[óllə] (plural ol·las) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD earthenware
pot:
a large, usually unglazed pot with a spherical body and a wide mouth, used in
Latin America and the southwestern United States for storing water and for
cooking

2.  FOOD See olla podrida
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin aulla “pot.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “cooking pot” or “oven,” which is also the ancestor
of English oven .][1]



ollapodrida

ollapodrida
ol·la
po·dri·da 
[òllə pə drdə, àwlyə
pə drdə, àwyə pə drdə] (plural
ol·la po·dri·das or ol·las po·dri·das) noun

1.  traditional
Spanish and Latin American stew: a traditional Spanish
and Latin American stew of meat and vegetables, usually containing sausage and
chickpeas, and highly seasoned.
Also
called
olla

2.  assortment:
a miscellaneous mixture or assortment of things
[From Spanish, literally
“rotten pot”][1]



Olmec

Olmec
Ol·mec 
[ól mèk] (plural Ol·mecs or
Ol·mec) noun

1.  Central
American civilization: a Central American
civilization that arose around AD
1200, before the Mayan civilization. It featured irrigated agriculture,
urbanism, and the beginnings of calendar and writing systems. (often used
before a noun)

2.  member
of Olmec civilization: a member of any of the
peoples who made up the Olmec civilization
[Late 18th century. From
Nahuatl olmecatl, literally “somebody who lives in the rubber country.”][1]



Olmsted,Frederick Law

Olmsted,Frederick Law

Olm·sted
[ólmstəd], Frederick Law (1822–1903)
U.S. landscape architect. His
naturalistic works, including New York’s Central Park, greatly influenced park
design throughout the United States and Canada.[1]



ology

ology
ol·o·gy 
[ólləjee] (plural ol·o·gies) noun

academic
field:
any science or academic field, especially one whose name ends in “-ology” (informal)
• people
studying ologies you’ve never heard of
[Early 19th century. From the
suffix -ology, as in “biology,” “psychology,” etc.][1]



oloroso

oloroso
o·lo·ro·so 
[lə rṓssō] (plural o·lo·ro·sos)
noun

full-bodied
sherry:
a golden-colored full-bodied sherry, typically medium-sweet
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “fragrant,” from Latin olere “to smell.”][1]



Olympia

Olympia
O·lym·pi·a 
[ə límpee ə, ō
límpia]

plain in southwestern Greece,
in the western Peloponnese, near the Ionian Sea. It was an ancient religious
site sacred to Zeus, and the first Olympic Games were held there in 776 BC .[1]



Olympiad

Olympiad
O·lym·pi·ad 
[ō límpee àd] (plural O·lym·pi·ads)
noun

1.  single
Olympic Games: a holding of the modern Olympic Games

2.  four-year
period:
a four-year interval between one holding of the Olympic Games and the next,
used by the ancient Greeks as a way of calculating dates
[14th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek Olumpia, where the games were held.][1]



OlympiaHeights

OlympiaHeights
O·lym·pi·a
Heights

city in Dade County, Florida.
Population: 37,792 (1990)[1]



Olympian

Olympian
O·lym·pi·an 
[ō límpee ən] adjective

1.  enormous:
extraordinarily great or demanding

2.  like
Greek deity: characteristic of a Greek god or
goddess, or resembling one in power, majesty, or beauty (literary)

3.  MYTHOLOGY relating
to Mount Olympus: relating to Mount Olympus, the home of
the gods in Greek mythology

4.  aloof
or superior: so superior or grand as to be above
everyday events and concerns • his
Olympian indifference to petty squabbles

5.  GEOGRAPHY of
Olympia:
relating to ancient Olympia
noun
(plural O·lym·pi·ans)

1.  SPORTS Olympic
athlete:
a competitor in the Olympic Games

2.  superior
person:
somebody who is so superior or grand as to be above everyday events and
concerns

3.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
deity:
any one of the twelve major Greek gods or goddesses who had their home on Mount
Olympus

4.  PEOPLES somebody
from Olympia: an inhabitant of ancient Olympia
[15th century. Formed from
Greek olumpios .][1]



Olympic

Olympic
O·lym·pic 
[ə límpik, ō
límpik] adjective

of Olympic Games:
relating to the Olympic Games[1]



OlympicGames

OlympicGames
O·lym·pic
Games
or O·lym·pic games plural noun

1.  international
sports contest: a large-scale international sports
contest intended to promote international goodwill. It has been held every four
years since 1896, except for 1940 and 1944, in different cities around the
world.

2.  ancient
Greek festival: an ancient Greek religious festival held
every four years at Olympia in honor of Zeus, with athletic, literary, and
musical contests involving participants from throughout Greece

[1]



OlympicMountains

OlympicMountains
O·lym·pic
Moun·tains
[ə lìmpik mównt’nz, ō
lìmpik mówntenz]

mountain range in
northwestern Washington State, on the Olympic Peninsula, mainly in Jefferson
and Clallam counties. The highest point is Mount Olympus, 7,965ft/2,428m .[1]



OlympicNational Park

OlympicNational Park
O·lym·pic
Na·tion·al Park

national park in northwestern
Washington State, in the Olympic Mountains, noted for its temperate rainforest
and glaciers. It was established in 1938. Area: 373,387 hectares/ 922,626
acres.[1]



Olympics

Olympics
O·lym·pics 
[ə límpiks, ō
límpiks] plural noun

Olympic Games:
the modern Olympic Games[1]



OlympusMons

OlympusMons
O·lym·pus
Mons
[ə lìmpəss mónz] noun

large volcano in the northern
hemisphere of Mars. It is three times as high as Mount Everest. Height: 26,800
m/88,000 ft.[1]



Olympus,Mount

Olympus,Mount
O·lym·pus,
Mount
[ə límpəss, ō
límpəss]

the highest mountain in
Greece, located in the north of the country. In Greek mythology it was believed
to be the home of the gods. Height: 2,917 m/9,570 ft.[1]



olé

olé
o·lé 
[ō láy] interjection

expression
of triumph:
used to express triumph, excited approval, or encouragement in Spanish. It is a
customary cry at bullfights and during flamenco dancing.
noun
(plural o·lés)

cry
of olé:
a cry or shout of olé
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish .][1]



O.M.

O.M.
O.M.
[awm]

Abbreviation of
Order of Merit[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Om

Om
Om 
[ṓm] or Aum [ṓm] noun

sacred syllable:
a sacred syllable that is chanted in Hindu and Buddhist prayers and mantras. It
is symbolic of creation, destruction, and preservation or of the primary
trinities of Hinduism or Buddhism.[1]



-oma

-oma
-oma
suffix

tumor
• encephaloma
[Directly and via modern
Latin from Greek -ōma][1]



Omaha

Omaha1
O·ma·ha1  [ṓmə
h] (plural O·ma·has or O·ma·ha) noun

1.  member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who have lived in northeastern Nebraska since the 17th century

2.  Native
N American language: the Siouan language spoken
by the Omaha
[Early
19th century. From Omaha umonhon, literally “upstream people.”]
—O·ma·ha, adjective[1]



Omaha

Omaha2
O·ma·ha2  [ṓmə
h]

city in eastern Nebraska, on
the Missouri River. Population: 345,033 (1994)[1]



Oman




Back to definition

Oman

[1]



Oman

Oman



O·man 
[ō mn]
independent
state in southwestern Asia, on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
Language: Arabic. Currency: Omani rial. Capital: Muscat. Population: 2,251,000
(1996) Area: 212,457 sq km/82,030 sq mi. Official name Sultanate of Oman
—O·man·i, adjective,
noun[1]



Oman,Gulf of

Oman,Gulf of
O·man,
Gulf of
[ō mn]

arm of the Arabian Sea,
situated between northern Oman and the southeastern coast of Iran[1]



OmarKhayyam

OmarKhayyam
O·mar
Khay·yam 
[ maar kī m] (1050?–1122)

Persian
poet, mathematician, and astronomer. His Rubáiyát is an extensive
collection of four-line stanzas, some of which were translated into English by
Edward Fitzgerald (1859).
Full name
Abu ol-Fath Omar ebn Ebrahim ol-Khayyami[1]



omasum

omasum
o·ma·sum 
[ō máyssəm] (plural o·ma·sa [ō máyssə]) noun

ruminant’s
third stomach: the third compartment of the stomach of
a cow or other ruminant, situated between the abomasum and the reticulum. The
inner surface has folds that break up food particles.
Also
called
psalterium
Also
called
manyplies
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “bullock’s tripe.”][1]



OMB

OMB
OMB

Abbreviation of
Office of Management and Budget[1]



ombre

ombre
om·bre 
[ómbər] or om·ber [ómbər] noun

18C
card game:
a card game, popular in the 18th century, for three players using forty cards,
with one player competing against the other two
[Mid-17th century. From
Spanish hombre “man, ombre,” from Latin homo “man.”][1]



ombro-

ombro-
ombro-
prefix

rainfall,
precipitation • ombrogenous
[From Greek ombros][1]



ombudsman

ombudsman
om·buds·man 
[ómbədzmən, óm
bdzmən, óm bùdz mən] (plural om·buds·men
[ómbədz mən]) noun

nongovernmental
investigator: somebody responsible for investigating
and resolving complaints from consumers or other members of the public against
a company, institution, or other organization
[Mid-20th
century. Via Swedish from Old Norse umboðsmaðr “manager, deputy,” which
was formed from umboð “commission” + maðr “man” (related to
English man ).]
—om·buds·man·ship, noun[1]



ombudsperson

ombudsperson
om·buds·per·son 
[ómbədz pùrs’n, óm
bdz pùrs’n, óm budz pùrs’n] (plural
om·buds·per·sons) noun

ombudsman
or ombudswoman: somebody responsible for investigating
or resolving complaints from consumers or other members of the public against a
company, institution, or other organization
[Modeled
on ombudsman]
—om·buds·per·son·ship,
noun[1]



ombudswoman

ombudswoman
om·buds·wom·an 
[ómbədz wmmən, óm
bdz wmmən, óm budz wmmən] (plural
om·buds·wom·en [ómbədz wìmmin]) noun

1.  nongovernmental
investigator: a woman responsible for investigating
and resolving complaints from consumers or other members of the public against
a company, institution, or other organization

2.  government
official:
a woman government official responsible for impartially investigating citizens’
complaints against a public authority or institution and trying to bring about
a fair settlement
[Mid-20th
century. Modeled on ombudsman .]
—om·buds·wom·an·ship, noun[1]



Omdurman

Omdurman
Om·dur·man 
[òmdr mn, òmdrmán]

city in east central Sudan,
on the west bank of the Nile River, opposite Khartoum. Population: 1,267,077
(1993)[1]



-ome

-ome
-ome
suffix

mass
• trichome
[Via modern Latin from Greek -ōma][1]



omega

omega
o·me·ga 
[ō máygə] (plural o·me·gas) noun

1.  last
letter of Greek alphabet: the 24th and final letter of
the Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “o”

2.  end:
the end, or the last thing in a series (literary)
[Early 16th century. From
Greek ō mega “great (i.e., long) o,” as opposed to “small (short) o,” “o
mikron.”][1]



omegahyperon

omegahyperon
o·me·ga
hy·per·on
(plural o·me·ga hy·per·ons) noun

subatomic particle:
a negatively charged elementary particle with a rest mass 3,272 times that of
an electron.
Also called
omega minus[1]



omegameson

omegameson
o·me·ga
mes·on
(plural o·me·ga mes·ons) noun

subatomic particle:
an extremely short-lived neutral meson with a rest mass 1,532 times that of an
electron[1]



omegaminus

omegaminus
o·me·ga
mi·nus
noun

See
omega hyperon
[From the symbol for the
particle][1]



omelet

omelet
om·e·let 
[ómmlət] (plural om·e·lets) or
om·e·lette [ómmlət] (plural om·e·lettes)
noun

beaten
egg dish:
a dish consisting of beaten eggs fried over high heat until set, often served
folded in half over a savory filling such as cheese or mushrooms
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin lamella “small thin plate,” from lamina
“thin plate” (source of English laminate
).][1]



omen

omen
o·men 
[ṓmən] noun (plural o·mens)

prophetic
sign:
a happening that is regarded as a sign of how somebody or something will fare
in the future
intransitive
and transitive verb (past o·mened,
past participle o·mened, present participle o·men·ing,
3rd person present singular o·mens)

indicate
something’s future: to indicate the future
course of events relating to something
[Late 16th century. From
Latin (source of English abominable
).][1]



omentum

omentum
o·men·tum 
[ō méntəm] (plural o·men·ta [ō méntə] or o·men·tums) noun

peritoneum
fold:
any of the folds of the peritoneum, especially the fold that covers the
intestines greater omentum or the fold that connects to the liver lesser
omentum
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
.][1]



Omer

Omer
O·mer
[ṓmər] noun

weeks after Passover:
in Judaism, a seven-week period between the second day of Passover and the
first day of Shavuoth, observed as a period of mourning, except on one day.
Omer is named after the custom of offering an omer or sheaf of barley as a
sacrifice in the Temple on the first day of this period.[1]



omerta

omerta
o·mer·ta 
[ mair t] or o·mer·tà [ mair t] noun

Mafia
code of silence: the code requirement alleged to apply to
members of the Mafia, requiring that they remain silent about any crimes of
which they have knowledge
[Late 19th century. From
Italian dialect, from Latin humilitas “humility,” from humilis,
“humble.” The underlying meaning is “subjugation to the good of the society.”][1]



omicron

omicron
om·i·cron 
[ṓmi kròn, ómmi
kròn] (plural om·i·crons) noun

15th
letter of Greek alphabet: the fifteenth letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “o”
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
o mikron “small (i.e., short) o,” as opposed to “great (long) o,” “ō
mega.”][1]



ominous

ominous
om·i·nous 
[ómminəss] adjective

threatening:
suggesting or indicating that something bad is going to happen or be revealed • I
think it’s rather ominous that they haven’t replied to your letter.
[Late
16th century. From Latin ominosus “of an omen,” from omen
“omen.”]
—om·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—om·i·nous·ness, noun[1]



omissible

omissible
o·mis·si·ble 
[ō míssəb’l] adjective

able to be omitted:
able to be left out or left undone[1]



omission

omission
o·mis·sion 
[ō mísh’n] (plural o·mis·sions)
noun

1.  something
left out:
something that has been deliberately or accidentally left out or not done • errors
and omissions excepted

2.  act
of omitting: the omitting of something or the state
of being omitted • The omission of those
three words changed the sense of the whole paragraph.
[14th century. Via Old French
from the late Latin stem omission-, which was formed from omittere
“to omit .”][1]



omit

omit
o·mit 
[ō mít] (past o·mit·ted, past
participle o·mit·ted, present participle o·mit·ting, 3rd
person present singular o·mits) transitive verb

1.  leave
somebody or something out: to fail to include or
mention somebody or something, either deliberately or accidentally

2.  fail
to do something: to fail or forget to do something,
either deliberately or accidentally
[15th
century. From Latin omittere, from ob- “away” + mittere
“to send” (source of English mission,
message, and promise ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at neglect

[1]



OMM

OMM
OMM

Canada
Abbreviation of Officer of the Order of Military Merit[1]



omni-

omni-
omni-
prefix

all
• omnicompetent
[From Latin omnis .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “abundance, to produce” that is
also the ancestor of English opulent,
copy, optimum,
and operate .][1]



omnibus

omnibus
om·ni·bus 
[ómni bùss, ómnibəss]
noun (plural om·ni·bus·es)

1.  book
collecting separate works: a single book containing
several works, usually by the same author, involving the same main character,
or on the same subject, previously published separately

2.  om·ni·bus
or om·ni·bus e·di·tion (plural om·ni·bus e·di·tions)
U.K. single
broadcast of programs: a single continuous
broadcast consisting of several radio or television programs previously
broadcast separately, for example, installments of a serial or soap opera

3.  bus:
a bus (archaic or formal)
adjective

with many different things:
bringing many different things together as a single unit • an
omnibus education bill
[Early 19th century. Via
French and directly from Latin “for all,” from omnis “all” (see omni- ).][1]



omnibussurvey

omnibussurvey
om·ni·bus
sur·vey
(plural om·ni·bus sur·veys) noun

wide-ranging interview:
a survey in which data on a wide variety of subjects is collected during the
same interview[1]



omnicompetent

omnicompetent
om·ni·com·pe·tent
[òmnee kómpətənt] adjective

1.  widely
competent:
able to deal successfully with any task or situation

2.  LAW with
full jurisdiction: competent to judge or try
any kind of case

[1]



omnidirectional

omnidirectional
om·ni·di·rec·tion·al 
[òmnee di rékshən’l] adjective

in any direction:
able to transmit or receive radio or sound waves in or from any direction[1]



omnidirectionalradio range

omnidirectionalradio range
om·ni·di·rec·tion·al
ra·di·o range (plural om·ni·di·rec·tion·al
ra·di·o rang·es) noun

See
omnirange[1]



omnificent

omnificent
om·nif·i·cent 
[om níffiss’nt] or om·nif·ic [om níffik] adjective

with
great creative power: with unlimited power to
create (literary)
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin omni- (see omni-
) + Latin -ficus “-fic” (see -fic ) +
-ent .]
—om·nif·i·cence, noun[1]



omnipotence

omnipotence
om·nip·o·tence
[om níppətəns] noun

all-powerfulness:
the possession of complete, unlimited, or universal power and authority[1]



Omnipotent

Omnipotent
Om·nip·o·tent
noun

God:
a word sometimes used to refer to God (literary)[1]



omnipotent

omnipotent
om·nip·o·tent 
[om níppətənt] adjective

all-powerful:
possessing complete, unlimited, or universal power and authority
[13th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem omnipotent-, from omnis
“all” + potens, the present participle of posse “to be able.”]
—om·nip·o·tent·ly, adverb[1]



omnipresent

omnipresent
om·ni·pres·ent 
[òmnee prézz’nt] adjective

1.  always
present everywhere: continuously and
simultaneously present throughout the whole of creation

2.  found
everywhere:
present or seemingly present all the time or everywhere
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin omnipraesent-, from omni-
“omni-” + praesens “present.”]
—om·ni·pres·ence, noun[1]



omnirange

omnirange
om·ni·range 
[ómnee ràynj] (plural om·ni·rang·es)
noun

aircraft navigation network:
a very-high-frequency radio navigation network that enables aircraft pilots to
choose and fly any bearing relative to a transmitter on the ground.
Also called
omnidirectional radio range[1]



omniscience

omniscience
om·nis·ci·ence
[om níssee əns] noun

all-encompassing
knowledge:
knowledge of all things, whether real or apparent knowledge
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin omniscientia, literally “knowledge of all,” from scientia
“knowledge” (see science ).][1]



omniscient

omniscient
om·nis·cient 
[om níssee ənt] adjective

all-knowing:
knowing or seeming to know everything
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin omniscient-, from Latin omni- “omni-” + scire
“to know” (see science ).][1]



omnium-gatherum

omnium-gatherum
om·ni·um-gath·er·um 
[òmnee əm gáərəm] (plural om·ni·um-gath·er·ums)
noun

miscellaneous
collection:
a collection of many different, often unsorted ideas or items (humorous)
[From Latin omnium “of
all” + pseudo-Latin gatherum, an alteration of “gathering”][1]



omnivore

omnivore
om·ni·vore 
[ómnə vàwr] (plural om·ni·vores)
noun

1.  animal
that eats anything: an animal that will feed on
any kind or many different kinds of food, including both plants and animals

2.  somebody
with wide interests: somebody who has very wide
interests and will read, study, or generally absorb anything that is available
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Omnivora “omnivores,” from Latin omnivorus (see omnivorous ).][1]



omnivorous

omnivorous
om·niv·o·rous 
[om nívvərəss] adjective

1.  eating
many foods:
eating any kind or many different kinds of food, including both plants and
animals

2.  interested
in range of things: wide-ranging and often
undiscriminating in interests and tastes
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin omnivorus, which in turn was formed from omni-
(see omni- ) + -vorus “devouring.”]
—om·niv·o·rous·ly, adverb[1]



omphalos

omphalos
om·pha·los 
[ómfə lòss, ómfələss]
(plural om·pha·los·es) noun

1.  ancient
Greek sacred stone: a conical stone with sacred
significance in ancient Greek religion, especially the one at Delphi that was
believed to mark the center of the world

2.  focal
point:
the central or focal point, around which everything else revolves (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, literally “navel.”][1]



OMR

OMR
OMR

Abbreviation of
optical mark reading[1]



Omsk

Omsk
Omsk 
[áwmsk]

city and capital of Omsk
Oblast, southwestern Russia, situated 772 km/480 mi east of Chelyabinsk.
Population: 1,160,000 (1995)[1]



on

on
on 
[on] preposition

1.  indicates
position:
used to describe something in a position above and in contact with the surface
of something else • sitting on the bed

2.  attached
to something: used to indicate attachment to or
suspension from a surface or object • a
wooden wheel mounted on the wall

3.  supporting
weight:
used to indicate what part of the body is supporting somebody’s weight • They
sat there leaning on their elbows.

4.  carrying
something:
carrying something that is therefore readily accessible • I
didn’t have any cash on me at the time.

5.  in
the vicinity of: located in a place or situated close to
or alongside a place • driving
around on dirt roads • a
town on the coast of Trinidad

6.  at
a time:
used to indicate when something happens • just
before noon on Tuesday

7.  relating
to something: concerned with or relating to a
particular subject, thing, or activity

8.  where
something is available: used to indicate that
specific information is currently available from a machine or instrument • a
comedy show on the radio

9.  as
means of functioning: used to indicate the means
by which somebody or something subsists or functions • animals
that feed on the leaves of the trees

10. by
means of:
using something as a means of transport • They
arrived on horseback.

11. during:
engaged in an activity • My
assistant is away on a course.

12. according
to:
used to indicate that something is grounds for a statement, way of thinking, or
action • allowing
them to compete on an equal basis

13. in
current rank or position: used to indicate somebody’s
current status or position in an organization or institution • My
sister is on the committee.

14. directed
toward:
used to indicate that something is directed toward somebody or something • I
shone my flashlight on the inscription.

15. charged
to:
used to indicate that the cost of drinks or a meal is charged to a particular
person • The
drinks are on me.
adverb

1.  in
contact with something: in contact with, attached
to, or supported by something • an
envelope with a stamp on

2.  into
state of attachment or suspension: into a condition of
being attached to or suspended from something • sewing
a button on

3.  into
operation:
into the state of operating or functioning • turned
the television on

4.  with
clothing:
wearing clothes or placing clothing over a part of the body • I
pulled my tee-shirt on.

5.  persistently:
in a continuous or persistent way • decided
to stay on in Cambridge

6.  in
progress:
in activity or performance at the present time or at some implied time • putting
a play on

7.  BASEBALL indicating
runner’s position: in baseball, used to
indicate whether an offensive player is on the bases • left
three runners on

8.  BETTING wagered:
wagered as a bet • put a bet on
adjective

1.  taking
place:
happening or being performed at the present time • There’s
nothing good on tonight. • I’ve
got a lot on at the moment.

2.  arranged
or planned:
indicating that an activity is arranged and will happen • Are
we still on for tomorrow?

3.  functioning:
indicating that a machine or device is functioning or in use • Is
the oven on?
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English aloft .]
be
on

to
be performing exceptionally well at something (slang)

be
on to somebody or something

to
have information on or be aware of the real nature of somebody or something (informal)

have
something on somebody

to
have unfavorable information about somebody’s activities

on
and off

occasionally

on
and on

in
a continuous, persistent way

you’re
on

used to indicate that
somebody is agreeing to do something proposed by somebody else (informal)[1]



ON

ON
ON
ON O.N.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Old Norse

2.  Abbreviation
of
Ontario

[1]



-on

-on2
-on2 suffix

See
-one
[Alteration of -one][1]



-on

-on1
-on1 suffix

1.  subatomic
particle • fermion

2.  fundamental
hereditary unit • muton

3.  unit,
quantum • chronon
[From ion][1]



on-again,off-again

on-again,off-again
on-a·gain,
off-a·gain 
or on-a·gain-off-a·gain adjective

intermittent:
happening or continuing intermittently, and thus difficult to predict (informal)[1]



onager

onager
on·a·ger 
[ónnəjər] (plural on·a·gers) noun

1.  wild
Asian ass:
a wild ass found in northern Iran and bordering areas that is dark yellow with
a stripe along its back. Genus: Equus hemionus

2.  ancient
war machine: in former times, a war machine used to
throw stones
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek onagros, from onos “ass” + agrios “wild.”][1]



onanism

onanism
o·nan·ism 
[ṓnə nìzzəm] noun

1.  masturbation:
masturbation (literary)

2.  coitus
interruptus: coitus interruptus
[Early
18th century. Named for Onan, a character in the Bible (Genesis 38:9), who
spilled his semen onto the ground rather than impregnate his deceased brother’s
wife.]
—o·nan·ist,
noun

—o·nan·is·tic [nə nístik], adjective[1]



onboard

onboard
on·board
[on báwrd] or on-board [on báwrd] adjective

on
vehicle or vessel: carried or available on an
aircraft, ship, or other vehicle or vessel
[Mid-20th century. Board from
board “side of a ship.”][1]



once

once
once 
[wunss] adverb

1.  at
a time in the past: used to indicate that
something happened or was the case at some time in the past • The
place must have been nice once. • a
once comfortable lifestyle

2.  ARITHMETIC multiplied
by one:
indicating that a number is multiplied by one • once
three is three

3.  by
one step:
distant by one place or degree • a
cousin once removed
conjunction

as soon as:
happening when or whenever something else has happened • Once
he got started, it was clear we were dealing with an expert.
all
at once

1.  happening
suddenly, often unexpectedly • I felt
really sick all at once.

2.  happening
all at the same time • She
could not read the books all at once.

at
once

1.  immediately
• Tell
him at once.

2.  happening
all at the same time • It’s a
lot to take in at once.

for
once

happening
on this particular occasion, if or but at no other time • For
once my strategy worked.

once
and away

1.  conclusively

2.  occasionally

once
and for all

completely
or finally

once
in a while

occasionally
• You
ought to sit back and relax every once in a while.

once
or twice or once and again

a
few times, but not often • pausing
once and again to listen

once
upon a time

used
at the beginning of fairy tales and children’s stories to indicate that
something happened a long time ago or in an imaginary world





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Once
  Upon a Time in the West, a spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone (1968),
  is often considered the best of his movies, and was reputedly Henry Fonda’s favorite.
  He stars as a vicious gunman out to kill a feisty landowner, played by
  Claudia Cardinale, who is hoping to cash in on the Western expansion of the
  railroad. Charles Bronson, in the role of a mysterious character known as
  “Harmonica,” is meanwhile hunting down Henry Fonda. Ennio Morricone, who
  wrote the music for many such movies, composed the atmospheric score.

[1]



once-over

once-over
once-o·ver 
noun

quick look:
a rapid inspection or examination of somebody or something (informal) • I’ll
give the car a quick once-over.[1]



onchocerciasis

onchocerciasis
on·cho·cer·ci·a·sis 
[òngkō sur k əssiss] noun

disease
caused by parasitic worms: a disease caused by
infestation with worms, especially a tropical disease of humans caused by a
parasitic worm and transmitted by blackflies, causing skin nodules, lesions,
and blindness.
Also
called
river blindness
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Onchocerca, a genus of worms, which was in turn formed
from Greek ogkos “barb” + kerkos “tail,” from their shape.][1]



onco-

onco-
onco-
prefix

tumor
• oncolysis
[From Greek onkos
“mass”][1]



oncogene

oncogene
on·co·gene 
[óngkə jn] (plural on·co·genes)
noun

cancer-causing gene:
a gene that can cause a cell to become malignant. Oncogenes are thought to be
derived from normal cellular counterparts that have been taken up by certain
viruses and altered so they malfunction when returned to the cell.[1]



oncogenesis

oncogenesis
on·co·gen·e·sis 
[òngkō jénnəssiss] noun

tumor development:
the development of a tumor or tumors[1]



oncogenic

oncogenic
on·co·gen·ic 
[òngkō jénnik] adjective

causing
tumors:
relating to or causing the formation and growth of tumors
—on·co·ge·nic·i·ty [òngkō jə níssətee], noun[1]



oncology

oncology
on·col·o·gy 
[ong kólləjee] noun

study
of cancer:
the branch of medicine that deals with the study and treatment of malignant
tumors
—on·co·log·i·cal
[òngkə lójjik’l], adjective

—on·col·o·gist, noun[1]



oncolysis

oncolysis
on·col·y·sis
[ong kólləssiss] noun

destruction of tumor cells:
the destruction of tumor cells, either spontaneously or, more usually, in
response to drug or radiographic treatment[1]



oncoming

oncoming
on·com·ing 
[ón kùmming] adjective

approaching:
heading directly toward somebody or something
noun

onset:
the approach of something that is soon to occur[1]



oncornavirus

oncornavirus
on·cor·na·vi·rus 
[ong kàwrnə vrəss] (plural on·cor·na·vir·us·es)
noun

cancer-causing
virus:
a virus containing single-stranded RNA and capable of causing cancer
[Late 20th century. Coined
from onco- + RNA
+ virus .][1]



Ondaatje,Michael

Ondaatje,Michael
On·daat·je
[on dtyə], Michael (1943– )

Sri Lankan-born Canadian
writer. Among his many volumes of poetry and fiction is the British Booker
Prize-winning The English Patient ( 1992 ), which was made into a
successful movie.[1]



OndesMartenot

OndesMartenot
On·des
Mar·te·not
[àwNd maartə nṓ] (plural On·des
Mar·te·not [àwNd maartə nṓ]) noun

electronic
musical instrument: an electronic musical
instrument that can be played either on a keyboard or with a finger slider,
producing a characteristic sliding sound. The instrument was favored by the
composer Olivier Messiaen.
[From French Ondes
(musicales) “(musical) waves,” original name of the instrument, + (Maurice)
Martenot, 1898–1980, French inventor][1]



one

one
one 
[wun] (plural ones) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating a single thing or unit, and not two or more • (adjective)
just one accident out of thousands • (adjective)
a one-legged man • (pronoun)
Central Newark, once home to several bank branches, now has one.
• (pron+of)
Bill got one of his boxing gloves off.

1.
adjective pronoun unique:
distinct from all others • the
one exception to this

2.
adjective pronoun used to distinguish
something:
distinct from all others of its kind in a comparison • from
one thought to the next

3.
adjective a nonspecific time:
relating to an unspecified time in the past or future • one
August afternoon

4.
adjective used for emphasis:
used instead of “a” and “an” to emphasize a following adjective or expression (informal)
• She’s
written one great novel!

5.
adjective particular:
introducing the name of somebody who may not be known • This
plan, one Whitman concedes, is the most helpful.

6.
pronoun typical individual:
used to refer to people in general (formal) • One
can eat well here.

7.
pronoun somebody or something unspecified:
used to indicate somebody or something not specifically identified (dated)
• the
voice of one crying in the wilderness

8.
pronoun previously mentioned:
used instead of a preceding noun to indicate somebody or something already
mentioned • nothing
but an old vase, and a cracked one at that

9.
pronoun joke or story:
used to refer to a question, joke, or remark • That’s
a good one!

10.
noun ARITHMETIC the
number 1:
the number 1. It is the smallest whole number, designating a single unit, and
the first cardinal number.

11.
noun something
with value of 1: something in a numbered series with a
value of one • to
throw a one

12.
noun dollar
bill:
a one dollar bill (informal)

13.
noun time
measure:
used to indicate the time as one hour after twelve midday or midnight • We’ll
stop for lunch at one.

14.
noun MUSIC musical
notation:
the numeral 1 used as the bottom figure in a time signature to indicate that
the beat is measured in whole notes
[Old
English ān . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English union .]
as
one

doing
something at the same time or in the same way

all
one

not
important enough to be of any consequence to somebody

at
one

in
harmony with somebody or something

one
and all

everyone
in a group

one
by one

happening
individually in sequence

one
or two

a
few people or things

one
and only

1.  unique
and without comparison (often used to introduce a performer on a show)

2.  the
person that somebody loves

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  one
  of those people who is or • one
  of those people who are ?
  Sense
  determines whether the verb in a construction of this type should be singular
  or plural, and in any given case one choice is right and the other wrong. To
  decide which verb form to choose, start with the of . For example, • He
  is one of those people who is/are always trying to make a good impression
  is not equivalent in meaning to • Of
  those people, he is one who is always trying to make a good impression.
  Rather, the idea is • Of
  those people who are always trying to make a good impression, he is one.
  Here the form of to be is not governed by one but by people,
  and therefore one of those people who are is right. In contrast, • He
  is the only one of those people who is/are worth talking to
  surely does not mean • Of
  those people who are worth talking to, he is the only one.
  Here the idea is • Of those people, he
  is the only one who is worth talking to, so
  in this case one of those people who is is right.

[1]



-one

-one
-one
suffix

ketone
or related compound • quinone
[Origin uncertain: possibly
from Greek -ōnē “daughter of”][1]



one-acter

one-acter
one-act·er 
(plural one-act·ers) noun

one-act play:
a play that consists of only one act[1]



oneanother

oneanother
one
an·oth·er
pronoun

each to others:
each of several members of a group to the others • neighbors
helping one another[1]



one-armedbandit

one-armedbandit
one-armed
ban·dit 
(plural one-armed ban·dits) noun

gambling machine:
a gambling machine that is operated by inserting a coin or token in a slot and
pulling down a lever on one side (informal)[1]



one-bagger

one-bagger
one-bag·ger
(plural one-bag·gers) noun

BASEBALL
single:
a single (informal)[1]



one-basehit

one-basehit
one-base
hit 
(plural one-base hits) noun

BASEBALL
See single[1]



one-dimensional

one-dimensional
one-di·men·sion·al 
adjective

1.  in
one dimension: existing in or possessing only one
dimension

2.  lacking
depth:
presenting or perceiving only the most superficial aspects of something

[1]



Onega,Lake

Onega,Lake
O·ne·ga,
Lake
[ə nyéggə, ō
néggə]

the largest lake in Europe,
in northwestern Russia, east of Lake Ladoga, to which it is linked by the Svir
River. Area: 9,700 sq km/3,745 sq mi.[1]



one-horse

one-horse
one-horse 
adjective

1.  very
small and boring: small, dull, and insignificant • a
one-horse town

2.  having
one likely winner: fielding only one candidate
or competitor who is likely to win • a
one-horse race

3.  drawn
by single horse: drawn by only one horse

[1]



Oneida

Oneida2
O·nei·da2  [ō
ndə]

city in Madison County,
central New York, situated 21 km13 mi southwest of Rome. Population: 10,850
(1990)[1]



Oneida

Oneida1
O·nei·da1  [ō
ndə] (plural O·nei·da or O·nei·das) noun

1.  member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in New York State and whose
members now live mainly in Ontario, New York State, and Wisconsin. The Oneida
were one of the five peoples who formed the Iroquois Confederacy, which later
became known as the Six Nations.

2.  Oneida
language:
the Iroquoian language of the Oneida people
[Mid-17th
century. From Oneida onẽrýote, name of the main Oneida settlement.]
—O·nei·da, adjective[1]



oneiric

oneiric
o·nei·ric 
[ō nrik] adjective

in
or like a dream: relating to, experienced in, or similar
to a dream or dreams
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek oneiros “dream.”][1]



oneiromancy

oneiromancy
o·nei·ro·man·cy 
[ō nrə mànsee] noun

divination
of future through dreams: the practice of divining the
future through the interpretation of dreams
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Greek oneiros “dream” + -mancy
.]
—o·nei·ro·man·cer, noun[1]



one-liner

one-liner
one-lin·er 
(plural one-lin·ers) noun

brief joke or witticism:
a short joke or funny remark in one sentence[1]



one-man

one-man
one-man 
adjective

for or by one person:
consisting of, designed for, featuring, or performed by only one person[1]



one-manband

one-manband
one-man
band
noun

1.  street
musician with several instruments: a street performer who
plays several musical instruments at once usually having them strapped to his
or her body

2.  organization
of one person: a business or organization in which one
person does all or most of the work

[1]



oneness

oneness
one·ness 
[wún nəss] noun

1.  singleness:
the quality of being one as opposed to many

2.  uniqueness:
the quality of being unique

3.  agreement:
the state of being united or agreed

4.  sameness:
the quality of being the same or monotonous

[1]



one-nightstand

one-nightstand
one-night
stand 
(plural one-night stands) noun

1.  affair
lasting one night: a sexual encounter that
lasts for only one night (informal)

2.  one-night
performance: a single performance given at any one
place for one night only

[1]



one-note

one-note
one-note
adjective

narrow or restricted:
limited in ability, scope, or range (informal) • a
one-note writer[1]



one-off

one-off
one-off 
adjective

U.K.
occurring
once:
happening only once, not as part of a series
noun
(plural one-offs)

U.K.
single unrepeated event:
a unique and unrepeatable or unrepeated thing or event[1]



one-on-one

one-on-one
one-on-one 
adjective

1.  personal:
involving contact or communication between only two people.
U.K.
term
one-to-one

2.  SPORTS directly
against each other: playing directly against one
other player • a
one-on-one drill
noun

SPORTS drill involving
two players: a game or drill in which two players
compete only against each other • An
hour of one-on-one exhausted me.
—one-on-one, adverb[1]



one-person

one-person
one-per·son 
adjective

of or for one person:
consisting of, designed for, featuring, or performed by only one person[1]



one-piece

one-piece
one-piece 
adjective

not
separate:
consisting of a single, not two or more, components
noun
(plural one-piec·es)

one-piece swimsuit:
a bathing suit consisting of a single piece[1]



oner

oner
on·er
[wúnnər] (plural on·ers) noun

somebody or something
extraordinary: a unique or
extraordinary person or thing (informal)[1]



onerous

onerous
on·er·ous 
[ónnərəss, ṓnərəss]
adjective

1.  difficult:
representing a great burden or much trouble

2.  LAW having
disadvantageous obligations: involving obligations that
are more disadvantageous than advantageous
[14th
century. Via Old French onéreux, from Latin onerosus, from oner-,
stem of onus “burden.”]
—on·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—on·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



oneself

oneself
one·self 
[wun sélf] pronoun (formal)

1.  referring
to the subject: used as a pronoun, the reflexive form of
“one,” meaning a person’s own self • The
aim is to improve oneself and one’s ability.

2.  without
help from others: used to indicate that something is done
without help or interference from others • One
should always try and manage things oneself.


normal self: your
usual or normal self (formal) • In
such situations one never feels oneself.
[Mid-16th century. From one’s
self .][1]



one-shot

one-shot
one-shot 
adjective (informal)

1.  happening
only one time: happening or doing something only once

2.  effective
at the first attempt: taking effect after only one
application or attempt • a
one-shot solution to financial problems
noun

something tried once:
something done or attempted only once (informal) • It
promised to be the start of a working relationship, but proved to be only a
one-shot.

[1]



one-sided

one-sided
one-sid·ed 
adjective

1.  unfairly
weighted:
dominated by or favoring one side more than the other in a competition

2.  biased:
presenting or considering one side of a matter while ignoring other aspects of
it

3.  bigger
on one side: larger, more prominent, or more
developed on one side than the other

4.  being
on one side: having or occurring on only one side
—one-sid·ed·ly,
adverb

—one-sid·ed·ness, noun[1]



one-size-fits-all

one-size-fits-all
one-size-fits-all 
adjective

1.  fitting
people of most sizes: suitable to be worn by
almost everyone

2.  mediocre:
suiting a wide variety of tastes, and offensive to none • one-size-fits-all
TV shows

[1]



one-step

one-step
one-step 
noun (plural one-steps)

1.  DANCE ballroom
dance:
a ballroom dance similar to the fox trot, in 2/4 time

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
a piece of music written for the one-step
intransitive
verb
(past one-stepped, past participle one-stepped, present
participle one-step·ping, 3rd person present singular one-steps)

DANCE dance
a one-step:
to perform the one-step

[1]



one-stop

one-stop
one-stop
adjective

U.K.
providing services in one place:
offering a wide variety of services or goods in one location so that a customer
has to go to only one place • a
one-stop home design center[1]



one-tailed

one-tailed
one-tailed
or one-tail adjective

statistically above or below
a given value: used to describe a
statistical test in which all values of the critical region either fall below
or exceed a given value, but not both[1]



onetime

onetime
one·time
adjective

1.  former:
having been something or played a particular role at a previous time • the
onetime world champion

2.  one·time
or one-time happening only once:
done or occurring only once and unlikely to happen again

[1]



one-to-one

one-to-one
one-to-one 
adjective adverb

U.K. See
one-on-one
adjective

1.  matching:
with one part that corresponds to or matches another

2.  MATHEMATICS with
pairings that leave no remainder: used to describe a
mathematical set with members such that each member can be paired with one of
another set leaving no remainder
—one-to-one, adverb[1]



one-track

one-track
one-track 
adjective

concerned with one subject:
focused on, obsessed with, or restricted to only one issue or subject • a
one-track mind[1]



one-two

one-two
one-two
noun U.K.

1.  BOXING See one-two punch

2.  SOCCER pass
to another player then back: a pass made to another
player on the same team who then immediately passes to a new position taken up
by the original passer

[1]



one-twopunch

one-twopunch
one-two
punch
(plural one-two punch·es) noun

1.  BOXING two
successive punches: a punch with one hand
followed by a punch from the side ( cross )
with the other hand • I gave
him a one-two punch.
Also
called
one-two
U.K.
term
one-two  noun 1

2.  quick
sequential actions or events: two actions or events
producing an effect because delivered or happening quickly and in sequence • the
one-two punch of a hurricane and then cholera.
Also
called
one-two
U.K.
term
one-two

[1]



one-up

one-up
one-up 
(past one-upped, past participle one-upped, present
participle one-up·ping, 3rd person present singular one-ups)
transitive verb

gain an advantage over
somebody: to gain an advantage over an
opponent (informal) • Looks
like I’ve been one-upped again.[1]



one-upmanship

one-upmanship
one-up·man·ship 
[wun úpmən shìp] noun

competitive behavior:
the practice of attempting to outdo or show yourself to be superior to a rival
or opponent[1]



one-way

one-way
one-way 
adjective

1.  TRANSPORT going
in one direction: moving or allowing movement in one
direction only • a one-way street

2.  TRANSPORT not
allowing a return: allowing somebody to travel
to a destination but not to return • a
one-way ticket

3.  involving
only one of two people: agreed on, felt, or
involving a contribution from one person or party only • a
one-way agreement

4.  allowing
viewing from one side: made in such a way that it
can be looked through from one side but not from the other • one-way
glass

[1]



one-waymirror

one-waymirror
one-way
mir·ror
noun

observation device:
a sheet of glass that is a mirror on one side and can be seen through from the
other. Such mirrors are used, for example, by police to allow witnesses to
identify suspects without themselves being seen.
U.K. term
two-way mirror[1]



one-woman

one-woman
one-wom·an 
adjective

for or by one woman:
consisting of, designed for, featuring, or performed by one woman • a
one-woman show[1]



ongoing

ongoing
on·go·ing 
[ón g ing] adjective

continuing:
having existed or been in progress for some time and continuing to do so[1]



ONI

ONI
ONI

Abbreviation of
Office of Naval Intelligence[1]



onion

onion

on·ion 
[únnyən] (plural onions) noun

1.  edible
bulb used as a vegetable: a vegetable in the form of a
rounded edible bulb with hard pungent flesh in concentric layers beneath a
flaky brown skin

2.  plant
with pungent bulbs: an Asian plant of the lily
family with greenish-white flowers whose bulb is the onion. Latin name: Allium
cepa

3.  plant
related to the onion: any plant related to the
onion, for example, the Welsh onion
[12th
century. From Latin unio “onion,” of uncertain origin: perhaps directly
or via unio “pearl” (from the color and shape), from unus “one”
(from the “unity” formed by the layers).]
—on·ion·y, adjective[1]



oniondome

oniondome

on·ion dome
(plural on·ion domes) noun
round church dome:
a rounded dome resembling an onion in shape, typical of Russian and Byzantine
church architecture[1]



onionskin

onionskin
on·ion·skin 
[únnyən skìn] noun

very thin paper:
a type of smooth thin translucent paper formerly used especially for making
carbon copies[1]



Onitsha

Onitsha
O·nit·sha 
[ō níchə]

city in Anambra State,
southeastern Nigeria, situated about 362 km/225 mi east of Lagos. Population:
336,600 (1992)[1]



-onium

-onium
-onium
suffix

a
complex cation • diazonium
[From ammonium][1]



oniumion

oniumion
on·i·um
i·on
[ṓnee əm  ən] noun

positively charged ion:
a positively charged ion ( cation ) that is
analogous to the ammonium ion. NH4+ 
See also
cation[1]



on-label

on-label
on-la·bel
adjective

approved:
using or involving the use of a prescription drug to treat a condition for
which the drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration[1]



onlay

onlay
on·lay 
[ón lày] transitive verb (past
on·laid, past participle on·laid, present participle
on·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular on·lays)

lay something on a surface:
to lay something on a surface, especially for decorative reasons, so that it
stands in relief
noun
(plural on·lays)

1.  MEDICINE skin
graft:
a skin graft surgically transferred to the surface of an organ or other part of
the body

2.  DENTISTRY inlay
in a tooth:
an inlay fixed to the biting surface of a tooth
[15th century. From on + lay
(verb).][1]



online

online
on·line 
or on-line adjective

1.  COMPUTING connected
via a computer: attached to or available through a
central computer or computer network.
See
also
off-line

2.  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING directly
connected to a measurable process: used to describe an
instrument or sensor that is connected directly to a process being measured,
thus obviating the need to take samples for analysis in a laboratory or
elsewhere

3.  ongoing:
currently going on or being done
adverb

while connected to a computer:
while under the control of a computer or connected to a computer network

[1]



onliner

onliner
on·lin·er
[ón lnər] noun

user of online services:
a user or a supplier of online computer services[1]



onload

onload
on·load 
[ón ld] (past on·load·ed, past
participle on·load·ed, present participle on·load·ing,
3rd person present singular on·loads) intransitive and
transitive verb

load something with freight:
to load freight onto a vehicle[1]



onlooker

onlooker
on·look·er 
[ón lkər] (plural on·look·ers)
noun

observer:
somebody who watches an event without participating in it
—on·look·ing, adjective[1]



only

only
on·ly 
[ṓnlee] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb used to indicate the one thing or person that solely or exclusively
happens or is involved in a situation • facilities
for club members only • I
will act only in the best interests of our country. • The
regulations apply only to new firms.

1.
adverb indicating a condition:
used to indicate the condition that exists for something to happen or be true • I’ll
go to the party, but only if you come with me.

2.
adverb merely:
merely the situation, level, or amount stated • I
could only stand and look. • That’s
only part of the picture.

3.
adverb no more and no less:
just the particular amount specified • There
are only 3.3 people at work for every person retired.

4.
adverb as recently as:
considered as happening very recently • only
last March

5.
adverb indicating an event happening immediately
after:
used to introduce a surprising or unpleasant event that happens immediately
after the one mentioned • We
rushed the cat to the vet, only to find there was nothing wrong with it.

6.
adjective the single person or thing:
used to indicate the single person or thing involved in a situation • the
only Democratic candidate • the
only barrier between himself and the job

7.
adjective with no siblings:
with no brothers or sisters • an
only child.

8.
adverb Ireland emphasizing:
used to emphasize a statement • It was
only terrible.

9.
conjunction but:
but or except • It’s the same product,
only better.
[Old
English ānlic, from ān “one” (see one
)]
only
too

used to emphasize the extent
to which something is true • Scenes
like this are getting only too familiar.[1]



onomasiology

onomasiology
on·o·mas·i·ol·o·gy
[ònnə mayssee ólləjee] noun

1.  branch
of semantics: the branch of linguistics that studies
how meaning is expressed

2.  See
onomastics  noun 1
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek onomasia “name” + -logy .][1]



onomastic

onomastic
on·o·mas·tic 
[ònnə mástik] adjective

relating
to names:
relating to, connected with, or explaining names
[Late 16th century. Via
French, from Greek onomastikos, from, ultimately, onoma “name”
(source also of English name ).][1]



onomastics

onomastics
on·o·mas·tics 
[ònnə mástiks] noun (takes a
singular verb)

1.  study
of proper names: the study of proper names, their
origins, and their formation.
Also
called
onomasiology

2.  system
of names in a specialized field: the system underlying
the creation and use of proper names in a specialized field

[1]



onomatopoeia

onomatopoeia
on·o·mat·o·poe·ia 
[ònnə mattə p ə] noun

imitation
of sound in words: the formation or use of
words that imitate the sound associated with the thing or action in question,
for example, “hiss” and “buzz”
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiia “making of words,”
from, ultimately, onoma “name” + poiein “to make” (see poem ).]
—on·o·mat·o·poe·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



onomatopoeic

onomatopoeic
on·o·mat·o·poe·ic
[ònnə mattə p ik] adjective

imitative:
imitative of the sound associated with the thing or action denoted by a
particular word
—on·o·mat·o·poe·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Onondaga

Onondaga
On·on·da·ga 
[ònnən dáwgə, ònnən
dgə, ònnən dáygə] (plural On·on·da·ga
or On·on·da·gas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands in central New York State and
whose members mainly continue to live there as well as in Ontario. The Onondaga
were one of the five peoples who formed the Iroquois Confederacy, which later
became known as the Six Nations.

2.  LANGUAGE Native
American language: an Iroquoian language spoken
in central areas of New York State and in parts of Ontario, belonging to the
Hokan-Siouan languages
[Late
17th century. From Onondaga onṓà?ke, the name of the main Onondaga
settlement.]
—On·on·da·ga, adjective[1]



Onondaga,Lake

Onondaga,Lake
On·on·da·ga,
Lake
[ònnən dáwgə, ònnən
dgə, ònnən dáygə]

lake in Onondaga County,
central New York[1]



Ono,Yoko

Ono,Yoko
On·o
[ṓnō], Yoko (1933– )

Japanese-born U.S. artist.
She is known for her avant-garde performance art, which after her marriage to
John Lennon in 1969 included protests against the Vietnam War.[1]



onrush

onrush
on·rush 
[ón rùsh] (plural on·rush·es) noun

rushing
forward:
a forward rush or push • the
onrush of enemy soldiers • the
onrush of events
—on·rush·ing, adjective[1]



on-screen

on-screen
on-screen
adjective adverb

appearing on a TV or movie
screen: appearing on the screen in a
television program or film and therefore visible to the audience • Their
private life was very different from their on-screen relationship.[1]



onset

onset
on·set 
[ón sèt] (plural on·sets) noun

1.  start:
the beginning of something, especially of something difficult or unpleasant • the
onset of winter

2.  MILITARY initial
military attack: an initial attack or assault in battle
[Early 16th century. Formed
from set (noun).][1]



onshore

onshore
on·shore 
[on sháwr] adjective

1.  on
land:
on land as opposed to at sea • onshore
drilling

2.  METEOROLOGY in
the direction of land: toward land from the sea • onshore
breeze
—on·shore, adverb[1]



onside

onside
on·side 
[on sd] adjective adverb

not offside:
in a position that is allowed within the rules of the game, for example, in
soccer or hockey[1]



onsidekick

onsidekick
on·side
kick
noun

FOOTBALL
type of kickoff:
a kickoff used when the kicking team wants to recover the ball and keep the
other team from having possession of it. After the ball has traveled ten yards,
either team may recover it.[1]



on-site

on-site
on-site 
adjective adverb

at the site of activity:
taking place or provided at the location where work or some other activity is
being carried out[1]



onslaught

onslaught
on·slaught 
[ón slàwt] (plural on·slaughts)
noun

1.  overwhelming
assault or force: a powerful attack or force that
overwhelms somebody or something

2.  very
large amount of something: a very large quantity of
people or things that is difficult to deal with or process • faced
with an onslaught of junk mail
[Early 17th century. Via
Dutch aanslag, from Middle Dutch aenslach, literally “blow on,”
from slach “blow.” Influenced by obsolete English slaught
“slaughter.”][1]



onstage

onstage
on·stage
[on stáyj] adjective adverb

on a theater stage:
performing, happening, or existing on the stage as opposed to in the wings,
backstage, or somewhere not visible to the audience[1]



on-stream

on-stream
on-stream 
adjective adverb

in or into operation:
in or into production or operation • when
the new system comes on-stream[1]



Ont.

Ont.
Ont.
or O.N.

Abbreviation of
Ontario[1]



ont-

ont-
ont-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
onto-[1]



-ont

-ont
-ont
suffix

cell,
organism • schizont
[From Greek ont-,
literally “being” (see onto- )][1]



Ontario




Back to definition

Ontario

[1]



Ontario

Ontario


On·tar·i·o 
[on táiree ō]
Canadian
province situated between the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay. Capital: Toronto.
Population: 10,753,573 (1996) Area: 1,068,580 sq km/412,579 sq mi.
—On·tar·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Ontario,Lake

Ontario,Lake
On·tar·i·o,
Lake
[on táiree ō]

lake in North America, the
easternmost and smallest of the Great Lakes, straddling the U.S.-Canadian
border and bounded by New York and Ontario Province. Its outflow is the St.
Lawrence River. Area: 19,011 sq km/7,340 sq mi.[1]



on-the-job

on-the-job
on-the-job 
adjective

learned while working:
provided or obtained while working at a job • on-the-job
training[1]



ontic

ontic
on·tic 
[óntik] adjective

of
existence:
relating to real existence
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from the Greek stem ont- “being” (see onto-
).][1]



onto-

onto-
onto-
prefix

1.  being,
existence • ontology

2.  organism
• ontogeny
[From Greek ont-, the
present participle stem of einai “to be.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English am, is,
and entity .][1]



onto

onto
on·to 
[ón t, óntə]
CORE
MEANING:
a preposition indicating that somebody or something is located on something, or
moves toward it so as to be on it • I
splashed water onto my face. • hop
onto a bus
• shine
a flashlight onto the wall • loading
the data onto a disk • come
onto the market preposition

1.  making
a discovery: making or about to make a discovery,
often about something secret or illegal • I’m
really onto something big here. • The
police were onto them.

2.  in
contact:
in contact with a person or organization • Get
onto the suppliers.
[Early 18th century. Formed
from on + to
.][1]



ontogeny

ontogeny
on·tog·e·ny 
[on tójjənee] or on·to·gen·e·sis
[òntə jénnəssiss] noun

development
of an individual to maturity: the development of an
individual from a fertilized ovum to maturity, as contrasted with the
development of a group or species ( phylogeny
)
—on·to·gen·ic
[òntə jénnik], adjective

—on·to·gen·i·cal·ly [òntə jénni kəlee], adverb[1]



ontologicalargument

ontologicalargument
on·to·log·i·cal
ar·gu·ment
[ontə lòjjik’l rgyəmənt] noun

argument to prove the
existence of God: an argument made by St.
Anselm and others to prove the existence of God by pointing to God’s essence as
a perfect, necessary being.[1]



ontology

ontology
on·tol·o·gy 
[on tólləjee] (plural on·tol·o·gies)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY study
of existence: the most general branch of metaphysics,
concerned with the nature of being

2.  theory
of existence: a particular theory of being
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin, literally “study of being,” from the Greek
stem ont- “being” (see ont- ).]
—on·to·log·i·cal
[òntə lójjik’l], adjective

—on·to·log·i·cal·ly
[òntə lójji kəlee], adverb

—on·tol·o·gist [on tólləjist], noun[1]



onus

onus
o·nus 
[ṓnəss] (plural o·nus·es) noun

1.  burden:
a duty or responsibility • The
onus is on her to make the first move.

2.  blame:
the blame for something • He’ll
always bear the onus of having caused the accident.

3.  LAW burden
of proof or proceeding: the burden of proof or
responsibility for acting in a legal proceeding
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “burden, load” (source of English onerous
).][1]



onward

onward
on·ward 
[ónwərd] adjective

moving
forward:
directed or moving forward in space, time, or development • the
great onward march of organization and life
adverb
on·ward on·wards

at or to a point ahead:
moving toward a point or position ahead in space, time, or development[1]



onycholysis

onycholysis
on·y·chol·y·sis 
[ònni kóllississ] noun

nail
damage or loss: the separation of all or part of a
fingernail or thumbnail from its bed, associated with psoriasis or a fungal
skin condition
[From modern Latin, from
Greek onukh-, stem of onux “nail, claw” (source of English onyx )][1]



onychophoran

onychophoran
on·y·choph·o·ran 
[ònni kóffərən] (plural on·y·choph·o·rans)
noun

small
invertebrate resembling a worm: a small invertebrate
without jointed limbs, considered intermediate between annelid worms and
arthropods. Order: Onychophora
Also
called
peripatus
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Onychophora, ultimately from the Greek stem onukh-
“claw” + -phoros “bearing,” from the curved claws.][1]



-onym

-onym
-onym
suffix

name,
word • pseudonym
[From Greek onuma (see
onomastic )][1]



onyx

onyx
on·yx 
[ónniks] noun

fine-grained
mineral used as a gemstone: a fine-grained variety of
the mineral chalcedony, used as a gemstone. It has alternating parallel layers
of different colors, including white, brown, and black. Cameo brooches are
sometimes carved from this stone with the white layer standing out in relief
against a darker background.
[13th century. Directly and
via Old French and Latin from Greek onux “fingernail, claw.” From the
color of some types of the stone.][1]



oo-

oo-
oo-
prefix

ovum,
egg • oospore
[From Greek ōion .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “egg” that is also the ancestor of
English egg, oval, caviar,
and cockney .][1]



oocyst

oocyst
o·o·cyst 
[ṓ ə sìst] (plural o·o·cysts) noun

ZOOLOGY
a fertilized gamete of sporozoan:
the fertilized gamete of certain parasitic organisms ( sporozoans ) that is
enclosed in a thick wall[1]



oocyte

oocyte
o·o·cyte 
[ṓ ə st] (plural o·o·cytes) noun

immature female reproductive
cell: a cell that develops into a
female reproductive cell ( ovum )[1]



O.O.D.

O.O.D.
O.O.D.

NAVY
Abbreviation of officer of the deck[1]



oodles

oodles
oo·dles 
[d’lz] plural noun

large
amount:
a large amount or number of something (informal) • She
has oodles of friends.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from huddle “mass of
things crowded together.”][1]



oogamete

oogamete
o·o·ga·mete 
[ ə gá mt,  əgə
mt] (plural o·o·ga·metes) noun

female reproductive cell:
a female reproductive cell ( ovum )[1]



oogenesis

oogenesis
o·o·gen·e·sis 
[ ə jénnəssiss] noun

egg
development: the formation and development of an ovum
—o·o·ge·net·ic [ əjə néttik], adjective[1]



oogonium

oogonium
o·o·go·ni·um 
[ ə gṓnee əm] (plural o·o·go·ni·a
[ ə gṓnee ə] or o·o·go·ni·ums)
noun

1.  cell
in an ovary: a cell in the ovary that develops into
an oocyte

2.  algal
sex organ:
the female sex organ of some algae and fungi that contains oospheres
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from oo- + Greek gonos
“generation, seed.”]
—o·o·go·ni·al, adjective[1]



ooh

ooh
ooh 
[oo] interjection

used
to express surprise: used as an exclamation of
surprise, excitement, pleasure, or pain (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past oohed, past participle oohed, present
participle ooh·ing, 3rd person present singular oohs)

express
surprise or awe: to exclaim in surprise, excitement,
pleasure, or pain, especially on first encountering something • When
they went into the royal chambers, you could hear them oohing and aahing.
noun
(plural oohs)

exclamation
of surprise: an exclamation of surprise, excitement,
pleasure, or pain
[Early
20th century. Natural exclamation.]
ooh
la la

used to show pleasant
surprise or approval, or, humorously, to suggest that something is scandalous[1]



oolite

oolite
o·o·lite 
[ṓ ə lt] (plural o·o·lites) noun

1.  form
of sedimentary rock: a sedimentary rock, often
shale, clay, or sandstone, that is made up of small spherical grains consisting
of concentric layers

2.  round
grain of rock: any of the small spherical grains that
make up oolite
[Early
19th century. Via French oölithe, from modern Latin oolites, from
Greek ōion “egg” + lithos “stone.”]
—o·o·lit·ic [ ə líttik], adjective[1]



oolong

oolong
oo·long 
[ làwng] noun

partly
fermented Chinese tea: a type of dark Chinese tea
that is partly fermented before being dried (often used before a noun) • oolong
tea
[Mid-19th century. From
Chinese (Mandarin) wulong, from wu “black” + long
“dragon.”][1]



oompah

oompah
oom·pah 
[m p, m p]
or oom·pah-pah [m paa p, m paa p] noun

sound
of a bass brass instrument: a representation of the
sound made by a bass brass instrument, considered typical of some kinds of band
music (often used before a noun) • an
oompah band
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



oomph

oomph
oomph 
[mf] noun

1.  energy:
energy or enthusiasm • Put
some oomph into it!

2.  sexual
attractiveness: strong or obvious sexual attractiveness
(slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps expressive of exertion.][1]



OOP

OOP
OOP

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of object-oriented programming[1]



oophorectomy

oophorectomy
o·o·pho·rec·to·my 
[ əfə réktəmee] (plural o·o·pho·rec·to·mies)
noun

See
ovariectomy
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin oophoron “ovary,” literally “egg-bearer,” ultimately
from Greek ōion “egg.”][1]



oophoritis

oophoritis
o·o·pho·ri·tis 
[ əfə rtiss] noun

ovary
inflammation: ovary inflammation.
Also
called
ovaritis
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin oophoron “ovary” (see oophorectomy
).][1]



oops

oops
oops
[ps, oops]
interjection

used
to acknowledge clumsiness: used as an exclamation when
you drop something, bump into somebody, or do something in a clumsy or awkward
manner (informal) • She
dropped the entire tray? Oops!
[Mid-20th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



Oortcloud

Oortcloud
Oort
cloud 
[áwrt klòwd] noun

collection
of comets:
a huge, roughly spherical, orbiting collection of comets thought to exist at
the edge of the solar system
[Late 20th century. Named for
Jan Hendrix Oort ( 1900–1992 ), the Dutch astronomer who postulated its
existence.][1]



oosphere

oosphere
o·o·sphere 
[ṓ ə sfr] (plural o·o·spheres)
noun

BIOLOGY unfertilized
sex cell in algae: an unfertilized female
reproductive cell in algae and fungi
[Late 19th century. Coined
from oo- + sphere
.][1]



oospore

oospore
o·o·spore 
[ṓ ə spàwr] (plural o·o·spores)
noun

fertilized
sex cell in algae: a fertilized female
reproductive cell in algae and fungi
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from oo- + spore .]
—o·o·spor·ic
[ ə spáwrik], adjective

—o·os·po·rous [ō óspərəss,  ə spáwrəss],
adjective[1]



Oostende

Oostende
Oost·ende 
[ō stén də, ós
tend]

town and seaport in West
Flanders Province, western Belgium. Population: 68,635 (1996) English Ost·end[1]



ootid

ootid
o·o·tid 
[ṓ ə tìd] (plural o·o·tids) noun

immature
egg cell:
the stage in the development of an egg cell that becomes the mature ovum
immediately prior to fertilization. It is a haploid cell formed by division of
the secondary oocyte.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from oo-, modeled on spermatid .][1]



ooze

ooze2
ooze2 [ooz]
(plural ooz·es) noun

1.  sludge:
thick mud or slime that is found at the bottom of a river or lake

2.  swamp
or marsh:
a soft or muddy area such as a swamp or marsh

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY sediment
on the ocean floor: a layer of muddy sediment on
the seafloor consisting mainly of the remains of microscopic organisms such as
plankton
[Old English wāse][1]



ooze

ooze1
ooze1 [ooz]
verb (past oozed, past participle oozed, present
participle ooz·ing, 3rd person present singular ooz·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
or leak slowly: to exude a liquid substance slowly and
in small quantities, or to flow in this way • Resin
oozed from the trunk.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb overflow
with some quality or emotion: to possess a quality in
abundance or express an emotion intensely, or to be expressed in an intense or
overpowering way • oozing charm and
self-confidence

3.  intransitive
verb
move
slowly but steadily: to move slowly but steadily
forward or outward • The huge crowd oozed
through the streets.

4.  intransitive
verb
ebb:
to disappear or decline slowly and gradually
noun
(plural ooz·es)

1.  very
slow flow:
a slow and gradual leakage or flow

2.  tanning
solution:
an infusion used in tanning, made from oak bark and other plant materials
[Old English wōs
“juice, sap”][1]



oozeleather

oozeleather
ooze
leath·er
noun

velvety
leather:
a soft leather with a velvety finish
[Ooze from ooze 1 in the
sense “tanning solution”][1]



oozy

oozy1
ooz·y1 [zee]
(comparative ooz·i·er, superlative ooz·i·est) adjective

exuding
fluid:
leaking moisture
[Old English ; formed from ooze 1][1]



oozy

oozy2
ooz·y2 [zee]
(comparative ooz·i·er, superlative ooz·i·est) adjective

muddy:
wet and muddy
[Old English ; formed from ooze 2][1]



op

op
op
[op] noun

operation:
a surgical operation (informal)[1]



op.

op.
op.

1.  op.
or Op. Abbreviation of opus

2.  op.
or Op. Abbreviation of operation

3.  Abbreviation
of
opposite

4.  Abbreviation
of
optical

5.  Abbreviation
of
opera

[1]



OP

OP
OP

1.  Abbreviation
of
observation post

2.  Abbreviation
of
out of print

[1]



opacify

opacify
o·pac·i·fy
[ō pássə f] (past o·pac·i·fied,
past participle o·pac·i·fied, present participle o·pac·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular o·pac·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make opaque: to become opaque or turn or make
something opaque
[Early
20th century. Formed from opacity .]
—o·pac·i·fi·er, noun[1]



opacity

opacity
o·pac·i·ty 
[ō pássətee] (plural o·pac·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
opaque:
the quality, state, or degree of being opaque

2.  obscurity:
the quality of being obscure in meaning

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY PHYSICS ability
of material to stop light: the capacity of a material
such as photographic film to stop light, expressed as a comparison between
light striking the material and light transmitted

4.  PHILOSOPHY propositions
not adhering to Leibniz’s law: propositions
containing modal notions such as necessity or belief in which principles of
logic such as Leibniz’s law do not obtain
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, from, ultimately, Latin opacus “shaded, dark” (which also
produced English opaque ).][1]



opah

opah
o·pah 
[ṓpə] (plural o·pahs) noun

large
sea fish:
a brightly colored marine fish that can be up to 1.8 m/6 ft long. Latin name: Lampris
regius
Also
called
kingfish
[Mid-18th century. From a
West African language.][1]



opal

opal
o·pal 
[ṓpəl] (plural o·pals) noun

1.  noncrystalline
silica:
a noncrystalline variety of silica that can be of almost any color and contains
varying amounts of water

2.  gemstone:
a piece of one of the noncrystalline varieties of opal, used as a gemstone
[Late 16th century. From
French opale or Latin opalus, of uncertain origin: probably
ultimately from Sanskrit upala “precious stone,” from, ultimately, upa
“below” (source of English Upanishad
.][1]



opalesce

opalesce
o·pal·esce 
[pə léss] (past o·pal·esced, past
participle o·pal·esced, present participle o·pal·esc·ing,
3rd person present singular o·pal·esc·es) intransitive verb

shimmer
with milky colors: to display shimmering milky
colors (refers to opals)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from opal + Latin -esce “assuming a
certain state.”][1]



opalescent

opalescent
o·pal·es·cent 
[pə léss’nt] adjective

shimmering
with milky colors: showing or possessing
shimmering milky colors
—o·pal·es·cence, noun[1]



opaleye

opaleye
o·pal·eye
[ṓpəl ] (plural o·pal·eyes or
o·pal·eye) noun

Californian
marine fish: a common greenish omnivorous marine fish
of the Californian and Mexican coast that has two white spots on its back.
Latin name: Girella nigricans
[From the opalescent
appearence of its eyes][1]



opaline

opaline
o·pal·ine
[ṓpə ln, ṓpə
ln] adjective

See
opalescent
noun

CRAFT
opal glass:
a semitranslucent glass made by adding fluorides[1]



opaque

opaque
o·paque 
[ō páyk] adjective

1.  not
transparent or translucent: impervious to light, so that
images cannot be seen through it

2.  not
shiny:
dull and without luster

3.  hard
to understand: obscure and unintelligible in meaning

4.  PHYSICS impenetrable
by radiation: impenetrable by a specified form of
radiation
noun

material through which light cannot pass:
something opaque, especially a photographic pigment
[15th
century. Directly or via French, from Latin opacus “shaded, dark.”]
—o·paque·ly,
adverb

—o·paque·ness, noun[1]



opaqueprojector

opaqueprojector
o·paque
pro·jec·tor
(plural o·paque pro·jec·tors) noun

device to project a
photograph onto a screen: an optical
device that uses reflected light to project an enlarged image of an opaque
object, for example, a photograph or printed page, onto a screen.
U.K. term
episcope[1]



opart

opart
op
art
or Op Art or Op noun

abstract
art movement: a 20th-century school of abstract art
that uses geometric patterns and color to create the illusion of movement (often
used before a noun) • op art
designs
[Shortening
of optical art, modeled on pop art]
—op art·ist, noun[1]



op.cit.

op.cit.
op.
cit.

(used
in footnotes to refer to a source just mentioned)Abbreviation of in
the text or texts quoted
[Shortening of Latin opus
citatum or opere citato][1]



ope

ope
ope
[ōp] adjective

open:
open (archaic or literary)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past oped, past
participle oped, present participle op·ing, 3rd
person present singular opes)

to
open:
to open, or open something (archaic or literary)
[From open][1]



OPEC

OPEC
OPEC 
[ṓ pèk] noun

group of petroleum-exporting
countries: an organization of countries
that share the same policies regarding the sale of petroleum. The members are
Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Full form Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries[1]



op-ed

op-ed
op-ed
[op éd] adjective

opposite
the editorial page: appearing on, writing for,
or relating to the page opposite the editorial page of a newspaper • the
op-ed page
[Shortening of opposite
editorial (page)][1]



Opelousas

Opelousas
Op·e·lou·sas 
[òppə lssəss]

city in south central
Louisiana, southeast of Alexandria and northeast of Lafayette. Population:
19,117 (1996)[1]



open

open
o·pen 
[ṓpən] adjective

1.  not
closed or locked: allowing people or things to pass
through freely • an open window

2.  allowing
access to the inside: with the lid, cork, or other
device removed or in a position that allows access to the inside • an
open box

3.  not
sealed:
not sealed, fastened, or wrapped • an
open envelope

4.  apart
or wide:
with a part of the body widened or apart • The
kitten’s eyes were open.

5.  unfolded
or apart:
having been unfolded, extended, or left apart • A
newspaper lay open on the table.

6.  frank
and honest:
not trying to hide anything or deceive anyone • open
hostility

7.  public:
conducted in a public manner • open
hearings

8.  receptive:
ready and willing to accept or listen to something, for example, new ideas or
suggestions • I’m
always open to suggestions.

9.  vulnerable:
in a position where blame, criticism, or attack are likely • That
remark left him open to criticism.

10. not
enclosed:
having no boundaries or enclosures • open
countryside

11. not
covered:
having no cover or roof • an
open fire

12. available
to do business: ready for business and available for use
by customers or clients • The
gas station is still open.

13. freely
accessible:
accessible to all, with no restrictions on entry, membership, or acceptance • an
open meeting

14. POLITICS available
to all registered voters: allowing all voters to
participate, regardless of party affiliation • an
open primary

15. accessible
to a particular group: accessible to a particular
group of interested people • This
competition is open to all students under the age of 18.

16. vacant:
ready for or available to applicants • The
vacancy is no longer open.

17. UTILITIES turned
on:
switched on and ready to use • an
open microphone

18. not
predetermined or decided: remaining undecided or
unresolved • I’m
trying to keep my options open.

19. alert:
in a state of focused attention and alertness • Keep
your eyes and ears open.

20. with
no time restriction: with no restrictions on the
period of use • an open ticket

21. generous:
very free or generous, especially with money • She
gave to charity with an open hand.

22. not
having legal restrictions: not having restrictions that
limit activities such as gambling or drinking • an
open town

23. SPORTS unguarded:
unprotected by the assigned player • He
left the goal wide open.

24. unprotected
by skin:
unprotected and exposed, with the skin cut, torn, or missing • an
open wound

25. MEDICINE not blocked:
free from blockage and therefore allowing unobstructed passage

26. TEXTILES having
gaps:
with small gaps or intervals between the stitches or threads • an
open weave

27. NAUTICAL free
from ice or other hazards: not covered by ice or
containing objects dangerous to shipping • open
water

28. MUSIC not
closed or muted: not closed off at the end, stopped by a
finger, or covered with a mute • an
open organ pipe

29. METEOROLOGY frostless:
mild and free of frost

30. MILITARY known
to be undefended: publicly declared not to be garrisoned
or defended in wartime • an
open city

31. FINANCE available
without limitations: freely available without
restrictions • open
credit

32. FINANCE currently
active:
active and with transactions being made • an
open bank account

33. PRINTING having
unusually wide spaces: with wide spacing between
printed lines

34. PHONETICS said
with the lips apart: pronounced with the tongue
low in the mouth and the lips well apart • an
open vowel

35. PHONETICS ending
in a vowel:
used to describe a syllable that ends in a vowel

36. GRAMMAR having
separate elements: formed by two or more words
that are spelled separately and without hyphenation • an
open compound

37. CHESS without
pawns:
not having pawns as part of a file

38. SPORTS having
the front foot back: having the front foot
farther from the line along which the ball is to be hit than the back foot • Adopting
an open stance, he began hitting the ball to the opposite field.

39. FOOTBALL beyond
the line of scrimmage: used to describe the part of
the field beyond the line of scrimmage, where a ball carrier encounters fewer
potential tacklers

40. MATHEMATICS containing
no endpoints: used to describe a mathematical interval
that contains neither of a set’s endpoints

41. MATHEMATICS referring
to set quality: used to describe a mathematical set that
has at least one neighborhood of every point within the set

42. MATHEMATICS serving
as a complement to a closed set: used to describe a
mathematical set that is in a complementary relation to a closed set
verb
(past o·pened, past participle o·pened, present
participle o·pen·ing, 3rd person present singular o·pens)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb unfasten
from a locked or closed position: to change position or
move so as to allow access, or to change the position of or move something such
as a door or window in order to allow access

2.  transitive
verb
unseal
or unfasten something: to remove or unseal the lid,
cork, or other device that keeps something such as a container closed

3.  transitive
verb
unwrap
something:
to reveal the contents of something, for example, by removing its wrapping • I
opened the package.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb unfold
to show inside: to unfold something or spread it apart
so that the inner part is revealed • Open
your books at page 75.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb part
the lips or eyelids: to move apart, or move the
lips or eyelids apart

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE start trading:
to start selling, trading, or doing business or to allow clients or customers
access in order to buy, trade, or do business

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
under way:
to start something formally • She
opened the meeting with a speech about the environment.

8.  transitive
verb
BANKING start
an account:
to start an active banking or investment account

9.  transitive
verb
declare
to be in operation or session: to make an official
and usually public declaration that something is now ready for use or in
session • The
sports center was officially opened by the mayor.

10. intransitive
verb
begin
showing to the public: to start being shown to or
performed for the general public for the first time • The
show opens on Friday.

11. transitive
verb
become
accessible to the public: to be visited by the public,
or become accessible to the public • The
house opens to the public in August.

12. transitive
verb
remove
obstructions: to allow people free access when
formerly this was denied or obstructed • The
country had finally opened its borders to the West.

13. intransitive
verb
give
access to a place: to provide access directly
to another place (refers to part of a building) • The
bedroom opened onto a large living room.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb be
ready for new ideas: to become or make somebody
ready to accept new ideas • Try
opening your mind a bit.

15. intransitive
verb
begin
to rain:
to produce a downpour • The
heavens opened.

16. intransitive
verb
unfold:
to open out fully (refers to flowers or leaves) • The
daffodils will open soon.

17. transitive
verb
MEDICINE empty
bowels:
to cause the bowels to evacuate

18. intransitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE start
trading at a particular value: to have a particular
value at the start of a day’s trading on a stock exchange
noun
(plural o·pens)

1.  SPORTS competition
anyone can enter: a competition or championship in which
anybody, amateur or professional, can compete

2.  outside:
a large and unobstructed outdoor space • in
the open

3.  unconcealed
state:
the state of being no longer hidden or held back • It’s
good to get all the facts out in the open.
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “up from under, over”
that is also the ancestor of English up
.]
—o·pen·ness, noun[1]



openadmissions

openadmissions
o·pen
ad·mis·sions noun

access to college regardless
of grades: an educational policy in
which students are admitted to college regardless of their academic
qualifications or record (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also called
open enrollment[1]



openadoption

openadoption
o·pen
a·dop·tion
(plural o·pen a·dop·tions) noun

contact between adoptive and
biological parents: an
arrangement when a child has been adopted that maintains contact between the
child’s adoptive and biological parents[1]



open-air

open-air
o·pen-air 
adjective

outdoor:
situated or happening outside a building[1]



open-and-shut

open-and-shut
o·pen-and-shut 
adjective

decisively clear:
simple and easily resolved • an
open-and-shut case[1]



openbar

openbar
o·pen
bar
noun

free drinks served at a
social function: a bar at a party,
wedding, or other social function where the drinks are served free of charge[1]



openbook

openbook
o·pen
book
noun

something or somebody easily
comprehensible: somebody or something
that is very easy to understand or about which everything is known[1]



openchain

openchain
o·pen
chain
adjective

arrangement of atoms:
an arrangement of atoms in a molecule in which the atoms are not joined at the
ends to form a ring[1]



openclassroom

openclassroom
o·pen
class·room
(plural o·pen class·rooms) noun

classroom for flexible
informal teaching: a classroom
in which groups of pupils work in a flexible informal way on projects and have
minimal supervision[1]



opencourt

opencourt
o·pen
court
noun

trial open to the public:
a trial or court that is open to members of the public, and whose proceedings
are recorded[1]



opendating

opendating
o·pen
dat·ing
noun

providing of dates on
packaging: the practice of providing
information on food packaging that gives the date of packaging, the last day
the food may be on sale, or the last day on which it should be consumed[1]



openday

openday
o·pen
day
(plural o·pen days) noun

U.K.
See open house[1]



opendoor

opendoor
o·pen
door
noun (hyphenated when used before a noun)

1.  free
trade policy: a policy whereby a nation allows free
and unrestricted trade with all other nations

2.  unrestricted
access:
free and unrestricted access at all times • open-door
management

[1]



open-end

open-end
o·pen-end 
adjective

1.  not
having limits: not having a limit in either time or
amount • an
open-end contract.
U.K.
term
open-ended  adjective 4

2.  FINANCE allowing
increased borrowing: allowing somebody to borrow
an extra amount under the terms of a loan • an
open-end mortgage

[1]



open-ended

open-ended
o·pen-end·ed 
adjective

1.  with
no prearranged end: with no planned or defined
end

2.  easily
modified:
not definite and easily changed • We’d
left everything pretty open-ended about the vacation.

3.  needing
more than a one word answer: requiring or allowing an
answer that is fuller than a simple yes or no • an
open-ended question

4.  U.K.
See open-end  adjective 1

[1]



open-endedinvestment company

open-endedinvestment company
o·pen-end·ed
in·vest·ment com·pa·ny noun

limited company managing
investments: a limited company
managing investments for investors with holdings in the form of units
representing a fraction of the value of the investments that are issued by and
bought back by the managers[1]



open-endinvestment company

open-endinvestment company
o·pen-end
in·vest·ment com·pa·ny noun

FINANCE
See mutual fund[1]



openenrollment

openenrollment
o·pen
en·roll·ment noun

EDUCATION
See open admissions[1]



opener

opener
o·pen·er 
[ṓpənər] noun (plural o·pen·ers)

1.  opening
device:
a device for opening containers such as cans or bottles

2.  initial
event:
somebody or something that begins a discussion or event (informal)

3.  CARD GAMES opening
player:
somebody who opens the bidding, betting, or play in a card game

4.  first
act in show: the first act in a variety show or
musical concert

5.  SPORTS first
game:
the first game in a series or season
plural
noun
o·pen·ers

CARD GAMES starting
point:
a starting position or point, for example, cards that allow somebody to begin
the betting in some card games
for
openers

used to open a statement or
discussion (informal)[1]



open-eyed

open-eyed
o·pen-eyed 
adjective

1.  watchful:
alert to all that is happening

2.  with
eyes wide in wonder: with the eyes wide open in
wonder or surprise

3.  assessing
realistically: realistic in knowing and accepting all
aspects of a situation

[1]



open-faced

open-faced
o·pen-faced 
adjective

honest-looking:
with a face that suggests an honest, straightforward, and sincere character[1]



open-facedsandwich

open-facedsandwich
o·pen-faced
sand·wich
noun

one-sided sandwich:
a sandwich consisting of a single slice of bread with filling on it but no
second piece of bread on top, eaten with a knife and fork.
U.K. term
open sandwich[1]



open-field

open-field
o·pen-field
adjective

SPORTS
able to run well:
able to run easily and quickly in the open field[1]



openhanded

openhanded
o·pen·hand·ed 
[pən hándəd] adjective

generous:
generous with money or other material things
—o·pen·hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—o·pen·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



openhearted

openhearted
o·pen·heart·ed 
[pən hrtəd] adjective

kindly:
sincere and generous in spirit toward other people
—o·pen·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—o·pen·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



open-hearth

open-hearth
o·pen-hearth 
adjective

producing high-quality steel:
used to describe a steel-making process that uses a furnace with a shallow
hearth and a low roof ( reverberatory furnace
) to produce high-quality steel[1]



open-heartsurgery

open-heartsurgery
o·pen-heart
sur·ger·y 
noun

surgery on an exposed heart:
heart surgery during which the heart is exposed and blood is circulated outside
the body by mechanical means[1]



openhouse

openhouse
o·pen
house
noun

1.  ready
hospitality: a situation or occasion when visitors
are welcome at any time • It’s
open house here –come over whenever you like!

2.  school
visiting day: a day on which an institution such as a
school or college is open to the public for visitors to view aspects of its
work and activities.
U.K.
term
open day

3.  viewing
period before a sale: a period of time during
which a house or an apartment that is for sale is open to the public for
viewing

4.  house
open to viewing: a house or apartment that is open to be
viewed by the public before sale

[1]



opening

opening
o·pen·ing 
[ṓpəning] (plural o·pen·ings) noun

1.  gap:
a gap or hole in something, especially one through which you can see or through
which people or animals can pass • We
found an opening in the fence.

2.  first
part:
the first part of something • The
movie has a wonderful opening.

3.  first
time something is used or done: the often formal
occasion when something new such as a building or road is used for the first
time, or when something starts again after stopping for some time (often
used before a noun) • the
opening ceremony

4.  first
performance for the general public: the
first public performance or showing of a play, exhibition, or other production
(often used before a noun) • the
opening night

5.  clearing
in woods:
an area in a wood or forest in which trees do not grow

6.  opportunity:
an opportunity to do something • It
gave her an opening to say how delighted she was.

7.  vacancy:
a job that is available • We
have an opening for a young person with drive and enthusiasm.

8.  act
of opening:
the act of opening something

9.  CHESS beginning
of a game:
the first moves of a game, especially in chess and checkers

[1]



openinterval

openinterval
o·pen
in·ter·val
(plural o·pen in·ter·vals) noun

set excluding the first and
last numbers: in mathematics, a set
of real numbers consisting of all numbers between but excluding its endpoints,
usually written (a,b) or ]a,b[[1]



open-jaw

open-jaw
o·pen-jaw
adjective

returning from a different
destination: used to describe a
flight or flight booking that goes to one destination and returns from another
and is booked as a round-trip ticket[1]



openletter

openletter
o·pen
let·ter
(plural o·pen let·ters) noun

public letter:
a letter that is addressed to an individual or organization but is intended for
everybody to read and is published in a newspaper or magazine[1]



openly

openly
o·pen·ly
adverb

frankly:
without making any attempt at concealment • Many
members were openly hostile to the proposed plan.[1]



openmarket

openmarket
o·pen
mar·ket
noun

unrestricted market:
a market with no commercial restrictions that allows free competition between
buyers and sellers[1]



openmarriage

openmarriage
o·pen
mar·riage
(plural o·pen mar·riages) noun

nonmonogamous relationship:
a marriage in which each partner agrees to allow the other to engage in sexual
relationships with other people[1]



open-minded

open-minded
o·pen-mind·ed 
adjective

unprejudiced:
free from prejudice and receptive to new ideas
—o·pen-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—o·pen-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



open-mouthed

open-mouthed
o·pen-mouthed 
adjective

1.  with
the mouth open: with the mouth wide open in surprise or
wonder

2.  very
demanding:
loudly and persistently demanding or complaining
—o·pen-mouth·ed·ly,
adverb

—o·pen-mouth·ed·ness, noun[1]



open-necked

open-necked
o·pen-necked
adjective

unbuttoned:
with the top button unfastened • an
open-necked shirt[1]



open-plan

open-plan
o·pen-plan
adjective

not divided up:
having a large space left open rather than divided up into smaller units,
especially in a workplace[1]



open-pollinated

open-pollinated
o·pen-pol·li·nat·ed
adjective

pollinated without human
action: pollinated naturally,
without human intervention[1]



openpunctuation

openpunctuation
o·pen
punc·tu·a·tion noun

minimal punctuation:
minimal punctuation, especially minimal use of commas[1]



opensandwich

opensandwich
o·pen
sand·wich
noun

U.K.
See open-faced sandwich[1]



openseason

openseason
o·pen
sea·son
noun

1.  HUNTING free
hunting period: a period during the year when certain
restrictions concerning the hunting and killing of game or the catching of fish
are lifted

2.  time
of unrestrained criticism: a period of unrestrained
attack or criticism (informal) • It
seems to be open season on lawyers at the moment.

[1]



opensecret

opensecret
o·pen
se·cret
(plural o·pen se·crets) noun

well-known secret:
something that is supposed to be secret but in actual fact is widely known[1]



opensentence

opensentence
o·pen
sen·tence
(plural o·pen sen·tenc·es) noun

formula not true or false:
a formula containing a free variable, for example “X is human,” that cannot be
said to be true or false because the referent of the variable is not
determined.
Also called
propositional function[1]



opensesame

opensesame
o·pen
ses·a·me
(plural o·pen ses·a·mes) noun

key
to success:
a sure means of gaining access to or obtaining something
[From the magical words used
by Ali Baba, a character in the Arabian Nights, to open the door of the
robbers’ cave][1]



openset

openset
o·pen
set
(plural o·pen sets) noun

MATHEMATICS
set included in a particular topology:
a mathematical set that is included within a particular topology[1]



openshop

openshop
o·pen
shop
(plural o·pen shops) noun

workplace for union or
nonunion employees: a workplace
where being a member of a union, or of a specified union, is not a condition of
employment.
See also
closed shop
See also
union shop[1]



open-skies

open-skies
o·pen-skies
or o·pen-sky adjective

allowing aircraft freedom of
movement: allowing aircraft belonging
to any nation the freedom to fly over an area, and therefore placing no
restrictions on aerial surveillance of military installations[1]



opensociety

opensociety
o·pen
so·ci·e·ty
noun

free marketplace of ideas:
a society in which there is freedom of thought, ideas, speech, and
communication[1]



openstock

openstock
o·pen
stock
noun

merchandise kept ready to
sell: merchandise that a store
keeps on hand so that customers can replenish or replace individual items in
sets, such as dishes and glasses[1]



opensystem

opensystem
o·pen
sys·tem
noun

uniform design of computers:
a computer design system that has uniform industry standards and is compatible
with any similar type of system or part[1]



open-toe

open-toe
o·pen-toe
or o·pen-toed adjective

not enclosing the toes:
used to describe a shoe, especially a sandal, that is not closed at the front,
allowing the toes to be seen[1]



openup

openup
open
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
unfold:
to expand or unfold, for example, before a viewer

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something accessible: to make something more
accessible or available to a wider range of people

3.  transitive
verb
make
an opening in something: to make an opening in
something, especially in order to get access

4.  transitive
verb
remove
a cover or obstruction from: to remove the wrapping,
restrictions, obstructions, or covering from something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb • A
new video store is opening up next week. See
open  verb 6

6.  intransitive
verb
speak
freely:
to speak honestly, especially about personal feelings or experiences • She
opens up when she gets to know you.

7.  intransitive
verb
tell
what you know: to confess to a crime or give
information about a crime under coercion (informal)

8.  intransitive
verb
start
shooting a weapon: to start firing or cause a
gun or other weapon to start firing

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
business for the day: to unlock something,
especially a store or business, and make it ready for the day

10. intransitive
verb
make
a vehicle go faster: to cause a motor vehicle to
accelerate, or to travel at an accelerated speed (informal)

11. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS become or make something more
exciting:
to become, or cause something to become, more interesting or exciting • After
the first goal the game opened up.

[1]



openwork

openwork
o·pen·work 
[ṓpən wùrk] noun

1.  decorative
work using patterns of holes: decorative items that make
use of patterns of holes, for example wrought-iron work, fretwork, or lace

2.  SEWING embroidery
with decorated holes: an embroidery technique or
the embroidery itself in which holes are formed in a fabric by either cutting
or pulling threads and then embellishing with various stitches

[1]



opera

opera2
o·pe·ra2 [áwpərə,
áwprə]

Plural of
opus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








opera

opera1
op·er·a1 [óppərə,
ópprə] (plural op·er·as) noun

1.  musical
drama:
a dramatic work where music is a dominant part of the performance. It is
usually highly stylized, with the actors often singing rather than reciting
their lines, and typically has recurring themes intensified by musical
repetitions developed as the piece progresses.

2.  operas
in general:
operas thought of collectively or as an art form

3.  operatic
score:
the musical score or libretto of an operatic work

4.  See
opera house
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin, “works,” from opus (see opus
).][1]



operable

operable
op·er·a·ble 
[óppərəb’l, ópprəb’l]
adjective

1.  MEDICINE surgically
treatable:
capable of being treated by surgery

2.  able
to be done:
capable of being done or put into practice
—op·er·a·bil·i·ty
[òppərə bíllətee, òpprə
bíllətee], noun

—op·er·a·bly [óppərəblee, ópprəblee],
adverb[1]



operabuffa

operabuffa
o·pe·ra
buf·fa
[ppərə bfə, òpprə
bfə] (plural o·pe·ra buf·fas) noun

18C
comic opera: a comic opera of the kind that
originated in Italy in the 18th century, using themes or characters from
everyday life and usually having a happy ending. Mozart’s The Marriage of
Figaro is an example.
[From Italian, “comic opera”][1]



operaglasses

operaglasses
op·er·a
glass·es
plural noun

small binoculars for the
theater: small decorative low-powered
binoculars for use by people in the audience at theatrical, operatic, or ballet
performances[1]



operagoer

operagoer
op·er·a·go·er 
[óppərə g ər, ópprə
g ər] (plural op·er·a·go·ers) noun

somebody attending operas
regularly: somebody who attends opera
performances regularly[1]



operahat

operahat
op·er·a
hat
(plural op·er·a hats) noun

collapsible top hat:
a man’s collapsible top hat that is spring-operated[1]



operahouse

operahouse
op·er·a
house
noun

theater for operas:
a theater that is designed for putting on operas. It is usually much more
ornate and sumptuous than a theater designed for putting on plays.[1]



operand

operand
op·er·and 
[óppə rànd] (plural op·er·ands)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS entity
with operation performed on it: a quantity, function,
or other entity that is to have a mathematical operation performed on it

2.  COMPUTING part
of a computer instruction: the portion of a computer
instruction that specifies the location in memory of the data to be manipulated
[Late 19th century. From
Latin operandum, literally “thing to be worked on,” from operari
(see operate ).][1]



operant

operant
op·er·ant 
[óppərənt] noun (plural op·er·ants)

1.  performer
of an operation: somebody or something that operates or
that carries out some kind of operation

2.  PSYCHOLOGY voluntary
action:
in learning theory, an action or other unit of behavior that does not appear to
have a stimulus
adjective

having effect:
producing a specified effect
[Early
17th century. From Latin operant-, the present participle stem of operari
(see operate ).]
—op·er·ant·ly, adverb[1]



operantconditioning

operantconditioning
op·er·ant
con·di·tion·ing noun

learning through positive and
negative reinforcement: a form of
learning that takes place when an instance of spontaneous behavior is either
reinforced by a reward or discouraged by punishment. The principles involved
have had a strong influence on behavior modification as well as on other kinds
of therapy.[1]



operaseria

operaseria
op·er·a
se·ri·a 
[òppərə sree ə] (plural o·pe·ra
se·rias) noun

1.  tragic
opera with a mythological theme: an opera that has a
serious theme, often one taken from classical mythology, and usually a tragic
ending. An example is Mozart’s The Clemency of Titus.

2.  opera
serias as a group: opera serias thought of
collectively or as an art form
[From Italian, “serious
opera”][1]



operate

operate
op·er·ate 
[óppə ràyt] (past op·er·at·ed,
past participle op·er·at·ed, present participle op·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular op·er·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
something or function as something: to
function or work, or make something function or work

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BUSINESS manage or be managed:
to exist as a working business or organization, or to oversee the running of a
working business or organization

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE perform
surgery:
to perform surgery on a person or animal

4.  intransitive
verb
exert
an effect:
to have an effect or influence on somebody or something

5.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY perform
military maneuvers: to carry out military
maneuvers

6.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE trade
in the financial market: to trade or deal in
securities or commodities on the stock exchange

7.  intransitive
verb
engage
in illegal activities: to be active in some illegal
or underhanded business
[Early 17th century. From
Latin operat-, the past participle of operari “to work,” from oper-,
the stem of opus “work.”][1]



operatic

operatic
op·er·at·ic 
[òppə ráttik] adjective

1.  of
opera:
belonging or relating to opera

2.  flamboyant:
overly or flamboyantly extravagant, especially in behavior
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from opera 1, on the model of dramatic .]
—op·er·at·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



operatics

operatics
op·er·at·ics 
[òppə ráttiks] noun

histrionics:
flamboyantly exaggerated or extravagant behavior (takes a singular or plural
verb)[1]



operatingroom

operatingroom
op·er·at·ing
room
(plural op·er·at·ing rooms) noun

place for surgical
operations: a room in a hospital where
surgical operations are performed.
U.K. term
operating theatre[1]



operatingsuite

operatingsuite
op·er·at·ing
suite
(plural op·er·at·ing suites) noun

room for surgery:
a room or suite in a hospital or clinic equipped for doing procedures involving
surgery[1]



operatingsystem

operatingsystem
op·er·at·ing
sys·tem 
(plural op·er·at·ing sys·tems) noun

master control program in a
computer: the essential program in a
computer that maintains disk files, runs applications, and handles devices such
as the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer[1]



operatingtable

operatingtable
op·er·at·ing
ta·ble
(plural op·er·at·ing ta·bles) noun

table used for surgical
operations: a table on which somebody
undergoing a surgical operation lies[1]



operatingtheatre

operatingtheatre
op·er·at·ing
the·a·tre
(plural op·er·at·ing the·a·tres) noun

U.K.
See operating room[1]



operation

operation
op·er·a·tion 
[òppə ráysh’n] (plural op·er·a·tions)
noun

1.  controlling
of something: the controlling of something or the
managing of the way it works

2.  functioning
state:
the state of functioning or of being in effect

3.  something
done:
something that is carried out, especially something difficult or complex • the
tricky operation of removing the sting

4.  MEDICINE surgical
intervention: any surgical procedure, for example, one
carried out to repair damage to a body part

5.  organized
action:
an organized campaign, maneuver, or other form of action, especially one
carried out by rescue personnel, the police, or diplomatic personnel

6.  op·er·a·tion
or Op·er·a·tion MILITARY
military
action:
an action conducted by military forces or that can range in scope from a
reconnaissance mission to an entire campaign (often used before a noun)
• Operation
Desert Storm

7.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
process:
a mathematical process such as subtraction, multiplication, or differentiation
in which certain entities are derived from others through the application of
rules

8.  COMPUTING single
part of a computer program: a series of actions
performed by a computer, defined by an instruction and forming part of a computer
program

9.  business
deal:
a business deal or financial transaction

10. illegal
business:
an illegal, dishonest, or underhanded business • He
got involved in a shady gambling operation.

[1]



operational

operational
op·er·a·tion·al 
[òppə ráyshən’l, òppə
ráyshnəl] adjective

1.  able
to be used:
in proper working order and able to be used • The
new transportation link will be fully operational next month.

2.  of
the operation of something: relating to the operating of
something or to the way it operates

3.  MILITARY combat-ready:
ready for combat or maneuvers
—op·er·a·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



operationalamplifier

operationalamplifier
op·er·a·tion·al
am·pli·fi·er (plural op·er·a·tion·al
am·pli·fi·ers) noun

high-gain amplifier:
an amplifier with high gain and high stability that is controlled by way of
externally connected negative-feedback circuits[1]



operationalism

operationalism
op·er·a·tion·al·ism 
[òppə ráyshən’l ìzzəm, òppə ráyshnə lìzzəm] or op·er·a·tion·ism
[òppə ráysh’n ìzzəm] noun

defining
of concepts in terms of practicalities: the
view that terms for scientific concepts should be defined in terms of the
scientific operations, for example, measuring or observing, performed to
establish or disprove them
—op·er·a·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—op·er·a·tion·al·is·tic
[òppə rayshən’l ístik, òppə rayshnə lístik], adjective[1]



operationalresearch

operationalresearch
op·er·a·tion·al
re·search
noun

See
operations research[1]



operationism

operationism
op·er·a·tion·ism
noun

See
operationalism[1]



operations

operations
op·er·a·tions
[òppə ráysh’nz] plural noun

controlling of organized
activities: the supervising, monitoring,
and coordinating of the activities of a military or civilian organization or a
complex machine (often used before a noun) • the
operations console of a computer[1]



operationsresearch

operationsresearch
op·er·a·tions
re·search
noun

problem analysis to improve
operations: analysis of the problems
that exist in complex systems such as those used to run a business or a
military campaign, designed to give a scientific basis for decision-making.
Also called
operational research[1]



operative

operative
op·er·a·tive 
[óppərətiv, ópprətiv]
adjective

1.  in
effect:
in place and having an effect, especially the right or desired effect

2.  significant:
carrying a special meaning or significance

3.  MEDICINE of
surgery:
relating to or resulting from a surgical procedure
noun
(plural op·er·a·tives)

1.  skilled
worker:
a skilled worker, especially in a manufacturing industry

2.  worker:
somebody who performs a particular task or who works in a particular field (formal
or humorous) • a rodent operative

3.  POLITICS political
worker:
an employee of a political party who works in any behind-the-scenes capacity,
for example, political troubleshooting or manipulation of media stories

4.  detective:
a private detective

5.  spy:
a spy or secret agent
—op·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—op·er·a·tive·ness,
noun

—op·er·a·tiv·i·ty [òppərə tívvətee, òpprə
tívvətee], noun[1]



operator

operator
op·er·a·tor 
[óppə ràytər] (plural op·er·a·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
operating something: somebody who operates
machinery, an instrument, or other equipment

2.  BUSINESS business
owner or manager: somebody who owns or runs a business or
other commercial enterprise

3.  FINANCE stock-exchange
dealer:
somebody who deals on the stock exchange or in a money market, especially
somebody who makes aggressive or highly speculative moves

4.  manipulative
person:
somebody who behaves in a devious or manipulative way, especially in order to
obtain some kind of self-advancement (informal) • a
smooth operator

5.  MATHEMATICS something
effecting a mathematical operation: a
mathematical symbol, term, or other entity that performs or describes an
operation. Multiplication and subtraction signs are operators.

[1]



operculum

operculum
o·per·cu·lum 
[ō púrkyələm] (plural o·per·cu·la
[ō púrkyələ] or o·per·cu·lums)
noun

1.  ANATOMY mucus
plug in the cervix: the plug of mucus that fills
the opening of a woman’s cervix while she is pregnant. It helps to prevent
infection.

2.  ZOOLOGY gill-covering
flap:
the flexible bony flap covering the gills of bony fishes

3.  BOTANY flap
in mosses and fungi: a flap covering an aperture
in the spore capsules of mosses and some fungi.
Also
called
lid

4.  ZOOLOGY seal
on a mollusk’s shell: a rounded plate that seals
the mouth of the shell of some gastropod mollusks when the animal’s body is
inside
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “lid,” formed from operire “to cover.”]
—o·per·cu·lar,
adjective

—o·per·cu·lar·ly,
adverb

—o·per·cu·late
[ō púrkyələt, ō
púrkyə làyt], adjective

—o·per·cu·lat·ed [ō púrkyə làytəd], adjective[1]



operetta

operetta
op·e·ret·ta 
[òppə réttə] (plural op·e·ret·tas)
noun

comic
opera with dancing: a theatrical production,
usually with a comic theme, similar to opera but with much spoken dialogue and
usually some dancing. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote many operettas.
Also
called
light opera
[Late
18th century. From Italian, literally “small opera,” formed from opera
(see opera 1 ).]
—op·e·ret·tist [òppə réttist], noun[1]



operon

operon
op·er·on 
[óppə ròn] (plural op·er·ons) noun

set
of genes:
a segment of a chromosome containing the genes that specify the structure of a
given protein, alongside the genes that regulate its manufacture. Operons are
relatively simple units of genetic control, found only in bacteria.
[Mid-20th century. From French
opéron, from opérer “to work,” from Latin operari (see operate ).][1]



operose

operose
op·er·ose 
[óppə rss] adjective (formal)

1.  taxing:
requiring a lot of effort

2.  busy:
busy, active, or hardworking
[Late
17th century. From Latin operosus, from oper-, the stem of opus
(see opus ).]
—op·er·ose·ly,
adverb

—op·er·ose·ness, noun[1]



Ophelia

Ophelia
O·phe·li·a
[ə flee ə] noun

very small inner moon of
Uranus: a very small inner natural
satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 planetary probe. Its
gravitational influence seems to help stabilize the outer ring of Uranus.[1]



ophicleide

ophicleide
oph·i·cleide 
[óffə kld, ṓfə
kld] (plural oph·i·clei·des) noun

old
instrument resembling a bass tuba: an obsolete musical
instrument similar to and superseded by the bass tuba
[Mid-19th century. From
French ophicléide, from Greek ophis “snake” + the stem kleid-
“key”; from its resemblance to an earlier instrument called a “serpent,” but
with keys.][1]



ophidian

ophidian
o·phid·i·an 
[ō fíddee ən] (plural o·phid·i·ans)
adjective

1.  of
snakes:
belonging or relating to snakes

2.  like
a snake:
resembling a snake in appearance, habits, or movement
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Ophidia, suborder name, from the
Greek stem ophid- “snake.”]
—o·phid·i·an, noun[1]



ophiolite

ophiolite
oph·i·o·lite 
[óffee ə lt, ṓfee
ə lt] (plural oph·i·o·lites) noun

rock
rich in iron and magnesium: any igneous and metamorphic
rock that was formed from deep-sea sediment. Ophiolites are rich in iron and
magnesium.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek ophis “snake” + -lite ;
from its snaky texture.][1]



ophiology

ophiology
oph·i·ol·o·gy 
[òffee ólləjee, fee
ólləjee] noun

study
of snakes:
the branch of zoology that is concerned with snakes
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek ophis “snake” + -logy
.]
—oph·i·o·log·i·cal
[òfee ə lójjik’l, fee
ə lójjik’l], adjective

—oph·i·ol·o·gist [òffee ólləjist, fee
ólləjist], noun[1]



ophite

ophite
oph·ite 
[ṓ ft] (plural oph·ites) noun

mottled
green rock:
any of several mottled green rocks, for example, diabase or dolerite, that are
made up of small long plagioclase crystals surrounded by larger pyroxene
crystals
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek ophitēs “serpentine stone,” from ophis “snake”; from
its markings, which are like a snake’s.][1]



ophitic

ophitic
o·phit·ic 
[o fíttik, ō
fíttik] adjective

with a crystalline rock
structure: used to describe rocks
consisting of small elongated plagioclase crystals completely enclosed by
larger pyroxene crystals[1]



Ophiuchus

Ophiuchus

Oph·i·u·chus 
[ò ffee kəss] noun
large constellation in equatorial region:
a large constellation of the equatorial region located between Hercules and
Scorpius[1]



ophthal.

ophthal.
ophthal.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ophthalmology

2.  Abbreviation
of
ophthalmologist

[1]



ophthalm-

ophthalm-
ophthalm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
ophthalmo-[1]



ophthalmia

ophthalmia
oph·thal·mi·a 
[op thálmee ə, of
thálmee ə] noun

eye
inflammation: inflammation of the eye, especially of
the conjunctiva and surrounding area
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek, from ophthalmos “eye” (see ophthalmo-
).][1]



ophthalmic

ophthalmic
oph·thal·mic 
[op thálmik, of
thálmik] adjective

of the eye:
relating to the eyes, or located in the region of the eye[1]



ophthalmitis

ophthalmitis
oph·thal·mi·tis 
[òpthəl mtiss, òfthəl
mtiss] noun

eye inflammation:
inflammation of the eye[1]



ophthalmo-

ophthalmo-
ophthalmo-
prefix

eye,
eyeball • ophthalmoscope
[From Greek ophthalmos
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to see,” which is also the
ancestor of English eye, ogle, and optic
.][1]



ophthalmol.

ophthalmol.
ophthalmol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ophthalmology

2.  Abbreviation
of
ophthalmologist

[1]



ophthalmologist

ophthalmologist
oph·thal·mol·o·gist 
[òpthəl mólləjəst, òfthəl
mólləjəst] (plural oph·thal·mol·o·gists) noun

eye doctor:
a physician qualified to diagnose and treat eye diseases and conditions with
drugs, surgery, and corrective measures[1]



ophthalmology

ophthalmology
oph·thal·mol·o·gy 
[òpthəl mólləjee, òfthəl
mólləjee] noun

medical
study and treatment of eyes: the branch of medicine that
is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and conditions
—oph·thal·mo·log·i·cal
[òpthəlmə lójjik’l, òfthəlmə
lójjik’l], adjective

—oph·thal·mo·log·i·cal·ly
[òpthəlmə lójjikəlee, òfthəlmə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



ophthalmoscope

ophthalmoscope
oph·thal·mo·scope 
[op thálmə skp, of
thálmə skp] (plural oph·thal·mo·scopes) noun

instrument
for an eye exam: a medical instrument used for examining
the inside of the eye. A direct ophthalmoscope shines a fine beam of light into
the eye and allows the examiner to see a magnified image of the spot where the
beam falls.
—oph·thal·mo·scop·ic
[òpthəlmə skóppik, òfthəlmə
skóppik], adjective

—oph·thal·mo·scop·i·cal·ly
[òpthəlmə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



ophthalmoscopy

ophthalmoscopy
oph·thal·mos·co·py 
[òpthəl móskəpee, òfthəl
móskəpee] (plural oph·thal·mos·co·pies) noun

medical examination of eye
interior: a medical examination of the
inside of the eye using an ophthalmoscope to detect changes to the retina, such
as those associated with diabetes and hypertension[1]



-opia

-opia
-opia
suffix

condition
or defect of vision • hyperopia
• protanopia
[From Greek, formed from ops
“eye, face.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to see,” which is
also the ancestor of English eye, optic, and ocular
.][1]



opiate

opiate
o·pi·ate 
[ṓpee ət] noun (plural o·pi·ates)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY opium-containing
drug:
a drug such as morphine or heroin that contains opium or an opium derivative

2.  PHARMACOLOGY sleep-inducing
substance:
a drug, hormone, or other substance that has sleep-inducing effects similar to
those of opium or opium derivatives

3.  something
with a dulling effect: something that has a
relaxing, pacifying, or dulling effect • TV,
often described as the opiate of the masses
adjective

1.  PHARMACOLOGY containing
opium:
containing opium or an opium derivative

2.  boring:
mind-numbingly unexciting, especially because of being simplistic,
cliché-ridden, or formulaic
transitive
verb
(past o·pi·at·ed, past participle o·pi·at·ed, present
participle o·pi·at·ing, 3rd person present singular o·pi·ates)

1.  PHARMACOLOGY treat
with an opiate: to treat somebody, or somebody’s
symptoms, with an opiate

2.  deaden
or dull:
to dull or deaden pain, anguish, or some other unwanted condition
[15th century. From medieval
Latin opiatus, from, ultimately, Latin opium (see opium ).][1]



opine

opine
o·pine 
[ō pn] (past o·pined, past
participle o·pined, present participle o·pin·ing, 3rd
person present singular o·pines) intransitive and transitive verb

state
an opinion:
to express an opinion (formal)
[15th century. From Latin opinari
“to suppose, believe.”][1]



opinion

opinion
o·pin·ion 
[ə pínnyən] (plural o·pin·ions)
noun

1.  personal
view:
the view somebody takes about a certain issue, especially when it is based
solely on personal judgment • In my
opinion it’s all a waste of time.

2.  estimation:
a view regarding the worth of somebody or something • They
had a pretty low opinion of me.

3.  expert
view:
an expert assessment of something • I told
the doctor I wanted a second opinion.

4.  body
of generally held views: general assessment,
judgment, or evaluation • pundits
and other opinion formers

5.  LAW conclusion
of fact:
a conclusion drawn from observation of the facts
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem opinion- from opinari “to
suppose.”]
be
a matter of opinion

to
be open to dispute or debate

be
of the opinion that

to think that something is
the case[1]



opinionated

opinionated
o·pin·ion·at·ed 
[ə pínnyə nàytəd] adjective

unwilling
to change strongly held opinions: always ready to
express opinions and tending to hold to them stubbornly, unreasonably
dismissing other people’s views
—o·pin·ion·at·ed·ly,
adverb

—o·pin·ion·at·ed·ness,
noun[1]



opinionative

opinionative
o·pin·ion·a·tive 
[ə pínnyə nàytiv] adjective (formal)

1.  of
opinions:
relating to opinions or to the stating of them

2.  See
opinionated
—o·pin·ion·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—opin·ion·a·tive·ness,
noun[1]



opinionpoll

opinionpoll
o·pin·ion
poll
(plural o·pin·ion polls) noun

survey of the public’s views:
a survey that is carried out to discover what the general public or some
smaller group of people thinks about something.
See also
poll[1]



opioid

opioid
o·pi·oid 
[ṓpee òyd] noun (plural o·pi·oids)

naturally
occurring opium-containing substance: any
of various opium-containing substances that are produced naturally in the brain
adjective

similar
to opium:
similar in effect or properties to opium but not derived from opium
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from opium + -oid
.][1]



opioidpeptide

opioidpeptide
o·pi·oid
pep·tide
(plural o·pi·oid pep·tides) noun

naturally occurring pain
reliever: a naturally occurring
peptide that has pain-relieving, sedative, or other effects similar to those of
opiates such as morphine. Examples include the eukaphalins and endorphins.[1]



opisthobranch

opisthobranch
o·pis·tho·branch 
[ə písthə bràngk] (plural o·pis·tho·branch·es)
noun

MARINE BIOLOGY mollusk
with gills:
any marine gastropod mollusk that has gills, a small or nonexistent shell, and
tentacles
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Opisthobranchiata, order name, from Greek opisthen
“behind” + bragkhia “gills,” because the gills are behind the heart.][1]



opisthognathous

opisthognathous
op·is·thog·na·thous 
[òppis thógnəthəss] adjective

with
receding jaws: having jaws that slope backward or
mouthparts that face backward
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek opisthen “behind” + -gnathous
.]
—op·is·thog·na·thism, noun[1]



opisthosoma

opisthosoma
op·is·tho·so·ma 
[òppis thóssəmə] (plural op·is·tho·so·mas)
noun

spider’s
rear section: the rear section of the body of a spider
or other arachnid
[Coined from Greek opisthen
“behind” + sōma “body”][1]



opium

opium
o·pi·um 
[ṓpee əm] (plural o·pi·ums) noun

1.  addictive
drug:
a brownish gummy extract from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy that
contains several highly addictive narcotic alkaloid substances, for example,
morphine and codeine. Crude opium is no longer used in medicine, but its
extracts, especially morphine, are widely used.

2.  stupefying
thing:
something that has a stupefying, numbing, or sleep-inducing effect • soap
operas dismissed as the opium of a bored populace
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek opion “poppy juice,” from opos “vegetable juice.”][1]



opiumden

opiumden
o·pi·um
den
(plural o·pi·um dens) noun

place for using opium:
a place where opium is sold and smoked, especially one that has facilities
where people using the drug can stay while under its influence[1]



opiumpoppy

opiumpoppy
o·pi·um
pop·py
noun

plant yielding opium:
a poppy of Europe and Asia with grayish-green leaves and attractive pink, red,
or white flowers. It has long been grown as a source of opium. Latin name: Papaver
somniferum[1]



OPM

OPM
OPM

Abbreviation of
Office of Personnel Management[1]



Oporto

Oporto
O·por·to 
[ō páwrtō]

city and port in northwestern
Portugal, situated about 274 km/170 mi north of Lisbon. Population: 309,485
(1991)[1]



opossum

opossum
o·pos·sum 
[ə póssəm, póssəm]
(plural o·pos·sums or o·pos·sum) noun
Also
called
possum

1.  American
marsupial:
a small nocturnal tree-dwelling marsupial found in the United States and
Central and South America. It has dense fur, a long snout, and a hairless
prehensile tail. Latin name: Didelphis marsupialis

2.  Australian
marsupial:
any one of several similar marsupials found in Australia and New Zealand. They
are mostly nocturnal plant-eating tree-dwellers, and some have prehensile
tails. Family: Phalangeridae
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian opassom, from op “white” + assom “dog,
doglike creature.”][1]



opossumshrimp

opossumshrimp
o·pos·sum
shrimp
noun

shellfish resembling shrimp:
a crustacean that resembles a shrimp, the female of which carries the eggs and
newly hatched young in a brood pouch just below the thorax. Order: Mysidacae[1]



opp.

opp.
opp.

Abbreviation of
opposite[1]



Oppenheimer,J. Robert

Oppenheimer,J. Robert

Op·pen·hei·mer
[óppən hmər], J. Robert (1904–1967)
U.S. nuclear physicist. He was the
director of the Los Alamos atomic bomb project (1943–1945) and the United
States Atomic Energy Commission (1946–1953). In 1953 he was suspended from
nuclear work because of his past Communist associations. He won the Enrico
Fermi Award in 1963.[1]



OPPfilm

OPPfilm
OPP
film
noun

plastic packaging:
plastic film used for packaging[1]



oppidan

oppidan
op·pi·dan 
[óppəd’n] adjective

of
towns:
belonging to, relating to, or found in a town, often the town in which a
university is sited as distinct from the university itself (formal)
noun
(plural op·pi·dans)

town
dweller:
somebody who lives in a town (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
oppidanus, from oppidum “fort, town.”][1]



oppilate

oppilate
op·pi·late 
[óppə làyt] (past op·pi·lat·ed,
past participle op·pi·lat·ed, present participle op·pi·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular op·pi·lates) transitive verb

cause
a blockage in: to block up a body passage such as a
duct or a body opening such as a pore
[15th
century. From Latin oppilat-, the past participle stem of oppilare
“to stop up,” from pilare, literally “to heap up,” from pila
“heap of stones.”]
—op·pi·la·tion [òppə láysh’n], noun[1]



opponent

opponent
op·po·nent 
[ə pṓnənt] noun (plural op·po·nents)

1.  rival
in a contest: a person or team faced in a competition,
debate, battle, or other contest

2.  somebody
opposing something: somebody who is against a
particular course of action or who does not support a particular cause or
belief • a
fierce opponent of reform of the voting system

3.  ANATOMY opposing
muscle:
any muscle that counteracts the motion of another
adjective

1.  contrary:
working or arguing against something

2.  contradictory:
serving to contradict something
[Late
16th century. From Latin opponent-, the present participle stem of opponere,
literally “to set against” (source of English oppose
), from ponere “to place.”]
—op·po·nen·cy, noun[1]



opportune

opportune
op·por·tune 
[óppər tn, òppər
tn] adjective

fitting
or fortunate: suitable for a purpose or occurring at
just the right time
[15th
century. Via French from Latin opportunus “favorable” (used of the
wind), from ob portum veniens “coming toward port.”]
—op·por·tune·ly,
adverb

—op·por·tune·ness, noun[1]



opportunist

opportunist
op·por·tun·ist 
[óppər tnist, òppər
tnist] (plural op·por·tun·ists) noun

unprincipled
resourceful person: somebody who takes advantage
of something, especially somebody who does so in a devious, unscrupulous, or
unprincipled way
—op·por·tun·ism, noun[1]



opportunistic

opportunistic
op·por·tun·is·tic 
[òppər too nístik] adjective

1.  taking
advantage of opportunities: resourcefully taking
advantage of all opportunities or situations, especially in a devious,
unscrupulous, or unprincipled way

2.  MEDICINE life-threatening
when immunity is low: used to describe a
microorganism or relatively minor disease that is not normally serious but that
can become pathogenic or life-threatening when the host has a low level of
immunity • opportunistic
infections
—op·por·tun·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



opportunity

opportunity
op·por·tu·ni·ty 
[òppər tnətee, óppər
tnətee] (plural op·por·tu·ni·ties) noun

1.  advantageous
chance:
a chance, especially one that offers some kind of advantage

2.  favorable
conditions:
a combination of favorable circumstances or situations

[1]



opportunitycost

opportunitycost
op·por·tu·ni·ty
cost
(plural op·por·tu·ni·ty costs) noun

cost of a business decision
made: the cost of a commercial
decision regarded as the value of the alternative that is forgone. For example,
if the choice is between using a machine or scrapping it, the opportunity cost
is the scrap value.[1]



opposable

opposable
op·pos·a·ble 
[ə pṓzəb’l] adjective

1.  resistible:
capable of being opposed or resisted

2.  able
to be placed opposite something: capable of being put
in a position that is opposite something else

3.  ANATOMY touching
the end of another digit: used to describe a thumb or
big toe that can face and touch the end of one or more of the other digits of
the same hand or foot
—op·pos·a·bil·i·ty
[ə pzə bíllətee], noun

—op·pos·a·bly [ə pṓzəblee], adverb[1]



oppose

oppose
op·pose 
[ə pṓz] (past op·posed, past
participle op·posed, present participle op·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular op·pos·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stand
in opposition: to be against something or to take an
active stance against something • would
not state openly that they oppose violence

2.  transitive
verb
set
in contrast to: to set something up as a contrast to
something else

3.  transitive
verb
put
opposite:
to put one thing in a position directly facing another

4.  transitive
verb
compete
with as opponents: to be in competition,
conflict, or battle with another person, team, or fighting force
[14th
century. From French opposer, an alteration (influenced by poser
“to place”) of Latin opponere (see opponent
).]
—op·pos·er,
noun

—op·pos·ing,
adjective
as
opposed to

used to introduce something
that is in contrast or is distinct[1]



opposed-cylinderengine

opposed-cylinderengine
op·posed-cyl·in·der
en·gine
(plural op·posed-cyl·in·der en·gines) noun

kind of internal-combustion
engine: an engine in which cylinders
or banks of cylinders are mounted on opposite sides of the crankcase in the
same plane, with their connecting rods mounted on a common crankshaft. Piston
strokes on each side of the camshaft work in a direction opposite to one
another.[1]



opposite

opposite
op·po·site 
[óppəzit] adjective

1.  on
the facing side: on the side that faces something or at
the farthest distance possible from something

2.  facing
away:
pointing, facing, or moving away from each other • went
off in opposite directions

3.  totally
different:
of the same general class yet completely different

4.  BOTANY level
with on the other side: used to describe plant
parts, especially pairs of leaves or flowers, that grow at the same level on a
stem but on either side of it

5.  GEOMETRY facing
an angle:
used to describe the side of a triangle facing a specified angle

6.  GEOMETRY facing
each other geometrically: used to describe sides or
angles in an even-sided polygon that face each other
noun
(plural op·po·sites)

1.  somebody
or something different from another:
somebody or something that is completely different from another or from what is
expected

2.  antonym:
a word that has an opposite meaning

3.  opponent:
an opponent (archaic or formal)
adverb

in the opposite position:
in or into a position that is opposite • They
live directly opposite.
preposition

1.  across
from:
facing or across from something or somebody • They
moved to a house opposite the museum.

2.  in
a complementing acting role to: in an acting role that
corresponds to or complements another, especially when the two roles are played
by people of different genders • excited
to be playing opposite the great star
[14th
century. Via French from Latin oppositus, the past participle of opponere
(see opponent ).]
—op·po·site·ly,
adverb

—op·po·site·ness, noun[1]



oppositenumber

oppositenumber
op·po·site
num·ber
(plural op·po·site num·bers) noun

counterpart:
somebody who does a similar job or who holds a similar post to another person,
especially in another department or organization[1]



oppositeprompt

oppositeprompt
op·po·site
prompt
(plural op·po·site prompts) noun

right side of the stage:
in a theater, the side of a stage that is to the actors’ right when they face
the audience.
See also
stage right[1]



oppositesex

oppositesex
op·po·site
sex
noun

men or women as a group:
women when thought of collectively as opposed to men, or men when thought of
collectively as opposed to women[1]



opposition

opposition
op·po·si·tion 
[òppə zísh’n] (plural op·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  actively
hostile attitude: an actively hostile attitude toward
something, or a resistant stance against something • public
opposition to the plan was growing

2.  SPORTS sports
opponent:
a person or team that plays against another

3.  op·po·si·tion
or Op·po·si·tion POLITICS
out-of-power
political party: a political party that is not in power (often
used before a noun)

4.  LINGUISTICS linguistic
contrast:
in linguistics, the contrast between two or more similar elements in a language

5.  PHONETICS phonetic
contrast between sounds: in phonetics, the contrast
between two sounds that are articulated in a similar place in the mouth, for
example, between the voiced consonant /v/ and the voiceless consonant /f/

6.  CHESS advantage
of not having to move: a situation toward the end
of a game of chess in which the two kings are in such a position that the
opponent must make a king move and is therefore at a disadvantage

7.  LOGIC relations
between logical propositions: the way in which logical
propositions relate to each other

8.  ASTRONOMY Moon
or planet position: the position of the Moon or
one of the outer planets when it is on the opposite side of the Earth as seen from
the Sun

9.  ASTRONOMY celestial
body alignment: the position of two celestial bodies
when they are diametrically opposite on the celestial sphere

10. astrologically
opposing planetary position: in astrology, a situation
when two planets are 180 degrees from each other, believed to cause friction or
symbolize confrontation
—op·po·si·tion·al, adjective[1]



oppositionist

oppositionist
op·po·si·tion·ist 
[òppə zísh’nist] (plural op·po·si·tion·ists)
noun

opponent:
somebody who supports a policy of political opposition
—op·po·si·tion·ism, noun[1]



oppositionresearch

oppositionresearch
op·pos·i·tion
re·search
noun

research for damaging
information: research done in order
to discover damaging or detrimental information about somebody[1]



oppress

oppress
op·press 
[ə préss] (past op·pressed, past
participle op·pressed, present participle op·press·ing,
3rd person present singular op·press·es) transitive verb

1.  dominate
harshly:
to subject a person or a people to a harsh or cruel form of domination

2.  inflict
stress on:
to be a source of worry, stress, or trouble to somebody

3.  suppress:
to hold something in check or put an end to it (archaic)
[14th
century. From French oppresser, from Latin oppress-, the past
participle stem of opprimere, literally “to press against,” from premere
“to press.”]
—op·pres·sion,
noun

—op·pres·sor, noun[1]



oppressive

oppressive
op·pres·sive 
[ə préssiv] adjective

1.  dominating
harshly:
imposing a harsh or cruel form of domination • an
oppressive regime

2.  highly
stressful:
exerting a worrying, troubling, or burdensome pressure on somebody

3.  stifling:
so hot and humid as to make people feel tired, irritable, or sluggish
—op·pres·sive·ly,
adverb

—op·pres·sive·ness, noun[1]



opprobrious

opprobrious
op·pro·bri·ous 
[ə prṓbree əss] adjective

1.  scornful:
expressing scorn, contempt, or severe criticism

2.  shameful:
bringing shame or disrepute
[14th
century. From late Latin opprobriosus, from Latin opprobrium (see
opprobrium ).]
—op·pro·bri·ous·ly,
adverb

—op·pro·bri·ous·ness, noun[1]



opprobrium

opprobrium
op·pro·bri·um 
[ə prṓbree əm] (plural op·pro·bri·a
[ə prṓbree ə]) noun

1.  scorn:
scorn, contempt, or severe criticism

2.  disgrace:
shame or disgrace that stems from disreputable behavior

3.  source
of shame:
something or somebody that brings shame or disgrace (archaic) “would
render him an object of scorn and an opprobrium of the religion with which he
had diligently associated himself” George Eliot Middlemarch 1872
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “infamy, reproach,” from opprobare “to reproach,” from probrum
“disgrace,” literally “something brought before somebody.”][1]



oppugn

oppugn
op·pugn 
[ə pyn] (past op·pugned, past
participle op·pugned, present participle op·pugn·ing, 3rd
person present singular op·pugns) transitive verb

query
the truth of: to question the validity or truthfulness
of something (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin oppugnare, literally “to fight against,” from pugnare
“to fight.”]
—op·pugn·er, noun[1]



oppugnant

oppugnant
op·pug·nant 
[ə púgnənt] adjective

antagonistic:
willfully hostile or opposed (archaic or formal)
—op·pug·nan·cy,
noun

—op·pug·nant·ly, adverb[1]



ops

ops
ops
plural noun

operations:
the controlling of organized military or civilian activities (informal)
(often used before a noun) • Who’s
in the ops room tonight?
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of operations .][1]



opsin

opsin
op·sin 
[ópsin] noun

pigment
protein in the eye: a component of the visual
pigment found in the retina of the eye. It is a glycoprotein, and in the
vertebrate eye it combines with retinal to form rhodopsin.
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from rhodopsin .][1]



opsonic

opsonic
op·son·ic 
[op sónnik] adjective

BIOLOGY
of opsonins:
relating to or involving opsonins[1]



opsonicindex

opsonicindex
op·son·ic
in·dex
noun

measurement of destroyed
bacteria: a measure of the number of
bacteria destroyed by certain blood cells, expressed as the ratio of opsonin in
the infected patient’s blood to the amount found in a healthy person’s blood[1]



opsonin

opsonin
op·so·nin 
[ópsənin] (plural op·so·nins) noun

substance
that marks foreign bodies: a protein fragment in blood
that binds to the surface of an invading antibody and promotes its destruction
by white blood cells
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin opsonare “to cater, buy provisions” (from Greek opsōnein
“condiment, delicacy,” of unknown origin) + -in
.][1]



opsonize

opsonize
op·so·nize 
[ópsə nz] (past op·so·nized, past
participle op·so·nized, present participle op·so·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular op·so·niz·es) or op·son·i·fy
[ópsə nz] (past op·son·i·fied,
past participle op·son·i·fied, present participle op·son·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular op·son·i·fies) transitive verb

make
susceptible to destruction: to make foreign bodies such
as bacteria susceptible to destruction by certain blood cells by coating them
with opsonin
—op·so·ni·za·tion [òpsəni záysh’n], noun[1]



-opsy

-opsy
-opsy
suffix

examination
• biopsy
[From Greek -opsia
“sight, seeing,” from opsis “sight.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to see,” which is also the ancestor of English eye, optic,
and ocular .][1]



opt

opt
opt 
[opt] (past opt·ed, past
participle opt·ed, present participle opt·ing, 3rd
person present singular opts) intransitive verb

choose
from alternatives: to choose something or
choose to do something, usually in preference to other available alternatives
[Late 19th century. Via
French opter from Latin optare “to choose, desire” (source of
English optative and adopt ).][1]



opt.

opt.
opt.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of optative

2.  Abbreviation
of
optical

3.  Abbreviation
of
optician

4.  Abbreviation
of
optics

5.  Abbreviation
of
optimum

6.  Abbreviation
of
optional

[1]



optative

optative
op·ta·tive 
[óptətiv] adjective

1.  of
choice-making: relating to the making of choices (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR containing
a verb expressing a wish: containing a verb in the
subjunctive mood that expresses a wish or desire, as does the independent
clause “God save the queen”
noun
(plural op·ta·tives) GRAMMAR

1.  optative
mood:
the optative mood of a verb

2.  verb
in the optative mood: a verb in the optative mood
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin optativus, from optare “to choose,
desire.”]
—op·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



optic

optic1
op·tic1 [óptik]
adjective

of the eyes:
belonging or relating to the eyes, or situated in or near the eye
noun
(plural op·tics)

1.  instrument’s
lens:
any of the lenses or reflecting parts in an optical instrument

2.  eye:
an eye (archaic or humorous)
[14th century. Via French or
medieval Latin from Greek optikos, from optos “seen, visible.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to see,” which is also the
ancestor of English eye and ocular .][1]



optic

optic2
op·tic2 Trademark

a trademark for a device that
fits over the neck of a bottle and dispenses a measure of spirits, used in pubs[1]



optical

optical
op·ti·cal 
[óptik’l] adjective

1.  of
visible light: relating to or producing light that can
be seen

2.  of
vision:
belonging or relating to the sense of sight

3.  OPTICS of
corrective lenses: designed to correct or
enhance faulty vision (refers to a lens)

4.  light-sensitive:
sensitive to light (refers to an instrument or device)

5.  PHYSICS of
optics:
belonging or relating to the science of optics
—op·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



opticalactivity

opticalactivity
op·ti·cal
ac·tiv·i·ty
noun

ability to affect polarized
light: the property of a crystal or
a chemical solution to rotate the plane of polarized light that passes through
it. In the case of solutions, the rotation is caused by asymmetrical molecules
and the angle of rotation depends on the thickness of the substance.[1]



opticalart

opticalart
op·ti·cal
art
noun

Full form of
op art[1]



opticalbrightener

opticalbrightener
op·ti·cal
bright·en·er (plural op·ti·cal
bright·en·ers) noun

chemical color enhancer:
any of several chemical substances used in the textile industry and in some
detergents to make the whiteness or color of fabrics brighter[1]



opticalcharacter reader

opticalcharacter reader
op·ti·cal
char·ac·ter read·er (plural op·ti·cal
char·ac·ter read·ers) noun

character scanner:
a device for entering material into a computer by digitizing the image of a
printed page, identifying the characters, and storing them as machine code for
further processing. Initially such devices could recognize only a specially
designed typeface, but more modern readers can recognize a wide variety of
typefaces and even handwriting.[1]



opticalcharacter recognition

opticalcharacter recognition
op·ti·cal
char·ac·ter rec·og·ni·tion  noun

computer recognition of
printed text: the use of
light-sensing methods to identify printed and handwritten material and encode
it in machine-readable form for inputting into a computer.
See also
magnetic ink character recognition[1]



opticalcomputer

opticalcomputer
op·ti·cal
com·put·er
(plural op·ti·cal com·put·ers) noun

high-speed computer
prototype: a proposed computer that
uses optical switches, fibers, and laser light instead of wires, transistors,
and printed circuits to achieve processing speeds far higher than those of
conventional computers[1]



opticaldisk

opticaldisk
op·ti·cal
disk
(plural op·ti·cal disks) or op·ti·cal disc (plural
op·ti·cal discs) noun

computer disk read by laser:
a rigid computer storage disk on which data is stored as tiny pits in the
plastic coating and which is readable by laser beam, especially a recordable
and erasable disk.
Also called
video disk
Also called
laser disk[1]



opticaldouble star

opticaldouble star
op·ti·cal
dou·ble star (plural op·ti·cal dou·ble
stars) noun

2 stars appearing close
together: a pair of stars that appear
to lie close together as viewed from the Earth. They are actually a long way
apart, though lying along the same line of sight.
Also called
double star[1]



opticalfiber

opticalfiber
op·ti·cal
fi·ber
(plural op·ti·cal fi·bers) noun

fiber used to transmit
information: a fiber made of very
pure glass or plastic that is used in modern communications systems to transmit
information in the form of pulses of laser light. The core is usually of high
refractive index and is enclosed in a sheath of lower refractive index, the light
thus being transmitted by total internal reflection.
See also
fiber optics[1]



opticalglass

opticalglass
op·ti·cal
glass
(plural op·ti·cal glass·es) noun

glass used in lenses:
any high-quality glass used in lenses for its superior refractive quality[1]



opticalillusion

opticalillusion
op·ti·cal
il·lu·sion
(plural op·ti·cal il·lu·sions) noun

1.  false
visual perception: a visual experience in which
there is some kind of false perception of what is actually there

2.  source
of optical illusion: something that causes an
optical illusion, especially something drawn or designed deliberately to fool
the eye

[1]



opticalisomerism

opticalisomerism
op·ti·cal
i·som·er·ism noun

molecular
property:
the property exhibited by a pair of molecules that differ only in being mirror
images of each other and that rotate plane-polarized light in opposite
directions when in solution
—op·ti·cal i·so·mer, noun[1]



opticalrotation

opticalrotation
op·ti·cal
ro·ta·tion
noun

rotation of plane-polarized
light: the rotation of
plane-polarized light as it passes through an optically active medium[1]



opticalscanner

opticalscanner
op·ti·cal
scan·ner
(plural op·ti·cal scan·ners) noun

COMPUT
See scanner[1]



opticalsound

opticalsound
op·ti·cal
sound
noun

form of motion-picture sound
reproduction: a form of sound
reproduction in motion pictures that employs a photographed pattern of light on
the film that is read by a lamp in the projector. It has now largely been
superseded by digital sound.[1]



opticaltweezers

opticaltweezers
op·ti·cal
tweez·ers
plural noun

MICROBIOLOGY
laser beam manipulating a microscopic
object: a laser beam focused on a
biological object of microscopic size that is used to trap it for study and
manipulation. Optical tweezers are used to study molecules and could be used by
surgeons to work on a single cell.[1]



opticaxis

opticaxis
op·tic
ax·is
noun

line going through a lens:
a line passing through a lens, a curved mirror, or a crystal along which light
can travel without undergoing double refraction[1]



opticchiasma

opticchiasma
op·tic
chi·as·ma 
noun

area of the brain:
the X-shaped nerve tract beneath the brain where the optic nerves from each eye
meet and that enables certain of their constituent nerve fibers to cross sides[1]



opticcup

opticcup
op·tic
cup
(plural op·tic cups) noun

embryonic depression that
becomes a retina: a two-walled depression
in a human embryo that develops into the retina[1]



opticdisk

opticdisk
op·tic
disk
(plural op·tic disks) noun

light-sensitive retinal area:
a small light-sensitive area of the retina marking the point where nerve fibers
from the retinal cells converge to form the optic nerve.
Also called
blind spot[1]



optician

optician
op·ti·cian 
[op tísh’n] (plural op·ti·cians)
noun

1.  U.K.
See optometrist

2.  maker
and seller of lenses: somebody who is qualified to
fit and supply glasses and contact lenses, but not to examine eyes or prescribe
corrective lenses.
Also
called
dispensing optician

[1]



opticnerve

opticnerve

op·tic nerve
(plural op·tic nerves) noun
nerve transmitting light signals to the
brain: either of the paired second
cranial nerves whose nerve fibers transmit visual light signals from the eye to
the brain[1]



optics

optics
op·tics 
[óptiks] noun

study
of light:
the study of light or electromagnetic radiation in the visible, infrared, and
ultraviolet regions (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

lens-equipped instruments:
instruments used for detecting electromagnetic radiation and for attaining
highly accurate long-range vision (takes a plural verb)[1]



opticvesicle

opticvesicle
op·tic
ves·i·cle
(plural op·tic ves·i·cles) noun

embryonic retina and optic
nerve: a fold of the embryonic
forebrain that develops into the retina and optic nerve[1]



optima

optima
op·ti·ma


Plural of
optimum[1]



optimal

optimal
op·ti·mal 
[óptəm’l] adjective

best:
most desirable or favorable • waited
for optimal weather conditions
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin optimus “best,” literally “richest.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to produce,” which is also the
ancestor of English opus and opulent .]
—op·ti·mal·i·ty
[òptə mállətee], noun

—op·ti·mal·ly [óptəməlee], adverb[1]



optimism

optimism
op·ti·mism 
[óptə mìzzəm] noun

1.  tendency
to expect the best: the tendency to believe,
expect, or hope that things will turn out well

2.  confidence:
the attitude of somebody who feels positive or confident

3.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
that our world is best: a philosophical doctrine,
first proposed by Leibnitz, that ours is the best of all possible worlds

4.  PHILOSOPHY belief
in the power of good: the belief that things are
continually getting better and that good will ultimately triumph over evil
[Mid-18th century. From
French optimisme, from, ultimately, Latin optimum (see optimum ).][1]



optimist

optimist
op·ti·mist 
[óptəmist] (plural op·ti·mists)
noun

1.  somebody
positive:
somebody who tends to feel hopeful and positive about future outcomes

2.  PHILOSOPHY follower
of optimism: somebody who follows any philosophical
doctrine of optimism

[1]



optimistic

optimistic
op·ti·mis·tic 
[òptə místik] adjective

with
a positive attitude: tending to take a hopeful
and positive view of future outcomes
—op·ti·mis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



optimize

optimize
op·ti·mize 
[óptə mz] (past op·ti·mized, past
participle op·ti·mized, present participle op·ti·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular op·ti·miz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
enhance
the effectiveness of: to make something function
at its best or most effective, or to use something to its best advantage

2.  transitive
verb
solve
in the best way possible: to find the best possible
solution to a technical problem in which there are a number of competing or conflicting
considerations

3.  intransitive
verb
show
optimism:
to feel and show optimism (archaic or formal)

4.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING write
concisely:
to write computer programming instructions for a task in as few lines as
possible to maximize the speed and efficiency of program execution. This will
have the effect of, for example, reducing the time it takes to store or
retrieve data from a computer’s memory.
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin optimus (see optimal
).]
—op·ti·mi·za·tion [òptəmi záysh’n], noun[1]



optimum

optimum
op·ti·mum 
[óptəməm] noun (plural op·ti·ma
[óptəmə] or op·ti·mums)

best
of several outcomes: the best out of a number of
possible options or outcomes
adjective

best:
most desirable or favorable • optimum
trading conditions
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “best thing,” from optimus (see optimal
).][1]



option

option
op·tion 
[ópshən] noun (plural op·tions)

1.  choice:
a choice that is or can be taken • Several
options were ruled out right away.

2.  freedom
of choice:
the right, power, or freedom to make a choice • I’d
no option but to refuse.

3.  BUSINESS opportunity
available for a limited time: an opportunity, usually a
commercial opportunity, that has been made available for a limited period only

4.  football
play:
a play in football where the quarterback starts running parallel to the line of
scrimmage and either keeps the ball or laterals it to another back running in
the same direction

5.  FINANCE right
to buy or sell: the right to buy or sell something,
especially a stock-market commodity, at a specified price during a specified
time period

6.  POLITICS See local option

7.  piece
of nonstandard equipment: an item of nonstandard
equipment that can be purchased separately, for example, on a car
transitive
verb
(past op·tioned, past participle op·tioned, present
participle op·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular op·tions)

COMMERCE have
or give a right to: to give or acquire an
exclusive right to something
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from the Latin stem option-, from optare (see
opt ).]
keep
or leave your options open

to put off making a decision
or selection until a later time[1]



optional

optional
op·tion·al 
[ópshən’l] adjective

not
compulsory:
left to individual choice • It
comes with optional air conditioning.
—op·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



opto-

opto-
opto-
prefix

1.  eye,
vision • optometry

2.  optical
• optoelectronics
[From Greek optos
“seen, visible” (see optic )][1]



optoelectronics

optoelectronics
op·to·e·lec·tron·ics
[òptō i lek trónniks] noun

branch
of electronics: the branch of electronics dealing with
devices that generate, modulate, transmit, and sense electromagnetic radiation
in the visible-light, infrared, and ultraviolet ranges (takes a singular
verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek optos “seen, visible” (see optic ) + electronics
.]
—op·to·e·lec·tron·ic, adjective[1]



optometer

optometer
op·tom·e·ter 
[op tómmətər] (plural op·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for examining the eye: an instrument used to
examine the eye for defects in vision
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from Greek optos “seen, visible” (see optic
) + -meter .][1]



optometrist

optometrist
op·tom·e·trist 
[op tómmətrist] (plural op·tom·e·trists)
noun

eye examiner and lens
prescriber: somebody who is qualified to
carry out eye examinations and to prescribe and supply glasses and contact
lenses.
U.K. term
optician  noun 2[1]



optometry

optometry
op·tom·e·try 
[op tómmətree] noun

eye
examining and lens prescribing: the practice of
examining eyes in order to determine levels of vision and then prescribing and
supplying any necessary corrective lenses
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek optos “seen, visible” (see optic ) + -metry
.]
—op·to·met·ric [òptə méttrik], adjective[1]



optophone

optophone
op·to·phone
[óptə fn] (plural op·to·phones)
noun

reading
device for visually impaired people: a
device used especially by sightless or visually impaired people that can
convert written text into sounds
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek optos “seen, visible” (see optic
) + -phone .][1]



optout

optout
opt
out
intransitive verb

choose not to do something:
to decide not to join in something or not to go along with something (informal)[1]



opulence

opulence
op·u·lence 
[óppyələns] or op·u·len·cy [óppyələnsee] noun

1.  riches:
great wealth or affluence

2.  luxury:
luxury, especially of an extravagant, showy, or vulgar nature

[1]



opulent

opulent
op·u·lent 
[óppyələnt] adjective

1.  lavish:
characterized by an obvious or lavish display of wealth or affluence

2.  ample:
in richly abundant supply
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin opulentus, literally “producing much.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to produce,” which is also the ancestor of
English opus, copious, and optimum
.]
—op·u·lent·ly, adverb[1]



opuntia

opuntia
o·pun·ti·a 
[ō púnshee ə, ō
púnshə] (plural o·pun·ti·as) noun

cactus
with brightly colored flowers: a prickly pear cactus
with attractive brightly colored flowers and oval fruits. The fruits of some
varieties are edible. Genus: Opuntia
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Opunt-, the stem of Opus, a city
in Greece. The word originally referred to a plant that grew there.][1]



opus

opus
o·pus 
[ṓpəss] (plural o·pe·ra [ṓpərə, óppərə] or
o·pus·es) noun

1.  one
of a series of musical works: a musical work, especially
one of a numbered series by the same composer arranged to show the order in
which they were written or cataloged

2.  creative
work:
a creative piece of work in any field of the arts.
See
also
magnum opus
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “work.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to produce,”
which is also the ancestor of English opulent
and optimum .][1]



opusanglicanum

opusanglicanum
o·pus
an·gli·ca·num  [pəss anglə
knəm] noun

type
of English embroidery: a form of English embroidery
that was popular in the Middle Ages, usually seen on ecclesiastical robes
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “English work.”][1]



opuscule

opuscule
o·pus·cule 
[ō pús kyl] (plural o·pus·cules)
or o·pus·cu·lum [ō púskyələm]
(plural o·pus·cu·la [ō púskyələ])
noun

insignificant
creative work: a minor or insignificant creative work,
especially a musical or literary work
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin opusculum, literally “little work,” from opus (see opus ).][1]



opérabouffe

opérabouffe
o·pé·ra
bouffe 
[òppərə bf, òpprə
bf] (plural o·pé·ra bouffes) noun

1.  comic
opera:
an opera with a comic or farcical theme

2.  opéra
bouffes as a group: opéra bouffes thought of
collectively or as an art form
[From French, “comic opera”;
translation of Italian opera buffa][1]



opéracomique

opéracomique
o·pé·ra
co·mique
[òppərə kaw mk, òpprə
kaw mk] (plural o·pé·ra co·miques) noun

light-hearted
opera:
an opera on a light-hearted theme with spoken dialogue. This style of opera was
especially popular in 19th-century France.
[From French, “comic opera”][1]



OR

OR2
OR2

1.  OR
or O.R. Abbreviation of operating
room

2.  INSURANCE Abbreviation of
owner’s risk

3.  Abbreviation
of
own recognizance

4.  Abbreviation
of
operations research

5.  Abbreviation
of
Oregon

[1]



OR

OR1
OR1 [awr]
noun

computer circuit:
a computer circuit that reproduces the logical element represented by the word
“or.” It is one of the basic interconnected circuits that perform a computer’s
logical functions.[1]



or

or2
or2 adjective

colored
gold:
used to describe an element of a coat of arms or other heraldic insignia that
is colored gold
[15th century. Via French
from Latin aurum “gold” (see aurum ).][1]



or

or1
or1 [awr,
unstressed ər] CORE
MEANING:
a conjunction used to link two or more alternatives. In a series of
alternatives, it is usually used only before the last alternative. • Which
do you prefer, butter or low-fat spread? • factors
that may trigger or exacerbate the illness

1.
conjunction following “either” or
“whether”:
used to join two alternatives when the first is introduced by “either” or
“whether” • Either
you typed the wrong name, or something is wrong with the equipment.

2.
conjunction indicating approximation:
used between two numbers to indicate an approximate quantity or to imply a few
of something • Hit
the return key every three or four seconds until you get a greeting message.

3.
conjunction rephrasing a statement:
used to introduce a rephrasing synonym or correction of a statement just made • fetal
oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia

4.
conjunction otherwise:
used to give an explanation of a statement just made • You’d
better leave or you’ll be late.

5.
conjunction whether or either:
a poetic word for “either” or “whether,” preceding the first of two
alternatives, with “or” also preceding the second alternative (archaic or
literary)

6.
conjunction preposition before:
before (archaic)

[1]



-or

-or1
-or1 suffix

somebody
or something that does or performs • conductor
[Via Old French -eor, -eur
and Anglo-Norman -(o)ur from Latin -or and -ator][1]



-or

-or2
-or2 suffix

condition,
state, activity • horror
[Via Old French -eur
from Latin -or][1]



ora

ora
o·ra


Plural of
os[1]



orach

orach
or·ach 
[áwrəch] or or·ache [áwrəch] (plural or·ach·es) noun

plant
with leaves resembling spinach: a plant that has
grayish-green edible leaves resembling spinach leaves and spikes of tiny green
flowers. It grows wild throughout Europe. Genus: Atriplex
Also
called
saltbush
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman arasche from, ultimately, Greek atraphaxus, of
unknown origin.][1]



oracle

oracle
or·a·cle 
[áwrək’l] (plural or·a·cles) noun

1.  source
of wisdom:
somebody or something considered to be a source of knowledge, wisdom, or
prophecy

2.  wise
saying:
a wise or prophetic statement

3.  shrine
of an ancient god: in ancient Greece and Rome,
a shrine dedicated to a particular god where people went to consult a priest or
priestess in times of trouble or uncertainty. One of the most famous was the
Delphic Oracle of Apollo, where Oedipus was given the prophetic warning that he
would kill his father, Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta.

4.  Greek
or Roman deity: an ancient Greek or Roman deity that a
priest or priestess would consult for advice on behalf of troubled or uncertain
people

5.  advice
from Greek or Roman deity: a piece of advice, often in
the form of a puzzle or an enigmatic statement, handed down by a Greek or Roman
deity

6.  God-given
message:
a message believed to come from God in response to a request, plea, or petition

7.  BIBLE area
of a biblical Temple: the most sacred area in
either of the biblical Temples, often referred to as the Holy of Holies
[14th century. Via French
from Latin oraculum, from orare “to speak” (see orate ).][1]



oracles

oracles
or·a·cles
[áwrək’lz] plural noun

scripture:
the books of the Bible[1]



oracular

oracular
o·rac·u·lar 
[aw rákyələr, ə
rákyələr] adjective

1.  of
or as an oracle: relating to oracles or in the form of an
oracle

2.  wise:
knowing, wise, or prophetic

3.  mysterious:
puzzling, ambiguous, or enigmatic
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin oraculum (see oracle
).]
—o·rac·u·lar·i·ty
[aw ràkyə lérrətee, ə
ràkyə lérrətee], noun

—o·rac·u·lar·ly [aw rákyələrlee, ə rákyələrlee],
adverb[1]



oracy

oracy
o·ra·cy
[áwrəsee] noun

fluency
in articulation and understanding: the ability to speak
fluently and articulately and to understand and respond to what other people
say
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from oral, on the model of “literacy.”][1]



oraet labora

oraet labora
o·ra
et la·bo·ra 
[àw raa et lə báw r, àwrə et lə báwrə]

a Latin phrase meaning “pray
and work”[1]



oral

oral
o·ral 
[áwrəl] adjective

1.  of
the mouth:
relating to or belonging to the mouth • oral
hygiene

2.  for
the mouth:
designed for use in the mouth

3.  spoken:
existing in spoken form as distinct from written form

4.  administered
by mouth:
used to describe medicines that are taken by mouth.
See
also
parenteral

5.  PHONETICS with
a release of air through the mouth: used
to describe a speech sound that is produced by means of an airstream that
escapes through the mouth only, with the nasal cavity sealed off by the velum.
See
also
nasal

6.  PSYCHOANALYSIS deriving
pleasure via the mouth: used in Freudian analysis to
describe a stage in child development when erotic pleasure is derived from
mouth-associated sensations, especially through feeding, thumb-sucking, and
putting objects into the mouth.
See
also
phallic

7.  PSYCHOANALYSIS dependent
and aggressive: used in Freudian analysis to describe a
dependent, selfish and aggressive personality type with a tendency to derive
pleasure from mouth-related activities such as eating, drinking, or smoking

8.  BIOLOGY where
the mouth is sited: used to describe the surface
of the body of an animal such as the underside of a starfish, on which the
mouth is situated
noun
(plural o·rals)

1.  EDUCATION test
requiring spoken answers: an examination or test that
involves candidates giving spoken answers to spoken questions, as distinct from
one where the questions and answers are in written form

2.  oral
sex:
oral sex, or an act of oral sex (slang)
[Early
17th century. From late Latin oralis, from Latin or-, the stem of
os “mouth” (source also of English orifice,
oscillate, and usher ).]
—o·ral·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at verbal

[1]



oralcontraceptive

oralcontraceptive
o·ral
con·tra·cep·tive (plural o·ral
con·tra·cep·tives) noun

pill taken to prevent
pregnancy: a pill that is taken daily
to prevent conception, especially one that combines an estrogen and a
progestogen.
Also called
birth control pill[1]



oralhistory

oralhistory
o·ral
his·to·ry
noun

1.  history
recorded by participants in events: the
personal recollections of people who participated in historical events,
recorded on audio or video tape or told to a younger generation

2.  study
of history recorded orally: the branch of history that
deals with personal accounts of historical events or periods recorded on audio
or video tape
—o·ral his·to·ri·an, noun[1]



oralhygiene

oralhygiene
o·ral
hy·giene
noun

See
dental hygiene
—o·ral hy·gien·ist, noun[1]



OralLaw

OralLaw
O·ral
Law
or Oral Torah noun

interpretations of the Torah:
Jewish religious law that developed out of interpretations of the Torah and was
originally passed on orally by rabbis and sages before being recorded in
writing, principally in the Mishnah and Talmud[1]



oralsex

oralsex
o·ral
sex
noun

fellatio or cunnilingus:
sexual activity that involves using the mouth and tongue to stimulate a
partner’s genitals[1]



oralsociety

oralsociety
o·ral
so·ci·e·ty
noun

nonreading and nonwriting
community: a community in which people
do not read or write[1]



oraltradition

oraltradition
o·ral
tra·di·tion
(plural o·ral traditions) noun

spoken and sung cultural
history: a community’s cultural and
historical background preserved and passed on from one generation to the next
in spoken stories and song, as distinct from being written down[1]



Oran

Oran
O·ran 
[aw rn]

city and port in Algeria, on
the northwestern coast of the country. Population: 664,000 (1989)[1]



orang

orang
o·rang 
[áw rang] (plural o·rangs) noun

See
orangutan
[Late 18th century.
Shortening.][1]



orange

orange

or·ange 
[áwrənj] noun (plural or·ang·es)

1.  TREES tree
yielding juicy fruit: a tree that is widely grown
throughout warmer regions for its edible juicy citrus fruit. It has
sweet-smelling blossoms and fine-grained wood. Genus: Citrus

2.  FOOD citrus
fruit:
a round or oval fruit of the orange tree, with a thick skin and juicy flesh
divided into segments. As well as being eaten fresh, it is often squeezed for
its juice. (often used before a noun)

3.  COLORS color
of an orange: the bright color of the skin of an
orange. It is a secondary color that is a mixture of red and yellow.

4.  INDUSTRY See orangewood

5.  TREES tree
with fruits similar to the orange: any tree or plant such
as the mock orange and the Osage orange that produces fruits similar to the
citrus orange

6.  ZOOLOGY orange
-colored butterfly: a butterfly with
predominantly orange coloration such as the sulfur butterfly. Family: Pieridae

7.  ARTS pigment
mixing yellow and red: a pigment or dye that is a
mixture of red and yellow

8.  TEXTILES CLOTHES material of the color orange:
fabric or clothing that is orange in color

9.  orange
-colored object: an object that is colored orange
adjective

of reddish-yellow color:
having the bright reddish-yellow color of an orange
[13th
century. Via Old French pomme d’orenge, a translation (influenced by Orange,
a town in France) of Italian melarancia “orange fruit,” via Arabic nāranj
and Persian nārang from Sanskrit nāraṅgaḥ .]
—or·ang·ey, adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Orange

Orange
Or·ange 
[áwrənj] noun

Dutch royal family:
the royal house of the Netherlands from the accession of King William I in
1815. The family had earlier been Dutch princes and stadtholders, or
magistrates. William of Orange became King William III of Great Britain and
Ireland in 1689.
adjective

1.  of
house of Orange: relating to or belonging to the house of
Orange

2.  of
Orange Order: relating to or belonging to the Orange
Order

[1]



Orange

Orange2
Or·ange2  [aw
rNzh]

town in Vaucluse Department,
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, southeastern France. Population: 26,964
(1996)[1]



orangeade

orangeade
or·ange·ade 
[áwrən jàyd] noun

orange
drink:
a sometimes carbonated nonalcoholic drink flavored with orange or tasting like
oranges
[Early 18th century. Formed
from orange, on the model of “lemonade.”][1]



Orangeburg

Orangeburg
Or·ange·burg
[áwrinj bùrg, órrinjbùrg]

city and county seat of
Orangeburg County, central South Carolina, situated 56 km/35 mi southeast of
Columbia. Population: 13,739 (1990)[1]



orangechromide

orangechromide
or·ange
chro·mide
(plural or·ange chro·mides) noun

orange aquarium fish:
a freshwater tropical fish native to Asia with distinctive orange spotty
markings that make it a popular aquarium fish. Latin name: Etropus maculatus[1]



orangehawkweed

orangehawkweed
or·ange
hawk·weed
(plural or·ange hawk·weeds) noun

plant with orange-red
flowers: a perennial European variety
of the hawkweed plant that has clusters of orange-red flower heads. Latin name:
Hieracium aurantiacum
Also called
devil’s paintbrush[1]



Orangeman

Orangeman
Or·ange·man 
[áwrənjmən] (plural Or·ange·men
[-mən]) noun

1.  Orange
Order member: a member of the Orange Order

2.  Protestant
Irishman:
an Irishman of the Protestant faith
[Late 18th century. From the
name of the Orange Order .][1]



orangemilkweed

orangemilkweed
or·ange
milk·weed
(plural or·ange milk·weeds) noun

See
butterfly weed[1]



OrangeOrder

OrangeOrder
Or·ange
Or·der
noun

Irish
Protestant organization: a Protestant organization
formed in 1795 with the aim of celebrating and defending Protestantism in
Northern Ireland
[So called because it was
originally formed out of loyalty to William of Orange ( William III )][1]



orange-peel

orange-peel
or·ange-peel
adjective

having a dimpled surface
caused, for example, by open pores or cellulite • orange-peel
skin[1]



orangepeel

orangepeel
or·ange
peel
noun

skin of orange:
the thick dimpled skin of an orange[1]



orangepekoe

orangepekoe
or·ange
pe·koe
noun

black tea:
a high-quality black tea grown in India and Sri Lanka and made using only the
small, young, tender leaves growing at the tips of the stems[1]



orangeroot

orangeroot
or·ange·root 
[áwrənj root] (plural or·ange·roots)
noun

BOTANY
See goldenseal[1]



orangery

orangery
or·ange·ry 
[áwrənjree] (plural or·ange·ries)
noun

building where orange trees
are grown: a building where orange
trees are grown, especially a large greenhouse for use in cooler climates[1]



orangestick

orangestick
or·ange
stick
(plural or·ange sticks) noun

manicuring
stick:
a small stick used for manicuring the fingernails and cuticles that is usually
wooden or plastic, with one pointed end and one rounded end
[So called because it is
usually made from orangewood][1]



orangewood

orangewood
or·ange·wood 
[áwrənj wd] noun

wood of the orange tree:
the yellowish hard fine-grained wood of the orange tree, used for making
furniture and carved objects.
Also called
orange[1]



orangutan

orangutan


o·rang·u·tan 
[ə ràngə tán, aw
ràngə tán] (plural o·rang·u·tans) or o·rang·u·tang
[ə ràngə táng, aw
ràngə táng] (plural o·rang·u·tangs) noun
large
reddish-brown ape: a large tailless ape with
reddish-brown coarse shaggy hair and long powerful arms that is found only in
the forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Latin name: Pongo pygmaeus
Also
called
orang
[Late 17th century. From
Malay orang hutan “forest person.”][1]



orate

orate
o·rate 
[aw ráyt, áw
ràyt] (past o·rat·ed, past participle o·rat·ed,
present participle o·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular o·rates)
intransitive verb

1.  make
formal public speech: to make a speech, especially
a public, formal, or ceremonial speech (formal)

2.  speak
pompously:
to speak in a pompous or boring way, or for an inappropriately long time
[Early 17th century. From
Latin orare “to speak, pray” (source of English adore, oracle,
and inexorable ).][1]



oration

oration
o·ra·tion 
[aw ráysh’n] (plural o·ra·tions)
noun

1.  formal
public speech: a speech, lecture, or other instance of
formal or ceremonial public speaking

2.  pompous
speech:
a speech that is considered pompous, boring, or inappropriately long

3.  public
speech showing rhetorical skills: an academic speech
that is designed to show the speaker’s rhetorical skills, especially a speech
given as an exercise in public speaking, often in a public speaking contest

[1]



orator

orator
or·a·tor 
[áwrətər] (plural or·a·tors) noun

1.  giver
of speeches: somebody who gives speeches, especially
somebody practiced and skilled in giving formal, ceremonial, or persuasive
public addresses

2.  pompous
speaker:
somebody who has a tendency to speak in a pompous or boring way, or who speaks
for an inappropriately long time

3.  LAW petitioner:
somebody who files a petition or a complaint in a court of law (archaic)

[1]



oratorio

oratorio
or·a·to·ri·o 
[àwrə táwree ] (plural or·a·to·ri·os)
noun

1.  piece
of religious classical music: a musical composition for
voices and instruments that has a religious theme, often telling a sacred story
but not using costumes, scenery, or dramatic staging. Handel’s Messiah
is an example of this genre.

2.  oratorios
in general:
oratorios as a musical genre
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, named for the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Rome, where the form was
used in musical services.][1]



oratory

oratory2
or·a·to·ry2 [áwrə
tàwree] (plural or·a·to·ries) noun

small
private devotional room: a place for private prayer
or worship such as a small secluded chapel, usually set aside in a church
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman oratorie from, ultimately, Latin orare “to speak,
pray.”][1]



Oratory

Oratory
Or·a·to·ry 
[áwrə tàwree] noun

religious society with
secular priests: a religious society
that has secular priests and is a branch of the Roman Catholic Church. It was
founded in 1575 by Saint Philip Neri.[1]



oratory

oratory1
or·a·to·ry1 [áwrə
tàwree] noun

1.  art
of public speaking: the art of speaking in
public with style, cogency, and grace

2.  rhetorical
skill and eloquence: eloquence in public
speaking, especially of the kind that shows the speaker’s rhetorical skills

3.  pomposity
in speech:
pompous, boring, or inappropriately long speech
[Early
16th century. From Latin (ars) oratoria “(art) of speaking,” from orator
(see orate ).]
—or·a·tor·i·cal
[àwrə táwrik’l], adjective

—or·a·tor·i·cal·ly [àwrə táwri], adverb[1]



orb

orb
orb 
[awrb] noun (plural orbs)

1.  king’s
or queen’s jeweled sphere: a small sphere usually made
from a precious metal set with jewels and with a cross set onto the top of it
that forms part of a sovereign’s ceremonial regalia.
See
also
scepter

2.  sphere:
a sphere or spherical object

3.  eye:
an eye (literary)

4.  area
of interest: a sphere of interest, influence, or
activity (literary)

5.  ASTRONOMY celestial
body:
a planet or other celestial body, especially the Sun, the Moon, or the Earth (archaic
or literary)

6.  celestial
body’s path: the orbiting path of a planet or other
celestial body (archaic or literary)

7.  circle:
a circle (archaic or literary)

8.  ASTRONOMY concentric
planet-holding sphere: any one of the concentric
spheres that were formerly believed by astronomers to hold the planets in their
orbital paths
verb
(past orbed, past participle orbed, present
participle orb·ing, 3rd person present singular orbs)

1.  transitive
verb
encircle:
to encircle something (literary)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become circular: to become circular or make
something circular (archaic)
[14th century. From Latin orbis
“wheel, circle,” of unknown origin.][1]



orbicular

orbicular

or·bic·u·lar 
[awr bíkyələr] or or·bic·u·late
[awr bíkyələt, awr
bíkyə làyt] adjective

1.  round:
in the form of a circle or sphere (formal)

2.  BOTANY flat
and round:
used to describe plant parts, especially leaves, that are flat and round or
roundish
[14th
century. From late Latin orbicularis, from Latin orbiculus,
literally “small globe,” from orbis “globe.”]
—or·bic·u·lar·i·ty
[awr bìkyə lérrətee], noun

—or·bic·u·lar·ly,
adverb

—or·bic·u·late·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








orbit

orbit
or·bit 
[áwrbit] noun (plural or·bits)

1.  ASTRONOMY SPACE TECHNOLOGY path
of a planet, satellite, or moon: the path that a
celestial body such as a planet, moon, or satellite follows around a larger
celestial body such as the Sun

2.  ASTRONOMY SPACE TECHNOLOGY celestial
body’s revolution: a single revolution of a
celestial body around a larger body

3.  area
of interest: a sphere of interest, influence, or
activity

4.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY eye socket:
a round cavity in which an eye is located in the skull of a vertebrate

5.  PHYSICS electron’s
path around an atom’s nucleus: the path that an
electron takes as it moves around the nucleus of an atom
verb
(past or·bit·ed, past participle or·bit·ed, present
participle or·bit·ing, 3rd person present singular or·bits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ASTRONOMY move around a celestial body:
to move around a celestial body in a path dictated by the force of gravity
exerted by that body

2.  transitive
verb
SPACE TECHNOLOGY put
into celestial orbit: to send something,
especially a spacecraft or an artificial satellite, into orbit

3.  intransitive
verb
follow
a regular path: to move regularly or repeatedly along
the same path, especially a circular path
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin orbita “wheel-track,” of uncertain origin: probably
formed from orbis “wheel, circle.”]
go
into orbit

to
become suddenly extremely angry and upset (slang)

put
somebody into orbit

to make somebody suddenly
extremely angry or upset (slang)[1]



orbital

orbital
or·bit·al 
[áwrbit’l] adjective

of
orbits:
belonging to or relating to an orbit
noun
(plural or·bit·als)

PHYSICS space
in an atom occupied by an electron: a
subdivision of the available space within an atom for an electron to orbit the
nucleus. An atom has many orbitals, each of which has a fixed size and shape
and can hold up to two electrons.
—or·bit·al·ly, adverb[1]



orbitalspace vehicle

orbitalspace vehicle
or·bit·al
space ve·hi·cle noun

space transport vehicle:
a vehicle that transports payloads to and from points in space having different
orbits such as a space station, a satellite, and the Moon[1]



orbitalvelocity

orbitalvelocity
or·bit·al
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

speed necessary for orbiting:
the speed an object must maintain in order to remain in a given orbit. If the
speed slows, the orbit will decay and the orbiting object will be drawn to the
larger body.[1]



orbiteer

orbiteer
or·bi·teer 
[àwrbi tr] (past or·bi·teered,
past participle or·bi·teered, present participle or·bi·teer·ing,
3rd person present singular or·bi·teers) intransitive and
transitive verb

climb
mountain by circling it: to go up a high mountain
without using climbing gear and by walking in ever higher circles until
reaching the summit
[Back-formation from orbiteering][1]



orbiteering

orbiteering
or·bi·teer·ing
[àwrbi tring] noun

climbing
mountains by moving in circles: the sport or practice
of going up high mountains without using climbing gear and by walking in
circles of ever higher altitude until reaching the top
[Coined from orbit, on the model of “mountaineering” or
“orienteering”][1]



orbiter

orbiter
or·bit·er 
[áwrbitər] (plural or·bit·ers)
noun

orbiting spacecraft or
satellite: a spacecraft or satellite
that is designed to orbit a celestial body but not to land on it[1]



orbweaver

orbweaver
orb
weav·er
(plural orb weav·ers) noun

spider with a complex web:
a spider that weaves a broad intricate web of silk to entrap its prey[1]



orca

orca
or·ca 
[áwrkə] (plural or·cas) noun

See
killer whale
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, former genus name, from Latin orca “large sea creature.”][1]



orch.

orch.
orch.
MUSIC

1.  Abbreviation
of
orchestra

2.  Abbreviation
of
orchestrated by

[1]



orchard

orchard
or·chard
[áwrchərd] (plural or·chards) noun

1.  area
of fruit or nut trees: an area of land on which
fruit or nut trees are grown, especially commercially

2.  fruit
or nut trees commercially planted: all the fruit or nut
trees growing in a particular area, planted for commercial reasons
[Old
English ortgeard, from an uncertain first element + yard]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Cherry Orchard, a play by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov ( 1903-1904 ).
  Chekhov described his last play as a comedy, but it is often played as
  tragedy. It depicts the decline of the Ranyevskayas, a family of upper-class
  landowners, who despite being faced with bankruptcy refuse to contemplate
  merchant Lopakhin’s suggestion that they sell their beloved cherry orchard.

[1]



orchardgrass

orchardgrass
or·chard
grass
noun

tall grass:
a tall grass grown in many countries for pasture and hay. Latin name: Dactylis
glomerata[1]



orchardist

orchardist
or·char·dist 
[áwrchərdist] (plural or·char·dists)
noun

orchard owner:
somebody who owns or manages an orchard[1]



orchestra

orchestra

or·ches·tra 
[áwrkəstrə] noun

1.  MUSIC large
group of classical musicians: a large group of musicians
playing classical music, consisting of sections of string, woodwind, brass, and
percussion players, and directed by a conductor

2.  MUSIC group
of musicians: a group of musicians, especially a
fairly large group usually but not always playing classical music

3.  THEATER place
for musicians in theater: the part of a theater where
the musicians sit, immediately in front of the stage or under the front part of
the stage.
U.K.
term
orchestra pit

4.  THEATER main
floor of theater: the main floor of a theater.
Also
called
parquet

5.  THEATER front
seats:
the front section of seats on the lower and main floor of a theater

6.  THEATER place
for the chorus: the semicircular area in front of the
stage in ancient Greek theaters, reserved for the chorus
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, “space in front of the stage where the chorus danced,” from Greek orkhēstra,
from orkheisthai “to dance.”][1]



orchestral

orchestral
or·ches·tral 
[awr késtrəl] adjective

for
orchestras:
relating to orchestras or intended for an orchestra, especially a symphony
orchestra
—or·ches·tral·ly, adverb[1]



orchestrapit

orchestrapit
or·ches·tra
pit
(plural or·ches·tra pits) noun

U.K.
See orchestra[1]



orchestrate

orchestrate
or·ches·trate 
[áwrkə stràyt] (past or·ches·trat·ed,
past participle or·ches·trat·ed, present participle or·ches·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular or·ches·trates) transitive verb

1.  MUSIC arrange
music for an orchestra: to arrange or compose music
to be played by an orchestra

2.  organize
something:
to organize a situation or event unobtrusively so that a desired effect or
outcome is achieved • The
press conference had clearly been carefully orchestrated.
—or·ches·tra·tor, noun[1]



orchestration

orchestration
or·ches·tra·tion 
[àwrkə stráysh’n] (plural or·ches·tra·tions)
noun

1.  MUSIC musical
arrangement: the arrangement of a piece of music to
be played by an orchestra

2.  discreet
organizing:
the unobtrusive organizing of a situation or event to produce a desired effect
or outcome

[1]



orchestrion

orchestrion
or·ches·tri·on 
[awr késtree ən] (plural or·ches·tri·ons)
or or·ches·tri·na [àwrkə strnə]
(plural or·chestri·nas) noun

mechanical
musical instrument: a mechanical musical
instrument similar to a barrel organ, designed to imitate the sounds of an
orchestra
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from orchestra on the model of accordion
.][1]



orchid

orchid

or·chid 
[áwrkid] (plural or·chids) noun

1.  flowering
plant:
any one of a large family of perennial plants prized for their beautiful and
fragrant flowers and found mostly in tropical climates. Family: Orchidaceae

2.  orchid
flower:
a flower from an orchid plant, typically a delicate fragrant flower with three
petals
[Mid-19th century. From the
Latin stem orchid-, which was mistakenly formed from orchis (see orchis ).][1]



orchidaceous

orchidaceous
or·chi·da·ceous 
[àwrki dáyshəss] adjective

of
the orchid family: relating to, belonging to,
or characteristic of the orchid family
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Orchidaceae, family name of the orchid.][1]



orchidectomy

orchidectomy
or·chi·dec·to·my 
noun

See
orchiectomy
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek orkhis (see orchis ) + -ectomy .][1]



orchidtree

orchidtree
or·chid
tree
(plural or·chid trees) noun

Asian tree:
a Southeast Asian tree that belongs to the pea family and has purplish flowers
and deeply lobed leaves. Latin name: Bauhinia variegata[1]



orchiectomy

orchiectomy
or·chi·ec·to·my 
[àwrkee éktəmee] (plural or·chi·ec·to·mies)
or or·chi·dec·to·my [àwrkee éktəmee]
(plural or·chi·dec·to·mies) noun

removal
of a testicle: surgical removal of one or both
testicles
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek orkhis (see orchis ) + -ectomy .][1]



orchil

orchil
or·chil 
[áwrkil, áwrchil]
(plural or·chils) noun

1.  lichen:
a lichen that yields a reddish dye. Genera: Roccella Lecanora

2.  red
dye:
a reddish dye derived from an orchil lichen, obtained by treating the lichen
with aqueous ammonia
[15th century. Via Spanish orchilla
from Catalan orxella of, ultimately, Arabic origin.][1]



orchis

orchis
or·chis 
[áwrkiss] (plural or·chis·es) noun

variety
of orchid:
an orchid with a fleshy tuber and spikes of small flowers with spurred lips.
Genus: Orchis
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek orkhis, literally “testicle” (from the tuber’s shape).][1]



orchitis

orchitis
or·chi·tis 
[awr ktiss] noun

inflammation
of the testicle: inflammation of one or both testicles,
usually caused by infection. It can also develop in mumps, and if both
testicles are affected it may result in sterility.
[Late
18th century. Via modern Latin, which was coined from Greek orkhis
“testicle” + -itis .]
—or·chit·ic [awr kíttik], adjective[1]



ORcircuit

ORcircuit
OR
cir·cuit
[áwr sùrkit] (plural OR cir·cuits)
noun

computer circuit:
a circuit with two or more inputs and one output, whose output is high if one
input is high.
Also called
OR gate[1]



ord.

ord.
ord.

1.  BIOLOGY Abbreviation of order

2.  Abbreviation
of
ordinal

3.  BIOLOGY Abbreviation of ordinance

4.  Abbreviation
of
ordinary

5.  MILITARY Abbreviation of ordnance

[1]



ordain

ordain
or·dain 
[awr dáyn] (past or·dained, past
participle or·dained, present participle or·dain·ing, 3rd
person present singular or·dains) transitive verb

1.  RELIGION make a
religious appointment: to appoint somebody
officially as a priest, minister, or rabbi

2.  command
formally:
to order or establish something formally, especially by law or by another
authority (formal) • laws
of commercial transactions that had long been ordained by the government
[13th
century. Via Old French ordener from Latin ordinare “to set in
order,” from ordo (see order ).]
—or·dain·er, noun[1]



ordeal

ordeal
or·deal 
[awr dl] (plural or·deals) noun

1.  difficult
experience:
a very difficult or harrowing experience, especially one lasting a long time

2.  ancient
trial:
a trial in the past that involved subjecting a defendant to life-threatening
danger, for example, from fire or water, with the outcome regarded as
reflecting divine judgment
[Old English ordāl
“trial, judgment.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
share out” that is also the ancestor of English deal
.][1]



ordealbean

ordealbean
or·deal
bean
(plural or·deal beans) noun

See
Calabar bean
[From its use in witchcraft
trials][1]



order

order
or·der 
[áwrdər] noun (plural or·ders)

1.  instruction:
an instruction to do something

2.  instruction
to provide something: an instruction to bring or
supply something, for example, a spoken instruction to a waiter or waitress, or
a written instruction to a manufacturer or supplier of goods • Can
I take your order now?

3.  something
provided:
something provided in response to an instruction • If
you are not completely satisfied, you may return your order.

4.  neatness:
an organized state, with elements arranged properly, neatly, or harmoniously • We
all need a little order in our lives.

5.  arrangement
of items:
the way in which several items are arranged, as an indication of their relative
importance or size or when each will be dealt with • I
will announce the winners in reverse order.

6.  absence
of crime:
a peaceful state in which laws are obeyed and misbehavior or crime is not
present or is prevented • maintaining
order on our streets

7.  functioning
state:
the state something is in when it is functioning properly

8.  social
grouping:
the arrangement of society into groups or classes and the relationships between
them • a
new world order

9.  social
group:
any one of the groups or classes into which a society is divided (often used
in the plural)

10. BIOLOGY set of
related families: a taxonomic classification made up of
related families of organisms • the
cat family, in the order Carnivora

11. type:
a kind or type of something, often one judged on importance or worth • Exactly
what order of stupidity are we dealing with?

12. LAW court’s
instruction: an instruction issued by a judge or a
court of law

13. FINANCE financial
instruction: a written instruction to pay money

14. or·der
or Or·der RELIGION religious
community:
a religious community in which members live according to principles that are
often based on the writings of a particular saint • the
Order of Saint Francis

15. CHRISTIANITY religious
rank:
any one of the grades into which the ministry is divided in some Christian
denominations, including deacons, priests, bishops, and archbishops

16. CHRISTIANITY religious
service:
a form of Christian religious service used on specific occasions

17. or·der
or Or·der group of honored people:
a prestigious group consisting of people who have been awarded an honor for
services to their country, or the decoration indicating such an honor • the
Order of the Garter

18. ARCHITECTURE architectural
style:
any one of the five major styles of classical architecture, namely the Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite. They differ in the shapes and styles of
columns and entablatures.

19. MATHEMATICS number
of rows and columns: the number of rows and
columns in a matrix

20. MATHEMATICS number
of differentiations: the number of times
differentiation must be applied to a mathematical expression to obtain a
specified derivative

21. MATHEMATICS group
members:
the number of elements in a finite group

22. SCIENCE See order of magnitude

23. MATHEMATICS order
of highest order differential: in a differential
equation, the order of the highest order differential

24. CHEMISTRY classification
of chemical reactions: a classification of chemical
reactions based on the mathematical relationship between the rate of a given
chemical reaction and the concentration of the reacting chemical compounds
plural
noun
or·ders

See holy orders
verb
(past or·dered, past participle or·dered, present
participle or·der·ing, 3rd person present singular or·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody instructions: to command somebody to do
something • The
colonel ordered the troops to move out.

2.  transitive
verb
prescribe
something:
to give an instruction for something to be done

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb request
something:
to give an instruction for something to be provided, for example, food in a
restaurant or merchandise from a manufacturer or supplier

4.  transitive
verb
arrange
items:
to arrange items in a particular way, especially in the sequence in which they
are to be dealt with • addresses
ordered by zip code

5.  transitive
verb
arrange
things neatly: to put things into a neat, well
organized state or into the required state • ordered
her business affairs prior to leaving for the summer
interjection

call for calm:
used to request calm or observance of correct procedure, for example, by a
person chairing a debate
[13th
century. Via French ordre, from, ultimately, Latin ordin-, the
stem of ordo (source of English ordinal,
coordinate, and ordinary ). The underlying sense is
“conforming to order.”]
—or·der·er,
noun
in
order

1.  in
a correct sequence or arrangement • Put
them in order alphabetically.

2.  in
a condition of being correct or appropriate • The
customs official was checking that the paperwork was in order.

in
order to or that

used
to introduce the object or purpose of something

on
order

requested
but not yet supplied or delivered

out
of order

1.  not
working properly or at all

2.  not
in the correct sequence or place within a sequence

3.  U.K.
not following accepted rules of procedure or conduct (informal) (regional)

a
tall order

a
request that is very difficult to fulfill (informal)

[1]



orderarms

orderarms
or·der
arms
noun

military
drill movement: an act of bringing a weapon, usually a
rifle, from the shoulder to a resting position on the ground alongside the
right leg, performed as part of a military drill
interjection

command to assume order arms:
used as a command in a military drill to assume the order arms position[1]



orderaround

orderaround
order
around
transitive verb

bully somebody:
to subject somebody to domineering or bullying treatment • Don’t
think you can order me around.[1]



orderly

orderly
or·der·ly 
[áwrdərlee] adjective

1.  well-behaved:
well-behaved or peaceful • The
meeting passed off in an orderly fashion

2.  neatly
arranged:
arranged or organized in a neat, sensible, or proper way • orderly
bookshelves
noun
(plural or·der·lies)

1.  MEDICINE assistant
working in a hospital: a hospital worker with no
medical training who is employed to do various ancillary jobs such as
transporting patients

2.  MILITARY soldier
with minor duties: a soldier acting as a senior
officer’s personal assistant who carries out a variety of minor duties such as
carrying messages
—or·der·li·ness, noun[1]



orderof battle

orderof battle
or·der
of bat·tle
(plural or·ders of bat·tle) noun

organization of military
forces for battle: the way
that military forces are organized in preparation for a battle[1]



orderof business

orderof business
or·der
of busi·ness (plural or·ders of busi·ness)
noun

1.  issue
needing attention: an issue or problem that
needs to be dealt with • The
first order of business was a budget vote.

2.  order
for dealing with things: the order in which a number
of items are to be discussed or dealt with, for example, at a meeting

[1]



Orderof Canada

Orderof Canada
Or·der
of Can·a·da
noun

Canadian award:
in Canada, an order awarded to persons who are seen to have made an outstanding
contribution to society. Companion, Officer, and Member are the three possible
awards.[1]



orderof magnitude

orderof magnitude
or·der
of mag·ni·tude (plural or·ders of mag·ni·tude)
noun

MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE size
range: the difference in size,
usually expressed in powers of 10, between two quantities. If a quantity were
10 times greater than another, it would be an order of magnitude greater; if
100 times greater, it would be two orders of magnitude greater. • The
mass of the Earth is an order of magnitude greater than that of Mars.

Also called
order[1]



orderof the day

orderof the day
or·der
of the day
(plural or·ders of the day) noun

1.  agenda:
a program of items to be discussed or dealt with on a particular day, for
example, by a legislative body

2.  typical
thing:
something that is regularly done, offered, chosen, or experienced during a
particular period • Heroism was the order
of the day during the last big battle of the war.

[1]



ordinal

ordinal
or·di·nal 
[áwrd’nəl] adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS showing
position:
showing the relative position in a sequence of numbers

2.  BIOLOGY relating
to biological orders: relating to a biological
order in the classification of plants and animals
noun
(plural or·di·nals)

1.  See
ordinal number  noun 1

2.  CHRISTIANITY Catholic
booklet:
in the Roman Catholic Church, an instruction booklet that lists the order of
services in church worship

3.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
booklet:
an instruction booklet that outlines rules and ceremony for the ordination of
Christian ministers
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin ordinalis “ordered,” from the Latin stem ordin- (see order ).][1]



ordinalnumber

ordinalnumber
or·di·nal
num·ber
(plural or·di·nal num·bers) noun

1.  number
showing order: a number used to show the relative
position of something or somebody in a sequence. “First” and “second” are
ordinal numbers.
Also
called
ordinal

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC size
and order of a set: a measure of the size of an
ordered set in addition to the order of its elements

[1]



ordinalscale

ordinalscale
or·di·nal
scale
(plural or·di·nal scales) noun

STATISTICS
list of items:
a list that shows only the relative positions of items on a scale, giving no
measure of the difference between them[1]



ordinance

ordinance
or·di·nance 
[áwrd’nəns] (plural or·di·nanc·es)
noun

1.  law:
a law or rule made by an authority, for example, a city government

2.  something
prescribed:
something regularly done because it is formally prescribed, especially a
religious ceremony, such as Holy Communion (formal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin ordinare (see ordain
).][1]



ordinand

ordinand
or·di·nand
[áwrd’n ànd] (plural or·di·nands)
noun

Christian
minister-to-be: somebody who is a candidate for
ordination as a Christian minister
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
ordinandus, from ordinare (see ordain
).][1]



ordinarily

ordinarily
or·di·nar·i·ly 
[áwrd’n èrrilee, àwrd’n
érrilee] adverb

normally:
usually or normally[1]



ordinary

ordinary
or·di·nar·y
[áwrd’n èrree] adjective

1.  usual:
usual or customary

2.  unremarkable:
not remarkable or special in any way, and therefore uninteresting and
unimpressive • He’s
just a pretty ordinary kind of guy.

3.  common:
of a common everyday kind

4.  LAW with
immediate jurisdiction: with immediate jurisdiction,
as opposed to jurisdiction by delegation or deputation

5.  MATHEMATICS with
two variables: relating to a differential equation that
has only two variables
noun
(plural or·di·nar·ies)

1.  LAW judge:
a judge who acts in his or her own right

2.  or·di·nar·y
or Or·di·nar·y CHRISTIANITY
cleric
with judge’s powers: a member of the clergy,
especially a bishop, whose position brings with it the power to act as a judge
in some ecclesiastical matters

3.  or·di·nar·y
or Or·di·nar·y CHRISTIANITY
unchanging
parts of the religious mass: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the parts of the daily Mass that do not change from day to day

4.  or·di·nar·y
or Or·di·nar·y CHRISTIANITY
form
for a religious service: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the correct form that a religious service, especially Mass, should
take, or a book that sets out the correct form

5.  HERALDRY simple
design:
any one of the simpler shapes or designs used on coats of arms

6.  eating
house:
an eating establishment or a dining room in an old tavern (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin ordinarius “following the
usual course,” from the Latin stem ordin- (see order
).]
—or·di·nar·i·ness,
noun
out
of the ordinary

unusual or extraordinary[1]



ordinaryseaman

ordinaryseaman
or·di·nar·y
sea·man
noun

low-ranking sailor:
the lowest rank of sailors in the navies of some countries, subordinate to the
more experienced able seaman[1]



ordinate

ordinate
or·di·nate 
[áwrd’nət] (plural or·di·nates)
noun

MATHEMATICS vertical
coordinate of point: the vertical or y coordinate
of a point on a two-dimensional graph or diagram in which pairs of numbers
denote distances along fixed horizontal and vertical axes.
See
also
abscissa
[Late 17th century. From
Latin ordinare (see ordain ).][1]



ordination

ordination
or·di·na·tion 
[àwrd’n áysh’n] (plural or·di·na·tions)
noun

consecration
as Christian minister or rabbi: an official
investiture as a Christian priest or minister, or as a rabbi, or a ceremony
during which somebody is consecrated as a priest, minister, or rabbi
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem ordination-, from ordinare (see ordain ).][1]



ordn.

ordn.
ordn.

Abbreviation of
ordnance[1]



ordnance

ordnance
ord·nance 
[áwrdnəns] noun

1.  military
weapons systems: military weapons systems, including
supplies for their use and equipment for their maintenance

2.  department
responsible for weapons and supplies: the
army or government department that has responsibility for military weapons and
supplies
[14th century. Variant of ordinance .][1]



ordo

ordo
or·do 
[áwr dō] (plural or·dos or
or·di·nes [áwrdə nz]) noun

Roman
Catholic calendar: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a calendar detailing the forms of Mass and other services to be
followed for each day in the year
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see order ).][1]



ordonnance

ordonnance
or·don·nance 
[áwrd’nəns] (plural or·don·nanc·es)
noun

arrangement
of elements: the general arrangement of elements in
architecture and in works of art and literature (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
French, an alteration of Old French ordenance “ordinance.”][1]



Ordovician

Ordovician
Or·do·vi·cian 
[àwrdə vísh’n] adjective

GEOLOGY of
Paleozoic era: belonging to or dating from the second
oldest period of the Paleozoic era, approximately 500 to 440 million years ago.
Primitive fish and other sea creatures appeared during this period.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin Ordovices, the name of an ancient Celtic people of North
Wales, where rocks from the period were first identified.][1]



ordure

ordure
or·dure 
[áwrjər] (plural or·dures) noun

1.  excrement:
excrement or dung (formal)

2.  something
morally corrupting: obscene or otherwise morally
corrupting material or behavior, or an example of it (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin horridus “frightful,” from horrere (see horror ).][1]



Ore.

Ore.
Ore.

Abbreviation of
Oregon[1]



ore

ore
ore 
[awr] (plural ores) noun

mineral
from which metal is extracted: a naturally occurring
mineral from which particular constituents, especially metals, can be
profitably extracted
[Old English ōra, ār
“brass, bronze” (later altered in form through confusion with Old English)][1]



oread

oread
o·re·ad 
[áwree àd] (plural o·re·ads) noun

mountain
nymph:
in Greek mythology, a mountain nymph
[14th century. Via the Latin
stem Oread- from, ultimately, Greek Oreias, from oros
“mountain.”][1]



oredressing

oredressing
ore
dress·ing
noun

removal of unwanted rock from
ores: the separation of the
mineral content of an ore from the unwanted rock or earth[1]



Oreg.

Oreg.
Oreg.

Abbreviation of
Oregon[1]



oregano

oregano

o·reg·a·no 
[ə réggə n] noun

1.  aromatic
plant:
a perennial plant of the mint family that is an aromatic Mediterranean variety
of wild marjoram. Latin name: Origanum vulgare

2.  oregano
leaves:
the fresh or dried leaves of oregano, used to add flavor in cooking
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Greek origanon “wild marjoram,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from oros “mountain” + ganos “brightness, joy.”][1]



Oregon




Back to definition

Oregon

[1]



Oregon

Oregon


Or·e·gon 
[áwrəgən, órrəgən,
often by outsiders áwrəgon]
state
of the United States bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Washington, Idaho, Nevada,
and California. Capital: Salem. Population: 3,243,487 (1997) Area: 251,470 sq
km/97,093 sq mi.
—Or·e·go·ni·an [àwrə gṓnee ən, òrrə gṓnee
ən], noun, adjective[1]



OregonCity

OregonCity
O·re·gon
Ci·ty

historic city in northwestern
Oregon. Population: 14,698 (1990)[1]



Oregongrape

Oregongrape
Or·e·gon
grape
(plural Or·e·gon grapes) noun

evergreen shrub:
an evergreen shrub of the barberry family that is native to the U.S. Pacific
coast and has yellow flowers and edible black berries. Latin name: Mahonia
aquifolium[1]



Oregonmyrtle

Oregonmyrtle
Or·e·gon
myr·tle
noun

See
California laurel[1]



Oregonpine

Oregonpine
Or·e·gon
pine
noun

See
Douglas fir[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








OregonTrail

OregonTrail
Or·e·gon
Trail
noun

U.S. pioneer route:
a 19th-century route to the western United States extending from western
Missouri to northern Oregon that was used by pioneers and settlers[1]



Orellana,Francisco de

Orellana,Francisco de
Or·el·la·na
[ò re lnə], Francisco de (1500?–1545)

Spanish explorer and soldier.
He was the first European to navigate the Amazon from the Andes to the
Atlantic.[1]



OreMountains

OreMountains
Ore
Moun·tains
[awrmównt’nz]

range of mountains along the
Czech-German border. Height: 1,244 m/4,080 ft.[1]



Orenburg

Orenburg
O·ren·burg 
[uryin brk, áwrən
bùrg]

city in southwestern Siberian
Russia, the capital of Orenburg Oblast. Population: 557,000 (1992)[1]



Orense

Orense
O·ren·se 
[aw rénse]

city in northwestern Spain
and capital of Orense Province, in the autonomous region of Galicia.
Population: 110,796 (1995)[1]



Oreo

Oreo
O·re·o
[áwree ] Trademark

a trademark for a
cream-filled sandwich cookie[1]



Oreti

Oreti
O·re·ti
[ō ráytee]

river in the south of the
South Island, New Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps and flows south to the
Foveaux Strait. Length: 203 km/126 mi.[1]



orf

orf
orf
[awrf] noun

VETERINARY MEDICINE sheep
and goat pox: a pox caused by a virus, affecting sheep
and goats, and also transmittable to humans, in which pus-filled blisters form
on the animals’ lips
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse hrufa .][1]



orfray

orfray
or·fray 
noun

SEWING
See orphrey[1]



org.

org.
org.

1.  Abbreviation
of
organic

2.  Abbreviation
of
organization

3.  Abbreviation
of
organized

[1]



organ

organ


or·gan 
[áwrgən] (plural or·gans) noun

1.  MUSIC musical
keyboard instrument: a large musical keyboard
instrument that can produce a wide range of sounds at different volumes using
compressed air passed through metal pipes

2.  MUSIC instrument
similar to organ: any one of various musical instruments
that make sounds similar to the organ without the use of pipes, for example,
electronically or using reeds

3.  BIOLOGY body
part:
a complete and independent part of a plant or animal that has a specific
function • the
organs of the digestive system

4.  means
of communication: a newspaper or magazine regarded as a
means of communication, especially one communicating the views of a particular
group such as a political party (formal) • the
daily organ of left-of-center politics

5.  POLITICS agency:
an organization or body acting on behalf of a larger institution, especially a
government (formal) • There
were no secrets about the institute’s role as an organ of the business
community

6.  penis:
a penis (used euphemistically)
[13th century. Via Old French
organe and Latin organum from Greek organon “tool,
instrument.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to do,” ancestor
also of English work and orgy .][1]



organa

organa
or·ga·na

Plural of
organon Plural of organum[1]



organdy

organdy
or·gan·dy 
[áwrgəndee] (plural or·gan·dies)
or or·gan·die [áwrgəndee] (plural
or·gan·dies) noun

fine
fabric:
a lightweight see-through stiff cotton fabric used especially in dressmaking
[Early 19th century. From
French organdi, of unknown origin.][1]



organelle

organelle
or·gan·elle 
[àwrgə nél] (plural or·gan·elles)
noun

CELL BIOLOGY cell
part:
a specialized part of a cell, for example, the nucleus or the mitochondrion,
that has its own particular function
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin organella, literally “small organ,” from medieval Latin organum
(see organ ).][1]



organgrinder

organgrinder
or·gan
grind·er
(plural or·gan grind·ers) noun

street
musician playing barrel organ: a street musician who
plays a barrel organ, traditionally accompanied by a small monkey who
circulates to collect money from bystanders
[From the hand-cranked barrel
organ][1]



organic

organic
or·gan·ic 
[awr gánnik] adjective

1.  of
living things: relating to, derived from, or
characteristic of living things

2.  developing
naturally:
occurring or developing gradually and naturally, without being forced or
contrived

3.  intrinsic:
forming a basic and inherent part of something and largely responsible for its
identity or makeup

4.  with
elements efficiently combined: consisting of elements
that exist together in a seemingly natural relationship that makes for
organized efficiency

5.  AGRICULTURE avoiding
synthetic chemicals: relating to or employing
agricultural practices that avoid the use of synthetic chemicals in favor of
naturally occurring pesticides, fertilizers, and other growing aids

6.  FOOD produced
without synthetic chemicals: grown or reared without the
use of synthetic chemicals • a wide
range of organic produce

7.  MEDICINE of
body’s organs: relating to the organs of the body,
specifically to basic changes in them brought about by physical disorders

8.  CHEMISTRY based
on carbon:
belonging to a family of compounds characterized by chains or rings of carbon
atoms that are linked to atoms of hydrogen and sometimes oxygen, nitrogen, and
other elements
noun
(plural or·gan·ics)

organic substance:
an organic substance, especially a fertilizer or pesticide
—or·gan·ic·i·ty [àwrgə níssətee], noun[1]



organically

organically
or·gan·i·cal·ly
[awr gánnikəlee] adverb

1.  naturally:
in a natural or seemingly natural way • paintings
with elements organically arranged

2.  without
chemicals:
without the use of synthetic chemicals, especially fertilizers and pesticides • organically
raised chickens

[1]



organicbrain syndrome

organicbrain syndrome
or·gan·ic
brain syn·drome noun

psychiatric disorder:
a psychiatric disorder caused by a permanent or temporary physical change in
the brain[1]



organicchemistry

organicchemistry
or·gan·ic
chem·is·try
noun

study of carbon compounds:
the scientific study of carbon-based compounds, originally limited to compounds
that are the natural products of living things, now including the study of
synthetic carbon compounds such as plastics.
See also
inorganic chemistry[1]



organicdisease

organicdisease
or·gan·ic
dis·ease
(plural or·gan·ic dis·eas·es) noun

MEDICINE
illness involving physical change:
a disorder associated with physical changes in one or more organs of the body[1]



organicism

organicism
or·gan·i·cism 
[awr gánni sìzzəm] noun

1.  BIOLOGY See holism

2.  MEDICINE theory
concerning disease: the theory that all diseases
are due to structural changes in the body’s organs

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES theory
concerning society: the theory that society is
analogous to, or shares characteristics with, living organisms
—or·gan·i·cist,
noun

—or·gan·i·cis·tic [àwrgənə sístik], adjective[1]



organism

organism
or·gan·ism 
[áwrgə nìzzəm] (plural or·gan·isms)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY living
thing:
a living thing such as a plant, animal, or bacterium

2.  system
of interdependent parts: a functioning system of
interdependent parts that resembles a living creature “Like any organism,
public libraries and the people who run them must adapt and respond to change”
Laurence Arnold Pulse of the People 1997
—or·gan·is·mal
[àwrgə nízm’l], adjective

—or·gan·is·mic
[àwrgə nízmik], adjective

—or·gan·is·mi·cal·ly [àwrgə nízmikəlee], adverb[1]



organist

organist
or·gan·ist 
[áwrgənist] (plural or·gan·ists)
noun

organ player:
a musician who plays the organ[1]



organization

organization
or·gan·i·za·tion 
[àwrgəni záysh’n] (plural or·gan·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  group:
a group of people identified by shared interests or purpose, for example, a
business • Each
news organization sent its own photographer.

2.  coordination
of elements: the coordinating of separate elements
into a unit or structure • in
charge of the organization of international conferences

3.  relationship
of elements: the relationships that exist between
separate elements arranged into a coherent whole • changes
to the organization of the party

4.  efficiency
in arrangement: efficiency in the way separate elements
are arranged into a coherent whole • Your
working method lacks organization.

[1]



organizational

organizational
or·gan·i·za·tion·al
[àwrgəni záyshən’l, àwrgəni
záyshnəl] adjective

relating
to organization: relating to the organizing of something
or to the way in which it is organized • Events
like these are an organizational nightmare.
—or·gan·i·za·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



organizationalpsychology

organizationalpsychology
or·gan·i·za·tion·al
psy·chol·o·gy noun

See
industrial psychology[1]



organizationtheory

organizationtheory
or·gan·i·za·tion
the·o·ry
noun

study of organizations:
the branch of sociology that deals with the structure of organizations and the
systems and processes that operate within them[1]



organize

organize
or·gan·ize 
[áwrgə nz] (past or·gan·ized,
past participle or·gan·ized, present participle or·gan·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular or·gan·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
something:
to form or establish something such as a club, by coming together or bringing
people together into a structured group (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
coordinate:
to oversee the coordination of the various elements of something

3.  transitive
verb
arrange
elements:
to arrange the elements of something in a way that creates a particular
structure • a
society organized along democratic lines • candidates
organized into groups of three

4.  transitive
verb
make
more effective: to apply or impose efficient working
methods in order to work effectively, or make somebody else work effectively • Mature
students are not necessarily better at organizing themselves.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
labor union: to recruit the workers in a place or
industry into a labor union, or come together to form a labor union
[15th century. Via French
from medieval Latin organizare, literally “to provide with bodily
organs,” from Latin organum (see organ
). The underlying meaning is “having connecting parts like organisms.”][1]



organized

organized
or·gan·ized 
[áwrgə nzd] adjective

1.  large-scale:
existing on a large scale and involving the systematic coordination of many
different elements • organized religion

2.  efficient:
working in a systematic and efficient way • a
motivated and organized self-starter

[1]



organizedcrime

organizedcrime
or·gan·ized
crime
noun

criminal network:
a powerful ruthless large-scale network of professional criminals, or such
networks in general[1]



organizer

organizer
or·gan·iz·er
[áwrgə nzər] noun

1.  somebody
who organizes: somebody who is active in setting up or
organizing projects and motivating others to take part

2.  datebook:
a small portable calendar and datebook used for planning, or a handheld
computerized device with a simple database for managing appointments and other
information

3.  container
with compartments: a container with
compartments for storing items in neat groups, for example, a desktop container
with compartments for pens, pencils, and other items of stationery

4.  EMBRYOLOGY embryo
part:
a part of an embryo that controls the differentiation of cells, eventually
leading to the formation of organs and all the other specialized parts that
make up an individual organism

[1]



organo-

organo-
organo-
prefix

1.  organ
• organography

2.  organic
• organophosphate
[From Greek organon
(see organ )][1]



organof Corti

organof Corti
or·gan
of Cor·ti 
[àwrgən əv káwrtee] (plural or·gans
of Cor·ti) noun

ANATOMY part
of inner ear: a part of the cochlea of the inner ear
that transforms sound energy into nerve impulses and sends those impulses to
the brain
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Italian anatomist Alfonso Corti ( 1822–1888 ).][1]



organogenesis

organogenesis
or·gan·o·gen·e·sis 
[àwrgənō jénnəsiss, awr
gànnə jénnəsiss] noun

development
of organs:
the formation and development of animal or plant organs that takes place during
the development of an embryo
—or·gan·o·ge·net·ic
[àwrgənō jə néttik, awr
gànnə jə néttik], adjective

—or·gan·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[àwrgənō jə néttikəlee, awr gànnə jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



organography

organography
or·gan·og·ra·phy 
[àwrgə nóggrəfee] noun

description
of organs:
the scientific description of the organs and other main structures of plants
and animals
—or·gan·o·graph·ic
[àwrgənō gráffik, awr
gànnə gráffik], adjective

—or·gan·o·graph·i·cal
[àwrgənō gráffik’l, awr
gànnə gráffik’l], adjective

—or·gan·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[àwrgənō gráffikəlee, awr gànnə gráffikəlee], adverb

—or·gan·o·graph·ist [àwrgə nóggrəfist], noun[1]



organoleptic

organoleptic
or·gan·o·lep·tic 
[àwrgənō léptik, awr
gànnə léptik] adjective

BIOLOGY affecting
organs:
affecting an organ, especially a sense organ
[Mid-19th
century. From French organoleptique, from Greek organon
“instrument” + lēptikos “receptive.”]
—or·gan·o·lep·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



organology

organology
or·gan·ol·o·gy 
[àwrgə nólləjee] noun

study
of physical organs: the study of plant and
animal organs
—or·gan·o·log·ic
[àwrgənō lójjik, awr
gànnə lójjik], adjective

—or·gan·o·log·i·cal
[àwrgənō lójjik’l, awr
gànnə lójjik’l], adjective

—or·gan·ol·o·gist [àwrgə nólləjist], noun[1]



organometallic

organometallic
or·gan·o·me·tal·lic 
[àwrgənō mə tállik, awr
gànnə mə tállik] adjective

CHEMISTRY
relating to metal-containing organic
compound: relating to an organic
compound containing one or more metal atoms, for example, the gasoline additive
tetraethyl lead[1]



organon

organon
or·ga·non 
[áwrgə nòn] (plural or·ga·na [áwrgənə] or or·ga·nons) noun

set
of principles: a set of principles for use in
philosophical or scientific investigation (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Greek (see organ ).][1]



organophosphate

organophosphate
or·gan·o·phos·phate 
[àwrgənō fóss fàyt, awr
gànnə fóss fàyt] (plural or·gan·o·phos·phates) noun

CHEMISTRY
AGRICULTURE organic
compound containing phosphate groups:
an organic compound containing phosphate groups. Organophosphates are widely
used as pesticides and fertilizers, but there are medical concerns about their
toxicity.[1]



organotherapy

organotherapy
or·gan·o·ther·a·py 
[àwrgənō thérrəpee, awr
gànnə thérrəpee] (plural or·gan·o·ther·a·pies) noun

MEDICINE treatment
using animal substances: treatment of diseases by
administering substances derived from animal organs, for example, bovine
insulin, which is used to treat diabetes in humans
—or·gan·o·ther·a·peu·tic
[àwrgənō thèrrə pytik, awr gànnə therrə pytik], adjective[1]



organ-pipecactus

organ-pipecactus
or·gan-pipe
cac·tus 
noun

tall
cactus:
a tall branched cactus native to the southwestern United States and northern
Mexico. Latin name: Lemaireocereus marginatus
[From its tall pipe-shaped
stems][1]



organstop

organstop
or·gan
stop
(plural or·gan stops) noun

1.  set
of organ pipes: a set of pipes on a musical organ, used
to vary the tone and sometimes to imitate the sounds of other instruments

2.  knob
operating pipes: a knob or handle that controls the flow
of air to an organ stop

[1]



organum

organum
or·ga·num
[áwrgənəm] (plural or·ga·na [áwrgənə] or or·ga·nums) noun

1.  musical
style:
a style of composition in western music of the late medieval period that
combines plainsong melody with other melodies

2.  musical
piece:
a piece of music in the organum style
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (see organ ).][1]



organza

organza
or·gan·za 
[awr gánzə] (plural or·gan·zas)
noun

dress
fabric:
a stiff see-through fabric, usually silk, rayon, or nylon, used for dressmaking
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of the U.S. trademark organza .][1]



organzine

organzine
or·gan·zine 
[áwrgən zn] (plural or·gan·zines)
noun

silk
thread:
yarn made from strands of silk twisted together, or fabric made from the yarn
[Late 17th century. Via
French organsin from Italian organzino, of uncertain origin:
perhaps, ultimately, from Organzi, city in Uzbekistan (modern name
Urgench).][1]



orgasm

orgasm
or·gasm 
[áwr gàzzəm] noun (plural or·gasms)

sexual
climax:
the climax of sexual excitement, consisting of intense muscle tightening around
the genital area experienced as a pleasurable wave of tingling sensations
through parts of the body
intransitive
verb
(past or·gasmed, past participle or·gasmed, present
participle or·gas·ming, 3rd person present singular or·gasms)

experience
orgasm:
to experience sexual orgasm
[Late
17th century. Via French or modern Latin from Greek orgasmos, from organ
“to swell, be excited.”]
—or·gas·mic
[awr gázzmik], adjective

—or·gas·tic
[awr gástik], adjective

—or·gas·mi·cal·ly
[awr gázzmikəlee], adverb

—or·gas·ti·cal·ly [awr gástikəlee], adverb[1]



ORgate

ORgate
OR
gate 
(plural OR gates) noun

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING COMPUTING See OR circuit[1]



orgiastic

orgiastic
or·gi·as·tic 
[àwrjee ástik] adjective

1.  marked
by wild revelry: full of a spirit of wild revelry • orgiastic
gatherings

2.  lacking
restraint:
showing extravagance or lack of restraint • orgiastic
shopping sprees
[Late
17th century. From Greek orgiastikos, from orgiazein “to
celebrate secret rites,” from orgia (see orgy
).]
—or·gi·as·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



orgone

orgone
or·gone 
[áwr gōn] noun

force
in living things: a life force that is purported to exist
in all living things. Some practitioners of alternative therapies claim it can
be harnessed by patients sitting in specially designed booths.
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from organism or orgasm on the model of hormone
.][1]



orgulous

orgulous
or·gu·lous
[áwrgyələss] adjective

proud:
proud (archaic) “The princes orgulous, their high blood chafed, Have to
the port of Athens sent their ships.” William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida
1601
[13th century. Anglicization
of French orgueilleux, from orgueil “pride,” of prehistoric
Germanic origin.][1]



orgy

orgy
or·gy 
[áwrjee] noun (plural or·gies)

1.  group
sex party:
a gathering at which a group of people indulge in promiscuous sexual activity

2.  debauched
party:
a wild party or celebration characterized by excessive drinking and eating,
with or without sexual promiscuity

3.  period
of indulgence: a period of indulgence in a particular
activity or emotion, especially something that is disapproved of • an
orgy of self-pity

4.  HISTORY worship
of ancient gods: in ancient Greece and Rome, a secret
worshiping of the gods of pleasure, especially Bacchus or Dionysus, that
involved much dancing, drinking, and singing (often used in the plural)
intransitive
verb
(past orgied, past participle orgied, present
participle orgying, 3rd person present singular orgies)

overindulge: to
indulge in something without limit or restraint (informal) • orgied
on junk food
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek orgia “secret Dionysian rites.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “to do” (ancestor also of English work and organ
).][1]



oribi

oribi
or·i·bi 
[áwribee] (plural or·i·bis or
or·i·bi) noun

African
antelope:
a small tan antelope with long legs and, in the male, short horns, native to
the plains of southern and eastern Africa. Latin name: Ourebia ourebi
[Late 18th century. Via Afrikaans
from Khoikho .][1]



oriel

oriel
o·ri·el 
[áwree əl] (plural o·ri·els) noun

1.  o·ri·el
or o·ri·el win·dow bay window:
a bay window projecting from an outside wall and supported from beneath by a
bracket

2.  recess:
a recess or small room formed by an oriel
[15th century. Via Old French
oriol “porch,” from medieval Latin oriolum “upper chamber,” of
unknown origin.][1]



orient

orient
o·ri·ent 
verb [áwree ènt] (past o·ri·ent·ed,
past participle o·ri·ent·ed, present participle o·ri·ent·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ri·ents)

1.  transitive
verb
position:
to position somebody or something so that the person or thing faces in a
particular direction • old
stone buildings oriented north-south

2.  reflexive
verb
find
your position: to work out where you are and in which
direction you need to travel • the
seaman’s skill of orienting himself by the stars

3.  transitive
verb
direct:
to direct something in a particular way, for example, toward a particular
objective or audience • advertising
oriented toward teenage girls

4.  transitive
verb
make
familiar:
to accustom somebody or yourself to a new situation or set of surroundings • It
might take you a few weeks to orient yourself.

5.  transitive
verb
position
toward east: to position something so that it faces
east, especially to build a church so that its length lies east to west, with
the main altar at the eastern end
noun
[áwree ənt]

1.  eastern
sky:
the eastern part of the sky, where the sun rises (archaic or literary)

2.  dawn:
the dawn (archaic or literary)

3.  pearl’s
luster:
the luster of a pearl, especially a pearl of high quality (archaic)

4.  (plural
o·ri·ents) pearl: a
pearl, especially one of high quality (archaic)
adjective
[áwree ənt] (archaic)

1.  eastern:
eastern

2.  with
good luster: having an exceptionally rich luster (refers
to pearls) “These pearls are orient, but they yield in whiteness to your
teeth.” Walter Scott Ivanhoe 1819

3.  glowing:
with a rich bright glow “her vanisht Night, Shot through with orient Beams”
John Milton Paradise Lost 1667
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin orient-, the present participle stem of oriri “to
rise” (source also of English origin
and abort ) because the sun rises in
the east. The verb, borrowed from French orienter in the 18th century,
originally meant “to position toward the east.”][1]



Orient

Orient
O·ri·ent
[áwree ənt] or o·ri·ent [áwree ənt] noun

eastern Asia:
the countries of eastern Asia, especially China, Japan, and their neighbors (dated)

See also
Occident[1]



Oriental

Oriental
O·ri·en·tal
[àwree ént’l] or o·ri·en·tal [àwree ént’l] adjective

1.  relating
to eastern Asia: relating to the countries and peoples of
eastern Asia, especially to China, Japan, and their neighboring countries (dated)

See
also
Occidental

2.  high
in quality:
of high quality and value (refers to pearls and gems) • an
oriental ruby
noun
(plural O·ri·en·tals) (plural o·ri·en·tals)

offensive term:
offensive term for somebody from eastern Asia (dated offensive)

[1]



Orientalblack mushroom

Orientalblack mushroom
O·ri·en·tal
black mush·room (plural O·ri·en·tal black
mush·rooms) noun

See
shiitake[1]



Orientalfruit moth

Orientalfruit moth
O·ri·en·tal
fruit moth
(plural O·ri·en·tal fruit moths) noun

small moth:
a small moth that in the larval stage is a damaging pest to fruit trees. Native
to Asia, it has been introduced to other parts of the world. Latin name: Grapolitha
molesta[1]



Orientalia

Orientalia
O·ri·en·ta·li·a
[àwree ən táylee ə] or o·ri·en·ta·li·a
[àwree ən táylee ə] noun

eastern
artifacts:
artifacts from countries in eastern Asia
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, literally “things from the Orient.”][1]



orientalism

orientalism
o·ri·en·tal·ism 
[àwree ént’l ìzzəm] (plural o·ri·en·tal·isms)
or O·ri·en·tal·ism [àwree ént’l ìzzəm]
(plural O·ri·en·tal·isms) noun

1.  offensive
term:
offensive term for somebody from eastern Asia

2.  study
of eastern Asia: the study of the civilizations of
eastern Asia
—o·ri·en·tal·ist
[àwree ént’list], noun

—o·ri·en·tal·is·tic [àwree ent’l ístik], adjective[1]



Orientalpoppy

Orientalpoppy
O·ri·en·tal
pop·py
(plural O·ri·en·tal pop·pies) noun

red poppy:
a perennial poppy, native to Asia, grown for its large deep-red flowers. Latin
name: Papaver orientale[1]



Orientalradish

Orientalradish
O·ri·en·tal
rad·ish
(plural O·ri·en·tal rad·ish·es or O·ri·en·tal rad·ish)
noun

See
daikon[1]



Orientalrug

Orientalrug

O·ri·en·tal rug
(plural O·ri·en·tal rugs) noun
Asian carpet:
a brightly colored and patterned carpet traditionally made by hand from
high-quality wool in the Middle and Far East, now often factory-made from a
variety of materials[1]



orientate

orientate
or·i·en·tate 
[áwree ən tàyt] (past or·i·en·tat·ed,
past participle or·i·en·tat·ed, present participle or·i·en·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular or·i·en·tates) transitive verb

orient:
to orient or be oriented
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from orientation .][1]



orientation

orientation
o·ri·en·ta·tion 
[àwree ən táysh’n] noun

1.  positioning:
the positioning of something, or the position or direction in which something
lies • slopes
with a southerly orientation

2.  direction
of development: the direction in which something, for
example, a proposal, is developed or focused • the
program’s clear orientation toward the white middle class

3.  leaning:
the direction in which somebody’s thoughts, interests, or tendencies lie • irrespective
of sexual orientation

4.  becoming
accustomed:
the process of becoming accustomed to a new situation or set of surroundings

5.  (plural
o·ri·en·ta·tions) briefing meeting:
a meeting at which introductory information or training is provided to people
embarking on something new, for example, a course of study

6.  CHEMISTRY molecule
arrangement: the arrangement of atoms, ions,
radicals, or groups relative to each other in crystals or molecules

7.  BIOLOGY reaction
to stimulus: movement or direction of growth in
response to a stimulus, for example, the way a plant grows in response to light
—o·ri·en·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



oriented

oriented
o·ri·ent·ed
[áwree èntəd] adjective

supporting particular view:
openly supporting or favoring a particular point of view or set of beliefs (often
used in combination) • a
Marxist-oriented approach to economics[1]



orienteer

orienteer
or·i·en·teer
[àwree ən tr] intransitive verb (past
or·i·en·teered, past participle or·i·en·teered, present
participle or·i·en·teer·ing, 3rd person present singular or·i·en·teers)

do
orienteering: to take part in the sport of
orienteering
noun
(plural or·i·en·teers)

participant
in orienteering: somebody who takes part in orienteering
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from orienteering .][1]



orienteering

orienteering
or·i·en·teer·ing 
[àwree ən tring] noun

cross-country
race involving map-reading: a sport that combines
map-reading and cross-country running. Competitors make their way through
unfamiliar terrain using a compass and a topographical map.
[Mid-20th century.
Anglicization of Swedish orientering, from orientera “to orient,”
from French orienter (see orient ).][1]



orifice

orifice
or·i·fice 
[áwrəfiss] (plural or·i·fic·es)
noun

opening:
an opening, especially the mouth, anus, vagina, or other opening into a cavity
or passage in the body (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from Latin orificium, literally “making a mouth,” from the stem or-
“mouth” + -fic-, the stem of facere “to make.”][1]



oriflamme

oriflamme
or·i·flamme 
[áwrə flàm] (plural or·i·flammes)
noun

1.  HISTORY medieval
French banner: a red banner or flag that was adopted as
the national flag of France in the Middle Ages

2.  source
of inspiration: something that inspires people or
arouses support (literary) • Her
first collection became something of a literary oriflamme for the students of
the day.
[15th century. From French oriflambe,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from medieval Latin auriflamma, literally
“golden flame.”][1]



orig.

orig.
orig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
original

2.  Abbreviation
of
originally

3.  Abbreviation
of
origin

[1]



origami

origami
o·ri·ga·mi 
[àwri gmee] noun

paper-folding
art:
the Japanese art of paper folding
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “fold paper.”][1]



origin

origin
or·i·gin 
[áwrəjin] (plural or·i·gins) noun

1.  starting
point:
a starting point or first cause (often used in the plural) • the
origins of the universe

2.  source:
the thing from which something develops or the place where it comes from (often
used in the plural) • the
uncertain origin of the expression

3.  ancestry:
the race, social class, or country that somebody belongs to or that somebody’s
family comes from (often used in the plural) • a
great family whose origins stretch back to the Middle Ages

4.  ANATOMY muscle
attachment:
the place where a muscle is attached

5.  ANATOMY anatomical
root:
the root of a nerve or blood vessel

6.  MATHEMATICS intersection
of axes:
the point of intersection of all axes in a coordinate system. In a plane it has
the coordinates (0,0), while in a three-dimensional space it has the
coordinates (0,0,0).
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem origin-, from oriri
“to arise” (source of English orient
and abort ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  origin, source, derivation,
  provenance, root
  CORE
  MEANING: the
  beginning of something origin; used
  to talk about the beginning of something in terms of the time, place,
  situation, or idea from which it arose. It can also be used to refer to
  somebody’s ancestry or social background; source;
  the place, person, or thing through which something has come into being or
  from which it has been obtained; derivation;
  used to talk about the origin or source of something, especially a word or
  phrase; provenance; a formal word
  used to talk about the origin or history of something, especially something
  such as a work of art or archaeological artefact; root;
  the cause or origin of something, especially something such as a feeling or a
  problem

[1]



original

original
o·rig·i·nal 
[ə ríjjən’l] adjective

1.  first:
existing first, from the beginning, or before other people or things • The
original plan was to turn the site into a shopping mall.

2.  new:
completely new, and so not copied or derived from something else • She
doesn’t have a single original idea in her head.

3.  creative:
possessing or demonstrating the ability to think creatively • blessed
with an original mind

4.  not
traditional: representing a departure from
traditional or previous practise • a
refreshingly original interpretation of the classics

5.  source
for copies:
relating to or being something from which a copy or alternative version has
been made • the
original document
noun
(plural o·rig·i·nals)

1.  first
version:
the first or unique item from which copies or alternative versions are made • The
meaning of the original has been lost in translation.

2.  authentic
piece of art: a genuine work of art, and so not a copy
or forgery • verified
as an original

3.  eccentric
person:
an unusual or eccentric person

4.  creative
person:
a person of outstanding creativity or revolutionary thinking

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at new

[1]



originality

originality
o·rig·i·nal·i·ty 
[ə rìjjə nállətee] noun

1.  newness:
the quality of newness that exists in something not done before or not derived
from anything else • Improvised music lives
on the tension between tradition and originality.

2.  creativity:
the ability to think creatively and depart from traditional or previous forms

3.  (plural
o·rig·i·nal·i·ties) original thing:
something original, for example, a new idea or approach “That’s always the case
with my originalities –they are original to nobody but myself.” Thomas Hardy A
Pair of Blue Eyes 1889

[1]



originally

originally
o·rig·i·nal·ly 
[ə ríjjən’lee] adverb

1.  at
first:
at first or from the beginning • Originally
a ballet dancer, she trained to become a circus acrobat.

2.  innovatively:
in a creative or innovative way • thoughtfully
assembled and originally presented

[1]



originalsin

originalsin
o·rig·i·nal
sin
noun

human proclivity to sin:
the sinful state, deriving from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, that
Christians believe all people are born into[1]



originate

originate
o·rig·i·nate 
[ə ríjjə nàyt] (past o·rig·i·nat·ed,
past participle o·rig·i·nat·ed, present participle o·rig·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·rig·i·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
have
origin:
to begin or develop somewhere or from something • a
custom that originated in the 19th century

2.  transitive
verb
invent:
to invent something or bring something into being • Einstein
originated the theory of relativity.
—o·rig·i·na·tion [ə rìjjə náysh’n], noun[1]



originationfee

originationfee
o·rig·i·na·tion
fee
(plural o·rig·i·na·tion fees) noun

loan charge:
a charge made, for example, by a bank, for setting up a loan[1]



originative

originative
o·rig·i·na·tive
[ə ríjjə nàytiv] adjective

creative:
with the ability to think of new ways of doing things
—o·rig·i·na·tive·ly, adverb[1]



originator

originator
o·rig·i·na·tor
[ə ríjjə nàytər] (plural o·rig·i·na·tors)
noun

1.  creator:
somebody who creates, invents, or instigates something

2.  FINANCE somebody
starting transaction: somebody who starts a
financial transaction, especially somebody who writes a check

[1]



orinasal

orinasal
o·ri·na·sal 
[àwri náyz’l] adjective

with
oral and nasal passages: pronounced with both oral
and nasal passages open, as the nasal vowels in French are
noun
(plural o·ri·na·sals)

oral-nasal
speech sound: an orinasal speech sound
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin ori-, from the stem or- “mouth” + nasal .]
—o·ri·na·sal·ly, adverb[1]



O-ring

O-ring
O-ring 
(plural O-rings) noun

seal:
a plastic or rubber ring used in machinery as a seal against air, oil, or high
pressure
[Mid-20th century. From its
shape.][1]



Orinoco

Orinoco
O·ri·no·co 
[óri nōkō]

large river in Venezuela. Its
main channel discharges into the Atlantic Ocean, but one branch flows into the
Amazon river system. Length: 2,560 km/1,590 mi.[1]



oriole

oriole


o·ri·ole 
[áwree l] (plural o·ri·oles) noun

1.  N
American songbird: a brightly colored North
American songbird, especially an orange or yellow species called the Baltimore
oriole. Family: Icteridae

2.  songbird
of Europe, Asia, and Africa: a forest-perching songbird,
found throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, with bold black and yellow markings
and a loud melodious song. Family: Oriolidae
Also
called
forest oriole
[Late 18th century. Via
medival Latin oriolus from Latin aureolus from, ultimately, aurum
“gold” (see auric ).][1]



Orion

Orion

O·ri·on 
[ə r ən, ō r ən]
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY mythological
giant:
in Greek mythology, a giant and hunter, the son of the sea god Poseidon, who
was killed by the goddess Artemis and transformed into a constellation

2.        ASTRONOMY equatorial
constellation: an equatorial
constellation near Gemini and Taurus, containing the Great Nebula and more than
200 stars visible to the naked eye[1]



Orissa

Orissa
O·ris·sa
[aw ríssə]

state in eastern India
bordering Bihar, West Bengal, and the Bay of Bengal. Capital: Bhubaneswar.
Population: 33,795,000 (1994) Area: 155,782 sq km/60,148 sq mi.[1]



Oriya

Oriya
O·ri·ya 
[aw r yə] (plural O·ri·ya) noun

1.  PEOPLES Indian
people:
a member of a people who live mainly in Orissa and neighboring Indian states

2.  LANGUAGE language
of eastern India: a language spoken in eastern parts of
India, especially in Orissa and neighboring states on the Bay of Bengal.
Belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages, it is spoken
by about 36 million people.
[Early 19th century. Via Oriya
from, ultimately, Sanskrit Ora “Orissa,” a state in eastern India.][1]



Orlando

Orlando
Or·lan·do 
[awr lándō]

city and capital of Orange
County, northern Florida, 126 km/78 mi northeast of Tampa. Population: 164,693
(1990)[1]



orle

orle
orle 
[awrl] (plural orles) noun

border
on coat-of-arms: a border that runs inside and parallel
to the edge of the shield of a coat-of-arms
[Late 16th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Latin ora “border, edge.”][1]



Orleanist

Orleanist
Or·le·an·ist 
[awr l ənist] (plural Or·le·an·ists)
noun

supporter
of Orléans family: a supporter of the family of
the Duke of Orléans and of their claim to the French throne, especially a
supporter of King Louis-Philippe, who reigned 1830 to 1848
[Mid-19th century. From
French Orléaniste, from Orléans, a city in France.][1]



Orlon

Orlon
Or·lon 
[áwr lòn] Trademark

a trademark for an acrylic
fiber or yarn[1]



Orly

Orly
Or·ly 
[awr l, áwrlee]

southern suburb of Paris,
location of an international airport[1]



Orléans

Orléans
Or·lé·ans
[awr l ənz, awr
lay N]

city in north central France,
the capital of Loiret Department and Centre Region. Population: 107,965 (1990)[1]



Orléans,Louis Philippe Joseph

Orléans,Louis Philippe Joseph
Or·lé·ans
[awr l ənz, awr
lay N], Louis Philippe Joseph, Duc d’ (1747–1793)

French
nobleman. He supported the French Revolution but was executed during the Reign
of Terror. He was father of the future king, Louis Philippe.
Known as
Philippe Égalité[1]



Ormandy,Eugene

Ormandy,Eugene
Or·man·dy 
[áwrməndee], Eugene (1899–1985)

Hungarian-born
U.S. conductor. He worked with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (1931–1936)
and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1936–1980).
Real name
Blau, Eugene[1]



ormolu

ormolu
or·mo·lu 
[áwrmə l] noun

gold-colored
copper alloy: a gold-colored alloy of copper, zinc,
and sometimes tin, used for decorating furniture and making jewelry and
moldings
[Mid-18th century. From
French or moulu, literally “ground gold.”][1]



OrmondBeach

OrmondBeach
Or·mond
Beach 
[áwrməndbeech]

city in Volusia County,
eastern Florida. Population: 29,721 (1990)[1]



ornament

ornament
or·na·ment 
[(n) áwrnəmənt, (vb) áwrnə mènt] noun (plural or·na·ments)

1.  decorative
object:
a small decorative object displayed for its beauty

2.  decoration:
decoration or decorative quality • manuscript
pages entirely without ornament

3.  something
that decorates: a thing that decorates or adds beauty to
something else

4.  MUSIC embellishing
note:
a note or set of notes added to embellish a melody or harmony

5.  valued
person:
somebody whose presence is a source of pride or honor (archaic or literary)
transitive
verb
(past or·na·ment·ed, past participle or·na·ment·ed,
present participle or·na·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular
or·na·ments)

decorate: to
make something richer by adding decorative elements or items to it • a
stone facade ornamented with gargoyles
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin ornamentum, from ornare (see ornate ).]
—or·na·ment·ed, adjective[1]



ornamental

ornamental
or·na·men·tal 
[àwrnə mént’l] adjective

1.  decorative:
serving as a decoration, as opposed to having any practical use • The
hitching post in the front yard was strictly ornamental.

2.  grown
for show:
grown for beauty as distinct from food (refers to plants) • an
ornamental border
noun
(plural or·na·men·tals)

ornamental plant:
a plant that is grown for its beauty
—or·na·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



ornamentation

ornamentation
or·na·men·ta·tion 
[àwrnə men táysh’n, àwrnə
mən táysh’n] (plural or·na·men·ta·tions) noun

1.  addition
of decorative elements: the addition of elements
that enhance beauty or visual appeal, especially in the arts

2.  decorative
element added: one or more elements added to enhance
beauty or visual appeal, especially in the arts

3.  MUSIC addition
of embellishing notes: the addition of a note or
set of notes that embellishes a melody or harmony

[1]



ornate

ornate
or·nate 
[awr náyt] adjective

1.  excessively
decorative:
with elaborate or excessive decoration

2.  using
elaborate language: using or consisting of
elaborate language, especially language that is designed to impress with its
flair or literary quality • expressions
that are far too ornate for a TV soap opera
[Early
16th century. From Latin ornatus, the past participle of ornare
“to equip,” hence “to adorn.”]
—or·nate·ly,
adverb

—or·nate·ness, noun[1]



ornery

ornery
or·ner·y 
[áwrnəree] adjective

1.  irritable:
uncooperative and irritable (informal) “The Core States crowd became as
ornery as Chewbacca with a toothache” Keith Gave Game 1 Proves the Wings Have
Nothing to Fear Detroit Free Press 1997

2.  insufficient:
meager, whether out of poverty or lack of generosity (informal) “how
mean the preserves was, and how ornery and tough the fried chickens was” Mark
Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1884

3.  common:
ordinary (regional) “It was pretty ornery preaching –all about brotherly
love, and such-like tiresomeness” Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1884
[Early
19th century. Dialectal variant of ordinary
. The underlying meaning is “common, mean.”]
—or·ner·i·ness, noun[1]



ornith.

ornith.
ornith.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ornithology

2.  Abbreviation
of
ornithological

[1]



ornith-

ornith-
ornith-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
ornitho-[1]



ornithine

ornithine
or·ni·thine 
[áwrnə thn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid formed in the liver as an intermediate in the manufacture of
excretory urea. C5H12O2N2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from ornith- + -ine ; from its presence in
birds’ urine.][1]



ornithischian

ornithischian
or·nith·is·chi·an 
[àwrnə thískee ən] adjective

relating
to order of dinosaurs: belonging or relating to an
order of dinosaurs that had a backward-rotating pelvis similar to that of
birds. The order includes the triceratops and stegosaurus. Order: Ornithischia
noun
(plural or·nith·is·chi·ans)

dinosaur:
an ornithischian dinosaur, for example, an ankylosaur
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Ornithischia, order name, which was coined from the Greek
stem ornith- + Greek iskhion “hip joint” (source of English ischium ).][1]



ornitho-

ornitho-
ornitho-
prefix

bird
• ornithology
[From Greek ornith-,
the stem of ornis “bird”][1]



ornithology

ornithology
or·ni·thol·o·gy 
[àwrnə thólləjee] noun

study
of birds:
the branch of zoology that deals with the scientific study of birds
—or·ni·tho·log·i·cal
[àwrnəthə lójjik’l], adjective

—or·ni·tho·log·i·cal·ly
[àwrnəthə lójjikəlee], adverb

—or·ni·thol·o·gist [àwrnə thólləjist], noun[1]



ornithopod

ornithopod
or·nith·o·pod 
[awr níthə pòd] (plural or·nith·o·pods)
noun

plant-eating
dinosaur:
a plant-eating dinosaur, for example, the hadrosaur and the iguanadon, that had
hind feet similar to those of birds. Suborder: Ornithopoda
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin ornithopoda, suborder name, from the Greek stem ornitho-
“bird” + the stem pod- “foot.”][1]



ornithopter

ornithopter

or·ni·thop·ter 
[àwrnə thóptər] (plural or·ni·thop·ters)
noun
aircraft
with flapping wings: a flying machine that
operates using flapping wings. Although the earliest aircraft designs imitated
the flapping wings of birds and many prototypes have been flown in the past 100
years, no ornithopter has ever been commercially successful.
[Early 20th century. From
French ornithoptère, which was coined from the Greek stem ornith-
“bird” + pteron “wing.”][1]



ornithosis

ornithosis
or·ni·tho·sis 
[àwrnə thṓssiss] noun

disease:
the bacterial disease psittacosis, especially when contracted by humans from
birds[1]



oro-

oro-
oro-
prefix

mountain
• orography
[From Greek oros, of
unknown origin][1]



orogenesis

orogenesis
or·o·gen·e·sis 
[àw rō jénnəssiss] noun

GEOLOGY See orogeny
—or·o·ge·net·ic
[àw rō jə néttik], adjective

—or·o·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



orogenicbelt

orogenicbelt
or·o·gen·ic
belt
(plural or·o·gen·ic belts) noun

large tectonically affected
belt on earth: a large linear feature
on the earth’s surface that has undergone tectonic compression and uplift to
form mountain ranges such as the Andes and the Alps[1]



orogeny

orogeny
o·rog·e·ny 
[aw rójjənee] noun

GEOLOGY process
of mountain formation: the folding, faulting, and
uplift of the earth’s crust to form mountain ranges, often accompanied by
volcanic and seismic activity.
Also
called
orogenesis
—or·o·gen·ic
[àw rō jénnik], adjective

—or·o·gen·i·cal·ly [àw rō jénnikəlee], adverb[1]



orography

orography
o·rog·ra·phy 
[aw róggrəfee] noun

GEOGRAPHY
study of mountains:
the branch of physical geography involved with the study and mapping of
variations in the earth’s surface, including mountains and mountain ranges.
Also called
orology[1]



oroide

oroide
o·ro·ide 
[áw rō d] noun

gold-colored
alloy:
an alloy of copper, zinc, tin, and iron that has a luster similar to gold and
is used in the manufacture of inexpensive jewelry
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “goldlike,” from or “gold” (see or ).][1]



orology

orology
o·rol·o·gy 
[aw rólləjee] noun

GEOGRAPHY See orography
—o·ro·log·i·cal
[àwrə"lójjik’l], adjective

—o·ro·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—o·rol·o·gist [aw rólləjist], noun[1]



OROM

OROM
OROM

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of optical read-only memory[1]



Oromo

Oromo
O·ro·mo 
[aw rṓ mō] (plural O·ro·mos or
O·ro·mo) noun
Also
called
Galla

1.  PEOPLES African
people:
a member of a people who originally occupied lands in Somalia, and whose
members now live in parts of eastern Africa, especially in Ethiopia and Kenya

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Oromo: the Cushitic language of this people.
Over 7 million people speak Oromo.
[Late
19th century. From Oromo .]
—Oromo, adjective[1]



Orono

Orono
O·ro·no
[áwrə nō]

city in south central Maine,
on the western bank of the Penobscot River. Northeast of Bangor, it is the site
of the University of Maine. Population: 9,119 (1996)[1]



Orontes

Orontes
O·ron·tes 
[aw rntiz]

1.  mountain
in Iran, just southwest of Hamadan. Height: 3,548 m/11,640 ft.

2.  river
in southwestern Asia, flowing through Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, and into the
Mediterranean Sea. Length: 571 km/355 mi.

[1]



oropharynx

oropharynx
o·ro·phar·ynx 
[àw rō férringks] (plural o·ro·phar·ynx·es
or o·ro·pha·ryn·ges [àw rō fə rínjeez])
noun

ANATOMY upper
part of throat: the part of the throat that is located
below the soft palate and above the larynx
[Late
19th century. Coined from the Latin stem or- “mouth” (see oral ) + pharynx
.]
—o·ro·pha·ryn·ge·al [àw rō fə rínjee əl, àw
rō ferrin j əl], adjective[1]



orotund

orotund
o·ro·tund 
[áwrə tùnd] adjective (formal)

1.  strongly
clear:
loud, clear, and strong, as in tone or voice timbre

2.  pompous:
pompous or bombastic in speech or prose
[Late
18th century. From Latin ore rotundo, literally “with a round mouth.”]
—o·ro·tun·di·ty [àwrə túndətee], noun[1]



Orozco,José Clemente

Orozco,José Clemente
O·roz·co
[o róthkō], José Clemente (1883–1949)

Mexican artist. His murals,
using fresco technique, focus on Mexican history and the suffering of humanity.[1]



orphan

orphan
or·phan 
[áwrfən] noun (plural or·phans)

1.  child
without parents: a child whose parents are both dead or
who has been abandoned by his or her parents, especially a child not adopted by
another family

2.  animal
without mother: a young animal whose mother is dead or
has abandoned it

3.  PRINTING stranded
first line:
an opening line of a paragraph that is also the last line on a page, cut off
from the rest of the paragraph by the page break.
See
also
widow
transitive
verb
(past or·phaned, past participle or·phaned, present
participle or·phan·ing, 3rd person present singular or·phans)

render parentless:
to make somebody an orphan • a
young boy orphaned by the war
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek orphanos “orphaned.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English robot .]
—or·phan·hood, noun[1]



orphanage

orphanage
or·phan·age 
[áwrfənij] (plural or·phan·ag·es)
noun

home for orphans:
a home or other institutional setting for orphans, often operated by a local
government or charitable organization[1]



orpharion

orpharion
or·phar·i·on 
[awr fáiree ən] (plural or·phar·i·ons)
noun

large
lute:
a large lute, popular during the Renaissance, played by plucking or strumming
the strings
[Late 16th century. From the
names of Orpheus and Arion, musicians in Greek mythology.][1]



Orphean

Orphean
Or·phe·an
[áwrfee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Orpheus:
relating to Orpheus

2.  beautiful:
hauntingly beautiful or enchanting (literary)

[1]



Orpheanwarbler

Orpheanwarbler
Or·phe·an
war·bler
(plural Or·phe·an war·blers) noun


Also called
beccafico[1]



Orpheus

Orpheus
Or·phe·us 
[áwrfyooss, áwrfee
əss] noun

figure in Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, a poet and musician. He descended to the underworld to seek
his wife, Eurydice, after her death but failed to bring her back.[1]



Orphic

Orphic
Or·phic 
[áwrfik] adjective

1.  relating
to poems of Orpheus: relating to the poems and
mystical writings associated with Orpheus

2.  mystical:
mystical or magical (literary)

[1]



Orphism

Orphism
Or·phism 
[áwr fìzzəm] noun

ARTS artistic
movement:
an artistic movement within Cubism that flourished briefly at the beginning of
the 20th century, concentrating on achievement of harmony of color
[Late
19th century. From Orpheus .]
—Or·phist,
noun

—Or·phis·tic [awr fístik], adjective[1]



orphrey

orphrey
or·phrey 
[áwrfree] (plural or·phreys) or
or·fray [áwrfree] (plural or·frays)
noun

SEWING elaborate
embroidery:
elaborate embroidery, often done in gold
[13th century. Via Old French
orfreis from, ultimately, medieval Latin aurifrigium, literally
“Phrygian gold.”][1]



orpiment

orpiment
or·pi·ment 
[áwrpimənt] noun

yellow
mineral:
a crystalline bright yellow ore of arsenic, consisting of arsenic trisulfide,
that is used in dyeing and tanning
[14th century. Via French
from Latin auripigmentum, literally “gold pigment.”][1]



orpine

orpine
or·pine 
[áwrpin] (plural or·pines) or
or·pin [áwrpin] (plural or·pins)
noun

plant:
a low-growing succulent plant with pink or purple flowers. Latin name: Sedum
telephium
[14th century. From French orpin,
from orpiment (see orpiment ).][1]



Orr,Bobby

Orr,Bobby

Orr
[awr], Bobby (1948– )
Canadian
ice-hockey player. He played for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks
(1966–1978) and was the leading NHL scorer in 1970 and 1975.
Full name
Orr, Robert Gordon[1]



orrery

orrery
or·re·ry 
[áwrəree] (plural or·re·ries) noun

ASTRONOMY mechanical
model of solar system: a mechanical model of the
solar system that shows the orbits of the planets around the sun at the correct
relative velocities
[Early 18th century. Named
for Charles Boyle, fourth Earl of Orrery 1676–1731, who had one made for
him.][1]



orris

orris
or·ris 
[áwriss] (plural or·ris or
or·ris·es) noun

iris
with fragrant root: an iris with a fragrant
root. Latin name: Iris germanica
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of iris .][1]



orrisroot

orrisroot
or·ris·root 
[áwriss rt, áwriss
rt] (plural or·ris·roots or or·ris·root) or
or·ris root [áwriss rt, áwriss rt] or or·ris [áwriss rt, áwriss rt]
noun

orris:
the fragrant rootstock of the orris, often used in perfumes and cosmetics[1]



ort

ort
ort 
[awrt] (plural orts) noun

leftover:
a scrap or bit of food remaining after a meal is finished (often used in the
plural)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from early Dutch oorete, “leftover” (literally
“out-eat”), formed from oor “out” + eten “to eat.”][1]



orth.

orth.
orth.

1.  Abbreviation
of
orthopedic

2.  Abbreviation
of
orthopedics

[1]



ortho-

ortho-
ortho-
prefix

1.  correct;
correction, straightening • orthography
• orthodontics

2.  straight,
upright, vertical • orthotropous

3.  perpendicular
• orthorhombic

4.  fully
hydrated or hydroxylated • orthophosphate
[Via Old French and Latin
from Greek orthos “straight, right”][1]



orthocenter

orthocenter
or·tho·cen·ter 
[áwrthō sèntər] (plural or·tho·cen·ters)
noun

point where altitudes of
triangle intersect: the point
at which the three altitudes of a triangle intersect[1]



orthochromatic

orthochromatic
or·tho·chro·mat·ic 
[àwrthō krō máttik] adjective

1.  giving
good color reproduction: reproducing accurately the
colors found naturally in a subject

2.  not
sensitive to red: sensitive to all the visible colors
except red (refers to film)

[1]



orthoclase

orthoclase
or·tho·clase 
[áwrthə klàyss, áwrthə
klàyz] (plural or·tho·clas·es) noun

type of feldspar:
a type of feldspar of variable color that has monoclinic crystalline structure
and is commonly found in igneous rock[1]



orthodontics

orthodontics
or·tho·don·tics 
[àwrthə dóntiks] or or·tho·don·tia
[àwrthə dóntiks] noun

correction
of teeth irregularities: the area of dentistry
concerned with the prevention and correction of irregularities of the teeth
—or·tho·don·tic,
adjective

—or·tho·don·tist, noun[1]



orthodox

orthodox
or·tho·dox 
[áwrthə dòks] adjective

following
traditional doctrine: following the established or
traditional rules of social behavior, a philosophy, or a faith
noun

(plural
or·tho·dox·es) somebody who has traditional
beliefs:
somebody who follows traditional or established beliefs or rules of behavior,
or is a member of an orthodox religion
[Late
16th century. Via French orthodoxe and late Latin from Greek orthodoxos,
“having the correct opinion,” from doxa “opinion.”]
—or·tho·dox·ly, adverb[1]



Orthodox

Orthodox
Or·tho·dox
adjective

1.  Eastern
Orthodox Church: relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church

2.  Orthodox
Judaism:
relating to Orthodox Judaism
noun
Or·tho·dox (plural Or·tho·doxes)

member of Eastern Orthodox Church:
a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church

[1]



OrthodoxChurch

OrthodoxChurch
Orthodox
Church
noun

ancient Christian church:
a Christian church that originated in the Byzantine Empire and recognizes the
Patriarch of Constantinople as primate rather than the Pope. Orthodox Churches
include the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Coptic Church of Egypt.
Also called
Byzantine Church[1]



OrthodoxJudaism

OrthodoxJudaism
Or·tho·dox
Ju·da·ism
noun

branch of Judaism:
the branch of Judaism that accepts without reservation that the Torah was
directly handed down from God to Moses[1]



orthodoxy

orthodoxy
or·tho·dox·y 
[áwrthə dòksee] noun

conformity:
the practice of observing established social customs and definitions of
appropriateness[1]



Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy
Or·tho·dox·y
noun Or·tho·dox·y

1.  practices
of Eastern Orthodox Church: the beliefs and practices of
the Eastern Orthodox Church

2.  Orthodox
Judaism:
the beliefs and practices of Orthodox Judaism

[1]



orthoepy

orthoepy
or·tho·e·py 
[awr thṓ əpee, áwrthō
èppee] noun

1.  pronunciation:
the study of the ways that words are pronounced

2.  usual
pronunciation: the usual pronunciation of words
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from ortho- + the Greek stem
epe-, the stem of épos “word, tale, story,” the source of English
epic .]
—or·tho·ep·ic
[àwrthō éppik], adjective

—or·tho·ep·i·cal·ly
[àwrthō éppikəlee], adverb

—or·tho·e·pist [awr thṓ əpist], noun[1]



orthogenesis

orthogenesis
or·tho·gen·e·sis 
[àwrthō jénnəssiss] (plural or·tho·gen·e·ses
[àwrthō jénnə sz]) noun

theory
of evolution: an obsolete theory that evolution can
proceed in a specific direction determined by internal genetic factors rather
than the external forces of natural selection
—or·tho·ge·net·ic
[àwrthō jə néttik], adjective

—or·tho·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[àwrthō jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



orthogonal

orthogonal
or·thog·o·nal 
[awr thóggən’l] adjective

1.  relating
to right angles: relating to or composed of right angles

2.  describing
crystal structure: all at right angles to each
other in a crystal structure (refers to a set of axes)
—or·thog·o·nal·ly [awr thóggənəlee], adverb[1]



orthogonalmatrix

orthogonalmatrix
or·thog·o·nal
mat·rix
noun

type of matrix:
a matrix in which two rows or two columns are vectors whose scalar product is
zero[1]



orthogonalprojection

orthogonalprojection
or·thog·o·nal
pro·jec·tion noun

method of representing views:
a way of providing a two-dimensional graphic view of an object in which the
projecting lines are drawn at right angles to the plane of projection. In so
doing this type of presentation appears to give the feeling of three
dimensions.
Also called
orthographic projection[1]



orthograde

orthograde
or·tho·grade
[àwrthə gráyd] adjective

walking
upright:
carrying the body upright (refers to primates)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ortho- + Latin gradus
“walking.”][1]



orthographic

orthographic
or·tho·graph·ic 
[àwrthə gráffik] or or·tho·graph·i·cal
[àwrthə gráffik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to spelling: relating to the study of spelling

2.  spelled
correctly:
correctly spelled

3.  MATHEMATICS made
up of vertical lines: composed of vertical lines
—or·tho·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



orthographicprojection

orthographicprojection
or·tho·graph·ic
pro·jec·tion noun

See
orthogonal projection[1]



orthography

orthography
or·thog·ra·phy 
[awr thóggrəfee] (plural or·thog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  relationship
between sounds and letters: the way letters and
diacritic symbols represent the sounds of a language in a spelling system

2.  study
of correct spelling: the study of correct
spelling as it has come to be established by usage

3.  study
of how letters are arranged in words: the
area of language study concerned with the letters of an alphabet and how those
letters occur sequentially in words

[1]



orthomorphic

orthomorphic
or·tho·mor·phic
adjective

See
conformal[1]



orthopaedic

orthopaedic
or·tho·pae·dic
adjective

See
orthopedic[1]



orthopaedics

orthopaedics
or·tho·pae·dics
noun

See
orthopedics[1]



orthopedic

orthopedic
or·tho·pe·dic 
[àwrthə pdik] or or·tho·pae·dic
[àwrthə pdik] adjective

1.  relating
to orthopedics: relating to or used in orthopedics

2.  relating
to bone disorders: relating to or marked by
disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, or muscles
[Mid-19th
century. From French orthopédique, literally “of correct child-rearing,”
from, ultimately, Greek paideia “child-rearing,” from the stem paid-
“child”; originally applied specifically to childhood bone disorders.]
—or·tho·pe·di·cal·ly,
adverb

—or·tho·pe·dist, noun[1]



orthopedics

orthopedics
or·tho·pe·dics
[àwrthō pdiks] or or·tho·pae·dics
[àwrthō pdiks] noun

branch of medicine:
the branch of medicine concerned with the nature and correction of disorders of
the bones, joints, ligaments, or muscles (takes a singular verb)[1]



orthophosphate

orthophosphate
or·tho·phos·phate
[àwrthō fóss fàyt] (plural or·tho·phos·phates)
noun

a salt or ester:
any salt or ester of phosphoric acid[1]



orthophosphoricacid

orthophosphoricacid
or·tho·phos·phor·ic
ac·id
[àwrthə fosfáwrrik] noun

See
phosphoric acid[1]



orthopsychiatry

orthopsychiatry
or·tho·psy·chi·a·try 
[àwrthō si k ətree, àwrthō sī k ətree] noun

treatment
of childhood psychological problems: a
cross-disciplinary method of diagnosing, preventing, and treating childhood
psychological problems that involves psychiatrists, child psychologists,
pediatricians, and social workers
—or·tho·psy·chi·at·ric
[àwrthə s kee áttrik], adjective

—or·tho·psy·chi·a·trist
[àwrthō si k ətrist, àwrthō sī k ətrist], noun[1]



orthopteran

orthopteran
or·thop·ter·an 
[àwr thóptərən] or or·thop·ter·on
[àwr thóptərən] noun (plural or·thop·ter·ans)

primitive
insect:
any member of the order Orthoptera of primitive winged insects, including
cockroaches, mantises, locusts, and crickets
adjective

See
orthopterous
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Orthoptera (plural), order name, literally “those with
straight wings,” ultimately from Greek pteron “wing.”][1]



orthopterous

orthopterous
or·thop·ter·ous
[awr thóptərəss] adjective

relating to primitive
insects: relating to the order
Orthoptera of primitive winged insects, including cockroaches, mantises,
locusts, and crickets[1]



orthoptics

orthoptics
or·thop·tics
[awr thóptiks] noun

nonsurgical
correction of eye problems: the study of eye disorders
and their detection and correction, especially using nonsurgical treatments,
for example, eye exercises (takes a singular verb)
—or·thop·tic,
adjective

—or·thop·tist, noun[1]



orthorhombic

orthorhombic
or·tho·rhom·bic 
[àwrthə rómbik] adjective

relating to crystals with
three axes: relating to a crystal system
with three axes of different lengths that cross at right angles[1]



orthoscopic

orthoscopic
or·tho·scop·ic 
[àwrthə skóppik] adjective

1.  able
to see normally: able to see normally, without any visual
distortion of images

2.  giving
normal vision: used to describe an optical instrument
that gives normal vision

[1]



orthostatic

orthostatic
or·tho·stat·ic 
[àwrthə státtik] adjective

relating to standing upright:
connected with or caused by standing upright[1]



orthotics

orthotics
or·thot·ics 
[awr thóttiks] noun

science
of medical devices: the branch of medical
engineering concerned with the design and fitting of devices, for example,
braces, in the treatment of orthopedic disorders (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from orthosis “artificial external device,” from Greek orthōsis
“making straight,” ultimately from orthos “straight.”]
—or·thot·ic,
adjective

—or·thot·ist, noun[1]



orthotropic

orthotropic
or·tho·trop·ic 
[àwrthə tróppik] adjective

with
vertical growth: involving or characterized by vertical
growth along a vertical axis
—or·tho·trop·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—or·thot·ro·pism [awr thóttrə pìzzəm], noun[1]



orthotropous

orthotropous
or·thot·ro·pous 
[awr thóttrəpəss] adjective

growing straight:
used to describe an ovule that grows straight[1]



ortolan

ortolan
or·to·lan 
[áwrtələn] (plural or·to·lan or
or·to·lans) noun

variety
of songbird: a small brownish bunting of Europe,
Asia, and Africa that has a yellow throat and is known for its territorial
display flight. It is sometimes eaten as a delicacy. Latin name: Emberiza
hortulana
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Provençal, literally “gardener,” from Latin hortulanus, from
hortus “garden,” a source of English horticulture
.][1]



ORV

ORV
ORV

Abbreviation of
off-road vehicle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Orvieto

Orvieto
Or·vi·e·to 
[awr vyáytō] (plural Or·vi·e·tos)
noun

Italian white wine:
a light white wine produced in the region of Orvieto, Italy[1]



Orwell,George

Orwell,George

Or·well
[áwr wèl], George (1903–1950)
British
writer. A staunch critic of totalitarianism, he wrote political essays and
fiction including the satirical political novels Animal Farm ( 1945 )
and Nineteen Eighty-four ( 1949 ).
Real
name
Blair, Eric Arthur
—Or·well·i·an, adjective[1]



-ory

-ory
-ory
suffix

1.  of
or relating to • conclusory

2.  place
or thing connected with or used for • crematory
[Via Anglo-Norman and Old
French dialect -orie from Latin -orius and -orium][1]



oryx

oryx
o·ryx 
[áwriks] (plural o·ryx or
o·ryx·es) noun

African
antelope:
an antelope native to Africa and Arabia that has long horns, bold black and
white markings on the face, and a hump above the shoulders. Genus: Oryx
[14th century. From Latin,
from Greek orux “spike, pickaxe, oryx.”][1]



orzo

orzo
or·zo 
[áwrzō] (plural or·zos) noun

small
pasta:
pasta that is the size and shape of rice grains, often served with lamb in
Greek cooking
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “barley,” from Latin hordeum .][1]



o.s.

o.s.
o.s.

1.  Abbreviation
of
left eye

2.  LAW Abbreviation of old
series

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of out
of stock

[1]



o/s

o/s
o/s

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of out
of stock

2.  BANKING Abbreviation of outstanding

[1]



O.S.

O.S.
O.S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ordinary seaman

2.  LAW Abbreviation of old
series

3.  Abbreviation
of
Old Style

[1]



os

os1
os1  [oss]
(plural o·ra [áwrə]) noun

mouth:
a mouth or mouthlike opening in an organism
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “mouth, face, head” (stem or- ) (source of English oral ).][1]



os

os2
os2  [oss]
(plural os·sa [óssə]) noun

bone:
a bone (technical)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “bone” (stem oss- ) (source of English ossify ).][1]



OS

OS
OS

1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
operating system

2.  Abbreviation
of
Old Saxon

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of out
of stock

[1]



Os

Os
Os

Symbol for
osmium[1]



OSA

OSA
OSA
or O.S.A.

Abbreviation of
Order of Saint Augustine[1]



Osage

Osage2
O·sage2  [ō
sàyj rívvər]

river in western Missouri,
flowing northeast to join the Missouri River near Jefferson City. Length: 805
km/500 mi.[1]



Osage

Osage1
O·sage1  [ō
sáyj, ṓ sàyj] (plural O·sage
or O·sag·es) noun

1.  member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands in Ohio, before settling in
parts of Missouri and Kansas, and whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma

2.  Osage
language:
the language of the Osage people. It belongs to the Siouan branch of
Hokan-Siouan languages. Osage is spoken by about 1,000 people.
[Late
17th century. Alteration of Osage Wazhazhe, one of the three Osage
bands.]
—O·sage, adjective[1]



Osageorange

Osageorange
O·sage
or·ange
(plural O·sage or·ange or O·sage or·ang·es) noun

1.  spiny
tree of southern U.S.: a spiny tree native to the
south-central United States that has a pulpy inedible fruit that resembles an
orange. Latin name: Maclura pomifera

2.  fruit
of Osage orange tree: the pulpy inedible fruit of
the Osage orange tree

[1]



OSB

OSB
OSB
or O.S.B.

Abbreviation of
Order of Saint Benedict[1]



Osborn,Henry Fairfield

Osborn,Henry Fairfield
Os·born
[óz bawrn], Henry Fairfield (1857–1935)

U.S. paleontologist. While
working for the American Museum of Natural History, he assembled one of the
world’s major collections of vertebrate fossils.[1]



Oscan

Oscan
Os·can 
[óskən] noun

extinct
language of southern Italy: an extinct language spoken
in southern parts of Italy during ancient times. It belongs to the Italic
branch of Indo-European languages.
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin Oscus “Oscan.”]
—Os·can, adjective[1]



Oscar

Oscar2
Os·car2  noun

code word for letter “O”:
a code word for the letter “O,” used in international radio communications[1]



Oscar

Oscar1
Os·car1  [óskər]
Trademark

a trademark for the golden
statuette awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
to people in the film industry for achievement in the making of movies[1]



OSCE

OSCE
OSCE
noun

Abbreviation of
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe[1]



Osceola

Osceola

Os·ce·o·la 
[òski ṓlə] (1800?–1838)
Seminole leader. He resisted government
efforts to displace the Seminole people from Florida, and led them against
federal troops during the Second Seminole War (1835–1842).[1]



oscillate

oscillate
os·cil·late 
[óssə làyt] (past os·cil·lat·ed,
past participle os·cil·lat·ed, present participle os·cil·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular os·cil·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
move
backward and forward: to swing between two points
with a rhythmic motion

2.  intransitive
verb
be
indecisive:
to keep changing your mind about which is better out of two positions, points
of view, or courses of action

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
to change predictably: to cause or produce
rhythmic, predictable variations between two extremes, usually within a set
period of time
[Early
18th century. From Latin oscillat-, the perfect participle stem of oscillare
“to swing,” from oscillum “swing, mask” (of Bacchus hung as a charm on a
tree to swing), from os 1 .]
—os·cil·la·tor,
noun

—os·cil·la·to·ry [óssələ tàwree], adjective[1]



oscillation

oscillation
os·cil·la·tion 
[òssə láysh’n] (plural os·cil·la·tions)
noun

1.  predictable
variation:
an even, rhythmic change in value, position, or state around a mean value

2.  one
cycle of variation: a single cycle of variation
between two values, positions, or states

3.  motion
between extremes: the act of moving backward and forward
between two extreme points
—os·cil·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



oscillogram

oscillogram
os·cil·lo·gram 
[ə síllə gràm] (plural os·cil·lo·grams)
noun

record
made by an oscillograph or oscilloscope: the
record produced by an oscillograph or oscilloscope
[Early 20th century. Formed
from a shortening of oscillograph + -gram .][1]



oscillograph

oscillograph
os·cil·lo·graph 
[ə síllə gràf] (plural os·cil·lo·graphs)
noun

machine
for recording variations: a device that produces a
visual record of variations between two points or states, for example, of
electric current
[Late
19th century. From French oscillographe, literally “that which swings
while writing,” formed from Latin oscillare “to swing” (see oscillate ).]
—os·cil·lo·graph·ic
[ə sìllə gráffik], adjective

—os·cil·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[ə sìllə gráffikəlee], adverb

—os·cil·log·ra·phy [òssə lóggrəfee], noun[1]



oscilloscope

oscilloscope
os·cil·lo·scope 
[ə síllə skp] (plural os·cil·lo·scopes)
noun

device
for showing waveforms: a device that uses a cathode
ray tube to produce a visual record of an electrical current on a fluorescent
screen. Uses include testing electronic equipment and measuring the electrical
impulses of the heart or the brain.
[Early
20th century. Formed from a shortening of oscillation
+ -scope .]
—os·cil·lo·scop·ic [ə sìllə skóppik], adjective[1]



oscine

oscine
os·cine 
[ó sn] adjective

relating
to songbirds: about, typical of, or belonging to the
large suborder of passerine birds that includes most songbirds
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Oscines, suborder name, from Latin oscen “songbird,
bird whose cry is used in augury,” literally “singing towards,” from canere
“to sing” (source of English chant, charm, and enchant
).][1]



Osco-Umbrian

Osco-Umbrian
Os·co-Um·bri·an 
noun

group
of extinct Italian languages: a group of extinct
languages, including Oscan, Umbrian, and Faliscan, spoken in Italy during
ancient times. It is a subgroup of the Italic branch of Indo-European
languages.
—Os·co-Um·bri·an, adjective[1]



osculant

osculant
os·cu·lant 
[óskyələnt] adjective

BIOLOGY with
characteristics of two taxonomic groups:
having some of the characteristics of two related or similar taxonomic groups
[Early 19th century. From
Latin osculant-, the present participial stem of osculari (see osculum ).][1]



oscular

oscular
os·cu·lar 
[óskyələr] adjective

1.  relating
to osculum:
relating to or characteristic of an osculum

2.  relating
to the mouth: relating to the mouth or activities of
the mouth, for example, kissing (technical)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin osculum (see osculum ).][1]



osculate

osculate
os·cu·late 
[óskyə làyt] (past os·cu·lat·ed,
past participle os·cu·lat·ed, present participle os·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular os·cu·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
kiss:
to kiss (formal or humorous)

2.  intransitive
verb
MATHEMATICS touch
in osculation: to touch at a point of common tangency
to a line passing between two branches of a curve, each branch continuing in
both directions of the line (refers to arcs)

3.  intransitive
verb
make
contact:
to make contact or come together (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
osculatus, the perfect participle of osculari (see osculum ).][1]



osculation

osculation
os·cu·la·tion 
[òskyə láysh’n] (plural os·cu·la·tions)
noun

1.  kissing:
a kiss or the act of kissing (formal or humorous)

2.  MATHEMATICS point
at which two surfaces touch: the point at which two
surfaces touch, particularly the point at which two curves have a common
tangent
—os·cu·la·to·ry [óskyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



osculum

osculum
os·cu·lum 
[óskyələm] (plural os·cu·la [óskyələ]) noun

opening
like mouth:
an opening like a mouth, through which a sponge expels water
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin, “little mouth, kiss,” from os “mouth.”][1]



OSD

OSD
OSD
or O.S.D.

Abbreviation of
Order of Saint Dominic[1]



-ose

-ose2
-ose2 suffix

1.  carbohydrate,
sugar • maltose

2.  product
of primary hydrolysis • proteose
[From glucose][1]



-ose

-ose1
-ose1 suffix

full
of, having the qualities of, resembling • frondose
[From Latin -osus][1]



OSF

OSF
OSF
or O.S.F.

Abbreviation of
Order of Saint Francis[1]



OSHA

OSHA
OSHA


Abbreviation of
Occupational Safety and Health Administration[1]



Oshawa

Oshawa
Osh·a·wa 
[óshəwə, óshəw,
óshəwàw]

city in southeastern Ontario,
Canada, on Lake Ontario, northeast of Toronto. Population: 268,773 (1996)[1]



Oshogbo

Oshogbo
O·shog·bo 
[ō shógbō]

capital city of Osun State,
southwestern Nigeria, situated approximately 190 km120 mi northwest of Lagos.
Population: 441,600 (1992)[1]



osier

osier
o·sier 
[ṓzhər, ṓzee ər]
(plural o·siers) noun

1.  willow
tree:
a willow tree with long flexible twigs that are used to make baskets and
furniture. Latin name: Salix viminilis Salix purpurea

2.  willow
branch:
a branch or twig from a willow tree
[14th century. From French,
ultimately from medieval Latin auseria, of uncertain origin: perhaps
from a Gaulish word meaning “riverbed.”][1]



Osiris

Osiris
O·si·ris 
[ō sriss] noun

MYTHOLOGY
Egyptian god of the underworld:
in Egyptian mythology, the god of the underworld and the dead, husband of Isis
and father of Horus[1]



-osis

-osis
-osis
suffix

1.  abnormal
or diseased condition • chlorosis

2.  condition,
action, or process • osmosis

3.  formation
of or increase in • thrombosis
[Via Latin from Greek][1]



Oslo

Oslo
Os·lo 
[ózzlō, ósslō]

capital city of Norway,
situated in the southeast of the country, at the head of Oslo Fjord.
Population: 483,401 (1995)[1]



OsmanI

OsmanI
Os·man
I 
[oz mn, ózmən]
or Othman [oz mn, ózmən] or Ottoman [oz mn, ózmən]
(1258–1324)

Turkish warrior. He made
himself ruler of a small state in northwestern Anatolia, from which grew the
Ottoman Empire.[1]



Osmanli

Osmanli
Os·man·li 
[oz mánlee, oss
mánlee] noun (plural Os·man·lis or Os·man·li)

1.  subject
of the Ottoman Empire: a subject of the Ottoman
Empire

2.  Turkish
language during the Ottoman Empire: the
Turkish language during the Ottoman Empire, especially when it was written in
Arabic script
adjective

relating to the Ottoman Empire:
relating to or typical of the Ottoman Empire
[Late 18th century. From
Turkish Osmānli, from Osman .][1]



osmeterium

osmeterium
os·me·te·ri·um 
[òzmə tree əm] (plural os·me·te·ri·a
[òzmə tree ə]) noun

caterpillar
gland:
a gland found on many caterpillars that secretes an unpleasant smelling
substance as a defense against predators
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, ultimately from Greek osmē “odor, smell.”][1]



osmic

osmic
os·mic
[ózmik] adjective

1.  containing
osmium:
connected with or containing the element osmium, especially in a high valence
state

2.  relating
to odors or smell: relating to odors or the
sense of smell (technical)

[1]



osmicacid

osmicacid
os·mic
ac·id
noun

See
osmium tetroxide[1]



osmiridium

osmiridium
os·mi·rid·i·um 
[òzzəmə ríddee əm] (plural os·mi·rid·i·um)
noun

hard
white mineral: a very hard white or gray naturally
occurring alloy of osmium and iridium, which often contains platinum, rhodium,
and other metals. Because it is resistant to corrosion, it is often used to
make the nibs of pens.
[Late 19th century. From
German, a combination and shortening of osmium
+ iridium .][1]



osmium

osmium

os·mi·um 
[ózmee əm] noun
hard
white metallic element: a hard white crystalline
metallic chemical element, the densest known, occurring naturally in
association with platinum. It is used as a catalyst and alloyed with iridium to
form an extremely hard alloy from which pen nibs are made. Symbol Os
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek osmē “smell, odor” + -ium
(from the pungent smell of osmium oxides).][1]



osmiumtetroxide

osmiumtetroxide
os·mi·um
te·trox·ide
noun

stain in electron microscopy:
a colorless or yellow crystalline solid with an unpleasant smelling, poisonous
vapor. It is used in solution as a stain for cell components in electron
microscopy. OsO4 
Also called
osmic acid[1]



osmometer

osmometer
os·mom·e·ter 
[oz mómmətər, oss
mómmətər] (plural os·mom·e·ters) noun

device
to measure osmotic pressure: an instrument that measures
osmotic pressure
[Mid-19th
century. A combination and shortening of osmosis
+ -meter .]
—os·mo·met·ric
[òzzəmə méttrik, òssmə
méttrik], adjective

—os·mom·e·try [oz mómmətree, oss mómmətree],
noun[1]



osmoregulation

osmoregulation
os·mo·reg·u·la·tion 
[òz mō reggyə láysh’n, òss mō reggyə láysh’n] noun

regulation
of osmotic pressure: the control of the
concentration of dissolved substances in the cells and body fluids of an animal
[Mid-20th
century. A combination and shortening of osmosis
+ regulation .]
—os·mo·reg·u·la·to·ry
[òz mō réggyələ tàwree, òss mō réggyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



osmose

osmose
os·mose 
[óz mss, óss
mss] (past os·mosed, past participle os·mosed,
present participle os·mos·ing, 3rd person present singular
os·mos·es) intransitive and transitive verb

undergo
diffusion by osmosis: to cause or undergo
diffusion by osmosis
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from osmosis .][1]



osmosis

osmosis
os·mo·sis 
[oz mṓssiss, oss
mṓssiss] noun

1.  slow
change in concentration: the flow of a solvent by
diffusion through a semipermeable membrane from a more concentrated solution to
a less concentrated one, until the concentrations are equalized. It is a major
factor in regulating the movement of water into and out of tissues in living
organisms.

2.  gradual
absorption:
the gradual, often unconscious, absorption of knowledge or ideas through
continual exposure rather than deliberate learning • She
seemed to have picked up a working knowledge of Greek by osmosis.
[Mid-19th
century. Latinization of osmose .]
—os·mot·ic [oz móttik], adjective[1]



osmoticpressure

osmoticpressure
os·mot·ic
pres·sure
noun

pressure needed to stop
osmosis: the pressure that must be
applied to a solution to stop the inward diffusion of a solvent by osmosis
through a semipermeable membrane[1]



osmunda

osmunda
os·mun·da 
[oz múndə] (plural os·mun·das or
os·mun·da) noun

fern
with large fronds: any of several ferns with
large spreading fronds, including the royal and cinnamon ferns. The fibrous
roots are sometimes used as a potting medium for orchids. Genus: Osmunda
[13th century. From modern
Latin Osmunda, genus name, from Old French osmunde, of unknown
origin.][1]



osnaburg

osnaburg
os·na·burg 
[óznə bùrg] noun

heavy
coarse cloth: a heavy, coarse cotton cloth, used to
make sacks for grain, upholstery, and draperies
[Mid-16th century Named for Osnaburg,
a variant of Osnabrück, a city in northwest Germany where the fabric was
originally made][1]



osprey

osprey


os·prey 
[óspree, óss
prày] (plural os·preys or os·prey) noun
fish-eating
hawk:
a fish-eating hawk that is distributed worldwide and has long wings and a white
head with a dark strip around the eyes. Latin name: Pandion haliaetus
Also
called
fish hawk
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from assumed Old French ospreit, ultimately from
Latin avis predae, literally “bird of prey.”][1]



OSS

OSS
OSS

Abbreviation of
Office of Strategic Services[1]



Ossa,Mount

Ossa,Mount
Os·sa,
Mount
[óssə]

mountain in northern
Tasmania, Australia. It is the highest mountain in Tasmania. Height: 1,617
m/5,305 ft.[1]



ossature

ossature
os·sa·ture 
[óssə chr, óssəchər]
(plural os·sa·tures) noun

framework:
the underlying structure or framework that supports a building or sculpture
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from os “bone” and modeled on musculature
.][1]



ossein

ossein
os·se·in 
[óssee in] noun

protein
in bone:
the organic component of bone, consisting mainly of collagen proteins
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from a contraction of osseous + -in .][1]



osseous

osseous
os·se·ous 
[óssee əss] adjective

bony:
made of or resembling bone
[Late 17th century. From
Latin osseus “bony,” from os “bone.”][1]



Osset

Osset
Os·set 
[óssət, ó sèt]
(plural Os·sets) or Os·sete [óssət, ó sèt] (plural
Os·setes) noun

member
of Southern Russian people: a member of a people that
lives in parts of southern European Russia and Georgia, especially Ossetia
[Early 19th century. From
Russian osetin, from Georgian osetci “Ossetia.”][1]



Ossetic

Ossetic
Os·set·ic 
[o séttik] or Os·se·tian [o séttik] noun

language
of the Ossets: the language spoken by the Ossets that
belongs to the Iranian branch of Indo-European languages. Ossetic is spoken by
about 300,000 people.
adjective

relating to Ossetia or
Ossets: relating to or
characteristic of Ossetia or the Ossets, their language, and culture[1]



Ossian

Ossian
Os·sian 
[ósh’n, óssee ən]
noun

legendary
Gaelic hero: a legendary Gaelic hero and poet
supposed to have lived in the 3rd century AD
—Os·sian·ic [òshee ánnik, òssee
ánnik], adjective[1]



ossicle

ossicle
os·si·cle 
[óssik’l] (plural os·si·cles) noun

small
bone in ear: a small bone, especially one of three
bones of the middle ear in humans
[Late
16th century. From Latin ossiculum “little bone, ossicle,” from os
“bone.”]
—os·sic·u·lar
[o síkyələr], adjective

—os·sic·u·late [o síkyələt], adjective[1]



ossification

ossification
os·si·fi·ca·tion 
[òssəfi káysh’n] (plural os·si·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  process
of bone formation: the natural process of
forming bone

2.  hardening
of soft tissue: the hardening of soft tissue as a result
of impregnation with calcium salts

3.  bony
mass:
a mass or deposit of bony material in the human body

4.  process
of becoming inflexible: the process of becoming set
and inflexible in behavior, attitudes, and actions

5.  inflexible
conformity:
rigid, unthinking acceptance of social conventions

[1]



ossifrage

ossifrage
os·si·frage 
[óssəfrij, óssə
fràyj] (plural os·si·frag·es or os·si·frage)
noun (archaic)

1.  lammergeier:
a lammergeier

2.  osprey:
an osprey
[Early 17th century. From
Latin (avis) ossifraga, a bird of prey, literally “bone-breaking
(bird),” formed from frangere “to break” (source of English fragment and fraction
).][1]



ossify

ossify
os·si·fy 
[óssə f] (past os·si·fied, past
participle os·si·fied, present participle os·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular os·si·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  harden
into bone:
to change or be changed from soft tissue, for example, cartilage, into bone as
a result of impregnation with calcium salts

2.  become
inflexible:
to become or make somebody become rigidly set in a conventional pattern of
behavior, beliefs, and attitudes
[Early 18th century. From
French ossifier, literally “to turn into bone,” from Latin os
“bone.”][1]



Ossining

Ossining
Os·si·ning 
[óssə ning]

town in southeastern New
York, on the Hudson River, southeast of Peekskill. Population: 22,788 (1996)[1]



ossobuco

ossobuco
os·so
bu·co 
[ssō bkō, òssō
bkō] (plural os·so bu·cos or os·so bu·chi [ssō bkee]) noun

Italian
dish:
an Italian casserole made with shin of veal cooked in white wine with tomatoes,
traditionally served with risotto
[From Italian, “bone marrow”][1]



ossuary

ossuary
os·su·ar·y 
[óshoo əree] (plural os·su·ar·ies)
noun

container
for bones:
an urn or a vault used to hold the bones of the dead (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin ossuarium, ultimately from Latin os “bone.”][1]



ost-

ost-
ost-
prefix

See
osteo-[1]



osteal

osteal
os·te·al 
[óstee əl] adjective

1.  bony:
made of, containing, or resembling bone

2.  relating
to bones or skeletons: relating to bones or the
skeletons of mammals
[Late 19th century.
Ultimately from Greek osteon “bone.”][1]



osteitis

osteitis
os·te·i·tis 
[òstee təss] (plural os·te·i·tes
[òstee  tz]) noun

inflammation of bone:
inflammation of a bone or bony tissue, caused by infection or injury[1]



ostensible

ostensible
os·ten·si·ble 
[o sténsəb’l] adjective

seeming
to be true or genuine, but open to doubt:
presented as being true or appearing to be true, but usually hiding a different
motive or meaning
[Mid-18th
century. Via French from medieval Latin ostensibilis, from Latin ostensus,
perfect participle of ostendere “to show,” literally “to stretch
before,” from tendere “stretch, spread” (source of English tension ).]
—os·ten·si·bly, adverb[1]



ostensive

ostensive
os·ten·sive 
[o sténssiv] adjective

ostensible:
ostensible (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Late Latin ostensivus, a derivative of Latin ostensus,
perfect participle of ostendere (see ostensible
).]
—os·ten·sive·ly, adverb[1]



ostensorium

ostensorium
os·ten·so·ri·um 
[òss ten sáwree əm] (plural os·ten·so·ri·a
[òss ten sáwree ə]) or os·ten·so·ry
[os ténssəwree] (plural os·ten·so·ries)
noun

CHRISTIANITY See monstrance
[Late 18th century. From
medieval Latin, formed from the past participle stem of Latin ostendere
(see ostensible ).][1]



ostentation

ostentation
os·ten·ta·tion 
[òs ten táysh’n, òstən
táysh’n] noun

showiness:
a vulgar display of wealth and success designed to impress people (disapproving)
[15th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem ostentation-, from ostentare “to display,
exhibit,” from ostendere (see ostensible
).][1]



ostentatious

ostentatious
os·ten·ta·tious 
adjective

rich
and showy:
marked by a vulgar display of wealth and success designed to impress people (disapproving)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from ostentation .]
—os·ten·ta·tious·ly, adverb[1]



osteo-

osteo-
osteo-
prefix

bone
• osteotomy
[From Greek osteon .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English ossify, ostracize,
and oyster .][1]



osteoarthritis

osteoarthritis
os·te·o·ar·thri·tis 
[òsti ō aar thrtəss] noun

form of arthritis:
a form of arthritis characterized by gradual loss of cartilage of the joints,
usually affecting people after middle age.
Also called
degenerative joint disease[1]



osteoblast

osteoblast
os·te·o·blast 
[óstee ə blàst] (plural os·te·o·blasts)
noun

bone-forming
cell:
a cell from which bone develops
—os·te·o·blas·tic [òstee ō blástik], adjective[1]



osteoclasis

osteoclasis
os·te·oc·la·sis 
[òstee ókləssiss] (plural os·te·oc·la·ses
[òstee óklə sz]) noun

1.  os·te·oc·la·sis
or os·teo·cla·sia bony tissue
disintegration: the process of disintegration and
assimilation of bony tissue that occurs during normal growth of bone, or as
part of healing at a fracture site

2.  surgical
breaking of bone: a surgical procedure in which a bone is
broken in order to correct a natural deformity or a badly healed fracture
[Early 20th century. Formed
from osteo- + Greek klasis
“breaking,” from klan “to break.”][1]



osteoclast

osteoclast
os·te·o·clast 
[óstee ə klàst] (plural os·te·o·clasts)
noun

1.  bone
cell:
a large cell with many nuclei, found in growing bone. It assimilates bony
tissue and is active in the formation of canals and cavities.

2.  surgical
instrument:
an instrument used to break bones during surgery to correct a deformity
[Late
19th century. Formed from osteo- + Greek klastas
“broken,” from klan “to break.”]
—os·te·o·clas·tic [òsti ō klástik], adjective[1]



osteocyte

osteocyte
os·te·o·cyte 
[óstee ə st] (plural os·te·o·cytes)
noun

bone cell:
a branched cell within bone tissue[1]



osteogenesis

osteogenesis
os·te·o·gen·e·sis 
[òstee ō jénnəssiss] noun

bone development:
the formation of bone in the body[1]



osteogenesisimperfecta

osteogenesisimperfecta
os·te·o·gen·e·sis
im·per·fec·ta  [ostee ō
jènnəssiss ìmpər féktə] noun

MEDICINE
bone disease:
a rare hereditary disease in which abnormal connective tissue development
causes fragile, brittle bones[1]



osteogenicsarcoma

osteogenicsarcoma
os·te·o·gen·ic
sar·co·ma
noun

See
osteosarcoma[1]



osteoid

osteoid
os·te·oid 
[óstee òyd] adjective

like
bone:
resembling or having the characteristics of bone
noun

bone tissue:
the tissue from which bone develops (bone matrix), especially before it has
hardened[1]



osteology

osteology
os·te·ol·o·gy 
[òstee ólləjee] (plural os·te·ol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of bones:
the branch of anatomy concerned with the study of the structure and functions
of bones

2.  skeleton:
the bone structure or skeleton of an animal
—os·te·o·log·i·cal
[òstee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—os·te·o·log·i·cal·ly
[òstee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—os·te·ol·o·gist [òstee ólləjist], noun[1]



osteoma

osteoma
os·te·o·ma 
[òstee ṓmə] (plural os·te·o·ma·ta
[òstee ṓmətə] or os·te·o·mas) noun

benign bony tumor:
a benign tumor made of bone, usually on the skull[1]



osteomalacia

osteomalacia
os·te·o·ma·la·cia 
[òstee ō mə láyshə, òstee
ōmə láyshee ə] noun

bone disease:
a disease occurring mainly in women that results from a lack of vitamin D or
calcium, causing softening of the bones and resulting pain and weakness[1]



osteomyelitis

osteomyelitis
os·te·o·my·e·li·tis 
[òstee ō m ə ltəss] noun

bone disease:
inflammation of bone and bone marrow, caused by infection[1]



osteopath

osteopath
os·te·o·path 
[óstee ə pàth] (plural os·te·o·paths)
noun

practitioner of osteopathy:
somebody who practices osteopathy[1]



osteopathy

osteopathy
os·te·op·a·thy 
[òstee óppəthee] noun

treatment
of skeletal problems: a system of medicine based
on the theory that many diseases are caused by misalignments of bones,
ligaments, and muscles, and that correcting these through manipulation can cure
the problems. It is often effective in treating joint and muscle disorders.
—os·te·o·path·ic
[òstee ə páthik], adjective

—os·te·o·path·i·cal·ly
[òstee ə páthikəlee], adverb[1]



osteophyte

osteophyte
os·te·o·phyte 
[óstee ə ft] (plural os·te·o·phytes)
noun

abnormal
bony growth: a small abnormal outgrowth of bone that
occurs within joints or at other sites where there is degeneration of
cartilage, for example, due to osteoarthritis
—os·te·o·phyt·ic [òstee ə fíttik], adjective[1]



osteoplastic

osteoplastic
os·te·o·plas·tic 
[òsti ō plástik] adjective

1.  relating
to bone surgery: relating to or typical of bone surgery

2.  relating
to bone development: relating to or important in
the process of bone development

[1]



osteoplasty

osteoplasty
os·te·o·plas·ty 
noun

bone surgery:
the surgical repair or correction of distortions of bones[1]



osteoporosis

osteoporosis
os·te·o·po·ro·sis 
[òste ō pə róssiss] (plural os·te·o·po·ro·ses
[òste ō pə róssz]) noun

bone
disease:
a disease occurring among women after the menopause in which the bones become
very porous, break easily, and heal slowly. It may lead to curvature of the
spine after vertebrae collapse.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from osteo- + Greek poros “passage”
(see pore ) + -osis
.][1]



osteosarcoma

osteosarcoma
os·te·o·sar·co·ma 
[òstee ō saar kṓmə] (plural os·te·o·sar·co·ma·ta
[òstee ō saar kṓmətə] or os·te·o·sar·co·mas)
noun

malignant bone tumor:
a malignant bone tumor.
Also called
osteogenic sarcoma[1]



osteotome

osteotome
os·te·o·tome 
[óstee ə tm] (plural os·te·o·tomes)
noun

surgical instrument:
a surgical instrument used to cut or divide bone[1]



osteotomy

osteotomy
os·te·ot·o·my 
[òstee óttəmee] (plural os·te·ot·o·mies)
noun

surgical
procedure of cutting bone: a surgical procedure in
which bone is divided or sectioned
—os·te·ot·o·mist, noun[1]



Ostia

Ostia
Os·ti·a 
[áwstee ə, óstee
ə]

ancient Roman port in Italy,
at the mouth of the Tiber River, southwest of Rome[1]



ostiary

ostiary
os·ti·ar·y 
[óstee èrree] (plural os·ti·ar·ies)
noun

doorkeeper
in a Roman Catholic church: a doorkeeper in a Roman
Catholic church
[15th century. From Latin ostiarius
“doorkeeper,” from ostium (see ostium
).][1]



ostinato

ostinato
os·ti·na·to 
[òstə ntō] (plural os·ti·na·tos)
noun

repeated
melody:
a short musical phrase or melody that is repeated over and over, usually at the
same pitch
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “stubborn, obstinate.”][1]



ostiole

ostiole
os·ti·ole 
[óstee l] (plural os·ti·oles)
noun

pore
in algae or fungi: a small pore or opening in
some algae or fungi, through which reproductive spores pass
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
ostiolum “little door,” from ostium (see ostium
).][1]



ostium

ostium
os·ti·um 
[óstee əm] (plural os·ti·a) noun

1.  ANATOMY small
opening:
a small pore or opening in a passage or organ of the body

2.  ZOOLOGY pore
in sponge:
a pore or small opening in a sponge through which water passes
[Mid-17th century. From Latin,
literally “mouth of a river, opening.”][1]



ostler

ostler
os·tler 
noun

See
hostler[1]



ostmark

ostmark
ost·mark 
[áwst mrk] (plural ost·marks)
noun

East
German currency: the unit of currency that was formerly
used in the German Democratic Republic, divided into 100 pfennig
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “east mark.”][1]



ostomate

ostomate
os·to·mate 
[óstə màyt] (plural os·to·mates)
noun

somebody
who has had stoma surgery: somebody who has had a stoma
created, allowing the intestine to open at the body surface
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from ostomy .][1]



ostomy

ostomy
os·to·my 
[óstəmee] (plural os·to·mies) noun

surgical
procedure:
a surgical procedure such as a colostomy or ileostomy, in which an artificial
opening for excreting waste matter is created
[Mid-20th century. Extracted
as a general term from terms like colostomy,
ileostomy .][1]



-ostosis

-ostosis
-ostosis
suffix

formation
of bone • hyperostosis
[Coined from Greek osteon
“bone” (see osteo- + -osis][1]



ostracize

ostracize
os·tra·cize 
[óstrə sz] (past os·tra·cized,
past participle os·tra·cized, present participle os·tra·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular os·tra·ciz·es) transitive verb

1.  exclude
from society: to banish or exclude somebody from
society or from a particular group, either formally or informally • She
was ostracized by all her former friends.

2.  banish:
to banish somebody by a popular vote because that person is regarded as
dangerous to society, as was the practice in ancient Greece
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek ostrakizein, a derivative of ostrakon
“pottery fragment.”]
—os·tra·cism,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Ostracize: In ancient Athens, when
  it was proposed that a particular person should be sent into exile for a
  period because he was becoming a danger to the state, a democratic vote was
  taken on the matter. The method of registering one’s vote was to inscribe the
  name of the prospective banishee on a piece of broken pottery ( ostrakon
  ). The pieces were counted, and if enough votes were cast against him, he was
  sent away for ten years.

[1]



ostracod

ostracod
os·tra·cod 
[óstrə kòd] (plural os·tra·cod
or os·tra·cods) noun

small
crustacean:
a tiny crustacean that lives inside a hard outer shell made of two hinged
halves. Subclass: Ostracoda
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Ostracoda, subclass name, from Greek ostrakōdēs
“like a pottery fragment,” from ostrakon “shell.”][1]



Ostrava

Ostrava
Os·tra·va 
[áwstrəvə]

city in the northeastern
Czech Republic, situated about 16 km10 mi from the Polish border. Population:
325,827 (1994)[1]



ostrich

ostrich

os·trich 
[óstrich, óstrij]
(plural os·trich·es or os·trich) noun

1.  flightless
bird:
a two-toed African bird that runs very fast but cannot fly. It is the largest
living bird and has a long bare neck, small head, and fluffy drooping feathers.
Latin name: Struthio camelus

2.  somebody
who ignores unpleasant things: somebody who tries to
avoid unpleasant situations by refusing to acknowledge that they exist (informal)
[13th century. Via Old French
ostrusce from assumed Vulgar Latin avistruthius, ultimately from
Latin avis “bird” + Greek strouthiōn-, from strouthos
“sparrow.”][1]



Ostrogoth

Ostrogoth
Os·tro·goth 
[óstrə gòth] (plural Os·tro·goths)
noun

member
of eastern Gothic people: a member of the eastern
branch of Gothic peoples that invaded Italy, where they ruled from the end of
the 5th to the middle of the 6th centuries.
See
also
Visigoth
[14th
century. From late Latin Ostrogothi (plural) “Ostrogoths,” from a
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English east
+ Latin Gothus “Goth.”]
—Os·tro·goth·ic [òstrə góthik], adjective[1]



Ostyak

Ostyak
Os·ty·ak 
[óst yàk, óstee
àk] (plural Os·ty·aks or Os·ty·ak) or
Os·ti·ak [óst yàk, óstee àk] (plural Os·ti·aks or
Os·ti·ak) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people of western Siberia: a member of a people that
lives in parts of western Siberia

2.  LANGUAGE Ostyak
language:
the language of the Ostyak people. It belongs to the Finno-Ugric branch of
Uralic languages. Ostyak is spoken by about 15,000 people.
[Early
18th century. Via Russian from Tartar ustyak “one of another tribe.”]
—Os·ty·ak, adjective[1]



OSU

OSU
OSU
or O.S.U.

Abbreviation of
Order of Saint Ursula[1]



Oswald,Lee Harvey

Oswald,Lee Harvey
Os·wald 
[ózzwəld], Lee Harvey (1939–1963)

U.S. alleged assassin.
Accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy (November 22, 1963), Oswald
was fatally shot two days later while in police custody.[1]



Oswego

Oswego
Os·we·go 
[os wgō]

city and county seat of
Oswego County, central New York, situated 53 km33 mi northwest of Syracuse.
Population: 19,195 (1990)[1]



Oswegotea

Oswegotea
Os·we·go
tea
noun

See
bee balm
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the Oswego River, New York.][1]



ot-

ot-
ot-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
oto-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








OT

OT
OT

1.  OT
or O.T. or o.t. Abbreviation of overtime

2.  OT
or O.T. Abbreviation of Old
Testament

3.  Abbreviation
of
occupational therapy

[1]



Otago

Otago
O·ta·go
[ō tgō]

administrative region of New
Zealand, occupying the southeastern part of the South Island. Its principal
city is Dunedin. Population: 193,132 (1996) Area: 38,638 sq km/14,918 sq mi.[1]



OtagoPeninsula

OtagoPeninsula
O·ta·go
Pen·in·su·la

peninsula on the southeastern
coast of the South Island, New Zealand. It extends 25 km/16 mi eastward from
Dunedin to Cape Saunders.[1]



Otaheiteapple

Otaheiteapple
O·ta·hei·te
ap·ple 
noun

See
ambarella
[Mid-19th century. “Otaheite”
from Tahitian, “Tahiti.”][1]



Otaheiteorange

Otaheiteorange
O·ta·hei·te
or·ange
[tə htee àwrənj, tə
háytee àwrənj] noun

houseplant:
a popular houseplant with fragrant blossoms and small orange fruit. Latin name:
Citrus otaitense
[“Otaheite” from Tahitian,
“Tahiti”][1]



otalgia

otalgia
o·tal·gi·a 
[ō táljee ə, ō
táljə] noun

earache:
pain in the ear (technical)
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
ōtalgia, from ōt-, stem of ous “ear.”][1]



OTB

OTB
OTB

Abbreviation of
off-track betting[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








OTC

OTC
OTC
or O.T.C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Officers’ Training Corps

2.  Abbreviation
of
over-the-counter

[1]



other

other
oth·er 
[úər] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to show that a thing, person, or situation is
additional or different • (adjective)
He does much to help the homeless and other people in need.
• (adjective)
They met plenty of other children there. • (adjective)
I went on ahead, and the other climbers struggled on behind.
• (pronoun)
This is one problem, but there are many others. • (pronoun)
As much as I demand of others, I am much more demanding of myself.

1.
adjective pronoun further:
refers to an additional or further person or thing of the type already
mentioned • (adjective)
Let me make one other suggestion. • (pronoun)
A couple of students failed the exam, but many others passed.

2.
adjective pronoun different:
refers to a different thing or things from that or those already specified • (adjective)
Banks are unlike any other business in the United States.
• (adjective)
Are there any other items you’d like to take home? • (pronoun)
This problem, more than any other, has divided the critics.

3.
adjective pronoun the remaining:
refers to the remaining people or things in a group, apart from the one
specified • (adjective)
She left earlier, with the other kids. • (pronoun)
John and the others will be here soon.

4.
adjective pronoun second of two things:
refers to the second of two things when the first is known or understood • (adjective)
He threw his other glove out of the window. • (pronoun)
• She
had a cup in one hand and a glass in the other. • (pronoun)
It goes in one ear and out the other.
[Old
English ōðer]
every
other

alternate
• They
give us meat every other day.

or
other

used
to show that the preceding words you use are not exact or definite • For
some reason or other, the house was crowded that night.

other
than

indicates
an exception to a statement • Was
anyone there other than the two of you?

other
things being equal

in
a situation in which there is little difference between two or more people or
things • Other
things being equal, I would choose the cheaper holiday.

the
other day or night

a few days or nights ago • A
funny thing happened the other day.[1]



other-directed

other-directed
oth·er-di·rect·ed 
adjective

looking
to others for approval: more concerned with what
other people think than with your own values and standards
—oth·er-di·rect·ed·ness,
noun[1]



otherness

otherness
oth·er·ness 
[úərnəss] noun

strangeness:
the condition of being perceived as strange or different[1]



otherwise

otherwise
oth·er·wise 
[úər wz] adverb

1.  or
else:
if things had been different • “I
overslept,” said Joe, “otherwise you would have heard from me earlier.”

2.  differently:
different from or opposite to something stated • You
may take your hand luggage with you unless otherwise requested.

3.  in
other ways:
in any other ways • An otherwise dull day
was enlivened by her arrival.
[Old English (on) ōðre
wīsan “(in) (an)other wise, manner”][1]



otherworld

otherworld
oth·er·world 
[úər wùrld] (plural oth·er·worlds)
noun

world
beyond:
a world or life that is beyond the conventional perception of reality
—oth·er·world·ly,
adjective

—oth·er·world·li·ness,
noun[1]



otic

otic
o·tic 
[ṓtik, óttik]
adjective

related
to the ear:
relating to or located near the ear
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
ōtikos, from ōt-, the stem of ous “ear.”][1]



-otic

-otic
-otic
suffix

1.  relating
to a particular condition, action, or process • hypnotic

2.  having
a particular abnormal or diseased condition • psychotic
[Via French and Latin from,
ultimately, Greek -ōtikos][1]



otiose

otiose
o·ti·ose 
[ṓshee ss, ṓtee
ss] adjective

1.  not
effective:
with no useful result or practical purpose

2.  worthless:
with little or no value

3.  lazy:
unwilling or uninterested in working or being active (archaic)
[Late
18th century. From Latin otiosus, “at leisure, idle,” from otium
“leisure,” of unknown origin.]
—o·ti·ose·ly,
adverb

—o·ti·os·i·ty [shee óssətee, tee
óssətee], noun[1]



Otis,Elisha

Otis,Elisha
O·tis
[ṓtiss], Elisha (1811–1861)

U.S.
inventor. He invented the elevator (1854) and founded the Otis Elevator Company
(1861).
Full name
Otis, Elisha Graves[1]



otitis

otitis
o·ti·tis 
[ō ttiss] noun

swelling caused by ear
infection: inflammation of the ear,
caused by infection[1]



otitismedia

otitismedia
o·ti·tis
me·di·a
noun

ear infection:
a painful inflammation of the middle ear that can cause dizziness and temporary
hearing loss[1]



oto-

oto-
oto-
prefix

ear
• otolith
[Via modern Latin from Greek ōt-,
the stem of ous (see otic )][1]



Oto

Oto
O·to 
[ṓtō] (plural O·tos or O·to)
noun

1.  Native
North American people: a member of a Native North
American people that once lived in the Great Lakes region, later migrating to
the Platte River in Nebraska and then to Oklahoma

2.  Oto
language:
the language of the Otos, belonging to the Siouan branch of Hokan-Siouan
languages

[1]



otocyst

otocyst
o·to·cyst 
[ṓtə sìst] (plural o·to·cysts)
noun

1.  inner
ear structure: the structure from which the adult inner
ear develops

2.  See
statocyst

[1]



OTOH

OTOH
OTOH

ONLINE
(used in e-mail messages) Abbreviation of on the other hand[1]



otol.

otol.
otol.

Abbreviation of
otology[1]



otolaryngology

otolaryngology
o·to·lar·yn·gol·o·gy 
[tō lerring gólləjee] noun

study
of ear, nose and throat diseases: a branch of medicine
concerned with the treatment and diagnosis of diseases of the ear, nose, and
throat.
Also
called
otorhinolaryngology
—o·to·lar·yn·go·log·i·cal
[tō lə ring gə lójjik’l], adjective

—o·to·lar·yn·gol·o·gist
[tō lerring gólləjist], noun[1]



otolith

otolith
o·to·lith 
[ṓtə lìth] (plural o·to·liths)
noun

1.  ANATOMY granule
in inner ear: a particle of calcium carbonate found in
the inner ear of vertebrates and involved in sensory perception

2.  ZOOLOGY See statolith

[1]



otology

otology
o·tol·o·gy 
[ō tólləjee] noun

study
and treatment of the ear: the branch of medicine
concerned with the structure and function of the ear, its diseases, and their
treatment
—o·to·log·i·cal
[tə lójjik’l], adjective

—o·tol·o·gist [ō tólləjist], noun[1]



otorhinolaryngology

otorhinolaryngology
o·to·rhi·no·lar·yn·gol·o·gy 
[tō rnō lárring gólləjee] noun

See
otolaryngology
—o·to·rhi·no·la·ryn·go·log·i·cal
[tō rnō lə ríng gə lójjik’l], adjective

—o·to·rhi·no·lar·yn·gol·o·gist,
noun[1]



otosclerosis

otosclerosis
o·to·scle·ro·sis 
[tō sklə rṓssiss] noun

disease of ear:
a hereditary disease of the inner ear in which spongy bone growth leads to
progressive hearing impairment[1]



otoscope

otoscope
o·to·scope 
[ṓtə skp] (plural o·to·scopes)
noun

device
for examining the ear: an instrument incorporating
a light and a magnifying lens, used to examine the external canal of the ear
and the eardrum
—o·to·scop·ic [tə skóppik], adjective[1]



ototoxic

ototoxic
o·to·tox·ic 
[tə tóksik] adjective

adversely
affecting hearing and balance: toxic to the ear and
hence impairing hearing or balance
—o·to·tox·ic·it·y [tə tok síssətee], noun[1]



Otranto,Strait of

Otranto,Strait of
O·tran·to,
Strait of

sea passage between the
Adriatic and Ionian seas. It separates the “heel” of Italy from Albania.
Length: 69 km/43 mi.[1]



OTS

OTS
OTS
or O.T.S.

Abbreviation of
Officers’ Training School[1]



ottava

ottava
ot·ta·va 
[ō tvə] adjective

musical
direction:
sung or played at an octave higher or lower than the notes written on the
staff, indicated by a sign placed above or below the staff
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “octave, eighth,” from otto “eight,” from Latin octo
.][1]



ottavarima

ottavarima
ot·ta·va
ri·ma 
[ō tvə rmə] noun

stanza
of eight lines: a verse form made up of eight lines in
iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme abababcc
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “eighth rhyme.”][1]



Ottawa

Ottawa1
Ot·ta·wa1  [óttəwə,
óttə w] (plural Ot·ta·wa or
Ot·ta·was) noun

1.  Native
North American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands along Lake Huron, and whose
members now live mainly in Ontario, Michigan, Kansas, and Oklahoma

2.  Ottawa
language:
the language of the Ottawa . It belongs to the Algonquian branch of
Algonquian-Wakasan languages. Ottawa is spoken by about 8,000 people.
—Ot·ta·wa, adjective[1]



Ottawa

Ottawa2
Ot·ta·wa2  [óttəwə,
óttə w]

1.  river
in Canada. It is the chief tributary of the St. Lawrence River, forming part of
the Ontario-Quebec border. Length: 1,271 km/789 mi.

2.  capital
city of Canada, located in southeastern Ontario, on the Ontario-Quebec border.
Population: 313,987 (1996)

[1]



otter

otter

ot·ter 
[óttər] (plural ot·ter or
ot·ters) noun

1.  water-loving
animal:
an aquatic fish-eating mammal with smooth dark brown fur and webbed feet. It is
distributed worldwide except in Australia, and is related to the weasels and
minks. Family: Mustelidae

2.  otter
fur:
the fur of the otter
[Old English ot(t)or .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “water,” which is also the
ancestor of English water, hydrant, and whiskey
.][1]



ottercat

ottercat
ot·ter
cat
noun

See
jaguarundi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








otterhound

otterhound
ot·ter
hound
noun

dog used to hunt otters:
any of an English breed of large dogs, used to hunt otters[1]



ottoman

ottoman
ot·to·man 
[óttəmən] (plural ot·to·mans) noun

1.  stool
for feet:
a low upholstered stool used for resting the feet or as a seat

2.  long
seat:
an upholstered sofa that has no arms and is usually backless

3.  heavy
fabric:
a heavy fabric made of silk or rayon that has a corded texture and is used to
make coats and trimmings
[Late 16th century. Via
French or Italian from medieval Latin ottomanus, ultimately from Arabic ’Ūmān
Osman .][1]



Ottoman

Ottoman
Ot·to·man
(plural Ot·to·mans) noun

member
of Turkish people: a member of a Turkish people
that conquered Asia Minor in the 13th century
—Ottoman, adjective[1]



OttomanEmpire

OttomanEmpire
Ot·to·man
Em·pire
noun

Turkish empire:
a Turkish empire established in the late 13th century in Asia Minor, eventually
extending throughout the Middle East. It was responsible for the conquest of
Constantinople and the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453. It ended in 1922.[1]



OtwayRanges

OtwayRanges
Ot·way
Rang·es
[òt wàyráynjiz]

range of hills in southern
Victoria, Australia, which extends from Anglesea to Cape Otway[1]



ouabain

ouabain
oua·ba·in 
[waa báy in, waa
báyn] noun

poisonous
plant extract: a poisonous chemical compound that is
sometimes used as a heart stimulant. It is extracted from an African tree.
Latin name: Strophanthus gratis
[Late 19th century. Via
French oubaïo from Somali wabayo “arrow poison.”][1]



Ouachita

Ouachita
Ouach·i·ta
[wòshi taw]

river flowing from Arkansas
to Louisiana, known later on its course as the Black River. Length: 975 km/605
mi.[1]



OuachitaMountains

OuachitaMountains

Ouach·i·ta Moun·tains 
[wòshi tàwmównt’nz]
mountain range in central Arkansas and
eastern Oklahoma. Highest Point: 899 m/2,950 ft .[1]



Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou
Oua·ga·dou·gou 
[wgə dgoo]

capital city of Burkina Faso,
located in the center of the country. Population: 690,000 (1993)[1]



oubliette

oubliette
ou·bli·ette 
[blee ét] (plural ou·bli·ettes)
noun

dungeon:
a dungeon made so that the only way in or out is through a trap door at the top
[Early 19th century. From
French, from oublier “to forget,” from assumed Vulgar Latin oblitare,
from Latin oblitus, the perfect participle of oblivisci, the
source of English oblivion .][1]



ouch

ouch
ouch
[owch] interjection

expression
of pain:
an exclamation used to express sudden pain
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from German autsch, an exclamation of pain.][1]



oud

oud


oud 
[ood] (plural ouds) noun
musical
instrument:
a stringed instrument of southwest Asia and northern Africa that resembles a
lute or a mandolin
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic al-’ūd “the wood” (see lute
).][1]



ought

ought1
ought1 [awt]
CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb indicating what somebody should do • It
seems to me that we ought to support their initiative.
• You
ought to tell her how you feel. verb

1.  be
morally right: indicates that somebody has a duty or
obligation to do something or that it is morally right to do something • You
ought to be ashamed of what you have done.

2.  be
important:
indicates that something is important or a good idea • You
ought to see a doctor as soon as possible.

3.  be
probable:
indicates probability or expectation • We
ought to be there by now.

4.  be
wished for:
indicates a desire or wish • You
ought to come to dinner sometime.

5.  be
the case:
indicates that something should be the case but may not be • That
ought to be easy.
[Mid-18th century. From an
erroneous division of “a nought.”][1]



ought

ought2
ought2 noun

MATHEMATICS
zero:
zero[1]



ouguiya

ouguiya
ou·gui·ya 
[oo g yə] (plural ou·gui·yas)
noun

Mauritanian
currency:
the unit of currency of Mauritania
[Late 20th century. Via
French from Mauritanian Arabic ūgiyya, ultimately from Greek ougkia,
from Latin uncia (see ounce 1 ).][1]



Ouija

Ouija
Oui·ja
[wjə, wjee]
or Oui·ja board [wjə, wjee] Trademark

a trademark for a board with
letters and a pointer or planchette by which answers to questions are spelled
out, supposedly by spiritual forces[1]



Oulu

Oulu
Ou·lu 
[ówloo, ṓ loo]

city and port on the Gulf of
Bothnia, west central Finland. Population: 109,094 (1995)[1]



ounce

ounce2
ounce2 (plural ounce or
ounc·es) noun

See
snow leopard
[14th century. From Old
French once, variant of lonce (the “l” being mistaken for the
definite article), from assumed Vulgar Latin luncea, from Latin lync-
(see lynx ).][1]



ounce

ounce1
ounce1 [ownss]
(plural ounc·es) noun

1.  unit
of weight:
a unit of weight equal to one-sixteenth of a pound in the avoirdupois system

2.  fluid
ounce:
a unit for measuring liquid, equal to 0.0284 of a litre

3.  small
amount:
a small amount of something • Anyone
with an ounce of common sense would take an umbrella on a day like this.
[14th century. Via Old French
unce from Latin uncia “twelfth part, inch, ounce,” from unus
“one.”][1]



our

our
our 
[owr] adjective

1.  belonging
to us:
indicates that something belongs to or is associated with the speaker or writer
and at least one other person (first person plural possessive adjective)
• Where
are all our bags? • Today
80,000 new acres of our beautiful state are under Green Acres protection.
• Our
house is just a few hundred yards from yours.

2.  belonging
to everyone: indicates that something belongs to or
is associated with people in general • the
dreams that inspire us to do our best

3.  refers
to member of family: refers to a member of the
speaker’s family (informal) • Our
John is an electrician now.
[Old English ūre “of
us,” the genitive plural of we][1]



OurFather

OurFather
Our
Fa·ther 
noun

See
Lord’s Prayer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








OurLady

OurLady
Our
La·dy
noun

Virgin Mary:
a title for the Virgin Mary[1]



ours

ours
ours 
[owrz] pronoun

belonging
to us:
refers to something or somebody that belongs to or is associated with the
speaker and at least one other person (first person plural possessive
pronoun) • It’s
no surprise that their team is ahead of ours.
[13th century. Coined from our + -’s “belonging to.”][1]



ourselves

ourselves
our·selves 
[owr sélvz] pronoun

1.  belonging
to us:
refers to the speaker or writer and at least one other person, sometimes
emphatically (used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject
refers to the same people) • We
ourselves can’t work it out, so we don’t expect others to be able to.

2.  refers
to people in general: refers to people in general
• Many
of us have secrets that we find difficult to admit even to ourselves.

3.  refers
emphatically to us: refers emphatically to the
speaker or writer and at least one other person • These
papers are of no interest to anyone but ourselves.

4.  our
usual selves: our usual selves • At
home with the family, we can really be ourselves.

[1]



-ous

-ous
-ous
suffix

1.  full
of, having the qualities of • virtuous
• traitorous

2.  having
a lower valence than a corresponding compound or ion the name of which ends in
-ic • chromous
[Via Old French from Latin -osus
and -us][1]



oust

oust
oust 
[owst] (past oust·ed, past
participle oust·ed, present participle oust·ing, 3rd
person present singular ousts) transitive verb

1.  force
somebody out: to use force to remove somebody from a
place

2.  remove
somebody from office: to remove or force somebody
from an office or position
[15th century. Via Old French
oster from Latin obstare “to stand in the way, hinder,” from stare
“to stand,” the source of English obstetrics
.][1]



ouster

ouster
oust·er 
[ówstər] noun

1.  removal:
the act of removing or forcing somebody out of a place or position

2.  wrongful
dispossession: the illegal removal or forceful
dispossession of somebody’s property

[1]



out

out
out 
[owt] (past out·ed, past
participle out·ed, present participle out·ing, 3rd
person present singular outs, plural outs) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that somebody or something is away from a place
or removed from somewhere • (adverb)
The child ran out and got back onto the bike. • (adverb)
She took out her laptop. • (adjective)
She’s been out late every night.

1.
adverb outside:
outside a place rather than inside • It’s
cold out.

2.
adverb in another place:
in another place, usually far away • She’s
out in Australia, I think.

3.
adverb indicates end point:
indicates a goal or objective achieved in the action specified by the verb • Stick
it out –never give up.

4.
adverb in existence: that
there is in existence • It’s
one of the best albums out.

5.
adjective adverb away from home:
away from home or your place of work • (adjective)
He’s not answering the doorbell –he must be out. • (adverb)
She’s not answering the phone –she must have gone out.

6.
adjective adverb further away:
refers to the tide when the sea moves away from the shore • (adjective)
We can cross to the island when the tide is out. • (adverb)
The tide goes out at around five o’clock.

7.
adjective adverb no longer burning:
of a light or a fire, no longer alight or no longer burning • (adjective)
The fire is out. • (adverb)
The fire has gone out.

8.
adjective adverb in flower:
in flower • (adjective)
The daffodils are out at last. • (adverb)
All the wild flowers are coming out.

9.
adjective adverb available:
of a book, record, etc., available for people to buy. • (adjective)
Her new book is out in paperback at last. • (adverb)
Their new album came out last week.

10.
adjective adverb on strike:
on strike • (adjective)
The miners have been out for a month now. • (adverb)
500 workers came out in protest over the benefit cuts.

11.
adjective no longer in a game:
unable to take part any longer in a game or sport

12.
adjective considering a verdict:
of a jury, considering its verdict

13.
adjective incorrect:
inaccurate or incorrect • Look
–the figures are way out.

14.
adjective unacceptable:
unacceptable or not worth considering • That
possibility is out, I’m afraid.

15.
adjective unfashionable:
no longer in fashion

16.
adjective intent on:
determined or intent on • He’s
just out for what he can get.

17.
adjective unconscious:
unconscious • She
was out cold.

18.
adjective used up: used
up or exhausted • All our rations are
out.

19.
adjective not in government:
not in power or office

20.
adjective finished:
completed or concluded • before
the year is out

21.
adjective not working: not
working • All
the phones are out.

22.
interjection away from here!:
a command for somebody to leave a place • Out!

23.
transitive verb to expose somebody:
to expose somebody, especially a public figure or famous person, as a
homosexual • A
gay action group outed a prominent celebrity.

24.
noun way
of avoiding bad consequence: a way of escaping from a
predicament or avoiding the undesirable consequences of something (informal)
• What’s
my out if things go wrong?
[Old
English ūt]
out
of

1.  indicates
that somebody leaves a place • Three
men came out of the store.

2.  indicates
that somebody removes something from a place • In
her enthusiasm, she pulled the drawer right out of the desk.

3.  toward
the outside • She
looked longingly out of the window.

4.  no
longer available or in somebody’s possession • We’re
out of butter.

5.  from
• Plastic
products are made out of petroleum.

6.  indicates
proportion that something is true of • This
applies to one out of five adults.

7.  indicates
that somebody gains an advantage from something • I
think I got a lot out of the course.

8.  indicates
that somebody is sheltered from the weather • Remember
to keep out of the sun, or at least use sunblock.

9.  beyond
the range of a sound • I
called her, but she was out of earshot.

10. indicates
the motivation behind an action • He
only did it out of spite.

11. indicates
that somebody is not or is no longer in a situation • A
police officer warned them to stay out of trouble.

out
of it

very
drunk or under the influence of drugs (informal) • You
were totally out of it last night!

out
with it

a
command to somebody to let something be known immediately • Come
on, what’s going on? Out with it!

[1]



outa

outa
outa
preposition

See
outta[1]



outage

outage
out·age 
[ówtij] (plural out·ag·es) noun

1.  temporary
loss of power: a temporary loss of function or
interruption of a power source, especially a loss of electric power

2.  amount
missing:
an amount of something that is missing after delivery or storage

[1]



out-and-out

out-and-out
out-and-out 
adjective

thorough:
being a thorough, uncompromising, or unapologetic example of something[1]



outback

outback
out·back 
noun [ówt bàk]

remote
area, especially in Australia: a sparsely inhabited
or wilderness region of a country, especially of Australia
adjective

relating to Australian
outback: relating to a remote,
sparsely inhabited region of a country, especially the Australian interior • an
outback community[1]



outbid

outbid
out·bid 
[owt bíd] (past out·bid·ded, past
participle out·bid·ded, present participle out·bid·ding,
3rd person present singular out·bids) transitive verb

bid higher than somebody
else: to offer to pay more money
for something than somebody else[1]



outboard

outboard
out·board 
[ówt bàwrd] adjective

1.  on
the outside of a boat: located on the outside of
the hull of a ship or boat

2.  located
toward boat’s hull: positioned away from the
center of a ship or boat

3.  away
from the fuselage: away from the main body of
an aircraft and toward the wing tips
adverb

toward outside of ship:
in a direction away from the center of a ship or aircraft
noun
(plural out·boards)

boat with outboard motor:
a boat with an engine mounted outside the stern

[1]



outboardmotor

outboardmotor
out·board
mo·tor
or out·board (plural out·boards) noun

detachable boat engine:
a small or medium-sized engine with a propeller that can be mounted outside the
stern of a boat[1]



outbound

outbound
out·bound 
[ówt bòwnd] adjective

heading out on a trip:
traveling away from rather than toward a particular place • an
outbound journey[1]



outbrave

outbrave
out·brave
[owt bráyv] transitive verb (archaic)

1.  face
something defiantly: to face a threat with
defiance

2.  be
more courageous than somebody: to be braver than
somebody else

[1]



outbreak

outbreak
out·break 
[ówt bràyk] (plural out·breaks)
noun

sudden occurrence:
a sudden occurrence, usually of something unpleasant or dangerous such as
illness or fighting • the
outbreak of war[1]



outbreed

outbreed
out·breed 
[owt brd] (past out·bred [owt bréd], past participle out·bred,
present participle out·breed·ing, 3rd person present singular
out·breeds) intransitive and transitive verb

breed
individuals not closely related: to bring together
distantly related members of a species in order to breed genetically varied
offspring, or to reproduce in this way
[Early 20th century. Modeled
on “inbreed.”][1]



outbuilding

outbuilding
out·build·ing 
[ówt bìlding] (plural out·build·ings)
noun

separate building:
a barn, shed, or other structure that is situated away from the main building
on a property[1]



outburst

outburst
out·burst 
[ówt bùrst] (plural out·bursts)
noun

1.  sudden
display of emotion: a sudden display of strong
emotion • an
outburst of grief

2.  intense
period of activity: a sudden burst of energy or
growth

[1]



outcall

outcall
out·call 
[ówt kàwl] (plural out·calls) noun

house call:
a visit made by a doctor or other professional to the home of a client or
patient[1]



outcast

outcast
out·cast 
[ówt kàst] (plural out·casts) noun

somebody
excluded by others: somebody who has been
rejected by a particular group or by society as a whole • a
social outcast
[Late
16th century. Formed from out + cast .]
—out·cast, adjective[1]



outcaste

outcaste
out·caste 
[ówt kàst] (plural out·castes)
noun

1.  member
expelled from caste: in India, somebody who has
been expelled from a Hindu caste for violating its rules or customs

2.  Indian
without caste: somebody in India who does not belong to
a caste

[1]



outclass

outclass
out·class 
[owt kláss] transitive verb

outdo:
to be so much better than others as to seem to be in a separate class
altogether[1]



outcome

outcome
out·come 
[ówt kùm] (plural out·comes) noun

result:
the way that something turns out in the end[1]



outcrop

outcrop
out·crop 
[ówt kròp] noun (plural out·crops)

rock
projecting from soil: the part of a rock formation
that is exposed on the surface of the ground
intransitive
verb
(past out·cropped, past participle out·cropped, present
participle out·crop·ping, 3rd person present singular out·crops)

project
from ground: to stick out of the ground as an outcrop
[Mid-18th century. From crop
out .][1]



outcross

outcross
out·cross 
[owt kráwss] transitive verb (past
out·crossed, past participle out·crossed, present
participle out·cross·ing, 3rd person present singular out·cross·es)

breed
unrelated animals: to mate two plants or
animals not closely related but usually of the same breed in order to produce
offspring
noun
(plural out·cross·es)

product of outcrossing:
the process of outcrossing plants or animals, or the progeny produced as a
result[1]



outcry

outcry
out·cry 
[ówt kr] (plural out·cries) noun

1.  strong
reaction:
a strong and widespread public reaction against something

2.  clamor:
a loud cry from a crowd of people

[1]



outdated

outdated
out·dat·ed 
[owt dáytəd] adjective

no
longer in fashion: old-fashioned or out-of-date
• outdated
notions about how to raise children

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



outdistance

outdistance
out·dis·tance 
[owt dístənss] (past out·dis·tanced,
past participle out·dis·tanced, present participle out·dis·tanc·ing,
3rd person present singular out·dis·tanc·es) transitive verb

1.  go
faster than other competitors: to be faster than
others in a race and leave other competitors behind

2.  be
better than others: to be considerably more
successful than others

[1]



outdo

outdo
out·do 
[owt d] (past out·did [owt díd], past participle out·done [owt dún], present participle out·do·ing,
3rd person present singular out·does) transitive verb

do better:
to do more or better than other people, or better than previously[1]



outdoor

outdoor
out·door 
[owt dáwr] adjective

1.  concerned
with the open air: located in, belonging in, or
suited to the open air • outdoor
activities

2.  enjoying
being outside: enjoying activities that take place in
the open air

[1]



outdoors

outdoors
out·doors 
[owt dáwrz] adverb

outside:
outside or in the open air
noun

area
not in or near buildings: the open air, especially
when away from populated areas
[Early 19th century. From the
phrase “out of doors.”][1]



outdoorsman

outdoorsman
out·doors·man 
[owt dáwrzzəmən] (plural out·doors·men)
noun

man who likes the open air:
a man who spends a lot of time in outdoor activities such as camping, hunting,
and fishing[1]



outdoorsperson

outdoorsperson
out·doors·per·son
[owt dáwrz pùrss’n] (plural out·doors·per·sons)
noun

somebody who likes the open
air: somebody who spends a lot of
time in outdoor activities such as camping, hunting, and fishing[1]



outdoorswoman

outdoorswoman
out·doors·wom·an 
[owt dáwrz wmmən] (plural out·doors·wom·en
[owt dáwrz wìmmən]) noun

woman who likes the open air:
a woman who spends a lot of time in outdoor activities such as camping,
hunting, and fishing[1]



outdoorsy

outdoorsy
out·door·sy 
[owt dáwrzee] adjective

suited to the outdoors:
suited to or fond of the open air (informal)[1]



outdraw

outdraw
out·draw
[owt dráw] (past out·drew [owt dr], past participle out·drawn
[owt dráwn], present participle out·draw·ing,
3rd person present singular out·draws) transitive verb

1.  draw
weapon quicker than somebody: to draw a handgun faster
than another person

2.  attract
more people: to attract a larger audience than
another performer or performance

[1]



outer

outer
out·er 
[ówtər] adjective

1.  on
the outside: on or around the outside of something • the
outer surface of the spacecraft

2.  away
from the center: on the edge or away from the center of
something • the
outer islands

3.  about
body rather than spirit: concerning or belonging to
external or worldly things rather than the life of the mind or spirit
[14th century. Formed from out, replacing earlier “utter.”][1]



outermost

outermost
out·er·most 
[ówtər mst] adjective

farthest
from center: farthest away from the center
[14th century. Formed from outer, on the model of “innermost.”][1]



outerplanet

outerplanet
out·er
plan·et
noun

planet with orbit outside
asteroid belt: any of the five
planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, that have orbits lying
beyond the asteroid belt[1]



outerspace

outerspace
out·er
space
noun

interplanetary and
interstellar space: all space
in the universe beyond the earth and its atmosphere, especially interplanetary
and interstellar space, but including the region where astronauts walk and
satellites orbit the earth[1]



outerwear

outerwear
out·er·wear 
[ówtər wàir] noun

clothing for outdoors:
clothing that is designed to be worn outdoors over other clothing[1]



outface

outface
out·face 
[owt fáyss] (past out·faced, past
participle out·faced, present participle out·fac·ing, 3rd
person present singular out·fac·es) transitive verb

1.  stare
somebody down: to win a confrontation, especially by
staring at somebody or not looking away

2.  defy
somebody:
to confront somebody boldly or confidently

[1]



outfall

outfall
out·fall 
[ówt fàwl] (plural out·falls) noun

outlet:
the outlet of a sewer, drain, or stream, especially where it empties into a
larger body of water[1]



outfield

outfield
out·field 
[ówt fld] noun

1.  BASEBALL area
beyond the infield: the part of a baseball or
softball field beyond the diamond marked by the bases

2.  players
in outfield: the players in ball sports whose
positions are in the outfield
—out·field·er, noun[1]



outfielder

outfielder
outfielder 
[ówt feeldər] (plural outfielders)
noun

BASEBALL
player in outfield:
a player who defends in the outfield[1]



outfit

outfit
out·fit 
[ówt fìt] noun (plural out·fits)

1.  set
of clothes:
a set of clothes worn together

2.  equipment:
a set of tools or equipment for a particular task or occupation • a
diving outfit

3.  small
organization: a team or group of people who work
closely together, for example, a military unit (informal)
transitive
verb
(past out·fit·ted, past participle out·fit·ted, present
participle out·fit·ting, 3rd person present singular out·fits)

1.  equip
somebody:
to provide somebody with all the equipment that is needed to do a particular
job

2.  dress
somebody:
to provide somebody with a set of clothes

[1]



outfitter

outfitter
out·fit·ter
[ówt fìttər] noun

store selling outdoor leisure
equipment: a store that sells equipment
and supplies for outdoor leisure activities such as camping or hunting, and
sometimes provides guides[1]



outflank

outflank
out·flank 
[owt flángk] (past out·flanked,
past participle out·flanked, present participle out·flank·ing,
3rd person present singular out·flanks) transitive verb

1.  attack
the enemy indirectly: to go around the main body
of an enemy force and attack it from the side or from behind

2.  win
by maneuvering: to outwit or bypass an opponent or
competitor

[1]



outflow

outflow
out·flow 
[ówt fl] (plural out·flows) noun

discharge:
the flow, movement, or transfer of something such as gas, water, or money away
from a place[1]



outfox

outfox
out·fox 
[owt fóks] (past out·foxed, past
participle out·foxed, present participle out·fox·ing, 3rd
person present singular out·fox·es) transitive verb

outwit somebody:
to defeat somebody by being more cunning[1]



out-front

out-front
out-front
adjective

candid and open:
frank and straightforward (informal) • wasn’t
very out-front about her policies[1]



outgas

outgas
out·gas 
[owt gáss] (past out·gassed, past
participle out·gassed, present participle out·gas·sing,
3rd person present singular out·gas·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove absorbed gas:
to remove or release trapped or absorbed gas, or to be released as gas[1]



outgeneral

outgeneral
out·gen·er·al 
[owt jénnərəl] (past out·gen·er·aled
or out·gen·er·alled, past participle out·gen·er·aled
or out·gen·er·alled, present participle out·gen·er·al·ing
or out·gen·er·al·ling, 3rd person present singular out·gen·er·als)
transitive verb

outmaneuver somebody:
to defeat somebody in battle through better leadership[1]



outgiving

outgiving
out·giv·ing 
[owt gívving] adjective

outgoing:
friendly and sociable[1]



outgo

outgo
out·go 
[owt gṓ] transitive verb (past
out·went [owt wént], past
participle out·gone [owt gón], present
participle out·go·ing, 3rd person present singular out·goes)

outdo: to go
beyond or surpass somebody or something
noun
(plural out·goes)

1.  expenditure:
something that goes out, especially money that is paid out

2.  something
that flows out: something that is flowing out

3.  going
out:
the act of going out

[1]



outgoing

outgoing
out·go·ing 
[owt gṓing] adjective

1.  leaving
or going out: in the process of departing or going out
of a building or place • outgoing
flights

2.  leaving
a job:
in the process of departing or being sent away after a period of office • a
dinner for the outgoing president

3.  sociable:
confident and friendly in social situations • a
cheerful, outgoing child

[1]



outgrew

outgrew
out·grew


Past tense of
outgrow[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








out-group

out-group
out-group
(plural out-groups) noun

group
with low status: a group of people excluded from another
group with higher status
[Early 20th century. Modeled
on “in-group.”][1]



outgrow

outgrow
out·grow 
[owt grṓ] (past out·grew [owt gr], past participle out·grown
[owt grṓn], present participle out·grow·ing,
3rd person present singular out·grows) transitive verb

1.  get
too large:
to grow too large for something

2.  move
beyond previous interests: to change so that old ideas,
interests, or ways of behaving are lost in favor of new ones

3.  outstrip:
to grow larger or faster than other things or people

[1]



outgrowth

outgrowth
out·growth 
[ówt grth] (plural out·growths)
noun

1.  extension:
a natural development or result of something else

2.  offshoot:
something that is growing out from the main part

[1]



outguess

outguess
out·guess 
[owt géss] (past out·guessed, past
participle out·guessed, present participle out·guess·ing,
3rd person present singular out·guess·es) transitive verb

guess somebody’s thoughts or
intentions: to get an advantage over
somebody by anticipating what that person is thinking or planning to do[1]



outgun

outgun
out·gun 
[owt gún] (past out·gunned, past
participle out·gunned, present participle out·gun·ning,
3rd person present singular out·guns) transitive verb

1.  have
better weapons: to have more guns or firepower than
somebody else

2.  overwhelm
rival:
to defeat a rival or competitor by being stronger or having better resources (informal)

[1]



outhaul

outhaul
out·haul 
[ówt hàwl] (plural out·hauls) noun

rope to pull on sail:
a rope used to pull a sail taut along a spar or boom[1]



out-Herod

out-Herod
out-Her·od
(past out-Her·od·ded, past participle out-Her·od·ded,
present participle out-Her·od·ding, 3rd person present
singular out-Her·ods) transitive verb

outdo
in extreme behavior: to behave more excessively
than somebody else • out-Herod Herod
[From Shakespeare’s Hamlet
III.2, referring to the traditionally overdramatic character of Herod in the
medieval mystery plays.][1]



outhouse

outhouse
out·house 
[ówt hòwss] (plural out·hous·es
[ówt hòwzəz]) noun

1.  outbuilding:
a small building situated near the main building on a property

2.  outdoor
toilet:
an outdoor toilet consisting of a small building that encloses a seat with a
hole in it built over a pit

[1]



outing

outing
out·ing 
[ówting] (plural out·ings) noun

1.  excursion:
a short pleasure trip usually lasting no more than a day

2.  taking
part in event: an appearance at or participation in a
public event, especially an athletic competition

3.  walk
outdoors:
a walk or hike outdoors • took
the toddlers on a little outing around the block

4.  declaring
somebody to be homosexual: the practice of making
public the fact that somebody is homosexual when that person wants the
information kept private

[1]



outingflannel

outingflannel
out·ing
flan·nel
noun

soft fabric:
a soft cotton fabric with a nap on both sides[1]



outjockey

outjockey
out·jock·ey
[owt jókee] (past out·jock·eyed,
past participle out·jock·eyed, present participle out·jock·ey·ing,
3rd person present singular out·jock·eys) transitive verb

outmaneuver:
to get an advantage over somebody by cleverness or trickery[1]



outland

outland
out·land 
[ówt lànd, ówtlənd]
(plural out·lands) noun

1.  hinterland:
the remote or outlying areas of a country (often used in the plural)

2.  different
country:
a different country
[Old English ūtland][1]



outlander

outlander
out·land·er 
[ówt làndər] (plural out·land·ers)
noun

stranger:
somebody from another country or from a different region, and thus a stranger
[Late 16th century. Modeled
on Dutch uitlander and German Ausländer .][1]



outlandish

outlandish
out·land·ish 
[owt lándish] adjective

1.  very
peculiar:
extremely unusual or bizarre

2.  alien:
alien or foreign (archaic)
[Old
English ūtlandisc]
—out·land·ish·ly,
adverb

—out·land·ish·ness, noun[1]



outlast

outlast
out·last 
[owt lást] (past out·last·ed, past
participle out·last·ed, present participle out·last·ing,
3rd person present singular out·lasts) transitive verb

exist longer:
to last or exist longer than somebody or something else[1]



outlaw

outlaw
out·law 
[ówt làw] noun (plural out·laws)

1.  fugitive:
a notorious criminal, especially one on the run

2.  somebody
without legal rights: somebody, often a criminal,
who has been officially deprived of legal rights and so is not protected by the
law

3.  rebel:
somebody who is rebellious or flouts the law

4.  vicious
animal:
a savage or uncontrollable animal
transitive
verb
(past out·lawed, past participle out·lawed, present
participle out·law·ing, 3rd person present singular out·laws)

1.  ban
something:
to make something illegal

2.  take
away somebody’s legal rights: to deprive somebody
officially of all their legal rights
[12th century. Old English ūtlaga,
from Old Norse útlagi, literally “person outside the law,” from útlagr
“outlawed, banished.”][1]



outlawry

outlawry
out·law·ry 
[ówt làwree] noun

1.  disregard
for law:
refusal to obey the law

2.  state
of being legally outlawed: a state in which somebody
has been deprived of his or her legal rights and is no longer protected by the
law, or the legal process by which this happens

[1]



outlay

outlay
out·lay 
[owt láy] noun (plural out·lays)

1.  spending:
the expending of resources or spending of money

2.  money
spent:
an amount of money spent
transitive
verb
(past out·laid, past participle out·laid [owt láyd], present participle out·lay·ing,
3rd person present singular out·lays)

spend money: to
spend money on something

[1]



outlet

outlet
out·let 
[ówt lèt, ówtlət]
(plural out·lets) noun

1.  vent:
a passage or opening for letting something out, for example, water or steam

2.  release
for emotions: a way of releasing emotions or impulses

3.  store:
a place where something is sold, often a store that sells the products of a
particular manufacturer

4.  market
for goods:
a market providing goods or services for purchasers

5.  connection
with electricity supply: a receptacle, usually
mounted on a wall, into which an electric plug is inserted to make a connection
to a source of electric power.
Also
called
socket

6.  hole
on electrical device for plug: a hole on a piece of
electrical equipment into which a plug fits

7.  mouth
of river:
the lower end of a river where it flows into a lake or the sea

8.  stream
draining lake: a stream or channel flowing from a
larger body of water

[1]



outlier

outlier
out·li·er 
[ówt lr] (plural out·li·ers) noun

1.  GEOLOGY rock
formation:
an outcrop of rock that is separated from a main formation

2.  outlying
part of something: a separate part of a system,
organization, or body that is at some distance from the main part

3.  somebody
living at distance from work: somebody who lives a long
way from his or her place of work

[1]



outline

outline
out·line 
[ówt ln] noun (plural out·lines)

1.  line
that shows shape: the edge or outer shape of something

2.  line
drawn around something: a line drawn around the
outside edge of something

3.  drawing
without shading: a style or example of drawing in which
an object or figure is represented only by an outline

4.  rough
plan:
a list of the main points of a subject to be written about, or a rough idea of
a proposed plan

5.  summary:
a short account of the main themes of a subject, or a list of the main points
of an argument • One of the books was an
outline of European history.
transitive
verb
(past out·lined, past participle out·lined, present
participle out·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular out·lines)

1.  draw
main features: to draw a line showing or emphasizing
the shape of something

2.  give
essential elements: to give the main points of
an argument or plan

[1]



outlive

outlive
out·live 
[owt lív] (past out·lived, past
participle out·lived, present participle out·liv·ing, 3rd
person present singular out·lives) transitive verb

1.  live
longer than: to live longer than somebody else

2.  outlast:
to continue to exist beyond or last through something • The
policy has outlived its usefulness.

[1]



outlook

outlook
out·look 
[ówt lk] (plural out·looks) noun

1.  attitude:
an attitude or point of view

2.  likely
future:
expectations for the future, especially for the way a particular situation will
develop

3.  view:
a view seen from a particular place

[1]



outloud

outloud
out
loud
adverb

audibly:
aloud, rather than silently in somebody’s head[1]



outlying

outlying
out·ly·ing 
[ówt l ing] adjective

remote:
far from the central part of a particular place or region[1]



outman

outman
out·man 
[owt mán] (past out·manned, past
participle out·manned, present participle out·man·ning,
3rd person present singular out·mans) transitive verb

outnumber:
to have a larger force of people than an opponent has[1]



outmaneuver

outmaneuver
out·ma·neu·ver 
[òwt mə nvər] (past out·ma·neu·vered,
past participle out·ma·neu·vered, present participle out·ma·neu·ver·ing,
3rd person present singular out·ma·neu·vers) transitive verb

1.  outwit:
to get the better of somebody by using skill or cunning

2.  surpass
other vehicles in maneuverability: to be easier to handle
than other vehicles of a particular size or class

[1]



outmatch

outmatch
out·match 
[owt mách] (past out·matched, past
participle out·matched, present participle out·match·ing,
3rd person present singular out·match·es) transitive verb

outdo:
to prove stronger or better than somebody else[1]



out-migrant

out-migrant
out-mi·grant
(plural out-mi·grants) noun

somebody or something that
moves out: a person or animal that
leaves one region or community in order to settle in another[1]



out-migrate

out-migrate
out-mi·grate
(past out-mi·grat·ed, past participle out-mi·grat·ed,
present participle out-mi·grat·ing, 3rd person present
singular out-mi·grates) intransitive verb

settle in a new area:
to leave one region or community in order to settle in another[1]



outmoded

outmoded
out·mod·ed 
[owt mṓdəd] adjective

1.  old-fashioned:
no longer fashionable or widely used

2.  obsolete:
having been superseded by something newer or more efficient
[Early 20th century.
Translation of French démodé .][1]



outmost

outmost
out·most 
[ówt mst] adjective

farthest
out:
farthest away from the center or main area
[14th century. Alteration of utmost .][1]



outnumber

outnumber
out·num·ber 
[owt númbər] (past out·num·bered,
past participle out·num·bered, present participle out·num·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular out·num·bers) transitive verb

be more numerous:
to be more numerous than another group or set of things[1]



out-of-body

out-of-body
out-of-bod·y
adjective

experiencing detachment from
body: undergoing an experience in
which a person’s consciousness appears to have an existence separate from the
body, enabling the subject to see his or her own body from the outside[1]



out-of-bounds

out-of-bounds
out-of-bounds
adjective adverb

beyond limit:
in or indicating a place that is beyond the established or official boundaries[1]



out-of-court

out-of-court
out-of-court
adjective

without a decision by a
court: arranged without going to
court or without completing a court case, usually in an effort to avoid a long
court case or to minimize costs[1]



out-of-date

out-of-date
out-of-date
adjective

not current:
old-fashioned or no longer current[1]



out-of-door

out-of-door
out-of-door
adjective

See
outdoor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








out-of-doors

out-of-doors
out-of-doors
adjective

See
outdoors[1]



out-of-pocket

out-of-pocket
out-of-pock·et 
adjective

1.  having
lost money:
having no money, especially because of having spent it on something that did
not produce good results • I was
seriously out-of-pocket.

2.  requiring
somebody to spend cash: relating to or being
expenses paid for with cash • out-of-pocket
expenses

[1]



out-of-state

out-of-state
out-of-state
adjective

from or involving another
state: coming from or relating to
another state[1]



out-of-stater

out-of-stater
out-of-stat·er 
(plural out-of-stat·ers) noun

somebody from another state:
somebody who is visiting or temporarily residing in one state but is a legal
resident of another state[1]



out-of-the-way

out-of-the-way
out-of-the-way
adjective

1.  remote:
far from a populated area or difficult to get to

2.  unusual:
uncommon or unconventional

[1]



out-of-town

out-of-town
out-of-town
adjective

from or in another town:
coming from or happening in another town or city[1]



out-of-towner

out-of-towner
out-of-town·er 
(plural out-of-town·ers) noun

person from different place:
a person who comes from a different town or city[1]



outpace

outpace
out·pace 
[owt páyss] (past out·paced, past
participle out·paced, present participle out·pac·ing, 3rd
person present singular out·pac·es) transitive verb

outdo:
to do better or go faster than something or somebody else[1]



outpatient

outpatient
out·pa·tient 
[ówt pàysh’nt] (plural out·pa·tients)
noun

patient not staying in
hospital: a patient who receives
treatment at a hospital without staying overnight[1]



outperform

outperform
out·per·form 
[òwt pər fáwrm] (past out·per·formed,
past participle out·per·formed, present participle out·per·form·ing,
3rd person present singular out·per·forms) transitive verb

surpass:
to perform better than somebody or something else[1]



outplacement

outplacement
out·place·ment 
[ówt plàyssmənt] noun

job counseling:
a service offered by a company to help employees who are being dismissed find
new jobs[1]



outplay

outplay
out·play 
[owt pláy] (past out·played, past
participle out·played, present participle out·play·ing,
3rd person present singular out·plays) transitive verb

play better than:
to play better than an opponent[1]



outpoint

outpoint
out·point 
[owt póynt] (past out·point·ed,
past participle out·point·ed, present participle out·point·ing,
3rd person present singular out·points) transitive verb

1.  sail
closer to wind: to sail closer to the wind than another
ship

2.  score
more points: to score more points than somebody else

[1]



outport

outport
outport
[ówt pàwrt] (plural outports) noun

Canada
Newfoundland fishing village:
a small remote fishing village, especially one on the Newfoundland coast[1]



outpost

outpost
out·post 
[ówt pst] (plural out·posts) noun

1.  troops
apart from main force: a small group of troops
stationed at a distance from the main body of an army and assigned to guard a
particular place or area

2.  military
base:
a small military base in a remote area or different country

3.  base:
a settlement in unfamiliar territory or on a frontier

[1]



outpour

outpour
out·pour 
intransitive and transitive verb [owt páwr]
(past out·poured, past participle out·poured, present
participle out·pour·ing, 3rd person present singular out·pours)

flow
out:
to flow out quickly or make something flow out quickly
noun
[ówt pàwr] (plural out·pours)

something flowing:
something that flows out freely or the act of flowing out[1]



outpouring

outpouring
out·pour·ing 
[ówt pàwring] (plural out·pour·ings)
noun

flood of something:
something that pours or floods out, for example, lava or a strong emotion[1]



output

output
out·put 
[ówt pt] noun (plural out·puts)

1.  production:
the act of producing

2.  yield:
an amount of something produced or manufactured, especially during a fixed
period of time

3.  products
produced:
goods or services produced by an organization

4.  creative
or artistic production: creative or intellectual
work produced by somebody • her
literary output

5.  energy
produced:
energy or power produced by a system

6.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electrical
power:
the electrical energy, measured in watts, delivered by a generator or consumed
by an electronic circuit

7.  COMPUTING information
from computer: information produced by a computer
transitive
verb
(past out·put or out·put·ted, past participle
out·put or out·put·ted, present participle out·put·ting,
3rd person present singular out·puts)

produce computer information:
to display information from a computer on a monitor or direct it to a printer
or other device

[1]



outrace

outrace
out·race 
[owt ráyss] (past out·raced, past
participle out·raced, present participle out·rac·ing, 3rd
person present singular out·rac·es) transitive verb

surpass:
to do something better or faster than others[1]



outrage

outrage
out·rage 
[ówt ràyj] noun (plural out·rag·es)

1.  violent
act:
an extremely violent or cruel act

2.  offensive
act:
a very offensive or insulting act

3.  fury:
intense anger and indignation aroused by a violent or offensive act
transitive
verb
(past out·raged, past participle out·raged, present
participle out·rag·ing, 3rd person present singular out·rag·es)

1.  attack
or violate:
to commit a vicious crime against somebody

2.  arouse
anger in somebody: to make somebody feel
intense anger or indignation

3.  rape:
to rape somebody (literary)
[13th century. Via French,
“excess, atrocity,” from Old French outrer “to exceed,” ultimately from
Latin ultra “beyond” (see ultra- ).
The meaning was later influenced by rage .][1]



outrageous

outrageous
out·ra·geous 
[owt ráyjəss] adjective

1.  extraordinary
and unconventional: extravagant or
unconventional, and likely to shock people

2.  morally
shocking:
violating accepted standards of decency or morality

3.  excessive:
exceeding the bounds of what is reasonable or expected • outrageous
prices

4.  violent
or cruel:
violent or unrestrained in mood or action
—out·ra·geous·ly,
adverb

—out·ra·geous·ness, noun[1]



outrange

outrange
out·range 
[owt ráynj] (past out·ranged, past
participle out·ranged, present participle out·rang·ing,
3rd person present singular out·rang·es) transitive verb

exceed in range:
to have a greater range than something else of the same class, for example, a
firearm or missile[1]



outrank

outrank
out·rank 
[owt rángk] (past out·ranked, past
participle out·ranked, present participle out·rank·ing,
3rd person present singular out·ranks) transitive verb

have higher status:
to have a higher rank or status than somebody else[1]



outreach

outreach
out·reach 
transitive verb [owt rch] (past
out·reached, past participle out·reached, present
participle out·reach·ing, 3rd person present singular out·reach·es)

1.  reach
farther:
to reach or extend farther than somebody or something else

2.  exceed:
to exceed or go beyond a limit
noun
[ówt rch]

1.  provision
of community services: the provision of information
or services to groups in society who might otherwise be neglected • an
outreach programme for people who cannot read

2.  extent
of reach:
the length or extent of the reach of somebody or something • the
outreach of a communications network

[1]



outride

outride
out·ride 
[owt rd] (past out·rode [owt rṓd], past participle out·rid·den
[owt rídd’n], present participle out·rid·ing,
3rd person present singular out·rides) transitive verb

1.  ride
better or faster: to ride better, farther, or faster than
somebody else

2.  SHIPPING survive
storm:
to survive the violence of the wind and waves during a storm

[1]



outrigger

outrigger
out·rig·ger 
[ówt rìggər] (plural out·rig·gers)
noun

1.  part
of a boat:
a beam or framework sticking out from the side of a boat, used to extend a rope
or sail or as a brace for an oarlock

2.  framework
on canoe:
a long float attached to a framework that projects from the side of a seagoing
canoe to prevent it from capsizing

3.  kind
of boat or canoe: a boat or canoe fitted with an outrigger

4.  AIR structure
on aircraft: a projection attached to an aircraft or
other vehicle or machine to stabilize it or to support something
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration (influenced by rig
) of obsolete outligger, a type of spar for extending a sail, from Dutch
uitligger .][1]



outright

outright
out·right 
adverb [owt rt]

1.  wholly:
wholly and completely • He now
owns the business outright.

2.  instantly:
immediately or instantly • They
refused our offer outright.

3.  candidly:
openly and without reservation • I told
him outright that he was making a big mistake.
adjective
[ówt rt]

1.  absolute:
complete or total • an outright lie

2.  without
qualifications: without restrictions or limitations • The
car was an outright gift from the corporation.
—out·right·ly, adverb[1]



outrun

outrun
out·run 
[owt rún] (past out·ran [owt rán], past participle out·run, present
participle out·run·ning, 3rd person present singular out·runs)
transitive verb

1.  run
faster:
to run faster or farther than somebody else

2.  run
away:
to escape by or as if by running faster than a pursuer • outrun
the bill collectors • The
hare outran the wolf.

3.  exceed:
to develop faster or to exceed • Demand
for gasoline began to outrun supply.

[1]



outré

outré
ou·tré 
[oo tráy] adjective

unconventional
or bizarre:
passing well beyond what is usual, normal, or generally acceptable
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Old French, the past participle of outrer “to go too far”
(see outrage ).][1]



outsell

outsell
out·sell 
[owt sél] (past out·sold [owt sṓld], past participle out·sold,
present participle out·sell·ing, 3rd person present singular
out·sells) transitive verb

1.  sell
more:
to be sold faster or in greater quantities than something else

2.  be
better at selling: to sell more than another
salesperson

[1]



outset

outset
out·set 
[ówt sèt] noun

start:
the beginning or initial stage of an activity[1]



outshine

outshine
out·shine 
[owt shn] (past out·shone [owt shṓn] or out·shined, past
participle out·shone or out·shined, present
participle out·shin·ing, 3rd person present singular out·shines)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
shine
brighter:
to shine brighter than something else

2.  transitive
verb
surpass:
to surpass somebody or something else, especially in terms of excellence or
quality

3.  intransitive
verb
produce
light:
to give out light (literary)

[1]



outshoot

outshoot
out·shoot 
transitive verb [owt sht] (past
out·shot [owt shót], past
participle out·shot, present participle out·shoot·ing,
3rd person present singular out·shoots)

shoot
better:
to shoot better than somebody else
noun
[ówt sht] (plural out·shoots)

projection:
something that projects or shoots out[1]



outside

outside
out·side 
[owt sd, ówt
sd] (plural out·sides) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating the outer surface or appearance of something • (noun)
Grill the chicken wings until the outsides are crisp.
• (adverb)
The house still needs to be painted outside.

1.
adverb preposition adjective out of
doors:
in the open air rather than inside a building • (adverb)
We should head outside soon if we’re going to start the barbecue.
• (preposition)
I’ll meet you outside the post office. • (adjective)
an outside toilet

2.
adjective adverb preposition beyond
immediate environment: happening, existing, or
originating in places, people, or groups other than your own or what you are
used to • (adjective)
It was claimed that most of the substandard work had been done by outside
contractors. • (adverb)
in the world outside • (preposition)
married outside her religion

3.
adjective slight:
slight or remote • There’s an outside
chance we may still be able to get tickets.

4.
adjective maximum: the
most extreme possible or probable • an
outside estimate of three months to complete the job

5.
adjective away from batter:
passing on the side of home plate opposite the batter in baseball or softball • an
outside pitch

6.
adjective farthest from side of road:
farthest from the side of a road or center of a race track • coming
up fast in the outside lane

7.
preposition beyond the scope of:
not included in the range or scope of something • Such
behavior is completely outside my comprehension.

8.
noun existence
not in an institution: existence not in an
institution such as prison or a psychiatric hospital • We
wondered what life was like on the outside.

9.
noun area
farthest from side of road: the part farthest from the
side of a road or center of a race track • Large
crowds of shoppers forced her to walk on the outside of the sidewalk.

10.
noun heavily
populated area of Canada: the most populous areas of
Canada and Alaska along the coasts or bordering the lower 48 states
at
the outside

at
the maximum amount or time that can be expected

outside
of

other than the person or
thing mentioned[1]



outsidebroadcast

outsidebroadcast
out·side
broad·cast
(plural out·side broad·casts) noun

U.K.
See remote[1]



outsider

outsider
out·sid·er 
[owt sdər] (plural out·sid·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who does not belong: somebody who is not part of
a particular group or organization

2.  competitor
unlikely to win: a competitor or candidate who is
considered unlikely to win

[1]



outsight

outsight
out·sight 
[ówt st] noun

seeing
external things: the ability to take note of or judge
external things
[Early 17th century. Modeled
on “insight.”][1]



outsize

outsize
out·size 
[owt sz, ówt
sz] noun (plural out·siz·es)

extra
large size:
an unusual size, especially one that is larger than usual
adjective
out·size out·sized

extra large:
much larger, heavier, or more extensive than is usual or expected • an
outsize ego[1]



outskirts

outskirts
out·skirts
[ówt skùrts] plural noun

outlying areas:
the areas at the edge of a town or city, farthest from the center[1]



outsmart

outsmart
out·smart 
[owt smrt] (past out·smart·ed,
past participle out·smart·ed, present participle out·smart·ing,
3rd person present singular out·smarts) transitive verb

outwit:
to use cunning or cleverness to get an advantage over somebody[1]



outsold

outsold
out·sold


Past participle of
outsell Past tense of outsell[1]



outsole

outsole
out·sole 
[ówt sl] (plural out·soles) noun

shoe’s
outer sole:
the outer sole of a boot or shoe
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on “insole.”][1]



outsource

outsource
out·source 
[ówt sàwrss] (past out·sourced,
past participle out·sourced, present participle out·sourc·ing,
3rd person present singular out·sourc·es) transitive verb

subcontract:
to buy labor or parts from a source outside a company or business rather than
using the company’s staff or plant[1]



outspend

outspend
out·spend 
[owt spénd] (past out·spent [owt spént], past participle out·spent,
present participle out·spend·ing, 3rd person present singular
out·spends) transitive verb

1.  spend
more than:
to spend more than somebody else

2.  exceed
spending limits of: to exceed fixed limits for
something in spending • outspent
our budget

[1]



outspoken

outspoken
out·spo·ken 
[owt spṓkən] adjective

candid:
expressing opinions directly, frankly, and fearlessly
—out·spo·ken·ly,
adverb

—out·spo·ken·ness, noun[1]



outspread

outspread
out·spread 
[owt spréd] adjective

stretched
out:
extended or spread out flat
transitive
verb
(past out·spread, past participle out·spread, present
participle out·spread·ing, 3rd person present singular out·spreads)

extend:
to stretch out or extend something
noun

act of spreading out:
the act or an example of extending outward[1]



outstand

outstand
out·stand 
[owt stánd] (past out·stood [owt std], past participle out·stood,
present participle out·stand·ing, 3rd person present singular
out·stands) intransitive verb

stand out clearly:
to stand out or be prominent[1]



outstanding

outstanding
out·stand·ing 
[owt stánding] adjective

1.  unusually
excellent:
excellent, and superior to others in the same group or category • outstanding
work

2.  not
yet resolved: not yet paid, resolved, or dealt with • outstanding
debts

3.  jutting
out:
jutting outward or upward

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE publicly
sold:
publicly issued and sold as securities
—out·stand·ing·ly, adverb[1]



outstare

outstare
out·stare 
[owt stáir] (past out·stared, past
participle out·stared, present participle out·star·ing,
3rd person present singular out·stares) transitive verb

stare somebody down:
to make somebody look away or submit by staring hard[1]



outstation

outstation
out·sta·tion 
[ówt stàysh’n] (plural out·sta·tions)
noun

outpost:
a post or station in a remote unsettled spot[1]



outstay

outstay
out·stay 
[owt stáy] (past out·stayed, past
participle out·stayed, present participle out·stay·ing,
3rd person present singular out·stays) transitive verb

1.  stay
longer than: to stay longer than other people, or
longer than is appropriate • outstayed
their welcome

2.  show
greater endurance than: to show greater endurance
than somebody • outstayed their rivals

[1]



outstood

outstood
out·stood


Past participle of
outstand Past tense of outstand[1]



outstretch

outstretch
out·stretch 
[owt stréch] (past out·stretched,
past participle out·stretched, present participle out·stretch·ing,
3rd person present singular out·stretch·es) transitive verb

extend:
to hold out or extend something[1]



outstrip

outstrip
out·strip 
[owt stríp] (past out·stripped,
past participle out·stripped, present participle out·strip·ping,
3rd person present singular out·strips) transitive verb

1.  do
better than: to achieve more or go faster than
somebody, especially a competitor

2.  exceed:
to be greater than something • Demand
for their products has already outstripped supply.

[1]



outta

outta
outta
or outa preposition

out
of:
used as a written representation of “out of,” reflecting popular pronunciation
(slang) • I’m outta here.
[From a pronunciation of out
of][1]



outtake

outtake
out·take 
[ówt tàyk] (plural out·takes) noun

1.  excluded
section of film: a recorded scene or sequence that is not
included in the final version of a movie or television program, usually because
it contains mistakes • The
outtakes were funnier than the movie itself.

2.  rejected
recording:
a recording not used in the final version of an album

[1]



outthrust

outthrust
out·thrust 
[owt thrúst] adjective

thrust
outward:
extending out beyond something • the
dog’s outthrust paw
noun
(plural out·thrusts)

outward projection:
something that projects or extends outward[1]



outturn

outturn
out·turn 
[ówt tùrn] noun

amount
produced:
the amount produced during a specific period
[Late 18th century. From turn
out .][1]



outvote

outvote
out·vote 
[owt vṓt] (past out·vot·ed, past
participle out·vot·ed, present participle out·vot·ing,
3rd person present singular out·votes) transitive verb

defeat by voting:
to defeat other candidates or a proposal by a majority of votes[1]



outward

outward
out·ward 
[ówtwərd] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is outside or on or toward the
exterior of something, or relates to the exterior of something • the
rustic balustrading that bounded the arbor on the outward side

1.
adjective visible:
clearly observable • She gave no outward
indication that she was upset.

2.
adjective relating to the physical body:
relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit • his
outward appearance reflected his inner turmoil

3.
adjective apparent:
apparent or superficial • can’t
judge by outward appearances

4.
adjective outbound:
heading away from a place

5.
adverb, out·ward or out·wards out:
toward the outside and away from the inside or middle

6.
noun material
world:
the reality of the external world (literary)
[Old
English ūtanweard, ūteweard]
—out·ward·ness, noun[1]



outward-bound

outward-bound
out·ward-bound
adjective

headed out:
making an outgoing journey or passage[1]



outwardly

outwardly
out·ward·ly 
[ówtwərdlee] adverb

1.  in
appearance:
in appearance rather than in reality

2.  toward
the outside: on or toward the outside

[1]



outwards

outwards
out·wards
[ówtwərdz] adverb

See
outward  5[1]



outwash

outwash
out·wash 
[ówt wòsh] (plural out·wash·es)
noun

deposit from melting glacier:
sand and gravel deposited by streams that are flowing away from a glacier[1]



outwear

outwear
out·wear 
[owt wáir] (past out·wore [owt wáwr], past participle out·worn
[owt wáwrn], present participle out·wear·ing,
3rd person present singular out·wears) transitive verb

last longer than:
to last longer or wear better than something else[1]



outweigh

outweigh
out·weigh 
[owt wáy] (past out·weighed, past
participle out·weighed, present participle out·weigh·ing,
3rd person present singular out·weighs) transitive verb

1.  be
more crucial than: to be more important or
valuable than something else

2.  weigh
more than:
to weigh more than somebody or something else

[1]



outwit

outwit
out·wit 
[owt wít] (past out·wit·ted, past
participle out·wit·ted, present participle out·wit·ting,
3rd person present singular out·wits) transitive verb

1.  gain
advantage over somebody through cunning: to
use cunning or trickery to get an advantage over somebody

2.  be
smarter than somebody: to be more intelligent than
somebody (archaic)

[1]



outwore

outwore
out·wore


Past tense of
outwear[1]



outwork

outwork
out·work 
transitive verb [owt wúrk] (past
out·worked, past participle out·worked, present
participle out·work·ing, 3rd person present singular out·works)

work
harder than: to work harder or faster than somebody
noun
[ówt wùrk] (plural out·works)

military outpost:
a trench or fortification built beyond the main line of defense[1]



outworn

outworn
out·worn 
adjective

no longer current:
outdated or no longer useful. Past participle of outwear[1]



ouzel

ouzel
ou·zel 
[z’l] (plural ou·zels) noun

1.  thrush
with band across throat: a small European bird of the
thrush family that has dark plumage with a white band across its throat. Latin
name: Turdus torquatus
Also
called
ring ouzel

2.  See
dipper  noun 2
[Old English ōsle
“blackbird.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English merle and merlon .][1]



ouzo

ouzo
ou·zo 
[zō] (plural ou·zos) noun

Greek
alcoholic drink: a colorless Greek alcoholic drink
flavored with anise
[Late 19th century. From
modern Greek, of uncertain origin.][1]



ova

ova
o·va 
plural noun

Plural of
ovum[1]



oval

oval
o·val 
[ṓvəl] adjective

egg-shaped:
shaped like an egg
noun
(plural o·vals)

1.  track:
racetrack in the shape of an oval

2.  egg
shape:
something shaped like an egg
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin ovalis, from Latin ovum “egg”
(see ovum ).]
—o·val·ly,
adverb

—o·val·ness, noun[1]



ovalbumin

ovalbumin
ov·al·bu·min 
[òvvəl bymən, vəl
bymən] (plural ov·al·bu·mins) noun

part
of an egg white: the main crystalline protein or albumin
found in egg whites
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
ovi albumen, literally “white of egg,” from ovum “egg” + albumen
(see albumen ).][1]



OvalOffice

OvalOffice
O·val
Of·fice
noun

1.  U.S.
president’s office: an oval-shaped room in the
White House that is the private office used by the president of the United
States

2.  U.S.
presidency:
the power and authority of the president of the United States

[1]



ovalwindow

ovalwindow
o·val
win·dow
(plural o·val win·dows) noun

part
of the ear:
a membranous opening between the middle ear and the inner ear that transmits
sound vibrations
[From its shape][1]



Ovambo

Ovambo
O·vam·bo 
[ō vm bō] (plural O·vam·bo or
O·vam·bos) noun

1.  member
of African people: a member of a black people
that lives in parts of southern Africa, especially in Angola and Namibia

2.  Ovambo
language:
the Bantu language of the Ovambo people. It belongs to the Benue-Congo branch
of Niger-Congo languages. Ovambo is spoken by about 700,000 people.
[Mid-19th
century. Of Bantu origin, literally “people of leisure.”]
—O·vam·bo, adjective[1]



ovariectomy

ovariectomy
o·var·i·ec·to·my 
[ō vèrree éktə mee] (plural o·var·i·ec·to·mies)
noun

ovary removal:
the surgical removal of one or both ovaries.
Also called
ovariotomy
Also called
oophorectomy[1]



ovariotomy

ovariotomy
o·var·i·ot·o·my 
[ō vèrree óttəmee] (plural o·var·i·ot·o·mies)
noun

1.  incision
into ovary:
a surgical incision into an ovary

2.  See
ovariectomy

[1]



ovaritis

ovaritis
o·va·ri·tis 
[və rtiss] noun

See
oophoritis[1]



ovary

ovary
o·va·ry 
[ṓvəree] (plural o·va·ries) noun

1.  female
reproductive organ: either of the two female
reproductive organs that produce eggs and, in vertebrates, also produce the sex
hormones estrogen and progesterone

2.  part
of a flower: the lower part of a pistil that bears
ovules and ripens into a fruit
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin ovarium, from Latin ovum (see ovum ).]
—o·var·i·an [ō váiree ən], adjective[1]



ovate

ovate
o·vate 
[ṓ vàyt] adjective

1.  egg-shaped:
shaped like an egg

2.  BOTANY shaped
like a pointed oval: used to describe a leaf or
petal that is broad and rounded at the base and tapers towards the tip
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin ovatus “egg-shaped,” from ovum (see ovum ).]
—o·vate·ly, adverb[1]



ovation

ovation
o·va·tion 
[ō váysh’n] (plural o·va·tions)
noun

1.  loud
and long applause: enthusiastic applause or
cheering, especially from a crowd or large group of people

2.  HISTORY Roman
victory celebration: an ancient Roman victory
ceremony for a returning military hero
[Mid-16th
century. Via the Latin stem ovation- from ovare “to rejoice,”
ultimately from an imitation of the sound of exulting.]
—o·va·tion·al, adjective[1]



oven

oven
ov·en 
[úvv’n] (plural ov·ens) noun

heated
cooking compartment: a compartment warmed by a
heat source and used for baking, roasting, or drying
[Old English ofen .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “cooker” that is also the
ancestor of English olla .][1]



ovenbird

ovenbird
ov·en·bird 
[úvv’n bùrd] (plural ov·en·birds)
noun

1.  N
American bird: a North American warbler that has a
shrill call and builds a dome-shaped nest on the ground. Latin name: Seiurus
aurocapillus
Also
called
teacher bird

2.  S
American bird: small brown South American bird that
builds a dome-shaped nest from clay and dried leaves. Genus: Furnarius
[Early 19th century. From the
ovenlike shape of the birds’ nests.][1]



ovenmitt

ovenmitt
ov·en
mitt
(plural ov·en mitts) noun

padded glove for handling hot
dishes: a padded hand covering used
as protection when putting hot dishes into and taking them out of an oven[1]



ovenproof

ovenproof
ov·en·proof 
[úvv’n prf] adjective

heat-resistant:
capable of being used in an oven without being damaged by the heat[1]



ovenware

ovenware
oven·ware 
[úvv’n wàir] noun

dishes for baking and
serving: heat-resistant dishes that
can be used for baking or roasting as well as for serving[1]



over

over
o·ver 
[ṓvər] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate a position directly above something, either
resting on the top of something, or above the upper surface of something with a
space in between • (preposition) a framed
portrait over the fireplace • (preposition)
He wore a red flannel shirt over a T-shirt. • (preposition)
Julia was bent over the sink washing glasses. • (adverb)
flocks of geese flying over • (adverb)
Heat the milk and pour it over.

1.
preposition adverb on or to other side of:
positioned on or moving to the other side of something such as a barrier,
obstacle, or area of land • (preposition)
To see the cathedral you need to cross over the river.
• (adverb)
He climbed over into the next field.

2.
preposition adverb throughout:
throughout the whole extent of • (preposition)
traveling over Europe • (preposition)
In the past few years, fifties diners have sprung up all over town.
• (adverb)
People are the same the world over.

3.
preposition adverb more than:
more than a particular amount, measurement, or age • (preposition)
go over your quota • (adverb)
people 30 and over

4.
adverb across intervening space:
positioned in or moving to a point across intervening space • She
reached over and turned off the TV. • Jim
sent a couple of guys over to help out.

5.
adverb so as to fall:
so as to change position, especially from being upright • knocked
over a pile of books • He
rolled over and turned out the light.

6.
adverb remaining:
remaining or surplus after what was needed has been used • There
was plenty of food left over from the party.

7.
adverb again: doing
something again, or again from the beginning • If
you make a mistake you’ll just have to start over.

8.
preposition by means of:
by means of a device for communication such as a radio or telephone • talk
over the phone

9.
preposition about:
on the subject of or related to • grieving
over the loss of her husband

10.
preposition affecting:
as an effect or influence upon somebody or something • exercise
more control over file access.

11.
preposition during:
happening during or throughout a period of time or an occasion • We
can discuss this over lunch.

12.
preposition recovered from:
having recovered from the bad effects of something such as an illness • get
over a virus.

13.
preposition in preference to:
in preference to something else • I’d
choose steak over fish every time.

14.
adjective finished:
finished or no longer in progress • When
all this is over I’m going on vacation.

15.
interjection RADIO word
showing somebody’s turn to speak: used when
communicating via radio to indicate that somebody has finished talking and it
is the other person’s turn to speak

16.
noun shot:
shot that hits or explodes beyond its target

17.
noun CRICKET bowling
of six balls: a series of six correctly bowled balls
in cricket, or the play during this

18.
noun GAMBLING score
above particular number in a wager: in a
wager, the score above a particular number of points or an amount above a
particular total • bet the over in the
playoff

19.
transitive verb pass above:
to pass above and across something
[Old
English ofer . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English super- and hyper- .]
over
again

once
more

over
against

in
contrast with or in opposition to

over
and above

in
addition to or in excess of something • benefits
over and above the basic salary

over
and over

repeatedly or a great deal[1]



overabundance

overabundance
o·ver·a·bun·dance 
[vər ə búndənss] noun

excess:
an amount greater than what is needed or appropriate
—o·ver·a·bun·dant, adjective[1]



overachieve

overachieve
o·ver·a·chieve 
[vər ə chv] (past o·vera·chieved,
past participle o·vera·chieved, present participle o·vera·chiev·ing,
3rd person present singular o·vera·chieves) intransitive verb

do
better than expected: to perform better or be more
successful than expected
—o·ver·a·chiev·er,
noun

—o·ver·a·chieve·ment, noun[1]



overact

overact
o·ver·act 
[vər ákt] (past o·ver·act·ed,
past participle o·ver·act·ed, present participle o·ver·act·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·acts) intransitive and
transitive verb

act
with too much emphasis: to exaggerate movements or
emotions, especially when acting in a performance
—o·ver·ac·tion, noun[1]



overactive

overactive
o·ver·ac·tive 
[vər áktiv] adjective

too
active:
excessively or abnormally active
—o·ver·act·i·vi·ty [vər ak tívətee, vər
ak tívitee], noun[1]



overage

overage2
o·ver·age2 [ṓvərij]
(plural o·ver·ag·es) noun

surplus:
money, goods, or something else in excess of what is proper or shown in the
records
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from over .][1]



overage

overage1
o·ver·age1 [vər
áyj] adjective

1.  too
old for something: older than the age fixed as
a standard or considered appropriate for a particular activity

2.  no
longer useful: too old to be useful (offensive if
used of people)

[1]



overall

overall
o·ver·all 
[vər áwl] adjective adverb

1.  end
to end:
from one extremity to the other

2.  total:
including everything
adjective

general:
considered as a whole • an
overall impression
adverb

on the whole: in
general or as a whole • Overall,
we were disappointed with the results.
plural
noun
o·ver·alls

1.  one-piece
protective garment: a one-piece garment with
long sleeves and pants worn to protect a worker’s clothes from dirt or wear

2.  work
pants with bib: loose-fitting pants that have a bib and
shoulder straps, originally worn over regular clothing as a protection from
dirt and wear

[1]



overarch

overarch
o·ver·arch 
[vər rch] (past o·ver·arched,
past participle o·ver·arched, present participle o·ver·arch·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·arch·es) transitive verb

form an arch over:
to form an arch over something or somewhere[1]



overarching

overarching
o·ver·arch·ing 
[vər rching] adjective

including
everything:
embracing or overshadowing everything
—o·ver·arch·ing·ly, adverb[1]



overarm

overarm
o·ver·arm
[ṓvər rm] adjective

1.  with
arm above shoulder: thrown or done with the arm
raised above the shoulder and rotating forward

2.  with
arm raised:
beginning a stroke in swimming with the arm raised above the shoulder and
rotating forward
adverb

U.K. SPORTS See overhand

[1]



overate

overate
o·ver·ate


Past tense of
overeat[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overawe

overawe
o·ver·awe 
[vər áw] (past o·ver·awed, past
participle o·ver·awed, present participle o·ver·aw·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·awes) transitive verb

make somebody feel awe:
to make somebody feel subdued or inhibited by inspiring respect and some fear[1]



overbalance

overbalance
o·ver·bal·ance 
[vər bállənss] verb (past o·ver·bal·anced,
past participle o·ver·bal·anced, present participle o·ver·bal·anc·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·bal·anc·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
balance:
to lose balance, or make somebody or something lose balance

2.  transitive
verb
be
more important than: to have greater weight or
importance than something else
noun

preponderance:
an excess of an amount, quantity, or weight

[1]



overbear

overbear
o·ver·bear 
[vər báir] (past o·ver·bore [vər báwr], past participle o·ver·borne
[vər báwrn] or over·born, present
participle o·ver·bear·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·bears)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
overpower
somebody:
to defeat somebody by having superior weight or strength

2.  transitive
verb
outweigh:
to be more important than other considerations

3.  intransitive
verb
produce
too much:
to produce too much fruit or too many offspring

[1]



overbearing

overbearing
o·ver·bear·ing 
[vər báiring] adjective

bossy:
arrogant and tending to order people around
—o·ver·bear·ing·ly,
adverb

—o·ver·bear·ing·ness, noun[1]



overbid

overbid
o·ver·bid 
[vər bíd] verb (past o·ver·bid,
past participle o·ver·bid·den [vər
bídd’n] or o·ver·bid, present participle o·ver·bid·ding,
3rd person present singular o·ver·bids)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bid
more than worth of something: to bid more than something
is worth

2.  intransitive
verb
BRIDGE bid
for too many tricks: to bid for more tricks than
can be won
noun

higher bid: a bid
that is higher than somebody else’s bid
—over·bid·der, noun[1]



overbite

overbite
o·ver·bite 
[ṓvər bt] (plural o·ver·bites)
noun

misalignment of teeth:
a faulty alignment of the teeth in which the upper front teeth project too far
over the lower teeth when the mouth is closed[1]



overblouse

overblouse
o·ver·blouse 
[ṓvər blòwss, ṓvər
blòwz] (plural o·ver·blous·es) noun

blouse not tucked in:
a blouse designed to be worn outside the waistband of a skirt or slacks[1]



overblow

overblow
o·ver·blow 
[vər blṓ] (past o·ver·blew [vər bl], past participle o·ver·blown
[vər blṓn], present participle o·ver·blow·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·blows) intransitive and
transitive verb

play overtone on wind
instrument: to blow a wind instrument
with extra force so as to produce an overtone[1]



overblown

overblown
o·ver·blown 
adjective

1.  exaggerated:
done to excess and seeming exaggerated • overblown
stories that are barely credible

2.  pretentious:
showing pomposity or pretentiousness • His
style of writing is overblown and excessively wordy.

3.  past
best:
past full bloom and beginning to die • an
overblown rose

[1]



overboard

overboard
o·ver·board 
[ṓvər bàwrd] adverb

off
a ship:
over the side of a ship and into the water
[Old English ofer bord,
literally “over the side”][1]



overbook

overbook
o·ver·book 
[vər bk] (past o·ver·booked,
past participle o·ver·booked, present participle o·ver·book·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·books) intransitive and
transitive verb

take too many reservations:
to take more reservations than there are seats or places available in a place[1]



overbore

overbore
o·ver·bore


Past tense of
overbear[1]



overborne

overborne
o·ver·borne 
or o·ver·born

Past participle of
overbear[1]



overbought

overbought
o·ver·bought 
[vər báwt] adjective

inflated in price:
characterized by high prices on the stock exchange as the result of recent
heavy trading, and so not likely to rise further in the near future[1]



overbuild

overbuild
o·ver·build 
[vər bíld] (past o·ver·built
[vər bílt], past participle o·ver·built,
present participle o·ver·build·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·builds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb build
too much:
to construct more buildings than are necessary or desirable in an area

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb build
overambitiously: to construct something that is too large
or elaborate

3.  transitive
verb
build
on something else: to build something on top of
a particular place or thing

[1]



overburden

overburden
o·ver·bur·den 
transitive verb [vər búrd’n] (past
o·ver·bur·dened, past participle o·ver·bur·dened, present
participle o·ver·bur·den·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·bur·dens)

overload: to
place too much weight or worry on somebody or something • overburdened
with debt
noun
[ṓvər bùrd’n] (plural o·ver·bur·dens)

1.  excessive
burden:
an excessive or onerous burden

2.  soil
layered over rock: soil or other material
layered over bedrock or over any geological deposit

[1]



overcall

overcall
o·ver·call 
[vər káwl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past o·ver·called, past participle o·ver·called,
present participle o·ver·call·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·calls)

bid
higher:
to bid higher than a bridge opponent before a partner has made a positive bid
noun

higher bid:
a bid in bridge that is higher than an opponent’s bid, made before a partner
has made a positive bid[1]



overcame

overcame
o·ver·came


Past tense of
overcome[1]



overcapacity

overcapacity
o·ver·ca·pac·i·ty 
[vər kə pássətee] noun

excessive means of
production: an ability to produce goods
or provide services that exceed demand[1]



overcapitalize

overcapitalize
o·ver·cap·i·tal·ize
[vər káppit’l z] (past o·ver·cap·i·tal·ized,
past participle o·ver·cap·i·tal·ized, present participle o·ver·cap·i·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·cap·i·tal·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  supply
too much capital to: to provide a business with
more capital than is justified by its condition or its ability to make profits

2.  overvalue:
to give a corporation a nominal value that is higher than its fair market value

[1]



overcast

overcast
o·ver·cast 
adjective [ṓvər kst]

1.  METEOROLOGY cloudy:
very cloudy, with no sun showing

2.  SEWING sewn
with long stitches: sewn along the edge with
long loose stitches that prevent a piece of fabric from raveling
noun
[ṓvər kst] (plural o·ver·casts)

1.  METEOROLOGY heavy
cloud cover: a heavy covering of clouds in the sky

2.  MINING mine
arch:
an arch in a mine supporting a passage above it
verb
[vər kást] (past o·ver·cast·ed,
past participle o·ver·cast·ed, present participle o·ver·cast·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·casts)

1.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY become
cloudy:
to become cloudy or dull

2.  transitive
verb
SEWING secure
with loose stitches: to sew the edge of a piece
of fabric with an overcast stitch

[1]



overcasting

overcasting
o·ver·cast·ing 
[vər kásting] noun

slanted stitching:
long slanting stitches sewn loosely across the edge of a piece of fabric to
prevent it from raveling[1]



overcaststitch

overcaststitch
o·ver·cast
stitch
noun

stitch forming edge or
binding: a stitch used to bind a raw
edge or to form a smooth raised line, for example, in working monograms[1]



overcharge

overcharge
o·ver·charge 
verb [vər chrj] (past o·ver·charged,
past participle o·ver·charged, present participle o·ver·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·charg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb charge
too much:
to charge somebody too much money for something

2.  transitive
verb
put
excessive power into: to charge a battery or
circuit with more electricity than it can safely hold

3.  transitive
verb
overfill
or overload something: to fill or load something
with more than it can hold or bear

4.  transitive
verb
exaggerate
something:
to make something seem greater or more important than it actually is (literary)
noun
[ṓvər chrj] (plural o·ver·charg·es)

1.  excessive
charge:
an excessively high charge for something

2.  act
of charging too much: an act of charging too much
for something

[1]



overcloud

overcloud
o·ver·cloud 
[vər klówd] (past o·ver·cloud·ed,
past participle o·ver·cloud·ed, present participle o·ver·cloud·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·clouds) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  cloud
over:
to cover something, or become covered, with clouds

2.  make
or become dim: to become, or to make something become,
dim and gloomy (formal)

[1]



overcoat

overcoat
o·ver·coat 
[ṓvər kt] (plural o·ver·coats)
noun

1.  thick
outer coat:
a heavy coat worn over other outer clothes

2.  o·ver·coat
or o·ver·coat·ing (plural o·ver·coat·ings) top
layer of paint: an additional protective layer of
something such as paint or varnish on top of a treated surface

[1]



overcome

overcome
o·ver·come 
[vər kúm] (past o·ver·came [vər káym], past participle o·ver·come,
present participle o·ver·com·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·comes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody helpless: to make somebody
incapacitated or helpless, or to break down somebody’s normal self-control (usually
passive) • completely
overcome with emotion

2.  transitive
verb
conquer
problem:
to struggle successfully against a difficulty or disadvantage

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb defeat
somebody:
to defeat somebody or something, especially in a conflict or competition (formal)

4.  intransitive
verb
win
despite obstacles: to win or be successful,
especially in spite of obstacles
[Old
English ; from over + come]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



overcommit

overcommit
o·ver·com·mit 
[vər kə mít] (past o·ver·com·mit·ted,
past participle o·ver·com·mit·ted, present participle o·ver·com·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular o·ver·com·mits) intransitive and
transitive verb

take on more than is
achievable: to undertake, or to make
somebody or yourself undertake, more than can be accomplished (often passive)[1]



overcompensate

overcompensate
o·ver·com·pen·sate 
[vər kómpən sàyt] (past o·ver·com·pen·sat·ed,
past participle o·ver·com·pen·sat·ed, present participle o·ver·com·pen·sat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·com·pen·sates) intransitive
and transitive verb

1.  try
too hard to overcome: to try too hard to make up
for a disadvantage or shortcoming and fall into a fault of another kind

2.  reward
too much:
to pay somebody too much in recompense or compensation for something done
—o·ver·com·pen·sa·tion
[vər kómpən sáysh’n], noun

—o·ver·com·pen·sa·to·ry
[vər kəm pénsə tàwree], adjective[1]



overconfident

overconfident
o·ver·con·fi·dent 
[vər kónfidənt] adjective

too
confident:
excessively confident or self-assured
—o·ver·con·fi·dence,
noun

—o·ver·con·fi·dent·ly,
adverb[1]



overcook

overcook
o·ver·cook
[vər kk] (past o·ver·cooked,
past participle o·ver·cooked, present participle o·ver·cook·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·cooks) transitive verb

cook something too long:
to cook something so long that it loses its flavor and texture[1]



overcorrect

overcorrect
o·ver·cor·rect 
[vər kə rékt] intransitive and
transitive verb (past o·ver·cor·rect·ed, past participle
o·ver·cor·rect·ed, present participle o·ver·cor·rect·ing, 3rd
person present singular o·ver·cor·rects)

correct
something more than is necessary: to do too much when
trying to correct a mistake or fault, usually so that a further mistake is made
adjective

too correct:
excessively exact or proper[1]



overcorrection

overcorrection
o·ver·cor·rec·tion
[vər kə rékshən] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS See hypercorrection

2.  unnecessary
correcting of something: the fact of overcorrecting a
mistake or fault

[1]



overcritical

overcritical
o·ver·crit·i·cal 
[vər kríttik’l] adjective

too
critical:
judging or criticizing somebody or something too harshly or too fastidiously
—o·ver·crit·i·cal·ness,
noun[1]



overcrop

overcrop
o·ver·crop 
[vər króp] (past o·ver·cropped,
past participle o·ver·cropped, present participle o·ver·crop·ping,
3rd person present singular o·ver·crops) transitive verb

make infertile by cultivating
continuously: to make soil infertile
by removing its nutrients through continuous cultivation[1]



overcrowd

overcrowd
o·ver·crowd 
[vər krówd] (past o·ver·crowd·ed,
past participle o·ver·crowd·ed, present participle o·ver·crowd·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·crowds) transitive verb

make
something too crowded: to put more people or things
into an area than it is comfortably able to hold (often passive)
—o·ver·crowd·ed,
adjective

—o·ver·crowd·ing, noun[1]



overdevelop

overdevelop
o·ver·de·vel·op 
[vər di vélləp] (past o·ver·de·vel·oped,
past participle o·ver·de·vel·oped, present participle o·ver·de·vel·op·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·de·vel·ops) transitive verb

1.  develop
something excessively: to develop something, for
example, muscles or previously open land, to excess

2.  develop
film too much: to exceed the amount of time,
temperature, or strength of solution required to develop a photographic film,
thereby producing too much contrast
—o·ver·de·vel·op·ment,
noun[1]



overdo

overdo
o·ver·do 
[vər d] (past o·ver·did [vər díd], past participle o·ver·done
[vər dún], present participle o·ver·do·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·does) transitive verb

1.  overcook
something:
to cook food for too long

2.  spoil
effect by exaggeration: to spoil the effect of
something by exaggerating it • You
really overdid the sympathetic friend act on that occasion.

3.  do
something to excess: to do something too much,
often with a harmful effect
[Old
English]
—o·ver·do·er,
noun
overdo
it

1.  to
work too hard and tire yourself

2.  to
do something to excess

[1]



overdog

overdog
o·ver·dog 
[ṓvər dòg] (plural o·ver·dogs)
noun

somebody
powerful or in command: somebody who is favored in a
contest or powerful or in command (humorous)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from dog, on the model of underdog .][1]



overdone

overdone
o·ver·done


Past participle of
overdo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overdose

overdose
o·ver·dose 
noun [ṓvər dss] (plural o·ver·dos·es)

dangerous
amount of drug: dangerously large dose of a drug,
especially a narcotic, causing hospitalization or death
intransitive
and transitive verb [vər
dṓss] (past o·ver·dosed, past participle o·ver·dosed,
present participle o·ver·dos·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·dos·es)

take or give overdose:
to take or give somebody an overdose[1]



overdraft

overdraft
o·ver·draft 
[ṓvər dràft] (plural o·ver·drafts)
noun

1.  amount
owed to bank: the amount that an account holder owes a
bank because the balance in the account does not cover the amount that he or
she has withdrawn from or debited to it

2.  borrowing
limit:
a limit up to which an account holder may borrow from a bank when there are no
funds in his or her checking account

3.  air
current over fire: a current of air passed over
a fire, for example, in a furnace or kiln.
Also
called
overdraught
U.K.
term
overdraught

[1]



overdramatize

overdramatize
o·ver·dra·ma·tize
[vər drámmə tz, vər
drmə tz] (past o·ver·dra·ma·tized, past participle
o·ver·dra·ma·tized, present participle o·ver·dra·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·dra·ma·tiz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

dramatize excessively:
to behave, or to treat something, in an excessively dramatic way, for example,
by exaggerating the strength of your feelings or the gravity of a situation[1]



overdraught

overdraught
o·ver·draught
[ṓvər dràft] (plural over·draughts)
noun

See
overdraft[1]



overdraw

overdraw
o·ver·draw 
[vər dráw] (past o·ver·drew [vər dr], past participle o·ver·drawn
[vər dráwn], present participle o·ver·draw·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·draws) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb FINANCE lack enough funds in bank
account:
to withdraw or have debited more money from a bank account than it has credited
to it, so that money is owed to the bank

2.  transitive
verb
exaggerate
something:
to exaggerate in describing or telling about something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARCHERY pull bow too tight:
to pull a bow too tight

[1]



overdrawn

overdrawn
o·ver·drawn
adjective

1.  having
withdrawn more than account contains: owing
money to a bank because an account has had more money withdrawn or debited from
it than credited to it

2.  exaggerated:
showing exaggeration in the description of something

[1]



overdress

overdress
o·ver·dress
[vər dréss] intransitive and transitive
verb (past o·ver·dressed, past participle o·ver·dressed,
present participle o·ver·dress·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·dress·es)

dress
too elaborately: to dress, or to dress somebody, more
formally or elaborately or in more clothes than the situation requires (often
passive)
noun
(plural o·ver·dress·es)

dress worn over outer
clothing: a dress that is intended to
be worn over other outer clothing[1]



overdrew

overdrew
overdrew
verb

Past tense of
overdraw[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overdrive

overdrive
o·ver·drive 
noun [ṓvər drv]

1.  highest
engine gear: the highest gear in the engine of a
motor vehicle that is used at high speeds for fuel economy and to save engine
wear

2.  extra
hard level of activity: a particularly intense and
productive mode of activity, usually possible only for short periods (informal)
• Production
has gone into overdrive.
transitive
verb
[vər drv] (past o·ver·drove
[vər drṓv], past participle o·ver·driv·en
[vər drívv’n], present participle o·ver·driv·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·drives)

drive too hard:
to drive somebody, something, or yourself too hard

[1]



overdub

overdub
o·ver·dub 
[ṓvər dùb] intransitive and transitive
verb (past o·ver·dubbed, past participle o·ver·dubbed,
present participle o·ver·dub·bing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·dubs)

record
extra sound or music for: to add supplementary sound
or music to a recording
noun
(plural o·ver·dubs)

extra layer of recorded
sound: a supplementary layer of
sound or music added onto a recording[1]



overdue

overdue
o·ver·due 
[vər d] adjective

late or delayed:
late or after the scheduled time, especially in arriving, occurring, or being
paid • The
library said the books were overdue.[1]



overdye

overdye
o·ver·dye
[vər d] (past o·ver·dyed, past
participle o·ver·dyed, present participle o·ver·dy·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·dyes) transitive verb

1.  dye
something too much: to use too much dye on
something

2.  dye
with another color: to dye a fabric with another
color over the original one

[1]



overeat

overeat
o·ver·eat 
[vər t] (past o·ver·ate [vər áyt], past participle o·ver·eat·en
[vər t’n], present participle o·ver·eat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·eats) intransitive verb

eat
too much food: to eat too much food, especially
habitually
—o·ver·eat·er,
noun

—o·ver·eat·ing, noun[1]



overelaborate

overelaborate
o·ver·e·lab·o·rate
[vər i lábbə ràyt] adjective

too
elaborate:
excessively elaborate, fussy, or detailed
intransitive
and transitive verb (past o·ver·e·lab·o·rat·ed,
past participle o·ver·e·lab·o·rat·ed, present participle o·ver·e·lab·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·e·lab·o·rates)

make something too elaborate:
to add or give too much elaboration or detail to something[1]



overemphasize

overemphasize
o·ver·em·pha·size 
[vər émfə sz] (past o·ver·em·pha·sized,
past participle o·ver·em·pha·sized, present participle o·ver·em·pha·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·em·pha·siz·es) transitive
verb

give too much emphasis to
something: to give something too much
importance, attention, or force[1]



overestimate

overestimate
o·ver·es·ti·mate 
transitive verb [vər éstə màyt] (past
o·ver·es·ti·mat·ed, past participle o·ver·es·ti·mat·ed, present
participle o·ver·es·ti·mat·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·es·ti·mates)

1.  calculate
something too highly: to calculate the amount,
value, or quantity of something at too high a level

2.  give
excessive merit or importance to: to judge somebody or
something to be better, greater, or more important than he, she, or it actually
is
noun
[vər éstəmət] (plural o·ver·es·ti·mates)

excessively high estimate:
an estimate that is too high
—o·ver·es·ti·ma·tion [vər éstə máysh’n], noun[1]



overexpose

overexpose
o·ver·ex·pose 
[vər ik spṓz] (past o·ver·ex·posed,
past participle o·ver·ex·posed, present participle o·ver·ex·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·ex·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  expose
film to too much light: to expose a photographic
medium such as film to too much light or for too long a time, so that the
colors or tones in the resulting photograph are too light

2.  allow
somebody too much of something: to allow somebody, or
expose somebody to, too much of something, especially to allow somebody to
appear in public or in the media too often
—o·ver·ex·po·sure, noun[1]



overextend

overextend
o·ver·ex·tend 
[vər ik sténd] (past o·ver·ex·tend·ed,
past participle o·ver·ex·tend·ed, present participle o·ver·ex·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·ex·tends) verb

1.  reflexive
verb
risk
financial ruin: to risk financial ruin by borrowing
excessively, spending too much, or overcommitting resources

2.  transitive
verb
stretch
limits of resources: to force somebody,
something, or yourself beyond a safe or reasonable limit

3.  transitive
verb
prolong
something beyond expected duration: to
prolong something beyond its normal or expected duration

[1]



overfamiliar

overfamiliar
o·ver·fa·mil·i·ar 
[vər fə míllee ər] adjective

1.  too
friendly:
more friendly, informal, or intimate than is appropriate

2.  too
well known:
used so much or so well known as to be boring or ineffective
—o·ver·fa·mil·iar·i·ty
[vər fə míllee áirətee], noun[1]



overfill

overfill
o·ver·fill 
[vər fíl] (past o·ver·filled,
past participle o·ver·filled, present participle o·ver·fill·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·fills) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become too full:
to become, or to make somebody or something become, too full[1]



overfish

overfish
o·ver·fish 
[vər físh] (past o·ver·fished,
past participle o·ver·fished, present participle o·ver·fish·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·fish·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

deplete supply of fish in:
to take too many fish from a body of water and so deplete its population[1]



overflew

overflew
overflew


Past tense of
overfly[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overflight

overflight
o·ver·flight 
[ṓvər flt] (plural o·ver·flights)
noun

flight over area:
the flight of an aircraft or birds over an area[1]



overflow

overflow
o·ver·flow 
verb [vər flṓ] (past o·ver·flowed,
past participle o·ver·flowed, present participle o·ver·flow·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·flows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
or pour over: to pour out over the limits or edge of a
container because the container is too full of liquid

2.  transitive
verb
flood
something:
to flood, cover, or flow over the surface of something

3.  transitive
verb
spread
beyond limits of something: to spread beyond the area
intended to contain it • The
crowd overflowed the hall into the street outside.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
overwhelmed by emotion: to be so full of an emotion
as to feel the need to express it
noun
[ṓvər fl] (plural o·ver·flows)

1.  excess
liquid contents: excess liquid that flows or pours over
the edge of something

2.  excess
people or things: people or things that cannot be
contained in the space originally set aside for them

3.  outlet
that prevents flooding: an outlet that allows
something, usually a liquid, to escape before it runs over the top of its
container, for example, water in a cistern

4.  amount
in excess of limit: the amount by which a limit
is exceeded

5.  computer’s
inability to handle large data: the inability of a
location in computer memory to handle data of an excessively large magnitude,
or an instance of this • an
overflow error.
See
also
underflow

[1]



overfly

overfly
o·ver·fly 
[vər fl] (past o·ver·flew [vər fl], past participle o·ver·flown
[vər flṓn], present participle o·ver·fly·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·flies) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  fly
above area:
to fly over an area

2.  overshoot:
to fly past a specific point • The
plane has overflown the runway.

[1]



overfold

overfold
o·ver·fold
[ṓvər fld] (plural o·ver·folds)
noun

tipped geological fold:
a geological fold that has turned over on itself so that both sides dip in the
same direction, causing the middle strata to be upside down[1]



overgarment

overgarment
o·ver·gar·ment 
[ṓvər grmənt] (plural o·ver·gar·ments)
noun

garment worn over other
clothes: an article of clothing such
as an outer garment or protective wear worn on top of other clothes[1]



overglaze

overglaze
o·ver·glaze 
noun [ṓvər glàyz] (plural o·ver·glaz·es)

1.  extra
glaze on pottery: an additional coat of glaze applied to
pottery or porcelain

2.  top
layer of decoration on pottery: a decoration applied
to pottery or porcelain on top of the glaze
transitive
verb
[vər gláyz, ṓvər
glàyz] (past o·ver·glazed, past participle o·ver·glazed,
present participle o·ver·glaz·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·glaz·es)

apply glaze or overglaze to pottery:
to apply a glaze or overglaze to pottery or porcelain
adjective

applied on top of glaze:
applied on top of a ceramic glaze • overglaze
colors

[1]



overgraze

overgraze
o·ver·graze 
[vər gráyz] (past o·ver·grazed,
past participle o·ver·grazed, present participle o·ver·graz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·graz·es) transitive verb

damage pasture with too much
stock: to graze land to the point
that vegetation is harmed and as a consequence can no longer support stock (often
passive)[1]



overgrow

overgrow
o·ver·grow 
[vər grṓ] (past o·ver·grew [vər gr], past participle o·ver·grown
[vər grṓn], present participle o·ver·grow·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·grows) intransitive and
transitive verb

grow
too large for allotted space: to grow so large, dense, or
extensive as to cover the area of ground or container it is planted in and
hinder the growth of other plants
—o·ver·growth [ṓvər grth], noun[1]



overgrown

overgrown
o·ver·grown
adjective

1.  covered
with vegetation growing without check:
covered with plants or weeds that have been allowed to grow without check

2.  grown
too much for allotted space: grown too dense, large, or
extensive for the area of ground or container in which it is planted

3.  immature:
grown to a large or adult size, but remaining immature • behaving
like an overgrown schoolboy

[1]



overhand

overhand
o·ver·hand 
[ṓvər hànd] adjective

1.  made
with hand raised over shoulder: made with the hand
coming forward in a semicircular motion from behind and above the shoulder

2.  sewn
on top of seam: sewn with small vertical stitches
passing over the two edges that are being joined together to make a seam
adverb

with hand above shoulder:
with the hand coming forward in a semicircular motion from behind and above the
shoulder.
U.K.
term
overarm
noun

something performed overhand:
a stroke, throw, or delivery of something made with an overhand motion

[1]



overhandknot

overhandknot

o·ver·hand knot
(plural o·ver·hand knots) noun
knot preventing end from fraying:
a knot formed by passing one end of a cord or rope through a loop formed on
another part of it, often used to prevent an end from fraying.
Also called
single knot
Also called
thumb knot[1]



overhang

overhang
o·ver·hang 
verb [vər háng] (past o·ver·hung
[vər húng], past participle o·ver·hung,
present participle o·ver·hang·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·hangs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb project
over:
to project or extend over something leaving a sheltered space beneath

2.  transitive
verb
loom
over somebody: to threaten or loom over somebody or
something
noun
[ṓvər hàng] (plural o·ver·hangs)

1.  projection:
something, for example, part of a rock face or the edge of a roof, that
projects out over the space beneath

2.  extent
of projection: the degree or amount by which something
projects or extends over something

3.  half
difference in wingspan: half the difference in the
span of the two wings of a biplane

4.  distance
to wing end on monoplane: the distance from the last
outer strut to the end of a monoplane’s wing

[1]



overhaul

overhaul
o·ver·haul 
transitive verb [vər háwl, ṓvər hàwl] (past o·ver·hauled, past
participle o·ver·hauled, present participle o·ver·haul·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·hauls)

1.  look
for mechanical defects: to examine a piece of
machinery thoroughly to identify defects

2.  repair
machine extensively: to carry out comprehensive
repairs and adjustments to a piece of machinery

3.  revise
something thoroughly: to examine and revise
something thoroughly

4.  gradually
overtake somebody: to catch up with and
overtake somebody or something

5.  SAILING slacken
or release something: to slacken or release
something such as a rope or the blocks of a tackle
noun
[ṓvər hàwl] (plural o·ver·hauls)

comprehensive repair:
a comprehensive examination and repair of something
—o·ver·haul·er, noun[1]



overhead

overhead
o·ver·head 
adverb [vər héd]

directly above:
directly above somebody or something, especially up in the air
adjective
[ṓvər hèd]

1.  positioned
directly above: positioned directly above somebody or
something

2.  hit
with racket above head: played hard and downward,
with the racket held high above the head

3.  relating
to ongoing costs: relating to the general recurring costs
of running a business, for example, rent, maintenance, and utilities
noun
[ṓvər hèd] (plural o·ver·heads)

1.  ongoing
business costs: the general recurring costs of running a
business, excluding the costs of labor and materials, for example, rent,
maintenance, and utilities

2.  shot
in racket games: a shot played hard and downward, with
the racket held above head height

3.  See
overhead projection

4.  See
overhead projector

5.  something
located above: something such as a light that is
mounted or located in an overhead position

6.  extra
space in computer: excess capacity for support,
checking, or memory to run programs in a computer operating system

[1]



overheadcamshaft

overheadcamshaft
o·ver·head
cam·shaft
(plural o·ver·head cam·shafts) or o·ver·head cam (plural
o·ver·head cams) noun

camshaft located in engine
head: a camshaft in an
internal-combustion engine that is mounted above the cylinder heads and
controls the operation, opening, and closing of the cylinder’s valves[1]



overheadcompartment

overheadcompartment
o·ver·head
com·part·ment noun

airplane luggage compartment:
a luggage compartment above the passenger seats for holding carry-on luggage in
an airplane[1]



overheadprojection

overheadprojection
o·ver·head
pro·jec·tion (plural o·ver·head
pro·jec·tions) noun

1.  transparency
for overhead projector: a transparent sheet placed
on an overhead projector so that its enlarged image can be projected on a
screen or other surface.
Also
called
overhead

2.  use
or result of overhead projector: the use or the image
produced by the use of an overhead projector

[1]



overheadprojector

overheadprojector
o·ver·head
pro·jec·tor
(plural o·ver·head pro·jec·tors) noun

projector with flat top:
a projector with a flat, transparent top on which a sheetlike transparency is
placed, the enlarged image being projected on a screen or other surface.
Also called
overhead[1]



overhead-valveengine

overhead-valveengine
o·ver·head-valve
en·gine
(plural o·ver·head-valve en·gines) noun

U.K.
See valve-in-head engine[1]



overhear

overhear
o·ver·hear 
[vər h ər] (past o·ver·heard
[vər húrd], past participle o·ver·heard,
present participle o·ver·hear·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·hears) intransitive and transitive verb

hear
what is said to others: to hear what somebody is
saying only to others
[Old English][1]



overheat

overheat
o·ver·heat 
[vər ht] (past o·ver·heat·ed,
past participle o·ver·heat·ed, present participle o·ver·heat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·heats) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  become
or make too hot: to become, or to make somebody or
something become, too hot

2.  ECONOMICS grow
too quickly: to experience too rapid growth in demand
with a resultant increase in inflation, or to cause too rapid growth in an
economy

3.  make
or become too excited: to become, or to make
somebody become, too excited, agitated, or angry (usually passive)

[1]



overhit

overhit
o·ver·hit 
[vər hít] (past o·ver·hit, past
participle o·ver·hit, present participle o·ver·hit·ting,
3rd person present singular o·ver·hits) intransitive and
transitive verb

hit too hard:
to hit a ball too hard or put too much force into a stroke[1]



overhung

overhung
o·ver·hung


Past tense of
overhang Past participle of overhang[1]



overhype

overhype
o·ver·hype 
[vər hp] (past o·ver·hyped, past
participle o·ver·hyped, present participle o·ver·hyp·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·hypes) transitive verb

publicize too much:
to praise and publicize somebody or something excessively or misleadingly (informal)[1]



overindulge

overindulge
o·ver·in·dulge 
[vər in dúlj] (past o·ver·in·dulged,
past participle o·ver·in·dulged, present participle o·ver·in·dulg·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·in·dulg·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb permit
too much:
to give in to a desire for something too lavishly or too often, especially to
eat or drink too much

2.  transitive
verb
be
too indulgent with somebody: to allow somebody to do or
have what he or she wants too much
—o·ver·in·dul·gence,
noun

—o·ver·in·dul·gent,
adjective

—o·ver·in·dul·gent·ly,
adverb[1]



overjoyed

overjoyed
o·ver·joyed
[vər jóyd] adjective

very pleased:
extremely delighted[1]



overkill

overkill
o·ver·kill 
noun [ṓvər kìl]

1.  excess:
action that far exceeds what is needed in order to achieve a result

2.  greater
destructive capacity than needed: the capacity of
weaponry, especially nuclear weapons, to cause greater damage or destruction
than is necessary to accomplish a mission
intransitive
and transitive verb [vər
kíl] (past o·ver·killed, past participle o·ver·killed,
present participle o·ver·kill·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·kills)

destroy with excess of weapons:
to use excessive force, especially far more nuclear weapons than necessary, to
destroy an enemy or place

[1]



overladen

overladen
o·ver·lad·en 
[vər láyd’n] adjective

carrying too much:
carrying too heavy a physical or emotional load[1]



overland

overland
o·ver·land 
[ṓvər lànd] adverb

by
land:
by or across land
adjective

taking
place on land: made by land, as a journey, or used for
moving across land
—o·ver·land·er [ṓvər làndər], noun[1]



OverlandPark

OverlandPark
O·ver·land
Park 
[ṓvər lànd prk]

city in northeastern Kansas.
It is a southern suburb of Kansas City. Population: 131,053 (1996)[1]



overlap

overlap
o·ver·lap 
verb [vər láp] (past o·ver·lapped,
past participle o·ver·lapped, present participle o·ver·lap·ping,
3rd person present singular o·ver·laps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb place
or be over:
to position things in such a way that the edge of one thing is on top of and
extending past the edge of another, or to be positioned in this way • The
roofers overlapped the shingles.

2.  transitive
verb
extend
beyond something: to cover something such as a boundary or
edge, and extend beyond it • The
tablecloth overlapped the table by several inches.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb coincide:
to coincide or correspond in part with something in time, function, or purpose,
or to make something coincide or correspond with something else • Her
area of responsibility to some extent overlaps mine.
noun
[ṓvər làp] (plural o·ver·laps)

1.  partial
overlay:
an edge that partly covers or is covered by something else

2.  extent
of overlap:
the amount by which something overlaps something else • It
needs an overlap of six inches.

3.  partial
coincidence or correspondence: a partial coincidence
or correspondence of two things in time, function, or purpose

4.  GEOLOGY younger
sedimentary rock over older layer: a younger layer of
sedimentary rock that extends over an older layer and conceals it completely
[Early 18th century. Formed
from lap .][1]



overlay

overlay2
o·ver·lay2

Past tense of
overlie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overlay

overlay1
o·ver·lay1 transitive verb [vər láy] (past o·ver·laid [vər láyd], past participle o·ver·laid,
present participle o·ver·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·lays)

1.  place
something as covering: to place a covering or
covering layer of something on top of something else

2.  cover
something:
to cover the surface of something with something else

3.  apply
decoration to surface: to apply a decorative
material to a surface (often passive)

4.  PRINTING equalize
pressure over: to affix a piece of paper to the surface
of a press to help make a uniform impression on a form or plate
noun
[ṓvər lày] (plural o·ver·lays)

1.  covering:
a covering or covering layer laid on top of something else

2.  extra
decorative layer: an layer of decorative material applied
to a surface

3.  additional
transparency laid on top: a transparent sheet
containing additional details, for example, a chart or map, that is placed on
top of another transparency in an overhead projector during a presentation or
lecture

4.  PRINTING paper
to equalize printing pressure: a piece of paper used
to equalize the pressure on a form or printing plate before printing

[1]



overleaf

overleaf
o·ver·leaf 
[vər lf] adverb

on other side of page:
on the other side of the page[1]



overlie

overlie
o·ver·lie 
[vər l] (past o·ver·lay [vər láy], past participle o·ver·lain
[vər láyn], present participle o·ver·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·lies) transitive verb

1.  lie
on top of:
to lie on top of somebody or something

2.  smother
offspring:
to kill a newborn baby or animal by accidentally lying on and smothering it

[1]



overload

overload
o·ver·load 
transitive verb [vər lṓd] (past
o·ver·load·ed, past participle o·ver·load·ed, present
participle o·ver·load·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·loads)

1.  put
excessive load on something: to put too large or heavy a
load on somebody or something or in something

2.  ELECTRICITY fuse
electrical system: to use more current than an
electrical system can handle, for example, by using too many electrical
appliances simultaneously

3.  overburden
somebody:
to give somebody too much work, stress, or other difficulty
noun
[ṓvər ld] (plural o·ver·loads)

1.  ELECTRICITY excessive
electrical load: a greater amount of electrical current
than an electrical system can handle

2.  excessive
physical weight: something that is physically too heavy
or too much to carry

3.  excessive
mental or emotional burden: something that is mentally
or emotionally too difficult to cope with

4.  mental
or emotional exhaustion or confusion: the
condition of having an excessive mental or emotional burden (informal) • I’m
in overload right now.

[1]



overlock

overlock
o·ver·lock
[vər lók] noun

invisible stitching:
a sewing technique using an invisible hem stitch made by a sewing machine or a
special device[1]



overlong

overlong
o·ver·long 
[vər láwng] adjective

too
long:
too long in extent or duration
adverb

for too long:
for too long a time[1]



overlook

overlook
o·ver·look 
transitive verb [vər lk] (past
o·ver·looked, past participle o·ver·looked, present
participle o·ver·look·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·looks)

1.  miss
something:
to miss or fail to notice something

2.  ignore:
to choose to disregard or ignore a shortcoming or fault

3.  look
down at something: to look at something from
above

4.  provide
view of something: to provide a view of
something, especially from above

5.  be
above something: to be located high above something

6.  examine
something:
to look at something with care

7.  supervise
somebody:
to observe somebody while he or she works
noun
[ṓvər lk] (plural o·ver·looks)

viewing spot: a
place that gives a view down over something • We
hiked up to the overlook for a great view of the wilderness area.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at neglect

[1]



overlord

overlord
o·ver·lord 
[ṓvər làwrd] (plural o·ver·lords)
noun

1.  principal
ruler:
a ruler with overall power, usually over several subservient rulers, and
especially somebody who ruled over other lords in a feudal system

2.  somebody
powerful:
somebody of great power or influence
—o·ver·lord·ship, noun[1]



overly

overly
o·ver·ly 
[ṓvərlee] adverb

too
much:
to an extreme or excessive degree
[Old English][1]



overman

overman
o·ver·man 
transitive verb [vər mán] (past
o·ver·manned, past participle o·ver·manned, present
participle o·ver·man·ning, 3rd person present singular o·ver·mans)

See overstaff
noun
[ṓvər màn] (plural o·ver·men [ṓvər mèn])

1.  supervisor:
a man who supervises other workers (archaic)

2.  superman
in Nietzschean thought: in the thought of Friedrich
Nietzsche, a man whose superior powers of creativity and insight enable him to
live beyond standards of good and evil
—o·ver·man·ning, noun[1]



overmantel

overmantel
o·ver·man·tel 
[ṓvər mànt’l] (plural o·ver·man·tels)
noun

mantel shelf:
an ornamental shelf above a mantelpiece[1]



overmaster

overmaster
o·ver·mas·ter 
[vər mástər] (past o·ver·mas·tered,
past participle o·ver·mas·tered, present participle o·ver·mas·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·mas·ters) transitive verb

overpower somebody:
to conquer somebody’s resistance or break down somebody’s self-control and take
control of him or her (literary) • an
overmastering urge to tell her precisely what I thought of her[1]



overmatch

overmatch
o·ver·match 
transitive verb [vər mách, ṓvər màch] (past o·ver·matched, past
participle o·ver·matched, present participle o·ver·match·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·match·es)

1.  provide
with superior opponent: to provide somebody with an
opponent who is likely to defeat him or her easily

2.  defeat:
to be superior enough to defeat or surpass somebody or something
noun
[ṓvər màch] (plural o·ver·match·es)

unequal contest:
a contest in which one competitor is far superior to another

[1]



overmatter

overmatter
o·ver·mat·ter
noun

excess typeset copy:
copy typeset in excess of the space available for it[1]



overmedicate

overmedicate
o·ver·med·i·cate 
[vər méddi kàyt] (past o·ver·med·i·cat·ed,
past participle o·ver·med·i·cat·ed, present participle o·ver·med·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·med·i·cates) transitive verb

give
excessive medication to somebody: to give somebody or
yourself too much medication
—o·ver·med·i·ca·tion [vər meddi káysh’n], noun[1]



overmuch

overmuch
o·ver·much 
[vər múch] adverb

to
excess:
to an excessive degree
adjective

excessive:
too much
noun

excessive quantity:
an excessive quantity or amount[1]



overnight

overnight
o·ver·night 
[vər nt, ṓvər
nt] adverb

1.  throughout
the night:
for the duration of the entire night

2.  during
night:
at some point in the course of the night

3.  very
quickly:
within a very short time • It
became a bestseller overnight.
adjective

1.  lasting
one night:
lasting throughout a night

2.  spending
night:
resident for the night

3.  occurring
at night:
taking place during the night

4.  used
when spending a night: used when staying overnight
somewhere

5.  extremely
sudden:
happening in a very short time • an
overnight success

6.  intended
for next-day delivery: guaranteed to get to the
intended destination by the next day
verb
(past o·ver·night·ed, past participle o·ver·night·ed,
present participle o·ver·night·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·nights)

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
night:
to stay somewhere for the night

2.  transitive
verb
mail
something for next-day delivery: to send something by
express mail for next-day delivery
noun
(plural o·ver·nights)

overnight trip:
an overnight stay or trip

[1]



overnightbag

overnightbag
o·ver·night
bag
(plural o·ver·night bags) or o·ver·night case (plural
o·ver·night cas·es) noun

bag for overnight stay:
a small piece of baggage used to carry necessities for a trip lasting one night[1]



overnighter

overnighter
o·ver·night·er 
[vər ntər] (plural o·ver·night·ers)
noun

1.  overnight
trip:
an trip lasting one night (informal)

2.  somebody
on an overnight stay: somebody who takes an
overnight trip or stays somewhere overnight

[1]



overoptimistic

overoptimistic
o·ver·op·ti·mis·tic 
[vər opti místik] adjective

excessively
optimistic:
unrealistically hopeful about the future
—o·ver·op·ti·mism
[vər ópti mìzzəm], noun

—o·ver·op·ti·mis·ti·cal·ly
[vər opti místikəlee], adverb[1]



overpass

overpass
o·ver·pass 
noun [ṓvər pàss]

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand route
crossing over another: a road,
bridge, or passage that crosses over another route[1]



overpay

overpay
o·ver·pay 
[vər páy] (past o·ver·paid [vər páyd], past participle o·ver·paid,
present participle o·ver·pay·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·pays) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  pay
more than job warrants: to pay somebody at a rate
that is too high for the job

2.  pay
too much by mistake: to pay somebody too much for
something as a result of an error

[1]



overpersuade

overpersuade
o·ver·per·suade 
[vər pər swáyd] (past o·ver·per·suad·ed,
past participle o·ver·per·suad·ed, present participle o·ver·per·suad·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·per·suades) transitive verb

persuade somebody against
inclination: to persuade somebody to
act contrary to his or her inclination or judgment[1]



overplay

overplay
o·ver·play 
[vər pláy] (past o·ver·played,
past participle o·ver·played, present participle o·ver·play·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·plays) verb

1.  transitive
verb
overstate
something:
to exaggerate the importance or strength of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb overdo:
to play a part or role in an exaggeratedly dramatic or theatrical way

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
something too hard or far: to hit or kick a ball too
hard or too far
overplay
your hand

to make overconfident or
heavy-handed use of an advantage or strong position and fail as a result[1]



overplus

overplus
o·ver·plus 
[ṓvər plùss] (plural o·ver·plus·es)
noun

surplus:
a larger amount than is needed or appropriate
[14th century. Translation of
French surplus .][1]



overpopulate

overpopulate
o·ver·pop·u·late 
[vər póppyə làyt] (past o·ver·pop·u·lat·ed,
past participle o·ver·pop·u·lat·ed, present participle o·ver·pop·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pop·u·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
increase
population of place too much: to increase the population
of a place so much that the amount of space, food, water, or other resources
available to support it is insufficient (often passive)

2.  intransitive
verb
reproduce
to excess:
to increase to unsustainable or undesirable numbers by excessive reproduction
—o·ver·pop·u·la·tion [vər poppyə láysh’n], noun[1]



overpower

overpower
o·ver·pow·er 
[vər pówr] (past o·ver·pow·ered,
past participle o·ver·pow·ered, present participle o·ver·pow·er·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pow·ers) transitive verb

1.  subdue
somebody physically: to use superior strength or
force to defeat somebody, especially to make somebody physically helpless and
unable to fight

2.  overwhelm
somebody mentally: to have so strong an effect
on somebody that he or she is unable to resist or control it

3.  give
something excessive power: to supply something,
especially a car, with more power than necessary

[1]



overpowering

overpowering
o·ver·pow·er·ing 
[vər pówring] adjective

1.  irresistible:
impossible to resist or control • an
overpowering urge to laugh

2.  physically
overwhelming: with overwhelmingly superior physical
strength
—o·ver·pow·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



overprescribe

overprescribe
o·ver·pre·scribe 
[vər pri skrb] (past o·ver·pre·scribed,
past participle o·ver·pre·scribed, present participle o·ver·pre·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pre·scribes) intransitive
and transitive verb

prescribe
excessive medication: to prescribe too much
medication for somebody
—o·ver·pre·scrip·tion,
noun[1]



overpressure

overpressure
o·ver·pres·sure 
[ṓvər prèshər, vər
préshər] noun

increase in air pressure:
the amount that atmospheric pressure exceeds normal levels, for example, in a
shock wave from an explosion or an accelerating aircraft[1]



overprice

overprice
o·ver·price 
[vər prss] (past o·ver·priced,
past participle o·ver·priced, present participle o·ver·pric·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pric·es) transitive verb

charge too much for
something: to charge too high a price
for something (often passive)[1]



overprint

overprint
o·ver·print 
intransitive and transitive verb [vər prínt,
ṓvər prìnt] (past o·ver·print·ed,
past participle o·ver·print·ed, present participle o·ver·print·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·prints)

add printing to something:
to print something additional on an already printed surface, especially in
order to add text, numbers, or another color
noun
[vər prínt] (plural o·ver·prints)

1.  additional
printing:
an additional printing on a surface, especially text, numbers, or another
color.
Also
called
surprint

2.  overprinted
postage stamp: a postage stamp with additional
information printed on its surface

[1]



overprivileged

overprivileged
o·ver·priv·i·leged 
[vər prívvəlijd, vər
prívvlijd] adjective

with too many advantages:
having too many advantages in life[1]



overprize

overprize
o·ver·prize 
[vər prz] (past o·ver·prized,
past participle o·ver·prized, present participle o·ver·priz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·priz·es) transitive verb

value something too highly:
to regard something as more valuable and important than it really is[1]



overproof

overproof
o·ver·proof 
[vər prf] adjective

extremely high in alcohol
content: higher in alcohol content
than in proof spirit[1]



overproportion

overproportion
o·ver·pro·por·tion 
[vər prə páwrsh’n] (past o·ver·pro·por·tioned,
past participle o·ver·pro·por·tioned, present participle o·ver·pro·por·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pro·por·tions, plural o·ver·pro·por·tions)
transitive verb

make
something bigger than usual: to make something larger
than is usual or needed and out of proportion to other things
—o·ver·pro·por·tion·ate·ly,
adverb[1]



overprotect

overprotect
o·ver·pro·tect 
[vər prə tékt] (past o·ver·pro·tect·ed,
past participle o·ver·pro·tect·ed, present participle o·ver·pro·tect·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·pro·tects) transitive verb

protect
somebody too much: to protect somebody or
something more than is necessary or wise, especially to shield a child too much
from the realities of life
—o·ver·pro·tec·tion,
noun

—o·ver·pro·tec·tive, adjective[1]



overqualified

overqualified
o·ver·qual·i·fied 
[vər kwóllə fd] adjective

too highly qualified for job:
with more academic or vocational qualifications or experience than is necessary
or desirable for a job[1]



overrate

overrate
o·ver·rate 
[vər ráyt] (past o·ver·rat·ed,
past participle o·ver·rat·ed, present participle o·ver·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·rates) transitive verb

overvalue
something:
to regard somebody as better or more capable, or something as greater, than is
in fact the case
—o·ver·rat·ed, adjective[1]



overreach

overreach
o·ver·reach 
[vər rch] (past o·ver·reached,
past participle o·ver·reached, present participle o·ver·reach·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·reach·es) verb

1.  reflexive
verb
fail
through overambition: to fail through trying to do
things that are beyond your abilities

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
too far or beyond something: to reach or extend too far
or beyond something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb defeat
by trickery: to get the better of somebody by
trickery or deception

4.  transitive
verb
overtake
somebody:
to catch up with and pass somebody or something

5.  intransitive
verb
hurt
one foot with another: to strike and injure the
forefoot with the hindfoot while walking or running (refers to a horse)

6.  intransitive
verb
sail
on tack longer than necessary: to sail on a tack
longer than is wanted or needed

[1]



overreact

overreact
o·ver·re·act 
[vər ree ákt] (past o·ver·re·act·ed,
past participle o·ver·re·act·ed, present participle o·ver·re·act·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·re·acts) intransitive verb

react
too strongly: to react to something with
disproportionate action or excessive emotion
—o·ver·re·ac·tion,
noun

—o·ver·re·ac·tive, adjective[1]



overrefine

overrefine
o·ver·re·fine 
[vər ri fn] (past o·ver·re·fined,
past participle o·ver·re·fined, present participle o·ver·re·fin·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·re·fines) intransitive and
transitive verb

refine
something too much: to make something more
refined, subtle, or fastidious than is desirable or appropriate, especially to
make too many subtle points or distinctions in presenting an argument
—o·ver·re·fine·ment, noun[1]



overregulate

overregulate
o·ver·reg·u·late 
[vər réggyə làyt] (past o·ver·reg·u·lat·ed,
past participle o·ver·reg·u·lat·ed, present participle o·ver·reg·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·reg·u·lates) transitive verb

regulate something too much:
to impose too many regulations on somebody or something, especially a
government on an industry[1]



overrepresented

overrepresented
o·ver·rep·re·sent·ed 
[vər répprə zéntəd] adjective

with
too many representatives: having too many
representatives or represented by too many examples in proportion to the total
• His
earlier work is rather overrepresented in this collection.
—o·ver·rep·re·sen·ta·tion
[vər repprə zen táysh’n, vər repprəzən táysh’n], noun[1]



override

override
o·ver·ride 
transitive verb [vər rd] (past
o·ver·rode [vər rṓd], past
participle o·ver·rid·den [vər rídd’n],
present participle o·ver·rid·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·rides)

1.  cancel
something:
to cancel or change an action or decision taken by somebody else

2.  outweigh
something:
to be more important than and take priority over something else

3.  take
manual control of: to take manual control of an
automatic control system

4.  ride
horse over:
to ride a horse over or across an area

5.  ride
horse too hard: to tire a horse by riding it too hard

6.  overlap
something:
to extend over something, especially by overlapping it
noun
[ṓvər rd] (plural o·ver·rides)

1.  assumption
of manual control: the condition, process, or
action of temporarily taking manual control of an automatic system

2.  switch
for manual control: a switch or some other
manual control that temporarily cancels or reverses the effect of an automatic
system

3.  FINANCE commission
paid to executive: a commission that is paid to
an account executive on sales made by a representative
[Old English from over + ride][1]



overriding

overriding
o·ver·rid·ing 
[vər rding] adjective

most
important:
highest in priority
—o·ver·rid·ing·ly, adverb[1]



overripe

overripe
o·ver·ripe 
[ṓvər rp] adjective

too
ripe:
too ripe, and past its best flavor and texture
—o·ver·ripe·ness, noun[1]



overrode

overrode
o·ver·rode


Past tense of
override[1]



overruff

overruff
o·ver·ruff 
[ṓvər rùf, vər
rúf] (past o·ver·ruffed, past participle o·ver·ruffed,
present participle o·ver·ruff·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·ruffs) intransitive and transitive verb

See
overtrump[1]



overrule

overrule
o·ver·rule 
[vər rl] (past o·ver·ruled, past
participle o·ver·ruled, present participle o·ver·rul·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·rules) transitive verb

1.  rule
against somebody’s argument: to rule authoritatively that
somebody’s argument is unsound, especially in the case of a judge disallowing
an attorney’s objection • Objection
overruled!

2.  decide
against somebody: to decide against somebody or to
overturn a decision made by somebody with lesser authority

3.  exercise
control over somebody: to exercise dominion or
control over somebody or something (literary)

[1]



overrun

overrun
o·ver·run 
[vər rún] verb (past o·ver·ran
[vər rán], past participle o·ver·run,
present participle o·ver·run·ning, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·runs)

1.  transitive
verb
spread
rapidly and infest something: to arrive in such large
numbers or spread so rapidly in a place that it becomes infested or overcrowded
(often passive) • The
cathedral square was overrun with tourists.

2.  transitive
verb
conquer
enemy and territory: to attack an enemy force,
defeat it conclusively, and take over the territory occupied by it • The
rebels overran the government forces.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb exceed
limit:
to continue beyond a predetermined limit, especially a time limit or fixed
budget

4.  transitive
verb
overshoot
something:
to go on beyond an intended stopping point such as a boundary line or the end
of an airport runway

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb overflow:
to overflow or spill over something

6.  transitive
verb
PRINTING print
more than planned: to print extra copies of a
publication

7.  transitive
verb
PRINTING move
typeset material: to transfer set type or illustrated
material from one column, page, or line to another
noun
(plural o·ver·runs)

1.  act
of overrunning: an instance of somebody or something
overrunning, especially of going on beyond the intended stopping point

2.  amount
exceeding estimate: the amount by which
something exceeds a preset limit, an estimated cost, or a budget

3.  extra
quantity produced: an extra quantity of
something produced, for example, manufactured items or copies of printed matter

4.  extra
area at end of runway: a cleared level area at the
end of a runway, available in case a plane overshoots

[1]



overrunbrake

overrunbrake
o·ver·run
brake
(plural o·ver·run brakes) noun

extra brake on towed vehicle:
a brake on a vehicle being towed, to prevent it from running into the back of
the vehicle towing it[1]



oversaw

oversaw
o·ver·saw

Past tense of
oversee[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








overscale

overscale
over·scale 
[ṓvər skàyl] or over·scaled [ṓvər skàyld] adjective

bigger than usual:
larger than usual in size or scope • an
overscale portrait[1]



overscore

overscore
o·ver·score 
[vər skáwr] (past o·ver·scored,
past participle o·ver·scored, present participle o·ver·scor·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·scores) transitive verb

cross something out:
to draw a line over or through written text, usually so as to cancel or revise
it (formal)[1]



overseas

overseas
o·ver·seas 
[vər sz] adverb

across the sea:
across or beyond a sea, especially in another country • They
live overseas.
adjective

1.  relating
to place across sea: relating to, located in, or
coming from, a place beyond a sea • overseas
visitors

2.  traveling
across sea:
involving travel across a sea • an
overseas assignment
noun

somewhere beyond sea:
a place or places beyond a sea (takes a singular verb) • come
from overseas

[1]



overseascap

overseascap
o·ver·seas
cap
(plural o·ver·seas caps) noun

soft military cap:
a soft wedge-shaped military cap without a visor or brim.
Also called
garrison cap[1]



oversee

oversee
o·ver·see 
[vər s] (past o·ver·saw [vər sáw], past participle o·ver·seen
[vər sn], present participle o·ver·see·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·sees) transitive verb

1.  supervise
something:
to watch over, manage, and direct somebody or a task done by somebody

2.  observe
something:
to observe something covertly or secretly while it is happening
[Old English ; from over + see][1]



overseer

overseer
o·ver·se·er 
[vər s ər] (plural o·ver·se·ers)
noun

supervisor:
somebody who supervises workers, especially those engaged in manual labor[1]



oversell

oversell
o·ver·sell 
[vər sél] (past o·ver·sold, past
participle o·ver·sold [vər sṓld],
present participle o·ver·sell·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·sells) verb

1.  transitive
verb
praise
something too highly: to exaggerate the value or
worth of somebody, something, or yourself to an implausible extent

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
too aggressively: to use excessively aggressive sales
techniques when selling a product

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
too much of: to sell too much of a product,
especially more than can be produced or supplied

[1]



overset

overset
o·ver·set 
[vər sét] (past o·ver·set, past
participle o·ver·set, present participle o·ver·set·ting,
3rd person present singular o·ver·sets) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING typeset too much copy:
to set too much type or copy for the available space

2.  transitive
verb
tip
something over: to tip or turn something over (archaic)

3.  transitive
verb
disturb
somebody:
to disturb or upset somebody (archaic)

[1]



oversew

oversew
o·ver·sew 
[vər sṓ] (past o·ver·sewed, past
participle o·ver·sewn [vər sṓn],
present participle o·ver·sew·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·sews) transitive verb

sew edges together:
to sew two edges together, with small stitches overlapping both edges[1]



oversexed

oversexed
o·ver·sexed 
[vər sékst] adjective

with excessive sex drive:
having an excessive preoccupation with or need for sex[1]



overshadow

overshadow
o·ver·shad·ow 
[vər sháddō] (past o·ver·shad·owed,
past participle o·ver·shad·owed, present participle o·ver·shad·ow·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·shad·ows) transitive verb

1.  take
attention away from somebody: to take attention away from
somebody or something by appearing more important or interesting

2.  cast
shadow over something: to cast a physical shadow
over something, or make something become gloomy
[Old English][1]



overshirt

overshirt
o·ver·shirt 
[ṓvər shùrt] (plural o·ver·shirts)
noun

loose shirt worn over another
garment: a loose shirt that is worn
on top of another garment such as a sweater or another shirt[1]



overshoe

overshoe
o·ver·shoe 
[ṓvər sh] (plural o·ver·shoes)
noun

protective shoe:
a shoe, usually made of rubber or plastic, that is worn over an ordinary shoe
to protect it from dampness or dirt[1]



overshoot

overshoot
o·ver·shoot 
[vər sht] verb (past o·ver·shot,
past participle o·ver·shot [vərshót],
present participle o·ver·shoot·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·shoots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
or go farther than intended: to shoot a projectile beyond
the target that was being aimed at or be shot in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb miss
target:
to miss a target by missing or being shot too far

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR run off end of runway:
to fail to complete a take-off or landing before reaching the end of the runway
and run off the end of it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb exceed
limit:
to exceed a fixed or prearranged limit

5.  transitive
verb
move
quickly over something: to move at a high speed over
something
noun
(plural o·ver·shoots)

1.  act
of overshooting: an instance of somebody or something
overshooting an intended stopping point, especially the end of an airport
runway

2.  amount
by which something exceeds: an instance of something
exceeding a prearranged limit or the amount or extent by which it exceeds it

[1]



overshot

overshot
o·ver·shot 
adjective

1.  with
upper part extending past lower: used to describe a jaw
with an upper part that is longer than and sticks out over the lower part

2.  driven
by water on upper surface: used to describe a water
wheel driven by water flowing onto it from above

[1]



oversight

oversight
o·ver·sight 
[ṓvər st] (plural o·ver·sights)
noun

1.  failure
by omission: a mistake, especially as a result of a
failure to do or notice something

2.  supervision:
the responsibility of supervising something (formal)

[1]



oversimplify

oversimplify
o·ver·sim·pli·fy 
[vər símplə f] (past o·ver·sim·pli·fied,
past participle o·ver·sim·pli·fied, present participle o·ver·sim·pli·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·sim·pli·fies) transitive
verb

distort
something by excessive simplification: to
reduce something to such a level of simplicity that it becomes distorted or
falsified
—o·ver·sim·pli·fi·ca·tion
[vər simpləfi káysh’n], noun[1]



oversize

oversize
o·ver·size 
[ṓvər sz] adjective o·ver·size
o·ver·sized

unusually large:
larger than is usual or necessary
noun
(plural o·ver·siz·es)

1.  unusually
large size:
a size that is larger than usual

2.  extra-large
article:
an article that comes in a larger size than usual

[1]



overskirt

overskirt
o·ver·skirt 
[ṓvər skùrt] (plural o·ver·skirts)
noun

outer skirt:
a skirt that is worn on top of another garment, often revealing part of the
lower one[1]



oversleep

oversleep
o·ver·sleep 
[vər slp] (past o·ver·slept
[vər slépt], past participle o·ver·slept,
present participle o·ver·sleep·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·sleeps) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
sleep
longer than wished: to continue sleeping for
longer than desired or intended

2.  transitive
verb
sleep
too late for something: to sleep beyond the time for
something

[1]



oversold

oversold
o·ver·sold


Past
participle of oversell
Past tense of oversell
adjective

STOCK
EXCHANGE unreasonably
low in price: available at or
characterized by prices that are excessively low as a result of previous heavy
selling on the stock market.
See also
overbought[1]



overspend

overspend
o·ver·spend 
(past o·ver·spent, past participle o·ver·spent [vər spént], present participle o·ver·spend·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·spends, plural o·ver·spends)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spend
too much:
to spend more money than can be afforded or has been budgeted

2.  transitive
verb
exhaust
something:
to tire somebody or something out completely

[1]



overspill

overspill
o·ver·spill 
noun [ṓvər spìl] (plural o·ver·spills)

something
spilled:
something that spills or has spilled over from something
intransitive
and transitive verb [vər
spíl] (past o·ver·spilled or o·ver·spilt, past
participle o·ver·spilled or o·ver·spilt [vər spílt], present participle o·ver·spill·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·spills)

spill over:
to spill over, or to make something spill over[1]



overspread

overspread
o·ver·spread 
[vər spréd] (past o·ver·spread,
past participle o·ver·spread, present participle o·ver·spread·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·spreads) transitive verb

spread
over surface of: to spread widely over or cover the
surface of something • Night
overspread the land.
[Old English][1]



overstaff

overstaff
o·ver·staff 
[vər stáf] (past o·ver·staffed,
past participle o·ver·staffed, present participle o·ver·staff·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·staffs) transitive verb

employ more staff than
needed: to supply a workplace with
too large a staff (usually passive)[1]



overstate

overstate
o·ver·state 
[vər stáyt] (past o·ver·stat·ed,
past participle o·ver·stat·ed, present participle o·ver·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·states) transitive verb

exaggerate
something:
to exaggerate something in talking or writing about it
—o·ver·state·ment, noun[1]



overstay

overstay
o·ver·stay 
[vər stáy] (past o·ver·stayed,
past participle o·ver·stayed, present participle o·ver·stay·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·stays) intransitive and
transitive verb

stay too long:
to remain beyond the expected, planned, or desired time[1]



oversteer

oversteer
o·ver·steer
[vər str] intransitive verb (past
o·ver·steered, past participle o·ver·steered, present
participle o·ver·steer·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·steers)

make
sharper turn than expected: to turn more sharply than
expected, especially in a motor vehicle • We
oversteered and landed in a ditch.
noun

tendency to turn too sharply:
the tendency of a motor vehicle to turn more sharply than expected[1]



overstep

overstep
o·ver·step 
[vər stép] (past o·ver·stepped,
past participle o·ver·stepped, present participle o·ver·step·ping,
3rd person present singular o·ver·steps) transitive verb

exceed
limit or boundary: to go beyond the limit of
something • overstep
the bounds of your authority
[Old English][1]



overstock

overstock
o·ver·stock 
[vər stók] verb (past o·ver·stocked,
past participle o·ver·stocked, present participle o·ver·stock·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·stocks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stock
in excess:
to stock more of something than is necessary or desirable

2.  transitive
verb
keep
too many animals on: to graze an area with more
livestock than it can support
noun
(plural o·ver·stocks)

excess supply:
an excessively large supply of something

[1]



overstory

overstory
o·ver·sto·ry 
[ṓvər stàwree] (plural o·ver·sto·ries)
noun

top foliage of forest:
the top layer of foliage in a forest, forming the canopy[1]



overstrain

overstrain
o·ver·strain 
[vər stráyn] (past o·ver·strained,
past participle o·ver·strained, present participle o·ver·strain·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·strains) intransitive and
transitive verb

force beyond capacity:
to try to force somebody, something, or yourself to perform beyond capacity,
especially so that damage, injury, or breakdown results[1]



overstress

overstress
o·ver·stress 
[vər stréss] transitive verb (past
o·ver·stressed, past participle o·ver·stressed, present
participle o·ver·stress·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·stress·es)

1.  deform
as result of excessive force: to deform material
permanently by exerting too much force on it

2.  put
somebody under too much stress: to subject somebody to
too much mental or emotional pressure

3.  put
excessive emphasis on something: to put too much
emphasis on something
noun

excessive emphasizing of something:
the putting of too much emphasis on something

[1]



overstretch

overstretch
o·ver·stretch 
[vər stréch] (past o·ver·stretched,
past participle o·ver·stretched, present participle o·ver·stretch·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·stretch·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stretch
something too far: to stretch something such as
a muscle too much, so as to cause injury or damage

2.  transitive
verb
stretch
resources too far: to try to do too much with
the resources available, with consequent strain on those resources and,
usually, poor performance (often passive) • Absenteeism
is often a sign that employees are overstretched.

3.  transitive
verb
stretch
over something: to extend or stretch over something

[1]



overstride

overstride
o·ver·stride 
[vər strd] (past o·ver·strode
[vər strṓd], past participle o·ver·strid·den
[vər strídd’n], present participle o·ver·strid·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·strides) transitive verb

1.  cross
area by striding: to cross purposefully over or beyond an
area

2.  stand
or sit astride: to stand or sit astride something

3.  dominate
somebody:
to have complete mastery or control of somebody or something

4.  surpass
somebody:
to surpass or go beyond somebody or something

[1]



overstrung

overstrung
o·ver·strung 
adjective

1.  too
nervous:
excessively nervous and tense

2.  MUSIC with
double set of strings: used to describe a piano
fitted with two sets of strings, one crossing the other at an angle

3.  ARCHERY strung
too tightly: having the bowstring fixed too tightly

[1]



overstuff

overstuff
o·ver·stuff 
[vər stúf] (past o·ver·stuffed,
past participle o·ver·stuffed, present participle o·ver·stuff·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·stuffs) transitive verb

put too much material into
something: to stuff a cavity or object
with too much material[1]



oversubscribe

oversubscribe
o·ver·sub·scribe 
[vər səb skrb] (past o·ver·sub·scribed,
past participle o·ver·sub·scribed, present participle o·ver·sub·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·sub·scribes) transitive verb

apply
for something in excessive numbers: to
apply to participate in something in numbers in excess of the available number
of places (usually passive) • The
course on modern poetry was heavily oversubscribed.
—o·ver·sub·scrip·tion
[vər səb skrípshən], noun[1]



oversupply

oversupply
o·ver·sup·ply 
[vər sə pl] noun (plural o·ver·sup·plies)

excessive
supply:
an excessive supply of something
intransitive
and transitive verb (past o·ver·sup·plied,
past participle o·ver·sup·plied, present participle o·ver·sup·ply·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·sup·plies)

supply too much of:
to provide somebody or something with an excessive supply of something[1]



overt

overt
o·vert 
[ō vúrt, ṓ vùrt]
adjective

1.  unconcealed:
done openly and without any attempt at concealment

2.  LAW open
and intentional: done openly and intentionally, and
therefore able to be taken as a sign of criminal intent
[14th
century. From Old French, the past participle of ovrir “to open,” from
Latin aperire (see aperture ).]
—o·vert·ly,
adverb

—o·vert·ness, noun[1]



overtake

overtake
o·ver·take 
[vər táyk] (past o·ver·took [vər tk], past participle o·ver·tak·en
[vər táykən], present participle o·ver·tak·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·takes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
past:
to catch up with and pass a person or vehicle traveling in the same direction

2.  transitive
verb
do
better than somebody: to reach and then surpass a
level achieved by somebody or something

3.  transitive
verb
come
over somebody suddenly: to come over somebody
suddenly or catch somebody by surprise • Sleep
overtook them.

4.  transitive
verb
catch
up with somebody: to go after and catch up with somebody

[1]



overtax

overtax
o·ver·tax 
[vər táks] (past o·ver·taxed,
past participle o·ver·taxed, present participle o·ver·tax·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·tax·es) transitive verb

1.  exhaust
somebody:
to impose too great a strain on somebody, something, or yourself

2.  levy
excessive tax on: to levy more tax on somebody or
something than is justified or considered fair

[1]



over-the-air

over-the-air
o·ver-the-air 
adjective

broadcast:
transmitted by radio or television
—o·ver the air, adverb[1]



overthe counter

overthe counter
o·ver
the count·er adverb

without prescription:
directly to a customer, without requiring a doctor’s prescription[1]



over-the-counter

over-the-counter
o·ver-the-count·er 
adjective

1.  bought
and sold electronically: not quoted as a security on
an exchange, but bought and sold electronically

2.  dealing
in over-the-counter securities: relating to or dealing
in over-the-counter securities

3.  buyable
without prescription: sold directly to the public
without a doctor’s prescription
[From the idea that anybody
can buy such items directly from the seller, as in a store][1]



over-the-hill

over-the-hill
o·ver-the-hill 
adjective

1.  past
prime:
past the point at which talent, energy, or physical performance is at its peak

2.  middle-aged
or past middle age: middle-aged or past middle
age (sometimes considered offensive)
[From the idea of being past
your peak][1]



over-the-shouldershot

over-the-shouldershot
o·ver-the-shoul·der
shot
(plural o·ver-the-shoul·der shots) noun

CINEMA
shot filmed from behind character’s
shoulder: a shot taken from over the
shoulder of a character whose back can be seen at side of frame. It is
frequently used for filming conversations.[1]



over-the-top

over-the-top
o·ver-the-top
adjective

U.K.
excessive:
so exaggerated as to appear ridiculous or outrageous (informal)[1]



over-the-transom

over-the-transom
o·ver-the-tran·som
adjective

lacking
prior agreement: submitted to a publisher for publication
without prior contact
[From the idea of delivering
a manuscript to a publisher’s office when the door is closed][1]



overthrow

overthrow
o·ver·throw 
transitive verb [vər thrṓ] (past
o·ver·threw [vər thr], past
participle o·ver·thrown [vər thrṓn],
present participle o·ver·throw·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·throws)

1.  remove
somebody from power by force: to remove a person or group
of people from a position of power by force

2.  BASEBALL pitch
baseball too hard: to pitch a baseball so hard
that the pitcher’s control is adversely affected

3.  SPORTS throw
ball too far or hard: to throw a ball too far so
that it goes beyond the player it was intended to reach
noun
[ṓvər thr] (plural o·ver·throws)

1.  removal
from power by force: the removal of a person or
group of people from a position of power by force

2.  SPORTS throw
that goes too far: a throw of a ball that goes
beyond the player it was intended to reach
[14th century. The underlying
meaning is “to overturn, knock down.”][1]



overthrustfault

overthrustfault
o·ver·thrust
fault 
[ṓvər thrust fawlt] (plural o·ver·thrust
faults) or o·ver·thrust [ṓvər
thrust fawlt] (plural o·ver·thrusts) noun

geological fault:
a rock fault produced by thrust action that causes older rocks to move long
distances and eventually settle on top of younger rocks horizontal displacement[1]



overtime

overtime
o·ver·time 
[ṓvər tm] noun

1.  additional
time worked: extra time worked beyond the normal
hours of employment

2.  pay
for additional time worked: payment, usually at a higher
rate, for time worked beyond the normal hours of employment

3.  SPORTS extra
time in game: additional time added to the normal
length of a game, often in order to break a tie.
U.K.
term
extra time
adverb

1.  beyond
normal length of time: beyond the normal or
contracted length of time

2.  U.K.
very
hard:
using a great deal of energy and effort (informal) • been
working overtime to try and make them see sense
transitive
verb
(past o·ver·timed, past participle o·ver·timed, present
participle o·ver·tim·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·times)

to
exceed the proper time for a photographic exposure

[1]



overtone

overtone
o·ver·tone 
[ṓvər tn] (plural o·ver·tones)
noun

1.  supplementary
meaning:
a subtle additional meaning, nuance, or quality

2.  MUSIC higher
musical tone: a higher tone produced at the same time
as the lowest tone that helps to determine the overall quality of the sound.
Also
called
partial

[1]



overtook

overtook
o·ver·took


Past tense of
overtake[1]



overtop

overtop
o·ver·top 
[vər tóp] (past o·ver·topped,
past participle o·ver·topped, present participle o·ver·top·ping,
3rd person present singular o·ver·tops) transitive verb

1.  rise
above something: to rise above somebody or something

2.  surpass
somebody:
to surpass somebody or something

3.  override:
to be more important than somebody or something

[1]



overtrade

overtrade
o·ver·trade 
[vər tráyd] (past o·ver·trad·ed,
past participle o·ver·trad·ed, present participle o·ver·trad·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·trades) intransitive verb

trade excessively:
to trade beyond the level that can be supported by the trader’s financial means
or the market involved[1]



overtrain

overtrain
o·ver·train 
[vər tráyn] (past o·ver·trained,
past participle o·ver·trained, present participle o·ver·train·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·trains) intransitive and
transitive verb

train too much:
to train or exercise, or make somebody train or exercise, excessively,
especially before a competition, with a resulting decrease in effectiveness[1]



overtrick

overtrick
o·ver·trick 
[ṓvər trìk] (plural o·ver·tricks)
noun

additional trick in bridge:
a trick taken in bridge in addition to the number needed to make a contract[1]



overtrump

overtrump
o·ver·trump 
[vər trúmp, ṓvər
trùmp] (past o·ver·trumped, past participle o·ver·trumped,
present participle o·ver·trump·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·trumps) intransitive and transitive verb

play higher trump than:
to play a higher trump card than one already played by another player in a
trick[1]



overture

overture
o·ver·ture 
[ṓvər chr] (plural o·ver·tures)
noun

1.  MUSIC musical
introduction: a single orchestral movement that
introduces an opera, play, ballet, or longer musical work, often including the
work’s themes

2.  introductory
proposal or initiative: an introductory proposal or
initiative made to mark the beginning of a discussion, agreement, or
relationship • make
overtures to someone

3.  prelude:
something that is a first step toward something else

4.  See
concert overture

5.  introduction
to a poem:
an introduction to a written work such as a poem or play
[15th century. Via Old
French, “opening,” from, ultimately, Latin apertura (see aperture ).][1]



overturn

overturn
o·ver·turn 
(past o·ver·turned, past participle o·ver·turned, present
participle o·ver·turn·ing, 3rd person present singular o·ver·turns,
plural o·ver·turns) verb [vər
túrn]

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tip
over:
to turn somebody or something upside down

2.  transitive
verb
overthrow
somebody:
to remove a person or a group of people from a position of power

3.  transitive
verb
reverse
previous decision: to reverse a previous
decision, ruling, or law by using legal or legislative procedures
—o·ver·turn [ṓvər tùrn], noun[1]



over-under

over-under
o·ver-un·der
noun

wager on total of final
score: a wager that the final score
in a game will be above or below a particular number of points[1]



overuse

overuse
o·ver·use 
noun [vər yss]

excessive
use:
the excessive use of something
transitive
verb
[vər yz] (past o·ver·used, past
participle o·ver·used, present participle o·ver·us·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·us·es)

use something too much:
to use something excessively, often wearing it out or making it ineffective[1]



overvalue

overvalue
o·ver·val·ue 
[vər vállyoo] (past o·ver·val·ued,
past participle o·ver·val·ued, present participle o·ver·val·u·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·val·ues) transitive verb

put
excessive value on something: to set too high a value or
price on something
—o·ver·val·u·a·tion [vər vallyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



overview

overview
o·ver·view 
[ṓvər vy] (plural o·ver·views)
noun

1.  broad
survey:
a general or comprehensive outline of something

2.  summary:
a brief summary of something

[1]



overvoltage

overvoltage
o·ver·volt·age
[ṓvər vltij, vər
vṓltij] (plural o·ver·volt·ag·es) noun

excessive voltage:
a voltage that is in excess of the normal voltage for which an electrical
circuit or system was designed and may sometimes cause damage to components[1]



overwear

overwear
o·ver·wear 
[vər wáir] (past o·ver·wore [vər wáwr], past participle o·ver·worn
[vər wáwrn], present participle o·ver·wear·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·wears) transitive verb

wear out:
to wear somebody or something out[1]



overweening

overweening
o·ver·ween·ing 
[vər wning] adjective

1.  arrogant:
intolerably arrogant or conceited

2.  excessive:
excessive, especially in an arrogant and conceited way
[14th
century. Formed from ween “to think,
believe.”]
—o·ver·ween·ing·ly, adverb[1]



overweigh

overweigh
o·ver·weigh 
[vər wáy] (past o·ver·weighed,
past participle o·ver·weighed, present participle o·ver·weigh·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·weighs) transitive verb

1.  See
outweigh  verb 2

2.  weigh
on somebody: to oppress or burden somebody heavily

[1]



overweight

overweight
o·ver·weight 
adjective [vər wáyt]

1.  too
heavy for good health: with more weight than is
considered healthy for somebody of a specific height, build, or age

2.  above
weight limit: heavier than the allowed weight limit • an
overweight letter
transitive
verb
[vər wáyt] (past o·ver·weight·ed,
past participle o·ver·weight·ed, present participle o·ver·weight·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·weights)

1.  overemphasize
something:
to give too much emphasis or consideration to something

2.  overload
something:
to weigh something down with an excessive load
plural
noun

overweight people:
people who weigh too much for their height, build, or age (sometimes
considered offensive)

[1]



overwhelm

overwhelm
o·ver·whelm 
[vər wélm, vər
hwélm] (past o·ver·whelmed, past participle o·ver·whelmed,
present participle o·ver·whelm·ing, 3rd person present
singular o·ver·whelms) transitive verb (often passive)

1.  surge
over and cover: to flow over the top of and submerge or
cover somebody or something

2.  overcome
somebody physically: to use superior strength,
force, or numbers to defeat somebody, especially a military enemy, completely

3.  overpower
somebody emotionally: to affect somebody’s
emotions in a complete or irresistible way

4.  provide
with huge amount of something: to supply somebody
with a very large or excessive amount of something
[14th century. Formed from over + whelm .][1]



overwhelming

overwhelming
o·ver·whelm·ing 
[vər wélming, vər
hwélming] adjective

1.  emotionally
overpowering: having such a great effect as to be
emotionally overpowering

2.  physically
overpowering: overpowering in strength, force, or
numbers

3.  extremely
large:
extremely large in amount or proportion
—o·ver·whelm·ing·ly, adverb[1]



overwind

overwind
o·ver·wind 
[vər wnd] (past o·ver·wound
[vər wównd], past participle o·ver·wound,
present participle o·ver·wind·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·ver·winds) transitive verb

wind clockwork device too
far: to wind up the spring of a
clockwork device, especially a watch or clock, too tightly, so that it will not
operate or the spring breaks[1]



overwinter

overwinter
o·ver·win·ter 
[vər wíntər] (past o·ver·win·tered,
past participle o·ver·win·tered, present participle o·ver·win·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·win·ters) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
or stay alive throughout winter: to keep livestock or
plants alive through the winter by sheltering them, or to be kept alive in this
way

2.  intransitive
verb
survive
the winter somewhere: to stay alive throughout the
winter in a particular place

3.  intransitive
verb
stay
for winter:
to spend the winter by taking up residence in a particular place

[1]



overwithhold

overwithhold
o·ver·with·hold 
[vər with hṓld, vər
wi hṓld] (past o·ver·with·held [vər
with héld, vər wi héld], past
participle o·ver·with·held, present participle o·ver·with·hold·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·with·holds) intransitive and
transitive verb

deduct too much tax:
to deduct or have deducted an amount of tax from a salary or investment that is
larger than the tax to be paid[1]



overwore

overwore
o·ver·wore


Past tense of
overwear[1]



overwork

overwork
o·ver·work 
[vər wúrk] verb (past o·ver·worked,
past participle o·ver·worked, present participle o·ver·work·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·works)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb do too
much work:
to work, or to make somebody, yourself, or an animal work, excessively

2.  transitive
verb
overuse
something:
to use something too often, especially a word or expression

3.  transitive
verb
decorate
surface of:
to apply decoration to the surface of something

4.  transitive
verb
work
too much on something: to expend too much effort on
something, especially so as to reduce its quality or effectiveness
noun

excessive work:
too much work
[Old English][1]



overworn

overworn
o·ver·worn


Past participle of
overwear[1]



overwound

overwound
o·ver·wound


Past participle of
overwind Past tense of overwind[1]



overwrite

overwrite
o·ver·write 
[vər rt] (past o·ver·wrote [vər rṓt], past participle o·ver·writ·ten
[vər rítt’n], present participle o·ver·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular o·ver·writes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb replace
computer file: to replace data or a program in memory
or on a disk with a new file of the same name

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
something too elaborately: to make a piece of writing
too elaborate, polished, or decorative

3.  transitive
verb
cover
writing with more writing: to cover a piece of writing
by writing on top of it

[1]



overwrought

overwrought
o·ver·wrought 
[vər ráwt] adjective

1.  very
upset:
extremely upset, emotional, or agitated

2.  too
elaborate:
fashioned or decorated too elaborately

3.  ornamented
on surface:
ornamented on the surface with something

[1]



overzealous

overzealous
o·ver·zeal·ous 
[vər zélləs] adjective

too
zealous:
too enthusiastic or eager, especially in carrying out a duty, and usually
causing trouble or annoyance as a result
—o·ver·zea·lous·ly, adverb[1]



ovi-

ovi-
ovi-
prefix

egg,
ovum • oviform
[Formed from Latin ovum
(see ovum )][1]



Ovid

Ovid
Ov·id 
[óvvid] (43 BC–AD 17)

Roman
poet. His works include Amores and Metamorphoses, a collection of
mythical and historical tales.

—O·vid·i·an [ō víddee ən], adjective[1]



oviduct

oviduct
o·vi·duct 
[ṓvi dùkt] (plural o·vi·ducts)
noun

tube that transports eggs to
womb: either of a pair of tubes in
the body that transport eggs from the ovary to the uterus.
See also
fallopian tube[1]



Oviedo

Oviedo
O·vie·do 
[v yéō]

city and capital of Oviedo
Province, Asturias autonomous region, northern Spain. Population: 202,421
(1995)[1]



oviform

oviform
o·vi·form 
[ṓvi fàwrm] adjective

egg-shaped:
shaped like an egg[1]



ovine

ovine
o·vine 
[ṓ vn] adjective

relating
to sheep:
relating to or like a sheep
[Early 19th century. Via late
Latin ovinus from Latin ovis “sheep.” Ultimately from the
Indo-European word for “sheep” that is also the ancestor of English ewe .][1]



oviparous

oviparous
o·vip·a·rous 
[ō víppərəss] adjective

1.  producing
eggs that hatch outside body: used to describe birds,
fish, reptiles, and insects that reproduce by means of eggs that develop and
hatch outside the mother’s body.
See
also
viviparous

2.  relating
to egg production outside body: relating to the
production of eggs that develop and hatch outside the mother’s body
—o·vip·a·rous·ly, adverb[1]



oviposit

oviposit
o·vi·pos·it 
[vi pózzit] (past o·vi·pos·it·ed,
past participle o·vi·pos·it·ed, present participle o·vi·pos·it·ing,
3rd person present singular o·vi·pos·its) intransitive verb

lay
eggs:
to lay eggs (refers usually to insects)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from ovi- + Latin posit-, the past
participle stem of ponere “to place” (see position
).][1]



ovipositor

ovipositor
o·vi·pos·i·tor 
[vi pózzitər] (plural o·vi·pos·i·tors)
noun

tubular egg-laying organ:
a tubular organ at the end of the abdomen of some female fish or animals,
especially insects, that is used to deposit eggs[1]



ovisac

ovisac
o·vi·sac 
[ṓvi sàk] (plural o·vi·sacs) noun

sac containing ovum:
a sac or capsule in the ovary of a mammal that contains a mature ovum. When the
ovisac is ruptured the ovum is released.
See also
Graafian follicle[1]



ovo-

ovo-
ovo-
prefix

See
ovi-[1]



ovoid

ovoid
o·void 
[ṓ vòyd] adjective

1.  with
form of egg: with the solid form of an egg

2.  BOTANY shaped
like an egg: used to describe a fruit or similar
plant part that is shaped like an egg
noun
(plural o·voids)

something egg-shaped:
something with the shape or form of an egg
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin ovum “egg” (see ovum
).][1]



ovolactovegetarian

ovolactovegetarian
o·vo·lac·to·veg·e·tar·i·an 
[vō laktō vejjə táiree ən] (plural o·vo·lac·to·veg·e·tar·i·ans)
noun

vegetarian eating eggs and
dairy products: a vegetarian who eats
eggs and dairy products, but no products that involve the killing of animals.
See also
vegan[1]



ovolo

ovolo
o·vo·lo 
[ṓvə l, óvvə l]
(plural o·vo·li [ṓvə l]) noun

molding
resembling quarter-circle: a convex molding that
resembles a quarter-circle or ellipse when viewed in cross section.
Also
called
thumb
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, literally “little egg,” ultimately from Latin ovum “egg” (see ovum ).][1]



ovonic

ovonic
o·von·ic 
[ō vónnik] adjective

relating
to glassy semiconductors: relating to, consisting of,
or using glassy materials that can rapidly and reversibly become electrical
conductors after a minimum voltage is applied
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Ovshinsky effect + electronic .][1]



ovonics

ovonics
o·von·ics
[ō vónniks] or O·von·ics [ō vónniks] noun

study and use of glassy
semiconductors: the study or use of
glassy materials that can rapidly and reversibly become electrical conductors
after a minimum voltage is applied (takes a singular verb)[1]



ovotestis

ovotestis
o·vo·tes·tis 
[vō téstiss] (plural o·vo·tes·tes
[vō tésteez]) noun

organ producing sperm and
eggs: the sexual organ of a
hermaphroditic animal such as the garden snail that produces both sperm and
eggs[1]



ovoviviparous

ovoviviparous
o·vo·vi·vip·a·rous 
[vō vī víppərəss] adjective

reproducing
by eggs developed inside body: used to describe
insects, fish, and reptiles that reproduce by means of eggs that develop within
the female, deriving some nutrition from her but remaining encased within an
egg membrane
—o·vo·vi·vip·a·rous·ly,
adverb[1]



Ovshinskyeffect

Ovshinskyeffect
Ov·shin·sky
ef·fect 
[ov shínskee i fèkt] noun

electrical
effect of dropping resistance: an effect that occurs
in thin films of glass containing selenium and tellurium in which the
resistance of the material drops rapidly when a particular voltage is applied
across it. Switches made from these materials will stay on after the voltage
has been removed.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. physicist Stanford R. Ovshinsky (b. 1922).][1]



ovulate

ovulate
o·vu·late 
[ṓvyə làyt, óvvyə
làyt] (past o·vu·lat·ed, past participle o·vu·lat·ed,
present participle o·vu·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
o·vu·lates) intransitive verb

ripen
and release egg: to ripen and release an egg or eggs from
the ovary for possible fertilization
[Late
19th century. Formed from ovule .]
—o·vu·la·to·ry [ṓvyələ tàwree, óvvyələ
tàwree], adjective[1]



ovulation

ovulation
o·vu·la·tion
[vvyə láysh’n, òvvyə
láysh’n] noun

ripening and release of egg:
the ripening and discharge of an egg or eggs from the ovary for possible
fertilization[1]



ovule

ovule
o·vule 
[ṓ vyl, ó vyl]
(plural o·vules) noun

1.  BOTANY small
plant part developing into seed: a small structure in a
seed plant that contains the embryo sac and develops into a seed after
fertilization

2.  BIOLOGY immature
egg:
a small or immature egg
[Early
19th century. Via French from modern Latin ovulum, literally “little
egg,” from Latin ovum “egg” (see ovum
).]
—o·vu·lar [ṓvyələr, óvvyələr],
adjective[1]



ovum

ovum
o·vum 
[ṓvəm] (plural o·va [ṓvə]) noun

female
reproductive cell: a female reproductive cell
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “egg” (source of English oval
and ovary ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English egg, cockney,
and caviar .][1]



ow

ow
ow 
[ow] interjection

used
to represent cry of pain: used to represent an
involuntary expression of pain
[Early 20th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



OW

OW
OW

Abbreviation of
one-way[1]



owe

owe
owe 
[ō] (past owed, past
participle owed, present participle ow·ing, 3rd
person present singular owes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
obligated to pay somebody money: to be under an
obligation to pay or repay somebody an amount of money

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
financially in debt: to be financially in debt to
somebody or for something

3.  transitive
verb
be
indebted for something: to have something, usually
some desirable thing, only because of something or somebody else • I
owe my success to my father.

4.  transitive
verb
feel
that response is deserved: to feel that something
should be given to or done for somebody in recompense for something • She
owes you an explanation. • I
owe myself a night out.

5.  transitive
verb
bear
grudge toward somebody: to feel a particular
emotion, especially a grudge, toward somebody • owe
sb a grudge
[Old English āgan
(source of English ought ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to own” that is also the
ancestor of English own .][1]



Owensboro

Owensboro
O·wens·bor·o 
[ṓənz bùrō]

city in southwestern
Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River, on the Kentucky-Indiana
border. Population: 54,350 (1996)[1]



Owens,Jesse

Owens,Jesse

O·wens
[ṓ inz], Jesse (1913–1980)
U.S.
athlete. One of the greatest sprinters of all time, he won four gold medals at
the 1936 Olympics, setting multiple Olympic and world records.
Real name
Owens, James Cleveland[1]



OwenSound

OwenSound
O·wen
Sound
[ṓənsownd]

city and seaport on the
southwestern coast of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. Population: 30,319
(1996)[1]



Owen,Wilfred

Owen,Wilfred
O·wen
[ṓ in], Wilfred (1893–1918)

British poet. Famous for his
war poetry, he was killed in World War I a week before the armistice.[1]



Owerri

Owerri
Ow·er·ri
[ō wérree]

capital city of Imo State,
southern Nigeria. Population: 35,010 (1983)[1]



owing

owing
ow·ing 
[ṓ ing] adjective

due
to be paid:
due to be given, especially in payment or repayment of a debt • amounts
still owing
owing
to

as a result or consequence of
something[1]



owl

owl

owl 
[owl] (plural owls) noun

1.  hooting
bird of prey: a predatory, usually nocturnal bird with
a large head, large front-facing eyes, hooked and feathered talons, a small
beak, short neck, and a distinctive hooting call. The owl is traditionally
described as wise, perhaps because of its fixed gaze, as if it were considering
something carefully. Order: Strigiformes

2.  somebody
resembling owl: somebody who has habits or
characteristics attributed to owls, for example, wisdom, contemplativeness,
solemnity, or staying up all night

3.  fancy
pigeon:
a domestic pigeon belonging to a breed resembling the owl
[Old English ūle, from
a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin: probably an imitation of an
owl’s call][1]



owlbutterfly

owlbutterfly
owl
but·ter·fly
noun

South American butterfly with
wing spots: a South American butterfly
that has a spot like an owl’s eye on the underside of each hind wing. Genus: Caligo[1]



owlet

owlet
owl·et 
[ówlət] (plural owl·ets) noun

young owl:
a young or baby owl[1]



owletmoth

owletmoth
owl·et
moth
(plural owl·et moths) noun

See
noctuid
[“Owlet” from the fact that
its eyes shine in the dark when light strikes them][1]



owlish

owlish
owl·ish 
[ówlish] adjective

looking
or behaving like an owl: physically resembling an owl
or displaying a characteristic attributed to owls, for example, wisdom,
contemplativeness, solemnity, or staying up all night
—owl·ish·ly,
adverb

—owl·ish·ness, noun[1]



owlparrot

owlparrot
owl
par·rot
(plural owl par·rots) noun

See
kakapo[1]



owl’sclaws

owl’sclaws
owl’s
claws 
[ówlz clàwz] noun

N American perennial with
yellow flowers: a perennial plant that
grows in western North America and has large yellow flowers. Latin name: Helenium
hoopesii (regional)[1]



owl’sclover

owl’sclover
owl’s
clo·ver
(plural owl’s clo·vers) noun

plant
with densely spiked flowers: a plant of the figwort
family found in western North and South America that has dense spikes of
variously-colored flowers. Genus: Orthocarpus
[Owl’s from the fact that its
flowers look like owls’ faces][1]



own

own
own 
[ōn] adjective pronoun

1.  emphasizes
possessive:
a grammatical word emphasizing that somebody or something belongs to a
particular person or thing and not to somebody or something else • (adjective)
I always wanted to have my own business. • Her
own mother wouldn’t have recognized her. • (pronoun)
That’s my paintbrush –get your own. • At
last he had a house of his own.

2.  indicates
that somebody does something unaided: used
to indicate that somebody does something without help or interference • (adjective)
She made her own dress. • I
can make my own decisions. • (pronoun)
I’d rather make my own than buy them ready-made.
verb
(past owned, past participle owned, present
participle own·ing, 3rd person present singular owns)

1.  transitive
verb
have
something as property: to have something as your
property • He
owns a chain of hotels.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb acknowledge:
to acknowledge or admit something (archaic or formal) • He
owned that the struggle had been hard.

3.  transitive
verb
take
responsibility for: to acknowledge full personal
responsibility for something • encourage
team members to own the project
[Old
English āgnian, from āgen “one’s own,” past participle of āgan,
an earlier form of owe]
come
into your own

to
start to be really effective, useful, or successful

hold
your own

1.  put
up effective resistance in an argument or contest

2.  remain
in a stable condition after an illness or injury, often when it might not be
expected

on
your own

1.  alone

2.  without
help or interference

[1]



owner

owner
own·er
[ṓnər] (plural own·ers) noun

somebody owning something:
somebody who owns something[1]



owner-occupied

owner-occupied
own·er-oc·cu·pied
adjective

used as home by owner:
used as a residence by the person who owns it[1]



owner-occupier

owner-occupier
own·er-oc·cu·pi·er
(plural own·er-oc·cu·pi·ers) noun

somebody who owns home:
somebody who owns or is in the process of buying the house or apartment he or
she is living in[1]



ownership

ownership
own·er·ship 
[ṓnər shìp] noun

1.  right
of possession: the legal right of possessing something

2.  fact
or state of owning something: the fact or condition of
being an owner of something

[1]



owngoal

owngoal
own
goal
(plural own goals) noun

U.K.
goal scored accidentally for opponents:
a goal scored by mistake in a sport such as soccer or ice hockey for the
opposing team, usually due to a miskick, mishit, or deflection off another
player[1]



ownup

ownup
own
up
intransitive verb

admit:
to admit to having done something[1]



ox

ox
ox 
[oks] (plural ox·en [óksən]) noun

1.  bovine
draft animal: an adult castrated bull, sometimes used
for pulling heavy loads and plows. Genus: Bos

2.  cow
or bull:
a male or female bovine mammal, especially one belonging to a domestic breed

3.  somebody
unintelligent and clumsy: somebody who is
unintelligent and clumsy, especially somebody with a large build (insult)
[Old English oxa, from
a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English aurochs][1]



ox-

ox-
ox-
prefix

oxygen
• oxime
[From oxygen][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








oxacillin

oxacillin
ox·a·cil·lin 
[òksə síllin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections that are resistant to
penicillin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from isoxazole + penicillin .][1]



oxalate

oxalate
ox·a·late 
[óksə làyt] (plural ox·a·lates)
noun

salt of oxalic acid:
a salt or ester of oxalic acid[1]



oxalicacid

oxalicacid
ox·al·ic
ac·id 
[ok sàllik ássid] noun

colorless
poisonous acid: a colorless poisonous acid found in
plants as an oxalate and synthetically made for use in bleaching, dyeing, and
cleaning. H2C2O4
[“Oxalic” formed from Latin oxalis
“wood sorrel” (see oxalis ), because it
occurs naturally in the plant’s leaves][1]



oxalis

oxalis
ox·a·lis 
[ok sálliss, óksəliss]
(plural ox·a·lis·es) noun

plant
with leaves similar to clover: a plant such as wood
sorrel with leaves similar to those of clover. Genus: Oxalis
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek, “wood sorrel,” from oxus “sour” (see oxygen ), because of the taste of its leaves.][1]



oxazepam

oxazepam
ox·az·e·pam 
[ok sázzə pàm] noun

tranquilizing
drug:
a tranquilizer used to manage anxiety, insomnia, and alcohol withdrawal. C15H11ClN2O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from hydroxy- + benzodiazepine + amine .][1]



oxblood

oxblood
ox·blood
[óks blùd] or ox·blood red [óks blùd] adjective

brownish-red:
of a dark brownish-red color
—ox·blood, noun[1]



oxbow

oxbow
ox·bow 
[óks b] (plural ox·bows) noun

1.  U-shaped
collar for ox: a collar for an ox used as a draft
animal, consisting of a U-shaped piece of wood attached to a yoke

2.  bend
in river:
a bend in a river shaped like an oxbow, or the land found in the bend of a
river

[1]



oxbowlake

oxbowlake
ox·bow
lake
(plural ox·bow lakes) noun

lake resulting from former
river bend: a small curved lake
developed on a river floodplain by a river abandoning its original meandering
course and cutting a new channel[1]



Oxbridge

Oxbridge
Ox·bridge 
[óks brìj] noun

U.K.
Oxford
and Cambridge universities: the universities of Oxford
and Cambridge, seen as forming an institution distinct from all the other more
recently established universities in England
[Mid-19th century. Blend of Oxford
and Cambridge .][1]



oxcart

oxcart
ox·cart
[óks krt] (plural ox·carts) noun

cart drawn by oxen:
a cart drawn by oxen, for transporting heavy goods[1]



oxen

oxen
ox·en


Plural of
ox[1]



oxeye

oxeye
ox·eye 
[óks ] (plural ox·eyes) noun

1.  plant
with flower heads like a daisy’s: a composite plant of
Europe, Asia, and North America that has flower heads resembling a daisy’s.
Genus: Buphthalum Heliopsis

2.  See
daisy  noun 1

[1]



ox-eyed

ox-eyed
ox-eyed
adjective

with big round eyes:
with big round eyes like those of an ox[1]



oxeyedaisy

oxeyedaisy
ox·eye
dai·sy
or oxeye (plural oxeyes) noun

See
daisy  noun 1[1]



Oxfam

Oxfam
Ox·fam
[óks fàm] noun

international relief agency:
an international charity dedicated to providing poverty and disaster relief
overseas. It was founded in Oxford, England, in 1942.[1]



oxford

oxford
ox·ford 
[óksfərd] (plural ox·fords) or
Ox·ford [óksfərd] (plural Ox·fords)
noun

sturdy
lace-up shoe: a sturdy leather shoe that laces over
the instep
[Late 19th century. Named for
Oxford, England.][1]



Oxford

Oxford
Ox·ford 
[óks fərd]

city in south central
England, and administrative center of Oxfordshire. Its university is the oldest
in England. Population: 118,795 (1991)[1]



Oxfordaccent

Oxfordaccent
Ox·ford
ac·cent
(plural Ox·ford ac·cents) noun

accent of Oxford English:
a way of speaking using the pronunciation associated with Oxford English[1]



OxfordEnglish

OxfordEnglish
Ox·ford
En·glish
noun

U.K.
English spoken by Oxford graduates:
a variety of English, associated with Oxford University, that uses a form of
Received Pronunciation, the educated standard speech of southern England[1]



OxfordMovement

OxfordMovement
Ox·ford
Move·ment
noun

CHRISTIANITY
movement in the Church of England:
a movement in the Church of England that began in Oxford in the 1830s and
advocated a renewal of Roman Catholic doctrine and practices. Its most
influential leaders were John Henry Newman (later to become a Roman Catholic
cardinal), John Keble, and Edward Pusey.
Also called
Tractarianism[1]



oxheart

oxheart
ox·heart 
[óks hrt] (plural ox·hearts) noun

sweet
cherry:
a variety of cultivated cherry bearing large, sweet, heart-shaped fruits
[Mid-19th century. From its
shape and large size.][1]



oxidant

oxidant
ox·i·dant 
[óksidənt] (plural ox·i·dants)
noun

1.  oxidizing
agent:
a substance that oxidizes other substances.
Also
called
oxidizer

2.  substance
in fuel:
a substance in a bipropellant rocket fuel that contains oxygen to support the
combustion of another substance, usually liquid oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, or
nitric acid
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, oxide (see oxide
).][1]



oxidase

oxidase
ox·i·dase 
[óksi dàyss, óksi
dàyz] (plural ox·i·das·es) noun

organic
catalyst:
an enzyme that catalyzes biological oxidation, especially in living organisms
[Late 19th century. Formed
from oxidation .][1]



oxidation

oxidation
ox·i·da·tion 
[òksi dáysh’n] (plural ox·i·da·tions)
noun
See
also
reduction

1.  addition
of oxygen:
a chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to an element or compound

2.  loss
of electrons: the process of losing electrons from a
chemical element or compound
[Late
18th century. Via French from, ultimately, oxide (see oxide ).]
—ox·i·da·tive [óksi dàytiv], adjective[1]



oxidation-reduction

oxidation-reduction
ox·i·da·tion-re·duc·tion 
(plural ox·i·da·tion-re·duc·tions) noun

gain and loss of oxygen:
a chemical reaction in which one component loses electrons or is oxidized and
another gains electrons or is reduced.
Also called
redox[1]



oxidativephosphorylation

oxidativephosphorylation
ox·i·da·tive
phos·pho·ry·la·tion [òksə
daytiv fòsfərə láysh’n] noun

organic synthesis of energy:
a process that takes place in all living cells in the presence of oxygen, in
which they convert food to the energy that is required to maintain life. This
process produces ATP, the body’s high-energy fuel, through the phosphorylation
of ADP driven by the oxidation of NADH and other donors of electrons.[1]



oxidativestress

oxidativestress
ox·i·da·tive
stress
noun

cell impairment from too much
oxygen: the impaired performance of
cells, caused by the presence of too many oxygen molecules in them[1]



oxide

oxide
ox·ide 
[ók sd] (plural ox·ides) noun

compound
containing oxygen: any compound containing
oxygen, especially in combination with a metal
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from oxygène “oxygen,” on the model of acide
“acid.”][1]



oxidize

oxidize
ox·i·dize 
[óksi dz] (past ox·i·dized, past
participle ox·i·dized, present participle ox·i·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular ox·i·diz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  react
or make react with oxygen: to react or cause a chemical
to react with oxygen, for example in forming an oxide.
See
also
reduce  verb 9

2.  lose
or make lose electrons: to lose electrons, or to
cause a chemical element or compound to lose electrons.
See
also
reduce  verb 10

3.  cover
with oxide coating: to form an oxide coating or
to cover something with an oxide coating
—ox·i·di·za·tion
[òksidi záysh’n], noun

—ox·y·diz·a·ble [óksi dzəb’l], adjective[1]



oxidizer

oxidizer
ox·i·diz·er 
[óksi dzər] (plural ox·i·diz·ers)
noun

See
oxidant  noun 1[1]



oxidizingagent

oxidizingagent
ox·i·diz·ing
a·gent
noun

substance that oxidizes other
substances: a substance that oxidizes
other substances and undergoes reduction in the process[1]



oxidoreductase

oxidoreductase
ox·i·do·re·duc·tase 
[òksidō ri dúk tàyss, òksidō ri dúk tàyz] noun

catalyst for oxidation and
reduction: an enzyme that catalyzes a
reaction involving oxidation and reduction[1]



oxime

oxime
ox·ime 
[ók sm, óksim]
(plural ox·imes) noun

organic
compound:
an organic compound containing a hydroxile group bonded to a nitrogen atom
[Late 19th century. Coined
from oxy- + imide
.][1]



oximeter

oximeter
ox·im·e·ter 
[ok símmətər] (plural ox·im·e·ters)
noun

oxygen
meter for blood: an instrument that measures the amount
of oxygen in something, especially in blood
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from oxy- + -meter .]
—ox·i·met·ric
[òksi méttrik], adjective

—ox·i·met·ri·cal·ly
[òksi méttrikəlee], adverb

—ox·im·e·try [ok símmətree], noun[1]



oxlip

oxlip
ox·lip 
[óks lìp] (plural ox·lips) noun

woodland
plant with yellow flower: a woodland plant of Europe
and Asia that has clusters of small yellow flowers. Latin name: Primula
elatior
Also
called
paigle
[Old English oxanslyppe,
literally “ox dung,” from oxa “ox” + slyppe “slime” (see slip )][1]



Oxonian

Oxonian
Ox·o·ni·an 
[ok sṓnee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Oxford University: relating to Oxford
University, or its students and staff

2.  relating
to British city of Oxford: relating to the British city
of Oxford or its inhabitants
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Oxonia, Latinized form of Old English Ox(e)naford
“Oxford.”]
—Ox·o·ni·an, noun[1]



oxpecker

oxpecker
ox·peck·er 
[óks pèkər] (plural ox·peck·ers)
noun

starling
that eats parasites: an African starling that
climbs on the back of wild and domestic mammals and eats parasites from their
skin. Genus: Buphagus
Also
called
rhinoceros bird
[Mid-19th century][1]



oxpecker

oxpecker
ox·peck·er 
[óks pèkər] (plural ox·peck·ers)
noun

starling
that eats parasites: an African starling that
climbs on the back of wild and domestic mammals and eats parasites from their
skin. Genus: Buphagus
Also
called
rhinoceros bird
[Mid-19th century][1]



oxtail

oxtail
ox·tail 
[óks tàyl] (plural ox·tails) noun

ox’s tail used as food:
the tail of a beef animal, skinned and chopped into short lengths and simmered
for a long time to make a rich soup or stew[1]



oxy-

oxy-
oxy-
prefix

oxygen
• oxyacid
[Shortening of oxygen][1]



oxyacetylene

oxyacetylene
ox·y·a·cet·y·lene 
[òksee ə sétt’l n, òksee
ə sétt’lin] noun

oxygen mixture producing hot
flame: a mixture of oxygen and
acetylene that is used to produce an extremely hot flame for cutting and
welding metal[1]



oxyacid

oxyacid
ox·y·ac·id 
[óksee àssid] (plural ox·y·ac·ids)
noun

oxygen-containing acid:
an acid that contains oxygen[1]



oxycephaly

oxycephaly
ox·y·ceph·a·ly 
[òksee séffəlee] noun

pointed
skull condition: a condition in which the skull becomes
slightly pointed as a result of the premature closure of some connective bones
( sutures )
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek oxukephalos, literally “pointed-headed,” from oxus
“sharp” (see oxygen ) + kephalē
“head.”][1]



oxygen

oxygen

ox·y·gen 
[óksijən] noun
element
essential for breathing: a colorless odorless gas
that is the most abundant chemical element and forms compounds with most
others. It is necessary in most cases for combustion and essential for plant
and animal respiration. Symbol O
[Late
18th century. From French, literally “acid-former” (because it was thought to
be a basic component of acids), formed from Greek oxus “sharp, sour.”]
—ox·y·gen·ic [òksi jénnik], adjective[1]



oxygenase

oxygenase
ox·y·gen·ase 
[óksijə nàyss, óksijə
nàyz] noun

enzyme promoting
incorporation of oxygen: an enzyme
that promotes a reaction in which oxygen is incorporated into the molecules of
the substrate[1]



oxygenate

oxygenate
ox·y·gen·ate 
[óksijə nàyt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past ox·y·gen·at·ed, past participle ox·y·gen·at·ed,
present participle ox·y·gen·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular ox·y·gen·ates)

combine
with oxygen: to combine something, or to be combined,
with oxygen
noun

oxygen substance added to
fuels: a substance added to fuels,
especially gasoline, to make them burn more efficiently[1]



oxygendebt

oxygendebt
ox·y·gen
debt
noun

oxygen deficit during
exercise: the amount of oxygen needed
to replenish the stores the body uses for its normal physiological processes
after these have been depleted during strenuous physical exercise[1]



oxygendemand

oxygendemand
ox·y·gen
de·mand
noun

See
biochemical oxygen demand[1]



oxygenmask

oxygenmask
ox·y·gen
mask
(plural ox·y·gen masks) noun

device providing oxygen for
breathing: a device fitting closely
over the nose and mouth through which oxygen is supplied to assist breathing,
for example, at high altitudes[1]



oxygentent

oxygentent
ox·y·gen
tent
(plural oxygen tents) noun

structure providing oxygen:
a structure enclosing a patient in bed and resembling a transparent plastic
tent, into which oxygen can be pumped to assist breathing[1]



oxyhemoglobin

oxyhemoglobin
ox·y·he·mo·glo·bin 
[ksi hímmə glō bən] noun

complex of hemoglobin and
oxygen: the bright red form of
hemoglobin when it is combined with oxygen molecules, which it transports from
the lungs to the tissues[1]



oxyhydrogen

oxyhydrogen
ox·y·hy·dro·gen 
[ksi h drə gən] adjective

using mixture of hydrogen and
oxygen: using a mixture of oxygen
and hydrogen gases, thus allowing hydrogen to burn in an oxygen atmosphere and
giving a flame temperature of 2,400°C • oxyhydrogen
welding[1]



oxymetazoline

oxymetazoline
ox·y·me·taz·o·line 
[òksee mi tázzə ln] noun

nasal decongestant:
a nasal decongestant, usually administered as a spray[1]



oxymoron

oxymoron
ox·y·mo·ron 
[ksi máwraan] (plural ox·y·mo·ra)
noun

expression
with contradictory words: a phrase in which two words
of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example,
“wise fool” or “legal murder”
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
oxumōron, a substantival use of the neuter singular of oxumōros
“pointedly foolish,” from oxus “sharp” (source of English oxygen ) + mōros “foolish” (source of
English moron ).][1]



oxyntic

oxyntic
ox·yn·tic
[ok síntik] adjective

producing acid:
producing or secreting acid • oxyntic
cells[1]



oxysulfide

oxysulfide
ox·y·sul·fide 
[òksi súl fīd] noun

compound containing sulfur
and oxygen: any compound in which a
chemical element is combined with sulfur and oxygen[1]



oxytetracycline

oxytetracycline
ox·y·tet·ra·cy·cline 
[ksi téttrə s kleen] noun

yellow crystalline
antibiotic: a yellow crystalline
antibiotic obtained from a soil bacterium Streptomyces rimosus and used
to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections[1]



oxytocic

oxytocic
ox·y·to·cic 
[ksi tōssik] adjective

speeding
up contractions in childbirth: inducing or speeding
up childbirth by stimulating the muscles of the womb and causing contractions
noun
(plural oxytocics)

drug
accelerating childbirth: a drug that induces or
speeds up childbirth
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek oxutokia “sudden delivery” (literally “sharp birth”), which
in turn was formed from Greek tokos “birth” (related to English thane ).][1]



oxytocin

oxytocin
ox·y·to·cin 
[ksi tōssin] noun

hormone that induces labor:
a hormone released by the pituitary gland that stimulates contractions of the
womb during childbirth and triggers the secretion of milk from the breast
during nursing. It may be given to women during childbirth to assist labor.[1]



oxytone

oxytone
ox·y·tone 
[ksi tōn] adjective

1.  with
acute accent on last syllable: in classical Greek,
having an acute accent on the final syllable

2.  with
stress on final syllable: with the stress on the final
syllable
noun
(plural ox·y·tones)

an
oxytone word or syllable
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
oxutonos, literally “sharp pitch,” which was formed from tonos
“pitch, force” (see tone ).][1]



oxyuriasis

oxyuriasis
ox·y·u·ri·a·sis 
[ksi y rəssiss] noun

pinworm
infestation: infestation with pinworms
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from Oxyuris “name of a genus of worms.”][1]



oyerand terminer

oyerand terminer
oy·er
and ter·mi·ner  [òyər ənd
túrminər] noun

1.  U.S.
criminal court: a high court with general criminal
jurisdiction in some states of the U.S.

2.  British
commission to judge on assize: a commission from the
British Crown empowering a judge to try cases in English courts of assize,
abolished along with the assize system in 1972
[Partial translation of
Anglo-Norman oyer et terminer, literally “to hear and determine” ( terminer
from Latin terminare, source of English terminate
)][1]



oyez

oyez
o·yez 
[ō yéz, ō yéss,
ō yáy] or o·yes [ō yéz, ō yéss, ō yáy] interjection

1.  call
for silence: used, usually three times in succession,
to call for silence and indicate that an official announcement is about to be
made, for example, in court or by a town-crier

2.  used
to get somebody’s attention (informal)
noun

a
cry of “ oyez ”
[From Anglo-Norman, the
imperative plural (“hear ye!”) of oyer “to hear,” from Latin audire
“to hear”][1]



oyster

oyster

oys·ter 
[òystər] noun (plural oys·ters)

1.  edible
shellfish:
an edible shellfish with a rough irregularly shaped shell that lives mainly on
the sea bed in coastal waters. Oysters are generally eaten raw and considered a
delicacy. Genera: Ostrea Crassostrea

2.  shellfish
similar to oyster: any shellfish similar to an
edible oyster, for example, a pearl oyster

3.  slightly
grayish off-white: a pale beige or pink color
with a grayish tinge

4.  piece
of dark meat in fowl: a small piece of dark meat
found in a hollow on either side of the pelvic bone of a fowl such as a chicken
or turkey

5.  uncommunicative
person:
a person who does not say much or is secretive (archaic slang)
intransitive verb
(past oys·tered, past participle oys·tered, present
participle oys·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular oys·ters)

gather oysters:
to grow or gather oysters
[Via
Old French oistre from Latin ostrea, ostreum, from Greek ostreon,
etymologically an allusion to its shell, being related to ostrakon
“shell” (source of English ostracize
) and osteon “bone” (source of English osteo-
)]
the world is your oyster

the world provides unlimited
opportunities for you to be successful and prosper[1]



oysterbed

oysterbed
oys·ter
bed
(plural oys·ter beds) noun

area where oysters grow:
an area of seabed where oysters grow or are grown[1]



oystercatcher

oystercatcher
oys·ter·catch·er 
[òystər katshər] (plural oystercatchers)
noun

shore bird:
a common large shore bird, found worldwide, that has a long flat almost
chisel-shaped red bill and black or black-and-white plumage, and lives on
shellfish and worms. Genus: Haematopus[1]



oystercrab

oystercrab
oys·ter
crab
(plural oys·ter crabs) noun

small crab living inside
oyster’s shell: a small soft-bodied
crab that lives harmlessly inside the shell of a live oyster or other mollusk.
Latin name: Pinnotheres ostreum[1]



oystercracker

oystercracker
oys·ter
crack·er
(plural oys·ter crack·ers) noun

FOOD
small cracker:
a small round salty cracker[1]



oysterman

oysterman
oys·ter·man 
[òystər mən] (plural oys·ter·men)
noun

1.  somebody
who grows or gathers oysters: somebody who grows,
collects, or sells oysters

2.  a
boat used in gathering oysters

[1]



oystermushroom

oystermushroom
oys·ter
mush·room
(plural oys·ter mush·rooms) noun

edible mushroom:
an edible mushroom that grows on dead wood and has a soft flavorful gray cap.
Latin name: Pleurotus ostreatus[1]



oysterplant

oysterplant
oys·ter
plant
(plural oys·ter plants) noun

1.  See
salsify  noun 1

2.  See
lungwort

[1]



oystersauce

oystersauce
oys·ter
sauce
noun

oyster-flavored sauce:
a salty bottled sauce flavored with oysters, used as a seasoning or flavoring
in Chinese cooking[1]



oystershell scale

oystershell scale
oys·ter
shell scale
noun

sap-sucking insect pest:
an insect pest of shade trees and shrubs that in its wingless and eyeless adult
form lives under an impenetrable white shell and sucks the sap of its host.
Latin name: Lepidosaphes ulmi[1]



oystersrockefeller

oystersrockefeller
oys·ters
rock·e·fel·ler  [òystərz
rki felər] noun

oysters
with spinach and flavorings: oysters topped with chopped
spinach, flavored with onion, celery, parsley, and a little aniseed liqueur,
then baked
[Mid-20th century. Rockefeller of uncertain origin: probably named
for John D. Rockefeller .][1]



oz

oz
oz


Abbreviation
of
ounce
[From Italian ōz being
the abbreviation of onza “ounce,” from Latin uncia “twelfth part”
(see ounce )][1]



Oz,Amos

Oz,Amos
Oz 
[oz], Amos (1939– )

Israeli
writer. He is best known for his novels about life in Israel and Palestine.
Full name
Oz, Amos Klausner[1]



ozap

ozap
oz
ap

Abbreviation of
apothecaries’ ounce[1]



OzarkPlateau

OzarkPlateau
O·zark
Plat·eau
[ṓ zrk]

mountainous region in the
southern United States, predominantly in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Area: 130,000 sq km/50,000 sq mi.[1]



ozav

ozav
oz
av

Abbreviation of
avoirdupois ounce[1]



Ozawa,Seiji

Ozawa,Seiji
O·za·wa
[ō zwə], Seiji (1935– )

Japanese conductor. He has
conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1973.[1]



ozocerite

ozocerite
o·zo·ce·rite 
[zō sírrit] or ozokerite [zō kírrit] noun

natural
paraffin wax: a waxy hydrocarbon substance occurring
naturally in irregular veins in sandstone rock, ranging in color from brown to
jet black, and used in making candles, wax paper, and polishes.
Also
called
earth wax
Also
called
fossil wax
Also
called
mineral wax
Also
called
native paraffin
[Mid-19th century. From
German Ozokerit, from Greek ozein “to smell” (source of English ozone ) + kēros “beeswax.”][1]



ozone

ozone
o·zone 
[ṓ zōn,  zṓn]
noun

1.  form
of oxygen:
a gaseous form of oxygen with three oxygen atoms per molecule, formed by
electrical discharge in oxygen. It acts as a strong oxidizing agent and is used
in water purification. Although considered a pollutant in the lower atmosphere
where it is present in very small quantities, it forms a protective ozone layer
in the upper atmosphere. O3

2.  fresh
air:
fresh pure air (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Via German
Ozon from Greek ozon, the neuter present participle of ozein
“to smell”; so called from its pungent smell.][1]



ozone-friendly

ozone-friendly
o·zone-friend·ly
adjective

not harming ozone layer:
causing no harm to the ozone layer[1]



ozonehole

ozonehole
o·zone
hole
(plural o·zone holes) noun

hole in ozone layer:
an area of the upper atmosphere where the ozone layer is absent or has become
unusually thin[1]



ozonelayer

ozonelayer
o·zone
lay·er
noun

upper layer of the
atmosphere: the layer of the upper
atmosphere, from 15 to 50 km/10 to 30 miles above the Earth’s surface, where
most atmospheric ozone collects, absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from
the Sun. In the 1980s it was realized that industrial pollutants such as CFCs
were damaging the ozone layer and that holes had appeared in it, especially
over the Antarctic.
Also called
ozonosphere[1]



ozonide

ozonide
o·zo·nide 
[ zōnīd] noun

explosive compound of ozone:
an explosive organic compound formed by the addition of ozone to any organic
compound with a double or triple carbon bond[1]



ozonize

ozonize
o·zo·nize 
[ zōnīz] (past o·zo·nized, past
participle o·zo·nized, present participle o·zo·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular o·zo·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  convert
oxygen to ozone: to convert oxygen into ozone

2.  treat
with ozone:
to treat something with ozone, or add ozone to an organic compound with a
double or triple carbon bond

[1]



ozonizer

ozonizer
o·zon·iz·er
[ṓzō nīzər] noun

device producing ozone:
a device that produces ozone from oxygen gas[1]



ozonosphere

ozonosphere
o·zo·no·sphere 
[ō zṓnə sfr, ō
zónnə sfr] noun

See
ozone layer[1]



ozt

ozt
oz
t

Abbreviation of
troy ounce[1]



Oñate,Juan de

Oñate,Juan de
O·ña·te
[ō nt ay], Juan de (1550?–1630?)

Spanish-American explorer. He
founded New Mexico (1598) and explored territory in the present United States
southwest.[1]



o’

o’
o’
contraction

of[1]



o’clock

o’clock
o’clock 
[ə klók] adverb

1.  being
a particular hour in telling the time: in
telling the time, used to indicate an exact hour of the day or night, rather
than some minutes past or before the hour • woke
up at six o’clock in the morning

2.  indicating
direction as if on a clockface: used to describe a
position or direction of something by comparing it to the positions of numbers
on a clockface, with the observer at the center of the clock • Look
at the man sitting to your right, at three o’clock.
[15th century. Contraction of
of the clock .][1]



O’Connell,Daniel

O’Connell,Daniel
O’Con·nell
[ō kónn’l], Daniel (1775–1847)

Irish politician and a Roman
Catholic, he succeeded in obtaining Catholic emancipation, becoming a Member of
Parliament at Westminster (1829). He agitated for repeal of the union of
Ireland and Great Britain, and became Lord Mayor of Dublin (1841).[1]



O’Connor,Flannery

O’Connor,Flannery

O’Con·nor
[ō kónnər], Flannery (1925–1964)
U.S.
writer. She is known for her Southern Gothic novels, such as Wise Blood
( 1952 ).
Full name
O’Connor, Mary Flannery[1]



O’Connor,Sandra Day

O’Connor,Sandra Day
O’Con·nor
[ō kónnər], Sandra Day (1930– )

U.S. jurist. She was the
first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court (from 1981).[1]



o’er

o’er
o’er 
[awr, ōr]
preposition adverb

over:
over (literary) • The
sun rose o’er the mountain.
[14th century. Contraction.][1]



O’Hara,John Henry

O’Hara,John Henry

O’Ha·ra
[ō hrə], John Henry (1905–1970)
U.S. writer. His novels explore the
themes of class conflict, status, and sexual mores. His works include the
short-story collection Pal Joey ( 1940 ).[1]



O’Higgins,Bernardo

O’Higgins,Bernardo
O’Hig·gins
[ō hígginz], Bernardo (1778–1842)

Chilean
leader. He led Chile’s fight for independence from Spain (1810–1817), and
established himself as a virtual dictator (1817–1823).
Known as
the Liberator of Chile[1]



O’Keeffe,Georgia

O’Keeffe,Georgia

O’Keeffe 
[ō kf], Georgia (1887–1986)
U.S. artist. She is known for her
stylized still lifes, notably of flowers and objects found in the desert.[1]



O’Neal,Shaquille

O’Neal,Shaquille

O’Neal
[ō nl], Shaquille (1972– )
U.S. basketball player. He is considered
one of the greatest players of the 1990s.[1]



O’Neill,Eugene

O’Neill,Eugene

O’Neill
[ō nl], Eugene (1888–1953)
U.S.
playwright. His realistic psychological dramas include Mourning Becomes
Electra ( 1931 ), The Iceman Cometh ( 1946 ), and Long Day’s
Journey into Night ( 1956 ). He won the Nobel Prize in literature (1936).
Full name
O’Neill, Eugene Gladstone[1]



O’Odham

O’Odham
O’O·dham 
[ṓ ə daam] noun

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Papago[1]



O’Toole,Peter

O’Toole,Peter
O’Toole
[ō tl], Peter (1932– )

Irish-born
British actor. He has starred in many films, notably Lawrence of Arabia
( 1964 ).
Full name
O’Toole, Peter Seamus[1]



P

P2
P2

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of parity

2.
(used on gearshifts) Abbreviation of park

3.  CHESS Abbreviation of pawn

4.
(used in sports tables) Abbreviation of played

5.  Abbreviation
of
after noon

6.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of power

7.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of pressure

[1]



p

p1

p1 [pee]
(plural p’s or ps) or P [pee]
(plural P’s or Ps) noun

1.  16th
letter of the alphabet: the 16th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “P”: the sound made when
speaking that corresponds to the letter “P”

3.        letter
“P” written: a written
representation of the letter “P”[1]



p

p2
p2

MUSIC
(used as a direction) Symbol for piano[1]



P

P1
P1

CHEMICAL
ELEMENTS Symbol for phosphorus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








p.

p.
p.

1.  Abbreviation
of
page

2.  Abbreviation
of
part

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of participle

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of past

5.  Abbreviation
of
pataca

6.  Abbreviation
of
penny

7.  Abbreviation
of
per

8.  Abbreviation
of
peso

9.  Abbreviation
of
pint

10. Abbreviation
of
pipe

11. Abbreviation
of
population

12. Abbreviation
of
pula

13. KNITTING Abbreviation of purl

[1]



P.

P.
P.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Pastor

2.  Abbreviation
of
President

3.  Abbreviation
of
Priest

4.  Abbreviation
of
Prince

[1]



PA

PA1
PA1

1.  INSURANCE Abbreviation of
particular average

2.  MAIL Abbreviation of Pennsylvania

3.  BANKING Abbreviation of
personal account

4.  MILITARY Abbreviation of Post
Adjutant

5.  Abbreviation
of
press agent

6.  Abbreviation
of
Press Association

7.  Abbreviation
of
prosecuting attorney

8.  Abbreviation
of
public accountant

[1]



pa

pa
pa 
[po] (plural pa’s or pas)
noun

father:
father (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of papa .][1]



Pa.

Pa.
Pa.

Abbreviation of
Pennsylvania[1]



Pa

Pa
Pa

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for pascal

2.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for protactinium

[1]



PA

PA2
PA2 noun

electronic
sound-amplification system: an
electronic amplification system used to increase the sound level of speech or
music in a large or open space such as a stadium or auditorium.
Also called
PA system Full form public-address system[1]



p.a.

p.a.
p.a.

Abbreviation of
yearly[1]



P/A

P/A
P/A

LAW
Abbreviation of power of attorney[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








P.A.

P.A.
P.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
physician’s assistant

2.  Abbreviation
of
power of attorney

3.  Abbreviation
of
prosecuting attorney

[1]



PABA

PABA
PABA 
[pábbə, pbə]
noun

colorless acid used in
sunscreens: a colorless form of
aminobenzoic acid used in sunscreens to absorb ultraviolet light and in dyes
and pharmaceuticals. It is part of the vitamin B complex and is found in yeast
and liver. Full form para-aminobenzoic[1]



pablum

pablum
pab·lum 
[pábbləm] noun

See
pabulum  noun 2
[Late 20th century. From
Pabulum .][1]



pabulum

pabulum
pab·u·lum 
[pábbyələm] noun

1.  plant
or animal food: a source of nourishment in an easily
absorbable liquid, especially the nutrient intake of plants and lower animals

2.  unsatisfying
intellectual material: material whose intellectual
content is thin, trite, bland, or generally unsatisfying (literary)
Also
called
pablum
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from the stem of pascere “to feed” (source of
English pasture ).][1]



PABX

PABX
PABX

Abbreviation of
private automatic branch exchange[1]



PAC

PAC
PAC 
[pak]

Abbreviation of
political action committee[1]



Pac.

Pac.
Pac.

Abbreviation of
Pacific[1]



paca

paca
pa·ca 
[pkə, pákə]
(plural pa·cas) noun

burrowing
rodent:
a large burrowing plant-eating rodent with a large head and brown fur with
white spots, found in the rainforests of South and Central America. Genus: Cuniculus
[Mid-17th century. Via Spanish
and Portuguese from Tupi .][1]



Paca,William

Paca,William
Paca 
[pkə, pákə],
William (1740–1799)

U.S. statesman. He signed the
Declaration of Independence (1776) and was governor of Maryland (1782–1785).[1]



pace

pace1
pace1  [payss]
noun (plural pac·es)

1.  speed
of movement: the particular speed at which somebody
or something moves, especially when walking or running • She
quickened her pace.

2.  speed
of events:
the rate or speed at which things happen or develop • the
pace of modern life

3.  speed
in performance: the degree of urgency, sharpness, or
speed in the writing, composition, or performance of a dramatic or musical work

4.  step:
a step taken when walking or running

5.  distance
covered in a step: the distance covered in a
single step or stride

6.  unit
of length:
any of several units of distance ranging from .76 to 1.52 m30 to 60 in., based
on the length of one or two human strides

7.  way
of walking:
a particular manner or style of walking

8.  EQUESTRIAN gait
of horse:
a distinctive way in which a four-legged animal walks or runs at different
speeds, for example, a walk, trot, or canter, especially as executed by a
trained horse

9.  2-beat
gait:
a two-beat gait of a four-legged animal where both legs on one side of the body
move and are put down together. It is natural in camels but the product of
training in horses.
verb
(past paced, past participle paced, present
participle pac·ing, 3rd person present singular pac·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
back and forth: to walk back and forth within a
restricted area, especially in a state of nervous anxiety or deep thought • paced
up and down all night worrying

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
along something: to walk along or through something with
regular strides

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb measure
by counting steps: to measure a distance by
counting the paces taken to cover it • I
paced out the width of the room.

4.  transitive
verb
set
the speed of something: to set the speed at which
somebody runs, moves, or does something • I
helped her train for the marathon by pacing her on a bicycle.

5.  reflexive
verb
do
something at controlled rate: to run or work at an even
controlled speed so as not to waste energy • Learn
to pace yourself.

6.  intransitive
verb
move
at a pace:
to move at a pace (refers to horses)
[13th
century. Directly or via French pas “step” from Latin passus,
literally “stretch (of the leg),” ultimately from pandere “to stretch,
extend” (source of English expand ).]
at
somebody’s own pace

at
the rate that is natural or comfortable for somebody

force
the pace

to
do something to force somebody to go faster or to make something happen more
quickly

off
the pace

SPORTS behind the leader or the
score of the leading competitor

put
something through its paces

to
make something demonstrate its capabilities, as a test or in order to impress
other people

set
the pace

to
go at a speed or establish a standard that others have to keep up with

stand
or stay the pace

to be able to keep up with
other people, especially when the pace is fast, the standard high, or the
competition fierce[1]



pace

pace2
pace2  [páyssee,
p chày] preposition

with
all respect to: used in front of a name or title as a
gesture of real or ironic respect to somebody who is mistaken and about to be
corrected • Pace
the critic of this newspaper, the character’s name is Prospero, not Prosperus.
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “with peace, with permission,” a form of pax “peace”
(source of English peace ).][1]



pacecar

pacecar
pace
car 
noun

car leading a pace lap:
a car that leads the competitors in a car race through a pace lap before the
start of a race but does not participate in the race itself[1]



pacelap

pacelap
pace
lap 
(plural pace laps) noun

warmup lap before a car race:
a lap of the course driven by all the competitors in a motor race before the
race begins, to warm up the engines[1]



pacemaker

pacemaker
pace·mak·er 
[páyss màykər] (plural pace·mak·ers)
noun

1.  SPORTS competitor
who sets the pace: a competitor in a race who
sets the speed at which the whole or part of the race is run.
Also
called
pacer
Also
called
pacesetter

2.  See
pacesetter  noun 1

3.  MEDICINE device
that regulates the heartbeat: a battery-operated
electrical device inserted into the body to deliver small regular shocks that
stimulate the heart to beat in a normal rhythm

4.  ANATOMY natural
heartbeat regulator: a small area of specialized
heart-muscle tissue in the wall of the upper right chamber of the heart that
sends out rhythmic electrical impulses to regulate the heartbeat

[1]



pacer

pacer
pac·er 
[páyssər] (plural pac·ers) noun

1.  SPORTS See pacemaker  noun 1

2.  EQUESTRIAN horse
trained to pace: a horse trained to move at a pace in
races

[1]



pacesetter

pacesetter
pace·set·ter 
[páyss sèttər] (plural pace·set·ters)
noun

1.  leader
in a field of activity: a person or group regarded
as being a leader in any field and one whom others may emulate.
Also
called
pacemaker

2.  SPORTS See pacemaker  noun 1

[1]



pacha

pacha
pa·cha 
noun

See
pasha[1]



pachisi

pachisi
pa·chi·si 
[pə chzee] noun

ancient
Indian board game: an ancient Indian
four-handed game similar to backgammon played on a cross-shaped board with six
cowrie shells used as dice
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi pac(c)īsī, literally “(throw of) 25” (this being the highest in
the game).][1]



pachouli

pachouli
pach·ou·li 
noun

See
patchouli[1]



pachyderm

pachyderm
pach·y·derm 
[páki dùrm] (plural pach·y·derms)
noun

large
thick-skinned mammal: a large mammal with a thick
skin, especially the elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus
[Mid-19th
century. From French pachyderme, from Greek pachydermos
“thick-skinned,” from pachys “thick” + derma “skin.”]
—pach·y·der·mal [pàki dúrm’l], adjective[1]



pachydermatous

pachydermatous
pach·y·der·ma·tous 
[pàki dúrmətəss] adjective

1.  resembling
a pachyderm: having the thick skin or some other
physical characteristic typical of a pachyderm

2.  emotionally
thick-skinned: insensitive to other people and
unworried by criticism or attack (literary or humorous)
[Early 19th century.
Ultimately from Greek pakhus “thick” + dermat-, stem of derma
“skin.”][1]



pachysandra

pachysandra

pach·y·san·dra 
[pàki sándrə] (plural pach·y·san·dras
or pach·y·san·dra) noun
evergreen
plant:
a low-growing shrubby evergreen plant of the box family with toothed leaves and
tiny white flowers, often used as ground cover. Genus: Pachysandra
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin (genus name), from Greek pakhus “thick” + andr-
“man, male” (see andro- ); from the thick
stamens.][1]



pachytene

pachytene
pach·y·tene 
[páki tn] noun

BIOLOGY stage
of cell division: the third stage of cell division, during
which the paired chromosomes become shorter and thicker and divide into four
chromatids
[Early 20th century. From
French pachytène, from Greek pakhus “thick” + French -tène
“ribbon” (from, ultimately, Greek tainia ).][1]



Pacif.

Pacif.
Pacif.

Abbreviation of
Pacific[1]



pacific

pacific
pa·cif·ic 
[pə síffik] adjective

1.  bringing
peace:
leading to or promoting peace and an end to conflict

2.  having
a peaceful temperament: calm and peaceful by nature

3.  unaggressive:
avoiding the use of force
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French pacifique from Latin pacificus, from pac-,
stem of pax “peace” (see peace ).][1]



Pacific

Pacific
Pa·cif·ic 
noun

Pacific
Ocean:
the Pacific Ocean
adjective

relating to the Pacific
Ocean: relating to the Pacific
Ocean, or to the territories that surround it or are surrounded by it[1]



pacification

pacification
pac·i·fi·ca·tion 
[pàssifi káysh’n] noun

1.  process
of pacifying: the process of bringing about peace by
calming somebody or putting an end to conflict

2.  MILITARY establishment
of an enforced peace: the use of military force or
other measures to eradicate rebellion and restore an area to peace and
government control

[1]



PacificNorthwest

PacificNorthwest
Pa·cif·ic
North·west
noun

NW of N America:
a region of the northwestern United States on the Pacific coast that includes
the states of Washington and Oregon and sometimes southwestern British
Columbia, Canada[1]



PacificOcean

PacificOcean
Pa·cif·ic
O·cean
[pə sìffik ṓshən]

the largest ocean in the
world, stretching from the Arctic Ocean in the north to Antarctica in the
south, and from North and South America in the east to eastern Asia, the Malay
Archipelago, and Australia in the west. Its deepest point is the Mariana
Trench, 10,924 m/ 35,840 ft. Area: 165,000,000 sq km/64,000,000 sq mi.[1]



PacificRim

PacificRim
Pa·cif·ic
Rim
noun

countries bordering the
Pacific: the countries that border
the Pacific, especially the countries of East Asia, considered as a political
or economic unit[1]



PacificRim National Park Reserve

PacificRim National Park Reserve
Pa·cif·ic
Rim Na·tion·al Park Re·serve

national park in western
Canada divided into three sections along the western coast of Vancouver Island,
British Columbia. It also extends offshore to protect the marine environment.
Area: 285 sq km/110 sq mi.[1]



PacificStandard Time

PacificStandard Time
Pa·cif·ic
Stan·dard Time or Pa·cif·ic Time noun

standard N American West
Coast time: the standard time for the
western coastal regions of North America, one hour behind Mountain Time and
eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time[1]



pacifier

pacifier
pac·i·fi·er 
[pássə fr] (plural pac·i·fi·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that pacifies: somebody or something that
calms a person or situation

2.  BABYWARE nipple-shaped
object that babies suck: an object made of rubber or
plastic in the shape of a nipple or ring for a baby to suck on.
U.K.
term
dummy

[1]



pacifism

pacifism
pac·i·fism 
[pássə fìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in the peaceful resolution of conflicts: a
belief that violence, war, and the taking of lives are unacceptable ways of
resolving disputes

2.  refusal
to participate in war: the refusal to take up arms
or participate in war because of moral or religious beliefs

3.  POLITICS belief
in diplomacy over war: a belief that international
conflicts should be settled by negotiation rather than war

[1]



pacifist

pacifist
pac·i·fist 
[pássəfist] noun (plural pac·i·fists)

1.  believer
in pacifism: somebody who believes in, advocates, or
practices pacifism

2.  conscientious
objector:
somebody who refuses to perform military service or take part in a war
adjective

supporting pacifism:
believing in, advocating, or practicing pacifism
—pac·i·fis·tic
[pàssə fístik], adjective

—pac·i·fis·ti·cal·ly [pàssə fístikəlee], adverb[1]



pacify

pacify
pac·i·fy 
[pássə f] (past pac·i·fied, past
participle pac·i·fied, present participle pac·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pac·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  calm:
to calm somebody who is angry or agitated, or soothe violent or angry feelings

2.  MILITARY bring
peace to:
to bring peace to an area, people, or situation, often by using military force
to end conflict or unrest
[15th
century. Directly or via French pacifier from Latin pacificare,
literally “to make peace,” from pac-, stem of pax “peace” (see peace ).]
—pac·i·fi·a·ble [pássə f əb’l, pàssə
f əb’l], adjective[1]



Paciniancorpuscle

Paciniancorpuscle
Pa·cin·i·an
cor·pus·cle 
[pə sìnnee ən káwrpəss’l] (plural Pa·cin·i·an
cor·pus·cles) noun

nerve
receptor:
a pressure-sensitive nerve ending resembling a tiny white onion that is
connected to the end of nerve fibers in the skin, especially of the hands and
feet, and in connective tissue
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Filippo Pacini ( 1812–1883 ) an Italian anatomist.][1]



Pacino,Al

Pacino,Al
Pa·ci·no
[pə chnō], Al (1940– )

U.S.
actor. He starred in The Godfather movies and won an Academy Award for Scent
of a Woman ( 1992 ).
Full name
Pacino, Alfredo[1]



pack

pack1
pack1 [pak]
noun (plural packs)

1.  collection
of things in a package: a set of documents or other
materials relating to a subject that are packaged together • a
free information pack

2.  commercial
container:
a container or piece of packaging holding several products or items of the same
kind, or such a container and its contents • a
pack of matches

3.  amount
contained in a pack: the contents of a pack, or
the amount of something that can be contained in a pack

4.  amount
of food preserved: an amount of food canned or
preserved in a particular year or season

5.  large
amount:
a large amount of something • a pack
of lies

6.  group
of animals:
a group of animals that live and hunt together, especially wolves or dogs • a
pack of wolves

7.  large
group of people acting together: a group of people who
behave in the same way, especially a group whose behavior appears to be
threatening, predatory, or criminal • always
followed by a pack of photographers

8.  group
of Cub Scouts: a local organized unit of Cub Scouts

9.  SPORTS main
body of competitors: the main body of competitors
in a race or competition

10. set
of cards:
a set of 52 playing cards, including the four suits plus jokers • a
pack of cards

11. bag
carried on the back: a bag or bundle, especially
one designed to be carried on a person’s or animal’s back

12. parachute
in a container: a parachute, rigged, folded, and in its
container ready for use

13. See
pack ice

14. MEDICINE compress
used in surgery: a wad of soft absorbent material applied
to a wound or temporarily inserted into a body cavity to control bleeding or
keep tissues dry during surgery

15. MEDICINE medicinal
compress:
a compress placed on the body for medicinal purposes

16. cosmetic
paste:
a quantity of moist material applied to part of the body, especially the face,
for cosmetic purposes • a mud
pack

17. MILITARY group
of submarines or aircraft: a number of submarines,
aircraft, or other military units who hunt and fight the enemy as a group

18. soldier’s
bag for equipment: a soldier’s canvas or nylon
bag with shoulder straps used to carry personal clothing and equipment in the
field
verb
(past packed, past participle packed, present
participle pack·ing, 3rd person present singular packs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
belongings into a container: to put personal belongings
into a bag or other container for transportation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
products in containers: to put something into a
container or fill a container with something for sale, transport, or storage

3.  transitive
verb
make
something into a package or bundle: to
make up a package or bundle, or to wrap or roll something up in one

4.  transitive
verb
fill
something with a large quantity: to fill something,
especially a limited space, tightly (often passive) • a
book packed with useful information

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb crowd
into or fill a place: to crowd into a place so
that it is full or overfull, or to fill a place with people

6.  transitive
verb
fit
something into a limited time: to fit many different
activities or events into a limited period of time • packed
a lot of sightseeing into one weekend

7.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING See compress  verb 3

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb compact
something or become compacted: to compact a substance
such as snow or soil into a dense mass, or to become densely compacted

9.  transitive
verb
press
something around an object: to wrap or press something
in around an object to hold it firmly or protect it

10. transitive
verb
MEDICINE use
a pack on a wound: to apply a medical pack to a
wound or insert one into a body cavity

11. transitive
verb
MEDICINE apply
a compress to a body part: to apply cold compresses to
part of a patient’s body in order to control body temperature

12. transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING seal
something to prevent leakage: to seal a mechanical joint
by inserting a layer of compressible material between the moving parts to
prevent leakage of fluid

13. transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING fill
a cavity with grease: to fill a cavity containing
bearings with grease

14. intransitive
and transitive verb carry
a gun:
to carry a weapon, especially a gun (informal)

15. transitive
verb
possess
something as a forceful capability: to be
capable of delivering something that has a powerful or devastating effect (informal)

16. transitive
verb
load
baggage onto an animal: to put goods or belongings
onto a horse, donkey, or other animal in order to transport them

17. intransitive
and transitive verb carry
a load:
to carry a load
[12th
century. From Dutch or Low German pakken (noun of uncertain origin:
probably from Flemish, Dutch, or Low German pak ).]
—pack·a·ble,
adjective
send
somebody packing

to dismiss or send somebody
away brusquely and unceremoniously (informal)[1]



pack

pack2
pack2 [pak]
(past packed, past participle packed, present
participle pack·ing, 3rd person present singular packs)
transitive verb

fill
with supporters: to ensure that a group such as a jury or
committee is made up wholly or mainly of supporters of a particular side
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of pact
with the idea of private or secret dealings.][1]



package

package
pack·age 
[pákij] noun (plural pack·ages)

1.  parcel:
an object or set of objects, wrapped, boxed, or tied in a bundle for
transportation or mailing

2.  packaging
for goods:
a container made of cardboard, plastic, foil, or other material in which goods
are packed for sale, storage, or transportation, or a container of this type
together with its contents • a
package of chewing gum

3.  different
things constituting a single item: a number of different
components intended to constitute a single item

4.  COMPUT piece
of general adaptable computer software: a
piece of computer software that can be used for a range of related purposes,
such as word processing or financial analysis

5.  See
package tour
transitive
verb
(past pack·aged, past participle pack·aged, present
participle pack·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular pack·ages)

1.  put
something into package: to put things into or wrap
them up as a package

2.  produce
attractive packaging for something: to
create suitable or attractive packaging in which a product is to be sold

3.  promote
or present something: to present somebody or
something to others in a way intended to ensure appeal and acceptance • It
wasn’t so much the policy that was wrong as the way it was packaged.

4.  group
something as a package: to group or offer several
different items together in a package

5.  PUBLISHING BROADCASTING produce
something for others to market: to produce a book or
television program or series in finished form ready to be published or
broadcast by another company

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.








packagedeal

packagedeal
pack·age
deal
(plural pack·age deals) noun

set of proposals acceptable
as a package: a proposal or agreement
comprising a number of different items that must all be accepted together[1]



packageholiday

packageholiday
pack·age
hol·i·day
(plural pack·age hol·i·days) noun

U.K.
See package tour[1]



packager

packager
pack·ag·er
[pákijər] (plural pack·ag·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that packs goods: a person or machine
that packs or wraps goods for sale, storage, or transport

2.  PUBLISHING BROADCASTING subcontracted
producer of books or programs: a company that
produces books or television programs in finished form for another company to
publish or broadcast

[1]



packagestore

packagestore
pack·age
store
noun

See
liquor store[1]



packagetour

packagetour
pack·age
tour
(plural pack·age tours) noun

fully organized vacation
tour: a tour organized in advance
by a travel company to whom the vacationer or tourist pays a single fee
covering transportation, accommodations, meals, and often entertainment.
U.K. term
package holiday
Also called
package[1]



packaging

packaging
pack·ag·ing 
[pákijing] noun

1.  wrapping
or container: the wrapping or container in which an
item is presented for sale, or the materials used to make it

2.  design
or style of wrapping: the design or style of the
wrapping or container in which something is offered for sale, especially from
the point of view of its appeal to buyers

3.  presentation:
the manner in which something or somebody is presented to the public in order
to create a favorable image or impression

[1]



packanimal

packanimal
pack
an·i·mal
(plural pack an·i·mals) noun

animal that carries loads:
an animal that is used to carry goods or equipment, for example, a horse,
donkey, or mule[1]



packaway

packaway
pack
away
transitive verb

1.  store
away:
to put things into storage containers after use or for reuse at a later time

2.  eat
in large quantities: to eat food in large
quantities (informal)

[1]



packed

packed
packed 
[pakt] adjective

1.  full
of people:
full of people and extremely crowded • played
to a packed house every night

2.  containing
a lot of something: containing or offering
something in excitingly large quantities (often used in combination) • a
fun-packed adventure

3.  compressed:
pressed together to form a compact mass • packed
snow

[1]



packedlunch

packedlunch
packed
lunch
(plural packed lunch·es) noun

U.K.
See box lunch[1]



packer

packer
pack·er 
[pákər] (plural pack·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that packs goods: a person or machine
that packs goods in containers or in packaging

2.  wholesale
processor of meat: a person or company involved
in the processing and packing of goods, especially meat or fresh produce, for
the wholesale market

[1]



packet

packet
pack·et 
[pákət] noun (plural pack·ets)

1.  small
container for goods: a small box, envelope, or
bag in which goods are sold or stored

2.  contents
or quantity in packet: the contents of a packet, or
the quantity of goods contained in a packet • At
least four packets of seeds never produced flowers.

3.  small
parcel:
a small parcel or bundle or package

4.  COMPUTING message
fragment in a computer network: a small piece of a
message for transmission through a computer network

5.  pack·et
or pack·et boat boat on a regular short run:
a small ship that provides a regular service carrying passengers, freight, and
mail over a fixed short route
transitive
verb
(past pack·et·ed, past participle pack·et·ed, present
participle pack·et·ing, 3rd person present singular pack·ets)

put something in a packet:
to put something into a packet or wrap it up as a package
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “small pack,” formed from pack 1 (perhaps on
the model of Anglo-Norman pacquet ).][1]



packetswitching

packetswitching
pack·et
switch·ing 
noun

data transmission technique:
the process of transmitting and routing data in the form of packet segments
sent rapidly and sequentially over a channel that is occupied only during the
actual transmission of data[1]



packframe

packframe
pack·frame
[pák fràym] (plural pack·frames)
noun

frame for carrying equipment
on the back: a lightweight frame
with shoulder straps to which equipment or unwieldy loads can be strapped to be
carried on a person’s back[1]



packhorse

packhorse
pack·horse 
[pák hàwrs] (plural pack·horses)
noun

horse for carrying loads:
a horse used for carrying goods or equipment[1]



packice

packice
pack
ice
noun

mass of floating ice:
floating ice, especially in polar regions, that has formed itself into a solid
mass covering a wide area.
Also called
pack[1]



packin

packin
pack
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
attract
in large numbers: to attract very large audiences • The
show has been running three years and is still packing them in night after
night.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
doing something: to stop or give up doing something (informal)
• She’s
packed in her job.
pack
it in

to stop doing something (informal)[1]



packing

packing
pack·ing 
[páking] noun

1.  act
of putting things into containers: the task of putting
things into containers, usually for storage or transport

2.  material
for protecting a packed object: material used to
surround and protect something packed inside a container

3.  watertight
or airtight material: material used to fill or
surround something such as a joint in a pipe in order to make it watertight or
airtight

4.  FOOD TECHNOLOGY processing
and packaging of food: the processing and packaging
of food such as meat or produce for sale

5.  MEDICINE absorbent
material for medical packs: absorbent material such as
gauze for insertion in body cavities or wounds

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING spacers
between clamped surfaces: shims, washers, or other
pieces of metal used to adjust the distance between component surfaces before
they are secured

[1]



packingfraction

packingfraction
pack·ing
frac·tion
(plural pack·ing frac·tions) noun

measure of stability in an
atomic nucleus: a measure of the
stability of an atomic nucleus, arrived at by dividing the difference between
its mass in atomic mass units and its mass number by that mass number[1]



packinghouse

packinghouse
pack·ing·house 
(plural pack·ing·hous·es) noun

1.  company
that processes meat: a company that slaughters,
processes, and packages meat and meat products

2.  food
processing company: a company that processes and
packs food other than meat

[1]



packman

packman
pack·man 
[pák màn, pákmən]
(plural pack·men [pák mèn, pákmən]) noun

See
peddler[1]



packoff

packoff
pack
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
send
unceremoniously: to send somebody away unceremoniously to
another place (informal) • They
traded him for a shortstop, and he was packed off to the Blue Sox.

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. go
somewhere unceremoniously: to leave or to go somewhere
hastily or unceremoniously • They
packed off home as soon as the work was done.

[1]



packrat

packrat
pack
rat
(plural pack rats) noun

1.  wood
rat that collects objects: a North American rat that
lives in woodlands and collects and carries away objects to its nest. The
best-known species has a long bushy tail and cheek pouches. Latin name: Neotoma
cinerea
Also
called
wood rat

2.  somebody
who hoards objects: somebody who collects a
large number of objects and never gets rid of any of them (informal)

[1]



packsack

packsack
pack·sack 
[pák sàk] (plural pack·sacks) noun

bag carried on the back:
a bag with shoulder straps that can be carried on the back[1]



packsaddle

packsaddle
pack·sad·dle 
[pák sàdd’l] (plural pack·sad·dles)
noun

saddle for carrying loads:
a saddle for carrying loads on a pack animal[1]



packthread

packthread
pack·thread 
[pák thrèd] noun

strong twine for sewing up
packages: strong twine used for sewing
up packages wrapped in sacking or other fabric[1]



packtrain

packtrain
pack
train
(plural pack trains) noun

line of pack animals:
a line of pack animals carrying loads[1]



packup

packup
pack
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
doing something: to stop doing something

2.  intransitive
verb
finish
work:
to finish work for the day (informal) • I’m
packing up and going home.

[1]



pact

pact
pact 
[pakt] (plural pacts) noun

mutual
agreement:
an agreement made between two or more groups or individuals, either formally or
informally, to do something together or for each other
[15th century. Via French pacte
from Latin pactum, a form of pactus, past participle of pacisci
“to agree.”][1]



pad

pad1
pad1  [pad]
noun (plural pads)

1.  piece
of soft material: a piece of soft material used to protect
something or give it shape, to clean or polish articles, or to absorb moisture

2.  SPORTS protective
material worn by sports players: a specially shaped
covering of impact-absorbing material used to protect part of the body,
especially when playing a sport

3.  block
of paper sheets: a number of sheets of paper of the same
size fastened together along one edge

4.  ink-filled
material:
a thick firm piece of material saturated with ink onto which a rubber stamp is
pressed so that ink is transferred onto it

5.  AIR area
for taking off and landing: a place where a helicopter
can land and take off or from which a rocket is launched

6.  sanitary
napkin:
a strip of absorbent material used externally during menstruation

7.  backing
material:
a firm backing or support for something that is laid on a surface

8.  ZOOLOGY fleshy
cushion of an animal’s paw: a small rounded fleshy
cushion on the underside of an animal’s paw

9.  ANATOMY fleshy
tip of a finger or toe: the rounded fleshy part at
the end of a human finger or toe

10. living
quarters:
somebody’s apartment or house (slang dated)

11. BOTANY water
lily leaf:
the broad leaf of an aquatic plant such as a water lily that floats on the
surface of the water

12. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING set
of resistors: a fixed configuration of resistors
designed to reduce the strength of an electrical signal without distorting the signal
itself
transitive
verb
(past pad·ded, past participle pad·ded, present
participle pad·ding, 3rd person present singular pads)

1.  line
or cover something with soft material: to
use soft material to give something shape, to make it more comfortable, or to
protect it

2.  add
unnecessary material to something: to add unnecessary
material to something, especially a piece of writing or a speech, in order to
lengthen it • padded
out the speech with anecdotes

3.  inflate
something by adding bogus expenses: to
add extra charges to a bill or expense account to make it higher than it should
be
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Low Dutch word. Originally “bundle of straw.”][1]



pad

pad2
pad2  [pad]
intransitive and transitive verb (past pad·ded, past
participle pad·ded, present participle pad·ding, 3rd
person present singular pads)

walk quietly: to
walk, or to walk along or through somewhere, with soft or silent steps • She
padded along in her slippers.
noun
(plural pads)

1.  sound
of footsteps: the sound of soft steady footsteps

2.  footpad:
a footpad (archaic)

3.  EQUESTRIAN slow
horse:
a horse that goes at a slow ambling gait
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German padden “to tread” (noun from Low
German or Dutch pad “path”).][1]



paddedcell

paddedcell
pad·ded
cell
(plural pad·ded cells) noun

lockable room with padded
surfaces: formerly, a room in a
psychiatric hospital with its walls and floor covered with padding to prevent a
patient from doing himself or herself physical harm[1]



paddle

paddle1
pad·dle1  [pádd’l]
noun (plural pad·dles)

1.  NAUTICAL short
flat-bladed oar: a short oar with a flat blade at one or
both ends used to propel a canoe or small boat

2.  NAUTICAL blade
of a paddle wheel: a blade of a paddle wheel

3.  RACKET GAMES table
tennis racket: a round wooden racket with a short
handle used in table tennis

4.  piece
of wood for spanking: a usually short piece of
wood with a flattened end used for physical punishment

5.  ZOOLOGY See flipper  noun 1

6.  flat-bladed
stirring tool: a tool with a flat blade used for
shaping, stirring, or beating

7.  VIDEO early
input device for video games: an input device for early
video games with a dial that allowed the user to move an on-screen object
either up and down or from side to side
verb
(past pad·dled, past participle pad·dled, present
participle pad·dling, 3rd person present singular pad·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL propel a canoe with a paddle:
to propel a canoe or small boat through water using a paddle

2.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL carry
in a canoe:
to carry somebody or something somewhere in a canoe or paddleboat

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb row at
an easy pace: to row a boat at an easy pace

4.  transitive
verb
spank:
to spank somebody with a paddle or with the hand

5.  transitive
verb
stir
with paddle: to stir, beat, or shape something using
a paddle
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via medieval Latin padela from Latin patella
“small dish,” from patina “shallow dish” (source of English patina ).]
—pad·dler, noun[1]



paddle

paddle2
pad·dle2  [pádd’l]
(past pad·dled, past participle pad·dled, present
participle pad·dling, 3rd person present singular pad·dles,
plural pad·dles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dabble
in water:
to move the hands or feet about gently in shallow water

2.  intransitive
verb
waddle:
to walk along unsteadily like a very small child
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Low Dutch word.]
—pad·dler, noun[1]



paddleball

paddleball
pad·dle·ball 
[pádd’l bàwl] noun

ball game that uses paddles:
a game for two to four players played by hitting a ball against a wall with
small paddles, or the ball used in this game[1]



paddleboard

paddleboard
pad·dle·board 
[pádd’l bàwrd] (plural pad·dle·boards)
noun

rescue surfboard:
a long narrow surfboard used especially in rescuing swimmers[1]



paddleboat

paddleboat
pad·dle·boat 
[pádd’l bt] (plural pad·dle·boats)
noun

boat propelled by paddle
wheel: a boat propelled by one or
more paddle wheels[1]



paddlefish

paddlefish
pad·dle·fish 
[pádd’l fìsh] (plural pad·dle·fish·es
or pad·dle·fish) noun

large fish with a flat snout:
a large freshwater fish with a long flat snout and a cartilage skeleton, found
in the Mississippi River and its tributaries and in the Yangtze River. Family:
Polyodontidae[1]



paddlesteamer

paddlesteamer
pad·dle
steam·er
(plural pad·dle steam·ers) noun

U.K.
See paddle wheeler[1]



paddlewheel

paddlewheel
pad·dle
wheel
(plural pad·dle wheels) noun

bladed wheel propelling a
ship: a wheel with flat blades
fixed all around its edge, attached to the hull of a ship and usually turned by
an engine to propel the ship through water[1]



paddlewheeler

paddlewheeler
pad·dle
wheel·er
(plural pad·dle wheel·ers) noun

steamship with a paddle
wheel: a steamship that is moved
through the water by a paddle wheel.
U.K. term
paddle steamer[1]



paddock

paddock
pad·dock 
[páddək] noun (plural pad·docks)

1.  EQUESTRIAN enclosed
field for horses: a small field near a house or stable
with grazing for horses

2.  EQUESTRIAN area
for mounting racehorses: an area on a racetrack where
the racehorses are paraded before a race and the jockeys mount

3.  MOTOR SPORTS area
for cars before a race: an area near the pits on a
automobile racetrack where cars are worked on before a race
transitive
verb
(past pad·docked, past participle pad·docked, present
participle pad·dock·ing, 3rd person present singular pad·docks)

EQUESTRIAN keep
horses in paddock: to keep animals, especially
horses, in a paddock
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of parro(c)k, from Old English pearroc “fence,
enclosed land,” from a prehistoric Germanic word perhaps from assumed Vulgar
Latin parricus (source of English park
).][1]



paddy

paddy
pad·dy 
[páddee] (plural pad·dies) noun

1.  rice
field:
a field, usually kept covered with shallow water, in which rice is grown

2.  rice:
rice as a crop in the field or when harvested but not yet processed
[Early 17th century. From
Malay padi .][1]



Paddy

Paddy
Pad·dy 
(plural Pad·dies) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for an Irish person or somebody of Irish ancestry (offensive)
[Late 18th century. From the
pet form of Irish Pádraig “Patrick.”][1]



paddywagon

paddywagon
pad·dy
wag·on
(plural pad·dy wag·ons) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand patrol wagon:
a patrol wagon (informal)
[Late 19th century. Paddy is
said to have originally referred to Irish policemen in New York and New
England.][1]



padlock

padlock

pad·lock 
[pád lòk] noun (plural pad·locks)
small
detachable lock: a detachable lock with a movable
semicircular bar at the top, the free end of which is usually passed through a
hasp and then locked shut
transitive
verb
(past pad·locked, past participle pad·locked, present
participle pad·lock·ing, 3rd person present singular pad·locks)
lock
something with a padlock: to secure something using a
padlock
[15th century. Pad- is
of unknown origin.][1]



padre

padre
pa·dre 
[p drày, pdree]
(plural pa·dres) noun

1.  used
to address a priest: used to address or refer to
a Roman Catholic priest of a Spanish-speaking church in the United States, or
in a country where Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese is spoken

2.  MILITARY Christian
chaplain in the armed forces: a Christian cleric who
ministers to the armed forces (informal)
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese from Latin pater “father” (source of
English patron ).][1]



padrone

padrone
pa·dro·ne 
[pə drṓ này, pə
drṓnee] (plural pa·dro·nes or pa·dro·ni [pə drṓnee]) noun

1.  Italian
owner or manager: the owner or manager of an Italian
business, especially a restaurant or café

2.  man
who hires Italian immigrants: a man who hires Italian
immigrants to work for him, especially one who then exploits them
[Late
17th century. Via Italian from Latin patronus “protector, patron,” from pater
(see padre ).]
—pa·dro·nism [pə drṓnee ìzzəm], noun[1]



padsaw

padsaw
pad·saw
[pád sàw] (plural pad·saws) noun

See
keyhole saw
[Late 19th century. Pad
from pad 1 in the
sense “handle into which different tools can be fitted.”][1]



Padua

Padua
Pad·u·a 
[pájjə wə]

city in northeastern Italy,
and the capital of Padua Province, Veneto Region. Population: 213,656 (1992)[1]



paduasoy

paduasoy
pad·u·a·soy 
[pájjoo ə sòy] noun

silk
fabric:
a rich heavy silk fabric
[Late 16th century.
Alteration (influenced by Padua say “cloth from Padua,” Italian city known for
textile manufacturing) of French pou-de-soie “pou of silk” (from Old
French pout, of unknown origin).][1]



Paducah

Paducah
Pa·du·cah 
[pə dkə]

city in western Kentucky,
directly west of the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers. Population:
26,601 (1996)[1]



paean

paean
pae·an 
[p ən] (plural pae·ans) or
pe·an [p ən] (plural pe·ans)
noun

expression
of joy or praise: a written, spoken, or musical expression
of enthusiastic praise or rapturous joy
[Late 16th century. Via
Latin, “religious hymn (originally in honor of Apollo),” from Greek paian,
from Paian “name for Apollo.”][1]



paed-

paed-
paed-
prefix

U.K.
(used before vowels) See paedo-[1]



paediatrics

paediatrics
pae·di·at·rics
noun

U.K.
=
pediatrics
—pae·di·atric,
adjective

—pae·di·a·tri·cian,
noun

—pae·di·at·rist, noun[1]



paedo-

paedo-
paedo-
prefix

U.K. =
pedo-[1]



paedophilia

paedophilia
paed·o·phil·i·a
noun

U.K.
=
pedophilia
—paed·o·phile, noun[1]



paella

paella
pa·el·la 
[paa áy , paa
éllə] (plural pa·el·las) noun

Spanish
rice dish:
a Spanish dish made of saffron-flavored rice with chicken, shellfish, and other
ingredients that vary from region to region
[Late 19th century. Via
Catalan from, ultimately, Latin patella “small dish,” from patina
“shallow dish.”][1]



paeon

paeon
pae·on 
[p ən, p òn]
(plural pae·ons) noun

4-syllable
metrical foot: a metrical foot consisting of one long
and three short syllables arranged in any order
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek paiōn, variant of paian (see paean ).][1]



Paestum

Paestum
Paes·tum 
[péstəm, pstəm]

ancient city in southern
Italy, noted for its Greek ruins[1]



pagan

pagan
pa·gan 
[páygən] noun (plural pa·gans)

1.  follower
of a less popular religion: somebody who does not follow
one of the world’s main religions, especially somebody who is not a Christian,
Muslim, or Jew, and whose religion is regarded as questionable (sometimes
considered offensive)

2.  polytheist
or pantheist: a follower of an ancient polytheistic or
pantheistic religion

3.  heathen:
somebody who has no religion (disapproving)
adjective

1.  of
a less popular religion: believing in or relating to
a religion that is not one of the world’s main religions and is regarded as
questionable

2.  following
polytheistic or pantheistic religion:
believing in or relating to an ancient polytheistic or pantheistic religion

3.  nonreligious:
having no religion (sometimes considered offensive)
[14th
century. Via late Latin paganus from Latin, “villager, civilian,” from pagus
“rural district” (source of English peasant
).]
—pa·gan·ish,
adjective

—pa·gan·ism,
noun

—pa·gan·is·tic
[pàygə nístik], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word pagus, from which pagan
  is derived, originally meant “something stuck in the ground as a landmark.”
  It was extended metaphorically to “rural district, village,” and the noun paganus
  was derived from it, denoting “country dweller, villager.” This shifted in
  meaning, first to “civilian,” and then (based on the early Christian notion
  that all members of the Church were “soldiers” of Jesus Christ) to “heathen.”

[1]



Paganini,Niccolò

Paganini,Niccolò
Pa·ga·ni·ni
[pàggə nnee], Niccolò (1782–1840)

Italian composer and
violinist. Renowned as a virtuoso, his compositions include violin sonatas,
caprices for solo violin, and concertos.[1]



page

page1
page1  [payj]
noun (plural pag·es)

1.  one
side of sheet of paper: one side of a single sheet
of paper, especially one bound into a book, newspaper, or magazine, or forming
part of a piece of written work

2.  single
sheet in a book: a single sheet of paper, especially one
bound into a book, newspaper, or magazine • a
book with some pages missing

3.  amount
of writing on a page: the amount of writing or
printed matter that can be contained on a page

4.  COMPUT computer
data printing out as a page: the amount of text or
graphics in a computer document that will print out as a single page

5.  COMPUT screenful
of computer display: the portion of text or
graphics that can be seen on a computer screen at one time

6.  noteworthy
period or event: a period or event, especially a
noteworthy one, in the history of something or somebody’s life • Antibiotics
wrote an important page in the history of medical research.
verb
(past paged, past participle paged, present
participle pag·ing, 3rd person present singular pag·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
look
through pages: to turn and look over the pages of
something

2.  transitive
verb
See paginate
[Late 16th century. From
French, shortening of pagene, from Latin pagina, literally
“(strips of papyrus) fastened together.”][1]



page

page2
page2  [payj]
noun (plural pag·es)

1.  boy
attendant:
a youth acting as an attendant to somebody on a ceremonial occasion, for
example, to a bride at her wedding.
Also
called
pageboy

2.  boy
who runs errands: a youth employed to run errands or carry
messages for guests in a hotel or club

3.  POLITICS errand
runner in U.S. Congress: somebody who is employed to
run errands, carry messages, act as a guide, and perform other duties in the
U.S. Congress

4.  HISTORY boy
servant in medieval times: a youth who acted as a
personal or household servant to somebody, especially a royal or noble person,
in medieval times

5.  HISTORY boy
apprenticed to knight: a youth who acted as the
personal servant to a knight in medieval times as the first stage of his
training to become a knight
transitive
verb
(past paged, past participle paged, present
participle pag·ing, 3rd person present singular pag·es)

1.  summon
somebody by name: to summon somebody by calling out his or
her name, for example, over a loudspeaker system

2.  contact
somebody on a beeper: to try to contact somebody
on his or her beeper or pager

3.  HISTORY serve
somebody as page: to serve somebody in the capacity of
page
[13th century. From French,
of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Greek paidion “little
child, slave-boy,” from paid- (see pedo-
).][1]



pageant

pageant
pag·eant 
[pájjənt] (plural pag·eants) noun

1.  large-scale
play representing a historical event: a
large-scale stage production representing historical or legendary events,
especially local ones, in scenes or tableaux in which dramatic interest is less
important than spectacle

2.  elaborate
and colorful procession: an elaborate and colorful
procession, display, or ceremonial occasion
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier pagyn “scene, stage,” from Anglo-Latin pagina, of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin, “page, leaf” (see page 1 ).][1]



pageantry

pageantry
pag·eant·ry 
[pájjəntree] noun

1.  magnificent
ceremonial display: highly colorful, splendid,
and stately display or ceremonies, usually with a historical or traditional
flavor

2.  pageants:
pageants considered collectively (archaic)

[1]



pageboy

pageboy
page·boy 
[páyj bòy] (plural page·boys) noun

1.  See
page 2 noun 1

2.  HAIRDRESSING bobbed
hairstyle with bangs: a hairstyle in which the
hair is cut to one length, usually jaw-length, and curls under slightly at the
ends, with bangs at the front

[1]



pagebreak

pagebreak
page
break
(plural page breaks) noun

computer code for a new page:
a code or symbol on a computer screen that shows where a printer will start a
new page, for example, in a word processing document[1]



pager

pager
pag·er 
[páyjər] (plural pag·ers) noun

electronic device for
contacting somebody: a small
electronic message-receiving device, often with a small screen, that beeps,
flashes, or vibrates to let the user know that somebody is trying to contact
him or her.
Also called
beeper[1]



page-turner

page-turner
page-turn·er 
(plural page-tur·ners) noun

exciting book:
a book with a very gripping plot[1]



Paget’sdisease

Paget’sdisease
Pag·et’s
dis·ease 
[pájjəts di zz] noun

1.  bone
disease:
a chronic disease in which the bones become enlarged and weakened and subject
to fracture

2.  cancerous
condition of the breast: a cancerous inflammatory
condition of the nipple and areola, associated with breast cancer
[Late 19th century. Named for
Sir James Paget (1814–1899), English surgeon and pathologist who
described these diseases.][1]



paginal

paginal
pag·i·nal 
[pájjən’l] adjective

1.  PUBLISHING duplicating
page for page: exactly duplicating a previous edition
or version, so that the same text appears on the same page in both

2.  relating
to pages:
consisting of, relating to, or like a page or pages
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin paginalis, from Latin pagina (see page 1 ).][1]



paginate

paginate
pag·i·nate 
[pájjə nàyt] (past pag·i·nat·ed,
past participle pag·i·nat·ed, present participle pag·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular pag·i·nates) transitive verb

number
each page of something: to number the pages of a
book or computer document
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from pagination
.][1]



pagination

pagination
pag·i·na·tion 
[pàjjə náysh’n] noun

1.  page
numbers:
the sequential numbers given to pages in a book or document

2.  act
of numbering pages: the process or work of
numbering pages
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Latin pagina (see page 1 ).][1]



paging

paging1
pag·ing1  [páyjing]
noun

data transfer between
computer memories: the
movement of a fixed-size block of data between faster main and slower auxiliary
memories to optimize performance without the user being aware that the transfer
has taken place[1]



paging

paging2
pag·ing2 noun

use of a pager:
a facility that enables somebody to be contacted via a pager (often used
before a noun) • a
paging service[1]



Paglia,Camille

Paglia,Camille

Pag·li·a
[páylee ə], Camille (1947– )
U.S.
writer. Her books, which mainly examine art and culture, take a controversial
antifeminist position.
Full name
Paglia, Camille Anna[1]



pagoda

pagoda

pa·go·da 
[pə gṓdə] (plural pa·go·das) noun

1.  EASTERN RELIGION Buddhist
temple with projecting roofs: a Buddhist temple building,
especially one in the form of a tower with several stories, each with an upward
curving roof that tapers slightly toward the top

2.  ARCHITECTURE building
designed like a Buddhist pagoda: a building that is
shaped like a Buddhist pagoda but has a decorative rather than a religious
purpose
[Late 16th century. From
Portuguese pagode, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Persian butkada,
literally “idol dwelling,” but altered by association with Prakrit bhagodī
“holy.”][1]



pah

pah
pah 
[paa] interjection

used
to show disgust: used to show disgust, contempt, or
annoyance
[Late 16th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



Pahlavi

Pahlavi
Pah·la·vi 
[pla v] or Peh·le·vi [páylə v] noun

literary
form of classical Persian: a literary form of classical
Persian used especially in Zoroastrian and Manichean texts
[Late 18th century. From
Persian pahlawī, from pahlav, from parthava “Parthia
(country of ancient Asia).”][1]



Pahlavi,Muhammad Reza Shah

Pahlavi,Muhammad Reza Shah
Pah·la·vi 
[plə v], Muhammad Reza Shah, Shah of Iran
(1919–1980)

During his reign (1941–1979)
he attempted to modernize and westernize Iran, but his dictatorial rule made
him unpopular. He was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution.[1]



Pahlavi,Reza Shah

Pahlavi,Reza Shah
Pah·la·vi 
[plə v], Reza Shah, Shah of Iran
(1877–1944)

He seized power in a coup
(1921) and became shah (1925). He initiated westernization, and abdicated in
favor of his son (1941).[1]



paid

paid
paid

Past
participle of pay Past
tense of pay
adjective

given money or earning money:
given money in return for work, or done for the purpose of earning money[1]



paid-up

paid-up
paid-up
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  not
owing anything: having paid all the money owed to an
organization or individual

2.  fully
paid for:
for which the full price or all installments have been paid • a
paid-up membership

[1]



pail

pail
pail 
[payl] (plural pails) noun

bucket:
a bucket
[14th century. From Old
French paielle “warming pan, liquid measure,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Latin patella “small dish” (see paella
).][1]



paillasse

paillasse
pail·lasse 
(plural pail·lass·es) noun

straw-filled
mattress:
a thin straw-filled mattress.
Also
called
palliasse
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Italian pagliacchio, from, ultimately, Latin palea
“straw, chaff.”][1]



paillette

paillette
pail·lette 
[pī yétt] (plural pail·lettes)
noun

sequin
on a garment: a sequin or spangle sewn onto a piece of
clothing
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “small straw,” from paille “straw, chaff,” from Latin palea
(see paillasse ).][1]



pain

pain
pain 
[páyn] noun

1.  unpleasant
physical sensation: the acutely unpleasant
physical discomfort experienced by somebody who is violently struck, injured,
or ill in certain ways • cried
out in pain

2.  feeling
of discomfort: a sensation of pain in a particular part
of the body (often used in the plural) • was
complaining of pains in the lower abdomen

3.  emotional
distress:
severe emotional or mental distress • the
pain of rejection

4.  somebody
or something troublesome: somebody or something that
is extremely annoying or causes many problems (informal)
plural
noun
pains

1.  trouble
taken to do something: conscientious effort or
trouble taken, usually in tackling a piece of work

2.  labor
pains:
the painful spasms experienced by a woman during childbirth, caused by the
contraction of the womb
verb
(past pained, past participle pained, present
participle pain·ing, 3rd person present singular pains)

1.  transitive
verb
sadden
somebody:
to make somebody feel saddened or distressed • It
pains me to hear you speak like that.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
or feel pain: to cause physical pain to somebody, or
experience pain
[13th
century. Via French peine from Latin poena “penalty, punishment,”
from Greek poinē “penalty” (source of English punish and subpoena
).]
a
pain in the neck

somebody
or something that is extremely annoying or troublesome or causes a great many
problems (informal)

on
or under pain of something

risking or threatened with
something, for example, death or instant dismissal, as punishment[1]



pained

pained
pained
[paynd] adjective

expressing pain:
expressing wounded feelings or a sense of being disappointed or offended by
something that somebody has done • a
pained expression[1]



Paine,Robert Treat

Paine,Robert Treat
Paine
[payn], Robert Treat (1731–1814)

U.S. jurist and revolutionary
leader. He was a delegate at the Continental Congress and signed the
Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



Paine,Thomas

Paine,Thomas

Paine
[payn], Thomas (1737–1809)
British writer and political philosopher.
His pamphlet Common Sense (1776) influenced the move toward American
independence.[1]



painful

painful
pain·ful 
[páynfəl] adjective

1.  causing
pain:
causing acute physical discomfort • a
painful cut

2.  hurting:
hurting as a result of an injury or disease • My
arm’s still quite painful.

3.  causing
distress:
causing emotional or mental distress • painful
memories

4.  difficult:
accomplished with laborious effort • making
painful progress with the work

5.  very
bad:
embarrassingly bad • Her performance was
painful to watch.
—pain·ful·ly,
adverb

—pain·ful·ness, noun[1]



painkiller

painkiller
pain·kill·er 
[páyn kìllər] (plural pain·kill·ers)
noun

pain-reducing
drug:
something, especially a drug, that reduces pain
—pain·kill·ing, adjective[1]



painless

painless
pain·less 
[páynləss] adjective

1.  causing
no pain:
not causing any pain

2.  trouble-free:
involving little or no difficulty or effort • a
painless solution to our problem
—pain·less·ly,
adverb

—pain·less·ness, noun[1]



painstaking

painstaking
pains·tak·ing 
[páynz tàyking] adjective

careful
and detailed: involving or showing great care and
attention to detail
[Late
17th century. From pains taking .]
—pains·tak·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



paint

paint
paint 
[paynt] noun (plural paints)

1.  colored
liquid applied to a surface: a colored liquid applied to
a surface in order to decorate or protect it, or in order to create a painting

2.  dried
paint on a surface: a film of dried paint on a
surface (often used before a noun) • paint
remover

3.  solid
pigment:
a solid block of pigment that forms liquid paint when moistened or dissolved

4.  facial
makeup:
makeup for the face (informal)

5.  ZOOLOGY EQUESTRIAN See pinto  noun
adjective

ZOOLOGY EQUESTRIAN See pinto  adjective
verb
(past paint·ed, past participle paint·ed, present
participle paint·ing, 3rd person present singular paints)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cover
something with paint: to cover the surface of
something with paint in order to decorate or protect it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb create
a picture using paint: to create a picture, or
create a picture of something, by applying paint in different colors to paper,
canvas, or some other surface

3.  transitive
verb
add
something to a surface using paint: to
mark designs or words on a surface using paint • The
words “No Parking” were painted on the wall.

4.  transitive
verb
apply
liquid with a brush: to apply a liquid to a
surface using a brush, for example, to brush a medicated liquid onto the skin • My
father used to paint iodine onto our skinned knees.

5.  transitive
verb
apply
cosmetics to the face or nails: to apply makeup to the
face or lips, or polish to the nails

6.  intransitive
verb
use
cosmetics:
to use cosmetics, especially to cover blemishes or to lend a false
attractiveness (archaic)

7.  transitive
verb
describe
in words:
to describe something in words, especially to give a vivid description of
something • In
his autobiography, he paints his uncle’s home as a palace
[12th century. From French peint,
past participle of peindre, from Latin pingere “to paint” (source
of English depict and picture ).][1]



paintball

paintball
paint·ball
[páynt bàwl] noun

battle
game with paint-firing guns: a team game in which each
player has a gun that fires gelatin capsules filled with water-soluble marking
dye, the object being to shoot members of the opposing team
—paint·ball·ing, noun[1]



paintbrush

paintbrush
paint·brush 
[páynt brùsh] (plural paint·brush·es)
noun

brush for applying paint:
a brush for putting paint onto surfaces or painting pictures[1]



paintedbunting

paintedbunting
paint·ed
bunt·ing
noun

brilliant bird of the U.S.
and Mexico: a brightly colored bunting,
native to the southern United States and Mexico. Latin name: Passerina ciris

Also called
nonpareil[1]



paintedcup

paintedcup
paint·ed
cup
noun

BOTANY
See Indian paintbrush[1]



PaintedDesert

PaintedDesert
Paint·ed
Des·ert 
[pàyntiddézzərt]

plateau region in Arizona
noted for its vividly colored rocks. Parts of it lie within Native American
reservations. Area: 19,425 sq km/7,500 sq mi.[1]



paintedlady

paintedlady
paint·ed
la·dy
noun

butterfly:
a widely distributed migratory butterfly with reddish-brown, black, and orange
wings. Latin name: Vanessa cardui
Also called
thistle butterfly[1]



paintedturtle

paintedturtle
paint·ed
tur·tle
noun

N American turtle:
a North American turtle found near slow-moving water that has red or yellow
stripes on its legs, head, and tail and red markings on the margins of its
shell. Latin name: Chrysemys picta[1]



painter

painter1
paint·er1 [páyntər]
(plural pain·ters) noun

1.  somebody
who paints pictures: an artist who paints
pictures • a
portrait painter

2.  somebody
who paints houses: somebody whose job is to
cover surfaces with paint, especially to paint the interiors of buildings

[1]



painter

painter3
pain·ter3 [páyntər]
(plural pain·ters) noun

Southern
U.S.
ZOOLOGY See mountain lion
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of panther .][1]



painter

painter2
pain·ter2 [páyntər]
(plural pain·ters) noun

NAUTICAL rope
for tying up a boat: a rope attached to the front
of a boat that is used to tie it to something such as a mooring
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French penteur “rope running from masthead,
cord for hanging,” from pendre “to hang,” from, ultimately, Latin pendere
(source of English suspend ).][1]



painterly

painterly
paint·er·ly 
[páyntərlee] adjective

1.  using
color rather than line: characterized by the use of
color rather than line to represent shapes or to structure a composition

2.  like
a painter’s work: typical of a good painter and his or her
work

[1]



painting

painting
paint·ing 
[páynting] (plural paint·ings)
noun

1.  painted
picture:
a picture made using paint

2.  activity
of applying paint: the art or work of applying
paint to surfaces

[1]



paintwork

paintwork
paint·work
[páynt wùrk] noun

painted surfaces:
the painted surfaces of something, for example, a vehicle’s bodywork or the
interior of a building[1]



pair

pair
pair 
[pair] noun (plural pairs)

1.  2
similar things used together: two matching objects that
are designed to be used together • a pair
of socks

2.  thing
with two joined parts: a garment or article
consisting of two matching or identical parts joined together • a
pair of binoculars

3.  2
people together: two people who are doing something
together, or who are considered together because there is some connection
between them

4.  couple:
two people in a relationship such as a marriage

5.  ZOOLOGY 2
mating animals: a male and female animal of the same
species who are together for mating

6.  one
of two matched articles: one of two matched articles
such as shoes or gloves • lost
the pair to his cuff link

7.  EQUESTRIAN 2
horses harnessed together: two horses harnessed
together to pull a carriage • a
coach and pair

8.  CARD GAMES 2
playing cards: two playing cards that have the same
value • a
pair of aces

9.  POLITICS 2
opposing members making a voting agreement: two
members from opposing sides in a legislative body who each agree not to vote on
issues if the other is not present and able to vote. The arrangement covers
occasions when members cannot vote because of illness or other commitments, the
effect being to maintain the usual balance of numbers between the two opposing
sides.

10. POLITICS agreement
to form a pair: an arrangement between two members on
opposing sides in a legislative body to form a pair

11. ROWING See pair-oar

12. MATHEMATICS LOGIC set of
2 elements in order: a set consisting of two
elements in order

13. CHEMISTRY electron
bond:
two electrons forming a bond between atoms
verb
(past paired, past participle paired, present
participle pair·ing, 3rd person present singular pairs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
into group of 2: to form a pair with somebody, or to
partner somebody with somebody else, for some shared activity or for romance or
friendship

2.  transitive
verb
match
2 things together: to put two matching articles
together

3.  transitive
verb
POLITICS form
a legislative pair: to arrange a pair between
two members of a voting assembly or to form a pair with another member

4.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY form
a mating pair: to form a mating pair
[13th century. Directly or
via French paire from Latin paria “equals,” a plural form of par
“equal, a pair” (source of English compare
and umpire ).][1]



pairbond

pairbond
pair
bond
(plural pair bonds) noun

ZOOLOGY exclusive
relationship between a male and female: a
relationship between a male and female animal, formed either during courtship
and breeding or for life, that excludes others of the same species
—pair bond·ing, noun[1]



pair-oar

pair-oar
pair-oar
(plural pair-oars) noun

2-person racing boat:
a racing shell in which two rowers with one oar each sit one behind the other.
Also called
pair[1]



pairproduction

pairproduction
pair
pro·duc·tion noun

creation of a negative
particle: the creation of a negative
particle ( electron ) and a positive
particle ( positron ) when a fast particle (
photon ) passes through a strong electric
field such as that surrounding an atomic nucleus[1]



pairroyal

pairroyal
pair
roy·al
(plural pairs roy·al) noun

3 cards of same value:
in some card games, a set of three cards of the same value[1]



paisa

paisa
pai·sa 
[pī s] (plural pai·se or
pai·sa) noun

1.  S
Asian subunit of currency: a subunit of currency in
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal

2.  coin
worth a paisa: a coin worth one paisa
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi paisā .][1]



paisano

paisano
pai·sa·no 
[pī z nō] (plural pai·sa·nos)
noun

fellow
countryman:
a friend or countryman
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, “peasant,” from, ultimately, late Latin pagensis “inhabitant of
a district,” from Latin pagus (see pagan
).][1]



paisley

paisley

pais·ley 
[páyzlee] (plural pais·leys) noun

1.  pattern
with curving shapes: a distinctive bold design
consisting of multicolored curving shapes, stylized cones, and feathers

2.  garment
with a paisley design: a fabric or piece of
clothing with a paisley design, especially a type of woolen shawl popular in
the 19th century
[Early
19th century. Named for Paisley, town in south-western Scotland where
material with this pattern was first made.]
—pais·ley, adjective[1]



Paiute

Paiute
Pai·ute
[p t, p yt,
p oot] (plural Pai·utes or
Pai·ute) or Pi·ute [p t,
p yt, p oot]
(plural Pi·utes or Pi·ute) noun

Native
N American language: a Native North American
language spoken in various parts of the United States, especially in
California. It belongs to the Uto-Aztecan branch of Aztec-Tanoan languages and
is spoken by about 12,000 people.
[Early
19th century. From Spanish payuchi, of unknown origin.]
—Pai·ute, adjective[1]



pajamaparty

pajamaparty
pa·ja·ma
par·ty
noun

party at which friends sleep
over: a party, especially for
teenagers or children, at which the guests bring pajamas and spend the night[1]



pajamas

pajamas
pa·ja·mas
[pə jməz, pə
jámməz] plural noun

1.  sleeping
clothes:
a light loose pair of pants and a matching loose-fitting shirt for wearing in
bed or for lounging

2.  loose
pants worn in Eastern countries: loose-fitting pants
made of silk or lightweight cotton tied at the waist, worn by both men and
women in India, Turkey, and other Eastern countries
[Early 19th century. Plural
of pajama, from Persian and Urdu pāy-jāmah, literally “leg
garment.”][1]



pakchoi

pakchoi
pak
choi 
noun

See
bok choy
[From Chinese ( Cantonese ) paǎk
ts’oì, literally “white vegetable”][1]



Pakistan




Back to definition

Pakistan

[1]



Pakistan

Pakistan



Pak·i·stan 
[páki stàn, pki
stn]
republic
on the Arabian Sea in southern Asia. It occupies the northwestern corner of the
Indian subcontinent. Language: Urdu. Currency: Pakistani rupee. Capital:
Islamabad. Population: 132,185,388 (1997) Area: 796,095 sq km/307,293 sq mi. Official
name Islamic Republic of Pakistan
—Pak·i·stan·i, noun,
adjective[1]



Pal.

Pal.
Pal.

Abbreviation of
Palestine[1]



pal

pal
pal 
[pal] noun (plural pals)

aggressive
form of address: used to address somebody, often in an
unfriendly or aggressive way (informal) • Listen,
pal, you’d better watch out!
intransitive
verb
(past palled, past participle palled, present participle
pal·ling, 3rd person present singular pals)

become
friends with somebody: to become friends with and
spend time with somebody
[Late 17th century. Via
English Romany, “pal, brother,” from, ultimately, Sanskrit bhrātṛ
“brother.”][1]



palace

palace
pal·ace 
[pálləss] (plural pal·ac·es) noun

1.  official
residence of a sovereign: a grand and imposing
building that is the official residence of a king or queen, a head of state
such as a president, or a high-ranking aristocrat or church dignitary

2.  large
building for entertainment: a large public or private
building with an imposing ornate style, used for entertainment or exhibitions • an
old movie palace fallen into disrepair
[13th century. Via Old French
palais from Latin palatium, named for Palatium “Palatine
Hill” where the emperor Augustus built a house.][1]



palacerevolution

palacerevolution
pal·ace
rev·o·lu·tion noun

overthrow of a ruler by
cronies: the overthrow of a ruler by
those who are already in the ruling group, often carried out with little
violence[1]



paladia

paladia
pa·la·di·a

Plural of
palladium 2[1]



paladin

paladin
pal·a·din 
[pálləd’n, pállədin]
(plural pal·a·dins) noun

1.  medieval
champion:
a champion or hero, especially in medieval legend or history

2.  champion
of a cause:
somebody known for championing a cause

3.  one
of Charlemagne’s companions: any one of the 12 legendary
companions of Charlemagne
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin palatinus (see palatine
).][1]



palaestra

palaestra
pa·laes·tra 
noun

See
palestra[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








palanquin

palanquin
pal·an·quin 
[pàllən kn] (plural pal·an·quins)
noun

seat
carried on poles: a covered seat carried on poles held
parallel to the ground on the shoulders of two or four people. It was formerly
used to transport an important person, especially in East Asia.
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese palanquim from, ultimately, Sanskrit palyaṅka “bed,
litter.”][1]



palaround

palaround
pal
around
intransitive verb

become friends with somebody:
to become friends with and spend time with somebody (informal)[1]



palatable

palatable
pal·at·a·ble 
[pállətəb’l] adjective

1.  pleasant-tasting:
having a good enough taste to be eaten or drunk

2.  acceptable:
acceptable to somebody’s sensibilities
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from palate .][1]



palatal

palatal
pal·a·tal 
[pállət’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY facing
or relating to the palate: occurring at, facing, or
relating to the palate

2.  PHONETICS pronounced
with the tongue at the palate: used to describe a
consonant sound that is produced by raising the tongue to or near the hard
palate • The
“sh” sound is a palatal fricative.

3.  PHONETICS pronounced
with the tongue forward: used to describe a vowel
sound that is produced with the tongue moved forward in the mouth • The
vowel in “meet” is palatal.
noun
(plural pal·a·tals)

PHONETICS palatal
speech sound: a speech sound pronounced with the
tongue at or near the hard palate or with the tongue pushed forward, especially
a palatal consonant
—pal·a·tal·ly [pállət’lee], adverb[1]



palatalization

palatalization
pal·a·tal·i·za·tion
[pàllət’li záysh’n] (plural pal·a·tal·i·za·tions)
noun

production of sound at the
hard palate: the pronunciation of a
speech sound by raising the tongue to or toward the hard palate[1]



palatalize

palatalize
pal·a·tal·ize 
[pállət’l z] (past pal·a·tal·ized,
past participle pal·a·tal·ized, present participle pal·a·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pal·a·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  produce
at the hard palate: to make a speech sound by
raising the tongue to or toward the hard palate

2.  make
more palatal: to alter a speech sound in pronunciation
by placing the tongue closer to the hard palate, rather than to the teeth,
alveolar ridge, or velum

[1]



palate

palate
pal·ate 
[pállət] (plural pal·ates) noun

1.  ANATOMY roof
of the mouth: the roof of the mouth that separates it
from the nasal cavity. It consists of a bony hard palate at the front and a
muscular soft palate at the rear.

2.  sense
of taste:
a personal sense of taste and flavor

3.  aesthetic
taste:
intellectual or aesthetic tastes or sensibilities

4.  BOTANY part
of a flower: the lower projection of a flower such as
the snapdragon, divided into two lips
[14th century. From Latin palatum
.][1]



palatial

palatial
pa·la·tial 
[pə láysh’l] adjective

1.  luxurious:
grand or luxurious • palatial mansions

2.  fit
for a palace: appropriate for a palace
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin palatium (see palace
).]
—pa·la·tial·ness, noun[1]



palatinate

palatinate
pa·lat·i·nate 
[pə látt’n àyt, pə
látt’nət] noun

palatine’s territory:
the territory, office, or responsibilities of a feudal palatine[1]



palatine

palatine2
pal·a·tine2 [pállə
tn] adjective

ANATOMY of the
palate:
relating to the palate
noun
(plural pal·a·tines)

ANATOMY
hard palate bone:
either of the two bones that form the hard palate[1]



palatine

palatine1
pal·a·tine1 [pállə
tn] noun (plural pal·a·tines)

1.  powerful
feudal lord: a feudal lord in central Europe with
sovereign powers within his territory

2.  imperial
court official: a court official in the late Roman and
Byzantine empires
adjective

1.  fit
for a palace: relating to or suitable for a palace

2.  having
power over territory: used to describe an official
or feudal lord who had sovereign power over a territory

3.  ruled
by lord:
used to describe a territory that is ruled by a sovereign feudal lord
[15th century. Via French palatine
from Latin palatinus “of the palace, palace official,” from palatium
(see palace ).][1]



Palatine

Palatine1
Pal·a·tine1  (plural Pal·a·tines)
adjective

of the German Palatinate
region: relating to the German
Palatinate, or its people or culture[1]



Palatine

Palatine2
Pal·a·tine2  noun

one of the 7 hills of Rome:
the central hill of the seven on which Rome was built, considered the oldest
and the site of many of the imperial palaces[1]



Palau

Palau


Pa·lau 
[paa lów]
republic in the western Pacific Ocean
comprising a group of islands that are part of the Caroline Islands. Language:
English. Language: Palauan. Currency: U.S. dollar. Capital: Koror. Population:
17,000 (1996) Area: 495 sq km/191 sq mi. Official name Republic of Palau[1]



palaver

palaver
pa·lav·er 
[pə lávvər, pə
lvər] noun (plural pa·lav·ers)

1.  conference
between different parties: a conference or meeting
between different parties (humorous)

2.  empty
talk:
idle, flattering, or time-wasting talk

3.  conference
between different cultures: a conference between
European explorers or colonialists and local African officials, usually
requiring the use of a pidgin language (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past pa·lav·ered, past participle pa·lav·ered, present
participle pa·lav·er·ing, 3rd person present singular pa·lav·ers)

1.  confer:
to confer or hold a conference (humorous)

2.  talk
idly:
to talk idly, emptily, or with the intention of flattering (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Via
Portuguese palavra “speech” from Latin parabola (see parable ). The word was adopted from Portuguese by
British sailors visiting West Africa, where it was used to denote negotiations
between Europeans and Africans.][1]



palazzo

palazzo
pa·laz·zo 
[pə ltsō] (plural pa·laz·zos or
pa·laz·zi [pə ltsee]) noun

grand
Italian building: a large ornate building such as a museum
or official residence, especially in Italy
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin palatium (see palace
).][1]



palazzopants

palazzopants
pa·laz·zo
pants
plural noun

loose flared pants:
women’s loose-fitting lightweight pants with flared legs[1]



Pale

Pale
Pale
(plural Pales) noun

1.  area
of Jewish settlement: formerly, a restricted area
in Imperial Russia where Jews were allowed to settle

2.  part
of Ireland under English rule: the area of Ireland,
based around Dublin, that was controlled by England from the 12th century until
the final conquest of the entire country in the 16th century

[1]



pale

pale2
pale2 [payl]
noun (plural pales)

1.  fence
stake:
a pointed slat of wood for a fence.
Also
called
paling

2.  fence:
a fence marking a boundary

3.  fenced-in
area:
an area fenced in or its boundary

4.  HERALDRY vertical
stripe on a shield: a wide vertical band down
the center of a shield
transitive
verb
(past paled, past participle paled, present
participle pal·ing, 3rd person present singular pales)

fence in: to
fence in an area
[12th
century. Via French pal from Latin palus “stake.”]
beyond
the pale

outside the limits of what is
considered to be acceptable[1]



pale

pale1
pale1 [payl]
adjective (comparative pal·er, superlative pal·est)

1.  lacking
color:
lacking in color or intensity • pale
blue

2.  pallid
from illness: unusually light in skin complexion
because of illness, shock, or worry

3.  producing
little light: producing or reflecting little light

4.  inadequate:
inadequate or faint • a pale
version of his former flamboyant self
verb
(past paled, past participle paled, present
participle pal·ing, 3rd person present singular pales)

1.  intransitive
verb
become
whiter:
to become whiter or lose brilliance

2.  intransitive
verb
become
less important: to be or become less important,
remarkable, or intense, especially in comparison with something more important
or serious

3.  transitive
verb
cause
to lose color: to cause somebody or something to lose
color or brilliance
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin pallidus (see pallid ).][1]



palea

palea
pa·le·a 
[páylee ə] (plural pa·le·ae [páylee ]) noun

1.  leaf
on flowering grass: a dry membranous leaf with a
single flower ( bract ) on a flowering grass

2.  flower
scale:
a dry membranous scale on the head of a composite flower such as a sunflower
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
“chaff.”][1]



Palearctic

Palearctic
Pa·le·arc·tic 
[pàylee rktik, pàylee
rtik] adjective

of the Arctic and surrounding
regions: relating to the
biogeographic region of the Arctic and immediately adjacent temperate regions
of Europe, Asia, and Africa, or to a species within that range such as the
Eurasian sparrowhawk[1]



pale-dry

pale-dry
pale-dry 
adjective

dry and light:
used to describe beverages that are dry-flavored and light-colored[1]



paleethnology

paleethnology
pa·le·eth·nol·o·gy 
[pàylee eth nólləjee] noun

study
of prehistoric humans: the study of prehistoric
human beings
—pa·le·eth·no·log·i·cal
[pàylee ethnə lójjik’l], adjective

—pa·le·eth·nol·o·gist,
noun[1]



paleface

paleface
pale·face 
[páyl fàyss] (plural pale·faces)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a Caucasian person, allegedly used by Native North
Americans (offensive)[1]



paleo-

paleo-
paleo-
prefix

1.  ancient,
prehistoric • paleozoology

2.  primitive,
early • paleoethnology
[From Greek palaios,
which was formed from palai “long ago.” Ultimately related to tēle
“far off,” the source of English tele-
.][1]



paleoanthropic

paleoanthropic
pa·le·o·an·throp·ic 
[pàylee ō an thróppik] adjective

of prehistoric human beings:
relating to prehistoric human beings[1]



paleoanthropology

paleoanthropology
pa·le·o·an·thro·pol·o·gy 
[pàylee ō ánthrə pólləjee] noun

study
of early human beings: the study of early human
beings and related species through fossil evidence
—pa·le·o·an·thro·po·log·i·cal
[pàylee ō anthrəpə lójjik’l], adjective

—pa·le·o·an·thro·pol·o·gist
[pàylee ō anthrə pólləjist], noun[1]



paleobiochemistry

paleobiochemistry
pa·le·o·bi·o·chem·is·try 
[pàylee ō bī ō kémmistree] noun

1.  study
of the evolution of biochemistry: the study of the
development and change in biochemical processes as indicated in fossils and
other geologic evidence

2.  fossil
chemicals:
the biological chemicals found in fossils of ancient organisms

[1]



paleobiogeography

paleobiogeography
pa·le·o·bi·o·ge·og·ra·phy 
[pàylee ō bī ō jee óggrəfee] noun

study of locations of
prehistoric species: the study
of the locations of prehistoric species on the basis of fossil evidence[1]



paleobotany

paleobotany
pa·le·o·bot·a·ny 
[pàylee ō bótt’nee] noun

study
of prehistoric plants: the study of prehistoric
plants on the basis of fossil evidence
—pa·le·o·bo·tan·i·cal
[pàylee ō bə tánnik’l], adjective

—pa·le·o·bot·a·nist [pàylee ō bótt’nist], noun[1]



Paleocene

Paleocene
Pa·le·o·cene 
[páylee ə sn] noun

first
epoch of the Tertiary period: the epoch of geologic time
when placental mammals first appeared, 65 to 55 million years ago
[Late
19th century. Coined from paleo- + Greek kainos
“new.”]
—Pa·le·o·cene, adjective[1]



paleoclimatology

paleoclimatology
pa·le·o·cli·ma·tol·o·gy
[pàylee ō klīmə tólləjee] noun

study
of prehistoric climates: the study of prehistoric
climates on a global or regional scale from evidence preserved in glacial
deposits, sedimentary structures, and fossils
—pa·le·o·cli·ma·tol·o·gist,
noun[1]



paleocurrent

paleocurrent
pa·le·o·cur·rent
[páylee ō kùr ənt, páylee
ō kùrrənt] (plural pa·le·o·cur·rents) noun

prehistoric wind or water
flow: a prehistoric current of
water or wind, revealed by the study of the sedimentary structures and textures
that it deposited. See paleocurrent[1]



paleoecology

paleoecology
pa·le·o·e·col·o·gy 
[pàylee ō i kólləjee] noun

ecology
of prehistoric times: the study of the interaction
of prehistoric life forms and their environments. See paleoecology
—pa·le·o·ec·o·log·i·cal
[pàylee ō ékə lójjik’l, pàylee ō eekə lójjik’l], adjective

—pa·le·o·e·col·o·gist
[pàylee ō i kólləjist], noun[1]



paleoethnobotany

paleoethnobotany
pa·le·o·eth·no·bot·a·ny
[pàylee ō ethnō bótt’nee] noun

study of fossil seeds:
the study of fossilized seeds and grain in order to gain information about
prehistoric patterns of cereal growth[1]



Paleogene

Paleogene
Pa·le·o·gene 
[páylee ə jn] noun

early
Tertiary period: the early part of the Tertiary period of
geologic time, comprising the Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene epochs
—Pa·le·o·gene, adjective[1]



paleogeography

paleogeography
pa·le·o·ge·og·ra·phy
[pàylee ō jee óggrəfee] noun

study
of the geography of past epochs: the study of the
geographic features of past epochs
—pa·le·o·ge·og·ra·pher,
noun

—pa·le·o·ge·o·graph·ic
[pàylee ō jee ə gráffik], adjective

—pa·le·o·ge·o·graph·i·cal
[pàylee ō jee ə gráffik’l], adjective

—pa·le·o·ge·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[pàylee ō jee ə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



paleography

paleography
pa·le·og·ra·phy 
[pàylee óggrəfee] (plural pa·le·og·ra·phies)
noun

1.  study
of ancient writings: the study of ancient
handwriting and manuscripts

2.  old
manuscript:
an ancient manuscript or piece of handwriting
—pa·le·o·graph·ic
[pàylee ə gráffik], adjective

—pa·le·o·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—pa·le·og·ra·pher [pàylee óggrəfər], noun[1]



Paleo-Indian

Paleo-Indian
Pa·le·o-In·di·an 
adjective

of
the earliest Americans: relating to the earliest
inhabitants of the Americas, who arrived from Asia by the Bering land bridge
that connected Alaska and Siberia. By 12,000 to 10,000 years ago they were
hunting game and living in small groups throughout North America.
—Pa·le·o-In·di·an, noun[1]



paleolith

paleolith
pa·le·o·lith 
[páylee ə lìth] (plural pa·le·o·liths)
noun

prehistoric tool:
a stone tool from the Paleolithic age[1]



Paleolithic

Paleolithic
Pa·le·o·lith·ic 
[pàylee ə líthik] noun

early
Stone Age:
the early part of the Stone Age, when early human beings made chipped-stone
tools, from 750,000 to 15,000 years ago
—Pa·le·o·lith·ic, adjective[1]



Paleolithicman

Paleolithicman
Pa·le·o·lith·ic
man
noun

somebody living in the
Paleolithic period: a member of
any of the various peoples who lived in the Paleolithic period, such as
Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, or Java man[1]



paleomagnetism

paleomagnetism
pa·le·o·mag·net·ism
[pàylee ō mágnə tìzzəm] noun

1.  magnetism
in ancient rock: the polarity and intensity of residual
magnetism in ancient rock

2.  study
of the Earth’s prehistoric magnetic field: the
study of changes in the intensity and direction of the Earth’s magnetic field
throughout geologic time. The recurring reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field
and the changing configurations of the continents have been established through
such studies.
—pa·le·o·mag·net·ic [pàylee ō màg néttik], adjective[1]



paleontography

paleontography
pa·le·on·tog·ra·phy
[pàylee on tóggrəfee] noun

description
of fossils:
the branch of paleontology concerned with describing fossils
—pa·le·on·to·graph·ic
[pàylee óntə gráffik], adjective

—pa·le·on·to·graph·i·cal
[pàylee óntə gráffik’l], adjective[1]



paleontol.

paleontol.
paleontol.

Abbreviation of
paleontology[1]



paleontology

paleontology
pa·le·on·tol·o·gy 
[pàylee òn tólləjee] noun

study
of ancient life: the study of life in prehistoric times
by using fossil evidence
—pa·le·on·to·log·i·cal
[pàylee óntə lójjik’l], adjective

—pa·le·on·to·log·i·cal·ly
[pàylee óntə lójjikəlee], adverb

—pa·le·on·tol·o·gist [pàylee on tólləjist], noun[1]



paleopathology

paleopathology
pa·le·o·path·ol·o·gy
[pàylee ō pə thólləjee] noun

study of ancient disease
processes: the study of the evidence of
disease processes in early human and animal remains, for example, by using DNA
analysis[1]



Paleozoic

Paleozoic
Pa·le·o·zo·ic 
[pàylee ə zṓ ik] noun

geologic
era:
the era of geologic time when fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and land
plants first appeared, about 600 million to 230 million years ago
—Pa·le·o·zo·ic, adjective[1]



paleozoology

paleozoology
pa·le·o·zo·ol·o·gy 
[pàylee ō zō ólləjee] noun

study
of ancient animals: the study of ancient animals
and animal life using fossils and other paleontological evidence. See paleozoology
—pa·le·o·zo·o·log·i·cal
[pàylee ō zō ə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



Palermo

Palermo
Pa·ler·mo 
[pə lérmō, pəláirmō]

city and port in Sicily,
Italy. It is the largest city on the island, and is situated on the
northwestern coast. Population: 694,749 (1993)[1]



Palestine

Palestine
Pal·es·tine 
[pállə stn]

area
in southwestern Asia between the Jordan River and the eastern coast of the
Mediterranean Sea. During biblical times it was the Jewish homeland, comprising
the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The country was then successively occupied by
the Romans, the Arabs, and the Ottoman Turks. In 1947 Palestine was partitioned
between the new state of Israel and Jordan, which assumed control of the West
Bank territories. Wars fought in 1948, 1967, and 1972 between Israel and the
surrounding Arab states saw an increase in the land held by Israel. In 1993 an
agreement was signed under which the Palestinian Arabs gained limited self-rule
in territories in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
—Pal·es·tin·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



palestra

palestra
pa·les·tra 
[pə léstrə] (plural pa·les·trae
[pə léstree] or pa·les·tras) or
pa·laes·tra [pə léstrə] (plural
pa·laes·trae or pa·laes·tras) noun

ancient
Greek gymnasium: a public sports ground or gymnasium in
ancient Greece
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek palaistra, from palaiein “to wrestle.”][1]



paletot

paletot
pale·tot 
[pállə t, páltō]
(plural pale·tots) noun

19C
women’s coat: a fitted coat worn by women in the 19th
century, usually over a bustle or crinoline
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



palette

palette
pal·ette 
[pállət] (plural pal·ettes) noun

1.  PAINTING board
for artist’s paints: a board or tray on which an
artist arranges and mixes paints. A traditional style of palette is an oval
board that curves in near a thumbhole, so that the artist can hold the board
steadily from underneath.
Also
called
pallet

2.  PAINTING range
of colors used by an artist: the assortment of colors on
a palette, in a painting, or typical of an artist’s work

3.  COMPUT color
range of a computer display: the range of colors that can
be reproduced on a computer display

4.  ARTS qualities
in nongraphic art: a range of qualities or
elements in a nongraphic art such as music or literature
[Late 18th century. Via
French (see pallet 1 ).][1]



paletteknife

paletteknife
pal·ette
knife
noun

spatula for mixing paints:
a spatula-shaped implement with a slender flexible metal blade and a handle,
used by an artist to mix and apply thick paints[1]



palfrey

palfrey
pal·frey 
[páwlfree] (plural pal·freys) noun

woman’s
riding horse: a horse for everyday riding, especially
one for a woman to ride (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old French
palefrei from, ultimately, late Latin paraveredus, literally
“extra horse,” from Latin veredus “light horse used by couriers,”
ultimately of Gaulish origin.][1]



Pali

Pali
Pa·li 
[plee] noun

ancient
Indian language: an ancient Indo-European language
derived from Sanskrit and formerly spoken in various parts of India. It
survives in the language of Hinayana Buddhist scriptures.
[Late
18th century. From Pali pāli, denoting the canonical text, as opposed to
the commentary, shortened from Sanskrit pāli-bhāsā, literally “language
of the line.”]
—Pa·li, adjective[1]



palimony

palimony
pal·i·mo·ny 
[pállə mnee] (plural pal·i·mo·nies)
noun

alimony
for unmarried ex-lover: a maintenance allowance for
an ex-lover or member of an unmarried couple, when required by a court of law
[Late 20th century. A blend
of pal and alimony
.][1]



palimpsest

palimpsest
pal·imp·sest 
[pállimp sèst] noun (plural pal·imp·sests)

overwritten
manuscript:
a manuscript written over a partly erased older manuscript in such a way that
the old words can be read beneath the new
adjective

overwritten:
used to describe a document that has been overwritten
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin palimpsestus
from Greek palimpsestos, literally “something rubbed smooth again.”][1]



palindrome

palindrome
pal·in·drome 
[pállin drm] (plural pal·in·dromes)
noun

1.  text
reading the same backward as forward: a
word, phrase, passage, or number that reads the same forward and backward, for
example, “Anna,” “Draw, o coward,” or “23832”

2.  GENETICS mirror-image
DNA sequence: a segment of DNA in which the nucleotide
sequence in one strand read from one end is the same as the sequence in the
complementary strand read from the opposite end. For example, the sequence
GGTACC is a palindrome when the complementary strand is CCATGG.
[Early
17th century. From Greek palindromos, literally “running back again.”]
—pal·in·dro·mic [pàllin drómmik, pàllin
drṓmik], adjective[1]



paling

paling
pal·ing 
[páyling] (plural pal·ings) noun

1.  fence
of stakes:
a fence formed by a line of pointed stakes planted in the ground

2.  See
pale 2 noun 1
[14th century. Originally in
the meaning “making of a fence with pales,” hence, the fence itself.][1]



palingenesis

palingenesis
pal·in·gen·e·sis 
[pàllin jénnəssiss] noun

1.  BIOLOGY See recapitulation  noun 2

2.  CHRISTIANITY spiritual
regeneration: spiritual rebirth by means of baptism

3.  migration
of the soul to another body: the supposed transmigration
of the soul of somebody who has died into the body of another person or animal
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek palin “again” + genesis “birth.”]
—pal·in·ge·net·ic
[pàllin jə néttik], adjective

—pal·in·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[pàllin jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



palinode

palinode
pal·i·node 
[pállə nd] (plural pal·i·nodes)
noun

1.  POETRY poetic
retraction:
a poem in which a poet retracts something written in a previous poem

2.  formal
retraction:
a formal retraction of a statement
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin palinodia, from Greek palinōdia, from palin
“again, back” + ōdē “ ode .”][1]



palisade

palisade
pal·i·sade 
[pàlli sáyd, pálli
sàyd] noun (plural pal·i·sades)

1.  fence:
a fence made of pales driven into the ground.
See
also
palisades

2.  fence
pale:
a pale in a fence.
See
also
palisades

3.  BOTANY See palisade cell
See
also
palisades
transitive
verb
(past pal·i·sad·ed, past participle pal·i·sad·ed, present
participle pal·i·sad·ing, 3rd person present singular pal·i·sades)

fence in: to
provide a place with a fence of pales as a means of defense
[Early 17th century. From
French palissade, which was formed, ultimately, from Latin palus
(see pale 2 ).][1]



palisadecell

palisadecell
pal·i·sade
cell
(plural pal·i·sade cells) noun

long narrow plant cell:
a soft plant tissue ( parenchyma ) cell that
is long and narrow, oriented on its vertical axis, and adjacent to the upper
epidermis in a leaf.
Also called
palisade[1]



palisadelayer

palisadelayer
pal·i·sade
lay·er
(plural pal·i·sade lay·ers) or pal·i·sade mes·o·phyll
(plural pal·i·sade mes·o·phylls) or pal·i·sade
pa·ren·chy·ma (plural pal·i·sade pa·ren·chy·mas) noun

chlorophyll-rich layer in
leaves: a layer of long cells under
the upper epidermis of a leaf that are full of specialized
chlorophyll-containing cell parts ( chloroplasts
)[1]



palisades

palisades
pal·i·sades
[pàlli sáydz, pálli
sàydz] plural noun

line
of rock cliffs alongside water: a row of high cliffs,
usually rising sharply from the side of a river, stream, or lake
[Mid-19th century. Originally
the name of a line of cliffs along the Hudson River, above New York City.][1]



PalkStrait

PalkStrait
Palk
Strait 
[pawkstrayt, pawlkstrayt]

inlet of the Bay of Bengal,
separating southeastern India from northwestern Sri Lanka. Length: 137 km/85
mi.[1]



pall

pall1
pall1 [pawl]
noun (plural palls)

1.  dark
covering:
a covering that makes a place dark and gloomy • a
pall of thick black smoke

2.  gloomy
atmosphere:
a prevailing gloomy mood or oppressive atmosphere • Her
departure cast a pall over the weekend.

3.  casket
covering:
a cloth covering for a casket, bier, hearse, or tomb

4.  casket:
a casket, especially when being carried in a funeral

5.  CHRISTIANITY chalice
cover:
a square cover for a communion chalice, especially a linen-covered board

6.  CHRISTIANITY pallium:
a pallium (archaic)

7.  HERALDRY heraldic
bearing:
a heraldic bearing representing an archbishop’s pallium in the form of three
bands in a Y-shape, charged with crosses
transitive
verb
(past palled, past participle palled, present
participle pall·ing, 3rd person present singular palls)

cover with a pall:
to cover somebody or something with a pall or with something that resembles a
pall
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
pallium “covering.”][1]



pall

pall2
pall2 [pawl]
(past palled, past participle palled, present
participle pall·ing, 3rd person present singular palls)
intransitive verb

become
boring or insipid: to be or become
uninteresting, unsatisfying, or insipid • The
music soon began to pall on us.
[14th century. Alteration of appall .][1]



Palladian

Palladian2
Pal·la·di·an2 [pə
láydee ən] adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY of
Athena:
relating to the goddess Pallas Athena

2.  relating
to wisdom:
relating to wisdom or knowledge
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
palladium (see palladium 2 ).][1]



Palladian

Palladian1
Pal·la·di·an1 [pə
láydee ən] adjective

ARCHITECTURE
neoclassical:
typical of or similar to the classical architectural style developed by Andrea
Palladio in the 16th century[1]



Palladio,Andrea

Palladio,Andrea

Pal·la·di·o
[pə láydee ō], Andrea (1508–1580)
Italian
architect. Working in the classical tradition of ancient Rome, he produced
villa designs and wrote his Four Books on Architecture ( 1570 ), which
influenced several generations of architects.
Born
Gondola, Andrea di Pietro della[1]



palladium

palladium2
pal·la·di·um2 [pə
láydee əm] (plural pal·la·di·ums or pal·la·di·a)
noun

1.  safeguard:
a protection or safeguard, especially one protecting social and civic
institutions

2.  pal·la·di·um
(plural pal·la·di·ums) or Pal·la·di·um (plural
Pal·la·di·ums) protective charm:
an object believed to have the power to protect a city or nation, especially
the statue of Pallas Athena that was believed to protect Troy
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek palladion, from Pallas, epithet of Athena, goddess of
wisdom.][1]



palladium

palladium1

pal·la·di·um1 [pə
láydee əm] (plural pal·la·di·ums) noun
soft,
silvery-white metal: a malleable silvery-white
metallic chemical element that resembles platinum and is used as a chemical
catalyst and in electrical contacts, jewelry, dental alloys, and medical
instruments. Symbol Pd
[Early
19th century. From Pallas (see palladium 2 ), the name given to an
asteroid discovered shortly before the metal.]
—pal·la·dic
[pə láydik, pə
láddik], adjective

—pal·la·dous [pə láydəss, pállədəss],
adjective[1]



Pallas

Pallas
Pal·las 
[pálləss] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY second
largest asteroid: the second largest asteroid, discovered
in 1802. It has an average diameter of approximately 530 km (330 mi ).

2.  Pal·las
or Pal·las A·the·na MYTHOLOGY
See Athena

[1]



pallbearer

pallbearer
pall·bear·er 
[páwl bàirər] (plural pall·bear·ers)
noun

casket carrier:
somebody who helps to carry or escort a casket at a funeral or burial.
Also called
bearer[1]



pallet

pallet2
pal·let2 [pállət]
(plural pal·lets) noun

1.  makeshift
bed:
a temporary and usually uncomfortable bed, made from materials at hand

2.  straw
mattress:
a straw-filled mattress
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman paillete, from paille “straw,” from Latin palea
.][1]



pallet

pallet1
pal·let1 [pállət]
(plural pal·lets) noun

1.  platform
for loads:
a standardized platform or open-ended box, usually made of wood, that allows
mechanical handling of bulk goods during transport and storage

2.  CRAFT clay-working
tool:
a wooden tool similar to a knife, used to mix and shape ceramic clay

3.  CRAFT board
for drying ceramics: a board on which ceramic
pieces are dried

4.  regulating
lever in a timepiece: a lever that regulates a
ratchet wheel, especially one that regulates the movement of the balance wheel
or pendulum in a timepiece by transmitting movements from the escape wheel. The
pallet ’s function is to convert rotary to reciprocating motion, or vice versa.

5.  gilding
tool:
a tool for manipulating gold leaf in gilding

6.  MUSIC valve
on organ:
a valve on an organ that opens in order to let air into a pipe

7.  PAINTING See palette  noun 1
[15th century. Via French palette,
literally “small blade or spade,” from Latin pala “spade, shovel.”][1]



palletize

palletize
pal·le·tize 
[pállə tz] (past pal·le·tized,
past participle pal·le·tized, present participle pal·le·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular pal·le·tiz·es) transitive verb

put something on a pallet:
to put, transport, or store a load of something on a standardized platform[1]



pallia

pallia
pal·li·a


Plural of
pallium[1]



palliasse

palliasse
pal·liasse 
[pal yáss, pál
yàss] (plural pal·liasses) noun

See
paillasse[1]



palliate

palliate
pal·li·ate 
[pállee àyt] (past pal·li·at·ed,
past participle pal·li·at·ed, present participle pal·li·at·ing,
3rd person present singular pal·li·ates) transitive verb

1.  mitigate:
to reduce the intensity or severity of something

2.  partially
excuse:
to make an offense seem less serious by providing excuses or mitigating
evidence

3.  MEDICINE alleviate:
to alleviate a symptom without curing the underlying medical condition
[15th
century. From the past participle stem of palliare “to cover or hide,”
from pallium “a covering” (source of English pallium
).]
—pal·li·a·tion
[pállee àysh’n], noun

—pal·li·a·tor [pállee àytər], noun[1]



palliative

palliative
pal·li·a·tive 
[pállee àytiv, pállee
ətiv] adjective

1.  soothing:
soothing anxieties or other intense emotions

2.  treating
symptoms only: alleviating pain and symptoms without
eliminating the cause
noun
(plural pal·li·a·tives)

MEDICINE symptom-treating
medicine:
something that palliates, especially a medicine that treats symptoms only
—pal·li·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



palliativecare

palliativecare
pal·li·a·tive
care
noun

relief of pain:
the treatment and relief of mental and physical pain without curing the causes,
especially in patients suffering from a terminal illness[1]



pallid

pallid
pal·lid 
[pállid] adjective

1.  pale:
having an unhealthily pale complexion

2.  lackluster:
lacking color, spirit, or intensity
[Late
16th century. From Latin pallidus, from pallere “to be pale.”]
—pal·lid·i·ty
[pa líddətee, pə
líddətee], noun

—pal·lid·ly, adverb[1]



Palliser

Palliser
Pal·lis·er
[pállisər]

the southernmost point of the
North Island, New Zealand, situated at the eastern end of the Cook Strait[1]



pallium

pallium
pal·li·um 
[pállee əm] (plural pal·li·a [pállee ə] or pal·li·ums) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY vestment
worn by a pope or archbishop: a white vestment that rests
on the shoulders with pendants hanging at its front and back, worn by a pope,
all Roman Catholic archbishops, and some bishops

2.  ZOOLOGY See mantle  noun 5

3.  BIRDS See mantle  noun 6

4.  ANATOMY See cerebral cortex

5.  ANATOMY part
of the brain: the layer of gray matter forming the
surface of the cerebral cortex

6.  HISTORY ancient
cloak:
a man’s rectangular cloak worn in ancient Rome
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “covering.”]
—pal·li·al, adjective[1]



pall-mall

pall-mall
pall-mall 
[pel mél, pal
mál, pawl máwl] (plural pall-malls)
noun

1.  old
mallet-and-ball game: a 17th-century game in which
players used a mallet to hit a wooden ball through an iron hoop suspended at
the end of a long alley

2.  alley
for playing pall-mall: an alley in which pall-mall
is played
[Mid-16th century. Via
obsolete French palle maille from Italian pallamaglio, which was
formed, ultimately, from balla “ball” + maglio “mallet.”][1]



pallor

pallor
pal·lor 
[pállər] noun

paleness:
an unhealthy-looking paleness of complexion
[14th century. From Latin,
from pallere “to be pale.”][1]



pally

pally
pal·ly 
[pállee] (comparative pal·li·er,
superlative pal·li·est) adjective

friendly:
having a friendly relationship (informal)
[Late 19th century. From pal .][1]



palm

palm1
palm1 [paam]
noun (plural palms)

1.  ANATOMY inner
surface of the hand: the inner surface of the
hand, extending from the base of the fingers to the wrist

2.  ZOOLOGY underside
of a mammal’s forefoot: the part of a mammal’s
forefoot that is most often in contact with the ground

3.  MEASUREMENTS hand-sized
measure:
a unit of length, based on the length or width of a hand

4.  covering
for the palm of the hand: something that covers the
palm of the hand, for example, the inner hand surface of a glove

5.  flat
part of a branched structure: the broad flat lobe of a
branched structure such as the antler of a moose or deer, or of a cactus stalk

6.  ROWING oar
blade:
the blade of an oar

7.  NAUTICAL inner
face of an anchor point: the inner face of an
anchor’s point
transitive
verb
(past palmed, past participle palmed, present
participle palm·ing, 3rd person present singular palms)

1.  hide
in the hand: to hide something in the hand,
especially as part of a trick

2.  take
stealthily:
to take something secretly by hiding it in the hand

3.  touch
with the palm: to touch something with the palm

4.  shake
hands:
to shake hands with somebody (slang)

5.  BASKETBALL hold
instead of dribbling: to let a basketball come to
rest in the hands during a dribble, thereby committing a foul
[Old
English . Via a prehistoric Germanic word from Latin palma “palm of the
hand, palm 2 .”]
grease
somebody’s palm

to
bribe somebody (slang)

have
somebody or something in the palm of your hand

to have complete power or
influence over somebody or something[1]



palm

palm2
palm2 [paam]
(plural palms) noun

1.  See
palm tree

2.  palm
leaf as a victory sign: a leaf from a palm tree,
used as a symbol of victory or success

3.  MILITARY military
decoration indicating multiple awards: a
small decoration shaped like a palm leaf that is added to a military decoration
to show that it has been awarded to the wearer more than once
[12th century. Via French paume
from Latin palma “palm of the hand, palm tree” (because a cluster of
palm leaves was thought to look like a hand and fingers).][1]



Palma

Palma
Pal·ma 
[plmaa]

port on Majorca. It is the
capital city of the Spanish Balearic Islands. Population: 323,138 (1995)[1]



palmar

palmar
pal·mar 
[pmər] adjective

of the inner hand:
relating to the palm of the hand or to the underside of an animal’s forefoot[1]



palmate

palmate
pal·mate 
[pál màyt, pl
màyt, p màyt] adjective

1.  pal·mate
or pal·mat·ed BOTANY
ZOOLOGY having
several lobes: forming a branching pattern that spreads
like fingers from a hand

2.  BIRDS having
webbed toes: having three toes that are connected by
webbing
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin palmatus, which was formed from palma (see palm 1 .]
—pal·mate·ly, adverb[1]



palmation

palmation
pal·ma·tion 
[pal máysh’n, paal
máysh’n, paa máysh’n] (plural pal·ma·tions)
noun

1.  BOTANY lobe
of a palmate structure: any of the lobes of a
palmate formation

2.  being
palmate:
the state of having a palmate shape

[1]



PalmBeach

PalmBeach
Palm
Beach
[pm bch]

town in southeastern Florida
on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a fashionable winter resort. Population: 9,814
(1990)[1]



palmchat

palmchat
palm
chat
(plural palm chats) noun

West Indian bird:
a gregarious bird of open woodlands and cultivated fields of the West Indies.
It is olive-brown above and yellow with dark streaks below. Latin name: Dulus
dominicus[1]



palmcivet

palmcivet
palm
civ·et
(plural palm civ·ets) noun

Asian or African civet:
a tree-dwelling mammal of Africa and Asia, with short legs and sharp claws.
Family: Viverridae
Also called
toddy cat[1]



palmcorder

palmcorder
palm·cord·er
[pm kàwrdər] (plural palm·cord·ers)
noun

small
camcorder:
a small portable video camera and recorder that fits in the palm of the hand
[Late 20th century. Blend of palm + recorder
.][1]



Palme,Olof

Palme,Olof
Palme
[pálmə], Olof (1927–1986)

Swedish
statesman. He was Social Democratic prime minister of Sweden (1969–1976,
1982–1986) and was noted for his efforts to secure world peace.
Full name
Palme, Sven Olof Joachim[1]



palmer

palmer
palm·er 
[pmər] (plural palm·ers) noun

1.  medieval
pilgrim:
a pilgrim, especially a medieval Christian pilgrim who carried or wore palm
leaves as proof of a visit to the Holy Land

2.  ZOOLOGY See palmer worm
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman palmer from medieval Latin palmarius, from palma
(see palm 2 ).][1]



Palmer,Arnold

Palmer,Arnold

Palm·er 
[pmər], Arnold (1929– )
U.S. golfer. He won the Masters (1958,
1960, 1962, and 1964), the U.S. Open (1960), and the British Open (1960, 1961)
tournaments.[1]



Palmerston,Lord

Palmerston,Lord
Palm·er·ston 
[pmərstən], Lord, Viscount (1784–1865)

British statesman. Changing
from Tory to Whig (1830), he became prime minister (1855–1858; 1859–1865). His
robust manner led to the nickname "Firebrand Palmerston".[1]



PalmerstonNorth

PalmerstonNorth
Pal·mer·ston
North

city in the south of the
North Island, New Zealand, situated 140 km/87 mi north of Wellington.
Population: 73,862 (1996)[1]



palmerworm

palmerworm
palm·er
worm
(plural palm·er worms) noun

destructive caterpillar:
a destructive, swarming moth caterpillar.
Also called
palmer[1]



palmette

palmette
pal·mette 
[pal mét] (plural pal·mettes) noun

palm-leaf
decoration:
a stylized palm leaf used as an ornament or in a decoration
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “small palm,” from, ultimately, Latin palma (see palm 2 ).][1]



palmetto

palmetto
pal·met·to 
[pal méttō] (plural pal·met·tos
or pal·met·toes) noun

1.  low
palm plant:
a low growing palm plant with fan-shaped leaves, especially the cabbage
palmetto

2.  blade
used for weaving: the blade of a palmetto leaf, used for
weaving
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish palmito, literally “small palm,” from, ultimately, Latin palma
(see palm 2 ). The
ending was changed by association with Italian words ending in -etto .][1]



palmettobug

palmettobug
pal·met·to
bug
(plural pal·met·to bugs) noun

cockroach:
a cockroach[1]



palmist

palmist
palm·ist 
[pmist] (plural palm·ists) noun

fortuneteller:
somebody who practices palmistry[1]



palmistry

palmistry

palm·is·try 
[pmistree] noun
fortunetelling from hands:
the practice of examining the features of somebody’s palms in order to predict
that person’s destiny.
Also called
chiromancy[1]



palmitate

palmitate
pal·mi·tate 
[pálmi tàyt, plmi
tàyt, pmi tàyt] (plural pal·mi·tates)
noun

salt of palmitic acid:
a salt or ester of palmitic acid[1]



palmitin

palmitin
pal·mi·tin 
[pálmitin, plmitin,
pmitin] (plural pal·mi·tins) noun

ester
of palmitic acid and glycerol: an ester of palmitic
acid and glycerol, found in animal fats and palm oil and used in soap-making.
Also
called
tripalmitin
[Mid-19th century. From
French palmitine, from palme “palm tree,” from Old French paume
(see palm 2 ).][1]



palmoff

palmoff
palm
off
transitive verb

1.  give
in a deceitful way: to shift something into
another’s possession in a deceitful way • The
crooks needed a way to palm off the stolen CDs onto unsuspecting buyers.

2.  pass
on something unwanted: to give or pass on something
unwanted to somebody else • Don’t
try to palm off that old armchair on me!

[1]



palmoil

palmoil
palm
oil
noun

oil from palm nuts:
a yellowish oil extracted from the fruit of oil palms and used as a lubricant
and in soaps, foods, and cosmetics. Palm oil is high in saturated fats.[1]



PalmSprings

PalmSprings
Palm
Springs


city in southern California,
a resort and residential center. Population: 40,181 (1990)[1]



palmsugar

palmsugar
palm
sug·ar
noun

sugar from palm sap:
sugar made from palm tree sap[1]



PalmSunday

PalmSunday
Palm
Sun·day
noun

Sunday before Easter:
the Sunday before the Christian festival of Easter that commemorates Jesus
Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem through a crowd waving palm branches,
as narrated in the Bible. Palm fronds are distributed at some church services
on this day.[1]



palmtop

palmtop
palm·top
[pm tòp] (plural palm·tops) noun

handheld portable computer:
a computer with a miniature keyboard and screen that fits into the palm of the
hand[1]



palmtree

palmtree
palm
tree
(plural palm trees) noun

tropical tree with fronds:
a tree, shrub, or plant typically with a branchless trunk and a crown of
pinnate or palmate leaves on top, found in tropical and subtropical regions.
Family: Palmae
Also called
palm[1]



palmvaulting

palmvaulting
palm
vault·ing
noun

ARCHITECTURE
See fan vaulting[1]



palmy

palmy
palm·y 
[pmee] (comparative palm·i·er,
superlative palm·i·est) adjective

1.  of
palm trees:
relating to, consisting of, or abundant in palm trees

2.  flourishing:
prosperous or flourishing (literary) • in
her palmy days

[1]



palmyra

palmyra
pal·my·ra 
[pal mrə] (plural pal·my·ras or
pal·my·ra) noun

tall
Asian palm tree: a tall Asian fan-leafed palm tree whose
fronds, wood, and sap are harvested for various uses. Latin name: Borassus
flabellifer
[Late 17th century.
Alteration (influenced by Palmyra, the name of an ancient city in Syria)
of Portuguese palmeira “palm tree,” from Latin palma (see palm 2 ).][1]



PaloAlto

PaloAlto
Pal·o
Al·to 
[pàllō álltō]

city in western California on
San Francisco Bay. The city grew after the establishment of nearby Stanford
University, and it is a well-known center for computing technology. Population:
55,900 (1990)[1]



Palomar,Mount

Palomar,Mount
Pal·o·mar,
Mount
[pállə mr]

mountain in southern
California, northeast of San Diego. It is the site of an astronomical
observatory. Height: 1,871 m/6,138 ft.[1]



palomino

palomino
pal·o·mi·no 
[pàllə mnō] (plural pal·o·mi·nos)
noun

golden-colored
horse:
a golden-colored horse with a pale mane and tail, originally bred in the
southwestern United States
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish from, ultimately, Latin palumbinus “like a dove.”][1]



palooka

palooka
pa·loo·ka 
[pə lkə] (plural pa·loo·kas) noun

1.  oaf:
somebody considered to be very clumsy and unintelligent (slang insult)

2.  poor
boxer:
an easily beaten athlete, especially a boxer (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Palouse

Palouse
Pa·louse 
[pə lss] (plural Pa·louse or
Pa·lous·es) noun

member of a Native N American
people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in southern Washington and
northern Idaho, and who now live mainly in northern Washington[1]



paloverde

paloverde
pa·lo·ver·de 
[pàllō vúrdee, pàllō
vúd] (plural pa·lo·ver·des or pa·lo·ver·de) noun

1.  yellow-flowered
desert tree: a spiny tree or shrub of the
southwestern United States and Mexico, with yellow flowers and blue-green bark.
Latin name: Cercidium floridium

2.  BOTANY See Jerusalem thorn
[Early 19th century. From
American Spanish, literally “green tree.”][1]



palp

palp
palp 
[palp] (plural palps) noun

feeler
near mouth:
a sensory appendage situated near the mouth of many invertebrate animals, used
to assess or manipulate food before it is eaten.
Also
called
palpus
[Mid-19th century. Via French
palpe from Latin palpus, from palpare “to touch gently,
palpate.”][1]



palpate

palpate2
pal·pate2 [pál
pàyt] adjective

having
palps:
used to describe an invertebrate animal that is equipped with one or more palps
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from palp + -ate
.][1]



palpate

palpate1
pal·pate1 [pál
pàyt] (past pal·pat·ed, past participle pal·pat·ed,
present participle pal·pat·ing, 3rd person present singular
pal·pates) transitive verb

examine
medically through touching: to examine a part of the
body by feeling with the hands and fingers, especially to distinguish between
swellings that are solid and those that are filled with fluid
[15th century. From Latin palpatus,
from palpare “to touch gently.”][1]



palpebral

palpebral
pal·pe·bral
[pálpəbrəl, pal
pbrəl] adjective

of
eyelids:
relating to the eyelids
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
palpebra “eyelid.”][1]



palpi

palpi
pal·pi


Plural of
palpus[1]



palpitate

palpitate
pal·pi·tate 
[pálpi tàyt] (past pal·pi·tat·ed,
past participle pal·pi·tat·ed, present participle pal·pi·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular pal·pi·tates) intransitive verb

beat
irregularly: to beat in an irregular or abnormally
rapid way, either because of a medical condition or because of exertion, fear,
or anxiety (refers to the heart)
[15th
century. From Latin palpitatus, past participle stem of palpitare,
from palpare “to touch gently, palpate.”]
—pal·pi·tant, adjective[1]



palpitation

palpitation
pal·pi·ta·tion 
[pàlpI táysh’n] (plural pal·pi·ta·tions)
noun

fast or irregular heartbeat:
an irregular or unusually rapid beating of the heart, either because of a
medical condition or because of exertion, fear, or anxiety (usually used in the
plural)[1]



palpus

palpus
pal·pus 
[pálpəss] (plural pal·pi [pál p]) noun

See
palp
[Early 19th century. From
Latin (see palp ).][1]



palsgrave

palsgrave
pals·grave 
[páwlz gràyv] (plural pals·graves)
noun

nobleman:
a count palatine, especially in Germany
[Mid-16th century. From early
Dutch paltsgrave, from palts “palatinate” + grave
“count.”][1]



palstave

palstave
pal·stave 
[páwl stàyv] (plural pal·staves)
noun

ancient
metal ax:
a metal ax that fits into a split handle, especially one of a distinctive
bronze type found in ancient Europe
[Mid-19th century. From
Danish paalstav .][1]



palsy

palsy
pal·sy 
[páwlzee] noun

inability
to move:
muscular inability to move part or all of the body (archaic)
See
also
Bell’s palsy
See
also
cerebral palsy
[13th century. Via Old French
paralisie from, ultimately, Latin paralysis (see paralysis ).][1]



palsy-walsy

palsy-walsy
pal·sy-wal·sy 
[pàlzi wálzee] or pal·sy [pálzee] adjective

friendly:
very friendly, often in an insincere or unpleasant way (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Humorous
formation based on pal .][1]



palter

palter
pal·ter 
[páwltər] (past pal·tered, past
participle pal·tered, present participle pal·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular pal·ters) intransitive verb (archaic)

1.  act
or talk insincerely: to act or talk insincerely
or deceitfully

2.  haggle:
to haggle in bargaining
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—pal·ter·er, noun[1]



paltry

paltry
pal·try 
[páwltree] (comparative pal·tri·er,
superlative pal·tri·est) adjective

1.  insignificant:
insignificant or unimportant • a
paltry sum of money

2.  despicable:
low and contemptible
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scots and northern English dialect pelt
“coarse cloth, rubbish,” of uncertain origin.]
—pal·tri·ly,
adverb

—pal·tri·ness, noun[1]



paludal

paludal
pa·lu·dal 
[pə ld’l, pállyəd’l]
adjective

ECOLOGY of
marshes:
relating to or living in swamps or marshes
[Early 19th century. From
Latin paludem, stem of palus “marsh.”][1]



paludism

paludism
pal·u·dism 
[pállyə dìzzəm] noun

malaria:
malaria (not in technical use)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin paludem (see paludal ).][1]



paly

paly
pal·y
[páylee] adjective

vertically
striped:
used to describe a heraldic shield that is divided into equal-sized sections by
vertical lines
[From French palé,
from pal (see pale 2 )][1]



palynology

palynology
pal·y·nol·o·gy 
[pàllə nólləjee] noun

science
of spores and pollen: the study of spores and
pollen, including the study of fossilized spores and pollen
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek palunein “to sprinkle” + -logy .]
—pal·y·no·log·i·cal
[pàllənə lójjik’l], adjective

—pal·y·nol·o·gist [pàllə nólləjist], noun[1]



pam

pam
pam 
[pam] (plural pams) noun

jack
of clubs:
the jack of clubs in some card games such as loo, where it is the highest trump
card
[Late 17th century.
Shortening of French pamphile, from the Greek name Pamphilos,
literally “loved by all.”][1]



pam.

pam.
pam.

Abbreviation of
pamphlet[1]



Pama-Nyungan

Pama-Nyungan
Pama-Nyun·gan
[pmə myngən] noun

Native Australian language
family: a family of about 175 Native
Australian languages, many of which are now extinct, spoken across most of the
continent apart from some northwestern parts and Tasmania. About 100,000 people
speak a Pama-Nyungan language.[1]



Pamirs

Pamirs
Pa·mirs
[pə mrz]

high plateau region in
Central Asia, located mainly in Tajikistan. The highest point is Communism
Peak, 7,495 m/24,590 ft .[1]



pampas

pampas
pam·pas
[pámpəz, pámpəss]
noun

prairie:
treeless grassy plains in temperate South America, especially Argentina (takes
a singular or plural verb)
[Early
18th century. Via Spanish pampa from Quechua, literally “plain.”]
—pam·pe·an [pámpee ən, pam p ən],
adjective[1]



pampascat

pampascat
pam·pas
cat
(plural pam·pas cats) noun

American wild cat:
a small wild cat of South America, with long gray fur marked with dark spots
and stripes. Latin name: Felis colocolo[1]



pampasgrass

pampasgrass
pam·pas
grass 
(plural pam·pas grass·es) noun

ornamental grass:
a tall South American grass often grown in parks and gardens, naturalized in
the southern United States. It has silky white plumes when flowering. Latin
name: Cortaderia selloana[1]



pamper

pamper
pam·per 
[pámpər] (past pam·pered, past
participle pam·pered, present participle pam·per·ing, 3rd
person present singular pam·pers) transitive verb

1.  treat
lavishly:
to lavish attention on somebody, indulging his or her taste for luxury

2.  gratify:
to indulge or gratify a desire or need

3.  feed
excessively: to fill somebody with rich food (archaic)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German or Dutch .]
—pam·per·er, noun[1]



pampero

pampero
pam·pe·ro 
[pam pérrō, paam
pérrō] (plural pam·pe·ros) noun

cold
southwesterly wind on the pampas: a strong, cold, dry
wind that blows southwest from the Andes to the Atlantic, across the South
American pampas
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish, formed from pampa, literally “plain.”][1]



Pampers

Pampers
Pam·pers
[pámpərz] Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
disposable diapers[1]



pamph.

pamph.
pamph.

Abbreviation of
pamphlet[1]



pamphlet

pamphlet
pam·phlet 
[pámflət] (plural pam·phlets) noun

informational
or political leaflet: a small leaflet or paper
booklet, usually unbound and coverless, that gives information or supports a
position
[14th century. From Pamphilet
or Pamflet, popular names of Pamphilus, seu de Amore, a short
anonymous 12th century Latin love poem, later used for any short text.][1]



pamphleteer

pamphleteer
pam·phlet·eer 
[pàmflə tr] noun (plural pam·phlet·eers)

pamphlet
writer:
somebody who writes pamphlets that contain opinionated essays, usually on a
political topic
intransitive
verb
(past pam·phlet·eered, past participle pam·phlet·eered,
present participle pam·phlet·eer·ing, 3rd person present
singular pam·phlet·eers)

write pamphlets:
to write material for pamphlets, especially political ones[1]



P& L

P& L
P
& L

Abbreviation of
profit and loss[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Pamplona

Pamplona
Pam·plo·na 
[pam plṓnə]

city in northeastern Spain.
It is the capital of the autonomous region of Navarre. Population: 181,776
(1995)[1]



pamprodactylous

pamprodactylous
pam·pro·dac·ty·lous 
[pàmprō dákt’ləss] adjective

BIRDS having
toes facing forward: used to describe a bird such
as the swift that has all four toes facing forward
[Late 19th century. Coined
from pan- + pro-
+ dactyl + -ous
.][1]



Pan.

Pan.
Pan.

Abbreviation of
Panama[1]



pan

pan3
pan3 [paan]
(plural pans) noun

1.  BOTANY betel
leaf:
a leaf of the betel plant

2.  rolled
betel leaf with spices: a leaf of the betel plant
rolled and filled with spices and lime, chewed for its flavor and as a
stimulant in southwestern Asia
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi pān .][1]



pan

pan2
pan2 [pan]
intransitive and transitive verb (past panned, past
participle panned, present participle pan·ning, 3rd
person present singular pans)

move
a camera horizontally from a fixed point: to
move a camera horizontally from a stationary point in order to capture a broad
view of a scene or to film or photograph a moving object
noun
(plural pans)

horizontal
camera movement from a fixed point: a
horizontal movement of a camera from a fixed point, or the resulting filmed
shot
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of panorama or panoramic .][1]



pan

pan1
pan1 [pan]
noun (plural pans)

1.  COOKING cooking
pot:
a cooking pot, usually metal and with a handle, for use on the burner of a
stove

2.  COOKING shallow
cooking dish: a shallow metal cooking dish used for
baking food in an oven.
U.K.
term
baking tin

3.  HOUSEHOLD container
for waste:
shallow container that household waste is put into for easy disposal

4.  shallow,
open container: any shallow open container used to
store, catch, or heat liquids or other substances

5.  MINING dish
for sorting minerals: a flat metal dish, shaped
like a pie plate, used to separate precious minerals, especially gold, from
loose soil, gravel, or sediment

6.  scale
dish:
either of the dishes suspended in a balance scale

7.  GEOLOGY concavity
in earth:
a natural shallow sink or basin in the ground, usually filled with rainwater or
mud

8.  shallow
area for evaporating brine: a natural or artificial
concavity in the earth, in which brine is evaporated, leaving behind salt

9.  TRANSPORT See hardpan

10. thin
ice floe:
a small, flat, thin ice floe of the type that forms near a shore or in a bay

11. ARMS priming
container in gun: the hollow part of a flintlock gun, into
which the gunpowder is loaded

12. critical
review:
a harshly critical review
verb
(past panned, past participle panned, present
participle pan·ning, 3rd person present singular pans)

1.  transitive
verb
criticize
severely:
to criticize somebody or something severely, especially in a review (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
MINING sort
through dirt for minerals: to use a shallow dish to
separate valuable minerals from loose soil, gravel, or sediment by washing or
shaking

3.  intransitive
verb
yield
precious metals: to yield valuable metals when separating
minerals and leavings by means of washing or shaking using a shallow dish
[Old English panne .
From a prehistoric Germanic word that may derive, ultimately, from Latin patina
(see paten ).][1]



Pan

Pan1
Pan1 [pan]
noun

Greek god of nature:
in Greek mythology, the god of nature, pastures, flocks, and forests, believed
to have a human torso and head, and the hind legs, ears, and horns of a goat. Roman
equivalent Faunus[1]



Pan

Pan2
Pan2  noun

very small innermost moon of
Saturn: the innermost known natural
satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1990. It is approximately 20 km (12 mi ) in
diameter.[1]



pan-

pan-
pan-
prefix

all,
any, everyone • panchromatic
• Pan-Slavism
[From Greek, a form of pas
“all” (source also of English pancreas
)][1]



panacea

panacea
pan·a·ce·a 
[pànnə s ə] (plural pan·a·ce·as)
noun

supposed
cure-all:
a supposed cure for all diseases or problems
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek panakeia, from panakēs
“all-healing,” from akos “remedy.”]
—pan·a·ce·an, adjective[1]



panache

panache
pa·nache 
[pə násh, pə
nsh] (plural pa·naches) noun

1.  dashing
style:
a sense or display of spirited style and self-confidence

2.  CLOTHES helmet
plume:
a plume or tuft of feathers, especially on a hat or helmet
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian pennacchio “plume of feathers,” from, ultimately, Latin pinna
“feather” (source of English pin, pinnacle, and pinion
).][1]



panada

panada
pa·na·da 
[pə ndə] (plural pa·na·das) noun

very
thick food paste: a very thick paste of flour or some
other starchy ingredient and a liquid such as milk or stock that is used as a
base for sauces or as binding for stuffing
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish or Portuguese from, ultimately, Latin panis “bread.”][1]



pan-African

pan-African
pan-Af·ri·can
adjective

involving
all African nations: relating to the nations of
Africa, collectively or in cooperation with one another, or advocating freedom
and independence for African people
—Pan-Af·ri·can·ism, noun[1]



Panama




Back to definition

Panama

[1]



panama

panama
pan·a·ma 
[pánnə m] (plural pan·a·mas) or
Pan·a·ma [pánnə m] (plural Pan·a·mas)
noun

See
Panama hat[1]



Panama

Panama



Pan·a·ma 
[pánnə m]
republic
in Central America. It has the Caribbean Sea to its north and the Pacific Ocean
to its south, connected by the Panama Canal, and is situated between Costa Rica
and Colombia. Language: Spanish. Currency: balboa. Capital: Panama City.
Population: 2,674,490 (1996) Area: 75,517 sq km/29,157 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Panama
—Pan·a·ma·ni·an [pànnə máynee ən], noun, adjective[1]



PanamaCanal

PanamaCanal
Pan·a·ma
Canal

canal across the Isthmus of
Panama, completed in 1914. Length: 82 km/50 mi.[1]



PanamaCity

PanamaCity
Pan·a·ma
Cit·y


capital city of Panama,
located in the center of the country, on the Pacific Ocean. Population: 485,490
(1996)[1]



Panamahat

Panamahat

Pan·a·ma hat
(plural Pan·a·ma hats) or pan·a·ma hat (plural
pan·a·ma hats) or pan·a·ma or Panama noun
hat of plaited leaves:
a brimmed men’s hat made from the plaited leaves of the jipijapa, or an
imitation of such a hat[1]



Panama,Isthmus of

Panama,Isthmus of
Pan·a·ma,
Isth·mus of
[pànnə m]

narrow neck of land occupied
by Panama, separating the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea[1]



PanamaRed

PanamaRed
Pan·a·ma
Red
(plural Pan·a·ma Reds) noun

potent form of marijuana:
a very potent reddish strain of marijuana, originally from Panama[1]



Pan-American

Pan-American
Pan-A·mer·i·can 
adjective

involving
all American nations: relating to the nations of
North, South, and Central America, collectively or in cooperation with one
another
—Pan-A·mer·i·can·ism, noun[1]



Pan-Arabism

Pan-Arabism
Pan-Ar·ab·ism
noun

movement
for cooperation among Arab states: a movement for greater
cooperation among and self-reliance within Arab or Islamic nations
—Pan-Ar·ab,
noun, adjective

—Pan-Ar·a·bic,
adjective

—Pan-Ar·ab·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



panatella

panatella
pan·a·tel·la 
[pànnə téllə] (plural pan·a·tel·las)
or pan·a·tel·a [pànnə téllə] (plural
pan·a·tel·as) noun

thin
straight cigar: a long thin cigar that does not bulge in
the middle
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish, denoting a long thin biscuit, from Italian panatello
“small loaf,” from, ultimately, Latin panis “bread” (source of English pannier ).][1]



Panathenaea

Panathenaea
Pan·a·the·nae·a
[pà nathə n ə] noun

summer
festival in ancient Athens: a summer festival held
annually in ancient Athens but with extra ceremony every fourth year. It
involved games, sacrifices, and music and poetry contests.
[Early 17th century. From
Greek panathēnaia hiera, literally “festival of all Athenians.”][1]



pan-broil

pan-broil
pan-broil 
(past pan-broiled, past participle pan-broiled, present
participle pan-broil·ing, 3rd person present singular pan-broils)
transitive verb

fry in ungreased pan:
to cook in an ungreased pan on a direct heat source[1]



Pan-Cake

Pan-Cake
Pan-Cake
Trademark

a trademark for a semisolid
theatrical makeup, typically applied with a damp sponge[1]



pancake

pancake
pan·cake 
[pán kàyk] noun (plural pan·cakes)

1.  thin
fried cake:
a thin flat cake made by pouring batter onto a hot greased flat pan, and
cooking it on both sides.
Also
called
battercake
Also
called
flapjack
Also
called
flannel cake
Also
called
griddle cake
Also
called
hotcake

2.  AIR See pancake landing
verb
(past pan·caked, past participle pan·caked, present
participle pan·cak·ing, 3rd person present singular pan·cakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR make pancake landing:
to make a pancake landing or cause an aircraft to make such a landing

2.  transitive
verb
flatten:
to turn something parallel to the ground, especially a tennis racket in the
course of a stroke

[1]



PancakeDay

PancakeDay
Pan·cake
Day
noun

See
Shrove Tuesday
[So called because it is
celebrated in the United Kingdom and Canada, for example, by eating pancakes,
which were traditionally made to use up eggs and fat before the fast of Lent][1]



pancakeice

pancakeice
pan·cake
ice
(plural pan·cake ic·es) noun

thin ice floe:
a small flat thin piece of sea ice that drifts out into deeper water from near
the shore or the bay in which it was formed[1]



pancakelanding

pancakelanding
pan·cake
land·ing
(plural pan·cake land·ings) noun

emergency landing:
an airplane landing in which the aircraft drops abruptly straight to the ground
from a low altitude, usually due to engine failure.
Also called
pancake noun 2[1]



pancaketortoise

pancaketortoise
pan·cake
tor·toise
(plural pan·cake tor·tois·es) noun

turtle with flattened shell:
a Tanzanian turtle with a flattened flexible shell. It can slip between rocks
and narrow crevices and then slightly inflate to resist being pulled out. Latin
name: Malachersus tornieri[1]



PancakeTuesday

PancakeTuesday
Pan·cake
Tues·day
noun

See
Shrove Tuesday[1]



pancetta

pancetta
pan·cet·ta 
[pan chéttə] (plural pan·cet·tas)
noun

Italian
bacon:
a salt-cured and spiced form of unsmoked belly of pork, used in Italian dishes
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “little belly,” from, ultimately, Latin pantix
“bowel, intestine” (source of English paunch
).][1]



panchax

panchax
pan·chax 
[pán chàks] (plural pan·chax·es)
noun

bright
tropical fish: a small tropical freshwater Southeast
Asian fish that is olive, red, and yellow and is often kept as an aquarium
fish. Latin name: Aplocheilus panchax
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, the former genus name.][1]



panchayat

panchayat
pan·chay·at
[pən ch yət, pən
ch ət] (plural pan·chay·ats) noun

South
Asia
Indian
council:
a village council in India
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi pañcāyat from Sanskrit pañcāyatta, literally “depending on
five” (the original number of members).][1]



PanchenLama

PanchenLama
Pan·chen
La·ma 
[pnchən lmə] noun

second
highest Tibetan Buddhist lama: the second highest
ranking Lama in Tibetan Buddhism
[From Tibetan, contraction of
pandi-tachen-po “great learned one”][1]



panchromatic

panchromatic
pan·chro·mat·ic 
[pàn krō máttik] adjective

sensitive to all colors:
used to describe photographic film that is sensitive to all visible colors and
some ultraviolet light[1]



pancratium

pancratium
pan·cra·ti·um 
[pan kráyshee əm] (plural pan·cra·ti·a
[pan kráyshee ə]) noun

Greek
athletic event: an athletic event in ancient Greece,
involving boxing and wrestling contests
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek pagkration, from kratos
“strength.”]
—pan·crat·ic [pan kráttik], adjective[1]



pancreas

pancreas

pan·cre·as 
[pángkree əss, pánkree
əss] (plural pan·cre·as·es) noun
digestive
and endocrine gland: a large elongated glandular
organ lying near the stomach. It secretes juices into the small intestine and
the hormones insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin into the bloodstream.
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek pagkreas, from kreas “flesh.”][1]



pancreat-

pancreat-
pancreat-
prefix

pancreas
• pancreatitis
[From Greek pankreat-,
the stem of pankreas (see pancreas )][1]



pancreatectomy

pancreatectomy
pan·cre·a·tec·to·my 
[pàngkree ə téktəmee, pànkree ə téktəmee] (plural pan·cre·a·tec·to·mies)
noun

surgical removal of pancreas:
whole or partial removal of the pancreas by surgery[1]



pancreaticduct

pancreaticduct
pan·cre·at·ic
duct
(plural pan·cre·at·ic ducts) noun

duct from pancreas to small
intestine: a duct that carries
pancreatic juice and, in human beings, runs from the pancreas to join the
common bile duct, which empties into the small intestine[1]



pancreaticduct

pancreaticduct
pan·cre·at·ic
duct
(plural pan·cre·at·ic ducts) noun

duct from pancreas to small
intestine: a duct that carries
pancreatic juice and, in human beings, runs from the pancreas to join the
common bile duct, which empties into the small intestine[1]



pancreaticjuice

pancreaticjuice
pan·cre·at·ic
juice
(plural pan·cre·at·ic juic·es) noun

secretion of digestive
enzymes: a watery alkaline fluid
secreted by the pancreas. It contains enzymes that break down partially
digested food in the small intestine.[1]



pancreatin

pancreatin
pan·cre·a·tin 
[pángkree ət’n, pan
kr ət’n, pángkree ətin] noun

1.  digestive
aid from pancreatic enzymes: a digestive aid made from a
mixture of pancreatic enzymes extracted from domestic animals

2.  mixture
of pancreatic enzymes: the mixture of digestive
enzymes produced by the pancreas, including amylase, lipase, and trypsin

[1]



pancreatitis

pancreatitis
pan·cre·a·ti·tis 
[pàngkree ə ttiss, pànkree
ə ttiss] (plural pan·cre·a·ti·tis·es) noun

pancreatic inflammation:
inflammation of the pancreas[1]



pancreozymin

pancreozymin
pan·cre·o·zy·min 
[pángkri ō zmin, pánkri
ō zmin] (plural pan·cre·o·zy·mins) noun

See
cholecystokinin
[Mid-20th century. From pancreas + zymin .][1]



panda

panda


pan·da 
[pándə] (plural pan·das) noun

1.  (plural
pandas), panda bear (plural panda bears) large
black-and-white Chinese mammal: a large bamboo-eating
mammal of central China, with bold black-and-white markings, including black
patches over the eyes. Latin name: Ailuropodia melanoleuca
Also
called
giant panda

2.  See
red panda
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from the Nepalese name of the red panda.][1]



pandanus

pandanus
pan·da·nus 
[pan dáynəss, pan
dánnəss] (plural pan·da·nus·es or pan·da·nus)
noun

plant
with big roots: a tropical plant resembling a palm, with
prop roots and a crown of narrow leaves that are often used to make mats.
Genus: Pandanus
Also
called
screw pine
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Malay pandan .][1]



Pandean

Pandean
Pan·de·an
[pan d ən] adjective

of god Pan:
relating to the mythological Greek god Pan[1]



Pandeanpipes

Pandeanpipes
Pan·de·an
pipes
plural noun

See
panpipes[1]



pandect

pandect
pan·dect 
[pán dèkt] (plural pan·dects) noun

1.  body
of laws:
a set of documents containing all the laws of a country or society

2.  comprehensive
treatise:
a comprehensive treatise on a subject
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin pandecta, from Greek pandektēs
“all-receiving,” from dekhesthai “to receive.”][1]



Pandects

Pandects
Pan·dects
[pán dèkts] noun

See
Digest  noun[1]



pandemic

pandemic
pan·dem·ic 
[pan démmik] adjective

having
widespread effect: existing in the form of a
widespread epidemic that affects people in many different countries. AIDS is
currently considered to be pandemic.
noun
(plural pan·dem·ics)

very
widespread disease: a disease or condition that
is found in a large part of a population
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
pandēmos “public,” literally “of all the people,” from dēmos
“people” (source of English democracy
).][1]



Pandemonium

Pandemonium
Pan·de·mo·ni·um 
noun

Hell:
Hell, or any place of chaos or torment (literary)
[From the name of the capital
of Hell in Milton ’s Paradise Lost][1]



pandemonium

pandemonium
pan·de·mo·ni·um 
[pàndə mṓnee əm] (plural pan·de·mo·ni·ums)
noun

1.  chaos:
wild uproar and chaos

2.  noisy
confused place: a place or situation that is noisy and
chaotic
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin Pandaemonium, from Greek daimōn (see demon ).]
—pan·de·mo·ni·ac,
adjective

—pan·de·mon·ic [pàndə mónnik], adjective[1]



pander

pander
pan·der 
[pándər] intransitive verb (past
pan·dered, past participle pan·dered, present
participle pan·der·ing, 3rd person present singular pan·ders)

1.  indulge
weaknesses:
to indulge somebody’s weaknesses or questionable wishes and tastes • tired
of pandering to their children’s demands

2.  procure
sexual favors: to procure sexual favors for somebody (disapproving)
noun
(plural pan·ders)

1.  pander
(plural panders) or panderer (plural panderers)
somebody
who indulges another’s weaknesses: somebody who indulges
another’s weaknesses or questionable wishes and tastes (disapproving)

2.  pander
(plural panders) or panderer (plural panderers)
romantic
go-between:
a go-between in an illicit or secret romantic or sexual relationship (disapproving)

3.  pimp:
a pimp (archaic)
[14th century. From pandarus
.][1]



Pand H

Pand H
P
and H
or p. and h. or p&h

Abbreviation of
postage and handling[1]



pandit

pandit
pan·dit 
[pándit] (plural pan·dits) noun

Indian wise person:
a wise or learned man in India, especially a Brahman who is an expert in Hindu
culture, law, and philosophy.
Also called
pundit[1]



Pandora

Pandora2
Pan·do·ra2  [pan
dáwrə] noun

small inner moon of Saturn:
a small inner natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980 by Voyager 2. It
is irregular in shape with a maximum dimension of 110 km (68 mi ).[1]



Pandora

Pandora1
Pan·do·ra1  [pan
dáwrə] noun

woman in Greek mythology:
in Greek mythology, the first woman, who was sent by the gods with a jar full
of evils in order to avenge Prometheus’s theft of fire. She opened the jar out
of curiosity, thus releasing the evils into the world.[1]



Pandora’sbox

Pandora’sbox
Pan·do·ra’s
box 
noun

1.  object
in Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, the jar,
later referred to as a box, from which Pandora allowed all the world’s evils to
escape

2.  set
of ills:
the source of a great collection of ills that need not be faced unless an
unwise action is taken • If you
criticize her work, you’ll be opening a real Pandora’s box.

[1]



pandore

pandore
pan·dore 
[pán dàwr] (plural pan·dores) noun

See
bandore[1]



pandour

pandour
pan·dour 
[pán dr] (plural pan·dours) noun
HISTORY MILITARY

1.  18C
Croatian soldier: a soldier in a notorious Croatian
regiment in the 18th-century Austrian army

2.  Khoikhoi
soldier:
a Khoikhoi soldier belonging to the Dutch East India Company’s force in South
Africa at the beginning of the 19th century
[Mid-18th century. Via French
pandur or German Pandur from Serbo-Croat pandur
“constable, bailiff,” of uncertain origin: probably from medieval Latin banderius
“guard of vineyards or fields.”][1]



pandowdy

pandowdy
pan·dow·dy 
[pan dówdee] (plural pan·dow·dies)
noun

baked
apple dessert: a dish made of sliced apples and spices
covered with a biscuit crust and baked in a deep pan
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from pan 1 + a variant
of dough .][1]



pandurate

pandurate
pan·du·rate 
[pan drət] or pan·du·ri·form
[pan drə fàwrm] adjective

fiddle-shaped:
used to describe a leaf that is shaped like a violin, with rounded ends and a
tapering middle
[Late 18th century. From
Latin pandura, from Greek pandoura (see bandore
).][1]



panduriform

panduriform
pan·du·ri·form 
[pan drə fàwrm] adjective

See
pandurate[1]



pane

pane
pane 
[payn] (plural panes) noun

1.  glazed
section of a window: a glazed section of a window
or door

2.  piece
of glass in a window: a piece of plate glass in a
window or door

3.  section
of surface:
a distinct section of a surface such as a door or wall

4.  surface
of a faceted object: a surface on a faceted
object, for example, a hardware nut or cut jewel

5.  section
of a sheet of stamps: rectangular section into
which a sheet of postage stamps is divided before being sold
[13th century. Via French pan
from Latin pannus “piece of cloth.” Current senses evolved from “piece
of cloth” via “distinct part or panel of a garment.”][1]



panegyric

panegyric
pan·e·gyr·ic 
[pànnə jrik, pànnə
jrik] (plural pan·e·gyr·ics) noun

praise:
extravagant praise delivered in formal speech or writing (formal)
[Early
17th century. Via French panégyrique from Latin panegyricus
“public eulogy” from, ultimately, Greek panēguris “public assembly,”
from aguris “assembly, marketplace.”]
—pan·e·gyr·i·cal,
adjective

—pan·e·gyr·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—pan·e·gyr·ist, noun[1]



panegyrize

panegyrize
pan·e·gy·rize 
[pánnəjə rz] (past pan·e·gy·rized,
past participle pan·e·gy·rized, present participle pan·e·gy·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular pan·e·gy·riz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

praise:
to praise somebody or something, especially extravagantly in formal speech or
writing (formal)[1]



panel

panel
pan·el 
[pánn’l] noun (plural pan·els)

1.  BUILDING flat
rectangular part: a flat rectangular piece of hard
material that serves as a part of something such as a door or wall, often
raised above or sunk in the surface

2.  BUILDING fence
section:
a section between two posts in a fence or gate

3.  SEWING strip
of fabric in garment: a vertical section of fabric
sewn onto other such sections in a flowing garment or drapery

4.  PAINTING wooden
surface for painting: a thin piece of wood used as
a surface for oil painting, or the painting on it

5.  DRAWING comic
strip frame: a section depicting a single scene in a
comic strip

6.  AEROSPACE part
of an aircraft wing: a section or surface of an
airplane wing

7.  ENGINEERING cluster
of performance-measuring instruments: a
surface on which performance-measuring instruments such as gauges, dials,
lights, and digital displays are clustered

8.  COMPUTING control
area of a computer: the collection of lights,
digital displays, and switches used to monitor and control the operation of a
computer

9.  COMPUTING display
on a computer screen: a display of related
information on a computer screen, often a list of options

10. ARTS group
of judges or speakers: a group of people who
publicly discuss or judge something, usually in a situation where they sit in a
row to face an audience or a competition arena

11. See
panel discussion

12. LAW list
of people for jury duty: a list of people summoned as
potential jurors, or the people themselves

13. LAW jury:
a jury in a court proceeding
transitive
verb
(past pan·eled, past participle pan·eled, present
participle pan·el·ing, 3rd person present singular pan·els)

1.  BUILDING supply
with panels: to furnish, cover, or decorate something
with panels, especially wooden paneling for walls

2.  LAW impanel:
to impanel
[14th century. Via Old French
from pan “piece of cloth” (see pane
). The underlying sense is of a distinct part.][1]



paneldiscussion

paneldiscussion
pan·el
dis·cus·sion (plural pan·el dis·cus·sions)
noun

group discussion for
audience: a public discussion of an
issue by a group of experts or other concerned people.
Also called
panel[1]



panelheating

panelheating
pan·el
heat·ing
noun

home heating system:
a domestic heating system in which heating elements are housed in panels
attached to walls or floors[1]



paneling

paneling
pan·el·ing 
[pánn’ling] (plural pan·el·ings)
noun

1.  wooden
wall covering: thin boards or sheets of wood for
covering walls, especially as decoration

2.  panel-covered
wall:
a panel-covered wall or other surface

[1]



panelist

panelist
pan·el·ist 
[pánn’list] (plural pan·el·ists)
noun

member of panel:
somebody who is a member of a panel[1]



panelling

panelling
pan·el·ling
(plural pan·el·lings) noun

U.K. =
paneling[1]



panellist

panellist
pan·el·list
(plural pan·el·lists) noun

U.K. =
panelist[1]



paneltruck

paneltruck
pan·el
truck
(plural pan·el trucks) noun

delivery truck:
a small delivery truck or van that is entirely enclosed, with access to the
storage area from the driver’s seat[1]



panettone

panettone
pan·et·to·ne 
[pànnə tṓnee] (plural pan·et·to·nes
or pan·net·to·ni) noun

Italian
cake:
a tall Italian yeast cake flavored with vanilla and dried and candied fruits,
traditionally eaten at Christmas
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, from pane “bread,” from Latin panis .][1]



Pan-European

Pan-European
Pan-Eu·ro·pe·an
adjective

involving all European
nations: relating to all the nations
of Europe, collectively or in cooperation with one another[1]



panfish

panfish
pan
fish
noun

fish for frying in pan:
a small freshwater food fish, considered too small to be classed as a game
fish, that is the right size to fry whole in a skillet[1]



pan-fry

pan-fry
pan-fry
(past pan-fried, past participle pan-fried, present
participle pan-fry·ing, 3rd person present singular pan-fries)
transitive verb

fry in frying pan:
to fry food, usually fish or meat, in a frying pan with a little fat[1]



pang

pang
pang 
[pang] (plural pangs) noun

1.  sharp
pain:
a short sharp pain

2.  intense
emotion:
a sudden, intense, and usually distressing feeling
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of prong .][1]



panga

panga
pan·ga
[png gə] (plural pan·gas) noun

African
machete:
an African knife with a long, broad, and heavy blade, often used for cutting
down sugar cane
[Mid-20th century. From
Swahili .][1]



Pangaea

Pangaea
Pan·gae·a
[pan j ə] noun

ancient
supercontinent: ancient supercontinent incorporating all
the Earth’s major landmasses. It is thought to have begun splitting up about
200 million years ago.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from pan- “all” + Greek gaia
“earth.”][1]



pangenesis

pangenesis
pan·gen·e·sis 
[pan jénnəssiss] noun

disproved
hypothesis of heredity: a disproved hypothesis of
heredity according to which somatic cells influenced by the environment send
information concerning that influence to reproductive cells, where it is passed
to the next generation
—pan·ge·net·ic
[pàn jə néttik], adjective

—pan·ge·net·i·cal·ly [pàn jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



Panglossian

Panglossian
Pan·gloss·i·an 
[pan glóssee ən] adjective

unrealistically
optimistic:
excessively and inappropriately optimistic (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From Dr Pangloss,
a philosopher in Voltaire ’s Candide ( 1759 ), who always asserts that
“all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.”][1]



pangolagrass

pangolagrass
pan·go·la
grass
[pan gṓlə gràss] noun

type
of grass:
African grass of importance in the South
[Mid-20th century. “Pangola”
is a variant of Pongola ; the grass was named for the Pongola
river in South Africa.][1]



pangolin

pangolin
pan·go·lin 
[páng gəlin, pang
gṓlin] (plural pan·go·lins) noun

scaly
anteater:
an African and Asian mammal with horny scales, a long tapering snout and tail,
and a long sticky tongue for catching ants and termites. Order: Pholidota
Also
called
scaly anteater
Also
called
anteater
[Late 18th century. From
Malay peng-guling, literally “roller,” because it rolls itself up when
frightened.][1]



panhandle

panhandle1
pan·han·dle1  [pán
hànd’l] (plural pan·han·dles) noun

1.  handle
of a pan:
the handle of a cooking pan

2.  pan·han·dle
or Pan·han·dle GEOGRAPHY
strip
of land extending from state: a narrow section of land
shaped like the handle of a cooking pan that extends away from the body of the
state or territory it belongs to • the
Texas Panhandle

[1]



panhandle

panhandle2
pan·han·dle2  [pán
hànd’l] (past pan·han·dled, past participle pan·han·dled,
present participle pan·han·dling, 3rd person present singular
pan·han·dles) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
beg
money from strangers: to beg for money on the
street by approaching and talking to passers-by

2.  transitive
verb
get
by begging:
to get money from a stranger by approaching him or her in the street and
begging

3.  transitive
verb
beg
money from:
to approach and beg for money from somebody
[Late
19th century. Probably so called from the beggar’s outstretched arm, thought to
resemble the handle of a pan.]
—pan·han·dler, noun[1]



Panhellenic

Panhellenic
Pan·hel·len·ic 
[pàn hə lénnik] adjective

1.  involving
all of Greece: relating to all Greek peoples or all of
Greece

2.  including
all fraternities and sororities: consisting of or
relating to college or university fraternities and sororities collectively
noun
(plural Pan·hel·len·ics)

fraternity and sorority council:
a council or conference with representatives from all the fraternities and
sororities in a college, university, or group of colleges and universities

[1]



Panhellenism

Panhellenism
Pan·hel·len·ism
[pan héllə nìzzəm] noun

movement for Greek unity:
a philosophy or movement advocating a single political system for all Greek
people[1]



panhuman

panhuman
pan·hu·man 
[pan hymən] adjective

relating
to all humanity: relating to the whole of the human race
[Early 20th century. Coined
from pan- + human
.][1]



Panic

Panic
Pan·ic
adjective

relating to Pan:
relating to Pan, a god in Greek mythology[1]



panic

panic2
pan·ic2  noun

See
panic grass[1]



panic

panic1
pan·ic1  [pánnik]
noun (plural pan·ics)

1.  overpowering
fear or anxiety: a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety,
especially among many people, that comes on suddenly, is overwhelming, appears
to be uncontrollable, and may seem to be unfounded

2.  funny
person or thing: somebody or something extremely funny (slang)
• The
comedian’s monologue was a panic.
adjective

involving or resulting from panic:
relating to, responding to, or resulting from panic or possible panic • panic
selling on the stock market
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pan·icked,
past participle pan·icked, present participle pan·ick·ing,
3rd person present singular pan·ics)

be or make somebody extremely afraid:
to feel panic, or make a person or animal feel panic
[Early
17th century. Via French panique and modern Latin panicus
“terrified,” from, ultimately, Greek Pan, the Greek god of nature whose
appearance was believed to induce irrational fear.]
—pan·ick·y, adjective[1]



panicattack

panicattack
pan·ic
at·tack
(plural pan·ic at·tacks) noun

short period of panic:
a sudden overpowering feeling of fear or anxiety that prevents somebody from
functioning, often triggered by a past or present source of anxiety[1]



panicbutton

panicbutton
pan·ic
but·ton
(plural pan·ic but·tons) noun

alarm
for summoning help: an alarm to call security
staff or summon help in an emergency
hit
or press or push the panic button

to react to a perceived
emergency or crisis by panicking and responding too hastily (informal)[1]



panicbuying

panicbuying
pan·ic
buy·ing
noun

buying up product to avoid
shortage: the buying of a particular
product or products in quantity by a large number of people who fear a possible
shortage[1]



panicdisorder

panicdisorder
pan·ic
dis·or·der
(plural pan·ic dis·or·ders) noun

susceptibility to panic
attacks: a condition in which
somebody has recurrent panic attacks[1]



panicgrass

panicgrass
pan·ic
grass
(plural pan·ic grass·es) or pan·ic or pan·nick
noun

cereal
and forage grass: a grass, for example, millet, used for
grain fodder and as a cereal. Genus: Panicum
[Panic from Latin panicum
“foxtail millet,” used as genus name][1]



panicle

panicle
pan·i·cle 
[pánnik’l] (plural pan·i·cles)
noun

1.  flower
cluster along stem: a cluster of flowers on a
plant consisting of a number of individual stalks ( racemes
) each of which has a series of single flowers along its length

2.  pyramid-shaped
flower cluster: a loose branching pyramid-shaped cluster
of flowers
[Late 16th century. From
Latin panicula, literally “little ear of millet,” from panus
“swelling, ear of millet.”][1]



panicled

panicled
pan·i·cled
adjective

See
paniculate[1]



panic-stricken

panic-stricken
pan·ic-strick·en 
or pan·ic-struck adjective

affected by panic:
suddenly affected by or characterized by panic[1]



paniculate

paniculate
pa·nic·u·late 
[pə níkyələt, pə
níkyə làyt] or pa·nic·u·lat·ed [pə
níkyə làytəd] or pan·i·cled [pánnik’ld]
adjective

forming panicle:
growing in, forming, or resembling a panicle[1]



Panislamism

Panislamism
Pan·is·lam·ism 
[pàn iz l mìzzəm, pan
ízzlə mìzzəm, pàn iss l mìzzəm, pan ísslə mìzzəm] noun

Islamic
unification movement: a movement that aims to
unify Muslim countries and spread the Islamic religion
[Late
19th century. Coined from pan- + Islamism .]
—Pan·is·lam·ic
[pàn iz lmik, pàn
iss lmik], adjective

—Pan·is·lam·ist [pàn iz lmist, pan
ízzləmist, pàn iss lmist, pan íssləmist], noun, adjective[1]



Panjabi

Panjabi
Pan·ja·bi 
noun adjective

See
Punjabi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








panjandrum

panjandrum
pan·jan·drum 
[pan jándrəm] (plural pan·jan·drums
or pan·jan·dra [pan jándrə]) noun

self-important
person of rank: somebody, especially an official, who is
pompous or pretentious
[Mid-18th
century. Nonsense word.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Panjandrum was coined in 1755 by the
  English actor and playwright Samuel Foote ( 1720-1777 ) to test the memory of
  the actor Charles Macklin, who claimed to be able to memorize and repeat
  anything said to him (it was one of several inventions in the same vein that
  Foote put to him): “And there were present…the Joblillies, and the Garyulies,
  and the Grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top.” It
  did not spread into general use until the 19th century.

[1]



Pankhurst,Emmeline

Pankhurst,Emmeline

Pank·hurst
[pángk hùrst], Emmeline (1858–1928)
British campaigner for woman suffrage.
She founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (1903) in Manchester,
England. She was frequently imprisoned for destroying property, but during
World War I abandoned her campaign and encouraged women to do industrial war
work.[1]



panleukopenia

panleukopenia
pan·leu·ko·pe·ni·a 
[pàn lkə pnee ə] or pan·leu·co·pe·ni·a
[pàn lkə pnee ə] noun

feline
distemper:
feline distemper (technical)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pan- + leukopenia
.][1]



panmixia

panmixia
pan·mix·i·a 
[pan míksee ə] or pan·mix·is [pan míksiss] noun

random
breeding within population: random breeding and free
interchange of genes within a population
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from German Panmixie, literally “all
mixing,” from, ultimately, Greek mixis “mixing, mingling.”]
—pan·mic·tic, adjective[1]



panne

panne
panne 
[pan] noun

fabric
that resembles velvet: a lightweight silk or rayon
fabric resembling velvet
[Late 18th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



pannick

pannick
pan·nick
noun

See
panic grass[1]



pannier

pannier
pan·nier 
[pánnyər, pánnee
ər] (plural pan·niers) noun

1.  basket
on back of animal: a large basket, often one of
a pair, that is placed on the back of a horse, donkey, or other pack animal

2.  basket
carried on somebody’s back: a basket that can be carried
on a person’s back

3.  bag
on back of bicycle: one of a pair of bags
carried on either side of the back or front wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle

4.  CLOTHES HISTORY framework to widen skirt:
a framework of cane worn by women in the 18th century at each side of the hips
to widen a skirt

5.  CLOTHES HISTORY overskirt looped up at hips:
an overskirt looped up at the hips to show the underskirt and give the
impression of fullness, worn in the second half of the 19th century
[13th century. Via Old French
pannier from Latin panarium “breadbasket,” from panis
“bread,” earlier “food” (source also of English pantry
).][1]



pannikin

pannikin
pan·ni·kin 
[pánnikin] (plural pan·ni·kins)
noun

U.K.
drinking
cup:
a small metal drinking cup
[Early 19th century. Formed
from pan 1, on the
model of cannikin “cup.”][1]



panocha

panocha
pa·no·cha 
[pə nṓchə] (plural pa·no·chas)
noun

1.  brown
sugar:
a coarse brown sugar produced in Mexico and usually sold in hard cone-shaped
pieces

2.  See
penuche
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish, of uncertain origin: probably from Spanish, “ear of grain,”
from Latin panicula (see panicle ).][1]



panoply

panoply
pan·o·ply 
[pánnəplee] (plural pan·o·plies)
noun

1.  full
array:
an impressive and magnificent display or array of something

2.  CLOTHES full
ceremonial dress: ceremonial dress with all the necessary
accessories

3.  MILITARY full
armor:
a full suit of armor and equipment for a warrior

4.  protective
covering:
a covering that protects something
[Late
16th century. Via French from Greek panoplia, literally “all weapons,”
from hopla “weapons.”]
—pan·o·plied, adjective[1]



panoptic

panoptic
pan·op·tic 
[pan óptik] or pan·op·ti·cal [pan óptik’l] adjective

all-encompassing:
taking in or showing everything in a single view
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek panoptos, literally “seen by all,” and panoptēs,
literally “all-seeing,” both formed in turn from optos “visible.”]
—pan·op·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



panorama

panorama
pan·o·ram·a 
[pànnə rámmə, pànnə
rmə] (plural pan·o·ram·as) noun

1.  360°
view:
an unobstructed view extending in all directions, especially of a landscape

2.  comprehensive
survey:
an all-encompassing survey of a particular topic or issue

3.  ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY picture with a wide
view:
a picture or photograph that has a wide view, especially one that is unrolled
gradually in front of the spectator

4.  ARTS See cyclorama
[Late
18th century. Coined from pan- + Greek horama
“view,” from horan “to see.”]
—pan·o·ram·ic
[pànnə rámmik], adjective

—pan·o·ram·i·cal·ly
[pànnə rámmikəlee], adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Panorama was coined in the late
  1780s by an Irish artist called Robert Barker to describe a method he had
  invented for painting a scene on the inside of a cylinder in such a way that
  its perspective would seem correct to someone viewing it from inside the
  cylinder. He put his invention into practice in 1793 when he opened his
  “Panorama,” a large building in Leicester Square, London, where the public
  could come and gaze at such all-encompassing scenes. The modern general
  meaning was in use by the early 19th century.

[1]



panoramicsight

panoramicsight
pan·o·ram·ic
sight
(plural pan·o·ram·ic sights) noun

wide-angled weapon sight:
a sight on a military weapon that gives the user a wide-angled view of the
target area[1]



panout

panout
pan
out
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  conclude:
to turn out or result • After
all our careful planning, it’s a shame that things didn’t pan out as we had
hoped.

2.  be
successful:
to turn out well or successfully • Her
new career in moviemaking never panned out.
[From the practice by
prospectors of washing gravel in a pan in order to separate the gold][1]



panpipes

panpipes


pan·pipes
[pán pps] plural noun
primitive
wind instrument: a set of reeds of different lengths that
are bound together in a row and played by blowing across the top of each pipe.
Panpipes have been in use since ancient times and are today often associated
with Peruvian music.
Also
called
pipes of Pan
Also
called
Pandean pipes
[Early 19th century. Pan from
the name of the mythological Greek god supposed to have invented them.][1]



pansexual

pansexual
pan·sex·ual 
[pan sékshoo əl] adjective

of
diverse sexual expression: relating to a sexuality that
expresses itself in many different forms
[Early
20th century. Coined from pan- + sexual .]
—pan·sex·u·al·i·ty [pan sèkshoo állətee], noun[1]



panspermia

panspermia
pan·sper·mi·a 
[pan spúrmee ə] noun

theory
of origin of life: a theory of biogenetics that
states that the universe is full of spores that germinate when they find a
favorable environment
[Mid-19th century. From
Greek, “doctrine that the elements are made of all the seeds of things,” from,
ultimately, sperma “seed” (source also of English sperm ).][1]



pansy

pansy

pan·sy 
[pánzee] noun (plural pan·sies)

1.  PLANTS flower
with bright velvety petals: a European plant with
brightly colored velvety flowers that usually have black or dark centers.
Genus: Viola Achimenes

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a gay man or boy (dated offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for an effeminate man or boy (dated offensive)

4.  COLORS deep
violet:
a deep violet color
adjective

COLORS deep
violet in color: of a deep violet color
[15th century. From French pensée,
literally “thought” (from its lowered head), feminine past participle of penser
“to think” (source also of English pensive
).][1]



pant

pant1
pant1  [pant]
verb (past pant·ed, past participle pant·ed,
present participle pant·ing, 3rd person present singular pants)

1.  intransitive
verb
take
short fast shallow breaths: to take short fast shallow
breaths, especially when excited, hot, or after physical exertion

2.  transitive
verb
say
something breathlessly: to say something while
trying to catch your breath

3.  intransitive
verb
yearn:
to have a strong desire and yearning for somebody or something

4.  intransitive
verb
pulsate
quickly:
to throb at a fast rhythm
noun
(plural pants)

shallow breath:
a short fast shallow breath
[15th century. From assumed
Anglo-Norman, “to gasp,” ultimately from Vulgar Latin phantasiare “to
gasp in horror,” from Latin phantasia “apparition” (source also of
English fancy and fantasy ).][1]



pant

pant2
pant2  [pant]
(plural pants) noun

trousers:
a pair of trousers (formal)
See
also
pants
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation.][1]



pant-

pant-
pant-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
panto-[1]



pantalets

pantalets
pan·ta·lets
[pàntə léts] or pan·ta·lettes
[pàntə léts] plural noun HISTORY

1.  women’s
long underpants: long underpants extending below the
skirt, usually with a frill around the bottom of each leg, worn by women in the
first half of the 19th century

2.  frills
on pantalets: a pair of frills, one at the bottom of
each leg, on a pair of pantalets
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from pantaloon with the literal sense
“little pantaloons.”][1]



Pantaloon

Pantaloon
Pan·ta·loon 
noun

commedia
dell’arte character: a character in Italian
commedia dell’arte, a very thin man of advanced years who is easily tricked and
who wears pantaloons and slippers
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for San Pantaleone “Saint Pantaleon,” patron
saint of Venice.][1]



pantaloon

pantaloon
pan·ta·loon 
[pàntə ln] (plural pan·ta·loons)
noun

pantomime
character:
a character in pantomime who is the victim of the clown’s jokes and tricks
[Late 16th century. Via
French pantalon from Italian Pantalone (see Pantaloon ).][1]



pantaloons

pantaloons
pan·ta·loons
[pàntə lnz] plural noun

1.  wide
pants gathered at ankle: loose-fitting pants that are
gathered at the ankle

2.  baggy
pants:
pants that fit very loosely (informal humorous)

3.  HISTORY tight-fitting
men’s pants: tight-fitting men’s pants fastened with
buttons or ribbons at the ankle and sometimes held with a strap under the
instep, worn in the early 19th century

4.  HISTORY 17C
English pants: men’s wide ankle-length breeches, worn
especially in England in the late 17th century
[Mid-17th century. See pantaloon .][1]



pant-dress

pant-dress
pant-dress
(plural pant-dress·es) noun

dress with divided skirt:
a dress that has a divided skirt, consisting of a bodice with attached culottes
(dated)[1]



pantechnicon

pantechnicon
pan·tech·ni·con 
[pan téknikən, pan
tékni kòn] (plural pan·tech·ni·cons) noun

U.K.
large
van:
a large moving van
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from pan- + Greek tekhnikos
“artistic,” because it originally denoted a building in London, England, used
as a bazaar (and, later, as a furniture warehouse).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  original Pantechnicon was a huge complex
  of warehouses, wine vaults, and other storage facilities in Motcomb Street,
  in London’s Belgravia. Built in 1830 and supposed to be fireproof, it was
  almost totally destroyed by fire in 1874. It seems originally to have been
  intended to be a bazaar, hence its name, literally “everything artistic,”
  denoting that all sorts of manufactured wares were to be bought there. But it
  was its role as a furniture repository that brought it into the general
  language. Moving vans taking furniture there came to be known as
  “pantechnicon vans,” and by the 1890s pantechnicon
  was a generic term for “moving van.”

[1]



pantheism

pantheism
pan·the·ism 
[pánthee ìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
that God is everything: the belief that God and the
material world are one and the same thing and that God is present in everything

2.  belief
in all deities: the belief in and worship of all or many
deities
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from pan- + Greek theos
“god” + -ism .]
—pan·the·ist,
noun

—pan·the·is·tic
[pànthee ístik], adjective

—pan·the·is·ti·cal·ly
[pànthee ístikəlee], adverb[1]



Pantheon

Pantheon

Pan·the·on 
noun
circular Roman temple:
a circular temple in Rome that was completed in 27 BC and dedicated to all the deities but which has been used
as a Christian church since AD 609[1]



pantheon

pantheon
pan·the·on 
[pánthee ən, pánthee
òn] (plural pan·the·ons) noun

1.  RELIGION temple:
a temple dedicated to all deities

2.  RELIGION all
deities of specific religion: all the deities of a
particular religion considered collectively

3.  ARCHITECTURE memorial
to dead heroes: a monument or public building
commemorating the dead heroes of a nation

4.  group
of important people: a group of people who are
the most famous or respected in a particular field
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek pantheion, literally “of all the gods,” from, ultimately, theos
“god.”][1]



panther

panther
pan·ther 
[pánthər] (plural pan·thers or
pan·ther) noun

1.  black
leopard:
a leopard, especially in its black unspotted phase

2.  See
mountain lion
[13th century. Via Old French
pantere from, ultimately, Greek panthēr .][1]



pantiegirdle

pantiegirdle
pant·ie
gir·dle
(plural pant·ie gir·dles) or pant·y gir·dle (plural
pant·y gir·dles) noun

woman’s girdle fitted with
panties: a woman’s undergarment with
a sewn-in crotch like underpants, but made of elasticized material in order to
give the abdomen a flatter appearance[1]



panties

panties
pant·ies
[pánteez] plural noun

women’s
or girls’ underpants: short light fitted
underpants for women or girls (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from pants .][1]



pantihose

pantihose
pan·ti·hose
[pánti hz] plural noun

See
pantyhose[1]



pantile

pantile
pan·tile 
[pán tl] (plural pan·tiles) noun

S-shaped
roof tile:
a roof tile made in an S shape so that the downcurving tail of the S overlaps
the upcurving head of the S of the tile next to it
[Mid-17th century. From pan 1 + tile, probably modeled on Dutch dakpan
“roof pan.”][1]



pantisocracy

pantisocracy
pan·ti·soc·ra·cy 
[pàntə sókrəssee] (plural pan·ti·soc·ra·cies)
noun

egalitarian
Utopian community: a planned Utopian community
in which everyone shares power and is equal
[Late 18th century. Coined
from panto- + Greek isokratia
“equality of power.”][1]



panto-

panto-
panto-
prefix

all
• pantograph
[From Greek pant-, the
stem of pas (source also of English pan
and pancreas )][1]



pantograph

pantograph
pan·to·graph 
[pántə gràf] (plural pan·to·graphs)
noun

1.  DRAWING copying
instrument:
an instrument that consists of a set of adjustable interconnected bars forming
a parallelogram and is used to copy line drawings or maps to any scale

2.  TECHNOLOGY frame
or bracket:
a device shaped like a pantograph and used as a frame or bracket

3.  RAIL current-supply
device for electric train: a device on the roof of
electric trains and locomotives for picking up electric current from overhead
wires
[Early
18th century. Coined from panto- + -graph .]
—pan·tog·ra·pher
[pan tóggrəfər], noun

—pan·to·graph·ic
[pàntə gráffik], adjective

—pan·to·graph·i·cal·ly
[pàntə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



pantomime

pantomime
pan·to·mime 
[pántə mm] (plural pan·to·mimes)
noun

1.  THEATER mime
artist:
a person who acts without speaking, using gesture and expression

2.  HISTORY THEATER Roman theatrical performance:
a theatrical performance in ancient Rome by one masked actor who played all the
characters, using only dance, gesture, and expression, and no words, while a
chorus narrated the story

3.  U.K.
THEATER humorous
British theatrical entertainment: a style of British
theater, or a play in this style, traditionally performed at Christmas, in
which a folktale or children’s story is told with jokes, songs, and dancing

4.  HISTORY THEATER Roman actor:
an actor in a Roman pantomime
[Late
16th century. Via Latin pantomimus “mime artist,” from Greek pantomōmos,
literally “complete imitator,” from mōmos “imitator” (source of English mime ).]
—pan·to·mim·ic
[pàntə mímmik], adjective

—pan·to·mim·ist [pántə mmist, pántə
mìmmist], noun[1]



pantothenate

pantothenate
pan·to·then·ate 
[pàntə thé nàyt, pan
tóthə nàyt] (plural pan·to·then·ates) noun

pantothenic
acid salt or ester: a salt or an ester of
pantothenic acid
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pantothenic acid .][1]



pantothenicacid

pantothenicacid
pan·to·then·ic
ac·id 
[pàntə thénnik ássid] noun

compound
belonging to vitamin B complex: a thick oily acid that
belongs to the vitamin B complex, is found in living tissue, and is essential
for the growth of some animals. C9H17NO5
[Formed from Greek pantothen
“from every side,” because it is widely found][1]



pantoum

pantoum
pan·toum 
[pan tm] (plural pan·toums) noun

verse
form:
a form of verse in which the second and fourth lines of each four-line verse
are repeated as the first and third lines of the following verse
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Malay pantun .][1]



pantropic

pantropic
pan·trop·ic 
[pan tróppik] or pan·trop·i·cal
[pan tróppik’l] adjective

found
in tropics:
found throughout the tropics
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pan- + tropic
.][1]



pantry

pantry
pan·try 
[pántree] (plural pan·tries) noun

1.  place
for storing food: a small closed space connected to a
kitchen, often with a door, in which food and utensils for food preparation can
be stored

2.  small
room for storing food: a highly ventilated cold
small room or walk-in cupboard with shelves and a marble surface used for
storing food
[13th century. Via Old French
paneterie “cupboard for bread,” from, ultimately, late Latin panarius
“breadseller,” from Latin panis “bread” (source also of English company ).][1]



pants

pants
pants
[pants] plural noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia men’s or women’s
trousers:
an item of clothing that covers the part of the body from the waist to the
ankles or, sometimes, the knees, each leg having a separate tubular piece

2.  item
of underwear: an item of clothing worn next to the
skin that covers the buttocks and genital area
[Mid-19th
century. Shortening of pantaloons .]
beat
the pants off somebody

to
defeat somebody decisively (informal)

bore
or scare or charm the pants off somebody

to
bore, scare, or charm somebody very much (informal)

caught
with your pants down

to
be caught in an unprepared or embarrassing position

wear
the pants

U.S.
Canada Australia, New Zealand to be the boss[1]



pantsuit

pantsuit
pant·suit
[pánt st] (plural pant·suits)
or pants suit [pánt st] (plural
pants suits) noun

matching jacket and pants:
a woman’s outfit consisting of a jacket and pants that are made of the same
material.
U.K. term
trouser suit[1]



pantygirdle

pantygirdle
panty
gir·dle
(plural panty gir·dles) noun

See
pantie girdle[1]



pantyhose

pantyhose
pant·y·hose
[pántee hz] or pant·y hose [pántee hz] or pan·ti·hose [pántee hz] plural noun

covering for woman’s legs:
a light tight-fitting sheer covering for a woman’s legs that stretches from the
toes up to an elastic waistband.
U.K. term
tights[1]



pantyliner

pantyliner
pant·y·lin·er
[pántee lnər] (plural pant·y·lin·ers)
noun

sanitary napkin:
a light, thin sanitary napkin[1]



pantywaist

pantywaist
pant·y·waist 
[pántee wàyst] (plural pant·y·waists)
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man that deliberately insults his courage and
masculinity (slang offensive)

2.  CLOTHES item
of children’s clothing: a piece of clothing for
children, consisting of a shirt and pants that are buttoned together at the
waist (dated)

[1]



panzer

panzer
pan·zer 
[pánzər, pántsər]
(plural pan·zers) noun

German
tank:
an armored vehicle such as a tank, especially a German armored vehicle used in
World War II
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of German Panzerdivision “armored unit,” ultimately from Old French pancier
“armor for the belly,” from pance “belly” (see paunch
).][1]



pap

pap2
pap2  [pap]
(plural paps) noun

nipple:
a teat or nipple (informal) (regional)
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin papilla (see papilla
), or perhaps an imitation of the sound of sucking.][1]



pap

pap1
pap1 [pap]
noun

1.  FOOD semiliquid
food:
soft semiliquid food, usually mashed or pulped, especially for babies or sick
people

2.  trivial
or worthless material: something, especially a
book, movie, television program, or idea, that is so lacking in depth and
substance that it is considered worthless

3.  POLITICS political
patronage:
political patronage in the form of money or favors (slang)
[14th century. Via Old French
papa (and probably also via medieval Latin ), from Latin pappa, a
children’s word meaning “food.”][1]



papa

papa2
pa·pa2  [ppə]
noun

blue-gray
clay:
a soft blue-gray clay of marine origin
[Late 19th century. From
Maori .][1]



papa

papa1
pa·pa1  [ppə,
pə p] (plural pa·pas) noun

1.  father:
a father (informal dated)
Also
called
poppa

2.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “P”: a code word for the letter
“P,” used in international radio communications
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Latin, from Greek pappas “father.”][1]



papacy

papacy
pa·pa·cy 
[páypəssee] (plural pa·pa·cies)
noun

1.  papal
power or status: the power or position of the pope

2.  pope’s
period in power: the period of office of a pope

3.  papal
government:
the system of government in the Roman Catholic Church with the pope as the head
[14th century. From medieval
Latin papatia, from late Latin papa “pope.”][1]



Papago

Papago
Pa·pa·go 
[páppə g, ppə
g] (plural Pa·pa·go or Pa·pa·gos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people that originally occupied lands in central Arizona, and
whose members now live mainly in parts of northern Mexico and southern Arizona.

Also
called
O’Odham
Also
called
Tohono O’Odham

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native North American
language, spoken in parts of Arizona and northern Mexico, that belongs to the
Uto-Aztecan branch of Aztec-Tanoan languages and is closely related to Pima.
Papago is spoken by about 9,000 people.
Also
called
O’odham
Also
called
Tohono O’odham
[Mid-19th
century. Via Spanish pápago from, ultimately, a Pima-Papago word.]
—Pa·pa·go, adjective[1]



papain

papain
pa·pa·in 
[pə páy in, pə
p in] noun

enzyme
from papaya juice: an enzyme found in the juice
of papaya and used as a meat tenderizer and in medicine to promote digestion
and healing of wounds
[Late 19th century. Formed
from papaya .][1]



papal

papal
pa·pal 
[páyp’l] adjective

relating
to pope:
relating to the pope or the papacy
[14th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin papalis, from late Latin papa
“pope” (see pope ).]
—pa·pal·ly, adverb[1]



PapalStates

PapalStates
Pa·pal
States 
[pàyp’l stáyts]

former territories in Italy
over which the pope had sovereignty between 754 and 1870[1]



Papandreou,Andreas

Papandreou,Andreas

Pap·an·dre·ou
[pàppən dráy oo], Andreas (1919–1996)
Greek statesman. He was the founder of
the Pan-Hellenistic Socialist Movement (1974), and prime minister of Greece
(1981–1989 and 1993–1996).[1]



Papanicolaoutest

Papanicolaoutest
Pa·pa·ni·co·laou
test 
[ppə nkə lòw tèst, páppə níkə lòw tèst] (plural Pa·pa·ni·co·laou tests)
or Pa·pa·ni·co·laou smear [ppə nkə
lòw tèst, páppə níkə lòw tèst] (plural
Pa·pa·ni·co·laou smears) noun

Pap
smear:
a smear test
[Mid-20th century. Named for
G. N. Papanicolaou, 1883–1962, a Greek-born anatomist.][1]



paparazzo

paparazzo
pa·pa·raz·zo 
[ppə rt s] (plural pa·pa·raz·zi
[ppə rt s]) noun

scandal-seeking
photographer: a freelance photographer who follows
famous people hoping to get a newsworthy story, especially something shocking
or scandalous (often used in the plural)
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, with reference to the surname of a freelance photographer in the film La
Dolce Vita, 1959, by Federico Fellini.][1]



papaverine

papaverine
pa·pav·er·ine 
[pə pávvə rn, pə
pávvərin] noun

asthma
and colic drug: a toxic white crystalline alkaloid,
found in opium or derived synthetically, that is nonaddictive and is used as an
antispasmodic to treat asthma and colic. C20H21O4N
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin papaver “poppy” (see poppy
).][1]



papaw

papaw

pa·paw 
[páw pàw] (plural pa·paws) or
paw·paw [páw pàw] (plural paw·paws)
noun

1.  TREES N
American tree with edible fruit: a small North American
deciduous tree or shrub of the custard apple family that has large oblong
leaves, purple flowers, and small fleshy edible fruit. Latin name: Asimina
triloba

2.  FOOD papaw
fruit:
the edible fruit of the papaw tree

3.  TREES FOOD See papaya  noun
2
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of papaya .][1]



papaya

papaya

pa·pa·ya 
[pə p ə] (plural pa·pa·yas) noun

Also
called
pawpaw
Also
called
papaw

1.  TREES tropical
tree with oblong fruit: a tropical evergreen tree
that has a crown of broad leaves and large elongated or round yellow edible
fruit. Latin name: Carica papaya

2.  FOOD papaya
fruit:
the edible fruit of the papaya tree
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish papaya, from Carib or Arawak .][1]



paper

paper
pa·per 
[páypər] noun (plural pa·pers)

1.  INDUSTRY thin
flat material from wood pulp: a thin material consisting
of flat sheets, made from pulped wood, cloth, or fiber, used for various
purposes, for example, for writing and printing on, for wrapping things in, or
for covering walls

2.  sheet
or sheets of paper: one or more pieces or sheets
of paper, especially for writing or drawing on

3.  PRESS See newspaper

4.  EDUCATION student’s
essay:
an essay written by a student for a class

5.  EDUCATION academic
article or talk: an essay or article, particularly an
academic one, read at a conference, or submitted for publication

6.  EDUCATION set
of exam answers: a written set of answers by a student to
a set of examination questions

7.  U.K.
EDUCATION examination:
a set of examination questions prepared on paper

8.  See
wallpaper

9.  wrapper:
a piece of paper, especially one used to wrap a piece of candy or a cigarette (often
used in the plural)

10. FINANCE commercial
negotiable document: a negotiable instrument, for
example, a bill of exchange or promissory note

11. THEATER free
theater ticket: a free ticket that is given out in order
to fill up a theater (slang)

12. THEATER theatergoers
with free tickets: members of the audience who
have been given free tickets in order to fill up a theater (slang)
plural
noun
pa·pers

1.  POLITICS personal
identity documents: a document or documents, for
example, a passport, showing somebody’s identity or status

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE animal’s
pedigree or vaccination records: a document or
documents showing an animal’s pedigree or vaccination records

3.  assortment
of documents: a collection of documents relating to a
particular issue or subject • official
papers in the archives

4.  somebody’s
personal writings: somebody’s diaries, letters,
and other personal writings

5.  SHIPPING See ship’s papers
adjective

1.  made
of paper:
consisting of or made of paper

2.  resembling
paper:
similar to paper, for example, in flimsiness

3.  existing
in documentary form: written in a document but
not necessarily effective or useful in reality

4.  in
writing:
conducted in writing
transitive
verb
(past pa·pered, past participle pa·pered, present
participle pa·per·ing, 3rd person present singular pa·pers)

1.  wallpaper
something:
to cover a wall or room with wallpaper

2.  cover
something with paper: to cover something with
paper

3.  THEATER fill
up theater:
to fill up a theater by giving out free tickets (slang)
[14th
century. Via Old French papier and Anglo-Norman papir, from Latin
papyrus (see papyrus ).]
—pa·per·er,
noun
on
paper

1.  in
theory, but not in fact

2.  in
writing

paper
the walls with something

to
disseminate or broadcast something (slang) • They
papered the walls with objections to the policy.

[1]



paperback

paperback
pa·per·back 
[páypər bàk] noun (plural pa·per·backs)

softcover
book:
a book that has a thin flexible cover instead of a hard cover.
Also
called
softcover
adjective

with flexible cover:
with a thin flexible cover, instead of a hard cover[1]



paperbark

paperbark
pa·per·bark
[páypər brk] (plural pa·per·barks)
noun

Australian
tree with papery bark: an Australian species of
tree with pale thin papery bark that peels off in large sheets. Genus: Melaleuca
[From the color and texture
of the bark][1]



paperbirch

paperbirch
pa·per
birch
(plural pa·per birch·es or pa·per birch) noun

N
American birch with papery bark: a North American birch
tree that has toothed oval leaves, valuable wood, and white peeling bark that
is used to make baskets and other articles. Latin name: Betula papyrifera

Also
called
canoe birch
[From the white color of the
bark][1]



paperboard

paperboard
pa·per·board 
[páypər bàwrd] noun

cardboard:
a type of thick cardboard[1]



paperbound

paperbound
pa·per·bound 
[páypər bòwnd] adjective

See
paperback[1]



paperboy

paperboy
pa·per·boy 
[páypər bòy] (plural pa·per·boys)
noun

boy who delivers newspapers:
a boy who delivers newspapers to people’s homes, or who sells newspapers[1]



paperchase

paperchase
pa·per
chase
(plural pa·per chas·es) noun

search of documents:
an intense searching and collation of files, books, or documents[1]



paperclip

paperclip
pa·per·clip
[páypər klìp] (plural pa·per·clips)
or pa·per clip [páypər klìp] (plural
pa·per clips) noun

clip for holding papers
together: a clip designed to be
slipped over two or more sheets of paper to hold them together, especially a
piece of wire that is bent into a long flat oval spiral[1]



papercutter

papercutter
pa·per
cut·ter
(plural pa·per cut·ters) noun

1.  machine
for cutting paper: a machine or device for
cutting paper, especially a flat platform with a long arm containing a blade
that can be raised and lowered in order to cut straight edges

2.  See
paperknife

[1]



papergirl

papergirl
pa·per·girl 
[páypər gùrl] (plural pa·per·girls)
noun

girl who delivers newspapers:
a girl who delivers newspapers to people’s homes, or who sells newspapers[1]



paperhanger

paperhanger
pa·per·hang·er 
[páypər hàngər] (plural pa·per·hang·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who hangs wallpaper: somebody who puts up
wallpaper, especially somebody who does this professionally

2.  CRIMINOLOGY passer
of bad checks: somebody who regularly passes bad checks
in order to obtain money (slang)
—pa·per·hang·ing, noun[1]



paperjam

paperjam
pa·per
jam
(plural pa·per jams) noun

blockage of paper:
a situation in which paper becomes jammed in a printer or photocopier, causing
the device to stop working[1]



paperknife

paperknife
pa·per·knife 
[páypər nf] (plural pa·per·knives
[páypər nvz]) noun

knife for opening envelopes:
a blunt knife for slitting open envelopes, or for slitting folded paper,
especially leaves of books.
Also called
paper cutter[1]



paperless

paperless
pa·per·less
[páypərləss] adjective

not using paper:
using records or means of communication that are electronic rather than on
paper • the
age of the paperless office[1]



papermoney

papermoney
pa·per
mon·ey
noun

bills:
currency in the form of bills, as opposed to coins[1]



papermulberry

papermulberry
pa·per
mul·ber·ry
(plural pa·per mul·ber·ries) noun

ornamental Asian tree:
a small Asian tree with an inner bark that was once used in Japan for making
paper, now commonly grown as a shade tree. Latin name: Broussonetia
papyrifera[1]



papernautilus

papernautilus
pa·per
nau·ti·lus
(plural pa·per nau·ti·lus·es or pa·per nau·ti·li) noun

type
of mollusk:
a cephalopod mollusk, the female of which has a thin delicate shell. Genus: Argonauta

Also
called
argonaut
Also
called
nautilus
See
also
pearly nautilus
[From the delicacy and
whiteness of its shell][1]



paperover

paperover
paper
over
transitive verb

1.  cover
something with paper: to cover something up with
paper, especially to cover a wall’s imperfections or old paint with wallpaper

2.  conceal
something:
to conceal something without resolving it, especially mistakes, disagreements,
or faults

[1]



paperprofit

paperprofit
pa·per
prof·it
noun

unrealized gain:
a profit that is not generated from the normal trading of a business and may or
may not be realized (often used in the plural)[1]



paper-pusher

paper-pusher
pa·per-push·er
(plural pa·per-push·ers) noun

clerical worker:
somebody with a routine clerical job involving much paperwork (informal)[1]



paperround

paperround
pa·per
round
noun

U.K.
See paper route[1]



paperroute

paperroute
pa·per
route
(plural pa·per routes) noun
U.K.
term
paper round

1.  newspaper
delivery job: the job of delivering newspapers to
people’s homes

2.  course
of paper route: the course followed from house to house
by somebody delivering newspapers

[1]



paper-thin

paper-thin
pa·per-thin 
adjective

thin:
extremely thin, like paper
adverb

thinly:
extremely thinly[1]



papertiger

papertiger
pa·per
ti·ger
(plural pa·per ti·gers) noun

weak person or thing:
a person or thing, especially an organization or a nation, that appears to be
very strong and powerful but is in fact weak and ineffectual[1]



papertrail

papertrail
pa·per
trail
(plural pa·per trails) noun

sequence of documents:
a sequence of documents that reflects the stages in the actions of a person or
organization, especially as the object of an investigation (informal)[1]



paper-train

paper-train
pa·per-train 
(past pa·per-trained, past participle pa·per-trained,
present participle pa·per-train·ing, 3rd person present
singular pa·per-trains) transitive verb

train an animal to use paper:
to train a house pet so that it urinates and defecates on paper when it is
indoors[1]



paperwasp

paperwasp
pa·per
wasp
(plural pa·per wasps) noun

wasp making papery nest:
a large slender wasp known for its elaborate nest that is made up of individual
cells built of papery material. Genus: Polistes[1]



paperweight

paperweight
pa·per·weight 
[páypər wàyt] (plural pa·per·weights)
noun

object for keeping papers in
place: a small heavy, usually
ornamental object that is used to hold down papers and keep them in place[1]



paperwork

paperwork
pa·per·work
[páypər wùrk] noun

routine clerical work:
routine work that involves tasks such as filling in forms, keeping files up to
date, or writing reports and letters[1]



papery

papery
pa·per·y 
[páypəree] adjective

resembling
paper:
similar to paper in texture or thickness
—pa·per·i·ness, noun[1]



papeterie

papeterie
pap·e·terie 
[páppə tr, pàppə
tr] (plural pap·e·teries) noun

1.  box
for paper and pens: a box that holds paper and
writing instruments

2.  stationery
in box:
sheets of writing paper and matching envelopes sold in a box
[Mid-19th century. From
French “paper manufacture, writing-case,” from, ultimately, papier (see paper ).][1]



Paphian

Paphian
Pa·phi·an
[páyfee ən] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY relating
to Paphos:
relating to the village of Paphos

2.  MYTHOLOGY relating
to Aphrodite: relating to the deity Aphrodite, who, in
Greek mythology, rose fully formed from the sea at Paphos

3.  concerning
sexual activity: relating to sexual love (literary)
noun
(plural Pa·phi·ans)

1.  PEOPLES GEOGRAPHY somebody from Paphos:
somebody who lives or was born in Paphos

2.  Pa·phian
or pa·phian (plural pa·phi·ans) prostitute:
a prostitute (literary)

[1]



Paphos

Paphos1
Pa·phos1 [páy
fòss] noun

place in Cyprus:
a village in Cyprus that is the site of an ancient city near which, according
to Greek mythology, Aphrodite was born, rising fully formed from the sea[1]



Paphos

Paphos2
Pa·phos2 [páy
fòss] or Pa·phus [páyfəss]
noun

mythical king of Cyprus:
in Greek mythology, a king of Cyprus who was the son of Pygmalion and Galatea[1]



Papiamentu

Papiamentu
Pa·pia·men·tu 
[ppee ə méntoo] or Pa·pia·men·to
[ppee ə méntō] noun

Spanish
creole language: a Spanish-based creole spoken in the
Netherlands Antilles, derived from a Portuguese pidgin and including many Dutch
words. Papiamentu is spoken by about 200,000 people.
[Mid-20th
century. From Spanish Papiamento, from Papiamentu papya “talk” + -mentu
“-ment.”]
—Pa·pia·men·tu, adjective[1]



papiercollé

papiercollé
pa·pier
col·lé
[pà pyay kaw láy] noun

abstract
collage:
scraps of paper and other objects that are glued onto a sheet as an abstract
artistic composition
[From French, literally
“glued paper”][1]



papier-mâché

papier-mâché
pa·pier-mâ·ché
[pàypər mə sháy, pà
pyay maa sháy] noun

light
hard paper-based material: sheets of paper pulp and
glue stuck together in layers, usually onto a frame or mold, used to make
various objects such as figures, boxes, bowls, and masks
[From
French, literally “mashed paper”]
—pa·pier-mâ·ché, adjective[1]



papilla

papilla
pa·pil·la 
[pə píllə] (plural pa·pil·lae
[pə pí l]) noun

1.  ANATOMY nipple:
a nipple or teat (technical)

2.  ANATOMY BIOLOGY small lump of tissue:
a small nipple-shaped protuberance, for example, on the tongue enclosing the
taste buds, or at the root of a hair or feather

3.  BOTANY small
projection on petal or leaf: a small elevated pad on the
surface of a stigma, petal, or leaf

4.  small
projection resembling nipple: a very small projection like
a nipple on the surface of something
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “a little swelling,” from papule “a swelling” (see papule
).]
—pap·il·lar·y
[páppə lèrree, pə
pílləree], adjective

—pap·il·late
[páppə làyt, pə
píllət], adjective

—pa·pil·lif·er·ous
[pàppə líffərəss], adjective

—pa·pil·li·form [pə píllə fàwrm], adjective[1]



papilloma

papilloma
pap·il·lo·ma 
[pàppə lṓmə] (plural pap·il·lo·mas
or pap·il·lo·ma·ta [pàppə lṓmətə])
noun

benign
skin tumor:
a benign tumor of the skin or mucous membrane projecting from a surface, for
example, a wart
—pap·il·lo·ma·tous [pàppə lómmətəss, pàppə
lṓmətəss], adjective[1]



papillon

papillon
pap·il·lon 
[páppə lòn, ppee
yáwN] (plural pap·il·lons) noun

toy
spaniel:
a small spaniel with a silky coat and heavily fringed tail and ears
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “butterfly,” because its pointed ears resemble the shape of a
butterfly’s wings.][1]



papillote

papillote
pap·il·lote 
[páppə lt, ppee
yṓt] (plural pap·il·lotes)[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Old French, “ornament for the hair,” ultimately from papillon
“butterfly.”]
en
papillote

baked in a wrapping of waxed
paper, nonstick baking parchment, or foil[1]



Papineau,Louis Joseph

Papineau,Louis Joseph
Pap·i·neau
[páppinō], Louis Joseph (1786–1871)

Canadian politician. In 1837
he led the French-Canadian rebellion against British rule in Lower Canada
(Quebec).[1]



papist

papist
pa·pist 
[páypist] (plural pa·pists) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the Roman Catholic Church (offensive)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from modern Latin papista, from
ecclesiastical Latin papa “pope.”]
—pa·pism
[páy pìzzəm], noun

—pa·pis·tic
[pə pístik], adjective

—pa·pist·ry [páypistree], noun[1]



papoose

papoose
pa·poose 
[pa pss, pə
pss] (plural pa·poos·es) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a Native North American baby or young child (offensive)

2.  bag
for carrying baby: a bag that fits over the
shoulders, used for carrying a baby, especially in front of the body
[Mid-17th century. From
Algonquian, literally “very young.”][1]



papovavirus

papovavirus
pa·po·va·vi·rus 
[pə pṓvə vrəss] (plural pa·po·va·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
causing cancer in animals: any of a group of
DNA-containing viruses, many of which can cause cancers in animals, including
the papillomaviruses that are responsible for warts
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from papilloma + polyoma
+ vacuolation + virus .][1]



pappus

pappus
pap·pus 
[páppəss] (plural pap·pi [pá p]) noun

fruit
cover helping to disperse seeds: a covering of scales,
bristles, and feathery hairs that surrounds the fruit of plants such as
dandelions and thistles and helps to disperse the fruits
[Early
18th century. Via Latin, from Greek pappos, literally “grandfather,”
hence “the down on seeds,” from the idea of a gray-bearded man.]
—pap·pose [pá pss], adjective[1]



pappy

pappy1
pap·py1  [páppee]
(comparative pap·pi·er, superlative pap·pi·est) adjective

mushy:
with a mushy consistency
[Late 17th century. Formed
from pap 1 .][1]



pappy

pappy2
pap·py2  [páppee]
(plural pap·pies) noun

father:
a father (dated) (regional)
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from papa .][1]



paprika

paprika
pa·pri·ka 
[pa prkə, pə
prkə, pápprikə] (plural pa·pri·kas)
noun

1.  COOKING mild
red spice from sweet pepper: a mild red spice made from
various sweet red peppers and used especially in Hungarian cooking

2.  PLANTS FOOD sweet red pepper:
a sweet red pepper or the plant on which it grows. Genus: Capsicum

3.  COLORS reddish-orange
color:
a bright reddish-orange color, like that of paprika seasoning
[Late 19th century. Via
Hungarian from Serbian pàpar “pepper,” from Latin piper (see pepper ).][1]



Papsmear

Papsmear
Pap
smear 
(plural Pap smears) or Pap test (plural Pap
tests) noun

check
for cervical cancer: a test to detect cancerous
or precancerous cells of the cervix, allowing for early diagnosis of cancer.
Also
called
Pap test
U.K.
term
cervical smear
[Pap a shortening of Papanicolaou
(see Papanicolaou test )][1]



Papuan

Papuan
Pap·u·an 
[páppyoo ən] (plural Pap·u·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Papua New Guinea: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of Papua New Guinea

2.  group
of languages of New Guinea: a group of languages spoken
in much of New Guinea and nearby islands. They are not related to the
Malayo-Polynesian languages, but exact classification has not yet proved
possible. The Papuan languages are spoken by about two million people.
—Pap·u·an, adjective[1]



PapuaNew Guinea

PapuaNew Guinea



Pap·u·a
New Guin·ea 
[pàppyoo ə noo gínnee]
independent
nation in Oceania, situated northeast of Australia, in the southwestern Pacific
Ocean, consisting of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea together with
many other islands. Language: English. Currency: kina. Capital: Port Moresby.
Population: 4,394,537 (1996) Area: 462,840 sq km/178,704 sq mi. Official
name Independent State of Papua New Guinea
—Pap·u·a New Guin·e·an,
noun, adjective[1]



PapuaNew Guinea




Back to definition

PapuaNew Guinea

[1]



papule

papule
pap·ule 
[páp yl] (plural pap·ules) noun

small
bump on skin: a small hard round protuberance on the
skin
[Early
18th century. From Latin papula .]
—pap·u·lar
[páppyələr], adjective

—pap·u·lif·er·ous [pàppyə líffərəss], adjective[1]



papyraceous

papyraceous
pa·py·ra·ceous 
[pàppə ráyshəss] adjective

papery:
made of or resembling paper
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin papyrus (see papyrus ).][1]



papyrology

papyrology
pap·y·rol·o·gy 
[pàppə rólləjee] noun

study
of papyrus manuscripts: the study of ancient papyrus
manuscripts
—pap·y·ro·log·i·cal
[pàppərə lójjik’l], adjective

—pap·y·rol·o·gist [pàppə rólləjist], noun[1]



papyrus

papyrus
pa·py·rus 
[pə prəss] (plural pa·py·ri [pə p r] or pa·py·rus·es) noun

1.  PLANTS tall
marsh plant: a tall aquatic plant of the sedge
family, native to southern Europe and the Nile valley, that has small flowers
resembling umbrellas. Latin name: Cyperus papyrus

2.  INDUSTRY material
resembling paper made from papyrus:
writing material made from the pith of the stem of the papyrus plant that was
used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans

3.  papyrus
document:
an ancient manuscript written on material made from the papyrus plant
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek papuros “papyrus plant.”][1]



Par.

Par.
Par.

Abbreviation of
Paraguay[1]



par-

par-
par-
prefix

See
para- 1[1]



par.

par.
par.

1.  Abbreviation
of
paragraph

2.  Abbreviation
of
parallel

3.  Abbreviation
of
parenthesis

4.  Abbreviation
of
parish

[1]



par

par
par 
[paar] noun (plural pars)

1.  average
level:
a level or standard considered to be average or normal

2.  FINANCE accepted
value of currency: the accepted value of one
country’s currency in terms of the currency of another country that uses the
same metal standard

3.  COMMERCE See par value

4.  GOLF allocated
standard score: the standard score assigned to each hole
on a golf course, or to the sum total of these holes
adjective

average:
average or normal
transitive
verb
(past parred, past participle parred, present
participle par·ring, 3rd person present singular pars)

GOLF score
par on:
to score the equivalent of the par on a hole or course
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “equal” (source of English pair and umpire
).]
be
on (a) par (with somebody or something)

to
be on the same level as somebody or something, or generally have the same
status or value

be
par for the course

to be usual or to be expected
under the circumstances (informal)[1]



para

para
pa·ra 
[prə] (plural pa·ras or
pa·ra) noun

1.  a
subunit of Yugoslav currency: a subunit of currency in
Yugoslavia, 100 of which are worth one new dinar

2.  coin
worth one para: a coin worth one para
[Late 17th century. Via
Turkish, from Persian pāra “piece, para.”][1]



para-

para-1
para-1 prefix

1.  beside,
near, along with • parataxis

2.  beyond
• paranormal

3.  isomeric
or related compound • paraldehyde

4.  resembling
• paramyxovirus

5.  faulty,
undesirable • paraphasia

6.  assistant,
auxiliary • paralegal

7.  occupying
the para position in the benzene ring • paradichlorobenzene
[From Greek para
“beside.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “next to, in front of”
that is also the ancestor of English fore
and before .][1]



para-

para-2
para-2 prefix

parachute
• paraskiing
[From parachute][1]



-para

-para
-para
suffix

a
woman who has given birth to a particular number of children • nullipara
[From Latin, formed from parere
“to give birth” (see parent )][1]



para-aminobenzoicacid

para-aminobenzoicacid
par·a-a·mi·no·ben·zo·ic
ac·id 
[pèrrə ə mnō ben z ik ássid, pèrrə ámmənō ben z ik ássid] noun

Full form of
PABA[1]



para-aminosalicylicacid

para-aminosalicylicacid
par·a-a·mi·no·sal·i·cylic
ac·id
[pèrrə ə mnō sàllə síllik ássid, pèrrə ámmənō sàllə síllik ássid] noun

anti-bacterial agent:
a crystalline synthetic isomer of aminosalicylic acid that is effective against
the bacteria that cause tuberculosis[1]



parabasis

parabasis
par·a·ba·sis
[pə rábbəsiss] (plural par·a·ba·ses
[pə rábbə sz]) noun

address
to audience by chorus: in classical Greek comedy, a
speech to the audience that is made by the chorus
[Early 19th century. From
Greek, where it was formed from parabainein “to go aside,” from bainein
“to step.”][1]



parabiosis

parabiosis
par·a·bi·o·sis 
[pèrrə bī ṓssiss] (plural par·a·bi·o·ses
[pèrrə bī ṓ sz]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY anatomical
union of two individuals: the state in which two
individuals are joined together and share the same circulation of blood. This
is the case for conjoined twins, and it can also be induced experimentally or
to establish a blood supply for some grafts.

2.  MEDICINE temporary
cessation of nerve activity: the temporary suppression of
nerve conduction
[Early
20th century. Coined from para- 1 + Greek biōsis “way
of life,” from bios “life.”]
—par·a·bi·ot·ic [pèrrə bī óttik], adjective[1]



parablast

parablast
par·a·blast 
[pérrə blàst] (plural par·a·blasts)
noun

egg
yolk:
the yolk of a fertilized egg
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from para- 1 + Greek blastos “a
bud, shoot.”]
—par·a·blas·tic [pèrrə blástik], adjective[1]



parable

parable
par·a·ble 
[pérrəb’l] (plural par·a·bles)
noun

1.  LITERATURE moral
or religious story: a short simple story
intended to illustrate a moral or religious lesson

2.  BIBLE story
ascribed to Jesus Christ: a parable that appears in
the Bible as told by Jesus Christ
[14th century. Via Old French
parabole and Latin parabola from, ultimately, Greek paraballein,
literally “to put beside” (formed from ballein “to throw”), hence “to
compare.”][1]



parabola

parabola

pa·rab·o·la 
[pə rábbələ] (plural pa·rab·o·las)
noun
mathematical
curve:
a curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin, from Greek parabolē “application, comparison,” from the
relationship between the section of a cone that forms the parabola and part of
the cone’s surface.][1]



parabolic

parabolic2
par·a·bol·ic2  [pèrrə
bóllik] or par·a·bol·i·cal [pèrrə
bóllik’l] adjective

like
parable:
relating to or resembling a parable
[15th
century. Via late Latin parabolicus, from late Greek parabolikos
“figurative,” from parabolē (see parable
).]
—pa·ra·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



parabolic

parabolic1
par·a·bol·ic1  [pèrrə
bóllik] adjective

1.  relating
to parabola: relating to, resembling, or having the
form of a parabola

2.  with
paraboloid shape: with the form of a paraboloid

[1]



parabolicaerial

parabolicaerial
par·a·bol·ic
aer·i·al
(plural par·a·bol·ic aer·i·als) noun

See
dish antenna[1]



parabolize

parabolize
pa·rab·o·lize 
[pə rábbə lz] (past pa·rab·o·lized,
past participle pa·rab·o·lized, present participle pa·rab·o·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular pa·rab·o·liz·es) transitive verb

tell
story in parable: to explain something or tell a story by
means of a parable
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin parabolizare “to speak in parables,” from Latin parabola
(see parable ).][1]



paraboloid

paraboloid

pa·rab·o·loid 
[pə rábbə lòyd] (plural pa·rab·o·loids)
noun
geometric
surface:
a mathematical surface in which intersections with planes produce parabolas,
ellipses, or hyperbolas
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from parabola + -oid .]
—pa·rab·o·loi·dal [pə ràbbə lóyd’l], adjective[1]



parabuntal

parabuntal
pa·ra·bun·tal
[pèrrə búnt’l] noun

fine straw:
fine straw used in hatmaking[1]



paracentesis

paracentesis
par·a·cen·te·sis
[pèrrə sen tssiss] noun

See
thoracentesis
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
“the removing of a cataract,” from, ultimately, Greek parakentein,
literally “to pierce at the side,” from kentein “to prick, stab.”][1]



paracetamol

paracetamol
par·a·cet·a·mol
[pèrrə stə màwl, pèrrə
séttə màwl] (plural par·a·cet·a·mol or par·a·cet·a·mols)
noun

U.K.
See acetaminophen
[Mid-20th century. From
“par(a-)acet(yl)am(inophen)ol.”][1]



parachronism

parachronism
pa·rach·ron·ism
[pə rákrə nìzzəm] (plural pa·rach·ron·isms)
noun

incorrect
dating of something: an error in assigning a date
to something, especially when the date given is later than it should be
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: either coined from para- 1 + Greek khronos
“time” + -ism, or an alteration of anachronism .][1]



parachute

parachute

par·a·chute 
[pérrə sht] noun

1.  canopy
for slowing fall from aircraft: a device consisting of
a canopy attached to a harness that is used to slow the speed at which a person
or object drops from an aircraft

2.  ZOOLOGY See patagium  noun 1
intransitive and transitive verb
(past par·a·chut·ed, past participle par·a·chut·ed,
present participle par·a·chut·ing, 3rd person present singular
par·a·chutes)

drop by parachute:
to drop, or allow somebody or something to drop, from an aircraft by parachute
[Late
18th century. From French, literally “protection against a fall,” from chute
“a fall.”]
—par·a·chut·ist, noun[1]



parachutespinnaker

parachutespinnaker
par·a·chute
spin·na·ker
(plural par·a·chute spin·na·kers) noun

large sail:
a very large light triangular sail used on a racing yacht[1]



Paraclete

Paraclete
Par·a·clete 
[pérrə klt] noun

CHRISTIANITY Holy
Spirit:
in Christianity, the Holy Spirit
[13th century. Via French paraclet,
literally “someone called to assist,” from, ultimately, Greek parakalein,
literally “to call to your side,” from kalein “to call.”][1]



parade

parade
pa·rade 
[pə ráyd] noun (plural pa·rades)

1.  celebratory
procession of people: an organized procession of
people celebrating a special occasion and often including decorated vehicles or
floats, a marching band, people twirling batons, and people on horseback

2.  display
of people or things: a long moving line of people
or things intended to be publicly displayed

3.  succession
of people or things: a large number of people or
things in succession • a
parade of visitors to the palace

4.  MILITARY procession
of troops:
a march by troops along the streets or in a large area such as a square,
usually as a celebration of an important event

5.  MILITARY gathering
of troops in formation: a formal gathering of a
troop of soldiers in a regimented formation for a ceremonial march, inspection,
or training

6.  MILITARY parade
ground:
a parade ground

7.  people
in parade:
people marching in a parade

8.  flamboyant
or flaunting exhibition of something: a
showy or ostentatious exhibition or display of something

9.  FENCING parry:
a type of parry in fencing
verb
(past pa·rad·ed, past participle pa·rad·ed, present
participle pa·rad·ing, 3rd person present singular pa·rades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go on
festive procession: to march in a festive public
parade

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb use in
festive procession: to use something or be used
in a festive public parade

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY assemble for military parade:
to gather for and march in a military parade

4.  transitive
verb
show
somebody or something off: to display or show somebody
or something, especially proudly and ostentatiously

5.  intransitive
verb
walk
around to be seen: to walk or stroll around in
public, especially in order to be seen or admired

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb claim
to be something else: to claim to be other than
you really are, or claim that one person or thing is another person or thing • parading
old ideas as new reforms
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Spanish parada “display,” literally “stopping”
(from the act of stopping a horse), ultimately from Latin parare “to
prepare” (see prepare ).]
rain
on somebody’s parade

to spoil things for somebody
(informal)[1]



paradeground

paradeground
pa·rade
ground
(plural pa·rade grounds) noun

area where troops gather:
a place where troops regularly gather in formation for inspection or training[1]



paradichlorobenzene

paradichlorobenzene
par·a·di·chlo·ro·ben·zene 
[pèrrə dī klawrə bén zn] noun

moth
repellent:
a white crystalline compound used as a moth repellent. C6H4Cl2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + di- + chloro- +
benzene .][1]



paradiddle

paradiddle
par·a·did·dle 
[pérrə dìdd’l] (plural par·a·did·dles)
noun

drum
roll:
a drum roll in which left and right drumsticks alternate
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



paradigm

paradigm
par·a·digm 
[pérrə dm] (plural par·a·digms)
noun

1.  typical
example:
a typical example of something

2.  model
that forms basis of something: an example that serves
as a pattern or model for something, especially one that forms the basis of a
methodology or theory

3.  GRAMMAR set of
all forms of word: a set of word forms giving
all of the possible inflections of a word

4.  SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY relationship of ideas to one
another:
in the philosophy of science, a generally accepted model of how ideas relate to
one another, forming a conceptual framework within which scientific research is
carried out
[15th
century. Via late Latin from Greek paradeigma “example,” from paradeiknunai,
literally “to show beside,” from deiknunai “to show.”]
—par·a·dig·mat·ic
[pèrrə dig máttik], adjective

—par·a·dig·mat·i·cal·ly
[pèrrə dig máttikəlee], adverb[1]



paradise

paradise
par·a·dise 
[pérrə dss, pérrə
dz] noun

1.  place
or state of perfect happiness: a place, situation, or
condition in which somebody finds perfect happiness

2.  place
ideally suited to somebody: a place where there is
everything that a particular person needs for his or her interest (informal)
• a
surfer’s paradise

3.  par·a·dise
or Par·a·dise JUDEO-CHRISTIAN
heaven:
in religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, the place where good
people are believed to go or the state they are believed to attain after death

4.  par·a·dise
or Par·a·dise BIBLE Garden
of Eden:
according to the Bible, the perfect garden where Adam and Eve were placed at
the Creation
[12th
century. Via Old French and late Latin paradisus, from Greek paradeisos
“enclosed place, park,” from Avestan pairidaeza, literally “to form
around,” from diz “to form.”]
—par·a·di·sa·ic
[pèrrədī sáy ik, pèrrədī
záy ik], adjective

—par·a·di·si·a·cal·ly
[pèrrədī s əkəlee, pèrrədī
z əkəlee], adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Paradise
  Lost, an epic poem by the English writer John Milton ( 1667 ). This
  monumental work describes Satan’s rebellion against God, his corruption of
  Adam and Eve, and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The
  sustained brilliance of its language, structure, characterization, and
  imagery make it arguably the greatest epic poem in English literature. A
  sequel, Paradise Regained, was published in 1671.

[1]



paradiseflycatcher

paradiseflycatcher
par·a·dise
fly·catch·er (plural par·a·dise
fly·catch·ers) noun

brightly colored
insect-eating bird: a brightly
colored Asian and African flycatcher. The males have very long slender forked
tails. Genus: Terpsiphone[1]



parador

parador
par·a·dor 
[pérrə dàwr] (plural par·a·dors)
noun

1.  Latin
American hotel: a privately owned and operated hotel or
resort in Latin America

2.  Spanish
tourist hotel: a tourist hotel in Spain, operated by
the national government and located in a castle, monastery, convent, or other
historic site
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from parar “to stop, stay,” from Latin parare “to
prepare” (see prepare ).][1]



parados

parados
par·a·dos
[pérrə dòss] (plural par·a·dos·es)
noun

fortification
against attack from rear: a bank built up behind a
trench or other fortification that gives protection from attack from the rear
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “defend the back,” from dos “back.”][1]



paradox

paradox
par·a·dox 
[pérrə dòks] (plural par·a·dox·es)
noun

1.  something
absurd or contradictory: a statement, proposition, or
situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be
true

2.  self-contradictory
statement:
a statement or proposition that contradicts itself

3.  person
of opposites: somebody who has qualities that seem to
contradict each other

4.  something
contrary to popular beliefs: something that is contrary
to or conflicts with conventional or common opinion (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin paradoxum, from, ultimately, Greek paradoxos,
literally “contrary to opinion,” from doxa “opinion,” from dokein
“to think.”]
—par·a·dox·i·cal
[pèrrə dóksik’l], adjective

—par·a·dox·i·cal·ly
[pèrrə dóksikəlee], adverb

—par·a·dox·i·cal·ness
[pèrrə dóksik’lnəss], noun[1]



paradoxicalfrog

paradoxicalfrog
par·a·dox·i·cal
frog
(plural par·a·dox·i·cal frogs) noun

S American frog:
a frog of the Amazon forest and the island of Trinidad. The adult frog is less
than a third the size of the tadpole. Latin name: Pseudis paradoxa[1]



paradoxicalsleep

paradoxicalsleep
par·a·dox·i·cal
sleep
noun

See
REM sleep
[Paradoxical from the fact
that the electrical brain patterns of this deep sleep more closely resemble
those of the waking state][1]



paradrop

paradrop
par·a·drop 
[pérrə dròp] noun (plural par·a·drops)

delivery
by parachute: the delivery of personnel, materials,
provisions, or other supplies to a place by attaching them to a parachute and
dropping them from an aircraft
transitive
verb
(past par·a·dropped, past participle par·a·dropped,
present participle par·a·drop·ping, 3rd person present
singular par·a·drops)

parachute somebody or
something: to deliver somebody or
something to a place by paradrop[1]



paraesthesia

paraesthesia
par·aes·the·sia 
noun

U.K. =
paresthesia[1]



paraffin

paraffin
par·af·fin 
[pérrəfin] noun (plural par·af·fins)

1.  See
paraffin wax

2.  CHEMISTRY See alkane

3.  INDUSTRY DOMESTIC fuel oil:
a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum and used as a domestic
heating fuel and as fuel for aircraft.
See
also
kerosene
transitive
verb
(past par·af·fined, past participle par·af·fined, present
participle par·af·fin·ing, 3rd person present singular par·af·fins)

INDUSTRY treat
with kerosene: to treat something by saturating,
impregnating, or coating it with kerosene or paraffin wax
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin parum “little” + affinis “related”
(source of English affinity ),
because it is not closely related to any other substance.]
—par·af·fin·ic [pèrrə fínnik], adjective[1]



paraffinwax

paraffinwax
par·af·fin
wax
noun

waxy substance:
a white waxy solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum and used in
making candles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, and as a sealing agent.
Also called
paraffin[1]



paraformaldehyde

paraformaldehyde
par·a·for·mal·de·hyde 
[pèrrə fawr máldə hd] or par·a·form
[pérrə fàwrm] noun

disinfectant
and fungicide: a white combustible polymer of
formaldehyde used as a disinfectant and a fungicide, and as a component of
contraceptive creams. Formula: (HCHO) n, where n is greater than or
equal to 6.
Also
called
paraform
[Late 19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + formaldehyde .][1]



paragenesis

paragenesis
par·a·gen·e·sis 
[pèrrə jénnəssiss] or par·a·ge·ne·sia
[pèrrə jə nə, pèrrə
jə nee ə] or par·a·form [pèrrə
jə nə, pèrrə jə nee ə] noun

order
of formation of minerals: the order in which the
mineral constituents of a rock are formed
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from para- 1 + -genesis
.]
—par·a·ge·net·ic
[pèrrə jə néttik], adjective

—par·a·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[pèrrə jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



paragliding

paragliding
par·a·glid·ing
[pérrə glding] noun

sport
of gliding with parachute: a sport in which an
individual jumps from an aircraft or an elevation wearing a rectangular
parachute that allows control of direction in the descent to the ground
[Coined
from para + gliding]
—par·a·glid·er, noun[1]



paragnathous

paragnathous
pa·rag·na·thous 
[pə rágnəthəss] adjective

with
jaws of equal length: with upper and lower jaws of
the same length
[Late 19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + -gnathous .][1]



paragoge

paragoge
par·a·goge 
[pérrə gjee] noun

addition
of final letter or sound: the addition of a letter,
sound, or syllable at the end of a word as a word develops, for example, the
“s” in “towards”
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek paragōgē, literally “carrying
beyond,” from agōgē “carrying.”]
—par·a·gog·ic
[pèrrə gójjik], adjective

—par·a·gog·i·cal·ly [pèrrə gójjikəlee], adverb[1]



paragon

paragon
par·a·gon 
[pérrə gòn, pérrəgən]
(plural par·a·gons) noun

1.  example
of excellence: somebody or something that is the very
best example of something

2.  MINERALS large
unflawed diamond: a perfect diamond that weighs at least
100 carats

3.  large
perfectly spherical pearl: an extremely large pearl
that is a perfect sphere
[Mid-16th century. Via
archaic French, from Italian paragone, originally “touchstone to test
gold,” ultimately from medieval Greek parakonan, literally “to sharpen
against,” hence “to compare.”][1]



paragraph

paragraph
par·a·graph 
[pérrə gràf] noun (plural par·a·graphs)

1.  section
of writing:
a piece of writing that consists of one or more sentences, begins on a new and
often indented line, and contains a distinct idea or the words of one speaker

2.  PRESS short
news story:
a short item of news or editorial comment in a newspaper
transitive
verb
(past par·a·graphed, past participle par·a·graphed,
present participle par·a·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular par·a·graphs)

1.  set
out in paragraphs: to arrange something in a
series of paragraphs

2.  PRESS write
news in a paragraph: to report news or a story in
a short paragraph
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek paragraphos “stroke
marking a line in which there is a break in sense,” literally “writing beside,”
ultimately from graphein “to write.”]
—par·a·graph·er, noun[1]



paragraphia

paragraphia
par·a·graph·i·a
[pèrrə gráffee ə] noun

writing
different words from those intended: the
writing of words or letters different from the ones intended, as a result of a
stroke or disease
[Late 19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + Greek -graphia
“writing.”][1]



Paraguay

Paraguay2
Par·a·guay2  [párrə
gw, párrə gwày]

river of central South
America, a tributary of the Paraná River. Length: 2,550 km/1,580 mi.[1]



Paraguay

Paraguay1
Par·a·guay1  [párrə
gw, párrə gwày]

republic
in South America, bordered by Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. Language:
Spanish. Currency: kina. Capital: Asunción. Population: 5,504,146 (1996) Area:
406,752 sq km/157,048 sq mi. Official name Republic of Paraguay
—Par·a·guay·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Paraguaytea

Paraguaytea
Par·a·guay
tea
noun

See
maté  noun 2
[Late 18th century. Named for
the country in which the tree proliferates.][1]



parahydrogen

parahydrogen
par·a·hy·dro·gen
[pèrrə hdrəjən] noun

form
of hydrogen: a form of molecular hydrogen in which
the two atomic nuclei spin in opposite directions. Parahydrogen makes up about
25 percent of hydrogen molecules.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from para- 1 + hydrogen .][1]



parainfluenzavirus

parainfluenzavirus
par·a·in·flu·en·za
vi·rus
[pèrrə infloo énzə vrəss] (plural para·influenza
vi·rus·es) noun

virus causing symptoms
resembling flu: any of a group of four
viruses, similar to the influenza virus, that cause respiratory illnesses,
especially in children, with symptoms of severe sore throat, croup, and
pneumonia[1]



parajournalism

parajournalism
par·a·jour·nal·ism 
[pèrrə júrn’l ìzzəm] noun

See
new journalism
—par·a·jour·nal·ist, noun[1]



parakeet

parakeet
par·a·keet 
[pérrə kt] (plural par·a·keets)
noun

small
tropical parrot: a small tropical parrot that has a long
tail and is usually very brightly colored
[Mid-16th century.
Anglicization of Old French paraquet, of uncertain origin: perhaps,
ultimately, a form of Pierre “Peter,” in the sense of “little Peter.”][1]



paralanguage

paralanguage
par·a·lan·guage
[pérrə làng gwij] noun

nonverbal vocal
communication: nonverbal vocal
elements in communication that may add a nuance of meaning to language as it is
used in context, for example, tone of voice or whispering[1]



paraldehyde

paraldehyde
par·al·de·hyde 
[pə ráldə hd] noun

liquid
polymer:
a colorless liquid polymer of acetaldehyde used as a sedative and as a solvent.
C6H12O3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + aldehyde .][1]



paralegal

paralegal
par·a·le·gal 
[pèrrə lg’l] noun (plural par·a·le·gals)

lawyer’s
assistant:
somebody with specialist legal training who assists a fully qualified lawyer
adjective

of
a paralegal: relating to a paralegal or the work of a
paralegal
[Late 20th century. Coined
from para- 1 + legal .][1]



paraleipsis

paraleipsis
par·a·leip·sis 
noun

See
paralipsis[1]



paralinguistics

paralinguistics
par·a·lin·guis·tics
[pèrrə ling gwístiks] noun

study
of paralanguage: the study of paralanguage (takes a
singular verb)
—par·a·lin·guis·tic, adjective[1]



paralipomena

paralipomena
par·a·lip·o·me·na
[pèrrə lī pómmənə, pèrrəli
pómmənə] plural noun

supplementary
material:
material added to a literary work as a supplement
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin (plural) from Greek paraleipomena “(things) left out,” ultimately
from leipein “to leave.”][1]



Paralipomena

Paralipomena
Par·a·lip·o·me·na
[pèrrə lī pómmənə, pèrrə
li pómmənə] plural noun

Book
of Chronicles: the title used for the Book of
Chronicles in the Vulgate (sometimes used in the singular)
[14th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from, ultimately, Greek paraleipein, literally “to
leave to one side” (because it contains material omitted from the Books of
Kings).][1]



Paralipomenon

Paralipomenon
Par·a·lip·o·me·non

Singular of
paralipomena[1]



paralipsis

paralipsis
par·a·lip·sis 
[pèrrə lípsiss] (plural par·a·lip·ses
[pèrrə líp sz]) or par·a·leip·sis
[pèrrə lpsiss] (plural par·a·leip·ses
[pèrrə lp sz]) noun

rhetorical
device:
a rhetorical technique of emphasizing a topic by saying in some way that you
will not talk about it, for example, by using the phrase “not to mention”
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek paraleipsis “omission,” from paraleipein,
literally “to leave on one side,” from leipein “to leave.”][1]



parallax

parallax
par·al·lax 
[pérrə làks] noun

1.  PHYSICS apparent
change of position: an apparent change in the
position of an object when the person looking at the object changes position

2.  ASTRONOMY angle
measuring a star’s distance from the Earth: the
angle between two imaginary lines from two different observation points meeting
at a star or celestial body that is used to measure its distance from the Earth
[Late
16th century. Via French from Greek parallaxis “alternation, angle
between two lines,” from parallassein “to alter,” ultimately from allos
“other.”]
—par·al·lac·tic
[pèrrə láktik], adjective

—par·al·lac·ti·cal·ly
[pèrrə láktikəlee], adverb[1]



parallel

parallel
par·al·lel 
[pérrə lèl] adjective

1.  GEOMETRY always
same distance apart: relating to or being lines,
planes, or curved surfaces that are always the same distance apart and
therefore never meet

2.  resembling
each other:
relating to two things that are comparable because they are similar and share
many characteristics

3.  GRAMMAR of
identical syntactic constructions: used to describe two
or more phrases or clauses in a single sentence that have identical syntactic
constructions

4.  COMPUTING using
several items of information simultaneously:
relating to a computer that processes several items of information at the same
time.
See
also
serial

5.  MUSIC keeping
same musical interval throughout: used to describe the
movement of two voices or melodies that match each other exactly in pitch,
while preserving the same interval between them
noun
(plural par·al·lels)

1.  GEOMETRY parallel
line or plane: any of a set of parallel geometric
forms, especially lines or planes

2.  somebody
or something equivalent: somebody or something that
is very similar to another, sharing many characteristics

3.  comparison:
a comparison between two things that reveals their similarity • It’s
easy to draw a parallel between their two careers

4.  GEOGRAPHY line
parallel to the equator: an imaginary line around the
Earth that lies parallel to the equator and represents a particular degree of
latitude from the equator.
Also
called
parallel of latitude

5.  GEOGRAPHY line
on map:
a line on a map representing a parallel of latitude

6.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING configuration
of electrical components: the way in which electrical
components or circuits are connected so that the same voltage is applied across
each component or circuit • connected
in parallel
transitive
verb
(past par·al·leled, past participle par·al·leled, present
participle par·al·lel·ing, 3rd person present singular par·al·lels)

1.  be
parallel:
to be or run parallel to something

2.  make
something parallel to something: to make something be
or run parallel to something else

3.  correspond
to something: to be similar to something else,
especially in following a similar course of events

4.  compare
something to something else: to compare something with,
or show something to be similar to, something else

5.  match
somebody or something: to be equal to or as good as
somebody or something else
adverb

alongside: in a
parallel manner so as to keep the same distance away from something and never
meet it
[Mid-16th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek parallēlos, literally “beside
each other,” from allēlōn “each other,” ultimately from allos
“other.”]
in
parallel (with somebody or something)

in conjunction with and at
the same time as somebody or something else[1]



parallelbars

parallelbars
par·al·lel
bars
plural noun

GYMNASTICS bars
for gymnastic exercises: a piece of gymnastic
equipment consisting of two horizontal bars parallel to each other and
supported on vertical posts. The bars may be at either the same or different
heights.
noun

GYMNASTICS
sports event using parallel bars:
an event in a gymnastics competition that uses the parallel bars (takes a
singular verb)[1]



parallelcousin

parallelcousin
par·al·lel
cous·in
(plural par·al·lel cousins) noun

mother’s sister’s or father’s
brother’s child: a cousin who is the
child of your mother’s sister or your father’s brother.
See also
cross-cousin[1]



parallelepiped

parallelepiped
par·al·lel·e·pi·ped 
[pèrrə lellə ppəd, pèrrə
lellə píppəd] (plural par·al·lel·e·pi·peds) noun

polyhedron
consisting of six parallelograms: a polyhedron
consisting of six faces that are parallelograms
[Late 16th century. From
Greek parallēlepipedon, literally “parallel surface,” from epipedon
“surface,” from, ultimately, pedon “ground.”][1]



paralleling

paralleling
par·al·lel·ing
[pérrə lèlling] noun

exploitation of differences
in commercial markets: the
exploitation of differences in commercial markets by buying an expensive
product in a place where prices are relatively low and then selling it in a
place where prices are higher[1]



parallelism

parallelism
par·al·lel·ism 
[pérrə le lìzzəm] noun

1.  similarity:
the condition of being parallel

2.  LITERATURE repetition
for effect:
in writing, the deliberate repetition of particular words or sentence
structures for effect

3.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of mind-body relationship: the philosophical theory
that mind and body do not interact but follow separate parallel tracks, without
any relationship of cause and effect existing between the two
—par·al·lel·ist [pérrə lèllist], noun[1]



parallelof latitude

parallelof latitude
par·al·lel
of lat·i·tude noun

See
parallel  noun 4[1]



parallelogram

parallelogram

par·al·lel·o·gram 
[pèrrə léllə gràm] (plural par·al·lel·o·grams)
noun
four-sided
plane figure: a four-sided plane figure in which both
pairs of opposite sides are parallel and of equal length, and the opposite
angles are equal
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek parallēlogrammon, from parallēlos “parallel.”][1]



parallelplay

parallelplay
par·al·lel
play
noun

noninteractive play:
play in which two or more children who are in close proximity and possibly
involved in similar activities, do not interact with each other socially[1]



parallelport

parallelport
par·al·lel
port
(plural par·al·lel ports) noun

computer
connection point: a connection point through which a
computer sends and receives data simultaneously by means of a number of
separate wires, commonly used for connecting a printer or external storage
device. Computers transmit data through the parallel port at higher speeds and
with fewer errors than through the serial port.
[Because it transfers data
over more than one channel at the same time][1]



parallelprocessing

parallelprocessing
par·al·lel
pro·cess·ing noun

use
of multiple computer processors: the use of two or more
computer processors to run parts of the same program together and merge the
results, with significantly faster program execution as a result. Parallel
processing is used when many complex calculations are required, for example, in
weather modeling and digital special effects.
[Because instructions are
sent to multiple processors at the same time][1]



parallelruler

parallelruler
par·al·lel
rul·er
(plural par·al·lel rul·ers) noun

drawing instrument:
a ruler designed for drawing parallel lines, constructed with two linked
straight edges that remain parallel although the distance between them may be
varied[1]



parallelturn

parallelturn
par·al·lel
turn
(plural par·al·lel turns) noun

SKIING
turn made with skis parallel:
a turn executed by shifting the bodyweight and keeping the skis parallel,
rather than by adjusting the line of the skis[1]



paralogism

paralogism
pa·ral·o·gism
[pə rállə jìzzəm] (plural pa·ral·o·gisms)
noun

mistakenly
invalid argument: in logic, an invalid argument that is
unintentional or that has gone unnoticed
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin paralogismus, from, ultimately, Greek paralogos
“contrary to reason,” from logos “reason” (see logic
).]
—pa·ral·o·gist,
noun

—pa·ral·o·gis·tic [pə ràllə jístik], adjective[1]



ParalympicGames

ParalympicGames
Par·a·lym·pic
Games 
[perrə lìmpik gáymz] or Paralympics
[pèrrə límpiks] plural noun

sporting
event for physically challenged athletes: an
international sports competition for physically challenged athletes
—Par·a·lym·pi·an, noun[1]



paralysis

paralysis
pa·ral·y·sis 
[pə rálləssiss] noun

1.  MEDICINE loss
of movement: loss of voluntary movement as a result
of damage to nerve or muscle function

2.  inactivity:
failure to take action or make progress
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek paralusis, from paraluesthai “to be unable to move,”
from para- “on one side” + luein “to release.”][1]



paralysisagitans

paralysisagitans
pa·ral·y·sis
ag·i·tans 
noun

See
Parkinson’s disease
[Agitans from Latin, the
present participle of agitare “to shake”][1]



paralytic

paralytic
par·a·lyt·ic 
[pèrrə líttik] adjective

of
paralysis:
relating to paralysis
noun
(plural par·a·lyt·ics)

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a physically challenged person (offensive)
[14th
century. Via Old French and Latin from Greek paralutikos, from paralusis
(see paralysis ).]
—par·a·lyt·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



paralyze

paralyze
par·a·lyze 
[pérrə lz] (past par·a·lyzed,
past participle par·a·lyzed, present participle par·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular par·a·lyz·es) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE deprive
of voluntary movement: to cause somebody to lose
the ability to move, either by damaging nerve or muscle function, or through
the use of a paralyzing drug

2.  make
temporarily unable to move: to make somebody temporarily
unable to move, for example, with fear

3.  bring
system to standstill: to bring a system or network
to a stop or prevent it from functioning effectively
[Late 18th century. Via
French paralyser from, ultimately, Latin paralysis (see paralysis ).][1]



paramagnetic

paramagnetic
par·a·mag·net·ic 
[pèrrə mag néttik] adjective

lying parallel to magnetic
field: used to describe a substance
that is weakly magnetized so that it will lie parallel to a magnetic field. The
phenomenon results from the presence of unpaired electrons in the atoms of the
substance, which cause the atoms to act as tiny magnets when a magnetic field
is applied.
See also
diamagnetic
See also
ferromagnetic[1]



Paramaribo

Paramaribo
Par·a·mar·i·bo 
[pàrrə márrə b]

port and capital city of
Suriname, located in the north of the country near the Atlantic Ocean.
Population: 180,000 (1994)[1]



paramatta

paramatta
par·a·mat·ta
[pèrrə máttə] (plural par·a·mat·tas)
or par·ra·mat·ta [pèrrə máttə]
(plural par·ra·mat·tas) noun

fabric:
a lightweight fabric made from wool blended with silk or cotton
[Early 19th century. Named
for the settlement of Parramatta in New South Wales, Australia, where a similar
fabric was produced.][1]



paramecium

paramecium
par·a·me·ci·um 
[pèrrə mshee əm, pèrrə
mssee əm] (plural par·a·me·ci·a [pèrrə
mshee ə, pèrrə mssee ə] or par·a·me·ci·ums)
noun

microscopic
aquatic organism: a single-celled microscopic aquatic
organism ( protozoan ) with hairlike
appendages ( cilia ) around its body that it
uses to move around and to capture bacteria. Genus: Paramecium
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek paramēkēs “oval,” from its shape.][1]



paramedic

paramedic
par·a·med·ic 
[pèrrə méddik] (plural par·a·med·ics)
noun

emergency
medical worker: somebody trained to perform emergency
medical procedures in the absence of a doctor, especially a member of an
ambulance crew
—par·a·med·i·cal, adjective[1]



parament

parament
par·a·ment 
[pérrəmənt] (plural par·a·ments)
noun

richly
decorated garment or tapestry: an object made of
richly decorated fabric, especially a ceremonial robe, tapestry, or wall
hanging (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French, “ornament,” from parer “to prepare, trim” (see pare ).][1]



parameter

parameter
pa·ram·e·ter 
[pə rámmətər] (plural pa·ram·e·ters)
noun

1.  limiting
factor:
a fact or circumstance that restricts how something is done or what can be done

2.  SCIENCE variable
quantity determining outcome: a measurable quantity, for
example, temperature, that determines the result of a scientific experiment and
can be altered to vary the result

3.  MATHEMATICS variable
mathematical value: in a mathematical
expression, a variable value that, when it changes, gives another different but
related mathematical expression from a limited series of such expressions

4.  STATISTICS overall
quantity:
a general quantity that relates to an entire population, as distinct from an
individual statistic that relates to a sample
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin parametrum, from para- 1 + Greek metron
“measure.”]
—par·a·met·ric [pèrrə méttrik], adjective[1]



parametricequations

parametricequations
par·a·met·ric
e·qua·tions
plural noun

mathematical equations giving
coordinates: a set of mathematical
equations in which coordinates of points are explicitly expressed in terms of
independent parameters[1]



paramilitary

paramilitary
par·a·mil·i·tar·y 
[pèrrə míllə tèrree] adjective

1.  military
in style:
similar to or modeled on the military but not belonging to it

2.  assisting
official military forces: organized and staffed by
civilians to provide support to the regular military services • a
paramilitary unit

3.  using
military techniques: using military weapons and
tactics to fight within a country against the official ruling power
noun
(plural par·a·mil·i·tar·ies)

unofficial soldier:
a member of a paramilitary organization, especially one fighting against the
official ruling power

[1]



paramnesia

paramnesia
par·am·ne·sia 
[pè ram nzhə] noun

1.  false
memory:
false memories of events that did not really take place

2.  inability
to recall meanings of words: an inability to recall the
meanings of common words

[1]



paramorph

paramorph
par·a·morph 
[pérrə màwrf] (plural par·a·morphs)
noun

mineral
that changes crystal structure: a mineral that changes
its crystalline structure without any change in its chemical composition.
Aragonite changes to calcite in this way.
—par·a·mor·phism [pèrrə máwr fìzzəm], noun[1]



paramorphine

paramorphine
par·a·mor·phine 
[pèrrə máwr fn] noun

See
thebaine[1]



paramount

paramount
par·a·mount 
[pérrə mòwnt] adjective

greatest:
greatest in importance or significance
[Mid-16th
century. From Anglo-Norman paramont, from par “by” + amont
“above.”]
—par·a·mount·cy,
noun

—par·a·mount·ly, adverb[1]



paramour

paramour
par·a·mour 
[pérrə mr] (plural par·a·mours)
noun

lover:
a lover, especially one in a relationship with a married person (literary)
“found thee out even in the arms of thy paramour” Sir Walter Scott Ivanhoe 1819
[14th century. From par
amur “passionately,” from Anglo-Norman par amour “by way of love.”][1]



paramyxovirus

paramyxovirus
par·a·myx·o·vi·rus 
[pèrrə míksə vrəss] noun

virus of mumps group:
a virus belonging to the group that includes the mumps and measles viruses and
the parainfluenza virus[1]



parang

parang
pa·rang 
[p ràng, pə
rng] (plural pa·rangs) noun

heavy
Malaysian knife: a large knife with a short
straight-edged blade, used in Malaysia and Indonesia as a weapon and as a tool
[Mid-19th century. From Malay
.][1]



paranoia

paranoia
par·a·noi·a 
[pèrrə nóy ə] noun

1.  distrust:
extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people and their motives

2.  PSYCHIATRY psychiatric
disorder:
a psychiatric disorder involving systematized delusion, usually of persecution
[Early 19th century. From
Greek, “unreason,” literally “out of one’s mind,” from nous “mind.”][1]



paranoiac

paranoiac
par·a·noi·ac
[pèrrə nóy àk] adjective

relating
to paranoia: characteristic of or resembling paranoia
noun
(plural par·a·noi·acs)

somebody with paranoia:
somebody who has paranoia[1]



paranoid

paranoid
par·a·noid 
[pérrə nòyd] adjective

1.  distrustful:
obsessively anxious about something, or unreasonably suspicious of other people
and their thoughts or motives

2.  PSYCHIATRY showing
characteristics of paranoia: relating to or showing the
characteristics of paranoia
noun
(plural par·a·noids)

paranoid person:
somebody who is paranoid (dated)

[1]



paranormal

paranormal
par·a·nor·mal 
[pèrrə náwrm’l] adjective

impossible
to explain scientifically: unable to be explained or
understood in terms of scientific knowledge
noun

paranormal things:
paranormal events or phenomena[1]



paraparesis

paraparesis
par·a·pa·re·sis 
[pèrrəpə rssiss, pèrrə
pérrəssiss] noun

partial
inability to move: a medical condition in which
both legs, and often the bladder, have little voluntary control
—par·a·pa·re·tic [pèrrəpə réttik], adjective[1]



parapet

parapet
par·a·pet 
[pérrəpət, pérrə
pèt] (plural par·a·pets) noun

1.  low
wall:
a low protective wall built where there is a sudden dangerous drop, for
example, along the edge of a balcony, roof, or bridge. Some parapets are
battlemented, especially on castles, and many are built as ornamental features.

2.  MILITARY protective
wall of earth: a bank of earth, rubble, or sandbags
piled up along the edge of a military trench for protection from enemy fire
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian parapetto, from parare “to shield” (see parasol ) + petto “chest,” from Latin pectus
(see pectoral ).][1]



paraph

paraph
par·aph 
[pérrəf, pə ráf]
(plural par·aphs) noun

flourish
underneath signature: a decorative flourish
written under a signature to finish it off, or formerly to protect against
forgery
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, medieval Latin paragraphus “paragraph.”][1]



paraphasia

paraphasia
par·a·pha·si·a
[pèrrə fáyzhə] noun

speech defect:
a speech defect of neurological origin in which the speaker’s words are jumbled
unintelligibly.
See also
aphasia[1]



paraphernalia

paraphernalia
par·a·pher·na·lia 
[pèrrəfər náylee ə] noun

1.  assorted
objects:
assorted objects or items of equipment, often things that seem amusing,
strange, or irritating

2.  LAW wedding
gifts to wife: in former times, items of property given
to a wife on her wedding by her new husband and thereafter legally her own
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek paraphernē, “married woman’s own
property,” literally “beside the dowry,” from phernē “dowry.”][1]



paraphrase

paraphrase
par·a·phrase 
[pérrə fràyz] transitive verb (past
par·a·phrased, past participle par·a·phrased, present
participle par·a·phras·ing, 3rd person present singular par·a·phras·es)

rephrase
and simplify: to restate something using other words,
especially in order to make it simpler or shorter
noun
(plural par·a·phras·es)

rephrased
version:
something that is rephrased and simplified through being made shorter
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek paraphrazein, literally “to
explain alongside,” from phrazein “to explain.”]
—par·a·phras·tic [pèrrə frástik], adjective[1]



paraphysis

paraphysis
pa·raph·y·sis 
[pə ráffəssiss] (plural pa·raph·y·ses
[pə ráffə seez]) noun

sterile
plant organ: an erect sterile filament that grows
among the reproductive organs of fungi, algae, and mosses
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, literally “growth beside,” from Greek phusis
“growth.”]
—par·a·phy·sate [pə ráffəsət, pə ráffə
sàyt], adjective[1]



paraplegia

paraplegia
par·a·ple·gi·a 
[pèrrə pljə, pèrrə
pljee ə] noun

inability
to move lower body: total inability to move both
legs and usually the lower part of the trunk, often as a result of disease or
injury of the spine
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek paraplēgiē “stroke on one side,”
from paraplēssein “to strike on one side,” from plessein “to
strike.”]
—par·a·ple·gic, adjective,
noun[1]



parapodium

parapodium
par·a·po·di·um 
[pèrrə pṓdee əm] (plural par·a·po·di·a
[pèrrə pṓdee ə]) noun

worm’s leg:
an appendage on the body of some marine worms, occurring in pairs on each
segment of the worm’s body, used for swimming, crawling, or holding onto things[1]



paraprofessional

paraprofessional
par·a·pro·fes·sion·al 
[pèrrəprə féshən’l, pèrrəprə
féshnəl] (plural par·a·pro·fes·sion·als) noun

nonprofessional helping with
professional work: somebody
who is trained to give support to a professional person such as a teacher or a
doctor[1]



parapsychology

parapsychology
par·a·psy·chol·o·gy 
[pèrrə sī kólləjee] noun

study
of unexplained mental phenomena: the study of supposed
mental phenomena that cannot be explained by known psychological or scientific
principles, for example, extrasensory perception and telepathy
—par·a·psy·cho·log·i·cal
[pèrrə skə lójjik’l], adjective

—par·a·psy·chol·o·gist
[pèrrə sī kólləjist], noun[1]



Para-Sail

Para-Sail
Par·a-Sail
Trademark

a trademark for a parachute[1]



parasailing

parasailing
para·sail·ing
[pérrə sàyling] noun

hanging
from parachute behind speedboat: a sport in which a
waterskier wearing a parachute or holding onto a type of hang-glider is towed
along behind a motorboat and rises up into the air
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from para + sail
.][1]



parasang

parasang
par·a·sang 
[pérrə sàng] (plural par·a·sangs)
noun

Persian
measure of distance: an old unit of measure for
distance used in Persia, equal to about 5.6 km31/2 mi
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek parasaggēs, of Persian origin.][1]



parascending

parascending
par·a·scend·ing
[pérrə sènding] noun

parachuting
after being towed into air: a sport in which somebody
wearing an open parachute is towed along by a speedboat or land vehicle, rises
into the air, and descends independently using the parachute
[Late 20th century. Coined
from para + ascend
.][1]



parascience

parascience
par·a·sci·ence
[pérrə s əns] (plural par·a·sci·enc·es)
noun

study of things beyond
science: the study of phenomena that
cannot be explained or tested by conventional scientific methods[1]



paraselene

paraselene
par·a·se·le·ne 
[pèrrəsə lnee] (plural par·a·se·le·nae)
noun

reflected
image of Moon: an image of the moon seen within a lunar
halo.
Also
called
mock moon
Also
called
moon dog
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from para- 1 + Greek selēnē
“moon.”]
—par·a·se·le·nic [pèrrəsə lénnik, pèrrəsə
lnik], adjective[1]



parasensory

parasensory
par·a·sen·so·ry 
[pèrrə sénsəree] adjective

extrasensory:
extrasensory (technical)[1]



parasexual

parasexual
par·a·sex·u·al 
[pèrrə sékshoo əl] adjective

of
reproduction in some fungi: used to describe a type of
reproduction, seen in certain fungi, in which the recombination of parental
chromosomes takes place without the usual formation of sex cells by cell
division ( meiosis )
—par·a·sex·u·al·i·ty [pèrrə sékshoo állətee], noun[1]



Parashah

Parashah
Pa·ra·shah 
[prə sh] (plural Pa·ra·shoth
[prə shṓt, prə
shṓth]) noun

reading
from the Torah: in Judaism, a passage from the Torah
read during traditional weekly worship at the synagogue
[Early 17th century. From
Hebrew pārāšāh “division.”][1]



parasite

parasite
par·a·site 
[pérrə st] (plural par·a·sites)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY organism
living on another: a plant or animal that lives
on or in another, usually larger, host organism in a way that harms or is of no
advantage to the host

2.  scrounger:
somebody who lives off the generosity of others and does nothing in return
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek parasitos “one who eats from another’s table,” from sitos
“grain, food.”][1]



parasitic

parasitic
par·a·sit·ic 
[pèrrə síttik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY living
in or on another organism: living in or on another host
organism, usually causing it harm

2.  living
off other people: living off the generosity of others
without doing anything in return
—par·a·sit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



parasiticide

parasiticide
par·a·sit·i·cide 
[pèrrə sítti sd] (plural par·a·sit·i·cides)
noun

parasite-killing
substance:
a substance that is used to destroy parasites
—par·a·sit·i·ci·dal, adjective[1]



parasitism

parasitism
par·a·sit·ism 
[pérrəssi tìzzəm, pérrə
s tìzzəm] (plural par·a·sit·isms) noun

1.  BIOLOGY parasitic
behavior:
a type of symbiosis in which one organism lives as a parasite in or on another
organism

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE See
parasitosis

[1]



parasitize

parasitize
par·a·sit·ize 
[pérrəssi tz, pérrə
sī tz] (past par·a·sit·ized, past participle par·a·sit·ized,
present participle par·a·sit·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular par·a·sit·iz·es) transitive verb

infest with or live as
parasite: to infest an animal or plant
with a parasite, or to live on it as a parasite[1]



parasitoid

parasitoid
par·a·sit·oid 
[pérrəssi tòyd, pérrə
sī tòyd] adjective

laying
eggs inside host: used to describe an insect that lays its
eggs inside the living body of another animal or insect. The hatched newborns
feed off the body, eventually killing the host.
noun
(plural par·a·sit·oids)

parasitoid insect:
an insect that lays its eggs within a host, eventually causing the death of the
host[1]



parasitology

parasitology
par·a·si·tol·o·gy 
[pèrrəssi tólləjee, pèrrə
sī tólləjee] noun

study
of parasites: the scientific study of plants and
animals that live as parasites
—par·a·si·to·log·i·cal
[pèrrə stə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



parasitosis

parasitosis
par·a·si·to·sis 
[pèrrəssi tṓssiss, pèrrə
sī tṓssiss] (plural par·a·si·tos·es [pèrrəssi tṓ sz, pèrrə
sī tṓ sz]) noun

VETERINARY
MEDICINE disease
caused by parasites: a disease
that develops as a result of infestation by parasites.
Also called
parasitism[1]



paraskiing

paraskiing
par·a·ski·ing
[pérrə sk ing] noun

parachuting
from mountaintops: the sport of skiing off high
mountains and descending using a light, steerable parachute composed of
inflatable tubes of fabric
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from para + ski
.][1]



parasol

parasol
par·a·sol 
[pérrə sàwl] (plural par·a·sols)
noun

umbrella
providing shade: an umbrella made to provide shade from
the sun
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Italian parasole, from parare “to protect” + sole
“sun.”][1]



parasuicide

parasuicide
par·a·su·i·cide
[pèrrə s i sd] (plural par·a·su·i·cides)
noun

1.  act
bordering on suicide: a suicide attempt or act of
self-injury that is motivated by a desire to draw attention to other personal
problems rather than by a genuine wish to die

2.  somebody
carrying out parasuicide: somebody who carries out a
parasuicide

[1]



parasympathetic

parasympathetic
par·a·sym·pa·thet·ic 
[pèrrə símpə théttik] adjective

of
parasympathetic nervous system: relating or belonging
to the parasympathetic nervous system
[Early 20th century. Because
some of the nerves run beside sympathetic nerves.][1]



parasympatheticnervous system

parasympatheticnervous system
par·a·sym·pa·thet·ic
nerv·ous sys·tem noun

part of nervous system:
one of the two divisions in the part of the nervous system that controls
involuntary and unconscious bodily functions ( autonomic
nervous system ). Its actions include slowing the heart, constricting
the pupils, and relaxing the bowels.
See also
sympathetic nervous system[1]



parasynthesis

parasynthesis
par·a·syn·the·sis 
[pèrrə sínthəssiss] (plural par·a·syn·the·ses
[pèrrə sínthə sz]) noun

formation
of words:
the formation of words by a combination of smaller words and additional
elements. For example, “heavy-handed” combines the adjective “heavy” with
“handed,” which in turn is “hand” with “-ed” added.
—par·a·syn·thet·ic [pèrrə sin théttik], adjective[1]



parasyntheton

parasyntheton
par·a·syn·the·ton
[pèrrə sínthə tòn] (plural par·a·syn·the·ta
[pèrrə sínthətə]) noun

word formed by parasynthesis:
a word formed by the combination of smaller words and additional elements[1]



parataxis

parataxis
par·a·tax·is 
[pèrrə táksiss] noun

clauses
joined without using conjunctions: the combination of
clauses or phrases without the use of conjunctions such as “and” or “so,” for
example, in “He saved my life –he deserves a medal.”
See
also
asyndeton
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek, from paratassein “to place side by side,” from tassein
“to arrange.”]
—par·a·tac·tic
[pèrrə táktik], adjective

—par·a·tac·ti·cal·ly [pèrrə táktikəlee], adverb[1]



parathion

parathion
par·a·thi·on 
[pèrrə th òn] noun

insecticide:
a colorless highly toxic oil that is used as an insecticide. C10H14NO5PS
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from para- 1 + thiophosphate
+ -on .][1]



parathyroid

parathyroid
par·a·thy·roid 
[pèrrə th ròyd] adjective

1.  of
parathyroid glands: relating to or produced by
the parathyroid glands

2.  near
thyroid gland: in the area around the thyroid gland
noun
(plural par·a·thy·roids)

See parathyroid gland

[1]



parathyroidectomy

parathyroidectomy
par·a·thy·roid·ec·to·my 
[pèrrə thī roy déktəmee] (plural par·a·thy·roid·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal of parathyroid gland:
the surgical removal of one or more of the parathyroid glands[1]



parathyroidgland

parathyroidgland
par·a·thy·roid
gland
(plural par·a·thy·roid glands) noun

gland near thyroid:
any of four small glands that lie in or near the walls of the thyroid gland.
They secrete a hormone that controls the depositing of calcium and phosphorus
in bones.
Also called
parathyroid[1]



parathyroidhormone

parathyroidhormone
par·a·thy·roid
hor·mone
noun

hormone regulating calcium in
bones: a hormone secreted by the
parathyroid glands that controls the depositing of calcium and phosphorus in
bones[1]



paratrooper

paratrooper
par·a·troop·er 
[pérrə trpər] (plural par·a·troop·ers)
noun

soldier trained to use
parachute: a soldier trained to go into
battle by parachute, especially one who is also a member of an airborne unit[1]



paratroops

paratroops
par·a·troops 
[pérrə trps] plural noun

soldiers
who parachute: soldiers trained to parachute directly
into action, or into enemy territory • a
paratroop regiment
—par·a·troop, adjective[1]



paratyphoidfever

paratyphoidfever
par·a·ty·phoid
fe·ver 
noun

disease like mild typhoid:
an infectious bacterial disease similar to typhoid but with much less severe
symptoms, usually limited to a pink rash, diarrhea, and some abdominal pain[1]



paravane

paravane
par·a·vane 
[pérrə vàyn] (plural par·a·vanes)
noun

mine
remover:
a torpedo-shaped device with sharp fins at the front, towed by a ship to cut
the moorings of submerged mines
[Early 20th century. Coined
from para- “protector” (modeled on parasol ) + vane
.][1]



paravion

paravion
par
a·vi·on 
[pr ə vyáwn, pr
aa vyáwN] adverb

by
air mail:
by air mail
[From French, literally “by
airplane”][1]



parazoan

parazoan
par·a·zo·an
[pèrrə zṓ ən] (plural par·a·zo·a
[pèrrə zṓ ə]) noun

sponge:
a member of the subkingdom of invertebrate animals that includes sponges.
Subkingdom: Parazoa
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, subkingdom name, from para- 1 on the
model of protozoan and metazoan .][1]



parboil

parboil
par·boil 
[pr bòyl] (past par·boiled, past
participle par·boiled, present participle par·boil·ing,
3rd person present singular par·boils) transitive verb

partly
cook something by boiling: to boil something,
especially a vegetable, until it is partly cooked, usually before frying or
roasting it
[15th century. Via Old French
parboillir “to boil thoroughly,” from, ultimately, Latin bullire
“to boil.” Originally “boil thoroughly,” later “boil partially” (influenced by part ).][1]



parbuckle

parbuckle
par·buck·le 
[pr bùk’l] (plural par·buck·les)
noun

rope
sling:
a rope sling for lifting or lowering barrels, logs, or similar objects
[Early 17th century.
Alteration (influenced by buckle ) of
earlier parbunkle, of unknown origin.][1]



Parcae

Parcae
Par·cae 
[prsee] plural noun

Roman
goddesses of fate: in Roman mythology, the
Fates. Greek equivalent Moirai
[Late 16th century. From
Latin .][1]



parcel

parcel
par·cel 
[prs’l] noun (plural par·cels)

1.  something
wrapped up:
one or more things wrapped up together in paper or other packaging

2.  portion:
any of the portions into which something is divided, especially a piece of land
that was originally part of a larger area

3.  COMMERCE batch
of commercial goods: a specific quantity of
wholesale merchandise, or a sales transaction involving such a batch

4.  bunch:
a collection of people or things (archaic or literary) “a parcel of
rascals” Thomas Paine The Age of Reason 1794
transitive
verb
(past par·celed, past participle par·celed, present
participle par·cel·ing, 3rd person present singular par·cels)

1.  make
parcel of something: to wrap something or a group
of things into a parcel

2.  NAUTICAL protect
rope:
to bind canvas tightly around rope or cable to protect it
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin particula, literally “small part.” Originally
“part, detail.”][1]



parcel-gilt

parcel-gilt
par·cel-gilt
adjective

partly gilded:
partly gilded, often on the inside but not on the outside[1]



parcelout

parcelout
parcel
out
transitive verb

share out:
to divide and distribute something between a number of people[1]



parcelpost

parcelpost
par·cel
post
noun

postal service for parcels:
the postal service that collects, processes, and delivers packages[1]



parcenary

parcenary
par·ce·nar·y 
[prs’n èrree] noun

LAW See coparcenary
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman, from parcen “portion.”][1]



parch

parch
parch 
[paarch] (past parched, past
participle parched, present participle parch·ing, 3rd
person present singular parch·es) transitive verb

dry
out:
to make somebody or something extremely dry through water deprivation or
exposure to heat
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



parched

parched
parched
[paarcht] adjective

1.  thirsty:
very thirsty (informal)

2.  dry:
completely lacking in moisture because of hot conditions or lack of rainfall

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dry

[1]



Parcheesi

Parcheesi
Par·chee·si
[paar chzee] Trademark

a trademark for a board game
based on pachisi, an ancient game[1]



parchment

parchment
parch·ment 
[prchmənt] (plural parch·ments)
noun

1.  former
writing material: a creamy or yellowish material made from
dried and treated sheepskin, goatskin, or other animal hide, used in former
times for books and documents

2.  document:
a manuscript or other work written, drawn, or painted on a sheet of parchment

3.  PRINTING PAPER high-quality paper:
strong, smooth or textured, usually off-white paper that is used for special
documents, letters, or artwork
[13th century. From Old
French parchemin, via Latin pergamena, from, ultimately, Greek Pergamon,
the city of Pergamum in Asia Minor.][1]



parclose

parclose
par·close
[pr klz] (plural par·closes)
noun

CHRISTIANITY screen
in church:
a screen or railing that separates or encloses a side chapel, private tomb, or
other special area within a large church
[15th century. From Old
French, the past participle of parclore “to close off, enclose,” from
Latin claudere “to close.”][1]



parcourse

parcourse
par·course
[paar kr] (plural par·courses)
noun

fitness
trail:
a training circuit in a park or other open space, where people can walk or run
between stations equipped with equipment and instructions for specific fitness
exercises
[Partial translation of
French parcours “course,” a loan translation of medieval Latin percursus,
literally “running through,” from percurrere, literally “to run
through”][1]



pard

pard2
pard2  [paard]
(plural pards) noun

(slang)
See pardner
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



pard

pard1
pard1  [paard]
(plural pards) noun

leopard:
a large cat, especially a leopard or a panther (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek pardos, of Iranian origin.][1]



pardner

pardner
pard·ner 
[prdnər] (plural pard·ners) noun

partner:
used to address a friend, in imitation of the cowboy’s supposed pronunciation
of the word “partner” (slang)
Also called
pard[1]



pardon

pardon
par·don 
[prd’n] transitive verb (past
par·doned, past participle par·doned, present
participle par·don·ing, 3rd person present singular par·dons)

1.  forgive
somebody for wrongdoing: to pronounce the official
release of somebody who has committed a crime or other wrongdoing from
punishment, or the official forgiving of a crime or wrongdoing

2.  excuse
somebody for something impolite: to excuse somebody for
doing something impolite, or to excuse something impolite, for example,
interrupting or contradicting somebody
noun
(plural par·dons)

1.  release
from punishment: the act of officially releasing somebody
guilty of a crime or wrongdoing from facing punishment

2.  paper
authorizing freedom from punishment: an
official document stating that somebody may be released without receiving any
or any further punishment

3.  act
of excusing somebody: the excusing of an impolite
act or the forgiving of the person committing it

4.  CHRISTIANITY indulgence:
an indulgence (dated informal)
interjection
U.K.

1.  what
did you say?: used as a request to somebody to repeat
something that has just been said

2.  used
as an apology for doing something impolite or wrong
[13th
century. Via Old French pardun (noun) and pardoner (verb),
literally “to grant thoroughly,” from, ultimately, Latin donare “to
give, grant.”]
—par·don·a·ble,
adjective

—par·don·a·bly,
adverb
pardon
me

1.  used
as an apology for doing something impolite or wrong

2.  used
as a request to somebody to repeat something that has just been said

[1]



pardoner

pardoner
par·don·er 
[prd’nər] (plural par·don·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who pardons: somebody who gives a pardon

2.  CHRISTIANITY HISTORY seller
of religious pardons: somebody who, in medieval
times, made a living by selling papal indulgences that were believed to free
people from their sins

[1]



pare

pare
pare 
[pair] (past pared, past
participle pared, present participle par·ing, 3rd
person present singular pares) transitive verb

1.  remove
outer layer: to remove the skin or outer layer of
something such as a vegetable or fruit thinly and neatly

2.  trim
nails:
to trim something such as fingernails or toenails
[13th century. Via Old French
parer “to prepare, trim,” from Latin parare (source of English prepare, repair,
rampart, and parade ).][1]



paredown

paredown
pare
down
transitive verb

gradually reduce amount or
number: to reduce a total amount or
number, usually an amount of money or a number of workers, slowly and steadily[1]



paregoric

paregoric
par·e·gor·ic 
[pèrrə gáwrik] noun

opium-based
painkiller:
a former painkilling medicine in the form of camphorated tincture of opium.
Originally freely available without prescription, it was a major source of
opium addiction.
adjective

soothing:
soothing or painkilling
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek parēgorikos “soothing,” from para “beside” + agoreuein
“to speak.”][1]



paren.

paren.
paren.

Abbreviation of
parenthesis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








parenchyma

parenchyma
pa·ren·chy·ma 
[pə réngkəmə] noun

1.  BOTANY plant
tissue:
soft plant tissue made up of thin-walled cells that forms the greater part of
leaves, stem pith, roots, and fruit pulp

2.  ANATOMY specialized
organ tissue: the tissue that makes up the specialized
parts of particular organs, rather than the blood vessels and connective or
supporting tissue

3.  ZOOLOGY worm
tissue:
the loose meshwork of cells that surrounds internal organs and fills spaces
inside the body of animals such as flatworms
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek paregkhuma “soft tissue,” from paregkhein
“to pour in beside,” from khein “to pour.”]
—par·en·chym·a·tous [pèrrən kímmətəss], adjective[1]



parent

parent
par·ent 
[páirənt] noun (plural par·ents)

1.  mother
or father:
somebody’s mother, father, or legal guardian

2.  origin
of something else: something from which one or
more similar and separate things have developed, or to which they are attached
(often used before a noun) • money
transferred from the parent fund

3.  SCIENCE earlier
atomic form: an atom, molecule, or ion that undergoes
change to become a new product. The starting components in a chemical reaction
are the parent molecules. (often used before a noun)

4.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS particle’s
earlier form: a radioactive particle that
disintegrates to give a new particle ( nuclide
) as a subsequent member of a radioactive decay series (often used before a
noun)
transitive
verb
(past par·ent·ed, past participle par·ent·ed, present
participle par·ent·ing, 3rd person present singular par·ents)

act as parent to:
to be or act as a parent to somebody or something
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin parent-, the present participle stem of parere “to
give birth” (source of English parturition,
viper, and repertory ).][1]



parentage

parentage
par·ent·age 
[páirəntij] noun

1.  somebody’s
parents:
the parents or ancestors of a particular person, especially when regarded in
terms of social characteristics

2.  derivation:
the particular origins or sources that something has developed from

3.  See
parenthood

[1]



parental

parental
pa·ren·tal 
[pə rént’l] adjective

1.  of
parents:
relating to, belonging to, or provided by parents

2.  GENETICS original:
used to describe the original generation of individuals from which all
subsequent generations have been bred
—pa·ren·tal·ly, adverb[1]



parentalleave

parentalleave
pa·ren·tal
leave
noun

time off for new parent:
time off from work, granted to a parent to care for a new child[1]



parenteral

parenteral
par·en·ter·al 
[pə réntərəl] adjective

injected,
infused, or implanted: used to describe drug
administration other than by the mouth or the rectum, for example, by
injection, infusion, or implantation
[Early
20th century. Formed from para- 1 + Greek enteron
“intestine” (source of English dysentery
).]
—par·en·ter·al·ly, adverb[1]



parenthesis

parenthesis
pa·ren·the·sis 
[pə rénthəssiss] (plural pa·ren·the·ses
[pə rénthə sz]) noun

1.  upright
curved mark in punctuation: one of a pair of shallow,
curved signs (, ) used to enclose an additional inserted word or comment and
distinguish it from the sentence in which it is found

2.  words
within parentheses: a word or phrase that
comments on or qualifies part of the sentence in which it is found and is
isolated from it by parentheses or dashes

3.  departure
from topic:
a piece of speech or writing that wanders off from the main topic

4.  interval:
something that acts as a pause or break in something (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek, formed from parentithenai “to
insert,” from tithenai “to place.”]
in
parenthesis

as an additional qualifying,
explanatory, or otherwise separate comment[1]



parenthesize

parenthesize
pa·ren·the·size
[pə rénthə sz] (past pa·ren·the·sized,
past participle pa·ren·the·sized, present participle pa·ren·the·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular pa·ren·the·siz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
something in parentheses: to enclose part of a written
or printed passage in parentheses

2.  transitive
verb
add
something as extra comment: to add a word, phrase, or
opinion as an extra comment that is not wholly related to what is being said

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb insert
extra comments: to break up speech or writing with extra
comments added throughout

[1]



parenthetical

parenthetical
par·en·thet·i·cal 
[pèrrən théttik’l] or par·en·thet·ic
[pèrrən théttik] adjective

1.  additional:
added as an extra comment or parenthesis

2.  containing
parentheses: used to describe writing that uses or
contains additional comments or notes added as parentheses
[Early
17th century]
—par·en·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



parenthood

parenthood
par·ent·hood 
[páirənt hd] noun

state of being a parent:
the role or experience of being a parent, or the way of life that being a
parent imposes.
Also called
parentage[1]



parenting

parenting
par·ent·ing 
[páirənting] noun

child-rearing:
the experiences, skills, qualities, and responsibilities involved in being a
parent and in teaching and caring for a child (often used before a noun)
• parenting
skills[1]



parentmetal

parentmetal
par·ent
met·al
(plural par·ent met·als) noun

metal of component to be
welded: in welding, the metal of any
of the components that are to be welded together[1]



Parent-TeacherAssociation

Parent-TeacherAssociation
Par·ent-Teach·er
As·so·ci·a·tion (plural Par·ent-Teach·er
As·so·ci·a·tions) noun

school organization of
parents and teachers: a school
body run by teachers and parents to organize fundraising and social events and
encourage cooperation and understanding[1]



paresis

paresis
pa·re·sis 
[pə rssiss, pérrəssiss]
noun

partial
inability to move: muscular weakness or partial
inability to move caused by diseases of the nervous system
[Late 17th century. From
Greek, literally “letting go,” formed from para “aside” + hienai
“to throw” (see catheter ).][1]



paresthesia

paresthesia
par·es·the·si·a 
[pèrrəs thzhə, pèrrəs
thzhee ə] noun

skin
sensation with unknown cause: an abnormal or unexplained
tingling, pricking, or burning sensation on the skin
[Late 19th century. Coined
from para- 1 + Greek aesthēsis
“feeling.”][1]



pareu

pareu
pa·re·u 
[p ray ] (plural pa·re·us) noun

Polynesian
sarong:
a length of fabric worn wrapped around the hips by both men and women in
Polynesian countries
[Mid-19th century. From
Tahitian .][1]



parev

parev
pa·rev
[prəvə] or pa·re·ve [prəvə] or par·veh [prvə] or par·ve [prvə] adjective

not
a meat or dairy product: used to classify a food
that, under Jewish law, is neither a dairy nor a meat product and can therefore
be eaten with either as part of the same meal.
See
also
fleishig
See
also
milchig
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish .][1]



parexcellence

parexcellence
par
ex·cel·lence  [paar èksə
lNss] adjective

of
highest quality: of the very best kind or highest quality
[From French, literally “by
virtue of preeminence”][1]



parfait

parfait
par·fait 
[paar fáy] (plural par·faits or
par·fait) noun

1.  cold
fruit dessert: a sweet dish composed of various layers,
including ice cream, fruit, syrup, and whipped cream

2.  creamy
frozen dessert: a rich dessert consisting of frozen
whipped cream or rich ice cream flavored with fruit. It is sometimes lightened
with egg whites to give it a texture similar to that of mousse.
[Late 19th century. Via
French, literally “perfect,” from Latin perfectus “perfect.”][1]



parfaitglass

parfaitglass
par·fait
glass
(plural par·fait glass·es) noun

glass for serving dessert in:
a short-stemmed glass with a tall, rather narrow body designed to show off the
contrasting layers of a parfait[1]



parfleche

parfleche
par·fleche 
[pr flèsh] (plural par·flech·es)
noun

1.  dried
animal skin: the hide of an animal, soaked and
scraped to remove the hair, then stretched and dried, but not tanned

2.  animal-skin
article:
a shield, bag, or other item made of parfleche
[Early 19th century. From
Canadian French, formed from French parer “to defend” + flèche
“arrow.”][1]



parget

parget
par·get 
[prjət] noun

1.  plaster
for walls or chimneys: plaster, whitewash,
roughcast, or any similar material used to coat walls or line chimneys

2.  plasterwork:
ornamental plasterwork on a wall
transitive
verb
(past par·get·ed, past participle par·get·ed, present
participle par·get·ing, 3rd person present singular par·gets)

coat something with parget:
to cover walls, line chimneys, or decorate something with parget
[14th
century. Alteration (influenced by Old French parjeter “to throw about”)
of Old French porgeter “to plaster a wall,” from jeter “to
throw.”]
—par·get·ing, noun[1]



parhelia

parhelia
par·he·li·a


Plural of
parhelion[1]



parheliccircle

parheliccircle
par·he·lic
cir·cle 
[paar hlik sk’l] noun

band of light in sky:
a luminous horizontal band in the sky that passes through the Sun and is caused
by the Sun’s rays reflecting off ice crystals in the atmosphere[1]



parhelion

parhelion
par·he·li·on 
[paar hlee ən, paar
hlyən] (plural par·he·li·a [paar
hlee ə]) noun

bright
spot on parhelic circle: a bright colored spot on a
parhelic circle, often seen in pairs and caused by ice crystals in the
atmosphere diffracting light.
Also
called
mock sun
Also
called
sundog
See
also
anthelion
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek parēlion, from para “beside” + hēlios
“sun” (see helio- ).]
—par·he·li·a·cal
[prhi l ək’l], adjective

—par·he·lic [paar hlik], adjective[1]



pari-

pari-
pari-
prefix

equal
• parisyllabic
[From Latin, formed from par
(see par )][1]



pariah

pariah
pa·ri·ah 
[pə r ə] (plural pa·ri·ahs) noun

1.  outcast:
somebody who is despised and avoided by other people

2.  somebody
of low caste: in India and Myanmar, a member of a
caste that is lower than the four main Hindu castes. A pariah usually does
domestic or agricultural work.
[Early 17th century. From
Tamil paṟaiyan, literally “drummer,” from paṟai “festival drum,”
because hereditary drummers belonged to this caste.][1]



pariahdog

pariahdog
pa·ri·ah
dog
(plural pa·ri·ah dogs) noun

See
pye-dog
[Because it is seen as
belonging to the fringes of society, like the pariah caste][1]



Parian

Parian
Par·i·an 
[páiree ən] adjective

1.  INDUSTRY of
marble from Paros: used to describe a fine
white marble that was mined on the Greek island of Paros in ancient times

2.  CERAMICS of
porcelain from Paros: used to describe a variety
of fine porcelain used mainly to make figures and originally from the Greek
island of Paros

3.  of
Paros:
relating to or from the Greek island of Paros
noun
(plural Par·i·ans)

PEOPLES somebody
from Paros:
somebody who was born in or is an inhabitant of the Greek island of Paros
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin Parius .][1]



parietal

parietal
pa·ri·e·tal 
[pə r ət’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY of
walls of hollow part: relating to the walls of any
hollow part of a plant or animal such as a plant’s ovary or an animal’s skull

2.  EDUCATION of
in-college residence: relating to residence within
a college
noun
(plural pa·ri·e·tals)

BIOLOGY parietal
part:
a parietal part of a plant or animal
plural
noun
pa·ri·e·tals

EDUCATION college
visiting rules: the rules governing who can and cannot
visit a college dormitory, especially in relation to members of the opposite
sex
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French from late Latin parietalis, from paries “wall.”][1]



parietalbone

parietalbone

pa·ri·e·tal bone
(plural pa·ri·e·tal bones) noun
bone forming skull:
either of two bones, one on each side of the skull, that form a part of the
sides and roof of the skull[1]



parietalcell

parietalcell
pa·ri·e·tal
cell
(plural pa·ri·e·tal cells) noun

cell in peptic gland:
any one of the cells that make up the peptic glands of the stomach and secrete
hydrochloric acid[1]



parietallobe

parietallobe

pa·ri·e·tal lobe
(plural pa·ri·e·tal lobes) noun
part of brain:
the middle region of each of the two hemispheres of the brain, lying beneath
the crown of the skull[1]



pari-mutuel

pari-mutuel
par·i-mu·tu·el 
[pèrri mychoo əl] (plural par·i-mu·tu·els
[pèrri mychoo əl] or par·is-mu·tu·els
[pèrri mychoo əl]) noun

1.  system
of betting on horseraces: a system of betting on
horseraces using an electronic machine that totals all bets, deducts management
charges and taxes, and determines the final odds and payouts.
Also
called
mutuel
U.K.
term
tote

2.  betting
machine:
a machine that records bets and calculates winnings in the pari-mutuel betting
system.
Also
called
mutuel
[From French, literally
“mutual wager”][1]



paring

paring
par·ing 
[páiring] (plural par·ings) noun

small piece:
something such as a thin slice of fruit or vegetable peel that has been pared
or cut off something larger[1]



paringknife

paringknife
par·ing
knife
noun

small kitchen knife:
a short tapered knife with a sharp blade designed for removing the outer skin
of vegetables or fruit[1]



paripassu

paripassu
pa·ri
pas·su 
[pèrri pá s, pri
p s] adverb

1.  LAW fairly:
at an equal rate or in an otherwise fair way, with no one person or group
taking precedence over another

2.  at
same rate:
together, step for step (literary)
[From Latin, literally “with
equal step”][1]



paripinnate

paripinnate
par·i·pin·nate 
[pèrri pí nàyt, pérri
pínnət] adjective

See
even-pinnate[1]



Paris

Paris1
Par·is1  [pérriss]
noun

hero
of Greek mythology: in Greek mythology, a Trojan
prince whose abduction of Helen, the wife of Menelaus started the Trojan War
[Via Latin from Greek][1]



Paris

Paris2

Par·is2  [párriss,
French pa r]

1.  capital
city of France, situated in the north central part of the country. Population:
2,152,423 (1990)

2.        city
in the Red River valley in northeastern Texas. Population: 24,699 (1990)[1]



Paris




Back to definition

Paris2

[1]



Parisgreen

Parisgreen
Par·is
green
noun

blue-green
powder:
a bright blue-green toxic powder used to add color to paint. It is also used as
an insecticide and a wood preserver. It is a double salt of copper acetate and
copper arsenate. (CuO)3As2O3.Cu(Cu2H3O2)2
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the city of Paris, France.][1]



parish

parish
par·ish 
[pérrish] (plural par·ish·es) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY district
with own church: in the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and
some other churches, a division of a diocese that has its own church and clergy
member (often used before a noun) • the
parish priest

2.  CHRISTIANITY people
of parish:
the people who live in a particular parish

3.  POLITICS administrative
area in Louisiana: an administrative area in
the state of Louisiana that corresponds to a county in other states
[13th century. Via Old French
parroche and ecclesiastical Latin parochia, from, ultimately,
Greek paroikos “neighbor,” literally “dwelling nearby,” from oikos
“dwelling.”][1]



parishioner

parishioner
pa·rish·ion·er 
[pə ríshənər] (plural pa·rish·ion·ers)
noun

member
of parish:
somebody who lives in a particular religious or civil parish
[15th century. Formed from
earlier parishon, from Old French parochien, from parroche
(see parish ).][1]



Parisian

Parisian
Pa·ri·si·an 
[pə rzh’n] noun (plural Pa·ri·si·ans)

resident
of Paris:
somebody who was born in or who lives in the French city of Paris
adjective

of Paris:
relating to Paris, its people, or its culture[1]



parisyllabic

parisyllabic
par·i·syl·lab·ic
[pèrri si lábbik] adjective

with equal syllables in all
inflections: used to describe a noun
or verb that contains the same number of syllables in all of its inflections[1]



parity

parity1
par·i·ty1  [pérrətee]
noun

1.  equality:
equality of status or position, especially in terms of pay or rank

2.  similarity
between things: the quality of being similar or
identical

3.  MATHEMATICS relationship
between numbers: a relationship of oddness or evenness
between two numbers ( integers ). If two numbers are both odd or both even,
they are said to have the same parity . If one is odd and one is even, they
have different parity.

4.  FINANCE equality
of exchange rate: equivalence in the rate of exchange
between several currencies

5.  COMPUTING integrity
of transmitted data: equivalence between the data
transmitted, for example, by fax or e-mail, and the data received. Errors are
checked by comparing the quantity of 1s in the message sent with the quantity
in the message received.
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via Old French parite, from late Latin paritas, from par
“equal” (see par ).][1]



parity

parity2
par·i·ty2  [pérrətee]
noun

1.  condition
of having given birth: the condition or fact of
having given birth

2.  number
of children: the number of children that a particular
woman has given birth to
[Late 19th century. Coined
from parous + -ity .][1]



park

park
park 
[paark] noun (plural parks)

1.  LEISURE area
for public recreation: a publicly owned area of
land, usually with grass, trees, paths, sports fields, playgrounds, picnic
areas, and other features for recreation and relaxation

2.  ENVIRONMENT protected
area of countryside: an area of land reserved and
managed so that it remains unspoiled, undeveloped, and as natural as possible

3.  LEISURE privately
owned recreation facility: an area of privately owned
land, developed to offer recreation or amusements to paying customers

4.  BUSINESS business
site:
an area of land developed for a group of related commercial enterprises • a
high-technology park

5.  SPORTS stadium
or sports field: a sports stadium or sports field

6.  TRANSPORT road
or district: a street or district, especially in a
suburban area (often used in place names)

7.  AUTOMOBILES position
on automatic gearbox: a position on the gear
selector of an automatic gearbox that acts as a parking brake for a motor
vehicle

8.  MILITARY area
housing military vehicles: a designated area where
military vehicles are kept, within a military base
verb
(past parked, past participle parked, present
participle park·ing, 3rd person present singular parks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES stop and leave vehicle:
to stop a motor vehicle beside or off the road and leave it there for some time

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES maneuver motor vehicle
into space:
to maneuver a motor vehicle into a space in order to park it

3.  transitive
verb
settle
somewhere:
to sit down somewhere, usually with the intention of staying there for some
time (slang) • Just
park yourself over there.

4.  transitive
verb
leave
something somewhere: to place or leave something
somewhere temporarily, especially something heavy, bulky, or unwanted (slang)

5.  intransitive
verb
kiss
in parked car: to kiss and cuddle in a parked car in a
quiet and secluded location (slang)

6.  transitive
verb
SPACE TECHNOLOGY place
spacecraft in orbit: to place a spacecraft or
satellite in orbit, usually temporarily
[13th
century. Via Old French parc from medieval Latin parricus,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “enclosure” that is also
the ancestor of English paddock .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Mansfield
  Park, a novel by the English writer Jane Austen ( 1814 ). It tells the story
  of young Fanny Price, who is sent to live with her wealthy relatives, the
  Bertrams. Fanny’s warmth and moral strength, which are contrasted with her
  uncle’s stern traditionalism and the irresponsible flirtations of her
  neighbors Mary and Henry Crawford, eventually win her the respect of the
  family and the hand of her cousin Edmund.

[1]



parka

parka
par·ka 
[prkə] (plural par·kas) noun

1.  long,
hooded jacket: a warm, knee- or thigh-length jacket
with a hood that is often lined with fur or imitation fur

2.  coat
of animal skin: a thick, fur-lined, hooded outer garment
for Arctic conditions, pulled on over the head. Traditionally, parkas are made
of animal hide and worn by the Inuit and Aleut people.
[Late 18th century. From
Russian, “pelt, skin jacket,” of Nenets origin.][1]



parkade

parkade
par·kade
[pr kàyd] (plural par·kades) noun

multilevel
parking lot: a parking lot with several stories
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from park, probably on the model of arcade .][1]



Parker,Bonnie

Parker,Bonnie
Par·ker
[prkər], Bonnie (1910–1934)

U.S. outlaw. With Clyde
Barrow (1909–1934) she robbed banks and killed 12 people. Both were killed in a
police ambush.[1]



Parker,Charlie

Parker,Charlie

Par·ker 
[prkər], Charlie (1920–1955)
U.S.
musician and composer. He was an alto saxophonist and pioneer of the be-bop
movement in jazz.
Known as
Yardbird or Bird Full name Parker, Jr., Charles[1]



Parker,Dorothy

Parker,Dorothy

Par·ker
[prkər], Dorothy (1893–1967)
U.S.
writer and critic. She is known for her sardonic stories, poetry, and reviews
for the New Yorker magazine.
Full name
Parker, Dorothy Rothschild[1]



Parkersburg

Parkersburg
Par·kers·burg 
[prkərz bùrg]

city and port in western West
Virginia, at the confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio rivers. Population:
32,766 (1996)[1]



Parker,Theodore

Parker,Theodore
Par·ker
[prkər], Theodore (1810–1860)

U.S. clergyman and reformer.
He supported prison reform and the abolitionist movement.[1]



ParkForest

ParkForest
Park
For·est
[paarkfáwrist]

village in northeastern
Illinois, near the Illinois-Indiana border. It is a southern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 24,513 (1996)[1]



parking

parking
park·ing 
[prking] noun

1.  stopping
and leaving vehicle: the action of driving a road
vehicle into a position beside or off the road and leaving it there

2.  space
to leave vehicles: spaces in which vehicles may
be parked

3.  kissing
in parked car: kissing and cuddling in a parked car in
a quiet and secluded location (slang)

4.  Midwestern
U.S.
strip
of grass:
the strip of grass, often planted with trees, between a sidewalk and a street

[1]



parkinglight

parkinglight
park·ing
light
(plural park·ing lights) noun

small light on vehicle:
either of the two small lights on a motor vehicle used in conditions of poor
light but not poor enough to warrant the use of headlights.
U.K. term
sidelight[1]



parkinglot

parkinglot
park·ing
lot
(plural park·ing lots) noun

1.  place
where motor vehicles are parked: an open area of ground
in which people can park their automobiles.
U.K.
term
car park

2.  traffic
jam:
a traffic jam (slang)

[1]



parkingmeter

parkingmeter
park·ing
me·ter
(plural park·ing me·ters) noun

machine for buying parking
time: a coin-operated roadside
meter that displays the length of time for which a vehicle may remain legally
parked in a parking space.
Also called
meter[1]



parkingorbit

parkingorbit
park·ing
or·bit
(plural park·ing or·bits) noun

spacecraft’s temporary orbit:
a temporary orbit of a spacecraft while preparations are made for the next step
in its program[1]



Parkinsonism

Parkinsonism
Par·kin·son·ism 
[prkinsə nìzzəm] noun

group of nervous disorders:
any of a group of incurable nervous disorders that includes Parkinson’s
disease, marked by the symptoms of trembling limbs and muscular rigidity. These
disorders may be caused by the frequent use of certain drugs or by exposure to
chemicals.
Also called
Parkinson’s syndrome[1]



Parkinson’sdisease

Parkinson’sdisease
Par·kin·son’s
dis·ease 
noun

incurable
nervous disorder: an incurable nervous disorder marked by
the symptoms of trembling hands, lifeless face, monotone voice, and a slow,
shuffling walk. It is generally caused by the degeneration of
dopamine-producing brain cells, and is the commonest form of Parkinsonism.
Also
called
paralysis agitans
[Late 19th century. Named for
the English physician James Parkinson (1755–1824), who described it.][1]



Parkinson’slaw

Parkinson’slaw
Par·kin·son’s
law
noun

work
expands to fill available time: the observation that
work always expands to fill the time set aside for it
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the English historian C. Northcote Parkinson (1909–1993), who formulated
it.][1]



Parkinson’ssyndrome

Parkinson’ssyndrome
Par·kin·son’s
syn·drome
noun

See
Parkinsonism[1]



parkland

parkland
park·land 
[prk lànd] noun

land in park:
the land contained within a park, especially when the grassland contains shrubs
and trees[1]



Park,Mungo

Park,Mungo
Park 
[paark], Mungo (1771–1806)

Scottish explorer. He
explored the Niger River and wrote Travels in the Interior Districts of
Africa (1799). In a subsequent expedition his party was attacked, and he
drowned.[1]



ParkRidge

ParkRidge
Park
Ridge
[paarkrijj]

city in northeastern
Illinois, west of Niles. It is a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Population:
37,039 (1996)[1]



Parks,Gordon

Parks,Gordon
Parks
[paarks], Gordon (1912– )

U.S. writer, photographer,
and movie director. His movies include The Learning Tree (1969), which
was based on his own novel, and Shaft ( 1971 ).[1]



Parks,Rosa

Parks,Rosa

Parks 
[paarks], Rosa (1913– )
U.S.
civil rights leader. Her arrest in Alabama for not relinquishing her bus seat
to a white passenger (1955) led to Martin Luther King’s boycott campaign of the
bus company and gave impetus to the campaign for civil rights.
Full name
Parks, Rosa Louise[1]



parkway

parkway
park·way 
[prk wày] (plural park·ways) noun

U.S.,
Australia wide road with grass and
trees: a wide stretch of public
highway with grassy areas on both sides, often divided by a grassy median.
Parkways are often designed to link separate areas on the outskirts of a city,
with the design including trees, shrubs, and other landscaped features.[1]



Parl.

Parl.
Parl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Parliament

2.  Parl.
or parl. Abbreviation of parliamentary

[1]



parlance

parlance
par·lance 
[prləns] noun

1.  particular
way of talking: the style of speech or writing used by
people in a particular context or profession

2.  speech:
speech, especially in a conversation
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French from parler “to speak.”][1]



parlando

parlando
par·lan·do 
[paar lndō] adverb

in
speaking style: sung in a style that suggests speech,
usually without pitch or with less clear pitch (used as a musical direction)
[Late
19th century. From Italian, literally “speaking.”]
—par·lan·do, adjective[1]



parlay

parlay
par·lay 
[pr lày, prlee]
transitive verb (past par·layed, past participle par·layed,
present participle par·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular
par·lays)

1.  bet
winnings on: to stake an original bet and its
winnings on a subsequent bet

2.  use
advantage:
to make good use of an asset or advantage to obtain success
noun
(plural par·lays)

instance of betting winnings:
a bet in which winnings from a previous bet are gambled
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of obsolete paroli, via French and Italian, from, ultimately,
Italian parare “to place a bet,” from Latin (see prepare ).][1]



parley

parley
par·ley 
[prlee] intransitive verb (past
par·leyed, past participle par·leyed, present
participle par·ley·ing, 3rd person present singular par·leys)

confer:
to talk or negotiate, especially with an enemy
noun
(plural par·leys)

discussion:
a talk or negotiation, especially between opposing military forces (dated)
[Late 16th century. From Old
French parlee, via parler “to speak” from late Latin parabolare,
from parabola “talk.”][1]



parliament

parliament
par·lia·ment 
[prləmənt] (plural par·lia·ments)
noun

1.  legislative
body:
a nation’s legislative body, made up of elected and sometimes nonelected
representatives

2.  assembly
of parliament: an assembly of a parliament, created
following an election and dissolved before the next election
[13th century. From Old
French parlement, from parler “to speak.” The underlying meaning
is “discussion, consultation.”][1]



Parliament

Parliament
Par·lia·ment 
noun

United Kingdom legislative
body: the supreme legislative body
in various countries. In the United Kingdom, Parliament consists of the House
of Commons and the House of Lords.[1]



Parliamentarian

Parliamentarian
Par·lia·men·tar·i·an 
(plural Par·lia·men·tar·i·ans) noun

Cromwell supporter:
during the English Civil War, a supporter or member of Oliver Cromwell’s
parliamentary army against King Charles I[1]



parliamentarian

parliamentarian
par·lia·men·tar·i·an 
[prlə men táiree ən, prləmən táiree ən] (plural par·lia·men·tar·i·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
in parliament: a member of a parliament

2.  expert
in how parliaments work: an expert in parliamentary
procedures and parliamentary history
[Early 17th century][1]



parliamentarianism

parliamentarianism
par·lia·men·tar·i·an·ism
[prlə men táiree ə nìzzəm, prləmən táiree ə nìzzəm] noun

parliamentary system:
government of a country by a parliament, or support for this kind of government[1]



parliamentary

parliamentary
par·lia·men·ta·ry 
[prlə méntəree, prlə
méntree] adjective

1.  of
parliaments: relating to parliaments, or in the form
of a parliament • parliamentary
government

2.  fitting
for parliament: used to describe language and behavior
considered to conform to the standards that apply to a parliament

[1]



parlor

parlor
par·lor 
[prlər] (plural par·lors) noun

1.  living
room for entertaining guests: a living room that is set
aside for entertaining guests

2.  work
premises:
a room or set of rooms equipped and used for a specific line of business (often
used in combination) • a
beauty parlor
[13th century. From Old
French, formed from parler “to talk.” The underlying meaning is “room
for polite conversation.”][1]



parlorcar

parlorcar
par·lor
car 
(plural par·lor cars) noun

comfortable railroad
passenger car: a railroad passenger
car containing individual reserved seats.
Also called
chair car[1]



parlorgrand

parlorgrand
par·lor
grand
(plural par·lor grands) noun

grand piano:
a grand piano, intermediate in size between a baby grand and a concert grand.
U.K. term
boudoir grand[1]



parlour

parlour
par·lour 
noun

U.K. =
parlor[1]



parlous

parlous
par·lous 
[prləss] adjective

1.  dangerous:
very unsafe, uncertain, or difficult (archaic or humorous) “Thou art in
a parlous state, shepherd.” William Shakespeare As You Like It 1599

2.  crafty:
mischievous, devious, or cunning (archaic)
adverb

very: used
to emphasize the extreme or excessive nature of something (archaic)
[14th
century. Shortening and alteration of perilous
.]
—par·lous·ly,
adverb

—par·lous·ness, noun[1]



Parma

Parma
Par·ma 
[prmə]

city in northern Italy. It is
the capital of Parma Province, in Emilia-Romagna Region. Population: 170,555
(1992)[1]



Parmesan

Parmesan
Par·me·san 
[prmə zàn, prmə
zn] (plural Par·me·sans or Par·me·san) noun

pale
hard strong-tasting cheese: a pale yellow hard strong
Italian cheese made with unpasteurized skim milk, often served grated as a
garnish on pasta dishes. Parmesan is aged for at least two years before use.
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian parmigiano, “from the city of Parma,” where it is
traditionally made.][1]



parmigiana

parmigiana
par·mi·gia·na 
[prmi zhnə, prmi
jnə] adjective

with
Parmesan:
used to describe a dish that has been prepared using Parmesan cheese • veal
parmigiana
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, feminine of parmigiano “Parmesan” (see Parmesan
).][1]



Parnassian

Parnassian
Par·nas·si·an 
[paar nássee ən] adjective

poetic:
found in poetry or associated with poetic works (literary)
noun
(plural Par·nas·si·ans)

French
19C poet:
a poet of a late 19th-century French poetic school that advocated emotional
detachment and purity of metrical form
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin Parnassius, from Greek Parnasos “Parnassus.” Poet
from Le Parnasse contemporain (1866), a poetry anthology.][1]



Parnassus

Parnassus
Par·nas·sus 
[paar nássəss]

mountain in central Greece,
directly north of Delphi. In ancient times it was sacred to Apollo and thought
to be the home of the Muses. Height: 2,457 m/8,061 ft.[1]



Parnell,Charles Stewart

Parnell,Charles Stewart
Par·nell
[paar nél, prn’l],
Charles Stewart (1846–1891)

Irish politician. In 1880 he
became leader of the Home Rule Party. He lost support after being cited in the
divorce case of Katherine O’Shea, whom he later married.[1]



parochial

parochial
pa·ro·chi·al 
[pə rṓkee əl] adjective

1.  narrow-minded:
concerned only with narrow local concerns without any regard for more general
or wider issues

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
a parish:
relating to or belonging to a parish, or to parishes
[14th
century. Via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin parochia “parish.”]
—pa·ro·chi·al·ism,
noun

—pa·ro·chi·al·ist,
noun

—pa·ro·chi·al·ly, adverb[1]



parochialschool

parochialschool
pa·ro·chi·al
school
(plural pa·ro·chi·al schools) noun

school run by church:
a private school affiliated with a church that provides children with a general
education as well as religious instruction[1]



parody

parody
par·o·dy 
[pérrədee] noun (plural par·o·dies)

1.  amusing
imitation:
a piece of writing or music that deliberately copies another work in a comic or
satirical way

2.  parodies
in general:
parodies as a literary or musical style or type

3.  poor
imitation:
an attempt or imitation that is so poor that it seems ridiculous
transitive
verb
(past par·o·died, past participle par·o·died, present
participle par·o·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular par·o·dies)

imitate comically:
to write or perform a parody of somebody or something
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek parōidia, from para
“secondary, indirect” + ōidē “song.”]
—pa·rod·ic
[pə róddik], adjective

—pa·rod·i·cal,
adjective

—par·o·dist [pérrədist], noun[1]



parol

parol
pa·rol 
[pə rṓl, pérrəl]
adjective

spoken:
used to describe a legal contract or lease that is made, done, or given by word
of mouth only, rather than in writing
noun
(plural pa·rols)

oral
contract:
a legal contract or lease that is made, done, or given orally only
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin parabola “speech, talk” (see parable ).][1]



parole

parole
pa·role 
[pə rṓl] noun (plural pa·roles)

1.  conditional
release of prisoner: the early release of a
prisoner, with conditions such as good behavior and regular reporting to the
authorities applying for a stated period of time • on
parole

2.  prisoner’s
promise:
the promise to fulfill set conditions, given by a prisoner released on parole

3.  conditional
period:
the period after a prisoner’s release on parole during which the conditions of
release continue to apply

4.  prisoner
of war’s promise: a promise given by a prisoner of war,
either not to escape, or not to take up arms again as a condition of release

5.  LINGUISTICS real-world
language:
language considered as the utterances of real people, as distinct from the
system of language ( langue ) that governs
how those utterances are constructed.
See
also
competence
See
also
performance
transitive
verb
(past pa·roled, past participle pa·roled, present
participle pa·rol·ing, 3rd person present singular pa·roles)

give prisoner parole:
to release a prisoner on parole
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin parabola “speech, talk” (see
parable ).]
—pa·rol·a·ble, adjective[1]



paronomasia

paronomasia
par·o·no·ma·sia 
[pèrrə nō máyzhə] (plural par·o·no·ma·sias)
noun

pun:
a play on words, especially a pun
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek paronomazein, literally
“to name differently,” from onomazein “to name.”]
—par·o·no·mas·tic
[pèrrə nō mástik], adjective

—par·o·no·mas·ti·cal·ly
[pèrrə nō mástikəlee], adverb[1]



paronym

paronym
par·o·nym 
[pérrənim] (plural par·o·nyms)
noun

word
from same root as another: a word that is derived from
the same root as another word, for example, “wise” is a paronym of “wisdom”
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek parōnumon, from para- “beside” + onuma
“name.”]
—par·o·nym·ic,
adjective

—pa·ron·y·mous
[pə rónnəməss], adjective

—pa·ron·o·mous·ly [pə rónnəməsslee], adverb[1]



parotic

parotic
pa·rot·ic
[pə róttik] adjective

beside
ear:
situated close to or beside the ear
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from the Greek stem ōt- “ear” (see oto-
).][1]



parotid

parotid
pa·rot·id 
[pə róttid] adjective

1.  near
ear:
situated close to or beside the ear

2.  relating
to parotid gland: relating to the parotid gland
noun
(plural pa·rot·ids)

See parotid gland
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, the Greek stem parōtid-, literally “beside the
ear,” from the stem ōt- “ear” (see oto-
).][1]



parotidectomy

parotidectomy
pa·rot·i·dec·to·my 
[pə ròtti déktəmee] (plural pa·rot·i·dec·to·mies)
noun

removal of parotid gland:
the surgical removal of a parotid gland[1]



parotidgland

parotidgland
pa·rot·id
gland
(plural pa·rot·id glands) or pa·rot·id (plural
pa·rot·ids) noun

salivary gland below ear:
a salivary gland located below the ear in humans[1]



parotitis

parotitis
par·o·ti·tis 
[pèrrə ttiss] or pa·rot·i·di·tis
[pèrrə ttiss] noun

parotid
inflammation: inflammation of a parotid gland or the
parotid glands
—par·o·tit·ic [pèrrə títtik], adjective[1]



parous

parous
par·ous 
[pérrəss] adjective

having
given birth before: having given birth on at
least one occasion
[Late 19th century. From -parous .][1]



-parous

-parous
-parous
suffix

giving
birth to, producing • uniparous
[Formed from Latin -parus,
from parere “to give birth” (see parent
)][1]



Parousia

Parousia
Par·ou·si·a
[paar ssee ə, pə
rzee ə] noun

See
Second Coming
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, literally “presence,” from the present participle of pareinai,
from einai “to be” (see onto- ).][1]



paroxysm

paroxysm
par·ox·ysm 
[pérrək sìzzəm] (plural par·ox·ysms)
noun

1.  sudden
outburst of emotion: a sudden and uncontrollable
expression of emotion

2.  outburst
of symptom:
a sudden onset or intensification of a pathological symptom or symptoms,
especially when this is recurrent
[Late
16th century. Via medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek paroxunein “to
irritate,” literally “to sharpen beyond,” from, ultimately, oxus “sharp”
(see oxygen ).]
—par·ox·ys·mal
[pèrrək sízməl], adjective

—par·ox·ys·mal·ly
[pèrrək sízməlee], adverb

—par·ox·ys·mic [pèrrək sízmik], adjective[1]



paroxytone

paroxytone
par·ox·y·tone 
[pə róksi tn] noun (plural par·ox·y·tones)

1.  word
with penultimate stress: a word in which the main
stress is on the next to last syllable

2.  Greek
word category: in ancient Greek, a word with an acute
accent on the next to last syllable
adjective

with stressed penultimate syllable:
with the main stress on the next to last syllable
[Mid-18th
century. From Greek paroxutonos, from para- “beside” + oxutonos
“oxytone.”]
—par·ox·y·ton·ic [pə ròksi tónnik], adjective[1]



parpen

parpen
par·pen
[prpən] (plural par·pens) or
par·pend [prpənd] (plural par·pends)
noun

U.K.
See perpend
[15th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin parpannus, of unknown origin.][1]



parquet

parquet
par·quet 
[paar káy] noun (plural par·quets)

1.  decorative
wooden flooring: flooring consisting of blocks of wood
laid in a decorative pattern

2.  THEATER See orchestra  noun 4
transitive
verb
(past par·queted, past participle par·queted, present
participle par·quet·ing, 3rd person present singular par·quets)

cover floor with parquet:
to cover a floor in parquet
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “small enclosed space,” from parc “enclosure” (see park ).][1]



parquetcircle

parquetcircle
par·quet
cir·cle
(plural par·quet cir·cles) noun

seating area in theater:
the rear section of the main floor of seating in a theater, below the balcony.
Also called
parterre[1]



parquetry

parquetry
par·quet·ry 
[prkətree] noun

flooring or inlay of wooden
blocks: flooring or a decorative
inlay for furniture made with blocks of wood[1]



parr

parr
parr 
[paar] (plural parr or parrs)
noun

1.  young
salmon:
a young salmon up to two years old that has dark transverse bands parr marks
and lives in freshwater

2.  young
fish:
the young of some fishes other than the salmon
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



parrel

parrel
par·rel
[pérrəl] (plural par·rels) or
par·ral [pérrəl] (plural par·rals)
noun

ring
fixing boom to mast: a ring, loop, or band that
secures a boom to a mast while allowing it to move up and down
[15th century. Shortening and
alteration of apparel, in the earlier sense
of “rigging.”][1]



parricide

parricide
par·ri·cide 
[pérrə sd] (plural par·ri·cides)
noun

1.  murder
of relative: the murder of a parent or close relative

2.  murderer
of relative: somebody who murders a parent or close
relative
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin parricidium “kin-slaying” and parricida
“kin-slayer,” which were both formed from assumed parri- “relative,” of
unknown origin.]
—par·ri·cid·al
[pèrrə sd’l], adjective

—par·ri·cid·al·ly [pèrrə sd’lee], adverb[1]



Parrington,Vernon L.

Parrington,Vernon L.
Par·ring·ton
[párringtən], Vernon L. (1871–1929)

U.S. literary historian. He
won a Pulitzer Prize for Main Currents in American Thought ( 1927–1930
).[1]



Parrish,Maxfield

Parrish,Maxfield
Par·rish
[párrish], Maxfield (1870–1966)

U.S. artist. He is best known
for his illustrations, posters, and murals.[1]



parrot

parrot


par·rot 
[pérrət] noun (plural par·rots)

1.  brightly
colored tropical bird: a tropical or subtropical
bird with a stout hooked bill and variously colored, often brilliant plumage.
Some species have the ability to mimic speech. Order: Psittaciformes

2.  somebody
who copies others: somebody who simply repeats
things that somebody else has said, without thought or understanding
transitive verb
(past par·rot·ed, past participle par·rot·ed, present
participle par·rot·ing, 3rd person present singular par·rots)

copy other people:
to repeat what somebody else says or writes without having thought about it or
understood it
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from French dialect Perrot
“little Pierre.”]
—par·rot·er, noun[1]



parrotfever

parrotfever
par·rot
fe·ver
noun

See
psittacosis
[From the fact that humans
can contract it from pet birds such as parrots][1]



parrotfish

parrotfish
par·rot·fish 
[pérrət fish] (plural par·rot·fish
or par·rot·fish·es) noun

tropical
fish with pronounced jaw: a brightly colored tropical
marine fish with jaws shaped like a parrot’s beak that it uses for scraping
coral. Family: Scaridae
[Early 18th century. From its
beak-shaped jaw and brilliant red, green, and blue coloring.][1]



parry

parry
par·ry 
[pérree] verb (past par·ried,
past participle par·ried, present participle par·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular par·ries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
blow aside:
to block or deflect the damaging effect of a blow or weapon

2.  transitive
verb
avoid
answering:
to evade a question by cleverly saying something that does not answer it
noun
(plural par·ries)

act of evading:
an act of evading a blow, criticism, or question
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via French parez “defend (yourself)!” from,
ultimately, Latin parare “to prepare” (see pare
).][1]



Parry,Cape

Parry,Cape
Par·ry,
Cape
[párree]

headland in Canada, in the
Northwest Territories, jutting into Amundsen Gulf between Franklin and Darnley
bays[1]



parse

parse
parse 
[paars] (past parsed, past
participle parsed, present participle pars·ing, 3rd
person present singular pars·es) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  describe
grammatical role of word: to describe the grammatical
role of a word in a sentence, or to be subject to this process

2.  analyze
grammatical structure of sentence: to analyze and
describe the grammatical structure of a sentence, or to be subject to this
process of analysis and description
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain; probably from earlier pars “part of speech,”
from Latin, part (see part ).]
—pars·a·ble, adjective[1]



parsec

parsec
par·sec 
[pr sèk] (plural par·secs) noun

3.262
light years: an astronomical unit of distance equal
to 3.262 light years. A parsec is the distance from which the Earth’s distance
from the Sun would subtend one second of arc.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from parallax + second
.][1]



Parsee

Parsee
Par·see
[paar s, pr s]
(plural Par·sees) or Par·si [paar s, pr s]
(plural Par·sis) noun

Indian
Zoroastrian: a member of a Zoroastrian group living
mainly in western India, descended from Persian refugees of the 7th and 8th
centuries
[Early
17th century. From Persian Pārsī, from Pārs “Persia.”]
—Par·see,
adjective

—Par·see·ism [pr see ìzzəm], noun[1]



parser

parser
pars·er
[prsər] (plural pars·ers) noun

1.  COMPUTING software
for analyzing language: a computer program that
breaks natural language or programming language statements or instructions into
smaller more easily interpreted units understandable to the computer. The
parser determines how a sentence can be constructed from the grammar of the language,
producing a parse tree about the statement as the output.

2.  analyzer:
somebody or something that analyzes something into its component parts
[Mid-19th century. Originally
in the general sense “one who parses.”][1]



Parsi

Parsi
Par·si
noun adjective

See
Parsee[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








parsimonious

parsimonious
par·si·mo·ni·ous 
[prsə mṓnee əss] adjective

1.  frugal:
very frugal or ungenerous

2.  PHILOSOPHY economical:
requiring a minimum of detail as an explanation (formal)
—par·si·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—par·si·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun[1]



parsimony

parsimony
par·si·mo·ny 
[prsə mnee] noun

1.  frugality:
great frugality or unwillingness to spend money

2.  PHILOSOPHY principle
of economy:
economy in the use of means to achieve something, especially the principle of
endorsing the simplest explanation that covers a case
[15th century. From Latin parsimonia,
from pars-, past participle stem of parcere “to spare.”][1]



parsley

parsley

pars·ley 
[prslee] noun
herb
used as garnish: a widely cultivated plant of the carrot
family with small compound leaves that are used in cooking and as a garnish.
Latin name: Petroselinum crispum
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin petrosilium, ultimately from Greek petroselinon, from petra
“rock” + selinon “parsley.”][1]



parsleyfern

parsleyfern
pars·ley
fern
(plural pars·ley ferns) noun

fern with leaves like
parsley: a bright green European fern
with leaves that look like parsley leaves. Latin name: Cryptogramma crispa[1]



parsleypiert

parsleypiert
pars·ley
piert
(plural pars·ley pierts) noun

small
plant with green flowers: a small plant of the rose
family with three-lobed leaves and tiny green flowers. Latin name: Aphanes
arvensis
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of French perce-pierre, literally “stone-piercer.”][1]



parsnip

parsnip

pars·nip 
[prsnip] (plural pars·nips) noun

1.  plant
of carrot family: an aromatic plant of the carrot family
cultivated for its edible root. Latin name: Pastinaca sativa

2.  root
vegetable:
the long cone-shaped cream-colored root of the parsnip plant, cooked and eaten
as a vegetable
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by English neep “turnip”) of Old French pasnaie, from
Latin pastinaca, from pastinum “two-pronged gardening fork,”
probably because of its shape.][1]



parson

parson
par·son 
[prs’n] (plural par·sons) noun

1.  Episcopal
minister:
an Episcopal parish minister

2.  cleric:
a member of the clergy, especially of the Protestant Church
[13th
century. From Old French persone “person” (see person
). The underlying meaning may be “important personage,” or perhaps the “person”
legally responsible for parish property.]
—par·son·ic
[paar sónnik], adjective

—par·son·i·cal [paar sónnik’l], adjective[1]



parsonage

parsonage
par·son·age 
[prs’nij] (plural par·son·ages)
noun

parson’s house:
the house, usually provided by the parish, where a parson lives[1]



parsonbird

parsonbird
par·son
bird
(plural par·son birds) noun

New
Zealand
See tui
[From resemblance of its
markings to the dark suit and white preaching bands of a parson in church][1]



Parsonstable

Parsonstable
Par·sons
ta·ble
(plural Par·sons ta·bles) noun

table
with legs flush with top: a square or rectangular
table, the legs of which are flush with the tabletop at the four corners
[Named for the Parsons School
of Design in New York City][1]



Parsons,Talcott

Parsons,Talcott
Par·sons
[prss’nz], Talcott (1902–1979)

U.S. sociologist. He is known
for functionalist theories about the mechanisms of society and the
organizational principles behind societal structures.[1]



parson’snose

parson’snose
par·son’s
nose 
(plural par·son’s nos·es) noun

See
pope’s nose
[Variant of Pope’s nose,
an insulting term that originated during a period of anti-Catholicism during
the reign of James II ( 1685–1688 )][1]



part.

part.
part.

1.  Abbreviation
of
particle

2.  Abbreviation
of
participle

3.  Abbreviation
of
particular

[1]



part

part
part 
[paart] noun (plural parts)

1.  portion
or division: a portion or section of something • the
early part of the century

2.  equal
portion:
any of several equal portions that make up something such as a mixture • pastry
that is one part fat to three parts flour

3.  component:
a separable piece or component of something such as a machine, system, or
device • a
motor with only three moving parts

4.  important
element of something: an integral and essential
feature or component of something • She
wants to be part of the community.

5.  THEATER actor’s
role:
a role in a dramatic performance • played
the part of Hamlet in the school play

6.  involvement
in an event: somebody’s participation in or influence
on something • What
part did he have to play in all this?

7.  side:
somebody’s side or viewpoint • You’re
always taking her part.

8.  organic
constituent: an organ, system, or other discrete
element of an organism • the
part of the plant that carries out photosynthesis

9.  MUSIC separate
musical role: the score for a single voice or
instrument in a symphonic, orchestral, or choral work

10. logical
division:
a logical division of something such as a report, book, or presentation • Part
three of the paper deals with environmental issues.

11. HAIRDRESSING dividing
line in hair: the line in a hairstyle from which the
hair is combed or brushed in different directions.
U.K.
term
parting
plural
noun
parts

1.  area:
a geographical region or local area (informal) • That’s
unheard of in these parts.

2.  abilities:
intellectual abilities or talents (literary) • a
student of parts
verb
(past part·ed, past participle part·ed, present
participle part·ing, 3rd person present singular parts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate:
to move or to move something in different directions so that there is a space
between them • They
had to part the children to keep them from fighting.
• The
curtains parted.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
into parts:
to divide something into parts, or to undergo division into parts

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb HAIRDRESSING divide hair:
to make a line in the hair by combing in opposite directions from it, or to
separate naturally in this way

4.  intransitive
verb
end
relationship: to finish a relationship with somebody • We
parted on bad terms.

5.  intransitive
verb
go
away:
to go away from somebody • They
parted at the corner of the street.
adjective

partial:
partial or less than the whole • part
owner of a beach house
adverb

partially: to
some extent but not completely • She’s
part Irish, part French.
[13th
century. The noun came from Old French ; the verb via French partir from
Latin partire ; both from Latin part-, stem of pars “part”
(source of English parcel ).]
for
the most part

in
general, or mostly • She does OK at school,
for the most part.

in
part

to
an extent but not completely

on
the part of

as
far as somebody is concerned, or with regard to somebody

part
and parcel

an essential, indivisible
element of something[1]



partake

partake
par·take 
[paar táyk] (past par·took [paar tk], past participle par·tak·en
[paar táykən], present participle par·tak·ing,
3rd person present singular par·takes) intransitive verb

1.  eat
or drink something: to have something to eat or
drink

2.  have
or seem to have: to have or appear to have a certain
amount of some quality or characteristic (formal)

3.  participate:
to share in or take part in something • How
many students partake in sports activities?
[Mid-16th
century. Back-formation from partaker “participator,” from part-taker,
a translation of Latin particeps (see participate
).]
—par·tak·er, noun[1]



parted

parted
part·ed 
[prtəd] adjective

1.  in
parts:
divided into parts

2.  separated:
separated or kept separate

3.  divided
by a part:
having a part • a hairstyle parted on
the left

4.  BOTANY divided
to base:
used to describe a leaf or plant part that is separated or cleft nearly to the
base

[1]



parterre

parterre
par·terre 
[paar táir] (plural par·terres)
noun

1.  GARDENING ornamental
garden:
an ornamental garden laid out in a formal pattern that is usually marked out
with low evergreen hedges and filled in with annual bedding plants

2.  THEATER See parquet circle
[Early 17th century. From
French, “ornamental garden,” from par terre “on the ground.”][1]



part-exchange

part-exchange
part-ex·change
transitive verb

U.K.
accept or give as part payment:
to accept or give goods as part payment for something being bought[1]



partexchange

partexchange
part
ex·change
(plural part ex·chang·es) noun

U.K.
giving goods as part payment:
the practice of paying part of the price of something by giving the seller
something that the buyer owns[1]



parthenocarpy

parthenocarpy
par·the·no·car·py 
[prthə nō krpee] noun

development
of fruit without fertilization: the production of
fruits without fertilization or seeds
[Early
20th century. From German Parthenocarpie, from Greek parthenos
“virgin” + karpos “fruit.”]
—par·the·no·car·pic
[prthə nō krpik], adjective

—par·the·no·car·pous [prthə nō krpəss], adjective[1]



parthenogenesis

parthenogenesis
par·the·no·gen·e·sis 
[prthə nō jénnəssiss] noun

reproduction
without fertilization: a form of reproduction,
especially in plants, insects, and arthropods, in which a female gamete
develops into a new individual without fertilization by a male gamete
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek parthenos “virgin” + genesis
.]
—par·the·no·ge·net·ic
[prthə nō jə néttik], adjective

—par·the·no·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[prthə nō jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



Parthenon

Parthenon

Par·the·non 
[pthə nòn] noun
temple of Athena on Acropolis:
a large temple to the goddess Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Built
in the 5th century BC, it is
considered the greatest example of Doric architecture.[1]



Parthian

Parthian
Par·thi·an 
[prthee ən] (plural Par·thi·ans)
noun

somebody
from ancient Parthia: somebody from Parthia, an
ancient country in Asia that ruled an empire until the 3rd century
—Par·thi·an, adjective[1]



Parthianshot

Parthianshot
Par·thi·an
shot
(plural Par·thi·an shots) noun

hostile
remark made when leaving: a final hostile remark or
gesture made while leaving
[From the Parthians’
legendary tactic of firing arrows over their shoulders while retreating][1]



partial

partial
par·tial 
[prsh’l] adjective

1.  incomplete:
not complete or total

2.  affecting
parts:
affecting a part or parts but not the whole

3.  liking
something:
having a particular liking for something • partial
to chocolate cake

4.  biased:
showing an unfair preference for one person or thing over another
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS See partial derivative

2.  MUSIC See overtone  noun 2

3.  BRIDGE See part-score
[15th
century. Via Old French parcial from late Latin partialis, from
the stem part- (see part ).]
—par·tial·ness, noun[1]



partialdenture

partialdenture
par·tial
den·ture
(plural par·tial den·tures) noun

removable artificial teeth:
an artificial tooth or row of teeth that is usually removable[1]



partialderivative

partialderivative
par·tial
de·riv·a·tive (plural par·tial
de·riv·a·tives) or par·tial (plural par·tials) noun

derivative of a single
variable: the derivative of a function
of two or more variables calculated with respect to one of the variables and on
the assumption that the others are fixed[1]



partialdifferential equation

partialdifferential equation
par·tial
dif·fer·en·tial e·qua·tion (plural par·tial
dif·fer·en·tial e·qua·tions) noun

differential equation with
multiple variables: a
differential equation that involves partial derivatives of more than one
variable[1]



partialeclipse

partialeclipse
par·tial
e·clipse
(plural par·tial e·clips·es) noun

eclipse of part of celestial
body: an eclipse in which only
part of something such as the Sun or Moon is covered or darkened[1]



partialfraction

partialfraction
par·tial
frac·tion
(plural par·tial frac·tions) noun

simple fraction in set:
any one of a set of simpler fractions, the sum of which composes a more complex
fraction[1]



partiality

partiality
par·ti·al·i·ty 
[prshee állətee] (plural par·ti·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  fondness:
a liking for something

2.  biased
attitude or behavior: an unfair preference for one
person or thing over another

[1]



partially

partially
par·tial·ly 
[prsh’lee] adverb

1.  not
completely:
to a degree but not completely

2.  in
a biased way: in a way that shows an unfair preference
for one person or thing over another

[1]



partiallysighted

partiallysighted
par·tial·ly
sight·ed
adjective

visually impaired but not
without sight: having a visual
impairment that cannot be completely corrected by the use of glasses or contact
lenses[1]



partialpressure

partialpressure
par·tial
pres·sure
(plural par·tial pres·sures) noun

pressure exerted by component
gas: the pressure that one gas in
a mixture of gases would exert if it were the only gas present[1]



partialproduct

partialproduct
par·tial
prod·uct
(plural par·tial prod·ucts) noun

incomplete multiplication
product: the result when a quantity
is multiplied by one digit of a number with two or more digits[1]



partible

partible
par·ti·ble 
[prtəb’l] adjective

divisible:
able to be divided
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin partibilis from Latin partire “to part” (see part ).][1]



participant

participant
par·tic·i·pant 
[paar tíssəpənt] noun (plural par·tic·i·pants)

somebody
taking part: somebody who takes part in something
adjective

participating:
taking part in something
[Mid-16th century. From
French, present participle of participier, from Latin participare
(see participate ).][1]



participate

participate
par·tic·i·pate 
[paar tíssə pàyt] (past par·tic·i·pat·ed,
past participle par·tic·i·pat·ed, present participle par·tic·i·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular par·tic·i·pates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
part:
to take part in an event or activity

2.  have
a quality:
to have a particular quality (archaic)
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin participare, from particeps
“sharing,” literally “taking part,” from the stem part- “part” (see part ).]
—par·tic·i·pa·tive
[paar tíssə pàytiv], adjective

—par·tic·i·pa·to·ry
[paar tíssəpə tàwree], adjective

—par·tic·i·pa·tor [paar tíssə pàytər], noun[1]



participation

participation
par·tic·i·pa·tion 
[paar tìssə páysh’n] noun

involvement:
the act of taking part in an activity • We
would welcome your participation in any of the events.[1]



participial

participial
par·ti·cip·i·al 
[prti síppee əl] adjective

like
a participle: with the form or function of a verb that
can be used as both adjective or verb
[Late
16th century. From Latin participialis, from participium (see participle ).]
—par·ti·cip·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



participle

participle
par·ti·ci·ple 
[prti sipp’l] (plural par·ti·ci·ples)
noun

form
of verb:
a form of a verb that is used to form complex tenses, such as “was loving” and
“has loved” in English, and may also be used as an adjective
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin participium, from particeps “sharing” (see participate ), because it shares qualities of both
adjectives and verbs.][1]



particle

particle
par·ti·cle 
[prtik’l] (plural par·ti·cles)
noun

1.  tiny
piece:
a very small piece of something • airborne
particles

2.  tiny
amount:
a very small amount of something • There
wasn’t a particle of truth in anything he said.

3.  PHYSICS body
with finite mass: a minute body that is considered to have
finite mass but negligible size

4.  PHYSICS basic
unit of matter: any one of the basic units of matter,
for example, a molecule, atom, or electron

5.  PHYSICS subatomic
unit:
a unit of matter smaller than the atom or its main components

6.  GRAMMAR part
of multi-word verb: an adverb or preposition
that occurs as part of a multi-word verb, such as “up” in “blow up”

7.  CHRISTIANITY piece
of consecrated bread or wafer: in the Roman Catholic
Mass, a small piece of consecrated bread or wafer
[14th century. From Latin particula
“small part,” from the stem part- (see part
).][1]



particleaccelerator

particleaccelerator
par·ti·cle
ac·cel·er·a·tor (plural par·ti·cle
ac·cel·er·a·tors) noun

NUCLEAR
PHYSICS See accelerator  noun 2[1]



particlebeam

particlebeam
par·ti·cle
beam
(plural par·ti·cle beams) noun

stream of elementary
particles: a very narrow concentrated
stream of charged particles such as electrons or protons that is produced by a
particle accelerator or a particle-beam weapon. Lenses are used to focus the
beam and magnets change its direction.[1]



particleboard

particleboard
par·ti·cle·board 
(plural par·ti·cle·boards) noun

U.S.,
New Zealand board from
wood fragments: a grainless wood board
made from sawdust or wood particles and bonded with a resin binder. The
particles of wood used in particle board tend to be smaller than those used in
chipboard.[1]



particlephysics

particlephysics
par·ti·cle
phys·ics
noun

study of elementary
particles: the branch of physics that
deals with the study of subatomic particles, particularly the many unstable
particles produced in particle accelerators and high-energy collisions (takes
a singular verb)
Also called
high-energy physics[1]



parti-colored

parti-colored
par·ti-col·ored 
or par·ty-col·ored adjective

multicolored:
with different parts in different colors
[Parti from party, in the sense “multi-colored”][1]



particular

particular
par·tic·u·lar 
[pər tíkyələr] adjective

1.  one
out of several: relating to one person or thing out of
several • Which
particular dress do you prefer?

2.  personal:
belonging to one person and different from other people’s

3.  exceptional:
great or more than usual

4.  special:
special and worth mentioning

5.  fussy:
having or demanding high standards • She’s
very particular about standards of hygiene.

6.  choosy:
taking great care when making a choice

7.  detailed:
going into great detail about something (formal)

8.  LOGIC not
dealing with all: relating to or being a proposition that
deals with some but not all members of a class
noun
(plural par·tic·u·lars)

1.  item:
an individual fact, item, or detail (often used in the plural)
Also
called
particularity

2.  single
instance:
an individual case or instance, as opposed to a more general theory

3.  PHILOSOPHY real
thing:
an entity with definite spatial and temporal properties
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin particularis “concerned with small
parts or details,” from particula “small part” (see particle ).]
in
particular

specifically or especially[1]



particularism

particularism
par·tic·u·lar·ism 
[pər tíkyələ rìzzəm] noun

1.  commitment
to one group: undivided commitment to one particular
group with exclusive concern for its interests, especially if this is
detrimental to the interests or well-being of a larger group

2.  POLITICS self-rule
principle:
a policy of allowing political divisions within a state or federation to be
self-governing, without regard to what effect this may have on the larger body

3.  CHRISTIANITY belief
that God bestows grace individually: the
belief that God chooses to bestow grace and salvation on particular individuals
—par·tic·u·lar·ist,
noun

—par·tic·u·lar·is·tic
[pər tìkyələ rístik], adjective[1]



particularity

particularity
par·tic·u·lar·i·ty 
[pər tìkyə lérrətee] (plural par·tic·u·lar·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  exactitude:
attention to detail and concern for accuracy

2.  fastidiousness:
the practice of taking great care when making a choice

3.  use
of detail:
the use of great detail in describing something

4.  See
particular

5.  something
characteristic: a peculiarity or characteristic

6.  individuality:
the condition of being peculiar to an individual rather than a group

[1]



particularize

particularize
par·tic·u·lar·ize 
[pər tíkyələ rz] (past par·tic·u·lar·ized,
past participle par·tic·u·lar·ized, present participle par·tic·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular par·tic·u·lar·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
focus
on individual: to make something become particular, for
example, by focusing on a particular person or thing

2.  transitive
verb
provide
with specific examples: to provide something with
specific examples

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
into detail: to go into detail about something
—par·tic·u·lar·i·za·tion
[pər tìkyələri záysh’n], noun

—par·tic·u·lar·iz·er [pər tíkyələ rzər], noun[1]



particularly

particularly
par·tic·u·lar·ly 
[pər tíkyələrlee] adverb

1.  very
much:
to a great degree

2.  more
than usual:
more than usual or more than in other cases

3.  specifically:
as a specific example

4.  in
detail:
with great attention to detail

[1]



particulate

particulate
par·tic·u·late 
[pər tíkyələt, pər
tíkyə làyt] adjective

of
particles:
relating to or consisting of separate particles
noun
(plural par·tic·u·lates)

substance
consisting of particles: a substance that consists of
separate particles, especially airborne pollution
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin particula (see particle
).][1]



particulateinheritance

particulateinheritance
par·tic·u·late
in·her·i·tance noun

theory of inheritance:
a theory advanced by Gregor Mendel that parental genes do not blend in
offspring but rather retain their characteristics from generation to generation[1]



parting

parting
part·ing 
[prting] noun (plural part·ings)

1.  leaving:
the act of leaving somebody or something, especially if the separation is sad
or upsetting

2.  separation:
the process or action of separating or dividing

3.  U.K.
HAIRDRESSING See part

4.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY MINERALS breaking
of crystal along plane: the tendency of some
crystals to break along a plane of weakness through deformation
adjective

1.  done
while leaving: done, made, or given when leaving • a
parting remark

2.  departing:
leaving or coming to an end (literary) “The curfew tolls the knell of
parting day…” Thomas Gray Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 1751

3.  dividing:
used to divide or separate something

[1]



partingshot

partingshot
part·ing
shot
(plural part·ing shots) noun

final
hostility on leaving: a final, often hostile,
remark or gesture made by somebody who is leaving
[Origin uncertain: possibly
an alteration of Parthian shot][1]



partingstrip

partingstrip
part·ing
strip
(plural part·ing strips) noun

material separating other
materials: a thin strip of a material
such as wood or metal used to keep two adjacent parts separate[1]



partipris

partipris
par·ti
pris 
[prtee pr] (plural par·tis pris)
noun

preconceived
view:
a preconceived opinion or bias
[From French, literally “side
taken”][1]



PartiQuébécois

PartiQuébécois
Par·ti
Qué·béc·ois
[prti kay be kw] noun

Quebec independence party:
a Quebec provincial political party founded in 1968 that advocates sovereignty
for Quebec[1]



partisan

partisan2
par·ti·san2  [prtiz’n,
prti zàn] (plural par·ti·sans)
or par·ti·zan [prtiz’n, prti zàn] (plural par·ti·zans) noun

ARMS HISTORY weapon with long shaft:
a weapon with a long shaft and a blade, used in the 16th and 17th centuries
[Mid-16th century. Via
obsolete French from obsolete Italian partesana, variant of partigiana
(arma), literally “partisan (weapon),” feminine of partigiano (see partisan 1 ).][1]



partisan

partisan1
par·ti·san1  [prtiz’n,
prti zàn] or par·ti·zan [prtiz’n, prti zàn]
noun (plural par·ti·sans) (plural par·ti·zans)

1.  biased
supporter:
a strong supporter of a person, group, or cause, especially one who does not
listen to other people’s opinions

2.  resistance
fighter:
a member of a group that has taken up armed resistance against occupying enemy
forces
adjective

showing unreasoning support:
showing strong and usually biased support for a cause, especially a political
one
[Mid-16th
century. Via French and Italian dialect partisano from Italian parte
“part, side,” from the Latin stem part- (see part
).]
—par·ti·san·ship, noun[1]



partita

partita
par·ti·ta 
[paar ttə] (plural par·ti·te or
par·ti·tas) noun

musical
suite:
a suite or set of musical variations, especially in Baroque music
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian, literally “composition divided into parts,” from, ultimately, Latin partire
“to divide” (see part ).][1]



partite

partite
par·tite 
[pr tt] adjective

1.  BOTANY deeply
split:
used to describe a plant part such as a leaf that is split almost to its base

2.  in
parts:
divided into or consisting of two or more parts (usually used in combination)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin partitus, the past participle of partire “to divide” (see part ).][1]



partition

partition
par·ti·tion 
[paar tísh’n] noun (plural par·ti·tions)

1.  something
that divides space: something that divides a
space, for example, a wall built to make two rooms out of one

2.  divided
part:
a section or part of something divided

3.  division
of country:
the division of a country into two or more separate states or countries • the
partition of India

4.  dividing
up:
the division of something into parts, or the state of being divided into parts
(formal)

5.  division
of property: the division of property among
interested parties to settle a dispute
verb
(past par·ti·tioned, past participle par·ti·tioned,
present participle par·ti·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular par·ti·tions)

1.  transitive
verb
divide
with a partition: to divide or separate something by means
of a partition

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb split
a country:
to divide a country into two or more separate states

3.  transitive
verb
divide:
to divide something into separate parts
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin partire “to divide” (see
part ).]
—par·ti·tion·er,
noun

—par·ti·tion·ist,
noun

—par·ti·tion·ment, noun[1]



partitive

partitive
par·ti·tive 
[prtətiv] adjective

1.  separating:
separating or dividing something (formal)

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
part of something: used to describe a
grammatical construction expressing a part of something, such as “of” in “a
lump of coal” or the possessive form in “the dog’s tail”
noun
(plural par·ti·tives)

GRAMMAR partitive
construction: a partitive construction
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin partit-, the past
participle stem of partire “to divide” (see part
).]
—par·ti·tive·ly, adverb[1]



partly

partly
part·ly 
[prtlee] adverb

not wholly:
to some extent, but not completely • The
road was partly blocked by a heavy snowfall.[1]



partner

partner
part·ner 
[prtnər] noun (plural part·ners)

1.  somebody
who shares activity: somebody who takes part in
an activity or undertaking with somebody else

2.  member
of relationship: either member of an established couple
in a relationship

3.  fellow
participant in sexual activity: either of two people
who have or have had sex together

4.  associate
in dance or game: somebody who dances with another person
or who plays on the same side as another person in a game

5.  COMMERCE business
associate:
somebody who owns part of a company, usually a company he or she works in, and
who shares both the financial risks and the profits of the business

6.  something
related:
something that is related in some way to something else

7.  NAUTICAL supporting
timber on ship: one of the timbers on a ship underneath
the deck that is used to support the mast (often used in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past part·nered, past participle part·nered, present
participle part·ner·ing, 3rd person present singular part·ners)

be somebody’s partner:
to be somebody’s partner, for example, in a game or dance
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by part ) of parcener,
via Anglo-Norman, literally “one who shares,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem partition-
“sharing” (see partition ).][1]



partnership

partnership
part·ner·ship 
[prtnər shìp] (plural part·ner·ships)
noun

1.  relationship
between partners: the relationship between two or more
people or organizations that are involved in or share the same activity

2.  cooperation:
cooperation between people or groups working together

3.  group
of people working together: an organization formed by
two or more people or groups to work together for some purpose

4.  COMMERCE LAW company owned by partners:
a company set up by two or more people who put money into the business and who
share the financial risks and profits

5.  partners
in business: the people who make up a partnership,
collectively

[1]



partof speech

partof speech
part
of speech
(plural parts of speech) noun

words
with same function in sentences: a grammatical category
or word group in a language to which words may be assigned on the basis of how
they are used in sentences. The traditional main parts of speech in English are
noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
Others sometimes used are article and determiner.
[Translation of Latin pars
orationis][1]



parton

parton
par·ton 
[pr tòn] (plural par·tons) noun

postulated
elementary particle: a postulated elementary
particle, proposed as a constituent of neutrons and protons
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from particle .][1]



Parton,Dolly

Parton,Dolly
Par·ton 
[prt’n], Dolly (1946– )

U.S. singer, songwriter, and
actor. She is known for her country-and-western songs, and for her appearances
in several Hollywood movies.[1]



partook

partook
par·took


Past tense of
partake[1]



partridge

partridge
par·tridge 
[prtrij] (plural par·tridg·es)
noun

1.  medium-sized
game bird:
a medium-sized ground-nesting bird with variegated plumage, native to Europe
and Asia and related to the pheasants and grouse. Genera: Alectoris Perdix

2.  bird
like a partridge: any of various North American game birds
similar to the partridge, for example, the ruffed grouse or bobwhite

3.  partridge
flesh:
the flesh of the partridge served as food
[13th century. Via Old French
perdriz from, ultimately, Greek perdix, of uncertain origin:
perhaps literally “farter.”][1]



partridgeberry

partridgeberry
par·tridge·ber·ry 
[prtrij bèrree] (plural par·tridge·ber·ries)
noun

1.  N
American evergreen plant: a trailing evergreen plant
of eastern North America that has rounded leaves, small white fragrant flowers,
and scarlet berries. Latin name: Mitchella repens
Also
called
twinberry

2.  berry
of partridgeberry plant: the scarlet, relatively
tasteless berry of the partridgeberry plant
[Early 18th century. From the
fact that partridges use it for food.][1]



part-score

part-score
part-score
noun

points toward game in bridge:
a score for tricks made in bridge that is not enough to win a game.
Also called
partial[1]



partsong

partsong
part
song
(plural part songs) or part-song (plural part-songs)
noun

polyphonic composition:
a vocal musical composition with parts for different voices, usually performed
without accompaniment[1]



part-time

part-time
part-time 
adjective adverb

not
full time:
for less than the usual amount of time associated with a particular activity • a
part-time job
—part-tim·er, noun[1]



parturient

parturient
par·tu·ri·ent 
[paar tree ənt] adjective

1.  giving
birth:
about to give birth (technical)

2.  of
childbirth:
relating to the process or time of childbirth

3.  about
to produce:
on the verge of producing something or coming forth (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin parturient-, present participle stem of parturire
(see parturition ).]
—par·tu·ri·en·cy, noun[1]



parturifacient

parturifacient
par·tu·ri·fa·cient 
[paar tree fáysh’nt] adjective

inducing
birth:
inducing birth or making it easier to give birth
noun
(plural par·tu·ri·fa·cients)

birth-inducing
drug:
a drug that induces birth or makes it easier to give birth
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin parturire “to be in labor” (see parturition
) + -facient .][1]



parturition

parturition
par·tu·ri·tion 
[prtə rísh’n, prchə
rísh’n] (plural par·tiri·tions) noun

act
of giving birth: the act of giving birth to offspring (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Via the
late Latin stem parturition- from, ultimately, Latin parturire
“to be in labor,” from parere “to give birth” (see parent ).][1]



partway

partway
part·way 
[prt wày] adverb

some of the way:
some but not all of the way through a process or distance[1]



partwith

partwith
part
with
transitive verb

relinquish:
to give something up or to give something away, especially unwillingly[1]



party

party
par·ty 
[prtee] noun (plural par·ties)

1.  social
gathering for fun: a social gathering to which
people are invited in order to enjoy themselves and often to celebrate
something • Are
you coming to my birthday party?

2.  group
acting together: a group of people who are doing
something together • a search party

3.  POLITICS political
organization: an organization of people who share the
same broad political views and aims, usually attempting to elect members to
government positions

4.  MILITARY group
of soldiers: a detachment of soldiers given a
particular task

5.  LAW one
side in agreement or dispute: a person or a group of
people acting together and forming one side in an agreement, contract, dispute,
or lawsuit

6.  person:
an individual
intransitive
verb
(past par·tied, past participle par·tied, present
participle par·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular par·ties)

be at party: to
socialize and have fun at a party or in a situation resembling a party (informal)
adjective

HERALDRY of two
colors:
divided into parts of two different colors
[13th
century. Via French partie “part, side,” and Old French parti
“political faction” from, ultimately, Latin partitus, the past
participle of partire “to divide” (see part
).]
be
(a) party to something

to participate or be involved
in a particular activity[1]



partyanimal

partyanimal
par·ty
an·i·mal
(plural par·ty an·i·mals) noun

somebody who likes parties:
somebody who is a regular and enthusiastic participant at informal social
occasions, especially parties (informal)[1]



partygoer

partygoer
par·ty·go·er 
[prtee gō ər] (plural par·ty·go·ers)
noun

party attender:
somebody who goes to a party or who goes to a lot of parties[1]



partyline

partyline
par·ty
line
(plural par·ty lines) noun

1.  POLITICS political
policy:
the official policy of a political party or other organization

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS multiuser
telephone line: a telephone line shared by more than one
subscriber
—par·ty·lin·er, noun[1]



partypolitics

partypolitics
par·ty
pol·i·tics
noun

party-oriented
political activity: political activity as
carried on by political parties, especially if carried on by them more in their
own interests than for the benefit of the people (takes a singular or plural
verb)
—par·ty-po·lit·i·cal, adjective[1]



partypooper

partypooper
par·ty
poop·er
(plural par·ty poop·ers) noun

somebody who spoils others’
fun: somebody who spoils other
people’s fun or fails to join in the general enthusiasm for something (informal)[1]



partywall

partywall
par·ty
wall
(plural par·ty walls) noun

wall between separate
properties: a wall separating adjoining
homes, buildings, or pieces of land[1]



parure

parure
pa·rure 
[pə rr] (plural pa·rures) noun

set
of matching jewelry: a matching set of jewelry
that includes earrings, a brooch, ring, necklace, and bracelet, and sometimes
other items such as buckles
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from parer “to adorn” (see pare
).][1]



parvalue

parvalue
par
val·ue
(plural par val·ues) noun

value of security at issue:
the value printed on a security such as a share certificate or bond at the time
of issue. It is used to calculate interest or dividend payments.
Also called
nominal value
See also
market value[1]



Parvati

Parvati
Par·va·ti
[paar vtee] noun

Hindu mother and fertility
goddess: a Hindu mother and fertility
goddess, the wife of Shiva. She is thought of as the model Hindu wife and is
often depicted with a conch, mirror, and lotus.[1]



parve

parve
par·ve 
adjective

See
pareve[1]



parvenu

parvenu
par·ve·nu 
[prvə n, prvə
n] (plural par·ve·nus) noun

somebody
newly rich or influential: somebody who has recently
become wealthy or risen to a higher position in society but who is still
considered as inferior by established wealthy and powerful people
[Early 19th century. Via
French, literally “one who has arrived,” from, ultimately, Latin pervenire
“to arrive,” from venire “to come” (see venue
).][1]



parvis

parvis
par·vis 
[prviss] (plural par·vis·es) or
par·vise [prviss] (plural par·vis·es)
noun

enclosed
church area: an enclosed area or portico at the front
of a building, especially a church
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, late Latin paradisus “garden” (see paradise ).][1]



parvo

parvo
par·vo 
[pr vō] noun

See
parvovirus  noun 2
[Shortening][1]



parvovirus

parvovirus
par·vo·vi·rus 
[pr vō vrəss] (plural par·vo·vi·rus·es)
noun

1.  single-stranded
DNA virus:
any one of a group of viruses that have a single strand of DNA, especially
those causing disease in mammals

2.  viral
disease of dogs: a contagious disease of dogs caused by a
parvovirus and marked by fever, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
Also
called
parvo
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin parvus “small” + virus .][1]



Parárubber

Parárubber
Pa·rá
rub·ber 
[pə r rùbbər, prə
rùbbər] noun

rubber
from Pará rubber tree: rubber made from the latex
of the Pará rubber tree
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the state of Pará in Brazil.][1]



Parárubber tree

Parárubber tree
Pa·rá
rub·ber tree (plural Pa·rá rub·ber trees)
noun

tropical tree yielding
rubber: a tropical South American
tree that yields latex used to make rubber. Latin name: Hevea brasiliensis[1]



pas

pas
pas 
[paa] (plural pas) noun

step
in ballet:
a step in dancing, especially in classical ballet
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Latin passus “step” (see pace
).][1]



Pasadena

Pasadena
Pas·a·de·na 
[pàssə dnə]

1.  city
in southwestern California, home to the California Institute of Technology.
Population: 134,170 (1994)

2.  city
in southeastern Texas, a center of the oil industry. Population: 129,292 (1994)

[1]



pascal

pascal
pas·cal 
[pa skál, paa
skl] (plural pas·cals) noun

unit
of pressure: a unit of pressure or stress equal to
one newton per square meter. Symbol Pa
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Blaise Pascal .][1]



Pascal

Pascal
Pas·cal 
[pa skál, paa
skl] noun

computer
language:
a high-level general-purpose computer language designed to encourage structured
programming
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
for programme appliqué à la sélection et la compilation automatique de la
littérature ; also named for Blaise Pascal
.][1]



Pascal,Blaise

Pascal,Blaise

Pas·cal 
[pa skál, paa
skl], Blaise (1623–1662)
French philosopher and mathematician. He
is considered one of the great minds in Western intellectual history. Among his
achievements are the invention of the first mechanical adding machine and the
development of the modern theory of probability.[1]



Pascal’striangle

Pascal’striangle
Pas·cal’s
tri·an·gle
(plural Pas·cal’s tri·an·gles) noun

triangular
arrangement of numbers: a triangular arrangement of
numbers with a 1 at the top and at the beginning and end of each row, with each
of the other numbers being the sum of the two numbers above it
[Named for Blaise Pascal, who devised it][1]



Pasch

Pasch
Pasch 
[pask] noun (archaic)

1.  Passover:
the religious holiday of Passover

2.  Easter:
the religious holiday of Easter
[Pre-12th century. From Old
French pasches (plural), from, ultimately, Greek paskha, via
Aramaic from Hebrew pesaḥ .][1]



paschal

paschal
pas·chal 
[pásk’l] adjective

1.  of
Easter:
relating to Easter

2.  of
Passover:
relating to Passover (archaic)
[15th century. Via Old French
pascal from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Latin pascha, from Greek paskha
(see Pasch ).][1]



paschalflower

paschalflower
pas·chal
flow·er
(plural pas·chal flow·ers) noun

See
pasqueflower[1]



pasde deux

pasde deux
pas
de deux
[p də d] (plural pas de deux)
noun

1.  BALLET dance
for two:
a dance or dance sequence for two dancers

2.  close
relationship: a close relationship between two people
or things involved in a joint activity or venture
[From French, “step for two”][1]



pase

pase
pa·se 
[p sày] (plural pa·ses) noun

matador’s
movement with cape: a movement a matador makes
with a cape to attract the bull’s attention and make it charge
[Mid-20th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin passare “to pass” (see pass ).][1]



paseo

paseo
pa·se·o 
[paa sáy ] (plural pa·se·os) noun

1.  bullfighters’
procession:
the procession of the matadors and other bullfighters into the arena before the
bullfight begins

2.  Southwestern
U.S.
leisurely
walk:
a stroll, especially in the evening

3.  Southwestern
U.S.
street:
a street or boulevard (used in place names)
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin passare “to pass” (see pass ).][1]



pash

pash
pash 
[pash] (plural pash·es) noun

infatuation:
a brief infatuation for somebody (dated slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of passion .][1]



pasha

pasha
pa·sha 
[pshə, páshə]
(plural pa·shas) or pa·cha [pshə, páshə] (plural
pa·chas) noun

high-ranking
official:
in the past in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries, an official of high
rank
[Mid-17th century. From
Turkish paşa .][1]



pashm

pashm
pashm
[páshəm, púshəm]
noun

fine
wool of Kashmir goat: the fine wool that grows
beneath the outer wool of some goats, especially the soft, downy fiber from the
undercoat of the Kashmir goat, used for cashmere shawls and other articles
[Late 19th century. From
Persian pašm “wool.”][1]



pashmina

pashmina
pash·mina
[pùsh mnə] noun

fine
fabric made from goat’s wool: a fine woolen fabric made
from the hair of the belly of goats raised in northern India, used especially
for making shawls
[Late 19th century. From
Persian pam “wool.”][1]



Pashto

Pashto
Pash·to 
[púsh tō] (plural Pash·to or
Pash·tos) or Push·to [púsh tō]
(plural Push·to or Push·tos) or Push·tu
[púsh t] (plural Push·tu or
Push·tus) noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
of Afghanistan: one of the official languages of
Afghanistan, also spoken in parts of northwestern Pakistan. It belongs to the
Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European languages and is spoken by about 21
million people.
Also
called
Afghan

2.  PEOPLES Pashto
speaker:
somebody who speaks the Pashto language
[Late
18th century. From Pashto pəṡō .]
—Pash·to, adjective[1]



Pasiphaë

Pasiphaë
Pa·siph·a·ë 
[pə síffə ] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY mother
of Minotaur: in Greek mythology, the wife of Minos,
King of Crete, who fell in love with a bull and gave birth to the Minotaur

2.  ASTRONOMY moon
of Jupiter:
the eighth moon of Jupiter
[Via Latin from Greek,
literally “all-shining”][1]



pasodoble

pasodoble
pa·so
do·ble
[pssō dṓ blay, pssō
dáwv le] (plural pa·o do·bles or pa·sos do·bles)
noun

1.  Latin
American ballroom dance: a quick ballroom dance
inspired by a Latin American style of marching. The movements of the man are
intended to symbolize those of a bullfighter with the woman as his cape.

2.  MUSIC music
for paso doble: a piece of music for dancing the paso
doble
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “double step.”][1]



pasqueflower

pasqueflower
pasque·flow·er 
[pásk flòwr] (plural pasque·flow·ers)
noun

small
flowering perennial: a small perennial plant of
the buttercup family with hairy compound leaves and large blue, purple, or
white flowers that bloom in the spring. Genus: Anemone
Also
called
paschal flower
[Late 16th century.
Anglicization and alteration (influenced by French pasque “Easter,”
because it blooms in the spring) of French passefleur .][1]



pasquinade

pasquinade
pas·qui·nade 
[pàsskwə náyd] noun (plural pas·qui·nades)

satire:
an often anonymous lampoon or satire that traditionally was left displayed in a
public place (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past pas·qui·nad·ed, past participle pas·qui·nad·ed,
present participle pas·qui·nad·ing, 3rd person present
singular pas·qui·nades)

lampoon
somebody or something: to ridicule somebody or
something with a pasquinade (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Via French from Italian pasquinata, from Pasquino,
the name of a statue in Rome where lampoons were posted.]
—pas·qui·nad·er, noun[1]



pass

pass
pass 
[pass] verb (past passed,
past participle passed, present participle pass·ing,
3rd person present singular pass·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
past:
to move past or through a place, or past a person • dark
clouds passing overhead

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb overtake:
to overtake and leave behind somebody or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS throw or kick ball to player:
to throw, kick, or hit a ball or other object to another player during a game

4.  transitive
verb
hand
over:
to hand something to somebody • Could
you pass me the salt, please?

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb transfer
or be transferred: to transfer something such
as property, authority, or responsibility to somebody, or to be transferred in
this way • The
house will pass to his daughter when he dies.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
into different place or condition: to make somebody or
something move, or to move from one place or condition to another

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in a particular way: to move something or move in
a particular way in relation to something else • He
passed his hand along the banister.

8.  transitive
verb
guide:
to guide something into a particular position • Pass
the wire over that hook.

9.  intransitive
verb
extend
past:
to extend through, in front of, or along something such as a road or area • The
road passes by the cemetery.

10. intransitive
verb
change:
to go from one condition, stage, or state to another • It
sheds its skin before it passes to the pupal stage.

11. transitive
verb
spend
time:
to use up time doing something • We
passed the time playing cards.

12. intransitive
verb
elapse:
to elapse or go by • Time passes quickly.

13. intransitive
verb
end:
to come to an end • The storm finally
passed.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb be
successful in an exam: to be successful in a test
or examination, or officially decide that somebody has been successful in a
test or examination

15. intransitive
and transitive verb succeed
in subject:
to meet the requirements of a course of study

16. intransitive
verb
be
acceptable:
to be of an acceptable standard • It’s
not the best but it will pass.

17. intransitive
and transitive verb approve
measure or be approved: to approve something such as
a law, measure, or proposal, or to get official approval

18. intransitive
and transitive verb die:
to stop living (formal) • She
passed from this life in 1967.

19. intransitive
verb
go
unremarked:
to allow to happen, without comment or intervention • She
could not let such rude behavior pass.

20. intransitive
verb
happen
between people or things: to happen or be exchanged
between two or more people or things • A look
passed between them.

21. intransitive
verb
not
do something: to decide not to do something that is
suggested or accept something that is offered

22. intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES not
raise bid:
to stop raising a bid in a card game

23. transitive
verb
excrete:
to process and excrete something from the body

24. transitive
verb
give
judgment:
to give a judgment or opinion • pass
judgment

25. transitive
verb
state:
to say something or give an opinion • She
didn’t pass any comment at all.

26. transitive
verb
circulate
fake money:
to use fake money to pay for something • passing
counterfeit bills
noun
(plural pass·es)

1.  document
giving privileges: a document such as a ticket
that entitles the holder to do something such as enter a place • a
press pass

2.  SPORTS act of
throwing to player: an act of throwing, kicking,
or hitting a ball or other object to another player in a sport

3.  successful
grade:
a successful outcome in a test, examination, or course of study

4.  GEOGRAPHY way
through mountains: a way through or over
mountains (often used in place names)

5.  attempt
to kiss or touch somebody: an uninvited attempt to kiss
or touch somebody in a sexual way

6.  act
of going by: an instance of something going past,
through, over, or around a place

7.  movement:
a particular movement of something such as the hand

8.  operation:
a single cycle or complete operation of something such as machinery

9.  document
excusing somebody from something: a document that
excuses the holder from normal activities

10. act
of not doing something: an instance of not doing
something that is suggested or not accepting something that is offered

11. CARD GAMES failure
to bid:
an instance of not bidding or raising the bid in a card game

12. state
of affairs:
a particular and usually undesirable state of affairs • How
did we let things get to such a pass?

13. FENCING sword
thrust:
a thrust with a sword
interjection

I don’t know: used
by somebody in answer to a question to say that he or she does not know the
answer or does not want to give an answer (informal) • “Guess
who I’ve just seen.” –“Pass!” • “How
would you rate him as a manager?” –“Pass!”
[13th century. Via Old French
passer from assumed Vulgar Latin passare, from Latin passus
“step” (source of English passage and
passenger ; see pace ).][1]



pass.

pass.
pass.

1.  Abbreviation
of
passage

2.  Abbreviation
of
passenger

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of passive

[1]



passable

passable
pass·a·ble 
[pássəb’l] adjective

1.  acceptable:
adequate or good enough

2.  able
to be crossed: capable of being crossed or traveled on

3.  POLITICS able
to be enacted: able to be passed or made law

4.  FINANCE suitable
for circulation: suitable for circulation as legal and
valid
—pass·a·bly, adverb[1]



passacaglia

passacaglia
pas·sa·ca·glia 
[pssə klyə, pàssə
kállyə] (plural pas·sa·ca·glias) noun

baroque
music form:
a baroque musical composition in slow triple time composed on a repeated bass
line
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Spanish pasacalle, from pasar “to pass” + calle
“street,” because it was often played in the streets.][1]



passade

passade
pas·sade 
[pə sd] (plural pas·sades) noun

backward
and forward movement: a movement in dressage in
which a horse is made to move forwards and back again on the same spot
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Italian passata, ultimately from assumed Vulgar Latin passare
(see pass ).][1]



passado

passado
pas·sa·do 
[pə s dō] (plural pas·sa·dos or
pas·sa·does) noun

fencing
thrust while moving forwards: in fencing, a thrust made
while stepping forwards
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Spanish pasada or French passade, ultimately from
assumed Vulgar Latin passare (see pass
).][1]



passage

passage1
pas·sage1  [pássij]
(plural pas·sag·es) noun

1.  corridor
or pathway:
a corridor in an enclosed area or an outdoor path enclosed on both sides.
Also
called
passageway

2.  way
through:
a path made for somebody through an obstruction such as a crowd of people

3.  ARTS piece
of writing or music: a section of a piece of
writing, speech, or music, or a section of a painting or piece of artwork

4.  change
of place or condition: the act of going from one
place to another or changing from one condition to another (formal)

5.  process
of time passing: the process of time going by • the
passage of time

6.  TRANSPORT trip:
a journey, especially one made by sea or air

7.  right
to travel:
the right to come and go, travel, or pass through somewhere • The
guides ensured our safe passage.

8.  POLITICS approval
of new law:
official approval of a new law or other proposal

9.  ANATOMY tube
in the body: a tube or channel in the body

10. GEOGRAPHY sea
channel:
a sea channel or strait (often used in place names)

11. MEDICINE bowel
movement:
the act or process of expelling something from the body, for example, emptying
the bowels or the bladder

12. interchange:
an exchange of words, blows, or information between people or parties (formal)
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin passare
“to pass” (see pass ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Passage to India, a novel by the English writer E.M. Forster ( 1924 ). In
  Forster’s last and most highly regarded novel, an Englishwoman traveling in
  colonial India accuses a local doctor of assaulting her during a visit to the
  mysterious Marabar Caves. The conflicting responses of English expatriates
  and local Indians to the subsequent trial highlight the limitations of their
  belief systems and the problems of human understanding.

[1]



passage

passage2
pas·sage2  [pássij,
pə szh] noun (plural pas·sag·es)

movement
in dressage: either of two movements in dressage, one
being a sideways walk and the other a slow deliberate trot
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pas·saged,
past participle pas·saged, present participle pas·sag·ing,
3rd person present singular pas·sag·es)

perform
a passage:
to perform a passage or make a horse do this
[Late 18th century. Via
French passager from, ultimately, Latin passus “step” (see pace ).][1]



passagehawk

passagehawk
pas·sage
hawk
(plural pas·sage hawks) noun

captured young hawk or
falcon: a hawk or falcon captured
while in its first plumage[1]



passageway

passageway
pas·sage·way 
[pássij way] (plural pas·sage·ways)
noun

See
passage 1 noun
1[1]



passagework

passagework
pas·sage·work 
[pássij wùrk] noun

1.  nonthematic
passages:
parts of a musical work that are thematically unrelated to the whole but enable
a performer to display virtuosity

2.  performance
of passagework: the performance or execution of
passagework

[1]



PassaicFalls

PassaicFalls
Pas·sa·ic
Falls
[pə sày ik fáwlz]

falls on the Passaic River in
northeastern New Jersey. Height: 21 m/70 ft.[1]



pass-along

pass-along
pass-a·long
(plural pass-alongs) noun

something passed to the
consumer: something such as a tax that
is passed along to the consumer, usually in the form of higher prices or rents,
in order to prevent a loss of profit.
Also called
pass-through[1]



passant

passant

pas·sant 
[páss’nt] adjective
HERALDRY walking:
used in heraldry to describe an animal shown walking to the left or right
[15th century. From French,
the present participle of passer (see pass
).][1]



passas

passas
pass
as
transitive verb

See
pass for[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








passaway

passaway
pass
away
intransitive verb

1.  die:
to stop living (often used as a euphemism for “die”)

2.  come
to end:
to come to an end or no longer exist

[1]



passback

passback
pass·back
[páss bàk] (plural pass·backs)
noun

SPORTS
pass to player nearer own goal:
the act of passing the ball or puck to another player who is closer to the home
goal[1]



passband

passband
pass
band
(plural pass bands) noun

RADIO
frequencies passed without attenuation:
the range of frequencies that an electronic filter will allow to pass without
attenuation. A voice band filter in a telephone exchange will pass a frequency
band of approximately 3,000 cycles.[1]



passbook

passbook
pass·book 
[páss bk] (plural pass·books)
noun

1.  BANKING record
of bank transactions: a book in which a record is
kept of the money put into and taken out of a bank account.
Also
called
bankbook

2.  COMMERCE book
recording credit purchases: a book in which a merchant
records the items a customer has bought on credit

3.  POLITICS identity
document:
a mandatory identification document issued to black people in South Africa
during apartheid that gave details of their ancestry and spelled out restrictions
on their movements.
Also
called
reference book
[Early 19th century. Pass of
uncertain origin: possibly from the fact that it is handed back and forth
between the bank and the customer.][1]



passby

passby
pass
by
transitive verb

not affect:
to leave somebody or something unaffected or uninvolved • The
usual troubles of adolescence seemed to pass her by.[1]



passedball

passedball
passed
ball 
(plural passed balls) noun

BASEBALL
catcher’s error:
a ball that ought to have been caught by the catcher but is missed, thereby
allowing a runner to advance.
See also
wild pitch[1]



passedpawn

passedpawn
passed
pawn
(plural passed pawns) noun

CHESS
pawn with unblocked path:
a pawn with no opposing pawn in front of it on its own or on either adjacent
file that could become a queen[1]



passel

passel
pas·sel 
[páss’l] (plural pas·sels) noun

large
group or amount: a fairly large group or amount (regional)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of parcel .][1]



passementerie

passementerie
passe·men·terie 
[pass méntree] (plural passe·men·teries)
noun

1.  decorative
trimming for clothes: a decorative trimming for
clothing made, for example, of beads, braid, or lace

2.  making
of cloth decorations: the craft of making fringes,
tassels, and cords to embellish soft furnishings and upholstery
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from passement “decorative lace or braid,” literally
“passing (over one another),” from passer (see pass
).][1]



passenger

passenger
pas·sen·ger 
[pássənjər] (plural pas·sen·gers)
noun

1.  somebody
traveling in vehicle: somebody who travels in a
motor vehicle, train, aircraft, or ship, but is not a driver or crew member

2.  somebody
not doing share of work: somebody in a team who does
not do his or her fair share of the work
[14th century. Alteration of
Old French passageor “one who makes a passage,” from passage (see
passage ).][1]



passengerpigeon

passengerpigeon
pas·sen·ger
pi·geon
(plural pas·sen·ger pi·geons) noun

extinct
pigeon:
an extinct migratory North American pigeon that was abundant until it was
hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Latin name: Ectopistes migratorius
[Passenger in the earlier
sense “migrating bird,” because of its long migrations in huge flocks][1]



passe-partout

passe-partout
passe-par·tout 
[pàss paar t] (plural passe-par·touts
[pàss paar t]) noun

1.  master
key:
something such as a master key that gives unrestricted access to a building or
area

2.  picture
frame:
a decorated mat around a framed picture

3.  adhesive
tape or gummed paper: adhesive tape or gummed
paper used to fix pictures to mats before framing
[From French, literally “pass
everywhere”][1]



passepied

passepied
passe·pied 
[pss pyáy] (plural passe·pieds)
noun

French
court dance: a French court dance in triple time
similar to the minuet, often part of instrumental dance suites
[From French, literally
“foot-pass”][1]



passer-by

passer-by
pas·ser-by
(plural pas·sers-by) noun

somebody going past:
somebody who happens to be going past a place, especially on foot[1]



passerine

passerine
pas·ser·ine 
[pássə rn, pássə
rn] adjective

relating
to perching songbirds: relating or belonging to an
order of mainly perching songbirds. It is the largest order of birds and
comprises more than half of all species. Order: Passeriformes
noun
(plural pas·ser·ines)

passerine
bird:
any bird that belongs to the passerine order
[Late 18th century. From late
Latin passerinus “of sparrows,” from passer “sparrow,” of unknown
origin.][1]



passeul

passeul
pas
seul 
[paa sl] (plural pas seuls) noun

one-person
dance:
a dance or passage performed by a single dancer
[From French, literally “solo
step”][1]



pass-fail

pass-fail
pass-fail 
adjective

grading
only as a pass or fail: used to describe, or
relating to, a system of grading in which a student simply passes or fails,
without a grade such as A, B, or C being awarded
noun

simple grading system:
a system of grading tests in which students simply pass or fail, without
narrower grades such as A, B, and C being awarded[1]



passfor

passfor
pass
for
or pass as transitive verb

seem to be somebody or
something: to be so like somebody or
something as to be easily mistaken for the real person or thing[1]



passible

passible
pas·si·ble 
[pássəb’l] adjective

sensitive:
sensitive to feeling emotions, especially when this causes pain (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin passibilis, from pass-, the
past participle stem of pati “to feel, suffer” (see patient ).]
—pas·si·bil·i·ty
[pàssə bíllətee], noun

—pas·si·bly [pássəblee], adverb[1]



passim

passim
pas·sim 
[pássim] adverb

here
and there:
used especially in footnotes to indicate that what is being referred to occurs
in various places in a book or other text (formal)
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “scatteredly,” from passus, past participle of pandere
“to spread out.”][1]



passing

passing
pass·ing 
[pássing] adjective

1.  going
past:
moving past • a
passing car

2.  transitory:
lasting only a short time

3.  brief
and without much attention: done briefly and without
much attention being paid • a
passing interest

4.  extremely:
very or extremely (archaic) • She
was passing fair.
noun
(plural pass·ings)

1.  ceasing
to exist:
the fact or process of something becoming obsolete or ceasing to exist

2.  place
where it is possible to pass: a place where it is possible
to pass or cross something

3.  process
of time going by: the elapsing of time

4.  death:
death
adverb

very:
exceedingly (archaic)

[1]



passingbell

passingbell
pass·ing
bell
(plural pass·ing bells) noun

bell announcing a death:
a bell rung to mark a death or a funeral[1]



passinglane

passinglane
pass·ing
lane
(plural pass·ing lanes) noun

lane for faster traffic:
a lane designated for passing slower traffic[1]



passingnote

passingnote
pass·ing
note
(plural pass·ing notes) noun

MUSIC
note between chords:
a note played between two chords or pitches to provide a melodic transition
from one to the other.
Also called
passing tone[1]



passingshot

passingshot
pass·ing
shot
(plural pass·ing shots) noun

powerful winning shot:
in racket games such as tennis, a winning shot that passes beyond the reach of
a player at the net[1]



passingtone

passingtone
pass·ing
tone
(plural pass·ing tones) noun

MUSIC
See passing note[1]



passion

passion
pas·sion 
[pásh’n] noun (plural pas·sions)

1.  intense
emotion:
intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger • Try
and play it with a little more passion.

2.  strong
sexual desire: strong sexual desire and excitement

3.  outburst
of emotion:
a sudden outburst of an emotion such as rage, hatred, or jealousy • He
flew into a passion.

4.  intense
enthusiasm for something: a keen interest in a
particular subject or activity • a
passion for music

5.  object
of enthusiasm: the object of somebody’s intense
interest or enthusiasm • Orchids
are my passion.
plural
noun
pas·sions

emotions:
strong emotions, especially as distinct from reason or intellect • a
meeting at which passions were running high
[12th
century. Via French from the ecclesiastical Latin stem passion-
“suffering, affection,” from, ultimately, pati “to suffer” (source of
English patient, passive, and compatible
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at love

[1]



Passion

Passion
Pas·sion 
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Suffering
of Jesus Christ: the sufferings of Jesus Christ from the
Last Supper until his crucifixion

2.  BIBLE story
of Jesus Christ’s suffering: any of the accounts of the
Passion in the Gospel, or a musical work based on one of these

[1]



passional

passional
pas·sion·al 
[páshən’l, páshnəl]
adjective

of
passion:
relating to passion or arising from passion (literary)
noun
(plural pas·sion·als)

CHRISTIANITY book
recounting martyrs’ stories: a book that tells of the
sufferings of Christian saints and martyrs
[15th century. From Latin passionalis,
from passion- (see passion ).][1]



passionate

passionate
pas·sion·ate 
[pásh’nət] adjective

1.  showing
sexual desire: expressing or showing strong sexual
desire • a
passionate kiss

2.  showing
intense emotion: expressing intense or overpowering
emotion • a
passionate speech on human rights

3.  enthusiastic:
having a keen enthusiasm or intense desire for something • a
passionate golfer

4.  having
strong emotions: tending to have strong feelings,
especially of love, desire, or enthusiasm • a
fiery, passionate personality

5.  quick-tempered:
easily made angry
—pas·sion·ate·ly, adverb[1]



passionflower

passionflower

pas·sion·flow·er 
[pásh’n flòwr] (plural pas·sion·flow·ers)
noun
climbing
flowering vine: a chiefly tropical American climbing
vine with large flowers. Some varieties have edible fruit. Genus: Passiflora
[Mid-17th century. Because
parts of the flower are taken as symbols of Jesus Christ’s Passion.][1]



passionfruit

passionfruit

pas·sion fruit
(plural pas·sion fruits) noun
edible fruit of the passionflower:
the edible fruit of a passionflower, especially a granadilla[1]



Passionist

Passionist
Pas·sion·ist 
[pásh’nist] (plural Pas·sion·ists)
noun

CHRISTIANITY
member of a religious order:
a member of a Roman Catholic mendicant order devoted to commemorating the
Passion of Jesus Christ by missionary work. The order was founded in Italy in
1720 by St. Paul of the Cross.[1]



passionless

passionless
pas·sion·less 
[páshən’ləss] adjective

1.  lacking
love:
empty of romantic or sexual love • a
passionless movie

2.  emotionally
detached:
feeling or expressing no emotion
—pas·sion·less·ness, noun[1]



Passionplay

Passionplay
Pas·sion
play
(plural Pas·sion plays) noun

play about Jesus Christ’s
suffering: a play that tells the story
of the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus Christ[1]



PassionSunday

PassionSunday
Pas·sion
Sun·day
noun CHRISTIANITY

1.  5th
Sunday in Lent: the fifth Sunday in Lent, or the second
Sunday before Easter, when Passiontide begins

2.  See
Palm Sunday

[1]



Passiontide

Passiontide
Pas·sion·tide 
[pásh’n td] noun

CHRISTIANITY
last 2 weeks of Lent:
the last two weeks of Lent, from Passion Sunday to Easter[1]



PassionWeek

PassionWeek
Pas·sion
Week
noun CHRISTIANITY

1.  week
following Passion Sunday: the second week before
Easter, from Passion Sunday to Palm Sunday (archaic)

2.  week
before Easter: Holy Week

[1]



passivate

passivate
pas·si·vate 
[pássə vàyt] (past pas·si·vat·ed,
past participle pas·si·vat·ed, present participle pas·si·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular pas·si·vates) transitive verb

protect metal against
corrosion: to coat the surface of a
metal with a substance that protects it against corrosion[1]



passive

passive
pas·sive 
[pássiv] adjective

1.  not
actively taking part: tending not to participate
actively, and usually letting others make decisions

2.  obeying
readily:
tending to submit or obey without arguing or resisting

3.  not
operational: not working or operating

4.  influenced
by something external: influenced, affected, or
produced by something external

5.  GRAMMAR expressing
action done to the subject: indicating that the apparent
subject of a verb is the person or thing undergoing, not performing, the action
of the verb, as in “We were given work to do”

6.  CHEMISTRY unreactive:
chemically inactive or resistant to corrosion

7.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING lacking
a power source: used to describe an electronic circuit
or device that does not contain a source of energy

8.  FINANCE not
managed by the investor: used to describe a form of
investment that does not involve active management by the investor
noun
(plural pas·sives)

GRAMMAR passive
voice:
the passive voice, or a verb in the passive voice
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin passivus, from, ultimately, pati
(see passion ).]
—pas·sive·ly,
adverb

—pas·sive·ness, noun[1]



passive-aggressive

passive-aggressive
pas·sive-ag·gres·sive
adjective

avoiding
direct confrontation: used to describe, or
relating to, a personality type or way of behaving that seeks to manipulate
others indirectly and resist their demands rather than confronting or opposing
directly
—pas·sive aggres·sion,
noun[1]



passiveimmunity

passiveimmunity
pas·sive
im·mu·ni·ty
noun

immunity obtained from
external source: immunity from disease
acquired by the transfer of antibodies from one person to another, for example,
through injections or between a mother and a fetus through the placenta[1]



passiveresistance

passiveresistance
pas·sive
re·sis·tance noun

nonviolent
resistance:
resistance to authority using only nonviolent methods such as peaceful
demonstration or noncooperation
—pas·sive re·sist·er, noun[1]



passiverestraint

passiverestraint
pas·sive
re·straint
(plural pas·sive re·straints) noun

auto safety device:
an automatic safety device in an automobile that protects a driver or passenger
in the event of an accident. Airbags and self-locking seat belts are passive
restraints.[1]



passivesmoking

passivesmoking
pas·sive
smok·ing
noun

breathing in of others’
tobacco smoke: the involuntary
breathing in of other people’s tobacco smoke[1]



passivism

passivism
pas·siv·ism 
[pássə vìzzəm] noun

passive
conduct:
passive behavior or attitudes
—pas·siv·ist, noun[1]



passivity

passivity
pas·siv·i·ty 
[pa sívvətee] noun

passive quality:
the quality of being passive, or passive behavior[1]



passkey

passkey
pass·key 
[páss k] (plural pass·keys) noun

1.  See
master key

2.  See
skeleton key

[1]



passoff

passoff
pass
off
transitive verb

make accepted under false
identity: to cause somebody or
something to be accepted under a different, false identity[1]



passon

passon
pass
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
die:
to stop living (often used as a euphemism for “die”)

2.  transitive
verb
convey
something:
to convey or transmit something that has been received to somebody else

[1]



passout

passout
pass
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
faint:
to lose consciousness

2.  transitive
verb
distribute:
to distribute things among a number of people

[1]



passover

passover
pass
over
transitive verb

1.  ignore:
to ignore somebody’s right to be considered for something, especially a job or
a promotion

2.  disregard:
to fail to consider or include somebody or something

3.  die:
to stop living (dated)

[1]



Passover

Passover
Pass·o·ver 
[páss vər] noun

Jewish
festival:
a Jewish festival beginning on the 14th day of Nisan and continuing for seven
or eight days in commemoration of the exodus of the Hebrews from captivity in
Egypt
[Mid-16th century.Translation
of Hebrew pesaḥ, “to pass without affecting,” alluding to the Bible
(Exodus 12:11–27) where God passes over the Israelites, while the firstborn of
other families are killed.][1]



passport

passport
pass·port 
[páss pàwrt] (plural pass·ports)
noun

1.  official
identification document: an official document issued
by the government of a country to a citizen that identifies the bearer and
gives permission to travel to and from that country

2.  any
authorization to travel: any authorization or
official permission to travel in or through a country

3.  means
of access:
something that grants somebody access to something • Education
is the passport to a more fulfilling life.
[15th century. From French passeport,
literally “to pass the seaport.”][1]



pass-through

pass-through
pass-through 
[páss thr] (plural pass-throughs)
noun

1.  opening
in a kitchen wall: an opening in a wall, often
connecting a kitchen and dining area, through which food and dishes can be
passed

2.  See
pass-along

[1]



passup

passup
pass
up
transitive verb

forgo:
to decide not to take advantage of an opportunity[1]



password

password
pass·word 
[páss wùrd] (plural pass·words)
noun

1.  word
securing access: a secret word or phrase that somebody
must use to gain entry to a place

2.  COMPUTING keyed
characters giving computer access: a sequence of
characters that you have to key in to gain access to part of a computer system
• Don’t
let anyone know your password.

[1]



passé

passé
pas·sé 
[pa sáy] adjective

1.  out
of date:
out of date or no longer fashionable

2.  past
prime:
no longer in prime condition
[Late
18th century. From French, the past participle of passer “to pass” (see pass ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at oldfashioned

[1]



past

past2
past2  [pást]
adjective

1.  elapsed:
gone by • the
past few days

2.  relating
to an earlier time: having existed or occurred
in a previous time • in a past job

3.  one-time:
having formerly occupied a particular position • a
gathering of past presidents

4.  GRAMMAR expressing
action that took place previously: used to describe or
relating to the verb tense that is used for an action that took place
previously
noun
(plural pasts)

1.  time
before the present: the time before the present
and the events that happened then

2.  somebody’s
previous history: everything that has happened previously
to somebody or something • She
has a mysterious past.

3.  shameful
history:
a shameful or scandalous earlier period in somebody’s life

4.  GRAMMAR past
tense:
the past tense of a language, or a verb form in the past tense
[13th
century. Originally the past participle of pass
.]
—past·ness, noun[1]



past

past1
past1  [pást]
CORE
MEANING:
movement that involves passing or going beyond somebody or something • (preposition)
Walk past the library and you’ll arrive at the park.
• (adverb)
She walked right past without saying a word to us.

1.
preposition adverb later:
later than a particular time • It’s
twenty past seven. • It’s
past your bedtime. • It’s
half past.

2.
preposition on the farther side of
something:
on the farther side of or beyond something • We
prefer the bakery that’s just past the school.

3.
preposition beyond a number, amount, or
point:
beyond a particular number, amount, or point, especially a point at which
something can be done • Do
what you like; I’m past caring.

4.
adverb ago:
before the present time (archaic) • He
left home six months past.
[13th
century. Originally the past participle of pass
.]
not
put something past somebody

or
not put it past somebodyto believe that somebody is quite capable of
doing something, usually something disreputable or outrageous (informal)[1]



pasta

pasta
pas·ta 
[pstə, pástə]
(plural pas·tas) noun

1.  food
made from flour: a fresh or dried food that is usually
made from flour, eggs, and water formed into a variety of shapes, for example,
macaroni or spaghetti

2.  pasta
dish:
a dish made with cooked pasta
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian, from late Latin (see paste ).][1]



paste

paste1
paste1  [payst]
noun

1.  adhesive
mixture:
a soft mixture of flour and water or starch and water used as an adhesive,
especially for sticking paper to something

2.  FOOD semisolid
mixture:
a soft mass or mixture with a consistency between a liquid and a solid

3.  FOOD food
spread:
a soft food product that can be spread on something such as bread • anchovy
paste

4.  glass
for imitation gems: a hard, brilliant glass used
to make imitation jewels.
Also
called
strass

5.  COOKING pastry
dough:
pastry dough usually made with shortening and used especially to make pie
crusts

6.  porcelain
clay:
the clay mixture used to make porcelain
transitive
verb
(past past·ed, past participle past·ed, present
participle past·ing, 3rd person present singular pastes)

1.  glue
something to something else: to stick things together
using paste

2.  cover
a surface with paste: to cover a surface by
sticking things to it with paste

3.  spread
something thickly: to spread a soft substance
onto a surface in a thick layer

4.  COMPUT place
text in document electronically: to place text, data,
or an image into a document electronically as an addition or alteration from
another location
[13th
century. Via Old French from late Latin pasta from, ultimately, Greek passein
“to sprinkle” (source of English pastel
). Originally used for “dough,” the underlying sense is “moist mixture.”]
—past·er, noun[1]



paste

paste2
paste2  [payst]
(past past·ed, past participle past·ed, present
participle past·ing, 3rd person present singular pastes)
transitive verb

beat somebody severely:
to give somebody a severe beating or defeat somebody heavily (informal)[1]



pasteboard

pasteboard
paste·board 
[páyst bàwrd] noun (plural paste·boards)

1.  card:
a ticket, card, or playing card (informal)

2.  thick
stiff paper: a stiff board made either of sheets of
paper pasted together or of layers of paper pulp pressed together
adjective

1.  flimsy:
not of good quality, or not very substantial • pasteboard
houses

2.  fake:
intended to pass for the genuine article

[1]



pastel

pastel
pas·tel 
[pa stél] adjective

pale in color:
having a pale soft color
noun
(plural pas·tels)

1.  pale
color:
a pale soft color

2.  paste
used for making crayons: a paste of powdered pigment
and gum, used for making crayons

3.  crayon:
a crayon for doing pastel drawings

4.  drawing:
something drawn using pastel crayons

5.  art
using pastels: the technique or process of drawing with
pastels
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Italian pastello, literally
“small amount of paste,” from pasta “paste,” from late Latin (see paste ).]
—pas·tel·ist, noun[1]



pastern

pastern
pas·tern 
[pástərn] (plural pas·terns) noun

1.  part
of a horse’s foot: the part of a horse’s foot
between the fetlock and the top of the hoof

2.  bone
in a horse’s foot: either of two bones in a
horse’s foot that connect the hoof with the fetlock
[13th century. Via Old French
pasturon, from pasture “hobble for pastured animal” (the original
sense in English), from, ultimately, Latin pascere “to feed” (source of
English pasture ).][1]



pasteup

pasteup
paste
up
transitive verb

PRINTING
stick pages onto separate sheets:
to take printed pages or proofs and stick them onto separate sheets of paper so
that they can be read and amended[1]



paste-up

paste-up
paste-up 
(plural paste-ups) noun

1.  sheets
with pages for checking: a number of sheets of paper
onto which printed pages or proofs have been pasted for checking

2.  preparation
for printing plates: cards on which pieces of
typesetting or artwork have been pasted to be photographed for making printing
plates

3.  technique
of making paste-ups: the technique or process of
making paste-ups (often used before a noun) • a
paste-up artist

[1]



pasteurization

pasteurization
pas·teur·i·za·tion 
[pàschəri záysh’n, pàstəri
záysh’n] noun

partial sterilization:
treatment of a liquid such as milk by heating it in order to destroy harmful
bacteria[1]



pasteurize

pasteurize
pas·teur·ize 
[páschə rz, pástə
rz] (past pas·teur·ized, past participle pas·teur·ized,
present participle pas·teur·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular pas·teur·iz·es) transitive verb

treat
by pasteurization: to treat a liquid such as
milk by heating it in order to destroy harmful bacteria
[Late
19th century. Named for Louis Pasteur, who
developed it.]
—pas·teur·iz·er, noun[1]



Pasteur,Louis

Pasteur,Louis

Pas·teur
[pas túr, paass
túr], Louis (1822–1895)
French scientist. He developed the
process of pasteurization and invented vaccinations to induce immunity against
certain viral diseases. He founded, and was the first director of, the Pasteur
Institute in Paris.[1]



Pasteurtreatment

Pasteurtreatment
Pas·teur
treat·ment
noun

rabies
treatment:
a treatment for somebody infected with rabies in which increasingly strong
injections of a less infective form of the virus are given to produce
antibodies against it
[Late 19th century. Named for
Louis Pasteur, who devised the technique.][1]



pasticcio

pasticcio
pas·tic·cio 
[pa stchō, pa
stchi ō, paa stchō] (plural pas·tic·ci
[pa stchee, paa
stchee] or pas·tic·cios) noun

pastiche:
a pastiche
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian, literally “pie, pasty,” from, ultimately, late Latin pasta (see
paste ).][1]



pastiche

pastiche
pas·tiche 
[pa stsh, paa
stsh] (plural pas·tiches) noun

1.  mixture:
a piece of creative work, for example, in literature, drama, or art, that is a
mixture of things borrowed from other works

2.  use
of pastiche: the creation or use of a pastiche

3.  imitative
work:
a piece of creative work, for example, in literature, drama, or art, that
imitates and often satirizes another work or style
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Italian pasticcio (see pasticcio
). The underlying sense is “mixture” or “medley.”][1]



pastille

pastille
pas·tille 
[pa stl] (plural pas·tilles) noun

1.  lozenge:
a small flavored or medicated lozenge

2.  fumigating
substance:
a substance, usually in tablet or paste form, that is burned to scent or
fumigate a room
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin pastillus, literally “little loaf” (from the shape), from panis
“loaf.”][1]



pastime

pastime
pas·time 
[páss tm] (plural pas·times) noun

agreeable
activity:
an interest or activity that somebody pursues in his or her spare time
[15th century. From pass + time .][1]



pastina

pastina
pas·ti·na 
[pa stnə] noun

small
pasta:
tiny pieces of pasta often used in soup
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “little pasta,” from pasta (see pasta ).][1]



pasting

pasting
past·ing
[páysting] (plural past·ings) noun

severe beating:
a severe beating or a complete defeat (informal)[1]



pastis

pastis
pas·tis 
[pa stss] (plural pas·tis·es)
noun

French
liqueur:
a yellowish French liqueur flavored with aniseed, often drunk as an apéritif
[Early 20th century. Via
French, literally “muddle, mixture,” from, ultimately, late Latin pasta
(see paste ).][1]



pastmaster

pastmaster
past
mas·ter
(plural past mas·ters) noun

1.  expert:
somebody who has great experience and skill in doing something

2.  former
master:
somebody who has held a position as master at one time, for example, in the
Freemasons

[1]



pastor

pastor
pas·tor 
[pástər] noun (plural pas·tors)

1.  minister:
a Christian minister or priest in charge of a congregation

2.  spiritual
adviser:
somebody who is not a minister or priest but who gives spiritual advice to a
group of people

3.  shepherd:
a shepherd (archaic)
transitive
verb

act as pastor:
to provide the services that a pastor performs for a church
[14th
century. Via Old French pastre from Latin pastor “herdsman,
shepherd,” from past-, the past participle stem of pascere “to
feed or graze.”]
—pas·tor·ship, noun[1]



pastoral

pastoral
pas·tor·al 
[pástərəl] adjective

1.  rural:
relating to the countryside or to rural life • pastoral
living

2.  ARTS idealizing
rural life:
presenting an idealized image of rural life and nature • pastoral
poetry

3.  of
clergy:
relating to religious ministers or priests or their duties

4.  AGRICULTURE used
for pasture: used to describe land that is used as
pasture

5.  giving
advice to students: relating to the duties of a
teacher who gives personal advice and support to students rather than just
teaching them

6.  AGRICULTURE of
sheep or cattle: relating to or keeping sheep or cattle
noun
(plural pas·tor·als)

1.  ARTS description
of rural life: a literary work or painting that
portrays rural life in an idealized way

2.  MUSIC See pastorale

3.  CHRISTIANITY letter
from a religious minister: a letter written by a
religious minister to his or her congregation

4.  CHRISTIANITY bishop’s
staff:
a staff carried by a bishop as a symbol of office
[15th
century. From Latin pastoralis, literally “to do with herdsmen or
shepherds,” from pastor (see pastor
).]
—pas·tor·al·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Pastoral
  Symphony, a composition by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven ( 1808 ).
  Also known as Symphony No. 6 in F major, op. 68, this widely performed work
  was described by Beethoven as a “recollection of country life.” It describes
  a day’s outing to the Viennese countryside and features peasant dances, bird
  songs, and a storm.

[1]



pastorale

pastorale
pas·to·rale 
[pàstə rl, pàstə
rál] (plural pas·to·rales or pas·to·ra·li [pàstə rlee]) or pas·tor·al [pástərəl] (plural pas·tor·als) noun

1.  rustic
opera:
an opera with a rural story and setting, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries

2.  music
with a pastoral theme: a piece of music with a
pastoral theme
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian, literally “pastoral,” from, ultimately, Latin pastor (see pastor ).][1]



PastoralEpistles

PastoralEpistles
Pas·tor·al
E·pist·les 
noun

biblical epistles:
in the Bible, the three epistles, two to Timothy and one to Titus,
traditionally attributed to St. Paul.[1]



pastoralism

pastoralism
pas·tor·al·ism 
[pástərə lìzzəm] noun

1.  livestock
raising:
the raising of livestock, especially by traditional methods, as the main
economic activity of a society

2.  ARTS artistic
treatment of rural life: the style in literary work
or painting that portrays rural life, especially that of shepherds, in an
idealized way

3.  way
of life dependent on livestock: a way of life that
depends on raising livestock and living on its milk and meat

[1]



pastoralist

pastoralist
pas·tor·al·ist
[pástərəlist] (plural pas·tor·al·ists)
noun

somebody living a pastoral
life: somebody who has a pastoral
way of life[1]



pastorate

pastorate
pas·tor·ate 
[pástərət] (plural pas·tor·ates)
noun

1.  office
of pastor:
the office, term of office, or jurisdiction of a pastor

2.  pastors
collectively: pastors considered as a group

[1]



pastparticiple

pastparticiple
past
par·ti·ci·ple noun

participle expressing action
in the past: a participle that
expresses past time or a completed action. It is used with auxiliaries to form
perfect tenses in the active voice and all tenses in the passive voice. In the
sentence “I waited until he had rung the bell,” the past participle is “rung.”
Also called
perfect participle[1]



pastperfect

pastperfect
past
per·fect
noun

verb
tense with “had”: a verb tense that is formed with “had”
and expresses an action that was completed at a time in the past
adjective

being in past perfect tense:
being in or relating to the past perfect tense[1]



pastrami

pastrami
pas·tra·mi 
[pə strmee] (plural pas·tra·mis)
noun

smoked
beef:
smoked and strongly seasoned beef, usually prepared from a shoulder cut, that
is served cold or heated in thin slices
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from Romanian pastramā .][1]



pastry

pastry
pas·try 
[páystree] (plural pas·tries) noun

1.  dough
for pies:
a dough made with flour, water, and shortening, used to make crusts for pies

2.  foods
made from pastry: sweet baked food made from pastry

3.  something
made with pastry: a pie or small cake made with pastry
[15th century. Formed from paste on the model of Old French pastaierie
.][1]



pasttense

pasttense
past
tense
noun

verb tense expressing past
events: a verb tense that expresses
something that happened or was done in the past. In the sentence “I felt very
proud of them,” the verb “felt” is in the past tense.[1]



pasturage

pasturage
pas·tur·age 
[páschərij] (plural pas·tur·ag·es)
noun

1.  See
pasture  noun 1

2.  grazing
of livestock: the grazing of livestock, or the right
to graze livestock on a particular area of land

[1]



pasture

pasture
pas·ture 
[páschər] noun (plural pas·tures)

1.  land
for grazing: grass-covered land used for grazing
livestock.
Also
called
pasturage

2.  plants
for grazing: grass and other growing plants that are
suitable food for livestock
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pas·tured,
past participle pas·tured, present participle pas·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular pas·tures)

graze: to
graze, or to put livestock somewhere to graze
[13th
century. Via Old French from late Latin pastura, from past-, the
past participle stem of Latin pascere “to feed.”]
put
somebody out to pasture

1.  to
impose retirement on somebody, usually on grounds of age (informal or
humorous)

2.  to
put a grazing animal into a field to graze

[1]



pasty

pasty1
pas·ty1  [pástee]
(plural pas·ties) noun

U.K.
turnover:
a turnover made from a folded round of pastry with a filling in the middle
[Via Old French pasté(e)
from, ultimately, late Latin pasta (see paste
)][1]



pasty

pasty2
past·y2  [páystee]
adjective (comparative past·i·er, superlative past·i·est)

1.  unhealthily
pale:
having a pale unhealthy appearance

2.  resembling
paste:
resembling paste in consistency, color, or texture
noun
(plural past·ies)

nipple covering:
either of a pair of small adhesive coverings for a woman’s nipples, worn
usually by erotic dancers
[Early
17th century. Formed from paste .]
—past·i·ly,
adverb

—past·i·ness, noun[1]



PAsystem

PAsystem
PA
sys·tem 
(plural PA sys·tems)

See
PA Abbreviation of public-address system[1]



pat.

pat.
pat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
patent

2.  Abbreviation
of
patented

[1]



pat

pat1
pat1  [pat]
transitive verb (past pat·ted, past participle pat·ted,
present participle pat·ting, 3rd person present singular pats)

1.  strike
lightly:
to strike something lightly with the palm of the hand or something flat

2.  lay
the hand on something repeatedly: to touch somebody or
something repeatedly with the palm of your hand, for example, to show affection
or to congratulate somebody • I
patted the child’s curly head.

3.  shape
something with the hands: to shape or smooth something
with the hands or with a flat object
noun
(plural pats)

1.  light
blow:
a light blow with the palm of the hand or with a flat object

2.  light
touch:
a light, usually repeated, touch with the hand to show affection or to congratulate
somebody

3.  small
piece:
a small piece of something soft, especially butter

4.  soft
sound:
the sound made by a light blow with the hand or with a flat object, or by a
light footstep
[14th
century. Imitative of the sound of patting.]
a
pat on the back

an expression of praise or
congratulation (informal) • You
deserve a pat on the back for getting the work done so quickly.[1]



Pat

Pat
Pat
(plural Pats) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for an Irishman (offensive)
[Early 19th century. Pet-form
of the name Patrick, common in Ireland.][1]



pat

pat2
pat2  [pat]
adverb

1.  exactly:
in an exact, accurate, or fluent way • He has
his part down pat.

2.  opportunely:
at the most appropriate time or place
adjective

1.  glib:
so easily and readily produced as to suggest lack of proper thought • pat
answers

2.  CARD GAMES not
to be improved: used to describe a poker hand that is
not likely to be improved by drawing additional cards
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from pat 1, the
underlying sense being “hitting the mark.”][1]



pataca

pataca
pa·ta·ca 
[pə tkə] (plural pa·ta·cas) noun

1.  unit
of currency: the basic unit of currency of Macau,
worth 100 avos

2.  coin
worth a pataca: a coin worth one pataca
[Mid-19th century. Via
Portuguese from Arabic abū āqah, a kind of coin.][1]



patagium

patagium
pa·ta·gi·um 
[pə táyjee əm] (plural pa·ta·gi·a
[pə táyjee ə]) noun

1.  fold
of mammal skin: a loose fold of skin between the fore
and hind limbs in some mammals, used as an aid to flying or gliding by, for
example, bats and flying lemurs.
Also
called
parachute

2.  fold
of bird skin: a thin fold of skin between a bird’s
wing and its shoulder
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, literally “gold edging on a tunic.”][1]



Patagonia

Patagonia
Pat·a·go·ni·a 
[pàttə gṓnee ə]

region
of southern Argentina, between the Andes Mountains and the South Atlantic
Ocean. Area: 777,000 sq km/300,000 sq mi.
—Patag·o·nian, noun,
adjective[1]



pataphysics

pataphysics
pa·ta·phys·ics 
[ptə fízziks] noun

pseudoscience:
an imaginary science invented by the French absurdist dramatist Alfred Jarry,
supposedly investigating and explaining what is beyond metaphysics (takes a
singular verb)
[Mid-20th century. Via French
pataphysique, an alteration of Greek ta epi ta metaphusika, “that
which comes after the metaphysics.”][1]



patch

patch
patch
[pach] noun (plural patch·es)

1.  something
that covers or mends: a piece of material used to
cover, strengthen, or mend a hole in something • an
elbow patch

2.  small
area:
a small area of something within a larger one • a
patch of ice

3.  small
growing area: a small area of land used for growing a
particular crop • a cabbage patch

4.  area
of control:
an area under somebody’s control or jurisdiction • They
warned him to stay off their patch. • Two
vendors were arguing over whose patch it was.

5.  eye
shield:
a pad worn over an injured or missing eye • an
eye patch

6.  MEDICINE cover
for wound:
a piece of material used to cover a wound

7.  sewn-on
badge:
a cloth badge sewn onto clothing as identification, a sign of rank, or to
commemorate something

8.  COMPUTING software
bug corrector or update: a fragment of program code
made available to fix a bug in a software application or to add a new feature
before an updated version of the application is released • a
patch available on the Internet

9.  PHARMACOLOGY drug-impregnated
material:
a piece of material impregnated with a drug and worn on the skin to allow the
gradual absorption of the drug • a
nicotine patch

10. FASHION artificial
beauty spot: a small piece of black silk or velvet,
often in a distinct shape, worn on the face by men and women as an adornment in
the 17th and 18th centuries
transitive
verb
(past patched, past participle patched, present participle
patch·ing, 3rd person present singular patch·es)

1.  repair
something with material: to cover or mend a hole in
something or to strengthen a weak place using cloth or a pasty substance

2.  make
something from cloth pieces: to make something by sewing
together pieces of fabric

3.  COMPUTING amend
a program using a patch: to fix or update software
using a patch

4.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS connect
a call:
to connect one telephone or radio caller with another or transfer a call to somewhere
else • Patch
me through to headquarters.
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from a dialect variant of Old French piece
(see piece ).][1]



patchboard

patchboard
patch
board
(plural patch boards) noun

electrical panel with several
sockets: an electrical panel with
numerous sockets into which electrical cords patch cords can be plugged to form
temporary circuits. Telephone exchanges used to use patch boards before the
advent of electronic switchboards.[1]



patchouli

patchouli
patch·ou·li 
[pə chlee, páchəlee]
(plural patch·ou·lis) or pach·ou·li [pə chlee, páchəlee]
(plural pach·ou·lis) noun

1.  tropical
Asian shrub: a tropical Asian shrub of the mint
family whose leaves produce a fragrant oil. Latin name: Pogostemon cablin

2.  aromatic
oil:
the aromatic oil obtained from the patchouli shrub, used in perfumes and in
aromatherapy
[Mid-19th century. From Tamil
paculi .][1]



patchpocket

patchpocket

patch pock·et
(plural patch pock·ets) noun
sewn-on pocket:
a pocket made by sewing a patch of fabric on the outside of a garment[1]



patchtest

patchtest
patch
test
(plural patch tests) noun

allergy test:
a test for allergies in which small pads impregnated with allergens are applied
to somebody’s skin to check whether there is any negative reaction[1]



patchup

patchup
patch
up
transitive verb

1.  mend
something hurriedly: to mend or assemble
something hurriedly or as a temporary measure

2.  make
friends again: to become friends with somebody again
after an argument

3.  give
treatment to somebody: to give somebody medical
treatment for an injury (informal)

[1]



patchwork

patchwork
patch·work 
[pách wùrk] (plural patch·works)
noun

1.  patches
sewn together: needlework in which patches or scraps of
fabric are sewn together to make a decorative cover • a
patchwork quilt

2.  mixture:
something made up of many different parts

[1]



patchy

patchy
patch·y 
[páchee] (comparative patch·i·er,
superlative patch·i·est) adjective

1.  occurring
in patches:
occurring only in patches, rather than throughout an area, or consisting only
of patches, rather than a large expanse • patchy
fog

2.  of
varying quality: good only at times or in places
—patch·i·ly,
adverb

—patch·i·ness, noun[1]



patd.

patd.
patd.

Abbreviation of
patented[1]



pate

pate
pate 
[payt] (plural pates) noun

head:
the head, especially the top of the head (archaic or humorous)
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



patella

patella

pa·tel·la 
[pə téllə] (plural pa·tel·lae
[pə téllee] or pa·tel·las) noun
kneecap:
a kneecap (technical)
[15th
century. From Latin, literally “small shallow dish” (from the shape), from patina
(see paten ).]
—pa·tel·lar, adjective[1]



patellate

patellate
pa·tel·late 
[pə téllət, pə
té làyt] or pa·tel·li·form [pə
téllə fàwrm] adjective

BIOLOGY
saucer-shaped:
shaped like a saucer or a shallow cup[1]



paten

paten
pat·en
[pátt’n] (plural pat·ens) or
pat·in [pátt’n] (plural pat·ins)
noun

plate
for bread in Communion: a shallow metal plate, often
made of gold or silver, used to carry the bread at the celebration of the
Christian ceremony of Communion
[13th century. Directly or
via French patène from Latin patena, patina “shallow dish
or pan,” from Greek patanē “plate.”][1]



patency

patency
pa·ten·cy 
[páyt’nsee] noun

1.  obviousness:
the obvious nature of something

2.  MEDICINE unblocked
condition:
the naturally open and unblocked state of an artery, duct, or other tube in the
body

[1]



patent

patent
pat·ent 
noun [pátt’nt] (plural pat·ents)

1.  exclusive
right to market an invention: an exclusive right
officially granted by a government to an inventor to make or sell an invention

2.  document
granting a patent: an official document setting
out the terms of a patent

3.  invention
protected by patent: an invention for which a
patent has been granted

4.  document
granting a right: any official document that grants a
right to somebody

5.  government
grant:
a government grant that gives an individual title to public lands

6.  land:
the land granted by a government in a patent
adjective
[páyt’nt, pátt’nt]

1.  clear
or obvious:
very obvious and not needing any further explanation or not being open to doubt
• his
patent discomfiture

2.  LAW open
for inspection: used to describe a legal document that
is accessible to anyone for inspection

3.  of
patents:
relating to or dealing in patents • a
patent lawyer

4.  protected
by patent:
protected by a patent from being copied or sold by somebody else

5.  MEDICINE unblocked:
used to describe an artery, duct, or other tube in the body that is naturally
open and unblocked

6.  BOTANY spreading:
used to describe plant parts that spread out widely from a center
transitive
verb
[pátt’nt] (past pat·ent·ed, past
participle pat·ent·ed, present participle pat·ent·ing,
3rd person present singular pat·ents)

1.  protect
rights to something by patent: to obtain a patent on
or for something, especially an invention

2.  grant
a patent to somebody: to grant a patent to
somebody for something, especially for a piece of land
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin patent-, the present participle stem of patere
“to lie open.”][1]



patentee

patentee
pat·ent·ee 
[pàtt’n t] (plural pat·ent·ees)
noun

holder of patent:
a person or group to whom a patent has been granted[1]



patentleather

patentleather
pat·ent
leath·er
noun

leather
with a glossy surface: leather that has been
treated with lacquer to give it a hard, glossy surface
[From the idea of protection][1]



patentlog

patentlog
pat·ent
log
(plural pat·ent logs) noun

NAUTICAL device
that measures a ship’s movement: an instrument used to
measure a ship’s speed or the distance it has traveled by means of fins that
rotate as the instrument is dragged through the water behind the vessel
[Because it was patented][1]



patently

patently
pat·ent·ly 
[páyt’ntlee, pátt’ntlee]
adverb

obviously:
in a way that can easily be seen or understood • He
was patently ill at ease.[1]



patentmedicine

patentmedicine
pat·ent
med·i·cine
(plural pat·ent med·i·cines) noun

nonprescription medicine:
a medicine that can be bought without a prescription and is protected by a
patent or trademark[1]



patentoffice

patentoffice
pat·ent
of·fice
(plural pat·ent of·fic·es) noun

government office granting
patents: a government office that
evaluates patent claims and grants patents[1]



patentor

patentor
pat·en·tor 
[pátt’ntər, pàtt’n
táwr] (plural pat·en·tors) noun

granter of patent:
a person or office that grants a patent[1]



patentright

patentright
pat·ent
right
(plural pat·ent rights) noun

exclusive right:
an exclusive right to make or sell something that is granted to somebody by a
patent[1]



pater

pater
pa·ter 
[páytər] (plural pa·ters) noun

U.K.
father:
somebody’s father (dated slang or humorous)
[14th century. From Latin,
“father.”][1]



paterfamilias

paterfamilias
pa·ter·fa·mil·i·as 
[pàytər fə míllee əss, ptər fə míllee əss] (plural pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as
[pàytreez fə míllee əss, ptreez fə míllee əss]) noun

father
of a family: a man in the role of father and head of
a household
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “father of a family.”][1]



paternal

paternal
pa·ter·nal 
[pə túrn’l] adjective

1.  of
fathers or fatherhood: relating to fathers or
typical of a father

2.  related
through a father: being on a father’s side of a family • her
paternal grandfather

3.  inherited
from a father: inherited or deriving from a father
[15th
century. Via late Latin paternalis, from, ultimately, Latin pater
“father.”]
—pa·ter·nal·ly, adverb[1]



paternalism

paternalism
pa·ter·nal·ism 
[pə túrn’l ìzzəm] noun

telling
people what is best: a style of government or
management, or an approach to personal relationships, in which the desire to
help, advise, and protect may neglect individual choice and personal
responsibility
—pa·ter·nal·ist,
noun

—pa·ter·nal·is·tic
[pə tùrn’l ístik], adjective

—pa·ter·nal·is·ti·cal·ly
[pə tùrn’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



paternity

paternity
pa·ter·ni·ty 
[pə túrnətee] noun

1.  fatherhood:
a man’s role or status as a father

2.  ancestry:
descent from a father • The
court must first determine paternity before it can reach a verdict in the case.

3.  origin:
the origin or authorship of something (literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via French paternité from late Latin paternitas from, ultimately,
Latin pater “father.”][1]



paternityleave

paternityleave
pa·ter·ni·ty
leave
noun

time off for a new father:
time off work that an employer grants to a man whose partner has just had, or
is about to have, a baby[1]



paternitysuit

paternitysuit
pa·ter·ni·ty
suit
(plural pa·ter·ni·ty suits) noun

lawsuit claiming somebody is
a child’s father: a lawsuit brought by a
woman against a man whom she claims is the father of her child and therefore
liable for contributing to the child’s financial support[1]



paternitytest

paternitytest
pa·ter·ni·ty
test
(plural pa·ter·ni·ty tests) noun

fatherhood test:
a medical test using DNA fingerprinting or other genetic information to
determine whether or not a man is the father of a particular child[1]



paternoster

paternoster
pa·ter·nos·ter 
[ptər nóstər, pàytər
nóstər] (plural pa·ter·nos·ters) noun

1.  pa·ter·nos·ter
or Pa·ter·nos·ter CHRISTIANITY
Lord’s
Prayer:
in the Roman Catholic Church, the Lord’s Prayer, or a recitation of it

2.  CHRISTIANITY large
bead in a rosary: in Roman Catholicism, a large bead in a
rosary, used to indicate when the Lord’s Prayer is to be recited

3.  words
in prayer or attempted magic: a set form of words used in
prayer or in attempting magic

4.  nonstop
elevator:
a doorless elevator in which compartments move continuously and people step on
and off as they wish
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
pater noster “our father,” the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer.][1]



path

path
path 
[path] (plural paths [paths, paz]) noun

1.  trodden
track:
a track that has been made by people using it continuously

2.  surfaced
track:
a surfaced track made for walking or cycling

3.  course:
a route along which something moves • the
path of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun

4.  course
of action:
a course of action or a way of living

5.  COMPUTING route
to a computer file: the route that a computer
operating system follows through the directories on a disk to locate a file, or
the sequence of keyed characters that identifies this route
[Old
English pæth . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to tread,”
which is also the ancestor of English find,
pontiff, and sputnik .]
the
primrose path

an enjoyable, easy way of
life considered to be the route to ruin or degeneration[1]



path.

path.
path.

Abbreviation of
pathology[1]



-path

-path
-path
suffix

1.  somebody
with a particular disorder • neuropath

2.  somebody
who practices a particular type of treatment • osteopath

3.  somebody
who possesses a particular ability • telepath
[Back-formation from -pathy][1]



Pathan

Pathan
Pa·than 
[pə tn] (plural Pa·than or
Pa·thans) noun

member
of a people in Afghanistan: a member of a people that
lives in Afghanistan, where Pathans are the largest ethnic group, and in parts
of Pakistan
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
Pahān .][1]



pathetic

pathetic
pa·thet·ic 
[pə théttik] adjective

1.  pitiful:
provoking or expressing feelings of pity

2.  contemptibly
inadequate:
so inadequate as to be laughable or contemptible (informal)
[Late
16th century. Via French pathétique from, ultimately, Greek pathētikos
“sensitive,” which was formed, ultimately, from pathos “feeling” (source
of English pathos ). The underlying
sense is “moving, arousing emotion.”]
—pa·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at moving

[1]



patheticfallacy

patheticfallacy
pa·thet·ic
fal·la·cy
noun

attribution of human
characteristics to nature: the
attribution of human characteristics to nature or to inanimate objects, as in
the phrase “the angry waves”[1]



pathfinder

pathfinder
path·find·er 
[páth fndər] (plural path·find·ers)
noun

somebody
who discovers a way: somebody who discovers a
route, especially through unexplored territories or uncharted areas of
knowledge
—path·find·ing, noun[1]



patho-

patho-
patho-
prefix

disease
• pathogen
[From Greek pathos
(see pathos )][1]



pathogen

pathogen
path·o·gen 
[páthəjən] (plural path·o·gens)
noun

cause of disease:
something that can cause disease, such as a bacterium or a virus[1]



pathogenesis

pathogenesis
path·o·gen·e·sis 
[pàthə jénnəssiss] or pa·thog·e·ny
[pa thójjənee] noun

origins
and effects of a disease: the cause, development, and
effects of a disease
—path·o·ge·net·ic [pàthə jə néttik], adjective[1]



pathogenic

pathogenic
path·o·gen·ic 
[pàthə jénnik] adjective

1.  causing
disease:
causing disease, or able to cause disease

2.  of
the causes of disease: relating to the causes and
development of diseases

[1]



pathognomonic

pathognomonic
pa·thog·no·mon·ic 
[pə thògnə mónnik, pàthəgnə
mónnik] adjective

MEDICINE indicating
a specific disease: used to describe a symptom
or sign that indicates almost beyond doubt the correct diagnosis of a disease
[Early 17th century. From
Greek pathognōmonikos, literally “that is a judge of disease,” from pathos
“disease” + gnōmōn “judge.”][1]



pathol.

pathol.
pathol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
pathological

2.  Abbreviation
of
pathology

[1]



pathological

pathological
path·o·log·i·cal 
[pàthə lójjik’l] adjective

1.  extreme:
uncontrolled or unreasonable • a
pathological fear of heights

2.  MEDICINE disease:
relating to disease or arising from disease

3.  MEDICINE of
pathology:
relating to pathology or used in pathology
[Late
17th century. From Greek pathologikos, from pathos “disease.”]
—path·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



pathologist

pathologist
pa·thol·o·gist
[pə thólləjist] (plural pa·thol·o·gists)
noun

specialist in pathology:
a scientist who is skilled in identifying the nature, origin, progress, and
cause of disease, especially one who determines the cause of somebody’s death
by an autopsy[1]



pathology

pathology
pa·thol·o·gy 
[pə thólləjee] (plural pa·thol·o·gies)
noun

1.  processes
of a particular disease: the processes of a
particular disease, observable either with the naked eye or by microscopy, or,
at a molecular level, as inferred from biochemical tests

2.  condition
that is not normal: any condition that is a
deviation from the normal

3.  study
of disease:
the scientific study of the nature, origin, progress, and cause of disease
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French pathologie from medieval Latin pathologia, from
Greek pathos “disease.”][1]



pathophysiology

pathophysiology
path·o·phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[pàthō fízzee ólləjee] noun

changes caused by disease:
the disturbance of function that a disease causes in an organ, as distinct from
any changes in structure that might be caused[1]



pathos

pathos
pa·thos 
[páy thàwss] noun

1.  quality
that arouses pity: the quality in something
that makes people feel pity or sadness

2.  expression
of pity:
feelings of pity, especially when they are expressed in some way
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “feeling, disease” (source also of English pathetic
).][1]



pathway

pathway
path·way 
[páth wày] (plural path·ways) noun

1.  path:
a path or route

2.  MEDICINE sequence
of reactions: a sequence of biochemical reactions
involved in a metabolic process

[1]



-pathy

-pathy
-pathy
suffix

1.  disorder,
disease • retinopathy

2.  system
of treating medical disorders • hydropathy

3.  feeling,
perception • telepathy
[From
Greek -patheia, from pathos (see pathos
)]
—-pathic, suffix[1]



patience

patience
pa·tience 
[páysh’ns] noun

1.  capacity
for waiting: the ability to endure waiting or delay
without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with
difficulties • This
job needs time and patience.

2.  ability
to tolerate trying circumstances: the ability to
tolerate being hurt, provoked, or annoyed without complaint or loss of temper

3.  U.K.
CARD GAMES See solitaire
[12th century. Via French
from Latin patientia, from patient- (see patient
).][1]



patient

patient
pa·tient 
[páysh’nt] adjective

1.  capable
of waiting:
able to endure waiting or delay without becoming annoyed or upset or to
persevere calmly when faced with difficulties

2.  able
to tolerate difficult circumstances: able
to tolerate being hurt, provoked, or annoyed without complaint or loss of
temper
noun
(plural pa·tients)

somebody given medical treatment:
somebody who is being given medical treatment
[14th
century. Via French from Latin patient-, the present participle stem of pati
“to suffer” (source of English passion
).]
—pa·tient·ly, adverb[1]



patin

patin
pat·in
noun

See
paten[1]



patina

patina
pat·i·na
[pátt’nə, pə tnə]
(plural pat·i·nas or pat·i·nae [pátt’nee, pə tnee])
noun

1.  thin
green layer on copper: a thin layer formed by
corrosion on the surface of some metals and minerals, especially the green
layer that covers copper and bronze and is valued for its color

2.  surface
sheen:
a pleasing surface sheen on something that develops with age or frequent handling

3.  superficial
layer:
any thin or superficial layer on something
[Mid-18th
century. Via Italian from Latin (see paten
).]
—pat·i·nat·ed [pátt’n àytəd], adjective[1]



patio

patio
pat·i·o 
[páttee ] (plural pat·i·os) noun

1.  paved
area outside a house: a paved area adjoining a
house, used for outdoor dining, growing plants in containers, and recreation

2.  roofless
courtyard:
a roofless inner courtyard typical of a Spanish-style house
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “courtyard of a house,” of unknown origin.][1]



patiodoors

patiodoors
pat·i·o
doors
plural noun

doors opening onto a patio:
a pair of glazed doors in an outside wall of a house that open onto a patio[1]



patisserie

patisserie
pa·tis·se·rie 
[pə tíssəree] (plural pa·tis·se·ries)
noun

1.  bake
shop:
a bakery that specializes in pastries and cakes

2.  cakes:
sweet pastries or cakes collectively
[Late 16th century. From
French pâtisserie, from patissier “pastry chef,” from,
ultimately, late Latin pasta (see paste
).][1]



Patna

Patna
Pat·na 
[pútnə]

capital city of Bihar State,
northern India. Population: 916,980 (1991)[1]



Patnarice

Patnarice
Pat·na
rice
[pútnə rss, pátnə
rss] noun

long-grained
rice:
a variety of long-grained rice
[Mid-19th century. Named for Patna, where it is grown.][1]



pat.off.

pat.off.
pat.
off.

Abbreviation of
patent office[1]



Pat.Off.

Pat.Off.
Pat.
Off.

Abbreviation of
Patent Office[1]



patois

patois
pat·ois 
[pát w, pa tw]
(plural pat·ois) noun

1.  regional
dialect:
a regional form of a language, used informally and usually containing elements
regarded as nonstandard

2.  jargon:
the jargon used by a particular group
[Mid-17th century. From
French “native speech,” of uncertain origin: probably from patoier,
literally “to paw roughly,” from patte “paw” (probable source of English
patrol ).][1]



pat.pend.

pat.pend.
pat.
pend.

Abbreviation of
patent pending[1]



patr-

patr-
patr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
patri-[1]



Patras

Patras
Pa·tras
[pə tráss, páttrəss]

city in Greece, on the
northwestern Peloponnesian Coast, facing the Ionian Sea. It is the country’s
main port. Population: 152,570 (1991)[1]



patresfamilias

patresfamilias
pa·tres·fa·mil·i·as


Plural of
paterfamilias[1]



patri-

patri-
patri-
prefix

father,
paternal • patrilineal
[From Latin patr-, the
stem of pater, and Greek patr-, the stem of patēr (see pater )][1]



patriarch

patriarch
pa·tri·arch 
[páytree rk] (plural pa·tri·archs)
noun

1.  head
of a family: a man who is the head of a family or
group

2.  respected
senior:
a respected and experienced senior man within a group or family

3.  BIBLE biblical
ancestor:
a figure mentioned in the Bible considered as the ancestor of the whole human
race, for example, Adam or Noah

4.  BIBLE Hebrew
leader:
any of the ancestors and religious leaders of the Hebrew people in Hebrew
Scriptures, especially in the book of Genesis, for example, Abraham, Isaac, or
Jacob

5.  oldest
member:
the oldest male member of something, such as a community of people or a herd of
livestock

6.  founder:
a man who is a founder of something

7.  CHRISTIANITY Eastern
Orthodox bishop: in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a bishop
of the sees of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, or Jerusalem, and also of
Russia, Romania, or Serbia

8.  CHRISTIANITY senior
Roman Catholic bishop: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a leading bishop in a Uniat church

9.  CHRISTIANITY dignitary
of the Latter-Day Saints: a high dignitary of the
Latter-Day Saints with the power to invoke blessings, especially one of the
Melchizedek order of priests
[12th century. Directly and
via French from ecclesiastical Latin, from Greek patriarkhēs, literally
“head of a family,” from patria “family.”][1]



patriarchal

patriarchal
pa·tri·ar·chal
[pàytree rk’l] or pa·tri·ar·chic
[pàytree rk’l] adjective

1.  relating
to a patriarch: relating to a patriarch

2.  of
or about a culture ruled by men: relating to a culture
in which men are the most powerful members

3.  CHRISTIANITY ruled
by a bishop: in Roman Catholicism, governed by a
bishop
—pa·tri·ar·chal·ly, adverb[1]



patriarchalcross

patriarchalcross

pa·tri·ar·chal cross
(plural pa·tri·ar·chal cross·es) noun
cross with a second horizontal bar:
a Christian cross with a second and shorter horizontal bar above the main bar[1]



patriarchalism

patriarchalism
pa·tri·ar·chal·ism
[pàytree rk’l ìzzəm] noun

domination by men:
institutionalized domination by men, with women being regarded as socially or
constitutionally inferior[1]



patriarchate

patriarchate
pa·tri·ar·chate 
[pàytree rkət, pàytree
r kàyt] (plural pa·tri·ar·chates) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY office
of a Christian patriarch: the office, term of office,
area of jurisdiction, or residence of a patriarch of a Christian church

2.  See
patriarchy
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin patriarchatus, from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Latin patriarcha
(see patriarch ).][1]



patriarchy

patriarchy
pa·tri·ar·chy 
[páytree rkee] (plural pa·tri·ar·chies)
noun
Also
called
patriarchate

1.  social
system in which men dominate: a social system in which men
are regarded as the authority within the family and society, and in which power
and possessions are passed on from father to son

2.  patriarchal
society:
a form of society based on a system of patriarchy
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin patriarchia from, ultimately, Greek patriarkhēs
(see patriarch ).][1]



patrician

patrician
pa·tri·cian 
[pə trísh’n] noun (plural pa·tri·cians)

1.  aristocratic
Roman:
a member of an aristocratic family of ancient Rome whose privileges included
the exclusive right to hold certain offices

2.  aristocrat:
a member of the aristocracy in any country

3.  somebody
typical of the upper class: somebody who has the
qualities and manners of or about those of the upper class

4.  nonhereditary
Byzantine title: a nonhereditary honorary title bestowed
by Byzantine emperors on people who had been of great service to the empire
adjective

1.  of
patricians:
relating to patricians, or belonging to a class of patricians

2.  aristocratic:
typical of aristocrats or the upper class

3.  POLITICS opposed
to democracy: against the idea that people in all
social classes should have voting rights
[15th century. Via French patricien
from Latin patricius “of a noble father,” from pater “father.”][1]



patriciate

patriciate
pa·tri·ci·ate 
[pə tríshee ət, pə
tríshee àyt] (plural pa·tri·ci·ates) noun

1.  rank
of patrician: the position or rank of a patrician

2.  patricians
as a group:
the social class to which patricians belong
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
patriciatus, from patricius (see patrician
).][1]



patricide

patricide
pat·ri·cide 
[páttri sd] (plural pat·ri·cides)
noun

1.  murder
of own father: the murder of a father by his own child
or children

2.  murderer
of own father: somebody who murders his or her own
father
[Late
16th century. From Late Latin patricidium, from Latin pater
“father.”]
—pat·ri·cid·al [pàttri sd’l], adjective[1]



Patrick,Saint

Patrick,Saint
Pat·rick 
[páttrik], Saint (389?–461?)

British-born
Irish churchman. He spread Christianity throughout Ireland, and reorganized the
church there. He is the patron saint of Ireland.
Known as
the Apostle of Ireland[1]



patriclinous

patriclinous
pat·ri·cli·nous 
adjective

See
patroclinous[1]



patrilineage

patrilineage
pa·tri·lin·e·age 
[pàttrə línnee ij] (plural pa·tri·lin·e·ages)
noun

1.  descent
on the father’s side: descent traced through the
male line

2.  ancestral
group on the father’s side: a group of people who are
related to each other on the father’s side of a family

[1]



patrilineal

patrilineal
pat·ri·lin·e·al 
[pàttrə línnee əl] or pat·ri·lin·e·ar
[pàttrə línnee ər] adjective

tracing
descent through males: used to describe family
relationships traced through the male line, or societies in which only such
relationships are recognized
—pat·ri·lin·e·al·ly, adverb[1]



patrilocal

patrilocal
pat·ri·lo·cal 
[pàttrə lṓk’l] adjective

having
a wife join her husband’s family: used to describe a
custom in which the wife goes to live with the husband’s family or people after
marriage, or a society in which this custom prevails
—pat·ri·lo·cal·ly, adverb[1]



patrimony

patrimony
pat·ri·mo·ny 
[páttrə mnee] (plural pat·ri·mo·nies)
noun

1.  inheritance
from a father: an inheritance from a father or man
ancestor

2.  heritage:
the things that one generation has inherited from its ancestors

3.  CHRISTIANITY estate
belonging to a church: an estate or endowment that
belongs to a church
[14th
century. Via French from Latin patrimonium, from pater “father.”]
—pat·ri·mo·ni·al
[pàttrə mṓnee əl], adjective

—pat·ri·mo·ni·al·ly [pàttrə mṓnee əlee], adverb[1]



patriot

patriot
pa·tri·ot 
[páytree ət, páytree
òt] (plural pa·tri·ots) noun

supporter
of own country: somebody who proudly supports or defends
his or her country and its way of life
[Late
16th century. Via French from late Latin patriota “fellow countryman,”
from, ultimately, Greek patris “fatherland.”]
—pa·tri·ot·ic
[pàytree óttik], adjective

—pa·tri·ot·i·cal·ly [pàytree óttikəlee], adverb[1]



patriotism

patriotism
pa·tri·ot·ism 
[páytree ə tìzzəm] noun

national pride:
pride in or devotion to the country somebody was born in or is a citizen of[1]



patristic

patristic
pa·tris·tic 
[pə trístik] or pa·tris·ti·cal
[pə trístik’l] adjective

CHRISTIANITY of
the Christian Fathers: relating to the early
Christian writers such as St. Augustine or St. Ambrose whose works have helped
to shape the Christian church.
[Mid-19th
century. From German Patristik, from Latin pater “father.”]
—pa·tris·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



patristics

patristics
pa·tris·tics 
[pə trístiks] noun

study
of the Christian Fathers: the study of the writings
and lives of the early Christian theologians (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-19th century. Via German
Patristik from Latin pater .][1]



patro-

patro-
patro-
prefix

See
patri-[1]



patroclinous

patroclinous
pat·ro·cli·nous 
[pàttrə klnəss] or pat·ri·cli·nous
[pàttrə klnəss] adjective

occurring
through the man’s line: descended or inherited from
the men’s line
[Early 20th century. Coined
from patri- + Greek klinein “to
lean.”][1]



Patroclus

Patroclus
Pa·tro·clus 
[pə trṓkləss, pə
trókləss] noun

friend of Achilles:
in Greek mythology, a friend of Achilles and a warrior in the Trojan War. When
Hector killed Patroclus, Achilles avenged his death by killing Hector.[1]



patrol

patrol
pa·trol 
[pə trṓl] noun (plural pa·trols)

1.  regular
tour made by a guard: a regular tour made of a
place in order to guard it or to maintain order

2.  somebody
carrying out a patrol: a person or group that
carries out a patrol

3.  MILITARY military
unit on a mission: a military unit sent on a
particular mission, for example, to carry out an attack or reconnaissance

4.  SCOUTING subdivision
of a Scout troop: a subdivision of a troop of Boy Scouts
of America or Girl Scouts of America
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pa·trolled,
past participle pa·trolled, present participle pa·trol·ling,
3rd person present singular pa·trols)

go on patrol: to
guard or protect a place • the
troops patrolling the border
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via German Patrolle from French patroullier, originally “to
walk through mud in a military camp,” from, ultimately, Old French patte
“paw” (source of English patois ).][1]



patrolcar

patrolcar
pa·trol
car
(plural pa·trol cars) noun

See
squad car[1]



patrolman

patrolman
pa·trol·man 
[pə trṓlmən] (plural pa·trol·men)
noun

patrolling police officer:
a police officer who patrols a beat[1]



patrology

patrology
pa·trol·o·gy
[pə trólləjee] noun

CHRISTIANITY study
of the early Christian writings: the study of the
writings of the Fathers of the Christian church
[Early
17th century. From Greek patēr “father.”]
—pa·tro·log·i·cal
[pàttrə lójjik’l], adjective

—pa·trol·o·gist [pə trólləjist], noun[1]



patroltorpedo boat

patroltorpedo boat
pa·trol
tor·pe·do boat (plural pa·trol tor·pe·do
boats) noun

Full form of
PT boat[1]



patrolwagon

patrolwagon
pa·trol
wag·on
(plural pa·trol wag·ons) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand police
vehicle transporting prisoners: an
enclosed police vehicle for transporting prisoners[1]



patrolwoman

patrolwoman
pa·trol·wom·an 
[pə trṓl wmmən] (plural pa·trol·wom·en
[pə trṓl wìmmin]) noun

patrolling police woman:
a policewoman who patrols a beat[1]



patron

patron
pa·tron 
[páytrən] (plural pa·trons) noun

1.  sponsor:
somebody who gives money or other support to somebody or something, especially
in the arts

2.  regular
customer:
a customer, especially a regular one, of a shop or business

3.  RELIGION See patron saint

4.  HISTORY Roman
slave master: a slave master in ancient Rome who freed
a slave but retained some rights over him or her
[14th
century. Via French from Latin patronus, literally “one who protects, as
a father does,” from pater “father.”]
—pa·tron·al,
adjective

—pa·tron·ly,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at backer

[1]



patronage

patronage
pa·tron·age 
[páytrənij, páttrənij]
noun

1.  appointments
assigned by a politician: the appointments or
privileges that a politician can give to loyal supporters

2.  power
to make appointments: the political power to grant
privileges or appoint people to positions

3.  regular
purchasing from a store: the regular purchasing of
goods from a particular store or business

4.  support
of a patron: the encouragement, monetary support, or
influence of a patron

5.  condescending
kindness:
support or kindness offered in a condescending way
[14th century. From French,
from patron (see patron ).][1]



patronize

patronize
pa·tron·ize 
[páytrə nz, páttrə
nz] (past pa·tron·ized, past participle pa·tron·ized,
present participle pa·tron·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
pa·tron·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
condescending to: to treat somebody as if he or she were
less intelligent or knowledgeable than yourself

2.  transitive
verb
be
a regular customer of: to be a regular customer of
a particular store or business (formal)

3.  transitive
verb
support
somebody:
to give money or other material support to somebody or something, especially in
the arts
—pa·tron·iz·er, noun[1]



patronizing

patronizing
pa·tron·iz·ing
[páytrə nzing, páttrə
nzing] adjective

condescending:
treating somebody as if he or she is less intelligent or knowledgeable than
yourself
—pa·tron·iz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



patronsaint

patronsaint
pa·tron
saint
(plural pa·tron saints) noun

saint who is a special
guardian: a saint who is believed to
be the special guardian of somebody or something, especially a country, trade,
or group of people.
Also called
patron[1]



patronymic

patronymic
pat·ro·nym·ic 
[pàttrə nímmik] adjective

derived
from a man ancestor’s name: used to describe a name
derived from a man ancestor’s name, especially one that adds a prefix, for
example, “Mac-,” or a suffix, for example, “-son,” to the earlier name
noun
(plural pat·ro·nym·ics)

patronymic
name:
a patronymic name
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin patronymicus from Greek patrōnumikos, from patrōnumos
“father’s name.”][1]



patroon

patroon
pa·troon 
[pə trn] (plural pa·troons) noun

owner
of an estate under Dutch rule: the owner of a
manorial estate in New York or New Jersey granted under Dutch rule
[Mid-18th century. Via Dutch
from French patron (see patron ).][1]



patsy

patsy
pat·sy 
[pátsee] (plural pat·sies) noun

easy
victim:
somebody who is easily victimized, cheated, or manipulated (insult)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Italian pazzo “fool.”][1]



patten

patten
pat·ten 
[pátt’n] (plural pat·tens) noun

shoe
with a raised sole: a clog, sandal, or overshoe
with a raised wooden sole to raise the wearer’s feet above mud
[14th century. From French patin,
from patte “paw” (source of English patrol
).][1]



patter

patter2
pat·ter2  [páttər]
noun

1.  glib
and rapid talk: the fast well-prepared talk of someone
such as a comedian or salesperson

2.  jargon:
the language that belongs to a specific group or class of people

3.  small
talk:
meaningless empty chatter
verb
(past pat·tered, past participle pat·tered, present
participle pat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular pat·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
talk
quickly:
to speak rapidly and glibly

2.  transitive
verb
repeat
something rapidly: to repeat something quickly
in a mechanical way
[14th century. Shortening of
Paternoster .The modern meaning “fast speech” evolved from “to mumble prayers
quickly” (the way the paternoster was said in church) via “to speak quickly and
glibly.”][1]



patter

patter1

pat·ter1  [páttər]
intransitive verb (past pat·tered, past participle pat·tered,
present participle pat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
pat·ters)

1.  make
a quick tapping sound: to make a quick light
tapping sound on something • The
rain pattered against the window.

2.  step
lightly:
to move or run with short quick light steps • She
pattered across the floor in her pajamas.
noun

tapping noise:
a quick light tapping sound
[Early 17th century. Formed
from pat “to hit,” with the literal sense
“to keep on hitting,” thought to suggest the action.][1]



pattern

pattern
pat·tern 
[páttərn] noun (plural pat·terns)

1.  design:
a repeated decorative design, for example, on fabric • a
zigzag pattern

2.  prototype:
an original design or model from which exact copies can be made

3.  plan
for making something: a plan or model used as a
guide for making something • a
knitting pattern

4.  regular
form:
a regular or repetitive form, order, or arrangement • a
predictable pattern of behavior

5.  good
example:
a model that is considered to be worthy of imitation

6.  regular
way of doing something: a regular or standard way of
moving or behaving • the flight patterns of
birds

7.  METALLURGY model
used for making a mold: a wood, plaster, or metal
shape used to make a mold for casting in a foundry. The original model is often
slightly oversized to allow for the contraction on cooling.

8.  SEWING length
of fabric:
a length of fabric that is enough to make a garment

9.  ARMS gunshots
on target:
marks made by shots from a gun on a target

10. ARMS spread
of spent projectiles: the dispersal of projectiles
such as artillery shells and shrapnel on the ground around a target
transitive
verb
(past pat·terned, past participle pat·terned, present
participle pat·tern·ing, 3rd person present singular pat·terns)

1.  mimic:
to imitate the design of something

2.  put
a pattern on: to make something into, or decorate
something with, a repeated decorative design
[14th century. Via Old French
patron “pattern,” also “patron,” from Latin patronus “patron.”
The underlying meaning is of a patron commissioning work and providing a model
or example to be copied.][1]



patterning

patterning
pat·tern·ing 
[páttərning] noun

design according to a
pattern: a design or configuration
that is in accordance with a pattern[1]



Patton,George S.

Patton,George S.
Pat·ton
[pátt’n], George S. (1885–1945)

U.S. general. In World War II
he commanded the Third Army in France, successfully defeating the Germans.[1]



patty

patty
pat·ty 
[páttee] (plural pat·ties) noun

1.  flat
portion of food: a small flat individual cake made from
ground or chopped meat, vegetables, or other food

2.  small
pie:
a small pie or pasty

3.  See
patty shell
[Mid-17th century.
Anglicization of French pâté, influenced by pasty
.][1]



pattypansquash

pattypansquash
pat·ty·pan
squash 
[pàtteepàn skwósh] noun

wheel-shaped
squash:
a variety of wheel-shaped summer squash with a ribbed edge. Latin name: Cucurbita
pepo
[Pattypan from patty + pan][1]



pattyshell

pattyshell
pat·ty
shell
(plural pat·ty shells) or pat·ty (plural pat·ties)
noun

puff pastry shell:
a decorative edible shell of baked puff pastry that is filled with other food
such as meat, fish, vegetables, or fruit[1]



patulous

patulous
pat·u·lous 
[páchələss] adjective

BOTANY spreading:
used to describe branches that spread or expand from a central point
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin patulus, “standing open,” from patere
“to be open.”]
—pat·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—pat·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



patzer

patzer
pat·zer 
[pátsər, ptsər]
(plural pat·zers) noun

bad
chess player: somebody who plays chess badly (insult)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German patzen “to bungle.”][1]



Pau

Pau
Pau 
[pō]

city in southwestern France.
It is the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Department, in Aquitaine Region.
Population: 83,928 (1990)[1]



PAU

PAU
PAU
or P.A.U.

Abbreviation of
Pan American Union[1]



paucity

paucity
pau·ci·ty 
[páwssətee] noun

1.  dearth:
an inadequacy or lack of something

2.  fewness:
a small number of something
[14th century. Via Old French
paucité from Latin paucitas, from paucus “few, little.”][1]



Paulding,James Kirke

Paulding,James Kirke
Pauld·ing
[páwlding], James Kirke (1778–1860)

U.S. writer. His novels and
plays draw on Native American material.[1]



Pauliexclusion principle

Pauliexclusion principle
Pau·li
ex·clu·sion prin·ci·ple  [pòwlee
ik sklzh’n prìnsəp’l] noun

law
of quantum physics: the law of quantum physics
stating that no two identical particles of a particular type ( fermions ) may occupy the same quantum state at
the same time.
Also
called
exclusion principle
[Early 20th century. Named
for Wolfgang Pauli, the Austrian-born U.S. physicist who enunciated it.][1]



Pauling,Linus

Pauling,Linus

Pau·ling
[páwling], Linus (1901–1994)
U.S.
chemist and peace activist. He won a Nobel Prize in chemistry (1954) and the
Nobel Peace Prize (1962) for his efforts to end nuclear testing.
Full name
Pauling, Linus Carl[1]



paulownia

paulownia
pau·low·ni·a 
[paw lṓnee ə] (plural pau·low·ni·as
or pau·low·ni·a) noun

Chinese
tree with violet flowers: a deciduous Chinese tree of
the snapdragon family, especially one that has large heart-shaped leaves and
pyramid-shaped clusters of purple or white flowers. Latin name: Paulownia
tomentosa
Also
called
princess tress
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, named for Anna Paulowna ( 1795–1865 ), wife of William II
of the Netherlands and daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia.][1]



Paul,Saint

Paul,Saint
Paul
[páwl], Saint (AD 3?–62?)

Early
Christian missionary. He became a Christian after having a vision of Jesus
Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. A major missionary of
Christianity, he was also its first theologian. His life and teachings are
described in the Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible.
Known
as
Saul of Tarsus Known as Paul the Apostle
—Paul·ine [páw ln, páw ln],
adjective[1]



PaulVI

PaulVI
Paul
VI
[páwl], Pope (1897–1978)

He
became pope in 1963, and presided over the Second Vatican Council. He traveled
widely to extend the Vatican’s influence.
Real name
Montini, Giovanni Batista[1]



paunch

paunch
paunch 
[pawnch] (plural paunch·es) noun

1.  big
stomach:
a large round stomach on somebody

2.  ZOOLOGY See rumen
[14th century. Via Old French
pance, panche, from Latin panticem “belly, bowels.”][1]



paunchy

paunchy
paunch·y 
[páwnchee] (comparative paunch·i·er,
superlative paunch·i·est) adjective

potbellied:
having a large round stomach
—paunch·i·ness, noun[1]



pauper

pauper
pau·per 
[páwpər] (plural pau·pers) noun

1.  very
poor person: somebody who is in extreme poverty

2.  recipient
of public aid: a needy person who is eligible to
receive aid from public funds
[15th
century. From Latin, literally “getting little,” from paucus “little” + parare
“to get.”]
—pau·per·ism, noun[1]



pauperize

pauperize
pau·per·ize 
[páwpə rz] (past pau·per·ized,
past participle pau·per·ized, present participle pau·per·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pau·per·iz·es) transitive verb

impoverish:
to make somebody become extremely poor[1]



paupiette

paupiette
pau·piette 
[pō pyét] (plural pau·piettes)
noun

rolled
stuffed meat or fish: a piece of meat or fish that
is cut or rolled out very thin, topped with a stuffing, then rolled up into a
neat shape and cooked
[Early 18th century. Via
French, and Italian polpetta from Latin pulpa, “pulp” (source
also of English pulp ).][1]



pauropod

pauropod
pau·ro·pod 
[páwrə pòd] (plural pau·ro·pods)
noun

eyeless
invertebrate with 18 legs: a small eyeless invertebrate
with eleven segments and nine pairs of legs. Class: Pauropoda
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin pauropoda, literally “small-footed,” from Greek pauros
“small” + podos “-footed,” from its tiny feet.][1]



pause

pause
pause 
[pawz] verb (past paused,
past participle paused, present participle paus·ing,
3rd person present singular paus·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
briefly:
to stop doing something before carrying on • He
paused for a moment and then continued eating.

2.  intransitive
verb
stay
briefly:
to stop somewhere for a short time • I
paused to glance into a shop window.

3.  intransitive
verb
hesitate:
to hesitate before doing or saying something

4.  transitive
verb
cause
something to pause: to cause something such as a
machine to stop temporarily, for example, by pressing a pause button • Can
you pause the video for a moment?
noun
(plural paus·es)

1.  brief
stop:
a temporary break in an activity

2.  short
silence:
a brief moment of silence between words, sounds, or musical notes

3.  hesitation:
a brief moment of hesitation or uncertainty before something happens or is done

4.  MUSIC musical
symbol for time extension: a musical symbol indicating
that a note, chord, or pause is to be held longer than the indicated time
value. It is represented by a period with an upside-down “u” above it.
Also
called
fermata

5.  POETRY See caesura  noun 1

6.  pause
or pause button a control on an electronic or mechanical device
such as a video machine that brings it temporarily to a halt
[15th
century. Via Middle French, and Latin pausa “stopping, cessation,” from,
ultimately, Greek pauein “to stop, cease.”]
—paus·al,
adjective

—paus·er,
noun

—paus·ing,
noun
to
give somebody pause

to
make somebody hesitate or reconsider

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hesitate

[1]



pavane

pavane
pa·vane 
[pə vn, pə ván]
(plural pa·vanes) noun

1.  DANCE stately
dance:
a slow stately court dance performed in the 16th and 17th centuries

2.  MUSIC music
for a pavane: a piece of music written for a pavane,
usually in slow duple meter
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian pavana “Paduan,” from Pavo, a dialect name for the
city of Padua.][1]



Pavarotti,Luciano

Pavarotti,Luciano


Pav·a·rot·ti
[pàvvə róttee], Luciano (1935– )
Italian tenor. Known for his great vocal
power and range, he is associated with 19th-century Italian opera.[1]



pave

pave
pa·ve 
[payv] (past paved, past
participle paved, present participle pav·ing, 3rd
person present singular paves) transitive verb

1.  provide
with a surface for walking on: to cover something
with brick, concrete, or other hard materials in order to make it a suitable
surface for walking or traveling on

2.  be
a surface for walking on: to serve as the material
that is used to cover the surface of something in order to make it suitable for
walking or traveling on • Large
stone slabs paved the path.

3.  cover:
to cover a surface with a flat, uniform material, for example, leaves or
flowers
[14th
century. Via Old French paver from Latin pavire “to beat, tread
down.”]
—pav·er,
noun
pave
the way

to prepare for and facilitate
the progress of somebody or something[1]



pavement

pavement
pave·ment 
[páyvmənt] (plural pave·ments)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT paved
surface:
a paved surface, especially of a road

2.  INDUSTRY material
for pavements: material such as concrete or stone that
is used to make a pavement

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING layered
surface of a path: the layered structure that
forms the surface of a path, road, highway, or aircraft runway

4.  U.K.
See sidewalk

5.  GEOLOGY level
area of rock: a level area of bare rock that resembles
a pavement
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin pavimentum “beaten floor,” from pavire “to beat, tread
down.”][1]



pavid

pavid
pav·id 
[pávvid] adjective

afraid:
timid and fearful (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
pavidus, from pavere “to quake with fear.”][1]



pavilion

pavilion
pa·vil·ion 
[pə víllyən] noun (plural pa·vil·ions)

1.  BUILDING outdoor
structure:
a summer house or other often ornamental building in a park, fair, or garden
used for shelter and entertainment

2.  exhibition
tent:
a large tent or other temporary structure used for displaying or exhibiting
things

3.  big
tent:
a large and often extremely ornate tent

4.  BUILDING annex:
a detached building that forms part of a complex for a hospital or other large
public building

5.  MINERALS facet
of a gem:
a facet of a brilliant-cut gem that comes below the girdle
transitive
verb
(past pa·vil·ioned, past participle pa·vil·ioned, present
participle pa·vil·ion·ing, 3rd person present singular pa·vil·ions)

1.  set
in a pavilion: to enclose or house something inside a
pavilion

2.  enclose
something:
to enclose or completely surround something (literary) “Pavilioned in
splendour, And girded with praise” Sir Robert Grant O Worship the King 1833

3.  construct
a pavilion for: to construct a pavilion for something
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French pavilloun, paveillon, pavilun from Latin papilio
“butterfly, tent,” because a tent was thought to resemble a butterfly’s wings.][1]



paving

paving
pav·ing 
[páyving] noun

1.  construction
of paved surface: the act of making a paved surface

2.  pavement:
a surface of paved stone, brick, concrete, or other material

3.  material
for making a hard surface: material such as concrete or
stones used for making a firm surface, for example, for a path or road

[1]



pavior

pavior
pav·ior 
[páyvyər] (plural pav·iors) noun

somebody
that lays paving: a person who lays paving
[15th century. From Old
French paveur, from paver “to pave” (see pave
).][1]



paviour

paviour
pav·iour
noun

U.K. =
pavior[1]



pavis

pavis
pa·vis
[pávviss] (plural pa·vis·es) noun

medieval
shield:
a large heavy medieval shield used to protect the whole body
[14th century. Via French and
Italian pavese from medieval Latin pavense “from Pavia,” a city
in northern Italy where these shields were originally made.][1]



Pavlova,Anna

Pavlova,Anna

Pav·lo·va
[pav lṓvə, pávləvə],
Anna (1882–1931)
Russian ballet dancer. Admired for the
poetic quality of her movement, she performed many classic roles. The solo
dance “The Dying Swan” was created for her.[1]



Pavlovian

Pavlovian
Pav·lo·vi·an
[pav lṓvee ən, pav
láwvee ən] adjective

1.  automatic:
produced involuntarily in response to a stimulus

2.  relating
to Pavlov:
relating to Ivan Pavlov and his work
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov .][1]



Pavlovianconditioning

Pavlovianconditioning
Pav·lo·vi·an
con·di·tion·ing noun

See
classical conditioning[1]



Pavlov,Ivan Petrovich

Pavlov,Ivan Petrovich

Pav·lov
[páv lov, páv
làwf], Ivan Petrovich (1849–1936)
Russian physiologist. He became famous
for his studies on conditioned reflexes with dogs. He won a Nobel Prize in
1904.[1]



Pavo

Pavo
Pa·vo 
[páyvō] noun

southern constellation near
South Pole: a constellation of the
southern hemisphere lying near the South Pole between Indus and Ara. It
contains the bright star Peacock.[1]



pavonine

pavonine
pav·o·nine 
[pávvə nn] adjective

resembling
a peacock:
resembling a peacock, especially the colors and design of its tail (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
pavoninus “peacock.”][1]



pavé

pavé
pa·vé 
[pa váy, pə váy]
noun

jewel
setting:
a jewel setting in which small stones are set very close together so as to
cover the surface of the piece and obscure the metal base
[Late 19th century. From
French, “paved.”][1]



paw

paw
paw 
[paw] noun (plural paws)

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
foot:
the foot of a four-legged mammal, usually having claws or nails

2.  human
hand:
a human hand, especially one that is large or clumsy (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pawed, past
participle pawed, present participle paw·ing, 3rd
person present singular paws)

1.  strike
repeatedly with the hoof: to scrape or strike
something repeatedly with a paw or hoof

2.  touch
clumsily:
to touch or caress somebody roughly or rudely with the hands
[13th century. Via Old French
powe, poue, poe from, ultimately, the prehistoric Germanic
language.][1]



pawky

pawky
pawk·y 
[páwkee] (comparative pawk·i·er,
superlative pawk·i·est) adjective

U.K.
drily
amusing:
witty or shrewd in a dry or sly manner (regional)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from earlier pawk “trick, artifice, cunning plan.”]
—pawk·i·ly,
adverb

—pawk·i·ness, noun[1]



pawl

pawl
pawl 
[pawl] (plural pawls) noun

hinged
catch:
a hinged or pivoted catch, often spring-controlled, that is designed to catch
in the teeth of a ratchet wheel to prevent reverse motion
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via French or Dutch pal “stake,” from Latin palus
.][1]



pawn

pawn2
pawn2  [pawn]
(plural pawns) noun

1.  CHESS chess
piece:
a chess piece of the lowest value that can move one square forward at a time,
with an optional first move of two squares. It can take other pieces by moving
diagonally and can be exchanged for any other captured piece on reaching the
farthest rank of the board.

2.  manipulated
person or thing: somebody or something that is being used
for the advantage of another person or thing
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman poun and Old French peon from medieval Latin pedon-
“footsoldier,” from Latin ped- “foot.”][1]



pawn

pawn1
pawn1  [pawn]
transitive verb (past pawned, past participle pawned,
present participle pawn·ing, 3rd person present singular pawns)

1.  deposit
with a pawnbroker: to leave something with a
pawnbroker as security against money borrowed

2.  to
stake:
to stake or pledge your honor, life, or word on something
noun
(plural pawns)

1.  object
deposited as security: an object that is left as
security with a pawnbroker in exchange for a loan of money

2.  hostage:
somebody who is held as security, usually as a hostage

3.  act
of pawning:
the act of pawning something
[15th
century. Via Old French pan, pand, pant, “pledge,
security, plunder,” from a Germanic word.]
—pawn·age,
noun

—pawn·er, noun[1]



pawnbroker

pawnbroker
pawn·bro·ker 
[páwn brkər] (plural pawn·bro·kers)
noun

moneylender:
somebody who lends money at a fixed rate of interest in exchange for articles
of personal property that are left as security[1]



Pawnee

Pawnee
Paw·nee 
[páwnee] (plural Paw·nee or
Paw·nees) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a
confederation of Native North American peoples who originally occupied lands in
Nebraska and Kansas and who, apart from a small community in Oklahoma, are now
mainly dispersed

2.  LANGUAGE Pawnee
language:
the Caddoan language of the Pawnee people. Pawnee is spoken by about 3,000
people.
[Late 18th century. Via
Canadian French Pani from a Native North American language.][1]



pawnshop

pawnshop
pawn·shop 
[páwn shòp] (plural pawn·shops)
noun

place to pawn things:
a shop where articles or personal property may be left as security in exchange
for a loan of money[1]



pawnticket

pawnticket
pawn
tick·et
noun

receipt from a pawnbroker:
a ticket that serves as a receipt for something that has been pawned[1]



pawpaw

pawpaw
paw·paw 
[páw pàw] noun

BOTANY
See papaw See papaya[1]



Pawtucket

Pawtucket
Paw·tuck·et 
[paw túkət]

city in northeastern Rhode
Island, at the confluence of the Blackstone and Seekonk rivers. Population:
72,644 (1990)[1]



pax

pax
pax
[paks, paaks]
noun

1.  pax
or Pax POLITICS stable
period under a powerful empire: a period of peace and
stability under the influence of a powerful country or empire

2.  CHRISTIANITY kiss
of peace in church: a kiss or other greeting
given as a sign of peace during the Christian ceremony of Communion, especially
in the Roman Catholic Mass

3.  CHRISTIANITY tablet
kissed at Christian Communion: a tablet bearing a
representation of the Crucifixion that is kissed by participants in the
Christian ceremony of Communion, especially in the Roman Catholic Mass
[Pre-12th century. From
Latin, “peace.”][1]



PAX

PAX
PAX

UTILITIES
Abbreviation of private automatic exchange[1]



PaxRomana

PaxRomana
Pax
Ro·ma·na
[pàks rō mnə] noun

Roman
peace:
the long period of peace and stability that existed under the Roman Empire,
especially in the 2nd century AD
[From Latin, literally “peace
of the Romans”][1]



paxvobiscum

paxvobiscum
pax
vo·bis·cum 
[pàks vō bískəm] interjection

peace
be with you: peace be with you
[From Latin][1]



pay

pay1
pay1  [pay]
verb (past paid, past participle paid, present
participle pay·ing, 3rd person present singular pays)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
money for something: to give somebody a
particular amount of money for work done or for goods or services provided • They
were paid a small fortune for it.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb settle
a debt:
to settle a debt or other obligation

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
in money:
to bring in a certain amount of money • How
much will the job pay?

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
punished:
to be punished or suffer the bad consequences of something you have done • He’s
paid the price for what he did.

5.  transitive
verb
FINANCE yield
interest:
to yield a specific amount as a return on a sum of money invested • The
account pays 12 percent interest.

6.  intransitive
verb
give
a positive result: to be profitable or
beneficial • Crime
doesn’t pay.

7.  transitive
verb
bestow:
to give something, for example, attention or a compliment, to somebody or
something • pay
a compliment

8.  transitive
verb
visit:
to make a visit or call to see somebody

9.  transitive
verb
See pay out

10. transitive
verb
SAILING let
go leeward:
to allow a vessel to make leeway
noun

1.  money
given in return for work: money that is given in
return for work or services provided, especially in the form of a salary or
wages

2.  reward:
reward, recompense, or recognition granted to somebody
adjective

1.  needing
the insertion of a coin to function:
requiring the insertion of coins or a card in order to function • pay
TV

2.  MINING rich
in metals:
yielding metal or minerals valuable enough to make mining them profitable
[12th
century. Via Old French payer “to satisfy, pacify” (the original sense
in English, hence “to satisfy by handing over money”), from Latin pacare,
from pax “peace.”]
in
the pay of somebody

employed
by somebody, especially for a dishonest or criminal purpose

pay
your dues

to
gain a privilege or position through hard work or pain

pay
your way

to
pay your share of expenses

put
paid to

to
put an end to or ruin something (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

[1]



pay

pay2
pay2  [pay]
(past payed, past participle payed, present
participle pay·ing, 3rd person present singular pays) transitive
verb

waterproof
hull:
to make a ship’s hull waterproof with pitch or tar
[Early 17th century. Via Old
French peier from Latin picare, from pix “pitch.”][1]



payable

payable
pay·a·ble 
[páy əb’l] adjective

1.  requiring
payment:
due or needing to be paid

2.  BANKING granting
payment to somebody: requesting payment to be
made to a particular person • Shall
I make the check payable to you or to Jean?
plural
noun
pay·a·bles

FINANCE liabilities:
money owed to a creditor or creditors

[1]



pay-as-you-go

pay-as-you-go
pay-as-you-go
noun

paying debts as they arise:
the practice or system of paying off debts as they arise[1]



payback

payback
pay·back 
[páy bàk] (plural pay·backs) noun

1.  FINANCE return
on investment: a financial return on an investment
equaling the initial capital invested

2.  FINANCE time
required to recover outlay: the period of time required
to recover the return on an initial investment

3.  requital
for service rendered: a benefit in exchange for an
action or service performed (informal)

4.  revenge:
revenge or retaliation (informal)

[1]



payback

payback
pay
back
transitive verb

1.  repay:
to repay money that has been loaned • I’ll
pay you back on Friday.

2.  take
revenge on:
to revenge yourself on somebody

[1]



paycable

paycable
pay
ca·ble
(plural pay ca·bles) noun

pay TV on cable:
pay television that utilizes a cable system for transmission and reception[1]



paycheck

paycheck
pay·check 
[páy chèk] (plural pay·checks)
noun

1.  salary
check:
a check issued to an employee as payment for salary or wages

2.  salary:
wages or salary

[1]



payday

payday
pay·day 
[páy dày] (plural pay·days) noun

day wages are paid:
the day on which employees are paid their wages or salary[1]



paydirt

paydirt
pay
dirt
noun

1.  potentially
profitable discovery: a discovery or idea that is
likely to be useful or profitable

2.  MINING deposit
worth mining: gravel, sand, earth, or ore that is
worth mining

[1]



paydown

paydown
pay·down
[páy dòwn] (plural pay·downs) noun

reduction of a debt:
the reduction of a debt by paying back some of the money borrowed[1]



payee

payee
pay·ee 
[pay ] (plural pay·ees) noun

person being paid:
a person to whom money is being paid or is due, especially in a transaction
such as the payment of a check or money order[1]



payenvelope

payenvelope
pay
en·ve·lope
(plural pay en·ve·lopes) noun
U.K.
term
pay packet

1.  wage
container:
an envelope containing an employee’s wages

2.  wages:
wages received for a job or service

[1]



payer

payer
pay·er 
[páyr] (plural pay·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who pays:
a person who pays somebody or something

2.  somebody
responsible for payment: the person named as
responsible for the payment of a check, money order, or other financial paper
when it is redeemed

[1]



payfor

payfor
pay
for
transitive verb

suffer for a mistake:
to undergo the bad consequences of something you have done[1]



payin

payin
pay
in
transitive verb

put money into an account:
to deposit money in a bank or other account[1]



payload

payload
pay·load 
[páy ld] (plural pay·loads) noun

1.  FREIGHT quantity
of cargo:
the quantity of cargo or load that a plane, train, or other vehicle can carry,
often expressed as weight or volume

2.  AIR plane
passengers and equipment: the passengers and
instruments carried by an aircraft or spacecraft

3.  ARMS explosive
charge:
the explosive charge of a rocket or missile or the total explosive charge of
the bomb load carried by an aircraft

[1]



Payloader

Payloader
Pay·load·er
[páy ldər] Trademark

a trademark for a machine
with a large scoop that is used for lifting and moving earth and rubble[1]



paymaster

paymaster
pay·mas·ter 
[páy màstər] (plural pay·mas·ters)
noun

payer of wages:
the person who is responsible for paying wages or salaries in a business or
government organization[1]



payment

payment
pay·ment 
[páymənt] (plural pay·ments) noun

1.  FINANCE money
paid:
an amount of money that is paid or is due to be paid

2.  reward:
a reward or punishment given in return for something

3.  FINANCE act of
paying:
the act of paying money, or fact of being paid • Payment
will be made at the end of the month.
[14th century. From Old
French paiement, from payer (see pay
).][1]



paynim

paynim
pay·nim 
[páynim] (plural pay·nims) noun
(archaic)

1.  pagan:
a pagan

2.  somebody
not a Christian: somebody who is not a Christian,
especially a Muslim
[13th century. Via Old French
pai(e)nime from ecclesiastical Latin paganismus “paganism,” from paganus
“pagan.” Originally meaning “all non-Christian countries.”][1]



payoff

payoff
pay
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
repay
in full:
to repay the full amount of a bill, debt, or other financial obligation,
especially one that has been paid in installments

2.  transitive
verb
bribe
somebody:
to give somebody money as a bribe, usually to prevent that person from causing
trouble (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
pay
and lay off workers: to give employees or workers
the money owing to them for work performed before dismissing them

4.  intransitive
verb
be
successful:
to be successful or profitable • All
that preparation paid off in the end.

5.  transitive
verb
take
revenge on:
to take revenge on somebody for something he or she has done to you

6.  intransitive
verb
SAILING make
leeway:
to make leeway

[1]



payoff

payoff
pay·off 
[páy àwf, páy òf]
(plural pay·offs) noun

1.  FINANCE full
payment:
full payment of a salary, wages, or a debt

2.  FINANCE time
for full payment: the time when full and final payment of
a debt, salary, or wage is due

3.  settlement:
a final settlement, reward, or reckoning

4.  climax
of narrative: the final climax of a narrative, joke,
or sequence of events

5.  revenge:
final retribution or revenge

6.  FINANCE bribe:
a payment made to someone as a bribe (informal)

7.  PSYCHOLOGY hidden
benefit of negative behavior: an often unconscious or
hidden benefit of a negative thought pattern or action

[1]



payola

payola
pay·o·la 
[pay ṓlə] (plural pay·o·las (informal))
noun

bribe
for promoting a product: a payment given in exchange
for promoting a commercial product, or the system of making such payments,
especially to disc jockeys
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pay + -ola .][1]



payout

payout
pay·out 
[páy òwt] (plural pay·outs) noun

act of paying:
the act of paying out money or the sum of money paid[1]



payout

payout
pay
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay
money:
to spend or pay money

2.  transitive
verb
unwind:
to release a rope or cable gradually by hand

[1]



payover

payover
pay
over
intransitive verb

give somebody money:
to transfer money to somebody officially[1]



paypacket

paypacket
pay
pack·et
noun

U.K.
See pay envelope[1]



pay-per-view

pay-per-view
pay-per-view 
noun

cable or satelliteTV system:
a cable or satellite television system in which individual programs can be
watched for a fee[1]



payphone

payphone
pay·phone
[páy fn] (plural pay·phones) noun

telephone requiring coin or
card payment: a public telephone that
operates only when coins or a card are used to pay for calls[1]



payroll

payroll
pay·roll
[páy rl] (plural pay·rolls) noun

1.  list
of paid employees: a list of employees and
their salaries or wages

2.  total
paid to employees: the total sum of money to be
paid to employees at a given time

[1]



payroller

payroller
pay·roll·er
[páy rllər] noun

nonworking employee:
an employee, often in a government department, who does little or no work,
having acquired the job through connections or as reward for political favors[1]



payslip

payslip
pay·slip
[páy slìp] (plural pay·slips) noun

U.K.
See paystub[1]



paystub

paystub
pay·stub
[páy stùb] (plural pay·stubs) noun

pay statement:
a printed statement of the amount an employee is paid, showing deductions for
tax, social security, and insurance.
U.K. term
payslip[1]



payt.

payt.
payt.

Abbreviation of
payment[1]



paytelevision

paytelevision
pay
tel·e·vi·sion noun

TV needing equipment to
decode: a system in which television
programs are transmitted in a scrambled form that can be decoded by viewers who
have paid for the appropriate equipment.
Also called
pay TV[1]



payTV

payTV
pay
TV
noun

See
pay television[1]



payup

payup
pay
up
intransitive verb

pay money due:
to pay money that is due[1]



payware

payware
pay·ware
[páy wàir] noun

commercial software:
commercial software as opposed to freeware or shareware[1]



PazEstenssoro, Víctor

PazEstenssoro, Víctor
Paz
Es·tens·so·ro [pàss e
sténss orō], Víctor (1907– )

Bolivian statesman. As
president (1952–1956, 1960–1964, 1985–1989) he instituted several reforms,
including nationalization of foreign-owned tin companies.[1]



Paz,Octavio

Paz,Octavio

Paz
[pass], Octavio (1914–1998)
Mexican writer. Known for his poetry and
essays, he won a Nobel Prize in literature in 1990.[1]



pa’anga

pa’anga
pa’an·ga 
[png gə, paa
ng gə] (plural pa’an·gas) noun

1.  Tongan
unit of currency: the main unit of currency of Tonga,
worth 100 seniti

2.  bill
worth a pa’anga: a bill worth one pa’anga

[1]



PB

PB
PB
or P.B.

1.  SPORTS Abbreviation of
personal best

2.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
prayer book

[1]



Pb

Pb
Pb

Symbol for
lead[1]



p.b.

p.b.
p.b.

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of passed balls[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PBB

PBB
PBB

Abbreviation of
polybrominated biphenyl[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PBJ

PBJ
PBJ

Abbreviation of
peanut butter and jelly (sandwich)[1]



PBS

PBS
PBS

Abbreviation of
Public Broadcasting Service[1]



PBX

PBX
PBX
or P.B.X.

UTILITIES
Abbreviation of private branch exchange[1]



PC

PC
PC


1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
personal computer

2.  Abbreviation
of
politically correct

3.  Canada
POLITICS Abbreviation of Progressive Conservative

4.  Abbreviation
of
Peace Corps

5.  BUSINESS Abbreviation of professional corporation

6.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Abbreviation
of printed circuit

[1]



pc.

pc.
pc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
piece

2.  Abbreviation
of
price

[1]



P.C.

P.C.
P.C.

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of Past
Commander

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of Post
Commander U.K.

3.  POLITICS Abbreviation of Privy Council

[1]



p.c.

p.c.1
p.c.1

1.  Abbreviation
of
percent

2.  Abbreviation
of
postcard

3.  PHARMACOLOGY (used in
prescriptions) Abbreviation of after meals
[From Latin post cibum
“after food”][1]



p.c.

p.c.2
p.c.2 or p/c

1.  Abbreviation
of
petty cash

2.  Abbreviation
of
price current

[1]



PCB

PCB
PCB 
noun

environmental pollutant:
a compound derived from biphenyl and containing chlorine that is used in
electrical insulators, flame retardants, and plasticizers. PCB is a hazardous
pollutant that is difficult to dispose of safely and has been banned in several
countries. Full form polychlorinated
biphenyl[1]



PCI

PCI
PCI
noun

specification for extending
computer circuitry: a
specification for extending the internal circuitry ( bus
) that transmits data from one part of a computer to another. It allows the
expansion of a computer by inserting printed circuit boards, or expansion
boards, into sockets ( slots ) inside the PCI bus. Full form peripheral
component interconnect local bus[1]



p.c.m.

p.c.m.
p.c.m.

UTILITIES
Abbreviation of pulse code modulation[1]



PCMCIA

PCMCIA
PCMCIA
noun

extension of a computer’s
circuitry: a specification for
extending the internal circuitry ( bus )
that transmits data from one part of a computer to another. Originally designed
for adding memory to portable computers, the PCMCIA bus is used to connect
credit-card-sized peripheral devices as well. Full form Personal
Computer Memory Card Interface Adapter[1]



PCP

PCP
PCP


1.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
phencyclidine

2.  MED Abbreviation of
pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

3.  Canada
POLITICS Abbreviation of Progressive Conservative Party

[1]



PCR

PCR
PCR

Abbreviation of
polymerase chain reaction[1]



pct.

pct.
pct.

Abbreviation of
percent[1]



pd.

pd.
pd.

Abbreviation of
paid[1]



Pd

Pd
Pd

Symbol for
palladium[1]



p.d.

p.d.
p.d.
or P.D.

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of potential difference

2.  Abbreviation
of
per diem

[1]



P.D.

P.D.
P.D.

1.  Abbreviation
of
police department

2.  MAIL Abbreviation of
postal district

[1]



PDA

PDA
PDA

Abbreviation of
Personal Digital Assistant[1]



Pd.B.

Pd.B.
Pd.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Pedagogy
[Latin, Pedagogiae
Baccalaureus][1]



Pd.D.

Pd.D.
Pd.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Pedagogy
[Latin, Pedagogiae Doctor][1]



PDL

PDL
PDL

Abbreviation of
page description language[1]



Pd.M.

Pd.M.
Pd.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Pedagogy
[Latin, Pedagogiae
Magister][1]



pdq

pdq
pdq
adverb

immediately:
at once or immediately (informal) Full form pretty damn quick[1]



P-Dratio

P-Dratio
P-D
ra·tio

STOCK
EXCHANGE Abbreviation of
price-dividend ratio[1]



PDT

PDT
PDT
or P.D.T.

Abbreviation of
Pacific Daylight Time[1]



pe

pe
pe
[pay] (plural pes) noun

17th letter of the Hebrew
alphabet: the 17th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “p” or “f”[1]



p.e.

p.e.
p.e.

Abbreviation of
printer’s error[1]



P.E.

P.E.
P.E.

1.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
physical education

2.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of potential energy

3.  STATISTICS Abbreviation of
probable error

4.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
Protestant Episcopal

5.  ENGINEERING Abbreviation of
professional engineer

[1]



P/E

P/E
P/E

Abbreviation of
price-earnings[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pea

pea

pea 
[pee] noun (plural peas)

1.  FOOD seed
as a vegetable: a round green seed that grows in a pod,
eaten as a vegetable

2.  PLANTS leguminous
plant with edible seeds: an annual vine of Europe and
Asia of the legume family with compound leaves and small white flowers that is
widely grown for its peas, contained in pods. Latin name: Pisum sativum

3.  PLANTS plant
related to the pea: any of various plants
related to or similar to the pea, such as the chickpea, sweet pea, or cowpea

4.  something
resembling a pea: something resembling a pea in form or
size
plural noun peas

FOOD pea
pods:
the unopened immature pods of the pea, containing the seeds and used as a
vegetable
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from pease (originally the singular form, wrongly thought
to be a plural), which came from Latin pisa .][1]



peabean

peabean
pea
bean
(plural pea beans) noun

See
navy bean[1]



Peabody

Peabody
Pea·bod·y 
[p bodee, pbədee]

city in northeastern
Massachusetts, northeast of Boston and northwest of Marblehead. Population:
48,365 (1996)[1]



Peabody,George

Peabody,George
Pea·bod·y 
[p bodee], George (1795–1869)

U.S. businessman and
philanthropist. He funded many educational institutions such as Baltimore’s
Peabody Institute and Yale’s Peabody Museum, as well as new houses for workers
in London.[1]



Peace

Peace
Peace 
[peess]

river in Canada, and an
outlet of Lake Williston, British Columbia. It flows east into Alberta, joining
the Slave River to discharge into Lake Athabasca. Length: 1,923 km/1,195 mi.[1]



peace

peace
peace 
[peess] noun

1.  freedom
from war:
freedom from war, or the time when a war or conflict ends

2.  mental
calm:
a state of mental calm and serenity, with no anxiety

3.  peace
treaty:
a treaty agreeing to an end of hostilities between two warring parties

4.  law
and order:
the absence of violence or other disturbances within a state • Peace
reigned throughout the land.

5.  state
of harmony:
freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people
interjection

be calm or silent:
used to tell somebody to be calm or silent or as a greeting or farewell (archaic)
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman pes from Latin pax “peace, peace
treaty,” which is also the source of English appease,
pacific, and pay .]
at
peace

1.  in
a state of friendship and freedom from conflict

2.  dead
(used euphemistically)

3.  in
a state of calm and serenity

hold
your peace

to
refrain from speaking (dated)

keep
the peace

to
refrain from or prevent conflict or violence

make
peace

to
bring a disagreement or war to an end

make
your peace with somebody

to
become friends with somebody again after an argument

[1]



peaceable

peaceable
peace·a·ble 
[pssəb’l] adjective

1.  disposed
toward peace: inclined toward peace and avoiding
contentious situations

2.  tranquil:
tranquil and free from strife and disorder
[14th
century. Formed from peace, or via French peisible
and plaisible from late Latin placibilis “pleasing,” from placere
“to please.”]
—peace·a·ble·ness,
noun

—peace·a·bly, adverb[1]



PeaceCorps

PeaceCorps
Peace
Corps 
noun

volunteer organization:
a United States government organization that trains volunteers to work in
developing countries on educational and agricultural projects[1]



peaceful

peaceful
peace·ful 
[pssfəl] adjective

1.  quiet
and calm:
quiet, calm, and tranquil • a
peaceful atmosphere

2.  mentally
calm:
serene and untroubled in the mind

3.  appropriate
for peacetime: appropriate for a time of peace rather
than war
—peace·ful·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



peacekeeping

peacekeeping
peace·keep·ing 
[pss kping] noun

preservation
of peace:
the preservation of peace, especially as a military mission in which troops
attempt to keep formerly warring armed forces from starting to fight again
—peace·keep·er, noun[1]



peacemaker

peacemaker
peace·mak·er 
[pss màykər] (plural peace·mak·ers)
noun

somebody
who establishes peace: somebody who brings about
peace and reconciliation between others
—peace·mak·ing, noun[1]



peacenik

peacenik
peace·nik 
[pss nìk] (plural peace·niks)
noun

pacifist:
a pacifist, especially somebody who opposed the Vietnam War (dated informal)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from peace + -nik
.][1]



peaceoffering

peaceoffering
peace
of·fer·ing
noun

something given to enemy:
something done for or given to an enemy or somebody you have quarrelled with in
the hope of bringing about a reconciliation[1]



peaceofficer

peaceofficer
peace
of·fi·cer
(plural peace of·fi·cers) noun

upholder of law and order:
a law enforcement officer such as a justice of the peace, police officer, or
sheriff, whose main duty is to preserve public order[1]



peacepipe

peacepipe
peace
pipe
(plural peace pipes) noun

ceremonial pipe:
a long-stemmed ceremonial pipe used by some Native North American peoples[1]



peacesign

peacesign
peace
sign
noun

sign of peace made with hand:
a sign used to indicate peaceful intentions, made by holding the palm upright
and outward and forming a V with the middle and index fingers[1]



peacetime

peacetime
peace·time 
[pss tm] noun

period without war:
a time when there is no war[1]



peach

peach1

peach1  [peech]
noun (plural peach·es)

1.  FOOD sweet
round fruit with stone: sweet round juicy fruit with
yellow flesh, a single stone, and a soft downy orange-yellow skin

2.  TREES small
tree with edible fruit: a small tree that originated
in China and has pink flowers, is widely grown in temperate regions, and bears
peaches as fruit. Latin name: Prunus persica

3.  somebody
or something excellent: somebody or something that
is particularly good or pleasing (informal) • That
was a peach of a throw!

4.  COLORS creamy
orange-yellow color: a creamy orange color tinged
with yellow, like a ripe peach
adjective

creamy orange:
of a creamy orange color tinged with yellow
[13th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin persica, an alteration of earlier persicum,
from mālum Persicum, literally “Persian apple,” because it first became
known in Europe through that country.][1]



peach

peach2
peach2  [peech]
(past peached, past participle peached, present
participle peach·ing, 3rd person present singular peach·es)
intransitive verb

inform:
to inform against somebody, especially an accomplice (dated informal)
[15th
century. Shortening of earlier appeach, via Anglo-Norman from late Latin
impedicare (see impeach ).]
—peach·er, noun[1]



peachmelba

peachmelba
peach
mel·ba
noun

peach dessert:
a dessert made with fresh or canned peaches, vanilla ice cream, and a raspberry
sauce[1]



peachpalm

peachpalm
peach
palm
noun

Amazonian palm:
a dense spiny Amazonian palm with an edible heart. Latin name: Bactris
gasipaes[1]



peachy

peachy
peach·y 
[pchee] (comparative peach·i·er,
superlative peach·i·est) adjective

1.  excellent:
excellent or wonderful (informal)

2.  resembling
a peach:
resembling a peach in color, taste, or texture
[Late
16th century. Formed from peach 1 .]
—peach·i·ly,
adverb

—peach·i·ness, noun[1]



peacoat

peacoat
pea
coat
(plural pea coats) noun

See
pea jacket[1]



peacock

peacock


pea·cock 
[p kòk] noun (plural pea·cocks)

1.  male
peafowl:
a male peafowl with a crested head and a large fan-shaped tail with brilliantly
colored blue and green spots

2.  peafowl:
a peafowl, either male or female

3.  vain
person:
somebody who is very vain, and who shows this especially in the way he or she
behaves and dresses
intransitive verb
(past pea·cocked, past participle pea·cocked, present
participle pea·cock·ing, 3rd person present singular pea·cocks)

show off: to
strut about in a vain and self-important way (archaic)
[14th
century. Pea originally an Old English word meaning “peacock,” from Latin pavo
.]
—pea·cock·ish, adjective[1]



peacockblue

peacockblue
pea·cock
blue
adjective

of
lustrous blue-green color: of a brilliant greenish-blue
color, like the plumage on a peacock’s breast and neck
—pea·cock blue, noun[1]



peacockbutterfly

peacockbutterfly
pea·cock
but·ter·fly
noun

iridescent butterfly:
a European butterfly with bold iridescent colors and eyespots on its wings.
Latin name: Nymphalis io[1]



peacockore

peacockore
pea·cock
ore
noun

copper ore:
a copper ore such as bornite or chalcopyrite that becomes iridescent as it
tarnishes[1]



peafowl

peafowl
pea·fowl 
[p fòwl] (plural pea·fowl or
pea·fowls) noun

large
pheasant:
either of two large pheasants native to India and Southeast Asia. The male
holds up its brilliant iridescent tail like a fan in courtship displays. Latin
name: Pavo cristatus Pavo muticus
[Early 19th century. From
“pea” (see peacock ).][1]



peag

peag
peag 
[peeg] noun

See
wampum  noun 1
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of wampumpeag .][1]



peagreen

peagreen
pea
green
adjective

yellow-green:
of a medium yellowish-green color
—pea green, noun[1]



peahen

peahen
pea·hen 
[p hèn] noun

female
peafowl:
a female peafowl, with much plainer plumage than the peacock
[14th century. From “pea”
(see peacock ).][1]



peajacket

peajacket
pea
jack·et
(plural pea jack·ets) noun

heavy
jacket:
a heavy double-breasted jacket or short coat, made of mohair or thick wool and
originally worn by sailors.
Also
called
pea coat
[By folk etymology from Dutch
pijjakker, pijjekker, literally “coarse cloth jacket,” from pij
“coarse cloth” (by association with pea ) + jekker
“jacket”][1]



peak

peak2
peak2  [peek]
(past peaked, past participle peaked, present
participle peak·ing, 3rd person present singular peaks)
intransitive verb

get
sickly:
to become thin, pale, and sickly in appearance (archaic)
[Early
16th century. Origin unknown.]
—peak·ish, adjective[1]



peak

peak1
peak1  [peek]
noun (plural peaks)

1.  mountain
top:
the pointed summit of a mountain

2.  mountain:
a mountain with a pointed summit

3.  highest
point:
the point of greatest success, development, or strength of a process or
activity • She’s
at the peak of her career.

4.  pointed
part:
a sharp projecting pointed part of something, for example, the brim of a cap

5.  top
of curve:
the highest point in a curve, especially the curve of a wave

6.  HAIRDRESSING See widow’s peak
noun
(plural peaks) noun (plural peaks)

PHYSICS maximum
value of quantity: a point at which a variable
physical quantity such as temperature or voltage changes from rapidly
increasing to rapidly decreasing, or the value of the quantity at such a point
noun
(plural peaks)

1.  NAUTICAL extreme
end of hull: narrow part at the front or back end of
a boat’s hull

2.  SAILING corner
of fore-and-aft sail: the top rear corner of a
fore-and-aft sail

3.  SAILING gaff
end:
the outermost end of a gaff sail
verb
(past peaked, past participle peaked, present
participle peak·ing, 3rd person present singular peaks)

1.  intransitive
verb
reach
highest point: to reach the point of greatest success,
development, intensity, or strength • Sales
peaked around July.

2.  intransitive
verb
form
peak:
to form a peak or peaks • The
waves peaked as the storm grew.

3.  transitive
verb
cause
peak in:
to cause something to come to a high point or peak
adjective

1.  highest:
being at a maximum or highest point • peak
efficiency

2.  of
greatest use: relating to the maximum use of something
or the maximum demand on something • peak
viewing time
[Mid-16th century.
Back-formation from peaked, a variant of
picked “pointed.”][1]



peaked

peaked1
peaked1  [peekt,
pkəd] adjective

having
a peak:
having a peak or point
—peaked·ness [pkədnəss], noun[1]



peaked

peaked2
peaked2  [peekt]
adjective

sickly:
thin, pale, and sickly in appearance.
U.K. term
peaky[1]



peakload

peakload
peak
load
noun

maximum rate of power
consumption: the maximum
instantaneous rate of power consumption in a load circuit[1]



peaky

peaky
peak·y
[pkee] (comparative peak·i·er,
superlative peak·i·est) adjective

U.K.
See peaked
[Early 19th century. Formed
from peak “to be sickly.”][1]



peal

peal
peal 
[peel] noun (plural peals)

1.  MUSIC ringing
of bells:
a ringing of bells, especially a change or series of changes rung on bells

2.  MUSIC group
of bells:
a set of tuned bells

3.  noisy
outburst:
a loud repetitive sound, for example, of thunder or laughter
verb
(past pealed, past participle pealed, present
participle peal·ing, 3rd person present singular peals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC ring:
to ring a bell loudly and sonorously, or to be rung in this way

2.  transitive
verb
say
loudly:
to say something loudly and sonorously
[14th century. Variant of appeal “call, request.”][1]



Peale,Charles Willson

Peale,Charles Willson
Peale
[peel], Charles Willson (1741–1827)

U.S. artist. He was the most
prominent U.S. portraitist of his time.[1]



pean

pean
pe·an 
noun

See
paean[1]



peanut

peanut

pea·nut 
[p nùt] noun (plural pea·nuts)

1.  FOOD oily
edible seed: an oily edible seed with a thin shell
that grows underground and is a source of vegetable oil.
Also
called
groundnut

2.  PLANTS plant
producing peanuts: a low-growing annual plant
of the legume family whose seeds are contained in pods that are forced
underground as they grow. Latin name: Arachis hypogaea
Also
called
groundnut

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a short or insignificant person (informal offensive)

4.  piece
of packing material: a small piece of polystyrene
or similar material used in quantity to protect items during packaging and
shipment.
Also
called
popcorn
plural noun pea·nuts

small amount of money:
a very small amount of money, especially when smaller than would be expected (informal)
• They’re
paid peanuts!
adjective

unimportant: petty
and insignificant (informal)
[Early 19th century. From pea (from the similarity of peanuts to peas,
because peanuts also grow in a pod) + nut .][1]



peanutbrittle

peanutbrittle
pea·nut
brit·tle
noun

peanut candy:
candy made of hard toffee and peanuts[1]



peanutbutter

peanutbutter
pea·nut
but·ter
noun

peanut spread:
an oily paste made from ground roasted peanuts and usually spread on bread or
used in cooking[1]



peanutoil

peanutoil
pea·nut
oil
noun

oil extracted from peanuts:
a combustible yellow oil extracted from peanuts, used in cooking, medicine, and
in soaps[1]



pear

pear

pear 
[pair] (plural pears) noun

1.  FOOD green-skinned
fruit:
a sweet juicy fruit with firm white flesh, a usually green skin, and an
approximately oval shape, larger and rounded at the base and tapering toward
the stem

2.  TREES tree
bearing pears: a tree of the rose family that has shiny
leaves and bears pears as fruit. Latin name: Pyrus communis
[Pre-12th century. Via
assumed Vulgar Latin pira from, ultimately, Latin pirum .][1]



pearl

pearl2
pearl2  [purl]
(past pearled, past participle pearled, present
participle pearl·ing, 3rd person present singular pearls)
noun

See
purl 1 noun
2
See purl 1 noun
3[1]



pearl

pearl1
pearl1  [purl]
noun (plural pearls)

1.  gem
formed in mollusk: a small lustrous sphere of
calcium carbonate that forms around a grain of sand in a mollusk such as an
oyster, and is valued as a gem

2.  See
mother-of-pearl

3.  somebody
or something much valued: somebody or something highly
esteemed or valued

4.  COLORS pale
grayish-white color: a pale grayish-white color
tinged with blue
adjective

COLORS pale
grayish-white: of a pale grayish-white color tinged
with blue
verb
(past pearled, past participle pearled, present
participle pearl·ing, 3rd person present singular pearls)

1.  intransitive
verb
harvest
pearls:
to fish or dive for pearls

2.  intransitive
verb
make
beads:
to form a pearl color or pearl-shaped drops

3.  transitive
verb
decorate
with pearls: to decorate something with pearls or
with things that resemble pearls

4.  transitive
verb
make
something into shape of pearls: to make something into
the shape or color of pearls
[14th century. Via Old French
from assumed Vulgar Latin pernula, literally “little mollusk whose feet
resemble hams in shape,” from Latin perna, “leg, ham, ham-shaped
mollusk.”][1]



pearlash

pearlash
pearl
ash
noun

potassium carbonate:
the commercial form of potassium carbonate[1]



pearlbarley

pearlbarley
pearl
bar·ley
noun

barley grains:
grains of barley that have been polished and are used in soups and stews[1]



pearler

pearler
pearl·er 
[púrrlər] (plural pearl·ers) noun

1.  pearl
diver or trader: somebody who dives for pearls or trades
in them

2.  boat
used for pearl diving: a boat used for pearl diving
or for trading pearls

[1]



pearlescent

pearlescent
pearl·es·cent 
[pur léss’nt] adjective

iridescent:
with a lustrous surface like a pearl
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pearl and -escent
.][1]



pearlessence

pearlessence
pearl
es·sence
noun

silvery substance from fish
scales: a silvery translucent
substance extracted from the scales of fish such as herring, used to make
artificial pearls, lacquers, and other products[1]



pearlgray

pearlgray
pearl
gray
adjective

pale
blue-gray:
of a pale blue-gray color
—pearl gray, noun[1]



PearlHarbor

PearlHarbor
Pearl
Har·bor
[pùrl hrbər]

inlet in Hawaii, on Oahu
Island. The Japanese attack on it in 1941 prompted the United States’ entry
into World War II.[1]



pearlite

pearlite
pearl·ite 
[púr lt] noun

microstructure
in steel or cast iron: a microstructure of steel or
cast iron made up of bands ( lamellae ) of
pure iron ( ferrite ) and iron carbide ( cementite )
[Late
19th century. Coined from pearl + -ite .]
—pearl·it·ic [pur líttik], adjective[1]



pearlized

pearlized
pearl·ized
[púr lzd] adjective

iridescent:
having a pearly iridescent luster[1]



pearlmillet

pearlmillet
pearl
mil·let
noun

cereal grass:
a tall cereal grass widely grown for its whitish seeds. Latin name: Pennisetum
americanum
Also called
African millet[1]



pearlonion

pearlonion
pearl
on·ion
noun

small onion:
a very small white onion that is often pickled[1]



pearloyster

pearloyster
pearl
oys·ter
noun

mollusk producing pearls:
a tropical marine mollusk that is a source of pearls. Genus: Pinctada[1]



pearly

pearly
pearl·y 
[púrlee] (comparative pearl·i·er,
superlative pearl·i·est) adjective

1.  resembling
pearl:
resembling pearls or mother-of-pearl, particularly in having an iridescent
luster

2.  decorated
with pearls: adorned or decorated with pearls or
mother-of-pearl

3.  COLORS pale
grayish-white: of a pale grayish-white color tinged
with blue
—pearl·i·ness, noun[1]



pearlyeverlasting

pearlyeverlasting
pearl·y
ev·er·last·ing noun

plant with white flowers:
a plant with woolly leaves and white flower heads. Latin name: Anaphalis
margaritacea[1]



PearlyGates

PearlyGates
Pearl·y
Gates
plural noun

entrance to heaven:
in Christianity, the gates of heaven (informal)[1]



pearlynautilus

pearlynautilus
pearl·y
nau·ti·lus
noun

mollusk
with chambered shell: a mollusk that has a spiral
pearl-colored shell divided internally by cross walls into a series of
chambers. Genus: Nautilus
Also
called
chambered nautilus
See
also
paper nautilus
[From the color of its shell][1]



pearpsylla

pearpsylla
pear
psyl·la 
[pàir síllə] (plural pear psyl·las
or pear psyl·la) noun

plant louse destructive to
pears: a jumping plant louse,
originally from Europe but now a widespread pest in North America, that sucks
the sap from pear trees. Latin name: Psylla pyricola[1]



pear-shaped

pear-shaped
pear-shaped
adjective

1.  shaped
like pear:
having a shape similar to that of a pear with a rounded bottom part and
narrower top part

2.  not
harsh:
clear and resonant, and without any unpleasant harshness of tone

[1]



Peary,Robert

Peary,Robert

Pea·ry
[pree], Robert (1856–1920)
U.S.
explorer. He is generally credited with leading the first expedition to reach
the North Pole (1909).
Full name
Peary, Robert Edwin[1]



peasant

peasant
peas·ant 
[pézz’nt] (plural peas·ants) noun

1.  agricultural
laborer or small farmer: a member of a class of
people living in rural areas who are engaged in agricultural laboring or are
small farmers

2.  rural
person:
a country-dweller or rustic

3.  uneducated
person:
somebody considered to be ill-mannered or uneducated (informal offensive)
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman paisant and Old French païsant, païsenc
“inhabitant of rural district,” from, ultimately, Latin pagus “rural
district.”][1]



peasantry

peasantry
peas·ant·ry 
[pézz’ntree] noun

1.  peasants:
peasants as a class in society

2.  rank
or characteristics of peasants: the status or
characteristic behavior of a peasant

[1]



peasecod

peasecod
pease·cod 
[pz kòd] (plural pease·cods) noun

pea
pod:
a pea pod (archaic)
[14th century. From “pease,”
an earlier form of pea + cod “pod, husk.”][1]



peashooter

peashooter
pea·shoot·er 
[p shtər] (plural pea·shoot·ers)
noun

toy pipe for blowing peas
through: a toy in the form of a pipe
through which dried peas or similar small pellets can be blown[1]



peasoup

peasoup
pea
soup
(plural pea soups) noun

1.  soup
with peas:
soup made with fresh or dried peas

2.  fog:
an extremely dense fog (informal)
U.K.
term
peasouper

[1]



peasouper

peasouper
pea·soup·er
[pee spər] (plural pea·soup·ers)
noun

1.  U.K.
(informal) See pea soup

2.  Canada
offensive
term:
an offensive term for a French Canadian (slang offensive)
[Late 19th century. Because
the thick yellow fog resembles pea soup.][1]



peat

peat
peat 
[peet] (plural peats) noun

1.  deposit
of organic debris: a compacted deposit of
partially decomposed organic debris, usually saturated with water

2.  piece
of peat used for fuel: a cut and dried piece of
peat used as fuel
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Latin from a Celtic word meaning “bit, part, piece.”]
—peat·y, adjective[1]



peatbog

peatbog
peat
bog
noun

land composed of peat:
an area of land composed primarily of peat[1]



peatmoss

peatmoss
peat
moss
noun

peat-forming moss:
a moss that grows in wet places, and whose partially decomposed remains form
peat. Genus: Sphagnum[1]



peaude soie

peaude soie
peau
de soie 
[p də sw] noun

smooth
fabric:
a silk or artificial fabric such as rayon with a smooth texture and a fine
grainy or ribbed surface
[From French, literally “silk
skin”][1]



peavey

peavey

pea·vey
[pvee] (plural pea·veys) or
pea·vy [pvee] (plural pea·vies)
noun
lever
for handling logs: a pointed lever with a
hinged hook, used for handling logs
[Late 19th century. Named for
Joseph Peavey, its U.S. inventor.][1]



pebble

pebble
peb·ble 
[pébb’l] noun (plural peb·bles)

1.  small
round stone: a small rounded stone that has been worn
smooth by erosion

2.  GEOLOGY rock
fragment:
a rock fragment with a diameter between 4 mm0.16 in. and 64 mm2.51 in

3.  GEOLOGY rock
crystal used for lenses: a colorless form of quartz (
rock crystal ) used for making lenses

4.  OPTICS crystal
lens:
a lens made from colorless rock crystal

5.  irregular
surface:
a rough grainy surface, especially of leather
adjective

thick and distorting:
being or containing lenses that make the eyes of the wearer seem very large and
distorted (informal) • wearing
thick pebble glasses
transitive
verb
(past peb·bled, past participle peb·bled, present
participle peb·bling, 3rd person present singular peb·bles)

1.  cover
with pebbles: to cover or pave something with pebbles

2.  give
irregular surface to: to give a rough grainy
surface to something
[Old English papolstān,
popelstān . Ultimate origin unknown.][1]



pec

pec
pec 
[pek] (plural pecs) noun

pectoral
muscle:
a pectoral muscle (informal) (often used in the plural) • exercises
to strengthen the pecs
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



pecan

pecan

pe·can 
[pi kn, pi kán,
p kàn] (plural pe·cans) noun

1.  FOOD edible
nut:
an edible nut with a thin dark red shell

2.  TREES tree
with edible nut: a large hickory tree with deeply
furrowed bark and hard brittle wood, grown in the United States and Mexico for
its nuts. Latin name: Carya illinoensis
[Late 18th century. Via
French pacane from Algonquian pakani .][1]



peccable

peccable
pec·ca·ble 
[pékəb’l] adjective

capable
of sin:
open or prone to sin or temptation (formal)
[Early
17th century. Via French from medieval Latin peccabilis, from Latin peccare
“to sin.”]
—pec·ca·bil·i·ty [pèkə bíllətee], noun[1]



peccadillo

peccadillo
pec·ca·dil·lo 
[pèkə díllō] (plural pec·ca·dil·loes
or pec·ca·dil·los) noun

trifling
offense:
a petty or unimportant offense or fault
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish “little fault or sin,” from peccado “sin,” from, ultimately,
Latin peccare “to sin.”][1]



peccant

peccant
pec·cant 
[pékənt] adjective (formal)

1.  sinful:
guilty of a sin

2.  willful:
violating a rule or practice
[Late
16th century. From Latin peccant-, the present participle stem of peccare
“to sin.”]
—pec·can·cy,
noun

—pec·cant·ly, adverb[1]



peccary

peccary
pec·ca·ry 
[pékəree] (plural pec·ca·ries)
noun

wild
pig:
a wild pig of Mexico and South America with a rudimentary tail and small tusks
on the upper jaw that grow downward. Genus: Tayassu
Also
called
javelina
Also
called
collared peccary
[Early 17th century. From
Carib pakira .][1]



peccavi

peccavi
pec·ca·vi 
[pə kvee] (plural pec·ca·vis)
noun

confession:
an admission of sin or guilt (literary)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, literally “I have sinned.”][1]



Pechora

Pechora
Pe·cho·ra 
[pə káwrə]

river in northwestern
European Russia, flowing northward to the Barents Sea. Length: 1,809 km/1,124
mi.[1]



peck

peck2
peck2 [pek]
(plural pecks) noun

1.  unit
of dry measure: a unit of dry measure equal to 7.57
liters8 quarts

2.  container
for peck:
a container that holds a peck of material

3.  large
quantity:
a large amount or number of something (informal)
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



peck

peck1
peck1 [pek]
verb (past pecked, past participle pecked, present
participle peck·ing, 3rd person present singular pecks)

1.  transitive
verb
pick
up with beak: to take small bits of food using a beak

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
with beak:
to strike somebody or something with a beak

3.  transitive
verb
make
hole in:
to make a hole in something by repeatedly striking it with a beak

4.  intransitive
verb
nibble:
to eat small quantities of food with little interest • She
just pecked at her food.

5.  transitive
verb
kiss
lightly:
to kiss somebody lightly and briefly

6.  intransitive
verb
nag:
to nag or carp (informal)
noun
(plural pecks)

1.  swift
bite with beak: a quick light stroke, blow, or bite with
a beak

2.  hole
made by beak: a mark or hole made by a beak or pointed
object

3.  light
kiss:
a quick light kiss (informal)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably originally a variant of pick
“to poke, pierce,” perhaps influenced by Middle Low German pekken “to
peck.”][1]



pecker

pecker
peck·er 
[pékər] (plural peck·ers) noun

1.  something
that pecks:
something that pecks, especially a woodpecker

2.  penis:
a penis (slang) (sometimes considered offensive)
keep
your pecker up

U.K.
used to tell somebody to keep his or her spirits up (informal)[1]



peckerwood

peckerwood
peck·er·wood 
[pékər wd] (plural peck·er·woods)
noun Southeastern U.S.

1.  woodpecker:
a woodpecker

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a poor Caucasian person from a rural area (slang
offensive)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of woodpecker .][1]



peckingorder

peckingorder
peck·ing
or·der 
(plural peck·ing or·ders) noun

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES social
hierarchy:
a social hierarchy in which some members of a group are established as superior
to others

2.  BIRDS social
hierarchy among fowl: a social hierarchy among
domestic fowl in which each member maintains its place by dominance over the
lower members
[“Pecking” formed from peck “to strike with beak”][1]



peckish

peckish
peck·ish 
[pékish] adjective (informal)

1.  cranky:
somewhat irritable or in a bad mood

2.  U.K.
hungry:
slightly hungry

[1]



Pecksniffian

Pecksniffian
Peck·sniff·i·an 
[pek sníffee ən] adjective

hypocritical:
hypocritical and making a show of having high moral principles
[Mid-19th century. Named for Pecksniff,
a highly hypocritical character in Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) by Charles
Dickens .][1]



pecorino

pecorino
pe·co·ri·no 
[pèkə rnō] (plural pe·co·ri·nos)
noun

Italian
sheep’s cheese: a hard pungent Italian cheese made from
ewe’s milk
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian pecora “sheep.”][1]



Pecos

Pecos
Pe·cos 
[páykəss]

river in the United States,
flowing from New Mexico into Texas, where it joins the Rio Grande. Length:
1,490 km/926 mi.[1]



pectate

pectate
pec·tate 
[pék tàyt] (plural pec·tates) noun

salt
of pectic acid: a salt or ester of pectic acid
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from pectic acid .][1]



pecticacid

pecticacid
pec·tic
ac·id 
noun

acid
formed from pectin: a gelatinous acid that does
not dissolve in water and is formed from certain esters of pectin. C17H24O16
[Pectic from Greek pēktikos,
from pēktos “curdled, congealed,” which was formed in turn from pēgnunai
“to make solid”][1]



pectin

pectin
pec·tin 
[péktin] noun

gelling
agent:
a soluble chemical substance found mainly in the rinds of citrus fruits that
binds cells together and is used to gel foods and various commercial products
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Greek pektos (see pectic
acid ).]
—pec·tic,
adjective

—pec·tin·ous,
adjective

—pec·ti·na·ceous [pèkti náyshəss], adjective[1]



pectinate

pectinate
pec·ti·nate 
[pékti nàyt] or pec·ti·nat·ed
[pékti nàytəd] adjective

ZOOLOGY with
projections like teeth of comb: having projections
that resemble the teeth of a comb
—pec·ti·na·tion [pèkti náysh’n], noun[1]



pectinesterase

pectinesterase
pec·tin·es·ter·ase 
[pèkti néstə ràyss, pèkti
néstə ràyz] noun

enzyme
that breaks down pectin: an enzyme that catalyzes the
hydrolytic breakdown of pectin into pectic acid and methanol
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pectin + -esterase .][1]



pectize

pectize
pec·tize
[pék tz] (past pec·tized, past
participle pec·tized, present participle pec·tiz·ing, 3rd
person present singular pec·tiz·es) transitive verb

gel
something:
to change something into a gel
—pec·ti·za·ble,
adjective

—pec·ti·za·tion [pèkti záysh’n], noun[1]



pectoral

pectoral
pec·to·ral 
[péktərəl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of the
chest:
relating to or located in or on the chest

2.  worn
on chest:
worn on the chest • a pectoral medal
noun
(plural pec·to·rals)

1.  ANATOMY chest
muscle:
a chest muscle or organ • an
exercise for the pectorals

2.  ZOOLOGY See pectoral fin

3.  breastplate:
something that is worn on the chest as a decoration or ornament

4.  MEDICINE chest
medicine:
a medicine for chest or respiratory disorders (dated)
[15th
century. Via French pectorale “something worn on the chest,” from Latin pectorale
“breastplate” and pectoralis “of the chest,” which were formed from pectus
“chest.”]
—pec·tor·al·ly, adverb[1]



pectoralarch

pectoralarch
pec·to·ral
arch
noun

ZOOLOGY
See pectoral girdle[1]



pectoralfin

pectoralfin

pec·to·ral fin
noun
fin near gills:
either of a pair of fins of a fish located either directly behind the gill
openings or below them.
Also called
pectoral[1]



pectoralgirdle

pectoralgirdle
pec·to·ral
gir·dle
noun

supporting part of
vertebrate’s skeleton: the part of
the skeleton of a vertebrate animal that consists of bone or cartilage and
provides attachment and support for the forelimbs.
Also called
pectoral arch[1]



pectoralmuscle

pectoralmuscle
pec·to·ral
mus·cle
noun

chest muscle:
any of four flat muscles, two on each side of the front of the chest, that help
to move the upper arm and shoulder. The large fan-shaped pectoralis major pulls
the arm forward across the chest, while the pectoralis minor beneath it
depresses the shoulder.[1]



pectoralsandpiper

pectoralsandpiper
pec·to·ral
sand·pi·per
noun

North
American shorebird: a rare North American shore
bird with mottled brown markings that breeds only in the Arctic and migrates to
Central and South America for the winter. Latin name: Calidris melanotos
[Because the male inflates
its breast during courtship][1]



peculate

peculate
pec·u·late 
[pékyə làyt] (past pec·u·lat·ed,
past participle pec·u·lat·ed, present participle pec·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular pec·u·lates) transitive verb

embezzle:
to appropriate money or property by embezzlement or theft (formal)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin peculari, from peculium (see peculiar ).]
—pec·u·la·tor,
noun

—pec·u·la·tion [pèkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



peculiar

peculiar
pe·cu·liar 
[pi kylyər] adjective

1.  unusual:
unusual, strange, or unconventional • The
situation was very peculiar.

2.  unique:
belonging exclusively to or identified distinctly with somebody or something
noun
(plural pe·cu·liars)

somebody’s property or right:
a privilege or property that belongs uniquely to somebody (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin peculiaris “of private property” (later
“individual,” hence “strange”), from peculium “private property,” from pecus
“cattle,” hence “wealth.”]
—pe·cu·liar·ly, adverb[1]



peculiarity

peculiarity
pe·cu·li·ar·i·ty 
[pi kyl yérrətee, pi
kylee érrətee] (plural pe·cu·li·ar·i·ties) noun

1.  individual
characteristic: a characteristic or trait that belongs
distinctively to a particular person, place, or thing

2.  oddness:
the quality or state of being unusual or strange

[1]



peculium

peculium
pe·cu·li·um 
[pi kylyəm] noun

LAW HISTORY property owned by child or
enslaved person: in Roman law, property that a father
allowed his child, or a master his enslaved person, to own independently
[Late 17th century. From
Latin (see peculiar ).][1]



pecuniary

pecuniary
pe·cu·ni·ar·y 
[pi kynee èrree] adjective

1.  of
money:
relating to or involving money

2.  LAW involving
financial penalty: involving a financial
penalty such as a fine • a
pecuniary offense
[Early
16th century. From Latin pecuniarius, from pecunia “money, wealth
in cattle,” from pecus “cattle.”]
—pe·cu·ni·ar·i·ly [pi kynee èrrilee], adverb[1]



ped-

ped-
ped-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pedo-[1]



ped.

ped.
ped.

Abbreviation of
pedal[1]



pedagogics

pedagogics
ped·a·gog·ics 
[pèddə gójjiks] noun

(formal) (takes a
singular verb) See pedagogy[1]



pedagogue

pedagogue
ped·a·gogue 
[péddə gòg] (plural ped·a·gogues)
noun

1.  teacher:
an educator or schoolteacher

2.  pedantic
teacher:
a teacher who teaches in a particularly pedantic or dogmatic manner
[14th century. Via Latin paedagogus
from Greek paidagōgos “slave who leads a child to school,” from pais
“child” + agōgos “leader.”][1]



pedagogy

pedagogy
ped·a·go·gy 
[péddə gòjjee] noun

teaching:
the science or profession of teaching.
Also
called
pedagogics
[Mid-16th
century. Via French pédagogie from Greek paidagōgia “duties of a
pedagogue.”]
—ped·a·gog·ic
[pèddə gójjik], adjective

—ped·a·gog·i·cal
[pèddə gójjik’l], adjective

—ped·a·gog·i·cal·ly [pèddə gójjikəlee], adverb[1]



pedal

pedal2
ped·al2  [pd’l]
adjective

of
the foot:
relating to the foot or feet
[Early 17th century. From
Latin pedalis “of the foot.”][1]



pedal

pedal1
ped·al1  [pédd’l]
noun (plural ped·als)

1.  foot-operated
lever for machine: a lever operated by the foot
that powers a mechanism such as a bicycle, sewing machine, or the foot controls
of a car

2.  MUSIC foot-operated
lever for musical instrument: a foot-operated lever used
in playing the piano, organ, and other musical instruments

3.  MUSIC See pedal point
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ped·aled,
past participle ped·aled, present participle ped·al·ing,
3rd person present singular ped·als)

1.  TRANSPORT make
bicycle move: to use the pedals to make a bicycle or
other vehicle move forward

2.  operate
or play instrument using foot mechanism: to
operate the pedals of something such as a piano, organ, or machine in order to
make it work
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin pedalis “of the foot,”
from ped-, pes “foot” (source also of English impede and pedigree
).]
—ped·al·er, noun[1]



pedalfer

pedalfer
pe·dal·fer 
[pi dálfər] noun

soil
with aluminum deposits: soil without a layer of
accumulated calcium carbonate, but in which iron and aluminum have tended to
accumulate
[Early 20th century. Blend of
pedo- and aluminum,
and Latin ferrum “iron.”][1]



pedalpoint

pedalpoint
ped·al
point
noun

sustained note:
a note, usually in the bass, that is sustained while other musical parts and
harmonies continue.
Also called
pedal[1]



pedalpushers

pedalpushers
ped·al
push·ers
plural noun

calf-length women’s pants:
calf-length pants for women, originally designed for cycling[1]



pedalsteel

pedalsteel

ped·al steel
or ped·al steel gui·tar noun
electric guitar with pedals:
an electrically amplified floor-mounted guitar that is fretted with a steel bar
and usually has ten strings, whose pitch can be varied by the use of pedals[1]



pedant

pedant
ped·ant 
[pédd’nt] (plural ped·ants) noun

1.  somebody
too concerned with rules and details:
somebody who pays excessive attention to formal scholarship and to unimportant
rules and details

2.  somebody
who shows off knowledge: somebody who makes an
ostentatious display of learning

3.  teacher:
a schoolteacher (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via
French pédant from Italian pedante, of uncertain origin: perhaps
from, ultimately, Latin paedagogus (see pedagogue
).][1]



pedantic

pedantic
pe·dan·tic 
[pə dántik] adjective

too
concerned with formal rules and details: too
concerned with what are thought to be correct rules and details, e.g. in
language
—pe·dan·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



pedantry

pedantry
ped·ant·ry 
[pédd’ntree] (plural ped·ant·ries)
noun

pedantic attitude:
a pedantic attitude or an example of pedantic behavior[1]



pedate

pedate
ped·ate 
[pé dàyt, péddət]
adjective

having
a foot or feet: possessing, used as, or resembling a
foot or feet
[Late
18th century. From Latin pedatus “having feet,” from pes “foot.”]
—pe·date·ly, adverb[1]



peddle

peddle
ped·dle 
[pédd’l] (past ped·dled, past
participle ped·dled, present participle ped·dling, 3rd
person present singular ped·dles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
goods:
to sell goods, especially while traveling from place to place

2.  transitive
verb
DRUGS sell
drugs:
to sell something illegal, especially drugs (dated)

3.  transitive
verb
promote
idea:
to promote an idea or belief insistently
[Mid-16th century.
Back-formation from peddler .][1]



peddler

peddler
ped·dler 
[péddlər] (plural ped·dlers) noun

1.  somebody
who peddles goods: somebody who travels from
place to place selling goods.
U.K.
term
pedlar

2.  DRUGS drug
seller:
somebody who sells something, especially illegal drugs
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier pedder, of uncertain origin: perhaps from an obsolete word
meaning “basket.”][1]



pederast

pederast
ped·er·ast 
[péddə ràst] (plural ped·er·asts)
noun

man
who has sex with boy: a man who has sex with a boy
(formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek paiderastēs, literally “lover of boys.”]
—ped·er·as·tic
[pèddə rástik], adjective

—ped·er·as·ty [péddə ràstee], noun[1]



pedes

pedes
pe·des


Plural of
pes[1]



pedestal

pedestal
ped·es·tal 
[péddəst’l] noun (plural ped·es·tals)

1.  ARCHITECTURE base
of column:
a base or support for a column or statue

2.  FURNITURE supporting
base:
the column-shaped base of a piece of furniture such as a table or washbasin

3.  position
of being exalted or admired: a position in which somebody
admires another person so much that he or she thinks that person is perfect • I
don’t want to be put on a pedestal –I just want to be treated as a normal
person!
transitive
verb
(past ped·es·taled or ped·es·tal·led, past
participle ped·es·taled or ped·es·tal·led, present
participle ped·es·tal·ing or ped·es·tal·ling, 3rd
person present singular ped·es·tals)

put something on pedestal:
to provide somebody or something with a pedestal
[Mid-16th century. Via French
piédestal from Italian piedestallo, literally “foot of a stall.”][1]



pedestrian

pedestrian
pe·des·tri·an 
[pə déstree ən] noun (plural pe·des·tri·ans)

somebody
walking:
somebody who is traveling on foot, especially in an area also used by cars
adjective

dull:
ordinary, unimaginative, or uninspired
[Early
18th century. Directly or via French pédestre from Latin pedester
“going on foot,” from pes “foot.”]
—pe·des·tri·an·ism, noun[1]



pedestrianize

pedestrianize
pe·des·tri·an·ize 
[pə déstree ə nz] (past pe·des·tri·an·ized,
past participle pe·des·tri·an·ized, present participle pe·des·tri·an·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pe·des·tri·an·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
street into pedestrian area: to change a street into an
area for pedestrians only by banning motor vehicles
—pe·des·tri·an·i·za·tion
[pə dèstree ənə záysh’n], noun[1]



pedi-

pedi-
pedi-
prefix

foot,
feet • pedipalp
[From Latin ped-, the
stem of pes (see pedal )][1]



Pedi

Pedi
Pe·di
[péddee] (plural Pe·dis or
Pe·di) noun

1.  PEOPLES South
African people: a member of a people that lives in parts
of South Africa, mainly in Transvaal

2.  LANGUAGE language
of the Pedi: the Bantu language of the Pedi people,
belonging to the Benue-Congo branch of Niger-Congo languages. Pedi is spoken by
about three million people.
—Pe·di, adjective[1]



pediatrician

pediatrician
pe·di·a·tri·cian 
[pdee ə trísh’n] (plural pe·di·a·tri·cians
or pe·di·atrists) noun

children’s doctor:
a doctor who specializes in the care and development of children and in the
prevention and treatment of children’s diseases. See pediatrician[1]



pediatrics

pediatrics
pe·di·at·rics 
[pdee áttriks] noun

branch
of medicine concerned with children: the
branch of medicine concerned with the care and development of children and with
the prevention and treatment of children’s diseases (takes a singular verb)
See pediatrics
—pe·di·at·ric, adjective[1]



pedicab

pedicab
ped·i·cab 
[péddi kàb] (plural ped·i·cabs)
noun

tricycle for carrying
passengers: a pedal-operated tricycle
with a seat in front for the driver and a passenger seat behind covered by a
hood, available for hire in some Southeast Asian countries[1]



pedicel

pedicel
ped·i·cel 
[péddis’l, péddi
sèl] (plural ped·i·cels) or ped·i·cle [péddik’l] (plural ped·i·cles) noun

1.  BOTANY stalk
of individual flower: a stalk bearing a single
flower or spore-producing body within a cluster

2.  ANATOMY stalk-shaped
body part:
an anatomical part that resembles a stem or stalk

3.  INSECTS narrow
segment:
a narrow anatomical part such as the waist between the thorax and abdomen of
wasps and related insects
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin pedicellus, from Latin pediculus
“footstalk,” from pes “foot.”]
—ped·i·cel·lar
[pèddi séllər], adjective

—ped·i·cel·late [pèddi séllət, pèddi sé
làyt], adjective[1]



pediculate

pediculate
pe·dic·u·late 
[pi díkyələt, pi
díkyə làyt] (plural pe·dic·u·lates) adjective

relating
to anglerfish: relating to the anglerfishes, which are
characterized by a modified dorsal spine with an attachment for luring prey
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Pediculati, order name, from Latin pediculus
(see pedicel ).]
—pe·dic·u·late, noun[1]



pediculosis

pediculosis
pe·dic·u·lo·sis 
[pə dìkyə lṓssiss] noun

infestation
with lice:
infestation with lice, specifically the head and body louse Pediculus
humanus. It can cause insomnia, irritability, and depression.
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin pediculus “louse.”]
—pe·dic·u·lous [pə díkyələss], adjective[1]



pedicure

pedicure
ped·i·cure 
[péddi kyr] noun (plural ped·i·cures)

1.  MEDICINE medical
care of feet: medical treatment of the feet, for
example, the removal of corns

2.  COSMETICS cosmetic
treatment of feet: cosmetic treatment of the
feet, for example, the application of nail varnish

3.  COSMETICS MEDICINE session
of treatment for feet: a session of cosmetic or
medical treatment of the feet

4.  chiropodist:
a chiropodist
transitive
verb
(past ped·i·cured, past participle ped·i·cured, present
participle ped·i·cur·ing, 3rd person present singular ped·i·cures)

treat feet of somebody:
to give a pedicure to somebody
[Mid-19th
century. From French pédicure, from the Latin stem ped- “foot” + cura
“care.”]
—ped·i·cur·ist, noun[1]



pediform

pediform
ped·i·form 
[péddi fàwrm] adjective

foot-shaped:
in the shape of a foot (technical)[1]



pedigree

pedigree
ped·i·gree 
[péddi gr] (plural ped·i·grees)
noun

1.  line
of ancestors: the line of ancestors of an individual
animal or person, especially a pure-bred animal

2.  list
of animal’s ancestors: a document recording the
line of ancestors of an animal, especially a pure-bred animal

3.  family
tree:
a table showing the line of ancestors of a person, especially an aristocratic
or upper class person

4.  background:
the background, history, or origin of something, especially a group
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman pe de gru, literally “crane’s foot.” From the
resemblance of a family tree’s branching lines to a bird’s foot.]
—ped·i·greed, adjective[1]



pediment

pediment
ped·i·ment 
[péddimənt] (plural ped·i·ments)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE gable
on colonnade: a broad triangular or segmental gable
surmounting a colonnade as the major part of a facade

2.  GEOGRAPHY broad
rock area:
a broad flat rock surface of low relief adjacent to a steeper slope in an arid
region, for example, that of a mountain range, often covered with rock debris
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of pyramid .]
—ped·i·men·tal [pèddi mént’l], adjective[1]



pedipalp

pedipalp
ped·i·palp 
[péddi pàlp] (plural ped·i·palps)
noun

part
of spider’s mouth: either of a pair of
appendages that are part of the mouths of spiders and other arachnids, used for
various functions including manipulating food
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin pedipalpi, from Latin pes “foot” and palpus
“palp.”][1]



pedlar

pedlar
ped·lar 
[péddlər] (plural ped·lars) noun

U.K.
See peddler
[14th century. Alteration of pedder,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from medieval Latin pedarius “one who goes
on foot,” from Latin pes “foot.”][1]



pedo-

pedo-
pedo- 
prefix

soil
• pedology
[From Greek pedon .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “foot” that is also the ancestor of
English foot and pedal .][1]



pedodontics

pedodontics
pe·do·don·tics 
[pdə dóntiks] or pe·do·don·tia
[pdə dónshə, pdə
dónshee ə] noun

children’s dentistry:
the branch of dentistry concerned with dental care and treatment for children (takes
a singular verb) See pedodontics[1]



pedogenesis

pedogenesis
ped·o·gen·e·sis
[p dō jénnəssiss] noun

soil
formation:
the natural process of soil formation, including erosion and leaching
—pe·do·ge·net·ic
[p dō jə néttik], adjective

—pe·do·gen·ic [p dō jénnik], adjective[1]



pedology

pedology2
pe·dol·o·gy2  [pə
dólləjee] noun

scientific
study of soils: the scientific study of soil properties
and the classification of soil types
—ped·o·log·ic
[pèdd’l ójjik], adjective

—ped·o·log·i·cal
[pèdd’l ójjik’l], adjective

—ped·o·log·i·cal·ly
[pèdd’l ójjikəlee], adverb

—pe·dol·o·gist [pə dólləjist], noun[1]



pedology

pedology1
pe·dol·o·gy1  [pi
dólləjee] noun

scientific
study of children: the scientific study of the
physical and mental development of children. See pedology
—ped·o·log·ic
[pd’l ójjik], adjective

—ped·o·log·i·cal
[pd’l ójjik’l], adjective

—ped·o·log·i·cal·ly
[pd’l ójjikəlee], adverb

—pe·dol·o·gist [pi dólləjist], noun[1]



pedometer

pedometer
pe·dom·e·ter 
[pə dómmətər] (plural pe·dom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring distance walked: an instrument that
measures the distance covered by a walker by recording the number of steps
taken
[Early 18th century. From
French pédomètre, from the Latin stem ped- “foot” + French -mètre
“-meter.”][1]



pedomorphosis

pedomorphosis
ped·o·mor·pho·sis 
[pèddə máwrfəssiss, pdə
máwrfəssiss] noun

See
neoteny[1]



pedophile

pedophile
ped·o·phile 
[péddə fl, pdə
fl] (plural ped·o·philes) noun

adult
with sexual desire for children: an adult who has
sexual desire for children or who has committed the crime of sex with a child
—ped·o·phil·ic [pèddə fíllik, pdə
fíllik], adjective[1]



pedophilia

pedophilia
ped·o·phi·li·a 
[pèddə fíllee ə, pdə
fíllee ə] noun

sexual
desire for children: sexual desire felt by an
adult for children, or the crime of sex with a child
—ped·o·phil·i·ac [pèddə fíllee àk, pdə
fíllee àk], noun, adjective[1]



PedroI

PedroI
Pe·dro
I 
[péddrō], Emperor of Brazil (1798–1834)

The son of the King of
Portugal, he declared Brazil’s independence in 1822, made himself emperor, and
abdicated in 1831. He was also briefly king of Portugal (1826).[1]



PedroII

PedroII
Pe·dro
II
[péddrō], Emperor of Brazil (1825–1891)

He was emperor from his
father’s abdication (1831) until his own abdication (1889). He abolished
slavery in Brazil.[1]



peduncle

peduncle
pe·dun·cle 
[p dùngkəl, pi
dúngkəl] (plural pe·dun·cles) noun

1.  BOTANY stalk:
the stalk of a plant

2.  ZOOLOGY part
resembling stalk: a part resembling a stalk in shape or
function, for example, the base of a fish’s tail or a structure attaching an
invertebrate animal to the place where it lives
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin pedunculus, literally “a small foot,” from
Latin pes “foot.”]
—pe·dun·cled,
adjective

—pe·dun·cu·lar [pi dúngkyələr], adjective[1]



pedunculate

pedunculate
pe·dun·cu·late 
[pi dúngkyələt, pi
dúngkyə làyt] or pe·dun·cu·lat·ed [pi dúngkyə làytəd] adjective

with or resembling a stalk:
having or resembling a stalk, or a structure with the shape or function of a
stalk[1]



pee

pee
pee
[pee] intransitive verb (past peed,
past participle peed, present participle pee·ing, 3rd
person present singular pees)

urinate: to
pass urine (informal)
noun
(informal)

1.  urine:
urine (often considered offensive)

2.  urination:
an act of urinating (often considered offensive)
[Late 18th century. From the
first letter of piss .][1]



peek

peek
peek 
[peek] intransitive verb (past
peeked, past participle peeked, present participle peek·ing,
3rd person present singular peeks)

look
quickly:
to take a quick look at something, especially in a secretive way or at
something you should not be looking at • I
peeked at the name at the foot of the letter.
noun
(plural peeks)

quick
look:
a quick or secret look at something
[14th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps from earlier Dutch kieken “to look.”][1]



peekaboo

peekaboo
peek·a·boo 
[pkə b] noun

children’s
game:
a game played to amuse small children, in which the face is hidden in the hands
and then suddenly uncovered as “peekaboo!” is shouted
interjection

word
said in game of peekaboo: the word used when playing a
game of peekaboo
adjective

CLOTHES having
holes:
having holes or gaps intended to reveal parts of the body
[Late 16th century. Coined
from peek + boo
.][1]



Peekskill

Peekskill
Peeks·kill 
[pk skil]

city in southeastern New
York, on the Hudson River, southeast of Newburgh. Population: 20,805 (1996)[1]



peel

peel2
peel2 [peel]
(plural peels) noun

COOKING tool
for moving bread: a large spatula with a long handle, used
by bakers to move bread in and out of an oven
[14th century. Via Old French
pele from Latin pala “spade.”][1]



peel

peel1
peel1 [peel]
verb (past peeled, past participle peeled, present
participle peel·ing, 3rd person present singular peels)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
outer layer of something: to cut away or pull off the
skin or outer layer of something, especially a fruit or vegetable

2.  intransitive
verb
have
removable skin: to have a skin that can be removed

3.  transitive
verb
pull
something off: to pull or strip off something,
especially something that is stuck to a surface

4.  intransitive
verb
lose
outer layer: to lose or shed an outer layer or
covering, for example, of paint or sunburned skin • The
skin on her nose was peeling.

5.  intransitive
verb
come
off in thin pieces: to come off in flakes, small
pieces, or thin strips

6.  intransitive
verb
undress:
to remove clothes (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
SPORTS put
ball through croquet hoop: to make another player’s
ball go through a hoop in croquet
noun

FOOD fruit
or vegetable skin: the rind or skin of a fruit
or vegetable • apple
peel
[13th century. From Latin pilare,
literally “to deprive of hair,” from pilus “hair.” Originally in the
meaning “to plunder.”][1]



peel

peel3
peel3 [peel]
(plural peels) noun

ARCHITECTURE fortified
tower:
a fortified tower of the type built in the border counties of Scotland and
England in the 16th century to withstand raids
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman pel from, ultimately, Latin palus “stake.”][1]



peelable

peelable
peel·a·ble 
[pləb’l] adjective

1.  with
a skin that peels: with a skin that can be
peeled off

2.  removable
and reusable: used to describe an adhesive label that
can be removed and reused

[1]



peeler

peeler
peel·er
[plər] (plural peel·ers) noun

1.  device
for removing skin from vegetables: a device for removing
the skin from fruit or vegetables, usually a hand-held utensil with a blade

2.  stripper:
a striptease dancer (slang)

[1]



peeling

peeling
peel·ing 
[pling] (plural peel·ings) noun

piece stripped off:
a piece of something, especially fruit or vegetable skin, that has been peeled
off (often used in the plural.) • potato
peelings[1]



peen

peen
peen 
[peen] noun (plural peens)

end
of hammerhead opposite face: the end of a hammerhead
opposite the flat face, often rounded or wedge-shaped, and used for bending and
shaping
transitive
verb
(past peened, past participle peened, present participle
peen·ing, 3rd person present singular peens)

shape
something using peen: to bend or shape something
by striking it with the peen of a hammer
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word.][1]



peep

peep1
peep1  [peep]
verb (past peeped, past participle peeped, present
participle peep·ing, 3rd person present singular peeps)

1.  intransitive
verb
look
quickly or secretly: to look quickly or secretly,
for example, through a small opening or from a hiding place

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb emerge
or make something emerge: to become or make something
become partly visible or visible only for a short time
noun

1.  quick
look:
a quick or secret look at something

2.  the
first sight of something: the first appearance or
sight of something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of peek .][1]



peep

peep2

peep2  [peep]
intransitive verb (past peeped, past participle peeped,
present participle peep·ing, 3rd person present singular peeps)

1.  make
a short, high-pitched noise: to make a high-pitched
little noise like a baby bird or a mouse

2.  speak
in high or quiet voice: to speak in a quiet, weak,
or high-pitched voice

3.  make
quiet noise: to make the quietest possible noise or
remark
noun (plural
peeps)

1.  short
high-pitched sound: a high-pitched sound like
that of a baby bird or a mouse

2.  smallest
sound:
a very quiet utterance • I
don’t want to hear another peep out of any of you!

3.  small
sandpiper:
any of several smaller members of the sandpiper family of shorebirds
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



peeper

peeper2
peep·er2  [ppər]
(plural peep·ers) noun

AMPHIBIANS
See spring peeper[1]



peeper

peeper1
peep·er1  [ppər]
(plural peep·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who peeps:
somebody who looks secretly at somebody or something

2.  eye:
somebody’s eye (dated slang) (often used in the plural)

[1]



peephole

peephole
peep·hole 
[pp hl] (plural peep·holes) noun

1.  small
opening:
a small crack or hole that somebody can look through

2.  spy
hole in door: a small hole in a door that allows
somebody to see people on the other side without being observed.
Also
called
eyehole
Also
called
eyelet

[1]



PeepingTom

PeepingTom
Peep·ing
Tom
(plural Peep·ing Toms) or peep·ing Tom (plural
peep·ing Toms) noun

man
secretly watching others: a man who gets sexual
pleasure from secretly watching somebody undressing or sexual activity between
other people
[Early 19th century. Named
for a tailor in English legend who was the only person to look at Lady Godiva
riding naked.][1]



peepshow

peepshow
peep·show
[pp sh] (plural peep·shows) or
peep show [pp sh] (plural peep
shows) noun

1.  erotic
show:
an erotic or pornographic movie or show viewed from individual booths

2.  box
for viewing: a sequence of pictures viewed through a
hole or lens in a box, viewed as a form of entertainment in former times.
Also
called
raree show

[1]



peepsight

peepsight
peep
sight
(plural peep sights) noun

aperture sight of rifle:
a metal tab at the rear of a rifle barrel, containing a small circular opening
through which the user looks to align the front sight with the target[1]



peepul

peepul
pee·pul 
noun

See
bo tree[1]



peer

peer1
peer1  [peer]
(past peered, past participle peered, present
participle peer·ing, 3rd person present singular peers)
intransitive verb

1.  look
closely:
to look very carefully or hard, especially at somebody or something that is
difficult to see, often with narrowed eyes

2.  be
partially or briefly visible: to be partially visible or
appear briefly
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German pīren “to look.”][1]



peer

peer2
peer2  [peer]
(plural peers) noun

1.  person
of equal standing with another: somebody who is equal
to another person or to other people in some respect such as age or social
class

2.  member
of British or N Irish nobility: member of the nobility
in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

3.  friend:
a companion, fellow, or buddy (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin par “equal” (source of English pair
and par ).][1]



peerage

peerage
peer·age 
[prij] (plural peer·ages) noun

1.  nobles
as a group:
noblemen and noblewomen considered as a class or group

2.  noble
rank:
the rank, status, or title of a nobleman or noblewoman

3.  PUBLISHING list
of nobles:
a book listing the members of the nobility and giving information about their
families

[1]



peeress

peeress
peer·ess 
[prəss] (plural peer·ess·es) noun

1.  woman
peer:
a woman who is a peer

2.  wife
of peer:
the wife or widow of a peer

[1]



peergroup

peergroup
peer
group
(plural peer groups) noun

group of equals:
a social group consisting of people who are equal in such respects as age,
education, or social class • Teenagers
usually prefer to spend time with their own peer group.[1]



peerless

peerless
peer·less 
[prləss] adjective

without
equal:
incomparable, matchless, or without equal
—peer·less·ly,
adverb

—peer·less·ness, noun[1]



peerof the realm

peerof the realm
peer
of the realm (plural peers of the realm)
noun

member of House of Lords:
in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a member of the nobility who has the
right to sit in the House of Lords[1]



peerpressure

peerpressure
peer
pres·sure
noun

pressure by peer group:
social pressure on somebody to adopt a particular type of behavior, dress, or
attitude in order to be accepted as part of a group[1]



peer-review

peer-review
peer-re·view
(past peer-re·viewed, past participle peer-re·viewed,
present participle peer-re·view·ing, 3rd person present
singular peer-re·views) transitive verb

evaluate
something as an expert: to assess an article, piece
of work, or research as an expert on the subject
—peer-re·viewed, adjective[1]



peerreview

peerreview
peer
re·view
noun

evaluation by experts:
assessment of an article, piece of work, or research by people who are experts
on the subject[1]



peeve

peeve
peeve 
[peev] transitive verb (past peeved,
past participle peeved, present participle peev·ing,
3rd person present singular peeves)

annoy somebody:
to make somebody feel annoyed, irritated, or resentful (informal)
noun
(plural peeves) (informal)

1.  something
that annoys: something that annoys or irritates
somebody

2.  bad
mood:
an irritated or resentful mood
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from peevish .][1]



peevish

peevish
pee·vish 
[pvish] adjective

irritable:
bad-tempered, irritable, or tending to complain
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—pee·vish·ly,
adverb

—pee·vish·ness, noun[1]



peewee

peewee1
pee·wee1  [p
w] noun (plural pee·wees)

very
small person or thing: somebody or something that
is extremely or exceptionally small, especially a small child
adjective

tiny:
very small
[Late 19th century.
Reduplication of wee .][1]



peewee

peewee2
pee·wee2  [p
w] (plural pee·wees) noun

BIRDS See pewee
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound made by the bird.][1]



peewit

peewit
pee·wit 
[p wìt] (plural pee·wits) noun

See
lapwing
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of the sound made by the bird.][1]



peg

peg
peg 
[peg] noun (plural pegs)

1.  pin
for fastening or marking something: a
small piece of metal, plastic, or wood used to secure or mark something or to
join two parts together

2.  hook
for hanging things: a hook or projecting piece
of wood or metal that is attached to a surface such as a door or wall and used
to hang things, especially clothes

3.  MUSIC part
for tuning string: a screw or pin around which
a string is wound in the head ( pegbox ) of
a stringed instrument. The string can be tightened or loosened to raise or
lower its pitch by turning the peg.

4.  reason
for doing something: something used as an excuse
or reason for doing something, or as a support for an argument

5.  degree
or step:
a degree, notch, or step, especially in somebody’s opinion of a person or thing

6.  U.K.
small
drink of liquor: a small drink of liquor such as brandy
or whiskey (dated informal)

7.  BASEBALL fast
throw:
in baseball, a fast, low throw of the ball that puts a base runner out

8.  SPORTS croquet
pin:
in croquet, a post that must be hit with a ball in order for a player to win
the game
transitive
verb
(past pegged, past participle pegged, present
participle peg·ging, 3rd person present singular pegs)

1.  secure
something with pegs: to fasten something with one
or more pegs

2.  put
a peg in something: to insert a peg into
something

3.  mark
something with peg: to mark something, such as
the score in a game, with a peg or pegs

4.  COMMERCE fix
something at certain level: to fix the cost or value of
something at a certain level

5.  categorize
somebody:
to classify somebody or something, especially as having a particular character

6.  throw
a baseball:
to throw something, especially a low and fast baseball (informal)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from obsolete Dutch pegge .]
bring
or take somebody down a peg (or two)

to
make somebody more humble

a
square peg in a round hole

somebody who is completely
unsuited to the situation he or she is in[1]



Pegasus

Pegasus

Peg·a·sus 
[péggəssəss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY horse
with wings:
in Greek mythology, a horse with wings, born of the shed blood of Medusa

2.        ASTRONOMY large
northern constellation near Aquarius:
a large constellation of the northern hemisphere between Andromeda and Aquarius[1]



pegboard

pegboard
peg·board 
[pég bàwrd] (plural peg·boards)
noun

1.  board
with holes for playing games: a board with a pattern of
holes into which pegs are placed in certain games

2.  board
with holes for keeping score: a board with a pattern of
holes into which pegs are placed to keep the score in some games, especially
card games such as cribbage

[1]



Peg-Board

Peg-Board
Peg-Board 
Trademark

a trademark for a thin board
with evenly spaced holes into which pegs or hooks can be placed for displaying,
hanging, or storing things[1]



pegbox

pegbox
peg·box
[pég bòks] noun

part of stringed instrument:
the portion of a stringed instrument that holds the tuning pegs[1]



pegleg

pegleg
peg
leg
(plural peg legs) noun

1.  wooden
leg:
a prosthetic leg, especially a simple wooden one fitted at the knee (informal)
(often considered offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who has a prosthetic leg

[1]



pegmatite

pegmatite
peg·ma·tite 
[pégmə tt] noun

coarse-grained
igneous rock: a coarse-grained igneous rock, usually
granite, that is characterized by large well-formed crystals and often contains
rare elements
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from the Greek stem pēgmat- “something joined
together.”]
—peg·ma·tit·ic [pègmə títtik], adjective[1]



pegtop

pegtop
peg
top
noun (plural peg tops)

spinning
top:
a spinning top that is thrown from the hand and is caused to spin as a string
quickly unwinds from around a central metal peg
plural
noun
peg tops

pants that narrow toward
ankles: pants that are full and
gathered at the hips and narrow at the ankle (dated)[1]



Pegu

Pegu
Pe·gu
[pe g]

city in Myanmar, formerly
Burma. Between 1531 and 1635 it was the country’s capital. Population: 150,447
(1983)[1]



Pehlevi

Pehlevi
Peh·le·vi 
noun adjective

See
Pahlavi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








P.E.I.

P.E.I.
P.E.I.
or PEI

Abbreviation of
Prince Edward Island[1]



peignoir

peignoir
pei·gnoir 
[payn wr, pen
wr] (plural pei·gnoirs) noun

woman’s
dressing gown: a woman’s loose-fitting dressing gown,
bathrobe, or negligee
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from peigner “to comb,” from, ultimately, Latin pecten
“comb.”][1]



Pei,I. M.

Pei,I. M.


Pei
[pay], I. M. (1917– )
Chinese-born
U.S. architect. His work combines elegance of form with functional efficiency.
Full name
Pei, Ieoh Ming[1]



pejoration

pejoration
pej·o·ra·tion 
[pèjjə ráysh’n, pjə
ráysh’n] noun

1.  worsening
state:
a worsening, deterioration, or decline in quality, status, or value (formal)

2.  LINGUISTICS change
to negative meaning of word: a change over time in the
meaning of a word so that it becomes less favorable or more negative. An
example is the English word “cunning,” formerly used to mean “learned” but now
used to mean “cleverly deceitful.”
[Mid-17th century. From the
medieval Latin stem peioration-, from late Latin peiorare “to
worsen,” from Latin peior “worse” (source of English impair ).][1]



pejorative

pejorative
pe·jor·a·tive 
[pə jáwrətiv, péjjə
ràytiv, pjə ràytiv] adjective

expressing
disapproval: expressing criticism or disapproval (formal)
noun
(plural pe·jor·a·tives)

disapproving
word:
a word, expression, or affix that expresses criticism or disapproval
[Late
19th century. Via French péjoratif from, ultimately, late Latin peiorare
(see pejoration ).]
—pe·jor·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



pekan

pekan
pek·an 
[pékən] (plural pek·ans) noun

ZOOLOGY See fisher
[Mid-18th century. Via
Canadian French from Abnaki pékané .][1]



peke

peke
peke
[peek] (plural pekes [peek]) or Peke [peek] (plural Pekes) noun

Pekingese:
a Pekingese dog (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



pekin

pekin
pe·kin 
[p kìn] noun

1.  TEXTILES silk
fabric with stripes: silk fabric with broad
stripes in various colors or patterns

2.  pe·kin
(plural pe·kins) or Pe·kin (plural Pe·kins)
BIRDS large
white duck:
a large white duck of a breed that originated in China
[Late 18th century. From
French . Named for Pékin “Beijing.”][1]



Pekin

Pekin
Pe·kin 
[pkin]

city in north central
Illinois, on the eastern bank of the Illinois River, south of Peoria.
Population: 32,433 (1996)[1]



Pekinese

Pekinese
Pe·kin·ese 
noun adjective

See
Pekingese[1]



Peking

Peking
Pe·king 
[p kìng]

Former name for
Beijing[1]



Pekingduck

Pekingduck
Pe·king
duck
(plural Pe·king ducks) noun

Chinese dish of crispy duck:
Chinese dish in which small portions of duck meat, strips of crisp duck skin,
cucumber, and scallions are rolled in thin pancakes[1]



Pekingese

Pekingese

Pe·king·ese 
[p king z, p
king ss] or Pe·kin·ese [pkə
nz, pkə nss] noun (plural
Pe·king·ese) (plural Pe·kin·ese)

1.  ZOOLOGY small
Chinese dog: a small pet dog of a Chinese breed with
a short flat nose, a long straight silky coat, and a tail that curls over its
back

2.  Mandarin
Chinese:
Mandarin Chinese (dated)

3.  PEOPLES somebody
from Beijing: somebody who was born or lives in
Beijing
adjective

of Beijing:
relating to Beijing, or its people or culture[1]



Pekingman

Pekingman
Pe·king
man
noun

extinct
human species: the fossilized remains of an extinct
human species that lived 400,000 to 500,000 years ago, originally classified as
Pithecanthropus and now regarded as a subspecies of Homo erectus
[Early 20th century. Named
for Peking because its remains were
discovered in China.][1]



pekoe

pekoe
pe·koe 
[pkō] noun

black
tea:
a high-quality black tea
[Early 18th century. From
Chinese pekho, literally “white down.” From the downy young leaves
used.][1]



pel

pel
pel
noun

Abbreviation of
pixel[1]



pelage

pelage
pel·age 
[péllij] noun

animal’s
coat:
a mammal’s coat of fur, hair, or wool (technical)
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin pilus “hair.”][1]



Pelagian

Pelagian
Pe·la·gi·an
[pə láyjee ən] adjective

CHRISTIANITY of
Pelagius or Pelagianism: relating to Pelagius or his
teachings
noun
(plural Pela·gi·ans)

CHRISTIANITY
believer in Pelagianism:
a believer in the teachings of the Christian heretic Pelagius[1]



Pelagianism

Pelagianism
Pe·la·gi·an·ism 
[pə láyjee ə nìzzəm] noun

CHRISTIANITY belief
that denies original sin: the belief of the heretical
Christian Pelagius that people can earn salvation through their own efforts,
without relying on the grace of God, and the rejection of the concept of
original sin
[Late 16th century. Named for
Pelagius .][1]



pelagic

pelagic
pe·lag·ic 
[pə lájjik] adjective

found
in open sea: living, occurring, or deposited in the
deep waters of the ocean or the open sea as opposed to near the shore
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek pelagikos, from pelagos “sea.”][1]



Pelagius

Pelagius
Pe·lag·i·us
[pi láyjee əss] (360?–420?)

Romano-British monk. His
doctrine, known as Pelagianism, denies the existence of original sin and was
condemned as heretical.[1]



pelargonicacid

pelargonicacid
pelargonic
ac·id 
[pèlaar gònnik ássid] noun

fatty acid:
a colorless to yellow oil obtained from beet and potatoes, used in plastics,
pharmaceuticals, synthetic flavors and as an additive in gasoline. CH3(CH2)7COOH
Also called
nonanoic acid
U.K. term
nonanoic acid[1]



pelargonium

pelargonium
pel·ar·go·ni·um 
[pè laar gṓnee əm] (plural pel·ar·go·ni·ums
or pel·ar·go·ni·um) noun

flowering
plant:
a plant of South African origin with rounded or lobed leaves and clusters of
red, pink, or white flowers. Many geraniums are cultivated forms of
pelargoniums . Genus: Pelargonium
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek pelargos “stork.” From the
resemblance of its capsules to a stork’s bill.][1]



Pelasgian

Pelasgian
Pe·las·gi·an 
[pi lázjee ən, pi
lázgee ən] noun (plural Pe·las·gi·ans)

ancient
inhabitant of Greece: a member of any of the
ancient peoples that lived in Greece and the Aegean Islands before the arrival
of the Bronze Age Hellenic peoples
adjective
Pe·las·gi·an Pe·las·gic

of
Pelasgians or their cultures: relating to the Pelasgian
peoples or their cultures
[15th century. Formed from
Latin Pelasgus, from Greek Pelasgos, name of the Pelasgians’
mythical founder.][1]



pelecypod

pelecypod
pe·lec·y·pod 
[pə léssə pòd] (plural pe·lec·y·pods)
noun

See
bivalve
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Pelecypoda, class name, from Greek pelekus “ax” + -podos
“footed.”][1]



pelerine

pelerine
pel·er·ine 
[pèllə rn, péllərin]
(plural pel·er·ines) noun

woman’s
cape:
a woman’s short narrow cape with long pointed ends that meet at the front
[Mid-18th century. Via French
pèlerine, the feminine form of pèlerin “pilgrim” from late Latin pelegrinus
(source of English pilgrim ).][1]



Peleus

Peleus
Pe·le·us 
[plee əss, pl
yooss] noun

father of Achilles:
in Greek mythology, the king of the Myrmidons in Thessaly. He and the sea nymph
Thetis were the parents of Achilles.[1]



Pele’shair

Pele’shair
Pe·le’s
hair
[páy làyz hàir, pliz
hàir] noun

threads
of volcanic glass: fine threads of volcanic
glass formed by the action of the wind on jets of lava erupting into the air
[Mid-19th century.
Translation of Hawaiian lauoho o Pele . Named for Pele, the
goddess of volcanoes in Hawaiian mythology.][1]



pelf

pelf
pelf 
[pelf] noun

money
or wealth:
money, wealth, or riches, especially if obtained dishonestly (dated)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French pelfre “booty,” of unknown origin.][1]



pelham

pelham
pel·ham 
[pélləm] (plural pel·hams) noun

horse’s
bit:
a bit for a horse’s bridle that is midway between the simple snaffle bit and
the harsher curb bit
[Mid-19th century. From the
surname Pelham .][1]



pelican

pelican


pel·i·can 
[péllikən] (plural pel·i·cans)
noun
large
water bird with pouched bill: a large web-footed bird
found on warm-water coasts worldwide that has a large flat bill with a hanging
pouch that can be expanded to catch and store fish. Family: Pelecanidae
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin pelicanus from Greek pelekan, of uncertain origin: perhaps
formed from pelekus “ax,” in allusion to the shape of its bill.][1]



pelisse

pelisse
pe·lisse 
[pə lss] (plural pe·lisses) noun

1.  military
garment with fur: a cloak, coat, or jacket lined or
trimmed with fur, often worn as part of a military uniform, for example, by
members of the Hussar regiments

2.  woman’s
coat:
a woman’s long fitted coat or dress that opens at the front and is often
trimmed with fur
[Early 18th century. Via
French and late Latin pellicia from, ultimately, Latin pellis
“skin.”][1]



pelite

pelite
pe·lite 
[p lt] or pe·lyte [p lt] noun

rock
containing aluminum: aluminum-rich metamorphic
rock formed by the action of temperature and pressure on clay-rich sedimentary
rocks
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek pēlos “clay.”]
—pe·lit·ic [pə líttik], adjective[1]



pellagra

pellagra
pel·lag·ra 
[pə láygrə, pə
lággrə] noun

dietary
deficiency disease: a disease caused by a
dietary deficiency of niacin and marked by dermatitis, diarrhea, and disorder
of the central nervous system
[Early
19th century. From Italian, from pelle “skin” + agra “rough” or -agra
“seizure.”]
—pel·lag·rous, adjective[1]



pellagrin

pellagrin
pel·lag·rin 
[pə láygrin, pə
lággrin] (plural pel·lag·rins) noun

somebody with pellagra:
somebody who has the dietary deficiency disease pellagra[1]



pellet

pellet
pel·let 
[péllət] noun (plural pel·lets)

1.  small
ball of compressed material: a small ball, or piece of
material that has been pressed tightly together for example for animal feed or
a medicine

2.  ARMS small
bullet:
a small bullet or ball of metal fired from a gun

3.  imitation
bullet:
an imitation bullet for use in a toy gun

4.  ARMS HISTORY stone missile for cannon or
catapult:
a ball, usually made of stone, formerly used as a cannonball or as a missile
fired from a catapult

5.  BIRDS undigested
matter regurgitated by predatory birds: an
undigested mass of food, mostly bone and hair, that is regurgitated by owls and
other birds of prey

6.  animal
feces:
a small round piece of the feces of some animals such as sheep or rabbits
transitive
verb
(past pel·let·ed, past participle pel·let·ed, present
participle pel·let·ing, 3rd person present singular pel·lets)

1.  strike
something with pellets: to bombard or hit somebody
or something with pellets

2.  make
pellets of something: to make or form something
into pellets
[14th
century. Via French pelote from assumed Vulgar Latin pilotta,
literally “a small ball,” from Latin pila “ball” (source of English pill ).]
—pel·leti·za·tion
[pèlləti záysh’n], noun

—pel·let·ize
[péllə tz], transitive verb

—pel·let·iz·er [péllə tzər], noun[1]



pellicle

pellicle
pel·li·cle 
[péllik’l] (plural pel·li·cles)
noun

1.  thin
film or membrane: a thin film, membrane, or skin

2.  MICROBIOLOGY flexible
sheath beneath protozoan cell membrane: a
multilayered flexible sheath that lies immediately beneath the cell membrane of
many protozoans
[Mid-16th
century. Via French pellicule from Latin pellicula, literally “a
small skin,” from pellis “skin.”]
—pel·lic·u·lar [pə líkyələr], adjective[1]



pellitory

pellitory
pel·li·to·ry 
[pélli tàwree] (plural pel·li·to·ri·es)
noun

Mediterranean
plant used for toothache relief: a Mediterranean plant
whose oil was formerly used for the relief of toothache. Latin name: Anacyclus
pyrethrum
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French peletre from Latin pyrethrum (see pyrethrum
).][1]



pell-mell

pell-mell
pell-mell
[pèl mél] adverb

1.  in
a disorderly rush: in a disorderly frantic rush

2.  messily:
in a confused, jumbled, or messy manner
adjective

disorderly:
confused, frantic, or disorderly
noun

confusion or disorder:
a confused or disorderly condition or situation
[Late 16th century. Via
French pêle-mêle from Old French pesle mesle, a playful
development of mesler “to mix.”][1]



pellucid

pellucid
pel·lu·cid 
[pə lssid] adjective

1.  transparent:
allowing all or most light to pass through (literary)

2.  clear
in meaning:
easy to understand or clear in meaning (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin pellucidus, from pellucere “to shine
through,” from lucere “to shine.”]
—pel·lu·cid·i·ty
[pèllyə síddətee], noun

—pel·lu·cid·ly
[pə lssidlee], adverb

—pel·lu·cid·ness [pə lssidnəss], noun[1]



Pelly

Pelly
Pel·ly 
[péllee]

river in Canada. It is a
tributary of the Yukon River in southeastern Yukon Territory and originates in
the Mackenzie Mountains. Length: 530 km/330 mi.[1]



pelobatid

pelobatid
pel·o·bat·id 
[pèllō báttid, plō
báttid] noun

frog:
a frog with the backbone development of more primitive frogs and the leg-muscle
structure of more advanced ones. The European spadefoot toad is a pelobatid .
Family: Pelobatidae
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek pelos “mud” + bates “walker” + -id .][1]



Peloponnesus

Peloponnesus
Pel·o·pon·ne·sus
[pèlləpə nz, pèlləpənss]
or Pel·o·pon·nese [pèlləpə nssəss]

peninsula
in southern Greece, linked to the rest of mainland Greece by the Isthmus of
Corinth. Area: 21,439 sq km/8,278 sq mi.
—Pel·o·pon·ne·sian [pèlləpə nzh’n, pèlləpə
nsh’n], noun, adjective[1]



Pelops

Pelops
Pe·lops 
[p lòps] noun

son of Tantalus:
in Greek mythology, the son of Tantalus, killed by his father and served up as
a meal to the gods. The gods punished Tantalus and restored Pelops to life.[1]



peloria

peloria
pe·lo·ri·a 
[pə láwree ə] noun

unusual
regularity in flower: unusual regularity of form
in a flower that is commonly irregular
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek pelōr “monster.”]
—pe·lor·ic [pə láwrik], adjective[1]



pelorus

pelorus
pe·lo·rus 
[pə láwrəss] (plural pe·lo·rus·es)
noun

device
measuring relative compass bearings: a
device used to measure bearings relative to the direction in which a boat is
traveling
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for Pelorus, Hannibal’s alleged guide from
Italy.][1]



pelota

pelota
pe·lo·ta 
[pə lṓtə] (plural pelotas) noun

1.  fast
court game of Basque origin: a fast court game of Basque
origin, in which two players use long wickerwork baskets strapped to their
wrists to hurl a ball against a marked wall and catch it.
See
also
jai alai

2.  ball
for pelota:
the ball used in pelota
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “ball,” from, ultimately, Latin pila (see pellet ).][1]



pelt

pelt2
pelt2  [pelt]
verb (past pelt·ed, past participle pelt·ed,
present participle pelt·ing, 3rd person present singular pelts)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
things at somebody or something: to bombard somebody or
something with many blows or missiles

2.  transitive
verb
beat
against something: to beat against something
continuously

3.  intransitive
verb
rain
heavily:
to fall fast and hard as hail or rain

4.  intransitive
verb
to
move quickly: to hurry or move quickly
noun

a blow: a
strong blow
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a contraction of pellet,
or perhaps from Latin pultare “to hit.”]
—pelt·er,
noun
at
full pelt

extremely fast[1]



pelt

pelt1
pelt1  [pelt]
noun (plural pelts) INDUSTRY

1.  animal
skin with fur: the skin of an animal with the fur,
hair, or wool still attached

2.  animal
skin ready for tanning: the skin of an animal with
the fur, hair, or wool removed so that it is ready for tanning into leather
transitive
verb
(past pelt·ed, past participle pelt·ed, present
participle pelt·ing, 3rd person present singular pelts)

remove animal’s skin:
to remove the skin of an animal
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French pelete, literally “a small skin,”
from pel “skin,” from Latin pellis .][1]



peltast

peltast
pel·tast
[pél tàst] (plural pel·tasts) noun

foot
soldier of ancient Greece: a foot soldier of ancient
Greece armed with a light shield and a javelin
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin peltasta from, ultimately, Greek peltē “a small light
shield.”][1]



peltate

peltate
pel·tate 
[pél tàyt] adjective

BOTANY with
stalk attached in middle: used to describe a leaf that
has its stalk attached to the lower surface in the center rather than at the
edge
[Mid-18th
century. Via Latin, literally “armed with a light shield,” from, ultimately,
Greek peltē (see peltast ).]
—pel·tate·ly,
adverb

—pel·ta·tion [pel táysh’n], noun[1]



Peltiereffect

Peltiereffect
Pel·ti·er
ef·fect
[pélt yay i fèkt] noun

production
or absorption of heat: the production or absorption
of heat at the junction of two metals when an electric current is passed from
one metal to another. Heat is produced or absorbed depending on the direction
and amount of current flow.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
its discoverer, the French scientist J. C. A. Peltier (1785–1845).][1]



Peltonwheel

Peltonwheel
Pel·ton
wheel
[pélt’n wl] (plural Pel·ton
wheels) noun

impulse
turbine:
an impulse turbine in which cup-shaped buckets on the edge of a rotor are hit
with a high-pressure jet of water, causing the rotor to turn
[Late 19th century. Named for
its inventor, the U.S. engineer L. A. Pelton (1829–1908).][1]



peltry

peltry
pel·try 
[péltree] noun

animal
skins:
the skins of animals collectively, especially when the fur is still attached
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman pelterie from, ultimately, Old French pel (see pelt 1 ).][1]



pelves

pelves
pel·ves 
noun

Plural of
pelvis[1]



pelvic

pelvic
pel·vic 
[pélvik] adjective

of the pelvis:
relating to, involving, or located in or near the pelvis[1]



pelvicfin

pelvicfin

pel·vic fin
(plural pel·vic fins) noun
fin analogous to animal’s leg:
either of a pair of fins on the lower surface of a fish that have skeletal
support and are analogous to the hind limbs of land animals[1]



pelvicinflammatory disease

pelvicinflammatory disease
pel·vic
in·flam·ma·to·ry dis·ease noun

inflammation in woman’s
pelvic area: an inflammation of a
woman’s reproductive organs in the pelvic area which can cause infertility[1]



pelvimetry

pelvimetry
pel·vim·e·try 
[pel vímmətree] noun

measurement of the pelvis:
measurement of the inlet and outlet diameters of the pelvis, usually to assess
whether there will be any difficulty during childbirth[1]



pelvis

pelvis

pel·vis 
[pélviss] (plural pel·vis·es or
pel·ves [pélveez]) noun

1.  basin-shaped
skeletal structure in vertebrates: the strong
basin-shaped ring of bone near the bottom of the spine formed by the hip bones
on the front and sides, and the triangular sacrum on the back

2.  basin-shaped
cavity or body part: any basin- or cup-shaped
anatomical cavity such as the region of the kidney into which urine is
discharged before its passage into the ureter
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “basin.”][1]



pelycosaur

pelycosaur
pe·ly·co·saur 
[péllikə sàwr] (plural pe·ly·co·saurs)
noun

large
extinct reptile: a large extinct reptile that was common
in Europe and North America during the Permian period, 290 to 245 million years
ago. Order: Pelycosauria
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from the Greek stem peluk- “bowl” + -saur .][1]



Pelé

Pelé

Pe·lé 
[pél ay] (1940– )
Brazilian
soccer player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. His
Brazilian team won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He played for the New
York Cosmos (1975–1977) and then retired, having scored 1,281 goals during his
career.
Real name
Naseimento, Edson Arantes do[1]



Pemba

Pemba
Pem·ba 
[pémbə]

island in northeastern
Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean. Its main towns are Wete and Chake Chake.
Population: 265,039 (1988) Area: 984 sq km/380 sq mi.[1]



Pembroke

Pembroke
Pem·broke
[pém brk, pémbrək]

1.  town
in southeastern Massachusetts, northwest of Plymouth and southwest of Scituate.
Population: 16,010 (1996)

2.  city
in Canada, in southeastern Ontario, on the Ottawa River. Population: 23,745
(1996)

3.  town
in southwestern Wales, in Pembrokeshire. Population: 15,820 (1991)

[1]



Pembroketable

Pembroketable
Pem·broke
ta·ble
[pém brk tàyb’l, pém
brk tàyb’l] (plural Pem·broke ta·bles) or pem·broke
ta·ble [pém brk tàyb’l, pém brk tàyb’l] (plural pem·broke
ta·bles) noun

small
table with drop leaves: a small four-legged table
with a top that folds down on two sides and one or two drawers
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for Pembroke,
Wales.][1]



pemmican

pemmican
pem·mi·can 
[pémmikən] or pem·i·can [pémmikən] noun

1.  Native
North American food of dried meat: a traditional Native
North American food made with strips of lean dried meat pounded into paste,
mixed with melted fat and dried berries or fruits, and pressed into small cakes

2.  food
used as emergency rations: a nutritious food adapted
from traditional Native North American pemmican and used as emergency rations,
for example, by explorers
[Late 18th century. From Cree
pimihkan, from pimiy “fat.”][1]



pemoline

pemoline
pem·o·line 
[pémmə ln] noun

stimulant
drug:
a synthetic stimulant of the central nervous system, used to treat depression
and given to children who have attention deficit disorder. C9H8N2O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from parts of phenyliminooxooxazolidine, its chemical name.][1]



pemphigus

pemphigus
pem·phi·gus 
[pémfigəss, pem
fgəss] noun

disease
with large blisters: a disease characterized by
large blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, often accompanied by itching
or burning sensations
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from the Greek stem pemphig- “pustule.”][1]



pen

pen3
pen3  [pen]
(plural pens) noun

CRIMINOLOGY penitentiary:
a state, provincial, or federal penitentiary (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



pen

pen4
pen4  [pen]
(plural pens) noun

BIRDS female
swan:
a female swan
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pen

pen2
pen2  [pen]
noun (plural pens)

1.  AGRICULTURE small
enclosure for animals: a small fenced area of land,
or an enclosure within a building, used to keep farm animals

2.  AGRICULTURE animals
kept in pen: the farm animals kept in a pen

3.  area
that confines somebody or something: an
enclosed area where somebody or something is confined or controlled

4.  NAVY fortified
dock for repairing submarines: a heavily fortified
dock for repairing or servicing submarines
transitive
verb
(past penned, past participle penned, present
participle pen·ning, 3rd person present singular pens)

confine somebody or something:
to keep or shut somebody or something in a pen or other enclosed area
[Old English penn .
Origin unknown.][1]



pen

pen1

pen1  [pen]
noun (plural pens)

1.  instrument
for writing in ink: a long thin instrument used
for writing or drawing with ink. Early examples were made from sharpened quill
feathers, but modern pens usually consist of a metal or plastic shaft with a
nib, point, or revolving ball at one end.

2.  writing:
the written word considered as a means of expression • They
say the pen is mightier than the sword.

3.  style
of writing:
a particular style of writing

4.  something
written by somebody: something written by a
particular person

5.  ZOOLOGY squid’s
internal shell: the internal feather-shaped horny shell
of a squid
transitive verb
(past penned, past participle penned, present
participle pen·ning, 3rd person present singular pens)

write something:
to write something, especially using a pen
[13th
century. Via French penne from Latin penna “feather.”]
—pen·ner, noun[1]



Pen.

Pen.
Pen.

1.
(used in place names) Abbreviation of Peninsula

2.
(used in names of prisons) Abbreviation of Penitentiary

[1]



PEN

PEN
PEN
[pen]

Abbreviation of
International Association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and
Novelists[1]



penal

penal
pe·nal 
[pn’l] adjective

1.  of
punishment:
relating to, forming, or prescribing punishment, especially by law • the
penal system

2.  punishable
by law:
subject to punishment under the law

3.  used
as place of punishment: used as a place of
imprisonment and punishment • a
penal institution
[15th century. Via French pénal
from, ultimately, Latin poenalis, from poena “penalty.”][1]



penalcode

penalcode
pe·nal
code
(plural pe·nal codes) noun

laws relating to punishment
of crime: a body or system of laws
concerned with the punishment of crime[1]



penalcolony

penalcolony
pe·nal
col·o·ny
noun

prison at remote location:
a place of imprisonment and punishment at a remote location[1]



penalize

penalize
pe·nal·ize 
[pn’l z] (past pe·nal·ized, past
participle pe·nal·ized, present participle pe·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pe·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  subject
somebody or something to penalty: to impose a penalty on
somebody or something for breaking a law or rule

2.  put
somebody or something at disadvantage: to
put somebody or something at a disadvantage or treat him or her unfairly

3.  SPORTS punish
player for breaking rule: to punish a team or player
for breaking a rule by giving an advantage to the opposing team or player

4.  make
act punishable: to make something punishable by a law or
rule
—pe·nal·i·za·tion [pn’li záysh’n], noun[1]



penalty

penalty
pen·al·ty 
[pénn’ltee] (plural pen·al·ties)
noun

1.  legal
punishment for committing crime: a legal or official
punishment such as a fine or imprisonment for committing a crime or other
offense

2.  LAW legal
punishment for breaking contract: a punishment such as a
fine for failing to fulfill the terms of a legal agreement

3.  unpleasant
consequence: something unpleasant suffered as the
result of an unwise action

4.  SPORTS disadvantage
for breaking rule: a disadvantage imposed on a
player or team for breaking a rule in a sport or game, for example, a free shot
at the goal awarded to the opposing side

5.  SOCCER See penalty kick

6.  SOCCER goal
from penalty: a goal scored from a penalty in soccer

[1]



penaltyarea

penaltyarea
pen·al·ty
ar·e·a
(plural pen·al·ty ar·e·as) noun

area in front of soccer goal:
a rectangular area in front of a soccer goal within which the goalkeeper is
allowed to handle the ball. A foul by the defending team within this area may
result in a free shot at the goal awarded to the opposing side.
Also called
penalty box
Also called
area[1]



penaltybox

penaltybox
pen·al·ty
box
(plural pen·al·ty box·es) noun

1.  HOCKEY area
where penalized players must wait: an area with a bench
beside an ice-hockey rink where penalized players must stay during the period
they have to serve as a time penalty

2.  SOCCER See penalty area

[1]



penaltykick

penaltykick
pen·al·ty
kick
(plural pen·al·ty kicks) noun

1.  SOCCER free
kick at goal: in soccer, a free kick from the penalty
spot at the opposing team’s goal, which is defended only by its goalkeeper. It
is awarded for certain types of fouls within the penalty area.
Also
called
penalty

2.  RUGBY kick
awarded after foul: a kick worth three points
that can be aimed at the goal after a serious foul by a member of the opposing
side

[1]



penaltyshot

penaltyshot
pen·al·ty
shot
(plural pen·al·ty shots) noun

free shot at goal:
in ice hockey and certain other games, a free shot at a goal awarded to a team
if the opposing team commits any of various fouls[1]



penaltyspot

penaltyspot
pen·al·ty
spot
(plural pen·al·ty spots) noun

1.  SOCCER spot
for penalty kick: a designated spot on a soccer field, 11
m/12 yd from the goal line, from which penalty kicks are taken

2.  HOCKEY circle
on hockey field: in field hockey, a designated spot 7
m/23 ft from the goal line from which the shot is taken

[1]



penance

penance
pen·ance 
[pénnəns] noun (plural pen·anc·es)

1.  self-punishment
for committing sin: self-punishment or an act of
religious devotion performed to show sorrow for having committed a sin

2.  Christian
sacrament of reconciliation: a sacrament in some
Christian churches in which a person confesses sins to a priest and is forgiven
after performing a religious devotion or duty such as praying or fasting

3.  duty
imposed by priest: a duty or religious devotion
imposed by a priest during the sacrament of confession in some Christian
churches
transitive
verb
(past pen·anced, past participle pen·anced, present
participle pen·anc·ing, 3rd person present singular pen·anc·es)

impose penance on somebody:
to make somebody do penance for a sin
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin paenitentia “regret,” from paenitere “to regret.”][1]



Penang

Penang
Pe·nang 
[pə náng, pə
nng] or Pi·nang [pə náng,
pə nng]

state in northwestern
Malaysia, comprising Penang Island and a small mainland area on the Malay
Peninsula. Capital: George Town. Population: 1,065,075 (1990) Area: 1,031 sq
km/398 sq mi.[1]



penates

penates
pe·na·tes
[pə náyteez, pə
nteez] or Pe·na·tes [pə
náyteez, pə nteez] plural noun

Roman
household gods: in ancient Roman religious belief, the
gods of a household or state
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, from penus “provisions.”][1]



pence

pence
pence


U.K.
Plural of penny[1]



pencel

pencel
pen·cel
[pénsəl] (plural pen·cels) or
pen·sil [pénsəl] (plural pen·sils)
noun

small
flag at end of lance: a small narrow flag ( pennon ) or streamer, especially one carried at
the end of a lance
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French penoncel, literally “a small pennon.”][1]



penchant

penchant
pen·chant 
[pénchənt] noun

liking
or tendency: a strong liking, taste, or tendency for
something
[Late 17th century. From
French, the present participle of pencher “to incline,” from,
ultimately, Latin pendere (see pendant
).][1]



pencil

pencil
pen·cil 
[pénsəl] noun (plural pen·cils)

1.  instrument
for drawing and writing: a thin cylindrical
instrument used for drawing, or writing. It consists of a rod of graphite or
some other erasable marking material inside a wooden or metal shaft.

2.  something
resembling pencil: something that has a shape,
structure, or function similar to a pencil, for example, a stick for applying
cosmetics • an
eyebrow pencil

3.  OPTICS narrow
cylinder of light: a long narrow cylinder or
cone of light with a small angle of convergence

4.  GEOMETRY set of
lines through a point: the set of all lines passing
through a fixed point or of all lines parallel to a given line

5.  PAINTING artist’s
fine brush:
a fine brush used by an artist (archaic)

6.  DRAWING artist’s
individual style: the individual drawing style or
technique of an artist
transitive
verb
(past pen·ciled, past participle pen·ciled, present
participle pen·cil·ing, 3rd person present singular pen·cils)

draw or write something with pencil:
to draw, mark, write, or color something with a pencil
[14th century. Via Old French
pincel from, ultimately, Latin peniculus “brush,” literally “a
small tail,” from penis “tail.”][1]



pencilin

pencilin
pencil
in
transitive verb

arrange something
provisionally: to note or enter
something provisionally, for example, the time of a proposed engagement in an
appointment book or on a calendar[1]



pencilpusher

pencilpusher
pen·cil
push·er
(plural pen·cil push·ers) noun

somebody whose job involves
mainly paperwork: somebody such as an
office worker whose work involves much paperwork (slang)
U.K. term
pen pusher[1]



pencomputer

pencomputer
pen
com·put·er
(plural pen com·put·ers) noun

computer that recognizes
handwriting: a computer that uses
pattern-recognition circuitry or software to enable it to accept somebody’s
handwriting as a form of data input[1]



pendant

pendant
pen·dant
[péndənt] or pen·dent [péndənt] noun (plural pen·dants)
(plural pen·dents)

1.  hanging
ornament or jewelry: an ornament or a piece of
jewelry that hangs from a necklace, bracelet, or earring

2.  necklace
with hanging ornament: a necklace with a hanging
ornament attached to it

3.  hanging
light:
a lamp, chandelier, or other lighting fixture that hangs from the ceiling

4.  ARCHITECTURE ornament
hanging from ceiling: an architectural ornament
hanging from a vaulted ceiling or roof

5.  one
of matching pair: a piece of art that matches or goes with
another piece

6.  NAUTICAL length
of wire or rope: a length of wire or rope attached at the
upper end to a spar or similar part and at the lower end to a block and tackle.

Also
called
pennant
adjective

See pendent
[14th century. From French,
the present participle of pendre “to hang,” from Latin pendere .][1]



pendent

pendent
pen·dent
[péndənt] or pen·dant [péndənt] adjective

1.  hanging
or suspended: dangling, hanging, or suspended (formal
or literary)

2.  overhanging:
jutting, overhanging, or sticking out (formal or literary)

3.  GRAMMAR grammatically
incomplete:
used to describe an incomplete grammatical structure

4.  pending:
not yet dealt with, decided, or settled (formal or literary)
noun
(plural pen·dents) (plural pen·dants)

See pendant
[13th
century. Variant of pendant, influenced by
Latin pendent-, the present participle stem of pendere “to
hang.”]
—pen·den·cy,
noun

—pen·dent·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word pendere, from which pendent
  is derived, is also the source of English append,
  appendix, compendium, depend,
  impend, penchant,
  pendulum, penthouse, perpendicular,
  and suspend.

[1]



pendentive

pendentive
pen·den·tive 
[pen déntiv] (plural pen·den·tives)
noun

triangular
vaulting under dome: a sloping triangular piece
of vaulting between the arches that support a dome and its rim
[Early 18th century. Via
French pendentif from, ultimately, Latin pendere “to hang.”][1]



pending

pending
pend·ing 
[pénding] adjective

1.  not
yet taken care of: not yet dealt with, decided,
or settled

2.  about
to happen:
about to happen or come into effect
preposition

1.  until:
until or while waiting for • pending
further inquiries

2.  during:
during something
[Mid-17th century.
Anglicization of French pendant (see pendant
).][1]



pendragon

pendragon
pen·drag·on
[pen drággən] (plural pen·drag·ons)
or Pen·drag·on [pen drággən] (plural
Pen·drag·ons) noun

leader
of ancient Britons: a supreme leader of the
ancient Britons
[15th
century. From Welsh, from pen “head” + dragon “military standard”
(from Latin draco ).]
—pen·drag·on·ship, noun[1]



pendular

pendular
pen·du·lar 
[pénjələr, péndyələr]
adjective

resembling pendulum motion:
swinging back and forth with the motion of a pendulum[1]



pendulous

pendulous
pen·du·lous 
[pénjələss, péndyələss]
adjective

1.  hanging
loosely:
hanging loosely or swinging freely

2.  undecided:
undecided or wavering in making a decision
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin pendulus (see pendulum
).]
—pen·du·lous·ly,
adverb

—pen·du·lous·ness, noun[1]



pendulum

pendulum
pen·du·lum 
[pénjələm, péndyələm]
(plural pen·du·lums) noun

1.  weight
swinging freely from a fixed point: a
weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely back and forth under
the influence of gravity

2.  swinging
rod controlling a clock mechanism: a rod with a weight at
its base that swings from side to side and controls the mechanism of a clock

3.  something
that changes regularly: something that changes its
direction or position regularly, often alternating between two extremes • The
pendulum has swung back to more traditional teaching methods.
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Latin pendulus “hanging,” from pendere
(see pendant ).][1]



Penelope

Penelope
Pe·nel·o·pe 
[pə nélləpee] noun

wife of Odysseus:
in Greek mythology, the wife of Odysseus, who waited for his return from the
Trojan War and was the mother of his son, Telemachus[1]



peneplain

peneplain
pe·ne·plain
[pnə plàyn] (plural pe·ne·plains)
or pe·ne·plane [pnə plàyn] (plural
pe·ne·planes) noun

area
of flat featureless land: an area of nearly flat
featureless land that is the result of a prolonged period of erosion
—pe·ne·pla·na·tion [pnəplə náysh’n], noun[1]



penes

penes
pe·nes

Plural of
penis[1]



penetrable

penetrable
pen·e·tra·ble 
[pénnətrəb’l] adjective

able
to be penetrated: capable of being penetrated
—pen·e·tra·bil·i·ty
[pènnətrə bíllətee], noun

—pe·ne·tra·bly [pénnətrəblee], adverb[1]



penetralia

penetralia
pen·e·tra·li·a 
[pènnə tráylee ə] plural noun

innermost
parts:
the innermost parts of a place, especially a sanctuary within a temple (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, from penetralis “innermost,” from penetrare
(see penetrate ).]
—pen·e·tra·li·an, adjective[1]



penetrameter

penetrameter
pen·e·tram·e·ter 
noun

See
penetrometer[1]



penetrance

penetrance
pen·e·trance 
[pénnətrəns] noun

frequency
of a hereditary condition: the frequency with which a
particular hereditary characteristic, for example, a genetic disease, occurs
among individuals carrying the gene or genes for that characteristic
[Mid-20th century. From
German Penetranz .][1]



penetrant

penetrant
pen·e·trant 
[pénnətrənt] (plural pen·e·trants)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY substance
that helps a liquid to penetrate: a substance that
encourages a liquid to penetrate a porous material by lowering the surface
tension of the liquid

2.  something
that penetrates: somebody or something that penetrates

[1]



penetrate

penetrate
pen·e·trate 
[pénnə tràyt] (past pen·e·trat·ed,
past participle pen·e·trat·ed, present participle pen·e·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular pen·e·trates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb enter
or pass through something: to enter or pass through
something, for example, by piercing it or forcing a way in • The
aim of the mission was to penetrate deep into enemy territory.

2.  transitive
verb
spread
through something: to enter and spread through
something • The
fumes had penetrated the entire building.

3.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE get
a share of a market: to succeed in getting a
share of a particular market

4.  transitive
verb
infiltrate
a group:
to enter something such as an organization or country, usually secretly, in
order to influence or gather information from within

5.  transitive
verb
see
into something: to see into or through something that is
dark or obscuring

6.  transitive
verb
decipher
a meaning:
to understand or discover the meaning of something • an
enigma few were able to penetrate

7.  intransitive
verb
be
understood:
to be understood or taken in by the mind • It
took a few seconds for the news to penetrate.

8.  transitive
verb
insert
the penis:
to insert the penis into a vagina or anus
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin penetrat-, the past participle stem of penetrare
“to penetrate.”]
—pen·e·tra·tor, noun[1]



penetrating

penetrating
pen·e·trat·ing 
[pénnə tràyting] adjective

1.  able
or tending to penetrate: strong enough to enter or
spread through something • a
penetrating odor

2.  piercing
or probing:
apparently able to see or understand things that are hidden • a
penetrating glance

3.  loud
and piercing: loud, piercing, shrill, or unpleasant to
the ears

4.  sharp
or perceptive: able to understand or accurately
identify something • a penetrating
observation

[1]



penetration

penetration
pen·e·tra·tion 
[pènnə tráysh’n] (plural pen·e·tra·tions)
noun

1.  entering
or passing through: the action of penetrating,
entering, or passing through something • Penetration
of the foundations by torrential rain resulted in structural damage.

2.  ability
to penetrate: the ability or power to penetrate,
enter, or pass through something

3.  understanding:
the ability to understand or perceive something

4.  MILITARY attack
that enters enemy territory: an attack that succeeds in
penetrating an enemy’s territory or defenses

5.  ARMS depth
projectile goes into a target: a measure of the depth
a projectile reaches beneath the surface of its target

6.  COMMERCE degree
of success in a market: the extent to which a
commercial product or service is recognized or bought in a particular market • The
launch of the new product should improve the company’s market penetration.

7.  insertion
of penis:
the insertion of the penis into a vagina or anus

[1]



penetrative

penetrative
pen·e·tra·tive 
[pénnə tràytiv] adjective

1.  penetrating:
piercing something or able to get through something

2.  keen:
mentally perceptive or insightful

3.  involving
insertion of penis: used to describe sexual
activity that involves putting the penis into a vagina or anus

[1]



penetrometer

penetrometer
pen·e·trom·e·ter 
[pènnə trómmətər] (plural pen·e·trom·e·ters)
or pen·e·tram·e·ter [pènnə trámmətər]
(plural pen·e·tram·e·ters) noun

1.  instrument
for measuring radiation: an instrument for measuring
the penetrating power of forms of electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays by
comparing the transmission through standard absorbers

2.  device
for measuring firmness: an instrument for measuring
the penetrability of a solid material by measuring the depth to which it may be
pierced with a standard needle
[Early 20th century. Coined
from penetration + -meter
.][1]



penfriend

penfriend
pen
friend
(plural pen friends) noun

U.K.
See pen pal[1]



penguin

penguin
pen·guin 
[péng gwin] (plural pen·guins)
noun

1.  seabird
that cannot fly: an upright web-footed seabird with
contrasting black-and-white plumage, native to cold regions of the southern
hemisphere. Penguins cannot fly but use their flipper-shaped wings for
swimming. Family: Spheniscidae

2.  great
auk:
the great auk (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Welsh pen gwyn “white head,” in allusion to the
great auk or to the snow-covered headland of Newfoundland.][1]



penholder

penholder
pen·hold·er 
[pén hldər] (plural pen·hold·ers)
noun

1.  handle
for holding a pen nib: a handle for a pen point or
nib, consisting of a metal, plastic, or wooden rod

2.  holder
for a pen or pens: a holder for a pen or pens
in the form of, for example, a cup, rack, or stand

[1]



-penia

-penia
-penia
suffix

deficiency
• thrombocytopenia
[Via modern Latin from Greek penia
“poverty, want”][1]



penicillamine

penicillamine
pen·i·cil·la·mine 
[pènni síllə mn] noun

drug
derived from penicillin: a drug formed by the
breakdown of penicillin, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and for
the removal of toxic metals from the body. C5H11NO2S
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
penicillin and amine
.][1]



penicillate

penicillate
pen·i·cil·late 
[pènni síllət, pènni
sí làyt] adjective

like
a tuft of hair: having or resembling a tuft of hair
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin penicillus (see penicillium
).]
—pen·i·cil·late·ly,
adverb

—pen·i·cil·la·tion [pènnissi láysh’n], noun[1]



penicillin

penicillin
pen·i·cil·lin 
[pènni síllin] noun

antibiotic
derived from mold: an antibiotic originally
derived from mold but now also produced synthetically. It is used to treat a
wide range of bacterial infections. Genus: Penicillium
[Early 20th century. Formed
from penicillium .][1]



penicillinase

penicillinase
pen·i·cil·lin·ase 
[pènni sílli nàyss] noun

penicillin-deactivating
enzyme: an enzyme found in some
bacteria that makes penicillin inactive and is therefore used to stop adverse
reactions to the antibiotic. Production of this enzyme plays a role in the
development of penicillin-resistant strains of bacteria.[1]



penicillium

penicillium
pen·i·cil·li·um 
[pènni síllee əm] noun

bluish
green mold:
a bluish green fungus that grows on stale or ripening food. Some forms of
penicillium are used to make cheese and others are a source of the antibiotic
penicillin. Genus: Penicillium
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin penicillus “paintbrush,” from peniculus
(see pencil ). From its brushlike
spore-bearing structures.][1]



penile

penile
pe·nile 
[p nl, pn’l]
adjective

of the penis:
relating to, affecting, or resembling the penis[1]



peninsula

peninsula
pen·in·su·la 
[pə nínsyələ, pə
nínsələ] (plural pen·in·su·las) noun

strip
of land projecting into water: a narrow piece of land
that juts out from the mainland into a sea or lake
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin paeninsula, from paene “almost” + insula
“island.”]
—pen·in·su·lar, adjective[1]



penis

penis
pe·nis 
[pnəss] (plural pe·nis·es or
pe·nes [pneez]) noun

male
sex organ:
the external male organ of copulation, used to transfer semen to the female. In
most mammals, it is also used to expel urine from the body.
[Late 17th century. From Latin,
“tail, penis.”][1]



penisenvy

penisenvy
pe·nis
en·vy
noun

Freudian theory about the
penis: in Freudian psychoanalysis,
the theory that some girls’ and women’s psychological problems stem from a
sense of deprivation about not having a penis. Very few psychologists now
accept this concept.[1]



penitence

penitence
pen·i·tence 
[pénnitəns] noun

regret
for sins:
regret or sorrow for having committed sins or misdeeds
[12th century. Via French pénitence
from Latin paenitentia (see penance
).][1]



penitent

penitent
pen·i·tent 
[pénnitənt] adjective

feeling regret for sins:
expressing or feeling regret or sorrow for having committed sins or misdeeds
noun
(plural pen·i·tents)

1.  somebody
regretting his or her own sins: somebody who feels
regret or sorrow for his or her sins or misdeeds

2.  somebody
doing penance after confession: somebody who does a
penance under the direction of a priest or minister after confessing his or her
sins
[14th
century. Via French pénitent from, ultimately, Latin paenitere
(see penance ).]
—pen·i·tent·ly, adverb[1]



penitential

penitential
pen·i·ten·tial 
[pènni ténshəl] (plural pen·i·ten·tials)
adjective

involving
penance or penitence: constituting or expressing
penance or penitence
—pen·i·ten·tial·ly, adverb[1]



penitentiary

penitentiary
pen·i·ten·tia·ry 
[pènni ténshəree] noun (plural
pen·i·ten·tia·ries)

1.  CRIMINOLOGY prison:
a prison, especially for people who have been convicted of serious crimes

2.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic official granting absolution: a
high official in the Roman Catholic Church who can grant absolution in
extraordinary cases

3.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic tribunal: a tribunal of the Roman
Catholic Church dealing with penance
adjective

1.  of
penance:
relating to penance

2.  CRIMINOLOGY concerning
punishment or reform of offenders: involving or used for
the punishment or reform of offenders

3.  CRIMINAL LAW punishable
by imprisonment in a penitentiary: punishable by a term
of imprisonment in a penitentiary
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin paenitentiaria from, ultimately, Latin paenitentia (see penance ).][1]



penknife

penknife
pen·knife 
[pén nf] (plural pen·knives [pén nvz]) noun

See
pocketknife
[15th century. From its
original use for making quill pens.][1]



penlight

penlight
pen·light 
[pén lt] (plural pen·lights) or
pen·lite [pén lt] (plural pen·lites)
noun

small flashlight resembling a
fountain pen: a small flashlight that
is similar in size and shape to a fountain pen[1]



penman

penman
pen·man 
[pénmən] (plural pen·men) noun

1.  somebody
skilled at writing: somebody who is skilled at
handwriting, especially with a pen

2.  somebody
skilled at handwriting: somebody who writes or uses
a pen with a particular level of skill

3.  author:
an author or writer

4.  HISTORY scribe:
somebody who wrote or copied documents as a profession

[1]



penmanship

penmanship
pen·man·ship 
[pénmən shìp] noun

1.  technique
of writing by hand: the art, skill, or technique
of writing by hand

2.  type
of handwriting: the manner, quality, or style of
somebody’s handwriting

[1]



Penn.

Penn.
Penn.

Abbreviation of
Pennsylvania[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Penna.

Penna.
Penna.

Abbreviation of
Pennsylvania[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








penna

penna
pen·na 
[pénnə] (plural pen·nae [pénnee]) noun

contour
feather:
a feather that helps to form the outer contour of a bird’s plumage, as opposed
to a down feather
[From
Latin, “feather”]
—pen·na·ceous [pe náyshəss], adjective[1]



pennae

pennae
pen·nae

Plural of
penna[1]



penname

penname
pen
name
(plural pen names) noun

false name used by a writer:
a name used by a writer instead of his or her real name.
Also called
nom de plume[1]



pennant

pennant
pen·nant 
[pénnənt] (plural pen·nants) noun

1.  NAUTICAL triangular
flag displayed on a ship: a small narrow triangular
flag displayed on boats and ships for identification and signaling.
Also
called
pennon

2.  flag
resembling a ship’s pennant: a flag that has a shape
similar to a ship’s pennant

3.  NAUTICAL See pendant

4.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia SPORTS
flag
symbolizing a sports championship: a flag that symbolizes
a championship in some sports, especially baseball

5.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia SPORTS
championship
symbolized by a pennant: a championship that is
symbolized by a pennant
[Early 17th century. A blend
of pennon and pendant
.][1]



pennate

pennate
pen·nate 
[pé nàyt] or pen·nat·ed [pé nàytəd] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY with
feathers:
having feathers or wings

2.  BOTANY See pinnate

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY bilaterally
symmetrical: used to describe diatoms in the class
Pennales, which are bilaterally symmetrical

4.  BOTANY See pinnate

[1]



penne

penne
pen·ne 
[pé này] noun

tube-shaped
pasta:
short tube-shaped pasta cut diagonally at the ends
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, the plural of penna “feather, quill pen.”][1]



penni

penni
pen·ni 
[pénnee] (plural pen·ni·a [pénnee ə] or pen·nis) noun

1.  a
monetary unit of Finland, 100 of which are worth one markka

2.  coin
worth a penni: a coin worth one penni
[Late 19th century. From
Finnish .][1]



penniless

penniless
pen·ni·less 
[pénniləss] adjective

without
any money:
very poor or without any money
—pen·ni·less·ly,
adverb

—pen·ni·less·ness, noun[1]



penninite

penninite
pen·ni·nite 
[pénni nt] or pen·nine [pén n] noun

green
to blue mineral: a green-blue hydrated crystalline
silicate of magnesium, aluminum, and iron, a member of the chlorite group of
minerals, occurring in low-grade metamorphic rocks
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Pennine Alps, on the Swiss-Italian border.][1]



Penn,John

Penn,John
Penn
[penn], John (1741–1788)

U.S. patriot. He was a member
of the Continental Congress from North Carolina, and signed the Declaration of
Independence (1776).[1]



pennon

pennon
pen·non 
[pénnən] (plural pen·nons) noun

1.  long
narrow flag carried on a lance: a long narrow flag,
usually triangular, tapering, or divided at the end, originally carried on a
lance by a medieval knight

2.  NAUTICAL See pennant  noun 1

3.  BIRDS wing
or pinion:
a bird’s wing or the pinion of a wing (literary)
[14th century. Via French penon,
literally “a large feather,” from, ultimately, Latin penna “feather.”][1]



pennoncel

pennoncel
pen·non·cel 
[pènnən sél] (plural pen·non·cels)
or pen·non·celle [pènnən sél]
(plural pen·non·celles) or pen·on·cel [pènnən sél] (plural pen·on·cels) or
pen·on·celle [pènnən sél] (plural
pen·on·celles) noun

small
flag at the end of a lance: a small narrow flag ( pennon ), usually triangular, tapering, or divided
at the end, attached to the end of a lance
[14th century. From Old
French penoncel, literally “a small pennon” (see pennon ).][1]



Pennsylvania




Back to definition

Pennsylvania

[1]



Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania


Penn·syl·va·nia 
[pènsəl váynyə]
state in the eastern United States
bordered by New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Capital: Harrisburg. Population: 12,019,661 (1997) Area: 118,515 sq km/45,789
sq mi.[1]



PennsylvaniaDutch

PennsylvaniaDutch
Penn·syl·va·nia
Dutch
plural noun

German and Swiss immigrants in
Pennsylvania: a group of people who emigrated from
Germany and Switzerland to eastern Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries,
or their descendants
noun

1.  Penn·syl·va·nia
Dutch
or Penn·syl·va·nia Ger·man LANGUAGE
German
dialect spoken in Pennsylvania: a dialect of German
mixed with some English that is spoken in eastern parts of Pennsylvania by the
Pennsylvania Dutch. Pennsylvania Dutch is spoken by about 70,000 people.

2.  folk
art that uses stylized figures: a type of folk art
developed by the Pennsylvania Dutch that uses stylized figures of people,
plants, and animals, primarily in the decoration of household objects and in
needlework
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of German Deutsch “German.”][1]



Pennsylvanian

Pennsylvanian
Penn·syl·va·nian 
[pènsəl váynyən, pènsəl
váynee ən] (plural Penn·syl·va·nians) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Pennsylvania: somebody who was born in or
lives in Pennsylvania

2.  GEOLOGY geologic
period:
the period of geologic time in North America when the climate was relatively
warm and damp and the major coal beds were formed, 320 to 290 million years
ago. It is the second of two epochs of the Carboniferous Period used by North
American geologists.
Also
called
Upper Carboniferous
—Penn·syl·va·nian, adjective[1]



Penn,William

Penn,William
Penn
[penn], William (1644–1718)

English Quaker reformer and
colonialist. After religious persecution in England he traveled to North
America, where he founded Pennsylvania (1681).[1]



penny

penny
pen·ny 
[pénnee] (plural pen·nies) noun

1.  coin
in United States and Canada: a small coin worth one cent
used in the United States and Canada

2.  small
British coin: a small bronze coin or unit of money
used in Britain since 1971, worth one hundredth of a pound. Symbol p

3.  former
British coin: a bronze coin or a unit of money used in
Britain before 1971, worth one twelfth of a shilling, or one
two-hundred-and-fortieth of a pound. Symbol d

4.  coin
with low value: a coin or monetary unit with a low value
or equal to one hundredth of a dollar or one hundredth of a pound in some
countries

5.  very
small amount of money: a very small amount of money
• It
won’t cost you a penny.
[Old
English peniġ . Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German Pfennig “penny.”]
a
penny for your thoughts

used
to ask somebody what he or she is thinking about

cost
a pretty penny

to
cost a great deal of money

the
penny dropped

used
to say that you suddenly understood or realized something

penny
wise and pound foolish

economical
with regard to small items of expenditure but extravagant with regard to large
items

turn
up like a bad penny

to keep making unwelcome
appearances[1]



pennyante

pennyante
pen·ny
an·te
(plural pen·ny an·tes) noun

1.  CARD GAMES type
of poker:
a game of poker in which the bets are limited to small sums of money

2.  COMMERCE business
transaction involving very little money: any
business arrangement that involves very little money or is inconsequential (informal)
• We’re
talking penny ante here.
—pen·ny-an·te, adjective[1]



pennyarcade

pennyarcade
pen·ny
ar·cade
(plural pen·ny ar·cades) noun

place with coin-operated
amusement machines: a place or
covered area that has coin-operated machines for the public to use.
U.K. term
amusement arcade[1]



pennycandy

pennycandy
pen·ny
can·dy
noun

candy costing about a penny:
small pieces of candy that cost about a penny, often purchased one or a few at
a time through a machine[1]



pennycress

pennycress
pen·ny·cress 
[pénnee krèss] noun

plant with round flat seed
pods: a plant with round flat seed
pods, native to Europe and Asia but now naturalized throughout the United
States. Genus: Thlaspi[1]



pennypincher

pennypincher
pen·ny
pinch·er
noun

stingy person:
somebody who is extremely stingy or excessively careful with his or her money (informal)[1]



pennyroyal

pennyroyal
pen·ny·roy·al 
[pènnee róyəl] (plural pen·ny·roy·als)
noun

1.  mint
plant of Europe and Asia: a plant of the mint family
with clusters of small purple flowers that is native to Europe and Asia and is
used in medicines and as an insect repellent. Latin name: Mentha pulegium

2.  N
American mint plant: an aromatic plant of the
mint family that grows in eastern North America, especially a variety with
bluish flowers. Latin name: Hedeoma pulegioides
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Anglo-Norman puliol real, literally “royal thyme.”][1]



pennystock

pennystock
pen·ny
stock
(plural pen·ny stocks) noun

low-priced securities:
securities that sell on a stock exchange, often at less than one dollar a share[1]



pennyweight

pennyweight
pen·ny·weight 
[pénnee wàyt] (plural pen·ny·weights)
noun

unit
of weight:
a unit of weight in the troy system, equal to 1.555 g1/20 oz
[Old English penega gewiht,
the weight of a silver penny][1]



pennywhistle

pennywhistle
pen·ny
whis·tle
(plural pen·ny whis·tles) noun

musical instrument:
a small high-pitched flute with six finger holes, similar to a recorder but
made of metal and very inexpensive to buy.
Also called
tin whistle[1]



penny-wise

penny-wise
pen·ny-wise
adjective

thrifty:
extremely careful about spending even small amounts of money[1]



pennywort

pennywort
pen·ny·wort 
[pénnee wùrt, pénnee
wàwrt] (plural pen·ny·worts) noun

1.  rock
plant:
a plant that grows on rocks in Europe and Asia and has whitish-green tubular
flowers and rounded leaves. Latin name: Umbilicus rupestris
Also
called
navelwort

2.  marsh
plant:
a plant that grows in marshy areas in Europe and North Africa and has
greenish-pink flowers and rounded leaves. Latin name: Hydrocotyle vulgaris

3.  plant
with rounded leaves: a North American plant of
the gentian family with small white or purplish flowers and rounded leaves.
Latin name: Obolaria virginica

[1]



pennyworth

pennyworth
pen·ny·worth 
[pénni wùrth] (plural pen·ny·worths)
noun (dated)

1.  (plural
pen·ny·worths or pen·ny·worth) amount
costing a penny: the amount of something that can be
bought for a penny

2.  small
amount:
a small amount or the slightest amount

3.  bargain:
something worth having at the price
[Old English penig weorð][1]



penology

penology
pe·nol·o·gy 
[pee nólləjee] noun

study
of prisons and punishment management: the
theory, scientific study of, and practice of how crime is punished, how prisons
are managed, and how rehabilitation is handled
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin poena (see penal
).]
—pe·no·log·i·cal
[pnə lójjik’l], adjective

—pe·no·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—pe·nol·o·gist [pee nólləjist], noun[1]



penpal

penpal
pen
pal
(plural pen pals) noun

friend made through
letter-writing: either of two people
usually in different countries, who become friends through an exchange of
letters but who may never meet.
U.K. term
pen friend[1]



penpoint

penpoint
pen
point
(plural pen points) noun

writing end of a pen:
the tip, point, or nib of a pen[1]



penpusher

penpusher
pen·push·er
[pén pshər] (plural pen·push·ers)
noun

U.K.
(informal) See pencil pusher
—pen·push·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



Pensacola

Pensacola
Pen·sa·co·la 
[pènssə kṓlə]

city in northwestern Florida,
on the Gulf of Mexico. Population: 58,165 (1990)[1]



pensile

pensile
pen·sile 
[pénsəl] adjective

1.  hanging:
hanging or suspended • a
pensile nest

2.  building
a hanging nest: used to describe a bird such as the
Baltimore Oriole that builds a hanging nest
[Early
17th century. Via Latin pensilis, from pens-, the past participle
stem of pendere (see pendant ).]
—pen·sile·ness,
noun

—pen·sil·i·ty [pen síllətee], noun[1]



pension

pension2
pen·sion2  [pn
syáwn] noun

1.  small
hotel:
a boarding house or small inexpensive hotel in continental Europe, especially
in France

2.  accommodations:
accommodations provided by a European pension

3.  See
room and board

[1]



pension

pension1
pen·sion1  [pénshən]
noun (plural pen·sions)

1.  retirement
pay:
a fixed amount of money paid regularly to somebody during retirement by the
government, a former employer, or insurance company

2.  regular
sum paid:
a sum of money paid regularly as compensation, for example, for an injury
sustained on a job, or as a reward for service, for example, to an ex-soldier
transitive
verb
(past pen·sioned, past participle pen·sioned, present
participle pen·sion·ing, 3rd person present singular pen·sions)

pay a pension:
to pay a pension to somebody
[14th century. Via French
from Latin pension- “payment,” from pens-, the past participle
stem of pendere (see pendant ).][1]



pensionable

pensionable
pen·sion·a·ble
[pénshənəb’l] adjective

of
pension entitlement: entitled to or relating to
entitlement to receive a pension
—pen·sion·a·bil·i·ty [pénshənə billətee], noun[1]



pensionary

pensionary
pen·sion·ar·y 
[pénshə nèrree] adjective

of
a pension:
relating to a pension or the paying of a pension
noun
(plural pen·sion·ar·ies)

(archaic or literary) See
pensioner  noun 2[1]



pensioner

pensioner
pen·sion·er 
[pénshənər] (plural pen·sion·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
receiving pension: somebody who is paid a
pension, especially somebody who has retired from work

2.  PENSIONS hired
person:
somebody whose services are bought, especially somebody paid to do menial or
unpleasant work (archaic or literary)
Also
called
pensionary

[1]



pensionoff

pensionoff
pension
off
transitive verb

1.  force
somebody to retire: to force somebody into
retirement with a pension, for example, as a cost-cutting measure or because of
age

2.  get
rid of:
to get rid of something because it is useless or no longer needed (informal)

[1]



pensive

pensive
pen·sive 
[pénsiv] adjective

deeply
thoughtful:
thinking deeply about something, especially in a sad or serious manner
[14th
century. Via French, from penser “to think,” from Latin pensare,
literally “to keep on weighing,” from pendere “to weigh” (source of
English poise ).]
—pen·sive·ly,
adverb

—pen·sive·ness, noun[1]



penstemon

penstemon
pen·ste·mon 
[pen stmən, pénstəmən]
(plural pen·ste·mons) noun

flowering
plant like a snapdragon: a North American plant
belonging to the figwort family that has large brightly-colored flowers with
five stamens, one of which is sterile. Genus: Penstemon
Also
called
beardtongue
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, the genus name, literally “five stamens,” from Greek penta-
“five” + stēmōn “stamen.”][1]



penstock

penstock
pen·stock 
[pén stòk] (plural pen·stocks)
noun

water
pipe:
a sluice, channel, or pipe used to control water flow or supply water to
something such as a hydroelectric plant
[Early 17th century. From pen “enclosure.”][1]



pent-

pent-
pent-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
penta-[1]



pent

pent
pent 
[pent] adjective (archaic)

1.  shut
in:
shut in or confined

2.  repressed:
stifled or repressed


(archaic)
Past tense of pen Past participle
of pen
[Late 16th century.
Originally, the past participle of pen “to
enclose.”][1]



penta-

penta-
penta-
prefix

five
• pentagon
[From Greek pente
“five” (source of English pentagon ).
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “five,” which is also the ancestor
of English five, finger, and fist,
as well as Latin quinque .][1]



pentachlorophenol

pentachlorophenol
pen·ta·chlo·ro·phe·nol 
[pèntə klawrə f nàwl] noun

chemical compound:
a white chemical compound that is used in fungicides, disinfectants, and wood
preservatives. C6Cl5OH[1]



pentacle

pentacle

pen·ta·cle 
[péntək’l] (plural pen·ta·cles)
noun
MATHEMATICS See pentagram
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin pentaculum, literally “little five,” from Greek penta-
(see penta- ).][1]



pentad

pentad
pen·tad 
[pén tàd] (plural pen·tads) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS group
of five:
any group or series of five

2.  CHEMISTRY atom
with valence of five: an atom or chemical group
with a valence of five

3.  METEOROLOGY 5
days:
a period of five days
[Mid-17th century. From
Greek, from pente (see penta- ).][1]



pentadactyl

pentadactyl
pen·ta·dac·tyl 
[pèntə dákt’l] adjective

ZOOLOGY with 5
digits:
having five fingers on each hand or five toes on each foot
—pen·ta·dac·ty·late
[pèntə dákt’lət, pèntə
dákt’l àyt], adjective

—pen·ta·dac·tyl·ism [pèntə dákt’l ìzzəm], noun[1]



Pentagon

Pentagon
Pen·ta·gon 
noun

U.S. Defense Department:
the U.S. Department of Defense, or the five-sided main building that houses it[1]



pentagon

pentagon

pen·ta·gon 
[péntə gòn] (plural pen·ta·gons)
noun
MATHEMATICS 5-sided
figure:
a geometric figure that has five sides and five angles
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin pentagonum from, ultimately, Greek pentagōnos,
literally “five-angled,” from penta- (see penta-
).]
—pen·tag·o·nal
[pen tággən’l], adjective

—pen·tag·o·nal·ly, adverb[1]



Pentagonese

Pentagonese
Pen·ta·gon·ese 
[pèntəgə nz, pèntəgə
nss] noun

military jargon:
the euphemistic indirect jargon-ridden language considered by some to be
characteristic of the U.S. military leadership[1]



pentagram

pentagram
pen·ta·gram 
[péntə gràm] (plural pen·ta·grams)
noun

MATHEMATICS star
shape:
a star-shaped geometric figure with five points, especially one used as a
magical or occult symbol.
Also
called
pentacle
Also
called
pentangle
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
pentagrammon, a form of pentagrammos “of five lines.”][1]



pentahedron

pentahedron
pen·ta·he·dron 
[pèntə hdrən] (plural pen·ta·he·drons
or pen·ta·he·dra [pèntə hdrə])
noun

MATHEMATICS 5-faced
figure:
a solid geometric figure that has five faces
—pen·ta·he·dral, adjective[1]



pentamerous

pentamerous
pen·tam·er·ous 
[pen támmərəss] adjective

1.  with
5 similar parts: divided into or having five similar
parts

2.  BOTANY with 5
similar flower parts: used to describe flowers
that have petals or other parts such as sepals or stamens arranged in groups of
five
—pen·tam·er·ism, noun[1]



pentameter

pentameter
pen·tam·e·ter 
[pen támmətər] (plural pen·tam·e·ters)
noun

poetry
line:
a line of poetry that is made up of five units of rhythm, for example, five
pairs of stressed and unstressed syllables
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek pentametros, literally “having five measures,” from penta-
(see penta- ) + metron (see meter ).][1]



pentamidine

pentamidine
pen·tam·i·dine
[pen támmə dn] noun

pneumonia
drug:
a drug used in treating protozoan infections, such as the African forms of
sleeping sickness and the form of pneumonia often caught by AIDS patients. C19H24N4O2
[Mid-20th century. From pentane + amidine .][1]



pentane

pentane
pen·tane 
[pén tàyn] noun

hydrocarbon:
an organic chemical belonging to the group containing only hydrogen and carbon
( hydrocarbons ). It has three isomers, one
of which produces a colorless flammable liquid used as a solvent. C5H12
[Late 19th century. Formed
from penta- .][1]



pentangle

pentangle
pen·tan·gle 
[pèn táng g’l] (plural pen·tan·gles)
noun

MATHEMATICS
See pentagram[1]



pentangular

pentangular
pen·tan·gu·lar 
[pen táng gyələr] adjective

MATHEMATICS
with 5 angles and sides:
having five angles and five sides[1]



pentapeptide

pentapeptide
pen·ta·pep·tide 
[pèntə pép td] (plural pen·ta·pep·tides)
noun

type of peptide:
a peptide with five amino acids in its molecules[1]



pentaprism

pentaprism
pen·ta·prism
[péntə prìzzəm] (plural pen·ta·prisms)
noun

OPTICS
5-sided prism:
a prism with five faces that deviates light at a 90-degree angle, making it
useful in correctly presenting an image in the viewfinder of a single-lens
reflex camera[1]



pentaquine

pentaquine
pen·ta·quine 
[péntə kwn] or pen·ta·quin [péntəkwin] noun

antimalarial
drug:
a synthetic drug used together with quinine in treating or preventing malaria.
C18H27N3O
[Coined from penta- + quinoline][1]



pentarchy

pentarchy
pen·tar·chy 
[pén trkee] (plural pen·tar·chies)
noun

1.  government
by 5 rulers: a system of government by five rulers

2.  5
political units: a federation of five political units

3.  5
rulers:
the group of five rulers who rule a pentarchy
[Late
16th century. From Greek pentarkhia “rule of five,” from penta-
(see penta- ) + -arkhia (see -archy
).]
—pen·tar·chi·cal [pen trkik’l], adjective[1]



pentastich

pentastich
pen·ta·stich 
[péntə stìk] (plural pen·ta·stich·es)
noun

set
of 5 lines:
a poem or section of a poem consisting of five lines
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek pentastikhos, literally “having five rows,” from penta-
(see penta- ) + stikhos “row.”][1]



pentastome

pentastome
pen·ta·stome 
[péntə stm] (plural pen·ta·stomes)
noun

ZOOLOGY
See tongue worm[1]



Pentateuch

Pentateuch
Pen·ta·teuch 
[péntə tk] noun

first
5 books of the Bible: the first five books of the
Bible, traditionally regarded as having been written by Moses.
Also
called
Law
[15th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek pentateukhos, literally
“having five books,” from penta- (see penta-
) + teukhos “book.”]
—Pen·ta·teuch·al [péntə tk’l, pèntə
tk’l], adjective[1]



pentathlete

pentathlete
pen·tath·lete 
[pen táthleet] (plural pen·tath·letes)
noun

pentathlon athlete:
an athlete who takes part in a pentathlon[1]



pentathlon

pentathlon
pen·tath·lon 
[pen táthlən, pen
táth lòn] (plural pen·tath·lons) noun

1.  See
modern pentathlon

2.  Olympic
track and field contest: the Olympic competition
consisting of five track and field events, usually sprinting, hurdling, long
jumping, and discus and javelin throwing
[Early 17th century. From
Greek, literally “contest of five,” from penta- (see penta- ) + athlon “contest.”][1]



pentatomic

pentatomic
pen·ta·tom·ic
[pèntə tómmik] adjective

with five atoms:
having five atoms in a molecule[1]



pentatonicscale

pentatonicscale
pen·ta·ton·ic
scale
[pèntə tonnik skáyl] (plural pen·ta·ton·ic
scales) noun

musical
scale:
any musical scale that has five notes to an octave, especially a major scale in
which the fourth and seventh tones are omitted
[Pentatonic from penta- + tonic][1]



pentavalent

pentavalent
pen·ta·va·lent 
[pèntə váylənt] adjective

with valence of five:
used to describe chemical elements that have a valence of five[1]



pentazocine

pentazocine
pen·taz·o·cine 
[pen tázzə sn] noun

painkiller:
a synthetic narcotic drug used as a painkiller. C19H27NO
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from penta- + azo-
+ octa- + -ine
.][1]



Pentecost

Pentecost
Pen·te·cost 
[péntə kòst] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
celebration: a Christian festival celebrated on the
seventh Sunday after Easter that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon the apostles.
U.K.
term
Whitsunday

2.  JUDAISM See Shavuoth
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek pentēkonta “fifty” (because it falls fifty
days after the second day of the Passover), from pentē “five.”][1]



Pentecostal

Pentecostal
Pen·te·cos·tal 
[pèntə kóst’l] adjective

1.  emphasizing
the Holy Spirit: belonging or relating to any Christian
denomination that emphasizes the workings of the Holy Spirit, interprets the
Bible literally, and adopts an informal demonstrative approach to religious
worship

2.  of
Pentecost:
relating to the Christian festival of Pentecost
noun

member of a Pentecostal denomination:
a member of a Pentecostal denomination
—Pen·te·cos·tal·ism,
noun

—Pen·te·cos·tal·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



pentene

pentene
pen·tene
[pén tn] noun

chemical used for organic
compounds: a colorless flammable liquid
with several isomers that is used in making organic compounds. C5H10[1]



penthouse

penthouse
pent·house 
[pént hòwss] (plural pent·houses
[pént hòwzəz]) noun

1.  rooftop
dwelling:
an expensive and comfortable apartment on the top floor of a building or built
on the roof (often used before a noun) • a
penthouse apartment

2.  housing
for service equipment: a structure on the roof of a
building to house elevator machinery, a water tank, or other service equipment

3.  adjoining
roof or shed: a sloping roof, or a shed with a sloping
roof, built against the outer wall of a building

4.  SPORTS roofed
corridor:
in court tennis, a roofed corridor that runs along three sides of a court
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by house ) of Anglo-Norman pentiz
“lean-to,” via Old French apentis from, ultimately, Latin appendere,
literally “to hang onto,” from pendere “to hang.”][1]



pentimento

pentimento
pen·ti·men·to 
[pèntə méntō] (plural pen·ti·men·ti
[pèntə méntee]) noun

1.  technique
for restoring paintings: the technique of removing a
top layer of paint to reveal a painting or part of a painting that has been
painted over

2.  revealed
painting:
a painting or part of a painting that is revealed by pentimento
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian, “correction,” literally “repentance,” from Latin paenitere “to
repent” (source also of English penitent
).][1]



pentlandite

pentlandite
pent·land·ite 
[péntlən dt] noun

mineral
containing nickel: a brownish-yellow mineral
that is the principal ore and main source of nickel
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Irish scientist Joseph B. Pentland ( 1797–1873 ), who discovered
it.][1]



pentobarbitalsodium

pentobarbitalsodium
pen·to·bar·bi·tal
so·di·um 
[pentə brbət’l sṓdee əm] noun

strong
barbiturate: a barbiturate used as a hypnotic and a
sedative. C11H17N2O3Na
U.K.
term
pentobarbitone sodium
[Pentobarbital formed from pentobarbitone
(see pentobarbitone )][1]



pentobarbitonesodium

pentobarbitonesodium
pen·to·bar·bi·tone
so·di·um
[pentə brbə tn sṓdee əm] noun

U.K.
See pentobarbital sodium
[Pentobarbitone coined from pentane + barbitone][1]



pentode

pentode
pen·tode 
[pén td] noun (plural pen·todes)

electronic
device with 5 electrodes: a vacuum tube that has five
electrodes. They are a cathode, an anode, and three grids.
adjective

with
3 electrodes: used to describe a transistor that has
three electrodes at the base or gate
[Early 20th century. Formed
from penta- .][1]



pentosan

pentosan
pen·to·san 
[péntə sàn] noun

plant polysaccharide:
an organic compound found mainly in plants, whose polysaccharide carbohydrates
break down to form pentoses[1]



pentose

pentose
pen·tose 
[pén tss] (plural pen·toses) noun

carbohydrate with 5 carbon
atoms: a carbohydrate found in
plants and nucleic acids that is a monosaccharide whose molecules each contain
five carbon atoms[1]



pentosephosphate pathway

pentosephosphate pathway
pen·tose
phos·phate path·way (plural pen·tose
phos·phate path·ways) noun

BIOCHEMISTRY
metabolic process:
a cyclic sequence of chemical reactions in the cytoplasm of animal and plant
cells in which glucose molecules are converted into biochemically useful
smaller molecules. These smaller molecules include ribose molecules needed for
nucleic acid synthesis.[1]



Pentothal

Pentothal
Pen·to·thal
[péntə thàwl] Trademark

a trademark for thiopental
sodium, also known as sodium pentothal, a barbiturate drug used in medicine[1]



pentoxide

pentoxide
pent·ox·ide 
[pen tók sd] (plural pent·ox·ides)
noun

oxygen-containing element:
a chemical element whose oxides contain five atoms of oxygen in each molecule[1]



pent-up

pent-up
pent-up 
adjective

held back:
repressed or stifled rather than being released or freely expressed • pent-up
emotions[1]



pentyl

pentyl
pen·tyl 
[péntil] adjective

with
a carbon-hydrogen radical: relating to a chemical group
containing carbon and hydrogen, deriving from pentane. C5H11
[Late 19th century. Formed
from penta- .][1]



pentylacetate

pentylacetate
pen·tyl
ac·e·tate
noun

combustible compound:
a colorless combustible liquid used as a solvent for paints, in extracting
penicillin, in photographic film, and as a flavoring. CH3COOC5H11[1]



pentylenetetrazol

pentylenetetrazol
pen·tyl·ene·tet·ra·zol 
[pèntəleen téttrə zòl] noun

chemical
stimulant:
a white crystalline powder used to stimulate the central nervous system. C6H10N4
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from penta- + methylene
+ tetrazole .][1]



penuche

penuche
pe·nu·che 
[pə nchee] or pe·nu·chi [pə nchee] noun

kind
of fudge:
a fudge made from brown sugar, butter, milk, and nuts.
Also
called
panocha
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Mexican Spanish panocha “coarse brown sugar,” via Spanish, “ear of
maize,” from, ultimately, Latin panicula, literally “little tuft,” from panus
“tuft.”][1]



penult

penult
pe·nult 
[p nùlt, pə
núlt] (plural pe·nults) noun

second-last
item:
the second to last item in a series of things, especially the second to last
syllable of a word
[15th century. Shortening of
Latin penultima, the feminine of paenultimus (see penultimate ).][1]



penultimate

penultimate
pe·nul·ti·mate 
[pə núltimət] adjective

1.  second
to last:
second to last in a series or sequence • the
penultimate chapter

2.  LINGUISTICS of
a penult:
relating to a penult
[Late
17th century. From Latin paenultimus, from paene “almost” + ultimus
“last” (see ultimate ).]
—pe·nul·ti·mate·ly, adverb[1]



penumbra

penumbra
pe·num·bra 
[pə númbrə] (plural pe·num·brae
[pə núm bree] or pe·num·bras) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY partial
shadow:
a partial outer shadow that is lighter than the darker inner shadow ( umbra ), for example, the area between complete
darkness and complete light in an eclipse

2.  ASTRONOMY edge
of a sunspot: a grayish area surrounding the dark
center of a sunspot

3.  indeterminate
area:
an indistinct area, especially a state in which something is unclear or
uncertain

4.  periphery:
the outer region or periphery of something
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin, literally “almost shadow,” from Latin paene
“almost” + umbra “shadow.”]
—pe·num·bral,
adjective

—pe·num·brous, adjective[1]



penurious

penurious
pe·nu·ri·ous 
[pə nrree əss] adjective (literary)

1.  poor:
having very little money

2.  not
generous:
not generous with money

3.  barren:
barren or yielding little
—pe·nu·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—pe·nu·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



penury

penury
pen·u·ry 
[pényəree] noun

poverty:
extreme poverty
[15th
century. From Latin penuria, of uncertain origin.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at poverty

[1]



peon

peon
pe·on 
[p òn, p ən]
(plural pe·ons) noun

1.  laborer:
in Latin America and the southern United States, a farm laborer, especially in
former times, who was forced to work for a creditor until a debt was paid off

2.  drudge:
somebody who does boring menial work

3.  low-paid
worker:
formerly, in India and Sri Lanka, a low-paid office worker, soldier, or public
servant
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish peón and Portuguese peão “foot soldier,” from the
medieval Latin stem pedon-, from Latin pes “foot.”][1]



peonage

peonage
pe·on·age 
[p ənij] noun

1.  debt-repayment
system:
a former system used in Latin America and the southern United States under
which a debtor was forced to work for a creditor until a debt was paid

2.  status
of peon:
the status or condition of being a peon

[1]



peony

peony

pe·o·ny 
[p ənee] (plural pe·o·nies) noun

1.  showy
flowering plant: a shrub belonging to the buttercup
family that has large globe-shaped red, white, or pink flowers and is native to
Europe, Asia, and North America. Genus: Paeonia

2.  peony
flower:
the flower of a peony
[Old English peonie .
Via medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek paiōnia, from Paiōn
“Paian,” the physician of the deities.][1]



people

people
peo·ple 
[pp’l] noun (plural peo·ples)

nation: a
nation, community, ethnic group or nationality • a
proud people
plural
noun

1.  human
beings collectively: human beings considered
collectively or in general • People
tend not to mind if you ask them for help.

2.  subordinates:
persons such as employees, subjects, or followers who are under the authority
or leadership of somebody or something • I’ll
get one of my people to phone them.

3.  family
members:
the members of somebody’s family, especially somebody’s family (informal)
• My
people were farmers.

4.  ordinary
men and women: the general population, as distinct from
the government or higher social classes • the
will of the people

5.  political
unit:
a group of persons comprising a political unit, electorate, or group
transitive
verb
(past peo·pled, past participle peo·pled, present
participle peo·pling, 3rd person present singular peo·ples)

populate area:
to populate an area (usually passive) • mountain
regions that are sparsely peopled
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin populus (source of English popular and public
), of Etruscan origin.][1]



peoplehood

peoplehood
peo·ple·hood 
[pp’l hd] noun

identity:
identity as a member of a particular people, especially a nation or ethnic
group[1]



peoplemover

peoplemover
peo·ple
mov·er
(plural peo·ple mov·ers) noun

automated transit:
any automated means of transporting large numbers of people over short
distances[1]



peopleperson

peopleperson
peo·ple
per·son
(plural peo·ple per·sons) noun

somebody who likes being with
others: somebody who enjoys the
company of other people and is particularly good at communicating with them[1]



peopleskills

peopleskills
peo·ple
skills
plural noun

ability to deal with people:
the ability to deal with people and get along with them, for example, because
of being sensitive or diplomatic[1]



people’srepublic

people’srepublic
peo·ple’s
re·pub·lic
(plural peo·ple’s re·pub·lics) noun

Socialist republic:
a Socialist or Communist republic[1]



pep

pep
pep 
[pep] (past pepped, past
participle pepped, present participle pep·ping, 3rd
person present singular peps) noun

liveliness:
liveliness or vigor (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of pepper .][1]



peperomia

peperomia
pep·er·o·mi·a 
[pèppə rṓmee ə] (plural pep·er·o·mi·as)
noun

tropical
pot plant:
a tropical or subtropical plant belonging to the pepper family that is often
cultivated as a house plant for its attractive heavily veined foliage. Genus: Peperomia
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Peperomia, the genus name, from Greek peperi (see pepper ).][1]



pepino

pepino
pe·pi·no 
[pə p nō] (plural pe·pi·nos) noun

1.  PLANTS spiny
plant:
a Peruvian plant belonging to the nightshade family that has spiny foliage,
bright blue flowers, and edible purple-streaked fruit. Latin name: Solanum
muricatum

2.  PLANTS fruit of
pepino plant: the eggplant-shaped fruit of the pepino
plant that has a flavor like that of a melon

3.  GEOGRAPHY cone-shaped
hill:
a steep conical hill, especially in Puerto Rico
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from, ultimately, Latin pepo (see pumpkin ).][1]



pepla

pepla
pep·la

Plural of
peplum[1]



peplos

peplos
pep·los 
[péppləss] (plural pep·los·es)
or pep·lus [péppləss] (plural
pep·lus·es) noun

ancient
Greek garment: a loose-fitting garment worn by women in
ancient Greece, draped in folds around the shoulders and reaching the waist
[Late 18th century. From
Greek .][1]



peplum

peplum
pep·lum 
[péppləm] (plural pep·lums or
pep·la [pépplə]) noun

flared
part at the waist: a short flared ruffle
attached to the waist of a jacket or blouse
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, from Greek peplos (see peplos
).][1]



pepo

pepo
pe·po 
[p pō] (plural pe·pos) noun

watery
fruit:
a fruit of the gourd family such as a melon, squash, pumpkin, or cucumber that
typically has a firm or hard rind, a large number of flat seeds, and soft
watery flesh
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
(see pumpkin ).][1]



pepper

pepper

pep·per 
[péppər] noun (plural pep·pers)

1.  FOOD seasoning:
a hot condiment or seasoning made from the ground dried berries of a tropical
climbing plant. Black pepper is made from berries that are dried before they
ripen, and white pepper from berries that ripen before being dried.

2.  PLANTS plant
with berries: a tropical climbing plant such as betel,
cubeb, or kava whose berries are dried for use as pepper. Genus: Piper

3.  FOOD hollow
vegetable:
a green, red, or yellow vegetable that is hollow with firm walls containing
seeds and has mild or pungent flesh that can be eaten either raw or cooked

4.  PLANTS plant
with edible pods: a tropical plant of the nightshade
family that bears mild or pungent peppers as fruit. Genus: Capsicum
Also
called
capsicum

5.  FOOD pungent
condiments:
condiments such as chili sauce or cayenne pepper made from the more strongly
pungent peppers

6.  BASEBALL baseball
warmup routine: a baseball warmup routine with fielders
standing close to the batter and quickly tossing the ball to the batter, who in
turn hits each toss back to the fielders.
Also
called
pepper game
verb (past
pep·pered, past participle pep·pered, present
participle pep·per·ing, 3rd person present singular pep·pers)

1.  transitive
verb
sprinkle
with pepper: to add or sprinkle pepper as a seasoning
onto something

2.  transitive
verb
assail
somebody or something: to bombard somebody or
something with something

3.  sprinkle
something around: to scatter things liberally on to or
among something (often passive) • manuscripts
peppered with typing errors

4.  transitive
verb
make
something lively: to liven up something such as a speech
with wit
[Old English piper .
Via the prehistoric West Germanic language from Latin piper (source of
English pimpernel ), from,
ultimately, Sanskrit pippalī “berry, peppercorn.”][1]



pepper-and-salt

pepper-and-salt
pep·per-and-salt 
adjective

with dark and light flecks:
flecked with dark and light colors • pepper-and-salt
hair[1]



pepperbox

pepperbox
pep·per·box 
[péppər bòks] (plural pep·per·box·es)
noun

1.  See
peppershaker

2.  ARCHITECTURE cylindrical
turret:
a cylindrical turret or cupola

3.  ARMS small
pistol:
a small 18th-century pistol with several short revolving barrels

[1]



peppercorn

peppercorn
pep·per·corn 
[péppər kàwrn] (plural pep·per·corns)
noun

1.  pepper
berry:
a small dried tropical berry that is ground to make pepper. Black peppercorns
are dried before they ripen, giving them a sweeter deeper flavor than white
peppercorns.

2.  something
insignificant: something that is very small or has
little importance or value
[Old English piporcorn][1]



pepperedmoth

pepperedmoth
pep·pered
moth
(plural pep·pered moths) noun

moth that changes color:
a moth that is gray and speckled when found in rural areas and black in
smoke-darkened industrial regions. Latin name: Biston betularia[1]



Pepperell,William

Pepperell,William
Pep·per·ell
[péppə rəl], Sir William (1696–1759)

colonial New England military
officer. He commanded the forces that captured Louisbourg from the French in
1745.[1]



peppergame

peppergame
pep·per
game
(plural pep·per games) noun

BASEBALL
See pepper  noun 6[1]



peppergrass

peppergrass
pep·per·grass 
[péppər gràss] noun

pungent plant:
a plant of the mustard family whose pungent lower leaves are used in salads and
to season dishes. Genus: Lepidium
Also called
pepperwort[1]



pepperidge

pepperidge
pep·per·idge 
[péppərij] (plural pep·per·idges)
noun

TREES See sour gum
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



peppermill

peppermill
pep·per
mill
(plural pep·per mills) noun

pepper grinder:
a kitchen utensil for storing and grinding peppercorns[1]



peppermint

peppermint
pep·per·mint 
[péppər mìnt] (plural pep·per·mints)
noun

1.  PLANTS pungent
herb:
a plant of the mint family whose dark green downy leaves yield a pungent oil.
Latin name: Mentha piperita

2.  FOOD flavoring:
a flavoring prepared from the peppermint plant’s aromatic oil, used in the food
and pharmaceutical industries (often used before a noun)

3.  FOOD peppermint
candy:
a candy flavored with peppermint

[1]



pepperoni

pepperoni
pep·per·o·ni 
[pèppə rṓnee] (plural pep·per·o·nis)
noun

spicy
sausage:
a hard dry Italian sausage spiced with pepper, or a slice of this, often used
on pizzas
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian peperone “red pepper,” from, ultimately, Latin piper (see
pepper ).][1]



pepperpot

pepperpot
pep·per
pot
(plural pep·per pots) noun

1.  FOOD stew:
a Guyanese or West Indian stew made with meat, rice, and vegetables and
seasoned with cassava syrup

2.  U.K.
See peppershaker

3.  FOOD soup:
a peppery Pennsylvania soup made with vegetables, tripe, or meat, and sometimes
dumplings.
Also
called
Philadelphia pepper pot

[1]



peppershaker

peppershaker
pep·per·shak·er 
[péppər shàykər] (plural pep·per·shak·ers)
noun

pepper container:
a small cylindrical container for ready-ground pepper with a perforated top for
sprinkling.
Also called
pepperbox
U.K. term
pepper pot[1]



peppershrike

peppershrike
pep·per·shrike
[péppər shrk] (plural pep·per·shrikes)
noun

N American bird:
a small stocky North American bird of the vireo family with a thick hook-tipped
bill. Genus: Cyclarhis[1]



pepperspray

pepperspray
pep·per
spray
noun

disabling agent:
an aerosol-deployed disabling agent with the active component oleoresin
capsicum, used by law enforcement officers to disable somebody who is behaving
in an aggressive or violent manner[1]



peppersteak

peppersteak
pep·per
steak
(plural pep·per steaks) noun

steak coated with pepper:
a steak coated with crushed peppercorns before being fried or broiled[1]



peppertree

peppertree
pep·per
tree
noun

ornamental tree:
a subtropical South American tree belonging to the cashew family that is
cultivated as an ornamental tree for its bright red fruits. Genus: Schinus[1]



pepperwort

pepperwort
pep·per·wort 
[péppər wùrt, péppər
wàwrt] (plural pep·per·worts) noun

1.  marsh
fern:
a freshwater fern with floating leaves and slender tangled stems that grows in
marshes and ponds. Genus: Marsilea
Also
called
water clover

2.  See
peppergrass

[1]



peppery

peppery
pep·per·y 
[péppəree] adjective

1.  FOOD containing
pepper:
strongly flavored with pepper or tasting of pepper

2.  angry:
angry and critical

3.  easily
annoyed:
easily annoyed

[1]



peppill

peppill
pep
pill
(plural pep pills) noun

pill containing stimulant:
any pill that contains a stimulant drug, especially an amphetamine (dated
informal)[1]



peppy

peppy
pep·py 
[péppee] (comparative pep·pier,
superlative pep·pi·est) adjective

lively:
lively and vigorous (informal)
—pep·pi·ly,
adverb

—pep·pi·ness, noun[1]



peprally

peprally
pep
ral·ly
noun

meeting generating
enthusiasm: a gathering designed to fire
enthusiasm into those attending, especially in a school before a sporting event[1]



pepsin

pepsin
pep·sin
[pépsin] noun

stomach
enzyme that digests protein: an enzyme produced in the
stomach that breaks down proteins into simpler compounds. It can be extracted
from the stomachs of calves and hogs for use as a digestive aid and in the
production of cheese.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pepsis “digestion,” from peptein (see peptic ).][1]



pepsinogen

pepsinogen
pep·sin·o·gen 
[pep sínnəjən] noun

substance yielding pepsin:
a substance produced by stomach glands that is converted into pepsin after
contact with hydrochloric acid during digestion[1]



peptalk

peptalk
pep
talk
(plural pep talks) noun

encouraging talk:
a short speech designed to give advice and generate enthusiasm, for example, in
a sports team or among a company’s employees (informal)[1]



peptic

peptic
pep·tic 
[péptik] adjective

1.  helping
digestion:
relating to or helping digestion

2.  involving
pepsin:
relating to, caused by, or producing pepsin

3.  of
the stomach: relating to or involving the stomach,
especially any digestive actions or their results
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek peptikos “capable of digesting,” from peptein “to
digest.”][1]



pepticulcer

pepticulcer
pep·tic
ul·cer
(plural pep·tic ul·cers) noun

ulcer in the digestive tract:
erosion of the mucous membrane that lines the upper digestive tract, caused by
excess secretion of acid in the stomach[1]



peptidase

peptidase
pep·ti·dase 
[pépti dàyss, pépti
dàyz] noun

kind of enzyme:
an enzyme that breaks down peptides into amino acids[1]



peptide

peptide
pep·tide 
[pép td] (plural pep·tides) noun

1.  compound
with amino bonds: a chemical compound whose amino acids
have chemical bonds between carboxyl and amino groups

2.  linear
molecule of amino acids: a linear molecule made up of
two or more amino acids linked by peptide bonds
[Early
20th century. From German Peptid, a back-formation from Polypeptid
(see polypeptide ).]
—pep·tid·ic [pep tíddik], adjective[1]



peptidebond

peptidebond
pep·tide
bond
(plural pep·tide bonds) noun

amino bond:
a chemical bond formed when the amino group of one amino acid condenses with
the carboxyl group of another[1]



peptidoglycan

peptidoglycan
pep·ti·do·gly·can 
[pèptidō glkən, pèptidō
gl kàn] noun

molecule in the cell wall of
bacteria: a large molecule found in
the cell walls of bacteria, giving the walls their strength and the cell its
shape.
Also called
murein
Also called
mucopeptide[1]



peptize

peptize
pep·tize 
[pép tz] (past pep·tized, past
participle pep·tized, present participle pep·tiz·ing, 3rd
person present singular pep·tiz·es) transitive verb

disperse
one substance in another: to disperse fine particles
of one substance evenly throughout another substance to create a state
intermediate between a suspension and a solution ( colloid
)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from peptone .]
—pep·tiz·a·ble,
adjective

—pep·ti·za·tion
[pèpti záysh’n], noun

—pep·tiz·er [pép tzər], noun[1]



peptone

peptone
pep·tone 
[pép tn] (plural pep·tones) noun

breakdown
product of proteins: a compound formed during the
hydrolysis of proteins that does not dissolve in water and is used as a food
source for microorganisms grown in laboratories
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Greek peptos “digested,” from peptein (see peptic ).][1]



peptonize

peptonize
pep·to·nize 
[péptə nz] (past pep·to·nized,
past participle pep·to·nized, present participle pep·to·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular pep·to·niz·es) transitive verb

digest
food with proteolytic enzymes: to digest food using
an enzyme that breaks down protein
—pep·to·ni·za·tion
[pèptəni záysh’n], noun

—pep·to·niz·er [péptə nzər], noun[1]



pepup

pepup
pep
up
transitive verb

make lively:
to make somebody or something more lively, energetic, or interesting (informal)[1]



Pepys,Samuel

Pepys,Samuel

Pepys
[peeps, péppiss],
Samuel (1633–1703)
English diarist. His Diary
(1660–1669) includes detailed descriptions of the Plague and the Fire of
London.[1]



Pequot

Pequot
Pe·quot 
[p kwòt] (plural Pe·quot or
Pe·quots) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American people who originally lived, and whose descendants still live,
in eastern Connecticut

2.  LANGUAGE Pequot
language:
an Algonquian language spoken in parts of New England, especially Connecticut.
It is one of the Algonquian-Wakashan languages and is spoken by about seven
thousand people.
[Mid-17th
century. From Narragansett Pequtôog “Pequot people.”]
—Pe·quot, adjective[1]



per

per
per 
[pər] preposition

1.  for
each:
for each or for every thing mentioned • 50
miles per hour

2.  according
to something: by, through, or according to something • per
instructions
adverb

for each one: for
each one (informal)
[14th century. From Latin .
Ultimately, from an Indo-European base meaning “through, forward,” which is
also the ancestor of English for, pro, and pre-
.][1]



per.

per.
per.

1.  Abbreviation
of
period

2.  Abbreviation
of
person

[1]



per-

per-
per-
prefix

1.  through
• peroral

2.  containing
a large proportion of an element • peroxide

3.  containing
an element in its highest oxidation state • perchlorate

4.  containing
a peroxide group • peracid
[From Latin per (see per )][1]



peracid

peracid
per·ac·id 
[pə rássid] (plural per·ac·ids)
noun

acid
with high oxidation: an acid such as perchloric
acid or permanganic acid in which one element is in its highest possible state
of oxidation
—per·ac·id·i·ty [pùrrə síddətee], noun[1]



peradventure

peradventure
per·ad·ven·ture 
[pùrrəd vénchər] adverb

perhaps:
possibly or perhaps (archaic)
noun

chance:
chance, doubt, or uncertainty (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French per aventure “by chance.”][1]



perambulate

perambulate
per·am·bu·late 
[pə rámbyə làyt] (past per·am·bu·lat·ed,
past participle per·am·bu·lat·ed, present participle per·am·bu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·am·bu·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

walk
about:
to walk about a place (archaic or literary)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin perambulare, from ambulare “to walk” (source
of English amble ).]
—per·am·bu·la·to·ry
[pə rámbyələ tàwree], adjective

—per·am·bu·la·tion [pə ràmbyə láysh’n], noun[1]



perambulator

perambulator
per·am·bu·la·tor 
[pə rámbyə làytər] (plural per·am·bu·la·tors)
noun

1.  baby
carriage:
a baby carriage (archaic or formal)

2.  TECHNOLOGY measuring
device:
a device consisting of a wheel on a long handle, used to measure distance while
walking
[Early 17th century.
Originally in the sense “somebody who walks.”][1]



perannum

perannum
per
an·num 
[pə ránnəm] adverb

within
or by the year: in or for every year, or by the year
[From modern Latin, literally
“by the year”][1]



p/eratio

p/eratio
p/e
ra·tio

Abbreviation of
price-earnings ratio[1]



perborate

perborate
per·bo·rate 
[pər báw ràyt] (plural per·bo·rates)
noun

bleaching agent:
a salt compound of borate used as a bleaching agent in washing powder[1]



percale

percale
per·cale 
[pər káyl] noun

smooth
fabric:
a smooth-textured closely woven cotton or polyester fabric used for bedsheets
and clothing. It sometimes has a glazed finish.
[Early 17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: possibly from Persian pargālah “rag.”][1]



percaline

percaline
per·ca·line 
[pùrkə ln] noun

cotton
fabric:
a glossy lightweight cotton fabric used for linings and book bindings
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from percale (see percale ).][1]



percapita

percapita
per
cap·i·ta 
[pər káppitə] adverb adjective

for
each person: by or for each person • earnings
per capita
[From modern Latin, literally
“per head”][1]



perceive

perceive
per·ceive 
[pər sv] (past per·ceived, past
participle per·ceived, present participle per·ceiv·ing,
3rd person present singular per·ceives) transitive verb

1.  notice
using the senses: to notice something, especially
something that escapes the notice of others

2.  understand
or comprehend: to understand something in a particular
way
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French variants of perçoivre, from
Latin percipere, literally “to seize completely,” from capere “to
seize,” (source of English capture
).]
—per·ceiv·a·ble,
adjective

—per·ceiv·a·bly,
adverb

—per·ceiv·er, noun[1]



percent

percent
per·cent 
adverb

as expressed in hundredths:
used to express a proportion of an amount in hundredths, represented by the
symbol percent • a 10 percent rise
noun
(plural per·cent)

1.  one
hundredth:
one hundredth part of something

2.  percentage:
a part or percentage
[From Latin per centum,
literally “by a hundred”][1]



percentage

percentage
per·cent·age 
[pər séntij] (plural per·cent·ages)
noun

1.  proportion
in one-hundredths: a proportion stated in terms
of one-hundredths that is achieved by multiplying an amount by a percent

2.  proportion:
a proportion of a larger group or set • A
larger percentage of students are choosing to go on to college.

3.  FINANCE commission
or cut:
an amount charged that is based on the total amount involved, for example, a
commission charged on a sale, especially the commission that an agent charges a
client (informal)

4.  advantage:
advantage or benefit (informal) • There’s
no percentage in accepting the proposal.

[1]



percentile

percentile
per·cen·tile 
[pər sén tl] (plural per·cen·tiles)
noun

statistical measure:
a value on a scale of one hundred that indicates whether a distribution is
above or below it[1]



percept

percept
per·cept 
[púr sèpt] (plural per·cepts) noun

something
perceived:
something that is perceived by the senses (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
perceptum “something perceived,” the past participle of percipere
(see perceive ).][1]



perceptible

perceptible
per·cep·ti·ble 
[pər séptəb’l] adjective

detectable:
large enough, great enough, or distinct enough to be noticed • a
perceptible difference
—per·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
[pər sèptə bíllətee], noun

—per·cep·ti·bly, adverb[1]



perception

perception
per·cep·tion 
[pər sépshən] (plural per·cep·tions)
noun

1.  perceiving:
the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding
environment or situation • the
range of human perception

2.  result
of perceiving: the observation or result of the process
of perception • After watching the
experiment closely, he noted his perceptions in his lab notebook.

3.  impression:
an attitude or understanding based on what is observed or thought • a
news report that altered the public’s perception of the issue

4.  powers
of observation: the ability to notice or discern things
that escape the notice of most people

5.  PSYCHOLOGY neurological
process of observation and interpretation: any
of the neurological processes of acquiring and mentally interpreting
information from the senses
[14th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem perception-, from percipere
(see perceive ).]
—per·cep·tion·al, adjective[1]



perceptive

perceptive
per·cep·tive 
[pər séptiv] adjective

1.  quick
to understand: quick to understand or discern things or
showing understanding of a person or situation

2.  perceptual:
relating to perception or capable of perceiving
—per·cep·tive·ly,
adverb

—per·cep·tive·ness,
noun

—per·cep·tiv·i·ty [pùr sep tívvətee], noun[1]



perceptual

perceptual
per·cep·tu·al 
[pər sépchoo əl] adjective

relating
to perception: relating to perception with the senses
—per·cep·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



perceptualdefense

perceptualdefense
per·cep·tu·al
de·fense
noun

psychological defense:
the process by which the mind may ignore or distort unwanted or threatening
perceptions[1]



perch

perch2
perch2  [purch]
(plural perch·es or perch) noun

freshwater
fish:
an edible bony freshwater fish native to North America and Europe that has
rough scales and two dorsal fins, one spiny and one soft. Genus: Perca
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek perkē .][1]



perch

perch1
perch1  [purch]
noun (plural perch·es)

1.  place
for bird to sit: a place for a bird to land or rest on,
for example, a branch or a pole in a cage

2.  resting
place:
any temporary resting place for a person or thing

3.  advantageous
position:
a place or location that is secure, advantageous, or prominent

4.  MEASUREMENTS solid
measure for stone: a unit of measure for the
volume of stone, equal to about 0.7 cu. m24 cu. ft

5.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of length:
a unit of length equal to 5.03 m5½ yd.
Also
called
pole

6.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of area:
a unit of area equal to 25.3 m 230¼ sq yd.
Also
called
pole

7.  TEXTILES inspection
frame:
a frame that woven fabric is laid on to be inspected after weaving

8.  TRANSPORT See pole

9.  peg
to hang things: a pole, bar, or peg on which to hang
things
verb
(past perched, past participle perched, present
participle perch·ing, 3rd person present singular perch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
sit
precariously: to sit or stand somewhere awkwardly and
precariously • He
was perched on a high stool.

2.  transitive
verb
put
in a high place: to situate something in a place high up
• the
old fort perched on the clifftops

3.  intransitive
verb
BIRDS be on
a perch:
to land or rest on a perch • A pair
of doves perched on the apple tree.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb TEXTILES lay an item on a perch:
to place something such as woven fabric on a perch to inspect after weaving
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin pertica “pole, stick.”]
—perch·er,
noun
knock
somebody off his or her perch

to make somebody feel less
proud or superior[1]



perchance

perchance
per·chance 
[pər cháns] adverb (archaic or
literary)

1.  perhaps:
possibly or perhaps

2.  by
chance:
by chance
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman par chance, literally “by chance.”][1]



Percheron

Percheron
Per·che·ron 
[púrchə ròn, púrshə
ròn] (plural Per·che·rons) noun

large
horse:
a large black or gray draft horse of a breed that originated in France
[Late 19th century. From
French, “of the Percheron breed,” named for le Perche, a region of France
where it was first bred.][1]



perchingbird

perchingbird
perch·ing
bird
(plural perch·ing birds) noun

bird with claws for perching:
a bird such as a lark, finch, or crow with feet adapted for clinging to
horizontal branches[1]



perchlorate

perchlorate
per·chlo·rate 
[pər kláw ràyt] (plural per·chlo·rates)
noun

perchloric acid derivative:
a salt or ester of perchloric acid[1]



perchloricacid

perchloricacid
per·chlo·ric
ac·id 
[pər klàwrik ássid] noun

oxidizing acid:
a colorless acid of chlorine that is explosive under some conditions and that
is used as a powerful oxidizing agent in laboratory work. HClO4[1]



perchloride

perchloride
per·chlo·ride 
[pər kláw rd] (plural per·chlo·rides)
noun

chloride with the most
chlorine: a chloride of an element
that contains more chlorine than all other chlorides of the same element[1]



perchloroethylene

perchloroethylene
per·chlor·o·eth·yl·ene 
[pər klàwrō éthəleèn] noun

solvent used in dry cleaning:
a colorless toxic organic solvent used in dry-cleaning fluid. C4C14[1]



perciatelli

perciatelli
per·cia·tel·li 
[pùrchə téllee] noun

tubular
pasta:
pasta in the form of long thin tubes, thicker than spaghetti
[From Italian dialect,
literally “little pierced thing,” from perciato “pierced,” the past
participle of perciare “to pierce,” from Old French percer (see pierce )][1]



percipient

percipient
per·cip·i·ent 
[pər síppee ənt] adjective

insightful:
perceptive, observant, or discerning
noun
(plural per·cip·i·ents)

somebody
or something that perceives: somebody or something
capable of perceiving
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin percipere (see perceive
).]
—per·cip·i·ent·ly, adverb[1]



percoid

percoid
per·coid 
[púr kòyd] adjective

bony
and spiny-finned: belonging or relating to a large
suborder of bony spiny-finned fishes that includes the perch, sea bass,
sunfishes, and red mullet. Suborder: Percoidea
noun
(plural per·coids)

percoid
fish:
a fish belonging to the percoid suborder
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Percoidea, the suborder name, from Latin perca (see perch ).][1]



percolate

percolate
per·co·late 
[púrkə làyt] verb (past per·co·lat·ed,
past participle per·co·lat·ed, present participle per·co·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·co·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
through a filter: to make a liquid or gas pass through a
filter or porous substance, or filter through in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
pass
through slowly: to pass slowly through something or
spread throughout a place • I let
the idea percolate through my mind.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BEVERAGES make coffee:
to prepare coffee in a percolator, or undergo preparation in a percolator

4.  intransitive
verb
be
lively:
to be lively, active, or energetic (informal)
noun

something percolated:
product of percolation or a liquid that has been percolated
[Early
17th century. From Latin percolare “to sieve through,” from colare
“to sieve,” from colum “sieve” (source of English colander ).]
—per·co·la·ble
[púrkələb’l], adjective

—per·co·la·tion
[pùrkə láysh’n], noun

—per·co·la·tive [púrkə làytiv], adjective[1]



percolator

percolator
per·co·la·tor 
[púrkə làytər] (plural per·co·la·tors)
noun

coffeepot:
a coffeepot in which boiling water rises repeatedly through a narrow stem,
spills over into a sieve-like basket containing coffee grounds, mixes with
them, and returns to the water below[1]



percontra

percontra
per
con·tra 
[pər kóntrə, pər
káwntrə] adverb

on
the contrary: on the other hand, or by way of contrast
[From Italian, literally “by
the opposite side”][1]



percuriam decision

percuriam decision
per
cu·ri·am de·ci·sion [pər
kree əm di sizh’n] (plural per cu·ri·am de·ci·sions) noun

quick
decision:
a court judgment given without the need to retire to consider a verdict
[From Latin per curiam,
literally “by the court”][1]



percurrent

percurrent
per·cur·rent 
[pər kúrrənt] adjective

extending
throughout a leaf: used to describe a leaf’s
main vein when it runs the entire length of the leaf
[Late 16th century. From
Latin percurrere “to run through,” from currere “to run” (source
of English current ).][1]



percuss

percuss
per·cuss 
[pər kúss] (past per·cussed, past
participle per·cussed, present participle per·cuss·ing,
3rd person present singular per·cuss·es) transitive verb

MEDICINE diagnose
by tapping:
to gently tap a part of a patient’s body in order to diagnose an illness or
condition
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin percuss-, the past participle stem of percutere
“to strike hard,” from quatere “to strike” (source of English concuss ).]
—per·cus·sor, noun[1]



percussion

percussion
per·cus·sion 
[pər kúsh’n] noun

1.  MUSIC instruments
that are hit: the group of instruments that produce
sound by being struck, including drums and cymbals, or the section of the
orchestra playing such instruments

2.  MEDICINE tapping
of the body: examination of part of a patient’s body
by tapping with the fingers to assess the presence of fluid, the enlargement of
organs, or the solidification of normally hollow parts

3.  impact:
the impact of one object striking another, or the noise or shock created when
two objects hit each other (formal)

4.  act
of detonating a percussion cap: the striking or
detonating of a percussion cap in a firearm
[Mid-16th century. From the
Latin stem percussion-, from percussus, the past participle of percutere
(see percuss ).][1]



percussioncap

percussioncap
per·cus·sion
cap
(plural per·cus·sion caps) noun

pistol detonator:
a detonator consisting of a thin metal cap or strip of paper containing
explosive powder, formerly used to fire some pistols.
Also called
cap[1]



percussioninstrument

percussioninstrument
per·cus·sion
in·stru·ment (plural per·cus·sion
in·stru·ments) noun

musical instrument:
a musical instrument such as a drum, cymbal, or triangle that is hit to produce
sound[1]



percussionist

percussionist
per·cus·sion·ist 
[pər kúsh’nist] (plural per·cus·sion·ists)
noun

musician playing percussion:
a musician who plays a percussion instrument[1]



percussionlock

percussionlock
per·cus·sion
lock
(plural per·cus·sion locks) noun

firing mechanism:
a mechanism on a gun that fires by striking a percussion cap[1]



percussiontool

percussiontool
per·cus·sion
tool
(plural per·cus·sion tools) noun

power tool:
any power tool that delivers repeated heavy blows for example, a jackhammer[1]



percussive

percussive
per·cus·sive 
[pər kússiv] adjective

like
an impact:
having the effect of an impact or a blow
—per·cus·sive·ly,
adverb

—per·cus·sive·ness, noun[1]



percutaneous

percutaneous
per·cu·ta·ne·ous 
[pùrkyoo táynee əss] adjective

MEDICINE via
the skin:
administered or absorbed through the skin, as an injection or, for example,
ointment
—per·cu·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb[1]



perdiem

perdiem
per
di·em 
[pər d əm] adverb adjective

by the day: by
the day or every day
noun
(plural per di·ems)

1.  daily
payment:
a daily payment or allowance

2.  worker
paid by the day: an individual who is hired to work as
needed and is therefore paid by the day (informal)
[From Latin, literally “by
the day”][1]



perdition

perdition
per·di·tion 
[pər dísh’n] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY punishment
in Hell:
in some religions, the state of everlasting punishment in Hell that sinners
endure after death

2.  CHRISTIANITY Hell:
Hell itself as a location

3.  complete
destruction: complete destruction or ruin (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin perdere, literally “to put to destruction,” from
dare “to put” (source of English render
).][1]



perdu

perdu
per·du 
[pər d] or per·due [pər d] adjective

hidden:
hidden or out of sight (archaic or literary)
[Late 16th century. Via
French, the past participle of perdre “to lose,” from Latin perdere
(see perdition ).][1]



perdurable

perdurable
per·du·ra·ble 
[pər drəb’l] adjective

imperishable:
extremely durable or imperishable (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin perdurare (see perdure ).]
—per·du·ra·bly,
adverb

—per·du·ra·bil·i·ty [pər drə bíllətee], noun[1]



perdure

perdure
per·dure 
[pər dr] (past per·dured, past
participle per·dured, present participle per·dur·ing, 3rd
person present singular per·dures) intransitive verb

last
a long time: to last for a long time (archaic)
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin perdurare, literally “to last through,” from durare
“to last” (source of English duration,
during, and endure ).][1]



peregrinate

peregrinate
per·e·gri·nate 
[pérrəgri nàyt] (past per·e·gri·nat·ed,
past participle per·e·gri·nat·ed, present participle per·e·gri·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·e·gri·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

travel:
to travel around a place or from place to place (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin peregrinari, from peregrinus (see peregrine ).]
—per·e·gri·na·tor, noun[1]



peregrination

peregrination
per·e·gri·na·tion
[pèrrəgri náysh’n] (plural per·e·gri·na·tions)
noun

journey:
a journey or voyage (literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin, from, ultimately, peregrinari “to travel,” from peregrinus
(see peregrine ).][1]



peregrine

peregrine
per·e·grine 
[pérrəgrin, pérrə
grn] noun (plural per·e·grines)

BIRDS See peregrine falcon
adjective
(archaic)

1.  from
a faraway place: coming from another region or country

2.  wandering:
wandering or traveling
[14th century. Via French
from Latin peregrinus “traveling,” from pereger, literally
“through fields,” from ager “field” (source of English agrarian ).][1]



peregrinefalcon

peregrinefalcon
per·e·grine
fal·con
(plural per·e·grine fal·cons) noun


Also
called
peregrine
[Because they were captured
full-grown while migrating, rather than taken from their nests while young][1]



peremptory

peremptory
per·emp·to·ry 
[pə rémptəree] adjective

1.  dictatorial:
expecting to be obeyed and unwilling to tolerate disobedience,

2.  LAW closed
to further consideration or action:
ending, or not open to, discussion, debate, or further action

3.  expressing
urgency:
communicating urgency, command, or instruction
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin perimere “to take away
completely,” from emere “to buy, to take.” The underlying meaning is
“taking away possibility of debate.”]
—per·emp·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—per·emp·to·ri·ness, noun[1]



perennate

perennate
per·en·nate 
[pérrə nàyt, pə
ré nàyt] (past per·en·nat·ed, past participle per·en·nat·ed,
present participle per·en·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular
per·en·nates) intransitive verb

BOTANY survive
between growing seasons: to survive from one growing
season to the next with reduced or arrested growth between seasons
[Early
17th century. From Latin perennare “to last for years,” from perennis
(see perennial ).]
—per·en·na·tion [pèrrə náysh’n], noun[1]



perennial

perennial
per·en·ni·al 
[pə rénnee əl] adjective

1.  BOTANY lasting
over 2 years: used to describe a plant that lasts for
more than two growing seasons, either dying back after each season, as some
herbaceous plants do, or growing continuously, as some shrubs do

2.  recurring
or enduring: constantly recurring, or lasting for an
indefinite time • perennial problem of
litter
noun
(plural per·en·ni·als)

1.  BOTANY perennial
plant:
a plant that lasts for more than two growing seasons

2.  something
happening again and again: something that recurs or
appears to recur yearly or on a continuing basis
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin perennis, literally “through the year,” from annus
“year” (source of English annual ).]
—per·en·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



perentie

perentie
pe·ren·tie
[pə réntee] (plural pe·ren·ties)
or pe·ren·ty [pə réntee] (plural
pe·ren·ties) noun

Australian
lizard:
a large burrowing lizard that has brown skin with yellow patches and is found
in the semiarid and desert regions of central and northern Australia. It can
grow to 2.5 m/ 8 ft in length and is the largest Australian lizard, and the
second-largest in the world. Latin name: Varanus giganteus
[Early 20th century. Of
Aboriginal origin, probably from Diyari pirindi .][1]



perestroika

perestroika
per·e·stroi·ka 
[pèrrə stróykə] noun

1.  Soviet
reform policy: the political and economic restructuring
in the former Soviet Union initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev from about 1986. The
stated aims included decentralized control of industry and agriculture and some
private ownership.

2.  any
political restructuring: any political, bureaucratic,
or economic restructuring
[Late 20th century. From
Russian, literally “rebuilding, reconstruction.”][1]



perf.

perf.
perf.

1.  STAMPS Abbreviation of perforated

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of perfect

3.  Abbreviation
of
performance

[1]



perfect

perfect
per·fect 
adjective [púrfəkt]

1.  without
faults:
without errors, flaws, or faults • in
perfect condition

2.  complete
and whole:
complete and lacking nothing essential • We
had a perfect day together.

3.  excellent
or ideal:
excellent or ideal in every way • That’s
the perfect word to describe him.

4.  especially
suitable:
having all the necessary or typical characteristics required for a given
situation • the
perfect candidate for the job

5.  skilled:
very proficient, skilled, or talented in a particular area • a
perfect host

6.  flawless:
without any flaw or blemish • perfect
teeth

7.  utter,
absolute, complete: used to emphasize the extent
or degree of something • a
perfect nuisance

8.  exactly
reproducing something: exactly reproducing an
original • a
perfect likeness

9.  BOTANY with
stamens and pistils together: used to describe a flower
that has functional stamens and pistils in the same flower

10. MATHEMATICS exactly
divisible:
exactly divisible into equal roots

11. GRAMMAR with
the verb action finished: used to describe a verb or
verb tense for an action that is brought to a close

12. MUSIC of
musical intervals: used collectively to
describe the differences in pitch between the fourth, the fifth, and the
octave, common to both major and minor scales

13. FUNGI with
sexual and asexual reproduction: used to describe a
fungus that reproduces both sexually and asexually during its life cycle

14. INSECTS sexually
mature:
sexually mature and completely differentiated
transitive
verb
[pər fékt] (past per·fect·ed, past
participle per·fect·ed, present participle per·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular per·fects)

1.  complete
something:
to make something as good as possible, or to bring something to completion • They
perfected the process last year.

2.  PRINTING print
the reverse side: to complete a printed page by printing
its reverse side
noun
(plural per·fects) GRAMMAR

1.  perfect
tense of verb: the perfect tense of a verb.
See
also
future perfect

2.  verb
in the perfect tense: a verb that is in the
perfect tense
[13th
century. Directly and via Old French parfit from, ultimately, Latin perficere
“to make completely, finish,” from facere “to make” (source of English fact ).]
—per·fect·ness, noun[1]



perfecta

perfecta
per·fec·ta 
[pər féktə] (plural per·fec·tas)
noun

GAMBLING See exacta
[Late 20th century. From
American Spanish quiniela perfecta “perfect quinella (a form of
betting).”][1]



perfectbinding

perfectbinding
per·fect
bind·ing
(plural per·fect bind·ings) noun

binding
process:
a book binding in which the leaves of a book are cut into pages whose edges are
bound with glue to the spine, as opposed to being stitched uncut
—per·fect bound, adjective[1]



perfectcompetition

perfectcompetition
per·fect
com·pe·ti·tion noun

free market:
a market condition in which a product is traded freely by buyers and sellers in
large numbers without any individual transaction affecting the price[1]



perfectgame

perfectgame
per·fect
game
(plural per·fect games) noun

1.  BASEBALL flawlessly
pitched baseball game: a baseball game in which a
pitcher plays a full game without allowing any player of the opposing team to
reach a base

2.  BOWLING 12
strikes in bowling: a game of bowling in which
12 consecutive strikes occur

[1]



perfectgas

perfectgas
per·fect
gas
(plural per·fect gas·es) noun

PHYSICS
CHEMISTRY See ideal gas[1]



perfectible

perfectible
per·fect·i·ble 
[pər féktəb’l] adjective

able
to be perfected: capable of being improved or made
perfect
—per·fect·i·bil·i·ty [pər fèktə bíllətee], noun[1]



perfection

perfection
per·fec·tion 
[pər fékshən] noun

1.  perfect
nature:
the quality of something that is as good or suitable as it can possibly be • to
strive for perfection as a goal

2.  process
of perfecting: the process of becoming or making
something perfect • The perfection of the
technique will require another two years research.

3.  example
or instance of being perfect: somebody or something that
reaches the highest attainable standard, or an instance of this • His
cooking that evening was sheer perfection
to
perfection

perfectly • The
piece showed off her talent as a pianist to perfection.[1]



perfectionist

perfectionist
per·fec·tion·ist
[pər fékshənist] (plural per·fec·tion·ists)
noun

1.  demanding
person:
somebody who demands perfection in all things, especially his or her own work

2.  PHILOSOPHY believer
in perfectionism: somebody who believes in the doctrine of
perfectionism

[1]



perfectionizm

perfectionizm
per·fec·tion·izm
[pər fékshə nìzzəm] noun

1.  demand
for perfection: rigorous rejection of anything less than
perfect

2.  PHILOSOPHY belief
in existence of perfection: the doctrine that perfection
is possible in human beings

[1]



perfective

perfective
per·fec·tive 
[pər féktiv] adjective

1.  toward
perfection:
tending toward perfection

2.  GRAMMAR describing
completed action: used to describe a verb that reports a
completed action
noun

GRAMMAR perfective
verb or aspect: a verb in the perfective aspect, or the
aspect itself
—per·fec·tive·ly,
adverb

—per·fec·tive·ness,
noun

—per·fec·tiv·i·ty [pàrfek tívvitee], noun[1]



perfectiveaspect

perfectiveaspect
per·fec·tive
as·pect
(plural per·fec·tive as·pects) noun

perfect tense:
the aspect that a verb is said to be in when it is in a perfect tense,
reporting a completed action rather than an incomplete or continuing one[1]



perfectly

perfectly
per·fect·ly 
[púrfəktlee] adverb

1.  in
a perfect way: in exactly the way desired or required • That
will suit her perfectly.

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize the degree or extent
of something • They’re
perfectly capable of managing on their own.

[1]



perfectnumber

perfectnumber
per·fect
num·ber
(plural per·fect num·bers) noun

kind of whole number:
a positive whole number that is equal to the sum of the numbers that can be
multiplied to give it as a result, excluding itself[1]



perfecto

perfecto
per·fec·to 
[pər fék tō] (plural per·fec·tos)
noun

cigar:
a medium-sized cigar with tapered ends and a thick center
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, “perfect.”][1]



perfector

perfector
per·fec·tor
[pər féktər] (plural per·fec·tors)
or per·fect·er [pər féktər] (plural
per·fect·ers) noun

1.  PRINTING printing
machine:
a printing press that prints on both sides of a page simultaneously

2.  somebody
making something perfect: somebody who makes something
perfect

[1]



perfectparticiple

perfectparticiple
per·fect
par·ti·ci·ple (plural per·fect
par·ti·ci·ples) noun

GRAMMAR
See past participle[1]



perfectpitch

perfectpitch
per·fect
pitch
noun

MUSIC
See absolute pitch[1]



perfectrhyme

perfectrhyme
per·fect
rhyme
(plural per·fect rhymes) noun

1.  rhyme
of differently spelled words: a rhyme of two words that
are pronounced the same but spelled differently and have different meanings,
for example, “flew” and “flue”

2.  rhyme
with last parts the same: a rhyme in which the
stressed vowel and consonants following it are the same, for example, “alive”
and “contrive”

[1]



perfectsquare

perfectsquare
per·fect
square
(plural per·fect squares) noun

kind of number:
a rational number equal to the square of another rational number[1]



perfervid

perfervid
per·fer·vid 
[pər fúrvid] adjective

extremely
passionate:
extremely passionate or enthusiastic (literary)
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin perfervidus, literally “extremely vehement,”
from Latin fervidus (see fervid ).]
—per·fer·vid·ly,
adverb

—per·fer·vid·ness, noun[1]



perfidious

perfidious
per·fid·i·ous 
[pər fíddee əss] adjective

guilty
of treachery: guilty of treachery or deceit (literary)
—per·fid·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—per·fid·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



perfidy

perfidy
per·fi·dy 
[púrfidee] noun

deliberate
treachery:
treachery or deceit (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin perfidia, from perfidus, literally “through faith” (found
in per fidem decipere “to deceive through trustingness”), formed in turn
from fides (see faith ).][1]



perfin

perfin
per·fin
[púrfin] (plural per·fins) noun

perforated
postage stamp: a postage stamp with initials perforated
in it by a business or other organization to prevent misuse
[Mid-20th century. Blend of perforated + initial
.][1]



perfoliate

perfoliate

per·fo·li·ate 
[pər fṓlee ət] adjective
BOTANY enclosing
a stem:
used to describe a leaf that encloses a stem so that the stem seems to pass
through it
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin perfoliatus, literally “through a leaf,”
from Latin folium “leaf” (source of English foliage
).]
—per·fo·li·a·tion [pər flee áysh’n], noun[1]



perforate

perforate
per·fo·rate 
verb [púrfə ràyt] (past per·fo·ra·ted,
past participle per·fo·ra·ted, present participle per·fo·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·fo·rates)

1.  transitive
verb
puncture
something:
to make a hole or holes in something

2.  transitive
verb
make
holes for tearing: to make a line of small
holes in paper to make tearing it easier

3.  intransitive
verb
penetrate
something:
penetrate or pass through something
adjective
[púrfərət, púrfə
ràyt]

1.  BIOLOGY with
small holes: dotted with small holes

2.  BIOLOGY with
transparent spots: dotted with transparent
spots

3.  STAMPS See perforated
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin perforare “to bore through,” from forare “to
bore.”]
—per·fo·ra·ble
[púrfərəb’l], adjective

—per·fo·ra·tive
[púrfərətiv, púrfə
ràytiv], adjective

—per·fo·ra·tor
[púrfə ràytər], noun

—per·fo·ra·to·ry [púrfərə tàwree], adjective[1]



perforated

perforated
per·fo·rat·ed 
[púrfə ràytəd] adjective

1.  with
holes:
pierced with a hole or holes, especially with a line of small holes designed to
make tearing easy

2.  MEDICINE with a
hole:
in which a hole has developed • a
perforated eardrum

[1]



perforation

perforation
per·fo·ra·tion 
[pùrfə ráysh’n] (plural per·fo·ra·tions)
noun

1.  hole:
a hole made in something

2.  making
holes or having them: the act of making a hole or
holes in something or the state of being perforated

3.  holes
for tearing: a small hole or series of holes punched
into a piece of paper to make tearing easy

4.  MED formation
of a hole:
the formation of a hole in an organ, tissue, or tube, usually as a consequence
of disease

[1]



perforationgauge

perforationgauge
per·fo·ra·tion
gauge
(plural per·fo·ra·tion gaug·es) noun

STAMPS
gauge measuring perforations:
a small ruler used to measure the number of perforations along the borders of a
postage stamp[1]



perforce

perforce
per·force 
[pər fáwrs] adverb

unavoidably:
unavoidably or as forced by circumstances (archaic or literary)
[14th century. From Old
French par force “by force.”][1]



perform

perform
per·form 
[pər fáwrm] (past per·formed, past
participle per·formed, present participle per·form·ing,
3rd person present singular per·forms) verb

1.  transitive
verb
accomplish:
to carry out an action or accomplish a task • the
surgeon who performed the operation

2.  transitive
verb
fulfill:
to do what is stated or required

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS present an artistic work:
to present or enact an artistic work such as a piece of music or a play to an
audience

4.  intransitive
verb
function
or behave:
to function, operate, or behave in a particular way or to a particular standard
• athletes
who perform best under pressure

5.  intransitive
verb
fulfill
an obligation: to fulfill a promise or obligation
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman parformer, an alteration of Old French parfornir,
literally “to accomplish completely,” from fournir “to accomplish”
(source of English furnish ).]
—per·form·a·ble,
adjective

—per·form·er
(plural per·form·ers), noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  perform, do, carry
  out, fulfill,
  discharge, execute
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  complete a task or duty perform; a
  fairly formal word meaning to complete a task or duty, especially when this
  requires skill or care or when it forms part of a set procedure; do; a general word meaning to complete a
  task or duty; carry out; a general
  expression meaning to perform a task or procedure; fulfill; to achieve the successful accomplishment or
  realization of something planned, promised, or anticipated, or the complete
  performance of a duty or obligation; discharge;
  a fairly formal word meaning to fulfill duties or responsibilities
  successfully; execute; a formal
  word meaning to complete an action or procedure that requires skill and
  expertise. It can also be used to refer to the accomplishment of a plan

[1]



performance

performance
per·form·ance 
[pər fáwrməns] (plural per·form·ances)
noun

1.  ARTS artistic
presentation: a presentation of an artistic work to an
audience for example, a play or piece of music

2.  manner
of functioning: the manner in which something or
somebody functions, operates, or behaves

3.  working
effectiveness: the effectiveness of the way somebody
does his or her job (often used before a noun)

4.  display
of behavior: a public display of behavior that others
find distasteful, for example, an angry outburst that causes embarrassment (informal)

5.  thing
accomplished: something that is carried out or
accomplished

6.  the
performing of: the performing of something, for
example, a task or action

7.  LINGUISTICS language
produced:
the language that a speaker or writer actually produces, as distinct from his
or her understanding of the language.
See
also
competence
See
also
parole

[1]



performanceart

performanceart

per·form·ance
art
noun
multimedia
art:
art that combines two or more artistic media, a traditionally static medium,
for example, sculpture or photography, and a dramatic medium, for example,
recitation or improvisation
—per·form·ance art·ist,
noun[1]



performanceenhancer

performanceenhancer
per·form·ance
en·hanc·er
(plural per·form·ance en·hanc·ers) noun

dietary supplement:
any one of various dietary supplements used by athletes to enhance bursts of
high performance[1]



performative

performative
per·form·a·tive
[pər fáwrmətiv] adjective

performing
speech act:
used to describe speech that constitutes an act of some kind, for example, the
phrase “I promise I’ll do my best,” that constitutes a promise in itself
noun
(plural per·form·a·tives)

speech
that constitutes an act: a performative utterance
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from perform, on the model
of declarative .]
—per·form·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



performingarts

performingarts
per·form·ing
arts 
plural noun

theatrical arts:
the forms of art that involve theatrical performance, especially drama, dance,
and music[1]



performingarts medicine

performingarts medicine
per·form·ing
arts med·i·cine noun

See
arts medicine[1]



perfume

perfume
per·fume 
[púr fym, pər
fym] noun (plural per·fumes)

1.  fragrant
liquid:
a fragrant liquid that is sprayed or rubbed on the skin or clothes to give a
pleasant smell

2.  pleasant
scent:
a pleasant smell
transitive
verb
(past per·fumed, past participle per·fumed, present
participle per·fum·ing, 3rd person present singular per·fumes)

give something pleasant scent:
to give something a pleasant smell
[Mid-16th
century. Via French parfum from, ultimately, obsolete Italian parfumare,
literally “to smoke through,” from fumare “to smoke.”]
—per·fumed
[pər fymd, púr
fymd], adjective

—per·fum·y
[púr fymee, pər
fymee], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



perfumer

perfumer
per·fum·er 
[pər fymər] (plural per·fum·ers)
noun

maker or seller of perfume:
somebody who manufactures or sells perfumes[1]



perfumery

perfumery
per·fum·er·y 
[pər fyməree] (plural per·fum·er·ies)
noun

1.  perfumes
in general:
perfumes generally

2.  place
making or selling perfumes: a place of business where
perfumes are manufactured or sold

3.  making
of perfumes: the manufacture of perfumes, or the art
of making perfumes

[1]



perfunctory

perfunctory
per·func·to·ry 
[pər fúngktəree] adjective

1.  done
routinely:
done as a matter of duty or custom, without thought, attention, or genuine
feeling • a
perfunctory kiss

2.  hasty:
done hastily or superficially • a
perfunctory search
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin perfunctorius from, ultimately, perfungi,
literally “to work through,” from fungi (source of English function ).]
—per·func·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—per·func·to·ri·ness, noun[1]



perfuse

perfuse
per·fuse 
[pər fyz] (past per·fused, past
participle per·fused, present participle per·fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular per·fus·es) transitive verb

1.  permeate
something:
to spread throughout something, or spread a substance or quality, for example,
liquid, light, or color, throughout something

2.  MEDICINE inject
liquid into body: to introduce a liquid into tissue or an
organ by circulating it through blood vessels or other channels within the body
[Early
16th century. From Latin perfus-, the past participle stem of perfundere,
literally “to pour over,” from fundere “to pour” (source of English found ).]
—per·fused,
adjective

—per·fu·sion,
noun

—per·fu·sive, adjective[1]



Pergamum

Pergamum
Per·ga·mum 
[púrgəməm]

ancient city in northwestern
Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. It was a major cultural center in the 3rd
and 2nd centuries BC .[1]



pergola

pergola

per·go·la 
[púrgələ] (plural per·go·las) noun
structure
that supports climbing plants: a frame structure
consisting of colonnades or posts with a latticework roof, designed to support
climbing plants
[Late 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin pergula .][1]



perhaps

perhaps
per·haps 
[pər háps, pə
ráps] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb expressing uncertainty, or indicating that something is possibly true
or may possibly happen, often used to make remarks appear less definite • Perhaps
it will be warmer later. • He
wondered if perhaps he had figured things wrong. • Perhaps
his best-known ceramic work is his public mural “Voyage.”
adverb

approximately:
used to show approximation • The
house is perhaps five miles from here.
[15th century. From per “by” + an earlier form of hap “chance.”][1]



peri-

peri-
peri-
prefix

1.  around,
surrounding • pericarp

2.  near
• perilune
• perinatal
[From Greek peri
“around, about.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word which is also the
ancestor of English far, per-, and paradise
.][1]



peri

peri
per·i
[pree] (plural per·is) noun

1.  mythological
figure:
in Persian mythology, a beautiful supernatural being descended from the fallen
angels

2.  beautiful
woman:
a graceful and beautiful girl or woman (literary)
[Late 18th century. From
Persian perī .][1]



perianth

perianth
per·i·anth 
[pérree ànth] (plural per·i·anths)
noun

flower
part:
the outer structure of a flower, made up of the corolla, the calyx, or both.
Also
called
floral envelope
[Early 19th century. Via
French from modern Latin perianthium, literally “around a flower,” from
Greek peri “around” + anthos “flower.”][1]



periapt

periapt
per·i·apt 
[pérree àpt] (plural per·i·apts)
noun

protective
charm:
a charm worn to protect the wearer from harm
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Greek periapton, literally “something fastened around,” from
peri “around” + haptein “to fasten.”][1]



periastron

periastron
per·i·as·tron 
[pèrree ástrən, pèrree
á stròn] (plural per·i·as·trons) noun

points
when stars are nearest: the points in space and time
in the orbits of two stars in a binary system at which they are closest
together
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from peri- + Greek astron “star,” on
the model of perihelion .][1]



pericarditis

pericarditis
per·i·car·di·tis 
[pèrrə kaar dtiss] noun

inflammation
of pericardium: inflammation of the pericardium
—per·i·car·dit·ic [pèrrə kaar díttik], adjective[1]



pericardium

pericardium
per·i·car·di·um 
[pèrrə krdee əm] (plural per·i·car·di·a
[pèrrə krdee ə]) noun

sac
enclosing the heart: a fibrous membrane that
forms a sac surrounding the heart and attached portions of the main blood
vessels
[Late
16th century. Via medieval Latin from Greek perikardion, literally
“around the heart,” from peri “around” + kardia “heart.”]
—per·i·car·di·al,
adjective

—per·i·car·di·ac, adjective[1]



pericarp

pericarp
per·i·carp 
[pérrə krp] (plural per·i·carps)
noun

fruit
wall:
the part of a fruit that surrounds the seed or seeds, including the skin,
flesh, and, for example, in apples, the core
—per·i·car·pi·al
[pèrrə krpee əl], adjective

—per·i·carp·ic [pèrrə krpik], adjective[1]



perichondrium

perichondrium
per·i·chon·dri·um 
[pèrrə kóndree əm] (plural per·i·chon·dri·a
[pèrrə kóndree ə]) noun

cartilage
membrane:
the fibrous membrane that covers the surface of cartilage except at joints
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin, literally “around the cartilage,” from Greek peri
“around” + khondros “cartilage.”]
—per·i·chon·dri·al, adjective[1]



periclase

periclase
per·i·clase 
[pérrə klàyss, pérrə
klàyz] noun

mineral
containing magnesium: a colorless, gray, green, or
yellow mineral consisting of magnesium oxide, often found in limestones
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or via German Periklas from modern Latin periclasia,
literally “breaking around,” from Greek peri “around” + klasis
“breaking,” from its perfect cleavage.]
—per·i·clas·tic [pèrrə klástik], adjective[1]



Pericles

Pericles

Per·i·cles 
[pérrə klz] (495? BC–429? BC)
Athenian
statesman. He dominated Athens during its golden age by means of his oratory
skills and honesty. He ordered the construction of the Parthenon and
established Athens as a great center of art and literature.

—Per·i·cle·an [pèrrə kl ən], adjective[1]



periclinal

periclinal
per·i·cli·nal
[pèrrə kln’l] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY dome-shaped:
used to describe a fold in sedimentary rocks that appears as a regular dome on
the surface of the earth

2.  BOTANY parallel
to outside wall: used to describe cell walls that are
parallel to the outer surface of a plant part
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek periklinēs, literally “sloping all around,” from peri
“all around” + klinein “to slope.”][1]



pericline

pericline
per·i·cline 
[pérrə kln] (plural per·i·clines)
noun

1.  GEOLOGY fold
in rock:
a dome-shaped fold in sedimentary rock

2.  MINERALS mineral
with long white crystals: a variety of the mineral
albite, usually found in the form of long white crystals
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
periklinēs .][1]



pericope

pericope
per·i·cope
[pə ríkəpee] (plural per·i·copes)
noun

passage
from book:
an extract from a book, especially a passage from the Bible selected for
reading during a Roman Catholic Mass
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek perikopē, literally “cutting around,”
from peri “around” + koptein “to cut.”]
—per·i·cop·ic [pèrrə kóppik], adjective[1]



pericranium

pericranium
per·i·cra·ni·um 
[pèrrə kráynee əm] (plural per·i·cra·ni·a
[pèrrə kráynee ə]) noun

skull
membrane:
the membrane of connective tissue that surrounds the skull
[Early
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek perikranion, literally “round
the skull,” from peri “round” + kranion “skull.”]
—per·i·cra·ni·al, adjective[1]



pericycle

pericycle
per·i·cy·cle 
[pérrə sk’l] noun

plant
tissue characteristic of roots: the outer layer of
plant tissue surrounding the inner tissues in the roots and stems of plants ( stele ) that conducts moisture and nutrients
around the plant
[Late
19th century. Via French from Greek perikuklos, literally “circling
around,” from peri “around” + kuklos “circle.”]
—per·i·cy·clic [pèrrə sklik, pèrrə
síklik], adjective[1]



periderm

periderm
per·i·derm 
[pérrə dùrm] noun

plant
tissue:
the outer layer of plant tissue in woody roots and stems
—per·i·der·mal
[pèrrə dúrm’l], adjective

—per·i·der·mic, adjective[1]



peridium

peridium
pe·rid·i·um 
[pə ríddee əm] (plural pe·rid·i·a
[pə ríddee ə]) noun

part
of a fungus: the covering of the spore-bearing organ
in many kinds of fungi
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek pēridion, literally “small leather wallet,” from
pēra “wallet.”][1]



peridot

peridot
per·i·dot 
[pérrə dòt, pérrə
dō] noun

green
gemstone:
a pale green or yellowish green transparent form of the mineral olivine, used
as a gemstone
[Early 18th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



peridotite

peridotite
per·i·do·tite 
[pèrrə dṓ tt] noun

kind
of rock:
a coarse-grained igneous rock rich in iron and magnesium. It is found in
meteorites and also on Earth, where it is thought to form much of the Earth’s
core.
—per·i·do·tit·ic [pèrrə dō títtik], adjective[1]



perigee

perigee

per·i·gee 
[pérrəjee] (plural per·i·gees)
noun
point
nearest to orbited object: the point in the orbit of a
satellite, moon, or planet at which it comes nearest to the object it is
orbiting
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, late Greek perigeios “close
round the earth,” from peri “close round” + gaia “earth.”]
—per·i·ge·al
[pèrrə j əl], adjective

—per·i·ge·an, adjective[1]



periglacial

periglacial
per·i·gla·cial
[pèrrə gláyshəl] adjective

bordering on glacier:
relating to or found in a region that borders on a glacier[1]



perigynous

perigynous
pe·rig·y·nous 
[pə ríjjənəss] adjective

with
flower parts forming cup shape: used to describe a
flower that has petals, stamens, and sepals arranged around a cupshaped
receptacle that contains the ovary, for example, the flowers of cherries and
roses
—pe·rig·y·ny, noun[1]



perihelion

perihelion
per·i·he·li·on 
[pèrrə hlyən, pèrrə
hlee ən, pérrə heelee ən] (plural
per·i·he·li·a [pèrrə hlyə]) noun

point
in orbit nearest to the Sun: the point in the orbit of a
planet or other astronomical body at which it comes closest to the Sun
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin perihelium, literally “close round the sun,”
from Greek peri “close round” + hēlios “sun,” on the model of perigee
.]
—per·i·he·li·al, adjective[1]



perikaryon

perikaryon
per·i·kar·y·on 
[pèrrə kérree òn, pèrrə
kérree ən] (plural per·i·kar·y·a [pèrrə
kérree ə]) noun

part
of nerve cell: the part of a nerve cell that contains
cytoplasm
[Late
19th century. Coined from peri- + karyo- + -on .]
—per·i·kar·y·al, adjective[1]



peril

peril
per·il 
[pérrəl] noun (plural per·ils)

1.  exposure
to risk:
exposure to risk of harm

2.  danger:
a source of possible harm
transitive
verb
(past per·iled, past participle per·iled, present
participle per·il·ing, 3rd person present singular per·ils)

imperil somebody or something:
to expose somebody or something to the risk of harm (archaic)
[13th century. Via French
from Latin periculum “experiment, risk.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to try,” which is also the ancestor of English fear, experiment,
expert, and empiric .][1]



perilla

perilla
pe·ril·la 
[pə ríllə] (plural pe·ril·las)
noun

1.  flowering
plant:
an annual plant native to Asia, especially a variety with white flowers and
oil-rich seeds. Latin name: Perilla frutescens

2.  plant
oil:
a pale yellow oil produced from the seeds of the perilla plant and used in
varnishes and inks
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, the genus name.][1]



perilous

perilous
per·il·ous 
[pérrələss] adjective

very
dangerous:
involving exposure to very great danger
—per·il·ous·ly,
adverb

—per·il·ous·ness, noun[1]



perilune

perilune
per·i·lune
[pérrə ln] (plural per·i·lunes)
noun

lunar
orbit point closest to Moon: the point at which a planet
or other body orbiting the Moon comes closest to the Moon’s surface
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from peri- + Latin luna “moon,” on
the model of apolune .][1]



perilymph

perilymph
per·i·lymph 
[pérrə limf] noun

ear
fluid:
the fluid that fills the space between the membranous labyrinth and the bony
labyrinth in the inner ear
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from peri- + lymph
.][1]



perimeter

perimeter
pe·rim·e·ter 
[pə rímmitər] (plural pe·rim·e·ters)
noun

1.  boundary
enclosing an area: a boundary that encloses an
area

2.  GEOMETRY curve
enclosing area: a curve enclosing an area on a plane, or
the length of such a curve

3.  outer
edge of territory: the outer edge of an area of
defended territory
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek perimetros, literally “measuring
around,” from peri “around” + metron “measure.”]
—per·i·met·ric
[pèrrə méttrik], adjective

—per·i·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—per·i·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



perimorph

perimorph
per·i·morph 
[pérrə màwrf] (plural per·i·morphs)
noun

enclosing
mineral:
a mineral that crystallizes around a grain of a different kind of mineral
—per·i·mor·phic
[pèrrə máwrfik], adjective

—per·i·mor·phous,
adjective

—per·i·mor·phism, noun[1]



perimysium

perimysium
per·i·my·si·um 
[pèrrə mízzee əm, pèrrə
mízhee əm] (plural per·i·my·si·a [pèrrə
mízzee ə]) noun

muscle
sheath:
the sheath of connective tissue that surrounds bundles of muscle fibers
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from peri- + Greek mus “muscle.”][1]



perinatal

perinatal
per·i·na·tal 
[pèrrə náyt’l] adjective

around
the time of childbirth: relating to or occurring
during the period around childbirth, specifically from around week 28 of
pregnancy to around one month after the birth
—per·i·na·tal·ly, adverb[1]



perinatology

perinatology
per·i·na·tol·o·gy 
[pèrrə nay tólləjee] noun

medical
speciality focusing on childbirth period: a
medical speciality concerned with the care and treatment of mother and infant
immediately prior to, during, and following childbirth
—per·i·na·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



perinephrium

perinephrium
per·i·neph·ri·um 
[pèrrə néffree əm] (plural per·i·neph·ri·a
[pèrrə néffree ə]) noun

tissue
around kidney: the fatty tissue that surrounds the
kidney
[Late
19th century. Coined from peri- + Greek nephros
“kidney.”]
—per·i·neph·ric, adjective[1]



perineum

perineum
per·i·ne·um 
[pèrrə n əm] (plural per·i·ne·a
[pèrrə n ə]) noun

body
part at bottom of pelvis: the region of the abdomen
surrounding the urogenital and anal openings
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek perinaion, literally “near to where
excretion takes place,” from peri “near to” + inan “to excrete.”]
—per·i·ne·al, adjective[1]



perineuritis

perineuritis
per·i·neu·ri·tis
[pèrrə n rtiss] noun

perineurium
inflammation: inflammation of a perineurium
—per·i·neu·rit·ic, adjective[1]



perineurium

perineurium
per·i·neu·ri·um 
[pèrri nree əm] (plural per·i·neu·ri·a
[pèrri nree ə]) noun

sheath
around nerve fibers: the sheath of connective
tissue that surrounds a bundle of nerve fibers
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from peri- + neuro- .]
—per·i·neu·ri·al, adjective[1]



period

period
pe·ri·od 
[pree əd] noun (plural pe·ri·ods)

1.  interval
of time:
an interval of time

2.  identifiable
time:
an interval of time that is identified by what happens or exists during it

3.  timetable
section:
a division of a schedule or timetable, for example, a portion of the school day

4.  menstruation
time:
an occurrence of menstruation (often used before a noun)

5.  GEOLOGY unit
of geologic time: a division of geologic time shorter than
an era and longer than an epoch

6.  punctuation
mark:
the punctuation mark “.” that is used at the end of a sentence or in
abbreviations.
U.K.
term
full stop

7.  division
of game:
a division of playing time in some sports

8.  PHYSICS time
for single cycle: the time required for one complete cycle
of a repetitive system, for example, the rotation of a star or the movement of
an electromagnetic wave. Symbol T

9.  MATHEMATICS interval
between equal values: the interval between the
points at which the values of a periodic function are equal

10. CHEMISTRY row
in periodic table: any of the horizontal rows
of elements in the periodic table

11. POETRY unit
of poetic rhythm: one of the longer units in the classical
system of analyzing the rhythms of poetry

12. MUSIC musical
passage:
a long passage of music consisting of two or more contrasting musical phrases
interjection

showing finality:
a word added to the end of a statement to emphasize that the speaker will not
discuss it further (informal)
adjective

relating to particular historical time:
belonging to or intended to suggest a particular historical time • actors
in period costume
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek periodos, literally “way around,” from hodos
“way” (source of English exodus and episode ), the underlying meaning being
“circuit, cycle.”][1]



periodic

periodic
pe·ri·od·ic 
[pree óddik] adjective

1.  occasional:
recurring or reappearing from time to time

2.  regular:
occurring or appearing at regular intervals or in regular cycles

3.  involving
periods:
associated with or occurring in periods
[Mid-17th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek periodikos, from periodos
(see period ).]
—pe·ri·od·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  periodic, intermittent, occasional, sporadic
  CORE
  MEANING: recurring
  over a period of time periodic;
  used to indicate that something occurs at intervals, suggesting a degree of
  regularity; intermittent; used to
  indicate that something occurs at irregular intervals and emphasizing the
  absence of continuity or regularity; occasional;
  used to indicate that something occurs infrequently and irregularly, often
  used to describe something fairly minor or unimportant; sporadic; used to indicate that something
  occurs irregularly and unpredictably, often implying scattered instances

[1]



periodicacid

periodicacid
pe·ri·od·ic
ac·id 
(plural pe·ri·od·ic ac·ids) noun

acid
of iodine:
any strongly oxidizing acid of iodine
[Coined from per- + iodic][1]



periodical

periodical
pe·ri·od·i·cal 
[pree óddik’l] noun (plural pe·ri·od·i·cals)

magazine: a
magazine or journal published at regular intervals such as weekly, monthly, or
quarterly
adjective

1.  published
regularly:
published at regular intervals

2.  occasional:
recurring or reappearing from time to time

[1]



periodicalcicada

periodicalcicada
pe·ri·od·i·cal
ci·ca·da
noun

See
seventeen-year locust[1]



periodicfunction

periodicfunction
pe·ri·od·ic
func·tion
(plural pe·ri·od·ic func·tions) noun

mathematical function whose
value repeats: a mathematical function
whose value is the same at regular intervals[1]



periodicity

periodicity
pe·ri·o·dic·i·ty 
[pree ə díssətee] noun

1.  regular
recurrence:
recurrence at regular intervals

2.  CHEMISTRY chemical
similarity:
similarity between the properties of chemical elements that are close to each
other in the periodic table

[1]



periodiclaw

periodiclaw
pe·ri·od·ic
law 
noun

law of chemical similarity:
the law stating that chemical elements fall into groups sharing similar
properties when they are arranged according to atomic number[1]



periodicsentence

periodicsentence
pe·ri·od·ic
sen·tence 
(plural pe·ri·od·ic sen·tenc·es) noun

complex rhetorical sentence:
in rhetoric, a complex sentence in which the main clause is left unfinished
until the end in order to create the effect of anticipation or suspense[1]



periodicsystem

periodicsystem
pe·ri·od·ic
sys·tem
noun

system of organizing chemical
elements: the system of arranging
chemical elements in a table according to the periodic law[1]



periodictable

periodictable

pe·ri·od·ic ta·ble 
noun
table of chemical elements:
a table of the chemical elements arranged according to their atomic numbers[1]



periodization

periodization
pe·ri·o·di·za·tion
[pree ədi záysh’n] noun

division into periods:
the dividing of history into distinct and identifiable periods[1]



periodontal

periodontal
per·i·o·don·tal 
[pèrree ə dónt’l] adjective

in
tissues around a tooth: relating to or affecting the
tissues that surround the neck and root of a tooth
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from peri- + Greek odont
“tooth.”]
—per·i·o·don·tal·ly, adverb[1]



periodontics

periodontics
per·i·o·don·tics 
[pèrree ə dóntiks] or per·i·o·don·tia
[pèrree ə dónshə] or per·i·o·don·tol·o·gy
[pèrree ə don tólləjee] noun

dental
treatment of gums: the branch of dentistry
concerned with the treatment of diseases of the gums and other periodontal
tissues
—per·i·o·don·tic,
adjective

—per·i·o·don·ti·cal,
adjective

—per·i·o·don·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—per·i·o·don·tist, noun[1]



periodpiece

periodpiece
pe·ri·od
piece
(plural pe·ri·od piec·es) noun

something evoking a
historical period: something,
especially a curio or a work of art, that dates from or evokes a particular
historical period, often something with no other value[1]



perionychium

perionychium
per·i·o·nych·i·um 
[pèrree ō níkee əm] (plural per·i·o·nych·i·a
[pèrree ō níkee ə]) noun

skin
around a nail: the areas of skin that surround a
fingernail or toenail
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “round the nail,” from Greek onux “nail.”][1]



periosteum

periosteum
per·i·os·te·um 
[pèrree óstee əm] (plural per·i·os·te·a
[pèrree óstee ə]) noun

tissue
around bones: the sheath of connective tissue that
surrounds all bones except those at joints
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from, Greek periosteon, literally “around
the bone,” from osteon “bone.”]
—per·i·os·te·al, adjective[1]



periostitis

periostitis
per·i·os·ti·tis 
[pèrree o sttiss, pèrree
ə sttiss] noun

periosteum
inflammation: inflammation of the periosteum
—per·i·os·tit·ic [pèrree o stíttik], adjective[1]



periostracum

periostracum
per·i·os·tra·cum 
[pèrree óstrəkəm] (plural per·i·os·tra·ca
[pèrree óstrəkə]) noun

shell’s
outer layer: the hard outer layer of the shell of
some mollusks, especially freshwater mollusks
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “shell around,” from Greek ostrakon “shell.”][1]



periotic

periotic
per·i·o·tic 
[pèrree óttik] adjective

around the ear:
involving the area around the ear, especially the bones around the inner ear[1]



Peripatetic

Peripatetic
Per·i·pa·tet·ic 
[pèrrəpə téttik] adjective

relating
to Aristotle’s philosophy: belonging or relating to the
school of philosophy founded by Aristotle, who gave lectures while walking
about the Lyceum in Athens
noun
(plural Per·i·pa·tet·ics)

Aristotelian philosopher:
a member of the Aristotelian school of philosophy[1]



peripatetic

peripatetic
per·i·pa·tet·ic 
[pèrrəpə téttik] adjective

going
from place to place: traveling from place to
place, especially working in several establishments and traveling between them
noun
(plural per·i·pa·tet·ics)

peripatetic
worker:
a peripatetic worker, especially a teacher who travels between schools
[Early
17th century. Via French or Latin from Greek peripatētikos, from peripatein
“to walk around,” which in turn was formed form patein “to walk.”]
—per·i·pa·tet·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



peripatus

peripatus
pe·rip·a·tus 
[pə ríppətəss] (plural pe·rip·a·tus·es)
noun

See
onychophoran
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin, the genus name, from Greek peripatos, literally “way around,”
from peripatos “way.”][1]



peripeteia

peripeteia
per·i·pe·te·ia 
[pèrrəpə t ə, pèrrəpə
t ə] (plural per·i·pe·te·ias) or per·i·pe·ti·a
[pèrrəpə t ə, pèrrəpə
t ə] (plural per·i·pe·ti·as) noun

abrupt
change:
an abrupt change in events or circumstances, especially in drama (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Greek, literally “falling down around,” from pet-,
the stem of piptein “to fall.”]
—per·i·pe·tei·an, adjective[1]



peripheral

peripheral
pe·riph·er·al 
[pə ríffərəl] adjective

1.  at
the edge:
at or relating to the edge of something, as opposed to its center

2.  not
significant: minor or incidental in importance or
relevance

3.  ANATOMY near
the surface: near the surface of an organ or the body
noun
(plural pe·riph·er·als)

COMPUTING peripheral
piece of hardware: a piece of computer hardware
such as a printer or a disk drive that is external to but connected with and
controlled by a computer’s central processing unit
—pe·riph·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



peripheralnervous system

peripheralnervous system
pe·riph·er·al
nerv·ous sys·tem (plural pe·riph·er·al nerv·ous
sys·tems) noun

part of nervous system:
the part of the nervous system that lies outside the brain and spinal cord[1]



periphery

periphery
pe·riph·er·y 
[pə ríffəree] (plural pe·riph·er·ies)
noun

1.  boundary:
the area around the edge of a place

2.  surface:
the surface of an object

3.  position
of little involvement: the position or state of
having only a minor involvement in something
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek peripherēs, literally “carrying around,”
from pherein “to carry.”][1]



periphrasis

periphrasis
pe·riph·ra·sis 
[pə ríffrəssiss] (plural pe·riph·ra·ses
[pə ríffrə sz]) noun

1.  indirect
speech:
the use of overly long or indirect speech in order to say something

2.  indirect
statement:
an expression that states something indirectly
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek periphrazein, literally “to explain around,”
from phrazein “to explain.”][1]



periphrastic

periphrastic
per·i·phras·tic 
[pèrrə frástik] adjective

1.  using
periphrasis: concerning or using periphrasis

2.  GRAMMAR not
formed with inflections: formed using two or more
words rather than an inflected form, especially used to describe a verb tense
formed using an auxiliary verb rather than by inflecting the main verb
[Early
19th century. From Greek periphrastikos, from periphrazein (see periphrasis ).]
—per·i·phras·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



periphyton

periphyton
pe·riph·y·ton 
[pə ríffə tòn] noun

aquatic
organisms:
aquatic plants and animals that live attached to rocks and other submerged
objects
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably coined from peri- +
Greek phuton “plant,” on the model of plankton .][1]



periplasm

periplasm
per·i·plasm 
[pérrə plàzzəm] noun

part of cell:
the area of a cell that lies immediately inside the cell wall but outside the
plasma membrane[1]



periplast

periplast
per·i·plast 
[pérrə plàst] (plural per·i·plasts)
noun

cell wall or membrane:
a cell wall or cell membrane[1]



periproct

periproct
per·i·proct 
[pérrə pròkt] (plural per·i·procts)
noun

area
near anus of invertebrate: the area surrounding the
anus of some invertebrate animals such as sea urchins
[Late 19th century. Coined
from peri- + Greek prōktos “anus.”][1]



peripteral

peripteral
pe·rip·ter·al 
[pə ríptərəl] adjective

with
columns on all sides: used to describe a classical
building that has a single row of columns on all sides
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek peripteros, literally “with a wing around,” from pteron
“wing.”][1]



perique

perique
pe·rique 
[pə rk] noun

type
of Louisiana tobacco: a strongly-flavored tobacco
grown in Lousiana. It is usually mixed with other tobaccos.
[Late 19th century. From
Louisiana French, of uncertain origin: possibly from Périque, the
nickname of Pierre Chenet, the tobacco grower who developed it.][1]



periscope

periscope

per·i·scope 
[pérrə skp] (plural per·i·scopes)
noun
tubular optical instrument:
a long tubular optical instrument, for example, on a submarine, that uses
lenses, prisms, and mirrors to allow a viewer to see objects not in a direct
line of sight[1]



periscopic

periscopic
per·i·scop·ic
[pèrrə skóppik] adjective

1.  with
wide field of view: used to describe a lens that
has a wide field of view

2.  relating
to periscopes: relating to or using a periscope
—per·i·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



perish

perish
per·ish 
[pérrish] (past per·ished, past
participle per·ished, present participle per·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular per·ish·es) intransitive verb

1.  die:
to die, for example, because of harsh conditions or accident (literary)

2.  disappear:
to come to an end or cease to exist (formal)
[13th century. Via French périss-,
the stem of périr, from Latin perire, literally “to go
completely,” from ire “to go” (source of English exit ).][1]



perishable

perishable
per·ish·a·ble 
[pérrishəb’l] adjective

spoiling
easily:
liable to decay, rot, or spoil
noun
(plural per·ish·a·bles)

perishable
item:
something that is perishable, especially an item of food
—per·ish·a·bil·i·ty
[pèrrishə bíllətee], noun

—per·ish·a·ble·ness
[pérrəshəb’lnəss], noun

—per·ish·a·bly, adverb[1]



perisperm

perisperm
per·i·sperm 
[pérrə spùrm] noun

plant
tissue:
nutritive tissue from a plant nucleus that surrounds the seed embryo
—per·i·sperm·al [pèrrə spúrməl], adjective[1]



perissodactyl

perissodactyl
pe·ris·so·dac·tyl 
[pə rìssə dákt’l] (plural pe·ris·so·dac·tyls)
noun

large
mammal:
a large mammal that belongs to the order of mammals with hooves and an odd
number of toes, which includes horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. Order:
Perissodactyla
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Perissodactyla, the order name, literally
“uneven finger or toe,” from Greek perissos “uneven” + daktulos
“finger, toe.”]
—pe·ris·so·dac·tyl,
adjective

—pe·ris·so·dac·ty·lous
[pə rìssə dákt’ləss], adjective[1]



peristalsis

peristalsis
per·i·stal·sis 
[pèrrə stáwlsiss] (plural per·i·stal·ses)
noun

muscle
contractions: the waves of involuntary muscle
contractions that transport food, waste matter, or other contents through a
tube-shaped organ such as the intestine
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek peristaltikos “clasping,
compressing,” from peristellein, literally “to place around,” from stellein
“to place.”]
—per·i·stal·tic,
adjective

—per·i·stal·ti·cal·ly
[pèrrə stáwltikəlee], adverb[1]



peristome

peristome
per·i·stome 
[pérrə stm] (plural per·i·stomes)
noun

mouthparts
of invertebrate: the mouthparts of an invertebrate such
as an earthworm or echinoderm
—per·i·sto·mal [pèrrə stṓm’l], adjective[1]



peristyle

peristyle
per·i·style 
[pérrə stl] (plural per·i·styles)
noun

1.  encircling
columns:
a line of columns ( colonnade ) that
encircles a building or a courtyard

2.  building
with peristyle: a building or courtyard that has a
peristyle
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek peristulos “having
columns around,” from stulos “column.”]
—per·i·sty·lar [pèrrə stlər], adjective[1]



perithecium

perithecium
per·i·the·ci·um 
[pèrrə thssee əm, pèrrə
thshee əm] (plural per·i·the·ci·a [pèrrə thshee ə]) noun

fungus
part:
in some kinds of fungus, a flask-shaped fruiting body that contains spores
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “case around,” from Greek peri “around” + thēkē
“case.”][1]



peritoneum

peritoneum
per·i·to·ne·um 
[pèrrət’n  əm] (plural per·i·to·ne·ums
or per·i·to·ne·a [pèrrət’n  ə])
noun

abdominal
lining:
a smooth transparent membrane that lines the abdomen and doubles back over the
surfaces of the internal organs to form a continuous sac
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Greek peritonos “stretched
around,” from teinein “to stretch.”]
—per·i·to·ne·al,
adjective

—per·i·to·ne·al·ly, adverb[1]



peritonitis

peritonitis
per·i·to·ni·tis 
[pèrrət’n tiss] noun

inflammation
of abdomen lining: inflammation of the membrane
that lines the abdomen ( peritoneum ).
Symptoms can include swelling of the abdomen, severe pain, and weight loss.
—per·i·ton·it·ic [pèrrət’n íttik], adjective[1]



peritrack

peritrack
per·i·track
[pérrə trak] (plural per·i·tracks)
noun

See
taxiway
[Late 20th century. Coined
from perimeter + track
.][1]



peritrich

peritrich
per·i·trich 
[pérrə trìk] (plural per·i·tri·cha
[pə ríttrəkə]) noun

miscroscopic
organism:
a simple microscopic invertebrate ( protozoan
) covered in tiny filaments ( cilia ) that
it uses to move around
[Early
20th century. Shortening of modern Latin peritricha, literally “hair
around,” from Greek peri “around” + trikh-, the stem of thrix
“hair.”]
—pe·rit·ri·chous [pə ríttrəkəss], adjective[1]



periwig

periwig
per·i·wig 
[pérrə wìg] (plural per·i·wigs)
noun

man’s
wig:
a wig, especially of the kind that men wore in the 17th and 18th centuries
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of an earlier form of peruke .][1]



periwinkle

periwinkle1
per·i·win·kle1  [pérrə
wìngk’l] (plural per·i·win·kles) noun

MARINE BIOLOGY See
winkle
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Old English pinewincle “mussel
shell.”][1]



periwinkle

periwinkle2

per·i·win·kle2  [pérrə
wìngk’l] noun (plural per·i·win·kles)
PLANTS trailing
plant:
a European or Asian trailing evergreen plant with blue or white flowers and
dark green glossy leaves. Genus: Vinca
Also
called
myrtle
Also
called
vinca
adjective
pale
bluish purple: of a pale bluish purple color
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin pervinca, which evolved from Latin vincapervinca, of
uncertain origin: perhaps formed from pervincire, literally “to wind
around.”][1]



perjure

perjure
per·jure 
[púrjər] (past per·jured, past
participle per·jured, present participle per·jur·ing, 3rd
person present singular per·jures) reflexive verb

commit
perjury:
to tell a lie in a court of law and therefore be guilty of perjury
[15th
century. Via French from Latin perjurare “to swear falsely,” from jurare
(see jury ).]
—per·jur·er, noun[1]



perjured

perjured
per·jured
[púrjərd] adjective

1.  guilty
of perjury:
guilty of telling a lie in a court of law and therefore of committing perjury

2.  containing
perjury:
containing lies and therefore breaking an oath to tell the truth in a court of
law

[1]



perjury

perjury
per·ju·ry 
[púrjəree] (plural per·ju·ries)
noun

1.  telling
lies under oath: the telling of a lie after having taken
an oath to tell the truth, usually in a court of law

2.  lie
under oath:
a lie told in a court of law by somebody who has taken an oath to tell the
truth
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin perjurium, from perjurare
(see perjure ).]
—per·ju·ri·ous
[pər jree əss], adjective

—per·ju·ri·ous·ly
[pər jree əsslee], adverb

—per·ju·ri·ous·ness [pər jree əssnəss], noun[1]



perk

perk2
perk2  [purk]
(past perked, past participle perked, present
participle perk·ing, 3rd person present singular perks)
intransitive and transitive verb

percolate:
to percolate, or to percolate coffee (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



perk

perk1
perk1  [purk]
(plural perks) noun

additional
benefit:
a benefit given to an employee in addition to a salary, for example, the use of
a car or membership in a club
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of perquisite .][1]



Perkins,Maxwell

Perkins,Maxwell
Per·kins
[púrkinz], Maxwell (1884–1947)

U.S.
book editor. He is known for his championing of writers such as F. Scott
Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.
Full name
Perkins, Maxwell Evarts[1]



perkup

perkup
perk
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become lively: to become or make somebody more
cheerful, positive, or active

2.  stick
up:
to stick up or make something stick up, especially quickly • saw
the dog’s ears perk up
[Perk is of uncertain origin:
perhaps from an obsolete word meaning “to perch,” via medieval Latin perca
“perch” from Latin pertica (see perch
)][1]



perky

perky
perk·y 
[púrkee] (comparative perk·i·er,
superlative perk·i·est) adjective

1.  lively
and cheerful: lively, cheerful, and energetic

2.  overly
confident:
irritatingly self-confident
—perk·i·ly,
adverb

—perk·i·ness, noun[1]



perlite

perlite
per·lite
[púr lt] noun

glass
grains:
a grayish volcanic glass in the form of grains that resemble pearls. It is
often added to potting soil as a conditioner and is also used as a heat
insulator.
—per·lit·ic [pur líttik], adjective[1]



Perlman,Itzhak

Perlman,Itzhak
Perl·man
[púrlmən], Itzhak (1945– )

Israeli-born U.S. violinist.
He is considered one of the finest violinists of his generation.[1]



Perl,Martin L.

Perl,Martin L.
Perl
[purl], Martin L. (1927– )

U.S. physicist. He shared the
Nobel Prize in physics (1995) for discovering the tau lepton, a fundamental
atomic particle.[1]



perlocution

perlocution
per·lo·cu·tion
[pùrlə kysh’n] noun

effect
of spoken words: the effect that a speaker’s words have
on somebody. Their effect might be, for example, to reassure or frighten.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from per + locution
.][1]



perm

perm
perm 
[purm] noun (plural perms)

hair
treatment:
a hair treatment that uses chemicals to give hair long-lasting curliness or
waviness
transitive
verb
(past permed, past participle permed, present
participle perm·ing, 3rd person present singular perms)

give
hair a perm: to treat hair chemically to give it
long-lasting curliness or waviness
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of permanent .][1]



Perm

Perm
Perm 
[purm, pairm]
or Perm’ [purm, pairm]

city in eastern European
Russia. Population: 1,098,600 (1992)[1]



permafrost

permafrost
per·ma·frost 
[púrmə fràwst] noun

permanently
frozen land: underlying soil or rock that remains
permanently frozen, found mainly in the polar regions
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from permanent + frost
.][1]



Permalloy

Permalloy
Perm·al·loy 
[púrmə lòy] Trademark

a trademark for various
nickel-iron alloys that are highly valued in the electronics industry because
they allow magnetic fields to pass through them[1]



permanence

permanence
per·ma·nence 
[púrmənəns] or per·ma·nen·cy [púrmənəns] noun

permanent
condition:
existence in the same form forever or for a very long time
[15th century. Directly or
via French or medieval Latin permanentia, from the Latin stem permanent-
(see permanent ).][1]



permanent

permanent
per·ma·nent 
[púrmənənt] adjective

1.  everlasting:
lasting forever or for a very long time, especially without undergoing
significant change

2.  unchanging:
never changing or not expected to change
noun
(plural per·ma·nents)

HAIRDRESSING perm:
a perm (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin permanere, literally “to
remain through,” from manere “to remain” (source of English remain ).]
—per·ma·nent·ly,
adverb

—per·ma·nent·ness, noun[1]



permanentmagnet

permanentmagnet
per·ma·nent
mag·net
(plural per·ma·nent mag·nets) noun

magnet
remaining magnetic: a magnet that retains its
properties after the magnetizing force has been removed from it. Permanent
magnets are used in loudspeakers and small motors.
—per·ma·nent mag·net·ism,
noun[1]



permanentpress

permanentpress
per·ma·nent
press
noun

fabric treatment:
any chemical process, for example, the use of resin, used to give fabric shape
and make it resistant to wrinkling (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



permanenttooth

permanenttooth
per·ma·nent
tooth
noun

adult tooth:
any of the second and final set of teeth that grow to replace the milk teeth. A
human adult has 32 permanent teeth.[1]



permanentwave

permanentwave
per·ma·nent
wave
(plural per·ma·nent waves) noun

HAIRDRESSING
perm:
a perm (formal)[1]



permanganate

permanganate
per·man·ga·nate 
[pur máng gə nàyt, pur
máng gənət] (plural per·man·ga·nates) noun

chemical
compound:
a chemical compound that is a salt of permanganic acid
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from manganese .][1]



permanganicacid

permanganicacid
per·man·gan·ic
ac·id 
[pùr man gànnik ássid] noun

kind
of acid:
an unstable acid that exists only in dilute solution. HMnO4
[Permanganic formed from permanganate][1]



permeability

permeability
per·me·a·bil·i·ty 
[pùr mee ə bíllətee] (plural per·me·a·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  permeable
nature:
the property of being permeable

2.  rate
substance passes through porous medium: the
rate at which something such as a liquid or a magnetic field passes through a
membrane or other medium

3.  magnetic
property:
the property of a material to alter a magnetic field in which it is placed, or
a measure of this property. Symbol µ

[1]



permeable

permeable
per·me·a·ble 
[púrmee əb’l] adjective

allowing
substances through: allowing liquids, gases, or
magnetic fields to pass through
—per·me·a·bly, adverb[1]



permeance

permeance
per·me·ance 
[púrmee əns] noun

1.  act
of permeating: the act of passing through a porous
substance or membrane

2.  ability
to be magnetized: the ability of a magnetic component or
assembly to be magnetized, measured in henries and calculated by dividing the
magnetic flux by the magnetomotive force
—per·me·ant, adjective,
noun[1]



permease

permease
per·me·ase 
[púrmee àyss, púrmee
àyz] (plural per·me·ases) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme that brings about a chemical reaction to carry a substance across a
cell membrane
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from permeate .][1]



permeate

permeate
per·me·ate 
[púrmee àyt] (past per·me·at·ed,
past participle per·me·at·ed, present participle per·me·at·ing,
3rd person present singular per·me·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  spread
through:
to enter something and spread throughout it, so that every part or aspect of it
is affected

2.  SCIENCE pass
through:
to pass through the minute openings in a porous substance or membrane, or make
something such as a liquid pass through
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin permeare “to pass through,” from meare “to
pass.”]
—per·me·a·tion
[pùrmee áysh’n], noun

—per·me·a·tive [púrmee àytiv], adjective[1]



permeate

permeate
per·me·ate 
[púrmee àyt] (past per·me·at·ed,
past participle per·me·at·ed, present participle per·me·at·ing,
3rd person present singular per·me·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  spread
through:
to enter something and spread throughout it, so that every part or aspect of it
is affected

2.  SCIENCE pass
through:
to pass through the minute openings in a porous substance or membrane, or make
something such as a liquid pass through
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin permeare “to pass through,” from meare “to
pass.”]
—per·me·a·tion
[pùrmee áysh’n], noun

—per·me·a·tive [púrmee àytiv], adjective[1]



permensem

permensem
per
men·sem 
[pur mén sèm] adverb

every
month:
monthly or by the month (formal)
[From modern Latin, literally
“by the month”][1]



Permian

Permian
Per·mi·an 
[púrmee ən] noun

geologic
period:
the period of geologic time when reptiles flourished, 290 million to 245
million years ago
[Late
16th century. Named for the province of Perm in eastern Russia, where
strata from the period are easily visible.]
—Per·mi·an, adjective[1]



permill

permill
per
mill
[pər míl] or per mil [pər míl] adverb

in
every thousand: in every thousand or by the thousand
[“Mill” from Latin mille
“thousand”][1]



permissible

permissible
per·mis·si·ble 
[pər míssəb’l] adjective

permitted:
allowable or permitted
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin permiss-, the past
participle stem of permittere (see permit
).]
—per·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[pər mìssə bíllətee], noun

—per·mis·si·bly [pər míssəblee], adverb[1]



permission

permission
per·mis·sion 
[pər mísh’n] (plural per·mis·sions)
noun

authorization:
agreement to allow something to happen or be done
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin permiss-, the past participle stem of permittere
(see permit ).][1]



permissive

permissive
per·mis·sive 
[pər míssiv] adjective

1.  allowing
freedom of behavior: allowing or enjoying the
freedom to behave in ways others might consider unacceptable, particularly in
sexual matters

2.  giving
permission:
granting permission

3.  optional:
not required (archaic)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin per .]
—per·mis·sive·ly,
adverb

—per·mis·sive·ness, noun[1]



permit

permit
per·mit 
verb [pər mít] (past per·mit·ted,
past participle per·mit·ted, present participle per·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular per·mits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb allow
something:
to allow something or give permission for it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something possible: to allow somebody the
possibility of doing something

3.  reflexive
verb
allow
yourself something: to allow yourself to have or
do something, especially as a luxury or for a special occasion
noun
[púrmit, pər mít]
(plural per·mits)

1.  document
giving permission: an official document or
certificate giving permission for something

2.  permission:
permission granted, especially in written form (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin permittere, literally “to let go through,” from mittere
“to let go” (source of English mission
).]
—per·mit·tee
[pùrmi t], noun

—per·mit·ter [pər míttər], noun[1]



permittivity

permittivity
per·mit·tiv·i·ty 
[pùrmi tívvətee] (plural per·mit·tiv·i·ties)
noun

electrical
storage ability: the measure of the ability of a
nonconducting material to retain electric energy when placed in an electric
field. Symbol ε
[Late 19th century. Formed
from permit, on the model of conductivity
.][1]



permutation

permutation
per·mu·ta·tion 
[pùrmyə táysh’n, pùrmyoo
táysh’n] (plural per·mu·ta·tions) noun

1.  arrangement:
an arrangement of items created by moving or reordering them

2.  transformation:
a change or transformation

3.  rearranging:
the reordering or rearranging of items in a group

4.  MATHEMATICS order
of mathematical elements: an ordered arrangement of
elements from a set
—per·mu·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



permute

permute
per·mute 
[pər myt] (past per·mut·ed, past
participle per·mut·ed, present participle per·mut·ing,
3rd person present singular per·mutes) transitive verb

1.  rearrange
things:
to change the order of items in a group, especially to rearrange them in every
possible way

2.  MATHEMATICS rearrange
mathematical elements: to reorder the elements in a
mathematical set
[Late
19th century. From Latin permutare, literally “to change completely,”
from mutare “to change” (source of English mutate
).]
—per·mut·a·bil·i·ty
[pər mytə bíllətee], noun

—per·mut·a·ble
[pər mytəb’l], adjective

—per·mut·a·bly, adverb[1]



pernicious

pernicious
per·ni·cious 
[pər níshəss] adjective

1.  causing
serious harm: causing great harm, destruction, or
death

2.  malicious:
wicked or meaning to cause harm
[Early
16th century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin pernicies,
literally “complete destruction,” from nec-, the stem of nex
“destruction.”]
—per·ni·cious·ly,
adverb

—per·ni·cious·ness, noun[1]



perniciousanemia

perniciousanemia
per·ni·cious
a·ne·mi·a 
noun

form of anemia:
a severe form of anemia, found mostly in older adults, that results from the
body’s inability to absorb vitamin B 12 . Symptoms
include weakness, breathing difficulties, and weight loss.[1]



pernickety

pernickety
per·nick·e·ty 
[pər níkətee] adjective

(informal)
See persnickety
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown: perhaps thought to suggest small pieces.]
—per·nick·e·ti·ness, noun[1]



Pernod

Pernod
Per·nod
[per nṓ] Trademark

a trademark for an alcoholic
liquor with the flavor of anise[1]



peroneal

peroneal
per·o·ne·al
[pèrrə n əl] adjective

relating
to a bone in the lower leg: relating to the narrower of
the two bones in the lower leg ( fibula )
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek peronē “pin of a brooch, fibula.”][1]



peroral

peroral
per·o·ral 
[pər áwrəl] adjective

by
mouth:
occurring by way of the mouth
—per·o·ral·ly, adverb[1]



perorate

perorate
per·o·rate 
[pérrə ràyt] (past per·o·rat·ed,
past participle per·o·rat·ed, present participle per·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·o·rates) intransitive verb
(formal)

1.  end
speech:
to finish a speech by summarizing its main points

2.  give
speech:
to speak at length, especially in a formal or pompous way
[Early
17th century. From Latin perorare, literally “to speak all the way
through,” from orare “to speak” (source of English oration ).]
—per·o·ra·tion
[pèrrə ráysh’n], noun

—per·o·ra·tion·al, adjective[1]



Perot,H. Ross

Perot,H. Ross

Pe·rot
[pə rṓ], H. Ross (1930– )
U.S.
business executive and politician. He ran unsuccessfully as an independent
candidate for president (1992), and established the political movement “United
We Stand America.”
Full name
Perot, Henry Ross[1]



perovskite

perovskite
per·ov·skite 
[pə róv skt, pə
ráwf skt] (plural per·ov·skites) noun

calcium
mineral:
a black, yellow, or brown mineral consisting of calcium titanate, with
applications in superconductivity
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Russian mineralogist L. A. Perovski, 1792–1856 .][1]



peroxidase

peroxidase
per·ox·i·dase 
[pə róksə dàyz] (plural per·ox·i·dases)
noun

oxidation enzyme:
an enzyme found in plants that speeds up oxidation reactions involving hydrogen
peroxide or other peroxides[1]



peroxide

peroxide
per·ox·ide 
[pə rók sd] noun (plural per·ox·ides)

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
compound:
a chemical compound such as hydrogen peroxide that contains oxygen atoms in the
group -O 2 -

2.  hair
coloring substance: a solution of hydrogen
peroxide used as a hair lightener. It gives hair an unnaturally light blond
tint that is almost white. (often used before a noun) • a
peroxide blonde
transitive
verb
(past per·ox·id·ed, past participle per·ox·id·ed, present
participle per·ox·id·ing, 3rd person present singular per·ox·ides)

1.  bleach
hair with peroxide: to bleach hair using
peroxide

2.  CHEMISTRY treat
something with peroxide: to treat something with
peroxide or hydrogen peroxide

[1]



peroxisome

peroxisome
per·ox·i·some 
[pə róksi sm] (plural per·ox·i·somes)
noun

oxidizer
of toxic substances: a tiny part within a cell
containing enzymes that oxidize toxic substances such as alcohol and prevent
them from doing any harm. There are many peroxisomes in the cells of the liver
and kidney.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from peroxide + -some
.][1]



perp

perp
perp 
[purp] (plural perps) noun

somebody
who commits a crime: somebody responsible for a
crime (slang)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of perpetrator .][1]



perpend

perpend1
per·pend1  [pər
pénd] (plural per·pends) noun

BUILDING binding
stone or brick: a stone or brick built into a wall to go
from one side of the wall to the other and act as a binder.
Also
called
parpen
U.K.
term
parpen
[15th century. Variant of parpen .][1]



perpend

perpend2
per·pend2  [pər
pénd] (past per·pend·ed, past participle per·pend·ed,
present participle per·pend·ing, 3rd person present singular
per·pends) intransitive and transitive verb

ponder
something:
to ponder something (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin perpendere, literally “to weigh thoroughly,” from pendere
“to weigh” (source of English pensive
).][1]



perpendicular

perpendicular
per·pen·dic·u·lar 
[pùrpən díkyələr] adjective

1.  at
right angles: at right angles to a line or plane

2.  vertical:
perfectly vertical

3.  per·pen·dic·u·lar
or Per·pen·dic·u·lar ARCHITECTURE
in
late Gothic style: relating to or typical of a
style of Gothic architecture whose characteristic elements are tall narrow
facades, windows, and doors, and vaulted ceilings. It was popular in England in
the 14th and 15th centuries.

4.  steep:
very steep
noun
(plural per·pen·dic·u·lars)

1.  perpendicular
line:
a perpendicular line or plane

2.  device
finding the vertical: any device used to establish
a vertical line such as a spirit level or a plumb line

3.  MOUNTAINEERING sheer
rock:
a sheer rock face
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin perpendiculum “plumb
line,” literally “something weighed thoroughly,” formed from perpendere,
literally “to weigh thoroughly,” formed in turn from pendere “to
weigh.”]
—per·pen·dic·u·lar·i·ty
[pùrpən dikyə lérrətee], noun

—per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly
[pùrpən díkyələrlee], adverb[1]



perpetrate

perpetrate
per·pe·trate 
[púrpə tràyt] (past per·pe·trat·ed,
past participle per·pe·trat·ed, present participle per·pe·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular per·pe·trates) transitive verb

do
something wrong: to commit or be responsible for
something, usually something criminal or morally wrong
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin perpetrare, literally “to completely bring about,”
from patrare “to bring about,” literally “to father,” from pater
“father.”]
—per·pe·tra·tion
[pùrpə tráysh’n], noun

—per·pe·tra·tor [púrpə tràytər], noun[1]



perpetual

perpetual
per·pet·u·al 
[pər péchoo əl] (plural per·pet·u·als)
adjective

1.  lasting
for ever:
lasting for all time

2.  lasting
indefinitely: lasting for an indefinitely long time

3.  occurring
repeatedly:
occurring over and over

4.  BOTANY blooming
throughout season: used to describe flowers or
flowering plants that bloom throughout the season
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin perpes “continuous,” literally “going toward
throughout,” from petere “to go toward” (source of English petition ).][1]



perpetualcalendar

perpetualcalendar

per·pet·u·al cal·en·dar
noun
reusable calendar:
a calendar set out in such as way that it can be used for several years or for
any year[1]



perpetualcheck

perpetualcheck
per·pet·u·al
check
noun

repeated check situation:
a situation in chess in which one player’s king is placed in check with every
move the other player makes, resulting in a draw[1]



perpetually

perpetually
per·pet·u·al·ly
[pər péchoo əlee] adverb

1.  forever:
forever or for a very long time

2.  repeatedly:
repeatedly at very short intervals, and so appearing to be continuous

[1]



perpetualmotion

perpetualmotion
per·pet·u·al
mo·tion
noun

1.  hypothetical
motion:
the hypothetical continuous operation of a mechanism without the introduction
of energy from an external source, known as perpetual motion of the first kind.
A device demonstrating this would violate the first law of thermodynamics,
which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

2.  hypothetical
conversion of heat: the hypothetical operation
of a mechanism that would convert heat directly into work, known as perpetual
motion of the second kind. A device demonstrating this would violate the second
law of thermodynamics, which states that heat cannot be converted into work
without producing some other effect.

[1]



perpetuate

perpetuate
per·pet·u·ate 
[pər péchoo àyt] (past per·pet·u·at·ed,
past participle per·pet·u·at·ed, present participle per·pet·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular per·pet·u·ates) transitive verb

1.  make
something last: to make something continue, usually for
a very long time

2.  make
something be remembered: to make something or
somebody be remembered
[Early
16th century. From Latin perpetuare, from perpetuus (see perpetual ).]
—per·pet·u·a·tion
[pər pèchoo áysh’n], noun

—per·pet·u·a·tor [pər péchoo àytər], noun[1]



perpetuity

perpetuity
per·pe·tu·i·ty 
[pùrpə t itee] (plural per·pe·tu·i·ties)
noun

1.  perpetual
condition:
the state of continuing for a long time or indefinitely

2.  eternity:
eternity or the rest of time • a
sacrifice honored in perpetuity

3.  LAW transfer
of real estate for ever: the transfer of real estate
for an unlimited period of time, restricted in law by the rule against
perpetuity. The maximum legal period of transferred ownership is based on the
length of a life in existence at the time plus 21 years plus a nine month
period of gestation.

4.  FINANCE investment:
an investment designed to pay an annual return indefinitely, having no maturity
date
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin perpetuus (see perpetual
).][1]



perphenazine

perphenazine
per·phen·a·zine 
[pər fénnə zn] noun

drug:
a drug used to relieve anxiety, tension, and nausea. C21H26ClN3OS
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from piperidine + phenyl
+ azine .][1]



Perpignan

Perpignan
Per·pi·gnan 
[pèrpeen yN]

city in southern France, near
the Mediterranean Sea and the border with Spain. Population: 108,049 (1990)[1]



perplex

perplex
per·plex 
[pər pléks] (past per·plexed, past
participle per·plexed, present participle per·plex·ing,
3rd person present singular per·plex·es) transitive verb

1.  puzzle
somebody:
to puzzle or confuse somebody, especially causing doubt

2.  complicate
something:
to make something overly complicated or intricate
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from perplexed .][1]



perplexed

perplexed
per·plexed 
[pər plékst] adjective

1.  puzzled:
puzzled, and usually troubled by doubt

2.  overly
complicated or intricate: very complicated or
intricate, especially in a way that causes difficulties
[15th
century. Via French from Latin perplexus, literally “completely woven
together,” from plexus, the past participle of plectere “to weave
together” (source of English plexus
).]
—per·plex·ed·ly [pər pléksədlee], adverb[1]



perplexing

perplexing
per·plex·ing
[pər pléksing] adjective

puzzling:
disconcertingly difficult to understand or come to terms with
—per·plex·ing·ly, adverb[1]



perplexity

perplexity
per·plex·i·ty 
[pər pléksətee] (plural per·plex·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
perplexed:
the state of being perplexed

2.  perplexing
thing:
something that is difficult to understand, especially because it is complex or
part of a complicated whole (often used in the plural)

3.  complex
nature:
the nature of something that is disconcertingly complex

[1]



perprocurationem

perprocurationem
per
pro·cu·ra·tion·em [pər pròkə
rattee ṓ nèm] preposition

full
form of “pp”: a fuller form of the abbreviation “pp”
that is written in formal correspondence by somebody who is signing on behalf
of another person
[From Latin, literally “by
proxy”][1]



perquisite

perquisite
per·qui·site 
[púrkwəzit] (plural per·qui·sites)
noun

1.  perk:
a perk (formal)

2.  customary
tip:
a tip that is customary on some occasions

3.  a
right:
something considered to be an exclusive right
[Early 18th century. From
medieval Latin perquisitum, literally “something searched for,” from perquirere
“to seek for,” from quaerere “to seek.”][1]



Perrault,Charles

Perrault,Charles
Per·rault
[pérrō], Charles (1628–1703)

French writer. In Tales of
Mother Goose ( 1697 ) he set down from oral tradition such fairy tales as Cinderella
and Sleeping Beauty.[1]



Perrier

Perrier
Per·rier 
[pèrree áy, pérree
ày] Trademark

a trademark for a sparkling
mineral water from France[1]



perron

perron
per·ron
[pérrən, pə rón]
(plural per·rons) noun

1.  platform:
a raised platform at an entrance that is not at ground level

2.  stairway:
an external stairway leading up to a perron
[14th century. Via French
from the assumed Vulgar Latin stem petron-, literally “large stone,”
from Latin petra “stone.”][1]



perry

perry
per·ry 
[pérree] (plural per·ries) noun

drink
made from pear juice: a drink made from fermented
pear juice, similar to cider or wine
[14th century. Via Old French
pere from, ultimately, Latin pirum (see pear
).][1]



Perry,Fred

Perry,Fred
Per·ry 
[pérree], Fred (1909–1995)

British
tennis player. He was winner of the U.S. Open (1933, 1934, 1936), Wimbledon
(1934, 1935, 1936), Australian Open (1934), and French Open (1935) singles
titles.
Full name
Perry, Frederick John[1]



Perry,Matthew Calbraith

Perry,Matthew Calbraith
Per·ry 
[pérree], Matthew Calbraith (1794–1858)

U.S. naval officer. He
negotiated the opening of Japan to United States ships and merchants (1853).[1]



pers.

pers.
pers.

1.  Abbreviation
of
personal

2.  Abbreviation
of
person

[1]



perse

perse
per
se 
[pər sáy] adverb

in
itself:
in itself, by itself, or intrinsically (formal)
[From Latin, literally “by
itself”][1]



perse

perse
perse 
[purs] adjective

COLORS dark
bluish gray: of a dark bluish gray or purplish black
color
[14th
century. Via French from medieval Latin persus .]
—perse, noun[1]



persecute

persecute
per·se·cute 
[púrsə kyt] (past per·se·cut·ed,
past participle per·se·cut·ed, present participle per·se·cut·ing,
3rd person present singular per·se·cutes) transitive verb

1.  oppress
people:
to systematically subject a race or group of people to cruel or unfair
treatment, for example, because of their ethnic origin or religious beliefs

2.  pester
somebody:
to make somebody the victim of continual pestering or harassment
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin persecut-, the past
participle stem of persequi, literally “to keep following,” from sequi
“to follow” (source of English sequence
).]
—per·se·cu·tee
[pùrsə kyoo t], noun

—per·sec·u·tive
[púrsə kytiv], adjective

—per·se·cu·tor
[púrsə kytər], noun

—per·se·cu·to·ry [púrsəkyə tàwree], adjective[1]



persecution

persecution
per·se·cu·tion 
[pùrsə kysh’n] noun

1.  the
persecuting of somebody: the subjecting of a group of
people to cruel or unfair treatment, for example, because of their ethnic
origin or religious beliefs

2.  suffering
of persecuted people: the suffering felt by
persecuted people

[1]



Perseid

Perseid
Per·se·id 
[púrsee id] (plural Per·se·ids)
noun

meteor visible in early
August: any meteor forming part of a
meteor shower that appears around 12 August and seems to originate from the
vicinity of the constellation Perseus[1]



Persephone

Persephone
Per·seph·o·ne 
[pər séffənee] noun

daughter of Demeter and Zeus:
in Greek mythology, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus who was abducted by Hades,
king of the underworld. She spent half the year in the underworld and half the
year on earth with her mother. Her return to earth symbolized the arrival of
spring. Roman equivalent Proserpina[1]



Persepolis

Persepolis
Per·sep·o·lis 
[pər séppəliss]

ruined city situated
northeast of Shiraz in modern-day Iran. It was founded by Darius I in the 6th
century BC as the Persian capital
and destroyed by Alexander the Great.[1]



Perseus

Perseus2
Per·se·us2  [púrsee
əss] noun

slayer of Medusa:
in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Danae. He killed the Gorgon Medusa and
also rescued the princess Andromeda as she was about to be sacrificed to a sea
monster.[1]



Perseus

Perseus1

Per·se·us1  [púrsee əss] noun
constellation in northern hemisphere:
a constellation in the northern hemisphere between Auriga and Andromeda[1]



perseverance

perseverance
per·se·ver·ance 
[pùrsə vrəns] noun

1.  determined
continuation with something: steady and continued action
or belief, usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or
setbacks

2.  CHRISTIANITY Calvinist
concept of divine grace: in Calvinism, the belief
that God’s grace brings selected people, the elect, to salvation

3.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic belief in God’s grace: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the belief that God’s grace lasts to the end of somebody’s life if that
person has maintained his or her good works and faith
—per·se·ver·ant, adjective[1]



perseveration

perseveration
per·sev·er·a·tion 
[pər sèvvə ráysh’n] noun

response
repetition in inappropriate situations: a
tendency to repeat the response to an experience in later situations where it
is not appropriate
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin perseverare (see persevere
).][1]



persevere

persevere
per·se·vere 
[pùrsə vr] (past per·se·vered,
past participle per·se·vered, present participle per·se·ver·ing,
3rd person present singular per·se·veres) intransitive verb

persist
determinedly: to persist steadily in an action or
belief, usually over a long period and especially despite problems or
difficulties
[14th
century. Via French persévérer from Latin perseverare “to follow
strictly,” from perseverus “very strict,” from severus (see severe ).]
—per·se·ver·ing,
adjective

—per·se·ver·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Pershing

Pershing
Per·shing
[púrshing] (plural Per·sh·ings)
noun

missile:
a two-stage U.S. Army ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead
[Mid-20th century. Named in
honor of General John J. Pershing .][1]



Pershing,John J.

Pershing,John J.
Per·shing 
[púrshing], John J. (1860–1948)

U.S.
general. He led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War I.
Full name
Pershing, John Joseph[1]



Persia

Persia
Per·sia 
[púrzhə]

1.  Iran:
Iran (archaic)

2.  ancient
empire in southwestern Asia that, at its height under Darius the Great in the
6th century BC, stretched from the
shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus River in modern-day Tibet. It
was conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.

[1]



Persian

Persian
Per·sian 
[púrzh’n] noun (plural Per·sians)

1.  PEOPLES resident
or native of Iran: somebody who was born in or
is a citizen of Iran

2.  LANGUAGE See Farsi

3.  HISTORY people
of ancient Persia: a member of a people who
lived in ancient Persia and who founded an empire around 500 BC

4.  LANGUAGE language
of ancient Persians: the language spoken by the
ancient Persians

5.  See
Persian cat
adjective
PEOPLES

1.  about
ancient Persia: relating to ancient Persia, or its
people or culture

2.  about
modern Iran: relating to modern Iran, or its people
or culture

[1]



Persianblinds

Persianblinds
Per·sian
blinds
plural noun

louvered
shutters outside house: outside louvered shutters
for blocking sunlight while allowing ventilation.
U.K.
term
persiennes
[From their use and
manufacture in that country][1]



Persiancarpet

Persiancarpet
Per·sian
car·pet
(plural Per·sian car·pets) or Per·sian rug (plural
Per·sian rugs) noun

type of carpet from Middle
East: a carpet consisting of a
woven backing to which wool or silk threads have been hand-knotted, made in the
Middle East and typically having rich colors and strong designs[1]



Persiancat

Persiancat
Per·sian
cat
(plural Per·sian cats) noun

long-haired cat:
a domestic cat with long silky hair belonging to a breed originally from the
Middle East.
Also called
Persian[1]



PersianGulf

PersianGulf
Per·sian
Gulf

gulf of the Arabian Sea, with
Iran to its northeast and the Arabian peninsula to its southwest. Area: 233,000
sq km/90,000 sq mi.[1]



Persianlamb

Persianlamb
Per·sian
lamb
(plural per·sian lambs) noun

1.  soft
curled fur from karakul lamb: the soft curled usually
black fur from the karakul lamb

2.  karakul
lamb:
a lamb of the karakul sheep

[1]



Persianmelon

Persianmelon
Per·sian
mel·on
(plural Per·sian mel·ons) noun

melon with orange flesh:
a melon that has musky orange flesh and a rind with a netted pattern. Latin
name: Cucumis melo[1]



Persianwool

Persianwool
Per·sian
wool
noun

wool yarn:
a loosely twisted three-strand wool yarn used in needlepoint, each strand being
two-ply[1]



persiennes

persiennes
per·si·ennes 
[pùrzee én, pùrzee
énz] plural noun

U.K.
See Persian blinds
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from persian “Persian.”][1]



persiflage

persiflage
per·si·flage 
[púrsi flzh] noun

1.  light
teasing chat: light or teasing good-natured talk

2.  light-hearted
style:
light-heartedness or frivolity in the treatment of something
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from persifler “to banter,” from siffler “to
whistle,” via Old French from, ultimately, Latin sibilare (see sibilant ).][1]



persimmon

persimmon

per·sim·mon 
[pər símmən] (plural per·sim·mons)
noun

1.  FOOD tropical
fruit:
a sweet juicy orange-red fruit with a slightly tough outer skin that is edible
only when fully ripe

2.  TREES tree
bearing persimmons: a tropical tree that has
hard wood and bears persimmons as fruit. Genus: Diospyros
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Virginia Algonquian pessemmins .][1]



persist

persist
per·sist 
[pər síst] (past per·sist·ed, past
participle per·sist·ed, present participle per·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular per·sists) intransitive verb

1.  keep
carrying on: to continue steadily or obstinately
despite problems, difficulties, or obstacles

2.  continue
to be believed wrongly: to continue being widely
believed or accepted despite evidence or proof to the contrary • a
view that persists to this day

3.  continue:
to continue happening or existing
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin persistere, literally “to stand through,” from sistere
“to make stand,” from stare (see station
).]
—per·sis·ter, noun[1]



persistence

persistence
per·sist·ence 
[pər sístəns] or per·sist·en·cy
[pər sístənsee] noun

1.  the
quality of persisting: the quality of continuing
steadily despite problems or obstacles

2.  act
of persisting: the action of somebody who persists with
something

3.  long
continuance of something: continuance of an effect
after its cause has ceased or been removed

4.  ZOOLOGY resilience
of organism: the ability of a living organism to
resist being disturbed or altered

[1]



persistent

persistent
per·sist·ent 
[pər sístənt] adjective

1.  continuing
despite problems: tenaciously or obstinately continuing
despite problems or difficulties

2.  incessant
or unrelenting: existing or continuing for a long time

3.  BOTANY persisting
beyond maturation: used to describe a plant
part such as a scale on a pine cone that lasts beyond maturity without falling
off

4.  ZOOLOGY sustaining
continual growth: used to describe a body part such as a
tooth that grows throughout life

5.  ECOLOGY able
to remain in the environment: used to describe a chemical
that remains in the environment or a living organism for months or years,
usually because of resistance to attack by oxygen, light, and microorganisms
—per·sist·ent·ly, adverb[1]



persistentvegetative state

persistentvegetative state
per·sist·ent
veg·e·ta·tive state noun

prolonged lack of response to
stimuli: a medical condition in which
a patient has severe brain damage and as a result is unable to stay alive
without the aid of a life-support system, showing no response to stimuli[1]



persnickety

persnickety
per·snick·e·ty 
[pər sníkətee] adjective

1.  obsessed
with detail: overly attentive to detail and trivia

2.  snobbish:
snobbish in terms of choice, and thus wanting or accepting only the finest
things

3.  requiring
a keen eye to detail: necessitating precise, keen
attention to details
[Early
20th century. Alteration of pernickety .]
—per·snick·e·ti·ness, noun[1]



Person

Person
Per·son 
noun

Father, Son, or Holy Spirit:
in Christianity, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, together being the
Trinity[1]



person

person
per·son 
[púrs’n] (plural peo·ple [pp’l] or per·sons (formal)) noun

1.  human
being:
an individual human being

2.  human’s
body:
a human being’s body, often including the clothing • objects
found on her person

3.  human’s
appearance:
an individual human being’s general appearance (formal)

4.  a
character or role: a character or role, for
example, in a play (archaic)

5.  GRAMMAR form
of verb and pronoun: any one of three forms of
verbs and pronouns used to denote the speaker, the person addressed, or
somebody else being referred to

6.  ETHICS object
with special moral value: an object with special moral
value because of some spiritual status, or autonomous nature, or importance for
other people

7.  LAW individual
or body of individuals: a living human being or a
group, either or both having legal rights and responsibilities
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin persona “mask worn by an actor,
character,” of uncertain origin: probably from Etruscan phersu “mask.”]
in
person

personally
rather than being represented by somebody or something else

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  In
  combining forms:
  terms
  that are not gender-specific have increasingly grown in prominence, and ones
  incorporating the combining form -person are now common ( • chairperson,
  • spokesperson
  ). The terms that have taken hold most strongly, however, tend to be those
  that do not simply replace -man (or -woman ) with -person but
  are more subtly neutral with respect to sex: chair rather than chairperson,
  representative rather than congressperson, angler rather
  than fisherperson . Despite the powerful trend toward inclusive terms,
  however, it remains true that when the members of the group at issue are
  predominantly male, the traditional term incorporating -man tends to
  be used most frequently of all ( chairman, fisherman ). Forms
  with -woman are also seen, though in most cases these are now less
  common than the form incorporating -person.

[1]



persona

persona
per·so·na 
[pər sṓnə] (plural per·so·nas or
per·so·nae [pər sṓnee]) noun

1.  LITERATURE character
in literature: a character in a literary work,
especially a play (often used in the plural)

2.  assumed
identity or role: an identity or role that somebody
assumes

3.  PSYCHOLOGY personal
facade:
the image of character and personality that somebody wants to show the outside
world. This concept originated in Jungian psychology.
[Early 20th century. From
Latin (see person ).][1]



personable

personable
per·son·a·ble 
[púrsənəb’l] adjective

pleasant
and polite:
having a pleasant personality and appearance
—per·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—per·son·a·bly, adverb[1]



personage

personage
per·son·age 
[púrsənij] (plural per·son·ag·es)
noun (formal)

1.  important
person:
somebody who is distinguished, important, or famous

2.  LITERATURE HISTORY historical
figure or fictional character: a historical figure or
a character in a work of literature
[15th century. From Old
French, formed from persone (see person
).][1]



personagrata

personagrata
per·so·na
gra·ta 
[pər snə grtə] (plural per·so·nae
gra·tae [pər sni grtee, pər s n gr t]) noun

acceptable
person:
somebody who is acceptable, especially as a diplomat, to the authorities of a
country to which he or she is sent.
See
also
persona non grata
[From
late Latin, “acceptable person”]
—per·so·na gra·ta, adjective[1]



personal

personal
per·son·al 
[púrsən’l, púrsnəl]
adjective

1.  relating
to somebody’s private life: relating to the parts of
somebody’s life that are private

2.  relating
to one person: relating to a particular individual

3.  believed
by individual person: believed by or originating
from an individual person • personal
opinion

4.  done
by one individual only: done by a particular
individual rather than by that person’s delegate • that
personal touch

5.  intended
for particular individual: intended for or owned by a
particular individual rather than anyone else

6.  referring
offensively to particular person: referring, especially
in an offensive way, to somebody’s beliefs, actions, or physical
characteristics • That personal remark
was definitely uncalled for.

7.  unfairly
remarking or questioning about others:
making unacceptable remarks or being too probing about other people • There’s
no need to get personal.

8.  of
the body:
relating to somebody’s body

9.  RELIGION conscious
and individual: having the character or nature of a
conscious and individual entity

10. LAW of
movable property: relating to or constituting an
individual’s movable property
noun
(plural per·son·als)

PRESS ad for
friends or romance: a usually classified
newspaper or magazine advertisement in which somebody expresses interest in
meeting others or sends a message of a personal nature to somebody else (often
used in the plural)
Also
called
personal ad
U.K.
term
personal ad

[1]



personalad

personalad
per·son·al
ad
(plural per·son·al ads) noun

U.K.
See personal[1]



personalappearance

personalappearance
per·son·al
ap·pear·ance (plural per·son·al
ap·pear·anc·es) noun

1.  visual
aspect of person: the visual aspect of somebody,
especially with regard to personal cleanness and neatness of clothing

2.  public
presence of notable person: the arrival or appearance,
in a typically official capacity and in a formal setting, of a notable person

[1]



personalassistant

personalassistant
per·son·al
as·sis·tant
(plural per·son·al as·sis·tants) noun

secretarial and
administrative worker for somebody:
somebody employed to perform secretarial and administrative tasks for somebody
such as an executive who has many responsibilities[1]



personalcolumn

personalcolumn
per·son·al
col·umn
(plural per·son·al col·umns) noun

section of periodical
containing personals: a section
of a newspaper or magazine in which personals are printed[1]



personalcomputer

personalcomputer
per·son·al
com·put·er 
(plural per·son·al com·put·ers) noun

single-user computer:
a computer with its own operating system and wide selection of software
intended to be used by one person[1]



PersonalDigital Assistant

PersonalDigital Assistant

Per·son·al Dig·i·tal As·sis·tant
(plural Per·sonal Dig·i·tal As·sis·tants) noun
portable electronic notebook:
a small handheld computer with a built-in notebook, calendar, and fax
capability, usually operated using a stylus rather than a keyboard[1]



personaleffects

personaleffects
per·son·al
ef·fects
plural noun

possessions worn regularly:
possessions that somebody carries or wears either regularly or at a particular
time[1]



personalflotation device

personalflotation device
per·son·al
flo·ta·tion de·vice (plural per·son·al
flo·ta·tion de·vic·es) noun

lifesaver:
a device such as a life jacket or lifebuoy for use by one person in a water
emergency[1]



personalfoul

personalfoul
per·son·al
foul
(plural per·son·al fouls) noun

physical-contact sports foul:
a foul, especially one committed in football or basketball, involving illegal
physical contact with an opponent during a game and also sometimes involving
unnecessary roughness[1]



PersonalInformation Manager

PersonalInformation Manager
Per·son·al
In·for·ma·tion Man·ag·er (plural Per·son·al
In·for·ma·tion Man·ag·ers) noun

personal database software:
software that organizes random notes, contacts, and appointments for fast
access[1]



personalinjury

personalinjury
per·son·al
in·ju·ry
noun

injury to an individual:
an actionable injury to an individual person, whether involving physical
contact or not and whether fatal or not, but causing pain, discomfort, or
injury[1]



personalism

personalism
per·son·al·ism 
[púrsən’l ìzzəm, púrsnə
lìzzəm] (plural per·son·al·isms) noun

quirky
mode of expression or behavior: a quirky or highly
individualistic mode of expression or behavior
—per·son·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—per·son·al·is·tic [pùrsən’l ístik, pùrsnə
lístik], adjective[1]



personality

personality
per·son·al·i·ty 
[pùrs’n állətee] (plural per·son·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  somebody’s
set of characteristics: the totality of somebody’s
attitudes, interests, behavioral patterns, emotional responses, social roles,
and other individual traits that endure over long periods of time

2.  characteristics
making somebody appealing: the distinctive or very
noticeable characteristics that make somebody socially appealing • a
partner with real personality

3.  somebody
regarded as epitomizing traits: an individual regarded
as epitomizing particular character traits • a
difficult personality

4.  famous
person:
somebody who is famous, especially an entertainer or a sportsperson

5.  unusual
person:
somebody who is very unusual and distinctive

6.  quality
of being a person: the quality of existing as a
person • Do
you think that computers will ever achieve personality?

7.  personal
comment:
a personal comment or observation, especially one that might be considered
offensive (often used in the plural) • Let’s
not get into personalities.

8.  distinguishing
characteristics: the distinguishing characteristics of a
place or situation

[1]



personalitydisorder

personalitydisorder
per·son·al·i·ty
dis·or·der
(plural per·son·al·i·ty dis·or·ders) noun

psychiatric disorder:
a psychiatric disorder in attitude or behavior that makes it difficult for
somebody to get along with other people or to succeed at work or in social
situations but that does not involve loss of touch with reality[1]



personalityinventory

personalityinventory
per·son·al·i·ty
in·ven·to·ry or per·son·al·i·ty test (plural
per·son·al·i·ty tests) noun

test to determine personality
traits: a standardized psychological
test in which the subject is given questions about various aspects of
personality, the answers supplying a character-trait profile unique to that
individual[1]



personalitytype

personalitytype
per·son·al·i·ty
type
(plural per·son·al·i·ty types) noun

classification of
personality: a set of categories
based on attitudes or behavioral tendencies into which people are grouped, for
example, introvert and extrovert[1]



personalize

personalize
per·son·al·ize 
[púrsən’l z] (past per·son·al·ized,
past participle per·son·al·ized, present participle per·son·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular per·son·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  put
initials or name on something: to mark something such
as a wallet, pen, or item of clothing with somebody’s initials or name

2.  change
something to reflect owner’s personality: to
change or modify something showing that it obviously originated from or
belonged to a particular person

3.  take
remark personally: to take a remark in a
personal way

4.  See
personify  verb 3
—per·son·al·i·za·tion
[pùrsən’li záysh’n], noun[1]



personally

personally
per·son·al·ly 
[púrsən’lee] adverb

1.  as
own opinion: in one’s own experience or showing one’s
own opinion • Personally,
I would have given it back.

2.  as
an individual: as a particular individual • Don’t
take it personally.

3.  without
others:
without intervention or assistance from others • I’ll
handle it personally.

4.  as
person in social context: as a person, considered in a
social context • personally likable but
professionally inept

5.  of
somebody one has met: relating to somebody known
by personal contact rather than by reputation • I
never knew your brother personally.

[1]



personalorganizer

personalorganizer
per·son·al
or·gan·iz·er (plural per·son·al
or·gan·iz·ers) noun

1.  datebook
with changeable pages: a datebook that also
contains personal information and has replaceable pages so that it can be kept
up to date

2.  hand-held
multifunctioning computer: a hand-held computer with a
small keyboard and display that can function as a calendar, an address book, a
scheduler, and a calculator

[1]



personalpronoun

personalpronoun
per·son·al
pro·noun
(plural per·son·al pro·nouns) noun

pronoun like “I” or “you”:
a pronoun such as “I,” “you,” or “she” that refers to a speaker, somebody being
addressed, or another person[1]



personalproperty

personalproperty
per·son·al
prop·er·ty
noun

tangible property other than
land: in law, the tangible,
movable property of an individual, exclusive of land and including items such
as automotive vehicles, boats, and money.
Also called
personalty[1]



personalstereo

personalstereo
per·son·al
ster·e·o
noun

small audio cassette or CD
player: a small audio cassette or CD
player used with earphones, designed to be carried in a pocket or worn attached
to a belt[1]



personalty

personalty
per·son·al·ty 
[púrsən’ltee, púrsnəltee]
(plural per·son·al·ties) noun

See
personal property
[Mid-16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, late Latin personalitas (see personality ).][1]



personalunconscious

personalunconscious
per·son·al
un·con·scious noun

repressed part of mind:
in Jungian and related forms of psychotherapy, a section of an individual’s
unconscious mind that contains impulses, fears, and memories that have been
repressed[1]



personalwatercraft

personalwatercraft
per·son·al
wa·ter·craft (plural per·son·al
wa·ter·crafts) noun

water motorcycle:
a jet-propelled vehicle for one or two people used for traveling on water. It
is similar in appearance to a motorcycle.[1]



personanon grata

personanon grata
per·so·na
non gra·ta 
(plural per·so·nae non gra·tae) noun

1.  unwelcome
or unacceptable person: somebody who is unwelcome or
unacceptable.
See
also
persona grata

2.  somebody
unacceptable as diplomat: somebody who is unacceptable
as a diplomat to the authorities of a country to which he or she is sent
[From
late Latin, “unacceptable person”]
—per·so·na non gra·ta,
adjective[1]



personate

personate1
per·son·ate1  [púrs’n
àyt] (past per·son·at·ed, past participle per·son·at·ed,
present participle per·son·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
per·son·ates) transitive verb

1.  THEATER play
role in play: to play a dramatic role, especially in a
play

2.  CRIMINAL LAW impersonate
somebody as deception: to impersonate somebody in
order to deceive or defraud
[Late
16th century. From late Latin personare, from Latin persona (see person ).]
—per·son·a·tion
[pùrs’n áysh’n], noun

—per·son·a·tive
[púrs’n àytiv], adjective

—per·son·a·tor [púrs’n àytər], noun[1]



personate

personate2
per·son·ate2  [púrs’n
àyt] adjective

two-lipped:
used to describe a flower such as a snapdragon that has two lips with one lip
curling over the other to close the opening between them
[Late 16th century. From
Latin personatus “masked,” from persona (see person ).][1]



personhood

personhood
per·son·hood 
[púrs’n hd] noun

human state:
the state of being human[1]



person-hour

person-hour
per·son-hour
(plural per·son-hours) noun

unit measuring work:
a unit that measures the amount of work that can be done by one person in one
hour and the cost of that hour’s work[1]



personification

personification
per·son·i·fi·ca·tion 
[pər sònnəfi káysh’n] (plural per·son·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  somebody
who embodies something: somebody who is an
embodiment or perfect example of something

2.  representation
of an abstract quality as human: a representation of an
abstract quality or notion as a human being, especially in art or literature

3.  attribution
of human qualities to abstracts: the attribution of
human qualities to objects or abstract notions

[1]



personify

personify
per·son·i·fy 
[pər sónnə f] (past per·son·i·fied,
past participle per·son·i·fied, present participle per·son·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular per·son·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  be
perfect example of something: to be an embodiment or
perfect example of something

2.  represent
something abstract as human: to represent an abstract
quality as a human being, especially in art or literature

3.  ascribe
human qualities to nonhuman: to ascribe human qualities
to an object or abstract notion
—per·son·i·fi·a·ble
[pər sònnə f əb’l], adjective

—per·son·i·fi·er [pər sónnə fr], noun[1]



personnel

personnel
per·son·nel 
[pùrsə nél] noun

department
of organization dealing with employees: the
department of an organization or business that deals with employees’ hiring,
records, and problems
plural
noun

people
employed in organization: the people employed in an
organization, business, or armed force
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from personne “person,” on the model of “matériel.”][1]



person-to-person

person-to-person
per·son-to-per·son 
adjective

1.  face-to-face
and direct:
referring to direct communication or contact between two or more people

2.  chargeable
when recipient is reached: relating to or being a
telephone call chargeable only when a particular person is reached
adverb

to be paid if recipient answers:
in such a way as to be chargeable or payable only if the person telephoned is
reached

[1]



perspective

perspective

per·spec·tive 
[pər spéktiv] (plural per·spec·tives)
noun

1.  particular
evaluation of something: a particular evaluation of a
situation or facts, especially from one person’s point of view

2.  measured
assessment of situation: a measured or objective
assessment of a situation, giving all elements their comparative importance • He’s
having trouble keeping things in perspective right now.

3.  appearance
of distant objects to observer: the appearance of
objects to an observer allowing for the effect of their distance from the
observer

4.  DRAWING PAINTING allowance for artistic
perspective when drawing: the theory or practice of
allowing for artistic perspective when drawing or painting

5.  vista:
a vista or view
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, late Latin perspectivus
“optical,” from Latin perspicere “to look closely,” from specere
(see spectacle ).]
—per·spec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



perspicacious

perspicacious
per·spi·ca·cious 
[pùrspi káyshəss] adjective

perceptive:
penetratingly discerning, perceptive, or astute
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin perspicac-, the stem of perspicax,
from perspicere (see perspective ).]
—per·spi·ca·cious·ly,
adverb

—per·spi·ca·cious·ness,
noun[1]



perspicacity

perspicacity
per·spi·cac·i·ty 
[pùrspi kássətee] noun

acute perception:
acuteness of discernment or perception.
Also called
perspicuity[1]



perspicuity

perspicuity
per·spi·cu·i·ty 
[pùrspi ky ətee] noun

1.  See
perspicacity

2.  being
perspicuous: the quality of being perspicuous

[1]



perspicuous

perspicuous
per·spic·u·ous 
[pər spíkyoo əss] adjective

clear
and comprehensible: clearly expressed and
therefore easily understood
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin perspicuus, from perspicere (see perspective ).]
—per·spic·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—per·spic·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



perspiration

perspiration
per·spi·ra·tion 
[pùrspə ráysh’n] noun

1.  fluid
excreted by sweat glands: fluid lost from the body
both in the form of sweat secreted by the sweat glands and as water that
diffuses through the skin

2.  process
or act of excreting perspiration: the process or act of
excreting sweat secreted by the sweat glands or fluid that diffuses through the
skin

[1]



perspiratory

perspiratory
per·spir·a·to·ry
[pər sprə tàwree] adjective

causing perspiration:
relating to or causing perspiration[1]



perspire

perspire
per·spire 
[pər spr] (past per·spired, past
participle per·spired, present participle per·spir·ing,
3rd person present singular per·spires) intransitive and
transitive verb

secrete
sweat:
to secrete fluid from the sweat glands through the pores of the skin
[Mid-17th
century. Via obsolete French perspirer, from Latin perspirare,
literally “to breathe through,” from spirare “to breathe” (see spirit ).]
—per·spir·ing·ly, adverb[1]



persuade

persuade
per·suade 
[pər swáyd] (past per·suad·ed,
past participle per·suad·ed, present participle per·suad·ing,
3rd person present singular per·suades) transitive verb

1.  get
somebody to do something: to successfully urge
somebody to perform a particular action, especially by reasoning, pleading, or
coaxing

2.  convince
somebody of something: to make somebody believe
something, especially by giving good reasons for doing so
[Early
16th century. From Latin persuadere, literally “to urge strongly,” from suadere
“to urge.”]
—per·suad·a·ble,
adjective

—per·suad·a·bil·i·ty
[pər swàydə bíllətee], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at convince.

[1]



persuader

persuader
per·suad·er
[pər swáydər] (plural per·suad·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that persuades: somebody or something such
as a situation that persuades or serves to persuade

2.  intimidating
weapon:
a weapon such as a gun used to intimidate somebody (slang)

[1]



persuasion

persuasion
per·sua·sion 
[pər swáyzh’n] (plural per·sua·sions)
noun

1.  act
of persuading: the act of persuading somebody to do
something

2.  ability
to persuade: the ability to persuade somebody

3.  set
of beliefs:
a set of beliefs, for example, a set of religious or political beliefs

4.  group
with particular beliefs: a group whose members share
a particular set of beliefs or views or a particular lifestyle
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin persuas-, the past participle stem of persuadere
(see persuade ).][1]



persuasive

persuasive
per·sua·sive 
[pər swáyssiv] adjective

able
or tending to persuade: having the ability to
persuade people or the effect of persuading them
[Late
16th century. Via French or medieval Latin from Latin persuas-, the past
participle stem of persuadere (see persuade
).]
—per·sua·sive·ly,
adverb

—per·sua·sive·ness, noun[1]



pert.

pert.
pert.

Abbreviation of
pertaining[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pert

pert
pert 
[purt] (comparative pert·er, superlative
pert·est) adjective

1.  amusingly
bold:
bold and lively in a pleasant or amusing way

2.  jaunty:
jaunty and stylish in design • a pert
hat

3.  small
and well-shaped: small, well-shaped, and pretty • a
pert nose
[13th
century. Via Old French apert “open, frank” from Latin apertus
“open” (see aperture ), influenced by Old
French espert “clever” (from Latin expertus ; see expert ).]
—pert·ly,
adverb

—pert·ness, noun[1]



PERT

PERT
PERT
[purt] noun

method of prioritizing
complex activities: a method of
charting and scheduling a complex set of interrelated activities that
identifies the most time-critical events in the process. Full form program evaluation and review technique[1]



pertain

pertain
per·tain 
[pər táyn] (past per·tained, past
participle per·tained, present participle per·tain·ing,
3rd person present singular per·tains) intransitive verb

1.  have
relevance:
to relate to something or have relevance, reference, or a connection to it

2.  be
appropriate: to be appropriate or suitable

3.  be
part or belong: to be part of something or belong to
something, especially as an attribute or accessory
[14th century. Via Old French
partenir from Latin pertinere, literally “to hold to,” from tenere
(see tenant ).][1]



Perth

Perth
Perth 
[perth]

capital city of Western
Australia, located on the Swan River. Population: 1,096,829 (1996)[1]



pertinacious

pertinacious
per·ti·na·cious 
[pùrti náyshəss] adjective

1.  resolute:
determinedly resolute in purpose, belief, or action

2.  persistent:
highly persistent
[Early
17th century. From Latin pertinac-, the stem of pertinax,
literally “very tenacious,” from tenax (see tenacious
).]
—per·ti·na·cious·ly,
adverb

—per·ti·na·cious·ness,
noun

—per·ti·nac·i·ty [pùrti nássətee], noun[1]



pertinent

pertinent
per·ti·nent 
[púrt’nənt] adjective

relevant:
relevant to the matter being considered
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin pertinere (see pertain ).]
—per·ti·nence,
noun

—per·ti·nent·ly, adverb[1]



perturb

perturb
per·turb 
[pər túrb] (past per·turbed, past
participle per·turbed, present participle per·turb·ing,
3rd person present singular per·turbs) transitive verb

1.  disturb
somebody:
to disturb and trouble or worry somebody

2.  render
something into state of disorder: to render something
into a state of confusion or disorder

3.  PHYSICS cause
something to undergo a perturbation: to
cause a small deviation in the behavior of a physical system, for example, in
the orbit of an electron or a planet
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin perturbare, literally “to disturb
thoroughly,” from turbare “to disturb,” from turba “turmoil” (see
turbid ).]
—per·turb·a·ble,
adjective

—per·turb·a·bly,
adverb

—per·turb·ing,
adjective

—per·turb·ing·ly, adverb[1]



perturbation

perturbation
per·tur·ba·tion 
[pùrtər báysh’n] (plural per·tur·ba·tions)
noun

1.  being
perturbed:
the act of being disturbed and troubled, or a disturbed and troubled state

2.  cause
of trouble:
something causing disruption, trouble, or disorder

3.  PHYSICS secondary
influence on a system: a slight disturbance of a
system by a secondary influence within it

4.  ASTRONOMY deviation
in orbit caused by gravity: a deviation in an
astronomical body’s orbit or path caused by the gravitational attraction of another
astronomical body
—per·tur·ba·tion·al, adjective[1]



pertussis

pertussis
per·tus·sis 
[pər tússiss] noun

whooping
cough:
whooping cough (technical)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, from per- “extreme” + tussis
“cough” (see tussis ).]
—per·tus·sal, adjective[1]



Peru

Peru



Pe·ru 
[pə r, p roo]

1.  country
in western South America, on the Pacific Ocean, bounded by Ecuador, Colombia,
Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. It is the third largest country in South America.
Language: Spanish. Currency: nuevo sol. Capital: Lima. Population: 24,523,408
(1996) Area: 1,285,216 sq km/496,225 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Peru

2.        city
in north central Indiana, on the Wabash River, southwest of Fort Wayne and
north of Kokomo. Population: 11,146 (1996)[1]



Peru




Back to definition

Peru

[1]



PeruCurrent

PeruCurrent
Pe·ru
Cur·rent
noun

See
Humboldt Current[1]



Perugia

Perugia
Pe·ru·gia 
[pə rjə]

city in central Italy. It is
the capital of Perugia Province and Umbria Region. Population: 146,160 (1992)[1]



peruke

peruke

pe·ruke 
[pə rk] (plural pe·rukes) noun
periwig:
a periwig (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
perruque (source of English periwig
) from Italian perrucca “head of hair,” of unknown origin.][1]



peruse

peruse
pe·ruse 
[pə rz] (past pe·rused, past
participle pe·rused, present participle pe·rus·ing, 3rd
person present singular pe·rus·es) transitive verb

read
something:
to read or examine something in a leisurely or careful way
[Mid-16th
century. From per- + use ; the word originally meant “to use thoroughly, use up.”]
—pe·rus·a·ble,
adjective

—pe·rus·al,
noun

—pe·rus·er, noun[1]



Peruvian

Peruvian
Pe·ru·vi·an
[pə rvee ən] adjective

of
Peru:
relating to Peru, or its people or culture
noun

somebody from Peru:
somebody who was born or raised in Peru, or who has Peruvian citizenship[1]



Peruvianbalsam

Peruvianbalsam
Pe·ru·vi·an
bal·sam
noun

See
balsam of Peru[1]



Peruvianbark

Peruvianbark
Pe·ru·vi·an
bark
noun

cinchona
bark:
the bark of the cinchona tree, formerly used to make quinine and other alkaloid
drugs
[So called because the trees
originally grew in Peru][1]



perv

perv
perv
[purv] (plural pervs) or
perve [purv] noun

pervert:
a pervert (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of pervert .][1]



pervade

pervade
per·vade 
[pər váyd] (past per·vad·ed, past
participle per·vad·ed, present participle per·vad·ing,
3rd person present singular per·vades) transitive verb

spread
throughout something: to spread through or be
present throughout something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin pervadere, literally “to go throughout,” from vadere
“to go” (see evade ).]
—per·vad·er,
noun

—per·va·sion [pər váyzh’n], noun[1]



pervasive

pervasive
per·va·sive 
[pər váyssiv] adjective

spreading
everywhere:
spreading widely and occupying a great area
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from Latin pervas-, the past participle stem of pervadere
(see pervade ).]
—per·va·sive·ly,
adverb

—per·va·sive·ness, noun[1]



perverse

perverse
per·verse 
[pər vúrs] adjective

1.  purposely
being unreasonable: purposely deviating from
what is accepted as good, proper, or reasonable

2.  unreasonably
stubborn:
unreasonably stubborn, contrary, or awkward

3.  willfully
doing wrong: willfully persisting in what is wrong

4.  perverted:
perverted (archaic)

5.  cranky:
cranky or peevish
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin perversus, the past participle of pervertere
(see pervert ).]
—per·verse·ly,
adverb

—per·verse·ness, noun[1]



perversion

perversion
per·ver·sion 
[pər vúrzh’n] (plural per·ver·sions)
noun (disapproving)

1.  unusual
sexual practice: a sexual practice regarded as abnormal

2.  turning
of good into bad: the changing of something good, true, or
correct into something bad or wrong or a situation in which the change has
occurred • perversion
of justice

[1]



perversity

perversity
per·ver·si·ty 
[pər vúrsətee] (plural per·ver·si·ties)
noun

1.  stubborn
unreasonable behavior: being unreasonable or
willfully persisting in doing wrong

2.  perverse
action:
something such as an action or activity that is perverse

[1]



perversive

perversive
per·ver·sive
[pər vúrsiv] adjective

tending to pervert something:
tending or able to pervert something[1]



pervert

pervert
per·vert 
transitive verb [pər vúrt] (past
per·vert·ed, past participle per·vert·ed, present
participle per·vert·ing, 3rd person present singular per·verts)

1.  lead
away somebody from good: to lead somebody or
something away from what is considered good, normal, moral, or proper

2.  misinterpret
or distort something: to misinterpret or distort
something such as a piece of text

3.  use
something improperly: to use something incorrectly
or improperly

4.  debase
something:
to bring something into a state regarded as morally inferior or reprehensible
noun
[púr vùrt] (plural per·verts)

somebody with unusual sexual behavior:
somebody whose sexual activities are considered abnormal (disapproving)
[14th
century. Via Old French pervertir from Latin pervertere,
literally “to turn wrong,” from vertere (see verse
).]
—per·vert·er,
noun

—per·vert·i·ble, adjective[1]



perverted

perverted
per·vert·ed 
[pər vúrtəd] adjective

1.  deviating
from what is proper: deviating greatly from what
is accepted as right, normal, or proper

2.  relating
to unusual sexual activities: relating to or practicing
sexual activities considered abnormal (disapproving)

3.  distorted:
misinterpreted or distorted
—per·vert·ed·ly,
adverb

—per·vert·ed·ness, noun[1]



pervious

pervious
per·vi·ous 
[púrvee əss] adjective

1.  able
to be permeated: susceptible to permeation

2.  open
to new things: open to ideas, suggestions, and change
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin pervius, from per- “through” + via
“way” (see via ).]
—per·vi·ous·ly,
adverb

—per·vi·ous·ness, noun[1]



Perón,Eva de

Perón,Eva de
Pe·rón
[pə rṓn], Eva de (1919–1952)

Argentinian
political figure. Married to President Juan Perón, she was adored by the
Argentinian people for her charitable work.
Born
Duarte, María Eva Known as Evita[1]



Perón,Isabel de

Perón,Isabel de
Pe·rón
[pə rṓn], Isabel de (1931– )

Argentinian
politician. She was the third wife of Juan Perón, and after his death succeeded
him as president (1974–1976).
Born
Martínez Cartas, María Estela[1]



Perón,Juan

Perón,Juan

Pe·rón
[pə rṓn], Juan (1895–1974)
Argentinian
statesman. He rose to power by a military coup (1943) and as president
(1946–1955 and 1973–1974) enacted populist economic reforms. His wife Eva Perón
was idolized by the poor, and, losing popularity after her death in 1952, he
spent 18 years in exile.
Full
name
Perón, Juan Domingo
—Per·o·nist [pə rṓnəst], noun, adjective[1]



pes

pes
pes 
[peez] (plural pe·des [pé dàyss]) noun

1.  MEDICINE foot
or similar appendage: the foot or a part
resembling a foot

2.  ZOOLOGY four-footed
animal’s hind foot: a hind foot of a four-footed
vertebrate
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “foot” (source of English pedal
). Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “foot,” which is also the
ancestor of foot, fetter, impede,
and podium .][1]



Pesach

Pesach
Pe·sach 
[páy skh] noun

JUDAISM Passover:
the Passover festival
[Early 17th century. From
Hebrew pesaḥ, from pāsaḥ “to pass over.”][1]



pesante

pesante
pe·san·te 
[pay sn tày] adverb

heavily:
in a heavy or ponderous manner (used as a musical direction)
[From Italian][1]



peseta

peseta
pe·se·ta 
[pə sáytə] (plural pe·se·tas) noun

1.  unit
of Spanish currency: the unit of currency in
Spain

2.  coin
worth a peseta: a coin worth a peseta
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “small peso,” formed from peso (see peso ).][1]



pesewa

pesewa
pe·se·wa 
[pay sáy w] (plural pe·se·was)
noun

1.  minor
unit of Ghanaian currency: a minor unit of currency in
Ghana, 100 of which are worth a new cedi

2.  coin
worth a pesewa: a coin worth a pesewa, 100 of which are
worth a new cedi
[Mid-20th century. From Fante
and Twi, “penny.”][1]



Peshitta

Peshitta
Pe·shit·ta
[pə shtə] or Pe·shit·to [pə shtō] noun

Syriac
Bible:
the Syriac version of the Bible, written around the 4th century
[Late 18th century. From
Syriac pšītā, “the simple one.”][1]



Peshāwar

Peshāwar
Pe·shā·war
[pe sh wər]

city near the Khyber Pass in
the North-West Frontier District, Pakistan. Population: 1,676,000 (1995)[1]



pesky

pesky
pes·ky 
[péskee] (comparative pes·ki·er,
superlative pes·ki·est) adjective

irritating:
troublesome or irritating (informal)
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably from an alteration of pest .]
—pes·ki·ly,
adverb

—pes·ki·ness, noun[1]



peso

peso
pe·so 
[páyssō] (plural pe·sos) noun

1.  unit
of Mexican currency: the unit of currency in
Mexico

2.  note
worth a peso: a note worth a peso
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish from Latin pensum “weight,” from the past participle of pendere
“to weigh” (see pensive ).][1]



pessary

pessary
pes·sa·ry 
[péssəree] (plural pes·sa·ries)
noun

1.  uterine
support:
a plastic device such as a ring placed in the vagina to keep the womb in
position following a prolapse due to weakened ligaments

2.  vaginal
suppository: a suppository containing medication for
insertion into the vagina
[14th century. Via late Latin
pessarium from, ultimately, Greek pessos, originally an oval
stone used in board games.][1]



pessimism

pessimism
pes·si·mism 
[péssə mìzzəm] noun

1.  tendency
to expect worst: a tendency to see only the negative or
worst aspects of all things and to expect only bad or unpleasant things to
happen

2.  PHILOSOPHY doctrine
about evil:
a doctrine that all things become evil or that evil outweighs good in life
[Late 18th century. From
French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus “worst,” on the model of
“optimisme.”][1]



pessimist

pessimist
pes·si·mist 
[péssəmist] (plural pes·si·mists)
noun

very
negative person: somebody who always expects the worst to
happen in every situation
—pes·si·mis·tic
[pèssə místik], adjective

—pes·si·mis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



pest

pest
pest 
[pest] (plural pests) noun

1.  damaging
organism:
an organism that is damaging to livestock, crops, humans, or land fertility

2.  annoying
person or thing: somebody or something that is a nuisance
(informal)

3.  outbreak
of disease:
an epidemic of infectious or contagious disease (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, “pestilence,” from Latin pestis, of unknown origin.][1]



pester

pester
pes·ter 
[péstər] (past pes·tered, past
participle pes·tered, present participle pes·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular pes·ters) transitive verb

annoy
somebody constantly: to be a constant source of
annoyance to somebody, for example, by harassing him or her with demands
[Mid-16th
century. Via French empestrer “to embarrass” (influenced by pest ), of uncertain origin: perhaps via assumed
Vulgar Latin impastoriare “to hobble” from, ultimately, Latin pastor
“herdsman” (see pastor ).]
—pes·ter·er,
noun

—pes·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



pesthole

pesthole
pest·hole 
[pést hl] (plural pest·holes)
noun

epicenter
of epidemic diseases: a place where epidemic
diseases are rife and from where they might spread (dated)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from pest in the obsolete meaning
“contagious disease.”][1]



pesthouse

pesthouse
pest·house
[pést hòwss] (plural pest·hous·es
[pést hòwzəz]) noun

hospital
for infectious patients: a hospital where patients
suffering from infectious disease were once treated
[Early 17th century. Formed
from pest in the obsolete meaning
“contagious disease.”][1]



pesticide

pesticide
pes·ti·cide 
[pésti sd] (plural pes·ti·cides)
noun

pest-killing
compound:
a chemical substance used to kill pests, especially insects.
Also
called
biocide
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from pest + -cide .]
—pes·ti·cid·al [pèsti sd’l], adjective[1]



pestiferous

pestiferous
pes·tif·er·ous 
[pə stíffərəss] adjective

1.  annoying:
troublesome or annoying

2.  MED causing
infectious disease: breeding or spreading a
virulently infectious disease

3.  corrupting:
evil and corrupting (formal)
[15th
century. Formed from Latin pestifer “plague-carrying,” from pestis
“plague.”]
—pes·tif·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—pes·tif·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



pestilence

pestilence
pes·ti·lence 
[péstiləns] (plural pes·ti·lenc·es)
noun (archaic)

1.  MED epidemic
of disease:
an epidemic of a highly contagious or infectious disease such as bubonic plague

2.  MED disease:
a serious infectious disease

3.  something
evil:
a malevolent belief, influence, or presence

[1]



pestilent

pestilent
pes·ti·lent 
[péstilənt] adjective

1.  causing
or infected with contagious disease:
likely to cause a contagious disease or to be infected with one

2.  deadly:
causing or tending to cause death

3.  harmful:
very harmful morally, socially, or physically (archaic)

4.  annoying:
annoying or infuriating (dated)
[14th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem pestilent-, from pestis
“plague.”]
—pes·ti·len·tial
[pèsti lénshəl], adjective

—pes·ti·len·tial·ly,
adverb

—pes·ti·lent·ly [péstiləntlee], adverb[1]



pestle

pestle

pes·tle 
[péss’l] noun (plural pes·tles)
object
for crushing or grinding: a rodshaped object made from
hard material with a rounded end that is used for crushing or grinding
substances in a mortar
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pes·tled,
past participle pes·tled, present participle pes·tling,
3rd person present singular pes·tles)
crush
or pound substance using pestle: to crush, grind, or
pound a substance or object using a pestle
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin pistillum (source also of English pistil
).][1]



pesto

pesto
pes·to 
[péstō] noun

1.  basil
sauce:
a sauce or paste made by crushing together basil leaves, pine nuts, oil,
Parmesan cheese, and garlic. It is traditionally served hot or cold with pasta
or on meat.

2.  flavorful
paste:
a pureed or finely minced paste of herbs and vegetables, tomatoes, or olives,
used as pasta sauce, bread spread, or in cooking
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from the past participle of pestare “to pound, crush,” via late
Latin pistare from Latin pinsere “to beat.”][1]



pet

pet1
pet1  [pet]
noun (plural pets)

1.  animal
kept at home: an animal kept for companionship,
interest, or amusement

2.  favorite
person:
somebody who is indulged, especially a favorite

3.  loved
person:
somebody who is particularly loved by another, often used as a term of
endearment in direct address
adjective

1.  kept
as pet:
kept as a pet animal

2.  special
or favorite to somebody: cherished by, special, or
favorite to somebody • a pet
topic
verb
(past pet·ted, past participle pet·ted, present
participle pet·ting, 3rd person present singular pets)

1.  transitive
verb
stroke
animal:
to pat or stroke an animal or to touch a child similarly

2.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody indulgently: to treat a person or animal
indulgently

3.  intransitive
verb
touch
for sexual pleasure: to touch each other in a way
that causes sexual pleasure
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from Middle English pety
“small,” an earlier form of petty .]
—pet·ter, noun[1]



Pet.

Pet.
Pet.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Peter[1]



pet

pet2
pet2  [pet]
noun (plural pets)

sulky
mood:
a fit of sulkiness or peevishness
intransitive
verb
(past pet·ted, past participle pet·ted, present
participle pet·ting, 3rd person present singular pets)

be
sulky:
to be peevish or sulky
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



PET

PET
PET
[pet]

1.  Abbreviation
of
positron emission tomography

2.  Abbreviation
of
polyethylene terephthalate

[1]



peta-

peta-
peta-
prefix

one
million billion: one million billion (10 15 ). Symbol P
[Formed from penta-, on the model of “tera-” (as if from
“tetra-”); so called because it represents 1,000 to the fifth power][1]



petal

petal
pet·al 
[pétt’l] (plural pet·als) noun

colored
part of flower: one of the showy colored parts that form
the outer part of a flower that together are the corolla
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin petalum from Greek petalon “leaf.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to spread,” which is also the
ancestor of English fathom and patent .]
—pet·al·ine
[pétt’l n, pétt’lin],
adjective

—pet·aled [pétt’ld], adjective[1]



-petal

-petal
-petal
suffix

moving
toward • centripetal
[Formed from modern Latin -petus,
from Latin petere “to seek” (see petition
)][1]



petaliferous

petaliferous
pet·al·if·er·ous 
[pètt’l íffərəss] or pet·al·ous
[pétt’ləss] adjective

with petals:
having petals[1]



petaloid

petaloid
pet·al·oid 
[pétt’l òyd] adjective

resembling a petal:
resembling the petal of a flower[1]



petalous

petalous
pet·al·ous 
adjective

See
petaliferous[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








petard

petard
pe·tard 
[pə trd] (plural pe·tards) noun

1.  ARMS explosive
charge for breaching fortification: a
small explosive charge or grenade used to blow a hole in a door, wall, or
fortification

2.  firecracker:
a powerful firecracker
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin pedere “to break wind.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fizzle and feisty
.]
be
hoist with your own petard

to be the victim of your own
attempt to harm somebody else[1]



petaurist

petaurist
pet·au·rist 
[pə táwrəst] (plural pet·au·rists)
noun

ZOOLOGY See flying phalanger
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
petauristēs “acrobat,” from petauron “springboard.”][1]



Petavius

Petavius
Pet·a·vi·us
[pə táyvee əss] noun

a walled enclosure on the
Moon with a prominent crack ( rill ) across
the floor and a complex central peak, located south of Mare Fecundatis, 177
km/110 mi in diameter[1]



petcock

petcock
pet·cock 
[pét kòk] (plural pet·cocks) noun

valve
for draining: a small manually operated valve or
faucet used to drain off waste material or excess fluid from the cylinder of an
internal combustion engine
[Mid-19th century. From pet
(of uncertain origin: perhaps from pet 1 or obsolete
pet “fart,” via French from, ultimately, Latin peditus ) + cock 1 in the
meaning of “spout.”][1]



petechia

petechia
pe·te·chi·a 
[pe tkee ə] (plural pe·te·chi·ae
[pe tkee ]) noun

tiny
red spot on skin: a tiny purplish red spot on the skin
caused by the release into the skin of a very small quantity of blood from a
capillary
[Late
18th century. Via modern Latin from Italian petecchie “spots on the
skin,” ultimately from Latin impetigo (see impetigo
).]
—pe·te·chi·al, adjective[1]



peter

peter2
pe·ter2  [ptər]
(plural pe·ters) noun

penis:
a penis (slang) (considered offensive by some people)[1]



peter

peter1
pe·ter1  [ptər]
(past pe·tered, past participle pe·tered, present
participle pe·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular pe·ters)
intransitive verb

dwindle:
to become less
[12th century. From the name Peter
.][1]



Peterborough

Peterborough
Pe·ter·bor·ough 
[ptər bùrō, ptərbùrō,
ptərbərə]

city in southeastern Ontario,
Canada, approximately 40 km/25 mi north of Lake Ontario. Population: 100,193
(1996)[1]



peterout

peterout
peter
out
intransitive verb

dwindle
to end:
to dwindle and finally stop or disappear
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



PeterPan

PeterPan
Pe·ter
Pan
(plural Pe·ter Pans) noun

man
looking or behaving young: a man who looks very young
or behaves in a boyish way (informal)
[Early 20th century. From the
name of the hero of J. M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t
Grow Up (1904).][1]



PeterPan collar

PeterPan collar
Pe·ter
Pan col·lar
(plural Pe·ter Pan col·lars) noun

flat collar with rounded
ends: a flat collar attached to a
round neck with rounded ends visible at the front[1]



PeterPrinciple

PeterPrinciple
Pe·ter
Prin·ci·ple
noun

management
theory of incompetence: the theory that all members
of an organization will eventually be promoted to a level at which they are no
longer competent to do their job
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. author Laurence Johnston Peter 1919–1990, who propounded it.][1]



Peter,Saint

Peter,Saint
Pe·ter
[ptər], Saint

One
of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, he was a leader and missionary in the
early church, and traditionally the first bishop of Rome.
Born
Simon[1]



petersham

petersham
pe·ter·sham
[ptər shàm] (plural pe·ter·shams)
noun

TEXTILES strong
ribbon for reinforcing garments: a strong ribbed ribbon
used to reinforce parts of garments such as waistbands
[Early 19th century. Named
for the English army officer Viscount Petersham ( 1790–1851 ), who wore
such an overcoat.][1]



Peterson,Oscar

Peterson,Oscar
Pe·ter·son
[ptərssən], Oscar (1925– )

Canadian
pianist. He is known for his technical brilliance in jazz and ability to play.
Full name
Peterson, Oscar Emmanuel[1]



Peters’projection

Peters’projection
Pe·ters’
pro·jec·tion noun

form
of map projection: a form of map projection
that represents the relative size of land masses more accurately than
Mercator’s projection
[Late 20th century. Named for
Arno Peters, who created it.][1]



Peterthe Great

Peterthe Great

Pe·ter the Great
[pètər ə gráyt], Tsar (1672–1725)
Russian emperor. His victory over Sweden
established Russia as a major European power.[1]



Peter’spence

Peter’spence
Pe·ter’s
pence 
noun

1.  Roman
Catholic donation: a voluntary financial
contribution made by some Roman Catholic dioceses to the Papal See

2.  HISTORY medieval
tax to Papal See: a tax of one penny per household paid to
the Papal See in medieval times until it was abolished by Henry VIII
[From the tradition that the
papacy was founded by Saint Peter][1]



pethidine

pethidine
pe·thi·dine 
[péthi dn] noun

See
meperidine
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
p(iper)idine and eth(yl) .][1]



petiolar

petiolar
pet·i·o·lar 
[péttee lər, pèttee
ṓlər] adjective

of petioles:
relating to the growth of petioles[1]



petiolate

petiolate
pet·i·o·late 
[péttee ə làyt] adjective

with petiole:
having a petiole[1]



petiole

petiole
pet·i·ole 
[péttee l] (plural pet·i·oles)
noun

leafstalk:
a leafstalk (technical)
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin petiolus, a variant of Latin peciolus, literally
“little foot” (see pedicel ).][1]



petiolule

petiolule
pet·i·o·lule 
[péttee ə ll] (plural pet·i·o·lules)
noun

leaflet
stalk:
the stalk of a leaflet in a compound leaf
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin petiolulus, literally “little petiole,” from petiolus
(see petiole ).][1]



petitbourgeois

petitbourgeois
pet·it
bour·geois 
[pètti boor zhw, pə
t boor zhw] (plural pe·tits bour·geois [pètti boor zhw]) noun

lower
middle-class person: a member of the lower middle
class
[From French, literally
“little citizen”][1]



petite

petite
pe·tite 
[pə tt] adjective

1.  small
and delicately built: having a small and delicate
build • a
petite woman

2.  for
smaller women: designed to fit smaller women or girls
[Mid-16th century. From
French, feminine of petit “little.”][1]



petitebourgeoisie

petitebourgeoisie
pe·tite
bour·geoi·sie  [pətt boor
zhwaa z] (plural pe·tites bour·geoi·sies) noun

lower middle class:
people in the lower middle class, a group traditionally including small
business operators, craftspeople, and tradespeople[1]



petitfour

petitfour
pet·it
four 
[pétti fàwr, pə
t fáwr] (plural pe·tits fours) noun

very
small sweet cake: any one of a mixture of bite-size sweet
cakes served at the end of a meal with coffee
[From French, literally
“little oven”][1]



petition

petition
pe·ti·tion 
[pə tísh’n] noun (plural pe·ti·tions)

1.  demand
for action with signatures: a written request signed by
many people demanding a particular action from an authority or government

2.  appeal
or request to higher authority: an appeal or request
to a higher authority or being

3.  something
requested:
something requested or appealed for

4.  act
of petitioning: the act of making a petition

5.  pleading
stating cause of action: a pleading in a civil action
by which the plaintiff sets down the cause of action and invokes the court’s
jurisdiction
verb
(past pe·ti·tioned, past participle pe·ti·tioned, present
participle pe·ti·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular pe·ti·tions)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
petition to somebody: to give or address a
petition to somebody, especially somebody in authority or a representative of
an organization

2.  intransitive
verb
make
demand using petition: to urge for or against a
course of action by presenting a petition

3.  intransitive
verb
LAW make
formal request: to request formally, using a petition
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin petere “to seek, go
toward.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fly,” which is also
the ancestor of English feather and symptom .]
—pe·ti·tion·ar·y,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word petere, from which petition
  is derived, is also the source of English appetite,
  compete, impetus, perpetual,
  petulant, and repeat.

[1]



petitioner

petitioner
pe·ti·tion·er
[pə tísh’nər] (plural pe·ti·tion·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
petitioning for something: somebody who requests or
demands something using a petition

2.  LAW plaintiff
petitioning in civil action: the plaintiff in a civil
action who presents a formal written pleading to a court

[1]



petitioprincipii

petitioprincipii
pe·ti·ti·o
prin·ci·pi·i  [pə tìshee
ō prin síppee ] noun

begging
the question: logically fallacious reasoning in which
what has to be proved is already assumed
[From Latin, literally
“assuming the first thing”][1]



petitjury

petitjury
pet·it
ju·ry
[pètti jree] or pet·ty ju·ry
[pètti jree] noun

See
trial jury[1]



petitlarceny

petitlarceny
pet·it
lar·ce·ny
or pet·ty lar·ce·ny noun

small-time thieving:
the theft of something whose value lies below a particular standard in a
particular jurisdiction[1]



petitmal

petitmal
pet·it
mal 
[pètti mál] noun

mild
epilepsy:
a form of epilepsy marked by episodes of brief loss of consciousness without
convulsions or falling. It is found most frequently in children and
adolescents.
See
also
grand mal
[From French, literally
“small illness”][1]



petitpoint

petitpoint
pet·it
point 
[pètti póynt] (plural pe·tits
points) noun

1.  small
stitch in needlepoint for details: a small stitch used in
needlepoint when creating details

2.  embroidery
with small stitches: work embroidered using small
stitches
[From French, “small stitch”][1]



petitspois

petitspois
pe·tits
pois 
[pètti pw, pə
t pw] plural noun

small
peas:
small sweet green peas
[From French, “small peas”][1]



petname

petname
pet
name
(plural pet names) noun

name showing endearment:
a name showing endearment used for a family member or special friend[1]



petnapping

petnapping
pet·nap·ping 
[pét nàpping] (plural pet·nap·pings)
noun

stealing
of pet:
the stealing or kidnapping of a pet animal
[Late
20th century. Modeled on “kidnapping.”]
—pet·nap·per, noun[1]



petpeeve

petpeeve
pet
peeve
(plural pet peeves) noun

particular personal
complaint: somebody’s constant issue or
topic of complaint[1]



Petra

Petra
Pet·ra 
[ptrə, péttrə]

ancient ruined city in
southwestern Jordan, famous for its buildings and tombs that are carved out of
solid rock[1]



Petrarch

Petrarch
Pe·trarch
[p traark, pét
rrk] (1304–1374)

Italian
lyric poet and scholar. He is best remembered for his series of love poems
addressed to Laura, the Canzoniere (1327).
Born
Petrarca, Francesco[1]



Petrarchansonnet

Petrarchansonnet
Pe·trarch·an
son·net
[pə trrkən sónnət] (plural Pe·trarch·an
son·nets) noun

type
of poem:
a form of poetry that has an eight line stanza with the rhyme scheme abbaabba
followed by six lines with various rhyme schemes, usually cdcdcd or cdecde.
Also
called
Italian sonnet
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch
1304–1374, who developed the form.][1]



petrel

petrel
pet·rel 
[pétrəl] (plural pet·rels) noun

seabird:
a bird that lives on the sea such as the storm-petrel, the diving petrel, or
the fulmar. Petrels are widespread in ocean environments and move awkwardly on
land. Family: Hydrobatidae Pelecanoididae Procellariidae
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Saint Peter, who walked on water (Matthew
14:29), because the bird flies close to the surface.][1]



petri-

petri-
petri-
prefix

See
petro-[1]



Petridish

Petridish
Pe·tri
dish
[ptree dìsh] (plural Pe·tri
dish·es) noun

dish
for growing cultures: a shallow flat-bottomed dish
with a loose cover used especially to grow bacterial cultures in the laboratory
[Named for Julius Petri
( 1852–1892 ), the German bacteriologist who invented it][1]



petrifaction

petrifaction
pet·ri·fac·tion 
[pèttrə fákshən] or pet·ri·fi·ca·tion
[pèttrəfi káysh’n] noun

1.  conversion
of substance to stone: the process in which the
porous structure of organic material such as bones, shell, and wood is
infiltrated by salt-bearing groundwater, which preserves the structure when it
solidifies. The Petrified Forest in Arizona contains whole tree trunks that have
been turned into stone.

2.  condition
of being petrified: the condition of being
turned into stone

[1]



PetrifiedForest National Park

PetrifiedForest National Park
Pet·ri·fied
For·est Na·tion·al Park [pètrə
fīd fáwrist náshən’l paark]

national park in eastern
Arizona, established as a national monument in 1906, and as a national park in
1962. It is noted for its petrified trees and Native American ruins. Area: 378
sq km/146 sq mi.[1]



petrify

petrify
pet·ri·fy 
[péttrə f] (past pet·ri·fied,
past participle pet·ri·fied, present participle pet·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pet·ri·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
immobilize
somebody with fear: to cause a person or animal
to become immobile with terror

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GEOLOGY cause petrification:
to cause or bring about the process by which something organic is turned into
stone

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become deadened or stiff: to become or cause something
to become dull, stiff, or deadened
[15th
century. From French pétrifier or medieval Latin petrificare,
both formed from Latin petra “stone,” from Greek petra (see petro- ).]
—pet·ri·fi·er, noun[1]



Petrine

Petrine
Pe·trine 
[p trn] adjective

1.  of
the Apostle Peter: relating to or associated
with St. Peter, the Apostle.

2.  of
Catholic dissolution of marriage: in the Roman Catholic
Church, associated with or used to describe a dissolved marriage between
somebody who has been baptized and somebody who has not
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from ecclesiastical Latin Petrus “Peter.”][1]



petro-

petro-
petro-
prefix

1.  rock,
stone • petrography

2.  petroleum
• petrodollar
[From Greek petros “a
stone” and petra “rock” (source also of English petrify, parsley
and saltpeter )][1]



petrochemical

petrochemical
pet·ro·chem·i·cal 
[pèttrō kémmik’l] noun (plural
pet·ro·chem·i·cals)

derivative
of petroleum or natural gas: a substance derived from
petroleum or natural gas, such as gasoline or paraffin
adjective

relating
to petrochemical s: relating to or derived from
petrochemical s
—pet·ro·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



petrochemistry

petrochemistry
pet·ro·chem·is·try 
[pèttrō kémmistree] noun

1.  chemistry
of petroleum: the branch of chemistry that is
concerned with petroleum and derivatives of petroleum

2.  geochemistry
of rocks:
the chemistry of rocks, especially with reference to their composition

[1]



petrodollar

petrodollar
pet·ro·dol·lar
[péttrō dòllər] (plural pet·ro·dol·lars)
noun

currency earned by
oil-producing nation: dollars
paid to global oil producers that are deposited in U.S. banks[1]



petrog.

petrog.
petrog.

Abbreviation of
petrography[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








petrogenesis

petrogenesis
pet·ro·gen·e·sis 
[pèttrō jénnəssiss] noun

origin of rocks:
the origin, formation, and history of rocks[1]



petroglyph

petroglyph
pet·ro·glyph 
[péttrə glìf] (plural pet·ro·glyphs)
noun

prehistoric
rock drawing: a prehistoric drawing done on rock
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Greek petros “stone” + glyphē “carving.”][1]



petrography

petrography
pe·trog·ra·phy 
[pi tróggrəfee] noun

rock
examination to determine mineral content: the
systematic description of the texture of rocks and the minerals they contain,
often using microscopy of thin slices of the rock to determine the mineral
content
—pe·trog·ra·pher,
noun

—pet·ro·graph·ic
[pèttrə gráffik], adjective

—pet·ro·graph·i·cal·ly
[pèttrə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



petrol

petrol
pet·rol 
[péttrəl] noun

U.K.
See gasoline
[Mid-16th century. Via French
pétrole from medieval Latin petroleum (see petroleum ).][1]



petrol.

petrol.
petrol.

Abbreviation of
petrology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








petrolbomb

petrolbomb
pet·rol
bomb
noun

See
Molotov cocktail[1]



petroleum

petroleum
pe·tro·le·um 
[pə trṓlee əm] noun

crude
oil found in rock: crude oil that occurs
naturally in sedimentary rocks and consists mainly of hydrocarbons. A wide
variety of commercially important petrochemicals, such as gasoline and kerosene
are derived from it.
[Early 16th century. From
medieval Latin, from Latin petra “rock” + oleum (see oil ).][1]



petroleumjelly

petroleumjelly
pe·tro·le·um
jel·ly
noun

greasy substance:
a greasy substance derived from petroleum and used as an ointment base,
lubricant, and a protective covering[1]



petrology

petrology
pe·trol·o·gy 
[pə trólləjee] noun

study
of rocks:
the study of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks with respect to their
occurrence, structure, origin, history, and mineral content
—pet·ro·log·i·cal
[pèttrə lójjik’l], adjective

—pet·ro·log·i·cal·ly
[pèttrə lójjikəlee], adverb

—pe·trol·o·gist [pə trólləjist], noun[1]



petrolstation

petrolstation
pet·rol
sta·tion
(plural pet·rol sta·tions) noun

U.K.
See gas station[1]



petronel

petronel
pet·ro·nel 
[péttrənəl] (plural pet·ro·nels)
noun

short
16C and 17C firearm: a short firearm with a
curved butt whose length was between that of a long pistol and a short carbine,
used mostly by cavalry in the 16th and 17th centuries
[Late 16th century. Via
French petrinal from, ultimately, Latin pectus “chest” (see pectoral ), so called because the butt rested
against the chest when the gun was fired.][1]



petrosal

petrosal
pe·tro·sal 
[pə trṓss’l] adjective

affecting
part of temporal bone: affecting or belonging to
the hard ( petrous ) portion of the temporal
bone surrounding the inner ear
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin petrosus (see petrous ).][1]



petrous

petrous
pet·rous 
[péttrəss] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY of
rock:
relating to or resembling rock or stone

2.  ANATOMY of
hard part of temporal lobe: used to describe the hard
portion of the temporal bone surrounding the inner ear
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin petrosus “rocky,” from petra “rock” (see petrify ).][1]



PETscan

PETscan
PET
scan 
[pét skàn] (plural PET scans) noun

image
of brain activity: an image of a bodily
cross-section, usually of the brain, that reveals metabolic processes and that
is obtained by means of positron emission tomography
—PET
scan·ner, noun

—PET scan·ning, noun[1]



petticoat

petticoat
pet·ti·coat 
[pétti kt] noun (plural pet·ti·coats)

1.  woman’s
undergarment: a woman’s undergarment that is sometimes
decorated and consists of an underskirt with or without a bodice

2.  formerly,
any skirt:
until the 20th century, any skirt whether worn on its own with a jacket or
bodice, or underneath a gown

3.  something
resembling skirt: something that resembles a petticoat,
such as ruffles sewn on a skirt or a skirt-shaped covering for something

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman or girl (dated offensive)
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to women or girls (dated offensive)
[15th century. From petty “small” + coat
. The modern meaning evolved from “padded coat worn under armor” via “short
coat worn by men.”][1]



pettifogger

pettifogger
pet·ti·fog·ger 
[péttee fòggər] (plural pet·ti·fog·gers)
noun

1.  somebody
who argues over details: somebody who argues or
fusses over trivia and details

2.  insignificant
lawyer:
a lawyer whose practice is small or insignificant
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from petty
+ fogger, of unknown origin.]
—pet·ti·fog,
intransitive verb

—pet·ti·fog·ger·y, noun[1]



pettifogging

pettifogging
pet·ti·fog·ging
[péttee fògging] adjective

1.  trivial:
petty or trivial • pettifogging details

2.  quibbling:
quibbling or fussing over trivial matters (insult)

[1]



petting

petting
pet·ting 
[pétting] noun

touching for sexual pleasure:
touching between people that causes sexual pleasure but does not include sexual
intercourse (informal)[1]



pettingzoo

pettingzoo
pet·ting
zoo
noun

collection of animals for
petting: a place where tame animals
such as deer, goats, rabbits, and fowl are made available for small children to
pet and feed[1]



pettish

pettish
pet·tish 
[péttish] adjective

peevish:
peevish, irritable, or sulky
[Late
16th century. Formed from pet 2 .]
—pet·tish·ly,
adverb

—pet·tish·ness, noun[1]



pettitoes

pettitoes
pet·ti·toes 
[péttee tz] plural noun

1.  pig’s
trotters:
pig’s feet when used as food

2.  somebody’s,
especially children’s, toes or feet (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps by folk-etymology from French petite oie “giblets of
a goose,” by association with petty and toe .][1]



petty

petty
pet·ty 
[péttee] (comparative pet·ti·er,
superlative pet·ti·est) adjective

1.  insignificant:
of little importance

2.  narrow-minded:
narrow-minded in nature

3.  mean:
spiteful in character

4.  of
relatively little importance: subordinate in rank or
importance
[14th
century. From Old French peti, a variant of petit “small,” of
unknown origin.]
—pet·ti·ly
[péttilee], adverb

—pet·ti·ness [pétteenəss], noun[1]



pettycash

pettycash
pet·ty
cash
noun

money for small expenses:
a small amount of money kept, for example, in an office, and used to cover
minor everyday expenses[1]



pettyjury

pettyjury
pet·ty
ju·ry
noun

See
petit jury[1]



pettylarceny

pettylarceny
pet·ty
lar·ce·ny
noun

See
petit larceny[1]



pettyofficer

pettyofficer
pet·ty
of·fi·cer
(plural pet·ty of·fi·cers) noun

noncommissioned naval
officer: a noncommissioned naval
officer ranking above enlisted sailors and below commissioned officers[1]



petulant

petulant
pet·u·lant 
[péchələnt] adjective

sulky:
ill-tempered or sulky in a peevish manner
[Late
16th century. Via French from Latin petulans “insolent,” from petere
“to seek, assail” (see petition ).]
—pet·u·lance,
noun

—pet·u·lant·ly, adverb[1]



petunia

petunia

pe·tu·nia 
[pə tnee ə] noun (plural pe·tu·nias)
tropical
plant with bright flowers: a flowering plant native to
tropical America that has sticky stems and brightly colored funnel-shaped
flowers. Genus: Petunia
adjective
of
dark purple color: of a dark purple or violet
color
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Portuguese petum “tobacco,”
from Tupi or Guarani ; so called because it is related to tobacco.][1]



petuntze

petuntze
pe·tun·tze
[pi tntsə] or pe·tun·tse [pi tntsə] noun

feldspar
used in porcelain: a variety of feldspar that
can be melted and is used in the manufacture of Chinese porcelain
[Early 18th century. From
Chinese (Mandarin) bāidūnzi, literally “white stone block.”][1]



pew

pew
pew 
[pyoo] (plural pews) noun

church
or synagogue bench: a usually wooden bench with
a straight back and often a kneeling bench attached to the one in front of it,
used by worshipers in a church or synagogue
[14th century. Via Old French
puie “balcony” from, ultimately, Latin podium (see podium ). The word originally denoted a raised
seating area in a church.][1]



pewee

pewee
pe·wee
[p w] (plural pe·wees) or
pee·wee [p w] (plural pee·wees)
noun

drab
flycatcher:
a drab medium-sized flycatcher with a plaintive song. Genus: Contopus
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of its call.][1]



pewit

pewit
pe·wit 
[pwit, py it]
(plural pe·wits) noun

BIRDS See lapwing
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of its call.][1]



pewter

pewter
pew·ter 
[pytər] noun

1.  tin
and lead alloy: a silver-gray alloy of tin and lead
sometimes containing antimony and copper

2.  pewter
objects collectively: articles made from pewter

3.  dark
grayish color: a dark, dull gray color tinged with blue
or purple
adjective

of dark dull gray color:
of a dark dull gray color, with a tinge of blue or purple
[14th century. Via Old French
peutre from assumed Vulgar Latin peltrum, of unknown origin.][1]



pewterer

pewterer
pew·ter·er
[pytərər] (plural pew·ter·ers)
noun

maker of pewter articles:
a craftsperson who makes or repairs pewter articles[1]



peyote

peyote
pe·yo·te 
[pay ṓtee] (plural pe·yo·tes) noun

1.  PLANTS globe-shaped
cactus:
a spineless globe-shaped cactus native to Mexico and the southwestern United
States that has small rounded nodules containing mescaline. Latin name: Lophophora
williamsii
Also
called
mescal

2.  pe·yo·te
or pe·yo·te but·ton DRUGS
cactus
used as drug: any one of the button-shaped nodules on
the stem of the peyote cactus that contains mescaline and is used as a
hallucinogenic drug
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from Nahuatl peyotl .][1]



pf.

pf.
pf.

1.  Abbreviation
of
perfect

2.  Abbreviation
of
pfennig

[1]



pF

pF
pF

Symbol for
picofarad[1]



PFC

PFC
PFC
or Pfc

Abbreviation of
private first class[1]



PFD

PFD
PFD

Abbreviation of
personal flotation device[1]



pfennig

pfennig
pfen·nig 
[fénnig] (plural pfen·nigs or
pfen·ni·ge) noun

1.  minor
unit of German currency: a minor unit of currency in
Germany, 100 of which are worth a mark

2.  coin
worth a pfennig: a coin worth a pfennig
[Mid-16th century. From
German, ultimately related to English penny
.][1]



pfft

pfft
pfft 
[ft] interjection

disappearance
indicator:
a sound indicating a sudden disappearance or failure of something, meaning
“that’s it” or “there it went” (informal)
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound of a light or other device suddenly burning out.][1]



PG

PG3
PG3 

(informal) Abbreviation
of pregnant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PG

PG2
PG2 

Abbreviation of
postgraduate[1]



PG

PG1
PG1  adjective

CINEMA parental
guidance:
used to describe a movie that would be inappropriate for children, unless
accompanied by a parent. Full form parental guidance
[Abbreviation of parental
guidance][1]



pg.

pg.
pg.

Abbreviation of
page[1]



Pg.

Pg.
Pg.

Abbreviation of
Portuguese[1]



PG-13

PG-13
PG-13 
(plural PG-13s) adjective

CINEMA
inappropriate for children under 13:
used to describe a motion picture that is inappropriate for children under 13,
unless accompanied by a parent, as judged by the Motion Picture Association of
America[1]



PGA

PGA
PGA

Abbreviation of
Professional Golfers’ Association[1]



PGP

PGP
PGP
noun

computer encryption program:
a program to encrypt data for security purposes when the data is transmitted
over public networks like the Internet. PGP uses public key encryption, a
system that provides for privacy and authentication of both the sender and the
receiver of the message. Abbreviation of Pretty
Good Privacy[1]



pH

pH
pH 
noun

measure of acidity or
alkalinity: a measure of the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution, such as vinegar, or a damp substance, such as soil.
The pH of pure water is 7 with lower numbers indicating acidity and higher
numbers indicating alkalinity. Full form potential of hydrogen[1]



Ph

Ph
Ph


Symbol for
phenyl group[1]



PH

PH
PH 
or P.H.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Purple Heart

2.  Abbreviation
of
public health

[1]



ph.

ph.
ph.

Abbreviation of
phase[1]



PHA

PHA
PHA

Abbreviation of
Public Housing Administration[1]



phacoemulsification

phacoemulsification
phac·o·e·mul·si·fi·ca·tion 
[fà kō i múlsəfi káysh’n] noun

cataract
removal technique: an ultrasonic technique
using microsurgical instruments that allows a cataract-affected lens to be
liquefied and removed by suction using a very small incision near the edge of
the cornea. A foldable plastic lens is then inserted through the incision and unfolded.
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Greek phakos “lentil” (because of the shape of the lens) +
emulsification .][1]



phaeton

phaeton
pha·e·ton 
[fáyət’n, fáyt’n]
(plural pha·e·tons) noun

1.  light
four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage: a small light
four-wheeled carriage, usually with two seats and usually drawn by two horses

2.  antique
touring car: an old-fashioned touring car, now
antique
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek Phaethōn, the son of Helios, who was
killed by Zeus while trying to drive his father’s chariot across the sky.][1]



phage

phage
phage 
[fayj] (plural phag·es) noun

See
bacteriophage
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



-phage

-phage
-phage
suffix

something
that eats • xylophage
[From Greek -phagos
“-eating,” which was formed from phagein “to eat” (see phago- )][1]



phagedena

phagedena
phag·e·de·na
[fàjjə dnə] (plural phag·e·de·nas)
or phag·e·dae·na [fàjjə dnə]
(plural phag·e·dae·nas) noun

rapidly
spreading ulcer: an ulcer that spreads rapidly
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek phagedaina .][1]



-phagia

-phagia
-phagia
suffix

eating
• aerophagia
• hyperphagia
[From Greek, formed from phagein
“to eat” (see phago- )][1]



phago-

phago-
phago-
prefix

eating,
consuming • phagocyte
[From Greek phagein
“to eat.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to share out,
distribute,” which is also the ancestor of English pagoda
and nebbish .][1]



phagocyte

phagocyte
phag·o·cyte 
[fággə st] (plural phag·o·cytes)
noun

cell
that removes unwanted substances: a cell in the body’s
bloodstream and tissues such as a white blood cell that engulfs and ingests
foreign particles, cell waste material, and bacteria
—phag·o·cyt·ic [fàggə síttik], adjective[1]



phagocytosis

phagocytosis
phag·o·cy·to·sis 
[fàggə sī tṓsiss] noun

BIOLOGY destruction
by phagocytes: the engulfing and ingesting of foreign
particles or waste matter by phagocytes
—phag·o·cy·tot·ic [fàggə sī tottik], adjective[1]



-phagous

-phagous
-phagous
suffix

eating
• polyphagous
[Formed from Latin -phagus,
via Greek -phagos from phagein “to eat” (see phago- )][1]



-phagy

-phagy
-phagy
suffix

See
-phagia[1]



Phalange

Phalange
Pha·lange
[fáy lànj, fə
lánj] noun

Lebanese
militia:
a Lebanese Christian paramilitary group
[Mid-20th
century. Variant of Falange, from Spanish, literally “phalanx.”]
—Pha·lang·ist [fə lánjist, fállənjist],
noun, adjective[1]



phalangeal

phalangeal
pha·lan·ge·al 
[fə lánjee əl, fay
lánjee əl] adjective

relating to phalanx:
relating to a phalanx or the phalanges[1]



phalanger

phalanger
pha·lan·ger 
[fə lánjər] (plural pha·lan·gers)
noun

Australian
tree animal: a small tree-dwelling marsupial with
dense woolly fur and a long tail, found in Australia and nearby islands.
Family: Phalangeridae
Also
called
possum
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from the Greek stem phalagg- “toe bone,” because of the
webbed or fused toes on its hind feet.][1]



phalanx

phalanx
pha·lanx 
[fáy lànks, fá
lànks] (plural pha·lanx·es or pha·lan·ges [fə lánjeez, fay
lánjeez]) noun

1.  tight
group:
a group of people, animals, or objects that are moving or standing closely
together

2.  ARMY HISTORY body of troops:
especially in ancient Greece, a group of soldiers that attacks in close
formation, protected by their overlapping shields and projecting spears

3.  (plural
pha·lan·ges) ANATOMY finger
and toe bone: a finger or toe bone of a human being or
vertebrate animal
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
(stem phalang- ) from Greek phalagx “line of battle, finger, or
toe bone.”][1]



phalarope

phalarope
phal·a·rope 
[fállə rp] (plural phal·a·ropes)
noun

small
wading bird: a small wading bird that is related to
the sandpiper but has lobed toes adapted for swimming. Genus: Phalaropus
[Late 18th century. Via
French from modern Latin Phalaropus, genus name, from Greek phalaris
“coot” + pous “foot.”][1]



Phalguna

Phalguna
Phal·gu·na
[pál gnə, fál
gnə] noun

12th month of the Hindu
calendar: in the Hindu calendar, the
12th month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and occurring about the same
time as February or March[1]



phalli

phalli
phal·li


Plural of
phallus[1]



phallic

phallic
phal·lic 
[fállik] adjective

1.  of
a phallus:
relating to or resembling a phallus

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS relating
to theoretical stage of development: in
psychoanalytic theory, relating to a stage of psychosexual development during
which a young child’s sexual feelings are concentrated on the genitals

3.  RELIGION of
phallicism:
relating to phallicism
[Late 18th century. From
Greek phallikos, from phallos (see phallus
).][1]



phallicism

phallicism
phal·li·cism
[fálli sìzzəm] noun

phallus-worshiping:
the worshiping of the reproductive forces of life as symbolized by the penis
—phal·li·cist [fállissist], noun[1]



phallocentric

phallocentric
phal·lo·cen·tric
[fàllō séntrik] adjective

man-centered:
centered on men, or showing a preference for traditionally masculine qualities
rather than traditionally feminine ones
[Early 20th century. Coined
from phallus + -centric
.][1]



phallus

phallus
phal·lus 
[fálləss] (plural phal·lus·es or
phal·li [fá l]) noun

1.  stylized
penis:
a picture, sculpture, or other representation of a penis, especially one
regarded as a symbol of the reproductive force of life

2.  penis:
the human penis, especially when erect
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek phallos . Ultimately, from an Indo-European base
denoting “to swell,” which is also the ancestor of English bowl, bull,
and bold .][1]



-phan

-phan
-phan
suffix

See
-phane[1]



-phane

-phane
-phane
suffix

a
substance having the appearance or qualities of • cymophane
[From Greek -phanēs,
which was formed from phainesthai “to appear” (see phenomenon )][1]



phanerogam

phanerogam
phan·er·o·gam 
[fánnərō gàm] (plural phan·er·o·gams)
noun

seed-producing
plant:
a plant that produces seeds
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from modern Latin phanerogamus, from Greek phaneros
“visible,” which was formed from phainein (see phenomenon
) + gamos “sexual union” (see -gamous ).]
—phan·er·o·gam·ic [fànnərō gámmik], adjective[1]



phantasm

phantasm
phan·tasm 
[fán tàzzəm] (plural phan·tasms)
noun

1.  supposed
ghost or spirit: a supposed being such as a ghost or a
disembodied spirit that can be seen but does not have physical substance

2.  PHILOSOPHY delusion
or illusion: an understanding or perception that is
not based on reality
[13th
century. Via Old French fantasme from, ultimately, Greek phantasma,
from phantazesthai “to appear” (see fantastic
).]
—phan·tas·mal
[fan tázməl], adjective

—phan·tas·mal·ly
[fan tázməlee], adverb

—phan·tas·mic
[fan tázmik], adjective

—phan·tas·mi·cal·ly [fan tázmikəlee], adverb[1]



phantasmagoria

phantasmagoria
phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a 
[fàntazmə gáwree ə] (plural phan·tas·ma·go·ri·as)
or phan·tas·ma·go·ry [fan tázmə
gàwree] (plural phan·tas·ma·go·ries) noun

1.  bizarre
images:
a series or group of strange or bizarre images seen as if in a dream

2.  ever-changing
scene:
a scene or view that encompasses many things and changes constantly
[Early
19th century. From French fantasmagorie “art of making optical
illusions,” from fantasme (see phantasm
), possibly on the model of allégorie “allegory.”]
—phan·tas·ma·gor·ic,
adjective

—phan·tas·ma·gor·i·cal,
adjective

—phan·tas·ma·gor·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



phantom

phantom
phan·tom 
[fántəm] noun (plural phan·toms)

1.  unreal
being or sensation: something that can be seen
or heard or whose presence can be felt, but that is not physically present

2.  illusion:
somebody or something that does not exist, or whose existence is difficult to
prove

3.  apparent
power:
somebody or something that appears to have power over somebody but has no
reality • The
phantom of disaster seemed to threaten their success.
adjective

not real:
appearing to be real but not actually existing • The
local branch of the organization turned out to have a lot of phantom members.
[13th
century. Via Old French fantosme from, ultimately, Greek phantasma
(see phantasm ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Phantom of the Opera, a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux ( 1910 ). This
  romantic melodrama about a disfigured musical genius who dwells in the
  passageways of a Paris opera house was not widely known until the appearance
  of Rupert Julian’s movie adaptation of 1925. This in turn inspired other film
  adaptations as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical, one of the most
  successful musicals of all time.

[1]



phantomlimb pain

phantomlimb pain
phan·tom
limb pain
noun

pain appearing as in
amputated limb: pain that appears to
come from an amputated limb[1]



phantompregnancy

phantompregnancy
phan·tom
preg·nan·cy
noun

See
false pregnancy[1]



-phany

-phany
-phany
suffix

a
manifestation of something • epiphany
[Formed from Greek phan-,
the stem of phainesthai “to appear” (see phenomenon
)][1]



Phar.

Phar.
Phar.
or phar.

1.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacist

2.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacopoeia

3.  Abbreviation
of
pharmaceutical

4.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacy

[1]



Pharaoh

Pharaoh
Phar·aoh
[fáirō] (plural Phar·aohs) or
phar·aoh [fáirō] (plural phar·aohs)
noun

1.  ancient
Egyptian ruler: the ancient Egyptian title for a ruler
of Egypt

2.  powerful
person:
somebody in a position of authority, especially somebody who is harsh, gives
unreasonable orders, and expects unquestioning obedience
[Pre-12th
century. Via ecclesiastical Latin and Greek Pharaō and Hebrew par‘ōh
from Egyptian pr-‘ o, literally “great house.”]
—Phar·a·on·ic [fài ray ónnik], adjective[1]



Pharaohant

Pharaohant
Phar·aoh
ant
(plural Phar·aoh ants) or Phar·aoh’s ant (plural
Phar·aoh’s ants) noun

small
tropical ant: a small yellowish-red ant that is a
household pest in many tropical countries. Latin name: Monomorium pharaonis
[Pharaoh because it is common
in warm parts of the world such as Egypt][1]



Pharisaic

Pharisaic
Phar·i·sa·ic
[fèrri sáy ik] or Pha·ri·sa·i·cal
[fèrri sáy ik’l] adjective

1.  associated
with the Pharisees: relating to or
characteristic of the Pharisees

2.  Phar·i·sa·ic
or phar·i·sa·ic or Phar·i·sa·i·cal or phar·i·sa·i·cal
self-righteously
obsessed with rules: acting with hypocrisy,
self-righteousness, or obsessiveness with regard to the strict adherence to
rules and formalities (disapproving)
[Early
17th century. Via ecclesiastical Latin pharisaïcus from, ultimately,
Greek pharisaios (see Pharisee ).]
—Phar·i·sa·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—Phar·i·sa·i·cal·ness,
noun[1]



Pharisaism

Pharisaism
Phar·i·sa·ism
[férri say ìzzəm] or Phar·i·see·ism
[férri say ìzzəm] noun

1.  practices
of Pharisees: the beliefs and practices of the
Pharisees, especially the great attention they paid to the detailed rules of
everyday life

2.  Phar·i·sa·ism
or Phar·i·see·ism or phar·i·sa·ism or phar·i·see·ism
self-righteousness
about adhering to rules: hypocritical,
self-righteous, or obsessive behavior or attitudes toward the observing of
rules and formalities (disapproving)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek pharisaios (see Pharisee
).][1]



Pharisee

Pharisee
Phar·i·see
[férri s] (plural Phar·i·sees)
noun

1.  JUDAISM member
of ancient Jewish religious group: a member of an ancient
Jewish religious group who followed the Oral Law in addition to the Torah and
attempted to live in a constant state of purity

2.  Phar·i·see
or phar·i·see self-righteous or
hypocritical person: somebody who is
self-righteous or hypocritical, especially with regard to adherence to rules
and formalities (disapproving)
[Pre-12th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from Greek pharisaios, ultimately, from Aramaic prīšayyā,
literally “those who are separate.”][1]



Pharm.

Pharm.
Pharm.
or pharm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacist

2.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacopoeia

3.  Abbreviation
of
pharmaceutical

4.  Abbreviation
of
pharmacy

[1]



pharmac-

pharmac-
pharmac-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pharmaco-[1]



pharmaceutical

pharmaceutical
phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal 
[frmə stik’l] (plural phar·ma·ceu·ti·cals)
adjective

relating
to drugs:
involved in or associated with the manufacturing, preparation, dispensing, or
sale of the drugs used in medicine
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin pharmaceuticus from, ultimately, Greek pharmakeutēs
“one who prepares drugs,” from pharmakon “drug.”]
—phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



pharmaceutics

pharmaceutics
phar·ma·ceu·tics 
[frmə stiks] noun

science
of drugs:
the science of the preparation and dispensing of the drugs prescribed by
doctors (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

medicinal drugs:
drugs prescribed as medicines[1]



pharmacist

pharmacist
phar·ma·cist 
[frməsist] (plural phar·ma·cists)
noun

somebody
who dispenses drugs: somebody trained and
licensed to dispense medicinal drugs and to advise on their use.
Also
called
druggist
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from pharmacy .][1]



pharmaco-

pharmaco-
pharmaco-
prefix

drugs,
medicine • pharmacodynamics
[From Greek pharmakon
“drug, poison”][1]



pharmacodynamics

pharmacodynamics
phar·ma·co·dy·nam·ics 
[frməkō dī námmiks] noun

study
of how drugs affect users: the study of the effects of
drugs on living organisms (takes a singular verb)
—phar·ma·co·dy·nam·ic,
adjective[1]



pharmacognosy

pharmacognosy
phar·ma·cog·no·sy 
[frmə kógnəssee] noun

study
of natural drugs: a branch of pharmacology dealing with
active substances found in plants
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from pharmaco- + Greek gnōsis
“knowledge” (see gnosis ).]
—phar·ma·cog·no·sist,
noun

—phar·ma·cog·nos·tic [frmə kog nóstik], adjective[1]



pharmacokinetics

pharmacokinetics
phar·ma·co·ki·net·ics 
[frməkō ki néttiks] plural noun

body’s
reaction to drugs: the body’s reaction to
drugs, including their absorption, metabolism, and elimination (takes a
plural verb)
noun

study of reaction to drugs:
the study of the body’s reaction to drugs (takes a singular verb)[1]



pharmacol.

pharmacol.
pharmacol.

Abbreviation of
pharmacology[1]



pharmacology

pharmacology
phar·ma·col·o·gy 
[frmə kólləjee] (plural phar·ma·col·o·gies)
noun

1.  SCIENCE study
of drugs:
the science or study of drugs, including their sources, chemistry, production,
use in treating diseases, and side effects

2.  MEDICINE PHARMACOLOGY drug’s effects:
the effects that a drug has when taken by somebody, especially as a medical
treatment
—phar·ma·co·log·i·cal
[frməkə lójjik’l], adjective

—phar·ma·co·log·i·cal·ly
[frməkə lójjikəlee], adverb

—phar·ma·col·o·gist [frmə kólləjist], noun[1]



pharmacopoeia

pharmacopoeia
phar·ma·co·poe·ia 
[frməkə p ə] (plural phar·ma·co·poe·ias)
or phar·ma·co·pe·ia [frməkə p ə]
(plural phar·ma·co·pe·ias) noun

1.  book
describing drugs and their uses: a book or database
listing drugs used in medical practice and describing their composition,
preparation, use, dosages, effects, and side effects, especially one published
as an official guide for pharmacists

2.  collection
of drugs:
a stock or collection of drugs
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek pharmakopoiia “preparing of
drugs,” from pharmakon “drug.”]
—phar·ma·co·poe·ial,
adjective

—phar·ma·co·poe·ic,
adjective

—phar·ma·co·poe·ist, noun[1]



pharmacotherapy

pharmacotherapy
phar·ma·co·ther·a·py 
[frməkō thérrəpee] (plural phar·ma·co·ther·a·pies)
noun

treatment of diseases with
drugs: the use of drugs to treat
conditions, especially psychiatric disorders[1]



pharmacy

pharmacy
phar·ma·cy 
[frməsee] (plural phar·ma·cies)
noun

1.  drug
dispensing:
the science or profession of dispensing drugs used as medical treatments

2.  shop
selling or dispensing medicine: a place where the
drugs used for treating diseases are dispensed or sold
[14th century. Via Old French
farmacie from, ultimately, Greek pharmakeia “use of drugs,” from pharmakon
“drug.”][1]



pharyng-

pharyng-
pharyng-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pharyngo-[1]



pharyngeal

pharyngeal
pha·ryn·ge·al 
[fə rínjəl, fə
rínjee əl, fèrrən j əl] adjective

relating
to the throat: found in, affecting, or relating to the
throat
[Early 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin pharyngeus, from the stem pharyng- (see pharynx ).][1]



pharyngitis

pharyngitis
phar·yn·gi·tis 
[fèrrən jtiss] noun

MEDICINE
sore throat:
inflammation of the pharynx, commonly known as a sore throat[1]



pharyngo-

pharyngo-
pharyngo-
prefix

pharynx
• pharyngoscope
[Via modern Latin from Greek,
the stem of pharugx “throat” (see pharynx
)][1]



pharyngology

pharyngology
phar·yn·gol·o·gy 
[fèrring gólləjee] noun

study
and treatment of throat: the branch of medicine
concerned with the throat, its diseases, and their treatment
—phar·yn·go·log·i·cal
[fə rìng gə lójjik’l], adjective

—phar·yn·gol·o·gist [fèrring gólləjist], noun[1]



pharyngoscope

pharyngoscope
pha·ryn·go·scope 
[fə ríng gə skp] (plural pha·ryn·go·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining throat: a medical instrument for
examining the throat
—phar·yn·go·scop·ic
[fə rìng gə skóppik], adjective

—phar·yn·gos·co·py [fèrring góskəpee], noun[1]



pharynx

pharynx
phar·ynx 
[férringks] (plural pha·ryn·ges
[fə rínjeez] or phar·ynx·es) noun

1.  ANATOMY throat:
the throat, the region of the alimentary canal in humans and in vertebrate
animals that lies between the mouth and esophagus

2.  ZOOLOGY part
similar to throat: a region between the mouth
and the digestive system in sea anemones, worms, insects, and other
invertebrate animals
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin (stem pharyng- ) from Greek pharugx “throat.”
Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to pierce,” which is also the
ancestor of English perforate .][1]



phase

phase
phase 
[fayz] noun (plural phas·es)

1.  stage
of development: a clearly distinguishable period or
stage in a process, in the development of something, or in a sequence of events

2.  pattern
of behavior: any period of time when a situation or
particular pattern of behavior persists and is often annoying or worrying

3.  part
or aspect:
one of the many parts or aspects of something • We
needed to restructure all phases of our business.

4.  ASTRONOMY recurring
shape of moon: any of the recurring forms seen in the
sky of the Moon or a planet. The four principal phases of the Moon are the
first quarter, full moon, last quarter, and new moon.

5.  PHYSICS part
of repeating cycle: any part of a repeated
uniform pattern of occurrence of a phenomenon or process, relative to a fixed
starting point or time

6.  PHYSICS state
of matter:
any of the states in which matter can exist, depending on temperature and
pressure, for example, the solid, liquid, gaseous, and plasmic states

7.  ZOOLOGY variation
in animal form: an alternate stage, appearance, or
coloring that distinguishes a group of animals from most of their kind, or that
a particular animal adopts under specific conditions

8.  BIOLOGY stage
in organism’s life cycle: a stage in the life cycle of
an organism
transitive
verb
(past phased, past participle phased, present
participle phas·ing, 3rd person present singular phas·es)

1.  do
something in stages: to plan or arrange something
so that it is carried out in stages (often passive) • a
takeover that is being phased to minimize disruption

2.  synchronize
things:
to cause two or more things to happen or operate simultaneously or in a
coordinated way • to phase the departure
of one train with the arrival of another
[Early
19th century. Partly via French, partly a back-formation from modern Latin phases
“moon phases,” both, ultimately, from Greek phasis “appearance,” from phainein
“to show.”]
—pha·sic,
adjective
in
phase

in
the same phase at the same time, or operating in a synchronized or coordinated
way

out
of phase

not in the same phase, or not
synchronized or coordinated with each other[1]



phase-contrastmicroscope

phase-contrastmicroscope
phase-con·trast
mi·cro·scope (plural phase-con·trast
mi·cro·scopes) noun

microscope using light phase
differences: a microscope sensitive
to small differences in the phase of light reflected by or passing through
different parts of an object. By enhancing the differences, it provides a
clearly contrasted image. Phase-contrast microscopes are particularly useful
for examining colorless or transparent objects.[1]



phasein

phasein
phase
in
transitive verb

introduce something
gradually: to introduce something in
stages over a period of time[1]



phasemodulation

phasemodulation
phase
mod·u·la·tion noun

modulation of a radio carrier
wave: a method of transmitting a
voice or other signal in which the phase of a radio carrier wave is varied in
accordance with the signal[1]



phaseout

phaseout
phase·out 
(plural phase·outs) noun

process
of discontinuing: a gradual process of discontinuing
something
[Mid-20th C. From phase out .][1]



phaseout

phaseout
phase
out
transitive verb

bring something gradually to
an end: to bring something to an end
or remove it in stages over a period of time[1]



-phasia

-phasia
-phasia
suffix

speech
disorder • aphasia
[Formed from Greek phasis
“utterance,” from phanai “to say.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to speak,” which is also the ancestor of English fable, fame,
and boon .][1]



phasmid

phasmid
phas·mid 
[fázmid] noun (plural phas·mids)

tropical
plant-eating insect: a tropical plant-eating
insect that has a body that looks like a twig with long legs and antennae.
Walking stick insects and leaf insects are phasmids. Family: Phasmidae
adjective

relating
to phasmids: belonging or relating to the phasmids
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Phasmida, order name, from, ultimately, Greek phasma
“apparition,” from phainein “to show” (see phase
).][1]



phat

phat
phat
[fat] (comparative phat·ter, superlative
phat·test) adjective

excellent:
of a very high quality or standard (slang) “music…set to the phat beats
of hip-hop” The New York Times November 1998
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



phatic

phatic
phat·ic 
[fáttik] adjective

conveying
emotions rather than information: spoken in order to
share feelings, create goodwill, or set a pleasant social mood, rather than to
convey information. “Have a nice day!” is a phatic phrase.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek phatos “spoken,” from phanai “to say” (see -phasia ).][1]



Ph.B.

Ph.B.
Ph.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Philosophy
[Latin, Philosophiae
Baccalaureus][1]



Ph.C.

Ph.C.
Ph.C.

Abbreviation of
Pharmaceutical Chemist[1]



Ph.D.

Ph.D.
Ph.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Philosophy
[Latin, Philosophiae
Doctor][1]



pheasant

pheasant


pheas·ant 
[fézz’nt] (plural pheas·ants or
pheas·ant) noun

1.  BIRDS large
long-tailed bird: a large bird related to and resembling
domestic poultry. Male pheasants have long curved tails, and are often brightly
colored. Pheasants are frequently bred for shooting. Family: Phasianidae

2.  FOOD pheasant
meat:
the meat obtained from a pheasant
[13th century. Via Old French
fesan from, ultimately, Greek phasianos (ornis), “(bird) from the
river Phasis” in western Georgia, where it was supposed to have originated.][1]



phellem

phellem
phel·lem 
[félləm] noun

See
cork  noun 4
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek phellos “cork,” on the model of phloem
and xylem .][1]



phelloderm

phelloderm
phel·lo·derm 
[féllə dùrm] (plural phel·lo·derms)
noun

plant
tissue:
a layer of plant cells produced by the inner surface of the cork cambium in
woody plants, from which cork tissue develops
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek phellos “cork” + -derm .]
—phel·lo·der·mal [fèllə dúrm’l], adjective[1]



phellogen

phellogen
phel·lo·gen 
[félləjən] noun

See
cork cambium
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek phellos “cork” + -gen .]
—phel·lo·ge·net·ic
[fèlləjə néttik], adjective

—phel·lo·gen·ic [fèllə jénnik], adjective[1]



phen-

phen-
phen-
prefix

CHEMISTRY
See pheno-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








phenacaine

phenacaine
phe·na·caine 
[fénnə kàyn] noun

drug
used as local anesthetic: a white crystalline compound
used as a local anesthetic in ophthalmology. C18H22N2O2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from phen-, variant of pheno-, + -caine .][1]



phenacetin

phenacetin
phe·nac·e·tin 
[fə nássətin] noun

1.  drug
used to treat pain: a white crystalline compound
used in drugs to reduce fever or relieve pain. C10H13NO2

2.  phe·nac·e·tin
(plural phe·nac·e·tin or phe·nac·e·tins) pill:
a tablet containing phenacetin
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of acetophenetidin, its chemical name.][1]



phenacite

phenacite
phen·a·cite 
[fénnə st] or phen·a·kite [fénnə kt] noun

glassy
mineral:
a colorless glassy mineral consisting of beryllium silicate that is sometimes
used as a gemstone
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek phenak-, stem of phenax “impostor,” because it was
mistaken for quartz.][1]



phenanthrene

phenanthrene
phe·nan·threne 
[fə nán thrn] noun

colorless
hydrocarbon: a colorless crystalline aromatic
hydrocarbon used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, and explosives. C14H10
[Late 19th century.
Contraction of pheno- + anthracene .][1]



phencyclidine

phencyclidine
phen·cy·cli·dine 
[fen skli dn, fen
síkli dn] noun

drug
used as anesthetic and hallucinogen: a
drug used as an anesthetic in veterinary medicine and illegally as a
hallucinogen. C17H25N
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from phen- (variant of pheno- ) + cyclo- + piperidine
.][1]



phenetics

phenetics
phe·net·ics 
[fə néttiks] noun

system
of biological classification: a system of biological
classification based on overall similarities between organisms rather than on
their genetic or developmental relationships (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek phainesthai “to appear” (see phenomenon ) + -etic
.]
—phe·net·ic,
adjective

—phe·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—phe·net·i·cist, noun[1]



phenix

phenix
phe·nix 
[fniks] noun

See
phoenix[1]



PhenixCity

PhenixCity
Phe·nix
Cit·y 
[fnikssíttee]

city in Alabama, situated
east of Montgomery, on the Chattahoochee River, which separates Alabama from
Georgia. Population: 28,000 (1996)[1]



pheno-

pheno-
pheno-
prefix

1.  containing
phenyl • phenobarbitone

2.  related
to or derived from benzene • phenol

3.  appearing
• phenocryst
[From Greek phainein
“to show” (see phase )][1]



phenobarbital

phenobarbital
phe·no·bar·bi·tal 
[fnō brbi tàwl] noun

crystalline barbiturate:
a crystalline barbiturate used as a sedative, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant. C12H12N2O3[1]



phenocopy

phenocopy
phe·no·cop·y 
[fnə kòppee] (plural phe·no·cop·ies)
noun

environmentally
induced change in organism: a noninheritable change in
an organism induced by its response to its environment but resembling a genetic
mutation
[Mid-20th century. Blend of phenotype and copy
.][1]



phenocryst

phenocryst
phe·no·cryst 
[fnə krìst] (plural phe·no·crysts)
noun

large
crystal:
any of the large embedded crystals in a porphyritic rock
[Late
19th century. From French phénocryste, from phéno- “pheno-” (see pheno- ) + Greek krustallos “crystal” (see crystal ).]
—phe·no·crys·tic [fnə krístik], adjective[1]



phenol

phenol
phe·nol 
[f nàwl] (plural phe·nols) noun

1.  poisonous
caustic compound: a poisonous caustic crystalline compound
obtained from coal, wood tar, or benzene, used in the manufacture of resins,
dyes, and pharmaceuticals and as an antiseptic and disinfectant. C6H5OH
Also
called
phenol
Also
called
carbolic acid

2.  compound
based on benzene ring: a chemical compound that has
one or more hydroxyl groups attached to a benzene ring
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from phen-, variant of pheno-, + -ol .][1]



phenolic

phenolic
phe·no·lic 
[fi nṓlik, fi
nóllik] noun phe·no·lic (plural phe·no·lics)
phe·no·lic res·in (plural phe·no·lic res·ins)

resin
used in paints and adhesives: a type of thermosetting
resin derived from phenol and used in plastics, paints, and adhesives
adjective

CHEMISTRY
relating to phenol:
derived from or containing phenol[1]



phenology

phenology
phe·nol·o·gy 
[fi nólləjee] (plural phe·nol·o·gies)
noun

1.  studying
how climate affects biological cycles: the
study of regularly recurring biological phenomena such as animal migrations or
plant budding, especially as influenced by climatic conditions

2.  relationship
between recurring phenomenon and climate: the
relationship between a regularly recurring biological phenomenon and climatic
or environmental factors that may influence it
[Late
19th century. Coined from phenomenon + -logy .]
—phe·no·log·i·cal
[fnə lójjik’l], adjective

—phe·nol·o·gist [fi nólləjist], noun[1]



phenolphthalein

phenolphthalein
phe·nol·phthal·ein 
[f nol tháy ln, fnəl
tháy ln] noun

chemical indicator:
a colorless or yellowish compound used as a chemical indicator and as a
laxative. Alkalis turn a solution of phenolphthalein red. C20H14O4[1]



phenolred

phenolred
phe·nol
red
noun

red dye:
a red dye used as an acid-base indicator and, in medicine, to test kidney
function[1]



phenom

phenom
phe·nom 
[fə nóm] (plural phe·noms) noun

somebody
or something of note: an outstanding or unusual
person or thing (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of phenomenon .][1]



phenomena

phenomena
phe·nom·e·na


Plural of
phenomenon[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








phenomenal

phenomenal
phe·nom·e·nal 
[fə nómmən’l] adjective

1.  remarkable:
remarkable, especially if remarkably and impressively good or great • a
phenomenal talent

2.  PHILOSOPHY perceived
by senses:
perceived by or perceptible to the senses, rather than the mind, and thus
having at least an apparent external existence

3.  of
a phenomenon: constituting or relating to a phenomenon
—phe·nom·en·al·ly, adverb[1]



phenomenalism

phenomenalism
phe·nom·e·nal·ism 
[fə nómmən’l ìzzəm] noun

sense-data-based
theory of perception: a philosophical theory
stating that knowledge of the external world is limited to appearances so that
we know what our senses tell us about things ( sense-data ), not what they are
in themselves
—phe·nom·e·nal·ist
[fə nómmən’list], noun, adjective

—phe·nom·e·nal·is·ti·cal·ly
[fə nòmmən’l ístikəlee], adverb[1]



phenomenology

phenomenology
phe·nom·e·nol·o·gy 
[fə nòmmə nólləjee] noun

1.  study
of phenomena: in philosophy, the science or study of
phenomena, things as they are perceived, as opposed to the study of being, the
nature of things as they are

2.  philosophical
investigation of experience: the philosophical
investigation and description of conscious experience in all its varieties
without reference to the question of whether what is experienced is objectively
real
—phe·nom·e·no·log·i·cal
[fə nòmmənə lójjik’l], adjective

—phe·nom·e·no·log·i·cal·ly
[fə nòmmənə lójjikəlee], adverb

—phe·nom·e·nol·o·gist
[fə nòmmə nólləjist], noun[1]



phenomenon

phenomenon
phe·nom·e·non 
[fə nómmə nòn, fə
nómmənən] (plural phe·nom·e·na [fə
nómmənə]) noun

1.  something
experienced: a fact or occurrence that can be
observed

2.  something
notable:
something that is out of the ordinary and excites people’s interest and
curiosity • a
strange phenomenon

3.  (plural
phe·nom·e·nons) extraordinary person or
thing:
somebody or something that is, or that is considered to be, truly extraordinary
and marvelous

4.  PHILOSOPHY object
of perception: something perceived or experienced,
especially an object as it is apprehended by the human senses as opposed to an
object as it intrinsically is in itself
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek phainomenon “that which appears,” from the past
participle of phainein “to bring to light” (source of English fantasy ),
ultimately “to shine.”][1]



phenothiazine

phenothiazine
phe·no·thi·a·zine 
[fnō th ə zn, fnə
th ə zn] (plural phe·no·thi·a·zines) noun

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE compound
killing intestinal worms and insects: a
yellowish crystalline compound used in veterinary medicine to destroy
intestinal worms and as an insecticide. C12H9NS

2.  MEDICINE drug
used to treat schizophrenia: a derivative of
phenothiazine used as a tranquilizer and in the treatment of schizophrenia

[1]



phenotype

phenotype
phe·no·type 
[fnə tp] (plural phe·no·types)
noun

visible
characteristics of organism: the visible characteristics
of an organism resulting from the interaction between its genetic makeup and
the environment
[Early
20th century. From German Phänotypus, literally “type that shows,” from
Greek phainein (see phenomenon ).]
—phe·no·typ·ic
[fnə típpik], adjective

—phe·no·typ·i·cal
[fnə típpik’l], adjective

—phe·no·typ·i·cal·ly [fnə típpikəlee], adverb[1]



phenoxide

phenoxide
phe·nox·ide 
[fi nók sd] (plural phe·nox·ides)
noun

phenol compound:
any chemical compound that is a salt of phenol[1]



phenyl

phenyl
phen·yl 
[fénn’l, fn’l]
noun

benzene-based
chemical group: a chemical group derived from benzene by
removing a hydrogen atom, thus having a valence of one. C6H5
[Mid-19th century. From
French phényle, from Greek phainein “to show” (see phenomenon ), because it was first used to name
compounds formed from lighting gas.][1]



phenylalanine

phenylalanine
phen·yl·al·a·nine 
[fènn’l állə nn, fn’l
állə nn] noun

amino acid:
an essential amino acid found in many proteins and converted to a nonessential
amino acid ( tyrosine ) by the body. C9H11O2N[1]



phenylbutazone

phenylbutazone
phen·yl·bu·ta·zone 
[fènn’l bytə zn, fn’l
bytə zn] noun

anti-inflammatory drug:
an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat arthritis, bursitis, and gout. C19H20N2O2[1]



phenylketonuria

phenylketonuria
phen·yl·ke·to·nur·i·a 
[fènn’l keetə nree ə, fn’l keetə nree ə] noun

genetic disease:
a condition, resulting from a genetic mutation, in which the body lacks the
enzyme to metabolize phenylalanine which, if untreated, results in
developmental deficiency, seizures, and tumors[1]



phenylpropanolamine

phenylpropanolamine
phen·yl·pro·pa·nol·a·mine 
[fènn’l prōpə nóllə mn, fn’l prōpə nóllə mn] noun

appetite suppresser and
decongestant: a drug that constricts
blood vessels and is used as a nasal and bronchial decongestant, and an
appetite suppressant. C9H13NO[1]



phenylthiocarbamide

phenylthiocarbamide
phen·yl·thi·o·car·ba·mide 
[fènn’l thī ō krbə md, fn’l thī ō krbə md] or phen·yl·thi·o·u·rea
[fènn’l th ō yree ə, fn’l th ō yree ə] noun

compound showing presence of
gene: a crystalline compound that
tastes extremely bitter to people who possess a particular dominant gene, and
is thus used to test for the presence of that gene[1]



phenytoin

phenytoin
phen·y·to·in 
[fə níttō in] noun

drug
used to treat epilepsy: an anticonvulsant drug used
to treat epilepsy. C15H12N2O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
form di- + phenyl
+ hydantoin .][1]



phew

phew
phew 
[fyoo] interjection

1.  expressing
tiredness, relief, or disgust: used to express
tiredness, relief, surprise, or disgust

2.  expressing
repulsion:
used to express disgust at an unpleasant smell
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound made by blowing through partly closed lips.][1]



Ph.G.

Ph.G.
Ph.G.

Abbreviation of
Graduate in Pharmacy[1]



phi

phi
phi 
[fī] (plural phis) noun

21st
letter of Greek alphabet: the 21st letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “ph”
[Mid-20th century. Via late
Greek from Greek phei .][1]



phial

phial
phi·al 
[f əl] (plural phi·als) noun

See
vial
[14th century. Via Old French
fiole from, ultimately, Greek phialē “broad flat vessel.”][1]



PhiBeta Kappa

PhiBeta Kappa
Phi
Be·ta Kap·pa  noun

1.  academic
honor society: an honor society of American college and
university students showing high academic achievement. It was founded in 1776.

2.  honor
society member: a member of Phi Beta Kappa

[1]



phieffect

phieffect
phi
ef·fect
noun

See
phi phenomenon[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PHIGS

PHIGS
PHIGS
[figz]

Abbreviation of
programmers’ hierarchical interactive graphics standard[1]



Phil.

Phil.
Phil.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Philippines

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Philippians

3.  MUSIC Abbreviation of
Philharmonic

[1]



phil-

phil-
phil-
prefix

(used before vowels or l)See
philo-[1]



phil.

phil.
phil.

1.  Abbreviation
of
philosophy

2.  Abbreviation
of
philosopher

3.  Abbreviation
of
philosophical

4.  Abbreviation
of
philology

5.  Abbreviation
of
philological

[1]



-phil

-phil
-phil
suffix

See
-phile[1]



Phila.

Phila.
Phila.

Abbreviation of
Philadelphia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Phil·a·del·phi·a 
[fìllə délfee ə]
the largest city in Pennsylvania,
situated on the Delaware River in the southeastern part of the state. It is
known as the Birthplace of the Nation because both the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution of the United States were drawn up there.
Population: 1,478,000 (1996)[1]



Philadelphia




Back to definition

Philadelphia

[1]



Philadelphialawyer

Philadelphialawyer
Phil·a·del·phi·a
law·yer
(plural Phil·a·del·phi·a law·yers) noun

shrewd
lawyer:
a lawyer who has a detailed knowledge of legal technicalities and exploits them
for a client’s benefit
[Named for Philadelphia, because of the reputed shrewdness of
lawyers from eastern cities][1]



Philadelphiapepper pot

Philadelphiapepper pot
Phil·a·del·phi·a
pep·per pot
(plural Phil·a·del·phi·a pep·per pots) noun

See
pepper pot
[From Philadelphia, because
this dish is common in Pennsylvania][1]



philadelphus

philadelphus
philadel·phus
[fìllə délfəss] (plural philadel·phuses)
noun

PLANTS See mock orange  noun 1
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek philadelphos “loving one’s brother,” from philos
“loving” + adelphos “brother.”][1]



Philae

Philae
Phi·lae 
[f lee]

submerged island in southern
Egypt, in the Nile River, south of Aswan. It was the site of ancient temples
that were moved when the island was flooded after the building of the Aswan
High Dam.[1]



philander

philander
phi·lan·der 
[fi lándər] (past phi·lan·dered,
past participle phi·lan·dered, present participle phi·lan·der·ing,
3rd person present singular phi·lan·ders) intransitive verb

have
casual affairs with women: to flirt with and have
casual sexual affairs with women, especially when married to another woman (dated
disapproving)
[Late
17th century. From Greek philandros “loving men,” from the stem andr-
“man” (source of English andro- ).
Originally “lover.”]
—phi·lan·der·er, noun[1]



philanthropic

philanthropic
phil·an·throp·ic 
[fìllən thróppik] or phil·an·throp·i·cal
[fìllən thróppik’l] adjective

1.  charitable
and generous: showing kindness, charitable concern,
and generosity toward other people

2.  devoted
to helping other people: devoted to helping other
people, especially through giving charitable aid
—phil· an·throp·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



philanthropy

philanthropy
phi·lan·thro·py 
[fi lánthrəpee] (plural phi·lan·thro·pies)
noun

1.  desire
to benefit humanity: a desire to improve the
material, social, and spiritual welfare of humanity, especially through
charitable activities

2.  philanthropic
act or group: a philanthropic action or organization

3.  love
for all humanity: general love for, or benevolence toward,
the whole of humankind (formal)
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from, ultimately, Greek philanthrōpos
“humane,” from philos “loving” + anthrōpos “human being.”]
—phi·lan·thro·pist, noun[1]



philately

philately
phi·lat·e·ly 
[fi látt’lee] noun

stamp
collecting:
the collection and study of postage stamps and related items
[Mid-19th
century. From French philatélie, from Greek philos “loving” + ateleia
“exemption from tax,” ultimately from telos “tax”; from the freedom from
charges that a stamped letter provides.]
—phil·a·tel·ic
[fìllə téllik], adjective

—phil·a·tel·i·cal·ly
[fìllə téllikəlee], adverb

—phi·lat·e·list
[fi látt’list], noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  When
  a Monsieur Herpin, a French stamp-collector, was looking for an impressive
  and learned-sounding term for his hobby, he was hampered by the fact that the
  Greeks and Romans did not have postage stamps, and therefore there was no
  classical term for them. So he decided to go back a stage beyond stamps, to
  the days of franking with a postmark. In France, such letters were marked
  with the words franc de port “carriage-free.” The nearest he could get
  to this in Greek was ateleia, and from it he created philatélie,
  the English form of which made its first recorded appearance in 1865.

[1]



-phile

-phile
-phile
suffix

1.  one
that loves or has an affinity for • nucleophile
• Europhile

2.  loving
or having an affinity for • homophile
[Via
Latin -philus from, ultimately, Greek philos “loving”]
—-philic,
suffix

—-philous,
suffix

—-phily, suffix[1]



Philemon

Philemon
Phi·le·mon 
noun

BIBLE
Biblical Epistle:
a book in the Bible, written by St. Paul, appealing to Philemon to take pity on
his slave who had escaped and converted to Christianity.[1]



philharmonic

philharmonic
phil·har·mon·ic 
[fìl haar mónnik] or Philharmonic
[fìl haar mónnik] adjective

performing
or promoting music: used to describe an
orchestra or choir that performs music or a society that promotes the study,
performance, and appreciation of music
noun
(plural phil·har·mon·ics) (plural Phil·har·mon·ics)

philharmonic
orchestra, choir, or society: a symphony orchestra, choir,
or musical society that has the word “philharmonic” in its title
[Mid-18th century. Via French
philharmonique from, ultimately, Greek philos “loving” + harmonia
“harmony” (see harmony ).][1]



philhellene

philhellene
phil·hel·lene 
[fil hé ln] (plural phil·hel·lenes)
or phil·hel·len·ist [fil héllənist]
(plural phil·hel·len·ists) noun

lover
of Greece:
somebody who greatly admires ancient or modern Greece, the Greeks, and their
culture
[Early
19th century. From Greek philellēn, from philos “loving” + Hellēn
“a Greek” (source of English Hellene
).]
—phil·hel·len·ic
[fìl he lénnik], adjective

—phil·hel·len·ism
[fil héllə nìzzəm], noun

—phil·hel·len·is·tic [fil hèllə nístik], adjective[1]



Phil.I.

Phil.I.
Phil.
I.

Abbreviation of
Philippine Islands[1]



-philia

-philia
-philia
suffix

1.  intense
or abnormal attraction to • neophilia
• zoophilia

2.  tendency
toward • basophilia
[Via
modern Latin from Greek philia “fondness,” from philos “loving”]
—-philiac, suffix[1]



Philip

Philip
Phil·ip 
[fílləp]

Native
American chief. He led the uprising known as King Philip’s War against New
England colonists (1675–1676).
Born
Metacomet[1]



PhilipI

PhilipI
Phil·ip
I
[fìllip ə fúrst], Duke of Burgundy and King
of Castile (1478–1506)

Father
of Charles V and Ferdinand I, he founded the Hapsburg dynasty in Spain through
his marriage to Joanna the Mad of Castile.
Known as
Philip the Handsome[1]



PhilipII

PhilipII
Phil·ip
II
[fìllip ə sékənd], King of Macedonia (382 BC–336 BC)

After becoming king (359) he
extended Macedonian power over the whole of Greece. He was the father of
Alexander the Great.[1]



PhilipIV

PhilipIV
Phil·ip
IV
[fìllip ə fáwrth], King of France
(1268–1314)

He
succeeded to the throne in 1285. His conflict with Pope Boniface VIII led to
the residence of the popes in Avignon (1309–1377).
Known as
Philip the Fair[1]



Philippians

Philippians
Phi·lip·pi·ans 
[fi líppee ənz] noun

book in Bible:
a book of the Bible consisting of a letter ( Epistle
) from St Paul to the Christian church at Philippi (takes a singular verb)[1]



philippic

philippic
phi·lip·pic
[fi líppik] (plural phi·lip·pics)
noun

condemning
speech:
a verbal attack on somebody or something delivered in the most savage, bitter,
and insulting terms, usually as a speech
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
philippicus from Greek philippikos, the speech of the
fourth-century BC Greek orator
Demosthenes urging the citizens of Athens to rise up against Philip of Macedon
(see Philip II ).][1]



Philippine

Philippine
Phil·ip·pine
adjective

1.  of
Philippines: relating to the Philippines, or its
people or culture

2.  See
Filipino adjective

[1]



PhilippineEnglish

PhilippineEnglish
Phil·ip·pine
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in the Philippines





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Philippine English, also Filipino
  English, is the English language as used in the Philippines. It has some
  co-official status with Filipino. English is the second Western colonial
  language, after Spanish; the United States took the territory in 1898 from
  Spain, whose colony it had been since 1521. The nation is diverse, with a
  Malay majority, a Chinese minority, and many people of mixed Malay, Chinese,
  Spanish, and U.S. backgrounds. Because English is used in varying degrees by
  over half the population of about 60 million, the Philippines rightly claims
  to be a major English-speaking country. Like U.S. English, Philippine English
  is “rhotic” (that is, “r” is pronounced in words such as art, door,
  and worker ). Also, h is pronounced as a retroflex “r” (that
  is, it is pronounced with the tip of the tongue curled back and raised).
  Vowels tend to be full in all syllables (e.g., seven being pronounced
  “’seh-ven,” not “sevn”). An “s” or “sh” sound may serve instead of a “z” or
  “zh,” as in “carss” (cars), “pleshure” (pleasure). In grammar, the present
  progressive is commonly used for habitual behavior, rather than the simple
  present (“We are doing this work all the time” for “We do this work all the
  time”), the present perfect may be used rather than the simple past (“We have
  done it yesterday” for “We did it yesterday”) and the past perfect rather
  than the present perfect (“They had already been there” for “They have
  already been there”). Distinctive vocabulary includes: (1) Hispanicisms,
  unchanged or adapted, e.g., asalto (surprise party), querida
  (mistress), aggrupation (from agrupación meaning “group”); (2)
  words from Tagalog, e.g., boondock (mountain) - whence “the
  boondocks,” kundiman (love song), tao (man) - as in “the common
  tao”; (3) local coinages, e.g., carnap (to steal a car), the formation
  by analogy with kidnap and jeepney (blending Jeep and jitney,
  “small bus,” a Jeep adapted for passengers).

[1]



Philippines




Back to definition

Philippines

[1]



Philippines

Philippines



Phil·ip·pines 
[fílləpeenz]
republic in Asia, in the western Pacific
Ocean, in the Malay Archipelago. It comprises over 7,000 islands. Language:
Filipino. Currency: Philippine peso. Capital: Manila. Population: 68,614,612
(1995) Area: 300,000 sq km/115,830 sq mi. Official name Republic of the
Philippines[1]



Philip,Prince

Philip,Prince
Phil·ip 
[fílləp], Prince, Duke of Edinburgh (1921– )

The son of Prince Andrew of
Greece and the great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria, he married Princess
Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, in 1947.[1]



Philip,Saint

Philip,Saint
Phil·ip 
[fílləp], Saint (lived 1st century AD)

New Testament apostle. One of
the original 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, he was born in Bethsaida and was
present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes.[1]



PhilipV

PhilipV
Phil·ip
V
[fìllip ə fífth], King of Spain (1683–1746)

The grandson of Louis XIV of
France, he was the first of the Spanish Bourbons. His accession to the throne
(1700) led to the War of the Spanish Succession.[1]



Philistine

Philistine
Phil·is·tine 
[fílli stn, fílli
stn] noun (plural Phil·is·tines)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from ancient Philistia: a member of the Aegean
people who settled in ancient Philistia around the 12th century BC

2.  phil·is·tine
(plural phil·is·tines) or Phil·is·tine somebody
who does not appreciate art: a materialistic person who
is indifferent to artistic and intellectual achievements and values (disapproving)
adjective

1.  PEOPLES relating
to Philistines: relating to or typical of the ancient
Philistines or their culture

2.  phil·is·tine
or Phil·is·tine uncultured:
ignorant, uncultured, and indifferent or hostile to artistic and intellectual
achievement
[14th
century. Via late Latin and Greek from Hebrew Pĕlištī “people of
Philistia” in Palestine. Derogatory sense from, ultimately, the hostility of
the Philistines toward the ancient Israelites.]
—phi·lis·tin·ism, noun[1]



Phillipsscrew

Phillipsscrew
Phil·lips
screw
[fíllips skr] Trademark

a trademark for a screw with
a cross-shaped slot on its head[1]



Phillipsscrewdriver

Phillipsscrewdriver
Phil·lips
screw·driv·er Trademark

a trademark for a screwdriver
that has a cross-shaped tip so that it can be used to turn a Phillips screw[1]



phillumenist

phillumenist
phil·lu·men·ist 
[fi lmənist] (plural phil·lu·men·ists)
noun

collector
of matchboxes: somebody who collects matchboxes and
matchbooks as a hobby
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from philo- + Latin lumen
“light” (see lumen ).]
—phil·lu·men·y [fi lmənee], noun[1]



philo-

philo-
philo-
prefix

loving,
having an attraction to or affinity for • philoprogenitive
[From Greek philos
“loving”][1]



Philoctetes

Philoctetes
Phi·loc·te·tes 
[fìllək tteez, fi
lóktəteez] noun

slayer of Paris:
in Greek mythology, a friend of Achilles and the slayer of the Trojan prince
Paris[1]



philodendron

philodendron

phil·o·den·dron 
[fìllə déndrən] (plural phil·o·den·drons
or phil·o·den·dra [fìllə déndrə])
noun
tropical
American climbing plant: a tropical American climbing
plant of the arum family, grown as a house plant for its evergreen leaves.
Genus: Philodendron
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek philodendros “loving trees”
(because it climbs trees in its native habitat), from dendron “tree”
(see dendron ).][1]



philogyny

philogyny
phi·log·y·ny 
[fi lójjənee] noun

positive
attitude to women: a positive and admiring
attitude toward women in general (literary)
—phi·log·y·nist,
noun

—phi·log·y·nous, adjective[1]



philol.

philol.
philol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
philology

2.  Abbreviation
of
philological

[1]



philology

philology
phi·lol·o·gy 
[fi lólləjee] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS study
of language in texts: the scientific study of the
relationship of languages to one another, and their history, especially based
on the analysis of texts

2.  HISTORY study
of ancient texts: the study and analysis of ancient texts,
especially as an approach to the cultural history of a period or people

3.  LITERATURE study
of literature: the study of literature in general (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Latin philologia from, ultimately, Greek philologos
“fond of words,” from philos “loving” + logos “word.”]
—phil·o·log·i·cal
[fìllə lójjik’l], adjective

—phil·o·log·i·cal·ly
[fìllə lójjikəlee], adverb

—phi·lol·o·gist [fi lólləjist], noun[1]



philoprogenitive

philoprogenitive
phil·o·pro·gen·i·tive 
[fìllō prō jénnitiv] adjective

1.  producing
offspring:
producing a large number of offspring (formal)

2.  loving
children:
loving children, especially your own offspring (literary)

[1]



philos.

philos.
philos.

1.  Abbreviation
of
philosophical

2.  Abbreviation
of
philosopher

3.  Abbreviation
of
philosophy

[1]



philosophe

philosophe
phi·lo·sophe 
[fíllə sòf, flə
zóf] (plural phi·lo·sophes) noun

leader
of Enlightenment: any of the leading writers and thinkers
of the Enlightenment in 18th-century France, who advocated a rational approach
to philosophy and government and criticized the French social and political
system
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
philosophus “philosopher” (see philosopher
).][1]



philosopher

philosopher
phi·los·o·pher 
[fi lóssəfər] (plural phi·los·o·phers)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY somebody
who studies life and reality: somebody who seeks to
understand and explain the nature of life and reality, especially a scholar of
philosophy or related fields

2.  somebody
holding particular beliefs: a person who believes in a
particular philosophy and thinks and acts accordingly

3.  thinking
person:
somebody who is given to thinking deeply and seriously about human affairs and
life in general

4.  calm
and rational person: somebody who responds calmly
and rationally to events, especially adversity
[14th century. Formed from
Old French philosophe via Latin from Greek philosophos, literally
“lover of knowledge,” from sophia “learning, wisdom.”][1]



philosopher’sstone

philosopher’sstone
phi·los·o·pher’s
stone
or phi·los·o·phers’ stone noun

substance for turning metal
into gold: a substance that medieval
alchemists believed could be used to convert other metals into gold[1]



philosophical

philosophical
phil·o·soph·i·cal 
[fìllə sóffik’l] or phil·o·soph·ic
[fìllə sóffik] adjective

1.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to studying nature of reality: concerned with the
study of the nature of life and reality, or of related areas such as ethics,
logic, or metaphysics

2.  concerned
with deep questions of life: concerned with or given to
thinking about the larger issues and deeper meanings in life and events

3.  showing
calmness and resignation: showing calmness, restraint,
or resignation, especially reacting to adversity in a restrained or resigned
way
—phil·o·soph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



philosophize

philosophize
phi·los·o·phize 
[fi lóssə fz] (past phi·los·o·phized,
past participle phi·los·o·phized, present participle phi·los·o·phiz·ing,
3rd person present singular phi·los·o·phiz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
discuss
nature of reality: to comment on or attempt to
explain the nature of life and reality, or some part of it such as logic,
ethics, knowledge, or existence

2.  intransitive
verb
explain
or moralize in superficial way: to express opinions of
a supposedly philosophical nature in a superficial, tedious, or moralistic way

3.  transitive
verb
PHILOSOPHY deal
with something from philosophical standpoint: to
consider, explain, or deal with something from a philosophical standpoint
—phi·los·o·phi·za·tion
[fi lòssəfi záysh’n], noun

—phi·los·o·phiz·er, noun[1]



philosophy

philosophy
phi·los·o·phy 
[fi lóssəfee] (plural phi·los·o·phies)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY examination
of basic concepts: the branch of knowledge or
academic study devoted to the systematic examination of basic concepts such as
truth, existence, reality, causality, and freedom

2.  PHILOSOPHY system
of thought:
a particular system of thought or doctrine

3.  PHILOSOPHY guiding
or underlying principles: a set of basic principles or
concepts underlying a particular sphere of knowledge

4.  set
of beliefs or aims: a precept, or set of
precepts, beliefs, principles, or aims, underlying somebody’s practice or
conduct

5.  calm
resignation: restraint, resignation, or calmness and
rationality in a person’s behavior or response to events

6.  EDUCATION the
liberal arts: the branch of learning that includes the
liberal arts and sciences and excludes medicine, law, and theology (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
filosofie from, ultimately, Greek philosophia, from philosophos
“philosopher” (see philosopher ).][1]



philter

philter
phil·ter
[fíltər] (plural phil·ters) or
phil·tre [fíltər] (plural phil·tres)
noun

potion:
a magical potion or charm, especially one that causes somebody to fall in love
(literary)
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek philtron, from philein “to love,”
from philos “loving.”][1]



philtre

philtre
phil·tre
noun

See
philter[1]



phimosis

phimosis
phi·mo·sis 
[fī mṓssiss, fi
mṓssiss] noun

abnormal
narrowing of opening in foreskin: an abnormal narrowing
of the opening in the foreskin to the extent that it cannot be drawn back over
the penis. This precludes washing and often leads to irritation and infection.
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek phimōsis “muzzling.”][1]



phiphenomenon

phiphenomenon
phi
phe·nom·e·non or phi ef·fect noun

optical illusion:
an optical illusion in which the rapid appearance and disappearance of two
stationary objects, for example, flashing lights, is perceived as the movement
back and forth of a single object[1]



phleb-

phleb-
phleb-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phlebo-[1]



phlebitis

phlebitis
phle·bi·tis 
[flə btiss] noun

inflammation of vein:
inflammation of the wall of a vein[1]



phlebo-

phlebo-
phlebo-
prefix

vein
• phlebotomy
[From Greek phleb-,
the stem of phleps “blood vessel”][1]



phlebography

phlebography
phle·bog·ra·phy 
[flə bóggrəfee] noun

See
venography[1]



phlebotomize

phlebotomize
phle·bot·o·mize 
[flə bóttə mz] (past phle·bot·o·mized,
past participle phle·bot·o·mized, present participle phle·bot·o·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular phle·bot·o·miz·es) transitive verb

cut into somebody’s vein:
to make an incision into somebody’s vein, formerly often done to release blood
from a vein as a therapeutic treatment[1]



phlebotomusfever

phlebotomusfever
phle·boto·mus
fe·ver 
[flə bòttəməss fvər] noun

See
sandfly fever
[From modern Latin, genus of
sandfly][1]



phlebotomy

phlebotomy
phle·bot·o·my 
[flə bóttəmee] (plural phle·bot·o·mies)
noun

cut
into vein:
a surgical incision made in a vein, or a puncture made by a needle to draw
blood for testing.
Also
called
venesection
—phle·bot·o·mist [flə bóttəmist], noun[1]



phlegm

phlegm
phlegm 
[flem] noun

1.  MED thick
mucus:
the thick mucus secreted by the walls of the respiratory passages, especially
during a cold

2.  unflappability:
calmness or composure that is not easily disturbed

3.  MEDICINE bodily
fluid determining health and emotions: in
medieval medicine, one of the four basic bodily fluids ( humors ). Phlegm was believed to be cold and moist
in nature and to cause sluggishness and apathy.

4.  indifference:
sluggishness, apathy, or indifference (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French fleume from, ultimately, Greek phlegma,
literally “heat,” from phlegein “to burn.” Ultimately, from an
Indo-European word meaning “to shine.”]
—phlegm·y, adjective[1]



phlegmatic

phlegmatic
phleg·mat·ic 
[fleg máttik] or pheg·mat·i·cal
[fleg máttik’l] adjective

unexcitable:
characterized by a lack of emotion or emotional display, and not easily
worried, excited, or annoyed
[14th
century. Via Old French fleumatique and Latin phlegmaticus from
Greek phlegmatikos, from phlegma (see phlegm
).]
—phleg·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at impassive

[1]



phloem

phloem
phlo·em 
[flṓ èm] noun

food-carrying
tissue of plant: one of the two main types of tissue in
the more highly developed plants. Phloem conducts synthesized foodstuffs to all
parts of the plant.
Also
called
bast
[Late 19th century. From
German, where it was formed from Greek phloos “bark.”][1]



phlogiston

phlogiston
phlo·gis·ton 
[flō jístən] noun

HISTORY hypothetical
component of combustible substances: a
hypothetical element that some early scientists, before the discovery of
oxygen, believed to be present in all combustible substances to make them burn
[Mid-18th
century. From Greek, literally “inflammable thing,” from phlogizein “to
set on fire,” from phlox “flame” (see phlox
).]
—phlo·gis·tic, adjective[1]



phlox

phlox

phlox 
[floks] (plural phlox or
phlox·es) noun
American
plant:
a common garden plant, originally native to North America, that has slim stems
with oval narrow leaves and clusters of scented white, red, or purple flowers.
Genus: Phlox
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek, “flame,” from its brightly colored
flowers. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English black .][1]



PhnomPenh

PhnomPenh
Phnom
Penh 
[pə nòm pén, nom
pen]

capital city of Cambodia,
situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers in the southern
part of the country. Population: 900,000 (1991)[1]



-phobe

-phobe
-phobe
suffix

somebody
who fears or dislikes something • computerphobe
[Via French from, ultimately,
Greek phobos “fear”][1]



phobia

phobia
pho·bi·a 
[fṓbee ə] (plural pho·bi·as) noun

strong
fear or dislike: an irrational or very powerful fear and
dislike of something, for example, spiders or confined spaces
[Late 18th century. From -phobia .][1]



-phobia

-phobia
-phobia
suffix

an
exaggerated or irrational fear • claustrophobia
[Via Latin from, ultimately,
Greek phobos “fear”][1]



phobic

phobic
pho·bic 
[fṓbik] adjective

1.  intensely
fearful of something: having or showing an intense
fear and dislike of something

2.  PSYCHIATRY relating
to phobias:
affected with or arising out of a phobia
noun
(plural pho·bics)

PSYCHIATRY somebody
with a phobia: somebody who has a strong or irrational
fear and dislike of something

[1]



-phobic

-phobic
-phobic
suffix

with a strong or irrational
fear or dislike of somebody or something • claustrophobic[1]



Phobos

Phobos
Pho·bos 
[fṓ bəss, fṓboss]
noun

innermost of Mars’s 2 natural
satellites: the innermost of the two
natural satellites of Mars, both of which are small. It was discovered in 1877
and is ellipsoidal in shape.[1]



phocine

phocine
phocine
[fṓ sn] adjective

of
seals:
relating to or resembling seals
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Phocinae, subfamily name, from, ultimately, Greek phōkē
“seal.”][1]



phocomelia

phocomelia
pho·co·me·li·a 
[fkə mlee ə] noun

underdevelopment
of an arm or leg: a condition, present at birth,
characterized by an absent or underdeveloped upper section of a limb, with a
normal-sized hand or foot attached to the trunk by a short, broad, flat limb
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek phōkē “seal” + melos “limb”; from the short limbs of
seals.][1]



Phoebe

Phoebe2
Phoe·be2  [fbee]
noun

small outermost moon of
Saturn: the outermost known natural
satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1898. It is irregular in shape and has a
maximum dimension of approximately 230 km/ (143 mi ).[1]



Phoebe

Phoebe1
Phoe·be1  noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Titan
goddess:
in Greek mythology, a Titan goddess who later became identified with the
goddess of the moon, Artemis

2.  moon:
a personification of the moon (literary)
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek Phoibē, feminine of phoibos “bright, shining.”][1]



phoebe

phoebe
phoe·be 
[fbee] (plural phoe·bes) noun

American
flycatcher:
a bird of the flycatcher family, native to eastern North America, that has
grayish-brown plumage and a yellowish-white breast and is noted for the
flicking of its tail. Genus: Sayornis
[Early 18th century. An
imitation of its song (influenced by the name Phoebe
).][1]



Phoebus

Phoebus
Phoe·bus 
[fbəss] noun

1.  See
Apollo

2.  sun:
a personification of the sun (literary)
[14th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek phoibos “bright, shining.”][1]



Phoenician

Phoenician
Phoe·ni·cian 
[fə nísh’n, fə
nsh’n] (plural Phoe·ni·cians) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from ancient Phoenicia: a member of an ancient
people that occupied Phoenicia, coastal lands in present-day Syria, where they
established thriving trading ports. During pre-Christian times, their influence
spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean.

2.  LANGUAGE language
of ancient Phoenicia: an extinct language formerly
spoken in ancient Phoenicia. It belongs to the Canaanitic group of the Semitic
branch of Afro-Asiatic languages.
—Phoe·ni·cian, adjective[1]



Phoenix

Phoenix2

Phoe·nix2  [fniks]
capital of Arizona and its largest city,
located in the southern part of the state. Population: 1,159,014 (1996)[1]



Phoenix




Back to definition

Phoenix2

[1]



Phoenix

Phoenix1
Phoe·nix1  [fniks]
noun

constellation of southern
hemisphere: a constellation of the
southern hemisphere situated between Sculptor and Eridanus[1]



phoenix

phoenix
phoe·nix 
[fniks] (plural phoe·nix·es) or
phe·nix [fniks] (plural phe·nix·es)
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY mythological
bird:
in ancient mythology, a bird resembling an eagle that lived for 500 years and
then burned itself to death on a pyre from whose ashes another phoenix arose.
It commonly appears in literature as a symbol of death and resurrection.

2.  somebody
or something beautiful or unique: a supremely beautiful,
rare, or unique person or thing (literary) • a
phoenix of princes
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French from, ultimately, Greek phoinix .][1]



phon.

phon.
phon.

1.  Abbreviation
of
phonology

2.  Abbreviation
of
phonetics

[1]



phon-

phon-
phon-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phono-[1]



phon

phon
phon 
[fon] (plural phons) noun

measure of loudness:
a unit of subjective measure of loudness level. The level in phons is equal in
number to the sound intensity of a 1,000-hertz reference sound, measured in
decibels, judged to be the same loudness as the measured sound.[1]



phonate

phonate
pho·nate 
[fṓ nàyt] (past pho·nat·ed, past
participle pho·nat·ed, present participle pho·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular pho·nates) intransitive verb

produce
sounds with the voice: to produce sounds,
especially speech sounds, with the voice
—pho·na·tion
[fō náysh’n], noun

—pho·na·to·ry [fṓnə tàwree], adjective[1]



phone

phone2
phone2  [fōn]
(plural phones) noun

speech
sound:
a single basic speech sound
[Mid-19th century. See -phone .][1]



phone

phone1
phone1  [fōn]
noun (plural phones)

telephone: a
telephone
plural
noun
phones

earphones: a set
of earphones (informal)
verb
(past phoned, past participle phoned, present
participle phon·ing, 3rd person present singular phones)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb call
somebody by telephone: to call somebody on the
telephone

2.  transitive
verb
report
something by telephone: to report or communicate
something using a telephone
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



-phone

-phone
-phone
suffix

1.  device
that emits or receives sounds, musical instrument • diaphone
• hydrophone
• sousaphone

2.  telephone
• speakerphone

3.  sound,
speech sound • isophone

4.  speaker
of a particular language • Francophone
[From
Greek phōnē (see phono- )]
—-phonic,
suffix

—-phony, suffix[1]



phonebook

phonebook
phone
book
(plural phone books) noun

telephone book:
a telephone book[1]



phonebooth

phonebooth
phone
booth
noun

telephone booth:
a telephone booth[1]



phonecard

phonecard
phone·card
[fṓn krd] (plural phone·cards)
noun

plastic card for making
telephone calls: a rectangular plastic
card that can be used instead of money when making calls from some public
telephones[1]



phone-in

phone-in
phone-in
(plural phone-ins) noun

U.K.
BROADCASTING See call-in[1]



phoneme

phoneme
pho·neme 
[fṓ nm] (plural pho·nemes) noun

distinguishing
speech sound: a speech sound that distinguishes one
word from another, for example, the sounds “d” and “t” in the words “bid” and
“bit.” A phoneme is the smallest phonetic unit.
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Greek phōnēma “sound produced,” from phōnein “to
produce a sound,” from phōnē “sound, voice.”][1]



phonemic

phonemic
pho·ne·mic 
[fə nmik, fō
nmik] adjective

1.  of
phonemes:
relating to a phoneme

2.  of
different phonemes: relating to speech sounds
that belong to different phonemes rather than being different ways of
pronouncing the same phoneme

3.  of
phonemics:
relating to the branch of linguistics that studies phonemes
[Mid-20th
century]
—pho·ne·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



phonemics

phonemics
pho·ne·mics 
[fə nmiks, fō
nmiks] noun

study
of phonemes: the branch of linguistics involved in
the classification and analysis of the phonemes of a language (takes a
singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century]
—pho·ne·mi·cist, noun[1]



phonephreak

phonephreak
phone
phreak
(plural phone phreaks) noun

COMPUTING
somebody breaking into telephone systems:
somebody who breaks into telephone systems and other secure networks, often for
the purpose of making free long-distance telephone calls (slang)[1]



phonet.

phonet.
phonet.

Abbreviation of
phonetics[1]



phonetic

phonetic
pho·net·ic 
[fə néttik, fō
néttik] adjective

1.  of
speech sounds: belonging to or associated with the
sounds of human speech

2.  showing
pronunciation: representing the sounds of human speech
in writing, often with special symbols or unconventional spelling

3.  of
phonetics:
relating to the science of phonetics
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek phōnētikos “spoken,”
ultimately from phōnein (see phoneme
).]
—pho·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



phoneticalphabet

phoneticalphabet
pho·net·ic
al·pha·bet
(plural pho·net·ic al·pha·bets) noun

1.  PHONETICS symbols
showing pronunciation: a set of letters and symbols
used to represent the sounds of human speech in writing

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS words
representing letters: a set of words representing
the letters of the alphabet, for example, “Delta” for D and “Tango” for T, used
in radio or telephone communications. The phonetic alphabet is used to
distinguish between letters that sound similar, to spell out words, and in code
names or call signs. U.K. = NATO Phonetic Alphabet

[1]



phonetician

phonetician
pho·ne·ti·cian 
[fnə tísh’n] (plural pho·ne·ti·cians)
noun

phonetics
expert:
somebody who specializes in the branch of linguistics involved in the study of
speech sounds
[Mid-19th century][1]



phonetics

phonetics
pho·net·ics 
[fə néttiks, fō
néttiks] noun (takes a singular verb)

1.  study
of speech sounds: the scientific study of speech sounds
and how they are produced

2.  sound
system of a language: the system or pattern of
speech sounds used in a particular language
[Mid-19th century][1]



phonetist

phonetist
pho·net·ist 
[fṓnətist] (plural pho·net·ists)
noun

advocate
of phonetic spelling: somebody who uses or favors
the use of a particular phonetic spelling system
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of phoneticist . (See phonetics ).][1]



phoney

phoney
pho·ney 
adjective noun

See
phony[1]



phonic

phonic
phon·ic 
[fónnik] adjective

1.  using
phonics:
using or involving phonics as a method of teaching people to read

2.  of
sound:
associated with sound or the scientific study of sound

3.  of
speech sounds: relating to the sounds used in speech
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek phōnē “sound, voice.”]
—phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



phonics

phonics
phon·ics 
[fónniks] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  reading
method involving letter recognition: a
method of teaching reading in which people learn to associate letters with the
speech sounds they represent, rather than learning to recognize the whole word
as a unit

2.  acoustics:
acoustics (archaic)
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Greek phōnē “sound, voice.”][1]



phono-

phono-
phono-
prefix

1.  sound,
speech, voice • phonogram

2.  telephone
• phonecard
[From Greek phōnē
“sound.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to speak,” which is
also the ancestor of English fame, fable, fate,
and ban .][1]



phonocardiogram

phonocardiogram
pho·no·car·di·o·gram 
[fnə krdee ə gràm] (plural pho·no·car·di·o·grams)
noun

record produced by a
phonocardiograph: a visual record of
heart sounds and murmurs made by a phonocardiograph[1]



phonocardiograph

phonocardiograph
pho·no·car·di·o·graph 
[fnə krdee ə gràf] (plural pho·no·car·di·o·graphs)
noun

device
for recording heart sounds: an instrument that amplifies
heart sounds and converts them into a visual display
—pho·no·car·di·o·graph·ic
[fnə kaardee ə gráffik], adjective

—pho·no·car·di·og·ra·phy
[fnə kaardee óggrəfee], noun[1]



phonochemistry

phonochemistry
pho·no·chem·is·try
[fnō kémmistree] noun

effects of sound on chemical
reactions: a branch of science and
technology dealing with the effect of sound and ultrasonic waves on chemical
reactions[1]



phonogram

phonogram
pho·no·gram 
[fṓnə gràm] (plural pho·no·grams)
noun

1.  character
representing a word or sound: a symbol that represents a
word, part of a word, or an individual speech sound

2.  letter
group with a particular sound: a sequence of letters
that have the same pronunciation in several different words, for example, “ear”
in “earth,” “heard,” and “learn”
[Mid-19th
century]
—pho·no·gram·ic
[fnə grámmik], adjective

—pho·no·gram·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



phonograph

phonograph
pho·no·graph 
[fṓnə gràf] (plural pho·no·graphs)
noun

record
player:
a record player
[Late 19th century][1]



phonography

phonography
pho·nog·ra·phy 
[fə nóggrəfee, fō
nóggrəfee] noun

1.  use
of symbols for sounds: the use of symbols to
represent speech sounds in writing

2.  shorthand
with symbols for sounds: a method of writing in
shorthand that uses symbols to represent speech sounds
—pho·nog·ra·pher,
noun

—pho·no·graph·ic
[fnə gráffik], adjective

—pho·no·graph·i·cal·ly
[fnə gráffi kəlee], adverb

—pho·nog·ra·phist [fə nóggrəfist, fō
nóggrəfist], noun[1]



phonol.

phonol.
phonol.

Abbreviation of
phonology[1]



phonolite

phonolite
pho·no·lite 
[fṓnə lt] noun

fine-grained
igneous rock: a fine-grained light-colored volcanic
rock characterized by the presence of alkali feldspar and nepheline.
Also
called
clinkstone
[Early
19th century. Coined from phono- + -lite ; from the resonance of the rock when hit
with a hammer.]
—pho·no·lit·ic [fnə líttik], adjective[1]



phonology

phonology
pho·nol·o·gy 
[fə nólləjee, fō
nólləjee] (plural pho·nol·o·gies) noun

1.  study
of speech sounds: the scientific study of the system or
pattern of speech sounds used in a particular language or in language in
general

2.  sound
system of a language: the system or pattern of
speech sounds used in a particular language
—pho·no·log·i·cal
[fnə lójjik’l], adjective

—pho·no·log·i·cal·ly
[fnə lójjikəlee], adverb

—pho·nol·o·gist [fə nólləjist, fō nólləjist],
noun[1]



phonon

phonon
pho·non 
[fṓ nòn] (plural pho·nons) noun

PHYSICS quantum
of vibrational energy: a quantum of vibrational or
acoustic energy in a crystal lattice
[Mid-20th century][1]



phonoreception

phonoreception
pho·no·re·cep·tion 
[fnō ri sépshən] noun

response to sound waves:
the perception of or response to high-frequency vibration, especially sound
waves[1]



phonoscope

phonoscope
pho·no·scope 
[fṓnə skp] (plural pho·no·scopes)
noun

device
to represent sound waves visually: a device that produces
a visual representation of the vibrations of sound waves, used especially with
musical instruments
[Mid-19th century. Originally
the name of a device for testing the quality of musical strings.][1]



phonotactics

phonotactics
pho·no·tac·tics
[fnə táktiks] noun

study of the arrangement of
language sounds: the study of the sounds
it is possible to put together to form words and parts of words in a language (takes
a singular verb)[1]



phonotypy

phonotypy
pho·no·typ·y 
[fṓnə tpee] noun

phonetic
transcription: the representing of speech sounds with
phonetic symbols in writing or print
—pho·no·typ·er,
noun

—pho·no·typ·ist, noun[1]



phony

phony
pho·ny
[fṓnee] or pho·ney [fṓnee] adjective (comparative pho·ni·er,
superlative pho·ni·est)

1.  not
genuine:
not genuine and used to deceive

2.  giving
a false impression: putting on a false show of
something such as sincerity or expertise
noun
(plural pho·nies or pho·neys)

somebody or something phony:
a phony person or thing
transitive
verb
(past pho·nied or pho·neyed, past participle
pho·nied or pho·neyed, present participle pho·ny·ing
or pho·ney·ing, 3rd person present singular pho·nies)

falsify: to
make something appear to be genuine when it is not
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: possibly an alteration of slang fawney
“gilt brass ring used by swindlers,” from Irish Gaelic fáinne “ring.”]
—pho·ni·ly,
adverb

—pho·ni·ness, noun[1]



phooey

phooey
phoo·ey 
[f ee] interjection

expressing
disapproval: used to express contempt, disbelief,
disgust, or disappointment (informal)
[Early 20th century. Partly
an alteration of pfui . Suggestive of the sound associated with spitting.][1]



phorate

phorate
pho·rate 
[fáw ràyt] noun

insecticide:
an organophosphorous compound used as an insecticide to control crop pests. C7H17O2PS3
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of phosphorodithioate, from phosphorus
+ di- + thio-
+ -ate .][1]



-phore

-phore
-phore
suffix

something
that carries • sporophore
[From
Greek -phoros “bearing,” from pherein “to carry.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English bear and transfer
.]
—-phorous, suffix[1]



-phoresis

-phoresis
-phoresis
suffix

transmission
• diaphoresis
[From Greek phorēsis,
which was formed from phorein, literally “to keep carrying,” from pherein
(see -phore )][1]



phosgene

phosgene
phos·gene 
[fóss jn, fóz
jn] noun

colorless
poisonous gas: a highly toxic colorless gas used as a
chemical weapon in World War I and in the manufacture of pesticides, plastics,
and dyes. COCl2 
Also
called
carbonyl chloride
[Early 19th century][1]



phosgenite

phosgenite
phos·gen·ite 
[fósjə nt, fózjə
nt] (plural phos·gen·ites) noun

rare
fluorescent mineral: a rare grayish fluorescent
crystalline mineral consisting of a carbonate and chloride of lead. Pb2(Cl2CO3)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from phosgene, because the minerals are
formed from the same substances as phosgene gas.][1]



phosph-

phosph-
phosph-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phospho-[1]



phosphatase

phosphatase
phos·pha·tase 
[fósfə tàyss, fósfə
tàyz] (plural phos·pha·tas·es) noun

enzyme
acting on phosphoric acid: an enzyme that catalyzes the
breakdown and synthesis of phosphoric acid esters and the transfer of phosphate
groups from these acids to other compounds
[Early 20th century. Coined
from phosphate + -ase
.][1]



phosphate

phosphate
phos·phate 
[fóss fàyt] (plural phos·phates)
noun

1.  salt
of phosphoric acid: any salt or ester formed by
the reaction of a metal, alcohol, or other radical with phosphoric acid. A
tribasic acid, phosphoric acid forms three series of phosphates by replacement
of one, two, or all three of its hydrogen ions.

2.  fizzy
drink:
a soft drink made from carbonated water and flavored syrup
[Late
18th century. From French phosphate, from phosphore
“phosphorus.”]
—phos·phat·ic [foss fáttik], adjective[1]



phosphaterock

phosphaterock
phos·phate
rock
(plural phos·phate rocks) noun

rock used as fertilizer:
any of several sedimentary rocks that have a naturally high phosphate
concentration and are used as fertilizers and in the manufacture of phosphorus
compounds.
Also called
phosphorite[1]



phosphatide

phosphatide
phos·pha·tide 
[fósfə td] (plural phos·pha·tides)
noun

BIOCHEMISTRY See phospholipid
—phos·pha·tid·ic [fòsfə tíddik], adjective[1]



phosphatidylcholine

phosphatidylcholine
phos·pha·ti·dyl·cho·line
[fòsfə td’l kṓ ln, foss fáttəd’l kṓ ln] noun

BIOCHEMISTRY See lecithin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from phosphatide + -yl
+ choline .][1]



phosphatidylethanolamine

phosphatidylethanolamine
phos·pha·ti·dyl·eth·a·no·la·mine
[fòsfə td’l éthə nóllə mn, foss fáttəd’l éthə nóllə mn, fósfə td’l éthə n nṓlə mn, foss fáttəd’l éthə nṓlə mn] (plural phos·pha·ti·dyl·eth·a·no·la·mines)
noun

BIOCHEMISTRY See cephalin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from phosphatide + -yl
+ ethanolamine .][1]



phosphatize

phosphatize
phos·pha·tize 
[fósfə tz] (past phos·pha·tized,
past participle phos·pha·tized, present participle phos·pha·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular phos·pha·tiz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
treat
something with phosphate: to treat something with
phosphoric acid or with a phosphate, typically to protect ferrous metal against
corrosion

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
into a phosphate: to convert something or be converted
into a phosphate or phosphates
—phos·pha·ti·za·tion [fòsfəti záysh’n], noun[1]



phosphaturia

phosphaturia
phos·pha·tu·ri·a 
[fòsfə tree ə] noun

discharge
of phosphates in urine: the presence in the urine of
a high concentration of phosphate salts, giving it a cloudy appearance. It is
associated with the formation of kidney stones.
[Late
19th century. Coined from phosphate + -uria .]
—phos·pha·tu·ric, adjective[1]



phosphene

phosphene
phos·phene 
[fóss fn] (plural phos·phenes)
noun

sensation
of light:
a sensation of seeing light caused by pressure or electrical stimulation of the
eye
[Late 19th century. From
modern French phosphène, from Greek phōs “light” + phainein
“to show.”][1]



phosphide

phosphide
phos·phide 
[fóss fd] (plural phos·phides)
noun

compound
of phosphorus: any compound of phosphorus with a more
electropositive element, for example, a metal
[Mid-19th century][1]



phosphine

phosphine
phos·phine 
[fóss fn] noun

colorless
inflammable gas: a colorless inflammable gas with a fishy
smell, used as a pesticide. PH3
[Late 19th century][1]



phosphite

phosphite
phos·phite 
[fóss ft] (plural phos·phites)
noun

salt
of phosphorous acid: any salt or ester of
phosphorous acid
[Late 18th century][1]



phospho-

phospho-
phospho-
prefix

1.  phosphorus
• phosphate

2.  phosphate
• phosphocreatine
[From phosphorus][1]



phosphocreatine

phosphocreatine
phos·pho·cre·a·tine 
[fòsfō kr ə tn] or phos·pho·cre·a·tin
[fòsfō kr ətin] noun

energy source in vertebrate
muscles: an organic acid derived from
creatine that is present in muscles and other tissue and is capable of storing
and providing energy for muscle contraction. C4H10N3O5P
Also called
creatine phosphate[1]



phosphofructokinase

phosphofructokinase
phos·pho·fruc·to·ki·nase 
[fòsfō fruktō k nàyss, fòsfō frktō k nàyss, fòsfō
fruktō k nàyz] noun

phosphate-transfer enzyme:
an enzyme found in cytoplasm that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group
to a fructose compound during the metabolism of glucose[1]



phosphoglucomutase

phosphoglucomutase
phos·pho·glu·co·mu·tase
[fòsfō glookō my tàyss, fòsfō glookō my tàyz] noun

enzyme in carbohydrate
breakdown and synthesis: a
reversible enzyme found in all living cells that catalyzes both the breakdown
and the synthesis of glycogen, thus serving a cell’s immediate need for energy
storage or use[1]



phospholipase

phospholipase
phos·pho·li·pase 
[fòsfō lí pàyss, fòsfō
lí pàyz] (plural phos·pho·li·pas·es) noun

enzyme acting on
phospholipids: an enzyme often found
in the membrane of a cell that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids.
Also called
lecithinase[1]



phospholipid

phospholipid
phos·pho·lip·id 
[fòsfō líppid] (plural phos·pho·lip·ids)
noun

phosphorus-containing lipid:
a phosphorus-containing lipid that is soluble in organic solvents and is found
in the cells of all living tissue, especially in the two-layered cellular
membranes.
Also called
phosphatide[1]



phosphonicacid

phosphonicacid
phos·pho·nic
ac·id
noun

CHEMISTRY
See phosphorous acid[1]



phosphonium

phosphonium
phos·pho·ni·um 
[foss fṓnee əm] (plural phos·pho·ni·ums)
noun

phosphene
radical:
a univalent radical derived from phosphene. PH4
[Late 19th century. Coined
from phospho- + ending of ammonium .][1]



phosphor

phosphor
phos·phor 
[fósfər] noun

substance
that can emit light: a substance that can emit
light when irradiated with particles of electromagnetic radiation
[Early 17th century. From
Latin phosphorus (see phosphorus ).][1]



phosphorate

phosphorate
phos·phor·ate 
[fósfə ràyt] (past phos·phor·at·ed,
past participle phos·phor·at·ed, present participle phos·phor·at·ing,
3rd person present singular phos·phor·ates) transitive verb

treat or impregnate with
phosphorus: to treat, combine, or
impregnate something with phosphorus[1]



phosphorbronze

phosphorbronze
phos·phor
bronze
noun

corrosion-resistant alloy:
any one of several alloys containing copper, tin, and phosphorus that are
resistant to wear and corrosion and are used in bearings, gears, and components
exposed to sea water[1]



phosphoresce

phosphoresce
phos·pho·resce 
[fòsfə réss] (past phos·pho·resced,
past participle phos·pho·resced, present participle phos·pho·resc·ing,
3rd person present singular phos·pho·resc·es) intransitive
verb

emit light after exposure to
radiation: to continue to emit light
without accompanying heat after exposure to and removal of a source of
stimulating radiation[1]



phosphorescence

phosphorescence
phos·pho·res·cence 
[fòsfə réss’ns] noun

continued emission of light
without heat: the continued emission
of light without heat after exposure to and removal of a source of
electromagnetic radiation[1]



phosphorescent

phosphorescent
phos·pho·res·cent 
[fòsfə réss’nt] adjective

showing
phosphorescence: continuing to emit light after the
source of stimulating radiation has been removed
—phos·pho·res·cent·ly,
adverb[1]



phosphoric

phosphoric
phos·phor·ic 
[foss fáwrik] adjective

containing
pentavalent phosphorus: containing phosphorus with a
valence state higher than that of the phosphorus ion or radical in an analogous
phosphorous compound
[Late 18th century][1]



phosphoricacid

phosphoricacid
phos·phor·ic
ac·id
noun

1.  transparent
solid used as fertilizer: a water-soluble transparent
solid acid used as a fertilizer, in soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, and animal
feeds, and to rust-proof metals. It is formed by boiling a solution of
phosphorus pentoxide in water. H3PO4 
Also
called
orthophosphoric acid

2.  acid
formed from phosphorus pentoxide: any of the acids
formed by the combination of phosphorus pentoxide with water, each having one
more oxygen atom than the corresponding phosphorous acid

[1]



phosphorism

phosphorism
phos·pho·rism 
[fósfə rìzzəm] noun

poisoning by phosphorus:
poisoning caused by long-term exposure to phosphorus[1]



phosphorite

phosphorite
phos·pho·rite 
[fósfə rt] (plural phos·pho·rites)
noun

1.  mineral
deposit of phosphates: a mineral deposit consisting
of apatite and other phosphates

2.  See
phosphate rock
—phos·pho·rit·ic [fòsfə ríttik], adjective[1]



phosphorolysis

phosphorolysis
phos·pho·rol·y·sis 
[fòsfə rólləssiss] noun

alteration
of a substance by phosphoric acid: a reversible reaction
in which the covalent bonds of a molecule are broken by the addition of atoms
of phosphoric acid, for example, during the breakdown of glycogen
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
phosphorus or phosphorylation + hydrolysis .][1]



phosphorous

phosphorous
phos·pho·rous 
[fósfərəss] adjective

relating
to trivalent phosphorus: relating to phosphorus with
a valence state lower than that of the phosphorus ion or radical in an
analogous phosphoric compound
[Late 18th century. Coined
from phosphorus + -ous
.][1]



phosphorousacid

phosphorousacid
phos·pho·rous
ac·id
noun

1.  white
or yellowish cystalline solid: a white or yellowish
cystalline solid that absorbs water from the atmosphere. It is used as a
reducing agent and to produce phosphite salts, and is formed by reacting cold
water with phosphorus pentoxide. H3PO3 
Also
called
phosphonic acid

2.  dibasic
acid formed from phosphorus pentoxide: any
of the acids formed by the combination of phosphorus pentoxide with water, each
having one less oxygen atom than the corresponding phosphoric acid

[1]



phosphorus

phosphorus
phos·pho·rus 
[fósfərəss] noun

something
phosphorescent: a phosphorescent substance or object
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek phōsphoros “morning star,” literally
“light-bringing,” from phōs “light.”][1]



phosphoruspentoxide

phosphoruspentoxide
phos·pho·rus
pent·ox·ide
or phos·pho·rus ox·ide noun

flammable hygroscopic white
solid: a flammable hygroscopic
white solid formed by burning phosphorus in air and used primarily to
manufacture orthophosphoric acid by reacting it with water. P2O5[1]



phosphoryl

phosphoryl
phos·pho·ryl
[fósfəril] (plural phos·pho·ryls)
noun

trivalent chemical group:
a chemical group, usually with a valence of three, consisting of one phosphorus
atom and one oxygen atom[1]



phosphorylase

phosphorylase
phos·pho·ryl·ase 
[fósfərə làyss, fósfərə
làyz] (plural phos·pho·ryl·as·es) noun

enzyme promoting the
breakdown of glycogen: an enzyme
usually found in the cytoplasm of a cell that catalyzes the phosphorolysis of a
molecule such as glycogen and the production of organic phosphates[1]



phosphorylate

phosphorylate
phos·pho·ryl·ate 
[fósfərə làyt] (past phos·pho·ryl·at·ed,
past participle phos·pho·ryl·at·ed, present participle phos·pho·ryl·at·ing,
3rd person present singular phos·pho·ryl·ates) transitive verb

produce
an organic phosphate: to add a phosphate group to
an organic molecule to produce an organic phosphate
—phos·pho·ryl·a·tion
[fòssfərə láysh’n], noun

—phos·pho·ryl·a·tive [fóssfəri làytiv], adjective[1]



phot.

phot.
phot.

1.  Abbreviation
of
photograph

2.  Abbreviation
of
photographer

3.  Abbreviation
of
photographic

4.  Abbreviation
of
photography

[1]



phot-

phot-
phot-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
photo-[1]



phot

phot
phot 
[fōt] (plural phots) noun

unit
of illumination: a unit of illumination in the
centimeter-gram-second system equal to one lumen per square centimeter
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Greek phōt-, stem of phōs “light” (See phos- ).][1]



photic

photic
pho·tic 
[fṓtik] adjective

1.  of
light:
relating to light, especially when produced by living organisms

2.  ECOLOGY of the
ocean depth where photosynthesis occurs:
relating to or used to describe the area of the ocean where light penetrates
and photosynthesis occurs
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from phot .][1]



Photius

Photius
Pho·ti·us
[fṓtee əss] (820?–891?)

Byzantine churchman and
scholar. He was patriarch of Constantinople (858–67 and 877–86), initiating the
spread of Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe.[1]



photo

photo
pho·to 
[fṓtō] noun (plural pho·tos)

See
photograph
transitive
verb
(past pho·toed, past participle pho·toed, present
participle pho·to·ing, 3rd person present singular pho·tos)

photograph
somebody or something: to take a photograph or
photographs of somebody or something
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



photo-

photo-
photo-
prefix

1.  light,
radiant energy • photochemistry

2.  photographic
• photomontage

3.  photoelectric
• photocurrent
[From Greek phōt-, the
stem of phōs “light.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
shine,” which is also the ancestor of English beacon,
banner, and phenomenon .][1]



photoactinic

photoactinic
pho·to·ac·tin·ic
[ftō ak tínnik] adjective

emitting radiation similar to
light: emitting radiation similar
to visible and ultraviolet light in its chemical effects on such substances as
photographic emulsions[1]



photoactive

photoactive
pho·to·ac·tive 
[ftō áktiv] adjective

reacting to light:
exhibiting a reaction to electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light,
either by chemical reaction or photoelectrically[1]



photoautotroph

photoautotroph
pho·to·au·to·troph 
[ftō áwtə tròf, ftō
áwtə trf] (plural pho·to·au·to·trophs) noun

organism
deriving energy from light: an organism that derives its
energy exclusively from light and uses it to synthesize food
—pho·to·au·to·troph·ic
[ftō awtə tróffik, ftō
awtə trṓfik], adjective

—pho·to·au·to·troph·i·cal·ly
[ftō awtə tróffək’lee, ftō awtə trṓfək’lee], adverb[1]



photobiology

photobiology
pho·to·bi·ol·o·gy 
[ftō bī ólləjee] noun

study
of energy and organisms: a branch of biology
concerned with the interaction of living organisms with light
—pho·to·bi·o·log·i·cal
[ftō bī ə lójjik’l], adjective

—pho·to·bi·ol·o·gist [ftō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



photobiotic

photobiotic
pho·to·bi·ot·ic 
[ftō bī óttik] adjective

needing light to live:
used to describe organisms that need light in order to live and grow[1]



photocatalysis

photocatalysis
pho·to·ca·tal·y·sis
[ftō kə tálləssiss] noun

change in reaction due to
light: the acceleration or
deceleration of the speed at which a chemical reaction occurs, caused by
electromagnetic radiation and especially visible light[1]



photocathode

photocathode
pho·to·cath·ode
[ftō ká thd] (plural pho·to·cath·odes)
noun

light-sensitive surface that
emits electrons: an electrode that emits
electrons when exposed to electromagnetic radiation such as light.
Photocathodes are used in television and digital cameras and photoelectric
cells.[1]



photoCD

photoCD
pho·to
CD
(plural pho·to CDs) noun

COMPUTING
compact disc storing images from
photographs: a compact disc that
stores images from photographs that can be displayed on a computer or
television screen[1]



photocell

photocell
pho·to·cell 
[fṓtō sèl] (plural pho·to·cells)
noun

See
photoelectric cell[1]



photochemicalsmog

photochemicalsmog
pho·to·chem·i·cal
smog
noun

sunlight-catalyzed air
pollution: air pollution caused by the
effect of strong sunlight on nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons emitted by motor
vehicles, creating a harmful haze of minute droplets in the air[1]



photochemistry

photochemistry
pho·to·chem·is·try 
[ftō kémmistree] noun

study
of the chemical effects of light: a branch of chemistry
that studies the effect of radiation, especially of visible and ultraviolet
light, on chemical reactions and of the emission of radiation by chemical
reactions
—pho·to·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—pho·to·chem·i·cal·ly
[ftō kémmik’lee], adverb

—pho·to·chem·ist [ftō kémmist], noun[1]



photochromic

photochromic
pho·to·chrom·ic
[ftō krṓmik] adjective

changing color with light:
changing color or becoming darker or lighter in color as light increases or
decreases in intensity[1]



photocoagulation

photocoagulation
pho·to·co·ag·u·la·tion 
[ftō kō ággyə láysh’n] noun

surgical coagulation of
tissue: the use of a high-energy
light source such as a laser to harden tissue for surgical repair, especially
in eye injuries[1]



photocomposition

photocomposition
pho·to·com·po·si·tion
[ftō kómpə zísh’n] noun

typesetting
process using photographic film: a typesetting process
that involves projecting the characters that are to be printed onto
photographic film and then making printing plates from the film.
Also
called
filmsetting
U.K.
term
filmsetting
—pho·to·com·pose
[ftō kəm pṓz], transitive verb

—pho·to·com·pos·er [ftō kəm pṓzər], noun[1]



photoconduction

photoconduction
pho·to·con·duc·tion
[ftō kən dúkshən] noun

light-induced conduction of
electricity: the conduction of
electricity resulting from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation,
especially visible light[1]



photoconductivity

photoconductivity
pho·to·con·duc·tiv·i·ty 
[ftō kón duk tívvətee] noun

property
of varying electrical conductivity: an
increase in the electrical conductivity of a substance on exposure to
electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light
—pho·to·con·duc·tive
[ftō kən dúktiv], adjective

—pho·to·con·duc·tor [ftō kən dúktər], noun[1]



photocopier

photocopier
pho·to·cop·i·er 
[fṓtə kòppee ər] (plural pho·to·cop·i·ers)
noun

photocopying machine:
a machine that uses a photographic process to produce an almost instant copy of
something printed, written, or drawn[1]



photocopy

photocopy
pho·to·cop·y 
[fṓtə kòppee] noun (plural pho·to·cop·ies)

photographic
reproduction of a text or picture: a copy of something
printed, written, or drawn that is produced almost instantly by a photographic
process in a machine designed for this purpose
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pho·to·cop·ied,
past participle pho·to·cop·ied, present participle pho·to·cop·y·ing,
3rd person present singular pho·to·cop·ies)

make photocopy:
to make a photocopy of something, or be photocopied[1]



photocurrent

photocurrent
pho·to·cur·rent 
[fṓtō kùr ənt, fṓtō
kùrrənt] (plural pho·to·cur·rents) noun

electric current produced by
illumination: an electric current
that is produced by and varies with the intensity of illumination. The current
is a result of photoconductivity or of the photoelectric or photovoltaic
effect.[1]



photodecomposition

photodecomposition
pho·to·de·com·po·si·tion 
[ftō dee kómpə zísh’n] noun

chemical breakdown induced by
light: the breakdown of a chemical
compound into simpler substances by means of incident electromagnetic energy,
especially visible light[1]



photodegradable

photodegradable
pho·to·de·grad·a·ble 
[ftō di gráydəb’l] adjective

able to be decomposed by
light: able to be decomposed into
simpler substances through prolonged exposure to incident electromagnetic
energy, especially ultraviolet light[1]



photodiode

photodiode
pho·to·di·ode 
[ftō d d] (plural pho·to·di·odes)
noun

semiconductor used to detect
light: a semiconductor device in
which the flow of current is controlled by the intensity of light and which can
therefore be used to detect light[1]



photodisintegration

photodisintegration
pho·to·dis·in·te·gra·tion 
[ftō diss íntə gráysh’n] noun

breakup
of an atomic nucleus by a photon: the ejection of a
proton, neutron, or other elementary particle from an atomic nucleus as a
result of its absorption of a photon, usually in the form of gamma radiation
—pho·to·dis·in·te·grate
[ftō diss íntə gràyt], intransitive and
transitive verb[1]



photoduplicate

photoduplicate
pho·to·du·pli·cate 
[ftō dplee kàyt] transitive verb (past
pho·to·du·pli·cat·ed, past participle pho·to·du·pli·cat·ed,
present participle pho·to·du·pli·cat·ing, 3rd person present
singular pho·to·du·pli·cates)

make
a photocopy of something: to make a photocopy of
something
noun
(plural pho·to·du·pli·cates)

photocopy:
a copy of something made using a photocopier
—pho·to·du·pli·ca·tion
[ftō dplee káysh’n], noun[1]



photodynamic

photodynamic
pho·to·dy·nam·ic 
[ftō dī námmik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY of
photodynamics: relating to photodynamics or to the
energy of light

2.  BIOLOGY involving
an adverse reaction to light: bringing about or enhancing
the toxic effects of some wavelengths of light, especially ultraviolet, on
living tissue

3.  MEDICINE of a
laser cancer treatment: relating to or used to
describe a cancer treatment in which the drug used is activated by a laser beam
—pho·to·dy·nam·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



photodynamics

photodynamics
pho·to·dy·nam·ics 
[ftō dī námmiks] noun

effects of light on
organisms: a branch of biology dealing
with the effects of light on living organisms (takes a singular verb)[1]



photoelectric

photoelectric
pho·to·e·lec·tric 
[ftō i léktrik] or pho·to·e·lec·tri·cal
[ftō i léktrik’l] adjective

of
light-induced electrical effects: relating to any
electrical effects that are due to the action of electromagnetic radiation,
especially visible light
—pho·to·e·lec·tri·cal·ly,
adverb

—pho·to·e·lec·tric·i·ty
[ftō i lek tríssətee, ftō ee lek tríssətee], noun[1]



photoelectriccell

photoelectriccell
pho·to·e·lec·tric
cell
(plural pho·to·e·lec·tric cells) noun

photosensitive device
controlling electric current: a
solid-state device sensitive to varying levels of light that is used to
generate or control an electric current, for example, in burglar alarms, smoke
detectors, and exposure meters.
Also called
photocell[1]



photoelectriceffect

photoelectriceffect
pho·to·e·lec·tric
ef·fect
(plural pho·to·e·lec·tric ef·fects) noun

electron emission caused by
light: the emission of electrons
from a substance exposed to electromagnetic radiation[1]



photoelectron

photoelectron
pho·to·e·lec·tron 
[ftō i lék tròn] (plural pho·to·e·lec·trons)
noun

electron released by
photoelectric effect: an electron
released from the surface of a substance that has been struck by a photon of
electromagnetic radiation[1]



photoemission

photoemission
pho·to·e·mis·sion 
[ftō i mísh’n] noun

release
of electrons: the release of electrons from a
substance by incident electromagnetic radiation
—pho·to·e·mis·sive, adjective[1]



photoengrave

photoengrave
pho·to·en·grave 
[ftō in gráyv] (past pho·to·en·graved,
past participle pho·to·en·graved, present participle pho·to·en·grav·ing,
3rd person present singular pho·to·en·graves) transitive verb

make
a photoengraving of: to make a copy of something
using photoengraving
—pho·to·en·grav·er, noun[1]



photoengraving

photoengraving
pho·to·en·grav·ing 
[ftō in gráyving] (plural pho·to·en·grav·ings)
noun

1.  process
of etching a printing plate: the process of making a
printing plate by photographing an image onto a metal plate and then etching
the image

2.  printing
plate made by photoengraving: a printing plate made by
photographing an image onto a metal

3.  print
made by photoengraving: a print made using a
photoengraved printing plate

[1]



photoessay

photoessay
pho·to·es·say
[fṓtō èssay] (plural pho·to·es·says)
or pho·to es·say [fṓtō èssay]
(plural pho·to es·says) noun

See
photo story[1]



photofinish

photofinish
pho·to
fin·ish
(plural pho·to fin·ish·es) noun

1.  race
result determined from a photograph: the
end of a race in which two or more contestants are so close that the result
must be determined from a photograph taken as they cross the finish line

2.  very
close contest: a race or competition won by a very
small margin

[1]



Photofit

Photofit
Pho·to·fit
[fṓtō fìt] Trademark

a trademark for a way of
constructing a photograph of somebody using photographs of individual facial
features arranged to fit a description closely. This method is often used to
try to identify criminals.[1]



photoflash

photoflash
pho·to·flash 
[fṓtō flàsh] (plural pho·to·flash·es)
noun

See
flashbulb[1]



photoflood

photoflood
pho·to·flood 
[fṓtō flùd] (plural pho·to·floods)
noun

bright light used in
photography: a very bright
incandescent lamp used in photography and filming[1]



photofluorogram

photofluorogram
pho·to·fluor·o·gram 
[ftə flrə gràm, ftə
fláwrə gràm] (plural pho·to·fluor·o·grams) noun

photograph produced using
photofluorography: a
photograph of an image produced using X-rays[1]



photofluorography

photofluorography
pho·to·fluor·og·ra·phy 
[ftō fl róggrəfee, ftō flaw róggrəfee] noun

photography
of X-ray images: a technique that photographs an X-ray
image onto a fluorescent screen for diagnostic purposes.
Also
called
fluorography
[Mid-20th
century]
—pho·to·fluor·o·graph·ic
[ftō floorə gráffik, ftō flawrə gráffik], adjective[1]



photog.

photog.
photog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
photograph

2.  Abbreviation
of
photographic

3.  Abbreviation
of
photography

[1]



photog

photog
pho·tog 
[fə tóg] noun

photographer:
a photographer (informal)[1]



photogelatinprocess

photogelatinprocess
pho·to·gel·a·tin
proc·ess 
[ftō jéllət’n prò sess] noun

See
collotype[1]



photogene

photogene
pho·to·gene 
[fṓtə jn] (plural pho·to·genes)
noun

See
afterimage
[Mid-19th century][1]



photogenic

photogenic
pho·to·gen·ic 
[ftə jénnik] adjective

1.  looking
attractive in photographs: tending to look good in
photographs

2.  BIOLOGY producing
light:
used to describe an organism that produces its own light, especially by
phosphorescence

3.  caused
by light:
caused or aggravated by light, for example, an epileptic episode brought about
by blinking lights
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from photo- + -genic .]
—pho·to·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



photogeology

photogeology
pho·to·ge·ol·o·gy
[ftō jee ólləjee] noun

geologic
interpretation of aerial photographs: the
study and identification of landforms and other geologic features by means of
aerial and satellite photographs
—pho·to·ge·o·log·ic
[ftō jee ə lójjik], adjective

—pho·to·ge·ol·o·gist [ftō jee ólləjist], noun[1]



photogram

photogram
pho·to·gram 
[fṓtə gràm] (plural pho·to·grams)
noun

1.  photographic
image like a shadow: a photographic image
produced without a camera, usually by placing an object on or near a piece of
film or light-sensitive paper and exposing it to light

2.  artistic
photograph:
a photograph, especially an artistic one (archaic)

[1]



photogrammetry

photogrammetry
pho·to·gram·me·try 
[ftə grámmətree] noun

measuring
or drawing from photographs: making measurements or scale
drawings from photographs, especially using aerial photography in the
construction of maps
—pho·to·gram·met·ric
[ftəgrə méttrik], adjective

—pho·to·gram·me·trist
[ftə grámmətrist], noun[1]



photograph

photograph
pho·to·graph 
[fṓtə gràf] noun (plural pho·to·graphs)

picture produced with a camera:
an image produced on light-sensitive film or array inside a camera, especially
a print or slide made from the developed film or from a digitized array image,
or a reproduction in a newspaper, magazine, or book
verb
(past pho·to·graphed, past participle pho·to·graphed,
present participle pho·to·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular pho·to·graphs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take a
photograph of somebody or something: to
produce an image of something by pointing a camera at it and allowing light briefly
to fall on the film inside

2.  intransitive
verb
be
photographed with a particular result: to be
able to be photographed, or to have a particular quality or appearance in a
photograph • Scenes
like this photograph best in bright sunlight.
[Mid-19th century][1]



photographer

photographer
pho·tog·ra·pher 
[fə tóggrəfər] (plural pho·tog·ra·phers)
noun

taker of photographs:
somebody who takes photographs as a profession, hobby, or art form[1]



photographic

photographic
pho·to·graph·ic 
[ftə gráffik] adjective

1.  of
photography: relating to, used in, or produced by
photography

2.  like
a photograph: as accurate and detailed as a photograph
—pho·to·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



photographicmagnitude

photographicmagnitude
pho·to·graph·ic
mag·ni·tude
(plural pho·to·graph·ic mag·ni·tudes) noun

brightness of a star measured
photographically: the magnitude of a star
determined by measuring its size on a photographic plate. Depending on the
color of the star, photographic magnitude and visual magnitude can differ
because the eye and standard photographic plates have different color
sensitivities.[1]



photographicmemory

photographicmemory
pho·to·graph·ic
mem·o·ry
noun

ability to remember things
exactly: the ability to recall
information, especially visual images, with great accuracy and clarity[1]



photography

photography

pho·tog·ra·phy 
[fə tóggrəfee] noun

1.  producing
pictures with a camera: the art, hobby, or
profession of taking photographs, and developing and printing the film or
processing the digitized array image

2.        using
light to make pictures: the process
of recording images by exposing light-sensitive film or array to light or other
forms of radiation[1]



photogravure

photogravure
pho·to·gra·vure 
[ftə grə vyr] noun

process
of making an intaglio plate: the process of using
photography to make a printing plate with an image engraved into it.
Also
called
gravure
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from photo + gravure “engraving,” from graver
“to engrave.”][1]



photoheliograph

photoheliograph
pho·to·he·li·o·graph
(plural pho·to·he·li·o·graphs) noun

See
heliograph  noun 2[1]



photoinduced

photoinduced
pho·to·in·duced 
[ftō in dst] adjective

caused
by light:
initiated through exposure to light
—pho·to·in·duc·tion
[ftō in dúkshən], noun

—pho·to·in·duc·tive [ftō in dúktiv], adjective[1]



photointerpretation

photointerpretation
pho·to·in·ter·pre·ta·tion
[ftō in turprə táysh’n] noun

science
of identifying photographed objects: the
science of identifying objects in photographs, especially in order to determine
their potential military or topographic importance
—pho·to·in·ter·pret·er
[ftō in túrprətər], noun[1]



photoionization

photoionization
pho·to·i·on·i·za·tion
[ftō ī əni záysh’n] noun

removal
of electrons by absorbing a photon: the
removal of one or more electrons from an atom or molecule by absorption of a
photon of electromagnetic radiation, especially visible or ultraviolet light.
The free electrons in the ionosphere are believed to be a product of molecular
absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
—pho·to·i·on·ize [ftō  ə nz], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



photojournalism

photojournalism
pho·to·jour·nal·ism 
[ftō júrn’l ìzzəm] noun

journalism
using mainly photographs: form of journalism in which
photographs play a more important role than the accompanying text
—pho·to·jour·nal·ist,
noun

—pho·to·jour·nal·is·tic
[ftō jurn’l ístik], adjective[1]



photokinesis

photokinesis
pho·to·ki·ne·sis 
[ftō ki nssiss, ftō
kī nssiss] noun

movement
in reaction to light: movement of an organism when
stimulated by light
[Early
20th century]
—pho·to·ki·net·ic
[ftō ki néttik, ftō
kī néttik], adjective

—pho·to·ki·net·i·cal·ly
[ftō ki néttikəlee], adverb[1]



photolithograph

photolithograph
pho·to·lith·o·graph 
[ftō líthə gràf] (plural pho·to·lith·o·graphs)
noun

picture made using
photolithography: a picture made by using
photolithography[1]



photolithography

photolithography
pho·to·li·thog·ra·phy 
[ftōli thóggrəfee] noun

1.  lithography
using photography: the process of creating
lithographs using photographic methods

2.  photographic
transfer of patterns for etching: a process of producing
integrated circuits and printed circuit boards by photographing the circuit
pattern on a photosensitive substrate and then chemically etching away the
background
—pho·to·li·thog·ra·pher,
noun

—pho·to·lith·o·graph·ic
[ftō lithə gráffik], adjective

—pho·to·lith·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[ftō lithə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



photoluminescence

photoluminescence
pho·to·lu·mi·nes·cence
[ftō lmə néss’ns] noun

luminescence
stimulated by light absorption: the emission of light
from a substance as a result of the absorption of electromagnetic radiation.
The frequency of the light emitted is lower than that absorbed.
[Late
19th century]
—pho·to·lu·mi·nes·cent,
adjective[1]



photolysis

photolysis
pho·tol·y·sis 
[fō tólləssiss] noun

light-stimulated
chemical decomposition: the irreversible
decomposition of a chemical compound as a result of the absorption of
electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light
[Late
20th century]
—pho·to·lyt·ic
[ftə líttik], adjective

—pho·to·lyt·i·cal·ly [ftə líttik’lee], adverb[1]



photom.

photom.
photom.

Abbreviation of
photometry[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








photomap

photomap
pho·to·map 
[fṓtə màp] noun (plural pho·to·maps)

map
made from a photograph: a map produced by marking
place names, grid lines, and other information on an aerial photograph
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pho·to·mapped,
past participle pho·to·mapped, present participle pho·to·map·ping,
3rd person present singular pho·to·maps)

make a map from a photograph:
to make a photomap of an area[1]



photomechanical

photomechanical
pho·to·me·chan·i·cal 
[ftō mə kánnik’l] adjective

using
photography to produce printed text:
relating to or used to describe a method of producing printed text or images
that uses photographic methods
—pho·to·me·chan·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



photometer

photometer
pho·tom·e·ter 
[fō tómmətər] (plural pho·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring the intensity of light: an
instrument for measuring the luminous intensity of light sources by comparison
with a standard source
[Late 18th century][1]



photometry

photometry
pho·tom·e·try 
[fō tómmətree] noun

1.  measurement
of light:
the measurement of the luminous intensities of visible light sources. This is
sometimes expanded to include near-infrared and near-ultraviolet light.

2.  branch
of physics:
the branch of physics concerned with the measurement of the intensity of light
[Early
19th century]
—pho·to·met·ric
[ftə méttrik], adjective

—pho·to·met·ri·cal·ly
[ftə méttrikəlee], adverb

—pho·tom·e·trist [fō tómmətrist], noun[1]



photomicrograph

photomicrograph
pho·to·mi·cro·graph 
[ftō mkrə gràf] (plural pho·to·mi·cro·graphs)
noun

photograph
made using a microscope: a photograph made of
something seen through a microscope
—pho·to·mi·cro·graph·ic
[ftō mīkrə gráffik], adjective

—pho·to·mi·crog·ra·phy
[ftō mī króggrəfee], noun[1]



photomontage

photomontage
pho·to·mon·tage 
[ftō mon tzh] (plural pho·to·mon·tag·es)
noun

1.  making
pictures from parts of photographs: the
technique of combining a number of photographs or parts of photographs to form
a composite picture, used especially in art and advertising

2.  picture
combining parts of photographs: a composite picture
made up of many photographs or parts of photographs, used especially in art and
advertising

[1]



photomosaic

photomosaic
pho·to·mo·sa·ic
[ftō mō záy ik] (plural pho·to·mo·sa·ics)
noun

picture combining many
photographs: a large picture made up
of many photographs, for example, one combining aerial photographs to produce a
detailed picture of an area[1]



photomultiplier

photomultiplier
pho·to·mul·ti·pli·er
[ftō múlti plr] (plural pho·to·mul·ti·pli·ers)
or pho·to·mul·ti·pli·er tube [ftō
múlti plr] (plural pho·to·mul·ti·pli·er tubes) noun

device converting radiation
into current: an evacuated electronic
device used to convert low-intensity electromagnetic radiation, especially
visible light, into an electric current, and to amplify this current
significantly.
Also called
multiplier[1]



photomural

photomural
pho·to·mu·ral 
[fṓtō myrəl] (plural pho·to·mu·rals)
noun

photographic wall decoration:
a large picture decorating a wall, made up of one or more photographs or parts
of photographs applied directly to the surface of the wall[1]



photon

photon
pho·ton 
[fṓ tòn] (plural pho·tons) noun

quantum
of electromagnetic radiation: a quantum of visible light
or other form of electromagnetic radiation demonstrating both particle and wave
properties. A photon has neither mass nor electric charge but possesses energy
and momentum.
[Early
20th century]
—pho·ton·ic [fō tónnik], adjective[1]



photonegative

photonegative
pho·to·neg·a·tive 
[ftō néggətiv] adjective

1.  PHYSICS showing
decreasing conductivity as light increases: used
to describe a conductive material whose electrical conductivity decreases in
response to increasing illumination

2.  BIOLOGY moving
away from light: used to describe organisms that move
away from a source of light

[1]



photonuclear

photonuclear
pho·to·nu·cle·ar 
[ftō nklee ər] adjective

photon-induced nuclear
reaction: relating to a nuclear
reaction caused by the absorption of a photon, usually in the form of gamma
radiation, by an atomic nucleus[1]



photo-offset

photo-offset
pho·to-off·set 
noun

method
of offset printing: a method of offset printing
in which plates are created using photographic methods
[Early 20th century][1]



photoopportunity

photoopportunity
pho·to
op·por·tu·ni·ty or pho·to op (plural
pho·to ops) noun

opportunity for newsworthy
photographs: an opportunity for the
media to photograph a politician or other public figure doing something
newsworthy, especially when this is deliberately staged to produce favorable
publicity[1]



photoperiod

photoperiod
pho·to·pe·ri·od 
[ftō pree əd] (plural pho·to·pe·ri·ods)
noun

daily
cycle of light and darkness: the daily cycle of light and
darkness that affects the behavior and physiological functions of organisms
—pho·to·pe·ri·od·ic
[ftō pree óddik], adjective

—pho·to·pe·ri·od·i·cal·ly
[ftō pree óddikəlee], adverb[1]



photoperiodism

photoperiodism
pho·to·pe·ri·od·ism 
[ftō pree ə dìzzəm] noun

influence
of photoperiod on organism: the influence of the daily
cycle of light and darkness on the physiology and behavior of an organism
[Early 20th century][1]



photophilic

photophilic
pho·to·phil·ic 
[ftə fíllik] or pho·toph·i·lous
[fō tóffiləss] adjective

growing
best in strong light: used to describe an organism
such as a plant that grows well in strong light
[Early 20th century][1]



photophobia

photophobia
pho·to·pho·bi·a 
[ftə fṓbee ə] noun

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY sensitivity
to light:
very low tolerance of the eye for light, sometimes a symptom of disease or
migraine

2.  PSYCHIATRY fear
of light:
an irrational fear and avoidance of light or lighted spaces

[1]



photophobic

photophobic
pho·to·pho·bic 
[ftə fṓbik] adjective

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY affected
by photophobia: relating to or having a condition in
which the eye has very low tolerance to light

2.  PSYCHIATRY having
a fear of light: being abnormally afraid of light

3.  BIOLOGY growing
well in reduced light: used to describe an organism
such as a plant that grows well in reduced light

[1]



photophore

photophore
pho·to·phore 
[fṓtə fàwr] (plural pho·to·phores)
noun

light-emitting
fish organ:
a luminous light organ on many deep-sea and some nocturnal fish, squids, and
shrimps.
Also
called
light organ
[Late 19th century][1]



photophosphorylation

photophosphorylation
pho·to·phos·phor·y·la·tion 
[ftō fosfəri láysh’n] noun

process in photosynthesis:
the process in photosynthesis that converts light energy to stored energy in
plants and bacteria[1]



photopia

photopia
pho·to·pi·a 
[fō tṓpee ə] noun

day
vision:
normal vision during daylight, when the activity of the cones in the retina
enables the eye to perceive color
[Early
20th century]
—pho·to·pic [fō tṓpik, fō tóppik],
adjective[1]



photopolymer

photopolymer
pho·to·pol·y·mer
[ftō pólləmər] (plural pho·to·pol·y·mers)
noun

light-sensitive plastic:
a light-sensitive plastic whose physical properties change on exposure to
visible or ultraviolet light[1]



photopositive

photopositive
pho·to·pos·i·tive 
[ftō pózzitiv] adjective

1.  PHYSICS showing
increasing conductivity as light increases: used
to describe a conductive material whose electrical conductivity increases in
response to increasing illumination

2.  BIOLOGY moving
toward light: used to describe organisms that move
toward a light source

[1]



photorealism

photorealism
pho·to·re·al·ism
[ftō r ə lìzzəm] noun

artistic
style resembling photography: an artistic style, for
example, in painting or sculpture, that produces an accurate and detailed
representation of the subject without attempting to conceal any unattractive
aspects
—pho·to·re·al·ist,
adjective, noun

—pho·to·re·al·is·tic [ftō r ə lístik], adjective[1]



photoreception

photoreception
pho·to·re·cep·tion 
[ftō rə sépshən] noun

BIOLOGY perception
of light:
the perception, absorption, and use of light, for example, for vision in
animals or photosynthesis in plants
—pho·to·re·cep·tive [ftō ri séptiv], adjective[1]



photoreceptor

photoreceptor
pho·to·re·cep·tor 
[ftō rə séptər] (plural pho·to·re·cep·tors)
noun

light-sensitive organ:
a cell or organ that responds to light. Simple ones may sense only changes in
light intensity while more complex ones such as the eye may also form images of
objects in the visual field.[1]



photoreconnaissance

photoreconnaissance
pho·to·re·con·nais·sance 
[ftō rə kónnəss’ns] noun

reconnaissance by aerial
photography: reconnaissance
undertaken using cameras, usually from an aircraft or drone[1]



photoresist

photoresist
pho·to·re·sist
[ftō rə zíst] noun

photosensitive material used
in photolithography: a
photosensitive material that is applied to a surface, exposed to visible or
ultraviolet light, and developed prior to chemical etching during the
photolithographic process[1]



photorespiration

photorespiration
pho·to·res·pi·ra·tion 
[ftō respə ráysh’n] noun

oxidation of carbohydrates in
plants: the oxidation of
carbohydrates in plants with the release of carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis[1]



photosensitive

photosensitive
pho·to·sen·si·tive 
[ftō sénsitiv] adjective

reacting
to incident electromagnetic radiation:
reacting to incident electromagnetic radiation, especially visible, infrared,
and ultraviolet light
—pho·to·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[ftō sensi tívvətee], noun[1]



photosensitize

photosensitize
pho·to·sen·si·tize 
[ftō sénsi tz] (past pho·to·sen·si·tized,
past participle pho·to·sen·si·tized, present participle pho·to·sen·si·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular pho·to·sen·si·tiz·es) transitive
verb

make
something sensitive to light: to increase the sensitivity
of an organism or substance to electromagnetic radiation, especially visible
light
—pho·to·sen·si·ti·za·tion
[ftō sensiti záysh’n], noun

—pho·to·sen·si·tiz·er
[ftō sénsi tzər], noun[1]



photosphere

photosphere
pho·to·sphere 
[fṓtə sfr] (plural pho·to·spheres)
noun

visible
surface layer of the Sun: the intensely bright gaseous
outer layer of a star, especially the Sun. Sunspots and faculae are both
features of the photosphere.
[Mid-17th
century. The word originally meant “orb of light” and acquired its more
technical meaning in the mid-19th century.]
—pho·to·spher·ic [ftə sfrik, ftə
sférrik], adjective[1]



Photostat

Photostat
Pho·to·stat 
[fṓtə stàt] Trademark

a trademark for a kind of
photocopier[1]



photostory

photostory
pho·to
sto·ry
noun

story told through
photographs: a collection of
photographs in a magazine or book, often accompanied by a short commentary,
that tells a story.
Also called
photoessay[1]



photosynthesis

photosynthesis
pho·to·syn·the·sis 
[ftō sínthəssiss] noun

carbohydrate
production using light and chlorophyll: a
process by which green plants and other organisms produce simple carbohydrates
from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, using energy that chlorophyll or other
organic cellular pigments absorb from radiant sources
[Late
19th century]
—pho·to·syn·thet·ic
[ftō sin théttik], adjective

—pho·to·syn·thet·i·cal·ly
[ftō sin théttikəlee], adverb[1]



photosynthesize

photosynthesize
pho·to·syn·the·size 
[ftō sínthə sz] (past pho·to·syn·the·sized,
past participle pho·to·syn·the·sized, present participle pho·to·syn·the·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular pho·to·syn·the·siz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

to
produce carbohydrates by photosynthesis: to
produce carbohydrates and oxygen by photosynthesis
[Early 20th century. Formed
from photosynthesis .][1]



phototaxis

phototaxis
pho·to·tax·is 
[ftō táksiss] noun

movement
of an organism caused by light: movement of an
organism either toward or away from a source of light
[Late
19th century]
—pho·to·tac·tic,
adjective

—pho·to·tac·ti·cal·ly
[ftō táktikəlee], adverb[1]



phototherapy

phototherapy
pho·to·ther·a·py 
[ftō thérrəpee] noun

use
of light in disease treatment: the use of light of
particular wavelengths, especially ultraviolet light, in the treatment of
disease
—pho·to·ther·a·peu·tic
[ftō therrə pytik], adjective[1]



phototoxic

phototoxic
pho·to·tox·ic 
[ftō tóksik] adjective

making
skin sensitive to light: making the skin unusually
sensitive to and subject to damage by light, for example, by sunburn
—pho·to·tox·ic·i·ty [ftō tok síssətee], noun[1]



phototransistor

phototransistor
pho·to·tran·sis·tor 
[ftō tran zístər] (plural pho·to·tran·sis·tors)
noun

semiconductor that varies a
current with illumination: a
light-sensitive junction transistor that amplifies the base current as the
illumination increases[1]



phototropic

phototropic
pho·to·tro·pic
[ftə tróppik] adjective

using
light as energy: used to describe organisms that can
utilize light as a source of energy
—pho·to·troph [fṓtə tròf, fṓtə trf],
noun[1]



phototropism

phototropism
pho·tot·ro·pism 
[fō tóttrə pìzzəm] noun

growth
toward the light: the tendency of an organism to grow
toward or away from a source of light
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek tropikos “relating to turning,” from tropē “turn.”][1]



phototropy

phototropy
pho·tot·ro·py
[fō tóttrəpee] noun

change
of color as light changes: a property of some solids
whereby they change color in relation to the wavelength of the incident
electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light
[Early 20th century][1]



phototube

phototube
pho·to·tube 
[fṓtō tb] (plural pho·to·tubes)
noun

photosensitive device to
control electric current: an electron
tube that uses a cathode to convert visible light into electrical current at a
rate proportional to the intensity of the illumination[1]



phototypography

phototypography
pho·to·ty·pog·ra·phy 
[ftō tī póggrəfee] noun

printing
process using photography: a printing process that uses
photography
—pho·to·ty·po·graph·i·cal
[ftō tīpə gráffik’l], adjective

—pho·to·ty·po·graph·i·cal·ly
[ftō tīpə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



photovoltaic

photovoltaic
pho·to·vol·ta·ic 
[ftō vol táy ik, ftō
vl táy ik] adjective

generating current or voltage
when illuminated: able to generate a
current or voltage when exposed to visible light or other electromagnetic
radiation[1]



photovoltaiccell

photovoltaiccell
pho·to·vol·ta·ic
cell
(plural pho·to·vol·ta·ic cells) noun

type of photoelectric cell:
a type of photoelectric cell that detects and measures light intensity using
the potential difference that arises between unlike materials when they are
exposed to electromagnetic radiation[1]



photovoltaiceffect

photovoltaiceffect
pho·to·vol·ta·ic
ef·fect
(plural pho·to·vol·ta·ic ef·fects) noun

light-induced production of
voltage: the production of a
potential difference across the junction of unlike materials or in a
nonhomogeneous semiconductor material by the absorption of visible light or
other electromagnetic radiation[1]



phr.

phr.
phr.

Abbreviation of
phrase[1]



phrasal

phrasal
phras·al
[fráyz’l] adjective

forming
a phrase:
consisting of or belonging to a phrase
[Late
19th century]
—phras·al·ly, adverb[1]



phrasalverb

phrasalverb
phras·al
verb
(plural phras·al verbs) noun

verb combined with another
word: a verb followed by an
adverb, a preposition, or both, used with an idiomatic meaning that is often
quite different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Examples
include “put up with” meaning “tolerate” and “stand for” meaning “represent.”[1]



phrase

phrase
phrase 
[frayz] noun (plural phras·es)

1.  GRAMMAR grammatical
unit:
a string of words that form a grammatical unit, usually within a clause or
sentence

2.  LANGUAGE fixed
expression:
a string of words that are used together with an idiomatic meaning

3.  short
utterance:
a short expression

4.  LITERATURE POETRY words
spoken as group: a group of words that form a unit of
meaning or rhythm in prose or poetry, often separated by punctuation in writing
and by pauses in speech

5.  MUSIC melodic
division:
a sequence of notes that form a unit of melody within a piece of music

6.  DANCE part
of a choreographic pattern: a short sequence of dance
steps or movements
verb
(past phrased, past participle phrased, present
participle phras·ing, 3rd person present singular phras·es)

1.  transitive
verb
express
in particular way: to express something with a
particular pattern of words in speech or writing

2.  transitive
verb
separate
text into phrases: to show clearly which groups
of words belong together when reading something aloud or making a speech,
usually by pausing in appropriate places or by stress and intonation

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC separate music into phrases:
to show clearly which sequences of notes belong together in a piece of music,
especially when performing it
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek phrasis “speech, way of speaking,” from phrazein “to
show, explain” (source of English paraphrase
and phraseology ).][1]



phrasebook

phrasebook
phrase
book
(plural phrase books) noun

book of translated phrases
for travelers: a book of useful words
and phrases in a foreign language with translations for visitors to a country
or region where that language is spoken[1]



phrasemaker

phrasemaker
phrase·mak·er 
[fráyz màykər] (plural phrase·mak·ers)
noun

coiner
of phrases:
somebody who produces impressive phrases in speech or writing
—phrase·mak·ing, noun[1]



phrasemarker

phrasemarker
phrase
mark·er
(plural phrase mark·ers) noun

representation of sentence
structure: a representation of the
structure of a sentence, usually in the form of a tree diagram[1]



phraseogram

phraseogram
phra·se·o·gram 
[fráyzee ə gràm] (plural phra·se·o·grams)
noun

symbol for a phrase:
a symbol used to represent a particular phrase in shorthand[1]



phraseograph

phraseograph
phra·se·o·graph 
[fráyzee ə gràf] (plural phra·se·o·graphs)
noun

phrase represented by a
phraseogram: a phrase that is or can
be represented by a symbol, usually in shorthand[1]



phraseology

phraseology
phra·se·ol·o·gy 
[fràyzee ólləjee] noun

1.  set
of phrases:
the phrases used in a particular sphere of activity

2.  use
of language: the way words and phrases are chosen or
used
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin phraseologia from, ultimately, Greek phrasis
“speech” (see phrase ).]
—phra·se·o·log·i·cal
[fràyzee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—phra·se·ol·o·gist [fràyzee ólləjist], noun[1]



phrase-structuregrammar

phrase-structuregrammar
phrase-struc·ture
gram·mar
noun

grammar of the linear
sequence of sentence: a grammar
that describes the structure and linear sequence of a sentence in terms of the
phrases of which it is made up[1]



phrasing

phrasing
phras·ing 
[fráyzing] noun

1.  combination
of words:
the way words are chosen and put together for a particular purpose, or the
words themselves

2.  MUSIC grouping
of notes:
the way sequences of notes are grouped together to form units of melody in a
piece of music, especially when it is played or sung

[1]



phratry

phratry
phra·try 
[fráytree] (plural phra·tries)
noun

1.  related
group of clans: a group of clans claiming descent from a
common ancestor

2.  kinship
group:
a kinship group in ancient Greece
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek phratria, from phratēr “clansman, brother.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English brother, fraternal,
and friar .]
—phra·tric, adjective[1]



phreak

phreak
phreak
[freek] (past phreaked, past
participle phreaked, present participle phreak·ing, 3rd
person present singular phreaks) intransitive verb

make
free phone calls illegally: to use computer and
telecommunications skills illegally to break into a telephone system in order
to make free long-distance calls
[Late 20th century.
Alteration of freak on the model of phone .][1]



phreaking

phreaking
phreak·ing
[frking] noun

making
free phone calls illegally: using computer and
telecommunications skills to break into the telephone system to make free
long-distance calls (slang)
[Late 20th century. From phone phreak . Variation of freak, on the model of phone
.][1]



phreatic

phreatic
phre·at·ic 
[free áttik] adjective

1.  of
soil below water level: relating to or used to
describe the soil or rock below the water level, where all the pores and
intergranular spaces are full of water

2.  caused
by heated groundwater: relating to an explosion
caused by groundwater coming into contact with ascending magma, for example, in
a volcano
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek phreat-, stem of phrear “well, cistern.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to boil, bubble,” which is also the source
of English brew and fervor .][1]



phren.

phren.
phren.

Abbreviation of
phrenology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








phrenic

phrenic
phren·ic 
[frénnik, frnik]
adjective

1.  ANATOMY of the
diaphragm:
belonging to or supplying the diaphragm

2.  of
the mind:
belonging to or associated with the mind
[Early 18th century. From
French phrénique, from Greek phrēn (see -phrenia ).][1]



phrenol.

phrenol.
phrenol.

Abbreviation of
phrenology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








phrenology

phrenology
phre·nol·o·gy 
[frə nólləjee] noun

study
of the bumps on the skull: the study of the bumps on
the outside of the skull, based on the now discredited theory that these bumps
reflect somebody’s character
[Early
19th century]
—phren·o·log·i·cal
[frènnə lójjik’l, frnə
lójjik’l], adjective

—phre·nol·o·gist [frə nólləjist], noun[1]



Phrygia

Phrygia
Phryg·i·a 
[fríjjee ə]

ancient country in Asia
Minor, in present-day west central Turkey. It reached the height of its
importance in the 8th century BC,
and was conquered by Croesus, king of Lydia, in the 6th century BC .[1]



Phrygian

Phrygian
Phryg·i·an 
[fríjjee ən] noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from ancient Phrygia: somebody who was born in or
was a citizen of ancient Phrygia

2.  LANGUAGE extinct
language of ancient Phrygia: an extinct language spoken
in ancient Phrygia, usually classified as belonging to the Anatolian branch of
Indo-European languages
—Phryg·i·an, adjective[1]



Phrygiancap

Phrygiancap
Phryg·i·an
cap
(plural Phryg·i·an caps) noun

See
liberty cap
[Phrygian from the fact that
the cap was worn by the ancient Phrygians][1]



PHS

PHS
PHS

Abbreviation of
Public Health Service[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








phthalein

phthalein
phthal·ein 
[thá ln, tháy
ln] (plural phthal·eins) noun

organic
dye:
an organic dye obtained by reacting phthalic anhydride with a phenol
[Late 19th century. Formed
from phthalic acid .][1]



phthalicacid

phthalicacid
phthal·ic
ac·id 
[thàllik ássid] noun

organic
compound derived from benzene: one of three isomers
obtained by the oxidation of benzene derivatives and used in the manufacture of
dyes, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and synthetic fibers. C6H4(CO2H)2
[Phthalic, formed from a
shortening of naphthalene][1]



phthalicanhydride

phthalicanhydride
phthal·ic
an·hy·dride
noun

white crystalline organic
compound: a white crystalline organic
compound derived from naphthalene and used in the manufacture of dyes,
insecticides, and plastics. C6H4(CO)2O[1]



phthalocyanine

phthalocyanine
phthal·o·cy·a·nine 
[thàllō s ə nn] noun

1.  bright
greenish-blue pigment: a bright greenish-blue
crystalline compound derived from phthalic anhydride and used as a pigment,
coating for CD-ROMs, and as an anticancer agent. (C6H4C2N)4N4H2

2.  blue
or green pigments: a blue or green pigment
developed as a metal-substituted form of phthalocyanine and used in enamels,
plastics, printing inks, wallpaper, and linoleum

[1]



phthiriasis

phthiriasis
phthi·ri·a·sis 
[thi r əssiss, thī
r əssiss] noun

infestation
of pubic lice: an infestation of the pubic hair of
human beings with lice whose bite can irritate the skin
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek phtheiriasis, from phtheirian “to be infested with
lice,” from phtheir “louse.”][1]



phthisic

phthisic
phthis·ic 
[tízzik, thízzik]
noun

See
phthisis
adjective
phthis·ic phthis·i·cal

relating
to phthisis: relating to or having phthisis
[14th century. Via Old French
tisike, later ptisique from, ultimately, Greek phthisikos
“consumptive,” from phthisis (see phthisis
).][1]



phthisis

phthisis
phthi·sis 
[thssiss, tssiss]
noun

1.  wasting
disease:
any disease or condition marked by wasting of the body.
Also
called
phthisic

2.  lung
disease:
any of several diseases of the respiratory system, especially asthma or
tuberculosis (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek phthisis “consumption,” from phthinein “to waste
away.”][1]



phyco-

phyco-
phyco-
prefix

of
seaweed or algae: relating to seaweed or algae
[From Greek phukos
“seaweed”][1]



phycocyanin

phycocyanin
phy·co·cy·a·nin 
[fkō s ənin] noun

pigment in blue-green algae:
a protein pigment in blue-green algae[1]



phycoerythrin

phycoerythrin
phy·co·er·y·thrin 
[fkō érrithrin] noun

pigment in red algae:
a red protein pigment in red algae[1]



phycology

phycology
phy·col·o·gy 
[fī kólləjee] noun

See
algology
—phy·co·log·i·cal
[fkə lójjik’l], adjective

—phy·col·o·gist [fī kólləjist], noun[1]



phycomycete

phycomycete
phy·co·my·cete 
[fkō m st, fkō
mī st] (plural phy·co·my·cetes) noun

fungus:
a mold resembling algae. Class: Phycomycetes
[Mid-20th
century. Ultimately from Greek phukos “seaweed” + mukētes, plural
of mukēs “fungus,” from its supposed resemblance to algae.]
—phy·co·my·ce·tous [fkō mī stəss], adjective[1]



Phyfe,Duncan

Phyfe,Duncan
Phyfe
[fīf], Duncan (1768–1854)

Scottish-born U.S. furniture
designer. His neoclassical approach helped to define the federal style in the
United States.[1]



phyl-

phyl-
phyl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phylo-[1]



phyla

phyla
phy·la


Plural of
phylum[1]



phylactery

phylactery

phy·lac·ter·y 
[fi láktəree] (plural phy·lac·ter·ies)
noun

1.  JUDAISM Jewish
aid to prayer: either of two small leather boxes
containing slips of paper with scriptures written on them, traditionally worn
by Jewish men during morning weekday prayers as reminders of their religious
duties (often used in the plural)
See
also
tefillin

2.  reminder:
a reminder of something important

3.  amulet:
something worn because it is believed to have special powers, for example, the
power to keep away evil spirits (archaic)
[14th century. Via Latin phylacterium
from Greek phulaktērion “amulet,” from phulaktēr “guard,” from phulassein
“to guard.”][1]



phyle

phyle
phy·le 
[flee] (plural phy·lae [flee]) noun

ancient
Greek clan:
any one of a number of tribes or clans into which some peoples of ancient
Greece were divided. The phylae formed political and administrative units
within the large city-states.
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek phulē “tribe.”]
—phy·lic, adjective[1]



phyletic

phyletic
phy·let·ic 
[fī léttik] adjective

relating
to descent or change: relating to the hereditary
descent of a species or its development over time
[Late
19th century. From Greek phuletikos, from phulē “tribe.”]
—phy·let·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



phyll-

phyll-
phyll-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phyllo-[1]



-phyll

-phyll
-phyll
suffix

leaf
• chlorophyll
[From
Greek phyllon (see phyllo- )]
—-phyllous, suffix[1]



phyllid

phyllid
phyl·lid 
[fíllid] (plural phyl·lids) noun

leaf of moss:
a moss or liverwort leaf[1]



phyllite

phyllite
phyl·lite 
[f lt] noun

flaky
rock with silky sheen: a fine-grained metamorphic
rock with a distinctive shiny surface, containing large quantities of mica and
resembling slate or schist
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek phullon “leaf” (see phyllo- ) + -ite
.]
—phyl·lit·ic [fi líttik], adjective[1]



phyllo

phyllo
phyl·lo 
[flō] or phyl·lo pas·try [flō] noun

fine-layered
Greek pastry: very thin sheets of pastry dough used to
make papery, crisp small pastries or large dishes, used especially in Greek
cooking.
U.K.
term
filo
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Greek, “leaf, sheet,” from Greek phullon “leaf” (see phyllo- ).][1]



phyllo-

phyllo-
phyllo-
prefix

leaf
• phyllotaxis
[From Greek phullon .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English foliage .][1]



phylloclade

phylloclade
phyl·lo·clade 
[fíllə klàyd] (plural phyl·lo·clades)
or phyl·lo·clad [fíllə klàd] (plural
phyl·lo·clads) noun

See
cladophyll
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Greek phullon “leaf” (see phyllo- ) + klados “shoot.”]
—phyl·lo·cla·dous [fi lóklədəss], adjective[1]



phyllode

phyllode
phyl·lode 
[fí ld] (plural phyl·lodes) or
phyl·lo·di·um [fi lṓdee əm] (plural
phyl·lo·di·a [fi lṓdee ə]) noun

flat
leaf stalk:
a flat leaf stalk that functions as a leaf in certain plants, such as the
acacia
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin phyllodium, from Greek phullōdēs
“leaflike,” from phullon (see phyllo-
).]
—phyl·lo·di·al, adjective[1]



phylloid

phylloid
phyl·loid 
[fí lòyd] adjective

resembling
leaf:
like a leaf in shape or function
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin phylloides, from Greek phullon (see -phyll ).][1]



phyllophagous

phyllophagous
phyl·loph·a·gous 
[fi lóffəgəss] adjective

leaf-eating:
used to describe an animal that eats leaves[1]



phylloquinone

phylloquinone
phyl·lo·qui·none
[fìllō kwi nṓn, fìllō
kwí nn] noun

See
vitamin K 1
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from phyllo- + quinone,
on the model of German Phyllochinon .][1]



phyllotaxy

phyllotaxy
phyl·lo·tax·y 
[fíllə tàksee] (plural phyl·lo·tax·ies)
or phyl·lo·tax·is [fìllə táksiss]
(plural phyl·lo·tax·es [fìllə tákseez])
noun

1.  positions
of plant’s leaves: the way the leaves on a
particular plant are arranged in relation to one another

2.  study
of leaf positioning: the study of the factors
that determine the growth patterns and arrangement of plant leaves
—phyl·lo·tac·tic, adjective[1]



phylloxera

phylloxera
phyl·lox·e·ra 
[fìllək srə, fi
lóksərə] (plural phyl·lox·e·ra or phyl·lox·e·ras
or phyl·lox·e·rae [fìllək sree])
noun

fly
destructive to vines: an aphid that is a major
pest in wine-producing areas. Latin name: Viteus vitifolii
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from phyllo- +
Greek xros “dry”; from the insect’s effect on leaves.][1]



phylo-

phylo-
phylo-
prefix

race,
kind, tribe, phylum • phylogeny
[From Greek phulon
(see phylum )][1]



phylogeny

phylogeny
phy·log·e·ny 
[fī lójjənee] (plural phy·log·e·nies)
or phy·lo·gen·e·sis [flō jénnəssiss]
(plural phy·lo·gen·e·ses [flō jénnə
sz]) noun

development
of a group:
the development over time of a species, genus, or group, as contrasted with the
development of an individual ( ontogeny )
—phy·lo·ge·net·ic
[flō jə néttik], adjective

—phy·lo·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[flō jə néttikəlee], adverb

—phy·lo·ge·net·ics
[flō jə néttiks], noun

—phy·lo·gen·ic
[fīlō jénnik], adjective

—phy·lo·gen·i·cal·ly [fīlō jénnikəlee], adverb[1]



phylum

phylum
phy·lum 
[fləm] (plural phy·la [flə]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY major
taxonomic group in biological classification: a
major taxonomic group into which animals are divided, made up of several
classes. The corresponding taxonomic group for plants and fungi is the
division.

2.  LANGUAGE group
of languages: a large group of languages or language
stocks thought to be historically related, for example, Afro-Asiatic or
Indo-European
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek phulon “race.”][1]



phys.

phys.
phys.

1.  Abbreviation
of
physiological

2.  Abbreviation
of
physiology

3.  Abbreviation
of
physical

4.  Abbreviation
of
physician

5.  Abbreviation
of
physicist

6.  Abbreviation
of
physics

[1]



physalis

physalis
phys·al·is 
[fssəliss, físsəliss,
fī sálliss] (plural phys·al·is·es
or phys·al·es [fssəleez, físsəleez, fī sálleez])
noun

See
Cape gooseberry
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek phusallis “bladder,” with reference
to the inflated calyx.][1]



phys.ed.

phys.ed.
phys.
ed.

Abbreviation of
physical education[1]



physi-

physi-
physi-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
physio-[1]



physiatrics

physiatrics
phys·i·at·rics 
[fìzzee áttriks] noun MEDICINE (takes a singular verb)

1.  See
physical medicine

2.  See
physical therapy
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek phusis “nature” (see physics
) + iatrikos “medical.”]
—phys·i·at·ric,
adjective

—phys·i·at·rist [fìzzee áttrist], noun[1]



physic

physic
phys·ic 
[fízzik] noun (plural phys·ics)

1.  MEDICINE profession
of medicine: medicine or healing as an art or
profession (archaic)

2.  MEDICINE a
medicine:
a medicine, especially one that purges the bowels (archaic)

3.  pick-me-up:
something that lifts the spirits or energizes

4.  PHYSICS physics:
physics (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past phys·icked, past participle phys·icked, present
participle phys·ick·ing, 3rd person present singular phys·ics)
(archaic)

1.  purge
something:
to purge something such as the bowels

2.  treat
somebody or something: to treat somebody or
something with a medicine or cure
[13th century. Directly or
via Old French fisique from Latin physica (see physics ). The original meaning was “knowledge of
the natural world,” which survives in physics
.][1]



physical

physical
phys·i·cal 
[fízzik’l] adjective

1.  of
the body:
relating to the body, rather than with the mind, the soul, or the feelings

2.  real
and touchable: existing in the real material world,
rather than as an idea or notion, and able to be touched and seen

3.  needing
bodily strength: involving or needing a lot of bodily
strength or energy

4.  with
bodily contact: involving a lot of bodily contact or
aggression • Some
of the players were a little too physical.

5.  involving
touching:
tending to touch people or involving touching, especially in an affectionate or
sexual way (informal)

6.  SCIENCE not
social or biological: used to describe sciences
such as physics and chemistry that deal with nonliving things such as energy
and matter • the
physical sciences
noun
(plural phys·i·cals)

MEDICINE physical
examination: a physical examination (informal)
—phys·i·cal·i·ty
[fìzzi kállətee], noun

—phys·i·cal·ness [fízzik’lnəss], noun[1]



physicalanthropology

physicalanthropology
phys·i·cal
an·thro·pol·o·gy noun

study of physical differences
between peoples: the branch of
anthropology that studies the development over time of human physical
characteristics and the differences in appearance among the peoples of the
world, as distinct from cultural differences[1]



physicalchallenge

physicalchallenge
phys·i·cal
chal·lenge
(plural phys·i·cal chal·leng·es) noun

1.  restricted
capability to perform particular activities: an
inability to perform some or all of the tasks of daily life

2.  medical
condition restricting activities: a medically diagnosed
condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life

[1]



physicalchemistry

physicalchemistry
phys·i·cal
chem·is·try
noun

chemistry of physical
systems: the branch of chemistry that
studies the physical and thermodynamic properties of substances in relation to
their structures and chemical reactions[1]



physicaleducation

physicaleducation
phys·i·cal
ed·u·ca·tion noun

physical exercise as school
subject: gymnastics, athletics, team
sports, and other forms of physical exercise taught to children in school[1]



physicalexamination

physicalexamination
phys·i·cal
ex·am·i·na·tion (plural phys·i·cal
ex·am·i·na·tions) or phys·i·cal (plural phys·i·cals)
noun

doctor’s general examination:
a doctor’s general examination to determine somebody’s state of physical health
and fitness, sometimes as a requirement for a specific job or activity[1]



physicalgeography

physicalgeography
phys·i·cal
ge·og·ra·phy noun

geography of the Earth’s
surface: the branch of geography that
studies the natural features of the Earth’s surface as well as their formation[1]



physicalism

physicalism
phys·i·cal·ism 
[fízzik’l ìzzəm] noun

form
of materialism: in philosophy, a form of materialism
that explains the phenomena of reality, including perceptual and intellectual
processes, in terms of the physical
—phys·i·cal·ist,
noun, adjective

—phys·i·cal·is·tic [fìzzik’l ístik], adjective[1]



physicalize

physicalize
phys·i·cal·ize 
[fízzik’l z] (past phys·i·cal·ized,
past participle phys·i·cal·ized, present participle phys·i·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular phys·i·cal·izes) transitive verb

1.  show
emotion using the body: to express or exhibit
something such as emotion with the body

2.  represent
something abstract in physical terms: to
represent something abstract in the form of a physical or concrete thing

[1]



physically

physically
phys·i·cal·ly
[fízzik’lee] adverb

1.  in
the real world: in terms of what is real or what exists
in the material world, as opposed to what is theoretical or exists only in the
mind • physically
impossible

2.  of
the body:
relating to somebody’s body or appearance • physically
unattractive

[1]



physicallychallenged

physicallychallenged
phys·i·cal·ly
chal·lenged
adjective

unable
to perform particular activities: used to describe
somebody with a condition that makes it difficult to perform some or all the
basic tasks of daily life
plural
noun

physically challenged people:
people who are physically challenged[1]



physicalmedicine

physicalmedicine
phys·i·cal
med·i·cine
noun

branch of medicine:
the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis of injuries or physical
conditions and their treatment by external means, including heat, massage, or
exercise, rather than by medication or surgery.
Also called
physiatrics[1]



physicalscience

physicalscience
phys·i·cal
sci·ence
(plural phys·i·cal sci·ences) noun

science of nonliving things:
any of the sciences such as physics and chemistry that study nonliving things[1]



physicaltherapy

physicaltherapy
phys·i·cal
ther·a·py
noun

treatment
of injuries: the treatment of injuries and physical
conditions by a trained person under the supervision of a specialist in
physical medicine.
Also
called
physiatrics
Also
called
physiotherapy
U.K.
term
physiotherapy
—phys·i·cal ther·a·pist,
noun[1]



physician

physician
phy·si·cian 
[fi zísh’n] (plural phy·si·cians)
noun

1.  medical
doctor:
somebody qualified to practice medicine.
Also
called
doctor

2.  doctor
using nonsurgical methods: a doctor who diagnoses and
treats diseases and injuries using methods other than surgery
[13th century. From Old
French fisicien, from fisique (see physic
).][1]



physician-assistedsuicide

physician-assistedsuicide
physician-assisted
suicide
noun

suicide with help of
physician: the act of somebody with an
incurable disease committing suicide with the help of a physician.
Physician-assisted suicide is illegal in most countries.[1]



physician’sassistant

physician’sassistant
phy·si·cian’s
as·sis·tant 
or phy·si·cian as·sis·tant (plural phy·si·cian
as·sis·tants) noun

somebody trained to assist a
doctor: somebody trained and
authorized to carry out some medical duties, under a doctor’s supervision, for
example, taking a patient’s medical history[1]



physicist

physicist
phys·i·cist 
[fízzissist] (plural phys·i·cists)
noun

physics
expert:
a scientist who specializes in physics
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from physics + -ist
.][1]



physicochemical

physicochemical
phys·i·co·chem·i·cal 
[fìzzikō kémmik’l] adjective

1.  of
physics and chemistry: relating to both physical
and chemical characteristics

2.  of
physical chemistry: relating to physical
chemistry
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Greek physikos (see physics
) + chemical .]
—phys·i·co·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



physics

physics
phys·ics 
[fízziks] noun

PHYSICS study
of physical forces and qualities: the scientific study
of matter, energy, force, and motion, and the way they relate to each other.
Physics traditionally incorporates mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and
thermodynamics and now includes modern disciplines such as quantum mechanics, relativity,
and nuclear physics. (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

physical
aspects:
the physical processes, interactions, qualities, properties or behavior of
something
[15th century. Formed from physic ; translation of Latin physica
(plural), from Greek phusika, plural of phusikos “of nature,”
from phusis “nature,” from phuein “to make grow.”][1]



physio-

physio-
physio-
prefix

physical
• physiotherapy
[From Greek phusis
“nature”; related to phuein “to make grow” (see phyto-
)][1]



physio

physio
phy·si·o
[fízzee ] (plural phy·si·os) noun

U.K.
physical
therapist:
a physical therapist (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of physiotherapy .][1]



physiognomy

physiognomy
phys·i·og·no·my 
[fìzzee ógnəmee] (plural phys·i·og·no·mies)
noun

1.  facial
features:
the features of somebody’s face, especially when they are used as indicators of
that person’s character or temperament

2.  judgment
of character from facial features: the use of facial
features to judge somebody’s character or temperament

3.  character
or appearance of something: the character or outward
appearance of something, for example, the physical features of a landscape
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek phusiognōmonia “judging
of somebody’s character by his or her features,” from phusis “nature,
character” (see physics ) + gnomon
“judge” (see gnomon ).]
—phys·i·og·nom·ic
[fìzzee ə nómmik], adjective

—phys·i·og·nom·i·cal·ly
[fìzzee ə nómmikəlee], adverb

—phys·i·og·no·mist [fìzzee ónnəmist, fìzzee
ógnəmist], noun[1]



physiography

physiography
phys·i·og·ra·phy 
[fìzzee óggrəfee] noun

physical
geography:
physical geography (dated)
—phys·i·og·ra·pher,
noun

—phys·i·o·graph·ic
[fìzzee ə gráffik], adjective

—phys·i·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[fìzzee ə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



physiol.

physiol.
physiol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
physiological

2.  Abbreviation
of
physiology

[1]



physiological

physiological
phys·i·o·log·i·cal 
[fìzzee ə lójjik’l] or phys·i·o·log·ic
[fìzzee ə lójjik’l] adjective

1.  of
organism’s function: relating to the way that
living things function, rather than to their shape or structure

2.  of
physiology:
relating to physiology
—phys·i·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



physiologicalpsychology

physiologicalpsychology
phys·i·o·log·i·cal
psy·chol·o·gy noun

branch of psychology:
a branch of psychology that studies the interactions between physical or
chemical processes in the body and mental states or behavior.
Also called
psychophysiology[1]



physiologicalsaline

physiologicalsaline
phys·i·o·log·i·cal
sa·line
noun

salt solution:
an aqueous salt solution used to keep cells alive and to administer medication
intravenously. The solution is prepared so that it exerts the same osmotic
pressure as that of fluids inside the cells.[1]



physiology

physiology
phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[fìzzee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of the functioning of living things: the
branch of biology that deals with the internal workings of living things,
including such functions as metabolism, respiration, and reproduction, rather
than with their shape or structure

2.  body’s
internal processes: the way a particular body or
organism works
[Mid-16th
century. Via French physiologie or Latin physiologia from Greek phusiologia,
from phusis “nature” (see physics ) +
-logia “-logy.”]
—phys·i·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



physiopathology

physiopathology
phys·i·o·pa·thol·o·gy 
[fìzzee ōpə thólləjee] noun

study
of the effect of disease: the branch of medicine that
studies how disease disrupts normal body functions
—phys·i·o·path·o·log·ic
[fìzzee ō pathə lójjik], adjective

—phys·i·o·pa·thol·o·gist
[fìzzee ōpə thólləjist], noun[1]



physiotherapy

physiotherapy
phys·i·o·ther·a·py 
[fìzzee ō thérrəpee] noun

See
physical therapy
—phys·i·o·ther·a·peu·tic
[fìzzee ō therrə pyóotik], adjective

—phys·i·o·ther·a·peu·ti·cal·ly
[fìzzee ō therrə pyóotikəlee], adverb

—phys·i·o·ther·a·pist
[fìzzee ō thérrəpist], noun[1]



physique

physique
phy·sique 
[fi zk] (plural phy·siques) noun

body
shape:
the shape and size of somebody’s body
[Early 19th century. From
French, from physique “physical,” from, ultimately, Greek phusikos
(see physics ).][1]



physostigmine

physostigmine
phy·so·stig·mine 
[fssō stíg mn] or phy·so·stig·min
[fssō stígmin] noun

drug
derived from Calabar bean: a drug derived from the
dried leaves of the poisonous Calabar bean and used to treat glaucoma and
counteract adverse effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous
system. C15H12N3O2 
Also
called
eserine
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from modern Latin Physostigma, genus name (from Greek phusa
“bladder” + stigma, from its distended form)
+ -ine .][1]



phyt-

phyt-
phyt-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
phyto-[1]



-phyte

-phyte
-phyte
suffix

1.  plant
• saprophyte

2.  pathological
growth • osteophyte
[From Greek phuton
(see phyto- )][1]



phyto-

phyto-
phyto-
prefix

plant
• phytohormone
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek phuton, from phuein “to make grow.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to be” that is also the ancestor of English
be, build,
physical, and future .][1]



phytoalexin

phytoalexin
phy·to·a·lex·in 
[ftō ə léksin] (plural phy·to·a·lex·ins)
noun

defensive chemical produced
by a plant: a chemical produced by a
plant to protect it from infection by a pathogen or exposure to some agents of
stress[1]



phytochemistry

phytochemistry
phy·to·chem·is·try 
[ftə kémmistree] noun

chemistry
of plants:
the chemistry of plants and their metabolic processes
—phy·to·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—phy·to·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—phy·to·chem·ist, noun[1]



phytochrome

phytochrome
phy·to·chrome 
[ftə krm] noun

pigment
in green plants: the pigment in green plants that absorbs
light and controls dormancy, flowering, and the germination of seeds
[Late 19th century. Coined
from phyto- + Greek khrōma “color.”][1]



phytogenesis

phytogenesis
phy·to·gen·e·sis 
[ftə jénnəssiss] or phy·tog·e·ny
[fī tójjənee] noun

development
of plants:
the development over time of plants
—phy·to·ge·net·ic
[ftəjə néttik], adjective

—phy·to·ge·net·i·cal·ly
[ftəjə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



phytogenic

phytogenic
phy·to·gen·ic 
[ftə jénnik] or phy·tog·e·nous
[fī tójjənəss] adjective

derived from plants:
used to describe substances, such as coal, that are formed from plants[1]



phytogeny

phytogeny
phy·tog·e·ny 
noun

See
phytogenesis[1]



phytogeography

phytogeography
phy·to·ge·og·ra·phy 
[ftəjee óggrəfee] noun

geographical
distribution of plants: the study of the
geographical distribution of plants.
Also
called
geobotany
—phy·to·ge·og·ra·pher,
noun

—phy·to·ge·o·graph·ic
[ftəjee ə gráffik], adjective

—phy·to·ge·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[ftəjee ə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



phytography

phytography
phy·tog·ra·phy 
[fī tóggrəfee] noun

descriptive
botany:
the branch of botany concerned with the accurate description of plants
—phy·to·graph·ic [ftə gráffik], adjective[1]



phytohormone

phytohormone
phy·to·hor·mone 
[ftə háwr mn] (plural phy·to·hor·mones)
noun

See
plant hormone[1]



phytol

phytol
phy·tol 
[f tàwl] noun

alcohol found in plants:
a liquid alcohol found in plants and used to synthesize vitamins E and K. C20H40O[1]



phytology

phytology
phy·tol·o·gy 
[fī tólləjee] noun

botany:
botany (archaic)[1]



phyton

phyton
phy·ton 
[f tòn] (plural phy·tons) noun

smallest
plant cutting: the smallest part of a plant, usually a
leaf and its stem, that can grow when it has been cut from the parent plant
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from Greek phuton (see -phyte
) + -on “-on.”][1]



phytopathogen

phytopathogen
phy·to·path·o·gen 
[ftō páthəjən] (plural phy·to·path·o·gens)
noun

cause of plant disease:
something that causes disease in plants[1]



phytopathology

phytopathology
phy·to·pa·thol·o·gy 
[ftōpə thólləjee] noun

science
of plant diseases: the branch of botany that
studies plant diseases
—phy·to·path·o·log·i·cal
[ftō pathə lójjik’l], adjective

—phy·to·path·o·log·i·cal·ly
[ftō pathə lójjikəlee], adverb

—phy·to·pa·thol·o·gist
[ftōpə thólləjist], noun[1]



phytophagous

phytophagous
phy·toph·a·gous 
[fī tóffəgəss] adjective

feeding
on plants:
used to describe animals, especially insects, that feed on plants
—phy·to·pha·gy [fī tóffəjee], noun[1]



phytoplankton

phytoplankton
phy·to·plank·ton 
[ftō plánktən] noun

tiny
plant found in plankton: very small free-floating
aquatic plants such as one-celled algae, found in plankton.
See
also
zooplankton
—phy·to·plank·ton·ic [ftō plank tónnik], adjective[1]



phytoremediation

phytoremediation
phy·to·re·me·di·a·tion 
[ftō ri méedee áysh’n] noun

decontamination of soil using
plants: the process of
decontaminating soil by using plants to absorb heavy metals or other pollutants[1]



phytotoxic

phytotoxic
phy·to·tox·ic 
[ftō tóksik] adjective

poisoning
plants:
poisonous to plants
[Mid-20th
century]
—phy·to·tox·ic·i·ty [ftō tok síssətee], noun[1]



phytotoxin

phytotoxin
phy·to·tox·in 
[ftō tóksin] (plural phy·to·tox·ins)
noun

1.  poison
made by plants: a poisonous substance obtained from
plants such as the drug digitalis

2.  something
poisonous to plants: something that is poisonous
to plants

[1]



phytotron

phytotron
phy·to·tron 
[ftə tròn] (plural phy·to·trons)
noun

place to grow plants:
a place in which plants can be grown under controlled conditions, for example,
in a greenhouse[1]



PI

PI
PI

1.  Abbreviation
of
personal injury

2.  Abbreviation
of
politically incorrect

3.  Abbreviation
of
private investigator

[1]



pi

pi1
pi1  [pī]
(plural pis) noun

1.  16th
letter of the Greek alphabet: the 16th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “p”

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
constant:
a number approximately equal to 3.14159 that is the ratio of the circumference
of a circle divided by its diameter and is represented by the symbol π
[Early 19th century. From
Greek . In the sense “number,” representing the first letter of Greek periphereia
“circumference,” or of its English equivalent periphery .][1]



pi

pi2
pi2  [pī]
or pie [pī] noun

1.  PRINTING jumble
of printer’s type: a pile of printer’s type
that has been mixed up together

2.  disordered
mixture:
a disorganized combination of things
verb
(past pied, past participle pied, present
participle pi·ing, 3rd person present singular pies) (past
pied, past participle pied, present participle pie·ing,
3rd person present singular pies)

1.  transitive
verb
PRINTING jumble
type:
to mix printer’s type up together

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become jumbled: to mix things up in a
confusing way or to become mixed up or confused
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a translation of French pâté “pie, patty,” with
reference to the jumbled contents of a pie.][1]



pia

pia
pi·a 
(plural pi·as) noun

ANATOMY See pia mater
—pi·al, adjective[1]



PIA

PIA
PIA

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of peripheral interface adaptor[1]



Piacenza

Piacenza
Pia·cen·za 
[pyaa chént saa]

capital city of Piacenza
Province, Emilia-Romagna Region, northern Italy. Population: 102,161 (1992)[1]



piacular

piacular
pi·ac·u·lar 
[pī ákyələr] adjective RELIGION

1.  atoning
for sin:
done or offered in order to make up for a sin or sacrilegious action

2.  sinful:
wicked or sinful and requiring the offender or sinner to atone
[Early 17th century. From
Latin piacularis, from piaculum “atonement,” from piare
“to appease.”][1]



piaffe

piaffe
piaffe 
[pee áf] noun

(plural
piaffes) trotting in place:
a dressage movement performed by a horse in which it trots in one place and
raises its legs very high
intransitive
verb
(past piaffed, past participle piaffed, present
participle piaf·fing, 3rd person present singular piaffes)

perform
a piaffe:
to perform a piaffe
[Mid-18th century. From
French, formed from piaffer “to strut.”][1]



Piaf,Édith

Piaf,Édith

Pi·af
[p af], Édith (1915–1963)
French
singer. Her expressive performance of songs such as “Je ne regrette rien” and
“La Vie en rose” led to international fame.
Real name
Gassion, Edith Giovanna[1]



Piaget,Jean

Piaget,Jean
Pia·get
[pee ázh ay], Jean (1896–1980)

Swiss psychologist. His
pioneering study of the intellectual development in children has had a major
impact in psychology and education.[1]



piamater

piamater
pi·a
ma·ter 
[p ə máytər] noun

membrane
around brain and spine: the innermost and most
delicate of the three membranes ( meninges )
that surround the brain and the spinal cord.
Also
called
pia
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “tender mother,” translated from Arabic al-’umm ar-rakika .][1]



pianism

pianism
pi·an·ism 
[p ə nìzzəm] noun

skill
of pianist:
piano-playing skill or technique
—pi·a·nis·tic [pee ə nístik], adjective[1]



pianissimo

pianissimo
pi·a·nis·si·mo 
[pee ə níssi m] adverb

very
softly:
very softly and quietly (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural pi·a·nis·si·mos or pi·a·nis·si·mi [pee ə níssimee])

softly
played musical part: a part of a musical
composition that is played very softly
[Early
18th century. From Italian, “very quiet,” from piano (see piano 2 ).]
—pi·a·nis·si·mo, adjective[1]



pianist

pianist
pi·an·ist 
[p ənist, pee
ánnist] (plural pi·an·ists) noun

piano player:
somebody who plays the piano[1]



piano

piano2
pi·a·no2  [pee
ánnō] adverb

softly:
softly and quietly (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural pi·a·nos or pi·a·ni [pee ánnee])

softly
played musical part: a part of a musical
composition that is played softly
[Late
17th century. Via Italian from Latin planus “soft, flat.”]
—pi·a·no, adjective[1]



piano

piano1


pi·an·o1  [pee
ánnō] noun (plural pi·an·os)

musical instrument with keyboard:
a large musical instrument consisting of a wooden case with wires stretched
inside it and a row of white and black keys. It is played by pressing the keys,
each of which is attached to a small hammer that strikes one of the strings and
makes a sound.
See
also
grand piano
See
also
upright piano
adjective

1.  of
or for piano: relating to or played on a piano • a
piano sonata

2.  of
or for ensemble containing pianist: used
to describe a small musical ensemble that contains a pianist, and usually a
violinist and cellist, or a piece of music written for such an ensemble • a
piano trio
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, shortening of pianoforte .][1]



pianoaccordion

pianoaccordion
pi·an·o
ac·cor·di·on (plural pi·an·o ac·cor·di·ons)
noun

accordion
with keyboard: an accordion with a keyboard on one side
to play the notes of the melody on
—pi·an·o ac·cor·di·on·ist,
noun[1]



pianobar

pianobar
pi·an·o
bar
(plural pi·an·o bars) noun

bar with live piano music:
a bar, or a lounge in a hotel, where a pianist plays to entertain customers or
provide background music[1]



pianoforte

pianoforte
pi·an·o·for·te 
[pee ànnō fáwr tày] (plural pi·an·o·for·tes)
noun

piano:
a piano (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, from gravecembalo col piano e forte “harpsichord with soft and
loud,” referring to the instrument’s variation in tone compared with a standard
harpsichord.][1]



pianohinge

pianohinge

pi·an·o hinge
(plural pi·an·o hing·es) noun
long hinge:
a long narrow hinge that has a pin running the length of its joint[1]



Pianola

Pianola
Pi·an·o·la
[p ə nṓlə] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
player piano[1]



pianonobile

pianonobile
pi·an·o
no·bile
[pynō nṓbi lày] (plural pi·an·o
no·biles) noun

second
floor:
the second floor of a large residence or public building (formal)
[From Italian, literally
“noble floor,” because it is high above the ground and provides a view][1]



pianoplayer

pianoplayer
pi·an·o
play·er
(plural pi·an·o play·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who plays piano: somebody who plays the piano, especially
somebody who plays popular or jazz music

2.  mechanical
device:
a mechanical device that plays a piano automatically

[1]



pianoroll

pianoroll
pi·an·o
roll
(plural pi·an·o rolls) noun

paper controlling music for
piano: a roll of paper with
patterns of perforations whose positions determine the sequence of notes played
on a player piano[1]



pianostool

pianostool
pi·an·o
stool
(plural pi·an·o stools) noun

pianist’s stool:
an adjustable stool for a pianist to sit on[1]



piassava

piassava
pi·as·sa·va 
[pee ə svə] (plural pi·as·sa·vas)
or pi·as·sa·ba [pee ə sbə, pee ə svə] (plural pi·assabas) noun

1.  TREES fiber-producing
palm tree:
a Brazilian palm tree that produces a coarse fiber. Latin name: Attalea
funifera Leopoldinia piassaba

2.  INDUSTRY coarse
fiber:
the coarse fiber obtained from the piassava tree, used to make rope, brooms,
and brushes
[Mid-19th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi piaçába .][1]



piastre

piastre
pi·as·tre
[pee ástər] (plural pi·as·tres)
or pi·as·ter [pee ástər] (plural
pi·as·ters) noun

1.  subunit
of Middle Eastern currency: a subunit of currency in
Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria, 100 of which are worth one pound

2.  coin
worth one piastre: a coin worth one piastre
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian piastra (d’argento) “(silver) plate,” from Latin emplastrum
(see plaster ).][1]



Piave

Piave
Pi·ave
[py ve]

river in northeastern Italy.
Length: 220 km/137 mi.[1]



piazza

piazza
pi·az·za 
[pee tsə] (plural pi·az·zas) noun

1.  (plural
pi·az·ze) Italian public square:
a large open square, especially one in an Italian town

2.  open-sided
passageway:
a covered passageway that has arches on one or both sides and is usually
attached to a building, for example, along the inner walls of a courtyard or
quadrangle

3.  porch:
a veranda or porch, especially one attached to a house (dated) (regional)
[Late
16th century. Via Italian from Latin platea “open space” (see place ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Used
  of a porch, piazza is an old-fashioned
  term with currency in the Northeastern and Southeastern states, but not in
  the Midland territory. In the Carolinas, the incidence of this term with earthworm
  and press peach defines the northern limits of Southern speech.

[1]



pibroch

pibroch
pi·broch 
[p bròk] noun

mournful
bagpipe music: a piece of music written for the
Scottish Highland bagpipes, consisting of a theme and variations, often with a
mournful tone
[Early 18th century. From
Gaelic piobaireachd “the art of piping,” from, ultimately, English pipe
.][1]



pic

pic
pic 
[pik] (plural pics or pix
[piks]) noun

picture:
a picture, especially a photograph, illustration, or movie (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of picture .][1]



pica

pica1
pi·ca1  [pkə]
noun

1.  measure
of type size: a unit of measurement for printing type,
equal to 12 points or 0.422 cm0.166 in.
Also
called
pica em
Also
called
em

2.  typographic
measure:
a linear measure used in typography, equal to about 0.422 cm0.166 in
[15th century. From
Anglo-Latin, “church almanac”; from the resemblance to the handwriting in such
books.][1]



pica

pica2
pi·ca2  [pkə]
noun

craving
to eat nonfood things: indiscriminate craving for
and eating of substances such as paint chips, clay, plaster, or dirt. It is
found mostly among children and pregnant women and may result from mineral
deficiencies.
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “magpie,” as a literal translation of Greek kissa, kitta “magpie,
false appetite”; from the magpie’s indiscriminate feeding habits.][1]



picador

picador
pic·a·dor 
[píkə dàwr] (plural pic·a·dors)
noun

bullfighter
on horseback: a bullfighter on horseback, who attacks
the bull with a spear early in the fight, making it easier for the main
bullfighter ( matador ) to kill with his
sword
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish, formed from picar “to prick, pierce.”][1]



picaem

picaem
pi·ca
em
noun

See
pica 1 noun
1[1]



picante

picante
pi·can·te 
[pi kn tày] adjective

spicy:
spicy, especially in being served with a sauce that contains tomatoes, onions,
peppers, vinegar, and spices
[From Italian piccante,
from the present participle of piccare “to sting”][1]



picara

picara
pi·ca·ra 
[píkərə] (plural pi·ca·ras) noun
(archaic literary)

1.  dishonest
woman:
a woman who is a cheat or swindler

2.  woman
pirate:
a woman pirate
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, feminine form of picaro (see picaro
).][1]



Picardythird

Picardythird
Pic·ar·dy
third
[píkərdee thùrd] (plural Pic·ar·dy
third) noun

major
final chord: a major third that appears in the final
chord of some Baroque works that are predominantly in a minor key
[Translation of tierce de
Picardy ; from its use in the church music of Picardy, France][1]



picaresque

picaresque
pic·a·resque 
[pìkə résk] adjective

1.  typical
of rogues:
relating to or typical of rogues or scoundrels

2.  LITERATURE having
rogue as hero: belonging to or characteristic of a type
of prose fiction that features the adventures of a roguish hero and usually has
a simple plot divided into separate episodes
noun

LITERATURE picaresque
fiction:
a type of prose fiction featuring the adventures of a roguish hero
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Spanish picaresco, from picaro “rogue,” from,
ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin piccare “to prick, pierce,” possible
source of English pick .][1]



picaro

picaro
pi·ca·ro 
[píkərō] (plural pi·ca·ros) noun
(archaic literary)

1.  rogue:
a cheat, swindler, or rogue

2.  pirate:
a pirate or adventurer
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish (see picaresque ).][1]



picaroon

picaroon
pic·a·roon 
[pìkə rn] noun (plural pic·a·roons)
(archaic literary)

1.  rogue:
a rogue

2.  pirate:
a pirate

3.  pirate
ship:
a pirate ship
intransitive
verb
(past pic·a·rooned, past participle pic·a·rooned, present
participle pic·a·roon·ing, 3rd person present singular pic·a·roons)

live adventurous life:
to live the adventurous life of a pirate, thief, swindler, or scoundrel (archaic
literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish picaron, literally “great rogue,” from picaro (see picaresque ).][1]



Picasso,Pablo

Picasso,Pablo

Pi·cas·so
[pi kssō, pi
kssō], Pablo (1881–1973)
Spanish painter and sculptor. An
exceptionally versatile and prolific artist, he was the leading figure in the
development of modern abstract art. Among his major works are the cubist
masterpiece Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1906–1907) and Guernica
(1937), which expresses his horror of war.[1]



picayune

picayune
pic·a·yune 
[pìkə yn] adjective (informal)

1.  trifling:
of very little importance

2.  small-minded:
tending to fuss about unimportant things and to be childishly spiteful
noun
(plural pic·a·yunes)

1.  trifling
thing:
something unimportant or of little value (informal)

2.  MONEY Spanish-American
coin:
a small silver coin formerly used in Spanish America, worth half of a real

3.  MONEY small
coin:
a low-value coin, especially a five-cent piece (archaic informal)
[Early 19th century. Via
French picaillon, a Piedmontese coin, from Provençal picaioun, of
unknown origin.][1]



piccalilli

piccalilli
pic·ca·lil·li 
[pìkə líllee] noun

pickle
relish:
pickle relish consisting of chopped mixed vegetables with mustard, vinegar, and
spices
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from pickle + chilli .][1]



piccaninny

piccaninny
pic·ca·nin·ny
(plural pic·ca·nin·nies) noun

U.K. =
pickaninny[1]



piccata

piccata
pic·ca·ta 
[pi ktə] adjective

in
a spicy lemon sauce: used to describe meats
sautéed in slices and served in a spicy lemon and butter sauce • veal
piccata
[Via Italian from French piqué,
past participle of piquer “to attach ingredients, to lard,” literally
“to prick”][1]



piccolo

piccolo


pic·co·lo
[píkə l] (plural pic·co·los) noun
small
flute:
a musical instrument that is the smallest member of the flute family, with a
range one octave higher than the standard flute
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, “small.”][1]



pice

pice
pice 
[pīss] (plural pice) noun

MONEY old
subunit of Indian currency: a subunit of currency
formerly used in the Indian subcontinent, 4 of which were worth an anna
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi paisā “paisa” (see paisa ).][1]



piceous

piceous
pi·ce·ous 
[píssee əss] adjective

like
pitch:
thick and sticky or brownish-black in color, like pitch (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin piceus “pitchy,” from the stem pic- “pitch” (source of
English pitch ).][1]



pichiciego

pichiciego
pich·i·ci·e·go 
[pìchissee áygō] (plural pich·i·ci·e·go
or pich·i·ci·e·gos) or pich·i·ci·a·go [pìchissee gō] (plural pich·i·ci·a·go
or pich·i·ci·a·gos) noun

1.  small
armadillo:
a very small silky-haired armadillo with pink armor found in Argentina. Latin
name: Chlamyphorus truncatus

2.  large
armadillo:
a large armadillo found in South America that has yellowish-brown armor and
coarse whitish hair. Latin name: Burmeisteria retusa
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish pichiego, probably from Guarani pichey, name of a type of
armadillo, literally “small” + Spanish ciego “sightless,” from Latin caecus
.][1]



pick

pick1
pick1 [pik]
verb (past picked, past participle picked, present
participle pick·ing, 3rd person present singular picks)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
something from plant: to remove something,
especially in quantity and by hand, from a plant on which it has grown • picking
strawberries

2.  transitive
verb
strip
something of fruit or flowers: to strip a plant or
all the plants in a particular place of fruit or flowers • The
bushes nearest the path had already been picked.

3.  transitive
verb
choose:
to take or decide to take one or more things or people from a larger number • Pick
three people for your team.

4.  transitive
verb
remove
something in small pieces: to remove something part by
part from the surface or middle of something using a sharp or pointed object
such as a fingernail or a beak

5.  transitive
verb
scrape
body part with fingernail: to use a fingernail to
loosen and remove something, or to loosen and remove something attached to the
surface of a part of the body • pick a
scab

6.  transitive
verb
open
something without proper key: to use a special device or
pointed instrument to open a lock, usually illegally • pick
a lock

7.  transitive
verb
undo:
to loosen, unfasten, or separate something into disconnected parts, especially
something that was sewn together • pick a
seam apart

8.  intransitive
verb
find
fault:
to be petty or fault-finding

9.  transitive
verb
start
fight or argument: to begin a fight or argument
with somebody, usually deliberately

10. transitive
verb
MUSIC pluck
or play by plucking: to pluck the strings of a
stringed instrument or to play a tune on such an instrument in this way
noun

1.  choice:
the act or right of choosing somebody or something • I
was first so I got to take my pick.

2.  best:
the very best of a wide selection of people or things • the
pick of the bunch

3.  crop
portion:
the amount of a crop gathered by hand at one time
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English pīcian “to
prick” and Old Icelandic pikka “to prick, peck”; later reinforced by
French piquer “to prick, pick.”]
—pick·a·ble,
adjective
pick
and choose

to
take a lot of time or trouble when selecting something

pick
holes in

transitive
verb
to look for and find mistakes or problems in something, especially somebody’s
argument

pick
somebody’s pocket

to
steal something from somebody’s pocket without the person feeling or noticing

pick
your way

to step very carefully
through a dirty, untidy, or dangerous area of ground[1]



pick

pick2
pick2 [pik]
noun (plural picks)

1.  tool
for breaking up hard surfaces: a tool used for
breaking up hard surfaces, consisting of a long handle and a curved metal head
that is pointed at one or both ends

2.  small
tool for breaking into pieces: a small tool used to
break up something into smaller pieces (often used in combination)

3.  sharp
tool for picking: a sharp tool for cleaning something such
as the teeth or for getting into small places, such as a lock (often used in
combination)

4.  comb
for curly hair: a comb having a handle and long teeth,
used to comb curly hair

5.  MUSIC device
for plucking guitar strings: a device used to pluck the
strings of a stringed instrument such as a guitar.
Also
called
plectrum
U.K.
term
plectrum
intransitive
verb
(past picked, past participle picked, present
participle pick·ing, 3rd person present singular picks)

work with pick:
to use a pick or do work with a pick
[14th century. Variant of pike .][1]



pickaninny

pickaninny
pick·a·nin·ny 
[píkə nìnnee] (plural pick·a·nin·nies)
or pic·a·nin·ny [píkə nìnnee]
(plural pic·a·nin·nies) noun

offensive
term:
highly offensive term for a small black child (offensive)
[Mid-17th century. Via
Caribbean creole from, probably, Portuguese pequenino “very small,
tiny,” from pequeno “small.”][1]



pickat

pickat
pick
at
transitive verb

1.  eat
little food: to eat very little of a meal • He
only picked at his breakfast.

2.  scrape
something with fingernails: to scrape away surface
pieces of something with the fingernails

3.  nag
somebody:
to nag or criticize somebody in a petty way (informal)

[1]



pickax

pickax
pick·ax
[pík àks] (plural pick·ax·es) noun

tool
for breaking something up: a tool consisting of a long
handle and a metal head that usually has one pointed end and one flattened end,
used for breaking up something hard or cutting something
[13th century. Middle English
pikois from Old French picois (ultimately from Latin picus
“woodpecker”), altered in the 15th century by association with ax .][1]



picker

picker
pick·er
[píkər] (plural pick·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that picks something: a person or a machine
that picks something, especially fruit or other crops (often used in
combination)

2.  MUSIC player
of stringed instrument: somebody who plays a
stringed instrument such as a banjo or guitar, usually performing country,
folk, or bluegrass music (informal)

[1]



pickerel

pickerel
pick·er·el 
[píkərəl] (plural pick·er·el or
pick·er·els) noun

N
American fish of pike family: a North American river fish
of the pike family that is a fierce predator and is popular with anglers. Latin
name: Esox niger
[14th century. Literally
“small pike”; partly modeled on Anglo-Latin picerellus .][1]



pickerelweed

pickerelweed
pick·er·el·weed 
[píkərəl wd] (plural pick·er·el·weeds)
noun

plant growing in shallow
water: a North American plant with
heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers that grows in shallow water in rivers
and lakes. Latin name: Pontederia cordata[1]



Pickering,Edward Charles

Pickering,Edward Charles
Pick·er·ing 
[píkəring], Edward Charles (1846–1919)

U.S. astronomer and
physicist. He devised the meridian photometer with which he made more than
1,400,000 measurements of the magnitudes of stars.[1]



picket

picket
pick·et 
[píkit] noun (plural pick·ets)

1.  pointed
post stuck in the ground: a post or plank with a
pointed end that is hammered into the ground, for example, as a marker, as a
support for a fence, or to tether an animal

2.  MILITARY soldier
or soldiers on guard: a soldier or small body of
troops used to occupy ground of tactical importance

3.  protester
or protesters outside building: a person or group of
people demonstrating or protesting outside a building, for example, a striking
worker who tries to persuade other people not to enter during a strike
verb
(past pick·et·ed, past participle pick·et·ed, present
participle pick·et·ing, 3rd person present singular pick·ets)

1.  transitive
verb
enclose
or mark something with stakes: to enclose or mark
something with wooden stakes driven into the ground, or enclose it with a
picket fence

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY post
guards:
to post troops as guards

3.  transitive
verb
MILITARY guard:
to patrol or guard a place, especially a military site or position

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb hold
protest outside place: to hold a demonstration or
protest outside a place, for example, as part of a strike in order to persuade
others not to enter a place of business

5.  transitive
verb
tether
animal:
to tether a horse or other animal
[Late
17th century. From French piquet “pointed stake,” from piquer “to
prick, pierce” (see pick 1 ). The meaning “guard” comes
from the practice of soldiers tethering their horses to stakes.]
—pick·et·er, noun[1]



picketfence

picketfence
pick·et
fence
(plural pick·et fenc·es) noun

simple fence of pointed
stakes: a fence made of pointed
stakes or posts driven into the ground and connected by one or more horizontal
bars[1]



picketline

picketline
pick·et
line
(plural pick·et lines) noun

line of people picketing:
a line of people who are protesting outside a building, for example, striking
workers outside their workplace, who attempt to persuade other people not to
enter[1]



Pickett,George Edward

Pickett,George Edward
Pick·ett
[píkit], George Edward (1825–1875)

U.S. general. He led his
Confederate troops in an unsuccessful charge at the Battle of Gettysburg
(1863).[1]



Pickford,Mary

Pickford,Mary

Pick·ford
[píkfərd], Mary (1893–1979)
Canadian-born
U.S. actor and producer. She starred in movies such as Poor Little Rich Girl
( 1917 ), and cofounded United Artists Studio (1919).
Real name
Smith, Gladys Marie Known as America’s Sweetheart[1]



pickings

pickings
pick·ings
[píkingz] plural noun

things available:
things available to be earned or taken in a particular place • easy
pickings[1]



pickle

pickle
pick·le 
[pík’l] noun (plural pick·les)

1.  U.K.
FOOD See relish

2.  preserved
vegetable:
a small cucumber or other vegetable that has acquired a sharp taste by being
preserved in vinegar or brine • okra
pickles

3.  FOOD liquid
for preserving food: liquid, usually brine or a
vinegar solution, used to preserve cold foods such as vegetables or fish

4.  INDUSTRY cleaning
or processing solution: an industrial or commercial
solution used to clean or process something

5.  awkward
situation:
a difficult or problematic situation (informal)
transitive
verb
(past pick·led, past participle pick·led, present
participle pick·ling, 3rd person present singular pick·les)

1.  FOOD preserve
food:
to preserve food, especially vegetables or fish, in vinegar, brine, or another
solution

2.  dip
or soak something in liquid: to clean or process
something by dipping or soaking it in a liquid
[14th
century. From Middle Low German pekel, of unknown origin.]
—pick·ler, noun[1]



pickled

pickled
pick·led 
[pík’ld] adjective

1.  preserved:
preserved in vinegar, brine, or another liquid

2.  inebriated:
inebriated (informal)

[1]



pickleworm

pickleworm
pick·le·worm 
[pík’l wùrm] (plural pick·le·worms)
noun

cucumber-eating moth larva:
the larva of a moth found in the southeastern United States that feeds on
cucumbers, pumpkins, and other gourds. Latin name: Diaphania nitidalis[1]



picklock

picklock
pick·lock 
[pík lòk] (plural pick·locks) noun

1.  lock-opening
tool:
a tool used to open locks without using the key

2.  somebody
who opens locks unlawfully: somebody who opens locks
without using a key, especially a burglar

[1]



pick-me-up

pick-me-up
pick-me-up 
(plural pick-me-ups) noun

something energy-giving:
something that lifts the spirits and energizes somebody, especially a
stimulating drink (informal)[1]



pickoff

pickoff
pick·off 
[pík àwf, pík òf]
(plural pick·offs) noun

1.  SPORTS pass
interception: an interception of a pass, for example,
in football or basketball

2.  BASEBALL baseball
play:
a play in which a runner who is off base is thrown out

[1]



pickoff

pickoff
pick
off
transitive verb

1.  shoot
things one by one: to shoot a number of targets
one by one, usually from a distance

2.  FOOTBALL intercept
pass:
in football, to intercept a pass

3.  BASEBALL put
out base runner: in baseball, to put out a base runner
caught off base, often when trying to steal the next base

[1]



pickon

pickon
pick
on
transitive verb

1.  persistently
treat somebody unfairly: to blame, criticize, or
bully somebody repeatedly in a way that is considered unfair or unkind

2.  select
somebody or something: to choose somebody or
something from among others

[1]



pickout

pickout
pick
out
transitive verb

1.  choose
something:
to choose or select something from among others • She
picked out her favourite chocolate.

2.  identify
somebody from crowd or background: to recognize or
distinguish somebody or something from among others or against a background
that makes this difficult • I
couldn’t pick him out in the crowd.

3.  MUSIC play
something note by note: to play a tune slowly, note
by note

[1]



pickover

pickover
pick
over
transitive verb

look for the best:
to go through something, selecting the best items or discarding unwanted items[1]



pickpocket

pickpocket
pick·pock·et 
[pík pòkət] (plural pick·pock·ets)
noun

petty thief:
somebody who steals from people’s pockets and bags in public places, usually
secretly and unnoticed[1]



pickup

pickup
pick·up 
[pík ùp] noun (plural pick·ups)

1.  lifting
or collecting of something: the raising, gathering,
collection, or removal of something to be taken somewhere else

2.  SPORTS fielding
ball:
the act of fielding a ball after it touches the ground

3.  somebody
or something taken somewhere: somebody or something that
is moved from one place to another

4.  hitchhiker:
a hitchhiker (informal)

5.  See
pickup truck

6.  improvement
or increase: an improvement or increase (informal)

7.  See
pick-me-up

8.  prospective
sexual partner: somebody met casually with the aim of
developing a sexual relationship (informal)

9.  arrest:
the taking of somebody into custody by a police officer (informal)

10. power
to accelerate: the ability of a vehicle to accelerate
quickly (informal)

11. ACCOUNTING balance
forward:
a balance carried forward in an accounting ledger

12. PRESS earlier
writing:
in journalism, the portion of a story written earlier to which additional copy
is added later

13. MUSIC unstressed
note:
an unstressed note or series of notes introducing a musical phrase or
composition

14. RECORDING tone
arm:
the tone arm of a record player

15. RECORDING part
of tone arm: a device inside the tone arm of a record
player that converts the needle’s vibrations into electrical signals that are
converted into sound

16. MUSIC converter
of vibrations on musical instrument: an
electromagnetic device that converts the vibrations from the strings of an
electric guitar or other amplified instrument into electrical signals that are
amplified into sound

17. PHYSICS receiving
of light or sound waves: the receiving and gathering
of light or sound waves that are to be converted into electrical impulses

18. TECHNOLOGY receiver
for light or sound waves: a device used to receive
light or sound waves

19. part
that lifts something: a part of a machine or
system that lifts or selects something, for example, the rotating rake on a
combine harvester that lifts and gathers straw or hay
adjective

informal and impromptu:
informally organized on the spot and made up of or involving people available
at the time • a
pickup basketball game

[1]



pickup

pickup
pick
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
lift
something:
to take hold of and raise or remove something or somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb gather
dropped things: to collect things that have been dropped
or have fallen to the ground

3.  transitive
verb
clean
a place:
to clean something, usually by gathering up things that have been carelessly
left where they do not belong

4.  reflexive
verb
regain
upright or stronger position: to stand up after falling
down, or recover strength, courage, or sense of purpose after a setback • She
picked herself up.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
on passengers: to stop a vehicle and let a passenger or
passengers in • picked up a hitchhiker

6.  transitive
verb
claim
something:
to collect something such as items left for repair or merchandise ordered from
a store • pick
up a library book

7.  transitive
verb
pay
for something: to take on the responsibility for
providing payment for something such as a bill

8.  transitive
verb
buy
something on impulse: to buy something in a casual
or unplanned way

9.  transitive
verb
acquire
something cheaply or easily: to get or buy something
easily or cheaply

10. transitive
verb
acquire
something casually: to acquire something
casually, without meaning to and without knowing it • has
picked up some bad habits

11. transitive
verb
MED catch
a disease:
to become infected with a disease

12. transitive
verb
SPORTS gain
points:
in competitive sports, to gain something such as points or yards

13. transitive
verb
notice
something:
to notice something or become aware of it

14. transitive
verb
find
something:
to find and follow something, such as a scent or trail • pick
up the scent

15. transitive
verb
understand
something:
to understand something that is communicated indirectly

16. transitive
verb
learn
something:
to learn something in a casual or unsystematic way, for example, by frequently
hearing it, seeing it done, or trying to do it

17. intransitive
verb
become
better:
to improve after being ill, injured, bad, or unsuccessful (informal) • He
picked up quickly

18. intransitive
and transitive verb accelerate:
to increase in strength, speed, or intensity, or to cause something to increase
• Her
speed picked up.

19. intransitive
and transitive verb return
to something again: to continue something at a
later time, usually after an interruption or break, or to be continued in this
way • She
wanted to pick up her career.

20. transitive
verb
find
sexual partner: to make the acquaintance of a stranger,
often in a public place, usually for sexual purposes (informal) • picked
him up in a bar

21. transitive
verb
arrest:
to arrest somebody (informal) • He was
picked up on a burglary charge.

22. intransitive
verb
pack
belongings:
to pack up belongings and leave without telling anyone why (informal)

23. transitive
verb
receive
signal:
to receive something such as a radio or television signal or a radar image on a
piece of equipment

[1]



pickup on

pickup on
pick
up on
transitive verb

1.  learn
quickly:
to learn or understand something quickly

2.  notice
something:
to notice something, and perhaps mention or question it (informal)

[1]



pickuptruck

pickuptruck
pick·up
truck
(plural pick·up trucks) or pick·up (plural pick·ups)
noun

light open-backed truck:
a light truck with a low-sided open back and a tailgate that drops down for
easy loading and unloading[1]



pickup with

pickup with
pick
up with
transitive verb

get to know somebody:
to become acquainted and start associating with somebody (informal)[1]



Pickwickian

Pickwickian
Pick·wick·i·an
[pik wíkee ən] adjective

1.  generous
or naive:
generous, naive, or benevolent

2.  unusual:
not literal or typical in usage or meaning
[Mid-19th century. From the
character of Mr. Pickwick in Charles Dickens’ novel The Pickwick Papers
(1837).][1]



picky

picky
pick·y 
[píkee] (comparative pick·i·er,
superlative pick·i·est) adjective

hard
to please:
having specific and inflexible likes and dislikes and, therefore, hard to
please or satisfy
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from pick 1 .]
—pick·i·ly,
adverb

—pick·i·ness, noun[1]



picnic

picnic
pic·nic 
[pík nìk] noun (plural pic·nics)

1.  FOOD meal
taken and eaten outdoors: an informal meal prepared
for eating in the open air or the food that makes up such a meal

2.  easy
or pleasant thing: something easy to do or
pleasant to experience (informal) • It
was no picnic.

3.  cut
of pork:
a cut of pork consisting of the shoulder with most of the butt removed
intransitive
verb
(past pic·nicked, past participle pic·nicked, present
participle pic·nick·ing, 3rd person present singular pic·nics)

have a picnic:
to eat an informal meal outdoors
[Mid-18th
century. From French pique-nique, of unknown origin.]
—pic·nick·er, noun[1]



picnicarea

picnicarea
pic·nic
ar·e·a
noun

See
rest area[1]



pico-

pico-
pico-
prefix

1.  one
trillionth:
one trillionth (10 –12 )
• picofarad.
Symbol p

2.  very
small • picornavirus
[Via Spanish pico
“beak, small amount” from Latin beccus ; ultimately of Celtic origin][1]



picofarad

picofarad
pi·co·far·ad 
[pkə fèrrəd, pkə
fèrrəd] (plural pi·co·far·ads) noun

trillionth of farad:
one trillionth of a farad. Symbol pF[1]



picogram

picogram
pi·co·gram 
[pkə gràm, pkə
gràm] (plural pi·co·grams) noun

trillionth of gram:
one trillionth of a gram[1]



picoline

picoline
pic·o·line 
[píkə ln, píkəlin]
noun

liquid
chemical solvent: a liquid found in coal tar and bone oil,
used as a solvent and in organic synthesis. C6H7N
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from the Latin stem pic- “pitch” (source of English pitch ) + oleum
“oil” (source of English oil ) + -ine .]
—pic·o·lin·ic [pìkə línnik], adjective[1]



picomole

picomole
pi·co·mole 
[pkə ml, pkə
ml] (plural pi·co·moles) noun

trillionth of mole:
one trillionth of a mole[1]



picong

picong
pi·cong
[pkong] noun

Caribbean
teasing
banter:
light-hearted teasing talk
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish picón .][1]



picornavirus

picornavirus
pi·cor·na·vi·rus 
[pi káwrnə vrəss] (plural pi·cor·na·vi·rus·es)
noun

infectious
virus:
a small infectious virus, such as the virus that causes polio or the common
cold. Family: Picornaviridae
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pico- + RNA
+ virus .][1]



picosecond

picosecond
pi·co·sec·ond 
[pkə sèkənd, pkə
sèkənd] (plural pi·co·sec·onds) noun

trillionth of second:
a trillionth of a second[1]



picot

picot
pi·cot 
[pkō, pee kṓ]
noun (plural pi·cots)

decorative
loop:
a loop that forms a pattern with others, for example, in lace
transitive
verb
(past pi·cot·ed, past participle pi·cot·ed, present
participle pi·cot·ing, 3rd person present singular pi·cots)

decorate
with picots: to embroider small loops on fabric
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “small point,” formed from pic “peak, point,” from piquer
“to prick” (see pick 1 ).][1]



picotee

picotee
pic·o·tee 
[pìkə t] (plural pic·o·tees) noun

flower
with differently-colored edges: a flower, especially a
carnation or tulip, that has petals edged with a different, usually darker
color
[Early 18th century. From
French picotée, feminine past participle of picoter “to prick,”
from picot (see picot ).][1]



picowave

picowave
pi·co·wave 
[pkə wàyv, pkə
wàyv] (past pi·co·waved, past participle pi·co·waved,
present participle pi·co·wav·ing, 3rd person present singular
pi·co·waves) transitive verb

expose food to gamma rays:
to expose food to radiation in order to kill insects, worms, or bacteria[1]



picr-

picr-
picr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
picro-[1]



picrate

picrate
pic·rate 
[pík ràyt] (plural pic·rates) noun

salt
of picric acid: a salt or ester of picric acid
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pikros “bitter” + -ate .][1]



picricacid

picricacid
pic·ric
ac·id 
[pìkrik ássid] noun

strong
crystalline acid: a strong toxic yellow crystalline acid
used in dyes, antiseptics, and high explosives. C6H3N3O7
[From Greek pikros
“bitter” + -ic][1]



picrite

picrite
pi·crite 
[pík rt] noun

coarse-grained
igneous rock: a dark-colored igneous rock made up
primarily of coarse grains of olivine and other ferromagnesian minerals
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek pikros “bitter” + -ite .][1]



picro-

picro-
picro-
prefix

1.  bitter
• picrotoxin

2.  picric
acid • picrate
[From Greek pikros
“sharp, bitter.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut,
scratch” that is also the ancestor of English paint
and file .][1]



picrotoxin

picrotoxin
pic·ro·tox·in 
[pìkrə tóksin] noun

bitter crystalline stimulant:
a bitter crystalline compound derived from the seeds of an Indian vine and used
as an antidote to barbiturate poisoning. C30H34O13[1]



Pict

Pict
Pict 
[pikt] (plural Picts) noun

ancient
British tribe member: a member of any of the
ancient peoples that occupied lands north of the Forth and Clyde Rivers in
Scotland from the 1st to the 4th centuries AD.
The Picts prevented the Romans from spreading into central and northern
Scotland and later joined with the Scots to form the unified kingdom of
Scotland.
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin Picti (plural), of uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin pictus
“painted” (see picture ), from the Picts’
painted or tattooed skin.][1]



Pictish

Pictish
Pict·ish 
[píktish] adjective

of
Picts:
relating to the Picts, their culture, or their language
noun

language
formerly used in Scotland: an extinct language spoken
in an area that is now part of Scotland to the north of the Forth and Clyde
Rivers
[Late 16th century][1]



pictograph

pictograph
pic·to·graph 
[píktə gràf] (plural pic·to·graphs)
or pic·to·gram [píktə gràm] (plural
pic·to·grams) noun

1.  LANGUAGE picture
representing word: a graphic symbol or picture
representing a word or idea in some writing systems, as opposed to a symbol
such as a letter of the alphabet representing an individual sound

2.  chart
with pictures or symbols: a chart or diagram that uses
symbols or pictures to represent values
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin pictus (see picture
) + -graph .]
—pic·tog·ra·pher
[pik tóggrəfər], noun

—pic·to·graph·ic
[pìktə gráffik], adjective

—pic·to·graph·i·cal·ly
[pìktə gráffikəlee], adverb

—pic·tog·ra·phy [pik tóggrəfee], noun[1]



Picton

Picton
Pic·ton
[píktən]

town on the northeastern
coast of the South Island, New Zealand. It is a ferry port and tourist center.
Population: 3,061 (1996)[1]



Pictor

Pictor
Pic·tor 
[piktər] noun

inconspicuous southern
constellation: an inconspicuous
constellation of the southern hemisphere between Dorado and Columba[1]



pictorial

pictorial
pic·to·ri·al 
[pik táwree əl] adjective

1.  of
pictures:
relating to, composed of, or shown by pictures

2.  illustrated:
containing illustrations or photographs, as opposed to writing or text

3.  descriptive:
used to describe language that conjures up vivid images
noun
(plural pic·to·ri·als)

highly illustrated periodical:
a newspaper or magazine that has many pictures in it, especially one with far
more pictures than text
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin pictorius, from Latin pictor
“painter,” from pictus (see picture
.]
—pic·to·ri·al·i·ty
[pik tàwree állətee], noun

—pic·to·ri·al·ly
[pik táwree əlee], adverb

—pic·to·ri·al·ness, noun[1]



pictorialize

pictorialize
pic·to·ri·al·ize 
[pik táwree ə lz] (past pic·to·ri·al·ized,
past participle pic·to·ri·al·ized, present participle pic·to·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pic·to·ri·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

represent
or illustrate something with pictures: to
represent something in drawings, paintings, or photographs, or illustrate
something with them
—pic·to·ri·al·i·za·tion
[pik tàwree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



picture

picture
pic·ture 
[píkchər] noun (plural pic·tures)

1.  something
drawn or painted: a shape or set of shapes and lines
drawn, painted, or printed on paper, canvas, or some other flat surface,
especially shapes that represent a recognizable form or object

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY photo:
a photograph

3.  TV TV
image:
the image on a television screen

4.  CINEMA movie:
a motion picture

5.  mental
image:
a vivid image or impression in the mind of how somebody or something looks

6.  artistic
description or representation: a description or
representation of something in writing, in a film, in music, or some other art
form

7.  observed
situation:
a situation regarded as a scene being observed

8.  embodiment
or epitome:
a typical or perfect example of the way something looks, or somebody or
something that embodies a quality or state perfectly • They’re
the picture of the happily married couple.

9.  somebody
who closely resembles another: somebody who looks
very much like somebody else • The
daughter was the absolute picture of the grandmother.
plural
noun
pic·tures

CINEMA movies:
movies as entertainment, rather than an industry (informal dated)
transitive
verb
(past pic·tured, past participle pic·tured, present
participle pic·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular pic·tures)

1.  imagine
something:
to imagine or have an image of somebody or something in mind

2.  describe
something:
to describe somebody or something in a particular way

3.  feature
picture of somebody: to feature a picture,
especially a photograph, of somebody or something in a newspaper, magazine, or
book (often passive)
[15th
century. From Latin pictura, from pictus, the past participle of pingere
“to paint” (source also of English depict,
paint, and pigment ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde ( 1890 ). In
  Wilde’s update of the Faust legend, the decadent young gentleman Dorian Gray
  trades his soul for eternal youth and beauty, but is subsequently tormented
  by a portrait of himself that constantly changes to reflect the ravages of
  time and of his debauched lifestyle. It was made into a movie by Albert Lewin
  in 1945.

[1]



picturebook

picturebook
pic·ture
book
(plural pic·ture books) noun

book with many illustrations:
a highly illustrated book, especially one for children, written in a simple
style[1]



picturecard

picturecard
pic·ture
card
(plural pic·ture cards) noun

See
face card[1]



picturehat

picturehat
pic·ture
hat
(plural pic·ture hats) noun

woman’s broad-brimmed hat:
a woman’s elaborately decorated hat with a very broad brim, of the kind often
featured in informal portraits of women painted in the 18th century[1]



picturelibrary

picturelibrary
pic·ture
li·brar·y
noun

place supplying pictures for
publications: a place where
photographs and other images are stored, from which they may be borrowed for
use in books, magazines, and newspapers[1]



picturemolding

picturemolding
pic·ture
mold·ing
(plural pic·ture mold·ings) noun

molding on walls for hanging
pictures: a strip of wood or plaster,
usually a molding resembling a cornice, fixed high up around the walls of a
room, from which pictures can be hung.
U.K. term
picture rail[1]



picture-perfect

picture-perfect
pic·ture-per·fect
adjective

without disorder or dirt:
very clean, neat, ordered, and pleasing, as the subjects of paintings and
photographs often are[1]



picturepostcard

picturepostcard
pic·ture
post·card
(plural pic·ture post·cards) noun

postcard with picture:
a postcard with a picture, often a photograph of a landmark or landscape, on
one side (dated)[1]



picturepuzzle

picturepuzzle
pic·ture
puz·zle
(plural pic·ture puz·zles) noun

GAME
See jigsaw puzzle[1]



picturerail

picturerail
pic·ture
rail
(plural pic·ture rails) noun

U.K.
See picture molding[1]



picturesque

picturesque
pic·tur·esque 
[pìkchə résk] adjective

1.  very
attractive:
visually pleasing enough to be the subject of a painting or photograph

2.  vivid:
so accurate or detailed as to evoke a clear mental image of what has been
described

3.  distinctive:
having a pleasingly distinctive or unusual atmosphere • We
ate lunch in a picturesque fishing village.
noun

pleasing or distinctive things:
things that are unusually pleasing or distinctive, spoken of collectively
[Early
18th century. Anglicization (modeled on picture
) of French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco, from pittore
“painter,” from Latin pictor (see pictorial
).]
—pic·tur·esque·ly,
adverb

—pic·tur·esque·ness, noun[1]



picturetube

picturetube
pic·ture
tube
(plural pic·ture tubes) noun

See
tube  noun 7[1]



picturewindow

picturewindow
pic·ture
win·dow
(plural pic·ture win·dows) noun

large window:
a large window, usually with a single pane of glass, especially one that has a
pleasant view[1]



picturewriting

picturewriting
pic·ture
writ·ing
noun

1.  writing
with symbols for whole words: a writing system such as
that of Chinese that uses symbols or pictures to represent whole words or ideas
rather than individual sounds

2.  pictures
recounting or reporting something: the reporting of an
event or telling of a story using pictures instead of words, for example, in
ancient cave paintings

[1]



picul

picul
pic·ul 
[pík’l] (plural pic·uls) noun

Southeast
Asian unit of weight: any of various units of
weight used in Southeast Asia, especially the Chinese unit, which is equal to
60 kg/133 lb
[Late 16th century. From
Malay and Javanese pikul “load.”][1]



piculet

piculet
pic·u·let 
[píkyələt] (plural pic·u·let or
pic·u·lets) noun

very
small bird:
a very small tropical woodpecker. Genus: Picumnus
[Mid-19th century. Literally
“small small woodpecker,” formed from Latin picus “woodpecker.”][1]



PID

PID
PID
noun

1.  MED Abbreviation of pelvic inflammatory disease

2.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
personal identification device

[1]



piddle

piddle
pid·dle 
[pídd’l] verb (past pid·dled,
past participle pid·dled, present participle pid·dling,
3rd person present singular pid·dles)

1.  intransitive
verb
urinate:
to urinate (informal) (usually used by or to children)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
things haphazardly: to operate in a disorganized
way, doing one thing and then another without a distinct purpose or method
noun
(plural pid·dles)

urination: an
act of urinating (informal) (usually used by or to children)
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of piss
and puddle .]
—pid·dler, noun[1]



piddling

piddling
pid·dling 
[píddling] adjective

very
small or trivial: very small, insignificant, or trivial (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from piddle .]
—pid·dling·ly, adverb[1]



piddock

piddock
pid·dock 
[píddək] (plural pid·docks) noun

MARINE BIOLOGY mollusk
that bores into rock: a saltwater mollusk that has
a hinged shell, like the mussel or clam, but with serrated edges that it uses
to bore into rock and wood. Family: Pholadidae
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pidgin

pidgin
pidg·in 
[píjjin] (plural pidg·ins) noun

mixed
common second language: a simplified language made
up of elements of two or more languages, used as a communication tool between
speakers whose native languages are different.
Also
called
jargon
[Early
19th century. From Chinese, alteration of business
.]
—pidg·in·i·za·tion
[pìjjini záysh’n], noun

—pidg·in·ize [píjji nz], transitive verb[1]



pidginEnglish

pidginEnglish
pidg·in
Eng·lish
noun

pidgin with English elements:
a pidgin containing elements of English vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation,
especially one formerly used between Chinese people and Europeans, or one
currently spoken in West Africa and some Pacific islands[1]



pi-dog

pi-dog
pi-dog 
noun

See
pye-dog[1]



PIDS

PIDS
PIDS

Abbreviation of
primary immune deficiency syndrome[1]



pie

pie2
pie2 [pī]
(plural pies) noun

former
small coin of India: a very small coin formerly
used in India, worth one third of a pice
[Mid-19th century. Via Hindi paī
from Sanskrit pādikā, from pāda “quarter.”][1]



pie

pie1
pie1 [pī]
(plural pies) noun

1.  baked
food with pastry: a baked dish consisting of a filling
such as chopped meat or fruit enclosed in pastry and usually cooked in a
container

2.  divisible
whole:
something regarded as a resource to be shared or divided up • Our
competitors are always looking for a larger piece of the overseas pie.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from pie 4, since the assorted contents
of a pie resemble items collected by a magpie.]
pie
in the sky

something described very
attractively that is not likely to happen or materialize[1]



pie

pie3
pie3 noun

PRINTING
See pi 1 noun
2[1]



pie

pie4
pie4 [pī]
(plural pie or pies) noun

magpie:
a magpie (archaic)
[14th century. Via French
from Latin pica “magpie.”][1]



piebald

piebald
pie·bald
[p bàwld] noun (plural pie·bald
or pie·balds) adjective

See
pinto
[Late 16th century. From pie 4 (from the
resemblance to a magpie’s plumage) + bald .][1]



piece

piece
piece 
[peess] noun (plural piec·es)

1.  part
detached from larger whole: a part that has been broken,
torn, or cut from a larger whole

2.  portion
or serving:
a portion or serving from a larger block or whole

3.  individual
item or article: an item or article of a particular kind
or class • an
expensive piece of equipment

4.  interconnecting
part:
any one of a set of parts that fit together to form a whole or unit

5.  example
of something: an instance or example of something,
often something abstract such as luck

6.  declaration
of opinion:
a statement of opinion on a particular subject, event, or situation • At
least I said my piece.

7.  ARTS artistic
work:
a single artistic work, such as a musical composition, play, or painting

8.  PRESS published
article:
an article in a newspaper or magazine

9.  MONEY coin:
a coin of a specified value • a
fifty-cent piece

10. BOARD GAMES object
moved in board game: any of a set of objects that
players of board games move on the board

11. firearm:
a gun, especially a handgun (slang)

12. offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman (slang offensive)

13. offensive
term:
an offensive term for sexual intercourse (slang offensive)

14. estimate
of distance: an unspecified distance (informal)
• You
go down the road a piece and then you come to the bridge.
transitive
verb
(past pieced, past participle pieced, present
participle piec·ing, 3rd person present singular piec·es)

1.  work
something out: to put something together gradually,
part by part • We
finally managed to piece together the events of that night.

2.  mend:
to mend something by patching it
[12th century. From Old
French piece, probably of Gaulish origin.][1]



piece-dyed

piece-dyed
piece-dyed
adjective

dyed after weaving:
dyed after being woven[1]



piecegoods

piecegoods
piece
goods
plural noun

standard-sized fabrics:
fabrics made and sold in standard lengths.
Also called
yard goods[1]



piecemeal

piecemeal
piece·meal 
[pss ml] adverb

1.  gradually:
little by little

2.  in
parts:
in separate parts or fragments
adjective

done part by part:
done in a disorganized or fragmentary way • His
novel is a ragtag, piecemeal work.
[13th century. From piece + obsolete -meal “measure,” from Old
English ml “measure, meal” (see meal
).][1]



pieceof cake

pieceof cake
piece
of cake
noun

easy
thing:
something that is very easy to do (informal)
[From the easiness of eating
cake, a soft food][1]



pieceof eight

pieceof eight
piece
of eight
(plural piec·es of eight) noun

old Spanish coin:
an old Spanish gold coin worth eight reals[1]



pieceof work

pieceof work
piece
of work
noun

somebody or something
remarkable: somebody or something
remarkable or outstanding[1]



pieceout

pieceout
piece
out
transitive verb

make something coherent:
to bring all the fragments of something, such as a story, together gradually[1]



piecework

piecework
piecework 
[pss wùrk] noun

work paid by amount done:
work that is paid by the amount rather than by the time spent doing it[1]



piechart

piechart
piechart
[p chrt] noun

representation of group shown
as circle: a diagrammatic
representation of a group shown as a circle divided into sections by straight
lines from its center with areas proportional to the relative size of the
quantity represented.
Also called
circle graph[1]



piecing

piecing
piec·ing
[pssing] noun

making patchwork:
the sewing together of various pieces of cloth or leather to make a larger
decorative fabric[1]



pied-billedgrebe

pied-billedgrebe
pied-billed
grebe 
[pd bìld grb] noun

American freshwater grebe:
a small brown waterbird with a stout striped bill, found on fresh water in
North and South America. Latin name: Podilymbus podiceps[1]



piedmont

piedmont
pied·mont 
[pd mònt] noun (plural pied·monts)

area
at foot of mountains: a region at the base of a
mountain range
adjective

at
foot of mountains: lying or formed at the base
of a mountain range
[Mid-19th century. From Piedmont,
hilly region of the eastern United States, named for Piemonte, a region
of northwest Italy, literally in Italian “foot of the mountain.”][1]



PiedmontPlateau

PiedmontPlateau
Pied·mont
Pla·teau
[pd mont plat ṓ]

region of the eastern United
States between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Coastal Plain[1]



PiedPiper

PiedPiper
Pied
Pip·er
[pd ppər] noun

1.  legendary
player of enchanting music: a visiting piper in German
folklore whose entrancing music rid the town of Hamelin of its rats. He later
lured away its children after town officials refused to pay him for his
services.

2.  Pied
Pip·er
or pied pip·er somebody others follow:
somebody who attracts supporters and followers, especially by making
unrealistic promises





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Pied Piper of Hamelin, a poem by the English writer Robert Browning ( 1842 ).
  Based on a medieval legend, it tells the story of a piper who successfully
  rids a town of rats by luring the animals into a river with his music. When
  the citizens refuse to pay him for his services, he uses the same technique
  to abduct their children. The term pied piper, a charismatic leader
  who makes attractive but false promises, is taken from the title and main
  character of this poem.

[1]



piedwagtail

piedwagtail
pied
wag·tail
noun

1.  small
European bird: a small European bird with
black-and-white plumage and a long black tail. Latin name: Motacilla alba
yarrellii

2.  long-tailed
African bird: a long-tailed black-and-white bird found
throughout Africa. Latin name: Motacilla aguimp

[1]



pied-à-terre

pied-à-terre
pied-à-terre 
[pee àydə táir] (plural pieds-à-terre)
noun

secondary
residence:
a small apartment or house used as a second home for vacations or business
purposes
[From French, literally “foot
to earth”][1]



pie-eyed

pie-eyed
pie-eyed 
adjective

drunk:
very drunk (informal)
[Because vision is affected
by the alcohol][1]



pieplant

pieplant
pie
plant
[p plànt] or pie·plant [p plànt] noun

See
rhubarb  noun 1
[Because it is used in pies][1]



pier

pier
pier 
[peer] (plural piers) noun

1.  seaside
structure:
a platform built on stilts jutting out into a body of water, used as a boat
dock, a place from which to fish, or as an entertainment center

2.  vertical
structural support: a pillar, especially a
rectangular one supporting the end of an arch, lintel, or vault

3.  bridge
support:
a vertical structural support between two spans of a bridge

4.  wall
between adjacent doors: an area of wall between two
adjacent doors, windows, or other openings

5.  column
projecting from wall: a column of masonry
projecting from a wall

6.  wall
reinforcement: a vertical structure, usually of
masonry, built against a wall to support it

7.  breakwater:
a barrier built out to sea to protect a harbor from heavy waves
[12th
century. From Anglo-Latin pera .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Road to Wigan Pier, a book by the British writer George Orwell ( 1937 ). It
  combines a first-hand account of the appalling living conditions endured by
  workers in northern England with a penetrating analysis of class interests
  and prejudices. Its graphic and moving descriptions, compelling arguments,
  and restrained anger make it a classic of literary journalism.

[1]



pierce

pierce
pierce 
[peers] (past pierced, past
participle pierced, present participle pierc·ing, 3rd
person present singular pierc·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bore
into something: to penetrate through or into something
with a sharp pointed object

2.  transitive
verb
put
hole in:
to make a hole through something • She
had her ears pierced.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate
a barrier:
to break through a barrier of some kind, for example, a defensive line or
security system

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb gain
sight or knowledge: to perceive something with
the eyes or the mind

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate
something with sound or light: to sound or shine
suddenly and sharply through something, such as silence or darkness • A
dreadful scream pierced the silence.

6.  transitive
verb
affect
deeply:
to have a sudden intense, often painful effect on somebody • A
stab of fear pierced his heart.
[13th
century. Via French percer from, ultimately, Latin pertundere “to
bore through,” from tundere “to bore.”]
—pierc·er, noun[1]



Pierce,Franklin

Pierce,Franklin
Pierce 
[peerss], Franklin (1804–1869)

U.S. statesman and 14th
President of the United States (1853–1857). A Democrat, he sided with the South
on the slavery issue, yet was committed to the Union.[1]



piercing

piercing
pierc·ing
[prsing] adjective

1.  penetrating:
with an unpleasantly intense quality • a
piercing cry

2.  perceptive:
capable of perceiving acutely • her
piercing gaze

3.  intensely
cold:
with a sharp deeply chilling cold • a
piercing wind
noun
(plural pierc·ings)

1.  making
holes for rings in body: the practice of piercing
holes in parts of the body so that rings or studs can be inserted • body
piercing

2.  hole
for ring in body: a hole pierced in a part of the body to
take a ring or stud • She
had piercings on her eyebrow and nose.
—pierc·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Pieria

Pieria
Pi·e·ri·a 
[pī ree ə]

region of ancient Macedonia
where, according to Greek mythology, the Pierian Spring was located[1]



Pierian

Pierian
Pi·e·ri·an 
[pī ree ən] adjective

1.  of
ancient Pieria: relating to the region of Pieria in
ancient Macedonia, to its spring, or to the Muses who lived there

2.  inspiring:
providing poetic inspiration (literary)

[1]



PierianSpring

PierianSpring
Pi·e·ri·an
Spring 
noun

inspiration-giving fountain
in ancient Pieria: in Greek
mythology, the spring at Pieria in ancient Macedonia that was sacred to the
Muses, who lived there, and gave poetic inspiration to anyone who drank from it[1]



Pierre

Pierre
Pierre 
[peer]

capital city of South Dakota,
on the Missouri River, west of Huron and northeast of Rapid City. Population:
13,422 (1996)[1]



Pierrot

Pierrot
Pier·rot 
[p ə r, pye rṓ]
noun

French
pantomime character: a character in traditional
French pantomime. He is a white-faced clown with a white costume and pointed
hat, and is often represented as sad or crying.
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “little Peter,” from Pierre “Peter.”][1]



Pietermaritzburg

Pietermaritzburg
Pie·ter·mar·itz·burg
[ptər márrits bùrg]

capital city of Kwazulu-Natal
Province, South Africa, situated 72 km/45 mi northwest of Durban. Population:
156,473 (1991)[1]



pietism

pietism
pi·e·tism 
[p ə tìzzəm] noun

1.  piousness:
devotion to a deity or deities and observance of religious principles in
everyday life

2.  sanctimoniousness:
excessive or insincere religious devotion
[Early
19th century. From Pietism .]
—pi·e·tist,
noun

—pi·e·tis·tic
[p ə tístik], adjective

—pi·e·tis·ti·cal·ly [p ə tístikəlee], adverb[1]



Pietism

Pietism
Pi·e·tism 
[p ə tìzzəm] noun

Lutheran
movement reviving devotional ideals: a
German Protestant movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that changed the
focus of Lutheranism from ritual and church government to personal piety. It
was founded by Philipp Jakob Spener.
[Late 17th century. Via
German Pietismus from Latin pietas (see piety
).][1]



piety

piety
pi·e·ty 
[p ətee] (plural pi·e·ties) noun

1.  religious
devotion:
strong respectful belief in a deity or deities and strict observance of
religious principles in everyday life

2.  devout
act:
an action inspired by devout religious principles

3.  insincere
attitude:
a conventional or hypocritical statement or observance of a belief

4.  family
loyalty:
loyalty to parents and family (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
piete from Latin pietas, from pius “devout,” source of
English pious .][1]



Pietà

Pietà

Pie·tà
[p ay t] (plural Pie·tàs) or
pie·tà [p ay t] (plural pie·tàs)
noun
Mary
with Jesus Christ’s body: a painting or sculpture of
the Virgin Mary mourning over Jesus Christ’s dead body
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin pietas (see piety
).][1]



piezo-

piezo-
piezo-
prefix

pressure
• piezoelectric
crystal
[From Greek piezein
“to press.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to sit” that is also
the ancestor of English sit and
Sanskrit upaniṡad (see Upanishad ).][1]



piezoelectricity

piezoelectricity
pi·e·zo·e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[pee àyzō i lek tríssətee, pee àytsō i lek tríssətee] noun

PHYSICS electricity
from crystals under stress: the electric current
produced by some crystals and ceramic materials when they are subjected to
mechanical pressure
—pi·e·zo·e·lec·tric [pee àyzō i léktrik, pee
àytsō i léktrik], adjective[1]



piezometer

piezometer
pi·e·zom·e·ter 
[pee ə zómmətər] (plural pi·e·zom·e·ters)
noun

measuring
device for pressurized materials: an instrument for
measuring the compressibility of a material or fluid under pressure
—pi·e·zo·met·ric
[pee àyzō méttrik, pee
àytsō méttrik], adjective

—pi·e·zo·met·ri·cal·ly
[pee àyzō méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



piffle

piffle
pif·fle 
[píff’l] noun

nonsense:
silly talk or ideas (dated informal)
intransitive
verb
(past pif·fled, past participle pif·fled, present
participle pif·fling, 3rd person present singular pif·fles)

behave
thoughtlessly: to behave in a silly or ineffective way
(dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps suggesting the sound of silly talk.][1]



piffling

piffling
pif·fling
[píffling] adjective

worthless:
of little use, value, or importance (informal)[1]



pig

pig
pig 
[pig] noun (plural pigs)

1.  farm
animal with broad snout: a sturdy short-legged mammal
with a broad snout, especially a young domesticated hog, commonly kept as a
farm animal and traditionally represented as fat and pink with a curly tail.
Latin name: Sus scrofa

2.  pork:
the meat of a pig

3.  greedy
person:
somebody who is slovenly, greedy, or gluttonous (informal)

4.  coarse
person:
somebody who behaves in a coarse, discourteous, or brutal manner (informal)

5.  METALLURGY block
of metal:
a casting of metal in a basic shape suitable for storage or transportation

6.  METALLURGY metal
mold:
a basic mold for casting metal, especially iron

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the police force (slang offensive)

8.  establishment
figure:
a member of the established order of society, especially somebody in authority
who is regarded by youth or a minority as having outdated, racist, or sexist
views (slang insult)

9.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s morality (slang
offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past pigged, past participle pigged, present
participle pig·ging, 3rd person present singular pigs)

give birth to pigs:
to give birth to a litter of pigs
[Assumed
Old English picga . Originally in the sense “young pig.”]
a
pig in a poke

something that is bought or
obtained without being inspected to see if it is worth having[1]



pigboat

pigboat
pig·boat 
[píg bt] (plural pig·boats) noun

submarine:
a submarine (informal)[1]



pigeon

pigeon

pi·geon 
[píjjən] (plural pi·geons) noun

1.  bird
common in cities: a medium-sized bird with a stocky body
and short legs, especially a domesticated variety of the rock dove, commonly
seen in cities and throughout most of the world, or trained for racing and
carrying messages. Latin name: Columba livia

2.  gullible
person:
somebody who is easily swindled or deceived (informal)

3.  See
clay pigeon  noun 1
[14th century. Via Old French
pijon “young bird” from a Vulgar Latin alteration of late Latin pipio,
from an assumed base imitative of the sound of cheeping.][1]



pigeonbreast

pigeonbreast
pi·geon
breast
noun

protruding
chest shape: a condition in which the sides of the
chest are flattened and the center protrudes like the keel of a boat.
Also
called
chicken breast
—pi·geon-breast·ed, adjective[1]



pigeonhawk

pigeonhawk
pi·geon
hawk
noun

merlin:
a merlin (dated)
[Because it preys on pigeons][1]



pigeonhole

pigeonhole
pi·geon·hole 
[píjjən hl] noun (plural pi·geon·holes)

1.  place
to put messages: any of a series of small compartments in
a desk or wall unit into which papers or messages can be sorted or placed

2.  broad
category:
a category or label assigned to somebody or something without a great deal of
thought • the
tendency to put writers into pigeonholes

3.  pigeon’s
nesting compartment: a small nesting hole in a
shelter for domestic pigeons
transitive
verb
(past pi·geon·holed, past participle pi·geon·holed,
present participle pi·geon·hol·ing, 3rd person present
singular pi·geon·holes)

1.  put
in broad category: to categorize somebody or
something without a great deal of thought

2.  postpone:
to put something off for a while

[1]



pigeonpea

pigeonpea
pi·geon
pea
(plural pi·geon peas) noun

1.  African
plant with edible seeds: a woody African plant of the
pea family with three-lobed leaves and yellow or orange flowers, cultivated in
tropical regions for its edible seeds. Latin name: Cajanus cajan

2.  pigeon
pea seed:
the small edible nutritious seed of the pigeon pea plant that is a popular
ingredient in West Indian cookery
[From the use of its seeds as
pigeon-feed][1]



pigeon-toed

pigeon-toed
pi·geon-toed 
adjective

with toes turning in:
tending to walk or stand with the toes turned inward[1]



pigeontremex

pigeontremex
pi·geon
tre·mex
(plural pi·geon tre·mex·es) noun

insect with wood-boring
larvae: a common black-and-yellow
North American horntail, related to the sawfly, that lays its eggs in the wood
of trees into which the larvae bore and grow. Latin name: Tremex columba[1]



pigfish

pigfish
pig·fish 
[píg fìsh] noun

N American food fish:
a food fish of the grunt family found on the Atlantic coast of North America.
Latin name: Orthopristis chrysoptera
Also called
hogfish[1]



piggery

piggery
pig·ger·y 
[píggəree] (plural pig·ger·ies)
noun

1.  place
for raising pigs: a farm or a building on a farm where
pigs are bred and raised

2.  coarse
behavior:
coarse, greedy, or otherwise distasteful behavior

[1]



piggish

piggish
pig·gish 
[píggish] adjective

1.  gluttonous:
eating too much too fast

2.  obstinate:
behaving in a stubborn, uncooperative, or obstructive way
—pig·gish·ly,
adverb

—pig·gish·ness, noun[1]



piggy

piggy
pig·gy 
[píggee] noun (plural pig·gies)
(informal babytalk)

1.  pig:
a pig or piglet

2.  toe:
a toe, especially a small child’s toe
adjective
(comparative pig·gier, superlative pig·gi·est)

See piggish

[1]



piggyback

piggyback
pig·gy·back 
[píggee bàk] or pick·a·back [píkə bàk] noun (plural pig·gy·backs)
(plural pick·a·backs)

1.  ride
on somebody’s back: a ride on somebody’s back or
shoulders

2.  TRANSPORT hauling
of one vehicle by another: transportation of one
vehicle by another, for example, automobiles by truck or truck trailers by
railroad car
adjective
adverb

1.  on
somebody’s back: carried on the back or shoulders of
another person

2.  TRANSPORT on
other vehicle: transported on another vehicle

3.  as
an addition: linked with or added onto something
larger or more important
verb
(past pig·gy·backed, past participle pig·gy·backed,
present participle pig·gy·back·ing, 3rd person present
singular pig·gy·backs) (past pick·a·backed, past participle
pick·a·backed, present participle pick·a·back·ing, 3rd
person present singular pick·a·backs)

1.  transitive
verb
carry
on back:
to carry somebody on the back or shoulders

2.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT transport:
to transport one vehicle on another

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb attach
one thing to another: to link or add something to
a larger or more important item, or to become linked or added to something else
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally a dialect form of earlier English pick back,
literally “to throw back” or “to throw a pack,” which by folk etymology was
associated with pig .][1]



piggybank

piggybank
pig·gy
bank
noun

child’s savings bank:
a child’s savings bank, especially but not necessarily one in the shape of a
pig[1]



piggyin the middle

piggyin the middle
pig·gy
in the mid·dle noun

U.K.
See monkey in the middle[1]



pigheaded

pigheaded
pig·head·ed 
[pig héddəd] adjective

obstinate:
stubbornly adhering to a belief, decision, or course of action
—pig·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—pig·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



pigiron

pigiron
pig
i·ron
noun

iron
in rough form: a crude form of iron made in a blast
furnace and shaped into rough blocks for storage or transportation. Pig iron is
processed further to make steel, wrought iron, and other alloys.
[From pig][1]



pigLatin

pigLatin
pig
Lat·in
noun

children’s
joke jargon: any joke dialect coined and used by
children, especially one in which first consonants are moved to the end of the
words and extra syllables added
[From the perception of pigs
as vulgar][1]



piglet

piglet
pig·let 
[pígglət] (plural pig·lets) noun

young pig:
a newborn or immature pig[1]



pigment

pigment
pig·ment 
noun [pígmənt] (plural pig·ments)

1.  coloring
substance:
a substance that is added to give something, such as paint or ink its color.
Pigments are often available in the form of dry powders to be added to liquids.

2.  natural
plant coloring: a natural substance in plant or animal
tissue that gives it its color
transitive
verb
[pígmənt, pig
mént] (past pig·ment·ed, past participle pig·ment·ed,
present participle pig·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular
pig·ments)

give color to:
to impart color to something
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin pigmentum, from pingere “to paint” (source of
English picture ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to cut” (ancestor also of English file ).]
—pig·men·tar·y [pígmən tèrree], adjective[1]



pigmentation

pigmentation
pig·men·ta·tion 
[pìgmən táysh’n] noun

1.  natural
color:
the natural color of plants and animals

2.  discoloration:
abnormal coloring in plant or animal tissue that occurs as a result of disease

[1]



Pigmy

Pigmy
Pig·my 
[pígmee] noun

See
Pygmy[1]



pigmyhippopotamus

pigmyhippopotamus
pig·my
hip·po·pot·a·mus noun

See
pygmy hippopotamus[1]



pignut

pignut
pig·nut 
[píg nùt] (plural pig·nuts) noun

Also
called
hognut

1.  hickory
tree:
a nut-bearing hickory tree native to the central and southern United States.
Latin name: Carya glabra Carya cordiformis

2.  nut
of a pig-nut tree: the bitter nut of a pignut
hickory tree

[1]



pigout

pigout
pig
out
intransitive verb

eat greedily:
to eat greedily or gluttonously (informal)[1]



pigpen

pigpen
pig·pen 
[píg pèn] (plural pig·pens) noun

Also
called
pigsty
U.K.
term
pigsty

1.  place
for pigs:
a building or enclosure where pigs are kept

2.  untidy
place:
a dirty or disorderly place

[1]



Pigs,Bay of

Pigs,Bay of
Pigs,
Bay of
[pigz]

See
Bay of Pigs[1]



pigskin

pigskin
pig·skin 
[píg skìn] noun (plural pig·skins)

1.  leather
from pig:
the skin of a pig, especially when made into leather

2.  football:
a football

3.  saddle:
a horse’s saddle (informal)
adjective

made of leather from pig:
made of leather prepared from the skin of a pig

[1]



pigsty

pigsty
pig·sty 
[píg st] (plural pig·sties) noun

See
pigpen[1]



pigtail

pigtail
pig·tail 
[píg tàyl] (plural pig·tails) noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING braid:
a braid or bunch, often in pairs, into which the hair is either braided or
gathered

2.  HAIRDRESSING See queue  noun 4

3.  tobacco
strand:
a thin twisted piece of tobacco

4.  ELECTRICITY braided
wire:
a short length of flexible electrical cable or wire, usually braided,
connecting two terminals
—pig·tailed, adjective[1]



pigweed

pigweed
pig·weed 
[píg wd] (plural pig·weeds) noun

1.  weed
with hairy leaves: a North American weed of the
amaranth family with hairy leaves and green flowers growing in spikes. Latin
name: Amaranthus retroflexus

2.  weed
with edible leaves: a common weed of the
goosefoot family whose leaves have a grainy surface and are sometimes used as a
vegetable or in salads. Latin name: Chenopodium album
Also
called
lamb’s quarters
U.K.
term
fat hen

[1]



pika

pika
pi·ka 
[pkə, pkə]
(plural pi·kas or pi·ka) noun

small
burrowing mammal: a small short-eared burrowing mammal
that is related to the rabbit and lives in rocky mountainous regions of western
North America and Asia. Family: Ochotonidae
Also
called
coney
[Early 19th century. From
Tungus piika .][1]



pike

pike4
pike4  [pīk]
(plural pikes) noun

toll
road:
a road on which a toll is paid
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of turnpike .][1]



pike

pike3
pike3  [pīk]
(plural pikes) noun

pointed
object:
a sharp pointed object of any kind
[Old English pic][1]



pike

pike5
pike5  [pīk]
(plural pikes) noun

body
position:
a diving or gymnastic position in which the body is bent at the hips with the
head tucked under and the hands touching the toes or behind the knees
[Early
20th century. Origin unknown.]
—piked, adjective[1]



pike

pike1
pike1  [pīk]
(plural pikes or pike) noun

1.  large
sharp-toothed freshwater fish: a large predatory
freshwater fish of northern waters with a long body, long broad snout, and
sharp teeth. It is a popular food and game fish. Latin name: Esox lucius

Also
called
northern pike

2.  fish
resembling pike: a fish that resembles the pike or
belongs to the same family, especially the muskellunge and the pickerel
[14th century. From pike 3 ; from its
long pointed jaws.][1]



pike

pike2
pike2  [pīk]
noun (plural pikes)

spike
on pole:
a weapon, used in the past by foot soldiers, consisting of a very long pole
with a pointed metal head
transitive
verb
(past piked, past participle piked, present
participle pik·ing, 3rd person present singular pikes)

attack
with pike:
to stab or kill somebody with a pike
[Early 16th century. From
French pique, from piquer (see pique
).][1]



pikeman

pikeman
pike·man
[pkmən] (plural pike·men [pkmən]) noun

soldier with pike:
a foot soldier armed with a pike[1]



pikeperch

pikeperch
pike·perch 
[pk pùrch] (plural pike·perch·es
or pike·perch) noun

See
walleye  noun 1[1]



piker

piker
pik·er 
[pkər] (plural pik·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  stingy
person:
somebody who is stingy with money

2.  petty
person:
somebody who does things in a small-minded or petty way

3.  cautious
gambler:
somebody who gambles cautiously with little money

[1]



PikesPeak

PikesPeak
Pikes
Peak 
[pīkspeek]

mountain in Colorado, in the
Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs. It was named for the explorer
Zebulon Pike. Height: 4,301 m/14,110 ft.[1]



pikestaff

pikestaff
pike·staff 
[pk stàf] (plural pike·staffs)
noun

1.  shaft
of pike:
the wooden shaft of a pike, which forms the handle

2.  pointed
walking stick: a walking stick with a pointed metal end

[1]



Pike,Zebulon Montgomery

Pike,Zebulon Montgomery
Pike
[pīk], Zebulon Montgomery (1779–1813)

U.S. explorer and soldier. He
searched for the headwaters of the Mississippi River (1805–1806) and explored
Colorado and New Mexico.[1]



pilaf

pilaf
pi·laf 
[pi lf, p lf]
(plural pi·lafs) or pi·lau [pi lów, p lòw] (plural
pi·laus) noun

rice
dish:
a Middle Eastern dish of spiced rice, often with chopped vegetables, fish, or
meat added
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Turkish pilâv “cooked rice,” from Persian pilaw “cooked
rice and meat.”][1]



pilaster

pilaster
pi·las·ter 
[pi lástər] (plural pi·las·ters)
noun

ornamental
and structural column: a vertical structural part
of a building that projects partway from a wall and is made to resemble an
ornamental column by adding a base and capital
[Late
16th century. Via French pilastre from Italian pilastro or
medieval Latin pilastrum, from Latin pila “pillar.”]
—pi·las·tered, adjective[1]



Pilate,Pontius

Pilate,Pontius
Pi·late
[plət], Pontius (lived 1st century AD)

Roman administrator. As
procurator of Judaea ( AD 26–36)
he condemned Jesus Christ to death, albeit reluctantly, according to the Bible.[1]



pilau

pilau
pi·lau
(plural pi·laus) noun

See
pilaf[1]



Pilbara

Pilbara
Pil·ba·ra
[púbrə]

region in northwestern
Western Australia, located between the De Grey and Ashburton rivers[1]



pilchard

pilchard
pil·chard 
[pílchərd] (plural pil·chards or
pil·chard) noun

small
food fish:
a small edible marine fish of the herring family that lives in European waters
and has a rounded body and large scales. It is often sold in cans. Latin name: Sardinia
pilchardus
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pile

pile2
pile2  [pīl]
noun (plural piles)

1.  CONSTRUCTION sunken
support for building: a vertical wood, metal, or
concrete support for a building or other structure that is driven into the
ground

2.  HERALDRY heraldic
symbol:
a heraldic figure in the shape of an arrowhead, usually displayed with the
point downward

3.  ARMS arrowhead:
the pointed head of an arrow (technical)

4.  ARMS ancient
Roman javelin: a javelin used by foot soldiers in
ancient Rome
transitive
verb
(past piled, past participle piled, present
participle pil·ing, 3rd person present singular piles)

CONSTRUCTION support
a structure with piles: to use piles as a support
for a building or other structure
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
pilum “javelin.”][1]



pile

pile1
pile1  [pīl]
noun (plural piles)

1.  mound
of things:
a number of things heaped or stacked one on top of another

2.  large
quantity:
a very large amount of something (informal) (often used in the plural)
• I’ve
got piles of work to do.

3.  fortune:
a very large amount of money, especially one large enough to retire on (informal)
• He’d
already made his pile by the age of 30.

4.  building:
a large impressive building

5.  pyre:
a funeral pyre (archaic)

6.  ELECTRICITY See voltaic pile

7.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS nuclear
reactor:
a nuclear reactor (dated)
verb
(past piled, past participle piled, present
participle pil·ing, 3rd person present singular piles)

1.  transitive
verb
make
into a mound: to heap or stack things one on top of
another

2.  transitive
verb
place
large amounts on something: to heap a large amount of
something somewhere • plates
piled high with ribs

3.  intransitive
verb
go
as a crowd:
to move hurriedly in a large disorganized group • We
all piled into the car and headed for the diner.
[15th century. Via French,
from Latin pila “pillar” (source also of English pillar ).][1]



pile

pile3
pile3  [pīl]
(plural piles) noun

1.  looped
fabric surface: the surface of a carpet or of a fabric
such as velvet that is formed of short, sometimes cut, loops of fiber

2.  fur:
the fine soft fur or hair of an animal
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Anglo-Norman peile from, ultimately, Latin pilus
“hair” (source of English depilatory,
pluck and, perhaps, pillage ).][1]



pilea

pilea
pi·le·a


Plural of
pileum[1]



pileate

pileate
pi·le·ate 
[plee ət, píllee
ət] or pi·le·at·ed [plee àytəd,
píllee àytəd] adjective

1.  BIRDS crested:
used to describe a bird that has a crest of feathers on its head

2.  FUNGI with
cap-shaped part: used to describe a fungus that has a
cap-shaped upper part ( pileus )
[Early 18th century. From
Latin pileatus, literally “wearing a felt cap,” from pileus “felt
cap.”][1]



pileatedwoodpecker

pileatedwoodpecker
pi·le·at·ed
wood·peck·er noun

woodpecker with tall red
crest: a large black-and-white
woodpecker with a red crest, native to wooded areas of North America. Latin
name: Dryocopus pileatus[1]



piledriver

piledriver
pile
driv·er
noun

machine that hammers piles:
a large mechanical hammering device that uses steam, compressed air, or gravity
to drive construction piles into the ground[1]



pilei

pilei
pi·le·i


Plural of
pileus[1]



pileous

pileous
pil·e·ous
[plee əss, píllee
əss] adjective

BIOLOGY hairy:
covered with hair
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
pileus, literally “felt cap.”][1]



piles

piles
piles 
[pīlz] plural noun

hemorrhoids:
hemorrhoids (informal)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Latin pila “ball,” from their shape.][1]



pileum

pileum
pi·le·um 
[plee əm, píllee
əm] (plural pi·le·a [plee ə,
píllee ə]) noun

bird’s
head:
the top of a bird’s head from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin pileus “felt cap.”][1]



pileup

pileup
pile·up
[pl ùp] (plural pile·ups) or
pile-up [pl ùp] (plural pile-ups)
noun

1.  large-scale
collision:
a collision involving several vehicles (informal)

2.  accumulation
of things:
an accumulated number or amount of things such as tasks

[1]



pileup

pileup
pile
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  amass:
to accumulate, or accumulate something, rapidly, forming a large amount

2.  crash:
to crash a vehicle, or to collide with other vehicles, forming a chain of
collisions

[1]



pileus

pileus
pi·le·us 
[plee əss, píllee
əss] (plural pi·le·i [plee ,
píllee ]) noun

1.  BOTANY cap of
mushroom:
the top cap-shaped part of a mushroom or other fungus

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY jellyfish’s
body:
the part of the body of a jellyfish that resembles an opened umbrella

3.  CLOTHES Roman
skullcap:
a close-fitting brimless cap worn by ancient Romans
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
pileus “felt cap.”][1]



pilewort

pilewort
pile·wort 
[pl wùrt, pl
wàwrt] (plural pile·worts or pile·wort) noun

plant
used as hemorrhoid treatment: a flowering plant of the
buttercup family such as the lesser celandine, sometimes used as a remedy for
hemorrhoids
[15th century. pile the singular of piles
.][1]



pilfer

pilfer
pil·fer 
[pílfər] (past pil·fered, past
participle pil·fered, present participle pil·fer·ing, 3rd
person present singular pil·fers) intransitive and transitive
verb

steal
small things: to steal small items of little value,
especially habitually
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman pelfrer “to rob,” of uncertain origin.]
—pil·fer·age,
noun

—pil·fer·er,
noun

—pil·fer·ing,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



Pilgrim

Pilgrim
Pil·grim 
(plural Pil·grims) noun

Plymouth Colony founder:
one of the English Puritans who founded Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in
1620[1]



pilgrim

pilgrim
pil·grim 
[pílgrim] (plural pil·grims) noun

1.  religious
traveler:
somebody who goes on a journey to a holy place for religious reasons

2.  traveler:
somebody who is making a journey of any kind (literary)
[12th
century. Via Provençal pelegrin from Latin peregrinus (see peregrine ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Pilgrim’s Progress, a story by the English writer John Bunyan ( 1678, 1684 ).
  An allegorical account of religious conversion, it describes the journey of a
  man called Christian from the City of Destruction (the contemporary, corrupt
  world) to the Celestial City (a state of religious grace). Much of its
  immense and lasting popularity can be attributed to the author’s skill in
  rendering complex abstract issues immediate, entertaining, and accessible. It
  is the source of three well-known expressions in use today – muckraker
  (an investigative journalist seeking sensational stories), slough of
  despond (a state of profoundly deep depression), and vanity fair
  (a place or situation of ostentatious, empty pride).

[1]



pilgrimage

pilgrimage
pil·grim·age 
[pílgrimij] (plural pil·grim·ag·es)
noun

1.  religious
journey:
a journey to a holy place, undertaken for religious reasons

2.  trip
to special place: a journey to a place with special
significance • Thousands
of fans make the pilgrimage to Elvis’s birthplace every year.
[13th century. From Provençal
pelegrinatge, from Latin peregrinus (see peregrine
).][1]



pili

pili
pi·li


BIOLOGY
Plural of pilus[1]



piliferous

piliferous
pi·lif·er·ous 
[pī líffərəss] adjective

hairy:
used to describe plant parts that are covered in fine hairs or have hairs
growing at the tip
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pilus + -i-
+ -ferous .][1]



piliform

piliform
pil·i·form 
[plee fàwrm] adjective

in
form of hair: used to describe a plant part that takes
the form of a hair
[Early 19th century. Coined
from pilus .][1]



Pilipino

Pilipino
Pil·i·pi·no 
[pìllə pnō] noun adjective

LANGUAGE
See Filipino[1]



pill

pill
pill
[pil] noun (plural pills)

1.  round
tablet of medicine: a round solid tablet of
medicine to be taken orally

2.  pill
or Pill oral contraceptive:
a contraceptive that is taken orally in pill form

3.  something
round:
something round such as a baseball, bullet, or bomb (informal)

4.  tiresome
person:
somebody who is unpleasant or boring (dated slang)
verb
(past pilled, past participle pilled, present
participle pil·ling, 3rd person present singular pills)

1.  intransitive
verb
form
little balls when rubbed: to become covered in small
balls of matted fiber as a result of friction (refers to fabrics)

2.  transitive
verb
exclude:
to reject somebody either by vote or consensus (dated slang)
[15th
century. From Middle Low German or Middle Dutch pille, of uncertain
origin: probably from Latin pilula, literally “little ball,” from pila
“ball.”]
a
bitter pill (to swallow)

something that it difficult
or painful to accept[1]



pillage

pillage
pil·lage 
[píllij] intransitive and transitive verb
(past pil·laged, past participle pil·laged, present
participle pil·lag·ing, 3rd person present singular pil·lag·es)

1.  plunder
a place:
to rob a place using force, especially during a war

2.  steal
people’s possessions: to steal goods using force,
especially during a war
noun

1.  stealing
of somebody’s possessions: theft of goods from a place
using force, especially during a war

2.  stolen
possessions: goods that are stolen using force,
especially during war
[14th
century. From French, from piller “to plunder,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Latin pilare “to remove hair,” or from assumed Vulgar Latin
piliare, from Latin pilum “javelin.”]
—pil·lag·er, noun[1]



pillar

pillar
pil·lar 
[píllər] noun (plural pil·lars)

1.  column
used for support or decoration: a vertical column that
is part of a building or other structure and can be either a support or
decoration

2.  something
tall and narrow: something that is tall and slender like
a pillar

3.  central
figure:
somebody who is a mainstay of an organization or society • She
was a pillar of the community.
transitive
verb
(past pil·lared, past participle pil·lared, present
participle pil·lar·ing, 3rd person present singular pil·lars)

support with pillars:
to support or strengthen something with pillars
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman piler from, ultimately, Latin pila
“pillar” (source of English compile
and pile “heap”).]
from
pillar to post

from one place to another[1]



pillarization

pillarization
pil·lar·i·za·tion
[pìlləri záysh’n] noun

grouping
within society: the division of society into autonomous
groups whose members share a common language or set of beliefs. Each group
retains its own identity, while crossing lines of class and status. In Dutch
society pillarization is based upon Calvinist, Roman Catholic, and Humanist
social groupings.
[Translation of Dutch verzuiling][1]



Pillarsof Hercules

Pillarsof Hercules
Pil·lars
of Her·cu·les  [píllərz əv
hùrky leez]

two promontories, the Rock of
Gibraltar and Jebel Musa, on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar at the far
western end of the Mediterranean. According to legend, the two rocks were separated
by Hercules.[1]



Pillarsof Islam

Pillarsof Islam
Pil·lars
of Is·lam
or Five Pil·lars of Is·lam plural noun

principles of Islamic belief:
the basic tenets of Islam, which are a belief in Allah and in Muhammad as his
prophet, in prayer, in charity, in fasting, and in making a pilgrimage to Mecca[1]



pillbox

pillbox
pill·box 
[píll bòks] (plural pill·box·es)
noun

1.  pill-container:
a small container for pills

2.  pill·box
or pill·box hat (plural pill·box hat) woman’s
brimless hat: a woman’s shallow brimless hat with a
flat top

3.  gun
shelter:
a small fortified shelter with a flat roof, in which a large gun is sited

[1]



pillbug

pillbug
pill
bug
noun

See
wood louse
[Because it is able to roll
itself into a ball][1]



pillion

pillion
pil·lion 
[píllyən] noun (plural pil·lions)

passenger
seat:
a seat for a passenger behind the driver of a motorcycle or the rider of a
horse
adverb

behind
the rider:
seated behind the driver of a motorcycle or the rider of a horse
[15th century. From Gaelic pillean
and Irish pillin, literally “little couch,” from pell “couch,”
from Latin pellis “skin” (source of English pelt
“skin”).][1]



pillory

pillory

pil·lo·ry 
[pílləree] noun (plural pil·lo·ries)

old punishment device:
a device used in the past as a means of public punishment, in the form of a
wooden frame with holes into which somebody’s head and hands could be locked
transitive verb
(past pil·lo·ried, past participle pil·lo·ried, present
participle pil·lo·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular pil·lo·ries)

1.  ridicule:
to scorn or ridicule somebody or something openly, or expose somebody or
something to scorn or ridicule

2.  punish
in pillory:
to put somebody into a pillory as a public punishment
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Latin pillorium from Old French pillorie, of uncertain
origin: perhaps from Provençal espilori .][1]



pillow

pillow
pil·low 
[píllō] noun (plural pil·lows)

1.  cushion
for head:
a soft support for the head in bed, in the form of a sealed fabric bag stuffed
with feathers or a synthetic filling

2.  something
like a pillow: something that is similar to a pillow in
appearance or use

3.  See
cushion  noun 6
transitive
verb
(past pil·lowed, past participle pil·lowed, present
participle pil·low·ing, 3rd person present singular pil·lows)

1.  cushion
the head:
to rest the head on a pillow or something else that is soft and comfortable

2.  act
as pillow for: to provide a soft comfortable surface on
which to rest something
[Pre-12th century. Via a
prehistoric West Germanic word (source also of German pfühl and Dutch peluw
), from Latin pulvinus .][1]



pillowblock

pillowblock
pil·low
block
noun

machine bearing:
an enclosure and support for a shaft or axle of a machine[1]



pillowcase

pillowcase
pil·low·case 
[píllō kàyss] (plural pil·low·cases)
noun

cover for pillow:
a fabric cover for a pillow.
Also called
pillowslip[1]



pillowlace

pillowlace
pil·low
lace
noun

lace made with bobbins:
lace made using bobbins and a firm pad, or pillow as a base, as distinct from
lace made with a needle and a paper pattern[1]



pillowlava

pillowlava
pil·low
la·va
noun

lava solidified into
pillow-shaped masses: lava that
has solidified into pillow-shaped masses, formed from underwater lava flows or
from lava flowing into water from land. Each pillow can be up to 2 m/ 6 ft
across and is surrounded by a fine-grained skin.[1]



pillowsham

pillowsham
pil·low
sham
(plural pil·low shams) noun

cover for pillow:
a decorative covering for a pillow on a bed.
Also called
sham[1]



pillowslip

pillowslip
pil·low·slip 
[píllō slìp] (plural pil·low·slips)
noun

See
pillowcase[1]



pillowtalk

pillowtalk
pil·low
talk
noun

intimate talk in bed:
the discussion of intimate or private matters in bed with a sexual partner[1]



pilocarpine

pilocarpine
pi·lo·car·pine 
[plə kr pn, plə
krpin] noun

substance
once used to treat glaucoma: a poisonous colorless or
yellow alkaloid obtained from the leaves of the jaborandi tree, used in the
past to promote sweating and to treat glaucoma. C11H16N2O2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin Pilocarpus, genus name of the tree.][1]



pilose

pilose
pi·lose 
[plōss] or pi·lous [pləss] adjective

hairy:
used to describe plant parts that are covered with soft hair
[Late
18th century. From Latin pilosus “hairy,” from pilus “hair.”]
—pi·los·i·ty [p lóssətee], noun[1]



pilot

pilot
pi·lot 
[plət] noun (plural pi·lots)

1.  AIR somebody
who flies plane: somebody who is qualified to fly an
aircraft or spacecraft

2.  NAVIGATION somebody
steering ships through difficult area:
somebody with local knowledge whose job is to navigate ships in and out of a
harbor or through a particular stretch of water

3.  SHIPPING steerer
of ship:
somebody who steers a ship or boat

4.  leader:
somebody who acts as a leader or guide

5.  BROADCASTING television
program:
a television or radio program made as a prototype for a projected series

6.  trial
run:
a test of something, for example, a proposed manufacturing process, to discover
and solve problems before full implementation

7.  See
pilot light  noun 1

8.  ENGINEERING machine
guide:
a guiding part of a tool or machine
transitive
verb
(past pi·lot·ed, past participle pi·lot·ed, present
participle pi·lot·ing, 3rd person present singular pi·lots)

1.  AIR fly an
aircraft:
to fly an aircraft or spacecraft

2.  navigate:
to navigate a ship

3.  be
in charge of something: to direct the course of
something, for example, a project or a program of research

4.  run
a trial:
to test something, such as a proposed manufacturing process, to discover and
solve problems before full implementation
[Early 16th century. Via
French pilote, from medieval Latin pilotus, an alteration of pedota,
from, ultimately, Greek pēdon “oar.”][1]



pilotage

pilotage
pi·lot·age 
[plətij] noun

1.  NAVIGATION piloting
of craft:
the controlling of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft

2.  FINANCE harbor
or river pilot’s fee: the fee paid to a harbor or
river pilot for steering a ship along a short difficult stretch

3.  NAVIGATION manual
navigation:
the navigation of an aircraft using landmarks and maps, rather than an
aircraft’s own navigation systems

[1]



pilotballoon

pilotballoon
pi·lot
bal·loon
(plural pi·lot bal·loons) noun

balloon used in wind studies:
a small balloon launched to study the speed and direction of winds at high
altitudes. The balloon is visually tracked by a theodolite.[1]



pilotbread

pilotbread
pi·lot
bread
(plural pi·lot breads) or pi·lot bis·cuit (plural
pi·lot bis·cuits) noun

See
hardtack[1]



pilotfish

pilotfish
pi·lot
fish
noun

small fish accompanying large
fish: a small striped marine fish,
often found swimming with sharks, mantas, and other large fishes, where it
finds stray scraps of food. Latin name: Naucrates ductor[1]



pilothouse

pilothouse
pi·lot·house 
[plət hòwss] noun

ship’s control room:
an enclosed control room on or near the bridge of a ship, containing the
steering wheel and navigational and communication equipment.
Also called
wheelhouse[1]



pilotlamp

pilotlamp
pi·lot
lamp
noun

electric indicator light:
a small light in an electric circuit to show if the power is on or if an
electrical device is operating.
Also called
pilot light[1]



pilotlight

pilotlight
pi·lot
light
noun

1.  pi·lot
light
or pi·lot flame used for ignition:
a small gas flame that remains lit in order to ignite a burner when it is
turned on

2.  See
pilot lamp

[1]



pilotwhale

pilotwhale
pi·lot
whale
noun

toothed whale of warm seas:
a large black toothed whale with a bulbous head, found in warm seas. Genus: Globicephala

Also called
blackfish[1]



pilous

pilous
pi·lous 
adjective

See
pilose[1]



pilsener

pilsener
pil·sen·er
noun

See
pilsner[1]



pilsner

pilsner
pil·sner 
[pílznər, pílsnər]
(plural pil·sners) or pil·sener [pílznər, pílsnər]
(plural pil·seners) noun

1.  lager
beer flavored with hops: lager beer with a strong
hops flavor, originally and especially made in Pilsen in the Czech Republic

2.  pil·sner
or pil·sner glass glass for drinking
beer:
a tall, tapering, short-stemmed glass used for drinking beer
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “of Pilsen,” from Pilsen ( Czech Plzeň ), the
name of a province in the Czech Republic.][1]



Piltdownman

Piltdownman
Pilt·down
man 
[pílt dòwn màn] noun

supposed
early human being: a supposed primitive form of
human being represented by remains of bones found in Sussex, England in 1912,
shown in 1953 to be a hoax
[Early 20th century. Named
for the village in Sussex, England, where the remains were found.][1]



pilule

pilule
pil·ule 
[píl yl] (plural pil·ules) noun

small
pill:
a small pill
[15th century. Via French
from Latin pilula, literally “little ball,” from pila “ball”
(source of English pill .][1]



pilus

pilus
pi·lus 
[pləss] (plural pi·li [p l]) noun

part
like a hair: any part of a plant or animal organism
that looks like a hair
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, “hair.”][1]



PIM

PIM
PIM
[pim] noun

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of Personal Information Manager[1]



Pima

Pima
Pi·ma 
[pmə] (plural Pi·mas) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands in southern and central Arizona,
and whose members now live mainly in central Arizona

2.  LANGUAGE Native
N American language: a Native American language
spoken in parts of Arizona. It belongs to the Uto-Aztecan branch of
Aztec-Tanoan languages and is closely related to Papago. Pima is spoken by
about 15,000 people.
[Early
19th century. From Spanish, a shortening of Pimahito, from Pima pimahaitu
“nothing,” perhaps because of a misunderstanding by missionaries.]
—Pima, adjective[1]



pimacotton

pimacotton
pi·ma
cot·ton 
noun

cotton
developed from Egyptian cottons: a strong cotton with
medium-length fibers that was bred in the southwestern United States from
selected Egyptian cottons
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Pima County, Arizona.][1]



pimento

pimento
pi·men·to 
[pi méntō] noun

1.  FOOD See pimiento

2.  See
allspice
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish pimiento, from Latin pigmentum (see pigment ).][1]



pimeson

pimeson
pi
mes·on
noun

See
pion[1]



pimiento

pimiento
pi·mien·to 
[pi méntō, pi
myéntō] (plural pi·mien·tos) or pi·men·to [pi méntō, pi myéntō]
(plural pi·men·tos) noun

1.  FOOD mild
red pepper:
a large sweet red pepper that is used especially to stuff olives, as a garnish,
and to make paprika

2.  PLANTS European
pepper plant: a European plant that produces pimiento
peppers. Latin name: Capsicum annuum
[Mid-17th century. From
Spanish (see pimento ).][1]



pimp

pimp
pimp 
[pimp] noun (plural pimps)

man
soliciting for prostitutes: a man who finds customers
for a prostitute in return for a portion of the prostitute’s earnings
intransitive
verb
(past pimped, past participle pimped, present
participle pimp·ing, 3rd person present singular pimps)

be
a pimp:
to work as a pimp, finding customers for prostitutes
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



pimpernel

pimpernel

pim·per·nel 
[pímpər nèl, pímpərnəl]
(plural pim·per·nels or pim·per·nel) noun
plant
with long trailing stems: a small plant with long
trailing stems and small red, white, or purple flowers. Pimpernels belong to
the primrose family. Genus: Anagallis
[15th century. Via Old French
pimpernelle “burnet” (the plant), the original sense in English, from
earlier piprenelle, from, ultimately, Latin piper “pepper,”
because its fruit resembles peppercorns.][1]



pimping

pimping
pimp·ing
[pímping] adjective

1.  trifling:
of little significance

2.  weak:
appearing weak and unhealthy (regional)
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown: perhaps thought to suggest smallness.][1]



pimple

pimple
pim·ple 
[pímp’l] (plural pimples) noun

inflamed
skin blemish: a small inflamed or pus-filled spot on
the skin
[14th
century. From an alteration of the base that produced Old English piplian
“to break out in spots.”]
—pim·pled,
adjective

—pim·ply, adjective[1]



pimpmobile

pimpmobile
pimp·mo·bile 
[pímp mō bl, pímp
mə bl] (plural pimp·mo·biles) noun

large flashy car:
a very showy large automobile, typical of one that might be used by a pimp (disapproving)[1]



pin

pin
pin 
[pin] noun (plural pins)

1.  thin
pointed metal stick: a small thin metal stick
with a sharp point and a rounded head, used for holding pieces of fabric
together

2.  pointed
metal fastener: any fastener that has a sharp metal
point designed to pierce the things it is fastening

3.  See
safety pin  noun 1
See safety pin  noun 2

4.  something
decorative attached to clothing: a badge, piece of
jewelry, or other decorative item that attaches to clothing by means of a sharp
metal point or a clasp

5.  See
hairpin  noun 1

6.  bobby
pin:
a bobby pin

7.  See
cotter pin

8.  See
rolling pin

9.  least
bit:
the smallest amount (dated informal) • not
worth a pin

10. ELECTRICITY part
of electrical connector: a thin metal terminal
extending from an electrical or electronic device such as a plug or a vacuum
tube, used to connect the device by socket to other circuitry • a
three-pin plug

11. SURGERY rod to
join broken bone: a thin metal rod used to hold the ends
of a fractured bone together

12. DENTISTRY peg
used in dentistry: a peg used to attach a crown
to the root of a tooth

13. TECHNOLOGY key
part entering lock: the part of a key that inserts
into a lock

14. MUSIC peg
holding instrument string: any of the pegs on a
stringed instrument such as a piano that hold the strings and can be turned to
tighten or loosen them to tune the instrument

15. ARMS safety
clip on grenade: the safety clip on a hand grenade that
must be removed before the grenade can be detonated

16. SPORTS bowling
pin:
any of the club-shaped targets used in various games of bowling

17. GOLF hole
marker in golf: a pole with a flag on it, used to mark
each hole on a golf course

18. WRESTLING wrestling
fall:
a fall in wrestling in which an opponent’s shoulders are made to touch the mat

19. COMPUTING guide
on computer printer: any of the rounded pegs that
guide the paper through a computer printer

20. COMPUTING part
of printhead that forms letters: any of the tiny wires
on the printhead of a dot matrix printer that form one dot of a letter or
symbol

21. NAUTICAL See belaying pin

22. NAUTICAL See thole pin
plural
noun
pins

legs:
somebody’s legs (informal) • He’s a
bit unsteady on his pins.
transitive
verb
(past pinned, past participle pinned, present
participle pin·ning, 3rd person present singular pins)

1.  fasten
something with pins: to fasten, attach, or secure
something with a pin

2.  keep
somebody or something from moving: to hold somebody or
something immobile, for example, on the ground • The
beam fell across his back, pinning him to the ground.

3.  CHESS restrict
opponent’s chess piece: to make it impossible for a
chess opponent to move a piece without exposing the king to check or a valuable
piece to capture

4.  WRESTLING hold
wrestling opponent down: to hold a wrestling
opponent’s shoulders to the mat

5.  give
a fraternity pin to somebody: to give a young woman a
fraternity pin as a sign of commitment to a relationship
[12th
century. From Latin pinna “feather, pointed peak.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to fly, rush” which is also the ancestor of English
feather .]
—pin·ner, noun[1]



PIN

PIN
PIN
[pin] (plural PINs) or PIN
num·ber [pin] (plural PIN
num·bers) noun

personal identification
number: a multidigit number unique
to an individual that is used, with a card, to get money from an ATM or to gain
access to a computer or telephone system. Abbreviation of personal
identification number[1]



pinafore

pinafore
pin·a·fore 
[pínnə fàwr] (plural pin·a·fores)
noun

1.  U.K.
See jumper

2.  girl’s
overgarment: a sleeveless collarless garment worn by
girls in the past over a dress and fastened at the top and back
[Late 18th century. From pin + afore,
because it was originally used for a garment pinned to the front of a dress.][1]



Pinang

Pinang
Pi·nang


See
Penang[1]



pinaster

pinaster
pi·nas·ter 
[pī nástər] (plural pi·nas·ters)
noun

pine
tree:
a pyramid-shaped Mediterranean pine tree with needles in pairs and clusters of
long prickly cones. Latin name: Pinus pinaster
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from pinus (see pine ).][1]



pinball

pinball
pin·ball 
[pín bàwl] noun

indoor game played on sloping
table: a game played on an
electronic table fitted with obstacles, targets, and pivoted flippers. The
player controls the flippers to keep a ball in play, hitting targets to score
points. (often used before a noun)[1]



pince-nez

pince-nez
pince-nez 
[pins náy] (plural pince-nez [pìns náyz]) noun

glasses
without sidepieces: a pair of glasses without
sidepieces, held in place by a clip that fits over the nose
[From French, literally “to
pinch the nose”][1]



pincermovement

pincermovement
pin·cer
move·ment
[pínsər mvmənt] or pin·cers
move·ment [pínsər mvmənt] noun

military maneuver:
a military maneuver that attempts to surround an enemy by simultaneous attack
from the front and two side columns that curve around the enemy and back toward
each other[1]



pincers

pincers

pin·cers 
[pínsərz] plural noun

1.  large
claws of lobster: the front claws of some crustaceans and
arachnids, for example, the lobster and scorpion, used for grasping things

2.  tool
for gripping things: a tool, resembling a pair of
pliers or scissors, with curved pivoted jaws that are used to grip something,
for example, a nail, when they are closed
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman, a variation of Old French pincier (see pinch ).][1]



pincersmovement

pincersmovement
pin·cers
move·ment
noun

See
pincer movement[1]



pinch

pinch
pinch 
[pinch] verb (past pinched,
past participle pinched, present participle pinch·ing,
3rd person present singular pinch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grip
something between finger and thumb: to
grip or squeeze something tightly between finger and thumb or between two hard
objects or edges

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be too
tight and painful: to painfully constrict or
squeeze a part of the body • These
shoes are pinching my feet.

3.  transitive
verb
wither
something:
to make somebody or something become shrunken or withered, especially through
harsh conditions like cold or hunger • a face
pinched with grief and pain

4.  transitive
verb
impose
hardship on: to put somebody in financial difficulty
• Unexpected
expenses have really pinched me this month.

5.  transitive
verb
GARDENING remove
shoots to encourage bushy growth: to remove new shoots
and buds from a plant to make it become more bushy

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. steal
something:
to steal something or take something without permission (informal) • Who’s
pinched my pen?

7.  transitive
verb
arrest
somebody:
to arrest somebody (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
SAILING sail
a vessel into the wind: to sail a sailing vessel too
close to the wind, so that it loses wind from its sails

9.  intransitive
verb
MINING narrow
and disappear: to become gradually narrower, eventually
disappearing entirely (refers to a vein of ore)
noun
(plural pinch·es)

1.  painful
squeeze:
a painful squeeze or nip, especially with the thumb and finger • a
pinch on the arm

2.  very
little:
a very small amount of a substance, especially the amount held between the
thumb and first finger • add a
pinch of salt

3.  robbery:
a robbery (informal)

4.  an
arrest:
an arrest made by the police (informal)

5.  critical
time:
an emergency or critical situation • If it
comes to the pinch, we’ll have to sell the house.
[13th
century. Via assumed Anglo-Norman pincher, a variant of Old French pincier,
from assumed Vulgar Latin pinctiare “to prick.”]
feel
the pinch

to
have financial problems

in
a pinch

if
absolutely necessary, although preferably not

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



pinchbar

pinchbar
pinch
bar
(plural pinch bars) noun

crowbar with pointed end:
a crowbar with a pointed end and a projection that provides a fulcrum, used as
a lever, often having a notch, or claw, at the other end[1]



pinchbeck

pinchbeck
pinch·beck 
[pínch bèk] noun (plural pinch·becks)

1.  gold-colored
metal alloy: an alloy of copper and zinc used as
imitation gold in inexpensive jewelry

2.  cheap
copy:
an inferior imitation
adjective

1.  made
of pinchbeck: made from pinchbeck alloy

2.  imitation:
made in imitation of something and usually of inferior quality
[Mid-18th century. Named for
Christopher Pinchbeck, died 1732, English watchmaker and inventor of the
alloy.][1]



pinchbuck

pinchbuck
pinch·buck
[pínch bùk] (plural pinch·bucks)
noun

beetle with long antennae:
a long-bodied beetle, native to Europe, with long curving antennae. Latin name:
Harpium sycophanta[1]



pinchcock

pinchcock
pinch·cock 
[pínch kòk] (plural pinch·cocks)
noun

control for fluid:
a clamp used to control the flow of fluid through a flexible tube[1]



pincheffect

pincheffect
pinch
ef·fect
noun

PHYSICS
narrowing of charged-particle beam:
the narrowing of a beam of charged particles caused by the interaction of each
particle with the magnetic field generated by the movement of the beam[1]



pinchhit

pinchhit
pinch
hit
noun

BASEBALL
substitute hitter’s hit:
a hit made by a substitute hitter[1]



pinch-hit

pinch-hit
pinch-hit 
(past pinch-hit, past participle pinch-hit, present
participle pinch-hit·ting, 3rd person present singular pinch-hits)
intransitive verb

1.  BASEBALL act as
substitute hitter: to replace the scheduled
batter at bat in baseball, especially when a hit is needed

2.  substitute
for:
to take somebody else’s place at something
—pinch hit·ter, noun[1]



Pinchot,Gifford

Pinchot,Gifford
Pin·chot
[pínch ot], Gifford (1865–1946)

U.S. conservationist. He
advocated government protection of natural resources, and was chief of what is
now the Forest Service (1898–1910).[1]



pinchpenny

pinchpenny
pinch·pen·ny 
[pínch pènnee] adjective

ungenerous:
unwilling to spend or give money
noun
(plural pinch·pen·nies)

miser:
somebody who is unwilling to spend or give money[1]



pinchrunner

pinchrunner
pinch
run·ner
noun

BASEBALL
substitute runner:
a runner who replaces a batter who has successfully reached base, usually
because the batter is slow or injured[1]



Pinckney,Charles Cotesworth

Pinckney,Charles Cotesworth
Pinck·ney
[píngknee], Charles Cotesworth (1757–1824)

U.S. statesman. He helped to
draft the United States Constitution, and was four times governor of South
Carolina.[1]



pincurl

pincurl
pin
curl
(plural pin curls) noun

flat curl in hair:
a flat curl in hair, made by winding strands of hair into a circle and securing
it with a clip or hairpin[1]



pincushion

pincushion
pin·cush·ion 
[pín ksh’n] (plural pin·cush·ions)
noun

storage pad for pins:
a small stuffed pad used for sticking dressmaking pins into when they are not
being used[1]



Pindar

Pindar
Pin·dar 
[píndər] (lived 522? BC -443 BC)

Greek poet. He was the chief
lyric poet of Greece, his Triumphal Odes surviving intact.[1]



Pindaric

Pindaric
Pin·dar·ic 
or Pin·dar·ic ode noun

ode with two metrical forms:
a form of ode with three-stanza sections, the first and second stanzas having
one metrical form and the third having a different form.
Also called
Pindaric[1]



Pindaric

Pindaric
Pin·dar·ic 
[pin dérrik] (plural Pin·dar·ics)
adjective

1.  relating
to Pindar:
relating to the poet Pindar

2.  in
style of Pindar’s poetry: relating to Pindaric odes or
in the form of a Pindaric ode

[1]



pindown

pindown
pin
down
transitive verb

1.  identify
precisely:
to determine something with certainty • Can
you pin down the time of death?

2.  force
to decide:
to force somebody to keep a commitment or come to a decision • I
haven’t managed to pin him down to a date for our meeting yet.

3.  prevent
somebody from moving: to prevent somebody from
going anywhere • The platoon was pinned
down by enemy fire.

[1]



pine

pine1

pine1  [pīn]
(plural pines) noun

1.  TREES evergreen
tree:
an evergreen coniferous tree with needle-shaped leaves and woody cones. The
sticky sap of some species is used to make turpentine, and many species are
planted as ornamentals. Genus: Pinus (often used before a noun)

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from pine:
the wood of any pine tree, varying from soft to hard. It is widely used for
furniture and as a structural and finishing building material.

3.  TREES tree
resembling the pine: a coniferous tree or shrub
similar to the pine but unrelated, for example, the Norfolk Island pine or
ground pine
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin pinus, of uncertain origin: perhaps from,
ultimately, an Indo-European base meaning “to swell” (ancestor also of English fat ), the tree being “swollen” with resin.]
—pine·y [pnee], adjective[1]



pine

pine2
pine2  [pīn]
(past pined, past participle pined, present
participle pin·ing, 3rd person present singular pines)
intransitive verb

1.  yearn:
to long for somebody or something, especially somebody or something
unattainable

2.  waste
away:
to become weak and lose vitality as a result of grief or longing
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from, ultimately, Latin poena “penalty” (source of
English pain and penal ), from Greek poinē . Originally
in the sense “torture.”][1]



pineal

pineal
pin·e·al 
[pínnee əl, pī
n əl] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY relating
to pineal gland: relating to or secreted by the pineal
gland

2.  BOTANY cone-shaped:
shaped like a pine cone
[Late 17th century. Via
French pinéal from Latin pinea “pine cone,” from its
pine-cone-like shape, from pinus (see pine 1 ).][1]



pinealgland

pinealgland
pin·e·al
gland
or pin·e·al bod·y noun

organ secreting melatonin:
a small cone-shaped organ of the brain that secretes the hormone melatonin into
the bloodstream. It is one of the endocrine glands and is situated beneath the
back part of the corpus callosum. Technical name epiphysis[1]



pineapple

pineapple

pine·ap·ple 
[p nàpp’l] (plural pine·ap·ples)
noun

1.  FOOD juicy
yellow fruit: a large fruit with juicy yellow flesh, a
thick lumpy yellowish brown skin, and a tuft of tough pointed leaves at the top

2.  (plural
pine·ap·ples or pine·ap·ple) PLANTS plant on which pineapples
grow:
a tropical American plant that produces pineapples . It has a tall thick stem,
tough sword-shaped leaves, and dense clusters of small flowers. Latin name: Ananas
comosus

3.  ARMS grenade
with patterned surface: a hand grenade with a
surface of raised geometric shapes (slang)
[14th century. Originally
used for “pine cone”; the modern sense evolved because the fruit was thought to
resemble a pine cone.][1]



pineappleweed

pineappleweed
pine·ap·ple
weed
noun

plant that smells like
pineapple: a plant with greenish-yellow
flower heads that smell like pineapple when crushed. It is native to Asia, but
is naturalized in North America and Europe. Latin name: Matricaria matri[1]



PineBluff

PineBluff
Pine
Bluff 
[pīnbluf]

city in southeastern
Arkansas, on the Arkansas River, southeast of Little Rock. Population: 54,165
(1996)[1]



pinecone

pinecone
pine
cone
noun

seed
case of pine tree: a pine tree’s seed case,
usually woody, oval, and scaly
[See pineapple][1]



pineconefish

pineconefish
pine·cone
fish
noun

fish with scales like pine
cone’s: either of two marine fishes
of the Indian and Pacific Oceans with heavy scales that resemble the scales of
a pine cone. Family: Monocentridae[1]



pinedrops

pinedrops
pine·drops 
[pn dròps] plural noun

parasitic plant that grows
under pines: a purplish brown North
American plant of the wintergreen family. It is leafless, has drooping reddish
or white flowers, and grows under pine trees as a parasite on the roots. Latin
name: Pterspora andromedea (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



pineland

pineland
pine·land 
[pn lànd] noun

area of pines:
an area forested mainly with pine trees (often used in the plural)[1]



pineleaf scale

pineleaf scale
pine
leaf scale
noun

insect pest of pine needles:
an insect with a tough outer covering that attaches itself to pine needles and
seriously inhibits their growth. Latin name: Chionaspis pinifoliae[1]



pinene

pinene
pi·nene 
[p nn] (plural pi·nenes) noun

colorless
solvent:
either of two colorless liquid compounds found in turpentine and eucalyptus.
They have the same chemical formula and are used in manufacturing plastics and
as a solvent. C10H16
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin pinus “pine” + -ene .][1]



pineneedle

pineneedle
pine
nee·dle
noun

leaf of pine:
the needle-shaped leaf of a pine tree[1]



pinenut

pinenut
pine
nut
noun

edible pine seed:
a small sweet edible seed of some pine trees, especially a piñon[1]



pinery

pinery
pin·er·y 
[pnəree] (plural pin·er·ies) noun

1.  place
where pineapples are grown: a plantation or heated
greenhouse where pineapples are grown commercially

2.  pine
forest:
a pine forest, especially one planted for timber production

[1]



pinesap

pinesap
pine·sap 
[pn sàp] (plural pine·saps or
pine·sap) noun

parasitic pipelike plant:
a fleshy red or yellowish plant of the wintergreen family that resembles the
Indian pipe and grows as a parasite on tree roots. Latin name: Montropa
hypopithys[1]



pinesiskin

pinesiskin
pine
sis·kin
noun

finch that eats pine cone
seeds: a small North American finch
with brown plumage and yellow markings, that lives in coniferous forests and
eats the seeds from cones. Latin name: Carduelis pinus
Also called
siskin[1]



pinesnake

pinesnake
pine
snake
(plural pine snakes) noun

black and white bull snake:
a large bull snake with black and white markings that lives in pine forests in
the eastern United States. Latin name: Pituophis melanoleucus[1]



pinestraw

pinestraw
pine
straw
noun

Southern U.S.
fallen pine needles:
pine needles that have fallen to the ground[1]



pinetar

pinetar
pine
tar
(plural pine tars) noun

dark sticky substance:
a thick sticky brown to black substance obtained by the destructive
distillation of pine wood and used in making roofing materials, paints,
medicines, and shampoos[1]



pinewarbler

pinewarbler
pine
war·bler
noun

warbler of pine forests:
a warbler with a yellow breast, native to pine forests of the eastern United
States. Latin name: Dendroica pinus[1]



pinewood

pinewood
pine·wood 
[pn wd] (plural pine·woods) noun

1.  wood
from pine:
the wood of a pine tree (often used before a noun)

2.  BOTANY forest
of pines:
a small forest of pine trees (often used in the plural)

[1]



pinfeather

pinfeather
pin·feath·er 
[pín fèər] (plural pin·feath·ers)
noun

new feather:
a feather only recently emerged from a bird’s skin and still surrounded by a
horny sheath[1]



pinfish

pinfish
pin·fish 
[pín fìsh] (plural pin·fish·es
or pin·fish) noun

dark green Atlantic coast
fish: a small marine fish of the
porgy family with a thin dark green body and sharp dorsal spines, found along
the southern Atlantic coast of the United States. Latin name: Lagodon
rhomboides[1]



pinfold

pinfold
pin·fold 
[pín fld] (plural pin·folds) noun

1.  place
for stray animals: an enclosure for stray
animals, especially farm animals

2.  confining
place:
any place or situation that confines
[Pre-12th century. From an
alteration of earlier pund- “enclosure” (source also of pound ) + fold
.][1]



ping

ping

ping 
[ping] noun (plural pings)

1.  sound:
a single short ringing sound

2.  AUTOMOTIVE See knock

3.  ACOUSTICS sonar
pulse:
a brief sonic or ultrasonic pulse emitted by a sonar, the reflection or echo of
which is used in detecting submarines or schools of fish
verb (past
pinged, past participle pinged, present participle ping·ing,
3rd person present singular pings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ACOUSTICS ring:
to make a single short ringing sound, or to make something such as a bell
produce a ringing sound

2.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOTIVE See knock

3.  intransitive
verb
ACOUSTICS detect
underwater objects: to detect submarines or
schools of fish by emitting and receiving the echo of a brief sonic or
ultrasonic pulse
[Mid-18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



pinger

pinger
ping·er 
[píngər] (plural ping·ers) noun

device that pings:
a device that produces pinging noises, especially one used as part of
underwater detection equipment (informal)[1]



pingo

pingo
pin·go 
[píngō, píng gō]
(plural pin·gos) noun

mound
rising from permafrost: a large mound of
soil-covered ice forced up by the pressure of water in permafrost
[Mid-20th century. From Inuit
(Eskimo) pinguq .][1]



Ping-Pong

Ping-Pong
Ping-Pong 
[píng pòng] Trademark

a trademark for table tennis[1]



pinguid

pinguid
pin·guid 
[píng gwid] adjective

fatty:
containing a lot of fat, oil, or grease
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin pinguis “fat.”]
—pin·guid·i·ty [ping gwíddətee], noun[1]



pinhead

pinhead
pin·head 
[pínn hèd] (plural pin·heads) noun

1.  blunt
end of pin:
the rounded head of a pin

2.  small
thing:
something that is very small or trivial

3.  somebody
very unintelligent: somebody who is
unintelligent or thoughtless (informal insult)

[1]



pinheaded

pinheaded
pin·head·ed
[pín hèddəd] adjective

unintelligent:
unintelligent or very thoughtless (informal)[1]



pinhole

pinhole
pin·hole 
[pín hl] (plural pin·holes) noun

small hole:
a tiny hole or puncture of the size made by a pin[1]



pinholecamera

pinholecamera
pin·hole
cam·er·a
(plural pin·hole cam·er·as) noun

lenseless camera:
a basic form of camera with a tiny hole for the aperture, and no lens. Light
passes through the hole to form an inverted image on the film emulsion.[1]



pinion

pinion2
pin·ion2  [pínnyən]
noun

small
gear wheel:
a small gear wheel that engages with a larger gear or with a rack, for example,
in a vehicle steering system
[Mid-17th century. Via French
pignon, an alteration of earlier pignol, from, ultimately, Latin pinea
“pine cone,” from pinus (see pine 1 ).][1]



pinion

pinion1
pin·ion1  [pínnyən]
noun (plural pin·ions)

ZOOLOGY bird’s
wing:
a bird’s wing, especially the tip of the wing where the stiff flight feathers
are found, containing the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanx bones
transitive
verb
(past pin·ioned, past participle pin·ioned, present
participle pin·ion·ing, 3rd person present singular pin·ions)

1.  restrain:
to restrain or immobilize somebody, especially by tying his or her arms

2.  keep
from flying: to prevent a bird from flying by
removing or binding its wing feathers
[15th century. Via French pignon
from, ultimately, Latin pinna (see pin
).][1]



pinite

pinite
pin·ite 
[p nt] noun

gray-green
mineral:
a gray-green mineral that is a mixture of mica and chlorite, formed by the
alteration of the mineral cordierite
[Early 19th century. From
German Pinit, named for Pini, a mine in Saxony.][1]



pink

pink3
pink3  [pingk]
(plural pinks) noun

type
of sailing ship: a sailing ship with a narrow overhanging
stern
[Late 15th century. From
Middle Dutch pincke .][1]



pink

pink1
pink1  [pingk]
noun (plural pinks)

1.  COLORS pale
reddish color: a pale reddish color that, as a pigment,
is formed by mixing red and white

2.  PLANTS plant
with fragrant flowers: a plant with narrow
grayish-green leaves and fragrant flowers in various colors, especially pink,
white, or red. The carnation and sweet william are types of pink. Genus: Dianthus

3.  PLANTS fragrant
flower:
the fragrant pink, white, or red flower of a pink plant

4.  PLANTS plant
similar to true pink: a plant that is similar but
not related to the pink such as the wild pink or moss pink

5.  highest
form:
the highest degree or perfect example of something • the
pink of perfection

6.  CLOTHES red
hunting jacket: the scarlet riding coat traditionally
worn by fox hunters

7.  (slang
disapproving) See pinko
plural
noun
pinks

U.S. officers’ trousers:
light colored dress trousers formerly worn by United States Army officers
adjective
(comparative pink·er, superlative pink·est)

1.  COLORS colored
pink:
of the color pink

2.  POLITICS slightly
left-wing:
relating to or holding political views that tend toward the left (informal
disapproving)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from earlier Dutch pinck
“small,” from the phrase pinck oogen, literally “small eyes,” translated
in English as “pink eyes.” Originally used for the plant.]
in
the pink

in
excellent physical health (dated)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Dutch phrase pinck oogen meant literally “small eyes.” It was adopted
  into English in the partially translated form pink eyes, and it is
  thought that this may have been used as the name of a plant of the genus Dianthus
  . The abbreviated form pink emerged as a
  plant name in the 16th century. Many of these plants have pale red flowers,
  and by the 18th century pink was being
  used as a color term.

[1]



pink

pink2
pink2  [pingk]
(past pinked, past participle pinked, present
participle pink·ing, 3rd person present singular pinks)
transitive verb

1.  cut
with pinking shears: to cut fabric with pinking
shears to make a zigzag edge that will not easily fray

2.  stab:
to prick somebody’s skin with a sword or other pointed weapon

3.  decorate
with little holes: to make a pattern on leather
or other material by punching little holes in the surface
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German .][1]



pink-collar

pink-collar
pink-col·lar 
adjective

of jobs once done by women:
relating to jobs, especially clerical jobs, traditionally associated with
women.
See also
blue-collar
See also
white-collar[1]



pinkdollar

pinkdollar
pink
dol·lar
noun

spending power of gays and
lesbians: the collective spending
power of the gay and lesbian community, especially when targeted as consumers.
U.K. term
pink pound[1]



pinkelephants

pinkelephants
pink
el·e·phants
plural noun

hallucinations:
hallucinations in any form that are sometimes experienced by somebody who has
overindulged in alcohol or drugs (informal humorous)[1]



Pinkerton,Allan

Pinkerton,Allan
Pin·ker·ton
[píngkərtən], Allan (1819–1884)

Scottish-born U.S. detective.
He founded Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency (1850), which later provided
strikebreakers and ran the Union’s secret service in the Civil War.[1]



pinkeye

pinkeye
pink·eye 
[píngk ] noun

1.  inflammation
of the eye:
a contagious form of acute conjunctivitis in human beings and some domestic
animals marked by inflammation of the eyelid and eyeball

2.  cattle
illness:
an eye infection of cattle, caused by any of several different viruses or
bacteria. It is characterized by redness of the eye, production of tears that
attract flies, and sometimes blindness.

[1]



pinkie

pinkie
pink·ie
[píngkee] (plural pink·ies) or
pink·y [píngkee] (plural pink·ies)
noun

U.S.,
Canada, Scotland little finger:
the little finger (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch pinkje, from pink “little
finger.”][1]



pinkingshears

pinkingshears
pink·ing
shears 
or pink·ing scis·sors plural noun

scissors
with serrated blade: scissors for cutting cloth
that have one blade or both blades serrated, so that whatever they cut has a
zigzag edge, either for decoration or to prevent fraying
[From pink][1]



pinklady

pinklady
pink
la·dy
noun

gin cocktail:
a cocktail that is made by mixing gin, brandy, lemon or lime juice, egg white,
and grenadine[1]



pinko

pinko
pink·o 
[píngkō] (plural pink·os or
pink·oes) noun

somebody
with left-wing sympathies: somebody who leans toward
the political left (slang disapproving)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from pink, alluding to red in the sense “communist.”][1]



pinkpound

pinkpound
pink
pound
noun

U.K.
See pink dollar[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pinkroot

pinkroot
pink·root 
[píngk rt, píngk
rt] (plural pink·roots or pink·root) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with red and yellow flowers: a tropical or subtropical
perennial plant with pinkish roots that grows in the southeastern United States
and has red flowers tinged with yellow on the inside. Genus: Spigella
Also
called
worm grass

2.  MEDICINE powdered
root of pinkroot plant: the powdered root of the
pinkroot plant, formerly used to treat intestinal worms

3.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a fungal plant disease that affects bulbous plants, especially onions, causing
the roots to become pink and shriveled, and stunting root growth

[1]



pinksalmon

pinksalmon
pink
salm·on
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY small
Pacific salmon: a small salmon of northern Pacific
waters, the male of which has a pinkish body and a distinctive hump on the back
at breeding times. Latin name: Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Also
called
humpback salmon

2.  FOOD flesh
of pink salmon: the edible pink flesh of the pink
salmon, often canned

[1]



pinkslip

pinkslip
pink
slip
noun

termination
of employment notice: a termination of employment
notice that an employer gives to an employee (informal)
[From the traditional color
of such notices][1]



Pinkster

Pinkster
Pink·ster 
[píngkstər] or Pinx·ter [píngkstər] noun

Northeastern
U.S.
Whitsunday:
Whitsunday or Whitsuntide
[Mid-18th century. Via Dutch
from, ultimately, Greek pentēkostē (see Pentecost
).][1]



pinky

pinky
pink·y
noun

See
pinkie[1]



pinmoney

pinmoney
pin
mon·ey
noun

1.  money
for buying personal things: money that is earned, put
aside, or used for buying personal, often nonessential, things

2.  not
much money:
a small amount of money

3.  money
that man gives to wife: money that a man gives to
his wife, woman partner, or daughter for personal use (dated)

[1]



pinna

pinna
pin·na 
[pínnə] (plural pin·nae [pínnee] or pin·nas) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY feather,
wing, or fin: a feather, wing, fin, or other similarly
shaped body part or appendage

2.  BOTANY leaflet:
any one of the several leaflets that make up a pinnate compound leaf

3.  ANATOMY See auricle  noun 1
[Late
18th century. From Latin penna “feather” (source of English pen 1 ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to fly,” which is also the ancestor of English feather .]
—pin·nal, adjective[1]



pinnace

pinnace
pin·nace 
[pínnəss] (plural pin·naces) noun

small
boat:
a small boat such as a sailboat carried by a larger vessel and used as a gig or
a tender
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin pinus “pine” (see pine
).][1]



pinnacle

pinnacle
pin·na·cle 
[pínnək’l] noun (plural pin·na·cles)

1.  highest
point:
the highest or topmost point or level of something • at
the pinnacle of a career

2.  GEOGRAPHY mountain
peak:
a natural peak, especially a distinctively pointed one on a mountain or in a
mountain range

3.  ARCHITECTURE pointed
ornament:
a pointed ornament on top of a buttress or parapet
transitive
verb
(past pin·na·cled, past participle pin·na·cled, present
participle pin·na·cling, 3rd person present singular pin·na·cles)

1.  ARCHITECTURE add
pinnacle to something: to provide something with a
pinnacle

2.  put
something on pinnacle: to put or set something on a
pinnacle or on something resembling a top or peak
[13th century. Via Old French
from late Latin pinnaculum literally “little feather,” from Latin pinna
“feather” (see pinna ).][1]



pinnae

pinnae
pin·nae


Plural of
pinna[1]



pinnate

pinnate
pin·nate 
[pí nàyt] or pin·nat·ed [pí nàytəd] or pen·nate [pé nàyt] or pen·nat·ed [pé nàytəd] adjective

resembling
a feather:
resembling a feather in appearance or structure, especially in having a central
axis or stem with parts branching off it
[Early
18th century. From Latin pinnatus, from pinna (see pinna ).]
—pin·nate·ly,
adverb

—pin·na·tion [pi náysh’n], noun[1]



pinnati-

pinnati-
pinnati-
prefix

like
a feather • pinnatifid
[From Latin pinnatus
(see pinnate )][1]



pinnatifid

pinnatifid
pin·nat·i·fid 
[pi náttəfid] adjective

divided
like a feather: used to describe leaves that have a
central axis with parts branching off it
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from pinnati- + -fid .]
—pin·nat·i·fid·ly, adverb[1]



pinniped

pinniped
pin·ni·ped 
[pínnə pèd] (plural pin·ni·peds)
or pin·ni·pe·di·an [pìnnə pdee ən]
(plural pin·ni·pe·di·ans) noun

aquatic
mammal with flippers: any sea-dwelling mammal such
as a walrus, sea lion, or seal that has a streamlined body and four flippers
and eats fish and other meat. Suborder: Pinnipedia
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin Pinnipedia, order name, from Latin pinna
“wing, fin” + pes “foot.”]
—pin·ni·ped, adjective[1]



pinnule

pinnule
pin·nule 
[pínnyool] (plural pin·nules) or
pin·nu·la [pínnyələ] (plural pin·nu·lae
[pínnyə l]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fin-shaped
part:
a small fin or fin-shaped part of an organ or organism

2.  BOTANY lobes
of a leaflet: any of the small divisions or lobes of a
leaf that has a central axis with parts branching off it
[Late
16th century. From Latin pinnula “little feather” from pinna .]
—pin·nu·lar [pínnyələr], adjective[1]



PINnumber

PINnumber
PIN
num·ber
noun

See
PIN[1]



pinoak

pinoak
pin
oak
noun

oak
of eastern United States: an oak tree that grows in
wet regions of the eastern United States and has a pyramidal shape, deeply
lobed leaves, and small acorns. Latin name: Quercus palustris
[From the pinlike shape of
some of the tree’s branches][1]



Pinochet,Augusto

Pinochet,Augusto
Pin·o·chet
[pnō shay], Augusto (1915– )

Chilean
military dictator. Under his right-wing regime (1973–1990) dissidence was
brutally suppressed.
Full name
Pinochet Ugarte, Augusto[1]



pinochle

pinochle
pi·noch·le 
[p nùk’l, p
nòk’l] (plural pi·noch·les) or pi·noc·le [p nùk’l, p nòk’l]
(plural pi·noc·les) or pe·nuch·le [p nùk’l, p nòk’l]
(plural pe·nuch·les) or pe·nuck·le [p nùk’l, p nòk’l]
(plural pe·nuck·les) noun

1.  card
game with incomplete decks: a card game for two or four
players using two decks of cards that do not include two to eight. Certain
combinations of cards score points, as do tricks taken.

2.  winning
combination of cards: a combination of the queen
of spades and the jack of diamonds in the game of pinochle
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



pinocytosis

pinocytosis
pin·o·cy·to·sis 
[pìnnə si tṓssiss, pìnnə
sī tṓssiss] noun

means
of fluid intake by cell: the ingestion of fluid into
a cell by turning a portion of the cell membrane inwards to form a sheath that
is then pinched off to form an internal vesicle
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek pinein “to drink,” on the model of
“phagocytosis.”]
—pin·o·cy·tot·ic
[pìnnə si tóttik, pìnnə
sī tóttik], adjective

—pin·o·cy·tot·i·cal·ly
[pìnnə si tóttikəlee], adverb[1]



pinole

pinole
pi·no·le 
[pi nṓlee] noun

type
of flour:
flour that is made by mixing parched corn with ground mesquite beans and
sometimes adding other ingredients such as sugar, spices, and vanilla
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from Aztec pinolli .][1]



PinotGrigio

PinotGrigio
Pi·not
Gri·gio
[pnō grjō, pee
n grjō] (plural Pi·not Gri·gios) noun

1.  Italian
wine grape:
a white grape grown in Italy, used for making wine

2.  Italian
white wine:
a crisp dry white wine made from the Pinot Grigio grape
[From Italian, literally
“gray Pinot,” a grape variety (from French ; see Pinot
Noir )][1]



PinotNoir

PinotNoir
Pi·not
Noir 
[pnō nwr, pee
n nwr] (plural Pi·not Noirs) noun

1.  red
wine grape:
a black grape grown in the Burgundy area of France and also in Australia, the
United States, and elsewhere, used for making wine

2.  red
wine:
red wine made from the Pinot Noir grape
[From French, literally
“black Pinot” (a grape variety), from, ultimately, pin “pine cone,” from
the resemblance of the grape bunch to a pine cone][1]



pinpoint

pinpoint
pin·point 
[pín pynt] transitive verb (past
pin·point·ed, past participle pin·point·ed, present
participle pin·point·ing, 3rd person present singular pin·points)

identify something correctly:
to identify or locate something accurately
noun
(plural pin·points)

1.  something
small or trivial: something small or trivial and with no
value or consequence

2.  pin’s
point:
the sharp end of a pin or something that resembles it
adjective

precisely exact:
reflecting exact meticulous precision

[1]



pinprick

pinprick
pin·prick 
[pín prìk] noun (plural pin·pricks)

1.  small
hole made by pin: a small puncture, especially to the
skin, made by a pin or something with a similarly sharp end

2.  slight
wound:
a very minor wound

3.  minor
irritant:
a minor annoyance, nuisance, or distraction

4.  small
mark:
a very small dot or mark of something
transitive
verb
(past pin·pricked, past participle pin·pricked, present
participle pin·prick·ing, 3rd person present singular pin·pricks)

puncture something with pin:
to puncture something, especially the skin, with a pin or something with a
similarly sharp end

[1]



PINS

PINS
PINS
noun

LAW
Abbreviation of person in need of supervision[1]



pinsand needles

pinsand needles
pins
and need·les  noun

tingling sensation in body
part: a tingling sensation,
especially in the feet or hands, sometimes experienced when a temporarily
restricted blood flow to the affected body parts returns to normal (takes a singular
or plural verb)[1]



pinscher

pinscher
pin·scher 
[pínshər] (plural pin·schers) noun

See
Doberman pinscher
[Early 20th century. From
German, of uncertain origin: probably from English pinch, because of the
practice of clipping the dog’s ears.][1]



pinsetter

pinsetter
pin·set·ter 
[pín sèttər] (plural pin·set·ters)
noun

person or machine arranging
bowling pins: a person or machine in
a bowling alley that sets up and resets the pins[1]



Pinsk

Pinsk
Pinsk 
[pinsk]

city in southwestern Belarus.
Population: 130,000 (1996)[1]



pinstripe

pinstripe
pin·stripe
[pín strp] (plural pin·stripes)
noun

1.  narrow
line in fabric: any one of many very narrow lines in a
fabric

2.  material
with very narrow lines: material that has very
narrow lines in it, especially the kind of fabric used for making business
suits (often used before a noun)

3.  pinstripe
suit:
a suit made of pinstripe fabric (often used in the plural)
—pin·striped, adjective[1]



pint

pint
pint 
[pīnt] (plural pints) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of liquid measure: a unit of liquid measure
equal to one half quart or 0.473 liter in the United States and 0.568 liter in
the United Kingdom

2.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of dry measure: a unit of dry measure equal to one half
a quart or 0.551 liter in the United States and 0.568 liter in the United
Kingdom

3.  container:
a container or measure that has the capacity of a pint

4.  U.K.
pint
of liquid:
a pint of a liquid, especially of beer or milk (informal)
[14th century. From French pinte,
of uncertain origin: possibly via assumed Vulgar Latin pincta “painted
(mark on a container)” from, ultimately, Latin pingere “to paint.”][1]



pinta

pinta
pin·ta 
[píntə, pn t]
noun

tropical
skin disease: an infectious bacterial skin disease of
tropical America that is marked by the formation and eruption of papules, loss
of pigmentation, and thickening of the skin
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “painted spot,” from assumed Vulgar Latin pincta (see
pint ).][1]



pintail

pintail
pin·tail 
[pín tàyl] (plural pin·tail or
pin·tails) noun

slender
duck with pointed tail: a slender duck of the
northern hemisphere that has a long pointed tail and brown and white plumage.
Latin name: Anas acuta
[From the pointed tip of the male
bird’s tail][1]



pintle

pintle
pin·tle 
[pínt’l] (plural pin·tles) noun

pivoting
pin or bolt: a pin or bolt, especially one used as a
vertical pivot or hinge, for example, on a rudder
[Old English pintle
“peg, penis,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



pinto

pinto
pin·to 
[píntō] noun (plural pin·tos
or pin·toes) adjective

marked
with patches of white: used to describe a horse
that has a coat marked with irregular patches of white and another color,
usually brown, black, or gray.
Also
called
paint
U.K.
term
piebald
noun
(plural pin·tos or pin·toes)

pinto
horse:
a horse with irregular patches of white and another color on its coat.
Also
called
paint
U.K.
term
piebald
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “painted,” from, ultimately, Latin pingere “to
paint.”][1]



pintobean

pintobean
pin·to
bean
noun

1.  PLANTS bean
plant:
a variety of the kidney bean grown in the southwestern United States for food
and fodder

2.  FOOD edible
seed:
a mottled brown and pink kidney-shaped bean of the pinto bean plant
[Pinto from Spanish, “painted,
mottled”][1]



pint-size

pint-size
pint-size
or pint-sized adjective

little:
very small, especially smaller than usual or than expected (informal)[1]



pintuck

pintuck
pin
tuck
noun

decorative
fold:
a narrow vertical fold stitched in place and used for decoration, especially on
the front of clothes
—pin-tucked, adjective[1]



Pintupi

Pintupi
Pin·tu·pi
[píntəpee] (plural Pin·tu·pi or
Pin·tu·pis) or Pin·tu·bi [píntəbee]
(plural Pin·tu·bi or Pin·tu·bis) noun

PEOPLES member
of Aboriginal people: a member of a Native
Australian people that lives in the border regions between Western Australia
and Northern Territories
[Mid-20th
century. Of Australian Aboriginal origin.]
—Pin·tu·pi, adjective[1]



pinup

pinup
pin·up 
[pín ùp] noun (plural pin·ups)

1.  picture
of sexually desirable person: a photograph or poster of a
person, especially one in which the person is posing in a suggestive way and
scantily clothed or naked

2.  sexually
attractive person: a person considered
attractive enough to appear in a pinup picture
adjective

designed to hang on wall:
relating to things that are designed for hanging on, or attaching to, a wall

[1]



pinwale

pinwale
pin·wale 
[pín wàyl] adjective

with narrow wales:
in textiles, made with narrow wales such as pinwale corduroy[1]



pinweed

pinweed
pin·weed 
[pín wd] (plural pin·weeds or
pin·weed) noun

herb with tiny flowers:
a North American herb of the rockrose family, having numerous narrow leaves and
small flowers. Genus: Lechea[1]



pinwheel

pinwheel
pin·wheel 
[pín wl, pín
hwl] (plural pin·wheels) noun

1.  rotating
toy:
a child’s toy consisting of a stick with a set of plastic or paper blades
fitted to it, which spin around when the wind blows them.
U.K.
term
windmill

2.  firework:
a firework that, when ignited, forms a multicolored wheel that spins.
U.K.
term
Catherine wheel

[1]



pinwork

pinwork
pin·work 
[pín wùrk] noun

delicate raised stitches:
the delicate stitches that are raised above the main design in the embroidery
of needlepoint lace[1]



pinworm

pinworm
pin·worm 
[pín wùrm] (plural pin·worms) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY parasitic
nematode worm: a threadlike nematode worm that occurs
as a parasite in the intestines of vertebrate animals, including human beings.
Family: Oxyuridae

2.  MEDICINE pinworm
infestation: an infestation of pinworms

[1]



pinwrench

pinwrench
pin
wrench
noun

wrench with special pin:
a specialized wrench containing a pin fitted for insertion into the head of a
bolt so as to be able to drive the bolt[1]



Pinxter

Pinxter
Pinx·ter 
[píngkstər] noun

See
Pinkster[1]



pinxterflower

pinxterflower
pinx·ter
flow·er
or pink·ster flow·er noun

woodland
azalea of United States: a deciduous woodland azalea
of the southeastern United States that has funnel-shaped pink flowers. Latin
name: Rhododendron periclymenoides
[Pinxter “Whitsuntide”
(variant of pinkster, from Dutch, “Pentecost”), because it flowers
around Whitsuntide][1]



piny

piny
pin·y 
[pnee] (comparative pin·i·er,
superlative pin·i·est) or pine·y [pnee] (comparative pin·i·er, superlative
pin·i·est) adjective

of or like pine trees:
relating to or resembling pine trees, for example, in smell[1]



Pinyin

Pinyin
Pin·yin 
[pìn yín] or pin·yin [pìn yín] noun

transliterating
system for Chinese: a system for transliterating
written Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet for diplomatic, official,
and media uses, introduced in 1959 and adopted by the People’s Republic of
China in 1979
[Mid-20th century. From
Mandarin Chinese pīnyīn, literally “spell sound.”][1]



pinyon

pinyon
pin·yon 
noun

See
piñon[1]



pinyonjay

pinyonjay
pin·yon
jay
noun

See
piñon jay[1]



PIO

PIO
PIO
noun

Abbreviation of
public information office[1]



piolet

piolet
pi·o·let 
[p ə láy] (plural pi·o·lets) noun

ice
ax:
a double-headed ice ax used by mountaineers
[Mid-19th century. From
French dialect, formed from piola “small ax”; ultimately of Germanic
origin.][1]



pion

pion
pi·on 
[p òn] (plural pi·ons) noun

type
of subatomic particle: any of the group of three
mesons that have either single positive, negative, or zero charge, a mass
approximately 270 times that of the electron, and spin zero.
Also
called
pi meson
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pi meson .][1]



pioneer

pioneer
pi·o·neer 
[p ə nr] noun (plural pi·o·neers)

1.  inventor
or innovator: a person or group that is the first to
do something or that is a forerunner in creating or developing something new

2.  first
person to explore territory: somebody who goes into
previously uncharted or unclaimed territory with the purpose of exploring it
and possibly colonizing or settling it

3.  ARMY soldier
who builds things: a foot soldier whose duties
include going ahead of the main company to pave the way for them by building
roads, ditches, bridges, and other constructions

4.  ECOLOGY first
species to grow somewhere: the first species of plant
or animal life to begin living in a previously unoccupied site, for example, a
moss beginning to grow on otherwise bare rock
verb
(past pi·o·neered, past participle pi·o·neered, present
participle pi·o·neer·ing, 3rd person present singular pi·o·neers)

1.  transitive
verb
invent
or develop new thing: to experiment with or
develop something new

2.  transitive
verb
go
into unexplored territory: to go into previously
uncharted or unclaimed territory with the purpose of exploring it and possibly
colonizing or settling it

3.  intransitive
verb
act
as pioneer:
to act as a pioneer in a specified field
[Early 16th century. Via
French pionnier from, ultimately, the medieval Latin stem pedon-
“foot soldier,” from Latin ped-, the stem of pes “foot.”][1]



pious

pious
pi·ous 
[p əss] adjective

1.  RELIGION religious:
devoutly religious

2.  RELIGION religiously
reverent:
characterized by religious reverence

3.  acting
in falsely moralizing way: talking or acting in a
falsely, hypocritically, or affectedly moralizing way

4.  RELIGION holy
or sacred:
holy or sacred, especially as distinct from worldly

5.  praiseworthy:
deserving to be praised

6.  showing
due respect: showing appropriate respect, especially
toward parents (archaic)

7.  virtuous
and moral:
professing or showing great virtue and morality in the strict, traditional
sense of it
[15th
century. Formed from Latin pius “dutiful” (source of English pity and expiate
).]
—pi·ous·ly,
adverb

—pi·ous·ness, noun[1]



pip

pip4
pip4  [pip]
(past pipped, past participle pipped, present
participle pip·ping, 3rd person present singular pips)
transitive verb

U.K.
wound
or kill somebody with gun: to wound or kill a person or
animal with a bullet from a gun (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from pip 1 or pip 2 .][1]



pip

pip3
pip3  [pip]
(plural pips) noun

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE contagious
poultry disease: a contagious disease of birds,
especially domestic ones, characterized by the presence of a thick crust in the
mouth and throat, caused by an abnormal secretion of mucus

2.  MED minor
ailment:
a slight ailment in humans (informal dated)
[14th century. Via Middle
Dutch pippe from, ultimately, Latin pituita “phlegm.”][1]



pip

pip1
pip1  [pip]
(plural pips) noun

1.  seed
of fruit:
a small hard seed of an edible fruit such as an apple, pear, or orange

2.  section
of pineapple skin: any one of the many
irregular diamond-shaped sections on the outer skin of a pineapple

3.  rootstock
or flower:
a rootstock or flower of certain plants, especially the lily of the valley
[Late 18th century. A
shortening of pippin .][1]



pip

pip2
pip2  [pip]
noun (plural pips)

1.  spot
on die or domino: a single spot on a die or domino

2.  CARD GAMES mark
on playing card: a single symbol of a club, diamond,
heart, or spade on a playing card. The type of symbol designates the suit and
the number of them indicates the value of the card.

3.  U.K.
MILITARY something
indicating rank: something such as a diamond-shaped
insignia on the shoulder of a British Army officer’s uniform that indicates
rank (informal)

4.  speck:
a very small mark or piece of something
verb
(past pipped, past participle pipped, present
participle pip·ping, 3rd person present singular pips)

1.  intransitive
verb
BIRDS cheep:
to make a cheeping sound, especially when newly hatched (refers to birds)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIRDS use beak to break shell:
to use the beak to break through the shell during hatching (refers to birds)

3.  intransitive
verb
make
shrill noise: to make or emit a short shrill noise
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pipa

pipa1
pi·pa1  [ppə]
(plural pi·pas) noun

aquatic
toad:
a completely aquatic American toad that has a flattened body, large webbed
feet, and no eyelids or tongue. Genus: Pipa
Also
called
Suriname toad
[Early 18th century. Probably
from Galibi .][1]



pipa

pipa2
pi·pa2  [ppə]
(plural pi·pas) noun

plucked
string instrument: a plucked four-string
Chinese instrument with a fretted fingerboard like a guitar’s
[Mid-19th century. From
Chinese píba, literally “loquat”; so called from the instrument’s
shape.][1]



pipage

pipage
pi·page
[ppij] noun

1.  pipes
collectively: a number of pipes thought of
collectively or as a functioning system

2.  transportation
using pipes: the transportation or delivery of
something by means of pipes

3.  cost
of transporting something by pipe: the cost of
transporting or delivering something by means of pipes

[1]



pipal

pipal
pi·pal 
[pp’l] noun

See
bo tree[1]



pipe

pipe2
pipe2  [pīp]
(plural pipes) noun

1.  large
container for liquid: a large container for wine,
oil, or some other liquid

2.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of liquid capacity: a unit of liquid measure for
wine, equal to four barrels, two hogsheads, or 126 gallons

3.  MEASUREMENTS cask:
a cask that has the capacity of four barrels, two hogsheads, or 126 gallons
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Vulgar Latin pipa (see pipe 1 ).][1]



pipe

pipe1
pipe1  [pīp]
noun (plural pipes)

1.  tube
for transporting liquid or gas: a long cylindrical
tube that water, oil, gas, or other such material passes through

2.  tube
of any kind: an object in tubular form

3.  device
for smoking tobacco: a small bowl with a hollow
stem coming from it, used for smoking tobacco or other substances. Pipes are
usually made of wood or clay. The tobacco is burnt in the bowl and the smoke
drawn into the mouth through the stem.

4.  amount
in smoker’s pipe: the amount of tobacco or other substance
that the bowl of a smoker’s pipe holds

5.  BIOLOGY hollow
body part:
a tubular part or organ in a plant or animal, especially one in an animal’s
respiratory system

6.  MUSIC tubular
musical instrument played by blowing: any
of several tubular musical instruments that are played by blowing air into them

7.  MUSIC tubular
part of musical organ: any of the upright tubular
parts of a musical organ that produce sound when air is blown into them

8.  MUSIC HISTORY wind instrument of Middle
Ages:
a three-holed wind instrument, popular during the Middle Ages, played with one
hand while the other hand beats on a small drum called a tabor

9.  NAUTICAL sailor’s
whistle:
a small whistle used for signaling orders to a crew, usually by a boatswain

10. GEOLOGY cylinder-shaped
geological formation: a vertical cylinder-shaped
geological formation such as a vein of ore

11. GEOLOGY passage
through which lava flows: a vertical passage through
which molten lava flows

12. METALLURGY hole
in cast metal: a conical cavity in the middle of a
piece of metal, produced by gas escaping as the metal cools

13. high-pitched
noise:
a high-pitched or shrill noise such as a birdcall
plural
noun
pipes

1.  MUSIC bagpipes:
the bagpipes

2.  human
respiratory system: the human respiratory system
or vocal cords (slang)

3.  human
intestinal system: the human intestines and
bowels (slang)
verb
(past piped, past participle piped, present
participle pip·ing, 3rd person present singular pipes)

1.  transitive
verb
carry
something by pipe: to carry something,
especially water, gas, or a semisolid, by means of a pipe, pipeline, or system
of pipes • The
company pipes crude oil to the refinery.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb install
and connect pipes: to equip something with pipes
or install pipes and their connections in something

3.  transitive
verb
MUSIC play
tune on pipe: to play a tune on a musical pipe

4.  transitive
verb
MUSIC send
piped music through place: to send piped music through
a public place or workplace

5.  transitive
verb
MUSIC signal
something using pipe: to signal the arrival or
departure of somebody or something using a pipe

6.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL order
crew using boatswain’s pipe: to give orders to a crew
using a boatswain’s pipe

7.  transitive
verb
SEWING decorate
garment with piping: to add decorative piping to
a garment

8.  transitive
verb
FOOD decorate
food with piping: to add decorative piping to food,
especially by forcing it out of a bag that has a nozzle designed to create the
various decorative forms

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
high-pitched noise: to make a high-pitched or
shrill noise, or speak in a squeaky voice
[Old
English pīpe, via Vulgar Latin pipa from Latin pipare “to
peep, cheep” (source of English fife
), ultimately an imitation of the sound]
—pipe·ful, noun[1]



pipebomb

pipebomb
pipe
bomb
noun

bomb consisting of
explosive-filled pipe: a bomb made
of a length of pipe that is filled with explosives and is capped at its ends[1]



pipeclay

pipeclay
pipe
clay
noun

fine white clay:
a very fine white pure clay used in the manufacture of pottery and smokers’
pipes, and for whitening leather and other materials[1]



pipecleaner

pipecleaner
pipe
clean·er
noun

flexible fluffy wire for
cleaning pipe: a flexible wire covered
with fluffy material that is used for cleaning the stems of smokers’ pipes and
other things that are difficult to access[1]



pipedmusic

pipedmusic
piped
mu·sic
noun

background music in public
places: prerecorded, usually
easy-listening music played through speakers in public places and some
workplaces to create a soothing atmosphere[1]



pipedown

pipedown
pipe
down
intransitive verb

stop talking or become
quieter: to stop talking or become
less noisy or boisterous (informal) (often used as a command)[1]



pipedream

pipedream
pipe
dream
noun

unrealistic
notion:
a goal, hope, idea, or plan so fanciful that it is very unlikely to be realized
[From the dreams caused by
smoking opium][1]



pipefitter

pipefitter
pipe·fit·ter
[pp fìttər] (plural pipe·fit·ters)
noun

installer of pipes:
somebody whose job is to cut, fit, install, connect, and repair pipes[1]



pipefitting

pipefitting
pipe·fit·ting 
[pp fìtting] (plural pipe·fit·tings)
noun

1.  branch
of plumbing involving pipes: the branch of plumbing that
involves measuring, cutting, bending, and joining lengths of pipe, either in
installation or repairs

2.  act
or process of pipe installation: an act or process of
installing or connecting pipes

3.  something
used in connecting pipes: something that is used in
the connection or joining of pipes

[1]



pipeline

pipeline
pipe·line 
[pp ln] noun (plural pipe·lines)

1.  long
pipe system for transporting something: a
pipe or system of pipes designed to carry something such as oil, natural gas,
or other petroleum-based products over long distances, often underground

2.  channel
of communications: a channel of communications,
especially a private one among several people within a single organization

3.  system
for supplying something: a system for the supply or
transfer of something, especially goods or information
transitive
verb
(past pipe·lined, past participle pipe·lined, present
participle pipe·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular pipe·lines)

1.  send
something by pipe system: to send, connect, or carry
something by way of a long system of pipes

2.  TECHNOLOGY equip
something with long pipe system: to equip or supply
something with a long system of pipes
in
the pipeline

in preparation but not yet
ready[1]



pipeorgan

pipeorgan
pipe
or·gan
noun

musical organ producing sound
through pipes: a musical organ that
uses pipes to produce the sound, as opposed to a reed organ or an electric
organ. Most church organs are pipe organs .[1]



piper

piper
pip·er 
[ppər] (plural pip·ers) noun

1.  player
on pipe:
somebody who plays a pipe

2.  bagpiper:
somebody who plays the bagpipes
pay
the piper

to take the consequences for
something[1]



piperazine

piperazine
pi·per·a·zine 
[pī pérrə zn, pi
pérrə zn] noun

insecticide:
a colorless crystalline compound used to kill or expel parasitic worms and as
an insecticide. C4H10N2
[Late 19th century. Blend of piperidine and azine
.][1]



piperidine

piperidine
pi·per·i·dine 
[pī pérrə dn, pi
pérrə dn] noun

colorless
liquid compound: a colorless liquid compound that has a
peppery odor resembling ammonia and is used in making rubber and epoxy resins.
C5H11N
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from piperine + -idine
.][1]



piperine

piperine
pip·er·ine 
[píppə rn] noun

active
agent in pepper: a white crystalline alkaloid compound
that is the chief active component of pepper. C17H19NO3
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin piper (see pepper ).][1]



piperonal

piperonal
pi·per·o·nal 
[pī pérrə nàl, pi
pérrə nàl] noun

compound
used in perfumes: a white crystalline compound that has an
odor resembling heliotrope and is used in perfumes and flavorings. C19H63
[Mid-19th century. From
German, formed from Piperin “piperine.”][1]



pipesnake

pipesnake
pipe
snake
noun

tropical snake:
a snake found mostly in tropical areas that has a fused inflexible skull,
vestiges of hind limbs, and two unequally-sized lungs. Family: Anillidae[1]



pipesof Pan

pipesof Pan
pipes
of Pan
plural noun

See
panpipes[1]



pipestem

pipestem
pipe·stem
[pp stèm] noun (plural pipe·stems)

pipe’s
long stem:
the long, slender stem of a smoking pipe
adjective

skinny:
long, narrow, and very skinny[1]



pipestone

pipestone
pipe·stone 
[pp stn] noun

stone used for decorative
objects: a reddish or pinkish stone
resembling clay in consistency that some Native North Americans harden and use
for decorative objects and long, often ornate pipes[1]



pipette

pipette
pi·pette 
[pī pét] noun (plural pi·pettes)

small
tube for sucking up liquid: a small glass tube that
liquid is drawn into so that it can be measured, often before delivering it to
another container, for example, in experiments or in medication doses
transitive
verb
(past pi·pet·ted, past participle pi·pet·ted, present
participle pi·pet·ting, 3rd person present singular pi·pettes)

measure
or transfer liquid using pipette: to measure or deliver
an accurate amount of liquid using a pipette
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “little pipe,” from pipe “pipe,” from Vulgar Latin pipa
(see pipe 1 ).][1]



pipeup

pipeup
pipe
up
intransitive verb

1.  say
something:
to say something, often as an interruption or a clarification

2.  MUSIC begin
to sing or play instrument: to begin to sing or play a
musical instrument

[1]



pipewrench

pipewrench
pipe
wrench
(plural pipe wrench·es) noun

two-jawed wrench:
wrench with two adjustable, usually ridged jaws, one fixed and one moveable,
used to grip and turn pipes and other tubular objects[1]



piping

piping
pip·ing 
[pping] noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION pipes
collectively: pipes thought of collectively,
especially when they form a connected plumbing system in a house or other
building

2.  SEWING decorative
twisted cord: a twisted cord covered with a folded
strip of bias-cut fabric inserted into a seam as a decoration, for example, on
clothes and upholstery.
Also
called
tubing

3.  FOOD decorative
effect on food: a decorative effect used on food,
especially strands or swirls of icing in a contrasting color

4.  MUSIC skill
of playing musical pipe: the art, technique, or skill
of playing the bagpipes or another kind of musical pipe

5.  shrill
noise:
a shrill, high-pitched, or whistling noise

6.  MUSIC sound
of musical pipe: the sound of bagpipes or some other
musical pipe
adjective

shrilly pitched:
shrill and very high in pitch, as some voices are

[1]



pipistrelle

pipistrelle
pip·i·strelle 
[pìppi strél, píppi
strèl] (plural pip·i·strelles) or pip·i·strel
[pìppi strél, píppi
strèl] (plural pip·i·strels) noun

small
brown bat:
a small brown insect-eating bat found throughout the world. Genus: Pipistrellus
[Late 18th century. Via
French and Italian from, ultimately, Latin vespertilio “bat,” from vesper
“evening.”][1]



pipit

pipit
pip·it 
[píppit] (plural pip·its) noun

small
long-tailed songbird: a small songbird in the
wagtail family, resembling the lark, with brown speckled plumage and a long
tail. Family: Motacillidae
Also
called
titlark
[Mid-18th century. An
imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



pipkin

pipkin
pip·kin 
[pípkin] (plural pip·kins) noun

small
cooking pot: a small cooking pot, usually made of
metal or earthenware and with a handle going across the top
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly formed from pipe 2 .][1]



pippin

pippin
pip·pin 
[píppin] (plural pip·pins) noun

1.  FOOD variety
of apple:
any of several varieties of cultivated eating or cooking apples

2.  BOTANY pip or
seed:
a pip or seed, especially an apple seed

3.  desirable
or admirable person or thing: somebody or something that
is particularly desirable or admirable (dated informal)
[14th century. From French pepin
.][1]



pipsissewa

pipsissewa
pip·sis·se·wa 
[pip síssə wàw, pip
síssəwə] (plural pip·sis·se·was or pip·sis·se·wa)
noun

evergreen
plant:
an evergreen herb of the wintergreen family that has white or pinkish flowers
and jagged astringent leaves that are used medicinally as a diuretic. Genus: Chimaphila

Also
called
prince’s pine
[Late 18th century. From
Abnaki kpi-pskwàhsawe “flower of the woods.”][1]



pipsqueak

pipsqueak
pip·squeak
[píp skwk] (plural pip·squeaks)
noun

small
or insignificant person or thing: somebody or something
that is small or insignificant, but nevertheless often annoying or troublesome
(informal)
[Early 20th century. Thought
to suggest smallness and insignificance.][1]



piquant

piquant
pi·quant 
[pkənt, p knt,
pee knt] adjective

1.  spicy
or savory:
having a flavor, taste, or smell that is spicy or savory, often with a slightly
tart or bitter edge to it

2.  sharply
stimulating or provocative: refreshingly interesting,
stimulating, or provocative

3.  sharply
critical and biting: excessively severe or
hurtful, for example, in tone or content
[Early
16th century. From French, the present participle of piquer “to prick,
sting” (see pique 1 ).]
—pi·quan·cy,
noun

—pi·quant·ly,
adverb

—pi·quant·ness, noun[1]



pique

pique2
pique2 [peek]
noun (plural piques)

winning
score in piquet: in the game of piquet, a score of 30
points to an opponent’s 0 from the hand as dealt
intransitive
and transitive verb (past piqued, past
participle piqued, present participle piqu·ing, 3rd
person present singular piques)

score
a pique against somebody: in the game of piquet, to
score a pique against an opponent
[Mid-17th century. From
French pic, of uncertain origin.][1]



pique

pique1
pique1 [peek]
noun

bad mood: a bad
mood or feeling of resentment, especially when brought on by an insult, hurt
pride, or loss of face
verb
(past piqued, past participle piqued, present
participle piqu·ing, 3rd person present singular piques)

1.  transitive
verb
put
somebody in bad mood: to cause somebody to be in a
bad mood or to feel resentful

2.  transitive
verb
arouse
somebody’s interest: to cause a feeling of
interest, curiosity, or excitement in somebody

3.  reflexive
verb
take
pride in something: to take pride in something,
especially a personal attribute or ability
[Mid-16th century. Via French
piquer “to prick, irritate” from assumed Vulgar Latin piccare
(source of English pick 1 and picket ).][1]



piquet

piquet
pi·quet
[pi káy] or pic·quet [pi káy] noun

card
game:
a card game for two players who use only 32 cards instead of the usual 52, all
the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes having been left out. Scoring is by
declaring and winning tricks.
[Mid-17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Old French pic (see pique 2 ).][1]



piqué

piqué
pi·qué 
[pi káy, pee káy,
p kày] noun

closely
woven ribbed fabric: a closely woven ribbed
fabric produced from natural fibers, especially cotton or silk, and used mainly
in making clothes
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of piquer “to prick, stitch” (see pique 1 ).][1]



piracy

piracy
pi·ra·cy 
[prəssee] noun

1.  SHIPPING robbery
on high seas: robbery on the high seas, especially the
stealing of a ship’s cargo

2.  TRANSPORT robbery
on any form of transportation: robbery committed on
board any form of transportation, especially an aircraft

3.  TRANSPORT hijacking:
the hijacking of
an aircraft or another form of transportation

4.  use
of copyrighted material without permission: the
taking and using of copyrighted or patented material without authorization or
without the legal right to do so

5.  BROADCASTING illegal
broadcasting: the unauthorized or illegal broadcasting
of TV or radio programs
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin piratia, from Latin pirata (see pirate ).][1]



piragua

piragua
pi·ra·gua 
[pi rgwə] (plural pi·ra·guas)
noun

See
pirogue
[Early 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Carib, “dugout.”][1]



piranha

piranha
pi·ra·nha
[pi rnyə, pi
ránnyə, pi rnə, pi ránnə] (plural pi·ra·nhas or
pi·ra·nha) or pi·ra·ña [pi
rnyə, pi ránnyə, pi rnə, pi ránnə]
(plural pi·ra·ñas or pi·ra·ña) noun

small
tropical fish with sharp teeth: a small South American
freshwater fish that has sharp teeth, strong jaws, and is a dangerous predator
when attacking in large numbers. Genus: Serrasalmo
Also
called
caribe
[Mid-18th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi piráya .][1]



pirate

pirate
pi·rate 
[prət] noun (plural pi·rates)

1.  SHIPPING robber
at sea:
somebody who commits robbery on the high seas, especially regularly

2.  SHIPPING ship
used by sea robbers: a ship used by people who
rob or otherwise attack shipping on the high seas

3.  somebody
using copyrighted material without permission:
somebody who duplicates or uses copyrighted or patented material without
authorization or without the legal right to do so

4.  BROADCASTING somebody
involved in illegal broadcasting: somebody who takes
part in or manages the unauthorized or illegal broadcasting of TV or radio
programs
verb
(past pi·rat·ed, past participle pi·rat·ed, present
participle pi·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular pi·rates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rob
something on high seas: to rob a vessel or commit
robbery on the high seas

2.  transitive
verb
use
copyrighted material without permission: to
duplicate or use copyrighted or patented material without authorization or
without the legal right to do so
[13th
century. Via Latin pirata from Greek peiratēs, from peiran
“to attempt, attack.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English peril and empiric .]
—pi·rat·ic
[pī ráttik], adjective

—pi·rat·i·cal·ly [pī ráttikəlee], adverb[1]



piraña

piraña
pi·ra·ña
noun

See
piranha[1]



pirog

pirog
pi·rog 
[pi rṓg] (plural pi·ro·gi [pi rṓgee] or pi·ro·ghi) noun

large
filled pie:
a large rectangular pie that has a pastry crust top and bottom, filled with
chopped meat or cabbage, onions, and hard-boiled eggs
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian .][1]



pirogue

pirogue
pi·rogue 
[pi rṓg] (plural pi·rogues) noun

dugout
canoe:
a canoe made from a hollowed-out tree trunk.
Also
called
piragua
[Early
17th century. Via French from Carib piragua “dugout” (source of English piragua ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Recurrent
  in neighboring Mississippi and East Texas, the term pirogue,
  as well as the distinctive artifact itself, is a Louisiana marker. Although
  many occurrences appear across the state, north of the Atchafalaya River,
  nearly twice as many instances occur in the southern part of the state, the
  Cajun bayou country, west of New Orleans.

[1]



pirouette

pirouette
pir·ou·ette 
[proo ét] noun (plural pir·ou·ettes)

body
spin when dancing: a fast complete spin of the
body, especially one performed on the tip of the toe or the ball of one foot in
ballet
intransitive
verb
(past pir·ou·et·ted, past participle pir·ou·et·ted,
present participle pir·ou·et·ting, 3rd person present singular
pir·ou·ettes)

perform
a pirouette: to perform a fast body spin on one foot,
especially in ballet
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Old French, “spinning top,” of unknown origin.][1]



pirozhki

pirozhki
pi·rozh·ki
[pi ráwshkee, pi
róshkee] or pi·rosh·ki [pi
ráwshkee, pi róshkee] plural noun

small
filled pastries: very small fried or baked pastries,
filled with finely chopped meat or cabbage and onions, sometimes also with
chopped hard-boiled eggs, or with potato or some similar filling (takes a
singular or plural verb)
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, literally “little pirog,” from pirog
.][1]



Pisa

Pisa
Pi·sa 
[pzə]

capital of Pisa Province,
Tuscany Region, central Italy. It is known for its leaning bell tower.
Population: 97,872 (1993)
See also
Leaning Tower of Pisa[1]



pisaller

pisaller
pis
al·ler 
[pz a láy] (plural pis al·lers)
noun

last
resort:
something that is done as a last resort or when no other option is available
[From French, from pis
“worse” + aller “to go”][1]



piscary

piscary
pis·ca·ry 
[pískəree] (plural pis·ca·ries)
noun

LAW legal
right to fish: the legal right to fish in a particular
place even if it belongs to another person
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin piscaria from, ultimately, Latin piscis “fish” (see pisci- ).][1]



piscatorial

piscatorial
pis·ca·to·ri·al 
[pìskə táwree əl] or pis·ca·to·ry
[pískətàwree] adjective

of
fish or fishing: relating to fish, fishing, or fishers (formal)
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin piscatorius from, ultimately, piscis “fish” (see pisci- ).][1]



Piscean

Piscean
Pi·sce·an 
[psee ən] (plural Pi·sce·ans)
noun

See
Pisces  noun 2
—Pi·sce·an, adjective[1]



Pisces

Pisces

Pi·sces 
[p sz] (plural Pi·sces) noun

1.  ZODIAC 12th
sign of zodiac: the 12th sign of the zodiac, represented
by two fishes and lasting from approximately February 19 to March 20. Pisces is
classified as a water sign and its ruling planets are Jupiter and Neptune.
Also
called
Fishes

2.  ZODIAC somebody
born under Pisces: somebody whose birthday
falls between February 19 and March 20.
Also
called
Piscean

3.  ASTRONOMY zodiacal
constellation between Aquarius and Pisces: a
large faint zodiacal constellation between Aquarius and Pisces
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, plural of piscis “fish” (source of English porpoise ).]
—Pi·sces, adjective[1]



pisci-

pisci-
pisci-
prefix

fish
• pisciform
[From Latin piscis .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “fish” that is also the ancestor of
English fish and porpoise .][1]



pisciculture

pisciculture
pi·sci·cul·ture 
[psee kùlchər, píssee
kùlchər] noun

controlled
breeding of fish: the controlled breeding, hatching, and
rearing of fish, especially for scientific or commercial purposes
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin piscis “fish” (see pisci-
), on the model of “agriculture.”]
—pi·sci·cul·tur·al
[psee kúlchərəl], adjective

—pi·sci·cul·tur·al·ly
[psee kúlchərəlee], adverb

—pi·sci·cul·tur·ist [psee kúlchərist], noun[1]



pisciform

pisciform
pi·sci·form 
[psee fàwrm, píssee
fàwrm] adjective

resembling a fish:
shaped like or otherwise resembling a fish (formal)[1]



piscina

piscina
pi·sci·na 
[pi snə, pi snə,
pi shnə] (plural pi·sci·nas or
pi·sci·nae [pi snee]) noun

1.  sacred
container for holy water: in some Christian churches,
a sacred container or basin that holds holy water, used to carry it away after
ablutions have been completed.
Also
called
sacrarium

2.  place
where priest washes sacred containers: the
place where a priest can wash his hands and the sacred containers used in Mass,
located in the sacristy, especially in a Roman Catholic church
[Late
16th century. Via medieval Latin, literally “fish pond,” from piscis
“fish” (see pisci- ).]
—pis·ci·nal [píssən’l], adjective[1]



piscine

piscine
pi·scine 
[p sn, pí sn]
adjective

of
fish:
relating to, characteristic of, or resembling fish (formal)
[Late 18th century. Via
medieval Latin piscinus from Latin piscis “fish” (see pisci- ).][1]



PiscisAustrinus

PiscisAustrinus
Pi·scis
Aus·tri·nus 
[pìssiss o strnəss, pssiss o strnəss] noun

small southern constellation
near Aquarius: a small constellation
of the southern hemisphere between Grus and Aquarius[1]



piscivorous

piscivorous
pi·sciv·o·rous 
[pi sívvərəss, pī
sívvərəss] adjective

fish-eating:
feeding habitually or mainly on fish[1]



pish

pish
pish 
[pish] interjection

used
to express contempt: used to express contempt,
annoyance, or impatience
[Late 16th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



pisiform

pisiform
pi·si·form 
[píssə fàwrm] adjective

like
a pea:
resembling a pea in shape or size
noun
(plural pi·si·forms)

See
pisiform bone
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin pisum “pea.”][1]



pisiformbone

pisiformbone
pi·si·form
bone
(plural pi·si·form bones) noun

small wrist bone:
the small knobbly bone at the place where the inner bone of the forearm ( ulna ) joins the wrist ( carpus
).
Also called
pisiform[1]



pismire

pismire
pis·mire 
[píss mr, píz
mr] (plural pis·mires) noun

U.K.
ant:
an ant (archaic or informal) (regional)
[14th century. From piss (from the smell of formic acid) + obsolete mire
“ant.”][1]



pismoclam

pismoclam
pis·mo
clam 
[pízzəmō klam] (plural pis·mo
clams) noun

large
edible clam: a large edible thick-shelled marine clam
native to the Pacific coast of North America. Latin name: Tivela stultorum
[Named for Pismo Beach
in California, where the clams are found][1]



pisolite

pisolite
pi·so·lite 
[psə lt] noun

limestone
made up of spherical concretions: an inorganic limestone
consisting of individual spherical concretions ( pisoliths
)
[Early
18th century. Formed from Greek pisos “pea” + -lite
.]
—pi·so·lit·ic [psə líttik], adjective[1]



pisolith

pisolith
pi·so·lith 
[psə lith, pzə
lith, píssə lith, pízzə lith] (plural pi·so·liths) noun

concretion
in limestone: a spherical concretion with concentric
laminations that with others makes up an inorganic limestone. Pisoliths can be
up to 10 cm4 in. in diameter.
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Greek pisos “pea” + -lith .][1]



piss

piss
piss 
[piss] verb (past pissed,
past participle pissed, present participle piss·ing,
3rd person present singular piss·es) (slang offensive)

1.  intransitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to urinate

2.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to discharge something, for example, blood, when
urinating

3.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to urinate on or into something
noun
(plural piss·es) (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for urine

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an act or instance of urinating
[13th
century. Via French pisser from assumed Vulgar Latin pissiare,
ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
piss
and vinegar

an offensive term for feisty
strength of character and physical vigor (slang offensive)[1]



pissant

pissant
piss·ant
[píss ànt] or piss-ant [píss ànt] or piss ant [píss ànt] noun (plural pis·sants)
(plural piss-ants) (plural piss ants) (informal
offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who pays too much attention to small details

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody of no importance or stature
adjective
(informal offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning paying too much attention to small details

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning of no importance, significance, or consequence
[Mid-17th century. From piss + ant ;
the underlying meaning is “insignificant person.”][1]



Pissarro,Camille

Pissarro,Camille
Pis·sar·ro
[pi srō], Camille (1830–1903)

French
painter. He was a major exponent of the impressionist style, and is known for
his landscapes, river scenes, and street scenes.
Full name
Pissarro, Camille Jacob[1]



pissaway

pissaway
piss
away
transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to waste or squander something, for example, money or
time (slang offensive)[1]



pissed

pissed
pissed 
[pist] adjective (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning extremely angry or upset.
U.K.
term
pissed off

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning extremely drunk

[1]



pissedoff

pissedoff
pissed
off
adjective

U.K.
(slang offensive) See pissed[1]



pisser

pisser
piss·er 
[píssər] (plural piss·ers) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody or something regarded as extremely annoying,
upsetting, or unpleasant (slang offensive)

2.  somebody
or something surprisingly good: somebody or something
that is unexpectedly good or worthwhile (offensive in some contexts)

[1]



pissoff

pissoff
piss
off
verb (slang offensive)

1.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to annoy, irritate, or upset somebody

2.  intransitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to go away and stop being annoying (often used as a
command)

[1]



pissoir

pissoir
pis·soir 
[pee swr] (plural pis·soirs) noun

public
urinal:
a public urinal, especially one on the streets of some European cities, with a
circular screen around it
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from pisser (see piss
).][1]



pisspot

pisspot
piss·pot
[píss pòt] (plural piss·pots) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody regarded as ill-tempered and generally mean (slang
offensive)
[Originally in the literal
meaning “chamber pot”][1]



pistachio

pistachio

pis·ta·chi·o 
[pi stáshe , pi
stshee ] noun

1.  (plural
pis·ta·chi·os or pis·ta·chi·o) TREES small Asian tree:
a small Mediterranean or Asian tree of the cashew family that yields
hard-shelled nuts, the kernels of which are edible. Latin name: Pistachia
vera

2.  pis·ta·chi·o
(plural pis·ta·chi·os) or pis·ta·chi·o nut (plural
pis·ta·chi·o nuts) nut kernel of pistachio tree:
the small edible green kernel of the nut of the pistachio tree
[15th century. Via Old French
pistace and Italian pistacchio from, ultimately, Greek pistakion,
from pistakē “pistachio tree,” possibly of Iranian origin.][1]



pistachiogreen

pistachiogreen
pis·ta·chi·o
green
noun

pale
yellowish-green: of a pale yellowish-green color, like
the kernel of a pistachio nut
—pis·ta·chi·o green, noun[1]



piste

piste
piste 
[peest] (plural pistes) noun

SKIING snow-covered
slope for skiing: a downhill track or area of densely
packed snow that provides good skiing conditions
[Early 18th century. Via
French, “track,” from, ultimately, Latin pinsere “to beat”; the
underlying meaning is “beaten track.”][1]



pistil

pistil
pis·til 
[píst’l] (plural pis·tils) noun

female
reproductive plant part: a carpel or group of fused
carpels forming the female reproductive part of a flower and including the
ovary, style, and stigma
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via French pistile from Latin pistillum “pestle,” because of
its shape.][1]



pistillate

pistillate
pis·til·late 
[píst’l àyt, píst’lət]
adjective

with one or more pistils:
having one or more pistils but usually without stamens[1]



pistol

pistol
pis·tol 
[píst’l] noun (plural pis·tols)

small
gun:
a small short-barreled gun designed to be held in one hand
transitive
verb
(past pis·toled, past participle pis·toled, present
participle pis·tol·ing, 3rd person present singular pis·tols)

shoot
somebody or something with pistol: to shoot somebody or
something using a pistol
[Mid-16th century. Via French
pistole from, ultimately, Czech pišt’ala, literally “pipe,” from pištěti
“to whistle,” ultimately an imitation of the sound.][1]



pistole

pistole
pis·tole 
[pi stṓl] (plural pis·toles) noun

old
European gold coin: a gold coin used in some
European countries during the 17th and 18th centuries
[Late 16th century. From
French, a shortening of pistolet, of unknown origin.][1]



pistoleer

pistoleer
pis·to·leer 
[pìstə lr] (plural pis·to·leers)
noun

somebody armed with pistol:
somebody, especially a soldier, who carries or uses a pistol (archaic)[1]



pistolgrip

pistolgrip
pis·tol
grip
noun

handle resembling butt of
pistol: a handle that resembles the
butt of a pistol, especially in being shaped to fit the hand[1]



pistol-whip

pistol-whip
pis·tol-whip 
transitive verb

hit somebody or something
with pistol: to hit or beat somebody
or something with the butt or barrel of a pistol[1]



piston

piston
pis·ton 
[pístən] (plural pis·tons) noun

1.  ENGINEERING metal
cylinder sliding within tube: a metal cylinder that slides
up and down inside a tubular housing, receiving pressure from or exerting
pressure on a fluid, used e.g. in an internal-combustion engine

2.  MUSIC valve
in brass instrument: the valve mechanism in a
brass musical instrument that is used to alter its pitch
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian pestone “large pestle,” from pestare “to
crush.”][1]



pistonring

pistonring
pis·ton
ring
noun

metal ring attached around
piston: a metal ring or series of
rings attached around a piston to ensure a tight seal with the cylinder wall
and prevent gaseous leakage[1]



pistonrod

pistonrod
pis·ton
rod
noun

rod transmitting motion of
piston: a rod connected to a piston
that transmits the motion of the piston to a pump or an engine.
Also called
rod[1]



Piston,Walter

Piston,Walter
Pis·ton 
[pístən], Walter (1894–1976)

U.S. composer and teacher.
Known for his orchestral and chamber works, he won Pulitzer Prizes for two of
his symphonies.[1]



pistou

pistou
pis·tou 
[pee st] noun

sauce
from Provence: a sauce from Provence made of basil,
garlic, and olive oil, similar to Italian pesto
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from Provençal, the past participle of pestar “to crush,” from late Latin pistare
(see pesto ).][1]



pit

pit2
pit2  [pit]
noun (plural pits)

BOTANY fruit
kernel:
the kernel or stone of a fruit
transitive
verb
(past pit·ted, past participle pit·ted, present
participle pit·ting, 3rd person present singular pits)

remove
kernel from fruit: to remove the kernel or
stone from a fruit
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch, from a prehistoric Germanic word that was also
the ancestor of English pith .][1]



pit

pit1
pit1  [pit]
noun (plural pits)

1.  big
hole in ground: a large hole in the ground

2.  MINING hole
in ground for mining: a deep hole in the ground
that gives access to a mining resource, especially coal

3.  MINING mineshaft:
a shaft that gives access to a mine

4.  small
indentation: a small indentation that detracts from
the appearance or functioning of something

5.  MEDICINE small
indentation left by illness: a small indentation in the
skin, usually permanent, left by a disease such as chickenpox or by a skin
disorder such as acne

6.  ANATOMY natural
hollow:
a natural hollow, especially on the surface of a body part

7.  lowest
part:
the very bottom of something

8.  See
pitfall  noun 2

9.  MOTOR SPORTS servicing
area for racing cars: an area, or section of an
area, off the side of an auto racing track where vehicles can get fuel, fresh
tires, and repairs (often used in the plural)

10. AUTOMOTIVE sunken
area for examining cars: a sunken area, especially in
a garage, where the undercarriages of cars and other motor vehicles can be
inspected and repaired

11. SPORTS arena
for fighting: an arena that is cordoned off for bouts
of fighting, especially illegal fighting between cocks or dogs.
See
also
cockpit

12. GAMBLING area
in casino:
the area in a casino where the gambling takes place

13. STOCK EXCHANGE area
on floor of exchange: the area of the floor of an
exchange where commodities trading takes place

14. SPORT sandy
area where jumpers land: a soft sandy area where a
long jumper, triple jumper, or pole vaulter can land safely

15. area
containing particular substance: an area filled with a
particular material or substance • a tar
pit

16. CHRISTIANITY Hell:
Hell (archaic)

17. BOTANY concave
spot on plant wall: a tiny concavity or
thin-walled area in the wall of a plant serving to help transport water and
nutrients
transitive
verb
(past pit·ted, past participle pit·ted, present
participle pit·ting, 3rd person present singular pits)

1.  set
up in opposition: to set somebody or something up in
opposition to somebody or something else

2.  mark
surface with small holes: to cause small holes or indentations
to form in a surface

3.  put
somebody or something into deep hole: to
put or bury somebody or something in a deep hole
plural
noun
pits

worst possible thing, person, or place:
the worst or most unpleasant thing, person, or place it is possible to find (informal)
[Old English pytt ;
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was borrowed from Latin puteus
“pit, well”][1]



pita

pita1
pi·ta1  [ptə]
(plural pi·tas) noun

plant
yielding strong fibers: a plant such as the agave
that yields a strong fiber used to make paper and cordage
[Late 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Taino .][1]



pita

pita2
pi·ta2  [ptə]
or pi·ta bread [ptə] noun

flat
Middle Eastern bread: a flat round Middle Eastern
unleavened bread that can be opened to insert a filling
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek pētta, pit(t)a “bread, pie.”][1]



pitapat

pitapat
pit·a·pat 
[pìttə pát] adverb

with
tapping sound: with quick light tapping noises
noun
(plural pit·a·pats)

series
of tapping noises: a series of quick light
tapping noises, especially those made by light, running feet
intransitive
verb
(past pit·a·pat·ted, past participle pit·a·pat·ted,
present participle pit·a·pat·ting, 3rd person present singular
pit·a·pats)

make
series of tapping noises: to make a series of quick
light tapping noises
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



pitboss

pitboss
pit
boss
(plural pit boss·es) noun

casino gambling supervisor:
the supervisor of all gambling-table operations in a casino[1]



pitbull

pitbull
pit
bull
(plural pit bulls) noun

1.  See
pit bull terrier

2.  aggressor:
a highly aggressive or ruthless person (slang)

[1]



pitbull terrier

pitbull terrier
pit
bull ter·ri·er noun

large bull terrier:
a large bull terrier similar to the Staffordshire bull terrier but more
muscular and powerful. The breed was first developed in the United States in
dogfighting circles and remains unrecognized by the Kennel Clubs.
Also called
American pit bull terrier
Also called
pit bull[1]



PitcairnIsland

PitcairnIsland
Pit·cairn
Is·land 
[pít kairn lənd]

island in the central South
Pacific Ocean. It is the main island of a group forming a dependency of the
United Kingdom. It was first inhabited by mutineers from HMS Bounty in
1790. Population: 61 (1991) Area: 5 sq km/2 sq mi.[1]



pitch

pitch2
pitch2  [pich]
noun (plural pitch·es)

1.  substance
obtained from tar: a dark sticky substance
obtained from tar and used in the building trades, especially for waterproofing
roofs

2.  natural
tarry substance: a sticky dark substance such as asphalt,
found naturally

3.  resin:
resin that is obtained from the sap of certain pine trees
transitive
verb
(past pitched, past participle pitched, present
participle pitch·ing, 3rd person present singular pitch·es)

spread pitch on surface:
to coat a surface with pitch
[Partly Old English pic,
and partly from Anglo-Norman piche, both ultimately from Latin pix
(source also of English pay )][1]



pitch

pitch1

pitch1  [pich]
verb (past pitched, past participle pitched,
present participle pitch·ing, 3rd person present singular pitch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb throw
something:
to throw or hurl something

2.  transitive
verb
throw
something away: to get rid of or discard something by
throwing it or by performing an action similar to throwing

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL throw ball to batter:
to throw a ball from the mound to the batter

4.  transitive
verb
set
up temporary structure: to set up a camp, tent,
marquee, or other temporary structure

5.  transitive
verb
secure
something in ground: to secure, embed, or implant
something in the ground

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
or make fall down: to fall or stumble, or cause
somebody or something to fall or stumble, especially headfirst

7.  intransitive
verb
slant
in particular way: to slant or slope in a
particular way or to a particular level

8.  transitive
verb
set
something at particular intellectual level: to
put, set, or have something at a particular intellectual level

9.  intransitive
verb
wobble
up and down: to move with the front and rear being
alternately uppermost, for example, in rough water or turbulent air currents (refers
especially to ships and aircraft)

10. transitive
verb
try
to sell or promote something: to try to sell or promote
something such as a product, personal viewpoint, or potential business venture,
often in an aggressive way

11. intransitive
and transitive verb GOLF hit golf ball high:
to hit a high ball, usually onto the green and often with some backspin so that
it does not roll too much on landing

12. transitive
verb
MUSIC set
instrument to particular key: to set a musical instrument
to a particular key

13. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES lead
card to establish trumps: to lead a card of a
particular suit in order to establish that suit as trumps for the trick

14. intransitive
verb
give
enthusiastic support: to provide enthusiastic
support for somebody or something
noun (plural
pitch·es)

1.  way
of throwing something: a particular way or manner
of throwing something, especially a ball

2.  BASEBALL throw
of ball to batter: the act or an instance of
the pitcher throwing a ball from the mound to the batter

3.  particular
degree of something: a particular degree or level
of something • What
drove him to such a pitch of anxiety?

4.  degree
of slope of something: the degree, angle, or extent
of the slope of something, especially a hill, road, or other feature

5.  BUILDING degree
of elevation of roof: the degree of elevation of a
roof, usually expressed in terms of the ratio between its height and its span

6.  ARCHITECTURE highest
or lowest point on feature: the highest or lowest point
on a feature such as an arch

7.  MUSIC particular
frequency of single note: the level of a sound in the
scale, defined by its frequency

8.  TECHNOLOGY distance
between similar forms: the spacing between adjacent
forms on an object that has repeated elements, for example, the distance
between threads on a screw thread

9.  AIR angle
to which propeller set: the angle between the plane
passing through a propeller blade and the plane of rotation of the propeller

10. GOLF high
golf shot:
a golf shot, especially one from fairway to green, in which the ball lofts high
in the air, often with some backspin, so that it does not roll too far on
landing

11. aggressive
speech aiming to persuade somebody: an
aggressive speech given, often more than once, in order to try to persuade
somebody to accept or buy something (informal)

12. tossing
motion:
an act or instance of pitching up and down, for example, in rough water or air
turbulence

13. U.K.
SPORTS field
for game:
a playing area for a team ball game

14. GEOLOGY tilt
of geological formation: the inclination from the
horizontal of a geological formation or structure, for example, a vein or
stratum

15. MOUNTAINEERING distance
separating climbers: the distance between
climbers making an ascent or descent using the same ropes, equal to one rope
length or less
[12th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



pitch-and-putt

pitch-and-putt
pitch-and-putt
(plural pitch-and-putts) noun

1.  shortened
version of golf: a game similar to regulation golf, but
played on a much shorter course, in which players use only two clubs, an iron
and a putter. The distance to each hole is around one third of the length of
the average golf hole.

2.  pitch-and-putt
course:
a course for pitch-and-putt, with holes shorter than those for regulation golf

[1]



pitch-and-toss

pitch-and-toss
pitch-and-toss
noun

coin-throwing game:
a game of skill and luck that involves each player throwing a coin toward a
designated spot. The person whose coin lands closest to the mark then takes up
all the coins and drops them, and any coins that land heads up are won by that
player.[1]



pitchbend

pitchbend
pitch
bend
(plural pitch bends) noun

modification of pitch:
an instrumental and vocal technique by which the pitch of a note is modified by
raising or lowering it slightly[1]



pitch-black

pitch-black
pitch-black 
adjective

extremely dark:
extremely dark, especially when dark enough to make seeing difficult or
impossible[1]



pitchblende

pitchblende
pitch·blende 
[pích blènd] noun

mineral
source of uranium: a dark-colored naturally
occurring form of the mineral uraninite that is the principal source of uranium
and radium
[Late 18th century. From
German Pechblende, from Pech “pitch” + Blende (see blende ).][1]



pitch-dark

pitch-dark
pitch-dark 
adjective

See
pitch-black[1]



pitcher

pitcher2
pitch·er2  [píchər]
(plural pitch·ers) noun

1.  BASEBALL player
who throws ball to batter: the player on the fielding
side who stands on the mound and throws the ball in the direction of the
batter, attempting to cause the batter to make an out

2.  BUILDING paving
stone:
a paving stone, especially one made of granite
[Early 18th century. Formed
from pitch 1 .][1]



pitcher

pitcher1
pitch·er1  [píchər]
(plural pitch·ers) noun

1.  large
single-handled jug: a large single-handled water
jug, usually wide around the middle, gradually narrowing toward the neck, and
flaring out at the lip or spout

2.  BOTANY urn-shaped
leaf:
any of the modified urn-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant
[13th century. Via Old French
pichier from, ultimately, medieval Latin bicarium, from an
assumed Vulgar Latin word that is also the ancestor of English beaker .][1]



Pitcher,Molly

Pitcher,Molly
Pitch·er
[píchər], Molly (1754–1832)

U.S.
patriot. She carried pitchers of water to the soldiers at the Battle of
Monmouth (1778), and may have fought in her fallen husband’s place.
Born
Ludwig, Mary Real name Hays, Mary[1]



pitcherplant

pitcherplant
pitch·er
plant
(plural pitch·er plants) noun

plant that traps insects:
a plant with leaves that are pitcher-shaped to attract, trap, and digest
insects. Family: Sarraceniaceae[1]



pitcher’smound

pitcher’smound
pitch·er’s
mound
noun

See
mound  noun 5[1]



pitchfork

pitchfork
pitch·fork 
[pích fàwrk] noun (plural pitch·forks)

pronged
farming tool: a farming implement, usually with a long
handle and two or three widely spaced, slightly curved prongs, that is used for
stacking, turning, and moving hay.
Also
called
hayfork
transitive
verb
(past pitch·forked, past participle pitch·forked, present
participle pitch·fork·ing, 3rd person present singular pitch·forks)

use
pitchfork to move hay: to use a pitchfork to lift,
turn, or move hay
[13th century. Alteration of
earlier pickfork (influenced by pitch 1 ), of
uncertain origin: perhaps “fork with pikes,” from pick 2 ; or “fork
for pitching (sheaves, etc.),” from, ultimately, pitch 1 .][1]



pitchin

pitchin
pitch
in
intransitive verb

1.  help
willingly:
to help or cooperate, especially in a very willing way

2.  begin
to do something: to begin to do or participate in
something, especially with great enthusiasm

[1]



pitchingwedge

pitchingwedge
pitch·ing
wedge
(plural pitch·ing wedg·es) noun

slanted golf club:
an eight iron with a low-angled face used to hit pitches in golf[1]



pitchinto

pitchinto
pitch
into
transitive verb

begin to attack somebody:
to begin to attack somebody, either verbally or physically (informal)[1]



pitchman

pitchman
pitch·man 
[píchmən] (plural pitch·men [píchmən]) noun

1.  seller
of small or cheap things: somebody who sells small or
cheap things, especially on the streets or from a stall at markets, fairs, or
carnivals

2.  salesperson:
a very persuasive salesperson or advertiser

3.  presenter
of commercials: somebody who presents commercials on TV
or radio

[1]



pitchout

pitchout
pitch·out 
[pích òwt] (plural pitch·outs)
noun

1.  BASEBALL pitch
out of strike zone: a throw by the pitcher that
is high and outside the strike zone, allowing the catcher to throw out a runner
attempting to steal a base

2.  FOOTBALL lateral
pass behind line of scrimmage: a lateral pass after
the snap by the back, usually the quarterback, to another back behind the line
of scrimmage

[1]



pitchpine

pitchpine
pitch
pine
noun

1.  TREES pine
tree yielding pitch: an eastern North American
pine tree that yields pitch or turpentine. Latin name: Pinus rigida

2.  pitch
pine wood:
the wood of the pitch pine tree

[1]



pitchstone

pitchstone
pitch·stone 
[pích stn] noun

hard glassy volcanic rock:
a dark hydrated volcanic glass similar to obsidian[1]



pitchy

pitchy
pitch·y 
[píchee] (comparative pitch·i·er,
superlative pitch·i·est) adjective

1.  sticky
with pitch:
covered with or full of pitch

2.  like
pitch:
resembling pitch, especially in color, smell, or consistency
—pitch·i·ness, noun[1]



piteous

piteous
pit·e·ous 
[píttee əss] adjective

1.  deserving
pity:
deserving pity or bringing out feelings of pity

2.  full
of pity:
full of or expressing pity or compassion (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French piteus, literally “full of pity,” from,
ultimately, Latin pietas “compassion.”]
—pit·e·ous·ly,
adverb

—pit·e·ous·ness, noun[1]



pitfall

pitfall
pit·fall 
[pít fàwl] (plural pit·falls) noun

1.  potential
disaster:
a potential disaster or difficulty, often one that is unexpected or cannot be
anticipated

2.  disguised
hole acting as trap: a deep hole in the ground
disguised in some way, often with a canopy of foliage covering its top opening
and sides so steep that escape is impossible.
Also
called
pit

[1]



pith

pith
pith 
[pith] noun

1.  tissue
under rind of citrus fruits: the soft whitish fibrous
tissue that lies under the outer rind of citrus fruits

2.  tissue
inside stem of plant: the central spongy tissue of
the stem of a vascular plant.
Also
called
medulla

3.  spongy
interior of body part: the soft spongy inner
material of a part of the body such as a hair shaft or bone

4.  central
part of something: the central or most
important or significant part of something such as an argument or discussion

5.  vigor:
vigor, stamina, weight, or substance
transitive
verb
(past pithed, past participle pithed, present
participle pith·ing, 3rd person present singular piths)

1.  cut
laboratory animal’s spinal cord: to cut or destroy the
spinal cord of a vertebrate as part of a laboratory experiment

2.  kill
animals by cutting spinal cord: to kill animals,
especially cattle, by cutting through the spinal cord

3.  remove
pith from plant stem: to remove the pith from the
center of a plant stem
[Old English piþa,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of pit 2][1]



Pithecanthropus

Pithecanthropus
Pith·e·can·thro·pus 
[pìthə kánthrəpəss, pìthə
kan thrṓpəss] (plural Pith·e·can·thro·pi [pìthə kánthrə p, pìthə
kan thrṓ p]) noun

original
genus name of Java Man: the original genus name of
Java Man, now classified as Homo erectus (dated)
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, former genus name, from Greek pithēkos
“ape” + anthrōpos “human being.”]
—pith·e·can·throp·ic
[pìthəkən thróppik], adjective

—pith·e·can·thro·pine
[pìthə kánthrə pn], adjective

—pith·e·can·thro·poid
[pìthə kánthrə pòyd], adjective[1]



pithhelmet

pithhelmet
pith
hel·met
noun

sun hat:
a lightweight hat made from dried pith or some other material, worn in hot
climates to protect the head, face, and the back of the neck from strong
sunlight.
Also called
topi
Also called
topee[1]



pithos

pithos
pith·os 
[pí thòss, p
thòss] (plural pith·oi [pí
thòy]) noun

ancient
Greek storage jar: a large jar, usually made of
pottery, used in ancient Greece for storing oil or grain
[Late 19th century. From
Greek .][1]



pithy

pithy
pith·y 
[píthee] (comparative pith·i·er,
superlative pith·i·est) adjective

1.  brief
and to the point: brief yet forceful and to the point,
often with an element of wit

2.  of
pith:
relating to, full of, or resembling pith
—pith·i·ly,
adverb

—pith·i·ness, noun[1]



pitiable

pitiable
pit·i·a·ble 
[píttee əb’l] adjective

1.  evoking
compassion:
arousing or deserving pity or compassion

2.  evoking
contempt:
arousing or deserving contempt or derision
—pit·i·a·ble·ness,
noun

—pit·i·a·bly, adverb[1]



pitiful

pitiful
pit·i·ful 
[píttif’l] adjective

1.  arousing
pity:
arousing or deserving pity or compassion

2.  arousing
contempt:
arousing or deserving contempt or derision
—pit·i·ful·ly,
adverb

—pit·i·ful·ness, noun[1]



pitiless

pitiless
pit·i·less 
[píttiləss] adjective

1.  without
mercy:
lacking in pity, mercy, or sympathy

2.  severe:
severe to the highest degree possible • the
blazing, pitiless sun
—pit·i·less·ly,
adverb

—pit·i·less·ness, noun[1]



Pitjantjatjara

Pitjantjatjara
Pit·jant·jat·ja·ra 
[pìchənchə chérrə] (plural Pit·jant·jat·ja·ra
or Pit·jant·jat·ja·ras) or Pit·jant·ja·ra [pìchən chérrə] (plural Pit·jant·ja·ra
or Pit·jant·ja·ras) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Aboriginal people: a member of an Australian
Aboriginal people who live in the desert regions in the south of the continent

2.  LANGUAGE Pitjantjatjara
language:
the language of the Pitjantjatjara people, which belongs to the Pama-Nyungan
family. About 2,000 people speak Pitjantjatjara.
[From Pitjantjatjara][1]



piton

piton
pi·ton 
[p tòn] (plural pi·tons) noun

spike
for securing rope when climbing: a metal spike for
driving into ice or a rock crevice, with an eye at the other end so that a rope
can be passed through it and then secured
[Late 19th century. From French,
“eye-bolt.”][1]



Pitot-statictube

Pitot-statictube
Pi·tot-stat·ic
tube 
[ptō stattik tb, pee
t stattik tb] (plural Pi·tot-stat·ic tubes) noun

air
speed indicator: a device consisting of a Pitot tube and
a static tube, used to measure fluid velocity and especially as an air speed
indicator in aircraft.
Also
called
Pitot tube
[Early 20th century. See Pitot tube .][1]



Pitottube

Pitottube
Pi·tot
tube 
(plural Pi·tot tubes) noun

1.  device
for measuring fluid velocity: an instrument placed in a
moving fluid and used along with a manometer to measure fluid velocity

2.  See
Pitot-static tube
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physicist Henri Pitot 1695–1771, who invented it.][1]



pitstop

pitstop
pit
stop
(plural pit stops) noun

1.  MOTOR SPORTS refueling
stop for car during race: a stop in the pits to allow
a racing car to be refueled and serviced during a race

2.  brief
stop during road journey: a brief stop during a
journey by road to rest, refuel, use a rest room, or buy refreshments (informal)

3.  place
to make pit stop: a place to make a pit stop during a road
journey (informal)

[1]



pitta

pitta
pit·ta 
noun

U.K. =
pita[1]



pittance

pittance
pit·tance 
[pítt’nss] (plural pit·tances)
noun

very
small sum of money: a very small amount of
something, especially a very small sum of money, wage, or allowance
[13th century. Via Old French
pietance from medieval Latin pietantia “pious or charitable
gift,” from Latin pietas “piety.”][1]



pitter-patter

pitter-patter
pit·ter-pat·ter 
noun

light
continuous tapping sound: a light, rapid, and
continuous tapping sound, similar to the sound of raindrops falling on
something
intransitive
verb
(past pit·ter-pat·tered, past participle pit·ter-pat·tered,
present participle pit·ter-pat·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular pit·ter-pat·ters)

make
light continuous tapping sound: to make or move with a
light, rapid, and continuous tapping sound
adverb

with
light continuous tapping sound: with a light, rapid, and
continuous tapping sound
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



pittosporum

pittosporum
pit·tos·po·rum 
[pi tóspərəm, píttə
spàwrəm] (plural pit·tos·po·rums) noun

evergreen
shrub:
an evergreen shrub that has leathery leaves and small often sweet-smelling
white, purple, or greenish-yellow flowers, and is often grown as an ornamental
hedge in the southern United States. Genus: Pittosporum
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek pitta “pitch” + sporos “seed”; from the
resinous pulp around the seeds.][1]



Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh
Pitts·burgh 
[píts bùrg]

city in southwestern
Pennsylvania. It is the second-largest city in the state. Population: 369,879
(1990)[1]



Pittsfield

Pittsfield
Pitts·field 
[píts feeld]

city in western
Massachusetts, directly east of the New York border, on the eastern bank of the
Housatonic River, northwest of Springfield. Population: 46,315 (1996)[1]



Pitt,William

Pitt,William
Pitt
[pít], William (1759–1806)

British
statesman. He was Great Britain’s youngest prime minister, at the age of 24
(1783–1801). He resigned following George III’s refusal to accept Roman
Catholic emancipation, but returned to office (1804–1806) for a second
administration.
Known as
Pitt the Younger[1]



pituitary

pituitary
pi·tu·i·tar·y 
[pi t i tèree] noun (plural pi·tu·i·tar·ies)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY See pituitary gland

2.  PHARMACOLOGY See pituitary extract
adjective

PHYSIOLOGY of
pituitary gland: relating to or produced by the pituitary
gland
[Early 17th century. From
Latin pituitarius “of slime or mucus,” from pituita “slime.” From
the fact that the pituitary gland was originally thought to secrete nasal
mucus.][1]



pituitaryextract

pituitaryextract
pi·tu·i·tar·y
ex·tract
noun

pharmaceutical preparation
from pituitary gland: a
pharmaceutical preparation made from substances obtained from the pituitary
gland that is rich in beneficial hormones.
Also called
pituitary[1]



pituitarygland

pituitarygland
pi·tu·i·tar·y
gland
(plural pi·tu·i·tar·y glands) noun

growth-influencing gland at
base of brain: a small oval gland at
the base of the brain in vertebrates, producing hormones that control other
glands and influence growth of the bone structure, sexual maturing, and general
metabolism.
Also called
hypophysis
Also called
pituitary[1]



pitviper

pitviper
pit
vi·per
(plural pit vi·pers) noun

venomous American snake:
a venomous American snake that has heat-sensitive pits below its eyes used to
detect prey. Rattlesnakes and copperheads are pit vipers. Family: Crotalidae[1]



pity

pity
pit·y 
[píttee] noun

1.  feeling
of sympathy: a feeling of sadness because somebody
else is in trouble or pain, or the capacity to feel this

2.  regrettable
thing:
a sad or regrettable thing • It’s a
pity you couldn’t make it.

3.  mercy:
a willingness to help or to forgive somebody who is in pain or who has done
wrong
transitive
verb
(past pit·ied, past participle pit·ied, present
participle pit·y·ing, 3rd person present singular pit·ies)

feel pity for somebody or something:
to feel pity for somebody or for somebody’s pain or trouble
interjection

expression of sympathy or regret:
used to express sympathy or regret about something (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French pité from Latin pietas “piety,
dutifulness, compassion” (see piety ).]
—pit·y·ing,
adjective

—pit·y·ing·ly,
adverb
have
or take pity on somebody

to
feel pity for somebody or for somebody’s pain or trouble, or show mercy to
somebody

(the)
more’s the pity

used to express regret,
disappointment, or annoyance that something is the case (informal)[1]



pityriasis

pityriasis
pit·y·ri·a·sis 
[pìtti r əssiss] noun

skin
disease:
a skin disease affecting humans and animals in which the skin comes off in dry
flakes
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek pituriasis, from pituron “corn husks.”][1]



PiusIX

PiusIX
Pi·us
IX
[p əss], Pope (1792–1878)

His
pontificate (1846–1878) was marked by the loss of the Papal States, the
declaration of papal infallibility, and condemnation of all forms of
liberalism.
Real name
Mastai-Ferretti, Giovanni Maria[1]



PiusXI

PiusXI
Pi·us
XI
[p əss], Pope (1857–1939)

As
pope (1922–1934) he presided over the signing of the Lateran Treaty (1929), and
spoke out against fascism, Nazism, and communism.
Real name
Ratti, Ambrogio Damiano Achille[1]



PiusX, St.

PiusX, St.
Pi·us
X
[p əss], St., Pope (1835–1914)

During
his pontificate (1903–1914) he opposed modernism in the Roman Catholic Church,
initiated changes to canon law, and introduced a new breviary.
Real name
Sarto, Giuseppe Melchiorre[1]



Piute

Piute
Pi·ute 
noun adjective

See
Paiute[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pivot

pivot
piv·ot 
[pívvət] noun (plural piv·ots)

1.  TECHNOLOGY object
on which larger object turns: a small object such as a bar
or pin that supports a larger object and lets it turn or swing

2.  crucial
person or thing: the one person or thing that is
essential to the success or effectiveness of something

3.  turning
movement:
a turning movement carried out by pivoting on something

4.  MILITARY center
point of wheeling movement: a person, a group of people,
or point that acts as the center around which a military formation carries out
a wheeling movement

5.  BASKETBALL basketball
position or player: an offensive position in
basketball in which a player faces away from the opposing basket, relays
passes, and screens other members of the team, or a player in this position.
Also
called
pivot man
verb
(past piv·ot·ed, past participle piv·ot·ed, present
participle piv·ot·ing, 3rd person present singular piv·ots)

1.  intransitive
verb
turn
on pivot:
to turn or swing supported by a pivot

2.  intransitive
verb
depend
on something: to depend on somebody or something,
usually a single person, thing, or factor

3.  transitive
verb
provide
with pivot:
to provide something with a pivot on which it can turn or swing
[From French, of unknown
origin][1]



pivotal

pivotal
piv·ot·al 
[pívvət’l] adjective

1.  vitally
important:
vitally important, especially in determining the outcome, progress, or success
of something

2.  TECHNOLOGY acting
as pivot:
relating to or functioning as a pivot

[1]



pivotman

pivotman
piv·ot
man
[pívvət màn] or piv·ot·man [pívvət màn] noun

1.  somebody
acting as pivot: somebody who acts as the pivot for a
military formation or who has a pivotal role in any organization or formation

2.  See
pivot  noun 5

[1]



pix

pix1
pix1 

Plural of
pic[1]



pix

pix2
pix2  noun

See
pyx[1]



pixel

pixel
pix·el 
[píks’l, pík sèl]
(plural pix·els) noun

basic
unit of video screen image: an individual tiny dot of
light that is the basic unit from which the images on a computer or television
screen are made
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pix 1 + element .][1]



pixie

pixie
pix·ie 
[píksee] (plural pix·ies) or
pix·y [píksee] (plural pix·ies)
noun

fairy
or elf:
a type of fairy or elf often depicted as having pointed ears, wearing a long
pointed hat, and being cheerful and rather mischievous
[Mid-17th century. Origin unknown.][1]



pixiecut

pixiecut
pix·ie
cut
(plural pix·ie cuts) noun

short hairstyle:
a short tapered hairstyle for girls and women, first popular in the 1960s[1]



pixilated

pixilated2
pix·i·lat·ed2  [píksə
làytəd] adjective

using
pixels:
used to describe an image on a computer or television screen that is made up of
pixels, especially one that is unclear or distorted
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pixel + -ated .][1]



pixilated

pixilated1
pix·i·lat·ed1  [píksə
làytəd] or pix·il·lat·ed [píksə
làytəd] adjective

1.  behaving
oddly:
behaving in a strange or whimsical way

2.  bewildered:
feeling bewildered because unable to understand what is happening

3.  drunk:
drunk (slang)
[Mid-19th
century. Coined humorously from pixie + -lated
(as in English words such as “elated” and “titillated”).]
—pix·i·la·tion [pìksə láysh’n], noun[1]



pixy

pixy
pix·y 
noun

See
pixie[1]



Pizarro,Francisco

Pizarro,Francisco

Pi·zar·ro
[pi zrō], Francisco (1476?–1541)
Spanish conquistador. He conquered the
Inca Empire (1532), founded the city of Lima (1535), and was governor of Peru
(1532–1541).[1]



pizz.

pizz.
pizz.

Abbreviation of
pizzicato[1]



pizza

pizza
piz·za 
[ptsə] (plural piz·zas) noun

baked
dough topped with cheese: a flat round piece of bread
dough topped with a tomato sauce and cheese, and often with other toppings such
as sliced ham, sausage, or vegetables, then baked
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “pie,” of uncertain origin.][1]



pizzaparlor

pizzaparlor
piz·za
par·lor
(plural piz·za par·lors) noun

See
pizzeria[1]



pizzazz

pizzazz
piz·zazz 
[pi záz] or piz·azz [pi záz] or piz·zaz [pi záz] noun

energy
and style:
an attractive and exciting vitality, especially when combined with style and
glamor (informal)
[Mid-20th century. The origin
of this word is uncertain, but it may have been an invention of Diana Vreeland,
who was fashion editor for the publication Harper’s Bazaar during the 1930s.][1]



pizzeria

pizzeria
piz·ze·ri·a 
[ptsə r ə] (plural piz·ze·ri·as)
noun

pizza
restaurant:
a restaurant that specializes in making and serving pizzas.
Also
called
pizza parlor
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian pizzeria, from pizza .][1]



pizzicato

pizzicato
piz·zi·ca·to 
[pìtsee ktō] adverb

by
plucking strings: by using the fingers to pluck the
strings of an instrument that is normally played with a bow, especially a
violin (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural piz·zi·ca·ti [pìtsee ktee])

pizzicato
piece of music: a piece of music, or a section of a
piece, played pizzicato
[Mid-19th
century. From Italian, from pizzicare “to pluck,” from pizzare
“to prick, sting,” from pizza “point.”]
—piz·zi·ca·to, adjective[1]



pizzle

pizzle
piz·zle 
[pízz’l] (plural piz·zles) noun
(sometimes considered offensive)

1.  animal’s
penis:
the penis of an animal, especially a bull (archaic)

2.  whip:
a whip made out of a bull’s penis
[Late 15th century. From Low
German pēsel, literally “little penis,” from Middle Low German pēse
“penis.”][1]



piècede résistance

piècede résistance
pièce
de ré·sis·tance [pee èss də
rə zss tns, pee èss də ray zss tns]
(plural pièces de ré·sis·tance) noun

1.  most
impressive thing: the most impressive thing or something
that brings the greatest pride or satisfaction

2.  most
important dish: the most important dish served at a meal
(formal)
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “piece of resistance,” originally applied to the most
substantial dish in a meal.][1]



piñacloth

piñacloth
pi·ña
cloth
[pnyə klàwth] noun

fabric
from pineapple leaves: a fine transparent fabric
made of fiber from pineapple leaves
[Piña via Spanish,
“pineapple, pine cone,” from Latin pinea “pine cone,” from pinus
(see pine 1 )][1]



piñacolada

piñacolada
pi·ña
co·la·da
[pnyə kə ldə] noun

pineapple-juice-based
cocktail:
a cocktail made from pineapple juice, rum, and coconut
[From Spanish, literally
“strained pineapple”][1]



piñata

piñata
pi·ña·ta
[pin ytə, peen
ytə] noun

container
broken to get gifts inside: a decorated container of
sweets or small gifts that is hung from the ceiling and is hit and broken by
blindfolded people with sticks, traditionally during Latin American festivals
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “jug.”][1]



piñon

piñon
pi·ñon
[pín yòn, pínyən]
(plural pi·ñons or pi·ño·nes [pin yṓneez]) or pin·yon [pín yòn, pínyən]
(plural pin·yons) noun

1.  TREES U.S.
pine tree:
any of several low-growing pines of the southwestern United States that bear
edible seeds. Latin name: Pinus edulis Pinus monophylla
Also
called
nut pine

2.  pi·ñon
or pi·ñon nut FOOD edible
seed of piñon: the small sweet edible nut of the piñon
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish piñón from, ultimately, Latin pineus “of pines,” from pinus
(see pine ).][1]



piñonjay

piñonjay
pi·ñon
jay
or pin·yon jay noun

BIRDS
short-tailed steel-blue jay:
a short-tailed steel-blue jay of the arid western United States, often
associated with piñon pines and junipers. Latin name: Gymnorhinus
cyanocephalus[1]



più

più
più
[pyoo] adverb

more:
more or increasingly (used as a musical direction)
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin plus (see plus ).][1]



pk.

pk.
pk.

1.  Abbreviation
of
pack

2.  Abbreviation
of
park

3.  Abbreviation
of
peak

4.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
peck

[1]



PK

PK
PK

1.  PARANORMAL Abbreviation of
psychokinesis

2.  AUTOMOBILES (international
vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Pakistan

[1]



pkg.

pkg.
pkg.

Abbreviation of
package[1]



pkt.

pkt.
pkt.

Abbreviation of
packet[1]



PKU

PKU
PKU

Abbreviation of
phenylketonuria[1]



pkwy

pkwy
pkwy
or pky

Abbreviation of
parkway[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pl.

pl.
pl.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of plural[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PL

PL
PL

1.  PL
or pl. GRAMMAR Abbreviation
of plural

2.  LAW Abbreviation of public law

[1]



Pl.

Pl.
Pl.

(used in addresses)Abbreviation
of Place[1]



PL/1

PL/1
PL/1 
noun

Abbreviation of
programming language 1[1]



placable

placable
plac·a·ble 
[plákəb’l, pláykəb’l]
adjective

tolerant:
easily placated (literary)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin placabilis, from placare
“to calm” (see placate ).]
—plac·a·bil·i·ty
[plàkə bíllətee, plàykə
bíllətee], noun

—plac·a·bly [plákəblee], adverb[1]



placard

placard
plac·ard 
[plá krd, plákərd]
noun (plural plac·ards)

1.  notice
displayed in public: a large piece of card or
board with something written or printed on it, displayed to be read by the
public or carried by somebody such as a demonstrator

2.  small
card or metal plaque: a small card or metal plaque
such as a doorplate, with a name or some other piece of writing on it
transitive
verb
(past plac·ard·ed, past participle plac·ard·ed, present
participle plac·ard·ing, 3rd person present singular plac·ards)

1.  put
placards on something: to put up placards on or in
something

2.  advertise
or announce with placards: to display something on or
advertise something with placards, or in a very conspicuous way
[Late 15th century. From
French, formed from Old French plaquier “to flatten, plaster,” from
Middle Dutch placken “to flatten, patch” (source also of English plaque ).][1]



placate

placate
pla·cate 
[pláy kàyt, plá
kàyt] (past pla·cat·ed, past participle pla·cat·ed,
present participle pla·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
pla·cates) transitive verb

make
somebody less angry: to make somebody less angry,
upset, or hostile, usually by doing or saying things to please him or her
[Late
17th century. From Latin placat-, the past participle stem of placare
“to calm.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English please, flake, and plank
.]
—pla·ca·tion
[play káysh’n], noun

—pla·ca·to·ry [pláykə tàwree, plákə
tàwree], adjective[1]



place

place
place 
[playss] noun (plural plac·es)

1.  area
or portion of space: an area, position, or
portion of space that somebody or something can be in • This
is a good place to plant the sapling.

2.  locality:
a particular geographical locality such as a town, country, or region • People
come here to work from lots of different places.

3.  area
in town:
a relatively open area in a town, for example, a public square or a short
street

4.  dwelling:
the house or other type of accommodation where somebody lives • a
place of our own

5.  area
where something happens: a building or area where
something in particular happens or is located • the
firm’s place of business

6.  particular
point in something: a particular point in
something, for example, a book, film, or story • I
lost my place when you interrupted me.

7.  proper
position:
the position or location where somebody or something belongs • A
place for everything, and everything in its place.

8.  opportunity
to study:
an opportunity to study at school or university • hoping
for a place at Oxford.

9.  status:
somebody’s social position or rank in an organization • know
your place

10. responsibility:
somebody’s responsibility or right, especially one arising from who the person
is or the status he or she has • It’s
not your place to tell me what to do.

11. job:
a job or position • offered a place on the
board

12. somewhere
to sit:
somewhere for somebody to sit, for example, at a table during a meal or in the
audience of a theater • I’ll
keep a place for you next to me.

13. position
in rank:
the position of somebody or something in a rank, sequence, or series • She
finished in second place.

14. HORSERACING second
position:
second position in a race, especially a horse race

15. MATHEMATICS position
of digit in number: the relative position of a
particular digit in a number
verb
(past placed, past participle placed, present
participle plac·ing, 3rd person present singular plac·es)

1.  transitive
verb
put
somewhere:
to put something or somebody in a particular location or position • placed
the box on the table

2.  transitive
verb
put
in particular state: to cause somebody or
something to be in a particular state or condition • Your
actions placed all of us in danger.

3.  transitive
verb
see
somebody in particular way: to see or treat somebody or
something as having a particular value or character • He
placed his family above everything else in his life.

4.  transitive
verb
remember
somebody or something: to be able to recognize or
remember somebody or something • I know
the face but I can’t place the name.

5.  transitive
verb
assign
somebody:
to assign somebody to a job, position, home, or the care of somebody else • I’ll
see if I can place you with the sales team.

6.  transitive
verb
aim
something carefully: to aim or calculate
something carefully so that it lands in a particular spot or has a desired
effect • The
champion’s experience showed in the way he placed his punches.

7.  transitive
verb
have
something accepted: to have something accepted
and dealt with by somebody else • placed
an order for a new car

8.  transitive
verb
SPORTS allocate
finishing position: to assign a person or animal
a particular finishing position in a contest • placed
fourth overall

9.  intransitive
verb
HORSERACING finish
second:
to finish in second position in a race, especially a horse race
[Pre-12th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin platea “broad way,” from the
Greek phrase plateia hodos . Plateia “broad” came from an
Indo-European base meaning “to spread” that is also the ancestor of English flat and plant
. The Latin word is the ultimate source also of English plaza and piazza
.]
all
over the place

1.  everywhere
(informal)

2.  in
a state of disorder or confusion (informal)

a
place in the sun

a
position of success, happiness, or prosperity

give
place (to)

to
make room for somebody or something or allow somebody or something to take
precedence

go
places

to
be successful (informal)

in
place

1.  where
somebody or something belongs or ought to be

2.  in
position or ready for use

in
place of

instead
of or as a replacement for somebody or something

out
of place

1.  not
where something or somebody should be

2.  inappropriate
or incongruous

put
somebody in his or her place

to
humble somebody who is behaving in an arrogant, presumptuous, or insolent way (informal)

take
place

to
happen

take
the place of

to
be a substitute for or replace something or somebody

[1]



placebo

placebo
pla·ce·bo 
[plə sbō] (plural pla·ce·bos or
pla·ce·boes) noun

1.  MEDICINE drug
with no real effect: a drug containing no active
ingredients given to a patient participating in a clinical trial in order to
assess the performance of a new drug. It may also may be given to patients
because it may benefit them psychologically to believe they are receiving treatment.

2.  something
done to placate somebody: something done or said
simply to placate or reassure somebody that has no actual effect on whatever is
causing his or her problems or anxiety

3.  CHRISTIANITY vespers
of office for dead: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the vespers of the office for the dead
[13th century. From Latin, “I
shall please” (first word in the Vulgate text of Psalm 114:9, used in the Roman
Catholic service for the dead), from placere “to please” (see please ).][1]



placeboeffect

placeboeffect
pla·ce·bo
ef·fect
(plural pla·ce·bo ef·fects) noun

psychological effect of
treatment: a sense of benefit felt by a
patient that arises solely from the knowledge that treatment has been given[1]



placecard

placecard
place
card
(plural place cards) noun

card showing where to sit:
a small card with somebody’s name on it, put on a table to show where that
person is to sit, especially for a formal meal[1]



placeholder

placeholder
place·hold·er 
[pláyss hldər] (plural place·hold·ers)
noun

symbol representing term or
statement: a symbol in a mathematical
or logical expression used to show a pattern, for example, by representing a
term in an equation or a statement in an argument[1]



placekick

placekick
place·kick
(past place·kicked, past participle place·kicked, present
participle place·kick·ing, 3rd person present singular place·kicks)
transitive verb

kick
or score from place kick: to kick the ball or to score
a goal or points by kicking the ball while it is propped up on the ground
—place·kick·er, noun[1]



placekick

placekick
place
kick
(plural place kicks) noun

kick with ball put on ground:
a kick, especially in football or rugby, for which the ball is propped or held
up on the ground[1]



placemat

placemat
place
mat
(plural place mats) noun

table mat used in place
setting: a protective mat set out for
the plate of someone eating at a table[1]



placement

placement
place·ment 
[pláyssmənt] (plural place·ments)
noun

1.  placing
or being placed: the act of placing or arranging
something in a particular place or position, or the fact of being placed or
arranged in this way

2.  matching
somebody to particular situation: the task of finding
something such as jobs or accommodations for people, or of assigning people to
particular jobs, classes, or accommodations, or an instance of doing so

3.  U.K.
See practicum

4.  SPORTS skillful
playing of ball: a player’s skill in accurately playing
the ball in a sport such as tennis or soccer

5.  FOOTBALL place
from which ball is kicked: a place kick for a field
goal or point after touchdown in football or the positioning of the ball for
such a kick

[1]



placementtest

placementtest
place·ment
test
(plural place·ment tests) noun

test to assign students to
courses: a test given to students
entering a school, college, or university to find the most suitable courses or
classes for them[1]



placename

placename
place
name
(plural place names) noun

name of settlement or
geographical feature: the name of
a geographical area or feature such as a town, settlement, hill, or body of
water[1]



placenta

placenta
pla·cen·ta 
[plə séntə] (plural pla·cen·tas
or pla·cen·tae [plə séntee]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY organ
in uterus of pregnant mammal: a vascular organ that
develops inside the uterus of most pregnant mammals to supply food and oxygen
to the fetus through the umbilical cord. It is expelled after birth.

2.  BOTANY part
of ovary of plant: the part of the ovary in a
flowering plant that bears ovules

3.  BOTANY spore-bearing
mass of tissue: the tissue in a nonflowering plant where
the sporangia or spores develop
[Late
17th century. Via Latin, “cake,” from, ultimately, Greek plakous “flat
cake,” from the stem plak- “flat surface.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to be flat.”]
—pla·cen·ta·ry, adjective[1]



placental

placental
pla·cen·tal
adjective

with
placenta:
having a placenta
noun
(plural pla·cen·tals)

animal with placenta:
an animal that has a placenta, in contrast to marsupials or those that lay eggs[1]



placentation

placentation
plac·en·ta·tion 
[plàss’n táysh’n] noun

1.  BIOLOGY formation
or attachment of placenta: the process of forming a
placenta during pregnancy, or the way in which the placenta is attached to the
wall of the uterus

2.  BOTANY way
ovules are attached: the way in which ovules are
attached to the ovary of a plant

3.  (plural
plac·en·ta·tions) BIOLOGY placenta
type:
the form, structure, or type of a placenta

[1]



placer

placer
plac·er 
[pláyssər] (plural plac·ers) noun

deposit
containing traces of valuable minerals: a
deposit of sand or gravel found, for example, in the bed of a stream,
containing particles of gold or some other valuable mineral
[Early 19th century. From
American Spanish, “shoal.”][1]



placermining

placermining
plac·er
min·ing
noun

process of obtaining minerals
from placers: the process of
obtaining valuable minerals from placers by washing or dredging[1]



placesetting

placesetting
place
set·ting
(plural place set·tings) noun

dining table service for one
person: the set of items such as
utensils, dishes, and glasses arranged on a table to be used by one person at a
meal, or the utensils or dishes alone[1]



placevalue

placevalue
place
val·ue
(plural place val·ues) noun

MATHEMATICS
value of digit’s location in numeral:
the value of the place that a digit occupies in a numeral[1]



placid

placid
plac·id 
[plássid] adjective

1.  calm
in nature or appearance: calm and tending not to
become excited, upset, or disturbed, or appearing so

2.  complacent:
too easily satisfied
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French placide from Latin placidus
“gentle,” from placere “to please” (see please
).]
—pla·cid·i·ty
[pla síddətee], noun

—plac·id·ly
[plássidlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



placing

placing
plac·ing
[pláyssing] noun

method of issuing securities:
the issuing of securities to the public through a stockbroker or another
intermediary[1]



placket

placket
plack·et 
[plákit] (plural plack·ets) noun

1.  opening
in woman’s garment: an opening in a woman’s
garment such as a skirt or blouse, either where it fastens or at a pocket

2.  piece
of cloth behind opening: a piece of cloth sewn in
behind an opening in a woman’s garment
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of placard .][1]



placoderm

placoderm
pla·co·derm 
[plákə dùrm] (plural pla·co·derms)
noun

extinct
creature resembling fish: an extinct creature
resembling a fish that was covered with bony plates and lived in the Paleozoic
era. Class: Placodermi
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem plak- “flat stone” (see placenta
) + -derm .][1]



placoid

placoid
plac·oid 
[plá kòyd] adjective

flattened
and resembling tooth: used to describe fish scales
that have a flat base and a sharp projecting spine tipped with enamel. The
subclass of fish that includes sharks, rays, and skates have placoid scales.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem plak- “flat stone” (see placenta
) + -oid .][1]



plafond

plafond
pla·fond 
[plə fón, plaa
fóN] (plural pla·fonds) noun

ornamented
ceiling:
a ceiling, especially one that is highly ornamented
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “flat bottom.”][1]



plagal

plagal
pla·gal 
[pláyg’l] adjective MUSIC

1.  from
subdominant to tonic: used to describe a musical
cadence or harmonic progression in which the subdominant chord is immediately
followed by the tonic chord

2.  relating
to musical mode: relating to or being a musical mode
beginning on the note a fourth below the keynote of its equivalent authentic
mode but ending on the same final note
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin plagalis, from, ultimately, medieval Greek plagios
hēkhos “plagal mode.” Plagios “oblique” was formed from plagos
“side.”][1]



plage

plage
plage 
[plzh] (plural plages) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY mark
on Sun’s surface: a mark on the Sun’s surface often
associated with sunspots

2.  LEISURE sandy
beach:
a beach, especially at a fashionable seaside resort
[Via Old French, “region,”
from, ultimately, Greek plagos “side” (see plagal
)][1]



plagiarism

plagiarism
pla·gia·rism 
[pláyjə rìzzəm] (plural pla·gia·risms)
noun

1.  stealing
somebody’s work or idea: copying what somebody else
has written or taking somebody’s else’s idea and trying to pass it off as
original

2.  something
plagiarized: something copied from somebody else’s
work, or somebody else’s idea that somebody presents as his or her own
—pla·gia·rist,
noun

—pla·gia·ris·tic [plàyjə rístik], adjective[1]



plagiarize

plagiarize
pla·gia·rize 
[pláyjə rz] (past pla·gia·rized,
past participle pla·gia·rized, present participle pla·gia·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular pla·gia·riz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

copy
something from other person’s work: to
take something that somebody else has written or thought and try to pass it off
as original
—pla·gia·riz·er, noun[1]



plagio-

plagio-
plagio-
prefix

1.  oblique,
offset • plagiotropism

2.  disturbance
• plagioclimax
[From Greek plagios,
literally “sideways,” from plagos “side.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to be flat,” which is also the ancestor of English flake, flag,
plank, and placate .][1]



plagioclase

plagioclase
pla·gi·o·clase 
[pláyjee ə klàyss, pláyjee
ə klàyz] noun

feldspar:
a feldspar consisting of sodium and calcium aluminum silicates and belonging to
a common series whose cleavages are not at right angles
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from plagio- + Greek klasis
“breaking.”]
—pla·gi·o·clas·tic [plàyjee ə klástik], adjective[1]



plagiotropism

plagiotropism
pla·gi·ot·ro·pism 
[plàyjee óttrə pìzzəm] noun

BOTANY growth
at angle to vertical: the tendency of a plant’s
roots, stems, or branches to grow at an angle away from the vertical in
response to a stimulus
—pla·gi·o·tro·pic
[plàyjee ə tróppik], adjective

—pla·gi·o·tro·pi·cal·ly
[plàyjee ə tróppi kəlee], adverb[1]



plague

plague
plague 
[playg] noun (plural plagues)

1.  MED epidemic
disease:
a disease that spreads very rapidly, infecting very large numbers of people and
killing a great many of them, or an outbreak of such a disease

2.  MED bubonic
plague:
the bubonic plague

3.  appearance
of something in large numbers: the appearance of
something harmful or annoying such as vermin in abnormally large numbers, or
with abnormal frequency

4.  somebody
or something troublesome: an affliction or extremely
troublesome or annoying person or thing
transitive
verb
(past plagued, past participle plagued, present
participle plagu·ing, 3rd person present singular plagues)

1.  afflict
somebody or something: to occur or recur
frequently, causing a great deal of trouble, difficulty, or pain to somebody or
something (often passive)

2.  annoy
somebody constantly: to harass or annoy somebody
constantly, usually by asking questions or making requests or demands
[14th century. Via Latin plaga
“blow, stroke, wound” from, possibly, Greek . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to strike” which is also the ancestor of English complain and plankton
.][1]



plaguy

plaguy
pla·guy 
[pláygee] or pla·guey [pláygee] adjective (comparative pla·gui·er,
superlative pla·gui·est)

troublesome:
causing trouble or irritation
adverb

annoyingly:
in a troublesome or annoying way or to a troublesome or annoying degree
—pla·gui·ly, adverb[1]



plaice

plaice
plaice 
[playss] (plural plaice) noun

1.  large
flat edible seafish: a large edible flat-bodied
fish that lives in European seas and has brown skin with red or orange spots.
Latin name: Pleuronectes platessa

2.  flatfish
of North American Atlantic waters: a fish similar and
related to the European plaice, found in North American Atlantic waters. Latin
name: Hippoglossoides platessoides
[13th century. Via Old French
plaïs from late Latin platessa “flatfish,” from Greek platus
“broad.”][1]



plaid

plaid
plaid 
[plad] (plural plaids) noun

1.  CLOTHES tartan
cloth worn over shoulder: a long rectangular piece of
tartan material worn draped over the shoulder as part of traditional Scottish
Highland dress

2.  TEXTILES tartan
fabric:
a fabric usually made of wool and woven in a tartan or checkered pattern

3.  TEXTILES tartan
pattern:
a tartan or checked pattern
[Early
16th century. Via Gaelic from Middle Irish, of unknown origin.]
—plaid·ed, adjective[1]



plain

plain
plain 
[playn] adjective (comparative
plain·er, superlative plain·est)

1.  simple
and ordinary: simple and ordinary in nature or
appearance and without additions or decorations • plain,
homely food
• a
plain brown envelope

2.  clearly
visible:
not blocked or obscured by anything, so as to be clearly visible • in
plain view

3.  clear
in meaning:
quite clear in meaning and easy to recognize or understand • The
plain fact is that they lied to us.

4.  frank:
stating the truth clearly without concealing anything or sparing somebody’s
feelings • The
time has come for plain speaking.

5.  pure:
not combined with any other substances • plain
water

6.  lacking
pattern or coloration: uncolored or unpatterned • plain
fabric

7.  not
pretty:
not pretty or striking in looks • plain
looks

8.  KNITTING in
simplest knitting style or stitch: done in the simplest
knitting style or stitch
adverb

1.  absolutely:
used to emphasize an adjective or adverb • just
plain wrong

2.  clearly:
in a clear or distinct way • I’ll
tell you plain, I’ve had enough of this.
noun
(plural plains)

1.  GEOGRAPHY flat
expanse of land: a large expanse of fairly flat dry land,
usually with few trees

2.  KNITTING knitting
style or stitch: the simplest knitting style or stitch.
The right needle goes into a loop of wool on the left needle and the wool is
then passed around the right needle.
plural
noun
plains

GEOGRAPHY treeless
level expanses: large expanses of
level, almost treeless country in some central states of the United States
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin planus “flat” (also the source of
English plane and piano ).]
—plain·ly,
adverb

—plain·ness, noun[1]



plainchant

plainchant
plain·chant 
[pláyn chànt] noun

See
plainsong[1]



plainclothes

plainclothes
plain
clothes
[pláyn klz, pláyn
klz] or plain·clothes [pláyn
klz, pláyn klz] plural noun

civilian
clothes worn by police officer: ordinary civilian
clothes when worn by a police officer on duty
—plain-clothes, adjective[1]



plaindealing

plaindealing
plain
deal·ing
noun

honest behavior:
open and honest behavior or business[1]



plainJane

plainJane
plain
Jane
(plural plain Janes) noun

woman who is not pretty:
a woman who is not pretty or striking in looks (informal) (often
considered offensive)[1]



PlainPeople

PlainPeople
Plain
Peo·ple 
plural noun

Amish and Mennonites:
members of Christian groups such as the Amish and the Mennonites who are noted
for their simple lifestyle and plain way of dressing[1]



plainsailing

plainsailing
plain
sail·ing
noun

something
easy:
something that is straightforward and easy to do
[Origin uncertain: perhaps an
alteration of plane sailing, from the
comparative simplicity of this sort of navigation][1]



PlainsIndian

PlainsIndian
Plains
In·di·an
(plural Plains In·di·ans) noun

Native American of the Great
Plains: a member of any of the
Native American peoples that in the past lived on the Great Plains of North
America[1]



plainsman

plainsman
plains·man
[pláynzmən] (plural plains·men
[pláynzmən]) noun

man living on plain:
a man who lives on a plain, especially somebody who settled or lives on the
Great Plains of North America[1]



plainsong

plainsong
plain·song
[pláyn sàwng] noun

1.  type
of church music: a type of church music intended to be
sung in unison and unaccompanied by instruments that is particularly associated
with services held in monasteries.
Also
called
plainchant

2.  See
Gregorian chant
[15th century. Translation of
Latin cantus planus .][1]



plain-spoken

plain-spoken
plain-spo·ken
adjective

candid:
saying or tending to say precisely what is thought without concealing anything
or sparing other people’s feelings
—plain-spo·ken·ness, noun[1]



plainswoman

plainswoman
plains·wom·an
[pláynz wmmən] (plural plains·wom·en
[pláynz wìmmin]) noun

woman who lives on plain:
a woman who lives on a plain, especially one who settled or lives on the Great
Plains of North America[1]



plaint

plaint
plaint
[playnt] (plural plaints) noun

1.  expression
of grief:
an expression of grief or sadness (archaic literary)

2.  complaint:
a complaint
[12th century. Via French
from Latin planctus “a beating of the breast,” from plangere “to
beat” (see plangent ).][1]



plaintext

plaintext
plain
text
or plain·text noun

ordinary readable form of
message: a form of a message that is
in ordinary readable language rather than in code[1]



plaintiff

plaintiff
plain·tiff
[pláyntif] (plural plain·tiffs)
noun

somebody
who brings civil action: somebody who begins a
lawsuit against another person ( defendant )
in a civil court
[14th century. From French
(see plaintive ).][1]



plaintive

plaintive
plain·tive
[pláyntiv] adjective

sad-sounding:
expressing sadness or sounding sad
[14th
century. From French plaintive, plaintif, from plaint (see
plaint ).]
—plain·tive·ly,
adverb

—plain·tive·ness, noun[1]



plainweave

plainweave
plain
weave
noun

alternate under and over
weave: a type of weave in which the
weft passes alternately under and over the warp so that the threads form a
simple criss-cross pattern[1]



plain-woven

plain-woven
plain-wo·ven
adjective

in plain weave:
woven in plain weave[1]



plait

plait
plait
[playt, plat]
noun (plural plaits)

1.  woven
strands:
something made by weaving strands together, especially a length of hair with
strands woven together like rope

2.  SEWING pleat:
a pleat
transitive
verb
(past plait·ed, past participle plait·ed, present
participle plait·ing, 3rd person present singular plaits)

1.  weave
strands together: to weave three or more strands of
something over and under each other, usually to form them either into something
that looks like a rope or into a flat band

2.  make
something by plait ing: to make something by plait
ing

3.  SEWING pleat
something:
to pleat something
[15th century. Via Old French
pleit from, ultimately, Latin plicit-, the past participle stem
of plicare “to fold” (source of English pleat
and plight ).][1]



plan-

plan-
plan-
prefix

See
plano-[1]



plan

plan
plan
[plan] noun (plural plans)

1.  scheme
for achieving objective: a method of doing something
that is worked out usually in some detail before it is begun and that may be
written down in some form or simply retained in memory

2.  intention:
something that somebody intends or has arranged to do (often used in the
plural)

3.  diagram
of layout:
a drawing or diagram showing the layout, arrangement, or structure of something

4.  list
or outline:
a list, summary, or diagram that shows how the items that make up something
such as a piece of writing or an organized meeting are to be arranged

5.  ARCHITECTURE horizontal
section of building: a scale diagram showing a
horizontal view of the arrangement of rooms and fixtures in a building on a
particular level
verb
(past planned, past participle planned, present
participle plan·ning, 3rd person present singular plans)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
out how to do something: to work out in advance and
in some detail how something is to be done or organized

2.  transitive
verb
intend
to do something: to intend or to make arrangements to do
something

3.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE make
a scale drawing: to make a scale drawing of something,
especially a building
[Late 17th century. From
French, “ground plan,” an alteration (influenced by plan “flat”) of plant,
from, ultimately, Latin plantare “to push in with the sole of the foot”
(see plant ).][1]



planahead

planahead
plan
ahead
intransitive verb

make preparations or
arrangements: to make preparations or
arrangements for the future[1]



planar

planar
pla·nar
[pláynər, pláy
nr] adjective

1.  relating
to a geometric plane: about, involving, or typical
of a geometric plane

2.  flat:
flat or lying in a single geometric plane

3.  two-dimensional:
having only two dimensions
—pla·nar·i·ty [play nérrətee], noun[1]



planarian

planarian
pla·nar·i·an
[plə náiree ən] (plural pla·nar·i·ans)
noun

class
of flatworm: a small flatworm that mainly lives in
freshwater, is not a parasite, and has a three-branched intestine. Order:
Tricladida
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Planaria, the name of the genus, from Latin planarius “on
level ground,” from planus “flat” (see plain
).][1]



planation

planation
pla·na·tion
[play náysh’n] noun

leveling
out of natural surfaces: the leveling out of natural
surfaces on land or under water by erosion or the depositing of new material
[Late 19th century. Formed
from plane 2 .][1]



planchet

planchet
planch·et
[plánchət] (plural planch·ets)
noun

1.  blank
disk of metal for stamping: a flat disk of metal ready
to be stamped as a coin or medal

2.  CHEMISTRY small
metal cup:
a small metal container used to measure a radioactive substance
[Early 17th century.
Literally “little plank,” formed from obsolete English planch “wooden
plank, metal plate,” from French planche (see plank
).][1]



planchette

planchette
plan·chette
[plan shét] (plural plan·chettes)
noun

board
on casters used in spiritualism: a small heart-shaped
or triangular wooden board on two casters and with a pencil attached that
spells out messages supposed to be from the spirit world when people touch it
lightly
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “little plank,” formed from planche “plank” (see plank ).][1]



Planck,Max

Planck,Max

Planck
[plängk], Max (1858–1947)
German
physicist. The originator and developer of quantum theory, he won a Nobel Prize
in physics (1918).
Full name
Planck, Max Karl Ernst Ludwig[1]



Planck’sconstant

Planck’sconstant
Planck’s
con·stant 
noun

basic
physical constant: a basic physical constant
that is equal to the energy of a photon divided by its frequency, with an
approximate value of 6.6261 x 10 –34 joule-seconds. Symbol
h
[Early 20th century. Named
for Max Planck .][1]



plane

plane3
plane3 [playn]
noun (plural planes)

1.  WOODWORK tool
for smoothing wood: a hand tool for smoothing or
shaping wood consisting of a wooden or metal body with a flat base in which an
adjustable metal blade is held at an angle

2.  CERAMICS smoothing
trowel:
a hand tool with a flat metal blade used for smoothing the surface of clay or
of plaster in a mold
transitive
verb
(past planed, past participle planed, present
participle plan·ing, 3rd person present singular planes)

WOODWORK smooth
wood:
to use a plane to smooth or shape the surface of wood, to reduce it to the
required size, or to remove material from it
[14th century. Via French
from late Latin plana, from Latin planare “to make level,” from planus
“flat” (see plane 1 ).][1]



plane

plane4
plane4 [playn]
(plural planes) noun

See
plane tree[1]



plane

plane2
plane2 [playn]
noun

1.  flat
surface:
a flat or level material surface

2.  level
of reality:
a level or category of existence, mental activity, or achievement

3.  MATHEMATICS two-dimensional
surface or space: a two-dimensional surface in which a
straight line between any two points will lie wholly on that surface

4.  AIR wing
or hydrofoil: a flat surface such as a wing of a
hydrofoil that provides lift for an aircraft or hydroplane
adjective

1.  flat:
completely flat and level

2.  MATHEMATICS two-dimensional:
lying within a particular plane
intransitive
verb
(past planed, past participle planed, present
participle plan·ing, 3rd person present singular planes)

1.  skim
over water’s surface: to rise partly out of water
and skim along the surface, in the way that a hydroplane does

2.  AIR soar:
to glide through the air without propulsion, in the way that a bird does
without flapping its wings or an airplane does with its engine off
[Early
17th century. From Latin planus “flat” (see plain
).]
—plane·ness, noun[1]



plane

plane1
plane1 [playn]
noun (plural planes)

AIR aircraft:
an airplane
intransitive
verb
(past planed, past participle planed, present
participle plan·ing, 3rd person present singular planes)

AIR travel
by plane:
to travel by airplane
[Late 20th century
shortening][1]



planeangle

planeangle
plane
an·gle
(plural plane an·gles) noun

angle between two lines on
plane: an angle formed by two
straight lines meeting in the same geometric plane[1]



planegeometry

planegeometry
plane
ge·om·e·try
noun

two-dimensional geometry:
a branch of geometry dealing with the study of curves and figures[1]



planeload

planeload
plane·load
[pláyn ld] (plural plane·loads)
noun

number or amount carried by
plane: the number of passengers or
the quantity of goods that can be carried in an aircraft[1]



planer

planer
plan·er
[pláynər] (plural plan·ers) noun

1.  WOODWORK planing
machine:
a person or machine that planes, especially a machine used to plane wood or to
cut flat surfaces into metal

2.  PRINTING wooden
block to keep type level: a flat block of wood used to
hold type level in a chase
[15th century. Formed from plane 2 .][1]



planertree

planertree
pla·ner
tree 
(plural pla·ner trees) noun

small
American tree growing in swamps: a small deciduous tree
similar to an elm that grows mainly in swamps in the southern United States and
has a small oval ribbed fruit. Latin name: Planera aquatica
[Early 19th century. Named
for the German botanist I. J. Planer ( 1743–1789 ).][1]



planesailing

planesailing
plane
sail·ing
noun

navigation as if earth were
flat: sailing using a form of
navigation that treats the earth’s surface as if it were flat for the purposes
of calculating a ship’s position and course[1]



planet

planet
plan·et
[plánnət] (plural plan·ets) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY astronomical
body orbiting star: an astronomical body that
orbits a star and does not shine with its own light, especially one of the nine
such bodies orbiting the Sun in the solar system

2.  ZODIAC astrological
influence:
in astrology, any of the planets of the solar system, the Sun, the Moon, but
not the Earth, that are considered to influence events on Earth and the fate or
character of individuals

3.  Earth:
the Earth • save
the planet
[12th
century. Via French planète from Latin planeta “planet, wandering
star,” from Greek planētēs “wanderer.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Planets, an orchestral work by English composer Gustav Holst ( 1914–1916 ).
  This suite for orchestra, organ, and chorus is divided into seven movements,
  each of which represents the astrological character of a planet with
  appropriate music. Thus, the section called “Mars, Bringer of War” consists
  of a brooding, sinister theme, while “Venus, Bringer of Peace” is calm and
  serene.

[1]



planetable

planetable
plane
ta·ble
(plural plane ta·bles) noun

surveying instrument:
a surveying instrument for use in the field, consisting of a drawing board
mounted on adjustable legs with a sighting telescope and ruler[1]



planetarium

planetarium
plan·e·tar·i·um
[plànnə táiree əm] (plural plan·e·tar·i·ums
or plan·e·tar·i·a [plànnə táiree ə])
noun

1.  building
with image of night sky: a building with a domed
ceiling onto which movable images of the stars, planets, and other objects seen
in the night sky are projected for an audience

2.  projector
used in planetarium: the special projector used
to project images of the night sky for an audience in a planetarium

3.  solar
system model: a model of the solar system, often a
working model showing how the planets revolve around the Sun (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from late Latin planetarius “astrologer,” from planeta
“planet” (see planet ).][1]



planetary

planetary
plan·e·tar·y
[plánnə tèree] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY involving
planets:
relating to, belonging to, involving, or typical of planets

2.  involving
all of Earth: involving or relating to the whole
Earth, all the people or countries of the world, or a large proportion of them
noun
(plural plan·e·taries)

ENGINEERING See planetary gear

[1]



planetarygear

planetarygear
plan·e·tar·y
gear
(plural plan·e·tar·y gears) or plan·e·tar·y (plural
plan·e·tar·ies) noun

gear rotating around central
gear: a gearwheel especially in an
epicyclic train that travels around another usually central gearwheel[1]



planetarynebula

planetarynebula
plan·e·tar·y
neb·u·la
noun

glowing ring-shaped nebula:
a glowing ring-shaped nebula of expanding gases surrounding a small very hot
white star[1]



planetesimal

planetesimal
plan·e·tes·i·mal
[plànnə téssəm’l] (plural plan·e·tes·i·mals)
noun

small
rocky celestial body: a small rocky celestial
object thought to have orbited the Sun in the early stages of the solar system
before coalescing with others to form the planets
[Early 20th century. Coined
from planet + -esimal (as in
“infinitesimal”).][1]



planetoid

planetoid
plan·e·toid
[plánnə tòyd] (plural plan·e·toids)
noun

See
asteroid
—plan·e·toi·dal [plànnə tóyd’l], adjective[1]



planetology

planetology
plan·e·tol·o·gy
[plànnə tólləjee] noun

study
of planets:
a branch of astronomy that studies the origin and composition of the planets
and other solid bodies in the solar system such as comets and meteors
—plan·e·to·log·i·cal
[plànnətə lójjik’l], adjective

—plan·e·tol·o·gist [plànnə tóttəjist], noun[1]



planetree

planetree
plane
tree
(plural plane trees) or plane (plural planes)
noun

tall
deciduous tree: a tall deciduous tree that has leaves
with pointed lobes, ball-shaped clusters of flowers and fruit, and bark that
peels off in patches. Genus: Platanus
Also
called
platan
[14th century. “Plane” via
French from, ultimately, Greek platanos, from platus “broad,”
from the shape of its leaf.][1]



planetwheel

planetwheel
plan·et
wheel
(plural plan·et wheels) noun

gear wheel rotating around
another: a wheel in an epicyclic gear
system that rotates around the wheel with which it meshes[1]



planfor

planfor
plan
for
transitive verb

make preparations and
arrangements for: to make preparations
and arrangements for something based on what is expected to happen[1]



plangent

plangent
plan·gent
[plánjənt] adjective

1.  expressing
or suggesting sadness: expressing or suggesting
grief or sadness, or resonating with a mournful sound (literary)

2.  resonant:
making a loud and resonant sound
[Early
19th century. From Latin plangent-, the present participle stem of plangere
“to beat” (source also of English complain
and plaint ).]
—plan·gen·cy,
noun

—plan·gent·ly, adverb[1]



plani-

plani-
plani-
prefix

See
plano-[1]



planimeter

planimeter
pla·nim·e·ter
[plə nímmətər] (plural pla·nim·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring area of plane figure: a mechanical
instrument that measures the area of a plane figure as a pointer is moved
around the figure’s edge
[Mid-19th
century. From French planimètre .]
—pla·ni·met·ric
[plàynə méttrik], adjective

—pla·ni·met·ri·cal·ly
[plàynə méttri kəlee], adverb[1]



planish

planish
plan·ish
[plánnish] (past plan·ished, past
participle plan·ished, present participle plan·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular plan·ish·es) transitive verb

finish
surface of metal: to toughen and smooth the surface of a
metal by hammering or rolling it
[Late
16th century. From Old French planiss-, the stem form of planir
“to smooth,” from plain “flat” (see plain
).]
—plan·ish·er, noun[1]



planisphere

planisphere
pla·ni·sphere
[pláyni sfr] (plural pla·ni·spheres)
noun

representation
of sphere or night sky: a representation on a flat
surface of all or part of a sphere, especially a map of the night sky as seen
at a particular time and place
[From
medieval Latin planisphaerium, from Latin planus “flat, plane”
(see plain ) + sphaera “sphere,” from
Greek sphaira]
—pla·ni·spher·ic [plàyni sfrik, plàyni
sférrik], adjective[1]



plank

plank
plank
[plangk] noun (plural planks)

1.  WOODWORK BUILDING long flat piece of wood:
a piece of wood that has been sawn into a long flat fairly narrow rectangular
shape, for use especially in building floors, shelves, and boats

2.  transitive
verb
WOODWORK BUILDING planking:
a number of planks especially when they are being used as building material

3.  POLITICS policy
of political party: a policy that is part of a
political party’s platform
transitive
verb
(past planked, past participle planked, present
participle plank·ing, 3rd person present singular planks)

BUILDING cover
something with plank s: to cover something with
plank s
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French planke, a variation of Old French planche (source
of English planchette ), from late
Latin planca “slab,” from the feminine of Latin plancus “flat.”][1]



planking

planking
plank·ing
[plángking] noun

1.  WOODWORK BUILDING planks:
a number of planks especially when they are used as building material or as
part of a boat

2.  BUILDING covering
something with planks: the work of covering
something with planks or fixing planks to something

[1]



plankter

plankter
plank·ter
[plángktər] (plural plank·ters)
noun

organism
in plankton: one of the tiny organisms that make up
plankton
[Mid-20th century. Via German
from Greek plagktēr “wanderer,” from plazein “to wander” (see plankton ).][1]



plankton

plankton
plank·ton
[plángktən] noun

mass
of tiny floating organisms: a mass of tiny animals and
plants floating in the sea or in lakes usually near the surface and eaten by
fish and other aquatic animals
[Late
19th century. Via German from Greek, “wandering thing,” from plazein “to
wander, lead astray.”]
—plank·ton·ic [plangk tónnik], adjective[1]



plannedobsolescence

plannedobsolescence
planned
ob·so·les·cence noun

ensuring that something
becomes obsolete: a policy of designing
and making products so that they will quickly become outdated or wear out, so
that people will have to buy a replacement.
Also called
built-in obsolescence[1]



PlannedParenthood

PlannedParenthood
Planned
Par·ent·hood Trademark

an organization that
researches family planning methods and gives advice[1]



planner

planner
plan·ner
[plánnər] (plural plan·ners) noun

1.  somebody
who plans something: somebody who plans
something, especially somebody whose job is to plan the development of an area

2.  planning
aid:
a chart or notebook in which future events can be indicated or noted

[1]



plano-

plano-
plano-
prefix

flat
• planosol
• plano-concave
[From Latin planus
(see plane 1 )][1]



plano-concave

plano-concave
pla·no-con·cave
adjective

flat one side, concave the
other: flat on one side and concave
on the other[1]



plano-convex

plano-convex
pla·no-con·vex
adjective

flat one side, convex the
other: flat on one side and convex
on the other[1]



planogamete

planogamete
plan·o·gam·ete 
[plànnō gá mt, plànnō
gə mt] (plural plan·o·gam·etes) noun

gamete capable of moving:
a gamete such as a spermatozoon that is capable of moving[1]



planography

planography
pla·nog·ra·phy
[plə nóggrəfee] noun

printing
from smooth surface: a printing process such as
lithography in which the printing is done from a flat surface
—pla·no·graph·ic
[plàynə gráffik], adjective

—pla·no·graph·i·cal·ly
[plàynə gráffi kəlee], adverb[1]



planometer

planometer
pla·nom·e·ter
[plə nómmətər] (plural pla·nom·e·ters)
noun

flatness
gauge:
a flat metal plate used to test the flatness of other surfaces in metalwork
—plan·o·met·ric
[plàynə méttrik], adjective

—plan·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[plàynə méttri kəlee], adverb

—pla·nom·e·try [plə nómmətree], noun[1]



planon

planon
plan
on
transitive verb

intend something:
to intend to do something (informal)[1]



planosol

planosol
plan·o·sol 
[plánnə sàwl] (plural plan·o·sols)
noun

soil formation found on flat
uplands: a type of soil formation
found on flat uplands that have high to moderate rainfall, in which a strongly
leached upper layer overlies a layer of compacted clay or silt[1]



planout

planout
plan
out
transitive verb

plan something in detail:
to make a detailed plan for something to be done or organized[1]



plant

plant
plant
[plant] noun (plural plants)

1.  PLANTS vegetable
organism:
a photosynthetic organism that has cellulose cell walls, cannot move of its own
accord, grows on the earth or in water, and usually has green leaves. Kingdom: Plantae

2.  PLANTS smaller
vegetable organism: a vegetable organism that
does not have a permanent woody stem, for example, a flower or herb rather than
a bush or tree

3.  GARDENING seedling:
a cutting or seedling that is ready to be planted

4.  INDUSTRY factory:
a factory, power station, or other large industrial complex where something is
manufactured or produced

5.  INDUSTRY industrial
equipment:
equipment together with the buildings and land necessary for carrying on an
industrial process or running a business

6.  something
dishonestly hidden to incriminate: something secretly and
dishonestly put somewhere it can be discovered later, for example, by the
police, in order to incriminate somebody (informal)

7.  somebody
secretly introduced into group: somebody who is
secretly introduced into an organization in order to spy on it or to influence
the behaviour of its members (informal)
verb
(past plant·ed, past participle plant·ed, present
participle plant·ing, 3rd person present singular plants)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY AGRICULTURE
put
something into the ground to grow: to put something such
as a seed, plant, or tuber into the ground to enable it to grow, or to take
part in this activity • plant
a tree

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE GARDENING
place
plants somewhere: to place young plants or sow seeds in an
area of ground • wanted to plant that
bed with pansies

3.  transitive
verb
put
something down firmly: to put something down or
take a position firmly or decisively • planted
the stakes about five feet apart

4.  transitive
verb
put
an idea in somebody’s mind: to introduce an idea into
another person’s mind • She
planted the notion in my head that we should move.

5.  transitive
verb
place
something in a concealed position: to place something
such as an explosive or listening device where it will not be easily found by
others

6.  transitive
verb
hide
something to incriminate somebody: to put something
secretly where it can be discovered later, for example, by the police, to
incriminate somebody (informal) • plant
evidence

7.  transitive
verb
introduce
a spy into group: to introduce somebody into an
organization in order to spy on it or to influence the behaviour of its members
(informal) • planted an informer in
the group

8.  transitive
verb
strike
somebody:
to land a blow on somebody (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE stock
with fish:
to place spawn, young fish, or shellfish into an area of water so that they
will develop there • plant oysters

10. transitive
verb
establish
a colony:
to establish a colony or settlement in a place, or send people to a place as
colonists or settlers
[Pre-12th
century. From late Latin plantare “to plant.” Latin plantare
meant “to push in with the sole of the foot” and was formed from planta
“sole of the foot.”]
—plant·a·ble,
adjective

—plant·like,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  There
  did exist a Latin noun planta which meant “shoot, cutting,” of
  uncertain origin, but the meaning of the English noun plant is not found. It is likely that this sense developed
  after the classical Latin period and is linked with the action of pressing on
  a shovel, or some other tool, with the “sole of the foot” in order to work
  the soil for planting. Latin planta “sole of the foot” is ultimately
  from an Indo-European base meaning “to spread” which is also the ancestor of
  English flat and place.

[1]



Plantagenet

Plantagenet
Plan·tag·e·net 
[plan tájjənət] adjective

of
English royal family or reign: belonging or relating
to the English royal family that ruled between 1154 and 1485, or to this period
of English history. The period is spanned by the reigns of Kings Henry II,
Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry
IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III.
noun
(plural Plan·tag·e·nets)

member
of Plantagenet royal family: a member of the Plantagenet
royal family
[From Latin planta
“sprig” + Latin genista “broom,” after the sprig of broom worn by Geoffrey
IV, father of Henry II, in his cap][1]



plantain

plantain2
plan·tain2  [plántən]
(plural plan·tains) noun

1.  FOOD fruit
like banana: a green fruit resembling a banana, eaten
cooked as a staple food in many tropical countries

2.  PLANTS tropical
plant like banana tree: a large tropical plant of
the banana family that produces clusters of green fruit that resemble bananas.
Latin name: Musa paradisiaca
[16th century. Via Spanish plátano
“plane tree” from Latin platanus (see plane
tree ).][1]



plantain

plantain1

plan·tain1  [plántən]
(plural plan·tains) noun
small
plant with greenish flower spike: a small plant mostly
growing wild in northern temperate regions with leaves that grow mainly from
the plant’s base and spikes of tiny greenish flowers. Family: Plantaginaceae
[14th century. Via French
from Latin plantago, from planta “sole of the foot” (see plant ).][1]



plantainlily

plantainlily
plan·tain
lil·y
(plural plan·tain lil·ies) noun

perennial shade-loving plant:
a perennial shade-loving plant with broad ribbed leaves and clusters of tubular
white, blue, or lilac flowers. Genus: Hosta
Also called
hosta
U.K. term
hosta[1]



plantar

plantar
plan·tar
[plántər, plán
tr] adjective

on
sole of foot: relating to, affecting, or occurring on
the sole of the foot
[Early 18th century. From
Latin plantaris, from planta “sole of the foot” (see plant ).][1]



plantarwart

plantarwart
plan·tar
wart
(plural plan·tar warts) noun

See
verruca[1]



plantation

plantation
plan·ta·tion
[plan táysh’n] (plural plan·ta·tions)
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE large
estate or farm: a large estate or farm especially in a
hot country where crops such as cotton, coffee, tea, or rubber trees are grown,
usually worked by resident laborers

2.  AGRICULTURE area
of planted land: an area of land on which trees or crops
are planted

3.  AGRICULTURE group
of cultivated plants: a large group of plants,
especially trees, that are being cultivated

4.  AGRICULTURE estate
in southern United States: a large landed estate in the
southern United States

5.  HISTORY colony:
a colony or settlement

[1]



plantcutter

plantcutter
plant·cut·ter
(plural plant·cut·ters) noun

S American bird:
a South American bird that has a short conical bill with a serrated edge. It
eats fruit, leaves, and buds, often destroying crops. Family: Phytotomidae[1]



planter

planter
plant·er
[plántər] (plural plant·ers) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE head
of plantation: somebody who owns or manages a
plantation

2.  GARDENING large
container:
a large decorative container for houseplants or small trees

3.  AGRICULTURE planting
machine:
a machine for planting seeds, tubers, or other plant parts

4.  HISTORY settler:
a colonist (archaic)

[1]



planter’spunch

planter’spunch
plant·er’s
punch 
(plural plant·er’s punch·es) noun

mixed alcoholic drink:
a drink made with rum, lime or lemon juice, sugar, water, or soda, and
sometimes bitters[1]



planthormone

planthormone
plant
hor·mone
(plural plant hor·mones) noun

growth-regulating hormone in
plants: a hormone produced naturally
by plants that activates or regulates their growth, or a synthetic equivalent
used to promote growth in cultivated plants.
Also called
phytohormone[1]



plantigrade

plantigrade
plan·ti·grade
[plánti gràyd] adjective

walking
on soles of feet: used to describe an animal such as a
bear or a human being that walks on the soles of its feet with the heel
touching the ground
noun
(plural plan·ti·grades)

plantigrade
animal:
an animal that walks on the soles of its feet
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from modern Latin plantigradus, from Latin planta “sole of the
foot” (see plant ) + -gradus
“stepping” (see grade ).][1]



plantlet

plantlet
plant·let
[plántlət] (plural plantlets) noun

little plant:
a young or very small plant[1]



plantlouse

plantlouse
plant
louse
noun

See
aphid[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








plantocracy

plantocracy
plan·toc·racy 
[plan tókrəssee] (plural plan·toc·ra·cies)
noun

planters as ruling class:
a ruling class made up of the owners and managers of large plantations, or a
society they rule[1]



plantsman

plantsman
plants·man
[plántsmən] (plural plants·men
[plántsmən]) noun

gardening expert:
a man who has expert knowledge of garden plants and gardening[1]



plantswoman

plantswoman
plants·wo·man
[plánts wmmən] (plural plants·wo·men
[plánts wìmmin]) noun

gardening expert:
a woman who has expert knowledge of garden plants and gardening[1]



planula

planula
plan·u·la
[plánnyələ] (plural plan·u·lae
[plánnyəlee]) noun

coelenterate
larva:
a free-swimming larva of a coelenterate such as a hydra that has cilia and
usually a flattened oval body
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “little flat one,” formed from Latin
planus “flat” (see plain ).]
—plan·u·lar, adjective[1]



plaque

plaque
plaque
[plak] (plural plaques) noun

1.  inscribed
metal or stone: a small flat piece of metal, stone, or
other hard material with an inscription or decoration on it that is fixed onto
a surface, often to commemorate somebody or something

2.  DENTISTRY deposit
on surface of teeth: a film of saliva, mucus,
bacteria, and food residues that builds up on the surface of teeth and can
cause gum disease

3.  MEDICINE small
patch:
a small flattened patch or deposit, for example, on the skin in psoriasis or on
the inner wall of an artery in arteriosclerosis

4.  BIOLOGY clear
patch in culture: a clear patch in a bacterial or cell
culture caused by a virus destroying the cells

5.  small
pin or brooch: a small pin or brooch worn to show
membership of or rank in an organization
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Dutch plak “tablet,” from plakken, from Middle Dutch placken
“to flatten, patch” (source also of English placard
).][1]



plash

plash
plash
[plash] noun

light splash: a
light splash or splashing sound (literary)
verb
(past plashed, past participle plashed, present
participle plash·ing, 3rd person present singular plash·es)
(literary)

1.  intransitive
verb
splash
in or through liquid: to move in or through
something liquid, scattering drops of it and making a light splashing sound

2.  transitive
verb
splash
something:
to splash or spatter something liquid
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



plashy

plashy
plash·y
[pláshee] (comparative plash·i·er,
superlative plash·i·est) adjective

wet:
wet and marshy (literary)[1]



-plasia

-plasia
-plasia
suffix

growth,
formation • hyperplasia
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek plassein “to form, mold” (source of English plaster )][1]



plasm

plasm
plasm
[plázzəm] noun

1.  See
plasma

2.  protoplasm:
protoplasm of a specified type
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin plasma “image, creation” (see plasma
).][1]



plasm-

plasm-
plasm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
plasmo-[1]



-plasm

-plasm
-plasm
suffix

material
that forms or is formed • protoplasm
• neoplasm
[Shortening of protoplasm][1]



plasma

plasma
plas·ma
[plázmə] (plural plas·mas) or
plasm [plázmə] (plural plasms)
noun

1.  MEDICINE fluid
component of blood: the clear yellowish fluid
component of blood, lymph, or milk, excluding the suspended corpuscles and
cells.
Also
called
blood plasma

2.  MEDICINE blood
substitute:
a blood substitute prepared by removing the cells and corpuscles from donated
sterile blood and freezing the resulting fluid until it is needed.
Also
called
blood plasma

3.  PHYSICS ionized
gas:
a hot ionized gas made up of ions and electrons that is found in the Sun,
stars, and fusion reactors. Plasma is a good conductor of electricity and
reacts to a magnetic field but otherwise has properties similar to those of a
gas.

4.  MINERALS green
chalcedony:
a green variety of chalcedony used as a gemstone, in mosaics, and for other
decorative purposes
[Early
18th century. Via late Latin, “image, creation,” from Greek, “something
molded,” from plassein “to mold” (see plastic
).]
—plas·mat·ic [plaz máttik], adjective[1]



plasmacell

plasmacell
plas·ma
cell
[plázmə sīt] (plural plas·ma cells)
or plas·ma·cyte [plázmə sīt] noun

lymphocyte that produces
antibodies: a lymphocyte that produces
antibodies and is derived from a B cell[1]



plasmaengine

plasmaengine
plas·ma
en·gine
(plural plas·ma en·gines) noun

engine emitting plasma:
an engine used in space travel that generates thrust by using magnetic fields
to emit a jet of plasma[1]



plasmagel

plasmagel
plas·ma·gel
[plázmə jèl] noun

form of cytoplasm that
resembles jelly: a form of cytoplasm,
often forming an outer layer in cells, that resembles jelly[1]



plasmagene

plasmagene
plas·ma·gene
[plázmə jn] (plural plas·ma·genes)
noun

gene
found in cytoplasm: a particle in the cytoplasm
of organisms that can replicate itself and is thought to be able to pass on
hereditary characteristics in the same way as a chromosomal gene
—plas·ma·gen·ic [plàzmə jénnik], adjective[1]



plasmalemma

plasmalemma
plas·ma·lem·ma
[plàzmə lémmə] (plural plas·ma·lem·mas)
noun

See
cell membrane[1]



plasmamembrane

plasmamembrane
plas·ma
mem·brane
(plural plas·ma mem·branes) noun

See
cell membrane[1]



plasmapheresis

plasmapheresis
plas·ma·pher·e·sis
[plàzmə férrə siss, plàzmə
fə rssiss] noun

plasma separation of blood:
a process in which blood taken from a patient is treated to extract the cells
and corpuscles, which are then added to another fluid and returned to the
patient’s body. It is performed, for example, to remove harmful antibodies or
immune complexes from the blood, especially in autoimmune diseases such as
myasthenia gravis.[1]



plasmasol

plasmasol
plas·ma·sol
[plázmə sàwl] noun

fluid form of cytoplasm:
a form of cytoplasm that is more fluid than plasmagel, often forming an inner
layer in cells[1]



plasmatorch

plasmatorch
plas·ma
torch
(plural plas·ma torch·es) noun

metal-cutting device:
a metal-cutting device in which a cutting flame is produced by the conversion
of a gas into plasma[1]



plasmid

plasmid
plas·mid
[plázmid] (plural plas·mids) noun

small independent circle of
DNA: a small circle of DNA that
replicates itself independently of chromosomal DNA, especially in the cells of
bacteria. Plasmids often contain genes for drug resistance and are used in
genetic engineering, since they can be transmitted between bacteria of the same
and different species.[1]



plasmin

plasmin
plas·min
[plázmin] noun

fibrin-dissolving
plasma protein: an enzyme found in plasma that catalyzes
the breakdown of blood-clotting agents such as fibrin
[Mid-19th century. From
French, coined from plasma “plasma.”][1]



plasminogen

plasminogen
plas·min·o·gen
[plaz mínnəjən] noun

precursor of plasmin:
a substance found in body fluids and blood plasma that when activated becomes
plasmin[1]



plasmo-

plasmo-2
plasmo-2 prefix

plasma
• plasmogamy
[From plasma][1]



plasmo-

plasmo-1
plasmo-1 or plasm- prefix

involving
or like plasma
[From late Latin plasma
“image” (see plasma )][1]



plasmodesma

plasmodesma
plas·mo·des·ma
[plàzmə dézmə] (plural plas·mo·des·ma·ta
[plàzmə dézmətə]) noun

fine
strand of cytoplasm connecting cells: a
very fine thread of cytoplasm that in some plants passes through openings in
the walls of adjacent cells and forms a living bridge between them
[Early 20th century. From
German, coined from Plasma “plasma” + Greek desma “bond.”][1]



plasmodium

plasmodium
plas·mo·di·um
[plaz mṓdee əm] (plural plas·mo·di·a
[plaz mṓdee ə]) noun

1.  mass
of protoplasm: a mass of protoplasm containing many
nuclei that is a stage in the life cycle of some organisms, especially slime
molds

2.  parasitic
protozoan causing malaria: a parasitic protozoan,
especially one that causes malaria. Genus: Plasmodium
[Late
19th century. Coined from plasma + modern
Latin -odium “resembling,” from Greek -ōdēs (see -oid ).]
—plas·mo·di·al, adjective[1]



plasmogamy

plasmogamy
plas·mog·a·my
[plaz móggəmee] noun

cytoplasmic fusion without
merging of nuclei: a type of
fusion between cells in certain fungi in which the cytoplasm merges but the
nuclei remain distinct[1]



plasmolysis

plasmolysis
plas·mol·y·sis
[plaz mólləssiss] noun

shrinking
of protoplasm from cell wall: the shrinking of the
protoplasm in a plant or bacterial cell away from the cell wall, caused by loss
of water through osmosis
—plas·mo·lyt·ic
[plàzmə líttik], adjective

—plas·mo·lyt·i·cal·ly
[plàzmə líttikəlee], adverb[1]



plasmolyze

plasmolyze
plas·mo·lyze
[plázmə lz] (past plas·mo·lyzed,
past participle plas·mo·lyzed, present participle plas·mo·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular plas·mo·lyz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

undergo or subject to
plasmolysis: to undergo plasmolysis,
or make this happen in a cell[1]



plasmon

plasmon
plas·mon
[pláz mòn] noun

GENETICS
total genetic material in cytoplasm:
the sum total of the genetic material in the cytoplasm, as opposed to the
nucleus or nuclei, of a cell or an organism[1]



-plast

-plast
-plast
suffix

living
cell, small body • spheroplast
[From Greek plastos, a
past participle of plassein (see -plasia
)][1]



plaster

plaster
plas·ter 
[plástər] noun (plural plas·ters)

1.  lime
mixture for walls: a mixture of lime, sand, and
water that is applied as a liquid paste to the ceilings and internal walls of a
building and dries to a smooth hard surface

2.  piece
of impregnated muslin: a piece of muslin spread
with a curative preparation formerly used for placing over a wound or sore.
See
also
mustard plaster

3.  See
plaster of Paris

4.  U.K.
sticky
bandage:
a strip of adhesive material, usually with a dressing attached, for sticking
over a cut or wound
transitive
verb
(past plas·tered, past participle plas·tered, present
participle plas·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular plas·ters)

1.  cover
walls with plaster: to apply plaster to the
interior walls and ceilings of a building

2.  apply
something thickly: to apply a thick layer of
something to a surface (informal)

3.  stick
a mass of things over a surface: to stick or spread
objects in great profusion over a surface

4.  make
something appear in many locations: to
cause a name, story, or image to appear in many conspicuous places • woke
up to find her name plastered on every front page

5.  bombard:
to hit somebody or something repeatedly and effectively with blows or weapons (informal)

6.  defeat
severely:
to defeat an opponent severely, for example, in a sports competition (informal)
• got
plastered in the semifinals

7.  apply
medicinal plaster: to apply a medicinal plaster
to a wound or sore
[Old
English plaster “medical dressing” and Old French plastre “wall
plaster,” both via medieval Latin plastrum from, ultimately, Greek emplastron,
from emplassein “to plaster up,” from plassein (see -plasia )]
—plas·ter·er,
noun

—plas·ter·y, adjective[1]



plasterboard

plasterboard
plas·ter·board 
[plástər bàwrd] (plural plas·ter·boards)
noun

board for interior walls:
reinforced gypsum plaster sandwiched between two layers of strong paper in
large sheets, used chiefly for interior walls.
Also called
drywall
Also called
gypsum board
Also called
wallboard[1]



plastercast

plastercast
plas·ter
cast
(plural plas·ter casts) noun

1.  rigid
covering for broken limb: a rigid covering of plaster
of Paris molded around a broken limb to immobilize the fracture site during
healing

2.  plaster
copy of something: a copy or mold of an object,
such as a statue or footprint in plaster of Paris

[1]



plastered

plastered
plas·tered 
[plástərd] adjective

very
drunk:
very drunk (informal)
[Early 20th century. From plaster in the sense “to hit hard.”][1]



plastering

plastering
plas·ter·ing 
[plástəring] (plural plas·ter·ings)
noun

1.  application
of plaster to walls: the application of a layer
of plaster to walls

2.  plaster
covering surface: the plaster that covers a surface

3.  severe
defeat:
a severe beating or defeat (informal)

[1]



plasterof Paris

plasterof Paris
plas·ter
of Par·is 
noun

white
powder used for casting: a white powder, calcium
sulfate, mixed with water to form a quick-hardening paste, used in the arts for
sculpting and making casts and used in medicine for molding casts around broken
limbs.
Also
called
plaster
[Named for Paris, France, where it originated][1]



plasterwork

plasterwork
plas·ter·work 
[plástər wùrk] noun

plaster finish or decoration:
objects in plaster, especially the layer of plaster applied to interior wall
surfaces or decorative plaster moldings on ceilings or walls[1]



plastic

plastic
plas·tic 
[plástik] noun (plural plas·tics)

1.  synthetic
material:
an extremely versatile synthetic material made from the polymerization of
organic compounds. It can be molded into shapes or fabricated in many different
forms for use in commerce and industry.

2.  credit
cards:
debit or credit cards as a form of payment as distinct from cash or a check (informal)
adjective

1.  made
of plastic:
made of or consisting of plastic

2.  artificial:
seeming artificial and unnatural • a
plastic smile

3.  adapting
easily:
adapting easily and readily to change

4.  able
to be molded: able to be shaped, molded, or modeled

5.  of
molding, modeling, or sculpting: relating to or
involving molding, modeling, or sculpting

6.  PHYSICS able
to have shape permanently changed: able to be bent,
stretched, squeezed, or pulled out so that the resulting change of shape is
permanent

7.  BIOLOGY adapting
to conditions: capable of adapting to conditions during
growth or development

8.  of
plastic surgery: relating to or involving plastic surgery
[16th
century. Via French plastique and Latin plasticus from Greek plastikos
“moldable,” from plastos, the past participle of plassein “to
form, mold” (see -plasia ).]
—plas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



plasticart

plasticart
plas·tic
art
(plural plas·tic arts) noun

1.  three-dimensional
art:
a three-dimensional art such as sculpture, modeling or bas-relief work,
pottery, or ceramics

2.  visual
art:
an art that represents subjects for visual appreciation, such as painting,
sculpture, or architecture

[1]



plasticbomb

plasticbomb
plas·tic
bomb
(plural plas·tic bombs) noun

bomb using plastic explosive:
a bomb that employs a plastic explosive for its destructive force[1]



plasticbullet

plasticbullet
plas·tic
bul·let
(plural plas·tic bul·lets) noun

large bullet for riot
control: a large bullet made of PVC,
sometimes used by the police for riot control in place of metal bullets[1]



plasticexplosive

plasticexplosive
plas·tic
ex·plo·sive
(plural plas·tic ex·plo·sives) noun

soft explosive:
an explosive with the consistency of putty that allows it to be easily molded[1]



Plasticine

Plasticine
Plas·ti·cine
[plásti sn] Trademark

U.K.
a trademark for a soft colored modeling material used especially by children[1]



plasticity

plasticity
plas·tic·i·ty 
[pla stíssətee] noun

1.  ability
to be molded: the condition of being soft and capable
of being molded

2.  ability
to keep shape after change: the quality that will allow
a substance to retain its change in shape after being bent, stretched, or
squeezed

3.  three-dimensional
quality:
the three-dimensional quality of an image

[1]



plasticize

plasticize
plas·ti·cize 
[plásti sz] (past plas·ti·cized,
past participle plas·ti·cized, present participle plas·ti·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular plas·ti·ciz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become plastic: to give plastic or moldable
qualities to something, or become plastic or moldable

2.  transitive
verb
treat
with plastic: to impregnate or coat something with
plastic, usually to make it waterproof
—plas·ti·ci·za·tion [plàstiəssi záysh’n], noun[1]



plasticizer

plasticizer
plas·ti·ciz·er 
[plásti szər] (plural plas·ti·ciz·ers)
noun

plasticizing agent:
an industrial compound that affects the physical properties of a substance to
which it is added[1]



plasticmoney

plasticmoney
plas·tic
mon·ey
noun

credit cards:
debit and credit cards as distinct from cash or checks[1]



plasticsurgeon

plasticsurgeon
plas·tic
sur·geon
(plural plas·tic sur·geons) noun

surgeon repairing damaged
tissue: a physician who performs or
specializes in plastic surgery[1]



plasticsurgery

plasticsurgery
plas·tic
sur·ger·y
noun

surgery to repair damaged
tissue: the branch of surgery that
is concerned with repairing damage, relieving impairments, or improving
appearance. Cosmetic surgery is a branch of plastic surgery.[1]



plasticwrap

plasticwrap
plas·tic
wrap
noun

plastic food wrapping:
a clear plastic film that sticks to itself and to surfaces, used to wrap food
for storage[1]



plastid

plastid
plas·tid 
[plástid] (plural plas·tids) noun

specialized
plant cell part: a specialized organ or part ( organelle ) in a photosynthetic plant cell that
contains pigment, ribosomes, and DNA, and serves particular physiological
purposes such as food synthesis and storage
[Late 19th century. Via the
Greek stem plastid- from, ultimately, plastos “molded” (see plastic ).][1]



plastique

plastique
plas·tique 
[pla stk] noun

1.  plastic
explosive:
plastic explosive

2.  graceful
dance poses: graceful sustained movement or held
poses in dance
[Late 19th century. From
French (see plastic ).][1]



plastisol

plastisol
plas·ti·sol 
[plásti sàwl] (plural plas·ti·sols)
noun

suspension
convertible into solid plastic: a suspension of
synthetic resin particles convertible by heat into solid plastic
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from plastic + sol
.][1]



plastometer

plastometer
plas·tom·e·ter
[pla stómmətər] (plural plas·tom·e·ters)
or plas·tim·e·ter [pla stímmətər]
(plural plas·tim·e·ters) noun

instrument
for measuring plasticity: an instrument for measuring
the plasticity of materials
[Early
20th century. Coined from plasticity + -meter .]
—plas·to·met·ric
[plàstə métrik], adjective

—plas·tom·e·try [pla stómmətree], noun[1]



plastoquinone

plastoquinone
plas·to·quin·one 
[plà stō kwi nṓn, plà
stō kwí nn] (plural plas·to·quin·ones) noun

plant
compound:
one of a series of compounds occurring in plants that has a quinone nucleus
related to vitamin K and functions in photosynthesis
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from (chloro)plast + quinone .][1]



plastron

plastron
plas·tron 
[plástrən] (plural plas·trons)
noun

1.  under
part of tortoise shell: the under portion of the
shell of a turtle or tortoise that is made up of several, often hinged bony
plates joined to the carapace by bridges located between the animal’s legs

2.  water-repellent
gill in aquatic insects: a tuft of water-repellent
hairs on the bodies of some aquatic insects that traps air bubbles and acts as
an external gill

3.  steel
breastplate: a steel breastplate worn as part of
medieval armor beneath a chain-mail tunic ( hauberk
)

4.  chest
pad for fencers: a leather-covered pad for protecting the
chest, worn by professional fencers
[Early
16th century. Via French from Italian piastrone, literally “large
breastplate,” from piastra “metal plate.”]
—plas·tral, adjective[1]



-plasty

-plasty
-plasty
suffix

surgical
repair, plastic surgery • angioplasty
• rhinoplasty
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek plastos (see plastic
)][1]



plat

plat1
plat1  [plat]
noun (plural plats)

1.  plan
or map:
a plan or map showing property boundaries and geographic features

2.  plot
of land:
a small plot or area of land
transitive
verb
(past plat·ted, past participle plat·ted, present
participle plat·ting, 3rd person present singular plats)

map area of land:
to map an area of land to show boundaries and features
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of plot .][1]



plat

plat2
plat2  [plat]
noun (plural plats)

plait:
a plait (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past plat·ted, past participle plat·ted, present
participle plat·ting, 3rd person present singular plats)

plait
something:
to plait something (archaic)
[14th century. Alteration of plait .][1]



plat.

plat.
plat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
plateau

2.  Abbreviation
of
platoon

[1]



platan

platan
pla·tan 
[plát’n] (plural pla·tans) or
pla·tane [plát’n] (plural pla·tanes)
noun

See
plane tree
[14th century. Via modern
Latin Platanus, genus name, from Greek platanos (see plane tree ).][1]



Plata,Río de la

Plata,Río de la
Pla·ta,
Río de la
[pltə]

large inlet on the eastern
coast of South America, an estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, lying
between Uruguay and Argentina. Length: 300 km/190 mi.[1]



platdu jour

platdu jour
plat
du jour 
[pl də zhr] (plural plats du
jour [pl də zhr]) noun

dish
of the day:
the featured dish on the menu of a restaurant for a particular day
[Early 20th century. From
French, “dish of the day.”][1]



plate

plate
plate 
[playt] noun (plural plates)

1.  HOUSEHOLD dish
from which food is eaten: a flat or shallow dish,
usually round and made of earthenware, china, glass, or sometimes plastic or
metal, from which food is eaten

2.  FOOD contents
of plate:
a portion of food consisting of the amount served on a plate

3.  FOOD served
food:
a specified variety of prepared and served food • a
low-calorie plate

4.  CHRISTIANITY collection
dish for money: a shallow metal or wooden container
passed around a church for members of the congregation to put money in

5.  AUTOMOTIVE license
plate:
a vehicle’s license plate

6.  BASEBALL See home plate

7.  METALLURGY coating
of metal:
a thin coating of metal, typically silver or gold, applied by electrolysis to
copper or another base metal

8.  METALLURGY thinly
beaten metal: metal produced in thin sheets of uniform
thickness by beating, rolling, or casting

9.  ARMS sheet
of armor plating: a sheet of metal used as part of the
cladding of a warship or tank

10. HISTORY section
of suit of armor: a thin piece of steel or iron used to
make up a suit of armor (often used in combination)

11. ENGINEERING flat
constituent part or fitting: a flat slab of metal or
other material that constitutes part of a machine or mechanism

12. DENTISTRY artificial
palate fitted with false teeth: a piece of plastic
molded to fit the mouth and holding false teeth or an orthodontic device such
as a brace

13. PHOTOGRAPHY sensitized
sheet of glass: a sheet of glass or other material
coated with a light-sensitive film to receive a photographic image

14. engraved
plaque:
a metal plaque that bears an engraved or printed legend, name, number, or other
inscription (often used in combination)

15. thin
sheet:
a thin flat rigid sheet or slice of some material, usually of uniform thickness
and with a smooth surface

16. ANATOMY flat
anatomical structure: a thin flat bony or horny
anatomical part or formation

17. GEOLOGY section
of earth’s crust: any of the segments of the earth’s crust
that move in relation to one another as defined by the theory of plate
tectonics

18. ELECTRICITY electrode:
a thin flat piece of metal acting as an electrode in a rechargeable battery

19. HORSERACING prize
of gold or silver cup: a prize, especially in
horseracing, consisting of a silver or gold cup

20. HORSERACING race
with cup as prize: a race, especially a
horserace, in which the prize is a silver or gold cup

21. PRINTING surface
from which to print: a template for printing,
either an engraved metal sheet or a phototypeset page

22. PRINTING illustration
in book:
a full-page illustration or photograph in a book, especially on glossy or
coated paper

23. PRINTING print
taken from engraved surface: a print made from a printing
plate, especially one inserted into a book on paper different from that on
which the text is printed

24. SCIENCE dish
for growing cultures: a small flat glass or
plastic dish with a vertical rim, used in laboratories for growing cultures of
microorganisms

25. HORSERACING shoe
worn by racehorse: a light shoe with which
racehorses are shod in preparation for racing

26. BUILDING horizontal
supporting timber: a horizontal timber laid
along the top of a wall of a building to support the ends of timbers laid at
right angles to the wall

27. FOOD cut of
beef:
a thin cut of beef from the breast or ribs
transitive
verb
(past plat·ed, past participle plat·ed, present
participle plat·ing, 3rd person present singular plates)

1.  METALLURGY cover
something with gold or silver: to cover something
with a thin coating or film of metal, especially to overlay something made of a
baser metal with gold or silver

2.  ARMS cover
something with metal sheets: to cover something,
especially a ship or tank, with sheets of metal for protection and strength

3.  PRINTING set up
type in page form: to set up movable type into
page form ready for printing

4.  SURGERY strengthen
broken bone with plate: to hold a fractured bone in
position once it has been set by screwing it, on either side of the fracture,
to a metal plate
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek platus “flat.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to spread flat” that is also the
ancestor of English flat, plan, and flounder 2 .]
have
something handed to you on a plate

to
obtain something without having to put any effort into obtaining it (informal)

have
something on your plate

to have something that
requires your attention[1]



platearmor

platearmor
plate
ar·mor
noun

armor made of metal plates:
body armor made up of metal plates, as distinct from the chain mail that it
superseded[1]



plateau

plateau
pla·teau 
[pla tṓ] noun (plural pla·teaus
or pla·teaux [pla tṓz])

1.  raised
area with level top: a hill or mountain with a
level top

2.  stable
phase:
a period or phase in something when there is little increase or decrease

3.  phase
of stagnation: a phase in mental or physical
development during which little headway is made
intransitive
verb
(past pla·teaued, past participle pla·teaued, present
participle pla·teau·ing, 3rd person present singular pla·teaus)

level out: to
reach a stable phase after a period of movement or development
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Old French platel, literally “small flat thing,” from plate
(see plate ).][1]



plateboundary

plateboundary
plate
bound·a·ry
noun

area of geologic activity:
an area on the margins of tectonic plates where seismic, volcanic, and tectonic
activity takes place as a consequence of the relative motion of the plates[1]



plated

plated
plat·ed 
[pláytəd] adjective

1.  overlaid
with gold or silver: covered with a thin layer of
gold or silver

2.  ENGINEERING covered
with plates: protected and strengthened by a covering
of plates

3.  KNITTING knitted
with two yarns: knitted with two kinds of yarn, one
appearing on the front and one on the back of the fabric

[1]



plateful

plateful
plate·ful 
[pláyt fl] (plural plate·fuls)
noun

food on plate:
the amount of food that a plate will hold[1]



plateglass

plateglass
plate
glass
noun

thick glass:
strong thick glass in large sheets used for windows and as a construction
material for larger buildings (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



platelayer

platelayer
plate·lay·er
[pláyt làyr] (plural plate·lay·ers)
noun

U.K.
See trackman
[“Plate” from plate rail][1]



platelet

platelet
plate·let 
[pláytlət] (plural plate·lets)
noun

blood particle involved in
clotting: a tiny colorless disk-shaped
particle found in large quantities in the blood that plays an important part in
the clotting process.
Also called
thrombocyte[1]



platemaker

platemaker
plate·mak·er
[pláyt màykər] (plural plate·mak·ers)
noun

printing plate maker:
a person or machine that prepares plates for printing[1]



platemark

platemark
plate·mark
[pláyt maark] (plural plate·marks)
noun

U.K.
METALLURGY See hallmark  noun 3[1]



platen

platen
plat·en 
[plátt’n] (plural plat·ens) noun

1.  metal
plate in printing press: a flat metal plate in a
printing press that holds the paper against the inked type

2.  typewriter
roller:
the cylindrical roller against which the paper is held in a typewriter, and
against which the type strikes

3.  worktable:
the movable worktable of a machine tool
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French platine “metal plate,” from plat “flat,” via assumed Vulgar
Latin plattus from Greek platus (see plate
).][1]



plater

plater
plat·er
[pláytər] (plural plat·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that plates: a person or machine that
plates things

2.  racehorse
in minor races: a racehorse of average quality that is
entered in minor races

3.  blacksmith:
a blacksmith who specializes in shoeing racehorses

[1]



platerail

platerail
plate
rail
(plural plate rails) noun

early type of rail:
an early type of rail with a flange along the outer edge to keep the unflanged
wheels on the track[1]



plateresque

plateresque
plat·er·esque 
[plàttə résk] adjective

elaborately
decorated:
relating to a heavily decorated architectural style fashionable in 16th-century
Spain, reminiscent of elaborate silverware
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish plateresco, from platero “silversmith,” from plata
“silver” (see platina ).][1]



platetectonics

platetectonics
plate
tec·ton·ics
noun

hypothetical movement of
earth’s crust plates: a theory
that ascribes continental drift, volcanic and seismic activity, and the
formation of mountain belts to moving plates of the earth’s crust supported on
less rigid mantle rocks (takes a singular verb)[1]



platform

platform
plat·form 
[plát fàwrm] (plural plat·forms)
noun

1.  stage
for performers or speakers: a raised level area of
flooring for speakers, performers, or participants in a ceremony, making them
easily visible to the audience

2.  flat
raised structure: a simple structure, especially one
composed of wooden planks, serving as base for keeping things clear of the
ground

3.  RAIL raised
area providing access to trains: a raised structure
beside the line at a rail station that makes it easier to get on or off and
load or unload a train

4.  TRANSPORT rear
step on bus or tram: an open step at the rear of
a bus or tram for passengers to stand on as they get into or out of the vehicle

5.  POLITICS stated
policy of party seeking election: the publicly announced
policies and promises of a party seeking election, understood as the basis of
its actions should it come to power

6.  opportunity
for doing something: a position of authority or
prominence that provides a good opportunity for doing something

7.  INDUSTRY offshore
drilling structure: an anchored offshore
structure with living and working accommodations above water level, from which
oil or gas wells can be drilled or maintained

8.  GEOGRAPHY raised
area of ground: a flat raised area of ground

9.  thickened
sole of shoe: a thick layer of leather or other
material between the sole and upper of a shoe

10. ACCESSORIES shoe
with platform sole: a shoe or boot with a
platform sole

11. COMPUTING computer
operating system: a computer operating system, often along
with the associated equipment
[Mid-16th century. From
French plateforme “diagram,” from plat “flat” + forme
“form.”][1]



platformbalance

platformbalance
plat·form
bal·ance
(plural plat·form bal·anc·es) noun

See
platform scale[1]



platformbed

platformbed
plat·form
bed
(plural plat·form beds) noun

raised bed:
a bed consisting of a mattress lying on a platform raised on supports, the
space under the platform being used for storage[1]



platformrocker

platformrocker
plat·form
rock·er
(plural plat·form rock·ers) noun

rocking chair with stable
base: a rocking chair with the
rocker set into a stable base that lies flat on the floor[1]



platformscale

platformscale
plat·form
scale
(plural plat·form scales) noun

weighing scale with flat
surface: a scale with a flat surface
that supports the object to be weighed.
Also called
platform balance[1]



platformtennis

platformtennis
plat·form
ten·nis
noun

tennis played on wooden
platform: a game similar to tennis
played with table-tennis paddles and a rubber ball on a fenced wooden platform
not quite as big as a tennis court[1]



platformticket

platformticket
plat·form
tick·et
(plural plat·form tick·ets) noun

U.K.
ticket allowing access to railroad
platform: a ticket allowing access to
a station platform, formerly purchased by non-travelers so that they could meet
or see off passengers[1]



Plath,Sylvia

Plath,Sylvia

Plath
[plath], Sylvia (1932–1963)
U.S. poet. Her work is best known for its
savage imagery and themes of self-destruction, anticipating her own suicide.
She was married to the British poet Ted Hughes.[1]



platin-

platin-
platin-
prefix

platinum
• platinic
[From platinum][1]



platina

platina
pla·ti·na 
[plə tnə, plátt’nə]
(plural pla·ti·nas) noun

platinum
alloy:
a naturally occurring platinum alloy
[Mid-18th century. From
Spanish, formed from plata “silver” (because of its silvery color), from
assumed Vulgar Latin plattus .][1]



plating

plating
plat·ing 
[pláyting] (plural plat·ings) noun

1.  thin
covering consisting of valuable metal: a
thin covering of a valuable metal applied to a surface of base metal • gold
plating

2.  covering
of metal plates: a covering or armor of metal plates
applied to the surface of something, especially a ship or tank

3.  application
of a covering of metal: the process of applying a
covering of metal or metal plates to the surface of something

[1]



platinic

platinic
pla·tin·ic 
[plə tínnik] adjective

containing platinum in
valence state 4: relating to,
containing, or consisting of platinum, especially in a valence state of four[1]



platiniferous

platiniferous
pla·ti·nif·er·ous 
[plàtt’n íffərəss] adjective

platinum-bearing:
containing or yielding platinum[1]



platinize

platinize
plat·i·nize 
[plátt’n z] (past plat·i·nized,
past participle plat·i·nized, present participle plat·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular plat·i·niz·es) transitive verb

coat
something with platinum: to coat, combine, or treat
something with platinum or a platinum compound
—plat·i·ni·za·tion [plàtt’ni záysh’n], noun[1]



platinoid

platinoid
plat·i·noid 
[plátt’n òyd] adjective

resembling platinum:
resembling or containing platinum
noun
(plural plat·i·noids)

1.  metal
chemically similar to platinum: a metal that is
chemically similar to platinum, specifically iridium, osmium, palladium,
rhodium, or ruthenium

2.  alloy
similar to platinum: an alloy of copper, zinc,
nickel, and tungsten that resembles platinum in not tarnishing readily and in
having a strong resistance to the passage of an electric current

[1]



platinous

platinous
plat·i·nous 
[plátt’nəss] adjective

containing platinum in
valence state 2: relating to,
containing, or consisting of platinum, especially in a valence state of two[1]



platinum

platinum

plat·i·num 
[plátt’nəm] noun
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS precious
metallic element: a precious silvery-white metallic
element, highly malleable and ductile and highly resistant to chemicals and
heat, used in jewelry and chemically as a catalyst and in electroplating. Symbol
Pt
adjective
MUSIC top-selling:
having sold one million as a single or two million as an LP or CD
[Early
19th century. Formed from platina, on the
model of the names of other metals ending in -um .]
go
platinum

to reach the level of sales
designated for platinum status (refers to musical recordings)[1]



platinumblack

platinumblack
plat·i·num
black
noun

powdered form of platinum:
platinum in the form of a fine black powder, used as a catalyst in organic
synthesis[1]



platinumblond

platinumblond
plat·i·num
blond
or plat·i·num blonde adjective

silvery-blond:
pale silvery-blond in color (hyphenated before a noun)
noun
(plural plat·i·num blonds) (plural plat·i·num blondes)

somebody with platinum-blond
hair: somebody who has
platinum-blond hair[1]



platinummetal

platinummetal
plat·i·num
met·al
(plural plat·i·num met·als) noun

platinum or platinoid:
platinum or any of the metals in its group, specifically, iridium, osmium,
palladium, rhodium, or ruthenium[1]



platitude

platitude
plat·i·tude 
[pláttə td] (plural plat·i·tudes)
noun

1.  banal
statement:
a pointless, unoriginal, or empty comment or statement made as though it was
significant or helpful

2.  use
of platitudes: the making of platitudes
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “flatness,” from plat “flat” (see plate ).][1]



platitudinarian

platitudinarian
plat·i·tu·di·nar·i·an 
[plàttə tood’n érree ən] noun (plural
plat·i·tu·di·nar·i·ans)

somebody
who talks in platitudes: somebody whose speech or
writing is full of platitudes
adjective

full of platitudes:
using, containing, or resembling platitudes[1]



platitudinize

platitudinize
plat·i·tu·di·nize 
[plàttə td’n z] (past plat·i·tu·di·nized,
past participle plat·i·tu·di·nized, present participle plat·i·tu·di·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular plat·i·tu·di·niz·es) intransitive
verb

use
platitudes:
to produce or talk in platitudes
—plat·i·tu·di·niz·er, noun[1]



platitudinous

platitudinous
plat·i·tu·di·nous
[plàttə td’nəss] or plat·i·tu·di·nal
[plàttə tdən’l] adjective

full of platitudes:
using, containing, or resembling platitudes[1]



Plato

Plato

Pla·to 
[pláytō] (428? BC–347 BC)
Greek philosopher. A disciple of Socrates
and teacher of Aristotle, he founded the Athenian Academy. His works, written
in dialogue form, include Phaedo, Symposium, and Republic.[1]



Plato

Plato
Pla·to 
[pláytō] noun

a distinctive dark-floored
large crater on the Moon just north of Mare Imbrium, approximately 100 km/60 mi
in diameter[1]



Platonic

Platonic
Pla·ton·ic 
adjective

of Plato:
relating to Plato or his philosophy[1]



platonic

platonic
pla·ton·ic 
[plə tónnik] adjective

1.  not
involving sexual relations: involving friendship,
affection, or love without sexual relations between people who might be
expected to be sexually attracted to each other

2.  perfect
but unreal:
perfect in form or conception but not found in reality
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek Platōnikos, from Platōn (see Plato ).]
—pla·ton·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Platonism

Platonism
Pla·to·nism 
[pláytə nìzzəm] noun

philosophy
of Plato:
the philosophy or teachings of Plato, especially the theory that both physical
objects and instances of qualities are recognizable because of their common
relationship to an abstract form or idea
[Late
16th century. From modern Latin Platonismus, from Greek Platōn
(see Plato ).]
—Pla·to·nist, noun[1]



platoon

platoon
pla·toon 
[plə tn] (plural pla·toons) noun

1.  military
subdivision: a subdivision of a company of soldiers,
usually led by a lieutenant and consisting of two to three sections or squads
of ten to twelve people

2.  people
or things working together: a body of people or things
with a common purpose or goal
[Mid-17th century. From
French peloton, literally “small ball,” from pelote “ball” (see pellet ).][1]



platoonsergeant

platoonsergeant
pla·toon
ser·geant
(plural pla·toon ser·geants) noun

noncommissioned officer in
U.S. army: a noncommissioned officer in
the U.S. army who assists a lieutenant in leading a platoon[1]



Plattdeutsch

Plattdeutsch
Platt·deutsch 
[plát dòych] noun adjective

LANGUAGE See Low German
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Dutch Platduitsch, literally “low German,” from the flat landscape
of the North German lowlands where it is spoken.][1]



Platte

Platte
Plat·te
[plat]

river in central Nebraska,
flowing from near North Platte city into the Missouri River. Length: 500 km/310
mi.[1]



platteland

platteland
plat·te·land 
[plát lànd] noun

S
African rural areas: remote rural areas in South
Africa
[Mid-20th century. Via
Afrikaans from Middle Dutch, literally “flat country.”][1]



platter

platter
plat·ter 
[pláttər] (plural plat·ters) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD large
flat dish:
a large flat dish for serving food

2.  FOOD served
food:
a particular variety of prepared and served food (often used in combination)
• seafood
platter

3.  MUSIC record:
a phonograph record (dated informal)

4.  COMP SCI recording
surface of a hard disk: the recording surface of a
hard disk
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman plater from Old French plat (see plate ).][1]



platy

platy2
plat·y2  [pláytee]
(plural plat·ys or plat·ies or plat·y)
noun

Central
American freshwater fish: a brightly colored Central
American fish that bears live young, not eggs, and is popular as an aquarium
fish. Genus: Xiphophorus
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of modern Latin Platypoecilus, former genus name, from Greek platus
“flat” + poikilos “spotted.”][1]



platy

platy1
plat·y1  [pláytee]
(comparative plat·i·er, superlative plat·i·est) adjective

crystallizing in thin sheets
and flaking: used to describe
minerals that crystallize in thin sheets and tend to flake along cleavage
planes[1]



platyhelminth

platyhelminth
plat·y·hel·minth 
[plàttee hélminth] (plural plat·y·hel·minths)
noun

flatworm:
a flatworm (technical)
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Platyhelminthes, phylum name, from Greek
platus “flat” + helminth- “worm.”]
—plat·y·hel·min·thic [plàttee hel mínthik], adjective[1]



platypus

platypus

plat·y·pus 
[pláttəpəss, pláttə
pss] (plural plat·y·pus·es or plat·y·pi [pláttə p]) noun
See
duckbilled-platypus
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin Platypus, genus name, from Greek platupous
“flat-footed,” from platus “flat” + pous “foot.”][1]



platyrrhine

platyrrhine
plat·yr·rhine 
[pláttə rn] adjective

having
widely spaced nostrils: used to describe animals,
especially New World monkeys, whose nostrils are well separated and point to
either side
noun
(plural plat·yr·rhines)

platyrrhine
monkey:
a platyrrhine animal, especially a monkey
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Platyrrhini, division name, from Greek platurrhis
“broad-nosed.”][1]



plaudit

plaudit
plau·dit 
[pláwdit] (plural plau·dits) noun

expression
of praise:
an expression of praise or approval • won
plaudits for her skillful handling of the crisis
[Early
17th century. From Latin plaudite “applaud!”, from plaudere ;
from the customary appeal made by Roman actors at the end of a play.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word plaudere from which plaudit
  is derived is also the source of English applaud
  and explode.

[1]



plausible

plausible
plau·si·ble 
[pláwzəb’l] adjective

1.  believable:
believable and appearing likely to be true, usually in the absence of proof

2.  persuasive:
having a persuasive manner in speech or writing, often combined with an
intention to deceive
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin plausibilis, literally “deserving applause,” from plaus-,
the past participle stem of plaudere .]
—plau·si·bil·i·ty
[plàwzə bíllətee], noun

—plau·si·ble·ness
[pláwzəb’lnəss], noun

—plau·si·bly [pláwzə blee], adverb[1]



plausive

plausive
plau·sive 
[pláwziv] adjective (archaic)

1.  expressing
praise:
characterized by or expressing praise or approval

2.  plausible:
plausible
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin plaus-, the past participle stem of plaudere (source
of English applaud and explode ).][1]



Plautus,Titus Maccius

Plautus,Titus Maccius
Plau·tus
[pláwtəss], Titus Maccius (254? BC–184 BC)

Roman comic dramatist. His 21
surviving plays, modeled on Greek New Comedy, influenced both Shakespeare and
Molière.[1]



play

play
play 
[play] verb (past played,
past participle played, present participle play·ing,
3rd person present singular plays)

1.  intransitive
verb
LEISURE engage
in enjoyable activity: to take part in enjoyable
activity for the sake of amusement

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GAME SPORT take
part in a game or sport: to take part in a game or a
sporting activity • likes to play football

3.  transitive
verb
GAME SPORT compete against:
to compete against somebody in a game or sporting event • They
play their biggest rival tomorrow.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS assign or have a position on
field:
to assign a player to a particular position on the field, or be assigned such a
position

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit a
shot:
to make a particular shot or stroke in a sporting event

6.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
ball:
to hit or kick a ball, puck, or birdie in a particular direction, especially as
a way of beating an opponent • playing
the ball straight down the line

7.  transitive
verb
GAMES use a
piece or card in a game: to use a card from a hand in
a card game or a piece in a board game

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC perform on a musical
instrument:
to use a musical instrument to produce music • plays
the trombone

9.  transitive
verb
MUSIC perform
music:
to use an instrument or the voice to perform a piece of music • play
a sonata

10. transitive
verb
MUSIC perform
a composer:
to perform the music of a particular composer • Chopin
is notoriously difficult to play well.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC reproduce recorded music:
to reproduce recorded music for listening, or be reproduced in this way • played
my favorite CD

12. intransitive
and transitive verb act in
a particular manner: to deal with a situation in
a particular way to achieve a desired result • We
decided to play it safe.

13. transitive
verb
pretend
to be:
to pretend to be a particular type of person • Don’t
play the innocent with me.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS act a part in a play:
to portray a character in a theatrical or movie production • played
Macbeth on Broadway

15. transitive
verb
THEATER perform
in particular places: to perform in particular
places or types of places • plays
the Catskills every summer

16. intransitive
verb
act
in jest:
to do something for fun, not in earnest

17. intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS perform or be performed
somewhere:
to perform a play or show a movie at a particular theater, or be performed or
shown there • What’s
playing at the Roxy?

18. transitive
verb
THEATER perform
a dramatic work by: to perform the work of a
particular dramatist

19. intransitive
and transitive verb GAMBLING gamble:
to gamble on a game of chance such as roulette or on horse races

20. transitive
verb
FINANCE speculate
in a market: to speculate with securities or
commodities in a market

21. intransitive
verb
make
a particular impression on somebody: to be
received in a particular way by somebody or to make a particular impression on
that person • a
policy that is likely to play well with middle-class voters
• How
will it play in Peoria?

22. intransitive
and transitive verb move
irregularly over a surface: to move or cause something
to move unsteadily or irregularly over a surface, usually in a pleasing way • sunlight
playing on her brown hair

23. transitive
verb
let
a fish pull on a line: to tire an already hooked
fish by letting it pull on the line as it tries to escape

24. intransitive
and transitive verb direct
light or water: to direct light or water over a surface
or in a particular way, or be directed in this manner
noun
(plural plays)

1.  LEISURE enjoyable
activities:
activities bringing amusement or enjoyment, especially the spontaneous activity
of young children or young animals • young
cubs at play

2.  SPORTS action
or move in a game: a particular action or move
in a game • drilled
the team in several new offensive plays

3.  GAME SPORT turn in a game:
somebody’s turn to move in a game

4.  SPORTS action
during a game: the action during a game or series of
games • The
play was skilled during the first half but then the team began to tire.

5.  GAME SPORT handling of a shot or move:
a player’s handling of a shot or move or use of a piece or card

6.  looseness:
the amount of looseness in something, such as a rope or between moving parts

7.  THEATER dramatic
composition or production: a dramatic work written to
be performed by actors on the stage, on television, or on the radio

8.  ploy:
a ploy or deceptive act intended to achieve a particular end • The
defendant’s tears were just a play for your sympathy.

9.  GAMBLING gambling:
participation in betting or gambling

10. LANGUAGE pun:
a pun on a word

11. flickering
movement:
flickering or shimmering movement, especially of light through or on something
[Old
English pleg(i)an . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“to risk, exercise” that is also the ancestor of English plight and pledge
.]
—play·a·bil·i·ty
[plàyə bíllətee], noun

—play·a·ble
[pláyəb’l], adjective
make
a play for somebody or something

to
try openly to gain something

play
fair

to
act in an honest and reasonable way

play
fast and loose

to
act irresponsibly or recklessly without regard to facts or others’ feelings

play
for time

to
delay action or a decision in the hope that conditions will be more favorable
later on

play
hard to get

to
avoid agreeing to a suggestion, invitation, or proposal, with the intention of
appearing to be desirable or in demand

play
it safe

to exercise caution and take
few risks[1]



playa

playa
pla·ya 
[plyə] (plural pla·yas) noun

bed
of an inland desert drainage basin: the
lower part of an inland desert drainage basin that is periodically filled with
alkaline and briny salts washed down by rainwater from surrounding highlands
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish, “beach,” from late Latin plagia “plain, shore,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps ultimately from Greek plagos “side.”][1]



play-act

play-act
play-act 
(past play-act·ed, past participle play-act·ed, present
participle play-act·ing, 3rd person present singular play-acts)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
behave
insincerely: to behave in an insincere and
excessively dramatic fashion, usually in order to get attention (informal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pretend
to be acting: to pretend to be acting a part, usually
for fun

3.  intransitive
verb
act
in a play:
to take part in drama, especially as an amateur
—play·act·ing,
noun

—play-act·or, noun[1]



play-actionpass

play-actionpass
play-ac·tion
pass
(plural play-ac·tion pass·es) noun

football maneuver:
in football, a play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff to a back before
passing forward to a receiver[1]



playalong

playalong
play
along
intransitive verb

pretend to agree:
to pretend to agree with somebody or something in order to gain an advantage or
avoid conflict[1]



playaround

playaround
play
around
intransitive verb

1.  sleep
around:
to engage in sexual activity with somebody other than a spouse or long-term
partner

2.  waste
time:
to behave in an irresponsible or childish way

[1]



playat

playat
play
at
verb

1.  transitive
verb
pretend:
to pretend to do or be something, usually without conviction or commitment • I
was tired of playing at being an entrepreneur.

2.  intransitive
verb
engage
in a role-play game: to engage in a game that
involves role-playing (refers typically to children) • playing
at doctors and nurses

[1]



playback

playback
play·back 
[pláy bàk] (plural play·backs)
noun

1.  replay
of a recording: the replay of a sound or video recording
after it has been made, often as a check for quality or accuracy

2.  device
for replaying recordings: the device or facility in a
recording apparatus for replaying recordings

[1]



playback

playback
play
back
intransitive and transitive verb

replay a recording:
to reproduce recorded sound or video material[1]



playbill

playbill
play·bill 
[pláy bìl] (plural play·bills)
noun

1.  theater
program:
the printed program accompanying a theatrical performance or concert, sold to
theatergoers before the performance • We had
barely two minutes to study the playbill before the lights went down.

2.  poster
advertising a play: a poster advertising a play
or other theatrical perfomance (dated)

[1]



playbook

playbook
play·book 
[pláy bk] (plural play·books)
noun

1.  SPORTS book
detailing football moves: a book in which football
plays are explained and diagrammed

2.  THEATER book
of plays:
a book containing play scripts

[1]



playboy

playboy
play·boy 
[pláy bòy] (plural play·boys) noun

wealthy pleasure-seeking man:
a rich man who does not work and devotes himself to a life of pleasure without
commitments or responsibilities[1]



play-by-play

play-by-play
play-by-play 
adjective

live
and detailed: consisting of a description of each
event as it happens, especially in a sports contest
noun
(plural play-by-plays)

spoken description of an
event: a spoken description of an
event as it happens, especially of a sporting event being broadcast on radio or
television.
U.K. term
commentary[1]



Play-Doh

Play-Doh
Play-Doh
Trademark

a trademark for a soft
colored modeling material used especially by children[1]



playdown

playdown
play
down
transitive verb

minimize the importance of
something: to represent something as
being less important or significant than it is • The
spin doctors are playing down the significance of the charge.[1]



playedout

playedout
played
out
adjective

1.  exhausted:
drained of energy or inspiration as a result of excessive or prolonged effort
or of being too long in the public eye • After
months of intensive but not very productive research I was feeling played out
and in need of a vacation.

2.  no
longer popular or fashionable: having lost all
usefulness or relevance through overuse or overexposure (hyphenated before a
noun)
[Originally describing a fish
that has fought until it is exhausted][1]



player

player
play·er 
[pláyr] (plural play·ers) noun

1.  somebody
taking part in game: somebody taking part in a
sport or game, for example, a member of a team (often used in combination)
• a
hockey player

2.  musician:
somebody who plays a musical instrument (usually used in combination) • a
trumpet player

3.  participant
in an activity: a person, group, or business that has an
influential role in a particular political or commercial activity • a
major player in the direct banking sector

4.  stage
actor:
an actor, especially a member of a theatrical company

5.  device
for playing recorded sound: a device for playing
recorded sound (usually used in combination) • a
CD player

6.  See
gambler

[1]



playerpiano

playerpiano
play·er
pi·an·o
noun

automatic piano:
a piano with a mechanism for playing music automatically, usually by means of a
perforated metal disk or roll of paper[1]



playfellow

playfellow
play·fel·low
[pláy fèlō] (plural play·fel·lows)
noun

playmate:
a friend with whom a child plays (dated)[1]



playful

playful
play·ful 
[pláyf’l] adjective

1.  enjoying
fun and games: fond of having fun and playing games
with others

2.  said
or done in fun: said or done in a teasing way or in fun
• a
playful poke in the ribs
—play·ful·ly,
adverb

—play·ful·ness, noun[1]



playgirl

playgirl
play·girl 
[plày gúrl] (plural play·girls)
noun

rich pleasure-seeking woman:
a rich woman who does not work and devotes herself to a life of pleasure
without commitments or responsibilities[1]



playgoer

playgoer
play·go·er 
[pláy g ər] (plural play·go·ers)
noun

somebody
who attends a theater: somebody who frequents the
theater as a spectator
—play·go·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



playground

playground
play·ground 
[pláy gròwnd] (plural play·grounds)
noun

1.  play
area:
an outdoor recreation area for children, usually equipped with swings, slides,
seesaws, and other play equipment

2.  See
schoolyard

3.  resort:
a resort or other place used for a recreation by a particular group of people • The
coast has become a playground for millionaires.

[1]



playgroup

playgroup
play·group
[pláy grp] (plural play·groups)
noun

supervised group of children:
an organized meeting for preschool children to play together under supervision[1]



playhouse

playhouse
play·house 
[pláy hòwss] (plural play·houses
[pláy hòwzəz]) noun

1.  theater:
a theater, especially the main theater in a town or city

2.  small
model house for children: a model house that is large
enough for small children to go inside and play in.
U.K.
term
Wendy house

3.  dollhouse:
a dollhouse

[1]



playingcard

playingcard
play·ing
card 
(plural play·ing cards) noun

card for playing games:
any of a set of cards printed with an identical design on the back and symbols
on the face representing the numbers in different suits, used for playing
various games. Playing cards were introduced to the West from Asia and were
probably first used in China in the 10th century. The pack was standardized at
52 in the 15th century.[1]



playingfield

playingfield
play·ing
field
(plural play·ing fields) noun

area
for organized team games: an area of level ground used
for organized sporting activities
a
level playing field

a situation in which all
those involved have an equal chance of being successful[1]



playland

playland
play·land
[pláy lànd] (plural play·lands)
noun

playground:
an area designed and equipped for children to play in[1]



playlet

playlet
play·let 
[pláylət] (plural play·lets) noun

short play:
a short play, often one with a rather slight plot[1]



playlist

playlist
play·list
[pláy lìst] noun

list
of records for playing: a list of musical recording
that are to be played on a radio program or by a radio station
—play·list, transitive
verb[1]



playmaker

playmaker
play·mak·er 
[pláy màykər] (plural play·mak·ers)
noun

player who initiates an
attack: in team games, a player who
initiates an offensive play designed to create a scoring opportunity[1]



playmate

playmate
play·mate 
[pláy màyt] (plural play·mates)
noun

partner in play:
somebody, especially a child, who plays with another[1]



playoff

playoff
play·off
[pláy àwf, pláy
òf] (plural play·offs) noun

1.  tiebreaker:
an additional match, game, or round to decide the winner in the case of a tie

2.  one
of a series of games: one of a series of games
that decides a championship competition • One
more win should guarantee a spot in the playoffs.

[1]



playoff

playoff
play
off
verb

1.  take
part in deciding game: to take part in a deciding
game to find the winner of a tied contest

2.  transitive
verb
bring
into conflict: to set one person or group against
another in order to gain an advantage • children
playing their parents off each other

[1]



playon

playon
play
on
or play up·on transitive verb

1.  take
advantage of: to use somebody’s hope, fear, or
insecurity as a way of manipulating that person

2.  make
a pun:
to make a pun on a word

[1]



playon words

playon words
play
on words
noun

pun:
a pun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








playout

playout
play
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
finish
playing something: to continue to play
something to the finish or end • We’ll
play out this hand, then go home.

2.  transitive
verb
let
something out gradually: to release something such as
a rope bit by bit

3.  transitive
verb
act
out something: to act out a scene or situation that has
been rehearsed or envisaged previously

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb end:
to bring something to an end, or come to an end • The
calamity has yet to play out.

[1]



playpen

playpen
play·pen 
[pláy pèn] (plural play·pens) noun

baby enclosure:
a portable structure that forms a small enclosure for a baby to play in safely[1]



playpen

playpen
play·pen 
[pláy pèn] (plural play·pens) noun

baby enclosure:
a portable structure that forms a small enclosure for a baby to play in safely[1]



playroom

playroom
play·room 
[pláy rm, pláy
rm] (plural play·rooms) noun

room for playing:
a room reserved, designed, or equipped for children to play in[1]



playschool

playschool
play·school
[pláy skl] (plural play·schools)
noun

U.K.
nursery school:
a place where preschool children can be taken for supervised play and learning,
usually for half-day sessions[1]



playsuit

playsuit
play·suit 
[pláy st] (plural play·suits)
noun

outfit for relaxing in:
an outfit for a child or woman to wear when relaxing, either consisting of
shorts and a top or made in one piece[1]



plaything

plaything
play·thing 
[pláy thìng] (plural play·things)
noun

1.  toy:
a toy or other object with which to play

2.  somebody
or something treated as a toy: somebody or something
used for amusement rather than being treated with respect or taken seriously

[1]



playtime

playtime
play·time
[pláy tm] (plural play·times)
noun

period for playing:
a time set aside for play, especially as a recess for children at school[1]



playup

playup
play
up
transitive verb

emphasize:
to emphasize or exaggerate something • She
played up her commercial know-how for all she was worth.[1]



playup to

playup to
play
up to
transitive verb

try to please:
to attempt to please somebody by flattery and obsequiousness[1]



playwear

playwear
play·wear 
[pláy wàir] noun

clothes for playing in:
children’s clothes suitable for playing in[1]



playwith

playwith
play
with
transitive verb

1.  think
about:
to consider a plan or idea without doing very much to make it happen

2.  treat
carelessly:
to treat somebody or somebody’s feelings carelessly or irresponsibly

3.  deal
with something half-heartedly: to deal with something
unenthusiastically or haphazardly, for example, by pushing food around a plate
without eating

4.  masturbate:
to masturbate

[1]



playwright

playwright
play·wright 
[pláy rt] (plural play·wrights)
noun

writer of plays:
somebody who writes plays[1]



plaza

plaza
pla·za 
[plzə, plázzə]
(plural pla·zas) noun

1.  Spanish
square:
an open square or marketplace in a Spanish-speaking country or somewhere
influenced by Hispanic culture

2.  shopping
center:
a mall or shopping center
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish from Latin platea “broad street” (see place
).][1]



PLC

PLC
PLC
PLC (plural PLCs) plc (plural plcs)

U.K.
Abbreviation of public limited company
noun
(plural PLCs)

Abbreviation of
product life cycle[1]



plea

plea
plea 
[plee] (plural pleas) noun

1.  urgent
request:
an urgent, often emotional, request • a plea
for understanding

2.  LAW defendant’s
answer to charge: the defendant’s answer to a charge in a
court of law, especially one stating that he or she is guilty or not guilty

3.  LAW statement
supporting defendant’s or claimant’s case: a
statement or argument made in a court of law in support of a defendant’s or claimant’s
case

4.  excuse:
an excuse or pretext
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman plai “lawsuit, agreement” from, ultimately, Latin placitum
“decree,” from the past participle of placere (see please ).][1]



plea-bargaining

plea-bargaining
plea-bar·gain·ing
noun

pleading
guilty to a lesser charge: the practice of arranging
with the prosecution, and sometimes a judge, for a defendant to plead guilty to
a less serious charge rather than be tried for a more serious one
—plea
bar·gain, noun

—plea-bar·gain, intransitive
verb[1]



pleach

pleach
pleach 
[pleech] (past pleached, past
participle pleached, present participle pleach·ing, 3rd
person present singular pleach·es) transitive verb

intertwine
hedge branches: to form or reinforce a hedge or arch by
intertwining shoots or branches
[14th century. From Old
French dialect plechier, a variant of Old French plassier (source
of English plash ) from, ultimately,
Latin plectere “to plait” (see plexus
).][1]



plead

plead
plead 
[pleed] (past plead·ed or
pled [pled], past participle plead·ed
or pled, present participle plead·ing, 3rd
person present singular pleads) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
beg
earnestly:
to make an earnest or urgent entreaty, often in emotional terms • I
pleaded with her to stay.

2.  transitive
verb
offer
something as an excuse: to use a particular reason
or circumstance to excuse or justify behavior • It’s
no use pleading ignorance.

3.  transitive
verb
declare
guilt or innocence: to answer “guilty” or “not
guilty” in response to a charge in a court of law

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
an argument in support: to argue a case in support
of somebody or something, especially in a court of law
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman pleder from, ultimately, medieval Latin placitare
“to appeal,” from placitum “decree” (see plea
).]
—plead·a·ble,
adjective

—plead·er, noun[1]



pleadings

pleadings
plead·ings
[pldingz] plural noun

formal legal statements from
both sides: the formal written
statements made by the plaintiff and the defendant in a lawsuit[1]



pleasance

pleasance
pleas·ance 
[plézz’ns] (plural pleas·ances)
noun

1.  secluded
area of a garden: a quiet tree-planted area laid out with
walks and often statues and fountains

2.  pleasure:
pleasure or delight (archaic)
[14th century. From French plaisance,
from plaisant (see pleasant ).][1]



pleasant

pleasant
pleas·ant 
[plézz’nt] adjective

1.  enjoyable:
bringing feelings of pleasure, enjoyment, or satisfaction • We
spent a very pleasant evening together.

2.  good-natured:
friendly, kind, or good-natured

3.  full
of jokes:
inclined to make jokes and be facetious (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French plaisant, the present participle of Old French plaisir
(see please ).]
—pleas·ant·ly,
adverb

—pleas·ant·ness, noun[1]



pleasantry

pleasantry
pleas·ant·ry 
[plézz’ntree] (plural pleas·ant·ries)
noun

1.  polite
remark:
a conventionally polite remark or enquiry

2.  witty
remark:
a humorous or witty remark

3.  agreeable
conversation: pleasing light conversation

[1]



please

please
please 
[pleez] adverb interjection

used in requests:
used to add politeness or urgency to requests, commands, and published rules
and regulations • Please be quiet.
interjection

used to express indignation:
used to express astonishment or indignation, often facetiously • Please!
Do you expect me to believe that?
verb
(past pleased, past participle pleased, present
participle pleas·ing, 3rd person present singular pleas·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
pleasure:
to give pleasure or satisfaction to somebody

2.  transitive
verb
be
what somebody wants: to be the wish or will of
somebody (formal or literary)

3.  intransitive
verb
like:
to like or wish to do something • He
just does whatever he pleases.
[14th
century. Via Old French plaisir from Latin placere (source of
English placid and complacent ).]
—pleas·er,
noun
if
you please

1.  used
to make a polite request or command (dated formal)

2.  used
to indicate mild annoyance, indignation, or amazement (dated)

[1]



pleased

pleased
pleased
[pleezed] adjective

1.  happy
or satisfied: feeling or expressing satisfaction or
pleasure • I’m
really pleased with their progress. • Pleased
to meet you.

2.  willing:
willing to do something • We
would be pleased to answer any further requests you have.

[1]



pleasing

pleasing
pleas·ing 
[plzing] adjective

1.  pleasant:
pleasant or gratifying • a
pleasing contrast

2.  satisfying:
welcome or satisfying
—pleas·ing·ly,
adverb

—pleas·ing·ness, noun[1]



pleasurable

pleasurable
pleas·ur·a·ble 
[plézhərəb’l] adjective

pleasant:
giving pleasure or enjoyment
—pleas·ur·a·bil·i·ty
[plèzhərə bíllətee], noun

—pleas·ur·a·bly [plézhərəblee], adverb[1]



pleasure

pleasure
pleas·ure 
[plézhər] noun (plural pleas·ures)

1.  happiness
or satisfaction: a feeling of happiness, delight, or
satisfaction • I
took great pleasure in reading the classics.

2.  sensual
gratification: gratification of the senses, especially
sexual gratification

3.  recreation:
recreation, relaxation, or amusement, especially as distinct from work or
everyday routine • traveling for pleasure

4.  something
satisfying:
a source of happiness, joy, or satisfaction

5.  somebody’s
desire:
somebody’s desire, wish, or preference (formal or literary) • serves
at the President’s pleasure
verb
(past pleas·ured, past participle pleas·ured, present
participle pleas·ur·ing, 3rd person present singular pleas·ures)

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody pleasure: to give somebody pleasure,
especially through sensual or sexual stimulation or gratification

2.  intransitive
verb
enjoy:
to derive satisfaction or happiness from something (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French plaisir “to please,” used as a noun (see please ).]
—pleas·ure·ful,
adjective

—pleas·ure·less, adjective[1]



pleasureprinciple

pleasureprinciple
pleas·ure
prin·ci·ple
noun

principle behind instincts:
in Freudian psychology, the principle that guides instinctive behavior,
directing the subject toward gratifying immediate needs and avoiding pain[1]



pleat

pleat
pleat 
[pleet] noun (plural pleats)

pressed
fold:
a vertical fold in cloth or other material, usually one of a number, sewn into
position or pressed flat
transitive
verb
(past pleat·ed, past participle pleat·ed, present
participle pleat·ing, 3rd person present singular pleats)

put
pleats in something: to put pleats into cloth or
a piece of clothing
[14th
century. From an early variant of plait .]
—pleat·er, noun[1]



pleb

pleb
pleb 
[pleb] (plural plebs) noun

1.  HISTORY See plebeian  noun 1

2.  U.K.
somebody
regarded as ill-educated: somebody who is regarded
ill-educated and unrefined and behaves in a coarse or crude manner, especially
somebody from a lower social class (insult)

3.  MILITARY See plebe
[Mid-17th century. Originally
a back-formation from plebs, misunderstood
as a plural, later also a shortening of plebeian
.][1]



plebe

plebe
plebe 
[pleeb] (plural ple·bes) noun

first-year
U.S. military or naval student: a first-year student
at the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Naval Academy.
Also
called
pleb
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of plebeian
.][1]



plebeian

plebeian
ple·be·ian 
[plə b ən] noun (plural ple·be·ians)

1.  member
of the Roman plebs: one of the ordinary citizens
of ancient Rome as distinct from the patricians.
Also
called
pleb

2.  somebody
regarded as ill-educated: somebody who behaves in a
coarse or crude manner, and has common or vulgar tastes, especially somebody
from a lower social class (insult)
adjective

1.  of
the Roman plebs: relating or belonging to the ordinary
people in a society, especially the plebs of ancient Rome

2.  common
or vulgar:
coarse, vulgar, or tasteless (insult)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin plebeius, from plebs (see plebs ).]
—ple·be·ian·ism, noun[1]



plebiscite

plebiscite
pleb·i·scite 
[plébbi st] (plural pleb·i·scites)
noun

1.  vote
of all citizens: a vote by a whole electorate to decide a
question of importance.
See
also
referendum

2.  expression
of public will: a public expression of the will or
opinion of a whole community

3.  HISTORY common
people’s law: a law enacted by the plebs or ordinary
citizens of ancient Rome gathered in assembly
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin plebiscitum, literally “decree of the
common people.”]
—ple·bis·ci·tar·y [plə bíssi tèree], adjective[1]



plebs

plebs
plebs 
[plebz] plural noun

HISTORY common
people of ancient Rome: the ordinary citizens of
ancient Rome, as distinct from the patricians
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
.][1]



plecopteran

plecopteran
ple·cop·ter·an 
[plə kóptərən] noun (plural ple·cop·ter·ans)

See
stonefly
adjective

of
stoneflies:
relating or belonging to the stoneflies. Order: Plecoptera
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Plecoptera, order name, from Greek plekos
“wickerwork” + pteron “wing”; so called because of its netted wings.][1]



plectognath

plectognath
plec·tog·nath 
[plék tog nàth] (plural plec·tog·naths)
noun

bony
marine fish: a bony strong-toothed marine fish with a
small mouth and small gill openings, for example, the triggerfish or the
puffer. Order: Plectognathi
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Plectognathi, order name, from Greek plektos
“twisted” + gnathos “jaw.”][1]



pled

pled
pled 
[pled]

U.S.,
Canada, Scotland Past participle of plead Past tense of plead[1]



pledge

pledge
pledge 
[plej] noun (plural pledg·es)

1.  solemn
undertaking: a solemn promise or vow • stood
by her election pledges

2.  something
given as security: something delivered as
security for the keeping of a promise or the payment of a debt or as a
guarantee of good faith

3.  a
promise to donate money, for example, to a charity or a political cause • They
have raised over $10,000 in donations and pledges.

4.  EDUC recruit
to a university society: a student who has been
invited, and has promised, to join a fraternity or sorority.
Also
called
pledgee

5.  LAW deposit
of property: a handing over or deposit of property as
security

6.  being
held as security: the state of being held as security • goods
in pledge

7.  token
of something: something given or received as a token
of something such as love or friendship

8.  toast:
a toast drunk to somebody or something as a gesture of goodwill or support
verb
(past pledged, past participle pledged, present
participle pledg·ing, 3rd person present singular pledg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
promise
something:
to promise something solemnly, or promise solemnly to do something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb EDUC promise to join a university
society:
to promise to join a society, fraternity, or sorority

3.  transitive
verb
EDUC enroll
student in a society: to admit a student to a
society as a new member

4.  transitive
verb
bind:
to submit somebody to a binding pledge

5.  transitive
verb
give
something as security: to hand over something as
security for the payment of a debt, repayment of a loan, or the carrying out of
some obligation (dated)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb drink
to somebody: to drink a toast to somebody (archaic)
“Drink to me, only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine” Ben Jonson “To
Celia” 1616
[14th
century. Via Old French plege from late Latin plebium, from plebire
“to pledge,” of Germanic origin.]
—pledg·a·ble,
adjective
sign
or take the pledge

to undertake solemnly to
abstain forever from alcoholic drink (dated)[1]



pledgee

pledgee
pledg·ee 
[ple j] (plural pledg·ees) noun

1.  EDUC See pledge  noun 4

2.  somebody
who receives pledge: somebody with whom a pledge
or pawned object is deposited

[1]



Pledgeof Allegiance

Pledgeof Allegiance
Pledge
of Al·le·giance noun

formula promising loyalty to
the United States: a formula
recited by citizens of the United States when saluting the U.S. flag as a
promise of loyalty to the country[1]



pledger

pledger
pledg·er 
[pléjjər] (plural pledg·ers) or
pledg·or [pléjjər] (plural pledg·ors)
noun

1.  somebody
who deposits a pledge: somebody who deposits a
pledge or puts something in pawn

2.  somebody
who makes a pledge: somebody who takes a pledge
or vow

[1]



pledget

pledget
pled·get 
[pléjjət] (plural pled·gets) noun

cotton
wad:
a small tuft of cotton or other material used on forceps to cleanse or apply
medication to a confined space such as the ear passage
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pledgor

pledgor
pled·gor
noun

See
pledger[1]



-plegia

-plegia
-plegia
suffix

inability
to move • quadriplegia
[Formed from plēgē “a
blow, stroke,” from plēg-, the stem of plēssein “to strike” (see
plectrum )][1]



Pleiad

Pleiad
Ple·iad 
[pl əd] (plural Ple·iads) or
ple·iad [pl əd] (plural ple·iads)
noun

group
of seven:
a brilliant group of seven people or things, specifically the group of poets of
the French Renaissance, La Pléiade, which included Ronsard and Du Bellay, or
seven Alexandrian Greek poets of the 3rd century BC
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from Pleiades .][1]



Pleiades

Pleiades
Ple·ia·des 
[pl ə dz] plural noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY 7
daughters of Atlas: in Greek mythology, the
seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione who were pursued by Orion and were turned
into a constellation to escape him.
Also
called
Seven Sisters

2.  ASTRONOMY cluster
of stars:
an open cluster of more than 300 stars in the constellation Taurus, six or
seven of which are blue-white giants clearly visible to the naked eye.
Also
called
Seven Sisters the
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek (singular Pleias ), related to plein “to sail.”][1]



plein-air

plein-air
plein-air
[plàyn áir] adjective

open-air:
relating to or in the style of the French impressionist painters who sought to
capture effects of light and atmosphere by completing their work out of doors
[Late
19th century. From French (en) plein air “(in) the open air.”]
—plein-air·ist, noun[1]



pleio-

pleio-
pleio-
prefix

See
pleo-[1]



Pleiocene

Pleiocene
Plei·o·cene
adjective noun

GEOLOGY
See Pliocene[1]



pleiotaxy

pleiotaxy
plei·o·tax·y 
[pl ō tàksee] noun

BOTANY
growth of extra petals:
the development of more petals or sepals than normal[1]



pleiotropism

pleiotropism
plei·ot·ro·pism 
[plee óttrə pìzzəm] (plural plei·ot·ro·pisms)
or plei·ot·ro·py [plee óttrəpee]
(plural plei·ot·ro·pies) noun

gene
property:
the phenomenon in which a single gene determines two or more apparently
unrelated characteristics of the same organism, or an instance of this
—ple·o·tro·pic
[pl ə tróppik], adjective

—plei·o·tro·pi·cal·ly
[pl ə tróppikəlee], adverb[1]



Pleistocene

Pleistocene
Pleis·to·cene 
[plstə sn] adjective

geologic
period:
relating to or used to describe the earlier epoch of the Quaternary Period in
the Cenozoic Era, characterized by the disappearance of continental ice sheets
and the appearance of humans
noun

Pleistocene
epoch:
the Pleistocene epoch
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pleistos “most” + kainos “recent.”][1]



plenary

plenary
ple·na·ry 
[plénnəree] adjective

1.  full
or unlimited: full and complete and not limited in any
respect (formal)

2.  attended
by everyone: attended or meant to be attended by
every member or delegate • a
plenary session
noun
(plural ple·na·ries)

plenary meeting:
a plenary meeting, session, or lecture, for example at a conference
[Early
16th century. From late Latin plenarius, from Latin plenus “full”
(see plenty ).]
—ple·na·ri·ly [plénnərilee], adverb[1]



plenaryindulgence

plenaryindulgence
ple·na·ry
in·dul·gence (plural ple·na·ry
in·dul·genc·es) noun

complete remission of
temporal punishment: in the
Roman Catholic Church, a complete remission of temporal punishment[1]



plenipotent

plenipotent
plen·i·po·tent 
[plə níppət’nt] adjective

plenipotentiary:
having complete authority
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin (see plenipotentiary ).][1]



plenipotentiary

plenipotentiary
plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·y 
[plènnəpə ténshəree] adjective

1.  having
full power:
invested with complete authority to act independently

2.  conferring
full power:
giving the holder complete authority to act independently
noun
(plural plen·i·po·ten·ti·ar·ies)

official with full powers:
an ambassador, envoy, or delegate invested with full authority to act or
negotiate independently on behalf of a government or sovereign
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin plenipotentiarius from the late Latin stem plenipotent-,
literally “having full power,” from plenus “full” + potens
“powerful.”][1]



plenitude

plenitude
plen·i·tude 
[plénə td] (plural plen·i·tudes)
noun (literary)

1.  abundance:
an abundance or plentiful supply of something

2.  completeness
or fullness: the state of being full or complete
[15th century. Via Old French
from late Latin plenitudo, from plenus “full” (see plenty ).][1]



plenteous

plenteous
plen·te·ous 
[pléntee əss] adjective (literary)

1.  abundant:
being in plentiful supply

2.  productive:
giving an abundant yield
[13th
century. Via Old French plentivous from, ultimately, plentet (see
plenty ).]
—plen·te·ous·ly,
adverb

—plen·te·ous·ness, noun[1]



plentiful

plentiful
plen·ti·ful 
[plénteef’l] adjective

1.  abundant:
present or existing in good supply • Water
is plentiful on the island.

2.  productive:
supplying a large amount or number
—plen·ti·ful·ly,
adverb

—plen·ti·ful·ness, noun[1]



plenty

plenty
plen·ty
[pléntee] noun

1.  lots:
an adequate or more than adequate amount or quantity • There’s
plenty for the kids to do there. • Get
plenty of rest.

2.  prosperity:
a situation in which there is a more than adequate supply of food, money, and
other necessities • had grown up in a time
of plenty
adjective

amply sufficient:
ample or more than sufficient (informal)
adverb

sufficiently: used
to emphasize the degree to which something is the case (informal) • It
should be plenty big enough.
[13th century. Via Old French
plentet from Latin plenitas, from plenus “full.”
Ultimately, from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English full and folk
.][1]



plenum

plenum
ple·num
[plénnəm, plnəm]
(plural ple·nums or ple·na [plénnə]) noun

1.  PHYSICS enclosure
containing gas at a higher pressure: an
enclosure or chamber containing gas that is at a higher pressure than the
surrounding atmosphere. Plenum systems may be used in air conditioning.

2.  general
attendance at a meeting: a full or general assembly,
for example, of all the branches of a legislature

3.  PHILOSOPHY matter-filled
space:
space entirely filled with matter
[Late 17th century. From
Latin plenum spatium, literally “full space.”][1]



pleo-

pleo-
pleo-
prefix

more
• pleomorphism
[From Greek pleīon .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “full, to fill,” which is also
the ancestor of English complete, supply, and plethora
.][1]



pleochroism

pleochroism
ple·och·ro·ism
[plee ókrō ìzzəm] noun

transmission
of different colors: the property in some
crystals of transmitting different colors when viewed along different axes
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from pleo- + Greek khrōs
“skin, color.”]
—ple·o·chro·ic [plee ə krṓ ik], adjective[1]



pleomorphism

pleomorphism
ple·o·mor·phism
[plee ə máwr fìzzəm] or ple·o·mor·phy
[pl ə màwrfee] noun

BIOLOGY different
forms in a life cycle: the characteristic in some
organisms of taking on at least two different forms during the life cycle, or
the ability to do this under certain conditions
—ple·o·mor·phic [plee ə máwrfik], adjective[1]



pleonasm

pleonasm
ple·o·nasm
[pl ə nàzzəm] (plural ple·o·nasms)
noun

1.  use
of superfluous words: the use of more words than
are necessary to express a meaning

2.  example
of using superfluous words: an example of using more
words than are necessary to express a meaning, such as “free gift” or
“sufficient enough”
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein
“to be in excess,” from pleōn “more” (see pleo-
).]
—ple·o·nas·tic
[plee ə nástik], adjective

—ple·o·nas·ti·cal·ly [plee ə nástikəlee], adverb[1]



pleopod

pleopod
ple·o·pod
[pl ə pòd] (plural ple·o·pods)
noun

ZOOLOGY
See swimmeret[1]



pleotropic

pleotropic
ple·o·trop·ic 
[pl ə tróppik] adjective

affecting several
characteristics: used to describe a gene
that affects more than one characteristic of the phenotype[1]



plesiosaur

plesiosaur
ple·si·o·saur
[plssee ə sàwr, plzee
ə sàwr] (plural ple·si·o·saurs) noun

extinct
marine reptile: an extinct marine reptile of the
Mesozoic era with limbs like paddles, a large flattened body, and a short tail.
Suborder: Sauropterygia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Plesiosaurus, genus name, from Greek plēsios “near”
+ sauros “lizard,” because it was similar to the saurians.][1]



plethora

plethora
pleth·o·ra
[pléthərə] (plural pleth·o·ras)
noun

1.  large
or excessive amount or number: a very large amount or
number of something, especially an excessive amount • a
plethora of typographical errors

2.  excess
of blood:
an excess of blood in part of the body, especially in the facial veins, causing
a ruddy complexion (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek plēthorē, from plēthein “to be
full.”]
—ple·thor·ic
[pléthərik, plə
tháwrik], adjective

—ple·thor·i·cal·ly [plə tháwrikəlee], adverb[1]



pleur-

pleur-
pleur-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pleuro-[1]



pleura

pleura
pleu·ra
[plrə] noun (plural pleu·rae
[pl r] or pleu·ras)

ANATOMY membrane
around the lungs: the thin transparent membrane that lines
the chest wall and doubles back to cover the lungs, thereby forming a
continuous sac enclosing the narrow pleural cavity. The inner faces of the
cavity are lubricated by fluid to ease breathing movements.


ZOOLOGY Plural of pleuron
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek, “side, rib” (source of English pleurisy ).]
—pleu·ral [plrəl], adjective[1]



pleuralcavity

pleuralcavity
pleu·ral
cav·i·ty
(plural pleu·ral cav·i·ties) noun

chest cavity around the
lungs: the cavity formed between
the pleural layer surrounding the lungs and the other layer lining the chest
wall[1]



pleurisy

pleurisy
pleu·ri·sy
[plrissee] noun

inflammation
of pleura:
inflammation of the membrane ( pleura )
surrounding the lungs, usually involving painful breathing, coughing, and the
buildup of fluid in the pleural cavity
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek pleuritis, from pleura
“side, rib.”]
—pleu·rit·ic [pl ríttik], adjective[1]



pleuro-

pleuro-
pleuro-
prefix

1.  side,
lateral • pleurodont

2.  pleura,
pleural • pleuropneumonia
[From Greek pleura
“side, rib”][1]



pleurodont

pleurodont
pleu·ro·dont
[plrə dònt] (plural pleu·ro·donts)
adjective

1.  fused
rather than rooted: used to describe teeth, for
example, those found in some reptiles, that are not rooted in the jawbone but
fused to its inner side

2.  having
teeth not rooted in the jawbone: used to describe
reptiles that have teeth not rooted in the jawbone but fused to its inner side

[1]



pleurodynia

pleurodynia
pleu·ro·dyn·i·a 
[plrə dínnee ə] noun

1.  pleuritic
pain:
pain in the pleura, or between the ribs or in the chest wall area

2.  viral
illness with chest pain: a Coxsackie viral illness
resulting in pain in the muscles between the ribs or in other structures of the
chest wall (not used technically)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from pleuro- + Greek odunē “pain”
(source of English anodyne ).][1]



pleuron

pleuron
pleu·ron
[pl ròn] (plural pleu·ra [plrə]) noun

side
skin of an arthropod: the part of the outer layer
of the skin of an arthropod that covers the side of a body segment
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, “rib, side.”][1]



pleuropneumonia

pleuropneumonia
pleu·ro·pneu·mo·nia
[plrə noo mṓnee ə] noun

inflammation of the pleura
and lungs: inflammation of the membrane
( pleura ) surrounding the lungs and of the
lungs themselves at the same time[1]



pleurotomy

pleurotomy
pleu·rot·o·my
[pl róttəmee] (plural pleu·rot·o·mies)
noun

surgical operation on the
pleura: a surgical incision of the
membrane ( pleura ) surrounding the lungs to
permit drainage of fluid, especially in pleurisy[1]



pleuston

pleuston
pleus·ton
[plstən, pl
stòn] noun

small
organisms on the water surface: small animals and
plants such as algae that float on the surface of a pool of fresh water
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Greek pleusis “sailing,” on the model of plankton . Ultimately, from an Indo-European base
meaning “to flow,” which is also the ancestor of English float .]
—pleus·ton·ic [ploo stónnik], adjective[1]



Pleven

Pleven
Plev·en 
[plévv’n]

capital city of Pleven
Province, northern Bulgaria, situated about 129 km/80 mi northeast of Sofia.
Population: 125,000 (1996)[1]



plexiform

plexiform
plex·i·form
[pléksi fàwrm] adjective

like
a network:
resembling or in the form of a plexus or network
[Early 19th century. Coined
from plexus + -form
.][1]



Plexiglas

Plexiglas
Plex·i·glas
[pléksi glàss] Trademark

a trademark for a tough
transparent acrylic plastic that can be used in place of glass[1]



plexor

plexor
plex·or
[pléksər] (plural plex·ors) noun

MEDICINE small
hammer used in medical examinations: a
small rubber-headed hammer formerly used to tap the body in a medical
examination by percussion and in testing reflexes, for example, by tapping the
knee.
Also
called
tendon hammer
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek plēxis “percussion,” from plēssein “to strike.”][1]



plexus

plexus
plex·us
[pléksəss] (plural plex·us·es or
plex·us) noun

1.  ANATOMY network
in the body: a network of nerves, blood vessels, or
other vessels in the body

2.  complex
network:
any complex network or interwoven structure
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, past participle of plectere “to plait” (source of English complex ). Ultimately, from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English flax
.][1]



plf

plf
plf
or plf. or plff.

Abbreviation of
plaintiff[1]



pliable

pliable
pli·a·ble
[pl əb’l] adjective

1.  flexible:
flexible and easily bent

2.  easily
influenced:
easily persuaded or influenced

3.  adaptable:
adaptable to change
[15th
century. From Old French, where it was formed from plier “to bend” (see ply 2 ).]
—pli·a·bil·i·ty
[pl ə bíllətee], noun

—pli·a·ble·ness
[pl əb’lnəss], noun

—pli·a·bly
[pl əblee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  pliable, ductile, malleable,
  elastic, pliant
  CORE
  MEANING: ready
  to be bent or molded pliable; used
  to refer to a substance or material that can be easily bent or molded; ductile; a technical word used to describe
  metals that can be easily drawn out into a long continuous wire; malleable; used to describe metals that can
  be worked and hammered or pressed into various shapes without breaking or
  cracking; elastic; used to describe
  substances or materials that can be stretched without breaking and that
  return to their original shape after this; pliant;
  used to describe something that is supple and springy and therefore easily
  bent or stretched

[1]



pliant

pliant
pli·ant
[pl ənt] adjective

1.  supple:
supple and bending easily • a
pliant tree branch

2.  adaptable:
easily adapted or modified

3.  easily
influenced:
easily persuaded or influenced
[14th
century. From Old French, present participle of plier “to fold, bend”
(see ply 2 ).]
—pli·an·cy,
noun

—pli·ant·ly,
adverb

—pli·ant·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pliable

[1]



plica

plica
pli·ca
[plkə] (plural pli·cae [pl s, pl k])
noun

ANATOMY fold:
a fold or folded part, for example, of skin
[Early
18th century. Via medieval Latin, “fold,” from Latin plicare “to fold”
(see ply 2 ).]
—pli·cal, adjective[1]



plicate

plicate
pli·cate
[pl kàyt] or pli·cat·ed [pl kàytəd] adjective

1.  BOTANY folded
like a fan:
arranged in folds like a fan

2.  GEOLOGY with a
pleated texture: used to describe rock with a folded
wrinkled texture
[Late
17th century. From Latin plicat-, past participle stem of plicare
“to fold” (see ply 2 ).]
—pli·cate·ly,
adverb

—pli·cate·ness, noun[1]



plication

plication
pli·ca·tion
[plī káysh’n] (plural pli·ca·tions)
or plic·a·ture [plíkə chr, plíkəchər] (plural pli·ca·tures) noun

1.  SURGERY stitching
the sides of a body organ: the pleating and stitching
of the walls of a body organ in order to reduce its size

2.  folding:
the action of folding or the condition of being folded

3.  a
fold:
a fold in something

[1]



pliers

pliers
pli·ers
[plrz] plural noun

gripping
tool:
a hand tool with two hinged arms ending in jaws that are closed by hand
pressure to grip something
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from ply 1 .][1]



plight

plight2
plight2  [plīt]
transitive verb (past plight·ed, past participle plight·ed
or plight, present participle plight·ing, 3rd
person present singular plights)

make
a vow:
to make a formal pledge, especially when promising to marry
noun
(plural plights)

pledge:
a formal promise or pledge (archaic)
[Old
English plihtan “to endanger,” from pliht “risk, danger,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to risk, pledge yourself,” which is also the
ancestor of English pledge]
—plight·er,
noun
plight
your troth

to solemnly promise
something, especially to marry somebody (dated)[1]



plight

plight1
plight1  [plīt]
(plural plights) noun

unfortunate
condition:
a difficult or dangerous situation, especially a sad or desperate predicament
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman plit “wrinkle, situation” (influenced by plight 2 ) from
Latin plicitum, from the past participle of plicare “to fold”
(see ply 2 ).][1]



plimsoll

plimsoll
plim·soll
[plímsəl, plím
sàwl] (plural plim·solls) or plim·sole [plímsəl, plím sàwl]
(plural plim·soles) noun

U.K.
rubber-soled
shoe:
a light canvas shoe with a rubber sole
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain; probably from Plimsoll line, because
the line around the shoe resembles it.][1]



Plimsollline

Plimsollline
Plim·soll
line
(plural Plim·soll lines) or Plim·soll mark (plural
Plim·soll marks) noun

mark
showing depth limit: any of several marks on the
side of a merchant ship indicating the limit to which it can legally be
submerged when loaded.
Also
called
load line
[Named for the British
politician and reformer Samuel Plimsoll (1824–1898) who introduced the Merchant
Shipping Act of 1876, which advocated its use][1]



plink

plink

plink
[plingk] noun (plural plinks)

high-pitched sound:
a short high-pitched metallic sound such as the sound made when the string of a
musical instrument is plucked or a pebble is dropped into an empty glass bottle
intransitive and transitive verb
(past plinked, past participle plinked, present
participle plink·ing, 3rd person present singular plinks)

1.  make
high-pitched sound: to produce or make something
produce a short high-pitched metallic sound

2.  shoot
at a target: to shoot at or hit targets for fun,
especially targets that make a short high-pitched metallic sound when hit
[Mid-20th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—plink·er, noun[1]



plinth

plinth
plinth
[plinth] (plural plinths) noun

1.  supporting
block:
a square block beneath a column, pedestal, or statue

2.  ARCHITECTURE supporting
part of a wall: the part of the wall of a building
immediately above the ground, usually a course of stones or bricks

3.  ARCHITECTURE part
of a doorframe: the square block at the base on each
side of a doorframe

4.  flat
base:
any flat block used as a base for something, for example, underneath a heavy
machine
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek plinthos “tile, squared building stone.”][1]



Pliny(the Elder)

Pliny(the Elder)
Plin·y
(the Elder)
[plìnnee] (23–79)

Roman scholar. His Natural
History (77 AD ) was a major
source of knowledge until the 17th century.[1]



Pliny(the Younger)

Pliny(the Younger)
Plin·y
(the Younger) [plìnnee]
(62–113)

Roman politician and writer.
He was the nephew of Pliny the Elder and author of nine books of Letters
(100–109).[1]



plio-

plio-
plio-
prefix

See
pleo-[1]



Pliocene

Pliocene
Pli·o·cene
[pl ə sn] or Plei·o·cene [pl ə sn] adjective

belonging
to the Tertiary period: belonging to or typical of
the last epoch of the Tertiary period, 5.4 to 1.6 million years ago, during
which time a hominid species ( Homo erectus
) first appeared
noun

Pliocene
epoch or rocks: the Pliocene epoch, or rocks formed
during that period
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pleiōn “more” (see pleo- )
+ kainos “recent” (see -cene ),
because it is later than the Miocene.][1]



Pliofilm

Pliofilm
Pli·o·film
[pl ə fìlm] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
plastic made of rubber hydrochloride that forms a clear flexible sheeting, used
for packaging and raincoats[1]



plissé

plissé
plis·sé
[plee sáy] or plis·se [plee sáy] noun

1.  wrinkled
finish:
a permanently wrinkled finish given to a fabric by treating it chemically

2.  fabric
with a wrinkled finish: fabric with a plissé finish
[Late 19th century. From
French, past participle of plisser “to pleat,” from pli “fold,”
from plier (see ply 2 ).][1]



plié

plié
pli·é
[plee áy] (plural pli·és) noun

movement
of bending the knees: a ballet movement in which
the knees are bent and the back is kept straight
[Late 19th century. From
French, the past participle of plier “to bend” (see ply 2 ).][1]



PLO

PLO
PLO

Abbreviation of
Palestine Liberation Organization[1]



plod

plod
plod
[plod] intransitive verb (past
plod·ded, past participle plod·ded, present participle
plod·ding, 3rd person present singular plods)

1.  walk
heavily:
to walk with a slow heavy tread

2.  work
slowly but steadily: to work slowly but steadily,
especially on something uninteresting or laborious
noun
(plural plods)

1.  slow
heavy steps: a walk with slow heavy steps

2.  sound
of somebody plodding: the sound of slow, heavy
steps
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: thought to suggest the motion.]
—plod·der,
noun

—plod·ding·ly,
adverb

—plod·ding·ness, noun[1]



-ploid

-ploid
-ploid
suffix

having
a chromosome number in a particular relationship to the basic number of
chromosomes in a group • tetraploid
[From diploid and haploid][1]



ploidy

ploidy
ploi·dy
[plóydee] noun

number
of chromosome sets: the multiple of the number
of chromosome sets in a cell
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from -ploid .][1]



Ploieşti

Ploieşti
Ploi·eş·ti
[plaw yésht, plawyéshtee]

city in southeastern Romania.
It is the capital of Prahova County and center of the national oil industry.
Population: 254,408 (1994)[1]



plonk

plonk2
plonk2  [plongk]
noun

U.K.
cheap
wine:
cheap inferior wine (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of plink-plonk, of uncertain origin: possibly an alteration of French vin
blanc “white wine.”][1]



plonk

plonk1
plonk1  intransitive and
transitive verb noun adverb

See
plunk
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



plop

plop

plop
[plop] noun (plural plops)

sound of something dropping into water:
the sound made by something dropping into water without making a large splash
verb (past
plopped, past participle plopped, present participle
plop·ping, 3rd person present singular plops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
with a plop: to fall or drop something into water
without making a large splash

2.  intransitive
verb
drop
down quickly and heavily: to drop or sit down quickly
and heavily • He
plopped down on the nearest chair.
adverb

with a plop: with
a plopping sound or action
interjection

imitation of the sound of dropping into
water:
used to imitate the sound of something dropping into water without splashing
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



plosion

plosion
plo·sion
[plṓ’n] (plural plo·sions) noun

PHONETICS audible
release of breath: the sound made by a sudden
release of breath in pronouncing certain sounds, especially a stop consonant.
Also
called
explosion
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from explosion .][1]



plosive

plosive
plo·sive
[plṓziv, plṓssiv]
adjective

pronounced
with a suddenly released breath: used to describe a
consonant such as the “p” in “pear” that is pronounced by completely closing
the breath passage and then releasing air
noun
(plural plo·sives)

consonant
pronounced with plosion: a consonant pronounced with
a sudden release of breath.
Also
called
explosive
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from explosive .][1]



plot

plot
plot
[plot] noun (plural plots)

1.  secret
hostile plan: a plan decided on in secret, especially
to bring about an illegal or subversive act

2.  ARTS story
line:
the story or sequence of events in a narrated or presented work such as a
novel, play, or movie

3.  piece
of ground:
a small piece of ground

4.  BUILDING plan
of a building or estate: an architectural plan of a
building or estate

5.  a
chart:
a graph, chart, or diagram
verb
(past plot·ted, past participle plot·ted, present
participle plot·ting, 3rd person present singular plots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
secret plans: to make secret plans, especially to do
something illegal or subversive with others

2.  transitive
verb
mark
something on a chart: to mark something on a
chart, especially the course of a ship or aircraft

3.  transitive
verb
BUILDING make
a plan:
to make a plan or map of something, for example, a building or estate

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb mark
on a graph:
to mark points on a graph or diagram using coordinates, or to be located on a
graph by coordinates

5.  transitive
verb
draw
on a graph:
to draw a line or curve through points marked on a graph or diagram

6.  transitive
verb
ARTS plan
episodes of a story: to devise the sequence of
events in a story or script
[From
Old English, “area of ground,” and Old French complot “secret scheme,”
both of unknown origin]
—plot·less [plóttləss], adjective[1]



plotline

plotline
plot·line
[plót ln] (plural plot·lines)
or plot line [plót ln] (plural
plot lines) noun

plot or dialogue:
the plot or storyline in a book or dramatic presentation, or the dialogue
needed to develop the plot[1]



plottage

plottage
plot·tage
[plóttij] (plural plot·tag·es)
noun

area of plot:
the area of land that makes up a plot[1]



plotter

plotter
plot·ter
[plóttər] (plural plot·ters) noun

1.  somebody
who secretly plans: somebody who makes secret
plans, especially to do something illegal or subversive

2.  COMPUTING computer
device for drawing graphs: a computer output device
that draws graphs and other pictorial images on paper, sometimes using attached
pens. Large plotters are used in computer-aided design applications to produce
more rapidly the engineering drawings and architectural plans once prepared by
skilled draftspeople.

[1]



plough

plough
plough
[plow] noun intransitive and
transitive verb

U.K. =
plow[1]



Plovdiv

Plovdiv
Plov·div 
[pláwv dìf]

city in southern Bulgaria,
the administrative center of Plovdiv Region. Population: 344,000 (1996)[1]



plover

plover
plov·er
[plúvvər] (plural plov·ers) noun

1.  wading
bird:
a wading bird that lives on the shoreline and has a short bill and tail and
long pointed wings. Family: Charadriidae

2.  bird
similar to the plover: a bird that resembles the
plover but is in a different taxonomic family, for example, the Egyptian plover
or upland plover
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from assumed Vulgar Latin pluviarius, from Latin pluvia
“rain” (see pluvial ); from the fact that it
lives near water.][1]



plow

plow
plow
[plow] noun (plural plows)

1.  AGRICULTURE farm
implement:
a heavy farming tool with a sharp blade or series of blades for breaking up
soil and making furrows, usually pulled by a tractor or draft animal

2.  heavy
tool:
any of various heavy tools or machines used like a plow to cut a cleared route
or channel, for example, a snowplow
verb
(past plowed, past participle plowed, present
participle plow·ing, 3rd person present singular plows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE make furrows in the
earth:
to break up earth and turn it over into furrows • plowing
a field

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
through something: to cut or force a way
through something • I plowed my way through
the crowd.

3.  transitive
verb
make
a clearing in something: to make a channel or cleared
route in something

4.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE put
under soil:
to put something such as fertilizer or a crop under the surface of the soil,
using a plow

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
methodically at something: to work at something and
progress slowly and steadily • We
plowed through the backlog of applications. • plowing
my way through pages of job ads

6.  transitive
verb
have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang)
[Old
English ploh, via prehistoric Germanic from a northern Italic word]
—plow·er [plówr], noun[1]



plowback

plowback
plow
back
transitive verb

reinvest:
to invest profits from a business back into the business[1]



plowboy

plowboy
plow·boy
[plów bòy] (plural plow·boys) noun

1.  boy
leading plow animals: a boy who leads one or more
animals while they pull a plow

2.  country
boy:
any boy who lives in the country and may not be very sophisticated (archaic)

[1]



plowin

plowin
plow
in
transitive verb

contribute something:
to contribute or devote something, especially money, to a project or place[1]



plowinto

plowinto
plow
into
verb

1.  transitive
verb
crash
into:
to crash into or hit with a great deal of force • We
lost control and plowed into the car in front.

2.  intransitive
verb
to
eagerly start something: to start a job or
undertaking, especially with energy and determination

[1]



plowman

plowman
plow·man
[plówmən] (plural plow·men [plówmən]) noun

1.  operating
a plow:
somebody who operates a plow, especially a plow drawn by animals

2.  farm
laborer:
a farm laborer, especially somebody not very sophisticated
—plow·man·ship, noun[1]



plowshare

plowshare
plow·share
[plów shàir] (plural plow·shares)
noun

part of a plow blade:
the part of a plow that cuts the soil for the furrow.
Also called
share[1]



plowsteel

plowsteel
plow
steel
noun

type of steel:
a type of strong steel used mainly in making wire rope[1]



plowunder

plowunder
plow
under
transitive verb

1.  bury:
to bury something so that it disappears • Large
tracts of forest had been plowed under by the bulldozers.

2.  overwhelm
something or somebody: to overwhelm somebody with
too many responsibilities or jobs, or to overwhelm something with too heavy a
burden • I
was plowed under for the whole weekend trying to fix the mess in the computer
files.

[1]



ploy

ploy
ploy
[ploy] (plural ploys) noun

deceptive
tactic:
a tactic or maneuver, especially one calculated to deceive or frustrate an
opponent
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from employ .][1]



PLSS

PLSS
PLSS

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of portable life-support system[1]



plu.

plu.
plu.

Abbreviation of
plural[1]



pluck

pluck
pluck
[pluk] verb (past plucked,
past participle plucked, present participle pluck·ing,
3rd person present singular plucks)

1.  transitive
verb
take
something away quickly: to take something away
swiftly, often by means of skill or strength

2.  transitive
verb
quickly
remove something rooted: to pull out by the roots
some or all of the feathers or hair from something

3.  transitive
verb
pull
off something: to pull something off or out of
something else, for example, fruit from a tree

4.  transitive
verb
take
something casually: to select something randomly
or with no obvious reason

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb tug at
something:
to tug quickly at something • felt
someone plucking at my sleeve

6.  transitive
verb
MUSIC pull
and release strings: to play a stringed musical
instrument by quickly pulling and releasing strings with a finger or plectrum
noun
(plural plucks)

1.  bravery:
courage and determination in meeting danger or difficulty

2.  act
of plucking: one act or instance of plucking
something

3.  FOOD animal’s
heart, liver, and lungs: the heart, liver, and lungs
of an animal used as meat
[Old
English pluccian, from prehistoric Germanic, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from assumed Vulgar Latin piluccare, literally “to pluck hair,”
from, ultimately, Latin pilus “hair”]
—pluck·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at courage

[1]



pluckup

pluckup
pluck
up
transitive verb

get your courage up:
to muster courage or audacity[1]



plucky

plucky
pluck·y
[plúkee] (comparative pluck·i·er,
superlative pluck·i·est) adjective

brave:
showing courage and determination, especially in the face of difficulties or
superior odds
—pluck·i·ly,
adverb

—pluck·i·ness, noun[1]



plug

plug
plug
[plug] noun (plural plugs)

1.  filler
for a hole:
something used to fill and tightly close up a hole

2.  stopper
for a sink:
a rubber or plastic stopper for the drainage hole in a sink or bath

3.  ELECTRICITY electrical
connection:
the connection at the end of the wire leading from an electrical device, with
prongs or pins that allow it to fit into the socket of a power supply

4.  ELECTRICITY socket:
an electrical socket, for example, on a wall (informal)

5.  BROADCASTING publicizing
mention:
a favorable mention of something to publicize it, for example, during a
broadcast about something else (informal)

6.  wedge
for a screw: a hollow piece of plastic pushed inside
a hole to act as a holder for a screw that, when inserted, makes the plug
expand and completely fill the hole

7.  fireplug:
a fireplug

8.  AUTOMOTIVE spark
plug:
a spark plug

9.  cake
of chewing tobacco: a cake of compressed or
twisted tobacco or a piece of it used for chewing

10. SEISMOLOGY See volcanic plug

11. something
defective:
something that is defective, especially because it is worn out (slang)

12. old
horse:
an old and worn-out horse (slang)

13. ANGLING weighted
lure:
an artificial weighted lure that has hooks attached to it

14. small
piece cut from something: a small wedge cut away from
something, especially as a test sample
verb
(past plugged, past participle plugged, present
participle plug·ging, 3rd person present singular plugs)

1.  transitive
verb
close
up something: to close up a hole or gap

2.  transitive
verb
give
something a favorable mention: to make a favorable
mention of something to publicize it, for example, during a broadcast about
something else (informal) • a
chance to plug her latest novel

3.  transitive
verb
shoot
somebody:
to shoot somebody with a gun (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
punch
somebody:
to punch somebody (slang)

5.  intransitive
verb
work
steadily:
to work at something steadily and persistently (informal) • He
is still plugging away in the insurance business.
[Early
17th century. Via Dutch from Middle Dutch plugge, of unknown origin.]
—plug·ger,
noun
pull
the plug on something

to bring something abruptly
to an end, especially by cutting off funds[1]



plugand play

plugand play
plug
and play 
noun

a technical standard that
allows a peripheral device such as a printer or DVD drive to be connected to a
computer and to function immediately without the need for the user to alter the
system’s configuration files[1]



plugged

plugged
plugged
[plugd] adjective

1.  stopped
up:
closed by or as if by a plug or an obstruction

2.  made
counterfeit: made counterfeit by adding base metal

[1]



plugin

plugin
plug
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb connect
something to a power source: to connect an electrical
appliance to a power source or to another electrical appliance, or to function
when connected in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
to include or incorporate something (informal)

[1]



plug-in

plug-in
plug-in
adjective

capable
of connecting to a plug: capable of being connected
by a plug to an electrical power source • a
plug-in hand drill
noun
(plural plug-ins)

something connected by plug:
a device or appliance that may be connected by a plug to an electrical power
source[1]



pluginto

pluginto
plug
into
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb connect
to an electricity supply: to connect or become
connected to an electrical power source by means of a plug

2.  intransitive
verb
become
informed about something: to become closely involved
with or well-informed about something (informal)

[1]



plug-ugly

plug-ugly
plug-ug·ly
adjective

very
ugly:
extremely unattractive (insult)
noun
(plural plug-ug·lies)

tough
ruthless person: a tough and intimidating person,
especially a gangster (slang)
[From the Plug Uglies,
a gang of hoodlums in several U.S. cities in the 1850s][1]



plum

plum

plum
[plum] noun (plural plums)

1.  TREES small
fruit tree:
a small tree of the rose family that produces a round or oval smooth-skinned
fruit. Genus: Prunus

2.  FOOD fruit
of the plum tree: the round or oval smooth-skinned edible
fruit of a plum tree, containing a flattened pit

3.  COLORS dark
reddish-purple: a dark reddish-purple color

4.  something
choice:
something that is highly desirable or enviable, especially a job or contract (informal)
adjective

1.  desirable:
highly desirable or profitable (informal) • a
plum job

2.  COLORS dark
reddish-purple: of a dark reddish-purple color
[12th century. Alteration of
Middle Low German, and Middle Dutch prūme and Old High German pfrūma,
ultimately, from Latin prunum, (see prune
).][1]



plumage

plumage
plum·age
[plmij] noun

feathers
of a bird:
the feathers that cover a bird’s body, considered collectively
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin pluma “feather, plume” (see plume ).][1]



plumate

plumate
plu·mate
[pl màyt] adjective

resembling
or having feathers: resembling, having, or
producing feathers
[Early 19th century. From
Latin plumatus “feathered,” from pluma “feather” (see plume ).][1]



plumb

plumb
plumb
[plum] noun (plural plumbs)

1.  weight
attached to a line: a weight, usually made of
lead, attached to a line and used to find the depth of water or to verify a
true vertical alignment

2.  true
vertical position: a true vertical position or
alignment
adverb

1.  in
true vertical or perpendicular position: in
perfect alignment or a true vertical position

2.  exactly:
precisely or exactly (informal) • plumb
in the middle

3.  completely:
utterly or totally (informal) • plumb
lazy
adjective

1.  vertical:
in a true vertical alignment • Hanging
the striped wallpaper he made sure the stripes were plumb.

2.  total:
utter or total (informal)
transitive
verb
(past plumbed, past participle plumbed, present
participle plumb·ing, 3rd person present singular plumbs)

1.  fully
comprehend:
to succeed in fully understanding something, especially something mysterious

2.  to
experience something, especially something unpleasant, to an extreme degree • had
plumbed the depths of despair

3.  find
the depth or vertical alignment of: to
find the depth of water or a vertical alignment with a plumb

4.  make
vertical:
to make something properly vertical

5.  to
install plumbing: to equip with plumbing, seal pipes with
lead, or work as a plumber
[13th century. Via Old French
plomb “lead weight,” from Latin plumbum “lead” (source of English
plumber and aplomb ).][1]



plumbago

plumbago
plum·ba·go
[plum báygō] (plural plum·ba·gos)
noun

1.  PLANTS flowering
plant:
an evergreen Mediterranean or tropical plant of the leadwort family that has
clusters of blue, white, or red flowers. Genus: Plumbago

2.  MINERALS See graphite
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “lead ore, plumbago,” from plumbum “lead,” translation of Greek molubdaina
“lead ore,” hence “flowering plant,” from the flower’s color.][1]



plumbbob

plumbbob
plumb
bob
(plural plumb bobs) noun

weight on a plumb:
the weight, usually a conical metal one, at the end of a plumb.
Also called
plummet[1]



plumber

plumber
plumb·er
[plúmmər] (plural plumb·ers) noun

somebody
who installs and fixes pipes: somebody who installs and
repairs pipes and fixtures, especially for water, drainage, or heating systems
in a building
[14th century. Via Old French
plommier “lead worker” from, ultimately, Latin plumbum “lead”
(see plumb ).The modern meaning developed
because water pipes were originally made of lead.][1]



plumber’shelper

plumber’shelper
plumb·er’s
help·er 
(plural plumb·er’s help·ers) noun

See
plunger  noun 1[1]



plumber’ssnake

plumber’ssnake
plumb·er’s
snake
(plural plumb·er’s snakes) noun

See
snake  noun 3[1]



plumbiferous

plumbiferous
plum·bif·er·ous
[plum bíffərəss] adjective

containing
lead:
containing or yielding lead
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Latin plumbum “lead” (see plumb
) + -ferous .][1]



plumbin

plumbin
plumb
in
transitive verb

fit a device to plumbing:
to attach a device such as a washing machine to a system of inlet and drainage
pipes[1]



plumbing

plumbing
plumb·ing
[plúmming] noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION plumber’s
work:
the work that a plumber does

2.  CONSTRUCTION pipes
and fixtures: the pipes and fixtures that carry or use
water or gas in a building

3.  use
of a plumb:
the use of a plumb to test depth or show a vertical alignment

4.  digestive,
urinary, and reproductive systems: the digestive,
urinary, and reproductive tracts and organs of the body (humorous informal)

[1]



plumbism

plumbism
plum·bism
[plúm bìzzəm] noun

lead
poisoning:
long-term lead poisoning (technical)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin plumbum “lead” (see plumb
).][1]



plumbline

plumbline

plumb line
(plural plumb lines) noun
line with a weight attached:
a line to which a weight is attached to find the depth of water or to verify a
true vertical alignment[1]



plumbrule

plumbrule
plumb
rule
(plural plumb rules) noun

tool for determining
verticality: a plumb attached to a
board, used to check how vertical something such as a wall is[1]



plume

plume
plume
[ploom] noun (plural plumes)

1.  feather:
a feather, especially a large or ornamental one

2.  feathers
used as a crest: a feather or bunch of feathers used as a
decoration, especially on a hat or helmet

3.  column
of something: a rising column of something, for
example, smoke, dust, or water

4.  BIOLOGY part
resembling a feather: any plant part or formation
that looks like a feather, for example, the part of some seeds that allows them
to be blown about by the wind

5.  token
of honor:
a prize, awarded decoration, or token of honor
verb
(past plumed, past participle plumed, present
participle plum·ing, 3rd person present singular plumes)

1.  transitive
verb
BIRDS preen
feathers:
to preen, smooth, or clean the feathers

2.  reflexive
verb
be
proud of something: to take pride in or
congratulate yourself on something

3.  transitive
verb
decorate
with feathers: to decorate something with feathers
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin pluma “down, feather.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base denoting “fleece, feather,” which is also the
ancestor of English fleece .]
—plumed, adjective[1]



plumelet

plumelet
plume·let
[plmlət] (plural plume·lets) noun

small plume:
a little plume or tuft[1]



Plummer,Christopher

Plummer,Christopher
Plum·mer
[plúmmər], Christopher (1927– )

Canadian
stage and movie actor. He won Tony Awards for his roles in Cyrano ( 1973
) and Barrymore ( 1997 ).
Full name
Plummer, Arthur Christopher Orme[1]



plummet

plummet
plum·met
[plúmmət] intransitive verb (past
plum·met·ed, past participle plum·met·ed, present
participle plum·met·ing, 3rd person present singular plum·mets)

1.  drop
downward:
to drop steeply and suddenly downward • temperatures
have plummeted

2.  FINANCE suddenly
fall in value: to take a sudden unexpected drop in
value or price

3.  suddenly
become pessimistic: to decline or drop suddenly,
particularly from a state of optimism to one of pessimism
noun
(plural plum·mets)

1.  sudden
decline:
a sudden sharp fall in value or amount

2.  CONSTRUCTION See plumb bob
[14th century. Via Old French
plomet “small lead ball” from, ultimately, Latin plumbum “lead”
(see plumb ).][1]



plummy

plummy
plum·my
[plúmmee] (comparative plum·mi·er,
superlative plum·mi·est) adjective

1.  like
plums:
resembling, full of, or tasting like plums

2.  rich
and resonant: with a voice or tone that is rich,
resonant, and mellow

3.  desirable:
highly desirable or of superior quality (informal)

[1]



plumose

plumose
plu·mose
[pl mss] adjective

See
plumate
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin plumosus, from pluma “feather” (see plume ).]
—plu·mose·ly,
adverb

—plu·mos·i·ty [ploo móssitee], noun[1]



plump

plump1
plump1  [plump]
adjective (comparative plump·er, superlative plump·est)

1.  slightly
overweight:
rounded and somewhat overweight (sometimes considered offensive)

2.  well-fleshed:
having a pleasing amount of flesh • a
plump chicken

3.  filled
with something: rounded and filled with something • a
plump cushion
intransitive
and transitive verb (past plumped,
past participle plumped, present participle plump·ing,
3rd person present singular plumps)

fatten or round:
to become or make something fatter, rounder, or softer • plump
up the pillows
[15th
century. From Middle Dutch or Middle Low German plomp “blunt, thick.”]
—plump·ly,
adverb

—plump·ness, noun[1]



plump

plump2
plump2  [plump]
intransitive and transitive verb (past plumped, past
participle plumped, present participle plump·ing, 3rd
person present singular plumps)

drop abruptly or heavily:
to fall or come down heavily or suddenly, or to cause somebody or something to
do so • plumped
down into an armchair
noun
(plural plump)

abrupt fall or its sound:
a heavy or abrupt fall, or its sound
adverb

1.  heavily:
in a sudden or heavy way

2.  directly:
directly or in a direct line

3.  bluntly:
in a blunt and direct way
adjective

direct:
blunt, direct, and forceful
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch plompen or Low German plumpen “to
fall into water,” an imitation of the sound.][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








plumpeach

plumpeach
plum
peach
(plural plum peach·es) noun

Southern
U.S.
clingstone
peach:
a clingstone peach





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  type of peach is also called Indian peach, pickle peach, and press
  peach . Plum peach is a South Midland
  term that covers the same territory occupied by open peach (“freestone
  peach”). Usage is strongest in the Eastern Gulf states, the upper sectors of
  Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, with equally strong incidence in Tennessee
  and Arkansas.

[1]



plumper

plumper
plump·er
[plúmpər] (plural plump·ers) noun

pad to make the face fatter:
a pad worn by an actor between the teeth and the inside of the cheeks to make
the face seem fatter[1]



plumpudding

plumpudding
plum
pud·ding
noun

rich
cooked pudding: a rich steamed pudding made from flour,
suet, dried fruit, and spices that is often flavored with brandy or rum
[Plum from the use of plum to mean “raisin”][1]



plumtomato

plumtomato
plum
to·ma·to
noun

elongated
firm-textured tomato: an elongated firm-textured
tomato that is often used in cooking and is the usual variety used for canned
tomatoes
[Plum from its shape][1]



plumule

plumule
plu·mule
[plm yl] (plural plu·mules) noun

1.  BOTANY rudimentary
shoot:
the rudimentary primary shoot of a plant embryo

2.  BIRDS young
bird’s down feather: one of a young bird’s soft
down feathers
[Early 18th century. From
Latin plumula “small feather,” from pluma “feather” (see plume ).][1]



plumy

plumy
plum·y
[plmee] (comparative plum·i·er,
superlative plum·i·est) adjective

1.  like
feathers:
like a feather or plume

2.  covered
with plumes: made of, covered with, or decorated with
feathers or plumes

[1]



plunder

plunder
plun·der
[plúndər] verb (past plun·dered,
past participle plun·dered, present participle plun·der·ing,
3rd person present singular plun·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rob a
place or steal goods: to rob a place or the people
living there or steal goods using violence and often causing damage, especially
in wartime or during civil unrest • gangs
of looters plundering the electrical stores

2.  transitive
verb
rob
or steal by fraud: to rob a place or steal
goods or money by fraudulent means • a
military government that had steadily plundered the country’s wealth

3.  transitive
verb
get
by superior strength: to gain or acquire by
superior strength or skill • They
plundered five goals in a one-sided game.
noun

1.  stolen
goods:
something stolen by force, especially during wartime or civil unrest

2.  robbery:
the theft of goods by force or fraud
[Mid-17th
century. Via German plündern or Low German plünderen from,
ultimately, Middle Low German plunder “household goods,” of unknown
origin.]
—plun·der·a·ble,
adjective

—plun·der·er,
noun

—plun·der·ous, adjective[1]



plunge

plunge
plunge
[plunj] verb (past plunged,
past participle plunged, present participle plung·ing,
3rd person present singular plung·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
or be thrown suddenly: to move, rush, dive, or be
thrown suddenly downward or forward • plunged
into the undergrowth and disappeared

2.  transitive
verb
put
suddenly in an unpleasant condition: to
bring or force somebody or something suddenly into an unpleasant or undesirable
situation

3.  transitive
verb
thrust
quickly or firmly: to put or push something
firmly into something such as a liquid or container • Drain
the beans and plunge them into cold water.

4.  intransitive
verb
become
involved enthusiastically: to become involved in
something with great enthusiasm • She
plunged into student life.

5.  embark
on recklessly: to begin a course of action suddenly and
in a reckless or impetuous way • warned
against plunging into full monetary union

6.  intransitive
verb
go
down suddenly: to go or drop downward suddenly or
steeply

7.  intransitive
verb
drop
suddenly in value: to drop suddenly and
unexpectedly in value or price • Prices
plunged.

8.  intransitive
verb
GAMBLING gamble
recklessly:
to gamble, speculate, or take risks in a reckless way (informal)
noun
(plural plung·es)

1.  leap
into water:
a dive or leap into water • a
headlong plunge into the sea

2.  sudden
sharp fall:
a sudden sharp fall in value or amount • a
38 percent plunge in PC sales

3.  place
to swim:
a place for swimming or diving, for example, a swimming pool

4.  sudden
rush:
a sudden or violent rush • The
dog made a plunge for the open door.

5.  gamble:
a reckless gamble or speculation (informal)
[14th
century. Via Old French plongier from assumed Vulgar Latin plumbicare
“to heave a sounding lead,” from Latin plumbum “lead” (see plumb ).]
take
the plunge

1.  to
commit suddenly to doing something new, difficult, or irrevocable

2.  to
get married or decide to get married (informal humorous)

[1]



plungepool

plungepool
plunge
pool
noun

small swimming pool:
a small deep swimming pool used for cooling the body[1]



plunger

plunger
plung·er
[plúnjər] (plural plung·ers) noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION tool
for clearing drains: a tool for clearing clogged
drains consisting of a rubber suction cup attached to a long handle.
Also
called
plumber’s helper

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING thrusting
machine part: a part of a machine that thrusts or
drops downward, for example, a piston

3.  gambler:
somebody who gambles a lot (informal)
[Early 17th century. The
earliest meaning was “somebody who dives into water.”][1]



plunging

plunging
plung·ing
[plúnjing] adjective

in a sharply downward
direction: in a direction or at an
angle that plunges downward[1]



plunk

plunk
plunk
[plungk] or plonk [plongk] intransitive and transitive verb (past
plunked, past participle plunked, present participle
plunk·ing, 3rd person present singular plunks) (past
plonked, past participle plonked, present participle
plonking, 3rd person present singular plonks)

1.  MUSIC pluck
strings:
to pluck the strings of a stringed instrument, especially in an inexpert or
unexpressive way

2.  drop
down:
to fall or cause something to drop heavily or suddenly
noun
(plural plunks) (plural plonks)

1.  twanging
sound:
a twanging sound, for example, of a string on a stringed instrument being
plucked

2.  sudden
heavy fall:
the action or sound of a sudden heavy fall • A
stone hit the tin roof with a plunk.

3.  hard
blow:
a hard blow (informal)
adverb

1.  with
a plunk:
with a plunking sound or action

2.  exactly:
precisely or exactly (informal) • plunk
in the middle
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



pluperfect

pluperfect
plu·per·fect
[ploo púrfəkt] adjective noun

GRAMMAR See past perfect
adjective

utterly
perfect:
even better than perfect • a
pluperfect talent
[15th century. From Latin plus
quam perfectum “more than perfect.”][1]



plural

plural
plu·ral
[plrəl] adjective

1.  GRAMMAR referring
to more than one: having a grammatical form that refers to
more than one person or thing

2.  concerning
more than one: concerning, involving, or made up of
more than one, or more than one kind of, person or thing
noun
(plural plu·rals) GRAMMAR

1.  plural
category:
the plural number category

2.  plural
form of a word: the plural form of a word • What’s
the plural of mouse in the computer sense?
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin pluralis, from plus “more.”]
—plu·ral·ly, adverb[1]



pluralism

pluralism
plu·ral·ism
[plrə lìzzəm] noun

1.  society
with different internal groups: the existence of
groups with different ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds within one
society

2.  SOCIOLOGY social
policy and theory: a policy or theory that
minority groups within a society should maintain cultural differences but share
overall political and economic power

3.  CHRISTIANITY holding
of multiple offices: the holding of more than one
office or position by an individual, especially in a church.
Also
called
plurality

4.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of varied being or substance: the philosophical theory
that reality is made up of many kinds of being or substance

5.  state
of being plural: state or condition of being plural
—plu·ral·ist,
noun

—plu·ral·is·tic
[plrə lístik], adjective

—plu·ral·is·ti·cal·ly
[plrrə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



plurality

plurality
plu·ral·i·ty
[pl rállətee] (plural plu·ral·i·ties)
noun

1.  GRAMMAR condition
of being plural: the condition of being plural or
numerous

2.  great
number or part of something: a great number or part of
something, particularly when this represents more than half of the whole

3.  POLITICS margin
gained by an election candidate: the number of votes an
election winner gets, or the number exceeding the nearest rival, when no one
has more than fifty percent of the total votes cast

4.  CHRISTIANITY See pluralism  noun 3

[1]



pluralize

pluralize
plu·ral·ize
[plrə lz] (past plu·ral·ized,
past participle plu·ral·ized, present participle plu·ral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular plu·ral·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
plural:
to make something plural or to become plural
—plu·ral·i·za·tion
[plrəli záysh’n], noun

—plu·ral·iz·er [plrə lzər], noun[1]



pluralmarriage

pluralmarriage
plu·ral
mar·riage
(plural plu·ral mar·riages) noun

See
polygamy  noun 1[1]



plus

plus
plus
[pluss] preposition

1.  used
for adding:
used to show that one number or amount is added to another • The
flight cost $180, plus $20 airport tax.

2.  and
also:
together with (informal) • Exports
have been affected by transport problems plus the effect of a strong dollar.
adjective

1.  ARITHMETIC involving
addition:
showing or involving addition

2.  MATHEMATICS on
positive side: with a figure or value on the positive
side of a scale or axis (often written as “+”)

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING on
the electrical positive side: on or involving the positive
side of an electrical circuit

4.  advantageous:
favorable, desirable, or advantageous • one
of its plus points

5.  somewhat
more than stated grade: somewhat higher than a
stated grade for academic work (often written as “+”)

6.  FUNGI reproducing
only with opposite strain: reproducing as an alga or
fungus only with an opposite strain
noun
(plural plus·es or plus·ses)

1.  MATHEMATICS See plus sign

2.  positive
quantity:
a positive quantity

3.  advantageous
factor:
something beneficial or advantageous (informal) • Having
her in the team is a real plus.

4.  surplus:
a surplus
conjunction

and also: and
also or furthermore (informal) • I’m
too busy to come, plus I’m short of cash.
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
plus “more.”][1]



plusfours

plusfours
plus
fours 
plural noun

baggy
pants ending just below the knee: baggy pants gathered
and fastened just below the knee, worn mainly for sports or hunting • golfers
in their plus fours
[Because they were four
inches longer in the leg than standard knickerbockers][1]



plush

plush
plush
[plush] noun

TEXTILES soft
fabric:
a rich smooth fabric with a long soft nap
adjective
plush (comparative plush·er, superlative plush·est)
plush·y (comparative plushi·er, superlative plushi·est)

luxurious:
luxurious, expensive, or lavish (informal)
[Late 16th century. Via
French pluche from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin piluccare
“to pluck” (see pluck ); because loops of
the woven fabric must be cut (“plucked”) in making plush.][1]



plussign

plussign
plus
sign
(plural plus signs) noun

addition sign:
the symbol “+,” used to show addition or a positive quantity.
Also called
plus[1]



plus-size

plus-size
plus-size
adjective

large:
larger than average • our
new range of plus-size fashions[1]



Plutarch

Plutarch
Plu·tarch 
[pl trk] (46–120)

Greek historian, biographer,
and philosopher. His Parallel Lives (1st century) was used by
Shakespeare as a source for his history plays.[1]



Pluto

Pluto
Plu·to
[pltō] noun

1.  Roman
god of the underworld: in Roman mythology, the god
of the underworld and husband of Proserpine. He was the god of the dead and
also of riches, since precious metals and crops were believed to come from his
underground realm.
Also
called
Dis Greek equivalent Hades

2.  ASTRONOMY smallest,
most distant planet: the planet in the solar
system that is the smallest in diameter and is, on average, the furthest away
from the Sun. It was discovered in 1930, has one moon ( Charon ), and an equatorial radius 0.18 times that of the
Earth.
[Via
Latin from Greek Ploutōn, from ploutos “wealth”]
—Plu·to·ni·an [ploo tṓnee ən], adjective[1]



plutocracy

plutocracy
plu·toc·ra·cy
[ploo tókrəssee] (plural plu·toc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  rule
by the wealthy: the rule of a society by its wealthiest
people

2.  society
ruled by the wealthy: a society that is ruled by
its wealthiest members

3.  wealthy
ruling class: any wealthy social class that controls
or greatly influences the government of a society
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek ploutokratia, from ploutos “wealth.”]
—plu·to·crat
[pltə kràt], adverb

—plu·to·cra·tic
[pltə kráttik], adjective

—plu·to·crat·i·cal·ly
[plootə kráttiklee], adverb[1]



pluton

pluton
plu·ton
[pl tòn] (plural plu·tons) noun

mass
of igneous rock: a mass of intrusive igneous rock that
solidified underground by the crystallization of magma
[Mid-20th
century. From German, back-formation from plutonisch “plutonic,” from
Latin Pluto (see Pluto ).]
—plu·ton·ic [ploo tónnik], adjective[1]



plutonium

plutonium

plu·to·ni·um
[ploo tṓnee əm] noun
silvery
radioactive metallic element: a highly toxic silvery
radioactive metallic chemical element, found in small amounts in uranium ores.
The isotope plutonium-239 is used to produce atomic energy and in nuclear
weapons. Symbol Pu
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the planet Pluto, because it follows uranium
and neptunium in the periodic table.][1]



pluvial

pluvial
plu·vi·al
[plvee əl] adjective

1.  relating
to rain:
concerning, involving, or caused by rain

2.  rainy:
involving a lot of rain
noun
(plural plu·vials)

wet period: a
period of increased rainfall
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
pluvialis, from pluvia “rain,” from pluere “to rain”
(source of English plover ).][1]



pluviometer

pluviometer
plu·vi·om·e·ter
[plvee ómmətər] (plural plu·vi·om·e·ters)
noun

See
rain gauge
[Late
18th century. Coined from Latin pluvia “rain” (see pluvial ) + -meter
.]
—plu·vi·o·met·ric
[plvee ə méttrik], adjective

—plu·vi·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[plvee ə méttrikəlee], adverb

—plu·vi·om·e·try [plvee ómmətree], noun[1]



pluvious

pluvious
plu·vi·ous
[plvee əss] or plu·vi·ose [plvee ss] adjective

rainy:
concerning, involving, or typical of rain, especially heavy rainfall
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin pluviosus, from pluvia “rain” (see pluvial ).][1]



ply

ply1
ply1  [plī]
(past plied [plīd], past
participle plied, present participle ply·ing, 3rd
person present singular plies [plīz])
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
hard at something: to work at a trade or
occupation, especially with diligence

2.  transitive
verb
use
something diligently: to use something such as a
tool or weapon in a diligent or skillful way • the
dexterity with which she plied her needle

3.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE offer
something for sale: to offer goods or services
for sale, especially regularly or as an occupation

4.  transitive
verb
supply
somebody with something: to keep supplying somebody
with something, especially in an insistent way • kept
plying us with offers of food

5.  transitive
verb
subject
to urgently and insistently: to keep subjecting somebody
to something in an urgent and insistent way • we
were plied with questions

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
a route regularly: to travel a route regularly,
especially on water

7.  intransitive
verb
SAILING sail
against the wind: to sail a boat on a zigzag course
against the wind
[14th century. Shortening of apply .][1]



ply

ply2
ply2  [plī]
noun (plural plies) (often used in combination)

1.  twisted
strand:
a twisted single strand, especially in a yarn or rope

2.  thin
layer of something: a layer, sheet, or thickness
of something such as wood or a tire
intransitive
and transitive verb (past plied, past
participle plied, present participle ply·ing, 3rd
person present singular plies)

twist together:
to twist or fold things together
[14th century. From Old
French pli, from plier “to fold,” from Latin plicare .
Ultimately, from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English plait .][1]



Plymouth

Plymouth
Plym·outh 
[plímməth]

town in southeastern
Massachusetts, on Plymouth Bay, south of Duxbury. It was settled by the
Pilgrims in 1620. Population: 48,329 (1996)[1]



PlymouthRock

PlymouthRock
Plym·outh
Rock
(plural Plym·outh Rocks) noun

poultry breed:
a U.S. breed of domestic hen with white or gray barred plumage, raised for its
eggs and meat[1]



plywood

plywood
ply·wood
[pl wd] noun

layered
board:
a type of board made by gluing and compressing thin layers of wood together
with the grain of each layer at right angles to the layer next to it
[Early 20th century. Ply from
ply 2 .][1]



Pm

Pm
Pm

Symbol for
promethium[1]



PM

PM
PM
(plural PMs) or P.M. (plural P.M.)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Prime Minister

2.  Abbreviation
of
Postmaster

3.  Abbreviation
of
Provost Marshal

4.
(of a fraternity) Abbreviation of Past Master

[1]



pm

pm
pm
or PM or p.m. or P.M.

1.  between
twelve noon and midnight. Abbreviation of post
meridiem

2.  Abbreviation
of
phase modulation

3.  Abbreviation
of
postmortem

[1]



P.M.G.

P.M.G.
P.M.G.
(plural P.M.G.s)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Postmaster General

2.  Abbreviation
of
Provost Marshal General

3.  Abbreviation
of
Paymaster General

[1]



PMS

PMS
PMS

Abbreviation of
premenstrual syndrome[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PMT

PMT
PMT

U.K.
Abbreviation of premenstrual tension[1]



PN

PN
PN
or P/N or p.n.

Abbreviation of
promissory note[1]



PNdB

PNdB
PNdB

Abbreviation of
perceived noise decibel[1]



pneum-

pneum-
pneum-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pneumo-[1]



pneuma

pneuma
pneu·ma
[nmə] (plural pneu·mas) noun

soul:
in Stoicism, the vital spirit or soul
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, literally “breath, spirit,” from pnein “to breathe.” Ultimately,
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English sneeze and snort
.][1]



pneumatic

pneumatic
pneu·mat·ic
[noo máttik] adjective

1.  using
compressed air: operated by compressed air in a tool or
machine

2.  filled
with air:
filled with air, especially compressed air

3.  PHYSICS involving
compressed gases: relating to, involving, operated by, or
typical of the pressure of compressed gases, especially air pressure or
compressed air

4.  of
gases or wind: concerning, involving, or typical of
air, gases, or wind

5.  RELIGION of the
soul:
concerning or involving the soul or spirit

6.  BIRDS with
air-filled cavities in the bones: used to describe birds
that have air-filled cavities in the bones

7.  full-breasted:
having large breasts (informal) (offensive in some contexts)
[Mid-17th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek pneumatikos, from pneuma
(see pneuma ).]
—pneu·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



pneumatics

pneumatics
pneu·mat·ics
[noo máttiks] noun

PHYSICS
science of gases:
the branch of physics dealing with the mechanical properties of air and other
gases (takes a singular verb)[1]



pneumatictube

pneumatictube
pneu·mat·ic
tube
(plural pneu·mat·ic tubes) noun

tube for transporting with
compressed air: a tube through which
letters and packets are propelled by compressed air[1]



pneumato-

pneumato-
pneumato-
prefix

1.  air,
gas, vapor • pneumatolysis

2.  respiration,
breathing • pneumatometer

3.  spirits,
spiritual • pneumatology
[Formed from Greek pneumat-,
the stem of pneuma (see pneuma )][1]



pneumatology

pneumatology
pneu·ma·tol·o·gy
[nmə tólləjee] noun

1.  theology
of the Holy Spirit: the branch of Christian
theology that deals with the Holy Spirit

2.  study
of spirits:
the study of spirits or spiritual beings
—pneu·ma·to·log·i·cal
[nmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—pneu·ma·tol·o·gist [nmə tólləjist], noun[1]



pneumatolysis

pneumatolysis
pneu·ma·tol·y·sis
[nmə tólləssiss] noun

alteration
in igneous rocks: the alteration caused in rocks by hot
gases escaping from solidifying magma
—pneu·ma·to·lyt·ic [nmətə líttik], adjective[1]



pneumatophore

pneumatophore
pneu·mat·o·phore
[noo máttə fàwr] (plural pneu·mat·o·phores)
noun

1.  BOTANY specialized
plant branch: a type of branch in swamp plants such as
the mangrove or bald cypress that grows upward from roots and carries out
respiration

2.  BIOLOGY sac
acting as a float: a gas-filled sac that acts
as a float in coelenterates such as the Portuguese man-of-war

[1]



pneumectomy

pneumectomy
pneu·mec·to·my
noun

See
pneumonectomy[1]



pneumo-

pneumo-
pneumo-
prefix

1.  air,
gas • pneumoencephalogram

2.  lung,
pulmonary • pneumocystis

3.  pneumonia
• pneumobacillus

4.  respiration
• pneumograph
[Formed from Greek pneuma
“air, breath” (see pneuma )][1]



pneumobacillus

pneumobacillus
pneu·mo·ba·cil·lus
[nmōbə sílləss, nymōbə
sílləss] (plural pneu·mo·ba·cil·li [nmōbə sí l]) noun

BIOLOGY
bacterium in the respiratory tract:
a gram-negative bacterium that occurs in the respiratory tract and is one cause
of pneumonia. Latin name: Klebsiella pneumoniae[1]



pneumococcus

pneumococcus
pneu·mo·coc·cus
[nmə kókəss, nymə
kókəss] (plural pneu·mo·coc·ci [nmə
kók s, nmə kó k]) noun

BIOLOGY bacterium
causing pneumonia: a gram-positive bacterium
that occurs in the respiratory tract and is one cause of pneumonia. Latin name:
Streptococcus pneumoniae
—pneu·mo·coc·cal [nmə kók’l], adjective[1]



pneumoconiosis

pneumoconiosis
pneu·mo·co·ni·o·sis
[nmō kōnee ṓssiss] or pneu·mon·o·co·ni·o·sis
[nmō kōnee ṓssiss] noun

lung
disease:
a disease of the lungs, such as silicosis, caused by inhaling mineral or
metallic dust over a long period
[Late 19th century. Formed
from pneumo- + Greek konis “dust.”][1]



pneumocystis

pneumocystis
pneu·mo·cys·tis
[nmə sístiss, nymə
sístiss] noun

pneumonia associated with
weakened immune systems: a form of
pneumonia that mainly affects people with weakened immune systems. It is caused
by the microorganism Pneumocystis carinii .[1]



pneumonectomy

pneumonectomy
pneu·mo·nec·to·my
[nmə néktəmee, nymə
néktəmee] (plural pneu·mo·nec·to·mies) or pneu·mec·to·my
[noo méktəmee] (plural pneu·mec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of a lung:
the surgical removal of a lung
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek pneumōn “lung” (see pneumonia
) +- ectomy .][1]



pneumonia

pneumonia
pneu·mo·nia
[noo mṓnee ə, nyoo
mṓnee ə] noun

inflammation
of the lung: an inflammation of one or both lungs,
usually caused by infection from a bacterium or virus or, less commonly, by a
chemical or physical irritant
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek pneumōn “lung,” alteration
(influenced by pneuma “breath”) of pleumōn .][1]



pneumonic

pneumonic
pneu·mon·ic
[noo mónnik, nyoo
mónnik] adjective

1.  of
the lungs:
relating to or affecting the lungs

2.  of
pneumonia:
relating to, involving, or affected by pneumonia
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek pneumōn “lung” (see pneumonia ).][1]



pneumonitis

pneumonitis
pneu·mo·ni·tis 
[nmə ntiss, nymə
ntiss] noun

inflammation
of the lungs: any inflammation of the air sacs in the
lungs, usually caused by a virus
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek pneumōn “lung” (see pneumonia
).][1]



pneumonoconiosis

pneumonoconiosis
pneu·mon·o·co·ni·o·sis 
[nmənə kōni ṓssiss] noun

See
pneumoconiosis
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek pneumōn “lung” + konis “dust.”][1]



pneumothorax

pneumothorax
pneu·mo·tho·rax
[nmə tháw ràks, nymə
tháw ràks] noun

presence of air in pleural
cavity: the presence of air or gas
in a pleural cavity surrounding the lungs, causing pain and difficulty in
breathing. Pneumothorax can occur spontaneously because of accidental rupture
or perforation of the pleura, and in the past it was also a deliberate medical
procedure in the treatment of tuberculosis.[1]



PNG

PNG
PNG

Abbreviation of
Papua New Guinea[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Po

Po1
Po1

Symbol for
polonium[1]



po

po
po
or p.o.

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of putout[1]



Po

Po2
Po2 [pō]

the longest river in Italy.
It rises in the Alps near Italy’s northwestern border and flows into the
Adriatic Sea. Length: 670 km/417 mi.[1]



PO

PO
PO
(plural POs) or P.O. (plural POs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Post Office

2.  PO
or P.O. or p.o. Abbreviation of postal order

3.  Abbreviation
of
purchase order

4.  Abbreviation
of
Pilot Officer

5.  Abbreviation
of
Petty Officer

[1]



p.o.

p.o.
p.o.
p.o. po

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of putout[1]



poach

poach2
poach2  [pōch]
(past poached, past participle poached, present
participle poach·ing, 3rd person present singular poach·es)
transitive verb

simmer
in liquid:
to cook something by simmering it in or over water or another liquid
[15th century. From Old
French pochier, originally “to enclose in a bag,” from poche
“bag” (see pocket ).][1]



poach

poach1
poach1  [pōch]
(past poached, past participle poached, present
participle poach·ing, 3rd person present singular poach·es)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb catch
game illegally: to catch wild animals or fish illegally
on public land or while trespassing on private land

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb encroach
on something: to encroach on other people’s rights,
territory, or sphere of operation in order to appropriate or remove somebody or
something • The
rival company’s sales force was poaching on our turf.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb RACKET GAMES play somebody else’s
shot:
to play a shot that properly should be handled by a partner in badminton,
tennis, squash, or handball

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
ground muddy: to become muddy or make ground muddy by
trampling it

5.  intransitive
verb
sink
into mud:
to sink into soft earth or mud while walking across it
[Early
17th century. From Old French pocher “to trample, trespass,” origin
uncertain: probably of Germanic origin.]
—poach·a·ble, adjective[1]



poacher

poacher1
poach·er1  [pṓchər]
(plural poach·ers) noun

illegal hunter:
somebody who hunts or fishes illegally, usually while trespassing on other
people’s property[1]



poacher

poacher2
poach·er2  [pṓchər]
(plural poach·ers) noun

pan for poaching food:
a pan for poaching eggs that has a tightly fitting lid and small metal cups[1]



POB

POB
POB

Abbreviation of
Post Office Box[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








POBox

POBox
PO
Box

Abbreviation of
post office box[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Po·ca·hon·tas 
[pòkə hóntəss] (1595?–1617?)
Powhatan
princess. According to legend she saved the life of colonist John Smith (1608).
Born
Matoaka[1]



Pocatello

Pocatello
Po·ca·tel·lo 
[pkə téllō]

city in southeastern Idaho,
east of American Falls Reservoir and southwest of Idaho Falls. Population:
51,344 (1996)[1]



pochard

pochard
po·chard
[pṓchərd] (plural po·chards) noun

diving
duck:
a heavy-bodied diving duck of coastal waters of Europe and Asia that has a
reddish head and a blue and black bill. Subfamily: Aythyini
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pock

pock
pock
[pok] noun (plural pocks)

1.  See
pockmark  noun 1

2.  small
hole:
a small indentation, pit, or hole
transitive
verb
(past pocked, past participle pocked, present
participle pock·ing, 3rd person present singular pocks)

cover with disfiguring marks:
to cover with pockmarks or disfiguring marks (often passive)
[Old English poc][1]



pocket

pocket
pock·et
[pókət] noun (plural pock·ets)

1.  small
pouch in clothes: a shaped piece of material forming part
of an item of clothing and used to hold small items, for example, inside pants
or on the outside of a shirt

2.  small
fitted pouch: a small fitted pouch, for example, a
pouch-shaped compartment on the inside of a bag • The
suitcase has several inside pockets.

3.  small
pouch:
any small pouch, bag, or purse

4.  personal
money:
somebody’s personal financial resources • a
vacation paid for out of his own pocket

5.  small
differentiated area: a small area differentiated
from neighboring areas by some feature • pockets
of wealth

6.  cavity:
any type of cavity or opening

7.  GEOLOGY ore in
a cavity:
the quantity of petroleum, natural gas, or mineral found in an underground
cavity, or the cavity that contains this substance

8.  SPORTS position
in a race:
a position in a race in which a competitor is blocked by others

9.  CUE GAMES pouch
on a playing table: any of the pouches or nets
at the corners and sides of a billiard or pool table • He
sank the red in the side pocket.

10. ZOOLOGY sac on
an animal:
any pouch-shaped sac on an animal’s body

11. FOOTBALL area
for a quarterback to throw: in football, a defended area
behind the offensive line in which a quarterback can stand to throw the ball

12. BOWLING space
separating 2 pins: in bowling, a space between
two pins, especially the head pin and one adjacent to it

13. AIR air
pocket:
an air pocket

14. center
of a baseball glove: depression in the center of
a baseball glove where the ball is caught
transitive
verb
(past pock·et·ed, past participle pock·et·ed, present
participle pock·et·ing, 3rd person present singular pock·ets)

1.  put
in a pocket: to put something into a pocket • She
pocketed the change.

2.  take
something dishonestly: to appropriate something,
often dishonestly • They buy tickets
cheaply, sell them for high prices, and pocket the difference.

3.  CUE GAMES hit
a ball into a pocket: to hit a ball into one of
the pockets on a billiard or pool table • pocket
the black

4.  put
up with something: to tolerate something
unpleasant, especially an insult, without protesting or retaliating

5.  suppress
feelings:
to hide or suppress feelings

6.  enclose
or surround: to enclose or hem in somebody or
something

7.  POLITICS retain
a piece of legislation: to retain a legislative bill
without signing it, especially as a president, in order to stop it becoming
approved by Congress
adjective

1.  small
enough to carry in the pocket: designed for carrying
in a pocket • a
pocket flashlight

2.  small:
small, especially smaller than something larger of the same type • a
pocket trumpet

3.  contained:
isolated and contained in small areas
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman pokete, literally “small bag,” from poke
“bag.”]
—pock·et·a·bil·i·ty
[pòkətə bíllətee], noun

—pock·et·a·ble
[pókətəb’l], adjective
have
deep pockets

to
have large financial resources • a
price-cutting war which will be won by whoever has the deepest pockets

in
pocket

making
a profit from something

in
somebody’s pocket

1.  fully
under somebody’s control

2.  almost
certain to be won by somebody • We
thought she had the race in her pocket.

line
your pocket(s)

to
profit at the expense of others

out
of pocket

having
lost money on something

[1]



pocketbattleship

pocketbattleship
pock·et
bat·tle·ship (plural pock·et bat·tle·ships)
noun

small battleship:
a small but powerful and heavily armed battleship, especially one built by
Germany in the 1930s to conform to limitations that were placed by treaty on
size and armament[1]



pocketbilliards

pocketbilliards
pock·et
bil·liards
noun

form of billiards:
a form of billiards played with a cue ball and 15 balls on a felt-covered table
with six pockets (used with a singular or plural verb)[1]



pocketbook

pocketbook
pock·et·book
[pókət bk] (plural pock·et·books)
noun

1.  small
case carried in the pocket: a small case or folder for
money and documents, suitable for carrying in a pocket

2.  purse:
a purse or handbag

3.  somebody’s
finances:
somebody’s financial resources

4.  small
book:
a book small enough to be carried in a pocket.
Also
called
pocket edition

[1]



pocketborough

pocketborough
pock·et
bor·ough
(plural pock·et bor·oughs) noun

POLITICS constituency
controlled by a landowner: a political constituency in
Britain before the Reform Act of 1832, whose representative in Parliament was
determined by one landowner or landowning family
[Pocket from the idea that
the landowner had the borough “in his pocket”][1]



pocketcalculator

pocketcalculator
pock·et
cal·cu·la·tor (plural pock·et cal·cu·la·tors)
noun

small calculator:
a calculator small enough to be carried in a pocket[1]



pocketedition

pocketedition
pock·et
e·di·tion
(plural pock·et e·di·tions) noun

See
pocketbook  noun 4[1]



pocketful

pocketful
pock·et·ful
[pókət fl] (plural pock·et·fuls)
noun

1.  amount
in a pocket: the amount of something that would fit
in a pocket

2.  a
large amount: a large amount of something, especially
money (informal)

[1]



pocketgopher

pocketgopher
pock·et
go·pher
(plural pock·et go·phers) noun

See
gopher[1]



pocketknife

pocketknife
pock·et·knife
[pókət nf] (plural pock·et·knives
[pókət nvz]) noun

small knife with blades in
the handle: a small knife with one or
more blades that fold away into the handle.
Also called
penknife
U.K. term
penknife[1]



pocketmoney

pocketmoney
pock·et
mon·ey
noun

small amount of money:
a small amount of money that somebody carries for making minor purchases or to
cover incidental expenses[1]



pocketmouse

pocketmouse
pock·et
mouse
noun

small rodent with cheek
pouches: a small nocturnal rodent of
the deserts of the western United States and Mexico, with long hind legs, a
long tail, and fur-lined cheek pouches for carrying food. Genus: Perognathus[1]



pocketpark

pocketpark
pock·et
park
(plural pock·et parks) noun

miniature park:
a small park, usually located in an urban area[1]



pocket-sized

pocket-sized
pock·et-sized
or pock·et-size adjective

1.  small
enough for the pocket: small enough or almost small
enough to be carried in a pocket

2.  small:
very small compared to things of the same type

[1]



pocketveto

pocketveto
pock·et
ve·to
noun

1.  indirect
presidential veto: a U.S. presidential failure
to return a bill passed by Congress during its last days in session, to prevent
its being enacted

2.  indirect
veto by a state governor: the holding of a bill by a
state governor or other executive toward the end of a legislative session to
prevent its enactment
[From the notion of the
executive’s holding the bill in a coat pocket][1]



pockmark

pockmark
pock·mark
[pók mrk] noun (plural pock·marks)
(often used in the plural)

1.  MEDICINE scar
on the skin: a scar on the skin, especially one left
by smallpox, chickenpox, or acne.
Also
called
pock

2.  small
hollow mark: a small hollow mark disfiguring a
surface
transitive
verb
(past pock·marked, past participle pock·marked, present
participle pock·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular pock·marks)

1.  MEDICINE cover
the skin with pockmarks: to disfigure the skin with
pockmarks

2.  make
pockmarks in something: to make many small
indentations or marks in the surface of something

[1]



poco

poco
po·co
[pṓkō] adverb

slightly:
a little or slightly (used in musical directions)
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, “little.”][1]



pocoa poco

pocoa poco
po·co
a po·co
adverb

little
by little:
little by little (used in musical directions)
[From Italian, “little by
little”][1]



pococurante

pococurante
po·co·cu·ran·te
[pkō k rántee, pkō
k rntee] adjective

apathetic:
uninterested, indifferent, or nonchalantly detached (literary)
noun
(plural po·co·cu·ran·tes)

apathetic
person:
somebody who does not care about something or remains unworried and indifferent
(literary)
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, from poco “little” + curare “to care.”]
—po·co·cu·ran·te·ism,
noun

—po·co·cu·ran·tism, noun[1]



PoconoMountains

PoconoMountains
Po·co·no
Moun·tains 
[pkə nōmównt’nz]

range of forested mountains
in northeastern Pennsylvania, reaching about 640 m/2,100 ft[1]



pocosin

pocosin
po·co·sin
[pə kṓssin] (plural po·co·sins)
noun

South
Atlantic U.S. coastal
upland swamp: a swamp in upland coastal regions of the
southeastern United States, characterized by waterlogged soil and dense
evergreen vegetation
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Virginia Algonquian poquosin .][1]



pod

pod3
pod3  [pod]
(plural pods) noun

1.  socket
for a boring-tool bit: a socket holding the bit in
a boring tool

2.  channel
in the barrel of a boring tool: a lengthwise channel
in the barrel of a boring tool
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pod

pod2
pod2  [pod]
(plural pods) noun

ZOOLOGY small
group of animals: a small group of marine animals,
especially seals, whales, or dolphins
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



POD

POD
POD

Abbreviation of
Post Office Department[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pod

pod1
pod1  [pod]
noun (plural pods)

1.  BOTANY seed
case:
the long narrow outer case holding the seeds of a plant such as the pea, bean,
or vanilla.
Also
called
seedpod

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY detachable
compartment of a spacecraft: a specialized detachable
compartment on a spacecraft, usually for carrying personnel or instruments

3.  AEROSPACE NAVY streamlined
housing for equipment: a streamlined housing
attached to the wing or fuselage of an aircraft, or to the hull of a submarine,
to carry fuel, an engine, weaponry, or other equipment

4.  ZOOLOGY protective
egg case:
a protective case surrounding the eggs of some fishes and insects, for example,
the grasshopper
verb
(past pod·ded, past participle pod·ded, present
participle pod·ding, 3rd person present singular pods)

1.  transitive
verb
shell
peas:
to strip peas out of their pod so that they can be eaten or cooked

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
pods:
to produce fruit in the form of pods

3.  intransitive
verb
swell
like a pod:
to swell out, as a pod does
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



-pod

-pod
-pod
suffix

foot,
part like a foot • stomatopod
[From
Greek -pod, the stem of pous . Ultimately from the Indo-European
word for “foot,” which is also the ancestor of English foot, podium,
and pedestrian .]
—-podous, suffix[1]



podagra

podagra
po·dag·ra
[pə dággrə] noun

gout
in the big toe: gout in the foot or the big toe
[13th
century. Via Latin from Greek, literally “foot-trap,” from pod- (the
stem of pous “foot”) + agra “trap.”]
—po·dag·ral,
adjective

—po·dag·ric,
adjective

—po·dag·rous, adjective[1]



Podborski,Steve

Podborski,Steve
Pod·bor·ski
[pod báwrskee], Steve (1957– )

Canadian skier. He won seven
World Cup events in downhill skiing between 1979 and 1982.[1]



-pode

-pode
-pode
suffix

See
-pod[1]



podesta

podesta
po·des·ta
[pō déstə, pdə
st] (plural po·des·tas) noun

HISTORY former
Italian magistrate: formerly, a chief magistrate
or governor of an Italian town, especially during the Middle Ages and
Renaissance
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian from Latin potestas “power,” from potis “powerful.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English potent and despot
.][1]



Podgorica

Podgorica
Pod·gor·ica
[pòdgo rtsə]

capital city of Montenegro,
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, situated about 19 km/12 mi north of Lake
Shkoder. Population: 118,059 (1991)[1]



podia

podia
po·di·a

Plural of
podium[1]



podiatry

podiatry
po·di·a·try
[pə d ətree] noun

treatment
for feet:
the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment and care of the feet.
Also
called
chiropody
U.K.
term
chiropody
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek pod-, the stem of pous “foot” + -iatry .]
—po·di·at·ric
[pdee áttrik], adjective

—po·di·a·trist [pə dətrist], noun[1]



podium

podium
po·di·um
[pṓdee əm] (plural po·di·ums or
po·di·a [pṓdee ə]) noun

1.  small
raised platform: a small raised platform that the
conductor of an orchestra, a lecturer, or somebody giving a speech can stand on

2.  sloping
desk on a stand: a sloping board on a stand for a speaker
to rest his or her notes on.
Also
called
lectern
U.K.
term
lectern

3.  ARCHITECTURE foundation
wall:
a low wall forming a foundation or base, for example, for a colonnade

4.  ARCHITECTURE wall
around an amphitheater’s arena: a low wall encircling
the arena of an ancient amphitheater
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from Greek podion, literally “small foot,” from pous “foot.”][1]



-podium

-podium
-podium
suffix

foot,
part like a foot • pseudopodium
[Via modern Latin from Greek podion
(see podium )][1]



podophyllin

podophyllin
pod·o·phyl·lin
[pòddə fíllin] or pod·o·phyl·lin
res·in [pòddə fíllin] noun

resin
from May apple roots: a greenish or brownish
bitter resin obtained from the root of the May apple, used medicinally to
remove warts
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Podophyllum, genus name of the May apple, from the
Greek stem pod- “foot” + phullon “leaf,” so called because of the
shape of its leaves.][1]



podsol

podsol
pod·sol
noun

See
podzol[1]



podsolization

podsolization
pod·sol·i·za·tion 
noun

See
podzolization[1]



Podunk

Podunk
Po·dunk
[pṓ dùngk] (plural Po·dunks) noun

unimportant
place:
a small, remote, and unimportant place (informal) • She
came from some Podunk town in the Midwest.
[Mid-19th century. From a New
England place name, originally the name of an Algonquian people that lived near
the Podunk River.][1]



podzol

podzol
pod·zol
[pód zàwl] (plural pod·zols) or
pod·sol [pód sàwl] (plural pod·sols)
noun

infertile
soil:
a basically infertile type of soil that forms in cool moist climates, usually
under coniferous or mixed forests. The topsoil consists of leached clay under a
layer of organic material.
[Early
20th century. From Russian, from pod- “under” + zol “ash.”]
—pod·zol·ic [pod zóllik], adjective[1]



podzolization

podzolization
pod·zol·i·za·tion 
[pòd zolli záysh’n] or pod·sol·i·za·tion
[pòd solli záysh’n] noun

process
of becoming a podzol: the process whereby minerals
are leached from the upper into the lower layers of a soil, leaving the topsoil
acidic and infertile and forming a podzol
—pod·zol·ize [pódzə lz], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



POE

POE
POE
or P.O.E.

Abbreviation of
port of entry[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Poe,Edgar Allan

Poe,Edgar Allan

Poe
[pō], Edgar Allan (1809–1849)
U.S. writer and critic. His poems and
short stories, including The Pit and the Pendulum ( 1842 ), deal with
the mysterious and the macabre.[1]



poem

poem
po·em
[pṓ əm] (plural po·ems) noun

1.  POETRY piece
written in verse: a complete and self-contained piece of
writing in verse that is set out in lines of a particular length and uses
rhythm, imagery, and often rhyme to achieve its effect

2.  writing
with poetic effect: a piece of writing that is
not in verse but that has the imaginative, rhythmic, or metaphorical qualities
and the intensity usually associated with a poem

3.  beautiful
or delightful thing: something particularly
lovely, beautiful, or delightful
[15th century. Via French poème
from, ultimately, Greek poiēma, literally “making,” from poiein
“to make.”][1]



poesy

poesy
po·e·sy
[pṓ əzee, pṓ əssee]
noun

1.  poetry:
poetry or poetic compositions in general, or a particular piece of poetry (archaic
or literary)

2.  writing
of poetry:
the art or skill of writing poetry (archaic)
[14th century. Via French poésie,
from, ultimately, Greek poiēsis, literally “making” (see -poiesis ).][1]



poet

poet
po·et
[pṓ ət] (plural po·ets) noun

1.  POETRY somebody
who writes poems: somebody who writes poems, especially a
regular and recognized writer of poems

2.  somebody
imaginative or creative: somebody who is very
imaginative and creative or who possesses great skill and artistry and is able
to produce beautiful things
[13th century. Via French poète
and Latin poeta from Greek poiētēs “maker, author,” from poiein
“to make.”][1]



poet.

poet.
poet.

1.  Abbreviation
of
poetic

2.  Abbreviation
of
poetical

3.  Abbreviation
of
poetry

[1]



poetaster

poetaster
po·et·as·ter
[pṓ ə tàstər] (plural po·et·as·ters)
noun

bad
poet:
somebody who writes bad poetry
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin poeta (see poet
).][1]



poetic

poetic
po·et·ic
[pō éttik] or po·et·i·cal [pō éttik’l] adjective

1.  POETRY relating
to poetry:
relating to, typical of, or in the form of poetry

2.  resembling
poetry:
having qualities usually associated with poetry, especially in being gracefully
expressive, romantically beautiful, or elevated and uplifting

3.  sensitive
or insightful: characteristic of a poet, especially in
possessing unusual sensitivity or insight or in being able to express things in
a beautiful or romantic way
—po·et·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



poetical

poetical
po·et·i·cal
[pō éttik’l] adjective

1.  See
poetic

2.  excessively
poetic:
inappropriately, exaggeratedly, or sentimentally poetic
—po·et·i·cal·i·ty
[pō ètti kállətee], noun

—po·et·i·cal·ness
[pō éttik’lnəss], noun

—po·et·i·cal·ly [pō éttikəlee], adverb[1]



poeticize

poeticize
po·et·i·cize
[pō étti sz] (past po·et·i·cized,
past participle po·et·i·cized, present participle po·et·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular po·et·i·ciz·es) or po·et·ize
[pṓ ə tz] (past po·et·ized, past
participle po·et·ized, present participle po·et·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular po·et·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

write in poetic style:
to express or describe something in a poetic style or in poetry[1]



poeticjustice

poeticjustice
po·et·ic
jus·tice
noun

just retribution:
a situation in which somebody meets a fate that seems a fitting punishment or,
less often, a fitting reward for their past actions[1]



poeticlicense

poeticlicense
po·et·ic
li·cense
noun

freedom to disobey writing
conventions: liberties with the
normal rules of fact, style, or grammar taken by a writer or speaker in order
to achieve a particular effect[1]



poetics

poetics
po·et·ics
[pō éttiks] noun

1.  basic
principles of poetry: the literary or
philosophical study of the basic principles, forms, and techniques of poetry or
of imaginative writing in general (takes a singular verb)

2.  treatise
on poetry:
a treatise on the nature or principles of poetry

3.  way
of composing a poem: the art or technique of
writing poetry (takes a plural verb)

[1]



poetize

poetize
po·et·ize
intransitive and transitive verb

See
poeticize[1]



poetlaureate

poetlaureate
po·et
lau·re·ate
(plural po·ets lau·re·ate or po·et lau·re·ates) noun

1.  British
court poet:
a poet who is appointed a member of the royal household for life by a British
monarch and, especially formerly, is expected to write poems celebrating great
national or royal events

2.  poetry
consultant to the Library of Congress: a
poet appointed as a consultant to the Library of Congress in the United States
for one year. The poet is required to give a poetry reading during the year.

3.  eminent
poet:
any poet who is particularly honored for his or her work, or who is considered
to be the most eminent poet in a particular country, state, or group

[1]



poetry

poetry
po·et·ry
[pṓ ətree] noun

1.  LITERATURE literature
in verse:
literary work written in verse, in particular verse writing of high quality,
great beauty, emotional sincerity or intensity, or profound insight

2.  LITERATURE poems
collectively: all the poems written by a particular
poet, in a particular language or form, or on a particular subject • a
collection of love poetry

3.  LITERATURE writing
of poems:
the art or skill of writing poems

4.  LITERATURE prose
like poetry: writing in prose that has a poetic
quality

5.  beauty
or grace:
something that resembles poetry in its beauty, rhythmic grace, or imaginative,
elevated, or decorative style

6.  poetic
quality:
a poetic or particularly beautiful or graceful quality in something
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin poeta (see poet
).][1]



pogey

pogey
po·gey
[pṓgee] or po·gy [pṓgee] noun

Canada
benefits
for the unemployed: in Canada, unemployment pay
or other welfare benefits provided by the government for the unemployed (slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pogonophoran

pogonophoran
po·go·noph·o·ran 
[pgə nóffərən] (plural po·go·noph·o·rans)
noun

wormlike
marine animal: a marine animal found in deep water that
resembles a worm. It has tentacles around the head area, lacks a digestive
tract, and lives in vertical chitinous tubes. Phylum: Pogonophora
[Late
20th century. Formed from modern Latin Pogonophora, phylum name, from
Greek pōgōn “beard” + -phoros “-bearing.”]
—po·go·noph·o·ran, adjective[1]



pogostick

pogostick
po·go
stick 
[pṓgō stìk] (plural po·go sticks)
noun

pole
for hopping around: a strong metal pole with a
spring at the bottom and two footrests to stand on, used to jump up and down or
hop along on for play or exercise
[Early 20th century. Formerly
a trademark; of unknown origin.][1]



pogrom

pogrom
po·grom
[pə gróm, pṓgrəm]
(plural po·groms) noun

organized
killing of a minority: a planned campaign of
persecution or extermination sanctioned by a government and directed against an
ethnic group, especially against the Jewish people in tsarist Russia
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, “devastation,” formed from gromit “to wreak havoc,” from grom
“thunder.”][1]



pogy

pogy
po·gy
[pṓgee] noun

1.  (plural
po·gies or po·gy) ZOOLOGY
See menhaden

2.  Canada
(slang) See pogey
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Algonquian pauhaugen .][1]



poi

poi
poi
[poy] (plural pois) noun

Hawaiian
dish from taro root: a dish made from the root of
the taro, cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented. It is eaten as a staple in
Hawaii and other Pacific islands.
[Early 19th century. From
Hawaiian .][1]



-poiesis

-poiesis
-poiesis
suffix

creation,
formation, production • erythropoiesis
[From Greek poiēsis,
which was formed from poiein “to make” (source also of English poem and onomatopoeia
)][1]



poignant

poignant
poign·ant
[póynyənt] adjective

1.  causing
sadness or pity: causing a sharp sense of sadness, pity,
or regret

2.  sharply
perceptive:
particularly penetrating and effective or relevant (literary)

3.  sharply
painful:
causing acute physical pain (literary)

4.  strong
smelling or tasting: having an often pleasurably
strong sharp smell or taste (archaic)
[14th
century. From French, the present participle of poindre “to prick,” from
Latin pungere “to prick, sting.”]
—poign·ance,
noun

—poign·ant·ly, adverb[1]



poikilocyte

poikilocyte
poi·kil·o·cyte
[poy kíllə st] (plural poi·kil·o·cytes)
noun

abnormally
shaped blood cell: an abnormally shaped red
blood cell
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek poikilos “spotted, irregular” + -cyte
.][1]



poikilotherm

poikilotherm
poi·kil·o·therm
[poy kíllə thùrm] (plural poi·kil·o·therms)
noun

organism with variable body
temperature: an organism such as a
reptile, amphibian, insect, or fish that has a body temperature that varies
according to the temperature of the local atmosphere.
See also
ectotherm[1]



poikilothermic

poikilothermic
poi·ki·lo·ther·mic 
[pòykilō thúrmik] or poi·ki·lo·ther·mal
[pòykilō thúrm’l] or poi·ki·lo·ther·mous
[pòykilō thúrməss] adjective

having
a variable body temperature: having a body temperature
that varies according to the temperature of the local atmosphere. Reptiles,
amphibians, insects, and fish are all poikilothermic.
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek poikilos “spotted, varied” + -thermic .]
—poi·ki·lo·ther·mism
[pòykilō thúr mìzzəm], noun

—poi·ki·lo·therm·y [pòykilō thúrmee], noun[1]



poilu

poilu
poi·lu
[pwaa l] (plural poi·lus) noun

French
infantryman in World War I: a soldier in the French
infantry, especially during World War I
[Early 20th century. Via
French, literally “hairy,” from, ultimately, Latin pilus “hair” (see pile 3 ).][1]



poinciana

poinciana
poin·ci·an·a
[pòynsee ánnə, pòynsee
nə] (plural poin·ci·an·as or poin·ci·an·a) noun

tree
with reddish-orange flowers: a tropical tree grown for
its large reddish-orange flowers. Genera: Caesalpinia Delonix
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, former genus name, named in honor of M. de Poinci, a 17th
century governor of the Antilles.][1]



poinsettia

poinsettia

poin·set·ti·a
[poyn séttee ə, poyn
séttə] (plural poin·set·ti·as or poin·set·ti·a)
noun
shrub
with red leaves like petals: a Central American shrub of
the spurge family that has distinctive bright red bracts resembling petals
surrounding a cluster of tiny yellow flowers. It is popular as a houseplant at
Christmas. Latin name: Euphorbia pulcherrima
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Joel R. Poinsett ( 1775–1851 ), U.S. botanist and ambassador to Mexico,
who introduced the plant to the United States.][1]



point

point
point
[poynt] noun (plural points)

1.  opinion,
idea, or fact: a particular opinion, idea, or fact put
forward in the course of, or forming one of the main elements of, a discussion
or argument • She
made several valid points in her report.

2.  underlying
essential idea: the essential idea conveyed or intended
in something that is said or written • He
seems to have missed the point entirely.

3.  purpose:
the purpose or usefulness of something • Is
there really any point in continuing?

4.  item
in a list or plan: one of several individual
items or details in something such as a plan, a contract, or a list • a
four-point plan to revive the coal industry • a
point-by-point examination of the contract

5.  convincing
argument or viewpoint: a cogent or persuasive
argument or observation • You
have to admit that she has a point there.

6.  quality
or feature:
a distinguishing quality, feature, or item in the makeup of somebody or
something • Generosity
is one of his strong points.

7.  ZOOLOGY physical
feature of a livestock animal: an external feature
such as the face or fetlock that is assessed when judging the overall shape of
a livestock animal

8.  location:
a particular place or position • a
point six miles east of here

9.  moment:
a particular moment in time • At
that point, the door opened and the teacher walked in.

10. particular
stage in a process: a particular moment or stage
in a process, especially one at which a significant change or development
occurs or a particular condition is reached • We
have reached the point at which a decision will have to be made.

11. level
or degree:
a particular level or degree of a quality • He
was confident to the point of almost being arrogant

12. time
just before something happens: the moment or period
of time just before something happens • at
the point of death

13. sharp
end of something: the sharp narrowed end of something such
as a needle, pencil, or weapon

14. end
or tip:
the end or tip of something such as a finger or the projecting angle of
something such as the elbow or chin

15. small
projection:
a small sharp or perceptible projection such as that in a piece of writing in
Braille

16. object
with a sharp end: an object that has a sharp narrowed end
or tip, for example, a needle, pin, or sword (archaic)

17. MUSIC tip of
a bow:
the tip of the bow of a stringed instrument.
See
also
heel

18. ZOOLOGY antler
prong:
one of the prongs on a deer’s antlers

19. GEOGRAPHY headland:
a prominent headland on the coast that juts out into the sea, often the
projecting tip of a peninsula (often used in placenames)

20. act
of pointing: the act of pointing, for example, with a
finger

21. dot:
a small dot or source of something such as color or light

22. MATHEMATICS decimal
point:
the dot separating the whole number and fraction in a decimal number. The term
“point” is used particularly when such numbers are spoken aloud. • five
point nine

23. GEOMETRY dimensionless
geometric element: a dimensionless geometric
element whose location in space is defined solely by its coordinates. Geometric
figures such as circles, planes, or spheres can be treated as if they are sets
of points.

24. GRAMMAR PRINTING punctuation mark:
in printing or writing, a punctuation mark, especially a period

25. PHONETICS See vowel point

26. SPORTS LEISURE unit used in scoring:
a unit used in scoring a sport, game, or competition, or as a means of making a
quantitative evaluation of something • Using
a points system, each employee was rated on a scale from one to five.

27. unit
on a scale:
a single unit on a scale of measurement • The
earthquake measured 6 points on the Richter scale. • opened
up a 10-point lead over her rivals in the polls

28. STOCK EXCHANGE investment
price unit:
a unit used to measure change in the value of an investment, for example, on
the Stock Exchange • The market is up 5
points.

29. FINANCE percentage
of a loan:
an amount equivalent to one per cent of the value of a loan, used to calculate
the sum the borrower pays up front to the lender as a service charge

30. LAW motorists’
penalty unit: a penalty unit given for a driving
offense recorded on a somebody’s driving record. Receiving a certain number of
points leads automatically to a penalty.

31. EDUCATION student’s
unit of credit: a unit of academic credit for a student
that is equivalent to one hour of class work per week over a period of one
semester

32. EDUCATION grading
unit:
a unit, equivalent to a letter grade, that is used to assess a student’s
academic performance, with 4 being the highest grade

33. BRIDGE unit
of winning potential: a unit used in assessing the
strength of a hand in bridge

34. PRINTING MEASUREMENTS printing unit of
measurement: a unit of measurement in printing equal
to one twelfth of a pica, or approximately 0.03515 cm0.01384 in

35. MEASUREMENTS diamond
weight unit: a unit of weight for a diamond
equivalent to one hundredth of a metric carat

36. COMPASS mark
on a compass: any of the 32 individual bearings or
directions marked on a compass, for example, west, west by north,
west-northwest, or northwest

37. COMPASS angle
between adjacent bearings: the angle between any two
adjacent bearings marked on a compass, measuring 11° 15′

38. MILITARY unit
ahead of a formation: an individual or unit that
moves ahead of a larger formation, acting as a scout and advance guard

39. MILITARY advance
military position: the position ahead of a
larger formation taken by an individual or unit acting as point

40. BASKETBALL offensive
basketball position: in basketball, the position
in front court taken by the guard who directs the offensive

41. HERALDRY division
of a heraldic shield: any of the positions on or
divisions of a heraldic shield in which a charge can be placed
plural
noun
points

1.  AUTOMOTIVE electrical
contacts in a distributor: the two electrical contacts
that act as circuit breakers in the distributor of an internal-combustion
engine as current is passed in turn to the cylinders

2.  ZOOLOGY extremities
of a domestic animal: the ears, feet, and tail of
a domestic animal
verb
(past point·ed, past participle point·ed, present
participle point·ing, 3rd person present singular points)

1.  intransitive
verb
indicate
with an extended finger: to extend the finger or a
long and thin object in the direction of something in order to draw attention
to it • I
pointed at one of the shrubs and asked its cost.

2.  transitive
verb
aim
at something: to hold an object so that its end is
aimed at somebody or something • pointed
the hose toward the flowers

3.  intransitive
verb
be
turned in a particular direction: to be turned toward or
aimed in a particular direction • The
arrow on the signpost was pointing to the right.

4.  transitive
verb
direct
somebody toward: to indicate the direction in which
somebody should go • If you can just point
me in the right direction I should be able to find it.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING aim a mouse or joystick:
to move a mouse, joystick, or other device so that the cursor on a computer
screen is positioned over or touching something • Point
at the icon, then double click on it.

6.  intransitive
verb
suggest
something is the case: to be strong evidence of
something or lead the mind to believe or conclude something • It
all points to one conclusion.

7.  intransitive
verb
call
attention to something: to call attention to a
particular fact or situation as being important

8.  transitive
verb
give
force to a remark: to give additional force,
emphasis, or incisiveness to something said or written

9.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION repair
with mortar: to repair or finish a wall, chimney, or
other structural component by putting mortar or cement between the bricks or
stones

10. transitive
verb
sharpen
something:
to sharpen something so that it has a point at the end

11. transitive
verb
stretch
the foot downward: to stretch out the foot or
toes so that leg and foot make one comparatively straight line, especially in
ballet

12. intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING sail close to the wind:
to sail a boat close to the wind

13. intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING point the muzzle at game:
to stand still with muzzle and tail outstretched indicating the whereabouts of
game (refers to a hunting dog)

14. transitive
verb
MUSIC mark a
psalm for chanting: to mark a psalm to indicate
how it is to be chanted

15. transitive
verb
PHONETICS add
marks over letters: to place diacritics or vowel
points over the relevant letters in a text

16. transitive
verb
GRAMMAR punctuate:
to put punctuation marks into a text

17. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE come
to a head:
to reach the stage of spontaneous rupture or surgical opening, allowing pus to
drain (refers to boils and abscesses)
[13th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin punctum “prick-mark, dot,
particle” (source of English punctual
and punctuation ), from the past
participle of Latin pungere “to prick, pierce” (see pungent ).]
a
sore point

a
cause of annoyance

be
on the point of doing something

to
be just about to do something • I was
just on the point of leaving.

beside
the point

irrelevant
or unimportant

in
point of fact

See fact

make
a point of doing something

to
be careful to do something and, often, to be seen by others to do it

stretch
a point

1.  to
allow something as an exception to the rule

2.  to
exaggerate

stretch
the point

to
exaggerate

to
the point

relevant
or worth paying attention to

up
to a point

or to
a pointto a certain extent, but not completely

[1]



point-and-shoot

point-and-shoot
point-and-shoot
adjective

totally automatic:
used to describe cameras that require no adjustment by the user before taking a
photograph because the focus and exposure are adjusted automatically or are
fixed[1]



point-blank

point-blank
point-blank
adverb

1.  ARMS at
close range: at or from very close range

2.  outright:
directly or bluntly and without further explanation • told
them point-blank what I thought of them
adjective

1.  ARMS fired
at close range: fired straight and from so close to the
target • point-blank
shot

2.  ARMS close
to the target: very close to the target when shooting • at
point-blank range

3.  outright:
direct and blunt • a point-blank refusal
[Origin uncertain: possibly
from French point (de tir) “firing point” + blanc “target”][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pointdefect

pointdefect
point
de·fect
(plural point de·fects) noun

crystalline imperfection:
an imperfection in the lattice structure of a crystal[1]



pointe

pointe
pointe
[pwaaNt] (plural pointes) noun

tip-of-toe
ballet position: the ends of the toes, a position on
which a ballerina wearing special shoes raises herself up for certain moves and
positions while performing
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “point.”][1]



pointed

pointed
point·ed
[póyntəd] adjective

1.  ending
in a point:
ending in a point or sharp angle

2.  made
with emphasis: made with emphasis and carrying an
unmistakable message, often a criticism

3.  conspicuous:
made studiedly obvious or noticeable
—point·ed·ly,
adverb

—point·ed·ness, noun[1]



pointedarch

pointedarch
point·ed
arch
(plural point·ed arches) noun

ARCHITECTURE
See lancet arch[1]



pointedly

pointedly
point·ed·ly
[póyntədlee] adverb

with deliberate emphasis:
in a deliberate or emphatic way and with no attempt at tact or subtlety • They
pointedly ignored me.[1]



Pointe-Noire

Pointe-Noire
Pointe-Noire
[pwaant nwr]

city in the Republic of
Congo, and the country’s main port. Population: 576,206 (1992)[1]



pointer

pointer
point·er
[póyntər] noun (plural point·ers)

1.  cane
used for pointing: a stick or cane used,
especially by a teacher or lecturer, to point something out, for example on a
chart or large map

2.  indicator
on a measuring device: a needle that moves round on
a measuring instrument to point to part of a dial

3.  helpful
advice or information: a piece of advice or
information given to help somebody achieve something or do something the right
way • My
coach gave me a few pointers on how to hold the racket.

4.  sign
indicating a situation: a sign of what is happening
or what might happen in the future

5.  HUNTING hunting
dog that indicates the position of game: a
hunting dog, usually with a shorthaired white coat with colored patches, belonging
to a breed trained to indicate the whereabouts of shot game by standing still
with the muzzle and tail outstretched

6.  COMPUTING arrow
on a computer screen: an arrow or other symbol on
a computer screen that shows the current position of the mouse or other
pointing device. The symbol may change shape depending on the task being
performed.

7.  COMPUTING computer
memory address: an address, stored as data in a computer’s
memory, that is the location at which the desired data is stored
plural
noun
point·ers Point·ers

ASTRONOMY guide
stars in the Big Dipper constellation: the
two bright stars in the Big Dipper constellation forming the side of the
quadrilateral farthest from the handle, and used as a guide to find the Polaris

[1]



pointguard

pointguard
point
guard
noun

basketball player directing
the offense: in basketball, the
guard who is mainly responsible for directing a team’s offensive play[1]



pointillism

pointillism

poin·til·lism
[pwntee ìzzəm, póynt’l
ìzzəm] noun

1.  PAINTING style
of 19C painting: a late 19th-century style of painting in
which a picture is constructed from dots of pure color that blend, at a
distance, into recognizable shapes and various color tones. Pointillism
developed out of impressionism and its best-known exponent is the French
painter Georges Seurat.
Also
called
divisionism

2.  MUSIC musical
composition technique: a technique of musical
composition using sparse isolated notes in widely varying registers rather than
traditional closely connected melodies
[Early
20th century. From French pointillisme, via pointiller “to mark
with dots” from, ultimately, Latin punctum “dot.”]
—poin·til·list,
noun, adjective

—poin·til·lis·tic [pwntee ístik, pòynt’l
ístik], adjective[1]



pointingdevice

pointingdevice
point·ing
de·vice
noun

computer input device:
an input device such as a mouse, trackball, or joystick used to manipulate a
cursor or pointer on a computer display[1]



pointlace

pointlace
point
lace
noun

needlepoint
lace:
lace made with a needle instead of bobbins
[From point in the sense “to prick, stitch”][1]



pointless

pointless
point·less
[póyntləss] adjective

1.  without
purpose or benefit: having no purpose, use, or
sense, or any positive or beneficial effect • It’s
pointless even attempting to make sense of it.

2.  SPORTS scoreless:
in sports, having or scoring no points
—point·less·ly,
adverb

—point·less·ness, noun[1]



pointman

pointman
point
man
noun

1.  MILITARY lead
soldier in a military formation: the lead soldier in a
military formation or patrol

2.  somebody
in the forefront: somebody who is in the forefront of an
activity or endeavor and playing a crucial and possibly hazardous role in it

[1]



pointmutation

pointmutation
point
mu·ta·tion
(plural point mu·ta·tions) noun

genetic mutation:
a mutation that involves a change in a single base or base pair of the
nucleotides in a gene, occurring as a result of addition, deletion, or
substitution[1]



pointof accumulation

pointof accumulation
point
of ac·cu·mu·la·tion (plural points of
ac·cu·mu·la·tion) noun

MATHEMATICS
See limit point[1]



pointof departure

pointof departure
point
of de·par·ture (plural points of de·par·ture)
noun

beginning:
a starting point[1]



pointof honor

pointof honor
point
of hon·or
(plural points of hon·or) noun

something done because of
honor: something that a sense of
honor, self-respect, or pride obliges somebody to do[1]



pointof no return

pointof no return
point
of no re·turn noun

1.  critical
stage in a process: the time or stage in a
process beyond which it becomes impossible to stop or discontinue it

2.  AIR point
on a journey: the point in an aircraft’s flight after
which there will be insufficient fuel left to enable it to return to its
starting point

[1]



pointof order

pointof order
point
of or·der
(plural points of or·der) noun

question about procedure:
a question raised by one of the participants in a formal debate or meeting that
relates to the rules of procedure governing it, in particular as to whether
those rules are being breached[1]



pointof presence

pointof presence
point
of pres·ence (plural points of pres·ence)
noun

1.  COMPUTING Full form of POP

2.  place
to connect to network: a location where a user can
connect to a network, for example, a place where subscribers can dial in to an
Internet service provider

[1]



pointof reference

pointof reference
point
of ref·er·ence (plural points of ref·er·ence)
noun

something to refer to:
something to which somebody can refer in order to check direction or progress,
as a guide to action or conduct, or as an aid to understanding or communication[1]



point-of-sale

point-of-sale
point-of-sale
adjective

relating
to the place of sale: located, used, or occurring
at the place where a product is sold
—point of sale, noun[1]



pointof view

pointof view
point
of view
(plural points of view) noun

1.  perspective
somebody brings: somebody’s particular way of thinking
about or approaching a subject, as shaped by his or her own character,
experience, mindset, and history

2.  opinion:
somebody’s personal opinion on a subject

3.  particular
aspect on a subject: any of the various aspects
from which a subject may be considered or judged

4.  LITERATURE angle
of the narrator: the perspective on events of the
narrator or a particular character in a story

5.  position
of an observer: the position or angle from which
somebody observes an event or a scene

[1]



point-of-viewshot

point-of-viewshot
point-of-view
shot
(plural point-of-view shots) noun

shot taken from a character’s
perspective: a movie or television
shot that shows an event or scene as a particular character sees it[1]



pointout

pointout
point
out
transitive verb

1.  show
somebody something: to point at or otherwise
indicate something so that somebody will look at it • Our
guide pointed out the most interesting architectural features of the building.

2.  tell
somebody something: to tell somebody about or
draw somebody’s attention to something • She
did point out some of the difficulties we might expect to face.

[1]



pointsource

pointsource
point
source
noun

PHYSICS
ENVIRONMENT concentrated
source of something: a source of
something such as radiant energy or pollution that is or appears to be very
small[1]



point-to-point

point-to-point
point-to-point
noun (plural point-to-points)

cross-country
steeplechase: a type of horse race in which horses
regularly used in hunting are raced over a marked cross-country course that
includes various jumps and obstacles
adjective

from
place to place: from one particular place to another
—point-to-point·er,
noun

—point-to-point·ing, noun[1]



Point-to-PointProtocol

Point-to-PointProtocol
Point-to-Point
Pro·to·col
noun

protocol for Internet access:
a protocol for dial-up access to the Internet using a modem[1]



pointup

pointup
point
up
transitive verb

emphasize something:
to emphasize something or an aspect of something[1]



pointwoman

pointwoman
point
wom·an
noun

woman in the forefront:
a woman who is in the forefront of any activity or endeavor, playing a crucial
and possibly hazardous role in it[1]



pointy

pointy
point·y
[póyntee] (comparative point·i·er,
superlative point·i·est) adjective

with pointed end:
ending in a point[1]



pointy-headed

pointy-headed
point·y-head·ed
adjective

intellectual but impractical:
intelligent or intellectual in an arrogant or impractical way (slang)[1]



poise

poise1
poise1  [poyz]
noun

1.  composure:
calm self-assured dignity, especially in dealing with social situations

2.  controlled
grace in movement: a graceful controlled way of
standing, moving, or performing an action

3.  equilibrium:
a stable state of balance

4.  suspended
state:
a state of hovering or being in suspension (literary)
verb
(past poised, past participle poised, present
participle pois·ing, 3rd person present singular pois·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb balance
or suspend:
to be balanced or suspended, or to place or hold something in balance or
suspension

2.  transitive
verb
weigh:
to weigh things, especially by holding them in the hands, or to weigh something
up, especially alternatives (archaic)
[14th century. The noun is
via Old French pois “weight, balance”; the verb via peser “to
weigh,” both ultimately from Latin pensare (see pensive
).][1]



poise

poise2
poise2  [poyz]
(plural pois·es) noun

unit
of viscosity: the centimeter-gram-second unit of
viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of Poiseuille, named for the French physiologist J. L. M. Poiseuille
( 1799–1868 ).][1]



poised

poised
poised
[poyzd] adjective

1.  ready
to act:
fully prepared or in position and about to do something • We
are now poised to take over the company.

2.  ready
to move:
motionless and balanced, or motionless and suspended in the air, often just
before or in the midst of an action • a bird
poised on a branch

3.  with
composure:
calm, self-assured, and dignified

4.  in
danger of something: teetering on the edge of a
sudden change • stock prices seemingly
poised to rise

[1]



poison

poison
poi·son
[póyz’n] noun (plural poi·sons)

1.  toxic
substance:
a substance that causes illness, injury, or death if taken into the body or
produced within the body

2.  something
exercising an insidious influence: something that
exercises a powerful destructive or corrupting force, especially in an
insidious way

3.  CHEMISTRY reaction-inhibiting
substance:
a substance that inhibits a chemical reaction or diminishes the activity of a
catalyst

4.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS substance
slowing a nuclear reaction: any substance in a nuclear
reactor that can absorb neutrons without undergoing fission and that therefore
slows down the reaction
transitive
verb
(past poi·soned, past participle poi·soned, present
participle poi·son·ing, 3rd person present singular poi·sons)

1.  give
poison to somebody: to administer poison to a
person or animal, especially with malicious intention

2.  harm
with a toxic substance: to cause illness, injury, or
death to somebody with a poison or other harmful chemical substance

3.  add
poison to something: to put poison into or onto
something so as to harm or kill somebody • poisoned
bait used to kill rats

4.  pollute
the environment: to pollute water, land, or air severely
with harmful substances

5.  corrupt
or undermine something: to have an evil or
corrupting influence on somebody or something, especially by planting hostility
or suspicion in somebody’s mind against another person

6.  spoil
a situation: to have a harmful spoiling effect on
something that should be pleasant, enjoyable, or friendly

7.  CHEMISTRY inhibit
a chemical reaction: to inhibit a chemical
reaction or activity

8.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS slow
down a nuclear reaction: to slow down or stop a
nuclear reaction by the addition of a substance that can absorb neutrons
without undergoing fission
[13th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem potion- from, ultimately, potare
“to drink.”]
—poi·son·er,
noun
what’s
your poison?

or
name your poisonused to ask what somebody would like to drink (informal)[1]



poisongas

poisongas
poi·son
gas
noun

toxic gas as a weapon:
a lethal or incapacitating gas used as a weapon in warfare[1]



poisonhemlock

poisonhemlock
poi·son
hem·lock
noun

poisonous plant:
a highly poisonous plant found in Europe and North America that somewhat
resembles parsley in appearance and has spotted stems, small delicately divided
leaves, and flat-topped clusters of white flowers. Latin name: Conium
maculatum
U.K. term
hemlock[1]



poisonivy

poisonivy

poi·son
i·vy
noun

1.  vine
causing an itching rash: a North American climbing
vine of the cashew family that has three-part leaves, small green flowers, and
white berries. Contact with the plant produces an itchy rash. Genus: Rhus

2.  related
plant:
any plant related to poison ivy, such as poison oak

3.        MEDICINE rash:
the rash produced by poison ivy[1]



poisonoak

poisonoak

poi·son oak
noun
plant related to poison ivy:
a plant similar or related to poison ivy that produces a skin rash as a result
of being touched. Genus: Rhus[1]



poisonous

poisonous
poi·son·ous
[póyz’nəss] adjective

1.  containing
or producing poison: containing, producing, or
acting as a poison

2.  malicious:
filled with or creating malice, distrust, or hostility
—poi·son·ous·ly,
adverb

—poi·son·ous·ness, noun[1]



poison-penletter

poison-penletter
poi·son-pen
let·ter
noun

anonymous abusive letter:
a letter sent anonymously to somebody that contains unpleasant or abusive
comments[1]



poisonpill

poisonpill
poi·son
pill
noun

strategy intended to deter a
hostile takeover: a strategic move
adopted by a company designed to make an unwelcome takeover by another firm
less attractive to that firm[1]



poisonsumac

poisonsumac
poi·son
su·mac
noun

shrub causing a rash:
a shrub native to swampy areas of the southeastern United States that has
compound leaves, greenish flowers, and greenish-white berries. Contact with the
plant produces an irritating rash. Poison sumac is in the same family as poison
ivy and poison oak. Latin name: Toxicodendron vernix
Also called
poison dogwood[1]



poisonwood

poisonwood
poi·son·wood
[póyz’n wd] (plural poi·son·woods
or poi·son·wood) noun

poisonous tropical tree:
a poisonous tree of the cashew family native to southern Florida and the West
Indies that has compound leaves, yellowish-green flowers, and yellowish-orange
fruits. Latin name: Metopium toxiferum[1]



Poissondistribution

Poissondistribution
Pois·son
dis·tri·bu·tion noun

probability
distribution: a probability distribution that
represents the number of random events occurring over a fixed period of time
[Early 20th century. Named
for Siméon Poisson, who first described it.][1]



Poisson,Siméon-Denis

Poisson,Siméon-Denis
Pois·son
[pwss on, pwa
sáwn], Siméon-Denis (1781–1840)

French mathematician and
physicist. He is noted for his work on electricity, magnetism, elasticity, and
for the Poisson distribution in statistics.[1]



Poitiers

Poitiers
Poi·tiers 
[pwaa tyáy]

city in west central France.
It is the capital of Vienne Department in Poitou-Charente Region. Population:
78,894 (1990)[1]



Poitier,Sidney

Poitier,Sidney
Poi·tier
[pwtee ay], Sidney (1924– )

U.S. actor and director. He
was the first African American Hollywood movie star. He won an academy award
for his role in Lilies of the Field ( 1963 ).[1]



poke

poke1
poke1  [pōk]
verb (past poked, past participle poked, present
participle pok·ing, 3rd person present singular pokes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb prod
with something: to push the point of something such as
an outstretched finger, elbow, or stick against somebody or something else

2.  transitive
verb
make
a hole in something: to make a hole or opening in
something by pushing at it with a finger or a sharp object

3.  transitive
verb
push
into a hole: to push a finger or a long thin object
into a hole, space, or opening

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb protrude
from something: to stick, or stick something, out of or
through an opening, surface, or covering in such a way that part of the object
is visible • One
foot was poking out from under the covers.

5.  intransitive
verb
search
haphazardly: to search or investigate in a haphazard
or aimless manner • poking around in a
second-hand bookstore

6.  intransitive
verb
meddle:
to pry or intrude into something, or meddle with something • Stop
poking around in my affairs.

7.  transitive
verb
stir
a fire:
to stir a fire with a poker or similar object to make it burn better

8.  transitive
verb
punch
somebody:
to hit somebody with one of the fists (informal)

9.  intransitive
verb
go
slowly:
to move around or do things in a slow unhurried way
noun
(plural pokes)

1.  prod:
a push or prod with a finger, elbow, stick, or similar pointed object

2.  look
or search:
the activity of haphazard or casual browsing or investigating

3.  prod:
a short prod with the fist (informal)

4.  (informal)
See slowpoke
[13th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



poke

poke3
poke3  noun

See
pokeweed
[Mid-17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian poughkone (source of English puccoon ).][1]



poke

poke2
poke2  [pōk]
(plural pokes) noun

bag:
a small bag or sack (regional)
[13th century. From Old
French dialect, a variant of poche (see pouch
).][1]



pokeberry

pokeberry
poke·ber·ry
[pṓk bèrree] noun

1.  (plural
poke·ber·ries) pokeweed berry:
the berry that grows on a pokeweed plant

2.  (plural
poke·ber·ry or poke·ber·ries) See pokeweed

[1]



pokebonnet

pokebonnet
poke
bon·net
(plural poke bon·nets) noun

woman’s
bonnet with a projecting rim: a woman’s bonnet with a deep
projecting rim, fashionable in the first half of the 19th century
[From poke 2][1]



poker

poker1
pok·er1  [pṓkər]
noun

CARD GAMES betting
card game:
a card game in which players attempt to acquire a winning combination of cards
that involves betting at every deal
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from German Pochspiel, literally “bragging game,”
from pochen “to brag.”][1]



poker

poker2
pok·er2  [pṓkər]
(plural pok·ers) noun

1.  metal
rod for stirring a fire: a metal rod for stirring a
fire to make it burn better

2.  somebody
or something that pokes: somebody or something that
pokes, or something used for poking
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from poke 1 .][1]



pokerface

pokerface
pok·er
face
(plural pok·er fac·es) noun

expressionless:
a face showing no expression and revealing nothing about what somebody is
thinking or feeling
[From
poker 1]
—pok·er-faced, adjective[1]



pokeweed

pokeweed
poke·weed
[pṓk wd] (plural poke·weed or
poke·weeds) noun

plant
with blackish berries: a tall North American plant
that has white flowers, juicy blackish berries in elongated clusters, edible
shoots, and a poisonous root. Latin name: Phytolacca americana
Also
called
pokeberry
Also
called
poke
[Mid-18th century. From poke 3 .][1]



pokey

pokey1
poke·y1  [pṓkee]
adjective

(informal) See poky 1[1]



pokey

pokey2
po·key2  [pṓkee]
(plural po·keys or po·kies) or po·ky
[pṓkee] (plural po·kies) noun

jail:
a jail (dated slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a variant of earlier pogey “hostel,” of unknown
origin.][1]



poky

poky2
pok·y2 [pṓkee]
noun

(dated slang) See
pokey 2[1]



poky

poky1
pok·y1 [pṓkee]
(comparative pok·i·er, superlative pok·i·est) or
pok·ey [pṓkee] (comparative pok·i·er,
superlative pok·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  slow:
annoyingly slow

2.  frumpy:
shabby and old-fashioned
[Mid-19th
century. From poke 1 . The word originally meant
“petty, pottering,” and came from the idea of poking aimlessly at something.]
—pok·i·ly,
adverb

—pok·i·ness, noun[1]



pol

pol
pol
[pol] (plural pols) noun

politician:
a politician (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Pol.

Pol.
Pol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Poland

2.  Abbreviation
of
Polish

[1]



pol.

pol.
pol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
political

2.  Abbreviation
of
politics

[1]



Polack

Polack
Po·lack
[pṓ làk] (plural Po·lacks) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a Polish person (slang offensive)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French Polaque from Polish Polak (source of English polka ).][1]



Poland

Poland



Po·land 
[pṓlənd]
republic in eastern Europe. Language:
Polish. Currency: zloty. Capital: Warsaw. Population: 38,612,000 (1996) Area:
312,677 sq km/120,725 sq mi. Official name Republic of Poland[1]



Poland




Back to definition

Poland

[1]



PolandChina

PolandChina
Po·land
Chi·na
(plural Po·land Chi·nas) noun

breed of hog:
a hog of a large American breed that is black with white markings[1]



polar

polar
po·lar
[pṓlər] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY of
or near the Earth’s poles: relating to, located at, or
found in the regions surrounding the North or South Pole

2.  SCIENCE of a
pole or poles: relating to a pole or poles of a
rotating body, a magnet, or an electrically charged object

3.  ASTRONOMY SPACE TECHNOLOGY passing
over a planet’s poles: passing over, or traveling
in an orbit that passes over, a planet’s poles • polar
orbit

4.  utterly
opposite:
completely opposite to each other, or at the other extreme from something else

5.  pivotal:
of pivotal or central importance

6.  guiding:
serving as a guide or giving direction (literary)

7.  CHEMISTRY having
a dipole:
having a permanent dipole, or having molecules with permanent dipoles • polar
molecule

8.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY having
an ionic bond: having an ionic bond, or having crystals
with ionic bonds • polar crystal

9.  MATHEMATICS in
a polar coordinate system: relating to or measured with
reference to a system of polar coordinates

[1]



polaraxis

polaraxis
po·lar
ax·is
noun

MATHEMATICS
fixed reference line:
the fixed horizontal line in a system of polar coordinates from which the angle
made by the radius vector is measured[1]



polarbear

polarbear
po·lar
bear
noun

white Arctic bear:
a large white mainly meat-eating bear that lives in the Arctic on coasts and
ice floes. It has wide front feet for swimming. Latin name: Ursus maritimus

Also called
white bear[1]



polarbody

polarbody
po·lar
bod·y
noun

cell produced in the
development of an ovum: a cell with
a nucleus but little cytoplasm that is produced along with an oocyte, and later
discarded, in the process of cell division that leads to an ovum[1]



polarcap

polarcap
po·lar
cap
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY icy
area around the poles: the area around either the
North or South Pole that is permanently covered in ice

2.  ASTRONOMY polar
icecap on Mars: either of the two polar regions on Mars
that are permanently covered with frozen carbon dioxide and water

[1]



polarcircle

polarcircle
po·lar
cir·cle
noun

Arctic or Antarctic Circle:
the lines of latitude that define the Arctic and Antarctic regions, 66°33′ N
and 66°33′ S[1]



polarcoordinates

polarcoordinates

po·lar co·or·di·nates
plural noun
MATHEMATICS
2 numbers locating a point:
the two coordinates that locate a point in a plane by specifying the length of
a radius vector and the angle it makes with a horizontal line ( polar axis )[1]



polarfront

polarfront
po·lar
front
(plural po·lar fronts) noun

front separating polar and
warmer air: a weather front separating
cold polar air and warmer air[1]



polarimeter

polarimeter
po·lar·im·e·ter
[plə rímmətər] (plural po·lar·im·e·ters)
noun

OPTICS instrument
measuring the rotation of a polarization plane: an
instrument used to measure the rotation of the plane of polarization of light
as it passes through a substance, especially a liquid or solution. It is an
important tool in the analysis of sugar solutions.
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from polarization + -meter .]
—po·lar·i·met·ric
[pləri méttrik], adjective

—po·lar·im·e·try [plə rímmətree], noun[1]



Polaris

Polaris
Po·lar·is
[pə lérriss] (plural Po·lar·is·es)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY bright
star near the North Pole: the brightest star in the
Little Dipper formation in the constellation Ursa Minor, located very near the
celestial North Pole. Because it always indicates due north from an observer
anywhere on the Earth, Polaris is important for navigation.
Also
called
Pole Star
Also
called
North Star
Also
called
polar star

2.  ARMS missile
with a nuclear warhead: a U.S. intermediate-range
ballistic missile that usually carries a nuclear warhead and is launched from a
submarine

[1]



polariscope

polariscope
po·lar·i·scope
[pō lérrə skp] (plural po·lar·i·scopes)
noun

instrument
for studying polarized light: an instrument used to study
either a substance exposed to polarized light or the effects of a substance on
polarized light
[Early 19th century. Coined
from polarization + scope
.][1]



polarity

polarity
po·lar·i·ty
[pō lérrətee] (plural po·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  extreme
difference:
a situation in which two individuals or groups have qualities, ideas, or
principles that are diametrically opposed to each other

2.  PHYSICS opposite
physical characteristics in a system: the
condition, in a system, of having opposite characteristics at different points,
especially with respect to electric charge or magnetic properties

[1]



polarization

polarization
po·lar·i·za·tion
[pləri záysh’n] (plural po·lar·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  division
into opposite views: a process in which the
differences between groups or ideas become ever more clear-cut and extreme and
the opposition between them hardens

2.  OPTICS process
limiting light vibrations: the process or property by
which radiation, especially light, is restricted to vibrate in particular
directions

3.  PHYSICS polarizing
of charges:
the process in which the positive and negative charges in an atomic, molecular,
or chemical system develop polarity

[1]



polarize

polarize
po·lar·ize
[pṓlə rz] (past po·lar·ized, past
participle po·lar·ized, present participle po·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular po·lar·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  cause
a division of opinion: to make the differences
between groups or ideas ever more clear-cut and extreme and harden the
opposition between them, or to become ever more sharply divided and opposed

2.  PHYSICS acquire
polarity:
to acquire, or cause something to acquire, polarity

3.  PHYSICS restrict
light vibration: to cause light to vibrate within certain
planes, or to be restricted to vibration within certain planes
—po·lar·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—po·lar·iz·er, noun[1]



polarizingmicroscope

polarizingmicroscope
po·lar·iz·ing
mi·cro·scope noun

microscope using polarized
light: a microscope in which
polarized light is used to examine specimens[1]



polarnucleus

polarnucleus
po·lar
nu·cle·us
noun

nucleus in a plant embryo:
either of the two nuclei in the center of the sac of a seed plant embryo that
eventually fuse into the endosperm[1]



polarography

polarography
po·lar·og·ra·phy 
[plə róggrəfee] noun

analytic
process in electrolysis: an analytic technique used
to study ions in a solution that compares the strength of electric currents
passing through the solution during electrolysis and the voltages needed to
produce them
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from polarization + -graphy .]
—po·lar·o·graph·ic [plərə gráffik], adjective[1]



Polaroid

Polaroid
Po·lar·oid 
[pṓlə ròyd] Trademark

1.  a
trademark for a camera that produces pictures that develop within seconds of
being taken, or the film used in such a camera

2.  a
trademark for a specially treated transparent plastic that allows polarized light
through and is used to reduce glare in sunglasses

[1]



polarstar

polarstar
po·lar
star
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Polaris[1]



polder

polder
pol·der
[pṓldər] (plural pol·ders) noun

land
reclaimed from the sea: an area of land reclaimed
from the sea and protected by dikes, especially in the Netherlands
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch .][1]



pole

pole1
pole1  [pōl]
(plural poles) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY North
or South Pole: either of the two points on the Earth,
the North and South Poles, that are the endpoints of its axis of rotation, are
farthest from the equator, and are surrounded by icecaps

2.  ASTRONOMY GEOMETRY axis
endpoints of a sphere: either of the two endpoints
of the axis of rotation of a sphere or a planet or other celestial body

3.  ASTRONOMY See celestial pole

4.  either
of two opposites: one of two completely opposed or
contrasted positions, states, or views • They’re
at opposite poles as far as their taste in music is concerned.

5.  PHYSICS end of
a magnet:
either of the two ends of a magnet or magnetized body where the lines of force
are most concentrated

6.  ELECTRICITY electric
terminal:
either of two terminals in something such as a battery, generator, or motor
that have opposite electric charges

7.  BIOLOGY distinct
region in a cell: either of two opposite regions that are
physiologically or functionally distinct in an organism, cell, or structure,
for example, the opposite ends of the spindle structure formed in the nucleus
of a cell during cell division

8.  MATHEMATICS origin
of polar coordinates: the origin in a polar
coordinate system

9.  reference
point:
a fixed point of reference (literary)
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek polos “axis” (source of English pulley ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to turn around,” which is also the ancestor of wheel and cycle
.]
be
poles apart

to be as different or as
opposed as it is possible to be[1]



pole

pole2
pole2  [pōl]
noun (plural poles)

1.  long
straight object: a long, straight, strong piece of wood,
metal, or other material, usually with a round cross-section and thin enough to
hold in the hands or arms

2.  SPORTS pole-vaulter’s
pole:
the long flexible shaft made of wood, metal, or fiberglass used by competitors
in the pole vault

3.  HORSERACING MOTOR SPORTS racetrack
starting position or lane: the inside lane or the
inside starting position on a racetrack.
Also
called
pole position

4.  MOTOR SPORTS See pole position

5.  TRANSPORT shaft
on a horse-drawn vehicle: a single shaft projecting
forward from the front of a vehicle between the animals that draw it and to
which those animals are hitched

6.  MEASUREMENTS See perch 1 noun 5

7.  MEASUREMENTS See perch 1 noun 6
verb
(past poled, past participle poled, present
participle pol·ing, 3rd person present singular poles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL propel a boat with a pole:
to move a boat along by pushing with a pole against a firm surface

2.  transitive
verb
GARDENING support
a plant with a pole: to use a pole to provide
support for a plant

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SKIING use ski poles:
to make forward progress on skis by pushing with ski poles
[Old
English pāl . From a prehistoric Germanic ancestor that was borrowed
from Latin palus “stake.”]
not
touch somebody or something with a ten-foot pole

to avoid any contact or
involvement with somebody or something[1]



Pole

Pole
Pole
(plural Poles) noun

1.  somebody
from Poland: somebody who was born or raised in
Poland or who has Polish citizenship

2.  somebody
with a Polish ancestor: somebody who is of Polish
descent
[Late 16th century. Via
German from, ultimately, Old Polish Polanie, literally “field-dwellers,”
from pole “field,” from Slavic.][1]



poleax

poleax
pole·ax 
[pṓ làks] noun (plural pole·ax·es)

1.  butcher’s
ax:
a specialized ax with a hammer face opposite the blade, used, especially
formerly, for slaughtering animals

2.  ARMS battle-ax:
a battle-ax with a long or short handle, especially one with a hammer or spike
opposite the ax blade

3.  NAVY ax for
cutting rigging: a short-handled ax used to cut rigging
or ropes on sailing ships, especially during combat
transitive
verb
(past pole·axed or pole·axed, past participle
pole·axed, present participle pole·ax·ing, 3rd person
present singular pole·ax·es)

1.  amaze
and stupefy somebody: to leave somebody stupefied
and speechless with astonishment

2.  hit
somebody very hard: to hit somebody hard enough
to cause unconsciousness

3.  hit
with a poleax: to hit somebody or something with a
poleax
[14th century. Alteration of pollax,
literally “head-axe,” from poll, perhaps
because it was for splitting heads or because it had a special kind of head.][1]



polebean

polebean
pole
bean
noun

bean grown up poles:
a climbing green bean that is grown supported on a pole[1]



polecat

polecat
pole·cat
[pṓl kàt] (plural pole·cats) noun

1.  small
animal related to the weasel: an animal related to but
larger than the weasel that lives in woodlands in Europe, Asia, and North
Africa, has brown fur, and emits a foul smell when disturbed. Genus: Mustela
Vormela
Also
called
fitch
See
also
ferret

2.  See
skunk
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French poule “hen” (because it was known to take
hens from farmyards) + cat .][1]



polehorse

polehorse
pole
horse
noun

horse harnessed to a wagon
pole: a horse harnessed to the
pole of a carriage or wagon.
Also called
poler[1]



poleis

poleis
po·leis

Plural of
polis[1]



polejump

polejump
pole
jump
noun

See
pole vault
—pole-jump,
intransitive and transitive verb

—pole-jump·er, noun[1]



polemic

polemic
po·lem·ic
[pə lémmik] noun (plural po·lem·ics)

1.  passionate
argument:
a passionate, strongly worded, and often controversial argument against or,
less often, in favor of something or somebody

2.  passionate
critic:
somebody who engages in a dispute or argues strongly or passionately against
something or somebody (literary)
adjective
po·lem·ic po·lem·i·cal

containing passionate argument:
containing or expressing passionate and strongly worded argument against or in favor
of something or somebody
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek polemikos, from polemos
“war,” of unknown origin.]
—po·lem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



polemicist

polemicist
po·lem·i·cist
[pə lémmissist] (plural po·lem·i·cists)
or po·lem·ist [pə lémmist, pólləmist] (plural polemists) noun

skilled arguer:
somebody who writes or delivers a polemic or is skilled in polemical argument[1]



polemics

polemics
po·lem·ics
[pə lémmiks] noun

art of polemical argument:
the art or practice of arguing powerfully and effectively for or against
something and engaging in controversy (takes a singular verb)[1]



polemist

polemist
po·lem·ist
noun

See
polemicist[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








polenta

polenta
po·len·ta
[pō léntə] noun

Italian-style
cornmeal:
in Italian cooking, fine yellow cornmeal cooked to a mush with water or stock
and served with meat, fish, or vegetables, or cooled, set, sliced, and baked or
fried
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian from Latin, “barley meal.”][1]



poleposition

poleposition
pole
po·si·tion
noun

1.  HORSERACING See pole 2 noun 3

2.  MOTOR SPORTS best
starting position in an auto race: the best position on
the starting grid of an automobile race, usually on the inside of the front row
and taken by the driver with the fastest pre-race practice time.
Also
called
pole

3.  good
beginning:
a very good or advantageous position at the beginning of something

[1]



poler

poler
pol·er
[pṓlər] (plural pol·ers) noun

1.  See
pole horse

2.  NAUTICAL somebody
poling a boat: somebody who uses a pole to move a boat
along
[Late 17th century. From pole 2 .][1]



PoleStar

PoleStar
Pole
Star
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Polaris[1]



polestar

polestar
pole·star
[pṓl str] (plural pole·stars)
noun

guiding light:
something considered as a guiding light and giver of direction (literary)[1]



polevault

polevault
pole
vault
noun
Also
called
pole jump

1.  high
jump with a pole: a field event in which the competitors
use a long flexible pole to swing themselves up and over a very high crossbar

2.  jump
in the pole vault: a jump in the pole vault, or
any jump made with the help of a pole
—pole-vault,
intransitive and transitive verb

—pole-vault·er, noun[1]



police

police
po·lice
[pə lss] noun

1.  organization
for maintaining law and order: a civil organization
whose members are given special legal powers by the government and whose task
is to maintain public order and to solve and prevent crimes

2.  police
officers:
police officers considered as a group (takes a plural verb)

3.  specialized
force:
an organized group of people whose job is maintaining order, ensuring that
regulations are obeyed, and preventing crime within a particular area or sphere
of activity

4.  MILITARY cleanliness
and order in the military: the work of keeping a
military base clean and orderly, or its state of cleanliness and order

5.  enforcement
of law:
the enforcement of law and the prevention of crime in a community (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past po·liced, past participle po·liced, present
participle po·lic·ing, 3rd person present singular po·lic·es)

1.  ensure
law and order: to ensure that law and order is
maintained in a particular area or at a particular event, using the police or a
military force

2.  ensure
rules are followed: to ensure that rules and
procedures are followed correctly in something or that something is implemented
as agreed

3.  MILITARY clean
a military base: to keep a military base clean and
orderly
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek politeia “civil organization, the state,” from politēs
“citizen”(see politic ).][1]



policeaction

policeaction
po·lice
ac·tion
noun

small-scale military action:
a relatively small-scale military action undertaken without a declaration of
war, for example, to prevent violation of an international agreement. Soldiers
used in police actions are usually deployed aiding the civil police.[1]



policedog

policedog
po·lice
dog
noun

1.  dog
working with the police: a dog trained to work with
the police in tracking or searching for people or in detecting illegal
substances by smell

2.  See
German Shepherd

[1]



policeforce

policeforce
po·lice
force
noun

organized body of police:
an organized body of police with jurisdiction within a particular geographic
area or over a particular group of people[1]



policeman

policeman
po·lice·man
[pə lssmən] (plural po·lice·men
[pə lssmən]) noun

man on a police force:
a man who is a police officer[1]



policeofficer

policeofficer
po·lice
of·fi·cer
(plural po·lice of·fi·cers) noun

policeman or policewoman:
somebody who belongs to a police force.
Also called
officer[1]



policepower

policepower
po·lice
pow·er
noun

government’s power to
restrict liberties: the power
of a government to impose what it considers reasonable restrictions on the
liberties of its citizens for the maintenance of public order and safety[1]



policeprocedural

policeprocedural
po·lice
pro·ce·dur·al noun

type of crime novel:
a crime novel or drama in which the crime is investigated by police officers[1]



policereporter

policereporter
po·lice
re·port·er
noun

journalist covering crime:
a journalist who is assigned to cover news about crime and police work[1]



policestate

policestate
po·lice
state
noun

country repressively
controlled by its government: a country
in which the government uses police, especially secret police, to exercise
strict or repressive control over the population and deny them full civil
liberties[1]



policestation

policestation
po·lice
sta·tion
(plural po·lice sta·tions) noun

headquarters of the police:
the local headquarters of a police force.
Also called
station house[1]



policewoman

policewoman
po·lice·wom·an 
[pə lss wmmən] (plural po·lice·wom·en
[pə lss wìmmin]) noun

woman on the police force:
a woman who is a police officer[1]



policy

policy2
pol·i·cy2  [pólləssee]
(plural pol·i·cies) noun

1.  contract:
a contract that exists between an insurance company and an individual or
organization buying insurance services, or the document that lists the contract
terms

2.  numbers
game:
a game of chance such as a daily lottery where participants bet on what the
number will be
[Mid-16th century. From
French police, of uncertain origin; probably via Latin apodixis
from, ultimately, Greek apodeiknunai “to demonstrate, prove.”][1]



policy

policy1
pol·i·cy1  [pólləssee]
(plural pol·i·cies) noun

1.  course
of action:
a program of actions adopted by an individual, group, or government, or the set
of principles on which they are based

2.  prudence:
shrewdness or prudence, especially in the pursuit of a particular course of
action
[14th century. From Old
French policie “government, civil organization” (see police ). The underlying meaning is “an
established system of government.”][1]



policyholder

policyholder
pol·i·cy·hol·der 
[pólləssee hldər] (plural pol·i·cy·hol·ders)
noun

insured person:
a named person or organization responsible for an insurance policy[1]



policymaking

policymaking
pol·i·cy·mak·ing
[pólləssee màyking] noun

drawing
up of policy: the drawing up of policies, especially
the formulating of political policies by members of a government
adjective

making
policies:
having the task of formulating policies, especially in a government
—pol·i·cy·mak·er, noun[1]



policyscience

policyscience
pol·i·cy
sci·ence
noun

study of making and
conducting policy: the study
of how policies are made and executed in governments and bureaucracies[1]



polio

polio
po·li·o 
[pṓli ] noun

See
poliomyelitis
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



poliomyelitis

poliomyelitis
po·li·o·my·e·li·tis 
[plee ō mī ə ltiss] noun

disease
affecting the brain and spinal cord: a
severe infectious viral disease, usually affecting children or young adults,
that inflames the brainstem and spinal cord, sometimes leading to paralysis and
muscular wasting.
Also
called
polio
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek polios “gray” (because the
motor neurons it affects are known as “gray matter”) + myelitis
.]
—po·li·o·my·e·lit·ic [plee ō mī ə líttik], adjective[1]



poliovirus

poliovirus
po·li·o·vi·rus 
[pṓlee ō vrəss] (plural po·li·o·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus causing poliomyelitis:
any of three forms of an enterovirus that causes poliomyelitis[1]



polis

polis
po·lis 
[pṓliss] (plural po·leis [pṓ lss]) noun

1.  ancient
Greek city-state: a city-state in ancient Greece, typical
of Greek political organization from 800 to 400 BC

2.  government
using city-states: the city-state form of
government
[Late 19th century. From
Greek, “city” (source of English metropolis,
police, and politics ).][1]



Polish

Polish
Po·lish
[pṓlish] plural noun

PEOPLES people
of Poland:
the people of Poland
noun

LANGUAGE official
language of Poland: the official language of
Poland, also spoken in parts of the United States and Europe, especially
Germany. It belongs to the Balto-Slavic branch of Indo-European languages and
is spoken by about 44 million people.
adjective

1.  of
Poland:
relating to Poland, its people, or culture

2.  of
Polish:
relating to the Polish language

[1]



polish

polish
pol·ish 
[póllish] verb (past pol·ished,
past participle pol·ished, present participle pol·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular pol·ish·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
smooth or glossy: to make something smooth or shiny, or
become smooth or shiny, by rubbing with something

2.  transitive
verb
remove
the outer layer of: to remove the outer layers
of brown rice to make white rice by rotating the grain in a drum

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb improve:
to make something more refined, elegant, or complete, or to become so
noun
(plural pol·ish·es)

1.  substance
used for polishing: a substance used to make
something smooth or shiny • furniture
polish

2.  smoothness:
the smoothness or glossiness of something that has been polished • car
paintwork with a high polish

3.  rub
given to something: a rubbing of something
designed to make it smooth or glossy

4.  refinement:
refinement, especially of style, that is the mark of expertise or experience
[13th
century. Via the Old French stem poliss- from Latin polire
(source also of English polite ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to push,” which also produced
English push .]
—pol·ish·er, noun[1]



Polishnotation

Polishnotation
Po·lish
no·ta·tion
noun

type
of notation for symbolic logic: a notation for
symbolic logic where the logical operators are placed as prefixes in front of
formulas instead of between them, allowing parentheses to be dispensed with.
For example, “p or (q and r)” becomes “or p and q r.”
[From the fact that it was
developed by mathematicians in Poland][1]



polishoff

polishoff
polish
off
transitive verb

1.  finish
quickly and completely: to finish something,
especially food or a task, quickly and completely

2.  kill:
to kill or eliminate somebody (informal)
[From the idea of putting the
finishing touches to something][1]



polishup

polishup
polish
up
transitive verb

1.  make
shiny:
to make something smooth or shiny by rubbing it

2.  improve:
to improve or refine something, for example, a prepared speech or knowledge of
a foreign language

[1]



polishup on

polishup on
polish
up on
transitive verb

improve skill in something:
to improve knowledge or skill in a particular area[1]



polit.

polit.
polit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
politics

2.  Abbreviation
of
political

[1]



Politburo

Politburo
Pol·it·bu·ro
[póllit byrō] noun

Communist
executive committee: the executive and
policymaking committee of a governing Communist Party, especially the committee
consisting of twenty members in the former Soviet Union
[Early 20th century. From
Russian politbyuro, literally “political bureau.”][1]



polite

polite
po·lite 
[pə lt] (comparative po·lit·er,
superlative po·lit·est) adjective

1.  well-mannered:
showing or possessing good manners or common courtesy

2.  elegant:
socially superior to ordinary people and considered refined or cultivated
[15th
century. From Latin politus, the past participle of polire “to
polish” (see polish ).]
—po·lite·ly,
adverb

—po·lite·ness, noun[1]



politesse

politesse
pol·i·tesse 
[pòllee téss] noun

formal
politeness:
politeness of a very formal or genteel kind
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “politeness.”][1]



politic

politic
pol·i·tic 
[póllətik] adjective

prudent:
possessing or displaying tact, shrewdness, or cunning
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek politēs “citizen,” from polis
“city” (see polis ).]
—pol·i·tic·ly, adverb[1]



political

political
po·lit·i·cal 
[pə líttik’l] adjective

1.  concerned
with party politics: relating to politics,
especially party politics

2.  concerned
with government: relating to civil administration or
government

3.  resulting
from unacceptable beliefs: arising from somebody’s
voiced opposition to a government or from voiced support for policies and
principles regarded by authorities as unacceptable

4.  pragmatic:
carried out for reasons that best serve a desired outcome rather than for
reasons that are, for example, morally justifiable • denies
that this was a political decision
—po·lit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



politicalaction committee

politicalaction committee
po·lit·i·cal
ac·tion com·mit·tee (plural po·lit·i·cal
ac·tion com·mit·tees) noun

group promoting interests
politically: a group that seeks to
advance its interests by raising money to contribute to a political candidate
or campaign[1]



politicaleconomy

politicaleconomy
po·lit·i·cal
e·con·o·my
noun

study
of economics and government policy: the
study of ways in which economics and government policies interact (dated)
—po·lit·i·cal e·con·o·mist,
noun[1]



politicallycorrect

politicallycorrect
po·lit·i·cal·ly
cor·rect 
adjective

deliberately
inoffensive: marked by language or conduct that
deliberately avoids giving offense, for example, on the basis of ethnic origin
or sexual orientation
—po·lit·i·cal
cor·rect·ness, noun[1]



politicalparty

politicalparty
po·lit·i·cal
par·ty
noun

organization representing a
political ideology: an
organization that collectively represents a political ideology, especially in a
constitutional government or opposition[1]



politicalprisoner

politicalprisoner
po·lit·i·cal
pris·on·er
(plural po·lit·i·cal pris·on·ers) noun

somebody imprisoned for
political beliefs: somebody
who is imprisoned because his or her political actions or beliefs are regarded
as unacceptable or subversive[1]



politicalscience

politicalscience
po·lit·i·cal
sci·ence
noun

study
of government: the study of political organizations and
institutions, especially governments
—po·lit·i·cal sci·en·tist,
noun[1]



politicalterrorism

politicalterrorism
po·lit·i·cal
ter·ror·ism
noun

use
of violence for political ends: the use of
intimidating violence for political ends, or a specific instance of this
—po·lit·i·cal ter·ror·ist,
noun[1]



politician

politician
pol·i·ti·cian 
[pòllə tísh’n] (plural pol·i·ti·cians)
noun

1.  somebody
active in politics: somebody who is actively or
professionally engaged in politics

2.  government
member:
a member of a branch of government

3.  somebody
seeking personal power: somebody whose main
political motive is self-advancement (disapproving)

4.  schemer:
somebody who deviously manipulates interrelationships, especially in a
workplace
[Late 16th century. Formed
from politic .][1]



politicize

politicize
po·lit·i·cize 
[pə lítti sz] (past po·lit·i·cized,
past participle po·lit·i·cized, present participle po·lit·i·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular po·lit·i·ciz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb introduce
into the political arena: to bring something such as
an issue of public interest into the political arena

2.  transitive
verb
give
a political awareness or flavor to: to
make somebody politically aware or active, or introduce a political element to
something
—po·lit·i·ci·za·tion [pə lìttissi záysh’n], noun[1]



politicking

politicking
pol·i·tick·ing
[póllə tìking] noun

political campaigning:
political activity, especially campaigning or speechmaking[1]



politico

politico
po·lit·i·co 
[pə lítti k] (plural po·lit·i·cos)
noun

politician:
a politician, especially one whose words are dismissed as trite or whose
motives are disapproved of as self-serving (informal)
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian or Spanish, “politician.”][1]



politics

politics
pol·i·tics 
[póllətiks] noun

1.  theory
and practice of government: the theory and practice of
forming and running organizations connected with government (takes a
singular verb)

2.  policymaking
activity:
activity within a political party or organization that is concerned with debate
and the creation and carrying out of distinctive policies rather than merely
the administration of the state (takes a singular or plural verb)

3.  interrelationships
in a specific field: the totality of
interrelationships in a particular area of life involving power, authority, or
influence, and capable of manipulation (takes a singular or plural verb)
• the
politics of education

4.  calculated
advancement: the use of tactics and strategy to gain
power in a group or organization (takes a singular or plural verb)

5.  political
life:
political life as a profession (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

1.  political
activity:
political activity at any level

2.  political
beliefs:
political persuasions or beliefs

[1]



polity

polity
pol·i·ty 
[póllitee] (plural pol·i·ties)
noun

1.  particular
form of government: a particular form of
government that exists within a state or an institution

2.  politics
and government within society: that aspect of society
that is oriented to politics and government

3.  political
entity:
a state, society, or institution regarded as a political entity
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek politeia (see police ).][1]



polka

polka
pol·ka 
[pṓlkə, pṓkə]
noun (plural pol·kas)

1.  lively
dance:
a lively dance for couples consisting of three quick steps and a hop and
originating in Central Europe

2.  music
for the polka: a piece of music for the polka, in fast
two-four time
intransitive
verb
(past pol·kaed, past participle pol·kaed, present
participle pol·ka·ing, 3rd person present singular pol·kas)

dance the polka:
to dance the polka
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Czech from Polish, the feminine form of Polak
“Pole,” which developed from a prehistoric Slavic word meaning “field.”][1]



polkadot

polkadot
pol·ka
dot 
(plural pol·ka dots) noun

repeated contrasting dot on a
fabric: a dot or round spot repeated
to form a regular pattern in a contrasting color, especially on fabric[1]



Polk,James Knox

Polk,James Knox

Polk
[pōk], James Knox (1795–1849)
U.S. statesman and 11th president of the
United States. Under his Democratic administration (1845–1849), the United
States expanded westward to the Pacific Ocean.[1]



poll

poll
poll 
[pōl] noun (plural polls)

1.  POLITICS election:
a political election in its entirety, including the casting, recording, and
counting of votes

2.  survey
of the public: a questioning of the population or of a
representative sample to tally opinions or gather other information.
See
also
opinion poll

3.  POLITICS number
of votes:
the total number of votes cast in an election

4.  head:
the head, or the back part of the head (archaic)

5.  TECHNOLOGY striking
surface of a hammer: the broad, hitting part of a
hammer
plural
noun
polls

POLITICS place
for voting in an election: a place where votes are
recorded during an election
verb
(past polled, past participle polled, present participle
poll·ing, 3rd person present singular polls)

1.  transitive
verb
sample
opinion methodically: to sample the opinions or
attitudes of a group of people systematically

2.  transitive
verb
POLITICS receive
a certain number of votes: to receive a particular
number of votes in an election

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cast a
vote in an election: to cast a vote in an
election

4.  transitive
verb
LAW record
jury votes:
to take the vote of each member of a jury in turn

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING check
the availability of computer communication lines: to
check communication lines in a computer or computer network to determine if
they can receive or transmit data

6.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE shear
an animal:
to clip or shear an animal

7.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE remove
an animal’s horns: to cut an animal’s horns
short or cut them off
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German . The original
meaning underlying all its senses is “head”; the “voting” meaning comes from
the idea of counting heads.][1]



pollack

pollack
pol·lack
[póllək] (plural pol·lack) or
pol·lock [póllək] (plural pol·lock)
noun

N
Atlantic food fish: a marine fish with a
protruding lower jaw, found in North Atlantic waters. It belongs to the cod
family and is an important food fish. Genus: Pollachius
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of Scots podlok, of unknown origin.][1]



pollard

pollard
pol·lard 
[póllərd] noun (plural pol·lards)

1.  BOTANY tree
with branches cut: a tree whose branches are
cut back extensively to encourage denser growth

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
with horns removed or shed: an animal that has shed its
horns or antlers, or has had its horns removed
transitive
verb
(past pol·lard·ed, past participle pol·lard·ed, present
participle pol·lard·ing, 3rd person present singular pol·lards)

cut branches or horns:
to cut back the branches of a tree, or remove the horns of an animal
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from poll . The underlying meaning is
“having its head cut.”][1]



pollen

pollen
pol·len 
[póllən] noun

fertilizing
powder:
a powdery substance produced by flowering plants that contains male
reproductive cells. It is carried by wind and insects to other plants, which it
fertilizes.
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “fine flour, dust.”][1]



pollenbasket

pollenbasket
pol·len
bas·ket
(plural pol·len bas·kets) noun

part of bee:
the hollow part of a bee’s hind leg, used to transport pollen[1]



pollencount

pollencount
pol·len
count
(plural pol·len counts) noun

amount of pollen in the air:
a scientific measure of the amount of pollen in a specific volume of air during
a 24-hour period[1]



pollenmother cell

pollenmother cell
pol·len
moth·er cell (plural pol·len moth·er cells)
noun

cell yielding pollen grains:
a cell in a flowering plant that produces four pollen grains after cell
division[1]



pollensac

pollensac
pol·len
sac
(plural pol·len sacs) noun

pollen-producing cavity:
a cavity in the anther of a flower, where pollen is produced[1]



pollentube

pollentube
pol·len
tube
(plural pol·len tubes) noun

outgrowth of a pollen grain:
a hollow tube that develops from a pollen grain and conveys male reproductive
cells to the egg cell[1]



pollex

pollex
pol·lex 
[pó lèks] (plural pol·li·ces [póllə sz]) noun

first
digit of a forelimb: the first digit of the
forelimb in birds and animals, or the thumb in humans (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, of uncertain origin.][1]



pollinate

pollinate
pol·li·nate 
[póllə nàyt] (past pol·li·nat·ed,
past participle pol·li·nat·ed, present participle pol·li·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular pol·li·nates) transitive verb

transfer
pollen and fertilize plant: to transfer pollen from the
male structure of a plant (such as the anther) to the female structure of a
plant (such as the stigma), and fertilize it
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin pollin-, the stem of pollen (see pollen ).]
—pol·li·na·tion
[pòllə náysh’n], noun

—pol·li·na·tor [póllə nàytər], noun[1]



pollinia

pollinia
pol·lin·i·a


Plural of
pollinium[1]



polliniferous

polliniferous
pol·li·nif·er·ous 
[pòllə níffərəss] adjective

producing
pollen:
producing or carrying pollen
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the Latin stem pollin- (see pollinate
) + -ferous .][1]



pollinium

pollinium
pol·lin·ium 
[pə línnee əm] (plural pol·lin·ia
[pə línnee iə]) noun

mass
of pollen grains: a cohering mass of pollen grains
transported as a whole during pollination, typical of orchids and milkweeds
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from the Latin stem pollin- (see pollinate ).][1]



pollinosis

pollinosis
pol·li·no·sis 
[pòllə nṓssiss] noun

hay
fever:
hay fever (technical)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from the Latin stem pollin- (see pollinate
).][1]



polliwog

polliwog
pol·li·wog 
[pólli wòg] (plural pol·li·wogs)
or pol·ly·wog [pólli wòg] (plural
pol·ly·wogs) noun

U.K.,
U.S., Canada tadpole:
a tadpole (regional)
[15th century. Alteration of
earlier polwygle, from poll “head” (see poll
) + wiggle .][1]



pollock

pollock
pol·lock 
noun

See
pollack[1]



Pollock,Jackson

Pollock,Jackson
Pol·lock 
[póllək], Jackson (1912–1956)

U.S.
artist. A leading abstract expressionist, he used action-painting techniques to
create intricate interlaced webs of paint.
Full name
Pollock, Paul Jackson[1]



pollster

pollster
poll·ster 
[pṓlstər] (plural poll·sters) noun

somebody conducting a poll:
somebody who conducts public opinion polls[1]



polltax

polltax
poll
tax
(plural poll tax·es) noun

tax levied equally on all:
any flat-rate tax levied on all the individuals in a population, often as a
prerequisite to voting[1]



pollutant

pollutant
pol·lut·ant 
[pə lt’nt] (plural pol·lut·ants)
noun

something causing pollution:
something that pollutes, for example, chemicals or waste products that
contaminate the air, soil, or water[1]



pollute

pollute
pol·lute 
[pə lt] (past pol·lut·ed, past
participle pol·lut·ed, present participle pol·lut·ing,
3rd person present singular pol·lutes) transitive verb

1.  contaminate:
to cause harm to an area of the natural environment, for example, the air,
soil, or water, usually by introducing damaging substances such as chemicals or
waste products

2.  corrupt
or defile:
to make somebody morally or spiritually impure

3.  desecrate:
to violate the sacred nature of a holy place
[14th
century. From Latin pollut-, the past participle stem of polluere
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “dirt, to make dirty.”]
—pol·lut·er [pə ltər], noun[1]



polluted

polluted
pol·lut·ed
[pə ltəd] adjective

contaminated or corrupted:
contaminated, tainted, corrupted, or desecrated[1]



pollution

pollution
pol·lu·tion 
[pə lsh’n] noun

1.  act
of polluting: the act of polluting something,
especially the natural environment

2.  polluted
state:
the state or condition of being polluted, or the presence of pollutants • Pollution
will destroy fish in the rivers.

[1]



Pollux

Pollux
Pol·lux 
noun

See
Castor and Pollux[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Pollyanna

Pollyanna
Pol·ly·an·na 
[pòllee ánnə] (plural Pol·ly·an·nas)
noun

eternal
optimist:
somebody who is invariably and unrealistically optimistic
[Early 20th century. Named
for the heroine of children’s stories written by the U.S. author Eleanor
Hodgman Porter ( 1868–1920 ).][1]



pollywog

pollywog
pol·ly·wog 
noun

See
polliwog[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








polo

polo
po·lo 
[pṓlō] noun

1.  SPORTS team
game played on horseback: a game played by teams on
horseback, with players using long-handled mallets to drive a wooden ball into
a goal

2.  SPORTS team
game played with ball: any of several team games
whose object is to drive a ball into a goal, for example, water polo (usually
used in combination)

3.  (plural
po·los) CLOTHES polo
shirt:
a polo shirt (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
Tibetan pholo, literally “ball game.”][1]



polocoat

polocoat
po·lo
coat
(plural po·lo coats) noun

overcoat:
a double-breasted overcoat, usually made of camel’s hair[1]



Polo,Marco

Polo,Marco

Po·lo 
[pṓlō], Marco (1254–1324)
Venetian merchant and traveler. His
accounts of his travels to China offered Europeans a firsthand view of Asian
lands and stimulated interest in Asian trade.[1]



polonaise

polonaise
pol·o·naise 
[pòllə náyz, plə
náyz] (plural pol·o·naises) noun

1.  DANCE slow
formal dance for couples: a slow and stately dance of
Polish origin, for couples

2.  MUSIC music
for a polonaise: a piece of music for the polonaise, in ¾
time

3.  CLOTHES cutaway
dress with underskirt: a dress with a tight bodice,
cut away at the waist to reveal an inner skirt
[Mid-18th century. From
French, “Polish.”][1]



polonium

polonium

po·lo·ni·um 
[pə lṓnee əm] noun
rare
radioactive metallic element: a very rare naturally
radioactive metallic element found in uranium ores, used to remove static
electricity. Symbol Po
[Late 19th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Polonia “Poland,” the home of Marie Curie, one of the element’s discoverers.][1]



polopony

polopony
po·lo
po·ny
noun

horse ridden in polo:
a horse ridden in the game of polo[1]



poloshirt

poloshirt
po·lo
shirt
(plural po·lo shirts) noun

casual
cotton shirt: a lightweight casual shirt, usually made
of knitted cotton, with a small square collar and a buttoned opening at the
neck
[From the fact that it is
traditionally worn by polo players][1]



PolPot

PolPot

Pol
Pot 
[pòl pót] (1928–1998)
Cambodian
political leader. He led the communist Khmer Rouge to victory, and
approximately 1.7 million people died under his rule (1975–1979).
Real name
Saloth Sar[1]



poltergeist

poltergeist
pol·ter·geist 
[pṓltər gst] (plural pol·ter·geists)
noun

noisy
spirit:
a supposed supernatural spirit that reveals its presence by creating
disturbances, for example, by knocking over objects
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “noisy ghost.”][1]



poltroon

poltroon
pol·troon 
[pol trn] (plural pol·troons)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a contemptible coward (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Italian poltrone “coward, lazy person,” of uncertain
origin.][1]



poly

poly
pol·y 
[póllee] (plural pol·ys) noun
(informal)

1.  TEXTILES polyester:
polyester

2.  MEDICINE polymorphonuclear
leukocyte:
a polymorphonuclear leukocyte

3.  CHEMISTRY polyethylene:
polyethylene
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



poly-

poly-
poly-
prefix

1.  more
than one • polyandry

2.  more
than normal • polyphagia

3.  polymer
• polyethylene
[From Greek polus
“much” (source of English hoi polloi
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fill,” which is also the
ancestor of full, plenty, plus,
and plural .][1]



polyacrylamide

polyacrylamide
pol·y·a·cryl·a·mide 
[pòllee akrə lá md, pòllee ə kríllə md, pòllee akrə
lámmid] noun

white solid polymer:
a white solid polymer of acrylamide, used as a thickening, clouding, and
absorbent agent[1]



polyadenylicacid

polyadenylicacid
pol·y·ad·e·nyl·ic
ac·id 
[pollee add’n ìllik ássid] noun

messenger RNA component:
a segment of RNA made up of multiple units of adenylic acid, found in messenger
RNA molecules. It stabilizes RNA during protein synthesis.[1]



polyalcohol

polyalcohol
pol·y·al·co·hol 
[pòllee álkə hòl] (plural pol·y·al·co·hols)
noun

See
polyol[1]



polyamide

polyamide
pol·y·am·ide 
[pòllee á md, pòllee
ámmid] (plural pol·y·am·ides) noun

synthetic polymer:
any synthetic polymer that has recurring amide groups. Nylon is a polyamide .[1]



polyamine

polyamine
pol·y·a·mine 
[pòllee ə mn, pòllee
á mn] (plural pol·y·a·mines) noun

compound with amino groups:
any organic compound containing more than one amino group[1]



polyandry

polyandry
pol·y·an·dry 
[póllee àndree] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY having
multiple husbands: the custom of having more
than one husband

2.  ZOOLOGY having
multiple mates: animal mating in which a female mates
with more than one male during any single breeding season

3.  BOTANY having
many stamens: possession by a plant of a large number
of stamens
[Late
17th century. From Greek poluandria, literally “many husbands,” from the
stem andr- “man, husband.”]
—pol·y·an·drous [pòllee ándrəss], adjective[1]



polyanthus

polyanthus
pol·y·an·thus 
[pòllee ánthəss] (plural pol·y·an·thus·es
or pol·y·an·thi [pòllee án th])
noun

1.  hybrid
primrose:
a hybrid primrose with bright flowers in a variety of colors. Latin name: Primula
polyantha

2.  See
polyanthus narcissus
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek poluanthos, literally “having many flowers.”][1]



polyanthusnarcissus

polyanthusnarcissus
pol·y·an·thus
nar·cis·sus
noun

narcissus with small flowers:
a narcissus with small white or yellow flowers, native to Europe and Asia.
Latin name: Narcissus tazetta
Also called
polyanthus[1]



polyatomic

polyatomic
pol·y·a·tom·ic 
[pòllee ə tómmik] adjective

with several atoms:
used to describe a molecule that has more than two atoms[1]



polybasic

polybasic
pol·y·ba·sic 
[pòllee báyssik] adjective

with several hydrogen atoms:
used to describe a molecule or compound that has two or more atoms of
replaceable hydrogen[1]



polybasite

polybasite
pol·y·ba·site 
[pòllee báy st] noun

mineral
containing silver: a rare gray to black
crystalline mineral containing silver, found near silver ores
[Mid-19th century. From
German Polybasit, from Greek polus “much” + German Basis
“base,” from its chemical composition.][1]



polycarbonate

polycarbonate
pol·y·car·bon·ate 
[pòllee krbə nàyt, pòllee
krbənət] noun

synthetic resin:
a strong synthetic resin used in molded products, unbreakable windows, and
optical components such as spectacle lenses[1]



polycentrism

polycentrism
pol·y·cen·trism 
[pòllee sén trìzzəm] noun

decentralized
Communism:
the belief, formerly held, that national spheres of power not modeled on the
Soviet Union were possible within Communism
—pol·y·cen·tric,
adjective

—pol·y·cen·trist, noun,
adjective[1]



polychete

polychete
pol·y·chete
[póllee kt] (plural pol·y·chetes)
noun

marine
worm with bristles: a marine worm with a
segmented body and bristled fleshy appendages used in swimming. Class:
Polychaeta
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Polychaeta, class name, from Greek polukhaitēs
“having much hair,” from khaitē “long hair.”]
—pol·y·che·tous [pòllee ktəss], adjective[1]



polychlorinatedbiphenyl

polychlorinatedbiphenyl
pol·y·chlo·rin·at·ed
bi·phen·yl 
[pòlli kláwri naytəd bī fénn’l, pòlli kláwri naytəd bī fn’l] noun

Full form of
PCB[1]



polychromatic

polychromatic
pol·y·chro·mat·ic 
[pòllee krō máttik] adjective

1.  with
many colors: having, showing, or consisting of many
colors, either at the same time or in sequence

2.  with
many wavelengths: used to describe electromagnetic
radiation that has multiple wavelengths

[1]



polychrome

polychrome
pol·y·chrome 
[póllee krm] adjective

1.  with
multi-colored decoration: decorated with many or
varied colors

2.  PHYSICS See polychromatic  adjective 1
noun
(plural pol·y·chromes)

ARTS multicolored
object:
a polychrome object or artifact

[1]



polyclinic

polyclinic
pol·y·clin·ic
[pòllee klínnik] (plural pol·y·clin·ics)
noun

clinic offering many
specialties: a clinic, often
independent of a hospital, in which medical care is provided by a range of
specialists[1]



polyclone

polyclone
pol·y·clone 
[póllee kln] (plural pol·y·clones)
noun

clone
derived from different cells: a clone derived from groups
of cells of different ancestry or genetic constitution
—pol·y·clo·nal
[pòllee klṓn’l], adjective

—pol·y·clo·nal·ly [pòllee klṓnəlee], adverb[1]



polyconicprojection

polyconicprojection
pol·y·con·ic
pro·jec·tion noun

conic map projection:
a conic map projection in which all meridians, except the central, are curved
and the parallels are nonconcentric arcs[1]



polycotyledon

polycotyledon
pol·y·cot·y·le·don 
[pòllee kótt’l d’n] (plural pol·y·cot·y·le·dons)
noun

plant
with several cotyledons: a plant with more than two
cotyledons
—pol·y·cot·y·le·don·ous,
adjective[1]



polycyclic

polycyclic
pol·y·cy·clic 
[pòllee sklik, pòllee
síklik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY with
several whorls: used to describe a shell that has two or
more whorls

2.  CHEMISTRY with
several rings of atoms: used to describe a compound
having two or more closed rings of atoms
—pol·y·cy·clic, noun[1]



polycystic

polycystic
pol·y·cys·tic 
[pòllee sístik] adjective

having many cysts:
used to describe an organ, for example, a kidney or ovary, that has developed
multiple cysts[1]



polycythemia

polycythemia
pol·y·cy·the·mi·a 
[pòllee sī thmee ə] noun

abnormal
increase in red blood cells: an abnormal increase in red
blood cells, occurring on its own or in conjunction with other diseases,
especially of the respiratory or circulatory systems
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from poly- + -cyte
+ hemo- + -ia,
literally “many-blood-cell disease.”][1]



polydactyl

polydactyl
pol·y·dac·tyl 
[pòllee dákt’l] adjective

with
more digits than normal: used to describe
vertebrates, including human beings, that have more than the normal number of
fingers or toes
—pol·y·dac·tyl, noun[1]



polydipsia

polydipsia
pol·y·dip·si·a 
[pòllee dípsee ə] noun

great
thirst:
abnormally excessive thirst
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from poly- + Greek dipsa
“thirst” + -ia .]
—pol·y·dip·sic [pòllee dípsik], adjective[1]



polyelectrolyte

polyelectrolyte
pol·y·e·lec·tro·lyte 
[pòllee i léktrə lt] (plural pol·y·e·lec·tro·lytes)
noun

electrolyte with high
molecular weight: an electrolyte that has
a high molecular weight, for example, a protein[1]



polyembryony

polyembryony
pol·y·em·bry·o·ny 
[pòllee émbree ənee, pòllee em br ənee] noun

multiple
embryo production: the production of more than
one embryo from a single egg
—pol·y·em·bry·on·ic [pòllee émbree ónnik], adjective[1]



polyene

polyene
pol·y·ene 
[póllee n] (plural pol·y·enes)
noun

hydrocarbon with alternating
bonds: a hydrocarbon that has many
alternating single and double carbon-carbon bonds[1]



polyester

polyester
pol·y·es·ter 
[póllee èstər, pòllee
éstər] (plural pol·y·es·ters) noun

1.  synthetic
polymer:
a synthetic polymer used in making resins, plastics, and textile fibers. The
monomer units of polyesters are linked together by the chemical group -COO-.

2.  synthetic
fabric:
a strong hard-wearing synthetic fabric with low moisture absorbency, made from
a polyester.
Also
called
poly

[1]



polyethylene

polyethylene
pol·y·eth·yl·ene 
[pòllee éthə ln] noun

synthetic polymer:
a plastic polymer of ethylene used to make containers, packaging, and
electrical insulation.
U.K. term
polythene
Also called
poly[1]



polyethyleneglycol

polyethyleneglycol
pol·y·eth·yl·ene
gly·col
noun

ethylene polymer:
any of several polymers of ethylene compounds that are used as emulsifiers and
lubricants in ointments and cosmetics[1]



polygamy

polygamy
po·lyg·a·my 
[pə líggəmee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY having
multiple spouses: the custom of having more than one
spouse at the same time.
Also
called
plural marriage

2.  ZOOLOGY having
multiple mates: animal mating in which an individual
mates with more than one animal during any single breeding season
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Greek polugamos
“often married,” from Greek gamos “marriage.”]
—po·lyg·a·mist,
noun

—po·lyg·a·mous,
adjective

—po·lyg·a·mous·ly, adverb[1]



polygene

polygene
pol·y·gene 
[póllee jn] (plural pol·y·genes)
noun

gene
determining degree of a characteristic: any
in a group of genes where the number of those genes present collectively
determines the extent of a characteristic, for example, height
—pol·y·gen·ic
[pòllee jénnik], adjective

—pol·y·gen·i·cal·ly [pòllee jénnikəlee], adverb[1]



polygenesis

polygenesis
pol·y·gen·e·sis 
[pòllee jénnəssiss] noun

origin
from multiple sources: origin from more than one
species, line of ancestors, or source
—pol·y·gen·et·ic
[pòllee jə néttik], adjective

—pol·y·gen·et·i·cal·ly
[pòllee jə néttikəlee], adverb[1]



polyglot

polyglot
pol·y·glot 
[póllee glòt] adjective

1.  competent
in many languages: capable of reading, writing,
or speaking many languages

2.  in
many languages: written or communicated in many
languages
noun
(plural pol·y·glots)

1.  multilingual
person:
somebody who has a command of many languages

2.  book
containing text in many languages: a book, especially a
Bible, that gives the text in several languages

3.  mix
of languages: a confused mixture of languages
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Greek poluglōttos, from glōtta “tongue,
language” (source of English glottis
and glossary ).]
—pol·y·glot·ism [póllee glo tìzzəm], noun[1]



polygon

polygon
pol·y·gon 
[póllee gòn] (plural pol·y·gons)
noun

many-sided
figure:
a geometrical plane figure with three or more straight sides
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek polugōnos “many-angled,” from -gōnos
“-angled.”]
—po·lyg·o·nal
[pə líggən’l], adjective

—po·lyg·o·nal·ly [pə líggənəlee], adverb[1]



polygonum

polygonum
po·lyg·o·num 
[pə líggənəm] (plural po·lyg·o·nums)
noun

plant
with knotty stem joints: a plant with bulbous stem
joints and spikes of small flowers. Genus: Polygonum
[Early 18th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek polugonon “knotgrass,” literally
“many-jointed,” from gonu “knee, joint.”][1]



polygraph

polygraph
pol·y·graph 
[póllee gràf] noun (plural pol·y·graphs)

1.  device
recording involuntary responses: an electrical device
that registers several involuntary physical activities, including pulse rate
and perspiration. It is often used as a lie detector.

2.  test
using polygraph: a test using a polygraph, or a result of
this test
transitive
verb
(past pol·y·graphed, past participle pol·y·graphed,
present participle pol·y·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular pol·y·graphs)

test somebody using polygraph:
to test somebody, usually somebody suspected of committing a crime, using a
polygraph
[Mid-20th
century. From the fact that it measures a number of physiological indicators at
the same time.]
—pol·y·graph·ic
[pòllee gráffik], adjective

—pol·y·graph·i·cal·ly
[pòllee gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



polygyny

polygyny
po·lyg·y·ny 
[pə líjjənee] noun

1.  ANTHROPOLOGY having
multiple wives: the custom of being married to more than
one wife at the same time.
See
also
polygamy

2.  ZOOLOGY having
multiple mates: animal mating in which a male mates with
more than one female during any single breeding season

3.  BOTANY having
many pistils or styles: the possession by a plant of
many pistils or styles
[Late
18th century. Formed from Greek gunē “woman” (source of English gyneco-
).]
—po·lyg·y·nist,
noun

—po·lyg·y·nous, adjective[1]



polyhedra

polyhedra
pol·y·he·dra 
noun

Plural of
polyhedron[1]



polyhedral

polyhedral
pol·y·he·dral
[pòllee hdrəl] adjective

of a polyhedron:
relating to or in the form of a polyhedron[1]



polyhedralangle

polyhedralangle
pol·y·he·dral
an·gle
(plural pol·y·he·dral an·gles) noun

angle formed by intersecting
planes: a geometric angle formed by
the intersection of three or more planes meeting at a point, for example, the
peak of a pyramid[1]



polyhedron

polyhedron
pol·y·he·dron 
[pòllee hdrən] (plural pol·y·he·drons
or pol·y·he·dra [pòllee hdrə])
noun

many-sided
solid figure: a solid geometric figure that has many
faces. A regular polyhedron has its faces formed from identical regular
polygons that make equal angles with each other.
[Late 16th century. From
Greek poluedron “many-based figure,” from hedra “base.”][1]



polyhydroxy

polyhydroxy
pol·y·hy·drox·y
[pòllee hī dróksee] or pol·y·hy·dric
[pòllee hdrik] adjective

with several hydroxyl groups:
used to describe a compound that has two or more hydroxyl groups in each
molecule[1]



Polyhymnia

Polyhymnia
Pol·y·hym·ni·a 
[pòllee hímnee ə] noun

Muse of singing:
in Greek mythology, the Muse responsible for songs and dances dedicated to the
deities[1]



polyimide

polyimide
pol·y·im·ide 
[pòllee í md, pòllee
ímmid] (plural pol·y·im·ides) noun

tough polymer used as
coating: any tough durable polymer
that contains an imido group, chiefly used in heat-resistant coatings[1]



polymath

polymath
pol·y·math 
[póllee màth] (plural pol·y·maths)
noun

somebody
with wide-ranging knowledge: somebody who is
knowledgeable in a variety of subjects
[Early
17th century. From Greek polumathēs, literally “somebody with much
learning,” from manthanein “to learn” (source of English mathematics ).]
—pol·y·math·ic
[pòllee máthik], adjective

—pol·y·ma·thy [pə límməthee], noun[1]



polymer

polymer
pol·y·mer 
[pólləmər] (plural pol·y·mers)
noun

compound
with repeating small molecules: a natural or synthetic
compound that consists of large molecules made of many chemically bonded
smaller identical molecules. Starch and nylon are polymers .
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek polumerēs “having many parts,” from meros
“part.”]
—pol·y·mer·ic [pòllə mérrik], adjective[1]



polymerase

polymerase
pol·y·mer·ase 
[pə límmə ràyz, pə
límmə ràyss] (plural pol·y·mer·ases) noun

enzyme catalyzing polymer:
any enzyme that catalyzes a polymer, especially in DNA or RNA[1]



polymerasechain reaction

polymerasechain reaction
pol·y·mer·ase
chain re·ac·tion  noun

technique to replicate DNA
sequence: a technique used to
replicate a fragment of DNA in order to replicate the DNA sequence[1]



polymerization

polymerization
po·lym·er·i·za·tion 
[pə lìmməri záysh’n, pòlliməri záysh’n] noun

process
of making polymers: the chemical reaction in
which a compound is made into a polymer by the addition or condensation of
smaller molecules
—pol·y·mer·ize [pólləmə rz, pə límmə
rz], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



polymerous

polymerous
po·lym·er·ous 
[pə límmərəss] adjective

with many parts:
used to describe an organism that consists of many parts or segments[1]



polymorph

polymorph
pol·y·morph 
[póllee màwrf] (plural pol·y·morphs)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY animal
or plant with many forms: an animal or plant that has
several different adult forms

2.  CHEMISTRY chemical
compound with different forms: a chemical compound
that has several crystalline forms
—pol·y·mor·phic
[pòllee máwrfik], adjective

—pol·y·mor·phism [pòllee máwr fìzzəm], noun[1]



polymyxin

polymyxin
pol·y·myx·in 
[pòllee míksin] (plural pol·y·myx·ins)
noun

antibiotic:
a peptide antibiotic that is derived from a soil bacterium
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Polymyxa, species name, from poly-
+ Greek muxa “slime.”][1]



Polynesia

Polynesia
Pol·y·ne·sia 
[pòllə nə]

one of three major divisions
of the Pacific Islands, encompassing a number of island groups in the central
and southern Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, Samoa, and the Cook Islands[1]



Polynesian

Polynesian
Pol·y·ne·sian 
[pòllee nzh’n] noun (plural Pol·y·ne·sians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Polynesia: somebody who was born or raised on any
of the many islands of the central and southern Pacific

2.  LANGUAGE language
group of Polynesia: a group of languages,
including Fijian, Hawaiian, and Maori, spoken on islands of the central and
southern Pacific. They form a branch of the Austronesian family of languages.
About 800,000 people speak a Polynesian language.
adjective

1.  of
Polynesia:
relating to any of the countries or islands of Polynesia, their people, or
their cultures

2.  LANGUAGE of
Polynesian:
relating to the group of languages called Polynesian

[1]



polyneuritis

polyneuritis
pol·y·neu·ri·tis 
[pòllee noo rtiss] noun

inflammation of nerves:
simultaneous inflammation of several nerves at once.
Also called
multiple neuritis[1]



Polynices

Polynices
Pol·y·ni·ces 
[pòllee nseez] noun

mythological son of Oedipus:
in Greek mythology, one of the sons of Oedipus and Jocasta. He and his brother
Eteocles killed each other in a struggle over the throne of Thebes.[1]



polynomial

polynomial
pol·y·no·mi·al 
[pòllə nṓmee əl] adjective

SCIENCE with
more than two terms: used to describe a
mathematical expression that has more than two terms, or a system of taxonomic
nomenclature that uses more than two names
noun
(plural pol·y·no·mi·als)
Also
called
multinomial

1.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
expression:
a mathematical expression consisting of the sum of a number of terms, each of
which contains a constant and variables raised to a positive integral power

2.  BIOLOGY multi-term
taxonomic name: a taxonomic name of a plant or animal
that has more than two terms, for example, one giving a genus, species, and
subspecies
[Late 17th century. Modeled
on binomial .][1]



polynucleotide

polynucleotide
pol·y·nu·cle·o·tide 
[pòllee nklee ə td] (plural pol·y·nu·cle·o·tides)
noun

chain of nucleotides:
a chemical compound made up of many nucleotides linked to one another, forming
a chain[1]



polyol

polyol
pol·y·ol
[póllee àwl] (plural pol·y·ols)
noun

alcohol with multiple
hydroxyl groups: any alcohol that
contains more than two hydroxyl groups. Glycerol is a polyol .
Also called
polyalcohol[1]



polyoma

polyoma
poly·oma 
[pòlli ṓmə] or poly·oma vi·rus
[pòlli ṓmə] noun

rodent virus:
a virus in rodents that can produce tumors[1]



polyp

polyp
pol·yp 
[póllip] (plural pol·yps) noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY sedentary
stage of marine invertebrate: a single-cavity marine
invertebrate ( coelenterate ) in its
sedentary stage. It attaches to rock at one end of its cylindrical body and has
a tentacled mouth at the other end. This stage usually alternates with a
free-swimming form.

2.  MEDICINE benign
growth on body: a small stalk-shaped growth sticking out
from the skin or from a mucous membrane. Polyps are mostly benign, but some
become malignant.
[14th
century. Via French polipe and Latin polypus from Greek polupous
“octopus,” literally “many-footed,” from pous “foot” (source of English podium ).]
—pol·yp·oid,
adjective

—poly·pous, adjective[1]



polypeptide

polypeptide
pol·y·pep·tide 
[pòllee pép td] (plural pol·y·pep·tides)
noun

amino-acid chain:
a natural or synthetic compound consisting of linked amino acids. Proteins are
polypeptides .[1]



polypetalous

polypetalous
pol·y·pet·al·ous 
[pòllee pétt’ləss] adjective

with many distinct petals:
used to describe flowers with many separate petals, for example, roses and
carnations[1]



polyphagia

polyphagia
pol·y·pha·gi·a 
[pòllee fáyjə, pòllee
fáyjee ə] noun

1.  MED abnormally
huge appetite: an abnormally insatiable appetite for
food

2.  BIOLOGY diet
of many foods: the habit on the part of certain animals
of feeding on many different types of food
—po·lyph·a·gous [pə líffəgəss], adjective[1]



polyphase

polyphase
pol·y·phase
[póllee fàyz] adjective

producing multiple phases or
voltages: producing two or more phases
of alternating current, or two or more alternating voltages of the same
frequency[1]



Polyphemus

Polyphemus
Pol·y·phe·mus 
[pòllee fməss] noun

cyclops blinded by Odysseus:
in Greek mythology, a cyclops who imprisoned Odysseus, who put out Polyphemus’s
one eye[1]



polyphemusmoth

polyphemusmoth
pol·y·phe·mus
moth 
(plural pol·y·phe·mus moths) noun

moth with eyespot on wing:
a large North American moth with a large transparent blue eyespot on each hind
wing. Latin name: Antheraea polyphemus[1]



polyphone

polyphone
pol·y·phone 
[póllee fn] (plural pol·y·phones)
noun

letter with several
pronunciations: a letter or character
that has more than one way of being pronounced[1]



polyphonic

polyphonic
pol·y·phon·ic 
[pòllee fónnik] adjective

1.  MUSIC with
several melodies: consisting of two or more largely
independent melodic lines, parts, or voices that sound simultaneously

2.  LINGUISTICS with
several possible pronunciations: used to describe a
letter or character that may be pronounced in several different ways
—pol·y·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



polyphonicprose

polyphonicprose
pol·y·phon·ic
prose
noun

poetic prose:
highly rhythmic prose that makes use of poetic devices such as alliteration and
assonance[1]



polyphony

polyphony


po·lyph·o·ny 
[pə líffənee] noun

1.  MUSIC music
with several melodies: musical composition that
uses simultaneous, largely independent, melodic parts, lines, or voices

2.  LINGUISTICS use
of letter for different sounds: the representation of
different sounds by the same letter in a writing system
[Early
19th century. From Greek poluphōnia “multiplicity of sounds,” from,
ultimately, phōnē “voice, sound” (see -phone
).]
—po·lyph·o·nous,
adjective

—po·lyph·o·nous·ly, adverb[1]



polyphyletic

polyphyletic
pol·y·phy·let·ic 
[pòllee fī léttik] adjective

with
several ancestral lines: derived or descended from
several groups of ancestors
—pol·y·phy·let·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



polyploid

polyploid
pol·y·ploid 
[póllee plòyd] adjective

with
multiple chromosomes: having more than twice the
basic number of chromosomes
—pol·y·ploid,
noun

—pol·y·ploi·dy [póllee plòydee], noun[1]



polypod

polypod
pol·y·pod 
[póllee pòd] adjective

many-footed:
used to describe an insect larva with a large number of legs and feet, or this
larval stage in the development of some insects
[Mid-18th
century. Via French from the Greek stem polupod- “many-footed,” from pous
“foot” (source of English podium ).]
—pol·y·pod, noun[1]



polypody

polypody
pol·y·po·dy 
[póllee pdee] (plural pol·y·po·dies)
noun

evergreen
fern:
a fern with evergreen pinnate leaves and a creeping rootstock. Genus: Polypodium
[15th century. Via Latin polypodium
from Greek polupodion, literally “many-footed one.”][1]



polyposis

polyposis
pol·yp·o·sis 
[pòllee pṓssiss] noun

growth of internal polyps:
a condition in which numerous polyps develop in a hollow organ, for example,
the bowel[1]



polypropylene

polypropylene
pol·y·pro·pyl·ene 
[pòllee prṓpə ln] or pol·y·pro·pene
[pòllee prṓ pn] noun

versatile plastic:
a thermoplastic substance that is a synthetic polymer of propylene, used in
making pipes, industrial fibers, and molded objects[1]



polyptych

polyptych
pol·yp·tych 
[póllip tìk] (plural pol·yp·tychs)
noun

set
of painted panels: an arrangement of three or
more panels with a painting or carving on each, usually hinged together and
used as an altarpiece in a church
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
diptych .][1]



polyrhythm

polyrhythm
pol·y·rhythm 
[póllee rìəm] noun

music
with contrasting rhythms: musical composition that
employs several simultaneous, contrasting rhythms
—pol·y·rhyth·mic
[pòllee rímik], adjective

—pol·y·rhyth·mi·cal·ly
[pòllee rímikəlee], adverb[1]



polyribosome

polyribosome
pol·y·ri·bo·some 
[pòllee rbə sm] (plural pol·y·ri·bo·somes)
noun

linked cluster of ribosomes:
a cluster of ribosomes linked by a strand of messenger RNA and functioning as a
site of protein synthesis.
Also called
polysome[1]



polysaccharide

polysaccharide
pol·y·sac·cha·ride 
[pòllee sákə rd] (plural pol·y·sac·cha·rides)
or pol·y·sac·cha·rose [pòllee sákə
rd] (plural pol·y·sac·cha·roses) noun

complex carbohydrate:
a complex carbohydrate, for example, starch or cellulose, made up of sugar
molecules linked into a branched or chain structure[1]



polysemy

polysemy
pol·y·semy 
[póllee smee] noun

having
multiple meanings: the existence of several
meanings for a single word or phrase
[Early
20th century. Via modern Latin polysemia from, ultimately, Greek polusēmos
“having many meanings,” from sēma “sign” (see semantic
).]
—pol·y·se·mous [pòllee sməss], adjective[1]



polysepalous

polysepalous
pol·y·sep·al·ous 
[pòllee séppələss] adjective

with separate sepals:
used to describe flowers that have distinctly separate sepals[1]



polysome

polysome
pol·y·some 
[pólli sm] (plural pol·y·somes)
noun

See
polyribosome
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction.][1]



polysomic

polysomic
pol·y·so·mic 
[pòllee sṓmik] adjective

with repeated chromosomes:
used to describe a diploid cell or organism in which some of the chromosomes
occur more than twice[1]



polysorbate

polysorbate
pol·y·sor·bate 
[pòllee sáwr bàyt, pòllee
sáwrbət] (plural pol·y·sor·bates) noun

emulsifier
in food and drugs: an emulsifier used in
preparing some foods and drugs
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from poly- + sorbitol
+ -ate .][1]



polyspermy

polyspermy
pol·y·sper·my 
[póllee spùrmee] noun

multiple fertilization of
ovum: the fertilization of an egg
by several spermatozoa[1]



polystichous

polystichous
po·lys·ti·chous 
[pə lístikəss] adjective

arranged
in multiple rows: used to describe parts of a plant that
are arranged in two or more series of rows
[Late 19th century. Modeled
on distichous .][1]



polystyrene

polystyrene
pol·y·sty·rene 
[pòllee st rn] noun

synthetic packing or
insulating material: a synthetic
polymer of styrene that is stable in various physical forms. As a white rigid
foam expanded polystyrene it is used for packing and insulation.[1]



polysulfide

polysulfide
pol·y·sul·fide 
[pòllee súl fd] noun

sulfide with multiple atoms
of sulfur: a sulfide whose molecules
have two or more atoms of sulfur[1]



polysyllabic

polysyllabic
pol·y·syl·lab·ic 
[pòllee si lábbik] adjective

1.  with
several syllables: having more than one or two
syllables

2.  with
many long words: using or containing very long words,
often where shorter words would be adequate or better
—pol·y·syl·lab·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



polysyllable

polysyllable
pol·y·syl·la·ble 
[pòllee sílləb’l] (plural pol·y·syl·la·bles)
noun

word with many syllables:
a word that has more than one or two syllables[1]



polysynaptic

polysynaptic
pol·y·syn·ap·tic 
[pòllee si náptik] adjective

using two or more synapses:
used to describe a reflex in the central nervous system that uses two or more
synapses[1]



polysyndeton

polysyndeton
pol·y·syn·de·ton 
[pòllee síndə tòn] noun

repetition
of conjunctions: the use of multiple conjunctions or
coordinate clauses in close succession, as, in “The bad news caused him to weep
and cry and wail”
[Late 16th century. Modeled
on asyndeton .][1]



polysynthetic

polysynthetic
pol·y·syn·thet·ic 
[pòllee sin théttik] adjective

having
many affixes: used to describe a language in which the
syntax is conveyed by means of multiple affixes to single words
—pol·y·syn·the·sis
[pòllee sínthəssiss], noun

—pol·y·syn·thet·i·cal·ly
[pòllee sin théttikəlee], adverb[1]



polytechnic

polytechnic
pol·y·tech·nic 
[pòllee téknik] (plural pol·y·tech·nics)
noun

college
offering vocational courses: a college offering a range
of courses, some of them vocational or technical, at or below the bachelor’s
degree level
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Greek polutekhnos “multi-skilled,” from tekhnē
“skill” (source of English technical
).][1]



polytene

polytene
pol·y·tene 
[póllee tn] adjective

having
multi-stranded chromosomes: with multi-stranded
chromosomes in contact with corresponding chromosomes
—pol·y·te·nic
[pòllee tnik], adjective

—pol·y·ten·y [póllee tnee], noun[1]



polytetrafluoroethylene

polytetrafluoroethylene
pol·y·tet·ra·fluor·o·eth·yl·ene 
[pòllee tettrə floorō éthə ln, pòllee tettrə flawrō éthə ln] noun

tough thermoplastic:
a durable, chemically resistant, nonflammable thermoplastic substance widely
used to coat metal surfaces, especially the surfaces of cooking pots to make
them nonstick[1]



polytheism

polytheism
pol·y·the·ism 
[póllee thee ìzzəm, pòllee
th ìzzəm] noun

belief
in several deities: worshiping of or believing
in more than one deity, especially several deities
[Early
17th century. Via French from Greek polutheos “of many deities,” from theos
“deity” (see theo- ).]
—pol·y·the·ist,
noun

—pol·y·the·is·tic
[pòllee thee ístik], adjective

—pol·y·the·is·ti·cal·ly
[pòllee thee ístikəlee], adverb[1]



polytonality

polytonality
pol·y·to·nal·i·ty 
[pòllee tō nállətee] noun

music
simultaneously in several keys: music composed in such
a way that several keys are used at once
—pol·y·to·nal
[pòllee tṓn’l], adjective

—pol·y·to·nal·ly [pòllee tṓnəlee], adverb[1]



polytrophic

polytrophic
pol·y·tro·phic 
[pòllee tróffik] adjective

deriving food from many
sources: used to describe bacteria
that derive food from several different sources[1]



polytypic

polytypic
pol·y·typ·ic 
[pòllee típpik] or pol·y·typ·i·cal
[pòllee típpik’l] adjective

with many subdivisions:
used to describe a taxonomic subset, especially a species, that has many
subdivisions[1]



polyunsaturated

polyunsaturated
pol·y·un·sat·u·rat·ed 
[pòllee un sáchə ràytəd] adjective

low in cholesterol:
belonging to a class of fats, especially plant oils, that are less likely to be
converted into cholesterol in the body. Their molecules have long carbon chains
with many double bonds unsaturated by hydrogen atoms.[1]



polyurethane

polyurethane
pol·y·ur·e·thane 
[pòllee yrə thàyn] (plural pol·y·ur·e·thanes)
noun

synthetic plastic:
any of a group of thermoplastic polymers that are used in resins, coatings,
insulation, adhesives, foams, and fibers. They contain the NHCOO chemical
group.
Also called
urethane[1]



polyuria

polyuria
pol·y·u·ri·a 
[pòllee yree ə] noun

excessive urination:
the passing of abnormally large amounts of urine, for example, in untreated
diabetes[1]



polyvalent

polyvalent
pol·y·va·lent 
[pòllee váylənt] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY with
more than one valence: used to describe a chemical
element that has more than one valence or a valence of more than two

2.  BIOLOGY effective
against multiple agents: used to describe a vaccine
that is effective against more than one strain of microorganism, toxin,
antigen, or antibody
—pol·y·va·len·cy, noun[1]



polyvinyl

polyvinyl
pol·y·vi·nyl 
[pòllee vn’l] adjective

of vinyl polymers:
used to describe plastics and resins produced by the polymerization of vinyls[1]



polyvinylacetate

polyvinylacetate
pol·y·vi·nyl
ac·e·tate
noun

Full form of
PVA[1]



polyvinylchloride

polyvinylchloride
pol·y·vi·nyl
chlo·ride
noun

Full form of
PVC[1]



Polyxena

Polyxena
Pol·y·xe·na 
[pə líksənə] noun

daughter of Priam:
in Greek mythology, one of the daughters of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of
Troy, sacrificed at the command of the ghost of Achilles[1]



polyzoan

polyzoan
pol·y·zo·an 
[pòlli zṓ ən] (plural pol·y·zo·ans)
noun

BIOLOGY See bryozoan
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Polyzoa, former phylum name, from poly- + -zoon
.][1]



pom

pom
pom
[pom] (plural poms) noun

Australia,
New Zealand
British
person:
a British person (informal humorous or disapproving)
Also
called
pommy
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of pommy .][1]



pomace

pomace
pom·ace 
[púmməss, pómməss]
noun

1.  remains
of crushed fruit: the pulpy mass that remains after apples
or other fruits have been crushed and pressed to extract the juice, for
example, to make cider

2.  food
remains after oil extraction: the pulpy mass that remains
after nuts, fish, or other foods have been crushed and pressed to extract oil
or another liquid
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin pomacium “cider” from, ultimately, Latin pomum
“apple, fruit.”][1]



pomacefly

pomacefly
pom·ace
fly
noun

fly feeding on rotten fruit:
a tiny fly that lives on decaying fruit, commonly found where cider or wine is
being made. Family: Drosophilidae[1]



pomaceous

pomaceous
po·ma·ceous 
[pō máyshəss] adjective

fleshy
with central core: used to describe a fruit in
the form of a large fleshy receptacle with a central seed-bearing core ( pome ), for example, the apple and the pear
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin pomum “apple.”][1]



pomade

pomade
po·made 
[pō máyd, pə
máyd, pō md] noun (plural
po·mades)

dressing
for hair:
a perfumed oil or ointment used to make hair look smooth and shiny
transitive
verb
(past po·mad·ed, past participle po·mad·ed, present
participle po·mad·ing, 3rd person present singular po·mades)

put
pomade on:
to dress hair with pomade
[Mid-16th century. Via French
pommade from, ultimately, Latin pomum “apple,” probably because
it was originally made with apples.][1]



pomander

pomander
po·man·der 
[pṓ màndər, pō
mándər] (plural po·man·ders) noun

1.  aromatic
mixture:
a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a sachet, ball, or other
container, kept near stored clothes or in a room to impart a pleasant smell. In
former times, a pomander was worn as a protection against disease.

2.  pomander
container:
a container for a pomander, usually a lidded pottery bowl with holes

3.  clove-studded
orange:
an orange or apple studded with cloves and used to scent clothes or a room
[15th century. From Old
French pome d’embre, literally “apple of amber.”][1]



pome

pome
pome 
[pōm] (plural pomes) noun

fruit
type:
a fleshy fruit that has a central core typically containing five seeds, for
example, an apple or pear
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin pomum “apple.”][1]



pomegranate

pomegranate

pome·gran·ate 
[pómmə grànnət, póm
grànnət, púmmə grànnət, púm grànnət] (plural pome·gran·ates)
noun

1.  FOOD round
red fruit:
a round reddish orange-sized fruit with a tough rind enclosing several chambers
that are filled with numerous seeds surrounded by tart juicy red pulp

2.  TREES Asian
tree:
the tropical tree, native to Asia, that bears the pomegranate. Latin name: Punica
granatum
[14th century. From Old
French pome grenate, literally “seedy apple.”][1]



pomelo

pomelo
pom·e·lo 
[pómmə l] (plural pom·e·los) noun

1.  FOOD citrus
fruit:
a yellowy-orange citrus fruit similar to a large grapefruit.
Also
called
shaddock

2.  (plural
pom·e·los or pom·e·lo) TREES
citrus
tree:
the citrus tree, native to Southeast Asia, that bears the pomelo. Latin name: Citrus
maxima
Also
called
shaddock

3.  FOOD See grapefruit
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of pompelmous, from Dutch pompelmoes
.][1]



Pomeranian

Pomeranian

Pom·er·a·ni·an 
[pòmmə ráynee ən] noun (plural
Pom·er·a·ni·ans)

1.  ZOOLOGY small
dog:
a breed of small dog with a long silky coat, pointed ears, a pointed muzzle,
and a long curling tail

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Pomerania: somebody who was born in or is an
inhabitant of the central European region of Pomerania, which lies mostly in
modern Poland
adjective

of Pomerania:
relating to the central European region of Pomerania, its people, or their
culture
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Pomerania in central Europe.][1]



pomiculture

pomiculture
po·mi·cul·ture 
[pṓmi kùlchər] noun

fruit
cultivation: the cultivation of fruit
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin pomum “apple, fruit” + culture
.][1]



pomiferous

pomiferous
po·mif·er·ous 
[pō míffərəss] adjective

bearing
fruit like apples: used to describe fruit
plants that bear apples, pears, or any related fleshy fruit with five seeds ( pome )
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin pomifer, from pomum “apple, fruit.”][1]



pommel

pommel
pom·mel 
[púmm’l, pómm’l]
noun (plural pom·mels)

1.  EQUESTRIAN front
of saddle:
the front part of a saddle that curves upward

2.  ARMS part
of sword handle: the knob at the hilt of a sword

3.  GYMNASTICS handle
on pommel horse: either of the two curved handles on the
top of a pommel horse
transitive
verb

See pummel
[14th century. Via Old French
pomel, literally “little fruit,” from, ultimately, Latin pomum
“fruit.”][1]



pommelhorse

pommelhorse
pom·mel
horse
(plural pom·mel hors·es) noun

1.  gymnastics
apparatus:
a padded oblong piece of gymnastics apparatus that is raised off the floor and
has two curved handles on the top

2.  gymnastics
event:
the men’s gymnastics event that involves balancing and maneuvering on a pommel
horse

[1]



pommy

pommy
pom·my
[pómmee] adjective

Australia,
New Zealand
British:
British (informal humorous or disapproving)
noun
(plural pom·mies)

Australia,
New Zealand
(informal humorous or disapproving) See pom
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of pomegranate, alteration of Jimmy
Grant or Pummy Grant, rhyming slang for immigrant .][1]



pomo

pomo
po·mo 
[pṓmō] or po-mo [pṓmō] adjective

postmodern:
postmodern (informal) “beat-generation, counterculture, and pomo
literature” Hawkeye FutureCulture FAQ part 1 & 2 1992[1]



Pomo

Pomo
Po·mo 
(plural Po·mo or Po·mos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a group of
Native North American peoples living in northern California

2.  LANGUAGE Native
American language: any of several closely
related Native American languages spoken in parts of northern California. They
belong to the Hokan branch of Hokan-Siouan languages.
[Late
19th century. From northern Pomo p h ó·mo·
“at the red earth hole.”]
—Po·mo, adjective[1]



pomology

pomology
po·mol·o·gy 
[pō mólləjee] noun

fruit
cultivation: the study or practice of cultivating
fruit
[Early
19th century. Coined from Latin pomum “fruit” + -logy
.]
—po·mo·log·i·cal
[pmə lójjik’l], adjective

—po·mo·log·i·cal·ly
[pmə lójjikəlee], adverb

—po·mol·o·gist [pō mólləjist], noun[1]



Pomona

Pomona
Po·mo·na 
[pə mṓnə] noun

Roman
goddess:
the Roman goddess of fruit
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, from pomum “fruit.”][1]



pomp

pomp
pomp 
[pomp] noun

1.  ceremonial
splendor:
a display of great splendor and magnificence

2.  self-importance:
an ostentatious and vain display of importance
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek pompē “solemn
procession, sendoff, escort,” from pempein “to send,” of unknown
origin.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Pomp
  and Circumstance, an orchestral work by British composer Edward Elgar ( parts
  1 to 4: 1901-1907; part 5: 1930 ). The title of this series of five military
  marches (op. 39) derives from the reference in Shakespeare’s Othello
  (III iii) to the “pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war.”

[1]



pompadour

pompadour
pom·pa·dour 
[pómpə dàwr, pómpə
dr] (plural pom·pa·dours) noun

1.  woman’s
hairstyle:
a woman’s hairstyle, popular in the 18th century, in which the hair is swept
back high off the face over a pad

2.  man’s
hairstyle:
a man’s hairstyle in which the hair is combed back off the face to form a mound
above the forehead
[Mid-18th century. Named for
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour ( 1721–1764 ), who
popularized the style.][1]



pompano

pompano
pom·pa·no 
[pómpə n] (plural pom·pa·nos or
pom·pa·no) noun

1.  Atlantic
fish:
a marine food fish with a deep flat body and forked tail, found off the
southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. Latin name: Trachinotus
carolinus

2.  See
butterfish
[Late 18th century. From
Spanish pámpano, of uncertain origin: possibly from pámpana “vine
leaf” (from its shape) or Latin pampinus “tendril” (from its markings).][1]



Pompeianred

Pompeianred
Pom·pei·an
red
[pom pày ən réd] adjective

orangish-red:
of a red color that is tinged with orange, resembling the color of the walls of
houses found in Pompeii
—Pom·pei·an red, noun[1]



Pompeii

Pompeii
Pom·pe·ii 
[pom páy, pom
páy ee]

ancient Roman city in
southern Italy. It was buried by volcanic ash during the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in AD 79, and has since
been partly excavated.[1]



Pompey

Pompey
Pom·pey 
[pómpee] (106 BC–48 BC)

Roman
general and statesman. He formed the First Triumvirate with Caesar and Crassus.
After quarreling with Caesar, he was defeated by him at Pharsalus (48 BC ) and escaped to Egypt, where he was
assassinated.
Full name
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus Known as Pompey the Great[1]



Pompidou,Georges

Pompidou,Georges
Pom·pi·dou
[pómpi d], Georges (1911–1974)

French statesman. He was four
times prime minister, and followed de Gaulle as president (1969–1974).[1]



pompilid

pompilid
pom·pil·id 
[pómpəlid] (plural pom·pil·ids)
noun

See
spider hunting wasp
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Pompilidae, family name, ultimately from Greek pompilos
“pilot-fish.”][1]



pom-pom

pom-pom2
pom-pom2 [póm
pòm] (plural pom-poms) noun

rapid-firing
weapon:
a rapid-firing automatic weapon, especially a cannon used in the Boer War or a
double-barreled antiaircraft gun used in World War II (slang)
[An imitation of the sound][1]



pom-pom

pom-pom1
pom-pom1 [póm
pòm] (plural pom-poms) noun

1.  cheerleader’s
accessory:
a cheerleader’s accessory in the form of a large white or brightly colored
ball-shaped mass of thin paper or plastic strips connected to a handle

2.  CLOTHES small
tufted wool ball: a small tufted ball made from wool,
silk, or other material, attached as a decoration to hats, shoes, and other
articles of clothing.
Also
called
pompon

3.  BOTANY See pompon  noun 2
[Mid-18th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



pompon

pompon
pom·pon
[póm pòn] (plural pom·pons) noun

1.  CLOTHES See pom-pom 1 noun 2

2.  BOTANY small
round flower: a small round flower of some
chrysanthemum or dahlia varieties, or a variety that has this kind of flower.
Also
called
pom-pom
[Mid-18th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



pomposity

pomposity
pom·pos·i·ty
[pom póssətee] (plural pom·pos·i·ties)
noun

1.  self-importance:
an excessive sense of self-importance, usually displayed through exaggerated
seriousness or stateliness in speech and manner

2.  pompous
act:
an act, remark, or gesture that is exaggerated in its seriousness or
stateliness and conveys an excessive sense of self-importance

[1]



pompous

pompous
pom·pous 
[pómpəss] adjective

1.  self-important:
having an excessive sense of self-importance, usually displayed through
exaggerated seriousness or stateliness in speech or manner

2.  revealing
self-importance: displaying exaggerated seriousness or
stateliness • a
pompous gesture

3.  ceremonially
grand:
full of splendor and magnificence
[14th
century. Via Old French pompeux from, ultimately, Greek pompē
(see pomp ).]
—pom·pous·ly,
adverb

—pom·pous·ness, noun[1]



Ponca

Ponca
Pon·ca 
[póngkə] (plural Pon·ca or
Pon·cas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who formerly occupied lands around the Niobrara River in
Nebraska and now live mainly in parts of Oklahoma and Nebraska

2.  LANGUAGE Native
American language: a Native American language
spoken in parts of Oklahoma and Nebraska. It belongs to the Siouan branch of
Hokan-Siouan languages and is closely related to Omaha.
[Late
18th century. From Ponka ppákka .]
—Pon·ca, adjective[1]



ponce

ponce
ponce 
[pons] (plural ponces) noun
U.K.

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a man’s sexuality and appearance (slang
insult)

2.  pimp:
a pimp (slang)
[Late
19th century. Origin unknown.]
—pon·cy, adjective[1]



Ponce

Ponce
Pon·ce 
[páwnse]

city and port in southern
Puerto Rico, on the Caribbean Sea. Population: 189,988 (1996)[1]



Ponce(de León), Juan

Ponce(de León), Juan
Ponce
(de León) 
[pònss də l ən, pònth
ay də lee ón], Juan (1460–1521)

Spanish explorer. He was the
first European to reach Florida (1513), but failed in his attempt to set up a
colony there (1521).[1]



poncho

poncho

pon·cho 
[pónchō] (plural pon·chos) noun

1.  cloak:
a simple outer garment for the upper body in the form of a single piece of
heavy cloth, often wool, with a slit in it for the head. Ponchos were
originally worn in South America.

2.  type
of raincoat: a waterproof outer garment with a hood,
made in the style of a poncho
[Early 18th century. From
American Spanish, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Spanish, variant of pocho
“faded.”][1]



pond

pond
pond 
[pond] noun (plural ponds)

pool:
a small still body of water formed naturally or created artificially, for
example, as a feature in a garden
intransitive
verb
(past pond·ed, past participle pond·ed, present
participle pond·ing, 3rd person present singular ponds)

form
pools:
to collect into shallow pools (refers to water)
[13th century. Alteration of pound, in the sense “enclosure for fish.”][1]



pondapple

pondapple
pond
ap·ple
noun

tropical evergreen tree:
an evergreen tree that has fragrant yellow flowers with red markings inside,
found in southern Florida, the American tropics, and West Africa[1]



ponder

ponder
pon·der 
[póndər] (past pon·dered, past
participle pon·dered, present participle pon·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular pon·ders) intransitive and transitive
verb

consider
carefully:
to think about something carefully over a period of time
[14th century. Via Old French
ponderer from Latin ponderare “to weigh, consider,” from pondus
“weight” (see ponderous ).][1]



ponderable

ponderable
pon·der·a·ble 
[póndərəb’l] adjective

1.  appreciable:
significant enough in size or extent to have an effect or be worth taking into
consideration

2.  measurable:
able to be measured, calculated, or predicted
noun
(plural pon·der·ables)

ponderable thing:
something that is ponderable
—pon·der·a·bil·i·ty
[pòndərə bíllətee], noun

—pon·der·a·bly [póndərəblee], adverb[1]



ponderosapine

ponderosapine
pon·der·o·sa
pine
[póndə rṓssə pn] (plural pon·der·o·sa
pines or pon·der·o·sa pine) noun

tall
N American pine: a tall pine of western North America
that has yellowish bark and long dark green needles grouped in twos or threes.
It is valued for its timber. Latin name: Pinus ponderosa
[Ponderosa from modern Latin,
species name, formed from Latin ponderosus “heavy” (see ponderous ), because of its dense wood][1]



ponderous

ponderous
pon·der·ous 
[póndərəss] adjective

1.  moving
heavily:
lumbering and laborious in movement

2.  dull:
without liveliness or wit

3.  heavy-looking:
disproportionately thick and heavy
[14th
century. Via Old French pondereux from Latin ponderosus, from ponder-,
stem of pondus “weight.”]
—pon·der·ous·ly,
adverb

—pon·der·ous·ness, noun[1]



pondlily

pondlily
pond
lil·y
noun

See
water lily[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pondscum

pondscum
pond
scum
noun

floating freshwater algae:
green freshwater algae that form a layer on the surface of stagnant water[1]



pondweed

pondweed
pond·weed 
[pónd wd] (plural pond·weed or
pond·weeds) noun

aquatic plant:
an aquatic plant that has jointed stems, floating or submerged leaves, and
greenish flowers. It grows in ponds and slow streams. Genus: Potamogeton[1]



pone

pone2
pone2  [pṓnee,
pōn] (plural pones) noun

nondealer:
in card games, the person who does not deal in two-handed games, or the person
sitting to the right of the dealer
[Early 19th century. From
Latin pone “put,” imperative of ponere “to place” (see position ).][1]



pone

pone1
pone1  [pōn]
(plural pones) noun

See
corn pone
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian poan .][1]



pongee

pongee
pon·gee 
[pon j, pón j]
noun

1.  silk:
a type of soft, usually unbleached, silk fabric from China or India

2.  imitation
silk:
an imitation of silk pongee, usually made of cotton or rayon
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain, probably from Chinese bĕnjī, literally “own loom,” or bĕnzhì,
literally “home-woven.”][1]



pongid

pongid
pon·gid 
[pónjid] (plural pon·gids) noun

ape:
any ape of the family that includes the gibbon and the great apes. Family:
Pongidae
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin Pongidae, family name, from, ultimately, Congolese mpongo
“ape.”][1]



poniard

poniard
pon·iard 
[pónnyərd] noun (plural pon·iards)

dagger:
a small dagger with a slim blade that is triangular or square in its cross
section (literary)
transitive
verb
(past pon·iard·ed, past participle pon·iard·ed, present
participle pon·iard·ing, 3rd person present singular pon·iards)

stab
with poniard: to stab somebody with a poniard (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Via French
poignard from, ultimately, Latin pugnus “fist” (see pugnacious ). The underlying meaning is “weapon
held in a clenched fist.”][1]



pons

pons
pons 
[ponz] (plural pon·tes [pón tz]) noun

brain
nerve fibers: a whitish band of nerve fibers on the
surface of the brainstem between the medulla oblongata and midbrain.
Also
called
pons Varolii
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “bridge” (source of English pontoon
and pontiff ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to pass over,” which is also the ancestor of
English path .][1]



ponsasinorum

ponsasinorum
pons
as·i·no·rum 
[pònz assə náwrəm] (plural pons
as·i·no·rums) noun

difficult
proposition: a proposition or problem that is
especially difficult for an inexperienced person to understand
[From Latin, literally
“bridge of asses,” originally applied to the proposition of Euclid that the
base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal][1]



Ponsonby,Vere Brabazon

Ponsonby,Vere Brabazon
Pon·son·by
[pónssənbee], Vere Brabazon, 9th Earl of
Bessborough (1880–1956)

British Canadian
administrator who was governor general of Canada (1931–1935).[1]



ponsVarolii

ponsVarolii
pons
Va·ro·li·i 
[pònz və rṓli ] noun

ANATOMY See pons
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “bridge of Varolius,” named for C. Varoli (1543–1575), Italian
anatomist.][1]



PontaDelgada

PontaDelgada
Pon·ta
Del·ga·da 
[pòntə del gdə]

city in Portugal, on São
Miguel Island. It is the capital of the autonomous region of the Azores.
Population: 21,091 (1991)[1]



Pontchartrain,Lake

Pontchartrain,Lake
Pont·char·train,
Lake
[pónchər tràyn]

lake in southeastern
Louisiana between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. It is spanned
by the world’s longest causeway. Area: 1,632 sq km/630 sq mi.[1]



pontes

pontes
pon·tes


Plural of
pons[1]



Pontiac

Pontiac
Pon·ti·ac 
[póntee àk]

city in southeastern
Michigan, 40 km/25 mi northwest of Detroit. It is a car manufacturing center.
Population: 71,166 (1990)[1]



Pontiac

Pontiac
Pon·ti·ac 
[póntee ak] (1720?–1769)

Ottawa chief. He led the
Ottawa and other Native American peoples in Pontiac’s Rebellion against the
British (1763–1765).[1]



pontifex

pontifex
pon·ti·fex 
[póntə fèks] (plural pon·tif·i·ces
[pon tíffi sèez]) noun

senior
ancient Roman priest: a member of the highest
council of priests in ancient Rome.
Also
called
pontiff
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “way-maker,” formed from pont-, stem of pons
“bridge, way” (see pons ).][1]



PontifexMaximus

PontifexMaximus
Pon·ti·fex
Max·i·mus
[pòntə feks máksiməss] (plural Pon·tif·i·ces
Max·i·mi [pon tìffə sz máksə m]) noun

top ancient Roman priest:
the chief priest who presided over the highest council of priests in ancient
Rome[1]



pontiff

pontiff
pon·tiff 
[póntif] (plural pon·tiffs) noun

1.  Roman
Catholic pope: the head of the Roman Catholic Church
and bishop of Rome

2.  Roman
Catholic bishop: a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church (archaic)

3.  HISTORY See pontifex
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French from Latin pontifex (see pontifex
).][1]



pontifical

pontifical
pon·tif·i·cal 
[pon tíffik’l] adjective

1.  of
a pontiff:
belonging to, befitting, or involving the Pope, a bishop, or a pontifex

2.  pompous:
displaying an exaggerated sense of self-importance
noun
(plural pon·tif·i·cals)

CHRISTIANITY bishop’s
book:
a book containing the rites that may be performed only by a bishop
plural
noun
pon·tif·i·cals

pontiff’s vestments:
the vestments and insignia of a pope or bishop
[15th
century. From Latin pontificalis, from pontifex (see pontifex ).]
—pon·tif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



PontificalMass

PontificalMass
Pon·tif·i·cal
Mass 
(plural Pon·tif·i·cal Masses) noun

bishop’s Mass:
a High Mass that is celebrated by a bishop, especially in the Roman Catholic
Church[1]



pontificate

pontificate
pon·tif·i·cate
intransitive verb [pon tíffi kàyt] (past
pon·tif·i·cat·ed, past participle pon·tif·i·cat·ed, present
participle pon·tif·i·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular pon·tif·i·cates)

1.  speak
pompously:
to speak about something in a knowing and self-important way, especially when
not qualified to do so

2.  serve
as a bishop: to officiate as a bishop, especially in
celebrating Mass
noun
[pon tíffikət, pon
tíffi kàyt] (plural pon·tif·i·cates)

term of office:
the office or term of office of a pope or bishop
[Early
19th century. From medieval Latin pontificat-, the past participle stem
of pontificare, from Latin pontifex (see pontifex
).]
—pon·tif·i·ca·tion
[pon tìffi káysh’n], noun

—pon·tif·i·ca·tor [pon tíffi kàytər], noun[1]



pontil

pontil
pon·til 
[pónt’l] (plural pon·tils) noun

See
punty
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Italian puntello, literally
“small point,” from punto “point.”][1]



pontine

pontine
pon·tine 
[pón tn, pón
tèen] adjective

of
brain nerve fibers: relating to or situated in
the whitish band of nerve fibers ( pons ) on
the surface of the brainstem between the medulla oblongata and midbrain
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin pont-, stem of pons “bridge, way” (see pons ).][1]



pontoon

pontoon1
pon·toon1  [pon
tn] (plural pon·toons) noun

1.  CIVIL ENGINEERING floating
support for bridge: a floating structure used as
a support for a bridge across a river, especially one put in place temporarily

2.  AIR float
on an aircraft: a float on an aircraft providing
buoyancy or stability when on water

3.  SHIPPING floating
dock:
a floating structure used as a dock
[Late 17th century. Via
French ponton from the Latin stem ponton- “floating bridge,” from
pont-, stem of pons “bridge” (see pons
). Originally “flat-bottomed boat.”][1]



pontoon

pontoon2
pon·toon2  [pon
tn] noun

U.K.
See blackjack  noun 2
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of French vingt-et-un “twenty-one.”][1]



pontoonbridge

pontoonbridge
pon·toon
bridge
(plural pon·toon bridges) noun

floating bridge:
a temporary bridge built across a river, supported by floating structures.
Also called
bateau bridge[1]



pony

pony
po·ny 
[pṓnee] noun (plural po·nies)

1.  small
horse:
any of several small horse breeds

2.  any
horse:
a horse of any kind, especially a racehorse (informal)

3.  polo
horse:
a horse used in polo

4.  small
bottle:
a small bottle of beer or another beverage, holding 0.2 literseven ounces

5.  small
glass:
a small drinking glass, especially one used for liqueurs

6.  EDUCATION crib
sheet:
a literal translation of a text, used secretly by students during an exam or as
an aid to studying a language (informal)
Also
called
trot

7.  U.K.
£25:
the sum of £25 (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past po·nied,
past participle po·nied, present participle po·ny·ing,
3rd person present singular po·nies)

Northwestern U.S.,
Rocky Mountains pay money:
to pay out money that is due or owed (informal) • They
ordered some drinks, then ponied together the $5.50.
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via French poulenet, literally “little foal,” from,
ultimately, Latin pullus “young animal” (see pullet
).][1]



ponyexpress

ponyexpress
po·ny
ex·press
noun

pioneer mail system:
a system of carrying mail using relays of horses and riders that operated from
St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from 1860 to 1861.[1]



ponytail

ponytail
po·ny·tail 
[pṓni tàyl] (plural po·ny·tails)
noun

long
hair tied back: a hairstyle in which long hair is pulled
back and tied behind the head so that it hangs down the back like a pony’s tail
—po·ny·tail·ed, adjective[1]



ponyup

ponyup
pony
up
intransitive and transitive verb

pay:
to pay somebody the money that is owed to him or her (dated informal)[1]



Ponzischeme

Ponzischeme
Pon·zi
scheme 
[pónzee skm] (plural Pon·zi
schemes) noun

investment
swindle:
an investment swindle in which high returns, allegedly profits, are made to
early investors using funds from later investors. There may be no actual
investing activity.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Charles Ponzi ( died 1949 ), who perpetrated such a scheme in the
United States in 1919.][1]



pooch

pooch
pooch 
[pooch] (plural pooch·es) noun

dog:
a dog (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



poodle

poodle
poo·dle 
[pd’l] (plural poo·dles) noun

curly-haired
dog:
a dog with a thick curly coat usually clipped short, belonging either to a
small breed toy poodle, or a large breed standard poodle originally developed
in Europe for hunting
[Early 19th century. From
German Pudel, shortening of Pudelhund, from Low German pudeln
“to splash in water” + German Hund “dog.”][1]



poodlecut

poodlecut
poo·dle
cut
(plural poo·dle cuts) noun

hairstyle:
a hairstyle in which the hair is cut short and curled[1]



poof

poof1
poof1 [poof]
(plural poofs) or pouf [poof]
(plural poufs) noun

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a man for being homosexual or
behaving in a way considered more characteristic of or suitable for a woman (slang
insult)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration (influenced by French pouf
“women’s hairstyle”) of puff “powder-puff.”]
—poof·y, adjective[1]



poof

poof2
poof2 [pf,
poof] interjection (informal)

1.  indicating
suddenness:
used to indicate that something happens suddenly

2.  expressing
disdain:
used to express disdain for or dismissal of something

[1]



pooh

pooh
pooh 
[poo] interjection

expressing
disdain:
used to express disdain or dismissal (informal)
[Late 16th century. An
imitation of the sound made by blowing something away with the lips.][1]



Pooh-Bah

Pooh-Bah
Pooh-Bah
[p b] (plural Pooh-Bahs) or
pooh-bah [p b] (plural pooh-bahs)
noun

1.  pompous
but useless official: a pompous self-important
official, especially one who holds more than one office but is ineffectual in
all of them

2.  important
person:
a leader, high official, or important person
[Late 19th century. Named for
a character in The Mikado, an operetta by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur
Sullivan .][1]



pooh-pooh

pooh-pooh
pooh-pooh 
(past pooh-poohed, past participle pooh-poohed, present
participle pooh-pooh·ing, 3rd person present singular pooh-poohs)
transitive verb

show
scorn for something: to dismiss or express
disdain for something
[Late 18th century. Doubled
form of pooh .][1]



pooka

pooka
poo·ka
[pkə] (plural poo·kas) noun

Ireland
impish
spirit in folklore: a mischievous spirit in
Irish folklore, especially one who takes on the form of an animal
[Early 19th century. Via
Irish púca from Old English pūca “puck” (see puck ).][1]



pool

pool2
pool2  [pool]
noun (plural pools)

1.  CUE GAMES form
of billiards: a form of billiards played with a cue
ball and 15 balls on a felt-covered table with six pockets

2.  GAMBLING form
of gambling: a form of gambling in which the
participants contribute an amount to a common fund that is divided among the
winners

3.  GAMBLING total
amount staked: the collective amount that the players
in a gambling game have staked

4.  collective
resource:
a joint supply of vehicles, commodities, or workers that is shared and used by
members of a group

5.  PRESS group
of reporters: a selected group of reporters who cover
an event and make their reports available to all participating news
organizations

6.  FINANCE investment
fund:
a collection of investments, for example, stocks in a mutual fund, that are
managed as a group for a common purpose or group of owners

7.  COMMERCE business
trust:
an agreement between competing businesses to control production and sales in
order to guarantee profits
transitive
verb
(past pooled, past participle pooled, present
participle pool·ing, 3rd person present singular pools)

share resources:
to combine something to form a supply that can be shared by a group of people
or companies
[Late 17th century. Via
French poule “hen, gambling stakes” (hens were used as game prizes)
from, ultimately, Latin pullus “young animal” (see pullet ). “Collective resource” arose via
“players’ collected bets.”][1]



pool

pool1
pool1  [pool]
noun (plural pools)

1.  LEISURE swimming
pool:
a swimming pool or wading pool

2.  puddle:
a small amount of any liquid lying on a surface

3.  water:
a small body of still water, usually one that occurs naturally

4.  underground
oil or gas:
an accumulation of oil or gas in a region of porous sedimentary rock

5.  CIVIL ENGINEERING water
behind dam:
a body of water collected behind a dam

6.  deep
part of water: a deep place in a river or stream where
the water runs more slowly

7.  pattern
resembling a pool: a pattern or arrangement of
something, for example, light, that resembles a pool of liquid
intransitive
verb
(past pooled, past participle pooled, present
participle pool·ing, 3rd person present singular pools)

1.  form
a pool:
to collect in or form a pool

2.  PHYSIOLOGY accumulate
in a body part: to collect in a body part or organ (refers
to blood)
[Old English pōl, from
prehistoric Germanic][1]



poolhall

poolhall
pool
hall
(plural pool halls) noun

place to play pool:
a commercial establishment where pool is played[1]



poolroom

poolroom
pool·room 
[pl rm, pl
rm] (plural pool·rooms) noun

place to play pool:
a room or commercial establishment where pool or billiards is played[1]



poolside

poolside
pool·side 
[pl sd] noun

area bordering swimming pool:
the area around the sides of a swimming pool (often used before a noun)[1]



pooltable

pooltable
pool
ta·ble
(plural pool ta·bles) noun

table for pool:
a felt-covered table used for playing pool. It is rectangular and has six
pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each of the longer sides.[1]



poon

poon
poon 
[poon] (plural poons or
poon) noun

S
Asian tree:
a southern Asian tree that has shiny leathery leaves and strong light wood that
is used for masts and spars. Genus: Calophyllum
[Late 17th century. Via
Singhalese pūna from Malayalam punna or Tamil pu&nlineunder;&nlineunder;ai
.][1]



poontang

poontang
poon·tang
[pn tàng] noun

taboo
offensive term: a taboo offensive term for sexual
relations (dated taboo offensive)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of French putain “prostitute,” from, ultimately, Latin putida
“stinking, disgusting.”][1]



poop

poop1
poop1  [poop]
(past pooped, past participle pooped, present
participle poop·ing, 3rd person present singular poops)
transitive verb

tire
out:
to make somebody feel exhausted (informal) (usually passive) • pooped
by the long hike
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



poop

poop4
poop4  [poop]
noun (plural poops)

1.  raised
area at ship’s rear: the raised cabins at the
stern of an old sailing ship, or the raised area at the stern of a modern ship,
lying above the level of the main deck

2.  See
poop deck
verb
(past pooped, past participle pooped, present
participle poop·ing, 3rd person present singular poops)

1.  transitive
verb
break
over stern:
to break over a ship at the stern

2.  intransitive
verb
have
waves breaking over stern: to have waves break over its
stern, especially repeatedly (refers to ships)
[15th century. Via Old French
pupe from, ultimately, Latin puppis, of unknown origin.][1]



poop

poop2
poop2  [poop]
noun

information:
candid and accurate information about something (slang)
U.K.
term
dirt
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



poop

poop3
poop3  [poop]
noun

excrement:
excrement, or a stool (informal) (often used by or to children)
intransitive
verb
(past pooped, past participle pooped, present
participle poop·ing, 3rd person present singular poops)

defecate:
to defecate (informal) (often used by or to children)
[Mid-16th century. Originally
in the meaning of “to make a short blast of sound.”][1]



poopdeck

poopdeck
poop
deck
(plural poop decks) noun

stern deck:
a raised open deck at the stern of a ship, with cabins below it.
Also called
poop[1]



pooped

pooped
pooped
[poopt] adjective

exhausted:
extremely tired (informal)[1]



pooper-scooper

pooper-scooper
poop·er-scoop·er 
[ppər skpər] (plural poop·er-scoop·ers)
noun

shovel for dog excrement:
a small shovel used to clean up dog excrement, used especially by a dog owner
whose dog defecates in a public place (informal)[1]



poo-poo

poo-poo
poo-poo
noun

excrement:
excrement, or the act of defecating (babytalk)
intransitive
verb
(past poo-pooed, past participle poo-pooed, present
participle poo-poo·ing, 3rd person present singular poo-poos)

defecate:
to defecate (babytalk)
[Doubled form of poo][1]



poopout

poopout
poop
out
intransitive verb (slang)

1.  quit
doing something: to quit doing something, usually because
of exhaustion or fear

2.  stop
working:
to stop operating, for example, because of mechanical failure

[1]



poor

poor
poor 
[poor, pawr]
adjective (comparative poor·er, superlative poor·est)

1.  not
rich:
lacking money or material possessions

2.  affected
by poverty:
where there is a lot of poverty, or where poverty is evident • one
of the poorest countries in the world

3.  inferior:
less than adequate, or below average in quality or condition

4.  lacking
skill:
below average in skill or ability

5.  low
or inadequate: lower than expected or needed in
quantity, number, or amount • Attendance
at the concert was poor.

6.  weak:
lacking strength, power, stamina, or resilience • He
has been in poor health recently.

7.  deficient:
lacking or deficient in something (often used in combination)

8.  lacking
productive potential: lacking fertility or
nutrients

9.  low
in valuation: low in a scale of value • has
a poor opinion of himself

10. deserving
pity:
deserving pity or compassion, especially because of something that has just
happened
plural
noun

people who are poor:
people who lack money or material possessions (takes a plural verb) • The
poor are always with us.
[12th
century. Via Old French povre from Latin pauper (see pauper ).]
—poor·ness,
noun
a
poor man’s something

a cheaper or inferior version
of something, especially one that is more widely available than the original[1]



poorbox

poorbox
poor
box
(plural poor box·es) noun

box to collect for the poor:
a box, especially one kept in a church, that is used to collect money for the
poor[1]



poorboy

poorboy
poor
boy
(plural poor boys) noun

long
sandwich:
a sandwich made with a long roll cut horizontally
[So called because the
sandwich was originally made from discarded scraps and ends and given to poor
people][1]



poorfarm

poorfarm
poor
farm
(plural poor farms) noun

farm that employed poor
people: a publicly funded farm that
existed in former times to provide employment, housing, and support for poor
workers[1]



poorhouse

poorhouse
poor·house 
[pr hòwss, páwr
hòwss] (plural poor·hous·es [pr
hòwzəz]) noun

accommodation for the poor:
a publicly funded institution that existed in the past to house people who were
too poor to provide for themselves[1]



poori

poori
poo·ri
[pree] (plural poo·ris) noun

puffed
Indian bread: a thin flat unleavened Indian wheat
bread, shaped into a small round and deep-fried, making it puff up and become
crisp
[Mid-20th century. From Hindi
pūrī .][1]



PoorKnights Islands

PoorKnights Islands
Poor
Knights Is·lands [prnīts  ləndz]

group of uninhabited islands
in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 24 km/15 mi off the northeastern coast of
the North Island, New Zealand. Area: 2.7 sq km/1 sq mi.[1]



poorlaw

poorlaw
poor
law
noun

law for support of poor
people: a law or system of laws
relating to the provision of support for poor people[1]



poorly

poorly
poor·ly 
[prlee, páwrlee]
adverb

1.  inadequate:
in an inferior or inadequate way

2.  unfavorably:
with an unfavorable opinion or attitude
adjective

U.K. physically
unwell:
feeling physically unwell, or in poor physical health (informal)

[1]



poor-mouth

poor-mouth
poor-mouth
(past poor-mouthed, past participle poor-mouthed, present
participle poor-mouth·ing, 3rd person present singular poor-mouths)
intransitive verb

complain of poverty:
to complain of a lack of money, especially when feigning or exaggerating
poverty, often in order to win sympathy (informal disapproving)[1]



poormouth

poormouth
poor
mouth
noun

U.S.,
Ireland pleas of poverty:
complaints about being poor, regarded as made to win sympathy, sometimes when
the complainer is not truly poor (disapproving)[1]



poorrelation

poorrelation
poor
re·la·tion
(plural poor re·la·tions) noun

inferior version:
somebody who or something that is inferior compared to another[1]



poorwhite

poorwhite
poor
white
(plural poor whites) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a poor and uneducated lower-class Caucasian person (informal
offensive)[1]



pop

pop2
pop2  [pop]
(plural pops) noun

1.  father:
a word used to refer to or address your father (informal)

2.  older
man:
a word used to address a much older man (dated slang)
Also
called
pops
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of poppa .][1]



pop

pop3
pop3  [pop]
noun

1.  MUSIC (often used before a noun)
See pop music

2.  ARTS See pop art
adjective

popular:
intended for or appreciated by a wide public, and often regarded as
oversimplified for the sake of greater accessibility (informal) • magazines
full of pop psychology
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of popular .][1]



pop

pop1

pop1  [pop]
noun (plural pops)

1.  sudden
bursting sound: a sudden explosive sound, like the sound
produced when a balloon bursts or a cork comes out of a bottle

2.  Midwestern
U.S.
bubbly
drink:
a carbonated drink, usually sweet and flavored with fruit (informal)

3.  gunshot:
a shot with a firearm

4.  BASEBALL See pop fly

5.  attempt:
a try at doing something (informal)
verb (past
popped, past participle popped, present participle pop·ping,
3rd person present singular pops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
bursting sound: to make, or cause something to make, a
sudden explosive sound, like the sound of a cork coming out of a bottle or a
balloon bursting

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb burst:
to burst, or make something burst, with a sudden explosive sound

3.  intransitive
verb
bulge:
to become wide open and seem to bulge out of the sockets (refers to
somebody’s eyes)

4.  intransitive
verb
go
briefly:
to go, come, or visit for a brief time (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
open
or close something: to move something quickly
and suddenly into an open or closed position (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
put
quickly:
to put or place something somewhere with a sudden rapid movement (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
take
by swallowing: to take a drug orally (informal)

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb fire
shots:
to fire shots from a pistol or other firearm (informal)

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL hit pop fly:
to hit a baseball high into the air a short distance, especially where it can
be caught by an infielder
adverb

1.  with
bursting noise: with a sudden bursting sound

2.  unexpectedly:
suddenly or abruptly
interjection

indicating bursting noise:
used to indicate a sudden bursting noise
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
a pop

for each one (slang) • It’ll
cost you $10 a pop.[1]



pop.

pop.
pop.

1.  Abbreviation
of
popular

2.  Abbreviation
of
population

[1]



POP

POP
POP

1.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of proof of purchase

2.  METEOROLOGY Abbreviation of
probability of precipitation

[1]



popart

popart

pop art
noun
1960s pop culture art:
an art movement in the 1960s and 1970s that incorporated elements of modern
popular culture and the mass media. It included such artists as Andy Warhol and
Roy Lichtenstein.
Also called
pop[1]



popcorn

popcorn
pop·corn 
[póp kàwrn] noun

1.  heated
corn kernels: the kernels of a variety of corn, heated
until they become puffy, usually flavored with butter, caramelized sugar, or
cheese and eaten as a snack

2.  corn:
a variety of corn with hard kernels that pop open to form white puffs when
heated. Latin name: Zea mays praecox

3.  See
peanut  noun 4

[1]



pope

pope
pope 
[pōp] (plural popes) noun

1.  pope
or Pope (plural Popes) Roman
Catholic Church head: the head of the Roman
Catholic Church and bishop of Rome

2.  pope
or Pope (plural Popes) Coptic
Church head: the head of the Coptic Church

3.  pope
or Pope (plural Popes) Orthodox
priest:
a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church

4.  powerful
person:
somebody who has authority or status similar to that of a pope
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek pappas “father.”][1]



Pope,Alexander

Pope,Alexander

Pope 
[pōp], Alexander (1688–1744)
English poet. He wrote the mock-heroic
poem The Rape of the Lock (1712) and An Essay on Man (1733–1734).[1]



popedom

popedom
pope·dom 
[pṓpdəm] noun

pope’s position or
jurisdiction: the office, tenure, or
dominion of a pope[1]



popery

popery
pop·er·y 
[pṓpəree] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for the Roman Catholic Church, its doctrines, or its
practices (offensive)[1]



popeyed

popeyed
pop·eyed 
[póp d] adjective

1.  with
bulging eyes: with the eyes bulging out

2.  wide-eyed:
with eyes wide open in surprise or disbelief

[1]



pope’snose

pope’snose
pope’s
nose 
(plural pope’s nos·es) noun

tail end of cooked bird:
the fatty piece of flesh at the rear end of a cooked chicken, turkey, or other
bird, to which the tail feathers were attached (offensive in some contexts)

Also called
parson’s nose
U.K. term
parson’s nose[1]



popfly

popfly
pop
fly
noun

short high fly ball:
a high fly ball in baseball that travels a relatively short distance from home
plate.
Also called
pop-up[1]



popgun

popgun
pop·gun 
[póp gùn] (plural pop·guns) noun

1.  toy
gun:
a toy gun that uses compressed air to shoot pellets, balls, or a cork tied to a
string. It makes a popping sound.

2.  useless
gun:
a useless or unimpressive firearm (informal)

[1]



popinjay

popinjay
pop·in·jay 
[póppin jày] (plural pop·in·jays)
noun

arrogant
person:
a vain and conceited person (dated)
[13th century. Via Old French
papegay “parrot” from, ultimately, Arabic babbaġā . “Arrogant
person” from the parrot’s gaudy colors and meaningless chattering.][1]



popish

popish
pop·ish 
[pṓpish] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe things associated with the Roman Catholic
Church, its doctrines, or its practices (offensive)
—pop·ish·ly, adverb[1]



poplar

poplar
pop·lar 
[pópplər] (plural pop·lars) noun

1.  TREES slender
quick-growing tree: a slender quick-growing tree
of the willow family with triangular leaves, flowers in catkins, and
light-colored soft wood. It is native to northern temperate regions. Genus: Populus

2.  TREES See tulip tree

3.  INDUSTRY poplar
’s wood:
the light-colored wood of a poplar (often used before a noun)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman popler from, ultimately, Latin populus .][1]



poplin

poplin
pop·lin 
[pópplin] noun

cotton
fabric:
a plain strong fabric with fine ribbing, usually made of cotton. It is used for
making clothes and upholstery. (often used before a noun)
[Early 18th century. Via
obsolete French papeline from, ultimately, medieval Latin papalis
“papal” (because it was made at the papal town of Avignon), from Latin papa
(see pope ).][1]



popliteal

popliteal
pop·lit·e·al 
[pop líttee əl, pòpplə
t əl] adjective

behind
the knee:
relating to or located in the part of the leg behind the knee joint
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin popliteus, from Latin poples “ham, back of the
knee.”][1]



popmusic

popmusic
pop
mu·sic
noun

commercial music:
modern commercial music, usually tuneful, uptempo and repetitive, that is aimed
at the general public and the youth market in particular.
Also called
pop[1]



Popocatepetl

Popocatepetl
Po·po·ca·te·petl 
[pòppə káttə pètt’l, pàwpàw kaa té pètt’l]

volcano in southern central
Mexico. Height: 5,452 m/17,887 ft.[1]



popoff

popoff
pop
off
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  speak
out:
to speak out about something angrily or tactlessly

2.  die:
to die suddenly

[1]



popover

popover
pop·o·ver 
[póp vər] (plural pop·o·vers)
noun

hollow muffin:
a light hollow muffin-shaped quick bread made from eggs, flour, and milk[1]



poppa

poppa
pop·pa 
[póppə] (plural pop·pas) noun

(informal)
See papa
[Late 19th century.
Alteration.][1]



poppadom

poppadom
pop·pa·dom
[póppədəm] (plural pop·pa·doms)
or pop·pa·dum [póppədəm] (plural
pop·pa·dums) noun

Indian
crispy bread: a thin crisp circular Indian bread made
from bean flour and flavored with spices. Poppadoms are dried and fried in hot
fat.
[Early 19th century. From
Tamil pappaam, of uncertain origin: perhaps from paruppa aam
“lentil cake.”][1]



popper

popper
pop·per 
[póppər] (plural pop·pers) noun

1.  COOKING corn-popping
device:
an appliance, container, or pan for popping popcorn

2.  DRUGS amyl
nitrate:
a small capsule of amyl nitrate or butyl nitrate, prepared as an illicit drug (slang)

[1]



poppet

poppet
pop·pet 
[póppət] (plural pop·pets) noun

1.  ENGINEERING See poppet valve

2.  NAUTICAL support
for ship:
a steel beam or timber that is used to support the front and back ends of a
ship when it is launched

3.  U.K.
used
as term of endearment: used to address a sweet and
dear person, especially a child (informal)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French poupette, literally “small doll,” from
assumed poupe “doll,” from Latin pupa “girl, doll.”][1]



poppetvalve

poppetvalve
pop·pet
valve
noun

valve with vertical guide:
a valve that is raised and lowered by a vertical guide, for example, the intake
and exhaust valves of the cylinders in an internal-combustion engine also
called poppet.
Also called
poppet[1]



popple

popple2
pop·ple2  [pópp’l]
(plural pop·ples) noun

poplar:
a poplar tree (informal)
[14th century. From Latin populus
.][1]



popple

popple1
pop·ple1  [pópp’l]
(past pop·pled, past participle pop·pled, present
participle pop·pling, 3rd person present singular pop·ples)
intransitive verb

move
in bubbling manner: to move in an irregular
tumbling or bubbling manner, like water does when it boils
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch popelen “to babble, murmur,”
originally an imitation of the sound.][1]



poppy

poppy

pop·py 
[póppee] (plural pop·pies) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with red flowers: an annual or perennial plant that has
large red, orange, or white flowers, cup-shaped seed pods, and milky sap.
Genus: Papaver

2.  PHARMACOLOGY DRUGS plant
extract:
an extract from the poppy that is used in drugs such as opium and medicine

3.  PLANTS plant
like a true poppy: any of several flowering
plants that are similar or related to the poppy, for example, the California
poppy and Welsh poppy

4.  COLORS orange-red
color:
a bright red color tinged with orange
[Pre-12th century. Via
assumed Vulgar Latin papavum from Latin papaver .][1]



poppycock

poppycock
pop·py·cock 
[póppee kòk] noun

nonsense:
absurd speech or writing (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. From Dutch
dialect pappekak, from pap “soft, pap” + kak “dung.”][1]



poppyhead

poppyhead
pop·py·head
[póppee hèd] (plural pop·py·heads)
noun

carved ornament on a church
pew: an ornamental carved top on
the end of a pew in a Gothic church[1]



poppyseed

poppyseed
pop·py
seed
(plural pop·py seeds) noun

seed of poppy:
the small black seed of the poppy, used in cooking and in baking[1]



popquiz

popquiz
pop
quiz
(plural pop quiz·zes) noun

unannounced test:
a quiz given without advance notice[1]



pops

pops2
pops2 [pops]
noun

(dated
slang) See pop 2
[Early 20th century. Extended
form.][1]



pops

pops1
pops1 [pops]
noun

pop orchestra:
a symphony orchestra that plays popular classical music and pop music (often
used before a noun)[1]



Popsicle

Popsicle
Pop·si·cle
[pópsik’l, póp
sìk’l] Trademark

a trademark for a colored
fruit-flavored ice on one or two sticks[1]



pop-top

pop-top
pop-top 
(plural pop-tops) noun

1.  can
top:
the top or portion of the top of a can that can be removed by pulling an
attached ring.
U.K.
term
ring pull

2.  van
roof:
a van roof that can be raised to create extra headroom while the van is
stationary

3.  can:
a can whose top can be opened by means of an attached ring or tab that is
pulled

4.  van:
a van with a pop-top

[1]



populace

populace
pop·u·lace 
[póppyələss] noun

1.  inhabitants:
the inhabitants of a town, region, or other area

2.  general
public:
ordinary people, as distinct from the political elite or the aristocracy
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian popolaccio “rabble,” from popolo “people,”
from Latin populus (see popular ).][1]



popular

popular
pop·u·lar 
[póppyələr] adjective

1.  appealing
to the general public: appealing to or appreciated
by a wide range of people • the
most popular name for babies this year

2.  well-liked:
liked by a particular person or group of people • popular
with young audiences

3.  of
the general public: relating to the general
public • popular
appeal

4.  aimed
at nonspecialists: designed to appeal to or be
comprehensible to the nonspecialist • a
popular gardening magazine

5.  believed
by people in general: believed, embraced, or
perpetuated by ordinary people • popular
myths

6.  inexpensive:
designed to be affordable to people on average incomes • a
new popular car
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman populer from Latin popularis “of the people,” from populus
“people” (source of English people
and public ), of uncertain origin:
probably from Etruscan .][1]



popularfront

popularfront
pop·u·lar
front
(plural pop·u·lar fronts) noun

left-wing coalition:
a broad-based coalition of left-wing political parties, formed to oppose
fascism or institute social reforms, especially in Europe in the mid-1930s[1]



popularity

popularity
pop·u·lar·i·ty 
[pòppyə lérrətee] noun

1.  fact
of being well liked: admiration, approval, or
acceptance of somebody or something by people in general or by a particular
group of people

2.  demand
for something: desire or demand for something, for
example, a manufactured product

[1]



popularize

popularize
pop·u·lar·ize 
[póppyələ rz] (past pop·u·lar·ized,
past participle pop·u·lar·ized, present participle pop·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pop·u·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
popular:
to make something widely liked or appreciated

2.  make
understandable: to make something accessible and
comprehensible to a wide audience
—pop·u·lar·i·za·tion
[pòppyələri záysh’n], noun

—pop·u·lar·iz·er [póppyələ rzər], noun[1]



popularly

popularly
pop·u·lar·ly 
[póppyələrlee] adverb

1.  generally:
by most people or in most situations

2.  by
nonspecialists: by the general public, as distinct from
specialists

[1]



popularsovereignty

popularsovereignty
pop·u·lar
sov·er·eign·ty noun

1.  government’s
subjection to people: the doctrine that the people
are sovereign and a government is subject to the will of the people

2.  HISTORY doctrine
permitting choice on slavery: a pre-Civil War political
doctrine that held that individual states should decide whether to permit
slavery or not. It was espoused mainly by opponents of the abolition of
slavery.

[1]



populate

populate
pop·u·late 
[póppyə làyt] (past pop·u·lat·ed,
past participle pop·u·lat·ed, present participle pop·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular pop·u·lates) transitive verb

1.  inhabit
a place:
to live in an area, region, or country (often passive)

2.  people
a place:
to supply an area with inhabitants
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin populat-, the past participle stem of populare,
from Latin populus “people” (see popular
).]
—pop·u·lat·ed, adjective[1]



population

population
pop·u·la·tion 
[pòppyə láysh’n] (plural pop·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  people
in place:
all of the people who inhabit an area, region, or country

2.  all
people of group: all of the people of a particular
nationality, ethnic group, religion, or class who live in an area

3.  number
of people:
the total number of people who inhabit an area, region, or country, or the
number of people in a particular group who inhabit an area

4.  supplying
with inhabitants: the populating of an area with
inhabitants

5.  STATISTICS group
statistically sampled: the entire group of
individuals or items from which a sample may be selected for statistical
measurement.
Also
called
universe

6.  individuals
of same species: all the plants or animals of a
particular species present in a place

[1]



populationcontrol

populationcontrol
pop·u·la·tion
con·trol
noun

limiting of population
growth: the limiting of numbers of
individuals living in an area. In humans it may be achieved through
contraception while in animals it may occur through killing or the introduction
of predators.[1]



populationexplosion

populationexplosion
pop·u·la·tion
ex·plo·sion
(plural pop·u·la·tion ex·plo·sions) noun

sudden growth in population:
a sudden and rapid increase in the number of individuals living in an area. In
humans, this may be as a result of an increased birth rate or a decline in
mortality, while in the case of animals it may be because of a lack of
predators or altered environmental conditions.[1]



populationgenetics

populationgenetics
pop·u·la·tion
ge·net·ics
noun

study of genetic variation:
the study of genetic variation in populations, particularly how and why the
frequencies of different genes change over time or in different localities (takes
a singular verb)[1]



populationrevolution

populationrevolution
pop·u·la·tion
rev·o·lu·tion noun

historical population
explosion: the huge growth in
population in western Europe that began about 1730. It was a prelude to the
Industrial Revolution.[1]



Populism

Populism
Pop·u·lism 
noun

Populist Party’s program:
the political philosophy and program of the Populist Party[1]



populism

populism
pop·u·lism 
[póppyə lìzzəm] noun

1.  antielite
politics:
politics or political ideology based on the perceived interests of ordinary
people, as opposed to those of a privileged elite

2.  focus
on ordinary people: focus or emphasis on the
lives of ordinary people, for example, in the arts and in politics
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin populus “people” (see popular
).][1]



Populist

Populist
Pop·u·list 
noun (plural Pop·u·lists)

Populist
Party supporter: a political supporter of the Populist
Party
adjective

of the Populist Party:
belonging or relating to the Populist Party[1]



populist

populist
pop·u·list 
[póppyəlist] noun (plural pop·u·lists)

supporter
of ordinary people: an advocate of the rights
and interests of ordinary people, for example, in politics or the arts
adjective

of
ordinary people: emphasizing or promoting ordinary
people, their lives, or their interests
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin populus “people” (see popular
).][1]



PopulistParty

PopulistParty
Pop·u·list
Par·ty
noun

U.S. farmers’ party:
a U.S. political party formed in the 1890s to represent the interests of
farmers and laborers. It favored free coinage of silver and other reforms, and
was disbanded in 1904.[1]



populous

populous
pop·u·lous 
[póppyələss] adjective

highly
populated:
with a large number of inhabitants
[15th
century. From late Latin populosus, from Latin populus “people”
(see popular ).]
—pop·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—pop·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



pop-up

pop-up
pop-up 
adjective

1.  upward-lifting:
with a mechanism that makes it, or something in it move quickly upward • pop-up
headlights

2.  COMP presented
on screen temporarily: appearing quickly and
temporarily on a computer screen when a special key is pressed or a button is
clicked with a mouse • a
pop-up menu

3.  PUBLISHING with
rising cut-out figures: containing cut-out figures
that rise up as a page is opened • a
pop-up book
noun
(plural pop-ups)

1.  BASEBALL See pop fly

2.  PUBLISHING item
with pop-up figures: a book or card that contains
pop-up figures, or a pop-up figure

[1]



popwine

popwine
pop
wine
(plural pop wines) noun

cheap sweet wine:
an inexpensive, sweet, usually fruit-flavored wine that has a low alcohol
content[1]



por.

por.
por.

Abbreviation of
portrait[1]



porbeagle

porbeagle
por·bea·gle 
[páwr bg’l] (plural por·bea·gles
or por·bea·gle) noun

N
Atlantic shark: a large and voracious shark with a
crescent-shaped tail, found in North Atlantic waters. Latin name: Lamna
nasus
[Mid-18th century. From
Cornish porbugel .][1]



porcelain

porcelain
por·ce·lain 
[páwrsələn, páwrslən]
(plural por·ce·lains) noun

1.  ceramic
material:
a hard translucent ceramic material used for making plates, cups, and other
items (often used before a noun)

2.  items
made of porcelain: objects made of porcelain,
for example, expensive crockery or decorative figurines

3.  decorative
object:
a single object made from porcelain, especially a decorative object
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian porcellana “cowrie shell, porcelain” (from its texture),
literally “like a young sow” (from its shape), via porca “sow” from,
ultimately, Latin porcus “pig.”][1]



porcelainclay

porcelainclay
por·ce·lain
clay
noun

See
kaolin[1]



porcelainenamel

porcelainenamel
por·ce·lain
e·nam·el
noun

glass coating:
a glass coating that is fused to a metal by firing[1]



porcelainflower

porcelainflower
por·ce·lain
flow·er
(plural por·ce·lain flow·ers) noun

See
wax plant[1]



porcelaneous

porcelaneous
por·ce·la·ne·ous 
[pàwrssə láynee əss] adjective

made
of or like porcelain: made of porcelain, or
resembling porcelain in its translucence or whiteness
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Italian porcellana “porcelain” (see porcelain
) + -eous .][1]



porch

porch
porch 
[pawrch] (plural porch·es) noun

1.  covered
entrance:
a covered shelter at the entrance to a building

2.  roofed
exterior room: a raised platform with a roof that runs
along the side of a house, partly enclosed with low walls or fully enclosed
with screens or windows
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin porticus “covered entry” (source of English portico ), from porta “gate” (see port 2 ).][1]



porcine

porcine
por·cine 
[páwr sn, páwrs’n]
adjective

relating
to pigs:
relating to or resembling pigs
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin porcinus, from porcus “pig” (see pork ).][1]



porcino

porcino
por·ci·no
[pawr snō] (plural por·ci·ni
[pawr snee]) or por·ci·ni
mush·room [pawr snō] (plural por·ci·ni
mush·rooms) noun

See
cep
[Late 20th century. From
Italian, shortening of fungo porcino, literally “porcine mushroom.”][1]



porcupine

porcupine
por·cu·pine 
[páwrkyə pn] (plural por·cu·pines)
noun

rodent
with protective quills: a large rodent whose body is
covered with long protective quills that it can erect in defense against
predators. Families: Hystricidae Erethizontidae
[14th century. From Old
French porc espin, literally “spiny pig.”][1]



Porcupine

Porcupine
Por·cu·pine 
[páwrkyə pn]

river in North America that
originates in northern Yukon Territory, Canada, joining the Yukon River in
northeastern Alaska. Length: 721 km/448 mi.[1]



porcupinefish

porcupinefish

por·cu·pine fish
noun
tropical fish with spines:
a tropical marine fish that has strong sharp spines covering its body. It
inflates the spines when attacked. Family: Diodontidae
Also called
globefish[1]



porcupinegrass

porcupinegrass
por·cu·pine
grass
(plural por·cu·pine grass·es) noun

See
spinifex  noun[1]



pore

pore2
pore2  [pawr]
(past pored, past participle pored, present
participle por·ing, 3rd person present singular pores)
intransitive verb

1.  look
concentratedly: to study something carefully and
thoughtfully • poring
over a book

2.  reflect:
to meditate on or think carefully about something
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly related to peer .][1]



pore

pore1
pore1  [pawr]
(plural pores) noun

1.  tiny
opening in skin: a tiny opening in human skin, or in the
skin or other outer covering of an animal, through which substances can pass.
Perspiration is released through the pores.

2.  BOTANY tiny
opening in plant: a tiny opening in a leaf or stem of a
plant used to absorb or release substances, for example, in photosynthesis or
respiration

3.  GEOLOGY small
space in rock: a small space that is surrounded by rock
or soil. It may be filled with water, crude oil, or natural gas.
[14th
century. Via Old French and Latin from Greek poros “passage” (source of
English emporium ). Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fare and ford
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at pour.

[1]



porefungus

porefungus
pore
fun·gus
(plural pore fun·gus·es) noun

fungus with tubes:
any fungus that has spores in tiny tubules that lead to outside pores.
Families: Boletaceae Polyporaceae[1]



porgy

porgy
por·gy 
[páwrgee] (plural por·gies or
por·gy) noun

1.  marine
food fish:
a marine food fish that has a deep flat body with large scales, found in the
Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Latin name: Pagrus pagrus

2.  fish
related to porgy: any marine food fish related to the
porgy, with a similarly deep flat body. Family: Sparidae

3.  unrelated
fish like porgy: any of various fishes that are similar
to the porgy but unrelated, for example, the menhaden
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish or Portuguese pargo from, ultimately, Greek phagros “sea
bream.”][1]



poriferan

poriferan
po·rif·er·an 
[paw ríffərən] noun (plural po·rif·er·ans)

(technical)
See sponge  noun 1
adjective

relating
to sponges:
belonging or relating to the sponges
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Porifera, phylum name, literally “passage-bearing,”
ultimately from Latin porus (see pore 1 ).][1]



pork

pork
pork 
[pawrk] noun

1.  FOOD hog
meat:
the flesh of a hog eaten as food, usually cooked fresh. Cured hog flesh is
usually referred to as bacon or ham. (often used before a noun)

2.  POLITICS political
handouts:
government money and jobs awarded by politicians to their supporters or
constituents to win their favor, especially when awarded wastefully (informal)
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin porcus “pig” (source of English porcupine
and porcelain ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “pig,” which is also the ancestor of English farrow .][1]



porkbarrel

porkbarrel
pork
bar·rel
noun

government projects affording
political opportunism:
government-funded projects that bring jobs and other benefits to an area and
give its political representative the opportunity to award favors and reap the
ensuing prestige (informal) (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



porkbelly

porkbelly
pork
bel·ly
noun

side of pork:
a side of fresh pork, commonly traded on the commodities markets, or a cut of
meat from this[1]



porker

porker
pork·er 
[páwrkər] (plural pork·ers) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE fat
young hog:
a young fattened hog, especially one raised for its meat

2.  overweight
person:
an overweight person or animal (informal insult)

[1]



porkpiehat

porkpiehat
pork·pie
hat
[páwrk p hat] (plural pork·pie
hats) or pork·pie [páwrk p hat]
(plural pork·pies) noun

1.  man’s
hat:
a man’s hat with a flat crown and small brim that can be turned up, first
popular in the 1850s

2.  woman’s
hat:
a woman’s round hat without a brim, first popular in the 1860s
[Porkpie from its shape][1]



porkrinds

porkrinds
pork
rinds
plural noun

pork fat snack:
small pieces of fried pork rind and fat that are eaten as a snack.
U.K. term
pork scratchings[1]



porky

porky1
por·ky1  [páwrkee]
(comparative pork·i·er, superlative pork·i·est) adjective

overweight:
overweight (informal insult)[1]



porky

porky2
por·ky2  [páwrkee]
(plural por·kies) noun

porcupine:
a porcupine (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



porn

porn
porn 
[pawrn] or por·no [páwrnō] noun

pornography:
pornography (informal) (often used before a noun)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



pornographic

pornographic
por·no·graph·ic
[pàwrnə gráffik] adjective

1.  portraying
sex explicitly: sexually explicit and intended to cause
sexual arousal

2.  selling
pornography: producing or selling sexually explicit
magazines, films, or other materials
—por·no·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



pornography

pornography
por·nog·ra·phy 
[pawr nóggrəfee] noun

1.  sexually
explicit material: films, magazines, writings,
photographs, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to
cause sexual arousal

2.  sexual
images industry: the production or sale of sexually
explicit films, magazines, or other materials
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek pornographos “writing about
prostitutes,” from pornē “prostitute.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word denoting “to sell.”]
—por·nog·ra·pher, noun[1]



porosity

porosity
po·ros·i·ty 
[paw róssətee] (plural po·ros·i·ties)
noun

1.  porous
quality:
the porous nature of something, or the extent to which something is porous

2.  GEOLOGY percentage
of pore space: the ratio of the space taken up by the
pores in a soil, rock, or other material to its total volume. It is expressed
as a percentage.

3.  GEOLOGY pore:
a pore in soil, rock, or other material (technical)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, medieval Latin porosus (see porous
).][1]



porous

porous
po·rous 
[páwrəss] adjective

1.  permeable:
permitting the movement of fluids or gases through it by way of pores or other
passages

2.  breachable:
easy to cross, infiltrate, or penetrate

3.  with
pores:
with a surface that contains pores or a body that contains cavities
[14th
century. Via Old French poreux from medieval Latin porosus, from
Latin porus “passage” (see pore 1 ).]
—po·rous·ly,
adverb

—po·rous·ness, noun[1]



porphyria

porphyria
por·phyr·i·a 
[pawr free ə] noun

disease
of metabolism: a medical condition caused by the body’s
failure to metabolize porphyrins. Symptoms of the hereditary form include
abdominal pain, sensitivity to sunlight, confusion, and excretion of porphyrins
in the urine.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from porphyrin .][1]



porphyrin

porphyrin
por·phy·rin 
[páwrfərin] (plural por·phy·rins)
noun

compound
in plants and animals: any of various organic
compounds that are common in animal and plant tissue, for example, as
components of hemoglobin, chlorophyll, and some enzymes. They consist of four
pyrrole rings linked by methylene groups.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek porphura “purple” (source of English purple ), from their color.][1]



porphyritic

porphyritic
por·phy·rit·ic 
[pàwrfə ríttik] adjective

1.  relating
to porphyry: relating to or containing porphyry

2.  with
large crystals: containing isolated large and distinct
crystals in a mainly fine-grained rock

[1]



porphyry

porphyry
por·phy·ry 
[páwrfəree] (plural por·phy·ries)
noun

1.  reddish-purple
rock:
a reddish-purple rock containing large distinct feldspar crystals embedded in a
fine-grained groundmass

2.  rock
with large crystals: any predominantly
fine-grained igneous rock that contains isolated large crystals
[14th century. Via Old French
porfire from, ultimately, Greek porphuritēs, from porphura
“purple” (see purple ), from its color.][1]



porpoise

porpoise
por·poise 
[páwrpəss] (plural por·pois·es
or por·poise) noun

1.  marine
mammal:
a toothed marine mammal, related to the whales and dolphins, that has a blunt
snout and a triangular dorsal fin. Family: Phocaenidae

2.  dolphin:
a popular but technically inaccurate term for a dolphin
[14th century. From Old
French porpeis, literally “pig-fish,” ultimately from Latin porcus
“pig” (see pork ) + piscis “fish”;
perhaps from its snout or its curved back.][1]



porrect

porrect
por·rect 
[pə rékt] adjective

sticking
out in front: used to describe animal parts that
extend forward
[Early 19th century. From
Latin porrectus, the past participle of porrigere “to stretch
forward,” from regere “to direct.”][1]



porringer

porringer
por·rin·ger 
[páwrinjər] (plural por·rin·gers)
noun

soup
bowl:
a small bowl, usually with a handle, used for soup, stew, or oatmeal
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of potinger, via Old French potager from potage
“pottage” (see pottage ).][1]



Port.

Port.
Port.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Portugal

2.  Abbreviation
of
Portuguese

[1]



port

port6
port6  [pawrt]
(past port·ed, past participle port·ed, present
participle port·ing, 3rd person present singular ports)
transitive verb

convert
for different computer system: to convert software to
run on different computer operating systems
[Mid-20th century. From port 2 .][1]



port

port4
port4  [pawrt]
noun

strong
sweet wine:
a strong sweet fortified wine usually drunk after dinner. It is usually a deep
red color, but some kinds are brownish tawny port and some white. Originally
from Portugal, port is now made in other countries.
[Late 17th century. Named for
the city of Oporto in Portugal, from where it was shipped.][1]



port

port5
port5  [pawrt]
transitive verb (past port·ed, past participle port·ed,
present participle port·ing, 3rd person present singular ports)

carry
across the body: to carry a weapon positioned diagonally
across the body with the muzzle or blade in front of the left shoulder
noun

diagonal
position:
the position of a rifle or sword when ported
[Mid-16th century. Via French
porter “to carry” from Latin portare (source of English portable, transport,
important, and portfolio ); see port 1 .][1]



port

port1
port1  [pawrt]
(plural ports) noun

1.  harbor:
a place by the sea, or by a river or other waterway, where ships and boats can
dock, load, and unload

2.  town
with a harbor: a town or city built around a port

3.  waterfront:
the waterfront area of a port

4.  cove:
a sheltered place along a coast, where boats are protected from storms and
rough seas

5.  See
port of entry
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
portus (source of English opportune
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to go across,” which is also
the ancestor of English pore 1 .][1]



port

port3
port3  [pawrt]
noun

left
side on ship or plane: the left-hand side of a boat
or airplane when facing forward
adjective
adverb

on
left:
on or to the left-hand side of boat or airplane when facing forward.
Also
called
portside
intransitive
and transitive verb (past port·ed,
past participle port·ed, present participle port·ing,
3rd person present singular ports)

turn
to port:
to make a turn toward the port side, or make a ship do this
[Mid-16th century. Shortening
of port side, from port 1, because it
was the side that faced the pier and over which cargo was loaded.][1]



port

port2
port2  [pawrt]
(plural ports) noun

1.  NAUTICAL opening
in boat:
a watertight opening in the side of a boat, used for loading and unloading and
as a means of general access to the holds

2.  NAUTICAL See porthole  noun 1

3.  MILITARY gun
hole:
a small opening in an armored vehicle, military aircraft, naval vessel, or
fortification through which a gun can be fired

4.  COMPUTING external
computer connection: an external socket on a
computer’s main unit ( CPU ) where a
peripheral device such as a printer, keyboard, or network cable is plugged in

5.  ENGINEERING valve-operated
opening:
an opening controlled by a valve, for example, any of the openings in the
cylinder of an internal combustion engine
[13th century. Via Old
French, “gate,” from Latin porta (source of English porch and portal
).][1]



porta

porta
por·ta
[páwrtə] (plural por·tas or
por·tae [páwrtee]) noun

opening
into body part: an opening into an organ or other bodily
part, especially the opening in the liver through which most of the blood
vessels enter
[14th century. Via modern
Latin from Latin, “gate.”][1]



portable

portable
port·a·ble 
[páwrtəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
moved around: designed to be light or compact enough
to carry or move easily from place to place

2.  COMPUTING easy
to convert:
easily converted to run on different computer operating systems
noun
(plural port·a·bles)

easily transported object:
a device or an appliance that is designed to be easily carried or moved from
place to place
[14th
century. Via Old French from late Latin portabilis, from portare
“to carry.”]
—port·a·bil·i·ty
[pàwrtə bíllətee], noun

—port·a·bly [páwrtəblee], adverb[1]



portae

portae
por·tae

Plural of
porta[1]



portage

portage
port·age 
[páwrtij, pawr
tzh] noun (plural port·ag·es)

1.  act
of carrying: the carrying or transporting of
something

2.  charge
for carrying: a charge made for carrying or
transporting something

3.  carrying
of boats overland: the carrying of boats or
cargo across land from one waterway to another or around an unnavigable section
of a waterway

4.  overland
route to waterway: an overland route used when
transporting a boat or its cargo from one waterway to another
intransitive
and transitive verb (past port·aged,
past participle port·aged, present participle port·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular port·ag·es)

carry something overland to waterway:
to carry boats or cargo across land from one waterway to another or around an
unnavigable portion of a waterway
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin portare “to carry.”][1]



Portage

Portage
Por·tage 
[páwrtij]

city in northwestern Indiana,
directly south of Lake Michigan, southeast of Gary and southwest of South Bend.
Population: 32,419 (1996)[1]



Portagela Prairie

Portagela Prairie
Por·tage
la Prai·rie
[pàwrtijlə práiree]

city in Manitoba, Canada,
located on the Assiniboine River and the Trans-Canada Highway. Population:
20,385 (1996)[1]



portal

portal
por·tal 
[páwrt’l] noun (plural por·tals)

1.  large
gate:
a large or elaborate gate or entrance (literary)

2.  entrance
to something: any entrance to a place, or any means of
access to something (literary)

3.  por·tal
or por·tal site (plural por·tal sites) COMPUTING home
site for Web browser: on the Internet, a Web site
that provides links to information and other Web sites
adjective

ANATOMY of
portal vein or system: relating to the portal vein,
portal system, or the opening in the liver ( porta
) through which the portal vein passes
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin porta “gate” (see port 1 ).][1]



portalsystem

portalsystem
por·tal
sys·tem
(plural por·tal sys·tems) noun

network of blood vessels:
a network of blood vessels that begin in the capillaries of one organ and end
in the capillaries of another, especially the portal veins connecting the liver
and intestines[1]



portalvein

portalvein
por·tal
vein
(plural por·tal veins) noun

vein leading to liver:
a vein that carries blood from the digestive organs, gall bladder, and spleen
to the liver, especially the vein from the intestines carrying nutrient-rich
blood[1]



portamento

portamento
por·ta·men·to 
[pàwrtə méntō] (plural por·ta·men·ti
[pàwrtə méntee]) noun

gliding
shift between musical notes: a smooth glide from one note
to another when singing or playing a stringed instrument.
Also
called
glide
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “carrying,” because the player slides the same finger from
one note to the next.][1]



PortArthur

PortArthur
Port
Ar·thur


1.  city
in southeastern Texas, the largest gasoline-refining center in the United
States. Population: 58,724 (1990)

2.  town
in Australia, in southern Tasmania. It was the site of a major penal settlement
between 1830 and 1837. Population: 190 (1994)

3.  Former
name for
Lüshun

[1]



portative

portative
por·ta·tive 
[páwrtətiv] adjective (formal)

1.  portable

2.  relating
to or for carrying: relating to the carrying of
things, or used for carrying things
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin portare “to carry.”][1]



portativeorgan

portativeorgan
por·ta·tive
or·gan
(plural por·ta·tive or·gans) noun

bellows organ:
a small portable organ operated by bellows, used in medieval and Renaissance
music[1]



PortAugusta

PortAugusta
Port
Au·gus·ta
[pàwrt aw gústə]

city in South Australia, at
the head of the Spencer Gulf. The city is a railway junction and industrial
center. Population: 13,914 (1996)[1]



Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
[pàwrt ō prínss]

capital city and chief port
of Haiti, on Gonâve Gulf. Population: 743,000 (1994)[1]



PortChester

PortChester
Port
Ches·ter


village on Long Island Sound,
in southeastern New York, on the Connecticut border. Population: 24,859 (1996)[1]



portcullis

portcullis
port·cul·lis 
[pàwrt kúlliss] (plural port·cul·lis·es)
noun

heavy
castle gate sliding vertically: a heavy iron or wooden
grating that is set in vertical grooves and suspended by chains. It is lowered
to block the gateway to a castle or fortification.
[14th century. From Old
French porte coleïce, from porte “door,” from Latin porta
“gate,” + col(e)ïce, a form of couleïs “sliding,” ultimately from
Latin colare “to filter.”][1]



portde bras

portde bras
port
de bras 
[pàwr də br] noun

arm
movement in ballet: the proper movement of the
arms in ballet, or exercises for developing this
[From French, literally
“carriage of the arms”][1]



Portdu Salut

Portdu Salut
Port
du Salut 
noun

See
Port-Salut  noun[1]



Porte

Porte
Porte 
[pawrt] noun

Ottoman
government:
the court or government of the Ottoman Empire. It was situated in
Constantinople.
Also
called
Sublime Porte
[Early 17th century. From
French (la Sublime) Porte “(the exalted) Gate,” translation of the
Turkish title of the central office; from the palace gate where justice was
administered.][1]



porte-cochère

porte-cochère
porte-co·chère 
[pàwrt kō sháir] (plural porte-co·chères)
or porte-co·chere [pàwrt kō sháir]
(plural porte-co·cheres) noun

1.  extended
roof:
a large roof or awning extending from the entrance of a building to the
driveway

2.  covered
entrance:
a large covered entrance for vehicles in a wall or building leading to a
courtyard
[Late 17th century. From
French porte cochère, literally “door for coaches.”][1]



PortElizabeth

PortElizabeth
Port
E·liz·a·beth

city in Eastern Cape
Province, southeastern South Africa, situated on Algoa Bay, on the Indian
Ocean. Population: 853,205 (1991)[1]



portend

portend
por·tend 
[pawr ténd] (past por·tend·ed,
past participle por·tend·ed, present participle por·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular por·tends) transitive verb

1.  be
an omen:
to be an indication that something, especially something unpleasant, is going
to happen

2.  indicate:
to indicate or signify something
[15th century. From Latin portendere,
literally “to stretch forward,” from tendere (see tender 2 ).][1]



portent

portent
por·tent 
[páwr tènt] (plural por·tents)
noun

1.  omen:
an indication that something, often something unpleasant, is going to happen

2.  significance:
ominous or prophetic significance

3.  marvel:
a wonderful or marvelous thing (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin portentum, from portendere (see portend
).][1]



portentous

portentous
por·ten·tous 
[pawr téntəss] adjective

1.  significant:
very serious and significant, especially in terms of future events

2.  pompous:
excessively serious or pompous (disapproving)

3.  amazing:
inspiring wonder and amazement
—por·ten·tous·ly,
adverb

—por·ten·tous·ness, noun[1]



porter

porter2
por·ter2  [páwrtər]
(plural por·ters) noun

dark
beer:
a dark sweet beer, similar to light stout, made from malt that has been browned
or charred
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of porter’s ale, from porter 1 ; probably
because the beer was drunk mainly by porters.][1]



porter

porter1
por·ter1  [páwrtər]
(plural por·ters) noun

1.  luggage
carrier:
somebody who is employed to carry people’s luggage, for example, at an airport,
railroad station, or in a hotel

2.  railcar
attendant:
an attendant in a sleeping car or parlor car
[14th century. Via French porteur
from medieval Latin portator, literally “carrier,” from portare
(see port 1 ).][1]



porterage

porterage
por·ter·age 
[páwrtərij] noun

1.  carrying
work:
the work of carrying that is performed by porters

2.  fee
for carrying: a fee charged by porters for carrying
things

[1]



Porter,Cole

Porter,Cole

Por·ter 
[páwrtər], Cole (1891–1964)
U.S.
composer and lyricist. He is known for his witty sophisticated songs, and for
musicals such as Kiss Me Kate ( 1949 ).
Full name
Porter, Cole Albert[1]



porterhouse

porterhouse
por·ter·house 
[páwrtər hòwss] (plural por·ter·hous·es
[páwrtər hòwzəz]) noun

1.  FOOD See porterhouse steak

2.  restaurant:
an establishment that in the past sold porter and sometimes also served meals (archaic)

[1]



porterhousesteak

porterhousesteak
por·ter·house
steak
(plural por·ter·house steaks) noun

large steak:
a beef steak from the thick end of the sirloin.
Also called
porterhouse[1]



Porter,Katherine Anne

Porter,Katherine Anne
Por·ter 
[páwrtər], Katherine Anne (1890–1980)

U.S. writer. Regarded as one
of the leading modern writers of short stories, she received the 1966 Pulitzer
Prize for Collected Short Stories ( 1965 ).[1]



portfolio

portfolio
port·fo·li·o 
[pawrt fṓlee ] (plural port·fo·li·os)
noun

1.  flat
case:
a large flat case for carrying documents, for example, maps, photographs, or
drawings

2.  portfolio
contents:
the contents of a portfolio, especially as representing somebody’s creative
work

3.  FINANCE group
of investments: all the investments held by an
individual or organization

4.  POLITICS ministerial
responsibilities: the post or responsibilities of a
cabinet minister, minister of state, or ambassador

5.  range
of products: the complete range of products or
designs offered by a company (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
Italian portafoglio, from portare “to carry” + foglio
“sheet, page.”][1]



Port-Gentil

Port-Gentil
Port-Gen·til
[pawr zhaan t]

city and seaport in western
Gabon. It is the capital of Ogooué-Maritime Province. Population: 97,900 (1993)[1]



PortHarcourt

PortHarcourt
Port
Har·court 
[paawrthr kawrt]

major port and capital city
of Rivers State, southern Nigeria. Population: 400,000 (1995)[1]



porthole

porthole
port·hole 
[páwrt hl] (plural port·holes)
noun

1.  NAUTICAL round
window:
a small round window with a metal frame in the side of a ship.
Also
called
port

2.  MILITARY opening
for weapon:
a small opening in a fortified wall through which weapons can be fired

[1]



Portia

Portia
Por·tia
[páwrshə] noun

small inner moon of Uranus:
a small inner natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe. It is approximately 110 km/68 mi in diameter.[1]



portico

portico
por·ti·co 
[páwrti k] (plural por·ti·coes
or por·ti·cos) noun

1.  porch:
a covered entrance to a large building

2.  covered
walkway:
a covered walkway, often leading to the main entrance of a building, that
consists of a roof supported by pillars
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin porticus, from porta “gate” (see port 2 ).][1]



portion

portion
por·tion 
[páwrsh’n] noun (plural por·tions)

1.  helping
of food:
an amount of food for one person

2.  fraction:
a part or section of a larger whole

3.  fate:
an unavoidable event or part of somebody’s life (literary)

4.  LAW inheritance:
a part of an estate that has been bequeathed to an heir

5.  LAW See dowry  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past por·tioned, past participle por·tioned, present
participle por·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular por·tions)

1.  divide:
to divide something into parts for use

2.  LAW endow:
to give a dowry to a woman (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem portion-, of uncertain origin:
possibly something related to pars “share” (source of English part ).]
—por·tion·a·ble,
adjective

—por·tion·er, noun[1]



portière

portière
por·tière 
[pàwrtee áir] (plural por·tières)
or por·tiere [pàwrtee áir] (plural
por·tieres) noun

doorway
curtain:
a heavy curtain hung across a doorway (formal)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from porte “door,” ultimately from Latin porta
(see port 2 ).][1]



Portland

Portland
Port·land 
[páwrtlənd]

1.  city
in southwestern Maine, on the southern shore of Casco Bay, northeast of Saco.
Population: 63,123 (1996)

2.  city
in Oregon, situated in the northwestern part of the state on the Willamette
River. It is the state’s largest city, and its economic and cultural center.
Population: 437,319 (1990)

[1]



Portlandcement

Portlandcement
Port·land
ce·ment
or port·land ce·ment noun

limestone
and clay cement: a cement that hardens under water, made
by burning limestone and clay
[So called because its color
resembles that of Portland stone, a limestone named for the Isle of Portland in
southern England, where it was quarried][1]



PortLouis

PortLouis
Port
Lou·is 
[pawrt l is, pawrt
l ee]

capital city and chief port
of Mauritius, on the northeastern coast of the island. Population: 142,850
(1992)[1]



portly

portly
port·ly 
[páwrtlee] (comparative port·li·er,
superlative port·li·est) adjective

1.  slightly
overweight:
slightly overweight but dignified

2.  stately:
having an air of grandeur (archaic)
[15th
century. Formed from port 5 in the sense “bearing,
manner.”]
—port·li·ness, noun[1]



portmanteau

portmanteau
port·man·teau 
[pàwrt man tṓ, pawrt
mántō] (plural port·man·teaus or port·man·teaux
[páwrt man tōz]) noun

large
suitcase:
an old type of large leather suitcase, especially one that opened out into two
compartments
[Mid-16th century. From
French portemanteau, from porter “to carry” + manteau
“cloak.”][1]



portmanteauword

portmanteauword
port·man·teau
word
(plural port·man·teau words) noun

combination
word:
a word that combines the sound and meaning of two words, for example, “smog,” a
combination of “smoke” and “fog”
[From Humpty Dumpty’s
description (in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass ) of the word
“slithy” as a portmanteau because “there are two meanings packed up into one
word”][1]



PortMoresby

PortMoresby
Port
Mores·by 
[pàwrt máwrzbee]

capital city of Papua New
Guinea, situated on the southern coast of the island of New Guinea. Population:
193,242 (1990)[1]



PortoAlegre

PortoAlegre
Por·to
A·le·gre 
[pàwr t ə léggrə]

capital city of Rio Grande do
Sul State, southeastern Brazil, and the country’s leading river port. It lies
at the junction of five rivers. Population: 1,286,251 (1996)[1]



portof call

portof call
port
of call
(plural ports of call) noun

1.  NAUTICAL port
away from home: any port, other than the home port, that
a vessel visits on a journey

2.  visited
place:
a place visited during a vacation, trip, or excursion (informal)

[1]



portof entry

portof entry
port
of en·try
(plural ports of en·try) noun

international border
crossing: a place, for example, a port
or an airport, where passengers and goods may enter a country under the
supervision of customs officials.
Also called
port[1]



Port-of-Spain

Port-of-Spain
Port-of-Spain
[pàwrt əv spáyn] or Port of Spain
[pàwrt əv spáyn]

capital city and main port of
Trinidad and Tobago. It is situated in the northwestern part of the island of
Trinidad. Population: 59,200 (1988)[1]



Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo
Por·to-No·vo
[pàwrto nṓvō]

capital city of Benin, and
its main seaport, situated on a lagoon that extends along the Gulf of Guinea.
Population: 179,000 (1994)[1]



PortOrford cedar

PortOrford cedar
Port
Or·ford ce·dar  [pàwrt áwrfərd
sdər] (plural Port Or·ford ce·dars) noun

1.  TREES western
N American cedar: a tall evergreen tree native to
southwestern Oregon and northwestern California that has leaves with white
markings and drooping branches. Latin name: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

2.  INDUSTRY cedar
wood:
the fragrant, commercially valuable wood of the Port Orford cedar
[Named for Port Orford,
a town in southwestern Oregon][1]



portrait

portrait
por·trait 
[páwrtrət] noun (plural por·traits)

1.  picture
of a person: a painting, photograph, or drawing of
somebody, somebody’s face, or a related group

2.  description:
a description of something, for example, a person, place, or period
adjective

PRINTING taller
than wide:
used to describe a piece of paper, illustration, book, or page that is taller
than it is wide.
See
also
landscape
[Mid-16th
century. From French, from the past participle of Old French portraire
(see portray ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Portrait
  of a Lady, a novel by Henry James ( 1881 ). Through the story of Isabel
  Archer, a young American woman who travels to Europe and is duped into
  marrying an urbane but materialistic fellow expatriate, the author explores the
  contrasting characteristics of the Old World (sophisticated but corrupt) and
  the New (idealistic but naive). It was made into a movie by Jane Campion in
  1997.

[1]



portraitist

portraitist
por·trait·ist 
[páwrtrətist] (plural por·trait·ists)
noun

creator of portraits:
somebody such as a photographer or painter who specializes in portraits[1]



portraiture

portraiture
por·trai·ture 
[páwrtrə chr, páwrtrəchər]
(plural por·trai·tures) noun

1.  making
of portraits: the art or practice of making portraits

2.  portraits:
portraits considered collectively

3.  portrait:
a portrait painting, drawing, or photography (formal)

[1]



portray

portray
por·tray 
[pawr tráy] (past por·trayed, past
participle por·trayed, present participle por·tray·ing,
3rd person present singular por·trays) transitive verb

1.  depict
visually:
to depict something, for example, a person or a scene, in a painting,
photograph, drawing, or sculpture

2.  depict
verbally:
to represent somebody or something in words

3.  play
a role in drama: to play a character in drama
[13th
century. From Old French portraire, literally “to draw forth,” from traire
“to draw,” from Latin trahere (see traction
.]
—por·tray·a·ble,
adjective

—por·tray·er, noun[1]



portrayal

portrayal
por·tray·al 
[pawrtráyəl] (plural por·tray·als)
noun

1.  acting
representation: the way an actor conveys the character
of the role being played

2.  artistic
depiction:
an artist’s depiction or representation of a subject

3.  representation:
a representation of somebody or something in words or images

[1]



PortSaid

PortSaid
Port
Sa·id 
[pawrtsaa d]

city and port in northeastern
Egypt, at the Mediterranean end of the Suez Canal. Population: 460,000 (1992)[1]



Port-Salut

Port-Salut
Port-Sal·ut
[pàwr sa l] or Port du Salut
[pàwr doo sa l] noun

mild
cheese:
a flat round mild French cheese with an orange rind, made from whole milk
[Late 19th century. Named for
Notre Dame de Port-du-Salut, a Trappist monastery in northwestern France
where the cheese was first produced.][1]



portside

portside
port·side 
[páwrt sd] adjective

by
a harbor:
situated on or near the waterfront at a port • a
portside cafe
adjective
adverb

NAUTICAL
See port 3 adj.,
adv.[1]



Portsmouth

Portsmouth
Ports·mouth 
[páwrtsməth] noun

city in southeastern
Virginia. It is a major seaport. Population: 103,907 (1990)[1]



PortSudan

PortSudan
Port
Su·dan


city in northeastern Sudan,
and the country’s only seaport, situated on the Red Sea 322 km/200 mi northeast
of Khartoum. Population: 305,385 (1993)[1]



PortTalbot

PortTalbot
Port
Tal·bot 
[pawrttáwlbət, pawrttálbət]

town in southern Wales. It is
the administrative center of Neath and Port Talbot unitary authority, and was a
major steel-making center. Population: 37,647 (1991)[1]



Portugal

Portugal



Por·tu·gal 
[páwrchəgəl]
republic in southwestern Europe, in the
southwestern part of the Iberian peninsula. Language: Portuguese. Currency:
escudo. Capital: Lisbon. Population: 9,865,114 (1996) Area: 92,082 sq km/35,553
sq mi. Official name Portuguese Republic[1]



Portugal




Back to definition

Portugal

[1]



Portuguese

Portuguese
Por·tu·guese 
[pàwrchə gz, pàwrchə
gss] noun

1.  LANGUAGE language
of Portugal and Brazil: the official language of
Portugal and Brazil, also an official language in some African countries,
belonging to the Italic branch of Indo-European languages. Portuguese is spoken
by about 150 million people, with a further approximately 30 million using it
as a second language.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Portugal: somebody who was born in or raised in
Portugal, or who has Portuguese citizenship
adjective

1.  of
Portugal:
relating to Portugal, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE relating
to Portuguese: relating to the Portuguese language
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese português from, ultimately, medieval Latin Portus Cale,
the port of Gaya (Oporto).][1]



PortugueseIndia

PortugueseIndia
Por·tu·guese
In·di·a

territories in India formerly
ruled by Portugal, considered as a group. They included Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra,
and Nagar Haveli. They were taken over by India between 1954 and 1961.[1]



Portugueseman-of-war

Portugueseman-of-war

Por·tu·guese
man-of-war
noun
sea
organism resembling jellyfish: a sea organism ( hydrozoan ) resembling a jellyfish, that lives in
warm waters, has a transparent gas-filled float, and long stinging often
poisonous tentacles. Genus: Physalia
Also
called
man-of-war
[From its crest, resembling a
sail][1]



Portuguesewater dog

Portuguesewater dog
Por·tu·guese
wa·ter dog
(plural Por·tu·guese wa·ter dogs) noun

swimming dog:
a dog bred in Portugal to assist fishermen that has webbed feet and a dark coat
with light markings and is an excellent swimmer[1]



portulaca

portulaca

por·tu·lac·a 
[pàwrchə lákə] (plural por·tu·lac·as)
noun
garden
plant:
a plant with fleshy leaves and brightly colored flowers, native to tropical and
subtropical America but widely cultivated. Genus: Portulaca
Also
called
rose moss
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin,
“purslane,” from portula, literally “little gate,” from porta
(see port 2 ); from the
covering of the seed capsule, that resembles a gate.][1]



port-winestain

port-winestain
port-wine
stain
(plural port-wine stains) noun

birthmark:
a conspicuous purplish birthmark, especially on the face or neck[1]



pos.

pos.
pos.

1.  Abbreviation
of
position

2.  Abbreviation
of
positive

[1]



POS

POS
POS

Abbreviation of
point of sale[1]



posada

posada
po·sa·da 
[pō sdə, pə sdə]
(plural po·sa·das) noun

Spanish
inn:
a hotel, pension, or hostel in a Spanish-speaking country
[Mid-18th century. From
Spanish, formed from posar “to stay, lodge,” via late Latin pausare
from Latin pausa “rest” (see pause
).][1]



pose

pose1
pose1  [pōz]
verb (past posed, past participle posed, present
participle pos·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb adopt
a posture:
to adopt a particular physical posture for a photograph or painting, or
position somebody or something for this purpose

2.  intransitive
verb
impersonate:
to pretend to be somebody or something else

3.  intransitive
verb
be
pretentious: to behave, dress, or assume a mental
attitude intended to impress others (disapproving)

4.  transitive
verb
ask:
to ask a question, often one that requires some consideration

5.  transitive
verb
present:
to be the cause of something, for example, a problem, threat, danger, or
challenge • a
breakdown of negotiations that poses a threat to peace
noun
(plural pos·es)

1.  posture:
a particular physical posture, for example, one adopted for a painting or
photograph

2.  pretense:
a way of behaving or dressing calculated to impress others (disapproving)
[14th century. Via Old French
poser from, ultimately, late Latin pausare “to rest, cease,” from
pausa (see pause ).][1]



pose

pose2
pose2  [pōz]
(past posed, past participle posed, present
participle pos·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·es)
transitive verb

baffle:
to confuse or baffle somebody (dated)
[Early 16th century. Partly a
shortening of appose (variant of oppose
), and partly from Old French poser “to assume.”][1]



Poseidon

Poseidon
Po·sei·don 
[pə sd’n, pō
sd’n] (plural Po·sei·dons) noun

missile:
a U.S. ballistic missile capable of being launched from a submarine and
carrying a nuclear warhead[1]



poser

poser2
pos·er2  [pṓzər]
(plural pos·ers) noun

challenging
problem:
a difficult question or problem
[Late 16th century. Formed
from pose 2 .][1]



poser

poser1
pos·er1  [pṓzər]
(plural pos·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who poses:
somebody who adopts a particular posture for a photograph or painting

2.  poseur:
a poseur (informal disapproving)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from pose 1 .][1]



poseur

poseur
po·seur 
[pō zúr] (plural po·seurs) noun

pretentious
person:
somebody who behaves or dresses to impress others
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from poser “to pose” (see pose 1 ).][1]



posh

posh
posh 
[posh] adjective (comparative posh·er,
superlative posh·est)

for
the well-off: elegant, fashionable, and expensive (informal)
adverb

U.K.
like
an upper class person: like somebody from the upper
classes (informal) • She
talks posh on the phone to try to impress people.
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain.]
—posh·ly,
adverb

—posh·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  legend has become widely circulated that posh
  is an acronym formed from the initial letters of port out, starboard home,
  an allusion to the fact that wealthy passengers could afford the more
  expensive cabins on the port side of the ships going out to India, and on the
  starboard side returning to Britain, which kept them out of the heat of the
  sun. Pleasant as this story is, it has never been substantiated. Another
  possibility is that posh may be the same
  word as the now obsolete posh “dandy, swell,” a slang term current
  around the end of the 19th century. This too is of unknown origin, but it has
  been linked with the still earlier 19th-century slang term posh
  “halfpenny,” hence broadly “money,” which may have come ultimately from
  Romany posh “half.”

[1]



posit

posit
pos·it 
[pózzit] transitive verb (past
pos·it·ed, past participle pos·it·ed, present
participle pos·it·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·its)
(formal)

1.  put
something forward: to put something forward for
consideration, for example, a suggestion, assumption, or fact

2.  position
something:
to place something firmly in position
noun
(plural pos·its)

something put forward:
a fact, assumption, or suggestion for consideration (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
posit-, the past participle stem of ponere “to place” (see position ).][1]



positif

positif
pos·i·tif
[pòzzə tf] (plural pos·i·tifs)
noun

organ
part:
a manual that controls the softer stops on a church organ.
Also
called
positive
[Via Old French, “positive
organ,” from Latin positivus (see positive
)][1]



position

position
po·si·tion 
[pə zísh’n] noun (plural po·si·tions)

1.  location:
the place where somebody or something is, especially in relation to other
things

2.  posture:
the posture that somebody’s body is in • the
fetal position

3.  arrangement:
the way or direction in which an object is placed or arranged • the
position of the hour hand

4.  situation:
a particular set of circumstances • I
wouldn’t sell just yet if I were in your position.

5.  rank:
somebody’s standing or level of importance in society or an organization • In
her position she should set an example for others.

6.  view:
a policy, view, or opinion, especially an official one • What’s
your position on the proposed highway?

7.  place
in order:
the place a person, team, or organization occupies in a race, contest, or list

8.  MILITARY strategic
place:
a strategic area or point that is occupied by military personnel or where
weapons are placed

9.  correct
place:
the correct or usual place or arrangement of an object or person • Once
the dignitaries are in position, the ceremony can start.

10. SPORTS role
on a team:
the part of a playing area where a player is based and usually plays • tried
out several positions before settling on left field

11. sexual
posture:
the posture used by a couple in sexual intercourse

12. post:
a job or post in a company or organization • the
position of marketing manager

13. GAME arrangement
of pieces:
the arrangement of the pieces or counters in a board game, for example, chess
or backgammon, at a given time

14. FINANCE dealer’s
responsibility: a dealer’s commitment to buy or sell a
particular number of stocks or commodities

15. FINANCE investor’s
vulnerability: an investor’s status based on holdings
with regard to market trends

16. MUSIC hand
placement:
the placement of the fingers on a keyboard or string instrument

17. MUSIC degree
of extension of trombone slide: the extent to which a
trombone slide is pushed out

18. MUSIC arrangement
of notes in a chord: the arrangement of
individual notes within a chord. Root position is the most fundamental
position.

19. POETRY vowel
type in classical poetry: a short vowel counting as a
long vowel in classical poetry because it comes before two or more consonants
transitive
verb
(past po·si·tioned, past participle po·si·tioned, present
participle po·si·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular po·si·tions)

1.  put
something in place: to put something in a
particular or suitable place • Position
the two pieces so that they are at right angles.

2.  place
somebody:
to place somebody or yourself in a particular or suitable area, place, or
situation • This
strategy will position us advantageously in the market.

3.  locate
something:
to determine the site or location of something • Air
traffic controllers have positioned the unknown aircraft at 50 miles north of
the airport.
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin posit-, the past participle
stem of ponere “to place.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to drop off.”]
—po·si·tion·al,
adjective

—po·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—po·si·tion·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word ponere, from which position
  is derived, is also the source of English compose,
  compost, compound, deposit,
  dispose, expose, impose,
  oppose, positive,
  post, postpone,
  posture, repose, suppose,
  and transpose.

[1]



positionalnotation

positionalnotation
po·si·tion·al
no·ta·tion
noun

method for donating numbers:
the method of denoting numbers by using digits in such a way that the value
contributed by the digit depends on its position as well as its independent
value. In the decimal system the value of the digits “37” is (3 x 10 1 ) + (7 x 10 0 ), while in
the octal system it is (3 x 8 1 ) + (7 x 8 0 ), or 31
decimal.[1]



positionaudit

positionaudit
po·si·tion
au·dit
(plural po·si·tion au·dits) noun

assessment of business:
an assessment of a company’s or organization’s commercial standing carried out
to help future planning[1]



positioneffect

positioneffect
po·si·tion
ef·fect
noun

genetic expression variable:
a change in a gene’s expression depending on its location on the chromosome
relative to other genes[1]



positionpaper

positionpaper
po·si·tion
pa·per
(plural po·si·tion pa·pers) noun

in-depth report:
an in-depth report on a particular matter that gives the official view and
recommendations of a government or organization[1]



positive

positive
pos·i·tive 
[pózzətiv] adjective

1.  sure:
certain and not in doubt

2.  LAW irrefutable:
conclusive and beyond doubt or question • positive
identification of the suspect

3.  optimistic:
confident, optimistic, and focusing on the good things rather than bad • a
positive attitude about work

4.  beneficial:
producing good results because of having an innately beneficial character • The
workshop was a very positive experience.

5.  affirmative:
indicating agreement or affirmation • got
some positive feedback from the survey

6.  quantifiable:
capable of being measured, detected, or perceived • a
positive correlation between investment in telecommunications and economic
development

7.  MEDICINE indicating
presence of something in test: indicating the
presence or existence of a particular organism, illness, especially HIV, or
condition in the results of a test or examination • a
positive test for diabetes

8.  MEDICINE See Rh positive

9.  encouraging
good behavior: encouraging behavior, especially in the
young, that is considered morally good • a
positive role model

10. adding
emphasis:
used to emphasize the degree to which something is true, striking, or
impressive (informal) • Hiring
her is a positive triumph for the department.

11. MATHEMATICS more
than zero:
with a value higher than zero. Symbol +

12. PHYSICS with
electrical charge like a proton: with an electrical
charge of an opposite polarity to an electron’s and the same polarity as a
proton’s

13. not
negative:
measured in a direction or designated as a quantity equal in magnitude but
opposite to that regarded as negative

14. ELEC with
positive charge: with an overall positive electrical
charge, sometimes caused by the loss of one or more electrons

15. ELEC with
higher electrical potential: with a higher electrical
potential than the ground or the defined neutral point • a
positive electrode

16. ELECTRICITY See electropositive  adjective 1

17. PHOTOGRAPHY like
the subject: used to describe photographic images
that have colors or values of dark and light corresponding to the subject

18. OPTICS making
light converge: making a parallel beam of light converge

19. GRAMMAR not
comparative or superlative: relating to the basic form
of an adjective or adverb, rather than its comparative or superlative forms

20. PHILOSOPHY empirical:
relating to the theory that knowledge can be acquired only through direct
observation and experimentation rather than metaphysics and theology

21. BIOLOGY showing
response:
indicating growth, response, or movement toward a stimulus, for example, light

22. ENGINEERING mechanical
action with no slack: used to describe a
mechanical action or device having little or no play

23. ZODIAC of
certain zodiac signs: relating to the air and fire
signs of the zodiac
noun
(plural pos·i·tives)

1.  ELEC something
with positive charge: something that carries a positive
electrical charge

2.  ELEC cell
plate or terminal: a positively charged plate
or terminal in a cell

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY image
like the subject: a photographic image in which the light
and dark tones and colors correspond to those of the original subject

4.  positive
thing:
something that shows agreement, support, or affirmation (informal) • Not
a bad situation when we weigh all the positives.

5.  MATHEMATICS something
greater than zero: a value or number higher
than zero

6.  GRAMMAR basic
form of modifier: an adjective or adverb in its basic form
rather than the comparative or superlative

7.  MUSIC medieval
organ:
a small medieval organ with just one manual and no pedals

8.  MUSIC See positif
[14th
century. Via French from Latin positivus, from posit-, the past
participle stem of ponere (see position
); the underlying meaning is “firmly set down.”]
—pos·i·tive·ness,
noun

—pos·i·tiv·i·ty [pòzzə tívvətee], noun[1]



positively

positively
pos·i·tive·ly
[pózzətivlee] adverb

1.  definitely:
used to emphasize the finality or extremity of a statement or response

2.  for
adding emphasis: used to emphasize an often already
emphatic quality, characteristic, or action • looking
positively radiant

3.  encouragingly:
in an encouraging, supportive, or optimistic way

[1]



positiveprescription

positiveprescription
pos·i·tive
pre·scrip·tion noun

See
prescription  noun 7[1]



positivism

positivism
pos·i·tiv·ism 
[pózzəti vìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of knowledge: the theory that knowledge can be
acquired only through direct observation and experimentation rather than
through metaphysics and theology

2.  positive
state:
the state or quality of being positive
—pos·i·tiv·ist,
noun, adjective

—pos·i·tiv·is·tic
[pòzzəti vístik], adjective

—pos·i·ti·vis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



positronemission tomography

positronemission tomography
pos·i·tron
e·mis·sion to·mog·ra·phy noun

medical imaging technology:
a method of medical imaging capable of displaying the metabolic activity of
organs in the body, and useful in diagnosing cancer, locating brain tumors, and
investigating other brain disorders[1]



positronium

positronium
pos·i·tro·ni·um 
[pòzzə trṓnee əm] (plural pos·i·tro·ni·ums)
noun

short-lived particle:
a combination of a positron and an electron that rapidly decays to produce two
or three photons[1]



posole

posole
po·so·le
[pō sṓ lày] noun

Mexican
soup:
a thick Mexican soup made with hominy, chicken or pork, chilies, and cilantro
[Via Mexican Spanish from
Nahuatl pozolli][1]



posology

posology
po·sol·o·gy 
[pə sólləjee] noun

study
of drug dosages: the study of the dosage of medicines
[Early
19th century. From French posologie, from Greek posos “how
much.”]
—po·so·log·i·cal [pòssə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



poss.

poss.
poss.

1.  Abbreviation
of
possession

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of possessive

3.  Abbreviation
of
possible

4.  Abbreviation
of
possibly

[1]



posse

posse
pos·se 
[póssee] (plural pos·ses) noun

1.  sheriff’s
helpers:
a group of able-bodied citizens that a sheriff can call upon to assist in
maintaining law and order. They are associated mainly with the 19th-century
American South and West.

2.  assembled
group:
a group of people assembled for a common purpose (informal)

3.  searchers:
a search party

4.  street
gang:
a group of youths who hang around together and have a leader (slang)
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of posse comitatus .][1]



possecomitatus

possecomitatus
pos·se
com·i·ta·tus [pòssi kómmə
ttəss, pòssi kómmə táytəss] (plural
pos·se com·i·ta·tus·es) noun

posse:
a posse (formal)
[From medieval Latin,
literally “force of the county”][1]



possess

possess
pos·sess 
[pə zéss] (past pos·sessed, past
participle pos·sessed, present participle pos·sess·ing,
3rd person present singular pos·sess·es) transitive verb

1.  own:
to have or own something

2.  have
as an ability: to have a particular ability, quality,
or characteristic

3.  have
knowledge of something: to have or acquire skill or
knowledge of something

4.  take
control:
to take control of or influence somebody, affecting the person’s behavior or
thinking • possessed
by fear and unable to speak

5.  influence:
to cause somebody to be influenced or controlled by something, especially an
emotion • The
news possessed us with foreboding.

6.  control
feeling:
to control yourself or a feeling in a particular situation (formal)

7.  have
sex:
to have sex with somebody (dated) (sometimes considered offensive)

8.  seize
something:
to gain or seize something (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French possesser from Latin possess-, the past
participle stem of possidere, literally “to sit on as head of,” from sedere
.]
—pos·ses·sor, noun[1]



possessed

possessed
pos·sessed 
[pə zést] adjective

1.  controlled:
controlled or strongly influenced, especially by a supposed evil supernatural
force or a strong emotion • screaming
and shouting like a man possessed

2.  having
quality:
having as a quality, characteristic, or belief (literary)

3.  owning:
being the owner of something • an
only child possessed of a great fortune

4.  See
self-possessed

[1]



possession

possession
pos·ses·sion 
[pə zésh’n] noun (plural pos·ses·sions)

1.  ownership:
the act or state of owning or holding something

2.  something
owned:
something owned or held

3.  POLITICS colony:
a country or region controlled or governed by another country (often used in
the plural)

4.  state
of being controlled: the condition of being
controlled by or appearing to be controlled by a supernatural force or strong
emotion

5.  SPORTS control
of a ball:
control of the ball or puck in various sports

6.  CRIMINOLOGY having
something illegal: the crime of having or
owning something illegal, for example, a weapon, contraband, stolen property,
or illegal drugs

7.  LAW occupancy:
the physical occupancy of something, for example, a house, whether or not
accompanied by ownership
plural
noun
pos·ses·sions

personal property:
personal property and wealth
—pos·ses·sional, adjective[1]



possessive

possessive
pos·ses·sive 
[pə zéssiv] adjective

1.  eager
to dominate: wishing to control somebody exclusively
or to be the sole object of somebody’s love (disapproving)

2.  selfish:
tending not to share possessions with others

3.  of
ownership:
relating to ownership • possessive
pride

4.  GRAMMAR showing
ownership in grammatical terms: indicating grammatical
ownership, for example, in pronouns such as “his” or “her”
noun
(plural pos·ses·sives) GRAMMAR

1.  word
showing ownership: a noun, pronoun, adjective
or form of a word that indicates ownership or association

2.  possessive
case:
the possessive or genitive case
—pos·ses·sive·ly,
adverb

—pos·ses·sive·ness, noun[1]



possessory

possessory
pos·ses·so·ry 
[pə zéssəree] adjective

1.  relating
to possession: relating to possession or a possessor (formal)

2.  LAW depending
on possession: arising from or depending on possession

[1]



possibility

possibility
pos·si·bil·i·ty 
[pòssə bíllətee] noun (plural pos·si·bil·i·ties)

1.  something
possible:
something that is possible

2.  state
of being possible: the condition or quality of
being possible

3.  contender:
somebody who is considered a possible winner, choice, or candidate
plural
noun
pos·si·bil·i·ties

potential: the
potential for successful future development • The
house needs a lot of work, but it’s got possibilities.

[1]



possible

possible
pos·si·ble 
[póssəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to happen:
capable of happening or likely to happen in the future

2.  maybe
real or true: capable of being real, present, or true

3.  capable
of happening but unlikely: theoretically capable of
being done, of happening, or of existing, although difficult or unlikely in
practice

4.  potential:
having potential as a particular thing or for a particular purpose

5.  proper:
in keeping with convention, decorum, or tradition
noun
(plural pos·si·bles)

possibility:
somebody who or something that is a possibility
[14th century. Via French
from Latin possibilis, from posse “to be able” (see potent ).][1]



possibleworld

possibleworld
pos·si·ble
world
noun

idea about philosophical
truth conditions: a philosophical idea
postulating an alternative world or situation in which a proposition’s truth
can be evaluated. A proposition is true if there is such a world in which it
would be true and it is necessary if it is true in every such world.[1]



possibly

possibly
pos·si·bly
[póssəblee] adverb

1.  perhaps:
likely, or maybe so, but not known for certain

2.  as
a possibility: as something that is possible or may be
realized • a
new park to include a pond and possibly a playground

3.  adding
emphasis:
used to express shock, disbelief, or amazement • What
could he possibly mean? • How
could you possibly have believed that?

4.  suggesting
effort:
used to indicate the magnitude of effort or difficulty • They’ve
done everything they possibly could to help her.

5.  suggesting
impossibility: used in negative sentences and phrases
to emphasize that something cannot be done or cannot happen • She
can’t possibly have known what I spent!

6.  used
as request modifier: used with requests to
suggest the speaker’s awareness of an imposition • Could
you possibly mail this letter for me on your way to work?

[1]



POSSLQ

POSSLQ
POSSLQ
(plural POSSLQs)

(informal) Abbreviation
of person of the opposite sex sharing living quarters[1]



possum

possum
pos·sum 
[póssəm] (plural pos·sums) noun

(informal)
See opossum
[Early
17th century. Shortening.]
play
possum

to feign death, illness, or
sleep, or pretend to be uninvolved in something, in order to protect yourself[1]



possumhaw

possumhaw
pos·sum·haw
[póssəm hàw] (plural pos·sum·haws)
noun

See
dockmackie
[From the plant’s hairy
leaves][1]



post-

post-
post-
prefix

1.  after,
later • postwar

2.  behind
• postorbital
[From Latin post .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “off, away,” which is also the
ancestor of English off, after, and ebb
.][1]



post

post4
post4  [pōst]
(plural posts) noun

postmortem examination:
a postmortem examination of a corpse (informal)[1]



post

post3
post3  [pōst]
noun (plural posts)

1.  U.K.
MAIL postal
service:
the official system for collecting, delivering, and sending letters and parcels
from one place to another

2.  U.K.
MAIL letters
and parcels: letters and parcels that have been sent
or are to be sent through the postal system

3.  HISTORY station
on a route:
any one of a series of stations along a route where, in the past, mounted
messengers or couriers rested and changed horses

4.  HISTORY mail deliverer:
a rider who, in the past, covered the distance from one post to the next in a
delivery system
verb
(past post·ed, past participle post·ed, present
participle post·ing, 3rd person present singular posts)

1.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING update
database:
to update a database record by entering or transferring information

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING send message electronically:
to place or send a message on the Internet or on some other electronic network

3.  intransitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN keep
rhythm with horse: to bob up and down in the
saddle in time with a horse’s trot

4.  intransitive
verb
HISTORY travel
by post:
to travel using relays of horses

5.  intransitive
verb
travel
fast:
to travel in haste (archaic)

6.  transitive
verb
U.K., Australia, New Zealand MAIL
send
a letter:
to send a letter or parcel through the postal system.
See
also
mail

7.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING write
in ledger:
to enter a transaction in a ledger
adverb
(archaic)

1.  quickly:
quickly

2.  by
post horse:
by mounted messengers or couriers riding between posts
[Early
16th century. Via French, “relay station,” from, ultimately, Latin posita,
the feminine past participle of ponere (see position
).]
keep
somebody posted

to keep somebody informed by
supplying new information regularly[1]



post

post1
post1  [pōst]
noun (plural posts)

1.  upright
pole:
a pole of wood or metal fixed in the ground in an upright position, serving as
a support, marker, or place for attaching things

2.  BUILDING upright
frame part:
a vertical piece in a building frame that supports a beam

3.  HORSERACING racecourse
indicator:
either of two upright poles marking the starting point and finishing line on a
racecourse

4.  FURNITURE furniture
support:
any one of the upright supports of a piece of furniture such as a chair or a
four-poster bed

5.  SPORTS goalpost:
a goalpost (informal)

6.  earring
part:
a metal stem on a pierced earring that passes through the ear, and fits into a
cap at the back

7.  COMPUTING See posting 1 noun 1
transitive
verb
(past post·ed, past participle post·ed, present
participle post·ing, 3rd person present singular posts)

1.  display
something:
to display something, for example, an announcement, name, or result, in a
public place

2.  erect
antitrespassing signs: to put up signs around a
property warning against trespassing or engaging in a forbidden activity

3.  GAME score:
to score a point or points in a game

4.  ONLINE publish
electronically: to make text appear online or at an Internet
location

5.  give
notice of marriage: to announce a forthcoming
marriage in a church • post
the banns

6.  NAUTICAL name a
ship:
to publish the name of a ship presumed lost or sunk

7.  denounce
publicly:
to denounce somebody by displaying damaging information publicly (dated)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
postis, literally “something that stands in front,” ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stud, stem,
and station .][1]



post

post2
post2  [pōst]
noun (plural posts)

1.  MILITARY military
base:
a place where a military operation is carried out

2.  workplace
or station:
a place where somebody has particular responsibilities

3.  employment
position:
a position of employment, especially one in another country

4.  MILITARY veterans’
organization: a local organization of military
veterans • a
VFW post

5.  COMMERCE See trading post
transitive
verb
(past post·ed, past participle post·ed, present
participle post·ing, 3rd person present singular posts)

1.  send
somebody to work: to assign somebody to a particular
position for a period of duty • post a
security guard at the exit

2.  LAW pay to
set free:
to pay somebody’s bond or bail

3.  send
somebody away to work: to send somebody somewhere,
often overseas, to do a particular job for a specific period of time

4.  MILITARY transfer
soldier:
to send somebody to a new military assignment or unit

5.  MILITARY appoint
to command:
to appoint somebody to a naval or military command
[Mid-16th century. Via French
poste from, ultimately, Latin positum, from the past participle
of ponere “to place” (see position
).][1]



POST

POST
POST

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of Power On Self-Test[1]



postage

postage
post·age 
[pṓstij] noun

1.  price
for mail delivery: the amount of money paid for
the delivery of a piece of mail

2.  marks
showing payment: the stamps, labels, or others marks on
an item of mail showing that the charge has been paid

[1]



postagemeter

postagemeter
post·age
me·ter
(plural post·age me·ters) noun

postage machine:
an office machine that prints prepaid postage and a date stamp on items of mail[1]



postagestamp

postagestamp
post·age
stamp
noun (plural post·age stamps)

1.  gummed
postage marker: an illustrated paper stamp affixed to
mail to show payment of postage

2.  printed
mark:
a printed mark or impression on an envelope indicating that the postage charge
has been paid
adjective

tiny:
unusually small (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



postal

postal
post·al 
[pṓst’l] adjective

relating
to post office: relating to a post office or a mail
delivery service
—post·al·ly, adverb[1]



postalcard

postalcard
post·al
card
(plural post·al cards) noun

card with prepaid postage:
a plain postcard with prepaid postage, sold by post offices.
Also called
postcard[1]



postalcode

postalcode
post·al
code
(plural post·al codes) noun

Canada
letters and numbers ending address:
a sequence of letters and numbers assigned by the post office to addresses to
facilitate mail delivery.
See also
zip code[1]



post-bellum

post-bellum
post-bel·lum
[pst bélləm] or post·bel·lum
[pst bélləm] adjective

after
a war:
relating to or during the period after a war, especially the Civil War
[From Latin post bellum
“after the war”][1]



post-boostphase

post-boostphase
post-boost
phase 
(plural post-boost phas·es) noun

last stage of missile flight:
the last phase of a multistage missile’s flight, when it releases its payload[1]



postbox

postbox
post·box
[pṓst bòks] (plural post·box·es)
noun

U.K.
See mailbox[1]



postcard

postcard
post·card
[pṓst krd] (plural post·cards)
or post card [pṓst krd] (plural
post cards) noun

1.  card
for short message: a card used to carry a
message, usually with a picture or a photograph on one side, that can be sent
through the mail without an envelope.
See
also
picture postcard

2.  See
postal card

[1]



postchaise

postchaise
post
chaise
(plural post chaises) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a closed horse-drawn carriage with four wheels that was used in the 18th and
19th centuries as a fast means of transporting mail and passengers.
Also
called
chaise
[From post 3][1]



postcode

postcode
post·code
[pṓst kd] (plural post·codes)
noun

U.K.,
Australia See zip code[1]



postdate

postdate
post·date 
[pst dáyt] (past post·dat·ed,
past participle post·dat·ed, present participle post·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular post·dates) transitive verb

1.  FINANCE date a
check later: to put a date on a check later than the
current day’s date in order to delay payment

2.  happen
later:
to happen or be at a later date than something

3.  assign
later date:
to assign a date to something, for example, an event in history, that is later
than the one previously assigned

[1]



postdiluvian

postdiluvian
post·di·lu·vi·an 
[pst di lvee ən] (plural post·di·lu·vi·ans)
or post·di·lu·vi·al [pst di lviəl]
(plural post·di·lu·vi·als) adjective

after
the flood:
existing or occurring after the flood described in the book of Genesis in the
Bible
[Late 17th century. Modeled
on antediluvian .][1]



postdoc

postdoc
post·doc
[pṓst dòk] noun (plural post·docs)

postdoctoral
student or award: a postdoctoral grant, fellowship, or
scholar (slang)
adjective

postdoctoral:
relating to postdoctoral work or students (slang)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



postdoctoral

postdoctoral
post·doc·tor·al 
[pst dóktərəl] adjective

after doctorate:
relating to academic work or research done after a doctorate has been awarded[1]



poster

poster1
post·er1  [pṓstər]
(plural post·ers) noun

1.  printed
picture:
a printed picture, often a reproduction of a photograph or artwork, used for
decoration or advertisement

2.  COMPUTING sender:
somebody who posts a message to an online or Internet location, for example, a
newsgroup

[1]



poster

poster2
post·er2  [pṓstər]
(plural post·ers) noun

hurrying person:
somebody who is in a hurry or traveling quickly (archaic)[1]



posterchild

posterchild
post·er
child
noun

1.  representative
person:
somebody, especially a child, chosen to represent a charitable or other cause
by appearing in promotional material

2.  perfect
example:
a perfect or quintessential example of something

[1]



posterestante

posterestante
poste
res·tante 
[pst re stnt] noun

U.K.
See general delivery
[From French, “mail
remaining” (at the post office)][1]



posterior

posterior
pos·te·ri·or 
[po stree ər, pō
stree ər] adjective

1.  behind:
situated at the rear or behind something

2.  ZOOLOGY ANATOMY near the back:
situated near or toward the back of a human being’s or animal’s body

3.  BOTANY nearest
the stem:
nearest the main stem or axis of a plant • the
posterior flower

4.  coming
after:
coming after something in an order or series (formal)

5.  subsequent:
following something in time (formal)
noun
(plural pos·te·ri·ors)

buttocks: the
buttocks (humorous)
[Early
16th century. From Latin, “coming farther after,” from posterus “coming
after,” from post (see post- ).]
—pos·te·ri·or·ly, adverb[1]



posterity

posterity
pos·ter·i·ty 
[po stérrətee] noun (formal)

1.  people
in future:
all future generations

2.  all
descendants: all of somebody’s descendants
[14th century. Via French postérité
from Latin posteritas, from posterus (see posterior ).][1]



postern

postern
pos·tern 
[pṓstərn, póstərn]
(plural pos·terns) noun

rear
gate:
a small gate or entrance at the back of a building, especially a castle or a
fort
[13th century. Via Old French
pasterne from, ultimately, late Latin posterula “small back
door,” from Latin posterus (see posterior
).][1]



postexchange

postexchange
post
ex·change
(plural post ex·chang·es) noun

store on military camp:
a store on a military camp selling food, clothes, and other things[1]



postexilian

postexilian
post·ex·il·i·an
[pst ig zíllee ən, pst
ik síllee ən] or post·ex·il·ic [pst
ig zíllik, pst ig síllik] adjective

after Babylonian captivity:
occurring or in existence after the period of Babylonian captivity of the
Jewish people, 587–539 BC[1]



postfeminist

postfeminist
post·fem·i·nist
[pst fémmənist] adjective

1.  after
feminism:
occurring or having developed after the feminist movement of the 1970s (offensive
in some contexts)

2.  going
beyond feminism: differing from or showing a reevaluation
of the principles of feminism

3.  reflecting
feminism:
developing out of or including the principles of feminism
noun
(plural post·fem·i·nists)

supporter of postfeminist ideas:
a supporter of or believer in postfeminist ideas
—post·fem·i·nism, noun[1]



postglacial

postglacial
post·gla·cial 
[pst gláysh’l] adjective

after glacial period:
occurring after a glacial period, especially one during the Quaternary Period[1]



postgraduate

postgraduate
post·grad·u·ate 
[pst grájjoo ət] or post·grad
(informal) [pṓst gràd] adjective

See
graduate  noun 1
noun
(plural post·grad·u·ates)

student with bachelor’s
degree: somebody who has graduated
from a university or college with a bachelor’s degree, especially one who is
doing further study[1]



posthaste

posthaste
post·haste 
[pst háyst] adverb

fast:
as quickly as possible
noun

speed:
great speed (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From haste,
post, haste, an instruction on letters.][1]



posthoc

posthoc
post
hoc 
[pst hók] noun

logical
error:
the fallacy of arguing that since one event happened before a second, the first
caused the second
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “after this,” referring to the fallacy post hoc, ergo propter hoc “after
this, therefore because of this.”][1]



posthole

posthole
post·hole 
[pṓst hl] (plural post·holes)
noun

hole for post:
a hole that has been dug in the ground for a post[1]



posthumous

posthumous
post·hu·mous 
[póschəməss] adjective

1.  after
somebody’s death: occurring after somebody’s death

2.  PUBLISHING published
after death: published or printed after the author’s
death

3.  born
after father’s death: born after the death of the
father • a
posthumous heir
[Early
17th century. Formed from late Latin posthumus, an alteration of Latin postumus
“last” (from posterus ; see posterior
), under the influence of humare “to bury.”]
—post·hu·mous·ly,
adverb

—post·hu·mous·ness, noun[1]



posthypnoticsuggestion

posthypnoticsuggestion
post·hyp·not·ic
sug·ges·tion  [pōst hip
nòttik sə jéschən] (plural post·hyp·not·ic sug·ges·tions) noun

suggestion under hypnosis:
a suggestion made to somebody under hypnosis that is to be acted upon at a
later time after the period of hypnosis is over[1]



postiche

postiche
pos·tiche 
[po stsh] (plural pos·tiches)
noun (formal)

1.  fake
copy:
an artificial or fake version or copy of something

2.  HAIRDRESSING hairpiece:
a small hairpiece or toupee
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Italian posticcio, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately
from Latin positus “placed, added on,” from ponere (see position ).][1]



posticous

posticous
pos·ti·cous
[po stkəss] adjective

behind
part of plant: situated behind another part of the same
plant
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin posticus “behind,” from post (see post- ).][1]



postilion

postilion
pos·til·ion
[pə stíllyən, pō
stíllyən] (plural pos·til·ions) or pos·til·lion
[pə stíllyən, pō
stíllyən] (plural pos·til·lions) noun

rider
of carriage horse: somebody riding the
left-hand front horse in a team of horses drawing a carriage
[Early 17th century. Via
French postillon “post rider” from Italian postiglione, from posta,
from Latin posita (see post 3 ).][1]



postimpressionism

postimpressionism

post·im·pres·sion·ism 
[pst im présh’n ìzzəm] noun
school
of painting: a school of painting in late 19th
century France that rejected the naturalism of impressionism but adapted its
use of color and form to a more subjective style
—post·im·pres·sion·ist,
noun, adjective

—post·im·pres·sion·is·tic
[pst im presh’n ístik], adjective[1]



postindustrial

postindustrial
post·in·dus·tri·al 
[pst in dústree əl] adjective

after decline of industry:
relating to or characteristic of the decline of heavy industry in the western
nations as an economic base and the rise of service industries, information
technology, and research[1]



posting

posting1
post·ing1 [pṓsting]
(plural post·ings) noun

1.  COMPUTING message:
a message posted online, for example, to an Internet newsgroup or forum.
Also
called
post

2.  ACCOUNTING bookkeeping
activity:
the activity of making entries in a ledger

3.  ACCOUNTING ledger
entry:
an entry made in a ledger

[1]



posting

posting2
post·ing2 [pṓsting]
(plural post·ings) noun

appointment:
an appointment to a job, position, or unit, usually overseas[1]



Post-it

Post-it
Post-it
Trademark

a trademark for self-sticking
slips of paper sold in pad form[1]



postlude

postlude
post·lude 
[pṓst ld] (plural post·ludes)
noun

1.  MUSIC organ
composition: a piece of organ music played at the end
of a church service

2.  final
part:
a final or concluding phase, chapter, or development (literary)
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
prelude .][1]



postman

postman
post·man 
[pṓstmən] (plural post·men [pṓstmən]) noun

U.K.
See mailman[1]



postmark

postmark
post·mark 
[pṓst mrk] noun (plural post·marks)

official
stamp:
an official mark, usually covering a postage stamp, that indicates when and
from where a piece of mail was sent
transitive
verb
(past post·marked, past participle post·marked, present
participle post·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular post·marks)

use a postmark:
to stamp a postmark on an item of mail[1]



postmaster

postmaster
post·mas·ter 
[pṓst màstər] (plural post·mas·ters)
noun

post office official:
the person in charge of a post office or postal district[1]



postmastergeneral

postmastergeneral
post·mas·ter
gen·er·al
(plural post·mas·ters gen·er·al) noun

head of postal service:
the executive head of the postal service in some countries[1]



postmenopausal

postmenopausal
post·men·o·paus·al 
[pst mennə páwz’l] adjective

after menopause:
relating to or occurring in the time following the menopause[1]



postmeridian

postmeridian
post·me·rid·i·an 
[pst mə ríddee ən] adjective

relating
to afternoon: relating to or occurring in the
afternoon (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin postmeridianus, from post “after” + meridiem
“midday.”][1]



postmeridiem

postmeridiem
post
me·rid·i·em 
[pst mə ríddee əm] adverb

Full
form of
p.m.
[From Latin, “after midday”][1]



postmillennial

postmillennial
post·mil·len·ni·al 
[pst mi lénnee əl] adjective

after the millennium:
occurring or existing after the millennium[1]



postmillennialism

postmillennialism
post·mil·len·ni·al·ism
[pst mi lénnee ə lìzzəm] or post·mil·len·na·ri·an·ism
[pst millə náiree ə nìzzəm] noun

Christian
doctrine:
the belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth after, and not at, the
millennium
—post·mil·len·ni·al·ist,
noun

—post·mil·len·ni·an, noun,
adjective[1]



postmistress

postmistress
post·mis·tress 
[pṓst mìstrəss] (plural post·mis·tress·es)
noun

woman post office official:
a woman who has charge of a post office (dated)[1]



postmodern

postmodern
post·mod·ern
[pst móddərn] adjective

after
modernism:
relating to art, architecture, literature, or thinking developed after and
usually in reaction to modernism, returning to more classical or traditional
elements and techniques
—post·mod·ern·ism,
noun

—post·mod·ern·ist, noun[1]



postmodernity

postmodernity
post·mo·der·ni·ty
[pst mə dúrnitee, pst
mō dúrnitee] noun

intellectual movement:
an intellectual movement against modernity and the certainty of universal
rational scientific explanation[1]



postmortem

postmortem
post·mor·tem 
[pst máwrtəm] adjective

after death:
occurring after death
noun
(plural post·mor·tems)

1.  U.K.
See autopsy

2.  retrospective
analysis:
an analysis carried out shortly after the conclusion of an event, especially an
unsuccessful one • the usual media
postmortems the day after the election
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
post mortem “after death.”][1]



postnasaldrip

postnasaldrip
post·na·sal
drip
[pst náyz’l dríp] noun

mucus dripping into throat:
a continual dripping of mucus from the rear of the nose into the throat, often
caused by allergy or a cold[1]



postnatal

postnatal
post·na·tal 
[pst náyt’l] adjective

after
birth:
occurring immediately or soon after childbirth
—post·na·tal·ly, adverb[1]



postnuptial

postnuptial
post·nup·tial 
[pst núpshəl] adjective

after
marriage:
occurring in the period after a marriage
—post·nup·tial·ly, adverb[1]



post-obit

post-obit
post-o·bit
noun (plural post-o·bits)

bond
payable after somebody’s death: a bond that pays after
the death of a particular person (dated)
adjective

after
death:
coming into effect after somebody’s death (formal) • post-obit
payments
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
post obitum “after death.”][1]



postoffice

postoffice
post
of·fice
(plural post of·fices) noun

1.  place
for mailing and stamps: an office or building where
the public has access to services of the postal system

2.  national
mail system: the national organization or government
department that is responsible for a country’s mail service

3.  GAME party
game:
a children’s game in which one player gives another a pretend letter and is
given a kiss in return

[1]



postoffice box

postoffice box
post
of·fice box
(plural post of·fice box·es) noun

box for receiving mail:
a private numbered box in a post office where mail is held until collected by
the addressee[1]



postop

postop
post·op
[pṓst òp] or post-op [pṓst òp] adjective

postoperative:
postoperative (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



postoperative

postoperative
post·op·er·a·tive 
[pst óppərətiv] adjective

after
surgery:
occurring after a surgical operation
—post·op·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



postorbital

postorbital
post·or·bi·tal 
[pst áwrbit’l] adjective

behind the eye:
situated behind the eye or the eye socket[1]



postpaid

postpaid
post·paid 
[pst páyd] adjective

with postage prepaid:
with the postage paid in advance[1]



postpartum

postpartum
post·par·tum 
[pst prtəm] adjective

after
birth:
occurring in or relating to the period immediately after childbirth
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
post partum “after childbirth.”][1]



postpartumdepression

postpartumdepression
post·par·tum
de·pres·sion noun

depression following birth:
a psychiatric disorder consisting of severe depression that can affect a woman
soon after giving birth to a baby.
U.K. term
postnatal depression[1]



postpone

postpone
post·pone 
[pst pṓn] (past post·poned, past
participle post·poned, present participle post·pon·ing,
3rd person present singular post·pones) transitive verb

1.  delay:
to put something off until a later time or date

2.  defer:
to treat something with less importance (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin postponere, literally “to place later,” from ponere
(see position ).]
—post·pon·a·ble,
adjective

—post·pone·ment,
noun

—post·pon·er, noun[1]



postpose

postpose
post·pose 
[pst pṓz] (past post·posed, past
participle post·posed, present participle post·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular post·poses) intransitive and
transitive verb

GRAMMAR place
after:
to place a word or phrase after another or at the end of a sentence or
construction
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from postposition .][1]



postposition

postposition
post·po·si·tion 
[pstpə zísh’n] (plural post·po·si·tions)
noun GRAMMAR

1.  placement
after head of phrase: the placing of a word or
phrase after the word or phrase it qualifies, for example, the placing of “bold
and free” in the phrase “poets bold and free”

2.  See
postpositive  noun
[Mid-17th
century. Modeled on “preposition.”]
—post·po·si·tion·al,
adjective

—post·po·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



postpositive

postpositive
post·pos·i·tive 
[pst pózzətiv] adjective

GRAMMAR placed
after head of phrase: used to describe an
adjective or modifier that is placed after the word or phrase it qualifies
noun
(plural post·pos·i·tives)

GRAMMAR word
placed after: an adjective or modifier that is placed
after the word it qualifies.
Also
called
postposition
[Late
18th century. Via late Latin postpositivus from, ultimately, Latin postponere
(see postpone ).]
—post·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb[1]



postprandial

postprandial
post·pran·di·al 
[pst prándee əl] adjective

after
a meal:
occurring after a meal, especially an evening meal (formal or humorous)
—post·pran·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



post-print

post-print
post-print
adjective

of electronic age:
belonging to the era of electronic communication rather than printing • the
post-print revolution[1]



postproduction

postproduction
post·pro·duc·tion 
[pst prə dúkshən] noun

final production stage:
the final stage of making a recording, film, or television program that
includes editing, sound dubbing, and adding special effects[1]



postrider

postrider
post
rid·er
(plural post rid·ers) noun

mounted mail carrier:
somebody who delivered or relayed mail on horseback in the past[1]



postroad

postroad
post
road
(plural post roads) noun

road for mail:
a road or route used regularly by the postal delivery service in the past[1]



PostScript

PostScript
Post·Script 
[pṓst skrìpt] Trademark

a trademark for a page
description language used in design, typesetting, and printing, usable on a
variety of platforms[1]



postscript

postscript
post·script 
[pṓst skrìpt] (plural post·scripts)
noun

1.  short
message:
a short message added onto the end of a letter, after the signature

2.  added-on
part:
an addition to the end of something such as a book, story, or document
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
postscriptum, from the past participle of postscribere “to write
after,” from scribere (see scribe ).][1]



post-structuralism

post-structuralism
post-struc·tur·al·ism
noun

intellectual movement:
an intellectual movement derived from structuralism but questioning the basis
upon which the structures of society, language, and mores have been
conceptualized[1]



postsynaptic

postsynaptic
post·syn·ap·tic 
[pst si náptik] adjective

receiving signals across
synapse: used to describe a nerve
cell, muscle cell, or a region of cell membrane that receives signals
transmitted across a synapse from another nerve cell[1]



postsynch

postsynch
post·synch
[pst síngk] (past post·synched,
past participle post·synched, present participle post·synch·ing,
3rd person present singular post·synchs) transitive verb

add sound or music to film:
to add sound or music to a film at a later time[1]



posttest

posttest
post·test 
[pṓst tèst] (plural post·tests)
noun

test after instruction:
a test administered after a lesson or instruction to see what has been
assimilated.
See also
pretest[1]



posttime

posttime
post
time
(plural post times) noun

race starting time:
the starting time of a horserace, after which no more bets can be accepted[1]



posttranscriptional

posttranscriptional
post·tran·scrip·tion·al 
[pst tran skrípshən’l, pst tran skrípshnəl] adjective

after genetic transcription:
used to describe processes or components involved in carrying out the genetic
instructions of a living cell that participate only after the stage of
transcription of a gene or genes[1]



posttransfusion

posttransfusion
post·trans·fu·sion 
[pst trans fyzh’n] adjective

after transfusion:
occurring after or because of a blood transfusion[1]



posttranslational

posttranslational
post·trans·la·tion·al 
[pst trans láyshən’l, pst trans láyshnəl] adjective

after genetic translation:
used to describe processes or components involved in carrying out the genetic
instructions of living cells that participate only after translation of RNA to
protein[1]



post-traumaticstress disorder

post-traumaticstress disorder
post-trau·mat·ic
stress dis·or·der noun

condition following trauma:
a psychological condition that may affect people who have suffered severe
emotional trauma, for example, combat, crime, or natural disaster, and may
cause sleep disturbances, flashbacks, anxiety, tiredness, and depression[1]



postulant

postulant
pos·tu·lant 
[póschələnt] (plural pos·tu·lants)
noun (formal)

1.  RELIGION religious
order applicant: somebody who applies to join a religious
order

2.  petitioner:
somebody who submits a request for something
[Mid-18th
century. Directly or via French from Latin postulant-, the present
participle stem of postulare (see postulate
).]
—pos·tu·lan·cy, noun[1]



postulate

postulate
pos·tu·late 
transitive verb [póschə làyt] (past
pos·tu·lat·ed, past participle pos·tu·lat·ed, present
participle pos·tu·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·tu·lates)

1.  assume:
to assume or suggest that something is true or exists, especially as the basis
of an argument

2.  claim
something:
to demand or claim something
noun
[póschələt, póschə
làyt] (plural pos·tu·lates)

1.  something
assumed true: something that is assumed or believed to
be true and that is used as the basis of an argument or theory

2.  principle:
a basic principle

3.  precondition:
an essential precondition or requirement

4.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC statement
underpinning a theory: a statement that is assumed
to be true but has not been proven and that is taken as the basis for a theory,
line of reasoning, or hypothesis
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin postulare “to nominate,” originally “to
demand.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to ask,” which is also
the ancestor of English pray and precarious .]
—pos·tu·la·tion
[pòschə láysh’n], noun

—pos·tu·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



postulator

postulator
pos·tu·la·tor 
[póschə làytər] (plural pos·tu·la·tors)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY advocate
for sainthood: in the Roman Catholic Church, an
official, usually a priest, who presents a request for a deceased person to be
beatified or canonized

2.  somebody
who postulates: somebody who postulates something

[1]



posture

posture
pos·ture 
[póschər] noun (plural pos·tures)

1.  carriage:
the way in which somebody carries his or her body, especially when standing

2.  body
position:
a position the body can assume, for example, standing, sitting, kneeling, or
lying down

3.  attitude:
a frame of mind or attitude toward a particular subject • a
conciliatory posture

4.  pose
conveying attitude: a physical pose that conveys
a mental or emotional attitude • a
posture of defiance

5.  deceptive
stance:
a position, attitude, or stance that is intended to deceive

6.  cultivated
position:
a practiced or cultivated arrangement of the body, for example, a position used
in yoga

7.  arrangement
of parts:
the way that components of an object or situation are arranged in relation to
one another
verb
(past pos·tured, past participle pos·tured, present
participle pos·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular pos·tures)

1.  intransitive
verb
assume
stance:
to assume an affected or exaggerated pose or attitude

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
posture:
to arrange somebody in, or adopt, a particular posture
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin positura, from posit-,
the past participle stem of ponere (see position
).]
—pos·tur·al
[póschərəl], adjective

—pos·tur·er, noun[1]



postvocalic

postvocalic
post·vo·cal·ic 
[pst vō kállik] adjective

PHONETICS
after vowel:
coming after a vowel[1]



postwar

postwar
post·war 
[pṓst wàwr, pst
wáwr] adjective

after a war:
occurring or existing after a war, especially World War II[1]



posy

posy
po·sy 
[pṓzee] (plural po·sies) noun

flower:
a blooming flower, or a bunch of blooming flowers
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of poesy .][1]



pot

pot2
pot2  [pot]
noun

marijuana:
the drug marijuana (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of Mexican Spanish potiguaya “marijuana
leaves.”][1]



pot

pot3
pot3  [pot]
(plural pots) noun

potentiometer:
a potentiometer (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



pot

pot1
pot1  [pot]
noun (plural pots)

1.  watertight
container for cooking or storage: a container made of
metal, pottery, or glass that is usually cylindrical and watertight with an
open top and sometimes a lid, used especially for cooking or storage

2.  something
resembling pot in shape: something similar to a pot
in shape or function for example, a flowerpot, teapot, or chamber pot

3.  contents
of pot:
the contents of a pot, or the amount that it will hold • made
a pot of coffee

4.  CERAMICS object
made from clay: a dish or container that is made from
clay, especially one of artistic or historic interest

5.  (informal)
See potty 2

6.  large
amount of money: a large amount of money (informal)

7.  CARD GAMES money
bet in card game: all the money that is bet in a game of
cards, especially poker, and that is taken by the winning player

8.  common
fund:
a common fund of money that is contributed to by the members of a group,
usually for a particular purpose, for example, a party or trip (informal)

Also
called
kitty
Also
called
pool

9.  CUE GAMES hit
of ball into pocket: in billiards or snooker, a
hit of a ball that sends it into any of the pockets at the edge of the table

10. AGRICULTURE fish
or lobster trap: a basket or cage used for catching
lobsters, eels, or fish

11. potbelly:
a round bulging stomach or abdomen (informal)

12. (informal)
See potshot  noun 1
verb
(past pot·ted, past participle pot·ted, present
participle pot·ting, 3rd person present singular pots)

1.  transitive
verb
GARDENING put
plant in pot: to put a plant into a pot with soil or
compost

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shoot
animal for food: to shoot or shoot at a bird or animal,
especially for food

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shoot
at something within easy reach: to shoot or shoot at
an easy target, especially casually

4.  transitive
verb
COOKING preserve
food in pot: to preserve food in a pot

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CUE GAMES hit ball into pocket:
in billiards or snooker, to hit a ball into any of the pockets at the edge of
the table

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb CERAMICS shape something with clay:
to shape a pot or other item from clay

7.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING to
encapsulate electronic components in an insulating resin to protect them and
hold them in place. The technique is used in high technology industries such as
avionics as well as in automotive, medical, and consumer electronics.
[Pre-12th
century. From assumed Vulgar Latin pottus of unknown origin. Later also
probably from French pot, of the same origin.]
go
to pot

to get much worse or become
useless, worthless, or extremely unsatisfactory (informal)[1]



pot.

pot.
pot.

Abbreviation of
potential[1]



potable

potable
po·ta·ble 
[pṓtəb’l] adjective

suitable
for drinking: suitable for drinking because it
contains no harmful elements
noun

something
to drink:
a liquid that is suitable for drinking, especially an alcoholic drink
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin potabilis, from Latin potare
“to drink,” from potus “drink” (source of English potion ).]
—po·ta·bil·i·ty
[ptə bíllətee], noun

—po·ta·ble·ness [pṓtəb’lnəss], noun[1]



potage

potage
po·tage 
[pō t] (plural po·tages) noun

soup:
a thick soup
[Mid-16th century. From
French (see pottage ).][1]



potamic

potamic
po·ta·mic
[pə támmik] adjective

relating
to rivers:
relating to rivers or river navigation (technical)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek potamos “river.”][1]



potash

potash
pot·ash 
[pót àsh] noun

1.  potassium
compound used in fertilizer: a potassium compound,
especially potassium chloride, sulfate, or oxide, primarily used in
fertilizers. The concentration of potassium in the fertilizer is usually
expressed as a percentage.

2.  See
potassium carbonate

3.  See
potassium hydroxide
[Early 17th century. From
obsolete Dutch potasschen, plural of potasch, literally “pot ash”
(originally obtained by soaking wood ash in water and evaporating the resulting
solution in iron pots).][1]



potashalum

potashalum
pot·ash
al·um
noun

See
alum[1]



potassium

potassium

po·tas·si·um 
[pə tássee əm] noun
metallic
element:
a soft silvery white very reactive element of the alkali metal group, commonly
found combined in minerals. The metal has few uses other than being alloyed
with sodium as a coolant in nuclear reactors, although its compounds are widely
used, especially in fertilizers. Symbol K
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, from potassa “potash,” from potash
; from potassium being the basis of potash.][1]



potassium-argondating

potassium-argondating
po·tas·si·um-ar·gon
dat·ing
noun

method for dating rocks:
a technique for estimating the age of rocks older than 250,000 years, based on
the time taken for the radioactive decay of the potassium-40 isotope into a
stable argon isotope. The half-life of potassium-40 is about 1.28 x 10 9 years, and
the ratio of potassium to argon in the specimen gives an indication of its age.[1]



potassiumbitartrate

potassiumbitartrate
po·tas·si·um
bi·tar·trate noun

chemical used in baking
powder: a white powder or
crystalline compound used in baking powder, in medicine, and in food
preparation. KHC4H4O6 
Also called
potassium hydrogen tartrate[1]



potassiumbromide

potassiumbromide
po·tas·si·um
bro·mide
noun

chemical used in photography:
a white crystalline compound used in lithography, medicine, photography, and
soaps. KBr[1]



potassiumcarbonate

potassiumcarbonate
po·tas·si·um
car·bon·ate
noun

chemical used in soap:
a white salt used in brewing, ceramics, explosives, fertilizers, glass, and
soap. K2CO3 
Also called
potash[1]



potassiumchlorate

potassiumchlorate
po·tas·si·um
chlo·rate
noun

chemical that explodes with
heat: a white salt that detonates
with heat and is used in the manufacture of fireworks, matches, and explosives,
in textile printing and paper manufacture, and as a bleach and disinfectant. It
is also known to chemistry students for its use in the laboratory preparation
of oxygen. KClO3[1]



potassiumchloride

potassiumchloride
po·tas·si·um
chlo·ride
noun

chemical used as fertilizer:
a colorless crystalline salt used as a fertilizer and in photography and
medicine. KCl[1]



potassiumcyanide

potassiumcyanide
po·tas·si·um
cy·a·nide
noun

chemical used in
electroplating: a very poisonous white
crystalline chemical salt used in the extraction of gold and silver from their
ores, electroplating, photography, and as an insecticide. KCN[1]



potassiumdichromate

potassiumdichromate
po·tas·si·um
di·chro·mate noun

poisonous chemical used in
manufacturing: a yellow-red poisonous
crystalline compound used in the manufacture of explosives, safety matches, and
dyes. K2Cr2O7[1]



potassiumferricyanide

potassiumferricyanide
po·tas·si·um
fer·ri·cy·a·nide noun

poisonous compound used in
dyes: a bright red poisonous
crystalline compound that decomposes when heated. It is used in textile
printing, wool dyeing, blueprint paper, and as a fertilizer. K3Fe(CN)6[1]



potassiumferrocyanide

potassiumferrocyanide
po·tas·si·um
fer·ro·cy·a·nide noun

chemical used in explosives:
a yellow crystalline compound used in medicine and explosives. K4Fe(CN)6[1]



potassiumhydrogen carbonate

potassiumhydrogen carbonate
po·tas·si·um
hy·dro·gen car·bon·ate noun

chemical used as antacid:
a white powder or granular compound, used in baking powder and in medicine as
an antacid. KHCO3[1]



potassiumhydrogen tartrate

potassiumhydrogen tartrate
po·tas·si·um
hy·dro·gen tar·trate noun

See
potassium bitartrate[1]



potassiumhydroxide

potassiumhydroxide
po·tas·si·um
hy·drox·ide
noun

caustic toxic solid used in
soap: a caustic toxic white solid
used to make soap, detergents, liquid shampoos, and matches. KOH
Also called
caustic potash
Also called
potash[1]



potassiumiodide

potassiumiodide
po·tas·si·um
i·o·dide
noun

chemical added to table salt:
a white crystalline compound with a salty taste, used in medicine and
photography and added to table salt to provide a source of iodine. KI[1]



potassiumnitrate

potassiumnitrate
po·tas·si·um
ni·trate
noun

chemical used in explosives:
a white crystalline salt used in fireworks, explosives, and matches, as a
fertilizer, and as a preservative for meats. KNO3 
Also called
niter
Also called
saltpeter[1]



potassiumpermanganate

potassiumpermanganate
po·tas·si·um
per·man·ga·nate noun

chemical used as bleach and
antiseptic: a dark purple toxic odorless
crystalline compound used as a bleach, disinfectant, and antiseptic, and in
deodorizers and dyes. KMnO4[1]



potassiumsodium tartrate

potassiumsodium tartrate
po·tas·si·um
so·di·um tar·trate noun

Rochelle salt:
Rochelle salt (technical)[1]



potassiumsulfate

potassiumsulfate
po·tas·si·um
sul·fate
noun

chemical used in materials
manufacture: a colorless crystalline
compound used in aluminum, glass, and cement manufacture, in fertilizers, and
in medicine. K2SO4[1]



potation

potation
po·ta·tion 
[pō táysh’n] (plural po·ta·tions)
noun (literary)

1.  drinking:
the act or an instance of drinking

2.  alcoholic
drink:
a drink, especially an alcoholic drink
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French from the Latin stem potation-, from, ultimately, potare
“to drink” (see potable ).][1]



potato

potato

po·ta·to 
[pə táytō] (plural po·ta·toes)
noun

1.  FOOD root
vegetable:
a rounded white tuber with a thin skin, cooked as a vegetable. It is an
important source of starch, especially in Europe and North America. Potatoes
can be boiled, baked, roasted, or fried, have many different varieties, and are
used in many dishes.
Also
called
Irish potato

2.  PLANTS potato
plant:
a perennial plant, originally from South America and belonging to the
nightshade family, that is widely cultivated for its fleshy underground tuber.
Latin name: Solanum tuberosum

3.  See
sweet potato
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish patata, an alteration of Taino batata “sweet potato.”][1]



potatobeetle

potatobeetle
po·ta·to
bee·tle
(plural po·ta·to bee·tles) noun

See
Colorado potato beetle[1]



potatoblight

potatoblight
po·ta·to
blight
noun

fungal disease of potatoes:
a highly destructive disease of the potato caused by the fungus Phytophthora
infestans. It was the cause of the loss of the potato crop in Ireland in
the 19th century.[1]



potatochip

potatochip
po·ta·to
chip
(plural po·ta·to chips) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand deep-fried
potato snack: a very thin slice of
potato that has usually been deep-fried in oil, salted, sometimes flavored, and
packaged and sold to be eaten cold as a snack[1]



potatopancake

potatopancake
po·ta·to
pan·cake
(plural po·ta·to pan·cakes) noun

pancake made from grated
potato: a pancake made from a
mixture of coarsely grated potato with egg, flour, and seasonings, and often
eaten with applesauce[1]



potatoskin

potatoskin
po·ta·to
skin
(plural po·ta·to skins) noun

skin of potato prepared as
appetizer: a piece of skin from a
hollowed-out baked potato that is then baked further, or a piece of deep-fried
skin of a raw potato, served as an appetizer (often used in the plural)[1]



pot-au-feu

pot-au-feu
pot-au-feu 
[pàw tō f] (plural pot-au-feu)
noun

1.  FOOD dish
of meat and vegetables: a French stew of slowly
boiled meat and vegetables, the meat usually being eaten separately from the
vegetables and stock, which are served first as a soup

2.  HOUSEHOLD large
cooking pot: a large earthenware pot in which
pot-au-feu is traditionally cooked
[From French, literally “pot
on the fire”][1]



Potawatomi

Potawatomi
Pot·a·wat·o·mi 
[pòttə wóttəmee] (plural Pot·a·wat·o·mi
or Pot·a·wat·o·mis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in various northern central
states, and whose members now live mainly in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, and
Ontario

2.  LANGUAGE Potawatomi
language:
the Algonquian language of the Potawatomi people
—Pot·a·wat·o·mi, adjective[1]



potbelly

potbelly
pot·bel·ly 
[pót bèllee] (plural pot·bel·lies)
noun

1.  bulging
stomach:
a round bulging stomach or abdomen.
Also
called
pot

2.  See
potbelly stove
—pot·bel·lied, adjective[1]



potbellystove

potbellystove

pot·bel·ly stove
or pot·bel·lied stove noun
round stove:
a wood- or coal-burning stove that has a rounded bulbous body.
Also called
potbelly[1]



potboiler

potboiler
pot·boil·er 
[pót bòylər] (plural pot·boil·ers)
noun

book
or film of low quality: a book, film, or other work
that is produced quickly to make money and has little literary or artistic
quality
[From its exclusive purpose
of “boiling the pot,” that is, providing a livelihood so that somebody can eat][1]



potbound

potbound
pot·bound 
[pót bòwnd] adjective

too big for current pot:
used to describe a potted plant whose roots have grown very dense and have
filled its pot so that its growth is restricted. Some plants grow well in this
condition.[1]



poteen

poteen
po·teen 
[pō tn] noun

illegally
distilled alcohol in Ireland: in Ireland, liquor that has
been distilled illegally, especially from potatoes
[Early 19th century. From
Irish (fuisce) poitín, literally “small pot (whiskey),” from pota
“pot,” from pot 1 .][1]



Potemkinvillage

Potemkinvillage
Po·tem·kin
vil·lage
[pə témkin vìlləj] noun

political
façade:
something that is set up to produce a political advantage or effect, but is not
really viable
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Grigori&icaron; Aleksandrovich Potëmkin ( 1739–1791 ), who reputedly
ordered villages consisting of mere facades to be built along a route of a tour
by Catherine the Great.][1]



potency

potency
po·ten·cy 
[pṓt’nsee] (plural po·ten·cies)
noun

1.  strength
of medicine: the strength of something such as a drug
or alcoholic drink

2.  state
of being potent: the state or quality of being potent

3.  ability
to develop:
a capacity to grow or develop in the future

[1]



potent

potent2
po·tent2  [pṓt’nt]
adjective

HERALDRY four-armed:
used to describe a heraldic cross that has four arms with a bar across the end
of each arm
[14th century. Alteration of
obsolete English potence “crutch” or its Old French source, from Latin potentia
“power,” from the stem potent- (see potent 1 ).][1]



potent

potent1
po·tent1  [pṓt’nt]
adjective

1.  strong
and effective: very strong, effective, or powerful

2.  persuasive:
exerting persuasion, influence, or force

3.  with
strong chemical effect: with a strong or
concentrated chemical or medicinal effect

4.  having
power:
having or using power, control, or authority

5.  capable
of sexual intercourse: capable of having an
erection, sexual intercourse, or an ejaculation
[15th
century. From Latin potent-, present participle stem of posse “to
be powerful” (source of English posse
), contraction of potis esse, from potis “able” + esse “to
be.”]
—po·tent·ly,
adverb

—po·tent·ness, noun[1]



potentate

potentate
po·ten·tate 
[pṓt’n tàyt] (plural po·ten·tates)
noun

somebody with power and
authority: somebody who has power,
authority, and influence, especially a monarch or other leader who has the
power to rule over others[1]



potential

potential
po·ten·tial 
[pə ténshəl] adjective

1.  possible
but not yet realized: with a possibility or
likelihood of occurring, or of doing or becoming something in the future

2.  GRAMMAR expressing
possibility: used to describe a verb or verb form
that expresses possibility, for example, “may” or “might” in English
noun
(plural po·ten·tials)

1.  capacity
to develop:
the capacity or ability for future development or achievement

2.  GRAMMAR potential
verb form:
a verb or verb form that expresses possibility, for example, “may” or “might”
in English

3.  PHYSICS See electric potential
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French potenciel from late Latin potentialis,
ultimately from the Latin stem potent- (see potent 1 ).]
—po·ten·tial·ly, adverb[1]



potentialdifference

potentialdifference
po·ten·tial
dif·fer·ence (plural po·ten·tial
dif·fer·enc·es) noun

difference between points in
electric field: the work done in moving
a unit electric charge between two points in an electric field. Symbol Δ
V Symbol Δ U[1]



potentiality

potentiality
po·ten·ti·al·i·ty 
[pə tènshee állətee] (plural po·ten·ti·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  capacity
for development: the capacity or ability for future
development or for a future achievement or action

2.  somebody
or something with potential: somebody who or something
that has potentiality

[1]



potentialwell

potentialwell
po·ten·tial
well
(plural po·ten·tial wells) noun

region of lower potential
energy: a region in an electric,
magnetic, or gravitational field in which an object has a lower potential
energy than it would have in all adjacent regions[1]



potentiate

potentiate
po·ten·ti·ate 
[pə ténshee àyt] (past po·ten·ti·at·ed,
past participle po·ten·ti·at·ed, present participle po·ten·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular po·ten·ti·ates) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE increase
effectiveness of: to improve the effectiveness of a drug
or treatment, especially by adding another drug or agent

2.  make
something powerful: to make something potent or
powerful
—po·ten·ti·a·tor, noun[1]



potentilla

potentilla
po·ten·til·la 
[pt’n tíllə] (plural po·ten·til·las
or po·ten·til·la) noun

flowering
plant or shrub: a flowering plant or small shrub
cultivated for its small yellow, white, or red flowers that have five petals
and many pistils. Genus: Potentilla
Also
called
cinquefoil
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “powerful little (plant)” (from its use in medicine),
from the Latin stem potent- (see potent 1 ).][1]



potentiometer

potentiometer
po·ten·ti·om·e·ter 
[pə tènshee ómmətər] (plural po·ten·ti·om·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
for measuring electromotive force: a device for measuring
an unknown potential difference or electromotive force by balancing part of it
against a known standard

2.  volume
or brightness control: a three-terminal component,
typically used as a volume or brightness control, that gives a variable
electric potential by rotating a shaft or moving a slider
[Late
19th century. Coined from potential + -meter .]
—po·ten·ti·om·e·try, noun[1]



potentiometric

potentiometric
po·ten·ti·o·met·ric
[pə tènshee ə méttrik] adjective

electrically
indicating chemical reaction: indicating the completion of
a chemical reaction by a change in potential at an electrode immersed in the
solution where the reaction is taking place
[Early 20th century. Coined
from potential + -metric .][1]



potful

potful
pot·ful 
[pót fl] (plural pot·fuls) noun

amount in pot:
the amount that a pot will hold[1]



pothead

pothead
pot·head 
[pót hèd] (plural pot·heads) noun

marijuana user:
somebody who regularly smokes marijuana, especially in large amounts (slang
disapproving)[1]



pother

pother
poth·er 
[póər] noun

1.  nervous
state:
a state of emotional agitation, especially over something trivial

2.  commotion:
a great deal of frenzied activity or conversation, especially over something
trivial

3.  choking
cloud:
a cloud of smoke or dust that chokes
intransitive
and transitive verb (past poth·ered,
past participle poth·ered, present participle poth·er·ing,
3rd person present singular poth·ers)

confuse somebody or be confused:
to confuse or worry somebody or to become confused or worried
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



potherb

potherb
pot·herb 
[pót hùrb] (plural pot·herbs) noun

plant used as flavoring:
an herb or vegetable used to add flavor in cooking[1]



potholder

potholder
pot·hold·er 
[pót hldər] (plural pot·hold·ers)
noun

pad to handle hot cooking
objects: a pad of fabric used to
protect the hands from hot pots and cooking utensils[1]



pothole

pothole
pot·hole 
[pót hl] (plural pot·holes) noun

1.  TRANSPORT hole
in road surface: a hole that has formed in the surface of
a road and that can be hazardous to motorists

2.  GEOLOGY GEOGRAPHY vertical hole in limestone
area:
a vertical deep hole or shaft formed naturally in limestone regions by the
erosive action of running water

3.  GEOLOGY GEOGRAPHY hole in river bed:
a bowl-shaped hole in the bed of a river or stream, formed by the abrasive
action of stone, gravel, or ice being churned in an eddy

4.  AGRICULTURE patch
of mud or quicksand: a patch of deep mud or
quicksand where cattle might be bogged down or sink (regional)

[1]



pothook

pothook
pot·hook 
[pót hk] (plural pot·hooks) noun

1.  DOMESTIC hook
over fire:
an S-shaped hook fixed above an open fire, from which a pot or kettle is hung

2.  curved
shape made in handwriting: a handwriting mark beginning
or ending in a curve

[1]



pothunter

pothunter
pot·hunt·er 
[pót hùntər] (plural pot·hunt·ers)
noun

1.  HUNTING hunter
of game for profit: somebody who hunts game for
food or as a source of income, often indiscriminately and disregarding rules

2.  SPORTS LEISURE prize-seeker:
somebody who takes part in competitions and races with more interest in the
prizes than the sport (informal disapproving)

3.  ARCHAEOLOGY amateur
archeologist: somebody who digs in search of ancient
pots and other objects but is not a professional archaeologist

[1]



potion

potion
po·tion 
[pṓsh’n] (plural po·tions) noun

liquid
to be drunk: a liquid to be drunk that is medicinal,
supposedly magical, or poisonous
[13th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem potion-, from, ultimately, potare “to
drink.”][1]



potlatch

potlatch
pot·latch 
[pót làch] (plural pot·latch·es)
noun

Native
N American ceremony: among Native American
peoples of the northwest coast of North America, a ceremony of feasting in
which the host gains prestige by giving gifts or, sometimes, destroying wealth
[Mid-19th century. From
Chinook Jargon .][1]



potliquor

potliquor
pot
liq·uor
noun

liquid in cooking pot:
the liquid in a pot in which meat and vegetables have been boiled[1]



potluck

potluck
pot·luck 
[pót lùk] (plural pot·lucks) noun

1.  whatever
is available: whatever happens to be available to
satisfy a need

2.  FOOD food
available to unexpected guest: whatever food happens
to be available to give to an unexpected guest

3.  FOOD meal
to which everyone brings something: a
meal to which each participant brings one dish that is shared with everyone
else
[Late 16th century. From pot 1 + luck .][1]



potmarigold

potmarigold
pot
mar·i·gold
(plural pot mar·i·golds) noun

U.K.
See calendula
[“Pot” from its being grown
for decoration][1]



Potomac

Potomac
Po·to·mac 
[pə tṓmək]

river of the eastern United
States, formed by the confluence of its own north and south branches near
Cumberland, Maryland, and emptying into Chesapeake Bay. It flows through
Washington, D.C. Length: 460 km/285 mi.[1]



poton

poton
pot
on
transitive verb

put plant in larger pot:
to transfer a growing plant from a smaller to a larger pot[1]



potoroo

potoroo
po·to·roo
[ptə r] (plural po·to·roos) noun

small
member of kangaroo family: a rabbit-sized member of the
kangaroo family that looks like a rat and has powerful hind legs that it uses
for jumping. Latin name: Potorous tridactylus
[Late 18th century. From
Aboriginal .][1]



potpie

potpie
pot·pie 
[pót p] (plural pot·pies) noun

meat dish with pastry crust:
a pie of meat and vegetables in a deep dish covered with a pastry crust[1]



potpourri

potpourri
pot·pour·ri 
[ppə r] (plural pot·pour·ris)
noun

1.  DOMESTIC collection
of fragrant dried flowers: a collection of dried flower
petals, leaves, herbs, and spices, sometimes colored and scented, that are used
to scent the air

2.  miscellaneous
mixture:
a miscellaneous mixture of things
[Early 17th century. From
French, “mixed stew,” literally “rotten pot” (translation of Spanish olla
podrida ); pourri, past participle of pourrir “to rot,” from,
ultimately, Latin putris “rotten.”][1]



potroast

potroast
pot
roast
(plural pot roasts) noun

piece
of beef cooked in pot: a dish consisting of a piece
of beef cooked slowly in the oven in a closed pot in its own juices, often on a
bed of vegetables
—pot-roast, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



POTS

POTS
POTS
[pots] noun

standard simple telephone
line: a simple connection to the
public telephone system with no special features, as distinguished from a
private line or high-speed network connection. Abbreviation of plain old
telephone system[1]



Potsdam

Potsdam
Pots·dam 
[póts dam]

city in northeastern Germany,
in Brandenburg State, approximately 29 km/18 mi southwest of Berlin. It was the
site of the Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945), at which U.S., British, and
Soviet leaders discussed the postwar administration of Germany. Population:
139,000 (1994)[1]



potsherd

potsherd
pot·sherd 
[pót shùrd] (plural pot·sherds)
or pot·shard [pót shrd] (plural
pot·shards) noun

piece
of broken pottery: a fragment of pottery,
especially one found at an archaeological site.
Also
called
shard
Also
called
sherd
[14th century. From pot + sherd .][1]



potshot

potshot
pot·shot
[pót shòt] (plural pot·shots) noun

1.  easy
shot:
a shot taken quickly, carelessly, or on a chance opportunity at something such
as game, especially when within easy reach.
Also
called
pot

2.  hasty
criticism:
a criticism made without careful consideration and aimed at an easy target • journalists
taking potshots at the government
[Mid-19th century. From the
purpose of the shot originally being to get food for the cooking “pot” (not in
accordance with the strict codes of shooting as a sport).][1]



potsticker

potsticker
pot·stick·er
[pót stìkər] (plural pot·stick·ers)
noun

type of Chinese dumpling:
in Chinese cooking, a circle of dough wrapped around a filling of meat or
vegetables, steamed or fried and served with a dipping sauce[1]



potstill

potstill
pot
still
(plural pot stills) noun

still for whiskey:
an apparatus for distilling whiskey that applies heat directly to the container
holding the mash[1]



potstone

potstone
pot·stone 
[pót stn] noun

impure talc:
an impure variety of talc, used in the past to make cooking vessels[1]



pottage

pottage
pot·tage 
[póttij] (plural pot·tages) noun

thick
soup:
a thick vegetable, or meat and vegetable, soup
[12th century. Originally potage,
from Old French, literally “what is put in a pot,” from pot (see pot ).][1]



potted

potted
pot·ted 
[póttəd] adjective

1.  growing
in pot:
planted in a pot

2.  U.K.
preserved
in pot:
cooked or preserved in a vessel such as a pot or jar

3.  drunk:
drunk or intoxicated by a drug (slang)

4.  U.K.
superficially
summarized:
reproduced in a brief and often superficial form (informal)

[1]



pottedplant

pottedplant
pot·ted
plant
(plural pot·ted plants) noun

plant grown in flowerpot:
a plant that has been placed with soil in a flowerpot and is kept for display
and decoration.
U.K. term
pot plant[1]



potter

potter1
pot·ter1  [póttər]
(plural pot·ters) noun

pottery
maker:
somebody who makes pottery
[Pre-12th century][1]



potter

potter2
pot·ter2  [póttər]
(past pot·tered, past participle pot·tered, present
participle pot·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular pot·ters)
intransitive verb

U.K.
See putter
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from obsolete pote “to push,” from Old English potian, of
uncertain origin.][1]



Potter,Beatrix

Potter,Beatrix

Pot·ter
[póttər], Beatrix (1866–1943)
British
children’s writer and illustrator. Her illustrated animal stories, including The
Tale of Peter Rabbit ( 1900 ) and The Tailor of Gloucester ( 1902 ),
became children’s classics.
Full name
Potter, Helen Beatrix[1]



Potteries

Potteries
Pot·ter·ies 
[póttəreez]

region in Staffordshire, west
central England, famous for its ceramics factories[1]



potterwasp

potterwasp
pot·ter
wasp
(plural pot·ter wasps) noun

wasp that builds pot-shaped
nest: a small solitary wasp that
constructs elaborate clay pots in which it lays its eggs and puts caterpillars
to serve as food for the young. Genus: Eumenes
Also called
dirt dauber[1]



pottery

pottery
pot·ter·y 
[póttəree] (plural pot·ter·ies)
noun

1.  objects
made of baked clay: objects such as vases, pots,
plates, or sculptured articles that are made by molding or shaping moist clay
and hardening it by heating in a kiln

2.  making
of pottery:
the art, craft, or occupation of making pottery

3.  place
where pottery is made: a workshop, factory, or
other place where pottery is made

[1]



potter’sclay

potter’sclay
pot·ter’s
clay 
noun

iron-free clay:
clay that does not contain any iron and is suitable for making pottery[1]



potter’sfield

potter’sfield
pot·ter’s
field
(plural pot·ter’s fields) noun

1.  Biblical
burial ground for strangers: in the Bible, an area of
land near Jerusalem bought as a burial ground for strangers with the money that
was given to Judas for betraying Jesus Christ

2.  burial
ground for poor: a public burial ground for poor or
unidentified people

[1]



potter’swheel

potter’swheel

pot·ter’s wheel
(plural pot·ter’s wheels) noun
device for making pottery:
a device for molding clay into pottery by hand, consisting of a horizontal disc
that holds the clay and is rotated manually or by electricity. A technological
advance in pottery-making, it was invented around 6000 B.C. and made faster and higher-quality ceramic pottery
production possible.[1]



pottingsoil

pottingsoil
pot·ting
soil
noun

nutrient-enriched soil for
potted plants: any mixture, for
example based on soil or peat, with a balance of nutrients used for growing
plants in pots[1]



pottle

pottle
pot·tle 
[pótt’l] (plural pot·tles) noun
(archaic)

1.  half
a gallon:
a measure for liquids that is equal to 1.9 litershalf a gallon

2.  container
holding pottle: a container, especially a drinking
vessel, that can hold a pottle
[14th century. From Old
French potel, literally “small pot,” from pot (see pot 1 ).][1]



potto

potto
pot·to 
[póttō] (plural pot·tos) noun

small
African primate: a small primate of West and Central
African rain forests that has small ears, large eyes, and a short bushy tail
and lives in the lower branches of trees. Latin name: Perodicticus potto
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a West African source.][1]



potty

potty2
pot·ty2  [póttee]
(plural pot·ties) noun (informal)

1.  bowl
used as child’s toilet: a bowl, used especially by
young children who cannot yet use a toilet, to eliminate body waste.
Also
called
pot

2.  toilet:
a toilet
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pot 1 .][1]



potty

potty1
pot·ty1  [póttee]
(comparative pot·ti·er, superlative pot·ti·est) adjective

irrational:
slightly irrational (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from pot 1 in the sense of
“container.”]
—pot·ti·ness, noun[1]



potty-chair

potty-chair
pot·ty-chair 
(plural pot·ty-chairs) noun

small chair used as child’s
toilet: a small chair with a potty
in the seat, used by young children who are being trained to use a toilet[1]



potty-train

potty-train
pot·ty-train
(past pot·ty-trained, past participle pot·ty-trained,
present participle pot·ty-train·ing, 3rd person present
singular pot·ty-trains) intransitive and transitive verb

train to use toilet:
to train a young child to use a potty instead of a diaper (informal)[1]



Pott’sdisease

Pott’sdisease
Pott’s
dis·ease 
[póts di zz] noun

disease
of spine:
a tubercular disease of the spine, marked by the destruction of the bone and
disks and curvature of the spine
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Sir Percivall Pott ( 1713–1788 ), the English surgeon who described the
disease.][1]



POTUS

POTUS
PO·TUS
[pṓtəss] noun

President of the United
States: used as shorthand by White
House staff in memos and internal documents to refer to the U.S. president[1]



pouch

pouch
pouch 
[powch] noun (plural pouch·es)

1.  small
soft bag:
a small bag or container made of a soft material such as fabric or leather

2.  something
resembling pouch: something that looks like a pouch,
especially a small baggy fold of skin

3.  ZOOLOGY pocket
of skin in animal: a structure in an animal
resembling a pouch, especially one on the abdomen of a marsupial for carrying
young, or in the cheek of a rodent for carrying food

4.  ANATOMY body
cavity resembling pocket: a pocket-shaped space or
structure in the body

5.  BOTANY plant
cavity:
a cavity in a plant shaped like a pocket

6.  MAIL bag
for mail:
a lockable bag or sack for carrying mail, especially diplomatic correspondence

7.  Scotland
pocket:
a pocket
verb
(past pouched, past participle pouched, present
participle pouch·ing, 3rd person present singular pouch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
put
in pouch:
to put something into a pouch

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
pouch:
to make something, or be made, into a shape resembling a pouch
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman puche, Old Northern French pouche, and
Old French poche, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “bag” that is
also the ancestor of English pocket
.]
—pouch·y, adjective[1]



pouf

pouf
pouf 
[poof] (plural poufs) or
pouffe [poof] (plural pouffes)
noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING puffed-out
hairstyle:
a puffed-out hairstyle, similar to a bouffant, fashionable especially in the
18th century

2.  HAIRDRESSING pad
in hair:
a pad worn in the hair to help shape a pouf

3.  U.K.
FURNITURE See hassock

4.  CLOTHES bunched-up
part of dress: a part of a dress or skirt gathered up
to form a soft projecting shape
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, an imitation of the sound of a puff.][1]



Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie
Pough·keep·sie 
[pə kípsee]

city in southeastern New
York, on the Hudson River, south of Albany. Population: 27,808 (1996)[1]



Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé
Pouil·ly-Fuis·sé
[poo y fwee sáy] (plural Pouil·ly-Fuis·sés)
noun

Chardonnay wine:
a dry white wine produced from the Chardonnay grape in the area around Pouilly
and Fuissé in the Burgundy region of France[1]



Pouilly-Fumé

Pouilly-Fumé
Pouil·ly-Fu·mé
[poo y fyoo máy] (plural Pouil·ly-Fu·més)
noun

Sauvignon
Blanc wine:
a dry white wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape in the area around
Pouilly-sur-Loire in the Loire valley of France
[Mid-20th century. From
French ; fumé is the past participle of fumer “to smoke,” from,
ultimately, Latin fumus “smoke.”][1]



poulard

poulard
pou·lard
[poo lrd] (plural pou·lards) or
pou·larde [poo lrd] (plural pou·lardes)
noun

spayed
hen:
a young domestic hen ( pullet ) that has
been spayed to encourage fattening. Spaying of hens is rarely done in modern
poultry production.
[Mid-18th century. From
French poularde, from poule “hen,” from, ultimately, Latin pulla,
feminine of pullus “chicken” (source of English pony and poultry
).][1]



poult

poult
poult 
[pōlt] (plural poults) noun

young
fowl:
a young fowl, especially a turkey
[15th century. Contraction of
pullet .][1]



poulterer

poulterer
poul·ter·er
[pṓltərər] (plural poul·ter·ers)
noun

somebody
in poultry business: somebody who buys, prepares,
and sells poultry
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of archaic poulter, from Old French pouletier, from poulet
“young fowl.”][1]



poultice

poultice
poul·tice 
[pṓltiss] (plural poul·tic·es)
noun

moist
substance applied to injury: a warm moist preparation
placed on an aching or inflamed part of the body to ease pain, improve
circulation, or hasten the expression of pus. Poultices may be made from bread,
clay, mustard, medicinal herbs, or other materials, but are now considered to have
little medical benefit.
[14th century. Originally pultes,
from Latin, plural of puls “pottage, thick gruel” (source of English pulse “lentils”).][1]



poultry

poultry
poul·try 
[pṓltree] noun

1.  domestic
fowl:
domestic fowl in general, for example, chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese,
raised for meat or eggs

2.  meat
from poultry: the meat of domestic fowl such as
chickens and ducks
[14th century. From Old
French pouletrie, from pouletier “poulterer,” from poulet
“young fowl.”][1]



pounce

pounce1
pounce1  [powns]
verb (past pounced, past participle pounced,
present participle pounc·ing, 3rd person present singular pounc·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
jump
suddenly on: to jump or swoop suddenly toward or onto
somebody or something, especially onto prey

2.  intransitive
verb
attack
or take quickly: to move very quickly and suddenly in
attacking somebody or obtaining something • He
pounced on the book and carried it off to his room.

3.  transitive
verb
react
swiftly to:
to be quick to notice and make use of something • She
immediately pounced on his admission that he’d known all about it.
noun
(plural pounc·es)

act of suddenly jumping on:
an act of suddenly jumping or swooping toward or onto somebody or something,
especially onto prey
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: either a shortening of puncheon,
or from Old French poinson “pointed tool,” via the assumed Vulgar Latin
stem punction- from, ultimately, the Latin stem punct- (see puncture ).]
—pounc·er, noun[1]



pounce

pounce2
pounce2  [powns]
noun

1.  powder
to stop ink running: a very fine powder used in
the past to stop ink from spreading on unglazed paper

2.  powder
used for producing image: powdered charcoal or other
fine powder sprinkled over a stencil to reproduce the main lines of a pattern
or design on the surface beneath the stencil
transitive
verb
(past pounced, past participle pounced, present
participle pounc·ing, 3rd person present singular pounc·es)

1.  sprinkle
paper with pounce: to sprinkle paper with
pounce

2.  reproduce
something with pounce: to reproduce a pattern or
design on something by sprinkling pounce over a stencil
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French ponce (noun) and poncer (verb) from, ultimately, Latin pumic-,
stem of pumex “pumice” (source of English pumice
).][1]



pound

pound2
pound2  [pownd]
(plural pounds) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS avoirdupois
unit of weight: a unit of weight in the avoirdupois
system, divided into 16 ounces and equivalent to 0.45 kg

2.  MEASUREMENTS troy
unit of weight: a unit of weight in the troy system that
is divided into 12 ounces and is equivalent to 0.37 kg

3.  MONEY common
unit of currency: a unit of currency used in the United
Kingdom, Cyprus and several Middle Eastern countries

4.  MONEY coin
or bill worth a pound: a coin or bill worth a pound

5.  MEASUREMENTS British
unit of force: a British unit of force, equal to the
gravitational force experienced by a pound mass accelerating at 9.80665
m/32.174 ft per second per second
[Old English pund via
prehistoric Germanic from Latin pondo “weight of a pound,” from >(libra)
pondo “(pound) by weight,” a form of assumed pondos “weight”][1]



pound

pound1
pound1  [pownd]
verb (past pound·ed, past participle pound·ed,
present participle pound·ing, 3rd person present singular pounds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
hard and repeatedly: to strike somebody or
something repeatedly and heavily

2.  transitive
verb
beat
something to pulp or powder: to beat something into very
fine pieces or to a mass, with repeated heavy blows

3.  intransitive
verb
throb:
to beat or throb heavily • My
heart was pounding.

4.  transitive
verb
attack
continuously: to attack a place continuously with
bombs or large guns • pounding
the city for a few weeks

5.  intransitive
verb
run
heavily:
to run with heavy steps

6.  transitive
verb
teach
by repetition: to ensure that somebody learns or
understands something by using constant repetition and drilling
noun

act of pounding:
the act or sound of pounding
[15th
century. Alteration of pounen, from Old English pūnian, from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of Dutch puin
“rubbish, rubble.”]
—pound·er, noun[1]



pound

pound3
pound3  [powns]
noun (plural pounds)

1.  enclosure
for stray animals: a fenced-off area or a
building with cages where stray animals, especially dogs, are kept

2.  CRIMINOLOGY enclosure
for vehicles or other goods: a fenced-off area where
vehicles or other goods that have been taken by the police or another authority
are kept until a debt or fine has been paid

3.  HUNTING AGRICULTURE place for animals or
fish:
an area in which animals or fish are trapped or kept

4.  prison
area:
a place where people are held prisoner
transitive
verb
(past pound·ed, past participle pound·ed, present
participle pound·ing, 3rd person present singular pounds)

put something in pound:
to confine somebody or something in a pound
[From the Old English stem pund-][1]



poundage

poundage2
pound·age2  [pówndij]
noun

1.  confinement
in enclosure: the confinement of animals in an
enclosed area or pound

2.  fee
for return of something: the fee that must be paid
for the return of an impounded vehicle, animal, or other goods

[1]



poundage

poundage1
pound·age1  [pówndij]
noun

1.  COMMERCE payment
per pound of weight: a tax, charge, commission,
or other payment for something calculated per pound of weight

2.  FINANCE payment
per pound sterling: a tax, charge, commission,
or other payment for something calculated per pound sterling

3.  MEASUREMENTS weight
in pounds:
the weight of somebody or something expressed in pounds

[1]



poundal

poundal
pound·al 
[pównd’l] (plural pound·als) noun

unit
of force in British system: a British unit of force,
equal to the force that will impart an acceleration of one foot per second per
second to a mass of one pound
[Late 19th century. Formed
from pound 2, perhaps on
the model of quintal .][1]



poundcake

poundcake
pound
cake
(plural pound cakes) noun

rich cake:
a rich dense yellow cake that is traditionally made with a pound each of
butter, sugar, flour, and eggs, or with equal weights of each of these
ingredients[1]



Pound,Ezra

Pound,Ezra

Pound
[pownd], Ezra (1885–1972)
U.S.
writer. He was an influential poet, critic, translator, and mentor of other
poets, and a founder of imagism. His major work is Cantos ( 1925–1970 ).
Full name
Pound, Ezra Loomis[1]



pound-foolish

pound-foolish
pound-fool·ish 
adjective

not
careful with large amounts: unwise when dealing with
large amounts of money or important matters
[From the phrase penny-wise
and pound-foolish][1]



poundout

poundout
pound
out
transitive verb

1.  produce
something with hard work: to produce something by
working in a diligent continuous way • pound
out an essay

2.  produce
something with heavy blows: to produce something with
heavy blows or loud thumping noises • pound
out a tune on the piano

[1]



poundsign

poundsign
pound
sign
(plural pound signs) noun

1.  MONEY symbol
for money:
the symbol (£) which indicates pound sterling

2.  UTILITIES COMPUTING the
symbol #:
the symbol (#), especially on a telephone keypad or computer keyboard.
U.K.
term
hash

[1]



poundsterling

poundsterling
pound
ster·ling
(plural pounds ster·ling) noun

unit of U.K. currency:
the official name for the unit of currency used in the United Kingdom[1]



pour

pour
pour 
[pawr] (past poured, past
participle poured, present participle pour·ing, 3rd
person present singular pours, plural pours) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something flow: to make a substance flow in a stream • poured
the sugar into the bowl

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb serve
drink:
to serve a drink from a container such as a pot or pitcher into a cup, mug, or
glass • Let
me pour you some tea.

3.  intransitive
verb
flow
in large quantities: to flow down or out,
especially in large quantities • Smoke
poured from the burning building.

4.  intransitive
verb
rain
heavily:
to rain very heavily • It
poured for hours.

5.  intransitive
verb
come
in large quantities: to come or go quickly and in
large quantities • Letters of complaint
came pouring in.

6.  transitive
verb
express
feeling:
to express a feeling at length and without restraint

7.  transitive
verb
give
large amount of: to give a large amount of something such
as effort or support to something • poured
a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that project
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Old French dialect purer “to
sift, pour out” from Latin purare “to purify,” from purus “pure”
(source of English pure ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  pour
  or pore ?
  “To
  gaze at or study intently” ( pore ) might
  seem to have more in common with “to drench” ( pour
  ) than with “a small opening in skin or a rock” ( pore
  ). Perhaps it has, but all three words have been derived separately, despite
  the fact that one of the verbs has the same spelling as the noun. You pour from the pot into a teacup, pore over a text, and have pores in your skin.

[1]



pourboire

pourboire
pour·boire 
[poor bwr] (plural pour·boires)
noun

tip
or gratuity: a sum of money given for services
rendered or anticipated
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “for drinking.”][1]



pourparler

pourparler
pour·par·ler 
[pr paar láy] (plural pour·par·lers)
noun

informal
and preparatory conference: an informal discussion or
round of talks, often diplomatic, that precedes a larger and more important
conference with official negotiations (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
French, literally “for talking.”][1]



pourpoint

pourpoint
pour
point
(plural pour points) noun

lowest temperature for liquid
to flow: the lowest temperature at
which a liquid will continue to flow[1]



pousse-café

pousse-café
pousse-ca·fé 
[pss ka fáy] (plural pousse-ca·fés)
noun

1.  layered
drink:
a drink consisting of different-colored liqueurs poured in one glass and
forming layers because each liqueur has a different density

2.  after-dinner
drink:
a liqueur served after dinner, with or after coffee
[From French, literally “push
coffee”][1]



poussette

poussette
pous·sette 
[poo sét] noun (plural pous·settes)

movement
in country dancing: a movement in country
dancing in which one or more couples hold hands and swing around the floor
intransitive
verb
(past pous·set·ted, past participle pous·set·ted, present
participle pous·set·ting, 3rd person present singular pous·settes)

dance
poussette:
to perform a poussette in a dance
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “small push,” ultimately from pousser “to push,” from
Latin pulsare, literally “to push frequently,” from pellere “to
push.”][1]



Poussin,Nicolas

Poussin,Nicolas
Pous·sin
[poo sáN], Nicolas (1594–1665)

French-born Italian painter.
He was a master of French classicism, and was influenced by Raphael.[1]



pout

pout2
pout2  [powt]
(plural pout or pouts) noun

1.  See
eelpout

2.  See
hornpout
[Old English stem -pūte,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from the same Scandinavian source as pout 1][1]



pout

pout1
pout1  [powt]
verb (past pout·ed, past participle pout·ed,
present participle pout·ing, 3rd person present singular pouts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb push
lips outwards: to move the lower lip or both lips
outwards to form an expression of bad temper or sulkiness, or in order to look
sexually provoking

2.  intransitive
verb
sulk:
to show disappointment, anger, or resentment, usually in silence • still
pouting because he missed the game

3.  transitive
verb
say
something sulkily: to say something with a pout
• pouted
that the whole thing wasn’t fair
noun
(plural pouts)

1.  expression
with lips pushed out: an expression of the face
with the lower lip or both lips pushed out

2.  sulky
mood:
a period or fit of sulking
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian source.]
—pout·y, adjective[1]



pouter

pouter
pout·er 
[pówtər] (plural pout·ers) noun

1.  pouting
person:
somebody who pouts

2.  pout·er
or pout·er pi·geon (plural pout·er pi·geons) BIRDS domestic
pigeon with an inflatable crop: a domesticated pigeon
belonging to a breed with a crop that can be greatly inflated
[Early 18th century. Formed
from pout 1 .][1]



poutine

poutine
pou·tine
[poo tn] (plural pou·tines) noun

Quebec dish of fries and
cheese: a dish originating in Quebec
that consists of french fries and curd cheese, covered with tomato sauce or
gravy[1]



poverty

poverty
pov·er·ty 
[póvvərtee] noun

1.  state
of being poor: the state of not having enough money to
take care of basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing

2.  lack:
a deficiency or lack of something • poverty
of emotion

3.  infertility
of soil:
lack of soil fertility or nutrients
[12th
century. Via Old French poverte from Latin paupertas, from pauper
“poor” (source of English pauper and poor ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  poverty, destitution, indigence, deprivation, penury,
  social exclusion, want
  CORE
  MEANING: insufficiency
  of resources on which to live poverty;
  a general word used to describe the state of being without enough money or
  resources to live at a standard considered normal or basic by society. It can
  be used to describe varying states of need, from lack of material comfort to
  near-starvation; destitution;
  poverty that is so extreme as to be life-threatening; indigence; a formal word used to describe a
  state of very severe poverty; deprivation;
  a state of severe poverty, emphasizing the fact that those affected have been
  denied the material benefits that others enjoy; penury;
  a fairly severe state of economic need; social exclusion; used in
  political or sociological contexts to suggest a lack of money or resources
  sufficient to sustain a basic standard of living, causing those affected to
  be disadvantaged; want; a formal or
  literary word used to describe a situation where people do not have the
  money, food, or resources they need to have a basic standard of living

[1]



povertyline

povertyline
pov·er·ty
line
or pov·er·ty lev·el noun

income level defining
poverty: a level of income below
which somebody is considered to be living in poverty. It is based on the price
of basic necessities and is usually determined by a government.[1]



poverty-stricken

poverty-stricken
pov·er·ty-strick·en 
adjective

very poor:
extremely poor and with intense problems as a result[1]



POW

POW
POW


Abbreviation of
prisoner of war[1]



pow

pow
pow
[pow] interjection

sound
of explosion or impact: used to imitate the sound of
an explosion or gun, or of a sudden impact, for example, when somebody is hit (informal)
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



powder

powder
pow·der 
[pówdər] noun (plural pow·ders)

1.  tiny
loose particles: a substance in the form of a loose
grouping of many tiny dry grains

2.  powder
for particular purpose: a substance in the form of
powder that is produced for a particular purpose by crushing or drying a solid,
or by mixing various powders • face
powder

3.  ARMS gunpowder:
gunpowder

4.  dry
snow:
light dry snow
verb
(past pow·dered, past participle pow·dered, present
participle pow·der·ing, 3rd person present singular pow·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
put
powder on:
to cover something with powder, or to sprinkle powder on something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
into powder: to turn a solid into powder or to become
a powder
[13th
century. Via French poudrer (verb) and poudre (noun, alteration
of poldre ), from, ultimately, Latin pulver-, stem of pulvis
“dust” (source of English pulverize
).]
—pow·der·er,
noun

—pow·der·y, adjective[1]



Powder

Powder
Pow·der 
[pówdər]

1.  river
rising in Oregon’s Blue Mountains and flowing into the Snake River, bordering
with Idaho. Length: 177 km/110 mi.

2.  river
forming in central Wyoming and flowing into the Yellowstone River in Montana.
Length: 603 km/375 mi.

[1]



powderblue

powderblue
pow·der
blue
adjective

pale
blue:
of a very pale blue color with a slight tinge of purple (hyphenated when
used before a noun)
—pow·der blue, noun[1]



powderburn

powderburn
pow·der
burn
(plural pow·der burns) noun

minor burn from gunfire:
a minor skin burn caused by being very close to a brief intense explosion,
especially gunfire, sometimes used as evidence in a court of law[1]



powderhorn

powderhorn
pow·der
horn
(plural pow·der horns) noun

container for gunpowder:
a small container to hold gunpowder.
Also called
flask
Also called
powder flask[1]



powderkeg

powderkeg
pow·der
keg
(plural pow·der kegs) noun

1.  ARMS keg
for gunpowder: a small barrel used to hold gunpowder or
blasting powder

2.  tense
situation:
a tense situation that may easily erupt into violence

[1]



powdermetallurgy

powdermetallurgy
pow·der
met·al·lur·gy noun

production of objects from
powdered metals: the technology of
working powdered metals or some carbides by compressing or heating without
melting, or by compressing and heating without melting, to produce solid
objects such as self-lubricating bearings[1]



powdermonkey

powdermonkey
pow·der
mon·key
noun (informal)

1.  NAVY boy
carrying gunpowder on ship: a boy employed on a warship
in the past to carry gunpowder from the store to the guns

2.  somebody
who works with explosives: somebody who delivers, works
with, or is in charge of explosives in fields such as mining or construction

[1]



powderpuff

powderpuff
pow·der
puff
(plural pow·der puffs) noun

pad for powdering skin:
a soft or fluffy pad used for putting powder on the face or skin.
Also called
puff[1]



powderroom

powderroom
pow·der
room
(plural pow·der rooms) noun

1.  ladies’
room:
a public restroom for women

2.  bathroom
for guests:
a bathroom for use by guests, situated near the main living area of a house

[1]



powderymildew

powderymildew
pow·der·y
mil·dew
noun

plant disease caused by
fungi: a fungal disease that
produces a white powdery covering on plant leaves caused by various fungi[1]



Powell,Adam Clayton, Jr.

Powell,Adam Clayton, Jr.

Pow·ell
[pów əl], Adam Clayton, Jr. (1908–1972)
U.S. politician and preacher. He was a
Democratic congressman (1945–1971), and campaigned against racial
discrimination.[1]



Powell,Colin

Powell,Colin

Pow·ell
[pów əl], Colin (1937– )
U.S.
military leader. He was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the
Persian Gulf War (1991).
Full name
Powell, Colin Luther Jr.[1]



Powell,John Wesley

Powell,John Wesley
Pow·ell
[pów əl], John Wesley (1834–1902)

U.S. ethnologist, explorer,
and geologist. He classified Native American languages, and did pioneering
survey work in the Rocky Mountains.[1]



Powell,Lewis Franklin, Jr.

Powell,Lewis Franklin, Jr.
Pow·ell
[pów əl], Lewis Franklin, Jr. (1907– )

U.S. jurist. He served on the
United States Supreme Court (1972–1987), where he was considered a moderate
justice.[1]



power

power
pow·er 
[pówr] noun (plural pow·ers)

1.  ability
or capacity to do something: the ability, skill, or
capacity to do something

2.  strength:
physical force or strength

3.  control
and influence: control and influence over other people
and their actions

4.  political
control:
the political control of a country, exercised by its government or leader

5.  authority
to act:
the authority to act or do something according to a law or rule

6.  somebody
with power:
somebody who has political or financial power

7.  important
country:
a country that has military or economic resources and is considered to have
political influence over other countries

8.  persuasiveness:
the ability to influence people’s judgment or emotions

9.  skill:
a faculty, skill, or ability • musical
powers

10. ENGINEERING PHYSICS measure
of rate of doing work: a measure of the rate of
doing work or transferring energy, usually expressed in terms of wattage or
horsepower. Symbol P

11. ENERGY energy
to drive machinery: energy or force used to
drive machinery or produce electricity

12. electricity:
electricity made available for use

13. MATHEMATICS number
of multiplications: the number of times a
quantity is to be successively multiplied by itself, usually written as a small
number to the right of and above the quantity

14. OPTICS magnifying
ability:
a measure of the ability of a lens, mirror, or prism to magnify an image

15. STATISTICS probability
of rejecting null hypothesis: the probability of rejecting
the null hypothesis as false when a particular alternative hypothesis is true
adjective

1.  run
by electricity or fuel: receiving power from a motor
using electrical energy or fuel such as gasoline, instead of relying on manual
labor • power
tools

2.  intended
for business success: designed or believed to
improve somebody’s status, influence, or effectiveness in business • power
dressing
verb
(past pow·ered, past participle pow·ered, present
participle pow·er·ing, 3rd person present singular pow·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
provide
energy to operate something: to supply something such as
a machine or tool with energy

2.  intransitive
verb
move
energetically: to move fast and with great power and
energy (informal)
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman poer and Old French poeir from assumed Vulgar Latin potere
“to be powerful,” from potis “powerful” (source of English potent 1 ).][1]



powerbase

powerbase
pow·er
base
(plural pow·er ba·ses) noun

foundation of political
power: a position, area, or group
of voters providing the foundation of somebody’s political power or support[1]



powerboat

powerboat
pow·er·boat 
[pówr bt] (plural pow·er·boats)
noun

powerful
motorboat:
a small motorboat with a powerful outboard or inboard motor, used especially
for racing
—pow·er·boat·ing, noun[1]



powerbroker

powerbroker
pow·er
brok·er
(plural pow·er brok·ers) noun

somebody with political or
commercial influence: a person or
country that has great influence, especially in politics or commerce, and is
able to use this influence to affect the policies and decisions of others[1]



powercentre

powercentre
pow·er
cen·tre
(plural pow·er cen·tres) noun

Canada
shopping mall with large stores:
a shopping mall containing several large superstores or discount stores[1]



powercut

powercut
pow·er
cut
(plural pow·er cuts) noun

U.K.
See power outage[1]



powerdive

powerdive
pow·er
dive
(plural pow·er dives) noun

steep
dive by aircraft: a steep dive made by an aircraft with
its engines at high power to increase the speed
—pow·er-dive, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



powerdown

powerdown
power
down
intransitive and transitive verb

turn computer off:
to turn a computer off in the correct way, bringing an orderly end to system
operation[1]



powerelite

powerelite
pow·er
e·lite
noun

elite in society:
a small group with great power to influence the course of events in the society
that it belongs to[1]



powerful

powerful
pow·er·ful 
[pówrf’l] adjective

1.  influential:
able to exert a lot of influence and control over people and events • a
powerful nation

2.  strong:
with great physical or mental strength or force

3.  effective:
with the strength or qualities to be effective in producing a result • a
powerful antibiotic

4.  persuasive:
able to produce a strong effect on people’s ideas or emotions • a
powerful movie
adverb

very:
extremely (regional) • He was
powerful thirsty.
—pow·er·ful·ly,
adverb

—pow·er·ful·ness, noun[1]



powerhouse

powerhouse
pow·er·house 
[pówr hòwss] (plural pow·er·hous·es
[pówr hòwzəz]) noun

1.  somebody
or something that is productive: somebody or something
that is full of energy and very productive, especially of new ideas (informal)

2.  ENERGY See power plant

[1]



powerless

powerless
pow·er·less 
[pówrləss] adjective

lacking
power:
lacking power, strength, or effectiveness
—pow·er·less·ly,
adverb

—pow·er·less·ness, noun[1]



powerline

powerline
pow·er
line
(plural pow·er lines) noun

cable carrying electricity:
a cable that carries electricity from a power station to the users of the
electricity or between electric utilities in a network[1]



powerlunch

powerlunch
pow·er
lunch
(plural pow·er lunch·es) noun

important lunchtime business
meeting: a meeting over lunch that
gives somebody the opportunity to cultivate an important contact or discuss
business matters at a high level[1]



powermower

powermower
pow·er
mow·er
noun

lawn mower:
a lawn mower that is driven by a motor[1]



powernap

powernap
pow·er
nap
(plural pow·er naps) noun

short sleep in working hours:
a short sleep taken by a businessperson in the office in order to feel
revitalized[1]



powerof appointment

powerof appointment
pow·er
of ap·point·ment noun

authority to allocate
property from estate: the
authority given to somebody to select beneficiaries and to allocate money and
other property from a person’s estate to those beneficiaries[1]



powerof attorney

powerof attorney
pow·er
of at·tor·ney noun

power to act for another:
the legal authority to act for another person in legal and business matters[1]



poweroutage

poweroutage
pow·er
out·age
(plural pow·er out·ag·es) noun

loss of electrical power:
a temporary loss of electricity to a building or area.
U.K. term
power cut[1]



powerpack

powerpack
pow·er
pack
(plural pow·er packs) noun

current converter:
a device for converting electrical supply to direct or alternating current at
the correct voltage for a piece of electrical or electronic equipment[1]



powerplant

powerplant
pow·er
plant
(plural pow·er plants) noun

1.  ENERGY plant
for generating electricity: an industrial complex where
power, especially electricity, is generated from another source of energy such
as burning coal, nuclear reactions, or flowing water.
Also
called
powerhouse
Also
called
power station
U.K.
term
power station

2.  TRANSPORT unit
powering self-propelled object: a unit that supplies
the power to move a self-propelled object, for example, a diesel-electric
engine in a locomotive or an internal-combustion engine in an automobile

[1]



powerplay

powerplay
pow·er
play
(plural pow·er plays) noun

1.  bid
for advantage: an attempt to gain an advantage by a
display of strength or superiority, for example, in a negotiation or
relationship

2.  tactic
of concentrating resources: a tactic in business,
commerce, or politics of concentrating resources and effort on one particular
area

3.  SPORTS tactic
of concentrating players: a tactic used in sports
consisting of concentrating players in a particular area, especially an attack
in football that involves extra blockers preceding the person carrying the ball

4.  HOCKEY numerical
advantage in ice hockey: a situation or period of
time in ice hockey during which one team has a numerical advantage because the
other team has one or more players in the penalty box

[1]



powerpolitics

powerpolitics
pow·er
pol·i·tics
noun

political relations based on
power: political relations and
actions based on an implied threat of use of political, economic, or military
power by a participant (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



powerseries

powerseries
pow·er
se·ries
noun

infinite series comprising
increasing integral powers: an infinite
series in which the terms contain regularly increasing integral powers of a
variable. A typical series would be S n =1+2 x +3 x 2 +4 x 3 +…+ nx n -1 .[1]



Powers,Hiram

Powers,Hiram
Pow·ers
[pów ərz], Hiram (1805–1873)

U.S. sculptor. He is known
for the celebrated statue The Greek Slave ( 1843 ), depicting a female
nude in chains.[1]



powershovel

powershovel
pow·er
shov·el
(plural pow·er shov·els) noun

machine for digging:
a mobile machine for excavating and removing debris, with a movable lever arm
ending in a hinged digging bucket[1]



powerstation

powerstation
pow·er
sta·tion
(plural pow·er sta·tions) noun

See
power plant[1]



powersteering

powersteering
pow·er
steer·ing
noun

engine-aided steering:
a system of steering for a motor vehicle in which turning the steering wheel is
made easier by supplementary power from the vehicle’s engine[1]



powertakeoff

powertakeoff
pow·er
take·off
(plural pow·er take·offs) noun

device for diverting power
from engine: a device for
transferring power from a vehicle’s engine to another piece of machinery[1]



powertrain

powertrain
pow·er
train
(plural pow·er trains) noun

mechanism that transmits
engine power: the portion of a
vehicle’s drive mechanism that transmits power from the engine to the wheels,
tracks, or propellers. An automobile’s power train includes the clutch,
transmission, driveshaft, and differential.[1]



powertrip

powertrip
pow·er
trip
(plural pow·er trips) noun (informal)

1.  assertion
of control over others: an action designed to gain
or keep control over other people in order to increase and enjoy a feeling of
power

2.  situation
giving control over others: a situation that increases
somebody’s feeling of being powerful or in control of others

[1]



powerup

powerup
power
up 
intransitive and transitive verb

to turn computer on:
to turn on a computer, printer, or other peripheral device[1]



poweruser

poweruser
pow·er
us·er 
(plural pow·er us·ers) noun

computer expert:
a computer user who is expert in one or more software applications (informal)[1]



powerwalking

powerwalking
pow·er
walk·ing
noun

quick
walking for exercise: a form of exercise involving
energetic walking in which the arms are swung backward and forward, sometimes
using weights, in order to increase the heart rate
—pow·er walk·er (plural
pow·er walk·ers), noun[1]



Powhatan

Powhatan
Pow·ha·tan 
[pów ə tan, pòwhə
tán] (1550?–1618)

Native
North American chief. He led the Powhatan confederacy of Algonquian tribes in
Virginia, and was the father of Pocahontas.
Real name
Wahunsonacook[1]



powwow

powwow
pow·wow 
[pów wòw] noun (plural pow·wows)

1.  Native
American ceremony: a traditional Native
American ceremony featuring dance, feasting, and a blessing by a shaman for an
event such as a marriage, a major hunt, or a gathering of nations

2.  meeting:
a meeting or gathering to discuss something (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past pow·wowed, past participle pow·wowed, present
participle pow·wow·ing, 3rd person present singular pow·wows)

have powwow: to
hold a powwow (informal)
[Early 19th century. From
Narragansett powah, powwaw, literally “shaman.”][1]



pox

pox
pox 
[poks] noun MED

1.  venereal
disease:
a venereal disease, especially syphilis (informal)

2.  disease
causing spots on skin: a viral disease such as
smallpox or chickenpox that causes pus-filled blisters ( pustules ) to form on
the skin, and often leaves scars ( pockmarks
)
[Alteration
of the plural of pock]
a
pox on somebody or something

used to express a wish that
misfortune will come to somebody or something (archaic)[1]



poxvirus

poxvirus
pox·vi·rus 
[póks vrəss] (plural pox·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus causing disease like
pox: an oval-shaped
DNA-containing virus responsible for diseases that cause pus-filled blisters (
pustules ) to form on the skin[1]



Poyntingtheorem

Poyntingtheorem
Poynt·ing
the·o·rem
[póynting t ərəm] noun

PHYSICS theorem
giving electromagnetic energy flow rate: the
theorem stating that the rate of flow of electromagnetic energy per unit area
equals the cross product of the electric and magnetic vectors
[Late 19th century. Named for
J. H. Poynting ( 1852–1914 ), an English physicist.][1]



Poznań

Poznań
Poz·nań
[pṓz naanyə, pṓznan,
pṓznaan]

city in western Poland. It is
the capital of Poznań Province. Population: 581,800 (1995)[1]



pozzuolana

pozzuolana
poz·zuo·la·na
[pòtswə lnə] or poz·zo·la·na
[pòtsə lnə] or poz·zo·lan [pótsələn] noun

volcanic
ash used in hydraulic cement: a porous volcanic ash that
when mixed with cement hardens either in air or under water
[Early 18th century. From
Italian pozz(u)olana (terra) “(earth) of Pozzuoli (the name of a town
near Naples in Italy).”][1]



Pozzuoli

Pozzuoli
Poz·zuo·li 
[pot swṓlee]

town in Campania Region,
southern Italy. Population: 75,706 (1991)[1]



po’boy

po’boy
po’boy
[pṓ bòy] (plural po’boys) noun

Southern
U.S.
FOOD poor
boy:
a poor boy sandwich
[Contraction][1]



PO’d

PO’d
PO’d
or p.o.’d adjective

annoyed:
quite annoyed (slang)
[Shortening of pissed off][1]



PP

PP
PP

Abbreviation of
prepositional phrase[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pp

pp
pp

Abbreviation of
pianissimo[1]



p.p.

p.p.
p.p.

1.
(used when signing documents on behalf of sb else) Abbreviation of
by proxy

2.  Abbreviation
of
parcel post

3.  Abbreviation
of
parish priest

4.  Abbreviation
of
past participle

[1]



Pr.

Pr.
Pr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Priest

2.  Abbreviation
of
Prince

3.  Abbreviation
of
preferred (stock)

[1]



pr.

pr.
pr.

GRAMMAR
Abbreviation of pronoun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








P.R.

P.R.
P.R.

1.  Abbreviation
of
proportional representation

2.  Abbreviation
of
public relations

3.  Abbreviation
of
Puerto Rico

[1]



practicable

practicable
prac·ti·ca·ble 
[práktikəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being done: capable of being carried out or put into
effect

2.  usable:
capable of being used
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin practicabilis from, ultimately, Greek praktikē,
the feminine of praktikos “practical” (see practice
).][1]



practical

practical
prac·ti·cal 
[práktik’l] adjective

1.  concerned
with matters of fact: concerned with actual facts
and experience, not theory • the
practical applications of this research

2.  useful:
sensible or useful, and likely to be effective • practical
advice

3.  good
at solving problems: good at managing matters and
dealing with problems and difficulties

4.  practicing:
involved in the actual work of a profession or activity • practical
physician

5.  suitable
for everyday use: plain, functional, and suitable for
everyday use

6.  virtual:
resembling a particular thing in almost every way (informal) • The
campaign was a practical disaster.
noun
(plural prac·ti·cals)

EDUCATION class
with hands-on activities: a class or examination that
requires actually doing something such as an experiment or a medical procedure
• a
physics practical
[Via
medieval Latin practicalis from, ultimately, Greek praktikos (see
practice )]
—prac·ti·cal·i·ty [pràkti kállətee], noun[1]



practicaljoke

practicaljoke
prac·ti·cal
joke
(plural prac·ti·cal jokes) noun

trick
played on somebody for amusement: a trick that is
carried out on somebody to make him or her look silly and to amuse others
—prac·ti·cal jok·er, noun[1]



practically

practically
prac·ti·cal·ly 
[práktikəlee] adverb

1.  almost:
very nearly but not quite

2.  in
practical way: in a way that is useful, sensible, or
practical

[1]



practicalnurse

practicalnurse
prac·ti·cal
nurse
(plural prac·ti·cal nurs·es) noun

1.  nurse
holding basic qualification: a nurse who has completed a
certain level of training, lower than that of a registered nurse

2.  nurse
with experience but no qualification: a
nurse who has considerable experience of caring for people but who does not
have a college degree in nursing

[1]



practice

practice
prac·tice 
[práktiss] verb (past prac·ticed,
past participle prac·ticed, present participle prac·tic·ing,
3rd person present singular prac·tic·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
something to get better: to do something, especially
exercises, repeatedly in order to improve performance in a sport, art, or hobby
• practices
the piano daily

2.  transitive
verb
do
something as custom: to do something as an
established custom or habit

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
in law or medicine: to work in a particular job
or profession, especially law or medicine • She
has been practicing law for 15 years now.

4.  transitive
verb
RELIGION follow
a religion:
to act according to the beliefs and customs of a religion • We
are proud to practice the religion of our ancestors.

5.  transitive
verb
perpetrate:
to perpetrate something morally bad such as deceit or cruelty
noun
(plural prac·tic·es)

1.  repetition
in order to improve: the process of repeating
something such as an exercise many times in order to improve performance

2.  performance
of religion, profession, or customs: the
performance of a religion, profession, set of customs, or established habit

3.  process
of carrying out an idea: the process of carrying out
an idea, plan, or theory

4.  work
of professional person: the business of a lawyer,
doctor, dentist, or other professional

5.  habit:
a habit, custom, or usual way of doing something • good
business practices
[14th
century. Directly or via obsolete French practiser from medieval Latin practizare,
an alteration of practicare, from, ultimately, Greek praktikos
“practical,” from prattein “to do.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at habit

[1]



practiced

practiced
prac·ticed 
[práktist] adjective

expert:
expert in doing something because of long experience[1]



practicing

practicing
prac·tic·ing 
[práktissing] adjective

pursuing particular activity:
actively involved in a particular activity, for example, a profession,
religion, or way of life[1]



practicum

practicum
prac·ti·cum 
[práktikəm] (plural prac·ti·cums)
noun

work
experience as part of study: a period of work for
practical experience as part of an academic course.
U.K.
term
placement
[Early 20th century. From
late Latin, the neuter of practicus “active, practical,” from Greek praktikos
(see practice ).][1]



practise

practise
prac·tise 
intransitive and transitive verb

U.K. =
practice[1]



practitioner

practitioner
prac·ti·tion·er 
[prak tísh’nər] (plural prac·ti·tion·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who practices a profession: somebody who practices a
particular profession, especially medicine

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
Science healer: in Christian Science, somebody who
carries out ministry and spiritual healing
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from obsolete practician, from Old French practicien, from practiser
“to practice” (see practice ).][1]



Prado

Prado
Pra·do
[prdō] noun

Spanish national art museum:
a museum in Madrid that contains the Spanish national collection of paintings,
sculptures, and drawings. It was founded by Fernando VII in 1810.[1]



praedial

praedial
prae·di·al
[prdee əl] or pre·di·al [prdee əl] adjective

relating
to farming:
relating to land or farming
[From
medieval Latin praedialis, from Latin praedium “farm, estate”]
—prae·di·al·i·ty [prdee állətee], noun[1]



praemunire

praemunire
prae·mu·ni·re 
[prmyə nree] (plural prae·mu·ni·res)
noun

offense
of accepting foreign authority: the offense under
English law of accepting the authority of some other power over that of the
English crown, or an accusation to that effect
[From medieval Latin praemunire
facias “that you warn” (these words being part of the writ), the first word
of which meant “to warn” (by association with Latin praemonere “to
forewarn,” source of English premonition
) and came from Latin, “to fortify in front,” from munire “to fortify,
defend” (see munition )][1]



praenomen

praenomen
prae·no·men 
[pree nṓmən] (plural prae·no·mens
or prae·nom·i·na [pree nómmənə,
pree nṓmənə]) noun

ancient
Roman’s first name: in ancient Rome, somebody’s
first name
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “forename,” from nomen “name” (source of
English nominal, noun, and renown
).]
—prae·nom·i·nal
[pree nómmən’l], adjective

—prae·nom·i·nal·ly [pree nómmənəlee], adverb[1]



praetor

praetor
prae·tor 
[prtər] (plural prae·tors) or
pre·tor [prtər] (plural pre·tors)
noun

ancient
Roman magistrate: in ancient Rome, any of several
magistrates ranking immediately below the consuls and acting as the chief law
officers of the state. At first there was only one praetor, but there were
later as many as eight who were also responsible for organizing the public
games.
[15th
century. From Latin, of uncertain origin: possibly formed from praeire,
literally “to go in front.”]
—prae·to·ri·al
[pree táwree əl], adjective

—prae·tor·ship [prtər shìp], noun[1]



Praetorian

Praetorian
Prae·to·ri·an 
or Pre·to·ri·an adjective

of
the Praetorian Guard: belonging or relating to the
Praetorian Guard
noun
(plural Prae·to·ri·ans) (plural Pre·to·ri·ans)

member of Praetorian Guard:
a member of the Praetorian Guard[1]



praetorian

praetorian
prae·to·ri·an 
[pree táwree ən] or pre·to·ri·an
[pree táwree ən] adjective

1.  relating
to praetors: relating to praetors or to the office of
praetor

2.  corrupt:
corrupt and venal (formal)
noun
(plural prae·to·ri·ans) (plural pre·to·ri·ans)

ancient Roman of praetor rank:
in ancient Rome, a holder or former holder of the office of praetor, for
example, an ex-praetor who became governor of a province

[1]



PraetorianGuard

PraetorianGuard
Prae·to·ri·an
Guard
(plural Prae·to·ri·an Guards) noun

1.  ancient
Roman emperor’s bodyguard: the emperor’s bodyguard in
ancient Rome. The members of the Guard were reputed to be corrupt and often
interfered with the selection of the emperor in later periods of the Roman
Empire.

2.  member
of Praetorian Guard: a soldier of the emperor’s
bodyguard in ancient Rome

[1]



pragmatic

pragmatic
prag·mat·ic 
[prag máttik] adjective

1.  concerned
with practical results: more concerned with
practical results than with theories and principles

2.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to philosophical pragmatism: relating to or
characteristic of philosophical pragmatism

3.  POLITICS political:
relating to the political affairs of a country (formal)

4.  learning
lessons from history: dealing with or looking at
the facts of history with particular regard to the lessons that can be learned
from them

5.  LINGUISTICS relating
to pragmatics: relating or belonging to pragmatics
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin pragmaticus from, ultimately, Greek pragma
“deed, action.”]
—prag·mat·i·cal·i·ty
[prag màttə kállətee], noun

—prag·mat·i·cal·ly [prag máttikəlee], adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pragmatics

pragmatics
prag·mat·ics 
[prag máttiks] noun

LINGUISTICS
study of language in use:
the branch of linguistics that studies language use rather than language
structure. Pragmatics studies how people choose what to say from the range of
possibilities their language allows them, and the effect their choices have on
those to whom they are speaking. (takes a singular verb)[1]



pragmaticsanction

pragmaticsanction
prag·mat·ic
sanc·tion
noun

decree by sovereign:
a special decree issued by a sovereign that has the force of law[1]



pragmatism

pragmatism
prag·ma·tism 
[prágmə tìzzəm] noun

1.  way
of thinking about results: a straightforward practical
way of thinking about things or dealing with problems, concerned with results
rather than with theories and principles

2.  PHILOSOPHY way
of evaluating theories: a philosophical view that a
theory or concept should be evaluated in terms of how it works and its
consequences as the standard for action and thought.
See
also
instrumentalism
—prag·ma·tist,
noun

—prag·ma·tis·tic [pràgmə tístik], adjective[1]



Prague

Prague

Prague 
[praag]
capital city of the Czech Republic,
located in the west of the country. Population: 1,213,000 (1995)[1]



Prague




Back to definition

Prague

[1]



prahu

prahu
pra·hu 
noun

See
proa[1]



Praia

Praia
Prai·a 
[pr ə]

capital city of the Republic
of Cape Verde, in southeastern São Tiago Island. Population: 69,000 (1992)[1]



Prairial

Prairial
Prair·i·al 
[práiree əl] noun

9th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
ninth month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
May 21 to June 19 in the Gregorian calendar
[Late 18th century. From
French Prairial, from prairie “meadow.”][1]



prairie

prairie
prai·rie 
[práiree] noun (plural prai·ries)

N
American grassland: a treeless grass-covered
plain in the United States and Canada, especially in the Midwest and the West
plural
noun
prai·ries

Canada
Prairie
Provinces:
the Prairie Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada
[Late 18th century. Via
French from assumed Vulgar Latin prataria, from Latin pratum
“meadow,” of unknown origin.][1]



prairiechicken

prairiechicken
prai·rie
chick·en
(plural prai·rie chick·ens) noun

grouse found on U.S.
grasslands: a game bird belonging to the
grouse family with mottled brownish plumage, native to grasslands of the United
States. The male has inflatable air sacs on its throat, used in courtship.
Latin name: Tympanuchus cupido Tympanuchus pallidicinctus[1]



prairiedog

prairiedog
prai·rie
dog
(plural prai·rie dogs) noun

N American burrowing rodent:
a burrowing rodent of the squirrel family that lives in large underground
colonies on the grasslands of North America. It has light-brown fur and a sharp
barking or whistling warning call. Genus: Cynomys[1]



prairiedog town

prairiedog town
prai·rie
dog town
(plural prai·rie dog towns) noun

Midwestern
U.S.,
Rocky Mountains network of prairie dog
burrows:
a network of prairie dog burrows, especially within a large mound





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  These
  are familiar terms of the Great Plains, from Kansas and Nebraska through the
  Rocky Mountain states.

[1]



prairiefalcon

prairiefalcon
prai·rie
fal·con
(plural prai·rie fal·cons) noun

large U.S. falcon:
a large falcon, native to the western United States, that has a squarish head,
dark-brown back feathers with pale edges, and pale spotted underparts. Latin
name: Falco mexicanus[1]



prairieoyster

prairieoyster
prai·rie
oys·ter
(plural prai·rie oys·ters) noun

1.  raw
egg drink:
a drink consisting of a raw egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, taken
as a cure for a hangover or hiccups

2.  cooked
calf or pig testicle: the fried testicle of a calf
or pig, eaten as a delicacy in the Midwest (usually used in the plural)

[1]



prairieschooner

prairieschooner

prai·rie
schoo·ner
(plural prai·rie schoo·ners) noun
19C
covered wagon: a large covered wagon, pulled by horses
or oxen that was used by pioneers crossing the prairies in the 19th century.
Also
called
schooner
[From the imagined resemblance
of their canvas tops, seen from a distance, to a ship’s sails][1]



prairiesoil

prairiesoil
prai·rie
soil
noun

rich soil found under prairie
grass: a type of soil that
typically forms under the grasses of the prairie. It is rich in plant nutrients
and is nearly black in color.[1]



PrairieVillage

PrairieVillage
Prai·rie
Vil·lage
[pràirivíllij]

city in northeastern Kansas,
a southern suburb of Kansas City. Population: 23,545 (1996)[1]



prairiewolf

prairiewolf
prai·rie
wolf
noun

See
coyote[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








praise

praise
praise 
[prayz] noun (plural prais·es)

1.  expression
of admiration: words that express great approval or
admiration, for example, for somebody’s ability or achievements or for
something’s good qualities

2.  worship:
worship and thanks to God or a deity (often used in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past praised, past participle praised, present
participle prais·ing, 3rd person present singular prais·es)

1.  express
admiration for somebody or something: to
express great approval or admiration, for example, for somebody’s ability or
achievements or for something’s good qualities

2.  worship
God:
to give worship and thanks to God or a deity
[13th
century. Via Old French preisier from late Latin pretiare “to
prize,” from pretium “price.”]
—prais·er,
noun
sing
somebody’s or something’s praises

to praise somebody or
something enthusiastically[1]



praiseworthy

praiseworthy
praise·wor·thy 
[práyz wùree] adjective

admirable:
deserving praise
—praise·wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—praise·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



prajna

prajna
pra·jna 
[prújnə] noun

intuitive
understanding of truth: in Buddhist teaching, direct
awareness and understanding of truth not achieved by intellectual or rational
means
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit prajñā, literally “to know directly.”][1]



Prakrit

Prakrit
Pra·krit 
[prkrìt] (plural Pra·krits) noun

early
Indic language: a language belonging to a group spoken
in northern India from approximately 400 BC
to AD 1000. Prakrits are Indic
languages that developed form Sanskrit, the most well-known being Pali.
[Mid-18th
century. From Sanskrit prākta “natural, vernacular,” from pra-
“forward” + kta-, past participle stem of karoti “it makes” (see
Sanskrit ).]
—Pra·krit, adjective[1]



praline

praline
pra·line
[práy ln] (plural pra·lines) noun

1.  chocolate
candy:
a chocolate candy with a soft filling made from crushed caramelized nuts,
usually almonds

2.  nuts
boiled in sugar: a nut caramelized in boiling sugar syrup
that hardens when cold, or a substance made from crushed caramelized nuts and
used as a dessert topping or chocolate filling
[Early 18th century. Named
for the French officer Marshal de Plessis- Praslin ( 1598–1675 ), whose
cook invented it.][1]



pralltriller

pralltriller
prall·tril·ler 
[prl trìllər] noun

musical
embellishment: a musical embellishment made by the
quick alternation of a particular note with the note immediately above it
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “bouncing trill.”][1]



pram

pram1
pram1  [pram]
(plural prams) noun

U.K.
See baby carriage
[Late 19th century.
Contraction of perambulator .][1]



pram

pram2
pram2  [pram]
(plural prams) or praam [pram]
(plural praams) noun

1.  flat-bottomed
fishing boat: a small fishing boat boat with a flat
bottom and a square front

2.  flat-bottomed
barge:
a flat-bottomed barge used in Baltic ports
[Mid-16th century. Via Dutch praam
from, ultimately, Czech prám “raft.”][1]



prana

prana
pra·na
[prnə] noun

1.  breath
control in yoga: in yoga, the use of inhalation, holding
the breath, and exhalation, according to particular patterns and time periods.
It is designed to aid self-awareness, focus, and meditation.

2.  breath
or breathing: in Hinduism, breath or breathing
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit prāṇa, literally “breathing out.”][1]



prance

prance
prance 
[prans] verb (past pranced,
past participle pranced, present participle pranc·ing,
3rd person present singular pranc·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
in lively way: to move around in a lively and carefree,
but often silly or annoying, way

2.  intransitive
verb
swagger:
to walk in a way that displays excessive pride, arrogance, or a desire to be
noticed and admired (disapproving)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb EQUESTRIAN jump forward on back legs:
to raise the front legs and jump forward on the back legs, or to make a horse
perform this step

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb EQUESTRIAN walk with lively steps:
to walk with lively springing steps, or to make a horse walk this way
noun
(plural pranc·es)

prancing movement:
a lively, springing, or carefree movement
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—pranc·er,
noun

—pranc·ing,
adjective

—pranc·ing·ly, adverb[1]



prandial

prandial
pran·di·al 
[prándee əl] adjective

relating
to meals:
relating to a meal, especially lunch or dinner (formal or humorous)
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin prandium “late breakfast.”]
—pran·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



prang

prang
prang 
[prang] (past pranged, past
participle pranged, present participle pranging, 3rd
person present singular prangs) transitive verb

U.K.
damage
or wreck something: to crash or damage a vehicle
or aircraft (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin unknown.][1]



prank

prank2
prank2  [prangk]
intransitive and transitive verb

decorate
or display ostentatiously: to embellish or display
something in an ostentatious manner • Don’t
prank yourself up, it’s only a family dinner.
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch pronken or Middle Low German prunken
’to show off’.][1]



prank

prank1
prank1  [prangk]
(plural pranks) noun

practical
joke:
a mischievous trick or silly stunt done for amusement
[Late
16th century. Origin unknown.]
—prank·ish, adjective[1]



prankster

prankster
prank·ster 
[prángkstər] (plural prank·sters)
noun

practical joker:
somebody who enjoys playing mischievous tricks on people[1]



Prasad,Rajendra

Prasad,Rajendra
Pra·sad
[prə sd], Rajendra (1884–1963)

Indian statesman. A member of
Indian National Congress, he presided over the Constituent Assembly (1946–1949)
and was the first president of India (1950–1962).[1]



prase

prase
prase 
[práyz] noun

green
quartz:
a green form of quartz
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek prasios “leek-colored,” from prason
“leek.”][1]



praseodymium

praseodymium

pra·se·o·dym·i·um 
[pràyzee ō dímmee əm] noun
rare
metallic element: a soft ductile silvery metallic chemical
element belonging to the rare-earth group. It is characterized by a green
tarnish and is used in alloys and to color glass. Symbol Pr
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek prasios “leek-colored” (see prase
) + didymium .][1]



prat

prat
prat 
[prat] (plural prats) noun

buttocks:
the buttocks (slang)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



prate

prate
prate 
[prayt] intransitive verb (past
prat·ed, past participle prat·ed, present participle
prat·ing, 3rd person present singular prates)

chatter:
to talk in a silly way and at length about nothing important
noun
(plural prates)

prattle:
silly or idle talk
[15th
century. From Middle Dutch praten .]
—prat·er,
noun

—prat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



pratfall

pratfall
prat·fall 
[prát fàwl] (plural prat·falls)
noun (slang)

1.  comic
fall:
a backward fall onto the buttocks, especially one executed deliberately for
comic effect

2.  embarrassing
mistake:
an embarrassing or humiliating mistake or failure

[1]



pratincole

pratincole
prat·in·cole 
[prátting kl] noun

European
bird:
a brown or gray bird that is native to Europe and has long pointed wings, a
forked tail, and a short bill. It lives on stony or grassy land, usually near
water. Family: Glareolidae
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin pratincola, from Latin pratum “meadow” (source of
English prairie ) + incola
“dweller.”][1]



pratique

pratique
pra·tique 
[pra tk, prə
tk] noun

permission
to use port: permission granted to a ship or boat to
use a port on satisfying the local quarantine regulations or on producing a
clean bill of health
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “practice.”][1]



prattle

prattle
prat·tle 
[prátt’l] intransitive verb (past
prat·tled, past participle prat·tled, present
participle prat·tling, 3rd person present singular prat·tles)

talk
idly or childishly: to talk in a silly, idle, or
childish way
noun
(plural prat·tles)

idle
or childish talk: silly, idle, or childish talk
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly formed from prate,
or from Middle Low German pratelen .]
—prat·tler,
noun

—prat·tling·ly, adverb[1]



Prattville

Prattville
Pratt·ville 
[prát vil]

city in central Alabama, a
northwest suburb of Montgomery. Population: 24,269 (1996)[1]



prau

prau
prau 
noun

See
proa[1]



pravastatin

pravastatin
prav·as·tat·in
[pràvvə státt’n] noun

anti-cholesterol drug:
a drug used to reduce abnormally high levels of blood cholesterol[1]



prawn

prawn
prawn 
[prawn] noun

edible
crustacean:
an edible marine animal resembling a shrimp, with a slender body, a long tail,
five pairs of legs, and two pairs of pincers. Genera: Palaemon Latin
name: Penaeus
intransitive
verb

fish
for prawns:
to fish for prawns
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—prawn·er, noun[1]



praxeology

praxeology
prax·e·ol·o·gy 
[pràksee ólləjee] or prax·i·ol·o·gy
[pràksee ólləjee] noun

study
of human behavior: the study of human behavior
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek praxis “custom, behavior” (see praxis ).]
—prax·e·o·log·i·cal [pràksee ə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



praxis

praxis
prax·is 
[práksiss] noun (formal)

1.  performance
or application of skill: the practical side and
application of something such as a professional skill, as opposed to its theory

2.  established
practice:
an established custom or habitual practice
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin from Greek, where it was formed from prattein “to do.”][1]



pray

pray
pray 
[pray] verb (past prayed,
past participle prayed, present participle pray·ing,
3rd person present singular prays)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
to God or other being: to speak to God, a deity, or
a saint, for example, in order to give thanks, express regret, or ask for help

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hope
strongly:
to hope strongly for something • I’m
just praying that it won’t rain on Saturday.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
an earnest request: to ask somebody for
something, especially earnestly or with passion • He
prayed to be allowed to go back home to his family.

4.  transitive
verb
to attempt to achieve something by prayer • The
villagers tried to pray the drought away.
interjection

emphasizing a question or command:
used to emphasize a question or a command, either politely or sarcastically • And
what, pray, do you think you’re doing?
[13th century. Via Old French
preier from Latin precari “to entreat,” from prec-, stem
of prex “prayer” (source of English deprecate
and precarious ).][1]



prayer

prayer
prayer
[práir] (plural prayers) noun

1.  communication
with God or other being: a spoken or unspoken
communication with God, a deity, or a saint. It may express praise,
thanksgiving, confession or a request for something such as help or somebody’s
wellbeing.

2.  communicating
with God or other being: the act or practice of
making spoken or unspoken communication with God, a deity, or a saint

3.  religious
service with prayers: a religious service at which
prayers are said (often used in the plural)

4.  earnest
request:
an earnest request for something

5.  something
wished for:
something that is wanted or hoped for very much • My
only prayer is to see grandchildren before I die.

6.  slight
chance:
a slight chance or hope • I
don’t have a prayer of getting the manager’s job.

7.  LAW request
in petition: a request contained in a petition
[13th century. Via Old French
preiere from, ultimately, Latin precarius “obtained by entreaty,”
from precari “to entreat” (see pray
).][1]



prayerbeads

prayerbeads
prayer
beads 
plural noun

beads for counting prayers:
a string of beads such as a rosary used to keep count of prayers being recited[1]



prayerbook

prayerbook
prayer
book 
noun

book of set prayers for
services: a book containing the
prayers regularly used in religious services[1]



prayerful

prayerful
prayer·ful 
[práirf’l] adjective

1.  praying
frequently:
liking to pray or praying frequently

2.  influenced
by prayer:
strongly influenced by prayer, or in which prayer plays an important part

3.  earnest:
earnest or sincere
—prayer·ful·ly,
adverb

—prayer·ful·ness, noun[1]



prayerrug

prayerrug
prayer
rug 
or prayer mat noun

rug used by Muslims in
prayer: a rug on which a Muslim
kneels to pray[1]



prayershawl

prayershawl
prayer
shawl 
noun

See
tallith[1]



prayerwheel

prayerwheel

prayer wheel 
noun
movable cylinder containing prayers:
in Tibetan Buddhism and some other religions, a hollow cylinder that contains
prayers written on a scroll. It must be turned by hand or machinery to make the
prayers effective.[1]



prayingmantis

prayingmantis
pray·ing
man·tis 
noun

insect with raised forelegs:
a large greenish brown predatory insect originating in Europe, with long
forelegs that are raised and folded at rest, as if in prayer. Latin name: Mantis
religiosis[1]



PRC

PRC
PRC

Abbreviation of
People’s Republic of China[1]



pre-

pre-
pre-
prefix

1.  before,
earlier • preschool

2.  in
advance, preparatory • presell
• prerelease

3.  in
front of • premolar
[From Latin prae “in
front, before.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word which is also the
ancestor of English prior, prime, and private
.][1]



preach

preach
preach 
[preech] (past preached, past
participle preached, present participle preach·ing, 3rd
person present singular preach·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
sermon:
to give a talk on a religious or moral subject, especially in church

2.  intransitive
verb
give
advice in irritating way: to give people advice on
their morals or behavior in an irritatingly tedious or overbearing way

3.  transitive
verb
urge
people to accept something: to make an opinion or
attitude known to others and urge others to share it
[13th
century. Via Old French prechier from, ultimately, Latin praedicare
(see predicate ).]
—preach·a·ble, adjective[1]



preacher

preacher
preach·er 
[prchər] (plural preach·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  minister:
somebody whose occupation is to give sermons, preach the gospel, or conduct
religious services, especially a minister of a Protestant church

2.  somebody
who preaches: somebody who gives advice in an
irritatingly tedious or overbearing way, or who urges others to share a belief
or support a cause

[1]



preachify

preachify
preach·i·fy 
[prchə f] intransitive verb

preach
in irritating way: to preach or give advice on
morals or behavior in an irritatingly tedious or overbearing way (informal)
—preach·i·fy·ing, noun[1]



preachment

preachment
preach·ment 
[prchmənt] (plural preach·ments)
noun (informal)

1.  sermon:
a sermon or talk on a moral or religious subject

2.  overbearing
advice:
tedious or overbearing advice on morals or behavior

[1]



preachy

preachy
preach·y 
[prchee] adjective

giving
advice in irritating way: giving, or in the habit of
giving, advice on morals or behavior, especially in an irritatingly tedious or
overbearing way (informal)
—preach·i·ness, noun[1]



preadamite

preadamite
pre·ad·am·ite 
[pree áddə mt] or pre-Ad·am·ite
[pree áddə mt] noun

1.  believer
in people before Adam: somebody who believes that
there were people living on earth before Adam

2.  somebody
living before Adam: any of the people believed
to have been living on earth before Adam
adjective

relating to preadamites:
relating to the belief or those who believe that people existed on earth before
Adam

[1]



preadaptation

preadaptation
pre·ad·ap·ta·tion 
[pr addəp táysh’n] noun

possession
of survival traits: anatomical or behavioral
feature of an organism that is highly suited to an adjacent habitat, thus
allowing for migration and increased survival rate in response to environmental
change. The lungs that have developed in some fish were probably originally buoyancy
aids, but were preadapted for breathing air.
—pre·a·dapt
[pree ə dápt], intransitive and
transitive verb

—pre·ad·ap·tive
[pree ə dáptiv], adjective

—pre·a·dapt·ed [pree ə dáptəd], adjective[1]



preadolescence

preadolescence
pre·ad·o·les·cence 
[pr addə léss’ns] noun

time
before adolescence: the period of two or three
years before adolescence
—pre·ad·o·les·cent, noun,
adjective[1]



preagricultural

preagricultural
pre·ag·ri·cul·tur·al 
[pree àggri kúlchərəl] adjective

not yet using agriculture:
having not yet developed agriculture as a means of providing food.
See also
hunter-gatherer[1]



preamble

preamble
pre·am·ble 
[pr àmb’l, pree
ámb’l] (plural pre·am·ble) noun

1.  introductory
explanation: a section at the beginning of a speech,
report, or formal document that explains the purpose of what follows

2.  something
that precedes: something that precedes, introduces, or
leads up to something else
[14th century. Via French préambule
from, ultimately, Latin praeambulus, literally “going in front,” from ambulare
“to walk.”][1]



Preamble

Preamble
Pre·am·ble 
noun

introduction to the U.S.
Constitution: the introductory
section of the United States Constitution, often cited as the best statement of
the nation’s self-understanding[1]



preamplifier

preamplifier
pre·am·pli·fi·er 
[pree ámpli fr] (plural pre·am·pli·fi·ers)
noun

amplifier that strengthens
signals: an amplifying circuit, for
example, in a radio or television, that is designed to strengthen very weak
signals and then transmit them to a more powerful amplifier[1]



prearrange

prearrange
pre·ar·range 
[pr ə ráynj] (past pre·ar·ranged,
past participle pre·ar·ranged, present participle pre·ar·rang·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·ar·rang·es) transitive verb

arrange
something beforehand: to arrange, plan, or agree
on something beforehand
—pre·ar·range·ment, noun[1]



preatomic

preatomic
pre·a·tom·ic 
[pr ə tómmik] adjective

before atomic energy or
weapons: relating or belonging to the
time before atomic energy was developed or atomic weapons existed[1]



prebend

prebend
preb·end 
[prébənd] noun

1.  payment
to cathedral clergy: an allowance paid by a
cathedral or collegiate church to a member of its clergy, or the property or
tithe that is the source of this allowance

2.  See
prebendary
[15th
century. Via French from late Latin praebenda, literally “things to be
supplied” (source of English provender
), from Latin praebere “to offer,” literally “to hold in front.”]
—pre·ben·dal, adjective[1]



prebendary

prebendary
preb·en·dar·y 
[prébbən dèree] noun

member
of cathedral clergy: a member of the clergy of a
cathedral or collegiate church, either one who receives an allowance from it or
an honorary member who receives no payment.
Also
called
prebend
—preb·en·dar·y·ship [prébbən derree shìp], noun[1]



prebiological

prebiological
pre·bi·o·log·i·cal 
[pree b ə lójjik’l] adjective

before life began:
relating or belonging to a time in geologic history before the appearance of
living organisms[1]



prebuilt

prebuilt
pre·built 
[pree bílt] adjective

made before being put up:
made or put together before being taken to the location where it is to be set
up • a
prebuilt structure[1]



prec.

prec.
prec.

Abbreviation of
preceding[1]



precalculus

precalculus
pre·cal·cu·lus 
[pree kálkyə ləss] or pre·calc
[pr kàlk] noun

course in mathematics:
a course in mathematics taken in preparation for the study of calculus[1]



Precambrian

Precambrian
Pre·cam·bri·an 
[pree kámbree ən] noun

earliest
geologic period: the period of geologic time when the
Earth’s crust consolidated and primitive life first appeared, 4,650 to 700
million years ago
—Pre·cam·bri·an, adjective[1]



precancel

precancel
pre·can·cel 
[pree káns’l] transitive verb (past
pre·can·cel·led, past participle pre·can·cel·led, present
participle pre·can·cel·ling, 3rd person present singular pre·can·cels)

cancel
stamp before mailing: to cancel the postage stamp
on an envelope, for example, before mailing it
noun
(plural pre·can·cels)

precanceled
stamp:
a stamp that has been canceled before mailing, or an item bearing such a stamp
—pre·can·cel·la·tion [pr kans’l áysh’n], noun[1]



precancerous

precancerous
pre·can·cer·ous 
[pree kánsərəss] adjective

potentially cancerous:
used to describe conditions or tissue abnormalities that are capable of
becoming cancerous if left untreated[1]



precarious

precarious
pre·car·i·ous 
[prə káiree əss] adjective

1.  unsafe:
dangerously unstable, unsteady, uncertain, or insecure

2.  not
well founded: based on uncertain premises or
unwarranted assumptions (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin precarius “depending on entreaty,
uncertain.”]
—pre·car·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—pre·car·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



precast

precast
pre·cast 
[pree kást] adjective

hardened
before positioning: poured into a cast of the
required shape and allowed to harden before being taken out and put into
position • precast
concrete
—pre·cast, transitive
verb[1]



precatory

precatory
prec·a·to·ry 
[prékə tàwree] adjective

asking
or recommending: expressing a wish, a request, an
entreaty, or a recommendation (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin precatorius, from Latin precari “to entreat” (see pray ).][1]



precaution

precaution
pre·cau·tion 
[prə káwsh’n] (plural pre·cau·tions)
noun

1.  protection
against possible undesirable event: an
action taken to protect against possible harm or trouble, or to limit the
damage if something goes wrong

2.  caution
to forestall future trouble: the foresight to protect
against possible harm or trouble
[Late
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin precaut-, past
participle stem of praecavere, literally “to take care before,” from cavere
“to take heed” (see caution ).]
—pre·cau·tion·al,
adjective

—pre·cau·tion·ar·y,
adjective

—pre·cau·tious, adjective[1]



precede

precede
pre·cede 
[prə sd] (past pre·ced·ed, past
participle pre·ced·ed, present participle pre·ced·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cedes) transitive verb

1.  come
or go before something: to come, go, be, or happen
before somebody or something else in time, position, or importance

2.  introduce
something with something: to say or do something
before something else
[14th century. Via French
from Latin praecedere, literally “to go in front,” from cedere
“to give way.”][1]



precedence

precedence
prec·e·dence 
[préssəd’ns] or prec·e·den·cy
[préssəd’nsee] noun

1.  relative
importance:
relative importance in rank and status that determines something, for example,
the order in which participants are placed in a formal situation

2.  priority:
the right or need to be dealt with before somebody or something else or to be
treated as more important than somebody or something else

3.  greater
importance:
the fact of being more important than others (formal)

[1]



precedent

precedent
prec·e·dent 
[préssəd’nt] noun (plural prec·e·dents)

1.  example
for later action or decision: an action or decision that
can be subsequently used as an example for a similar decision or to justify a
similar action

2.  established
practice:
an established custom or practice

3.  LAW requirement
to follow earlier court decisions: the doctrine that
requires a court to follow decisions of superior or previous courts
adjective

preceding:
coming, going, existing, or happening before somebody or something else (formal)
—prec·e·dent·ly, adverb[1]



precedential

precedential
prec·e·den·tial 
[prèssə dénshəl] adjective (formal)

1.  relating
to or being precedent: relating to or serving as a
precedent

2.  more
important:
taking precedence over something or somebody else
—pre·ce·den·tial·ly, adverb[1]



preceding

preceding
pre·ced·ing 
[prə sding] adjective

coming before:
coming, going, existing, or happening immediately before somebody or something
else[1]



precensor

precensor
pre·cen·sor
[pree sénsər] (past pre·cen·sored,
past participle pre·cen·sored, present participle pre·cen·sor·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cen·sors) transitive verb

censor
something before production: to lay down rules in advance
stating what will or will not be allowed in a publication, broadcast, or other
item for public performance or release
—pre·cen·sor·ship, noun[1]



precentor

precentor
pre·cen·tor 
[prə séntər] (plural pre·cen·tors)
noun

1.  leader
of church singing: somebody who leads the
singing of the congregation or choir in a church

2.  somebody
in charge of cathedral music: a member of the clergy of a
cathedral who is in charge of the music in the cathedral
[Early
17th century. From Latin praecentor, from praecinere, literally
“to sing before,” from canere “to sing.”]
—pre·cen·tor·ship, noun[1]



precept

precept
pre·cept 
[pr sèpt] noun

1.  principle:
a rule, instruction, or principle that guides somebody’s actions, especially
one that guides moral behavior (formal)

2.  LAW warrant
or writ:
a warrant or writ that is issued by a legal authority
[14th century. From Latin praeceptum,
literally “something taught,” the past participle of praecipere “to
teach,” literally “to take before,” from capere “to take.”][1]



preceptive

preceptive
pre·cep·tive 
[prə séptiv] adjective

instructive:
giving instructions or orders, or setting out principles (formal)
—pre·cep·tive·ly, adverb[1]



preceptor

preceptor
pre·cep·tor 
[prə séptər, pr
sèptər] (plural pre·cep·tors) noun

1.  teacher:
a teacher or instructor (formal)

2.  specialized
tutor:
a specialist in a profession, especially medicine, who gives practical training
to a student

3.  head
of preceptory: the head of a community of Knights
Templars
—pre·cep·tor·al,
adjective

—pre·cep·tor·ate,
noun

—pre·cep·tor·ship [prə séptər shìp, pr
septər shìp], noun[1]



preceptorial

preceptorial
pre·cep·to·ri·al
[pr sep táwree əl, prə
sèp táwree əl] (plural pre·cep·to·ri·als) noun

college discussion group with
teacher: at some colleges, a class
consisting of a small group of students who discuss a work of literature or
other subject with a professor or instructor • I’m
taking a preceptorial on T.S. Eliot next quarter.[1]



preceptory

preceptory
pre·cep·to·ry 
[prə séptəree] (plural pre·cep·to·ries)
noun

community of Templars:
a community of Knights Templars[1]



precess

precess
pre·cess 
[prə séss] (past pre·cessed, past
participle pre·cessed, present participle pre·cess·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cess·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

move
in precession: to spin or make something spin with a
motion in which the axis of rotation sweeps out a cone
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from precession .][1]



precession

precession
pre·ces·sion 
[prə sésh’n] (plural pre·ces·sions)
noun

conical
sweep of axis of rotation: the regular motion of a
spinning body such as a spinning top or a planet, in which the axis of rotation
sweeps out a cone
[Late
16th century. From the late Latin stem praecession-, from praecess-,
the past participle stem of praecedere “to go before” (see precede ).]
—pre·ces·sion·al, adjective[1]



precessionof the equinoxes

precessionof the equinoxes
pre·ces·sion
of the e·qui·nox·es noun

westward movement of
equinoxes: the slow westward movement
of the equinoxes, resulting from the Earth’s precessional motion, making them
occur slightly earlier each year[1]



pre-Chellian

pre-Chellian
pre-Chel·li·an
[pree shéllee ən] adjective

of
Lower Paleolithic culture: relating to a culture of the
Lower Paleolithic period in which crude stone hand axes were used
[Early 20th century. Named
for Chelles, a place in France.][1]



pre-Christian

pre-Christian
pre-Chris·tian 
adjective

before Christianity:
existing or occurring before Jesus Christ or Christianity[1]



precinct

precinct
pre·cinct 
[pr sìngkt] noun (plural pre·cincts)

1.  electoral
district:
a small electoral district of a city or town, part of a ward

2.  city
area patrolled by police unit: a district of a city
or town under a particular unit of the police force

3.  police
unit or station: the police unit or police station of a
city or town district

4.  U.K.
special
part of town: a part of a town designated for a
particular use, especially an area accessible only to pedestrians or a
purpose-built area containing many stores • a
shopping precinct

5.  boundary:
a boundary marking out an area
plural
noun
pre·cincts

area around something:
the area surrounding a building or institution such as a cathedral or college
[15th century. From medieval
Latin praecinctum, literally “something encircled,” the past participle
of Latin praecingere, literally “to gird about,” from cingere “to
gird.”][1]



preciosity

preciosity
pre·ci·os·i·ty 
[prèshee áwssətee] (plural pre·ci·os·i·ties)
noun

ridiculous
overrefinement: ridiculous overrefinement in language
and manners, or an example of this • It
might be a good poem if all the preciosities were removed.
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin pretiosus “precious” (see precious ).][1]



precious

precious
pre·cious 
[préshəss] adjective

1.  valuable:
worth a great deal of money

2.  valued:
highly valued, much loved, or considered to be of great importance • Your
friendship is very precious to me.

3.  not
to be wasted: rare or unique and therefore to be used
wisely or sparingly or treated with care

4.  used
for emphasis: used for emphasis to express irritation,
dislike, contempt, bemusement, or some other strong emotion (informal) • I’m
tempted to tell them what they can do with their precious training course!

5.  fastidious
or affected: too carefully refined in language,
dress, and manners
adverb

very: very,
often by way of a complaint • And
precious little thanks I got!
noun

term of endearment:
used as term of affection in talking to somebody • Good
morning, my precious.
[13th
century. Via Old French precios from Latin pretiosus, from pretium
“price.”]
—pre·cious·ly,
adverb

—pre·cious·ness, noun[1]



preciouscoral

preciouscoral
pre·cious
cor·al
noun

See
red coral[1]



preciousmetal

preciousmetal
pre·cious
met·al
noun

valuable metal:
the metals gold, silver, or platinum[1]



preciousstone

preciousstone
pre·cious
stone
noun

gemstone:
any relatively rare and valuable mineral used in jewelry such as a diamond or
ruby[1]



precipice

precipice
prec·i·pice 
[préssəpiss] (plural prec·i·pic·es)
noun

1.  high
cliff or crag: a high, vertical, or very steep rock
face

2.  dangerous
state:
a very dangerous situation
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin praecipitium, from the
stem praecipit- “headlong” (see precipitate
).]
—prec·i·piced, adjective[1]



precipitancy

precipitancy
pre·cip·i·tan·cy 
[prə síppitənsee] (plural pre·cip·i·tan·cies)
or pre·cip·i·tance [prə síppitəns]
(plural pre·cip·i·tances) noun

1.  reckless
haste:
reckless haste or suddenness

2.  hasty
action:
a reckless, hasty, or impulsive action

[1]



precipitant

precipitant
pre·cip·i·tant 
[prə síppitənt] noun

CHEMISTRY something
causing precipitation: a substance that causes
precipitation
adjective

1.  too
hasty:
done too quickly and impulsively, often resulting in mistakes

2.  sudden
or unexpected: happening suddenly or unexpectedly

3.  rushing:
acting too quickly
[Early
17th century. From French précipitant, present participle of précipiter
(see precipitate ).]
—pre·cip·i·tant·ly, adverb[1]



precipitate

precipitate
pre·cip·i·tate 
[prə síppi tàyt] verb (past pre·cip·i·tat·ed,
past participle pre·cip·i·tat·ed, present participle pre·cip·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cip·i·tates)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something happen quickly: to make something happen
suddenly and quickly

2.  transitive
verb
send
somebody or something rapidly: to send somebody or
something suddenly and rapidly into some state or condition • A
minor border skirmish precipitated the two countries into war.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb METEOROLOGY make rain or snow fall:
to cause liquid or solid forms of water, condensed in the atmosphere, to fall
to the ground as rain, snow, or hail, or to fall in such a form

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY separate solid out of
solution:
to cause a solid to separate out from a solution as a result of a chemical
reaction, or to separate out in this way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb throw
or fall from above: to throw somebody or
something or fall from a great height (formal)
adjective

1.  done
or acting rashly: done or acting too quickly and without
enough thought • I may have been
precipitate in accepting their offer.

2.  hurried:
very hurried

3.  sudden:
sudden and unexpected
noun
(plural pre·cip·i·tates)

CHEMISTRY suspension
of small particles: a suspension of small solid
particles that are formed in a solution as a result of a chemical reaction and
usually settle out of the solution
[Early
16th century. From Latin praecipitat-, past participle stem of praecipitare
“to throw down,” from praeceps “headlong,” from caput “head.”]
—pre·cip·i·ta·bil·i·ty
[prèssə pittə bíllətee], noun

—pre·cip·i·ta·ble
[prə síppitəb’l], adjective

—pre·cip·i·tate·ly
[prə síppitətlee], adverb

—pre·cip·i·tate·ness
[prə síppitətnəss], noun

—pre·cip·i·ta·tive
[prə síppi tàytiv], adjective

—pre·cip·i·ta·tor [prə síppi tàytər], noun[1]



precipitation

precipitation
pre·cip·i·ta·tion 
[prə sìppi táysh’n] noun

1.  rain
or snow or hail: rain, snow, or hail, all of which are
formed by condensation of moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground

2.  formation
of rain or snow or hail: the formation of rain, snow,
or hail from moisture in the air

3.  formation
of suspension in solution: the formation of a
suspension of an insoluble compound by mixing two solutions

4.  haste:
great or excessive haste (formal) • He
deeply regretted the precipitation of his elopement.

5.  a
quickening of something: a bringing about of
something earlier or more suddenly than expected (formal) • circumstances
that led to the precipitation of my divorce

6.  propulsion:
the propelling or throwing of somebody or something (formal)

[1]



precipitin

precipitin
pre·cip·i·tin 
[prə síppitin] noun

antibody
combining with antigen: an antibody that, when
combined with its antigen, forms a substance that separates out of solution and
can be detected visually
[Early 20th century. Coined
from precipitate + -in
.][1]



precipitinogen

precipitinogen
pre·cip·i·tin·o·gen 
[prə síppitinəjən] (plural pre·cip·i·tin·o·gens)
noun

precipitin-forming
antigen:
an antigen that causes the formation of a specific precipitin. This reaction
can be used to identify an unknown antigen.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from precipitin + -gen
.][1]



precipitous

precipitous
pre·cip·i·tous 
[prə síppitəss] adjective

1.  done
rashly:
done or acting too quickly and without enough thought

2.  like
a precipice: very high and steep

3.  with
a precipice: having several precipices
[Mid-17th
century. Via French précipiteux from, ultimately, Latin praecipitium
(see precipice ).]
—pre·cip·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—pre·cip·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



precise

precise
pre·cise 
[prə sss] adjective

1.  exact
or detailed: exact and accurate, or detailed and
specific

2.  careful
about details: very careful about small details,
especially of correct behavior

3.  indicating
something specific: indicating that something is
the exact one that is being referred to • At
that precise moment, in he came.

4.  handling
small details: able to assimilate details or wanting to
be given details

5.  clear:
distinct and correct
[Early
16th century. Via French from Latin praecisus, the past participle of praecidere,
literally “to cut off in front,” from caedere “to cut.”]
—pre·cise·ness, noun[1]



precisely

precisely
pre·cise·ly 
[prə ssslee] adverb

1.  exactly:
exactly • That
is precisely what I mean.

2.  accurately:
with absolute accuracy • instruments
that must be adjusted precisely before use

3.  in
detail:
in complete and accurate detail • Tell
me precisely what happened.

4.  clearly:
clearly and distinctly • She
speaks very precisely.

5.  used
for emphasis: used to add emphasis when specifying
something • It
was precisely because you didn’t ask that she thought you didn’t need her help.

6.  expressing
agreement:
used to indicate complete agreement with what has been said • “But
I don’t think they can be relied on.” “Precisely.”

[1]



precisian

precisian
pre·ci·sian 
[prə sízh’n] (plural pre·ci·sians)
noun

somebody
concerned about correctness: somebody who is very
concerned about the observance of rules and correct behavior, especially in
matters of morality and religion
—pre·ci·sian·ism, noun[1]



precision

precision
pre·ci·sion 
[prə sízh’n] noun

1.  exactness:
exactness or accuracy

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
accuracy:
the accuracy to which a calculation is performed, specifying the number of
significant digits with which the result is expressed
adjective

relating to exactness or accuracy:
allowing for, made with, or requiring great exactness or accuracy
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin praecis-, the past participle stem of praecidere
(see precise ).][1]



precisionist

precisionist
pre·ci·sion·ist 
[prə sízh’nist] (plural pre·ci·sion·ists)
noun

somebody
concerned with absolute precision: somebody who insists
on or strives for absolute precision
—pre·ci·sion·ism [prə sízh’n ìzzəm], noun[1]



preclinical

preclinical
pre·clin·i·cal 
[pree klínnik’l] adjective

at
earliest stage of disease: relating to or
characteristic of a disease before the symptoms become evident
—pre·clin·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



preclude

preclude
pre·clude 
[prə kld] (past pre·clud·ed, past
participle pre·clud·ed, present participle pre·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cludes) transitive verb

1.  prevent
something:
to prevent something or make it impossible, or to prevent somebody from doing
something (formal) • That
shouldn’t preclude a satisfactory outcome.

2.  debar
somebody:
to exclude somebody or something, especially in advance • Having
a relative in the company precludes me from entering the contest.
[Early
17th century. From Latin praecludere, literally “to close off ahead,”
from claudere “to close.”]
—pre·clu·sion
[prə klzh’n], noun

—pre·clu·sive
[prə klssiv], adjective

—pre·clu·sive·ly [prə klssivlee], adverb[1]



precocial

precocial
pre·co·cial 
[prə kṓsh’l] adjective

independent
at birth:
used to describe some animals that display independent activity at birth,
especially young birds that are hatched covered with down and with open eyes
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Praecoces “the precocial birds,” the plural of Latin praecox
“precocious” (see precocious ).][1]



precocious

precocious
pre·co·cious 
[prə kṓshəss] adjective

1.  mentally
advanced for age: more developed, especially mentally,
than is usual or expected at a particular age, or showing such advanced
development (sometimes used disapprovingly)

2.  BOTANY blossoming
or ripening early: used to describe a plant or
tree that blossoms before its leaves appear, for example, the magnolia, or one
whose fruits ripen early
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin praecox “ripening early,” literally “cooked
ahead,” ultimately from coquere “to cook.”]
—pre·co·cious·ly,
adverb

—pre·co·cious·ness
[prə kṓshəssnəss], noun

—pre·coc·i·ty [prə kóssətee], noun[1]



precognition

precognition
pre·cog·ni·tion 
[pr kog nísh’n] noun

ability
to foresee the future: the ability to know what is
going to happen in the future, especially if based on extrasensory perception
—pre·cog·ni·tive [pree kógnətiv], adjective[1]



pre-Columbian

pre-Columbian
pre-Co·lum·bi·an 
adjective

before Christopher Columbus:
relating to North, Central, or South America before the arrival of Christopher
Columbus in 1492[1]



preconceive

preconceive
pre·con·ceive 
[pr kən sv] (past -ceived, past
participle -ceived, present participle -ceiving, 3rd
person present singular -ceives) transitive verb

form idea of something in
advance: to form an opinion or idea
about somebody or something before enough information or experience is
available to make an educated or fair judgment[1]



preconceived

preconceived
pre·con·ceived
[pr kən svd] adjective

formed in advance:
formed in the mind in advance, especially if based on little or no information
or experience and reflecting personal prejudices[1]



preconception

preconception
pre·con·cep·tion 
[pr kən sépshən] (plural pre·con·cep·tions)
noun

idea formed in advance:
an idea or opinion formed in advance, especially if it is based on little or no
information or experience and reflects personal prejudices[1]



preconcert

preconcert
pre·con·cert 
[pree kónsərt] (past pre·con·cert·ed,
past participle pre·con·cert·ed, present participle pre·con·cert·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·con·certs) transitive verb

arrange something beforehand:
to agree, arrange, or organize something beforehand (formal)[1]



precondition

precondition
pre·con·di·tion 
[pr kən dísh’n] noun (plural pre·con·di·tions)

something
that must be done first: something that must be done
or agreed before something else will happen • They
made a total ceasefire a precondition of the talks.
transitive
verb
(past pre·con·di·tioned, past participle pre·con·di·tioned,
present participle pre·con·di·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular pre·con·di·tions)

prepare somebody or
something: to prepare somebody or
something for a process or put somebody into a desired mental state[1]



preconscious

preconscious
pre·con·scious 
[pree kónshəss] noun

recallable
thoughts and feelings: in Freudian theory, the part
of the mind lying between the conscious and the unconscious. It contains
information, thoughts, and feelings that are not present in conscious awareness
but can readily be brought into the conscious mind.
adjective

relating
to recallable part of mind: relating to or contained in
the preconscious
—pre·con·scious·ly,
adverb

—pre·con·scious·ness, noun[1]



precook

precook
pre·cook 
[pree kk] (past pre·cooked, past
participle pre·cooked, present participle pre·cook·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·cooks) transitive verb

cook
food in advance: to cook food completely or partially in
advance, especially before it is sold, so that only minimal cooking or merely
reheating is required
—pre·cooked, adjective[1]



precursive

precursive
pre·cur·sive 
adjective

See
precursory[1]



precursor

precursor
pre·cur·sor 
[pr kùrsər] (plural pre·cur·sors)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that comes earlier: somebody or something
that comes before, and is often considered to lead to the development of,
another person or thing

2.  previous
holder of job: somebody who has held a particular
position before somebody else

3.  CHEMISTRY chemical
compound preceding another: a chemical compound that
leads to another, usually more stable, product in a series of connected
reactions
[Early 16th century. From Latin
praecursor, from praecurs-, the stem of praecurrere,
literally “to run before,” from currere “to run.”][1]



precursory

precursory
pre·cur·so·ry 
[prə kúrsəree, pree
kúrsəree] or pre·cur·sive [prə
kúrsiv, pree kúrsiv] adjective

1.  at
initial stage: at an initial or preparatory stage

2.  indicating
something to come: serving as an indication of
something to come (formal)

[1]



pred.

pred.
pred.

LOGIC
GRAMMAR Abbreviation of predicate[1]



predacious

predacious
pre·da·cious 
[prə dáyshəss] or pre·da·ceous
[prə dáyshəss] adjective

1.  predatory:
used to describe animals that hunt, kill, and eat other animals

2.  attacking
others:
attacking and stealing from other people (formal)
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin praedari “to seize as plunder” (see predatory ).]
—pre·da·cious·ness,
noun

—pre·dac·i·ty [prə dássətee], noun[1]



predate

predate
pre·date 
[pree dáyt] (past pre·dat·ed, past
participle pre·dat·ed, present participle pre·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·dates) transitive verb

1.  put
early date on something: to put a date on something,
especially a check or a contract, that is earlier than the actual date, or to
say that something occurred at an earlier date than it actually did

2.  exist
earlier than something or somebody: to
come before something or somebody in time

[1]



predation

predation
pre·da·tion 
[prə dáysh’n] noun

1.  preying
of one species on another: the relationship between two
groups of animals in which one species hunts, kills, and eats the other

2.  plundering:
the act of plundering, stealing, or destroying
[15th century. From the Latin
stem praedation-, from praedari “to seize as plunder” (see predatory ).][1]



predator

predator
pred·a·tor 
[préddətər] (plural pred·a·tors)
noun

1.  carnivorous
animal or destructive organism: a carnivorous animal
that hunts, kills, and eats other animals in order to survive, or any other
organism that behaves in a similar manner

2.  somebody
who plunders or destroys: a person, group, company, or
state that steals from others or destroys others for gain

3.  ruthlessly
aggressive person: somebody who is extremely
aggressive, determined, or persistent (disapproving)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin praedator, from praedari “to seize as plunder” (see predatory ).][1]



predatory

predatory
pred·a·to·ry 
[préddə tàwree] adjective

1.  greedily
destructive: greedily eager to steal from or destroy
others for gain

2.  relating
to predators: relating to or characteristic of animals
that survive by preying on others

3.  ruthlessly
aggressive:
extremely aggressive, determined, or persistent (disapproving)
[Late
16th century. From Latin praedatorius, from praedari “to seize as
plunder,” from praeda “booty” (source of English prey, spree,
and osprey ).]
—pred·a·to·ri·ly
[prèddə táwrilee], adverb

—pred·a·to·ri·ness [prèddə táwreenəss], noun[1]



predatorypricing

predatorypricing
pred·a·to·ry
pric·ing
noun

charging low prices to
control market: the act of setting
prices at very low levels in order to force other companies out of the market[1]



predecease

predecease
pre·de·cease 
[pr di sss] (past pre·de·ceased,
past participle pre·de·ceased, present participle pre·de·ceas·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·de·ceas·es) transitive verb

die
before somebody: to die before somebody else (formal)
• His
eldest son predeceased him.
—pre·de·cease, noun[1]



predecessor

predecessor
pred·e·ces·sor 
[préddə sèssər, prdə
sèssər] (plural pred·e·ces·sors) noun

1.  previous
holder of job: somebody who held a particular position
or job before somebody else

2.  something
replaced by something else: something previously in use
or existence that has been replaced or succeeded by something else

3.  ancestor:
an ancestor (old)
[14th century. Via French
from late Latin praedecessor, literally “one who has departed before,”
from decedere “to depart.”][1]



predelinquent

predelinquent
pre·de·lin·quent
[pr di língkwənt] adjective

at
risk of becoming a delinquent: showing signs of
becoming a delinquent • a
program for predelinquent youths
[Late 20th century. From pre- + delinquent
.][1]



predella

predella
pre·del·la 
[prə déllə] noun

1.  altar
platform:
the platform for an altar, or the step on which an altar rests

2.  decorated
base of altarpiece: the decorative base of an
altarpiece, embellished with small paintings or sculptures
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, “stool.”][1]



predestinarian

predestinarian
pre·des·ti·nar·i·an 
[pr destə nérree ən] noun

believer
in predestination: somebody who believes in
predestination
adjective

relating
to predestination: relating to predestination
or to people who believe in it
—pre·des·ti·nar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



predestinate

predestinate
pre·des·ti·nate 
[pree déstə nàyt] transitive verb (past
pre·des·ti·nat·ed, past participle pre·des·ti·nat·ed, present
participle pre·des·ti·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·des·ti·nates)

predestine: to
predestine something or somebody
adjective

1.  foreordained:
decided in advance

2.  foreordained
by God or a deity: decided and decreed by in
advance by God, a deity, or fate
[14th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin praedestinatus, the past participle of praedestinare
(see predestine ).][1]



predestination

predestination
pre·des·ti·na·tion 
[pr destə náysh’n] noun

1.  advance
decision by God about events: the doctrine holding that
God, a deity, or fate has established in advance everything that is going to
happen and that nothing can change this course of events

2.  God’s
decision who goes to Heaven: the doctrine that God
decided at the beginning of time who would go to Heaven after death and who
would not

3.  foreordaining:
the divine or human act of deciding the fate of people or things beforehand

[1]



predestine

predestine
pre·des·tine 
[pree déstin] (past pre·des·tined,
past participle pre·des·tined, present participle pre·des·tin·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·des·tines) transitive verb

1.  foreordain
events:
to decide in advance what is going to happen

2.  preselect
who will go to Heaven: to select in advance who
will go to Heaven after death and who will not
[14th
century. Directly or via French from ecclesiastical Latin praedestinare,
literally “to foreordain,” from Latin destinare “to decree.”]
—pre·des·tin·able, adjective[1]



predeterminate

predeterminate
pre·de·ter·mi·nate
[pr də túrmənət] adjective

predetermined:
decided in advance (formal)
—pre·de·ter·mi·nate·ly,
adverb[1]



predetermine

predetermine
pre·de·ter·mine 
[pr də túrmən] (past pre·de·ter·mined,
past participle pre·de·ter·mined, present participle pre·de·ter·min·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·de·ter·mines) transitive verb

1.  arrange
in advance:
to decide, agree, or arrange something in advance

2.  incline
somebody toward opinion or action: to make somebody
inclined in advance toward a particular opinion or course of action
—pre·de·ter·mi·na·tion
[prdə tùrmə náysh’n], noun

—pre·de·ter·mi·na·tive
[pr də túrmə nàytiv], adjective[1]



predeterminer

predeterminer
pre·de·ter·min·er 
[pr də túrmənər] (plural pre·de·ter·min·ers)
noun

word qualifying other
determiner: a word that precedes and
qualifies another determiner, as “both” does in “both my hands”[1]



predial

predial
pre·di·al 
adjective

See
praedial[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








predicable

predicable
pred·i·ca·ble 
[préddikəb’l] adjective

able
to be asserted: able to be stated, or able to be said
about somebody or something (formal)
noun

quality
that describes something: a quality or attribute by
which somebody or something can be described (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin praedicabilis, from Latin praedicare
(see predicate ).]
—pred·i·ca·bil·i·ty
[prèddikə bíllətee], noun

—pred·i·ca·ble·ness, noun[1]



predicament

predicament
pre·dic·a·ment 
[prə díkəmənt] (plural pre·dic·a·ments)
noun

1.  difficult
situation:
a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation from which there is no clear
or easy way out

2.  LOGIC category:
any category or class that can be assigned to something
[14th century. From late
Latin praedicamentum “class, category” (translation of Greek katēgoria
), from Latin praedicare “to proclaim” (see predicate
).][1]



predicant

predicant
pred·i·cant
[préddikənt] adjective

relating
to preaching: relating to or involved in preaching (formal)
noun
(plural pred·i·cants)

preaching
friar:
a member of a religious order, especially the Dominicans, that has a particular
commitment to preaching
[Late 16th century. From
Latin praedicant-, present participle stem of praedicare “to
preach” (see predicate ).][1]



predicate

predicate
pred·i·cate 
noun [préddikət] (plural pred·i·cates)

1.  GRAMMAR part
of sentence excluding subject: a word or combination
of words, including the verb, objects, or phrases governed by the verb that
make up one of the two main parts of a sentence

2.  LOGIC everything
in sentence excluding names: everything in a simple
sentence other than names, for example, “runs” in “Fred runs” and “is taller
than” in “Fred is taller than Ginger”

3.  LOGIC something
affirmed or denied: that which is affirmed or
denied about something
transitive
verb
[préddi kàyt] (past pred·i·cat·ed,
past participle pred·i·cat·ed, present participle pred·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular pred·i·cates)

1.  base
something on something: to base an opinion, an
action, or a result on something (formal) • predicated
on reason

2.  state
something:
to state or assert something (formal)

3.  imply
something:
to imply something (formal)

4.  LOGIC assert
something about subject of statement: to
assert or affirm something about the subject of a statement

5.  LOGIC make
expression predicate of statement: to make an expression
or term the predicate of a statement
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin praedicatum, from the past participle of Latin praedicare
“to declare publicly,” literally “to declare before,” from dicare “to
state.”]
—pred·i·ca·tion
[prèddi káysh’n], noun

—pred·i·ca·tive [préddi kàytiv], adjective[1]



predicatecalculus

predicatecalculus
pred·i·cate
cal·cu·lus
noun

branch of symbolic logic:
the branch of symbolic logic that uses symbols to explore relationships between
and within propositions[1]



predicatenominative

predicatenominative
pred·i·cate
nom·i·na·tive noun

noun in a two-part sentence:
a noun or pronoun that completes the meaning of a sentence containing a linking
verb, such as “you” in the sentence “Is that you?”[1]



predicatory

predicatory
pred·i·ca·to·ry 
[préddikə tàwree] adjective

relating
to preaching: relating to or characteristic of a
preacher or preaching (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin praedicatorius, from Latin praedicare “to proclaim,
teach” (see predicate ).][1]



predict

predict
pre·dict 
[prə díkt] (past pre·dict·ed, past
participle pre·dict·ed, present participle pre·dict·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·dicts) intransitive and
transitive verb

say
what will happen: to say what is going to happen in the
future, often on the basis of present indications or past experience
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin praedict-, the past participle stem of praedicere,
literally “to say in advance,” from dicere “to say.”]
—pre·dic·tor, noun[1]



predictable

predictable
pre·dict·a·ble
[prə díktəb’l] adjective

1.  happening
as expected: happening or turning out in the way that
might have been expected or predicted

2.  seldom
unexpected:
rarely or never being or doing anything unusual or unexpected
—pre·dict·a·bil·i·ty
[prə dìktə bíllətee], noun

—pre·dict·a·ble·ness
[prə díktəb’lnəss], noun

—pre·dict·a·bly [prə díktəblee], adverb[1]



prediction

prediction
pre·dic·tion 
[prə díkshən] (plural pre·dic·tions)
noun

1.  statement
about future: a statement of what someone thinks will
happen in the future

2.  act
of predicting: the making of a statement or forming of
an opinion about what will happen in the future
—pre·dic·tive,
adjective

—pre·dic·tive·ly,
adverb

—pre·dic·tive·ness, noun[1]



predigest

predigest
pre·di·gest 
[pr dī jést, pr
di jést] (past pre·di·gest·ed, past participle pre·di·gest·ed,
present participle pre·di·gest·ing, 3rd person present
singular pre·di·gests) transitive verb

1.  make
food more digestible: to treat food with chemicals
or enzymes so that it is more easily digested, especially for people with
digestion problems

2.  simplify
something:
to produce information in a simplified form so that it is easy to understand
—pre·di·ges·tion [pr dī jésch’n, pree
di jésch’n], noun[1]



predilection

predilection
pred·i·lec·tion 
[prèdd’l ékshən] (plural pred·i·lec·tions)
noun

liking:
a particular liking or preference for something (formal)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from, ultimately, medieval Latin praediligere, literally “to love
first,” from Latin diligere “to love.”][1]



predispose

predispose
pre·dis·pose 
[prdi spṓz] (past pre·dis·posed,
past participle pre·dis·posed, present participle pre·dis·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·dis·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody favorable: to make somebody feel
favorably about somebody or something in advance (formal)

2.  make
somebody liable to something: to make somebody liable or
inclined to do something, for example, catch an illness or behave in a
particular way (formal) • Her
fair skin predisposes her to sunburn.

3.  LAW dispose
of something ahead of time: to dispose of something, for
example, property, in advance (archaic)
—pre·dis·pos·al, noun[1]



predisposition

predisposition
pre·dis·po·si·tion 
[pr dispə zísh’n] (plural pre·dis·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE tendency
to develop disease: a susceptibility to a
disease, arising from a hereditary or another factor

2.  liability
to something: a liability or tendency to do something,
for example, behave in a particular way

3.  favorable
attitude or inclination: a favorable attitude toward
somebody or something or an inclination to do something

[1]



prednisolone

prednisolone
pred·nis·o·lone 
[pred níssə ln] noun

anti-inflammatory
drug:
a synthetic steroid hormone, similar to cortisone, used to treat allergies and
suppress inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
[Mid-20th century. Blend of prednisone and -ol
.][1]



prednisone

prednisone
pred·ni·sone 
[préddnə sn] noun

anti-inflammatory
drug:
a synthetic steroid hormone produced from cortisone and used to treat allergies
and autoimmune diseases
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pregnane + diene + cortisone .][1]



predoctoral

predoctoral
pre·doc·tor·al 
[pree dóktərəl] adjective

1.  of
nondoctoral degree: relating to any degree other
than a doctorate

2.  leading
to a Ph.D.:
relating to or involving research or studies that will lead to a doctoral
degree

[1]



predominance

predominance
pre·dom·i·nance 
[prə dómmənəns] or pre·dom·i·nan·cy
[prə dómmənənsee] noun

1.  superiority:
greater or greatest importance, power, or influence

2.  majority:
the state of being the commonest or greatest in number or amount

[1]



predominant

predominant
pre·dom·i·nant 
[prə dómmənənt] adjective

1.  most
common:
most common or greatest in number or amount

2.  most
important:
most important, powerful, or influential

[1]



predominantly

predominantly
pre·dom·i·nant·ly
[prə dómmənəntlee] adverb

mainly:
in the greatest number or amount[1]



predominate

predominate
pre·dom·i·nate 
(past pre·dom·i·nat·ed, past participle pre·dom·i·nat·ed,
present participle pre·dom·i·nat·ing, plural pre·dom·i·nates)
verb [prə dómmə nàyt]

1.  intransitive
verb
be
in majority: to be the most common or greatest in
number or amount

2.  intransitive
verb
be
more important: to have greater importance, power, or
influence than others

3.  transitive
verb
dominate
somebody or something: to dominate or control
somebody or something
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin predominat-, the past participle stem
of predominari, literally “to rule over,” from Latin dominari “to
rule.”]
—pre·dom·i·nate·ly
[prə dómmənətlee], adverb

—pre·dom·i·na·tion
[prə dòmmə náysh’n], noun

—pre·dom·i·na·tor [prə dómmə nàytər], noun[1]



preeclampsia

preeclampsia
pre·e·clamp·si·a 
[pr i klámpsee ə, pr
i klámsee ə] noun

harmful
condition in late pregnancy: a potentially dangerous
condition that may develop in late pregnancy and may lead to convulsions if not
treated. Symptoms are high blood pressure, fluid retention, abnormal weight
gain, and the presence of protein in the urine.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from pre- + eclampsia
.][1]



preembryo

preembryo
pre·em·bry·o
[pree émbree ] (plural pre·em·bry·os)
noun

fertilized
egg:
a fertilized ovum before implantation in the womb and before differentiation of
embryonic tissue
—pre·em·bry·on·ic [pr embree ónnik], adjective[1]



preemie

preemie
pree·mie 
[prmee] (plural pree·mies) or
pre·mie [prmee] (plural pre·mies)
noun

premature
baby:
a premature baby born before it is fully developed, usually before 35 weeks of
gestation.
Also
called
preterm baby
[Early 20th century. From
shortening of premature .][1]



preeminent

preeminent
pre·em·i·nent
[pree émminənt] adjective

highly
distinguished or outstanding: standing out among all
others because of superiority in a particular field or activity
[15th
century. From Latin praeeminent-, the present participle stem of praeeminere,
literally “to stand out in front,” from eminere “to stand out.”]
—pre·em·i·nence,
noun

—pre·em·i·nent·ly, adverb[1]



preempt

preempt
pre·empt 
[pree émpt] verb (past pre·empt·ed,
past participle pre·empt·ed, present participle pre·empt·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·empts)

1.  transitive
verb
act
to prevent something: to do something that makes
it pointless or impossible for somebody else to do what he or she intended

2.  transitive
verb
occupy
something:
to occupy land in order to have the right to buy it later

3.  transitive
verb
replace
something:
to take the place of something, especially of something less important

4.  intransitive
verb
BRIDGE make
bridge bid that blocks others: to make a bid so high
that it discourages further bidding
noun
(plural pre·empts)

BRIDGE preemptive
bid:
a premptive bid in bridge
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from preemption .]
—pre·emp·tor,
noun

—pre·emp·to·ry, adjective[1]



preemption

preemption
pre·emp·tion
[pree émpshən] (plural pre·emp·tions)
noun

1.  action
preventing something: action that makes it
pointless or impossible for somebody else to do what he or she intended

2.  occupation
of public land: the occupation of public land in order
to have the right to buy it later, or the right to buy that is gained in this
way

3.  option
to buy property: an option to purchase property if and
when it is put up for sale

4.  strategy
of first attack: the strategy of attacking an enemy in
order to prevent that enemy from attacking first

5.  LAW exclusion
of state action: the doctrine that prohibits a state from
enacting laws in an area if the U.S. federal government has passed laws in that
area (formal)
[Early 17th century. From the
medieval Latin stem praeemption-, ultimately from praeemere,
literally “to buy first,” from Latin emere “to buy.”][1]



preemptive

preemptive
pre·emp·tive
[pree émptiv] adjective

1.  done
before others can act: done before somebody else
has had an opportunity to act so making his or her planned action pointless or
impossible

2.  MILITARY intended
to prevent attack: intended to eliminate or
lessen an enemy’s capacity to attack • a
preemptive strike

3.  BRIDGE discouraging
further bidding: so high a bid that it discourages
further bidding
[Late
18th century]
—pre·emp·tive·ly, adverb[1]



preemptiveright

preemptiveright
pre·emp·tive
right
noun

right of first refusal:
a right to be offered first refusal in selling or buying an asset[1]



preen

preen2
preen2  [preen]
(plural preens) noun

brooch:
a decorative pin or brooch
[Old English prēon,
from a prehistoric Germanic word][1]



preen

preen1
preen1  [preen]
(past preened, past participle preened, present
participle preen·ing, 3rd person present singular preens)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  groom
feathers with beak: to clean, smooth, or arrange
the feathers with the beak • swans
preening their feathers

2.  groom
fur with tongue: to clean and smooth the fur by licking
it • The
cat was quietly preening on the windowsill.

3.  care
for personal appearance: to spend a long or excessive
time attending to personal appearance, especially making small finishing
touches to the hair, the face, or clothes • busy
preening in front of the mirror

4.  show
self-satisfaction: to feel excessively
self-satisfied and display that feeling by gloating (disapproving) • He
preens himself on his ability to deflect criticism.
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old French proignier “to
prune.”]
—preen·er, noun[1]



preengineered

preengineered
pre·en·gi·neered
[pr enji nrd] adjective

prefabricated:
constructed using prefabricated parts[1]



preestablish

preestablish
pre·es·tab·lish
[pr i stábblish] (past pre·es·tab·lished,
past participle pre·es·tab·lished, present participle pre·es·tab·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·es·tab·lish·es) transitive
verb

establish beforehand:
to set up, decide, or arrange something in advance[1]



preexilian

preexilian
pre·ex·il·i·an 
[pr ig zíllee ən] or pre-ex·il·i·an
[pr ig zíllee ən] adjective

before exile:
relating to the Jewish people before their exile to Babylon in the sixth
century BC[1]



preexist

preexist
pre·ex·ist
[pr ig zíst] (past pre·ex·ist·ed,
past participle pre·ex·ist·ed, present participle pre·ex·ist·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·ex·ists) intransitive and
transitive verb

exist before somebody or
something else: to exist before another
person, group, thing, or event[1]



preexistence

preexistence
pre·ex·is·tence
[pr ig zístəns] noun

previous
existence:
the existence of something at an earlier time and often in a different state
—preex·is·tent, adjective[1]



prefab

prefab
pre·fab 
[pr fàb] adjective

manufactured
in sections: relating to or constructed from
prefabricated parts (informal)
noun
(plural pre·fabs)

something
prefabricated: a prefabricated house or building (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



prefabricate

prefabricate
pre·fab·ri·cate 
[pree fábbrə kàyt] (past pre·fab·ri·cat·ed,
past participle pre·fab·ri·cat·ed, present participle pre·fab·ri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·fab·ri·cates) transitive verb

1.  produce
in sections: to manufacture sections of something,
especially a building, that can be transported to a site and easily assembled
there

2.  produce
in standardized form: to produce something in an
unoriginal or standardized way
—pre·fab·ri·ca·tion
[pree fabbrə káysh’n], noun

—pre·fab·ri·ca·tor [pree fábbrə kàytər], noun[1]



preface

preface
pref·ace 
[préffəss] noun (plural pref·ac·es)

1.  introductory
part of text: an introductory section at the beginning
of a book or speech that comments on aspects of the text such as the writer’s
intentions • in
the preface to the second edition

2.  preliminary
action:
an action or thing that precedes something more important

3.  pref·ace
or Pref·ace (plural Pref·aces) CHRISTIANITY prayer
to God:
a prayer said by a priest during Mass, especially the prayer that begins “Lift
up your hearts”

4.  pref·ace
or Pref·ace (plural Pref·aces) CHRISTIANITY prayer
for particular purpose: in the Roman Catholic
Church, any one of a number of prayers used for particular purposes
transitive
verb
(past pref·aced, past participle pref·aced, present
participle pref·ac·ing, 3rd person present singular pref·ac·es)

1.  introduce
with preface: to introduce an action, speech, or piece
of writing with something • He
prefaced his remarks with an apology.

2.  serve
as introduction to: to act as a preface to an
action, speech, or piece of writing
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin praefatus, the past
participle of praefari “to say before,” from fari “to speak.”]
—pref·ac·er, noun[1]



prefaded

prefaded
pre·fad·ed 
[pree fáydəd] adjective

artificially faded or worn:
given an artificially faded, worn, or old appearance • prefaded
denim[1]



prefatory

prefatory
pref·a·to·ry 
[préffə tàwree] adjective

acting
as preface:
serving to introduce something else such as a main body of text or a speech • prefatory
remarks introducing the Vice President
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin praefatus, the past participle of praefari
(see preface ).]
—pref·a·to·ri·ly [prèffə táwrilee], adverb[1]



prefect

prefect
pre·fect 
[pr fèkt] (plural pre·fects) noun

1.  EDUCATION student
assisting with discipline: a student who is given some
authority over other pupils in matters of discipline in a private school

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION high-ranking
administrative official: the highest official in an
administrative district ( department ) or
former territorial possession of France, or in an administrative region of
Italy

3.  French
chief of police: the head of a French police force,
especially in Paris

4.  HISTORY Roman
magistrate or commander: a senior administrative or
military official in ancient Rome

5.  CHRISTIANITY senior
master at Jesuit school: a senior master or
administrator with special responsibilities at a Jesuit school or college
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin praefectus “overseer,” the past
participle of praeficere “to set over,” from facere “to make.”]
—pre·fec·to·ri·al [pr fek táwree əl], adjective[1]



prefecture

prefecture
pre·fec·ture 
[pr fèkchər] (plural pre·fec·tures)
noun

1.  prefect’s
jurisdiction: the district over which a prefect has
jurisdiction

2.  office
of prefect:
the office or authority of a prefect
—pre·fec·tur·al [pree fékchərəl], adjective[1]



prefer

prefer
pre·fer 
[pri fúr] (past pre·ferred, past
participle pre·ferred, present participle pre·fer·ring,
3rd person present singular pre·fers) transitive verb

1.  like
better than something else: to like or want one thing
more than another • I prefer tea to coffee.

2.  LAW lay
before court: to make a charge against somebody by
submitting details of the alleged offense to a court, magistrate, or judge for
examination, or prosecute such a charge • prefer
charges

3.  LAW give
priority to: to give priority to one person,
especially a creditor, over others

4.  promote:
to promote somebody to a higher position or rank (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French préferer from Latin praeferre, from prae-
“before, in front” (see pre- ) + ferre
“to carry, bear.”]
—pre·fer·rer, noun[1]



preferable

preferable
pref·er·a·ble 
[préffərəb’l] adjective

more
desirable:
more likely to be enjoyable, useful, or desired than something else
—pref·er·a·bil·i·ty
[prèffərə bíllətee], noun

—pref·er·a·ble·ness [préffərəb’lnəss], noun[1]



preferably

preferably
pref·er·a·bly
[préffərəblee] adverb

by preference:
used to specify more exactly what is required or desired • Plan
to arrive early, preferably before the rush hour.[1]



preference

preference
pref·er·ence 
[préffərəns] (plural pref·er·ences)
noun

1.  selection
of somebody or something: the view that a particular
person, object, or course of action is more desirable than another, or a choice
based on such a view • The
judges showed a marked preference for representational art

2.  right
to express choice: the right or opportunity to
choose a person, object, or course of action that is considered more desirable
than another • We
exercised our preference.

3.  somebody
or something preferred: a person, object, or course
of action that is more desirable than another, or the state of being that
desirable choice • State your preferences
clearly.

4.  LAW priority
of one creditor over others: priority given to a
particular creditor, for example, when a debtor goes bankrupt, or the right of
a particular creditor to receive payment before others

5.  COMMERCE favoritism
in international trade: priority given to a
particular country or group of countries in international trade

[1]



preferenceshares

preferenceshares
pref·er·ence
shares
plural noun

U.K.
See preferred stock[1]



preferential

preferential
pref·er·en·tial 
[prèffə rénshəl] adjective

1.  showing
favoritism:
giving advantage or priority to a particular person or group • preferential
treatment

2.  COMMERCE showing
favoritism in international trade: giving advantage or
priority to a particular country or group of countries in international trade
—pref·er·en·tial·ism,
noun

—pref·er·en·tial·ist,
adjective

—pref·er·en·tial·i·ty
[prèffə renshee állətee], noun

—pref·er·en·tial·ly [prèffə rénshəlee], adverb[1]



preferentialvoting

preferentialvoting
pref·er·en·tial
vot·ing
noun

system of voting:
an electoral system used in some countries, for example, Australia, in which
voters indicate their chosen candidates in order of preference[1]



preferment

preferment
pre·fer·ment 
[pri fúrmənt] (plural pre·fer·ments)
noun (formal)

1.  promotion:
appointment to a higher position or rank

2.  high-ranking
position:
an office, appointment, or position of high rank or honor, especially one that
brings social advancement or financial reward

[1]



preferredprovider organization

preferredprovider organization
pre·ferred
pro·vid·er or·gan·i·za·tion  (plural pre·ferred
pro·vid·er or·gan·i·za·tions) noun

organization providing health
care under insurance: an
organization providing approved health care under contract with an insurance
agency[1]



preferredstock

preferredstock
pre·ferred
stock
noun

equity stock with fixed
dividend: an equity stock that pays a
fixed dividend and has no voting privileges.
U.K. term
preference shares[1]



prefiguration

prefiguration
pre·fig·ur·a·tion 
[pri fìggyə ráysh’n] (plural pre·fig·ur·a·tions)
noun

1.  indication
of future person or thing: a representation, often in
form or likeness, of a person, thing, or event that is to come

2.  something
representing future person or thing:
somebody or something that represents, often in form or likeness, a person,
thing, or event that is to come

[1]



prefigure

prefigure
pre·fig·ure 
[pree fíggyər] (past pre·fig·ured,
past participle pre·fig·ured, present participle pre·fig·ur·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·fig·ures) transitive verb

1.  indicate
future existence of: to represent or suggest,
often in form or likeness, a person, thing, or event that will come later • designs
that prefigured modern architecture

2.  think
about beforehand: to think about or imagine a person,
thing, or event in advance
[15th
century. From ecclesiastical Latin praefigurare, literally “to depict
beforehand,” from Latin figura “figure.”]
—pre·fig·ur·a·tive
[pri fíggyərətiv], adjective

—pre·fig·ur·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—pre·fig·ur·a·tive·ness,
noun

—pre·fig·ure·ment [pree fíggyərmənt], noun[1]



prefix

prefix
pre·fix 
[pr fìks] noun (plural pre·fix·es)

1.  GRAMMAR word
element beginning various words: a linguistic element
that is not an independent word but is attached to the beginning of words to
modify their meaning. For example, “un-” is a prefix meaning “not.”

2.  title:
a title before somebody’s name • the
prefix “The Honorable” before a judge’s full name

3.  something
preceding something else: something that comes before
something else, for example, a fixed group of digits at the beginning of a
telephone number
transitive
verb
(past pre·fixed, past participle pre·fixed, present
participle pre·fix·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·fix·es)

1.  put
before something: to place something in front of something
else • You
must prefix the number with the area code.

2.  introduce
with something: to say or do something by way of
introduction • His
requests for money were usually prefixed by an apology.

3.  GRAMMAR add
prefix to:
to attach a prefix at the beginning of a word to alter its meaning

4.  arrange
in advance:
to decide on something such as a price, date, or meeting place beforehand • They
duly arrived at the prefixed hour.
[15th
century. Via French from Latin praefixus, praefixum, the past
participle of Latin praefigere “to fix in front,” from figere “to
fasten.”]
—pre·fix·al
[pree fíksəl], adjective

—pre·fix·al·ly,
adverb

—pre·fix·a·tion
[pr fik sáysh’n], noun

—pre·fix·ion [pree fíkshən], noun[1]



preflight

preflight
pre·flight 
[pree flt] adjective

carried
out before takeoff: occurring before an aircraft
takes off • The
fault was discovered during a preflight check.
transitive
verb
(past pre·flight·ed, past participle pre·flight·ed,
present participle pre·flight·ing, 3rd person present singular
pre·flights)

check
to determine airworthiness: to carry out a technical
inspection of an aircraft before it takes off to ensure that it is airworthy
noun
(plural pre·flights)

preflight check:
the set of procedures and checks that pilots and ground crew are required to
carry out before an aircraft’s takeoff • During
the preflight, the pilot discovered a problem in the landing gear.[1]



preform

preform
pre·form 
[pree fáwrm] (past pre·formed,
past participle pre·formed, present participle pre·form·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·forms) transitive verb

1.  form
beforehand:
to shape or form something beforehand

2.  give
initial shape: to give something a preliminary shape
[Early 17th century. From
Latin praeformare .][1]



preformation

preformation
pre·for·ma·tion 
[pr fawr máysh’n] noun

shaping or formation in
advance: the preliminary shaping or
forming of something beforehand[1]



preformationtheory

preformationtheory
pre·for·ma·tion
the·o·ry
noun

theory of development of
individual: the obsolete theory that
sperm and egg cells ( gametes ) contain
miniature adults that grow during development[1]



prefrontal

prefrontal
pre·fron·tal 
[pree frúnt’l] adjective

1.  at
very front of brain: relating to or situated in
the foremost part of the brain

2.  anterior
to frontal bone: located in front of the frontal bone

[1]



prefrontallobe

prefrontallobe
pre·fron·tal
lobe
noun

front part of brain:
the area of the brain at the very front of each of the two cerebral
hemispheres. The prefrontal lobes are concerned with the functions of learning,
behavior, and the emotions.[1]



prefrontallobotomy

prefrontallobotomy
pre·fron·tal
lo·bot·o·my
noun

surgical cutting of brain
nerves: a surgical operation in
which the nerves connecting the front part of the brain ( prefrontal lobe ) to the thalamus are severed.
Prefrontal lobotomy was a method of reducing severe emotional disturbances, but
the operation had serious side effects.[1]



preganglionic

preganglionic
pre·gan·gli·on·ic 
[pr gàng glee ónnik] adjective

ending in nerve cell cluster:
used to describe fibers in a nerve pathway that end in a cluster of nerve cell
bodies ( ganglion ), continuing on to
muscles or organs[1]



preggers

preggers
preg·gers
[préggərz] adjective

U.K.
pregnant:
pregnant (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of pregnant .][1]



preglacial

preglacial
pre·gla·cial
[pree gláysh’l] adjective

before ice age:
formed or occurring before a glacial period, especially the period that began
about a million years ago ( Pleistocene epoch
), when the surface of the earth was covered with ice[1]



pregnable

pregnable
preg·na·ble 
[prégnəb’l] adjective

vulnerable
to attack:
able to be captured or attacked
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin prehendere (see prehension ).]
—preg·na·bil·i·ty [prègnə bíllətee], noun[1]



pregnancy

pregnancy
preg·nan·cy 
[prégnənsee] (plural preg·nan·cies)
noun

1.  condition
of being pregnant: the physical condition of a
woman or female animal carrying unborn offspring inside her body, from
fertilization to birth. Technical name cyesis

2.  instance
of being pregnant: an individual occurrence or
experience of being pregnant. Technical name cyesis

3.  time
of carrying unborn offspring: the period during which a
woman or female animal carries an unborn offspring inside her body, from
fertilization to birth. Technical name cyesis

4.  significance:
importance or fullness of meaning • the
pregnancy of his words

[1]



pregnant

pregnant
preg·nant
[prégnənt] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY carrying
offspring within the body: carrying unborn offspring
inside the body

2.  significant:
full of meaning or importance • After
a pregnant pause, the general began briefing the media on the surprise attack.

3.  full
of something: pervaded by something, usually something
intangible • The
tense, quiet operations center was pregnant with anxiety and dread.

4.  creative:
full of creative power • the
child’s pregnant imagination

5.  productive:
producing a lot of useful results • It was
a pregnant endeavor, yielding much experience, information, and help.
[15th
century. Via Old French preigne from, ultimately, Latin praegnas
“before birth,” from prae- “before” + gnatus “born” (source of
English native ).]
—preg·nant·ly, adverb[1]



preheat

preheat
pre·heat 
[pree ht] (past pre·heat·ed, past
participle pre·heat·ed, present participle pre·heat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·heats) transitive verb

heat in advance:
to heat an oven, dish, or other item before using it • Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.[1]



prehensile

prehensile
pre·hen·sile 
[pri héns’l] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY able
to grasp something: able to take hold of things,
especially by wrapping around them • The
monkey has a prehensile tail.

2.  quick
to understand: skilled at grasping ideas and concepts

3.  aggressively
eager:
excessively eager for gain or profit
[Late
18th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin prehendere (see prehension ).]
—pre·hen·sil·i·ty
[pr hen síllətee], noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word prehendere, from which prehensile
  is derived, is also the source of English apprehend,
  apprentice, comprehend, comprise,
  depredation, impregnable, predator,
  prey, prison,
  reprehensible, reprieve, and surprise.

[1]



prehension

prehension
pre·hen·sion 
[pri hénshən] (plural pre·hen·sions)
noun (formal)

1.  act
of firmly grasping: the act of firmly taking
hold of something

2.  perceiving
of something through senses: the perception by the senses
of a sight, sound, smell, taste, or texture

3.  comprehension:
the process of understanding
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
prehensionem, from prehendere “to seize.”][1]



prehistorian

prehistorian
pre·his·to·ri·an
[pr hi stáwree ən] (plural pre·his·to·ri·ans)
noun

expert
in prehistory: somebody who studies or specializes in
the period before recorded history
[Late 19th century. Formed
from prehistory on the model of historian .][1]



prehistoric

prehistoric
pre·his·tor·ic 
[pr his táwrik] adjective

1.  before
recorded history: relating to the period before history
was first recorded in writing

2.  relating
to language before writing: relating or belonging to a
language before it was recorded in writing

3.  very
old or old-fashioned: relating to or being an
object, idea, or attitude that is very old or out-of-date • prehistoric
views about nutrition
—pre·his·tor·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



prehistory

prehistory
pre·his·to·ry 
[pri hístəree] noun

1.  history
before written word: the period before history
was first recorded in writing

2.  study
of prehistoric period: the study of the prehistoric
period using archaeological evidence

3.  events
leading up to something: the events and circumstances
preceding a current event or situation (informal)

[1]



prehominid

prehominid
pre·hom·i·nid 
[pri hómmənid] (plural pre·hom·i·nids)
noun

extinct
primitive primate: any one of various animals
believed to be early ancestors of the modern human race
—pre·hom·i·nid, adjective[1]



preignition

preignition
pre·ig·ni·tion 
[pr ig nísh’n] noun

fuel
ignition before generation of spark:
ignition of fuel in an internal-combustion engine before the spark has been
generated, causing inefficient operation. Preignition may be caused by a hot
spot in the cylinder.
—pre·ig·nite, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



preindustrial

preindustrial
pre·in·dus·tri·al 
[pr in dústree əl] adjective

not yet industrialized:
relating to a society, country, or economic system in which industry has not
yet developed on an extensive scale[1]



prejudge

prejudge
pre·judge 
[pree júj] (past pre·judged, past
participle pre·judged, present participle pre·judg·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·judg·es) transitive verb

judge
prematurely: to judge a person, issue, or case before
sufficient evidence is available
[Late
16th century. Via French préjuger from Latin praejudicare .]
—pre·judg·er,
noun

—pre·judg·ment, noun[1]



prejudice

prejudice
prej·u·dice 
[préjjədiss] noun (plural prej·u·dic·es)

1.  opinion
formed beforehand: a preformed opinion, usually
an unfavorable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or
inaccurate stereotypes

2.  the
holding of ill-informed opinions: the holding of
opinions that are formed beforehand on the basis of insufficient knowledge

3.  irrational
dislike of somebody: an unfounded hatred, fear,
or mistrust of a person or group, especially one of a particular religion,
ethnicity, nationality, or social status

4.  LAW disadvantage
or harm:
disadvantage or harm caused to somebody or something
transitive
verb
(past prej·u·diced, past participle prej·u·diced, present
participle prej·u·dic·ing, 3rd person present singular prej·u·dic·es)

1.  cause
to prejudge somebody or something: to make somebody form
an opinion about somebody or something in advance, especially an irrational
one, based on insufficient knowledge

2.  affect
adversely:
to cause harm or disadvantage to somebody or something
[13th
century. Via French from Latin praejudicium “judgment in advance,” from judicium
“judgment.”]
without
prejudice

LAW
without doing any harm to somebody’s legal rights or any claim that somebody
has (formal)[1]



prejudiced

prejudiced
prej·u·diced
[préjjədist] adjective

holding prejudices:
holding opinions, especially unfavorable ones, that are based on insufficient
knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes[1]



prejudicial

prejudicial
prej·u·di·cial 
[prèjjə dísh’l] adjective

1.  resulting
in harm:
causing disadvantage or harm to somebody or something

2.  encouraging
prejudice:
leading to the formation of prejudiced ideas or opinions
—prej·u·di·cial·ly, adverb[1]



prelacy

prelacy
prel·a·cy 
[prélləssee] (plural prel·a·cies)
noun

1.  position
of prelate:
the office or position of a prelate.
Also
called
prelature

2.  prelates
collectively: prelates considered as a group.
Also
called
prelature

3.  See
prelatism
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from medieval Latin prelatia, from praelatus (see prelate ).][1]



prelapsarian

prelapsarian
pre·lap·sar·i·an 
[pr lap sáiree ən] adjective

before
fall from grace: relating or belonging to the biblical
time before Adam and Eve lost their innocence in the Garden of Eden
[Late 19th century. Coined
from pre- + Latin lapsus “sin,
fall.”][1]



prelate

prelate
prel·ate 
[préllət] (plural prel·ates) noun

high-ranking
member of clergy: a high-ranking member of the clergy, for
example, an abbot, bishop, or cardinal
[13th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin praelatus, the past
participle of Latin praeferre “to prefer.”]
—pre·lat·ic [prə láttik], adjective[1]



prelatism

prelatism
prel·at·ism 
[préllə tìzzəm] noun

ecclesiastical
control by prelates: government of a church by
high-ranking members of the clergy (disapproving)
Also
called
prelacy
—prel·at·ist, noun[1]



prelature

prelature
prel·a·ture 
[prélləchər] (plural prel·a·tures)
noun

See
prelacy  noun 1
See prelacy  noun 2[1]



prelect

prelect
pre·lect 
[pri lékt] (past pre·lect·ed, past
participle pre·lect·ed, present participle pre·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·lects) intransitive verb

lecture
or speak in public: to give a lecture or speech
in public (formal)
[Late
18th century. From Latin praelect-, the past participle stem of praelegere
“to read in front of,” from legere “to read.”]
—pre·lec·tion,
noun

—pre·lec·tor, noun[1]



prelibation

prelibation
pre·li·ba·tion 
[pr lī báysh’n] (plural pre·li·ba·tions)
noun

foretaste
or sample:
a sample or taste of something in advance (formal)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin praelibationem, from praelibare “to taste beforehand,” from
libare “to pour out.”][1]



prelim.

prelim.
prelim.

Abbreviation of
preliminary[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








prelim

prelim
pre·lim 
[prlim] noun (plural pre·lims)

SPORTS preliminary
contest:
a preliminary contest or event (informal)
plural
noun

book
front matter: the initial pages of a book, including
the title page and table of contents, that precede the main text (informal)
noun
(plural pre·lims)

EDUCATION Ph.D.
exam:
an examination that a doctoral candidate must pass in order to be allowed to do
dissertation research
[Late 19th century.
Contraction of preliminary .][1]



preliminary

preliminary
pre·lim·i·nar·y 
[pri límmə nèrree] adjective

coming before something:
occurring before and leading up to something, especially an event of greater
size and importance
noun
(plural pre·lim·i·nar·ies)

1.  introductory
or preparatory activity: something said or done
before something else, often by way of introduction to or preparation for
something of greater size and importance (often used in the plural)

2.  SPORTS introductory
contest:
a sporting contest held before the main event, especially in boxing and
wrestling

3.  SPORTS eliminatory
contest:
an eliminatory contest to select the finalists in a sports competition

4.  EDUCATION preparatory
examination: a test that prepares students for a
subsequent examination of greater difficulty and importance
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from modern Latin praeliminaris, from
Latin prae- “before” + limen “threshold.”]
—pre·lim·i·nar·i·ly [pri lìmmə nérrilee], adverb[1]



preliterate

preliterate
pre·lit·er·ate 
[pree líttərət] adjective

without
written language: used to describe a society that has no
written language
noun
(plural pre·lit·er·ates)

member
of a preliterate society: a member of a society with
no written language
—pre·lit·er·a·cy, noun[1]



prelude

prelude
prel·ude 
[prél yd, práy
ld] noun (plural prel·udes)

1.  MUSIC introductory
piece of music: a piece of music that introduces or
precedes another one

2.  MUSIC free-standing
piece of music: a short musical composition, often one
for piano, and often forming part of a set of such works

3.  introductory
event or occurrence: an event or action that
introduces or precedes something else, especially something longer and more
important.
Also
called
prelusion
verb
(past prel·ud·ed, past participle prel·ud·ed, present
participle prel·ud·ing, 3rd person present singular prel·udes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb act as
prelude to something: to act as an introduction to
something else, especially something that is longer and more important

2.  transitive
verb
introduce
with prelude: to precede something, especially a piece
of music, with a prelude
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin praeludere “to play before,”
from ludere “to play.”]
—prel·ud·er,
noun

—pre·lu·di·al
[prə ldee əl], adjective

—pre·lu·sive
[prə lssiv], adjective

—pre·lu·sive·ly
[prə lss ivlee], adverb

—pre·lu·so·ri·ly
[prə lss ərilee], adverb

—pre·lu·so·ry
[pri lss əree], adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Prelude, a poem by English writer William Wordsworth ( 1798-1850 ). Planned
  as a preface to a never-completed philosophical poem called The Recluse,
  this autobiographical account of the poet’s intellectual and spiritual
  development was written over a period of more than 40 years and published
  posthumously. Rejecting contemporary rationalist philosophies, it proclaims
  Wordsworth’s faith in the redeeming power of poetry and the imagination.

[1]



prelusion

prelusion
pre·lu·sion 
[pri l’n] noun

See
prelude  noun 3[1]



prem.

prem.
prem.

Abbreviation of
premium[1]



premalignant

premalignant
pre·ma·lig·nant 
[pr mə lígnənt] adjective

See
precancerous[1]



premarital

premarital
pre·mar·i·tal 
[pri mérrət’l] adjective

before marriage:
occurring or existing before marriage[1]



premature

premature
pre·ma·ture 
[prmə chr] adjective

1.  happening
too soon:
occurring, existing, or developing earlier than is expected, normal, or
advisable • It
would be premature to suggest that there is a link between these events.

2.  MEDICINE born
too early:
born before completing the normal gestation period, or, for a human infant,
weighing less than 2.5 kg/5 lb 8 oz at birth
[Early
16th century. From Latin praematurus “ripening too early,” from maturus
“ripe.”]
—pre·ma·ture·ly,
adverb

—pre·ma·ture·ness,
noun

—pre·ma·tu·ri·ty [prmə chrətee], noun[1]



premaxilla

premaxilla
pre·max·il·la 
[pr mak síllə] (plural pre·max·il·lae
[pr mak sí l]) noun

bone
of upper jaw: either of two bones that form the front
part of the upper jaw in vertebrates and that bear the incisors. In humans, it
merges with the rest of the maxilla during embryonic life.
—pre·max·il·lar·y [pree máksi lèrree], adjective[1]



premed

premed
pre·med 
[pree méd] noun (plural pre·meds)
(informal)

1.  premedical
student:
a student in a premedical program • The
premeds will be taking their exams soon.

2.  premedical
coursework:
a premedical course of study • majoring
in premed
adjective

premedical:
premedical (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



premedical

premedical
pre·med·i·cal 
[pree méddik’l] adjective

relating
to preliminary medical studies: relating to or engaged
in the course of studies that somebody must complete before entering medical
school
—pre·med·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



premedication

premedication
pre·med·i·ca·tion
[pr méddi káysh’n] noun

drugs given before
anesthesia: the practice of giving drugs
to a patient before anesthesia, or the drugs given, to relieve anxiety,
diminish body reactions to pain, or improve postoperative comfort[1]



premeditate

premeditate
pre·med·i·tate 
[pri méddi tàyt] (past pre·med·i·tat·ed,
past participle pre·med·i·tat·ed, present participle pre·med·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·med·i·tates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
plan
beforehand:
to plan or devise something, especially a crime, in advance

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ponder
something in advance: to consider or think
carefully about something beforehand
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin praemeditatus, the past participle of praemeditari
“to think about beforehand,” from meditare (see meditate
).]
—pre·med·i·ta·tive,
adjective

—pre·med·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



premeditated

premeditated
pre·med·i·tat·ed 
[pree méddi tàytəd] adjective

planned:
not committed in a moment of passion or mindlessness, for example, intense rage
or drunkenness, but thought out and decided on beforehand • was
charged with premeditated murder
—pre·med·i·tat·ed·ly, adverb[1]



premeditation

premeditation
pre·med·i·ta·tion 
[pree mèddi táysh’n] noun

1.  LAW contemplation
of intended crime: thinking about and planning
a crime beforehand, rather than acting on impulse in a moment of passion or
mindlessness

2.  reflection
before action: thinking about something before doing it
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin praemeditationem, from praemeditari (see premeditate ).][1]



premenopausal

premenopausal
pre·me·no·paus·al 
[pr mènnə páwz’l] adjective

before menopause:
used to describe the stage in a woman’s life just before the onset of
menopause, or a woman at this stage. Such a woman is still menstruating, but
may show some signs of menopause, for example, irregular menstrual periods.[1]



premenstrual

premenstrual
pre·men·stru·al 
[pree ménstroo əl] adjective

immediately before
menstruation: relating to or
occurring in the days immediately before the start of a woman’s menstrual
period[1]



premenstrualsyndrome

premenstrualsyndrome
pre·men·stru·al
syn·drome
noun

symptoms preceding
menstruation: a group of symptoms,
for example, nervous tension, irritability, tenderness of the breasts, and
headache, experienced by some women in the days preceding menstruation and
caused by hormonal changes[1]



premie

premie
pre·mie 
noun

See
preemie[1]



premier

premier
pre·mier 
[pri mr] adjective

best or most important:
first in importance, size, or quality
noun
(plural pre·miers)

1.  prime
minister:
a prime minister or head of government

2.  leader
of Canadian province: the governmental head of a
Canadian province
[15th century. Via French
from Latin primarius “foremost.”][1]



premierdanseur

premierdanseur
pre·mier
dan·seur 
[pri mr daaN súr] (plural pre·miers
dan·seurs [pri mr daaN súr]) noun

principal
man dancer:
the principal man dancer in a ballet company
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “first dancer.”][1]



premiere

premiere
pre·miere 
[pri mr] noun (plural pre·mieres)

1.  first
public performance: the first public performance
or showing of something such as a play or movie

2.  leading
woman actor: the principal woman performer in a
theatrical company
verb
(past pre·miered, past participle pre·miered, present
participle pre·mier·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·mieres)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb present
or be presented as premiere: to be publicly performed,
shown, or broadcast for the first time, or present the first performance of
something such as a play or movie • The
play premiered in New York.

2.  intransitive
verb
give
first public performance: to appear on stage or screen
for the first time, especially in a leading role • Not
many young performers get to premiere on Broadway.
adjective

best or most important:
first in importance, quality, or size
[Mid-20th century. From
French, the feminine form of premier “first” (see premier ).][1]



premiership

premiership
pre·mier·ship
[pri mr shìp] (plural pre·mier·ships)
noun

POLITICS
position of premier:
the office or position of premier[1]



premillenarian

premillenarian
pre·mil·le·nar·i·an 
[pree mìllə náiree ən] adjective

relating
to premillennialism: relating or belonging to
premillennialism
noun
(plural pre·mil·le·nar·i·ans)

believer
in premillennialism: somebody who believes in
premillennialism
—pre·mil·le·nar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



premillennial

premillennial
pre·mil·len·ni·al 
[pr mi lénnee əl] adjective

before
millennium:
relating to or occurring in the period immediately before a millennium
—pre·mil·len·ni·al·ly,
adverb[1]



premillennialism

premillennialism
pre·mil·len·ni·al·ism 
[pr mi lénnee ə lìzzəm] noun

belief
in Second Coming before millennium: the
belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth for the Last Judgment just before
the one-thousand-year reign of peace ( millennium
) mentioned in the Bible
—pre·mil·len·ni·al·ist,
noun[1]



Preminger,Otto

Preminger,Otto
Prem·in·ger
[prémminjər], Otto (1906–1986)

Austrian-born
U.S. movie director, producer, and actor. His movies include Laura (
1944 ), Carmen Jones ( 1954 ), and Exodus ( 1960 ).
Full name
Preminger, Otto Ludwig[1]



premise

premise
prem·ise 
[prémmiss] noun (plural prem·is·es)

Also
called
premiss

1.  evidence
for conclusion: a statement given as the evidence for a
conclusion

2.  basis
of argument: a proposition that forms the basis of an
argument or from which a conclusion is drawn • I
question the premise on which your whole theory is based.
verb
(past prem·ised, past participle prem·ised, present
participle prem·is·ing, 3rd person present singular prem·is·es)

1.  transitive
verb
say
by way of introduction: to state something in
advance to introduce or explain what follows (formal)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb propose
as premise:
to put forward a proposition as a premise in an argument
[14th century. Via French
from medieval Latin praemissa (propositio) “(the proposition) set
before,” from the past participle of praemittere “to set in front,” from
mittere “to send.”][1]



premises

premises
prem·is·es
[prémmissəz] plural noun

1.  land
and buildings: a piece of land and the buildings on it

2.  part
or all of building: a building or part of a
building, especially when used for commercial purposes

3.  LAW matters
previously mentioned: matters previously stated or
referred to in a legal document such as a deed

4.  LAW preliminary
explanatory section: the introductory part of a
legal document, for example, the part giving the names and other details of
those concerned
[15th century. From medieval
Latin praemissa “things stated at the beginning” (see premise ).][1]



premiss

premiss
prem·iss
[prémmiss] noun

See
premise  noun 1
See premise  noun 2[1]



premium

premium
pre·mi·um 
[prmee əm] noun (plural pre·mi·ums)

1.  cost
of insurance: the sum of money paid, usually at
regular intervals, for an insurance policy • My
insurance premium went up as a result of the accident.

2.  additional
sum:
a sum of money paid in addition to a normal wage, rate, price, or other amount

3.  prize:
an award or prize given, for example, to the winner of a competition

4.  inducement
to buy:
a gift or reduced price offered as an incentive to purchase another product or
service • The
manufacturer offered premiums, in the form of free merchandise and trips, for
every purchase of a new car.

5.  amount
above par value: the amount above its nominal value at
which something such as a security sells

6.  extra
charge for borrowing money: an amount charged in
addition to interest on a loan

7.  cost
of securities option: the sum or cost at which a
securities option is bought or sold

8.  fee
for instruction: a fee paid for training or
apprenticeship in a profession or trade
adjective

1.  high-quality:
of very high quality

2.  unusually
high:
higher than normal, especially in price • premium
gasoline prices
[Early
17th century. From Latin praemium “reward,” from prae- “pre-” + emere
“to take, buy” (source of English example,
exempt, and redeem ).]
at
a premium

1.  much
in demand and therefore difficult to obtain

2.  selling
for a high price, or for a higher price than usual, because of scarcity

put
a premium on

to
place a high value on somebody or something

[1]



premix

premix
pre·mix 
[pree míks] noun (plural pre·mix·es)

prepared
mixture:
a product consisting of previously mixed ingredients or elements
transitive
verb
(past pre·mixed, past participle pre·mixed, present
participle pre·mix·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·mix·es)

combine ahead of time:
to mix something beforehand[1]



premièredanseuse

premièredanseuse
pre·mière
dan·seuse
[pri mr daaN sz] (plural pre·mières
dan·seuses) noun

principal
female dancer: the principal female dancer in a ballet
company
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “first (female) dancer.”][1]



premolar

premolar
pre·mo·lar 
[pree mṓlər] noun (plural pre·mo·lars)

grinding
tooth:
either of two teeth on each side of both jaws that lie immediately behind the
canines and in front of the molars and are used for grinding and chewing
adjective

of
grinding and chewing tooth: relating to a grinding and
chewing tooth
—pre·mo·lar, adjective[1]



premonition

premonition
pre·mo·ni·tion 
[prèmmə nísh’n, prmə
nísh’n] (plural pre·mo·ni·tions) noun

1.  intuition
of future event: a strong feeling, without a rational
basis, that a particular thing is going to happen

2.  warning
about future: an advance warning about a future event
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin praemonere “to forewarn,”
from monere “to warn.”]
—pre·mon·i·to·ri·ly
[pree mònni táwrilee], adverb

—pre·mon·i·to·ry [pree mónni tàwree], adjective[1]



prenatal

prenatal
pre·na·tal 
[pree náyt’l] adjective

before
childbirth:
existing or happening during pregnancy but before childbirth.
U.K.
term
antenatal
—pre·na·tal·ly, adverb[1]



Prendergast,Maurice Brazil

Prendergast,Maurice Brazil
Pren·der·gast
[préndər gaast], Maurice Brazil (1859–1924)

U.S. painter. He was a member
of the Eight, a group of realist painters, and his subjects include landscapes
with figures, painted in rich colors.[1]



prenotion

prenotion
pre·no·tion
[pree nṓsh’n] (plural pre·no·tions)
noun

1.  preconception:
a preconceived idea about somebody or something

2.  premonition:
a feeling that something is about to occur or may occur
[Early 17th century. From
Latin praenotionem .][1]



prenuptial

prenuptial
pre·nup·tial 
[pree núpshəl] adjective

before marriage:
occurring or existing before a marriage[1]



prenuptialagreement

prenuptialagreement
pre·nup·tial
a·gree·ment
noun

financial agreement before
marriage: an agreement made between a
couple before marriage relating to the arrangement of financial matters and
division of property in the event of their divorce[1]



preoccupancy

preoccupancy
pre·oc·cu·pan·cy 
[pree ókyəpənsee] noun

1.  prior
habitation:
occupancy of a place in advance or before somebody else.
Also
called
preoccupation

2.  preoccupation:
the state of being interested in something, especially to the exclusion of
other things

[1]



preoccupation

preoccupation
pre·oc·cu·pa·tion 
[pr ókyə páysh’n] (plural pre·oc·cu·pa·tions)
or pre·oc·cu·pan·cy [pr ókyə páysh’n]
(plural pre·oc·cu·pan·cies) noun

1.  constant
thought about something: constant thought about or
persistent interest in something • a preoccupation
with fame and fortune.
Also
called
preoccupancy

2.  focus
of somebody’s attention: a particular subject or
activity that constantly occupies somebody’s thoughts • His
children are his main preoccupation at the moment.

3.  See
preoccupancy  noun 1
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin praeoccupationem “action,” from praeoccupare .][1]



preoccupied

preoccupied
pre·oc·cu·pied 
[pree ókyə pd] adjective

1.  having
attention taken up with something: completely absorbed in
doing or thinking about something else, sometimes excessively • She
was too preoccupied to notice what was going on.

2.  occupied:
already occupied by somebody or something else • a
preoccupied airline seat

3.  BIOLOGY already
in use:
used to describe a scientific name that has already been used to designate a
species, genus, or other taxonomic group and therefore cannot be used again

[1]



preoccupy

preoccupy
pre·oc·cu·py 
[pree ókyə p] (past pre·oc·cu·pied,
past participle pre·oc·cu·pied, present participle pre·oc·cu·py·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·oc·cu·pies) transitive verb

1.  absorb
somebody’s thoughts: to fill somebody’s thoughts
completely, sometimes excessively

2.  occupy
beforehand:
to occupy something in advance or before somebody else

[1]



preop

preop
pre·op
[pree óp] adjective

preoperative:
preoperative (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



preoperative

preoperative
pre·op·er·a·tive 
[pree óppərətiv, pree
ópprətiv] adjective

occurring before operation:
occurring or done before a surgical operation[1]



preordain

preordain
pre·or·dain 
[pr awr dáyn] (past pre·or·dained,
past participle pre·or·dained, present participle pre·or·dain·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·or·dains) transitive verb

1.  predestine:
to decide in advance that something will happen, or determine somebody’s
future, usually by fate or divine decree

2.  arrange
in advance:
to decide, determine, or arrange something beforehand
—pre·or·dain·ment,
noun

—pre·or·di·na·tion [pr áwrd’n áysh’n], noun[1]



preovulatory

preovulatory
pre·o·vu·la·to·ry
[pree ṓvyələ tàwree, pree óvvyələ tàwree] adjective

after menstruation and before
ovulation: relating to the stage of the
menstrual cycle between menstruation and ovulation, lasting from 6 to 13 days[1]



preowned

preowned
pre·owned 
[pree ṓnd] adjective

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand secondhand:
previously owned and now for sale[1]



prep.

prep.
prep.

1.  Abbreviation
of
preparation

2.  Abbreviation
of
preparatory

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of preposition

[1]



prep

prep
prep 
[prep] noun (plural preps)
(informal)

1.  preparation:
preparation for activity

2.  preparatory
school:
a preparatory school

3.  See
preppy  noun 2

4.  U.K.
homework:
at a boarding school or private school in the United Kingdom, work to be done
by students outside normal school hours

5.  U.K.
study
time:
at a boarding school in the United Kingdom, the time during which students do
homework or prepare for lessons • No talking
was allowed during prep.
verb
(past prepped, past participle prepped, present
participle prep·ping, 3rd person present singular preps)

1.  intransitive
verb
prepare
for something: to study or train for a particular
examination, sporting event, or other activity (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
SURGERY prepare
somebody for surgery: to make a patient ready for
an operation or other hospital procedure (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
PAINTING prepare
something for painting: to prime a surface for
painting

4.  intransitive
verb
EDUCATION attend
private secondary school: to attend a preparatory
school • prepped
at Groton
adjective

preparatory:
serving as preparation (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of preparation .][1]



prepackage

prepackage
pre·pack·age 
[pree pákij] (past pre·pack·aged,
past participle pre·pack·aged, present participle pre·pack·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·pack·ag·es) transitive verb

1.  package
before sale: to package a product before selling it

2.  arrange
completely beforehand: to arrange all the elements
of something in advance, allowing no individual variation • a
prepackaged holiday

[1]



preparation

preparation
prep·a·ra·tion 
[prèppə ráysh’n] (plural prep·a·ra·tions)
noun

1.  preparing
something or somebody: the work or planning
involved in making something or somebody ready or in putting something together
in advance (often used before a noun) • a
preparation time of about 45 minutes

2.  readiness:
a state of readiness • Twenty
place settings lay carefully arranged in preparation for the guests.

3.  preparatory
measure:
something done in advance in order to be ready for a future event (often
plural) • Preparations
for the next Olympic Games are already under way.

4.  mixture:
a substance, for example, a medicine, that is made for a particular purpose by
combining various ingredients • a
cough preparation

5.  U.K.
EDUCATION homework:
at a boarding school or private school in the United Kingdom, work to be done
by students outside normal school hours

6.  U.K.
EDUCATION study
time:
at a boarding school in the U.K., the time during which students do homework or
prepare for lessons

7.  MUSIC softening
approach to dissonance: in traditional composition,
a lessening of the effect of a dissonant chord by using the discordant note
harmonically in a preceding chord
[14th century. Via French
from Latin praeparationem, from praeparare “to prepare.”][1]



preparative

preparative
pre·par·a·tive 
[pri pérrətiv] adjective

preparing
or introducing something: having the purpose of making
something ready or of introducing something (formal) • a
series of preparative lectures
noun
(plural pre·par·a·tives)

preparatory
or introductory measure: something that prepares for
or introduces a more important event or action (formal) • Her
preparative was excellent and we felt ready to perform the procedure.
[15th
century. Via French préparatif from medieval Latin praeparativus,
from praeparare “to prepare.”]
—pre·par·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



preparatory

preparatory
pre·par·a·to·ry 
[pri pérrə tàwree] adjective

1.  making
something ready: serving to make something ready • preparatory
design work

2.  introductory:
acting as an introduction to something

3.  EDUCATION preparing
for college: relating to or engaged in a course of
study that prepares students for advanced education, especially college • Most
of my classes this year are college preparatory.
[15th
century. From medieval Latin praeparatorius, from praeparator
“preparer” (see prepare ).]
—pre·par·a·to·ri·ly
[pri pèrrə táwrilee], adverb
preparatory
to

before or in preparation for[1]



preparatoryschool

preparatoryschool
pre·par·a·to·ry
school
(plural pre·par·a·to·ry schools) noun

1.  private
secondary school: in the United States, a private
secondary school that prepares students for college, often with academic
requirements for entry

2.  British
private elementary school: in the United Kingdom, a
private, usually single-sex school that prepares students between the ages of 6
and 13 for entrance into a private boarding school

[1]



prepare

prepare
pre·pare 
[pri páir] (past pre·pared, past
participle pre·pared, present participle pre·par·ing, 3rd
person present singular pre·pares) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
ready:
to make something ready for use or action, or for a particular event or purpose
• preparing
the aircraft for takeoff

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody ready: to get ready or make somebody ready for
something • They
prepared to go. • Prepare
yourselves for a shock.

3.  transitive
verb
make
by putting things together: to make something by
combining various elements or ingredients • meals
that can be prepared in less than half an hour

4.  transitive
verb
preplan:
to plan something in advance

5.  transitive
verb
equip:
to provide a person or group with necessary equipment, for example, for a ship
or an expedition

6.  transitive
verb
MUSIC lessen
effect of dissonance: to lessen the effect of a
dissonant chord by using the discordant note harmonically in a preceding chord
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin praeparare “to make ready
beforehand,” from parare “to make ready.”]
—pre·par·er, noun[1]



prepared

prepared
pre·pared
[pri páird] adjective

1.  able
and willing: willing and able to do something • Are
you prepared to testify in court?

2.  ready
and able to deal with something: ready and able to cope
with something, often something hard or bad • The
students were prepared for the last exam.

3.  made,
or made ready, beforehand: made ready or put together
in advance • a
specially prepared surface • a
prepared statement
—pre·par·ed·ly [pri páirədlee], adverb[1]



preparedpiano

preparedpiano
pre·pared
pi·an·o
noun

piano with modified sound:
a piano that has been modified to produce special effects, usually by placing
objects on or between its strings[1]



prepay

prepay
pre·pay 
[pree páy] (past participle pre·paid,
present participle pre·pay·ing, 3rd person present singular
pre·pays) transitive verb

pay
for beforehand: to pay in advance for something
—pre·pay·a·ble, adjective[1]



prepayment

prepayment
pre·pay·ment
[pree páymənt] (plural pre·pay·ments)
noun

1.  advance
payment:
a payment made in advance, usually for a service (often used in the plural)

2.  paying
in advance:
the act of paying for something in advance (often used before a noun)

[1]



prepense

prepense
pre·pense 
[pri péns] adjective

LAW premeditated:
planned or contemplated in advance (formal) • acted
with malice prepense
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of purpensed “premeditated,” via Anglo-Norman purpenser
“to premeditate” from, ultimately, Latin pensare “to think.”][1]



preponderance

preponderance
pre·pon·der·ance 
[pri póndərəns] or pre·pon·der·an·cy
[pri póndərənsee] noun (formal)

1.  majority:
a large number or the majority (takes a singular or plural verb) • A
preponderance of the settlers in this area were French.

2.  dominance
or superiority: dominance or superiority in force,
importance, or influence • The
preponderance of the evidence is in support of this theory.

[1]



preponderant

preponderant
pre·pon·der·ant 
[pri póndərənt] adjective

larger
in number:
greater in number, power, or importance than something else of the same nature
or class
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin praeponderantem from praeponderare “to
outweigh.”]
—pre·pon·der·ant·ly, adverb[1]



preponderate

preponderate
pre·pon·der·ate 
intransitive verb [pri póndə ràyt] (past
pre·pon·der·at·ed, past participle pre·pon·der·at·ed, present
participle pre·pon·der·at·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·pon·der·ates)

be
greater or dominant: to be greater in weight,
strength, number, or importance than something else
adjective
[pri póndərət]

See
preponderant  adjective
[Early
17th century. From Latin praeponderat-, the past participle stem of praeponderare
“to weigh more,” from ponderare “to weigh.”]
—pre·pon·der·ate·ly
[pri póndərətlee], adverb

—pre·pon·der·a·tion [pri pòndə ráysh’n], noun[1]



preposition

preposition
prep·o·si·tion
[prèppə zísh’n] (plural prep·o·si·tions)
noun

word
used before noun: a member of a set of words used in close
connection with, and usually before, nouns and pronouns to show their relation
to some other part of a clause. An example is “off” in “He fell off his bike”
and “What did he fall off?”
[14th century. From the Latin
stem praeposition- “putting before,” from praeponere “to put
before,” from ponere “to put” (see position
).][1]



pre-position

pre-position
pre-po·si·tion
transitive verb

put ships and troops into
position: to deploy ships and troops
to an area of possible future conflict[1]



prepositional

prepositional
prep·o·si·tion·al 
[prèppə zíshən’l, prèppə
zíshnəl] adjective

relating
to preposition: used as or belonging to a preposition
—prep·o·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



prepositionalphrase

prepositionalphrase
prep·o·si·tion·al
phrase
(plural prep·o·si·tion·al phras·es) noun

phrase beginning with
preposition: a phrase made up of a
preposition followed by a noun or pronoun, for example, “over the hill.”
Prepositional phrases can be used adverbially or adjectivally.[1]



prepositive

prepositive
pre·pos·i·tive 
[pree pózzətiv] adjective

GRAMMAR placed
before word: used to describe a word that is placed
before the word it modifies
noun
(plural pre·pos·i·tives)

GRAMMAR prepositive
term:
a prepositive word or element
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin praepositivus, the past participle of praeponere
(see preposition ).]
—pre·pos·i·tive·ly, adverb[1]



prepossess

prepossess
pre·pos·sess 
[pr pə zéss] (past pre·pos·sessed,
past participle pre·pos·sessed, present participle pre·pos·sess·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·pos·sess·es) transitive verb

1.  impress
favorably in advance: to make a good impression on
somebody before a more important moment

2.  influence
beforehand:
to cause somebody to form an opinion about somebody or something before it is
necessary or appropriate to do so

3.  occupy
somebody’s mind: to occupy the thoughts of somebody to an
excessive degree

[1]



prepossessing

prepossessing
pre·pos·sess·ing 
[pr pə zéssing] adjective

pleasing:
creating a pleasing impression (formal)
—pre·pos·sess·ing·ly,
adverb

—pre·pos·sess·ing·ness,
noun[1]



prepossession

prepossession
pre·pos·ses·sion 
[pr pə zésh’n] noun

1.  prejudice:
prejudice or bias toward or against a particular person or thing

2.  absorption
of mind:
the occupation of the mind by thoughts on a particular subject

[1]



preposterous

preposterous
pre·pos·ter·ous 
[pri póstərəss] adjective

outrageous
or absurd:
going very much against what is thought to be sensible or reasonable
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin praeposterus “inverted,” literally “having the first
thing last.” The underlying meaning is “unnatural, perverse.”]
—pre·pos·ter·ous·ly,
adverb

—pre·pos·ter·ous·ness,
noun[1]



prepotency

prepotency
pre·po·ten·cy 
[pri pṓt’nsee] (plural pre·po·ten·cies)
noun

1.  GENETICS ability
to transmit more genetic traits: the ability of one
parent to confer more genetic traits on the offspring than the other parent

2.  BOTANY greater
ability to fertilize plant: the dominance of pollen from
one strain over pollen from others in its ability to fertilize a plant

3.  superiority
of strength: a superiority in power, force,
authority, or influence

[1]



prepotent

prepotent
pre·po·tent 
[pri pṓt’nt] adjective

1.  more
powerful and influential: greater in power, force, or
influence

2.  BOTANY GENETICS exhibiting prepotency:
having or exhibiting prepotency in conferring genetic traits or in
fertilization
[15th
century. Via Latin praepotentem from praeposse “to be more
powerful,” from posse “to be able.”]
—pre·po·tent·ly, adverb[1]



preppy

preppy
prep·py
[préppee] or prep·pie [préppee] adjective

relating to young well-educated affluent
people:
relating to or characteristic of well-educated, fairly affluent young people
who are known for their neat, traditional, often expensive clothing style (informal)
noun
(plural prep·pies) (plural prep·pies) (informal)

1.  well-educated
affluent young person: a young person who dresses
with preppy style or behaves in a preppy manner

2.  preparatory
school student: a young person who is studying or has
studied at a preparatory school.
Also
called
prep
—prep·pi·ly,
adverb

—prep·pi·ness, noun[1]



preprandial

preprandial
pre·pran·di·al 
[pree prándee əl] adjective

before meal:
taking place before a meal, especially an evening meal (formal or humorous)[1]



preprocess

preprocess
pre·proc·ess 
[pree pró sèss] (past pre·proc·essed,
past participle pre·proc·essed, present participle pre·proc·ess·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·proc·ess·es) transitive verb

process beforehand:
to analyze computer data, for example, control statements embedded in a
program, and take appropriate action before processing the data[1]



preproduction

preproduction
pre·pro·duc·tion 
[pr prə dúkshən] noun

preliminary work:
the plans and activities, for example, those relating to finance, equipment,
and personnel, that precede the production phase of a project, especially in
the entertainment and manufacturing industries
adjective

1.  happening
before production: preceding a production phase

2.  prototypic:
produced as a trial or prototype

[1]



preprofessional

preprofessional
pre·pro·fes·sion·al 
[pr prə féshən’l, pr
prə féshnəl] adjective

before joining profession:
undertaken in preparation for professional studies or practice[1]



prepschool

prepschool
prep
school
(plural prep schools) noun

preparatory school:
a preparatory school (informal)[1]



prepuberty

prepuberty
pre·pu·ber·ty 
[pree pybərtee] noun

period
before puberty: the phase of physical and emotional
development that immediately precedes puberty
—pre·pu·ber·tal, adjective[1]



prepubescent

prepubescent
pre·pu·bes·cent 
[prpyoo béss’nt] adjective

relating
to period before puberty: at or characteristic of the
stage of life just before puberty
noun
(plural pre·pu·bes·cents)

prepubescent child:
a child at the stage of development just before puberty[1]



prepuce

prepuce
pre·puce 
[pr pyss] (plural pre·puc·es)
noun (technical)

1.  foreskin:
the foreskin

2.  skin
covering clitoris: the loose fold of skin that
covers the tip of the clitoris
[14th
century. Via French from Latin praeputium .]
—pre·pu·tial [pree pysh’l], adjective[1]



prequel

prequel
pre·quel 
[prkwəl] (plural pre·quels) noun

earlier
part of story: a movie or novel set at a time preceding
the action of an existing work, especially one that has achieved commercial
success
[Late 20th century. Blend of pre- and sequel
.][1]



Pre-Raphaelite

Pre-Raphaelite

Pre-Raph·a·el·ite 
[pree rfee ə lt, pree
ráffee ə lt] noun (plural Pre-Raph·a·el·ites)
member
of 19C group of painters: a member of a group of
painters and writers the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood founded in 1848 with the
aim of reviving the realistic style of Italian painting before Raphael. The
group included Rossetti and Millais.
adjective
relating
to Pre-Raphaelites: relating or belonging to the
Pre-Raphaelites, or characteristic of their style of painting or writing
—Pre-Raph·a·el·it·ism,
noun[1]



prerecord

prerecord
pre·re·cord 
[pr ri káwrd] (past pre·re·cord·ed,
past participle pre·re·cord·ed, present participle pre·re·cord·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·re·cords) transitive verb

record in advance:
to record something such as a message or television or radio program for later
use or broadcasting[1]



prerecorded

prerecorded
pre·re·cord·ed
[pr ri káwrdəd] adjective

1.  recorded
in advance:
recorded in advance for later use or broadcasting

2.  with
music or movie already recorded: with sound or pictures
already recorded on it, for example, an audio cassette or CD

[1]



preregister

preregister
pre·reg·is·ter 
[pree réjjistər] (past pre·reg·is·tered,
past participle pre·reg·is·tered, present participle pre·reg·is·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·reg·is·ters) intransitive and
transitive verb

register
early:
to register for classes before the official registration period occurs,
especially as a returning rather than a new college or university student
—pre·reg·is·tra·tion [pree reji stráyshən], noun[1]



prerelease

prerelease
pre·re·lease 
[pr ri lss] noun (plural pre·re·leases)

something
released early: a publication, recording, or product
that is released before the appointed or official time • The
single is a prerelease from their upcoming album.
adjective

before authorized release:
relating to or occurring during the period before the appointed or official
time of release • prerelease
publicity[1]



prerequisite

prerequisite
pre·req·ui·site 
[pree rékwizit] noun (plural pre·req·ui·sites)

something
needed as prior condition: an object, quality, or
condition that is required in order for something else to happen • A
degree is a prerequisite for entry into this profession.
adjective

needed as prior condition:
required in order for something else to happen • A
good command of Spanish is prerequisite for the Spanish literature course.[1]



preretirement

preretirement
pre·re·tire·ment 
[pr ri trmənt] noun

time before retirement:
the period of somebody’s life just before retirement (often used before a
noun) • preretirement
planning[1]



prerogative

prerogative
pre·rog·a·tive 
[pri róggətiv] (plural pre·rog·a·tives)
noun

1.  privilege
restricted to people of rank: an exclusive privilege or
right enjoyed by a person or group occupying a particular rank or position • Being
the leader, it was her prerogative to choose a successor.

2.  individual
right or privilege: a privilege or right that
allows a particular person or group to give orders or make decisions or
judgments • It’s
not his prerogative to say who can come.

3.  privilege
resulting from natural advantage: the right conferred by
a natural advantage that places somebody in a position of superiority • the
prerogatives conferred by age

4.  sovereign
power, privilege, or immunity: the power or right of
a monarch or government to do something or be exempt from something

5.  superiority:
superiority in rank or nature
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin praerogare “to ask first,” from rogare
“to ask.”][1]



Pres.

Pres.
Pres.

Abbreviation of
President[1]



pres.

pres.
pres.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of present

2.  Abbreviation
of
presidential

[1]



presage

presage
pres·age 
[préssij, pri
sáyj] noun (plural pre·sag·es)

1.  portent
or omen:
a sign or warning of a future event

2.  sense
of something to come: a feeling that a particular
thing, often something unpleasant, is about to happen

3.  future
import:
significance with regard to future events • a
moment of great presage

4.  prediction:
a prediction of a future event (archaic)
verb
(past pre·saged, past participle pre·saged, present
participle pre·sag·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·sag·es)

1.  transitive
verb
foretell:
to be or give a sign or warning of a future event • Clear
skies that night presaged fine weather for the picnic.

2.  transitive
verb
have
presentiment of something: to know intuitively that a
particular thing is going to happen

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb predict:
to predict a future event
[14th
century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin praesagire “to
forebode,” from sagire “to perceive.”]
—pre·sag·er, noun[1]



presale

presale
pre·sale 
[pree sáyl] (plural pre·sales)
noun

1.  private
sale:
a private sale of products, objects, or works of art that takes place before a
public sale

2.  period
before sale: the period before something is sold to
somebody, or the period before a product, object, or work of art is placed on
sale to the general public

[1]



Presb.

Presb.
Presb.
or Presby.

Abbreviation of
Presbyterian[1]



presbyopia

presbyopia
pres·by·o·pi·a 
[prèzbee ṓpee ə] noun

MEDICINE age-related
problem with near vision: progressive reduction in the
eye’s ability to focus, with consequent difficulty in reading at the normal
distance, associated with aging. It typically starts at middle age, and is due
to age-related loss of elasticity of the lens.
[Late
18th century. Coined from Greek presbus “old man” (see presbyter ) + -opia
.]
—pres·by·ope
[prézbee p], noun

—pres·by·op·ic [prèzbee óppik], adjective[1]



presbyter

presbyter
pres·by·ter 
[prézbitər] (plural pres·by·ters)
noun

1.  member
of early church administration: in early Christianity,
an administrative official of a local church

2.  member
of clergy:
an ordained member of the clergy in many Christian churches

3.  lay
official in Presbyterian Church: any of the laypeople
chosen by the congregation to govern a Presbyterian or other Reformed church
[Late 16th century. Via
ecclesiastical Latin from Greek presbuteros “elder” (source of English priest ), from presbus “old man.”][1]



presbyterate

presbyterate
pres·byt·er·ate 
[prez bíttərət, prez
bíttə ràyt] (plural pres·byt·er·ates) noun

1.  presbyter’s
position:
the office or position of a presbyter

2.  group
of presbyters: an order or group of presbyters

[1]



presbyterial

presbyterial
pres·by·te·ri·al 
[prèzbi tree əl] adjective

relating to presbyters:
relating to a presbyter or presbytery[1]



presbyterian

presbyterian
pres·by·te·ri·an 
[prèzbi tree ən] adjective

relating
to administration by presbyters: characterized by or
relating to the government of a church by democratically elected lay officials
noun
(plural pres·by·te·ri·ans)

supporter of administration
by presbyters: somebody who supports
and advocates church government by democratically elected lay officials[1]



Presbyterian

Presbyterian
Pres·by·te·ri·an 
[prèzbi tree ən] adjective

relating
to Presbyterian Church: relating or belonging to the
Presbyterian Church or any of the presbyterian churches
noun
(plural Pres·by·te·ri·ans)

Presbyterian
churchmember: a member of a presbyterian church
—Pres·by·te·ri·an·ism,
noun[1]



presbytery

presbytery
pres·by·ter·y 
[prézbitəree] (plural pres·by·ter·ies)
noun

1.  group
of presbyters: a group of presbyters in the early
Christian church or in a modern Presbyterian church

2.  court
of Presbyterian Church: a court composed of
ministers and lay officials in a Presbyterian Church, or the churches under the
jurisdiction of such a court

3.  government
by presbyters: the government of a church by
democratically elected lay officials

4.  part
of church for clergy: part of a church or
cathedral, or a separate building, for the use of clergy only

5.  home
of Roman Catholic parish priest: the home of a Roman
Catholic parish priest

[1]



preschool

preschool
pre·school 
[pr skl] adjective

1.  under
school age:
below the age at which compulsory schooling begins

2.  for
preschool children: relating to or provided for
children below the age at which compulsory schooling begins
noun
(plural pre·schools)

See nursery school
—pre·school·er,
noun

—pre·school·ing, noun[1]



prescience

prescience
pre·sci·ence 
[prshee əns, préshee
əns, prsh’ns] noun

advance
knowledge of things: knowledge of actions or
events before they happen
[14th century. Via French
from late Latin praescientia “foreknowledge” (see prescient ).][1]



prescient

prescient
pre·sci·ent 
[prshee ənt, préshee
ənt, prsh’nt] adjective

knowing
in advance:
having or showing knowledge of actions or events before they take place
[Early
17th century. Via Latin praescientem from praescire “to know
beforehand,” from scire “to know.”]
—pre·sci·ent·ly, adverb[1]



prescientific

prescientific
pre·sci·en·tif·ic 
[pr sī ən tíffik] adjective

before science:
relating to or happening during the time before the development of modern
science and the application of modern scientific methods[1]



prescind

prescind
pre·scind 
[pri sínd] (past pre·scind·ed,
past participle pre·scind·ed, present participle pre·scind·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·scinds) intransitive verb

take
concentration away: to detach the mind from
something, typically a concept, notion, or fixed idea (formal) • if
we can, for a moment, prescind from a focus on motive per se and consider
instead opportunity and means
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
praescindere “to cut off in front,” from scindere “to cut off.”][1]



Prescott

Prescott
Pres·cott 
[préskət, préskot]

city in central Arizona, near
the source of the Hassayampa River, southwest of Flagstaff. Population: 32,841
(1996)[1]



prescribe

prescribe
pre·scribe 
[pri skrb] (past pre·scribed,
past participle pre·scribed, present participle pre·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·scribes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE order use of medication:
to direct a patient to follow a particular course of treatment, specifically to
use a particular drug at set times and in specified dosages

2.  transitive
verb
recommend
something as remedy: to recommend a particular
course of action or treatment as a remedy for something • I
prescribe lots of tender loving care

3.  transitive
verb
lay
something down as rule: to say with authority that a
certain course of action should be taken • the
penalties prescribed by law

4.  intransitive
verb
set
down regulations: to lay down rules or laws

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW claim property as right:
to claim a right to something on the grounds of possession over a long period
of time
[15th
century. From Latin praescribere “to write before,” from scribere
“to write.”]
—pre·scrib·a·ble,
adjective

—pre·scrib·er, noun[1]



prescript

prescript
pre·script 
[pr skrìpt] noun (plural pre·scripts)

something
prescribed:
a rule or regulation that has been laid down (formal)
adjective

prescribed:
laid down as a rule or regulation (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
praescriptum “something prescribed,” the past participle of praescribere
“to prescribe.”][1]



prescription

prescription
pre·scrip·tion 
[pri skrípshən] (plural pre·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  written
order for medicine: a written order issued by a
physician or other qualified practitioner that authorizes a pharmacist to
supply a particular medication for a particular patient, with instructions on
its use (often used before a noun)

2.  prescribed
medicine:
a drug or other medication prescribed by a physician or other qualified
practitioner

3.  order
for lens to correct eyesight: a written order from an
optometrist or ophthalmologist for glasses or contact lenses of a particular
type and strength to correct the eyesight of a particular person (often used
before a noun) • prescription sunglasses

4.  proven
formula for something: a proven formula for causing
something else to happen • Caring
about others’ feelings is a prescription for a fulfilling life.

5.  establishing
of regulations: laying down of laws, rules, and
regulations

6.  something
prescribed as rule: a practice or course of
action laid down as a regulation

7.  pre·scrip·tion
or pos·i·tive pre·scrip·tion LAW
presumption
of right of possession: a presumption of the right
of possession of property, based on long-term exercise of property rights
[14th century. Via French
from the Latin stem praescription-, from praescribere (see prescribe ).][1]



prescriptiondrug

prescriptiondrug
pre·scrip·tion
drug
(plural pre·scrip·tion drugs) noun

drug available only by
prescription: a drug that can be
dispensed only upon presentation of a legally valid prescription[1]



prescriptive

prescriptive
pre·scrip·tive 
[pri skríptiv] adjective

1.  making
or adhering to regulations: establishing or adhering to
rules and regulations • prescriptive
grammarians

2.  LAW grounded
in legal prescription: based on legal prescription

3.  customary:
based on or authorized by long-standing custom (dated)
—pre·scrip·tive·ly,
adverb

—pre·scrip·tive·ness, noun[1]



preseason

preseason
pre·sea·son 
[pree sz’n] (plural pre·sea·sons)
noun

period before start of
season: the period just before the
start of a new sports season, during which players train intensively and play
games that are not part of a competition (often used before a noun) • a
preseason game[1]



preselect

preselect
pre·se·lect 
[pr sə lékt] (past pre·se·lect·ed,
past participle pre·se·lect·ed, present participle pre·se·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·se·lects) transitive verb

select somebody or something
beforehand: to select a person, object,
place, or course of action in advance, usually on the basis of specific
requirements[1]



presell

presell
pre·sell 
[pree sél] (past pre·sold, past
participle pre·sold, present participle pre·sell·ing, 3rd
person present singular pre·sells) transitive verb

1.  MARKETING popularize
something beforehand: to promote a product or
entertainment before it is generally available to the public, by means of
advertising and publicity

2.  PUBLISHING sell
book early:
to sell a book before its official publication date

3.  COMMERCE arrange
sale of something beforehand: to agree to sell a house,
car, or other item before it is actually available

[1]



presence

presence
pres·ence 
[prézzəns] (plural pres·ences)
noun

1.  being
present:
the physical existence of somebody or something in a particular place • Our
presence is requested at the board meeting.

2.  area
within sight or earshot: the immediate vicinity of
somebody or something • How
dare you use that kind of language in my presence!

3.  personal
dignity:
dignified appearance and bearing • has a
certain presence about her that garners respect

4.  impressive
person:
somebody who inspires awe and respect

5.  invisible
supposed supernatural being: a supernatural spirit that
is felt to be nearby • a
malevolent presence filled the room

6.  person
present:
somebody who is present in a particular place • the
venerable scholar, a dignified presence in the academic procession

7.  ARTS ability
to captivate audience: a quality of certain
performers that enables them to achieve a rapport with and hold the attention
of their audiences

8.  stationing
of personnel: the existence of official personnel in a
place, especially police, military, or diplomatic personnel • maintained
a heavy military, diplomatic, and intelligence presence in the capital
[14th century. Via French
from Latin praesentia, from praesent- (see present 2 ).][1]



presenceof mind

presenceof mind
pres·ence
of mind
noun

ability to stay calm in
crisis: the ability to remain calm
and act decisively and effectively in a crisis • At
least she had the presence of mind to call the fire department.[1]



present

present2
pres·ent2  [prézzənt]
adjective

1.  currently
happening:
taking place or existing now • in our
present circumstances

2.  in
a place:
in a particular place • There
were over a hundred people present at the reception

3.  now
under discussion: being considered or talked about at this
time

4.  GRAMMAR relating
to current time: used to describe a verb form or tense
that expresses the current time

5.  at
hand:
readily available (archaic)

6.  on
hand to act: ready to take action (archaic)
noun

1.  the
here and now: the current time or moment • The
story takes place in the present.

2.  GRAMMAR current-time
verb tense:
the verb tense that expresses current time

3.  GRAMMAR current-time
verb:
a verb in the present tense, indicating that the action is happening now
[13th
century. Via French from Latin praesent-, the present participle stem of
praeesse “to be in front of,” from esse “to be.”]
at
present

just
now

for
the present

as far as the present time is
concerned[1]



present

present1
pre·sent1  verb [pri zént] (past pre·sent·ed, past
participle pre·sent·ed, present participle pre·sent·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·sents)

1.  transitive
verb
give
somebody something: to give something to
somebody, often in a formal manner • Then
she presented me with the bill!

2.  transitive
verb
make
award to somebody: to make a gift or award of
something to somebody

3.  transitive
verb
offer
something formally: to offer formally something
such as compliments or apologies to somebody (formal) • May
I present my warmest congratulations?

4.  transitive
verb
make
something visible in particular way: to
show or display something in a particular way • taking
care to present his best side to the camera

5.  transitive
verb
hand
something over officially: to put something forward for
inspection or consideration, typically in a formal or official manner or
capacity • proposals
to be presented at the next meeting

6.  transitive
verb
pose
something as problem: to pose a problem or
difficulty to somebody • presenting
a direct threat to national security

7.  transitive
verb
LAW bring
charge:
to put a charge before a court of law so that it can be considered or tried

8.  transitive
verb
introduce
woman into society: to introduce a young woman
formally into fashionable society • Her
family planned to present her at the Christmas debutante ball in New York.

9.  transitive
verb
introduce
somebody formally: to introduce somebody
formally, especially to somebody of higher rank • They
were presented to the Queen.

10. transitive
verb
be
host of program: to introduce, or act as the host of, a
television or radio program or an infomercial • He
used to present a game show.

11. transitive
verb
offer
something as public entertainment: to bring a movie,
play, or other form of entertainment to the public

12. transitive
verb
portray
something artistically: to represent something or
somebody in a particular way in the arts • In
the film, Romeo and Juliet are presented as modern teenagers.

13. reflexive
verb
be
in appointed place: to appear, especially at an
appointed time and place • Present
yourselves at the gate at eight o’clock.

14. reflexive
verb
arise:
to come into being or happen • when
an opportunity presents itself

15. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE have
particular symptoms: to exhibit the specified
symptom or symptoms on examination • Monday,
July 5th: The patient presents with arrhythmia and complains of arthralgia.

16. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE exit
birth canal in position: to appear during the process
of being born (refers to a fetus) • In
most births, the first part to present is the back of the head.

17. intransitive
verb
produce
specified impression: to produce a particular
impression, especially a favorable one (formal) • She
presents as a pleasant young woman.
noun
[prézzənt] (plural pre·sents)

gift:
something that is given to somebody out of kindness or to celebrate an occasion
such as a birthday
[13th
century. Via French from Latin praesentare “to make present,” from praesent-
(see present 2 ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at give

[1]



presentable

presentable
pre·sent·a·ble 
[pri zéntəb’l] adjective

1.  fit
to appear in public: looking or being good enough
to be introduced to other people • Make
sure you look presentable.

2.  fit
to be displayed or given: good enough to be offered,
shown, or given to other people • still
a presentable gift
—pre·sent·a·bil·i·ty
[pri zèntə bíllətee], noun

—pre·sent·a·ble·ness
[pri zéntəb’lnəss], noun

—pre·sent·a·bly [pri zéntəblee], adverb[1]



presentarms

presentarms
pre·sent
arms 
[pri zènt ármz] noun

drill
position:
a drill movement in which a salute is given by bringing a rifle vertically in
front of the body, or the command to give such a salute
—pre·sent arms, intransitive
verb[1]



presentation

presentation
pres·en·ta·tion 
[prèzz’n táysh’n] (plural pres·en·ta·tions)
noun

1.  act
of presenting something: an act of presenting
something or the state of being presented

2.  prepared
performance for audience: a performance, exhibition,
or demonstration put on before an audience

3.  formal
handing over of gift: the action of presenting
somebody with an award or a token of appreciation in front of other people, or
an occasion when this is done • the
presentation of the trophy

4.  prepared
report read before audience: a formal talk made to a
group of people, for example, on somebody’s recent work or some aspect of
business, often with handouts, diagrams, or other visual aids • He
gave a presentation on modern irrigation methods.

5.  somebody’s
introduction into special social group: an
occasion when somebody is first presented into society or at court, or the
official or recognized process of first presenting somebody in this way

6.  way
something appears when offered: the manner in which
something is shown, expressed, or laid out for other people to see • Presentation
is an important part of the chef’s job.

7.  MEDICINE part
of baby appearing first: the part of a baby that
appears first at birth, normally the crown of the head • a
breech presentation

8.  CHRISTIANITY act
of nominating clergy member: the act or power of
nominating a member of the clergy to a particular paid office in a church

9.  object
of perception: something that is perceived, remembered,
or acquired as knowledge

10. See
presentment  noun 3
—pres·en·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



Presentationof the Virgin Mary

Presentationof the Virgin Mary
Pres·en·ta·tion
of the Vir·gin Mar·y noun

Roman Catholic festival:
the Roman Catholic festival that commemorates the Virgin Mary’s presentation at
the temple, held on November 21[1]



presentative

presentative
pre·sent·a·tive 
[pri zéntətiv] adjective

immediately
knowable:
able to be known directly without any reflective or cognitive process being
necessary
—pre·sent·a·tive·ness,
noun[1]



present-day

present-day
pres·ent-day 
[prézz’nt dày] adjective

existing in modern times:
found or existing in modern times • out
of touch with present-day society and the TV culture[1]



presentee

presentee
pres·ent·ee 
[prèzz’n t] (plural pres·ent·ees)
noun (formal)

1.  somebody
who is presented to others: somebody who is introduced
in a formal or official way

2.  somebody
who is given something: somebody who is presented
with something formally, for example, an award or prize, or a gift from a large
body of other people

[1]



presenter

presenter
pre·sent·er
[pri zéntər] (plural pre·sent·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who presents something: somebody who presents
something, for example, an award or a gift • The
club president will be the presenter at the awards ceremony tonight.

2.  infomercial
salesperson: somebody who presents and discusses a
particular product during a television infomercial

3.  U.K.
TV
or radio announcer: somebody who introduces a
particular programme on television or radio and provides comments linking
individual items or contributors during the programme

[1]



presentient

presentient
pre·sen·tient 
[pree sénshənt, pree
sénshee ənt] adjective

knowing
things in advance: having a definite and
usually uneasy sense that something is going to happen, or being aware of
something before it occurs
[Early 19th century. From,
ultimately, Latin praesentire “to perceive beforehand,” which was formed
from sentire “to feel.”][1]



presentiment

presentiment
pre·sen·ti·ment 
[pri zéntəmənt] (plural pre·sen·ti·ments)
noun

feeling
that something will happen: an awareness of some event,
especially an unpleasant event, before it takes place and before there is any
reason to suspect it or know about it • She
had a presentiment that something terrible would happen.
[Early
18th century. Via obsolete French présentiment from, ultimately, Latin praesentire
(see presentient ).]
—pre·sen·ti·men·tal [pri zèntə mént’l], adjective[1]



presently

presently
pres·ent·ly 
[prézz’ntlee] adverb

1.  soon:
not at this exact moment but in a short while (formal or literary) • I’ll
be there presently.

2.  at
the present time: now, or during the current period,
especially if not at some other time (some people object to this usage)
• Yes,
he’s presently engaged in a research job for the company.

3.  straight
away:
immediately and without delay (archaic)

[1]



presentment

presentment
pre·sent·ment 
[pri zéntmənt] (plural pre·sent·ments)
noun

1.  presentation:
the act of presenting something or the way in which something is presented

2.  statement
by jury:
in the past, a formal statement made on oath by a grand jury to a court
concerning facts and matters within their own knowledge

3.  presenting
of negotiable instrument: the presenting of a
negotiable instrument for payment.
Also
called
presentation

[1]



presentparticiple

presentparticiple
pres·ent
par·ti·ci·ple  (plural pres·ent
par·ti·ci·ples) noun

form of verb:
the form of a verb that suggests a continuous or active sense and that ends in
“-ing” in English, for example, “flying”[1]



presentperfect

presentperfect
pres·ent
per·fect 
noun

form
of verb:
the form of a verb that suggests something completed, in English by preceding
the verb with “have” or “has” and usually putting “-ed” after it, for example,
“have departed”
—pres·ent per·fect, adjective[1]



presenttense

presenttense
pres·ent
tense 
(plural pres·ent tens·es) noun

verb tense:
the tense of a verb that suggests actions or the situation at the time of
speaking or writing[1]



presentvalue

presentvalue
pres·ent
val·ue
(plural pres·ent val·ues) noun

current value of specified
future amount: the value now of a sum
of money expected to be received in the future, calculated by subtracting the
interest and other value that will accrue in the intervening period • The
judge reduced the jury’s award of damages to present value, as required by law.[1]



preservable

preservable
pre·serv·a·ble
[pri zúrvəb’l] adjective

suitable
for preserving: able to be kept safe, unchanged, or
unspoiled • The
east wing is preservable but the rest of the building will have to be
demolished.
—pre·serv·a·bil·i·ty
[pri zùrvə bíllətee], noun

—pre·serv·a·bly [pri zúrvəblee], adverb[1]



preservation

preservation
pres·er·va·tion
[prèzzər váysh’n] noun

1.  protection
from harm:
the guarding of something from danger, harm, or injury

2.  a
keeping of something unchanged: maintenance of
something, especially something of historic value, in an unchanged condition

3.  upholding
of something: the keeping of something intangible
intact • preservation
of freedom of speech

[1]



preservationist

preservationist
pres·er·va·tion·ist 
[prèzzər váysh’nist] (plural pres·er·va·tion·ists)
noun

somebody
eager to keep something unchanged: somebody who tries to
prevent things from being damaged, destroyed, or altered from their current
condition, particularly things of natural or historical interest
—pres·er·va·tion·ism [prèzzər váysh’n ìzzəm], noun[1]



preservative

preservative
pre·ser·va·tive 
[pri zúrvətiv] adjective

able
to keep from decay: having the ability to
protect something from decay or spoilage
noun
(plural pre·ser·va·tives)

something that prevents
spoilage: something that provides
protection from decay or spoilage, for example, a food additive[1]



preserve

preserve
pre·serve 
[pri zúrv] transitive verb (past
pre·served, past participle pre·served, present
participle pre·serv·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·serves)

1.  make
sure something lasts: to keep something protected
from anything that would cause its current quality or condition to change or
deteriorate or fall out of use • They
are anxious to preserve the area’s rural character. • We
need to preserve professional standards of conduct.

2.  maintain
something to: keep up or maintain something • She
preserved a cool and composed manner throughout the interrogation.

3.  stop
food from going bad: to treat or store food in
such a way as to protect it from decay, for example, by pickling, drying, salting,
freezing, or canning

4.  make
jam:
to make jelly, jam, or marmalade

5.  protect
somebody or something: to protect somebody or
something from danger, especially the danger of being killed or damaged (formal
or literary) “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil” Psalm 121

6.  keep
animals in secure area: to rear wild animals,
especially fish and birds, in a protected area of water or land, so that they
can be fished or shot for sport in the hunting season
noun
(plural pre·serves)

1.  exclusive
area of activity: a type of work, sport, or interest that
one particular person or group retains exclusive use of, or a place kept for
one person or group to enjoy exclusively • The
children considered the tree house their own preserve and resented adults
intruding.

2.  FOOD fruit
jelly or jam: a sweet thick substance eaten on bread
or in desserts and cakes, made by boiling fruit in sugar and water. Preserves
can be kept for several years in airtight jars, bottles, or cans. (often
used in the plural)

3.  area
where wildlife is protected: a piece of water or land
owned by the government or a conservation group, where wildlife, plants, or
geographical features are protected or where fish or wild animals are bred.
U.K.
term
reserve
[14th century. Via French préserver
from medieval Latin praeservare “to guard beforehand,” from Latin servare
“to keep.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to protect.”][1]



preserver

preserver
pre·serv·er
[pri zúrvər] (plural pre·serv·ers)
noun

something that saves or
protects: something used to keep
somebody or something safe, undamaged, or unchanged[1]



preset

preset
pre·set 
transitive verb [pree sét] (past
pre·set, past participle pre·set, present participle
pre·set·ting, 3rd person present singular pre·sets)

set
machine to come on later: to arrange the settings of a
timing device controlling or built into an electrical appliance so that the
appliance is automatically switched on at a specified time • The
bank’s vault opens at a preset time every weekday morning.
noun
[pr sèt] (plural pre·sets)

gadget that turns machine on
later: an electronic timing device
or system that is used to make an appliance operate at a later time[1]



preshrunk

preshrunk
pre·shrunk
[pree shrúngk] adjective

already shrunk:
with the fabric already shrunk before being sold, so that it will not shrink
when the consumer washes it[1]



presidency

presidency
pres·i·den·cy 
[prézzid’nsee] (plural pres·i·den·cies)
noun

1.  position
of president of nation: the job or function of
president of a republic, or a president’s term of office

2.  job
of president: the status, post, or function of being
president of a company, society, institution, or similar body • The
presidency of the club turned out to be a thankless task.

3.  Latter-day
Saints council: a three-person executive council in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

4.  Latter-day
Saints governing council: the governing body of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

[1]



president

president
pres·i·dent 
[prézzid’nt] (plural pres·i·dents)
noun

1.  head
of state of a republic: the chief politician of a
republic, for example, the United States of America • President
Kennedy was shot in 1963

2.  highest-ranking
member of an association: somebody who holds the top
official position in an organization, club, or society • president
of the Lawn Tennis Association

3.  head
of a company: the highest-ranking executive officer of
a business or corporation

4.  head
of educational or governmental establishment: the
highest-ranking executive officer of certain universities, colleges, government
departments, legal divisions, and other public offices

5.  somebody
in charge of a meeting: somebody who has been
appointed or elected to take charge at a formal gathering of people

6.  Latter-day
Saints leader: in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, a man who is a member of the church’s governing board. He,
together with counselors and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, makes major
church policy and decisions.
[14th
century. Via French président from, ultimately, Latin praesidere
(see preside ).]
—pres·i·dent·ship, noun[1]



president-elect

president-elect
pres·i·dent-e·lect 
(plural pres·i·dents-e·lect) noun

president before taking
office: somebody who has been
elected or appointed as president but who has not yet been officially installed
into the job[1]



presidential

presidential
pres·i·den·tial 
[prèzzə dénshəl] adjective

1.  relating
to president: concerning the post of president, or
used or owned by a president • The
presidential elections dominated the news.

2.  like
a president: done in the manner of a president, or
having the appearance of a president • Pundits
said that he was very presidential in refusing to trade insults with his
political opponents.

3.  led
by a president: presided over by a president, or
presiding like one
—pres·i·den·tial·ly, adverb[1]



PresidentialRange

PresidentialRange
Pres·i·den·tial
Range

chain of mountains in
northern New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. The highest peak in the range
is Mount Washington, 1,917 m/6,288 ft .[1]



presidio

presidio
pre·si·di·o 
[prə síddee ] (plural pre·si·di·os)
noun

fortress:
a fortified settlement, especially of the type established by Spanish
colonizers in the southwestern part of what is now the United States
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish from Latin praesidium “garrison, fortification,” from praesidere
(see preside ).][1]



presidium

presidium
pre·sid·i·um 
[prə síddee əm] (plural pre·sid·i·a
[prə síddee ə] or pre·sid·i·ums)
noun

executive
committee:
a permanent executive committee that acted for a larger legislature in the
former Soviet Union and other Communist countries
[Early 20th century. Via
Russian from Latin praesidium (see presidio
).][1]



presignify

presignify
pre·sig·ni·fy 
[pree sígnə f] (past pre·sig·ni·fied,
past participle pre·sig·ni·fied, present participle pre·sig·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·sig·ni·fies) transitive verb

suggest outcome before it
happens: to indicate in advance
something that is going to result or take place (formal)[1]



Presley,Elvis

Presley,Elvis

Pres·ley
[prézzlee], Elvis (1935–1977)
U.S.
singer and actor. Renowned as a pioneer of rock-and-roll, he also acted in
several Hollywood movies.
Full name
Presley, Elvis Aron Known as The King[1]



press

press1
press1  [press]
verb (past pressed, past participle pressed,
present participle press·ing, 3rd person present singular press·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb push
against something: to use a steady and
significant force to put weight on something, sometimes to make it move or
start working • I got into the elevator
and pressed the down button but nothing happened.

2.  transitive
verb
squeeze
juice out of something: to squeeze the juice or oil
out of something using force or weight to compress it • pressing
grapes

3.  transitive
verb
smooth
something out: to push a flat object, especially a hot
iron, onto a garment or piece of cloth so as to smooth out unwanted creases or
make a crease where desired • pressed
a shirt and put it on

4.  transitive
verb
change
something’s shape by squeezing: to change the shape of
something by squeezing it or putting a steady weight on it, especially in order
to make it more compact • pressed
the clay into a ball

5.  transitive
verb
hold
somebody or something tightly: to grip or clasp
somebody or something firmly but not roughly with the hands or arms, especially
to show affection or moral support • She
pressed his hand in sympathy.

6.  intransitive
verb
try
too hard:
to exert great effort but not necessarily succeed, as an athlete under stress
might • Late
in the crucial game, the players were obviously pressing and made one error
after another.

7.  transitive
verb
force
somebody to do something: to force somebody into doing
something he or she did not want or intend to do • They
pressed her into accepting the nomination.

8.  transitive
verb
try
to obtain something from somebody: to ask somebody
persistently or forcefully to supply, accept, or do a specific thing • They
pressed him for an immediate response.

9.  transitive
verb
emphasize
something:
to make sure that something is fully recognized and understood, or stress its
importance • It
is vital that you press the main items of the manifesto in your speech.

10. transitive
verb
demand
something:
to plead or demand something insistently

11. intransitive
verb
move
as crowd:
to crowd around or together (literary) • The
crowd pressed forward as the gates opened.

12. intransitive
verb
require
attention:
to need to be dealt with urgently (dated or formal) • I’d
like to help now, but business presses.

13. transitive
verb
dry
something out and preserve it: to flatten and dry a
natural object such as a flower so that it does not decompose and can be kept
or used decoratively • pressed
flowers as a hobby

14. transitive
verb
make
something with a mold: to form something in a mold,
especially to make phonograph records • went
down to the studio to press a record

15. intransitive
and transitive verb BASKETBALL harass basketball opponent:
to use a harassing and aggressive defense against an opponent in basketball
noun
(plural press·es)

1.  act
of pressing: an act of pressing something • I
gave the doorbell a few presses but nobody answered.

2.  crowd:
a tightly packed crowd of people

3.  powerful
movement:
the crowding and pressing together of a lot of people or things at the same
time (literary) • He
could not move because of the press of people.

4.  device
for squeezing something: a piece of equipment designed
to crush something to release the juices or create a pulp • a
garlic press

5.  device
for flattening something: a piece of equipment used to
keep or make something smooth and uncreased

6.  HOUSEHOLD linen
closet:
a shelved closet, usually of a large size, for storing bed or table linens or
clothes

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine
that applies mechanical pressure: a machine that, by
applying pressure to a piece of metal or other material, can shape, form, cut,
stamp, or otherwise cause a physical change to occur

8.  PRESS newspapers
or news reporters: the news-gathering business
generally or all the people involved in gathering and reporting on the news,
but in particular journalists working on newspapers • She
agreed to appear on television but refused to talk to the press.

9.  PRESS comments
by journalists: the opinions expressed in articles or
reviews in the newspapers or magazines • His
new musical had a lot of good press.

10. PRINTING See printing press

11. PUBLISHING publishing
company:
a company that publishes books (used especially in names)

12. PRINTING business
or skill of printing: the technical or physical process
used by a printer and the skills a printer requires

13. RACKET GAMES clamp
for rackets: a clamp for holding a tennis or other
racket to prevent it from warping when it is not in use

14. SPORTS defense
in sports:
an aggressive defense, especially in basketball

15. lifting
of weight above head: in weightlifting, a lift in
which the weight is raised to shoulder height and then to above the head
without moving the legs
[14th
century. Via French presser from Latin pressare “to keep on
pressing,” from press-, the past participle stem of premere “to
press.”]
—press·er,
noun
be
pressed for something

to
be short of something, usually time

press
your luck

to
test how far you can go before running out of good fortune • I
forgive you this time but don’t press your luck.





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS








  The
  Latin word pressare, from which press
  is derived, is also the source of English compress,
  depress, express, impress, oppress,
  repress, and suppress.

[1]



press

press2
press2  [press]
transitive verb (past pressed, past participle pressed,
present participle press·ing, 3rd person present singular press·es)

force
somebody into military service: to forcibly recruit
somebody into military service
noun
(plural press·es)

forcing
of somebody into military service: the act of recruiting
people into military service by force
[Late 16th century.
Alteration (influenced by press 1 ) of
obsolete prest “to enlist by paying in advance,” via Old French prester
from Latin praestare, literally “to stand before,” from stare “to
stand.”][1]



pressagency

pressagency
press
a·gen·cy
noun

See
news agency[1]



pressagent

pressagent
press
a·gent
(plural press a·gents) noun

somebody
employed to get publicity: somebody who is responsible
for promoting clients by contacting and liaising with the press, and supplying
the press with information, advertising material, photographs, and stories
about them
—press a·gent·ry, noun[1]



pressassociation

pressassociation
press
as·so·ci·a·tion (plural press as·so·ci·a·tions)
noun

1.  See
news agency

2.  organization
of media people: an organization, nationally, statewide,
or locally, of media outlets and their representatives

[1]



pressboard

pressboard
press·board 
[préss bàwrd] (plural press·boards)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY construction
material:
a heavy glazed composition board

2.  HOUSEHOLD small
ironing board: a small ironing board used particularly
for pressing the sleeves of garments

[1]



pressbox

pressbox
press
box
(plural press box·es) noun

area where reporters sit:
a section in a sports stadium or similar venue kept exclusively for journalists
to work in[1]



pressconference

pressconference
press
con·fer·ence (plural press con·fer·enc·es)
noun

arranged meeting with
journalists: an invited meeting for
members of the press to enable them to hear a prepared statement by somebody in
the news, and usually to ask questions about that statement.
Also called
news conference[1]



pressfor

pressfor
press
for
transitive verb

emphatically demand
something: to seek or demand something
with great urgency • They
pressed for an immediate review of the situation.[1]



pressgallery

pressgallery
press
gal·ler·y
noun

balcony for journalists to
watch proceedings: a raised
gallery with seating at the back of a courtroom or legislative assembly room,
where newspaper reporters and other members of the press can sit[1]



press-gang

press-gang
press-gang 
intransitive and transitive verb

force somebody to do
something: to force people into
military service or into doing anything that they are reluctant to do • I
never wanted to go to camp –my parents press-ganged me into it.[1]



pressgang

pressgang
press
gang
(plural press gangs) noun

group forcing people into
military service: in former times, a
group of military personnel whose job was to find people to force into military
service[1]



pressing

pressing
press·ing 
[préssing] adjective

1.  urgent:
needing to be attended to without delay • He
had a pressing engagement and had to leave immediately.

2.  very
persistent:
persistent and demanding, and therefore difficult to ignore or refuse • Her
invitations were so pressing that we eventually had to accept.
noun
(plural press·ings)

phonograph records made at one time:
all the phonograph records produced at one time from a master mold
—press·ing·ly,
adverb

—press·ing·ness, noun[1]



presskit

presskit
press
kit
(plural press kits) noun

promotional material for
media: a package of background and
promotional material relating to a product, distributed to the media by a
publicist or publicity department[1]



pressman

pressman
press·man 
[présmən] (plural press·men) noun

1.  operator
of printing press: somebody who operates a
printing press

2.  U.K.
journalist:
a man working as a newspaper reporter (dated)

[1]



pressof sail

pressof sail
press
of sail
[press əv sáyl] noun

amount of sail ship can take:
the largest amount of sail that a ship can safely carry.
Also called
press of canvas[1]



presson

presson
press
on
intransitive verb

U.K.
carry on urgently:
to continue in an urgent or persistent manner • Night
was falling but they pressed on despite their weariness.[1]



pressor

pressor
pres·sor 
[préssər] adjective

tending to raise blood
pressure: relating to or bringing
about an increase in blood pressure[1]



presspeach

presspeach
press
peach
(plural press peach·es) noun

Southern
U.S.
clingstone
peach:
a clingstone peach





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is the Lower Southern counterpart of plum peach . Most common in the
  lower sectors of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and southwestern Louisiana,
  the term also recurs less frequently in Florida and eastern Louisiana.

[1]



pressrelease

pressrelease
press
re·lease
(plural press re·leas·es) noun

information supplied to
reporters: an official statement or
account of a news story that is specially prepared and issued to newspapers and
other news media for them to make known to the public.
Also called
news release[1]



pressroom

pressroom
press·room 
[préss rm, préss
rm] (plural press·rooms) noun

1.  room
containing printing presses: an enclosed area in a
newspaper plant or printing establishment where the presses are located

2.  place
for reporters: a place where reporters work when not
actually covering a newsworthy event, at a site, especially the White House,
where such events often occur

[1]



pressrun

pressrun
press·run
[préss rùn] (plural press·runs)
noun

1.  continuous
running of printing press: the continuous running of a
printing press until a specified number of copies is printed

2.  number
of copies run: the number of copies run off in a
continuous printing operation

[1]



presssecretary

presssecretary
press
sec·re·tar·y noun

employee who handles news
coverage: an employee responsible for
managing the news media on behalf of an organization or a prominent individual[1]



pressstud

pressstud
press
stud
(plural press studs) noun

U.K.
See snap[1]



press-up

press-up
press-up
(plural press-ups) noun

U.K.,
New Zealand type of
keep-fit exercise: any one of
a series of identical exercise movements performed with the body straight and
facing the floor. The arms are used to raise the body and then lower it again.
See also
pushup[1]



pressure

pressure
pres·sure 
[préshər] noun (plural pres·sures)

1.  process
of pressing steadily: the applying of a firm
regular weight or force against something or somebody • The
pressure of her hand on his was comforting.

2.  constant
state of worry and urgency: powerful and stressful
demands on somebody’s time, attention, and energy, or one of many demands of
this sort

3.  force
that pushes or urges: something that affects
thoughts and behavior in a powerful way, usually in the form of several outside
influences working together persuasively

4.  PHYSICS force
per unit area: the force acting on a surface divided by
the area over which it acts. Symbol p

5.  See
compression

6.  atmospheric
pressure:
atmospheric pressure
transitive
verb
(past pres·sured, past participle pres·sured, present
participle pres·sur·ing, 3rd person present singular pres·sures)

make somebody do something:
to apply great persuasion or a strong influence on somebody to force him or her
to do something • They were pressured
into selling by the rest of the family.
[14th
century. From Latin pressura, which was formed from the stem press-
(see press ).]
—pres·sure·less, adjective[1]



pressurecabin

pressurecabin
pres·sure
cab·in
(plural pres·sure cab·ins) noun

pressurized cabin:
an airtight cabin in an aircraft or spacecraft in which air pressure is
maintained at a greater level than that of the outside atmospheric pressure for
the comfort and safety of the occupants[1]



pressure-cook

pressure-cook
pres·sure-cook 
transitive verb

prepare something in pressure
cooker: to cook something in a
pressure cooker[1]



pressurecooker

pressurecooker
pres·sure
cook·er
(plural pres·sure cook·ers) noun

1.  heavy
cooking pot with airtight lid: a specially designed
pot used to steam food at high pressure, at a higher temperature and in a
shorter time than by boiling

2.  stressful
place:
a place or situation in which people feel great stress • The
office of mayor of this city is a real pressure cooker.

[1]



pressuregauge

pressuregauge
pres·sure
gauge
(plural pres·sure gaug·es) noun

gauge used to measure fluid
pressure: a device or instrument used
to measure the pressure of a gas or liquid, for example, a gauge that measures
the air pressure in the tires of a car[1]



pressuregroup

pressuregroup
pres·sure
group
(plural pres·sure groups) noun

group working for change:
a number of people who work together to make their particular concerns known to
those in government, and to influence the passage of legislation[1]



pressurepoint

pressurepoint
pres·sure
point
(plural pres·sure points) noun

point where artery can be
compressed: any point at which an artery
can be compressed against a bone using a finger, stemming blood flow to the
part of the body that the artery supplies. Compression of such a point can, at
certain sites, reduce bleeding from a wound.[1]



pressuresore

pressuresore
pres·sure
sore
(plural pres·sure sores) noun

See
bedsore[1]



pressuresuit

pressuresuit

pres·sure suit
(plural pres·sure suits) noun
protective pressurized outer gear:
an inflatable airtight suit, similar to that worn by deep sea divers, used to
protect against the effects of low pressure at very high altitude or in space[1]



pressurevessel

pressurevessel
pres·sure
ves·sel
(plural pres·sure ves·sels) noun

container that withstands
bursting pressure: a
cylindrical or spherically shaped container designed to withstand bursting
pressures[1]



pressurize

pressurize
pres·sur·ize 
[préshə rz] (past pres·sur·ized,
past participle pres·sur·ized, present participle pres·sur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pres·sur·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  increase
air pressure in enclosed space: to increase the air
pressure in an enclosed space, for example, inside an aircraft, to maintain air
at close to normal atmospheric pressure when the external pressure falls

2.  increase
air pressure in container: to increase the air pressure
in a container beyond normal levels

3.  put
fluid under pressure: to apply increased pressure
to a fluid
—pres·sur·i·za·tion
[prèshəri záysh’n], noun

—pres·sur·iz·er, noun[1]



presswork

presswork
press·work 
[préss wùrk] noun

operation or product of
printing press: the operation,
management, or work done by a printing press[1]



prestidigitation

prestidigitation
pres·ti·dig·i·ta·tion 
[prèstə dijə táysh’n] noun

conjuring:
sleight of hand used in performing magic tricks (formal)
[Mid-19th
century. From French, from prestidigitateur “person practicing sleight
of hand,” from preste “nimble” + Latin digitus “finger” (source
of English digit ).]
—pres·ti·dig·i·ta·tor
[prèstə díjjə taytər], noun[1]



prestige

prestige
pres·tige 
[pre st, pre
stj] noun

1.  respect
associated with high quality: the kind of honor, awe, or
high opinion that is inspired by a high-ranking, influential, or successful
person or product

2.  glamour:
the kind of attractiveness and importance that is very obvious or enviable,
associated with wealthy and successful people • It’s
a prestige car and its price reflects that.
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin praestigiae “illusions, juggler’s tricks,” of uncertain
origin: probably ultimately from praestringere “to make dull, confuse,”
from stringere “to bind tight.”][1]



prestigious

prestigious
pres·ti·gious 
[pre stjəss, pre
stíjjəss] adjective

much
admired and respected: having a distinguished
reputation or bringing prestige to the person who has it
—pres·ti·gious·ly,
adverb

—pres·ti·gious·ness, noun[1]



prestissimo

prestissimo
pres·tis·si·mo 
[pre stíssə m] adverb

extremely
fast:
played or to be played as fast as possible (used especially as a musical
direction)
noun
(plural pres·tis·si·mos)

extremely
fast musical piece: a musical composition or
passage that is meant to be played as fast as possible
[Early
18th century. From Italian, the superlative of presto “presto.”]
—pre·stis·si·mo, adjective[1]



presto

presto
pres·to 
[préstō] adverb

MUSIC very
fast:
played or to be played very fast (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural pres·tos)

very
fast musical piece: a musical composition or
passage that is meant to be played very fast
adverb

suddenly:
instantly, as if magically (informal)
interjection

at
once:
used to indicate immediacy or quickness, often with an element of magic • We
turned the old key, and –presto! –the ancient gate creaked open.
[Late
16th century. Via Italian “quick,” from, ultimately, Latin praesto “at
hand.”]
—pres·to, adjective[1]



prestress

prestress
pre·stress
[pree stréss] (past pre·stressed,
past participle pre·stressed, present participle pre·stress·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·stress·es) transitive verb

apply stress to something:
to apply stress to something such as a cable or beam so that it will bear a
load better when in use[1]



prestressedconcrete

prestressedconcrete
pre·stressed
con·crete
[pree strést kong kreet, pree strést kon kreet] noun

concrete containing taut
cables: concrete that is cast over
cables that are under tension, so as to increase its strength[1]



Prestwick

Prestwick
Prest·wick 
[prést wik]

town near Ayr, Scotland, on
the Firth of Clyde. It is home to an international airport. Population: 13,705
(1991)[1]



presumable

presumable
pre·sum·a·ble 
[pri zməb’l] adjective

reasonably likely:
probable, or capable of being assumed to be true[1]



presumably

presumably
pre·sum·a·bly
[pri zməblee] adverb

it is reasonable to suppose:
used to show that you expect that a specified thing is the case or will happen
or has happened • Presumably
that man is her father.[1]



presume

presume
pre·sume 
[pri zm] (past pre·sumed, past
participle pre·sumed, present participle pre·sum·ing, 3rd
person present singular pre·sumes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb believe
something to be true: to accept that something is
virtually certain to be correct even though there is no proof of it, on the
grounds that it is extremely likely • After
several days of searching, they presumed that there were no survivors.

2.  intransitive
verb
behave
arrogantly or overconfidently: to behave so
inconsiderately, disrespectfully, or overconfidently as to do something without
being entitled or qualified to do it (usually used negatively) • I
would never presume to tell you how to run your business.

3.  transitive
verb
regard
something as true without proof: to assume that
something is true in the absence of proof that will confirm or contradict it

4.  transitive
verb
seem
to prove something: to indicate the existence or
truth of something (formal) • Your
line of reasoning presumes his being at home the whole evening.

5.  intransitive
verb
take
advantage:
to exploit or take advantage of somebody unscrupulously • would
not want to presume on the generosity of a stranger
[14th
century. Via French présumer from Latin praesumere “to take
before, anticipate,” which was formed from sumere “to take.”]
—pre·sum·er,
noun

—pre·sum·ing,
adjective

—pre·sum·ing·ly, adverb[1]



presumption

presumption
pre·sump·tion 
[pri zúmpshən] (plural pre·sump·tions)
noun

1.  something
believed without actual evidence: a belief based on the
fact that something is considered to be extremely reasonable or likely • I
acted on the presumption that their IDs were genuine.

2.  rudeness
or arrogance: behavior that is inconsiderate,
disrespectful, or overconfident

3.  LAW legal
inference:
an inference that something is the case, in the absence of evidence rebutting
that assumption and on the basis of other known facts • a
presumption of innocence

4.  belief
in something that seems reasonable: the
acceptance that something is correct, without having proof of it, on the
grounds that it is extremely likely (formal) • a
decision based on presumption rather than on the facts

5.  something
that could be proof: an indication that something
exists or is true (formal)
[12th century. Via Old French
presumpcion from, ultimately, Latin praesumere (see presume ).][1]



presumptive

presumptive
pre·sump·tive 
[pri zúmptiv] adjective

1.  probable:
based on what is thought most likely or reasonable (formal)

2.  causing
people to presume something: forming a reasonable basis
for the acceptance that something exists or is true (formal)

3.  expected
to become:
expected or thought likely to become (archaic or formal) • heir-presumptive

4.  BIOLOGY potentially
able to differentiate: used to describe cells or
tissue of an early embryo that, in the normal course of development, will
differentiate to form a particular organ or tissue in the mature embryo
[Mid-16th
century. Via French présomptif from, ultimately, Latin praesumere
(see presume ).]
—pre·sump·tive·ly,
adverb

—pre·sump·tive·ness, noun[1]



presumptuous

presumptuous
pre·sump·tu·ous 
[pri zúmpchoo əss] adjective

rude
or arrogant: inconsiderate, disrespectful, or
overconfident, especially in doing something when not entitled or qualified to
do it
[14th
century. Via Old French presumptueux from, ultimately, Latin praesumere
(see presume ).]
—pre·sump·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—pre·sump·tu·ous·ness,
noun[1]



presuppose

presuppose
pre·sup·pose 
[pree səpṓz] (past pre·sup·posed,
past participle pre·sup·posed, present participle pre·sup·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·sup·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  assume
something in advance: to believe that a particular
thing is true before there is any proof of it • the
tendency to presuppose that everybody will understand English

2.  LOGIC require
something as prior condition: to make something necessary
if a particular thing is to be shown to be true or false. The sentence “Fred
loves his daughter” presupposes that Fred has a daughter.
—pre·sup·po·si·tion [pr suppə zísh’n], noun[1]



presystolic

presystolic
pre·sys·to·lic 
[pree sis tóllik] adjective

occurring before systole:
used to describe the interval immediately before systole in the heart[1]



presystolic

presystolic
pre·sys·to·lic 
[pree sis tóllik] adjective

occurring before systole:
used to describe the interval immediately before systole in the heart[1]



pret.

pret.
pret.

Abbreviation of
preterite[1]



pretax

pretax
pre·tax 
[pree táks] adjective

before deduction of tax:
before tax is or was deducted • the
company’s pretax profits[1]



preteen

preteen
pre·teen 
[pree tn] or pre·teen·ag·er [pree tn ayjər] adjective

1.  for
children between 9 and 12: relating to, made for, or
directed at children in the few years immediately before they become teenagers,
or referring to children of this age • preteen
clothing

2.  between
9 and 12 years old: during the few years
immediately before becoming a teenager • her
preteen years
noun
(plural pre·teens) (plural pre·teen·ag·ers)

child between 9 and 12:
a girl or boy in the few years before becoming a teenager.
Also
called
subteen

[1]



pretence

pretence
pre·tence 
noun

U.K. =
pretense[1]



pretend

pretend
pre·tend 
[pri ténd] verb (past pre·tend·ed,
past participle pre·tend·ed, present participle pre·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·tends)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb act as
if something were true: to make believe, for
example, by using the imagination or acting skills • The
little girl liked to pretend that she was an astronaut.

2.  transitive
verb
make
insincere claim about something: to claim untruthfully
or exaggeratedly to be or to have a particular thing, or to imply something in
this way • I
won’t pretend to be an expert on the subject, but I can’t believe those figures
are correct.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something seem to be true: to act in a way intended to
make people believe something untrue or misleading about somebody or something
• She
pretended to be an orphan just to get our sympathy.

4.  intransitive
verb
claim
to own something: to make an untruthful or dubious claim
of ownership or the right to something, especially something valuable,
admirable, or prestigious (formal) • pretends
to the throne
adjective

imaginary:
existing only in the imagination, not real (informal) (usually used
by or to children) • I made
a pretend house where my pretend horse lives.
[14th century. Directly or
via French prétendre from Latin praetendere, literally “to extend
in front,” from tendere “to stretch.”][1]



pretended

pretended
pre·tend·ed 
[pri téndəd] adjective

not genuine:
appearing or claiming to be real, but in fact false or insincere • I
find her pretended concern quite offensive.[1]



pretender

pretender
pre·tend·er 
[pri téndər] (plural pre·tend·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
giving false impression: somebody who acts or speaks
in a way that is designed to make people believe something that is untrue

2.  somebody
claiming the right to something: somebody who either
sincerely or dishonestly claims the right to a special rank, title, or
privilege, especially a royal title, although many people question or doubt the
claim

[1]



pretense

pretense
pre·tense 
[pr tèns, pri
téns] (plural pre·tens·es) noun

1.  insincere
or feigned behavior: something done or a way of
behaving that is not genuine but is meant to deceive other people • His
display of affection was certainly a pretense.

2.  unwarranted
claim:
a claim, especially one with few facts to support it (often used in the
negative) • He makes no pretense of
being an expert.

3.  make-believe:
make-believe or things imagined

4.  See
pretext

5.  See
pretension  noun 2
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from medieval Latin pretensus “alleged,” from
the past participle of Latin praetendere (see pretend
).]
under
false pretenses

in a way that is intended to
deceive people • She
borrowed money from us under false pretenses.[1]



pretension

pretension
pre·ten·sion 
[pri ténshən] (plural pre·ten·sions)
noun

1.  questionable
claim to something: an untruthful or dubious
assertion of a right to something, especially something valuable, admirable, or
prestigious (often used in the plural and with negatives) • His
pretensions to aristocratic birth were unconvincing.

2.  affected
behavior:
behavior that is artificial, especially that which is given to display and
grandeur.
Also
called
pretense

3.  making
of claim to something: the formal act of putting
forward a claim (formal)
[15th century. From the
medieval Latin stem praetension-, which was formed from the past
participle stem of Latin praetendere (see pretend
).][1]



pretentious

pretentious
pre·ten·tious 
[pri ténshəss] adjective

1.  self-important
and affected: acting as though more important,
valuable, or special than is warranted, or appearing to have an unrealistically
high self-image

2.  made
to look or sound important: presenting itself
unjustifiably as having a special quality or significance, and often seeming
forced or overly clever • dismissed
it as yet another pretentious film

3.  ostentatious:
extravagantly and consciously showy or glamorous
[Mid-19th
century. Via French prétentieux from, ultimately, the medieval Latin
stem praetension- (see pretension ).]
—pre·ten·tious·ly,
adverb

—pre·ten·tious·ness, noun[1]



preter-

preter-
preter-
prefix

beyond
• preterhuman
[From Latin praeter,
from prae “before” (see pre- )][1]



preterhuman

preterhuman
pret·er·hu·man
[prtər hymən] adjective

more than human:
more than human or beyond what is usually thought of as human (literary)[1]



preterit

preterit
pret·er·it 
[préttərit] or pret·er·ite [préttərit] noun

past
tense:
the past tense
[Via
Old french from Latin (tempus) praeteritum “past (tense),” from the past
participle of praeterire (see preterition
)]
—pret·er·ite, adjective[1]



preterition

preterition
pret·er·i·tion 
[prèttə rísh’n] (plural pret·er·i·tions)
noun

omitting
of something: the act of passing over something or
leaving something out (formal)
[Late 16th century. From the
late Latin stem praeterition- “a passing by,” which was formed from
Latin praeterire “to go by,” which in turn was formed from ire
“to go.”][1]



preteritive

preteritive
pre·ter·i·tive
[prə térrətiv] adjective

in past tense:
used to describe a verb that is in the past tense[1]



preterm

preterm
pre·term 
[pree túrm] adjective

premature:
born before completion of a pregnancy of normal length
adverb

prematurely:
before completion of a pregnancy of normal length[1]



preterminal

preterminal
pre·ter·mi·nal
[pree túrmən’l] adjective

just before death:
occurring at a time just before death[1]



pretermit

pretermit
pre·ter·mit 
[pree túrmit] (past pre·ter·mit·ted,
past participle pre·ter·mit·ted, present participle pre·ter·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular pre·ter·mits) transitive verb
(formal)

1.  overlook
an heir from a will: to overlook or ignore
something deliberately, especially a natural heir from a will

2.  leave
something out: to leave something out or undone
[15th
century. From Latin praetermittere “to let go by,” which was formed from
mittere “to let go.”]
—pre·ter·mis·sion
[pr tur mísh’n], noun

—pre·ter·mit·ter, noun[1]



preternatural

preternatural
pre·ter·nat·u·ral 
[prtər náchərəl] adjective

1.  going
beyond nature: exceeding what is normal in nature (formal
or literary)

2.  supernatural:
supernatural or uncanny (literary)
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin praeternaturalis, from the Latin
phrase praeter naturam “beyond nature.”]
—pre·ter·nat·u·ral·ism,
noun

—pre·ter·nat·u·ral·i·ty
[prtər nachə rállətee], noun

—pre·ter·nat·u·ral·ly,
adverb

—pre·ter·nat·u·ral·ness,
noun[1]



pretest

pretest
pre·test 
noun [pr tèst] (plural pre·tests)

preliminary
test:
a preliminary test carried out to evaluate the usefulness of further research
transitive
verb
[pree tést] (past pre·test·ed,
past participle pre·test·ed, present participle pre·test·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·tests)

subject something to
preliminary test: to run a preliminary
test on something[1]



pretext

pretext
pre·text 
[pr tèkst] (plural pre·texts)
noun

made-up
excuse:
a misleading or untrue reason given for doing something in an attempt to
conceal the real reason
[Early 16th century. From
Latin praetextus “show, display,” from praetext, the past
participle stem of praetexere “to weave before, adorn,” from texere
“to weave.”][1]



preticket

preticket
pre·tick·et
[pree tíkit] (past pre·tick·et·ed,
past participle pre·tick·et·ed, present participle pre·tick·et·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·tick·ets) transitive verb

sell somebody a ticket in
advance: to sell somebody a ticket in
advance, especially before a flight[1]



pretor

pretor
pre·tor 
noun

See
praetor[1]



pretorian

pretorian
pre·to·ri·an 
adjective noun

See
praetorian[1]



Pretorius,Marthinus Wessels

Pretorius,Marthinus Wessels
Pre·to·ri·us
[pri táwree əss], Marthinus Wessels
(1819–1901)

South African statesman. The
son of Andries Pretorius, he was president of the South African Republic, which
then comprised only the Transvaal (1857–1871), and of the Orange Free State
(1859–1863).[1]



prettify

prettify
pret·ti·fy 
[príttə f] (past pret·ti·fied,
past participle pret·ti·fied, present participle pret·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pret·ti·fies) transitive verb

make
somebody or something look pretty: to give a person,
place, or thing some added decoration, especially of a rather superficial or
fussy kind
—pret·ti·fi·ca·tion
[prìttəfi káysh’n], noun

—pret·ti·fi·er, noun[1]



pretty

pretty
pret·ty 
[príttee] adjective (comparative
pret·ti·er, superlative pret·ti·est)

1.  having
a pleasant face: with an attractive, pleasant face that
is graceful and appealing rather than outstandingly beautiful

2.  nice
to look at:
pleasing or charming in appearance in a delicate, gentle, or decorative way • The
garden looks so pretty at this time of year.

3.  nice
to listen to: with a pleasant, gentle, or delicate
sound quality • operas with pretty
music

4.  large:
large in size, extent or value (dated informal) • a
pretty sum

5.  graceful
and effeminate: having, as a boy or man, the pleasing
looks and graceful manner often associated with a woman (offensive in some
contexts)

6.  unsatisfactory:
very bad or unsatisfactory (dated informal) • That’s
a pretty mess you’ve gotten yourself into.
adverb

fairly: to
quite a large, noticeable, or reasonable extent (informal) • I’m
pretty sure I left my keys on the kitchen table.
noun
(plural pret·ties)

somebody who is pretty:
a pretty person, thing, or animal (archaic) (informal)
plural
noun
pret·ties

delicate,
feminine nightwear or underwear (informal)
[Old
English, prættig . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“trick,” of unknown origin. In Old English, “pretty” meant “clever” in a bad
sense –“crafty, cunning.” Not until the 15th century had it passed via
“clever,” “skillfully made,” and “fine” to “beautiful.”]
sitting
pretty

in
a good or favorable position (informal)

a
pretty penny

a
large amount of money (informal)

pretty
well

nearly
completely (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at goodlooking

[1]



PrettyGood Privacy

PrettyGood Privacy
Pret·ty
Good Pri·va·cy

Full form of
PGP[1]



pretzel

pretzel
pret·zel 
[préts’l] (plural pret·zels) noun

salted
snack biscuit: a usually small crisp knot-shaped or
stick-shaped biscuit with a golden brown glaze
[Mid-19th century. From
German, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin bracchiatus
“branched, wearing bracelets,” which was formed from brachium “arm” (see
brachium ). According to tradition, the
shape of the pretzel was devised by a Christian monk to represent arms and
hands folded in prayer.][1]



prevail

prevail
pre·vail 
[pri váyl] (past pre·vailed, past
participle pre·vailed, present participle pre·vail·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·vails) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
unbeaten and in control: to prove to be stronger and
in the position of greater influence and power • He
prevailed over his enemies.

2.  win
through:
to prove to be effective • Justice
will prevail.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
the normal thing: to predominate or be the most common or frequent
• Middle-class
families prevail on this street.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
current:
to remain in general use or effect (formal) • Witchcraft
still prevails in some parts of the country.
[14th
century. From Latin praevalere “to be stronger,” from valere “to
be strong.”]
—pre·vail·er, noun[1]



prevailing

prevailing
pre·vail·ing 
[pri váyling] adjective

1.  usual:
found most commonly or having the most power or effect in a particular area • prevailing
winds

2.  found,
existing, or in force currently • the
prevailing view among modern scientists
—pre·vail·ing·ly, adverb[1]



prevailon

prevailon
prevail
on
or pre·vail up·on transitive verb

persuade somebody:
to persuade somebody to do something • They
prevailed on her to take part.[1]



prevalence

prevalence
prev·a·lence 
[prévvələns] noun

1.  state
of being common: the state of being frequent or
widespread

2.  MEDICINE number
of cases of disease: the number of cases of an
illness or condition that exists at a particular time in a defined population • The
prevalence of asthma in the country is increasing steadily.

[1]



prevalent

prevalent
prev·a·lent 
[prévvələnt] adjective

found
frequently:
occurring, or accepted and practiced, commonly or widely • Roman
Catholicism is the prevalent religion in most of southern Europe.
[Late
16th century. From Latin praevalere (see prevail
).]
—prev·a·lent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at widespread

[1]



prevaricate

prevaricate
pre·var·i·cate 
[pri vérrə kàyt] (past pre·var·i·cat·ed,
past participle pre·var·i·cat·ed, present participle pre·var·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·var·i·cates) intransitive verb

get
out of telling the truth: to avoid giving a direct and
honest answer or opinion, or a clear and truthful account of a situation,
especially by quibbling or being deliberately ambiguous or misleading
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin praevaricari “to walk crookedly,” from, ultimately, varus
“crooked, knock-kneed.”]
—pre·var·i·ca·tor, noun[1]



prevarication

prevarication
pre·var·i·ca·tion 
[pri vèrrə káysh’n] (plural pre·var·i·ca·tions)
noun

deliberately ambiguous or
evasive behavior: the attempt to avoid
giving a direct and honest answer or opinion, or a clear and truthful account
of a situation, often by telling a lie[1]



prevenient

prevenient
pre·ven·ient 
[pri vnyənt] adjective (formal)

1.  preceding
something:
coming or occurring in advance of another thing

2.  creating
anticipation: producing a sense of anticipation
[Early 17th century. From
Latin praevenient-, the present participle stem of praevenire “to
come before” (see prevent ).][1]



prevent

prevent
pre·vent 
[pri vént] (past pre·vent·ed, past
participle pre·vent·ed, present participle pre·vent·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·vents) transitive verb

1.  stop
something from taking place: to cause something not to
happen or not to be done • Rain
prevented them from playing the game.

2.  stop
somebody from doing something: to be the reason why
somebody does not or cannot do a particular thing • a
sense of duty that prevented him from abandoning the project
[15th
century. From Latin prevent-, the past participle stem of praevenire
“to come before, prevent,” which was formed from venire “to come.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to go, come” that is also the
ancestor of English come and basis . The meaning “hinder” developed in
Latin via “act in advance of, anticipate.”]
—pre·vent·a·bil·i·ty
[pri vèntə bíllətee], noun

—pre·vent·a·ble,
adjective

—pre·vent·a·bly,
adverb

—pre·vent·er, noun[1]



preventative

preventative
pre·ven·ta·tive 
[pri véntətiv] adjective noun

See
preventive[1]



prevention

prevention
pre·ven·tion 
[pri vénshən] (plural pre·ven·tions)
noun

1.  action
that stops something from happening: an
action or actions taken to stop somebody from doing something or to prevent
something from taking place • the
prevention of crime

2.  something
that acts to prevent something: an action or measure
that makes it impossible or very difficult for somebody to do a certain thing,
or for something to happen

[1]



preventive

preventive
pre·ven·tive 
[pri véntiv] or pre·ven·ta·tive
[pri véntiv] adjective

with
the purpose of preventing something: used
or devised to stop something from happening, or to stop people from doing a
particular thing • preventive dentistry
noun
(plural pre·ven·tives) (plural pre·ven·ta·tives)

something
that prevents: something that stops something unwanted
from happening, especially something that protects against illness • The
best preventive against heart disease is a healthy lifestyle.
—pre·ven·tive·ly,
adverb

—pre·ven·tive·ness, noun[1]



preventivedetention

preventivedetention
pre·ven·tive
de·ten·tion
noun

1.  (plural
pre·ven·tive de·ten·tions) pretrial imprisonment:
the pretrial jailing without bail of somebody accused of a crime who is thought
likely to attempt to flee, commit additional crimes, or intimidate witnesses or
prosecutors, or an instance of such jailing

2.  PSYCHOLOGY institutionalization
of disturbed patients: institutionalization of a
psychologically disturbed patient in order to prevent him or her from
committing a crime

[1]



preverbal

preverbal
pre·verb·al 
[pree vúrb’l] adjective

1.  not
yet able to talk: at the stage of development when a child
is not yet able to use speech

2.  GRAMMAR preceding
verb:
coming before a verb

[1]



preview

preview
pre·view
[pr vy] noun (plural pre·views)

1.  opportunity
to see something in advance: a showing of something,
especially a movie, play, exhibition, or work of art, to a select audience
before the general public sees it

2.  description
of a forthcoming show: a piece printed in a paper
or magazine or broadcast on radio or TV describing and commenting on something
that is soon to be broadcast or presented to the public

3.  pre·view
or pre·vue (plural pre·vues) promotional
film:
a short film shown on TV or at a movie theater promoting an upcoming movie or
program.
Also
called
trailer
Also
called
coming attraction
transitive
verb
(past pre·viewed, past participle pre·viewed, present
participle pre·view·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·views)

1.  show
something in advance: to put on a performance or
showing of something for a select audience before the general public has the
opportunity to see it

2.  describe
a show in advance: to write, print, or
broadcast a short piece that describes and comments on something that is soon
to be broadcast or presented to the public

[1]



previous

previous
pre·vi·ous 
[prvee əss] adjective

1.  coming
before something: occurring before something or somebody
of the same kind • his previous girlfriend
• the
previous edition

2.  already
arranged:
existing, made, or settled before the one being referred to now • She
was unable to come because of a previous engagement.

3.  acting
too hastily: saying or doing something earlier than
is appropriate (informal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin praevius “going before,” from prae
“before.”]
—pre·vi·ous·ness,
noun
previous
to something

before a particular thing
took place[1]



previously

previously
pre·vi·ous·ly
[prvee əsslee] adverb

already:
at an earlier time or on an earlier occasion[1]



previousquestion

previousquestion
pre·vi·ous
ques·tion
(plural pre·vi·ous ques·tions) noun

motion to put question:
a motion to put a question that will end a debate so that a vote on a bill can
be taken without delay[1]



previse

previse
pre·vise 
[pri vz] (past pre·vised, past
participle pre·vised, present participle pre·vis·ing, 3rd
person present singular pre·vis·es) transitive verb (formal
or literary)

1.  predict
something:
to predict or foresee something

2.  warn
somebody:
to warn somebody about something
[15th century. From Latin praevis-,
the past participle stem of praevidere “to foresee,” which was formed
from videre “to see.”][1]



prevision

prevision
pre·vi·sion 
[prə ví’n] (past pre·vi·sioned,
past participle pre·vi·sioned, present participle pre·vi·sion·ing,
3rd person present singular pre·vi·sions, plural pre·vi·sions)
noun (formal or literary)

1.  ability
to predict:
the ability to predict or foresee things

2.  prediction:
a prediction or premonition

[1]



prevocalic

prevocalic
pre·vo·cal·ic 
[pree vō kállik] adjective

coming
before a vowel: used to describe a consonant that comes
immediately before a vowel
—pre·vo·cal·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Prevost,George

Prevost,George
Pre·vost
[prév ost], Sir George (1767–1816)

British soldier and
administrator. He was governor-in-chief of Canada (1811–1812) and commander of
British forces in North America during the War of 1812.[1]



prevue

prevue
pre·vue 
(plural pre·vues) noun

See
preview[1]



prewar

prewar
pre·war 
[pree wáwr] adjective

before
the war:
dating from or belonging to the period before a particular war, especially
World War II or World War I • prewar
buildings
adverb

at a time before the war:
during the period before a particular war took place, especially World War II
or World War I[1]



prewashed

prewashed
pre·washed 
[pree wáwsht] or pre-washed [pree wáwsht] adjective

already washed:
washed before being packaged and sold in the store[1]



prewriting

prewriting
pre·writ·ing 
[pree rting] noun

work done before writing:
the preparatory work needed before a piece of writing is begun, such as
formation of ideas, organization of material, and discussion[1]



prexy

prexy
prex·y 
[préksee] (plural prex·ies) or
prex [preks] (plural prex·es)
noun

a
president, especially of a college or university (slang)
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of prez .][1]



prey

prey
prey 
[pray] (plural prey or preys)
noun

1.  animals
hunted by other animals: an animal or animals that
are caught, killed, and eaten by another animal as food • The
common shrew’s prey consists largely of earthworms and woodlice.

2.  somebody
treated unkindly by others: somebody who is attacked or
receives cruel or unfair treatment from somebody else • a
young heiress who became prey to fortune hunters

3.  killing
of other animals as food: the natural practice or
habit of predatory animals to hunt, kill, and eat other animals • a
bird of prey

4.  plunder:
items stolen or plundered (archaic or literary)
[13th
century. Via Old French preie from Latin praeda “booty” (related
to Latin praehendere “to seize,” which is the source of English apprehend and prison
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to take” that is also the
ancestor of English get .]
—prey·er
[práyr], noun
prey
on your mind

to
cause you constant worry or distress

be
prey to something

to experience something
unpleasant regularly or be at risk of something[1]



preyon

preyon
prey
on
or prey upon transitive verb

1.  hunt
and kill other animals: to hunt and kill other
animals for food • Owls prey on mice and
rabbits.

2.  victimize
somebody:
to victimize or exploit somebody

3.  worry
somebody:
to cause somebody constant anxiety or distress • ever-increasing
debt that preyed on his mind

[1]



prez

prez
prez
[prez] or pres [prez] noun

president:
a president (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



Priam

Priam
Pri·am 
[pr əm] noun

mythological king of Troy:
in Greek mythology, the king of Troy, husband of Hecuba, and father of Hector,
Paris, and Cassandra. He was killed during the Trojan War.[1]



priapic

priapic
pri·a·pic 
[prī áppik] adjective

1.  relating
to phallus:
relating to or resembling a phallus (dated or literary)

2.  MEDICINE with
penis permanently erect: having a permanently erect
penis

3.  fascinated
by male sexual activity: showing a preoccupation with
male sexual activity
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin Priapus, the god of procreation, symbolized by the erect
phallus, from Greek Priapos .][1]



priapism

priapism
pri·a·pism 
[pr ə pìzzəm] noun

erection
of penis as medical disorder: a medical disorder in which
there is persistent, often painful erection of the penis in the absence of
sexual interest
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin Priapus (see priapic ).][1]



Priapus

Priapus
Pri·a·pus 
[prī áypəss] noun

Greek god of fertility:
in Greek mythology, the god of fertility. He was the son of Aphrodite and
Dionysus.[1]



PribilofIslands

PribilofIslands
Prib·i·lof
Is·lands 
[príbbə làwf ləndz]

group of islands off
southwestern Alaska, in the southeastern Bering Sea, approximately 290 km/180
mi north of Unalaska Island. Population: 901 (1990) Area: 161 sq km/62 sq mi.[1]



price

price
price 
[prīss] noun (plural pric·es)

1.  cost
of something bought or sold: the particular amount,
usually of money, that is offered or asked for when something is bought or sold
• The
price of food continued to soar.

2.  something
sacrificed to get something else: something lost or
given in order to achieve a particular position or condition • Unwanted
media attention is the price of fame.

3.  sufficient
bribe:
the sum of money or other payment for which somebody is willing to do something
or to refrain from doing something • The
price of her cooperation was an invitation to the gala dinner.

4.  reward
money:
a sum of money offered as a reward for the capture or killing of a particular
criminal or outlaw (dated or literary) • an
outlaw with a price on his head.
Also
called
bounty

5.  measure
of something’s value: an estimate of what somebody
or something is worth, for example, how important, useful, or irreplaceable it
is (dated or literary)

6.  BETTING betting
odds:
betting or gambling odds
transitive
verb
(past priced, past participle priced, present
participle pric·ing, 3rd person present singular pric·es)

1.  decide
how much something costs: to state or fix the exact
price that a customer or consumer must pay for something • He
priced the antique clock at $700.

2.  mark
something with its price: to show how much something
costs, especially by writing on the article itself or by attaching a label or
price tag • spent
the morning pricing merchandise

3.  find
out what something costs: to check the price that has
been set for a certain product, or compare the different prices charged at a
variety of stores or from different companies • priced
a few computers before deciding which one to buy
[13th
century. Via Old French pris from Latin pretium “price, money”
(source of English prize and praise ). Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to sell” that is also the ancestor of English pornography .]
—pric·er,
noun
at
any price

no
matter how much it costs (often used with a negative)

at
a price

for
a lot of money

be
beyond price

to
be priceless

have
a price on your head

to
have had a reward offered for your capture or death

price
something out of the market

to
charge so high a price for something as to make its sale very unlikely

what
price something?

used to suggest that
something such as an ideal or a promise has no value “What Price Glory?”
Maxwell Anderson What Price Glory? 1924[1]



pricecontrol

pricecontrol
price
con·trol
(plural price con·trols) noun

government control of prices:
government control over prices of goods and services, usually introduced as an
emergency measure[1]



price-cutting

price-cutting
price-cut·ting 
noun

reducing of prices:
the reduction of prices below their usual level in order to sell more than
competitors[1]



price-earningsratio

price-earningsratio
price-earn·ings
ra·tio 
(plural price-earn·ings ra·tios) noun

ratio of price to earnings:
on the stock exchange, the ratio of a share’s price to its earnings, providing
an indication of its value[1]



pricefixing

pricefixing
price
fix·ing
noun

artificial setting of prices:
the setting of prices by government or following an agreement between
producers, rather than by free market operation[1]



priceindex

priceindex
price
in·dex
noun

measure of price movement:
a mathematical quantity that is used to measure movements in price levels over
different periods of time[1]



Price,Leontyne

Price,Leontyne


Price 
[prīss], Leontyne (1927– )
U.S.
soprano. During a long career as a major international opera star (1952–1985),
she was especially associated with Italian opera.
Full name
Price, Mary Violet Leontyne[1]



priceless

priceless
price·less 
[prssləss] adjective

1.  impossible
to put a value on: worth more than can be
calculated in terms of money • the
priceless treasures of the pharaohs’ tombs

2.  hilarious:
extremely comic and amusing (informal) • You
should have seen his face when I walked in –it was priceless!
—price·less·ness, noun[1]



pricesupport

pricesupport
price
sup·port
noun

maintenance of price levels:
government maintenance of prices levels by means such as subsidy[1]



pricetag

pricetag
price
tag
(plural price tags) noun

1.  label
saying what something costs: a small label attached to an
article that is for sale, with the price written or printed on it

2.  price
that must be paid: the amount something costs,
whether in money or in something else, for example, emotional outlay or loss of
life or health (informal) • The
price tag for involvement in the war was more than the country could stand.

[1]



pricewar

pricewar
price
war
(plural price wars) noun

intense market competition:
extreme competition within a market, characterized by price-cutting[1]



pricey

pricey
pric·ey
[prssee] (comparative pric·i·er,
superlative pric·i·est) or pric·y [prssee] (comparative pric·i·er, superlative
pric·i·est) adjective

expensive:
charging high prices or costing a great deal (informal) • a
pricey restaurant
—pric·ey·ness, noun[1]



Prichard

Prichard
Prich·ard 
[príchərd]

city in southwestern Alabama,
a northern suburb of Mobile. Population: 32,887 (1996)[1]



prick

prick
prick 
[prik] verb (past pricked,
past participle pricked, present participle prick·ing,
3rd person present singular pricks)

1.  transitive
verb
make
small hole through surface: to puncture the surface of
something, especially the skin, by piercing it lightly with something sharp and
finely pointed • pricked her finger on a
cactus needle

2.  transitive
verb
suddenly
disturb somebody emotionally or mentally: to
make somebody feel a sudden strong emotional twinge, for example, of guilt or
shame • His
conscience began to prick him.

3.  transitive
verb
mark
out shape using tiny holes: to make a number of small
indentations in or through the surface of something such as a board or a piece
of card or fabric so as to form the outline of something

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb raise
the ears:
to stick up straight or cause an animal’s ears to stick up straight • The
dog pricked its ears at the sound of its master’s voice.

5.  transitive
verb
make
an animal move faster: to urge an animal,
especially a horse, to gallop or move more quickly by digging the spurs or
heels into its flank (archaic or literary)

6.  transitive
verb
push
somebody into activity: to force or encourage
somebody to speed up with some task or project or to get started on some
definite course of action • If
only we could prick him into action on this.
noun
(plural pricks)

1.  quick,
sharp pain:
a sudden twinge of pain caused by a fine point being pushed into the skin

2.  small
puncture:
a small puncture hole or indented mark or an act of piercing that causes such a
puncture

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a penis (taboo offensive)

4.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a man regarded as pathetically inadequate or
unpleasant (taboo offensive)

5.  something
that enters the mind painfully: a sudden, unpleasant
thought or feeling, often one related to some past action or event

6.  pointed
implement:
any pointed implement or weapon such as a goad (archaic)

7.  hare’s
footprint:
the footprint of a hare
[Old
English prica, of unknown origin. Prick is a word of the Low
German area, which English shares with Dutch ( prik ). The earliest
record of its use for “penis” is from the late 16th century, and in the 16th and
17th centuries women used it as a term of endearment.]
prick
up your ears

to begin to listen very
carefully[1]



pricker

pricker
prick·er 
[príkər] (plural prick·ers) noun

1.  gadget
for pricking: a tool used to prick or pierce small
holes in something

2.  BOTANY See prickle  noun 1

[1]



pricket

pricket
prick·et 
[príkət] (plural prick·ets) noun

1.  young
male deer:
a male deer in its second year, typically one with unbranched antlers

2.  candleholder:
a metal spike for sticking a candle on
[14th century. Literally
“small prick.”][1]



prickle

prickle
prick·le 
[prík’l] noun (plural prick·les)

1.  BOTANY projection
on plant:
a sharp pointed projection on the outer surface of a leaf or plant.
Also
called
pricker

2.  tingling
feeling:
a tingling or stinging sensation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past prick·led,
past participle prick·led, present participle prick·ling,
3rd person present singular prick·les)

hurt in a stinging way:
to feel a sharp, stinging pain or to cause something such as the eyes or the
skin to hurt in this way
[Old English pricel,
literally “small prick,” formed from the same prehistoric Germanic base that
produced English prick][1]



prickly

prickly
prick·ly 
[príklee] (past prick·led, plural
prick·les, comparative prick·li·er, superlative prick·li·est)
adjective

1.  with
small sharp spikes: having a surface or skin
with prickles on it

2.  uncomfortable:
irritating to the skin, especially because of fibers or prickles that are rough
to the touch

3.  oversensitive:
easily angered, offended, or upset (informal) • He’s
very prickly on that subject.

4.  tricky
to handle or solve: especially difficult and
likely to upset people (informal) • They
tried to keep off prickly subjects like politics and religion.
—prick·li·ness, noun[1]



pricklyash

pricklyash
prick·ly
ash
(plural prick·ly ash·es) noun

1.  aromatic
shrub of eastern America: an aromatic shrub or small
tree, native to eastern North America, that has prickly branches and bears
clusters of small greenish flowers. Latin name: Zanthoxylum americanum
See
also
toothache tree

2.  prickly
shrub of southern United States: a spiny shrub or tree
of the southern United States with pinnately compound leaves. Latin name: Zanthoxylum
clavaherculis
See
also
Hercules’ club  noun 1

[1]



pricklyheat

pricklyheat
prick·ly
heat
[prìklee ht] noun

rash caused by heat:
a rash of tiny raised spots, accompanied by redness and itching, appearing in
hot or humid conditions. It is due to obstruction of the sweat gland ducts.
Also called
heat rash Technical name miliaria[1]



pricklypear

pricklypear
prick·ly
pear
(plural prick·ly pears) noun

cactus with pear-shaped
fruits: any one of various tropical
cacti that have flattened jointed spiny stems, large yellow or orange flowers,
and pear-shaped fruits that are edible in some species. Native to North and
South America, prickly pears have been introduced elsewhere, often becoming
troublesome weeds. Genus: Opuntia[1]



pricklypoppy

pricklypoppy
prick·ly
pop·py
noun

poppy with bristly stems:
any of various plants of the poppy family that have bristly stems and leaves
and bear yellow, lavender, or white flowers. Some are cultivated as
ornamentals. They were traditionally used by herbalists as a source of
medicines. Genus: Argemone[1]



prickout

prickout
prick
out
transitive verb

plant something in little
holes: to make a series of small
holes in an area of earth and put young seedlings into these holes to grow[1]



prick-teaser

prick-teaser
prick-teas·er
or prick-tease noun

(taboo offensive) See
cock-teaser[1]



pride

pride
pride 
[prīd] noun (plural prides)

1.  feeling
of superiority: a haughty attitude shown by people who
believe, often unjustifiably, that they are better than others • Her
pride prevented her from mixing with those she considered her social inferiors.

2.  proper
sense of own value: the correct level of respect
for the importance and value of your personal character, life, efforts, or
achievements • He
had lost all his confidence and pride.

3.  satisfaction
with self:
the happy, satisfied feeling somebody experiences when having or achieving
something special that other people admire • She
felt a sense of pride when she looked at her finished work.

4.  source
of personal satisfaction: something that somebody
feels especially pleased and satisfied to own or to have achieved • His
grandchildren were his pride and joy.

5.  the
best time:
the best condition or period of something (literary)

6.  group
of lions:
a group of lions, typically consisting of comprises up to a dozen related adult
females, their cubs and juveniles, plus from one to six adult males
reflexive
verb
(past prid·ed, past participle prid·ed, present
participle prid·ing, 3rd person present singular prides)

be proud of something:
to obtain personal satisfaction and pleasure from a particular source,
especially something accomplished or a quality possessed • He
prides himself on his meticulous timekeeping.
[Old
English prde, a variant of prte, which was formed from prūd
“proud.” There is an isolated example of the use of the word for a “group of
lions” from the 15th century, but the modern usage seems to be a 20th century
revival.]
—pride·ful,
adjective

—pride·ful·ly,
adverb
take
pride in something

to
have a sense of personal satisfaction because of a particular achievement or
effort that you or somebody connected with you has made

pride
of place

the
most important or prominent position





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Pride
  and Prejudice, a novel by the English writer Jane Austen ( 1813 ). Through
  the story of the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the fiercely
  independent daughter of minor gentry, and Mr. Darcy, a wealthy and haughty
  nobleman, Austen reveals how both pride and prejudices create barriers to
  mutual understanding. One of Austen’s lighter social comedies, it was made
  into a movie by Robert Leonard in 1940.

[1]



prie-dieu

prie-dieu
prie-dieu 
[pr dy] (plural prie-dieux) noun

piece
of furniture for kneeling at: a shelved wooden desk for
use when praying, usually with a low surface for kneeling on and a higher
surface for resting the elbows or a book on
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “pray God.”][1]



prier

prier
pri·er
[prr] (plural pri·ers) or
pry·er [prr] (plural pry·ers)
noun

prying person:
somebody who pries[1]



priest

priest
priest 
[preest] noun (plural priests)

1.  ordained
person:
an ordained minister, especially in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern
Orthodox churches, responsible for administering the sacraments, preaching, and
ministering to the needs of the congregation

2.  minister
of non-Christian religion: a spiritual leader or
teacher of a non-Christian religion

3.  descendant
of family of Aaron: somebody descended from the
family of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, appointed as priests in the Hebrew
Scriptures
transitive
verb
(past priest·ed, past participle priest·ed, present
participle priest·ing, 3rd person present singular priests)

ordain somebody:
to perform the necessary ceremonies to make somebody into a priest (archaic)
[Old English prēost
The word came into prehistoric Germanic from ecclesiastical Latin presbyter
(see presbyter )][1]



priestess

priestess
priest·ess 
[prstəss] (plural priest·ess·es)
noun

woman minister of pagan
religion: a woman who is a spiritual
leader in a pagan religion[1]



priest-hole

priest-hole
priest-hole
[prst hl] (plural priest-holes)
or priest’s hole [prst hl] (plural
priest’s holes) noun

secret place for hiding
fugitives: a small hidden room or space
in an English house, created as a hiding place for Roman Catholic priests and
others trying to escape persecution after the English Reformation[1]



priesthood

priesthood
priest·hood 
[prst hd] noun

1.  priest’s
position:
the official role, position, or office of a priest

2.  priests
as a group:
all Roman Catholic priests considered together, or all the priests of another
religion
[Old English prēosthād][1]



priestly

priestly
priest·ly 
[prstlee] adjective

of
priests:
used, worn, or performed exclusively by priests, or in some way typical of or
suitable for a priest • priestly
garments
[Old
English prēostlic]
—priest·li·ness, noun[1]



priest-ridden

priest-ridden
priest-rid·den
adjective

too full of priests or
religion: influenced or controlled by
priests or religious dogma to what the speaker or writer regards as an
unacceptable degree (dated or literary)[1]



prig

prig
prig 
[prig] (plural prigs) noun

smugly
well-behaved person: somebody who takes pride in
behaving in a very correct and proper way, and who feels morally superior to
people with more relaxed standards (insult)
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps the same word as obsolete slang prig
“tinker,” of unknown origin. Its original meaning was “dandy.”]
—prig·ger·y,
noun

—priggish,
adjective

—prig·gish·ly,
adverb

—prig·gish·ness,
noun

—prig·gism, noun[1]



prill

prill
prill
[pril] transitive verb (past prilled,
past participle prilled, present participle pril·ling,
3rd person present singular prills)

make
solid into granules: to make a solid into
granules or pellets that flow freely and do not clump together
noun
(plural prills)

prill
ed granule:
a granule or pellet made by prilling
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



prim.

prim.
prim.

1.  Abbreviation
of
primary

2.  Abbreviation
of
primitive

[1]



prim

prim
prim
[prim] adjective (comparative prim·mer,
superlative prim·mest)

1.  prudish:
easily shocked by vulgar or obscene language or behavior

2.  formal
and proper:
excessively formal and proper in manner or appearance

3.  very
neat:
excessively neat and tidy
verb
(past primmed, past participle primmed, present
participle prim·ming, 3rd person present singular prims)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb assume
proper expression: to take on an affectedly
proper expression

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody look very proper: to make somebody look
excessively proper
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French prin “excellent,
delicate” from Latin primus (see prime
).]
—prim·ly,
adverb

—prim·ness, noun[1]



primaballerina

primaballerina
pri·ma
bal·le·ri·na  (plural pri·ma bal·le·ri·nas)
noun

lead
woman ballet dancer: the principal woman dancer
in a ballet company
[From Italian, “first
ballerina”][1]



primacy

primacy
pri·ma·cy 
[prməssee] (plural pri·ma·cies)
noun

1.  preeminence:
the state of being the first or most important part or aspect of something • Speech
is regarded as having primacy over writing.

2.  position
of church primate: the position or office of a
primate in a Christian church

[1]



primadonna

primadonna
pri·ma
don·na 
(plural pri·ma don·nas) noun

1.  lead
woman opera singer: the principal woman soloist
in an opera production

2.  conceited,
difficult person: a self-important person who is demanding
and difficult to please (insult)
[From Italian, “first lady”][1]



primaeval

primaeval
pri·mae·val
adjective

U.K.
See primeval[1]



primafacie

primafacie
pri·ma
fa·cie 
[prmə fáyshee, prmə
fáyshee , prmə fáyshee ] adverb

at first glance:
on initial examination or consideration • Prima
facie, this lawsuit seems spurious.
adjective

1.  apparent:
clear from a first impression • a
prima facie counterexample to your hypothesis

2.  legally
sufficient:
sufficient in law to establish a case or fact, unless disproved
[From Latin, literally “at
first appearance”][1]



primafacie case

primafacie case
pri·ma
fa·cie case
(plural pri·ma fa·cie cas·es) noun

legally sufficient evidence:
a judicial case in which there is sufficient evidence for a judgment, unless
the evidence is disproved[1]



primafacie evidence

primafacie evidence
pri·ma
fa·cie ev·i·dence noun

sufficient evidence for a
claim: evidence that, unless
disproved, is sufficient to establish something as a fact (technical)[1]



primal

primal
pri·mal 
[prm’l] adjective

1.  original:
first or earliest, and often basic • the
primal instinct for survival

2.  basic:
most significant and primary • our
primal need for a new fuel source
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin primalis, from Latin primus (see prime ).]
—pri·mal·i·ty [prī mállətee], noun[1]



primalscream

primalscream
pri·mal
scream
(plural pri·mal screams) noun

scream used in primal
therapy: a cry of extreme anger that
a client undergoing primal therapy is encouraged to use[1]



primaltherapy

primaltherapy
pri·mal
ther·a·py
noun

acting out anger from past
times: a style of psychotherapy in
which clients relive past traumas and unleash repressed anger and frustration
through screams, tantrums, or beating inanimate objects[1]



primaquine

primaquine
pri·ma·quine 
[prmə kwn, prmə
kwn, prməkwin] or pri·ma·quine
phos·phate [prmə kwn, prmə kwn, prməkwin]
noun

antimalarial
drug:
a synthetic drug used to treat malaria. C15H21N3O
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Latin primus “first” + an alteration of quinoline .][1]



primarily

primarily
pri·mar·i·ly 
[prī mérrilee] adverb

1.  chiefly:
mainly or mostly • Baldness is primarily
found among adult men.

2.  originally:
originally or at first

[1]



primary

primary
pri·mar·y 
[pr mèrree, prməree]
adjective

1.  first
in sequence: first or earliest in a sequence • the
primary stage of development

2.  most
important:
ranked as most important

3.  basic:
essential or basic to something

4.  original:
being the first form of something • Unlike
musical chords, notes are primary.

5.  relating
to early education: relating to the early years
of formal education, usually for children between the ages of 6 and 12

6.  ELECTRICITY producing
electricity: used to describe a cell that uses an
irreversible chemical reaction to generate electricity and, as a result, cannot
be recharged

7.  ELECTRICITY relating
to current-inducing component: used to describe a
circuit component such as a coil that induces a current in a neighboring
circuit

8.  CHEMISTRY substituting
atoms:
relating to or resulting from the replacement of one or more atoms in a
molecule

9.  CHEMISTRY relating
to attached carbon atom: having or used to describe a
carbon atom in a molecule that is bonded to one other carbon atom only

10. BIOCHEMISTRY relating
to amino acid sequence: relating to or used to
describe the basic type, number, or sequence of component units in a
polypeptide, especially a protein

11. relating
to natural resource industry: relating to or produced by
an industry such as forestry, mining, or agriculture, that collects and
processes a natural resource

12. BIRDS relating
to main wing feathers: relating to or used to
describe any of the main flight feathers on the outer edge of a bird’s wing

13. BOTANY grown
from embryonic tissue: relating to or used to
describe growth from embryonic tissue in the tip of a root or shoot
noun
(plural pri·mar·ies)

1.  first
thing:
something that is first in time or order

2.  most
important thing: a part or aspect of something that is
the most important

3.  basic
part or aspect: something that is essential or basic to
something

4.  original
form:
something that is the earliest form of something

5.  POLITICS election
of candidates for governmental position: an
election in which members of a party choose candidates for a governmental
position.
Also
called
primary election

6.  POLITICS election
of delegates to choose candidates: an election to choose
delegates who will choose the party’s candidates at a political convention.
Also
called
primary election

7.  U.K.
EDUCATION (used in school names)
See primary school

8.  COLORS See primary color

9.  ELECTRICITY See primary coil

10. ASTRONOMY brighter
star of double star: the brighter or larger of
two stars in a double star

11. ASTRONOMY See primary planet

12. BIRDS See primary feather
[15th century. From Latin primarius,
from primus (see prime ).][1]



primaryaccent

primaryaccent
pri·mar·y
ac·cent
(plural pri·mar·y ac·cents) noun

LINGUISTICS
emphasis placed on main syllable:
the strongest force used in pronouncing one of the syllables of a multisyllabic
word or the mark, usually (′), used to indicate this. For example, in the word
“secondary,” the primary accent falls on the first syllable.
Also called
primary stress
U.K. term
primary stress[1]



primaryatypical pneumonia

primaryatypical pneumonia
pri·mar·y
a·typ·i·cal pneu·mo·nia noun

mild infectious pneumonia:
an infectious but relatively mild form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma
pneumoniae. Its symptoms include malaise, fever, coughing, and a sore
throat.[1]



primarycare

primarycare
pri·mar·y
care
noun

nonspecialist care:
the level of health care at which a patient is assessed and treated by a
general practitioner or nurse, or, if necessary, is referred to a specialist[1]



primarycell

primarycell
pri·mar·y
cell
(plural pri·mar·y cells) noun

electricity-producing cell:
an electrical cell that uses an irreversible chemical reaction to generate
electricity and, as a result, cannot be recharged.
Also called
voltaic cell[1]



primarycoil

primarycoil
pri·mar·y
coil
(plural pri·mar·y coils) noun

coil that sets up magnetic
flux: a coil that forms part of a
machine or circuit in which the current flow sets up the magnetic flux
necessary for the operation of the machine or circuit.
Also called
primary
Also called
primary winding[1]



primarycolor

primarycolor
pri·mar·y
col·or
noun
Also
called
primary

1.  red,
green, or blue: any one of the three basic colors of the
spectrum, red, green, or blue, from which all other colors can be blended

2.  cyan,
magenta, or yellow: any one of the three basic
colors cyan, magenta, or yellow, which when subtracted from white can produce
all other colors

[1]



primaryconsumer

primaryconsumer
pri·mar·y
con·sum·er
(plural pri·mar·y con·sum·ers) noun

plant-eating animal:
an animal that eats plants, in terms of its position in a food chain[1]



primaryelection

primaryelection
pri·mar·y
e·lec·tion
(plural pri·mar·y e·lec·tions) noun

See
primary  noun 5
See primary  noun 6[1]



primaryfeather

primaryfeather
pri·mar·y
feath·er
(plural pri·mar·y feath·ers) noun

main wing feather:
any one of the main flight feathers on the outer edge of a bird’s wing.
Also called
primary[1]



primarygroup

primarygroup
pri·mar·y
group
(plural pri·mar·y groups) noun

individual’s main social
circle: the group of people that
somebody regularly interacts with face-to-face[1]



primarygrowth

primarygrowth
pri·mar·y
growth
(plural pri·mar·y growths) noun

root or shoot growth:
a growth from the tips of roots and shoots of a plant that develops into the
main part of the mature plant[1]



primarymeristem

primarymeristem
pri·mar·y
mer·i·stem
(plural pri·mar·y mer·i·stems) noun

new plant tissue:
a plant tissue derived from the tip of a root or shoot[1]



primaryplanet

primaryplanet
pri·mar·y
plan·et
(plural pri·mar·y plan·ets) noun

planet orbiting sun:
a planet in direct orbit around a sun.
Also called
primary[1]



primaryprocess

primaryprocess
pri·mar·y
proc·ess
(plural pri·mar·y proc·ess·es) noun

process involving functioning
of id: in Freudian terminology, a
basic process that is involved in the functioning of the id and is ruled by the
pleasure principle[1]



primaryproduction

primaryproduction
pri·mar·y
pro·duc·tion noun

chemical energy from
photosynthesis: the total chemical
energy produced by photosynthesis[1]



primaryschool

primaryschool
pri·mar·y
school
(plural pri·mar·y schools) noun

1.  U.S.
school for younger students: in the United States, a
school in which the first three, or sometimes four, grades are taught, often
including kindergarten as well

2.  U.K.
school for younger children: in the United Kingdom, a
school in which children usually aged between 5 and 11 or 12 are taught

[1]



primarystorage

primarystorage
pri·mar·y
stor·age
noun

computer’s main memory:
the main memory in a computer, including the random-access memory, or RAM, and
the read-only memory, or ROM, directly accessible by the processor[1]



primarystress

primarystress
pri·mar·y
stress
(plural pri·mar·y stress·es) noun

See
primary accent[1]



primarysyphilis

primarysyphilis
pri·mar·y
syph·i·lis
noun

earliest stage of syphilis:
the first of the three stages of syphilis, in which a painless growth ( chancre ) grows at the site of infection and the
infecting bacterium ( spirochete ) spreads
throughout the body[1]



primarytooth

primarytooth
pri·mar·y
tooth
noun

See
milk tooth[1]



primarywave

primarywave
pri·mar·y
wave
(plural pri·mar·y waves) noun

earthquake wave:
a seismic wave that creates vibrations parallel to its direction[1]



primarywinding

primarywinding
pri·mar·y
wind·ing
(plural pri·mar·y wind·ings) noun

ELECTRONIC
ENGINEERING See primary coil[1]



primate

primate
pri·mate
(plural pri·mates) noun [pr
màyt]

1.  member
of mammal order: a member of an order of mammals with a
large brain and complex hands and feet, including humans, apes, and monkeys.
Order: Primates

2.  pri·mate
or Pri·mate archbishop:
an archbishop or high-ranking bishop

3.  somebody
of highest rank: somebody holding the highest rank (archaic)
[12th
century. From Latin primat-, the stem of primas “of the first
rank,” from primus (see prime ).]
—pri·ma·tial [prī máysh’l], adjective[1]



primatology

primatology
pri·ma·tol·o·gy 
[prmə tólləjee] noun

study
of primates: the scientific study of primates,
especially nonhuman primates
—pri·ma·to·log·i·cal
[prmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—pri·ma·tol·o·gist [prmə tólləjist], noun[1]



primavera

primavera1
pri·ma·ve·ra1  [prmə
vérrə] (plural pri·ma·ve·ras or pri·ma·ve·ra)
noun

1.  Central
American tree: a Central American tree that has yellow
flowers and palmate leaves. Latin name: Cybistax donnellsmithii

2.  light-colored
wood:
the light-colored wood of the primavera tree, used for making furniture.
Also
called
white mahogany
[Late 19th century. Via
Spanish, literally “springtime” (because the tree flowers in spring), from late
Latin prima vera (see primavera 2 ).][1]



primavera

primavera2
pri·ma·ve·ra2  [prmə
vérrə] adjective

made
with spring vegetables: made with an assortment of
fresh spring vegetables, especially sliced as an accompaniment to pasta, meat,
or seafood
[Late 20th century. From
Italian (alla) primavera “(in the) spring (style),” from late Latin prima
vera “early spring,” from Latin primum ver, literally “first
spring.”][1]



prime

prime
prime 
[prīm] adjective

1.  best:
of the highest quality • prime
grade beef

2.  first
in importance: of the greatest importance or the
highest rank

3.  earliest:
earliest in time or sequence

4.  MATHEMATICS not
divisible without remainder: used to describe a number
that can be divided without a remainder only by one and itself

5.  MATHEMATICS being
without common factors: used to describe a number
that has no common factors with another number • 15
is prime to 8.
noun
(plural primes)

1.  best
stage of something: the best state or stage of
something, especially the most active and enjoyable period in adult life • In
his prime, he was one of the country’s best tennis players.

2.  earliest
period of something: the earliest part of
something, for example, the early hours of daylight or the first season of the
year

3.  distinguishing
mark:
a mark (′) added to a number, character, or expression in order to distinguish
it from another, or as the symbol for measurement in feet

4.  FENCING first parrying
position:
the first of the eight parrying positions in fencing

5.  MUSIC first
note in musical scale: the first note of a musical
scale

6.  MUSIC See unison

7.  MATHEMATICS See prime number

8.  FINANCE See prime rate
verb
(past primed, past participle primed, present
participle prim·ing, 3rd person present singular primes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become ready: to make something ready for use or
become ready for use

2.  transitive
verb
prepare
surface for painting: to prepare a surface for
painting or a similar process by treating it with a sealant or an undercoat of
paint

3.  transitive
verb
put
charge in gun: to make a firearm ready for use by
putting a charge in it

4.  transitive
verb
provide
explosive with fuse: to make an explosive ready
for use by inserting a fuse

5.  transitive
verb
prepare
pump:
to put liquid in a pump in order to get it started

6.  transitive
verb
put
fuel into carburetor: to put fuel into a
carburetor in order to start an internal-combustion engine

7.  transitive
verb
brief
somebody:
to give somebody, especially a witness in a court case, information or
instructions on how to behave or answer questions

8.  transitive
verb
ply
somebody with drink: to provide somebody with
large quantities of alcohol in order to prepare him or her for doing something
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin primus “first.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English principal and pristine
.]
—prime·ly,
adverb

—prime·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a novel by the British writer Muriel Spark ( 1961
  ). The best-known of Spark’s novels, it is set in an Edinburgh girls’ school
  and describes the powerful and lasting influence of an unconventional
  schoolteacher, Miss Jean Brodie, on a group of promising but impressionable
  pupils. It was adapted for the theater in 1966 and made into a movie by
  Ronald Neame in 1968.

[1]



primecost

primecost
prime
cost
(plural prime costs) noun

material and labor cost:
the cost of the material and labor necessary to make a product[1]



primeinterest rate

primeinterest rate
prime
in·ter·est rate (plural prime in·ter·est rates)
noun

See
prime rate[1]



primemeridian

primemeridian
prime
me·rid·i·an
noun

0° longitude line:
the 0° longitude meridian, from which other longitudes are calculated. It
passes through Greenwich, England.[1]



primeminister

primeminister
prime
min·is·ter
(plural prime min·is·ters) noun

1.  head
of cabinet:
in a parliamentary system, the head of the cabinet and, usually, chief
executive

2.  ruler’s
chief minister: the chief minister appointed by the
ruler of a country
—prime
min·is·te·ri·al, adjective

—prime min·is·ter·ship,
noun[1]



primemover

primemover
prime
mov·er
(plural prime mov·ers) noun

1.  most
important cause of something: somebody or something that
initiates a process or activity and is usually the most important factor in its
continuation

2.  PHILOSOPHY source
of all motion: in Aristotelian philosophy, the initial
source of all movement.
Also
called
primum mobile

3.  natural
or physical energy source: a natural or physical source
of energy such as wind or electricity that can be harnessed to power a machine

4.  energy
converter:
a machine that converts energy from a natural or physical source in order to
power equipment such as a windmill or turbine

5.  powerful
vehicle:
a sturdy, powerful truck or tractor

[1]



primenumber

primenumber
prime
num·ber
(plural prime num·bers) noun

number not divisible without
remainder: a whole number that can only
be divided without a remainder by itself and one.
Also called
prime[1]



primer

primer1
prim·er1  [prmər]
(plural prim·ers) noun

1.  basic
reading textbook: a book used to teach young children to
read, typically containing simple stories

2.  introductory
text:
a book that provides an introduction to a topic
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin primarius (see primary ).][1]



primer

primer2
prim·er2  [prmər]
(plural prim·ers) noun

1.  priming
agent:
somebody or something that primes something

2.  undercoat:
a paint or sealant used to prepare a surface for painting or a similar process,
or a coat of this material

3.  explosive
igniter:
a small container or wafer of explosive material such as gunpowder, used to
ignite the main explosive charge of a firearm or explosive

4.  BIOCHEMISTRY genetic
material:
a molecular substrate such as a DNA molecule needed in the polymerization reaction
that produces another molecule structurally similar to the substrate
[15th century. Formed from prime .][1]



primerate

primerate
prime
rate
(plural prime rates) or prime in·ter·est rate (plural
prime in·ter·est rates) noun

lowest lending rate:
the lowest rate of interest on loans that is available from a bank at a given
time.
Also called
prime[1]



primero

primero
pri·me·ro 
[pri mérrō] noun

card
game:
a card game played for money in the 16th and 17th centuries
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of Spanish primera, literally “first,” from Latin primarius (see primary ).][1]



primetime

primetime
prime
time
noun

1.  hours
of highest TV viewing: the hours when television
audiences are usually largest, typically from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Advertising
rates are most expensive during these hours.

2.  busiest
time:
the busiest or most exciting period in some activity • The
department store needs more sales assistants to cope with shopping in prime
time.
—prime-time, adjective[1]



primeval

primeval
pri·me·val 
[prī mv’l] adjective

1.  ancient
and original: at or from the ancient, original stages
in the development of something

2.  primitive:
primitive, or arising from instinct rather than thought • a
primeval urge
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin primaevus, from primus “first” + aevum
“age.”]
—pri·me·val·ly, adverb[1]



primevertical

primevertical
prime
ver·ti·cal
noun

great circle around Earth:
the imaginary circle around the Earth that goes through the highest point of
the celestial sphere directly above an observer and meets the horizon at east
and west[1]



primigravida

primigravida
prim·i·grav·i·da 
[prmi grávvidə] (plural prim·i·grav·i·das
or prim·i·grav·i·dae [prmi grávvi d])
noun

woman
during first pregnancy: a woman during her first
pregnancy
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from gravida “pregnant,” on the model of primipara .][1]



primipara

primipara
pri·mip·a·ra 
[prī míppərə] (plural pri·mip·a·ras
or pri·mip·a·rae [prī míppə r])
noun

first-time
mother:
a woman who has given birth only once, whether it was a single or a multiple
birth, and whether the baby was alive or stillborn.
Also
called
para I
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from Latin primus “first” + -para
“bearing,” feminine form of -parus (see -parous
).]
—pri·mi·par·i·ty
[prmi pérrətee], noun

—pri·mip·a·rous [prī míppərəss], adjective[1]



primitive

primitive
prim·i·tive 
[prímmitiv] adjective

1.  first:
at or relating to the first stages or form of something

2.  BIOLOGY developmentally
early:
relating to or appearing in an earlier stage of biological development,
particularly of an embryo or species

3.  very
simple in design: crudely simple in design or construction
(offensive in some contexts)

4.  original:
not derived from other things

5.  with
simple technological development: not using or relying
on complex modern technologies (sometimes considered offensive)

6.  MATHEMATICS being
basis:
acting as a basis from which something else is derived

7.  natural:
arising from some inherent characteristic

8.  ARTS artistically
untrained:
created by an artist with no formal training, especially using a simple style

9.  ARTS early
medieval:
created by an early medieval European artist or a folk artist

10. LINGUISTICS from
which other form derives: used to describe a word form
from which another word is derived • The
primitive root in “children” is “child.”

11. LINGUISTICS earlier
in linguistic development: being or belonging to an
earlier form of a language
noun
(plural prim·i·tives)

1.  somebody
or something from original stage: somebody or something
from the first stage or form of something

2.  somebody
from culture with simple technologies: a
member of a people who do not use or rely on complex modern technologies (often
considered offensive)

3.  ARTS untrained
artist:
an artist without formal training, especially one using a simple style

4.  ARTS early
medieval artist: an artist or folk artist, especially a
painter, whose work was typical of the style of early medieval Europe

5.  ARTS early
medieval work of art: a painting or other work by
an early medieval artist or a folk artist

6.  derivation:
something such as a concept, feature, or formula from which something else is
derived

7.  MATHEMATICS basic
geometric form or function: a geometric form or function
from which another is derived

8.  LINGUISTICS word
root:
a word root (dated technical)

9.  COMPUTING basic
element of computer program: a simple element of a
computer program or graphic design from which larger programs or images can be
constructed
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin primitus “in the first
place,” from primus (see prime ).]
—prim·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—prim·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



primitivism

primitivism
prim·i·tiv·ism 
[prímmiti vìzzəm] noun

1.  state
of being primitive: the state of being primitive
or the qualities associated with being primitive

2.  ARTS simplicity
of style:
simplicity or naiveté of artistic style

3.  antimodernism:
the belief that less technologically dependent cultures and ways of living are
inherently better than more technologically dependent ones
—prim·i·tiv·ist,
noun, adjective

—prim·i·tiv·is·tic [prìmmiti vístik], adjective[1]



primo

primo
pri·mo 
[prmō] noun (plural pri·mos
or pri·mi [prmee])

lead musical part:
the lead musical part in a duet, trio, or ensemble composition
adjective

1.  first:
first in a sequence or series (formal)

2.  excellent:
of the finest quality (slang) • This
pizza is primo!

3.  very
valuable:
of great value (slang) • She
buys only primo stocks.
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian and Spanish, “first, prime,” both from Latin primus (see prime ).][1]



primogenitor

primogenitor
pri·mo·gen·i·tor 
[prmō jénnitər] (plural pri·mo·gen·i·tors)
noun

1.  original
ancestor:
the first ancestor of a people or other group

2.  ancestor:
somebody who lived earlier in somebody’s line of descent
[Mid-17th century. Variant of
progenitor, on the model of primogeniture .][1]



primogeniture

primogeniture
pri·mo·gen·i·ture 
[prmō jénni chr] noun

1.  first-born
status:
the state of being the first-born child of a set of parents

2.  first-born’s
right of inheritance: the right of the first-born
child, usually the eldest son, to inherit the parents’ entire estate
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin primogenitura, from Latin primus
“first” + genitura “birth.”]
—pri·mo·gen·i·tar·y [prmō jénni tèrree], adjective[1]



primordial

primordial
pri·mor·di·al 
[prī máwrdee əl] adjective

1.  existing
first:
existing at the beginning of time or the development of something

2.  basic:
essential or basic to something

3.  BIOLOGY of
earliest stage of development: relating to cells,
tissues, organs, or individuals at the earliest stage of development
[14th
century. From late Latin primordialis, from Latin primordium
“origin,” from primus “first” + ordiri “to begin.”]
—pri·mor·di·al·i·ty
[prī màwrdee állətee], noun

—pri·mor·di·al·ly [prī máwrdee əlee], adverb[1]



primordium

primordium
pri·mor·di·um 
[prī máwrdee əm] (plural pri·mor·di·a
[prī máwrdee ə]) noun

early
tissue growth: a tissue or organ in the earliest stage
of embryonic development, found when the dividing cells in the fertilized ovum
first differentiate
[Late 16th century. From
Latin (see primordial ).][1]



primp

primp
primp 
[primp] (past primped, past
participle primped, present participle primp·ing, 3rd
person present singular primps) intransitive and transitive verb

groom
somebody:
to groom yourself, somebody, or something in a fussy way • spending
all day primping in front of the mirror
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



primrose

primrose

prim·rose 
[prím rz] (plural prim·roses)
noun

1.  small
plant with colorful flowers: a small perennial plant with
colorful flowers. Genus: Primula
Also
called
primula
U.K.
term
primula

2.  primrose
flower:
a flower of the primrose plant
[14th century. Via Old French
primerose from medieval Latin prima rosa “first rose,” so called
because of its early flowering.][1]



primrosepath

primrosepath
prim·rose
path
noun (literary)

1.  pleasurable
lifestyle:
an easy or pleasurable way of life, especially one that leads to disaster

2.  easy
course of action: an easy way or option, especially one
that leads to disaster
[From the phrase “the
primrose path of dalliance” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet][1]



primummobile

primummobile
pri·mum
mo·bi·le 
[prməm mṓbə l, prməm
mṓbə lày] (plural pri·mum mo·bi·les) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY outermost
sphere of universe: in Ptolemaic astronomy, the
outermost sphere of the universe, thought to revolve every 24 hours, moving the
inner spheres with it

2.  PHILOSOPHY See prime mover  noun 2
[15th century. From medieval
Latin, literally “first moving thing.” Translation of Arabic al-muḥarrik
al-awwal .][1]



primusinter pares

primusinter pares
pri·mus
in·ter pa·res  [prməss
intər pái rz] noun

first
among equals: the representative or leader of a group
of equals
[From Latin, “first among
equals”][1]



Primusstove

Primusstove
Pri·mus
stove
[prməss stōv] Trademark

a trademark for a brand of
portable kerosene cooking stove, used by campers[1]



prin.

prin.
prin.

1.  Abbreviation
of
principal

2.  Abbreviation
of
principle

[1]



prince

prince
prince 
[prins] (plural princes) noun

1.  son
of monarch:
a man or boy in a royal family, especially the son of a reigning king or queen

2.  man
ruler:
a man who rules a principality

3.  European
nobleman:
a nobleman in some European countries, usually ranked below a duke

4.  highly
regarded man: a man or boy who is ranked highly in his
field • Robin
Hood was the prince of thieves.

5.  generous,
kind man:
a man who is extremely nice, especially in a generous or chivalrous way (informal)
[12th
century. Via French from Latin princeps, literally “one who takes first
place” (source of English principal
).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Prince, a political treatise by Italian writer Niccolò Machiavelli ( 1513 ).
  Machiavelli based this guide to gaining and maintaining political power on
  his study of history and his experience of politics. The first work of its
  kind to present a political philosophy derived from a study of human behavior
  rather than traditional ethics, it gained lasting notoriety by justifying the
  judicious use of ruthlessness and deceit.

[1]



PrinceAlbert

PrinceAlbert1
Prince
Al·bert1  (plural Prince
Al·berts) noun

men’s
flared coat: a men’s double-breasted, knee-length
coat with a fitted torso and sleeves and a flared skirt
[Late 19th century. Named for
Prince Albert .][1]



PrinceAlbert

PrinceAlbert2
Prince
Al·bert2 

city in central Saskatchewan,
Canada, 140 km/83 mi north of Saskatoon. Population: 41,706 (1996)[1]



PrinceAlbert National Park

PrinceAlbert National Park
Prince
Al·bert Na·tion·al Park

national park in central
Saskatchewan, Canada. Area: 3,874 sq km/1,496 sq mi.[1]



PrinceCharles Island

PrinceCharles Island
Prince
Charles Is·land

the largest island in Foxe
Basin, west of Baffin Island, in Nunavut, Canada. Area: 9,521 sq km/3,676 sq
mi.[1]



princecharming

princecharming
prince
charm·ing
(plural prince charm·ings) or Prince Charm·ing (plural
Prince Charm·ings) noun

1.  romantically
ideal man:
a man who fulfills the romantic ideal of the perfect lover (informal)

2.  charmer:
a man who actively seeks to charm people, especially women, and gain their
liking
[Mid-19th century. From the
name of the hero of the fairy tale Cinderella .][1]



princeconsort

princeconsort
prince
con·sort
(plural prince con·sorts) noun

queen’s husband:
a prince who is married to a reigning queen[1]



princedom

princedom
prince·dom 
[prínsdəm] noun (plural prince·doms)

prince’s
position or territory: the position, territory,
jurisdiction, or estate of a prince
plural
noun
prince·doms

See
principalities[1]



PrinceEdward Island




Back to definition

PrinceEdward Island

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PrinceEdward Island

PrinceEdward Island


Prince
Ed·ward Is·land
the
smallest province in Canada, in the east of the country, in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, opposite New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Capital: Charlottetown.
Population: 134,557 (1996) Area: 5,660 sq km/2,185 sq mi.
—Prince Ed·ward Is·land·er,
noun[1]



PrinceEdward Island National Park

PrinceEdward Island National Park
Prince
Ed·ward Is·land Na·tion·al Park

national park in eastern
Canada, on the northern shore of Prince Edward Island. Area: 22 sq km/9 sq mi.[1]



PrinceGeorge

PrinceGeorge
Prince
George


city in central British
Columbia, Canada, at the junction of the Nechako and Fraser rivers. Population:
75,150 (1996)[1]



princeling

princeling
prince·ling 
[prínsling] (plural prince·lings)
or prince·let [prínslet] (plural
prince·lets) noun

minor prince:
a prince of low rank, age, or importance[1]



princely

princely
prince·ly 
[prínslee] (comparative prince·li·er,
superlative prince·li·est) adjective

1.  relating
to prince:
relating to, belonging to, or suitable for a prince

2.  very
expensive or generous: generous as an amount of
money or requiring the expenditure of large sums of money • a
princely manor in the country
—prince·li·ness, noun[1]



Princeof Darkness

Princeof Darkness
Prince
of Dark·ness noun

Satan:
Satan (literary)
[Modeled on Prince of Peace][1]



Princeof Peace

Princeof Peace
Prince
of Peace
noun

Jesus
Christ:
Jesus Christ (literary)
[From the Christian
interpretation of “and his name shall be called … Prince of Peace” in the
Bible, Isaiah 9:6][1]



Princeof Wales Island

Princeof Wales Island
Prince
of Wales Is·land

1.  island
in northern Canada, in Nunavut, between Victoria and Somerset islands. Area:
33,338 sq km/12,872 sq mi.

2.  island
in northern Australia, in Queensland. Area: 180 sq km/70 sq mi.

[1]



princeregent

princeregent
prince
re·gent
(plural prince re·gents or princes re·gent) noun

prince ruling for monarch:
a prince who rules in the monarch’s place, for example, when the monarch is
abroad, ill, or still a child[1]



princeroyal

princeroyal
prince
roy·al
(plural princ·es roy·al) noun

monarch’s eldest son:
the eldest son of a reigning monarch[1]



PrinceRupert

PrinceRupert
Prince
Ru·pert


city on the northwestern
coast of British Columbia, Canada. Population: 17,414 (1996)[1]



princess

princess
prin·cess 
[prínsəss, prín
sèss, prin séss] noun (plural
prin·cess·es)

1.  monarch’s
daughter:
a woman member of a royal family, other than the queen, especially a daughter
of the reigning monarch

2.  prince’s
wife:
the wife of a prince

3.  woman
ruler:
a woman who rules a principality

4.  European
noblewoman:
a noblewoman in some European countries, usually ranked below a duchess

5.  highly
regarded woman: a woman who is ranked highly in her
field, or who has other qualities suitable for a princess (dated)

6.  spoiled
woman:
a rich, spoiled young woman (informal)

7.  name
for girl:
a pet name for a woman or girl, especially a daughter
adjective

fitted at top with flared skirt:
made with long triangular pieces of fabric that reach from neck to hem, fitted
at the bodice with a flared skirt

[1]



princesse

princesse
prin·cesse 
[prin séss] adjective

See
princess  adjective
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “princess.”][1]



princessroyal

princessroyal
prin·cess
roy·al
(plural prin·cess·es roy·al) noun

monarch’s eldest daughter:
the eldest daughter of a reigning monarch, especially of a British monarch, who
confers the title on her as a special honor[1]



princesstree

princesstree
prin·cess
tree
(plural prin·cess trees) noun

See
paulownia
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Princess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia.][1]



Princeton

Princeton

Prince·ton 
[prínstən]
town in west central New Jersey. It is
the site of Princeton University, founded in 1746. Population: 13,198 (1990)[1]



prince’s-feather

prince’s-feather
prince’s-feath·er
[prìnsəz féər] (plural prince’s-feath·ers
or prince’s-feath·er) noun

1.  tall
red-flowered annual plant: a tall annual plant with
reddish leaves and spikes of red flowers. Family: Amaranthus

2.  tall
pink-flowered plant: a tall plant of Australia
and Asia with oval leaves and drooping spikes of pink flowers. Latin name: Polygonum
orientale

[1]



prince’spine

prince’spine
prince’s
pine
(plural prince’s pines) noun

BOTANY
See pipsissewa[1]



principal

principal
prin·ci·pal 
[prínsəp’l] adjective

1.  primary:
first or among the first in importance or rank

2.  FINANCE initially
invested:
relating to the initial amount of money that was invested or borrowed
noun
(plural prin·ci·pals)

1.  most
important person: somebody who is in charge or most highly
ranked

2.  significant
participant: any one of the most significant
participants in an event or a situation • the
principals in the debate

3.  EDUCATION head
of school:
the head administrator of a school, especially a grade school or high school

4.  ARTS lead
performer:
a lead actor, singer, or dancer in a theatrical or musical performance

5.  MUSIC lead
musician:
the lead musician in a section of an orchestra, or the part played by that
musician

6.  FINANCE original
amount invested: the initial sum of money invested or
borrowed, before interest or other revenue is added, or the remainder of that
sum after payments have been made

7.  LAW represented
person:
somebody for whom a representative or proxy acts in a legal matter

8.  LAW responsible
party:
somebody who has ultimate responsibility for something, rather than an
accomplice or representative

9.  LAW criminal:
the perpetrator of a crime

10. ARCHITECTURE main
support beam: the main support beam, girder, or truss
in a roof, bridge, or other construction
[13th
century. Via French from Latin principalis, from princip-, the
stem of princeps (see prince ).]
—prin·ci·pal·ly,
adverb

—prin·ci·pal·ship, noun[1]



principalaxis

principalaxis
prin·ci·pal
ax·is
noun

OPTICS
line through center of lens:
the line that passes through the center of curvature of a lens[1]



principaldiagonal

principaldiagonal
prin·ci·pal
di·ag·o·nal
(plural prin·ci·pal di·ag·o·nals) noun

line across matrix:
in a square matrix, the diagonal line that extends from the upper left corner
to the lower right corner[1]



principalfocus

principalfocus
prin·ci·pal
fo·cus
noun

OPTICS
See focal point  noun 1[1]



principality

principality
prin·ci·pal·i·ty 
[prìnsə pállətee] noun (plural
prin·ci·pal·i·ties)

1.  prince’s
or princess’s country: a territory ruled by a
prince or princess

2.  position
of prince:
the position or jurisdiction of a prince
plural
noun
prin·ci·pal·i·ties

order of angels:
one of the nine orders of angels in the traditional Christian hierarchy

[1]



principalparts

principalparts
prin·ci·pal
parts
plural noun

1.  verb
forms of inflected language: the basic forms of a verb,
from which other forms are derived, in an inflected language such as Latin

2.  English
verb forms:
the infinitive, past tense, and participial forms of an English verb

[1]



principalphotography

principalphotography
prin·ci·pal
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

filming of the main action
and characters: the shooting of the
main action and characters in a movie, as opposed to the shooting of
backgrounds and crowd scenes by the second unit[1]



principate

principate
prin·ci·pate 
[prínsə pàyt, prínsəpət]
(plural prin·ci·pates) noun

1.  land
ruled by prince: a territory ruled by a prince

2.  prin·ci·pate
or Prin·ci·pate period of early Roman empire:
a period of the early Roman empire in which some traditions and institutions of
the Republic were preserved

3.  prin·ci·pate
or Prin·ci·pate Roman political system:
the political system of the Roman principate
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin principatus, from princeps (see prince ).][1]



principium

principium
prin·cip·i·um 
[prin síppee əm] (plural prin·cip·i·a
[prin síppee ə]) noun

basic
principle:
an essential or basic principle (formal) (often used in the plural)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from princip-, the stem of princeps (see prince ).][1]



Principle

Principle
Prin·ci·ple 
noun

God:
a term used in Christian Science for God[1]



principle

principle
prin·ci·ple 
[prínsəp’l] (plural prin·ci·ples)
noun

1.  basic
assumption:
an important underlying law or assumption required in a system of thought

2.  ethical
standard:
a standard of moral or ethical decision-making • I
buy recyclable products as a matter of principle.

3.  way
of working:
the basic way in which something works

4.  source:
the primary source of something

5.  CHEMISTRY characteristic
ingredient:
an ingredient of a substance that gives the substance a particular quality
[14th
century. Alteration of French principe, from Latin principium,
from princip-, the stem of princeps (see prince
).]
in
principle

in
theory or in the essentials

on
principle

because of a particular
ethical standard that somebody believes in[1]



principled

principled
prin·ci·pled 
[prínsəp’ld] adjective

having moral principles:
based on or possessing moral principles, especially ones held in high regard[1]



prink

prink
prink 
[pringk] (past prinked, past
participle prinked, present participle prink·ing, 3rd
person present singular prinks) intransitive and transitive verb

dress
somebody up: to dress or groom somebody or yourself
in a fancy or fussy way
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—prink·er, noun[1]



print

print
print 
[print] noun (plural prints)

1.  mark
pressed into something: a mark made by pressing
something onto a surface

2.  writing
on a surface: words, figures, or symbols on a surface,
especially when produced by a machine • books
available in large print

3.  PUBLISHING published
text:
the state of being in a printed form or being published • We
don’t want these typographical errors to make it into print.

4.  ARTS artwork
made by pressing design: a work of art made by inking
a surface with a raised design and pressing it onto paper or another surface

5.  ARTS fabric
with inked design: a fabric with an ink or
paint design on its surface, or the design itself (often used before a noun)
• She
was wearing a new print dress.

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY photograph:
a photograph, usually on paper, made from a negative

7.  CINEMA motion
picture copy: a copy of a motion picture

8.  stamp
or die:
a stamp or die used to make marks on a surface

9.  CRIMINOLOGY fingerprint:
a fingerprint (informal)
verb
(past print·ed, past participle print·ed, present
participle print·ing, 3rd person present singular prints)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING make something with printing
machine:
to make a copy, document, or publication using a printing press or a computer
printer • These
books were printed in Canada.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PUBLISHING publish something:
to publish information or a publication • The
company prints several news magazines in addition to books.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb mark
something using pressure: to produce a mark, design,
or lettering on a surface by pressing something on it • A
machine prints the corporate logo onto pencils.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb press
designs onto something: to press a mark, design, or
lettering onto something • We
printed enough T-shirts for the whole team.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
separated letters: to write something by hand,
using separated letters rather than script • Print
your name under your signature.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHOTOGRAPHY CINEMA
make
a copy from a negative: to make a positive image or
copy of a photograph or motion picture from a negative

7.  transitive
verb
make
impression:
to make an impression on the mind of somebody

8.  intransitive
verb
PRINTING work
as printer:
to do the work of a printer
adjective

PUBLISHING relating
to published media: produced by or relating to
the published media
[13th
century. From Old French preinte, the feminine past participle of preindre
“to press,” from Latin premere (see press
).]
in
print

1.  currently
available from a publisher

2.  printed
in a book, newspaper, or magazine

out
of print

not
currently available from a publisher

[1]



printable

printable
print·a·ble 
[príntəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be published: sufficiently inoffensive, correct, or
well-written as to be fit to be printed in a publication • Some
of the player’s comments weren’t printable.

2.  able
to be printed: capable of being printed or printed on • This
paper’s too slick to be printable.
—print·a·bil·i·ty [prìntə bíllətee], noun[1]



printedcircuit

printedcircuit

print·ed cir·cuit 
(plural print·ed cir·cuits) noun
circuit with printed connections:
an electronic circuit in which some components and the connections between them
are formed by etching a metallic coating on one or both sides of an insulating
board[1]



printedmatter

printedmatter
print·ed
mat·ter
noun

published material:
published material such as books, newspapers, magazines, or catalogs that
qualifies for a special low postage rate[1]



printer

printer
print·er 
[príntər] (plural print·ers) noun

1.  PRINTING person
or company in printing trade: a person or company that
prints books, newspapers, or magazines

2.  PRINTING PUBLISHING machine for printing books or
newspapers:
a machine that prints books, newspapers, or magazines

3.  COMPUTING machine
for printing computer data: a peripheral output device
designed to produce computer-generated text or graphics on paper,
transparencies, or similar media

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY machine
for making copies of film: a machine that makes
duplicates of film, normally a positive from a negative

[1]



printer’sdevil

printer’sdevil
print·er’s
dev·il 
(plural print·er’s dev·ils) noun

apprentice
to printer:
an apprentice or young assistant to a printer (dated)
[From devil in the sense “apprentice”][1]



printhead

printhead
print·head
[prínt hèd] (plural print·heads)
noun

COMPUTING
printing part:
a part of a computer printer that prints out the characters on paper[1]



printing

printing
print·ing 
[prínting] (plural print·ings)
noun

1.  production
of copies:
the process or business of producing copies of documents, publications, or
images

2.  printed
characters:
typographical characters as they appear on paper or another surface • The
printing has washed off this bottle.

3.  letters
written separately: letters written separately
or the act of writing letters separately, in contrast to script characters • Her
printing is easier to read than her handwriting.

4.  print
run:
the process or output of one print run of a publication • This
book is in its eighth printing.

[1]



printingpress

printingpress
print·ing
press
noun

machine pressing images onto
paper: a machine that presses inked
set type or etched plates onto paper or textiles that are fed through the
machine.
Also called
press[1]



printmaker

printmaker
print·mak·er
[prínt màykər] (plural print·mak·ers)
noun

somebody
who produces prints: an artist who designs and
makes prints
—print·mak·ing, noun[1]



printout

printout
print·out
[prínt òwt] noun

printed data from computer:
a paper copy of data from a computer[1]



printout

printout
print
out
transitive verb

COMPUTING
produce printed copy:
to produce a printed copy of data from a computer[1]



printrun

printrun
print
run
(plural print runs) noun

output of printing:
the process or output of one printing of a publication, document, or artwork • an
initial print run of 30,000 copies[1]



printshop

printshop
print
shop
(plural print shops) noun

place with printing
equipment: a small building, room, or
business where documents, publications, or artworks are printed[1]



prion

prion1
pri·on1  [pr
òn] (plural pri·ons) noun

BIOLOGY infectious
protein particle: an infectious particle of protein that,
unlike a virus, contains no nucleic acid, does not trigger an immune response,
and is not destroyed by extreme heat or cold. These particles are considered
responsible for such diseases as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy,
kuru, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
[Late 20th century. Coined
from proteinaceous + infectious + -on .][1]



prion

prion2
pri·on2  [pr
òn] (plural pri·ons) noun

BIRDS small
seabird:
a small seabird of the southern oceans with soft gray markings like a pigeon
and a serrated bill. Genus: Pachyptila
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek priōn “saw.”][1]



prior

prior2
pri·or2  [prr]
(plural pri·ors) noun

1.  abbot’s
deputy:
an officer in a monastery who is ranked below an abbot

2.  man
religious superior: a man superior in some
religious communities

3.  senior
medieval magistrate: a senior magistrate in some
medieval Italian republics, especially Florence
[Pre-12th century. Via
medieval Latin from Latin, “elder, superior” (see prior 1 ).][1]



prior

prior1
pri·or1  [prr]
adjective

1.  earlier:
earlier in time or sequence • a
prior engagement

2.  more
important:
more important or basic
noun
(plural pri·ors)

earlier conviction:
an earlier conviction for a criminal act (informal) • Check
to see whether the suspect has any priors.
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “former, elder, superior,” literally “more before.”][1]



priorate

priorate
pri·or·ate 
[prrət] (plural pri·o·rates) noun

status of prior or prioress:
the position or term of office of a prior or prioress[1]



prioress

prioress
pri·or·ess 
[prrəss] (plural pri·or·ess·es)
noun

1.  abbess’s
deputy:
an officer in a convent who ranks below an abbess

2.  woman
religious superior: a woman superior in some
religious communities

[1]



prioritize

prioritize
pri·or·i·tize 
[prī áwrə tz, prrə
tz] (past pri·or·i·tized, past participle pri·or·i·tized,
present participle pri·or·i·tiz·ing, 3rd person present
singular pri·or·i·tiz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  rank
things according to importance: to order things
according to their importance or urgency • I
must prioritize my list of things to do.

2.  rank
something as most important: to regard something as most
important or urgent • I have
to prioritize finding a job.

[1]



priority

priority
pri·or·i·ty 
[prī áwrətee] (plural pri·or·i·ties)
noun

1.  greatest
importance:
the state of having most importance or urgency • Give
this case priority treatment.

2.  somebody
or something important: somebody or something that
is ranked highly in terms of importance or urgency • You’ve
got to get your priorities right.

3.  earliness:
the state of having preceded something else

4.  right
of precedence: the right to be ranked above others

[1]



priory

priory
pri·or·y 
[prree] (plural pri·or·ies) noun

monastery or convent:
a religious community or home such as a monastery or convent, headed by a prior
or prioress[1]



PripetMarshes

PripetMarshes
Pri·pet
Marsh·es
[prìp ət mrshəz] or Pri·pyat’
Marsh·es [prpyət mrshəz] or Po·les'·ye

swamp region in southern
Belarus and northwestern Ukraine, along the Pripet River[1]



prise

prise
prise
transitive verb noun

See
prize 3[1]



prism

prism

prism 
[prízzəm] (plural prisms) noun

1.  OPTICS polygonal
solid for dispersing light: a transparent polygonal
solid object with flat faces and a usually triangular cross-section, used for
separating white light into a spectrum of colors

2.  something
made of cut glass: a cut-glass object,
especially one that can separate white light into a spectrum

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY crystal
type:
a crystal form with faces that are parallel to a single axis

4.  GEOMETRY parallelogram-sided
solid:
a solid figure with ends that are identical polygons and with sides that are
parallelograms
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek prisma, literally “something sawn” (because of its
shape), from prizein “to saw,” of unknown origin.][1]



prismatic

prismatic
pris·mat·ic 
[priz máttik] or pris·mat·i·cal
[priz máttik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to prism:
resembling or relating to a prism

2.  separated
by prism:
used to describe light that shows the colors of the spectrum, as refracted by a
prism

3.  colorful:
brightly colored, like a rainbow
[Early
18th century. Via French prismatique from Greek prismat-, the
stem of prisma (see prism ).]
—pris·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



prismatoid

prismatoid
pris·ma·toid 
[prízmə tòyd] (plural pris·ma·toids)
noun

polyhedron:
a polyhedron with all its vertices in one of two parallel planes
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek prismat-, the stem of prisma (see prism ).]
—pris·ma·toi·dal [prìzmə tóyd’l], adjective[1]



prismoid

prismoid
pris·moid 
[príz mòyd] (plural pris·moids)
noun

type
of polyhedron: a prismatoid with sides that are
parallelograms or trapezoids and equal-sided polygons as bases
[Early
18th century. Formed from prism, on the
model of rhomboid .]
—pris·moi·dal [prìz móyd’l], adjective[1]



prison

prison
pris·on 
[prízz’n] noun (plural pris·ons)

1.  place
where criminals are confined: a secure place where
somebody is confined as punishment for a crime or while waiting to stand trial

2.  confinement:
a place or condition of captivity or unwanted restraint • His
fears are a prison that he cannot escape.
transitive
verb
(past pris·oned, past participle pris·oned, present
participle pris·on·ing, 3rd person present singular pris·ons)

imprison: to
put somebody in prison (archaic or literary)
[12th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, the Latin stem prension- “seizing,” from prehendere
“to seize.”][1]



prisoncamp

prisoncamp
pris·on
camp
(plural pris·on camps) noun

1.  camp
for war prisoners: a camp where prisoners of
war are confined

2.  minimum
security prison: a minimum security prison, where
prisoners have some freedom of movement

[1]



prisoner

prisoner
pris·on·er 
[prízz’nər] (plural pris·on·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
held in prison: somebody confined in a prison as a
punishment for a crime or while waiting to stand trial

2.  somebody
held against will: somebody who has been
captured and is held in confinement in a place

3.  somebody
who is or feels trapped: somebody who is unable to
escape a situation or condition

[1]



prisonerof conscience

prisonerof conscience
pris·on·er
of con·science (plural pris·on·ers of
con·science) noun

somebody confined because of
beliefs: somebody held in a prison by
a state, especially an oppressive regime, because of his or her political or
religious beliefs[1]



prisonerof war

prisonerof war
pris·on·er
of war
(plural pris·on·ers of war) noun

captured soldier:
somebody who has been captured and held captive by the enemy during a war[1]



prisoner’sbase

prisoner’sbase
pris·on·er’s
base 
noun

children’s
tag game:
a children’s game in which two teams try to tag each other’s members, thereby
adding them to their team at their base
[Alteration of earlier prison-bars][1]



prisonfever

prisonfever
pris·on
fe·ver
noun

typhus:
typhus (dated)[1]



priss

priss
priss
[priss] (plural prisses) noun

somebody
prissy:
somebody who behaves in a prissy way (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation.][1]



prissaround

prissaround
priss
around
intransitive verb

act prissily:
to act in a fussily proper way[1]



prissy

prissy
pris·sy 
[príssee] (comparative pris·si·er,
superlative pris·si·est) adjective

prim:
behaving in a very prudish and proper way
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably a blend of prim
and sissy .]
—pris·si·ly,
adverb

—pris·si·ness, noun[1]



pristine

pristine
pris·tine 
[prí stn, pri
stn] adjective

1.  immaculate:
so clean and neat as to look as good as new • The
house is in pristine condition.

2.  unspoiled:
not yet altered by human encroachment • acres
of pristine forest

3.  in
or of original state: in or belonging to an
original state or condition
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
pristinus “former.”][1]



prithee

prithee
prith·ee 
[príee] interjection

please:
used to introduce a request to somebody (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Contraction of (I) pray thee .][1]



priv.

priv.
priv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
private

2.  Abbreviation
of
privative

[1]



privacy

privacy
pri·va·cy 
[prvəssee] noun

1.  seclusion:
the state of being apart from other people and not seen, heard, or disturbed by
them • Shut
the door so we can have some privacy.

2.  freedom
from attention of others: freedom from the
observation, intrusion, or attention of others • If
you seek celebrity, you must sacrifice privacy.

3.  hidden
condition:
the state of being kept secret

[1]



private

private
pri·vate 
[prvət] adjective

1.  not
for others:
concerning matters that are not for other people to see or know about

2.  secluded:
sufficiently secluded for it to be possible to be alone and not watched, heard,
or disturbed by others • Let’s find
a private corner where we can talk.

3.  personal:
belonging to, restricted to, or intended for an individual

4.  not
public:
not open to the public

5.  acting
in personal capacity: not holding an official
position in government, or not relating to the official role of a government
person • a
private citizen

6.  nongovernmental:
not supported by government funding

7.  reserved
and secretive: preferring not to disclose personal
information or to discuss personal feelings with others • She’s
a very private person.

8.  not
understandable by everyone: excluding people who do not
share the knowledge required to understand

9.  MILITARY lowest-ranking:
belonging to the lowest rank of soldier or marine
noun
(plural pri·vates)

1.  MILITARY lowest-ranking
soldier or marine: a soldier or marine of the
lowest rank

2.  somebody
of low rank: somebody of low rank in an organization
with a rigid hierarchical structure such as a paramilitary or police
organization
plural
noun
pri·vates

genitals: the
genitals (informal)
[14th
century. From Latin privatus “isolated, not in public life,” the past
participle of privare (see privation
).]
—pri·vate·ly,
adverb

—pri·vate·ness, noun[1]



privatecompany

privatecompany
pri·vate
com·pa·ny
noun

U.K.
company with limited membership:
a company that is not listed on the stock market and does not issue its shares
to the public[1]



privatedetective

privatedetective
pri·vate
de·tec·tive
(plural pri·vate de·tec·tives) noun

detective for private hire:
a detective who is not a member of the police, but who is hired by individuals
or companies.
Also called
private investigator[1]



privatedick

privatedick
pri·vate
dick
(plural pri·vate dicks) noun

private detective:
a private detective (slang)[1]



privateenterprise

privateenterprise
pri·vate
en·ter·prise (plural pri·vate en·ter·prises)
noun

1.  business
not regulated by government: business activities that are
not regulated or owned by the government

2.  privately
owned company: a company that is owned by a private
individual or individuals and not by the government

[1]



privateer

privateer
pri·va·teer 
[prvə tr] (plural pri·va·teers)
noun

1.  private
ship used in war: a ship that belongs to and is run by a
person or company but is authorized by the government to engage in battle
during war

2.  somebody
sailing on privateer: the commander or a crew
member of a privateer
[Mid-17th century. Modeled on
volunteer .][1]



privateeye

privateeye
pri·vate
eye
(plural pri·vate eyes) noun

private
detective:
a private detective (informal)
[Eye, spelling of I.,
a shortening of investigator .][1]



privatefirst class

privatefirst class
pri·vate
first class
(plural pri·vates first class) noun

soldier of second lowest army
rank: a soldier in the U.S. Army
or Marine Corps who is ranked immediately above private[1]



privateincome

privateincome
pri·vate
in·come
(plural pri·vate in·comes) noun

income not derived from
working: income from sources other
than employment, for example, from investments or allowances.
Also called
private means[1]



privateinvestigator

privateinvestigator
pri·vate
in·ves·ti·ga·tor (plural pri·vate
in·ves·ti·ga·tors) noun

See
private detective[1]



privatelanguage

privatelanguage
pri·vate
lan·guage
(plural pri·vate lan·guages) noun

secret language:
an exclusive language devised and spoken by a restricted group of people,
especially twins[1]



privatelaw

privatelaw
pri·vate
law
(plural pri·vate laws) noun

body of law concerning
individuals: the branch of law
concerned with the rights and responsibilities of individuals.
See also
public law[1]



privatelife

privatelife
pri·vate
life
noun

life away from public view:
the part of somebody’s life that relates to his or her personal activities and
relationships and not to his or her job or public duties[1]



privatemeans

privatemeans
pri·vate
means
plural noun

See
private income[1]



privateparts

privateparts
pri·vate
parts
plural noun

genitals:
the genitals[1]



privatepractice

privatepractice
pri·vate
prac·tice
(plural pri·vate prac·tic·es) noun

business run by an individual
professional: a professional business
owned and managed by an individual professional such as a lawyer, doctor or
dentist, rather than by an organization[1]



privateproperty

privateproperty
pri·vate
prop·er·ty
noun

1.  something
owned by individual: something, especially land
or buildings, owned by an individual or a nongovernmental corporation

2.  idea
of land ownership: the idea that land can be
divided up, bought or claimed, and owned by an individual, company, or
government

[1]



privateschool

privateschool
pri·vate
school
(plural pri·vate schools) noun

nonstate school:
a school that is not run by the government and therefore charges fees for
tuition, especially one below tertiary level[1]



privatesecretary

privatesecretary
pri·vate
sec·re·tar·y noun

secretary for confidential
matters: a secretary employed to
manage somebody’s personal or confidential affairs, especially those of a
business executive or public figure[1]



privatesector

privatesector
pri·vate
sec·tor
noun

privately owned part of
economy: the part of a free market
economy that is made up of companies and organizations that are not owned or
controlled by the government[1]



privateviewing

privateviewing
pri·vate
view·ing
noun

preview of exhibition:
a preview of a motion picture or an exhibition that is open only to invited
guests[1]



privation

privation
pri·va·tion 
[pr váysh’n] (plural pri·va·tions)
noun

1.  lack
of life’s necessities: lack of the basic
necessities of life such as food, housing, and heating

2.  act
of depriving somebody: the act of depriving
somebody of something
[14th century. From Latin privare
“to deprive, isolate,” from privus “single, isolated,” literally
“standing in front.”][1]



privatism

privatism
pri·vat·ism 
[prvə tìzzəm] noun

self-centered
lifestyle:
an attitude or lifestyle in which somebody ignores all but his or her own
interests
—pri·va·tist,
noun, adjective

—pri·va·tis·tic [prvə tístik], adjective[1]



privative

privative
priv·a·tive 
[prvətiv] adjective

1.  relating
to lack or negation: indicating the absence or
negation of some quality • a
privative term

2.  causing
deprivation: causing or experiencing deprivation
noun
(plural priv·a·tives)

affix denoting lack or negation:
an affix, word, or expression that denotes the absence or negation of some
quality, for example, English “non-” or Greek “a-”
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin privare
(see privation ).]
—priv·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



privatization

privatization
pri·va·ti·za·tion
[prvəti záysh’n] noun

transfer to private
ownership: the practice of transferring
to private ownership an economic enterprise or public utility that has been
under state ownership[1]



privatize

privatize
pri·va·tize 
[prvə tz] (past pri·va·tized,
past participle pri·va·tized, present participle pri·va·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular pri·va·tiz·es) transitive verb

take something out of state
control: to transfer to private
ownership an economic enterprise or public utility that has been under state
ownership[1]



privet

privet
priv·et 
[prívvət] (plural priv·ets) noun

common
hedge shrub: an evergreen shrub with small white
flower clusters and black berries that is commonly used for hedges. Latin name:
Ligustrum vulgare Ligustrum ovalifolium
[Mid-16th century. Origin uncertain.][1]



privilege

privilege
priv·i·lege 
[prívvəlij, prívvlij]
noun (plural priv·i·leg·es)

1.  restricted
right or benefit: an advantage, right, or benefit that is
not available to everyone

2.  rights
and advantages enjoyed by elite: the rights and
advantages enjoyed by a relatively small group of people, usually as a result
of wealth or social status • a
system founded on privilege

3.  special
honor:
a special treat or honor • It was
a privilege to work with you.

4.  confidentiality
of communication: the special right to confidentiality of
communication between two parties, such as a lawyer and client or doctor and
patient

5.  lawmaker’s
right to special treatment: the right to, or granting
of, special treatment or benefits to members of a lawmaking body, for example,
freedom from prosecution

6.  stock
option:
an option to buy or sell stocks over a period of time
transitive
verb
(past priv·i·leged, past participle priv·i·leged, present
participle priv·i·leg·ing, 3rd person present singular priv·i·leg·es)

1.  give
somebody or something special rights: to
grant special rights or benefits to somebody or something

2.  grant
somebody or something exemption: to exempt or release
somebody or something from something
[12th century. Via Old French
from Latin privilegium “private law,” from privus (see privation ) + the stem leg- “law.”][1]



privileged

privileged
priv·i·leged 
[prívvəlijd, prívvlijd]
adjective

1.  enjoying
special advantages: enjoying privileges,
especially the resources and advantages associated with the upper classes or
the rich

2.  honored
or fortunate: fortunate in having a special advantage
or opportunity to do something • I feel
privileged to be here today.

3.  available
only to a select group: restricted to a particular
group of people
plural
noun

people enjoying special advantages:
a class of people, especially the rich or the upper classes, that benefits from
special rights or resources (takes a plural verb)

[1]



privilegedcommunication

privilegedcommunication
priv·i·leged
com·mu·ni·ca·tion (plural priv·i·leged
com·mu·ni·ca·tions) noun LAW

1.  confidential
communication: a confidential conversation or
correspondence that does not have to be disclosed in a court of law

2.  communication
exempt from libel or slander: speech or writing that is
not subject to libel or slander laws

[1]



privily

privily
priv·i·ly 
[prívvilee] adverb

in private:
in a secret or private way (archaic)[1]



privity

privity
priv·i·ty 
[prívvətee] (plural priv·i·ties)
noun

1.  shared
knowledge of secret: the state of sharing
knowledge of, or colluding in, something secret

2.  LAW legally
recognized relationship: a legally recognized
relationship between two parties, for example, between members of a family,
between an employer and employees, or between others who have entered into a
contract together

3.  LAW relationship
to property: a successive or mutual relationship to
some property
[12th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin privitas, from Latin privus (see privation ).][1]



privy

privy
priv·y 
[prívvee] adjective

1.  sharing
secret knowledge: sharing knowledge of something secret or
private • I
was privy to their plans to elope.

2.  relating
to somebody in private capacity: relating to somebody,
especially a British monarch, as a private individual, not as an official
personage

3.  secret:
done or spoken secretly or privately (archaic)
noun
(plural priv·ies)

1.  outside
toilet:
an outhouse or latrine (informal)

2.  LAW somebody
involved in something: an individual who has an
interest or agency in something that involves another party
[12th century. Via French privé
from Latin privatus (see private ).][1]



privychamber

privychamber
priv·y
cham·ber
(plural priv·y cham·bers) noun

private royal apartment:
an apartment reserved for private use in a royal residence[1]



PrivyCouncil

PrivyCouncil
Priv·y
Coun·cil 
noun

British
monarch’s advisory committee: the committee that advises a
British king or queen
—Priv·y Coun·cil·or, noun[1]



privycouncil

privycouncil
priv·y
coun·cil 
(plural priv·y coun·cils) noun

1.  ruler’s
advisors:
a committee that advises a ruler

2.  executive’s
advisors:
a group of people who advise an executive
—priv·y coun·cil·or, noun[1]



prixfixe

prixfixe
prix
fixe 
[pree fíks] (plural prix fixes
[pree fíks]) noun

1.  restaurant
meal served at fixed price: a meal with several courses
that is offered by a restaurant at a set price

2.  set
price for meal: a set price for a restaurant meal with
several courses
[From French, “fixed price”][1]



prize

prize3
prize3 [prīz]
or prise [prīz] transitive
verb (past prized, past participle prized, present
participle priz·ing, 3rd person present singular priz·es)
(past prised, past participle prised, present
participle pris·ing, 3rd person present singular pris·es)

1.  lever
something:
to open or part something by levering • I
used a screwdriver to prize the lid off the paint.

2.  extract
information: to get something, especially
information, from somebody or something with difficulty
noun

lever:
something used as a lever
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French prise “seizing, capture” (see prize 2 ).][1]



prize

prize2
prize2 [prīz]
(plural priz·es) noun

captured
ship or cargo: something captured and kept, especially
a ship or its contents taken by another ship in wartime
[13th century. From Old
French prise, literally “something seized,” the feminine past participle
of prendre “to take, seize,” from Latin prehendere (see prehension ).][1]



prize

prize1
prize1 [prīz]
noun (plural priz·es)

1.  award
for winner:
something that is given to the winner of a contest or competition

2.  something
highly valued: something that somebody values highly,
especially because it takes great skill, effort, or luck to get
transitive
verb
(past prized, past participle prized, present
participle priz·ing, 3rd person present singular priz·es)

treasure something:
to value something highly • This
award is something I’ll always prize.
adjective

complete:
perfect as an example of something, especially something undesirable (dated
informal) • I made a prize fool of
myself.
[Late 16th century. From
earlier prise “value, reward.”][1]



prizefight

prizefight
prize·fight 
[prz ft] (plural prize·fights)
noun

boxing
match for money: a boxing match in which the winner
receives a cash prize
—prize·fight·er,
noun

—prize·fight·ing, noun[1]



prizering

prizering
prize
ring
(plural prize rings) noun

1.  boxing
ring:
a boxing ring where prizefights are held

2.  professional
boxing:
the sport or business of professional boxing

[1]



prizewinner

prizewinner
prize·win·ner 
[prz wìnnər] (plural prize·win·ners)
noun

somebody
or something winning prize: somebody or something that
wins a prize in a competition, or that habitually wins prizes
—prize·win·ning, adjective[1]



Priština

Priština
Priš·tin·a 
[prshtinə]

the largest city in the
province of Kosovo in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Population: 108,083
(1991)[1]



p.r.n.

p.r.n.
p.r.n.

(used
on medical prescriptions)Abbreviation of as required
[From Latin pro re nata][1]



pro-

pro-2
pro-2 prefix

1.  rudimentary,
precursor • promycelium

2.  before,
earlier than • procambium

3.  in
front of • procephalic
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Greek pro “in front, before.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “forward, before” that is also the ancestor of
English fro, from, and pro 1 .][1]



pro-

pro-1
pro-1 prefix

1.  substituting
for, acting in place of • proconsul

2.  in
favor of • pronuclear
[Via Old French from,
ultimately, Latin pro “for.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “forward, before” that is also the ancestor of English fro, from,
and pro 2 .][1]



PRO

PRO
PRO
or P.R.O. noun

Abbreviation of
public relations officer[1]



pro

pro2
pro2  [prō]
noun (plural pros)

1.  professional
person:
a professional, especially in sports (informal)

2.  skilled
person:
somebody who is very skilled at what he or she does

3.  prostitute:
a prostitute (slang)
adjective

professional:
relating to or typical of an activity, especially a sport, from which somebody
earns a living
adverb

professionally:
as a professional
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



pro

pro1
pro1  [prō]
noun (plural pros)

1.  argument
for something: an argument in favor of a proposal or
position

2.  side
arguing for something: a person or side in a
debate, argument, or campaign that is in favor of a proposal or proposition
preposition

for: in
favor of
adverb

in support of something:
on the side that favors one side of an issue
[14th century. From Latin,
“for” (see pro- ).][1]



proa

proa
pro·a 
[prṓ ə] (plural pro·as) or
prau [prow] (plural praus)
or prah·u [pr h] (plural
prah·us) noun

Malayan
sailboat:
a Malayan boat with a triangular sail and a single outrigger
[Late 16th century. From
Malay părāhū “boat.”][1]



pro-abortion

pro-abortion
pro-a·bor·tion 
adjective

favoring legal access to
abortion: in favor of open legal
access to voluntary abortion[1]



proactive

proactive
pro·ac·tive
[prō áktiv] adjective

taking
initiative:
taking the initiative by acting rather than reacting to events
[Mid-20th
century. Modeled on retroactive .]
—pro·ac·tion,
noun

—pro·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Jargon?
  When
  people name words they despise as jargon, proactive
  is often on the list. However, proactive
  does meet a need, serving as the opposite of reactive more naturally
  than, for example, anticipatory or assertive is able to.
  Nonetheless, it should be used sparingly.

[1]



pro-am

pro-am
pro-am 
[prō ám] adjective

combining
professionals and amateurs: involving or composed of
professional and amateur sports players
noun
(plural pro-ams)

pro-am
competition: a competition in which professional
players compete against amateurs, or in which professionals and amateurs
compete together
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction.][1]



prob.

prob.
prob.

1.  Abbreviation
of
probable

2.  Abbreviation
of
probably

3.  Abbreviation
of
problem

[1]



probabilism

probabilism
prob·a·bi·lism 
[próbbəbə lìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY reliance
on probabilities: the belief that certainty is impossible,
and that therefore decisions must be based on probabilities

2.  PHILOSOPHY CHRISTIANITY the
choosing of favorable probability: the principle whereby,
in moral questions in which nothing is certain, somebody may follow the
probability favorable to him or her rather than a more probable, but less
favorable view
—prob·a·bi·list,
noun, adjective

—prob·a·bil·is·tic,
adjective

—prob·a·bil·ist·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



probability

probability
prob·a·bil·i·ty 
[pròbbə bíllətee] (plural prob·a·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  state
of being probable: the state of being probable
or the extent to which something is probable • We
must take into account the probability of another earthquake.

2.  something
likely to happen: something that is likely to happen or
exist • We
must prepare for all probabilities.

3.  STATISTICS mathematical
likelihood of event: the likelihood that an event
will occur expressed as the ratio of the number of favorable outcomes in the
set of outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes
in
all probability

used to suggest that
something is highly probable[1]



probabilitydensity function

probabilitydensity function
prob·a·bil·i·ty
den·si·ty func·tion (plural prob·a·bil·i·ty
den·si·ty func·tions) noun

1.  See
probability function

2.  STATISTICS function
of continuous variable: a function of a continuous
variable such that the integral of the function over a specific region yields
the probability that its value will fall within the region.
Also
called
density function

[1]



probabilityfunction

probabilityfunction
prob·a·bil·i·ty
func·tion
(plural prob·a·bil·i·ty func·tions) noun

function of discrete random
variable: a function of a discrete
random variable that yields the probability of occurrence of distinct outcomes.

Also called
probability density function[1]



probabilitytheory

probabilitytheory
prob·a·bil·i·ty
the·o·ry
noun

mathematics dealing with
random distributions: the branch
of mathematics that deals with quantities having random distributions, with the
aim of predicting how defined systems will behave[1]



probable

probable
prob·a·ble 
[próbbəb’l] adjective

likely:
likely to exist, occur, or be true, although evidence is insufficient to prove
or predict it
noun
(plural prob·a·bles)

likely
choice:
somebody or something that is likely to be chosen for something or likely to do
something • a
probable for the team
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin probabilis “provable, plausible,” from probare
(see prove ).][1]



probablecause

probablecause
prob·a·ble
cause
noun

sufficient reason to arrest
somebody: sufficient reason to believe
that an arrest or search of a suspect is warranted[1]



probableerror

probableerror
prob·a·ble
er·ror
(plural prob·a·ble er·rors) noun

allowance for chance:
the amount by which a statistic may vary from fact, based on chance factors[1]



probably

probably
prob·a·bly
[próbbəblee] adverb

as is likely:
as is likely or to be expected • I’ll
probably come tonight.[1]



proband

proband
pro·band
[prṓ bànd] (plural pro·bands) noun

See
propositus  noun 2
[Early 20th century. From
Latin probandus-, “for testing, to be tested,” from probare (see prove ).][1]



probate

probate
pro·bate 
[prṓ bàyt] noun (plural pro·bates)

1.  proof
of validity of will: the legal certification of
the validity of a will

2.  verified
copy of will: an official copy of a will that is
legally certified as genuine and given to the executors
transitive
verb
(past pro·bat·ed, past participle pro·bat·ed, present
participle pro·bat·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·bates)

validate will:
to certify legally that a will is valid
[14th century. Via Middle
English probat from Latin probatum “thing proved,” ultimately
from probare “to test.”][1]



probatecourt

probatecourt
pro·bate
court
noun

court dealing with wills:
a court that deals with the legal certification of wills and the administration
of estates of the deceased[1]



probation

probation
pro·ba·tion 
[prō báysh’n] noun

1.  supervision
by probation officer: the supervision of the
behavior of a young or first-time criminal offender by a probation officer.
During the period of supervision, the offender must regularly report to the
probation officer and must not commit any further offenses.

2.  period
of testing somebody’s suitability: a period during which
somebody’s suitability for a job or other role is being tested

3.  EDUCATION period
when student must improve performance: a
period during which a student is given a chance to improve his or her academic
grades or behavior

4.  testing
of something: the testing or proving of something (formal)
—pro·ba·tion·al,
adjective

—pro·ba·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—pro·ba·tion·ar·y [prō báysh’n èrree], adjective[1]



probationer

probationer
pro·ba·tion·er 
[prō báysh’nər] (plural pro·ba·tion·ers)
noun

somebody on probation:
somebody who is on probation, especially a criminal offender who is under the
supervision of a probation officer[1]



probationofficer

probationofficer
pro·ba·tion
of·fi·cer
noun

supervisor of offenders on
probation: somebody who supervises the
behavior of criminal offenders on probation[1]



probationservice

probationservice
pro·ba·tion
ser·vice
noun

supervision of offenders:
the branch of the criminal justice system that deals with the supervision of
criminal offenders after their release from prison or as an alternative to
prison[1]



probative

probative
pro·ba·tive 
[prṓbətiv] or pro·ba·to·ry [prṓbə tàwree] adjective

1.  providing
proof:
supplying proof or evidence

2.  testing:
designed to test or prove somebody or something
[15th century. Via Old French
probatif from, ultimately, Latin probare (see prove ).][1]



probe

probe
probe 
[prōb] noun (plural probes)

1.  investigation:
a thorough investigation, often into illegal or suspicious activities

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING circuit-testing
device:
a device with a metal tip used to test or the behavior of electrical circuits

3.  SURGERY DENTISTRY surgical instrument for
exploring:
a long thin instrument used by doctors and dentists for exploring or examining

4.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY See
space probe
intransitive
and transitive verb (past probed, past
participle probed, present participle prob·ing, 3rd
person present singular probes)

1.  investigate
completely:
to conduct a thorough investigation of something

2.  check
using probe: to examine something with a probe

3.  examine
area:
to search or explore a place
[Mid-16th
century. Via medieval latin proba “examination,” from, ultimately, Latin
probare “to test.”]
—probe·a·ble,
adjective

—prob·er, noun[1]



probenecid

probenecid
pro·ben·e·cid 
[prō bénnəssid] noun

drug
for gout:
a drug that promotes the excretion of uric acid and is used to treat gout
[Mid-20th century. From propyl + benzene
+ acid .][1]



probity

probity
pro·bi·ty 
[prṓbətee] noun

moral
integrity:
absolute moral correctness (formal)
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French probité from, ultimately Latin probus-, “good, honest,
upright.”][1]



problem

problem
prob·lem 
[próbbləm] noun (plural prob·lems)

1.  difficulty:
a difficult situation, matter, or person

2.  puzzle
to be solved: a question or puzzle that needs to be
solved

3.  MATHEMATICS statement
requiring mathematical solution: a statement or
proposition requiring an algebraic, geometric, or other mathematical solution
adjective

hard to deal with:
difficult to discipline or deal with
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Greek problēmat-, “projection,
obstacle,” literally “thing thrown in front,” from ballein, “to throw.”]
no
problem

used
to indicate that something will not cause any difficulty or inconvenience (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  problem, mystery, puzzle,
  riddle, conundrum, enigma
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  difficult to solve or understand problem;
  a general word for a question or difficult situation in need of a solution; mystery; something that has never been fully
  explained or understood and may never be so; puzzle;
  a problem whose solution requires ingenuity as well as facts and skills and
  often involves the use of clues; riddle;
  a problem or puzzling question deliberately devised to require a degree of
  skill and ingenuity in its solution. It can also be used to refer to
  something that has not yet been fully explained or understood; conundrum; a problem that is so complicated
  or strange that it seems impossible to solve; enigma;
  somebody or something that is mysterious and hard to understand

[1]



problematic

problematic
prob·lem·at·ic 
[pròbblə máttik] or prob·lem·at·i·cal
[pròbblə máttik’l] adjective

1.  difficult:
involving difficulties or problems

2.  uncertain:
unsettled or posing an uncertain outcome
noun

something problematic:
a matter or issue that is problematic
—prob·lem·at·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



problemplay

problemplay
prob·lem
play
noun

drama involving social
issues: a dramatic work that deals
with moral or social problems[1]



probono

probono
pro
bo·no 
[prō bṓ nō] adjective adverb

done
without compensation: done or undertaken for the
public good without any payment or compensation
[Shortening of Latin pro
bono publico “for the public good”][1]



proboscidean

proboscidean
pro·bos·ci·de·an 
[prbə síddee ən] (plural pro·boscideans)
or pro·bos·cid·i·an [prbə síddee ən]
(plural pro·bos·cid·i·ans) noun

large
mammal:
a very large mammal that has a trunk and tusks, for example, the elephant or
extinct mammoth or mastodon. Order: Proboscidea
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Proboscidea, order name, from Latin proboscid-,
the stem of proboscis .]
—pro·bos·ci·de·an, adjective[1]



proboscis

proboscis
pro·bos·cis 
[prō bóssiss, prō
bóss kis] (plural pro·bos·cis·es or pro·bos·ci·des
[prō bóssi dz]) noun

1.  elephant’s
trunk:
the trunk of an elephant or related extinct mammal

2.  long
flexible snout: the long flexible snout of some mammals
such as the tapir, the elephant seal, and the proboscis monkey

3.  long
mouthparts of invertebrate: the long or tubular
mouthparts of certain insects, worms, and spiders, used for feeding, sucking,
and other purposes

4.  large
nose:
a human nose, especially a large one (humorous)
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek proboskis, “elephant’s trunk,” from boskein, “to
feed.”][1]



proboscismonkey

proboscismonkey
pro·bos·cis
mon·key
noun

monkey with long nose:
a large monkey found in Borneo that has reddish fur and a protruding bulbous
nose that in older males becomes pendulous. Latin name: Nasalis larvatus[1]



proc.

proc.
proc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
procedure

2.  Abbreviation
of
proceedings

3.  Abbreviation
of
process

[1]



procaine

procaine
pro·caine 
[prṓ kàyn] noun

local anesthetic:
a white or colorless crystalline ester formerly used as a local anesthetic in
medicine and dentistry in the form of its hydrochloride. C13H20N2O2[1]



procambium

procambium
pro·cam·bi·um 
[prō kámbee əm] noun

BOTANY plant
tissue:
undifferentiated plant tissue that develops into cambium and vascular tissue
[Late
19th century. From pro 2 + cambium
.]
—pro·cam·bi·al, adjective[1]



procarp

procarp
pro·carp
[prṓ krp] (plural pro·carps) noun

BIOLOGY
sex organ in algae:
the female sex organ of red algae[1]



procaryote

procaryote
pro·car·y·ote 
(plural pro·car·y·otes) noun

See
prokaryote[1]



procathedral

procathedral
pro·ca·the·dral
[prkə thdrəl] (plural pro·ca·the·drals)
noun

temporary cathedral:
a local or parish church that is temporarily being used as a cathedral[1]



procedural

procedural
pro·ce·dur·al 
[prə sjərəl] adjective

relating
to procedure: involving a procedure, especially a
legal procedure
noun
(plural pro·ce·du·rals)

See
police procedural
—pro·ce·dur·al·ist,
noun

—pro·ce·dur·al·ly, adverb[1]



procedurallanguage

procedurallanguage
pro·ce·dur·al
lan·guage
noun

type of programming language:
a high-level programming language that requires the programmer to specify the
sequence of operations that the computer must follow to accomplish a specific
task. Pascal, BASIC, and COBOL are procedural languages.[1]



proceduralmemory

proceduralmemory
pro·ce·dur·al
mem·o·ry
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
implicit memory:
knowledge in the long-term store of procedures that are unconscious[1]



procedure

procedure
pro·ce·dure 
[prə sjər] (plural pro·ce·dures)
noun

1.  established
method:
an established or correct method of doing something

2.  any
method:
any means of doing or accomplishing something • an
extremely unorthodox procedure

3.  COMPUTING See routine  noun 5

4.  COMPUTING See subroutine
[Early 17th century. From
French procédure, from procéder from Old French (see proceed ).][1]



proceed

proceed
pro·ceed 
[prō sd, prə
sd] (past pro·ceed·ed, past participle pro·ceed·ed,
present participle pro·ceed·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·ceeds) intransitive verb

1.  begin
action:
to go on to do something

2.  continue
with action: to continue with a course of action

3.  progress:
to progress in a steady or particular manner

4.  go
in some direction: to go in a particular
direction, especially forward

5.  LAW sue:
to bring legal action against somebody

6.  develop:
to come from or arise from something
[14th
century. Via Old French proceder from Latin procedere, “to go
forward,” from cedere, “to go.”]
—pro·ceed·er, noun[1]



proceeding

proceeding
pro·ceed·ing 
[prō sding, prə
sding] noun (plural pro·ceed·ings)

1.  procedure:
an action or course of action

2.  LAW legal
action:
legal action brought against somebody (often used in the plural)
plural
noun
pro·ceed·ings

1.  series
of events:
a series of related events occurring at one time or in one place

2.  published
records:
published records of a meeting or conference

[1]



proceeds

proceeds
pro·ceeds
[prṓ sdz] plural noun

money obtained from
transaction: the money derived from
a sale or other commercial transaction[1]



process

process1
proc·ess1  [pró
sèss, prṓ sèss] noun (plural
proc·ess·es)

1.  series
of actions:
a series of actions directed toward a particular aim

2.  series
of natural occurrences: a series of natural
occurrences that produce change or development

3.  LAW summons
to appear in court: a summons or writ ordering
somebody to appear in court

4.  LAW legal
proceedings: the entire proceedings in a lawsuit

5.  BIOLOGY natural
outgrowth:
a part that naturally grows on or sticks out on an organism

6.  HAIRDRESSING See conk 3 noun
verb
(past proc·essed, past participle proc·essed, present
participle proc·ess·ing, 3rd person present singular proc·ess·es)

1.  transitive
verb
prepare
something using a process: to treat or prepare
something in a series of steps or actions, for example, using chemicals or
industrial machinery

2.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY treat
something with photographic chemicals: to
treat light-sensitive film or paper with chemicals in order to make a latent
image visible

3.  transitive
verb
use
procedures to do something: to deal with somebody or
something according to an established procedure

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING prepare food in food
processor:
to chop, mix, or otherwise prepare food in food processor or blender

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING use
program on data: to use a computer program to work on
data in some way, for example, to sort a database or recalculate a spreadsheet

6.  transitive
verb
LAW serve
summons on somebody: to serve a summons or writ
on somebody

7.  transitive
verb
LAW bring
legal action: to bring a legal action against somebody

8.  transitive
verb
straighten
hair using lye: to straighten curly hair using lye

9.  transitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY discuss
emotional meaning of something: to discuss the
interpersonal dynamics and emotional content of an event or situation

10. transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING See conk 3 verb
adjective

prepared in a process:
treated or prepared using a special process
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French proces from Latin processus, the past participle
of procedere (see proceed ).][1]



process

process2
proc·ess2  [prə
séss] (past proc·essed, past participle proc·essed,
present participle proc·ess·ing, 3rd person present singular
proc·ess·es) intransitive verb

move in procession:
to move forward in a procession[1]



processart

processart
proc·ess
art
noun

art that documents creative
process: art created primarily as a
physical record of the creative process. Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings are
perhaps the most famous works of this kind.[1]



processengineering

processengineering
proc·ess
en·gi·neer·ing noun

engineering dealing with
manufacturing: the branch of
engineering that determines the sequence of operations and the selection of
tools required to manufacture a product[1]



processindustry

processindustry
proc·ess
in·dus·try
noun

industry processing raw
materials: an industry in which raw
materials are treated or prepared in a series of stages, for example, using
chemical processes. Process industries include oil refining, petrochemicals,
water and sewage treatment, food processing, and pharmaceuticals.[1]



procession

procession
pro·ces·sion 
[prə sésh’n] (plural pro·ces·sions)
noun

1.  group
of people moving forward: a group of people or
vehicles moving forward in a line as part of a celebration, commemoration, or
demonstration

2.  forward
movement:
the movement forward of a group of people or vehicles as part of a celebration,
commemoration, or demonstration

3.  succession:
a series of people or things coming one after the other
[12th century. Via Old French
from ultimately Latin process, the past participle stem of procedere
(see proceed ).][1]



processional

processional
pro·ces·sion·al 
[prə séshən’l, prə
séshnəl] adjective

1.  for
procession:
used for or in a procession

2.  forming
procession:
taking the form of a procession
noun
(plural pro·ces·sion·als)

1.  MUSIC music
for procession: a piece of music suitable for
accompanying a procession

2.  MUSIC CHRISTIANITY music for entry of
clergy:
a hymn or other piece of music that accompanies the entry of the clergy into a
church

3.  CHRISTIANITY book
of hymns and prayers: a book of hymns and prayers
for use during a religious procession
—pro·ces·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



processor

processor
pro·ces·sor 
[pró sèssər, prṓ
sèssər] (plural pro·ces·sors) or pro·ces·ser
[pró sèssər, prṓ
sèssər] (plural pro·ces·sers) noun

1.  something
that processes: somebody or something that processes
things

2.  central
processing unit of computer: the central processing unit
of a computer

3.  COMPUTING See microprocessor

4.  HOUSEHOLD See food processor

[1]



processprinting

processprinting
proc·ess
print·ing 
noun

method of color printing:
a method of full-color printing using multiple images from plates printed in
yellow, magenta, blue, and cyan[1]



processserver

processserver
proc·ess
serv·er
noun

somebody who serves summons:
somebody who serves a writ or summons ordering somebody to appear in court[1]



pro-choice

pro-choice
pro-choice 
adjective

advocating access to legal
abortion: advocating open legal access
to voluntary abortion[1]



proclaim

proclaim
pro·claim 
[prō kláym, prə
kláym] (past pro·claimed, past participle pro·claimed,
present participle pro·claim·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·claims) transitive verb

1.  declare
something publicly: to announce something
publicly or formally

2.  declare
somebody to be something: to declare publicly that
somebody is something

3.  show
what something is: to show or reveal clearly
what something is

4.  make
something clear: to state something emphatically or
openly
[14th
century. Via Old French proclamer from Latin proclamare,
literally “to cry forth,” from clamare “to cry.”]
—pro·claim·er,
noun

—pro·clam·a·to·ry [prō klámmə tàwree, prə
klámmə tàwree], adjective[1]



proclamation

proclamation
proc·la·ma·tion 
[pròklə máysh’n] (plural proc·la·ma·tions)
noun

1.  public
announcement: a public or formal announcement

2.  making
of public announcement: the act of announcing
something publicly or formally
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin proclamare (see proclaim
).][1]



proclitic

proclitic
pro·clit·ic 
[prō klíttik] (plural pro·clit·ics)
adjective

pronounced
with following word: used to describe a reduced
form of a word that is closely attached in pronunciation to the word following
it and has no accent of its own, for example, “d’” in “d’you”
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin procliticus-, from pro 2 on the model of enclitic .]
—pro·clit·ic, noun[1]



proclivity

proclivity
pro·cliv·i·ty 
[prō klívvətee] (plural pro·cliv·i·ties)
noun

natural
tendency:
a natural tendency to behave in a particular way
[Late 16th century. From
Latin proclivitas, from proclivis “inclined,” literally “leaning
forward,” from clivus, “slope.”][1]



Procne

Procne
Proc·ne 
[próknee] noun

mythological Athenian
princess: in Greek mythology, an
Athenian princess whose husband, Tereus, raped her sister, Philomela. She
avenged this act by killing their own son and feeding him to Tereus.[1]



proconsul

proconsul
pro·con·sul 
[prō kónsəl] (plural pro·con·suls)
noun

1.  HISTORY governor
of ancient Roman province: a governor of an ancient
Roman province, usually a former consul

2.  governor
of colony:
a governor or administrator of a colony or other dependency
[14th
century. From Latin “(person acting) for the consul,” from consul (see consul ).]
—pro·con·su·lar,
adjective

—pro·con·su·late,
noun

—pro·con·sul·ship, noun[1]



procrastinate

procrastinate
pro·cras·ti·nate 
[prō krásti nàyt, prə
krásti nàyt] (past pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, past participle
pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, present participle pro·cras·ti·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·cras·ti·nates) intransitive
and transitive verb

postpone
doing something: to postpone doing something, especially
as a regular practice
[Late
16th century. From Latin procrastinare, “to put off until tomorrow,”
from crastinus “of tomorrow,” from cras, “tomorrow.”]
—pro·cras·ti·na·tion
[prō kràsti náysh’n, prə kràsti náysh’n], noun

—pro·cras·ti·na·tor [prō krásti nàytər, prə
krásti nàytər], noun[1]



procreate

procreate
pro·cre·ate 
[prṓkree àyt] (past pro·cre·at·ed,
past participle pro·cre·at·ed, present participle pro·cre·at·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·cre·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
offspring:
to produce offspring by reproduction

2.  transitive
verb
create
something:
to create or produce something
[Mid-16th
century. From procreare, “to bring forth,” from creare (see create ).]
—pro·cre·ant
[prṓkree ənt], adjective

—pro·cre·a·tion
[prkree áysh’n], noun

—pro·cre·a·tive
[prṓkree àytiv], adjective

—pro·cre·a·tor [prṓkree àytər], noun[1]



Procrustean

Procrustean
Pro·crus·te·an
[prō krústee ən] or pro·crus·te·an
[prō krústee ən] adjective

enforcing
conformity:
trying to establish conformity by using any and all means, including violence
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Procrustes .][1]



Procrustes

Procrustes
Pro·crus·tes 
[prō krústeez] noun

mythological Greek torturer:
in Greek mythology, a robber who abducted strangers and forced them to fit
perfectly into a bed by either cutting off or stretching their limbs[1]



procryptic

procryptic
pro·cryp·tic 
[prō kríptik] adjective

having
protective coloration: used to describe an animal
that has a coloration or pattern of shading that acts as camouflage
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably from protective
+ cryptic .]
—pro·cryp·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



proct-

proct-
proct-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
procto-[1]



proctitis

proctitis
proc·ti·tis 
[prok ttiss] noun

rectal
inflammation: inflammation of the rectum
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek prōktos “anus.”][1]



procto-

procto-
procto-
prefix

anus,
anal, rectum, rectal • proctoscope
[From Greek prōktos][1]



proctodeum

proctodeum
proc·to·de·um 
[pròktə dəm] (plural proc·to·de·a
[pròktə d ə] or proc·to·de·ums)
or proc·to·dae·um [pròktə dəm]
(plural proc·to·dae·a or proc·to·dae·ums) noun

part
of embryo:
the exterior section of an embryo that develops into part of the anal canal
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from procto- + Greek hodaios,
“on the way,” from hodos “way.”][1]



proctology

proctology
proc·tol·o·gy 
[prok tólləjee] noun

rectal
medicine:
the branch of medicine concerned with disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus
—proc·to·log·ic
[pròktə lójjik], adjective

—proc·tol·o·gist [prok tólləjist], noun[1]



proctor

proctor
proc·tor 
[próktər] noun (plural proc·tors)

1.  supervisor
at examination: somebody who supervises students at an
examination.
U.K.
term
invigilator

2.  dormitory
supervisor:
at certain schools and universities, a supervisor in a dormitory
transitive
verb
(past proc·tored, past participle proc·tored, present
participle proc·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular proc·tors)

supervise exam:
to supervise an examination, especially in order to prevent cheating.
U.K.
term
invigilate
[14th
century. Contraction of procurator .]
—proc·to·ri·al
[prok táwree əl], adjective

—proc·tor·ship [próktər shìp], noun[1]



proctoscope

proctoscope
proc·to·scope 
[próktə skp] (plural proc·to·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining rectum: a tubular medical instrument
with an integral light source, used for examining the anal canal and rectum
—proc·to·scop·ic
[pròktə skóppik], adjective

—proc·tos·co·py [prok tóskəpee], noun[1]



procumbent

procumbent
pro·cum·bent 
[prō kúmbənt] adjective

1.  lying
face down:
lying down with the face to the ground

2.  BOTANY growing
along ground: used to describe a plant stem that grows
along the ground without taking root
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
procumbent-, the present participle of procumbere, “to fall
forward,” from -cumbere “to lie down.”][1]



procuration

procuration
pro·cu·ra·tion
[pròkyə ráysh’n] noun

1.  acquiring
of something: the obtaining of something, especially
by effort (formal)

2.  CRIMINAL LAW providing
of prostitute: the crime of providing somebody for
prostitution

3.  LAW engaging
of procurator: the engaging of an agent to manage
somebody’s affairs

4.  LAW authorizing
of procurator: the authorization given to somebody who
acts as an agent to manage somebody else’s affairs

[1]



procurator

procurator
proc·u·ra·tor 
[prókyə ràytər] (plural proc·u·ra·tors)
noun

1.  HISTORY ancient
Roman official: in ancient Rome, an administrative
official with legal or fiscal powers

2.  LAW agent
managing somebody’s affairs: an agent engaged to manage
somebody else’s affairs
—proc·u·ra·to·ri·al
[pròkyərə táwree əl], adjective

—pro·cu·ra·tor·ship [prókyə ràytər shìp], noun[1]



procure

procure
pro·cure 
[prō kyr, prə
kyr] (past pro·cured, past participle pro·cured,
present participle pro·cur·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·cures) verb

1.  transitive
verb
acquire
something:
to obtain something, especially by effort

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CRIMINAL LAW provide prostitutes:
to provide somebody for prostitution
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin procurare, “to take care of, manage,”
from curare “to care for.”]
—pro·cur·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·cur·al,
noun

—pro·cur·ance,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at get

[1]



procurement

procurement
pro·cure·ment 
[prō kyrmənt, prə
kyrmənt] noun

1.  obtaining
of something: the obtaining of something, especially
by effort

2.  purchasing
of something: the purchasing of something, especially
for a company, government, or other organization

[1]



procurer

procurer
pro·cur·er 
[prō kyrər, prə
kyrər] (plural pro·cur·ers) noun

1.  somebody
getting something: somebody who obtains
something

2.  CRIMINAL LAW somebody
supplying prostitutes: somebody who provides people
for prostitution

[1]



procuress

procuress
pro·cur·ess 
[prō kyrəss, prə
kyrəss] (plural pro·cur·ess·es) noun

woman providing prostitutes:
a woman who provides people for prostitution (dated)[1]



procès-verbal

procès-verbal
pro·cès-ver·bal
[prō sày vər bl] (plural pro·cès-ver·baux
[prō sày vər bṓ]) noun

record
of proceedings: a written account of official
proceedings
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “oral proceedings,” originally with reference to the oral
reports of evidence from police officers who could not write.][1]



prod

prod
prod 
[prod] intransitive and transitive verb
(past prod·ded, past participle prod·ded, present
participle prod·ding, 3rd person present singular prods)

1.  poke
somebody or something: to poke somebody or
something with a finger, elbow, or pointed object

2.  incite
somebody to action: to incite or encourage
somebody to take action
noun

1.  a
poke:
a poke with a finger, elbow, or pointed object

2.  incitement
to action:
an incitement or encouragement to do something

3.  poking
instrument:
an instrument used for poking a person or animal
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of obsolete brod “goad,” of
uncertain origin: probably from Old Norse broddr .]
—prod·der, noun[1]



prod.

prod.
prod.

1.  Abbreviation
of
produce

2.  Abbreviation
of
produced

3.  Abbreviation
of
product

4.  Abbreviation
of
production

[1]



prodigal

prodigal
prod·i·gal 
[próddig’l] adjective

1.  extravagantly
wasteful:
spendthrift or extravagant to a degree bordering on recklessness

2.  producing
generous amounts: giving or producing something in large
amounts

3.  wasting
parental money but still loved: spending parental
money wastefully, but returning home to a warm welcome (literary)
noun
(plural prod·i·gals)

spendthrift:
somebody who spends money, especially money from his or her parents, wastefully
[Early
16th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin prodigus, “wasteful,”
from prodigere, “to drive away, squander,” from agere, “to
drive.”]
—prod·i·gal·i·ty
[pròddi gállətee], noun

—prod·i·gal·ly [próddigəlee], adverb[1]



prodigious

prodigious
pro·di·gious 
[prə díjjəss] adjective

1.  sizable:
great in amount, size, or extent

2.  marvelous:
very impressive or amazing

3.  ominous:
portentous or ominous (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin prodigiosus “marvelous,” from prodigium (see prodigy ).]
—pro·di·gious·ly,
adverb

—pro·di·gious·ness, noun[1]



prodigy

prodigy
prod·i·gy 
[próddəjee] (plural prod·i·gies)
noun

1.  somebody
with exceptional talent: somebody who shows an
exceptional natural talent for something from an early age

2.  something
marvelous:
something very impressive or amazing

3.  warning
sign:
a portent or omen (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin prodigium
“prophetic sign, portent,” of uncertain origin: perhaps literally “something
foretold,” formed from -igium, from aio “I say.”][1]



prodrome

prodrome
pro·drome 
[prṓ drm] (plural pro·dromes)
noun

forewarning
symptom:
a symptom indicating the onset of a disease.
See
also
syndrome
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek prodromos, literally “a
running before,” from dromos “running” (see -drome
).]
—pro·dro·mal
[prō drṓm’l], adjective

—pro·drom·ic [prō drómmik], adjective[1]



produce

produce
pro·duce 
verb [prə dss] (past pro·duced,
past participle pro·duced, present participle pro·duc·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·duc·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something:
to make or create something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb manufacture
something:
to manufacture goods for sale

3.  transitive
verb
cause
something:
to cause something to happen or arise

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb yield
something:
to bring forth or bear something

5.  transitive
verb
offer
something:
to present or show something

6.  transitive
verb
ARTS organize
the making of something: to organize and supervise
the making of something

7.  transitive
verb
GEOMETRY extend
something in space: to extend the length of a
line, area of a plane figure, or volume of a solid
noun
[prṓ dss]

farm or garden products:
products of farms or gardens, especially fruits and vegetables
[15th
century. From Latin producere “to lead or bring forth,” from ducere
“to lead.”]
—pro·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[prə dssə bíllətee], noun

—pro·duc·i·ble
[prə dssəb’l], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at make

[1]



producer

producer
pro·duc·er 
[prə dssər] (plural pro·duc·ers)
noun

1.  something
that produces: somebody or something that produces
something

2.  something
generating items for sale: a person, company, or
country that produces goods or services for sale

3.  ARTS organizer
of movie, recording, etc.: somebody who organizes and
supervises the making of a motion picture, play, broadcast, or recording

4.  INDUSTRY apparatus
for producer gas: a furnace used for making producer gas

5.  ECOLOGY organism
that makes its food: an organism such as a green
plant, that manufactures its own food from simple inorganic substances.
Producers are ultimately the sole source of food for all animals and other
consumer organisms.

[1]



producergas

producergas
pro·duc·er
gas
noun

gaseous fuel:
a fuel consisting of carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen, made by passing
air and steam over hot coke in a furnace.
Also called
air gas[1]



product

product
prod·uct 
[pró dùkt] (plural prod·ucts) noun

1.  something
made or created: something that is made or created by a
person, machine, or natural process, especially something that is offered for
sale

2.  company’s
goods or services: the goods or services
produced by a company

3.  result:
something that arises as a consequence of something else

4.  MATHEMATICS result
of multiplying: the result of the multiplication of two
or more quantities

5.  CHEMISTRY chemical
substance:
a substance produced in a chemical reaction
[15th century. From Latin productus,
the past participle of producere (see produce
).][1]



production

production
pro·duc·tion 
[prə dúkshən] noun (plural pro·duc·tions)

1.  making
of something: the making or creation of something

2.  something
produced:
something that has been made or created

3.  ECONOMICS producing
of goods:
the process of manufacturing a product for sale

4.  ECONOMICS company’s
product:
the goods or services produced by a company

5.  ARTS supervision
of movie, recording, etc.: the organization and
supervision of the making of a movie, play, broadcast, or recording

6.  ARTS movie,
recording, etc.: a motion picture, play, broadcast, or
recording that has been produced for the public

7.  showing
of something: the showing or presenting of something
such as evidence
adjective

mass-produced:
mass-produced for sale to the general public
—pro·duc·tion·al, adjective[1]



productionassistant

productionassistant
pro·duc·tion
as·sis·tant
noun

assistant on movie:
an assistant to a movie producer who performs a variety of errands and tasks[1]



productioncompany

productioncompany
pro·duc·tion
com·pa·ny
noun

company making movies:
an organization that makes motion pictures[1]



productiondesigner

productiondesigner
pro·duc·tion
de·sign·er
noun

designer of overall
appearance of movie: somebody
who is responsible for the look of the physical world on screen in a movie,
including sets and costumes[1]



productionline

productionline
pro·duc·tion
line
noun

sequence of machines in
factory: a sequence of machines or
processes in a factory through which the products pass until they are fully
assembled[1]



productionmanager

productionmanager
pro·duc·tion
man·ag·er
noun

movie or play administrator:
somebody who is in charge of arranging the shooting of a movie or the producing
of a play, for example, by planning schedules, ordering equipment, and hiring
extras[1]



productionnumber

productionnumber
pro·duc·tion
num·ber
noun

part of musical including
chorus: a piece of music in a
musical that is sung and danced by featured actors supported by the chorus[1]



productive

productive
pro·duc·tive 
[prə dúktiv] adjective

1.  producing
something:
producing or able to produce something

2.  producing
much:
producing something abundantly and efficiently

3.  worthwhile:
producing satisfactory or useful results

4.  ECONOMICS producing
goods:
producing goods and services of exchangeable value

5.  MED producing
mucus:
used to describe a cough that produces mucus

6.  GRAMMAR used
to form words: used to describe a prefix or suffix that
is used in forming new words
—pro·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—pro·duc·tive·ness, noun[1]



productivity

productivity
pro·duc·tiv·i·ty 
[pr duk tívvətee] noun

1.  ability
to produce:
the ability to be productive

2.  ECONOMICS rate
of production: the rate at which a company produces
goods or services, in relation to the amount of materials and number of
employees needed

[1]



productliability

productliability
prod·uct
li·a·bil·i·ty noun

producer’s legal
responsibility for goods: the
liability of manufacturers and traders for damage or injury caused to
purchasers or bystanders by their products[1]



productline

productline
prod·uct
line
noun

1.  company’s
whole range of products: the whole range of products
marketed by a company

2.  company’s
group of related products: a group of related products
marketed by the same company that differ only in size or style

[1]



proem

proem
pro·em 
[prṓ èm] (plural pro·ems) noun

introduction:
an introduction to a literary work or a speech
[14th
century. Via Old French pro(h)eme from, ultimately, Greek prooimion,
literally “song before,” from oimē “song.”]
—pro·e·mi·al [prō émmee əl], adjective[1]



proenzyme

proenzyme
pro·en·zyme 
[prō én zm] (plural pro·en·zymes)
noun

enzyme precursor:
the inactive precursor of an enzyme, especially one secreted by living cells
and activated by an acid, another enzyme, or other catalytic means.
Also called
zymogen[1]



proestrus

proestrus
pro·es·trus 
[prō éstrəss] noun

period preceding estrus:
the period in the estrus cycle immediately preceding estrus[1]



Prof.

Prof.
Prof.

Abbreviation of
professor[1]



prof

prof
prof 
[prof] (plural profs) noun

professor:
a college or university professor (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



profane

profane
pro·fane 
[prō fáyn, prə
fáyn] adjective

1.  irreverent:
showing disrespect for God, any deity, or religion (formal)

2.  secular:
not connected with or used for religious matters

3.  uninitiated:
not initiated into sacred or secret rites
transitive
verb
(past pro·faned, past participle pro·faned, present
participle pro·fan·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·fanes)

treat something irreverently:
to treat something sacred with disrespect
[14th
century. Via Old French prophane from Latin profanus, literally
“outside the temple,” hence “not sacred,” from fanum “temple” (source of
English fanatic ).]
—prof·a·na·tion
[pròffə náysh’n], noun

—pro·fan·a·to·ry
[prō fánnə tàwree, prə
fánnə tàwree], adjective

—pro·fane·ly
[prō fáynlee, prə
fáynlee], adverb

—pro·fane·ness
[prō fáyn nəss], noun

—pro·fan·er [prō fáynər], noun[1]



profanity

profanity
pro·fan·i·ty 
[prō fánnətee, prə
fánnətee] (plural pro·fan·i·ties) noun

1.  profane
language or behavior: language or behavior that
shows disrespect for God, any deity, or religion

2.  profane
word or phrase: a word or phrase that shows disrespect
for God, any deity, or religion

[1]



profess

profess
pro·fess 
[prō féss, prə
féss] (past pro·fessed, past participle pro·fessed,
present participle pro·fess·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·fess·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb declare
something openly: to acknowledge something publicly

2.  transitive
verb
declare
something falsely: to make a false claim about
something

3.  transitive
verb
RELIGION believe
a religion:
to follow a particular religion

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb RELIGION become priest, nun, etc.:
to admit somebody, or be admitted, into a religious order
[15th
century. From Old French profes, “having taken religious vows,”
ultimately from Latin profess-, the past participle of profiteri
“to declare publicly,” from fateri “to acknowledge.”]
—pro·fessed,
adjective

—pro·fess·ed·ly [prō féssədlee, prə
féssədlee], adverb[1]



profession

profession
pro·fes·sion 
[prō fésh’n, prə
fésh’n] (plural pro·fes·sions) noun

1.  occupation
requiring extensive education: an occupation that
requires extensive education or specialized training

2.  people
in profession: the members of a particular profession

3.  declaration:
a public acknowledgment or declaration of something

4.  RELIGION declaration
of religious belief: a declaration of belief in a
religion or faith

[1]



professional

professional
pro·fes·sion·al 
[prō féshən’l, prō
féshnəl, prə féshən’l] adjective

1.  of
a profession: relating to or belonging to a profession

2.  following
occupation as paid job: engaged in an occupation as
a paid job rather than as a hobby

3.  very
competent:
showing a high degree of skill or competence

4.  doing
something habitually: habitually, and usually
annoyingly, indulging in a particular activity • a
professional complainer
noun
(plural pro·fes·sion·als)

1.  member
of profession: somebody whose occupation requires
extensive education or specialized training

2.  somebody
doing something as paid job: somebody who is engaged in
an occupation as a paid job rather than as a hobby

3.  somebody
very competent: somebody who shows a high degree of
skill or competence

4.  teacher
at sports club: an expert player of a sport who is
employed by a golf or other sports club to teach its members
—pro·fes·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



professionalassociation

professionalassociation
pro·fes·sion·al
as·so·ci·a·tion noun

society of professionals:
a society of members of a profession that regulates entry to, and sets and
maintains standards for, the profession[1]



professionalcorporation

professionalcorporation
pro·fes·sion·al
cor·po·ra·tion noun

company formed by licensed
professionals: a business incorporated
by licensed professionals such as doctors or lawyers[1]



professionalfoul

professionalfoul
pro·fes·sion·al
foul
(plural pro·fes·sion·al fouls) noun

deliberate foul to prevent
soccer goal: a deliberate foul in
soccer, usually committed in order to prevent the opposing team gaining a
potentially crucial advantage in field position or goal-scoring opportunity[1]



professionalism

professionalism
pro·fes·sion·al·ism 
[prō féshən’l ìzzəm, prō féshnə lìzzəm, prə féshən’l ìzzəm]
noun

1.  professional
standards:
the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained
profession

2.  use
of professionals: the use of professionals instead of
amateurs

[1]



professionalize

professionalize
pro·fes·sion·al·ize 
[prō féshən’l z, prō
féshnə lz, prə féshən’l z] (past
pro·fes·sion·al·ized, past participle pro·fes·sion·al·ized,
present participle pro·fes·sion·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular pro·fes·sion·al·iz·es) transitive verb

make something professional:
to make an occupation professional, especially by paying the people who engage
in it or improving the conditions or standards of their work[1]



professor

professor
pro·fes·sor 
[prə féssər] (plural pro·fes·sors)
noun

1.  EDUCATION college
teacher of highest academic rank: a teacher holding the
highest academic rank in a college or university

2.  EDUCATION university
teacher:
a teacher in a university or college

3.  teacher
of a skill:
a senior teacher of a nonacademic discipline in an institution other than a
university such as a music or drama school

4.  RELIGION somebody
professing belief: somebody who professes a
religion or other belief (formal)
—pro·fes·so·ri·al
[pròffə sáwree əl], adjective

—pro·fes·so·ri·al·ly
[pròffə sáwree əlee], adverb

—pro·fes·sor·ship [prə féssər shìp], noun[1]



professoriate

professoriate
pro·fes·so·ri·ate 
[pròffə sáwree ət] (plural pro·fes·so·ri·ates)
or pro·fes·so·ri·at [pròffə sáwree ət]
(plural pro·fes·so·ri·ats) or pro·fes·so·rate [pròffə sáwree ət] (plural pro·fes·so·rates)
noun

1.  professors:
professors as a group

2.  professor’s
position:
the status or position of professor

[1]



proffer

proffer
prof·fer 
[próffər] transitive verb (past
prof·fered, past participle prof·fered, present
participle prof·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular prof·fers)

1.  hold
something out: to hold something out to somebody so
that he or she can take or grasp it

2.  propose
something:
to offer something for consideration to somebody
noun
(plural prof·fers)

proposal:
something offered for consideration • proffer
a suggestion
[13th
century. From Old French proffrir, literally “to offer forth,” from offrir
“to offer.”]
—prof·fer·er, noun[1]



proficiency

proficiency
pro·fi·cien·cy 
[prə físh’nsee] noun

competence in something:
competence in something, or knowledge of it[1]



proficient

proficient
pro·fi·cient 
[prə físh’nt] adjective

very
skilled:
having a high degree of skill in something
noun
(plural pro·fi·cients)

somebody
very skilled: somebody with a high degree of skill in
something (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Via Old French from Latin proficient-, the present
participle of proficere “to make progress,” literally “to make forward,”
which was formed from facere “to make.”]
—pro·fi·cient·ly, adverb[1]



profile

profile

pro·file 
[prṓ fl] noun (plural pro·files)

1.  side
view of face: the outline of somebody’s face as seen
from the side

2.  ARTS artwork
of somebody’s profile: a visual representation of
the outline of somebody’s face as seen from the side

3.  COMMUNICATION short
biography:
a short biographical account of somebody

4.  STATISTICS data
describing something: a set of data, usually in
graph or table form, that indicates the extent to which something matches
tested or standard characteristics

5.  visibility:
a level or degree of noticeability • Though
he had become famous, he still tried to keep a low profile.

6.  GEOGRAPHY vertical
section of physical feature: a vertical section through a
physical feature, for example, through soil, showing its development from
bedrock, or through a river, showing its height above sea level along its
course
verb (past
pro·filed, past participle pro·filed, present
participle pro·fil·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·files)

1.  transitive
verb
COMMUNICATION do
short biography of somebody: to write or present a short
biographical account of somebody

2.  transitive
verb
ARTS draw
profile of somebody: to draw or paint the outline
of somebody’s face as seen from the side

3.  intransitive
verb
show
off:
to show off, strut, or otherwise try to attract attention (slang)
[Mid-17th
century. From Italian profilo, from profilare “to draw in
outline,” literally “to draw or spin forth,” ultimately from filo
“thread,” from Latin filum .]
—pro·fil·er, noun[1]



profit

profit
prof·it 
[próffit] noun (plural prof·its)

1.  BUSINESS excess
of income over expenditure: the excess of income over
expenditure during a particular period of time

2.  FINANCE income
from something: income from an investment or transaction
(often used in the plural)

3.  BUSINESS money
from business activity: money made or to be made
from business activity

4.  advantage:
an advantage or benefit derived from an activity
verb
(past prof·it·ed, past participle prof·it·ed, present
participle prof·it·ing, 3rd person present singular prof·its)

1.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE make
money on something: to gain financial profit
from something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb benefit
from something: to gain an advantage or benefit from
something, or to provide an advantage or benefit
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin profectus “advance,” the past
participle of proficere (see proficient
).]
—prof·it·er,
noun

—prof·it·less,
adjective

—prof·it·less·ly, adverb[1]



profitable

profitable
prof·it·a·ble 
[próffitəb’l] adjective

1.  FINANCE lucrative:
yielding a financial profit

2.  useful:
of some use, benefit, or advantage to somebody
—prof·it·a·bil·i·ty
[pròffitə bíllətee], noun

—prof·it·a·ble·ness
[próffitəb’lnəss], noun

—prof·it·a·bly [próffitəblee], adverb[1]



profitand loss

profitand loss
prof·it
and loss
noun

account showing net profit or
loss: an account showing income
and expenditure over a given period and indicating net profit or loss[1]



profitcenter

profitcenter
prof·it
cen·ter
noun

1.  profitable
activity or sector: a section or activity of a
company that is independently profitable

2.  separate
sector in financial accounts: an organizational unit or
activity of a company for which income and expenses are reported independently

[1]



profiteer

profiteer
prof·it·eer 
[pròffi tr] intransitive verb (past
prof·it·eered, past participle prof·it·eered, present
participle prof·it·eer·ing, 3rd person present singular prof·it·eers)

make
excessive profits: to make excessive profits by
charging high prices for scarce, necessary, or rationed goods
noun
(plural prof·it·eers)

somebody
making excessive profits: somebody who makes excessive
profits by charging high prices for scarce, necessary, or rationed goods
—prof·it·eer·ing, noun[1]



profiterole

profiterole
pro·fit·er·ole 
[prə fíttə rl] (plural pro·fit·er·oles)
noun

cream
puff with chocolate sauce: a small ball of light pastry
filled with cream and usually served with chocolate sauce
[Early 16th century. From
French, literally “small gain,” from profit (see profit ).][1]



profitmargin

profitmargin
prof·it
mar·gin
noun

amount of profit made:
the amount by which income exceeds the related expenditures[1]



profitsharing

profitsharing
prof·it
shar·ing 
noun

sharing of profits with
employees: a system by which the
employees of a company receive a prearranged share of the company’s profits (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



profittaking

profittaking
prof·it
tak·ing
noun

selling
of stocks at profit: the selling of commodities,
securities, or stocks at a time when their current market value is greater than
the price at which they were purchased
—prof·it-tak·er, noun[1]



profligate

profligate
prof·li·gate 
[próffligət, próffli
gàyt] adjective

1.  wasteful:
extremely extravagant or wasteful

2.  with
low morals:
having or showing extremely low moral standards
noun
(plural prof·li·gates)

1.  somebody
wasteful:
somebody who is extremely extravagant or wasteful

2.  somebody
with low morals: somebody with extremely low moral
standards
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin profligatus, the past participle of profligare
“to strike down, ruin,” from fligere “to strike” (source of English conflict ).]
—prof·li·ga·cy,
noun

—prof·li·gate·ly, adverb[1]



profluent

profluent
pro·flu·ent 
[pró fl ənt] adjective

flowing
well:
flowing smoothly or freely
[15th century. From Latin profluere
“to flow forth,” from fluere “to flow.”][1]



proforma

proforma
pro
for·ma 
[prō fáwrmə] adjective

1.  formal
or conventional: done or existing only as a formality

2.  provided
in advance:
provided in advance in order to supply descriptions of something or to serve as
a model, for example, of a later version of a document • a
pro forma invoice
adverb

for convention’s sake:
for the sake of or in accordance with convention
[From Latin, literally “for
form’s sake”][1]



profound

profound
pro·found 
[prə fównd] (comparative pro·found·er,
superlative pro·found·est) adjective

1.  great:
very great, strong, or intense

2.  showing
great understanding: showing great perception,
understanding, or knowledge

3.  requiring
great understanding: requiring great perception,
understanding, or knowledge

4.  very
deep:
extending to or situated at a great depth
[13th
century. Via Old French profond from Latin profundus, literally
“bottom forward or downward,” from fundus “bottom.”]
—pro·found·ly,
adverb

—pro·found·ness, noun[1]



profundity

profundity
pro·fun·di·ty 
[prə fúndətee] (plural pro·fun·di·ties)
noun

1.  great
understanding: great perceptiveness, understanding, or
knowledge

2.  something
requiring great understanding: something requiring
great understanding, perceptiveness, or knowledge

3.  intellectual
complexity:
the intellectual complexity or abstruseness of something

4.  greatness:
the greatness, strength, or intensity of something

5.  great
depth:
extension to, or location at, a great depth
[15th century. Via Old French
profundite from late Latin profunditas, from profundus
(see profound ).][1]



profuse

profuse
pro·fuse 
[prə fyss] adjective

1.  generously
provided:
given freely and extravagantly • profuse
apologies

2.  generous
in giving:
giving something freely and extravagantly

3.  copious:
being or appearing in large amounts
[15th
century. From Latin profusus, the past participle of profundere
“to pour forth,” from fundere “to pour.”]
—pro·fuse·ly,
adverb

—pro·fuse·ness, noun[1]



profusion

profusion
pro·fu·sion 
[prə fyzh’n] noun

1.  a
great deal:
a large quantity of something

2.  profuse
quality:
the quality of being profuse

[1]



prog.

prog.
prog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
program

2.  Abbreviation
of
progress

3.  Abbreviation
of
progressive

[1]



Prog.

Prog.
Prog.

Abbreviation of
Progressive[1]



progenitor

progenitor
pro·gen·i·tor 
[prō jénnitər] (plural pro·gen·i·tors)
noun

1.  ancestor:
a direct ancestor of somebody or something

2.  originator:
the originator of, or original model for, something
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “begetter,” from progenit-, the past participle stem of progignere
“to beget,” literally “to create forth,” from gignere (see genital ).][1]



progeny

progeny
prog·e·ny 
[prójjənee] (plural prog·e·ny or
prog·e·nies) noun

1.  offspring
of organism: an offspring of a person, animal, or
plant

2.  something
resulting:
something that develops or results from something else
[13th century. Via Old French
progenie from Latin progenies “offspring,” from progignere
(see progenitor ).][1]



progeria

progeria
pro·ger·i·a 
[prō jree ə] noun

premature
aging:
a rare condition of premature aging that begins in childhood or early adult
life and leads to death within a few years.
Also
called
Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek progērōs, literally “aged forward,” from gēras
“old age.”][1]



progestational

progestational
pro·ges·ta·tion·al 
[pr je stáyshən’l, pr
je stáyshnəl] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY relating
to menstrual cycle phase: relating to the stage of the
menstrual cycle following ovulation during which progesterone is produced and
the womb is prepared for pregnancy

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY PHARMACOLOGY of or
like progesterone: relating to or resembling
progesterone or its effects

[1]



progesterone

progesterone
pro·ges·ter·one 
[prō jéstə rn] noun

sex
hormone:
a sex hormone produced in women, first by the corpus luteum of the ovary to
prepare the womb for the fertilized ovum, and later by the placenta to maintain
pregnancy. C21H30O2
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pro- + gestation
+ sterol + -one
.][1]



progestin

progestin
pro·ges·tin 
[prō jéstin] noun

hormone:
any progestogen, usually progesterone
[Early 20th century. Formed
from pro- + gestation
+ -in .][1]



progestogen

progestogen
pro·ges·to·gen 
[prō jéstəjən] noun

hormone
similar to progesterone: a steroid hormone or agent
having effects similar to those of progesterone
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pro- + gestation
+ -in .][1]



proglottid

proglottid
pro·glot·tid 
[prō glóttid] (plural pro·glot·tids
[prō glóttə dz]) or pro·glot·tis
[prō glóttiss] (plural pro·glot·ti·des)
noun

segment
of tapeworm: a segment of a tapeworm’s body. Each
segment contains a complete reproductive system.
—pro·glot·tic, adjective[1]



prognathous

prognathous
prog·na·thous 
[prógnəthəss] or prog·nath·ic
[prog náthik] adjective

having
projecting jaw: used to describe an animal with a jaw
that sticks out markedly
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from pro- + Greek gnathos
“jaw.”]
—prog·na·thism, noun[1]



prognosis

prognosis
prog·no·sis 
[prog nṓssiss] (plural prog·no·ses
[prog nṓ sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE opinion
on course of disease: a medical opinion as to the
likely course and outcome of a disease

2.  prediction:
a prediction about how a given situation will develop
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek prognōsis, literally “knowledge beforehand,” ultimately
from gignōskein “to know.”][1]



prognostic

prognostic
prog·nos·tic 
[prog nóstik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE of
disease prognosis: relating to or acting as a
prognosis of a disease

2.  of
prediction:
relating to or acting as a prediction
noun
(plural prog·nos·tics)

1.  MEDICINE indication
of course of disease: an indicator used in making
a prognosis concerning a disease

2.  prediction:
a prediction as to how a given situation will develop
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Greek prognōstikos “of knowledge beforehand,” from prognœsis
(see prognosis ).][1]



prognosticate

prognosticate
prog·nos·ti·cate 
[prog nósti kàyt] (past prog·nos·ti·cat·ed,
past participle prog·nos·ti·cat·ed, present participle prog·nos·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular prog·nos·ti·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb predict
the future:
to predict or foretell future events

2.  transitive
verb
be
indication of something: to be an indication of the
likely future course of something
—prog·nos·ti·ca·tion
[prog nòsti káysh’n], noun

—prog·nos·ti·ca·tive
[prog nósti kàytiv], adjective

—prog·nos·ti·ca·tor [prog nósti kàytər], noun[1]



prograde

prograde
pro·grade
[prṓ gràyd] adjective

orbiting or rotating like
another body: moving in the same
orbital or rotational direction as another astronomical body[1]



program

program
pro·gram 
[prṓ gràm] noun (plural pro·grams)

1.  plan
of action:
a plan of action for achieving something.
U.K.
term
programme

2.  BROADCASTING broadcast:
a television or radio broadcast.
U.K.
term
programme

3.  ARTS booklet
giving details of a performance: a booklet or leaflet
giving details of a theatrical or musical performance or a ceremony.
U.K.
term
programme

4.  EDUCATION set
of classes:
a series of classes or lectures on something.
U.K.
term
programme

5.  system
to develop or provide something: a system of procedures
or activities that has a specific purpose, for example, to train an athletic
team or provide certain social services.
U.K.
term
programme

6.  instructions
obeyed by computer: a list of instructions in a
programming language that tells a computer to perform a certain task

7.  TECHNOLOGY operating
instructions for machine: a set of coded operating
instructions that is used to run a machine automatically

8.  routine:
the established routine (slang) • I
know you’re new here, but try to get with the program!
verb
(past pro·grammed or pro·gramed, past participle
pro·grammed or pro·gramed, present participle pro·gram·ming
or pro·gram·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·grams)

1.  transitive
verb
schedule
something:
to schedule something as part of a program.
U.K.
term
programme

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
computer program: to write or load a program for a
computer

3.  transitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY insert
operating instructions into machine: to
insert coded operating instructions into a machine

4.  transitive
verb
train
somebody to do something automatically: to
train a person or an animal to do a particular thing automatically
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek programma “public notice,”
literally “something written publicly,” ultimately from graphein “to
write.”]
—pro·gram·ma·ble
[prō grámməb’l], adjective

—pro·gram·ma·bil·i·ty
[prō gràmmə bíllətee], noun[1]



programdirector

programdirector
pro·gram
di·rec·tor
noun

executive who selects
broadcast programs: an
executive who is responsible for the selection and scheduling of television or
radio programs for broadcast.
U.K. term
head of programming[1]



programer

programer
pro·gram·er 
noun

See
programmer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








programevaluation and review technique

programevaluation and review technique
pro·gram
e·val·u·a·tion and re·view tech·nique noun

Full form of
PERT[1]



programing

programing
pro·gram·ing 
noun

See
programming[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








programmatic

programmatic
pro·gram·mat·ic 
[prgrə máttik] adjective

1.  relating
to program:
relating to or consisting of a program

2.  systematic:
following a plan or program

3.  MUSIC of
program music: relating to or composed as program music
—pro·gram·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



programmedinstruction

programmedinstruction
pro·grammed
in·struc·tion noun

teaching method:
a teaching method involving sequences of controlled steps in which a student
has to learn thoroughly the material covered in one step before proceeding to
the next[1]



programmer

programmer
pro·gram·mer 
[prṓ gràmmər] (plural programmers)
or pro·gram·er [prṓ gràmmər] (plural
pro·gramers) noun

somebody programming
computers: somebody who writes computer
programs[1]



programming

programming
pro·gram·ming 
[prṓ gràmming] or pro·gram·ing
[prṓ gràmming] noun

1.  creating
of computer programs: the designing or writing of
computer programs

2.  BROADCASTING broadcasting
of programs: the selection and scheduling of
television or radio programs, or the programs themselves

[1]



programminglanguage

programminglanguage
pro·gram·ming
lan·guage 
or pro·gram·ing lan·guage noun

special vocabulary for
instructing computer: a unique
vocabulary and set of rules for writing computer programs. This term is usually
applied to high-level languages, for example, C, C++, Java™, Pascal, and BASIC.

Also called
computer language[1]



programmusic

programmusic
pro·gram
mu·sic
noun

music depicting story or
scene: music that depicts or is
inspired by a specific story, object, or scene[1]



programtrading

programtrading
pro·gram
trad·ing
noun

trading
of stock by computer: the automatic buying and
selling of large quantities of stock using computer programs that monitor price
changes
—pro·gram
trade, noun

—pro·gram trad·er, noun[1]



progress

progress
pro·gress 
noun [pró grèss, prō grèss]

1.  improvement:
gradual development or improvement of something

2.  motion
toward something: movement forward or onward

3.  (plural
pro·gress·es) royal tour:
an official royal tour (archaic)
verb
[prə gréss, prō
gréss] (past pro·gressed, past participle pro·gressed,
present participle pro·gress·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·gress·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
improve:
to develop or advance continuously

2.  intransitive
verb
move
along:
to move forward or onward

3.  transitive
verb
help
complete something: to bring something toward
completion
[15th century. From Latin progressus,
the past participle of progredi “to go forward,” from gradi “to
walk.”][1]



progression

progression
pro·gres·sion 
[prə grésh’n] (plural pro·gres·sions)
noun

1.  gradual
advancement: a gradual change or advancement from one
state to another

2.  forward
movement:
movement forward or onward

3.  series
of related things: a series or succession of
related things

4.  MATHEMATICS sequence
of related numbers: a sequence of numbers or
terms in which each can be derived from its predecessor using a constant
formula

5.  MUSIC series
of notes or chords: a movement from one note or chord
to another
—pro·gres·sion·al,
adjective

—pro·gres·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



progressive

progressive
pro·gres·sive 
[prə gréssiv] adjective

1.  progressing
gradually:
progressing gradually over a period of time

2.  MEDICINE becoming
more severe: used to describe a disease that becomes
more widespread or severe over time

3.  POLITICS favoring
reform:
advocating social, economic, or political reform

4.  EDUCATION informal
and less structured educationally: relating to or using a
more informal, less structured approach to the education of children

5.  FINANCE with
higher rates for higher incomes: used to describe a
form of taxation in which the tax rate increases in proportion to the taxable
income

6.  CARD GAMES DANCING having
changes of partner: characterized by changes of
partner at stages of a card game or dance

7.  GRAMMAR expressing
continuous action: used to express continuous
action
noun
(plural pro·gres·sives)

1.  POLITICS advocate
of reform:
somebody who advocates social, political, or economic reform

2.  GRAMMAR progressive
form of verb: the progressive aspect of a verb, or a
verb in the progressive aspect
—pro·gres·sive·ly,
adverb

—pro·gres·sive·ness, noun[1]



Progressive

Progressive
Pro·gres·sive 
adjective

1.  POLITICS of
progressive political party: belonging to or associated
with a Progressive Party

2.  JUDAISM of
nonorthodox Jewish religious movement:
relating to a Jewish religious movement whose members do not believe that the
Torah was given literally and directly by God to Moses
noun
(plural Pro·gres·sives)

POLITICS member
of Progressive Party: somebody who is a member of
a Progressive Party

[1]



ProgressiveConservative

ProgressiveConservative
Pro·gres·sive
Con·ser·va·tive noun (plural Pro·gres·sive
Con·ser·va·tives)

member
of Canadian Progressive Conservative Party: in
Canada, a member or supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party
adjective

of Canadian Progressive
Conservative Party: in Canada,
belonging to or supporting the Progressive Conservative Party[1]



ProgressiveConservative Party

ProgressiveConservative Party
Pro·gres·sive
Con·ser·va·tive Par·ty  noun

Canadian political party:
a Canadian federal and provincial political party founded in the 1850s as the
Liberal-Conservative Party, becoming the Conservative Party after the 1870s and
taking its present name in 1942[1]



progressiveeducation

progressiveeducation
pro·gres·sive
ed·u·ca·tion noun

educational theory:
a 20th-century theory of education that stresses children’s self-expression, an
informal classroom atmosphere, and individual attention[1]



ProgressiveFederal Party

ProgressiveFederal Party
Pro·gres·sive
Fed·er·al Par·ty noun

South African political
party: a South African political
party formed in 1977 by a merger between the Progressive Party and members of
the United Party[1]



progressivejazz

progressivejazz
pro·gres·sive
jazz
noun

experimental jazz:
a form of experimental, free-flowing, and improvisational jazz that uses
dissonance and complex rhythms[1]



ProgressiveParty

ProgressiveParty
Pro·gres·sive
Par·ty
noun

1.  U.S.
political party: in the United States, any of three
related political parties that favored social reform and were active in the
presidential elections of 1912, 1924, and 1948

2.  Canadian
political party: a Canadian national political party
formed in 1920 from members of farmers’ movements and dissident Liberals that
was dissolved in 1942

[1]



ProgressiveRock

ProgressiveRock
Pro·gres·sive
Rock
noun

rock music:
a type of rock music originating in the early 1970s and characterized by
technically elaborate and sometimes experimental arrangements[1]



progressivism

progressivism
pro·gres·siv·ism
[prə gréssi vìzzəm] noun

1.  beliefs
of progressives: the beliefs and practices of
progressives

2.  EDUCATION beliefs
and practices of progressive education: the
theories and practices of progressive education
—pro·ges·siv·ist, noun[1]



progresspayment

progresspayment
pro·gress
pay·ment
noun

partial payment:
a part of a larger payment made to a contractor when a stage of a job is
completed[1]



prohibit

prohibit
pro·hib·it
[prō híbbit] (past pro·hib·it·ed,
past participle pro·hib·it·ed, present participle pro·hib·it·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·hib·its) transitive verb

1.  forbid
somebody:
to forbid somebody from doing something by a law or rule

2.  prevent
somebody:
to prevent somebody from doing something
[15th
century. Formed from Latin prohibit-, the past participle stem of prohibere,
literally “to hold back,” from hibere “to hold.”]
—pro·hib·it·er, noun[1]



prohibition

prohibition
pro·hi·bi·tion
[pr ə bísh’n] (plural pro·hi·bi·tions)
noun

1.  forbidding
of something: the act or process of forbidding
something

2.  order
that forbids: an act or order that forbids something

3.  LAW court
order:
an order from a superior court that forbids an inferior court from deciding on
a matter beyond its jurisdiction

4.  outlawing
of trade in alcoholic beverages: a policy that forbids
by law the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin prohibere (see prohibit ).]
—pro·hi·bi·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



Prohibitionism

Prohibitionism
Pro·hi·bi·tion·ism
[pr ə bísh’n ìzzəm] or pro·hi·bi·tion·ism
[pr ə bísh’n ìzzəm] noun

supporting
the banning of alcoholic beverages: the
policy and principles of those who support a ban on alcoholic beverages
—Pro·hi·bi·tion·ist, noun[1]



ProhibitionParty

ProhibitionParty
Pro·hi·bi·tion
Par·ty
noun

political party urging
Prohibition: a political party in
the United States founded in 1869 that advocated the banning of alcoholic
beverages[1]



prohibitive

prohibitive
pro·hib·i·tive
[prō híbbitiv] adjective

1.  too
expensive for most people: too expensive or costly for
most people to buy

2.  forbidding
something:
prohibiting or forbidding something
—pro·hib·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—pro·hib·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



prohibitory

prohibitory
pro·hib·i·to·ry
[prō híbbi tàwree] adjective

1.  likely
to forbid something: likely to prevent or forbid
something (formal)

2.  forbidding
something:
preventing or forbidding something

[1]



proinsulin

proinsulin
pro·in·su·lin
[prō ínsəlin] noun

precursor of insulin:
the inactive precursor of insulin that is converted to the active substance by
the action of enzymes in the pancreas[1]



project

project
proj·ect 
noun [pró jèkt] (plural pro·jects)

1.  task
or scheme:
a task or scheme that requires a large amount of time, effort, and planning to
complete

2.  unit
of work:
an organized unit of work • a
school project

3.  public
work:
an extensive organized public undertaking • a
construction project

4.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (often
used in the plural) See housing project
verb
[prə jékt] (past pro·ject·ed, past
participle pro·ject·ed, present participle pro·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·jects)

1.  transitive
verb
estimate:
to estimate something by extrapolating data • They
projected 3 percent annual growth.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stick
out:
to jut out beyond or farther than something • The
balcony projected several feet.

3.  transitive
verb
communicate
something:
to communicate something effectively • He
projects himself as a confident man.

4.  transitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY believe
others share a mental life: to make a thought or feeling
seem to have an external and objective reality, especially to ascribe something
personal to others • He had projected his
fear of heights onto her.

5.  transitive
verb
throw
something:
to throw or cast something (formal) (usually passive) • The
ball was projected several feet upward.

6.  transitive
verb
propose
a plan:
to propose a plan of action (often passive) • The
tour was projected for the following summer.

7.  transitive
verb
direct
an image onto surface: to make an image appear on a
surface • projected
the photograph onto the screen

8.  transitive
verb
imagine
something:
to use the imagination to see or remember something • She
projected herself back into the past.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
the voice audible: to make the voice heard
clearly and at a distance, or be effective in making the voice heard • She
projected her voice to the back of the auditorium.

10. transitive
verb
GEOMETRY draw
a projection of a figure: to transform a geometric
figure into another by drawing straight lines through every point of the figure
to another plane. In this way, a circle may be projected as an ellipse and a
square as a rectangle.
[14th century. From Latin projectum
“something thrown forward,” from, ultimately, proicere “to throw
forward,” from jacere “to throw.”][1]



projectile

projectile
pro·jec·tile
[prə jékt’l] noun (plural pro·jec·tiles)

missile or shell:
an object that can be fired or launched, for example, an artillery shell or a
rocket
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY capable
of being thrust forward: used to describe a part of
an animal’s body that can be thrust forward such as the jaws in some types of
fish

2.  impelled
forward:
hurled or impelled forward

[1]



projection

projection
pro·jec·tion
[prə jékshən] (plural pro·jec·tions)
noun

1.  estimate:
an estimate of the rate or amount of something

2.  something
that sticks out: something that juts out or overhangs

3.  protrusion:
the act or process of protruding

4.  casting
of something on surface: the projecting of an image
or picture on a surface

5.  something
cast on surface: an image or picture projected on a
surface

6.  PSYCHOLOGY unconscious
transfer of inner mental life: the unconscious
ascription of a personal thought, feeling, or impulse to somebody else,
especially a thought or feeling considered undesirable

7.  MAPS representation
on surface:
a means of representing lines, figures, or solids on a flat surface such as a
map that conforms to the viewing direction or follows particular rules

8.  GEOMETRY drawn
representation: the representation of a line, figure, or
solid on a flat surface

9.  HISTORY mixing
by alchemists: in alchemy, the mixing of powdered
philosopher’s stone with base metals in order to supposedly transmute them into
gold or silver
—pro·jec·tion·al, adjective[1]



projectionbooth

projectionbooth
pro·jec·tion
booth
(plural pro·jec·tion booths) noun

compartment for projecting
something: an enclosed compartment in a
theater from which films, slides, or lights are projected onto a screen or
stage.
U.K. term
projection room[1]



projectionist

projectionist
pro·jec·tion·ist
[prə jékshənist] (plural pro·jec·tion·ists)
noun

projector operator:
somebody whose job is to operate the projector and screen the film in a movie
theater and take responsibility for the quality of the image and sound[1]



projectionroom

projectionroom
pro·jec·tion
room
(plural pro·jec·tion rooms) noun

1.  U.K.
See projection booth

2.  private
screening room: a private room with a projector and
screen in which movies are viewed

[1]



projectiontelevision

projectiontelevision
pro·jec·tion
tel·e·vi·sion or pro·jec·tion TV noun

TV system for projecting
pictures: a television picture display
system in which an enlarged picture is projected onto a screen[1]



projective

projective
pro·jec·tive
[prə jéktiv] adjective

1.  made
by projection: relating to or made by projection

2.  PSYCHOLOGY of
a type of psychological test: relating to or involving a
psychological test in which something mentally hidden is revealed by a personal
response to an image or group of images
—pro·jec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



projectivegeometry

projectivegeometry
pro·jec·tive
ge·om·e·try
noun

geometry of projected
figures: the study of those
properties of plane geometric figures that do not vary when they are projected
onto another plane and of the transformations of size and perspective that
accompany this[1]



projectivetest

projectivetest
pro·jec·tive
test
(plural pro·jec·tive tests) noun

psychological test:
a psychological test that uses images in order to evoke responses from a
subject and reveal hidden elements of the subject’s mental life[1]



projector

projector
pro·jec·tor
[prə jéktər] (plural pro·jec·tors)
noun

equipment for projecting
film: equipment for projecting the
image from film onto a screen and for playing back recorded sound from tracks
on the film[1]



projet

projet
pro·jet
[prō zhày] (plural pro·jets) noun

plan
or draft:
a plan or outline, especially of a draft law or treaty
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Latin projectum (see project
).][1]



prokaryon

prokaryon
pro·kar·y·on
[prō kérree òn] (plural pro·kar·y·on)
noun

nucleus
of cell:
the nucleus of a cell or organism with no membrane separating the area
containing DNA from the rest of it
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek pro- “before” + karuon “nut.”][1]



prokaryote

prokaryote
pro·kar·y·ote
[prō kérree t] or pro·car·y·ote
[prō kérree t] noun

simple
organism without nucleus: an organism whose DNA is not
contained within a nucleus. Bacteria are prokaryotes.
[Mid-20th
century. Via French, literally “having nuts before,” from Greek karuōtos
“having nuts,” from karuon “nut.”]
—pro·kar·y·ot·ic [prō kèrree óttik], adjective[1]



Prokofiev,Sergey Sergeyevich

Prokofiev,Sergey Sergeyevich


Pro·ko·fi·ev
[prə káwfee ef], Sergey Sergeyevich
(1891–1953)
Russian composer. His symphonies,
concertos, ballets, and operas include The Love of Three Oranges ( 1921
), Peter and the Wolf ( 1934 ), and Romeo and Juliet ( 1936 ).[1]



prolactin

prolactin
pro·lac·tin
[prō láktin] noun

hormone
stimulating lactation: a hormone produced by the
pituitary gland that stimulates lactation and the secretion of progesterone in
mammals, as well as secretion by the crop gland in some birds
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pro- + lacto-
+ -in .][1]



prolamine

prolamine
pro·la·mine
[prṓləmin, prṓlə
mn] noun

plant
protein:
a plant protein soluble in diluted alcohol that is found in rye, wheat, and
other grains
[Early 20th century. Coined
from proline + ammonia
+ -ine .][1]



prolapse

prolapse
pro·lapse
[prō láps] or pro·lap·sus [prō lápsəss] noun (plural pro·lapses)
(plural pro·lap·sus·es)

slippage
of body part: a slippage or sinking of a body organ or
part such as a valve of the heart from its usual position
intransitive
verb
(past pro·lapsed, past participle pro·lapsed, present
participle pro·laps·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·lapses)

be
displaced in body: to slip or fall out of its
proper place in the body
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin prolaps-, the past participle stem of prolabi
“to fall forward,” from labi “to fall.” Originally in English, “gliding
forward.”]
—pro·lapsed, adjective[1]



prolate

prolate
pro·late
[prṓ làyt] adjective

extended
lengthwise:
used to describe rock fragments that are elongated in the direction of the
polar diameter
[Late
17th century. From Latin prolatus, the past participle of proferre,
literally “to carry forward,” from ferre “to carry.”]
—pro·late·ly,
adverb

—pro·late·ness, noun[1]



prole

prole
prole
[prōl] noun

proletarian:
a proletarian (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



proleg

proleg
pro·leg
[prṓ lèg] (plural pro·legs) noun

insect’s abdominal leg:
a leg on the abdomen of a caterpillar or other insect larva[1]



prolegomenon

prolegomenon
pro·le·gom·e·non
[prlə gómmə nòn, prlə
gómmənən] (plural pro·le·gom·e·na [prlə gómmənə]) noun

introductory
remarks:
a preliminary discussion or introductory essay, especially to a book or
treatise (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek, from, ultimately, prolegein, literally “to say
before,” from legein “to say.”]
—pro·le·gom·e·nal, adjective[1]



prolepsis

prolepsis
pro·lep·sis
[prō lépsiss] (plural pro·lep·ses
[prō lép sz]) noun

1.  LOGIC introductory
anticipation of objection: a preface intended to
anticipate and answer an objection to an argument

2.  GRAMMAR anticipatory
adjective:
the use after a verb of an adjective that anticipates the result of the verb’s
action, for example, “to iron a shirt smooth”

3.  anachronistic
assumption:
the anachronistic assumption that a future event or condition has already
happened, for example, in the phrase “precolonial United States”

4.  anticipation
of something: the assignment of something as existing
or occurring before it could have done so, for example, in the sentence “If you
don’t answer this letter you’re a rat”
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek prolambanein, literally
“to take before,” from lambanein “to take.”]
—pro·lep·tic, adjective[1]



proletarian

proletarian
pro·le·tar·i·an
[prlə táiree ən] adjective

SOCIAL SCIENCES of
working class: relating to the working class
noun
(plural pro·le·tar·i·ans)

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES worker:
a member pf the working class

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES industrial
wage-earner: in Marxist theory, a member of the
industrial working class whose only asset is labor sold to an employer

3.  HISTORY impoverished
ancient Roman: a member of an impoverished social class
of ancient Rome that had the lowest status and possessed no property
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin proletarius “low-status Roman who serves the
state only by producing offspring,” from proles “offspring.”]
—pro·le·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



proletariat

proletariat
pro·le·tar·i·at
[prlə táiree ət] noun

1.  working
class:
the class of wage-earning workers in society

2.  class
of industrial wage-earners: in Marxist theory, the class
of industrial workers whose only asset is the labor they sell to an employer

3.  HISTORY ancient
Roman social class: social class of ancient Rome
that had the lowest status and possessed no property
[Mid-19th century. Via French
prolétariat from, ultimately, Latin proles (see proletarian ).][1]



pro-life

pro-life
pro-life
adjective

against
open access to abortion: in favor of bringing the
human fetus to full term, especially by campaigning against open access to
abortion and against experimentation on embryos
—pro-lif·er (plural
pro-lif·ers), noun[1]



proliferate

proliferate
pro·lif·er·ate
[prə líffə ràyt] (past pro·lif·er·at·ed,
past participle pro·lif·er·at·ed, present participle pro·lif·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·lif·er·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
increase
greatly:
to increase greatly in number

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY reproduce rapidly:
to multiply or be multiplied in the process of reproducing new cells,
offspring, or parts, as in the budding of plants
[Late
19th century. Back-formation from proliferation
.]
—pro·lif·er·a·tive, adjective[1]



proliferation

proliferation
pro·lif·er·a·tion
[prə líffə ràysh’n] noun

1.  rapid
increase:
the rapid spread or increase of something

2.  BIOLOGY organic
multiplication: the multiplication of parts in an
organism

[1]



proliferous

proliferous
pro·lif·er·ous
[prə líffərəss] adjective

growing
rapidly:
producing or growing many cells, buds, or shoots
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin prolifer, literally “bearing offspring,” from proles
“offspring.”][1]



prolific

prolific
pro·lif·ic
[prə líffik] adjective

1.  productive:
highly productive

2.  fruitful:
abounding or fruitful

3.  BIOLOGY producing
fruit or offspring: producing a lot of fruit or
many offspring
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin prolificus, from proles
“offspring.”]
—pro·lif·i·ca·cy,
noun

—pro·lif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



proline

proline
pro·line
[prṓ ln] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid found in many proteins, particularly in collagen. C5H9NO2
[Early 20th century.
Contraction of pyrrolidine .][1]



prolix

prolix
pro·lix
[prō líks, prṓ
lìks] adjective

wordy:
tiresomely wordy
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin prolixus, literally “that has
flowed out,” from the past participle of liquere “to flow” (source of
English liquid ).]
—pro·lix·i·ty
[prō líksətee], noun

—pro·lix·ly
[prō líks lee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wordy

[1]



prolocutor

prolocutor
pro·loc·u·tor 
[prō lókyətər] (plural pro·loc·u·tors)
noun

1.  spokesperson:
a spokesperson (formal)

2.  chairperson:
somebody who chairs a meeting (formal)

3.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
who chairs Anglican convocation: somebody who chairs an
ecclesiastical convocation in the Anglican Church
[15th
century. Via Latin, “pleader, advocate,” from, ultimately, proloqui “to
speak out,” from loqui “to speak” (source of English locution ).]
—pro·lo·cu·tor·ship, noun[1]



Prolog

Prolog
Pro·log 
[prṓ lòg] or PRO·LOG [prṓ lòg] noun

programming language:
a high-level programming language based on logical rather than mathematical
relationships[1]



prologue

prologue
pro·logue
[prṓ lòg] or pro·log [prṓ lòg] noun (plural pro·logues)
(plural pro·logs)

1.  introductory
statement:
an introductory passage or speech before the main action of a novel, play, or
long poem

2.  THEATER actor
introducing action of play: an actor who speaks
introductory lines to a dramatic performance before the main action begins

3.  preliminary
event:
an event or act that leads to something more important
transitive
verb
(past pro·logued, past participle pro·logued, present
participle pro·logu·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·logues)
(past pro·loged, past participle pro·loged, present
participle pro·log·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·logs)

preface with prologue:
to preface something such as a novel or play with a prologue
[14th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek prologos, literally “speech before,” from logos
“speech.”][1]



prologuize

prologuize
pro·log·u·ize 
[prṓlə gz] (past pro·log·u·ized,
past participle pro·log·u·ized, present participle pro·log·u·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·log·u·iz·es) intransitive verb

introduce something:
to speak or write the prologue to a play, speech, or long poem[1]



prolong

prolong
pro·long
[prə láwng] (past pro·longed, past
participle pro·longed, present participle pro·long·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·longs) transitive verb

make
something last longer: to make something go on
longer
[15th
century. Directly or via French prolonger from late Latin prolongare,
literally “to lengthen out,” from Latin longus “long.”]
—pro·lon·ga·tion
[pr lawng gáysh’n], noun

—pro·long·er
[prə láwngər], noun

—pro·long·ment [prə láungmənt], noun[1]



prolonge

prolonge
pro·longe
[prə lónj] (plural pro·longes)
noun

rope
for pulling something heavy: a rope with a hook and a
toggle used to tow something heavy, especially a gun carriage
[Mid-19th century. From
French prolonger (see prolong ).][1]



prolusion

prolusion
pro·lu·sion
[prō l’n] (plural pro·lu·sions)
noun

preliminary
essay:
a tentative, preliminary, or introductory essay (formal)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin prolusion-, the stem of prolusio
from, ultimately, proludere, literally “to play before,” from ludere
“to play.”]
—pro·lu·so·ry [prō lssəree, prō lzəree],
adjective[1]



PROM

PROM
PROM
[prom]

Abbreviation of
programmable read-only memory[1]



prom.

prom.
prom.

Abbreviation of
promontory[1]



prom

prom
prom 
[prom] (plural proms) noun

student
dance:
a formal high-school or college dance for students, usually held at the end of
the school year
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



promenade

promenade
prom·e·nade
[pròmmə náyd, pròmmə
nd] noun (plural prom·e·nades)

1.  walk
for pleasure: a leisurely walk or stroll, usually in a
public place, that is taken for pleasure or to be seen (formal)

2.  DANCE marching
dance movement: a marching step or sequence in square or
country dancing
verb
(past prom·e·nad·ed, past participle prom·e·nad·ed,
present participle prom·e·nad·ing, 3rd person present singular
prom·e·nades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take a
stroll in a public place: to walk in a slow and
leisurely way, especially up and down a street or in a public place (formal)

2.  intransitive
verb
DANCE march
during a dance: to perform a marching step or sequence
in square or country dancing
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, se promener “to go for a walk” from, ultimately, late Latin prominare
“to drive forward,” formed from minare “to drive.”][1]



promenadedeck

promenadedeck
prom·e·nade
deck
(plural prom·e·nade decks) noun

upper deck of ship:
a covered upper deck on a passenger ship on which passengers can walk[1]



promethazine

promethazine
pro·met·ha·zine
[prō méthə zn] noun

antihistamine:
an antihistamine drug used to treat allergies and motion sickness. C17H20N2S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from propyl + methyl
+ azine .][1]



Promethean

Promethean
Pro·me·the·an 
[prə mthee ən] adjective

1.  MYTHOLOGY of
Prometheus:
relating to Prometheus

2.  boldly
creative:
creative and imaginatively original

[1]



Prometheus

Prometheus2
Pro·me·the·us2  [prə
mthee əss, prə mthyooss] noun

small inner moon of Saturn:
a small inner natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980 by Voyager 2. It
is irregular in shape having a maximum dimension of 150 km/93 mi .[1]



Prometheus

Prometheus1
Pro·me·the·us1  [prə
mthee əss] noun

Titan
who gave fire to humankind: in Greek mythology, a Titan
who became a hero to humankind because he stole fire from the gods and gave it
to them. His eternal punishment was to be chained to a rock and have an eagle
eat his liver, which would grow in the night only to be eaten again.
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek .][1]



promethium

promethium

pro·me·thi·um 
[prə mthee əm] noun
radioactive
metallic element: a radioactive metallic element produced
by the fission of uranium, thorium, or plutonium. It is used in phosphorescent
paints and as an X-ray source. Symbol Pm
[Mid-20th century. Named for Prometheus 1 because it
is the result of mankind’s ability to utilize the energy of nuclear fission.][1]



prominence

prominence
prom·i·nence
[prómminəns] (plural prom·i·nenc·es)
or prom·i·nen·cy [prómminənsee]
(plural prom·i·nen·cies) noun

1.  conspicuous
importance:
the condition or quality of being significantly important or well-known

2.  something
that sticks out: something that projects or protrudes,
especially a geographical feature or a body part

3.  ASTRONOMY gas
stream from sun: a visible stream of glowing gas that
shoots out from the Sun, seen in the upper chromosphere and lower corona.
Prominences are best seen during an eclipse when they are visible at the rim of
the Sun.

[1]



prominent

prominent
prom·i·nent
[prómminənt] adjective

1.  sticking
out:
large and projecting

2.  noticeable:
noticeable or conspicuous

3.  well-known:
distinguished, eminent, or well-known
[15th
century. From Latin prominere, literally “to project forward,” from -minere
“to project” (source of English imminent
).]
—prom·i·nent·ly,
adverb

—promi·nent·ness, noun[1]



promiscuity

promiscuity
prom·is·cu·i·ty
[pròmmi sky ətee] noun

1.  undiscriminating
sexual behavior: behavior characterized by casual and
indiscriminate sexual intercourse, often with many people (disapproving)

2.  confused
mixing:
a confused or indiscriminate mixing of elements (formal)

[1]



promiscuous

promiscuous
pro·mis·cu·ous 
[prə mískyoo əss] adjective

1.  sexually
indiscriminate: having many indiscriminate or casual
sexual relationships (disapproving)

2.  confusedly
mixed:
mixed in an indiscriminate or disorderly way (formal)

3.  choosing
without discriminating: choosing carelessly or
without discrimination (disapproving)

4.  casual:
casual and unplanned
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin promiscuus, literally “mixed forward,”
from miscere “to mix” (source of English mixed
and miscellaneous ).]
—pro·mis·cu·ous·ly,
adverb

—pro·mis·cu·ous·ness, noun[1]



promise

promise
prom·ise
[prómmiss] verb (past prom·ised,
past participle prom·ised, present participle prom·is·ing,
3rd person present singular prom·is·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
vow to somebody: to assure somebody that something will
certainly happen or be done • Promise
that you’ll be home on time.

2.  transitive
verb
pledge
something:
to pledge to somebody to provide or do something • He
promised the children a kitten.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody expect something: to cause somebody to expect
something • The
overcast sky promised rain.

4.  transitive
verb
assure
or warn:
to assure or warn somebody that something is true or inevitable • Things
will be fine, I promise you.

5.  transitive
verb
affiance:
to engage somebody to be married (dated) • She
told him that she was promised to someone else.
noun
(plural prom·is·es)

1.  assurance
or undertaking: an assurance that something will be done
or not done • He
never keeps his promises.

2.  good
indication:
an indication that somebody or something will turn out well or successfully • She
showed great promise as an athlete.
[14th
century. Directly or via French promesse from, ultimately, Latin promittere,
literally “to send forward,” from mittere “to send” (source of English mission, missile,
and transmit ).]
—prom·is·er, noun[1]



promisee

promisee
prom·is·ee
[pròmmi s] (plural prom·is·ees)
noun

somebody promised something:
somebody to whom a promise is made (formal)[1]



promising

promising
prom·is·ing
[prómmissing] adjective

showing
likelihood of success: likely to be successful or
to turn out well
—prom·is·ing·ly, adverb[1]



promisor

promisor
prom·i·sor
[prómmi sàwr] (plural prom·i·sors)
noun

maker of promise:
somebody who undertakes to do something (formal)[1]



promissory

promissory
prom·is·so·ry
[prómmi sàwree] adjective

1.  containing
a promise:
concerning, containing, or implying a promise

2.  INSURANCE showing
insurance contract provisions: stating how the terms
of an insurance contract will be fulfilled
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin promissorius from, ultimately, Latin promittere (see promise ).][1]



promissorynote

promissorynote
prom·is·so·ry
note
(plural prom·is·so·ry notes) noun

agreement to pay money:
a signed agreement promising payment of a sum of money on demand or at a
particular time[1]



promo

promo
pro·mo
[prṓ m] noun (plural pro·mos)

something
to promote product: something that promotes or
advertises a product, for example, a recorded announcement, commercial, or
video (informal)
adjective

connected
with promotion of something: involved or engaged in the
promotion or advertising of something
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of promotion or promotional
.][1]



promontory

promontory
prom·on·to·ry
[prómmən tàwree] (plural prom·on·to·ries)
noun

1.  projecting
point of land: a point of land that juts out into the
sea

2.  ANATOMY projecting
part of body: a prominent or protruding part of the
body
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin promontorium, an alteration of Latin promunturium,
of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from mons “mountain” (source of
English mountain ).][1]



promote

promote
pro·mote
[prə mṓt] (past pro·mot·ed, past
participle pro·mot·ed, present participle pro·mot·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·motes) transitive verb

1.  HUMAN RESOURCES advance
in rank:
to raise somebody to a more senior job or a higher position or rank

2.  support
or encourage: to encourage the growth and development
of something

3.  BUSINESS advertise
something:
to publicize a product so that people will buy or rent it

4.  advance
something:
to further something by helping to arrange or introduce it

5.  CHESS exchange
pawn for more powerful piece: in chess, to exchange a pawn
for a more powerful piece, usually a queen, when it reaches an opponent’s end
of the board
[14th
century. Formed from Latin promot-, the past participle stem of promovere
“to move forward,” from movere “to move” (source of English move, motor,
and moment ).]
—pro·mot·a·ble, adjective[1]



promoter

promoter
pro·mot·er
[prə mṓtər] (plural pro·mot·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something arranging public event: a
person or organization that stages entertainment, a sporting contest, or other
public event

2.  FINANCE acquirer
of capital for venture: somebody who secures capital
for a financial or commercial undertaking such as a public company

3.  GENETICS binding
site in a DNA chain: in a DNA chain, a sequence
to which the enzyme RNA polymerase binds so as to start transcription

4.  CHEMISTRY substance
added to catalyst: a chemical additive that
increases the efficiency of a catalyst

5.  MEDICINE something
that encourages tumor cells: a substance that when given
after a carcinogen encourages tumor cells to form or grow

[1]



promotion

promotion
pro·mo·tion
[prə mṓsh’n] (plural pro·mo·tions)
noun

1.  HUMAN RESOURCES advancement
in position: an advancement to a more senior job or a
higher rank, grade, or position

2.  BUSINESS something
that promotes: something that is designed to promote or
advertise a product, cause, or organization

3.  encouragement
for activity: encouragement for the growth or
development of something

4.  SPORTS advance
into higher division: advance by a national sports
team into a higher international group

5.  CHESS exchange
of pawn for superior piece: in chess, the act of
exchanging a pawn for a more powerful piece, usually a queen, when it reaches
an opponent’s end of the board

[1]



promotional

promotional
pro·mo·tion·al
adjective

advertising a product or
organization: relating to the
promotion of a product or organization so that people become more aware of it[1]



promotive

promotive
pro·mo·tive
[prə mṓtiv] adjective

encouraging:
tending to further or encourage something
—pro·mo·tive·ness, noun[1]



prompt

prompt
prompt
[prompt] adjective

1.  done
immediately: done at once and without delay

2.  quick
to act:
ready, punctual, or quick to act
verb
(past prompt·ed, past participle prompt·ed, present
participle prompt·ing, 3rd person present singular prompts)

1.  transitive
verb
urge
into action: to incite or urge somebody to do
something

2.  transitive
verb
bring
about something: to give rise to something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb THEATER provide actor with lines:
to provide actors or performers with the words or lines they have forgotten

4.  transitive
verb
remind
or suggest:
to suggest something or give a reminder to a speaker
noun
(plural prompts)

1.  THEATER reminder
of words to performer: words or lines supplied to a
performer who has forgotten them

2.  THEATER occurrence
of prompt:
the act or occasion of words being supplied to a performer who has forgotten
them

3.  COMPUTING something
cuing response: a symbol or message displayed on a computer
monitor or an audio signal informing a computer user that some input is
required

4.  COMMERCE time
limit for payment: the time limit of payment
for goods or services, as stated on a prompt note
[14th
century. From Latin promptus “ready,” past participle of promere,
literally “to take forward,” from emere “to take.” The underlying idea
is “bringing out,” hence “making available.”]
—prompt·ly,
adverb

—prompt·ness, noun[1]



promptbook

promptbook
prompt·book
[prómpt bk] noun

prompter’s copy of script:
a copy of a script for a prompter to use.
Also called
book[1]



promptbox

promptbox
prompt
box
(plural prompt box·es) noun

concealed place for prompter:
a box situated beneath the stage in a theater in which the prompter sits[1]



prompter

prompter
prompt·er
[prómptər] (plural prompt·ers)
noun

provider of missing words:
somebody in a theater whose job is to prompt actors who have forgotten their
words or lines[1]



promptitude

promptitude
promp·ti·tude
[prómpti td] noun

quickness to act:
punctuality or quickness to act (formal)[1]



promptnote

promptnote
prompt
note
(plural prompt notes) noun

reminder when payment is due:
a written reminder sent to the purchaser of something, stating when payment is
due[1]



promptside

promptside
prompt
side
noun

prompter’s side of stage:
the side of the stage in a theater where the prompter sits. In Britain the
prompt side is usually on the actor’s left, and in the United States usually on
the actor’s right.[1]



promulgate

promulgate
prom·ul·gate
[prómm’l gàyt, prə
múl gàyt] (past prom·ul·gat·ed, past participle prom·ul·gat·ed,
present participle prom·ul·gat·ing, 3rd person present
singular prom·ul·gates) transitive verb (formal)

1.  declare
something officially: to proclaim or declare
something officially, especially to publicize formally that a law or decree is
in effect

2.  make
known:
to make something widely known
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin promulgare, literally “to milk forward,” from mulgere
“to milk.” The underlying idea is of “bringing out into the light of day.”]
—prom·ul·ga·tion
[pròmməl gáysh’n], noun

—prom·ul·ga·tor [prómm’l gàytər], noun[1]



pron.

pron.
pron.

1.  Abbreviation
of
pronominal

2.  Abbreviation
of
pronoun

3.  Abbreviation
of
pronounced

4.  Abbreviation
of
pronunciation

[1]



pronate

pronate
pro·nate
[prṓ nàyt] (past pro·nat·ed, past
participle pro·nat·ed, present participle pro·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·nates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
turn
hand palm down: to turn the hand or forearm so that the
palm faces downward

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb rotate
foot inward: to rotate the bones of the foot so that
the weight is borne mainly on the inside of the foot
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from pronate, from prone or Latin pronus (see prone ).]
—pro·na·tion [prō náysh’n], noun[1]



pronator

pronator
pro·na·tor
[prṓ nàytər] (plural prona·tors)
noun

muscle
allowing downward positioning: a muscle that turns a
part of the body so that it faces downward, for example, one of the muscles in
the forearm that rotates the hand into the palm-down position
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin pronus (see prone
), on the model of supinator .][1]



prone

prone
prone
[prōn] adjective

1.  disposed
to something: inclined to do or be affected by
something

2.  face
down:
lying face down

3.  in
downward direction: sloping, leaning, or moving
downward
[15th
century. From Latin pronus “bent forward,” from pro “forward.”]
—prone·ly,
adverb

—prone·ness, noun[1]



pronephros

pronephros
pro·neph·ros
[prō néffrəss, prō
né fròss] (plural pro·neph·roi [prō
né fròy] or pro·neph·ra [prō
néffrə]) noun

embryonic
part of kidney: the first of three segments of the
kidney, functional in some vertebrate embryos but not in adults
[Late
19th century. Formed from pro 2 + Greek nephros
“kidney.”]
—pro·neph·ric, adjective[1]



prong

prong
prong
[prawng] noun (plural prongs)

sharp
point:
a thin sharp point at the end of something
transitive
verb
(past pronged, past participle pronged, present
participle prong·ing, 3rd person present singular prongs)

pierce
with something sharp: to prick or stab something
with a sharp pointed end
[15th century. From
Anglo-Latin pronga of uncertain origin: perhaps from, ultimately, a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “pinching.”][1]



pronged

pronged
pronged
[prawngd] adjective

sharply pointed:
with a thin sharp point at the end (often used in combination)[1]



pronghorn

pronghorn
prong·horn
[práwng hàwrn] (plural prong·horns)
or prong·horn an·te·lope [práwng
hàwrn] (plural prong·horn an·te·lopes) noun

animal resembling an
antelope: an animal similar to an
antelope found in Mexico and the western United States that is the fastest
North American mammal. The male has two horns, shed annually, each with a
curved prong. Latin name: Antilocapra americana
Also called
antelope[1]



pronograde

pronograde
pro·no·grade
[prṓnə gràyd] adjective

walking
with body parallel to ground: used to describe quadrupeds
that walk with the body parallel to the ground
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin pronus “leaning forward” + -gradus “walking.”][1]



pronominal

pronominal
pro·nom·i·nal
[prō nómmən’l] adjective

acting
as pronoun:
like or functioning as a pronoun
noun
(plural pronom·i·nals)

word
acting like pronoun: a word that functions like a
pronoun
[Late
17th century. From late Latin pronominalis “belonging to a pronoun,”
from Latin pronomen (see pronoun ).]
—pro·nom·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



pronominalize

pronominalize
pro·nom·i·nal·ize
[prō nómmən’l z] (past pro·nom·i·nal·ized,
past participle pro·nom·i·nal·ized, present participle pro·nom·i·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·nom·i·nal·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
into pronoun: in transformational grammars, to replace
a noun or noun phrase in a sentence with a pronoun
—pro·nom·i·nal·i·za·tion
[prō nòmmən’li záysh’n], noun[1]



pronoun

pronoun
pro·noun
[prṓ nòwn] (plural pro·nouns) noun

word
replacing noun: a word that substitutes for a noun or a
noun phrase, such as “I,”“you,”“them,”“it,”“ours,”“who,”“which,”“myself,” and
“anybody.” Pronouns are sometimes distinguished from nouns by having objective
form, for example, “her” for “she” and “me” for “I.”
[15th century. Formed from noun on the model of French pronom and its
source Latin pronomen, literally “in place of a name,” from nomen
“name.”][1]



pronounce

pronounce
pro·nounce
[prə nówns] (past pro·nounced,
past participle pro·nounced, present participle pro·nounc·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·nounc·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb utter
sounds or words: to articulate sounds or words,
especially in a way acceptable to the person to whom they are spoken or by most
speakers of a language

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb formally
declare:
to declare something officially to be the case

3.  transitive
verb
give
judgment:
to render an opinion or judgment

4.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS symbolize
sound of word: to indicate with symbols how a word
should be spoken
[14th
century. Via Old French pronuncier from Latin pronuntiare,
literally “to announce before,” from nuntiare “to announce.”]
—pro·nounce·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·nounc·er, noun[1]



pronounced

pronounced
pro·nounced
[prə nównst] adjective

1.  noticeable:
noticeable or obvious

2.  voiced:
voiced or spoken
—pro·nounc·ed·ly [prə nównsədlee], adverb[1]



pronouncement

pronouncement
pro·nounce·ment
[prə nównsmənt] (plural pro·nounce·ments)
noun

1.  official
statement:
an official or formal statement

2.  authoritative
statement:
a formal or authoritative statement

[1]



pronto

pronto
pron·to
[próntō] adverb

fast:
in a prompt or rapid way (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin promptus (see prompt
).][1]



pronuclear

pronuclear
pro·nu·cle·ar
[prō nklee ər] adjective

1.  favoring
nuclear power: in favor of using nuclear power in
weapons or as a source of energy

2.  BIOLOGY of
pronucleus:
relating to a pronucleus
—pro·nu·cle·ar·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



pronucleus

pronucleus
pro·nu·cle·us
[prō nklee əss] (plural pro·nu·cle·i
[prō nklee ] or pro·nu·cle·us·es)
noun

nucleus of ovum or
spermatozoan: the nucleus of a fully
matured ovum or spermatozoan before the nuclei are fused during fertilization[1]



pronunciamento

pronunciamento
pro·nun·ci·a·men·to
[prō nùnsee ə méntō] (plural pro·nun·ci·a·men·tos
or pro·nun·ci·a·men·toes) noun

edict:
an announcement, proclamation, or manifesto, especially one issued by a
revolutionary group
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin pronuntiare (see pronounce ).][1]



pronunciation

pronunciation
pro·nun·ci·a·tion
[prə nùnsee áysh’n] (plural pro·nun·ci·a·tions)
noun

1.  making
sounds of speech: the way in which a sound, word, or
language is articulated, especially in conforming to an accepted standard

2.  act
of speech:
the act of articulating a sound or word

3.  PHONETICS transcription
of sounds:
a phonetic transcription of sounds

[1]



proof

proof
proof
[proof] noun (plural proofs)

1.  conclusive
evidence:
evidence or an argument that serves to establish a fact or the truth of
something

2.  test
of something: a test or trial of something to
establish whether it is true

3.  state
of having been proved: the quality or condition of
having been proved

4.  LAW trial
evidence:
the evidence in a trial that helps to determine the court’s decision

5.  BEVERAGES strength
of alcoholic content: the relative strength of an
alcoholic beverage measured against a standard and expressed by a number that
is twice the percentage of the alcohol present in the liquid

6.  PRINTING printing
impression:
an impression used for checking corrections before the final printing of an
image or text

7.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC sequence
of steps to validate a solution: the sequence of steps
or stages used in establishing the validity of a mathematical or philosophical
proposition. These steps are a logical derivation of the proposition from
axioms, or explicit assumptions, and previously proved propositions.

8.  ARTS artist’s
impression:
an impression taken from an engraved plate before it is printed

9.  PHOTOGRAPHY print
from a negative: a photographic print made from a
negative and checked for quality prior to further reproduction

10. COINS coin
impression:
a preliminary impression of a coin, intended as a specimen for display
adjective

1.  impervious
to something: capable of resisting something that may
have a harmful or unwanted effect

2.  BEVERAGES having
relative alcoholic strength: having a specific alcoholic
strength that is expressed by a number that is twice the percentage of alcohol
present in the liquid (often used in combination)

3.  resistant:
capable of resisting or withstanding something
transitive
verb
(past proofed, past participle proofed, present
participle proof·ing, 3rd person present singular proofs)

1.  make
resistant:
to make something capable of resisting harm, injury, or damage

2.  PRINTING ARTS make a proof of something:
to make a trial impression of something printed or engraved

3.  PRINTING inspect
for errors:
to proofread a text, or inspect a printed impression for errors

4.  COOKING activate
yeast:
to cause yeast to become active by adding water and often sugar
[13th century. Alteration of
earlier pref (influenced by prove )
via Old French preve from Latin proba, from probare “to
prove, test” (source also of English prove
).][1]



proofof purchase

proofof purchase
proof
of pur·chase (plural proofs of pur·chase)
noun

evidence of payment made:
evidence such as a receipt that shows that something has been paid for[1]



proofread

proofread
proof·read
[prf rd] (past proof·read [prf rèd], past participle proof·read
[prf rèd], present participle proof·read·ing,
3rd person present singular proof·reads) intransitive and
transitive verb

check
proofs for errors: to read the proofs of a text
in order to correct them
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from proofreader .][1]



proofreader

proofreader
proof·read·er
[prf rdər] (plural proof·read·ers)
noun

somebody who checks proofs
for errors: somebody whose job is to
read printer’s proofs of a text and correct them[1]



proofsheet

proofsheet
proof
sheet
(plural proof sheets) noun

sheet of print for checking:
a sheet of paper that has a printer’s proof on it, usually with wide margins so
that corrections can be marked up easily[1]



proofspirit

proofspirit
proof
spir·it
noun

standard for measuring
alcoholic strength: an
alcoholic beverage or a mixture of alcohol and water formerly used as a
standard for measuring alcoholic strength. In the United Kingdom and Canada
proof spirit is 57.1 per cent alcohol by volume at 10.6°C / 51, in the United
States, 50 per cent alcohol at 15.6°C / 60 .[1]



prooftheory

prooftheory
proof
the·o·ry
noun

study of deriving
propositions and conclusions: the part of
the theory of logic concerned with the exact nature of deriving propositions
and conclusions[1]



prop.

prop.
prop.

1.  Abbreviation
of
proper

2.  Abbreviation
of
properly

3.  Abbreviation
of
property

4.  PHILOSOPHY MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of proposition

5.  Abbreviation
of
proprietor

[1]



prop

prop1
prop1  [prop]
noun (plural props)

1.  rigid
support:
a rigid object such as a beam, stake, or pole that supports something or holds
it in place

2.  comforting
person or thing: somebody or something that provides
comfort or assistance
transitive
verb
(past propped, past participle propped, present
participle prop·ping, 3rd person present singular props)

support with prop:
to use a rigid object to support something or hold it in place
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch proppe “vine prop, support.”][1]



prop

prop3
prop3  [prop]
(plural props) noun

aircraft
propeller:
an aircraft propeller (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



prop

prop2
prop2  [prop]
(plural props) noun

ARTS See property
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



Prop

Prop
Prop
noun

proposition:
proposition placed before voters (informal) • Prop
413 will provide money for a new library.[1]



propaedeutic

propaedeutic
pro·pae·deu·tic
[prpi dtik] adjective

giving
preliminary teaching: providing preparatory
instruction (formal)
noun

introductory
study:
a preliminary course of study that introduces more advanced instruction (often
used in plural)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from pro 2 + paedeutics
“teaching” on the model of Greek propaideuein “to teach beforehand.”][1]



propagable

propagable
prop·a·ga·ble 
[próppəgəb’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY BOTANY capable of being propagated:
capable of being grown or bred from a parent stock

2.  PHYSICS capable
of being impelled forward: capable of being transmitted
or impelled forward, especially in the form of light or sound waves
—prop·a·ga·bil·i·ty [pròppəgə bíllətee], noun[1]



Propaganda

Propaganda
Pro·pa·ganda 
noun

committee of cardinals:
a committee of Roman Catholic cardinals, the Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith, in charge of supervising foreign missions and educating priests
to serve in them[1]



propaganda

propaganda
prop·a·gan·da 
[pròppə gándə] noun

1.  publicity
to promote something: information or publicity put
out by an organization or government to spread and promote a policy, idea,
doctrine, or cause

2.  misleading
publicity:
deceptive or distorted information that is systematically spread
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin Propaganda Fide, literally “propagating
the faith” (see Propaganda ).]
—prop·a·gan·dism,
noun

—prop·a·gan·dist, noun,
adjective[1]



propagandize

propagandize
prop·a·gan·dize
[pròppə gán dz] (past prop·a·gan·dized,
past participle prop·a·gan·dized, present participle prop·a·gan·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular prop·a·gan·diz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

spread propaganda:
to organize or spread propaganda[1]



propagate

propagate
prop·a·gate
[próppə gàyt] (past prop·a·gat·ed,
past participle prop·a·gat·ed, present participle prop·a·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular prop·a·gates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY reproduce organism:
to reproduce a plant or animal or, cause one to reproduce

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GARDENING create new plants:
to multiply plants by the use of seeds or cuttings

3.  transitive
verb
spread
something widely: to spread ideas or customs to many people

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS impel something forward:
to move or transmit something forward in space, especially as a light or sound
wave
[Late
16th century. From Latin propagare “to breed plants in layers (of
vines),” from, ultimately, propago “layer,” literally “planting out,”
from an assumed base meaning “to plant.”]
—prop·a·ga·tion
[pròppə gáysh’n], noun

—prop·a·ga·tion·al
[pròppə gáyshən’l, pròppə
gáyshnəl], adjective

—prop·a·ga·tive [próppə gàytiv], adjective[1]



propagator

propagator
prop·a·ga·tor
[próppə gàytər] (plural prop·a·ga·tors)
noun

1.  spreader
of ideas:
somebody who spreads ideas or beliefs widely

2.  GARDENING box
for seeds or cuttings: a shallow box with a
transparent cover used for germinating seeds or allowing cuttings to take root,
especially one that can be heated

[1]



propagule

propagule
prop·a·gule 
[próppə gyl] (plural prop·a·gules)
or pro·pag·u·lum [prə póggyələm]
(plural pro·pag·u·lums) noun

plant
or fungal outgrowth: a part of a plant or fungus
such as a bud or a spore that becomes detached from the rest and forms a new
organism
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin propagulum, literally “little shoot,” from propago
(see propagate ).][1]



propane

propane
pro·pane
[prṓ pàyn] noun

flammable
gas used as fuel: a flammable colorless hydrocarbon gas
that is used as a fuel, propellant, and refrigerant. C3H8
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from propionic .][1]



propanoicacid

propanoicacid
pro·pa·no·ic
ac·id 
[prpə nṓ ik ássid] noun

See
propionic acid
[Propanoic was coined from propane + -ic][1]



propanone

propanone
prop·a·none
[prṓpə nn] noun

acetone:
acetone (technical)[1]



proparoxytone

proparoxytone
pro·par·ox·y·tone
[prpə róksə tn] noun (plural
pro·par·ox·y·tones)

accented
word in classical Greek: in classical Greek grammar,
a word that has an acute accent on the third syllable from the end, or a heavy
stress on this syllable
adjective

with
proparoxytone: with or using a proparoxytone
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
proparoxutonos, literally “having an accent before the last syllable,”
from, ultimately, oxutonos “having an accute accent.”][1]



propatria

propatria
pro
pa·tri·a 
[prō páttree ə] adverb

for
somebody’s country: for somebody’s own country (formal)
[From Latin, literally “for
the fatherland”][1]



propel

propel
pro·pel
[prə pél] (past pro·pelled, past
participle pro·pelled, present participle pro·pel·ling,
3rd person present singular pro·pels) transitive verb

1.  push
forward:
to move or push something or somebody forward

2.  cause
action:
to impel or cause a course of action
[15th century. From Latin propellere
“to drive forward,” from pellere “to drive” (source of English pulse and repel
).][1]



propellant

propellant
pro·pel·lant
[prə péllənt] (plural pro·pel·lants)
or pro·pel·lent [prə péllənt]
(plural pro·pel·lents) noun

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY explosive
substance:
a substance that is burned to give upward thrust to a rocket

2.  ARMS explosive
charge for gun: an explosive charge that projects a
bullet from a gun

3.  gas
in aerosols: a compressed inert gas used to dispense
the contents of an aerosol container when pressure is applied and released

[1]



propellent

propellent
pro·pel·lent
[prə péllənt] adjective

driving something forward:
tending to drive or move something forward[1]



propeller

propeller
pro·pel·ler
[prə péllər] (plural pro·pel·lers)
noun

revolving shaft on ship or
aircraft: a revolving shaft with
spiral blades that causes a ship or an aircraft to move by the backward thrust
of water or air.
Also called
screw propeller
Also called
screw[1]



propellershaft

propellershaft
pro·pel·ler
shaft
(plural pro·pel·ler shafts) noun

1.  shaft
transmitting power: the shaft in a ship or
aircraft that transmits power from the engine to the propeller

2.  See
drive shaft  noun 1

[1]



propellingpencil

propellingpencil
pro·pel·ling
pen·cil
(plural pro·pel·ling pen·cils) noun

U.K.
See mechanical pencil[1]



propend

propend
pro·pend
[prō pénd] (past pro·pend·ed, past
participle pro·pend·ed, present participle pro·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·pends) intransitive verb

incline
toward something: to incline to or toward something (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
propendere “to hang forward,” from pendere “to hang” (source of
English pendant ).][1]



propene

propene
pro·pene
[prṓ pn] noun

See
propylene
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from propyl + -ene
.][1]



propenoicacid

propenoicacid
pro·pen·o·ic
ac·id
[prpə nṓ ik ássid] noun

See
acrylic acid[1]



propensity

propensity
pro·pen·si·ty
[prə pénsətee] (plural pro·pen·si·ties)
noun

tendency:
a tendency to demonstrate particular behavior
[Late 16th century. Formed
from obsolete English propense “inclined, prone,” from, ultimately,
Latin propendere (see propend ).][1]



proper

proper
prop·er
[próppər] adjective

1.  correct:
appropriate or correct • proper
winter clothing

2.  needed
and appropriate: fulfilling all expectations or criteria
• proper
equipment for the task

3.  with
correct manners: behaving in a respectable or socially
acceptable way

4.  belonging
exclusively to somebody: characteristic of or
belonging exclusively to somebody or something

5.  narrowly
identified:
strictly identified and distinguished from something else

6.  HERALDRY showing
natural colors: showing the natural colors in the design
or device of a heraldic object

7.  CHRISTIANITY used
on holy occasion: reserved as a prayer, lesson, or rite
for a holy day or festival

8.  goodlooking:
physically handsome and admirable (archaic)

9.  MATHEMATICS nonidentical
set within second set: included as a mathematical
set in a second set but not being the same
adverb

U.K. totally:
exceedingly or completely (regional)
noun
(plural prop·ers) prop·er Prop·er

CHRISTIANITY service
for holy occasion: a Christian church service
that is used for a holy day or festival
[13th
century. Directly or via Old French propre from Latin proprius
“one’s own, particular, special,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from pro
privo, literally “for the individual.”]
—prop·er·ness, noun[1]



properadjective

properadjective
prop·er
ad·jec·tive
(plural prop·er ad·jec·tives) noun

adjective from proper noun:
an adjective that is formed from a proper noun, as “Canadian” is from “Canada”[1]



properfraction

properfraction
prop·er
frac·tion
(plural prop·er frac·tions) noun

fraction with numerator less
than denominator: a fraction in which the
value of the numerator is less than the value of the denominator, for example [1]



properly

properly
prop·er·ly
[próppərlee] adverb

1.  appropriately:
in a suitable or appropriate way • properly
dressed for the occasion

2.  correctly:
in a correct or well-mannered way • If you
can’t behave properly, we’ll have to go home.

3.  in
reality:
in a correct and appropriate situation • The
chair properly belongs in the corner.

4.  U.K.
totally:
to the fullest degree or extent • By the
end of the day she was properly tired.

[1]



propernoun

propernoun
prop·er
noun
(plural prop·er nouns) or prop·er name (plural
prop·er names) noun

capitalized name:
the name of something particular, normally beginning with a capital letter and
not used with the indefinite article or a modifier, for example, “York,”
“Sally,” or “Henderson”[1]



propertied

propertied
prop·er·tied
[próppərteed] adjective

owning property:
owning property, especially land[1]



property

property
prop·er·ty
[próppərtee] (plural prop·er·ties)
noun

1.  something
owned:
something of value such as land or a patent that is owned

2.  owned
land or real estate: a piece of land or real
estate that is owned by somebody

3.  LAW right
to own something: the right to own, possess, or use
something

4.  trait
or attribute: a characteristic quality or distinctive
feature of something (often used in the plural)

5.  ARTS prop:
a prop (formal)

6.  something
at somebody’s disposal: something at the disposal of
a person, a group, or the public • community
property

7.  PHILOSOPHY distinctive
but not essential quality: in the thought of Aristotle,
an attribute or quality that is peculiar to a whole class or species but not
essential to it
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman proprete and French propriété (source also of
English propriety ) from Latin proprietas
“ownership,” from proprius (see proper
).][1]



propertyman

propertyman
prop·er·ty
man
noun

(dated) See propman[1]



propertymistress

propertymistress
prop·er·ty
mis·tress
(plural prop·er·ty mis·tress·es) noun

woman keeper of stage
properties: a woman who looks after
stage properties (dated)[1]



propertytax

propertytax
prop·er·ty
tax
(plural prop·er·ty tax·es) noun

tax on property:
a tax that is based on the value of a house or other property[1]



prophage

prophage
pro·phage
[prṓ fàyj] (plural pro·phages)
noun

form
of bacteriophage: a stable form of virus that infects
bacteria, with genetic material that is integrated into and replicated with
that of its host without harming the host
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pro 2 .][1]



prophase

prophase
pro·phase
[prṓ fàyz] noun

phase
in cell division: the first phase in cell division, when
chromosomes condense and can be seen as two chromatids.
See
also
anaphase
See
also
metaphase
See
also
telophase
[Late 19th century. Formed
from pro 2 .][1]



prophecy

prophecy
proph·e·cy
[próffəssee] (plural proph·e·cies)
or proph·e·sy [próffəssee] (plural
proph·e·sies) noun

1.  RELIGION divine
prediction:
a prediction of a future event that reveals the will of a deity

2.  prediction:
a prediction that something will occur in the future

3.  RELIGION ability
to predict the future: the ability to predict the
future when inspired by a deity

[1]



prophesy

prophesy
proph·e·sy
[próffə s] verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb predict:
to predict what is going to happen

2.  intransitive
verb
RELIGION predict
with divine authority: to reveal the will of a
deity in predicting a future event
—proph·e·si·able,
adjective

—proph·e·si·er, noun[1]



Prophet

Prophet
Proph·et 
noun

1.  Muhammad:
Muhammad, the founder of Islam

2.  founder
of Latter Day Saints: Joseph Smith, the founder of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

plural
noun
Proph·ets

prophetic books of Bible:
the prophetic books of the Bible

[1]



prophet

prophet
proph·et 
[próffət] (plural proph·ets) noun

1.  RELIGION somebody
who interprets divine will: somebody who interprets or
passes on the will of a deity

2.  somebody
predicting the future: somebody who foretells the
future

3.  advocate
of something: somebody who advocates a cause or idea

4.  somebody
who is inspired: somebody considered to be an inspired
leader or teacher
[12th century. Via French prophĕte
and Latin propheta from Greek prophētēs, literally “someone who
speaks beforehand,” from phētēs “speaker.”][1]



prophetess

prophetess
proph·et·ess 
[próffətəss] (plural proph·et·ess·es)
noun

woman prophet:
a woman prophet[1]



prophetic

prophetic
pro·phet·ic 
[prə féttik] adjective

1.  correctly
predicting:
predicting or foreshadowing something that does eventually happen

2.  of
prophet:
relating to a prophet
—pro·phet·i·cal,
adjective

—pro·phet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Prophet’sBirthday

Prophet’sBirthday
Proph·et’s
Birth·day
noun

See
Mawlid al-Nabi[1]



prophy

prophy
pro·phy
[prṓfee] (plural pro·phies) noun

condom:
a condom (informal dated)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of prophylactic .][1]



prophylactic

prophylactic
pro·phy·lac·tic
[prfə láktik, pròffə
láktik] adjective

guarding against disease:
guarding against infection or disease
noun
(plural pro·phy·lac·tics)

1.  drug
that guards against disease: a drug or agent such as
anti-malarial pills that prevents the development of a disease

2.  condom:
a condom (formal) (regional)
[Late
16th century. Via French prophylactique from, ultimately, Greek prophulassein
“to keep guard in front of,” from phulassein “to guard.”]
—pro·phy·lac·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



prophylaxis

prophylaxis
pro·phy·lax·is
[prfə láksiss, pròffə
láksiss] (plural pro·phy·lax·es [prfə
lák sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE treatment
to prevent disease: treatment such as
vaccination that prevents disease or stops it spreading

2.  DENTISTRY removal
of plaque and tartar: a dental treatment to remove
plaque and tartar from the teeth
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “guarding in front of,” from Greek pro “in front
of” + phulaxis “guarding,” modeled on English prophylactic .][1]



propinquity

propinquity
pro·pin·qui·ty
[prə píngkwətee] noun

nearness:
nearness in space, time, or relationship (formal)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French propinquité from Latin propinquitas, from,
ultimately, prope “near” (source of English approach
).][1]



propionate

propionate
pro·pi·o·nate
[prṓpee ə nàyt] (plural pro·pi·o·nates)
noun

ester
of propionic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of propionic acid
[Late 19th century. Formed
from propionic .][1]



propionic

propionic
pro·pi·on·ic 
[prpee ónnik] adjective

from
propionic acid: derived from propionic acid
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek pro “in front” + piōn “fat,” because it is first in
order of the fatty acids.][1]



propionicacid

propionicacid
pro·pi·on·ic
ac·id 
noun

colorless liquid acid:
a colorless liquid fatty acid that is used in making artificial flavors,
perfumes, and preservatives. C3H6O2 
Also called
propanoic acid[1]



propitiate

propitiate
pro·pi·ti·ate
[prō píshee àyt] (past pro·pi·ti·at·ed,
past participle pro·pi·ti·at·ed, present participle pro·pi·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·pi·ti·ates) transitive verb

win
somebody’s favor: to appease or conciliate somebody or
something (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin propitiare “to make favorable,” from propitius
“favourable.”]
—pro·pi·ti·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·pi·ti·a·tion
[prō pìshee áysh’n], noun

—pro·pi·ti·a·tive
[prō píshee àytiv], adjective

—pro·pi·ti·a·tor [prō píshee àytər], noun[1]



propitiatory

propitiatory
pro·pi·ti·a·to·ry
[prō píshee ə tàwree, prō píshə tàwree] adjective

designed
to appease:
designed to appease or win favor (formal)
—pro·pi·ti·a·to·ri·ly,
adverb[1]



propitious

propitious
pro·pi·tious
[prō píshəss] adjective

1.  favorable:
favorable and likely to lead to success

2.  kindly:
kindly disposed or gracious (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French propicieus from Latin propitius
(see propitiate ).]
—pro·pi·tious·ly,
adverb

—pro·pi·tious·ness, noun[1]



propjet

propjet
prop·jet
[próp jèt] (plural prop·jets) noun

See
turboprop  noun 1
See turboprop  noun 2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from propeller + jet
.][1]



propman

propman
prop·man
[próp màn] (plural prop·men [próp mèn]) noun

man keeper of stage
properties: a man who looks after stage
properties[1]



propolis

propolis
prop·o·lis
[próppəliss] noun

waxy
substance from buds: a waxy resinous substance
that comes from buds, used by bees as a cement and caulking in making their
hives.
Also
called
bee glue
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek, literally “before a city,” from polis “city,” because
it originally referred to a structure around the opening of the hive.][1]



proponent

proponent
pro·po·nent
[prə pṓnənt] (plural pro·po·nents)
noun

1.  advocate:
somebody who advocates something

2.  LAW presenter
of will:
somebody who presents a will for probate

3.  proposer:
somebody who proposes something
[Late 16th century. From
Latin proponent-, present participle stem of proponere “to put
forth,” from ponere “to place.”][1]



proportion

proportion
pro·por·tion 
[prə páwrsh’n] noun (plural pro·por·tions)

1.  part
of whole:
a quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number • What
proportion of their time is spent on administration?

2.  relationship
between quantities: the relationship between two
or more amounts or numbers, or between the parts of a whole • The
proportion of trucks to cars on the road has remained the same.

3.  relative
size of things: the correct or desirable relationship of
size, quantity, or degree between two or more things or parts of something • An
understanding of proportion is essential for an architect.

4.  relative
importance:
the importance of different aspects of a situation when compared with each
other • The
media blew the incident all out of proportion.

5.  MATHEMATICS ratio:
a relationship or ratio between two variables that remains fixed

6.  MATHEMATICS equality
of two ratios: a relationship of equality between two
ratios, in which the first term divided by the second equals the third divided
by the fourth, as in 1/2 = 3/6
plural
noun
pro·por·tions

1.  size
of something: the size or shape of something

2.  importance
of something: the importance or seriousness of
something
transitive
verb
(past pro·por·tioned, past participle pro·por·tioned,
present participle pro·por·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular pro·por·tions)

1.  keep
things in same relationship: to create or maintain a
relationship of size, quantity, or degree between two or more things • The
arms and body of the sweater had been badly proportioned.

2.  make
something balanced in appearance: to give something a
pleasing shape, appropriate dimensions, or a harmonious arrangement of parts (usually
passive) • a
beautifully proportioned design
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem proportion-,
from the phrase pro portione “according to (each) part,” from the stem portion-
(see portion ).]
—pro·por·tion·a·bil·i·ty
[prə pàwrsh’nə bíllətee], noun

—pro·por·tion·a·ble
[prə páwrsh’nəb’l], adjective

—pro·por·tion·a·bly
[prə páwrsh’nəblee], adverb

—pro·por·tion·ment [prə páwrsh’nmənt], noun[1]



proportional

proportional
pro·por·tion·al 
[prə páwrshən’l, prə
páwrshnəl] adjective

1.  in
proportion:
in the correct relationship of size, quantity, or degree to something else, or
remaining in the same relationship when things change • The
rate of pay is proportional to the complexity of the task.

2.  MATHEMATICS related
by a ratio:
related by or possessing a constant ratio
noun
(plural pro·por·tion·als)

MATHEMATICS term
in pair of equivalent ratios: any one of the four terms in
a relationship of proportion between two ratios, where the first term divided
by the second equals the third divided by the fourth
—pro·por·tion·al·i·ty
[prə pàwrsh’n állətee, prə pàwrshə nállətee], noun

—pro·por·tion·al·ly [prə páwrshən’lee, prə
páwrshnəlee], adverb[1]



proportionalrepresentation

proportionalrepresentation
pro·por·tion·al
rep·re·sen·ta·tion noun

representation in proportion
to vote: an electoral system in which
each party’s share of the seats in government is the same as its share of all
the votes cast[1]



proportionaltax

proportionaltax
pro·por·tion·al
tax
(plural pro·por·tion·al tax·es) noun

tax levied at constant rate:
a tax levied at the same rate on tax bases of different amounts[1]



proportionate

proportionate
pro·por·tion·ate 
[prə páwrsh’nət] adjective

in
proportion:
having the correct relationship of size, quantity, or degree to something else,
or remaining in the same relationship when things change • The
fall in price led to a proportionate rise in sales.
transitive
verb
(past pro·por·tion·at·ed, past participle pro·por·tion·at·ed,
present participle pro·por·tion·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular pro·por·tion·ates)

make
things proportional: to give two or more things
the correct relationship of size, quantity, or degree
—pro·por·tion·ate·ly,
adverb

—pro·por·tion·ate·ness,
noun[1]



proposal

proposal
pro·pos·al 
[prə pṓz’l] (plural pro·pos·als)
noun

1.  idea
or plan:
a suggestion or intention, especially one put forward formally or officially

2.  act
of proposing: the act of making a suggestion or
stating an intention

3.  request
to marry somebody: a request for somebody to
enter into marriage

[1]



propose

propose
pro·pose 
[prə pṓz] (past pro·posed, past
participle pro·posed, present participle pro·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular pro·pos·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
suggestion:
to put something forward, often formally or officially, for example, an idea or
suggested course of action • Harsher
penalties have been proposed.

2.  transitive
verb
state
an intention: to announce a plan or intended course of
action (formal) • What
do you propose to do about it?

3.  transitive
verb
nominate
somebody:
to put forward somebody’s name for an elected position or a promotion • propose
her for the new position

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb request
marriage:
to ask somebody to marry • He proposed
while we were on vacation.

5.  transitive
verb
suggest
toast or vote of thanks: to ask others to join in
something such as a toast or a vote of thanks • I
propose a toast to Chris and Sarah.
[14th
century. From Old French proposer, literally “to put forward,” from poser
(see pose ), modeled on Latin proponere
“to put forward.”]
—pro·pos·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·pos·er, noun[1]



proposita

proposita
pro·pos·i·ta
[prō pózzitə] (plural pro·pos·i·tae
[prō pózzitee]) noun

woman
litigant:
a woman who is involved in legal proceedings
[From Latin, feminine of propositus
(see propositus )][1]



propositi

propositi
pro·pos·i·ti

Plural of
propositus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








proposition

proposition
prop·o·si·tion 
[prppə zísh’n] noun (plural prop·o·si·tions)

1.  proposal:
an idea, offer, or plan put forward for consideration or discussion

2.  statement:
a statement of opinion or judgment

3.  suggestion
of sexual intercourse: an invitation to have sexual
intercourse

4.  private
agreement:
a private deal or agreement

5.  something
to be faced: something or somebody to be dealt with (informal)
• The
news that he would be there certainly made the party a more attractive
proposition.

6.  MATHEMATICS theorem:
a statement or theorem to be demonstrated

7.  PHILOSOPHY meaning
of declarative sentence: the meaning of a declarative
sentence and what is said to be true or false

8.  prop·o·si·tion
or Prop·o·si·tion LAW
proposal
for amendment to law: a proposal for an amendment
to the law that is set forth to be voted on • Propositions
imposing term limits for politicians have been common recently.
transitive
verb
(past prop·o·si·tioned, past participle prop·o·si·tioned,
present participle prop·o·si·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular prop·o·si·tions)

1.  suggest
sex:
to invite somebody to have sexual intercourse

2.  offer
somebody a deal: to offer to make a private deal or
agreement with somebody
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem proposition-, from proposit-,
past participle stem of proponere, literally “to put forth,” from ponere
“to place.”]
—prop·o·si·tion·al,
adjective

—prop·o·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



propositionalattitude

propositionalattitude
prop·o·si·tion·al
at·ti·tude
(plural prop·o·si·tion·al at·ti·tudes) noun

attitude toward statement:
in philosophy, an attitude taken by somebody towards a proposition, for
example, in believing it, knowing it, or desiring it[1]



propositionalcalculus

propositionalcalculus
prop·o·si·tion·al
cal·cu·lus
noun

study of relationships
between propositions: the branch
of deductive logic that deals with the relationships formed between
propositions by connectives, for example, “and,” “but,” “if,” or “or.”
Also called
sentential calculus[1]



propositionalfunction

propositionalfunction
prop·o·si·tion·al
func·tion
(plural prop·o·si·tion·al func·tions) noun

See
open sentence[1]



propositus

propositus
pro·pos·i·tus 
[prō pózzitəss] (plural pro·pos·i·ti
[prō pózzi t]) noun

1.  man
litigant:
a man who is involved in legal proceedings

2.  MEDICINE first
person investigated in family study: the
first person to be investigated in the genetic study of a family.
Also
called
proband
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, past participle of proponere (see propone ).][1]



propound

propound
pro·pound 
[prə pównd] (past pro·pound·ed,
past participle pro·pound·ed, present participle pro·pound·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·pounds) transitive verb

suggest
idea or explanation: to put forward a suggestion
or theory for others to consider
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of propone .]
—pro·pound·er, noun[1]



propr.

propr.
propr.

Abbreviation of
proprietor[1]



propraetor

propraetor
pro·prae·tor
[prō prtər] (plural pro·prae·tors)
or pro·pre·tor [prō prtər] (plural
pro·pre·tors) noun

ancient
Roman provincial administrator: an ancient Roman
citizen sent to govern a province, usually after serving as a senior magistrate
( praetor ) in Rome
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, from earlier phrase pro praetore “(one acting) for the praetor.”][1]



propranolol

propranolol
pro·pran·o·lol 
[prō pránnə làwl] noun

PHARMACOLOGY drug
for high blood pressure: a drug used to treat angina
pectoris, abnormal heart rhythms, migraine, and high blood pressure. C16H21NO2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from propyl + propanol with repetition of
-ol .][1]



proprietary

proprietary
pro·pri·e·tar·y 
[prə pree ə tèrree] adjective

1.  relating
to owners or ownership: relating to, involving, or
associated with an owner, ownership, or something owned

2.  privately
owned:
privately owned and run

3.  exhibiting
characteristics of ownership: exhibiting characteristics
that imply or assume ownership of somebody or something • The
child kept a proprietary hold on the toy.

4.  used
with exclusive legal right: used, manufactured, or sold
by a person or company with an exclusive property right, for example, a patent
or trademark • a
proprietary drug
noun
(plural pro·pri·e·tar·ies)

1.  owner:
an owner or a group of owners

2.  PHARMACOLOGY proprietary
agent:
a drug or other substance made and sold under the legal protection of a
trademark or patent

3.  ownership:
the right of ownership, or something exclusively owned

4.  HISTORY owner
of colony:
the owner of a proprietary colony.
Also
called
proprietor
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin proprietarius, both
from late Latin, “of a property holder,” from Latin proprietas (see property ).]
—pro·pri·e·tar·i·ly [prə pr ə térrilee], adverb[1]



proprietarycolony

proprietarycolony
pro·pri·e·tar·y
col·o·ny
(plural pro·pri·e·tar·y col·o·nies) noun

colony granted with full
ownership: a North American colony
granted to an individual or group by the British Crown with full ownership
rights[1]



proprietor

proprietor
pro·pri·e·tor 
[prə pr ətər] (plural pro·pri·e·tors)
noun

1.  owner
of a business: the owner of a commercial enterprise or
business establishment such as a store, hotel, or restaurant

2.  legal
owner:
the legal owner of something

3.  somebody
with partial rights over something:
somebody who has rights, for example, of management or use, but not full
ownership of something

4.  HISTORY owner
of colony:
the owner of a proprietary colony. See proprietary
 noun 4
[15th
century. Coined from proprietary + -or .]
—pro·pri·e·to·ri·al
[prə pr ə táwree əl], adjective

—pro·pri·e·to·ri·al·ly
[prə pr ə táwree əlee], adverb

—pro·pri·e·tor·ship [prə pr ətər shìp], noun[1]



propriety

propriety
pro·pri·e·ty 
[prə pr ətee] noun (plural pro·pri·e·ties)

1.  socially
correct or appropriate behavior: conformity to the
standards of politeness, respect, decency, or morality conventionally accepted
by a society

2.  quality
of being socially appropriate: quality of displaying
behaviors thought to be correct or appropriate
plural
noun
pro·pri·e·ties

rules of etiquette:
the accepted standards of correct or appropriate social behavior
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin proprietas “appropriateness, ownership,” from proprius
(see proper ).][1]



proprioceptor

proprioceptor
pro·pri·o·cep·tor 
[prpree ə séptər] (plural pro·pri·o·cep·tors)
noun

nerve
ending:
a sensory nerve ending in muscles, tendons, and joints that provides a sense of
the body’s position by responding to stimuli from within the body
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin proprius “your own” + receptor .]
—pro·pri·o·cep·tion,
noun

—pro·pri·o·cep·tive, adjective[1]



proproot

proproot
prop
root
(plural prop roots) noun

supporting root:
a root that grows from the stem of a plant above the ground and helps to
support it. The mangrove and corn are examples of plants with prop roots.
Also called
brace root[1]



propsmaster

propsmaster
props
mas·ter
(plural props mas·ters) noun

keeper of stage props:
somebody who looks after stage props[1]



proptosis

proptosis
prop·to·sis 
[prop tṓssiss] noun

projection
of bodily organ: the forward displacement or protrusion
of an organ of the body, especially an eyeball
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek proptōsis “a falling forward,” from propiptein
“to fall forward.”][1]



propulsion

propulsion
pro·pul·sion 
[prə púlshən] (plural pro·pul·sions)
noun

1.  act
of driving something forward: the process by which an
object such as an automobile, ship, aircraft, or missile is moved forward

2.  driving
force:
the force by which something such as an automobile, rocket, or ship is moved
forward
[Early
17th century. Ultimately from Latin propuls-, past participle stem of propellere
(see propel ).]
—pro·pul·sive
[prə púlsiv], adjective

—pro·pul·so·ry [prə púlsəree], adjective[1]



propup

propup
prop
up
transitive verb

help something:
to give support or help to somebody or something[1]



propyl

propyl
pro·pyl 
[prṓp’l] (plural pro·pyls) noun

chemical
radical:
either of two isomeric chemical groups or radicals derived from propane. C3H7
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from propionic + -yl
.][1]



propylaeum

propylaeum
prop·y·lae·um 
[pròppə l əm] (plural prop·y·lae·a
[pròppə l ə]) noun

colonnaded
gate or entrance: a colonnaded gate or entrance to a
building, especially a temple, or to a group of buildings.
Also
called
propylon
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from, ultimately, Greek propulaios “before the gate,” from pulē
“gate.”][1]



propylalcohol

propylalcohol
pro·pyl
al·co·hol
noun

alcohol used as a solvent:
a colorless alcohol used as a solvent and antiseptic. C3H8O
Also called
propanol[1]



propylene

propylene
pro·pyl·ene 
[prṓpə ln] noun

flammable gaseous
hydrocarbon: a flammable gaseous
hydrocarbon derived from petroleum and used in organic synthesis. C3H6 
Also called
propene[1]



propyleneglycol

propyleneglycol
pro·pyl·ene
gly·col
noun

thick colorless liquid
antifreeze: a colorless thick
sweet-tasting liquid derived from propylene and used as an antifreeze in brake
fluid, and as a solvent and lubricant. C3H8O2[1]



propylon

propylon
prop·y·lon 
(plural prop·y·lons) noun

See
propylaeum
[Mid-19th century. Via Latin
from Greek propulon, literally “before the gate,” from pulē
“gate.”][1]



prorata

prorata
pro
ra·ta 
[prō ráytə, prō
rtə] adverb adjective

in
fixed proportion: in accordance with a fixed proportion
[From Latin, “according to
the rate”][1]



prorate

prorate
pro·rate 
[prō ráyt] (past pro·rat·ed, past
participle pro·rat·ed, present participle pro·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

calculate
in proportion: to calculate, divide, or distribute
something on a pro rata basis
[Mid-19th
century. Anglicization of pro rata .]
—pro·rat·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·ra·tion, noun[1]



prorogue

prorogue
pro·rogue 
[prō rṓg, prə rṓg]
(past pro·rogued, past participle pro·rogued, present
participle pro·rogu·ing, 3rd person present singular pro·rogues)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb suspend
parliamentary session: to discontinue the meetings
of a parliament or other body without formally ending the session

2.  transitive
verb
postpone
something:
to defer something to a later date or to a subsequent meeting
[15th
century. Via French proroguer from Latin prorogare “to prolong,”
literally “to ask the people (whether a term of office should be extended),”
from rogare “to ask.”]
—pro·ro·ga·tion [prrə gáysh’n], noun[1]



pros.

pros.
pros.
[práwssədee]

Abbreviation of
prosody[1]



prosaic

prosaic
pro·sa·ic 
[prō záy ik] adjective

1.  lacking
imagination: not having any features that are
interesting or imaginative

2.  resembling
prose:
characteristic of, resembling, or consisting of prose

3.  straightforward:
lacking complications or subtleties
[Late
16th century. Directly and via French from late Latin prosaicus, from
Latin prosa (see prose ).]
—pro·sa·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—pro·sa·ic·ness, noun[1]



prosaism

prosaism
pro·sa·ism 
[prṓ zay ìzzəm] (plural pro·sa·isms
[prō záy ə sìzzəm]) or pro·sa·i·cism
[prṓ zay ìzzəm] (plural pro·sa·i·cisms)
noun

1.  boring
word or quality: a dull or unimaginative expression or
style of writing

2.  something
characteristic of prose: a word, phrase, or style of
writing used in prose
—pro·sa·ist [prṓ zàyist], noun[1]



prosand cons

prosand cons
pros
and cons
plural noun

advantages and disadvantages:
the arguments for and against something[1]



Pros.Atty.

Pros.Atty.
Pros.
Atty.

Abbreviation of
prosecuting attorney[1]



proscenium

proscenium
pro·sce·ni·um 
[prō snee əm] (plural pro·sce·ni·ums)
noun

1.  front
of stage:
the part of a theater stage that is in front of the curtain

2.  stage
in ancient Greece or Rome: the stage of a theater in
ancient Greece or Rome
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek proskēnion “forestage,” from skēnē (see scene ).][1]



prosciutto

prosciutto
pro·sciut·to 
[prō sh tō] noun

dried
and smoked Italian ham: a type of cured ham from
Italy, usually served cold and uncooked in thin slices
[Mid-20th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin exsuctus “lacking juice,” past
participle of exsugere “to suck out,” from sugere “to suck.”][1]



proscribe

proscribe
pro·scribe 
[prō skrb] (past pro·scribed,
past participle pro·scribed, present participle pro·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·scribes) transitive verb

1.  condemn
or ban something: to prohibit something that is considered
undesirable by those in authority

2.  condemn
something:
to denounce or condemn something

3.  banish
somebody:
to banish or exile somebody

4.  outlaw
somebody publicly: to state publicly that
somebody is no longer protected by the law, especially in ancient Rome (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin proscribere “to publish in writing, to publish
somebody’s name as outlawed,” from pro- “in front of” + scribere
(see scribe ).]
—pro·scrib·er, noun[1]



proscription

proscription
pro·scrip·tion 
[prō skrípshən] noun (formal)

1.  condemnation
of something: an act of condemning or forbidding
something

2.  condition
of being banned: the condition of having been denounced
or exiled
—pro·scrip·tive
[prō skríptiv], adjective

—pro·scrip·tive·ly,
adverb

—pro·scrip·tive·ness, noun[1]



prose

prose
prose 
[prōz] noun (plural pros·es)

1.  language
that is not poetry: writing or speech in its
normal continuous form, without the rhythmic or visual line structure of poetry

2.  ordinary
style of expression: writing or speech that is
ordinary or matter-of-fact, without embellishment

3.  CHRISTIANITY See sequence  noun 6
verb
(past prosed, past participle prosed, present
participle pros·ing, 3rd person present singular pros·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
in prose:
to write something in prose, as opposed to poetry

2.  transitive
verb
rewrite
as prose:
to turn poetry into prose

3.  intransitive
verb
speak
or write prosaically: to speak or write in an
ordinary, matter-of-fact, or unimaginative style
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin prosa (oratio) “straightforward (discourse)” from,
ultimately, provertere “to turn forward,” from vertere (see verse ).][1]



prosector

prosector
pro·sec·tor 
[prō séktər] (plural pro·sec·tors)
noun

somebody
who dissects for anatomic demonstrations:
somebody who prepares or dissects cadavers for anatomic demonstrations
[Mid-19th century. Directly
or via French from late Latin, literally “in place of the cutter,” from Latin sector
(see sector ).][1]



prosecute

prosecute
pros·e·cute 
[próssə kyt] (past pros·e·cut·ed,
past participle pros·e·cut·ed, present participle pros·e·cut·ing,
3rd person present singular pros·e·cutes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
legal action against somebody: to have somebody tried
in a court of law for a civil or criminal offense • Trespassers
will be prosecuted.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb try to
prove somebody is guilty: to represent the person or
people who are taking legal action against somebody in a court of law

3.  transitive
verb
perform
activity or occupation: to engage in or perform some
activity or occupation (formal) • prosecute
a trade

4.  transitive
verb
continue
to completion: to continue doing something, usually
until it is finished or accomplished (formal) • prosecute
an investigation
[15th
century. From Latin prosecut-, the past participle stem of prosequi
(see pursue ).]
—pros·e·cut·a·ble [próssə kytəb’l], adjective[1]



prosecutingattorney

prosecutingattorney
pros·e·cut·ing
at·tor·ney 
noun

lawyer representing
government: a lawyer representing the
state or the people in a criminal trial.
Also called
prosecutor[1]



prosecution

prosecution
pros·e·cu·tion 
[pròssə kysh’n] (plural pros·e·cu·tions)
noun

1.  pursuit
of legal action: the trial of somebody in a court of law
for a criminal offense

2.  lawyers
trying to prove somebody’s guilt: the lawyers
representing the person or people who are taking legal action against somebody
in a court of law, especially the state or the people in a criminal trial • a
witness for the prosecution

3.  performance
of activity or occupation: the carrying on of an
activity or occupation (formal) • the
prosecution of your duty

4.  continuation
to completion: the continuation of or perseverance in
some task or pursuit, usually until it is finished or accomplished (formal)

[1]



prosecutor

prosecutor
pros·e·cu·tor 
[próssə kytər] (plural pros·e·cu·tors)
noun

1.  See
prosecuting attorney

2.  initiator
of legal proceedings: somebody who initiates a
court prosecution

[1]



proselyte

proselyte
pros·e·lyte 
[pròssə lt] noun (plural pros·e·lytes)

somebody
converted to new belief: a new convert to a religious
faith or political doctrine
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pros·e·lyt·ed,
past participle pros·e·lyt·ed, present participle pros·e·lyt·ing,
3rd person present singular pros·e·lytes)

See
proselytize
[14th
century. Via late Latin proselytus from Greek prosēluthos “person
who comes to a place,” from proserkhesthai “to come to.”]
—pros·e·lyt·ic
[pròssə léttik], adjective

—pros·e·ly·tism [próssələ tìzzəm], noun[1]



proselytize

proselytize
pros·e·ly·tize 
[próssələ tz] (past pros·e·ly·tized,
past participle pros·e·ly·tized, present participle pros·e·ly·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular pros·e·ly·tiz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

try
to convert somebody: to try to convert somebody
to a religious faith or political doctrine
—pros·e·ly·ti·za·tion
[pròssələti záysh’n], noun

—pros·e·ly·tiz·er [próssələ tzər], noun[1]



proseminar

proseminar
pro·sem·i·nar 
[prō sémmi nr] (plural pro·sem·i·nars)
noun

advanced course run like
seminar: a course of study for
graduates and advanced undergraduates, conducted in small groups under the
supervision of a professor[1]



prosepoem

prosepoem
prose
po·em
(plural prose po·ems) noun

poetic
prose composition: a piece of creative writing
that has the structure of prose but the style and language of poetry
—prose po·et, noun[1]



Proserpina

Proserpina
Pro·ser·pi·na 
[prō súrpənə] or Pro·ser·pi·ne
[prō súrpīn] noun

Roman earth goddess:
the Roman goddess of the earth. Greek equivalent Persephone[1]



prosimian

prosimian
pro·sim·i·an 
[prō símmee ən] (plural pro·sim·i·ans)
noun

nocturnal lower primate:
a nocturnal lower primate with large eyes and ears, for example, a lemur or
bush baby. Suborder: Prosimii[1]



prosit

prosit
pro·sit 
[prṓst, prṓzit]
interjection

to
your good health: used as a drinking toast, to wish
somebody good health or good fortune
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Latin, “may it benefit,” 3rd person present subjunctive singular of prodesse
(see proud ).][1]



proslavery

proslavery
pro·slav·er·y 
[prō sláyvəree] adjective

favoring slavery:
supporting or defending the principles and practice of slavery[1]



prosody

prosody
pros·o·dy 
[próssədee] (plural pros·o·dies)
noun

1.  study
of poetic structure: the study of the structure
of poetry and the conventions or techniques involved in writing it, including
rhyme, meter, and the patterns of verse forms

2.  system
or theory of writing verse: a particular system or
theory of writing poetry

3.  rhythm
of speech:
the rhythm of spoken language, including stress and intonation, or the study of
these patterns
[15th
century. Via Latin prosodia from Greek prosōidiā “song with an
instrumental accompaniment,” from pros “in addition to” + ōidē
“song” (source of English ode ).]
—pro·sod·ic
[prə sóddik], adjective

—pro·sod·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—pros·o·dist [próssədist], noun[1]



prosoma

prosoma
pro·so·ma 
[prō sṓmə] (plural pro·so·mas or
pro·so·ma·ta [prō sṓmətə]) noun

area
near spider’s head: the region near the head of
spiders and some related arthropods, composed of fused segments of head and
thorax
[Late 19th century. Coined
from pro- “in front of” + Greek sōma
“body.”][1]



prosopography

prosopography
pros·o·pog·ra·phy 
[pròssə póggrəfee] (plural pros·o·pog·ra·phies)
noun

collection
of biographical sketches: a collection of biographical
sketches used by social and political historians to convey larger patterns in a
historical period
[Mid-16th
century. From modern Latin prosopographia, literally “writing about
somebody,” from Greek prosōpon “face, person.”]
—pros·o·pog·ra·pher,
noun

—pros·o·po·graph·i·cal
[pròssə pə gráffik’l], adjective[1]



prosopopeia

prosopopeia
pro·so·po·pe·ia 
[prə sòppə p ə] or pro·so·po·poe·ia
[prə sòppə p ə] noun

1.  rhetorical
figure of speech: a figure of speech in which an
imaginary, dead, or absent person speaks

2.  See
personification
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek prosōpopoiia “representation in human
form,” from prosōpon “face, person” + poiein “to make.”]
—pro·so·po·pe·ial, adjective[1]



prospect

prospect
pros·pect 
[pró spèkt] noun (plural pros·pects)

1.  possibility
of something happening soon: a chance or the likelihood
that something will happen in the near future, especially something desirable

2.  vision
of future:
something that is expected or certain to happen in the future, or a mental
picture of this • I don’t relish the
prospect of spending five months at sea.

3.  extensive
outlook or scene: a view, especially one from a high
position over a large expanse of land or water • a
pleasant prospect

4.  direction
faced:
the direction in which something faces • a
northerly prospect

5.  COMMERCE likely
customer:
somebody who is likely to be interested in buying a product or service

6.  somebody
or something with potential: somebody or something that
is likely to succeed • She’s
our brightest prospect.

7.  survey:
an act of making a survey, examination, or observation

8.  MINING mineral
location:
location of a mineral deposit, or an area believed to have mineral deposits

9.  MINING mineral
deposit:
a probable mineral deposit or one that definitely exists

10. MINING mineral
yield:
the yield that can be obtained by mining a mineral
plural
noun
pros·pects

expectations of success:
the likelihood of being successful or prosperous in the future, especially in a
job or career • Young people who leave
school early certainly narrow their prospects.
verb
(past pros·pect·ed, past participle pros·pect·ed, present
participle pros·pect·ing, 3rd person present singular pros·pects)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MINING search for mineral deposits:
to explore an area in search of oil or valuable minerals, especially gold

2.  transitive
verb
MINING work a
mine:
to work a mine to see how profitable it is

3.  intransitive
verb
look
for something: to search or watch for something • prospect
for business
[15th
century. From Latin prospectus “view,” from the past participle of prospicere
“to look forward,” from specere (see spectacle
).]
—pros·pect·less, adjective[1]



prospective

prospective
pro·spec·tive 
[prə spéktiv] adjective

1.  likely
to be something: expected or hoping to do or become
something • his
prospective mother-in-law

2.  likely
to happen:
likely or expected to happen • prospective
changes
—pro·spec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



prospector

prospector
pros·pec·tor 
[pró spèktər] (plural pros·pec·tors)
noun

somebody looking for
minerals: somebody who explores an
area in search of oil, gold, or other mineral deposits[1]



prospectus

prospectus
pro·spec·tus 
[prə spéktəss] (plural pro·spec·tus·es)
noun

1.  U.K.
See catalog  noun 6

2.  official
advance information about something: an
official document giving details about something that is going to happen, for
example, a stock offering, a forthcoming publication, a new business, or a
proposed project
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
(see prospect ).][1]



prosper

prosper
pros·per 
[próspər] (past pros·pered, past
participle pros·pered, present participle pros·per·ing,
3rd person present singular pros·pers) intransitive verb

1.  succeed
financially: to be successful, especially in
financial or economic terms, through effort or good fortune

2.  flourish:
to flourish or thrive
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin prosperare, from prosperus “doing
well.”][1]



prosperity

prosperity
pros·per·i·ty 
[pro spérrətee] noun

success:
the condition of enjoying great wealth, success, or good fortune[1]



prosperitygospel

prosperitygospel
pros·per·i·ty
gos·pel
noun

materialistic Christianity:
the doctrine taught in some Christian groups that through faith and prayer God
will grant wishes to the faithful, especially those wishes involving material
wealth[1]



prosperous

prosperous
pros·per·ous 
[próspərəss] adjective

1.  financially
successful:
successful and flourishing, especially earning or producing great wealth

2.  wealthy:
having great wealth, or associated with wealthy people

3.  full
of good fortune: characterized by success or good fortune
• wishing
you a prosperous New Year

4.  promising:
likely to be successful or bring a good result
—pros·per·ous·ly,
adverb

—pros·per·ous·ness, noun[1]



pross

pross
pross
[pross] (plural pross·es) or
pross·ie [próssee] (plural pross·ies)
noun

prostitute:
a prostitute (slang)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Prosser,Gabriel

Prosser,Gabriel
Pros·ser
[próssər], Gabriel (1776?–1800)

U.S. enslaved laborer and
rebel. He led an unsuccessful slave uprising near Richmond, Virginia. He and
some 35 other slaves were executed.[1]



prostacyclin

prostacyclin
pros·ta·cy·clin 
[pròstə s kln] noun

substance
that dilates blood vessels: a type of unsaturated fatty
acid ( prostaglandin ) that dilates blood
vessels and inhibits the formation of blood clots
[Late 20th century. Coined
from prostate + cyclic
+ -in .][1]



prostaglandin

prostaglandin
pros·ta·glan·din 
[pròstə glánd’n] (plural pros·ta·glan·dins)
noun

substance
that resembles hormone: an unsaturated fatty acid
found in all mammals that resembles hormones in its activity, for example,
controlling smooth muscle contraction, blood pressure, inflammation, and body
temperature
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from prostate + gland
+ -in .][1]



Prost,Alain

Prost,Alain
Prost
[prost], Alain (1955– )

French racing driver and team
owner. He was Formula One world champion (1985, 1986, 1989, and 1993) and four
times runner-up.[1]



prostate

prostate
pros·tate 
[práws tàyt] (plural pros·tates)
noun

ANATOMY See prostate gland
[Mid-17th
century. Ultimately via modern Latin prostata from Greek prostatēs
“guardian” (of the bladder), from proïstanai “to set before,” from histanai
“to cause to stand.”]
—pros·tat·ic [praw státtik], adjective[1]



prostatectomy

prostatectomy
pros·ta·tec·to·my 
[pròstə téktəmee] (plural pros·ta·tec·to·mies)
noun

surgical removal of prostate
gland: surgical removal of the
whole or part of the prostate gland[1]



prostategland

prostategland
pros·tate
gland
(plural pros·tate glands) noun

male gland:
an O-shaped gland in males that surrounds the urethra below the bladder,
secreting a fluid into the semen that acts to improve the movement and
viability of sperm.
Also called
prostate[1]



prostatism

prostatism
pros·ta·tism 
[pròstə tìzzəm] noun

prostate gland disorder:
a disorder of the prostate gland, especially enlargement that blocks or
inhibits urine flow[1]



prostatitis

prostatitis
pros·ta·ti·tis 
[pròstə ttiss] noun

prostate gland infection:
inflammation of the prostate gland[1]



prosthesis

prosthesis
pros·the·sis 
[pros thssiss] (plural pros·the·ses
[pros th sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE artificial
body part:
an artificial body part, for example, an artificial limb or eye

2.  SURGERY replacement
of body part: the branch of surgery concerned with
replacing missing body parts with artificial devices

3.  LINGUISTICS See prothesis  noun 1
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek, “addition,” from prostithenai “to
add to,” from tithenai “to place” (source of English thesis ).]
—pros·thet·ic
[pros théttik], adjective

—pros·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



prostheticgroup

prostheticgroup
pros·thet·ic
group
(plural pros·thet·ic groups) noun

nonprotein part of conjugated
protein: the part of a conjugated
protein that is not an amino acid, for example, the lipid group in lipoprotein[1]



prosthetics

prosthetics
pros·thet·ics 
[pros théttiks] noun

medicine
dealing with artificial body parts: a
branch of medicine dealing with the design, production, and use of artificial
body parts (takes a singular verb)
—pros·the·tist [prósthətist], noun[1]



prosthodontics

prosthodontics
pros·tho·don·tics 
[pròsthə dóntiks] noun

replacement
of teeth:
a branch of dentistry dealing with the replacement of teeth and parts of the
jaw (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from prosthesis + -odontia modeled on orthodontics
.]
—pros·tho·don·tic,
adjective

—pros·tho·don·tist, noun[1]



prostitute

prostitute
pros·ti·tute 
[próstə tt] noun (plural pros·ti·tutes)

1.  somebody
paid for sexual intercourse: somebody who receives money
in return for sexual intercourse or other sex acts

2.  somebody
who degrades talent for money: somebody who uses a
skill or ability in a way that is considered unworthy, usually for financial
gain
transitive
verb
(past pros·ti·tut·ed, past participle pros·ti·tut·ed,
present participle pros·ti·tut·ing, 3rd person present
singular pros·ti·tutes)

1.  misuse
something for gain: to use a skill or ability in
a way that is considered unworthy, usually for financial gain • He
has been accused of prostituting his talent by appearing in TV commercials.

2.  work
or offer somebody as prostitute: to work as a
prostitute or offer somebody else for sexual intercourse or other sex acts in
exchange for money
[Mid-16th
century. From the past participle of Latin prostituere “to expose
publicly, offer for sale,” from statuere “to set, place” (source also of
English statute ).]
—pros·ti·tu·tor, noun[1]



prostitution

prostitution
pros·ti·tu·tion 
[pròstə tsh’n] noun

1.  work
of a prostitute: the act of engaging in sexual
intercourse or performing other sex acts in exchange for money, or of offering
another person for such purposes

2.  misuse
of talent for gain: the use of a skill or
ability in a way that is considered unworthy, usually for financial gain

[1]



prostomium

prostomium
pro·sto·mi·um 
[prō stṓmee əm] (plural pro·sto·mi·a
[prō stṓmee ə]) noun

part
of worm’s head: the part of the head of certain worms,
including the earthworm, that is in front of the mouth
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin, from Greek prostomion, literally
“something in front of the mouth,” from stoma “mouth” (source also of
English stomach ).]
—pros·to·mi·al, adjective[1]



prostrate

prostrate
pros·trate 
[pró stràyt] verb (past pros·trat·ed,
past participle pros·trat·ed, present participle pros·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular pros·trates)

1.  reflexive
verb
lie
face downward: to lie flat on the face or bow very low,
for example, in worship or humility • He
prostrated himself before the soprano.

2.  transitive
verb
lay
somebody or something on ground: to lay or throw
somebody or something flat on the ground • prostrated
by a blow on the head

3.  transitive
verb
incapacitate
somebody:
to make somebody physically or emotionally weak or helpless • prostrated
by illness
adjective

1.  lying
flat on face: lying prone or stretched out with the
face downward, for example, in worship or submission

2.  lying
down:
stretched out in a horizontal position, often because of illness or injury

3.  drained
of energy:
drained of physical strength or incapacitated by overexertion or powerful
emotion • prostrate
with grief

4.  BOTANY growing
along the ground: used to describe a plant that grows or
trails along the ground • a
prostrate shrub
[14th
century. From Latin prostratus, the past participle of prosternere
“to throw in front of,” from sternere “to spread out, lay down” (source
also of English strata ).]
—pros·tra·tion [pro stráysh’n], noun[1]



prostyle

prostyle
pro·style 
[prṓ stl] (plural pro·styles)
adjective

with
columns at front: used to describe a building, for
example, a Greek temple, with a row of columns at the front
[Late 17th century. From
Latin prostylos “having pillars in front,” from stilus “pointed
writing instrument, stake” (source of English style
).][1]



prosy

prosy
pros·y 
[prṓzee] (comparative pros·i·er,
superlative pros·i·est) adjective

boring:
dull and commonplace, with no interesting, imaginative, or eloquent features
—pros·i·ly,
adverb

—pros·i·ness, noun[1]



prot-

prot-
prot-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
proto-[1]



Prot.

Prot.
Prot.

Abbreviation of
Protestant[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








protactinium

protactinium

pro·tac·tin·i·um 
[pr tak tínnee əm] noun
radioactive
metallic element: a toxic radioactive metallic chemical
element found in uranium ores. Symbol Pa
[Early 20th century. Coined
from proto- + actinium,
because the commonest isotope decays to give actinium.][1]



protagonist

protagonist
pro·tag·o·nist 
[prō tággənist] (plural pro·tag·o·nists)
noun

1.  LITERATURE main
character:
the most important character in a novel, play, story, or other literary work

2.  HISTORY main
character in ancient Greek drama: the first actor who
interacted with the chorus in ancient Greek drama

3.  leading
figure:
a main participant in an event, for example, a contest or dispute • two
protagonists in a long-running dispute

4.  supporter:
an important or influential supporter or advocate of something such as a
political or social issue • an
early protagonist of educational reform
[Late
17th century. From Greek protagōnistēs “actor who plays the chief part,”
from agōnistes “actor, competitor,” from agōn “contest” (see agony ).]
—pro·tag·o·nism, noun[1]



protamine

protamine
pro·ta·mine 
[prṓtə mn, prṓtəmin]
(plural pro·ta·mines) noun

simple protein:
a water-soluble, strongly basic protein that has a low molecular weight, does
not coagulate when heated, hydrolyzes to yield amino acids, in particular
arginine, and is found in fish sperm. It is used therapeutically to control
hemorrhage and diabetes.[1]



protanopia

protanopia
pro·ta·no·pi·a 
[prtə nṓpee ə] noun

form
of color blindness: a form of color blindness in
which the retina fails to distinguish between red and green.
See
also
Daltonism
[Early
20th century. Coined from proto- (red being
regarded as the first of the primary colors) + an-
+ -opia .]
—pro·ta·nop·ic [prtə nóppik], adjective[1]



protasis

protasis
prot·a·sis 
[prótəssiss] (plural prot·a·ses
[prótə sz]) noun

1.  GRAMMAR conditional
clause:
the part of a conditional sentence that contains the condition, for example,
“if he asks” in “if he asks, I’ll tell him”

2.  LITERATURE first
part of poem or play: the opening section of a
narrative poem or play, especially a classical drama
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek from proteinein “to put forward, propose,”
from teinein “to stretch.”]
—pro·tat·ic [prō táttik], adjective[1]



prote-

prote-
prote-
prefix

See
proteo-[1]



protea

protea
pro·te·a
[prṓtee ə] (plural pro·te·as or
pro·te·a) noun

evergreen
shrub with dense flowers: an evergreen shrub or tree
of southern Africa, grown for its colorful bracts and dense flower heads.
Genus: Protea
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin, named for Proteus,
from the variety of form in the genus.]
—pro·te·a·ceous [prtee áyshəss], adjective[1]



protean

protean
pro·te·an 
[prṓtee ən, prō
t ən] adjective

1.  able
to change form: variable or continually changing in
nature, appearance, or behavior

2.  versatile:
showing great variety, diversity, or versatility

[1]



protease

protease
pro·te·ase 
[prṓtee àyz, prṓtee
àyss] (plural pro·te·ases) noun

enzyme that breaks down
proteins: an enzyme found in plant and
animal cells that breaks down proteins or peptides by catalyzing the hydrolysis
of peptide bonds[1]



proteaseinhibitor

proteaseinhibitor
pro·te·ase
in·hib·i·tor noun

anticancer and antiviral
drug: a compound, naturally
occurring in plants, that breaks down the enzyme protease, inhibiting the
replication and development of certain cells such as cancers and viruses,
including the AIDS virus[1]



protect

protect
pro·tect 
[prə tékt] (past pro·tect·ed, past
participle pro·tect·ed, present participle pro·tect·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·tects) transitive verb

1.  keep
something or somebody safe: to prevent somebody or
something from being harmed or damaged

2.  ECONOMICS help
home industries by taxing imports: to help the industries
in a country by imposing customs duties on imports from other countries
[15th
century. From Latin protect-, past participle stem of protegere,
literally “to cover in front,” from tegere “to cover” (source of English
integument ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at safeguard

[1]



protectant

protectant
pro·tect·ant 
[prə téktənt] (plural pro·tect·ants)
noun

substance providing
protection: a substance that prevents
something from being damaged, for example, a coating used to stop metal from
rusting[1]



protected

protected
pro·tect·ed
[prə téktid] adjective

1.  ECOLOGY endangered:
legally classified as a species in danger of extinction

2.  sheltered:
sheltered from the elements

3.  COMPUTING locked
against unauthorized changes: locked against changes by
unauthorized users of a computer program

[1]



protection

protection
pro·tec·tion 
[prə tékshən] (plural pro·tec·tions)
noun

1.  safeguarding
of somebody or something: the act of preventing
somebody or something from being harmed or damaged, or the state of being kept
safe

2.  something
that protects somebody or something:
something that prevents somebody or something from being harmed or damaged

3.  INSURANCE insurance
coverage:
an insurance company’s agreement to pay compensation or costs if some specified
undesirable event occurs

4.  CRIMINOLOGY promise
of safety from criminal attack: a promise made by a
gangster that somebody or something will not be harmed if money is paid, or the
payment extorted in return for such a promise (informal)

5.  CRIMINOLOGY criminals’
bribery of law enforcement officials: the
bribery of law enforcement officials by criminals in an effort to escape
prosecution, or the bribe paid (informal)

6.  condom:
a form of contraception, usually a condom, used during sexual intercourse to
prevent sperm or disease-causing organisms from entering the body

7.  guarantee
of freedom and safety: a document that enables
somebody to travel around in freedom and safety, especially in another country
or in enemy territory

8.  ECONOMICS See protectionism

9.  MOUNTAINEERING mountain
climbers’ safety equipment: the safety equipment used by
mountain climbers to keep them from falling, for example, pitons, harnesses and
ropes

[1]



protectionism

protectionism
pro·tec·tion·ism 
[prə tékshə nìzzəm] noun

system
of imposing duties on imports: the system of imposing
duties on imports into a country in order to protect domestic industries.
Also
called
protection
—pro·tec·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



protectionmoney

protectionmoney
pro·tec·tion
mon·ey
noun

money demanded by gangster:
money paid to a gangster or other person who threatens to damage something or
harm somebody unless the money is paid[1]



protective

protective
pro·tec·tive 
[prə téktiv] adjective

1.  giving
protection:
preventing something or somebody from being harmed or damaged, or designed or
intended for this purpose

2.  taking
great care of somebody: very anxious to protect or
defend somebody or something, often excessively so • She
had always felt protective toward her younger brother.

3.  ECONOMICS intended
to help domestic industries: intended to give an
advantage to a country’s domestic industries • a
protective tariff
noun
(plural pro·tec·tives)

something that protects:
something that prevents somebody or something from being harmed or damaged
—pro·tec·tive·ly,
adverb

—pro·tec·tive·ness, noun[1]



protectivecoloration

protectivecoloration
pro·tec·tive
col·or·a·tion or pro·tec·tive col·or·ing
noun

camouflage:
the combination of surface colors and patterns of an animal that helps it blend
into its surroundings and so evade predators[1]



protectivecustody

protectivecustody
pro·tec·tive
cus·to·dy
noun

detention by police for
safety: detention in a particular
place by the police in order to give protection from harm by other people[1]



protector

protector
pro·tec·tor
[prə téktər] (plural pro·tec·tors)
noun

1.  something
that protects: something that prevents somebody or
something from being harmed or damaged

2.  somebody
who protects: somebody who protects or defends
somebody or something

3.  pro·tec·tor
or Pro·tec·tor (plural Pro·tec·tors) somebody
ruling in place of monarch: somebody in charge of a
country while the monarch is absent or too young or unfit to rule
—pro·tec·tor·al,
adjective

—pro·tec·tor·ship, noun[1]



Protector

Protector
Pro·tec·tor
noun

title of 17thC head of state:
the title given to the head of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and
Ireland during the period without a monarch that lasted from 1653 to 1659. The
title was held by Oliver Cromwell (1653–1658) and Richard Cromwell (1658–1659).

Also called
Lord Protector[1]



protectorate

protectorate
pro·tec·tor·ate 
[prə téktərət] (plural pro·tec·tor·ates)
noun

1.  state
dependent on another: a country or region that is
defended and controlled by a more powerful state, or the relationship between
the two

2.  office
of protector: the position or term of office of a
protector

[1]



protei

protei
pro·te·i


Plural of
proteus[1]



proteid

proteid
pro·te·id 
[prṓ t id] (plural pro·te·ids)
noun

salamander
retaining larval form: a salamander such as an olm
or a mudpuppy that retains its larval form. Family: Proteidae
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Proteus, genus name, named for Proteus .][1]



protein

protein
pro·tein 
[prṓ tn] (plural pro·teins) noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY complex
natural compound: a complex natural substance that has a
high molecular weight and a globular or fibrous structure composed of amino
acids linked by peptide bonds. Proteins are essential to the structure and
function of all living cells and viruses.

2.  FOOD food
rich in protein: a food source that is rich in protein
molecules • a
protein-rich diet
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Greek prōteios “primary,” from prōtos
“first”; from its importance to the proper functioning of the body.]
—pro·tein·a·ceous
[pr tee náyshəss, prt’n
áyshəss], adjective

—pro·te·in·ic
[pr tee ínnik], adjective

—pro·tein·ous, adjective[1]



proteinase

proteinase
pro·tein·ase 
[prṓtee nàyss, prṓtee
nàyz, prṓt’n àyss, prṓt’n àyz] (plural pro·tein·as·es) noun

enzyme:
an enzyme ( protease ) that catalyzes the
hydrolysis of proteins into their component amino acids or simpler peptides[1]



proteinuria

proteinuria
pro·tein·u·ri·a 
[prtee nree ə, prt’n
ree ə] noun

protein in the urine:
the presence of protein in the urine, usually indicating disease[1]



protem

protem
pro
tem 
[prō tém] adverb adjective

for
the time being: at the present time but not permanently
[Shortening of pro tempore][1]



proteolysis

proteolysis
pro·te·ol·y·sis 
[prtee ólləssiss] noun

breakdown
of proteins: the breakdown of proteins or peptides
into simpler molecules, for example, in digestion
—pro·te·o·lyt·ic
[prtee ə líttik], adjective

—pro·te·o·lyt·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



proteose

proteose
pro·te·ose 
[prṓtee ss] (plural pro·te·oses)
noun

compound derived from
protein: a water-soluble protein
derivative formed during hydrolytic processes such as digestion that does not
coagulate when heated and precipitates if mixed with certain sulfur-containing
compounds[1]



Proterozoic

Proterozoic
Prot·er·o·zo·ic 
[prtərə zṓ ik] noun

later
part of Precambrian era: the latter half of the
Precambrian era, during which sea plants and animals first appeared
[Early
20th century. Coined from protero- + Greek zōē “life” + -ic .]
—Prot·er·o·zo·ic, adjective[1]



protest

protest
pro·test 
verb [prə tést, pro tést] (past pro·test·ed, past
participle pro·test·ed, present participle pro·test·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·tests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb complain
or object strongly: to express strong
disapproval of or disagreement with something, or to refuse to obey or accept
something, often by making a formal statement or taking action in public

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
firmly that something is true: to state or affirm
something in strong or formal terms • He
continued to protest his innocence.

3.  transitive
verb
announce
something:
to declare or proclaim something (archaic)
noun
[prṓ tèst] (plural pro·tests)

1.  strong
complaint or objection: an expression or display of
strong disapproval of or disagreement with something, or a refusal to obey or
accept something, often in the form of a public statement

2.  demonstration
of public opposition or disapproval: an
expression of strong opposition to or disapproval of something in the form of a
public demonstration or other action • student
protests

3.  LAW creditor’s
formal statement: a formal statement drawn up by a notary
on behalf of a creditor, declaring that somebody has refused to honor a bill

4.  taxpayer’s
formal declaration: a taxpayer’s formal
declaration reserving the right to contest a given tax as either illegal or
excessive (formal)
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin protestari “to declare
publicly,” from testari “to declare” (source of English testament ).]
—prot·es·tant,
noun, adjective

—pro·test·er,
noun

—pro·test·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain See Synonyms at object

[1]



Protestant

Protestant
Prot·es·tant 
[próttəstənt] (plural Prot·es·tants)
noun

member
of church rejecting papal authority: a
member or adherent of any denomination of the Western Christian church that
rejects papal authority and some fundamental Roman Catholic doctrines, and
believes in justification by faith. The formulation of Protestants’ beliefs
began with the Reformation in the 16th century.
—Prot·es·tant, adjective[1]



ProtestantEpiscopal Church

ProtestantEpiscopal Church
Prot·es·tant
E·pis·co·pal Church noun

Protestant church:
a Protestant church that began in the 18th century as an affiliated entity
within the Church of England but later declared its independence[1]



Protestantism

Protestantism
Prot·es·tant·ism 
[próttəstən tìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in Protestant doctrines: adherence to Protestant
beliefs

2.  religious
movement opposing Roman Catholicism: a
Christian religious movement originating in the 16th century from Martin
Luther’s attack on Roman Catholic doctrine. It grew to encompass many churches
and denominations denying papal authority and believing in justification by
faith.

3.  all
Protestant churches: the Protestant churches as a
group

[1]



protestation

protestation
prot·es·ta·tion 
[pròttə stáysh’n] (plural prot·es·ta·tions)
noun

1.  formal
affirmation: a strong or firm declaration that
something is true or false (often used in the plural) • protestations
of loyalty

2.  act
of complaining or objecting: the expression of strong
disapproval of or disagreement with something

3.  complaint
or objection: an individual expression of strong
disapproval of or disagreement with something

[1]



protestvote

protestvote
pro·test
vote
(plural pro·test votes) noun

vote intended to show
dissatisfaction: the casting of a vote
for somebody who cannot win, done in order to register the voter’s disgust with
the candidates or parties standing for election[1]



proteus

proteus
pro·te·us 
[prṓtee əss] (plural pro·te·i
[prṓtee ]) noun

rod-shaped
bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium associated with enteritis and urinary tract infections.
Genus: Proteus
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, named for Proteus .][1]



Proteus

Proteus
Pro·te·us 
[prṓtee əss] noun

1.  Greek
sea god:
in Greek mythology, a prophetic sea god who could change his shape at will

2.  second-largest
moon of Neptune: the second-largest natural satellite of
Neptune, discovered in 1989 by Voyager 2. It is irregular in shape, having a
maximum dimension of approximately 440 km (275 mi ).

[1]



prothalamion

prothalamion
pro·tha·la·mi·on
[prthə láymee ən] (plural pro·tha·la·mi·a
[prthə láymee ə]) or pro·tha·la·mi·um
[prthə láymee əm] (plural pro·tha·la·mi·a)
noun

song
celebrating wedding: a song or poem written or
performed in celebration of a marriage (formal)
[Late 16th century. From “Prothalamion”,
a poem by Spenser ( 1597 ), modeled on epithalamion, a variant of epithalamium .][1]



prothallus

prothallus
pro·thal·lus 
[prō thálləss] (plural pro·thal·li
[prō thá l]) or pro·thal·li·um
[prō thállee əm] (plural pro·thal·li·a
[prō thállee ə]) noun

reproductive
part of fern: a flat green organ bearing the
reproductive organs ( gametophytes ) of
ferns and related plants
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, from pro- “before” + Greek thallos
“green shoot.”]
—pro·thal·li·al,
adjective

—pro·thal·lic, adjective[1]



prothesis

prothesis
proth·e·sis 
[próthəssiss] (plural proth·e·ses
[próthə sz]) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS addition
of syllable to help pronunciation: the addition of a
sound or sounds at the beginning of a word to make the word easier to
pronounce.
Also
called
prosthesis

2.  CHRISTIANITY preparations
for offering Eucharist: the preparations for the
offering of the Eucharist in the Eastern Orthodox Church
[Late
16th century. From Greek, “a placing before or in public,” from thesis
“placing” (source of English thesis
).]
—pro·thet·ic
[prə théttik], adjective

—pro·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



prothonotary

prothonotary
pro·thon·o·tar·y 
[prō thónnə tèrree, prthə
nṓtəree] (plural pro·thon·o·tar·ies) or pro·ton·o·tar·y
[prō tónnə tèrree, pròtə
nṓtəree] (plural pro·ton·o·tar·ies) noun

1.  LAW chief
clerk in court: the chief clerk in some courts of law

2.  pro·thon·o·tar·y
(plural pro·thon·o·tar·ies) or pro·thon·o·tar·y
ap·os·tol·ic (plural pro·thon·o·tar·ies ap·os·tol·ic) Roman
Catholic Church official: in the Roman Catholic
Church, any one of twelve officials who can act as a notary to authenticate
papal proceedings, documents, and acts
[15th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek prōto + Latin notarios
“first notary,” from notarios (see notary
).]
—pro·thon·o·tar·i·al [prō thònnə téree əl, prthənə
térree əl], adjective[1]



prothonotarywarbler

prothonotarywarbler
pro·thon·o·tar·y
war·bler
(plural pro·thon·o·tar·y war·blers) noun

small N American songbird:
a small songbird of eastern North America with blue-gray wings and a bright
golden yellow body. Latin name: Protonotaria citrea[1]



prothoraces

prothoraces
pro·tho·ra·ces


Plural of
prothorax[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








prothoracic

prothoracic
pro·tho·rac·ic
[prōthə rássik] adjective

of front of insect’s thorax:
relating to the front segment ( prothorax )
of the thorax of an insect[1]



prothoracicgland

prothoracicgland
pro·tho·rac·ic
gland
(plural pro·tho·rac·ic glands) noun

gland in insects:
a gland in insects that secretes the steroid hormone ecdysone, responsible for
controlling molting and metamorphosis[1]



prothorax

prothorax
pro·tho·rax 
[prō tháw ràks] (plural pro·tho·rax·es
or pro·tho·ra·ces [prō tháwrə sz])
noun

front
segment of insect’s thorax: the front segment of the
thorax of an insect, where the first pair of legs is located
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “thorax in front,” from thorax “thorax.”][1]



prothrombin

prothrombin
pro·throm·bin 
[prō thrómbin] noun

plasma protein:
a plasma protein produced in the liver and converted to thrombin during the
clotting of blood[1]



protist

protist
pro·tist 
[prṓtist] (plural pro·tists) noun

bacterium
or related organism: an organism belonging, in an
older classification system, to the kingdom that includes protozoans, bacteria,
and single-celled algae and fungi. Kingdom: Protista
See
also
protoctist
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Protista, former kingdom name,
ultimately from Greek prōtistos “very first,” from prōtos
“first.”]
—pro·tis·tan
[prṓtistən], adjective

—pro·tis·tol·o·gy [prtis tólləjee], noun[1]



protium

protium
pro·ti·um 
[prṓtee əm, prṓshee
əm] noun

lightest
isotope of hydrogen: the most common and lightest
isotope of hydrogen, with atomic mass 1
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek prōtos “first” + -ium .][1]



proto-

proto-
proto-
prefix

1.  first
in time, earliest • protolithic
• protomartyr

2.  original,
ancestral • protostar
• Proto-Norse

3.  first
in a series, having the least amount of a particular element or radical • protactinium
[From Greek prōtos ;
ultimately related to pro (see pro 2 )][1]



Proto-Algonquian

Proto-Algonquian
Pro·to-Al·gon·qui·an 
noun

ancestor
of Algonquian languages: the reconstructed
hypothetical language that is believed to be the ancestor of the
Algonquian-Wakasan family of Native American languages
—Pro·to-Al·gon·qui·an,
adjective[1]



protocol

protocol
pro·to·col 
[prṓtə kàwl] noun (plural pro·to·cols)

1.  etiquette
of state occasions: the rules or conventions of
correct behavior on official or ceremonial occasions

2.  code
of conduct:
the rules of correct or appropriate behavior for a particular group of people
or in a particular situation

3.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS international
agreement:
a formal agreement between states or nations

4.  record
or draft of agreement: a written record or
preliminary draft of a treaty or other agreement

5.  COMPUTING rules
for exchanging information between computers: a set
of technical rules about how information should be transmitted and received
using computers

6.  PHILOSOPHY See protocol statement

7.  MEDICINE SCIENCE research plan:
the detailed plan of a scientific experiment, medical trial, or other piece of
research
verb
(past pro·to·coled or pro·to·colled, past
participle pro·to·coled or pro·to·colled, present
participle pro·to·col·ing or pro·to·col·ling, 3rd
person present singular pro·to·cols)

1.  intransitive
verb
prepare
or issue protocol: to draw up or issue a
protocol or protocols

2.  transitive
verb
record
something in protocol: to record something in a
protocol
[15th century. Directly and
via Old French from medieval Latin from Greek prōtokollon “first leaf of
a book.” The modern meaning evolved via “draft of a diplomatic document.”][1]



protocolstatement

protocolstatement
pro·to·col
state·ment
(plural pro·to·col state·ments) noun

statement verifiable by
experience: a statement that can be
immediately verified by experience.
Also called
protocol[1]



protocontinent

protocontinent
pro·to·con·ti·nent 
[prtō kóntənənt] (plural pro·to·con·ti·nents)
noun

1.  landmass
that could become continent: a large, unbroken mass of
land capable of becoming a major continent

2.  See
supercontinent

[1]



protoderm

protoderm
pro·to·derm 
[prṓtə dùrm] noun

BOTANY See dermatogen
—pro·to·derm·al [prtə dúrməl], adjective[1]



protogalaxy

protogalaxy
pro·to·gal·ax·y 
[pr tō gálləksee] (plural pro·to·gal·ax·ies)
noun

hypothetical source of
galaxies: a hypothetical cloud of gas
believed to have been formed about 14 billion years ago from dark matter,
neutral hydrogen, and helium, from which all the galaxies and stars evolved[1]



Proto-Germanic

Proto-Germanic
Pro·to-Ger·man·ic 
noun

ancestor
of Germanic languages: the reconstructed
hypothetical language that is believed to be the ancestor of the Germanic
branch of the Indo-European family of languages
—Proto-Ger·man·ic, adjective[1]



protohistory

protohistory
pro·to·his·to·ry 
[pr tō hístəree, pr
tō hístree] noun

time
before invention of writing: the archaeological period of
human development, before recorded history (dated)
—pro·to·his·tor·ic [pr tō his táwrik], adjective[1]



protohuman

protohuman
pro·to·hu·man 
[pr tō hymən] (plural pro·to·hu·mans)
noun

early
hominid:
an extinct hominid or primate that has some of the characteristics of modern
people
—pro·to·hu·man, adjective[1]



Proto-Indo-European

Proto-Indo-European
Pro·to-In·do-Eur·o·pe·an 
noun

ancestor
of Indo-European languages: the reconstructed
hypothetical language that is believed to be the ancestor of all the
Indo-European languages
—Pro·to-In·do-Eur·o·pe·an,
adjective[1]



protoindustrialization

protoindustrialization
pro·to·in·dus·tri·al·i·za·tion
[pr tō in dustree əli záysh’n] noun

preliminary shift from
agriculture to industry: the
preliminary shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy, marked by the
rapid spread of home-based manufacturing[1]



protolanguage

protolanguage
pro·to·lan·guage 
[pr tō láng gwij] (plural pro·to·lan·guages)
noun

ancestor of language:
a recorded or reconstructed language that is the ancestor of another language
or family of languages[1]



protolithic

protolithic
pro·to·lith·ic 
[prtə líthik] adjective

of
the early Stone Age: relating to the earliest
part of the Stone Age
[Late 19th century. Coined
from proto- + -lithic
on the model of Neolithic .][1]



protomartyr

protomartyr
pro·to·mar·tyr 
[pr tō mrtər] (plural pro·to·mar·tyrs)
noun

1.  first
Christian martyr: St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

2.  first
martyr for cause: the first person to die for a particular
cause

[1]



protomorphic

protomorphic
pro·to·mor·phic 
[prtə máwrfik] adjective

primitive in structure:
having a primitive structure[1]



proton

proton
pro·ton 
[prṓ tòn] (plural pro·tons) noun

stable
nuclear particle: a stable elementary particle of the
baryon family that is a component of all atomic nuclei and carries a positive
charge equal to that of the electron’s negative charge. Symbol p
[Late
19th century. From Greek prōton, a form of prōtos “first,
elementary.”]
—pro·ton·ic [prō tónnik], adjective[1]



protonema

protonema
pro·to·ne·ma 
[prtə nmə] (plural pro·to·ne·ma·ta
[prtə nmətə]) noun

thread-shaped
structure of moss: the primary thread-shaped
structure of mosses and certain liverworts that results from the germination of
a spore and gives rise to a new plant
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from proto- + Greek nēma
“thread.”]
—pro·to·ne·mal, adjective[1]



protonnumber

protonnumber
pro·ton
num·ber
(plural pro·ton num·bers) noun

PHYSICS
See atomic number[1]



Proto-Norse

Proto-Norse
Pro·to-Norse
noun

old
Germanic language of Scandinavia: the form of the North
Germanic language used in parts of Scandinavia, especially Norway and Iceland,
until about the 8th century AD
—Pro·to-Norse, adjective[1]



protonotary

protonotary
pro·ton·o·tar·y 
noun

See
prothonotary[1]



protonsynchrotron

protonsynchrotron
pro·ton
syn·chro·tron (plural pro·ton syn·chro·trons)
noun

very high-energy particle
accelerator: a circular very
high-energy particle accelerator that accelerates protons through the action of
magnetic fields and a high-frequency electric field[1]



protoplanet

protoplanet
pro·to·plan·et
[prṓtə plànnət] noun

hypothetical source of
planet: a theoretical mass of gas in
the clouds of gas and dust around a star that is believed to develop into a
planet[1]



protoplasm

protoplasm
pro·to·plasm 
[prṓtə plàzzəm] noun

contents
of living cell: the colorless liquid or colloidal
contents of a living cell, composed of proteins, fats, and other organic
substances in water, and including the nucleus and cytoplasm
[Mid-19th
century. From German Protoplasma, literally “first created thing,” from
Greek plasma (see plasma ).]
—pro·to·plas·mic [prtə plázmik], adjective[1]



protoplast

protoplast
pro·to·plast 
[prṓtə plàst] (plural pro·to·plasts)
noun

contents
of plant cell: the living substance of a plant or
bacterial cell, excluding the cell wall
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin protoplastus “first
created being,” from Greek prōtoplastos, from plastos “formed,”
from plassein “to form.”]
—pro·to·plas·tic [prtə plástik], adjective[1]



protoporphyrin

protoporphyrin
pro·to·por·phy·rin 
[prò tō páwrfərin] noun

building block of hemoglobin:
a purple porphyrin acid that combines with iron to form the deep red of
iron-containing proteins, for example, hemoglobin and cytochrome. C34H34N4O4[1]



Protosemitic

Protosemitic
Pro·to·se·mit·ic
[prò tō sə míttik] noun

ancestor
of Semitic languages: the hypothetical
reconstructed language that is believed to be the ancestor of the Semitic
branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages
—Pro·to·se·mit·ic, adjective[1]



protostar

protostar
pro·to·star
[prṓtə str] (plural pro·to·stars)
noun

gas and dust that forms star:
an interstellar cloud of gas and dust thought to develop into a star when it
has collapsed sufficiently for nuclear reactions to begin[1]



protostele

protostele
pro·to·stele 
[prṓtə stl, prtə
stlee] noun

part
of plant stems and roots: the conducting tissue ( stele ) of stems and roots, consisting of a core
of xylem surrounded by phloem
—pro·to·ste·lic [prtə stlik], adjective[1]



protostome

protostome
pro·to·stome 
[prṓtə stm] (plural pro·to·stomes)
noun

invertebrate animal:
an invertebrate animal such as a mollusk or arthropod in which the mouth forms
directly from the blastopore[1]



prototherian

prototherian
pro·to·the·ri·an 
[prtō three ən] (plural pro·to·the·ri·ans)
noun

platypus
or echidna:
an echidna, platypus, or any of the many extinct related mammals. Subclass:
Prototheria
[Late 19th century. Formed
from proto- + Greek therion “wild
animal.”][1]



prototroph

prototroph
pro·to·troph
[prtə tróf] (plural pro·to·trophs)
noun

microorganism not requiring
supplementary nutrients: an organism
such as a bacterium or fungus that can grow without having to find nutrients in
its surrounding environment.
See also
auxotroph[1]



prototrophic

prototrophic
pro·to·tro·phic 
[prtō tróffik] adjective

needing the same nourishment:
having the same nutritional needs and metabolic characteristics as the wild
parent strain[1]



prototype

prototype
pro·to·type 
[prṓtə tp] noun (plural pro·to·types)

1.  original
used as model: something having the essential features
of a subsequent type, and on which later forms are modeled

2.  standard
example:
a standard example of a particular kind, class, or group

3.  full-size
functional model: a first full-size functional model to be
manufactured, for example, of a car or a machine • A
prototype of the new convertible will be on display at the Motor Show.

4.  BIOLOGY primitive
form:
a primitive form believed to be the original type of a species or group,
exhibiting the essential features of the later type
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pro·to·typed,
past participle pro·to·typed, present participle pro·to·typ·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·to·types)

create a prototype:
to create a prototype of something
[Early
17th century. Via French from late Latin prototypus “original,
primitive” and Greek prototypon “primitive form,” from proto
“first” + typos “impression.”]
—pro·to·typ·al
[prtə tp’l], adjective

—pro·to·typ·ic
[prtə típpik], adjective

—pro·to·typ·i·cal, adjective[1]



protoxide

protoxide
pro·tox·ide
[prō tók sd] (plural pro·tox·ides)
noun

oxide with lowest proportion
of oxygen: an oxide of an element that
has the lowest proportion of oxygen of all the oxides of that element[1]



protoxylem

protoxylem
pro·to·xy·lem 
[prtə zləm] noun

first part of plant tissue:
the part of the water-carrying tissue ( xylem
) of a plant that develops first and has narrow thin-walled cells[1]



protozoan

protozoan
pro·to·zo·an 
[prtə zṓ ən] (plural pro·to·zo·ans
or pro·to·zo·a [prtə zṓ ə]) or
pro·to·zo·on [prtə zṓ òn] (plural
pro·to·zo·ons or pro·to·zo·a) noun

single-celled
organism:
a single-celled organism such as an amoeba that can move and feeds on organic
compounds of nitrogen and carbon. Kingdom: Protoctista
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Protozoa, literally “first animals,”
from Greek zōia, plural of zōion “animal.”]
—pro·to·zo·an,
adjective

—pro·to·zo·ic, adjective[1]



protozoology

protozoology
pro·to·zo·ol·o·gy 
[prtə zō ólləjee] noun

study
of protozoans: the branch of zoology that studies
protozoans
[Early
20th century. Formed from modern Latin Protozoa (see protozoan ).]
—pro·to·zo·o·log·i·cal
[prtə zṓ ə lójjik’l], adjective

—pro·to·zo·ol·o·gist [prtə zō ólləjist], noun[1]



protract

protract
pro·tract 
[prō trákt, prə
trákt] (past pro·tract·ed, past participle pro·tract·ed,
present participle pro·tract·ing, 3rd person present singular
pro·tracts) transitive verb

1.  make
something last: to make something last longer

2.  ANATOMY extend
a body part: to extend or lengthen a body part

3.  MATHEMATICS plot
and draw lines: to plot lines and draw them using a
scale and protractor
[Mid-16th
century. Back-formation from protraction .]
—pro·trac·tive, adjective[1]



protracted

protracted
pro·tract·ed
[prō tráktəd, prə
tráktəd] adjective

lasting
a long time: lasting or drawn out for a long time
—pro·tract·ed·ly,
adverb

—pro·tract·ed·ness, noun[1]



protractile

protractile
pro·trac·tile 
[prō trákt’l, prə
trákt’l] adjective

1.  that
can be protruded: capable of being thrust out

2.  ZOOLOGY See protrusile

[1]



protraction

protraction
pro·trac·tion 
[prō trákshən, prə
trákshən] (plural pro·trac·tions) noun

1.  protracting
of something: the act of protracting something

2.  scale
drawing of building or land: the act of drawing something
such as a building or an area of land to scale, or a drawing of this kind

[1]



protractor

protractor

pro·trac·tor 
[prō tráktər, prə
tráktər] (plural pro·trac·tors) noun

1.  GEOMETRY instrument
for measuring angles: an instrument shaped like a
semicircle marked with the degrees of a circle, used to measure or mark out
angles

2.  lengthener:
somebody or something that extends or lengthens something else

3.        ANATOMY muscle
that extends body part: a muscle
with the function of extending a body part[1]



protrude

protrude
pro·trude 
[prō trd] (past pro·trud·ed, past
participle pro·trud·ed, present participle pro·trud·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·trudes) intransitive and
transitive verb

jut
out:
to stick out from the surroundings, or make something stick out
[Early
17th century. From Latin protrudere “to thrust forward,” from trudere
“to thrust.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English thrust .]
—pro·trud·a·ble,
adjective

—pro·trud·ent, adjective[1]



protrusile

protrusile
pro·tru·sile 
[prō trss’l, prō
tr sl] or pro·tru·si·ble [prō
trssib’l] adjective

able
to be extended quickly: used to describe an organ or
appendage that can be quickly extended, as can the mouth of many fishes or the
proboscis of nemertine worms
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from the Latin stem protrus- (see protrusion
).][1]



protrusion

protrusion
pro·tru·sion 
[prō trzh’n] (plural pro·tru·sions)
noun

1.  act
of protruding: the act of protruding, or the state of
being protruded

2.  something
that protrudes: something that sticks out from its
surroundings
[Mid-17th century. From the
medieval Latin stem protrusion-, from Latin protrus-, past
participle stem of protrudere (see protrude
).][1]



protrusive

protrusive
pro·tru·sive 
[prō trssiv] adjective

1.  jutting
out:
jutting or sticking out

2.  forward
in manner:
having a brash forward manner
[Late
17th century. Formed from the Latin stem protrus- (see protrusion ).]
—pro·tru·sive·ly,
adverb

—pro·tru·sive·ness, noun[1]



protuberance

protuberance
pro·tu·ber·ance 
[prō tbərəns] (plural pro·tu·ber·anc·es)
or pro·tu·ber·an·cy [prō tbərənsee]
(plural pro·tu·ber·an·cies) noun

1.  something
that sticks out: something, or a part of something, that
sticks out from its surroundings • the small
fleshy protuberance that dangles down from the soft palate

2.  fact
of sticking out: the fact or condition of sticking out or
being swollen or bulging
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from protuberant “bulging out,” from, ultimately, late Latin protuberare,
literally “to swell in front,” from tuber “lump.”][1]



protuberant

protuberant
pro·tu·ber·ant 
[prō tbərənt] adjective

bulging
out:
projecting out from the surroundings in a bulging, rounded manner
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin protuberant-, present participle stem of
protuberare, literally “to swell forward,” from tuber “lump.”]
—pro·tu·ber·ant·ly, adverb[1]



protuberate

protuberate
pro·tu·ber·ate 
[prō tbə ràyt] (past pro·tu·ber·at·ed,
past participle pro·tu·ber·at·ed, present participle pro·tu·ber·at·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·tu·ber·ates) intransitive verb

swell
out:
to swell out from surroundings
[Late 16th century. From
Latin protuberat-, past participle stem of protuberare (see protuberant ).][1]



protyle

protyle
pro·tyle
[prṓ tl] noun

imaginary
substance:
an imaginary substance from which the chemical elements were supposed to have
been formed
[Late 19th century. Formed
from proto- + Greek hulē “matter,
hyle.”][1]



protégé

protégé
pro·té·gé 
[prṓtə zhày, prtə
zháy] (plural pro·té·gés) noun

somebody
under patronage of another: a young person who receives
help, guidance, training, and support from somebody who is older and has more
experience or influence
[Late 18th century. From
French, from the past participle of protéger “to protect,” from Latin protegere
(see protect ).][1]



protégée

protégée
pro·té·gée
[prṓtə zhày, prtə
zháy] (plural pro·té·gées) noun

woman
or girl under somebody’s patronage: a
young woman who receives help, guidance, training, and support from somebody
who is older and has more experience or influence
[Late 18th century. From
French, feminine of protégé (see protégé
).][1]



proud

proud
proud 
[prowd] (comparative proud·er,
superlative proud·est) adjective

1.  pleased
and satisfied: feeling pleased and satisfied, for
example, about having done something or about owning something • I
am very proud to be here today to give you this award.

2.  fostering
feelings of pride: characterized by feelings of
pride • the
proudest moment in your life

3.  having
self-respect: having a proper amount of self-respect

4.  arrogant:
having an exaggerated opinion of personal worth or abilities

5.  impressive:
looking magnificent and impressive, or behaving in an impressive way • the
proud peaks of the Rockies

6.  Midwestern
U.S.,
Southern U.S. feeling pleased:
feeling pleased, glad, or delighted

7.  high-spirited:
high-spirited and strong • a
proud horse
[12th
century. Via Old French prud, from Latin prodesse “to be
beneficial,” literally “to be for,” from esse “to be” (source of English
essence ).]
—proud·ly,
adverb

—proud·ness,
noun
do
somebody proud

1.  to
treat somebody well and generously

2.  to
bring honor or distinction to somebody

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  proud, arrogant, conceited,
  egotistical, vain
  CORE
  MEANING: describing
  somebody who is pleased with himself or herself proud;
  can be used to describe somebody who is rightly self-satisfied. It can also
  be used disapprovingly to describe somebody who shows a lack of humility or
  who has an inordinately high opinion of himself or herself; arrogant; used disapprovingly to describe somebody
  who seems inordinately self-confident or pleased with his or her achievements
  and who lacks humility; conceited;
  used to describe somebody who displays excessive satisfaction and smugness
  with regard to his or her appearance or achievements, often combined with a
  rather superior attitude toward others; egotistical; used to describe
  somebody who has an inflated sense of his or her own importance, especially
  when this is shown through constantly talking or thinking about himself or
  herself; vain; used to describe
  somebody who shows an excessive concern with and admiration for his or her
  personal appearance

[1]



proustite

proustite
prous·tite 
[pr stt] noun

red
mineral:
a deep red mineral consisting of silver arsenic sulfide. It occurs in crystals
or masses and is an ore of silver. Ag3AsS3
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the French chemist, Joseph L. Proust (1754–1826).][1]



Proust,Marcel

Proust,Marcel

Proust
[proost], Marcel (1871–1922)
French
novelist. He is author of a 13-volume series of partly autobiographical novels,
À la recherche du temps perdu ( 1913–1927 ).

—Prous·ti·an, adjective[1]



Prov.

Prov.
Prov.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Provost

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Proverbs

3.  Abbreviation
of
Provençal

[1]



prov.

prov.
prov.

1.  Abbreviation
of
province

2.  Abbreviation
of
provincial

3.  Abbreviation
of
provisional

[1]



prove

prove
prove 
[proov] (past proved, past
participle proved or prov·en [prvən],
present participle prov·ing, 3rd person present singular proves)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
establish
truth of something: to establish the truth or
existence of something by providing evidence or argument

2.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY MINERALS test something to determine
characteristics: to subject something to scientific
analysis to determine its worth or characteristics

3.  reflexive
verb
demonstrate
competence:
to show yourself to be competent and worthy

4.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS check
a mathematical result: to verify that a
mathematical result is correct

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS demonstrate
the truth of a hypothesis: to demonstrate that a
hypothesis or proposition is true

6.  transitive
verb
LAW demonstrate
that a will is genuine: to establish that a will is
genuine or valid

7.  transitive
verb
PRINTING ARTS make an impression of
something:
to make a test impression of a negative, etching, or type

8.  intransitive
verb
FOOD rise
in warm place: to rise in a warm place before being
baked (refers to dough)

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
out to be:
to turn out to be a particular thing or a thing of a particular character after
time or testing
[12th
century. Via Old French prover from Latin probare, literally “to
prove to be good,” from probus “good.”]
—prov·a·bil·i·ty
[prvə bíllətee], noun

—prov·a·ble
[prvəb’l], adjective

—prov·a·bly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Form
  of the past participle:
  The
  past participles proved and proven are
  both often used as verbs, with auxiliaries, and also as predicate adjectives:
  whether to say, for example, • We
  have proved our case or • We
  have proven our case, and • The
  case is proved or • The
  case is proven is a matter of choice. Proved is not,
  however, ordinarily employed as an adjective preceding a noun: • proven
  case
  is the standard form.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word probus, from which prove
  is derived, is also the source of English approve,
  probable, probe, probity,
  proof, reprobate,
  and reprove.

[1]



proven

proven
prov·en 
[prvən] adjective

1.  tried
and tested:
done or used before and known to work or be satisfactory

2.  LAW proved
true:
having been demonstrated beyond a doubt to be true
—prov·en·ly, adverb[1]



provenance

provenance
prov·e·nance 
[próvvənəns, próvvə
nns] noun
Also
called
provenience

1.  origin:
the place of origin of something

2.  source
and ownership history: the source and ownership
history of a work of art or literature, or of an archaeological find
[Late
18th century. Via French from Latin provenire “to arise,” literally “to
come forth,” from venire “to come.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at origin

[1]



Provence

Provence
Pro·vence 
[prə vnss]

region in southeastern
France, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It was an ancient Roman province.[1]



provender

provender
prov·en·der 
[próvvəndər] noun

1.  food
for livestock: food for livestock, especially hay or
other dry fodder (archaic)

2.  food:
food (literary or humorous)
[14th century. From Old
French provendre, variant of provende, alteration (influenced by
Latin providere “to supply”) of praebenda “things to be given.”][1]



provenience

provenience
pro·ve·nience 
[prō vnee əns] noun

See
provenance
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin provenient-, present participle stem of provenire (see
provenance ).][1]



proventriculus

proventriculus
pro·ven·tric·u·lus 
[pr ven tríkyələss] (plural pro·ven·tric·u·li
[pr ven tríkyə l]) noun

1.  BIRDS part
of bird’s stomach: the first part of a bird’s
stomach, where digestive enzymes are mixed with food before it goes to the
gizzard. It is analogous to the gizzard in insects and crustaceans.

2.  ZOOLOGY part
of invertebrate’s stomach: the thin-walled section of
the stomach of some invertebrates

3.  INSECTS part
of insect’s stomach: the part of the foregut in
some insects that has teeth or plates for grinding food
—pro·ven·tric·u·lar, adjective[1]



Provençal

Provençal
Pro·ven·çal
[prvən sl, pròvvən
sl] adjective

of Provence:
relating to Provence, or its people or culture
noun
(plural Pro·ven·çals)

1.  language
of SE France: a Romance language spoken in
southeastern parts of France. It is closely related to French, Italian, and
Catalan. Provençal is spoken by about four million people.

2.  somebody
from Provence: somebody who was born, raised or who
lives in, Provence
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin provincialis “provincial,” from provincia
“province,” a colloquial name for southern Gaul during Roman rule.][1]



Provençale

Provençale
Pro·ven·çale
[prvən sl, pròvvən
sl] adjective

cooked
with tomatoes: prepared with olive oil, garlic, herbs,
and tomatoes
[Mid-19th century. From
French à la provençale “in the Provençal manner.”][1]



proverb

proverb
prov·erb 
[pró vùrb] (plural prov·erbs) noun

short
well-known saying: a short well-known saying
that expresses an obvious truth and often offers advice
[14th century. Via Old French
proverbe from Latin proverbium “saying, saw,” from pro
“forth” + verbum “word.”][1]



proverbial

proverbial
pro·ver·bi·al 
[prə vúrbee əl] adjective

1.  expressed
as a proverb: expressed as a proverb, or resembling a
proverb either in form or because of being widely known or referred to

2.  used
in a proverb: often referred to metaphorically or as
another descriptive device • She
was behaving like the proverbial cat on hot bricks.
—pro·ver·bi·al·ly, adverb[1]



Proverbs

Proverbs
Prov·erbs
[pró vùrbz] noun

book of the Bible:
a book of the Bible made up of the proverbs of wise men, including Solomon[1]



provide

provide
pro·vide 
[prə vd] (past pro·vid·ed, past
participle pro·vid·ed, present participle pro·vid·ing,
3rd person present singular pro·vides) verb

1.  transitive
verb
supply
somebody with something: to supply somebody with or
be a source of something needed or wanted

2.  transitive
verb
make
something available: to make something available
to somebody

3.  transitive
verb
LAW require
something as a condition: to require something in
advance as a condition or as part of a contract

4.  intransitive
verb
take
precautions: to take precautions to prevent harm or
bring about good

5.  intransitive
verb
supply
means of support: to supply the material means of support
for somebody • provides
for his children

6.  transitive
verb
prepare
something in advance: to get something ready in
advance (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin providere
“to prepare in advance, supply,” literally “to see ahead,” from videre
“to see.”][1]



providence

providence
prov·i·dence 
[próvvid’ns, próvvi
dèns] noun

1.  prov·i·dence
or Prov·i·dence God’s guidance:
the wisdom, care, and guidance believed to be provided by God

2.  prov·i·dence
or Prov·i·dence God:
God perceived as a caring force guiding humankind

3.  good
judgment and management: good judgment and foresight
in the management of affairs or resources
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French from Latin providentia “foresight,” from provident-,
the present participle stem of providere “to provide.”][1]



Providence

Providence
Prov·i·dence 
[próvvidənss]

capital of Rhode Island and
its largest city, located in the northeastern part of the state. Population:
152,558 (1996)[1]



provident

provident
prov·i·dent 
[próvvid’nt, próvvi
dènt] adjective

1.  preparing
for the future: carefully preparing for future needs

2.  frugal:
economical in the use of resources
[15th century. From Latin provident-,
the present participle stem of providere “to prepare in advance,
supply.”][1]



providential

providential
prov·i·den·tial 
[pròvvi dénshəl] adjective

1.  of
providence:
relating to or believed to be determined by providence

2.  very
lucky:
so lucky that it seems determined by providence

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lucky

[1]



providentsociety

providentsociety
prov·i·dent
so·ci·e·ty
noun

U.K.
See friendly society[1]



provider

provider
pro·vi·der 
[prə vdər] (plural pro·vi·ders)
noun

1.  supplier
of support:
somebody who provides the material means of support for somebody, especially a
family

2.  supplier
of service:
an organization or company that provides access to a service or system, for
example, a cellular phone, cable, or computer network • an
Internet provider • a
health care provider

[1]



province

province
prov·ince 
[próvvins] noun (plural prov·inces)

1.  POLITICS administrative
division of nation: an administrative region or
division of a country

2.  area
of knowledge: a sphere of knowledge or activity

3.  CHRISTIANITY ecclesiastical
territory:
an ecclesiastical territory of more than two dioceses, under the jurisdiction
of an archbishop or metropolitan

4.  HISTORY region
of Roman Empire: a country or region controlled by the
ancient Roman Empire through an appointed governor

5.  ECOLOGY category
for ranking vegetation: a category superior to a
subregion and subordinate to a subkingdom, used in certain biogeographical
systems for ranking global vegetation types
plural
noun
prov·inc·es

nonmetropolitan parts of nation:
the parts of a country exclusive of the capital and larger cities
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French from Latin provincia “Roman territory,” from pro
“before” + vincere “to conquer.”][1]



Provincetown

Provincetown
Prov·ince·town 
[próvvins town]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, at the tip of Cape Cod, north of Dennis. It is an artists’
colony, and the site of the Pilgrims’ first landing in 1620. Population: 3,681
(1996)[1]



provincial

provincial
pro·vin·cial 
[prə vínshəl] adjective

1.  of
a province:
belonging to or coming from a province

2.  unsophisticated
and narrow-minded: unsophisticated and
unwilling to accept new ideas or ways of thinking (disapproving)

3.  ARCHITECTURE FURNITURE simple
and plain:
in a simple and plain decorative style
noun
(plural pro·vin·cials)

1.  somebody
from provinces: somebody from the provinces, as opposed
to somebody from a city or the capital

2.  unsophisticated
person:
an unsophisticated or narrow-minded person (disapproving)

3.  CHRISTIANITY head
of a province: the head of an ecclesiastical province
or of a religious order in a province
[14th
century. Directly and via Old French from Latin provincialis, from provincia
(see province ).]
—pro·vin·ci·al·i·ty
[prə vìnshee állətee], noun

—pro·vin·cial·ly [prə vínshəlee], adverb[1]



provincialcourt

provincialcourt
pro·vin·cial
court
noun

Canadian court for less
serious offenses: a Canadian court that
deals with less serious offenses and whose judges are appointed and paid by the
province[1]



provincialism

provincialism
pro·vin·cial·ism
[prə vínshə lìzzəm] (plural pro·vin·cial·isms)
noun

1.  narrow-minded
and unsophisticated attitude: narrowness in outlook and
lack of sophistication (disapproving)

2.  something
from a province: something such as a word, phrase, trait,
or custom that originates in a province

[1]



provincialpolice

provincialpolice
pro·vin·cial
po·lice
noun

Canadian police force:
a Canadian police force that has jurisdiction within a province but not in
urban areas that have their own municipal police[1]



provingground

provingground
prov·ing
ground 
(plural prov·ing grounds) noun

place for testing somebody or
something: a place or situation in
which somebody or something new is tried out or tested[1]



provirus

provirus
pro·vi·rus 
[prṓ vrəss, prō
vrəss] (plural pro·vi·rus·es) noun

virus precursor:
a form of a virus that is integrated into the genetic material of the host and
passed on from one cell generation to the next[1]



provision

provision
pro·vi·sion 
[prə vízh’n] noun (plural pro·vi·sions)

1.  supplying
of something: the act of providing or supplying
something

2.  action
taken to prepare: a preparatory step taken to meet a
possible or expected need • No
provision has been made for people with disabilities.

3.  LAW legal
clause stating condition: a clause in a law or
contract stating that a particular condition must be met

4.  something
provided:
something provided or supplied
plural
noun
pro·vi·sions

food and other supplies:
supplies of food and other things required, especially for a journey
transitive
verb
(past pro·vi·sioned, past participle pro·vi·sioned,
present participle pro·vi·sion·ing, 3rd person present
singular pro·vi·sions)

provide somebody with supplies:
to provide somebody with supplies, especially for a journey
[14th
century. Via French from the Latin stem provision- “foresight,
preparation,” from provis-, past participle stem of providere
(see provide ).]
—pro·vi·sion·er, noun[1]



provisional

provisional
pro·vi·sion·al 
[prə vízhən’l, prə
vízhnəl] adjective

temporary or conditional:
temporary or conditional, pending confirmation or validation • a
provisional government
noun
(plural pro·vi·sion·als)

1.  HUMAN RESOURCES somebody
hired temporarily: somebody hired temporarily
for a job, especially before being qualified to do it permanently

2.  STAMPS temporary
postage stamp: a postage stamp used temporarily until a
regular stamp is issued
—pro·vi·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



Provisional

Provisional
Pro·vi·sion·al 
noun (plural Pro·vi·sion·als)

member
of Irish Republican Army faction: a member of the
faction of the Irish Republican Army that strives to achieve its goals through
using force
adjective

relating to Irish Republican
Army faction: relating to the faction
of the Irish Republican Army that strives to achieve its goals through using
force[1]



provisionallicence

provisionallicence
pro·vi·sion·al
li·cence
(plural pro·vi·sion·al li·cences) noun

U.K.
See learner’s permit[1]



proviso

proviso
pro·vi·so 
[prə vzō] (plural pro·vi·sos or
pro·vi·soes) noun

1.  LAW clause
added to contract: a clause introducing a
condition in a contract

2.  condition
within agreement: a condition asked as part of an
agreement
[15th century. From medieval
Latin proviso quod “provided that,” from Latin proviso, a form of
provisus, past participle of providere “to prepare in advance,
supply.”][1]



provisory

provisory
pro·vi·so·ry 
[prə vzəree] adjective

1.  LAW conditional:
stating a condition

2.  See
provisional  adjective
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin provisorius “of papal provision,” from
provisus (see proviso ).]
—pro·vi·so·ri·ly, adverb[1]



provitamin

provitamin
pro·vi·ta·min 
[prō vtəmin] (plural pro·vi·ta·mins)
noun

vitamin precursor:
a substance that is converted into an active vitamin as a result of the body’s
normal biochemical processes[1]



provocation

provocation
prov·o·ca·tion 
[pròvvə káysh’n] (plural prov·o·ca·tions)
noun

1.  act
of provoking: the act of provoking somebody or
something

2.  cause
of anger:
something that makes somebody angry or indignant

3.  LAW reason
for attacking somebody: something that incites
somebody to attack somebody else
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem provocation-, ultimately from provocare
(see provoke ).][1]



provocative

provocative
pro·voc·a·tive 
[prə vókətiv] adjective

1.  making
people angry or excited: deliberately aimed at
exciting or annoying people • a
provocative remark

2.  sexually
arousing:
intended to arouse other people sexually
[15th
century. Directly and via Old French provocatif from late Latin provocativus,
from provocare (see provoke ).]
—pro·voc·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—pro·voc·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



provoke

provoke
pro·voke 
[prə vṓk] (past pro·voked, past
participle pro·voked, present participle pro·vok·ing, 3rd
person present singular pro·vokes) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody feel angry: to make somebody feel angry
or exasperated

2.  elicit
a response:
to be the cause or occasion of an emotion or response • Her
bravery provoked a lot of sympathy.

3.  stir
somebody to emotion: to stir somebody to an
emotion or response

4.  incite
something:
to act in a way intended to bring something about

5.  be
the cause of an activity: to serve as the stimulating
factor for an activity
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French provoker from Latin provocare “to summon,” from vocare
“to call,” from vox “voice.”][1]



provolone

provolone
pro·vo·lo·ne 
[prvə lṓnee] noun

mild
smoked Italian cheese: a smoked cheese originally
made in Italy that has a mild flavor and is light in color
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “large buffalo’s milk cheese,” from provola, of unknown
origin.][1]



provost

provost
pro·vost 
[prṓ vst, prṓvəst,
próvvəst] (plural pro·vosts) noun

1.  EDUCATION important
university administrator: a high-ranking
administrative officer of a university

2.  CHRISTIANITY senior
dignitary of cathedral: the senior dignitary of a
cathedral or collegiate church

3.  prison
warden:
the keeper of a prison (archaic)
[Pre-12th century. From
medieval Latin propositus, alteration of Latin praepositus,
literally “somebody placed in front,” ultimately from ponere “to place”
(source of English preposition ).][1]



provostcourt

provostcourt
pro·vost
court
noun

military court:
a military court set up in an occupied hostile territory for the trial of minor
offenses[1]



provostguard

provostguard
pro·vost
guard
noun

military policeman:
a detail of soldiers having police duties under the authority of the provost
marshal[1]



provostmarshal

provostmarshal
pro·vost
mar·shal 
noun

army officer with police
duties: the army officer in charge
of a unit of military police[1]



prow

prow
prow 
[prow] (plural prows) noun

1.  front
of ship:
the forward part of a ship

2.  projecting
front part:
the projecting front part of something other than a ship
[Mid-16th century. Via French
proue from Latin prora, from Greek prōra “front of a
ship,” from pro “forward.”][1]



prowess

prowess
prow·ess 
[prówəss] noun

1.  superior
skill:
exceptional ability or skill

2.  valor
in combat:
extraordinary valor and ability in combat
[13th century. From Old
French proesce “bravery,” from prou “brave,” variant of prud
(see proud ).][1]



prowl

prowl
prowl 
[prowl] intransitive and transitive verb
(past prowled, past participle prowled, present
participle prowl·ing, 3rd person present singular prowls)

roam
an area stealthily for prey: to roam around an area
stealthily in search of prey, food, or opportunity
noun

act
of roaming:
the act of roaming stealthily for prey
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
on
the prowl

moving around stealthily
looking for something or somebody[1]



prowlcar

prowlcar
prowl
car
noun

patrol car:
a police patrol car (dated)[1]



prowler

prowler
prowl·er
[prówlər] (plural prowl·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that prowls: an animal that or person who
prowls

2.  somebody
prowling with unlawful intent: somebody who roams or
looks around somewhere stealthily waiting for the opportunity to commit
criminal acts

[1]



prox.

prox.
prox.

Abbreviation of
proximo[1]



proxemics

proxemics
prox·e·mics
[prok smiks] noun

study
of personal space: the study of the distance
individuals maintain between each other in social interaction and how this
separation is significant
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from proximity on the model of phonemics .][1]



proximal

proximal
prox·i·mal 
[próksəm’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY nearer
center of body: nearer to the point of reference or to
the center of the body. For example, the elbow is proximal to the hand.
See
also
distal

2.  DENTISTRY nearest
another tooth: used to describe the surface of a tooth
nearest to either the one behind it or the one in front of it
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin proximus (see proximity
).]
—prox·i·mal·ly, adverb[1]



proximate

proximate
prox·i·mate 
[próksəmət] adjective

1.  nearest:
nearest in order, time, or place

2.  very
close:
very close in space or time

3.  about
to happen:
soon to appear or take place

4.  approximate:
almost accurate
[Late
16th century. From Latin proximat-, past participle stem of proximare
“to come near,” from proximus (see proximity
).]
—prox·i·mate·ly,
adverb

—prox·i·mate·ness,
noun

—prox·i·ma·tion [pròksə máysh’n], noun[1]



proximity

proximity
prox·im·i·ty 
[prok símmətee] noun

closeness:
closeness in space or time
[15th century. From Latin proximitas
“nearness,” from proximus “nearest,” the superlative form of prope
“near” (source of English approach
).][1]



proximitycard

proximitycard
prox·im·i·ty
card
noun

electronic card:
a plastic card carrying electronically coded information accessed by holding
the card near a reading device. Proximity cards are often used to open doors as
part of a security system.[1]



proximityfuze

proximityfuze
prox·im·i·ty
fuze
noun

detonating device in
projectile: a fuze, typically part of a
warhead, that will activate and cause detonation when the warhead is at a
specified distance from the target[1]



proximo

proximo
prox·i·mo 
[próksə m] adverb

in
the next month: occurring during the next month (formal)
• propose
a meeting for the fifth proximo
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
proximo (mense) “in the next (month).”][1]



proxy

proxy
prox·y 
[próksee] (plural prox·ies) noun

1.  function
or power of substitute: the function, power, or
capacity to act of a deputy authorized to substitute for another

2.  somebody
acting as substitute: somebody authorized to
substitute for somebody else

3.  authorization
document for stand-in: a document authorizing
somebody to act for another person

4.  LAW STOCK EXCHANGE document authorizing
vote on another’s stock: a document authorizing
somebody to vote on matters of corporate stock on behalf of somebody else
[15th century. From medieval
Latin procuratia, alteration of Latin procuratio “care,
management,” from procurare “to take care of.”][1]



Prozac

Prozac
Pro·zac
[prṓ zàk] Trademark

a trademark for an
antidepressant drug that slows down the uptake of serotonin by the central
nervous system[1]



prs.

prs.
prs.

Abbreviation of
pairs[1]



prude

prude
prude 
[prood] (plural prudes) noun

somebody
easily shocked by sex: somebody who is easily
shocked by sex or nudity and who pays a great deal of attention to proper
social behavior (disapproving)
[Early
18th century. From French, back-formation from Old French prudefemme
(misunderstood as “virtuous woman”), feminine of prud’homme, from
assumed pro de ome, literally “fine (thing) of a man.”]
—prud·er·y,
noun

—prud·ish,
adjective

—prud·ish·ly,
adverb

—prud·ish·ness, noun[1]



prudence

prudence
pru·dence 
[prd’ns] noun

1.  practicality:
good sense in managing practical matters

2.  tendency
to avoid risk: a tendency to evaluate situations
carefully so as to avoid risk

3.  frugality:
careful management of resources
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin prudentia, contraction of providentia (see providence ).][1]



prudent

prudent
pru·dent 
[prd’nt] adjective

1.  having
good sense:
having good sense in dealing with practical matters

2.  carefully
considering consequences: using good judgment to
consider consequences and to act accordingly

3.  careful
in managing resources: careful in managing
resources so as to provide for the future
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin prudent-, contraction of the
stem provident- (see provident ).]
—pru·dent·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



prudential

prudential
pru·den·tial 
[proo dénshəl] adjective

1.  resulting
from prudence: resulting from, depending on, or marked
by prudence

2.  using
prudence:
using prudence, especially in business matters
—pru·den·tial·ly, adverb[1]



PrudhoeBay

PrudhoeBay
Prud·hoe
Bay 
[prdhō báy, prùdhō
báy]

bay in the Beaufort Sea,
northern Alaska. Vast petroleum reserves were discovered there in 1968.[1]



pruinose

pruinose
pru·i·nose 
[pr ə nss] adjective

covered
with white powder: having a white powdery
coating, for example, on a fruit or leaf
[Early 19th century. From
Latin pruinosus, from pruina “hoarfrost.”][1]



prune

prune2
prune2  [proon]
(past pruned, past participle pruned, present
participle prun·ing, 3rd person present singular prunes)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
branches:
to cut branches away from a plant to encourage fuller growth

2.  transitive
verb
reduce
something by removing unwanted material: to
reduce something by removing whatever is unnecessary or unwanted

3.  transitive
verb
remove
something unnecessary: to remove something
considered unnecessary or unwanted
[14th
century. From Old French proignier “to cut in a rounded shape in front,”
from Latin rotundus “round” (source of English rotund ).]
—prun·a·ble,
adjective

—prun·er, noun[1]



prune

prune1
prune1  [proon]
(plural prunes) noun

1.  dried
plum:
a plum that has been preserved by drying

2.  plum
to be dried: a plum suitable for drying (informal)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence, competence
or ability to interest others (informal insult)
[14th century. From French,
ultimately from Latin prunum, from Greek prounon, variant of proumnon
“plum.”][1]



prunella

prunella
pru·nel·la 
[proo néllə] (plural pru·nel·las)
noun

wool
fabric:
a wool fabric with a twill weave, used for academic gowns, clerical robes, and
shoe uppers.
Also
called
prunelle
[Mid-17th century. From
French prunelle “sloe,” a diminutive of prune “plum.” Probably
from its color.][1]



prunelle

prunelle
pru·nelle 
[proo nél] (plural pru·nelles)
noun

1.  BEVERAGES sweet
liqueur:
a sweet French liqueur flavored with sloes

2.  TEXTILES See prunella
[15th century. From French
(see prunella ).][1]



pruninghook

pruninghook
prun·ing
hook 
noun

tool with hooked blade:
a tool with a hooked blade and sometimes a long handle, used to prune trees and
bushes[1]



prurient

prurient
pru·ri·ent 
[prree ənt] adjective

marked
by unwholesome sexual interest: having or intended to
arouse an unwholesome interest in sexual matters (disapproving)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin prurient-, the present participle stem of prurire
“to itch, long for,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from pruna
“burning coal.”]
—pru·ri·ence,
noun

—pru·ri·ent·ly, adverb[1]



prurigo

prurigo
pru·ri·go 
[pr rgō] noun

skin
disease:
a chronic inflammatory skin disease causing small itchy swellings
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “itching,” from prurire (see prurient ).]
—pru·rig·i·nous [pr ríjjənəss], adjective[1]



pruritus

pruritus
pru·ri·tus 
[pr rtəss] noun

itchiness:
an intense feeling of itchiness
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, past participle of prurire (see prurient
).][1]



Prussia

Prussia
Prus·sia
[prúshə]

former
state and kingdom in Germany. Its capital was Berlin.
—Prus·sian, adjective,
noun[1]



Prussianblue

Prussianblue
Prus·sian
blue
noun

1.  Prus·sian
blue
or prus·sian blue blue iron pigment:
a water-insoluble blue iron pigment

2.  dark
greenish blue: a rich dark blue color with a tinge of
green
adjective

of deep greenish blue:
of a rich dark blue color with a tinge of green
[Prussian because its
discoverer, Diesbach, was Prussian][1]



prussiate

prussiate
prus·si·ate 
[prússee ət, prússee
àyt, prúshee ət] (plural prus·si·ates)
noun

1.  ferrocyanide
or ferricyanide: a chemical compound that is ferrocyanide
or ferricyanide

2.  salt
of hydrocyanic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt of hydrocyanic acid
[Late 18th century. Formed
from prussic (see prussic acid ).][1]



prussicacid

prussicacid
prus·sic
ac·id 
[prùssik ássid] noun

See
hydrocyanic acid
[Prussic formed from Prussian,
because it was first obtained from Prussian blue][1]



pry

pry1
pry1  [prī]
intransitive verb (past pried, past participle pried,
present participle pry·ing, 3rd person present singular pries)

inquire nosily:
to look inquisitively or inquire nosily into somebody’s private affairs
noun
(plural pries)

1.  act
of prying:
the act of prying into somebody’s private affairs

2.  somebody
who pries:
somebody who engages in prying into other people’s private affairs
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



pry

pry2
pry2  [prī]
transitive verb (past pried, past participle pried,
present participle pry·ing, 3rd person present singular pries)

1.  open
using leverage: to open or part something by using
leverage

2.  get
information with difficulty: to get information from
somebody with great difficulty • pried
the secret out of her
noun
(plural pries)

1.  tool
for applying leverage: something such as a crowbar
that is used to apply leverage

2.  leverage:
leverage exerted in order to open or lift something
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from prize, misunderstood as
3rd person present singular.][1]



pryer

pryer
pry·er 
(plural pry·ers) noun

See
prier[1]



prytaneum

prytaneum
pry·ta·ne·um 
[prìtt’n  əm] (plural pry·ta·ne·a
[prìtt’n éeə]) noun

ancient
Greek meeting place: a public building in ancient
Greece used as a meeting place
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek prutaneion, from prutanis “prince, ruler.”][1]



Przewalski’shorse

Przewalski’shorse
Prze·wal·ski’s
horse 
[shə vlskiz hàwrs, pùrzhə
vlskiz hàwrs] (plural Prze·wal·ski’s hors·es) noun

wild
Asian horse: a wild Asian horse with a stocky body, a
chestnut coat, and an erect dark mane. It is the only surviving wild horse,
with just a tiny population found in the Gobi Desert on the border of China and
Mongolia. Latin name: Equus caballus przevalskii
[Late 19th century.
Translation of Latin equus przewalskii, named for the Russian explorer
N. M. Przhevalśki (1839–1888), who was the first European to report
seeing it.][1]



précieux

précieux
pré·cieux
[prày see y] adjective

fastidious
or affected: overly fastidious or affected in dress
or manner
[Early 18th century. From
French, “precious.”][1]



précis

précis
pré·cis 
[práy see, pray
s] noun (plural pré·cis)

shortened
version:
a shortened version of a speech or written text, containing the main points and
omitting minor details
transitive
verb
(past pré·cised, past participle pré·cised, present
participle pré·cis·ing, 3rd person present singular pré·cis)

make
shortened version of something: to make a précis of
something
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “abridged.”][1]



prêt-à-porter

prêt-à-porter
prêt-à-por·ter
[prèt aa pawr táy] adjective

ready-to-wear:
manufactured in standard sizes ready to be bought off the rack in stores
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “ready-to-wear.”][1]



Príncipe

Príncipe
Prín·ci·pe
[prN səpə, prínsəpə]

the second largest island in
São Tomé and Príncipe. Population: 5,900 (1995) Area: 109 sq km/42 sq mi.[1]



Ps.

Ps.
Ps.

Abbreviation of
(Book of) Psalms[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








P.S.

P.S.
P.S.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of
phrase structure

2.  Abbreviation
of
Police Sergeant

3.  P.S.
or p.s. Abbreviation of postscript

4.  Abbreviation
of
private secretary

5.  THEATER Abbreviation of prompt side

6.  Abbreviation
of
public school

[1]



p.s.

p.s.
p.s.

Abbreviation of
passenger steamer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Psa.

Psa.
Psa.

Abbreviation of
(Book of) Psalms[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








psalm

psalm
psalm 
[saam, saalm]
(plural psalms) or Psalm [saam,
saalm] (plural Psalms) noun

sacred
song or poem of praise: a sacred song or poem of
praise, especially one in the Book of Psalms in the Bible
[12th
century. Via late Latin psalmus from Greek psalmos “harpsong,”
from psallein “to pluck.”]
—psalm·ic, adjective[1]



psalmist

psalmist
psalm·ist 
[smist, slmist]
(plural psalm·ists) noun

writer of psalms:
the author of a psalm[1]



psalmody

psalmody
psalm·o·dy 
[smədee, slmədee]
(plural psalm·o·dies) noun

1.  RELIGION psalm
singing:
the singing of psalms in divine worship

2.  MUSIC musical
arrangements for psalms: the prescribed arrangements
for singing individual psalms from the Book of Psalms

3.  set
of psalms:
a collection of psalms
[14th
century. Via late Latin psalmodia from Greek psalmōidia,
ultimately from psalmos (see psalm )
+ ōidē “song.”]
—psalm·od·ic
[saa móddik, saal
móddik], adjective

—psalm·o·dist [smədist, slmədist],
noun[1]



Psalms

Psalms
Psalms
[saamz, saalmz]
noun

biblical book of 150 poems:
a book of the Bible made up of 150 poems and hymns to God, traditionally
believed to have been written by King David[1]



Psalter

Psalter
Psal·ter
[sáwltər] (plural Psal·ters) or
psal·ter [sáwltər] (plural psal·ters)
noun

book
containing psalms: a book containing psalms, or
the Book of Psalms, used in worship
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
psalterium “book of psalms” in ecclesiastical Latin (see psaltery ); reinforced by Old French sautier
.][1]



psalterium

psalterium
psal·te·ri·um 
[sawl tree əm] (plural psal·te·ri·a
[sawl tree ə]) noun

ZOOLOGY See omasum
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin, “stringed instrument” (see psaltery
).][1]



psaltery

psaltery
psal·ter·y 
[sáwltəree] (plural psal·ter·ies)
noun

ancient
musical instrument: an ancient musical
instrument with numerous strings that can be plucked with the fingers or with a
plectrum
[13th century. Via Old French
sauterie from Latin psalterium “stringed instrument,” from Greek psaltērion
“stringed instrument played by plucking,” from psallein “to pluck.”][1]



psammite

psammite
psam·mite 
[sá mt] (plural psam·mites) noun

1.  sandstone:
rock formed principally of sand

2.  metamorphosed
sandstone:
a metamorphosed sandstone containing large amounts of quartz
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek psammos “sand.”]
—psam·mit·ic [sa míttik], adjective[1]



PSAT

PSAT
PSAT
(plural PSATs)

Abbreviation of
preliminary scholastic aptitude test[1]



psec.

psec.
psec.

Abbreviation of
picosecond[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








psephology

psephology
pse·phol·o·gy 
[si fólləjee] noun

study
of elections: the statistical study of elections
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek psephos “pebble, vote”; from the Greek
practice of using pebbles to vote.]
—pse·pho·log·i·cal
[sfə lójjik’l], adjective

—pse·pho·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—pse·phol·o·gist [see fólləjist] (plural pse·phol·o·gists),
noun[1]



pseud.

pseud.
pseud.

Abbreviation of
pseudonym[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pseudaxis

pseudaxis
pseud·ax·is 
[soo dáksiss] (plural pseud·ax·es
[soo dák sz]) noun

BOTANY
See sympodium[1]



pseudepigrapha

pseudepigrapha
pseud·e·pig·ra·pha 
[sdə píggrəfə] plural noun

writings
professing to be biblical: certain anonymous or
pseudonymous writings professing to be biblical but not included in any
biblical canon
[Late
17th century. From Greek, a form of pseudepigraphos “with false title,”
from pseudo- + epigraphein “to write
on” (see epigraph ).]
—pseud·ep·i·graph·ic
[sd eppi gráffik], adjective

—pseud·ep·i·graph·i·cal,
adjective

—pseud·e·pig·ra·phous
[sdə píggrəfəss], adjective[1]



pseudo

pseudo
pseu·do
[sdō] adjective

not
genuine:
not authentic or sincere, in spite of appearances
[14th century. From Greek pseudo-,
from pseudēs (see pseudo- ).][1]



pseudo-

pseudo-
pseudo-
prefix

1.  similar
• pseudobulb

2.  false,
spurious • pseudoscience
[From Greek pseudēs,
from pseudein “to lie,” of unknown origin][1]



pseudobulb

pseudobulb
pseud·o·bulb 
[sdō bùlb] (plural pseud·o·bulbs)
noun

thickened part of stem:
a thickened part of a stem that lies above the ground, for example, in many
orchids[1]



pseudocarp

pseudocarp
pseu·do·carp 
[sdō krp] (plural pseu·do·carps)
noun

multiple
fruit:
a fruit formed by combining the ripened ovary with another structure, often the
receptacle, as, for example, in strawberries.
Also
called
false fruit
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from pseudo- + Greek karpos
“fruit.”]
—pseu·do·car·pous [sdō krpəss], adjective[1]



pseudoclassic

pseudoclassic
pseu·do·clas·sic
[sdō klássik] adjective

mistaken as classic:
posing as or mistakenly believed to be classic[1]



pseudoclassicism

pseudoclassicism
pseu·do·clas·si·cism
[sdō klássə sìzzəm] noun

classical
style in later art: the use in art and
literature of ancient Greek and Roman styles
—pseu·do·clas·si·cal, adjective[1]



pseudocoel

pseudocoel
pseu·do·coel 
[sdə sl] (plural pseu·do·coels)
or pseu·do·coe·lom [sdə sləm]
(plural pseu·do·coe·loms) noun

body cavity:
a body cavity of some primitive invertebrates that has no mesodermal lining[1]



pseudocoelomate

pseudocoelomate
pseu·do·coe·lo·mate 
[sdō slə màyt] (plural pseu·do·coelo·mates)
noun

invertebrate
with pseudocoel: an invertebrate that has a fluid-filled
body cavity not lined with mesoderm tissue, for example, a nematode or rotifer
—pseu·do·coe·lo·mate, adjective[1]



pseudocyesis

pseudocyesis
pseu·do·cy·e·sis 
[sdō sī ssiss] (plural pseu·do·cy·e·ses
[sdō sī  sz]) noun

false
pregnancy:
a false pregnancy (technical)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek kuesis “conception.”][1]



pseudogene

pseudogene
pseu·do·gene 
[sdə jn] (plural pseu·do·genes)
noun

nonfunctional genetic
material: a nonfunctional DNA sequence
that is very similar to the sequence of a functional gene[1]



pseudohermaphroditism

pseudohermaphroditism
pseu·do·her·maph·ro·dit·ism
[sdō hər máffrə dī tìzzəm] noun

ambiguous genital appearance:
a condition in which somebody has either ovaries female pseudohermaphroditism
or testes male pseudohermaphroditism but has external genitalia of ambiguous
appearance[1]



pseudomonad

pseudomonad
pseu·do·mo·nad 
[sdə mṓ nàd] (plural pseu·do·mo·nads)
noun

rod-shaped
bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium that lives in soil or decomposing organic material, some
of which are pathogenic to plants and animals. Genus: Pseudomonas
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Pseudomonad-, stem of Pseudomonas, literally “false
monad,” from the stem monad- “monad.”][1]



pseudomorph

pseudomorph
pseu·do·morph 
[sdə màwrf] (plural pseu·do·morphs)
noun

1.  mineral
with unusual crystalline shape: a mineral that does
not have its usual crystalline form as a result of having replaced another
mineral in a rock and taken its shape

2.  irregular
form:
an irregular or deceptive form
—pseu·do·mor·phic
[sdə máwrfik], adjective

—pseu·do·mor·phism
[sdə máwr fìzzəm], noun

—pseu·do·mor·phous, adjective[1]



pseudonym

pseudonym
pseu·do·nym 
[sdə nìm] (plural pseu·do·nyms)
noun

false
name:
a name that is not somebody’s correct name, especially one used by an author in
publications
[Mid-19th
century. Via French pseudonyme from Greek pseudōnumon, literally
“false name,” ultimately from onuma, variant of onoma “name”
(source of English anonymous ).]
—pseu·do·nym·i·ty [sdə nímmətee], noun[1]



pseudonymous

pseudonymous
pseu·don·y·mous 
[soo dónnəməss] adjective

bearing
a false name: bearing or written under a name that is
not the correct name of the person concerned
—pseu·don·y·mous·ly,
adverb

—pseu·don·y·mous·ness,
noun[1]



pseudopodium

pseudopodium
pseu·do·po·di·um 
[sdə pṓdee əm] (plural pseu·do·po·di·a
[sdə pṓdee ə]) or pseu·do·pod
[sdə pòd] (plural pseu·do·pods)
noun

temporary cell protrusion:
a temporary cytoplasmic protrusion in amoeba and other protozoa used for
locomotion and to take up food[1]



pseudopregnancy

pseudopregnancy
pseu·do·preg·nan·cy 
[sdə prégnənsee] (plural pseu·do·preg·nan·cies)
noun

See
false pregnancy[1]



pseudorandom

pseudorandom
pseu·do·ran·dom 
[sdō rándəm] adjective

relating to random numbers:
relating to random numbers generated by a computational process[1]



pseudoscience

pseudoscience
pseu·do·sci·ence 
[sdō s əns] noun

theory mistaken as
scientific: a theory or method
doubtfully or mistakenly held to be scientific[1]



pseudosophistication

pseudosophistication
pseu·do·so·phis·ti·ca·tion
[sdō sə fisti káysh’n] noun

false sophistication:
false or pretended sophistication[1]



pseudotuberculosis

pseudotuberculosis
pseu·do·tu·ber·cu·lo·sis
[sdō too burkyə lṓssiss] noun

disease similar to
tuberculosis: a disease marked by the
formation of nodules of inflamed tissue similar to those in tuberculosis but
not caused by the tubercle bacillus[1]



psf

psf
psf
or p.s.f.

Abbreviation of
pounds per square foot[1]



pshaw

pshaw
pshaw 
[shaw, pshaw]
interjection

expressing
disbelief, impatience, or contempt: used
to express disbelief, impatience, or contempt
[Late 17th century. An
imitation of the sound made.][1]



psi

psi2
psi2  or p.s.i.

Abbreviation of
pounds per square inch[1]



psi

psi1
psi1  [sī,
psī] (plural psis) noun

23rd
letter of Greek alphabet: the 23rd letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “ps”
[15th century. From Greek psei
.][1]



psia

psia
psia
or p.s.i.a.

Abbreviation of
pounds per square inch, absolute[1]



psid

psid
psid
or p.s.i.d.

Abbreviation of
pounds per square inch, differential[1]



psig

psig
psig
or p.s.i.g.

Abbreviation of
pounds per square inch, gauge[1]



psilocin

psilocin
psil·o·cin 
[sílləsin, sləsin]
noun

hallucinogen:
a hallucinogenic compound produced in the body after eating a particular
mushroom. C12H16N2O
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek psilos “smooth.”][1]



psilocybin

psilocybin
psil·o·cy·bin 
[sìllə sbin, slə
sbin] noun

hallucinogen:
a crystalline hallucinogen obtained from a particular mushroom. C13HN2O3P2
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Greek psilos “smooth” + kubē “head.”][1]



psilomelane

psilomelane
psi·lom·e·lane 
[sī lómmə làyn] (plural psi·lom·e·lanes)
noun

manganese
ore:
a mixed hydrated manganese oxide ore, occurring in dark-colored rounded masses
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek psilos “smooth” + melas “black.”][1]



psiparticle

psiparticle
psi
par·ti·cle
(plural psi par·ti·cles) noun

See
J/psi particle[1]



psittacine

psittacine
psit·ta·cine 
[síttə sn] adjective

of
parrots:
belonging to the parrot family, or affecting, resembling, or relating to
parrots or related birds
noun

member
of parrot family: a bird that belongs to the parrot family
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
psittacinus from psittacus, from Greek psittakos
“parrot.”][1]



psittacosis

psittacosis
psit·ta·co·sis 
[sìttə kṓssiss] noun

disease
of birds:
a contagious disease of parrots and related birds that can be transmitted to
humans, sometimes causing serious lung infection. It is caused by the bacterium
Chlamydia psittaci .
Also
called
parrot fever
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
psittacus from Greek psittakos “parrot.”][1]



psoas

psoas
pso·as 
[sṓ əss] (plural pso·ai [sṓ ] or pso·ae [sṓ]) noun

loin
muscles:
either of two pairs of muscles that are located in the groin and help to flex
the hip joint. The psoas in oxen is the fillet steak muscle.
[Late 17th century. From
Greek, a plural form of psoa “muscle of the loins.”][1]



psocid

psocid
pso·cid 
[sṓssid, sóssid]
(plural pso·cids or pso·cid) noun

winged
insect:
tiny winged insect with reduced veins in the wings and unusual rasping
mouthparts. Family: Psocidae
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin Psocus, genus name, from Greek psokhein “to grind.”][1]



psoralen

psoralen
pso·ra·len 
[sáwrələn] noun

toxic
substance in plants: a toxic substance present in
certain plants and used to treat severe acne and psoriasis
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin Psoralea, genus name, from Greek psoraleos “itchy,” from psora
“itch, mange.”][1]



psoriasis

psoriasis
pso·ri·a·sis 
[sə r əssiss] noun

skin
disease:
a skin disease marked by red scaly patches
[Late
17th century. Via Latin, “scurvy, mange,” from Greek psōriasis “being
itchy,” ultimately from psōra “itch, mange.”]
—pso·ri·at·ic [sàwree áttik], adjective[1]



P.SS.

P.SS.
P.SS.
or p.ss.

Abbreviation of
postscripts[1]



psst

psst
psst
[pst] interjection

used
to get attention: used to get the attention of one person
without alerting others
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



PST

PST
PST
or P.S.T.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Pacific Standard Time

2.  Canada
Abbreviation of provincial sales tax

[1]



PSU

PSU
PSU

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of power supply unit[1]



psych-

psych-
psych-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
psycho-[1]



psych

psych
psych 
[sīk] (past psyched, past
participle psyched, present participle psych·ing, 3rd
person present singular psychs) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
uneasy:
to make somebody fearful, uneasy, or intimidated • He
really psyched me when he came out with all that scary stuff.

2.  reflexive
verb
prepare
to perform well: to prepare somebody psychologically to
perform at peak levels • The
night before, she psyched herself for the job interview.
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps partly a shortening of psychoanalyze
and partly from psych- .][1]



psych.

psych.
psych.

1.  Abbreviation
of
psychological

2.  Abbreviation
of
psychology

[1]



psyche

psyche
psy·che 
[skee] (plural psy·ches) noun

1.  RELIGION human
spirit:
the human spirit or soul

2.  PSYCHOLOGY human
mind:
the human mind as the center of thought and behavior
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek psukhē “breath, soul, mind,” from psukhein “to
breathe.”][1]



Psyche

Psyche
Psy·che 
noun

beloved of Cupid:
in Roman mythology, a beautiful young woman loved by Cupid. He visited her
secretly at night, forbidding her ever to look at him. When she did, he
abandoned her. They were eventually reunited and Jupiter made her immortal.[1]



psychedelia

psychedelia
psy·che·de·li·a 
[skə dlee ə] noun

subculture
of psychedelic drugs: the subculture of artifacts,
phenomena, writings, or art associated with psychedelic drugs
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from psychedelic .][1]



psychedelic

psychedelic
psy·che·del·ic 
[skə déllik] adjective

1.  relating
to hallucinogenic drugs: used to describe, or
relating to or caused by, drugs that generate hallucinations, abnormal psychic
states, or states that resemble psychiatric disorders

2.  overloading
the senses:
weird, distorted, wildly colorful, or otherwise resembling images or sounds
experienced by somebody under the influence of a psychedelic drug
noun
(plural psychedelics)

drug: a
psychedelic drug
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek psukhē “mind” + dēloun “to reveal, make
visible,” from dēlos “clear.”]
—psy·che·del·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychiatric

psychiatric
psy·chi·at·ric
[skee áttrik] adjective

of psychiatry:
relating to psychiatry or its patients[1]



psychiatrichospital

psychiatrichospital
psy·chi·at·ric
hos·pi·tal
(plural psy·chi·at·ric hos·pi·tals) noun

hospital for people with
psychiatric disorders: a hospital
dedicated to the treatment, care, and protection of people with serious
psychiatric disorders who are judged to be unfit or unsafe to be at large[1]



psychiatrist

psychiatrist
psy·chi·a·trist 
[si k ətrist, sī
k ətrist] (plural psy·chi·a·trists) noun

doctor treating psychiatric
disorders: a doctor trained in the
treatment of people with psychiatric disorders[1]



psychiatry

psychiatry
psy·chi·a·try 
[si k ətree, sī
k ətree] noun

field
of medicine: a medical specialty concerned with the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders that have primarily mental or behavioral
symptoms and with the care of people having such disorders
[Mid-19th century. From
French psychiatrie, from Greek psukhē (see psyche ) + iatreia “cure.”][1]



psychic

psychic
psy·chic 
[skik] adjective

1.  of
the mind:
relating to the human mind

2.  outside
scientific knowledge: outside the sphere of
scientific knowledge

3.  supposedly
sensitive to supernatural forces: claiming or believed
to have extraordinary perception and sensitivity to nonphysical or supernatural
forces
noun
(plural psy·chics)

somebody supposedly sensitive to
supernatural: somebody who claims or is believed to be
sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces
[Late
18th century. From Greek psukhikos “pertaining to the soul or spirit,”
from psukhē (see psyche ).]
—psy·chi·cal,
adjective

—psy·chi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



psycho

psycho
psy·cho 
[skō] noun (plural psy·chos)

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for somebody who has a psychiatric or personality
disorder (slang)
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term used for somebody who behaves in an uncontrolled and
unpredictable way (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening of psychopathic .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Psycho, a movie by English
  director Alfred Hitchcock ( 1960 ). A disturbing horror film with a rich vein
  of black comedy, it tells the story of a woman who flees her home after
  stealing money from her boss. Stopping at a motel run by the sinister Norman
  Bates and his apparently domineering mother, she is brutally murdered while
  taking a shower. Members of her family subsequently investigate the death. As
  a result of the impact of the movie, the term Bates Motel came to mean
  any rundown rooming house, motel, or structure redolent of oppressive fear
  and underlying horror.

[1]



psycho-

psycho-
psycho-
prefix

1.  mind,
mental • psychoactive

2.  psychology,
psychological • psychobabble
[From Greek psukhē
(see psyche )][1]



psychoacoustics

psychoacoustics
psy·cho·a·cous·tics 
[skō ə kstiks] noun

scientific study of sound
perception: the scientific study of the
psychological and physiological principles of sound perception (takes a
singular verb)[1]



psychoactive

psychoactive
psy·cho·ac·tive 
[skō áktiv] adjective

affecting mood or behavior:
used to describe drugs or medication having a significant effect on mood or
behavior[1]



psychoanal.

psychoanal.
psychoanal.

Abbreviation of
psychoanalysis[1]



psychoanalyse

psychoanalyse
psy·cho·an·a·lyse
transitive verb

U.K. =
psychoanalyze[1]



psychoanalysis

psychoanalysis
psy·cho·a·nal·y·sis 
[skō ə nálləssiss] noun

1.  method
of understanding mental life: a psychological theory and
therapeutic method developed by Sigmund Freud, based on the ideas that mental
life functions on both conscious and unconscious levels and that childhood
events have a powerful psychological influence throughout life.
Also
called
depth psychology

2.  treatment
by psychoanalysis: treatment by psychoanalysis,
interpreting material presented by a patient in order to bring the processes of
the unconscious into conscious awareness
—psy·cho·an·a·lyst
[skō ánnəlist], noun

—psy·cho·an·a·lyt·ic
[skō annə líttik], adjective

—psy·cho·an·a·lyt·i·cal,
adjective

—psy·cho·an·a·lyt·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychoanalyze

psychoanalyze
psy·cho·an·a·lyze 
[skō ánnə lz] (past psy·cho·an·a·lyzed,
past participle psy·cho·an·a·lyzed, present participle psy·cho·an·a·lyz·ing,
3rd person present singular psy·cho·an·a·lyz·es) transitive
verb

treat
patient using psychoanalysis: to apply the methods of
psychoanalysis in a psychotherapeutic setting
—psy·cho·an·a·lyz·er, noun[1]



psychobabble

psychobabble
psy·cho·bab·ble 
[skō bàbb’l] noun

psychological jargon:
psychological jargon used inaccurately to talk about personal problems[1]



psychobiography

psychobiography
psy·cho·bi·og·ra·phy 
[skō bī óggrəfee] (plural psy·cho·bi·og·ra·phies)
noun

psychological biography:
a biography that focuses on the psychological profile of the subject[1]



psychobiology

psychobiology
psy·cho·bi·ol·o·gy 
[skō bī ólləjee] noun

study
of biology of behavior: the study of the biological
bases of behavior.
Also
called
biopsychology
See
also
sociobiology
—psy·cho·bi·o·log·i·cal
[skō bī ə lójjik’l], adjective

—psy·cho·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—psy·cho·bi·ol·o·gist
[skō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



psychochemical

psychochemical
psy·cho·chem·i·cal 
[skō kémmik’l] noun (plural psy·cho·chem·i·cals)

psychoactive
drug:
a drug that affects mood or behavior
adjective

of psychoactive drugs:
relating to or acting like a psychoactive drug[1]



psychodrama

psychodrama
psy·cho·dra·ma 
[skə drmə, skə
drámmə] noun

psychotherapy
drama:
a form of psychotherapy pioneered by Jacob Moreno in which patients are
required to perform roles in dramas illustrating their own particular problems
before an audience of other patients
—psy·cho·dra·mat·ic [skə drə máttik], adjective[1]



psychodynamics

psychodynamics
psy·cho·dy·nam·ics 
[skō dī námmiks] noun

1.  interaction
of emotional forces: the interaction of the
emotional and motivational forces that affect behavior and mental states,
especially on a subconscious level (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  inner
forces affecting behavior: the study of the emotional
and motivational forces that affect behavior and mental states (takes a
singular verb)
—psy·cho·dy·nam·ic,
adjective

—psy·cho·dy·nam·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychogenesis

psychogenesis
psy·cho·gen·e·sis 
[skō jénnəssiss] noun

cause
of psychological disorder: the psychological rather
than physical cause of a psychological disorder
—psy·cho·ge·net·ic
[skō jə néttik], adjective

—psy·cho·ge·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychogenic

psychogenic
psy·cho·gen·ic 
[skō jénnik] adjective

arising
from mental or emotional processes:
originating in mental or emotional rather than in physiological processes
—psy·cho·gen·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychohistory

psychohistory
psy·cho·his·to·ry 
[skō hìstəree, skō
hìstree, skō hístəree, skō hístree] (plural psy·cho·his·to·ries)
noun

psychological
analysis of events: psychological analysis of
somebody’s life or of historical events
—psy·cho·his·tor·i·an
[skō his táwree ən], noun

—psy·cho·his·tor·i·cal
[skō his táwrik’l], adjective[1]



psychokinesis

psychokinesis
psy·cho·ki·ne·sis 
[skō ki nssiss, skō
kī nssiss] noun

moving
objects with mind: the supposed ability to use
mental powers to make objects move or to otherwise affect them
—psy·cho·ki·net·ic [skō ki néttik], adjective[1]



psychol.

psychol.
psychol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
psychological

2.  Abbreviation
of
psychologist

3.  Abbreviation
of
psychology

[1]



psycholinguistics

psycholinguistics
psy·cho·lin·guis·tics 
[skō ling gwístiks] noun

psychology
of language acquisition and use: the study of language
acquisition and use in relation to the psychological factors controlling its
use and recognition (takes a singular verb)
—psy·cho·lin·guist
[skō líng gwist], noun

—psy·cho·lin·guis·tic
[skō ling gwístik], adjective[1]



psychological

psychological
psy·cho·log·i·cal 
[skə lójjik’l] adjective

1.  of
psychology:
relating to psychology

2.  of
the mind:
relating to the mind or mental processes

3.  affecting
the mind:
affecting or intended to affect the mind or mental processes

4.  existing
only in the mind: existing only in the mind, without
having a physical basis • His
health problem is psychological.
—psy·cho·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychologicaldependence

psychologicaldependence
psy·cho·log·i·cal
de·pend·ence noun

psychological need for
something: strong desire for something
without being physically addicted to it[1]



psychologicalmoment

psychologicalmoment
psy·cho·log·i·cal
mo·ment
(plural psy·cho·log·i·cal mo·ments) noun

time of greatest mental
receptiveness: the time at which the
mental state of a person or group of people is most receptive or appropriate[1]



psychologicalwarfare

psychologicalwarfare
psy·cho·log·i·cal
war·fare
noun

1.  MILITARY warfare
by propaganda: tactics that use propaganda to try to
demoralize an enemy in war, usually including the civilian population

2.  nonmilitary
psychological undermining: the use of psychological
tactics to disconcert and disadvantage an opponent in an everyday or a business
context, for example, causing fear or anxiety

[1]



psychologism

psychologism
psy·chol·o·gism 
[sī kóllə jìzzəm] noun

belief
in importance of psychology: a belief in or emphasis on
the importance of psychology in other fields, for example, history or
philosophy
—psy·chol·o·gis·tic [sī kòllə jístik], adjective[1]



psychologist

psychologist
psy·chol·o·gist 
[sī kólləjist] (plural psy·chol·o·gists)
noun

1.  professional
in psychology: a professional who studies behavior and
experience, usually either licensed to provide therapeutic services to the
public or working in an academic setting

2.  student
of psychology: somebody who is studying or has studied
psychology, especially as a main subject at college or university

[1]



psychologize

psychologize
psy·chol·o·gize 
[sī kóllə jz] (past psy·chol·o·gized,
past participle psy·chol·o·gized, present participle psy·chol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular psy·chol·o·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
interpret
behavior psychologically: to interpret behavior in
psychological terms or concepts

2.  intransitive
verb
analyze
psychologically: to think, analyze, or reason
psychologically

[1]



psychology

psychology
psy·chol·o·gy 
[sī kólləjee] (plural psy·chol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of mind:
the scientific study of the human mind and mental states, and of human and
animal behavior

2.  characteristic
mental makeup: the characteristic temperament and
associated behavior of an individual or group, or that exhibited by those
engaged in a particular activity

3.  subtle
manipulative behavior: subtle clever actions and
words used to influence a person or group

[1]



psychometrics

psychometrics
psy·cho·met·rics 
[skə méttriks] noun

measuring mental traits,
capacities, and processes: a branch of
psychology dealing with the measurement of mental traits, capacities, and
processes (takes a singular verb)
Also called
psychometry[1]



psychometry

psychometry
psy·chom·e·try 
[sī kómmətree] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY See psychometrics

2.  PARAPSYCHOLOGY divination
by touching object: the alleged ability to
obtain information about a person or event by touching an object related to
that person or event
—psy·cho·met·ric
[skə méttrik], adjective

—psy·cho·met·ri·cal,
adjective

—psy·cho·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb

—psy·chom·e·tri·cian
[sī kòmmə trísh’n], noun

—psy·chom·e·trist [sī kómmətrist], noun[1]



psychomotor

psychomotor
psy·cho·mo·tor 
[skə mṓtər] adjective

relating to physical and
mental activity: relating to bodily
movement triggered by mental activity, especially voluntary muscle action[1]



psychoneuroimmunology

psychoneuroimmunology
psy·cho·neu·ro·im·mu·nol·o·gy
[skō noo rō immyə nólləjee] noun

effect of emotions on immune
system: a branch of medicine
concerned with how emotions affect the immune system[1]



psychoneurosis

psychoneurosis
psy·cho·neu·ro·sis 
[skō noo rṓssiss, skō
nyoo rṓssiss] (plural psy·cho·neu·ros·es [skō noo rṓ sz]) noun

See
neurosis
—psy·cho·neu·rot·ic [skō noo róttik, skō
nyoo róttik], adjective[1]



psychopath

psychopath
psy·cho·path 
[skə pàth] (plural psy·cho·paths)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody with a personality disorder marked by antisocial
thought and behavior.
Also
called
sociopath
—psy·cho·path·ic
[skə páthik], adjective

—psy·cho·path·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychopathology

psychopathology
psy·cho·pa·thol·o·gy 
[skō pə thólləjee] noun

study
of psychiatric disorders: the study of the causes and
development of psychiatric disorders
—psy·cho·path·o·log·i·cal
[skō páthə lójjik’l], adjective

—psy·cho·pa·thol·o·gist
[skō pə thólləjist], noun[1]



psychopathy

psychopathy
psy·chop·a·thy 
[sī kóppəthee] (plural psy·chop·a·thies)
noun

1.  personality
disorder:
a severe personality disorder marked by antisocial thought and behavior (informal)

2.  psychiatric
disorder:
any psychiatric illness (dated)

[1]



psychopharmacology

psychopharmacology
psy·cho·phar·ma·col·o·gy 
[skō faarmə kólləjee] noun

study
of psychological effect of drugs: the scientific study
of the effects of drugs on thought and behavior
—psy·cho·phar·ma·co·log·i·cal
[skō faarməkə lójjik’l], adjective

—psy·cho·phar·ma·col·o·gist
[skō faarmə kólləjist], noun[1]



psychophysics

psychophysics
psy·cho·phys·ics 
[skō fízziks] noun

psychology
of stimuli and the mind: a branch of psychology
dealing with the effects of physical stimuli on sensory perceptions and mental
states (takes a singular verb)
—psy·cho·phys·i·cal, adjective[1]



psychophysiology

psychophysiology
psy·cho·phys·i·ol·o·gy 
[skō fízzee ólləjee] noun

See
physiological psychology[1]



psychosexual

psychosexual
psy·cho·sex·u·al 
[skō sékshoo əl] adjective

relating
to psychological aspects of sexuality:
relating to the mental and emotional aspects of sexuality and sexual
development
—psy·cho·sex·u·al·i·ty
[skō sékshoo állətee], noun

—psy·cho·sex·u·al·ly [skō sékshoo əlee], adverb[1]



psychosis

psychosis
psy·cho·sis 
[sī kṓssiss] (plural psy·cho·ses
[sī kṓ sz]) noun

loss
of contact with reality: a psychiatric disorder such
as schizophrenia or mania that is marked by delusions, hallucinations,
incoherence, and distorted perceptions of reality
—psy·cho·tic
[sī kóttik], adjective

—psy·chot·i·cal·ly [sī kóttikəlee], adverb[1]



psychosocial

psychosocial
psy·cho·so·cial 
[skō sṓsh’l] adjective

relating to the psychological
and social: relating to both the
psychological and the social aspects of something, or relating to something
that has both of these aspects[1]



psychosomatic

psychosomatic
psy·cho·so·mat·ic 
[skə sə máttik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE mentally
induced:
used to describe a physical illness that is caused by mental factors such as
stress, or the effects related to such illnesses

2.  relating
to mind and body: involving both the mind and body
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from psycho- + somatic .]
—psy·cho·so·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



psychosynthesis

psychosynthesis
psy·cho·syn·the·sis
[skō sínthəssiss] noun

1.  psychotherapeutic
movement:
a psychotherapeutic movement, opposed to psychoanalysis, that attempts to
restore useful inhibitions and control

2.  holistic
form of psychotherapy: a holistic form of
psychotherapy involving clients in an exploration of the emotional,
intellectual, physical, and spiritual elements of the self

[1]



psychotherapy

psychotherapy
psy·cho·ther·a·py 
[skō thérrəpee] noun

psychological
treatment of mental disorders: the treatment of
mental disorders by psychological methods
—psy·cho·ther·a·peu·tic
[skō thérrə pytik], adjective

—psy·cho·ther·a·peu·ti·cal·ly
[skō thérrə pytikəlee], adverb

—psy·cho·ther·a·pist [skō thérrəpist], noun[1]



psychotomimetic

psychotomimetic
psy·chot·o·mi·met·ic 
[sī kòttō mi méttik] adjective

producing
a reaction like psychosis: used to describe a drug or
other factor that produces a condition resembling psychosis
noun
(plural psy·chot·o·mi·met·ics)

psychotomimetic
drug:
a drug or other factor that produces a condition resembling psychosis
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from psychosis + mimetic
on the model of psychotic .][1]



psychotropic

psychotropic
psy·cho·tro·pic 
[skə tróppik] adjective

capable
of affecting the mind: used to describe drugs that
are capable of affecting the mind, for example, those used to treat psychiatric
disorders
noun
(plural psy·cho·trop·ics)

psychotropic drug:
a drug capable of affecting the mind, for example, one used to treat
psychiatric disorders[1]



psychout

psychout
psych
out
transitive verb (informal)

1.  U.K.
See psych

2.  puzzle
something out: to analyze, solve, or understand
something such as a problem

3.  guess
somebody’s thought processes: to guess or anticipate
correctly the intentions or thoughts of another person

[1]



psychro-

psychro-
psychro-
prefix

cold
• psychrophilic
[From Greek psukhros,
of unknown origin][1]



psychrometer

psychrometer
psy·chrom·e·ter 
[sī krómmətər] (plural psy·chrom·e·ters)
noun

device for measuring
humidity: an instrument consisting of
two thermometers, used to measure atmospheric humidity. The bulb of one
thermometer is kept moist and the effect of evaporative cooling on it is
compared to the other, which is kept dry.[1]



psychrophilic

psychrophilic
psy·chro·phil·ic 
[skrō fíllik, skrə
fíllik] adjective

liking
low temperatures: thriving at low temperatures • psychrophilic
bacteria
[Mid-20th century][1]



psychup

psychup
psych
up
reflexive verb

U.K.
(informal) See psych  verb
2[1]



psyllium

psyllium
psyl·li·um 
[síllee əm] (plural psyl·li·ums)
noun

1.  plant
with spikes of small flowers: an annual plant of the
plantain family that is native to Europe and Asia and has dense spikes of small
flowers. Latin name: Plantago psyllium

2.  PHARMACOLOGY FOOD seeds
of psyllium: the seeds of psyllium, used as a mild
laxative or as a dietary source of fiber
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek psullion, literally “little flea,” from psulla “flea”;
because the seeds resemble fleas.][1]



Pt

Pt1
Pt1 (used in place names)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Point

2.  Abbreviation
of
Port

[1]



pt.

pt.
pt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
part

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of payment

3.  Abbreviation
of
pint

4.  Abbreviation
of
point

5.  Abbreviation
of
port

6.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of
preterite

[1]



Pt.

Pt.
Pt.
(used in place names)

1.  Abbreviation
of
Point

2.  Abbreviation
of
Port

[1]



Pt

Pt2
Pt2

CHEMICAL
ELEMENTS Symbol for platinum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PT

PT1
PT1

1.  Abbreviation
of
Pacific Time

2.  Abbreviation
of
part-time

[1]



PT

PT2
PT2

Abbreviation of
postal telegraph[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








P.T.

P.T.
P.T.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Pacific Time

2.  Abbreviation
of
physical therapy

[1]



p.t.

p.t.
p.t.

1.  Abbreviation
of
past tense

2.  Abbreviation
of
part-time

3.  Abbreviation
of
pro tem

[1]



pta.

pta.
pta.
or pta

MONEY
Symbol for peseta[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PTA

PTA
PTA
(plural PTAs) or P.T.A. (plural P.T.A.s)

Abbreviation of
Parent Teacher Association[1]



ptarmigan

ptarmigan
ptar·mi·gan 
[trmigən] (plural ptar·mi·gan
or ptar·mi·gans) noun

grouse
of cold regions: a wild grouse of cold or mountainous
regions that has feet covered with feathers and white plumage in the winter.
Genus: Lagopus
[Late 16th century.
Alteration (influenced by Greek pt- as in pteron “wing”) of
Gaelic tarmachan, literally “little ptarmigan,” from tarmach
“ptarmigan.”][1]



PTboat

PTboat
PT
boat 
(plural PT boats) noun

torpedo boat:
a highly maneuverable U.S. Navy vessel carrying light armament, 18 to 31 meters
/60 to 100 feet in length, used especially in World War II to torpedo enemy
shipping.
U.K. term
motor torpedo boat[1]



PTC

PTC
PTC

Abbreviation of
phenylthiocarbamide[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pteranodon

pteranodon
pter·a·no·don 
[tə ránnə dòn] (plural pter·a·no·dons)
noun

toothless pterosaur:
an extinct toothless flying reptile with a bony crest. Genus: Pteranodon[1]



pteridology

pteridology
pter·i·dol·o·gy 
[tèrrə dólləjee] noun

study
of ferns:
a branch of botany dealing with ferns
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek pterid-, the stem of pteris “fern” + -logy .]
—pter·i·do·log·i·cal
[tèrrədə lójjik’l], adjective

—pter·i·dol·o·gist [tèrrə dólləjist], noun[1]



pteridophyte

pteridophyte
pte·rid·o·phyte 
[tə ríddə ft, térrədə
ft] (plural pte·rid·o·phytes) noun

plant
without flowers or seeds: a plant that has no flowers
or seeds and reproduces by means of spores. Ferns and some mosses are
pteridophytes. Division: Pteridophyta
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek pterid- (see pteridology
) + -phyte .]
—pte·rid·o·phyt·ic
[tə rìddə fíttik, tèrrədə
fíttik], adjective

—pter·i·doph·y·tous [tèrrə dóffətəss], adjective[1]



pteridosperm

pteridosperm
pte·rid·o·sperm 
[tə ríddə spùrm, térrədə
spùrm] (plural pte·rid·o·sperms) noun

extinct
seed-bearing fern: an extinct plant resembling
a fern that bore seeds.
Also
called
seed fern
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek pterid- (see pteridology )
+ sperm .][1]



pterodactyl

pterodactyl
pter·o·dac·tyl 
[tèrrə dákt’l] (plural pter·o·dac·tyls)
noun

extinct
flying reptile: an extinct flying reptile ( pterosaur ) of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods
with membranous wings and a rudimentary tail and beak. Genus: Pterodactylus
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin Pterodactylus, the genus name, literally “wing finger,”
from Greek pteron “wing” + daktulos “finger.”][1]



pteropod

pteropod
pter·o·pod 
[térrə pòd] (plural pter·o·pods)
noun

marine
mollusk:
a marine gastropod mollusk that has a foot with wingshaped lobes that are used
as swimming organs. Group: Pteropoda
Also
called
sea butterfly
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Pteropoda, the class name, which was coined from Greek
pteron “wing” + modern Latin -poda “-pod.”][1]



pterosaur

pterosaur

pter·o·saur 
[térrə sàwr] (plural pter·o·saurs)
noun
extinct
flying reptile: an extinct flying reptile of the
Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods that had membranous featherless
wings supported by an elongated fourth digit. Order: Pterosauria
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Pterosauria, the order name, literally “lizard with wings,”
from Greek pteron “wing” + sauros “lizard.”][1]



-pterous

-pterous
-pterous
suffix

having
wings of a particular kind or number • orthopterous
• dipterous
[Formed from Greek pteron
“wing, feather.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to fly, fall,”
which is also the ancestor of English feather
and pen .][1]



pteroylglutamicacid

pteroylglutamicacid
pter·o·yl·glu·tam·ic
ac·id 
[tèrrō il gloo tàmmik ássid] noun

folic
acid:
folic acid (technical)
[Pteroylglutamic coined from
pteroic + -yl + glutamic][1]



pterygium

pterygium
pte·ryg·i·um 
[tə ríjjee əm] (plural pte·ryg·i·ums
or pte·ryg·i·a [tə ríjjee ə]) noun

vision-obstructing
tissue growing on the eye: a triangular patch of tissue
that obstructs vision by growing over usually the inner side of the eye. It
results from degeneration of the cornea and is associated with prolonged
exposure to sun and wind.
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek pterugion, literally “little wing,” from pterux
“wing.”][1]



pterygoidprocess

pterygoidprocess
pter·y·goid
proc·ess
[tèrrə goyd pró sèss] (plural pter·y·goid
proc·ess·es) noun

bone
of the skull: either of two bony plates extending
downward from the sphenoid bone of the skull
[Pterygoid via modern Latin pterygoides
“like a wing,” from Greek pterux “wing”][1]



pteryla

pteryla
pter·y·la 
[térrələ] (plural pter·y·lae [térrə l, térrə l])
noun

area
where feathers grow: a defined area on the skin
of a bird from which feathers grow
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “feather forest,” from Greek pteron “feather” + hulē
“forest.”][1]



PTFE

PTFE
PTFE

Abbreviation of
polytetrafluoroethylene[1]



ptg.

ptg.
ptg.

Abbreviation of
printing[1]



PTH

PTH
PTH

Abbreviation of
parathyroid hormone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








p.t.o.

p.t.o.
p.t.o.

Abbreviation of
please turn over[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








PTO

PTO
PTO

1.  Abbreviation
of
Parent Teacher Organization

2.  Abbreviation
of
please turn over

[1]



Ptolemaeus

Ptolemaeus
Ptol·e·mae·us
[tòllə máyəss] noun

a large walled plain on the
Moon that is noticeably hexagonal in shape and has a highly cratered floor.
Located northeast of Mare Imbrium, it is approximately 140 km/85 mi across.[1]



Ptolemaic

Ptolemaic
Ptol·e·ma·ic 
[tòllə máy ik] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY of
the astronomer Ptolemy: relating to the geographer
and astronomer Ptolemy or to his system of planetary motion

2.  HISTORY of the
Egyptian Ptolemies: relating to the Ptolemies,
Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, or to Egypt during their rule

[1]



Ptolemaicsystem

Ptolemaicsystem
Ptol·e·ma·ic
sys·tem
noun

geocentric theory of
planetary motion: a theory of planetary
motion developed by Ptolemy that held that the Earth was at the center of the
universe with the Sun, Moon, and planets revolving around it. The most
influential of the geocentric theories, it dominated thinking for 14 centuries
until the Copernican system was accepted.[1]



Ptolemaist

Ptolemaist
Ptol·e·ma·ist 
[tòllə máy ist] (plural Ptol·e·ma·ists)
noun

believer in the Ptolemaic
system: a believer in the Ptolemaic
system of planetary motion[1]



Ptolemy

Ptolemy
Ptol·e·my 
[tólləmee] (AD
100?–170)

Greek
astronomer, mathematician, and geographer. His Earth-centered model of the
universe prevailed until the 16th century. His writings are collected in the Almagest.
Full name
Ptolemaeus, Claudius[1]



PtolemyI

PtolemyI
Pto·le·my
I
[tólləmee] (367? BC–283? BC)

Macedonian
king of Egypt. A general in Alexander the Great’s army, he became king of Egypt
in 305 BC, thereby founding the
Ptolemaic dynasty.
Known as
Ptolemy Soter[1]



ptomaine

ptomaine
pto·maine 
[tṓ màyn, tō
máyn] (plural pto·maines) noun

foul-smelling
product of decay: any one of a group of foul-smelling
organic bases containing nitrogen, produced by bacteria during the decay of
proteins
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Italian ptomaina, from Greek ptōma, “fallen body,
corpse,” from piptein “to fall” (source of English symptom ).][1]



ptomainepoisoning

ptomainepoisoning
pto·maine
poi·son·ing 
noun

food poisoning:
food poisoning caused by bacteria, but formerly believed to be caused by
ptomaines[1]



ptosis

ptosis
pto·sis 
[tṓssiss] (plural pto·ses [tṓ sz]) noun

MEDICINE drooping
of the eyelid: a drooping of the upper eyelid,
resulting from muscle weakness or inability to move muscles
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
ptōsis “a falling,” from piptein (see ptomaine
).][1]



pts.

pts.
pts.

1.  Abbreviation
of
parts

2.  Abbreviation
of
payments

3.  Abbreviation
of
pints

4.  Abbreviation
of
points

5.  Abbreviation
of
ports

[1]



PTSD

PTSD
PTSD

Abbreviation of
posttraumatic stress disorder[1]



PTV

PTV
PTV

1.  Abbreviation
of
pay television

2.  Abbreviation
of
public television

[1]



Pty.

Pty.
Pty.

U.K.
(used in “Pty. Ltd.” to indicate a private limited company) Abbreviation
of proprietary[1]



ptyalin

ptyalin
pty·a·lin 
[t əlin] noun

enzyme
that converts starch into sugar: an enzyme in saliva
that catalyzes the conversion of starch into sugars
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek ptualon “saliva” + -in .][1]



ptyalism

ptyalism
pty·a·lism 
[t ə lìzzəm] noun

excess
saliva:
excessive production of saliva
[Late 17th century. From
Greek ptualismos “salivation,” from ptualon “spittle,” from,
ultimately, ptuein “to spit.”][1]



Pu

Pu
Pu

Symbol for
plutonium[1]



pub.

pub.
pub.

1.  Abbreviation
of
public

2.  Abbreviation
of
publication

3.  Abbreviation
of
published

4.  Abbreviation
of
publisher

5.  Abbreviation
of
publishing

[1]



pub

pub
pub 
[pub] (plural pubs) noun

U.K.
bar:
a bar that may also serve food
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of public house .][1]



puberty

puberty
pu·ber·ty 
[pybərtee] noun

stage
of physiological maturity: the stage of becoming
physiologically capable of sexual reproduction, marked by genital maturation,
development of secondary sex characteristics, and, in girls, the first
occurrence of menstruation
[14th
century. Directly or via French puberté from Latin pubertas,
from, ultimately, pubes “adult.”]
—pu·ber·tal [pybərtəl], adjective[1]



puberulent

puberulent
pu·ber·u·lent 
[pyoo bérryələnt, pyoo
bérrələnt] adjective

BOTANY ZOOLOGY hairy:
covered with fine down or hairs
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from puber-, the stem of pubes “adult.”][1]



pubes

pubes2
pu·bes2 

Plural of
pubis[1]



pubes

pubes1
pu·bes1  noun [py bz] (plural pu·bes)

area
above the external genitalia: the part of the abdomen
immediately above the external genitalia that is covered with hair from puberty
onward
plural
noun
[pyoobz]

pubic
hair:
the hair growing on the lower abdomen from puberty onward (takes a plural
verb)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin pubes “adult males, genitals.”][1]



pubescent

pubescent
pu·bes·cent 
[pyoo béss’nt] adjective

1.  at
puberty:
reaching or having attained puberty

2.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY hairy:
covered with down or fine hair
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French from Latin pubescent-, the present
participle stem of pubescere “to reach puberty,” from pubes
“adult.”]
—pu·bes·cence, noun[1]



pubic

pubic
pu·bic 
[pybik] adjective

near or on the pubes or
pubis: relating to or located near
or on the pubes or pubis • pubic
hair[1]



pubicbone

pubicbone
pu·bic
bone
(plural pu·bic bones) noun

See
pubis[1]



pubiclouse

pubiclouse
pu·bic
louse
noun

See
crab 1 noun
4[1]



pubis

pubis
pu·bis 
[pybiss] (plural pu·bes [py bz]) noun

lower
front of the hipbone: the joined pair of bones
comprising the lower front of the hipbone in humans. Although a separate bone
at birth, it later fuses with the ilium and the ischium.
Also
called
pubic bone
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin phrase os pubis, literally “bone of the genital region.”][1]



publ.

publ.
publ.

1.  Abbreviation
of
publication

2.  Abbreviation
of
published

3.  Abbreviation
of
publisher

[1]



public

public
pub·lic 
[púbblik] adjective

1.  concerning
all members of the community: relating to or concerning
people as a whole or all members of a community • public
health

2.  for
community use: provided for the use of a community

3.  open
to all:
open to everyone, and typically frequented by large numbers of people

4.  of
the state:
relating to or involving government and governmental agencies rather than
private corporations or industry • working
in the public sector • a
public servant

5.  well
known:
known to large numbers of the community because of being involved in activities
such as politics or entertainment • a
public figure

6.  done
openly:
made, done, or happening openly, for all to see • a
public debate

7.  known
by all members of community: known or potentially known
by all members of a community • make
the information public

8.  POLITICS belonging
to the community: belonging to the community as a whole
and administered through its representatives in government • public
land

9.  FINANCE having
openly purchasable shares: used to describe companies
whose stock is available, or is made available, for anyone to buy
noun

1.  everyone:
the community as a whole

2.  particular
part of community: a part of a community
sharing a particular interest • the reading
public

3.  fans
or followers: the fans or followers of a performer or
author
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin publicus, an alteration of poplicus
(apparently under the influence of pubes “adult”), from populus
“people.”]
—pub·lic·ness, noun[1]



publicaccess

publicaccess
pub·lic
ac·cess
noun

public availability of
broadcasting facilities: in U.S.
law, the availability of cable broadcasting facilities for the transmission of
programs produced by members of the public[1]



public-addresssystem

public-addresssystem
pub·lic-ad·dress
sys·tem 
(plural pub·lic-ad·dress sys·tems) noun

Full form of
PA[1]



publicaffairs

publicaffairs
pub·lic
af·fairs
plural noun

general matters:
issues that affect people generally, or issues arising from the relationship of
the public to an organization such as a government body or a company[1]



publican

publican
pub·li·can 
[púbblikən] (plural pub·li·cans)
noun

1.  U.K.
pub
owner:
the owner or manager of a pub

2.  HISTORY tax
collector in ancient Rome: a collector of taxes in
ancient Rome
[12th century. Via French publicain
from, ultimately, Latin publicus (see public
). The modern meaning presumably arose from an association with public house .][1]



publicassistance

publicassistance
pub·lic
as·sis·tance noun

government aid to the needy:
aid given by government agencies to the poor, the homeless, dependent children,
and others in financial distress. It can consist of money, food, food stamps,
or other benefits.[1]



publication

publication
pub·li·ca·tion 
[pùbbli káysh’n] (plural publications)
noun

1.  publishing
of something: the publishing of something, especially
printed material for sale

2.  published
item:
an item that has been published, especially in printed form

3.  public
communication of something: the communication of
information to the public
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, publicare (see publish
).][1]



publiccompany

publiccompany
pub·lic
com·pa·ny
noun

U.K.
See public corporation[1]



publiccorporation

publiccorporation
pub·lic
cor·po·ra·tion (plural pub·lic
cor·po·ra·tions) noun

company with publicly
available shares: a company whose shares
can be bought and sold on the stock market.
U.K. term
public company[1]



publicdebt

publicdebt
pub·lic
debt
noun

See
national debt[1]



publicdefender

publicdefender
pub·lic
de·fend·er
(plural pub·lic de·fend·ers) noun

publicly funded attorney
representing the less well-off: an
attorney who represents defendants who cannot afford their own lawyer[1]



publicdomain

publicdomain
pub·lic
do·main 
noun

1.  government
land:
land that is owned and administered by a government

2.  not
in copyright: the condition of not being protected by
patent or copyright and so freely available for use • public
domain software

3.  revealed
condition:
the condition of being openly known or revealed as opposed to being kept a
secret • The
information is now in the public domain.

[1]



publicenemy

publicenemy
pub·lic
en·e·my
noun

somebody who is threat to the
public: somebody who is thought to
be a threat to the public, especially a violent criminal[1]



publiceye

publiceye
pub·lic
eyein the public eye

regularly receiving attention
from the media[1]



publicfigure

publicfigure
pub·lic
fig·ure
(plural pub·lic fig·ures) noun

well-known person:
somebody who is well known to people generally[1]



publichealth

publichealth
pub·lic
health
noun

community health:
the general health of a community and the practice and study of ways to
preserve and improve this. It includes health education, sanitation, control of
diseases, and regulation of pollution.[1]



publichouse

publichouse
pub·lic
house
noun

1.  U.K.
pub:
a pub (formal)

2.  hotel:
an inn, tavern, or small hotel (archaic)

[1]



publichousing

publichousing
pub·lic
hous·ing
noun

government-provided housing
at low rent: housing managed by the
government and provided at a relatively low rent as a form of public assistance[1]



publicinterest

publicinterest
pub·lic
in·ter·est
noun

1.  common
benefit:
the general benefit of the public • a law
that would be contrary to the public interest

2.  general
interest in issue: the general level of
interest shown by people toward an issue or event

[1]



publicist

publicist
pub·li·cist 
[púbblissist] (plural pub·li·cists)
noun

somebody
who gets publicity for a client: somebody who is
responsible for obtaining media publicity for a client
[Late 18th century. Via
French publiciste (modeled on canoniste “canon lawyer”), from,
ultimately, Latin publicus (see public
).][1]



publicity

publicity
pub·lic·i·ty 
[pu blíssətee] noun

1.  something
stimulating public interest: something such as
advertising designed to increase public interest or awareness in something or
somebody (often used before a noun) • The
event was dismissed as a mere publicity stunt.

2.  interest
created by publicity: public interest or awareness
created by publicity

3.  attention-getting
information: information used to attract public
attention, or the business of disseminating this • She
works in publicity. • the
company’s publicity campaign for their new product

4.  condition
of being public: the condition of being known or
available to the public
[Late 18th century. From
French publicité, from public (see public
).][1]



publicize

publicize
pub·li·cize 
[púbbli sz] (past pub·li·cized,
past participle pub·li·cized, present participle pub·li·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular pub·li·ciz·es) transitive verb

make something generally
known: to make something generally
known or known to members of a particular group, typically by advertising[1]



publickey encryption

publickey encryption
pub·lic
key en·cryp·tion noun

data encoding system:
in computing, a message encryption technique in which encoding is done using a
generally available public key but decoding is done using a private key
available only to the receiver[1]



publiclaw

publiclaw
pub·lic
law
(plural pub·lic laws) noun

1.  branch
of law:
the branch of law that deals with a state and its relationships with its
citizens.
See
also
private law

2.  law
applying to the public: a law that applies to the
public

[1]



public-liabilityinsurance

public-liabilityinsurance
pub·lic-li·a·bil·i·ty
in·sur·ance
noun

type of business insurance:
insurance that compensates individuals if they experience injury or damage
resulting from lack of reasonable care by an insured business or organization[1]



publiclife

publiclife
pub·lic
life
noun

public service:
public service, especially by a politician or any appointed or elected official[1]



publiclimited company

publiclimited company
pub·lic
lim·it·ed com·pa·ny noun

company with limited
stockholder liability: a company
in the United Kingdom whose shares can be bought and sold on the stock market
and whose stockholders are subject to restricted liability for any debts or
losses. Full form of PLC[1]



publicly

publicly
pub·lic·ly 
[púbblikəlee] adverb

1.  openly:
in a public or open manner

2.  by
the public:
by or in the name of the public

[1]



publicnuisance

publicnuisance
pub·lic
nui·sance
(plural pub·lic nui·sances) noun

1.  unacceptable
person:
somebody who is generally thought to be irritating or offensive (insult)

2.  LAW illegal
action harming the community: an illegal action that harms
the members of a community in general

[1]



publicopinion

publicopinion
pub·lic
o·pin·ion
noun

general attitude of the
public: the general attitude or
feeling of the public concerning an issue, especially when this has an effect
on political decision-making[1]



publicprosecutor

publicprosecutor
pub·lic
pros·e·cu·tor (plural pub·lic pros·e·cu·tors)
noun

government prosecutor of
criminal actions: a government law
official prosecuting criminal offenses on behalf of the community or the state[1]



publicrelations

publicrelations
pub·lic
re·la·tions
noun (takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  promotion
of a favorable image: the practice or profession
of establishing, maintaining, or improving a favorable relationship between an
institution, or person, and the public

2.  public
image:
how well or badly something such as an institution or person is regarded by the
public • Such
projects provide good public relations for the government.

3.  department
managing public relations: the department in an
organization that is responsible for public relations

[1]



publicsale

publicsale
pub·lic
sale
(plural pub·lic sales) noun

auction:
an auction of goods or property[1]



publicschool

publicschool
pub·lic
school
(plural pub·lic schools) noun

1.  state-funded
school:
a state-funded elementary or secondary school providing education free for
children in kindergarten through the twelfth grade

2.  independent
fee-charging secondary school: in England and Wales,
an independent fee-charging secondary school, typically a single-sex boarding
school

[1]



publicsector

publicsector
pub·lic
sec·tor
noun

government and its
activities: the portion of a nation’s
affairs, especially economic affairs, that is controlled by government agencies[1]



publicservant

publicservant
pub·lic
ser·vant
(plural pub·lic ser·vants) noun

holder of a government
position: an appointed or elected
holder of a government position or office[1]



publicservice

publicservice
pub·lic
ser·vice
noun

1.  government
employment:
government employment, especially within the civil service

2.  provision
of essential services: the business or activity of
providing the public with essential goods or services such as electric power

3.  service
benefiting the general public: a service that is run
for the benefit of the general public, for example, the utilities, the
emergency services, and public transportation

[1]



public-servicecorporation

public-servicecorporation
pub·lic-ser·vice
cor·po·ra·tion (plural pub·lic-ser·vice
cor·po·ra·tions) noun

See
public utility[1]



publicspeaking

publicspeaking
pub·lic
speak·ing
noun

addressing
large groups of people: the skill, practice, or
process of making speeches to large groups of people
—pub·lic speak·er, noun[1]



publicspending

publicspending
pub·lic
spend·ing
noun

government spending:
spending by government and government bodies[1]



public-spirited

public-spirited
pub·lic-spir·it·ed 
adjective

concerned for community’s
welfare: motivated by or showing
genuine concern for others in the community[1]



publictelevision

publictelevision
pub·lic
tel·e·vi·sion noun

noncommercial television:
noncommercial television that is supported by viewers and corporate sponsorship[1]



publictransportation

publictransportation
pub·lic
trans·por·ta·tion noun

vehicles for public use:
a network of passenger vehicles for use by the public running on set routes,
usually at set times and charging set fares[1]



publictrustee

publictrustee
pub·lic
trus·tee
(plural pub·lic trus·tees) noun

Canada
legal protector of mentally challenged
and minors: in Canada, an official who
manages the estates of those who are deemed not mentally competent in law or
those who die without wills but have minor heirs[1]



publicutility

publicutility
pub·lic
u·til·i·ty
noun

essential
public service: a government-regulated company that
provides an essential public service such as water, gas, or electricity.
Also
called
public service corporation
Also
called
utility
plural
noun
pub·lic u·til·i·ties

STOCK
EXCHANGE public
utility stock: the stock of a public
utility company[1]



publicworks

publicworks
pub·lic
works
plural noun

community civil-engineering
project: civil-engineering projects
that are government owned or financed, and undertaken specifically for the
benefit of the public[1]



publish

publish
pub·lish 
[púbblish] (past pub·lished, past
participle pub·lished, present participle pub·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular pub·lish·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb prepare
and produce text or software: to prepare and produce
material in printed or electronic form for distribution and, usually, sale

2.  transitive
verb
publish
the work of an author: to publish the work of a
particular author

3.  transitive
verb
make
something public knowledge: to announce something
publicly
[14th
century. Via Old French publiss-, the stem of publier, from,
ultimately, Latin publicus “public” (source of English public ).]
—pub·lish·a·ble, adjective[1]



publisher

publisher
pub·lish·er 
[púbblishər] (plural pub·lish·ers)
noun

1.  publishing
company or person: a company or person that
publishes products such as books, journals, or software

2.  owner
of a publishing business: the owner or representative
of the owner of a newspaper, periodical, or publishing house

[1]



publishing

publishing
pub·lish·ing
[púbblishing] noun

activity of preparing and
producing material for publication:
the trade, profession, or activity of preparing and producing material in
printed or electronic form for distribution to the public[1]



publishinghouse

publishinghouse
pub·lish·ing
house
noun

established publishing
company: an established publishing
company that prepares and produces material in printed or electronic form for
distribution and, usually, sale[1]



PUC

PUC
PUC

Abbreviation of
Public Utilities Commission[1]



Puccini,Giacomo

Puccini,Giacomo
Puc·ci·ni
[p chnee], Giacomo (1858–1924)

Italian composer. His
lyrical, theatrical operas include La Bohème ( 1896 ), Tosca (
1900 ), Madame Butterfly ( 1904 ), and Turandot ( 1926 ).[1]



puccoon

puccoon
puc·coon 
[pə kn] (plural puc·coons or
puc·coon) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
yielding a red dye: an American plant of the
borage or poppy family such as gromwell or bloodroot whose roots yield a
reddish dye. Latin name: Lithospermum canescens Sanguinaria
canadensis

2.  INDUSTRY dye
from puccoon: a dye made from puccoon
[Early 17th century. From
Algonquian poughkone .][1]



puce

puce
puce 
[pyooss] adjective

purplish-red:
of a brilliant purplish-red color
[Late
18th century. Via French, “flea” (in the phrase couleur puce
“flea-colored”), from Latin pulex . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “flea,” which is also the ancestor of English flea .]
—puce, noun[1]



Puck

Puck1
Puck1  or puck noun

mischievous
spirit:
a mischievous or malevolent spirit in English folklore.
Also
called
Robin Goodfellow
[Old English pūca][1]



puck

puck
puck 
[puk] noun (plural pucks)

1.  HOCKEY disk
in hockey:
a small disk of hard rubber that the players hit in hockey

2.  SPORTS stroke
at the ball: a player’s stroke at the ball in the
Irish sport of hurling
transitive
verb
(past pucked, past participle pucked, present
participle puck·ing, 3rd person present singular pucks)

SPORTS strike
a ball:
to strike the ball in the Irish sport of hurling
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally in dialect, “to strike.”][1]



Puck

Puck2
Puck2  noun

a small moon of Uranus:
a small natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1985 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe. It is approximately 154 km (96 mi ) in diameter.[1]



pucka

pucka
puck·a 
adjective

See
pukka[1]



pucker

pucker
puck·er 
[púkər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past puck·ered, past participle puck·ered, present
participle puck·er·ing, 3rd person present singular puck·ers)

gather
into wrinkles: to gather something such as cloth or the
skin around the lips in such a way that wrinkles or small creases are formed,
or to become gathered in this way
noun
(plural puck·ers)

small
wrinkle:
a small wrinkle, fold, or crease
[Late 16th century. Origin uncertain:
probably from the stem of pocket, in which
case the underlying idea is of forming into pockets or small bag-shaped
wrinkles.][1]



puckish

puckish
puck·ish 
[púkish] adjective

mischievous
or naughty:
mischievous or naughty in a playful way
[Late
19th century. Formed from Puck 1 .]
—puck·ish·ly,
adverb

—puck·ish·ness, noun[1]



PUD

PUD
PUD

Abbreviation of
pickup and delivery[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pudding

pudding
pud·ding 
[pdding] (plural pud·dings) noun

1.  sweet
cooked dessert: a sweet cooked dessert with a smooth
creamy texture, typically consisting of flour, milk, eggs, and flavoring (often
used in combination)

2.  U.K.
dessert:
the dessert course of a meal
[13th century. Via French boudin
“black pudding,” from, ultimately, Latin botellus “sausage,” the
original sense in English . The modern meaning evolved via “any food cooked in
a bag or cloth.”][1]



puddingstone

puddingstone
pud·ding
stone
noun

rock containing smaller
pebbles: a conglomerate rock in which
the pebbles have a different color and texture from the material binding them
together ( matrix )[1]



puddle

puddle
pud·dle 
[púdd’l] noun (plural pud·dles)

1.  shallow
pool of water: a shallow pool of water, for example,
one formed by rainwater in a hollow on a road

2.  pool
of liquid:
a small pool of liquid

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING waterproof
lining material: nonporous material made from thoroughly
mixed wet clay and sand and used as a waterproof lining, for example, in
constructing a canal
verb
(past pud·dled, past participle pud·dled, present
participle pud·dling, 3rd person present singular pud·dles)

1.  intransitive
verb
splash
in shallow water: to wade, dabble, or splash in shallow
water or puddles

2.  transitive
verb
CIVIL ENGINEERING waterproof
something with puddle: to make a canal or pool
waterproof by lining it with puddle

3.  transitive
verb
CIVIL ENGINEERING mix
clay and sand: to work clay and sand to make puddle

4.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY process
pig iron:
to convert pig iron to wrought iron by heating it in a furnace in the presence
of an oxidizing agent such as ferric oxide to remove carbon
[14th
century. Formed from Old English pudd “ditch,” with the literal sense
“small ditch.”]
—pud·dler,
noun

—pud·dly, adjective[1]



puddlejumper

puddlejumper
pud·dle
jump·er
(plural pud·dle jump·ers) noun

small light airplane:
a small light airplane that generally travels short distances (informal)[1]



pudendum

pudendum
pu·den·dum 
[pyoo déndəm] (plural pu·den·da
[pyoo déndə]) noun

somebody’s
external genitals: human external genital
organs
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, from, ultimately, pudere “to make or feel ashamed”
(source of English impudent ).]
—pu·den·dal, adjective[1]



pudgy

pudgy
pudg·y 
[pújjee] (comparative pudg·i·er,
superlative pudg·i·est) adjective

short
and overweight: short and carrying more bodyweight than
is desirable or advisable (informal) (sometimes considered offensive)
—pudg·i·ness, noun[1]



pudu

pudu
pu·du 
[p d] (plural pu·dus or
pu·du) noun

small
S American deer: a very small deer with tiny straight
antlers, found in the forests of Central and South America. Genus: Pudu
[Late 19th century. From
Araucanian .][1]



Puebla

Puebla
Pueb·la 
[pwébblaa]

city in central Mexico, and
the capital of Puebla State. It has one of the oldest cathedrals in Latin
America. Population: 1,057,454 (1990)[1]



Pueblo

Pueblo
Pueb·lo 
[pwébblō] (plural Pueb·lo or
Pueb·los) noun

PEOPLES Native
North or Central American pueblo-dweller: a
member of any Native North or Central American people who live or lived in
pueblos. The Hopi, Taos, and Zuñi are all Pueblo peoples.
—Pueb·lo, adjective[1]



pueblo

pueblo
pueb·lo 
[pwébblō] (plural pueb·los) noun

1.  Native
N or Central American village: a village built by
Native North or Central Americans in the southwestern United States and Central
America, containing at least one, but typically a cluster of multistory stone
or adobe houses

2.  village
in Spanish-speaking countries: a town or village in a
Spanish-speaking country
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin populus (see public
).][1]



puerile

puerile
pu·er·ile 
[pyrəl, py rl,
py ərəl] adjective

1.  silly:
silly or immature, especially in a childish way

2.  relating
to childhood: relating to or characteristic of
childhood
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French puéril from Latin puerilis,
from puer “child, boy.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“little” (ancestor also of English few
).]
—pu·er·ile·ly,
adverb

—pu·er·il·i·ty [pyoo ə ríllətee], noun[1]



puerilism

puerilism
pu·er·il·ism 
[pyrə lìzzəm, py
ərə lìzzəm] noun

immature behavior:
childish or immature behavior by an adult[1]



puerperal

puerperal
pu·er·per·al 
[pyoo úrpərəl] adjective

relating
to childbirth: relating to childbirth or the time
immediately following childbirth
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
puerperus “bringing forth children,” from puer “child” + -parus
“bringing forth.”][1]



puerperalfever

puerperalfever
pu·er·per·al
fe·ver
noun

See
puerperal sepsis[1]



puerperalpsychosis

puerperalpsychosis
pu·er·per·al
psy·cho·sis
noun

psychiatric disorder
affecting some new mothers: a
psychiatric disorder that may affect women in the first two weeks after giving
birth. It may be depressive or schizophrenic and may involve false ideas
concerning the baby.[1]



puerperalsepsis

puerperalsepsis
pu·er·per·al
sep·sis
noun

blood poisoning following
childbirth: blood poisoning following
childbirth, caused by infection of the placental site.
Also called
puerperal fever[1]



puerperium

puerperium
pu·er·pe·ri·um 
[py ər pree əm] noun

period
after childbirth: the period immediately after childbirth
when the womb is returning to its normal size, lasting approximately six weeks
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, from Latin puerperus (see puerperal
).][1]



PuertoRico




Back to definition

PuertoRico

[1]



PuertoRico

PuertoRico


Puer·to
Ri·co 
[pwèrtə rkō]
commonwealth
of the United States, occupying one large island and several small ones in the
northern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic. Language: Spanish.
Language: English. Currency: U.S. dollar. Capital: San Juan. Population:
3,522,037 (1990) Area: 8,876 sq km/3,427 sq mi.
—Puer·to Ri·can, noun,
adjective[1]



puff

puff
puff 
[puf] noun (plural puffs)

1.  short
sudden rush of air: a short sudden rush of air,
wind, gas, or smoke

2.  sound
of puff:
the short sound made by a puff

3.  amount
in a puff:
the amount of substance contained in a puff

4.  short
exhalation:
a short blowing out of breath

5.  inhaling
followed by exhaling: an inhalation followed by an
exhalation, especially when smoking

6.  FOOD See puff pastry

7.  exaggerated
praise or publicity: an exaggerated or flattering
expression of praise, especially in publicizing something or somebody

8.  COSMETICS See powder puff

9.  swelling:
a rounded swelling or projection on something

10. CLOTHES gathered
section of fabric: a piece of fabric gathered
around the edges and bulging in the middle

11. quilted
bedspread:
a quilted and padded covering for a bed (dated)

12. HAIRDRESSING voluminous
hairstyle:
hair arranged in an enlarged mass by combing, rolling, or padding it

13. GENETICS enlarged
region on a chromosome: an enlarged region on a
chromosome resulting from active RNA synthesis
verb
(past puffed, past participle puffed, present
participle puff·ing, 3rd person present singular puffs)

1.  intransitive
verb
breathe
quickly:
to breathe quickly in short blasts

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb emit
gas in short blasts: to emit or blow steam, gas,
or smoke in short blasts

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb inhale
and exhale smoke: to inhale and exhale smoke from a
cigarette, cigar, or pipe

4.  intransitive
verb
move
emitting smoke puffs: to move in a particular
direction or way emitting puffs of smoke or steam

5.  intransitive
verb
move
while panting: to move in a particular direction or way
while panting • He puffed up the hill.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb swell:
to swell or make something swell, for example, with air or pride

7.  transitive
verb
speak
highly of somebody or something: to praise somebody or
something extravagantly, especially in publicity material
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English pyf, in which case an imitation of
the sound.][1]



puffadder

puffadder
puff
ad·der
(plural puff ad·ders) noun

1.  African
inflating viper: an African viper that inflates its body
and hisses when alarmed. Genus: Bitis

2.  See
hognose snake

[1]



puffball

puffball

puff·ball 
[púf bàwl] noun
round fungus containing spores:
a round fungus that produces a cloud of dark spores when disturbed. Many
species are edible when immature. Genus: Lycoperdon Calvatia[1]



puffbird

puffbird
puff·bird
[púf bùrd] (plural puff·birds)
noun

American
forest bird: a medium-sized bird with rounded wings
and a large head, found in the forests of Central and South America. Family:
Bucconidae
[Early 19th century. Because
it puffs out its feathers.][1]



puffed-up

puffed-up
puffed-up 
adjective

self-important:
self-important or pompous[1]



puffer

puffer
puff·er 
[púffər] (plural puff·ers) noun

1.  puffing
person or thing: something or somebody that puffs,
especially a steam-driven train or cargo vessel

2.  ZOOLOGY inflating
marine fish: a marine fish of tropical waters that
can inflate its body with water to appear larger to predators. Although
poisonous, some varieties can be eaten as food after special preparation.
Family: Tetraodontidae
Also
called
blowfish
Also
called
globefish

[1]



puffery

puffery
puff·er·y 
[púffəree] noun

overdone praise:
exaggerated or overly flattering praise, especially in publicity (informal)[1]



puffin

puffin
puf·fin 
[púffin] (plural puf·fins or
puf·fin) noun

black-and-white
diving bird: a black-and-white diving bird of the auk
family with a short neck and a triangular brightly colored bill. Genus: Fratercula
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps by folk etymology from a Celtic word by association with puff because of its plump appearance.][1]



puffpastry

puffpastry
puff
pas·try
noun

light multilayered pastry:
a light flaky multilayered pastry made by repeated rolling and folding of
extremely rich buttery pastry dough, which then rises during baking[1]



puffy

puffy
puff·y
[púffee] (comparative puff·i·er,
superlative puff·i·est) adjective

1.  swollen:
swollen, especially because of tiredness, injury, crying, or poor health

2.  short
of breath:
with a tendency to puff and pant

3.  pompous:
pompous or self-important
—puff·i·ly,
adverb

—puff·i·ness, noun[1]



pug

pug4
pug4  [pug]
(plural pugs) noun

boxer:
a boxer (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of pugilism .][1]



pug

pug1
pug1  [pug]
(plural pugs) noun

dog
with a wrinkled face: a short compact dog with a
wrinkled face, short coat, and curled tail, belonging to a breed of Asian
origin
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch .][1]



pug

pug3
pug3  [pug]
(plural pugs) noun

animal
footprint:
the print of a foot or a trail of such prints, especially when made by an
animal
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
pag “footprint.”][1]



pug

pug2
pug2  [pug]
transitive verb (past pugged, past participle pugged,
present participle pug·ging, 3rd person present singular pugs)

1.  BUILDING CERAMICS knead clay with water:
to mix clay with water to make it pliable enough to form bricks or pottery

2.  BUILDING fill a
gap with clay: to fill in a gap with clay or mortar

3.  BUILDING soundproof
something:
to make something soundproof with clay or some other material
noun

BUILDING CERAMICS clay suitable for molding:
clay mixed with water until it is pliable enough to form bricks or pottery
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]
—pug·gy, adjective[1]



PugetSound

PugetSound
Pu·get
Sound 
[pyjətsownd]

deep inlet of the Pacific
Ocean, in northwestern Washington State. Area: 1,453 sq km/561 sq mi.[1]



pugilism

pugilism
pu·gi·lism 
[pyjə lìzzəm] noun

sport
of boxing:
the practice, sport, or profession of boxing
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin pugil “boxer.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to prick,” which is also the ancestor of English poignant .]
—pu·gi·list,
noun

—pu·gi·lis·tic
[pyjə lístik], adjective

—pu·gi·lis·ti·cal·ly [pyjə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



pugil-stick

pugil-stick
pu·gil-stick
[pyjəl stìk] (plural pu·gil-sticks)
noun

long
stick with padded ends: a long stick with padded
ends used in the army to practice bayonet fighting, and in game shows involving
mock combats
[Pugil probably a shortening
of pugilism][1]



pugmill

pugmill
pug
mill
(plural pug mills) noun

machine
for mixing clay: a machine in which materials are ground
and mixed, for example, clay with water for building or pottery-making, or
cement for building
[From pug 2][1]



pugnacious

pugnacious
pug·na·cious 
[pug náyshəss] adjective

quarrelsome:
inclined to fight or be aggressive
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin pugnax, from, ultimately, pugnus
“fist.”]
—pug·na·cious·ly,
adverb

—pug·na·cious·ness,
noun

—pug·nac·i·ty [pug nássətee], noun[1]



pugnose

pugnose
pug
nose
(plural pug nos·es) noun

short
nose with a turned-up end: a short stubby nose with a
turned-up or flattened end
[From
pug 1]
—pug-nosed, adjective[1]



puh-leeze

puh-leeze
puh-leeze
[pə lz] or puh-lease [pə lz] interjection

used
to express indignation: used facetiously to express
astonishment, disbelief, or indignation (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Alteration of please .][1]



puissant

puissant
puis·sant 
[pwíss’nt, py əss’nt,
pyoo íss’nt] adjective

strong:
powerful or mighty (literary)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin potis “able.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “powerful,” which is also the ancestor of
English despot .]
—puis·sance,
noun

—puis·sant·ly, adverb[1]



puja

puja
pu·ja 
[pjə] noun

daily
domestic worship in Hinduism: daily devotion in Hinduism,
consisting of a ritual offering of food, drink, and ritual actions and prayers,
most commonly to an image of a deity
[Late 17th century. From
Sanskrit pūjā “worship.”][1]



PukaskwaNational Park

PukaskwaNational Park
Pu·kas·kwa
Na·tion·al Park [pùkasso
nashən’l prk]

nature preserve beside Lake
Superior in Ontario, Canada. Area: 1,878 sq km/725 sq mi.[1]



puke

puke
puke 
[pyook] intransitive and transitive verb
(past puked, past participle puked, present
participle puk·ing, 3rd person present singular pukes)

vomit: to
vomit, or vomit something up (slang)
noun
(plural pukes) (slang)

1.  something
vomited:
vomited food or other matter

2.  vomiting:
the vomiting up of something
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of vomiting.][1]



pukka

pukka
puk·ka 
[púkə] or puck·a [púkə] adjective

1.  South
Asia
well
done or made: properly done or made, or of superior
quality

2.  U.K.
genuine:
genuine or authentic (informal)

3.  U.K.
respectable:
of high social status (informal)

4.  excellent:
of the highest quality or standard
[Late 17th century. From
Hindi pakkā “cooked, ripe.”][1]



pul

pul
pul 
[pool] (plural puls or pu·li
[plee]) noun

Afghan
monetary unit: an Afghan monetary unit worth one
hundredth of an afghani
[Mid-19th century. From
Pashto .][1]



Pulaski,Casimir

Pulaski,Casimir
Pu·las·ki
[pə láskee], Casimir (1747–1779)

Polish-born U.S. army
officer. He organized and led the Pulaski Legion (1778), which fought for the
colonists in the Revolution.[1]



pulchritude

pulchritude
pul·chri·tude 
[púlkrə td] noun

beauty:
physical beauty (literary or humorous)
[14th
century. From Latin pulchritudo, from pulcher “beautiful.”]
—pul·chri·tu·di·nous [pùlkrə td’nəss], adjective[1]



pule

pule
pule 
[pyool] (past puled, past
participle puled, present participle pul·ing, 3rd
person present singular pules) intransitive verb

whine:
to whine, whimper, or cry plaintively (archaic)
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of
whimpering.]
—pul·er,
noun

—pul·ing·ly, adverb[1]



puli

puli
pu·li
[plee, plee,
pylee] (plural pu·lis or
pu·lik [plik, plik, pylik])
noun

Hungarian
sheepdog:
a medium-sized Hungarian sheepdog with long hair that can be combed out or left
corded
[Mid-20th century. From
Hungarian .][1]



Pulitzerprize

Pulitzerprize
Pu·lit·zer
prize
[pllitsər prz] (plural Pu·lit·zer
priz·es) noun

U.S.
journalism, literature, or music prize: any
of several prizes awarded annually for excellence in American journalism,
literature, and music
[Early 20th century. Named
for Joseph Pulitzer .][1]



pull

pull
pull 
[pl] verb (past pulled,
past participle pulled, present participle pull·ing,
3rd person present singular pulls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb draw a
physical object nearer: to apply force to a physical
object so as to draw or tend to draw it toward the force’s origin

2.  transitive
verb
remove
something forcibly: to remove or extract
something by exerting force

3.  transitive
verb
draw
a load:
to draw a load, for example, a trailer or plow

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb tug:
to tug at or jerk something or somebody

5.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE strain
and damage a muscle: to strain and damage a
muscle, ligament, or tendon

6.  transitive
verb
attract
crowd:
to draw a large number of people (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
take
out a weapon: to take out a weapon in readiness to
attack somebody (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
apply
force to a trigger: to apply force to a trigger,
lever, or switch so as to operate a weapon or machine

9.  transitive
verb
open
or close curtains: to open or close curtains or
window coverings

10. intransitive
and transitive verb tear:
to tear or rip something

11. transitive
verb
stretch
something:
to stretch something elastic

12. transitive
verb
do
something underhand: to do something undesirable
or despicable in an underhand way (informal) • I
just know they’re trying to pull something, but I don’t know what.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES maneuver a vehicle:
to maneuver a vehicle in a particular direction

14. intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES drift
to one side because faulty: to drift to one side or the
other, usually because of a fault (refers to motor vehicles or their
steering) • My car pulls to the
left.

15. intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES produce
sufficient driving power: to produce sufficient
driving power to move a vehicle

16. intransitive
verb
intake
deeply:
to inhale deeply when smoking, or take a deep gulp at a drink

17. transitive
verb
COMMERCE PUBLISHING remove something from
circulation: to remove something from circulation, or
prevent it from ever getting into circulation (informal)

18. transitive
verb
PRINTING make
a printing proof: to make a proof from type

19. transitive
verb
HORSERACING rein
a horse back: to rein in a horse, especially so as to
prevent it from winning a race

20. transitive
verb
BASEBALL hit
the ball where the player faces: to hit a baseball
toward the direction the batter is facing after completing a swing

21. transitive
verb
SPORTS hit a
ball too far to the side: to hit a ball farther left
for a right-handed player or right for a left-handed player than intended
noun
(plural pulls)

1.  pulling
or being pulled: the pulling of somebody or something, or
an instance of being pulled

2.  pulling
force:
the physical force involved in the action of pulling

3.  sustained
effort:
a sustained effort, especially under difficult circumstances

4.  influence:
special influence, typically because of personal position within an
organization or society, or personal connection with an individual (informal)

5.  power
to attract:
the ability or power to attract an audience or supporters (informal)

6.  something
used for pulling: something such as a knob, handle, or tab
used for pulling (often used in combination)

7.  deep
inhaling or gulp: the inhaling or drinking of something
deeply

8.  PRINTING printing
proof:
a proof made from type

9.  HORSERACING restraint
of a horse:
the restraining of a horse by its rider, especially to keep it from winning

10. SPORTS pulling
of a ball:
the pulling of a ball, or a ball that is pulled

11. ARMS resistance
in a firing mechanism: the amount of resistance in
a firing mechanism such as a trigger or bowstring
[Old
English pullian, originally “to pluck”]
—pull·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  pull, drag, draw,
  haul, tow, tug,
  yank
  CORE
  MEANING: move
  something toward you or in the same direction as you pull; a general word meaning to move
  something toward you or in the same direction as you; drag; to pull something with laborious
  effort, caused by the weight of the object or the type of surface it is being
  moved across; draw; to pull
  something with a smooth movement; haul;
  to pull something with a steady strong movement, often involving strenuous effort;
  tow; to pull something along behind
  by means of a rope; tug; to pull
  something with brief, energetic, or violent movements performed
  intermittently, without necessarily producing much movement in the object; yank; an informal word meaning to pull something
  with a single strong movement

[1]



pullahead

pullahead
pull
ahead
intransitive verb

pass:
to move in front of or gain a lead over somebody or something moving in the
same direction[1]



pullaway

pullaway
pull
away
intransitive verb

1.  move
away:
to move away from somebody or something

2.  draw
back:
to draw back from somebody or something, either physically or emotionally

[1]



pullback

pullback
pull
back
intransitive and transitive verb

withdraw or make somebody
withdraw: to withdraw, or make people,
especially troops, withdraw[1]



pullback

pullback
pull·back 
[pl bàk] (plural pull·backs) noun

1.  act
of pulling back: an act or the process of pulling back,
especially a withdrawal of troops

2.  device
for pulling back: a device for holding, restraining, or
drawing something back

[1]



pulldown

pulldown
pull
down
transitive verb

1.  demolish
something:
to destroy or demolish something, especially a building

2.  reduce
something to a lower level: to reduce something such as
a price to a lower level or value

3.  decrease
somebody’s well-being: to have a detrimental effect
on somebody’s health or mental well-being

4.  earn
an amount:
to earn a particular amount of money (slang)

5.  COMPUTING make
a menu appear: to make a menu appear on a computer
screen by clicking on its heading

[1]



pull-down

pull-down
pull-down
adjective

made
to appear on a computer screen: used to describe a
menu or other screen item that can be made to appear on a computer screen by
clicking on its heading
noun
(plural pull-downs)

pull-down item:
a pull-down feature on a computer screen[1]



pulledthreadwork

pulledthreadwork
pulled
threadwork
noun

embroidery technique:
an embroidery technique in which tight stitches are used to draw some threads
together and separate others, thereby forming lacy patterns[1]



pullet

pullet
pul·let 
[pllət] (plural pul·lets) noun

young
domestic hen: a young female chicken, especially one
that has not started to lay eggs
[14th century. Via French poulet,
literally “little hen,” from poule “hen,” from, ultimately, Latin pullus
“young animal” (source of English pony
).][1]



pulley

pulley
pul·ley 
[pllee] (plural pul·leys) noun

1.  wheel
with a grooved rim: a mounted rotating wheel
with a grooved rim over which a belt or chain can move to change the direction
of a pulling force

2.  system
of pulleys:
a system of pulleys along with a mounting block and tackle, used to improve
leverage in lifting heavy weights
[14th century. Via Old French
polie from, ultimately, Greek polos “pole” (source of English pole ). Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to revolve” (ancestor also of English wheel
).][1]



pulleybone

pulleybone
pul·ley
bone
(plural pul·ley bones) noun

Southern
U.S.
wishbone:
a wishbone





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is a general currency word throughout the South. Other names include breastbone,
  good-luck bone, lucky bone, and pull bone.

[1]



pullfor

pullfor
pull
for
transitive verb

wish for somebody’s or
something’s success: to hope
that somebody or something will succeed in an endeavor • The
whole town was pulling for him in the state spelling bee.[1]



pullin

pullin
pull
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT arrive:
to arrive and stop at a place

2.  intransitive
verb
earn
amount:
to earn a particular amount of money (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
arrest
somebody:
to arrest somebody, or take somebody in to the police station for questioning (slang)

[1]



Pullman

Pullman
Pull·man 
[plmən] (plural Pull·mans) noun

comfortable
train car:
a comfortable train car for sitting or sleeping in
[Mid-19th century. Named for
George M. Pullman .][1]



Pullman,George Mortimer

Pullman,George Mortimer
Pull·man 
[plmən], George Mortimer (1831–1897)

U.S. inventor and
manufacturer. He designed the first modern railroad sleeping car (1863).[1]



pulloff

pulloff
pull
off
transitive verb

achieve
something despite difficulties: to accomplish or
arrange something despite difficulties (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at accomplish

[1]



pullon

pullon
pull
on
transitive verb

put on clothing:
to put on clothing or an item of clothing, especially in haste[1]



pullorumdisease

pullorumdisease
pul·lo·rum
dis·ease 
[pə láwrəm di zz] noun

poultry
disease:
a highly infectious disease of young poultry caused by the bacterium Salmonella
pullorum, and marked by diarrhea. It is often fatal to chicks.
[Pullorum from modern Latin, “of
chickens”][1]



pullout

pullout
pull
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT maneuver into the traffic
flow:
to drive a vehicle away from the side of a road, for example, to join a flow of
traffic

2.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT maneuver
a vehicle before passing: to drive a vehicle out from
behind another vehicle so as to pass

3.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT depart:
to depart from a station or stopping place

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb retreat:
to retreat or cause somebody to retreat • the
army is pulling out

5.  intransitive
verb
withdraw:
to withdraw from an obligation or commitment • they
are threatening to pull out of the deal

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR level out an aircraft:
to level out or make an aircraft level out from a dive

[1]



pullout

pullout
pull·out 
[pl òwt] (plural pull·outs) noun

1.  PUBLISHING object
for pulling out: an object intended to be pulled out of a
publication, for example, a removable section of a magazine or a part of a book
that folds out

2.  withdrawal:
a withdrawal from an obligation or other demanding situation

3.  retreat:
a retreat from a place or military involvement

4.  AIR leveling-out
maneuver of aircraft: an aircraft maneuver in
which a dive changes to level flight

[1]



pullover

pullover
pull·o·ver 
[pl vər] (plural pull·o·vers)
noun

garment pulled on over head:
a garment, especially a sweater, put on by being pulled over the head.
Also called
slipover[1]



pullover

pullover
pull
over
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop a
vehicle at the roadside: to drive a vehicle to the
side of a road and stop, or force the driver of a vehicle to do this

2.  intransitive
verb
stop
at a roadside facility: to stop at a facility beside
a road, for example, a rest stop or restaurant

[1]



pull-tab

pull-tab
pull-tab 
(plural pull-tabs) noun

ring pulled to open drink
can: a ring or tab of metal on
top of a drink can that is pulled in order to open it.
Also called
tab
U.K. term
ring-pull[1]



pullthrough

pullthrough
pull
through
intransitive and transitive verb

recover from illness or
difficulties: to recover or help
somebody recover from a period of illness or difficulties[1]



pulltogether

pulltogether
pull
together
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
work
together:
to cooperate, collaborate, or otherwise work together

2.  reflexive
verb
recover
composure:
to recover your composure or self-control (informal)

[1]



pullulate

pullulate
pul·lu·late 
[púllyə làyt] (past pul·lu·lat·ed,
past participle pul·lu·lat·ed, present participle pul·lu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular pul·lu·lates) intransitive verb

1.  BOTANY germinate:
to germinate or sprout (technical)

2.  ZOOLOGY breed:
to breed freely or rapidly (technical)

3.  teem:
to teem or swarm with something (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin pullulare, from, ultimately, pullus (see
pullet ).]
—pul·lu·la·tion [pùllyə láysh’n], noun[1]



pullup

pullup
pull
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT stop
somewhere:
to arrive and stop at a place

2.  intransitive
verb
catch
up in a race: to move into a closer or level position
with somebody, for example, in a race

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb GARDENING root up something:
to uproot something, for example, in weeding, or be uprooted

[1]



pull-up

pull-up
pull-up 
(plural pull-ups) noun

physical exercise:
a physical exercise in which the hands are placed on an overhead horizontal
bar, and the body is lifted by pulling upward with the arms[1]



pulmonary

pulmonary
pul·mo·nar·y 
[plmə nèrree, púlmə
nèrree] adjective

1.  MEDICINE relating
to lungs:
concerning, affecting, or associated with the lungs

2.  ZOOLOGY See pulmonate  adjective 1
[Early 18th century. From
Latin pulmonarius, from Latin pulmo “lung.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to flow,” which is also the ancestor of English flow and pneumonia
.][1]



pulmonaryartery

pulmonaryartery
pul·mo·nar·y
ar·ter·y
noun

artery carrying blood to the
lungs: either of the two arteries
that carry blood in need of oxygen from the right side of the heart to the
lungs[1]



pulmonaryvein

pulmonaryvein
pul·mo·nar·y
vein
(plural pul·mo·nar·y veins) noun

vein carrying blood from the
lungs: any of the four veins that
carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left side of the heart[1]



pulmonate

pulmonate
pul·mo·nate 
[plmə nàyt, púlmə
nàyt] adjective ZOOLOGY

1.  with
lungs:
with lungs or organs that function as lungs

2.  with
sac like lung: used to describe a mollusk that has a
sac functioning as a lung
noun
(plural pul·mo·nates)

ZOOLOGY mollusk
with lung sac: a mollusk with a sac functioning as a
lung. Examples include land snails, slugs, and many freshwater snails.
Subclass: Pulmonata
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin pulmonatus, from Latin pulmo (see pulmonary ).][1]



pulmonic

pulmonic
pul·mon·ic 
[pul mónnik] (plural pul·monics)
adjective

See
pulmonary  adjective 1
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from modern Latin pulmonicus, from Latin pulmo (see
pulmonary ).][1]



pulp

pulp
pulp 
[pulp] noun

1.  BOTANY soft
fleshy plant tissue: soft or fleshy plant tissue
such as the inner part of a fruit or vegetable

2.  BOTANY stem
pith:
the pith inside a plant stem

3.  soft
material:
a soft or soggy mass

4.  PAPER crushed
wood for paper: crushed wood or other materials that are
used to make paper

5.  PUBLISHING cheap
books and magazines: thrilling novels and
magazines produced on cheap paper, especially crime, horror, or science fiction
stories (often used before a noun) • a
prize collection of classic pulp fiction

6.  DENTISTRY inside
of tooth:
the sensitive tissue at the center of a tooth, consisting of nerves and blood
vessels

7.  MINING pulverized
ore:
ore that has been mined and pulverized, especially when mixed with water
verb
(past pulped, past participle pulped, present
participle pulp·ing, 3rd person present singular pulps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING INDUSTRY
crush
something:
to crush something, or to be crushed, into pulp

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING remove
pulp from fruit: to remove the soft fleshy tissue from
fruit or vegetables
[14th century. From Latin pulpa,
of unknown origin.][1]



pulpit

pulpit
pul·pit 
[pl pìt, púl
pìt] (plural pul·pits) noun

1.  platform
in church:
a raised platform or stand in a church that is used by the priest or minister
for preaching or leading a service

2.  clergy:
the clergy considered as a group
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Latin pulpitum “platform, scaffold,” of unknown origin.][1]



pulpwood

pulpwood
pulp·wood 
[púlp wd] (plural pulp·woods)
noun

soft wood used to make paper:
a soft wood such as aspen, pine, or spruce that is used to make paper[1]



pulpy

pulpy
pulp·y
[púlpee] (comparative pulp·i·er,
superlative pulp·i·est) adjective

mushy:
soft, moist, and smooth in consistency
—pulp·i·ness, noun[1]



pulque

pulque
pul·que 
[pl kày, plkee]
(plural pul·ques) noun

Mexican
drink:
a thick alcoholic drink made in Mexico from the sap of the agave plant
[Late 17th century. Via
Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl puliúhki, literally “decomposed.”][1]



pulsar

pulsar
pul·sar 
[púl sr] (plural pul·sars) noun

pulsating
star:
a small dense star that emits brief, intense bursts of visible radiation, radio
waves, and X-rays, and is generally believed to be a rapidly rotating neutron
star
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of pulsating star, on the model of “quasar.”][1]



pulsate

pulsate
pul·sate 
[púl sàyt] (past pul·sat·ed, past
participle pul·sat·ed, present participle pul·sat·ing,
3rd person present singular pul·sates) intransitive verb

1.  throb:
to expand and contract with a strong regular beat

2.  vibrate:
to vibrate or quiver

3.  be
full of energy: to be full of energy, bustling activity,
and excitement • The whole city is
pulsating with excitement at this time of year.

4.  PHYSICS vary
repeatedly in intensity or magnitude: to
vary in intensity or magnitude, especially in a repeated way
[Late 18th century. From
Latin pulsare, literally “to beat repeatedly,” from pellere (see pulse 1 ).][1]



pulsatile

pulsatile
pul·sa·tile 
adjective

See
pulsative
—pul·sa·til·i·ty [pùlsə tíllətee], noun[1]



pulsation

pulsation
pul·sa·tion 
[pul sáysh’n] (plural pul·sa·tions)
noun

1.  pulsating:
the action of pulsating

2.  PHYSIOLOGY beating
of heart:
the rhythmic change in volume that takes place in the heart or an artery

3.  one
beat:
a single beat or pulse

[1]



pulsative

pulsative
pul·sa·tive
[púlsətiv] or pul·sa·tile [púlsət’l] adjective

throbbing:
pulsating, throbbing, or vibrating rhythmically
—pul·sa·tive·ly, adverb[1]



pulsator

pulsator
pul·sa·tor 
[púl sàytər, pul
sáytər] (plural pul·sa·tors) noun

1.  machine
that pulsates: a device or machine that pulsates

2.  MEDICINE PHYSICS vibrating device:
a device that stimulates or maintains a rhythmic motion

[1]



pulsatory

pulsatory
pul·sa·to·ry 
[púlsə tàwree] adjective

1.  vibrating
rhythmically: contracting and expanding or vibrating
rhythmically

2.  of
pulsation:
relating to or involving pulsation

[1]



pulse

pulse2
pulse2  [puls]
(plural puls·es) noun

1.  FOOD edible
seed:
an edible seed from a pod, for example, a pea or bean, eaten fresh or dried

2.  PLANTS seed-pod
plant:
a plant such as the pea, the bean, alfalfa, or clover that has pods as fruits
and roots that bear nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin puls “porridge” (source of English poultice ), of uncertain origin: perhaps via Etruscan from
Greek poltos .][1]



pulse

pulse1
pulse1  [puls]
noun (plural puls·es)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY regular
beat of blood flow: the regular expansion and
contraction of an artery, caused by the heart pumping blood through the body.
It can be felt through an artery that is near the surface, for example, the one
in the wrist on the same side as the thumb.

2.  PHYSIOLOGY single
beat of blood flow: a single expansion and
contraction of an artery, caused by a beat of the heart

3.  rhythmical
beat:
a beat or throb, for example, of a drum, or a series of rhythmical beats or
throbs

4.  PHYSICS change
or repeating change in magnitude: a brief temporary
change in a normally constant quantity, for example, in a voltage, or a series
of intermittent disturbances that are regular in form and frequency of
occurrence

5.  current
attitudes:
the sentiments, opinions, or attitudes current among the public or a particular
group • She
really has the pulse of her audience.

6.  vitality:
energy and excitement • I love
the pulse of city life.
intransitive
verb
(past pulsed, past participle pulsed, present
participle puls·ing, 3rd person present singular puls·es)

1.  beat
rhythmically: to move or throb with a strong regular
rhythm

2.  PHYSICS undergo
brief sudden changes: to undergo a series of brief
sudden changes in quantity, for example, in voltage

3.  be
energetic:
to be full of energy and excitement • an
area pulsing with creative energy
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin puls-, past participle stem of pellere “to beat”
(source of English push ). Ultimately
from an Indo-European base that also produced English anvil .][1]



pulsecode modulation

pulsecode modulation
pulse
code mod·u·la·tion noun

transmission of signal as
digital code: a technique for
electronic transmission of voice signals by sampling the amplitude of the
signal and converting it to a coded digital form for transmission[1]



pulsejet

pulsejet
pulse·jet 
[púls jèt] (plural pulse·jets)
noun

type of jet engine:
a ramjet engine in which air, admitted through moveable vanes, mixes with fuel
in the combustion chamber. The resulting explosion forces the vanes shut,
causing a pulsating thrust.[1]



pulsemodulation

pulsemodulation
pulse
mod·u·la·tion noun

way of sending information
electronically: a way of transmitting
information using a series of electrical pulses, with the duration, amplitude,
or frequency of the pulses modified to carry the information[1]



pulsometer

pulsometer
pul·som·e·ter 
[pul sómmətər] (plural pul·som·e·ters)
noun

type
of pump:
a lightweight pistonless pump that works using the partial vacuum created by
pulses of condensing steam being forced between two chambers.
Also
called
vacuum pump
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pulse 1 + -meter .][1]



pulverable

pulverable
pul·ver·a·ble 
[púlvərəb’l] adjective

pulverizable:
capable of being pulverized
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin pulverare “to reduce to dust,” from pulvis (see pulverize ).][1]



pulverize

pulverize
pul·ver·ize 
[púlvə rz] (past pul·ver·ized,
past participle pul·ver·ized, present participle pul·ver·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular pul·ver·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb crush
something to powder: to crush or grind something,
or become crushed or ground, into a powder or dust

2.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to subject an opponent to a crushing defeat (informal) • We
completely pulverized the opposition.
[15th
century. From late Latin pulverizare, from Latin pulver-, the
stem of pulvis “powder, dust” (source of English powder ).]
—pul·ver·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—pul·ver·i·za·tion
[pùlvəri záysh’n], noun

—pul·ver·iz·er [púlvə rzər], noun[1]



pulvillus

pulvillus
pul·vil·lus 
[pul vílləss] (plural pul·vil·li
[pul ví l]) noun

pad
on insect’s foot: a small cushion or pad between the claws
at the tip of an insect’s foot, used to cling to a surface.
Also
called
pad
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “small pad,” from pulvinus “cushion,” of unknown
origin.][1]



pulvinate

pulvinate
pul·vi·nate 
[púlvə nàyt] adjective

1.  cushion-shaped:
shaped like a cushion

2.  swelling
at base:
with a swelling at the base

[1]



pulvinus

pulvinus
pul·vi·nus 
[pul vnəss] (plural pul·vi·ni
[pul v n]) noun

swelling
on the stalk of a leaf: a swelling at the base of a
leafstalk. Changes in its rigidity cause changes in the position of the leaf.
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “cushion, pillow,” of unknown origin.][1]



puma

puma
pu·ma 
[pmə, pymə]
(plural pu·mas or pu·ma) noun

See
mountain lion
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua púma .][1]



pumice

pumice
pum·ice 
[púmmiss] noun

light
rock full of air spaces: a very light porous rock
formed from solidified lava, used in solid form as an abrasive and in powdered
form as a polish.
Also
called
pumicite
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin pumic-, the stem of pumex
“foam,” because of the stone’s spongy appearance.]
—pu·mi·ceous [pyoo míshəss], adjective[1]



pummel

pummel
pum·mel 
[púmm’l] (past pum·meled, past
participle pum·meled, present participle pum·mel·ing, 3rd
person present singular pum·mels) or pom·mel [púmm’l] (past pom·meled, past
participle pom·meled, present participle pom·mel·ing, 3rd
person present singular pom·mels) transitive verb

hit
somebody or something repeatedly: to hit somebody or
something with repeated blows, especially using the fists
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of pommel .][1]



pump

pump2
pump2  [pump]
(plural pumps) noun

1.  woman’s
shoe:
a woman’s shoe that is plain and cut low in front and has a moderately high
heel.
U.K.
term
court shoe

2.  man’s
formal shoe: a man’s patent leather slip-on shoe worn
with formal attire
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



pump

pump1
pump1  [pump]
verb (past pumped, past participle pumped, present
participle pump·ing, 3rd person present singular pumps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shift
liquid or gas: to force a liquid or gas to flow in a
particular direction

2.  transitive
verb
make
something move up and down: to work a handle, lever, or
other device energetically

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody excited: to make somebody excited and
enthusiastic about something (informal) • The
team was really pumped for the game.

4.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody questions: to try to get information
from somebody by asking questions repeatedly and forcefully

5.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE flush
out somebody’s stomach: to flush out the contents of
somebody’s stomach, usually to remove poison, drugs, or alcohol. A tube and a
funnel are used to pour in water and allow the diluted stomach contents to run
out.
noun
(plural pumps)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING device
for shifting liquid or gas: a device that is used to
raise, compress, or transfer liquids or gases and is operated by a piston or
similar mechanism

2.  PHYSIOLOGY way
of moving ions or molecules: a mechanism for the active
movement of ions or molecules across a cell membrane
[15th century][1]



pumpedstorage

pumpedstorage
pumped
stor·age 
noun

power recovery system:
in hydroelectric systems, a way of generating power during peak periods that
involves pumping water up to a reservoir during periods of low demand and
releasing it during peak periods[1]



pumpernickel

pumpernickel
pum·per·nick·el 
[púmpər nìk’l] noun

dark
rye bread:
a dark, dense, slightly sour bread that originated in Germany and is made from
coarse rye flour
[Mid-18th century. From
German dialect, earlier “lout,” from pumpern “to break wind” + Nickel
“goblin.”][1]



pumpkin

pumpkin

pump·kin 
[púmpkin, púmkin]
(plural pump·kins) noun

1.  FOOD large
orange fruit: a round large fruit with a thick
orange-skinned rind, dry flesh, and many seeds

2.  PLANTS plant
that pumpkins grow on: a trailing or climbing plant
with yellow flowers and large round orange edible fruit. Genus: Cucurbita
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier pumpion, via obsolete French pompon from,
ultimately, Latin pepo (see pepo ).][1]



pumpkinseed

pumpkinseed
pump·kin·seed 
[púmpkin sd, púmkin
sd] (plural pump·kin·seeds) noun

freshwater
sunfish:
a common North American freshwater sunfish that has an olive-colored upper body
shading to yellow or orange on its belly, with one red spot on each gill cover.
Latin name: Lepomis gibbosus
[Early 19th century. From its
shape and its orange color.][1]



pumpout

pumpout
pump
out
transitive verb

1.  produce
a great deal of something: to produce something
continually and in large quantities • a new
radio station pumping out dance music 24 hours a day

2.  remove
fluid from something: to remove fluid from
something using a pump • We had
to pump out the boat again because it was leaking so badly.

[1]



pumppriming

pumppriming
pump
prim·ing
noun

1.  ECONOMICS investment
to stimulate regional growth: the use of investment to
stimulate the economy in depressed regions and bring about self-sustaining
growth

2.  process
to get pump working: the process or act of making
a pump work more effectively by pouring fluid into it as it starts up

[1]



pumpup

pumpup

pump
up
transitive verb

1.  inflate
something:
to inflate something such as a tire or ball using a pump

2.  turn
something up: to turn up the sound, especially of
music, produced by amplifiers or speakers (informal)

3.        GYM build
body muscle: to increase the mass of
a muscle by bodybuilding techniques (informal)[1]



pun

pun
pun 
[pun] noun (plural puns)

play
on words:
a humorous use of words that involves a word or phrase that has more than one
possible meaning
intransitive
verb
(past punned, past participle punned, present
participle pun·ning, 3rd person present singular puns)

use
play on words: to make a pun or use puns
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of obsolete pundigrion,
from Italian puntiglio (see punctilious
).]
—pun·ner, noun[1]



puna

puna
pu·na
[pnə] (plural pu·nas) noun

1.  MED See altitude sickness

2.  GEOGRAPHY plateau
in Andes:
a cold dry flat treeless area at a high altitude in the Andes
[Early 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Quechua .][1]



PuncakJaya

PuncakJaya
Pun·cak
Ja·ya
[pn chaak j yaa]

the highest mountain in
Indonesia, on the western half of the island of New Guinea, in the Surdiman
Range. Height: 5,030 m/16,503 ft.[1]



Punch

Punch
Punch
[punch] noun

quarrelsome
puppet character: a character from traditional children’s
puppet shows. He is a red-cheeked, hook-nosed clown who behaves in a
quarrelsome or aggressive manner. His wife is called Judy.
See
also
Punchinello
[Late
17th century. Shortening of Punchinello .]
pleased
as Punch

extremely pleased (informal)[1]



punch

punch3
punch3  [punch]
(plural punch·es) noun

BEVERAGES drink
of fruit juice: a drink made with a mixture of fruit
juice and often spices and wine or liquor
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Hindi pañc- “five” from Sanskrit pañca
(from the supposed five original ingredients of the drink); ultimately from the
Indo-European word for “five.”][1]



punch

punch1
punch1  [punch]
transitive verb (past punched, past participle punched,
present participle punch·ing, 3rd person present singular punch·es)

1.  hit
somebody with fist: to hit somebody or something
with the fist

2.  poke
something:
to poke or prod something • He
punched the pile of debris with a stick to see what was under it.

3.  press
button:
to press a key or button on a computer keyboard or some other device with a
quick thrusting movement of the finger • Punch
the return key.

4.  AGRICULTURE herd
cattle:
to herd cattle on horseback
noun
(plural punch·es)

1.  blow
with fist:
a blow with the fist

2.  vigor:
drive, energy, or power that livens or invigorates something • performance
lacked that punch
[14th
century. From Old French poinsonner “to prick,” from poinson, poinchon
(see puncheon 2 ).]
pack
a punch

to
be very powerful or strong (informal)

not
pull your punches

or
pull no punches or not pull any punchesto use as much
force and energy as necessary or possible to attain a goal or convey a message

roll
with the punches

to adapt easily to a
difficult situation (informal)[1]



punch

punch2
punch2  [punch]
noun (plural punch·es)

1.  tool
for making holes: a tool used to make holes in something

2.  stamping
tool:
a tool that is hit to stamp a design on something or to cut something to a
particular shape

3.  stamping
or cutting part of punch: the die or solid part of a
punch, containing the stamping or cutting tool

4.  tool
for driving bolts out: a tool used to knock a bolt
or rivet out of a hole
transitive
verb
(past punched, past participle punched, present
participle punch·ing, 3rd person present singular punch·es)

1.  make
hole using punch: to make a hole in something using a
punch

2.  stamp
something using punch: to stamp or cut something
using a punch
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a shortening of puncheon 1 .][1]



Punchand Judy

Punchand Judy
Punch
and Ju·dy
or Punch-and-Ju·dy or Punch-and-Ju·dy show (plural
Punch-and-Ju·dy shows) noun

children’s puppet show:
a comic children’s puppet show featuring Punch and Judy, a quarrelsome couple,
together with a number of other standard characters. The show is often used as
a belittling image of confrontation, for example, when referring to politics.[1]



punchbag

punchbag
punch·bag
[púnch bàg] (plural punch·bags)
noun

U.K.
See punching bag[1]



punchball

punchball
punch·ball
[púnch bàwl] (plural punch·balls)
noun

SPORTS
type of baseball:
a version of baseball played with a rubber ball that is struck with the
player’s fist instead of a bat[1]



punchboard

punchboard
punch·board 
[púnch bàwrd] (plural punch·boards)
noun

board for game of chance:
a board with small holes, each containing a slip of paper. Players buy a chance
to punch out a slip to see if they have won a prize.[1]



punchbowl

punchbowl
punch·bowl
[púnch bl] (plural punch·bowls)
noun

bowl for serving punch:
a large bowl for serving punch, often with a matching ladle and cups[1]



punchcard

punchcard

punch card
(plural punch cards) or punched card (plural
punched cards) noun
card for computer data:
a card with patterns of holes punched in it, used to store information in early
computers and telex machines[1]



punch-drunk

punch-drunk
punch-drunk 
[púnch drùnk] adjective

1.  BOXING disorientated
by punches:
showing signs of confusion and disorientation as a result of brain damage
caused by blows to the head

2.  dazed
by events:
dazed or confused by something such as a bad experience (informal)

[1]



punchedcard

punchedcard
punched
card 
noun

See
punch card[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








puncheon

puncheon1
pun·cheon1  [púnchən]
(plural pun·cheons) noun

1.  large
cask:
a large cask containing between 70 and 100 gallons

2.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of capacity: a unit of capacity, equal to between 70
and 100 gallons
[15th century. From Old
French poinçon, poinchon, of uncertain origin: possibly the same
word as puncheon 2 .][1]



puncheon

puncheon2
pun·cheon2  [púnchən]
(plural pun·cheons) noun CONSTRUCTION

1.  part
of wooden framing: a short upright piece of
wood used for structural framing

2.  wooden
floorboard timber: a large timber with one
flattened side, usually used for flooring
[15th century. Via Old French
poinchon from, ultimately, Latin punct-, the past participle stem
of pungere (see pungent ).][1]



punchin

punchin
punch
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES register
arrival for work: to arrive for work, or record the time
of arrival by inserting a personalized card into a time clock

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING enter
data using keyboard: to enter information into a
computer using the keyboard

[1]



Punchinello

Punchinello
Pun·chi·nel·lo 
[pùnchə néllō] (plural Pun·chi·nel·los)
noun

1.  THEATER Italian
puppet character: a short character who appears in Italian
puppet and clown shows and is probably the source of Punch

2.  ludicrous
person:
somebody who is considered a buffoon
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian dialect Pollecinella, of uncertain origin: perhaps via pollecena
“turkey pullet,” from, ultimately, Latin pullus (see pullet ); from the resemblance of his nose to a
turkey’s beak.][1]



punchingbag

punchingbag
punch·ing
bag 
(plural punch·ing bags) noun

boxers’ training device:
a large heavy bag, usually suspended from a rope, that boxers punch to improve
their punching skills.
U.K. term
punchbag[1]



punchline

punchline
punch
line
(plural punch lines) noun

funny
ending of joke: the last part of a joke or funny story
that delivers the meaning and the bulk of the humor
[From punch 1][1]



punchout

punchout
punch
out
intransitive verb

register leaving work:
to leave work, or record the time of departure from work by inserting a
personalized card into a time clock[1]



punchup

punchup
punch
up
transitive verb

liven something up:
to add force or liveliness to something (informal) • That
speech needs to be rewritten and really punched up.[1]



punch-up

punch-up
punch-up 
(plural punch-ups) noun

U.K.
fight:
a fistfight or brawl (informal)[1]



punchy

punchy
punch·y 
[púnchee] (comparative punch·i·er,
superlative punch·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  effective:
forceful and concise • What
we need is a good punchy slogan.

2.  punch-drunk:
punch-drunk
[Early
20th century. Formed from punch 1 .]
—punch·i·ly,
adverb

—punch·i·ness, noun[1]



punctate

punctate
punc·tate 
[púngk tàyt] adjective

spotted:
with tiny spots, holes, or dents • a
punctate leaf
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin punctum (see point
).]
—punc·ta·tion [pungk táysh’n], noun[1]



punctilio

punctilio
punc·til·i·o 
[pungk tíllee ] (plural punc·til·i·os)
noun (formal)

1.  observance
of etiquette: strict adherence to even the finest
points of etiquette

2.  point
of etiquette: a very fine point of etiquette
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete Italian puntiglio and Spanish puntillo, literally “small
point,” from, ultimately, Latin punctum (see point
).][1]



punctilious

punctilious
punc·til·i·ous 
[pungk tíllee əss] adjective

1.  careful
about correct behavior: very careful about the
conventions of correct behavior and etiquette • a
courteous, punctilious manner

2.  fastidious:
showing great care in small details • a punctilious
execution of a complex design
[Mid-17th
century. From French pointilleux, from pointille “small point,”
from pointe .]
—punc·til·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—punc·til·i·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



punctual

punctual
punc·tu·al 
[púngkchoo əl] adjective

1.  keeping
to arranged time: arriving or taking place at the arranged
time • a
punctual start to a meeting

2.  MATHEMATICS of
point in space: relating to or with the properties of a
point in space
[14th
century. From medieval Latin punctualis, from Latin punctum (see point ).]
—punc·tu·al·i·ty
[pùngkchoo állətee], noun

—punc·tu·al·ly [púngkchoo əlee], adverb[1]



punctuate

punctuate
punc·tu·ate 
[púngkchoo àyt] (past punc·tu·at·ed,
past participle punc·tu·at·ed, present participle punc·tu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular punc·tu·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb add
punctuation to text: to put punctuation marks in
written work

2.  transitive
verb
interrupt
something often: to interrupt a situation or activity
frequently (often passive) • a
meeting punctuated by humorous anecdotes

3.  transitive
verb
emphasize
something:
to do or say something in order to add emphasis
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin punctuare “to mark with points,” from Latin
punctum (see point ).]
—punc·tu·a·tor, noun[1]



punctuation

punctuation
punc·tu·a·tion 
[pùngkchoo áysh’n] noun

1.  marks
used to organize writing: the standardized
nonalphabetical symbols or marks that are used to organize writing into
clauses, phrases, and sentences, and in this way make its meaning clear

2.  use
of punctuation: the general use, or a particular use, of
punctuation marks

3.  act
of punctuating writing: the act of punctuating
writing, or an occasion during which writing is punctuated

[1]



punctuationmark

punctuationmark
punc·tu·a·tion
mark
(plural punc·tu·a·tion marks) noun

sign used to divide writing:
a symbol, for example, a comma, period, or question mark, that is used to
organize writing[1]



puncture

puncture
punc·ture 
[púngkchər] noun (plural punc·tures)

small hole: a
small hole or wound made by a sharp object
verb
(past punc·tured, past participle punc·tured, present
participle punc·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular punc·tures)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or get hole: to sustain or cause a small hole or
wound in something such as a tire or the skin

2.  transitive
verb
ruin
somebody’s confidence: to rapidly reduce or destroy
somebody’s confidence, arrogance, or conviction • The
interview punctured his self-esteem.
[14th
century. From Latin punctura, from punct-, the past participle
stem of pungere “to prick” (see pungent
).]
—punc·tur·a·ble,
adjective

—punc·tur·er, noun[1]



pundit

pundit
pun·dit 
[púndit] (plural pun·dits) noun

1.  somebody
who expresses opinion: somebody who acts as a
critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media • The
election results threw the political pundits into confusion.

2.  See
pandit

3.  somebody
wise:
somebody with knowledge and wisdom
[Late 17th century. Via Hindi
paṇḍit from Sanskrit paṇḍita- “learned,” of uncertain origin.][1]



Pune

Pune
Pune
[pnə]

city in western India, in
Maharashtra State. It is the administrative headquarters of Pune district.
Population: 1,567,000 (1991)[1]



pung

pung
pung 
[pung] (plural pungs) noun

Canada,
New England sleigh:
a low one-horse sleigh shaped like a box
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of tom pung, from an Algonquian word.][1]



pungent

pungent
pun·gent 
[púnjənt] adjective

1.  strong-smelling
or strong-tasting: with a strong smell or
powerfully sharp or bitter taste

2.  caustic
and pointed: expressed in or showing a witty and
biting manner • pungent observations
about government corruption

3.  BIOLOGY sharp
and pointed: used to describe a plant or animal part
that ends in a sharp point • a
plant with elongated pungent leaves
[Late
16th century. From Latin pungent-, the present participle stem of pungere
“to prick, sting” (source of English point,
puncture, and poignant ).]
—pun·gen·cy,
noun

—pun·gent·ly, adverb[1]



Punic

Punic
Pu·nic 
[pynik] adjective

Carthaginian:
relating to the ancient Carthaginians, Carthage, or the Carthaginian language.
Carthage was eventually destroyed by the Roman Empire following the three Punic
Wars, fought in 264–261 B.C.,
218–201 B.C., and 149–146 B.C.
noun

Carthaginian
language:
the Semitic language of ancient Carthage, which was related to Phoenician
[15th century. Via Latin Punicus
from, ultimately, Greek Phoinix “Phoenician.”][1]



punish

punish
pun·ish 
[púnnish] (past pun·ished, past
participle pun·ished, present participle pun·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular pun·ish·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody undergo a penalty: to subject somebody to a
penalty for doing something wrong

2.  transitive
verb
impose
criminal penalty: to respond to a crime or other wrong act
by imposing a penalty (often passive) • Any
infringement of the rules will be punished by a fine.

3.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody or something harshly: to treat somebody or
something harshly, causing damage or pain • Lopez
punished the champ with some powerful blows to the body.

4.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody unfairly: to treat somebody unfairly
or discriminate against somebody
[14th
century. Via Old French puniss-, the stem of punir, from Latin punire,
from poena (see penal ).]
—pun·ish·er, noun[1]



punishable

punishable
pun·ish·a·ble
[púnnishəb’l] adjective

incurring
punishment:
leading to or liable to punishment • a
punishable offense
—pun·ish·a·bil·i·ty [pùnnishə bíllətee], noun[1]



punishing

punishing
pun·ish·ing
[púnnishing] adjective

requiring
effort:
very demanding, either physically or mentally.
See
also
punitive
—pun·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



punishment

punishment
pun·ish·ment 
[púnnishmənt] (plural pun·ish·ments)
noun

1.  act
of punishing: the act or an instance of punishing

2.  penalty
for doing something wrong: a penalty that is imposed on
somebody for wrongdoing

3.  rough
use:
rough treatment or heavy use • a
sturdy car that can take a lot of punishment

[1]



punitive

punitive
pu·ni·tive 
[pynətiv] or pu·ni·to·ry [pynə tàwree] adjective

1.  of
or as punishment: relating to, done as, or imposed as a
punishment • punitive
air strikes

2.  creating
burden:
causing great difficulty or hardship
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin punitivus, from Latin punit-,
the past participle stem of punire (see punish
).]
—pu·ni·tive·ly,
adverb

—pu·ni·tive·ness, noun[1]



punitivedamages

punitivedamages
pu·ni·tive
dam·ag·es
plural noun

damages awarded as
punishment: damages that are awarded by
a court to punish the defendant rather than to compensate the victim[1]



punitory

punitory
pu·ni·to·ry 
adjective

See
punitive[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Punjabi

Punjabi
Pun·ja·bi 
[pun jbee, pun
jábbee] or Pan·ja·bi [pun
jbee, pun jábbee] noun

LANGUAGE language
of Punjab:
the official language of Punjab. Punjabi is an Indo-European language belonging
to the Indo-Iranian family. It is spoken by about 70 million people, and is the
language in which the Sikh scriptures are written.
[Early 19th century. From
Urdu Panjābī, from Panjāb “Punjab,” from Sanskrit pañca āpas
“five rivers.”][1]



punk

punk
punk 
[pungk] noun (plural punks)

1.  youth
movement:
a youth movement of the late 1970s, characterized by loud aggressive rock
music, confrontational attitudes, body piercing, and unconventional hairstyles,
makeup, and clothing

2.  somebody
belonging to punk movement: a member of the punk
movement

3.  See
punk rock

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a young man regarded as worthless, lazy, or
arrogant (insult)

5.  young
homosexual partner: a young homosexual partner
of an older man (archaic slang) (sometimes considered offensive)

6.  prostitute:
a prostitute (archaic)

7.  dried
wood:
dried or decayed wood used as tinder (archaic)
adjective

1.  not
feeling good: feeling bad, depressed, or ill

2.  no
good:
inferior in quality or condition (informal)
[Late 17th century.
Originally “rotten wood used as tinder,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from
Algonquian (Delaware) ponk, literally “living ashes.”][1]



punka

punka
pun·ka
[púngkə] (plural pun·kas) or
pun·kah [púngkə] (plural punkahs)
noun

fan
suspended from ceiling: a large fan used in India,
consisting of palm leaves or a large cloth-covered frame suspended from the
ceiling and operated by a servant
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi paṅkhā from Sanskrit pakṣakaḥ, from pakṣaḥ “wing.”][1]



punkie

punkie
punk·ie 
[púngkee] (plural punk·ies) or
punk·y [púngkee] (plural punk·ies)
noun

tiny
bloodsucking fly: a fly, virtually invisible to the naked
eye, that sucks the blood of animals and other insects, leaving painful itching
welts. Family: Ceratopogonidae
Also
called
no-see-um
U.K.
term
biting midge
[Mid-18th century. Via
assumed New York Dutch punkje from Delaware pónkwas “dust,
ashes.”][1]



punkrock

punkrock
punk
rock
noun

type
of rock music: fast loud rock music often with
confrontational lyrics that characterized the punk movement.
Also
called
punk
—punk rock·er (plural
punk rock·ers), noun[1]



punky

punky
punk·y 
noun

See
punkie[1]



punny

punny
pun·ny
[púnnee] (comparative pun·ni·er,
superlative pun·ni·est) adjective

forming pun:
using or containing a pun • a
punny catch phrase[1]



punster

punster
pun·ster 
[púnstər] (plural pun·sters) noun

somebody who makes puns:
somebody who frequently makes puns[1]



punt

punt4
punt4  [pnt]
(plural punts) noun MONEY

1.  Irish
unit of currency: unit of currency in the Republic of
Ireland

2.  coin
worth a punt: a coin worth a punt
[Late 20th century. From
Irish púnt .][1]



punt

punt3
punt3  [punt]
noun (plural punts)

U.K.
bet
placed with a bookmaker: a bet, especially one placed
with a bookmaker (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past punt·ed,
past participle punt·ed, present participle punt·ing,
3rd person present singular punts)

U.K.
gamble:
to bet or gamble, especially with a bookmaker
[Early
18th century. From French ponter, of uncertain origin.]
—punt·er, noun[1]



punt

punt1
punt1  [punt]
intransitive and transitive verb (past punt·ed, past
participle punt·ed, present participle punt·ing, 3rd
person present singular punts)

SPORTS kick
ball:
to drop a ball and then kick it before it hits the ground
noun
(plural punts)

SPORTS kick:
a kick in which somebody drops a ball and kicks it before it hits the ground
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps originally a variant of bunt 1 .]
—punt·er, noun[1]



punt

punt2
punt2  [punt]
noun

flat-bottomed boat:
a narrow, open boat with square ends that has a flat bottom and is propelled
using a long pole
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
go
in punt:
to travel in a punt

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOATS pole punt:
to propel a punt using a long pole
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin ponto (see pontoon
).]
—punt·er, noun[1]



punt

punt5
punt5  [punt]
(plural punts) noun

WINE indentation
in bottom of bottle: the indentation in the
bottom of a champagne or wine bottle
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from punty, or from
French pontil (see pontil ).][1]



PuntaArenas

PuntaArenas
Pun·ta
A·re·nas 
[pntə ə rénnəss]

city on the Strait of
Magellan in southern Chile. It is one of the southernmost cities in the world.
Population: 109,110 (1992)[1]



puntformation

puntformation
punt
for·ma·tion
(plural punt for·ma·tions) noun

formation in football:
in football, an offensive formation in which the back making the punt stands
about ten yards behind the other backs, who are in a blocking position[1]



punty

punty
pun·ty 
[púntee] (plural pun·ties) noun

metal
rod used in glass blowing: a long metal rod on which
molten glass is turned and worked during the glass blowing process.
Also
called
pontil
[Mid-17th century. From
French pontil (see pontil ).][1]



Punxsutawney

Punxsutawney
Punx·su·taw·ney 
[pùngksə táwnee]

city in west central
Pennsylvania, famous for its local groundhog, “Punxsutawney Phil,” the
emergence of which from its burrow every year on Groundhog Day, February 2,
allegedly predicts the number of weeks of winter remaining. Population: 6,782
(1990)[1]



puny

puny
pu·ny 
[pynee] (comparative pu·ni·er,
superlative pu·ni·est) adjective

1.  small
and weak:
very small or thin and weak

2.  inadequate:
less than is required to be effective • a
puny attempt at an apology
[Late
16th century. Anglicization of puisne .]
—pu·ni·ly,
adverb

—pu·ni·ness, noun[1]



pup

pup
pup 
[pup] noun (plural pups)

1.  ZOOLOGY young
dog:
a dog under a year old

2.  ZOOLOGY young
animal:
a young animal of various species including mice, rats, wolves, foxes, and
seals

3.  conceited
youth:
an inexperienced or arrogant young person, especially a boy or young man
intransitive
verb
(past pupped, past participle pupped, present
participle pup·ping, 3rd person present singular pups)

bear pups: to
give birth to pups
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of puppy .][1]



pupa

pupa
pu·pa 
[pypə] (plural pu·pae [py p] or pu·pas) noun

developing
insect inside a cocoon: an insect at the stage
between a larva and an adult in complete metamorphosis, during which the insect
is in a cocoon or case, stops feeding, and undergoes internal changes
[Late
18th century. From Latin, “girl, doll,” feminine of pupus “boy” (source
of English pupil 1 ).]
—pu·pal, adjective[1]



puparium

puparium
pu·par·i·um 
[pyoo páiree əm] (plural pu·par·i·a
[pyoo páiree ə]) noun

case
around a pupa: the hard case that encloses the pupa of
the housefly and various other insects while they develop into adults
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin pupa (see pupa
).][1]



pupate

pupate
pu·pate 
[py pàyt] (past pu·pat·ed, past
participle pu·pat·ed, present participle pu·pat·ing, 3rd
person present singular pu·pates) intransitive verb

become
pupa:
to develop from a larva into a pupa
—pu·pa·tion [pyoo páysh’n], noun[1]



pupfish

pupfish
pup·fish 
[púp fìsh] (plural pup·fish or
pup·fish·es) noun

tiny killifish:
a tiny killifish found in streams and springs in the southwestern United States
and Mexico. Genus: Cyprinodon[1]



pupil

pupil2
pu·pil2  [pyp’l]
(plural pu·pils) noun

ANATOMY opening
in the eye:
the dark circular opening at the center of the iris in the eye, where light
enters the eye. The iris closes the pupil in bright light and opens it in dim
light.
[14th century. Via French pupille
from Latin pupilla, literally “little doll,” from pupa (see pupa ); so called from the tiny image that you see
when looking into another person’s eye.][1]



pupil

pupil1
pu·pil1  [pyp’l]
(plural pu·pils) noun

1.  EDUCATION student:
a young student, taught at school or by a private teacher

2.  follower
or student of somebody: somebody who is taught by or
is influenced by the teachings of a particular person, usually an expert in a
field • a
pupil of Jung

3.  LAW trainee
barrister:
somebody who is training to become a barrister
[14th century. From Latin pupillus,
literally “little boy,” from pupus “boy.”][1]



pupillage

pupillage
pu·pil·lage 
[pyp’lij] (plural pupil·lages)
noun

being a student:
the state of being a pupil, or the period during which somebody is a pupil (formal)[1]



pupillary

pupillary2
pu·pil·lar·y2  [pyp’l
èrree] adjective

ANATOMY
relating to pupil of eye:
relating to or affecting the pupil of the eye[1]



pupillary

pupillary1
pu·pil·lar·y1  [pyp’l
èrree] adjective

LAW
relating to legal pupil:
relating to a minor child under the care of a guardian[1]



puppet

puppet
pup·pet 
[púppət] (plural pup·pets) noun

1.  ARTS movable
doll:
a doll or figure representing a person or animal that is moved using the hands
inside the figure or by moving rods, strings, or wires attached to it

2.  somebody
who can be manipulated: a person, government, or
organization whose actions are controlled by others
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
earlier poppet, of uncertain origin: possibly via Anglo-Norman poppe
“doll” from, ultimately, Latin pupa (source of English pupa ).][1]



puppeteer

puppeteer
pup·pet·eer 
[pùppə tr] (plural pup·pet·eers)
noun

somebody who uses puppets:
somebody who operates puppets or who gives puppet shows[1]



puppetry

puppetry
pup·pet·ry 
[púppətree] noun

use of puppets:
the art of making or operating puppets[1]



Puppis

Puppis
Pup·pis 
[púppiss] noun

southern constellation on
Milky Way: a constellation of the
southern hemisphere lying partly in the Milky Way, located between Vela and
Canis Major[1]



puppy

puppy
pup·py 
[púppee] (plural pup·pies) noun

1.  young
dog:
a dog under a year old

2.  conceited
youth:
an inexperienced or arrogant young person, especially a boy or young man (informal)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly via Old French popée “doll, toy”
from, ultimately, Latin pupa .]
—pup·py·hood,
noun

—pup·py·ish, adjective[1]



puppydog

puppydog
pup·py
dog
(plural pup·py dogs) noun

puppy:
a dog under a year old, especially one kept as a pet[1]



puppylove

puppylove
pup·py
love
noun

adolescent love:
the love or infatuation felt by adolescents[1]



puptent

puptent
pup
tent
(plural pup tents) noun

See
shelter tent[1]



Purana

Purana
Pu·ra·na
[poo rnə] (plural Pu·ra·nas) noun

Hindu
sacred literature: one of a group of sacred
Hindu texts written in Sanskrit that recount the lives of deities and the
creation, destruction, and recreation of the universe
[Late
17th century. From Sanskrit purāṇaḥ, from purāṇa- “belonging to
former times,” from purā “formerly.”]
—Pu·ran·ic [poo rnik], adjective[1]



Purbach

Purbach
Pur·bach
[púr bàk] noun

lunar plain:
a walled plain on the Moon having a noticeably hexagonal shape and ridges on
the floor. Located east of Mare Nubium, it is approximately 120 km/75 mi
across.[1]



purblind

purblind
pur·blind 
[púr blnd] adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning partly or completely unable to see (offensive)

2.  lacking
understanding: slow or unwilling to understand (formal)
[13th century. From pure + blind .][1]



Purcell,Henry

Purcell,Henry
Pur·cell
[pər sél], Henry (1659–1695)

English composer. He wrote
numerous instrumental and vocal pieces ranging from sacred to theatrical music.
His works include the opera Dido and Aeneas (1689) and incidental music
for The Tempest (1695).[1]



purchasable

purchasable
pur·chas·a·ble 
[púrchəssəb’l] adjective

1.  for
sale:
available to be bought

2.  capable
of being bribed: willing to accept a bribe
—pur·chas·a·bil·i·ty [pùrchəssə bíllətee], adjective[1]



purchase

purchase
pur·chase 
[púrchəss] verb (past pur·chased,
past participle pur·chased, present participle pur·chas·ing,
3rd person present singular pur·chas·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
something by paying money: to buy something using money
or its equivalent

2.  transitive
verb
obtain
something through effort: to obtain something by hard
work or sacrifice • a victory purchased
with great effort

3.  transitive
verb
move
something using a lever: to move, lift, or hold on to
something using a device such as a lever
noun

1.  act
of buying:
the act of buying something

2.  (plural
pur·chas·es) something bought:
something that somebody has bought

3.  obtaining
through effort: the acquisition of something through
hard work or sacrifice • a
purchase achieved at great emotional cost

4.  hold:
a firm grip or hold on something • hands
too slippery to get a purchase on the rock

5.  advantage:
influence, power, or another advantage that can be exercised • an
attempt to gain some purchase over his rivals

6.  power
given by a lever: a measure of the mechanical advantage
given by a pulley or lever
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman purchacer “to pursue,” literally “to chase
eagerly,” from Old French chacier (see chase
).]
—pur·chas·er, noun[1]



purchasingpower

purchasingpower
pur·chas·ing
pow·er 
noun

1.  ability
to spend:
the ability to make purchases based on income and savings

2.  value
of currency: the value of a particular currency,
measured in terms of the goods and services it can buy • the
purchasing power of the yen

[1]



purdah

purdah
pur·dah 
[púrdə] (plural pur·dahs) noun

1.  keeping
women from public view: the Hindu and Islamic custom
of keeping women fully covered with clothing and apart from the rest of society

2.  screen:
a screen or curtain used in Hindu communities to keep women out of view

3.  veil:
a veil worn by Hindu and Muslim women as part of purdah
[Early 19th century. Via Urdu
pardah “veil” from Middle Persian pardak .][1]



pure

pure
pure 
[pyoor] (comparative pur·er, superlative
pur·est) adjective

1.  without
another substance: not mixed with any other
substance • This
jacket is pure wool.

2.  free
from contamination: clean and free from
impurities • The
water from the spring is completely pure.

3.  complete:
sheer or complete • a look of pure terror

4.  chaste:
virtuous and chaste (literary)

5.  clear:
pleasingly clear and vivid (refers to color, sound, or light)

6.  relating
to theory:
relating to theory rather than practical applications • Opportunities
for pure research are increasingly rare nowadays.
See
also
applied

7.  of
unmixed ancestry: with unmixed parentage or ancestry

8.  BIOLOGY produced
by constant inbreeding: produced by continual
inbreeding or self-fertilization and breeding true

9.  MUSIC PHYSICS composed of single frequency:
consisting of a single frequency without any overtones (refers to sound)
• a
pure middle C

10. MUSIC without
discord:
free of discord and in tune (refers to a musical tone)

11. PHONETICS pronounced
with one unchanging sound: used to describe a vowel
that is pronounced with a single unchanging sound

12. PHONETICS pronounced
without another consonant: used to describe a consonant
that is pronounced unaccompanied by any other consonant
[13th
century. Via French from Latin purus (source of English purée, pour,
and puritanical ).]
—pure·ness, noun[1]



pureblood

pureblood
pure·blood 
[pyr blùd] or pure·blood·ed [pyr blùddəd, pyr
blúddəd] adjective

of
unmixed ancestry: with an ancestry that is exclusively of
a particular type
—pure·blood, noun[1]



purebred

purebred
pure·bred 
[pyr brèd] adjective

with
ancestors of same breed: having ancestors that belong
to the same breed or variety as a result of controlled breeding • a
purebred Arabian stallion
noun
(plural pure·breds)

something purebred:
a purebred plant or animal[1]



puredemocracy

puredemocracy
pure
de·moc·ra·cy noun

form of democratic rule:
a form of democracy in which the people exercise direct power rather than
electing representatives to govern on their behalf[1]



PureLand Buddhism

PureLand Buddhism
Pure
Land Bud·dhism noun

Mahayana
Buddhist groups: groups of Mahayana Buddhism that
venerate the Buddha Amitabha, or Amida, as a compassionate savior and promise
rebirth in paradise, known as the Pure Land, as a reward for faith. These
groups are commonest in East Asia, especially Japan and Korea.
[Pure Land is a translation
of Chinese Qingtu][1]



purely

purely
pure·ly
[pyrlee] adverb

1.  entirely:
in a complete, entire, or total way • It was
a purely financial decision.

2.  merely:
for the sole reason of • surgery
for purely cosmetic purposes

3.  with
nothing added: in a way that is free of any added
substances or elements or of contaminants • sheep
that have been purely bred from the original stock

4.  innocently:
in a way that is innocent, pure, or chaste

[1]



purfle

purfle
pur·fle 
[púrf’l] noun (plural pur·fles)

ornamental
border:
an ornamental border on clothes or furniture, consisting of a ruffled or curved
band
transitive
verb
(past pur·fled, past participle pur·fled, present
participle pur·fling, 3rd person present singular pur·fles)

decorate
something with purfle: to decorate clothes or
furniture with a purfle
[14th century. Via Old French
porfil from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin profilare,
literally “to spin forward,” from Latin filum “thread” (see filum ).][1]



purgation

purgation
pur·ga·tion 
[pur gáysh’n] noun

the act of purging or being
purged (literary)[1]



purgative

purgative
pur·ga·tive 
[púrgətiv] noun (plural pur·ga·tives)

substance
for purging the bowels: a drug or other substance
that causes evacuation of the bowels
adjective

emptying
the bowels:
acting as a purgative
—pur·ga·tive·ly, adverb[1]



purgatorial

purgatorial
pur·ga·to·ri·al 
[pùrgə táwree əl] adjective (literary)

1.  like
purgatory:
relating to or similar to purgatory

2.  purging
somebody of sin: serving to rid somebody of sin
—pur·ga·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



purgatory

purgatory
pur·ga·to·ry 
[púrgə tàwree] noun

1.  pur·ga·to·ry
or Pur·ga·to·ry place of suffering:
in Roman Catholic doctrine, the place in which the souls remain until they have
expiated their sins before they go to heaven

2.  miserable
situation:
an extremely uncomfortable, painful, or unpleasant situation or experience • the
purgatory of lost love
[12th century. Via Old French
purgatoire from, ultimately, Latin purgare “to purify” (see purge ).][1]



purge

purge
purge 
[purj] verb (past purged,
past participle purged, present participle purg·ing,
3rd person present singular purg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
get
rid of opponents: to remove opponents or people considered
undesirable from a state or organization

2.  transitive
verb
remove
something undesirable: to get rid of something
undesirable, impure, or imperfect

3.  transitive
verb
RELIGION free
somebody from guilt or sin: to make somebody or
something pure and free from guilt, sin, or defilement (formal) • purge
a soul of its sins

4.  intransitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY MED vomit or use laxatives:
to rid the body of food by using laxatives or inducing vomiting

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING delete
data:
to delete unwanted or unneeded data from disk storage in a systematic fashion
so as to remove all references to the data

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE empty the bowels:
to empty the bowels or cause somebody to empty the bowels (archaic)
noun
(plural purg·es)

1.  getting
rid of opponents: the removal of opponents or people
considered undesirable from a state or organization

2.  getting
rid of something undesirable: the removal of something
unwanted, unneeded, imperfect, or impure

3.  MEDICINE laxative
substance:
something that acts as a laxative (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French purgier from Latin purgare “to purify.”]
—purg·er, noun[1]



puri

puri
pu·ri 
[pree] (plural pu·ri or
pu·ris) or poo·ri [pree]
(plural poo·ri or poo·ris) noun

unleavened
Indian bread: a small piece of light, flat, unleavened
Indian bread that is fried and served hot
[Mid-20th century. Via Hindi pūrī
from Sanskrit pūrikā .][1]



purification

purification
pu·ri·fi·ca·tion 
[pyrəfi káysh’n] (plural pu·ri·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  process
of purifying something: the process of ridding
something of anything harmful, inferior, or unwanted

2.  RELIGION ritual
cleansing:
an act of purifying somebody as part of a religious ceremony or ritual to
remove guilt, sin, or uncleanness • a
ritual of purification carried out by the priests

[1]



purificator

purificator
pu·ri·fi·ca·tor 
[pyrəfi kàytər] (plural pu·ri·fi·ca·tors)
noun

cloth
used to wipe chalice: a linen cloth used in some
Christian churches to wipe the chalice after the celebration of Communion
—pu·rif·i·ca·to·ry [pyoo ríffəkə tàwree], adjective[1]



purify

purify
pu·ri·fy 
[pyrə f] (past pu·ri·fied, past
participle pu·ri·fied, present participle pu·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pu·ri·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something pure: to rid something or become rid of
something harmful, inferior, or unwanted • We
use special filters to purify the water.

2.  transitive
verb
RELIGION make
somebody spiritually pure: to free somebody of sin,
guilt, or uncleanness, for example, in a ceremony or a ritual cleansing
—pu·ri·fi·er, noun[1]



Purim

Purim
Pu·rim 
[prim, poo rím]
noun

Jewish
festival:
a Jewish festival celebrated on the 14th day of Adar that commemorates the
Jewish people’s deliverance from Haman’s plot to massacre them, as told in the
Book of Esther. A lot was drawn, in Haman’s presence, to decide the day and
month of the massacre.
Also
called
Feast of Lots
[14th century. From Hebrew pū’rīm,
literally “lots,” from pūr “lot.”][1]



purine

purine
pu·rine 
[py rn, pyrin]
(plural pu·rines) noun

1.  crystalline
solid:
a colorless crystalline solid that can be prepared from uric acid and is the
parent compound of several biologically important substances. C5H4N4

2.  derivative
found in RNA and DNA: a biologically significant
derivative of purine, especially either of the bases adenine and guanine, which
are found in RNA and DNA
[Late 19th century. From
German Purin, formed from a blend of Latin purus “pure” and
modern Latin uricum “uric acid.”][1]



purism

purism
pur·ism 
[py rìzzəm] noun

application of traditional
standards: insistence on the
maintenance or observance of traditional standards in a field, especially in
the use of language[1]



purist

purist
pur·ist 
[pyrist] (plural pur·ists) noun

believer
in traditional standards: somebody who insists on
maintaining something in its traditional form
—pu·ris·tic
[py rístik], adjective

—pu·ris·ti·cal·ly [py rístikəlee], adverb[1]



puritan

puritan
pu·ri·tan 
[pyrət’n] noun (plural pu·ri·tans)

somebody
with strict moral code: somebody who lives according
to strict moral or religious principles, especially somebody who regards
pleasure as suspect
adjective

See
puritanical
—pu·ri·tan·ism, noun[1]



Puritan

Puritan
Pu·ri·tan 
[pyrət’n] noun (plural Pu·ri·tans)

Protestant:
a member of a group of Protestants in 16th- and 17th-century England and
17th-century America who believed in strict religious discipline and called for
the simplification of acts of worship. The movement was an attempt to remove
Roman Catholic influences from the Church of England.
adjective

of
Puritans:
relating to Puritans, their beliefs, or movement • a
Puritan form of worship
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin puritas “purity,” from purus
“pure.”]
—Pu·ri·tan·ism, noun[1]



puritanical

puritanical
pu·ri·tan·i·cal 
[pyrə tánnik’l] or pu·ri·tan
[pyrə tánnik’l] or pu·ri·tan·ic
[pyrə tánnik’l] adjective

strictly
moral:
adhering to strict moral or religious principles
—pu·ri·tan·i·cal·ly
[pyrə tánnikəlee], adverb

—pu·ri·tan·i·cal·ness
[pyrə tánnik’lnəss], noun[1]



purity

purity
pu·ri·ty 
[pyrətee] (plural pu·ri·ties)
noun

1.  freedom
from added elements: the absence, or degree of
absence, of anything harmful, inferior, unwanted, or of a different type • tests
to establish the purity of the water in the river

2.  innocence:
virtue and innocence • the
purity of young children

3.  LINGUISTICS correctness:
the observance of traditional standards of correctness in speech and writing

4.  color
saturation:
the degree of saturation or lack of white in a color

5.  clarity:
clarity of tone or sound

[1]



Purkinjecell

Purkinjecell
Pur·kin·je
cell 
[pur kínjee sèl] (plural Pur·kin·je
cells) noun

type
of neuron:
one of the many densely branching neurons found in the middle layer of the
brain’s cerebellar cortex
[Late 19th century. Named for
J. E. Purkinje ( 1787–1869 ), the Bohemian physiologist who originally
described the structure.][1]



purl

purl2
purl2 [purl]
intransitive verb (past purled, past participle purled,
present participle purl·ing, 3rd person present singular purls)

flow
gently:
to flow with a soft murmuring sound, producing gentle ripples (literary)
(refers to rivers and streams)
noun
(plural purls)

gentle
flow:
the soft sound and gentle movement of a river or stream (literary)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.][1]



purl

purl1
purl1 [purl]
noun (plural purls)

1.  KNITTING stitch
in knitting: a reverse plain knitting stitch, often
combined with a plain stitch to create a ribbed effect.
See
also
knit

2.  purl
or pearl SEWING gold
or silver thread: sewing thread that is made from gold or
silver wire

3.  purl
or pearl SEWING border
on lace or braid: a decorative looped border sewn on lace
or braid
intransitive
and transitive verb (past purled, past
participle purled, present participle purl·ing, 3rd
person present singular purls)

KNITTING knit
with purl:
to knit something using a purl stitch.
See
also
knit
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



purlieu

purlieu
pur·lieu 
[púrlyoo, púrloo]
noun (plural pur·lieus)

1.  outlying
district:
a district on the outskirts of a city or town

2.  U.K.
shabby
area:
an area or district, especially one that is old and poor (formal) • the
lowest slums and purlieus of our great towns

3.  frequented
place:
a place that somebody often visits (formal)
plural
noun
pur·lieus

environs: the
outer regions or boundaries of a place (formal) • the
purlieus of the city
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration (influenced by lieu
) of Anglo-Norman puralee “king’s trip around the borders,” from pur-
“forth” + aller “to go.”][1]



purlin

purlin
pur·lin
[púrlin] (plural pur·lins) noun

roof
beam:
a horizontal roof beam that supports the rafters
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



purloin

purloin
pur·loin 
[pur lóyn] (past pur·loined, past
participle pur·loined, present participle pur·loin·ing,
3rd person present singular pur·loins) transitive verb

steal
something:
to steal something, especially when the theft breaks another’s trust (formal)
• He
purloined my watch when I visited him.
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman purloigner, literally “to move far away,”
from Old French loing “far,” from Latin longus “long” (see longitude ).]
—pur·loin·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at steal

[1]



purple

purple
pur·ple 
[púrp’l] noun (plural pur·ples)

1.  COLORS color
combining red and blue: a dark color that reflects
very little light and that is formed as a pigment by combining red and blue

2.  purple
object:
an object, substance, or fabric that is purple in color

3.  CLOTHES robe
in color purple: a cloth or robe in the color purple that
was formerly worn as a symbol of imperial, royal, or other high rank

4.  imperial
rank:
imperial power or high rank

5.  CHRISTIANITY rank
of cardinal or bishop: the rank or office of a
cardinal or a bishop

6.  CHRISTIANITY bishops:
bishops regarded as a group
adjective

1.  COLORS of a
dark red-blue: of a dark color that reflects very
little light and that is formed as a pigment by combining red and blue

2.  LITERATURE elaborate
or exaggerated: elaborate in style and containing too
many literary effects • purple
prose
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pur·pled,
past participle pur·pled, present participle pur·pling,
3rd person present singular pur·ples)

turn something purple:
to become or make something become purple • His
eyes narrowed and his cheeks purpled.
[Pre-12th
century. Alteration of Latin purpura, from Greek porphura
“shellfish yielding purple dye” (source of English porphyry
).]
—pur·ple·ness,
noun

—pur·plish,
adjective

—pur·ply, adjective[1]



purplegallinule

purplegallinule
pur·ple
gal·li·nule
(plural pur·ple gal·li·nules) noun

red-legged purple water bird:
a water-loving bird with dark bluish purple plumage and red legs. One species
lives in the Mediterranean region, the other in North and South America. Genus:
Porphyrio[1]



purplegrackle

purplegrackle
pur·ple
grack·le
(plural pur·ple grack·les) noun

common grackle:
the common grackle of eastern North America. It has deep purple iridescent
plumage. Latin name: Quiscalus quiscula[1]



PurpleHeart

PurpleHeart
Pur·ple
Heart 
(plural Pur·ple Hearts) noun

U.S.
military medal: a decoration awarded to members of the
U.S. armed forces who have been wounded in action
[From the silver heart and
the purple ribbon from which it is suspended][1]



purpleheart

purpleheart
pur·ple·heart 
(plural pur·ple·hearts) noun

1.  TREES tropical
S American tree: a tropical tree of South America with
hard brownish wood that turns purple when it is exposed to air. Genus: Peltogyne

2.  INDUSTRY WOODWORK purple wood:
the hard decorative purplish wood of the purpleheart

[1]



purpleloosestrife

purpleloosestrife
pur·ple
loose·strife noun

marsh plant:
a marsh plant with lance-shaped leaves and spikes of purple flowers that has
naturalized in North America, sometimes driving out native plants. Latin name: Lystrum
salicaria[1]



purport

purport
pur·port 
intransitive and transitive verb [pər páwrt]
(past pur·port·ed, past participle pur·port·ed, present
participle pur·port·ing, 3rd person present singular pur·ports)

1.  claim
to be something: to claim, seem, or profess to be
something specified • The
letter is purported to be by Napoleon.

2.  intend
something:
to intend to do something (formal) • While
this new measure provided money for research, it also purported to cut spending
overall.
noun
[púr pàwrt] (formal)

1.  sense:
the meaning or significance of something • The
purport of the remarks was difficult to discern.

2.  intent:
intention or purpose of something • The
principal purport of his letter was to inform them that he would soon be leaving
the country.
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman purporter, literally “to carry forward,” from Latin portare
“to carry” (see port 1 ).][1]



purported

purported
pur·port·ed 
[pər páwrtəd] adjective

alleged:
supposed or claimed to be, but without any evidence or proof of it (formal)
—pur·port·ed·ly, adverb[1]



purpose

purpose
pur·pose 
[púrpəss] noun (plural pur·pos·es)

1.  reason
for existence: the reason for which something exists or
for which it has been done or made • the
purpose of life

2.  desired
effect:
the goal or intended outcome of something • The
purpose of the law is to control pollution.

3.  determination:
the desire or the resolve necessary to accomplish a goal • You
need to act with purpose.
transitive
verb
(past pur·posed, past participle pur·posed, present
participle pur·pos·ing, 3rd person present singular pur·pos·es)

set something as goal:
to intend or determine to do something
[13th
century. From Old French purpos, from purposer “to intend,”
literally “to put forth,” an alteration (influenced by poser “to put”)
of Latin proponere (see propose ).]
at
cross purposes

1.  to
be talking about different things and so be involved in a misunderstanding

2.  in
conflict with somebody else or each other, when cooperation is needed

on
purpose

deliberately

to
good purpose

successfully,
or with good results (formal)

to
little or no purpose

without
success or achieving useful results (formal)

[1]



purposeful

purposeful
pur·pose·ful 
[púrpəssfəl] adjective

1.  determined:
showing a clear determination • She
set off with a purposeful stride.

2.  having
a goal:
having a definite purpose or aim • purposeful
activity
—pur·pose·ful·ly,
adverb

—pur·pose·ful·ness, noun[1]



purposeless

purposeless
pur·pose·less 
[púrpəssləss] adjective

1.  without
reason:
lacking a reason • animal behavior that to
human eyes seems entirely purposeless

2.  without
purpose:
lacking an aim or purpose • walking
about in a purposeless kind of way

[1]



purposely

purposely
pur·pose·ly 
[púrpəsslee] adverb

intentionally:
deliberately or with an express purpose in mind • They
purposely humiliated me at the meeting.[1]



purposive

purposive
pur·po·sive 
[púrpəssiv] adjective

1.  useful:
having a use or purpose • Most
human activity is purposive.

2.  determined:
showing determination • She
had a purposive air about her that morning.
—pur·po·sive·ly,
adverb

—pur·po·sive·ness, noun[1]



purpura

purpura
pur·pu·ra 
[púrpyərə] noun

condition
causing skin blotching: a condition in which
bleeding under the skin causes purplish blotches to appear on the skin
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “purple” (see purple
).]
—pur·pu·ric [pur pyrik], adjective[1]



purpure

purpure
pur·pure 
[púrpyər] noun

purple
on coat of arms: in heraldry, the color purple
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
purpura “purple,” strengthened by Old French purpre (see purple ).][1]



purpurin

purpurin
pur·pu·rin 
[púrpyərin] noun

red orange compound used in
dyes: a reddish orange crystalline
compound used in the manufacture of dyes, as a stain for biological specimens,
and as a reagent for the detection of boron. C14H8O5[1]



purr

purr

purr 
[pur] noun (plural purrs)

1.  cat’s
low murmuring noise: the characteristic soft low
murmuring noise that a cat makes when it seems to be contented

2.  purring
sound:
a sound similar to the purr of a cat • the
purr of the engine
verb (past
purred, past participle purred, present participle purr·ing,
3rd person present singular purrs)

1.  intransitive
verb
emit
purr:
to emit a purr

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in soft throaty voice: to speak, or say something,
in a soft throaty voice that suggests pleasure, contentment, or sensuality

3.  intransitive
verb
make
low regular mechanical sound: to make the soft low
vibrating noise that a machine, especially an engine, makes when it is perfectly
tuned and is running well
[Early
17th century. An imitation of the sound of a cat.]
—purr·ing·ly, adverb[1]



purse

purse
purse 
[purs] noun (plural purs·es)

1.  woman’s
bag for carrying everyday belongings: a bag
that a woman or girl carries small personal day-to-day belongings in, such as
keys, a wallet, a datebook, and pens.
Also
called
pocketbook
Also
called
handbag
U.K.
term
handbag

2.  small
bag for carrying personal money: a small bag holding
personal money carried in the pocket or kept inside a handbag or other bag

3.  prize
money:
a sum of money collected as a gift or offered as a prize, especially the total
sum of money offered in prizes • with a
purse of over $20,000

4.  available
funds:
an amount of money available to spend • The
legislators overestimated the size of the public purse.
transitive
verb
(past pursed, past participle pursed, present participle
purs·ing, 3rd person present singular purs·es)

draw lips together at sides:
to draw the lips together at the sides so that they wrinkle and form a circle,
usually when deep in thought or to express disapproval
[13th
century. Alteration of late Latin bursa, variant of byrsa, from
Greek byrsa “hide” (see bursa ).]
you
can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

used to emphasize the
impossibility of making something of superior quality from inferior materials
or beginnings[1]



pursecrab

pursecrab
purse
crab
(plural purse crabs) noun

type of crab:
a crab of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the female of which carries its
eggs in a sac. Latin name: Persephona mediterranea Persephona
punctata[1]



purser

purser
purs·er 
[púrsər] (plural purs·ers) noun

ship’s or aircraft’s officer
managing money: the officer on a
merchant ship or commercial aircraft who is responsible for managing the money
and who, on a passenger ship, is responsible for the well-being of the
passengers[1]



purseseine

purseseine
purse
seine
(plural purse seines) noun

commercial fishing net:
a large commercial fishing net pulled by two boats, with ends that are pulled
together around a shoal of fish so that the net forms a pouch[1]



pursestrings

pursestrings
purse
strings
plural noun

control over finances:
control over the money that is available to spend[1]



purslane

purslane
purs·lane 
[púrslən, púr
slàyn] (plural purs·lanes or purs·lane) noun

low
trailing plant: a trailing Asian weed sometimes used in
salad or cooked and served as a vegetable. Genus: Portulaca
Also
called
pussley
[14th century. From Old
French porcelaine, which was formed (by confusion with porcelaine
) (see porcelain ) from Latin porcilaca,
from portulaca .][1]



pursuance

pursuance
pur·su·ance 
[pər s əns] noun

execution of something:
the process of doing something or carrying it out in the way that is expected
or required (formal) • in
pursuance of our agreement[1]



pursuant

pursuant
pur·su·ant 
[pər s ənt] adjective

chasing:
following in order to catch
[Mid-16th
century. From Old French poursuiant, present participle of poursuir
(see pursue ).]
pursuant
to

in accordance with (formal)[1]



pursuantly

pursuantly
pur·su·ant·ly
[pər s əntlee] adverb

consequently:
as a result (formal)[1]



pursue

pursue
pur·sue 
[pər s] (past pur·sued, past
participle pur·sued, present participle pur·su·ing, 3rd
person present singular pur·sues) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb chase
somebody:
to follow or chase somebody in order to catch, overtake, or attack him or her

2.  transitive
verb
carry
something out: to work at something or carry it out • pursuing
his studies

3.  transitive
verb
continue
with something: to continue with something or follow it
up • pursuing
a number of lines of inquiry

4.  transitive
verb
seek
somebody persistently for sexual partner: to
make persistent attempts to start a sexual relationship with somebody

5.  transitive
verb
strive
for something: to try hard to achieve or obtain
something over a period of time

6.  transitive
verb
be
ever-present problem for somebody: to be an ongoing,
persistent problem for a person or organization • Poor
investment decisions pursued the company.

7.  transitive
verb
follow
route:
to go along a specified route or direction
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norse pursuer and Old French poursuir from pursivre,
ultimately from Latin prosequi, literally “to follow forward” (see prosecute ).]
—pur·su·a·ble,
adjective

—pur·su·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



pursuit

pursuit
pur·suit 
[pər st] (plural pur·suits) noun

1.  act
of chasing after something: the act of chasing after
somebody or something in order to catch, attack, or overtake that person or
thing

2.  hobby:
a pastime, hobby, or leisure activity

3.  act
of striving for something: the effort made to try to
achieve or obtain something over a period of time • the
pursuit of happiness

4.  U.K.
cycle
race with object of overtaking: a cycle race in which
the riders start from points on opposite sides of a ring-shaped track and race
to overtake each other rather than reach a set finish line first
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norse purseute and Old French poursuite, formed from poursuir
(see pursue ).][1]



pursuitplane

pursuitplane
pur·suit
plane
(plural pur·suit planes) noun

fighter plane:
a fighter plane before World War II[1]



pursuivant

pursuivant
pur·sui·vant 
[púrswivənt, púrssivənt]
(plural pur·sui·vants) noun

1.  junior
officer in college of arms: an officer who ranks below a
herald in a college of arms

2.  follower:
a follower or attendant (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French pursivant, present participle of pursivre “to pursue,”
ultimately from Latin prosequi (see pursue
).][1]



pursy

pursy
pur·sy
[púrssee] (comparative pur·si·er,
superlative pur·si·est) adjective (archaic)

1.  short-winded:
getting out of breath easily

2.  overweight:
weighing more than is healthy
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman porsif, variant of Old French polsif,
from polser “to pant,” from Latin pulsare “to agitate, drive”
(see push ).]
—pur·si·ness, noun[1]



purtenance

purtenance
pur·te·nance 
[púrt’nəns] noun

animal’s
inner organs: the inner organs of an animal (archaic)
[14th century. From an
Anglo-Norman variant of Old French partinance, from partenir (see
pertain ).][1]



purty

purty
pur·ty 
[púrtee] (comparative pur·ti·er,
superlative pur·ti·est) adjective

pretty:
pretty (nonstandard) (regional)
[Early 19th century. From a
variant pronunciation of pretty .][1]



purulent

purulent
pu·ru·lent 
[pyrələnt] adjective

relating
to pus:
relating to, containing, or consisting of pus
[15th
century. From French or Latin purulentus “full of pus,” from the stem pur-
“pus.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English foul .]
—pu·ru·lence
[pyrələns], noun

—pu·ru·lent·ly [pyrələntlee], adverb[1]



purvey

purvey
pur·vey 
[pər váy] (past participle pur·veyed,
present participle pur·vey·ing, 3rd person present singular
pur·veys, plural pur·veyed) transitive verb

1.  supply
goods:
to be a commercial supplier of goods, especially foods (formal)

2.  circulate
gossip:
to publish or pass on news or information, especially gossip, scandal, or other
kinds of information that people generally feel should not be circulated
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman purveier from Latin providere “to provide” (see provide ).][1]



purveyance

purveyance
pur·vey·ance 
[pər váy əns] noun

1.  provision
of food:
the supplying of something, especially food

2.  providing
of supplies for monarch: the task of providing,
collecting, or requisitioning supplies for a king or queen (archaic)

[1]



purveyor

purveyor
pur·vey·or 
[pər váy ər] (plural pur·vey·ors)
noun

1.  commercial
supplier of goods: a person or company
supplying goods, especially foods (formal)

2.  somebody
circulating something: somebody who supplies, deals
in, or circulates anything, especially something that is disapproved of or
ridiculed

3.  officer
providing monarch’s supplies: an officer employed to buy
or commandeer supplies for a king or queen (archaic)

[1]



purview

purview
pur·view 
[púr vy] (plural pur·views) noun

1.  scope
or range:
the scope or range of something, for example, a court’s jurisdiction or
somebody’s knowledge

2.  LAW main
enacting part of written legislation: the
main body of a written piece of legislation that follows the introductory
section or preamble and contains the clauses that state what the law requires
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman purveii and Old French porveii, past participle of porve(i)er
(see purvey ).][1]



purée

purée
pu·rée 
[py ráy, pyə
ráy] or pu·ree [py ráy,
pyə ráy] noun (plural pu·rées)
(plural pu·rees)

food
in form of paste: food that has been made into a thick
moist paste by rubbing it through a sieve, mashing it, or blending it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past pu·réed,
past participle pu·réed, present participle pu·rée·ing,
3rd person present singular pu·rées) (past pu·reed,
past participle pu·reed, present participle pu·ree·ing,
3rd person present singular pu·rees)

make
food into purée: to become a purée, or sieve, mash, or
blend food into a purée • Purée
the vegetables and add them to the stock.
[Early 18th century. From
French purée, from the feminine past participle of purer “to
squeeze out,” literally “to make pure,” from Latin purare, from purus
“pure.”][1]



pus

pus
pus 
[puss] noun

yellowish
liquid produced by infection: the yellowish or greenish
fluid that forms at sites of infection, consisting of dead white blood cells,
dead tissue, bacteria, and blood serum
[14th century. From Latin
(stem pur- ) “pus” (see purulent ).][1]



Pusan

Pusan
Pu·san 
[poo sn]

city and port on Korea Strait
in southeastern South Korea. It is the second largest city in the country.
Population: 3,813,814 (1995)[1]



Puseyism

Puseyism
Pu·sey·ism 
[pyzee ìzzəm] noun

teachings
of Pusey:
the teachings of Edward Bouverie Pusey, leader of the Oxford Movement, who
advocated a renewal of Catholic practices in the Church of England
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Edward Pusey (1800–1882), who advocated the observance of Catholic doctrine in
the Church of England.][1]



push

push
push 
[psh] verb (past pushed,
past participle pushed, present participle push·ing,
3rd person present singular push·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb press
against to move: to press against somebody or something
in order to move that person or object

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb advance
by using pressure or force: to advance or make somebody
or something advance by using pressure or force • She
pushed to the front.

3.  transitive
verb
encourage
somebody strongly: to urge somebody strongly to
take some action or direction • pushed
their children to succeed

4.  transitive
verb
depend
on or exploit something: to depend on or exploit
something to the limits of what is wise or acceptable • Don’t
push your luck, friend.

5.  transitive
verb
use
energy to accomplish something: to use effort or
energy to promote or accomplish something • push
a bill through the legislative process

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
beyond limits: to extend something beyond the usual
limits • pushing
the boundaries of knowledge in this field

7.  transitive
verb
force
something to change: to force something,
especially a financial system, to change in a particular way • a
fear that increased competition will push prices down

8.  transitive
verb
sell
drugs:
to engage in the sale of illegal drugs (slang)

9.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY advance
against enemy: to make a sustained military advance

10. transitive
verb
COMPUTING add
data to pushdown list: to add an item at the top of
a pushdown list
noun
(plural push·es)

1.  application
of pressure: the act of applying pressure to somebody
or something in order to move that person or object

2.  act
of advancing: an act of advancing by using pressure or
force

3.  energetic
effort:
an energetic effort used to promote or accomplish something • make
a push to reform the tax code

4.  determination:
vigorous energy or will to succeed • dynamic
graduates with plenty of push

5.  military
advance:
a sustained military advance • a push
into enemy territory

6.  stimulus:
a stimulus or encouragement that helps the process of starting, finishing, or
changing something

7.  HOCKEY continuous
nudging shot with stick: in field hockey, a shot in
which the ball is moved forward along the ground to another player by the
application of continuous pressure with the stick, instead of being hit

8.  COMPUTING network
service transmitting data: a network service in which
the source of the data initiates the transmission.
See
also
pull
[14th
century. Via French pousser from Latin pulsare, literally “to
drive repeatedly,” from pellere “to drive, thrust” (source of English pulse “beat”).]
be
pushing 40

to
be approaching the age of 40 (informal) (can be applied to other ages)

when
push comes to shove

at the point when something
must be done or a decision must be made[1]



pusharound

pusharound
push
around
transitive verb

deal with somebody in
overbearing way: to treat somebody in a
domineering way, especially by making unfair demands or giving repeated orders,
and generally showing no respect (informal)[1]



pushback

pushback
push·back 
[psh bàk] (plural push·backs)
noun

method of starting field
hockey game: a stick stroke used in
field hockey to start a game or to restart it after a goal has been scored[1]



pushbroom

pushbroom
push
broom
(plural push brooms) noun

wide sweeping brush that is
pushed: a very wide brush designed
to sweep large areas of flooring by pushing[1]



push-button

push-button
push-but·ton
adjective

1.  operated
by pushing button: operated by pushing a button
or buttons to open or close an electrical circuit

2.  equipped
with automatic devices: equipped with modern devices
that perform tasks more or less automatically • the
push-button kitchen

3.  instantly
provided:
obtained, provided, or produced easily and instantly

[1]



pushbutton

pushbutton
push
but·ton
(plural push but·tons) noun

button pushed to operate
electrical circuit: a button
that, when pushed, mechanically opens or closes an electrical circuit, for
example, a doorbell[1]



pushcart

pushcart
push·cart 
[psh krt] (plural push·carts)
noun

lightweight cart pushed by
hand: a cart or barrow light
enough to be pushed by hand, for example, one from which goods are sold • vendors
selling their wares from pushcarts[1]



pushchair

pushchair
push·chair
[psh chàir] (plural push·chairs)
noun

U.K.
lightweight wheeled chair for baby:
a lightweight wheeled chair for pushing a baby or young child around in,
especially one that can be folded or collapsed for easy storage.
See also
stroller[1]



pushdown

pushdown
push·down 
[psh dòwn] (plural push·downs)
noun

computer storage technique:
a technique for organizing a list or storage of data in which the item most
recently added to the list or storage becomes the next item to be retrieved.
This is also called a last in, first out (or LIFO) algorithm. • a
pushdown stack[1]



pushed

pushed
pushed
[psht] adjective (informal)

1.  short
of something: lacking in something, usually time • We’re
pushed for time now.

2.  almost
unable to do something: able to do something only
with difficulty or effort

[1]



pusher

pusher
push·er 
[pshər] (plural push·ers) noun

1.  seller
of illegal drugs: somebody who sells illegal drugs,
especially addictive drugs (slang)

2.  somebody
fiercely competitive or ambitious: somebody ambitious who
is always trying aggressively to outdo others (informal)

[1]



pushing

pushing
push·ing 
[pshing] adjective

1.  ambitious:
showing energy, initiative, and ambition

2.  assertive:
aggressively self-confident or assertive
—push·ing·ly,
adverb

—push·ing·ness, noun[1]



Pushkin,Aleksandr Sergeyevich

Pushkin,Aleksandr Sergeyevich

Push·kin
[pshkin], Aleksandr Sergeyevich (1799–1837)
Russian writer. He was an author of
plays, novels, and short stories, and his best-known works include the verse
novel Eugene Onegin ( 1831 ) and the tragic play Boris Godunov (
1825 ).[1]



pushoff

pushoff
push
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
boat away from mooring: to move a boat out into open
water, away from the place where it has been tied up

2.  intransitive
verb
go
away:
to leave or go away (informal)

[1]



pushon

pushon
push
on
intransitive verb

continue journey or task:
to continue on a journey, or carry on with an activity with renewed
determination or effort[1]



pushover

pushover
push·o·ver 
[psh vər] (plural push·o·vers)
noun (informal)

1.  easy
victim:
somebody who is easily persuaded, deceived, or defeated

2.  something
easy to do:
something that is very easy to do, deal with, or succeed at

[1]



pushpin

pushpin
push·pin 
[psh pìn] (plural push·pins) noun

tack with cylindrical head:
a tack with a cylindrical head, used to fix paper or other lightweight
materials to a wall or bulletin board[1]



push-pull

push-pull
push-pull
adjective

transmitting current
alternately: used to describe an
electronic circuit in which two components are arranged so that an alternating
input makes them transmit a current alternately. This type of circuit is
commonly used in audio amplifiers to reduce harmonic distortion.[1]



pushrod

pushrod
push
rod
(plural push rods) noun

cam-driven metal rod:
a metal rod operated by a cam to open and close a valve in an internal
combustion engine[1]



pushthrough

pushthrough
push
through
transitive verb

get something accepted
quickly: to get something accepted or
agreed quickly, especially by using persuasion or force[1]



pushup

pushup
push·up 
[psh ùp] (plural push·ups) noun

1.  Australia,
Canada, U.S. exercise of raising body from
floor:
a physical exercise in which, from a position of lying flat on the front with
the hands under the shoulders, the body is pushed off the floor until the arms
are straight

2.  COMPUTING computer
storage technique: a set of stored data in
which the first item to be retrieved is the one stored earliest

[1]



pushy

pushy
push·y 
[pshee] (comparative push·i·er,
superlative push·i·est) adjective

unpleasantly
competitive or forceful: excessively aggressive or
forceful in competing or dealing with others (informal) • pushy
sales techniques
—push·i·ly,
adverb

—push·i·ness, noun[1]



pusillanimous

pusillanimous
pu·sil·lan·i·mous 
[pyssi lánniməss] adjective

weak-spirited:
showing a lack of courage or determination (formal)
[15th
century. Formed from late Latin pusillanimis, from pusillis “very
small” + animus “mind.”]
—pu·sil·la·nim·i·ty
[pyssilə nímmətee], noun

—pu·sil·lan·i·mous·ly
[pyssi lánniməsslee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



puss

puss2
puss2  [pss]
(plural puss·es) noun

face:
somebody’s face or mouth (slang) • a
familiar puss
[Late 19th century. From
Irish pus “lip, mouth.”][1]



puss

puss1
puss1  [pss]
(plural puss·es) noun (informal)

1.  cat:
an affectionate word used for or to address a cat (often used by or to
children)

2.  girl
or woman:
an affectionately intended word for a girl or woman (considered offensive by
many people)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German pūs, of unknown origin.][1]



pussley

pussley
puss·ley 
[pússlee] (plural pus·s·leys or
puss·ley) noun

See
purslane
[Early 19th century.
Alteration.][1]



pussy

pussy2
puss·y2  [pssee]
(plural puss·ies) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for the vulva (taboo offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for sexual intercourse with a woman (slang offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for women regarded as a source of sexual pleasure (slang
offensive)
[See pussy 1][1]



pussy

pussy1
puss·y1  [pssee]
(plural puss·ies) noun

1.  cat:
an affectionate word used for or to address a cat (informal) (often
used by or to children)

2.  catkin:
a furry hanging flower ( catkin ) that some
trees produce, especially the catkin of the pussy willow tree
[Late 16th century. Coined
from puss 1 + -y . Originally a term of endearment for a girl or
woman.][1]



pussy

pussy3
pus·sy3  [pússee]
(comparative pus·si·er, superlative pus·si·est) adjective

full
of pus:
resembling or full of pus
[Late 19th century. Formed
from pus .][1]



pussycat

pussycat
puss·y·cat 
[pssee kàt] (plural puss·y·cats)
noun

1.  cat:
an affectionate word for a cat (often used by or to children)

2.  somebody
gentle and amiable: somebody who is gentle and
easy-going (informal)

[1]



pussyfoot

pussyfoot
puss·y·foot 
[pssee ft] (past puss·y·foot·ed,
past participle puss·y·foot·ed, present participle puss·y·foot·ing,
3rd person present singular puss·y·foots) intransitive verb
(informal)

1.  behave
hesitantly or speak vaguely: to behave hesitantly or
indecisively, or avoid speaking frankly or openly

2.  move
stealthily:
to move quietly and usually secretively

[1]



pussytoes

pussytoes
puss·y·toes 
[pssee tz] (plural puss·y·toes)
noun

woolly
herb:
a low-growing perennial herb of the composite family with woolly leaves and
clusters of small whitish flower heads resembling a cat’s paws. Genus: Antennaria
[Late 19th century. So-called
because the plant resembles a cat’s paw.][1]



pussywillow

pussywillow

puss·y
wil·low
noun

1.  N
American willow tree: a North American willow
shrub or small tree that has fluffy gray flowers ( catkins
) along its branches. Latin name: Salix discolor

2.        willow
tree: a willow tree. Genus: Salix[1]



pustulant

pustulant
pus·tu·lant 
[púschələnt] adjective

causing
pustules:
causing pustules to form on the skin
noun
(plural pus·tu·lants)

substance causing pustules:
a substance that causes pustules to form on the skin[1]



pustulate

pustulate
pus·tu·late 
intransitive and transitive verb [púschə
làyt] (past pus·tu·lat·ed, past participle pus·tu·lat·ed,
present participle pus·tu·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
pus·tu·lates)

cause
or form pustules: to become covered with pustules, or
cause pustules to form on the skin
adjective
[púschə làyt, púschələt]

having
pustules:
covered with pustules
—pus·tu·la·tion [pùschə láysh’n], noun[1]



pustule

pustule
pus·tule 
[pús chl] (plural pus·tules) noun

1.  ANATOMY pimple:
a small round raised area of inflamed skin filled with pus

2.  BIOLOGY raised
discolored spot: a small raised discolored area,
especially on a plant
[14th
century. From Latin pustula .]
—pus·tu·lar [púschələr], adjective[1]



put

put
put 
[pt] transitive verb (past put,
past participle put, present participle put·ting, 3rd
person present singular puts)

1.  place
something:
to move something into a particular place or position • I
put my arms around her. • They
put the child’s money into a trust fund.

2.  cause
somebody to go: to cause somebody to go to a place and
stay there for a period of time

3.  place
somebody in situation: to place somebody or
something in a particular state or situation

4.  make
somebody do something: to make somebody do
something • She
was put to work in the garden.

5.  make
somebody have something: to make somebody or
something have or be affected by something • They
put pressure on him to accept the offer.

6.  express
judgment of something: to express or experience a
feeling about somebody or something • put
your trust in sb

7.  use
something:
to use or apply something for a particular purpose • Put
your mind to it.

8.  invest
something:
to invest money, time, or effort in something • We
offered to put some money into the scheme.

9.  express
something:
to express or state something in a particular way • put
sth into words

10. create
specified distance: to create a distance of time
or space between the self and something or somebody else

11. bring
something up for somebody: to bring something up as a
question, vote, or proposal for somebody • Feel
free to put your questions to the president.

12. set
words to music: to provide words with a musical form • put
the words to music

13. estimate
something:
to make an estimate of something, for example, the time • I
put the time at about 11 o’clock.

14. set
restriction: to set a limit or a restriction • We
must put a stop to this at once!

15. write
or print something: to change or translate
information from one kind of language to another

16. place
bet:
to bet an amount of money on a race or contest

17. throw
heavy metal ball: to throw the heavy metal ball in the
shot put
noun

1.  throw
of heavy metal ball: in the shot put, a throw of
the heavy metal ball

2.  put
(plural puts) or put op·tion (plural put
op·tions) STOCK EXCHANGE option
to sell:
a type of option giving the owner of an underlying asset the right to sell a
set quantity at a set price during a specific time period
[Assumed
Old English putian “to urge”]
not
know where to put yourself

to
feel embarrassed (informal)

stay
put

1.  remain
in the same place

2.  of
a mixture, to remain combined and mixed together

[1]



putabout

putabout
put
about
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL change course:
to make a ship change course, or to change course

2.  transitive
verb
circulate
information: to circulate something such as news or
gossip

[1]



putacross

putacross
put
across
transitive verb

communicate
something clearly: to make something understood
or accepted by expressing it clearly
put
one across somebody

to deceive or trick somebody
(informal)[1]



putamen

putamen
pu·ta·men 
[pyoo táymən] (plural pu·tam·i·na
[pyoo támmənə]) noun

stone
inside fruit: the stone inside a peach, plum, apricot,
or other similar fruit (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “shell, peel,” from putare “to prune” (see putative ).][1]



putaside

putaside
put
aside
transitive verb

1.  separate
something for discarding or saving: to
separate something from something else and discard it or save it for later use

2.  ignore
something:
to disregard something • They
agreed to put aside their differences.

3.  set
something down: to stop holding, looking at, or
concentrating on something and set it to one side

[1]



putative

putative
pu·ta·tive 
[pytətiv] adjective

1.  generally
accepted:
generally believed to be or regarded as being something

2.  thought
to exist:
believed to exist now or to have existed at some time
[15th
century. From French putatif or late Latin putativus, formed from
putare “to prune, think over” (source of English computer and amputate
).]
—pu·ta·tive·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word putare, from which putative
  is derived, is also the source of English account,
  amputate, compute, count,
  deputy, dispute,
  impute, recount,
  and reputation.

[1]



putaway

putaway
put
away
transitive verb

1.  put
something in usual storage place: to put something in
the place where it is normally stored or kept ready for use

2.  save
something for the future: to save something,
especially money, for future use

3.  eat
food quickly: to eat food, especially quickly,
greedily, or in large quantities (informal)

4.  confine
somebody:
to put somebody in prison or another form of confinement (informal)

5.  See
put down  verb 6

6.  beat
opponent decisively: to beat an opponent decisively
in a sporting event (slang)

[1]



put-back

put-back
put-back
(plural put-backs) noun

rebound:
an offensive rebound consisting of tipping the basketball back up toward the
basket from a short distance[1]



putback

putback
put
back
transitive verb

1.  return
something to where it belongs: to return something to
the place it was taken from or to the place where it is normally kept

2.  pay
something back: to give something back to a person or
group in exchange for help or benefits received

3.  restore
something to operation: to restore machine to
operation

4.  restore
pieces to whole: to restore pieces or fragments to a
unified whole

5.  delay
or postpone something: to delay somebody or
something, or postpone something

6.  make
clock show earlier time: to change the time on a
clock so that it shows an earlier time

7.  drink
alcohol quickly: to drink alcoholic drinks, especially
quickly

[1]



putby

putby
put
by
transitive verb

save money for future:
to save something, especially money, for future use[1]



putdown

putdown
put
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
write
something:
to write something on paper

2.  transitive
verb
suppress
rebellion:
to use force to bring a rebellion to an end

3.  transitive
verb
disparage
or belittle somebody: to make somebody or
something appear ridiculous or unimportant by being critical or scornful (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
pay
deposit on something: to pay part of the cost of a
purchase as a deposit

5.  transitive
verb
attribute
something to something: to give something as or
understand something to be a cause or reason for something else • I
put his unfriendliness down to shyness.

6.  transitive
verb
kill
animal humanely: to kill an animal in a humane way,
usually because it is old, injured, or terminally ill

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb land
airplane:
to land an aircraft somewhere

8.  transitive
verb
put
child to bed: to put a baby or small child to bed

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill

[1]



putdown

putdown
put·down
[pt dòwn] (plural put·downs) noun

crushing remark:
a critical or scornful remark intended to make somebody appear ridiculous or
unimportant (informal)[1]



putforth

putforth
put
forth
transitive verb (formal)

1.  make
something known: to make something known, for example, by
stating it, publishing it, or formally submitting it for discussion

2.  grow
leaves or other parts: to send out new leaves or
new growth

3.  exert
effort:
to exert strength or make an effort in an attempt to accomplish something

4.  start
trip:
to begin a trip or voyage

[1]



putforward

putforward
put
forward
transitive verb

1.  make
something known: to make something known, for example, by
stating it, publishing it, or formally submitting it for discussion

2.  offer
somebody as candidate: to suggest somebody as a
candidate for something

3.  arrange
for something to happen earlier: to arrange for
something to happen at a time earlier than originally planned

[1]



putin

putin
put
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
give
time or energy: to devote time or effort

2.  transitive
verb
make
claim:
to make a claim or application for something

3.  transitive
verb
say
something:
to make a remark, especially to add something to a conversation

4.  transitive
verb
make
telephone call: to make a telephone call to somebody and
expect that it will be returned

5.  intransitive
verb
bring
ship into port: to bring a ship into a port, especially
for a short stay

[1]



putlog

putlog
put·log 
[pt lòg] (plural put·logs) noun

CONSTRUCTION bar
supporting scaffolding floor: a short horizontal bar or
beam that helps to support the planks forming the floor of a scaffold
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from put, past participle of put
+ log .][1]



putoff

putoff
put
off
transitive verb

1.  postpone
something:
to delay or postpone something

2.  delay
or hinder somebody: to delay somebody or stop
somebody from acting or proceeding

3.  make
somebody disgusted: to disgust or repel somebody

4.  discourage
somebody:
to make somebody lose interest in or enthusiasm for something

5.  take
clothing off: to remove clothes or an article of
clothing (archaic) • Put
off that wet cloak.
put
somebody off his or her stride

to distract somebody from
what he or she is doing and make that person do it less well[1]



puton

puton
put
on
transitive verb

1.  start
something operating: to make something electrical
or mechanical start operating, for example, by turning a knob or pressing a
switch

2.  cover
with clothing: to cover the body or a part of the body
with clothing, headgear, footwear, or other accessories

3.  apply
something to skin: to apply something, for
example, makeup or lotion, to the skin

4.  organize
something:
to organize and present an event, for example, a theatrical entertainment

5.  gain
or add something: to gain something that is additional or
extra • He’s
been putting on weight.

6.  prescribe
something for somebody: to prescribe something for
somebody, for example, medication or a special diet

7.  adopt
false behavior: to adopt an attitude or way of behaving
that is false or insincere

8.  provide
something:
to provide something as a service or facility

9.  make
something subject to imposition: to impose something
such as a tax or a restriction

10. place
bet:
to make a bet, or offer money as a stake for a bet

11. hand
telephone to somebody: to hand a telephone to
somebody so that he or she can speak to somebody on the other end

12. tease
somebody:
to make fun of somebody, especially by pretending something (informal) • You’re
putting me on.

[1]



put-on

put-on
put-on 
adjective

false:
assumed or adopted for effect or in order to deceive • a
put-on accent
noun
(plural put-ons) (informal)

1.  false
outer appearance: an exterior appearance intended to
deceive or mislead somebody

2.  act
of teasing somebody: the act of intentionally
deceiving or giving somebody the wrong impression, especially for humorous
effect

3.  prank:
an instance of teasing somebody, especially as a joke

[1]



putout

putout
put
out
adjective

irritated:
having been inconvenienced, upset, annoyed, or offended by somebody or
something • I
do feel a little put out that you didn’t invite me.[1]



putout

putout
put
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
extinguish
light or fire: to switch off a light or extinguish a
fire

2.  transitive
verb
annoy
somebody:
to annoy, upset, or offend somebody • He was
very put out with me.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something known: to make something widely known, for
example, by announcing or broadcasting it

4.  transitive
verb
cause
inconvenience: to cause somebody inconvenience

5.  transitive
verb
to
cause injury to something: to cause injury to a part of
the body • I
put my back out

6.  transitive
verb
produce
something:
to manufacture or produce something

7.  intransitive
verb
agree
to sex:
of a woman, to agree to have sex (slang) (often considered offensive)

8.  transitive
verb
eliminate
player:
to eliminate a player from a game or competition • The
referee put the team’s coach out of the game.

9.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL retire
somebody:
to retire a batter or base runner

10. intransitive
verb
set
off in boat: to start sailing in a boat after a
period spent at rest in harbor or on shore
put
somebody out to pasture

to make somebody retire[1]



putout

putout
put·out 
[pt òwt] (plural put·outs) noun

BASEBALL
play in which somebody is retired:
a play in which a batter or base runner is retired[1]



putover

putover
put
over
transitive verb

make
something understood: to make something understood
by expressing it clearly
put
one over (on somebody)

to make somebody believe or
accept something by using deceit (informal)[1]



put-put

put-put
put-put 
[pùt pút] or putt-putt [pùt pút] noun (plural put-puts)
(plural putt-putts) (informal)

1.  sound
of small engine: the sound made by a small gasoline
engine, especially an old or broken one

2.  gasoline
engine:
a small gasoline engine

3.  vehicle
with gasoline engine: a vehicle, especially a
boat, fitted with a small gasoline engine
intransitive
verb
(past put-put·ted, past participle put-put·ted, present
participle put-put·ting, 3rd person present singular put-puts)
(past putt-put·ted, past participle putt-put·ted, present
participle putt-put·ting, 3rd person present singular putt-putts)

move slowly under little power:
to move slowly or hesistantly under the power of a small gasoline engine (informal)
[An imitation of the sound][1]



putrefy

putrefy
pu·tre·fy 
[pytrə f] (past pu·tre·fied,
past participle pu·tre·fied, present participle pu·tre·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular pu·tre·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become putrid: to decay or make something decay with a
foul smell
[15th
century. From Latin putrefacere, from putr-, the stem of puter
“putrid” (see putrid ) + facere “to
make.”]
—pu·tre·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—pu·tre·fi·er,
noun

—pu·tre·fac·tion
[pytrə fákshən], noun

—pu·tre·fac·tive [pytrə fáktiv], adjective[1]



putrescent

putrescent
pu·tres·cent 
[pyoo tréss’nt] adjective

1.  decaying:
decaying or rotting

2.  relating
to decay:
relating to the process of decay
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin putrescent-, present participle stem of putrescere,
literally “to begin to rot,” from, ultimately, putr-, the stem of puter
“rotten.”]
—pu·tres·cence, noun[1]



putrescible

putrescible
pu·tres·ci·ble 
[pyoo tréssəb’l] adjective

capable
of decaying: capable of decaying or rotting
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin putrescere “to become rotten,” ultimately from putr
(see putrid ).][1]



putrescine

putrescine
pu·tres·cine 
[pyoo tré sn, pyoo
tréssin] noun

compound
produced by decaying flesh: a colorless crystalline
compound ( ptomaine ) formed during the
decay of flesh. C4H12N2
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin putrescere “to become rotten,” ultimately from putr-
(see putrid ).][1]



putrid

putrid
pu·trid 
[pytrid] adjective

1.  decaying
with disgusting smell: rotting and giving off a
foul smell

2.  disgusting:
physically or morally disgusting

3.  worthless:
worthless or contemptible (informal)
[15th
century. From Latin putridus “rotten,” from, ultimately, putr-,
stem of puter . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English filth and potpourri .]
—pu·trid·i·ty
[pyoo tríddətee], noun

—pu·trid·ly
[pytridlee], adverb

—pu·trid·ness [pytridnəss], noun[1]



putsch

putsch
putsch 
[pch] (plural putsches) noun

military
coup:
a sudden planned attempt to overthrow a government using military force
[Early
20th century. From Swiss German, “thrust, blow.”]
—putsch·ist, noun[1]



putt

putt
putt 
[put] intransitive and transitive verb
(past putt·ed, past participle putt·ed, present
participle putt·ing, 3rd person present singular putts)

GOLF hit
golf ball with tapping stroke: to hit a golf ball
with a gentle tapping stroke along the ground on a green, aiming for the hole
noun
(plural putts)

GOLF tapping
golf stroke: a gentle tapping stroke that hits a golf
ball along the ground on a green, aiming for the hole
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
put .][1]



puttee

puttee
put·tee 
[pu t, púttee]
(plural put·tees) noun

1.  cloth
strip wound around lower leg: a strip of cloth wrapped
around the lower leg from the ankle to the knee, especially one worn as part of
a military uniform

2.  leather
covering for lower leg: a leather legging or gaiter
that covers the lower leg
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi patti, from Sanskrit pattika “bandage, strip of cloth.”][1]



putter

putter1
put·ter1  [púttər]
(past put·tered, past participle put·tered, present
participle put·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular put·ters)
intransitive verb

pass
time with trivial things: to do trivial or unimportant
tasks in a random, leisurely way • just
puttering in the garden.
U.K.
term
potter
[Late
19th century. Variant of potter .]
—put·ter·er, noun[1]



putter

putter2
put·ter2  [púttər]
(plural put·ters) noun

1.  golf
club for use on green: a golf club with a
flat-faced metal head, for hitting a golf ball with a gentle tapping stroke on
a green

2.  putting
golfer:
a golfer who is in the process of putting

[1]



putthrough

putthrough
put
through
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody undergo something: to make somebody experience
something difficult or unpleasant

2.  carry
something out: to process something or take it to a
successful conclusion

3.  connect
by telephone: to connect somebody by telephone to
somebody else

4.  make
telephone call: to make a telephone call to somebody

[1]



puttinggreen

puttinggreen
putt·ing
green 
(plural putt·ing greens) noun

1.  See
green  noun 7

2.  lawn
for practicing putting strokes: a lawn with holes for
practicing putting strokes

[1]



putto

putto
put
to
verb

1.  transitive
verb
submit
to somebody: to submit a statement or question to
somebody for a response • I put
it to you that you are not telling us the whole truth.

2.  intransitive
verb
bring
boat to shore: to tie up a boat in a sheltered spot or
harbor

3.  intransitive
verb
put
horse between shafts: to hitch a horse to a cart
or other vehicle (archaic)

[1]



putto

putto
put·to
[p t] (plural put·ti [p t]) noun

cherub:
in art especially of the baroque period, an infant boy or cherub, often
portrayed with wings
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin putus “boy.”][1]



putty

putty
put·ty 
[púttee] noun

1.  paste
used in glazing windows: a paste with the consistency
of dough made from linseed oil and powdered chalk, used to fix glass into
wooden window frames and to fill holes in wood

2.  paste
forming top coat on plaster: a thin paste of lime, water,
and sand or plaster of Paris, used as a finishing coat on plaster

3.  COLORS light
gray color:
a light gray color tinged with yellow
adjective

COLORS light
gray:
of a light gray color with a tinge of yellow
transitive
verb
(past put·tied, past participle put·tied, present
participle put·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular put·ties)

fix or repair something with putty:
to fix windows into wooden frames, or fill holes in wood, using putty
[Mid-17th
century. From French potée, originally “potful,” from pot “pot”
(see pot 1 ).]
be
putty in somebody’s hands

to be easily influenced and
controlled by somebody[1]



puttyknife

puttyknife
put·ty
knife
noun

tool for spreading putty:
a tool similar to a knife with a blunt wide flexible blade, especially one used
by glaziers to spread putty onto wooden window frames[1]



puttypowder

puttypowder
put·ty
pow·der
noun

powder for polishing metal
and glass: a powder consisting of tin
oxide or a mixture of tin and lead oxides that is used for polishing metal and
glass[1]



puttyroot

puttyroot
put·ty·root 
[pútti rt] (plural put·ty·roots)
noun

orchid
with brownish flower: a North American orchid that
has only one leaf and a brown or purplish brown flower. Latin name: Aplectrum
hyemale
[Mid-19th century. So called
because of the substance found in the plant’s corm that resembles cement.][1]



put-up

put-up
put-up 
adjective

done dishonestly:
fraudulently, dishonestly, or deviously planned or organized (informal)
• Was
the fire a put-up job?[1]



putup

putup
put
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
provide
money:
to offer or provide something, especially money

2.  transitive
verb
build
something:
to build or erect something

3.  transitive
verb
fasten
something to wall: to fasten something to a
wall, fence, or other upright surface

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
or find shelter and food: to give somebody
accommodations, or find accommodations somewhere • put
us up for the night

5.  transitive
verb
offer
for sale:
to offer something for sale • The
house contents were put up for sale at auction.

6.  transitive
verb
pile
hair on top of head: to fix long hair in a style
that is coiled or piled on the top of the head and then secured, usually with
hairpins

7.  transitive
verb
engage
in something: to engage in or carry on something • put
up a fight

8.  transitive
verb
assemble
and package something: to assemble something,
especially according to particular instructions or specifications, and then
package it appropriately for storage or transport

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
somebody as candidate: to offer somebody as a
candidate

10. transitive
verb
increase
something:
to raise or increase something

11. transitive
verb
return
something to storage: place something where it
belongs for storage • They’ll
put up their tools when the project is done.

12. transitive
verb
can
fruits or vegetables: to preserve fruits or
vegetables • We
put up a dozen jars of apple jelly.

13. transitive
verb
return
weapon to holder: to return a weapon taken out for use to
its holder (archaic)
put
up or shut up

used
to indicate that somebody should either do something about something or else
stop talking about it (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at build

[1]



put-upon

put-upon
put-up·on
adjective

badly treated:
treated badly, especially by being taken advantage of or being asked to do an
excessive amount of work[1]



putupon

putupon
put
upon
transitive verb

treat somebody badly:
to treat somebody badly or take advantage of somebody[1]



putup to

putup to
put
up to
transitive verb

encourage somebody to do
something bad: to encourage or
persuade somebody to do something unpleasant or destructive[1]



putup with

putup with
put
up with
transitive verb

tolerate somebody:
to tolerate or accept somebody or something calmly[1]



putz

putz
putz 
[puts] (plural putz·es) noun

1.  unintelligent
person:
a very unintelligent and unpleasant person (informal insult)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a penis (offensive slang)
[Early 20th century. From
Yiddish potz “fool, penis.”][1]



Puyde Sancy

Puyde Sancy
Puy
de San·cy
[pwee də saaN s]

mountain in central France.
It is the highest peak in the Massif Central. Height: 1,886 m/6,188 ft.[1]



puzzle

puzzle
puz·zle 
[púzz’l] transitive verb (past
puz·zled, past participle puz·zled, present participle
puz·zling, 3rd person present singular puz·zles)

confuse somebody:
to confuse somebody by being difficult or impossible to understand
noun
(plural puz·zles)

1.  difficult
problem or situation: a problem that is difficult
or impossible to solve or a situation that is difficult to resolve

2.  somebody
mysterious:
somebody whose behavior or motives are difficult to understand

3.  game
of skill or intelligence: a game or toy designed to
test skill or intelligence
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at problem

[1]



puzzlement

puzzlement
puz·zle·ment 
[púzz’lmənt] noun

puzzled state:
a state of confusion resulting from an inability to understand or to deal with
something[1]



puzzleout

puzzleout
puzzle
out
transitive verb

struggle to understand
something by logic: to use
logic or reasoning to reach an understanding of something confusing or
complicated[1]



puzzleover

puzzleover
puzzle
over
transitive verb

think hard about something:
to spend time thinking about and trying to understand something confusing or
complicated[1]



puzzlepalace

puzzlepalace
puz·zle
pal·ace
(plural puz·zle pal·aces) noun

place where secret decisions
are made: a place, especially a
government department, where important decisions are made in great secrecy (slang)[1]



puzzler

puzzler
puz·zler
[púzzlər] (plural puz·zlers) noun

1.  something
confusing or challenging: something confusing,
mystifying, or testing skill or intelligence

2.  solver
of puzzles:
somebody who enjoys solving puzzles

[1]



PVA

PVA
PVA
noun

colorless resin used in
adhesives: a colorless resin used in
adhesives and paints. Full form polyvinyl
acetate[1]



PVC

PVC
PVC 
noun

tough synthetic material:
a hard-wearing synthetic resin made by polymerizing vinyl chloride, used for
making flooring, piping, and clothing. Full form polyvinyl chloride[1]



PVO

PVO
PVO

Abbreviation of
private voluntary organization[1]



PVS

PVS
PVS

Abbreviation of
persistent vegetative state[1]



Pvt.

Pvt.
Pvt.

Abbreviation of
private[1]



p.w.

p.w.
p.w.

Abbreviation of
per week[1]



PWA

PWA
PWA

Abbreviation
of
person with AIDS
noun
(plural PWAs) PWA P.W.A.

Abbreviation of
Public Works Administration[1]



PWC

PWC
PWC
(plural PWCs)

Abbreviation of
personal watercraft[1]



PWR

PWR
PWR
(plural PWRs)

Abbreviation of
pressurized-water reactor[1]



pwt.

pwt.
pwt.

Abbreviation of
pennyweight[1]



PX

PX
PX
(plural PXs) noun

MILITARY
military base store:
a store in a military base selling goods to military personnel and their
families, as well as to some authorized civilians. Full form Post
Exchange[1]



py-

py-
py-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pyo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








pya

pya
py·a 
[pee , pyaa]
(plural py·as) noun

1.  minor
unit of Myanmar currency: a minor unit of currency in
Myanmar, 100 of which are worth a kyat

2.  coin
equivalent to pya: a coin worth a pya, 100 of
which are worth a kyat
[Mid-20th century. From Burmese
.][1]



pycnidium

pycnidium
pyc·nid·i·um 
[pik níddee əm] (plural pyc·nid·i·a
[pik níddee ə]) noun

asexual
structure in fungus: an asexual flask-shaped
structure in some fungi
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, where it was formed from Greek puknos “dense.”][1]



pycno-

pycno-
pycno-
prefix

dense,
density • pycnometer
[From Greek puknos
“strong, thick, dense”][1]



pycnogonid

pycnogonid
pyc·nog·o·nid 
[pik nóggənid, pìknə
gónnid] (plural pyc·nog·o·nids) noun

See
sea spider
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Pycnogonida from pycnogonum, the genus name of these
arthropods, from pycno- + Greek gonu “knee.”][1]



pycnometer

pycnometer
pyc·nom·e·ter 
[pik nómmətər] (plural pyc·nom·e·ters)
noun

standardized
vessel for determining relative density: a
standard container of accurately defined volume used to determine the relative
density of liquids and solids
—pyc·no·met·ric [pìknə méttrik], adjective[1]



pye-dog

pye-dog
pye-dog
[p dòg] (plural pye-dogs) noun

Asian
stray dog:
a stray, half-wild dog found in villages in Asia.
Also
called
pariah dog
[Mid-19th century. Pye of
uncertain origin: probably a contraction of pariah(-dog), or from Hindi pahi
“outsider.”][1]



pyel-

pyel-
pyel-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
pyelo-[1]



pyelitis

pyelitis
py·e·li·tis 
[p ə ltiss] noun

inflammation
of kidney part: inflammation of the part of the kidney (
pelvis ) from which urine drains into the
tube leading to the bladder, sometimes caused by a bacterial infection that may
occur during pregnancy
—py·e·lit·ic [p ə líttik], adjective[1]



pyelo-

pyelo-
pyelo-
prefix

kidney,
pelvis of the kidney • pyelonephritis
[From Greek puelos
“basin, trough”][1]



pyelogram

pyelogram
pye·lo·gram 
[p ələ gràm] (plural pye·lo·grams)
noun

X-ray of kidney:
an X-ray of the urine-collecting part of the kidney. The X-ray is taken
following the introduction of a contrast medium, either into the bloodstream or
directly into the kidney in order to highlight the internal structures.[1]



pyelography

pyelography
pye·log·ra·phy 
[p ə lóggrəfee] noun

examination
of kidneys with X-rays: the branch of radiography
dealing with the kidneys and surrounding tissue, usually involving introduction
of a contrast medium to highlight the internal structures
—pye·lo·graph·ic [p ələ gráffik], adjective[1]



pyelonephritis

pyelonephritis
py·e·lo·ne·phri·tis 
[p ə lō nə frtiss] noun

kidney
inflammation: inflammation of the kidney, including
both the urine-forming and urine-collecting parts
[Mid-19th century. From pyelitis + nephritis
.][1]



pygidium

pygidium
py·gid·i·um 
[pī jíddee əm] (plural py·gid·i·a
[pī jíddee ə]) noun

1.  hindmost
part of invertebrate: the hindmost part of the
body in some insects, worms, and other invertebrates

2.  covering
for part of invertebrate abdomen: a protective covering
of the anal portion of the abdomen of some invertebrates
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek puge “rump” + -idium .]
—py·gid·i·al, adjective[1]



Pygmalion

Pygmalion
Pyg·ma·lion 
[pig máylee ən] noun

Cypriot king who sculpted
Galatea: a king of Cyprus in Greek
mythology who fell in love with the goddess Aphrodite and made a statue of her
that she brought to life as Galatea[1]



Pygmy

Pygmy
Pyg·my 
[pígmee] (plural Pyg·mies) or
Pig·my [pígmee] (plural Pig·mies)
noun

1.  See
Negrillo

2.  See
Negrito

[1]



pygmy

pygmy
pyg·my 
[pígmee] or pig·my [pígmee] noun (plural pyg·mies)
(plural pig·mies)

1.  somebody
shorter than average: somebody who is of shorter
than average height (often considered offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that insults somebody’s importance, especially in a
particular field (offensive)
adjective

of small breed:
belonging to a small breed (offensive in some contexts) • a
pygmy hippopotamus
[14th century. Via Latin pygmaei
(plural) from, ultimately, Greek pugmaios (singular) “dwarfish,” from pugmē
“distance from the elbow to the knuckles.”][1]



pygmychimpanzee

pygmychimpanzee
pyg·my
chim·pan·zee (plural pyg·my chim·pan·zees)
noun

small West African
chimpanzee: a species of chimpanzee from
West Africa that is smaller than other chimpanzees, with a lighter build and
darker color. Latin name: Pan paniscus[1]



pyjamas

pyjamas
py·ja·mas

U.K. =
pajamas[1]



Pyle,Ernie

Pyle,Ernie

Pyle
[pīl], Ernie (1900–1945)
U.S.
journalist. Known for his front-line reports during World War II, he was killed
in fighting near Okinawa.
Full name
Pyle, Ernest Taylor[1]



Pyle,Howard

Pyle,Howard
Pyle
[pīl], Howard (1853–1911)

U.S. illustrator and writer.
His work often deals with American history and medieval folklore.[1]



pylon

pylon
py·lon 
[p lòn, plən]
(plural py·lons) noun

1.  metal
tower supporting high-voltage cables: a
tall metal tower typically made of crisscrossing steel bars that supports
high-voltage cables across a long span

2.  airfield
tower to guide pilot: a tower erected at an
airfield to mark a course for pilots, for example, in a race

3.  See
traffic cone

4.  bracket
fixing something to aircraft body: a rigid metal bracket
that attaches an external aircraft part such as an engine, fuel tank, or
armament to the main body of the aircraft

5.  tall
vertical part of structure: a tall vertical structure on
or forming part of a building or other construction, especially an ancient
structure, for example, a decorative gateway or a monumental pillar
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
pulōn “gateway,” from pulē “gate.”][1]



pylorectomy

pylorectomy
py·lo·rec·to·my
[plə réktəmee] (plural py·lo·rec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of pylorus:
the surgical removal of all or part of the pylorus, sometimes including the
removal of part of the stomach
[Late 19th century. Coined
from pylorus + -ectomy
.][1]



pylorus

pylorus
py·lo·rus 
[pī láwrəss] (plural py·lo·ri
[pī láw r]) noun

opening
from stomach into bowel: the thick muscular ring ( sphincter ) surrounding the outlet of the stomach
into the duodenum. It closes to prevent unduly large lumps of food from
leaving, thus enabling stomach acid and enzymes to break them down further.
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek puloros “gatekeeper,” from pulē
“gate.”]
—py·lo·ric, adjective[1]



Pynchon,Thomas

Pynchon,Thomas
Pyn·chon
[pínchən], Thomas (1937– )

U.S. novelist. His works,
known for their intricate plots and experimental techniques, include V (
1963 ) and Gravity’s Rainbow ( 1973 ).[1]



pyo-

pyo-
pyo-
prefix

pus
• pyoderma
[From Greek puon .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to rot,” which is also the
ancestor of English foul, putrid, and purulent
.][1]



PYO

PYO
PYO

Abbreviation of
pick your own[1]



pyoderma

pyoderma
py·o·der·ma 
[p ə dúrmə] noun

skin disease:
a skin infection causing the development of pus or pustules[1]



pyogenesis

pyogenesis
py·o·gen·e·sis 
[p ə jénnəssiss] noun

pus
formation:
the formation or production of pus
—py·o·gen·ic [p ə jénnik], adjective[1]



Pyongyang

Pyongyang
Pyong·yang
[pyáwng yàng] or P’yǒng·yang [pyáwng yàng]

capital city of North Korea,
situated on the Taedong River in the western part of the country. It is thought
to be the oldest city on the Korean Peninsula. Population: 2,000,000 (1994)[1]



pyorrhea

pyorrhea
py·or·rhe·a 
[p ə r ə] noun

gum
inflammation with discharge of pus:
inflammation of the gums with a loosening of the teeth and a discharge of pus
from the tooth sockets
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, literally “flowing of pus,” from Greek puon
“pus” (see pyo- ).]
—py·or·rhe·al,
adjective

—py·or·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



pyr-

pyr-
pyr-
prefix

(used before vowels or h)See
pyro-[1]



pyracantha

pyracantha
py·ra·can·tha 
[prə kánthə] (plural py·ra·can·thas)
noun

U.K.
See firethorn
[Early 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek purakantha, an unidentified plant, from pur
“fire” + akantha “thorn.”][1]



pyralid

pyralid
py·ral·id 
[pírrəlid] (plural py·ral·ids)
noun

slender
moth:
a small or medium-sized, slender, widely distributed moth with long triangular
forewings. Family: Pyralidae
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Pyralidae, from Greek puralis
“mythical fly said to live in fire,” from pur “fire.”]
—py·ral·id, adjective[1]



pyramid

pyramid

pyr·a·mid 
[pírrəmid] noun (plural pyr·a·mids)

1.  Egyptian
stone tomb:
a huge stone tomb of ancient Egyptian royalty with a square base and triangular
walls that slope to meet in a point at the top

2.  solid
shape with sloping triangular sides: a
solid shape or structure that has triangular sides that slope to meet in a
point and a base that is often, but not necessarily, a square. The volume of a
pyramid is one-third of the product of the area of the base and the height of
the vertex.

3.  system
with gradually expanding structure: an
arrangement or system that has a small number of elements at one point and
expands gradually to have a large number of elements at the opposite point

4.  pointed
body part:
a pointed or cone-shaped body part, for example, either of two bundles of
fibers located in the brain

5.  investment
method spreading risk: a financial risk structure
that spreads investments between high, medium, and low risk

6.  crystalline
form with multiple nonparallel faces: a
crystalline form in which three or more nonparallel faces intersect all three
axes of the crystal
intransitive verb
(past pyr·a·mid·ed, past participle pyr·a·mid·ed, present
participle pyr·a·mid·ing, 3rd person present singular pyr·a·mids)

take on pyramid shape:
to take on the shape of a pyramid, with few elements at one point or level and
gradually increasing numbers of elements toward the opposite point or level
[Mid-16th
century. Via the Latin stem pyramid- from Greek puramis, of
uncertain origin: probably an alteration of Egyptian pimar through the
exchange of the letters m and r .]
—py·ram·i·dal
[pi rámmidd’l], adjective

—py·ram·i·dal·ly
[pi rámmidd’lee], adverb

—pyr·a·mid·ic
[pìrrə míddik], adjective

—pyr·a·mid·i·cal
[pìrrə míddik’l], adjective

—pyr·a·mid·i·cal·ly [pìrrə míddikəlee], adverb[1]



pyramidalpeak

pyramidalpeak
py·ram·i·dal
peak
(plural py·ram·i·dal peaks) noun

pyramid-shaped mountain peak:
a high mountain peak formed by the walls of three or more adjacent steep-sided
glacial basins, for example, the Matterhorn in Switzerland[1]



pyramidaltract

pyramidaltract
py·ram·i·dal
tract
(plural py·ram·i·dal tracts) noun

nerve bundle in brain:
either of two bundles of nerve fibers, shaped like inverted pyramids, running
from either hemisphere of the cerebral cortex down the spinal cord to all
voluntary muscles of the body. In the brain, they are susceptible to stroke
damage that can lead to inability to move one side of the body.[1]



pyramidselling

pyramidselling
pyr·a·mid
sell·ing
noun

sale to increasing numbers of
subdistributors: a method of
distributing goods in bulk to a number of distributors, who in turn sell the
goods in batches to a number of subdistributors, and so on[1]



Pyramusand Thisbe

Pyramusand Thisbe
Pyr·a·mus
and This·be
[pìrrəməss ən thízbee] noun

Babylonian lovers who killed
themselves: two young Babylonian lovers
in an ancient love story who were forbidden to marry. Pyramus, thinking Thisbe
has been killed by a lion, kills himself, and Thisbe, on finding his body,
kills herself.[1]



pyran

pyran
py·ran 
[p ràn] (plural py·rans) noun

six-membered
cyclic compound: either of two isomers of a crystalline
cyclic compound with a ring consisting of five carbon atoms and an oxygen atom
with two double bonds. It is best known for its benzene derivatives, which are
naturally occurring dyes that produce the colors of flowers. C5H6O
[Early 20th century. Coined
from pyrone + -an .][1]



pyrargyrite

pyrargyrite
py·rar·gy·rite 
[pī rrjə rt, pi
rrjə rt] noun

important
silver ore:
a deep-red to black mineral with a metallic luster consisting of silver
antimony sulfide. An important source of silver, it is commonly found
associated with other silver ores.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pyro- + Greek arguros “silver” +
-ite .][1]



pyrazole

pyrazole
py·ra·zole 
[pírrə zl] noun

five-membered
cyclic compound: a crystalline cyclic compound with a
ring consisting of three carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms with two double
bonds. The ring system does not occur naturally, and pyrazole and its
derivatives are exclusively synthetic compounds. C3H4N2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from pyrrole + azo-
.][1]



pyre

pyre
pyre 
[pr] (plural pyres) noun

pile
of burning material: a pile of burning material,
especially a pile of wood on which a dead body is ceremonially cremated
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin pyra
from Greek pura, from pur “fire.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fire .][1]



pyrene

pyrene1
py·rene1  [p
rn] (plural py·renes) noun

stone
inside fruit: the stone inside some types of fruit
such as cherries (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin pyrena, from Greek purēn .][1]



pyrene

pyrene2
py·rene2  [p
rn] noun

multi-ringed
hydrocarbon compound: a solid, colorless to
yellow, crystalline, multiple-ringed hydrocarbon compound obtained from coal
tar that has been shown to be carcinogenic. C16H10
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pur “fire” + -ene .][1]



Pyreneanmountain dog

Pyreneanmountain dog
Py·re·ne·an
moun·tain dog (plural Py·re·ne·an moun·tain
dogs) noun

U.K.
large
dog with white coat: a large bulky dog with a
thick shaggy white coat, originally bred to protect sheep from wild animals in
mountain areas
[Named for the Pyrenees,
the range of mountains separating France and Spain][1]



Pyrenees

Pyrenees
Pyr·e·nees 
[prə neez]

mountain range in
southwestern Europe, forming a natural boundary between France and Spain.
Length: 435 km/270 mi. Area: 55,374 sq km/21,380 sq mi.[1]



pyrethrin

pyrethrin
py·re·thrin 
[pī rthrin, pī
réthrin] (plural py·re·thrins) noun

organic
compound used as insecticide: either of two oily liquid
complex organic compounds obtained from pyrethrum flowers and used as a contact
insecticide. Despite their quick lethal action on insects, pyrethrins are
valued for their relative nontoxicity to humans and other animals, but they are
highly allergenic. C21H28O3 or C22H28O5
[Early 20th century. Coined
from pyrethrum + -in
.][1]



pyrethroid

pyrethroid
py·re·throid 
[pī r thròyd] noun (plural py·re·throids)

compound
with similar properties to pyrethrin: a
synthetic complex organic compound with insecticidal properties similar to
those of pyrethrin
adjective

with
properties similar to pyrethrin: belonging to the class
of organic compounds with properties similar to those of pyrethrin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pyrethrum + -oid
.][1]



pyrethrum

pyrethrum
py·re·thrum 
[pī rthrəm, pī
réthrəm] (plural py·re·thrums) noun

1.  type
of chrysanthemum: a chrysanthemum cultivated for its
ornamental flowers. Genus: Chrysanthemum

2.  insecticide
in powder form: a mixture of pyrethrins extracted from
the flowerheads of various chrysanthemums and used as an insecticide. It has
low toxicity to warm-blooded animals and degrades rapidly in the environment,
but has now been superseded by synthetic pyrethrins.
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek purethron “feverfew,” of uncertain origin: perhaps formed
from puretos “fever.”][1]



pyretic

pyretic
py·ret·ic 
[pī réttik] adjective

relating
to fever:
relating to, producing, or having a fever
noun
(plural pyret·ics)

fever-causing
agent:
an agent that causes fever
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin pyreticos, from Greek puretos “fever.”][1]



Pyrex

Pyrex
Py·rex 
[p rèks] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
borosilicate glass that is resistant to heat and chemicals and is used in
household kitchenware and laboratory apparatus[1]



pyrexia

pyrexia
py·rex·i·a 
[pī réksee ə] noun

fever:
fever (technical)
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek purexis, from puressein “to
be feverish,” from pur “fire.”]
—py·rex·i·al,
adjective

—py·rex·ic, adjective[1]



pyrheliometer

pyrheliometer
pyr·he·li·om·e·ter 
[pr heelee ómmətər] (plural pyr·he·li·om·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring strength of Sun’s radiation: an
instrument that measures the intensity of the Sun’s radiation received at the
Earth’s surface
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek pur “fire” + helios “sun” + -meter .]
—pyr·he·li·o·met·ric [pr heelee ə méttrik], adjective[1]



pyric

pyric
py·ric 
[prik, pírrik]
adjective

relating
to burning:
relating to burning, or produced as a result of burning
[Mid-20th century. From
French pyrique, from Greek pur “fire.”][1]



pyridine

pyridine
pyr·i·dine 
[pírri dn] noun

flammable
industrial chemical: a toxic, flammable,
colorless to yellow liquid with a noxious smell, used in the manufacture of
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and paints, and in textile dyeing. It occurs
naturally in bone oil and coal tar. C5H5N
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek pur “fire” + -idine .][1]



pyridoxal

pyridoxal
pyr·i·dox·al 
[pìrri dóksəl] noun

compound
of vitamin B 6 group:
a crystalline aldehyde of the vitamin B 6 group that is a derivative
of pyridoxine and acts as an active coenzyme in amino acid synthesis. C8H9NO3
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from pyridoxine .][1]



pyridoxamine

pyridoxamine
pyr·i·dox·a·mine 
[pìrri dóksə mn] noun

compound
of vitamin B 6 group:
a crystalline amine of the vitamin B 6 group
that is a derivative of pyridoxine and acts as a coenzyme in protein
metabolism. C8H12N2O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pyridine + oxy-
+ -amine .][1]



pyridoxine

pyridoxine
pyr·i·dox·ine 
[pìrri dók sn, pìrri
dóksin] noun

pyrimidine
derivative active in metabolic processes: a
crystalline derivative of pyrimidine, found in cereals, yeast, liver, and fish.
In an organism, pyridoxine is metabolically changed to pyridoxal and
pyridoxamine. C18H11NO3 
Also
called
vitamin B 6
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from pyridine + oxy-
.][1]



pyriform

pyriform
pyr·i·form 
[pírrə fàwrm] adjective

pear-shaped:
shaped like a pear
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin pyriformis, from Latin pyrum “pear.”][1]



pyrimethamine

pyrimethamine
py·ri·meth·a·mine 
[prə méthə mn] noun

antimalarial
drug:
a drug used as a preventive in the treatment of malaria
[Mid-20th century. From pyrimidine
+ ethyl-amine .][1]



pyrimidine

pyrimidine
py·rim·i·dine 
[pī rímmi dn, pi
rímmi dn] (plural py·rim·i·dines) noun

1.  crystalline
organic compound: a strong smelling, weakly basic
crystalline organic compound with a six-sided ring structure that includes two
nitrogen atoms. C4H4N2

2.  pyrimidine
derivative:
a biologically significant derivative of pyrimidine, especially the bases
cytosine, thymine, and uracil found in RNA and DNA
[Late 19th century. From pyridine + imide
.][1]



pyrite

pyrite
py·rite 
[p rt] noun

brass-colored
mineral containing sulfur: a cubic iron sulfide mineral
with a brassy metallic luster that is used as an iron ore, as a source of
sulfur, and in the production of sulfuric acid. It is the commonest of the
sulfide minerals and is widely distributed geographically.
Also
called
iron pyrites
Also
called
pyrites
[Mid-19th
century. From French or Latin (see pyrites
).]
—py·rit·ic [pī ríttik], adjective[1]



pyrites

pyrites
py·ri·tes 
[pi rtiz, pī
rtiz] (plural py·ri·tes) noun

See
pyrite
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek purites (lithos) “fire (stone), flint,” from pur
“fire.”][1]



pyro-

pyro-
pyro-
prefix

1.  fire,
heat • pyromania

2.  produced
by fire or heat • pyroligneous

3.  fever
• pyrogenic

4.  derived
from an acid by loss of a molecule of water • pyrophosphate
[From Greek pur “fire”
(source also of English pyre ).
Ultimately from the Indo-European word that is also the the ancestor of English
fire .][1]



pyrocatechol

pyrocatechol
py·ro·cat·e·chol 
[prō káttə chàwl] noun

See
catechol[1]



pyrocellulose

pyrocellulose
py·ro·cel·lu·lose 
[prō séllyə lss, prō
séllyə lz] noun

component of explosives:
a highly nitrated cellulose used in the manufacture of explosives, particularly
smokeless powder[1]



pyrochemical

pyrochemical
py·ro·chem·i·cal 
[prō kémmik’l] adjective

of
chemical changes at high temperatures:
relating to or resulting from chemical changes that take place at very high
temperatures
—py·ro·chem·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



pyroclastic

pyroclastic
py·ro·clas·tic 
[prō klástik] adjective

with fragmentary texture:
used to describe sedimentary rock that is composed of fragments of volcanic
rock produced by the explosion of a volcanic eruption[1]



pyroconductivity

pyroconductivity
py·ro·con·duc·tiv·i·ty
[prō kón duk tívvətee] noun

electrical conductivity
created by heating: the
capacity to conduct electricity created in a solid substance by heating it to a
high temperature[1]



pyroelectricity

pyroelectricity
py·ro·e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[prō i lék tríssətee] noun

electric
charge generation by temperature changes: the
production of electric charges on opposite faces of some crystals by a change
in temperature
—py·ro·e·lec·tric [prō i léktrik], adjective[1]



pyrogallol

pyrogallol
py·ro·gal·lol 
[prō gá làwl] noun

white
crystalline photographic developer: a
toxic, bitter, lustrous, white crystalline organic compound used as a
photographic developer, and as an absorbent for oxygen in gas analysis. C6H6H3 
Also
called
pyrogallic acid
[Late
19th century. Coined from pyrogallate + -ol
.]
—py·ro·gal·lic [prō gállik], adjective[1]



pyrogen

pyrogen
py·ro·gen 
[prəjən] (plural py·ro·gens) noun

MEDICINE
fever-inducing substance:
a substance that causes fever, especially a substance introduced into
somebody’s bloodstream[1]



pyrogenic

pyrogenic
py·ro·gen·ic 
[prō jénnik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE causing
fever:
causing fever or produced as a result of fever

2.  GEOLOGY igneous:
produced by igneous activity

[1]



pyrography

pyrography
py·rog·ra·phy 
[pī róggrəfee] (plural py·rog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  burning
designs into wood and leather: the creation of
designs on wood and leather using heated tools that burn away some of the
surface

2.  design
created by burning: a design burned into wood or
leather using a heated tool
—py·rog·ra·pher,
noun

—py·ro·graph·ic [prə gráffik], adjective[1]



pyroligneous

pyroligneous
py·ro·lig·ne·ous 
[prō lígnee əss] adjective

produced by destructive
distillation of wood: produced by
the destructive distillation of wood[1]



pyroligneousacid

pyroligneousacid
py·ro·lig·ne·ous
ac·id
noun

acid from destructive
distillation of wood: a
reddish-brown liquid, produced by the destructive distillation of wood, that
was once a commercial source of acetic acid, which is its primary constituent.
Among its impurities may be acetone, methanol, wood oils, and tars.
Also called
wood vinegar[1]



pyrolusite

pyrolusite
py·ro·lu·site 
[prə l st] (plural py·ro·lu·sites)
noun

manganese
ore:
a black or gray powdery mineral with high mass and a metallic sheen, that is an
important source of manganese. It is found associated with other manganese
ores, for example, manganite, and as nodules on the seabed. MNO2
[Early 19th century. Coined
from pyro- + Greek lousis “washing”
(from its use in decolorizing glass) + -ite
.][1]



pyrolysate

pyrolysate
py·rol·y·sate
[pī róllə st, pī
rólləssət] (plural py·rol·y·sates) noun

product of decomposition
through heat: a product of a chemical
change caused by heating[1]



pyrolysis

pyrolysis
py·rol·y·sis 
[pī rólləssiss] noun

decomposition
of complex molecules by heat: the use of heat to break
down complex chemical substances into simpler substances
—py·ro·lyt·ic [prə líttik], adjective[1]



pyrolyze

pyrolyze
py·rol·yze 
[prə lz] (past py·rol·yzed, past
participle py·rol·yzed, present participle py·rol·yz·ing,
3rd person present singular py·rol·yz·es) transitive verb

heat
substance to make it decompose: to make a complex
chemical substance decompose into simpler substances by heating it
[Early
20th century. From pyrolysis by analogy with analyze .]
—py·rol·yz·er, noun[1]



pyromancy

pyromancy
py·ro·man·cy 
[prə mànsee] noun

prediction
by fire or flames: attempting to tell the
future by using fire or flames
[14th
century. Via Old French pyromancie from late Latin pyromantia,
from Greek puromanteia, from pur “fire.”]
—py·ro·manc·er,
noun

—py·ro·man·tic [prə mántik], adjective[1]



pyromania

pyromania
py·ro·ma·ni·a 
[prō máynee ə, prō
máynyə] noun

desire
to burn things: the uncontrollable urge to set fire to
things
—py·ro·ma·ni·ac
[prō máynee àk], noun

—py·ro·ma·ni·a·cal [prōmə n ək’l], adjective[1]



pyrometallurgy

pyrometallurgy
py·ro·met·al·lur·gy 
[prō métt’l ùrjee] noun

high-temperature
metallurgical processing: the
treatment of ores and metals using high-temperature processes, or the study of
these processes, which include alloying, casting, distilling, roasting,
refining, sintering, smelting, and heat treating[1]



pyrometer

pyrometer
py·rom·e·ter 
[pī rómmətər] (plural py·rom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring very high temperatures: an instrument that
measures high temperatures, typically by converting brightness, radiation, or
electric current measurements into temperature readings
—py·ro·met·ric
[prə méttrik], adjective

—py·ro·met·ri·cal
[prə méttrik’l], adjective

—py·ro·met·ri·cal·ly
[prə méttrikəlee], adverb

—py·rom·e·try [pī rómmətree], noun[1]



pyromorphite

pyromorphite
py·ro·mor·phite 
[prə máwr ft] (plural py·ro·mor·phites)
noun

minor lead ore:
a minor ore of lead found as brown, green, gray, white, and yellow crystals of
lead chlorophosphate[1]



pyrone

pyrone
py·rone
[p rn] (plural py·rones) noun

six-membered organic
compound: either of two six-membered
organic ring compounds containing five carbon atoms and an oxygen atom, with a
second oxygen atom attached to one of the carbon atoms. The benzene derivative
is used as a pharmaceutical. C5H4O2[1]



pyronine

pyronine
py·ro·nine 
[prə nn] (plural py·ro·nines)
noun

red
dye used in biological tests: a red dye used in biological
tests, especially a test to detect the presence of RNA
[Late 19th century. From
German, of uncertain origin: probably coined from pyro-
+ -ine .][1]



pyrope

pyrope
py·rope 
[p rp] (plural py·ropes) noun

red
garnet:
a deep red garnet containing magnesium and aluminum, frequently used as a
gemstone
[Early 19th century. Via Old
French pirope from Latin pyropus, from Greek puropos
literally “fiery-eyed,” from pur “fire.”][1]



pyrophobia

pyrophobia
py·ro·pho·bi·a
[prə fṓbee ə] noun

fear of fire:
an irrational fear of fire[1]



pyrophoric

pyrophoric
py·ro·phor·ic 
[prə fáwrik] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY igniting
spontaneously: bursting into flames spontaneously when
exposed to air

2.  METALLURGY producing
sparks when struck: giving off sparks when
struck or scraped
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek purophoros “fire-bearing,” from pur “fire.”][1]



pyrophosphate

pyrophosphate
py·ro·phos·phate 
[prō fós fàyt] (plural py·ro·phos·phates)
noun

salt
of pyrophosphoric acid: a salt or ester produced
when pyrophosphoric acid reacts with some metals or metallic compounds
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pyrophosphic + -ate .][1]



pyrophosphoricacid

pyrophosphoricacid
py·ro·phos·phor·ic
ac·id 
[pīrō fos fàwrik ássid] noun

viscous liquid used as
catalyst: a viscous liquid, formed
when orthophosphoric acid is heated and loses a water molecule, used as a
catalyst. H4P2O7[1]



pyrophotometer

pyrophotometer
py·ro·pho·tom·e·ter
[prō fō tómmətər] (plural py·ro·pho·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument for measuring
temperature using light: an
instrument that determines the temperature of an incandescent body as a
function of the light it emits[1]



pyrophyllite

pyrophyllite
py·ro·phyl·lite 
[prō fí lt, pī
róffə lt] noun

silvery-white
or greenish mineral: a silvery-white or greenish
hydrous aluminum silicate mineral that resembles talc and is found in
metamorphic rock
[Early 19th century. From
German Pyrophyllit, from Greek pur “fire” + phullon
“leaf”; so called because it exfoliates when exposed to flame.][1]



pyrosis

pyrosis
py·ro·sis 
[pī rṓssiss] noun

heartburn:
heartburn (technical)
[Late 18th century. Via Greek
purōsis “burning” from, ultimately, pur “fire” (see pyro- ).][1]



pyrostat

pyrostat
py·ro·stat 
[prə stàt] (plural py·ro·stats)
noun

high-temperature
thermostat:
a thermostat that is suitable for use at very high temperatures
[Formed
from pyro- on the model of “thermostat”]
—py·ro·stat·ic [prə státtik], adjective[1]



pyrotechnic

pyrotechnic
py·ro·tech·nic 
[prə téknik] or py·ro·tech·ni·cal
[prə téknik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to fireworks: relating to, used in, or involving
fireworks

2.  brilliant:
showing brilliance, for example, in style or technique
noun

firework: a
firework or other explosive device
[Early
19th century. Formed from modern Latin pyrotechnia, from Greek pur
“fire” + tekhnē “craft.”]
—py·ro·tech·ni·cal·ly,
adverb

—py·ro·tech·nist, noun[1]



pyrotechnics

pyrotechnics
py·ro·tech·nics 
[prə tékniks] noun

craft of making fireworks:
the craft or skill of making and using fireworks (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun
(takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  fireworks
display:
a display of fireworks

2.  showy
display:
an extravagant display of brilliance, virtuosity, or strong emotion

[1]



pyroxene

pyroxene
py·rox·ene 
[pī rók sn] (plural py·rox·enes)
noun

silicate
mineral:
a silicate mineral, usually dark green, brown, or black, that contains varying
amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium and is widely distributed in
igneous and metamorphic rocks
[Early
19th century. From French pyroxène, from Greek pur “fire” + xenos
“stranger”; so called because it was originally thought to be a foreign
substance in igneous rock.]
—py·rox·en·ic [p rok sénnik], adjective[1]



pyroxenite

pyroxenite
py·rox·e·nite 
[pī róksə nt] noun

igneous rock:
an igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxene and olivine[1]



pyroxylin

pyroxylin
py·rox·y·lin 
[pī róksəlin] noun

highly
flammable substance: a highly flammable substance
used to make plastics and lacquers. It is a form of cellulose nitrate.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pyro- + xylo-
+ -in .][1]



pyrrhic

pyrrhic
pyr·rhic 
[pírrik] noun (plural pyr·rhics)

poetic unit: a
unit of poetic rhythm that has two short or unaccented syllables
adjective

1.  in
pyrrhics:
relating to or written in pyrrhics

2.  HISTORY relating
to war dance: relating to an ancient Greek war dance
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from, ultimately, Greek purríkhē, named after the chorist Pyrrhikhos,
who is supposed to have invented it.][1]



Pyrrhicvictory

Pyrrhicvictory
Pyr·rhic
vic·to·ry 
noun

bitter
victory:
a victory won at such great cost to the victor that it is tantamount to a
defeat
[Late 19th century. Named for
Pyrrhus .][1]



Pyrrhonism

Pyrrhonism
Pyr·rho·nism
[pírrə nìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY skeptical
philosophy of Pyrrho: the doctrine of the ancient
Greek philosopher Pyrrho, who believed that it was impossible to be certain
about anything and therefore suspended judgment on everything

2.  complete
skepticism:
skepticism to an extreme or excessive degree
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek Purrhōn “Pyrrho,” (360?-272? BC ), the Greek philosopher who founded
philosophical skepticism.]
—Pyr·rhon·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



pyrrhotite

pyrrhotite
pyr·rho·tite 
[pírrə tt] or pyr·rho·tine [pírrə tn] noun

yellow-brown
lustrous mineral: a widely occurring yellow-brown lustrous
iron sulfide mineral, found in igneous rocks and used as an iron ore. FeS
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of German Pyrrhotin, from Greek purrotēs “fiery redness,” from pur
“fire” (see pyro- ).][1]



pyrrhuloxia

pyrrhuloxia
pyr·rhu·lox·i·a 
[pìrrə lóksee ə] (plural pyr·rhu·lox·i·as
or pyr·rhu·lox·i·a) noun

gray bird related to
cardinal: a bird of the southwestern
United States, Mexico, and Central America that is related to and resembles the
cardinal but with mostly gray plumage touched with red. Latin name: Cardinalis
sinuatus[1]



Pyrrhus

Pyrrhus
Pyr·rhus 
[pírrəss], King of Epirus (318? BC–272 BC)

The king of a Greek province
(307–272 BC ), he invaded Italy
and defeated the Roman army at Heraclea (280 BC
) and Asculum (279 BC ), but
sustained huge losses to his troops.[1]



pyrrole

pyrrole
pyr·role 
[pí rl] noun

naturally
occurring chemical: a colorless toxic liquid
compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. It is found in many
important biological substances, for example, chlorophyll, hemoglobin, and bile
pigments. C4H5N
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek purros “fiery red” (from pur “fire”) +
-ole .]
—pyr·ro·lic [pi róllik], adjective[1]



pyruvicacid

pyruvicacid
py·ru·vic
ac·id 
[pī rvik ássid] noun

metabolic
product:
a colorless acid that is formed as an intermediate compound during the
metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. C3H4O3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from pyro- + Latin uva “grape”; so
called because it was obtained by dry distillation from racemic acid.][1]



Pythagoras

Pythagoras

Py·tha·gor·as 
[pī thággərəss] (582? BC–500? BC)
Greek
philosopher and mathematician. He or his followers made important discoveries
about number and proportion, which they believed underlay everything in the
universe. They also proposed that the Earth is a globe, and that the planets
orbit the Sun.
Known as
Pythagoras of Samos[1]



Pythagorean

Pythagorean
Py·thag·o·re·an 
[pi thàggə r ən, pī
thàggə r ən] adjective

MATHEMATICS PHILOSOPHY relating
to Pythagoras: relating or belonging to the ancient
Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, his theories, or his followers
noun
(plural Py·thag·o·re·ans)

follower of Pythagoras:
a follower of Pythagoras and his theories[1]



Pythagoreanism

Pythagoreanism

Py·thag·o·re·an·ism 
[pi thàggə r ə nìzzəm, pī thàggə r ə nìzzəm] (plural Py·thag·o·re·an·isms)
noun
philosophy of Pythagoras:
the theories and teachings of Pythagoras, especially those that apply
mathematics to the workings of the universe[1]



Pythagoreantheorem

Pythagoreantheorem
Py·thag·o·re·an
the·o·rem
noun

rule
about sides of triangle: a proved geometric
proposition stating that the square of the longest side ( hypotenuse ) of a right triangle is equal to the
sum of the squares of the other two sides
[Named for Pythagoras,
who formulated it][1]



Pythian

Pythian
Pyth·i·an 
[píthee ən] or Pyth·ic [píthik] adjective

1.  of
Delphi:
relating to the ancient Greek city of Delphi, especially to Apollo’s temple
there, the site of Apollo’s oracle

2.  of
Pythian games: relating to the athletic games held in
Delphi
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Greek Puthō, the ancient name of Delphi.][1]



PythianGames

PythianGames
Pyth·i·an
Games
plural noun

ancient Greek athletic
contests: a series of athletic
contests held every four years in Delphi in ancient Greece in honor of the god
Apollo[1]



python

python

py·thon 
[p thòn] (plural py·thons) noun
large
constricting snake: a nonvenomous constricting
snake native to Asia, Africa, and Australia. Pythons kill their prey through
suffocation and can reach lengths of over 6 m19ft . Family: Pythonidae
[Mid-19th century. Directly
or via French from Latin, name of a mythical serpent killed by Apollo, from
Greek Puthōn .][1]



pythoness

pythoness
py·tho·ness 
[pthənəss] (plural py·tho·ness·es)
noun

ancient
Greek priestess: in Greek mythology, a woman believed to
be possessed by the spirit of an oracle, especially Apollo’s priestess at
Delphi
[14th century. From late
Latin pythonissa, feminine of python, from Greek Puthōn,
named for the serpent that Apollo killed near Delphi.][1]



pyuria

pyuria
py·u·ri·a 
[pī yree ə] noun

pus
in urine:
the presence of pus in the urine
[Early 19th century. Coined
from pyo- + -uria
.][1]



pyx

pyx
pyx 
[piks] (plural pyx·es) or
pix [piks] (plural pix·es)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY box
for Communion wafers: a container in which the
consecrated wafers for the Communion are placed so that they can be taken to
those who cannot leave home

2.  container
for coins at mint: a chest in which newly
minted coins are placed before being tested
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek puxis “box” (see pyxis ).][1]



pyxidium

pyxidium
pyx·id·i·um 
[pik síddee əm] (plural pyx·id·i·a
[pik síddee ə]) noun

BOTANY See pyxis  noun
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek puxídion, “small box,” from puxis (see pyxis ).][1]



pyxie

pyxie
pyx·ie 
[píksee] (plural pyx·ies or
pyx·ie) noun

evergreen
shrub:
a low-growing evergreen shrub native to the eastern United States with small
pink or white star-shaped flowers. Latin name: Pyxidanthera barbulata
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of modern Latin Pyxidanthera, genus name, from puxidium
“little box” + anthera “pollen.”][1]



pyxis

pyxis
pyx·is 
[píksiss] (plural pyx·i·des [píksi dz]) noun

BOTANY seed
capsule:
a seed capsule with a cap that falls off to release the seeds.
Also
called
pyxidium
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek puxis “box” (source of English box 1 ),
from puxos “boxwood” (source of box 3 and bush ), of unknown origin.][1]



Pyxis

Pyxis
Pyx·is 
[píksiss] noun

small southern constellation
on Milky Way: a small inconspicuous
constellation of the southern hemisphere lying partly in the Milky Way, located
between Puppis and Antlia[1]



Páez,José Antonio

Páez,José Antonio
Pá·ez
[p ess], José Antonio (1790–1873)

Venezuelan revolutionary
leader and statesman. He served as the first president of independent Venezuela
(1831–1835, 1838–1843, 1846–1847).[1]



Pátmos

Pátmos
Pát·mos
[pt mawss, pát
məss, pátmos]

island in the Aegean Sea, one
of the Greek Dodecanese island group. It is thought to be the place where John
the Evangelist wrote the biblical book of Revelation. Population: 2,650 (1995)
Area: 34 sq km/13 sq mi.[1]



pâté

pâté
pâ·té
[paa táy] (plural pâ·tés) noun

spreadable
food:
a paste made from meat, fish, or vegetables, often served as an appetizer
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Old French paste (see paste ).][1]



pâtéde foie gras

pâtéde foie gras
pâ·té
de foie gras [paa tày də
fwaa gr] (plural pâ·tés de foie gras) noun

goose-liver
pâté:
a rich pâté made from the livers of geese that are fattened specifically for
this purpose
[From French, literally “pâté
of fatty liver”][1]



père

père
père
[pair] (plural pères) noun

1.  French
priest:
the title given to Roman Catholic priests in France and French-speaking
countries

2.  senior:
in France and French-speaking countries, used after a man’s surname to
distinguish him from his son • M. Doucet
père.

See
also
fils
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin pater (see paternal
).][1]



PèreDavid’s deer

PèreDavid’s deer
Père
Da·vid’s deer noun

Chinese
deer:
a large reddish-gray deer that survives in captivity after having become
extinct in China, its native habitat. Latin name: Elaphurus davidianus
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French missionary and naturalist Père Armand David (
1826–1900 ).][1]



Pécs

Pécs
Pécs 
[paych]

town and capital of Baranya
County, southwestern Hungary, situated about 170 km/105 mi southwest of
Budapest. Population: 172,177 (1994)[1]



Pérezde Cuéllar, Javier

Pérezde Cuéllar, Javier
Pé·rez
de Cuél·lar
[pè ress də kwáy yaar], Javier (1920– )

Peruvian diplomat. He was the
fifth secretary general of the United Nations (1982–1991).[1]



Périgueux

Périgueux
Pé·ri·gueux
[pày ree g]

town in southwestern France,
in Dordogne Department, Aquitaine Region. Population: 32,848 (1990)[1]



pétillant

pétillant
pé·til·lant
[pàytee yN] adjective

slightly
sparkling:
used to describe wine that is slightly sparkling
[Late 19th century. From
French, “effervescent,” literally “passing gas.”][1]



p’sand q’s

p’sand q’s
p’s
and q’s 
plural noun

manners:
the polite manners and behavior that somebody adopts, for example, when eager
to make a good impression • We’d
better mind our p’s and q’s.
[From mind one’s p’s and
q’s, of uncertain origin: perhaps a warning to children to distinguish the
two letters when learning to write, or to printers’ apprentices in handling
type][1]



q.

q.
q.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quart

2.  Abbreviation
of
quarter

3.  Abbreviation
of
quarterly

4.  Abbreviation
of
quarto

5.  Abbreviation
of
question

6.  Abbreviation
of
query

7.  Abbreviation
of
quire

8.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
quintal

[1]



Q.

Q.
Q.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quartermaster

2.  Abbreviation
of
quarto

3.  Abbreviation
of
Quebec

4.  Abbreviation
of
queen

[1]



Q

Q
Q

1.  CHESS Abbreviation of queen

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of quetzal

[1]



q

q2
q2 PHYSICS

1.  Symbol
for
electric charge

2.  Symbol
for
heat  noun 1

[1]



q

q1

q1 [kyoo]
(plural q’s) or Q [kyoo]
(plural Q’s or Qs) noun

1.  17th
letter of English alphabet: the 17th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “Q”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “Q”

3.        letter
“Q” written: a written
representation of the letter “Q”[1]



Qaddafi,Muammar al-

Qaddafi,Muammar al-

Qad·da·fi
[gə dfee, kə
dfee] or Gad·da·fi [gə dfee,
kə dfee], Muammar al- (1942– )
Libyan military and political leader. He
seized power in a coup against the monarchy (1969). He imposed Islamic and
socialist policies, and supported revolutionary and terrorist movements abroad.[1]



qadi

qadi
qadi
noun

See
cadi[1]



q& a

q& a
q
& a

Abbreviation of
question and answer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Qatar




Back to definition

Qatar

[1]



Qatar

Qatar



Qa·tar 
[k taar, kə tr]
independent
state in the Middle East, on a peninsula in the Persian Gulf, north of Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Language: Arabic. Currency: Qatar riyal.
Capital: Doha. Population: 125,665 (1991) Area: 11,437 sq km/4,416 sq mi. Official
name State of Qatar
—Qa·tar·i, adjective,
noun[1]



Qattaradepression

Qattaradepression
Qat·ta·ra
de·pres·sion  [kə trədi
présh’n]

desert basin in northwestern
Egypt. Its lowest point is 133 m/435 ft below sea level. Area: 19,400 sq
km/7,500 sq mi.[1]



Qayrawan,Al-

Qayrawan,Al-
Qayrawan,
Al-
[krə wn]

city in northern Tunisia,
capital of al-Qayrawan Governorate. Called the “City of 100 Mosques,” it is one
of the holiest Muslim cities. Population: 102,600 (1992)[1]



Qayrawan,Al-

Qayrawan,Al-
Qayrawan,
Al-
[krə wn]

city in northern Tunisia,
capital of al-Qayrawan Governorate. Called the “City of 100 Mosques,” it is one
of the holiest Muslim cities. Population: 102,600 (1992)[1]



Q.B.

Q.B.
Q.B.

LAW
Abbreviation of Queen’s Bench[1]



qb

qb
qb

FOOTBALL
Abbreviation of quarterback[1]



Q-boat

Q-boat
Q-boat
noun

See
Q-ship[1]



QC

QC
QC
or Q.C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quality control

2.  Abbreviation
of
Queen’s Counsel

[1]



QCD

QCD
QCD

Abbreviation of
quantum chromodynamics[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








q.e.

q.e.
q.e.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of which is
[Latin, quod est][1]



QED

QED
QED

PHYSICS
Abbreviation of quantum electrodynamics[1]



Q.E.D.

Q.E.D.
Q.E.D.

Abbreviation
of
quod erat demonstrandum
[Latin, quod erat
demonstrandum][1]



Q.E.F.

Q.E.F.
Q.E.F.

Abbreviation
of
which was to be done
[Latin, quod erat
faciendum][1]



QF

QF
QF

ARMS
Abbreviation of quick-firing[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Qfever

Qfever
Q
fe·ver
noun

infectious
bacterial disease: an infectious disease caused
by rickettsial bacteria and characterized by fever, chills, and muscle pain
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of Queensland,
where the disease was first described.][1]



qi

qi
qi
or Qi noun

See
chi 2 noun[1]



q.i.d.

q.i.d.
q.i.d.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of four times per day
[Latin, quater in die][1]



Qin

Qin
Qin
[chin] or Ch’in [chin] noun

dynasty
unifying Chinese empire: a dynasty in ancient China
that ruled from 221–206 BC, during
which the first unified Chinese empire emerged and much of the Great Wall of
China was built
[Late 18th century. From
Chinese Qín .][1]



Qing

Qing
Qing 
[ching] or Ch’ing [ching] noun

last
Chinese dynasty: the last of the Chinese dynasties,
founded by the conquering Manchu who ruled from 1644 until 1912, when the
nationalist revolutionaries overthrew it
[Late 18th century. From
Chinese Qīng .][1]



Qingdao

Qingdao
Qing·dao 
[chìng dów]

city on the Yellow Sea, in
Shandong Province, eastern China, between Beijing and Shanghai. Population:
2,060,000 (1991)[1]



Qinghai

Qinghai
Qing·hai
[chìng h]

province of western China
bounded by Xinjiang Uygur, Gansu, Sichuan, and Tibet. Capital: Xining.
Population: 4,740,000 (1994) Area: 720,999 sq km/278,378 sq mi.[1]



QinghaiHu

QinghaiHu
Qing·hai
Hu 
[chìng h hoo]

lake in northeastern Qinghai
Province, China[1]



Qiqiha’er

Qiqiha’er
Qi·qi·ha’er
[ch chee hr, ch
chee h ər]

city and port in Heilongjiang
Province, China, situated on the left bank of the Nen River 274 km/170 mi
northwest of Harbin. Population: 1,260,000 (1986)[1]



qiviut

qiviut
qi·vi·ut 
[kvee ət, kvee
t] noun

undercoat
of musk ox:
the soft wool that grows beneath the long outer coat of the musk ox, used to
make yarn
[Mid-20th century. From Inuit
.][1]



QL

QL
QL

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of query language[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








q.l.

q.l.
q.l.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of as much as you like
[Latin, quantum libet][1]



ql.

ql.
ql.

Abbreviation of
quintal[1]



Qld.

Qld.
Qld.

Abbreviation of
Queensland[1]



qlty.

qlty.
qlty.

Abbreviation of
quality[1]



QM

QM
QM

Abbreviation of
quartermaster[1]



q.m.

q.m.
q.m.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of every morning
[Latin, quaque mane][1]



QMC

QMC
QMC

Abbreviation of
quartermaster corps[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








QMG

QMG
QMG

Abbreviation of
Quartermaster General[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








qn.

qn.
qn.

Abbreviation of
question[1]



q.n.

q.n.
q.n.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of every night
[Latin, quaque nocte][1]



Qom

Qom
Qom 
[kōm]

city in central Iran, on the
Qom River. It is one of the sacred cities of Iran and a center of pilgrimage
for Shiite Muslims. Population: 681,253 (1991)[1]



qoph

qoph
qoph 
[kawf] (plural qophs) noun

19th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 19th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “q.” See alphabet
[From Hebrew qōph,
from a Semitic word meaning “eye of a needle”][1]



qq.

qq.
qq.

Abbreviation of
questions[1]



qq.v.

qq.v.
qq.v.

(used
as a cross reference to more than one item)Abbreviation of which
(things) see
[Latin, quae vide][1]



qr.

qr.
qr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quarter

2.  Abbreviation
of
quarterly

3.  Abbreviation
of
quire

[1]



q.s.

q.s.
q.s.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of as much as suffices
[Latin, quantum sufficit][1]



qs

qs
qs

(used of land)Abbreviation
of quarter section[1]



Q-ship

Q-ship
Q-ship
(plural Q-ships) noun

decoy
ship:
an armed ship disguised as a merchant ship, used to decoy or destroy enemy
vessels.
Also
called
Q-boat
[From the naval designation
for this type of vessel][1]



QSO

QSO
QSO

ASTRONOMY
Abbreviation of quasistellar object[1]



qt.

qt.
qt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quantity

2.  Abbreviation
of
quart

[1]



q.t.

q.t.
q.t. 
[ky t]

(informal)
Abbreviation of quiet
[Shortening
of quiet]
on
the q.t.

quietly and secretly (informal)[1]



Q-Tips

Q-Tips
Q-Tips
Trademark

a trademark for cotton-tipped
swabs[1]



qto.

qto.
qto.

Abbreviation of
quarto[1]



qty.

qty.
qty.

Abbreviation of
quantity[1]



qu.

qu.
qu.

1.  Abbreviation
of
queen

2.  Abbreviation
of
query

3.  Abbreviation
of
question

[1]



qua

qua
qua 
[kway] preposition

as:
in the capacity or function of “Restrictions on trade, or on production for
purposes of trade, are indeed restraints; and all restraint, qua restraint, is
an evil.” John Stuart Mill On Liberty 1859
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, from qui “who” (source also of English quorum and quibble
).][1]



quack

quack1

quack1 [kwak]
noun (plural quacks)

sound made by a duck:
the harsh sound typically made by a duck
intransitive verb
(past quacked, past participle quacked, present
participle quack·ing, 3rd person present singular quacks)

1.  make
the sound of a duck: to make the harsh sound that
is characteristic of a duck

2.  speak
irritatingly: to speak loudly and endlessly in an
irritating manner (slang)
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



quack

quack2
quack2 [kwak]
noun (plural quacks)

1.  fake
doctor:
somebody who practices medicine without training or a valid license

2.  somebody
who is a fraud: somebody who makes false claims to
skills and qualifications in fields other than medicine
intransitive
verb
(past quacked, past participle quacked, present
participle quack·ing, 3rd person present singular quacks)

be a quack: to
practice medicine without training or a valid license, or to make false claims
of expertise in any field
[Early
17th century. Shortening of quacksalver .]
—quack·ish, adjective[1]



quackery

quackery
quack·er·y
[kwákəree] noun

fraudulent
practise of medicine: the practices or methods of
somebody who makes false claims about medical or other skills or qualifications
[Early 18th century. From quack 2 .][1]



quackgrass

quackgrass
quack
grass
noun

See
couch grass[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








quacksalver

quacksalver
quack·sal·ver 
[kwák sàlvər] (plural quack·sal·vers)
noun

quack:
somebody who falsely claims to have medical or other skills or qualifications (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete Dutch, literally “salve-hawker,” from Dutch kwaken, “to quack,
prattle” + zalf “salve.”][1]



quad

quad4
quad4 [kwod]
(plural quads) noun

PRINTING printer’s
spacing block: a piece of blank type metal used for
spacing.
Also
called
quadrat
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of quadrat .][1]



quad

quad5
quad5 [kwod]
(plural quads) noun

quadriceps:
a quadriceps (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



quad

quad6
quad6 or quad.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quadrangle

2.  Abbreviation
of
quadrant

3.  Abbreviation
of
quadrilateral

[1]



quad

quad1
quad1 [kwod]
(plural quads) noun

quadruplet:
a quadruplet (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



quad

quad3
quad3 [kwod]
adjective

quadraphonic:
quadraphonic (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



quad

quad2
quad2 [kwod]
(plural quads) noun

quadrangle:
a quadrangle (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



quadr-

quadr-
quadr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
quadri-[1]



quadra-

quadra-
quadra-
prefix

(used before consonants)See
quadri-[1]



Quadragesima

Quadragesima
Quad·ra·ges·i·ma 
[kwòddrə jéssimə] noun

first
Sunday in Lent: in the Christian liturgical calendar,
the first Sunday in Lent
[14th century. Via late Latin
quadragesima (dies), “fortieth (day)” (before Easter), from quadraginta
“forty.”][1]



quadrangle

quadrangle
quad·ran·gle 
[kwód ràng g’l] (plural quad·ran·gles)
noun

1.  four-sided
shape:
a two-dimensional figure that consists of four points connected by straight
lines, especially a rectangle

2.  open
area surrounded by buildings: an open rectangular yard
that is surrounded on all four sides by buildings

3.  buildings
surrounding yard: the buildings that surround an open
rectangular yard

4.  U.S.
map unit on single sheet: the area of land shown on
any of the map sheets produced by the U.S. Geological Survey
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin quadrangulus, “having
four corners.”]
—quad·ran·gu·lar [kwod ráng gyələr], adjective[1]



quadrant

quadrant
quad·rant 
[kwóddrənt] (plural quad·rants)
noun

1.  GEOMETRY quarter
of circumference of circle: a 90-degree arc representing
one fourth of the circumference of a circle

2.  GEOMETRY quarter
of area of circle: the area bounded by a
quadrant and the two perpendicular lines that connect it to the center of the
circle

3.  GEOMETRY quarter
of plane surface: any one of the four sections into which
the perpendicular axes of a coordinate system divide a two-dimensional surface

4.  GEOMETRY quarter
of area or surface: any one of the four
approximately equal parts into which an area or a surface is divided by two
real or imaginary perpendicular lines

5.  ASTRONOMY device
for measuring angle of star: an instrument with a movable
sighting mechanism attached to a 90-degree arc, formerly used in astronomy and
navigation to measure the angles and altitudes of stars

6.  device
shaped like quarter circle: a mechanical device or
machine part in the shape of a quarter of a circle
[14th century. From Latin quadrant-,
the stem of quadrans “fourth part, quarter.”][1]



quadraphonic

quadraphonic
quad·ra·phon·ic 
[kwòddrə fónnik] or quad·ri·phon·ic
[kwòddrə fónnik] adjective

using
four-channel sound system: using a four-channel system
to record and reproduce sound. The four separate signals may be fed to
individual loudspeakers placed in the corners of a room.
—quad·ra·phon·ics,
noun

—qua·draph·o·ny [kwo dráffənee], noun[1]



quadrat

quadrat
quad·rat 
[kwóddrət] (plural quad·rats) noun

1.  PRINTING See quad 4 noun

2.  ECOLOGY area
of land for ecological study: a small plot of land set
aside for plant and animal population studies
[Late 17th century. Variant
of quadrate .][1]



quadrate

quadrate
quad·rate 
noun [kwód ràyt, kwóddrət] (plural quad·rates)

1.  square
or cube:
a square or cube or a square or cubic area, space, or thing

2.  ZOOLOGY jaw
joint of some vertebrates: in birds, fish, reptiles,
and amphibians, a bony or cartilaginous part of the upper jaw that articulates
with the lower jaw at the side of the skull. In mammals, this structure has
evolved into the incus, a small bone of the middle ear.
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY of the
vertebrate quadrate: relating to the quadrate in
vertebrates

2.  square
or rectangular: with four sides and four right angles
intransitive
and transitive verb [kwód
ràyt] (past quad·rat·ed, past participle quad·rat·ed,
present participle quad·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular
quad·rates)

conform or correspond with something:
to conform or correspond with something or to make one thing conform or
correspond with another
[14th century. Via Latin quadratum
from, ultimately, quadrum “square” (source of English square and cadre
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “fourfold,” which is also the
ancestor of quadrant .][1]



quadratic

quadratic
quad·rat·ic 
[kwo dráttik] adjective

MATHEMATICS of
the second degree: relating to or containing
terms with powers no higher than the power of two
noun

MATHEMATICS See quadratic equation
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from quadrate .]
—quad·rat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



quadraticequation

quadraticequation
quad·rat·ic
e·qua·tion
noun

equation containing squared
terms: an equation containing one
or more terms raised to the power of two but no higher.
Also called
quadratic[1]



quadratics

quadratics
quad·rat·ics 
[kwo dráttiks] noun

study of quadratic equations:
the branch of algebra that deals with quadratic equations (takes a singular
verb)[1]



quadrature

quadrature
quad·ra·ture 
[kwóddrəchər, kwóddrə
chr] (plural quad·ra·tures) noun

1.  making
something square: making something square or dividing
something into squares

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
technique for equating areas: the construction of a square
with an area equal to that of a specified surface

3.  ASTRONOMY 90-degree
separation of celestial bodies: the relative position
of two celestial bodies with a separation of 90 degrees as seen from a third,
especially the Sun and Moon as seen from the Earth

[1]



quadrennia

quadrennia
quad·ren·ni·a


Plural of
quadrennium[1]



quadrennial

quadrennial
quad·ren·ni·al 
[kwod rénnee əl] adjective

1.  happening
every four years: occurring every fourth year

2.  lasting
four years:
lasting for four years
noun

four-year period:
a period of four years
—quad·ren·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



quadrennium

quadrennium
quad·ren·ni·um 
[kwod rénnee əm] (plural quad·ren·ni·ums
or quad·ren·ni·a [kwod rénnee ə])
noun

four
years:
a period of four years
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, from quadri- “four” + annus “year.”][1]



quadri-

quadri-
quadri-
prefix

1.  four,
fourth • quadripartite
• quadricentennial

2.  square
• quadric
[From Latin . Ultimately from
the Indo-European word for “four,” which is also the ancestor of English quadrant, tetra-,
and fourth .][1]



quadric

quadric
quad·ric 
[kwóddrik] adjective

MATHEMATICS See quadratic  adjective
noun
(plural quad·rics)

MATHEMATICS something
defined by quadratic equation: a surface or curve
specified by a second degree equation
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin quadra, feminine of quadrum “square” (see quadrate ).][1]



quadricentennial

quadricentennial
quad·ri·cen·ten·ni·al 
[kwòddrə sen ténnee əl] noun (plural
quad·ri·cen·ten·ni·als)

400th
anniversary: a 400th anniversary or a celebration of
it
adjective

marking 400th anniversary:
marking or relating to a 400th anniversary[1]



quadriceps

quadriceps
quad·ri·ceps 
[kwóddri sèps] (plural quad·ri·ceps
or quad·ri·cep·ses [kwóddri sèpseez])
noun

ANATOMY thigh
muscle:
a large four-part muscle at the front of the thigh that acts to extend the leg
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, “four-headed.”]
—quad·ri·cip·i·tal [kwòddrə síppit’l], adjective[1]



quadriga

quadriga
quad·ri·ga 
[kwo drgə] (plural quad·ri·gae
[kwo dr j]) noun

ancient
chariot:
a two-wheeled chariot in ancient Greece or Rome that was drawn by four horses
harnessed alongside each other
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from, ultimately, quadrijuga “team of four,” from quadri-
“four” + jugum “yoke.”][1]



quadrilateral

quadrilateral
quad·ri·lat·er·al 
[kwòddri láttərəl, kwòddri
láttrəl] noun (plural quad·ri·lat·er·als)

four-sided
figure:
a two-dimensional geometric figure with four sides
adjective

four-sided:
with four sides[1]



quadrille

quadrille2
qua·drille2 [kwo
dríl, kwə dríl, kə dríl] noun

18thC
card game:
a card game for four players that uses a deck of 40 cards. It was popular in
the 18th century.
[Early 18th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: probably from Spanish cuartillo, from cuarto
“fourth,” from Latin quartus (see quart
).][1]



quadrille

quadrille1
qua·drille1 [kwo
dríl, kwə dríl, kə dríl] (plural qua·drilles) noun

1.  square
dance of French origin: a French square dance
popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, danced by four or more couples together

2.  MUSIC music
for quadrille: the music for a quadrille, often taken
from a popular source and usually in a lively duple meter
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Spanish cuadrilla, “troop, company,” from cuadro “square,”
from Latin quadrum (see quadrate ).][1]



quadrillion

quadrillion
quad·ril·lion 
[kwo dríllyən] (plural quad·ril·lions
or quad·ril·lion) noun

1.  one
followed by 15 zeros: the number equal to 10 15, written as 1 followed by 15
zeros

2.  U.K.
one
followed by 24 zeros: the number equal to 10 24, written as 1 followed by 24
zeros (dated)
[Late
17th century. Formed from quadri-, on the
model of “billion.”]
—quad·ril·lion,
adjective, pronoun

—quad·ril·lionth, adjective,
noun[1]



quadripartite

quadripartite
quad·ri·par·tite 
[kwòddrə pr tt] adjective

1.  in
four parts:
made up of four parts or divided into four

2.  involving
four participants: involving the participation
of four individuals or groups

[1]



quadriphonic

quadriphonic
quad·ri·phon·ic 
[kwòddrə fónnik] adjective

See
quadraphonic[1]



quadriplegia

quadriplegia
quad·ri·ple·gi·a 
[kwòddrə pljee ə, kwòddrə
pljə] noun

inability
to move body: the inability to move all four limbs or
the entire body below the neck
—quad·ri·pleg·ic, noun,
adjective[1]



quadrivalent

quadrivalent
quad·ri·va·lent 
[kwòddrə váylənt] adjective

1.  See
tetravalent

2.  with
four valences: with four different valences
—quad·ri·va·lence, noun[1]



quadrivial

quadrivial
quad·riv·i·al 
[kwo drívvee əl] adjective

1.  four
roads meeting: with four roads or ways going in
different directions and meeting at the same point

2.  of
the quadrivium: relating to the quadrivium

[1]



quadrivium

quadrivium
quad·riv·i·um 
[kwo drívvee əm] noun

higher
division of liberal arts: four of the seven liberal
arts taught in medieval universities, consisting of arithmetic, geometry,
music, and astronomy. The three lower arts ( trivium
) were grammar, rhetoric, and logic.
[Early 19th century. Via late
Latin from Latin, “crossroads,” from quadri- “four” + via
“road.”][1]



quadroon

quadroon
quad·roon 
[kwo drn] (plural quad·roons)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody with one black and three Caucasian grandparents
(offensive)
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish cuarterón from, ultimately, Latin quartus “quarter” (see quart ).][1]



quadru-

quadru-
quadru-
prefix

(used before consonants)See
quadri-[1]



quadrumanous

quadrumanous
quad·ru·ma·nous 
[kwo drmənəss] adjective

four-handed:
with four feet that can also be used as hands, each having an opposable first
digit. Most primates, apart from human beings, are quadrumanous.
[Late 17th century. Formed
from quadru- + Latin manus “hand.”][1]



quadrumvirate

quadrumvirate
quad·rum·vi·rate 
[kwo drúmvərət] (plural quad·rum·vi·rates)
noun

four
people sharing power: a group of four people
sharing power, especially forming a government
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from quadri-, on the model of
“triumvirate.”][1]



quadruped

quadruped
quad·ru·ped 
[kwóddrə pèd] noun (plural quad·ru·peds)

four-footed
animal:
an animal such as a lion or lizard with four limbs and feet, all of which are
used for walking
adjective

four-footed:
with four feet
—quad·ru·pe·dal [kwo drpəd’l], adjective[1]



quadruple

quadruple
quad·ru·ple 
[kwo drp’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past quad·ru·pled, past participle quad·ru·pled,
present participle quad·ru·pling, 3rd person present singular
quad·ru·ples)

increase fourfold:
to multiply something by four or become four times as great
adjective

1.  multiplied
by four:
four times as great

2.  with
four parts:
made up of four parts

3.  MUSIC with
four beats per measure: used to describe a time or
meter consisting of four beats to a measure
noun
(plural quad·ru·ples)

quantity four times as great:
a number or amount that is four times as great as another
[14th
century. Via French from Latin quintuplus, literally “fourfold,” from quadri-
“four” (see quadri- ).]
—quad·ru·ply, adverb[1]



quadruplet

quadruplet
quad·ru·plet 
[kwo drplət] (plural quad·ru·plets)
noun

1.  one
of four babies: any one of four babies born to the same
mother from one pregnancy

2.  four
similar things: a set of four identical or very similar
things

3.  MUSIC four
notes played faster than normal: a group of four notes
performed in the time usually occupied by three
[Late 18th century. Formed
from quadruple .][1]



quadruplicate

quadruplicate
quad·ru·pli·cate 
intransitive and transitive verb [kwo
drplee kàyt] (past quad·ru·pli·cat·ed, past participle
quad·ru·pli·cat·ed, present participle quad·ru·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular quad·ru·pli·cates)

increase
fourfold:
to multiply something by four or to be multiplied by four
adjective
[kwo drplikət]

with
four parts:
consisting of four identical or corresponding parts
noun
[kwo drplikət] (plural quad·ru·pli·cates)

one
of four:
any one of a set of four identical things or copies
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin quadri- “four,” on the model of “duplicate.”]
—quad·ru·pli·ca·tion [kwo drpli káysh’n], noun[1]



quaestor

quaestor
quaes·tor 
[kwéstər] (plural quaes·tors) noun

ancient
Roman financial administrator: in ancient Rome, a
magistrate responsible chiefly for financial administration
[14th
century. From Latin, formed from quaest-, the past participle stem of quaerere
“to inquire” (see query ).]
—quaes·to·ri·al
[kwe stáwree əl], adjective

—quaes·tor·ship [kwéstər shìp], noun[1]



quaff

quaff
quaff 
[kwof] intransitive and transitive verb
(past quaffed, past participle quaffed, present
participle quaff·ing, 3rd person present singular quaffs)

drink
quickly or heartily: to drink something in large
gulps or with great enjoyment (literary or humorous)
noun
(plural quaffs)

hearty
drink:
a long deep drink (literary or humorous)
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain.]
—quaff·er, noun[1]



quag

quag
quag 
[kwog] (plural quags) noun

See
quagmire  noun 1
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



quagga

quagga
quag·ga 
[kwóggə] (plural quag·gas or
quag·ga) noun

extinct
striped animal: an extinct mammal of the horse family,
related to the zebra, with yellowish-brown coloring and stripes on the head,
neck, and shoulders. It was found in southern Africa until the late 19th
century. Latin name: Equus quagga
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, of Nguni origin, said to be an imitation of the animal’s call.][1]



quaggy

quaggy
quag·gy 
[kwóggee] (comparative quag·gi·er,
superlative quag·gi·est) adjective

marshy:
soft and wet like a marsh or bog
—quag·gi·ness, noun[1]



quagmire

quagmire
quag·mire 
[kwág mr] (plural quag·mires)
noun

1.  swamp:
a soft marshy area of land that gives way when walked on.
Also
called
quag

2.  difficult
situation:
an awkward, complicated, or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to
escape
[Late 16th century. Formed
from quag + mire
.][1]



quahog

quahog
qua·hog 
[kwáw hàwg, kwó
hòg] (plural qua·hogs) or qua·haug [kwáw hàwg, kwó hòg]
(plural qua·haugs) noun

edible
shellfish:
a thick-shelled edible clam of the North Atlantic coast of the United States.
The shells were formerly used as money by Native North Americans. Latin name: Mercenaria
mercenaria
Also
called
hard-shell clam
Also
called
round clam
[Mid-18th
century. From Narragansett poqua hock .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  quahog is also called round clam
  (especially in Connecticut) and cohog.

[1]



quaich

quaich
quaich
[kwaykh] (plural quaichs) or
quaigh [kwaykh] (plural quaighs)
noun

Scotland
two-handled
drinking cup: a shallow drinking vessel with two
handles, usually made from wood or metal
[Mid-17th century. Via
Scottish Gaelic from Old Irish cúach, which was borrowed from medieval
Latin caucus “drinking cup” (possible source of English caucus ).][1]



Quaid’Orsay

Quaid’Orsay
Quai
d’Or·say 
[k dawr sáy] noun

1.  location
of French foreign office: the street along the south
bank of the Seine River in Paris on which the French foreign office is located

2.  French
foreign office: the French foreign office itself • The
Quai d’Orsay chose to make no immediate comment on the crisis.

[1]



quail

quail2
quail2 [kwáyl]
(past quailed, past participle quailed, present
participle quail·ing, 3rd person present singular quails)
intransitive verb

show
fear or apprehension: to tremble or shrink with
fear or apprehension
[Early
19th century. Of uncertain origin: possibly from Middle Dutch qualen “to
suffer.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recoil

[1]



quail

quail1


quail1 [kwayl]
(plural quail or quails) noun

1.  bird
with mottled brown plumage: a small game bird of Europe,
Asia, and Africa with a rounded body, mottled brown plumage, and a short tail.
Genus: Coturnix

2.  New
World game bird: any of several small New World game
birds related to the quail, including the bobwhite
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin coacula, from a Germanic word that is ultimately an
imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



quaint

quaint
quaint 
[kwaynt] adjective

1.  attractively
old-fashioned: with a charming old-fashioned quality • a
quaint little shop

2.  pleasantly
strange:
strange or unusual, especially in a pleasing or interesting way
[12th
century. Via Old French cointe, queinte “clever” from Latin cognit-,
the past participle stem of cognoscere “to learn” (see cognition ).]
—quaint·ly,
adverb

—quaint·ness, noun[1]



quake

quake
quake 
[kwayk] intransitive verb (past
quaked, past participle quaked, present participle quak·ing,
3rd person present singular quakes)

1.  tremble
with fear:
to shake or tremble, especially with fear

2.  shake:
to shake or rock, for example, from instability or a geologic disturbance
noun
(plural quakes)

1.  earthquake:
an earthquake (informal)

2.  shaking:
a tremor or shake
[Old
English cwacian, of unknown origin]
—quak·y, adjective[1]



quaker

quaker
quak·er 
[kwáykər] (plural quak·ers) noun

Rocky Mountains
See quaking aspen[1]



Quaker

Quaker
Quak·er 
[kwáykər] (plural Quak·ers) noun

member
of Society of Friends: a member of the Society of
Friends, a Christian denomination founded in England in the 17th century that
rejects formal sacraments, ministry, and creed, and is committed to pacifism.
At meetings members are encouraged to speak when they feel moved to do so.
[Late
17th century. Formed from quake, probably
because founder George Fox (1624–1691) admonished that they should “tremble at
the word of the Lord.”]
—Quak·er·ism,
noun

—Quak·er·ly, adjective[1]



Quakergun

Quakergun
Quak·er
gun
(plural Quak·er guns) noun

dummy
gun:
a dummy gun or cannon, usually made of wood, used in military training or to
deceive an enemy
[From the Quakers’ refusal to
fight in wars][1]



quakingaspen

quakingaspen
quak·ing
as·pen 
(plural quak·ing as·pens or quak·ing as·pen) or
quaker noun

N
American aspen: an aspen tree, native to the northern
United States and Canada, with rounded flat leaves that tremble in the wind.
Latin name: Populus tremuloides





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  As
  a variant term for the tree name quaking aspen,
  quaker or occasionally quakie is common in the Middle and Upper
  Rocky Mountain states, especially Colorado.

[1]



qualification

qualification
qual·i·fi·ca·tion 
[kwòlləfi káysh’n] (plural qual·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  essential
attribute:
a skill, quality, or attribute that makes somebody suitable for a particular
job, activity, or task

2.  official
requirement: a condition or requirement, for example,
passing an examination, that must be met by somebody who is to be eligible for
a position or privilege (often used in the plural)

3.  meeting
of requirements: the meeting of a condition or
requirement to become eligible for a position or privilege

4.  something
restrictive: something that modifies, limits, or
restricts

5.  restricting
or changing something: the modification or
limitation of something, for example, in meaning, scope, or strength

[1]



qualified

qualified
qual·i·fied 
[kwóllə fd] adjective

1.  officially
eligible:
having met a condition or requirement to become legally eligible for or
entitled to a position or privilege

2.  suitable
or eligible to do something: with the necessary skills,
qualities, or attributes to do a particular thing • She’s
well qualified to comment on international affairs.

3.  restricted
or changed:
modified or limited in some way
—qual·i·fied·ly, adverb[1]



qualifier

qualifier
qual·i·fi·er 
[kwóllə fr] (plural qual·i·fi·ers)
noun

1.  qualifying
person or team: an individual or team that is successful
in the preliminary part of a competition and earns the right to take part in
the next stage

2.  early
round:
a preliminary round of a competition

3.  somebody
with a right or skills: somebody who meets the
requirements of or has the qualifications for something

4.  GRAMMAR modifier:
a word or phrase that restricts or modifies the meaning of another word or
phrase, for example, the word “fairly”

[1]



qualify

qualify
qual·i·fy 
[kwóllə f] (past qual·i·fied,
past participle qual·i·fied, present participle qual·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular qual·i·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
make somebody suitable: to have or give somebody a
skill or attribute necessary for a particular activity

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or give somebody eligibility: to become legally eligible
or make somebody legally eligible for a position or privilege • Did
your exam results qualify you for the job?

3.  intransitive
verb
win
first round of competition: to complete the preliminary
part of a competition successfully and earn the right to go on to the next
stage

4.  transitive
verb
restrict
or change:
to modify or limit something in meaning, scope, or strength

5.  transitive
verb
moderate:
to make something less strong or extreme

6.  transitive
verb
describe
as something: to attribute a particular quality or
characteristic to something

7.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR modify
or restrict meaning: to modify or restrict the
meaning of a word
[Mid-16th
century. Via French qualifier from medieval Latin qualificare “to
attribute a quality to,” from Latin qualis (see quality
).]
—qual·i·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—qual·i·fi·ca·to·ry [kwólləfikə tàwree], adjective[1]



qualitative

qualitative
qual·i·ta·tive 
[kwóllə tàytiv] adjective

relating
to quality:
relating to or based on the quality or character of something, often as opposed
to its size or quantity
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin qualitativus from Latin qualitas
(see quality ).]
—qual·i·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



qualitativeanalysis

qualitativeanalysis
qual·i·ta·tive
a·nal·y·sis
noun

identification of substance’s
constituents: the identifying of the
components in a mixture[1]



quality

quality
qual·i·ty 
[kwóllətee] (plural qual·i·ties)
noun

1.  distinguishing
characteristic: a distinctive characteristic of somebody
or something

2.  essential
property:
an essential identifying nature or character of somebody or something

3.  standard:
the general standard or grade of something • goods
of a pretty dubious quality

4.  excellence:
the highest or finest standard (often used before a noun) • quality
products

5.  upper
social class: high social position or aristocratic
breeding (dated informal)

6.  people
of upper social class: people of high social
position or aristocratic breeding (dated informal) • quality
manners

7.  PHONETICS character
of vowel sound: the character of a vowel sound that
depends on such factors as the shape of the mouth and position of the tongue
when it is uttered

8.  MUSIC tone
of note:
the distinctive tone of a musical note

9.  LOGIC affirmative
or negative characteristic: the positive or negative
nature of a logical proposition
[13th century. Via French qualité
from the Latin stem qualitat-, from qualis “of what kind.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English what, how,
and quantity .][1]



qualitycircle

qualitycircle
qual·i·ty
cir·cle
(plural qual·i·ty cir·cles) noun

COMMERCE
quality improvement group:
a group of employees from different levels of a company who meet regularly to
discuss ways of improving quality and to resolve any problems related to
production[1]



qualitycontrol

qualitycontrol
qual·i·ty
con·trol
noun

control of product quality:
a system for achieving or maintaining the desired level of quality in a
manufactured product by inspecting samples and assessing what changes may be
needed in the manufacturing process[1]



qualityfactor

qualityfactor
qual·i·ty
fac·tor
noun

formula to determine effect
of radiation: a number by which a
given dose of absorbed radiation is multiplied to determine the radiation’s
biological effect[1]



qualityof life

qualityof life
qual·i·ty
of life
noun

contentment with everyday
life: the degree of enjoyment and
satisfaction experienced in everyday life as opposed to financial or material
well-being[1]



qualitytime

qualitytime
qual·i·ty
time
noun

time devoted to somebody or
something: time spent with loved ones
in enjoyable activities that enhance the relationship • working
parents determined to spend quality time with their kids[1]



qualm

qualm
qualm 
[kwaam] (plural qualms) noun

1.  doubt
about propriety of behavior: an uneasy conscience about
an action or conduct

2.  sick
feeling:
a sudden pang of nausea

3.  feeling
of unease:
a sudden feeling of uncertainty or apprehension
[Early
16th century. Of uncertain origin.]
—qualm·ish,
adjective

—qualm·ish·ly,
adverb

—qualm·ish·ness, noun[1]



quamash

quamash
quam·ash 
[kwməsh] (plural quam·ash·es or
quam·ash) noun

See
camas  noun 1[1]



Quanah

Quanah
Qua·nah
[kwnə] (1845?–1911)

U.S.
Native North American leader. He led the Comanche in raids against Caucasian
settlers in the southwest during the early 1870s.
Known as
Chief Quanah Full name Quanah, Parker[1]



quandary

quandary
quan·da·ry 
[kwóndəree, kwóndree]
(plural quan·da·ries) noun

dilemma:
a state of uncertainty or indecision as to what to do in a particular situation
[Late 16th century. Of
uncertain origin.][1]



quandong

quandong
quan·dong 
[kwón dòng] (plural quan·dongs
or quan·dong) noun

1.  TREES small
Australian tree: a small Australian tree that bears a
large edible red fruit with an edible kernel. Latin name: Santalum
acuminatum

2.  fruit
of quandong: the large red edible fruit of the
quandong, or its edible kernel, used to make jam

3.  TREES large
Australian tree: a large Australian tree with a wide
buttressed trunk that bears shiny blue fruits containing edible seeds and
yields a light-colored wood used as lumber. Latin name: Elaeocarpus grandis
[Mid-19th century. From
Wiradhuri guwandhāng .][1]



quant.

quant.
quant.
[kwont]

Abbreviation of
quantitative[1]



quant

quant
quant 
[kwont] (plural quants) noun

expert
in quantitative data: somebody skilled in
computing and the analysis of quantitative data, employed by a company to make
financial predictions (slang)
Also
called
quant jock
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of quantitative .][1]



quanta

quanta
quan·ta


Plural of
quantum[1]



quantal

quantal
quan·tal 
[kwónt’l] adjective

1.  PHYSICS relating
to quantum:
relating to a quantum or to a system that has been quantized

2.  SCIENCE in one
of two possible states: used to describe something
that at a given instant can be found in one of two possible states
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from quantum .]
—quan·tal·ly, adverb[1]



quantic

quantic
quan·tic 
[kwóntik] (plural quan·tics) noun

function
with more than one variable: a mathematical expression
with more than one variable that contains terms raised to the same power with
respect to all the variables
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin quantus “how much” (see quantity
).][1]



quantifier

quantifier
quan·ti·fi·er
[kwóntə fr] (plural quan·ti·fi·ers)
noun

word showing range of
reference: a word such as “all,”
“some,” or “most,” or a logical symbol with this meaning, that indicates the
range of individuals or items referred to[1]



quantify

quantify
quan·ti·fy 
[kwóntə f] (past quan·ti·fied,
past participle quan·ti·fied, present participle quan·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular quan·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  determine
number or extent of something: to calculate or
express the number, degree, or amount of something

2.  LOGIC show
range of reference of something: to use a quantifier to
limit the range of individuals or items referred to in a sentence or
proposition
[Mid-19th
century. From medieval Latin quantificare, from Latin quantus
(see quantity ).]
—quan·ti·fi·a·ble
[kwòntə f əb’l], adjective

—quan·ti·fi·ca·tion [kwòntəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



quantitate

quantitate
quan·ti·tate 
[kwóntə tàyt] (past quan·ti·tat·ed,
past participle quan·ti·tat·ed, present participle quan·ti·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular quan·ti·tates) transitive verb

measure
a quantity of: to estimate or determine precisely the
number, degree, or amount of something
[Mid-20th
century. Back-formation from quantitative .]
—quan·ti·ta·tion [kwòntə táysh’n], noun[1]



quantitative

quantitative
quan·ti·ta·tive 
[kwóntə tàytiv] adjective

1.  relating
to quantity: relating to, concerning, or based on the
amount or number of something

2.  measurable:
capable of being measured or expressed in numerical terms

3.  POETRY based
on length of syllables: relating or belonging to a
metrical system based on the length of syllables rather than on stress.
Classical Latin and Greek verse uses a quantitative system.
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin quantitativus, from Latin quantitas
(see quantity ).]
—quan·ti·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—quan·ti·ta·tive·ness,
noun[1]



quantitativeanalysis

quantitativeanalysis
quan·ti·ta·tive
a·nal·y·sis
noun

finding amounts of
components: the determining of the
relative amounts of the components in a mixture[1]



quantitativedigital radiography

quantitativedigital radiography
quan·ti·ta·tive
dig·i·tal ra·di·og·ra·phy noun

way of detecting bone
degeneration: a method of detecting
thinning of the bones ( osteoporosis ) by
assessing the levels of calcium present, usually in the spine and hip[1]



quantity

quantity
quan·ti·ty 
[kwóntətee] (plural quan·ti·ties)
noun

1.  amount:
an amount or number of something

2.  measurable
property:
the measurable property of something

3.  large
amounts:
a large amount or number • Foodstuffs
were imported in quantity.

4.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
entity with numerical value: a mathematical entity that
has a numerical value or magnitude

5.  PHYSICS particular
magnitude of something: the product of a measurable
phenomenon such as electric current or radiation intensity and the time during
which the phenomenon is measured

6.  LOGIC universal
or particular nature of proposition: the
characteristic of a logical proposition that distinguishes it as universal or
particular

7.  PHONETICS relative
duration of sound: the length of a vowel sound
or syllable
[13th century. Via French quantité
from the Latin stem quantitat-, from quantus “how much.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English what, how,
and quality .][1]



quantitytheory

quantitytheory
quan·ti·ty
the·o·ry
noun

theory relating prices to
money circulation: the theory
that prices vary with the amount of money in circulation and the rate at which
it circulates[1]



quantize

quantize
quan·tize 
[kwón tz] (past quan·tized, past
participle quan·tized, present participle quan·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular quan·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  express
in quantum numbers: to express something in
terms of quantum numbers

2.  apply
quantum mechanics to: to divide something into
tiny discrete increments applying the rules of quantum mechanics
[Early
20th century. Formed from quantum .]
—quan·ti·za·tion [kwòntə záysh’n], noun[1]



quantjock

quantjock
quant
jock
(plural quant jocks) noun

See
quant  noun[1]



Quant,Mary

Quant,Mary
Quant 
[kwont], Mary (1934– )

British fashion designer. A
leader of 1960s London style, she created the miniskirt and hotpants, and later
expanded her business into cosmetics and textiles.[1]



Quantrill,William Clarke

Quantrill,William Clarke
Quan·trill
[kwóntril], William Clarke (1837–1865)

U.S. military leader. He led
a Confederate guerrilla band, many of them outlaws, against communities
believed to be pro-Union.[1]



quantum

quantum
quan·tum 
[kwóntəm] noun (plural quan·ta
[kwóntə])

1.  PHYSICS smallest
quantity of energy: the smallest discrete
quantity of a physical property, for example, electromagnetic radiation or
angular momentum

2.  PHYSICS smallest
unit:
the smallest unit used to measure a physical property. For example, the quantum
of electromagnetic radiation is the photon.

3.  quantity:
a quantity or amount of anything

4.  particular
amount:
a particular quantity or portion
adjective

major:
sudden, dramatic, and significant
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, formed from quantus “how much” (see quantity
).][1]



quantumchromodynamics

quantumchromodynamics
quan·tum
chro·mo·dy·nam·ics noun

a quantum field theory:
a quantum field theory of elementary particles that states that the color
properties of quarks are bound together by gluons[1]



quantumelectrodynamics

quantumelectrodynamics
quan·tum
e·lec·tro·dy·nam·ics noun

quantum mechanics dealing
with electromagnetic interactions: a
quantum field theory that describes the properties of electromagnetic radiation
and its interaction with electrically charged particles[1]



quantumfield theory

quantumfield theory
quan·tum
field the·o·ry noun

quantum mechanical theory
about elementary particles: a theory
developed from quantum mechanics based on the assumption that elementary
particles interact through the influence of fields around them and the exchange
of energy[1]



quantumjump

quantumjump
quan·tum
jump
(plural quan·tum jumps) noun

1.  PHYSICS sudden
change of energy state: the sudden transition of an
atom or particle from one energy state to another

2.  See
quantum leap

[1]



quantumleap

quantumleap
quan·tum
leap
(plural quan·tum leaps) noun

sudden change or advance:
a sudden, dramatic, and significant change or advance • a
quantum leap in our understanding of molecular science.

Also called
quantum jump noun 2[1]



quantummechanics

quantummechanics
quan·tum
me·chan·ics
noun

interaction
of atoms and particles: the study and analysis of
the interactions of atoms and elementary particles based on quantum theory. The
study evolved in an effort to explain the behavior of atoms and subatomic
particles, which do not obey the laws of classical Newtonian mechanics. (takes
a singular or plural verb)
—quan·tum me·chan·i·cal,
adjective[1]



quantumnumber

quantumnumber
quan·tum
num·ber
(plural quan·tum num·bers) noun

number expressing property of
particle: any one of the set of
integers or half integers that characterize the properties and energy states of
an elementary particle or system[1]



quantumtheory

quantumtheory
quan·tum
the·o·ry
noun

theory about subdivision of
energy: a theory describing the
behavior and interactions of elementary particles or energy states based on the
assumptions that energy is subdivided into discrete amounts and that matter
possesses wave properties[1]



quar.

quar.
quar.

1.  Abbreviation
of
quarter

2.  Abbreviation
of
quarterly

[1]



quarantine

quarantine
quar·an·tine 
[kwáwrən tn] noun

1.  isolation
to prevent spread of disease: enforced isolation of people
or animals that may have been exposed to a contagious or infectious disease,
for example, when entering a country

2.  place
of isolation: a place in which people or animals spend
a period of isolation to prevent the spread of disease

3.  time
of enforced isolation: the period of time during
which people or animals are kept in isolation to prevent the spread of disease

4.  state
or period of isolation: enforced isolation, for
example, for social or political reasons, or a period of such isolation

5.  40
days:
a period of 40 days (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past quar·an·tined, past participle quar·an·tined,
present participle quar·an·tin·ing, 3rd person present
singular quar·an·tines)

1.  isolate
to avoid spread of disease: to isolate a person or
animal that may have been exposed to a contagious or infectious disease in
order to prevent the possible spread of that disease

2.  detain:
to isolate or detain somebody, for example, for social or political reasons
[Early
17th century. Via Italian quarantina from, ultimately, Latin quadraginta
“forty”; so called because ships suspected of carrying disease were refused
entrance to port for 40 days.]
—quar·an·tin·a·ble [kwàwrən tnəb’l], adjective[1]



quark

quark2
quark2 [kwawrk]
noun

low-fat
soft cheese: a type of soft cheese of German origin
made from skim milk
[Mid-20th century. From
German, ultimately of Slavic origin.][1]



quark

quark1
quark1 [kwawrk]
(plural quarks) noun

basic
component of particles: any elementary particle with
an electric charge equal to one-third or two-thirds that of the electron.
Quarks are believed to be the constituents of baryons and mesons. There are six
types ( flavors ) of quarks, each paired
with an antiquark, and three properties ( colors
) that determine their role in interactions.
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
American physicist Murray Gell-Mann (b. 1929), alluding to the phrase “three
quarks for Muster Mark” in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake ; because
originally there were thought to be three quarks.][1]



quarrel

quarrel1
quar·rel1 [kwáwrəl]
noun (plural quar·rels)

1.  argument
between people: an angry dispute between two or more
people

2.  reason
to argue:
a reason for a disagreement or dispute between people • I
have no quarrel with their proposals.
intransitive
verb
(past quar·reled, past participle quar·reled, present
participle quar·rel·ing, 3rd person present singular quar·rels)

1.  argue
vehemently:
to engage in an angry dispute

2.  disagree
with something: to dispute or disagree with something
such as a decision

3.  find
fault:
to complain about something
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin querela “complaint,” from queri
“to complain” (source of English querulous
).]
—quar·rel·er, noun[1]



quarrel

quarrel2
quar·rel2 [kwáwrəl]
(plural quar·rels) noun

1.  crossbow
bolt:
a short square-headed bolt or arrow used in a crossbow

2.  square
glass pane:
any of several small square or diamond-shaped panes of glass in a window
[12th century. Via Old French
from assumed Vulgar Latin quadrellus, literally “small square,” from
Latin quadrum (see quadrate ).][1]



quarrelsome

quarrelsome
quar·rel·some 
[kwáwrəlsəm] adjective

argumentative:
having a tendency to argue with people
—quar·rel·some·ly,
adverb

—quar·rel·some·ness, noun[1]



quarry

quarry2
quar·ry2 [kwáwree]
noun (plural quar·ries)

1.  open
area for mining: an open excavation from which stone or
other material is extracted by blasting, cutting, or drilling

2.  source:
a rich source of something
verb
(past quar·ried, past participle quar·ried, present
participle quar·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular quar·ries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MINING obtain something from quarry:
to extract stone or other material from a quarry

2.  transitive
verb
use
place for extracting stone: to make a quarry in a
particular place such as a hillside and remove material from it • The
area was extensively quarried last century.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb extract
laboriously: to obtain something, such as facts or
information, by searching laboriously and carefully
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin quarreia from Old French quarriere, from assumed quarre
“square-cut stone,” from Latin quadrum “square” (see quadrate ).][1]



quarry

quarry3
quar·ry3 [kwáwree]
(plural quar·ries) noun

1.  square
shape:
a square or diamond shape

2.  something
square or diamond-shaped: something with a square or
diamond shape, for example, a pane of glass in a latticed window
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of quarrel 2 .][1]



quarry

quarry1
quar·ry1 [kwáwree]
(plural quar·ries) noun

1.  hunted
animal or bird: an animal or bird that is hunted by
something or somebody

2.  object
of pursuit:
somebody or something that is chased or hunted by another
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman couree “entrails of an animal given to the hounds,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin corata, from Latin cor “heart” (see cordate ).][1]



quarrytile

quarrytile
quar·ry
tile
(plural quar·ry tiles) noun

square
tile:
a tile with a square or diamond shape, especially a hardwearing unglazed clay
tile used for flooring
[From quarry 3][1]



quart

quart
quart 
[kwawrt] (plural quarts) noun

1.  quarter
of gallon:
a unit of measurement for liquids equal to two pints

2.  one-eighth
of peck:
a unit of measurement for dry substances equal to two pints

3.  container
or contents: a container that holds one quart or its
contents
[13th century. Via Old French
quarte from, ultimately, Latin quartus “fourth.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fourth and farthing
.][1]



quartan

quartan
quar·tan 
[kwáwrt’n] adjective

recurring
every fourth day: used to describe a fever that recurs
every fourth day, for example, in some types of malaria
[13th century. Via Old French
quartaine from, ultimately, Latin quartus “fourth” (see quart ).][1]



quarter

quarter
quar·ter 
[kwáwrtər] noun (plural quar·ters)

1.  one
of four parts: any of four equal or approximately equal
parts into which something is divided

2.  one-fourth:
a number that is equal to one divided by four, represented by the symbol ¼

3.  period
of three months: any of the three-month periods into
which the year is divided, especially for accounting purposes

4.  25
cents:
in the United States and Canada, the sum of 25 cents

5.  coin
worth 25 cents: in the United States and Canada, a coin
worth 25 cents or one quarter of a dollar

6.  15
minutes before or after hour: either of the points in time
15 minutes before or after the hour, marked on a traditional clock face at 3
and 9

7.  MEASUREMENTS 25
lb. in weight: in the United States, a unit of weight
equal to 11.35 kg/25 lb or one quarter of a hundredweight

8.  MEASUREMENTS 28
lb. in weight: in the U.K., a unit of weight equal to
12.71 kg/28 lb or one quarter of a hundredweight

9.  MEASUREMENTS 8
bushels:
a unit of capacity for grain and similar substances equal to approximately 8
bushels

10. MEASUREMENTS 4
oz. of something: an amount of something weighing 113.4
g/4 oz or a quarter of a pound (informal)

11. quarter
of standard unit: an amount or length equal to one quarter
of a standard unit, such as a yard or mile

12. quarter
of square mile: one quarter of a square mile of rural
land

13. quar·ter
or Quar·ter district of town:
an area in a town of a particular type or inhabited by a particular group of
people • We
visited the French Quarter while we were in New Orleans.

14. unspecified
person or group: an unspecified person or group of people
• They’re
looking for help from any quarter.

15. mercy:
mercy offered to a defeated enemy

16. ASTRONOMY Moon
phase:
either of the two phases of the Moon in which half of its illuminated surface
can be seen from the Earth

17. ASTRONOMY quarter
of Moon’s orbit: one fourth of the Moon’s orbital period
about the Earth

18. EDUCATION academic
term:
an academic term at a college or university lasting 10 or 12 weeks

19. SPORTS part
of sports contest: one of the four equal parts
into which games are divided in some sports

20. NAUTICAL side
of rear half of vessel: either side of the rear half
of a boat or ship, usually behind the rearmost mast

21. GEOGRAPHY northeast,
southeast, southwest, or northwest: any
one of the four compass points that lie midway between north, east, south, and
west

22. HERALDRY any
section of heraldic shield: any one of the four sections
into which a heraldic shield may be divided

23. part
of animal or bird: any one of the four parts
into which the body of an animal or bird may be divided, with a leg or wing
forming part of each quarter

24. side
of hoof:
the side of a horse’s hoof

25. shoe
part:
the part of a shoe between the heel and the front part of the upper
plural
noun
quar·ters

accommodations:
living or sleeping accommodations provided for somebody, for example, military
personnel and their families, household employees, or members of a ship’s crew
adjective

divided by four:
used to describe one fourth part of something
verb
(past quar·tered, past participle quar·tered, present
participle quar·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular quar·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
divide
something into four: to divide something into
four equal or approximately equal parts

2.  transitive
verb
HISTORY cut
body into four: to cut a human body into four parts
following an execution

3.  transitive
verb
give
somebody lodging: to assign accommodation to somebody • The
soldiers were quartered in an old barn.

4.  transitive
verb
HERALDRY divide
shield into four sections: to divide a heraldic shield
into four sections

5.  intransitive
verb
cross
in zigzag course: to cover all parts of an area of land,
sea, or air by ranging from side to side while moving forward, for example,
while searching for somebody or something

6.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL come
from rear part of side: to come from a direction at
approximately 45 degrees to the stern of a boat or ship

7.  transitive
verb
position
something at 90 degrees: to locate or position a
machine part at right angles to another
[13th
century. Via Old French quartier from, ultimately, Latin quartus
“fourth” (see quart ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Quarter can designate fifteen
  minutes to the hour with of, till, and to . Before World
  War II, the three prepositions outlined, respectively, the Northern, Midland,
  and Southern dialect areas, especially in the Eastern states. The pattern
  seems to endure, with quarter to gaining ground across the country.

[1]



quarterage

quarterage
quar·ter·age 
[kwáwrtərij] noun

three-monthly payment:
a sum of money paid or received every three months[1]



quarterback

quarterback
quar·ter·back 
[kwáwrtər bàk] noun (plural quar·ter·backs)

player in American football:
in football, a player positioned behind the center who directs the play by
calling signals
transitive
verb
(past quar·ter·backed, past participle quar·ter·backed,
present participle quar·ter·back·ing, 3rd person present
singular quar·ter·backs)

1.  direct
team:
to direct the offensive play of a football team

2.  be
in charge of operation: to direct or mastermind an
operation (slang)

[1]



quarter-bound

quarter-bound
quar·ter-bound
adjective

bound in different materials:
used to describe a book that is bound in one material, usually leather, on the
spine and another on the covers[1]



quarterdeck

quarterdeck
quar·ter·deck 
[kwáwrtər dèk] (plural quar·ter·decks)
noun

NAUTICAL
rear part of upper deck:
the rear part of the upper deck of a ship, where official ceremonies
traditionally take place on a vessel[1]



quarterfinal

quarterfinal
quar·ter·fi·nal 
[kwàwrtər fn’l, kwáwrtər
fn’l] (plural quar·ter·fi·nals) noun

match
before semifinal: any one of four contests in a tournament
or competition, the winners of which go on to play each other in the semifinals
[Early
20th century. Modeled on semifinal .]
—quar·ter·fi·nal·ist, noun[1]



quarterhorse

quarterhorse
quar·ter
horse
(plural quar·ter hors·es) noun

strong
horse for short races: a strong horse formerly bred
to run short races in the United States
[From “quarter-race,” a race
over a quarter mile][1]



quarterhour

quarterhour
quar·ter
hour
(plural quar·ter hours) noun

1.  15
minutes:
a period of 15 minutes

2.  15
minutes before or after hour: either of the points on a
clock face that indicate a time 15 minutes before or after the hour • The
clock chimes on the quarter hour.

[1]



quarterly

quarterly
quar·ter·ly 
[kwáwrtərlee] adjective

1.  happening
every three months: happening, produced, or
published four times a year, at three-month intervals

2.  HERALDRY divided
into four sections: used to describe a heraldic
shield that is divided into four sections
adverb

every three months:
once every three months
noun
(plural quar·ter·lies)

journal published every three months:
a magazine or journal published four times a year, at three-month intervals

[1]



quartermaster

quartermaster
quar·ter·mas·ter 
[kwáwrtər màstər] (plural quar·ter·mas·ters)
noun

1.  army
officer:
an army officer responsible for providing soldiers with food, clothing,
equipment, and living quarters

2.  naval
officer:
in the navy, a petty officer or ship’s mate with some responsibilities for
navigation and signals

[1]



quartern

quartern
quar·tern 
[kwáwrtərn] (plural quar·terns)
noun

one
fourth:
a fourth part of something, especially of some old weights and measures
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman quartrun .][1]



quarternote

quarternote
quar·ter
note
(plural quar·ter notes) noun

short musical note:
a note with one fourth the time value of a whole note.
U.K. term
crotchet[1]



quarter-phase

quarter-phase
quar·ter-phase 
adjective

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
two-phase
[So called because the two
currents are 90 degrees out of phase][1]



quarterround

quarterround
quar·ter
round
(plural quar·ter rounds) noun

molding shaped like quarter
of circle: a molding that, in
cross-section, is the shape of a quarter of a circle[1]



quarters

quarters
quar·ters
[kwáwrtərz] plural noun

living
space:
a building or set of rooms where people live, especially military personnel or
servants
at
close quarters

from very near[1]



quartersawn

quartersawn
quar·ter·sawn
[kwáwrtər sàwn] or quar·ter·sawed
[kwáwrtər sàwd] adjective

made from logs sawed in
quarters: used to describe wooden
boards sawed from a log cut into quarters lengthwise so as to show off the
grain of the wood[1]



quartersection

quartersection
quar·ter
sec·tion
(plural quar·ter sec·tions) noun

land unit:
a tract of land measuring 800 metershalf a mile on each side, equal to 65
hectares160 acres or one fourth of a section[1]



quarterstaff

quarterstaff
quar·ter·staff 
[kwáwrtər stàf] (plural quar·ter·staves
[kwáwrtər stàyvz] or quar·ter·staffs)
noun

fighting
stick:
a long heavy wooden stick tipped with iron, formerly used in hand-to-hand
fighting
[Mid-16th century. Quarter is
of uncertain origin: possibly because it was made from a tree of a certain size
cut into quarters.][1]



quartertone

quartertone
quar·ter
tone
(plural quar·ter tones) noun

half a semitone:
a difference in pitch between two tones ( interval
) that is equal to half a semitone[1]



quartet

quartet
quar·tet
[kwawr tét] (plural quar·tets)
or quar·tette [kwawr tét] (plural
quar·tettes) noun

1.  musical
group:
a group of four singers or musicians

2.  piece
of music:
a piece of music written for four voices or instruments

3.  group
of four:
a group or set of four people or things
[Late 18th century. Via
French quartette from Italian quartetto, from quarto
“fourth,” from Latin quartus (see quart
).][1]



quartic

quartic
quar·tic 
[kwáwrtik] adjective

MATHEMATICS of
the fourth degree: of or relating to the fourth
degree. A quartic equation has the general form ax 4 + bx 3 + cx 2 + dx + e = 0 .
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin quartus (see quart ).][1]



quartile

quartile
quar·tile 
[kwáwr tl, kwáwrt’l]
(plural quar·tiles) noun

1.  statistical
division:
any one of the four equal groups into which a statistical sample can be divided

2.  statistical
value:
in statistics, any one of the three values that divide a frequency distribution
into four parts, each containing a quarter of the sample population

3.  distance
between planets: the astrological aspect of planets that
are distant from each other by 90 degrees, or one fourth of the zodiac
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French quartil from, ultimately, Latin quartus (see quart ).][1]



quarto

quarto
quar·to 
[kwáwrtō] (plural quar·tos) noun

1.  page
size:
the page size created by folding a single sheet of standard-sized printing
paper in half twice to create four leaves or eight pages

2.  book
with quarto pages: a book with quarto pages
[Late 16th century. From
Latin (in) quarto, “in a fourth,” from quartus (see quart ).][1]



quartz

quartz
quartz 
[kwawrts] noun

crystalline
mineral:
a usually colorless transparent crystalline mineral widely distributed in rocks
of all types. Colored varieties are used as gemstones. Its hardness makes it a
valuable industrial component, for example, as a frequency control in
electronic communications and timing devices.
[Mid-18th century. From
German Quarz, ultimately from a western Slavic word meaning “hard.”][1]



quartzclock

quartzclock
quartz
clock
(plural quartz clocks) noun

clock with quartz crystal:
a clock in which the time-keeping mechanism is accurately controlled by a
quartz crystal that vibrates at a fixed frequency in an oscillating electric
circuit[1]



quartzcrystal

quartzcrystal
quartz
crys·tal 
(plural quartz crys·tals) noun

quartz piece vibrating at
known frequency: a small piece of quartz
cut so that it vibrates at a known frequency. In an oscillating electric
circuit, it produces a constant signal for accurate timekeeping.[1]



quartzglass

quartzglass
quartz
glass
noun

glass from heated quartz:
a clear glass made from melted silica. It can withstand high or rapidly
changing temperatures and is unusually transparent to ultraviolet radiation. It
is made in both transparent and translucent forms, the latter being clouded by
minute gas bubbles trapped within it.
Also called
fused quartz[1]



quartzheater

quartzheater
quartz
heat·er
(plural quartz heat·ers) noun

electric heater:
a portable electric heater with heating elements sealed in quartz glass tubes[1]



quartziferous

quartziferous
quartz·if·er·ous 
[kwart síffərəss] adjective

containing quartz:
containing or consisting of quartz[1]



quartz-iodinelamp

quartz-iodinelamp
quartz-i·o·dine
lamp
(plural quartz-i·o·dine lamps) noun

lamp containing iodine vapor:
a very bright lamp with a bulb made of quartz glass that has a tungsten
filament and usually contains iodine vapor. It is used in automobile headlights
and movie projectors.[1]



quartzite

quartzite
quartz·ite 
[kwáwrt st] noun

hard
quartz-based rock: a pale metamorphic rock
composed mainly of quartz, formed by the action of heat and pressure on
sandstone. It is an important construction material used, for example, for
high-quality paving blocks and the facades of buildings.
—quartz·it·ic [kwawrt síttik], adjective[1]



quartzlamp

quartzlamp
quartz
lamp
(plural quartz lamps) noun

lamp containing mercury
vapor: a mercury vapor lamp with a
bulb made from quartz glass that produces light rich in ultraviolet radiation
and is used for street lighting and sun lamps[1]



quartzwatch

quartzwatch
quartz
watch
(plural quartz watch·es) noun

watch with quartz crystal:
a watch in which the time-keeping mechanism is accurately controlled by a
quartz crystal that vibrates at a fixed frequency in an oscillating electric
circuit[1]



quasar

quasar
qua·sar 
[kwáy zr] (plural qua·sars) noun

remote
high-energy astronomical object: a compact object in
space, usually with a large red shift indicating extreme remoteness, that emits
huge amounts of energy, sometimes equal to the energy output of an entire
galaxy.
Also
called
quasi-stellar object
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of quasi-stellar object .][1]



quash

quash2
quash2 [kwosh]
(past quashed, past participle quashed, present
participle quash·ing, 3rd person present singular quash·es)
transitive verb

declare
null and void: to declare formally that something such
as an indictment or a subpoena is not valid
[13th century. Via Old French
quasser from, ultimately, Latin cassare, from cassus
“empty, void.”][1]



quash

quash1
quash1 [kwosh]
(past quashed, past participle quashed, present
participle quash·ing, 3rd person present singular quash·es)
transitive verb

put
a stop to something: to put a stop to something
forcibly
[14th century. Via Old French
quasser from medieval Latin quassare “to shake to pieces,” from quatere
“to shake” (source of English squash 2 and concussion ).][1]



quasi

quasi
qua·si 
[kwáy z, kwzee]
adjective

1.  LAW as
though:
just as valid in law as if actual • quasi
contract

2.  almost
but not quite: resembling somebody or something in some
ways, but not exactly the same
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin, “as if,” from quam “as” + si “if.”][1]



quasi-

quasi-
quasi-
prefix

as
if, resembling
[Via Old French from Latin quasi,
literally “as if,” from quam “as” + si “if”][1]



quasi-judicial

quasi-judicial
qua·si-ju·di·cial
[kwàyz  joo dísh’l, kwzi joo dísh’l] adjective

resembling
the powers of a court: used to describe
decision-making powers that are similar to those of a court judge, or to
describe any arbitrator or inquiry with such powers
—qua·si-ju·di·cial·ly,
adverb[1]



quasi-legislative

quasi-legislative
qua·si-leg·is·la·tive
[kwayzī léjjə slàytiv, kwzi léjjə slàytiv] adjective

resembling powers of
legislature: used to describe
regulations that are not regarded as laws proper but have the force of law, or
to describe bodies that have the right to make such regulations[1]



quasi-stellarobject

quasi-stellarobject
qua·si-stel·lar
ob·ject 
[kwayzī stèllər óbjəkt, kwzi stèllər óbjəkt] (plural qua·si-stel·lar
ob·jects) noun

See
quasar[1]



quassia

quassia
quas·sia 
[kwóshə] (plural quas·sias) noun

1.  tree
yielding fine-grained timber: a tropical American shrub or
small tree with scarlet flowers that yields fine-grained timber from which an
insecticide can be extracted. Genus: Quassia

2.  wood
of quassia tree: the fine-grained pale wood of the
quassia tree, used for making furniture

3.  insecticide
derived from quassia wood: a bitter substance obtained
from the bark and wood of the quassia tree, formerly used in medicine and now
used as an insecticide
[Origin uncertain][1]



quatercentenary

quatercentenary
qua·ter·cen·ten·a·ry 
[kwòttər sen ténnəree] (plural qua·ter·cen·ten·a·ries)
noun

four
hundredth anniversary: a four hundredth anniversary
[Late 19th century. “quater”
from Latin, “four times” (see quaternary ).][1]



Quaternary

Quaternary
Qua·ter·nar·y
adjective

belonging
to present geologic period: belonging to or dating from
the most recent geologic period, spanning the last 2 million years
noun

most recent geologic period:
the current period of geologic time and the second period of the Cenozoic era.
It is characterized by the appearance and dominance of humans.[1]



quaternary

quaternary
qua·ter·nar·y 
[kwóttər nèrree] adjective

1.  occurring
in fours:
consisting of four parts, or occurring in sets of four

2.  having
four-atom bonds: bonded to four other nonhydrogen atoms
or groups of atoms, or containing atoms bonded in this way
noun
(plural qua·ter·nar·ies)

set of four or fourth member:
a set of four, or the fourth member of a set.
Also
called
quarternion
[15th century. From Latin quaternarius,
from quaterni “by fours,” from quater “four times.”][1]



quaternaryammonium compound

quaternaryammonium compound
qua·ter·nar·y
am·mo·ni·um com·pound (plural qua·ter·nar·y
am·mo·ni·um com·pounds) noun

nitrogen compound:
a nitrogen compound regarded as a derivative of ammonium. Some are used as
solvents and disinfectants.[1]



quaternion

quaternion
qua·ter·ni·on 
[kwə túrnee ən] (plural qua·ter·ni·ons)
noun

1.  See
quaternary  noun

2.  generalized
complex number: a generalized complex number that
contains four terms, one real and three imaginary, and is the sum of a real
number and a vector
[14th century. From the late
Latin stem quaternion-, from Latin quaterni (see quaternary ).][1]



quaternity

quaternity
qua·ter·ni·ty 
[kwə túrnətee] (plural qua·ter·ni·ties)
noun

group
of four:
a set of four, especially the four beings that, in some religions, are unified
in God
[Early 16th century. From
late Latin quaternitas, from Latin quaterni (see quaternary ).][1]



quatrain

quatrain
quat·rain 
[kwó tràyn] (plural quat·rains)
noun

four-line
verse:
a verse of poetry consisting of four lines, especially one with lines that
rhyme alternately
[Late 16th century. From
French, formed from quatre “four,” from Latin quattuor .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “four” that is also the ancestor of
English four, quarter, and tetra-
.][1]



quatrefoil

quatrefoil

quat·re·foil 
[káttrə fòyl] (plural quat·re·foils)
noun

1.  flower
or leaf symbol: a design or symbol in the shape of a
flower with four petals, or a leaf with four parts. It is often used in
heraldry.

2.  architectural
ornament:
an architectural decoration consisting of four arcs radiating from a center
like flower petals
[15th century. From
Anglo-Norman, literally “four-leaf.”][1]



quattrocento

quattrocento
quat·tro·cen·to 
[kwtrō chén t] noun

Italian
historical period: the 15th century in Italy,
especially with reference to art and literature
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, shortening of mil quattrocento “one thousand four hundred.”][1]



quaver

quaver
qua·ver 
[kwáyvər] verb (past qua·vered,
past participle qua·vered, present participle qua·ver·ing,
3rd person present singular qua·vers)

1.  intransitive
verb
tremble
slightly:
to tremble because of nervousness or fear

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
tremblingly: to say something or speak in a trembling
voice because of nervousness or fear

3.  intransitive
verb
sing
with trill:
to sing in a trilling voice
noun
(plural qua·vers)

1.  trembling
sound:
a tremble in the voice caused by nervousness or fear

2.  trill:
an alternation of a musical tone with the tone just above it

3.  U.K.
See eighth note
[15th
century. Formed from earlier quave “to tremble,” of prehistoric Germanic
origin.]
—qua·ver·ing·ly,
adverb

—qua·ver·y, adjective[1]



quaverrest

quaverrest
qua·ver
rest
(plural qua·ver rests) noun

U.K.
See eighth rest[1]



quay

quay
quay 
[kee] (plural quays) noun

waterside
platform:
a platform that runs along the edge of a port or harbor, where boats are loaded
and unloaded
[14th century. Via Old North
French cai from Gaulish caio “rampart.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base denoting a fence that is also the ancestor of English hedge .][1]



quayage

quayage
quay·age 
[k ij] (plural quay·ag·es) noun

1.  fee
for using quay: a charge that ship owners must pay to
dock at a quay in order to load and unload there

2.  quay
space:
the space available on a quay for ships to load and unload

3.  quay
system:
a system of quays

[1]



quayside

quayside
quay·side 
[k sd] (plural quay·sides) noun

quay’s edge:
the edge of a quay, where it meets the water[1]



Que.

Que.
Que.

Abbreviation of
Quebec[1]



quean

quean
quean 
[kween] (plural queans) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s morality (archaic
offensive)
[Old English cwene
“woman” (see queen )][1]



queasy

queasy
quea·sy 
[kwzee] (comparative quea·si·er,
superlative quea·si·est) adjective

1.  nauseated:
feeling ill in the stomach, as if on the point of vomiting

2.  easily
nauseated:
easily nauseated

3.  causing
uneasiness:
causing a feeling of uneasiness

4.  causing
nausea:
causing a feeling of nausea
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—quea·si·ly,
adverb

—quea·si·ness, noun[1]



Quebec

Quebec2
Que·bec2 [kwə
bék, kə bék, kay
bék] noun

code word for letter “Q”:
a code word for the letter “Q,” used in international radio communications[1]



quebracho

quebracho
que·bra·cho 
[kay br ch] (plural que·bra·chos)
noun

1.  tree
with medicinal bark: a tree native to Chile and
Argentina whose bark yields a medicine used in treating respiratory ailments.
Latin name: Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco

2.  tree
with tannin-rich wood: a tree of southern South
America whose hard tannin-rich wood is used in the leather industry. Genus: Schinopsis

3.  bark
of quebracho tree: the bark of the quebracho
tree that yields a medicine used in treating respiratory ailments

4.  wood
of quebracho tree: the hard tannin-rich wood of
the quebracho tree that is used in the leather industry
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, an alteration of quiebrahacha, literally “axe-breaker,” from quebrar
“to break” + hacha “axe.”][1]



Quechua

Quechua
Quech·ua 
[kéchwə] (plural Quech·ua or
Quech·uas) or Kech·ua [kéchwə]
(plural Kech·ua or Kech·uas) or Quich·ua
[kchwə] (plural Quich·ua or
Quich·uas) noun

1.  member
of Native S American people: a member of any of several
Native South American peoples, including the Incas, living in the Andes

2.  Quechua
language:
a Native South American language spoken in the Andes, from southern Colombia
through Chile and Argentina. It belongs to the Andean branch of
Andean-Equatorial languages. Quechua is spoken by about 10 million people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Spanish, of uncertain origin: probably from Quechua kkechúwa
“plunderer.”]
—Quech·ua,
adjective

—Quech·uan, adjective,
noun[1]



queen

queen
queen 
[kween] noun (plural queens)

1.  woman
ruler:
a woman who rules over a country, usually by right of birth

2.  king’s
wife:
the wife of a king

3.  face
card:
a playing card with a picture of a queen on it, ranking above a jack and below
a king

4.  admired
woman, place, or thing: a greatly admired woman who
stands out above all others, or a place or thing considered the best of its
kind and personified as a woman

5.  egg-laying
bee, ant, or termite: a large, fully developed
female that lays eggs in a colony of social insects, such as bees or ants. She
is usually the only fertile female member of the colony.

6.  CHESS most
powerful chess piece: the most powerful piece in
chess, able to move over any number of squares forward, backward, sideways, and
diagonally

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a homosexual man (offensive)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past queened,
past participle queened, present participle queen·ing,
3rd person present singular queens)

make pawn into queen:
to promote a pawn to the rank of queen by managing to take it to the opponent’s
end of the board, or to become promoted from pawn to queen
[Old English cwēn
“woman.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
English gyno- and banshee .][1]



QueenAnne

QueenAnne
Queen
Anne 
noun

early
18C furniture style: a style of furniture popular
in the early 18th century, characterized by the use of simple curves and
cabriole legs
[Early 19th century. Named
for Queen Anne .][1]



QueenAnne’s lace

QueenAnne’s lace

Queen
Anne’s lace 
noun
wild
ancestor of carrot: the wild ancestor of the
carrot, native to Europe and Asia but common elsewhere. It bears flat-topped
clusters of white flowers and has a stout but inedible root. Latin name: Daucus
carota
Also
called
carrot
Also
called
wild carrot
[Late 19th century. Named for
Queen Anne, perhaps from the resemblance of the plant’s flowers to delicate
embroidery.][1]



queenbee

queenbee
queen
bee
(plural queen bees) noun

1.  fertile
female bee:
a large, fully developed female bee that lays eggs continually. She is usually
the only fertile female in the colony.

2.  important
woman:
a woman who is treated as the most important member of her group, or who
behaves as if she is

[1]



QueenCharlotte Islands

QueenCharlotte Islands
Queen
Char·lotte Is·lands  [kween
shrlət  lənds]

group of 150 islands in
Canada, off the western coast of British Columbia. Area: 9,596 sq km/3,705 sq
mi. Population: 3,368 (1986)[1]



queenconsort

queenconsort
queen
con·sort
(plural queens con·sort) noun

king’s wife:
a woman married to a reigning king[1]



queen-cup

queen-cup
queen-cup
(plural queen-cups) noun

N American wildflower:
a stemless plant of western North America that produces a single white flower
and a blue berry. Latin name: Clintonia uniflora[1]



queendowager

queendowager
queen
dow·a·ger
(plural queen dow·a·gers) noun

king’s widow:
a widow of a king[1]



QueenElizabeth Islands

QueenElizabeth Islands
Queen
E·liz·a·beth Is·lands  [kweeni
lízzèbèth  lənds]

group of islands in northern
Canada, in the Arctic Archipelago, shared between Nunavut and the Northwest
Territories. Area: 425,000 sq km/164,000 sq mi.[1]



queenly

queenly
queen·ly 
[kwnlee] adjective

1.  regal:
having the qualities typical of a queen, especially grace and dignity

2.  relating
to queen:
relating to a queen or suitable for a queen
adverb

regally: in a
way thought fitting for or typical of a queen, especially with grace and
dignity
—queen·li·ness, noun[1]



QueenMaud Gulf

QueenMaud Gulf
Queen
Maud Gulf
[kween máwd]

gulf in the Arctic Ocean,
between southeastern Victoria Island and the mainland of Nunavut, Canada[1]



queenmother

queenmother
queen
moth·er
(plural queen moth·ers) noun

monarch’s widowed mother:
the mother of a reigning king or queen and the widow of a former king[1]



Queenof the May

Queenof the May
Queen
of the May
(plural Queens of the May) noun


Also called
May Queen[1]



queenof the prairie

queenof the prairie
queen
of the prai·rie (plural queen of the prai·ries)
noun

N American wildflower:
a plant that bears small pink flowers and grows in grasslands of the central
and eastern United States. Latin name: Filipendula rubra[1]



queenpost

queenpost
queen
post
(plural queen posts) noun

post
supporting roof: either of two vertical posts forming
part of the triangular framework that supports a roof. They support the rafters
and the horizontal tie beam. Queen posts are used where the central support
provided by a king post would be insufficient because of the width of the
frame.
See
also
king post
[Modeled on “king post”][1]



queenregent

queenregent
queen
re·gent
(plural queens re·gent) noun

queen reigning on behalf of
child: a queen reigning on behalf
of another person, especially one too young to take the throne[1]



queenregnant

queenregnant
queen
reg·nant
(plural queens reg·nant) noun

reigning woman monarch:
a queen who reigns in her own right, as distinct from the wife of a king[1]



Queens

Queens
Queens 
[kweenz]

the largest borough in New
York City, on western Long Island. Population: 1,951,598 (1990) Area: 282 sq
km/109 sq mi.[1]



Queensberryrules

Queensberryrules
Queens·ber·ry
rules
[kwnz bèrri rlz] plural noun

fair play:
accepted standards of fairness or courteousness in any situation (informal)[1]



queenship

queenship
queen·ship 
[kwn shìp] (plural queen·ships)
noun

rank of queen:
the rank or position of queen[1]



queenside

queenside
queen·side 
[kwn sd] noun

side of chessboard where
queen stands: the side of a
chessboard on which the queen is located at the beginning of a game[1]



queen-size

queen-size
queen-size 
adjective

1.  large:
extra large (refers to women’s clothes)

2.  larger
than standard: larger than the standard size but
smaller than king-size (refers to beds and bedclothes)
[Modeled on “king-size”][1]



Queensland




Back to definition

Queensland

[1]



Queensland

Queensland


Queens·land 
[kwéenz lànd, kwnzlənd]
state
in northeastern Australia. Originally part of New South Wales, it became a
separate colony in 1859. Capital: Brisbane. Population: 3,339,000 (1996) Area:
1,727,200 sq km/666,876 sq mi.
—Queens·land·er, noun[1]



queensubstance

queensubstance
queen
sub·stance
noun

chemical produced by queen
bee: a pheromone secreted by a
queen bee and consumed by worker bees in the same hive that prevents the worker
bees from becoming fully developed and reproducing[1]



Queen’sBench

Queen’sBench
Queen’s
Bench 
noun

English court:
a division of the High Court of Justice in England. It is called the King’s
Bench when the reigning British monarch is a king.
See also
King’s Bench[1]



Queen’sCounsel

Queen’sCounsel
Queen’s
Coun·sel
(plural Queen’s Coun·sels) noun

senior barrister:
a senior barrister in England. The title is King’s Counsel when the reigning
British monarch is a king.[1]



Queen’sEnglish

Queen’sEnglish
Queen’s
Eng·lish
noun

standard British English:
standard written or spoken British English, regarded as the most correct form
of the language. It is called the King’s English when the reigning British
monarch is a king.[1]



queer

queer
queer 
[kweer] adjective (comparative
queer·er, superlative queer·est)

1.  not
usual:
not usual or expected (dated)

2.  eccentric:
eccentric or unconventional (dated)

3.  suspicious:
arousing suspicion (dated)

4.  nauseated:
slightly unwell, especially nauseated or faint (dated)

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning homosexual (offensive)
noun
(plural queers)

offensive term:
an offensive term for a homosexual person, especially a man (offensive)
transitive
verb
(past queered, past participle queered, present
participle queer·ing, 3rd person present singular queers)

1.  thwart:
to spoil or thwart something, especially somebody’s plans

2.  compromise
somebody:
to put somebody in an awkward situation
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German quer “oblique,
crooked.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to twist” that is also
the ancestor of English thwart and contort .]
—queer·ish,
adjective

—queer·ly,
adverb

—queer·ness, noun[1]



queercore

queercore
queer·core
[kwr kàwr] noun (slang)

1.  gay
youth movement: a gay youth movement that rejects the
stereotype of the gay person as persecuted victim by confidently and
assertively proclaiming homosexuality, especially in punk-style music

2.  gay
youth music: a style of music similar to punk rock
with lyrics that proclaim homosexuality confidently and assertively
[Late 20th century. Coined
from queer + hard-core
.][1]



quell

quell
quell 
[kwel] (past quelled, past
participle quelled, present participle quell·ing, 3rd
person present singular quells) transitive verb

1.  put
stop to:
to bring something to an end, usually by means of force

2.  suppress
feeling:
to suppress or allay a feeling
[Old English cwellan
“to kill.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to stab, kill” that
is also the ancestor of English kill
and quail 2 .][1]



quench

quench
quench 
[kwench] (past quenched, past
participle quenched, present participle quench·ing, 3rd
person present singular quench·es) transitive verb

1.  satisfy
thirst:
to satisfy a thirst by drinking something

2.  extinguish
fire:
to put out a fire or light

3.  subdue
feeling:
to subdue a feeling, especially enthusiasm or desire

4.  cool
metal:
to cool hot metal by plunging it into cold water or other liquid
[Old
English ācwencan]
—quench·a·ble,
adjective

—quench·er,
noun

—quench·less, adjective[1]



quenelle

quenelle
que·nelle 
[kə nél] (plural que·nelles) noun

poached
dumpling in sauce: a seasoned meat or fish
dumpling poached in water and served with a sauce
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from German Knödel (dumpling).][1]



quercetin

quercetin
quer·ce·tin 
[kwúrsitin] noun

medicinal
compound:
a yellow compound found in the rind and bark of many plants, especially the
bark of the oak and Douglas fir, used medicinally to treat abnormally fragile
capillaries. C15H10O7
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin quercetum “oak-forest,” from quercus “oak.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that also produced English fir and cork
.][1]



quercitron

quercitron
quer·ci·tron 
[kwúrsitrən, kwúrsi
tròn, kwur síttrən] noun

1.  oak
bark:
the bright orange inner bark of the black oak tree, used in tanning and dyeing

2.  yellow
dye:
yellow dye made from quercitron
[Late 18th century. Blend of
Latin quercus “oak” and citron (from
the color of its bark).][1]



querist

querist
que·rist 
[kwrist] (plural que·rists) noun

inquirer:
somebody who asks questions (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from an early variant of query .][1]



quern

quern
quern 
[kwurn] (plural querns) noun

hand
mill:
a simple stone mill used for grinding grain by hand
[Old English cweorn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “heavy” that is also the ancestor
of English grave 2, baro-,
brute, and guru .][1]



querulous

querulous
quer·u·lous 
[kwérrələss] adjective

1.  tending
to complain: inclined to complain or find fault

2.  whining:
whining or complaining in tone
[15th
century. Via late Latin querulosus from, ultimately, Latin queri
“to complain” (source of English quarrel
).]
—quer·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—quer·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



query

query
que·ry 
[kwree] noun (plural que·ries)

1.  question:
a request for information

2.  doubt:
a doubt or criticism

3.  See
question mark
transitive
verb
(past que·ried, past participle que·ried, present
participle que·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular que·ries)

1.  question
something:
to express doubts about, or objections to, something

2.  inquire:
to ask a question
[Mid-17th
century. Anglicization of earlier quere, from Latin quaere “ask,”
from quaerere “to seek, ask” (source also of English question, inquire,
and conquer .]
—que·ri·er, noun[1]



ques.

ques.
ques.

Abbreviation of
question[1]



quest

quest
quest 
[kwest] noun (plural quests)

1.  search:
a search for something, especially a long or difficult one

2.  adventurous
expedition:
a journey in search of something, especially one made by knights in medieval
tales

3.  something
sought:
the object or goal of a quest (literary)
verb
(past quest·ed, past participle quest·ed, present
participle quest·ing, 3rd person present singular quests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb seek
something:
to seek or go in search of something (literary)

2.  intransitive
verb
track
animals:
to follow the track of a bird or animal that is being hunted (refers to
hunting dogs)
[14th
century. Via Old French queste from, ultimately, Latin quaesta,
the feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek” (see query ).]
—quest·er,
noun

—quest·ing·ly, adverb[1]



question

question
ques·tion 
[kwéschən] noun (plural ques·tions)

1.  written
or spoken inquiry: a request for information or
for a reply, which usually ends with a question mark if written or on a rising
intonation if spoken • Does
anyone have any questions?

2.  doubt:
a doubt or uncertainty about somebody or something

3.  issue:
a matter that is the subject of discussion, debate, or negotiation

4.  examination
problem:
a problem to be discussed or solved in an examination
verb
(past ques·tioned, past participle ques·tioned, present
participle ques·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular ques·tions)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interrogate:
to ask somebody questions, especially formally or officially, about a
particular topic

2.  intransitive
verb
inquire:
to ask questions

3.  transitive
verb
doubt
something:
to raise doubts about something, especially about its truth, genuineness, or
usefulness
[13th
century. Via French from the Latin stem quaestion- “inquiry,” from quaest-,
the past participle stem of quaerere (see query
).]
—ques·tion·er,
noun
beg
the question

1.  to
take for granted the very point that needs to be proved, and so fail to address
an issue properly

2.  to
give rise to something else that should be answered or explained

be
out of the question

to
be impossible or unacceptable

call
something into question

to
raise doubts about something

in
question

used
to indicate the person or thing under discussion

pop
the question

to
propose marriage to somebody (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  question, quiz, interrogate,
  grill, give the third
  degree to
  CORE
  MEANING: asking
  for information question; the
  process of asking somebody for information on a particular subject, for
  example, about something somebody has done or as part of a formal or official
  investigation; quiz; persistent
  questioning in an ordinary situation; interrogate;
  a formal or official systematic intensive questioning of a suspect or witness
  with a view to making him or her reveal information; grill; an informal word similar in use to
  “interrogate” but suggesting an even greater degree of intensiveness or
  pressure; give somebody the third degree to; an informal phrase for
  sustained intensive questioning, especially by police or the military in
  order to elicit a confession or information. It can also be used to suggest
  that somebody in an ordinary situation is questioning another person in an
  unnecessarily harsh or persistent manner

[1]



questionable

questionable
ques·tion·a·ble 
[kwéschənəb’l] adjective

1.  dubious:
open to doubt or disagreement

2.  immoral:
not respectable or morally proper • questionable
motives
—ques·tion·a·bil·i·ty
[kwèschənə bíllətee], noun

—ques·tion·a·bly [kwéschənəblee], adverb[1]



questioning

questioning
ques·tion·ing
[kwéschəning] noun (plural ques·tion·ings)

interrogation:
a situation in which somebody is asked a lot of questions, especially formally
or officially, or an instance of this
adjective

expressing
question:
expressing a question without using words • a
questioning glance
—ques·tion·ing·ly, adverb[1]



questionless

questionless
ques·tion·less
[kwéschənləss] adjective

1.  See
unquestionable

2.  See
unquestioning

[1]



questionmark

questionmark
ques·tion
mark
(plural ques·tion marks) noun

punctuation
mark:
the punctuation mark (?) placed at the end of a sentence or phrase intended as
a direct question.
Also
called
interrogation point
Also
called
query
a
question mark over

an area of doubt and
uncertainty[1]



questionnaire

questionnaire
ques·tion·naire 
[kwèschə náir] (plural ques·tion·naires)
noun

list
of questions: a set of questions used to gather
information in a survey, or the printed paper that contains the questions
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from questionner “to ask,” from question (see question ).][1]



questiontime

questiontime
ques·tion
time
(plural ques·tion times) noun

parliamentary
question-and-answer period: in the
British Parliament, a period of time every day during which members of
parliament may address questions to government ministers[1]



Quetta

Quetta
Quet·ta 
[kwéttə]

capital city of Baluchistan
Province, in west central Pakistan. Population: 285,719 (1981)[1]



quetzal

quetzal
quet·zal 
[ket sl] (plural quet·zals or
quet·za·les [ket s làyz]) noun

1.  Central
American bird with bright plumage: a Central American
bird with brilliant green and red plumage and, in the male, long streaming tail
feathers. Latin name: Pharomachrus mocino

2.  unit
of Guatemalan currency: the main unit of currency in
Guatemala worth 100 centavos

3.  bill
worth a quetzal: a bill worth one quetzal
[Early 19th century. Via
American Spanish from, ultimately, Nahuatl quetzalli “brilliantly colored
tail feather.”][1]



Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl
Quet·zal·co·a·tl 
[kèts’l kō t’l] noun

Toltec
and Aztec god: a Toltec and Aztec god and the legendary
ruler of Mexico, represented as a feathered serpent. For the Toltecs, he was a
god of soil fertility, while for the Aztecs, he was a sun god and also the god
of death and resurrection.
[Via Spanish from Nahuatl Quetzalcōātl,
from quetzal(li) “brightly colored tail feather” + cōātl “snake”][1]



queue

queue
queue 
[kyoo] noun (plural queues)

1.  U.K.
See line 1 noun 3

2.  COMPUTING set
of computer tasks: a series of messages or jobs
waiting to be processed automatically one after the other by a computer system

3.  COMPUTING list
of data elements: a list of computer data constructed and
maintained so that the elements are inserted at one end and deleted from the
other in first in, first out fashion

4.  HISTORY man’s
pigtail in former times: a short braid of hair worn
at the back of the neck by soldiers and sailors in the late 18th and early 19th
centuries.
Also
called
cue
Also
called
pigtail
verb
(past queued, past participle queued, present
participle queu·ing or queue·ing, 3rd person
present singular queues)

1.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING add
to computer’s tasks: to add a job or message to
the list of tasks being held in storage by a computer, awaiting automatic
dispatching

2.  intransitive
verb
form
waiting line: to form a line while waiting for
something
[Late
16th century. Via French from Latin cauda “tail” (source also of English
coda ).]
jump
the queue

U.K.
to push in or move ahead of others unfairly in a queue[1]



Quezóny Molina, Manuel Luis

Quezóny Molina, Manuel Luis
Quezón
y Mo·li·na
[kàyz on ee mo lnə, ke thòn ee mo lnə], Manuel Luis (1878–1944)

Philippine statesman. He
worked for Philippine independence, and was the first president of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1944).[1]



quibble

quibble
quib·ble 
[kwíbb’l] intransitive verb (past
quib·bled, past participle quib·bled, present
participle quib·bling, 3rd person present singular quib·bles)

make trivial objections:
to argue over unimportant things and make petty objections
noun
(plural quib·bles)

1.  petty
objection:
an unimportant distinction or petty objection

2.  pun:
a pun (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from obsolete quib “pun,
equivocation,” from Latin quibus “to whom, for whom,” often used in
legal documents and thus associated with dubious legal proceedings and
practices.]
—quib·bler,
noun

—quib·bling·ly, adverb[1]



quiche

quiche
quiche 
[keesh] (plural quiches) noun

savory
pie:
a savory pie filled with an egg-and-cream mixture and various meat or vegetable
ingredients
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from German dialect Küche “small cake,” from German Kuchen “cake”
(see cake ).][1]



quicheLorraine

quicheLorraine
quiche
Lor·raine 
[ksh lə ráyn] (plural quiche
Lor·raines) noun

cheese-and-bacon
quiche:
a quiche made with cheese and bacon
[Mid-20th century. Named for
its place of origin, the French region of Lorraine .][1]



Quichua

Quichua
Quich·ua 
[kchoo ə] noun adjective

See
Quechua[1]



quick

quick
quick 
[kwik] adjective (comparative quick·er,
superlative quick·est)

1.  doing
something fast: moving or doing something fast

2.  alert:
demonstrating alertness or sharp perception • She
has a very quick mind.

3.  nimble:
moving swiftly and with skill • quick
fingers

4.  done
without delay: doing something without delay • They
promised a quick delivery.

5.  easily
angered:
used to describe a temper that is easily aroused

6.  brief:
taking or lasting only a short time • We stopped
to have a quick chat.

7.  hasty:
tending to be hasty • Don’t
be too quick to blame others.

8.  alive:
living (archaic)
noun

1.  flesh
under nail:
the sensitive flesh under a fingernail or toenail

2.  sensitive
area:
somebody’s deepest feelings or most private emotions • criticisms
that cut him to the quick

3.  the
living:
the living (archaic) • the
quick and the dead
adverb
(comparative quick·er, superlative quick·est)

fast: in a
speedy manner (informal) • Come
quick!
[Old
English cwic(u) “alive, lively.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to live” that is also the ancestor of English vital, bio-,
zoo-, and whiskey
.]
—quick·ly,
adverb

—quick·ness,
noun
quick
and dirty

produced
to meet an immediate or pressing need, rather than in accordance with high
standards of research or design

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



quickassets

quickassets
quick
as·sets
plural noun

liquid assets:
cash along with other assets that can readily be converted into cash[1]



quickbread

quickbread
quick
bread
(plural quick breads) noun

quickly prepared bread:
bread leavened with baking powder or soda, as opposed to yeast, and ready to
bake as soon as it is mixed[1]



quicken

quicken
quick·en 
[kwíkən] (past quick·ened, past
participle quick·ened, present participle quick·en·ing,
3rd person present singular quick·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something faster: to become faster or make
something faster

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stimulate
or be stimulated: to stimulate something, for example,
interest or enthusiasm, or to be stimulated

3.  intransitive
verb
begin
to come to life: to begin a period of development

4.  intransitive
verb
move
in womb:
to begin to move and be felt moving in the womb (used to refer to a fetus)

[1]



quick-fire

quick-fire
quick-fire
[kwík fr] adjective

U.K.
See rapid-fire[1]



quickfix

quickfix
quick
fix
(plural quick fix·es) noun

short-term remedy:
a speedily or hastily contrived solution to a problem, often one that fails to
resolve long-term issues (informal)[1]



quick-freeze

quick-freeze
quick-freeze 
(past quick-froze, past participle quick-froz·en, present
participle quick-freez·ing, 3rd person present singular quick-freez·es)
transitive verb

freeze rapidly:
to freeze food rapidly in an effort to keep its full flavor and nutritional
value[1]



quickie

quickie
quick·ie 
[kwíkee] (plural quick·ies) noun

something done fast:
something that is done hurriedly, especially a hurried act of sex or a speedily
consumed alcoholic drink (informal)[1]



quickkick

quickkick
quick
kick
(plural quick kicks) noun

surprise kick in football:
in football, a punt made on the first, second, or third down, intended to take
the opposing team by surprise[1]



quicklime

quicklime
quick·lime 
[kwík lm] noun

calcium
oxide:
calcium oxide.
Also
called
lime
[14th century. Translation of
Latin calx viva, literally “living lime.”][1]



quicksand

quicksand
quick·sand 
[kwík sànd] (plural quick·sands)
noun

1.  dangerous
sand:
a deep mass of loose wet sand that sucks down any heavy object falling onto its
surface

2.  dangerous
situation:
a hidden trap from which escape is difficult or impossible
[15th century. From quick .][1]



quicksilver

quicksilver
quick·sil·ver 
[kwík sìlvər] noun

mercury:
mercury (archaic)
adjective

changing
unpredictably: tending to change rapidly and
unpredictably
[Pre-12th century.
Translation of Latin argentum vivum, literally “living silver,” from the
way it moves when in its fluid state at room temperature.][1]



quickstep

quickstep
quick·step 
[kwík stèp] (plural quick·steps)
noun

1.  fast
ballroom dance: a ballroom dance with fast steps

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
a piece of dance music in quadruple time for dancing the quickstep

3.  MILITARY marching
step:
the marching step used in the fastest marching pace ( quick
time )

[1]



quickstudy

quickstudy
quick
stud·y
noun

fast learner:
somebody who is able to learn new things or pick up new skills quickly and
easily • She’s
a quick study.[1]



quick-tempered

quick-tempered
quick-tem·pered 
adjective

easily angered:
having a short temper[1]



quicktime

quicktime
quick
time
noun

fast marching pace:
a fast military marching pace, approximately 120 paces per minute. It is the
fastest of all marching paces.[1]



quick-witted

quick-witted
quick-wit·ted 
adjective

able
to think quickly: able to think quickly and inventively
—quick-wit·ted·ly,
adverb

—quick-wit·ted·ness, noun[1]



quid

quid2
quid2 [kwid]
(plural quids) noun

piece
of chewing tobacco: a piece of chewing tobacco
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of cud .][1]



quid

quid1
quid1 [kwid]
(plural quid) noun

U.K.
pound
sterling:
a pound sterling (informal)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin quid “what, something,” possibly inspired
by the phrase quid pro quo .][1]



quidditch

quidditch
quid·ditch
[kwíddich] noun

game
played in midair: fictional game
[Late 20th century. Coined by
J. K. Rowling in her novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998).][1]



quiddity

quiddity
quid·di·ty 
[kwíddətee] (plural quid·di·ties)
noun

1.  essence:
the real nature or essential character of something

2.  trifling
distinction: an unimportant or trifling distinction
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin quidditas, from Latin quid “what.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English what and who
.][1]



quidnunc

quidnunc
quid·nunc 
[kwíd nùngk] (plural quid·nuncs)
noun

gossip:
somebody who is nosy or gossipy (literary)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “what now.”][1]



quidpro quo

quidpro quo
quid
pro quo 
[kwìd prō kwṓ] (plural quid pro
quos) noun

1.  something
done in exchange: something given or done in exchange for
something else

2.  returning
of favor:
the giving of something in return for something else, often in a spirit of
cooperation
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “something for something.”][1]



quiescent

quiescent
qui·es·cent 
[kwee éss’nt] adjective

inactive:
inactive or at rest
[Early
17th century. From Latin quiescere “to come to rest” (see quiet ).]
—qui·es·cence,
noun

—qui·es·cent·ly, adverb[1]



quiet

quiet
qui·et 
[kw ət] adjective (comparative
qui·et·er, superlative qui·et·est)

1.  making
little noise: making little or no noise

2.  peaceful:
free from noise or commotion • in a
quiet corner of the room

3.  done
in private:
carried out in private, with voices not raised, so as not to be overheard • I’d
like a quiet word with you.

4.  free
from trouble: free from trouble or disturbance • a
quiet life

5.  relaxing:
relaxing, peaceful, and free from excitement • a
quiet evening at home

6.  not
showy:
not grand, showy, or pretentious • a
quiet wedding

7.  displaying
calmness:
displaying calmness and self-control

8.  not
expressed in words: not expressed in words • a
sense of quiet optimism

9.  not
flourishing: not busy, active, or flourishing • Business
is a little too quiet.

10. calm
or motionless: marked by very little motion • a
quiet sea
noun

absence of noise:
the absence of noise or disturbance • the
quiet of the forest
verb
(past qui·et·ed, past participle qui·et·ed, present
participle qui·et·ing, 3rd person present singular qui·ets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become quiet: to become calm and quiet, or make
somebody calm and quiet • He
sang lullabies to quiet the baby.

2.  transitive
verb
allay:
to calm somebody’s feelings, such as doubts or fears • We’re
looking for a way to quiet her doubts.

3.  transitive
verb
LAW secure
legal claim: to make a legal claim secure by
resolving all possible challenges to it
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin quietus, the past participle of quiescere
“to come to rest,” from quies “rest, quiet” (source also of English coy ).]
—qui·et·ly,
adverb

—qui·et·ness,
noun
on
the quiet

secretly

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at silent

[1]



quietism

quietism
qui·et·ism 
[kw ə tìzzəm] noun

1.  Christian
mysticism:
a system of Christian mysticism that requires a withdrawal from the world, a
renunciation of the individual will, and passive contemplation of God and
divine things

2.  calmness:
a state of calmness, especially one arising from noninvolvement in something (literary)
[Late
17th century. From Italian quietismo, from quieto, from Latin quietus
(see quiet ).]
—qui·et·ist,
adjective, noun

—qui·et·is·tic [kw ə tístik], adjective[1]



quietude

quietude
qui·e·tude 
[kw ə td] noun

calmness
or tranquillity: the state of being quiet, peaceful, or
tranquil (literary)
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French quiétude from medieval Latin quietudo, from Latin quietus
(see quiet ).][1]



quietus

quietus
qui·e·tus 
[kwī təss] noun (literary)

1.  check:
something that brings an activity to an end

2.  release:
a release from a debt or duty

3.  death:
death, especially when viewed as a welcome release from life
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin quietus (est) “(it is) at rest,” a formula acknowledging
receipt or discharge of an obligation.][1]



quill

quill
quill 
[kwil] noun (plural quills)

1.  ZOOLOGY large
feather:
a large, stiff feather from a bird’s wing or tail, or the hollow shaft of one
of these feathers

2.  pen
made from feather shaft: an old-fashioned pen made
from the shaft of a feather. The split and sharpened end was dipped in ink.
Also
called
quill pen

3.  ZOOLOGY spine:
a sharp hollow spine on the body of a porcupine or hedgehog

4.  TEXTILES spindle
or bobbin:
a spindle or bobbin onto which thread or yarn is wound

5.  hollow
shaft:
in a mechanical device, a hollow shaft in which a second independently rotating
shaft is enclosed
transitive
verb
(past quilled, past participle quilled, present
participle quill·ing, 3rd person present singular quills)

1.  TEXTILES wind
thread:
to wind thread or yarn onto a spindle or bobbin

2.  SEWING make
folds in:
to make small rounded ridges or folds in fabric, for example, to make a ruff
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



quillback

quillback
quill·back 
[kwíl bàk] (plural quill·backs
or quill·back) or quill·back carp·suck·er [kwìl bàk krp sukər] (plural quill·back
carp·suck·ers) noun

N American fish:
a North American freshwater fish of the sucker family that has a long ray
projecting from its dorsal fin. Latin name: Carpiodes cyprinus[1]



quillpen

quillpen
quill
pen
noun

See
quill  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








quillwork

quillwork
quill·work 
[kwíl wùrk] noun

handicrafts:
handicrafts decorated with porcupine quills[1]



quillwort

quillwort

quill·wort 
[kwíl wùrt, kwíl
wàwrt] (plural quill·worts) noun
marsh plant:
a nonflowering water plant that produces a rosette of tubular leaves, at the
bases of which are spore-forming organs. Genus: Isoetes[1]



quilt

quilt
quilt 
[kwilt] noun (plural quilts)

1.  bed
cover:
a bed cover made of two layers of fabric stitched together, with interior
padding of cotton or feathers held in place by decorative intersecting seams

2.  something
similar to quilt: something that resembles a quilt or is
quilted
transitive
verb
(past quilt·ed, past participle quilt·ed, present
participle quilt·ing, 3rd person present singular quilts)

make fabric article:
to make a fabric article, especially a bed cover, by sewing two layers of
fabric together with a filling, especially using decorative stitching
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin culcita “cushion, mattress” (source
of English counterpane and quoit ), of unknown origin.]
—quilt·er, noun[1]



quilting

quilting
quilt·ing 
[kwílting] noun

1.  making
quilts:
the sewing of quilted bed covers or other quilted work

2.  quilted
material:
material that has been quilted or that is used to make quilts

[1]



Quimper

Quimper
Quim·per 
[kaN pér]

city and administrative
center of Finistère Department, in Brittany Region, western France. Population:
62,540 (1990)[1]



quin-

quin-
quin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
quino-[1]



quin

quin
quin
[kwin] (plural quins) noun

U.K.
(informal) See quint  noun
1
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



quinacrinehydrochloride

quinacrinehydrochloride
quin·a·crine
hy·dro·chlo·ride  [kwìnnə
kreen hdrō kláw rd] noun

malaria
drug:
a drug used to treat malaria
[Quinacrine is a blend of quinine and acridine][1]



quinalizarin

quinalizarin
quin·a·liz·a·rin 
[kwìnnə lízzərin] noun

red
crystalline organic dye: a red crystalline organic
compound with a green metallic luster, used especially to dye cotton. C14H8O6
[Coined from quino- + alizarin][1]



quinate

quinate
qui·nate 
[kw nàyt] adjective

BOTANY occurring
in clusters of five: used to describe leaves that
occur in clusters of five
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin quinatus, from Latin quini (see quinary ).][1]



quince

quince

quince 
[kwins] (plural quinc·es) noun

1.  Asian
fruit tree:
a small tree native to western Asia but widely cultivated that bears white
flowers and hard pear-shaped fruit. Latin name: Cydonia oblonga

2.  fruit
of quince tree: the fruit of the quince tree, edible
only when cooked
[14th century. Via Old French
cooin from Latin (malum) cotoneum, from Greek (mēlon) kudōnion,
literally “apple of Cydonia” (Canea), by folk etymology from a Lydian name for
the fruit.][1]



quincentenary

quincentenary
quin·cen·ten·a·ry 
[kwìn sen ténnəree] (plural quin·cen·ten·a·ries)
or quin·cen·ten·ni·al [kwìn sen
ténnee əl] (plural quin·cen·ten·ni·als) noun

500th
anniversary: a 500th anniversary
[Late
19th century. “quin” from Latin quinque (see quinque-
).]
—quin·cen·ta·ry, adjective[1]



quincunx

quincunx
quin·cunx 
[kwín kùngks] (plural quin·cunx·es)
noun

arrangement
of five objects in square: an arrangement of five
objects in a square, with four at the corners and one in the center
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “five-twelfths” (from the use of this pattern on
a Roman coin worth five-twelfths of an as), from quinque “five” + uncia
“a twelfth” (see ounce 1 ).]
—quin·cun·cial [kwin kúngshəl], adjective[1]



Quincy

Quincy
Quin·cy 
[kwínzee, kwínsee]

1.  city
and port in western Illinois, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River on
the Illinois-Missouri border. Population: 40,545 (1996)

2.  city
in eastern Massachusetts, on Massachusetts Bay. It is a southeastern suburb of
Boston and the birthplace of U.S. presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
Population: 85,532 (1996)

[1]



quindecennial

quindecennial
quin·de·cen·ni·al 
[kwìndə sénnee əl] adjective

1.  happening
every 15 years: happening once every 15 years

2.  lasting
15 years:
lasting for 15 years
noun
(plural quin·de·cen·ni·als)

15th anniversary:
a 15th anniversary
[20th century. Formed from
Latin quindecim “fifteen,” on the model of centennial
.][1]



quinella

quinella
qui·nel·la 
[kwi néllə, kee
néllə] (plural qui·nel·las) or qui·nie·la [keen yéllə] (plural qui·nie·las) noun

bet
on first two finishers: a bet in which the bettor
picks the first two finishers in a race or other sporting event without
specifying their order of finish
[Early 20th century. From
American Spanish quiniela, from Spanish quina “keno,” from French
quine (see keno ).][1]



Quine,W. V.

Quine,W. V.
Quine
[kwīn], W. V. (1908– )

U.S.
philosopher. He contributed to the theory of pragmatism and mathematical set
theory.
Full name
Quine, Willard Van Orman[1]



quinicacid

quinicacid
qui·nic
ac·id 
[kwìnnik ássid, kwnik
ássid] noun

acid
derived from plants: a white crystalline organic
compound found in cinchona bark, coffee beans, and the leaves of many plants.
It is used in medicine. C6H7(OH)4COOH
[From Spanish quina
“cinchona bark” (see quino- )][1]



quinidine

quinidine
quin·i·dine 
[kwínni dn] noun

quinine-related
compound:
a colorless crystalline organic compound related to quinine that is used in
medicine to treat malaria and heart disorders. It is found in cinchona bark. C20H24N2O2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from quino- + -idine
.][1]



quinielaexacta

quinielaexacta
qui·nie·la
ex·act·a 
noun

See
exacta[1]



quinine

quinine
qui·nine 
[kw nn] noun

malaria
drug:
a bitter-tasting drug made from cinchona bark, used to treat forms of malaria
resistant to chloroquine
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Spanish quina “cinchona bark” (see quino-
).][1]



quininewater

quininewater
qui·nine
wa·ter
noun

carbonated drink:
a carbonated drink flavored with quinine, usually used as a mixer with liquor.
Also called
tonic
Also called
tonic water
U.K. term
tonic water[1]



Quinn,Anthony

Quinn,Anthony
Quinn
[kwin], Anthony (1916– )

Mexican-born U.S. movie
actor. His movies include Viva Zapata! ( 1952 ), Lust for Life (
1956 ), and Zorba the Greek ( 1964 ).[1]



quinnatsalmon

quinnatsalmon
quin·nat
salm·on 
[kwínnət sàmmən] noun

See
Chinook salmon
[From Chinook ikwanat][1]



quino-

quino-
quino-
prefix

1.  cinchona,
cinchona bark • quinone

2.  quinone
• quinoid
[Via Spanish quina
“cinchona bark” from Quechua kina][1]



quinoa

quinoa
qui·no·a 
[kee nṓ ə, kn
w] noun

South
American plant: a plant of the goosefoot family that is
native to the Andes and cultivated for its seeds, which are ground and eaten.
Latin name: Chenopodium quinoa
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua kinoa .][1]



quinoline

quinoline
quin·o·line 
[kwínnə ln, kwínnəlin]
noun

oily
coal tar compound: an oily colorless substance
obtained from coal tar and used in making antiseptics and dyes. C9H7N
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from quinol .][1]



quinone

quinone
qui·none 
[kwi nṓn, kwí
nn] (plural qui·nones) noun

1.  See
benzoquinone

2.  plant
pigment or animal vitamin: an organic compound found as
a yellow, orange, or red pigment in plants, fungi, and bacteria and also as
vitamins in animals. Vitamin A is a quinone.

[1]



quinonoid

quinonoid
quin·o·noid 
[kwínnə nòyd] noun

something
resembling quinone: a substance that contains
quinone or resembles it in chemical structure or physical properties
adjective

resembling
quinone:
resembling quinone in chemical structure or physical properties
[Late 19th century. Formed
from quinone .][1]



quinquagenarian

quinquagenarian
quin·qua·ge·nar·i·an 
[kwìngkwəjə náiree ən] adjective

50
years old:
50 years old, or between the ages of 50 and 59 (formal)
noun
(plural quin·qua·ge·nar·i·ans)

somebody
50 years old: somebody who is 50 years old or between
the ages of 50 and 59 (formal)
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin quinquagenarius, from, ultimately, quinquaginta “fifty.”][1]



Quinquagesima

Quinquagesima
Quin·qua·ges·i·ma 
[kwìngkwə jéssimə] noun

Sunday
before beginning of Lent: in the Christian liturgical
calendar, the Sunday before Lent, seven weeks or the fiftieth day before Easter
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, literally “fiftieth (day),” from Latin quinquagesimus, quinquaginta
“fifty.”][1]



quinque-

quinque-
quinque-
prefix

five
• quinquepartite
[From Latin quinque
“five.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “five,” which is also the
ancestor of English five, pentad, finger,
and fist .][1]



quinquennium

quinquennium
quin·quen·ni·um 
[kwing kwénnee əm] (plural quin·quen·ni·ums
or quin·quen·ni·a [kwing kwénnee ə])
noun

five
year period: a period of five years
[Early
17th century. From Latin, from quinque “five” + annus “year.”]
—quin·quen·ni·al,
adjective

—quin·quen·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



quinquevalent

quinquevalent
quin·que·va·lent 
[kwìngkwə váylənt] adjective

See
pentavalent[1]



quinsy

quinsy
quin·sy 
[kwínzee] noun

throat
inflammation: a severe inflammation of the throat near
a tonsil that sometimes leads to the formation of an abcess that may require
surgery
[14th century. Via Old French
quinencie and medieval Latin quinancia from Greek kunagkhē,
literally “dog-strangling,” from kuōn “dog” + ankhein “to
squeeze.”][1]



quint

quint
quint
[kwint] (plural quints) noun

1.  quintuplet:
a quintuplet (informal)
U.K.
term
quin

2.  set
of five cards: in the card game piquet, a sequence of
five cards of the same suit
[Late 17th century. Via
French, literally “fifth,” from Latin quintus . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English fifth .][1]



quintain

quintain
quin·tain 
[kwíntən] (plural quin·tains) noun

practice
target for jousting: a medieval knight’s target
for jousting practice
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin quintana (via), “fifth (street)” (in a Roman camp), possibly
so called because this street was used for military exercises.][1]



quintal

quintal
quin·tal 
[kwínt’l] (plural quin·tals) noun

1.  metric
unit of weight: in the metric system, a unit of weight
equal to 100 kilograms

2.  hundredweight:
a hundredweight (archaic)
[15th century. Via Old
French, medieval Latin quintale, and Arabic inār from,
ultimately, Latin centenarius “containing one hundred” (see centenary ).][1]



quintan

quintan
quin·tan
[kwíntən] adjective

occurring
every fifth day: flaring up every fifth day
noun
(plural quin·tans)

fever:
a fever that flares up every fifth day
[Mid-17th century. Via
medieval Latin quintana from Latin quintus “fifth” (see quint ).][1]



quinte

quinte
quinte
[kwīnt, kaaNt]
noun

fencing
position:
the fifth in the series of eight standard positions used to teach fencing
[Early 18th century. From
French, feminine of quint (see quint
).][1]



quintessence

quintessence
quin·tes·sence 
[kwin téss’ns] noun

1.  embodiment:
the purest or most perfect example of something

2.  CHEMISTRY extract:
the purest extract or essence of a substance. It contains the substance’s
properties in their most concentrated form.

3.  PHILOSOPHY fifth
element:
in ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth element after earth, air, fire,
and water. Heavenly bodies were said to be made of it.
[15th
century. Via French from medieval Latin quinta essentia, literally
“fifth essence,” a translation of Greek pemptē ousiā .]
—quin·tes·sen·tial
[kwintə sénshəl], adjective

—quin·tes·sen·tial·ly
[kwintə sénshəlee], adverb[1]



quintet

quintet
quin·tet 
[kwin tét] (plural quin·tets) or
quin·tette [kwin tét] (plural quin·tettes)
noun

1.  musicians:
a group of five singers or musicians

2.  music:
a piece of music written for five voices or instruments

3.  group
of five:
a group or set of five people or things
[Late 18th century. Via
French quintette from Italian quintetto, from quinto
“fifth,” from Latin quintus (see quint
).][1]



quintic

quintic
quin·tic
[kwíntik] adjective

relating
to fifth power: relating to the fifth power in a
mathematical expression or equation
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin quintus (see quint ).][1]



quintile

quintile
quin·tile 
[kwín tl, kwínt’l]
(plural quin·tiles) noun

1.  statistical
division:
any one of the five equal populations into which a statistical sample can be
divided

2.  statistical
value:
in statistics, any one of the values that divide a frequency distribution into
five parts, each containing a fifth of the sample population

3.  distance
between planets: the astrological aspect of planets that
are distant from each other by 72 degrees, or one fifth of the zodiac
[Early 17th century. From
Latin quintilis, from quintus “fifth” (see quint ).][1]



quintillion

quintillion
quin·til·lion 
[kwin tíllyən] (plural quin·til·lions)
noun

one
followed by 18 zeros: the number equal to 10 18, written as 1 followed by 18
zeros
—quin·til·lion,
adjective, pronoun

—quin·til·lionth, adjective,
noun, pronoun[1]



quintuple

quintuple
quin·tu·ple 
[kwin tp’l, kwin
túpp’l] adjective

1.  being
five times as much: being five times as much or
as many

2.  consisting
of five parts: made up of five parts

3.  MUSIC having
five beats to measure: having five musical beats to
the measure
intransitive
and transitive verb (past quin·tu·pled,
past participle quin·tu·pled, present participle quin·tu·pling,
3rd person present singular quin·tu·ples)

multiply by five:
to multiply something by five or to be multiplied by five
[Late 16th century. Via
French from medieval Latin quintuplus, literally “fivefold,” from quintus
“fifth” (see quint ).][1]



quintuplet

quintuplet
quin·tu·plet 
[kwin túpplət, kwin
tplət] (plural quin·tu·plets) noun

1.  one
of five offspring: one of five offspring born
to one mother from a single pregnancy

2.  group
of five:
a group of five things, especially five of the same kind

3.  MUSIC group
of five musical notes: a group of five musical
notes to be played in the time usually occupied by three or four notes
[Late 19th century. Formed
from quintuple .][1]



quintuplicate

quintuplicate
quin·tu·pli·cate 
adjective [kwin tplikət, kwin túppli kət]

multiplied by five:
multiplied by five
noun
[kwin tplikət, kwin
túppli kət] (plural quin·tu·pli·cates)

1.  one
of five:
one of a set of five identical things

2.  group
of five:
a group of five usually identical things
transitive
verb
[kwin tpli kàyt, kwin
túppli kàyt] (past quin·tu·pli·cat·ed, past participle
quin·tu·pli·cat·ed, present participle quin·tu·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular quin·tu·pli·cates)

make five copies:
to make five copies of something
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin quintus “fifth” (see quint
) on the model of “duplicate.”]
—quin·tu·pli·ca·tion [kwin tùppli káysh’n, kwin
tpli káysh’n], noun[1]



quip

quip
quip 
[kwip] noun (plural quips)

1.  witticism:
a witty remark, especially one made on the spur of the moment

2.  petty
distinction: a small and unimportant distinction (archaic)

3.  something
strange:
something odd or strange (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past quipped,
past participle quipped, present participle quip·ping,
3rd person present singular quips)

say something wittily:
to make a witty remark
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Latin quippe “indeed, really” (used
sarcastically), from quid “something, what.”][1]



quipster

quipster
quip·ster 
[kwípstər] (plural quip·sters)
noun

witty person:
somebody who makes witty remarks[1]



quipu

quipu
qui·pu 
[k p] (plural qui·pus) noun

device
resembling abacus: a device consisting of a set
of colored and knotted cords used by the Incas for conveying messages and for
record-keeping
[Early 18th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua kipu, literally “knot.”][1]



quire

quire
quire
[kwr] (plural quires) noun

1.  paper
measure:
a set of 24 or 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality, equaling one
twentieth of a ream

2.  paper
folded for binding: a bundle of sheets of paper
folded together for binding into a book, especially a four-sheet bundle, folded
once to make eight leaves or sixteen pages
[15th century. Via Old French
qua(i)er “copybook,” literally “set of four (sheets),” from Latin quaterni
(see quaternary ).][1]



quirk

quirk
quirk 
[kwurk] (plural quirks) noun

1.  odd
event:
a strange and unexpected turn of events • a
strange quirk of fate

2.  odd
mannerism:
a peculiar habit, mannerism, or aspect of somebody’s character

3.  curved
shape:
a curved shape, pattern, or decoration, for example, a flourish in handwriting

4.  ARCHITECTURE groove:
a continuous groove running along a molding or separating a molding from
adjoining members
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—quirk·i·ly,
adverb

—quirk·i·ness,
noun

—quirk·y, adjective[1]



quirt

quirt
quirt 
[kwúrt] (past quirt·ed, past
participle quirt·ed, present participle quirt·ing, 3rd
person present singular quirts, plural quirts) noun

riding
whip:
a riding whip with a short handle and a braided leather lash
[Mid-19th century. From
Mexican Spanish cuarta “whip.”][1]



quisling

quisling
quis·ling 
[kwízzling] (plural quis·lings)
noun

traitor:
a traitor, especially somebody who collaborates with an occupying force (dated)
[Mid-20th
century. Named for Vidkun Quisling .]
—quis·ling·ism,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Vidkun
  Quisling was a Norwegian politician who
  from 1933 led the National Union Party, the Norwegian fascist party. ( Quisling was not his real name - he was
  originally Abraham Lauritz Jonsson.) When the Germans invaded Norway in 1940
  he gave them active support, urging his fellow Norwegians not to resist them,
  and in 1942 he was installed by Hitler as a puppet premier. In 1945 he was
  shot for treason.

[1]



quit

quit
quit 
[kwit] verb (past quit or
quit·ted, past participle quit or quit·ted, present
participle quit·ting, 3rd person present singular quits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb resign:
to give up, leave, or resign from a position or organization

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
doing something: to stop doing something, especially
something bad or irritating • Quit
complaining.

3.  transitive
verb
leave:
to depart from a place (archaic)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING exit from program:
to exit from a computer program using the required exit procedure, so that the
data and program configuration are saved

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW move out:
to move out of rented property • He
gave his tenants notice to quit.

6.  transitive
verb
pay
off:
to settle a debt (archaic)

7.  transitive
verb
See acquit

8.  transitive
verb
unburden:
to free somebody from something burdensome (archaic)
adjective

free of something:
no longer troubled with a problem or difficult situation (formal)
[13th century. Via Old French
quiter “to release, set free” from, ultimately, Latin quietus
(see quiet ).][1]



quitchgrass

quitchgrass
quitch
grass 
[kwich graass] or quitch [kwich graass] noun

See
couch grass
[Old English cwice][1]



quitclaim

quitclaim
quit·claim 
[kwít klàym] noun (plural quit·claims)

renunciation of claim:
a formal statement renouncing a legal claim previously made
transitive
verb
(past quit·claimed, past participle quit·claimed, present
participle quit·claim·ing, 3rd person present singular quit·claims)

1.  renounce
claim:
to withdraw formally a legal claim previously made

2.  free
somebody of liability: to declare formally somebody
to be no longer legally liable for something
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman quiteclamer “to proclaim (someone) free,” from quite
“free” + clamer “to proclaim.”][1]



quite

quite
quite 
[kwīt] adverb

1.  entirely:
in the highest degree, or to the fullest extent • I
was quite sure I’d met him before.

2.  rather:
to a considerable or great degree • quite
small

3.  nearly:
used with a negative to indicate that something is almost in a particular state
or condition • The
dress is not quite finished.

4.  emphasizing
extent:
used with expressions of quantity to emphasize the great extent of something • They
spent quite some time considering the problem.

5.  emphasizing
exceptional quality: used to emphasize the
exceptional or impressive nature of somebody or something • That
was quite a celebration we had yesterday.

6.  U.K.
expressing
agreement:
used on its own or with “so” to express agreement or understanding • “I
didn’t want to mention it until I was sure.” “Quite.”
[14th
century. Originally a variant of quit
“unburdened, free,” the modern meaning evolved via the sense “clearly,
thoroughly.”]
be
quite something

to be remarkably good, fine,
attractive, or otherwise admirable or impressive (informal)[1]



Quito

Quito
Qui·to 
[ktō]

capital city of Ecuador,
situated in the north of the country. Population: 1,100,847 (1990)[1]



quitrent

quitrent
quit·rent 
[kwít rènt] (plural quit·rents)
noun

rent
in lieu of feudal service: in the feudal system, a rent
paid by a tenant to a feudal lord in exchange for being released from certain
feudal obligations
[15th century. From quit “unburdened.”][1]



quits

quits
quits 
[kwits] adjective

on
even terms:
on even terms, especially following the repayment of a debt (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from quit
“unburdened,” influenced by medieval Latin quittus “freed.”]
call
it quits

1.  to
agree or decide to stop doing work or an activity (informal)

2.  to
agree that an argument or dispute is over and that both parties are equal (informal)

[1]



quittance

quittance
quit·tance 
[kwítt’ns] (plural quit·tances)
noun

1.  exemption:
release from a debt or obligation

2.  exempting
document:
a document or statement that releases somebody from a debt or obligation
[13th century. Via Old French
from quiter (see quit ).][1]



quitter

quitter
quit·ter 
[kwíttər] (plural quit·ters) noun

somebody who gives up:
somebody who gives up easily (informal)[1]



quittor

quittor
quit·tor 
[kwíttər] noun

infection
of horse’s foot: an infectious disease that affects the
feet of horses and donkeys, causing inflammation
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly via Old French quiture “boiling” from, ultimately,
Latin coquere “to cook.”][1]



quiver

quiver1
quiv·er1 [kwívvər]
intransitive verb (past quiv·ered, past participle quiv·ered,
present participle quiv·er·ing, 3rd person present singular
quiv·ers)

tremble:
to shake rapidly with small movements
noun
(plural quiv·ers)

trembling
movement:
a repeated light and fast shaking movement
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English cwifer
“active, nimble,” thought to suggest rapid movement, in which case related to
English quick .]
—quiv·er·er,
noun

—quiv·er·y, adjective[1]



quiver

quiver2
quiv·er2 [kwívvər]
(plural quiv·ers) noun

1.  arrow
case:
a long narrow case for holding arrows

2.  arrows:
the arrows contained in a quiver
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman quiveir from, ultimately, medieval Latin cucurum,
possibly of Hunnish origin.][1]



quivive

quivive
qui
vive 
[kee vv][“Qui vive” from French, literally
“long live who?”, a phrase used by sentries to challenge someone approaching
their post]
on
the qui vive

alert and vigilant (literary)[1]



quixotic

quixotic
quix·ot·ic 
[kwik sóttik] adjective

1.  romantic:
tending to take a romanticized view of life

2.  impractical:
motivated by an idealism that overlooks practical considerations

3.  impulsive:
tending to act on whims or impulses
[Late
18th century. Formed from the name Don Quixote, the hero of the novel of
the same name, written by Miguel de Cervantes .]
—quix·ot·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—quix·o·tism [kwíksə tìzzəm], noun[1]



quiz

quiz
quiz 
[kwiz] noun (plural quiz·zes)

1.  EDUCATION students’
test:
a short test given by a teacher to a class

2.  test
of knowledge: a test of knowledge in the form of a
short or rapid series of questions

3.  trick:
a hoax, joke, or other trick (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past quizzed, past participle quizzed, present
participle quiz·zing, 3rd person present singular quiz·zes)

1.  EDUCATION test
student or class: to give a short test to a class of
pupils or students

2.  interrogate
somebody:
to subject somebody to a round of sustained close questioning • She
was again called in and quizzed about the disappearance of the money.

3.  peer
at somebody: to look quizzically at somebody (archaic)
[Late
18th century. Origin unknown: originally in the sense “odd person,” the main
modern meaning evolved via “to ridicule.”]
—quiz·zer,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at question

[1]



quizmaster

quizmaster
quiz·mas·ter
[kwíz màstər] (plural quiz·mas·ters)
noun

somebody asking questions:
the emcee of a quiz show, who puts the questions to the contestants[1]



quizshow

quizshow
quiz
show
noun

question-and-answer show:
a television or radio program in the form of a game in which contestants
compete against each other for prizes by answering questions that test their
general or specialist knowledge[1]



quizzical

quizzical
quiz·zi·cal 
[kwízzik’l] adjective

1.  questioning:
expressing a question or expressing puzzlement or doubt • a
quizzical glance

2.  knowing:
communicating, in an amused or mocking way, the possession of secret knowledge
about a speaker or about what is being said, for example, that it is not true
—quiz·zi·cal·i·ty
[kwìzzi kállətee], noun

—quiz·zi·cal·ly [kwízzikəlee], adverb[1]



quoderat demonstrandum

quoderat demonstrandum
quod
e·rat de·mon·stran·dum [kwàwd
érraat dày mawn strn dm] adverb

used
to introduce proof of theory: used in a formal conclusion
to indicate that a particular fact is proof of the theory that has just been
been advanced. Full form of Q.E.D.
[From Latin, literally “which
was to be shown”][1]



quodlibet

quodlibet
quod·li·bet 
[kwóddli bèt] (plural quod·li·bets)
noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theological
discussion point: a theological question put forth as an
exercise for discussion

2.  MUSIC medley
of tunes:
a musical performance composed largely of familiar tunes
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin quodlibetum from Latin quodlibet, literally “whatever
pleases.”][1]



quoin

quoin
quoin 
[kwoyn, koyn]
or coign [koyn] noun

1.  outer
corner:
the outer corner of a wall

2.  block
forming corner: a stone block used to form a quoin,
especially when it is different, for example, in size or material, from the
other blocks or bricks in the wall

3.  See
keystone  noun 1
transitive
verb
(past participle quoined, present participle quoin·ing,
3rd person present singular quoins) (3rd person present
singular coigns)

build corner with distinctive blocks:
to build an outer corner of a wall using blocks that are different, for
example, in size or texture, from the other blocks or bricks used to build the
wall
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
coin .][1]



quoit

quoit
quoit 
[kwoyt, koyt]
(plural quoits) noun

ring
used for quoits: a ring used in the game of quoits
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French coite “flat stone, quoit” from Latin culcita
“cushion” (source of English quilt
).][1]



quoits

quoits
quoits
[kwoyts, koyts]
noun

throwing
game:
a game in which players attempt to throw rings over or near a small post (takes
a singular verb)
[14th century. Plural of quoit,
originally “flat disc,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old French .][1]



quokka

quokka
quok·ka 
[kwókə] (plural quok·kas) noun

small
wallaby:
a small short-tailed wallaby that lives in large colonies. It is now found
mainly on islands off the coast of Western Australia. Latin name: Setonix
brachyurus
[Mid-19th century. From
Australian Aboriginal Nyungar kwaka .][1]



quondam

quondam
quon·dam 
[kwóndəm, kwón
dàm] adjective

former:
of an earlier time (archaic or literary) “… now torn and rent by their
quondam allies” Jack London The Iron Heel 1907
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from quom “when.”][1]



Quonset

Quonset
Quon·set
[kwónsət] Trademark

a trademark for a
prefabricated structure that has a semicircular roof curving downward to form
walls, often used to house military personnel[1]



quorum

quorum
quo·rum 
[kwáwrəm] noun

minimum
number required for valid meeting: a fixed minimum
percentage or number of members of a legislative assembly, a committee, or
other organization who must be present before the members can conduct valid
business
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “of whom,” from the words used in requests for people to serve on
committees.][1]



quot.

quot.
quot.

Abbreviation of
quotation[1]



quota

quota
quo·ta 
[kwṓtə] (plural quo·tas) noun

1.  proportional
share:
a proportional share of something that somebody should contribute or receive

2.  maximum
permitted number or amount: a maximum number or quantity
that is permitted or needed
[Early 17th century. Via
medieval Latin quota (pars), literally “how large (a part)?”, the
feminine of quotus (see quote ).][1]



quotable

quotable
quot·a·ble 
[kwṓtəb’l] adjective

1.  worth
quoting:
worthy of being quoted

2.  on
the record:
able to be quoted in a publication such as a newspaper because the person
speaking or writing has given permission
—quot·a·bil·i·ty [kwtə bíllətee], noun[1]



quotation

quotation
quo·ta·tion 
[kwō táysh’n] (plural quo·ta·tions)
noun

1.  something
quoted:
a piece of speech or writing quoted somewhere, for example, in a book or
magazine • a
quotation from Henry James

2.  quoting
of what somebody has said: the quoting of what somebody
else has said or written

3.  BUSINESS See quote  noun 3

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE stock
price:
the prevailing price at which a stock, bond, or commodity may be purchased or
sold

5.  STOCK EXCHANGE quoting
of prices:
the quoting of prevailing stock, bond, or commodity market prices

6.  ARTS reuse
of artistic material: the use in an artistic work,
especially music, of material taken from or alluding to somebody else’s work
—quo·ta·tion·al,
adjective

—quo·ta·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



quotationmark

quotationmark
quo·ta·tion
mark
(plural quo·ta·tion marks) noun

punctuation identifying
quotation: either of a pair of
punctuation marks, either in double (“”) or single (‘’) form, used in printed
or written English to mark the beginning and end of a quotation[1]



quote

quote
quote 
[kwōt] verb (past quot·ed,
past participle quot·ed, present participle quot·ing,
3rd person present singular quotes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
somebody’s exact words: to repeat or copy the exact
words spoken or written by somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb refer
to something for proof: to refer to something as an
example in support of an argument • He
quoted some recently published statistics.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BUSINESS give estimate for cost:
to give an estimate of the price of providing somebody with a product or
service

4.  transitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE give
current market price: to state the current market
price of a stock, bond, or commodity

5.  transitive
verb
BETTING give
betting odds: to give somebody or something, for
example, a racehorse, particular betting odds (usually passive)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb PRINTING put punctuation around
quotation:
to place quotation marks around a passage of speech or writing that is being
quoted

7.  transitive
verb
ARTS repeat
from artistic work: to repeat an excerpt from an
artistic work created by somebody else, especially a piece of music
noun
(plural quotes)

1.  quotation:
something that is repeated exactly (informal)

2.  PRINTING quotation
mark:
one of a pair of quotation marks (often used in the plural)

3.  BUSINESS estimate
for work:
an estimated price for a job or service.
Also
called
quotation
interjection

introducing quotation:
used to show that the following words are a quotation (often used with
“unquote”) • She told me she is,
quote, “too good for him,” unquote.
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin quotare “to number chapters” from,
ultimately, Latin quot “how many?” (source of English quotient ).]
—quot·er, noun[1]



quoth

quoth
quoth 
[kwōth] transitive verb

said:
said, when used with direct speech (archaic or literary) • quoth
he
[Old English cwað, the
past tense of cweþan “to say” (source of English bequeath )][1]



quotha

quotha
quo·tha 
[kwṓthə] interjection

expressing
contempt or surprise: used after quoting another
person to express contempt, sarcasm, or surprise (archaic) • Love,
quotha; what manner of love is this?
[Early 16th century.
Shortening and alteration of “quoth he.”][1]



quotidian

quotidian
quo·tid·i·an 
[kwō tíddee ən] adjective

1.  commonplace:
of the most ordinary everyday kind (formal)

2.  daily:
done or experienced on a daily basis (formal)

3.  MED recurring
daily:
recurring or flaring up every day
noun

MED fever
recurring daily: a fever, especially malaria, in which
attacks of the illness recur daily
[14th century. Via Old French
cotidien from Latin quotidianus, from cotidie “every
day.”][1]



quotient

quotient
quo·tient 
[kwṓsh’nt] (plural quo·tients)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS result
of division: the number that results from the
division of one number by another

2.  MATHEMATICS whole
number result of division: the whole number element of
the result of dividing one number by another.
See
also
remainder

3.  amount
of particular quality: a scale, or a point on a
scale indicating the amount, degree, or level of something (informal)
[15th century. From Latin quotiens
“how many times?”, from quot (see quote
).][1]



quowarranto

quowarranto
quo
war·ran·to 
[kw wə rntō, kw
wə rántō] (plural quo war·ran·tos) noun

legal
document:
a document issued by a court of law formally requiring somebody to state by
what authority he or she has acted or has held a position
[From Law Latin, literally
“by what warrant?”, words in the writ][1]



Qur’an

Qur’an
Qur·’an 
or Qur·an noun

See
Koran[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Québec




Back to definition

Québec1

[1]



Québec

Québec1


Qué·bec1 [kwibék,
kaybék]

1.  Quebec
or Québec City capital city of the province of Quebec, Canada,
situated on the St. Lawrence River. Population: 671,889 (1996)

2.  the
largest province in Canada, situated between Ontario and Newfoundland, with
French-based social institutions, language, and culture. Capital: Quebec.
Population: 7,138,795 (1996) Area: 1,540,680 sq km/594,858 sq mi.
—Que·bec·er [kwibékər], noun[1]



Québécois

Québécois
Qué·bé·cois
[kày be kw] or Qué·be·cois [kày be kw] or Que·be·cois [kày be kw] adjective

of
Quebec:
relating to or typical of Quebec, especially its French-speaking inhabitants or
their culture
noun
(plural Qué·bé·cois) (plural Qué·be·cois) (plural
Que·be·cois)

somebody
from Quebec: somebody who was born or raised in
Quebec, especially somebody who is French-speaking
[French, “from Quebec”][1]



Qu’Appelle

Qu’Appelle
Qu’Ap·pelle 
[kwə pél]

river in southern
Saskatchewan, which joins the Assiniboine River east of the Manitoba border.
Length: 435 km/270 mi.[1]



q.v.

q.v.
q.v.

(used
to indicate a cross reference to sth within the same book or article)Abbreviation
of which see
[Latin, quod vide][1]



Qwaqwa

Qwaqwa
Qwa·qwa
[kw kw]

former homeland in South
Africa. It was abolished in 1994 and incorporated into Free State Province.[1]



qwertykeyboard

qwertykeyboard
qwer·ty
key·board
[kwúrtee k bawrd] (plural qwer·ty
key·boards) or QWER·TY key·board [kwúrtee
k bawrd] (plural QWER·TY key·boards) noun

standard keyboard:
a typewriter or computer keyboard with the standard arrangement of keys for the
alphabet, with the top row of alphabetic characters beginning with the letters
q,w, e, r, t, and y[1]



qy.

qy.
qy.

Abbreviation of
query[1]



Qǔqon

Qǔqon
Qǔ·qon

city in eastern Uzbekistan,
in the Fergana Province. Population: 175,000 (1991)[1]



R.

R.
R.

1.  JUDAISM Abbreviation of rabbi

2.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
range

3.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
rector

4.  POLITICS Abbreviation of republican

5.  Abbreviation
of
royal

[1]



r.

r.
r.

1.  r.
or R. Abbreviation of railroad

2.  Abbreviation
of
rare

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of received

4.  Abbreviation
of
retired

5.  r.
or R. Abbreviation of right

6.  r.
or R. Abbreviation of river

7.  r.
or R. Abbreviation of road

8.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
rod

9.  CARD GAMES Abbreviation of
rubber

10. r.
or R. MONEY Abbreviation
of ruble

11. BASEBALL Abbreviation of run

12. r.
or R. MONEY Abbreviation
of rupee

[1]



R

R3
R3

1.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
radius

2.  MONEY Abbreviation of rand

3.
(used after the name of a queen) Abbreviation of Regina

4.  CHRISTIANITY (in Christian
liturgy) Abbreviation of response

5.
(used after the name of a king) Abbreviation of Rex

6.  AUTOMOBILES (international
vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Romania

[1]



R

R2
R2 noun

CINEMA
a movie rating indicating that a movie can be seen by children under the age of
17 only if accompanied by an adult[1]



r

r1

r1 [aar]
(plural r’s) or R [aar]
(plural R’s or Rs) noun

1.  18th
letter of English alphabet: the 18th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  sound
corresponding to letter “R”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “R”

3.  letter
“R” written: a written representation of the letter
“R”
the three R’s

the basic skills of reading,
writing, and arithmetic[1]



r

r2
r2

1.  r
or r. MATHEMATICS Symbol
for radius  noun 1

2.  r
or R ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Symbol for resistance

[1]



R

R1
R1

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for gas constant

2.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for radical

3.  Symbol
for
Réaumur scale

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Symbol
for resistance

[1]



r

r3
r3

Abbreviation of
recto[1]



R.A.

R.A.
R.A.

1.  NAVY Abbreviation of Rear
Admiral

2.  Abbreviation
of
Research Assistant

3.  EDUC Abbreviation of
Resident Advisor

4.  ASTRONOMY Abbreviation of
right ascension

[1]



Ra

Ra2
Ra2

CHEMICAL
ELEMENTS Symbol for radium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ra

Ra1
Ra1  [raa]
or Re [ray] noun

Egyptian
sun god:
in ancient Egyptian mythology, the sun god, creator and controller of the
universe, represented as having a human body and a hawk’s head.
See
also
Osiris
See
also
Isis
[From Egyptian r`][1]



RA

RA
RA

1.  NAVY Abbreviation of Rear
Admiral

2.  RA
or R.A. ARMY Abbreviation
of Regular Army

3.  AUTOMOBILES (international
vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Argentina

4.  ASTRONOMY Abbreviation of
right ascension

[1]



Rabat

Rabat
Ra·bat 
[rə bt]

capital city of Morocco,
situated in the northwest of the country, at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River,
on the Atlantic coast. Population: 1,386,000 (1994)[1]



rabbet

rabbet
rab·bet 
[rábbət] noun (plural rab·bets)

groove cut for wood joint:
a groove or step cut along the length of the edge of a piece of wood that is to
be joined to another with a corresponding tongue or ledge cut into it (often
used before a noun)
U.K.
term
rebate 2 noun
transitive
verb
(past rab·bet·ed, past participle rab·bet·ed, present
participle rab·bet·ing, 3rd person present singular rab·bets)

U.K.
term
rebate 2 verb

1.  cut
rabbet in:
to cut a rabbet in a piece of wood

2.  join
with rabbet: to join two pieces of wood at their
edges by means of a rabbet
[15th century. From Old
French rab(b)at “recess,” from rabattre (see rebate ).][1]



rabbi

rabbi
rab·bi 
[rá b] (plural rab·bis) noun

1.  Jewish
religious leader: the leader of a Jewish congregation, or
the chief religious official of a synagogue

2.  Jewish
scholar:
a scholar qualified to teach or interpret Jewish law
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin and Greek from Hebrew rabbī, literally “my master.”][1]



rabbinate

rabbinate
rab·bin·ate 
[rábbə nàyt, rábbənət]
(plural rab·bin·ates) noun

1.  rabbi’s
position:
the post or term of office of a rabbi

2.  rabbis
collectively: rabbis considered as a group

[1]



rabbinical

rabbinical
rab·bin·i·cal 
[rə bínnik’l] or rab·bin·ic [rə bínnik] adjective

of
rabbis:
relating to rabbis or to their beliefs, language, teachings, or writings
—rab·bin·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



RabbinicHebrew

RabbinicHebrew
Rab·bin·ic
He·brew 
noun

medieval form of Hebrew:
the form of Hebrew used by rabbis between the 5th and 16th centuries. It
contains much of the Aramaic language and was influenced by the language of the
Talmud.[1]



rabbinism

rabbinism
rab·bin·ism 
[rábbə nìzzəm] noun

Jewish
teachings:
the teachings of Jewish scholars, especially the scholars of the Talmudic
period
—rab·bin·ist,
noun, adjective

—rab·bin·is·tic [ràbbə nístik], adjective[1]



rabbit

rabbit

rab·bit 
[rábbit] noun (plural rab·bits
or rab·bit)

1.  ZOOLOGY small
furry mammal: a small burrowing mammal with long ears,
soft fur, and a short tail. Rabbits are commonly kept as pets. Family:
Leporidae

2.  ZOOLOGY hare:
a word used inaccurately to refer to a hare (informal)

3.  INDUSTRY rabbit’s
fur:
the fur of a rabbit, used to make hats and other accessories

4.  FOOD rabbit’s
flesh:
the meat of a rabbit

5.  SPORTS pacesetter
in race:
a long-distance runner who sets a fast pace for a stronger teammate in the
early part of a race

6.  SPORTS device
that racing greyhounds chase: a mechanical device that
greyhounds chase at a racetrack
intransitive verb
(past rab·bit·ed, past participle rab·bit·ed, present
participle rab·bit·ing, 3rd person present singular rab·bits)

hunt rabbits: to go
hunting for wild rabbits
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Old French from, ultimately, Middle
Dutch or Low German robbe .]
—rab·bit·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Rabbit,
  Run, a novel by John Updike ( 1960 ). It depicts the disastrous attempts of
  Harry Rabbit Angstrom to flee an unhappy marriage and the responsibilites of
  adulthood. Updike continued Harry’s story in three subsequent novels, Rabbit
  Redux ( 1971 ), Rabbit is Rich ( 1981 ), and Rabbit at Rest
  ( 1990 ), creating a tetralogy that highlights sexual and moral confusion in
  late 20th century American society.

[1]



rabbitears

rabbitears
rab·bit
ears
plural noun

antenna:
a V-shaped antenna made up of two metal rods on a base, designed to sit on top
of a television set[1]



rabbitfever

rabbitfever
rab·bit
fe·ver
noun

See
tularemia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rabbitfood

rabbitfood
rab·bit
food
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately dismisses a vegetarian diet, especially as
providing insufficient nutrition for a human being (informal offensive)[1]



rabbit-footclover

rabbit-footclover
rab·bit-foot
clo·ver 
noun

kind of clover:
a variety of clover native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its leaves bear a
superficial resemblance to rabbits’ paws. Latin name: Trifolium arvense[1]



rabbitpunch

rabbitpunch
rab·bit
punch
noun

blow
to back of neck: a short sharp blow to the back of the
neck
—rab·bit-punch, transitive
verb[1]



rabble

rabble2
rab·ble2 [rább’l]
noun (plural rab·bles)

furnace
tool:
a device for stirring or skimming molten metal in a furnace
transitive
verb
(past rab·bled, past participle rab·bled, present
participle rab·bling, 3rd person present singular rab·bles)

stir
something with rabble: to stir or skim molten metal
with a rabble
[Mid-19th
century. Via French râble “fire rake,” from, ultimately, Latin rutabulum,
from ruere “to rake up.”]
—rab·bler, noun[1]



rabble

rabble1
rab·ble1 [rább’l]
(plural rab·bles) noun

1.  unruly
crowd:
a noisy and unruly crowd of people

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults people lacking in wealth and status
(insult) (takes a singular or plural verb)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults the abilities or significance of a
group of people (insult)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain. Originally used for “pack of dogs.”][1]



rabble-rouser

rabble-rouser
rab·ble-rous·er 
(plural rab·ble-rous·ers) noun

agitator:
somebody who stirs up anger, violence, or other strong feelings in a crowd,
especially for political reasons (disapproving)
—rab·ble-rous·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



Rabelais,François

Rabelais,François
Ra·be·lais
[ràbbə láy], François (1493?–1553)

French
humanist and writer. His greatest works, Pantagruel ( 1532 ) and Gargantua
( 1534 ), satirized medieval scholasticism and are notable for their exuberance
and earthy humor.

—Rab·e·lai·si·an [ràbbə láyzee ən, ràbbə
láyzh’n], adjective, noun[1]



Rabi

Rabi
Ra·bi 
[rbee] or Ra·bia [rə b ə] noun

1.  Ra·bi
or Ra·bi·a or Ra·bi I or Ra·bi·a I 3rd
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
third month of the year, made up of 30 days

2.  Ra·bi
or Ra·bi·a or Ra·bi II or Ra·bi·a II 4th
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
fourth month of the year, made up of 29 days
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic rabī‘ .][1]



rabid

rabid
rab·id 
[rábbid] adjective

1.  MED VETERINARY MEDICINE having
rabies:
infected with rabies

2.  fanatical:
very enthusiastic or fanatical

3.  intense:
extremely intense and unceasing • a
rabid lust for power
[Early
17th century. From Latin rabidus, from rabere (see rabies ).]
—ra·bid·i·ty
[rə bíddətee], noun

—rab·id·ly
[rábbidlee], adverb

—rab·id·ness, noun[1]



rabies

rabies
ra·bies 
[ráybiz] noun

severe
viral disease: an often fatal viral disease that
affects the central nervous systems of most warm-blooded animals and is
transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal. It causes convulsions,
inability to move, and strange behavior.
Also
called
hydrophobia
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “fury,” from rabere “to rave, be mad” (source
of English rage ).]
—ra·bic,
adjective

—ra·bi·et·ic [ràybee éttik], adjective[1]



Rabi,Isidor Isaac

Rabi,Isidor Isaac
Ra·bi 
[rbee], Isidor Isaac (1898–1988)

Austrian-born U.S. physicist.
He won a Nobel Prize (1944) for his work on the atom.[1]



Rabin,Yitzhak

Rabin,Yitzhak

Ra·bin
[raa bn], Yitzhak (1922–1995)
Israeli statesman. He served as prime
minister from 1974 to 1977 and from 1992 until he was assassinated in 1995. He
received the Nobel Peace Prize (1994).[1]



raccoon

raccoon


rac·coon 
[ra kn] (plural rac·coons or
rac·coon) or ra·coon [ra kn]
(plural ra·coons or ra·coon) noun

1.  small
ring-tailed mammal: a small mammal native to the
forests of North and Central America that has grayish black fur, black patches
around the eyes, and a long bushy ringed tail. Genus: Procyon

2.  raccoon
fur:
the fur of the raccoon
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian aroughcun .][1]



raccoondog

raccoondog
rac·coon
dog
noun

wild dog:
a small wild dog, native to woodland areas of eastern Asia, with facial
markings similar to a raccoon’s and a thick yellow-brown coat. Latin name: Nyctereutes
procyonoides[1]



race

race2
race2 [rayss]
(plural rac·es) noun

1.  group
of humans:
any one of the groups into which the world’s population can be divided on the
basis of physical characteristics such as skin or hair color

2.  fact
of belonging to a group: the fact of belonging to a
group of humans who share the same physical features such as skin color • an
attempt to end discrimination on grounds of race

3.  humankind:
humanity considered as a whole • the
fate of the race

4.  BIOLOGY strain
of organism: a breed, strain, or subspecies of an
organism

5.  WINE wine’s
distinctive taste: the distinctive taste of a
particular wine, by which its grape variety or region of origin can be
identified
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Italian razza, of unknown origin.][1]



race

race1
race1 [rayss]
noun (plural rac·es)

1.  SPORTS contest
of speed:
a contest, for example, between or among runners or horseback riders, to decide
who is the fastest

2.  contest
between rivals: a contest between two or more people
seeking to do or reach the same thing, or do or reach it first

3.  OCEANOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHY water
current:
a strong localized current in the sea or a river

4.  CIVIL ENGINEERING water
channel:
a channel that carries water from one place to another, especially from a
stream to a waterwheel.
Also
called
raceway

5.  TECHNOLOGY groove
guiding sliding object: a groove along which
something, for example, a ballbearing, slides

6.  narrow
passage:
any narrow path or passage, for example, one leading sheep from their enclosure
to a dip

7.  regular
course:
the fixed course regularly followed or traveled by something, especially the
Sun or the Moon (archaic or literary)

8.  journey:
a single passage along a fixed course, especially the course that somebody’s
life follows (archaic or literary)
plural
noun
rac·es

HORSERACING horse
races or horseracing: horse races, the racetrack
at which they are run, or horseracing as a spectator sport • We
spent the day at the races.
verb
(past raced, past participle raced, present
participle rac·ing, 3rd person present singular rac·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS compete against in race:
to compete with somebody in a contest of speed

2.  transitive
verb
enter
something in race: to enter, ride, or drive
something, for example, a horse or car, in a race

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
very fast:
to move somewhere with great speed or haste, or make somebody or something move
or be transported in this way

4.  intransitive
verb
beat
fast:
to beat much faster than usual, for example, out of nervousness or excitement (refers
to the heart)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE idle fast:
to run or make an engine or motor run at a high speed
[13th century. From Old Norse
rás “rush, running.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
be in motion,” which is also the ancestor of English err and error .][1]



racecar

racecar

race·car 
[ráyss kr] (plural race·cars)
noun
car used for racing:
a car used, designed, or adapted for the sport of automobile racing[1]



racecourse

racecourse
race·course 
[ráyss kàwrs] (plural race·courses)
noun

1.  track
for cars or runners: a track around which cars or
runners race, or the grounds in which the track is sited.
U.K.
term
racetrack

2.  U.K.
See racetrack  noun 1

[1]



racehorse

racehorse
race·horse 
[ráyss hàwrs] (plural race·horses)
noun

horse bred for racing:
a horse bred and trained to run in races[1]



racemate

racemate
race·mate 
[rássə màyt] (plural race·mates)
noun

chemical
compound:
a chemical compound that does not deflect or absorb any of the light passing
through it
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from racemic .][1]



raceme

raceme
ra·ceme 
[ray sm, rə sm]
(plural ra·cemes) noun

type
of flower cluster: a flower cluster ( inflorescence ) in which the flowers are borne on
short stalks along a long main stem, as they are in the lily of the valley
[Late 18th century. From
Latin racemus “bunch of grapes” (source of English raisin ).][1]



racemic

racemic
ra·ce·mic 
[ray smik, rə
smik, ray sémmik, rə sémmik] adjective

not
deflecting light: used to describe a chemical compound
that does not deflect or absorb any of the light passing through it. This is
due to its consisting of a precise mixture of dextrorotatory and levorotatory
isomers.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin racemus “bunch of grapes,” because the compound was
originally derived from grapes.][1]



racemicacid

racemicacid
ra·ce·mic
ac·id
noun

form of tartaric acid:
a form of tartaric acid that does not deflect or absorb any of the light
passing through it. It is found in grape juice.[1]



racemiform

racemiform
ra·ce·mi·form 
[ray smə fàwrm] adjective

shaped like raceme:
having the form of a raceme[1]



racemization

racemization
rac·e·mi·za·tion 
[ràyssəmə záysh’n] noun

conversion
to racemic compound: the process of converting
from an optically active compound or mixture to one that is racemic
—ra·ce·mize [ráyssə mz, ray s mz,
rə s mz], transitive verb[1]



racemose

racemose
rac·e·mose 
[ráyssə mss] adjective

1.  BOTANY with
flowers clustered along stem: used to describe a flower
cluster ( inflorescence ) in which the
flowers are borne on short stalks on a long main stem, as they are in the lily
of the valley

2.  BOTANY with
youngest flowers at tip: used to describe any
pyramidal or flat-topped flower cluster in which the youngest flowers develop
nearest the tip of the main stem or main side branches. Examples include the
panicle, corymb, umbel, and capitulum, as well as the raceme.

3.  ANATOMY clustered
like bunch of grapes: used to describe glands that
resemble a bunch of grapes in their structure
—rac·e·mose·ly
[ráyssə msslee], adverb

—rac·e·mous·ly [ráyssəməsslee], adverb[1]



racer

racer
rac·er 
[ráyssər] (plural rac·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that races: a person, animal, or vehicle
competing in a race

2.  thin
fast-moving snake: a slender fast-moving
nonvenomous North American snake. Genus: Coluber

[1]



racerunner

racerunner
race·run·ner 
[ráyss rùnnər] (plural race·run·ners)
noun

swift lizard:
a fast-moving lizard found in North and Central America. Genus: Cnemidophurus[1]



racetrack

racetrack
race·track 
[ráyss tràk] (plural race·tracks)
noun

1.  U.K.
See racecourse

2.  track
for holding races: a track around which horses
race, or the grounds in which the track is sited.
U.K.
term
racecourse

[1]



race-walk

race-walk
race-walk 
intransitive verb

take part in race walking:
to compete in the sport of race walking[1]



racewalking

racewalking
race
walk·ing
noun

sport
of racing when walking: the sport of racing at a
fast walking pace, with rules that require walkers to keep at least one foot on
the ground at all times.
Also
called
speed walking
—race walk·er, noun[1]



raceway

raceway
race·way 
[ráyss wày] (plural race·ways)
noun

1.  CIVIL ENGINEERING See
race 1 noun 4

2.  SPORTS racetrack:
a track on which races, especially harness races, are held, or the grounds in
which the track is sited

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING pipe
for hydraulics: a pipe, channel, or other means by which
water is conveyed to or from hydraulic machinery

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING protective
tube for wires: a tube or channel that holds, guides,
and protects electric wires

[1]



Rachel

Rachel
Ra·chel 
[ráchəl] noun

biblical character:
in the Bible, the daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and
Benjamin (Genesis 29–35)[1]



rachio-

rachio-
rachio-
prefix

spine
• rachiotomy
[Via modern Latin from Greek rhakhis
“spine”][1]



rachis

rachis
ra·chis 
[ráykiss] (plural ra·chis·es or
rach·i·des [ráki dz, ráyki dz]) noun

1.  BOTANY plant
stem:
the main stem of a flower cluster or a compound leaf

2.  BIRDS feather
shaft:
the main shaft of a feather

3.  ANATOMY spine:
the spine of a vertebrate animal (technical)
[Late
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek rhakhis “spine, ridge.”]
—ra·chi·al
[ráykee əl], adjective

—ra·chid·i·al [rə kíddee əl], adjective[1]



rachitis

rachitis
ra·chi·tis 
[rə ktiss] noun

rickets:
the disease rickets (technical)
[Early
18th century. From Greek rhakhitis “disease of the spine,” from rhakhis
“spine.”]
—ra·chit·ic [rə kíttik], adjective[1]



Rachmaninoff,Sergey

Rachmaninoff,Sergey
Rach·ma·ni·noff
[raak mnnə nàwf], Sergey (1873–1943)

Russian-born
composer and pianist. His symphonies and compositions for piano are considered
the last major musical expression of the Romantic era.
Full name
Rachmaninoff, Sergey Vasilyevich[1]



racial

racial
ra·cial 
[ráysh’l] adjective

1.  existing
between races: existing or taking place between
different races • racial harmony

2.  relating
to race:
relating to or characteristic of races or a particular race of people
—ra·cial·ly [ráysh’lee], adverb[1]



racialism

racialism
ra·cial·ism 
[ráysh’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  skin
color as positive attribute: the attitude that skin color
distinguishes people in terms of positive attributes but not in terms of the
negative attributes of worth or value of a race

2.  U.K.
racism:
racism (dated)
—ra·cial·ist,
noun, adjective

—ra·cial·is·tic [ràysh’l ístik], adjective[1]



racially-corrected

racially-corrected
ra·cial·ly-cor·rect·ed
adjective

adjusted for different
populations: adjusted to eliminate
cultural bias or racial prejudice from something, especially a standardized
test[1]



Racine,Jean Baptiste

Racine,Jean Baptiste
Ra·cine 
[rə sn], Jean Baptiste (1639–1699)

French playwright. Considered
to be the greatest French classical tragedian, he adapted Greek and Roman plays
in works such as Bajazet ( 1672 ) and Phèdre ( 1677 ).[1]



racingcar

racingcar
rac·ing
car
(plural rac·ing cars) noun

U.K.
See racecar[1]



racingform

racingform
rac·ing
form 
noun

information sheet about race
competitors: a sheet giving details
of the previous performances of competitors in a race, especially a horserace,
for use by people wishing to place bets[1]



racism

racism
ra·cism 
[ráy sìzzəm] noun (disapproving)

1.  animosity
toward other races: prejudice or animosity
against people who belong to other races “I am a Muslim and … my religion makes
me against all forms of racism.” Malcolm X Speech, Prospects for Freedom 1965

2.  belief
in racial superiority: the belief that people of
different races have different qualities and abilities, and that some races are
inherently superior or inferior

[1]



racist

racist
rac·ist
[ráyssist] adjective (disapproving)

1.  based
on racism:
based on notions and stereotypes related to race

2.  prejudiced
against other races: prejudiced against all
people who belong to other races “Black power … a call to reject the racist
institutions and values of this society” Stokley Carmichael [Kwame Toure] and
Charles Vernon Hamilton Black Power! 1967
noun
(plural rac·ists)

racist person:
somebody who is racist (disapproving)

[1]



rack

rack2
rack2 [rak]
(plural racks) noun

joint
of meat:
a joint of meat, usually lamb, consisting of one or both sides of the front
ribs prepared for roasting, often joined end to end in a circle
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from rack 1 .][1]



rack

rack3
rack3 [rak]
(past racked, past participle racked, present
participle rack·ing, 3rd person present singular racks)
transitive verb

siphon
off wine or beer: to siphon clear wine or beer out of a
barrel, leaving the sediment behind
[15th century. From Provençal
arracar, from raca “dregs,” of unknown origin.][1]



rack

rack1
rack1 [rak]
noun (plural racks)

1.  framework
for holding things: a framework or stand for
carrying, holding, or storing things • a wine
rack

2.  AGRICULTURE feed-holding
framework:
a framework containing hay or other fodder for livestock

3.  AIR FORCE bomb-holding
framework:
a bomb- or rocket-carrying framework attached to an aircraft

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING toothed
bar:
a bar with notches, designed to engage the teeth of a pinion or worm gear and
convert rotary motion to linear motion, for example, in a vehicle’s steering
system

5.  instrument
of torture:
a torture device used to stretch the body of a victim strapped horizontally
onto it

6.  ZOOLOGY antlers:
a pair of antlers

7.  CUE GAMES ball-placing
frame:
a triangular frame for grouping the balls at the beginning of a game of pool,
billiards, or snooker

8.  bed:
a bed or a bunk (slang)

9.  sleep:
sleep (slang) • Time
to get some rack.
transitive
verb
(past racked, past participle racked, present
participle rack·ing, 3rd person present singular racks)

1.  cause
somebody pain: to cause somebody great pain or stress • the
coughing spasms that racked his body

2.  shake
something:
to shake or strain something with violent force • The
high winds racked villages all along the coast.

3.  strain
something:
to stretch something with extreme force or mental effort • I
racked my brain trying to think where I’d seen him before.

4.  torture
somebody on rack: to torture somebody on a rack

5.  put
something in rack: to place something in or on
a rack

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING move
something with rack: to move a device or part
using a rack -and-pinion system

7.  CUE GAMES position
balls:
to set up the balls for a game of billiards, pool, or snooker using a rack
[14th
century. From Dutch rak, which evolved from Middle Dutch rec
“framework.”]
—rack·er,
noun

—rack·ful,
noun
off
the rack

ready
to wear, not tailor-made

on
the rack

experiencing great mental
anguish (informal)[1]



rack

rack6
rack6 [rak]
noun

(archaic)
See wrack
[Late
16th century. Variant of wrack .]
go
to rack and ruin

to deteriorate into a state
of neglect or ruin[1]



rack

rack4
rack4 [rak]
noun (plural racks)

showy
walking pace for horse: in dressage, a fast walking
pace for a horse in which each foot is lifted off the ground in turn.
Also
called
single-foot
intransitive
verb
(past racked, past participle racked, present
participle rack·ing, 3rd person present singular racks)

walk
at rack:
to walk at a fast pace, lifting each foot off the ground in turn (refers to
horses)
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rack

rack5
rack5 [rak]
noun (plural racks)

moving
cloud mass:
a mass of broken cloud blown fast by the wind
intransitive
verb
(past racked, past participle racked, present
participle rack·ing, 3rd person present singular racks)

race
across sky:
to be blown fast by the wind (refers to clouds)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Old Norse .][1]



rack-and-pinion

rack-and-pinion
rack-and-pin·ion
adjective

using gear and bar mechanism:
using or relating to a mechanical system in which a toothed wheel ( pinion ) engages a notched bar ( rack ) to convert rotary motion into linear motion[1]



racket

racket2
rack·et2 [rákət]
(past rack·et·ed, past participle rack·et·ed, present
participle rack·et·ing, 3rd person present singular rack·ets)
noun

1.  noise:
a loud noise, especially when it disturbs people

2.  CRIMINOLOGY illegal
scheme:
an illegal or dishonest money-making scheme, involving activities such as
bribery, fraud, or intimidation

3.  business:
a business, job, or activity of any kind (informal) • He’s
in the advertising racket.

4.  easy
living:
an easy and very profitable way of earning a living (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown: perhaps thought to suggest loud noise.][1]



racket

racket1
racket1 [rákət]
(plural rack·ets) or rac·quet [rákət] (plural rac·quets) noun

1.  SPORTS sports
bat:
a lightweight bat with a network of strings, used in tennis, racquetball,
badminton, squash, and similar games. The frame is usually made of a substance
such as wood, aluminum, or graphite, and the strings of gut or nylon.

2.  snowshoe:
a snowshoe in the shape of a racket
[Early 16th century. Via
French raquette from, ultimately, Arabic rāat “palm of the
hand.”][1]



racketeer

racketeer
rack·et·eer 
[ràkə tr] noun (plural rack·et·eers)

criminal
plotter:
somebody who makes money from illegal activities such as bribery, fraud, or
intimidation
intransitive
verb
(past rack·et·eered, past participle rack·et·eered,
present participle rack·et·eer·ing, 3rd person present
singular rack·et·eers)

run
criminal racket: to make money from illegal activities,
or operate a racket
—rack·et·eer·ing, noun[1]



rackets

rackets
rack·ets 
noun

See
racquets[1]



rackety

rackety
rack·et·y 
[rákətee] adjective

rowdy:
noisy and boisterous (dated)[1]



rackout

rackout
rack
out
intransitive verb

sleep:
to go to bed or get some sleep (slang)[1]



rackrailway

rackrailway
rack
rail·way
(plural rack rail·ways) noun

See
cog railway[1]



rack-rent

rack-rent
rack-rent 
noun (plural rack-rents)

excessive
rent:
an unreasonably high rent
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rack-rent·ed,
past participle rack-rent·ed, present participle rack-rent·ing,
3rd person present singular rack-rents)

charge
tenant excessive rent: to charge tenants an
unreasonably high rent
[From
rack 1, in the sense “to torture”]
—rack-rent·er, noun[1]



rackup

rackup
rack
up
transitive verb (informal)

1.  amass
things:
to accumulate something, usually points • The
company racked up sales of $8 million in its first year of trading.

2.  See
wrack up

[1]



raclette

raclette
ra·clette 
[raa klét, ra
klét] noun

1.  dish
of melted cheese with potatoes: a Swiss dish
consisting of slices of melted cheese served on boiled potatoes or bread. The
cheese is traditionally melted over a fire but electric raclette machines are
now available.

2.  cheese
used for raclette: a hard-crusted type of Swiss
cheese that melts easily, traditionally used for raclette
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from racler “to scrape,” because the cheese is melted and
scraped onto a plate.][1]



racon

racon
ra·con
[ráy kòn] (plural ra·cons) noun

See
radar beacon
[Mid-20th century. Blend of radar and beacon
.][1]



raconteur

raconteur
rac·on·teur 
[ra kon túr] (plural rac·on·teurs)
noun

somebody
who tells entertaining stories: somebody who tells
stories or anecdotes in an interesting or entertaining way
[Early 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Old French raconter “to recount, retell.”][1]



racoon

racoon
ra·coon 
noun

See
raccoon[1]



racquet

racquet
rac·quet 
noun

See
racket 1[1]



racquetball

racquetball
rac·quet·ball 
[rákət bàwl] noun

indoor sport using
short-handled racket: a game
played on a four-walled indoor court by two, three, or four players using
short-handled rackets and a ball larger than the ball used in squash or
racquets[1]



racquets

racquets
rac·quets
[rákəts] or rack·ets [rákəts] noun

indoor
sport using long-handled racket: a fast game similar to
squash played by two to four people on a four-walled indoor court using
long-handled rackets and a small hard ball. It is derived from the old game of
court tennis.
[Mid-18th century. From
French raquette (see racket ).][1]



racy

racy
rac·y 
[ráyssee] (comparative rac·i·er,
superlative rac·i·est) adjective

1.  mildly
indecent:
mildly shocking because of references to or descriptions of sex

2.  lively:
full of energy or spirit

3.  distinctive:
with a distinctive quality or flavor

4.  pungent:
sharp or piquant in taste or smell
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from race 1 . Originally in the sense
“having a distinctive flavor.”]
—rac·i·ly,
adverb

—rac·i·ness, noun[1]



rad

rad1
rad1 [rad]
(plural rads) noun

former
unit of radiation absorption: the unit formerly used to
measure the level of ionizing radiation absorbed by something, equal to 0.01
joule per kilogram of irradiated material
[Early 20th century. Acronym
of “radiation absorbed dose.”][1]



rad.

rad.
rad.

1.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
radical

2.  Abbreviation
of
radio

3.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
radius

4.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
radix

[1]



rad

rad3
rad3

MATHEMATICS
Symbol for radian[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rad

rad2
rad2 [rad]
(comparative rad·der, superlative rad·dest) adjective

excellent:
very good, desirable, admirable, or fashionable (slang) • a
totally rad idea
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of radical .][1]



radar

radar
ra·dar 
[ráy dr] noun

1.  object-locating
system:
the use of reflected radio waves to determine the presence, location, and speed
of distant objects. The system has military, law-enforcement, and navigational
applications. Examples of its uses include the locating of enemy aircraft or
ships and the monitoring of vehicle speeds.

2.  object-locating
equipment:
the electronic equipment that transmits and receives high-frequency radio waves
to detect, locate, and track distant objects
[Mid-20th
century. Acronym formed from “radio detection and ranging.”]
be
on somebody’s radar screen

to be a focal point of
interest to somebody (informal) • This
issue of bank fraud has been on the district attorney’s radar screen for at
least six months.[1]



radarastronomy

radarastronomy
ra·dar
as·tron·o·my noun

radar used to study planets:
the use of radar techniques to study and map celestial bodies in the solar
system[1]



radarbeacon

radarbeacon
ra·dar
bea·con
noun

ground-based navigation aid:
a ground-based fixed position radar receiver-transmitter whose signals can be
received by an aircraft or ship’s navigator to determine bearing and range.
Also called
racon[1]



radargun

radargun
ra·dar
gun
noun

handheld radar device:
a small handheld radar device used to determine the speed of nearby objects[1]



radarscope

radarscope
ra·dar·scope 
[ráy daar skp] (plural ra·dar·scopes)
noun

radar display unit:
the display screen on radar equipment, displaying the reflected radio signal as
a dot of light. In sophisticated screens, textual data such as speed,
direction, and altitude are also shown.[1]



radartrap

radartrap
ra·dar
trap
noun

See
speed trap[1]



Radcliff

Radcliff
Rad·cliff
[ràd klíf]

city in north central
Kentucky, southwest of Louisville and northeast of Elizabethtown. Population:
19,411 (1996)[1]



raddle

raddle1
rad·dle1 (past rad·dled,
past participle rad·dled, present participle rad·dling,
3rd person present singular rad·dles) transitive verb

interweave:
to twist or weave things together
[Late 17th century. Via
Anglo-Norman reidele “wooden pole” from Old French reddalle,
perhaps of Middle High German origin. Originally used for “strip of wood
twisted between stakes to make a fence.”][1]



raddle

raddle2
rad·dle2 noun transitive
verb

See
ruddle[1]



raddled

raddled
rad·dled 
[rádd’ld] adjective

haggard:
with a worn-out appearance that suggests long life or a life of indulgence
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



radi-

radi-
radi-
prefix

DELETEME
See radio-[1]



radial

radial
ra·di·al 
[ráydee əl] adjective

1.  running
from center outward: spreading out from a common
center like the spokes of a wheel • petals
in a radial arrangement

2.  of
radius:
relating to a radius, especially moving along a radius

3.  ZOOLOGY with body
parts in circular arrangement: used to describe the
arrangement of the bodies of invertebrate marine animals such as the starfish
and sea anemone that have parts spreading out from a single center

4.  ANATOMY of
forearm bone: relating to the radius bone of the
forearm
noun
(plural ra·di·als)

AUTOMOBILES See radial tire
—ra·di·al·ly [ráydee əlee], adverb[1]



radialengine

radialengine
ra·di·al
en·gine
noun

engine with cylinders
arranged like spokes: an
internal-combustion engine that has its cylinders arranged around a central
crankshaft like the spokes of a wheel, instead of in one or two straight rows.
See also
rotary engine[1]



radialkeratotomy

radialkeratotomy
ra·di·al
ker·a·tot·o·my noun

surgery for nearsightedness:
a surgical procedure for correcting nearsightedness, using a series of small
radial incisions to change the shape of the cornea[1]



radial-ply

radial-ply
ra·di·al-ply
adjective

of kind of tire:
used to describe a tire in which the fabric cords that make up the foundation
of the tire run at right angles to the circumference of the tire[1]



radialsymmetry

radialsymmetry
ra·di·al
sym·me·try
noun

symmetry
of circular objects: symmetry in which something
can be divided into two identical halves by a line or plane passing through a
central point or axis at any angle
—ra·di·al·ly
sym·met·ri·cal, adjective[1]



radialtire

radialtire
ra·di·al
tire
noun

type of tire:
a tire in which the fabric cords that make up the foundation of the tire run at
right angles to the circumference of the tire.
Also called
radial[1]



radialvelocity

radialvelocity
ra·di·al
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

celestial body’s velocity:
the velocity of a star or other celestial body measured along the observer’s
line of sight[1]



radian

radian
ra·di·an 
[ráydee ən] (plural ra·di·ans)
noun

unit
of angular measurement: a unit of angular
measurement equivalent to the angle between two radii that enclose a section of
a circle’s circumference ( arc ) equal in
length to the length of a radius. There are 2π radians in a circle. Symbol
rad
[Late 19th century. Formed
from radius .][1]



radiance

radiance
ra·di·ance 
[ráydee əns] noun

1.  happiness
or energy:
joy, energy, or good health discernible in somebody’s face or demeanor

2.  light:
bright or glowing light

3.  PHYSICS measure
of radiant energy: a measure of the amount of
radiant energy emitted or received per unit area of a surface over a specified
time. Symbol L e

[1]



radiant

radiant
ra·di·ant 
[ráydee ənt] adjective

1.  showing
happiness:
expressing joy, energy, or good health in a pleasing way

2.  shining:
lit with a bright or glowing light

3.  PHYSICS emitted
as waves:
used to describe light, heat, or other energy emitted in the form of waves or
rays • radiant
heat

4.  PHYSICS emitting
radiant energy: emitting light, heat, or other energy in
the form of waves or rays
noun
(plural ra·di·ants)

1.  heating
element:
an element in a heater that gives out radiant heat

2.  ASTRONOMY meteor
shower’s point of origin: a point in space from which
a meteor shower appears to originate
[15th
century. From Latin radiant-, the present participle stem of radiare
(See radiate ).]
—ra·di·ant·ly, adverb[1]



radiantenergy

radiantenergy
ra·di·ant
en·er·gy
noun

electromagnetic waves:
energy emitted as waves, usually electromagnetic waves, through space or some
other medium. Symbol Q e[1]



radiantflux

radiantflux
ra·di·ant
flux
noun

rate of energy flow:
the rate of flow of radiant energy. Symbol Φ e[1]



radiantheat

radiantheat
ra·di·ant
heat
noun

heat transferred by infrared
radiation: heat transmitted by infrared
radiation from a heat source, as distinct from heat transmitted by conduction
or convection[1]



radiantheating

radiantheating
ra·di·ant
heat·ing
noun

form of room heating:
heating by means of heaters such as radiators, baseboard heaters, and electric
coils rather than by forced hot air[1]



radiate

radiate
ra·di·ate 
verb [ráydee àyt] (past ra·di·at·ed,
past participle ra·di·at·ed, present participle ra·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ra·di·ates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS send or be sent in rays:
to send out energy, for example, heat or light, in the form of rays or waves,
or be sent out in this form

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb show a
feeling or quality: to clearly show a feeling or
quality through looks, speech, behavior, or content • a
popular speech that radiated goodwill and commitment

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
from center: to spread out, or cause something to
spread out, from a central point like rays

4.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY develop
and spread:
to develop into several different forms capable of exploiting different
resources or of living in different environments (refers to animal and plant
species)
adjective
[ráydee ət]

1.  with
radiating parts: with, or in the form of, parts spreading
out from a common center

2.  BOTANY with
petals radiating from center: used to describe a flower
head that has petals radiating from a center, for example, that of a daisy

3.  ZOOLOGY with
radially symmetrical body: used to describe the bodies
of starfish and other vertebrate marine organisms with body parts radiating
from a common center

4.  with
rays:
surrounded or decorated with rays
[Early
17th century. From Latin radiat-, the past participle stem of radiare
“to emit rays,” from radius “ray” (source of English ray 1 ).]
—ra·di·ate·ly
[ráydee ətlee], adverb

—ra·di·a·tive [ráydee aytiv], adjective[1]



radiation

radiation
ra·di·a·tion 
[ràydee áysh’n] noun

1.  PHYSICS particles
emitted by radioactive substances: energy emitted in the
form of particles by substances, for example, uranium and plutonium, whose
atoms are not stable and are spontaneously decaying. This energy can be
converted into electric power, but it also causes severe or fatal health
problems to people who are exposed to it.

2.  PHYSICS energy
emitted in rays or waves: any kind of energy that is
emitted from a source in the form of rays or waves, for example, heat, light,
or sound

3.  PHYSICS radiating
of energy:
the emission of energy in the form of waves

4.  effect
of radiating: the feeling of something being radiated,
for example, heat from a hot oven

5.  MEDICINE See radiotherapy

6.  BIOLOGY adaptive
radiation:
adaptive radiation
—ra·di·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



radiationalcooling

radiationalcooling
ra·di·a·tion·al
cool·ing 
noun

Earth’s cooling down:
loss of heat from the Earth’s surface and from air near the Earth’s surface,
occurring mainly at night[1]



radiationbiology

radiationbiology
ra·di·a·tion
bi·ol·o·gy
noun

See
radiobiology[1]



radiationchemistry

radiationchemistry
ra·di·a·tion
chem·is·try
noun

study of chemical effects of
radiation: the branch of chemistry
concerned with chemical changes caused by the impact of radiation[1]



radiationphysics

radiationphysics
ra·di·a·tion
phys·ics
noun

study of radiation’s effects
on matter: the branch of physics that
is concerned with the interaction between radiation and matter (takes a
singular verb)[1]



radiationsickness

radiationsickness
ra·di·a·tion
sick·ness
noun

overexposure to radiation:
a medical condition caused by overexposure to X-rays or to emissions from
radioactive material. Symptoms include fatigue, headache, vomiting, diarrhea,
loss of hair and teeth, and in severe cases, hemorrhaging.[1]



radiationtherapy

radiationtherapy
ra·di·a·tion
ther·a·py
noun

See
radiotherapy[1]



radiator

radiator
ra·di·a·tor 
[ráydee àytər] (plural ra·di·a·tors)
noun

1.  room
heater with pipes: a room-heating device that
emits heat from pipes through which hot water, steam, or hot oil circulates,
especially one connected to a central boiler-fed system

2.  AUTOMOBILES engine-cooling
device:
a device that prevents a vehicle’s engine from overheating, consisting of tubes
through which heated water from the engine circulates to be cooled. Cool air is
usually circulated around the tubes by means of a fan.

3.  TECHNOLOGY device
emitting radiant energy: a device that emits radiant
energy, for example, a light bulb or a television transmitter

[1]



radical

radical
rad·i·cal 
[ráddik’l] adjective

1.  basic:
relating to or affecting the basic nature or most important features of
something • a
radical difference between the two

2.  pervasive:
far-reaching, searching, or thoroughgoing • a
radical reorganization of the company

3.  favoring
major changes: favoring or making economic, political,
or social changes of a sweeping or extreme nature • radical
policies

4.  excellent:
excellent, admirable, or awe-inspiring (slang)

5.  MEDICINE removing
disease’s source: used to describe medical treatment that
is intended to remove the source of a disease, rather than simply treat the
symptoms

6.  BOTANY growing
from root:
growing from a root of a plant or from the base of a stem

7.  MATHEMATICS of
a mathematical root: relating to the roots of
numbers

8.  LINGUISTICS of
word roots:
relating to the roots of words
noun
(plural rad·i·cals)

1.  POLITICS SOCIAL SCIENCES ECONOMICS
somebody
with radical views: somebody with radical views
on political, economic, or social issues • the
radicals in the party

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
root:
a mathematical root of another number or quantity

3.  CHEMISTRY free
radical:
a free radical

4.  CHEMISTRY chemical
group:
a chemical group that behaves as a single entity in reactions (dated)

5.  LINGUISTICS See root 1 noun 7
[14th
century. From late Latin radicalis “of roots” (the original sense in
English ), from radix “root” (source of English radish ).]
—rad·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—rad·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



radicalchic

radicalchic
rad·i·cal
chic
noun

fashionable adoption of
left-wing views: the fashionable
adoption of radical left-wing views by rich or famous people (disapproving)
“Radical chic invariably favors radicals who seem primitive, exotic, and
romantic.” Tom Wolfe Radical Chic 1970[1]



radicalism

radicalism
rad·i·cal·ism 
[ráddik’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  politics
advocating major changes: political policies that
advocate more sweeping political, economic, or social change than that
traditionally supported by the mainstream political parties

2.  politically
radical attitudes: support for radical
political policies

3.  significant
change:
sweeping change in any context, or the attitudes of people who favor sweeping
change

[1]



radicalize

radicalize
rad·i·cal·ize 
[ráddik’l z] (past rad·i·cal·ized,
past participle rad·i·cal·ized, present participle rad·i·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular rad·i·cal·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  change
fundamentally: to undergo fundamental change, or
introduce sweeping change in something

2.  make
or become politically radical: to adopt, or cause
somebody to adopt, politically radical views • The
experience of war radicalized the younger generation.
—rad·i·cal·i·za·tion [ràddik’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



radicalsign

radicalsign
rad·i·cal
sign
noun

symbol indicating square
root: the sign √ placed before a
mathematical expression to denote the extraction of a square root or higher
root. Roots higher than a square root are indicated by a superscript number
preceding the sign.[1]



radicand

radicand
rad·i·cand 
[ráddi kànd] (plural rad·i·cands)
noun

number
under radical sign: a mathematical quantity from
which a square root or higher root is to be extracted
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin radicandus, from radicare “to take root.”][1]



radicchio

radicchio
ra·dic·chi·o 
[rə dki , raa
dki ] (plural ra·dic·chi·os) noun

reddish
purple chicory: an Italian variety of chicory with
reddish purple and white leaves, usually eaten raw in salads
[Late 20th century. Via
Italian, “chicory,” from, ultimately, Latin radicula (see radicle ).][1]



radices

radices
rad·i·ces


Plural of
radix[1]



radicle

radicle
rad·i·cle 
[ráddik’l] (plural rad·i·cles)
noun

1.  BOTANY embryonic
root:
the part of a plant embryo that forms the root of the young plant

2.  ANATOMY body
part like root: a small body part such as a branch of a
nerve that superficially resembles the root of a plant
[Late
17th century. From Latin radicula, literally “little root,” from radix
“root” (source of English radish ).]
—ra·dic·u·lar [ra díkyələr], adjective[1]



radio

radio
ra·di·o 
[r’aydi ] noun (plural ra·di·os)

1.  use
of electromagnetic waves for communication: the
use of electromagnetic waves to transmit and receive information, as in sound
broadcasts or two-way communication, without the need for connecting wires

2.  communication
using radio waves: communication that takes
place by means of radio waves

3.  device
receiving sound broadcasts: an electronic device for
receiving sound broadcasts transmitted via radio signals

4.  two-way
communication device: an electronic device used to
send and receive radio signals, used for two-way communication

5.  radio
broadcasts:
sound broadcasts transmitted by means of radio waves

6.  broadcasting
of programs by radio: the broadcasting by radio of
programs for the public

7.  sound
broadcasting: radio broadcasting as an industry or
profession • She
works in radio.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ra·di·oed,
past participle ra·di·oed, present participle ra·di·o·ing,
3rd person present singular ra·di·os)

communicate by radio:
to communicate by radio or send somebody a message by radio
adjective

PHYSICS of
electromagnetic waves: relating to electromagnetic
waves or electromagnetic phenomena with frequencies between 10 kHz and 300,000
MHz
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of radiotelegraph .][1]



radio-

radio-
radio-
prefix

1.  radiation
• radiocarbon

2.  radio
• radiolocation
[Shortening of words such as radiation and radioactive][1]



radioactive

radioactive
ra·di·o·ac·tive 
[ràydi ō áktiv] adjective

1.  emitting
radiation:
used to describe a substance such as uranium or plutonium that emits energy in
the form of streams of particles, owing to the decaying of its unstable atoms.
This energy can be damaging or fatal to the health of people exposed to it.

2.  of
or using radioactive substances: relating to or making
use of radioactive substances or the radiation they emit
—ra·di·o·ac·tive·ly, adverb[1]



radioactivedecay

radioactivedecay
ra·di·o·ac·tive
de·cay
noun

See
decay  noun 4[1]



radioactiveseries

radioactiveseries
ra·di·o·ac·tive
se·ries
noun

series of atom types:
a series of related atom types ( nuclides )
of radioactive isotopes, each of which is transformed into the next by the
emission of an elementary particle until a stable nuclide results. There are
three such sequences, the thorium, the uranium-radium, and the actinium, and
almost all naturally occurring radioactive isotopes belong to one of them.[1]



radioactivetracer

radioactivetracer
ra·di·o·ac·tive
trac·er
(plural ra·di·o·ac·tive trac·ers) noun

radioactive substance
traceable in body: a chemical
substance that has a radioactive isotope attached, making it detectable when
introduced into the body. Such tracers are used medically to diagnose diseases
and biologically to study biochemical processes.[1]



radioactivewaste

radioactivewaste
ra·di·o·ac·tive
waste
noun

used radioactive materials:
waste material that is radioactive, particularly the waste from nuclear
reactors and medical treatment and research.
Also called
radwaste[1]



radioactivity

radioactivity
ra·di·o·ac·tiv·i·ty 
[ràydi ō ak tívvətee] noun

1.  radioactive
nature:
the radioactive nature of a substance such as uranium or plutonium

2.  radiation:
the high-energy particles emitted by radioactive substances

[1]



radioastronomy

radioastronomy
ra·di·o
as·tron·o·my noun

branch
of astronomy: a branch of astronomy that deals with
the detection and analysis of radio waves received from space
—ra·di·o as·tron·o·mer,
noun[1]



radiobeacon

radiobeacon
ra·di·o
bea·con
noun

navigation aid:
a fixed ground-based radio transmitter that sends out a distinctive signal to
help aircraft and ships to identify their position[1]



radiobeam

radiobeam
ra·di·o
beam
noun

signal from radio beacon:
a beam of radio signals transmitted by a radio beacon for navigation purposes[1]



radiobiology

radiobiology
ra·di·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[ràydi ō bī ólləjee] noun

branch
of biology:
a branch of biology that deals with the effects of radiation on living tissues
and organisms.
Also
called
radiation biology
—ra·di·o·bi·o·log·ic
[ràydi ō b ə lójjik], adjective

—ra·di·o·bi·o·log·i·cal
[ràydidi ō b ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ra·di·o·bi·o·log·i·cal·ly
[ràydidi ō b ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ra·di·o·bi·ol·o·gist
[ràydi ō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



radiobutton

radiobutton
ra·di·o
but·ton
noun

symbol on computer screen:
in a computer dialogue box, any one of several circles or rectangles, each with
text next to it, representing a fixed set of choices, one of which must be
selected[1]



radiocar

radiocar
ra·di·o
car
(plural ra·di·o cars) noun

1.  car
with two-way radio: a car, especially a police
car, equipped with a two-way radio

2.  vehicle
for radio interviews: a vehicle from which radio
broadcasts are made, especially interviews

[1]



radiocarbon

radiocarbon
ra·di·o·car·bon 
[ràydi ō krbən] noun

radioactive carbon:
a radioactive form of carbon, especially the isotope of carbon that has a mass
number of 14[1]



radiocarbondating

radiocarbondating
ra·di·o·car·bon
dat·ing
noun

See
carbon dating[1]



radiocassette

radiocassette
ra·di·o
cas·sette
(plural ra·di·o cas·settes) or ra·di·o-cas·sette
play·er (plural ra·di·o-cas·sette play·ers) noun

combined radio and cassette
player: a radio and a cassette
player combined in a single, usually portable machine[1]



radiochemistry

radiochemistry
ra·di·o·chem·is·try 
[ràydi ō kémmistree] noun

branch
of chemistry: a branch of chemistry that deals with
radioactive elements and their applications
—ra·di·o·chem·i·cal,
adjective

—ra·di·o·chem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ra·di·o·chem·ist, noun[1]



radiocompass

radiocompass
ra·di·o
com·pass
noun

navigation device using radio
signals: a navigation device that
uses incoming radio signals from radio beacons to determine a ship’s or
aircraft’s position[1]



radio-controlled

radio-controlled
ra·di·o-con·trolled
adjective

remotely controlled using
radio signals: used to describe a
device whose operation or movement is controlled from a distance using a
transmitter, often handheld, that sends radio signals to the device[1]



radioelement

radioelement
ra·di·o·el·e·ment 
[ràydi ō élləmənt] (plural ra·di·o·el·e·ments)
noun

radioactive element:
a chemical element that is radioactive[1]



radiofrequency

radiofrequency
ra·di·o
fre·quen·cy
noun

1.  PHYSICS frequency
used for radio transmissions: any one of the frequencies
of electromagnetic radiation in the range between 10 Khz and 300 MHz, including
those used for radio and television transmission

2.  BROADCASTING radio
station’s frequency: a frequency on which a radio
station broadcasts its programs

[1]



radiogalaxy

radiogalaxy
ra·di·o
gal·ax·y
noun

galaxy emitting radio waves:
a galaxy that is a strong source of radio waves[1]



radiogenic

radiogenic
ra·di·o·ge·nic 
[ràydi ō jénnik] adjective

1.  created
by radioactive decay: used to describe a substance
created as a result of the spontaneous decaying of the unstable atoms of
another substance • a radiogenic isotope

2.  from
radioactive decay: emitted as a result of
radioactive decay • radiogenic heat

[1]



radiogram

radiogram
ra·di·o·gram 
[ráydi ō gràm] (plural ra·di·o·grams)
noun

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS telegram:
a telegram sent by radio

2.  MEDICINE See radiograph  noun

[1]



radiograph

radiograph
ra·di·o·graph 
[ráydi ō gràf] noun (plural ra·di·o·graphs)

X-ray
photograph:
an image produced on film or another sensitive surface by radiation, for
example, X-rays or gamma rays, passing through an object.
Also
called
radiogram
Also
called
shadowgraph
transitive
verb
(past ra·di·o·graphed, past participle ra·di·o·graphed,
present participle ra·di·o·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular ra·di·o·graphs)

take
X-ray of something: to make a radiograph of
something, especially a part of the body
—ra·di·og·ra·pher
[ràydee óggrəfər], noun

—ra·di·o·graph·ic
[raydiō gráfik], adjective

—ra·di·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[raydiō gráfiklee], adverb

—ra·di·og·ra·phy [raydee grəfee], noun[1]



radioimmunoassay

radioimmunoassay
ra·di·o·im·mu·no·as·say 
[ràydi ō ímmyənō á sày] noun

testing
for antibodies: the technique of measuring the levels of
antibodies in the blood by introducing into the bloodstream a substance that
has a radioactive tracer attached to it
—ra·di·o·im·mu·no·as·say·a·ble
[ràydi ō ímmyənō á sày əb’l], adjective[1]



radioiodine

radioiodine
ra·di·o·i·o·dine 
[ráydi ō  ə dn] noun

iodine used as medical
tracer: a radioactive form of
iodine, often used in medicine as a tracer[1]



radioisotope

radioisotope
ra·di·o·i·so·tope 
[ráydi ō ssə tp] (plural ra·di·o·i·so·topes)
noun

radioactive
isotope:
a particular form of a chemical element ( isotope
) that is radioactive
—ra·di·o·i·so·top·ic [ràydi ō ssə tóppik], adjective[1]



radiolabel

radiolabel
ra·di·o·la·bel 
[ràydi ō láyb’l] noun (plural -labels)

radioactive
substance attached to another: a radioactive
substance attached to another substance as a means of tracing the location or
tracking the movement of that substance. The technique is used in medicine, for
example, to monitor the distribution of a drug throughout the body.
transitive
verb
(past -labeled or -labelled, past participle
-labeled or -labelled, present participle -labeling
or -labelling, 3rd person present singular -labels)

tag
substance with a radiolabel: to attach a radiolabel to a
substance
—ra·di·o·la·beled,
adjective

—ra·di·o·la·bel·ing, noun[1]



radiolarian

radiolarian
ra·di·o·lar·i·an 
[ràydi ō láiree ən] (plural ra·di·o·lar·i·ans)
noun

microscopic
marine organism: a single-celled marine organism with a
round silica-containing shell that has the organs of movement radiating around
it. Amoebas are radiolarians.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Radiolaria, the class name, from radiolus,
literally “little staff, stick,” from radius (see radius ).][1]



radiolocation

radiolocation
ra·di·o·lo·ca·tion 
[ràydi ō lō káysh’n] noun

locating of something with
radar: the use of radar to detect
distant objects[1]



radiology

radiology
ra·di·ol·o·gy
[ràydee áwləjee] noun

1.  branch
of medicine using X-rays: a branch of medicine dealing
with the use of X-rays and radioactive substances, such as radium, in the
diagnosis and treatment of diseases

2.  science
of radiation and radioactive substances: the
science of radiation and radioactive substances and their applications, such as
in structural analysis
—ra·di·o·log·ic
[ràydee ə láwjik], adjective

—ra·di·o·log·i·cal
[ràydee ə láwjək’l], adjective

—ra·di·o·log·i·cal·ly
[ràydee ə láwjək’lee], adverb

—ra·di·ol·o·gist [ràydee áwləjəst], noun[1]



radiolucent

radiolucent
ra·di·o·lu·cent
[ràydi ō lss’nt] adjective

penetrable
by electromagnetic radiation: interfering very little or
not at all with the passage of X-rays and other forms of electromagnetic
radiation
—ra·di·o·lu·cen·cy [ràydi ō lss’nsee], noun[1]



radiolysis

radiolysis
ra·di·ol·y·sis
[ràydee áwləssiss] noun

chemical
breakdown using radiation: the breakdown of something
into its chemical components by means of X-rays or other radiation
—ra·di·o·lyt·ic [ràydi ō líttik], adjective[1]



radiometer

radiometer
ra·di·om·e·ter
[ràydee áwmətər] (plural ra·di·om·e·ters)
noun

device
to detect and measure radiant energy: a
device used to detect and measure radiant energy, especially an instrument used
to demonstrate the conversion of such energy into mechanical work
—ra·di·o·met·ric
[ràydee ə métrik], adjective

—ra·di·o·met·ric·al·ly
[ràydee ə métrək’lee], adverb

—ra·di·om·e·try [ràydee áwmətree], noun[1]



radiometricdating

radiometricdating
ra·di·o·met·ric
dat·ing
noun

any method of determining the
age of objects or material using the decay rates of radioactive components,
such as potassium-argon.
Also called
radioactive dating[1]



radiomimetic

radiomimetic
ra·di·o·mi·met·ic
[ràdee əmi méttik] adjective

exerting effects similar to
those of ionizing radiation • the
radiomimetic effects of certain chemicals, such as urethane[1]



radionuclide

radionuclide
ra·di·o·nu·clide
[ràydee ə nklīd] (plural ra·di·o·nu·clides)
noun

a radioactive nuclide[1]



radiopaque

radiopaque
ra·di·o·paque
[ràydi ō páyk] adjective

not
penetrable by electromagnetic radiation:
blocking the passage of X-rays and other forms of electromagnetic radiation
—ra·di·o·pac·ity [ràdi ō pássətee], noun[1]



radiopharmaceutical

radiopharmaceutical
ra·di·o·phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
[ràydi ō faarmə stək’l] (plural ra·di·o·phar·ma·ceu·ti·cals)
noun

radioactive
drug:
a radioactive drug or substance used in medicine to diagnose or treat a disease
—ra·di·o·phar·ma·ceu·ti·cal
[ràydi ō faarmə stək’l], adjective[1]



radiophoto

radiophoto
ra·di·o·pho·to
[ràydi ō fṓ tō] (plural ra·di·o·pho·tos)
noun

See
radiophotograph[1]



radiophotograph

radiophotograph
ra·di·o·pho·to·graph
[ràydi ō fṓtə graf] (plural ra·di·o·pho·to·graphs)
noun

photograph sent by radio:
a photograph or another image that is sent from one location to another by
means of radio waves.
Also called
radiophoto[1]



radioprotective

radioprotective
ra·di·o·pro·tec·tive
[ràydi ō prə téktiv] adjective

protecting
against radiation: protecting or helping to
protect against the harmful effects of X-rays and other radiation
—ra·di·o·pro·tec·tion
[ràydi ō prə téksh’n], noun[1]



radioscopy

radioscopy
ra·di·os·copy
[ràydee áwskəpee] noun

X-ray
study of objects: the use of X-rays or some other form of
electromagnetic radiation to study the internal structure of something
—ra·di·o·scop·ic
[ràydee ə skáwpik], adjective

—ra·di·o·scop·i·cal [ràydee ə skáwpək’l], adjective[1]



radiosensitive

radiosensitive
ra·di·o·sen·si·tive
[ràydi ō sénsətiv]

sensitive
to the biological effects of radiant energy such as X-rays
—ra·di·o·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[ràydi ō sénsətivitee], noun[1]



radiosonde

radiosonde
ra·di·o·sonde
[ràydi ō sawnd] (plural ra·di·o·sondes)
noun

meteorological
instrument:
an instrument carried aloft by a balloon and used to measure and transmit
meteorological data by radio
[Mid-20th century. From radio + sonde
.][1]



radiospectrum

radiospectrum
ra·di·o
spec·trum
noun

all radio frequencies:
the range of radio frequencies used for radio, television, and other
electromagnetic communications, between 10 Khz and 300 Mhz[1]



radiotelescope

radiotelescope
ra·di·o
tel·e·scope
(plural ra·di·o tel·e·scopes) noun

instrument for studying radio
wave sources: an astronomical
instrument used to detect and analyze radio waves from celestial objects. It
consists of an antenna, often in the form of a large dish, a detector, and an
amplifier.
Also called
telescope[1]



radioteletype

radioteletype
ra·di·o·tel·e·type
[ràydi ō téllə tp] (plural ra·di·o·tel·e·types)
noun

1.  radio
teleprinter: a teleprinter that transmits and
receives by radio rather than along a cable

2.  radioteletype
system:
a receiving and transmitting system that uses radioteletypes

[1]



radiotherapy

radiotherapy
ra·di·o·ther·a·py 
[ràydi ō thérrəpee] noun

medical
treatment using radiation: the treatment of disease
using radiation X-rays or beta rays directed at the body from an external
source or emitted by radioactive materials placed within the body.
Also
called
radiation
Also
called
radiation therapy
—ra·di·o·ther·a·peu·tic
[ràydee ō thérə pytik], adjective

—ra·di·o·ther·a·pist [ràyddee ō thérrəpist], noun[1]



radiothorium

radiothorium
ra·di·o·tho·ri·um 
[ràydi ō tháwree əm] noun

radioactive thorium:
a radioactive isotope of the element thorium, with a mass number of 228[1]



radiotoxic

radiotoxic
ra·di·o·tox·ic 
[ràydi ō táwksik] adjective

of toxic effects of
radiation: relating to the toxic
effects of radiation or radioactive substances[1]



radiotracer

radiotracer
ra·di·o·trac·er 
[ràydi ō tráyssər] (plural ra·di·o·trac·ers)
noun

radioactive substance used to
trace something: a radioactive substance
introduced into the body as a tracer, for example, to observe the steps in a
chemical or biochemical process or locate diseased cells or tissue[1]



radiowave

radiowave
ra·di·o
wave
(plural ra·di·o waves) noun

electromagnetic wave:
an electromagnetic wave whose frequency falls within the radio spectrum[1]



radish

radish

rad·ish 
[ráddish] (plural rad·ish·es) noun

1.  FOOD edible
root:
a crisp pungent root, usually white with a red skin, eaten raw

2.  PLANTS plant
on which radishes grow: a Eurasian plant of the
mustard family that has white to purple flowers and whose root is a radish.
Latin name: Raphanus sativus
[Pre-12th century. Formed
from Latin radic-, the stem of radix (see radix ), perhaps modeled on French radis “radish.”][1]



Radisson,Pierre Esprit

Radisson,Pierre Esprit
Rad·is·son
[ràddee sóN], Pierre Esprit (1636?–1710?)

French-born Canadian explorer
and fur trader. He is noted for his knowledge of Native North American life and
Canadian geography.[1]



radium

radium

ra·di·um 
[ráydee əm] noun
white
radioactive element: a white highly radioactive
metallic element found in minerals such as pitchblende and carnotite. It emits
alpha particles as it decays to radon and is used in luminous coatings and the
treatment of cancer. Symbol Ra
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin radius (see radius ), from
the rays emitted by radium, which penetrate certain opaque materials.][1]



radiumtherapy

radiumtherapy
ra·di·um
ther·a·py
noun

treatment with radium:
the medical use of radium to treat cancer and other diseases with radiation[1]



radius

radius
ra·di·us 
[ráydee əss] (plural ra·di·i [ráydee ] or ra·di·us·es) noun

1.  GEOMETRY line
from center: a straight line extending from the
center of a circle to its edge or from the center of a sphere to its surface. Symbol
r

2.  GEOMETRY length
of radius:
the length of a radius. Symbol r

3.  circular
area:
an area enclosed by a circle that has a radius of a specified length • all
the houses within a radius of 2 miles of the explosion

4.  range
of effectiveness or influence: the area or range
within which somebody or something can act, work, or exert influence
effectively • beyond
the radius of the governor’s influence

5.  ANATOMY bone
in arm or forelimb: the shorter and thicker of
the two bones in the human forearm, the one on the thumb side, or the
equivalent bone in the lower forelimbs of animals

6.  radiating
part:
a radiating line, part, or structure
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “staff, spoke, ray, beam of light” (source also of English ray 1 ).][1]



radiusof action

radiusof action
ra·di·us
of ac·tion
(plural ra·di·i of ac·tion or ra·di·us·es of ac·tion)
noun

1.  MILITARY area
of operation: a broadly circular area in which a
military unit can operate or bring force to bear on an enemy

2.  TRANSPORT distance
from which return is possible: the distance a
vehicle, ship, or aircraft can go out to and return safely to base without
refueling

[1]



radiusof curvature

radiusof curvature
ra·di·us
of cur·va·ture (plural ra·di·i of cur·va·ture
or ra·di·us·es of cur·va·ture) noun

radius of circle matching
curve: the radius of the circle
whose curvature matches that of a curve at a particular point[1]



radiusvector

radiusvector
ra·di·us
vec·tor
(plural ra·di·us vec·tors) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS line
joining points: a line connecting a fixed point or
origin and a variable point, or the length of such a line

2.  ASTRONOMY imaginary
line connecting celestial bodies: a line connecting the
center of a celestial body and the center of another in orbit around it

[1]



radix

radix
ra·dix 
[ráydiks, ráddiks]
(plural rad·i·ces [ràddi sz, ràydi sz] or ra·dix·es) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS base
number:
the base of a number system or system of logarithms

2.  BIOLOGY root:
a root part or point where a plant or animal part begins
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “root, radish, foundation.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base that is also the ancestor of English root
and wort .][1]



RADM

RADM
RADM
or R.Adm.

Abbreviation of
rear admiral[1]



radome

radome
ra·dome 
[ráy dm] (plural ra·domes) noun

dome-shaped
radar housing: a dome-shaped protective enclosure for a
radar antenna, made from materials that do not interfere with the transmission
and reception of radio waves
[Mid-20th century. Blend of radar and dome
.][1]



radon

radon

ra·don 
[rày dáwn] noun
radioactive
element:
a heavy gaseous radioactive chemical element formed from the decay of radium
that is used in radiotherapy and found in small quantities in rock and soil.
The radon in rock and soil accounts for most of normal background radiation. In
heavier concentrations, however, sometimes detected inside homes, it is thought
to pose a risk of cancer. Symbol Rn
[Early 20th century. Coined
from radium + -on
.][1]



radula

radula
rad·u·la 
[rájjələ] (plural rad·u·lae [rájjəlee] or rad·u·las) noun

part
of mollusk’s mouth: a band of tissue in the
mouth of some mollusks ( gastropods )
containing rows of small teeth, used in scraping off particles of food and
bringing them into the mouth
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “scraper,” from radere “to scrape” (source of
English abrade, erase, rail,
and rash ).]
—rad·u·lar, adjective[1]



radwaste

radwaste
rad·waste 
[rád wàyst] noun

radioactive
waste:
radioactive waste (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of radioactive waste .][1]



RAF

RAF
RAF
or R.A.F.

Abbreviation of
Royal Air Force[1]



raffia

raffia
raf·fi·a 
[ráffiə] (plural raf·fi·as) or
raphia [ráffiə] (plural raphias)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY fiber
of palm tree: fiber in the form of flexible
straw-colored ribbons, obtained from the leaves of the raffia palm, used in
making mats, baskets, and other products

2.  TREES See raffia palm
[Late 19th century. From
Malagasy rafia .][1]



raffiapalm

raffiapalm
raf·fi·a
palm
(plural raf·fi·a palms) noun

Madagascar palm tree:
a palm tree that grows in Madagascar and has large leaves that yield a strong
fiber used to make mats and baskets and other products. Latin name: Raphia
ruffia
Also called
raffia[1]



raffinate

raffinate
raf·fi·nate 
[ráffə nayt] (plural raf·fi·nates)
noun

remaining
liquid:
the remaining or refined part of a liquid mixture, left after other substances
dissolved in it have been extracted
[Early 20th century. From
French raffinat, from raffiner “to refine.”][1]



raffinose

raffinose
raf·fi·nose 
[ráffə nss, ráffə
nz] noun

type
of sugar:
a white crystalline slightly sweet sugar present in many plant products and
obtained commercially from cottonseed meal, sugar beet, and molasses. C18H32O16
[Late 19th century. Coined
from French raffiner (see raffinate )
+ -ose .][1]



raffish

raffish
raff·ish 
[ráffish] adjective

1.  charmingly
unconventional or disreputable: displaying a charming,
free-spirited disregard for the conventions of society or for approved behavior
• a
raffish politician whose engaging antics never alienated the voters

2.  showy:
displaying an exaggerated or obtrusive showiness • a
raffish hotel
[Early
19th century. Formed from earlier raff “common people,” of unknown
origin.]
—raff·ish·ly,
adverb

—raff·ish·ness, noun[1]



raffle

raffle2
raf·fle2 [ráff’l]
noun

1.  trash:
unwanted items or debris

2.  NAUTICAL tangle:
tangled ropes or other bits and pieces on a ship
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French ne rafle “nothing at all.”][1]



raffle

raffle1
raf·fle1 [ráff’l]
noun (plural raf·fles)

lottery
with objects as prizes: an event in which numbered
tickets are sold, some of which are drawn at random to win prizes. The prizes
in a raffle are usually objects rather than money and raffles are usually held
in order to raise money for some cause or organization.
transitive
verb
(past raf·fled, past participle raf·fled, present
participle raf·fling, 3rd person present singular raf·fles)

award
something in raffle: to offer or give away
something as a prize in a raffle
[14th
century. Via Old French, “act of plundering,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from
Middle Dutch raffel “game of dice,” the original meaning in English .]
—raf·fler [ráff’lər], noun[1]



rafflesia

rafflesia
raf·fle·sia 
[rə flee ə, ra
flee ə, rə flə, ra flə] (plural raf·fle·sias) noun

tropical
Asian plant: a leafless tropical Asian plant that is
a parasite of other plants and has large foul-smelling flowers pollinated by
carrion flies. One species has the largest flower of all plants, measuring up
to 1 m 40 in. across. Genus: Rafflesia
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Sir Stamford Raffles, ( 1781–1826 ),
British colonial administrator in Southeast Asia, who obtained the type
specimen.][1]



raft

raft2
raft2 [raft]
noun

large
amount:
a very large number or amount of something (informal) • a
whole raft of proposals
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of earlier raff, probably modeled on raft 1 .][1]



raft

raft1
raft1 [raft]
noun (plural rafts)

1.  NAUTICAL flat
boat:
a flat floating structure made of wooden planks, logs, barrels, or similar
materials, used as a boat or anchored in the water as a dock or diving platform

2.  LEISURE inflatable
boat or mat: an inflatable flat-bottomed rubber or
plastic boat used for drifting along on a river, or an inflatable rectangular
mat used for surfing or lounging in the water

3.  collection
of floating objects: a group of animals,
especially wildfowl, or a mass of things floating or traveling together on
water • a
raft of ducks
verb
(past raft·ed, past participle raft·ed, present
participle raft·ing, 3rd person present singular rafts)

1.  transitive
verb
move
something by raft: to transport something by
raft

2.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL sail
on a raft:
to travel on a raft

3.  transitive
verb
form
a raft:
to form something into a raft, or make something gather together into a raft • The
lumberjacks rafted the logs together before sending them downstream.
[13th
century. From Old Norse raptr “log, beam.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Raft of the Medusa, a painting by French artist Théodore Géricault ( 1819 ).
  This monumental work is a harrowing depiction of the suffering of the
  survivors of an infamous 1816 shipwreck. Géricault’s treatment of a
  contemporary subject in an epic style more traditionally associated with
  classical or historical themes was seen as a significant development in
  European art.

[1]



rafter

rafter1
raf·ter1 [ráftər]
(plural raf·ters) noun

sloping
roof support: any of the sloping supporting timbers,
beams, or boards that run from the ridge beam of a roof to its edge
[Old
English ræfter, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—raf·tered,
adjective

—raf·ter·ing, noun[1]



rafter

rafter2
raft·er2 [ráftər]
(plural raft·ers) noun

1.  sailor
on raft:
somebody who travels on a raft

2.  maker
of log raft: a lumberjack who ties logs into a raft
to transport them downstream

[1]



rafting

rafting
raft·ing
[ráfting] noun

sailing on raft:
the outdoor leisure pursuit of floating on a lake or sailing on a river in a
raft[1]



rag

rag1
rag1 [rag]
noun (plural rags)

1.  small
piece of cloth: a small piece or scrap of usually old or
unwanted cloth taken, for example, from torn-up old clothing, often used for
cleaning, polishing, or applying liquid substances

2.  small
tattered piece: a small, irregular, or tattered scrap or
piece of something

3.  piece
of clothing: an item of clothing, thought of as being
worn or tattered and not really fit to wear (informal) (often used
ironically) • This? Oh, this is just
some old rag I pulled out of the closet.

4.  inferior
newspaper:
a newspaper with low journalistic standards, or any newspaper regarded with
contempt (informal) • That
rag prints nothing but lies and gossip.

5.  cloth
for papermaking: cloth or cloth fibers that are used in
making paper
plural
noun
rags

worn-out clothes:
clothes that are tattered, frayed, or torn
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old Norse rogg “shaggy
tuft.”]
go
from rags to riches

to
start off in poverty and then become very wealthy

in
rags

in a worn-out, tattered, and
torn condition[1]



rag

rag3
rag3 [rag]
(past ragged, past participle ragged, present
participle ragging, 3rd person present singular rags, plural
rags) transitive verb

write
ragtime:
to compose or perform ragtime music
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of ragged,
from the syncopation of the music.][1]



rag

rag2
rag2 [rag]
(past rag·ged, past participle rag·ged, present
participle rag·ging, 3rd person present singular rags,
plural rags) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tease
or taunt somebody: to subject somebody to
persistent teasing or taunting (dated)

2.  transitive
verb
scold
somebody:
to scold somebody persistently or vehemently
[Mid-18th
century. Origin unknown.]
—rag·ging, noun[1]



rag

rag4
rag4 [rag]
(plural rags) noun

roofing
slate:
a roofing slate that has a rough surface on one side
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



raga

raga
ra·ga 
[rgə] (plural ra·gas) noun

traditional
Indian music: any of a body of scales, melodies, or
rhythmic patterns that form the basis of the classical music of the Indian
subcontinent. Particular ragas are associated with different times of the day,
and are intended to create different moods. Performances may be partly or
completely improvised.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit rāga “color, musical color, harmony.”][1]



ragamuffin

ragamuffin
rag·a·muf·fin 
[rággə mùfən] (plural rag·a·muf·fins)
noun

neglected
child:
a child dressed in worn or tattered clothes, often one allowed to roam the
streets (dated)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from rag 1 + Middle
Dutch muffe, moffe “mitten” (source of English muff ).][1]



ragbag

ragbag
rag·bag 
[rág bàg] (plural rag·bags) noun

1.  miscellany:
a collection of miscellaneous things (informal)

2.  bag
of rags:
a bag in which unwanted clothes and bits of cloth are kept for use as rags

[1]



ragdoll

ragdoll
rag
doll
(plural rag dolls) noun

stuffed cloth doll:
a floppy stuffed cloth doll[1]



rage

rage
rage 
[rayj] noun (plural rag·es)

1.  extreme
anger:
sudden and extreme anger, or an outburst of strong anger

2.  object
of fad:
something that is the object of a short-lived fascination, fashion, or
enthusiasm shared by many people • Those
toys are all the rage for kids at the moment.

3.  force
or intensity: extreme or unrelenting intensity

4.  strong
passion or enthusiasm: a strong and sometimes
overpowering desire or enthusiasm
intransitive
verb
(past raged, past participle raged, present
participle rag·ing, 3rd person present singular rag·es)

1.  act
with or feel rage: to speak or do something
with sudden, extreme anger, or feel such strong anger

2.  occur
with violence: to occur, continue, move, or spread with
great force and violence • The
battle raged for three days.
[13th
century. Via Old French, from Vulgar Latin rabia, an alteration of Latin
rabies (see rabies ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger

[1]



ragfish

ragfish
rag·fish
(plural rag·fish·es or rag·fish) noun

deep-sea fish:
a scaleless deep-sea fish with a cartilaginous skeleton that makes it so
flexible it flops like a rag when taken out of the water. Latin name: Icosteus
aenigmaticus[1]



ragged

ragged
rag·ged 
[rággəd] adjective

1.  tattered:
frayed or torn into irregular shapes or pieces, especially along the edge

2.  with
uneven edge or surface: with a surface, edge, or
outline that is rough, uneven, or jagged

3.  of
varying quality: of unequal quality, some parts being
less good than others • The
acting in the play was rather ragged.

4.  wearing
rags:
dressed in torn, tattered, or frayed clothes

5.  unkempt:
rough and irregular in appearance and suggesting neglect and a lack of grooming
• a
ragged beard

6.  not
firm or regular: done in an uncoordinated, hesitant, or
irregular way, especially by a group who do not manage to do something all
together or in unison

7.  exhausted:
extremely tired or anxious
[13th
century. Formed from rag 1 .]
—rag·ged·ly,
adverb

—rag·ged·ness, noun[1]



raggedrobin

raggedrobin
rag·ged
rob·in
(plural rag·ged robins) noun

plant with pink flowers:
a perennial plant of the pink family that has narrow leaves and pink or, less
commonly, white flowers with ragged lobed petals. Latin name: Lychnis
floscuculi
Also called
cuckooflower[1]



raggedy

raggedy
rag·ged·y 
[rággədee] adjective (informal)

1.  tattered:
having been torn and worn excessively

2.  badly
dressed:
wearing worn-out torn clothes

3.  rough
or uneven:
having rough untidy ends or edges

[1]



raggee

raggee
rag·gee
noun

See
ragi[1]



raggle-taggle

raggle-taggle
rag·gle-tag·gle
[ràgg’l tágg’l, rágg’l
tàg’l] adjective

oddly
mixed:
consisting of a mixture of strange or very different kinds, often with an
element of messiness or scruffiness
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of ragtag .][1]



ragi

ragi
ra·gi 
[rággee] or rag·gee [rággee] noun

1.  cereal
grass:
a cereal grass cultivated for its edible grain in southern Asia and parts of
Africa. Latin name: Eleusine coracana
Also
called
finger millet

2.  grain
used as food: the grain of ragi used as food
[Late 18th century. From
Hindi rāgī .][1]



raging

raging
rag·ing
[rájing] adjective

1.  very
angry:
out of control or angry

2.  very
strong:
done or happening with great force or intensity

3.  very
severe or painful: very severe and causing
great pain or distress • a
raging toothache

4.  very
good:
very good or great • The play was a raging
success.

[1]



raglan

raglan
rag·lan 
[rágglən] adjective

1.  extending
to collar:
used to describe a sleeve extending to the collar of a garment instead of
ending at the shoulder, attached with slanting seams running from under the arm
to the neck

2.  having
raglan sleeves: made with raglan sleeves
noun
(plural rag·lans)

garment with raglan sleeves:
an overcoat, sweater, or other garment that has raglan sleeves
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Field Marshal Lord Raglan (1788–1855), British soldier, who favored
overcoats in this style.][1]



Ragnarök

Ragnarök
Rag·na·rök 
[rgnə ràwk] noun

destruction
of the gods: in Norse mythology, the final
destruction of the gods in a great battle against the forces of evil, after
which a new world will arise.
Also
called
Twilight of the Gods
[Mid-18th century. From Old
Norse ragnarök, literally “fate of the gods,” from regin “gods” +
rok “fate.”][1]



ragout

ragout
ra·gout 
[ra g] (plural ra·gouts) noun

stew:
a rich slow-cooked stew of meat and vegetables
[Mid-17th century. From
French, from ragoûter “to renew the appetite,” from goût “taste,”
from Latin gustus (source of English disgust
and gusto ).][1]



ragpicker

ragpicker
rag·pick·er
[rág pìkər] (plural rag·pick·ers)
noun

rag and junk dealer:
somebody who makes money by collecting old clothes and other discarded items
and selling them[1]



ragrug

ragrug
rag
rug
(plural rag rugs) noun

rug made of fabric strips:
a rug made by knotting or hooking short strips of waste fabric through an
openweave base to form a shaggy pile[1]



ragstone

ragstone
rag·stone
[rág stn] noun

hard sandstone or limestone:
a hard sandstone or limestone that tends to break up into slabs and is used as
a building material[1]



ragtag

ragtag
rag·tag 
[rág tàg] adjective

1.  mixed
and often dubious: made up of a wide-ranging
mix of people or things, often ones that are of questionable quality (disapproving)
• a
ragtag team of strangers who felt like playing

2.  messy:
messy, unkempt, or ragged in appearance
[Late 19th century. From rag 1 .][1]



ragtagand bobtail

ragtagand bobtail
rag·tag
and bob·tail noun

people who live in poverty:
people who are members of the lowest social classes, especially when considered
as dissatisfied with their lives and likely to be disorderly or rebellious (dated
insult)[1]



ragtime

ragtime
rag·time 
[rág tm] noun

syncopated popular music of
early 20thC: a style of U.S. popular
music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries characterized by distinctive
syncopated right-hand rhythms against a regularly accented left-hand beat.
Ragtime was widely popularized by the pianist and composer Scott Joplin.[1]



ragtop

ragtop
rag·top 
[ràg táwp] (plural rag·tops) noun

convertible:
a car with a retractable fabric roof (slang)[1]



ragtrade

ragtrade
rag
trade
noun

garment industry:
the clothing industry and the various professions involved in the design,
manufacture, and sale of clothing (slang)[1]



ragweed

ragweed

rag·weed 
[rág wd] noun

1.  plant
causing hay fever: a weedy, chiefly North
American plant that has small green flower heads and large amounts of pollen
that is a cause of hay fever in many people. Genus: Ambrosia

2.  U.K.
See ragwort
[From the raggedness of the
leaves][1]



ragworm

ragworm
rag·worm
[rág wùrm] (plural rag·worms) noun

U.K.
See clamworm
[From the ragged appearance
of its appendages][1]



ragwort

ragwort
rag·wort 
[rág wùrt, rág
wàwrt] noun

plant
with yellow flowers: a plant with clusters of
small yellow flowers with radiating petals like those of daisies. Genus: Senecio

Also
called
senecio
[From the raggedness of the
leaves][1]



rah

rah
rah 
[raa] interjection

expressing
approval or encouragement: used to express approval or
encouragement (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of hurrah .][1]



Rahman,Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman,Sheikh Mujibur
Rah·man
[rəmn], Sheikh Mujibur (1920–1975)

Bangladesh statesman. The
founding father of Bangladesh, he served as the country’s first prime minister
(1972–1975). Soon after becoming president (1975), he was assassinated.[1]



Rahman,Ziaur

Rahman,Ziaur
Rah·man
[rəmn], Ziaur (1935–1981)

Bangladesh statesman. As
president of Bangladesh (1977–1981), he ended martial law but was assassinated
in an attempted military coup.[1]



rah-rah

rah-rah
rah-rah 
[r raa] adjective

enthusiastic:
spiritedly and often unthinkingly enthusiastic (slang) • the
rah-rah attitude of the project’s supporters[1]



raid

raid
raid 
[rayd] noun (plural raids)

1.  sudden
attack:
a sudden attack made by soldiers, aircraft, police, bandits, or any other force
in an attempt to seize or destroy something

2.  BUSINESS luring
people away: in the business world, an attempt by an
organization to hire or lure away a competitor’s employees, members, or clients
• a
raid by one advertising agency on another’s clients

3.  STOCK EXCHANGE attempt
to buy control: the buying of shares of a company’s stock
in an attempt to gain control of the company • The
company beat off the raid but took on debt to buy its own stock.

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE illegal
attempt to lower stock price: the illegal coordinated
selling of shares in a company’s stock by a group of speculators in an attempt
to make the stock price fall
verb
(past raid·ed, past participle raid·ed, present
participle raid·ing, 3rd person present singular raids)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
surprise attack: to make or participate in a raid on
somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
steal
something from somewhere: to take something secretly
or stealthily because it is illegal or forbidden • The
bank’s funds had been raided by its former president.

3.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS lure
somebody away: to lure somebody away from another
organization, usually from a competitor • The
new league began to raid players from its rival.
[15th
century. Scots dialect form of Old English rād “expedition, riding,
road” (source of English road ).]
—raid·er, noun[1]



rail

rail3
rail3 [rayl]
(plural rails or rail) noun

wading
bird:
a small or medium-sized bird with a short tail, short wings, long legs, and
long toes. Rails are usually found near water or marshy ground. Family:
Rallidae
[15th century. Via Old French
raale from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin rasclare, rasiculare
“to scrape” (from the bird’s harsh-sounding call), from Latin ras-, the
past participle stem of radere (see radula
).][1]



rail

rail1
rail1 [rayl]
noun (plural rails)

1.  long
piece of wood or metal: a long horizontal or sloping
piece of wood, metal, or other material that is used as a barrier, support, or
place to hang things

2.  fence
or railing:
a structure made of a rail or rails and their supports, for example, a fence or
railing (often used in the plural)

3.  steel
bar of railroad track: a narrow steel bar, or a
series of connected bars laid in two parallel lines, supporting and guiding the
wheels of railroad locomotives and cars or anything similar.
See
also
third rail

4.  TRANSPORT railroad:
the railroad as a means or form of transportation • We’ll
ship the goods by rail. • rail
travel
transitive
verb
(past railed, past participle railed, present
participle rail·ing, 3rd person present singular rails)

put rail on or around something:
to put a rail or railing on or around something to provide a guard, barrier, or
support • They
ought to rail off the playground.
[13th
century. Via Old French reille “bar” from Latin regula “straight
stick, rod” (source also of English rule
). Ultimately from a Latin base that also produced English regal and royal
.]
—rail·less
[ráyl liss], adjective
go
off the rails

1.  to
begin to go wrong and lose direction

2.  to
begin to behave in an unacceptable, irresponsible, or illegal way

[1]



rail

rail2
rail2 [rayl]
(past railed, past participle railed, present
participle rail·ing, 3rd person present singular rails)
intransitive verb

denounce
or complain bitterly: to denounce, protest
against, or attack somebody or something in bitter or harsh language • Some
people rail against the injustice of the system.
[15th
century. Via French railler “to mock, tease” from Old Provençal ralhar
“to chat, joke,” from, ultimately, late Latin ragere “to neigh, roar.”]
—rail·er, noun[1]



railbird

railbird
rail·bird 
[ráyl bùrd] (plural rail·birds)
noun

racing
fan:
an enthusiastic fan of a sport, especially a horseracing fan who stands at the
fence bordering the track in order to get close to the action (slang)
[Late 19th century.
Humorously from rail 1 “fence
bounding a racetrack,” modeled on jailbird
.][1]



railcar

railcar
rail·car 
[ráyl kr] (plural rail·cars) noun

railroad car:
a railroad car[1]



railfence

railfence
rail
fence
(plural rail fenc·es) noun

split-log fence:
a fence made of split logs, either fastened to upright poles or else laid
across each other[1]



railhead

railhead
rail·head 
[ráyl hèd] (plural rail·heads)
noun

1.  end
of railroad line: the farthest point to which the track of
a railroad line runs

2.  distribution
point for railroad: a place where supplies,
often military materials, are unloaded from railcars for distribution to other
points

[1]



railing

railing
rail·ing 
[ráyling] (plural rail·ings) noun

1.  structure
with rails and posts: a structure consisting of
one or more rails and their supports, used to provide a barrier or support in
walking or climbing, or the upper rail of such a structure

2.  rails:
rails for making a railing

[1]



raillery

raillery
rail·ler·y 
[ráyləree] (plural rail·ler·ies)
noun

1.  good-humored
teasing:
humorous, playful, or friendly ridiculing of somebody or something

2.  joking
remark:
a remark that ridicules somebody or something jokingly and with good humor

[1]



raillink

raillink
rail·link
[ráyl lìngk] (plural rail·links)
noun

short rail line:
a short connecting rail line, usually between a city center and an airport[1]



railroad

railroad
rail·road 
[ráyl rd] noun (plural rail·roads)

1.  track
made of rails: a track consisting of steel rails
usually fastened to wood or concrete ties, designed to carry a locomotive and
its cars or anything similar.
Also
called
road
U.K.
term
railway

2.  rail
system:
a network of railroad lines, together with the trains, buildings, equipment,
and staff needed to operate a rail transport system, or the organization or
company that owns or runs this.
U.K.
term
railway
verb
(past rail·road·ed, past participle rail·road·ed, present
participle rail·road·ing, 3rd person present singular rail·roads)

1.  transitive
verb
force
something through quickly without discussion: to
push something through a legislature, committee, or other decision-making body
quickly so that there is not enough time for objections to be considered

2.  transitive
verb
force
somebody to act hastily: to force a person or group
to make a decision or take action quickly, without time for consideration or
discussion (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
convict
somebody too quickly: to convict somebody on the
basis of flimsy or false evidence (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT ship
something by rail: to transport or send
something by rail

5.  intransitive
verb
work
on railroad: to work on a railroad • She
used to railroad for the Southern Pacific.
—rail·road·er, noun[1]



railroadflat

railroadflat
rail·road
flat
(plural rail·road flats) noun

apartment with rooms in line:
an apartment that has its rooms arranged in a straight line, often also lacking
a hallway, so that one room can only be entered through another[1]



railroading

railroading
rail·road·ing 
[ráyl rōding] noun

building or running a
railroad: constructing a railroad
line, or operating or managing it[1]



railslide

railslide
rail·slide
[ráyl sld] (past rail·slid, past
participle rail·slid, present participle rail·slid·ing,
3rd person present singular rail·slides) intransitive verb

travel
along edge of obstacle: in skateboarding, to slide
along the top or upper edge of a ramp or obstacle with the bottom of the board
in contact with the ground rather than the wheels
[Late 20th century][1]



rail-splitter

rail-splitter
rail-split·ter 
(plural rail-split·ters) noun

splitter of rails from logs:
a person who or device that splits logs to make rails and posts for use in
fences[1]



railway

railway
rail·way 
[ráyl wày] (plural rail·ways) noun

1.  U.K.
See railroad

2.  light
rail system: a railroad system, especially one that
uses lighter-weight equipment and operates in a limited area

[1]



raiment

raiment
rai·ment 
[ráymənt] noun

clothes:
clothing (formal)
[14th century. Shortening of
arrayment .][1]



rain

rain
rain 
[rayn] noun (plural rains)

1.  water
falling from clouds: water condensed from vapor
in the atmosphere and falling in drops from clouds

2.  period
of wet weather: any storm, shower, or other quantity of
water falling from the sky

3.  rainy
weather:
weather marked by heavy or persistent rainfall

4.  great
number or flow: a great number of small individual
things coming in a steady flow or anything else flowing or falling like rain • A
rain of dust fell from the crumbling ceiling.
plural
noun
rains

rainy season: in
some countries, a season of the year when a lot of rain falls
verb
(past rained, past participle rained, present
participle rain·ing, 3rd person present singular rains)

1.  intransitive
verb
drop
rain:
to fall from the sky or release water in the form of rain • It’s
raining again.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
in a great number: to come or fall, or drop or
deliver something, in the form of a great number of units arriving separately
but in very quick succession, or in a continuous stream • They
rained blows on the poor man’s head. • Missiles
rained down on us from the defenders on the battlements.

3.  transitive
verb
give
something generously: to give somebody something
in large quantities, continuously, and over a considerable period of time • Generous
to a fault, they positively rained gifts on all their friends.
[Old
English regn, rēn, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—rain·less,
adjective
rain
or shine

or
come rain or shine or come rain or come shinewhatever the
weather or the circumstances • The
picnic will be held, rain or shine.

(as)
right as rain

perfectly all right (informal)[1]



rainbird

rainbird
rain·bird
[ráyn bùrd] (plural rain·birds)
noun

bird thought to portend rain:
a bird, for example, the green woodpecker or certain members of the cuckoo
family, thought to call before rainstorms[1]



rainbow

rainbow
rain·bow 
[ráyn b] noun (plural rain·bows)

1.  multicolored
arc in sky:
an arc of light separated into bands of color that appears when the sun’s rays
are refracted and reflected by drops of mist or rain. The colors of the rainbow
are conventionally said to be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and
violet.
Also
called
bow

2.  arc
of bands of color: a multicolored arc similar
to a rainbow

3.  bright
multicolored sight: an arrangement, display, or
sight containing many bright colors or bright multicolored objects • the
rainbow of colors on an artist’s palette

4.  false
hope:
a goal, hope, or ideal that is unlikely to be achieved or realized

5.  varied
assortment:
a wide range or varied assortment of things, usually coexisting without
clashing
adjective

1.  with
varied colors: having the colors of the rainbow or
colors as varied as those of a rainbow

2.  with
many different things: comprising a wide variety of
types or elements, especially made up of people of different ethnic groups or
from a variety of minority groups • a
rainbow coalition





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Rainbow, a novel by English writer D. H. Lawrence ( 1915 ). Set in the
  English Midlands between 1840 and 1905, it describes the impact of
  contemporary social developments on the lifestyles and attitudes of
  succeeding generations of a provincial family, the Brangwens. The latter part
  of the book focuses on Ursula, the family’s first independent woman, whose
  story is continued in a subsequent novel Women in Love ( 1920 ).

[1]



rainbowcactus

rainbowcactus
rain·bow
cac·tus
noun

American cactus:
either of two varieties of cactus found in the southwestern United States and
Mexico, with yellow or magenta flowers. Latin name: Echinocereus pectinatus[1]



rainbowcurve

rainbowcurve
rain·bow
curve
(plural rain·bow curves) noun

good curveball:
a curveball with an exceptionally great arc[1]



rainbowfish

rainbowfish
rain·bow
fish
noun

brightly colored fish:
a brightly colored fish such as the guppy or parrot fish[1]



rainbowrunner

rainbowrunner
rain·bow
run·ner
(plural rain·bow run·ners) noun

colorful tropical fish:
a large colorful fish found in tropical Indian and Pacific waters. Latin name: Elagatis
bipinnulatus[1]



rainbowtrout

rainbowtrout

rain·bow trout
noun
freshwater fish of N American origin:
a freshwater food and game fish, originally from North America, with a reddish
or pinkish band along either side of its body and numerous black spots. Latin
name: Salmo gairdneri[1]



raincheck

raincheck
rain
check
(plural rain checks) noun

1.  ticket
for rescheduled event: a ticket or ticket stub
entitling somebody to attend an event canceled because of rain at a later
rescheduled time

2.  guarantee
of offer:
a promise or coupon guaranteeing that an offer that cannot be fulfilled or
accepted at present will be fulfilled or accepted at a later time
take
a rain check (on something)

to delay doing something
until a later date or time (informal)[1]



raincoat

raincoat
rain·coat 
[ráyn kt] (plural rain·coats)
noun

waterproof coat:
a coat designed to keep the wearer dry when worn in the rain, with a
water-resistant or waterproof surface or coating[1]



raindate

raindate
rain
date
(plural rain dates) noun

date for rescheduled event:
a date that an event will be rescheduled to if rainy weather forces
cancellation on the intended date[1]



rainfall

rainfall
rain·fall 
[ràyn fáwl] (plural rain·falls)
noun

1.  amount
of rain fallen over time: the amount of rain that
falls in a particular location over a particular period of time • the
annual rainfall in a city

2.  occurrence
of rain:
a rain shower or rainstorm

[1]



rainforest

rainforest

rain for·est
(plural rain for·ests) noun
thick tropical forest:
a thick evergreen tropical forest found in areas of heavy rainfall and
containing trees with broad leaves that form a continuous canopy[1]



raingauge

raingauge
rain
gauge
(plural rain gaug·es) noun

rain-measurement device:
a device used to measure the amount of rain that falls in a particular
location.
Also called
pluviometer[1]



RainierIII

RainierIII
Rai·ni·er
III 
[ráynee ày], Prince of Monaco (1923– )

He acceded to the throne in
1949, and in 1962 agreed to a new constitution reducing the power of the
monarchy.[1]



Rainier,Mount

Rainier,Mount
Rai·nier,
Mount
[rə néer, ray
nr, ráy nir]

the highest peak in
Washington State. It is a dormant volcano, with a permanently snow-covered
summit. Height: 4,393 m/14,410 ft.[1]



rainlily

rainlily
rain
lil·y
noun

See
zephyr lily[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rainmaker

rainmaker
rain·mak·er 
[ráyn màykər] (plural rain·mak·ers)
noun

1.  achiever:
somebody who achieves outstanding results in business or politics (informal)

2.  somebody
who causes rain: somebody who causes rain to fall, for
example, by seeding clouds with chemicals such as silver iodide, or who is
believed to do so by magic
—rain·mak·ing, noun[1]



rainout

rainout
rain·out 
[ráyn òwt] (plural rain·outs) noun

cancellation because of rain:
an event that is canceled or postponed because of rainy weather, or the
cancellation or postponement of an event because of rain • The
second game of today’s doubleheader is a makeup for a March rainout.[1]



rainout

rainout
rain
out
transitive verb

put off something because of
rain: to cause something such as a
game to be canceled or postponed because of rain[1]



rainproof

rainproof
rain·proof
[ráyn prf] adjective

impervious
to rain:
designed or treated to prevent rain from soaking into it or passing through it
transitive
verb
(past rain·proofed, past participle rain·proofed, present
participle rain·proof·ing, 3rd person present singular rain·proofs)

make something impervious to
rain: to treat something such as
an item of clothing so that it becomes rainproof[1]



rainshadow

rainshadow
rain
shad·ow
(plural rain shad·ows) noun

area of less rain:
an area on the side of a mountain barrier that is sheltered from prevailing
winds and rain-bearing clouds, resulting in relatively dry conditions[1]



rainspout

rainspout
rain·spout 
[ráyn spòwt] (plural rain·spouts)
noun

Northeastern U.S.
downspout:
a roof gutter or downspout[1]



rainsquall

rainsquall
rain·squall 
[ráyn skwàwl] (plural rain·squalls)
noun

brief windy rainstorm:
a sudden, brief storm of strong winds and heavy rain[1]



rainstorm

rainstorm
rain·storm 
[ráyn stàwrm] (plural rain·storms)
noun

storm with rain:
a storm with heavy or steady rain[1]



rainwash

rainwash
rain·wash
[ráyn wàwsh] (plural rain·washes)
noun

rock and soil carried by
rainwater: rock and soil washed away
and deposited elsewhere by rainwater, or the process of erosion by rainwater[1]



rainwater

rainwater
rain·wa·ter 
[ráyn wàwtər] noun

water from rain:
water that has fallen as rain, which usually has relatively small amounts of
minerals dissolved in it[1]



rainwear

rainwear
rain·wear 
[ráyn wàir] noun

waterproof clothes:
clothing, mainly outerwear, that is waterproof and is designed to keep the
wearer dry in rainy weather[1]



rainy

rainy
rain·y 
[ráynee] (comparative rain·i·er,
superlative rain·i·est) adjective

with
a lot of rain: characterized by or bringing rain,
especially long or frequently recurring periods of rainfall
—rain·i·ly,
adverb

—rain·i·ness, noun[1]



rainyday

rainyday
rain·y
day
noun

possible time of need:
a possible time of need in the future[1]



raise

raise
raise 
[rayz] verb (past raised,
past participle raised, present participle rais·ing,
3rd person present singular rais·es)

1.  transitive
verb
move
something higher: to cause somebody or something to move
upward or to a higher level or position • She
was too weak to raise her head from the pillow.

2.  transitive
verb
act
as parent or guardian to somebody: to look after somebody
as or like a parent, while he or she is growing up (often passive) • After
my parents died, I was raised by my grandfather.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something larger or greater: to increase something in
size, amount, value, or scope • They’ve
raised the ticket prices yet again.

4.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING grow
or breed something: to grow vegetables or breed
and care for animals, usually for profit or personal satisfaction

5.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION put
something up: to set up, erect, or build something

6.  transitive
verb
cause
something to swell up: to make something rise up or
swell up, for example, on somebody’s skin

7.  transitive
verb
intensify
something:
to increase something in degree, strength, or pitch • raised
voices

8.  transitive
verb
offer
something for consideration: to put something forward for
consideration or discussion • I’d
like to raise a number of points that I think need clarification.

9.  transitive
verb
start
something noisy: to start something that involves a lot
of loud noise or boisterous activity • Raise
the alarm!

10. transitive
verb
direct
something at higher angle: to direct something upward,
or make something point at a higher angle • She
answered without raising her eyes from the book.

11. transitive
verb
stand
or sit up:
to move yourself or somebody else to a standing or sitting position

12. transitive
verb
collect
something together: to gather something
together, collect something, or ask for something and be given it • raising
money for the local orphanage

13. transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS multiply
number:
to multiply a term or number by itself a specified number of times • 2
raised by the power of 4 is 16.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES increase bet or bid:
in poker and other games, to increase a bet or bet more than another player,
often specifying the amount of the increase

15. transitive
verb
increase
partner’s bid: in bridge, to make a higher bid in the
suit bid by your partner

16. transitive
verb
COMMUNICATION contact
somebody by radio: to get into contact with
somebody by radio • The carrier tried to
raise the overdue plane.

17. transitive
verb
rouse
somebody:
to rouse somebody from sleep, or bring a dead person back to life • They
were shouting loud enough to raise the dead.

18. transitive
verb
MILITARY end
siege:
to end a siege by withdrawing the besieging force or forcing it to withdraw

19. transitive
verb
end
something:
to bring a ban or restriction imposed on somebody to an end • finally
raised the arms embargo

20. transitive
verb
improve
something:
to make something better in some way • Their
visit raised his spirits.

21. transitive
verb
improve
somebody’s condition: to improve somebody’s
situation or condition, or move somebody to a higher rank or status • After
three years, he was raised to the rank of sergeant.

22. transitive
verb
cause
something:
to cause something to appear, arise, form, or occur • The
strict new rules raised a storm of protest.

23. transitive
verb
give
sign of feeling: to produce a response such as a smile or
cheer, or cause somebody else to produce one • She
obviously felt awful, but still managed to raise a faint smile.

24. transitive
verb
PARANORMAL call
something up: to attempt to cause a supernatural being
to appear, for example, by special ceremonies or magic

25. transitive
verb
put
somebody in authority: to place somebody in a
position of power or authority (literary)

26. transitive
verb
stretch
something out: to make something such as a crest or
frill stretch out and become more visible

27. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL see
land appear on horizon: to have approached near
enough to land after a sea voyage for it to make its first appearance on the
horizon • The
ship raised Bermuda two days after leaving New York.

28. transitive
verb
FINANCE fraudulently
increase something’s value: to increase the face value
of something, especially a check, in an attempt to defraud somebody • The
embezzler was caught raising checks.

29. transitive
verb
COOKING make
dough rise:
to make dough rise and swell by using yeast or a similar agent

30. transitive
verb
PHONETICS replace
vowel by higher vowel: to replace a vowel by one
formed with the tongue higher in the mouth

31. intransitive
verb
rise:
to rise (nonstandard) “Jimmy gazed at her in such consternation that he
felt his hair begin to raise!” George Randolph Chester The Jingo 1912
noun
(plural rais·es)

1.  Australia,
Canada, U.S. pay increase:
a pay increase

2.  act
of increasing: the raising of somebody or something, or
the amount by which somebody or something is raised, for example, in cards
[12th
century. From Old Norse reisa . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
base that also produced English rise
and the verb rear .]
—rais·a·ble,
adjective

—rais·er,
noun  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  raise, elevate, lift,
  hoist
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  place something in a higher position raise;
  to move something to a higher position, usually by means of physical effort.
  It does not suggest great physical effort; elevate;
  a formal word meaning the same as raise; lift;
  to raise something either by means of physical effort or using a mechanism; hoist; to raise something by mechanical
  means, sometimes by heavy manual effort

[1]



raised

raised
raised 
[rayzd] adjective

with projecting surface:
made so that its surface is higher than its background or what surrounds it • raised
lettering on an envelope[1]



raisedbeach

raisedbeach
raised
beach
(plural raised beach·es) noun

former beach now above
shoreline: a former beach found above
the present shoreline of a sea or lake following a fall in water level or a
rise in land level. Raised beaches are common in areas once glaciated, which
rise as the land surface readjusts to the removal of the weight of a former
icecap.[1]



raisedpoint

raisedpoint
raised
point
noun
Also
called
gros point

1.  embroidery
stitch:
a large half cross-stitch used in embroidery

2.  embroidery:
embroidery done with gros point

[1]



raisedwork

raisedwork
raised
work
noun

embroidery with raised
pattern: embroidery stitches that
produce a raised surface on the fabric or that are worked over a piece of
padding[1]



raisin

raisin
rai·sin 
[ráyz’n] (plural rai·sins) noun

dried
grape:
a sweet grape that has been dried in the sun or by being processed with heat,
usually to prevent spoiling and permit long-term storage
[14th century. Via French,
“grape,” from Latin racemus “bunch, cluster” (source also of English raceme ).][1]



raisond’état

raisond’état
rai·son
d’é·tat
[rà zawn dat t] (plural rai·sons
d’é·tat) noun

political
reason:
an overriding concern, usually the interests of the country concerned, that
justifies political or diplomatic action that might otherwise be considered
reprehensible
[From French, literally
“reason of state”][1]



raisond’être

raisond’être
rai·son
d’ê·tre
[rà zawn déttrə] (plural rai·sons
d’ê·tre) noun

reason
for living:
something that gives meaning or purpose to somebody’s life, or the
justification for something’s existence
[From French, literally
“reason for being”][1]



Raj

Raj
Raj
[raaj] noun

British
rule in India: the British rule of the Indian
subcontinent, now the countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, from 1757
to 1947
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
rāj from Sanskrit rājya “kingdom, rule.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English regal, rich,
and rule and German Reich
“empire.”][1]



Rajab

Rajab
Raj·ab 
[rújjəb] (plural Raj·abs) noun

7th
month of Islamic year: in the Islamic calendar, the
seventh month of the year, made up of 30 days
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic .][1]



rajah

rajah
ra·jah
[rjə] (plural ra·jahs) or
ra·ja [rjə] (plural ra·jas)
noun

Indian
ruler:
a king, prince, or chief in India or among the Malay, Javanese, and other
peoples of Southeast Asia
[Mid-16th century. Via Hindi rājā
from Sanskrit rājan “king,” from the same base as produced English Raj .][1]



Rajasthan

Rajasthan
Ra·ja·sthan
[rjə stn] or Rā·ja·sthān [rjə stn]

state in northwestern India,
bordering Pakistan. Capital: Jaipur. Population: 48,040,000 (1994) Area:
342,239 sq km/132,139 sq mi.[1]



Rajasthani

Rajasthani
Ra·jas·tha·ni 
[rjə stnee] noun

1.  Indian
language:
a group of Indic languages spoken in northwestern India and neighboring parts
of Pakistan that form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European
languages. About 25 million people speak one of the Rajasthani languages.

2.  somebody
from Rajasthan: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in Rajasthan
[Early
20th century. From Hindi, from Rajasthan, state in northwestern India.]
—Ra·jas·tha·ni, adjective[1]



Rajkot

Rajkot
Raj·kot
[rj kṓt]

city and administrative
headquarters of Rajkot District, in Gujarat State, west central India.
Population: 556,137 (1991)[1]



Rajneesh,Bhaghwan Shree

Rajneesh,Bhaghwan Shree
Raj·neesh
[rj nsh], Bhaghwan Shree (1931–1990)

Indian
spiritual teacher. As founder of the Neo-Sannyas Movement in the late 1960s, he
established meditation centers in India, Europe, and the United States.
Real name
Mohan, Rajneesh Chandra[1]



Rajput

Rajput
Raj·put 
[rj pt] (plural Raj·puts) noun

member
of a high Hindu caste: a Hindu belonging to a
fierce warrior caste, the second-highest caste after the Brahmins. Many kings
and princes were Rajputs .
[Late 16th century. From
Hindi rājpūt, literally “king’s son,” from Sanskrit rājan “king”
+ putra “son.”][1]



Rakaia

Rakaia
Rakaia
[rə k ə]

river in the South Island,
New Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps and flows into the Pacific Ocean
west of the Banks Peninsula. Length: 145 km/90 mi.[1]



rake

rake3
rake3 [rayk]
noun (plural rakes)

1.  NAUTICAL slant
or slope:
a slant away from an upright or perpendicular position, or an incline upward
from a flat or horizontal position such as that on a ship or a stage

2.  AEROSPACE angle
of wing or propeller: the angle that a wing or
propeller blade of an aircraft makes with a perpendicular or line of symmetry
intransitive
and transitive verb (past raked, past
participle raked, present participle rak·ing, 3rd
person present singular rakes)

angle: to
design or build something, or be designed or built, with a slant or slope away
from the vertical or horizontal • a jet
with wings that rake sharply back
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rake

rake2
rake2 [rayk]
(plural rakes) noun

immoral
pleasure seeker: somebody who indulges without restraint
in physical pleasures and vices such as drinking and gambling
[Mid-17th
century. Shortening of rakehell .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Rake’s Progress, a series of paintings by English artist William Hogarth (
  1735? ). These eight satirical scenes, which were much influenced by
  contemporary theater, depict the moral decline of a young city gentleman who
  inherits a fortune and squanders it on vice. Hogarth created engravings of
  the same images, which were immensely popular. In 1951, Stravinsky turned the
  story into an opera with a libretto by W.H. Auden.

[1]



rake

rake1
rake1 [rayk]
noun (plural rakes)

1.  GARDENING long-handled
toothed gardening tool: a tool with a long handle
and a head with long teeth, used for gathering leaves or cut grass or for
smoothing or loosening the surface of the soil

2.  tool
resembling a garden rake: any tool that is broadly
similar to a garden rake but is used for a different purpose, for example,
digging clams or gathering money at a gambling table
verb
(past raked, past participle raked, present
participle rak·ing, 3rd person present singular rakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with a rake: to gather something together, remove, or
clear something using a rake or similar implement • raked
up the dead leaves

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb GARDENING work with a rake:
to make something neat, smooth it out, or loosen it using a rake or similar
tool

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb search:
to search through or examine something thoroughly, or to make a search for
something

4.  transitive
verb
use
something like a rake: to draw or move something
through or across something else like a rake • She
raked her fingers through her hair.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb scrape
or scratch something: to claw, scrape, or scratch
somebody or something with a dragging movement like the action of somebody
using a rake • The
cat raked his arm with her claws.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
across something: to pass across the whole length or
extent of something in a continuous sweeping movement, or cause something to do
this • The
spotlight raked around the perimeter fence.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb shoot
along the length of something: to aim shots from a
gun or guns in quick succession over the whole length or extent of something • The
ship’s cannon raked the land battery.
[Old
English raca, racu . Perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to direct” (ancestor of English regal,
rich, and rule
), in which case the underlying idea is “stretching out, collecting.”]
rake
somebody over the coals

to reprimand somebody
severely[1]



rakehell

rakehell
rake·hell 
[rák hèl] (plural rake·hells) noun

rake:
somebody who indulges without restraint in physical pleasures and vices such as
drinking and gambling (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. By folk
etymology from Middle English rakel “hasty, rash” (of unknown origin),
by association with rake 1 and hell .][1]



rakein

rakein
rake
in
transitive verb

gather something in large
quantities: to take in large quantities
of something, especially money gained or earned with relatively little effort (informal)[1]



rake-off

rake-off
rake-off 
(plural rake-offs) noun

share:
a portion or share of a profit, fee, or something similar, especially as a
bribe or other illegal or morally dubious payment (informal)[1]



raketogether

raketogether
rake
together
transitive verb

gather something with
difficulty: to gather people or things
together with difficulty (informal)[1]



rakeup

rakeup
rake
up
transitive verb (informal)

1.  bring
something to mind: to mention or bring up for
discussion something unfortunate or undesirable that happened in the past

2.  See
rake together

[1]



raki

raki
rak·i 
[rkee, ráykee]
(plural rak·is [rkee, ráykee]) noun

anise-flavored
brandy:
any of various alcoholic drinks from the eastern Mediterranean, especially a
brandy made in Turkey and the Balkans from grapes, plums, or grain and flavored
with anise
[Late 17th century. Via
Turkish rāqī from Arabic araī .][1]



rakish

rakish1
rak·ish1 [ráykish]
adjective

1.  dashingly
stylish:
stylish in a dashing or sporty way • a hat
worn at a rakish angle

2.  NAUTICAL making
a boat look fast: having a streamlined look that suggests
rapid movement through the water • a
rakish yacht
[Early
19th century. Formed from rake 3 .]
—rak·ish·ly,
adverb

—rak·ish·ness, noun[1]



rakish

rakish2
rak·ish2 [ráykish]
adjective

jaunty:
having or showing a strong concern for presenting a stylish self-confident
appearance
[Early
18th century. Formed from rake 2 .]
—rak·ish·ly,
adverb

—rak·ish·ness, adverb[1]



raku

raku
ra·ku
noun

pottery
technique:
a pottery technique in which pots are raw-glazed at a low temperature then
taken red-hot from the kiln and plunged in water or sawdust for reduction or
carbonizing
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “ease, enjoyment.”][1]



rale

rale
rale
[raal, ral]
(plural rales) or râle [raal,
ral] noun

symptomatic
chest sound: a symptomatic intermittent crackling or
bubbling sound produced by the lungs and heard via a stethoscope. It indicates
fluid in the air passages and air sacs.
[Early 19th century. From
French râle, from râler “to make a rattling sound in the throat,”
of uncertain origin: probably from assumed Vulgar Latin rasclare (see rail 3 ).][1]



Raleigh

Raleigh
Ra·leigh 
[ráwlee, rlee]

capital city of North
Carolina, located in the center of the state. Population: 236,707 (1994)[1]



Raleigh,Walter

Raleigh,Walter
Ra·leigh 
[ráwlee, rlee],
Sir Walter (1552–1618)

English navigator and writer.
A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, he led three expeditions to the Americas,
founding the first English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia
(1585). He wrote his History of the World ( 1614 ) while imprisoned for
treason (1603–1613).[1]



rall.

rall.
rall.

MUSIC
Abbreviation of rallentando[1]



rallentando

rallentando
ral·len·tan·do 
[ràllən tán dō, rlən
tn dō] adverb

MUSIC slowing
gradually:
with a gradual slowing of pace (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, the present participle of rallentare “to slow down.”][1]



rally

rally2
ral·ly2 [rállee]
(past ral·lied, past participle ral·lied, present
participle ral·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular ral·lies)
transitive verb

tease
somebody:
to tease or ridicule somebody in a friendly or good-humored way
[Mid-17th century. From
French railler (see rail 2 ).][1]



rally

rally1
ral·ly1 [rállee]
noun (plural ral·lies)

1.  recovery
or improvement: a sudden recovery or improvement after a
setback, crisis, or period of illness, inactivity, or deterioration

2.  gathering:
a large meeting or gathering of people, usually organized by a movement or
political party and intended to inspire and generate enthusiasm among those
present

3.  STOCK EXCHANGE renewed
buying of stocks: a renewed buying of stocks after a
period of selling, leading to a rise in stock prices • a
rally in the industrial sector of the stock market

4.  MOTOR SPORTS automobile
race:
an automobile race that is held on public roads using a route not known in
advance by the drivers and having special rules for speed or time

5.  RACKET GAMES exchange
of shots:
in tennis and other racket sports, an exchange of several shots between two opponents
or sides before a point is scored

6.  MILITARY reassembly
of troops:
a regrouping of a disorganized military force and the reestablishment of
command over it, or the signal calling for this • The
retreating hussars made a rally and drove the attackers back.
verb
(past ral·lied, past participle ral·lied, present
participle ral·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular ral·lies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gather
together for something: to come together, uniting
for a common purpose or in a common cause, or to call on people to come
together and unite

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb revive
or recover:
to recover or improve after a setback, crisis, or period of illness,
inactivity, or deterioration, or to bring about a recovery or improvement in
something • Our
spirits rallied once we had our first success.

3.  intransitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE increase
in value:
to increase sharply in value or price owing to renewed buying by investors

4.  intransitive
verb
STOCK EXCHANGE experience
renewed buying of stocks: to be involved in renewed
buying of stocks after a period of selling

5.  intransitive
verb
RACKET GAMES exchange
shots:
to exchange a series of shots before scoring a point in tennis and other racket
sports

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY form together again:
to reorganize, or reorganize forces, after a setback and restore order and
morale, especially to stop troops retreating further • The
captain rallied his retreating troops and formed a defensive line.
[Late
16th century. From French rallier “to reunite,” from alier (see ally ).]
—ral·li·er, noun[1]



rallying

rallying
ral·ly·ing
[rállee ing] noun

automobile racing:
automobile racing on public roads using a route not known in advance by the
drivers and with special rules for speed or time[1]



rallyround

rallyround
rally
round
intransitive verb

support somebody:
to come to the aid of somebody in difficulty or need, offering either practical
or moral support[1]



ralph

ralph
ralph 
[ralf] (past ralphed, past
participle ralphed, present participle ralph·ing, 3rd
person present singular ralphs) intransitive verb

vomit:
to vomit (slang)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the male first name Ralph, chosen for a
supposed resemblance to the sound of vomiting.][1]



Ralph

Ralph
Ralph
noun

right
turn:
a right turn (informal) • At the
next corner, hang a Ralph.
[Late 20th century. From the
male first name, used as an easily understood substitute for the first sound in
the word right .][1]



r.a.m.

r.a.m.
r.a.m.

Abbreviation of
relative atomic mass[1]



RAM

RAM
RAM


1.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
random-access memory

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of
reverse annuity mortgage

3.  ENGINEERING Abbreviation of
rocket-assisted motor

4.  RAM
or R.A.M. MUSIC Abbreviation
of Royal Academy of Music

[1]



Ram

Ram
Ram 
[ram] noun

ZODIAC
See Aries[1]



ram

ram
ram 
[ram] noun (plural rams)

1.  AGRICULTURE male
sheep:
a male sheep

2.  TECHNOLOGY battering
or crushing device: a device designed to batter,
crush, press, or push something, for example, a projecting underwater part of a
boat’s prow or the weight dropped by a pile driver

3.  TECHNOLOGY hydraulic
ram:
a hydraulic ram

4.  NAUTICAL warship
with a ram:
a former type of warship equipped with a projecting underwater part on the prow
that was designed to make a hole in the hull of an enemy warship
verb
(past rammed, past participle rammed, present
participle ram·ming, 3rd person present singular rams)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
something with great force: to hit or collide with
something, or make something hit something else, with great force or violence • I
rammed my fist down on the table.

2.  transitive
verb
collide
with something deliberately: to collide with another ship
or vehicle deliberately in order to sink, disable, or damage it • The
police car rammed the getaway vehicle and pushed it off the road.

3.  transitive
verb
force
something into place: to press, force, or push
something into place • He quickly
rammed another charge down the barrel and took aim.

4.  transitive
verb
POLITICS force
acceptance of something: to force the passage of a
bill or acceptance of a suggestion, usually despite strong objection • rammed
the legislation through Congress.
[Old
English ram(m)]
—ram·mer, noun[1]



Rama

Rama
Ra·ma 
[rmə] noun

incarnation of Vishnu:
an incarnation ( avatar ) of the god Vishnu[1]



ramada

ramada
ra·ma·da 
[rə mdə] (plural ra·ma·das) noun

Southwestern
U.S.
porch
or trellis:
an open porch or trellis supporting plants
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin ramus “branch” (see ramify ).][1]



Ramadan

Ramadan
Ram·a·dan 
[rmə dn] (plural Ram·a·dans)
noun

9th
month of the Islamic year: in the Islamic calendar, the
ninth month of the year, made up of 30 days. During Ramadan, Muslims fast
between dawn and dusk.
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic, literally “the hot month,” from ramaḍ “dryness.”][1]



RamaIX

RamaIX
Ra·ma
IX
[rmə], King of Thailand (1927– )

He ascended the throne in
1950.[1]



Ramakrishna,Sri

Ramakrishna,Sri
Ra·ma·krish·na
[rmə kríshnə], Sri (1834–1886)

Indian
religious teacher. He taught that all mystical religious experiences are
equally valid, and was instrumental in bringing about the 19th-century Hindu
revival in India. His followers founded the Ramakrishna Mission.
Real name
Chatterji, Gadadhar[1]



Raman,Chandrasekhara Venkata

Raman,Chandrasekhara Venkata
Ra·man
[rmən], Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata
(1888–1970)

Indian physicist. His work on
molecular diffraction of light won him a Nobel Prize in physics (1930).[1]



Ramaneffect

Ramaneffect
Ra·man
ef·fect
noun

PHYSICS change
in light:
the change in wavelength and phase exhibited by monochromatic light passing
through a transparent medium. The scattering that results is used in Raman
spectroscopy to obtain information about the structure of molecules.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who
discovered it.][1]



ramate

ramate
ra·mate 
adjective

BIOLOGY
See ramose[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Ramayana

Ramayana
Ra·ma·ya·na 
[rmə ynə] noun

Hindu epic:
a great epic of the Hindu religion and of classical Sanskrit literature that
tells of the adventures of Rama, an incarnation ( avatar
) of the god Vishnu[1]



Rambert,Dame Marie

Rambert,Dame Marie
Ram·bert
[raam báir], Dame Marie (1888–1982)

Polish-born
British ballet dancer and teacher. She founded the Ballet Rambert (1926), later
called the Rambert Dance Company, which promoted the work of British
choreographers.
Real name
Rambach, Miriam[1]



ramble

ramble
ram·ble 
[rámb’l] intransitive verb (past
ram·bled, past participle ram·bled, present participle
ram·bling, 3rd person present singular ram·bles)

1.  talk
or write aimlessly: to talk, write, or continue
for a long time, not always keeping to the intended subject or tending to
change the subject • The speaker rambled on
for over an hour.

2.  walk
for pleasure: to go for a walk for pleasure, usually
in the countryside and sometimes without a fixed route in mind • He
had spent a week rambling through the villages of the Apennines.

3.  follow
a changing course: to have, follow, or proceed
along a winding or often changing course • The
path rambled though the fields down to the river.

4.  BOTANY grow
in random way: to grow in random directions, usually
covering a sizable area in the process • Vines
rambled all over the low stone wall.
noun
(plural ram·bles)

walk: a
walk for pleasure, usually in the countryside and less strenuous than a hike • a
ramble through the woods on a spring vacation
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



rambler

rambler
ram·bler 
[rámb’lər] (plural ram·blers) noun

1.  somebody
who talks too much: somebody who talks or writes
for too long and does not keep to the subject

2.  walker:
somebody who goes walking in the countryside for pleasure

3.  PLANTS climbing
rose:
a hybrid climbing rose with long flexible canes and clusters of small double
flowers

4.  See
ranch house  noun 2

[1]



rambling

rambling
ram·bling 
[rámb’ling] (plural ram·blings)
adjective

1.  not
to the point: continuing for too long and with many
changes of subject • a long, rambling story

2.  spread
out:
built or spread over a large area and not clearly organized or regular in shape
• a
rambling old house

3.  BOTANY growing
as rambler:
growing with long straggling shoots

4.  meandering:
not following a direct course • a
narrow rambling path through the hills

5.  preferring
to roam:
preferring to move from place to place rather than stay in one place or settle
down
—ram·bling·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wordy

[1]



Rambo

Rambo
Ram·bo 
[rám bō] (plural Ram·bos) noun

violent
person:
somebody who is extremely aggressive or readily resorts to violence, willingly
breaking rules, laws, or other generally accepted regulations to achieve what
he or she believes to be right (slang)
[Late
20th century. Named for John Rambo, the aggressive protagonist in the
motion picture First Blood (1982).]
—Ram·bo·esque
[ràm bō ésk], adjective

—Ram·bo·ism
[rám bō izzəm], noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Rambo is a character who
  appeared in a series of movies including First Blood by director Ted
  Kotcheff ( 1982 ), Rambo: First Blood, part II by director George Pan
  Cosmatos ( 1985 ), and Rambo III by director Peter Macdonald ( 1988 ).
  Played by Sylvester Stallone, Rambo is a vengeful Vietnam Vet, hired by the
  authorities to rescue fellow fighters still trapped in Southeast Asia, and,
  subsequently, to fight Communist oppression in Afghanistan. The terms Rambo,
  Ramboism, Rambo cop, and Rambo driver/motorist have entered
  the general language, meaning respectively “an overly aggressive person,”
  “great aggressiveness in actions,” “an overly zealous police officer prone to
  unnecessary force,” and “a motorist who engages in acts of aggression and
  road rage while behind the wheel.” .

[1]



Rambouillet

Rambouillet2
Ram·bouil·let2  [rámbə
lay, ràmbə láy, rN boo yáy]

town in Yvelines Department,
north central France, southwest of Paris. The town’s chateau is the French
president’s summer residence and is used for international conferences, for
example, the talks that tried to find a peaceful settlement to the Balkan
crisis in Kosovo in spring, 1999. Population: 24,343 (1990)[1]



Rambouillet

Rambouillet1
Ram·bouil·let1  [rámbə
lay, ràmbə láy, rN boo yáy] (plural Ram·bouil·lets)
noun

large
sturdy sheep: a large sturdy sheep belonging to a
breed developed in France from the merino and bred for wool and meat
[Early 20th century. Named
for Rambouillet, a town in northern France where the breed was
developed.][1]



rambunctious

rambunctious
ram·bunc·tious 
[ram búngkshəss] adjective

unruly:
noisy, very active, and hard to control, usually as a result of excitement or
youthful energy
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of rumbustious
.]
—ram·bunc·tious·ly,
adverb

—ram·bunc·tious·ness, noun[1]



rambutan

rambutan
ram·bu·tan 
[ram bt’n] (plural ram·bu·tans)
noun

1.  Malaysian
tree:
a Malaysian tree with red spiny edible fruit. Latin name: Nephelium
lappaceum

2.  fruit
of the rambutan tree: the oval fruit of the
rambutan tree
[Early 18th century. From
Malay, from rambut “hair,” from the hairy skin of the fruit.][1]



ramekin

ramekin
ram·e·kin 
[rámməkin] (plural ram·e·kins
[rámməkin]) or ram·e·quin [rámməkin] (plural rame·quins) noun

1.  small
baking dish: a small ovenproof dish with vertical
fluted sides designed to hold a single serving of a prepared food, especially
one that is baked

2.  food
served in a ramekin: a portion of food cooked and
served in a ramekin
[Early 18th century. Via
French ramequin from Middle Dutch rameken, literally “little
cream,” from ram “cream.”][1]



ramen

ramen
ra·men 
[ráymən] (plural ra·mens) noun

Japanese
noodle dish: a Japanese dish of thin white noodles in
small dried cakes, served in a thin well-flavored soup or stock
[Late 20th century. Via
Japanese rāmen from Chinese lāmiàn, literally “pulled noodles.”][1]



ramequin

ramequin
ram·e·quin
(plural rame·quins) noun

See
ramekin[1]



RamesesII

RamesesII
Ram·e·ses
II
[rámmə sz] or Ram·ses II [rámmə sz] (lived 13th century BC)

Egyptian
pharaoh. His long and prosperous reign (1279–1212 BC ), which marked the pinnacle of Egypt’s power, saw the
building of numerous monuments including the sandstone temples at Abu Simbel.
The Jewish exodus from Egypt is thought to have occurred during his rule.
Known as
Rameses the Great[1]



RamesesIII

RamesesIII
Ram·e·ses
III
[rámmə sz] or Ram·ses III [rámmə sz] (lived 12th century BC)

Egyptian pharaoh. As pharoah
(1182–1151 BC ) he was a great
military leader who repeatedly saved the country from invasion, notably by the
Libyans.[1]



ramet

ramet
ra·met 
[ráymət] (plural ra·mets) noun

BIOLOGY member
of a clone:
any individual in a clone
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin ramus (see ramus ).][1]



rami

rami
ra·mi


Plural of
ramus[1]



ramie

ramie
ram·ie 
[rámmee, ráymee]
(plural ram·ies) noun

1.  BOTANY Asian
shrub:
a perennial Asian shrub of the nettle family that has broad leaves and small
flowers. It yields a tough fiber resembling flax. Latin name: Boehmeria
nivea

2.  INDUSTRY strong
fiber:
a strong lustrous fiber obtained from the stem of the ramie shrub, used in
fabric and rope

3.  TEXTILES cloth:
cloth made from ramie fiber
[Early 19th century. From
Malay rami .][1]



ramification

ramification
ram·i·fi·ca·tion 
[ràmməfə káysh’n] (plural ram·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  complicating
result:
a usually unintended consequence of an action, decision, or judgment that may
complicate the situation or make the intended result more difficult to achieve
• an
unexpected ramification of the new law

2.  branching
division:
the process of dividing or spreading out into branches

3.  branch:
a branch or arrangement of branches

[1]



ramiform

ramiform
ram·i·form 
[rámmə fawrm] adjective

branching
or resembling branches: spreading out like branches
or having the form of a branch or branches
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin ramus (see ramus ) +
-iform (see -form ).][1]



ramify

ramify
ram·i·fy 
[rámmə f] (past ram·i·fied, past
participle ram·i·fied, present participle ram·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ram·i·fies) intransitive verb

1.  BIOLOGY branch:
to divide into branches or similar parts

2.  have
complicating results: to have unforeseen results
or effects that will cause complications or interfere with the purpose intended
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French ramifier from medieval Latin ramificare, from Latin ramus
(see ramus ).][1]



ramjet

ramjet
ram·jet 
[rám jèt] (plural ram·jets) noun

type of jet engine:
a jet engine in which fuel is burned in a duct with air compressed by the
forward motion of the aircraft[1]



ramose

ramose
ra·mose 
[ráy mss, rə mṓss]
or ra·mous [ráy mss, rə mṓss] or ra·mate [ráy màyt] adjective

BIOLOGY many-branched:
having many branches or divided into many branches
[Late
17th century. From Latin ramosus “having many branches,” from ramus
(see ramus ).]
—ra·mose·ly, adverb[1]



Ramos,Fidel Valdez

Ramos,Fidel Valdez

Ra·mos
[rámōss], Fidel Valdez (1928– )
Filipino statesman. He was instrumental
in overthrowing President Ferdinand Marcos (1986) and himself became president
of the Philippines (1992).[1]



ramp

ramp1
ramp1 [ramp]
noun (plural ramps)

1.  sloping
path or access: a sloping surface used, for example, to
allow access from one level to a higher or lower level or to raise something up
above floor or ground level • The
ship slid slowly down the ramp into the water.

2.  movable
stairs:
a movable set of stairs used for boarding or disembarking from an aircraft

3.  curved
bend in a handrail: a curved bend or slope in a
handrail or coping where it changes direction, for example, on a stair landing
transitive
verb
(past ramped, past participle ramped, present
participle ramp·ing, 3rd person present singular ramps)

1.  increment
something gradually: to increase something
gradually • had
to ramp up production to meet increasing demand

2.  build
something with a slope: to build something with a
sloped surface, or provide something with a ramp • The
entrance must be ramped for wheelchair access.
[Late
18th century. From French rampe, from ramper (see ramp 2 ).]
—ramped, adjective[1]



ramp

ramp2
ramp2 [ramp]
(past ramped, past participle ramped, present
participle ramp·ing, 3rd person present singular ramps)
intransitive verb

1.  act
threateningly: to act in a threatening manner or assume
a threatening stance, for example, rearing with the forelegs ready to strike

2.  move
violently or threateningly: to move or rush violently,
threateningly, or furiously

3.  HERALDRY be
shown reared up in profile: to be in the rampant
position • an
old seal marked with a ramping lion on a shield
[14th century. From French ramper
“to crawl, creep, rear up.”][1]



rampage

rampage
ram·page 
[ram páyj, rám
pàyj] noun (plural ram·pag·es)

violent
behavior:
an outburst of uncontrolled violent or riotous behavior or a series of violent
or riotous actions
intransitive
verb
(past ram·paged, past participle ram·paged, present
participle ram·pag·ing, 3rd person present singular ram·pag·es)

act
violently or riotously: to engage in uncontrolled
violent or riotous behavior, or to commit a series of violent or riotous acts • This
weather system has rampaged up the coast, with blizzards and howling winds
causing severe damage.
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from ramp 2 .]
—ram·pa·geous,
adjective

—ram·pa·geous·ly,
adverb

—ram·pa·geous·ness,
noun

—ram·pag·er,
noun

—ram·pag·ing,
adjective
on
the rampage

behaving in a wild and
uncontrolled manner[1]



rampant

rampant

ram·pant 
[rámpənt] adjective

1.  occurring
unchecked:
happening in an unrestrained manner, usually so as to be regarded as a menace • rampant
inflation

2.  BOTANY growing
wildly:
growing strongly and to a very large size, or spreading uncontrollably

3.  fierce:
exhibiting ferocious behavior or fierceness of spirit

4.  HERALDRY on
hind legs:
used to describe a heraldic beast depicted reared up, in profile, and with its
forelegs raised, the right one above the left

5.  BUILDING with
unequal supports: having a support or an abutment that is
higher on one side than the other
[14th
century. From French, the present participle of ramper (see ramp 2 ).]
—ram·pan·cy,
noun

—ram·pant·ly, adverb[1]



rampart

rampart
ram·part 
[rám prt] noun (plural ram·parts)

fortified
embankment:
a defensive fortification made of an earthen embankment, often topped by a low
protective wall
transitive
verb
(past ram·part·ed, past participle ram·part·ed, present
participle ram·part·ing, 3rd person present singular ram·parts)

fortify
or protect something: to protect somebody or
something with ramparts or something similar
[Late 16th century. From
French rempart, from remparer, literally “to defend again,” from
Old French emparer “to defend,” from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin parare
“to prepare” (source of English prepare
).][1]



r& b

r& b
r
& b
or R & B

Abbreviation of
rhythm and blues[1]



R& D

R& D
R
& D

Abbreviation of
research and development[1]



rampike

rampike
ram·pike 
[rám pk] (plural ram·pikes) noun

upright
dead tree:
a dead tree that is still standing, especially one reduced by fire to little
more than a trunk
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rampion

rampion
ram·pi·on 
[rámpee ən] (plural ram·pi·ons)
noun

1.  Eurasian
plant with bluish flowers: a plant of Europe and Asia
with clusters of bluish flowers and a white edible root used in salads. Latin
name: Campanula rapunculus

2.  blue-flowered
plant:
any plant related to the rampion, typically with blue flowers. Genus: Phyteuma
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Old French raiponce, from Old
Italian raponzo, from Latin rapum “turnip” (source of English rape “plant”).][1]



R& R

R& R
R
& R
[r ən r] or R and R [r ən r]

Abbreviation of
rest and recreation[1]



rampup

rampup
ramp
up
transitive verb

increase:
to increase a level of activity or cause the level of activity of something to
increase “As business ramps up to manage greater responsibility for its social
and environmental impacts…” Marketing Week December 1998[1]



Rampur

Rampur
Ram·pur 
[rám pr]

city and administrative
headquarters of Rampur District, Uttar Pradesh State, northern India.
Population: 243,000 (1991)[1]



ramrod

ramrod
ram·rod 
[rám ràwd] noun (plural ram·rods)

1.  ARMS rod
for loading guns: a rod for loading a charge into a
muzzle-loading musket, cannon, or other gun

2.  ARMS cleaning
rod:
a rod for cleaning the barrel of a firearm

3.  stern
or strict overseer: a stern or strict boss,
commander, or other person in a position of authority
transitive
verb
(past ram·rod·ded, past participle ram·rod·ded, present
participle ram·rod·ding, 3rd person present singular ram·rods)

1.  push
something through by force: to push through or achieve
something by force or threat • tried
to ramrod the bill through the legislature

2.  control
somebody strictly: to exert strict control over
somebody or enforce strict discipline on somebody

[1]



RamsesII

RamsesII
Ram·ses
II


See
Rameses II[1]



RamsesIII

RamsesIII
Ram·ses
III

See
Rameses III[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ramshackle

ramshackle
ram·shack·le 
[rám shàk’l] adjective

badly
built or rundown: poorly maintained or constructed and
seeming likely to fall apart or collapse
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from earlier ramshackled, from, ultimately, ransack
.][1]



ramsons

ramsons
ram·sons
[rámz’nz, ráms’nz]
noun

wild
garlic:
a wild garlic of Europe and Asia with a bulbous root eaten in salads. Latin
name: Allium ursinum (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Old English hram(e)san, plural of hramsa, later erroneously
regarded as singular.][1]



ramtil

ramtil
ram·til 
[rámtil] (plural ram·tils) noun

plant
with oil-rich seeds: an Ethiopian plant with
yellow flowers, grown for its oil-rich seeds. Latin name: Guizotia
abyssinica
[Mid-19th century. From
Bengali rāmtil, literally “pleasing sesame.”][1]



ramulose

ramulose
ram·u·lose 
[rámmyə lōss] adjective

BIOLOGY many-branched:
having many small branches
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
ramulosus “full of branching veins,” from, ultimately, ramus (see
ramus ).][1]



ramus

ramus
ra·mus 
[ráyməss] (plural ra·mi [ráy m]) noun

branching
part:
a small branching body part such as a stem, bone, or nerve
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “branch.”][1]



ram’shorn

ram’shorn
ram’s
horn 
(plural ram’s horns) noun

JUDAISM
See shofar[1]



ran

ran
ran


Past tense of
run[1]



Ran

Ran
Ran 
[ran] noun

Norse sea goddess:
in Norse mythology, the goddess of the sea[1]



Rance

Rance
Rance
[raaNss]

river in Brittany, in
northwestern France. Length: 100 km/60 mi.[1]



ranch

ranch
ranch 
[ranch] noun (plural ranch·es)

1.  livestock
farm on rangeland: a farm where cattle, sheep,
horses, or other livestock are raised on large tracts of open land, especially
in North and South America and Australia

2.  farm
for raising a particular species: a large farm devoted
to keeping a single species of animal or growing a single type of crop

3.  See
ranch house  noun 1
See ranch house  noun 2

4.  FOOD See ranch dressing
verb
(past ranched, past participle ranched, present
participle ranch·ing, 3rd person present singular ranch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
on a ranch:
to own, manage, or work on a ranch

2.  transitive
verb
raise
on a ranch:
to breed, raise, or tend animals on a ranch
[Early
19th century. Via American Spanish rancho from Spanish, “group of people
who eat together,” from, ultimately, French ranger “to arrange in
position,” from rang “row, line” (source of English rank ).]
—ranch·ing,
noun
meanwhile,
back at the ranch

used to draw listeners’
attention back to the main theme or point of the conversation or the scene of
the main action (informal)[1]



ranchdressing

ranchdressing
ranch
dress·ing
noun

creamy salad dressing:
a creamy salad dressing that has a mixture of mayonnaise and buttermilk or milk
as its base.
Also called
ranch verb 2[1]



rancher

rancher
ranch·er 
[ránchər] (plural ranch·ers) noun

1.  ranch
owner:
somebody who owns or manages a ranch

2.  See
ranch house  noun 2

[1]



ranchero

ranchero
ran·che·ro 
[ran chérrō] (plural ran·che·ros)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
AGRICULTURE rancher:
somebody who owns or manages a ranch, particularly a rancher in the
southwestern United States and Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America
[Early 19th century. From
American Spanish, formed from rancho (see ranch
).][1]



ranchhouse

ranchhouse
ranch
house
noun

1.  house
on a ranch:
the building on a ranch where the owner or manager lives, typically having one
story, a spread-out floor plan, and a roof that is not steeply pitched.
Also
called
ranch

2.  single-story
house:
a single-story house built in a style similar to a traditional ranch house,
especially one located in a suburban housing development.
Also
called
rambler
Also
called
ranch
Also
called
rancher

[1]



Ranchi

Ranchi
Ran·chi 
[ránchee]

city and administrative
headquarters of Ranchi District, in Bihar State, northeastern India.
Population: 599,000 (1991)[1]



rancho

rancho
ran·cho 
[rán chō] (plural ran·chos) noun
Southwestern U.S.

1.  ranch:
a ranch

2.  ranch
worker’s hut: a hut where a ranch worker lives, or a
group of such huts
[Early 19th century. From
American Spanish (see ranch ).][1]



rancid

rancid
ran·cid 
[ránsəd] adjective

1.  with
a disagreeable taste: having the strong
disagreeable smell or taste of decomposing fats or oils

2.  causing
disgust:
causing disgust or greatly offensive
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin rancidus “stinking, rank,” from rancere “to
stink.”]
—ran·cid·i·ty
[ran síddətee], noun

—ran·cid·ness [ránsədnəss], noun[1]



rancor

rancor
ran·cor 
[rángkər] noun

resentment:
bitter, deeply held, and long-lasting ill will or resentment
[12th
century. Via Old French from Latin rancor “stinking smell or offensive
flavor, bitterness,” from rancere “to stink.”]
—ran·cor·ous,
adjective

—ran·cor·ous·ly,
adverb

—ran·cor·ous·ness, noun[1]



rancour

rancour
ran·cour 
noun

U.K. =
rancor[1]



rand

rand
rand 
[rand] (plural rand) noun

1.  unit
of S African currency: the standard unit of
currency in the Republic of South Africa, worth 100 cents

2.  coin
worth a rand: a coin worth one rand
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Rand, a gold-mining district in the Transvaal, from Afrikaans rand
“ridge of ground,” from Dutch, “edge.”][1]



randan

randan
ran·dan 
[ran dán, rán
dan] (plural ran·dans) noun

1.  rowboat:
a type of boat designed to be rowed by three people

2.  method
of rowing:
the method of rowing a randan, with one person using two oars and the other two
one oar each
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Randolph

Randolph
Ran·dolph 
[ràndolf]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, northeast of Stoughton. It is a southern suburb of Boston.
Population: 30,554 (1996)[1]



Randolph,A. Philip

Randolph,A. Philip

Ran·dolph 
[ràndolf], A. Philip (1889–1979)
U.S.
labor leader. The founding president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
and Maids (1925–1968), he unionized African American workers, campaigned for
civil rights, and was a principal organizer of the great 1963 civil rights
march in Washington, D.C.
Full name
Randolph, Asa Philip[1]



Randolph,Edmund Jennings

Randolph,Edmund Jennings
Ran·dolph 
[ràndolf], Edmund Jennings (1753–1813)

U.S. statesman. He was a
Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787), and served as U.S.
secretary of state (1794–1795).[1]



Randolph,John

Randolph,John
Ran·dolph 
[ràndolf], John (1773–1833)

U.S.
statesman. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate
(1799–1829), and helped draft a new constitution for Virginia.
Known as
John Randolph of Roanoke[1]



random

random
ran·dom 
[rándəm] adjective

1.  without
a pattern:
done, chosen, or occurring without a specific pattern, plan, or connection • random
testing for drugs

2.  lacking
regularity:
with a pattern or in sizes that are not uniform or regular • a
wall constructed of random stones

3.  STATISTICS equally
likely:
relating or belonging to a set in which all the members have the same
probability of occurrence • a
random sampling

4.  STATISTICS having
definite probability: relating to or involving
variables that have undetermined value but definite probability
[Mid-17th
century. From Old French randon “impetuosity, rush” (the original sense
in English ), from randir “to run.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic base (probably also the ancestor of English run ).]
—ran·dom·ly,
adverb

—ran·dom·ness,
noun
at
random

with no set plan, system, or
connection[1]



random-access

random-access
ran·dom-ac·cess
adjective

COMPUTING
retrieving data stored in an arbitrary
sequence: relating to the capability
of a computer to obtain information from any memory location without having to
begin its search at the memory’s starting point and work through it in sequence
• random-access
input/output[1]



random-accessmemory

random-accessmemory
ran·dom-ac·cess
mem·o·ry 
noun

1.  COMPUTING computer
storage medium: a computer storage medium on which data
items are stored in an arbitrary fashion but can be accessed directly because
each has a unique address. Because each data item can be addressed
independently of any other item, the time it takes to access any memory
location on a given medium is the same.

2.  primary
working memory of a computer: the primary working memory
in a computer used for the temporary storage of programs and data and in which
the data can be accessed directly and modified

[1]



randomize

randomize
ran·dom·ize 
[rándə mz] (past ran·dom·ized,
past participle ran·dom·ized, present participle ran·dom·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ran·dom·iz·es or ran·dom·is·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

make
random:
to arrange or select items so that no specific pattern or order determines the
resulting arrangement or the selection process
—ran·dom·i·za·tion
[ràndə mə záysh’n], noun

—ran·dom·iz·er [rándə mzər], noun[1]



randomnumber

randomnumber
ran·dom
num·ber
noun

number from a sequence
without a pattern: any of a
series of numbers that have no pattern in their progression[1]



randomsample

randomsample
ran·dom
sam·ple
(plural ran·dom sam·ples) noun

randomly selected section of
a larger group: a sample of subjects
that is randomly selected from a group and is therefore assumed to be
representative of that group[1]



randomvariable

randomvariable
ran·dom
var·i·a·ble
(plural ran·dom vari·ables) noun

STATISTICS
variable with unpredictable values:
a variable that can have any of a range of values that occur randomly but can
be described probabilistically.
Also called
variate
Also called
variant[1]



randomwalk

randomwalk
ran·dom
walk
(plural ran·dom walks) noun

MATHEMATICS
model with independent successive steps:
a model applicable to various processes such as diffusion in which the
direction and sometimes the magnitude of successive steps are determined by
chance[1]



Rand R

Rand R
R
and R
or R & R

1.  MILITARY Abbreviation of rest
and recreation

2.  Abbreviation
of
rest and relaxation

[1]



randy

randy
ran·dy 
[rándee] (comparative ran·di·er,
superlative ran·di·est) adjective

lustful:
having a strong desire for sex (informal)
[Late
17th century. Formed from rand “to rant,” an earlier Scots variant of rant . Originally in the sense “aggressive,
rude.”]
—ran·di·ly,
adverb

—ran·di·ness, noun[1]



rang

rang
rang


Past tense of
ring 2[1]



range

range
range 
[raynj] noun (plural rang·es)

1.  variedness:
the number and variety of different things that something includes or can deal
with • The
range of her interests is extraordinary.

2.  number
of similar things: a number or set of different
things belonging to the same general category • available
in a range of styles and colors

3.  category
defined by limits: a category defined by an
upper and a lower limit • the
age range 25 to 45

4.  area
of effective operation: the area within which, or
the distance over which, something can operate effectively • out
of range of the radar

5.  MILITARY farthest
distance for an effective operation: the
farthest distance at which something can operate effectively, for example, the
farthest distance to which a gun can shoot a bullet or shell

6.  ARMS distance
between weapon and target: the distance between
something, especially a gun or a tracking device and the object it is aimed at

7.  SPORTS practice
area:
a place where an activity is practiced or performed

8.  TRANSPORT distance
traveled without refueling: the farthest distance that a
vehicle or aircraft can travel without refueling

9.  AGRICULTURE open
land for grazing farm animals: a large area of open
land on which farm animals can graze.
Also
called
rangeland

10. MUSIC producible
notes:
the notes, from the highest to the lowest, that somebody’s voice or a musical
instrument is capable of producing

11. MUSIC register
of musical passage: the register of a musical
passage, from the highest to the lowest note it contains

12. GEOGRAPHY row
of mountains: a number of mountains or hills forming a
connected row or group

13. movement
over area:
movement over or within an area

14. MATHEMATICS set
of values:
the set of values that can be taken by a function or a variable

15. HOUSEHOLD stove:
a cooking stove with one or more ovens and with hotplates or burners on top

16. ECOLOGY area
where organism is normally found: a geographical area in
which a species of organism normally lives or grows

17. STATISTICS extent
of frequency distribution: the difference between the
smallest and the largest value in a frequency distribution

18. CONSTRUCTION north-south
strip of townships: a north-south strip of
townships six miles square and numbered east and west from a meridian in a U.S.
public land survey
verb
(past ranged, past participle ranged, present
participle rang·ing, 3rd person present singular rang·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
vary
between limits: to vary between a particular upper and
lower limit • prices
ranging from $3.95 to $15.00

2.  transitive
verb
ARMS travel
certain distance: to be able to travel a particular
distance (refers to bullets or missiles)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
freely and extensively: to move freely across,
through, or back and forth within a particular area • She
allowed her thoughts to range freely over the events of the previous week.

4.  intransitive
verb
ECOLOGY live
or grow:
to live or grow in a particular geographical area (refers to animals or
plants) • Buffalo
once ranged over the plains.

5.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE put
livestock out to graze: to put livestock out to
graze on a large open area

6.  transitive
verb
align
or classify somebody or something: to put something or
somebody into a particular group or category

7.  transitive
verb
arrange
things in line: to arrange things in a particular way,
especially in a line or row (usually passive) • Jars
of pickles were ranged along the kitchen shelf.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb point
or aim something at something: to point or aim
something such as a gun, missile, or telescope at a specific object, or to be
pointed at a specific object

9.  intransitive
verb
deal
with a number of things: to include, cover, or deal
with a number of different things, usually within a particular context • Her
interests range from parapsychology to parachuting.

10. reflexive
verb
give
personal support: to support or side with somebody
[13th century. From Old
French rangier “to put in order,” from ranc (see rank 1 ).][1]



rangefinder

rangefinder
range
find·er
(plural range find·ers) or range·find·er (plural
range·find·ers) noun

1.  distance-finding
instrument:
an instrument used to estimate the distance between the user and an object,
especially one that is to be shot at or photographed

2.  See
transit  noun 8

[1]



rangeland

rangeland
range·land 
[ráynj lànd] noun

See
range  noun 9[1]



rangepole

rangepole
range
pole
(plural range poles) noun

CONSTRUCTION
See ranging pole[1]



Ranger

Ranger
Rang·er
[ráynjər] (plural Rangers) noun

U.S. commando:
a member of a military unit of the United States Army specially trained for
commando raids[1]



ranger

ranger
rang·er 
[ráynjər] (plural rang·ers) noun

1.  official
overseeing a forest or national park:
somebody whose job is to oversee, protect, and patrol a forest or an area of
natural beauty such as a national park.
Also
called
forest ranger
Also
called
warden
See
also
game warden

2.  member
of rural police unit: a member of an armed
law-enforcement unit in certain parts of the United States, especially Texas

3.  wanderer:
somebody who wanders

[1]



rangingpole

rangingpole
rang·ing
pole
(plural rang·ing poles) or rang·ing rod (plural
rang·ing rods) or range pole (plural range poles)
noun

pole used in surveying land:
a pole, usually held vertically, used to mark a specific position when
surveying a plot of land[1]



Rangoon

Rangoon
Ran·goon 
[rang gn]

Former name for
Yangon until 1989[1]



rangy

rangy
rang·y 
[ráynjee] (comparative rang·i·er,
superlative rang·i·est) adjective

slim
and long-limbed: tall and lean with long legs
—rang·i·ness, noun[1]



rani

rani
ra·ni
[rnee, rn]
(plural ra·nis [rnee, rn]) or ra·nee [rnee, rn] (plural
ra·nees) noun

Indian
woman ruler: a queen or princess, or the wife or
widow of a rajah in India or a neighboring country
[Late 17th century. Via Hindi
from, ultimately, Sanskrit rājñī, from rājan (see rajah ).][1]



rank

rank2
rank2 (comparative rank·er,
superlative rank·est) adjective

1.  utter:
of the most extreme and obvious kind • a rank
amateur

2.  foul:
foul-smelling or foul-tasting (literary) “O, my offense is rank! It
smells to heaven.” Shakespeare Hamlet 3.ii 1604

3.  showing
vigorous growth: growing and spreading in a particularly
vigorous way (refers to vegetation) “the rank ailanthus of the April
dooryard” T.S. Eliot The Dry Salvages 1941
[Old
English ranc “haughty, full-grown,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to move straight ahead,” which is also the
ancestor of English right]
—rank·ly,
adverb

—rank·ness, noun[1]



rank

rank1
rank1 [rangk]
noun (plural ranks)

1.  MILITARY official
status within organization: an official title or
category that shows the holder’s relative importance or seniority within an
organization, especially a military force

2.  status
relative to others: the degree of importance or
excellence of somebody or something relative to other members of a group • a
political journalist of the first rank

3.  high
status:
high status or importance, especially in the military or among the wealthy

4.  line
of people or things: a line of people, especially
soldiers, or things standing side by side

5.  CHESS horizontal
line of squares on a chessboard: any of the horizontal
lines of squares on a chessboard

6.  MATHEMATICS linearly
independent rows: the largest number of linearly
independent rows in a matrix

7.  MUSIC set of
organ pipes: a set of organ pipes linked to a
particular stop
plural
noun
ranks

1.  ordinary
people:
members of the armed forces who are not officers, or the ordinary members or
personnel of any organization who do not hold high office

2.  people
of a particular group or category: the people belonging
to a specified group or category, considered collectively and usually with the
understanding that there are large numbers of them • among
the ranks of her supporters
verb
(past ranked, past participle ranked, present
participle rank·ing, 3rd person present singular ranks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or give something a specific rating: to
have, or to give somebody or something, a particular rating, position, or
importance relative to other people or things in a group • This
ranks fairly high on my list of desirable improvements.

2.  transitive
verb
outrank
somebody:
to have a higher rank than and take precedence over somebody or something else
in a group, especially in a hierarchy • A
colonel ranks a major.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb position
or stand in rows: to place people or things in a row or
rows or to stand or form in rows (usually passive)

4.  intransitive
verb
seem
most important: to have the greatest importance or
receive the best treatment among the members of a particular group • You
got the best seat in the house. You must really rank with the producer.

5.  intransitive
verb
insult
somebody:
to insult somebody in a childish way (slang) • Quit
ranking on me!
[14th
century. From Old French ranc “row,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English range
and ring .]
break
ranks

1.  to
fall out of an ordered line of soldiers, especially when being attacked

2.  to
stop supporting the policy of a group of which you are a member

close
ranks

1.  to
unite closely, especially when taking some kind of defensive action

2.  to
form into tight disciplined lines in preparation for an expected attack (refers
to soldiers)

pull
rank (on somebody)

to
assert authority over other people in a hierarchy, especially in order to
obtain personal advantage

rise
(up) through the ranks

to
reach a senior position in an organization by gradual promotions from an
originally low position

[1]



rankand file

rankand file
rank
and file
noun

1.  ordinary
members:
the majority of a group or organization, often a labor union, especially all of
the members who have no power or influence

2.  MILITARY enlisted
troops:
enlisted troops in a military organization, excluding officers
—rank-and-file,
adjective

—rank and fil·er (plural
rank and fil·ers), noun[1]



Rankinescale

Rankinescale
Ran·kine
scale 
noun

scale
of absolute temperature: an absolute temperature
scale in which each degree equals one degree on the Fahrenheit scale, with the
freezing point of water being 491.67°, and its boiling point 671.67°
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the British physicist and engineer W. J. M. Rankine (1820–1872).][1]



ranking

ranking
rank·ing 
[rángking] adjective

1.  holding
high rank:
holding a high rank in military or other organization • the
ranking diplomat at the reception

2.  foremost:
considered to be the most eminent or important of the members of a particular
group
noun
(plural rank·ings)

1.  position
relative to others: the position or status held
by or allocated to somebody or something relative to others in a particular
group

2.  working
out ranking order: the work of establishing the
order in which people or things should be ranked, usually according to their
importance or ability • Are we
prepared to do a preliminary ranking of the candidates?

[1]



rankle

rankle
ran·kle 
[rángk’l] (past ran·kled, past
participle ran·kled, present participle ran·kling, 3rd
person present singular ran·kles) intransitive verb

cause
bitter feelings: to cause persistent feelings of
bitterness, resentment, or anger
[14th century. From Old
French raoncler, from raoncle “festering sore,” literally “little
snake (bite),” from, ultimately, Latin dracunculus, from draco
(see dragon ).][1]



ransack

ransack
ran·sack 
[ránsak] (past ran·sacked, past
participle ran·sacked, present participle ran·sack·ing,
3rd person present singular ran·sacks) transitive verb

1.  rob
and despoil something: to go through a place
stealing some things and usually destroying or spoiling everything else

2.  search
something very thoroughly: to search something very
thoroughly but handling things carelessly • I
ransacked the drawers but couldn’t find my keys.
[13th
century. From Old Norse rannsaka, from rann “house” + -saka
(related to English seek ) “to
search.”]
—ran·sack·er, noun[1]



ransom

ransom
ran·som 
[ráns’m] noun (plural ran·soms)

1.  money
demanded for releasing captive: a sum of money
demanded or paid for the release of somebody who is being held prisoner

2.  release
of prisoner: the release of a prisoner in return for
the payment of money

3.  deliverance:
the act of saving somebody from an oppressed condition or dangerous situation
through self-sacrifice (literary)
transitive
verb
(past ran·somed, past participle ran·somed, present
participle ran·som·ing, 3rd person present singular ran·soms)

1.  pay
money for somebody’s release: to release somebody from
captivity by paying money to the captors

2.  rescue
or redeem somebody: to rescue or redeem
somebody, especially by a self-sacrificing act, and especially from sin or its
punishment (literary)
[13th
century. Via Old French ransoun from the Latin stem redemption-
(see redemption ).]
—ran·som·er,
noun
a
king’s ransom

a
very large amount of money

hold
somebody for ransom

1.  to
hold somebody captive until a sum of money is paid for his or her release

2.  to
use threats to try to make somebody do what you want

[1]



Ransom,John Crowe

Ransom,John Crowe
Ran·som 
[ráns’m], John Crowe (1888–1974)

U.S. poet and critic. He was
a leader of the Southern literary renaissance in the 1920s, and helped found
the Kenyon Review.[1]



rant

rant
rant
[rant] intransitive and transitive verb
(past rant·ed, past participle rant·ed, present
participle rant·ing, 3rd person present singular rants)

speak
in loud exaggerated manner: to speak in a very loud,
aggressive, or bombastic way, usually at length and repetitively
noun
(plural rants)

loud
and threatening speech: speech or language that is
very loud and threatening but also monotonous or unconvincing
[Late
16th century. From Dutch ranten .]
—rant·er,
noun

—rant·ing,
adjective

—rant·ing,
noun

—rant·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ranula

ranula
ran·u·la 
[ránnyələ] (plural ran·u·las) noun

cyst
under the tongue: a cyst that forms on the underside of
the tongue when the duct of a salivary or mucous gland is blocked
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “little frog,” from rana “frog.”][1]



ranunculus

ranunculus

ra·nun·cu·lus 
[rə núngkyələss] (plural ra·nun·cu·lus·es
or ra·nun·cu·li [rə núngkyəlī])
noun
flowering
plant:
a plant that has divided leaves and flowers with five petals such as the
buttercup, clematis, and columbine. Genus: Ranunculus
[Late
16th century. From modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, literally “little
frog,” from rana “frog.”]
—ra·nun·cu·la·ceous [rə nùngkyə láyshəss], adjective[1]



rap

rap1
rap1 verb (past rapped,
past participle rapped, present participle rap·ping,
3rd person present singular raps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
something sharply: to strike something with a
quick sharp blow • The teacher rapped on
the desk to get the students’ attention.

2.  transitive
verb
rebuke
somebody:
to criticize or reproach somebody harshly

3.  transitive
verb
say
something quickly: to say something in a quick
sharp way • The
sergeant rapped out an order.
noun
(plural raps)

1.  sound
of knocking: a quick sharp knocking sound

2.  somebody
or something negative: somebody or something
thought of as negative or unfortunate (slang) • You
got a bum rap this time.

3.  sharp
blow:
a sharp quick blow

4.  rebuke:
a harsh rebuke or criticism (slang)

5.  jail
sentence:
a jail sentence given to somebody found guilty of a crime (slang)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound.]
—rap·per,
noun
beat
the rap

to
avoid conviction on a charge (informal)

take
the rap (for something)

to
take the blame or punishment for something, whether or not it was your fault (slang)

not
give a rap

to not care at all[1]



rap

rap2
rap2 noun

1.  MUSIC popular
music with rhyming verses: popular music characterized
by spoken rhyming vocals and often featuring a looped electronic beat in the
background

2.  informal
talk:
an informal talk or discussion (slang)

3.  scripted
speech or action: the structured form or substance of
something that somebody knows well and can perform at will (slang) • You’ve
really got the whole rap down on making quick money!
verb
(past rapped, past participle rapped, present
participle rap·ping, 3rd person present singular raps)

1.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC perform
rap:
to perform rap music

2.  transitive
verb
talk
informally:
to talk or discuss something informally (slang) • We
rapped till dawn.
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound.]
—rap·per, noun[1]



rapacious

rapacious
ra·pa·cious 
[rə páyshəss] adjective

1.  grasping:
greedy and grasping, especially for money, and sometimes willing to use
unscrupulous means to obtain what is desired

2.  destructive
and vicious: engaging in violent pillaging and likely
to harm or destroy things

3.  ZOOLOGY predatory:
living by eating live prey
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin rapac-, stem of rapax “tearing, grasping,”
from rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—ra·pa·cious·ly,
adverb

—ra·pa·cious·ness, noun[1]



rape

rape2
rape2 [rayp]
noun

PLANTS oilseed
plant of mustard family: an annual plant of the
cabbage family that has bright yellow flowers and is grown commercially for its
oil-bearing seeds and as a fodder crop. Latin name: Brassica napus
Also
called
colza
[14th century. From Latin rapa
“turnip.”][1]



rape

rape1
rape1 [rayp]
noun (plural rapes)

1.  CRIMINOLOGY forcing
of somebody into sex: the crime of forcing
somebody to have sex

2.  CRIMINOLOGY instance
of rape:
an instance of the crime of rape

3.  violent
destructive treatment: violent, destructive, or
abusive treatment of something • the
rape of a beautiful stretch of countryside

4.  abduction:
an act of seizing somebody and carrying him or her away by force (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past raped, past participle raped, present participle
rap·ing, 3rd person present singular rapes)

1.  force
somebody to have sex: to force somebody to have
sex

2.  violate
something:
to treat something in a violent, destructive, or abusive way • rape
the land for its resources

3.  abduct
somebody:
to seize and carry off somebody or something by force (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman raper from Latin rapere “to seize.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word rapere from which rape
  is derived is also the source of English rapacious,
  rapine, rapid,
  rapture, ravage, ravenous,
  ravine, ravish,
  surreptitious, and usurp.

[1]



rape

rape3
rape3 [rayp]
noun

WINE refuse
of wine grapes: the skins and stalks of grapes after
their juice has been extracted for use in winemaking
[Early 17th century. From
French râpe “grape stalk,” from Old French, from rasper (see rasp ).][1]



rapeoil

rapeoil
rape
oil
noun

oil from the seeds of the
rape plant: oil extracted from the seeds
of the rape plant, used as a lubricant, in making soap, and in cooking.
Also called
rapeseed oil
Also called
colza oil[1]



rapeseed

rapeseed
rape·seed 
[ráyp seed] noun

seeds of the rape plant:
the seeds of the rape plant[1]



rapeseedoil

rapeseedoil
rape·seed
oil
noun

See
rape oil[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rapeshield law

rapeshield law
rape
shield law
noun

law protecting the victim in
a rape trial: a law that prohibits
the defense in a rape trial from questioning the victim about her or his
previous sexual experiences[1]



Raphael

Raphael
Raph·a·el 
[ráffee əl] (1483–1520)

Italian
artist. A master of the Italian High Renaissance, he is best known for his
religious paintings.
Real name
Sanzio, Raffaello[1]



Raphael

Raphael
Raph·a·el 
[ráffee əl] noun

archangel:
in Hebrew tradition, one of the seven archangels, and the angel of healing[1]



raphe

raphe
ra·phe 
[ráyfee] (plural raphes) noun

1.  ANATOMY connecting
ridge:
a connecting ridge or seam between two similar parts of an organ of the body,
for example, between the two halves of the medulla oblongata or along the
scrotum

2.  BOTANY ridge along
some seedcoats: a ridge along the coat of some seeds
formed by fusion of the connecting stalk ( funiculus
) with the outer layer of the developing ovule

3.  BOTANY longitudinal
groove:
a longitudinal groove on the valve of a diatom
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek rhaphē “seam,” from rhaptein “to sew.”][1]



raphide

raphide
ra·phide 
[ráyfəd] or ra·phis [ráyfiss] (plural raph·i·des [ráyfədz]) noun

needle-shaped
crystal in plant cells: any one of a bundle of
needle-shaped crystals, usually of calcium oxalate, that develop in some plant
cells as a byproduct of their metabolism
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from the Greek stem raphid- “needle,” from rhaptein “to sew.”][1]



rapid

rapid
rap·id 
[ráppid] adjective

swift:
acting, moving, or happening very quickly • a
rapid increase in turnover
plural
noun
rap·ids

turbulent
part of a riverbed: a part of a riverbed where
the water moves very fast, usually over rocks or round boulders
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin rapidus “seizing,” from rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—rap·id·ly,
adverb

—rap·id·ness, noun[1]



RapidCity

RapidCity
Rap·id
Cit·y 
[ràppid síttee]

city in western South Dakota,
in the Black Hills, northwest of Pierre. Population: 57,642 (1996)[1]



rapideye movement

rapideye movement
rap·id
eye move·ment noun

jerky eye movements while
asleep: jerky movements of the
eyeballs while the eyes are closed, characteristic of somebody who is dreaming
while asleep, especially during REM sleep[1]



rapideye movement sleep

rapideye movement sleep
rap·id
eye move·ment sleep noun

See
REM sleep[1]



rapid-fire

rapid-fire
rap·id-fire 
adjective
U.K.
term
quick-fire

1.  coming
in very quick succession: delivered or happening in
very quick succession • The
salesman had an incredible rapid-fire delivery.

2.  ARMS designed
to fire very quickly: designed to fire bullets or
shells in very quick succession or at a faster rate than a standard gun

[1]



rapidprototyping

rapidprototyping
rap·id
pro·to·typ·ing noun

computer-based graphic
design: a method of quickly creating
mechanical components, especially those with complex shapes, from a
computer-based drawing that can be used to check the validity of a design[1]



rapidtransit

rapidtransit
rap·id
tran·sit
(plural rap·id tran·sits) noun

a high-speed public
transportation system: a
high-speed urban public transportation system using underground or elevated
trains or a combination of both[1]



rapier

rapier
ra·pi·er 
[ráypeer] (plural ra·pi·ers) noun

sword
with a long slender blade: a sword with a cup-shaped
hilt and a long slender blade that can have two cutting edges or only a sharply
pointed tip for thrusting
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Dutch or Low German rappir from French (espee)
rapière “rapier (sword),” of unknown origin.][1]



rapine

rapine
rap·ine 
[ráppən, ráppīn,
ráypīn] noun

plunder:
the use of force to seize somebody else’s property (archaic or formal)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin rapina .][1]



rapini

rapini
rap·ini
[ra pnee] plural noun

baby
turnip leaves: the leaves of immature turnip plants,
used especially in Italian and Chinese cooking
[Late 20th century. From
Italian.][1]



rapist

rapist
rap·ist 
noun

somebody who commits rape:
somebody who uses force to have sex with somebody else[1]



Rappahannock

Rappahannock
Rap·pa·han·nock 
[ràppə hánnək rívvər]

river in Virginia, rising in
the Blue Ridge Mountains and flowing southeast into Chesapeake Bay. Length: 341
km/212 mi.[1]



rappee

rappee
rap·pee 
[ra p] noun

strong-flavored
snuff:
a moist, strongly flavored snuff made from dark coarse tobacco (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From
French tabac râpé, literally “rasped tobacco,” from râper “to
rasp,” from Old French rasper “to scrape” from, ultimately, prehistoric
Germanic.][1]



rappel

rappel
rap·pel 
[rə pél] intransitive verb (past
rap·pelled, past participle rap·pelled, present
participle rap·pel·ling, 3rd person present singular rap·pels)

descend
by rope:
to descend a steep slope or vertical face using a rope that is secured at the
top and passed through a series of coils or a harness around the body.
U.K.
term
abseil
noun

descent
by rappelling: a descent made by rappelling.
U.K.
term
abseil
[Mid-20th century. From
French, from Old French rapeler “to recall,” from apeler “to
call.”][1]



rappen

rappen
rap·pen 
[rápp’n] (plural rap·pen) noun

centime:
a Swiss centime
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Middle High German rappe “raven,” referring to the
depiction of a bird on a coin of the Middle Ages.][1]



Rapp,George

Rapp,George
Rapp
[rap, raap],
George (1757–1847)

German-born U.S. religious
reformer. He founded the Harmony Society, a separatist Protestant community, in
Pennsylvania in 1803.[1]



rapport

rapport
rap·port 
[ra páwr, rə
páwr] (plural rap·ports) noun

friendly
relationship: an emotional bond or friendly
relationship between people based on mutual liking, trust, and a sense that
they understand and share each other’s concerns
[Mid-17th century. From
French, from Old French raporter, literally “to bring back,” from aporter
“to bring,” ultimately from Latin portare (see port 5 ).][1]



rapporteur

rapporteur
rap·por·teur 
[ra pàwr túr] (plural rap·por·teurs)
noun (formal)

1.  scribe:
somebody who records and reports to a higher body the results of the
deliberations of a subordinate body such as a committee

2.  somebody
who reports something: somebody who is appointed to
investigate a subject and deliver a report on it
[Late 15th century. From
French, from, ultimately, Old French raporter (see rapport ).][1]



rapprochement

rapprochement
rap·proche·ment 
[ra práwshmaaN, raa
práwshmaaN] (plural rap·proche·ments) noun

renewal
of friendly relations: the establishment or renewal
of friendly relations between people or nations that were previously hostile or
unsympathetic toward each other (formal)
[Early 19th century. From
French, from rapprocher, literally “to bring together,” from approcher
(see approach ).][1]



rapscallion

rapscallion
rap·scal·lion 
[rap skállyən] (plural rap·scal·lions)
noun

rascal:
a mischievous and annoying child or disreputable and dishonest person (archaic
or humorous)
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier rascallion, of uncertain origin: probably formed
from rascal .][1]



rapsession

rapsession
rap
ses·sion
noun

informal discussion:
an informal discussion, especially between people in the same line of business
or with shared concerns (informal)[1]



rapsheet

rapsheet
rap
sheet
noun

list of criminal charges:
a list of somebody’s past arrests and the disposition of charges (slang)[1]



rapt

rapt
rapt 
[rapt] adjective

1.  completely
engrossed:
involved in, fascinated by, or concentrating on something to the exclusion of
everything else • staring with rapt
attention at the speaker

2.  blissfully
happy:
showing or suggesting deep emotions of joy or ecstasy
[14th
century. From Latin raptus “seized,” past participle of rapere
(see rape 1 ).]
—rapt·ly,
adverb

—rapt·ness, noun[1]



raptor

raptor
rap·tor 
[ráptər] (plural rap·tors) noun

bird
of prey:
a bird of prey
[14th century. From Latin,
“robber,” from rapere (see rape 1 ).][1]



raptorial

raptorial
rap·to·ri·al 
[rap táwree əl] adjective

1.  living
by predation: able to live by catching prey

2.  adapted
for catching prey: specially adapted for
seizing prey, as are the feet of birds of prey with their sharp talons

3.  of
predatory birds: typical of or relating to birds of prey

[1]



rapture

rapture
rap·ture 
[rápchər] noun

1.  overwhelming
happiness:
a euphoric transcendent state in which somebody is overwhelmed by happiness or
delight and unaware of anything else

2.  CHRISTIANITY mystical
transportation: a mystical experience of being
transported into the spiritual realm, sometimes applied to the second coming of
Jesus Christ when true believers are expected to rise up to join him in heaven
plural
noun
rap·tures

state of great happiness or enthusiasm:
a state of great happiness or enthusiasm about something, or words and gestures
that express this • went into raptures
about the meal they’d had
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin raptura “seizure,” from Latin raptus
(see rapt ).][1]



raptureof the deep

raptureof the deep
rap·ture
of the deep
noun

MEDICINE
See nitrogen narcosis[1]



rapturous

rapturous
rap·tur·ous 
[rápchərəss] adjective

very
enthusiastic: expressing great enthusiasm, happiness,
or pleasure • a
rapturous welcome
—rap·tur·ous·ly,
adverb

—rap·tur·ous·ness, noun[1]



raraavis

raraavis
ra·ra
a·vis 
[ràirə áyviss, ràirə
ávvəss] (plural ra·rae a·ves [ràir
áy vz] or ra·ra a·vis·es) noun

something
rare:
somebody or something that is rarely encountered (literary)
[From Latin, literally “rare
bird”][1]



rare

rare1
rare1 [rair]
(comparative rar·er, superlative rar·est) adjective

1.  not
often happening: not often happening or found • It’s
rare for them to miss a meeting.

2.  valuable:
particularly interesting or valuable, especially to collectors or scholars,
because only a few exist

3.  great:
unusually great or excellent • a rare
gift for languages

4.  containing
little oxygen: thin in density and containing so little
oxygen that breathing is difficult
[15th
century. From Latin rarus “having a loose texture, scarce.”]
—rare·ness, noun[1]



rare

rare2
rare2 [rair]
(comparative rar·er, superlative rar·est) adjective

cooked
quickly:
used to describe meat that is cooked quickly and lightly so as to remain raw
and juicy inside
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of dialect rear “underdone” (of eggs), from Old English hrēr, of
uncertain origin: possibly originally “lightly stirred.”][1]



rarebit

rarebit
rare·bit 
[ráir bit] (plural rare·bits) noun

See
Welsh rarebit
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of rabbit in Welsh rabbit (see Welsh rarebit ).][1]



rareearth

rareearth
rare
earth
(plural rare earths) noun

oxide of lanthanide:
an oxide of a rare-earth element[1]



rare-earthelement

rare-earthelement
rare-earth
el·e·ment 
(plural rare-earth el·e·men·ts) noun

lanthanide element:
a member of the lanthanide series, which contains 15 elements that have atomic
numbers from 57 to 71 and share closely related chemical properties[1]



rareeshow

rareeshow
rar·ee
show 
(plural rar·ee shows) noun (archaic)

1.  peepshow:
a peepshow

2.  carnival:
a street show or spectacle with unusual or outlandish items on view
[Alteration of rare show][1]



rarefied

rarefied
rar·e·fied
[rérrə fd] or rar·i·fied [rérrə fd] adjective

1.  PHYSICS with
low density: having a low density, especially owing
to a low oxygen content

2.  esoteric
or elite:
seemingly distinct or remote from ordinary reality and common people, and often
purged of elements perceived as coarse or tasteless

3.  above
the ordinary: existing or showing very high quality in
character or style (literary) • Milton’s
rarefied prose

[1]



rarefy

rarefy
rar·e·fy 
[rérrə f] (past rar·e·fied, past
participle rar·e·fied, present participle rar·e·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular rar·e·fies) or rar·i·fy
[rérrə f] (past rar·i·fied, past
participle rar·i·fied, present participle rar·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular rar·i·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something less dense: to make something,
especially a gas, less dense, or to become less dense

2.  transitive
verb
make
something more refined: to make something less
connected with or typical of the ordinary
[14th
century. Directly or via French raréfier from medieval Latin rareficare,
from Latin rarefacere, literally “to make rare,” from rarus (see rare 1 ) + facere (see fact ).]
—rar·e·fi·a·ble [rérrə fī əb’l], adjective[1]



raregas

raregas
rare
gas
noun

CHEMISTRY
See noble gas[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rarely

rarely
rare·ly 
[ráirlee] adverb

1.  almost
never:
almost never or not very often

2.  thoroughly:
in a thorough way or to an unusual extent (archaic)

3.  well:
exceptionally well (regional) • wrote
rarely on the final essay

[1]



rareripe

rareripe
rare·ripe 
[ráir rp] adjective

ripening
early:
that ripens early
noun
(plural rare·ripes)

something
that ripens early: a fruit or vegetable that
ripens early
[Early 18th century. Rare
“early” is a variant of rathe .][1]



rarified

rarified
rar·i·fied 
adjective

See
rarefied[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rarify

rarify
rar·i·fy
verb

See
rarefy[1]



raring

raring
rar·ing 
[ráiring] adjective

eager:
very enthusiastic and eager to start doing something • They
were raring to go.
[Early 20th century. Present
participle of rare, variant of rear 1 .][1]



rarity

rarity
rar·i·ty 
[rérrətee] (plural rar·i·ties)
noun

1.  rare
object or event: something that happens rarely or that is
particularly interesting or valuable because it is so unusual

2.  infrequency:
the fact of happening very seldom or of being very unusual

[1]



rasbora

rasbora
ras·bo·ra 
[raz báwrə, rázbərə]
(plural ras·bo·ras) noun

tropical
freshwater fish: a tropical freshwater fish found in East
Africa and Asia, several species of which are brightly colored and often kept
in home aquariums. Genus: Rasbora
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



rascal

rascal
ras·cal 
[rásk’l] (plural ras·cals) noun

1.  somebody
who behaves mischievously: somebody who behaves in a
teasing mischievous way, especially a child (humorous)

2.  dishonest
person:
somebody, especially a man, who is dishonest or otherwise unethical
[14th
century. From Old French rascaille “mob, rabble,” of uncertain origin:
probably ultimately via rasche “scurf, scab” from Latin radere
(see raze ).]
—ras·cal·ly, adjective[1]



rase

rase
rase
transitive verb

(dated) See raze[1]



rash

rash2
rash2 (plural rash·es)
noun

1.  MEDICINE skin
eruption:
an outbreak on the skin’s surface that is often reddish and itchy

2.  several
instances:
a series of events that happen in a brief period and are considered to be
unusual or rare • a rash of burglaries
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete French rache “a sore,” from,
ultimately, Latin rasus, past participle of radere (see raze ).][1]



rash

rash1
rash1 (comparative rash·er,
superlative rash·est) adjective

thoughtless
and impetuous: acting with, resulting from, or typical
of thoughtless impetuous behavior
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via assumed Old English ræsc from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “quick” that is also the ancestor of English rathe .]
—rash·ly,
adverb

—rash·ness, noun[1]



rasher

rasher
rash·er 
[ráshər] (plural rash·ers) noun

1.  portion
of bacon or ham: an order or portion of slices of cooked
bacon or ham

2.  slice
of bacon:
a slice of bacon or ham, broiled or fried
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Rashîd

Rashîd
Ra·shîd
[raa shd]

town in Egypt, on the
Mediterranean coast. Population: 52,014 (1986)
Also called
Rosetta[1]



rasorial

rasorial
ra·so·ri·al 
[rə sáwree əl] adjective

able
to scratch the ground: used to describe a bird that
is capable of or adapted for scratching the ground to look for food
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from late Latin rasor “scraper,” from Latin rasus (see rash 2 ).][1]



rasp

rasp1
rasp1  [rasp]
noun (plural rasps)

1.  type
of file:
a tool used for scraping or smoothing wood or metal, similar to a file but with
larger teeth on its cutting surface

2.  harsh
grating sound: a harsh grating sound, similar to that
of a rasp or saw cutting into wood

3.  act
of smoothing something: the act of smoothing the
surface of something such as wood or metal with a rasp
verb
(past rasped, past participle rasped, present
participle rasp·ing, 3rd person present singular rasps)

1.  transitive
verb
say
something in harsh voice: to say something, especially
to give an order, in a harsh voice

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb file
or scrape something: to use a rasp to file or
scrape a surface in order to remove unevenness

3.  transitive
verb
irritate
somebody:
to irritate or annoy somebody
[13th
century. From Old French rasper “to scrape,” from, ultimately,
prehistoric Germanic.]
—rasp·er,
noun

—rasp·ing,
adjective

—rasp·ing·ly,
adverb

—rasp·y, adjective[1]



rasp

rasp2
rasp2  noun

Scotland
raspberry:
a raspberry
[Mid-16th century. Shortening
of obsolete raspis “raspberry,” of unknown origin.][1]



raspatory

raspatory
ras·pa·to·ry
[ráspə tàwree] (plural ras·pa·to·ries)
noun

surgical
rasp:
a surgical instrument similar to a rasp, used to smooth the ends of a bone
[15th century. From medieval
Latin raspatorium, from raspare “to scrape,” from, ultimately,
prehistoric Germanic.][1]



raspberry

raspberry

rasp·ber·ry 
[ráz bèree] (plural rasp·ber·ries)
noun

1.  small
cup-shaped fruit: a small red or black cup-shaped fruit
with a sweet taste that grows round a pithy stalk and is made up of many tiny
juicy globes ( drupelets )

2.  bush:
a shrubby plant of the rose family that has a straight prickly stem on which
raspberries grow. Genus: Rubus

3.  rude
noise:
a rude noise meant to imitate the sound of passing gas, made by blowing air
through pursed lips and intended as an insult or a gesture of disapproval or
defiance (slang)

4.  red
color:
a deep pink color with a purplish tinge to it
[Early 17th century. From rasp 2 + berry .][1]



Rasputin,Grigory Yefimovich

Rasputin,Grigory Yefimovich

Ras·pu·tin
[rass pytin], Grigory Yefimovich
(1872–1916)
Russian peasant and self-proclaimed holy
man. His friendship with Russia’s last emperor and empress wrecked the Romanov
dynasty’s prestige and contributed to the coming of the Russian Revolution
(1917).[1]



rasse

rasse
rasse 
[rássə, ráss]
(plural rass·es) noun

small
mammal resembling a cat: a small carnivorous mammal
that is similar to a cat in appearance. It has anal scent glands and is native
to South and Southeast Asia. Latin name: Viverricula indica
[Early 19th century. From
Javanese .][1]



Rasta

Rasta
Ras·ta 
[rástə] noun (plural Ras·tas)

Rastafarian:
a Rastafarian (informal)
adjective

of
Rastafarians: relating to Rastafarians or
Rastafarianism (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Rastafarian

Rastafarian
Ras·ta·far·i·an 
[ràstə férree ən] (plural Ras·ta·far·i·ans)
noun

member
of an Afro-Caribbean religious group: a
member of an Afro-Caribbean religious group that venerates the former emperor
of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, forbids the cutting of hair, and stresses black
culture and identity
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Amharic Ras Tafari, the name by which Haile Selassie
was known prior to his coming to power, literally “prince to be feared.”]
—Ras·ta·far·i·an·ism, noun[1]



raster

raster
rast·er
[rástər] (plural rast·ers) noun

pattern
of horizontal scanning lines: the pattern of horizontal
scanning lines made by an electron beam on the surface of a cathode-ray tube
that create the image that appears on a television or computer screen
[Mid-20th century. Via
German, “screen,” from Latin rastrum “rake,” from radere (see raze ).][1]



rasterize

rasterize
ras·ter·ize 
[rástə rīz] (past ras·ter·ized,
past participle ras·ter·ized, present participle ras·ter·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ras·ter·iz·es) transitive verb

convert an image into a
screen display: to convert digitized
image into a format suitable for display on a computer monitor or printout[1]



rat

rat
rat 
noun (plural rats)

1.  ZOOLOGY long-tailed
rodent:
a long-tailed rodent, larger than a mouse. Genus: Rattus

2.  animal
like a rat:
an animal that resembles a rat

3.  somebody
untrustworthy: a mean sneaky deceitful person,
especially somebody who betrays friends or confidences (slang)

4.  artificial
hair:
a pad with tapered ends used in hairdressing to add height to the hair (dated)
transitive
verb
(past rat·ted, past participle rat·ted, present
participle rat·ting, 3rd person present singular rats)

1.  HUNTING hunt
rats:
to hunt and kill rats

2.  make
the hair stand high on the head: to use a comb to tease
hair into knots with quick repeated movements, which makes it stand up high
from the scalp
[Old
English ræt]
smell
a rat

be suspicious that something
is not right (informal)[1]



ratable

ratable
rat·a·ble 
[ráytəb’l] or rate·a·ble [ráytəb’l] adjective

able to be rated:
able to be estimated or have a value placed on it
plural
noun
rat·a·bles rate·a·bles

1.  property
tax income:
for a government, income from taxes on property

2.  taxable
buildings or other property: buildings or other property,
especially those in commercial use, that supply local government with tax
income
—rat·a·bil·i·ty
[ràytə bíllətee], noun

—rat·a·bly [ráytəblee], adverb[1]



ratafia

ratafia
rat·a·fi·a 
[ràttə f ə] (plural rat·a·fi·as)
noun

1.  liqueur:
a liqueur made from fruit juices or softened fruit in liquor, especially
brandy, and often flavored with almonds or with peach or apricot kernels

2.  rat·a·fi·a
or rat·a·fi·a bis·cuit (plural rat·a·fi·a bis·cuits)
biscuit:
a small biscuit similar to a macaroon, flavored with almond or ratafia.
See
also
macaroon
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Caribbean Creole .][1]



rataplan

rataplan
rat·a·plan 
[ráttə plàn] noun

drumming
sound:
a noise like the rapid beating of a drum, the sound of horses’ hooves striking
the ground, or machine-gun fire, made up of a series of short repeated sounds
[Mid-19th century. From
French, an imitation of the sound.][1]



rat-a-tat-tat

rat-a-tat-tat
rat-a-tat-tat 
or rat-tat-tat or rat-tat noun

sound
of knocking at door: the distinctive rhythmic
pattern of short loud sounds made by somebody knocking at a door
interjection

imitation
of a knocking sound: an imitation of the sound of
somebody knocking on a door
[Late 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ratatouille

ratatouille
rat·a·tou·ille 
[ràttə ty] (plural rat·a·tou·illes)
noun

dish
of stewed vegetables: a dish of stewed vegetables,
originally from southern France, usually consisting of tomatoes, onions,
peppers, eggplant, and zucchini cooked slowly in olive oil
[Late 19th century. From
French, an alteration of touiller “to stir,” from Old French tooiller
(see toil ).][1]



rat-bitefever

rat-bitefever
rat-bite
fe·ver 
noun

infectious disease caused by
rats: an infectious disease in
humans caused by the bite of a rat infected with either of two bacteria, Streptobacillus
moniliformis or Spirillum minus[1]



rat-catcher

rat-catcher
rat-catch·er
(plural rat-catch·ers) noun

somebody whose job is
catching rats: somebody whose job is
to rid buildings of rats and other vermin[1]



ratcheese

ratcheese
rat
cheese
noun

Cheddar cheese:
Cheddar cheese (informal humorous)[1]



ratchet

ratchet

ratch·et 
[ráchət] noun (plural ratch·ets)

1.  turning
device moving in one direction: a mechanism, used
especially in lifting devices and some hand tools, consisting of a metal wheel
operating with a catch that permits motion in only one direction

2.  ratchet
wheel or pawl: either of the main parts of a ratchet
device, the toothed wheel or bar, or the pawl
verb (past
ratch·et·ed or ratch·et·ted, past participle ratch·et·ed
or ratch·et·ted, present participle ratch·et·ing or
ratch·et·ting, 3rd person present singular ratch·ets)

1.  transitive
verb
force
something up or down: to force something such as
prices or political rhetoric to rise or fall in level or intensity by
deliberately applying pressure in successive and irreversible stages

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with ratchet: to move, or to move something gradually
up or down by means of a ratchet
[Mid-17th century. Via French
rochet “spool” from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English rocket
.][1]



ratcheteffect

ratcheteffect
ratch·et
ef·fect
noun

wage or price movement:
the failure of wages or prices that have risen or fallen because of temporary
market pressure to return to their previous level once that pressure is removed[1]



ratchetwheel

ratchetwheel
ratch·et
wheel
(plural ratch·et wheels) noun

toothed wheel in a ratchet:
a toothed wheel in a ratchet mechanism[1]



rate

rate
rate
[rayt] noun (plural rates)

1.  speed:
the speed at which one measured quantity happens, runs, moves, or changes
compared to another measured amount such as time

2.  amount
in relation to standard figure: the amount, frequency,
or speed of something expressed as a proportion of a larger figure or in
relation to a whole • The
dropout rate at the end of the first year is around one in three.

3.  COMMERCE charge:
the amount of money charged per unit, for example, per hour, per page, or per
thousand, for a particular job, service, or commodity • I’m
charging you the going rate for the job.
verb
(past rat·ed, past participle rat·ed, present
participle rat·ing, 3rd person present singular rates)

1.  transitive
verb
set
a value on something: to calculate or appraise the
value of something • How would you rate this
gem collection?

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb assess:
to have or to be regarded as having a particular value, position, or importance
relative to other people or things • This
rates as undoubtedly the worst movie I have ever seen.

3.  transitive
verb
deserve
something:
to deserve or be worthy of something • Her
latest book didn’t even rate a review.

4.  transitive
verb
classify
something:
to give a particular classification or rating to something such as a machine,
that identifies its performance capabilities and limits

5.  transitive
verb
FINANCE value
something for tax purposes: to value something,
especially a property, for tax purposes
[15th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin (pro) rata (parte),
literally “(according to a) fixed (part),” from Latin ratus, past
participle of reri “to calculate.”]
at
any rate

used
to indicate that an important point is true, whatever other considerations
there may be





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word reri from which rate is
  derived is also the source of English ratify,
  ration, and reason.

[1]



rateable

rateable
rate·a·ble
adjective noun

See
ratable[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ratecap

ratecap
rate
cap
noun

maximum interest charge:
a maximum interest charge permitted during the life of an adjustable-rate
mortgage[1]



ratel

ratel

ra·tel 
[ráytl, rt’l]
(plural ra·tels) noun
ZOOLOGY honey-eating
badgerlike carnivore: a carnivorous animal with
short thick legs, a strong body with a thick furry coat, dark underneath and
whitish on top, and a head similar to a badger’s. Ratels are found in Asia and
Africa, live on honey and small animals, and are noted for being very aggressive.
Latin name: Mellivora capensis
Also
called
honey badger
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, of unknown origin.][1]



ratemaking

ratemaking
rate·mak·ing 
[ràyt máyking] noun

establishing of rates of
payment: the process or business of
establishing rates of payment for such things as public transportation or
utilities[1]



rateof change

rateof change
rate
of change
(plural rates of change) noun

ratio of difference in
values: the ratio of the difference
in values of a variable during a time period to the length of that time period[1]



rateof exchange

rateof exchange
rate
of ex·change (plural rates of ex·change)
noun

See
exchange rate[1]



rateof return

rateof return
rate
of re·turn
(plural rates of re·turn) noun

amount of income generated by
an investment: the amount of income
generated in a year by capital invested, expressed as a percentage of the total
sum[1]



ratepayer

ratepayer
rate·pay·er 
[ráyt pàyər] (plural rate·pay·ers)
noun

somebody who pays for utility
consumption: somebody who pays for
the use of a utility such as electricity or water on the basis of the amount
consumed[1]



rater

rater
rat·er 
[ráytər] (plural rat·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who fixes rates: somebody who establishes rates or
ratings

2.  somebody
of a specific ability: somebody who has a
particular rank or level of ability (often used in combination) • All
of them are nothing but second-raters with delusions of grandeur.

[1]



ratfink

ratfink
rat·fink 
[rát fingk] (plural rat·finks)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody regarded as obnoxious or despicable (insult)[1]



ratfish

ratfish
rat·fish 
[rát fìsh] (plural rat·fish or
rat·fish·es) noun

deep-sea fish:
a cartilaginous deep-sea fish with a long narrow tail, found worldwide. Family:
Chimaeridae[1]



ratflea

ratflea
rat
flea
(plural rat fleas) noun

insect of the flea family:
an insect of the flea family, found worldwide, that lives as a parasite on
rodents, sometimes carrying the deadly bacterium that causes bubonic plague[1]



rathe

rathe
rathe 
[ray, raath]
adjective

ripening
early:
ripening or appearing early (archaic)
[Old English hræþ
“quick,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is perhaps also the ancestor of
English rash][1]



Rathenau,Walther

Rathenau,Walther
Ra·then·au
[rtə nòir], Walther (1867–1922)

German political economist
and public servant. As foreign minister, he represented Germany at reparations
conferences after World War I. He was assassinated by German nationalists.[1]



rather

rather
rath·er 
[ráər] adverb

1.  more
willingly:
more readily or willingly • You go
to the movies; I’d rather stay home tonight.

2.  with
more justification: with more logic, evidence,
precision, or justification • You
should praise rather than blame them.

3.  somewhat:
to some extent or degree • rather
disappointing

4.  on
the contrary: in contrast or opposition to what has
been stated or expected • You
think she’s snobbish? Rather, I’d say she’s shy.

5.  considerably:
to a great extent or degree • I think
the irises are rather attractive.
interjection

U.K. most
certainly:
used to express complete or enthusiastic agreement with what has just been said
(dated)
[Old English hræþor,
originally the comparative form of hraep (see rathe,
and so meaning “more quickly,” hence “earlier, sooner”][1]



RathlinIsland

RathlinIsland
Rath·lin
Is·land
[ráthlin lənd]

island in Northern Ireland,
off the northern coast of Antrim County. It is home to three lighthouses.
Length: 10 km/6 mi.[1]



rathole

rathole
rat
hole
(plural rat holes) noun

where a rat enters a nest:
the entrance to a rat’s nest[1]



rathskeller

rathskeller
raths·kel·ler 
[rtskèlər, rátskèlər]
(plural raths·kel·lers) noun

German
restaurant:
a beer hall or restaurant that serves German dishes, usually located below
street level
[Early 20th century. From
obsolete German, literally “council cellar” (cellar of the town hall), from Rat
“council” + Keller “cellar.”][1]



ratify

ratify
rat·i·fy 
[ráttə f] (past rat·i·fied, past
participle rat·i·fied, present participle rat·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular rat·i·fies) transitive verb

formally
approve something: to give formal approval to
something, usually an agreement negotiated by somebody else, in order that it
can become valid or operative
[14th
century. Via French ratifier from medieval Latin ratificare,
literally “to make fixed,” from Latin ratus (see rate ).]
—rat·i·fi·a·ble
[ráttə fīəb’l], adjective

—rat·i·fi·ca·tion
[ràttəfə káysh’n], noun

—rat·i·fi·er [ráttə fir], noun[1]



rating

rating
rat·ing 
[ráyting] noun (plural rat·ings)

1.  assessment:
an assessment or classification of something on a scale according to how much
or how little of a particular quality it possesses

2.  COMMERCE credit
standing:
an assessment of the financial status and creditworthiness of a company or an
individual

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING performance
limit of a machine: a stated performance limit
of a machine or system, expressed as capacity, range, or working capability

4.  classification
of somebody by occupation: a classification of
somebody, for example, a member of the military or a government worker, based
on his or her specialization or occupation
plural
noun
rat·ings

TV RADIO list showing size of an
audience:
a list or lists showing the estimated number of people who tuned in to a
particular TV or radio program, used as an indication of its relative
popularity

[1]



ratiné

ratiné
rat·i·né 
[ràttə náy, ráttə
nay] or rat·i·ne [ràttə náy,
ráttə nay] noun

loosely
woven cloth: a loosely woven cloth with a coarse
nubby texture
[Early 20th century. From
French, past participle of ratiner “to raise a nap,” from ratine
(see ratine .][1]



ratiné

ratiné
rat·i·né
[ràttə náy, ráttə
nay] or rat·i·ne [ràttə náy,
ráttə nay] noun

loosely
woven cloth: a loosely woven cloth with a coarse
nubby texture
[Early 20th century. From
French, past participle of ratiner “to raise a nap,” from ratine
(see ratine .][1]



ratio

ratio
ra·tio 
[ráyshō, ráyshi
ō] (plural ra·tios) noun

1.  proportional
relationship: a proportional relationship between two
different numbers or quantities • The
ratio of teachers to students at that school is 1 to 27

2.  MATHEMATICS one
number divided by another: a quotient of two numbers or
expressions arrived at by dividing one by the other

3.  FINANCE relative
value of gold and silver: the relative value of gold
and silver in a monetary system based on these two metals
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “calculation,” formed from ratus (see rate
).][1]



ratiocinate

ratiocinate
ra·ti·oc·i·nate 
[ràyti ṓs’nàyt, ráshi
ṓs’nàyt] (past ra·ti·oc·i·nat·ed, past participle ra·ti·oc·i·nat·ed,
present participle ra·ti·oc·i·nat·ing, 3rd person present
singular ra·ti·oc·i·nates) intransitive verb

think
or argue logically: to think or put forward an
argument about something in a strictly logical way (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin ratiocinat-, past participle stem of ratiocinari
“to compute,” from ratio (see ratio
).]
—ra·ti·oc·i·na·tion,
noun

—ra·ti·oc·i·na·tive
[ràyti ṓs’naytiv, ràshi
ṓs’naytiv], adjective

—ra·ti·oc·i·na·tor [ràyti ṓs’naytər], noun[1]



ration

ration
ra·tion 
[rásh’n, ráysh’n]
noun (plural ra·tions)

1.  fixed
amount allocated to an individual: a fixed and limited
amount of something, especially food, given or allocated to somebody or a group
from the stocks available, especially during a time of shortage or a war

2.  adequate
amount:
the amount of anything that it seems normal or desirable for an individual to
have • more
than your ration of bad luck
plural
noun
ra·tions

amount of food officially allocated:
food, especially an amount of food allocated to somebody, for example, a
soldier or hiker, from a limited stock
transitive
verb
(past ra·tioned, past participle ra·tioned, present
participle ra·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular ra·tions)

1.  restrict
available amount of something: to restrict the amount
of something, usually a commodity in short supply, that an individual is
allowed to buy, consume, or use • Gasoline
was rationed, so long trips were out of the question.

2.  limit
quantity available to somebody: to allow somebody only
a limited quantity of something
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Spanish ración, from Latin ratio (see ratio ). The modern meaning developed from “amount
of provisions calculated for a soldier.”][1]



rational

rational
ra·tion·al 
[rásh’n’l] adjective

1.  reasonable
and sensible: governed by, or showing evidence of,
clear and sensible thinking and judgment, based on reason rather than emotion
or prejudice

2.  able
to think clearly and sensibly: able to think clearly
and sensibly, because the mind is not impaired by physical or mental condition,
violent emotion, or prejudice • I
can’t be rational when so many people give me conflicting advice.

3.  in
accordance with reason and logic: presented or understandable
in terms that accord with reason and logic or with scientific knowledge and are
not based on appeals to emotion or, prejudice

4.  able
to reason:
endowed with the ability to reason, as opposed to being governed solely by
instinct and appetite

5.  MATHEMATICS expressible
as ratio of polynomials: able to be expressed exactly
as the quotient of two whole numbers or polynomials • a
rational function
noun

MATHEMATICS rational
number:
a rational number
[14th
century. From Latin rationalis, from ratio (see ratio ).]
—ra·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—ra·tion·al·ness, noun[1]



rationalchoice theory

rationalchoice theory
ra·tion·al
choice the·o·ry noun

sociological theory:
the hypothesis, derived from game theory, that there is a rational, definable,
and calculable basis to human decision-making[1]



rationale

rationale
ra·tion·ale 
[ràshə nál] (plural ra·tion·ales)
noun

underlying
reasons:
the reasoning or principle that underlies or explains a particular course of
action, or a statement setting out these reasons or principles
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin rationalis (see rational
).][1]



rational-emotivebehavior therapy

rational-emotivebehavior therapy
ra·tion·al-e·mo·tive
be·hav·ior ther·a·py or ra·tion·al-e·mo·tive
ther·a·py noun

cognitive therapy:
a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy in which the client is encouraged to
examine and change irrational thought patterns and beliefs in order to reduce
dysfunctional behavior[1]



rationalhorizon

rationalhorizon
ra·tion·al
ho·ri·zon
(plural ra·tion·al ho·ri·zons) noun

ASTRONOMY
celestial horizon:
the celestial horizon (technical)[1]



rationalism

rationalism
ra·tion·al·ism 
[rásh’n’lìzəm] noun

1.  reasoning
as basis of action: the belief that thought and
action should be governed by reason

2.  reason
as source of truth: the belief that reason and
logic are the primary sources of knowledge and truth and should be relied on in
searching for and testing the truth of things
—ra·tion·al·ist,
noun

—ra·tion·al·is·tic
[rásh’n’listik], adjective

—ra·tion·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[rásh’n’listək’lee], adverb[1]



rationality

rationality
ra·tion·al·i·ty 
[ràshə nállətee] (plural ra·tion·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  fact
of being rational: thinking or behaving in a
rational way, or having the ability to think rationally

2.  something
rational:
a rational belief, opinion, or action (often used in the plural)

3.  condition
of being logical: the condition in which values, beliefs,
and techniques are believed to be based on logical, explicable principles

[1]



rationalization

rationalization
ra·tion·al·i·za·tion 
[ràsh’n’lə záysh’n] (plural ra·tion·al·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  process
of rationalizing: the process of rationalizing something,
or an effect of rationalizing something

2.  PSYCHOANALYSIS defense
mechanism:
in psychoanalytic theory, a defense mechanism whereby people attempt to hide
their true motivations and emotions by providing reasonable or self-justifying
explanations for irrational or unacceptable behavior

[1]



rationalize

rationalize
ra·tion·al·ize 
[rásh’n’lz] (past ra·tion·al·ized,
past participle ra·tion·al·ized, present participle ra·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ra·tion·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
a reasonable explanation: to attempt to justify
behavior normally considered irrational or unacceptable by offering an
apparently reasonable explanation

2.  transitive
verb
make
something more logical or rational: to
make something rational, logical, or consistent

3.  transitive
verb
interpret
something logically: to interpret something from
a logical or rational perspective

4.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS eliminate
radicals:
to eliminate irrational numbers from an expression or an equation
—ra·tion·al·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—ra·tion·al·iz·er, noun[1]



rationalnumber

rationalnumber
ra·tion·al
num·ber
(plural ra·tion·al num·bers) noun

whole number:
a whole number or the quotient of any whole numbers, excluding zero as a
denominator[1]



rationout

rationout
ration
out
transitive verb

distribute in limited
quantities: to distribute something,
especially something that is in short supply, in fixed or strictly limited
quantities[1]



ratioscale

ratioscale
ra·tio
scale
(plural ra·tio scales) noun

data-measurement scale:
a scale for measuring data that makes it possible to compare different values
and to state the difference between them in the form of a ratio[1]



RatIslands

RatIslands
Rat
Is·lands 
[rát ləndz]

group of islands in Alaska,
in the western Aleutian Islands, including Kiska, Amchitka, Semisopochnoi, and
Rat Island[1]



ratite

ratite
rat·ite 
[rá tt] (plural rat·ites) noun

flightless
bird:
a flightless bird such as the ostrich or emu that has a flat breastbone without
the keel that flying birds have
[Late 19th century. From
Latin ratitus “having the figure of a raft,” from ratis “raft.”][1]



ratkangaroo

ratkangaroo
rat
kan·ga·roo
(plural rat kan·ga·roos) noun

a small kangaroo resembling a
rat: small kangaroo found in
Australia and Tasmania that resembles a rat and has long hind legs for jumping.
Genera: Potorus Bettongia[1]



ratline

ratline
rat·line 
[ráttlən] (plural rat·lines) or
rat·lin [ráttlən] (plural rat·lines)
noun

small
rope fastened horizontally between shrouds: any
of the small ropes fastened horizontally between the shrouds in the rigging of
a sailing ship to make a ladder for the crew going aloft
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



RATO

RATO
RATO
[ráytō]

Abbreviation of
rocket-assisted takeoff[1]



raton

raton
rat
on
transitive verb

to betray somebody’s trust,
especially by revealing something told in confidence (informal)[1]



ratoon

ratoon
ra·toon 
[rə tn] or rat·toon [rə tn] noun (plural ra·toons)
(plural rat·toons)

1.  shoot
at the base of a plant: a shoot growing up from the
base of a crop plant such as sugar cane or bananas after the previous growth
has been cut back

2.  crop
produced on ratoons: a crop, for example, sugar
cane, bananas, or pineapple, that is produced on ratoons
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ra·tooned,
past participle ra·tooned, present participle ra·toon·ing,
3rd person present singular ra·toons) (past rat·tooned,
past participle rat·tooned, present participle rat·toon·ing,
3rd person present singular rat·toons)

produce ratoons:
to propagate by inducing the formation of ratoons, or to send up ratoons
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish retoño “shoot” from, ultimately, Latin autumnus
“autumn.”][1]



ratpack

ratpack
rat
pack
(plural rat packs) noun

close-knit group:
a group of people who have close ties or common interests and aims, whose
activities are sometimes regarded with suspicion or disapproval (slang
insult)[1]



ratrace

ratrace
rat
race
noun

struggle to survive:
the struggle of individuals to survive and make progress in the competitive
environment of modern life, seen as a dehumanizing and ultimately futile
activity (informal) • I’d
like to get out of this rat race and retire to an isolated mountain cabin.[1]



ratsnake

ratsnake
rat
snake
(plural rat snakes) noun

rodent-eating snake:
a large nonvenomous snake of North America and Asia that eats rodents. Genera: Elaphe
Ptyas
Also called
chicken snake[1]



rat-tail

rat-tail
rat-tail 
noun (plural rat-tails)

hairless
tail:
a hairless tail on a horse
adjective
rat·tail rat-tail rat-tailed

like a rat’s tail:
looking like or having a part that resembles a rat’s tail • a
rat-tail comb[1]



rattailcactus

rattailcactus
rat·tail
cac·tus
or rat’s tail cac·tus (plural rat tail cac·ti or
rat tail cac·tus) noun

cactus with crimson or pink
flowers: a commonly cultivated
Mexican cactus that has thin creeping or hanging stems and bright crimson or
pink flowers. Latin name: Aporocactus flagelliformis[1]



rat-tailedmaggot

rat-tailedmaggot
rat-tailed
mag·got
(plural rat-tailed mag·gots) noun

drone fly larva:
the larva of the drone fly that has an elongated rear end that it extends above
the water surface like a snorkel while it feeds below. Latin name: Eristalis
tenax[1]



rattan

rattan
rat·tan 
[ra tán, rə tán]
(plural rat·tans) noun

1.  INDUSTRY stems
used for furniture: long thin jointed and
pliable stems used in wickerwork and for making furniture and canes

2.  HOUSEHOLD articles
made of rattan: something made of rattan such as
furniture

3.  PLANTS tropical
Asian climbing palm: a tropical Asian climbing
palm that is the source of rattan. Genera: Calamus Daemonorops Plectomia
[Mid-17th century. From Malay
rotan, of uncertain origin: probably formed from raut “to trim,
to strip.”][1]



rat-tat

rat-tat
rat-tat
noun interjection

See
rat-a-tat-tat[1]



ratted

ratted
rat·ted
[ráttəd] adjective

of
hair:
having had a comb used repeatedly to make tangles in the hair, making the hair
stand up higher from the scalp
[Late 20th century. Formed
from rat .][1]



ratteen

ratteen
rat·teen 
[ra tn] noun

ratiné:
ratiné (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From
French ratine, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin radere
“to scrape.”][1]



ratter

ratter
rat·ter 
[ráttər] (plural rat·ters) noun

animal that catches rats:
an animal, especially a cat or dog, that is good at catching rats[1]



rattle

rattle2
rat·tle2 [rátt’l]
(past rat·tled, past participle rat·tled, present
participle rat·tling, 3rd person present singular rat·tles)
transitive verb

attach
ratlines to rigging: to attach ratlines to the
shrouds in the rigging of a ship
[Early 18th century.
Back-formation from ratling, a variant of ratline
.][1]



rattle

rattle1

rat·tle1 [rátt’l]
verb (past rat·tled, past participle rat·tled,
present participle rat·tling, 3rd person present singular rat·tles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
short sharp knocking sounds: to make short sharp knocking
or jangling sounds in quick succession, especially as a result of being moved
or shaken, or to shake something so as to produce such sounds • The
windows and doors rattled in the wind.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
with rattling sound: to move while making a
rattling sound • The old jalopy rattled
noisily down the street.

3.  transitive
verb
disconcert
somebody:
to make somebody lose his or her composure and feel frightened, worried,
confused, or annoyed • Reporters
shouting questions rattled her.
noun (plural
rat·tles)

1.  short
sharp knocking or jangling sounds: a succession of short
sharp knocking or jangling sounds, usually caused by something shaking or being
shaken

2.  baby’s
toy:
a baby’s toy consisting of a hollow shape with small objects inside, usually
attached to a handle, that makes a rattling noise when shaken

3.  MEDICINE rattling
noise in the throat: a raspy or rattling noise
made in the throat caused by obstructed breathing and heard especially near
death

4.  noisemaker:
an object such as a musical instrument or a Shaman’s implement that produces a
loud rattling sound

5.  PLANTS plant
with rattling seeds: any of various European
plants whose seeds make a rattling noise inside the seed capsule

6.  ZOOLOGY tip of
rattlesnake’s tail: a set of loosely attached
horny segments at the end of a rattlesnake’s tail that produce a buzzing or
rattling sound when shaken
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German ratelen, an imitation of the
sound.][1]



rattlearound

rattlearound
rattle
around
intransitive verb

occupy larger space than
necessary: to be in a room, house, or
building that is bigger than it needs to be (informal) • There’s
just the two of us rattling around in this place.[1]



rattlebox

rattlebox
rat·tle·box 
[rátt’l bawks] (plural rat·tle·box·es)
noun

tropical plant with inflated
seedpods: a tropical plant that has
inflated seed pods containing seeds that make a rattling noise when the stem
moves. Genus: Crotalaria[1]



rattlebrained

rattlebrained
rat·tle·brained 
adjective

without reasoning ability:
showing a lack of reason or sensibility by speaking rapidly and at length
without much substance (informal insult)[1]



rattleoff

rattleoff
rattle
off
transitive verb

say something very quickly:
to say, read aloud, or perform something very rapidly or with no apparent
effort[1]



rattleon

rattleon
rattle
on
intransitive verb

talk quickly and
inconsequentially: to talk
rapidly and at length about something that is of little interest or importance
to the listener[1]



rattler

rattler
rat·tler 
[ráttlər] (plural rat·tlers) noun

1.  See
rattlesnake

2.  rattling
thing:
somebody or something that rattles

3.  a
freight train (informal)

[1]



rattlesnake

rattlesnake

rat·tle·snake 
[rátt’l snayk] (plural rat·tle·snakes)
noun
venomous American snake:
a large venomous snake of the pit viper family, found in North and South
America, whose tail has loosely attached horny segments that buzz or rattle
when vibrated. Genus: Crotalis Sistrurus
Also called
rattler[1]



rattlesnakeplantain

rattlesnakeplantain
rat·tle·snake
plan·tain
(plural rat·tle·snake plan·tains) noun

orchid with white or yellow
flowers: an orchid with striped or
mottled leaves that resemble a rattlesnake’s skin and spikes of white or yellow
flowers. Genus:: Goodyera[1]



rattlesnakeroot

rattlesnakeroot
rat·tle·snake
root
(plural rat·tle·snake roots) noun

plant with white or purple
flowers: a composite plant that has
bitter-tasting tuberous roots and white or purple flowers resembling a strap,
once believed to offer protection from rattlesnake bites. Genus: Prenanthes[1]



rattlesnakeweed

rattlesnakeweed
rat·tle·snake
weed
(plural rat·tle·snake weeds) noun

N American plant with
purple-veined leaves: a North
American plant that has purple-veined leaves and yellow flower heads. Latin
name: Hieracium venosum[1]



rattletrap

rattletrap
rat·tle·trap 
[rátt’l tràp] (plural rat·tle·traps)
noun

old worn-out car:
an old noisy worn-out car or other vehicle (informal)[1]



rattling

rattling
rat·tling 
[ráttling] adjective

moving
or talking briskly: moving or talking at a very
fast or lively pace • a
rattling TV debate
—rat·tling·ly, adverb[1]



rattly

rattly
rat·tly 
[ráttlee] (comparative rat·tlier,
superlative rat·tli·est) adjective

noisy:
making a lot of noise, usually because of being in very bad condition or not
firmly fixed • a
rattly air conditioner[1]



rattoon

rattoon
rat·toon
(plural rat·toons) noun

See
ratoon[1]



rattrap

rattrap
rat·trap 
(plural rat·traps) noun

1.  squalid
dwelling:
a dilapidated dirty unsafe dwelling (informal) • They
bought a rattrap and are fixing it up

2.  trap
for rats:
a trap designed to catch rats

[1]



ratty

ratty
rat·ty 
[ráttee] (comparative rat·ti·er,
superlative rat·ti·est) adjective

1.  messy:
having an appearance that is messy and generally unkempt (informal) • a
ratty old sweater

2.  dilapidated:
in an unsafe, rundown condition and unfit for human habitation (informal)

3.  infested
with rats:
full of or overrun with rats

4.  of
rats:
relating to or believed to be characteristic of rats
—rat·ti·ly,
adverb

—rat·ti·ness, noun[1]



rat’snest

rat’snest
rat’s
nest
(plural rat’s nests) noun

1.  something
messy:
something, such a room, house, or somebody’s hair, that is very messy (informal)
• How
can he live in such a rat’s nest?

2.  ZOOLOGY nest
of rats:
a nest in which rats live and breed

[1]



raucous

raucous
rau·cous 
[ráwkəss] adjective

unpleasantly
loud:
loud and hoarse or unpleasant-sounding, or characterized by loud noise,
shouting, and ribald laughter
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from Latin raucus “hoarse.”]
—rau·ci·ty
[ráwsətee], noun

—rau·cous·ly
[ráwkəslee], adverb

—rau·cous·ness, noun[1]



raunch

raunch
raunch 
[ráwnch] noun (slang)

1.  sexual
explicitness: sexual explicitness or suggestiveness of
an earthy or vulgar kind, especially as part of a performer’s material or act

2.  sexually
explicit material: sexually explicit or lewd
material or language

3.  messiness:
lack of cleanliness or neatness
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from raunchy .][1]



raunchy

raunchy
raun·chy 
[ráwnchee] (comparative raun·chi·er,
superlative raun·chi·est) adjective

1.  sexually
explicit or obscene: sexually explicit or obscene
in a coarse vulgar way (informal)

2.  dirty:
lacking neatness or cleanliness (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin unknown.]
—raun·chi·ly,
adverb

—raun·chi·ness, noun[1]



Rauschenberg,Robert

Rauschenberg,Robert
Rausch·en·berg
[ròwsh’n búrg], Robert (1925– )

U.S. artist. His hybrid
three-dimensional works such as Monogram ( 1955–1959 ) had a strong
influence on the pop art movement of the 1960s.[1]



Raushenbusch,Walter

Raushenbusch,Walter
Raush·en·busch
[ròwsh’n bsh], Walter (1861–1918)

U.S. clergyman. He was
prominent in the Social Gospel movement, which advocated applying Christian
principles to social problems.[1]



rauwolfia

rauwolfia
rau·wol·fi·a 
[row wlfee ə, raw
wlfee ə] (plural rau·wol·fi·as) noun

1.  tropical
SE Asian tree: a tropical Southeast Asian tree or shrub
belonging to the dogbane family. Latin name: Rauwolfia serpentina

2.  root
used to make sedative drugs: root used to make various
sedative drugs, including reserpine
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for Leonhard Rauwolf (died 1596), a
German botanist and physician.][1]



ravage

ravage
rav·age 
[rávvij] verb (past rav·aged,
past participle rav·aged, present participle rav·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular rav·ag·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb completely
wreck or damage something: to wreck or utterly destroy
something through a violent onslaught of some kind (often passive) • a
once-beautiful landscape ravaged by development

2.  transitive
verb
wreck
and plunder a place: to plunder or sack a place
or area
noun

act or habit of destruction:
the act or habit of destroying or plundering something
plural
noun
rav·ag·es

damaging effects:
the damaging or disfiguring effects of something, especially time
[Early
17th century. From French ravager, alteration of ravine “rushing
of water,” from, ultimately, Latin rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—rav·age·ment,
noun

—rav·ag·er, noun[1]



rave

rave
rave 
[rayv] verb (past raved,
past participle raved, present participle rav·ing, 3rd
person present singular raves)

1.  intransitive
verb
give
high praise: to praise something in a very
enthusiastic way • All the critics raved
about her performance.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
wildly and incoherently: to speak in a loud or angry
way that suggests lack of rationality or loss of self-control

3.  intransitive
verb
storm:
to be very stormy and make a loud roaring noise (literary)
noun
(plural raves)

1.  enthusiastic
praise:
something, especially a review, that expresses extremely enthusiastic praise
for something (informal) (often used before a noun) • gave
the novel rave reviews

2.  large-scale
party:
a large-scale party or club event at which pop music is played, lasting
sometimes all night (slang)

3.  act
of raving:
an act or instance of raving
[14th century. From Old
Northern French raver, of uncertain origin.][1]



ravel

ravel
rav·el 
[rávv’l] (past rav·eled or
rav·elled, past participle rav·eled or rav·elled,
present participle rav·el·ing or rav·el·ling, 3rd
person present singular rav·els) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fray:
to come, or cause threads to come, loose from a knitted or woven fabric

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb tangle:
to become tangled, or cause threads or fibers of some kind to tangle • My
fishing line has raveled.

3.  transitive
verb
resolve
something:
to clarify or resolve something complicated
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Dutch ravelen .]
—rav·el·er,
noun

—rav·el·ment, noun[1]



ravelin

ravelin
rav·el·in 
[rávvlən] (plural rav·el·ins) noun

arrowhead-shaped
outwork in fortifications: a small outwork in
fortifications consisting of two embankments shaped like an arrowhead that
point outward in front of a larger defense work
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian ravellina, of unknown origin.][1]



Ravel,Maurice

Ravel,Maurice
Ra·vel 
[rə vél], Maurice (1875–1937)

French
composer. A master of orchestration, he wrote impressionistic pieces that are
classics of the 20th-century repertoire. His works include Boléro ( 1928
) and Daphnis et Chloé ( 1912 ).
Full name
Ravel, Maurice Joseph[1]



raven

raven2
rav·en2 [rávv’n]
(past rav·ened, past participle rav·ened, present
participle rav·en·ing, 3rd person present singular rav·ens)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  eat
greedily:
to eat something voraciously or greedily

2.  take
something away by force: to take something away by
force, especially prey or plunder
[15th
century. Via Old French raviner “to seize” from, ultimately, Latin rapere
(see rape 1 ).]
—rav·en·er, noun[1]



raven

raven1
ra·ven1 [ráyv’n]
noun (plural ra·vens)

large
black bird of crow family: a large bird belonging to
the crow family with glossy black plumage, a wedge-shaped tail, and a large
beak. It is found throughout the northern hemisphere, chiefly in upland
regions, and is a subject of legend and folklore, being often perceived as a bad
omen. Latin name: Corvus corax
adjective

COLORS shiny
black:
of a deep lustrous black (literary)
[Old
English hræfn . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word, thought to
be an imitation of its croaking.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Raven, a poem by Edgar Allen Poe ( 1845 ). This melancholy tale of lost love
  gained Poe national fame. As a young student mourns the death of his lover, a
  raven –a traditional symbol of doom –appears at his window. To every question
  that the student poses about his future and his lover, the bird responds
  “Nevermore.”

[1]



ravening

ravening
rav·en·ing 
[rávv’ning] adjective

predatory:
living by hunting prey, especially in a greedy voracious way
—rav·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Ravenna

Ravenna
Ra·ven·na 
[rə vénnə]

capital city of Ravenna
Province, Emilia-Romagna Region, northeastern Italy. An ancient Roman city, it
contains several early Christian churches. Population: 134,000 (1994)[1]



ravenous

ravenous
rav·en·ous 
[rávv’nəss] adjective

1.  hungry:
extremely hungry

2.  greedy
for something: hungry or greedy for something,
especially for the gratification of wants or desires

3.  predatory:
voracious and predatory
—rav·en·ous·ly,
adverb

—rav·en·ous·ness, noun[1]



raver

raver
rav·er
[ráyvər] (plural rav·ers) noun

somebody frequenting raves:
somebody who goes to raves (informal)[1]



ravin

ravin
rav·in 
[rávvin] noun (archaic or literary)

1.  preying:
the act of preying on something

2.  prey:
something taken as prey
[14th century. From Old
French ravine (see ravine ).][1]



ravine

ravine
ra·vine 
[rə vn] (plural ra·vines) noun

deep
narrow valley: a deep narrow valley, especially one
formed by running water
[15th century. From Old
French ravine “rapine, violent rush,” from, ultimately, Latin rapere
(see rape 1 ).][1]



raving

raving
rav·ing 
[ráyving] adjective

1.  irrational:
wildly irrational, angry, or insulting

2.  stunning:
used to emphasize the sense of admiration and excitement felt for something (informal)
• a
raving review of the play
plural
noun
rav·ings

wildly irrational speech:
wildly irrational, angry, or insulting utterances • the
ravings of a person cheated
—rav·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ravioli

ravioli
ra·vi·o·li 
[ràvvee ṓlee] (plural ra·vi·o·lis)
noun

type
of filled pasta: a food made from small squares of pasta
sealed around a meat, cheese, or other filling
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, the plural of dialectal raviolo “small turnip.”][1]



ravish

ravish
rav·ish 
[rávvish] (past rav·ished, past
participle rav·ished, present participle rav·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular rav·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  rape
somebody:
to force somebody to engage in sexual intercourse (literary)

2.  overwhelm
somebody emotionally: to overwhelm somebody with
deep and pleasurable feelings or emotions (usually passive)

3.  carry
something off: to carry off something by violent force
(archaic or literary)
[13th
century. From the French stem raviss- “to seize,” from, ultimately,
Latin rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—rav·ish·er,
noun

—rav·ish·ment, noun[1]



ravishing

ravishing
rav·ish·ing 
[rávvishing] adjective

entrancing:
extremely delightful or beautiful
—rav·ish·ing·ly, adverb[1]



raw

raw
raw 
[ro] adjective

1.  uncooked:
not cooked

2.  unprocessed:
not processed, refined, or treated in any way

3.  hurt
and sore:
cut, scraped, or inflamed, often painfully so

4.  cold:
extremely cold and harsh or damp

5.  inexperienced:
lacking training for or experience with something

6.  brutally
realistic:
factual and realistic, especially in connection with unpleasant matters • a
raw portrayal of a model’s life

7.  crude:
coarse and vulgar

8.  not
changed or interpreted: in an original state and not
yet subjected to correction or analysis

9.  not
subtle:
not subtle, restrained, or refined • the
raw power of the music
[Old
English hrēaw . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced
Latin crudus “raw” (source of English crude
and cruel ).]
—raw·ish,
adjective

—raw·ly,
adverb

—raw·ness,
noun
in
the raw

1.  not
wearing clothes (informal)

2.  in
a natural state, without embellishment or refinement

[1]



Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi
Ra·wal·pin·di
[rwəl píndee] or Rā·wal·pin·di
[rwəl píndee]

city of Punjab Province,
northern Pakistan. Population: 1,290,000 (1995)[1]



rawbar

rawbar
raw
bar
noun

restaurant serving uncooked
fish: a seafood restaurant or a
counter in a restaurant where uncooked fish and shellfish are served or
available[1]



rawboned

rawboned
raw·boned 
[ráw bnd] adjective

bony:
having a lean body with prominent bones[1]



rawdeal

rawdeal
raw
deal
noun

unfair treatment:
an arrangement, situation, or treatment that is unfair[1]



rawhide

rawhide
raw·hide 
[ráw hd] noun (plural raw·hides)

1.  untanned
hide:
untanned animal hide

2.  whip
or rope:
a whip or rope made of rawhide
transitive
verb
(past raw·hid·ed, past participle raw·hid·ed, present
participle raw·hid·ing, 3rd person present singular raw·hides)

beat somebody:
to beat somebody with a rawhide

[1]



rawinsonde

rawinsonde
ra·win·sonde 
[ráywind sònd] (plural ra·win·sondes)
noun

wind-tracking
instrument:
a balloon carrying meteorological instruments that has a trackable radar target
and is used to observe the velocity and direction of upper-air winds
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
radar, wind,
and radiosonde .][1]



Rawlings,Jerry

Rawlings,Jerry
Raw·lings
[ráwlingz], Jerry (1947– )

Ghanaian
soldier and statesman. He was elected president of Ghana (1992) and was chair
of the Economic Community of West African States (1994–1996).
Full name
Rawlings, Jerry John[1]



rawmaterial

rawmaterial
raw
ma·te·ri·al
(plural raw ma·te·ri·als) noun

1.  natural
unprocessed material: a natural unprocessed
material that is used in a manufacturing process

2.  something
potentially useful: something or somebody
considered to have potential for use or development

[1]



rawsienna

rawsienna
raw
si·en·na
noun

1.  COLORS yellowish
brown:
a yellowish brown color

2.  INDUSTRY pigment:
a natural brownish yellow substance that is used as a pigment

[1]



rawsilk

rawsilk
raw
silk
noun

1.  untreated
silk fibers: silk fibers reeled from silkworm cocoons
and left untreated

2.  silk
fabric:
fabric or yarn made from raw silk

[1]



ray

ray2

ray2 [ray]
noun
flat
fish:
a fish with a cartilage skeleton, a flat head and body, broad pectoral fins,
and a tapering tail. It lives near the sea floor, feeding on shellfish. The
gill inlets are on top of the head behind the eyes, while the outlets are on
the underside. Order: Rajiformes
See
also
stingray
[14th century. Via French raie
from Latin raia .][1]



ray

ray3
ray3 [ray]
noun

U.K.
MUSIC See re[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ray

ray1
ray1 [ray]
noun (plural rays)

1.  beam
of light:
a narrow beam of light from the sun or an artificial light source

2.  PHYSICS beam
of energy:
a thin beam of radiant energy or particles

3.  trace
of something positive: a slight indication of
something positive in a difficult or worrying situation

4.  MATHEMATICS line
extending from point: a straight line that extends
from a point infinitely in one direction.
Also
called
half-line

5.  ZOOLOGY arm of
starfish:
any of the arms of a starfish or other animal with body parts radiating from
the center

6.  ASTRONOMY bright
streak from lunar crater: any of the bright streaks on
the lunar surface that radiate from some craters

7.  BOTANY radial
strand of plant pith: a distinct strand of tissue
running radially through the conducting tissues in the stem of a plant
plural
noun
rays

sunshine: hot
or warm sunshine, especially when thought of as a tanning agent (slang)
• catch
some rays
verb
(past rayed, past participle rayed, present
participle ray·ing, 3rd person present singular rays)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb emit
light:
to shine or emit rays, for example of light or electromagnetic particles

2.  intransitive
verb
extend
in lines:
to extend in radiating lines from a point
[14th
century. Via French rai from Latin radius (see radius ).]
—rayed, adjective[1]



rayflower

rayflower
ray
flow·er
or ray flo·ret noun

single radiating part of
daisy flower: any of the radiating
parts of the flower of a composite plant such as the dandelion or daisy,
comprising either the whole flower head or only its margin[1]



raygun

raygun
ray
gun
(plural ray guns) noun

science fiction gun:
in science fiction, a gun capable of firing rays of energy that stun or destroy[1]



Rayleigh,John William Strutt

Rayleigh,John William Strutt
Ray·leigh 
[ráylee], John William Strutt, 3rd Baron
(1842–1919)

British physicist. He
performed research into resonance and vibration and, with Sir William Ramsay,
discovered argon (1894).[1]



Rayleighscattering

Rayleighscattering
Ray·leigh
scat·ter·ing  noun

deflection
of light by matter: the scattering of
electromagnetic radiation into different wavelengths by very small particles of
matter, responsible for red sunrises and sunsets as well as the blue of the
daytime sky. The particles must be very small relative to the wavelength of the
radiation, and while there is no frequency change there is a phase change and a
separation of colors.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
John William Strutt Rayleigh, who first
described it.][1]



rayless

rayless
ray·less 
[ráyləss] adjective

1.  without
light:
dark, gloomy, or lacking light (literary)

2.  BOTANY lacking
ray flowers: lacking the ray flowers that typically
form part of the flower heads of plants in the daisy family
—ray·less·ly,
adverb

—ray·less·ness, noun[1]



Ray,Man

Ray,Man
Ray
[ray], Man (1890–1976)

U.S.
artist. Founder of the New York Dada movement, he is known for his avant-garde
photographs and paintings.
Real name
Rudnitsky, Emanuel[1]



RaymondTerrace

RaymondTerrace
Ray·mond
Ter·race
[ràyməndtérrəss]

town in eastern New South
Wales, Australia, located at the junction of the Hunter and Williams rivers.
Population: 12,332 (1996)[1]



Raynaud’sdisease

Raynaud’sdisease
Ray·naud’s
dis·ease
[ray nṓz di zz] noun

blood
vessel disorder: a disorder of the blood vessels in which
somebody is affected by Raynaud’s phenomenon without any identifiable
underlying cause
[Late 19th century. Named for
the French physician Maurice Raynaud (1834–1881), who first described
it.][1]



Raynaud’sphenomenon

Raynaud’sphenomenon
Ray·naud’s
phe·nom·e·non  noun

disorder
affecting fingers and toes: spasms of the arteries of
the fingers and toes, typically brought on by cold, causing the hands and feet
to become pale, cold, numb, and sometimes painful. Causes include diseases of
the arteries, rheumatoid arthritis, and repeated trauma to the fingers.
[Mid-20th century (see Raynaud’s disease )][1]



rayon

rayon
ray·on 
[ráy òn] (plural ray·ons) noun

1.  synthetic
textile fiber: a synthetic textile fiber made from
cellulose

2.  synthetic
fabric:
a synthetic fabric or yarn made from rayon fibers
[Early 20th century. Coined
from ray 1, perhaps
influenced by French rayon “ray”; from its sheen.][1]



Ray,Satyajit

Ray,Satyajit

Ray
[ray], Satyajit (1921–1992)
Indian movie director. His Apu
(1955–199) and Calcutta (1970–1975) movie trilogies won him
international acclaim.[1]



raze

raze
raze
[rayz] (past razed, past
participle razed, present participle raz·ing, 3rd
person present singular raz·es) or rase [rayz] (past rased, past
participle rased, present participle rasing, 3rd
person present singular rases) transitive verb

1.  completely
destroy place: to destroy or level a building or
settlement completely

2.  scrape
something:
to scrape or shave something off something else
[Mid-16th
century. Via French raser, literally “to shave off,” from, ultimately,
Latin radere “to scrape, scratch” (source also of English abrade, erase,
and rash ).]
—raz·er, noun[1]



razor

razor
ra·zor 
[ráyzər] noun (plural ra·zors)

instrument
for shaving: an instrument with a blade or powered
cutting head that is used for shaving hair off the face or body
transitive
verb
(past ra·zored, past participle ra·zored, present
participle ra·zor·ing, 3rd person present singular ra·zors)

shave
or cut hair: to shave or cut hair, or remove
something else, using a razor
[13th century. From Old
French rasor, from raser (see raze
).][1]



razorback

razorback
ra·zor·back 
[ráyzər bàk] (plural ra·zor·backs)
noun

1.  feral
hog:
a feral hog of the southeastern United States that has a narrow body, ridged
back, and long legs

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY See
finback

3.  ridged
hill:
a hill that has a sharp ridge.
U.K.
term
hogback

[1]



razor-billedauk

razor-billedauk
ra·zor-billed
auk 
(plural ra·zor-billed auks) or ra·zor·bill (plural
ra·zor·bills) noun

black-and-white seabird:
a seabird of the auk family, with black-and-white plumage and a sharp hooked
beak. It inhabits coastal regions of the North Atlantic, feeding underwater on
fish and shellfish. Latin name: Alca torda[1]



razorblade

razorblade
ra·zor
blade
noun

blade for safety razor:
a flat blade designed to be used in a safety razor[1]



razorclam

razorclam
ra·zor
clam
noun

burrowing bivalve mollusk:
a bivalve mollusk that has a long narrow tubular shell with squared ends. It
burrows rapidly downward into the sand by extending a muscular foot. Family:
Solenidae
U.K. term
razor-shell[1]



razorcut

razorcut
ra·zor
cut
noun (plural ra·zor cuts)

haircut
with razor:
a haircut that is done using a razor rather than scissors
transitive
verb

cut hair with razor:
to cut or style hair with a razor rather than scissors[1]



razor-shell

razor-shell
ra·zor-shell
(plural ra·zor-shells) noun

U.K.
See razor clam[1]



razorwire

razorwire
ra·zor
wire
noun

sharp metal wire used for
fences: wire with sharp pieces of
metal fixed along its length, used for fences and barriers[1]



razz

razz

razz 
[raz] transitive verb (past razzed,
past participle razzed, present participle razz·ing,
3rd person present singular razz·es)
tease
somebody:
to tease or make fun of somebody (informal)
noun
(plural razz·es)
raspberry:
a raspberry noise (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of raspberry .][1]



razzle-dazzle

razzle-dazzle
raz·zle-daz·zle 
noun

1.  showiness
that astonishes: an often gaudy showiness that is
designed to impress and excite people

2.  confusing
actions:
actions intended to dazzle and confuse somebody, especially an opponent in a
sport
[Late 19th century. Rhyming
compound formed from dazzle .][1]



razzmatazz

razzmatazz
razz·ma·tazz 
[ràzmə táz] noun

1.  exciting
showiness:
showiness that is designed to impress and excite people, especially in the
context of a stage show or other spectacle

2.  double-talk:
language that is intended to confuse and conceal
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of razzle-dazzle
.][1]



RB

RB
RB

FOOTBALL
Abbreviation of running back[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Rb

Rb
Rb

Symbol for
rubidium[1]



RBC

RBC
RBC
or rbc

Abbreviation of
red blood (cell) count[1]



RBE

RBE
RBE
or rbe

Abbreviation of
relative biological effectiveness[1]



RBI

RBI
RBI
or rbi

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of run batted in[1]



RC

RC
RC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Red Cross

2.  Abbreviation
of
Reserve Corps

[1]



rcd.

rcd.
rcd.

Abbreviation of
received[1]



RCMP

RCMP
RCMP
or R.C.M.P.

Abbreviation of
Royal Canadian Mounted Police[1]



RCN

RCN
RCN
or R.C.N.

Abbreviation of
Royal Canadian Navy[1]



r-color

r-color
r-col·or
noun

effect
of “r” sound on vowel: in phonetics, the effect of
an “r” sound uttered simultaneously with a vowel by constricting the oral
cavity with the tongue
—r-col·ored, adjective[1]



R.C.P.

R.C.P.
R.C.P.

Abbreviation of
Royal College of Physicians[1]



rcpt.

rcpt.
rcpt.

Abbreviation of
receipt[1]



R.C.S.

R.C.S.
R.C.S.

Abbreviation of
Royal College of Surgeons[1]



rct.

rct.
rct.

Abbreviation of
recruit[1]



Rd.

Rd.
Rd.

(in addresses)Abbreviation
of Road[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








RD

RD
RD

1.  HEALTH Abbreviation of
registered dietician

2.  MAIL Abbreviation of Rural
Delivery

[1]



rd.

rd.
rd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
rendered

2.  Abbreviation
of
road

3.  Abbreviation
of
round

[1]



RDF

RDF
RDF

1.  RADIO Abbreviation of radio
direction finder

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of Rapid
Deployment Force

[1]



R.E.

R.E.
R.E.
or RE

Abbreviation of
real estate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








re-

re-
re-
prefix

1.  again,
anew • rebuild

2.  back,
backward • recall
[Via Old French from Latin][1]



re

re1
re1  [ray]
noun

MUSIC syllable
used in singing: a syllable that represents the second
note in a scale, used for singing solfeggio. In fixed solfeggio it represents
the note D, the second note in the scale of C, while in solfeggio with movable
do, it is used to represent the second note of the key being sung.
U.K.
term
ray 1 noun 3
[15th century. Shortening of
medieval Latin resonare (see gamut
).][1]



Re

Re2
Re2

1.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for rhenium

2.  MONEY Symbol for rupee

3.  Symbol
for
Reynolds number

[1]



Re

Re1
Re1 noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Ra[1]



re

re2
re2  [ray,
ree] preposition

with
reference to
[Early
18th century. From Latin, literally “on the matter of,” a form of res
“thing, matter.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Usage:
  The
  use of re meaning “with reference to” is
  largely restricted to the language of business, but it is also used
  informally as a convenient short form standing for “regarding, concerning”: • Re
  your invitation, I’ll be pleased to come.

[1]



reach

reach
reach 
[reech] verb (past reached,
past participle reached, present participle reach·ing,
3rd person present singular reach·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend:
to stretch out physically or extend as far as a particular place or point • I
can’t reach the top shelf without a chair.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
toward something to touch it: to move toward something in
order to touch or grasp it • She
reached for her coat.

3.  transitive
verb
arrive
at particular place: to arrive or come to a particular
place or point • We reached home before
midnight.

4.  transitive
verb
arrive
at particular state: to get into a particular
state or condition • I had reached the
desperation point.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb influence
people:
to have an influence or impact on people or on a group • This
campaign will reach millions of people.

6.  transitive
verb
contact
somebody:
to communicate with somebody • I’ll
try to reach you at home.

7.  intransitive
verb
strive
for something: to strive too much to achieve or acquire
something, especially without success • reaching
for fame

8.  transitive
verb
pass
something:
to pass or hand somebody something (informal) • Just
reach me down that file, would you.

9.  intransitive
verb
SAILING sail
with wind to the side: to sail on a tack with the
wind blowing from the side
noun
(plural reach·es)

1.  act
of stretching out: the act of stretching out or
extending

2.  extent
of reaching: the extent or range that somebody or
something is able to reach • The
top shelf is just beyond his reach.

3.  range
of power:
the extent of the power or influence exercised by somebody or something • beyond
the reach of the law

4.  stretch
of water:
a stretch of open water, for example, on a river

5.  SAILING tack
sailed by vessel: a tack sailed by a vessel with the wind
blowing from the side

6.  number
of viewers:
the number of viewers who visit a Web site or watch a particular television
program (informal) • Reach
is one factor determining whether companies invest in the Web.
plural
noun
reach·es

area or level:
an area or level of something • the
upper reaches of the Amazon
[Old
English rcan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German reichen “to reach.”]
—reach·a·ble,
adjective

—reach·er, noun[1]



react

react
re·act 
[ree ákt] (past re·act·ed, past
participle re·act·ed, present participle re·act·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·acts) intransitive verb

1.  respond
emotionally: to respond to something by showing the
feelings or thoughts it arouses

2.  respond
by taking action: to respond to something by taking action

3.  respond
physically:
to respond to the physical effects of something, for example, a medication or
air pollution

4.  CHEMISTRY change
chemically:
to undergo a chemical reaction

[1]



reactance

reactance
re·ac·tance 
[ree áktəns] noun

opposition to flow of
alternating current: opposition
to the flow of alternating current caused by the inductance and capacitance in
a circuit, measured in ohms. The total opposition to the flow of current in the
circuit is the impedance, which is the sum of the reactance and the resistance
in the circuit. Symbol X[1]



reactant

reactant
re·ac·tant 
[ree áktənt] (plural re·ac·tants)
noun

substance undergoing chemical
reaction: a substance that reacts with
another in a chemical reaction[1]



reaction

reaction
re·ac·tion 
[ree áksh’n] (plural re·ac·tions)
noun

1.  emotional
response:
an emotional or intellectual response that something arouses

2.  active
response:
a response to something that involves taking action, or an action taken in
response to something

3.  physical
response:
a response to the physical effects of something such as heat, cold, or
pollution

4.  MEDICINE bodily
response to substance: a response by the body to a
foreign substance, especially to an infection, medication, food, or something
that causes an allergy

5.  PHYSICS forces
acting on a body: an equal but opposite force exerted by a
body when a force acts upon it

6.  POLITICS strong
conservatism: strong opposition to social or political
changes that the speaker considers liberal or progressive (disapproving)

7.  PHYSICS nuclear
process:
a nuclear process resulting in a change in structure of atomic nuclei
—re·ac·tion·al, adjective[1]



reactionary

reactionary
re·ac·tion·ar·y 
[ree áksh’n èrree] adjective

opposed
to liberal or progressive change: opposed to social or
political changes that the speaker considers liberal or progressive (disapproving)
noun
(plural re·ac·tion·ar·ies)

opponent of liberal or
progressive change: an opponent
of social and political changes that the speaker considers liberal or
progressive (disapproving)[1]



reactionengine

reactionengine
re·ac·tion
en·gine
(plural re·ac·tion en·gines) noun

engine producing thrust by
ejecting gas: an engine that produces
thrust by ejecting a stream of gas at high velocity, as do jet engines and
rocket engines[1]



reactionformation

reactionformation
re·ac·tion
for·ma·tion
(plural re·ac·tion for·ma·tions) noun

defense mechanism:
in psychoanalysis, a defense mechanism in which somebody condemns something
that has an unconscious appeal[1]



reactiontime

reactiontime
re·ac·tion
time
(plural re·ac·tion times) noun

PHYSIOLOGY
time between stimulus and response:
the interval of time between the application of a stimulus and the first
indication of a response[1]



reactivate

reactivate
re·ac·ti·vate 
[ree ákti vàyt] (past re·ac·ti·vat·ed,
past participle re·ac·ti·vat·ed, present participle re·ac·ti·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ac·ti·vates) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make active again: to make something active
again, or to become active again
—re·ac·ti·va·tion [ree àkti váysh’n], noun[1]



reactive

reactive
re·ac·tive 
[ree áktiv] adjective

1.  reacting
to events and situations: reacting to events,
situations, and stimuli, especially when doing so spontaneously as they occur

2.  CHEMISTRY reacting
chemically:
taking part in chemical reactions

3.  PSYCHOLOGY caused
by stimuli or events: used to describe a
psychiatric condition caused by particular situations or stimuli, e.g. the
behavior of other people or the death of a loved one
—re·ac·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·ac·tive·ness,
noun

—re·ac·tiv·i·ty [r ák tívvətee], noun[1]



reactor

reactor
re·ac·tor 
[ree áktər] (plural re·ac·tors)
noun

1.  something
that reacts: somebody or something that reacts or
takes part in a reaction

2.  MEDICINE somebody
sensitive to medication: a person or animal that
displays a reaction to a medication, vaccine, or other substance, especially
one that shows a positive reaction to a skin test for latent infection

3.  PHYSICS device
in which nuclear reaction occurs: a device in which
self-sustained controlled nuclear fission or experimental nuclear fusion takes
place, producing heat energy. Reactors are usually characterized by their fuel,
moderator, and coolant, although sometimes their function, power, or size are
employed.

4.  INDUSTRY container
in which chemical reaction occurs: a vessel or other
equipment in which an industrial chemical reaction takes place

5.  ELECTRICITY component
in electrical circuit: a component in an electrical
circuit used to create reactance, for example, a capacitor or an inductor

[1]



read

read
read 
[reed] verb (past read
[red], past participle read [red], present participle read·ing, 3rd
person present singular reads)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb interpret
written material: to interpret the characters in written
or printed material, understanding the sense of what is written

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb utter
written words: to say the words of written or printed
material either internally or out loud

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb learn
something by reading: to find something out by
studying written or printed material • I read
it in a book.

4.  transitive
verb
interpret
nonwritten material: to interpret the information
conveyed by movements, signs, or signals • We
could no longer read the trail.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb interpret
printed signs: to interpret the meaning of signs and
symbols in printed material, some of which may not be in verbal form • to
learn to read music

6.  transitive
verb
be
able to read in foreign language: to know a foreign
language well enough to be able to read in it • Can
you read French?

7.  transitive
verb
understand
something intuitively: to have an understanding of
something by experience or intuitive means • claiming
to be able to read the future

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb PUBLISHING proofread something:
to read through something in order to find poor grammar, misprints, and other
errors

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb interpret
something in particular way: to interpret or understand
something, or be interpreted or understood, in a particular way • I
read this passage as being extremely optimistic.

10. intransitive
verb
have
qualities that affect understanding: to
have particular characteristics that affect the way something is understood • In
the original it reads as poetry rather than prose.

11. transitive
verb
EDUCATION take
university course: to pursue a particular
course of study at a university

12. intransitive
verb
have
particular words: to have a particular wording • a
sign that reads DANGER

13. intransitive
and transitive verb RADIO hear something on two-way
radio:
to receive and understand a message sent by somebody on a two-way radio

14. transitive
verb
indicate
data:
to indicate or display data, for example, a temperature • What
does the thermometer read?

15. transitive
verb
PUBLISHING substitute
word:
to substitute a word or words for others that were printed incorrectly • For
“peasant” read “pheasant.”

16. intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING transfer data into computer
memory:
to transfer program instructions or data from a storage device into a
computer’s main memory
noun

1.  something
producing particular reaction: something that
produces a particular reaction in the reader when read • a
thrilling read

2.  time
spent reading: a period devoted to reading • She
settled down for a long read.
[Old
English rdan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English riddle .]
take
something as read

to assume something to be the
case[1]



readability

readability
read·a·bil·i·ty
[rdə bíllətee] noun

accessibility of text:
a measure of the ease with which a passage or whole text may be read[1]



readable

readable
read·a·ble 
[rdəb’l] adjective

1.  legible:
able to be read easily

2.  enjoyable
to read:
having a style that makes reading enjoyable and interesting
—read·a·ble·ness,
noun

—read·a·bly, adverb[1]



readdress

readdress
re·ad·dress
[r ə dréss] (past re·ad·dressed,
past participle re·ad·dressed, present participle re·ad·dress·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ad·dress·es) transitive verb

1.  put
new address on letter: to put a new address on a
letter, especially if the existing address is wrong or if the letter has to be
forwarded

2.  attend
to again:
to return to a problem or issue, especially with the intention of resolving it

[1]



reader

reader
read·er 
[rdər] (plural read·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who reads:
somebody who reads or who reads in a particular manner

2.  COMPUTING reading
device:
a device that reads, especially one connected to a computer for reading media

3.  EDUCATION educational
book:
an educational book intended as an aid in learning to read or learning a
foreign language

4.  LITERATURE anthology:
a collection of literary works by a single author or by several authors linked,
for example, by their period or style

5.  PUBLISHING somebody
who reads for publisher: somebody who reads
manuscripts for a publisher to assess whether they are publishable

6.  CHRISTIANITY See lay reader

7.  U.K.
EDUC lecturer
at British university: a lecturer at a British
university who ranks above a senior lecturer and below a professor

[1]



readership

readership
read·er·ship 
[rdər shìp] (plural read·er·ships)
noun

1.  PRESS people
who read particular newspaper: the group or number of
people who read a particular newspaper, magazine, or journal

2.  U.K.
EDUC position
of reader in university: the position of reader in a
British university, ranking above a senior lectureship

[1]



Read,George

Read,George
Read 
[reed], George (1733–1798)

American patriot. A delegate
from Delaware, he signed the Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



readily

readily
read·i·ly 
[réddilee] adverb

1.  without
hesitation:
promptly and without any hesitation

2.  easily:
with little difficulty

[1]



Reading

Reading
Read·ing 
[rédding]

1.  city
in northeastern Massachusetts, southeast of Andover and northwest of Boston.
Population: 22,956 (1996)

2.  city
in southeastern Pennsylvania. Population: 78,380 (1990)

[1]



reading

reading
read·ing 
[rding] (plural read·ings) noun

1.  identifying
of written or printed words: the identifying of
combinations of written or printed letters or characters as words in a language
and understanding their meaning

2.  material
that is read: printed or written material that can be
read

3.  occasion
of reading something: an occasion when somebody
reads something, especially a poem or a piece of literature, to an audience

4.  text
read to audience or congregation: a piece of literature
that is read to an audience, or a passage from a sacred text that is read to a
congregation

5.  interpretation
of something: an interpretation or understanding of a
situation or of something that has been written or said

6.  TECHNOLOGY information
taken from equipment: information or a measurement
taken from a piece of equipment or with the help of equipment

[1]



readingdesk

readingdesk
read·ing
desk 
(plural read·ing desks) noun

See
lectern[1]



readingframe

readingframe
read·ing
frame
(plural read·ing frames) noun

triplet of nucleotides:
a group of three nucleotides that can be translated to produce a polypeptide,
with the nucleotide composition of any one triplet dependent upon where
translation is initiated. Shifts in the triplet reading frame on a sequence of
DNA means a given sequence of DNA can code for a large number of different
polypeptides needed for cellular operations.[1]



readinto

readinto
read
into
transitive verb

detect extra meanings in
something: to detect meanings in speech
or written text that were not necessarily intended by the speaker or writer[1]



readjust

readjust
re·ad·just 
[r ə júst] (past re·ad·just·ed,
past participle re·ad·just·ed, present participle re·ad·just·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ad·justs) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
get
used to something again: to get used to something
after a period of absence from it

2.  transitive
verb
rearrange:
to rearrange or make small changes to something
—re·ad·just·a·ble,
adjective

—re·ad·just·er,
noun

—re·ad·just·ment, noun[1]



READMEfile

READMEfile
READ·ME
file
[rdmee fl] (plural READ·ME files)
noun

computer text file:
a computer text file supplied with the software for a program and containing
information that a user may need in order to install or operate the program[1]



read-only

read-only
read-on·ly
adjective

retrievable but not
changeable: used to describe computer
files that can be retrieved and displayed but cannot be changed or deleted[1]



read-onlymemory

read-onlymemory
read-on·ly
mem·o·ry 
(plural read-on·ly mem·o·ries) noun

small permanent computer
memory: a small computer memory for
storing data permanently. Once data has been written onto it, the data cannot
be altered or added to and can only be read. Because read-only memory retains
its contents when the power is turned off, most personal computers use it to
store essential programs such as the one that boots the computer.[1]



readout

readout
read
out
transitive verb

1.  read
something aloud: to read something out loud

2.  COMPUTING retrieve
information from computer: to retrieve data from the
memory or a disk or other storage device of a computer

3.  expel
somebody from organization: to expel somebody formally
from a political party, organization, or other group

[1]



readout

readout
read·out
(plural read·outs) noun

1.  data
retrieval:
the retrieving of data from a computer’s memory, disk, or other storage device

2.  data
retrieved by computer: the data retrieved from a
computer’s memory, disk, or other storage system

3.  device
displaying information: a part of a piece of
equipment that displays information

[1]



read-through

read-through
read-through
(plural read-throughs) noun

reading of play before
rehearsals: a reading of a play without
acting, allowing actors to familiarize themselves with the dialog before full
rehearsals begin[1]



readup

readup
read
up
intransitive and transitive verb

learn about something by
reading: to learn a lot about a
subject by reading about it or researching it[1]



read-writehead

read-writehead
read-write
head
noun

device that reads and writes
data: a magnetic device that can
both read from and write data to a magnetic medium such as a computer floppy or
hard disk. The head moves linearly between the hub and the rim of the disk to
store and retrieve data from the disk’s surface while the disk rotates beneath
it.[1]



ready

ready
read·y 
[réddee] adjective (comparative
read·i·er, superlative read·i·est)

1.  prepared
for something: prepared for something that is going to
happen • Are
you ready to leave?

2.  finished
and available for use: finished or completed and so
able to be used immediately • When
will dinner be ready?

3.  on
the point of doing something: on the point of doing
something or liable to do something • This
old roof is ready to cave in.

4.  willing
to do something: eager, willing, or prepared to do
something • Don’t
be so ready to give in!

5.  quickly
produced:
quickly and easily given, provided, or available • a
ready response to questions about wrongdoing

6.  prepared
in advance:
prepared or blended in advance, and able to be used with very little additional
preparation (often used in combination) • available
ready-sliced in small packets

7.  intelligent:
intelligent, alert, and quick-witted • a
ready wit
transitive
verb
(past read·ied, past participle read·ied, present
participle read·y·ing, 3rd person present singular read·ies)

prepare: to
prepare something, especially so that it is in a condition for something to
happen to it
[12th
century. Formed from Old English rde “prompt.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “arranged.”]
—read·i·ness,
noun
at
the ready

prepared for immediate use or
action[1]



readycash

readycash
read·y
cash
noun

immediately available cash or
money: cash or money that is
available to be spent immediately, often as notes and coins.
Also called
ready money
U.K. term
ready money[1]



ready-made

ready-made
read·y-made
adjective

1.  already
prepared:
already prepared or made for convenience

2.  preconceived:
thought out in advance
noun
(plural read·y-mades)

ready-to-wear garment:
an item of clothing that is offered for sale in a standard size and completely
finished, as opposed to clothing that is made to the customer’s specifications

[1]



ready-mix

ready-mix
read·y-mix 
(plural read·y-mix·es) noun

set
of preblended ingredients: a correct mixture of
ingredients that is preblended and able to be used with very little additional
preparation
—read·y-mixed, adjective[1]



readymoney

readymoney
read·y
mon·ey
noun

See
ready cash[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ready-to-wear

ready-to-wear
read·y-to-wear 
adjective

made
in standard sizes and designs: already made in
standard sizes, designs, and colors, rather than being specially made or
designed for an individual
noun

ready-made clothing:
clothing that is already made in standard sizes and designs, rather than being
specially designed or tailored for an individual[1]



Reaganomics

Reaganomics
Rea·gan·om·ics 
[ràygə nómmiks] noun

free-market
economics:
the free-market economic approach espoused by U.S. President Ronald Reagan,
involving cuts in taxes and social spending together with deregulation of
domestic markets
[Late 20th century. A blend
of Reagan and economics
.][1]



Reagan,Ronald

Reagan,Ronald

Rea·gan
[ráygən], Ronald (1911– )
U.S.
statesman and 40th president of the United States. After a career as a movie
actor, he served as Republican president twice (1981–1989).
Full name
Reagan, Ronald Wilson[1]



reagent

reagent
re·a·gent 
[ree áyjənt] (plural re·a·gents)
noun

reacting chemical:
a substance taking part in a chemical reaction, especially one used to detect,
measure, or prepare another substance[1]



reagin

reagin
re·a·gin 
[ree áyjin] (plural re·a·gins)
noun

antibody
involved in allergic reactions: a type of antibody
involved in allergic reactions such as hay fever. Reagins are produced
following an initial exposure to an allergenic substance, and interact with
allergenic substances to trigger the release of histamines, causing
inflammation, swelling, and other symptoms.
[Early
20th century. From German, formed from reagieren “to react.”]
—re·a·gin·ic [r ə jínnik], adjective[1]



real

real3
re·al3 [ray
l, ree l] (plural re·als
or reis [rays]) noun

old
unit of Portuguese currency: a coin that was used as a
unit of currency in Portugal
[Mid-20th century. Via
Portuguese from Latin regalis (see royal
).][1]



real

real2
re·al2 [ray
l, ree l] (plural re·als
or re·al·es [ray les]) noun

1.  unit
of Brazilian currency: the unit of currency in
Brazil

2.  coin
or bill worth a real: a coin or bill worth a real

3.  former
currency in Spanish-speaking countries: in
the past, a silver coin used as a unit of currency in several Spanish-speaking
countries
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from Latin regalis (see royal
).][1]



real

real1
re·al1 [r
əl] adjective

1.  physically
existing:
having actual physical existence

2.  verifiable
as actual fact: verifiable as actual fact, for example,
legally or scientifically • What
is his real name?

3.  not
imaginary:
existing as fact, rather than as a product of dreams or the imagination

4.  not
artificial:
genuine and original, and so not artificial or synthetic

5.  traditional
and authentic: prepared or made in a traditional or
authentic way, rather than being mass-produced or artificial • looking
for some real food

6.  essential:
of basic, essential, or critical importance

7.  undisputed:
based on fact, observation, or experience and so undisputed • The
real success of the evening was the comedy act.

8.  sincere:
honest or sincere, not feigned or affected • express
your real feelings

9.  emphasizing
truth:
used to emphasize the accuracy or appropriateness of a particular thing • He’s
a real professional.

10. PROPERTY LAW relating
to fixed property: relating to land and the
fixed property associated with it
adverb

very: very
or extremely (informal) • I’m
real tired.
adjective

1.  ECONOMICS in
terms of purchasing power: regarded in terms of
purchasing power rather than the actual amount

2.  MATHEMATICS involving
only real numbers: involving, relating to, or
having elements of the set of rational or irrational numbers only

3.  PHILOSOPHY about
existence:
concerned with independent objective existence
noun
(plural re·als)

1.  reality:
everything that exists in the actual world

2.  See
real number
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from late Latin realis, literally
“related to things (in law),” from Latin res “thing, fact.”]
—real·ness,
noun
for
real

seriously,
not as a joke or as a practice (informal)

get
real!

used
to indicate strongly that what somebody said or thought is unrealistic, untrue,
or out of date (slang)

(in)
real life

in
the course of normal life as opposed to imagined or fictional representations
of life, for example, in books and movies

the
real thing

or
the real McCoysomething that is authentic and not an imitation[1]



realestate

realestate
re·al
es·tate 
noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand immovable
property: land including all the
property on it that cannot be moved and any attached rights[1]



real-estateagent

real-estateagent
re·al-es·tate
a·gent
(plural re·al-es·tate a·gents) noun

Australia, New Zealand,
U.S. somebody who buys and sells
property: a person who buys, sells,
and leases property on behalf of somebody else.
U.K. term
estate agent[1]



realfocus

realfocus
re·al
fo·cus
noun

point from which light
diverges: a point from which light
diverges or at which it converges[1]



realgar

realgar
re·al·gar 
[ree álgər, ree
ál gr] noun

soft
orange-red arsenic ore: a soft orange-red arsenic
ore consisting of crystalline arsenic sulfide, used in tanning, as a pigment,
and to make fireworks
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin realger from, ultimately, Arabic rahj al-ġār, literally
“powder of the cave.”][1]



realign

realign
re·a·lign 
[r ə ln] (past re·a·ligned, past
participle re·a·ligned, present participle re·a·lign·ing,
3rd person present singular re·a·ligns) verb

1.  transitive
verb
straighten
again:
to readjust or manipulate something so that it is in a straight line or is
correctly oriented

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
something to fit situation: to alter or change something
to fit particular circumstances

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
new alliances: to form, or cause people or groups to
form, new alliances or associations • The
party has realigned itself with several former ideological opponents.
—re·a·lign·ment, noun[1]



realimage

realimage
real
im·age
(plural real im·ag·es) noun

optical image:
an optical image of something that is produced by reflection or refraction and
can be transferred onto a surface such as the film inside a camera[1]



realism

realism
re·al·ism 
[r ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  understanding
of nature of real life: a practical understanding
and acceptance of the actual nature of the world, rather than an idealized or
romantic view of it

2.  ARTS LITERATURE lifelike artistic representation:
in artistic and literary works, lifelike representation of people and the
world, without any idealization

3.  PHILOSOPHY theory
that things exist objectively: the theory that things
such as universals, moral facts, and theoretical scientific entities exist
independently of people’s thoughts and perceptions

4.  PHILOSOPHY theory
that people perceive independent world: the
theory that although there is an objectively existing world, not dependent on
our minds, people are able to understand aspects of that world through
perception

5.  PHILOSOPHY theory
that statements have truth values: the theory that every
declarative statement is either true or false, regardless of whether this can
be verified

[1]



realist

realist
re·al·ist 
[r əlist] (plural re·al·ists)
noun

1.  pragmatist:
somebody who is sensible, practical, and not concerned with abstract theories
or idealistic views of life

2.  adherent
of realism:
somebody who practices realism in the arts or believes in philosophical
theories of realism

[1]



realistic

realistic
re·al·is·tic 
[r ə lístik] adjective

1.  practical:
seeking what is achievable or possible, based on known facts • set
realistic goals when looking for a new job

2.  simulating
reality:
simulating real things or imaginary things in a way that seems real • computer
games with realistic graphics

3.  reasonable:
not priced or valued too low or high

4.  ARTS LITERATURE representing real life:
in the arts and literature, representing life as it really is, rather than an
idealized picture of it

5.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to philosophical realism: relating to philosophical
theories of realism
—re·al·is·ti·cal·ly [r ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



reality

reality
re·al·i·ty 
[ree állətee] (plural re·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  real
existence:
actual being or existence, as opposed to an imaginary, idealized, or false
nature

2.  all
that actually exists or happens: everything that
actually does or could exist or happen in real life

3.  something
that exist or happens: something that has real
existence and must be dealt with in real life • a
vision that ignores the realities of the business world

4.  type
of existence: a kind of existence or universe, either
connected with or independent from other kinds • fantastic
notions of alternative realities

5.  PHILOSOPHY totality
of real things: the totality of real things in the
world, independent of people’s knowledge or perception of them
in
reality

in actual fact[1]



realitycheck

realitycheck
re·al·i·ty
check
(plural re·al·i·ty checks) noun

action reconciling idea and
reality: an action taken to reconcile
somebody’s ideas or desires with reality (informal)[1]



realityprinciple

realityprinciple
re·al·i·ty
prin·ci·ple
noun

curbing of ego’s desires:
in Freudian theory, the ego’s ability to postpone gratification to avoid
unpleasant consequences or to gain greater reward[1]



realityshow

realityshow
re·al·i·ty
show
noun

television show of a true
story: a television show of a true
story such as a police program or rescue show[1]



realization

realization
re·al·i·za·tion 
[r əli záysh’n] noun

1.  realizing
of something: the realizing of something

2.  something
realized:
something that has been realized

[1]



realize

realize
re·al·ize 
[r ə lz] (past re·al·ized, past
participle re·al·ized, present participle re·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb know
and understand something: to know, understand, and
accept something • doesn’t realize how
lucky he is

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
become aware of something: to be aware or conscious of
something, or to become aware of something • Do
you realize the problems you’ve caused?

3.  transitive
verb
achieve
something hoped for: to achieve in actuality
something that has been hoped or worked for

4.  transitive
verb
turn
work into performance: to turn something such as a
play or novel into a stage or film performance

5.  transitive
verb
convert
gain or loss into cash: to convert a paper gain or
loss into a cash gain or loss by closing out the original transaction

6.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE translate
something into money: to translate something into
a particular amount of money, usually by selling it

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC interpret
piece of music: to interpret a musical composition,
especially the figured bass of a baroque composition
[Early
17th century. Formed from real 1 on the model of French réaliser
.]
—re·al·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—re·al·iz·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at accomplish

[1]



real-life

real-life
re·al-life
adjective

real rather than fictional:
actual or true, as opposed to fictional or imaginary[1]



reallive

reallive
real
live
adjective

not artificial:
not artificial, imagined, or invented • face-to-face
with a real live gangster[1]



really

really
re·al·ly 
[rlee] adverb

1.  in
fact:
in fact or in reality, especially as distinct from what has been believed until
now • She’s
really going to Paris, not Bangkok.

2.  genuinely:
used to emphasize the truthfulness or accuracy of what is being said • She
really is going to Paris next year.

3.  undoubtedly:
truly and without any doubt • That’s
really interesting.

4.  properly:
in order to act in the correct or proper manner • You
should really apply in writing.
interjection

exclamation of surprise:
used to express surprise, doubt, or exasperation • You’re
getting married? Really! • Well
really, how rude!

[1]



realm

realm
realm 
[relm] (plural realms) noun

1.  scope
of something: a particular or stated area, range, or
domain • Here
the scenario enters the realm of fantasy.

2.  area
of interest: a defined area of interest or study • the
realm of pure mathematics

3.  kingdom:
a country ruled by a monarch
[13th century. Via Old French
realme from Latin regimen “government,” from regere “to
rule” (source of English rector, regent, and register
); the l was due to the influence of Old French reiel “royal.”][1]



realnumber

realnumber
re·al
num·ber 
(plural re·al num·bers) noun

rational or irrational
number: a number that is either
rational or irrational rather than imaginary.
Also called
real
See also
imaginary number[1]



realpolitik

realpolitik
re·al·po·li·tik 
[ray l polli tk] noun

politics
based on practical considerations: politics based on
pragmatism or practicality rather than on ethical or theoretical considerations
[Early
20th century. From German, literally “real politics.”]
—re·al·po·li·tik·er, noun[1]



realpresence

realpresence
re·al
pres·ence
noun

doctrine of Jesus Christ’s
presence in Communion: the
doctrine that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are actually present in the
elements of Communion[1]



real-time

real-time
re·al-time 
adjective

1.  COMPUTING relating
to immediate data processing: relating to the ability of
certain computer systems to process and update data as soon as it is received
from some external source, e.g. an air traffic control or antilock brake
system. The time available to receive the data, process it, and respond to the
external process is dictated by the time constraints imposed by the process.

2.  happening
now:
happening at the very present time • real-time
coverage of the crisis

[1]



Realtor

Realtor
Re·al·tor 
[r əltər] Trademark

a trademark for a member of
the U.S. National Association of Realtors or the Canadian Association of Real
Estate Boards.[1]



realty

realty
re·al·ty 
[r əltee] noun

See
real estate[1]



real-world

real-world
re·al-world
adjective

relevant to everyday life:
relevant or practical in terms of everyday life[1]



ream

ream2
ream2 [reem]
(past reamed, past participle reamed, present
participle ream·ing, 3rd person present singular reams,
plural reams) transitive verb

1.  form
hole with reamer: to form, enlarge, or shape a hole with a
reamer

2.  squeeze
citrus juice: to squeeze the juice from a citrus fruit
with a reamer

3.  cheat:
to cheat or swindle somebody (slang)

4.  reprimand:
to reprimand somebody severely (slang)
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English rman “to widen.”][1]



ream

ream1
ream1 [reem]
noun (plural reams)

quantity
of paper:
a quantity of paper, formerly 480 sheets but now usually 500 sheets
plural
noun
reams

large
quantity:
a large quantity of material, especially written material
[14th century. Via Old French
raime from, ultimately, Arabic rizma “bundle.”][1]



reamer

reamer

ream·er 
[rmər] (plural ream·ers) noun

1.  tool
for forming or enlarging holes: a tool that is used to
form, enlarge, or shape holes

2.        COOKING citrus
fruit juice extractor: a device
for extracting juice from citrus fruit, consisting of a shallow dish with a
pointed ridged center.
U.K. term
lemon squeezer[1]



reap

reap
reap 
[reep] (past reaped, past
participle reaped, present participle reap·ing, 3rd
person present singular reaps) transitive verb

1.  gather
crop:
to cut and gather a crop, especially a grain crop, from the land where it is
growing

2.  obtain
as result:
to obtain something, especially as a consequence of previous effort or action
[Old
English rīpan . Origin uncertain: perhaps ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to tear.”]
—reap·a·ble, adjective[1]



reaper

reaper
reap·er 
[rpər] (plural reap·ers) noun

somebody
or something that reaps: somebody or something that
reaps, especially, formerly, a machine for harvesting grain crops
the
grim reaper

or
the reaperdeath, or a personification of death[1]



reapportionment

reapportionment
re·ap·por·tion·ment 
[ree ə páwrsh’nmənt] noun

legislative-seat
redistribution: periodic redistribution
of congressional or legislative seats based on changing census figures, as
constitutionally required (formal)[1]



rear

rear2
rear2 [reer]
noun (plural rears)

1.  back
of something: the back of something, or the area near
the back of something.
Also
called
rear end

2.  MILITARY part
of army farthest from front: the part of an army or a
procession that is farthest from the front

3.  buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks, or the similar part of an animal (informal)
Also
called
rear end
adjective

back:
situated at the back • Do not
join the rear four carriages.
[Late
16th century. Via Old French rere from Latin retro (see retro- ).]
bring
up the rear

to be at the back,
particularly in a race or procession[1]



rear

rear1
rear1 [reer]
(past reared, past participle reared, present
participle rear·ing, 3rd person present singular rears)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
raise
young animals or children: to bring up and care for
young animals or children until they are fully grown

2.  transitive
verb
grow
a plant:
to raise a plant to full growth

3.  intransitive
verb
rise
on hind legs: to rise up on the hind legs (refers
to animals)

4.  intransitive
verb
rise
high:
to rise high into the air • tall
office buildings rearing into the night sky
[Old
English rran . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English raise and rise .]
—rear·er, noun[1]



rearadmiral

rearadmiral
rear
ad·mi·ral
(plural rear ad·mi·rals) noun

naval rank:
a rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard that is above captain or commodore and
below vice admiral, or an officer holding this rank[1]



rear-end

rear-end
rear-end 
(past rear-end·ed, past participle rear-end·ed, present
participle rear-end·ing, 3rd person present singular rear-ends)
transitive verb

crash into the back of a
vehicle: to collide with the back of
another vehicle[1]



rearend

rearend
rear
end
(plural rear ends)

See
rear 2 noun
1
See rear 2 noun
3[1]



rear-ender

rear-ender
rear-end·er
(plural rear-end·ers) noun

road accident:
an accident in which one vehicle collides with the back of another (informal)[1]



rearguard

rearguard
rear·guard
[rr grd] (plural rear·guards)
noun

1.  MILITARY troops
protecting rear: a portion of a military force on the
move that is responsible for protecting against an attack from the rear

2.  conservatives:
members of a political party or other organization who are strongly
conservative and opposed to change and progress (disapproving)

[1]



rearlamp

rearlamp
rear
lamp
(plural rear-lamps) or rear light (plural rear
lights) noun

U.K.
See taillight[1]



rearm

rearm
re·arm 
[ree rm] (past re·armed, past
participle re·armed, present participle re·arm·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·arms) intransitive and transitive verb

equip
somebody with weapons again: to equip people, an
organization, or a nation with weapons and ammunition again, or to become so
equipped
—re·ar·ma·ment [ree rməmənt], noun[1]



rearmost

rearmost
rear·most 
[rr mst] adjective

farthest back:
farthest toward the back[1]



rearrange

rearrange
re·ar·range 
[r ə ráynj] (past re·ar·ranged,
past participle re·ar·ranged, present participle re·ar·rang·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ar·rang·es) transitive verb

1.  change
order of something: to change the order or
position of something

2.  change
time of something: to reschedule the time of
something such as an event
—re·ar·range·ment, noun[1]



rearviewmirror

rearviewmirror
rear·view
mir·ror
[rr wy mìrrər] (plural rear·view
mir·rors) noun

mirror providing view behind
vehicle: a mirror attached to the
inside of the windshield or the outside of a front door of a vehicle, allowing
the driver to see behind the vehicle[1]



rearward

rearward
rear·ward
[rrwərd] adverb rear·ward rear·wards

toward
rear:
toward or in the rear or back
adjective

located
in rear:
located in or near the rear or back
noun

rear position:
a position at the back, especially of an army[1]



reason

reason
rea·son 
[rz’n] noun (plural rea·sons)

1.  justification:
an explanation or justification for something • refused
to give a reason for her behavior

2.  motive:
a motive or cause for acting or thinking in a particular way • His
only reason for going was that she would be there.

3.  power
of orderly thought: the power of being able to
think in a logical and rational manner • use
reason rather than force

4.  cause
that explains something: a cause that explains a
particular phenomenon • What’s
the reason for grass being green?

5.  ability
to think clearly: the ability to think clearly and
coherently

6.  PHILOSOPHY intellect
as basis for knowledge: the ability to think
logically regarded as a basis for knowledge, as distinct from experience or
emotions
verb
(past rea·soned, past participle rea·soned, present
participle rea·son·ing, 3rd person present singular rea·sons)

1.  intransitive
verb
think
in logical way: to think logically or use rational
faculties

2.  intransitive
verb
use
rational argument to persuade: to try to persuade or
influence somebody by means of rational argument • I
tried to reason with him but he insisted on going ahead.

3.  transitive
verb
resolve
by rational means: to formulate or resolve
something using rational means • reason
out a math problem
[13th
century. Via Old French reisun from, ultimately, Latin ratio
“calculation, thought” (source of English rate
and rational ), from reri “to
think.”]
—rea·son·er,
noun
it
stands to reason

used
to emphasize that something seems obvious or logical

listen
to reason

to
take note of sensible advice

within
reason

within
reasonable limits

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  the
  reason is that or the reason is because ?
  Particularly
  in writing, reason is more correctly
  followed by that than by because in sentences of the type The
  reason I left is that [not because ] I was bored .
  Informally, however, and especially in conversation, because does
  occur.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



reasonable

reasonable
rea·son·a·ble 
[rz’nəb’l] adjective

1.  rational:
sensible and capable of making rational judgments • He
did what any reasonable person would have done in that situation.

2.  in
accord with common sense: acceptable and according to
common sense • hoping
to arrive at a reasonable time

3.  not
expecting more than is possible: not expecting or
demanding more than is possible or achievable • Come
on, be reasonable!

4.  fairly
good:
fairly good but not excellent • The
food was reasonable.

5.  fairly
large:
large enough but not excessive • He
earns a reasonable amount of money.

6.  not
exorbitant:
fairly priced and not too expensive • Three
bottles for $12 is very reasonable.
—rea·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—rea·son·a·bly
[rz’nəblee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at valid

[1]



reasoning

reasoning
rea·son·ing 
[rz’ning] noun

1.  logical
thinking:
the use of logical thinking in order to find results or draw conclusions

2.  argument:
an argument or other example of logical thinking • Her
reasoning was based on the available facts.

[1]



reassure

reassure
re·as·sure 
[r ə shr] (past re·as·sured,
past participle re·as·sured, present participle re·as·sur·ing,
3rd person present singular re·as·sures) transitive verb

1.  put
somebody’s mind at ease: to make a person feel less
anxious or worried

2.  See
reinsure
—re·as·sur·ance,
noun

—re·as·sur·er, noun[1]



reassuring

reassuring
re·as·sur·ing
[r ə shring] adjective

alleviating
anxiety:
having the effect of making people feel less anxious or worried
—re·as·sur·ing·ly [r ə shringlee], adverb[1]



reata

reata
re·a·ta 
noun

See
riata[1]



reave

reave2
reave2 [reev]
(past reaved or reft [reft],
past participle reaved or reft [reft], present participle reav·ing, 3rd
person present singular reaves) transitive verb

tear
apart:
to tear something apart (archaic)
[13th
century. Alteration of rive .]
—reav·er, noun[1]



reave

reave1
reave1 [reev]
(past reaved or reft [reft],
past participle reaved or reft [reft], present participle reav·ing, 3rd
person present singular reaves) transitive verb (archaic)

1.  take
something forcibly: to plunder something or
carry something off by force

2.  deprive
somebody:
to rob somebody or deprive somebody of something
[Old
English rēafian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English rob .]
—reav·er, noun[1]



Reb

Reb
Reb
[reb] (plural Rebs) or reb
[reb] (plural rebs) noun

(informal)
See Johnny Reb
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of rebel .][1]



rebarbative

rebarbative
re·bar·ba·tive 
[ri brbətiv] adjective

repellent:
unpleasant, annoying, or forbidding (formal)
[Late
19th century. From French rébarbatif, from rebarber, literally
“to face beard to beard,” from barbe “beard.”]
—re·bar·ba·tive·ly, adverb[1]



rebate

rebate1
re·bate1 noun [r bàyt] (plural re·bates)

money
paid back:
money that is paid back, for example, because somebody has overpaid a tax or is
entitled to a refund
transitive
verb
[r báyt] (past re·bat·ed, past
participle re·bat·ed, present participle re·bat·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·bates)

give
rebate to somebody: to give somebody a rebate
[15th
century. From French rabattre, literally “to beat down again,” from abattre
“to beat down” (source of English abate
and abattoir ), from Latin battuere
“to beat.”]
—re·bat·a·ble,
adjective

—re·bat·er, noun[1]



rebate

rebate2
re·bate2 noun (plural re·bates)

See
rabbet
transitive
verb
(past re·bat·ed, past participle re·bat·ed, present
participle re·bat·ing, 3rd person present singular re·bates)

See
rabbet
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of rabbet .][1]



rebbe

rebbe
reb·be 
[rébbə] (plural reb·bes) or
Reb·be [rébbə] (plural Reb·bes)
noun

Jewish
spiritual leader: a rabbi or spiritual leader of a Hasidic
Jewish community.
Also
called
tzaddik
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish from Hebrew rabbī, literally “my teacher.”][1]



rebbetzin

rebbetzin
reb·bet·zin 
[rébbitsin] (plural reb·bet·zins)
or reb·bit·zin [rébbitsin] (plural
reb·bit·zins) noun

rabbi’s
wife:
the wife of a rabbi
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish, formed from rebbe (see rebbe
).][1]



rebec

rebec
re·bec 
[r bèk] (plural re·becs) or
re·beck [r bèk] (plural re·becks)
noun

medieval
stringed instrument: a two- or three-stringed
medieval instrument that looks like a lute and is played with a bow. It is one
of the earliest bowed stringed instruments.
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Arabic rabāb .][1]



Rebecca

Rebecca
Re·bec·ca
or Re·be·kah noun

Hebrew matriarch:
in the Bible, the wife of Isaac, and mother of Jacob and Esau[1]



rebel

rebel
reb·el 
noun [rébb’l] (plural re·bels)

1.  protester:
somebody who protests against something by defying authority • The
rebels in the party voted against their leaders.

2.  soldier
who opposes government in power: a soldier who belongs
to a force seeking to overthrow a government or ruling power

3.  unconventional
person:
somebody who refuses to conform to the codes and conventions of society • always
something of a rebel
intransitive
verb
[ri bél] (past re·belled, past
participle re·belled, present participle re·bel·ling, 3rd
person present singular re·bels)

1.  revolt
against a government: to fight to overthrow a
government or ruling power

2.  protest
by defying authority: to protest something by
defying a government or other form of authority • students
rebelling against education funding cuts

3.  refuse
to conform:
to refuse to conform to the usual codes and conventions of society

4.  have
dislike for something: to experience or express an
intense dislike or distaste for something
[13th century. Via French rebelle
from Latin rebellis from bellum “war” (source of English belligerent ). The underlying idea is of the
defeated “making war again” against their conquerors.][1]



rebellion

rebellion
re·bel·lion 
[ri béllyən] (plural re·bel·lions)
noun

1.  attempt
to overthrow government: an organized attempt to
overthrow a government or other authority by the use of violence

2.  defiance
of authority: opposition or defiance of authority,
accepted moral codes, or social conventions

[1]



rebellious

rebellious
re·bel·lious 
[ri béllyəss] adjective

1.  opposing
or defying authority: opposing or defying
authority, accepted moral codes, or social conventions

2.  fighting
to overthrow government or authority:
fighting to overthrow a government or other authority
—re·bel·lious·ly,
adverb

—re·bel·lious·ness, noun[1]



rebelyell

rebelyell
reb·el
yell
noun

exuberant battle cry:
an exuberant high-pitched yell such as was used during battle by soldiers of
the Confederacy[1]



rebid

rebid
re·bid 
noun [r bìd] (plural re·bids)

further
bid in bridge: a further bid in an auction at bridge,
especially one of the same suit as a previous one
intransitive
verb
[ree bíd] (past re·bid or
re·bid, past participle re·bid, present participle re·bid·ding,
3rd person present singular re·bids)

bid further:
to make a bid in an auction at bridge after previously bidding no trump or a
suit, especially one in the same suit[1]



rebirth

rebirth
re·birth 
[ree búrth] (plural re·births)
noun

1.  regeneration
of something dead or destroyed: the regeneration of
something that has died or has been destroyed

2.  revival
of ideas or forces: the revival of important
ideas or forces, usually as part of broad and significant change

3.  RELIGION reincarnation:
the act or process of reincarnation

[1]



reblochon

reblochon
re·blo·chon 
[rèbblə shN] noun

soft
French cheese: a soft delicately flavored washed-rind
cheese with a pale pinkish skin, made in the Savoy region of France
[Early 20th century. From
French, from reblocher “to milk for a second time.”][1]



reboot

reboot
re·boot 
[ree bt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past re·boot·ed, past participle re·boot·ed,
present participle re·boot·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·boots)

restart
computer:
to restart a computer or an operating system, or to be restarted
noun

restart of computer:
a restart of a computer or an operating system[1]



reborn

reborn
re·born 
[ree báwrn] adjective

regenerated or renewed:
recreated or regenerated, especially in order to be more effective or modern,
or renewed spiritually[1]



rebound

rebound
re·bound
verb [ree bównd] (past re·bound·ed,
past participle re·bound·ed, present participle re·bound·ing,
3rd person present singular re·bounds)

1.  intransitive
verb
spring
back:
to spring back or recoil

2.  intransitive
verb
move
back to previous level: to recover from a setback
and move back to a previous or higher level or position

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASKETBALL take possession of ball off
backboard:
in basketball, to take possession of a ball that has bounced off the backboard
or rim of the basket
noun
[r bòwnd] (plural re·bounds)

1.  act
of rebounding: the springing back or recoiling of
something

2.  upward
movement:
an upward movement or a recovery, especially after a setback

3.  SPORTS ball
that bounces: a ball that bounces back, particularly
off a backboard or rim of the basket in basketball or off a goalie or goalpost
in hockey, soccer, or a similar sport

4.  BASKETBALL taking
possession of rebound: in basketball, a taking
possession of a rebounding ball
—re·bound·er,
noun
on
the rebound

starting
something new in the wake of a disappointment or setback, often the ending of a
relationship, and therefore feeling uneasy or vulnerable

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  rebound
  or redound ?
  In
  its figurative use, rebound is a metaphor
  based on the image of an object bouncing and returning. Just as a ball that
  rebounds affects the person who threw it, so an action or statement rebounds
  on its creator when it affects him or her directly, usually in an unpleasant
  or unwelcome way: • The
  city’s decision to cut library services rebounded on city officials when they
  were unable to get the information they needed. Redound does not have any physical meaning and
  is therefore not a metaphor. It is sometimes used in the same way as rebound, but in its primary meaning it is
  followed by to and means “to contribute or lead to,” with something
  good or creditable as the object (the opposite connotation of rebound ): • The
  individual performances redounded to the benefit of the team as a whole.
  Note that only rebound can be used as a
  noun.

[1]



rebozo

rebozo
re·bo·zo 
[ray bṓssō, ri bṓssō]
(plural re·bo·zos) noun

long
scarf:
a long woolen or linen scarf worn over the head and shoulders, mainly by women
in Mexico
[Early 19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin bucca “cheek, mouth.”][1]



rebroadcast

rebroadcast
re·broad·cast 
[ree bráwd kàst] intransitive and
transitive verb (past re·broad·cast or re·broad·cast·ed,
past participle re·broad·cast or re·broad·cast·ed, present
participle re·broad·cast·ing, 3rd person present singular re·broad·casts)

broadcast
something again: to broadcast something again, especially
a radio or television show
noun
(plural re·broad·casts)

something that is broadcast
again: something that is broadcast
again, especially a radio or television show[1]



rebuff

rebuff
re·buff 
transitive verb [ri búf] (past
re·buffed, past participle re·buffed, present
participle re·buff·ing, 3rd person present singular re·buffs)

1.  reject
or snub something: to reject or snub an offer,
advance, or approach made by somebody

2.  repel
attack:
to beat back or repel an attack or an attacking force
noun
[r bùf] (plural re·buffs)

1.  rejection:
a blunt rejection or snub of an offer, advance, or approach made by somebody
else

2.  setback:
a sudden severe setback to progress
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French rebuffer and Italian ribuffare “to scold” from,
ultimately, buffo “puff,” originally an imitation of the sound.][1]



rebuild

rebuild
re·build 
[ree bíld] (past re·built, past
participle re·built [ree bílt], present
participle re·build·ing, 3rd person present singular re·builds)
transitive verb

1.  build
structure again: to construct a building or other
structure again because it has been damaged or destroyed

2.  restore
something:
to work to restore something that has been weakened, damaged, or ruined

3.  make
major changes to something: to make major alterations or
improvements to something • to
rebuild society for the information age

[1]



rebuke

rebuke
re·buke 
[ri byk] transitive verb (past
re·buked, past participle re·buked, present participle
re·buk·ing, 3rd person present singular re·bukes)

tell
somebody off: to criticize or reprimand somebody,
usually sharply
noun
(plural re·bukes)

a
telling off: a reprimand or expression of criticism
or disapproval
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French rebuker, literally “to chop wood,”
from, ultimately, Old French busche “log,” of prehistoric Germanic
origin.][1]



rebus

rebus
re·bus 
[rbəss] (plural re·bus·es) noun

1.  word
puzzle:
a puzzle in which the syllables of words and names are represented either by
pictures of things that sound the same, or by letters

2.  HERALDRY heraldic
emblem:
a heraldic emblem showing a picture that represents the name of the bearer, for
example, a picture of a lion for somebody named Lyon
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin, literally “by things,” from res “thing.” Perhaps from
the phrase non verbis sed rebus “not by words but by things.”][1]



rebut

rebut
re·but 
[ri bút] (past re·but·ted, past
participle re·but·ted, present participle re·but·ting,
3rd person present singular re·buts) intransitive and
transitive verb

refute:
to deny the truth of something, especially by presenting arguments that
disprove it
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman rebuter from Old French reboter, from boter
(see butt 1 ).]
—re·but·ta·ble,
adjective

—re·but·tal, noun[1]



rebutter

rebutter
re·but·ter 
[ri búttər] (plural re·but·ters)
noun

1.  LAW defendant’s
answer:
the defendant’s answer in the third round of pleading in a legal action

2.  somebody
who rebuts:
somebody who rebuts something

[1]



rec.

rec.
rec.

1.  Abbreviation
of
receipt

2.  Abbreviation
of
received

3.  Abbreviation
of
recipe

4.  Abbreviation
of
recommended

5.  MAIL Abbreviation of recorded

6.  Abbreviation
of
recorder

7.  Abbreviation
of
recording

8.  Abbreviation
of
recreation

[1]



rec

rec
rec 
[rek] noun

recreation:
recreation (informal) (often used before a noun) • rec
room
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



recalcitrant

recalcitrant
re·cal·ci·trant 
[rə kálsitrənt] adjective

1.  resisting
control:
stubbornly resisting the authority or control of another

2.  hard
to do or handle: difficult to deal with or operate • struggling
in front of the mirror with a recalcitrant necktie
noun
(plural re·cal·ci·trants)

stubborn opponent:
somebody who stubbornly resists authority or control by another • A
few recalcitrants refused to submit.
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or via French from Latin recalcitrant- present
participle stem of recalcitrare, literally “to kick back” (used of
horses), from calcitrare “to kick (with the heels),” from the stem of calc-
“heel.”]
—re·cal·ci·trance,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



recalculate

recalculate
re·cal·cu·late 
[ree kálkyə làyt] (past re·cal·cu·lat·ed,
past participle re·cal·cu·lat·ed, present participle re·cal·cu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cal·cu·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

calculate
something again: to calculate something again in order to
make sure it is correct, or to incorporate new information
—re·cal·cu·la·tion [ree kàlkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



recalesce

recalesce
re·ca·lesce 
[rkə léss] (past re·ca·lesced,
past participle re·ca·lesced, present participle re·ca·lesc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ca·lesc·es) intransitive verb

suddenly
heat up:
to exhibit or undergo a sudden increase in temperature
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from recalescence .][1]



recalescence

recalescence
re·ca·les·cence 
[rkə léss’ns] noun

sudden
glowing of metal: a sudden increase in the temperature and
brightness of a cooling metal, caused by the release of latent heat as the
metal undergoes a change in crystalline structure
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin calescere “to grow warm,” from calere
“to be warm” (source of English nonchalant
).]
—re·ca·les·cent, adjective[1]



recall

recall
re·call 
verb [ri káwl] (past re·called,
past participle re·called, present participle re·cal·ling,
3rd person present singular re·calls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remember
something:
to remember something or bring something back to mind

2.  transitive
verb
order
somebody or something back: to order something or
somebody to come back or be sent back

3.  transitive
verb
revoke
something:
to revoke or cancel a previous decision or instruction

4.  transitive
verb
bring
attention back: to bring somebody’s attention or
thoughts back to an ongoing matter

5.  transitive
verb
resemble
somebody or something: to remind another person of
somebody or something familiar or previously seen • Her
face recalls that of her grandmother.
noun
[r kàwl] (plural re·calls)

1.  memory:
somebody’s memory or ability to remember • a
vague recall of the actual events

2.  POLITICS dismissal
from office by vote: the dismissal from office of
an elected official by a popular vote, or the right of the electors to do this

3.  COMMERCE manufacturer’s
request to return product: a request by a manufacturer
to return a product because of a defect or contamination

4.  recalling
of something: the remembering of something or the
calling back of somebody or something

5.  revocation:
a revocation or cancellation of a previous decision or instruction

6.  MILITARY signal
to return:
a signal, especially a bugle call, ordering troops to return to their positions
or to a rallying point
[Late
16th century. Formed from call on the model
of French rappeler or Latin revocare .]
—re·call·a·ble
[riə káwləb’l], adjective

—re·cal·ler,
noun

—re·cal·la·bil·i·ty [ri kàwlə bíllətee], noun[1]



recamier

recamier
re·ca·mi·er 
[ràykə myáy] (plural re·ca·mi·ers)
noun

type
of couch:
a couch with a high headrest and low footrest, often without a back
[Early 20th century. Named
for Jeanne Récamier (1777–1849), French hostess, portrayed reclining on
a couch in a painting.][1]



recanalization

recanalization
re·ca·nal·i·za·tion
[ree kànn’li záysh’n] (plural re·ca·nal·i·za·tions)
noun

operation to open blocked
vessel: the surgical unblocking of
an obstructed vessel within the body or the reconnection of a tube or duct[1]



recant

recant
re·cant 
[ri kant] (past re·cant·ed, past
participle re·cant·ed, present participle re·cant·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cants) intransitive and
transitive verb

reject
a belief:
to deny believing in something or withdraw something previously said
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin recantare, literally “to sing back” (modeled on
Greek palinōidein “to recant”), from cantare “to sing.”]
—re·can·ta·tion
[r kan táysh’n], noun

—re·cant·er [ri kántər], noun[1]



recap

recap2
re·cap2 [ri
káp] noun (plural re·caps [rkap])

Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. TRANSPORT retread:
a retread
transitive
verb
(past re·capped, past participle re·capped, present
participle re·cap·ping, 3rd person present singular re·caps)

Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. retread
a tyre:
to retread a tire
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from cap . Originally in the
sense “to put a cap on something again.”]
—re·cap·pa·ble, adjective[1]



recap

recap1
re·cap1 [rə
káp] intransitive and transitive verb (past re·capped,
past participle re·capped, present participle re·cap·ping,
3rd person present singular re·caps)

restate
main points: to go over the main points of something
such as an argument or a proposal again
noun
(plural re·caps)

summary:
a summing-up of the main points of something previously put forward, for
example, a proposal
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



recapitalize

recapitalize
re·cap·i·tal·ize 
[ree káppit’l z] (past re·cap·i·tal·ized,
past participle re·cap·i·tal·ized, present participle re·cap·i·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cap·i·tal·iz·es) transitive
verb

supply
with new capital: to supply a business with new capital or
change the way in which its capital is held
—re·cap·i·tal·i·za·tion
[ree kàppit’li záysh’n], noun[1]



recapitulate

recapitulate
re·ca·pit·u·late 
[rkə píchə làyt] (past re·ca·pit·u·lat·ed,
past participle re·ca·pit·u·lat·ed, present participle re·ca·pit·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ca·pit·u·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb recap:
to recap (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY repeat
evolutionary stages as embryo: to repeat stages from
the evolution of the species during the embryonic period of an animal’s life
[Late
16th century. Partly from Latin recapitulat-, past participle stem of recapitulare,
literally “to restate by chapters,” from capitulum “chapter” (source of
English chapter ); partly a
back-formation from recapitulation .]
—re·ca·pit·u·la·tive
[rkə píchə làytiv, rkə
píchələtiv], adjective

—re·ca·pit·u·la·to·ry
[rkə píchələ tàwree], adjective[1]



recapitulation

recapitulation
re·ca·pit·u·la·tion 
[rkə pichə láysh’n] (plural re·ca·pit·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  recap:
a summation of the main points of something (formal)

2.  BIOLOGY repeating
evolutionary stages during embryonic period: the
theoretical process of going through successive stages during the embryonic
period of an animal’s life that duplicate the evolutionary stages the species
experienced.
Also
called
biogenesis
Also
called
palingenesis

3.  MUSIC repetition
of themes:
the repetition of earlier themes in a piece of music, especially in sonata form
at the end of a movement
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the late Latin stem recapitulation from Latin recapitulat-
(see recapitulate ).][1]



recaption

recaption
re·cap·tion
[ree kápshən] noun

LAW taking
back of property or person: the taking back, by peaceful
means, of property from somebody who has unlawfully taken it, or of a spouse or
child from somebody who has unlawfully detained him or her
[Early 17th century. From the
Anglo-Latin stem recaption- “capturing back,” from Latin captio
“capturing” Originally in English, “second legal seizure of another’s goods.”][1]



recapture

recapture
re·cap·ture 
[ree kápchər] transitive verb (past
re·cap·tured, past participle re·cap·tured, present
participle re·cap·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular re·cap·tures)

1.  capture
somebody or something again: to capture again or take
back somebody or something that has escaped or that has been taken away

2.  experience
something again: to have, show, or experience again
something that existed in the past or has been lost • a
failed attempt to recapture their youth

3.  FINANCE take
part of profits: to take part of the profits, over a set
amount, of a public-service corporation by law
noun

1.  taking
back of something: the capture of somebody or
something that has escaped or that has been taken away • the
information that led to his recapture

2.  experiencing
of something again: the having, showing, or
experiencing again of something that is in the past or has been lost • the
recapture of youthful joys

3.  FINANCE taking
of part of profits: the legal taking by
government of part of the profits, over a set amount, of a public-service
corporation

[1]



recast

recast
re·cast 
[ree kást] (past re·cast, past
participle re·cast, present participle re·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·casts) transitive verb

1.  cast
object again: to repeat the casting process for an
object formed in a mold

2.  change
something:
to change the form of something • The
experience led him to recast his philosophy of life.

3.  give
roles to different actors: to assign roles in something
such as a play or film to different actors • recast
the play for a road tour

[1]



recce

recce
rec·ce 
[rékee] noun (plural rec·ces)

reconnaissance:
a reconnaissance (slang)
transitive
verb
(past rec·ced, past participle rec·ced, present
participle rec·ce·ing, 3rd person present singular rec·ces)

reconnoiter
something:
to reconnoiter something (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
and alteration.][1]



recd.

recd.
recd.
or rec’d.

Abbreviation of
received[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








recede

recede
re·cede 
[ri sd] (past re·ced·ed, past
participle re·ced·ed, present participle re·ced·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·cedes) intransitive verb

1.  go
back:
to go back or down from a certain point or level • waiting
for the flood waters to recede

2.  get
farther away: to become more distant or unlikely • As
the ship gathered speed, the island receded in the distance.

3.  slope:
to slope backwards • a receding forehead

4.  go
bald:
to gradually go bald from the front of the head backwards • a
hairline that was slowly receding

5.  become
less:
to become less in value or quality

6.  withdraw:
engage in a retreat
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French receder from Latin recedere, literally “to go
back,” from cedere (see cede ).][1]



receipt

receipt
re·ceipt 
[ri st] noun (plural re·ceipts)

1.  acknowledgment
of receipt:
a written or printed acknowledgment that things such as sums of money have been
given to the person who issues the acknowledgment

2.  act
of receiving: the receiving of something • The
balance is payable on receipt of the goods.

3.  COOKING recipe:
a recipe (dated)
plural
noun
re·ceipts

amount received:
the amount of money or goods received, especially in business
verb
(past re·ceipt·ed, past participle re·ceipt·ed, present
participle re·ceipt·ing, 3rd person present singular re·ceipts)

1.  transitive
verb
acknowledge
payment by signing: to acknowledge, with a
signature, that a bill has been paid

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
receipt:
to give a receipt for money or goods
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman or Old Northern French receite “(medicinal) recipe,
receipt,” from, ultimately, Latin recipere (see receive
).][1]



receivable

receivable
re·ceiv·a·ble 
[ri svəb’l] adjective

1.  suitable
to be received: suitable to be received, especially as
payment • receivable
notes

2.  awaiting
payment:
used to describe a bill or account that is due to be paid
plural
noun
re·ceiv·a·bles

money owed:
business assets consisting of amounts of money that a company is owed

[1]



receive

receive
re·ceive 
[ri sv] (past re·ceived, past
participle re·ceived, present participle re·ceiv·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·ceives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
something:
to take or accept something given

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb convert
electronic signals: to pick up electronic
signals and convert them into sound or pictures

3.  transitive
verb
take
delivery of message: to take delivery of a
message, for example, a letter or telephone call

4.  transitive
verb
learn
information: to learn of something such as news or
information

5.  transitive
verb
meet
with something: to meet with or experience something • We
received a warm reception from the crowd.

6.  transitive
verb
acquire
something:
to come to have something, for example, through effort

7.  transitive
verb
react
to something: to react to something in a specified way
• The
proposals were not well received by the members.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS play ball sent by opponent:
to catch, hit, or kick a ball played by an opponent

9.  transitive
verb
greet
guests:
to greet and admit guests • We
were received by the duke himself.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb entertain
visitors:
to be at home or available to entertain visitors • Find
out the hours during which patients can receive visitors.

11. transitive
verb
hear
and acknowledge something: to hear and acknowledge
something formally • The priest received her
confession.

12. transitive
verb
be
hurt by something: to be subjected to something
such as an injury, blow, or pressure • The
parachutist received the full force of the earth’s gravity upon landing.

13. transitive
verb
catch
something:
to hold or take something • The
larger tank receives the overflow from the drainage system.

14. transitive
verb
bear
something:
to bear or sustain something such as a burden • The
bridge is reinforced to receive the weight of heavy traffic.

15. transitive
verb
admit
somebody:
to allow a person entry • A
knight had to prove himself worthy before being received into their fellowship.

16. intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY take
Communion:
to partake of Holy Communion
[14th century. Via Old French
receivre from, ultimately, Latin recipere, literally “to take
back,” from capere “to take” (source of English captive, capture,
and conceive ).][1]



received

received
re·ceived 
[ri svd] adjective

generally accepted:
generally accepted as true • The
received wisdom in these matters is seldom wrong.[1]



ReceivedPronunciation

ReceivedPronunciation
Re·ceived
Pro·nun·ci·a·tion  noun

educated pronunciation of
southern Britain: the accent of British
English that educated people from the southern part of England traditionally
use, widely regarded as the least regionally modified of all British accents[1]



receiver

receiver
re·ceiv·er 
[ri svər] (plural re·ceiv·ers)
noun

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS part
of a phone:
the part of a telephone that contains the earpiece and mouthpiece and receives
and converts electronic signals into sound

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
for picking up signals: an electrical device that
receives and converts electronic signals into sound or pictures

3.  FOOTBALL player
catching forward pass: a football player on the
offensive team who is eligible to catch a forward pass

4.  FINANCE somebody
court appoints to run business: somebody appointed by
a court to manage a business or property that is involved in a legal process
such as bankruptcy

5.  somebody
who receives something: somebody who takes or
accepts something given or takes delivery of something sent

6.  BASEBALL catcher:
a catcher

7.  LAW somebody
dealing in stolen goods: somebody who knowingly buys
and sells stolen goods

8.  CHEMISTRY collecting
vessel in chemistry: a vessel used during
distillation to collect the distillate

[1]



receivership

receivership
re·ceiv·er·ship 
[ri svər shìp] noun LAW

1.  being
in hands of receiver: management by a receiver of
a business or property that is involved in a legal process such as bankruptcy

2.  office
of receiver: the office or duties of somebody
appointed by a court to manage a business or property that is involved in a
legal process such as bankruptcy

[1]



receivingblanket

receivingblanket
re·ceiv·ing
blan·ket 
noun

baby blanket:
a light blanket in which an infant is wrapped, especially after a bath[1]



receivingend

receivingend
re·ceiv·ing
end
noun

position of having to
receive: the position of having to
endure something • We
were on the receiving end of some harsh criticism.[1]



receivingline

receivingline
re·ceiv·ing
line
(plural re·ceiv·ing lines) noun

line of hosts greeting
guests: a group of people who stand
in a line to greet individually the guests at a formal occasion such as a
wedding reception[1]



recension

recension
re·cen·sion 
[ri sénshən] (plural re·cen·sions)
noun

1.  critical
revision:
a critical revision carried out on a literary text

2.  revised
text:
a literary text that has been given a critical revision
[Mid-17th century. From the
Latin stem recension- “review,” from recensere, literally “to
reassess,” from censere “to appraise, assess.”][1]



Recent

Recent
Re·cent
[rs’nt] adjective noun

See
Holocene[1]



recent

recent
re·cent 
[rs’nt] adjective

1.  having
happened not long ago: having happened or appeared
not long ago • the
recent birth of her daughter

2.  modern:
from current times or the very near past • recent
political trends
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin recent-, the stem of recens,
of uncertain origin: perhaps related to Greek kainos “new.”]
—re·cen·cy,
noun

—re·cent·ly,
adverb

—re·cent·ness, noun[1]



receptacle

receptacle
re·cep·ta·cle 
[ri séptək’l] (plural re·cep·ta·cles)
noun

1.  container:
a container that holds, contains, or receives a liquid or solid

2.  BOTANY flower-bearing
part of plant: the end of a flower stalk, bearing the
parts of a flower or the florets of a composite flower.
Also
called
thalamus
Also
called
torus

3.  BOTANY plant
part bearing reproductive organs: in a plant that
reproduces through spores, for example, an alga or liverwort, the part that
bears the reproductive organs
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin receptaculum, literally “place in which to store
something received,” from, ultimately, recipere (see receive ).][1]



reception

reception
re·cep·tion 
[ri sépshən] (plural re·cep·tions)
noun

1.  formal
party:
a formal party to welcome somebody or celebrate an event, for example, a
wedding

2.  way
somebody or something is received: the way in which
somebody or something is received or greeted • The
audience gave her a warm reception.

3.  BROADCASTING quality
of signal:
the quality of the signal received by a radio or television set • We
don’t get very good reception on this channel.

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING conversion
of electronic signals: the receiving and conversion
of electronic signals

5.  FOOTBALL catching
of forward pass: in football, the catching of a pass made
toward the opponent’s goal

6.  act
of receiving: the receiving of something given or sent

7.  place
where visitors are received: a place in a hotel, office,
or public building where visitors are first received • I’ll
be waiting for you in reception.

8.  See
reception room
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem reception-, from, ultimately, recipere
(see receive ).][1]



receptionist

receptionist
re·cep·tion·ist 
[ri sépshənist] (plural re·cep·tion·ists)
noun

person greeting public:
an employee who greets visitors, customers, or patients, answers the telephone,
and makes appointments[1]



receptionroom

receptionroom
re·cep·tion
room
(plural re·cep·tion rooms) noun

room for receiving people:
a room in which clients, patients, or visitors are received and usually wait to
see somebody.
Also called
reception[1]



receptive

receptive
re·cep·tive 
[ri séptiv] adjective

1.  willing
to accept:
ready and willing to accept something, for example, new ideas

2.  quick
to learn:
quick to take in new information

3.  able
to receive:
able to receive something • countries
that were not immediately receptive to the refugees

4.  PHYSIOLOGY able
to receive stimuli: capable of transmitting and
receiving stimuli (refers to a sensory organ)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin receptivus, from,
ultimately, Latin recipere (see receive
).]
—re·cep·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·cep·tive·ness,
noun

—re·cep·tiv·i·ty [r sep tívvətee], noun[1]



receptor

receptor
re·cep·tor 
[ri séptər] (plural re·cep·tors)
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY sensitive
nerve ending: a nerve ending that is sensitive to
stimuli and can convert them into nerve impulses

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING receiving
device:
a device designed to receive electronic signals

3.  CHEMISTRY specific
cell binding site or molecule: a molecule, group, or
site that is in a cell or on a cell surface and binds with a specific molecule,
antigen, hormone, or antibody

4.  ENVIRONMENT receiver
of pollution: somebody or something adversely affected
by a pollutant
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French receptour “person who harbors criminals or stolen goods”
(the original English sense) from Latin receptor, from, ultimately, recipere
(see receive ).][1]



recess

recess
re·cess 
[r sèss, ri
séss] noun (plural re·cess·es)

1.  EDUCATION break
from school: a break from classes during the school
day or year • played
hopscotch during recess

2.  POLITICS break
from business: a time during which no work or business
is done, specifically a long period in which a legislative body is not sitting

3.  LAW period
when court does not sit: a period of time of varying
length when a court of law does not sit • The
court will stand in recess until noon on Friday.

4.  remote
place:
a remote or secluded place (often used in the plural) • A
distant memory haunted the recesses of her mind.

5.  ARCHITECTURE indented
or hollowed-out space: an area such as an alcove or
niche, set into a wall or other flat surface • a
recess large enough to hold a vase

6.  ANATOMY body
cavity:
a concave area or cavity in a part of the body
verb
(past re·cessed, past participle re·cessed, present
participle re·cess·ing, 3rd person present singular re·cess·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb suspend
proceedings: to take a break or suspend proceedings
or work • The
meeting was recessed at midday. • The
court recessed early for the weekend.

2.  transitive
verb
put
something in recess: to put something in a
recess, especially in a wall • recessed
lighting

3.  transitive
verb
make
indentation in something: to make a recess in
something, especially a wall • The
north wall of the chamber has been recessed to form an alcove.
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via Old French reces from Latin recessus, literally “going
back,” from recedere (see recede ).][1]



recession

recession
re·ces·sion 
[ri sésh’n] (plural re·ces·sions)
noun

1.  ECONOMICS decline
in economic activity: a period, shorter than a
depression, during which there is a decline in economic trade and prosperity

2.  withdrawal
of somebody in ceremony: the withdrawal of the
participants in a ceremony, for example, the clergy and choir after a church
service.
Also
called
recessional

3.  receding:
a going back or becoming more distant

[1]



recessional

recessional
re·ces·sion·al 
[ri séshən’l, ri
séshnəl] adjective

relating to recession:
involving or typical of a recession
noun
(plural re·ces·sion·als)

1.  See
recession  noun 2

2.  CHRISTIANITY type
of hymn:
a hymn sung as the clergy and choir withdraw from a church after a service

[1]



recessive

recessive
re·ces·sive 
[ri séssiv] adjective

1.  GENETICS producing
effect in certain conditions only: used to describe a
gene that produces an effect in an organism only when its matching allele is
identical. The effect is masked when the matching allele is nonidentical.

2.  GENETICS controlled
by recessive gene: used to describe a
characteristic or trait determined by a recessive gene

3.  receding:
tending to go backward or to recede • recessive
flood waters

4.  LINGUISTICS falling
at beginning of word: used to describe stress that
is placed at or near the beginning of a word
noun
(plural re·ces·sives) GENETICS

1.  recessive
gene or trait: a recessive gene or trait

2.  organism
with recessive gene or trait: an organism that has a
recessive gene or trait
—re·ces·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·ces·sive·ness, noun[1]



recharge

recharge
re·charge 
[ree chrj] (past re·charged, past
participle re·charged, present participle re·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular re·charg·es) transitive verb

1.  replenish
electricity in something: to replenish the amount of
electric power in something, especially a battery

2.  renew
something:
to renew something, for example, somebody’s energy • We
felt recharged after the weekend.
[15th
century. Partly formed from charge ; partly modeled on French recharger
. Originally in English, “to reload (a vessel).”]
—re·charge·a·ble,
adjective

—re·charg·er, noun[1]



recherché

recherché
re·cher·ché 
[rə shèr sháy] adjective

1.  rare
and exquisite: marked by such rare and exquisite
quality that it is known only to connoisseurs

2.  appreciating
fine things: having a deep appreciation of unusual or
choice things • a recherché taste in
sculpture

3.  affected:
marked by excessive refinement or exaggerated importance • Some
of his ideas are a little recherché for my taste.
[Late 17th century. From
French, the past participle of rechercher, literally “to seek
thoroughly,” from chercher “to seek.”][1]



recidivism

recidivism
re·cid·i·vism 
[ri síddə vìzzəm] noun

relapsing
into crime:
the tendency to relapse into a previous undesirable type of behavior,
especially crime
[Late
19th century. Formed from recidivist, which came via French récidiviste
from, ultimately, Latin recidivus “falling back,” from recidere
“to fall back,” from cadere “to fall.”]
—re·cid·i·vist,
noun, adjective

—re·cid·i·vis·tic [ri sìddə vístik], adjective[1]



Recife

Recife
Re·ci·fe 
[rə sfə]

capital city of Pernambuco
State, northeastern Brazil, and the major city of the region. It is a port on
the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 1,342,877 (1996)[1]



recip.

recip.
recip.

1.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
reciprocal

2.  Abbreviation
of
reciprocity

[1]



recipe

recipe
rec·i·pe 
[réssə pee] (plural rec·i·pes)
noun

1.  COOKING instructions
for making food: a list of ingredients and instructions
for making something, especially a food dish

2.  method:
a method of doing something or a combination of circumstances likely to bring
something about • Hard work is the recipe
for success.

3.  MEDICINE prescription:
a prescription for a therapeutic preparation
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin, “take!” (the original sense in English ), a form of recipere
(see receive ).][1]



recipience

recipience
re·cip·i·ence 
[ri síppee əns] or re·cip·i·en·cy
[ri síppee ənsee] noun

1.  act
of receiving: the receiving of something

2.  receptiveness:
the tendency or ability to receive

[1]



recipient

recipient
re·cip·i·ent 
[ri síppee ənt] noun (plural re·cip·i·ents)

receiver:
somebody or something that receives something
adjective

receiving:
tending or able to receive
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin recipient-, the present participle stem of recipere
(see receive ).][1]



reciprocal

reciprocal
re·cip·ro·cal 
[ri sípprək’l] adjective

1.  given
by each side: given or shown by each of two sides or
individuals to the other • reciprocal
compliments

2.  in
return:
given or done in return for something else • a
reciprocal exchange of gifts

3.  MATHEMATICS multiplied
to give one: used to describe a number or quality
that is related to another by the fact that when multiplied together the
product is one

4.  MATHEMATICS complementing:
serving to complement one another • reciprocal
angles
noun
(plural re·cip·ro·cals)

1.  something
mutual:
something that is mutual or done in return

2.  MATHEMATICS number
multiplied to give one: a number or quantity that is
related to another by the fact that when multiplied together the product is one
• 4
and ¼ are reciprocals
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin reciprocus, literally “that goes
backward and forward,” from, ultimately, re- “backward” + pro-
“forward.”]
—re·cip·ro·cal·i·ty
[ri sìpprə kállətee], noun

—re·cip·ro·cal·ly
[rə sípprəkəlee], adverb

—re·cip·ro·cal·ness [rə sípprək’lnəss], noun[1]



reciprocalpronoun

reciprocalpronoun
re·cip·ro·cal
pro·noun
(plural re·cip·ro·cal pro·nouns) noun

pronoun showing mutual
relationship: a word or phrase such
as “each other” representing two or more things that mutually correspond to one
another[1]



reciprocate

reciprocate
re·cip·ro·cate 
[ri sípprə kàyt] (past re·cip·ro·cat·ed,
past participle re·cip·ro·cat·ed, present participle re·cip·ro·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cip·ro·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
mutually:
to give or feel something mutually or in return • I
couldn’t accept such a generous gift without reciprocating.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ENGINEERING move backwards and
forwards:
to move backwards and forwards in an alternating motion, or move something in
this way

3.  intransitive
verb
be
complementary: to be the same or complementary
[Late
16th century. From Latin reciprocat-, the past participle stem of reciprocare
“to move back and forth, reciprocate,” from reciprocus (see reciprocal ).]
—re·cip·ro·ca·tion
[ri sìpprə káysh’n], noun

—re·cip·ro·ca·tive
[ri sípprə kàytiv], adjective

—re·cip·ro·ca·tor [rə sípprə kàytər], noun[1]



reciprocatingengine

reciprocatingengine
re·cip·ro·cat·ing
en·gine 
(plural re·cip·ro·cat·ing en·gines) noun

engine with piston:
an engine with one or more cylinders in which pistons move backwards and
forwards[1]



reciprocity

reciprocity
rec·i·proc·i·ty 
[rèssə próssətee] (plural rec·i·proc·i·ties)
noun

1.  reciprocal
relationship or act: something done mutually or
in return

2.  relationship
involving mutual exchange: a relationship between
people involving the exchange of goods, services, favors, or obligations,
especially a mutual exchange of privileges between trading nations or
recognition of licenses between states • the
long-standing tariff reciprocity between our two countries
[Mid-18th century. From
French réciprocité, from, ultimately, Latin reciprocus (see reciprocal ).][1]



reciprocityfailure

reciprocityfailure
rec·i·proc·i·ty
fail·ure
(plural rec·i·proc·i·ty fail·ures) noun

nonreciprocity of light and
exposure: in photography, the failure
of light intensity and exposure time to act reciprocally when their values are
extremely high or low, sometimes affecting the color characteristics of the
resulting photograph[1]



recision

recision
re·ci·sion 
[ri sízh’n] (plural re·ci·sions)
noun

canceling
or rescinding: the cancellation or rescinding of
something, especially a contract
[Early 17th century. Via the
Latin stem recision-, literally “cutting back,” from, ultimately, Latin recidere,
literally “to cut back,” from caedere “to cut” (source of English circumcise ).][1]



recit.

recit.
recit.

MUSIC
Abbreviation of recitative[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








recital

recital
re·cit·al 
[ri st’l] (plural re·cit·als)
noun

1.  ARTS solo
performance: a performance given by a solo musician
or dancer, or a series of solo performances by a group of musicians or dancers

2.  ARTS performance
by music or dance students: a performance given by music
or dance students to demonstrate the progress they have made

3.  reciting
of something: the reading aloud or reciting from
memory of something such as a poem

4.  detailed
account:
a detailed account or report of something

5.  LAW detailed
presentation of fact: a statement in a judgment
laying out jurisdictional facts, or a deed’s preliminary part laying out the
circumstances leading to its existence
—re·ci·tal·ist, noun[1]



recitation

recitation
rec·i·ta·tion 
[rèssə táysh’n] (plural rec·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  reading
aloud:
the public reading aloud of something or reciting of something from memory,
especially poetry

2.  matter
read aloud:
material read aloud or recited from memory in public, especially poetry

3.  reporting
of something: the listing or reporting of something

4.  EDUCATION student’s
oral response to teacher’s questions: the
oral response by a student to questions on previously taught material

5.  EDUCATION class
period for review: a class period during which
previously taught material is reviewed
[15th century][1]



recitative

recitative2
rec·i·ta·tive2 [réssə
tàytiv, ri stətiv] adjective

of
recitation:
relating to recital or recitation
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian recitativo from, ultimately, Latin recitare (see recite ).][1]



recitative

recitative1
rec·i·ta·tive1 [rèssətə
tv] (plural rec·i·ta·tives) or re·ci·ta·ti·vo
[rèssətə tvō] (plural re·ci·ta·ti·vos)
noun

1.  singing
like speech: a style of singing that is close to the
rhythm of natural speech, used in opera for dialogue and narration

2.  passage
sung like speech: a passage in a musical composition that
is sung in the form of recitative
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Italian recitativo, from Latin recitat-, the past participle
stem of recitare (see recite ).][1]



recite

recite
re·cite 
[ri st] (past re·cit·ed, past
participle re·cit·ed, present participle re·cit·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·cites) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
or read aloud: to read something aloud or repeat
something from memory, especially for an audience

2.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION repeat
something learned: to repeat aloud something
learned, for example, a lesson in school

3.  transitive
verb
give
detailed account of something: to give a detailed
account of an occurrence or event • There’s
no need to recite every detail of your weekend.

4.  transitive
verb
list
something:
to give a list of something • He
then recited all my faults.
[15th
century. Directly or via French réciter from Latin recitare,
literally “to summon again,” from citare (see cite
).]
—re·cit·er, noun[1]



reck

reck
reck 
[rek] (past recked, past
participle recked, present participle reck·ing, 3rd
person present singular recks) intransitive and transitive verb
(archaic)

1.  care:
to care or mind about something

2.  matter:
to matter, or matter to somebody
[Old English rēcan
(recorded only in the past tense), reccan “to care, take care of, be
interested in.” From a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced English reckless .][1]



reckless

reckless
reck·less 
[rékləss] adjective

without
thought of danger: marked by a lack of thought
about danger or other possible undesirable consequences • with
a reckless disregard for the established safety procedures
[Old
English rec(c)elēas . From a prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor also of
German ruchlos “dastardly” and Dutch roekeloos “reckless”) formed
from the base that produced English reck
.]
—reck·less·ly,
adverb

—reck·less·ness, noun[1]



reckon

reckon
reck·on 
[rékən] (past reck·oned, past
participle reck·oned, present participle reck·on·ing, 3rd
person present singular reck·ons) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb count:
to count or calculate something • I
reckon the total at 200.

2.  transitive
verb
regard
somebody or something as something: to
consider somebody or something to be something (often passive) • She’s
reckoned the best in her field.

3.  transitive
verb
include
somebody or something: to include or class a person
or thing as being part of a particular group • I
reckon him among my friends.

4.  transitive
verb
think
or believe something: to suppose something to be
true (regional) • I
reckon we’re finished now.

5.  intransitive
verb
depend:
to expect with confident assurance (informal) • You
can reckon on my support.
[Old
English gerecenian “to explain, recount, tell.” From a prehistoric
Germanic word (ancestor also of German rechnen “to work out, calculate,
estimate”).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  I
  reckon you’re right:
  The
  informal use of reckon meaning “think,
  believe” and followed by a clause (with the word that present or
  suppressed) is chiefly dialectal in U.S. English, commonly occurring in
  Midland and Southern U.S. speech.

[1]



reckoner

reckoner
reck·on·er 
[rékənər] (plural reck·on·ers)
noun

book
of tables:
a book of tables of calculations that are already worked out and are used as an
aid in calculation
[12th century. Originally in
the sense “person who reckons.”][1]



reckoning

reckoning
reck·on·ing 
[rékəning] (plural reck·on·ings)
noun

1.  calculation:
calculation of an aircraft’s, a spacecraft’s, or a vessel’s position in the
air, in space, or on the sea

2.  settlement
of an account: the settlement of an account

3.  FINANCE account
or bill:
a statement of debts owed or repaid

4.  time
to account for wrongs: a time to account for or be
punished for wrongs • day of
reckoning

[1]



reckonwith

reckonwith
reckon
with
transitive verb

1.  be
faced with somebody: to deal or come to terms
with somebody powerful • If he
lets you down he’ll have me to reckon with.

2.  allow
for somebody or something: to take somebody or
something into account • We didn’t
reckon with the strength of the tide.

[1]



reckonwithout

reckonwithout
reckon
without
transitive verb

fail to consider something:
to fail to take something into account • The
legislators reckoned without the strength of public feeling against the new
law.[1]



reclaim

reclaim
re·claim 
[ree kláym] transitive verb (past
re·claimed, past participle re·claimed, present
participle re·claim·ing, 3rd person present singular re·claims)

1.  claim
something back: to claim back something that has been
taken away or temporarily given to another

2.  convert
wasteland:
to convert unusable land, for example, desert or marsh, into land suitable for
farming or other use

3.  extract
useful substances: to extract useful substances
from waste or refuse

4.  make
somebody virtuous again: to make somebody stop doing
things regarded as immoral and return to virtue

5.  tame
a bird:
to tame a hawk or falcon
noun

recovery or conversion:
the reclaiming of something, or the state of being reclaimed • polluted
land beyond reclaim.
[14th
century. Via the Old French stem reclaim- from Latin reclamare
“to cry out against,” from clamare (see claim
).]
—re·claim·a·ble,
adjective

—re·claim·ant,
noun

—re·claim·er, noun[1]



reclamation

reclamation
rec·la·ma·tion 
[rèklə máysh’n] noun

1.  ENVIRONMENT conversion
of land:
the conversion of unusable land, for example, desert or marsh, into land
suitable for farming or other uses

2.  ENVIRONMENT extraction
from waste:
the extraction of useful substances from waste or refuse

3.  reclaiming
of something: the claiming back of something taken or
given away
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French from the Latin stem reclamation-, from, ultimately, reclamare
(see reclaim ).][1]



reclinate

reclinate
rec·li·nate 
[réklə nàyt, réklənət]
adjective

BOTANY bent
backward or down: used to describe a leaf or stem that is
bent or curved backward or down
[Mid-18th century][1]



recline

recline
re·cline 
[ri kln] (past re·clined, past
participle re·clined, present participle re·clin·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·clines) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
lie
back:
to lean back into a supported sloping or horizontal position, usually in order
to rest or relax

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb tilt
back:
to tilt back from an upright position, or make something tilt back • These
seats are more comfortable because they recline.
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French recliner from Latin reclinare,
literally “to bend back or against,” from clinare “to bend” (source of
English incline ).]
—re·clin·a·ble,
adjective

—rec·li·na·tion [rèklə náysh’n], noun[1]



recliner

recliner
re·clin·er 
[ri klnər] (plural re·clin·ers)
noun

1.  reclining
chair:
a chair that tilts back to a sloping or almost horizontal position, often with
a footrest that can be raised, allowing the person sitting in it to rest more
comfortably

2.  somebody
who reclines: somebody who lies back

[1]



reclosable

reclosable
re·clos·a·ble
[ree klṓzəb’l] adjective

able
to close again: able to be closed and sealed again after
being opened • a
reclosable package
[Mid-20th century][1]



recluse

recluse
re·cluse 
[ri klss, ri
klz] noun (plural re·clus·es)

1.  somebody
living apart from others: somebody who lives alone and
deliberately keeps away from other people

2.  somebody
living a life of prayer: somebody who lives a
solitary life devoted to prayer and meditation
adjective

reclusive:
reclusive (archaic)
[12th
century. Via French reclus, the past participle of Old French reclure
“to shut up,” from Latin recludere, literally “to shut again,” from claudere
“to shut” (source of English close
).]
—re·clu·sion [ri klzh’n], noun[1]



reclusive

reclusive
re·clu·sive 
[ri klssiv, ri
klziv] adjective

living
apart from others: solitary and withdrawn from
the rest of the world • lead a
reclusive existence
[Late
16th century. Formed from earlier English recluse “to shut up,” from
Latin reclus-, the past participle stem of recludere (see recluse ).]
—re·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·clu·sive·ness, noun[1]



recognition

recognition
rec·og·ni·tion 
[rèkəg nísh’n] noun

1.  recognizing
of something or being recognized: the perception that
somebody or something has been seen before or an identification based on such
perception

2.  appreciation:
appreciation or fame earned by an achievement • His
pioneering work never got the recognition it deserved.

3.  acknowledgment:
acknowledgment of validity • They’ll
need recognition from the committee in order to proceed.

4.  permission
to speak:
permission given by somebody chairing a meeting to somebody who has asked to
speak

5.  POLITICS acceptance
of a country’s existence: the formal acceptance by one
country of the independent and legal status of another

6.  token
of acknowledgment: something given or awarded
as a token of acknowledgment or gratitude

7.  COMPUTING sensing
of data by a computer: the sensing and conversion
of data into machine-readable form by a computer

8.  BIOLOGY compatibility
of molecules: the ability of molecules with
complementary shapes to attach to one another
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from the Latin stem recognition-,
from recognit-, the past participle stem of recognoscere (see recognize ).]
—re·cog·ni·tive
[ri kógnitiv], adjective

—re·cog·ni·to·ry [rə kógni tàwree], adjective[1]



recognizance

recognizance
re·cog·ni·zance 
[ri kógniz’ns] (plural re·cog·ni·zances)
noun

1.  LAW formal
bond:
a formal agreement made by somebody before a judge or magistrate to do
something, for example, to appear in court at a set date • He
was released on his own recognizance.

2.  FINANCE LAW money pledged:
a sum of money pledged by somebody making a recognizance, to be forfeited if
the agreed act is not carried out

3.  recognition:
recognition (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French recon(u)issance, an alteration (influenced by
medieval Latin recognizare “to recognize”) of reconoissance, from
the stem of reconoistre (see recognize
).]
—re·cog·ni·zant, adjective[1]



recognize

recognize
rec·og·nize 
[rékəg nz] (past rec·og·nized,
past participle rec·og·nized, present participle rec·og·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·og·niz·es) transitive verb

1.  identify
somebody or something seen before: to identify a thing or
person because of having perceived him, her, or it before • If
you saw him again, would you recognize him?

2.  acknowledge
somebody’s achievement: to show appreciation of or
give credit to another’s achievement • I hope
you recognize their contribution to the success of the campaign.

3.  allow
somebody to speak: to allow a person to speak
to a meeting • The
chair recognizes the representative.

4.  accept
state’s independence: to accept formally the
independent and legal status of a country or regime • refused
to recognize the military government

5.  reward
somebody:
to give or award something to a person as a token of acknowledgment of or
gratitude • recognized
his bravery with a medal

6.  show
acknowledgement: to show in some way that somebody is
personally known • She recognized old
friends in the crowd with a smile and a wave.

7.  accept
something:
to accept the validity or truth of something • I
recognize that I am at fault.

8.  BIOLOGY bind
another molecule: to bind another molecule that has a
complementary structure
[15th
century. Via Old French recon(n)iss-, the stem of reconnaistre,
from Latin recognoscere “to know again,” from cognoscere “to
know” (source of English cognition
and quaint ).]
—rec·og·niz·a·bil·i·ty
[rèkəg nīzə bíllətee], noun

—rec·og·niz·a·ble
[rékəg nzəb’l], adjective

—rec·og·niz·a·bly,
adverb

—rec·og·niz·er, noun[1]



recoil

recoil
re·coil 
intransitive verb [ri kóyl] (past
re·coiled, past participle re·coiled, present
participle re·coil·ing, 3rd person present singular re·coils)

1.  move
back suddenly: to move back suddenly and violently, for
example, after impact

2.  move
back in horror: to move back or away from something in
horror or disgust

3.  PHYSICS change
momentum:
to experience a change in momentum as a result of a nuclear collision or the
emission of an elementary particle
noun
[r kòyl, ri
kóyl] (plural re·coils)

1.  sudden
backward movement: a sudden and violent
backward movement, especially that of a firearm when it is fired

2.  movement
away in horror: a movement back or away from something,
especially in horror or disgust • his
rapid recoil from the cockroach

3.  PHYSICS change
in momentum: a change in the momentum of an atom,
nucleus, or elementary particle as a result of a nuclear collision or the
emission of an elementary particle
[12th
century. Via French reculer from assumed Vulgar Latin reculare,
literally “to withdraw (your) backside,” from Latin culus “backside.”
Originally in English, “to force back.”]
—re·coil·er
[ri kóylər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  recoil, flinch, quail,
  shrink, wince
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  draw back in fear or distaste recoil;
  to draw back suddenly in fear, horror, disgust, or distaste. It can also mean
  to react mentally to something with fear or disgust, causing reluctance to do
  or deal with that thing; flinch; to
  draw back physically because of fear or pain. It can also mean to react
  mentally to something with fear or disgust, resulting in reluctance to do or
  deal with that thing; quail; to
  cower in fear. It also means to feel very reluctant to confront or face
  something repellant or frightening; shrink;
  to move away physically from something because of fear or disgust. It can
  also mean to indicate reluctance to do something because of fear or disgust; wince; to move the body slightly in an
  involuntary reaction to a stimulus such as pain or great embarrassment

[1]



recoilless

recoilless
re·coil·less 
[ri kóylləss] adjective

with reduced recoil:
relating to a heavy firearm, for example, an antitank gun, whose recoil is
reduced by venting the blast to the rear[1]



recoil-operated

recoil-operated
re·coil-op·er·at·ed
adjective

using recoil to operate gun
mechanism: using the movement caused by
the recoil of a firearm to operate part of its mechanism[1]



re-collect

re-collect
re-col·lect 
(past re-col·lect·ed, past participle re-col·lect·ed,
present participle re-col·lect·ing, 3rd person present
singular re-col·lects) transitive verb

1.  regain
control of something: to regain control,
especially of the self

2.  collect
something again: to collect again something that has been
scattered or dispersed

[1]



recollect

recollect
rec·ol·lect 
[rèkə lékt] (past rec·ol·lect·ed,
past participle rec·ol·lect·ed, present participle rec·ol·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·ol·lects) intransitive and
transitive verb

recall
something:
to bring something back to mind
[Early
16th century. From Latin recollect-, the past participle stem of recolligere
“to gather again” (later “to recall”), from colligere (see collect ).]
—rec·ol·lec·tive,
adjective

—rec·ol·lec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



recollection

recollection
rec·ol·lec·tion 
[rèkə lékshən] (plural rec·ol·lec·tions)
noun

1.  remembering
of something: the remembering of something, or the
ability to remember

2.  memory:
something that a person remembers • a
recollection of having met him before

[1]



recombinant

recombinant
re·com·bi·nant 
[ree kómbin’nt] adjective

1.  of
genetic recombination: relating to or involved in
genetic recombination • a
recombinant chromosome

2.  relating
to recombinant DNA: relating to recombinant DNA
or produced by recombinant DNA technology
noun
(plural re·com·bi·nants)

1.  result
of genetic recombination: a cell or organism
exhibiting genetic recombination

2.  genetic
material from gene-splicing: genetic material resulting
from the splicing of DNA fragments

[1]



recombinantDNA

recombinantDNA
re·com·bi·nant
DNA 
noun

DNA resulting from
gene-splicing: DNA extracted from two
or more different sources, for example, genes from different organisms, and
joined together to form a single molecule or fragment[1]



recombination

recombination
re·com·bi·na·tion 
[r kombə náysh’n] (plural re·com·bi·na·tions)
noun

genetic
process of new gene combinations: any process that gives
rise to offspring that have combinations of genes different from those of
either parent, such as crossing over and independent assortment of chromosomes
during gamete formation
—re·com·bi·na·tion·al,
adjective[1]



recombine

recombine
re·com·bine 
[rkəm bn] (past re·com·bined,
past participle re·com·bined, present participle re·com·bin·ing,
3rd person present singular re·com·bines) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  join
again:
to become combined again or combine things again

2.  GENETICS experience
or cause genetic recombination: to undergo or cause
something to undergo genetic recombination

[1]



recommend

recommend
rec·om·mend 
[rèkə ménd] (past rec·om·mend·ed,
past participle rec·om·mend·ed, present participle rec·om·mend·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·om·mends) transitive verb

1.  suggest
something as best idea: to suggest something as
worthy of being accepted, used, or done

2.  endorse
somebody or something: to endorse a person or thing
as being the most worthy or pleasing

3.  make
something appealing or attractive: to make something
worth doing or having because it is beneficial or pleasing • Since
the legislation has little to recommend it, it is unlikely to pass.

4.  entrust
one to another: to entrust a person or thing to the care
of another (formal) • She
was recommended to our care until her family returned.
[14th
century. From medieval Latin recommendare, literally “to commit
thoroughly,” from Latin commendare (see commend
).]
—rec·om·mend·a·ble,
adjective

—rec·om·men·da·to·ry,
adjective

—rec·om·mend·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  recommend, advise, advocate,
  counsel, suggest
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  put foward ideas to somebody deciding on a course of action recommend; to put forward a person or thing
  as being particularly suitable in the circumstances; advise; used in a similar way to recommend,
  but usually suggesting the giving of advice in a less forceful or definite
  way; advocate; a formal word
  meaning to recommend something in a forceful way; counsel;
  a fairly formal word meaning the same as advise; suggest; to recommend something in a tentative
  way without putting pressure on anybody to do what is recommended

[1]



recommendation

recommendation
rec·om·men·da·tion 
[rèkəmən dáysh’n] (plural rec·om·men·da·tions)
noun

1.  recommending
of something: the suggestion or endorsement of
something as the most worthy

2.  something
that recommends: a favorable reference about somebody or
something, or other endorsement of desirability

3.  something
recommended: the best course of action recommended
[15th century][1]



recommit

recommit
re·com·mit 
[rkə mít] (past re·com·mit·ted,
past participle re·com·mit·ted, present participle re·com·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular re·com·mits) transitive verb

1.  commit
something again: to commit something or somebody again

2.  send
something back: to return something, usually a bill, to
a committee for more discussion
—re·com·mit·tal,
noun

—re·com·mit·ment, noun[1]



recompense

recompense
rec·om·pense 
[rékəm pèns] transitive verb (past
rec·om·pensed, past participle rec·om·pensed, present
participle rec·om·pens·ing, 3rd person present singular rec·om·pens·es)

1.  pay
or reward somebody: to pay another for doing
work or for performing a service

2.  give
compensation: to give compensation to another for an
injury or loss • The state will
recompense you for the accidental destruction of your property.
noun

1.  remuneration:
payment for services or work performed

2.  compensation:
compensation for a loss or injury
[14th century. Directly or
via French récompenser from late Latin recompensare, literally
“to balance out again,” from Latin compensare “to balance out” (source
of English compensate ).][1]



recompose

recompose
re·com·pose 
[rkəm pṓz] (past re·com·posed,
past participle re·com·posed, present participle re·com·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular re·com·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  cause
somebody to regain composure: to return to a calm or
composed state of mind

2.  change
arrangement: to change the arrangement or composition
of a thing or group
—re·com·po·si·tion [r kompə zísh’n], noun[1]



recon

recon1
re·con1 [r
kòn] (plural re·cons) noun

reconnaisance:
reconnaissance (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



recon

recon2
re·con2  [r
kòn] (past re·con·ned, past participle re·con·ned,
present participle re·con·ning, 3rd person present singular
re·cons) transitive verb

COMPUTING transfer
to digital form: to transfer something from print to
electronic form (informal)
[Shortening of reconfigure][1]



reconcile

reconcile
rec·on·cile 
[rékən sl] (past rec·on·ciled,
past participle rec·on·ciled, present participle rec·on·cil·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·on·ciles) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
people friendly: to bring about a friendly relationship
between disputing people or groups (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
end
conflict:
to solve a dispute or end a quarrel • reconciled
their differences

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody accept something: to make somebody accept that
something undesirable cannot be changed • He
reconciled himself to the fact that his football career was over.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
consistent or compatible: to make two or more
apparently conflicting things consistent or compatible, or to become consistent
or compatible • trying to reconcile
fitness with a penchant for fast food

5.  intransitive
verb
become
friendly again: to return to a friendly relationship after
a dispute or estrangement
[14th
century. Directly or via French réconcilier from Latin reconciliare,
literally “to make friendly again,” from conciliare “to make friendly”
(source of English conciliate ), from
concilium “meeting” (source of English council
).]
—rec·on·cil·a·bil·i·ty
[rèkən sīlə bíllətee], noun

—rec·on·cil·a·ble
[rékən sləb’l], adjective

—rec·on·cil·a·ble·ness,
noun

—rec·on·cil·a·bly,
adverb

—rec·on·cile·ment,
noun

—rec·on·cil·er, noun[1]



reconciliation

reconciliation
rec·on·cil·i·a·tion 
[rèkən sillee áysh’n] (plural rec·on·cil·i·a·tion)
noun

1.  reconciling
of people:
the ending of conflict or renewing of a friendly relationship between disputing
people or groups • a series of quarrels
and reconciliations

2.  achievement
of consistency or compatibility: the making of two or
more apparently conflicting things consistent or compatible • the
reconciliation of such action with his pacifist principles

3.  CHRISTIANITY sacrament
of penance:
the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church whereby an individual’s sins are
absolved through confession and penance
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem reconciliation-,
from, ultimately, reconciliare (see reconcile
).]
—rec·on·cil·i·a·to·ry
[rèkən síllee ə tàwree], adjective[1]



recondite

recondite
rec·on·dite 
[rékən dt, ri
kón dt] adjective

1.  understood
only by experts: requiring special detailed knowledge in
order to be understood • the
recondite lore of the ancient Persians

2.  dealing
with difficult material: dealing with material that
is too difficult to be understood by those without special knowledge • recondite
learning

3.  hidden:
hidden from view or knowledge (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin reconditus, the past participle of recondere,
literally “to store away,” from condere “to store, hide” (source of
English condiment ).]
—rec·on·dite·ly,
adverb

—rec·on·dite·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at obscure

[1]



recondition

recondition
re·con·di·tion 
[r kən dísh’n] (past re·con·di·tioned,
past participle re·con·di·tioned, present participle re·con·di·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·di·tions) transitive verb

repair
something:
to bring something back into good condition, especially by repairing it and
replacing worn-out parts

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at renew

[1]



reconfirm

reconfirm
re·con·firm 
[rkən fúrm] (past re·con·firmed,
past participle re·con·firmed, present participle re·con·firm·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·firms) transitive verb

1.  confirm
something again: to confirm something such as an airline
or hotel reservation again

2.  strengthen
commitment to something: to strengthen a commitment
to or a belief in something • reconfirmed
their wedding vows
—re·con·fir·ma·tion [r konfər máysh’n], noun[1]



reconnaissance

reconnaissance
re·con·nais·sance 
[ri kónəss’ns] (plural re·con·nais·sanc·es)
noun

1.  MILITARY exploration
to gather information: the exploration or
examination of an area, especially to gather information about the strength and
positioning of enemy forces

2.  GEOGRAPHY GEOLOGY preliminary
survey:
a preliminary inspection of a given area to obtain data concerning geographic,
hydrographic, or similar information prior to a detailed or full survey
[Early 19th century. From
French, from reconnaiss-, the stem of reconnaître “to
reconnoiter,” from Latin recognoscere (see recognize
).][1]



reconnect

reconnect
re·con·nect
[rkə nékt] (past re·con·nect·ed,
past participle re·con·nect·ed, present participle re·con·nect·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·nects) transitive verb

connect
something again: to connect again something that has been
disconnected or cut off, for example, a telephone communication or an
electricity supply
—re·con·nec·tion, noun[1]



reconnoiter

reconnoiter
re·con·noi·ter 
[ri kə nóytər] intransitive and
transitive verb (past re·con·noi·tered, past participle
re·con·noi·tered, present participle re·con·noi·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·con·noi·ters)

MILITARY explore
to gather information: to explore an area in order
to gather information, especially about the strength and positioning of enemy
forces • reconnoiter
the drop zone
noun

MILITARY reconnoitering
of area:
an exploration of an area in order to gather information
[Early
18th century. Via obsolete French reconnoître from Latin recognoscere
(see recognize ).]
—re·con·noi·ter·er, noun[1]



reconnoitre

reconnoitre
re·con·noi·tre
intransitive and transitive verb noun

U.K. =
reconnoiter[1]



reconsider

reconsider
re·con·sid·er 
[rkən síddər] (past re·con·sid·ered,
past participle re·con·sid·ered, present participle re·con·sid·er·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·sid·ers) intransitive and
transitive verb

think
again:
to think about something again, usually with the possibility or intention of
changing a previous decision
—re·con·sid·er·a·tion
[rkən siddə ráysh’n], noun[1]



reconstitute

reconstitute
re·con·sti·tute 
[ree kónstə tt] (past re·con·sti·tut·ed,
past participle re·con·sti·tut·ed, present participle re·con·sti·tut·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·sti·tutes) transitive verb

1.  bring
something back to original state: to bring specified
matter or a material back to its original state, usually by adding water to a
concentrated, dried, or powdered form • reconstituted
the orange juice

2.  give
new form to something: to alter the form of
something • reconstitute
the government
—re·con·stit·u·ent
[rkən stíchoo ənt], adjective, noun

—re·con·sti·tu·tion [r konstə tsh’n], noun[1]



reconstruct

reconstruct
re·con·struct 
[rkən strúkt] (past re·con·struct·ed,
past participle re·con·struct·ed, present participle re·con·struct·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·structs) transitive verb

1.  put
something back together: to put something back
together from its component parts, pieces, or remains

2.  establish
plausible scenario: to create a plausible
scenario of the details of something based on the known evidence • reconstruct
the culture of an ancient society
—re·con·struc·ti·ble,
adjective

—re·con·struc·tion,
noun

—re·con·struc·tive,
adjective

—re·con·struc·tor, noun[1]



Reconstruction

Reconstruction
Re·con·struc·tion
noun

restoration of seceded states
to Union: the period of U.S. history
from 1865 through 1877, during which the states that had seceded during the
Civil War were reorganized under federal control and later restored to the
Union[1]



Reconstructionism

Reconstructionism
Re·con·struc·tion·ism 
[rkən strúkshə nìzzəm] noun

1.  HISTORY support
for Reconstruction: support of the policies of
the Reconstruction in the southern United States after the Civil War

2.  JUDAISM reforming
movement in Judaism: a movement in the United
States, begun in the 1920s by Mordechai Kaplan, emphasizing the idea that
Judaism is a worldwide religious civilization and advocating continuous
adaptation to contemporary conditions
[Mid-20th
century]
—Re·con·struc·tion·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



reconstructivesurgery

reconstructivesurgery
re·con·struc·tive
sur·ger·y
noun

surgery to rebuild a body
part: the use of surgery to
restore the appearance or use of a damaged body part[1]



reconvene

reconvene
re·con·vene
[rkən vn] (past re·con·vened,
past participle re·con·vened, present participle re·con·ven·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·venes) intransitive and
transitive verb

convene again:
to convene something again or be convened again • The
hearing will reconvene tomorrow morning.[1]



reconvey

reconvey
re·con·vey 
[rkən váy] (past re·con·veyed,
past participle re·con·veyed, present participle re·con·vey·ing,
3rd person present singular re·con·veys) transitive verb

transfer
something back: to transfer something, for example,
property, back to a former owner or location
—re·con·vey·ance, noun[1]



record

record
rec·ord 
noun [rékərd] (plural re·cords)

1.  lasting
account:
an account of something, preserved in a lasting form, for example, in writing
or on film • She
used a diary to keep a record of her life.

2.  best
accomplishment: something that represents the greatest
attainment so far, especially in sports • a
world record

3.  music
disk:
something on which sound is copied, especially a plastic disk with a groove
that can be played using a phonograph

4.  copy
of music:
a piece of music in a format that can be listened to repeatedly (informal)
• Their
new record is only available on CD.

5.  body
of information: a body of information or statistics,
gathered over a period of time, about a particular subject (often used in
the plural) • the hottest summer
since records began

6.  past
performance: a person’s accomplishments or
performance to date

7.  CRIMINOLOGY past
crimes:
a background of criminal convictions, or a list of the crimes committed by a
person

8.  LAW written
account of court proceedings: an official written account
of the proceedings of a court, available for use as evidence • His
remarks were struck from the record.

9.  document
containing history: the document or book that
bears the history of something • The
records are stored in the basement.

10. account
of proceedings: a written account of the proceedings of
something • the
records of the Foundation

11. evidence:
something that acts as evidence or a memorial • The
Egyptian pyramids are a record of human engineering expertise.

12. COMPUTING collection
of data:
a collection of related items of information treated as a unit by a computer,
for example, in a database
verb
[ri káwrd] (past re·cord·ed, past
participle re·cord·ed, present participle re·cord·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cords)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb copy
sounds or images: to make a copy of sounds or pictures,
for example, on magnetic tape • I
recorded my grandmother reminiscing about the war.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb indicate
measurement: to register or show something, usually
on a scale of a measurement

3.  transitive
verb
note
something:
to make a note of something, often for official purposes or for subsequent
consultation • The
clerk recorded their names in the register.

4.  transitive
verb
make
a lasting account of something: to make a lasting
account of something, for example, in writing or on film • Her
journal records the last days of the Empire.
adjective
[rékərd]

greatest yet:
representing the greatest extreme yet accomplished • A
record crowd turned up for the game.
[12th
century. Via French, from recorder “to bring to mind,” from Latin recordare,
recordari, literally “to bring back to the heart,” from the stem of cor
“heart, (metaphorically) mind.”]
—re·cord·a·ble
[ri káwrdəb’l], adjective
off
the record

said
informally or privately and not intended to be recorded or made public

on
the record

said
formally or publicly with the knowledge that it may be recorded or disseminated

set
the record straight

to put right a mistake or
misunderstanding[1]



recorded

recorded
re·cord·ed
[ri káwrdəd] adjective

not
live:
copied to a record, tape, CD, or other form of permanent copy, rather than
listened to or performed live • recorded
music
[Mid-16th century][1]



recorder

recorder


re·cord·er 
[ri káwrdər] (plural re·cord·ers)
noun

1.  machine
for recording: a machine that makes a permanent copy of
sounds or pictures, for example, a tape recorder or a videotape recorder

2.  person
noting something: somebody who makes a record of
something, especially an official record

3.  MUSIC type
of flute:
a wind instrument of the flute family that has finger holes and is blown
through a whistle-shaped mouthpiece at one end
[15th century. Partly from
Anglo-Norman recordour, Old French recordeur “person who
records,” from recorder (see record
); partly formed from record .][1]



recording

recording
re·cord·ing 
[ri káwrding] (plural re·cord·ings)
noun

1.  copy
of music:
a permanent copy of sounds or images, for example, a tape, CD, or videotape • She
was eager to buy the band’s latest recording.

2.  making
of record:
the making of a record, especially a permanent copy of sounds or images
[14th century. The original
sense was “remembrance, recollection.”][1]



recordist

recordist
re·cord·ist 
[ri káwrdist] (plural re·cord·ists)
noun

somebody who records sound:
somebody who records the sound during the making of a film or broadcast[1]



recordplayer

recordplayer
rec·ord
play·er
(plural rec·ord play·ers) noun

machine for playing records:
a machine for reproducing the sounds recorded on records, consisting of a
turntable on which the disk revolves and a needle that follows the groove to
pick up sound[1]



re-count

re-count
re-count 
noun [r kòwnt] (plural re-counts)

repeat
counting:
a second counting of the votes cast in an election, usually done because the
first counting indicated a very close result
intransitive
and transitive verb [ree
kównt] (past re-count·ed, past participle re-count·ed,
present participle re-count·ing, 3rd person present singular
re-counts)

count again:
to count something, especially the votes cast in an election, a second time[1]



recount

recount
re·count 
(past re·count·ed, past participle re·count·ed, present
participle re·count·ing, 3rd person present singular re·counts)
transitive verb [ree kównt]

tell
a story:
to tell the story or details of something
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French reconter, literally “to
relate again, count again,” from conter (see count
).]
—re·count·al,
noun

—re·count·er, noun[1]



recoup

recoup
re·coup 
[ri kp] (past re·couped, past
participle re·couped, present participle re·coup·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·coups) verb

1.  transitive
verb
get
something back: to regain something lost or an
equivalent

2.  intransitive
verb
make
up for a loss: to make up for something lost • It
will take us years to recoup.

3.  transitive
verb
LAW deduct
something:
to deduct legally part of what is due to a claim

4.  transitive
verb
reimburse
another:
to give another party something to make up for that which has been lost • We
were adequately recouped for our losses.
[Early
17th century. From Old French recouper “to cut back,” from couper
“to cut,” from coup “blow.” Earlier also in the sense “to cut short,
interrupt.”]
—re·coup·a·ble,
adjective

—re·coup·ment, noun[1]



recourse

recourse
re·course 
[r kàwrss, ri
káwrss] noun

1.  chance
to seek assistance: a turning to another for
assistance • Can
we resolve our financial problems without recourse to further borrowing?

2.  source
of help or solution: somebody, something, or a
course of action to which a person turns for help or to solve a problem • She
felt she had no recourse but to sue.

3.  FINANCE LAW right to demand payment:
the right to demand payment of a bill of exchange from the person who draws or
endorses it, when the person who accepts it fails to pay
[14th century. Directly or
via French recours from Latin recursus, literally “a running
back” (the original English sense), from cursus (see course ).][1]



re-cover

re-cover
re-cov·er 
[ree kúvvər] (past re-cov·ered,
past participle re-cov·ered, present participle re-cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular re-cov·ers) transitive verb

1.  give
something a new cover: to put a new cover on
something

2.  cover
something again: to cover something again

[1]



recover

recover
re·cov·er 
[ri kúvvər] (past re·cov·ered,
past participle re·cov·ered, present participle re·cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cov·ers) verb

1.  transitive
verb
regain
something:
to get back something previously lost

2.  intransitive
verb
return
to normal:
to return to a previous state of health, prosperity, or equanimity

3.  transitive
verb
reclaim
something from waste: to extract useful substances
from waste or refuse

4.  intransitive
verb
return
to the right position: to return to a suitable or
correct state or position • The
goalkeeper stumbled, but recovered enough to prevent the goal.

5.  transitive
verb
compensate
for something: to make up for that which is lost • They’ll
have to work hard in order to recover their losses.

6.  transitive
verb
LAW obtain
something through a court: to obtain something by the
ruling of a court

7.  intransitive
verb
LAW succeed
in litigation: to be successful in a lawsuit

8.  reflexive
verb
bring
self back to normal: to bring the self back to a
normal condition • He soon recovered
himself enough to feign a friendly welcome.
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman recoverer, Old French recovrer from
Latin recuperare (see recuperate ).]
—re·cov·er·a·bil·i·ty
[ri kùvvərə bíllətee], noun

—re·cov·er·a·ble
[ri kúvvərəb’l], adjective

—re·cov·er·er, noun[1]



recoverableerror

recoverableerror
re·cov·er·a·ble
er·ror
noun

minor computer program error:
a program error that can be corrected without causing a computer program to
fail. For example, if a user enters obviously wrong data, the program might
request a different entry.[1]



recovery

recovery
re·cov·er·y 
[ri kúvvəree] (plural re·cov·er·ies)
noun

1.  return
to health:
the return to normal health of somebody who has been ill or injured • a
speedy recovery

2.  return
to a normal state: the return of something to a
normal or improved state after a setback or loss • an
economic recovery

3.  gaining
back of something lost: the regaining of something
lost or taken away • The arrests led to the
recovery of large amounts of stolen property.

4.  ENVIRONMENT reclamation
from waste:
the extraction of useful substances from waste or refuse

5.  LAW obtaining
something through a court: the obtaining of something
by the ruling of a court

6.  GOLF shot
out of an obstacle: a shot played out of the
rough or an obstacle onto the green or fairway

7.  FENCING return
to guard:
a return to the guard position after making an attack

8.  ROWING SWIMMING bringing the arm forward:
the bringing forward of the arm to make another stroke
[14th century. The original
English sense was “help, means of recovering.”][1]



recoveryroom

recoveryroom
re·cov·er·y
room
noun

room for patients after
surgery: a hospital room equipped for
the care of patients who have just undergone surgery and are recovering from
anesthesia[1]



recreant

recreant
rec·re·ant 
[rékree ənt] or rec·re·ance [rékree ənss] or rec·re·an·cy [rékree ənssee] adjective (archaic)

1.  disloyal:
disloyal to a cause or duty

2.  cowardly:
cowardly
noun
(plural rec·re·ants) (archaic)

1.  disloyal
person:
somebody who is disloyal or deserts a cause

2.  coward:
a coward
[13th
century. Via Old French, the present participle of recroire “to
surrender” from, ultimately, Latin credere “to entrust.” Originally in
English, “surrendering oneself (to an adversary).”]
—rec·re·ant·ly, adverb[1]



re-create

re-create
re-cre·ate 
[ree kr ayt] (past re-cre·at·ed,
past participle re-cre·at·ed, present participle re-cre·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re-cre·ates) transitive verb

create
something again: to create something again or reproduce
it • The
decor aims to re-create a 19th-century interior.
—re-cre·at·a·ble,
adjective

—re-cre·a·tion,
noun

—re-cre·a·tive,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at copy

[1]



recreate

recreate
rec·re·ate 
[rékree àyt] (past rec·re·at·ed,
past participle rec·re·at·ed, present participle rec·re·at·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·re·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
part in recreation: to take part in activities
that are mentally or physically refreshing

2.  transitive
verb
refresh
self:
to refresh somebody, especially the self, mentally or physically (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin recreat-, the past participle stem of recreare,
literally “to bring forth again,” from creare (see create ); also, later, a back-formation from recreation .]
—rec·re·a·tive,
adjective

—rec·re·a·tor, noun[1]



recreation

recreation
rec·re·a·tion 
[rèkree áysh’n] (plural rec·re·a·tions)
noun

1.  amusement:
an activity that a person takes part in for pleasure or relaxation rather than
as work • She
took up sketching as a recreation.

2.  refreshment:
the refreshment of the mind and body after work, especially by engaging in
enjoyable activities • after-work
recreation
[14th century][1]



recreational

recreational
rec·re·a·tion·al 
[rèkree áyshən’l, rèkree
áyshnəl] adjective

1.  not
for work:
done or used for pleasure or relaxation rather than work

2.  DRUGS not
for medical purposes: used to describe controlled
drugs taken illegally
—re·cre·a·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



recreationalvehicle

recreationalvehicle
rec·re·a·tion·al
ve·hi·cle
noun

motor vehicle for camping:
a large motor vehicle, usually with facilities for sleeping and eating, used
for recreational activities such as camping[1]



recreationroom

recreationroom
rec·re·a·tion
room
noun

1.  room
in house for relaxation: a room used by the occupants
of a house for relaxation and recreational activities • a
new TV for the recreation room.
Also
called
rec room

2.  room
for social events: a room set aside for games,
social events, and other kinds of recreation in a public building

[1]



recriminate

recriminate
re·crim·i·nate 
[ri krímmə nàyt] (past re·crim·i·nat·ed,
past participle re·crim·i·nat·ed, present participle re·crim·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·crim·i·nates) intransitive verb

accuse
an accuser:
to accuse somebody who has already brought an accusation
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin recriminat-, the past participle stem
of recriminari, literally “to accuse back or again,” from Latin criminari,
criminare “to accuse.”]
—re·crim·i·na·tive,
adjective

—re·crim·i·na·tor,
noun

—re·crim·i·na·to·ry [ri krímmənə tàwree], adjective[1]



recrimination

recrimination
re·crim·i·na·tion 
[ri krìmmə náysh’n] (plural re·crim·i·na·tions)
noun

1.  accusing
of somebody in return: an accusation made against
somebody who has brought a previous accusation • It
started out as a calm discussion and ended in tears and recriminations.

2.  LAW countercharge:
an accusation that somebody accused of a crime makes against the accuser
[Early 17th century][1]



recroom

recroom
rec
room 
(plural rec rooms) noun

See
recreation room  noun 2[1]



recrudesce

recrudesce
re·cru·desce 
[r kroo déss] (past re·cru·desced,
past participle re·cru·desced, present participle re·cru·desc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cru·desc·es) intransitive verb

break
out again:
to break out or become active again after a dormant period
[Mid-17th
century. Back-formation from recrudescence, from Latin recrudescere,
literally “to become raw again,” from, ultimately, crudus “raw, bloody”
(source of English crude ).]
—re·cru·des·cence,
noun

—re·cru·des·cent, adjective[1]



recruit

recruit
re·cruit 
[ri krt] verb (past re·cruit·ed,
past participle re·cruit·ed, present participle re·cruit·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cruits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY enlist somebody:
to enlist somebody in a military force, or take part in enlisting people for a
military force • She was recruited by
the Marines.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb enroll
or take on somebody: to enroll somebody as a
worker or member, or to take on people as workers or members • The
company has stopped recruiting.

3.  transitive
verb
MILITARY raise
an army:
to establish a military force

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb recover:
to recover in health or strength, or recover one’s own health or strength (archaic)
noun
(plural re·cruits)

1.  MILITARY new
soldier:
a member of a military force who has joined recently

2.  new
member:
a new member, worker, player, or supporter
[Mid-17th
century. Via French recruter from, ultimately, French recrue,
literally “new growth,” a noun use of the feminine past participle of recroître
“to increase again,” from, ultimately, Latin crescere “to grow.”]
—re·cruit·er,
noun

—re·cruit·ing,
noun

—re·cruit·ment, noun[1]



recrystallize

recrystallize
re·crys·tal·lize
[ree kríst’l z] (past re·crys·tal·lized,
past participle re·crys·tal·lized, present participle re·crys·tal·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·crys·tal·liz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

crystallize
again:
to crystallize something or become crystallized again
—re·crys·tal·li·za·tion
[ree krìst’li záysh’n], noun[1]



rec.sec.

rec.sec.
rec.
sec.

Abbreviation of
recording secretary[1]



Rect.

Rect.
Rect.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Rector

2.  Abbreviation
of
Rectory

[1]



rect.

rect.1
rect.1 or rec’t

Abbreviation of
receipt[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rect.

rect.2
rect.2

Abbreviation of
rectangle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








recta

recta
rec·ta


Plural of
rectum[1]



rectal

rectal
rec·tal 
[rékt’l] adjective

of
or in the rectum: relating to, involving, or in the rectum
—rec·tal·ly, adverb[1]



rectangle

rectangle
rec·tan·gle 
[rék tàng g’l] (plural rec·tan·gles)
noun

figure
with four right angles: a four-sided plane figure in
which each angle is a right angle, especially one with adjacent sides of
different length
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin rect(i)angulum, a noun use of the
neuter of late Latin rectiangulus, literally “straight angle,” from
Latin rectus “straight” + angulus “angle.”][1]



rectangular

rectangular
rec·tan·gu·lar 
[rek táng gyələr] adjective

1.  shaped
like a rectangle: with four sides, usually with adjacent
sides of different length, and four right angles

2.  with
or at right angles: involving, having, or
meeting at right angles
[Early
17th century. Formed from angular on the
model of French rectangulaire .]
—rec·tan·gu·lar·i·ty
[rek tàng gyə lérrətee], noun

—rec·tan·gu·lar·ly [rek táng gyələrlee], adverb[1]



rectangularcoordinate

rectangularcoordinate
rec·tan·gu·lar
co·or·di·nate noun

coordinate on rectangular
axes: a Cartesian coordinate used
in a system of axes that meet at right angles[1]



rectangularhyperbola

rectangularhyperbola
rec·tan·gu·lar
hy·per·bo·la noun

hyperbola with asymptotes at
right angles: a hyperbola with
asymptotes that are at right angles[1]



recti

recti
rec·ti 
[réktə]

Plural of
rectus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rectifier

rectifier
rec·ti·fi·er 
[réktə fr] (plural rec·ti·fi·ers)
noun

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
device:
an electronic device that converts alternating current to direct current, for
example, a set of semiconductor diodes connected in a bridge circuit

2.  CHEMISTRY condensing
apparatus:
an apparatus that condenses vapor to liquid during distillation

3.  one
that rectifies: a person or thing that puts a matter or
situation right

[1]



rectify

rectify
rec·ti·fy 
[réktə f] (past rec·ti·fied, past
participle rec·ti·fied, present participle rec·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular rec·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  correct
something:
to put something right

2.  CHEMISTRY purify:
to purify a substance, especially by distillation

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING convert
a current:
to convert alternating current to direct current

4.  MATHEMATICS find
the length of a curve: to find the length of a
curve
[14th
century. Directly or via French rectifier from medieval Latin rectificare,
literally “to make right,” from rectus “right” (source of English rectangle and rectum
).]
—rec·ti·fi·a·bil·ity
[rèktə fī ə bíllətee], noun

—rec·ti·fi·a·ble
[réktə f əb’l], adjective

—rec·ti·fi·ca·tion [rèktəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



rectilinear

rectilinear
rec·ti·lin·e·ar 
[rèktə línnee ər] or rec·ti·lin·e·al
[rèktə línnee əl] adjective

1.  with
straight lines: formed or consisting of straight lines

2.  in
a straight line: moving in a straight line
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin rectilineus, from Latin rectus
“straight” + linea “line” (source of English line
).]
—rec·ti·lin·e·ar·ly, adverb[1]



rectitude

rectitude
rec·ti·tude 
[réktə td] noun

1.  righteousness:
strong moral integrity in character or actions

2.  correctness:
correctness in judgment (formal) • the
admirable rectitude of her assessments

3.  straightness:
straightness in form or shape (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin rectitudo, from Latin rectus
“straight, correct.”]
—rec·ti·tu·di·nous [rèktə td’nəss], adjective[1]



recto

recto
rec·to 
[réktō] (plural rec·tos) noun

See
also
verso

1.  front
of printed sheet: the front side of a printed sheet

2.  right-hand
page:
the right-hand page of an open book
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin (folio) recto “(the page) being on the right,” a form of
Latin rectus “straight, correct,” the underlying idea being “right,
proper.”][1]



rector

rector
rec·tor 
[réktər] (plural rec·tors) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY cleric
in charge of an Episcopal parish: a member of the
Episcopal clergy who is in charge of a parish

2.  CHRISTIANITY cleric
in charge of a Catholic congregation: a
member of the Roman Catholic clergy who is in charge of a congregation, a
college, or a religious community

3.  CHRISTIANITY cleric
in charge of an Anglican parish: a member of the clergy
of the Church of England who is in charge of a parish

4.  EDUCATION head
of a school: the head of certain schools, colleges,
or universities
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French, “captain (of a ship), head of a
university,” from Latin, “ruler, governor” (the original English sense), from,
ultimately, regere “to rule.”]
—rec·tor·ate,
noun

—rec·to·ri·al
[rek táwree əl], adjective

—rec·tor·ship [réktər shìp], noun[1]



rectory

rectory
rec·to·ry 
[réktəree] (plural rec·to·ries)
noun

1.  rector’s
house:
the house that a rector lives in, provided by the church

2.  rector’s
post:
the post of rector and the income that goes with it
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French rectorie or medieval Latin rectoria from, ultimately,
Latin rector (see rector ).][1]



rectrix

rectrix
rec·trix 
[rék triks] (plural rec·tri·ces
[réktri sz, rek
tr sz]) noun

long
stiff tail feather: any of a bird’s long stiff
tail feathers that help to control direction during flight
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, feminine of rector (see rector
).][1]



rectum

rectum
rec·tum 
[réktəm] (plural rec·tums or
rec·ta [réktə]) noun

lower
part of intestine: the lower part of the large
intestine, between the colon and the anal canal
[15th century. From Latin (intestinum)
rectum “straight (intestine),” from rectus (see rectus ).][1]



rectus

rectus
rec·tus 
[réktəss] (plural rec·ti [rék t]) noun

straight
muscle:
any straight muscle, for example, any of the muscles in the abdomen or the
thigh
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “straight” (source of English rectify
and correct ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to go straight” (ancestor also of English right, rich,
rule, and regular
).][1]



recumbent

recumbent
re·cum·bent 
[ri kúmbənt] (plural re·cum·bents)
adjective

1.  lying:
lying back or lying down (literary) • a
colossal recumbent statue

2.  BIOLOGY resting
or leaning:
used to describe a plant or animal part that rests or leans against something
else

3.  GEOLOGY horizontal:
used to describe a fold whose axis is more or less horizontal
[Early
18th century. From Latin recumbere “to lie back,” from -cumbere
“to lie down.”]
—re·cum·bence,
noun

—re·cum·bent·ly, adverb[1]



recuperate

recuperate
re·cu·per·ate 
[ri kpə ràyt] (past re·cu·per·at·ed,
past participle re·cu·per·at·ed, present participle re·cu·per·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·cu·per·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
MED regain
health:
to recover from an illness or injury

2.  transitive
verb
get
back:
to recover something lost, especially a sum of money
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin recuperare, literally “to take back,” from capere
(see capture ).]
—re·cu·per·a·tion
[ri kpə ráysh’n], noun

—re·cu·per·a·tive
[ri kpə ràytiv, ri
kpərətiv], adjective

—re·cu·per·a·to·ry
[ri kpərə tàwree], adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Meaning
  trap
  Recuperate is normally used
  intransitively, that is, without an object, as in • She
  needed several weeks to recuperate.
  When used transitively, with a noun such as health as the object, recover
  is a better choice: • She
  needed several weeks to recover her health.

[1]



recuperator

recuperator
re·cu·per·a·tor
[ri kpə ràytər] (plural re·cu·per·a·tors)
noun

1.  CHEMICAL ENGINEERING heat
exchanger:
a device used to recover energy that would otherwise be lost, especially one
that takes heat from exhaust gases and uses it to preheat incoming combustion
air

2.  ARMS resetting
device in gun: a device in a gun that returns it to its
firing position following recoil

[1]



recur

recur
re·cur 
[ri kúr] (past re·curred, past
participle re·curred, present participle re·cur·ring, 3rd
person present singular re·curs) intransitive verb

1.  occur
again:
to happen or appear once again or repeatedly

2.  MATHEMATICS be
repeated indefinitely: to occur as an infinitely
repeated digit or series of digits at the end of a decimal fraction

3.  return:
to return to a subject in speech, writing, or thought (archaic or literary)

4.  resort:
to turn to something as an option after considering or trying other options (archaic
or literary)
[Early
16th century. From Latin recurrere, literally “to run back,” from currere
(see current ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Redundancy
  trap:
  The
  sense of again being an integral part of the meaning of recur, it is redundant to say things like “The
  disease recurred again.” Simply say “recurred.”

[1]



recurrent

recurrent
re·cur·rent 
[ri kúr ənt] adjective

1.  occurring
again:
happening or appearing again, especially repeatedly

2.  ANATOMY turning
around:
used to describe a blood vessel or nerve that turns back on itself and runs in
the opposite direction
—re·cur·rence,
noun

—re·cur·rent·ly, adverb[1]



recurrentfever

recurrentfever
re·cur·rent
fe·ver
noun

See
relapsing fever[1]



recurringdecimal

recurringdecimal
re·cur·ring
dec·i·mal 
(plural re·cur·ring dec·i·mals) noun

See
repeating decimal[1]



recursion

recursion
re·cur·sion 
[ri kúrzh’n] noun

1.  return
of something: the return of something, often
repeatedly

2.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS repetition of steps to
give result: the use of repeated steps, each based on
the result of the one before, to define a function or calculate a number

3.  COMPUTING repeating
of computer process: a routine’s calling of
itself in order to repeat a process in computing
[Early 17th century. Via the
late Latin stem recursion-, literally “a running back,” from Latin recurs-,
the past participle stem of recurrere (see recur
).][1]



recursive

recursive
re·cur·sive 
[ri kúrssiv] adjective

1.  self-repeating:
repeating itself, either indefinitely or until a specified point is reached

2.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC repeatedly
applying function to itself: involving the repeated
application of a function to its own values
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin recurs-, the past participle stem of recurrere
(see recur ).]
—re·cur·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·cur·sive·ness, noun[1]



recurvate

recurvate
re·cur·vate 
[ri kúr vàyt, ri
kúrvət] adjective

bent back:
curved backward, inward, or downward[1]



recurve

recurve
re·curve 
[ri kúrv] (past re·curved, past
participle re·curved, present participle re·curv·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·curves) intransitive and transitive
verb

bend
back:
to curve backward, inward, or downward, or cause something to curve in this way
[Late
16th century. From Latin recurvare, literally “to curve back,” from curvus
(see curve ).]
—re·cur·va·tion
[r kur váysh’n], noun

—re·curved [ri kúrvd], adjective[1]



recusant

recusant
rec·u·sant 
[rékyəz’nt, ri
kyz’nt] noun (plural rec·u·sants)

1.  CHRISTIANITY dissenting
Roman Catholic: a Roman Catholic who broke the law by
refusing to attend Church of England services in England between the 16th and
18th centuries

2.  somebody
disobeying authority: somebody who refuses to obey
authority
adjective

disobeying authority:
refusing to obey authority
—rec·u·sance, noun[1]



recuse

recuse
re·cuse 
[ri kyz] (past re·cused, past
participle re·cused, present participle re·cus·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·cus·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

disqualify
somebody:
to disqualify somebody from judging or participating in something because of
bias or personal interest, or withdraw for that reason • The
judge recused herself because she knew the plaintiff socially.
[Early
19th century. From Latin recusare “to refuse,” from re- “back” + causa
“cause, case.”]
—re·cus·al, noun[1]



recycle

recycle
re·cy·cle 
[ree sk’l] verb (past re·cy·cled,
past participle re·cy·cled, present participle re·cy·cling,
3rd person present singular re·cy·cles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb process
for reuse:
to process used or waste material so that it can be used again

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb save
for reuse:
to save or collect used or waste material for reprocessing into something
useful

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
again differently: to adapt or convert
something to a new use

4.  transitive
verb
reuse
something:
to use something again for the same purpose

5.  transitive
verb
use
again unimaginatively: to use something abstract
again in the same form, often at the expense of freshness or originality

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
a process:
to repeat a process, or pass something through a process again
noun

recycling of material:
the recycling of material, especially used or waste materials
—re·cy·cla·ble,
adjective

—re·cy·cler, noun[1]



recycled

recycled
re·cy·cled
[ree sk’ld] adjective

1.  made
from waste:
manufactured from used or waste materials that have been reprocessed

2.  used
again:
used again or repeatedly, often at the expense of freshness or originality

[1]



recycling

recycling
re·cy·cling
[ree skling] noun

1.  processing
of waste for reuse: the processing of used or
waste material so that it can be used again, instead of being wasted

2.  saving
for reprocessing: the saving or collecting of used or
waste material for reprocessing.
See
also
recovery, reuse

[1]



red

red
red 
[red] adjective (comparative red·der,
superlative red·dest)

1.  COLORS of the
color of blood: of or near the color of blood, or a ripe
tomato or strawberry

2.  reddish
brown:
used to describe hair or fur that is reddish brown, orange, or golden brown

3.  bloodshot:
bloodshot or with red rims, for example, from tiredness

4.  with
a temporarily red face: blushing, for example, from
shame or embarrassment

5.  WINE made
from black grapes: made from black grapes.
Pigments in the purple skins of these grapes give the wine a deep red color.

6.  ACCOUNTING representing
debt:
representing debt or financial loss

7.  red
or Red POLITICS socialist:
socialist or communist (informal disapproving)
See
also
white

8.  red
or Red POLITICS Soviet:
relating or belonging to the former Soviet Union (informal)
noun
(plural reds)

1.  COLORS color
of blood:
a color such as that of blood, or of a ripe tomato or strawberry. It lies at
the far end of the visible spectrum and is one of the three primary colors of
light and pigment.

2.  red
coloring:
a pigment or dye that is of or near to the color of blood, or a ripe tomato or
strawberry

3.  red
fabric or clothes: fabric or clothing that is
red in color

4.  something
red:
a red object

5.  WINE red
wine:
wine made from black grapes (informal)

6.  GAMBLING section
of gambling table: in roulette and other
gambling games, one of the two colored areas on the table on which players may
place bets. The other is black.

7.  ARCHERY part
of an archery target: a red ring immediately
outside the gold disk at the center of a target

8.  CUE GAMES red
ball:
in billiards, snooker, and other cue games, a red ball

9.  red
or Red (plural Reds) POLITICS a socialist or communist:
somebody with socialist or communist views (informal disapproving)
[From
Old English rēad . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also
the ancestor of ruddy, rouge, and erythro-
.]
—red·ly,
adverb

—red·ness,
noun
in
the red

in
debt, for example, to a bank

see
red

to suddenly become very angry
(informal)[1]



red.

red.
red.

1.  Abbreviation
of
redeemable

2.  Abbreviation
of
reduced

3.  Abbreviation
of
reduction

[1]



redact

redact
re·dact 
[ri dákt] (past re·dact·ed, past
participle re·dact·ed, present participle re·dact·ing,
3rd person present singular re·dacts) transitive verb

1.  edit
something:
to edit or revise something in preparation for publication • formerly
classified documents that were redacted before release to protect still
confidential material

2.  draft
something:
to compose or draft something for publication or for an announcement (formal)
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin redact-, the past participle stem of redigere
“to reduce,” literally “to bring down,” from agere (see act ).]
—re·dac·tion
[ri dákshən], noun

—re·dac·tion·al
[ri dákshənəl], adjective

—re·dac·tor, noun[1]



redadmiral

redadmiral
red
ad·mi·ral
(plural red ad·mi·rals) noun

bright orange-red butterfly:
a brightly colored butterfly with broad orange-red bands on its forewings. It
is native to Europe and North America. Latin name: Vanessa atalanta[1]



redalert

redalert
red
a·lert
(plural red a·lerts) noun

state of readiness for an
emergency: a warning or alarm that
indicates a situation of the highest priority or greatest urgency, especially
an imminent attack, or the state of readiness to deal with such a situation[1]



redalgae

redalgae
red
al·gae
plural noun

red seaweed:
marine algae, for example, dulse, laver, and carrageen, that contain a red
pigment as well as chlorophyll. Family: Rhodophyceae[1]



redan

redan
re·dan 
[ri dán] (plural re·dans) noun

V-shaped
parapet:
a pair of parapets that form a V-shaped projection from the wall of a castle or
other fortification
[Late 17th century. From
French, a variant of redent, from dent “tooth,” from Latin dens
(see dental ).][1]



RedArmy

RedArmy
Red
Ar·my
noun

Bolshevik army of the Russian
revolution: the military organization
put into place by Leon Trotsky at the time of the Russian revolution. Its
members were recruited from the worker and peasant classes.[1]



redback

redback
red·back
[réd bàk] (plural red·backs) or
red·back spi·der [réd bàk] (plural
red·back spi·ders) noun

spider with red mark on back:
a small venomous dark brown or black spider native to Australia and New
Zealand. The female has a red stripe or patch on the back of the abdomen. Latin
name: Latrodectus hasselti[1]



red-backedshrike

red-backedshrike
red-backed
shrike
(plural red-backed shrikes) noun

small bird with a
chestnut-colored back: a small
bird, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, the male of which has a
chestnut-colored back and tail and a black-and-white face. Latin name: Lanius
collurio[1]



redbait

redbait
red·bait 
[réd bàyt] (past red·bait·ed, past
participle red·bait·ed, present participle red·bait·ing,
3rd person present singular red·baits) intransitive and
transitive verb

accuse
of being communist: to attack or persecute
somebody as a communist sympathizer (dated)
—red·bait·ing, noun[1]



redbay

redbay
red
bay
(plural red bays) noun

ornamental tree of southern
U.S.: a small tree that has
red-stalked fruit and red heartwood and is widely grown as an ornamental plant.
It is native to the southern United States. Latin name: Persea borbonia[1]



red-belliedblack snake

red-belliedblack snake
red-bel·lied
black snake
(plural red-bel·lied black snakes) noun

poisonous Australian snake:
a large poisonous snake that is glossy black with an orangey-red underside. It
is found in eastern Australian woodlands and can grow to almost 2.5 m/ 8 ft in
length. Latin name: Pseudechis porphyriacus[1]



redbellydace

redbellydace
red·bel·ly
dace 
[rèd bellee dáyss] noun

small fish:
either of two small brightly colored North American freshwater fish belonging
to the minnow family. Genus: Phoxinus[1]



redbird

redbird
red·bird 
[réd bùrd] (plural red·birds) noun

bird with red feathers:
any of various birds with red plumage, for example, the card[1]



redblood cell

redblood cell
red
blood cell
(plural red blood cells) noun

blood cell carrying oxygen:
any of the red-colored cells in blood that contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen
to the tissues.
Also called
erythrocyte
Also called
red cell
Also called
red corpuscle[1]



red-blooded

red-blooded
red-blood·ed 
adjective

traditionally manly:
behaving in ways stereotypically associated with men, for example, by showing
strength or active sexual desire[1]



redbone

redbone
red·bone
[réd bn] (plural red·bones) noun

dog:
a medium-sized hunting dog with a reddish coat, originally bred in the United
States to hunt raccoons[1]



redbreast

redbreast
red·breast 
[réd brèst] (plural red·breasts
or red·breast) noun

1.  bird
with red chest: a bird with a reddish breast, especially
the robin

2.  fish
with red belly: a freshwater sunfish with a reddish
belly, found in the eastern United States. Latin name: Lepomis auritus

[1]



redbrick

redbrick
red·brick 
[réd brìk] adjective

1.  U.K.
EDUC of 19C
British university: relating to British
universities that were founded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, for
example, Manchester and Leeds. The term was originally intended to emphasize
their modernity in contrast to the older British universities such as Oxford and
St. Andrews, and now also distinguishes them from newer universities.

2.  built
of red bricks: constructed of red bricks

[1]



redbrick

redbrick
red·brick 
[réd brìk] adjective

1.  U.K.
EDUC of 19C
British university: relating to British
universities that were founded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, for
example, Manchester and Leeds. The term was originally intended to emphasize
their modernity in contrast to the older British universities such as Oxford and
St. Andrews, and now also distinguishes them from newer universities.

2.  built
of red bricks: constructed of red bricks

[1]



RedBrigades

RedBrigades
Red
Bri·gades
plural noun

guerrilla
group:
a left-wing urban organization that was active in Italy during the 1970s and
was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of the Italian statesman Aldo
Moro in 1978
[Translation of Italian brigate
rosse][1]



redbud

redbud
red·bud 
[réd bùd] (plural red·buds or
red·bud) noun

American tree with pink
flowers: a North American tree that
has heart-shaped leaves and small pale pink flowers. Genus: Cercis
Also called
Judas tree[1]



redbug

redbug
red·bug
[réd bùg] (plural red·bugs) noun

red-and-black
insect:
a stout red-and-black insect found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Some
redbugs, such as the cotton stainer are pests. Family: Pyrrhocoridae





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term outlines the entire South Midland and Southern speech areas, with chigger
  making substantial inroads into the south and red bug showing new
  strength in the Rocky Mountain states.

[1]



redcap

redcap
red·cap 
[réd kàp] (plural red·caps) noun

porter:
a porter at an airport or railroad station (informal)
[From the red caps
traditionally worn by such personnel][1]



redcard

redcard
red
card
(plural red cards) noun

referee’s card for ejecting
player: in soccer, a red card
displayed by the referee when ejecting a player from a game for a serious
infringement of the rules.
See also
yellow card[1]



redcarpet

redcarpet
red
car·pet
(plural red car·pets) noun

1.  VIP’s
carpet:
a strip of red-colored carpet laid on the ground for an important visitor to
walk on when arriving or departing

2.  VIP
treatment:
attentive or deferential treatment given to a dignitary, celebrity, or other
important person (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



redcell

redcell
red
cell
(plural red cells) noun

See
red blood cell[1]



redcent

redcent
red
cent
noun

smallest
amount of money: the smallest amount of money (informal)
[From the fact that the
one-cent coin is made of copper][1]



RedCloud

RedCloud
Red
Cloud 
[rèd klówd] (1822–1909)

U.S. Oglala Sioux leader. He
resisted the U.S. government’s occupation of Native North American territory in
present-day Wyoming and Montana, but his defeat in the Sioux War (1875–1876)
resulted in the relocation of his people to South Dakota.[1]



redclover

redclover
red
clo·ver
noun

fragrant clover:
a variety of clover with fragrant red flowers, often grown as a forage crop for
horses or cattle. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. Latin name: Trifolium
pratense[1]



redcoat

redcoat
red·coat 
[réd kt] (plural red·coats) noun

HISTORY British
soldier:
a British soldier serving overseas in former times, especially during the
American Revolution
[From their bright red
uniform coats][1]



redcoral

redcoral
red
cor·al
noun

coral used for jewelry:
any coral whose hard pinkish-red skeletons are used to make ornaments and
jewelry. Genus: Corallium
Also called
precious coral[1]



redcorpuscle

redcorpuscle
red
cor·pus·cle
(plural red cor·pus·cles) noun

See
red blood cell[1]



RedCrescent

RedCrescent
Red
Cres·cent
noun

Red Cross in Islamic
countries: the name under which any
branch of the Red Cross functions in Islamic countries[1]



RedCross

RedCross

Red Cross
noun
international medical care organization:
an international organization founded in 1864 and dedicated to the medical care
of the sick or wounded in wars and natural disasters[1]



redcurrant

redcurrant
red
cur·rant
(plural red cur·rants) noun

1.  FOOD sharp-tasting
red berry:
a small round red fruit with a tart flavor that grows in northern regions. It
is often used to make jellies.

2.  PLANTS flowering
shrub:
a flowering shrub that grows in northern temperate regions and bears red
currants. Latin name: Ribes rubrum

[1]



redd

redd2
redd2  [red]
(plural redds) noun

spawning
place for fish: a hollow that is scooped out in the sand
or gravel of a river bed for spawning by fish such as trout and salmon
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



redd

redd1
redd1  [red]
intransitive and transitive verb (past redd or redd·ed,
past participle redd or redd·ed, present
participle redd·ing, 3rd person present singular redds)

tidy
something:
to straighten something up, or tidy things generally (regional)
noun
(plural redds)

tidying
session:
a spell of straightening something up (regional)
[Early
16th century. From Old Norse ryðja (see rid
), with the sense influenced by an obsolete verb meaning “to rescue,” from Old
English hreddan .]
—red·der, noun[1]



reddeer

reddeer
red
deer 
noun

deer with reddish coat:
a large deer that has spreading antlers and a reddish-brown summer coat. It is
native to Europe and Asia and has been introduced into Australia, New Zealand,
and South America. Latin name: Cervus elaphus[1]



redden

redden
red·den 
[rédd’n] (past red·dened, past
participle red·dened, present participle red·den·ing, 3rd
person present singular red·dens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become red: to become red or redder, or make
something red or redder

2.  intransitive
verb
become
flushed:
to go red in the face, for example, with embarrassment, anger, or exertion

[1]



Redding,Otis

Redding,Otis
Red·ding
[rédding], Otis (1941–1967)

U.S. singer and songwriter.
He won popular and critical acclaim for his Southern soul rhythm-and-blues
style, an emotional blend of gospel, country, and traditional blues.[1]



reddish

reddish
red·dish 
[réddish] adjective

colored
a shade of red: of a color that is a shade of red or
strongly tinged with red
—red·dish·ness, noun[1]



reddle

reddle
red·dle 
noun transitive verb

See
ruddle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








red-dog

red-dog
red-dog 
transitive verb

charge quarterback:
in football, to charge directly at the quarterback the moment the ball is put
into play (informal)[1]



rede

rede
rede 
[reed] noun (plural redes)

1.  dial
advice:
advice

2.  explanation:
a story, account, or explanation (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past red·ed, past participle red·ed, present
participle red·ing, 3rd person present singular redes)
dial

1.  advise
somebody:
to advise or counsel somebody

2.  interpret
something:
to explain, understand, or interpret something in a particular way
[The noun is from Old English
rd ; the verb from Old English rdan (see read )][1]



redear

redear
red·ear
[réd r] (plural red·ears or
red·ear) or red·ear sun·fish [réd
r] noun

sunfish with scarlet marking:
a freshwater sunfish that has a scarlet margin around the gill cover. It is
found in the southern and eastern United States. Latin name: Lepomis
microlophus[1]



redearth

redearth
red
earth
noun

tropical soil:
a clayey soil found in tropical grasslands, colored red by the presence of iron
compounds[1]



redecorate

redecorate
re·dec·o·rate 
[ree dékə ràyt] (past re·dec·o·rat·ed,
past participle re·dec·o·rat·ed, present participle re·dec·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·dec·o·rates) intransitive and
transitive verb

renew interior decoration:
to change or renew the interior decoration of a building or room[1]



redeem

redeem
re·deem 
[ri dm] (past re·deemed, past
participle re·deemed, present participle re·deem·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·deems) transitive verb

1.  make
something acceptable: to make something acceptable
or pleasant in spite of its negative qualities or aspects

2.  restore
reputation:
to restore yourself to favor or to somebody’s good opinion

3.  buy
something back: to buy back an item given, for example,
to a pawnbroker, as security for a loan

4.  keep
a promise:
to fulfill a pledge or promise

5.  exchange
something for money: to exchange or convert
something such as a voucher for money or its equivalent

6.  FINANCE pay
something off: to pay off the outstanding portion of a
debt

7.  CHRISTIANITY atone
for human sin: to pay for the sins of humanity with
death on the Cross
[15th century. Directly or
via French rédimer from Latin redimere, literally “to buy back,”
from emere (see example ).][1]



redeemable

redeemable
re·deem·a·ble
[ri dməb’l] adjective

convertible
into cash:
able to be exchanged for money
—re·deem·a·bil·i·ty
[ri dmə bíllətee], noun

—re·deem·a·bly [ri dməblee], adverb[1]



Redeemer

Redeemer
Re·deem·er
noun

CHRISTIANITY
Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ regarded as the savior of humanity through his death on the Cross[1]



redeemer

redeemer
re·deem·er 
[ri dmər] (plural re·deem·ers)
noun

redeeming person:
somebody who redeems somebody or something, especially somebody who saves
somebody else from unpleasantness or danger[1]



redeeming

redeeming
re·deem·ing
[ri dming] adjective

compensating:
compensating for faults or flaws[1]



redefine

redefine
re·de·fine
[rdi fn] (past re·de·fined, past
participle re·de·fined, present participle re·de·fin·ing,
3rd person present singular re·de·fines) transitive verb

make something different:
to change the nature, appearance, or position of something consciously and
sometimes arbitrarily[1]



redemption

redemption
re·demp·tion 
[ri démpshən] noun

1.  improving
of something: the saving or improving of something
that has declined into a poor state

2.  redeemed
state:
the improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible
decline

3.  buying
back of something: the buying back of something
given, for example, to a pawnbroker, as security for a loan

4.  FINANCE ending
of financial obligation: the removal of a financial
obligation, for example, the repayment of a loan or promissory note

5.  CHRISTIANITY atonement
for human sin: deliverance from the sins of humanity by
the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross
[14th
century. Via French rédemption from, ultimately, Latin redempt-,
the past participle stem of redimere (see redeem
).]
—re·demp·tion·al, adjective[1]



redemptioner

redemptioner
re·demp·tion·er 
[ri démpshənər] (plural re·demp·tion·ers)
noun

emigrant working to pay for
emigration: an emigrant from Europe in
the 18th and 19th centuries who worked as a servant on arriving in North
America, to pay for the cost of the voyage[1]



redemptive

redemptive
re·demp·tive 
[ri démptiv] adjective

bringing
redemption:
bringing about the redemption of somebody or something
[15th
century. Formed from Latin redempt-, the past participle stem of redimere
(see redeem ).]
—re·demp·tive·ly, adverb[1]



Redemptorist

Redemptorist
Re·demp·tor·ist 
[ri démptərist] (plural Re·demp·tor·ists)
noun

member
of order of preachers: a member of the Congregation
of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic order specializing in preaching and
missionary work, founded in Italy in 1732
[Mid-19th century. Via French
rédemptoriste from Latin redemptor “redeemer,” from redempt-,
the past participle stem of redimere (see redeem
).][1]



redensign

redensign
red
en·sign
(plural red en·signs) noun

flag flown by British ships:
a red flag with the Union Jack in the upper corner of the vertical edge near
the staff. It is flown by British merchant ships and pleasure craft.[1]



redeploy

redeploy
re·de·ploy 
[rdi plóy] (past re·de·ployed,
past participle re·de·ployed, present participle re·de·ploy·ing,
3rd person present singular re·de·ploys) intransitive and
transitive verb

relocate:
to move people or equipment from one area or activity to another
—re·de·ploy·ment, noun[1]



redesign

redesign
re·de·sign
[rdi zn] transitive verb (past
re·de·signed, past participle re·de·signed, present
participle re·de·sign·ing, 3rd person present singular re·de·signs)

change
design of:
to change or revise the design of something
noun
(plural re·de·signs)

new design:
a new or revised design[1]



redevelop

redevelop
re·de·vel·op 
[rdi vélləp] (past re·de·vel·oped,
past participle re·de·vel·oped, present participle re·de·vel·op·ing,
3rd person present singular re·de·vel·ops) transitive verb

improve
a rundown area: to improve an area that has become run
down by renovating buildings, making better use of wasteland, and encouraging
inward investment
—re·de·vel·op·ment, noun[1]



redeye

redeye
red·eye 
[réd ] (plural red·eyes) noun

1.  AIR night
flight:
a late night or overnight airline service, usually, because of early morning
arrival due to the crossing of time zones, a long easterly flight (informal)

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
defect:
red pupils in the eyes of a subject in flash photography, a common defect in
photographs taken with simple cameras (informal)

3.  BEVERAGES cheap
whiskey:
cheap inferior whiskey (slang)

[1]



redeyegravy

redeyegravy
red·eye
gra·vy
noun

ham
gravy:
gravy made from the juices of baked or fried ham, often flavored with coffee
[From the small bubbles of
ham fat that form in it while cooking][1]



redfescue

redfescue
red
fes·cue
noun

grass plant:
a grass plant that has creeping roots and green, reddish, or bluish-green
flower clusters. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. Latin name: Festuca
rubra[1]



redfin

redfin
red·fin 
[réd fìn] (plural red·fins or
red·fin) or red·fin shin·er [réd
fìn] (plural red·fin shin·ers) noun

aquarium fish with reddish
fins: a small freshwater fish with
reddish fins that is native to central North America and is a popular aquarium
fish. Genus: Notropis[1]



redfire

redfire
red
fire
noun

chemicals producing red
flame: a chemical mixture,
especially one containing strontium salts, that burns with a vivid red flame
and is used in fireworks and flares[1]



redfish

redfish
red·fish 
[réd fìsh] (plural red·fish·es
or red·fish) noun

1.  reddish
rockfish:
any reddish North Atlantic rockfish, especially any species used as food.
Also
called
rosefish

2.  See
channel bass

3.  salmon:
a male salmon that has recently spawned

[1]



redflag

redflag
red
flag
(plural red flags) noun

1.  flag
symbolizing communism or socialism: a
plain red flag or banner used as an international symbol of communism or
socialism

2.  incitement
to anger:
an incitement to anger or violence.
U.K.
term
red rag

3.  warning
signal:
a flag waved as a danger signal or a command to stop

[1]



Redford,Robert

Redford,Robert
Red·ford 
[rédfərd], Robert (1937– )

U.S.
actor, producer, and director. His many movies include Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid ( 1969 ). He also founded the Sundance Film Festival.
Full name
Redford, Charles Robert[1]



redfox

redfox
red
fox
(plural red foxes) noun

common fox:
the common fox of Europe, Asia, and North America, found in fields and open
woods. It has sharply pointed ears, a reddish-orange to reddish-brown coat, and
a white-tipped tail. Latin name: Vulpes vulpes[1]



redgiant

redgiant
red
gi·ant
(plural red gi·ants) noun

very large red star:
a red-colored star with a relatively low surface temperature and a diameter
much greater than that of the sun[1]



Redgrave,Michael

Redgrave,Michael
Red·grave
[réd gràyv], Sir Michael (1908–1985)

British
actor. One of the outstanding actors of his generation, he played both
classical and contemporary roles in movies and on stage.
Full name
Redgrave, Michael Scudamore[1]



Redgrave,Vanessa

Redgrave,Vanessa
Red·grave
[réd gràyv], Vanessa (1937– )

British actor, The daughter
of Michael Redgrave, she is acclaimed for her sensitive and intelligent
portrayals of strong-willed independent women.[1]



red-greencolorblindness

red-greencolorblindness
red-green
col·or·blind·ness noun

See
deuteranopia[1]



RedGuard

RedGuard
Red
Guard
(plural Red Guards) noun

1.  Chinese
Communist youth movement: the 1960s Chinese Communist
youth movement that attempted to bring about the Cultural Revolution of Mao
Zedong

2.  young
Chinese Communist: a member of the Red Guard

[1]



redgum

redgum
red
gum
(plural red gums) noun

1.  eucalyptus
tree:
an Australian eucalyptus tree with aromatic leaves and distinctive red wood.
Latin name: Eucalyptus camaldulensis

2.  See
sweet gum

[1]



red-handed

red-handed
red-hand·ed 
adjective

during
commission of offense: in the act of committing a
crime or doing something wrong • caught
red-handed
[From the notion of having
blood on the hands][1]



redhead

redhead
red·head 
[réd hèd] (plural red·heads) noun

1.  somebody
with red hair: somebody, especially a woman, who has
reddish-colored hair

2.  BIRDS American
diving duck: a North American diving duck, the male
of which has a bright chestnut head. Latin name: Aythya americana

[1]



redheaded

redheaded
red·head·ed 
[rèd héddəd] adjective

1.  with
red hair:
with reddish-colored hair

2.  ZOOLOGY with
red head:
used to describe an animal, especially a bird, with a red head

[1]



redheat

redheat
red
heat
noun

red-hot state:
the temperature at which something is red-hot, or the state of being at such a
temperature[1]



redherring

redherring
red
her·ring
(plural red her·rings) noun

1.  misleading
clue:
something introduced, for example, into a crime or mystery story, in order to
divert attention or mislead

2.  FOOD smoked
herring:
a herring salted and smoked to a reddish-brown color
[From the practice of
dragging smoked fish across a scent trail to teach hounds not to be distracted][1]



redhorse

redhorse
red·horse
[réd hàwrss] (plural red·hors·es
or red·horse) noun

ZOOLOGY
red-finned fish:
a large red-finned North American freshwater fish of the sucker family. Genus: Moxostoma[1]



red-hot

red-hot
red-hot 
or red hot adjective

1.  glowing
red with heat: heated to such a high temperature as to
glow red

2.  very
hot:
extremely hot

3.  extremely
popular:
in great demand (informal)

4.  very
recent:
very recent and up to date (informal)

5.  passionate:
feeling or expressing intense enthusiasm, passion, or anger (informal)
noun
(plural red hots) FOOD

1.  hot
dog:
a hot dog, especially one spiced with pepper

2.  red
hot
spicy
candy:
a small hot-tasting cinnamon-flavored candy

[1]



red-hotpoker

red-hotpoker
red-hot
pok·er
(plural red-hot pok·ers) noun

tall plant with flowers on
spikes: a tall perennial plant with
spikes of drooping red or orange flowers. It is native to South Africa and
cultivated elsewhere as a garden plant. Genus: Kniphofia[1]



redia

redia
re·di·a 
[rdee ə] (plural re·di·ae [rdee ]) noun

parasitic
larva:
one of the forms that the larvae of trematode worms can take. Rediae are found
as parasites in the gut of snails.
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from the name of the Italian biologist Francesco Redi
( 1626–1698 ).][1]



redial

redial
re·di·al
[ree d əl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past re·di·aled, past participle re·di·aled,
present participle re·di·al·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·di·als)

dial
telephone number again: to dial a particular
telephone number again, for example, because the line was busy when the number
was dialed earlier
noun

dialing of number again:
the function that permits automatic redialing of a telephone number[1]



redid

redid
re·did

Past tense of
redo[1]



RedIndian

RedIndian
Red
In·di·an
(plural Red In·di·ans) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term formerly used to refer to a Native North American (dated
offensive)[1]



redingote

redingote
red·in·gote 
[rédding gt] (plural red·in·gotes)
noun

1.  woman’s
dress or coat: a belted woman’s dress or coat of the
18th century that was open at the front to show a petticoat or dress

2.  man’s
overcoat:
a man’s double-breasted coat of the 18th century that had wide flat cuffs and
flared out below the waist
[Late 18th century. From
French, an alteration of English riding-coat .][1]



redink

redink
red
ink
noun

financial
deficit:
financial loss or deficit
[From accountants’
traditional use of red ink to record deficits and losses][1]



redirect

redirect
re·di·rect 
[rdi rékt, rdī
rékt] transitive verb (past re·di·rect·ed, past
participle re·di·rect·ed, present participle re·di·rect·ing,
3rd person present singular re·di·rects)

1.  send
something elsewhere: to send something received
to a different location, for example, because the intended recipient has moved

2.  reroute
traffic:
to send traffic along a different route

3.  change
focus:
to focus actions or activities on a different objective
adjective

LAW calling
witness again: questioning a witness again after
cross-examination is completed
—re·di·rec·tion [rdi rékshən, rdī
rékshən], noun[1]



rediscover

rediscover
re·dis·cov·er
[rdi skúvvər] (past re·dis·cov·ered,
past participle re·dis·cov·ered, present participle re·dis·cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular re·dis·cov·ers) transitive verb

experience
something again: to experience something again,
especially finding a new source of pleasure in it
—re·dis·cov·er·y, noun[1]



redistribute

redistribute
re·dis·trib·ute 
[rdi strí byt] (past re·dis·trib·ut·ed,
past participle re·dis·trib·ut·ed, present participle re·dis·trib·ut·ing,
3rd person present singular re·dis·trib·utes) transitive verb

1.  distribute
something again: to distribute more of something
previously distributed

2.  apportion
something differently: to divide something up or
share something out in a different way, for example, in more equal proportions
or among a wider range of people
—re·dis·tri·bu·tion
[rdistrə bysh’n], noun

—re·dis·trib·u·tive [rdi stríbbyətiv], adjective[1]



redivivus

redivivus
red·i·vi·vus 
[rèddə vvəss, rèddə
vvəss] adjective

revived:
revived, reborn, or brought back to life (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “alive again,” from vivus (see vivid
).][1]



redlead

redlead
red
lead 
noun

lead compound:
a bright red poisonous oxide of lead, used as a pigment in paints. Pb3O4 
Also called
minium[1]



redleaf

redleaf
red
leaf
noun

plant disease:
a plant disease that causes abnormal reddening of the leaves[1]



redleg

redleg
red·leg 
[réd lèg] (plural redlegs) noun

1.  BIRDS red-legged
bird:
a bird with red legs, for example, the redshank

2.  MILITARY artilleryman:
an artilleryman (slang)

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE frog
disease:
a bacterial disease of frogs that produces a red flush on the hind legs

4.  Caribbean
offensive
term:
an offensive term for a poor Caucasian (slang offensive)

[1]



red-leggedgrasshopper

red-leggedgrasshopper
red-leg·ged
grass·hop·per (plural red-leg·ged
grass·hop·pers) or red-leg·ged lo·cust (plural red-leg·ged
lo·custs) noun

migratory grasshopper:
a small migratory grasshopper that has reddish skin on the underside of the
hind legs. It is native to the central United States, where it is an
agricultural pest. Latin name: Melanoplus femur-rubrum[1]



red-letterday

red-letterday
red-let·ter
day
(plural red-let·ter days) noun

very
special day: a very special day or occasion
[From the marking of feast
days in red on church calendars][1]



redlight

redlight
red
light
(plural red lights) noun

1.  TRANSPORT warning
signal:
a red warning signal, especially an instruction to drivers to stop

2.  rejection:
a sign of disapproval or rejection, for example, an instruction not to proceed
with something (informal)

[1]



red-light

red-light
red-light
adjective

with
sex for sale: relating to the part of a town or city
where brothels and other commercial sex-based activities are concentrated
[From the red lights
traditionally displayed in the doors and windows of brothels][1]



redline

redline
red·line 
[réd ln] (past red·lined, past
participle red·lined, present participle red·lin·ing, 3rd
person present singular red·lines) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb POLITICS ECONOMICS
refuse
financial services in area: to refuse loans, insurance,
or other financial services to individuals or businesses in a supposedly
high-risk area

2.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY select
for removal: to select something such as an aircraft
for removal from service

3.  transitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES earmark
for dismissal: to select somebody for dismissal as part
of employee cutbacks
[From the traditional use of
red ink to cross out deleted items in a budget][1]



redman

redman
red
man
(plural red men) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term formerly used to refer to a Native American (dated
offensive)[1]



redmaple

redmaple
red
ma·ple
(plural red ma·ples) noun

American maple tree:
a maple tree native to eastern North America, with red flowers, and leaves that
turn bright red in fall. Latin name: Acer rubrum[1]



redmarrow

redmarrow
red
mar·row
noun

bone marrow:
the reddish bone marrow where red blood cells and some white blood cells are
formed[1]



redmass

redmass
red
mass
(plural red mass·es) noun

special mass:
a special Roman Catholic mass celebrated in red vestments for the opening of a
court or congress[1]



redmeat

redmeat
red
meat
(plural red meats) noun

meat that is red when raw:
meat such as beef or lamb that is relatively dark red in color when raw[1]



redmite

redmite
red
mite
(plural red mites) noun

reddish mite:
any one of various reddish mites, for example, the spider mite[1]



redmulberry

redmulberry

red
mul·ber·ry
noun

1.  N
American mulberry tree: a North American mulberry
tree that produces purple fruit

2.        wood
from red mulberry: the soft
but durable wood of the red mulberry tree[1]



redmullet

redmullet

red mul·let
noun
U.K.
See goatfish[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








redneck

redneck
red·neck 
[réd nèk] (plural red·necks) noun
(informal insult)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a Caucasian farm worker in the southern United States,
especially one regarded as uneducated or aggressively prejudiced (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is opposed to liberal social changes,
especially somebody regarded as prejudiced (offensive)
[From
the sunburned necks of those who work outdoors in sunny climates]
—red·necked, adjective[1]



redo

redo
re·do 
[ree d] (past re·did [ree díd], past participle re·done [ree dún], present participle re·do·ing,
3rd person present singular re·does) transitive verb

1.  repeat
something:
to do something again, for example, in order to correct mistakes in an earlier
effort

2.  do
something differently: to change the appearance of
something such as a hairstyle or the interior decoration of a room

[1]



redoak

redoak
red
oak
noun

N American oak tree:
a North American oak tree that has bristly lobed leaves and acorns with small
cups. Genus: Quercus[1]



redocher

redocher
red
o·cher
noun

1.  reddish
paint:
a rich reddish-brown color used in painting

2.  reddish
earth:
a reddish earth that is rich in iron oxide and used as a red pigment in paints

[1]



redolent

redolent
red·o·lent 
[rédd’lənt] adjective

1.  aromatic:
with a strong pleasant aroma (literary)

2.  smelling:
with a particular scent or odor • old
oak furniture redolent of beeswax

3.  suggesting:
suggestive or reminiscent of something • a
report redolent of bias
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin redolere “to smell
strongly,” from olere (see olfactory
).]
—red·o·lence,
noun

—red·o·lent·ly, adverb[1]



redone

redone
re·done


Past participle of
redo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








redosier

redosier
red
o·sier
(plural red o·siers) noun

1.  reddish
willow:
a willow tree whose reddish branches are used in basketry

2.  red
osier
or red osier dogwood (plural red osier dogwoods) dogwood
plant:
a North American dogwood plant with red branches and white fruits. Genus: Cornus

[1]



redouble

redouble
re·dou·ble 
[ree dúbb’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past re·dou·bled, past participle re·dou·bled,
present participle re·dou·bling, 3rd person present singular
re·dou·bles)

1.  increase:
to increase something considerably, especially the amount of effort expended on
something, or to become much greater

2.  CARD GAMES double
a doubled bid: to double an opponent’s double as a bid
in bridge

3.  echo:
to echo or reecho, or cause something to echo or re-echo
noun
(plural re·dou·bles)

CARD GAMES doubling
of a double bid: a redoubling of a bid in bridge
[15th century. From French redoubler,
literally “to double again,” from double (see double
).][1]



redoubt

redoubt
re·doubt 
[ri dówt] (plural re·doubts) noun

1.  stronghold:
a castle, fortress, or other stronghold (literary)

2.  MILITARY temporary
fortification: a temporary fortification built to
defend a position such as a hilltop
[Early 17th century.
Alteration (influenced by redoubtable ) of French redoute, via
Italian ridotto from medieval Latin reductus “refuge,” from
Latin, the past participle of reducere (see reduce
).][1]



redoubtable

redoubtable
re·doubt·a·ble 
[ri dówtəb’l] adjective

formidable:
with personal qualities worthy of respect or fear
[14th
century. Via French redoutable from, ultimately, douter (see doubt ).]
—re·doubt·a·bly, adverb[1]



redound

redound
re·dound 
[ri dównd] (past re·dound·ed, past
participle re·dound·ed, present participle re·dound·ing,
3rd person present singular re·dounds) intransitive verb

1.  have
a particular result: to have a particular
consequence, usually something good or positive • All
the effort can only redound to her credit.

2.  have
a consequence for somebody: to return to affect somebody
as a repercussion or consequence (formal) • His
attempts at revenge redounded upon his own head.
[14th
century. Via French redonder from Latin redundare (see redundant ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at rebound.

[1]



redout

redout
red·out 
[réd òwt] noun

reddening of field of vision:
sudden headache and reddening of the field of vision experienced by pilots or
astronauts during rapid deceleration and other maneuvers. It is caused by blood
being forced into the vessels of the head.[1]



redox

redox
re·dox 
[r dòks] noun

See
oxidation-reduction
[Early 20th century. Coined
from reduction + oxidation
.][1]



redpanda

redpanda
red
pan·da
(plural red pan·das) noun

animal resembling raccoon:
a reddish-brown mammal that resembles a raccoon in appearance and lives in
forests in the Himalayas and nearby areas of eastern Asia. Latin name: Ailurus
fulgens
Also called
panda
Also called
lesser panda
Also called
bearcat[1]



red-pencil

red-pencil
red-pen·cil 
transitive verb

correct something:
to revise, correct, or censor written material.
See also
blue-pencil[1]



redpepper

redpepper
red
pep·per
(plural red pep·pers) noun

1.  edible
red pod:
any red pod that belongs to the capsicum family of vegetables, especially a
ripe sweet pepper.
See
also
bell pepper
See
also
green pepper

2.  See
cayenne pepper

[1]



redpine

redpine
red
pine
noun

1.  reddish
pine tree:
a pine tree that has reddish bark and needles in clusters of two. It is native
to northeastern North America. Latin name: Pinus resinosa
Also
called
Norway pine

2.  New
Zealand tree: a coniferous tree of New Zealand with
narrow pointed leaves. Latin name: Dacrydium cupressinum

[1]



redplanet

redplanet
red
plan·et
noun

Mars:
the planet Mars (informal)[1]



redpoll

redpoll
red·poll 
[réd pl] (plural red·polls) noun

finch with a red crown:
a small bird of the finch family with a red crown and a pink breast that breeds
in the far northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Genus: Carduelis[1]



RedPoll

RedPoll
Red
Poll
or Red Polled (plural Red Polls) noun

reddish-haired cow:
a hornless cow with short reddish hair belonging to a breed originating in
England and bred for beef and milk[1]



redpuccoon

redpuccoon
red
puc·coon
(plural red puc·coons) noun

See
bloodroot  noun[1]



redraft

redraft
re·draft
[ree dráft] noun (plural re·drafts)

second
draft:
a second or further draft or rewriting
transitive
verb
(past re·draft·ed, past participle re·draft·ed, present
participle re·draft·ing, 3rd person present singular re·drafts)

draft something again:
to rewrite something[1]



redrag

redrag
red
rag
(plural red rags) noun

U.K.
See red flag  noun 2
[From the notion that bulls
are enraged at the sight of red objects][1]



redraw

redraw
re·draw
[ree dráw] (past re·drew [ree dr], past participle re·drawn [ree dráwn], present participle re·draw·ing,
3rd person present singular re·draws) transitive verb

1.  reposition
boundary:
to change the position of the boundaries of a region

2.  draw
something again: to draw something another time, usually
making changes

3.  redesign
something:
to redesign something, changing its shape or the positions of its constituent
parts

[1]



redress

redress
re·dress 
[ri dréss] noun

1.  compensation:
compensation or reparation for a loss or wrong a party has experienced

2.  act
of compensating: the compensating of a party for a loss
or wrong experienced
transitive
verb
(past re·dressed, past participle re·dressed, present
participle re·dress·ing, 3rd person present singular re·dress·es)

1.  make
up for something: to provide compensation or reparation
for a loss or wrong experienced

2.  impose
fairness or equality on: to adjust a situation in order
to make things fair or equal
[14th
century. From Old French redrecier, from drecier (see dress ).]
—re·dress·er, noun[1]



redrew

redrew
re·drew

Past tense of
redraw[1]



redribbon

redribbon
red
rib·bon
(plural red rib·bons) noun

second-place prize:
a red-colored ribbon, badge, or other decoration awarded to somebody who comes
second in a competition[1]



RedRiver

RedRiver
Red
Riv·er
[red]

1.  river
of the southern United States, flowing through Oklahoma, Arkansas, and
Louisiana, and into the Mississippi. Length: 1,638 km/1,018 mi.

2.  river
in North America, rising in Minnesota, United States, and emptying into Lake
Winnipeg, Canada. Length: 877 km/545 mi.

3.  river
in southeastern Asia. It rises in southern China and flows through northern
Vietnam before emptying into the Gulf of Tonkin. Length: 800 km/500 mi.

[1]



redroot

redroot
red·root 
[réd rt] (plural red·roots) noun

1.  N
American bog plant: a perennial bog plant with
red roots and woolly yellow flowers, belonging to the bloodwort family. It
grows in eastern North America. Latin name: Lachnanthes caroliana

2.  plant
with red roots: a plant with red roots, for example, the
bloodroot or pigweed

3.  See
ceanothus

[1]



redsalmon

redsalmon
red
salm·on
noun

See
sockeye[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








RedSea

RedSea
Red
Sea

inland sea between the
Arabian peninsula and northeastern Africa. It is linked to the Mediterranean in
the north by the Suez Canal. Area: 437,700 sq km/169,000 sq mi.[1]



redsetter

redsetter
red
set·ter
(plural red set·ters) noun

See
Irish setter[1]



redshank

redshank
red·shank 
[réd shàngk] (plural red·shanks)
noun

red-legged bird:
a large wading bird of slender build with long red legs and red feet. Redshanks
are native to Europe and Asia and belong to the sandpiper family. Genus: Tringa[1]



redshank

redshank
red
shank
(plural red shanks) noun

U.K.
See lady’s thumb[1]



redshift

redshift
red·shift
(plural red·shifts) noun

change
in a star’s spectrum: a shift in the spectrum of a
celestial body toward longer wavelengths, or toward the red end of the
spectrum, caused by its motion away from the Earth
—red·shift·ed, adjective[1]



redshirt

redshirt
red·shirt 
[réd shùrt] (plural red·shirts)
noun

college
athlete:
a college or university athlete who is kept out of competitions for one year in
order to extend his or her period of eligibility
[From
the red jerseys that customarily distinguish these players at practices]
—red·shirt, transitive
verb[1]



red-shoulderedhawk

red-shoulderedhawk
red-should·ered
hawk
(plural red-should·ered hawks) noun

American hawk:
a large North American hawk with reddish shoulders and a banded tail. Latin
name: Buteo lineatus[1]



RedSindhi

RedSindhi
Red
Sin·dhi 
noun

reddish cow:
a small reddish-brown dairy cow belonging to a breed developed in India. It is
often used for crossbreeding with European stock in tropical countries.[1]



redsiskin

redsiskin
red
sis·kin
(plural red sis·kins) noun

scarlet finch:
a bright red finch whose head, wings, and tail are black. It is native to
northern parts of South America. Latin name: Carduelis cucullata[1]



redskin

redskin
red·skin 
[réd skìn] (plural red·skins) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term formerly used to refer to a Native North American (dated
offensive)[1]



redsnapper

redsnapper
red
snap·per
noun

red food fish:
a large reddish-colored food fish found in the warm Atlantic coastal waters off
North, South, and Central America. Genus: Lutjanus[1]



redsnow

redsnow
red
snow
noun

reddened snow:
fallen snow that is reddish in color, either from the presence of airborne dust
or from red algae growing in it. It is commonly seen in Arctic and Alpine
regions.[1]



redspider

redspider
red
spi·der
(plural red spi·ders) or red spi·der mite (plural
red spi·der mites) noun

See
spider mite[1]



RedSpot

RedSpot
Red
Spot
noun

red area on Jupiter:
a large reddish oval and variable marking in the southern hemisphere of
Jupiter. It does not rotate at the same rate as the planet and is thought to be
an atmospheric phenomenon.[1]



redspruce

redspruce
red
spruce
noun

reddish spruce tree:
a spruce tree that has reddish-brown bark and cones and a light soft wood. It
is native to eastern North America. Latin name: Picea rubens[1]



RedSquare

RedSquare
Red
Square
noun

large square in Moscow:
a large square in central Moscow, Russia, bordered by the Kremlin and Lenin’s
tomb. It was the site of military parades on public holidays in the former
Soviet Union.[1]



redsquill

redsquill
red
squill
(plural red squills) noun

plant with red bulbs:
a squill plant whose red bulbs are used as a source of rat poison. It belongs
to the lily family. Latin name: Urginea maritima[1]



redsquirrel

redsquirrel
red
squir·rel
noun

1.  N
American squirrel: a squirrel with reddish fur
found in coniferous forests of North America. It is smaller than the gray
squirrel. Latin name: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

2.  European
squirrel:
a reddish-brown squirrel with tufted ears that is native to Europe and Asia.
Latin name: Sciurus vulgaris

[1]



redstart

redstart
red·start 
[réd strt] (plural red·starts)
noun

1.  thrush
with reddish tail: a bird of the thrush family
that is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. The male has a black throat and a
reddish-brown tail. Genus: Phoenicurus

2.  American
warbler:
a flycatching warbler native to North and South America. The male has
reddish-orange patches on black and white plumage. Latin name: Setophaga
ruticilla
[Start is an obsolete word
for “tail” (from Old English steort )][1]



redsteenbras

redsteenbras
red
steen·bras
noun

See
dentex[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








redtape

redtape
red
tape
noun

bureaucracy:
official procedure regarded as unnecessary, overcomplicated, or obstructive (informal)
[From the red tape once
widely used to seal official documents][1]



redtide

redtide
red
tide
noun

poisonous reddish seawater:
a brownish-red discoloration in seawater, caused by the increased presence of
plant-based plankton. It sometimes leads to the poisoning of fish and,
consequently, of those who eat fish.[1]



redtop

redtop
red·top 
[réd tòp] (plural red·tops) noun

grass with red flowers:
a grass plant that has clusters of red flowers and is used for lawns and
forage. Genus: Agrostis[1]



reduce

reduce
re·duce 
[ri dss] (past re·duced, past
participle re·duced, present participle re·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·duc·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb decrease:
to become or make something smaller in size, number, extent, degree, or
intensity

2.  transitive
verb
worsen
state of somebody or something: to bring somebody or
something into a particular undesirable state • The
dreadful news reduced them all to tears. • Bombing
had reduced the town to rubble.

3.  transitive
verb
make
something cheaper: to lower the price or cost
of an item for sale

4.  transitive
verb
simplify
something:
to make something simpler, especially by extracting or summarizing essential
elements

5.  transitive
verb
analyze
something systematically: to analyze something in
terms of a system or rule, usually as an aid to explaining or understanding it

6.  transitive
verb
demote
somebody:
to place somebody officially in a lower rank or grade, for example, as a
punishment for breaking rules

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING thicken:
to make a sauce or stock thicker by boiling off some of the liquid, or to
become thicker in this way

8.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS simplify
an equation: to simplify an expression or equation
without changing its value

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY undergo chemical reaction:
to undergo, or cause a substance to undergo, a chemical reaction in which there
is a gain in hydrogen or a loss of oxygen.
See
also
oxidize  verb 1

10. intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY gain electrons:
to undergo, or cause a substance to undergo, a chemical reaction in which there
is an increase in the number of electrons.
See
also
oxidize  verb 2

11. transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY decrease
the density of a negative: to lessen the density of a
photographic negative using a chemical substance

12. transitive
verb
take
control of place or people: to bring a place or people
under a particular authority using force

13. transitive
verb
METALLURGY refine
ore:
to remove the impurities from an ore in order to obtain the pure metal

14. intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY undergo cell division:
to undergo, or cause cells to undergo, a type of cell division ( meiosis )
[14th
century. From Latin reducere, literally “to bring back,” from ducere
(see duct ).]
—re·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[ri dssə bíllətee], noun

—re·duc·i·ble [ri dssəb’l], adjective[1]



reducer

reducer
re·duc·er
[ri dssər] (plural re·duc·ers)
noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
chemical:
a chemical solution that lessens the density of a photographic negative by
oxidizing it

2.  CONSTRUCTION pipe
fitting:
a pipe fitting that connects two pipes of different diameters

[1]



reducingagent

reducingagent
re·duc·ing
a·gent 
or re·duc·tant (plural re·duc·ing a·gents) noun

chemical that reduces oxygen:
a chemical substance that reduces the amount of oxygen in another substance and
becomes oxidized in the process[1]



reductase

reductase
re·duc·tase 
[ri dúk tàyss, ri
dúk tàyz] (plural re·duc·tas·es) noun

reducing
enzyme:
an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of an organic compound
[Early 20th century. Formed
from reduction .][1]



reductioad absurdum

reductioad absurdum
re·duc·ti·o
ad ab·sur·dum  [ri dùkshee
ō ad əb súrdəm, ri dùktee ō ad əb súrdəm]
(plural re·duc·ti·o·nes ad ab·sur·dum) noun

1.  taking
something to absurd lengths: the application of a rule or
principle so strictly or literally that the result is ridiculous

2.  PHILOSOPHY logical
disproof:
the disproving of a logical argument by showing that its ultimate conclusion is
absurd

3.  PHILOSOPHY logical
proof:
the proving of a logical argument indirectly, by showing that the contradictory
argument is absurd
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “reduction to the absurd.”][1]



reduction

reduction
re·duc·tion 
[ri dúkshən] (plural re·duc·tions)
noun

1.  reducing
of something: the decreasing of something in size,
number, extent, degree, or intensity

2.  amount
by which something is reduced: the amount by which
something is made smaller or less

3.  simplification:
a simplification or condensation of something

4.  smaller
copy:
a copy of something made on a smaller scale, for example, a reduced photocopy

5.  MATHEMATICS making
fraction simpler: the canceling of common factors in the
numerator and denominator of a fraction

6.  COOKING thickened
sauce:
a sauce or stock that has been thickened by boiling off some of the liquid

7.  MATHEMATICS decimalization
of fraction: the converting of a fraction into
decimal form

8.  BIOLOGY See meiosis  noun 1

9.  CHEMISTRY chemical
reaction:
a chemical reaction that brings about a gain in hydrogen, a loss of oxygen, or
an increase in electrons
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin reducere (see reduce ).]
—re·duc·tion·al, adjective[1]



reductiondivision

reductiondivision
re·duc·tion
di·vi·sion
noun

BIOLOGY
See meiosis  noun 1[1]



reductionfiring

reductionfiring
re·duc·tion
fir·ing
(plural re·duc·tion fir·ings) noun

baking of pottery with
reduced oxygen: the firing of pottery
in an oxygen-starved atmosphere in order to change the nature of the glaze
applied. It is achieved either by restricting the air intake or by introducing
a substance that combines with oxygen.[1]



reductiongear

reductiongear
re·duc·tion
gear
(plural re·duc·tion gears) noun

gear reducing output speed:
a set of gears in an engine used to reduce output speed relative to that of the
engine while providing greater turning power when, for example, climbing a hill[1]



reductionism

reductionism
re·duc·tion·ism 
[ri dúkshə nìzzəm] noun

1.  simplification:
the analysis of something into simpler elements or organized systems,
especially with a view to explaining or understanding it

2.  oversimplification:
the oversimplifying of something complex, or the misguided belief that
everything can be explained in simple terms
—re·duc·tion·ist,
noun, adjective

—re·duc·tion·is·tic [ri dùkshə nístik], adjective[1]



reductive

reductive
re·duc·tive 
[ri dúktiv] adjective

1.  analyzing
in simple terms: seeking to explain complex things in
terms of simple structures and systems

2.  oversimplifying:
oversimplifying complex things and ignoring their subtleties or important
details
[Mid-16th
century. Via medieval Latin reductivus from, ultimately, Latin reducere
(see reduce ).]
—re·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·duc·tive·ness, noun[1]



redundancy

redundancy
re·dun·dan·cy 
[ri dúndənsee] (plural re·dun·dan·cies)
noun

1.  superfluousness:
the state or fact of not being or no longer being needed or wanted

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING duplication
of components: the installation of duplicate electronic
or mechanical components or backup systems that are designed to come into use
to keep equipment working if their counterparts fail

3.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS duplication
of message:
duplication of information in telecommunications in order to reduce the risk of
error

4.  use
of superfluous words: the use of a word whose
meaning is already conveyed elsewhere in a passage, without a rhetorical
purpose

5.  U.K.
dismissal
from work:
dismissal from employment because the job or the worker has been deemed no
longer necessary • There may be more
redundancies if sales do not improve.

[1]



redundant

redundant
re·dun·dant 
[ri dúndənt] adjective

1.  superfluous:
not needed or no longer needed

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING backup:
fitted as a backup component or system

3.  LINGUISTICS repeating
meaning:
with the same meaning as a word used elsewhere in a passage and without a
rhetorical purpose

4.  U.K.
dismissed
from work:
dismissed from employment because the job or the worker has been deemed no
longer necessary
[Late
16th century. From Latin redundare “to overflow,” from undare “to
rise in waves,” from unda (see undulate
).]
—re·dun·dant·ly, adverb[1]



redupl.

redupl.
redupl.

Abbreviation of
reduplicate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








reduplicate

reduplicate
re·du·pli·cate 
[ri dpli kàyt] verb (past re·du·pli·cat·ed,
past participle re·du·pli·cat·ed, present participle re·du·pli·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·du·pli·cates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
or double:
to repeat or double something, or be repeated or doubled

2.  transitive
verb
LINGUISTICS repeat
speech sound: to repeat a vowel, syllable, or word in
order to create a new word or linguistic element. For example, the first
elements are reduplicated in the words “wishy-washy” and “goody-goody.”
adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS repeated:
repeated in order to create a new word or other linguistic element

2.  BOTANY curving
inward:
used to describe leaves or petals that have their edges curved inward
[Late
16th century. From late Latin reduplicare, from Latin duplicare
(see duplicate ).]
—re·du·pli·ca·tion
[ri dpli káysh’n], noun

—re·du·pli·ca·tive
[ri dpli kàytiv], adjective

—re·du·pli·ca·tive·ly
[ri dpli kàytivlee], adverb[1]



reduviid

reduviid
re·du·vi·id 
[ri dvee id] (plural re·du·vi·ids)
noun

See
assassin bug
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Reduviidae, family name, from Latin reduvia
“hangnail.”][1]



redux

redux
re·dux 
[ree dúks] adjective

revived:
brought back, especially in being restored to former importance or prominence (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, formed from reducere (see reduce
).][1]



redvalerian

redvalerian
red
va·le·ri·an
(plural red va·le·ri·ans) noun

flowering bush:
a bushy plant with fragrant red or white flowers, native to Europe and Asia.
Latin name: Centranthus ruber[1]



redware

redware2
red·ware2 [réd
wàir] noun

CRAFT
reddish earthenware:
reddish earthenware pottery made from clay with a high iron oxide content[1]



redware

redware1
red·ware1 [réd
wàir] noun

MARINE BIOLOGY See
kelp  noun 1
[Red because of its
reddish-brown color; ware a northern English dialect word meaning
“seaweed” (from Old English wār )][1]



redwater

redwater
red
wa·ter
noun

cattle disease:
a cattle disease characterized by the passage of reddish urine[1]



redwhortleberry

redwhortleberry
red
whor·tle·ber·ry noun

See
cowberry[1]



redwing

redwing
red·wing 
[réd wìng] (plural red·wings) noun

1.  thrush
with reddish underwings: a bird of the thrush family
that has reddish feathers under its wings and a spotted breast. It is native to
Europe and Asia. Latin name: Turdus iliacus

2.  See
red-winged blackbird

[1]



red-wingedblackbird

red-wingedblackbird
red-winged
black·bird 
(plural red-winged black·birds) or red·wing black·bird
(plural red·wing black·birds) noun

N American blackbird:
a North American blackbird, the male of which is black with scarlet and yellow
patches on its wings. Latin name: Agelaius phoeniceus
Also called
redwing[1]



redwolf

redwolf
red
wolf
noun

small reddish wolf:
a small reddish-gray wolf found in southeastern North America, nearly
eliminated by overhunting and hybridization with the coyote. Attempts at
reintroduction are now in place. Latin name: Canis rufus[1]



redwood

redwood
red·wood 
[réd wd] (plural red·woods) noun

1.  tall
tree with reddish bark: a very tall sequoia, with
fibrous reddish bark. It grows in coastal California and can reach a height of
over 100 m/ 330 ft . Latin name: Sequoia sempervirens

2.  red-colored
wood:
durable red-colored wood, especially that from a redwood

[1]



RedwoodNational Park

RedwoodNational Park
Red·wood
Na·tion·al Park [rèd wd
nashən’l prk]

national park in northern
California, on the Pacific coast, established in 1968. It is noted for its
ancient redwoods, including the world’s tallest trees. Area: 446 sq km/172 sq
mi.[1]



REE

REE
REE

Abbreviation of
rare-earth element[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








reebok

reebok
ree·bok
noun

See
rhebok[1]



reecho

reecho
re·ech·o 
[ree ékō] (past re·ech·oed, past
participle re·ech·oed, present participle re·ech·o·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ech·oes) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
echo
back:
to resound or echo back

2.  transitive
verb
repeat
something again: to repeat again something that has
already been repeated

[1]



reed

reed
reed 
[reed] (plural reeds) noun

1.  BOTANY grass
plant:
a tall slender grass plant with jointed stalks that grows in marshes and other
wet areas. Genus: Phragmites

2.  CRAFT stalk
of reed:
the stalk of a reed, or a number of such stalks, used for thatching,
basketmaking, and other crafts

3.  MUSIC vibrating
part of musical instrument: a thin piece of cane, metal,
or plastic fitted inside some musical instruments that vibrates to produce sound,
usually when the player blows into the instrument. Some woodwind instruments
such as the clarinet have single reeds in the mouthpiece, while others such as
the oboe and bassoon have double reeds.

4.  MUSIC musical
instrument:
a wind instrument such as an oboe or a clarinet, fitted with a reed (informal)

5.  TEXTILES wires
on a loom:
a series of parallel wires on a loom, used to separate the threads of the warp
evenly

6.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of length:
an ancient Hebrew unit of length equal to six cubits
[Old English hrēod, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



reedbuck

reedbuck
reed·buck 
[rd bùk] noun

African
antelope:
a tawny African antelope with long horns that curve slightly forward. Reedbucks
live near rivers and lakes south of the Sahara. Genus: Redunca
[Mid-19th century.
Translation of Afrikaans rietbok .][1]



reedbunting

reedbunting
reed
bunt·ing
(plural reed bunt·ings) noun

bird living near reeds:
a small bird with brown streaked plumage found near reed beds throughout Europe
and Asia. The male has a black head with a white mustache. Latin name: Emberiza
schoeniclus[1]



reedgrass

reedgrass
reed
grass
noun

tall grass growing in water:
a tall grass plant that grows in rivers and ponds in Europe, Asia, and North
America. Latin name: Glyceria maxima[1]



reeding

reeding
reed·ing 
[rding] noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE molding:
a set of small convex decorative moldings on a building

2.  COINS coin
grooves:
the narrow vertical grooves on the edge of a coin

[1]



reedling

reedling
reed·ling 
[rdling] (plural reed·lings) noun

brownish-orange marshland
bird: a small brownish-orange
songbird with a long tail that lives in reed beds in Europe and Asia. The male
has a black patch extending from the eye down the throat. Latin name: Panurus
biarmicus
Also called
bearded tit[1]



reedmace

reedmace
reed
mace
(plural reed mac·es) noun

marsh plant with brown spiky
flowers: a tall slender marsh plant
whose flowers grow in brown tube-shaped spikes. Latin name: Typha latifolia[1]



reedman

reedman
reed·man 
[rdmən] (plural reed·men) noun

player of reed instrument:
a musician who plays a reed instrument, especially a jazz clarinettist or
saxophonist (informal)[1]



reedorgan

reedorgan
reed
or·gan
(plural reed or·gans) noun

musical instrument with
reeds: a musical instrument such as
the harmonium, harmonica, or accordion, in which sound is produced by air
passing over a set of reeds[1]



reedpipe

reedpipe
reed
pipe
(plural reed pipes) noun

organ pipe with reed:
an organ pipe containing a reed that vibrates to make the pipe sound[1]



Reed,Stanley Forman

Reed,Stanley Forman
Reed
[reed], Stanley Forman (1884–1980)

U.S. jurist. He was appointed
to the Supreme Court by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and served from 1938
to 1957.[1]



reedstop

reedstop
reed
stop
(plural reed stops) noun

organ stop controlling reed
pipes: an organ stop that controls
a set of reed pipes[1]



reeducate

reeducate
re·ed·u·cate
[ree éjjə kàyt] (past re·ed·u·cat·ed,
past participle re·ed·u·cat·ed, present participle re·ed·u·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ed·u·cates) or re-ed·u·cate
[ree éjjə kàyt] (past re-ed·u·cat·ed,
past participle re-ed·u·cat·ed, present participle re-ed·u·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular re-ed·u·cates) transitive verb

1.  teach
somebody again: to teach somebody again, especially in
order to change or update knowledge

2.  retrain
somebody:
to train or teach somebody again who has lost knowledge or a skill
—re·ed·u·ca·tive, adjective[1]



Reed,Walter

Reed,Walter
Reed
[reed], Walter (1851–1902)

U.S. army surgeon and
bacteriologist. In the Army Medical Corps he researched epidemic diseases. His
discovery in 1900 that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes led to the
near-eradication of the disease.[1]



reedwarbler

reedwarbler
reed
war·bler
(plural reed war·blers) noun

brown European marsh-dwelling
warbler: a small brown European bird
of the warbler family, commonly found in marsh reeds, and best distinguished by
its song. Latin name: Acrocephalus scirpaceus[1]



reedy

reedy
reed·y 
[rdee] (comparative reed·i·er,
superlative reed·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of reeds:
full of or thickly planted with reeds • a
reedy pond

2.  high-pitched:
thin and high-pitched, rather than deep or full-toned • reedy
voice

3.  thin:
long, thin, or flexible, like a reed
—reed·i·ly,
adverb

—reed·i·ness, noun[1]



reef

reef1
reef1 [reef]
(plural reefs) noun

1.  OCEANOGRAPHY underwater
ridge:
a ridge of coral or rock in a body of water, with the top just below or just
above the surface

2.  MINING vein
of ore:
a lode or vein of ore
[Late
16th century. From Dutch rif, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old
Norse rif “rib, ridge.”]
—reef·y, adjective[1]



reef

reef2
reef2 [reef]
noun (plural reefs)

SAILING part
of sail:
a section of a sail that can be gathered in and tied down to reduce the sail’s
surface
transitive
verb
(past reefed, past participle reefed, present
participle reef·ing, 3rd person present singular reefs)
SAILING

1.  make
sail smaller by gathering: to reduce the area of a sail
by gathering part of it in

2.  shorten
rigging piece: to shorten or bring in one of the pieces
that support rigging on a ship
[14th
century. Via Dutch reef from Old Norse rif “reef (of a sail),” of
uncertain origin: probably from rif “ridge” (see reef 1 ).]
—reef·a·ble, adjective[1]



reefer

reefer2
reef·er2 [rfər]
(plural reef·ers) noun (slang)

1.  DRUGS marijuana
cigarette:
a marijuana cigarette

2.  marijuana:
marijuana
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Mexican Spanish grifo “marijuana, drug addict,”
or from reef 2, from the
similarity of furling a sail and rolling such a cigarette.][1]



reefer

reefer3
reef·er3 [rfər]
(plural reef·ers) noun (informal)

1.  HOUSEHOLD refrigerator:
a refrigerator

2.  TRANSPORT refrigerated
transport vehicle: a refrigerated railroad car
or truck trailer
[Early 20th century. From refrigerator .][1]



reefer

reefer1
reef·er1 [rfər]
(plural reef·ers) noun

1.  CLOTHES double-breasted
wool coat:
a heavy, close-fitting double-breasted woolen jacket.
U.K.
term
reefer jacket

2.  NAUTICAL sailor
who reefs sails: somebody who reefs the sails on a
sailing ship
[Early 19th century. Formed
from reef 2 .][1]



reeferjacket

reeferjacket
reef·er
jack·et
(plural reef·er jack·ets) noun

U.K.
See reefer 1 noun
1[1]



reefknot

reefknot
reef
knot
(plural reef knots) noun

See
square knot[1]



reek

reek
reek 
[reek] verb (past reeked,
past participle reeked, present participle reek·ing,
3rd person present singular reeks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have a
very strong unpleasant smell: to have a very strong and
unpleasant smell, or give off such a smell • The
room reeked of smoke.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
clear evidence of something unpleasant: to
show very strong evidence of an unpleasant quality • The
whole document reeks of double standards.

3.  intransitive
verb
give
off smoke:
to give off smoke, steam, or fumes • a
reeking pile of old burning tires

4.  transitive
verb
treat
something with smoke: to process or treat
something with smoke
noun
(plural reeks)

1.  unpleasant
smell:
a very strong and unpleasant smell • a reek
of disinfectant

2.  visible
vapor:
smoke, steam, or other visible vapor (regional)
[Old
English rēocan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is related
to Latin ructare “to belch, vomit” (source of English eructate
).]
—reek·er,
noun

—reek·y,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



reel

reel3
reel3 [reel]
noun (plural reels)

1.  DANCE Scottish
dance:
a lively Scottish folk dance for sets of two, three, or four couples

2.  DANCE See Virginia reel

3.  dance
music:
a piece of music for a reel, written in quick duple meter
intransitive
verb
(past reeled, past participle reeled, present
participle reel·ing, 3rd person present singular reels)

DANCE dance
reel:
to dance a reel
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from reel 2 .][1]



reel

reel1

reel1 [reel]
noun (plural reels)

1.  revolving
storage device: a usually revolving wheel-shaped device
around which something such as thread, film, or wire can be wound for storage

2.  a
reelful:
the amount of a material that a reel can hold

3.  CINEMA section
of motion-picture film: the amount of motion-picture
film stored on one reel

4.  ANGLING winder
on fishing rod: a winding device attached to a fishing
rod that holds the fishing line and enables it to be cast and wound back
transitive verb
(past reeled, past participle reeled, present
participle reel·ing, 3rd person present singular reels)

wind something onto a reel:
to wind something such as thread or fishing line onto or off of a reel
[Old
English hrēol “spool (for winding thread),” of unknown origin]
—reel·er, noun[1]



reel

reel2
reel2 [reel]
intransitive verb (past reeled, past participle reeled,
present participle reel·ing, 3rd person present singular reels)

1.  stagger
backward:
to move in a sudden and uncontrolled fashion, especially backward as if struck
by a blow • reeled
back in horror

2.  move
unsteadily:
to move about unsteadily, staggering or swaying from side to side

3.  feel
giddy or confused: to feel giddy or shocked and
confused • still
reeling from the shock of his resignation

4.  whirl
around and around: to move or whirl around in
circles
noun
(plural reels)

staggering motion:
an unsteady or circling movement
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from reel 1 .][1]



reelect

reelect
re·e·lect
[r i lékt] (past re·e·lect·ed,
past participle re·e·lect·ed, present participle re·e·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular re·e·lects) or re-e·lect
[r i lékt] (past re-e·lect·ed,
past participle re-e·lect·ed, present participle re-e·lect·ing,
3rd person present singular re-e·lects) transitive verb

elect
somebody again: to elect somebody to the same office for
another term
—re·e·lec·tion, noun[1]



reelin

reelin
reel
in
transitive verb

1.  bring
something closer: to draw something, especially a fish, in
by winding it in with a reel

2.  bring
somebody or something in: to bring in or acquire
somebody or something by using the appropriate skills or offering suitable
inducements

[1]



reeloff

reeloff
reel
off
transitive verb

list quickly and easily:
to list things in rapid succession and with no apparent effort[1]



reel-to-reel

reel-to-reel
reel-to-reel 
adjective

having
two reels:
used to describe magnetic tape that must be wound off of a full source reel,
threaded through the heads of the machine, and rewound on an empty take-up reel
noun
(plural reel-to-reels)

tape recorder with two reels:
a tape recorder or player that uses reel-to-reel tape[1]



reenact

reenact
re·en·act
[r ə nákt] (past re·en·act·ed,
past participle re·en·act·ed, present participle re·en·act·ing,
3rd person present singular re·en·acts) or re-en·act
[r ə nákt] (past re-en·act·ed,
past participle re-en·act·ed, present participle re-en·act·ing,
3rd person present singular re-en·acts) transitive verb

act
something out again: to act out an event that
took place in the past, sometimes using the same people who originally took
part in it
—re·en·act·ment, noun[1]



reenforce

reenforce
re·en·force
[r ən fáwrs] transitive verb

See
reinforce[1]



reengineering

reengineering
re·en·gin·eer·ing
or re-en·gin·eer·ing noun

BUSINESS reorganization
of business: a business management theory that
advocates the reorganization of a business on the basis of the market value
each department adds to the products produced by the business
—re·en·gin·eer, transitive
verb[1]



reenter

reenter
re·en·ter
[ree éntər] (past re·en·tered,
past participle re·en·tered, present participle re·en·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular re·en·ters) or re-en·ter
[ree éntər] (past re-en·tered,
past participle re-en·tered, present participle re-en·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular re-en·ters) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb return:
to come back into a place again • The
rocket reentered the atmosphere.

2.  transitive
verb
enter
data again:
to key or write something in again

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go in
for again:
to decide to take part in something again

[1]



reentrant

reentrant
re·en·trant
[ree éntrənt] or re-en·trant [ree éntrənt] noun (plural re·en·trants)
(plural re-en·trants)

MATHEMATICS See reentrant angle
adjective

MATHEMATICS
pointing inward into polygon:
pointing inward into the interior of a polygon and thus greater than 180° when
viewed or measured from inside the polygon[1]



reentrantangle

reentrantangle

re·en·trant an·gle
(plural re·en·trant an·gles) or re-en·trant an·gle
(plural re-en·trant an·gles) or re-en·trant noun
MATHEMATICS
interior angle greater than 180°:
an inward-pointing angle in a polygon that is greater than 180° when viewed or
measured from inside the polygon[1]



reentry

reentry
re·en·try
[ree éntree] or re-en·try [ree éntree] noun

1.  entering
again:
the act of entering again

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY return
to earth’s atmosphere: the penetration of the
earth’s atmosphere by a spacecraft or missile returning from space (often
used before a noun) • reentry
vehicle

3.  LAW repossession
of land:
the repossession of land or other real-estate property under the terms of a
previous agreement, for example, where the terms of a lease have not been
complied with

4.  CARD GAMES taking
of lead in a card game: in some card games such as
bridge, the regaining of control by taking a trick, or the card played to take
the trick

[1]



reevaluate

reevaluate
re·e·val·u·ate
[r ə vállyoo àyt] (past re·e·val·u·at·ed,
past participle re·e·val·u·at·ed, present participle re·e·val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·e·val·u·ates) or re-e·val·u·ate
[r ə vállyoo àyt] (past re-e·val·u·at·ed,
past participle re-e·val·u·at·ed, present participle re-e·val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re-e·val·u·ates) transitive verb

evaluate
something again: to think again, or from a different
point of view, about the nature, purpose, or value of something, especially
after changes have taken place.
See
also
revalue
—re·e·val·u·a·tion [r ə vallyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



reeve

reeve1
reeve1 [reev]
(plural reeves) noun

1.  district
official:
an administrative officer in a local district or parish who usually has the
responsibility of enforcing the regulations connected with a particular area of
activity

2.  Canadian
town council president: in Ontario and some western
provinces of Canada, the elected president of a town or village council

3.  HISTORY representative
of the king: in Anglo-Saxon times, the representative
of the monarch in a shire

4.  HISTORY steward
of a feudal manor: in medieval times, a steward
responsible for running the everyday affairs of a feudal manor
[Old English gerēfa,
literally “official over an assembly of soldiers,” from assumed rōf
“array, number”][1]



reeve

reeve3
reeve3 [reev]
(plural reeves) noun

BIRDS female
sandpiper:
the female ruff sandpiper
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of ruff 1 .][1]



reeve

reeve2
reeve2 [reev]
(past rove, past participle reeved, present
participle reev·ing, 3rd person present singular reeves)
transitive verb NAUTICAL

1.  thread
something through an opening: to thread a rope or rod
through a ring or other opening

2.  fasten
something by reeving: to fasten a line or rope by
passing it around or through some solid object
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Dutch reven “reef” (sail).][1]



reexamine

reexamine
re·ex·am·ine
[r ig zámmin] (past re·ex·am·ined,
past participle re·ex·am·ined, present participle re·ex·am·in·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ex·am·ines) or re-ex·am·ine
[r ig zámmin] (past re-ex·am·ined,
past participle re-ex·am·ined, present participle re-ex·am·in·ing,
3rd person present singular re-ex·am·ines) transitive verb

1.  examine
somebody or something again: to subject somebody or
something to careful further consideration, scrutiny, or checks

2.  LAW question
somebody again after cross-examination: to
question a witness in court again after he or she has been cross-examined by
the other side
—re·ex·am·i·na·tion [r ig zammi náysh’n], noun[1]



reexport

reexport
re·ex·port
[r ik spáwrt, ree
ék spàwrt] or re-ex·port [r
ik spáwrt, ree ék spàwrt] transitive
verb (past re·ex·port·ed, past participle re·ex·port·ed,
present participle re·ex·port·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·ex·ports) (past re-ex·port·ed, past participle re-ex·port·ed,
present participle re-ex·port·ing, 3rd person present singular
re-ex·ports)

export something after importing:
to export goods that were previously imported from another country, especially
after reprocessing them
noun
(plural re·ex·ports) (plural re-ex·ports)

1.  process
of reexporting: the business or process of reexporting
imported goods

2.  something
reexported:
something that is reexported
—re·ex·por·ta·tion [r ek spawr táysh’n], noun[1]



ref

ref
ref 
[ref] noun (plural refs)

referee:
a sports referee (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past reffed, past
participle reffed, present participle reff·ing, 3rd
person present singular refs)

referee
a game:
to referee a sport or game (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of referee .][1]



ref.

ref.
ref.

1.  Abbreviation
of
reference

2.  Abbreviation
of
referred

3.  Abbreviation
of
refining

4.  Abbreviation
of
reformed

5.  Abbreviation
of
refunding

[1]



reface

reface
re·face
[ree fáyss] (past re·faced, past
participle re·faced, present participle re·fac·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·fac·es) transitive verb

1.  CONSTRUCTION restore
exterior of building: to restore or replace the
exterior surface of a building or monument

2.  SEWING sew
new facing on garment: to replace the facing of a
garment

[1]



Ref.Ch.

Ref.Ch.
Ref.
Ch.

Abbreviation of
Reformed Church[1]



refection

refection
re·fec·tion 
[ri fékshən] (plural re·fec·tions)
noun (literary)

1.  refreshment:
refreshment, especially in the form of food and drink

2.  light
meal:
a portion of food or a light meal
[14th century. From the Latin
stem refection- “restoration,” from reficere (see refectory ).][1]



refectory

refectory
re·fec·to·ry 
[ri féktəree] (plural re·fec·to·ries)
noun

dining
hall:
a dining hall, especially in a monastery, convent, or college
[15th century. From late
Latin refectorium, literally “place where one is restored,” ultimately
from Latin reficere “to remake,” from facere “to make.”][1]



refectorytable

refectorytable
re·fec·to·ry
ta·ble
(plural re·fec·to·ry ta·bles) noun

heavy-legged dining table:
a long narrow dining table with straight heavy legs[1]



refer

refer
re·fer 
[ri fúr] (past re·ferred, past
participle re·ferred, present participle re·fer·ring, 3rd
person present singular re·fers) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
mention:
to make a comment in speech or writing that either specifically mentions
somebody or something, or is intended to bring somebody or something to mind • referred
to the subject only once in his speech

2.  intransitive
verb
give
a description: to describe somebody or something in a
particular way • tried to be respectful
when referring to her colleague’s thesis

3.  intransitive
verb
be
related:
to relate to something or be connected with it • This
clause refers to your responsibilities as the homeowner.

4.  intransitive
verb
consult
for information: to consult a source in order to find
information or assistance • refer
to the manual

5.  transitive
verb
direct
somebody to source of help: to direct somebody to
something or somebody else for information, help, treatment, or judgment • referred
me to a specialist

6.  transitive
verb
attribute
something to a cause: to attribute the cause or
source of something to something else • They
referred the high gains to the timing of their investment.
[14th
century. From French référer, from Latin referre “to carry back,”
from ferre “to carry” (source of English fertile
).]
—ref·er·a·ble
[réffərəb’l, ri
fúrrəb’l], adjective

—re·fer·rer
[ri fúrrər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Is
  refer back redundant?
  Some
  people think that refer back is redundant, because one of the implicit
  meanings of re- is “back.” But a person may refer a problem or
  request, for example, to a new authority for a decision, or refer it back
  to the original decision-maker for reconsideration. If the meaning of refer
  is bringing an issue forward to a higher authority, use refer forward
  or refer ahead to avoid ambiguity. If the meaning of refer is
  “to make a mention or reference to something already mentioned,” such as a
  text quoted, for example, in a class lecture, it is better to say In
  referring [not back ] to page 321 of my book, I might add the
  following information not mentioned in Tuesday’s lecture . There, context
  and meaning determine inclusion or exclusion of back.

[1]



referee

referee
ref·e·ree 
[rèffə r] noun (plural ref·e·rees)

1.  SPORTS official
overseeing sport: an official who oversees the play in a
sport or game, judges whether the rules are being followed, and penalizes fouls
or infringements

2.  arbitrator:
somebody not directly involved in a matter who is called in to settle disputes,
make decisions, or pass judgments concerning the matter

3.  U.K.
COMMERCE See reference  noun 10

4.  LAW somebody
who reviews case: somebody appointed by a court to review
and make a report or judgment on a case
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ref·e·reed,
past participle ref·e·reed, present participle ref·e·ree·ing,
3rd person present singular ref·e·rees)

act as a referee:
to act as a referee in a sport, in a dispute, or for an applicant
[Early 17th century][1]



reference

reference
ref·er·ence 
[réffərəns] noun (plural ref·er·enc·es)

1.  mention:
a spoken or written comment that either specifically mentions or calls
attention to somebody or something, or is intended to bring somebody or
something to mind

2.  process
of mentioning: the process of mentioning or alluding to
somebody or something • The
document makes reference to three methods for filing a complaint.

3.  applicability:
applicability or relevance to, or connection with, a particular subject or
person • Does
what you’re saying have any reference at all to the matter at hand?

4.  source
of information: a source of information such as a
dictionary or an encyclopedia (often used before a noun) • the
reference section of the library

5.  PUBLISHING source
referred to: a source of information referred to by a
footnote or citation

6.  PUBLISHING footnote
or bibliographical citation: a note directing a reader’s
attention to a particular section of a work or to another source of information

7.  PUBLISHING See reference mark

8.  COMMERCE identifying
code:
something, usually a set of letters or figures, that serves to identify
somebody or something, for example, a customer, client, business letter, or a
spot on a map (often used before a noun) • asked
for a customer reference number

9.  COMMERCE statement
of character and qualifications: a statement concerning
somebody’s character or qualifications, given, for example, to a potential
employer

10. COMMERCE somebody
who recommends another: somebody who comments on
another’s character and qualifications, for example, for a job • Please
give the names and addresses of three references.
U.K.
term
referee  noun 3
transitive
verb
(past ref·er·enced, past participle ref·er·enced, present
participle ref·er·enc·ing, 3rd person present singular ref·er·enc·es)

1.  PUBLISHING compile
references for book: to compile a list of
references for a book, essay, or thesis

2.  use
something as a source: to use or refer to somebody
or something as a source in the writing of something • The
author referenced some rather obscure works.
preposition

with reference to:
in connection with • Reference our
discussion of June 5, I believe our prior decision stands.

[1]



referencebook

referencebook
ref·er·ence
book
(plural ref·er·ence books) noun

information source book:
a book that is intended to be used for looking up facts, definitions, or other
information[1]



referencemark

referencemark
ref·er·ence
mark
(plural ref·er·ence marks) noun

footnote mark:
a typographical symbol, such as an asterisk or number used to draw the
attention of a reader to a note or bibliographic entry.
Also called
reference[1]



referendum

referendum
ref·er·en·dum 
[rèffə réndəm] (plural ref·er·en·dums
or ref·er·en·da [rèffə réndə])
noun

vote
by whole population on issue: a vote by the whole of an
electorate on a specific question or questions put to it by a government or
similar body
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, literally “(something) to be referred (to the Senate),” a form of the
gerundive of referre (see refer ).][1]



referent

referent
ref·er·ent 
[réffərənt] (plural ref·er·ents)
noun

what a word or symbol
denotes: the thing or idea that a
symbol, word, or phrase denotes[1]



referential

referential
ref·er·en·tial
[rèffə rénshəl] adjective

1.  relating
to reference: relating to references or in the form of
a reference

2.  referring
to other works: used to describe a work of art that
imitates other works or contains oblique references or homages to them, often
at the expense of original content or style
—ref·er·en·ti·al·i·ty
[rèffə renshee állətee], noun

—ref·er·en·ti·al·ly [rèffə rénshəlee], adverb[1]



referral

referral
re·fer·ral
[ri fúr əl] (plural re·fer·rals)
noun

1.  process
of referring: the act or process of referring somebody
or something to somebody else, especially of sending a patient to consult a
medical specialist

2.  somebody
or something referred: somebody or something that
has been referred, especially a patient who has been sent to a medical
specialist

[1]



referredpain

referredpain
re·ferred
pain 
(plural re·ferred pains) noun

pain in an unaffected part:
pain that is felt not at its source but in another part of the body[1]



refill

refill
re·fill 
intransitive and transitive verb [ree fíl]
(past re·filled, past participle re·filled, present
participle re·fill·ing, 3rd person present singular re·fills)

fill again: to
fill a container again, or become filled again
noun
[r fìl] (plural re·fills)

1.  something
that fills again: a sufficient amount of something to fill
a container again after it has been emptied

2.  BEVERAGES another
drink:
another drink to refill an empty glass or cup

3.  COMMERCE replacement
for contents of container: an amount of a product
packaged as a replacement for the used up contents of a previously purchased
product

4.  MEDICINE further
amount of a prescribed medicine: a further amount of a
medication prescribed on a previous occasion
—re·fill·a·ble [ree fílləb’l], adjective[1]



refinance

refinance
re·fi·nance 
[ree f nàns, rfə
náns] (past re·fi·nanced, past participle re·fi·nanced,
present participle re·fi·nanc·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·fi·nanc·es) intransitive and transitive verb

get
new financing: to obtain new financing for something on
different terms, often involving the paying off of an existing high-interest
loan by means of a new lower-interest one
—re·fi·nan·cer, noun[1]



refine

refine
re·fine 
[ri fn] (past re·fined, past
participle re·fined, present participle re·fin·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·fines) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  INDUSTRY remove
impurities:
to produce a purer form of something by removing the impurities from it, or to
become pure through such a process

2.  make
or become more elegant: to make somebody or
something more cultured or elegant by eliminating less acceptable habits and
tastes, or become more cultured in this way

3.  make
something more effective: to improve something through
small changes that make it more effective or more subtle
[Late
16th century. Literally “to make fine again,” formed from fine (see fine ).]
—re·fin·a·ble,
adjective

—re·fin·er, noun[1]



refined

refined
re·fined 
[ri fnd] adjective

1.  cultured
and polite:
cultured and polite in habits, tastes, or appearance

2.  sophisticated
and effective: developed to or possessing a high degree
of sophistication and effectiveness

3.  INDUSTRY purified:
made purer by an industrial refining process

[1]



refinement

refinement
re·fine·ment 
[ri fnmənt] (plural re·fine·ments)
noun

1.  elegance:
elegance, politeness, and good taste

2.  improvement:
an addition or alteration that improves something by making it more
sophisticated or effective

3.  INDUSTRY process
of refining: the process of refining something

4.  subtle,
precise point: a subtle or precise distinction in
language or point in an argument

[1]



refinery

refinery
re·fin·er·y 
[ri fnəree] (plural re·fin·er·ies)
noun

place for refining
substances: an industrial site where
substances such as oil or sugar are processed and purified[1]



refinish

refinish
re·fin·ish 
[ri fínnish] (past re·fin·ished,
past participle re·fin·ished, present participle re·fin·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fin·ish·es) transitive verb

put
new finish on something: to put a new finish such as
varnish or paint on something such as furniture or wood
—re·fin·ish·er, noun[1]



refit

refit
re·fit 
intransitive and transitive verb [ree fít]
(past re·fit·ted, past participle re·fit·ted, present
participle re·fit·ting, 3rd person present singular re·fits)

repair
and reequip: to make something, especially a ship,
ready for further use by repairing and reequipping it, or to undergo such a
process
noun
[r fìt, ree fít]
(plural re·fits)

thorough overhaul:
a thorough overhaul of something, especially a ship, in which it is repaired
and reequipped[1]



refl.

refl.
refl.

1.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
reflection

2.  ANATOMY Abbreviation of reflective

3.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of reflex

4.  Abbreviation
of
reflexive

[1]



reflag

reflag
re·flag 
[ree flág] (past re·flagged, past
participle re·flagged, present participle re·flag·ging,
3rd person present singular re·flags) transitive verb

register ship with a new
country: to register a ship or plane
with a different national authority[1]



reflation

reflation
re·fla·tion
[ree fláysh’n] noun

bringing
economy out of recession: the process of bringing an
economy out of recession by increasing the amount of money in circulation
within it
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from -flation (as in deflation
and inflation ).]
—re·flate, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



reflect

reflect
re·flect 
[ri flékt] (past re·flect·ed, past
participle re·flect·ed, present participle re·flect·ing,
3rd person present singular re·flects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
something back: to redirect something that strikes a
surface, especially light, sound, or heat, usually back toward its point of
origin • The
Moon reflects light from the Sun toward the Earth.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb show a
mirror image of: to show a reverse image of somebody or
something on a mirror or other reflective surface

3.  transitive
verb
show
something:
to express or be an indicator of something • The
election results reflect discontent among voters.

4.  intransitive
verb
think
seriously:
to think seriously, carefully, and relatively calmly • The
retreat will give us time to reflect.

5.  intransitive
verb
say
to self thoughtfully: to have a particular thought
which may or may not be voiced • That,
he reflected, was the only positive thing one could say about the matter.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
credit or discredit: to bring credit, discredit,
or another judgment on somebody or something • His
current success reflects real credit on the school.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
back:
to bend backward or bend something back (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
reflecter from Latin reflectere “to bend back,” from flectere
“to bend.”][1]



reflectance

reflectance
re·flec·tance 
[rə flékt’ns] (plural re·flec·tanc·es)
noun

PHYSICS
See reflectivity[1]



reflectingtelescope

reflectingtelescope
re·flect·ing
tel·e·scope 
[ri flèkting téllə skp] (plural re·flect·ing
tel·e·scopes) noun

telescope with a mirror:
a telescope in which light from the object is initially focused by a concave
mirror.
Also called
reflector[1]



reflection

reflection
re·flec·tion 
[ri flékshən] (plural re·flec·tions)
noun

1.  PHYSICS act of
reflecting something: the process or act of
reflecting something, especially light, sound, or heat

2.  reflected
image:
the image of somebody or something that appears in a mirror or other reflecting
surface

3.  careful
thought:
careful thought, especially the process of reconsidering previous actions,
events, or decisions

4.  considered
idea:
an idea or thought, especially one produced by careful consideration of
something

5.  indication:
a clear indication or the result of something • This
award is a reflection of your hard work.

6.  cause
of blame or credit: a cause of blame or credit
to somebody or something • Of
course, it’s no reflection on you that the project failed.

7.  ANATOMY bending
back of a structure: the bending back upon itself
of a membrane or other anatomical structure

8.  MATHEMATICS symmetric
transformation: a symmetric transformation in which a
figure is reversed along an axis so that the new figure produced is a mirror
image of the original one
—re·flec·tion·al, adjective[1]



reflective

reflective
re·flec·tive 
[ri fléktiv] adjective

1.  thoughtful:
characterized by deep careful thought

2.  PHYSICS able
to reflect:
able to reflect light, sound, or other forms of energy

3.  by
reflection:
produced by reflection
—re·flec·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·flec·tive·ness, noun[1]



reflectivity

reflectivity
re·flec·tiv·i·ty 
[r flek tívvətee] (plural re·flec·tiv·i·ties)
noun

ratio of reflected and
incident energies: the ratio
of the energy of a wave reflected from a surface to the energy of the incident
wave.
Also called
reflectance Symbol ρ[1]



reflectometer

reflectometer
re·flec·tom·e·ter 
[r flek tómmətər] (plural re·flec·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument for measuring
reflectivity: an instrument used to
measure the ratio of the energy of a wave after reflection to the energy of the
wave before reflection[1]



reflector

reflector
re·flec·tor 
[ri fléktər] (plural re·flec·tors)
noun

1.  something
that reflects light: an object, usually glass,
plastic, or metal, that reflects light

2.  ASTRONOMY See reflecting telescope

[1]



reflectorize

reflectorize
re·flec·tor·ize 
[ri fléktə rz] (past re·flec·tor·ized,
past participle re·flec·tor·ized, present participle re·flec·tor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·flec·tor·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something reflective: to treat something,
especially with chemicals, so that it reflects light

2.  equip
something with reflectors: to equip something with one
or more reflectors

[1]



reflet

reflet
re·flet 
[ri fláy] noun

luster:
a shiny or iridescent effect, especially in ceramic finishes
[Mid-19th century. Via French
reflet, earlier reflès, from Italian riflesso
“reflection.”][1]



reflex

reflex
re·flex 
[r flèks] adjective

1.  PHYSIOLOGY automatic
and involuntary: occurring automatically and
involuntarily as a result of the nervous system’s reaction to a stimulus

2.  extremely
fast:
very fast in reacting

3.  produced
automatically: produced automatically, unthinkingly,
and totally predictably in response to events • reflex
opposition

4.  MATHEMATICS between
180° and 360°: used to describe an angle of between
180° and 360°

5.  re·flex
or re·flexed BOTANY bent
back:
bent or folded back • reflex
leaves

6.  PHYSICS reflected:
involving a reflection of energy, for example, of light or a stream of
electrons • reflex
light
noun
(plural re·flex·es)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY involuntary
bodily reaction: an involuntary physiological reaction
such as a sneeze, triggered by a nerve impulse sent from a nerve center in
response to a nerve receptor’s reaction to a stimulus

2.  PHYSICS something
reflected:
a reflected image, or a reflection of light, sound, or heat

3.  LINGUISTICS word
developed from an earlier form: a later form of a word
or other linguistic element that has developed from an earlier one
intransitive
and transitive verb (past re·flexed,
past participle re·flexed, present participle re·flex·ing,
3rd person present singular re·flex·es)

bend back: to
bend back, or cause something to bend back on itself
[Early
16th century. From Latin reflexus “bent back,” past participle of reflectere
(see reflect ).]
—re·flex·ly, adverb[1]



reflexarc

reflexarc
re·flex
arc
(plural re·flex arcs) noun

nerves causing a reflex:
a nerve pathway that is responsible for triggering a reflex action[1]



reflexcamera

reflexcamera
re·flex
cam·er·a
(plural re·flex cam·er·as) noun

camera with a mirror inside:
a camera with an internal mirror that reflects the actual image from the lens
into the viewfinder so that the photographer can check the composition and
focus exactly.
See also
single-lens reflex[1]



reflexed

reflexed
re·flexed
adjective

BOTANY
See reflex  adjective 5[1]



reflexive

reflexive
re·flex·ive 
[ri fléksiv] adjective

1.  GRAMMAR referring
to previous noun: referring to the same person or thing as
another noun or pronoun in the same sentence. The reflexive pronouns in English
end in “-self” or “-selves,” for example, “myself,” “yourself,” “ourselves.”

2.  GRAMMAR denoting
self-directed action: taking a reflexive pronoun
as an object, thereby indicating an action that the subject does to or for
itself • a
reflexive verb

3.  of
or by reflex: relating to, or being the product of, a
reflex

4.  without
thinking:
automatic and involuntary or unthinking

5.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS being the same:
used to describe an association between pairs of logical objects or numbers ( relation ) that are the same or of the same size
noun
(plural re·flex·ives)

GRAMMAR reflexive
verb or pronoun: a reflexive verb or pronoun
—re·flex·ive·ly,
adverb

—re·flex·ive·ness, noun[1]



reflexology

reflexology
re·flex·ol·o·gy 
[r flek sólləjee] noun

1.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE massage
therapy:
a form of massage in which pressure is applied to certain parts of the feet and
hands in order to promote relaxation and healing elsewhere in the body

2.  PHYSIOLOGY study
of reflexes and behavior: the scientific study of
physiological reflexes and their relation to behavior

3.  PSYCHOLOGY behavioral
theory:
a theory that explains human behavior as complex chains of conditioned and
unconditioned reflexes

[1]



refluent

refluent
ref·lu·ent 
[ré floo ənt] adjective

ebbing:
flowing back
[Late 17th century. From
Latin refluent-, present participle stem of refluere “to flow
back,” from fluere “to flow.”][1]



reflux

reflux
re·flux 
[r flùks] noun (plural re·flux·es)

1.  backward
flow:
a returning flow of something

2.  MEDICINE regurgitation
of stomach fluid: a backflow of liquid in the opposite
direction to its normal movement such as the regurgitation of stomach and
peptic juices associated with acid indigestion and hiatal hernia

3.  PHYSICS heating
while condensing vapor: a method of heating liquid
so that escaping vapor is condensed and returned to the liquid
transitive
verb
(past re·fluxed, past participle re·fluxed, present
participle re·flux·ing, 3rd person present singular re·flux·es)

PHYSICS heat
something while condensing vapor: to heat a liquid in a
container with a condenser that catches and returns escaping vapor
[15th century. Coined from re- + flux .][1]



refocus

refocus
re·fo·cus
[ree fṓkəss] (past re·fo·cused
or re·fo·cussed, past participle re·fo·cused or
re·fo·cussed, present participle re·fo·cus·ing or re·fo·cus·sing,
3rd person present singular re·fo·cus·es or re·fo·cus·ses)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  change
focus of camera: to change or adjust the focus of
something such as a camera or telescope

2.  focus
on something different: to concentrate attention or
efforts on something different • We
need to refocus our marketing strategies.

[1]



reforest

reforest
re·for·est 
[ree fáwrəst] (past re·for·est·ed,
past participle re·for·est·ed, present participle re·for·est·ing,
3rd person present singular re·for·ests) intransitive and
transitive verb

replant
with trees:
to replant an area with trees after its original trees have been cut down
—re·for·es·ta·tion [r fawrəs táysh’n], noun[1]



re-form

re-form
re-form 
[ree fáwrm] intransitive and transitive
verb

form
again:
to return to or cause something to return to a previous form
—re-for·ma·tion [ree fàwr máysh’n], noun[1]



Reform

Reform
Re·form
adjective

of
Reform Judaism: relating or belonging to Reform Judaism
noun

See
Reform Judaism[1]



reform

reform
re·form 
[ri fáwrm] verb (past re·formed,
past participle re·formed, present participle re·form·ing,
3rd person present singular re·forms)

1.  transitive
verb
improve
something by removing faults: to change and improve
something by correcting faults, removing inconsistencies and abuses, and
imposing modern methods or values • reform
the law

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
rid of unacceptable habits: to adopt a more acceptable
way of life and mode of behavior or persuade or force somebody else to do so

3.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY change
the molecular structure of petroleum: to
subject petroleum to a chemical process such as catalytic cracking, in order to
convert it into gasoline
noun
(plural re·forms)

1.  reorganization
and improvement: the reorganization and improvement of
something, especially a political institution or system, that is considered to
be faulty, ineffective, or unjust • electoral
reform
• the
reform candidate

2.  improving
change:
a particular change and improvement, especially in the social or political
sphere • reforms
designed to prevent fraud

3.  character
improvement: the adoption by somebody of a more
acceptable way of life
[14th
century. Directly or via French réformer from Latin reformare,
literally “to form again,” ultimately from forma “form.”]
—re·form·a·bil·i·ty
[ri fàwrmə bíllətee], noun

—re·form·a·ble
[ri fáwrməb’l], adjective

—re·for·ma·tive [ri fáwrmətiv], adjective[1]



Reformation

Reformation
Ref·or·ma·tion
noun

movement that established
Protestantism: the 16th-century
religious movement in Europe that set out to reform some of the doctrines and
practices of the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the development of
Protestantism[1]



reformation

reformation
ref·or·ma·tion 
[rèffər máysh’n] noun

1.  act
of reforming: the act or process of reforming somebody
or something

2.  reformed
state:
a reformed state, especially a general improvement in somebody’s behavior
—ref·or·ma·tion·al, adjective[1]



reformatory

reformatory
re·for·ma·to·ry 
[ri fáwrmə tàwree] noun (plural
re·for·ma·to·ries)

institution
for young offenders: a penal institution for
young offenders.
Also
called
reform school
adjective

intended to reform:
intended for the reform of somebody or something (formal)[1]



reformed

reformed
re·formed 
[ri fáwrmd] adjective

1.  improved:
improved by the removal of outdated, ineffective, or unjust qualities

2.  improved
in character: no longer behaving in an unacceptable
way

[1]



Reformed

Reformed
Re·formed 
adjective

Protestant, especially
Calvinist: relating or belonging to a
Protestant Church, especially one based on the teachings of John Calvin rather
than those of Martin Luther[1]



Reformer

Reformer
Re·form·er
(plural Re·form·ers) noun

any important figure of the
Reformation: somebody who was deeply
involved in the Reformation that resulted in the development of Protestantism[1]



reformer

reformer
re·form·er
[ri fáwrmər] (plural re·form·ers)
noun

somebody who reforms:
a person or movement that reforms or tries to reform others[1]



reformism

reformism
re·form·ism 
[ri fáwr mìzzəm] noun

policy of reforming:
a philosophy or movement that advocates the reform of an existing institution[1]



ReformJudaism

ReformJudaism
Re·form
Ju·da·ism
noun

less traditional branch of
Judaism: the branch of Judaism that
seeks to adapt religious practice to modern times and rejects the belief that
Moses was literally given the Torah by God. It was established in 19th-century
Germany.
Also called
Reform[1]



reformschool

reformschool
re·form
school
(plural re·form schools) noun

See
reformatory[1]



refract

refract
re·fract 
[ri frákt] (past re·fract·ed, past
participle re·fract·ed, present participle re·fract·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fracts) transitive verb

1.  PHYSICS alter
course of wave of energy: to alter the course of a
wave of energy that passes into something from another medium, as water does to
light entering it from the air

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY measure
degree of refraction in something: to measure the degree
of refraction in a lens or eye

3.  show
something through a different medium: to
alter the appearance of something by viewing or showing it through a different
medium
[Early 17th century. From
Latin refractus, perfect participle of refringere “to break off,
break back,” from frangere “to break.”][1]



refractingtelescope

refractingtelescope

re·fract·ing tel·e·scope 
(plural re·fract·ing tel·e·scopes) noun
telescope with a focusing lens:
a telescope in which a lens receives and focuses light that is then viewed
through a second, magnifying lens in the eyepiece.
Also called
refractor[1]



refraction

refraction
re·frac·tion 
[ri frákshən] noun

1.  PHYSICS change
of direction of a wave: the change in direction that
occurs when a wave of energy such as light passes from one medium to another of
a different density, for example, from air to water

2.  PHYSICS degree
of wave redirection: the degree to which a wave
of energy is refracted

3.  ASTRONOMY distortion
of a celestial body’s location: the degree to which
the apparent position of a celestial body is distorted by the redirection of
its light as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere

4.  OPHTHALMOLOGY eye’s
ability to bend light: the ability of the eye to
change the direction of light in order to focus it on the retina

5.  OPHTHALMOLOGY measuring
of eye’s refractive capacity: the process of measuring the
eye’s ability to refract light
—re·frac·tion·al, adjective[1]



refractive

refractive
re·frac·tive 
[ri fráktiv] adjective

PHYSICS relating
to refraction: relating to, involving, or capable of
refraction
—re·frac·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·frac·tive·ness,
noun

—re·frac·tiv·i·ty [r frak tívvətee], noun[1]



refractiveindex

refractiveindex
re·frac·tive
in·dex
noun

PHYSICS
See index of refraction[1]



refractometer

refractometer
re·frac·tom·e·ter 
[r frak tómmətər] (plural re·frac·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring index of refraction: an instrument that
measures the index of refraction of a medium
—re·frac·to·met·ric
[ri fràktə méttrik], adjective

—re·frac·tom·e·try [r frak tómmətree], noun[1]



refractor

refractor
re·frac·tor 
[ri fráktər] (plural re·frac·tors)
noun

1.  See
refracting telescope

2.  PHYSICS light-refracting
device:
a device that alters the direction of a beam of light by passing it between two
transparent materials of different density

[1]



refractory

refractory
re·frac·to·ry 
[ri fráktəree] adjective

1.  uncontrollable:
stubborn, rebellious, and uncontrollable

2.  PHYSICS heat-resistant:
resistant to high temperatures, and therefore not easily melted or worked

3.  MEDICINE unresponsive
to treatment: unresponsive to medical treatment • a
refractory infection

4.  MEDICINE resistant
to infection: resistant to infection or disease

5.  unresponsive
to stimulus: not able to respond to a stimulus
noun
(plural re·frac·to·ries)

INDUSTRY PHYSICS highly heat-resistant
material:
a material that is able to withstand high temperatures without melting, for
example, the fire clay used to line furnaces
[Early
17th century. Variant of earlier “refractary,” from Latin refractarius
“stubborn,” from refractus (see refract
).]
—re·frac·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—re·frac·to·ri·ness, noun[1]



refractoryperiod

refractoryperiod
re·frac·to·ry
pe·ri·od
(plural re·frac·to·ry pe·ri·ods) noun

nonresponsive time for a
cell: the time after receiving a
stimulus during which a nerve or muscle cell cannot respond to further stimuli[1]



refrain

refrain2
re·frain2 [ri
fráyn] (plural re·frains) noun

1.  POETRY recurring
piece of verse: a line or group of lines that recurs at
regular intervals in a poem, especially at the ends of verses

2.  MUSIC chorus:
the chorus in a song, or the music that accompanies it

3.  MUSIC melody:
a melody or tune

4.  something
repeated often: something that is frequently repeated,
such as a saying or an idea
[14th century. From Old
French, past participle of refraindre “to repeat,” from assumed Vulgar
Latin refrangere, alteration of Latin refringere (see refract ).][1]



refrain

refrain1
re·frain1 [ri
fráyn] (past re·frained, past participle re·frained,
present participle re·frain·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·frains) intransitive verb

hold
self back:
to avoid or hold yourself back from doing something
[14th
century. Via Old French refrener from Latin refrenare “to hold
back, curb,” from frenum “bridle.”]
—re·frain·ment, noun[1]



refrangible

refrangible
re·fran·gi·ble 
[ri fránjəb’l] adjective

refractable:
able to be refracted
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin refrangibilis, from refrangere,
alteration of Latin refringere (see refract
).]
—re·fran·gi·bil·i·ty [ri frànjə bíllətee], noun[1]



refresh

refresh
re·fresh 
[ri frésh] (past re·freshed, past
participle re·freshed, present participle re·fresh·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fresh·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
renew
somebody’s energy: to make somebody feel more
energetic, especially with rest, food, or drink • feel
refreshed after a nap

2.  transitive
verb
reactivate
memory:
to prompt or reactivate the memory with a piece of information • Just
refresh my memory.

3.  transitive
verb
replenish
something:
to replenish the supplies of something • Can
I refresh your drink?

4.  intransitive
verb
FOOD have
refreshments: to have or partake of refreshment,
especially food or drink (archaic)

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING update
electronic device with data: to update an electronic
device, especially a VDU or active memory chip, with data

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING update information:
to update the information on a particular World Wide Web site, or to be updated
• This
page refreshes every two minutes.
[14th century. From Old
French refreschir, literally “to make fresh again,” from freis
“fresh.”][1]



refreshen

refreshen
re·fresh·en 
[ri frésh’n] (past re·fresh·ened,
past participle re·fresh·ened, present participle re·fresh·en·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fresh·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make fresh again:
to become or to make something fresh again[1]



refresher

refresher
re·fresh·er 
[ri fréshər] (plural re·fresh·ers)
noun

something refreshing:
something that refreshes[1]



refreshercourse

refreshercourse
re·fresh·er
course
(plural re·fresh·er cours·es) noun

course updating previous
training: a course of instruction
designed to bring somebody’s knowledge and skills up to date[1]



refreshing

refreshing
re·fresh·ing 
[ri fréshing] adjective

1.  restoring
energy:
serving to restore energy and vitality

2.  pleasing
and rather exciting: pleasingly different and
exciting

[1]



refreshment

refreshment
re·fresh·ment 
[ri fréshmənt] noun (plural re·fresh·ments)

1.  something
refreshing:
something that refreshes, especially food and drink

2.  act
of refreshing: the process of refreshing somebody or
something, or a refreshing quality in something
plural
noun
re·fresh·ments

something to eat and drink:
something to eat and drink, usually snacks or a light meal and drinks

[1]



refreshrate

refreshrate
re·fresh
rate
(plural re·fresh rates) noun

regeneration rate for a
screen image: the number of times per
second that an image displayed on a screen needs to be regenerated to prevent
flicker when viewed by the human eye. The refresh rate is dependent upon the
persistence of the material used on the screen and the retina’s retentivity.[1]



refriedbeans

refriedbeans
re·fried
beans 
plural noun

Mexican bean dish:
a Mexican dish of beans cooked with spices, mashed, then fried[1]



refrigerant

refrigerant
re·frig·er·ant 
[ri fríjjərənt] noun (plural re·frig·er·ants)

1.  cooling
substance:
a substance used to cool or freeze, especially the liquid that circulates in a
refrigerator

2.  MEDICINE fever-reducing
medication:
a medication that alleviates fever or reduces body heat
adjective

1.  cooling:
having a cooling or freezing effect

2.  MEDICINE reducing
body heat:
reducing fever or body heat
[Late 16th century. From
Latin refrigerant-, present participle of refrigerare (see refrigerate ).][1]



refrigerate

refrigerate
re·frig·er·ate 
[ri fríjjə ràyt] (past re·frig·er·at·ed,
past participle re·frig·er·at·ed, present participle re·frig·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·frig·er·ates) transitive verb

keep
something cool: to cool food or other heat-sensitive
products to prevent deterioration in quality
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin refrigerare, “to chill again, cool,” from friger-,
an obsolete stem of frigus “cold.”]
—re·frig·er·a·tion
[ri frìjjə ráysh’n], noun

—re·frig·er·a·tive [ri fríjjə ràytiv], adjective[1]



refrigerator

refrigerator
re·frig·er·a·tor 
[ri fríjjə ràytər] (plural re·frig·er·a·tors)
noun

artificially cooled storage
space: an electrical appliance in
the form of an insulated cabinet that keeps items cool through artificial
means, or an insulated walk-in chamber artificially cooled for this purpose[1]



refringent

refringent
re·frin·gent 
[rə frínj’nt] adjective

refractive
[Late
18th century. From Latin refringent-, present participle stem of refringere
(see refract ).]
—re·frin·gence, noun[1]



reft

reft2
reft2 

Past tense of
reave 2 Past
participle of reave 2[1]



reft

reft1
reft1 

Past tense of
reave 1 Past
participle of reave 1[1]



refuel

refuel
re·fu·el 
[ree fy əl] (past re·fu·eled,
past participle re·fu·eled, present participle re·fu·el·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fu·els) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  refill
with fuel:
to refill a vehicle’s tank with fuel

2.  provide
new material for something: to provide additional
material for or give a renewed impetus to something

[1]



refuge

refuge
ref·uge 
[ré fyj] (plural ref·ug·es) noun

1.  shelter
or protection: a sheltered or protected state safe from
something threatening, harmful, or unpleasant

2.  sheltering
place:
a place, or sometimes a person, offering protection or safe shelter from
something
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin refugium, literally “place to flee back to,” ultimately from fugere
“to flee” (source of English fugitive
).][1]



refugee

refugee
ref·u·gee 
[rèffyə j] (plural ref·u·gees)
noun

somebody seeking a safe
place: somebody who is seeking or
taking refuge, especially from war or persecution, by going to a foreign
country (often used before a noun)[1]



refugium

refugium
re·fu·gi·um 
[ri fyjee əm] (plural re·fu·gi·a
[ri fyjee ə]) noun

climatically
stable area: an area whose climate remains habitable
for particular species, especially rare or endangered ones, when that of the
surrounding areas has changed
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
(see refuge ).][1]



refulgent

refulgent
re·ful·gent 
[ri fúljənt] adjective

brilliantly
shining:
shining brilliantly or splendidly (literary)
[Early
16th century. From Latin refulgent-, present participle stem of refulgere
“to shine back, reflect,” from fulgere “to shine, flash.”]
—re·ful·gence,
noun

—re·ful·gent·ly, adverb[1]



re-fund

re-fund
re-fund 
transitive verb

1.  fund
something anew: to fund something again

2.  borrow
to repay a debt: to pay off a debt by new borrowing

3.  replace
bond issue with new issue: to replace an existing issue
of bonds with a new issue

[1]



refund

refund
re·fund 
transitive verb [ri fúnd, r fùnd] (past re·fund·ed, past
participle re·fund·ed, present participle re·fund·ing,
3rd person present singular re·funds)

return money to somebody:
to return money to somebody, usually because he or she paid too much or did not
receive what was paid for
noun
[r fùnd] (plural re·funds)

1.  returned
money:
an amount of money that is returned to somebody

2.  process
of repayment: the act or process of returning money
[14th
century. Via Old French refunder from Latin refundere “to pour
back,” from fundere “to pour.”]
—re·fund·er,
noun

—re·fund·a·ble, adjective[1]



refurbish

refurbish
re·fur·bish 
[ree fúrbish] (past re·fur·bished,
past participle re·fur·bished, present participle re·fur·bish·ing,
3rd person present singular re·fur·bish·es) transitive verb

restore
something to good repair: to restore something to a
cleaner, brighter, or more functional state
—re·fur·bish·er,
noun

—re·fur·bish·ment, noun[1]



refusal

refusal
re·fus·al 
[ri fyz’l] (plural re·fus·als)
noun

1.  unwillingness
to do something: a declaration or an attitude of
unwillingness to do or accept something

2.  first
offer of something: the chance to accept or
reject something before it is offered to others

[1]



refuse

refuse2
ref·use2 [ré
fyss] noun

garbage:
things thrown away as being of no value or use, especially household garbage
[14th century. From Old
French refus, literally “refusal,” from refuser (see refuse 1 ).][1]



refuse

refuse1
re·fuse1 [ri
fyz] (past re·fused, past participle re·fused,
present participle re·fus·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·fus·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb indicate
unwillingness: to declare or make known a decision or
intention not to do something

2.  transitive
verb
not
accept something: to decline to accept something offered • refused
the promotion

3.  transitive
verb
deny
something:
to be unwilling to give, allow, or agree to something asked for by somebody • I
refused them the use of my tools.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb EQUESTRIAN balk at jump:
to stop and not jump over an obstacle (refers to a horse)
[14th
century. Via Old French refuser from assumed Vulgar Latin refusare,
of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend of Latin recusare “to refuse” and refutare
“to repel.”]
—re·fus·a·ble,
adjective

—re·fus·er, noun[1]



refusenik

refusenik
re·fuse·nik 
[ri fyznik] (plural re·fuse·niks)
noun

1.  Jewish
person refused emigration: a citizen of the former
Soviet Union, especially a Jewish person, who was not allowed by the government
to emigrate

2.  somebody
who refuses: somebody who refuses to agree to, take
part in, or cooperate with something, especially on grounds of principle (informal)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a partial translation of Russian otkaznik, from otkazat’
“to refuse.”][1]



refutation

refutation
ref·u·ta·tion 
[rèffyə táysh’n] (plural ref·u·ta·tions)
noun

1.  proof
against something: an argument, statement, or
evidence that proves a claim to be wrong

2.  process
of refuting: the act or process of refuting something

[1]



refute

refute
re·fute 
[ri fyt] (past re·fut·ed, past
participle re·fut·ed, present participle re·fut·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·futes) transitive verb

1.  prove
something wrong: to prove something to be false or
somebody to be in error through logical argument or by providing evidence to
the contrary

2.  deny
something:
to deny an allegation or contradict a statement without disproving it • military
planners who tried to refute allegations of poor strategy by showing
bomb-damage footage
[Early
16th century. From Latin refutare “to drive back, rebut,” from the stem -futare
“to beat.”]
—re·fut·a·bil·i·ty
[ri fytə bíllətee, rèffyətə
bíllətee], noun

—re·fut·a·ble
[ri fytəb’l, réffyətəb’l],
adjective

—re·fut·a·bly [ri fytəblee], adverb[1]



reg

reg
reg
[reg] (plural regs) noun

regulation:
a regulation (informal) • rules
and regs
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



reg.

reg.
reg.

1.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
region

2.  Abbreviation
of
registered

3.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
registrar

4.  Abbreviation
of
registry

5.  Abbreviation
of
regular

6.  Abbreviation
of
regularly

7.  GENETICS Abbreviation of regulation

8.  Abbreviation
of
regulator

[1]



Reg.

Reg.
Reg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Regent

2.  Abbreviation
of
Regina

[1]



regain

regain
re·gain 
[rə gáyn, ree
gáyn] (past re·gained, past participle re·gained,
present participle re·gain·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·gains) transitive verb

1.  get
something back: to recover something after losing it

2.  reach
somewhere again: to reach a place again • She
regained her seat and sat down.
—re·gain·er, noun[1]



regal

regal
re·gal 
[rg’l] adjective

royal:
typical of or suitable for a king or queen, especially in splendor and
magnificence
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin regalis, from reg-, stem of rex
“king” (source of English reign and royal ).]
—re·gal·i·ty
[ree gállətee], noun

—re·gal·ly [rgəlee], adverb[1]



regale

regale
re·gale 
[ri gáyl] transitive verb (past
re·galed, past participle re·galed, present participle
re·gal·ing, 3rd person present singular re·gales)

1.  entertain
somebody:
to entertain or amuse somebody, especially by telling stories • regaled
us with stories from the early days

2.  give
somebody plenty to eat and drink: to give somebody
plenty of good things to eat and drink
noun
(plural re·gales)

feast: a
feast or a special delicacy (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From
French régaler “to entertain,” literally “to give pleasure again,” from
Old French gale “merriment, pleasure.”][1]



regalia

regalia
re·ga·lia 
[ri gáylee ə] noun

royal insignia:
the ceremonial and symbolic objects and clothing used and worn by royalty or
other holders of high office on formal occasions (takes a singular or plural
verb)
plural
noun
(takes a singular or plural verb)

1.  distinctive
clothing:
the distinctive clothing or trappings worn by a particular group of people,
especially on formal occasions

2.  splendid
attire:
splendid attire for a formal occasion • The
general appeared in full regalia.
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin regalia “royal privileges, royal residence,” originally a
form of Latin regalis (see regal ).][1]



regard

regard
re·gard 
[ri grd] transitive verb (past
re·gard·ed, past participle re·gard·ed, present
participle re·gard·ing, 3rd person present singular re·gards)

1.  consider
somebody or something: to think of somebody or
something as having a particular nature or quality, or a particular role or
function • I
regard his gift as an apology.

2.  have
feelings in relation to something: to have a particular
feeling toward somebody or something • At
first they regarded the idea of early retirement with horror.

3.  judge
somebody or something: to have an opinion as to the
quality or worth of somebody or something • I
regard her highly.

4.  look
at somebody or something: to look at something or
somebody steadily or attentively • regarded
the photograph with interest

5.  be
about something: to be about or concerned with something
• This
memo regards your performance review.
noun
(plural re·gards)

1.  attention:
attention to or concern for somebody or something • with
no regard for my feelings

2.  favorable
opinion:
respect, often coupled with affection • I
hold her in the highest regard.

3.  gaze:
a look, or somebody’s gaze (formal)
plural
noun
re·gards

friendly greetings:
friendly good wishes and greetings • Give
my regards to your father.
[14th
century. From Old French regarder, literally “to look at fully,” from garder
(see guard ).]
as
regards

as
far as somebody or something is concerned

in
this or that regard

as
far as this or that is concerned, or from this or that point of view (formal)

with
or in regard to

concerning
or in connection with somebody or something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  regard, admiration, esteem, favor,
  respect, reverence, veneration
  CORE
  MEANING: referring
  to the recognition of the worth of somebody or something regard; a mixture of liking and appreciation
  of somebody or something; admiration;
  a warm approval and appreciation of somebody or something, often suggesting a
  desire to copy or resemble somebody or to own something; esteem; a high opinion and appreciation of
  somebody; favor; a liking and
  preference for somebody or something; respect;
  a strong acknowledgement and appreciation of somebody’s abilities and
  achievements without necessarily suggesting a liking for the person; reverence; a mix of strong feelings of
  admiration and respect that produces a slight sense of awe for the person or
  thing revered; veneration; a formal
  word for profound feelings of the deepest admiration and highest awe

[1]



regardant

regardant
re·gar·dant 
[ri grd’nt] adjective

looking
backward:
used to describe a heraldic figure that is looking backward over its shoulder • three
lions regardant
[15th century. From Old
French, present participle of regarder (see regard
).][1]



regardful

regardful
re·gard·ful 
[ri grdfəl] adjective

1.  mindful:
paying due attention

2.  full
of esteem:
full of esteem and often deferential respect for somebody
—re·gard·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·gard·ful·ness, noun[1]



regarding

regarding
re·gard·ing 
[ri grding] preposition

about the subject of:
about or on the subject of • I’d
like a word with you regarding the schedule.[1]



regardless

regardless
re·gard·less 
[ri grdləss] adverb

in
spite of everything: in spite of or ignoring
setbacks, hindrances, or problems
adjective

indifferent:
paying no attention, especially failing to pay proper attention
—re·gard·less·ly,
adverb

—re·gard·less·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at irregardless.

[1]



regardlessof

regardlessof
re·gard·less
of
preposition

1.  in
spite of:
in spite of • Regardless
of what you were told, I cannot help you.

2.  no
matter what: no matter what or taking no account of • We’re
going on vacation regardless of the weather.

[1]



regatta

regatta
re·gat·ta 
[ri gtə, ri
gáttə] (plural re·gat·tas) noun

boat
races:
a sports event consisting of a series of boat or yacht races
[Mid-17th century. From
(Venetian) Italian, “gondola race (on the Grand Canal),” originally “contest
for mastery,” from regattare “to compete,” of unknown origin.][1]



regd.

regd.
regd.

Abbreviation of
registered[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








regelation

regelation
re·ge·la·tion 
[rjə láysh’n] (plural re·ge·la·tions)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY refreezing
under glacier: the process by which water, melted by
pressure beneath a glacier, is refrozen

2.  CHEMISTRY pressure-induced
change in freezing: reduction of the freezing
point of water by force of pressure

[1]



Regency

Regency
Re·gen·cy 
noun

1.  1811–1820
in Great Britain: the period from 1811–1820 in Great
Britain during which George, Prince of Wales, ruled as regent for his father
King George III

2.  1715–1723
in France:
the period from 1715–1723 in France during which Philip, Duke of Orleans, ruled
as regent on behalf of King Louis XV
adjective

in style of Regency:
in the style prevalent and fashionable during either of the Regency periods

[1]



regency

regency
re·gen·cy 
[rjənsee] (plural re·gen·cies)
noun

1.  group
substituting for monarch: a group of people ruling on
behalf of a monarch who is unable to rule because of youth, illness, or absence

2.  responsibilities
or rule of regent: the authority and
responsibilities or period in office of a regent

[1]



regenerate

regenerate
re·gen·er·ate 
verb [ri jénnə ràyt] (past re·gen·er·at·ed,
past participle re·gen·er·at·ed, present participle re·gen·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·gen·er·ates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
again:
to form or become formed again

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb recover
from decline: to return or bring something back from a
state of decline to a revitalized state • regenerating
an inner city housing area

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY replace by new growth:
to replace lost tissue or a lost limb or organ with a new growth • Some
amphibians can regenerate limbs.

4.  transitive
verb
RELIGION restore
somebody spiritually: to restore and renew
somebody morally or spiritually

5.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING restore
something to original wave shape: to restore digital
electrical signals to their original wave shape after transmission over long
distances
noun
[ri jénnərət] (plural re·gen·er·ates)

1.  RELIGION somebody
spiritually reformed: somebody who is spiritually
reborn or renewed

2.  BIOLOGY replacement
tissue:
tissue that has grown to replace lost tissue, or a regenerated part, organ, or
organism
adjective
[ri jénnərət]

1.  RELIGION spiritually
reborn or renewed: spiritually reborn, renewed,
or restored to health

2.  BIOLOGY newly
formed or grown: newly formed or grown as a replacement
for something lost
—re·gen·er·a·ble,
adjective

—re·gen·er·a·cy,
noun

—re·gen·er·ate·ly,
adverb

—re·gen·er·ate·ness,
noun

—re·gen·er·a·tive,
adjective

—re·gen·er·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·gen·er·a·tor [ri jénnə ràytər], noun[1]



regeneration

regeneration
re·gen·er·a·tion 
[ri jènnə ráysh’n] noun

1.  process
of regenerating: the act or process of regenerating, or a
regenerated state

2.  BIOLOGY regrowth
by animal or plant: regrowth of an organ, limb,
or other tissue that has been injured or shed

3.  RELIGION spiritual
renewal:
the spiritual renewal of somebody

[1]



Regensburg

Regensburg
Re·gens·burg 
[ràygənz búrg, ràygənss
brk]

town in Bavaria, southeastern
Germany, on the Danube River, about 105 km/65 mi northeast of Munich.
Population: 126,000 (1995)[1]



regent

regent
re·gent 
[rjənt] noun (plural re·gents)

1.  POLITICS substitute
for monarch: somebody who rules on behalf of a
monarch who is unable to rule because of youth, illness, or absence

2.  EDUCATION university
official:
any of various officers of a university, especially a member of the governing
board
adjective

acting as regent:
ruling as a regent • the prince regent
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin regent-, present participle stem of regere
“to rule.”]
—re·gent·al,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word regere, from which regent
  is derived, is also the source of English address,
  correct, direct, dirge, dress, erect,
  escort, realm,
  régime, regiment, region, and resurrect.

[1]



reggae

reggae
reg·gae 
[ré gày] noun

Jamaican
popular music: popular music, originally from Jamaica,
that combines elements of rock, calypso, and soul and is characterized by heavy
accentuation of the second and fourth beats of a four-beat bar (often used before
a noun) • a
reggae beat
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Jamaican English reggay, alteration of rege
“ragged fellow,” from rag 1 .][1]



Reggiodi Calabria

Reggiodi Calabria
Reg·gio
di Ca·la·bri·a  [rèjji ō
dee ka lábree a]

city and administrative
center of Reggio di Calabria Province in Calabria Region, southern Italy.
Population: 178,312 (1992)[1]



Reggionell’Emilia

Reggionell’Emilia
Reg·gio
nell’E·mi·lia  [rèjji
ōnelle mlya]

capital city of Reggio
nell’Emilia Province in Emilia Romagna Region, northern Italy. Population:
133,191 (1992)[1]



regicide

regicide
reg·i·cide 
[réjji sd] (plural reg·i·cides)
noun

1.  murder
of king:
the killing of a king

2.  king
killer:
somebody who kills a king
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin reg-, the stem of rex “king” + -cide .]
—reg·i·ci·dal, adjective[1]



regime

regime
re·gime 
[ray zhm, ri
zhm] (plural re·gimes) or ré·gime [ray zhm, ri zhm]
(plural ré·gimes) noun

1.  POLITICS form
of government: a system or style of government

2.  POLITICS oppressive
government:
a particular government, especially one that is considered to be oppressive

3.  controlling
group:
any controlling or managing group, or the system of control and management
adopted by it

4.  established
system:
an established system or way of doing things

5.  characteristic
conditions for a process: the characteristic
conditions under which a natural, scientific, or industrial process occurs.
Also
called
regimen

6.  MEDICINE See regimen  noun 1
[15th century. Via French
from Latin regimen (see regimen ).][1]



regimen

regimen
reg·i·men 
[réjjəmən, réjjə
mèn] (plural reg·i·mens) noun

1.  MEDICINE program
to improve health: a prescribed or recommended
program of medication, diet, exercise, or other measures intended to improve
health or fitness, or stabilize a medical condition.
Also
called
regime

2.  POLITICS government:
a government or form of government (archaic)

3.  See
regime  noun 5
[14th century. From Latin regimen
“rule, government,” from regere “to rule.”][1]



regiment

regiment
reg·i·ment 
noun [réjjəmənt] (plural reg·i·ments)

1.  MILITARY army
unit:
a permanent military unit usually consisting of two or three battalions of
ground troops divided into smaller companies or troops and under the command of
a colonel

2.  large
number of people or things: a large number of people or
things, especially an orderly group

3.  POLITICS governmental
rule:
governmental rule or administration (archaic)
transitive
verb
[réjjə mènt] (past reg·i·ment·ed,
past participle reg·i·ment·ed, present participle reg·i·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular reg·i·ments)

1.  control
somebody or something strictly: to impose strict
control or discipline on somebody or something, often to the extent of stifling
flexibility, individuality, or imagination

2.  group
something systematically: to organize something
systematically into groups

3.  MILITARY group
soldiers into regiments: to form regiments out of a
group of soldiers
[14th
century. Via Old French from late Latin regimentum, from Latin regere
“to rule” (see regent ).]
—reg·i·ment·ed, adjective[1]



regimental

regimental
reg·i·men·tal
[rèjjə mént’l] adjective

1.  MILITARY of
regiments:
belonging or relating to a military regiment

2.  rigid:
marked by strict or excessive discipline
plural
noun
reg·i·men·tals MILITARY

1.  regiment’s
uniform and insignia: the uniform and insignia
worn by the members of a particular regiment

2.  military
dress:
military dress and insignia, especially as worn for ceremonial occasions
—reg·i·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



Regina

Regina
Re·gi·na 
[ri jnə]

capital city of Saskatchewan
Province, Canada. Population: 193,652 (1996)[1]



region

region
re·gion 
[rjən] (plural regions) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY geographic
area:
a large land area that has particular geographic, political, or cultural
characteristics that distinguish it from others, whether existing within one
country or extending over several

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION administrative
unit:
a large separate political or administrative unit within a country

3.  ECOLOGY ecological
area:
an area of the world with particular animal and plant life

4.  large
indefinite area: any large indefinite area of a surface

5.  area
or aspect:
an imprecisely defined area or part of something such as a sphere of activity

6.  range
within which figure falls: the range within which
something such as a figure, sum, or price might fall • in
the region of $1,000

7.  ANATOMY area
of the body: an area of the body, usually an area
surrounding a specific organ or part
[14th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem region- “boundary, district,” literally “area that
is ruled,” from regere (see regent
).][1]



regional

regional
re·gion·al 
[rjən’l] adjective

1.  GEOGRAPHY relating
to region:
belonging to or typical of a particular geographic region

2.  POLITICS connected
with administrative region: serving or connected with
one of the administrative regions of a country • a
regional authority

3.  typical
of particular area: typical of or limited to a
particular area of a country, especially typical of the speech and usage of a
particular area and different from standard speech and usage
—re·gion·al·ly, adverb[1]



regionalism

regionalism
re·gion·al·ism 
[rjən’l ìzzəm] (plural re·gion·alisms)
noun

1.  POLITICS division
into administrative areas: the policy of dividing a
political territory into areas with separate administrations, or support for
such a policy

2.  loyalty
to home region: loyalty to or prejudice in favor of a
particular region

3.  LINGUISTICS linguistic
feature restricted to one area: a linguistic feature
such as a word, pronunciation, or expression that is only found in a particular
region
—re·gion·al·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



regionalize

regionalize
re·gion·al·ize 
[rjən’l z] (past re·gion·al·ized,
past participle re·gion·al·ized, present participle re·gion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·gion·al·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  divide
something into regions: to divide an area into
administrative regions

2.  allocate
something to regions: to allocate something to
regional administrations
—re·gion·al·i·za·tion
[rjən’li záysh’n], noun[1]



register

register
reg·is·ter 
[réjjistər] noun (plural reg·is·ters)

1.  official
list:
an official record, often in the form of a list

2.  book
for official records: a book in which a register
of names, attendance, or events is kept.
Also
called
registry

3.  item
in official list: an item recorded in an official register

4.  MEASUREMENTS measuring
device that records: a device that automatically
records numbers, degrees, or quantities

5.  See
cash register

6.  correct
alignment:
correct alignment or positioning with respect to something else

7.  heating
grate:
a closable grill or grate through which warm or cool air is forced in a
household heating system

8.  COMPUTING computer
memory location: a memory location in a processor or microprocessor
that has a particular storage capacity, is usually intended for a particular
purpose, and is accessible at very high speeds

9.  MUSIC musical
range:
the range of a voice or instrument, or a part of this range

10. MUSIC organ
stop:
one of a group of organ stops that are similar in tonal quality

11. LINGUISTICS situation-specific
language variety: language of a type that is used in
particular social situations or when communicating with a particular set of
people
verb
(past reg·is·tered, past participle reg·is·tered, present
participle reg·is·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular reg·is·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
in register: to enter something in a register, or to
have something entered there by an official • They
registered at the hotel.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb enroll:
to record a name with an organization in order, for example, to enroll somebody
for an academic course or fulfill a legal requirement • register
for the course in September

3.  transitive
verb
make
a record of something: to make a record of
something, or have something recorded • I
want to register a complaint with the manager.

4.  transitive
verb
MEASUREMENTS show
something as measurement: to indicate or record a
measurement on a device or scale

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb display
feeling or thought: to be visible in somebody’s
facial expression or body language, or to display something in this way • Their
expressions registered the relief they felt.

6.  transitive
verb
note
something mentally: to make a mental note of
something • I
registered the time before moving on.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
understood:
to be understood or remembered by somebody • The
implications finally registered with me.

8.  transitive
verb
achieve
something:
to achieve or accomplish something • The
team registered several notable successes last season.

9.  transitive
verb
MAIL send
something by registered mail: to send a letter or package
by registered mail

10. intransitive
verb
be
aligned:
to be correctly aligned
[14th
century. Via Old French regestre from medieval Latin registrum,
alteration of late Latin regesta “list,” literally “things collected or
brought back,” ultimately from gerere “to bring.”]
—reg·is·ter·er,
noun

—reg·is·tra·ble, adjective[1]



registered

registered
reg·is·tered 
[réjjistərd] adjective

1.  certified:
officially qualified as or for something and entered on an official list

2.  having
owner’s name recorded: having the owner’s name
officially recorded

3.  enrolled
with breeders’ association: enrolled with a breeders’
association as a pedigree animal

[1]



registeredmail

registeredmail
reg·is·tered
mail
noun

secure mail service:
a service provided by post offices to ensure swift and secure delivery of
letters and packages. Each item’s route is recorded and it must be signed for
on delivery.
U.K. term
registered post[1]



registerednurse

registerednurse
reg·is·tered
nurse
(plural reg·is·tered nurs·es) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand nurse
certified by state: a nurse who
has passed a qualifying examination in order to be licensed by a state
government to practice.
U.K. term
Registered General Nurse[1]



registeredpost

registeredpost
reg·is·tered
post
noun

U.K.
See registered mail[1]



registeredtrademark

registeredtrademark
reg·is·tered
trade·mark
(plural reg·is·tered trade·marks) noun

See
trademark  noun 1[1]



registerton

registerton
register
ton
(plural register tons) noun

See
ton 1 noun
5[1]



registrant

registrant
reg·is·trant 
[réjjistrənt] (plural reg·is·trants)
noun

somebody entered on a
register: somebody who registers
himself or herself, another person, or something such as a patent or trademark[1]



registrar

registrar
reg·is·trar 
[réjji strr] (plural reg·is·trars)
noun

1.  EDUCATION official
responsible for student records: a university, college,
or school official responsible for keeping records of such things as student
enrollments and examination results

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION somebody
who keeps official records: somebody who is responsible
for keeping official records

3.  U.K.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION recorder
of births, marriages, and deaths: a public official who
is in charge of the records of local births, marriages, and deaths

4.  BUSINESS official
responsible for stock records: a company official
responsible for keeping records of stock issued

5.  MEDICINE hospital
admissions officer: an administrative officer in
a hospital responsible for admitting patients
—reg·is·trar·ship, noun[1]



RegistrarGeneral

RegistrarGeneral
Reg·is·trar
Gen·er·al
(plural Reg·is·trars Gen·er·al) noun

public official:
in Canada, an official who keeps track of births, deaths, and marriages in a
province[1]



registration

registration
reg·is·tra·tion 
[rèjji stráysh’n] (plural reg·is·tra·tions)
noun

1.  act
of registering or being registered: the
act or an instance of registering somebody or something, or the process of
being registered

2.  AUTOMOBILES legal
proof for vehicle: a certificate showing that a
motor vehicle has been properly registered with a state’s department of motor
vehicles

3.  EDUCATION enrolment
process:
the process of enrolling at a college or university, choosing courses, and
paying fees at the beginning of an academic term

4.  entry
in register: an entry in a register, or somebody or
something whose name or designation is entered in a register

5.  people
registering together: the number of people who
register for a particular thing or at a particular place at one time

6.  MUSIC combination
of organ stops: a particular combination of organ stops
used to play a piece of music

7.  MUSIC choice
of combinations of organ stops: the art of choosing
combinations of organ stops appropriate for a particular piece or passage

[1]



registry

registry
reg·is·try 
[réjjistree] (plural reg·is·tries)
noun

1.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION records
office:
a place where registers and other records are kept

2.  registering
of something: the act of registering somebody or
something

3.  SHIPPING ship’s
registration in particular country: the
nationality of a ship, as defined by where it is registered not by the
nationality of its owner or its usual place of operation

[1]



reglet

reglet
reg·let 
[régglət] (plural reg·lets) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE flat
molding:
a flat narrow architectural molding, or a narrow strip separating moldings or
panels

2.  PRINTING piece
of wood for spacing type: a piece of wood used to
separate lines of type in traditional hot metal printing
[Late 16th century. From Old
French régelet, literally “small rule.”][1]



regnal

regnal
reg·nal 
[régnəl] adjective

of
king or queen’s reign: relating to a king or
queen’s reign, calculated from the date when he or she became the sovereign (formal)
• the
third regnal year
[Early 17th century. Via
Anglo-Latin regnalis, from Latin regnum “kingdom.”][1]



regnant

regnant
reg·nant 
[régnənt] adjective (formal)

1.  reigning:
actually reigning, usually as opposed to having a royal title by marriage • queen
regnant

2.  widespread:
widespread, predominant, or especially fashionable at a particular time • according
to the regnant custom
[Early 17th century. From
Latin regnant-, present participle stem of regnare “to reign.”][1]



regolith

regolith
reg·o·lith 
[réggə lìth] noun

soil
covering bedrock: the layer of loose rock particles that
covers the bedrock of most land on Earth and the Moon
[Late 19th century. From
Greek rhēgos “blanket” + -lith .][1]



Rego,Paula

Rego,Paula
Reg·o
[ráygō], Paula (1935– )

Portuguese-born British
painter. She was appointed first associate artist of the National Gallery,
London, in 1990. An exhibition of her “Nursery Rhymes” etchings (1989) received
international acclaim.[1]



regorge

regorge
re·gorge 
[ree gáwrj] (past re·gorged, past
participle re·gorged, present participle re·gorg·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·gorg·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
disgorge
something:
to bring up something that has been swallowed

2.  intransitive
verb
flow
back:
to flow or gush back along a channel or out of a pit
[Early 17th century. Either
from Old French regorger, ultimately from gorge (see gorge ), or coined from re-
+ gorge .][1]



regress

regress
re·gress 
verb [ri gréss] (past re·gressed,
past participle re·gressed, present participle re·gress·ing,
3rd person present singular re·gress·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
return
to earlier, worse condition: to return to an earlier and
less advanced, less healthy, or generally worse state from a more advanced,
healthier, or generally better one

2.  intransitive
verb
go
back:
to move backward • regress in time

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PSYCHOLOGY go back to earlier period
psychologically: to go back to or cause somebody to
reenact an earlier emotional state and exhibit the type of behavior associated
with it

4.  transitive
verb
PARAPSYCHOLOGY supposedly
make somebody recall earlier lives: to
cause somebody to think of and describe supposed earlier lifetimes while under
hypnosis

5.  intransitive
verb
STATISTICS tend
toward mean: to tend toward a statistical mean
noun
[r grèss] (plural re·gress·es)

1.  movement
backward:
a going backward, especially from a more advanced or better state to a less
advanced or worse one

2.  LOGIC reasoning
from effect to cause: a process of reasoning
backward from effects to their causes
[Early
16th century. From Latin regress-, past participle stem of regredi
“to move backward,” from gradi “to walk.”]
—re·gres·sor, noun[1]



regression

regression
re·gres·sion 
[ri grésh’n] (plural re·gres·sions)
noun

1.  reversion
to earlier state: a return to an earlier or less developed
condition or way of behaving

2.  movement
backward:
a going backward or a backward movement or progress, especially through the
earlier stages or forms of something

3.  PSYCHOLOGY reversion
to less mature state: reversion to an earlier,
less mature, and less adaptive emotional or mental level, often involving the
appearance of forms of behavior associated with childhood

4.  STATISTICS association
between variables: a process for determining
the statistical relationship between a random variable and one or more
independent variables that is used to predict the value of the random variable

5.  BIOLOGY return
to earlier physical type: the recurrence of an
earlier, less complicated physical type among the later generations of a
particular population

6.  ASTRONOMY retrograde
motion:
the apparent backward motion of a celestial body, caused by the differing
orbital periods of the Earth and the body being observed

7.  ASTRONOMY movement
of Moon’s orbit: the slow movement around the ecliptic of
the two points where the orbit of the Moon crosses it. A complete revolution
happens once in about every 19 years.

[1]



regressive

regressive
re·gres·sive 
[ri gréssiv] adjective

1.  returning
to previous condition: reverting to an earlier,
less developed condition or way of behaving

2.  FINANCE taxing
poorer people more harshly: used to describe a tax
system in which those with low incomes pay proportionally higher taxes than the
wealthy
—re·gres·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·gres·sive·ness, noun[1]



regret

regret
re·gret 
[ri grét] transitive verb (past
re·gret·ted, past participle re·gret·ted, present
participle re·gret·ting, 3rd person present singular re·grets)

1.  feel
sorry for something: to feel sorry and sad about
something previously done or said that now appears wrong, mistaken, or hurtful
to others

2.  used
politely when giving bad news: used as a polite
expression of sorrow when making an apology or delivering a piece of bad or
unwelcome news • We regret to inform you
that this service is no longer available.

3.  mourn
for somebody or something: to feel sadness about
something, or feel a sense of loss and longing for somebody or something that
is no longer there (formal)
noun
(plural re·grets)

1.  sad
or disappointed feeling: a feeling or expression of
sorrow and guilt for a past action or event that you now wish had not happened
or had happened differently

2.  feeling
of sadness:
a feeling of sadness, disappointment, or of longing for somebody or something
that is no longer there
plural
noun
re·grets

expression of sadness:
a polite expression of real or pretended sadness, used especially when refusing
something such as an invitation • My
mother sends her regrets, but she can’t come to dinner.
[15th
century. From Old French regreter, of uncertain origin: perhaps
literally “to weep much,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to weep”
that is also the ancestor of English greet
.]
—re·gret·ter, noun[1]



regretful

regretful
re·gret·ful 
[ri grétfəl] adjective

feeling
regret:
feeling or showing regret for something
—re·gret·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·gret·ful·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  regretful
  or regrettable ?
  Regrettable
  is used of something that is a cause for regret, whereas regretful describes somebody who has feelings of
  remorse or sadness about something: • These
  mistakes are regrettable. • They
  felt regretful at missing the opportunity. The
  adverbs regrettably and regretfully are even more vulnerable to
  confusion, but again regrettably relates to the cause of regret and regretfully
  to the feeling of regret: • The
  exam results are regrettably poor. • She
  regretfully turned down the invitation.

[1]



regrettable

regrettable
re·gret·ta·ble 
[ri gréttəb’l] adjective

causing
shame or sorrow: unfortunate or blameworthy, and causing
feelings of regret, embarrassment, or even shame • It
was a regrettable lapse by a person of otherwise exemplary character.
—re·gret·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—re·gret·ta·bly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at regretful.

[1]



regroup

regroup
re·group 
[ree grp] (past re·grouped, past
participle re·grouped, present participle re·group·ing,
3rd person present singular re·groups) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY form into organized body
again:
to re-form, or re-form troops, into organized units or an effective fighting
force, especially after their being dispersed or defeated

2.  intransitive
verb
reorganize:
to recover, reorganize, and prepare for a further effort after receiving a
setback

3.  intransitive
verb
recover
composure:
to regain your composure for example, after a shock or a period of stress • Please
pardon me a minute while I regroup here.

4.  transitive
verb
arrange
things in new groups: to arrange people or things
in new or different groups
—re·group·ment, noun[1]



regrow

regrow
re·grow
[ree grṓ] (past re·grew [ree gr], past participle re·grown [ree grṓn], present participle re·grow·ing,
3rd person present singular re·grows) intransitive and
transitive verb

grow
again:
to grow again, or cause something, especially a body part, to grow again
—re·growth [ree grṓth], noun[1]



Regt.

Regt.
Regt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Regent

2.  Abbreviation
of
Regiment

[1]



regular

regular
reg·u·lar 
[réggyələr] adjective

1.  having
equal times or spaces between: occurring in a fixed,
unvarying, or predictable pattern, with equal amounts of time or space between
each one • the
regular tick-tock of the clock

2.  happening
frequently:
occurring or doing something frequently enough over a period of time to
establish a pattern, though not necessarily a strict one • Ice
storms are becoming a regular occurrence around here.

3.  usual:
normally expected, or most often used or done • Following
our regular practice, we’ll start the meeting at noon.

4.  following
routine:
carried out according to an established routine or schedule • keep
very regular hours

5.  PHYSIOLOGY menstruating
or defecating at predictable times:
menstruating or having bowel movements at predictable times

6.  standard
or medium:
of a standard or medium size or strength, as opposed, for example, to something
of a larger size or greater strength • I’ll
have the regular fries.

7.  symmetrical:
evenly and pleasingly shaped and symmetrical • a
regular facial profile

8.  proper:
conforming to the normal or accepted rules or standards • It
may not be the regular way of doing long division but it works.

9.  professional:
officially or properly qualified to perform a specific job • not
a regular doctor

10. MILITARY forming
part of professional force: belonging to or constituting
a full-time professional military or police force as opposed to, for example,
the reserves • an
officer in the regular army

11. complete
and utter:
thoroughly deserving a particular description (informal) • a
regular tyrant in the office

12. nice:
pleasant, reliable, and thoughtful (informal) • a
regular guy

13. GRAMMAR following
normal grammatical patterns: following the normal or
common grammatical patterns of a language.
See
also
irregular

14. CHRISTIANITY of
religious order: belonging to a religious or monastic
order • the
regular clergy

15. POLITICS loyal
to party officials: connected with or loyal to a
particular political party

16. GEOMETRY having
equal sides and angles: having both equal sides and
angles • a
regular polygon

17. GEOMETRY composed
of identical polygons: having faces that are
congruent identical polygons and that make equal angles with each other • a
regular polyhedron

18. BOTANY having
radial symmetry: having flower parts that are similar in
size and shape and are arranged symmetrically
noun
(plural reg·u·lars)

1.  frequent
visitor:
somebody who visits a place frequently (informal)

2.  something
usually asked for: something such as a drink
that somebody usually asks for or buys (informal) • “I’ll
have my regular,” he told the server.

3.  MILITARY professional
soldier:
a full-time professional soldier (often used in the plural)

4.  something
standard or medium: something of a medium or
standard size or strength, as opposed to something larger, smaller, stronger,
or weaker

5.  CHRISTIANITY member
of religious order: somebody who belongs to a
religious or monastic order

6.  POLITICS somebody
politically loyal: somebody who is loyal to a
particular political party • strong
support from the party regulars
[14th
century. Formed from Latin rēgula “rule” (source of English rule ). Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English royal
and correct .]
—reg·u·lar·i·ty
[règgyə lérrətee], noun

—reg·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



regularize

regularize
reg·u·lar·ize 
[réggyələ rz] (past reg·u·lar·ized,
past participle reg·u·lar·ized, present participle reg·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular reg·u·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

cause
something to conform: to make something fit in
with or conform to usual or accepted standards or practice
—reg·u·lar·i·za·tion
[règgyələri záysh’n], noun

—reg·u·lar·iz·er, noun[1]



regulate

regulate
reg·u·late 
[réggyə làyt] (past reg·u·lat·ed,
past participle reg·u·lat·ed, present participle reg·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular reg·u·lates) transitive verb

1.  ENGINEERING control
something:
to control something and bring it to the desired level, for example, by
adjusting the output of a machine or by imposing restrictions on the flow of
something

2.  POLITICS LAW control something by rules or
laws:
to organize and control an activity or process by making it subject to rules or
laws (formal) • Governments
of socialist countries regulate their nations’ economies.

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING adjust
machinery or select output: to adjust a piece of
machinery or a control device on it so that the machinery works correctly

4.  make
something regular: to cause something to occur
at predictable intervals or in a regular way
[15th
century. From late Latin regulat-, past participle stem of regulare,
from Latin regula (see regular ).]
—reg·u·la·tive
[réggyə làytiv], adjective

—reg·u·la·to·ry [réggy lə tàwrree], adjective[1]



regulation

regulation
reg·u·la·tion 
[règgyə láysh’n] noun (plural reg·u·la·tions)

1.  rule
or order:
an official rule, law, or order stating what may or may not be done or how
something must be done (often used in the plural)

2.  regulating
of something: the adjusting, organizing, or
controlling of something, or the state of being adjusted, organized, or
controlled

3.  LAW government
order with force of law: an order issued by a
government department or agency that has the force of law

4.  BIOLOGY ability
of embryo to grow normally: the process or mechanism by
which an embryo restores its ability to develop normally after being damaged or
altered without creating new tissue
adjective

1.  officially
approved for use: officially approved for use, or
conforming to the official guidelines for something

2.  standard
and unadventurous: like everyone has or does,
and completely standard and unadventurous

[1]



regulator

regulator
reg·u·la·tor 
[réggyə làytər] (plural reg·u·la·tors)
noun

1.  ENGINEERING control
mechanism:
a mechanism that controls something such as pressure, temperature, speed, or
voltage (often used in combination)

2.  controlling
official:
an official who controls an activity and makes certain that regulations are
complied with (often used in combination)

3.  TIME very
accurate timepiece: a very accurate watch or
clock, used as a standard by which others are set

4.  GENETICS See regulator gene

[1]



regulatorgene

regulatorgene
reg·u·la·tor
gene
(plural reg·u·la·tor genes) or reg·u·la·to·ry gene
(plural reg·u·la·to·ry genes) noun

gene that controls another:
a gene that regulates the expression of one or more structural genes, thereby
controlling the synthesis of their corresponding proteins. In the simplest
case, the regulator gene encodes a repressor molecule that binds to a site
adjacent to the structural gene, so preventing transcription of the latter.
Also called
regulator[1]



Regulus

Regulus
Reg·u·lus 
[réggyələss] noun

ASTRONOMY
bright star in Leo:
a bright double star of the first magnitude in the constellation Leo[1]



regulus

regulus
re·gu·lus 
[réggyələss] (plural re·gu·lus·es
or re·gu·li [réggyə l]) noun
METALLURGY

1.  impure
mass of metal: the semipurified mass of metal that
forms beneath the slag in the smelting of ore

2.  impure
metal:
an impure intermediate metal product created by the smelting process
[Late
16th century. From Latin, diminutive of rex “king.” Originally found in regulus
of antimony, a metallic antimony so called because it combined readily with
gold, a kingly metal.]
—reg·u·line [réggyəlin, réggyə ln],
adjective[1]



regurgitate

regurgitate
re·gur·gi·tate 
[ree gúrji tàyt] (past re·gur·gi·tat·ed,
past participle re·gur·gi·tat·ed, present participle re·gur·gi·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·gur·gi·tates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
ZOOLOGY bring
food up from stomach: to bring undigested or
partially digested food up from the stomach to the mouth, as some birds and
animals do to feed their young

2.  transitive
verb
repeat
information mechanically: to repeat or reproduce what
has been heard, read, or taught, in a purely mechanical way, with no evidence
of personal thought or understanding

3.  intransitive
verb
flow
out:
to flow out or be ejected, especially from the mouth (formal)

4.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE flow
in opposite direction to normal: to flow in the
opposite direction to the normal or usual direction, especially through a
defective heart valve
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin regurgitat-, past participle stem of regurgitare,
literally “to flood back,” ultimately from gurges “whirlpool” (source of
English gorge ).]
—re·gur·gi·tant,
noun, adjective

—re·gur·gi·ta·tion
[ree gúrji tàytiv], noun

—re·gur·gi·ta·tive, adjective[1]



rehab

rehab
re·hab 
[r hàb] noun (plural re·habs)
(informal)

1.  SOCIAL WELFARE rehabilitation:
the period or process of rehabilitation, for example, for somebody addicted to
a chemical substance (often used before a noun) • a
rehab clinic

2.  CONSTRUCTION something
reconstructed: something that has been rehabilitated,
especially a rehabilitated building
transitive
verb
(past re·habbed, past participle re·habbed, present
participle re·hab·bing, 3rd person present singular re·habs)

restore building:
to restore something, especially a building (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening.]
—re·hab·ber, noun[1]



rehabilitate

rehabilitate
re·ha·bil·i·tate 
[r ə bíllə tàyt, r
hə bíllə tàyt] (past re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, past
participle re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, present participle re·ha·bil·i·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ha·bil·i·tates) transitive verb

1.  SOCIAL WELFARE help
somebody return to normal life: to help somebody to
return to good health or a normal life by providing training or therapy

2.  restore
somebody to rank or rights: to restore somebody to a
former position or rank and grant rights and privileges once more (often
passive)

3.  restore
somebody’s reputation: to restore somebody’s good
reputation and standing after he or she has been disgraced or neglected

4.  CONSTRUCTION restore
place to good condition: to restore a building, or
part of a town, to its former good condition
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin rehabilitat-, past participle stem of rehabilitare,
literally “to habilitate again” (see habilitate
).]
—re·ha·bil·i·tat·a·ble,
adjective

—re·ha·bil·i·ta·tive,
adjective

—re·ha·bil·i·ta·tor, noun[1]



rehabilitation

rehabilitation
re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion
[r ə billə táysh’n, r hə billə táysh’n] noun

1.  SOCIAL WELFARE help
for recovery: training, therapy, or other help given
to somebody, for example, somebody who has survived a serious injury or illness
or an addiction, that will enable him or her to live a healthy and productive
life

2.  CONSTRUCTION restoring
of old buildings: the restoration of a building, or part
of a town, to its former good condition

3.  restoration
of lost position or reputation: the restoration of
somebody’s former position, rank, rights and privileges, influence, or good
reputation

[1]



rehash

rehash
re·hash 
[ree hásh] transitive verb (past
re·hashed, past participle re·hashed, present
participle re·hash·ing, 3rd person present singular re·hash·es)

repeat
or reuse something: to repeat something or reuse
and rework old material, making some changes but without introducing anything
new
noun
(plural re·hash·es)

reuse of old ideas:
a tiresome reuse of ideas or material to which nothing new or significant has
been added[1]



rehear

rehear
re·hear 
[ree hr] (past participle re·heard
[ree húrd], present participle re·hear·ing,
3rd person present singular re·hears) transitive verb

1.  LAW consider
something again: to hear a case again in the same court

2.  hear
something again: to hear or, especially, listen to
somebody or something again
—re·hear·ing, noun[1]



rehearsal

rehearsal
re·hears·al 
[ri húrs’l] (plural re·hears·als)
noun

1.  practice
performance: a session or series of sessions in which
something that is to be done later, especially a public performance, is
practiced

2.  tedious
repetition:
a detailed listing or repetition of something (formal)

[1]



rehearse

rehearse
re·hearse 
[ri húrs] (past re·hearsed, past
participle re·hearsed, present participle re·hears·ing,
3rd person present singular re·hears·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb practice
something before performing: to practice something before
doing it, especially to practice something such as a play, speech, or piece of
music before performing it for the public

2.  transitive
verb
train
somebody for performance: to train or instruct
somebody who is practicing before doing something, especially before giving a
public performance

3.  transitive
verb
go
over list:
to go over a list of items, often reasons, complaints, or troubles

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb repeat
something:
to tell or repeat something such as a story (literary)
[13th
century. From Old French rehercer, literally “to rake over,” from herce
(see hearse ).]
—re·hears·er, noun[1]



reheat

reheat
re·heat
[ree ht] (past re·heat·ed, past
participle re·heat·ed, present participle re·heat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·heats) intransitive and
transitive verb

heat
something again: to heat something, especially leftover
food, again after cooling, or be heated up again
—re·heat·er, noun[1]



Rehnquist,William

Rehnquist,William
Rehn·quist
[rén kwìst], William (1924– )

U.S.
jurist. He was appointed chief justice of the United States in 1986.
Full name
Rehnquist, William Hubbs[1]



Rehoboam

Rehoboam
Re·ho·bo·am 
[r ə bṓ əm] noun

son of Solomon:
in the Bible, the son of Solomon and king of ancient Judah (922? BC -915? BC
). His reign was marked by conflict with the rival kingdom of the northern
tribes of Israel (1 Kings 11–14) .[1]



rehoboam

rehoboam
re·ho·bo·am 
[r ə bṓ əm] (plural re·ho·bo·ams)
noun

wine
bottle:
a large wine bottle, six times the size of a normal bottle
[Mid-19th century. Named for Rehoboam,
who “fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them … and stores of oil and
wine” (2 Chronicles 11:11) .][1]



rehouse

rehouse
re·house 
[ree hówz] (past re·housed, past
participle re·housed, present participle re·hous·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·hous·es) transitive verb

move somebody to better
housing: to provide a person or a
group of people with a new or different place to live in, often one that is
better than the previous dwelling[1]



rehydrate

rehydrate
re·hy·drate 
[ree h dràyt] (past re·hy·drat·ed,
past participle re·hy·drat·ed, present participle re·hy·drat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·hy·drates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
return
water to something: to add water to something
that has been dried in order to return it to its natural state

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE replenish
somebody’s body fluid: to restore the body fluids
of somebody to a normal or healthy level

3.  intransitive
verb
absorb
water:
to absorb water after dehydration
—re·hy·drat·a·ble,
adjective

—re·hy·dra·tion [r hī dráysh’n], noun[1]



Reich

Reich
Reich 
[rīk, rīkh]
(plural Reichs) noun

German
empire:
the German state or empire, especially the Holy Roman Empire (926–1806) or
First Reich, the German Empire (1871–1919) or Second Reich, or the Nazi state
(1933–1945) or Third Reich
[Early 20th century. From
German, “kingdom, state, empire.”][1]



reichsmark

reichsmark
reichs·mark 
[rks mrk, rkhs
mrk] (plural reichs·mark or reichs·marks) noun

former
German monetary unit: the basic unit of German
currency from 1923 to 1948
[Mid-20th century. From
German, from Reich “empire, kingdom” + Mark “mark.”][1]



Reichstag

Reichstag
Reich·stag 
[rk stàg, rkh
stàg] noun

1.  HISTORY German
legislative assembly 1867–1919: the legislative
assembly of both the North German Confederation, from 1867 to 1871, and the
German Empire, from 1871 to 1919

2.  HISTORY legislative
assembly of Weimar Republic: the sovereign legislative
assembly of the Weimar Republic, from 1919 to 1933

3.  parliament
building in Berlin: the building in Berlin in
which the Reichstag formerly met, destroyed by fire in 1933, and now rebuilt to
house the parliament of the reunified German federal state
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Reich “empire, kingdom” + Tag “diet, legislative
assembly.”][1]



Reid,Whitelaw

Reid,Whitelaw
Reid
[reed], Whitelaw (1837–1912)

U.S. journalist and diplomat.
He served as the U.S. minister to France (1889–1892) and ambassador to Great
Britain (1905–1912).[1]



reify

reify
re·i·fy 
[r i f] (past re·i·fied, past
participle re·i·fied, present participle re·i·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·i·fies) transitive verb

treat
concept as object: to think of or treat
something abstract as if it existed as a real and tangible object
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin re- (stem of res “thing”) + -fy .]
—re·i·fi·ca·tion
[rèe ifi káysh’n], noun

—re·i·fi·ca·to·ry
[ray íffikə tàwree, ree
íffikə tàwree], adjective

—re·i·fi·er [r ə f ər], noun[1]



reign

reign
reign 
[rayn] noun (plural reigns)

1.  period
of rule:
the period of time during which somebody, especially a king or queen, rules a
nation

2.  control
or influence: the fact of being the dominant or
controlling power or factor in something, or the period of time during which
this dominance persists
intransitive
verb
(past reigned, past participle reigned, present
participle reign·ing, 3rd person present singular reigns)

1.  rule
a nation:
to exercise sovereign power or a controlling influence over something,
especially to rule a country as its king or queen

2.  be
titular sovereign: to hold a royal title and be
head of state while possessing only limited powers, as in a constitutional
monarchy

3.  be
most important feature: to be the main or most
noticeable feature of a situation, place, or period of time
[13th century. Via Old French
reignier from Latin regnare “to be king,” from regnum
“kingship.”][1]



Reignof Terror

Reignof Terror
Reign
of Ter·ror
noun

period during French
Revolution: the period of the French
Revolution between September 1793 and July 1794, during which thousands of
people were executed as enemies of the revolution.
Also called
Terror[1]



reignof terror

reignof terror
reign
of ter·ror
(plural reigns of ter·ror or reigns of terror) noun

time of violence:
a time when systematic violence is used by a government, individual, or group
to intimidate other people and obtain or maintain dominance over them[1]



reiki

reiki
rei·ki
[ráyk] noun

alternative
medical treatment: a treatment in alternative
medicine in which healing energy is channeled from the practitioner to the
patient to enhance energy and reduce stress, pain, and fatigue
[Late 20th century. From Japanese,
“universal life force energy.”][1]



reimagine

reimagine
re·i·mag·ine
[r i májjin] (past re·i·mag·ined,
past participle re·i·mag·ined, present participle re·i·mag·in·ing,
3rd person present singular re·i·mag·ines) transitive verb

1.  create
something anew: to recreate something, or plan to
recreate something, in a fundamentally different way • to
reimagine the Shakespearean corpus for television

2.  reinvent
yourself:
to create a new and improved image or lifestyle for yourself

[1]



reimburse

reimburse
re·im·burse 
[r im búrs] (past re·im·bursed,
past participle re·im·bursed, present participle re·im·burs·ing,
3rd person present singular re·im·burs·es) transitive verb

pay
back money to somebody: to pay somebody back money
spent for an official or approved reason or taken as a loan, or give somebody
money as compensation for loss or damage
[Early
17th century. Formed from obsolete imburse “to pay, put in a purse,”
ultimately from Old French borse “purse,” from medieval Latin bursa
(source of English purse ).]
—re·im·burs·a·ble,
adjective

—re·im·burse·ment,
noun

—re·im·burs·er, noun[1]



reimport

reimport
re·im·port 
[ree ím pàwrt, r
im páwrt] transitive verb (past re·im·port·ed, past
participle re·im·port·ed, present participle re·im·port·ing,
3rd person present singular re·im·ports)

import goods made from exported
materials:
to bring back into a country finished goods made from raw materials that were
originally exported from that country
noun
(plural re·im·ports)

1.  importing
of goods using exported materials: the business of
bringing into a country goods made from raw materials originally exported from
it

2.  reimported
item:
something that has been reimported
—re·im·por·ta·tion [r im pawr táysh’n], noun[1]



reimpression

reimpression
re·im·pres·sion 
[r im présh’n] (plural re·im·pres·sions)
noun

book reprint:
a reprint of a book without any changes in the text[1]



Reims

Reims
Reims 
[reemz]

city in Marne Department,
Champagne-Ardenne Region, northeastern France. Population: 185,164 (1990)[1]



rein

rein
rein 
[rayn] noun (plural reins)
(often used in the plural)

1.  EQUESTRIAN strap
for controlling horse: a strap, or either half of a
strap, by which a horse is controlled by its rider or by the driver of a coach
or cart it is pulling

2.  exercise
of power:
any means of guiding, controlling, or restraining somebody or something
plural
noun
reins

strap for guiding child:
a harness that fits around the body of a very young child, with straps attached
by means of which the child can be controlled and guided, especially when out
walking
transitive
verb
(past reined, past participle reined, present
participle rein·ing, 3rd person present singular reins)

control somebody or something:
to guide, control, or restrain somebody or something
[13th
century. From Old French rene, earlier resne, of uncertain
origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin retinere “to hold back.”]
—rein·less,
adjective
give
(free) rein to somebody or something to

allow
somebody or something complete freedom, imposing no restraints or limitations

have
a (tight) rein on somebody or something

or
keep a (tight) rein on somebody or somethingto maintain strict
control over somebody or something[1]



reinback

reinback
rein
back
transitive verb

control or limit:
to subject something or somebody to stricter control, often to reduce the
amount of something or restrict somebody’s freedom of action[1]



reincarnate

reincarnate
re·in·car·nate 
transitive verb [r in kr nàyt] (past
re·in·car·nat·ed, past participle re·in·car·nat·ed, present
participle re·in·car·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular re·in·car·nates)

1.  RELIGION give
new birth:
in some systems of belief, to return somebody to Earth to live another life in
a different body (often passive)

2.  put
into new form: to present something again in a new form
after it has been abandoned or discontinued
adjective
[r in krnət]

1.  RELIGION reborn:
in some systems of belief, returned to Earth in a new body after death

2.  repackaged:
embodied or presented in a new form

[1]



reincarnation

reincarnation
re·in·car·na·tion 
[r in kaar náysh’n] (plural re·in·car·na·tions)
noun

1.  RELIGION rebirth
of soul:
in some systems of belief, the cyclical return of a soul to live another life
in a new body.
Also
called
rebirth

2.  RELIGION body
in which somebody is reborn: in some systems of belief, a
person or animal in whose body somebody’s soul is born again after he, she, or
it has died

3.  appearance
in new guise: a reappearance of something in a new
form
—re·in·car·na·tion·ism,
noun

—re·in·car·na·tion·ist
[r in kaar náysh’nist], noun[1]



reindeer

reindeer
rein·deer 
[ráyn dr] (plural rein·deer or
rein·deers) noun

large
Arctic deer: a large deer with large branched antlers
in both males and females, found in northern and Arctic regions of Europe and
Asia, and in North America. Reindeer are domesticated by Sami and other Arctic
peoples and used as beasts of burden and a source of food and materials. Latin
name: Rangifer tarandus
Also
called
caribou
[14th century. From Old Norse
hreinn “reindeer” ( perhaps of Finnish-Lappish origin) + dýr
“animal.”][1]



ReindeerLake

ReindeerLake
Rein·deer
Lake


lake in Canada, on the
Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, discharging into the Reindeer River. Area: 6,651
sq km/2,568 sq mi.[1]



reindeermoss

reindeermoss
rein·deer
moss
or rein·deer li·chen noun

lichen eaten by reindeer:
a gray lichen found in subarctic and Arctic regions that grows in large, erect,
and branching tufts and provides food for reindeer and other animals. Latin
name: Cladonia rangiferia[1]



reindustrialize

reindustrialize
re·in·dus·tri·al·ize
[r in dústree ə lz] (past participle
re·in·dus·tri·al·ized, present participle re·in·dus·tri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·dus·tri·al·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

improve
ability to produce goods: to undergo a process of
renewal, usually involving government help in the modernization of factories
and equipment, or subject an industry or industrial society to such a process
—re·in·dus·tri·al·i·za·tion
[r in dustree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



Reines,Frederick

Reines,Frederick
Reines
[rīnz], Frederick (1918– )

U.S. physicist. He shared a
Nobel Prize in physics (1995) for providing evidence of the existence of the
neutrino, a subatomic particle.[1]



reinforce

reinforce
re·in·force
[r in fáwrs] (past re·in·forced,
past participle re·in·forced, present participle re·in·forc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·forc·es) transitive verb

1.  strengthen
something:
to make something stronger by providing additional external support or internal
stiffening for it

2.  give
something support: to give additional strength,
force, or conviction to something such as an idea, opinion, or feeling, for
example, by providing further evidence to support it

3.  MILITARY make
military force stronger: to make a military force
stronger by providing it with more troops or weapons

4.  PSYCHOLOGY influence
behavior by reward or punishment: to reward a particular
action or type of behavior to increase the probability that it will be
repeated, or punish an action in order to discourage it
[15th
century. Formed from enforce, probably on
the model of Italian rinforzare .]
—re·in·force·a·ble, adjective[1]



reinforcedconcrete

reinforcedconcrete
re·in·forced
con·crete 
noun

concrete strengthened with
metal: concrete made with metal
wire or rods embedded in it to increase its strength.
Also called
ferroconcrete[1]



reinforcedplastic

reinforcedplastic
re·in·forced
plas·tic
noun

plastic strengthened with
fibers: plastic with carbon or
similar fibers embedded in it to make it stronger[1]



reinforcement

reinforcement
re·in·force·ment 
[r in fáwrsmənt] noun (plural
re·in·force·ments)

1.  added
support:
the addition of strengthening or supporting material to make something stronger
or more durable

2.  something
added to increase strength: something that is added to
strengthen or support something else

3.  PSYCHOLOGY reward
or punishment: the rewarding positive reinforcement or
punishing negative reinforcement of particular actions, especially in an
experimental situation, for the purpose of changing a subject’s behavior
plural
noun
re·in·force·ments

MILITARY additional
troops or weapons: additional troops, police,
or weapons provided to make an existing force stronger

[1]



reinforcer

reinforcer
re·in·forc·er 
[r in fáwrsər] (plural re·in·forc·ers)
noun

reward or stimulus:
in behavioral psychology, a reward or stimulus used to encourage a particular
action in order to increase the probability that it will be repeated[1]



Reinga,Cape

Reinga,Cape
Reinga,
Cape
[ree ángə]

cape at the northwestern tip
of the North Island, New Zealand. In Maori folklore, it is the departure point
for the souls of the dead returning to the spiritual homeland of Hawaiki.[1]



reinin

reinin
rein
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb RIDING stop or slow horse:
to make a horse stop or slow down by pulling on the reins

2.  transitive
verb
control
somebody or something: to bring somebody or
something under control

[1]



reins

reins
reins 
[raynz] plural noun

lower
region of trunk: the kidneys, lower abdomen, including
the hips, or lower back
[Pre-12th century. Via French
from Latin renes .][1]



reinstate

reinstate
re·in·state 
[r in stáyt] (past re·in·stat·ed,
past participle re·in·stat·ed, present participle re·in·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·states) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody former job back: to give somebody back a job
or position of influence that he or she once had and from which he or she was
dismissed or deposed

2.  reintroduce
something:
to bring something back into use or force again after it has been out of use
—re·in·state·ment,
noun

—re·in·sta·tor, noun[1]



reinsure

reinsure
re·in·sure 
[r in shr] (past re·in·sured,
past participle re·in·sured, present participle re·in·sur·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·sures) transitive verb

obtain
additional insurance coverage: to insure something
again, especially to obtain, as an insurer, additional coverage from another
insurer for a risk that a customer has been insured against
—re·in·sur·ance
[r in shrəns], noun

—re·in·sur·er [r in shrər], noun[1]



reintegrate

reintegrate
re·in·te·grate 
[ree íntə gràyt] (past re·in·te·grat·ed,
past participle re·in·te·grat·ed, present participle re·in·te·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·te·grates) transitive verb

1.  bring
somebody back into group: to bring somebody or
something back into a group or a larger entity after a period of exclusion from
it

2.  make
something whole again: to restore something to a
state of wholeness or unity (formal)
—re·in·te·gra·tion [ree ìntə gráysh’n], noun[1]



reinterpret

reinterpret
re·in·ter·pret 
[r in túrprət] (past re·in·ter·pret·ed,
past participle re·in·ter·pret·ed, present participle re·in·ter·pret·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·ter·prets) transitive verb

interpret
something differently: to interpret something again
or in a different way, especially to find a new and different meaning in
something
—re·in·ter·pre·ta·tion
[r in turprə táysh’n], noun[1]



reintroduce

reintroduce
re·in·tro·duce
[r intrə dss] (past re·in·tro·duced,
past participle re·in·tro·duced, present participle re·in·tro·duc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·tro·duc·es) transitive verb

bring
or take back: to bring or take somebody or something
back to a place where he, she, or it used to be common, especially to
reestablish a species in a habitat
—re·in·tro·duc·tion [r intrə dúkshən], noun[1]



reinvent

reinvent
re·in·vent 
[r in vént] (past re·in·vented,
past participle re·in·vented, present participle re·in·vent·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·vents) transitive verb

1.  invent
something again: to invent something again, or bring
something back into existence, use, or popularity after a period of neglect or
obscurity • The
party claims to have reinvented genuine popular democracy.

2.  create
new version of something: to change radically the
appearance, form, or presentation of something or somebody
—re·in·ven·tion
[r in vénshən], noun
reinvent
the wheel

1.  to
waste time recreating something that already exists in a perfectly usable and
acceptable form (slang disapproving)

2.  to
produce a new version of something very basic and familiar (slang
disapproving)

[1]



reinvest

reinvest
re·in·vest 
[r in vést] (past re·in·vest·ed,
past participle re·in·vest·ed, present participle re·in·vest·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·vests) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  STOCK EXCHANGE buy
more securities with profit: to invest money again,
especially to buy more shares with the income made on a previous investment

2.  BUSINESS FINANCE invest in improving business:
to put income back into a business instead of distributing it as profit
—re·in·vest·ment, noun[1]



reinvigorate

reinvigorate
re·in·vig·o·rate 
[r in víggə ràyt] (past re·in·vig·o·rat·ed,
past participle re·in·vig·o·rat·ed, present participle re·in·vig·o·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·in·vig·o·rates) transitive verb

make
somebody or something energetic: to imbue a person,
organization, or idea with new strength, energy, dynamism or appeal
—re·in·vig·o·ra·tion
[r in viggə ráysh’n], noun

—re·in·vig·o·ra·tor [r in víggə ràytər], noun[1]



reis

reis
reis


Plural of
real 2 noun
2[1]



reissue

reissue
re·is·sue 
[ree íshoo] transitive verb (past
re·is·sued, past participle re·is·sued, present
participle re·is·su·ing, 3rd person present singular re·is·sues)

produce
something again: to produce, distribute, or make
something available again, especially something such as a book or recording,
sometimes in a different form
noun
(plural re·is·sues)

something produced again:
something, especially a book or recording, that is reissued[1]



REIT

REIT
REIT

Abbreviation of
real estate investment trust[1]



reiterate

reiterate
re·it·er·ate 
[ree íttə ràyt] (past re·it·er·at·ed,
past participle re·it·er·at·ed, present participle re·it·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·it·er·ates) transitive verb

repeat
something:
to say or do something again, once or several times, sometimes in a tiresome
way
—re·it·er·ant,
adjective

—re·it·er·a·tion
[ree ìttə ráysh’n], noun

—re·it·er·a·tive
[ree íttə ràytiv], adjective

—re·it·er·a·tive·ly
[ree íttə ràytivlee], adverb

—re·it·er·a·tor
[ree íttə ràytər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Redundancy
  trap:
  The
  use of again, once more, yet again, and other such
  expressions with reiterate, whose innate meaning subsumes all of them,
  is a redundancy to be avoided.

[1]



Reiter’ssyndrome

Reiter’ssyndrome
Re·iter’s
syn·drome 
[rtərz sìn drōm] or Re·iter’s
dis·ease [rtərz sìn drōm] noun

disease
that starts as infection: a disease that begins as an
infection in genetically predisposed people and is characterized by recurring
bouts of arthritis, conjunctivitis, and urethritis
[Early 20th century. Named
for Hans Reiter (1881–1969), German bacteriologist.][1]



reject

reject
re·ject 
transitive verb [rə jékt] (past
re·ject·ed, past participle re·ject·ed, present
participle re·ject·ing, 3rd person present singular re·jects)

1.  not
accept something: to refuse to accept, agree to, believe
in, or make use of something

2.  turn
somebody down: to decide not to give somebody something
asked or applied for, for example, a job or membership of an organization

3.  be
unkind to somebody: to behave in an unkind and
unfriendly way toward somebody who expects, or has a right to expect, love,
kindness, and friendship

4.  not
keep or accept something: to put something aside,
throw it away, or refuse to accept it because it is not good enough or not the
right thing

5.  MEDICINE not
accept transplant: to fail to accept foreign
tissue or an organ transplant because of immunological incompatibility

6.  MED bring
up food:
to be unable to keep food down and vomit it up again
noun
[r jèkt] (plural re·jects)

something or somebody not wanted:
somebody who or something that is rejected as not meeting a required standard
of quality, or as being generally unsuitable
[15th
century. From Latin reject-, past participle stem of rejicere,
literally “to throw back,” from jacere “to throw.”]
—re·ject·a·ble,
adjective

—re·ject·er,
noun

—re·jec·tive
[rə jéktiv], adjective

—re·jec·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at refute.

[1]



rejection

rejection
re·jec·tion 
[ri jékshən] (plural re·jec·tions)
noun

1.  act
of rejecting: the rejecting of something or somebody,
or the fact of being rejected

2.  MEDICINE failure
of transplant: the destruction by immune mechanisms of
transplanted tissue or a transplanted organ from another individual

[1]



rejectionist

rejectionist
re·jec·tion·ist
[ri jékshənist] (plural re·jec·tion·ists)
noun

somebody who rejects
proposal: somebody who refuses to
accept a policy, proposal, or peace plan that other people have agreed to[1]



rejectionslip

rejectionslip
re·jec·tion
slip
(plural re·jec·tion slips) noun

note informing somebody of
official rejection: an official
note stating that something has been rejected, for example, a book submitted to
a publisher or a painting submitted for exhibition[1]



rejig

rejig
re·jig
[ree jíg] (past re·jigged, past
participle re·jigged, present participle re·jig·ging, 3rd
person present singular re·jigs) transitive verb

(informal) See rejigger[1]



rejigger

rejigger
re·jig·ger 
[ree jíggər] (past re·jig·gered,
past participle re·jig·gered, present participle re·jig·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular re·jig·gers, plural re·jig·gers)
transitive verb

alter, rearrange, or
readjust: to alter, rearrange, or
readjust something, or set it up differently, sometimes with the intention of
deceiving a purchaser or user[1]



rejoice

rejoice
re·joice 
[ri jóyss] (past re·joiced, past
participle re·joiced, present participle re·joic·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·joic·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
happy:
to feel very happy or show great happiness about something (literary)

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody happy: to fill somebody with happiness (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French rejoir “to be most joyful” from, ultimately,
Latin gaudere “to rejoice” (source of English joy ).]
—re·joic·er,
noun

—re·joic·ing,
noun

—re·joic·ing·ly, adverb[1]



rejoicein

rejoicein
rejoice
in
transitive verb

have something desirable:
to be lucky enough to have or own something (often used ironically)[1]



rejoin

rejoin1
re·join1 [ree
jóyn] (past re·joined, past participle re·joined,
present participle re·join·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·joins) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  return
to somebody after being apart: to meet up again with
somebody, or go back to somebody or something, after a usually brief period of
being away or apart

2.  become
member again: to become a member again of an
organization or group you formerly belonged to

3.  join
together again: to join two things together again, or
become joined together or merged with something again
[Formed from re- + join][1]



rejoin

rejoin2
re·join2 [ri
jóyn] (past re·joined, past participle re·joined,
present participle re·join·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·joins) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reply:
to say something in reply, especially to reply with a sharp, critical, angry,
defensive, or clever remark (formal)

2.  intransitive
verb
LAW respond
to plaintiff’s reply: to respond to a plaintiff’s
reply or replication
[15th century. From French rejoign-,
stem of rejoindre “to join again,” from joindre (see join ).][1]



rejoinder

rejoinder
re·join·der 
[ri jóyndər] (plural re·join·ders)
noun

1.  retort:
a reply to something said, especially one that is sharp, critical, angry,
defensive, or clever (formal)

2.  LAW defendant’s
response:
the answer that a defendant makes during pleading to the plaintiff’s reply or
replication
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Old French (see rejoin 2 ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at answer

[1]



rejuvenate

rejuvenate
re·ju·ve·nate 
[ri jvə nàyt] (past re·ju·ve·nat·ed,
past participle re·ju·ve·nat·ed, present participle re·ju·ve·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ju·ve·nates) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody young again: to make somebody become,
feel, or appear young again

2.  return
something to original condition: to restore something
to its condition when new, or make it more vigorous, dynamic, and effective

3.  GEOLOGY cause
river to erode more: to cause a river to start
eroding the land it runs over again, usually as a result of the land being
uplifted

4.  GEOLOGY make
area develop topographically young features: to
cause, through increased erosion of a landscape, the redevelopment of younger
topographic features, that is, the more rugged ones typical of an early
geologic stage
[Early
19th century. Formed from re- + Latin juvenis
“young” (source of English juvenile )
+ -ate .]
—re·ju·ve·na·tion
[ri jvə náysh’n], noun

—re·ju·ve·na·tive
[ri jvə nàytiv], adjective

—re·ju·ve·na·tor [ri jvə nàytər], noun[1]



rekey

rekey
re·key
[ree k] (past re·keyed, past
participle re·keyed, present participle re·key·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·keys) transitive verb

enter data again:
to reenter lost text or data into a computer, or input text or data in a
different form, using a keyboard[1]



rekindle

rekindle
re·kin·dle 
[ree kínd’l] (past re·kin·dled,
past participle re·kin·dled, present participle re·kin·dling,
3rd person present singular re·kin·dles) transitive verb

1.  revive
something:
to revive or renew something, for example, a feeling or interest

2.  make
fire burn again: to set a fire burning again

[1]



rel.

rel.
rel.

1.  Abbreviation
of
relating

2.  Abbreviation
of
relative

3.  Abbreviation
of
relatively

4.  Abbreviation
of
released

5.  Abbreviation
of
religion

6.  Abbreviation
of
religious

[1]



relapse

relapse
re·lapse 
intransitive verb [ri láps] (past
re·lapsed, past participle re·lapsed, present
participle re·laps·ing, 3rd person present singular re·laps·es)

1.  go
into former state: to fall back into a former
mood, state, or way of life, especially a bad or undesirable one, after coming
out of it for a while

2.  MED become
ill after recovery: to become ill again after
seeming to have made a recovery
noun
[r làps] (plural re·laps·es)

1.  MED worsening
of health:
a sudden worsening in the condition of a patient who was ill but who seemed to
have made a recovery from the illness

2.  act
of returning to previous condition: a
return to a former mood, state, or way of life, especially a bad or undesirable
one, after coming out of it for a while
[15th
century. From Latin relaps-, past participle stem of relabi “to
slip again,” from labi “to slip.”]
—re·laps·er, noun[1]



relapsingfever

relapsingfever
re·laps·ing
fe·ver 
(plural re·laps·ing fe·vers) noun

infectious disease:
an infectious disease, characterized by chills and recurring fever, caused by a
bacterium transmitted to people by ticks and lice.
Also called
recurrent fever[1]



relate

relate
re·late 
[ri láyt] (past re·lat·ed, past
participle re·lat·ed, present participle re·lat·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
have
a connection with something: to have a significant
connection with or bearing on something • How
does this story relate to our conversation?

2.  transitive
verb
connect
people or things: to find or show a connection between two
or more people or things

3.  intransitive
verb
involve
somebody or something: to concern, involve, or
apply to somebody or something specifically • These
regulations relate only to imported goods.

4.  intransitive
verb
form
friendly association: to have a friendly
relationship with or friendly feelings toward somebody, based on an
understanding of the person or on shared views or concerns

5.  intransitive
verb
respond
to somebody or something: to understand and respond
favorably to something, or feel that it has a personal meaning or relevance (informal)
• I
just can’t seem to relate to the cynicism of that generation.

6.  transitive
verb
tell
or describe something: to tell a story or describe
an event
[15th
century. Via French relater “to report” from Latin relatus
(source of English translate ), use
as past participle of referre (see refer
).]
—re·lat·a·ble,
adjective

—re·lat·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Jargon
  trap:
  The
  use of relate in the context of personal
  dealings between people is much used in the language of sociology but in
  general use has acquired the reputation of being an example of jargonistic
  expression, as in • Children
  who haven’t learned to relate tend to be inadequately socialized.
  A clearer way to express this would be • Children
  who haven’t learned to relate to their peers tend to be inadequately
  socialized.

[1]



related

related
re·lat·ed 
[ri láytəd] adjective

1.  associated:
connected by similarities or a common source

2.  belonging
to the same family: belonging to the same family
by birth or through adoption or marriage

3.  MUSIC having
close harmonic connection: used to describe a musical
key or chord that, harmonically speaking, is closely connected with another,
for example, by having particular notes in common with it
—re·lat·ed·ly,
adverb

—re·lat·ed·ness, noun[1]



relation

relation
re·la·tion 
[ri láysh’n] noun (plural re·la·tions)

1.  connection
between things: a meaningful connection or association
between two or more things, based, for example, on the similarity or relevance
of one thing to another

2.  member
of family:
somebody who belongs to the same family as somebody else, by birth or through
adoption or marriage

3.  connection
by family:
connection by birth, adoption, or marriage

4.  narration
of something: the narration of a story or description
of something that has happened, or what is conveyed in the narration or
description (formal)

5.  LAW taking
of something as done earlier: a procedure whereby an act
done at a particular time is, for legal purposes, deemed to have been done at
an earlier time

6.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS shared property of
association: a property of association, for example,
“greater than” or “less than,” shared by ordered pairs of terms or objects.
Also
called
relationship
plural
noun

1.  re·la·tions
contacts
between groups or people: contacts or dealings between
two or more people or groups

2.  sexual
acts:
sexual activities carried out by people (used euphemistically)
in
or with relation to

with reference or regard to,
or in comparison with something[1]



relational

relational
re·la·tion·al 
[ri láyshən’l, ri
láyshnəl] adjective

1.  involving
a relationship: involving or expressing a relationship

2.  GRAMMAR conveying
syntactic relation: expressing or relating to a
syntactic relation between elements in a phrase or sentence • Prepositions
are relational words.

3.  COMPUTING of
organization of database: used to describe a way of
organizing and presenting information in a database so that the user perceives
it as a set of tables
—re·la·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



relationalgrammar

relationalgrammar
re·la·tion·al
gram·mar
noun

theory based on syntactic
relations: a theory of descriptive
grammar in which syntactic relationships, for example, subject and object, are
used to define grammatical processes rather than syntactic structures[1]



relationship

relationship
re·la·tion·ship 
[ri láysh’n shìp] (plural re·la·tion·ships)
noun

1.  connection:
a significant connection or similarity between two or more things, or the state
of being related to something else

2.  behavior
or feelings toward somebody else: the connection between
two or more people or groups and their involvement with each other, especially
as regards how they behave and feel toward each other and communicate or
cooperate

3.  friendship:
an emotionally close friendship, especially one involving sexual relations

4.  connection
by family:
the way in which two or more people are related by birth, adoption, or
marriage, or the fact of being related by birth, adoption, or marriage

5.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS See relation  noun
6

[1]



relative

relative
rel·a·tive 
[réllətiv] adjective

1.  comparative:
measured or considered in comparison with each other or with something else • discussing
the relative merits of various methods of transportation

2.  changing
with circumstances: not permanently fixed, but
having a meaning or value that can only be established in relation to something
else and will change according to circumstances or context • “Big”
and “small” are relative terms.

3.  dependent
on something: depending on or in proportion to
something else • Payment will be
relative to the value of the work done rather than the time taken to do it.

4.  connected
with something: connected with or referring to something
• The
lawyers now have most of the data relative to the case.

5.  GRAMMAR referring
to previously used word: used to describe words,
especially pronouns ( relative pronouns ) or
clauses ( relative clauses ) that refer to
another word previously used in the same sentence

6.  MUSIC having
identical key signatures: used to describe a key that
has the same key signature as another, usually a minor key with the same sharps
and flats as a major key, or vice versa
noun
(plural rel·a·tives)

1.  member
of family:
somebody who belongs to the same family by birth or through adoption or
marriage

2.  thing
related to something else: one thing that is related to
something else, especially a species that has developed from the same origin as
another species

3.  GRAMMAR relative
word:
a relative word, especially a pronoun, or a relative clause
—rel·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



relativeatomic mass

relativeatomic mass
rel·a·tive
a·tom·ic mass (plural rel·a·tive a·tom·ic
mass·es) noun

ratio of atom’s mass to
carbon-12: the ratio of the average
mass per atom of an element to one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom. Symbol
A r[1]



relativeclause

relativeclause
rel·a·tive
clause
noun

qualifying clause:
a clause that refers to and provides additional information about a preceding
noun or pronoun, often beginning with a relative pronoun such as “who,”“which,”
or “that”[1]



relativehumidity

relativehumidity
rel·a·tive
hu·mid·i·ty
noun

percentage of water vapor in
air: the ratio of the amount of
water vapor in the air at a given temperature to the maximum amount air can
hold at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.
Also called
humidity[1]



relatively

relatively
rel·a·tive·ly 
[réllətivlee] adverb

comparatively speaking:
in comparison with other things • a
relatively cool day, given the summer weather[1]



relativepermittivity

relativepermittivity
rel·a·tive
per·mit·tiv·i·ty (plural rel·a·tive
per·mit·tiv·i·ties) noun

PHYSICS
measure of resistance to electric field:
measure of resistance of a substance to an applied electric field to the ratio
of the permittivity of a substance divided by that of free space. Symbol
ε r[1]



relativepitch

relativepitch
rel·a·tive
pitch
noun

1.  tone’s
pitch compared to other tones: the pitch of a tone,
determined by its position in a scale with respect to other tones

2.  ability
to produce tone by comparison: the ability to
identify or produce a tone by mentally comparing it to another tone recently
heard

[1]



relativepronoun

relativepronoun
rel·a·tive
pro·noun
(plural rel·a·tive pro·nouns) noun

pronoun introducing relative
clause: a pronoun such as
“that,”“which,” or “who” that refers to a previously used noun and introduces a
relative clause[1]



relativism

relativism
rel·a·tiv·ism 
[rélləti vìzzəm] noun

belief
in changeable standards: the belief that concepts
such as right and wrong, goodness and badness, or truth and falsehood are not
absolute but change from culture to culture and situation to situation
—rel·a·tiv·ist, noun[1]



relativistic

relativistic
rel·a·tiv·is·tic 
[rèlləti vístik] adjective

1.  PHYSICS moving
close to speed of light: moving at a velocity
approaching the speed of light, the point at which certain properties such as
mass act in accordance with the theory of relativity

2.  PHYSICS relating
to relativity: relating to or characterized by
relativity

3.  PHILOSOPHY relating
to relativism: involving or characterized by relativism
—rel·a·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



relativity

relativity
rel·a·tiv·i·ty 
[rèllə tívvətee] (plural rel·a·tiv·i·ties)
noun

1.  PHYSICS equivalence
of mass and energy: the first of Einstein’s two
theories describing the relationship of matter, time, and space, showing that
mass and energy are equivalent, and that mass, length, and time change with
velocity. The theory is based on two assumptions: that the speed of light in a
vacuum is constant, and that physical laws have the same mathematical form
throughout the universe.
Also
called
special relativity
Also
called
special theory of relativity

2.  PHYSICS theory
of gravitation and acceleration: the principle put
forward in the second of Einstein’s two theories extending the principles of
the first to gravitation and phenomena related to acceleration.
Also
called
general relativity
Also
called
general theory of relativity

3.  dependence
on contextually variable factor: dependence on a factor
that varies according to context

4.  fact
of being relative: the fact or state of being
relative to something else

[1]



relator

relator
re·la·tor 
[ri láytər] (plural re·la·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who relates something: somebody who tells a story
or gives an account of something

2.  LAW somebody
with interest in proceeding: somebody who stands to
benefit from an action maintained on his or her behalf by a country or state

[1]



relax

relax
re·lax 
[ri láks] (past re·laxed, past
participle re·laxed, present participle re·lax·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lax·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
time at ease: to spend time resting or doing things
for pleasure, especially in contrast to or as a relief from the effort and
stress of everyday life

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become less tense: to become, or make somebody
or something, less anxious, hostile, defensive, or formal

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become less strict: to make something such as a
rule less strict or less severe, or become less strict

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make something looser: to slacken something that is
tensed or tight, for example, a muscle or a grip on something, or become
looser, less tense, or less tight

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become less intense: to become, or make
something, less intense and concentrated

6.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING straighten
hair:
to weaken or remove the curl from hair, usually by chemical means
[14th
century. From Latin relaxare “to loosen,” ultimately from laxus
“loose” (source of English lax ).]
—re·lax·a·ble,
adjective

—re·lax·er,
noun

—re·lax·ing, adjective[1]



relaxant

relaxant
re·lax·ant 
[ri láksənt] noun (plural re·lax·ants)

drug
that relaxes: a drug that reduces tension and strain,
particularly in muscles
adjective

relaxing:
causing something such as a muscle to become less tense[1]



relaxation

relaxation
re·lax·a·tion 
[r lak sáysh’n] (plural re·lax·a·tions)
noun

1.  enjoyable
activity:
a form of activity that provides a change and relief from effort, work, or
tension, and gives pleasure

2.  loosening
of something: the process of becoming or of making
something less firm, rigid, or tight

3.  lessening
of severity: a lessening of the strictness or
severity of regulations, restrictions, or controls

4.  reduction
in intensity: a lessening or weakening of something
that was previously concentrated or intense

5.  PHYSICS return
of system to equilibrium: the return of a system to
equilibrium after it has been displaced or changed

6.  MATHEMATICS way
of solving equations: a way of solving equations
using a series of approximate solutions, each of which reduces the number of
errors contained in the previous one, until the errors fall within acceptable
limits
[14th century. Originally
meaning “a rupture of a body part”; the sense of “enjoyable activity” was not
recorded until mid-16th century.][1]



relaxed

relaxed
re·laxed 
[ri lákst] adjective

1.  without
strain or tension: under no strain or tension,
and not exerting much strain or force on anything else

2.  not
feeling anxious or worried: feeling no anxiety, tension,
pressure, or sense of threat

3.  encouraging
informality: encouraging informality and casual
unhurried behavior

4.  CLOTHES loose-fitting:
loose-fitting and easy to wear
—re·lax·ed·ly
[ri láksədlee], adverb

—re·lax·ed·ness [ri láksədnəss], noun[1]



relaxin

relaxin
re·lax·in 
[ri láksin] noun

hormone secreted during
pregnancy: a polypeptide hormone that
relaxes the pelvic ligaments of female mammals during pregnancy and is produced
by the corpus luteum[1]



re-lay

re-lay
re-lay 
[ree láy] (past re-laid, past
participle re-laid, present participle re-lay·ing, 3rd
person present singular re-lays [ree
láyd]) transitive verb

lay
something again: to lay something such as a carpet again
[Formed from re- + lay 1][1]



relay

relay
re·lay 
noun [r lày] (plural re·lays)

1.  passing
of something to somebody: the passing on of something,
especially a message or information received, to somebody else, or the process
of being passed on

2.  SPORTS relay
race:
a relay race (informal)

3.  SPORTS section
of relay race: a section or lap of a relay race, run or
swum by an individual athlete

4.  replacement
team:
one of two or more teams of people or animals that relieve or replace each
other in turn, for example, as the previous team tires

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
that regulates another: an electronic or
electromechanical switching device, typically operated by a low voltage, that
controls a higher-voltage circuit and turns it on or off

6.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS apparatus
that receives and transmits signals: an
apparatus consisting of a receiver and a transmitter, used to receive and
retransmit signals

7.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS signal:
a message or broadcast passed on by an apparatus that receives and retransmits
signals
transitive
verb
[ri láy, r lày]
(past re·layed, past participle re·layed, present
participle re·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular re·lays)

1.  pass
something on to somebody: to pass information or a
message on to somebody

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS retransmit
signal:
to receive and retransmit a signal

3.  U.K.
broadcast:
to transmit a broadcast through a transmitting station

4.  replace
team with fresh people: to replace or relieve a
team, squad, or crew with a new one

5.  arrange
people into teams: to organize somebody or
something, especially workers, into relays
[14th century. Via Old French
relayer “to exchange tired horses,” from, ultimately, Latin relaxare
(see relax ).][1]



relayrace

relayrace
re·lay
race
(plural re·lay rac·es) noun

running or swimming race for
teams: a race between teams of
competitors in which each member of a team runs or swims only part of the total
distance to be covered. There are usually four people in a relay-race team. In
a running race, the current runner must pass a baton to the person running the
next section.[1]



re-lease

re-lease
re-lease 
(past re-leased, past participle re-leased, present
participle re-leas·ing, 3rd person present singular re-leas·es)
transitive verb

rent
something again: to lease something such as an apartment
again
[Formed from re- + lease][1]



release

release
re·lease 
[ri lss] transitive verb (past
participle re·leased, present participle re·leas·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·leas·es)

1.  let
somebody or something go: to set free a person or
animal who is imprisoned, trapped, or confined in some way

2.  stop
clutching something: to stop gripping or holding
something

3.  let
something out: to let out something that has been
contained or confined within something or pent up or latent inside somebody

4.  free
somebody from obligation: to make somebody free of a
debt, obligation, promise, or task

5.  fire
employee:
to dismiss somebody from a job or position (formal) (used
euphemistically)

6.  make
something available: to make something available,
for example, by putting it on sale, distributing it to the press or public, or
allowing access to it

7.  operate
catch to let mechanism work: to take the tension off a
mechanism such as a spring, brake, or catch and so allow something to move,
open, or operate

8.  LAW relinquish
something:
to relinquish something, for example, a right or claim, to another party
noun
(plural re·leas·es)

1.  liberation:
the act of setting somebody or something free, or the fact of being freed, from
imprisonment, restraint, an obligation, or anything burdensome and oppressive

2.  authorization
for freedom: a document or message stating that
somebody is to be set free

3.  removal
of burden:
the removal of something that makes somebody feel trapped, restricted, or
burdened

4.  act
of making something available: the act of making
something available for the first time, or the fact of being made available in
this way • The
release of his latest film is expected to be in the fall.

5.  something
made available to public: something such as a film,
recording, or item of information that is made available to the public, put on
show, or put on sale

6.  emission:
the emission of something such as heat or radioactivity from the place where it
is generated into the atmosphere or the environment

7.  ENGINEERING control
mechanism:
a mechanism, catch, or handle that is moved or pressed so that something it
controls can be used or allowed to operate

8.  operation
of a release: the moving or pressing of a mechanism so
that what it controls can be used or allowed to operate

9.  LAW relinquishing
of claim to something: the relinquishment of a
right or claim to another party

10. LAW document
confirming surrender of something: a document stating
that somebody has surrendered something, for example, a claim or right
[13th
century. From Old French relaisser “to let go,” from Latin relaxare
(see relax ).]
—re·leas·a·bil·i·ty
[ri lssə bíllətee], noun

—re·leas·a·ble
[ri lsəb’l], adjective

—re·leas·a·bly
[ri lssəblee], adverb

—re·leas·ee
[ri l s], noun

—re·leas·er
[ri lssər], noun

—re·leas·or, noun[1]



releasedtime

releasedtime
re·leased
time
or re·lease time noun

time off given to somebody:
time given to somebody by an authority or manager to allow personal matters or
interests to be attended to[1]



releaseprint

releaseprint
re·lease
print
(plural re·lease prints) noun

distributed version of film:
the version of a movie released for distribution to commercial theaters[1]



releasingfactor

releasingfactor
re·leas·ing
fac·tor 
(plural re·leas·ing fac·tors) noun

hormone that stimulates
pituitary gland: a hormone produced by
the hypothalamus that causes the pituitary gland to secrete other hormones[1]



relegate

relegate
rel·e·gate 
[réllə gàyt] (past rel·e·gat·ed,
past participle rel·e·gat·ed, present participle rel·e·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular rel·e·gates) transitive verb

1.  demote
somebody or something: to move somebody or
something to a less important position, category, or status

2.  hand
something on: to pass something on to somebody for the
person to deal with it or provide information about it (formal)

3.  exile
somebody:
to banish somebody from a country or community
[15th
century. From Latin relegat-, past participle stem of relegare
“to send away, refer,” from legare (see legate
).]
—rel·e·ga·tion [rèllə gáysh’n], noun[1]



relent

relent
re·lent 
[ri lént] (past re·lent·ed, past
participle re·lent·ed, present participle re·lent·ing,
3rd person present singular re·lents) intransitive verb

1.  become
less rigid or strict: to become more sympathetic
or amenable and do something previously ruled out or allow something previously
forbidden

2.  become
less intense: to slacken or become less intense • At
last my headache relented.
[14th century. Formed from re- + Latin lentare “to bend, soften,” from
lentus “flexible” (source of English lento
).][1]



relentless

relentless
re·lent·less 
[ri léntləss] adjective

1.  ceaseless
and intense: never slackening, but continuing always
at the same intense, demanding, or punishing level

2.  persistently
hostile:
pursuing, attacking, or opposing somebody or something persistently and without
mercy
—re·lent·less·ly,
adverb

—re·lent·less·ness, noun[1]



relevance

relevance
rel·e·vance 
[rélləvəns] or rel·e·van·cy [rélləvənsee] noun

1.  connection:
the sensible or logical connection that one thing has with another, for
example, a matter being discussed or investigated

2.  applicability
to current issues: applicability to or
connection with real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of
society

3.  COMPUTING ability
to find relevant data: the ability of an
information retrieval system to find and retrieve data that fit a user’s
requirements

[1]



relevant

relevant
rel·e·vant 
[rélləvənt] adjective

1.  connected:
having some sensible or logical connection with something else, for example, a
matter being discussed or investigated

2.  having
social significance: having some bearing on or
importance for real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of
society

3.  LINGUISTICS See distinctive  adjective 2
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin relevant-, present participle stem of
Latin relevare “to relieve” (later, “to take possession of,” hence the
modern meaning of “connected with”).]
—rel·e·vant·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Spelling
  trap:
  The
  misspelling and mispronunciation “revelant” for relevant is
  increasingly common and should be avoided.

[1]



reliable

reliable
re·li·a·ble 
[ri l əb’l] adjective

1.  dependable:
able to be trusted to do what is expected or has been promised • She
is extremely reliable and a hard worker.

2.  likely
to be accurate: able to be trusted to be accurate or
correct or to provide a correct result • I
don’t think that clock’s very reliable.
—re·li·a·bil·i·ty
[ri l ə bíllətee], noun

—re·li·a·ble·ness
[rə l əb’lnəss], noun

—re·li·a·bly [ri l əblee], adverb[1]



reliance

reliance
re·li·ance 
[ri l əns] (plural re·li·ances)
noun

1.  dependence:
dependence on another person or on, for example, a service or a device, and the
need for something that he, she, or it provides

2.  confidence:
trust or confidence in the eventual fulfillment of a promise or in the eventual
success of a plan

3.  primary
support:
somebody or something needed or depended on

[1]



reliant

reliant
re·li·ant 
[ri l ənt] adjective

dependent:
depending on or needing somebody or something
—re·li·ant·ly, adverb[1]



relic

relic
rel·ic 
[réllik] noun (plural rel·ics)

1.  old
thing surviving from past: something that has survived
from a long time ago, often a part of something old that has remained when the
rest of it has decayed or been destroyed

2.  old
custom:
a tradition, practice, or rule that dates from some time in the past,
especially one that is considered out of date or inappropriate at the present
time

3.  keepsake:
something that is kept for its interesting associations, for example, with
somebody famous or with a historic event

4.  RELIGION something
from dead holy person: something that is kept and
venerated because it once belonged to a saint, martyr, or religious leader,
especially a part of his or her body
plural
noun
rel·ics

corpse: the
corpse of a deceased person (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
relique, from Latin reliquiae “remains” (particularly of a dead
saint), a plural form of reliquus “remaining.”][1]



relict

relict
rel·ict 
[réllikt] noun (plural rel·icts)

1.  GEOLOGY remnant
of preexisting formation: a remnant of a preexisting
land or rock formation left behind after a destructive event has taken place

2.  GEOLOGY mineral
unaltered by metamorphism: a mineral that did not
change when the rock in which it occurs underwent metamorphosis

3.  BIOLOGY surviving
species:
a species of organism surviving long after the extinction of related species,
or a once widespread natural population surviving only in isolated localities
because of environmental changes

4.  widow:
the widow of somebody (archaic)
adjective

BIOLOGY surviving
unchanged:
surviving in its original form when other related organisms have become extinct
or its environment has changed completely
[15th century. From Latin relictus
“left behind,” from relinquere “to relinquish.” Originally meaning
“widow.”][1]



reliction

reliction
re·lic·tion 
[ri líkshən] noun

withdrawal of water:
the gradual withdrawal of water from land, leaving it permanently dry[1]



relief

relief
re·lief 
[ri lf] (plural re·liefs) noun

1.  freeing
of somebody from anxiety: a release from anxiety or
tension, or the feeling of release, lightness, and cheerfulness that
accompanies this

2.  factor
that ends anxiety: a factor that ends a painful
or stressful experience such as pain, hunger, or boredom

3.  diverting
contrast:
a factor forming a contrast to the general character of something else,
especially something that breaks the monotony or tension of a longer experience

4.  HUMAN RESOURCES replacement:
a person who assumes a task or duty when a previous person completes his or her
shift, or one person who replaces another who is unable to work

5.  prominence
caused by contrast: uniqueness or prominence
caused by contrast • to bring out the
differences in clear relief

6.  ARTS projection
from surface: the elevation of figures or shapes from
a flat surface, as seen in sculpture, or their apparent elevation, as seen in
painting.
Also
called
relievo
See
also
bas-relief

7.  ARTS work
of art:
a work of art with figures or shapes in relief.
See
also
bas-relief

8.  SOCIAL WELFARE aid
to those in need: public help in the form of money, food,
clothing, shelter, or medicine, provided to people who are temporarily unable
to care for themselves

9.  LAW redress
awarded by court: compensation or redress for a wrong or
hardship, awarded to a party by a court

10. MILITARY freeing
from siege:
the freeing of a besieged town, castle, fort, or strategic position by soldiers
belonging to the same side as those under siege

11. PRINTING printing
process:
a printing process such as engraving that uses raised surfaces to apply ink to
the paper

12. GEOGRAPHY MAPS elevations
of land:
the variations in height of a land surface and its being shaped into hills and
valleys

13. HISTORY payment
to lord:
a payment made to a feudal lord by the descendant of a tenant in order to
inherit a fief
[14th century. From Old
French relief, from relever (see relieve
). The sense “projection of a figure from a surface” was first recorded in the
early 17th century.][1]



reliefmap

reliefmap
re·lief
map
(plural re·lief maps) noun

map showing height of land:
a map that shows variations in land height, usually by means of contour lines
or different colors[1]



reliefpitcher

reliefpitcher
re·lief
pitch·er
(plural re·lief pitch·ers) noun

replacement pitcher:
in baseball or softball, a pitcher who replaces another pitcher during a game.
Also called
reliever[1]



relieve

relieve
re·lieve 
[ri lv] (past re·lieved, past
participle re·lieved, present participle re·liev·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lieves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
something unpleasant: to end, lessen, or provide a
temporary break from something unpleasant such as pain, hunger, tension, or
boredom

2.  transitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES replace
somebody:
to replace somebody on a shift or at a job

3.  transitive
verb
ease
somebody’s burden: to remove something such as
a burden or difficulty from the one on which it is imposed

4.  reflexive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY urinate:
to empty the urinary bladder

5.  transitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES fire
employee:
to dismiss or suspend somebody from a job or position (formal) • After
the collision, the skipper was relieved of command.

6.  transitive
verb
remove
somebody’s load or burden: to take something from
somebody, usually something that the person is carrying or wearing

7.  transitive
verb
SOCIAL WELFARE help
somebody:
to provide help to people who are temporarily unable to care for themselves

8.  transitive
verb
MILITARY save
something from military siege: to free a besieged
town, castle, fort, or strategic field position

9.  transitive
verb
make
something prominent: to make something stand out
by contrast (formal)

10. transitive
verb
rob
victim of property: to rob somebody of
something, or steal something from somebody (informal) • He
relieved him of his wallet.
[14th
century. Via Old French relever from Latin relevare “to raise
again, help,” literally “to make light again,” ultimately from levis
“light” (source of English lever ).]
—re·liev·a·ble, adjective[1]



reliever

reliever
re·liev·er
(plural re·liev·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who relieves: somebody who or something that provides
relief or relieves another person or thing

2.  BASEBALL See relief pitcher

[1]



relievo

relievo

re·lie·vo 
[rə l vō] (plural re·lie·vos)
or ri·lie·vo [rə l vō] (plural
ri·lie·vos) noun
projection
from surface: the elevation of figures or shapes from
a flat surface, as seen in sculpture, or their apparent elevation, as seen in
painting
[Early 17th century. From
Italian rilievo, from rilevare “to raise,” from Latin relevare
(see relieve ).][1]



relig.

relig.
relig.

Abbreviation of
religion[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








religion

religion
re·li·gion 
[ri líjjən] (plural re·li·gions)
noun

1.  RELIGION beliefs
and worship: people’s beliefs and opinions concerning
the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine
involvement in the universe and human life

2.  RELIGION particular
system:
a particular institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices
relating to the divine

3.  personal
beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held
beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by

4.  obsession:
an object, practice, cause, or activity that somebody is completely devoted to
or obsessed by • The danger is that you
start to make fitness a religion.

5.  CHRISTIANITY monk’s
or nun’s life: life as a monk or a nun, especially in
the Roman Catholic Church
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman religiun, from Old French religion,
from the Latin stem religion- “obligation, reverence,” of uncertain
origin: probably formed from religare (see rely
).]
—re·lig·ion·less,
adjective
get
religion

1.  to
stop flouting rules, regulations, customs, and expectations of society (informal)

2.  to
become a believer or join a religious organization, and, usually, start to lead
a life that follows its teachings (informal)

[1]



religionism

religionism
re·lig·ion·ism 
[ri líjjə nìzzəm] noun

excessive
religious enthusiasm: excessive or affected
religious enthusiasm
—re·lig·ion·ist, noun[1]



religiose

religiose
re·li·gi·ose 
[ri líjjee ss] adjective

excessively
or sentimentally religious: excessively, sentimentally,
or affectedly pious (disapproving)
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin religiosus .]
—re·lig·i·os·i·ty [ri lìjjee óssətee], noun[1]



religious

religious
re·lig·ious 
[ri líjjəss] adjective

1.  relating
to religion: relating to belief in religion, the
teaching of religion, or following the practices of a religion • religious
freedom

2.  believing
in a higher being: believing in, and showing
devotion or reverence for, a deity or deities • a
religious family

3.  thorough:
very thorough or conscientious • a
religious attention to detail

4.  CHRISTIANITY belonging
to monastic order: used to describe Christians
who have committed themselves to a monastic order. The vows taken when doing
this include dedication to poverty, chastity, and obedience.
noun

(plural
re·lig·ious) monk or nun:
somebody who belongs to a monastic order
—re·lig·ious·ly,
adverb

—re·lig·ious·ness, noun[1]



relinquish

relinquish
re·lin·quish 
[ri língkwish] (past re·lin·quished,
past participle re·lin·quished, present participle re·lin·quish·ing,
3rd person present singular re·lin·quish·es) transitive verb

1.  cede
something:
to renounce or surrender something

2.  abandon
something:
to give something up or put something aside

3.  let
something go: to let go of something physically
[15th
century. Via the Old French stem relinquiss- from Latin relinquere
“to leave behind,” from linquere “to leave.”]
—re·lin·quish·er,
noun

—re·lin·quish·ment, noun[1]



reliquary

reliquary
rel·i·quar·y 
[rélli kwèrree] (plural rel·i·quar·ies)
noun

container for relics:
a container or shrine where relics, for example, the remains of a saint, are
kept[1]



relique

relique
rel·ique 
[réllik] (plural rel·iques) noun

relic:
something from an older time, kept for its religious, historical, or
sentimental value (archaic)
[13th century (see relic )][1]



reliquiae

reliquiae
re·liq·ui·ae 
[ri líkwee ] plural noun

fossils:
the remains of something, especially fossil remains of plants or animals
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
(see relic ).][1]



relish

relish
rel·ish 
[réllish] transitive verb (past
rel·ished, past participle rel·ished, present
participle rel·ish·ing, 3rd person present singular rel·ish·es)

1.  enjoy
something:
to enjoy or take great pleasure in an experience • relished
every minute of their trip

2.  enjoy
eating something: to enjoy the taste of a particular food
or drink

3.  give
flavor to food: to give a pleasing taste to food, for
example, by adding spice or relish
noun
(plural rel·ish·es)

1.  enjoyment:
a liking or appreciation of food or of an experience • a
relish for Spanish food

2.  FOOD spicy
side dish or accompaniment: a spiced side dish or
accompaniment to food, for example, pickled or fresh vegetables with chili

3.  strong
taste:
a pleasing sensation of strong taste or flavor

4.  interest
or excitement: interest or excitement, especially when
it makes something more enjoyable • The
incident added relish to an otherwise dull weekend.
[Early
16th century. From Old French relais, literally “remainder.”]
—rel·ish·a·ble, adjective[1]



relive

relive
re·live 
[ree lív] (past re·lived, past
participle re·lived, present participle re·liv·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lives) transitive verb

experience something over
again: to experience something
again, especially as a result of thinking about it[1]



relocate

relocate
re·lo·cate 
[ree lṓ kàyt, r
lō káyt] (past re·lo·cat·ed, past participle re·lo·cat·ed,
present participle re·lo·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·lo·cates) intransitive and transitive verb

move
somebody or something: to move or be moved to a new
place on a long-term basis, especially to change the location of a business or
a residence
—re·lo·ca·tion [r lō káysh’n], noun[1]



relucent

relucent
re·lu·cent 
[ri ls’nt] adjective

reflecting
light:
brightly shining or reflecting light (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French reluisant from Latin relucere “to shine back.”][1]



reluct

reluct
re·luct 
[ri lúkt] (past re·luct·ed, past
participle re·luct·ed, present participle re·luct·ing,
3rd person present singular re·lucts) intransitive verb

resist:
to offer opposition or resistance (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin reluctari “to struggle against,” from luctari “to
struggle.”][1]



reluctance

reluctance
re·luc·tance 
[ri lúktəns] noun

1.  lack
of enthusiasm: unwillingness or lack of enthusiasm

2.  PHYSICS measure
of magnetic resistance: a measure of the resistance
of a closed magnetic circuit to a magnetic flux. It is equal to the ratio of
the magnetic potential difference to the magnetic flux.

[1]



reluctant

reluctant
re·luc·tant 
[ri lúktənt] adjective

1.  not
keen:
feeling no willingness or enthusiasm to do something • I
am reluctant to drive in this weather.

2.  uncooperative:
showing unwillingness to do something or cooperate • a
reluctant swimmer

3.  opposed:
opposing or resisting somebody or something (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin reluctant-, the present participle stem of reluctari
“to struggle against,” from luctari “to struggle.”]
—re·luc·tant·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at reticent.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at unwilling

[1]



relume

relume
re·lume 
[ri lm] (past re·lumed, past
participle re·lumed, present participle re·lum·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lumes) or re·lu·mine [ri lm] (past re·lum·ined, past
participle re·lum·ined, present participle re·lum·in·ing,
3rd person present singular re·lum·ines) transitive verb

light
again:
to light or light something up again
[Early 17th century. Formed
from illume .][1]



rely

rely
re·ly 
[ri l] (past re·lied, past
participle re·lied, present participle re·ly·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·lies) intransitive verb

1.  depend:
to be dependent on somebody or something

2.  trust:
to have faith or confidence in somebody or something
[14th century. Via Old French
relier from Latin religare “to tie back,” from ligare “to
bind” (source of English ally and religion ).][1]



rem

rem
rem 
[rem] (plural rem) noun

measure of radiation:
a unit for measuring amounts of radiation, equal to the effect that one
roentgen of X-rays or gamma-rays would produce in a human being. It is used in
radiation protection and monitoring. Full form roentgen equivalent man[1]



REM

REM
REM 
[rem, r ee ém]

Abbreviation of
rapid eye movement
See also
REM sleep[1]



remade

remade
re·made


Past tense of
remake Past participle of remake[1]



remain

remain
re·main 
[ri máyn] (past re·mained, past
participle re·mained, present participle re·main·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·mains) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
stay:
to stay behind or wait somewhere

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb continue
in a state:
to continue in a particular state without changing

3.  intransitive
verb
be
left:
to be left after everything else has gone

4.  intransitive
verb
require
more work:
to continue to need to be taken care of after everything else has been dealt
with

5.  intransitive
verb
endure:
to endure and succeed at continuing on in spite of all • In
spite of everything, the city remains.
[14th century. Via Old French
remaindre, remanoir from Latin remanere, from manere “to
stay” (source of English permanent
).][1]



remainder

remainder
re·main·der 
[ri máyndər] noun (plural re·main·ders)

1.  what
is left of something: the part of something that
is left after other parts have gone or been used up

2.  MATHEMATICS amount
left over after division: the amount left over when a
number or quantity cannot be divided exactly by another

3.  PUBLISHING unsold
book:
a book sold by a publisher at a reduced price after demand has fallen off

4.  LAW interest
in somebody else’s estate: an interest in an estate that
passes to somebody only after a prior interest terminates, for example, when
the current holder of the estate dies
transitive
verb
(past re·main·dered, past participle re·main·dered,
present participle re·main·der·ing, 3rd person present
singular re·main·ders)

PUBLISHING sell
book at reduced price: to sell copies of a book at
a reduced price after demand has fallen off
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French remaindre (see remain
).][1]



remaining

remaining
re·main·ing
[ri máyning] adjective

still left:
still left or still existing[1]



remains

remains
remains
[ri máynz] plural noun

1.  what
is left:
all that is left of something • the
remains of the barn after the fire

2.  corpse:
a decedent’s body

3.  ancient
ruins:
the parts of something old that are still left • the
remains of ancient Roman baths

4.  dead
author’s unpublished writings: all of an author’s
work that was still unpublished at the time of the author’s death

[1]



remake

remake
re·make 
noun [r màyk] (plural re·makes)

new
version of something: something that has been made
again or differently, especially a new version of an old movie
transitive
verb
[ree máyk] (past re·made [ree máyd], past participle re·made, present
participle re·mak·ing, 3rd person present singular re·makes)

produce something again:
to produce a remake of something[1]



remand

remand
re·mand 
[ri mánd] transitive verb (past
re·mand·ed, past participle re·mand·ed, present
participle re·mand·ing, 3rd person present singular re·mands)

1.  LAW return
prisoner to custody: to return a prisoner or
accused person to custody, or arrange for somebody to be released on bail when
a court case is adjourned • The
judge ordered the prisoner to be remanded in custody.

2.  LAW send
case back to lower court: to return a case to a lower court
with instructions for further action to be taken

3.  send
somebody back: to send or order somebody back
noun

LAW returning
of somebody untried to prison: the return of a
prisoner or accused person to custody, or the arrangement of bail for somebody,
while waiting for trial
[15th
century. Via Old French remander from late Latin remandare “to
send word back,” from Latin mandare “to command.”]
—re·mand·ment, noun[1]



remandhome

remandhome
re·mand
home
(plural re·mand homes) noun

U.K.
See detention home[1]



remanence

remanence
rem·a·nence 
[rémmənəns] (plural rem·a·nenc·es)
noun

remaining
magnetism:
the magnetic inductance that remains in a substance after the magnetizing field
has been removed
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
remanent-, the present participle stem of remanere (see remain ).][1]



remanentmagnetism

remanentmagnetism
rem·a·nent
mag·net·ism
[rèmmənənt mágnə tìzzəm] noun

magnetism
of ferromagnetic materials: magnetism shown by
ferromagnetic minerals, which preserve the sense and direction of the earth’s
magnetic field from the time of their formation
[Remanent from Latin, the
present participle stem of remanere (see remain
)][1]



remark

remark
re·mark 
[ri mrk] noun (plural re·marks)

1.  casual
comment:
a casual or brief observation

2.  act
of commenting: the act of making a remark about
something, or an occasion on which this takes place • They
consumed their meal without remark.

3.  COMPUTING See comment  noun 4

4.  act
of noticing: an act or instance of noticing
something, especially something that deserves attention (formal) • How
could such a major change take place without remark?
verb
(past re·marked, past participle re·marked, present
participle re·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular re·marks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
comment on something: to make a casual comment or
observation about something

2.  transitive
verb
observe
something:
to notice or observe something (formal)
[Late
16th century. From French remarquer, from marquer “to mark.”]
—re·mark·er, noun[1]



remarkable

remarkable
re·mark·a·ble 
[ri mrkəb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of notice:
worth noticing or commenting on

2.  unusual:
unusual or exceptional, and attracting attention because of this
—re·mark·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



remarkably

remarkably
re·mark·a·bly
[ri mrkəblee] adverb

1.  to
a remarkable degree: to an extent or degree that
is remarkable

2.  in
a remarkable way: used to emphasize that something is
worth noticing or commenting on • Remarkably,
no one was arrested.

[1]



remarque

remarque
re·marque 
[ri mrk] (plural re·marques) noun

1.  engraver’s
mark:
a mark in the margin of an engraved plate, made to indicate its stage of
production and removed before the regular printing, or the plate with the mark
itself

2.  proof
of engraving: a proof of an engraving made from a
plate with a remarque
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from remarquer (see remark
).][1]



Remarque,Erich Maria

Remarque,Erich Maria
Re·marque
[rə mrk], Erich Maria (1898–1970)

German-born U.S. writer.
After he was wounded fighting for Germany in World War I, he wrote All Quiet
on the Western Front ( 1929 ), which became a classic war novel. He lived
in the United States after 1939.[1]



remaster

remaster
re·mas·ter
[ree mástər] (past re·mas·tered,
past participle re·mas·tered, present participle re·mas·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mas·ters) transitive verb

make improved master
recording of something: to make a
new master copy of an earlier audio recording or movie to improve its quality
of reproduction[1]



rematch

rematch
re·match 
noun [r màch] (plural re·match·es)

second
match:
a second or return contest between opponents
transitive
verb
[ree mách] (past re·matched, past
participle re·matched, present participle re·match·ing,
3rd person present singular re·match·es)

match opponents again:
to arrange for opponents to meet in a second or return contest[1]



Rembrandtvan Rijn

Rembrandtvan Rijn

Rem·brandt
van Rijn
[rém brànt vaan rn, rém brnt vaan rn] (1606–1669)
Dutch
artist. A major painter of the Dutch Golden Age, he imbued his portraits and
religious and historical works with a moving spirituality.
Full name
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn[1]



remedial

remedial
re·me·di·al 
[ri mdee əl] adjective

1.  acting
as remedy:
acting as a remedy or solution to a particular problem

2.  EDUCATION helping
to improve skills: designed to help people with
learning difficulties to improve their skills or knowledge, or relating to
education designed to do this

3.  MEDICINE intended
to improve health: intended to cure or relieve
the symptoms of somebody who is ill or is physically challenged • remedial
exercises
—re·me·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



remediation

remediation
re·me·di·a·tion 
[ri mdee áysh’n] noun

use of remedial methods:
the use of remedial teaching or therapy to improve skills or health[1]



remedy

remedy
rem·e·dy 
[rémmədee] noun (plural rem·e·dies)

1.  MEDICINE treatment
for disease: a medication or treatment that cures a
disease or disorder, or relieves its symptoms

2.  ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE homeopathic
treatment:
a substance prescribed by a homeopath, and taken in minute quantities

3.  way
of putting something right: a means of setting something
right or getting rid of something undesirable • no
easy remedy for society’s ills

4.  LAW legal
redress:
a legal means of enforcing a right or of providing redress

5.  COINS permitted
variation in coins: the legally permitted
variation from an established standard in the weight or quality of a coin
transitive
verb
(past rem·e·died, past participle rem·e·died, present
participle rem·e·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular rem·e·dies)

1.  MEDICINE cure a
disease:
to cure or relieve a disease or disorder

2.  put
something right: to set something right, or get rid of
something undesirable
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman remedie from, ultimately, Latin remedium
“medicine.”]
—re·me·di·a·ble
[ri mdee əb’l], adjective

—re·me·di·a·bly [ri mdee əblee], adverb[1]



remember

remember
re·mem·ber 
[ri mémbər] (past re·mem·bered,
past participle re·mem·bered, present participle re·mem·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mem·bers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb recall
something forgotten: to recall something to mind
or become aware of something that had been forgotten

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
something in memory: to retain an idea in the
memory without forgetting it

3.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody in mind: to keep somebody in mind for attention
or consideration

4.  transitive
verb
give
somebody a gift: to give somebody a gift, money, or a tip
• She
always remembered him on his birthday.

5.  transitive
verb
send
somebody’s greetings: to mention somebody to
somebody else as a greeting to yet another person • Remember
me to your Dad.

6.  transitive
verb
commemorate
somebody or something: to commemorate somebody or
something, for example, in a ceremony or funeral service • remembering
our veterans on Memorial Day
[14th
century. Via Old French remembrer from late Latin rememorari,
from Latin memor “mindful” (source of English memory ).]
—re·mem·ber·er, noun[1]



remembrance

remembrance
re·mem·brance 
[ri mémbrəns] (plural re·mem·branc·es)
noun

1.  remembering:
the act or process of remembering people, things, or events

2.  being
remembered:
the state of being remembered, or of remaining in people’s minds • We
hold her name in fond remembrance.

3.  act
of honoring: the act of honoring the memory of a
person or event • a remembrance service

4.  something
remembered:
something that is remembered

5.  extent
of memory:
the period of time over which memory extends

6.  memento:
something that reminds somebody of a thing, event, or another person

7.  greeting:
a greeting, gift, or other expression of affection and friendship





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Remembrance
  of Things Past, a series of novels by French writer Marcel Proust ( 1913–1922
  ). Regarded as one of the greatest works of 20th-century literature, this
  remarkable meditation on time and memory describes the narrator’s childhood
  encounters with his aristocratic neighbors and his subsequent introduction to
  Parisian society. A series of unconscious recollections triggers the
  realization that the past is not lost but can be retrieved by memory and
  preserved as art.

[1]



RemembranceDay

RemembranceDay
Re·mem·brance
Day 
(plural Re·mem·brance Days) noun

Canadian commemoration of war
dead: November 11, observed in
Canada as a legal holiday and with a two-minute silence in remembrance of those
who died in World Wars I and II and subsequent conflicts[1]



remex

remex
re·mex 
[r mèks] (plural rem·i·ges [rémmə jz]) noun

feather:
any of the flight feathers of a bird’s wing (technical)
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “oarsman,” formed from remus “oar.”]
—re·mig·i·al [ri míjjee əl], adjective[1]



remind

remind
re·mind 
[ri mnd] (past re·mind·ed, past
participle re·mind·ed, present participle re·mind·ing,
3rd person present singular re·minds) transitive verb

cause to think of something:
to cause a person to remember or think of something or somebody else • Remind
me to collect the dry-cleaning. • He
reminds me of his grandfather.[1]



reminder

reminder
re·mind·er
[ri mndər] (plural re·mind·ers)
noun

1.  something
used to remind somebody: something that is used to
remind somebody about something, for example, a letter or message • If
they don’t settle the bill next week, send them a reminder.

2.  something
that reminds: somebody who or something that makes
somebody remember or think of another person or thing • The
monument is a reminder of their bravery.

[1]



Remington,Frederic

Remington,Frederic
Rem·ing·ton
[rémmingtən], Frederic (1861–1909)

U.S. artist. He produced
paintings and sculptures of the old American West.[1]



reminisce

reminisce
rem·i·nisce 
[rèmmə níss] (past rem·i·nisced,
past participle rem·i·nisced, present participle rem·i·nisc·ing,
3rd person present singular rem·i·nisc·es) intransitive verb

tell
about the past: to talk or write about events remembered
from the past
[Early
19th century. Back-formation from reminiscence
.]
—rem·i·nis·cer, noun[1]



reminiscence

reminiscence
rem·i·nis·cence 
[rèmmə níss’ns] (plural rem·i·nis·cenc·es)
noun

1.  recollection
of the past: the recollection of past experiences or
events in speech or writing, or the act of recalling the past

2.  something
remembered:
an experience or event remembered from the past

3.  reminder:
something that recalls or suggests something similar

4.  PHILOSOPHY idea
from Plato:
the Platonic doctrine that anything we encounter is an imperfect recollection
of an idea that our souls have encountered in a previous disembodied existence

5.  PSYCHOLOGY ability
to perform task better: the ability to perform a
task or remember information better some time after it has been learned than
was possible immediately after it was learned

[1]



reminiscent

reminiscent
rem·i·nis·cent 
[rèmmə níss’nt] adjective

1.  like
something or somebody else: suggesting similarities or
comparisons with something or somebody else

2.  suggesting
memories of the past: characterized by or
containing recollections of the past • scenes
reminiscent of her childhood

3.  recalling
the past:
given to reminiscing about the past
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, the present participle stem of reminisci “to
recollect.”]
—rem·i·nis·cent·ly, adverb[1]



remise

remise
re·mise 
[ri mz] noun (plural re·mis·es)

1.  LAW deeding:
a transfer of property

2.  FENCING second
thrust:
in fencing, a further thrust made on the same lunge to follow up a first thrust
that has missed
intransitive
verb
(past re·mised, past participle re·mised, present
participle re·mis·ing, 3rd person present singular re·mis·es)

FENCING make
remise:
to make a remise when a first thrust has missed
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin remittere (see remit
).][1]



remiss

remiss
re·miss 
[ri míss] adjective

negligent:
careless or negligent about doing something that is expected
[15th century. From Latin remissus,
the past participle of remittere (see remit
).][1]



remissible

remissible
re·mis·si·ble 
[ri míssəb’l] adjective

forgivable:
worthy of forgiveness
—re·mis·si·bil·i·ty [ri mìssə bíllətee], noun[1]



remission

remission
re·mis·sion 
[ri mísh’n] (plural re·mis·sions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE slowing
of disease:
a lessening of the symptoms of a disease, or their temporary reduction or
disappearance

2.  lessening
of something: a lessening or a reduction in the
severity of something • The
afternoon sun beat down without remission.

3.  release:
a release from a debt, penalty, or obligation

4.  forgiveness:
pardon or forgiveness

5.  act
of remitting: an instance or the action of remitting
something

[1]



remit

remit
re·mit 
[ri mít] verb (past re·mit·ted,
past participle re·mit·ted, present participle re·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular re·mits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
payment:
to send money to pay for merchandise or services, especially by mail

2.  transitive
verb
LAW send
case back to lower court: to send a case back to a
lower court for further action to be taken

3.  transitive
verb
cancel
something:
to cancel or hold back from enforcing something

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
intensity of something: to reduce or allow the
reduction in the intensity of something

5.  transitive
verb
restore
something:
to restore something to a previous condition or position

6.  transitive
verb
defer
something:
to postpone or defer something

7.  transitive
verb
pardon
something:
to pardon or forgive something (archaic)
noun
(plural re·mits)

1.  LAW transfer
of legal case: the transfer of a legal case from a
higher to a lower court for further action to be taken

2.  something
remitted:
something sent to another person or authority for consideration
[14th
century. From Latin remittere “to send back,” from mittere (see admit ).]
—re·mit·ment,
noun

—re·mit·ta·ble,
adjective

—re·mit·tal,
noun

—re·mit·ter, noun[1]



remittance

remittance
re·mit·tance 
[ri mítt’ns] (plural re·mit·tanc·es)
noun

1.  act
of paying:
the sending of money to pay for merchandise or services

2.  money:
money sent as payment for merchandise or services

3.  remitting:
the act of remitting something

[1]



remittent

remittent
re·mit·tent 
[ri mítt’nt] (plural re·mit·tents)
adjective

getting
better and then worse: lessening and then
intensifying again at intervals • slowed
down by a remittent fever
—re·mit·tence,
noun

—re·mit·ten·cy,
noun

—re·mit·tent·ly, adverb[1]



remix

remix
re·mix
transitive verb [ree míks] (past
re·mixed, past participle re·mixed, present participle
re·mix·ing, 3rd person present singular re·mix·es)

produce
new version of music: to produce a new version of
a piece of music by altering the emphasis of the sound and, in pop music, often
adding new tracks in place of existing ones
noun
[r mìks] (plural re·mix·es)

new recording:
a recording that has been remixed[1]



remnant

remnant
rem·nant 
[rémnənt] (plural rem·nants) noun

1.  small
part still left: a small part of something that remains
after the rest has gone

2.  small
amount of cloth or carpet: a small amount of unsold
cloth or flooring material left at the end of a roll, often sold at a reduced
price

3.  trace
of something: a small amount or trace of something
such as a feeling or emotion

4.  small
surviving group of people: a small isolated group of
people surviving from a particular culture or group
[14th century. From Old
French remanant, the present participle of remanoir (see remain ).][1]



remodel

remodel
re·mod·el 
[ree módd’l] (past re·mod·eled,
past participle re·mod·eled, present participle re·mod·el·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mod·els) transitive verb

renovate
something:
to renovate or alter the structure or style of something, for example, a
building, room, or design
—re·mod·el·er, noun[1]



remonetize

remonetize
re·mon·e·tize 
[ree mónnə tz, ree
múnnə tz] (past re·mon·e·tized, past participle re·mon·e·tized,
present participle re·mon·e·tiz·ing, 3rd person present
singular re·mon·e·tiz·es) transitive verb

reintroduce
something as currency: to reinstate something as
valid currency or legal tender
—re·mon·e·ti·za·tion [ree mònnəti záysh’n, ree
mùnnəti záysh’n], noun[1]



remonstrance

remonstrance
re·mon·strance 
[ri mónstrəns] (plural re·mon·stranc·es)
noun

1.  argument:
a forceful argument in favor or against something, or the act of making such an
argument

2.  formal
protest:
a formal protest, usually in the form of a document or petition

[1]



Remonstrance

Remonstrance
Re·mon·strance
[ri mónstrəns] noun

statement of Arminian
Protestant principles: the
statement expressing Arminian Protestant principles, drawn up in 1610 in Gouda,
the Netherlands. The doctrines of Jacob Arminius rejected Calvinist
predestination and supported the notion of free will, and had a profound effect
on Wesleyan and Methodist theology.[1]



Remonstrant

Remonstrant
Re·mon·strant
[ri mónstrənt] (plural Re·mon·strants)
noun

Dutch Protestant dissenter:
a Dutch dissenter and supporter of the Remonstrance of 1610[1]



remonstrant

remonstrant
re·mon·strant 
[ri mónstrənt] noun (plural re·mon·strants)

protester:
somebody who remonstrates
adjective

protesting:
involved in or used for a protest (formal)
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin, the present participle stem of remonstrare
(see remonstrate ).]
—re·mon·strant·ly, adverb[1]



remonstrate

remonstrate
re·mon·strate 
[ri món stràyt] (past re·mon·strat·ed,
past participle re·mon·strat·ed, present participle re·mon·strat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mon·strates) intransitive verb

argue
strongly:
to reason or argue forcefully with somebody about something
[Late
16th century. From the past participle stem of medieval Latin remonstrare
“to demonstrate,” from monstrare “to show.”]
—re·mon·stra·tion
[ri mòn stráysh’n, rèmmən
stráysh’n], noun

—re·mon·stra·tive
[ri mónstrətiv], adjective

—re·mon·stra·tive·ly
[ri mónstrətivlee], adverb

—re·mon·stra·tor
[ri món stràytər, rémmən
stràytər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at object

[1]



remora

remora
rem·o·ra 
[rémmərə] (plural rem·o·ras) noun

fish
with suction disk: a bony salt water fish with
a suction disk on the top of its head that it uses to attach itself to a larger
fish or a ship’s hull. Family: Echeneidae
Also
called
sharksucker
Also
called
suckerfish
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “hindrance”; from the belief that it slowed ships down when
attaching itself to them.][1]



remorse

remorse
re·morse 
[ri máwrs] noun

1.  guilt:
a strong feeling of guilt and regret

2.  pity:
compassion or pity (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French remors from, ultimately, Latin remordere
“to torment,” from mordere “to bite.”]
—re·morse·ful,
adjective

—re·morse·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·morse·ful·ness, noun[1]



remorseless

remorseless
re·morse·less 
[ri máwrsləss] adjective

1.  without
compassion:
showing no pity or compassion

2.  relentless:
continuing without lessening in strength or intensity
—re·morse·less·ly,
adverb

—re·morse·less·ness, noun[1]



remortgage

remortgage
re·mort·gage
[ree máwrgij] transitive verb (past
re·mort·gaged, past participle re·mort·gaged, present
participle re·mort·gag·ing, 3rd person present singular re·mort·gag·es)

1.  change
mortgage terms: to revise the terms of a mortgage on a
property

2.  mortgage
something again: to mortgage something again after the
original mortgage has been paid off
noun
(plural re·mort·gag·es)

new mortgage: a
revised or second mortgage taken out on something

[1]



remote

remote
re·mote 
[ri mṓt] adjective

1.  far
away:
situated a long way away

2.  out-of-the-way:
far away from civilization, society, or any other populated area

3.  distantly
related:
distantly related by blood, adoption, or marriage • a
remote relative on my father’s side

4.  long
ago:
distant in time

5.  slight:
faint or slight • not the remotest
possibility of her coming here

6.  distant:
distant in connection, relevance, or effect

7.  aloof:
distant in manner or behavior

8.  separated:
operated or performed from a distance • a
remote camera • a
remote shopping service
noun
(plural re·motes)

1.  HOUSEHOLD remote
control:
a remote control for an electronic device (informal)

2.  COMPUTING computer
far from central computer: a device or computer system
that is situated at a distance from a central computer and that can be accessed
via a network

3.  BROADCASTING not
from studio: a radio or television broadcast
transmitted from outside the studio.
U.K.
term
outside broadcast
[15th
century. From Latin remotus, the past participle of removere “to
remove.”]
—re·mote·ly,
adverb

—re·mote·ness, noun[1]



remoteaccess

remoteaccess
re·mote
ac·cess
noun

access to computer from
separate terminal: access that
is gained to a computer by means of a separate terminal[1]



remotecontrol

remotecontrol
re·mote
con·trol
(plural re·mote con·trols) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD handheld
control:
a handheld device used to operate a television set, videocassette recorder, or
other electronic device from a distance

2.  operation
from distance: the control of a device, system, or
activity from a distance, usually by radio signals (hyphenated when used
before a noun) • a remote-control
transmitter

[1]



remotesensor

remotesensor
re·mote
sen·sor
(plural re·mote sen·sors) noun

remote-controlled radar or
camera: an instrument, for example,
a radar or photographic device, that gathers information about the Earth or
another astronomical body from an airborne platform or from space[1]



remount

remount
re·mount 
verb [ree mównt] (past re·mount·ed,
past participle re·mount·ed, present participle re·mount·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mounts)

1.  transitive
verb
put
something on again: to mount something again or
anew

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
back into saddle: to get back on a horse or bicycle
noun
[r mòwnt] (plural re·mounts)

substitute horse:
a replacement horse to ride

[1]



removable

removable
re·mov·a·ble 
[ri mvəb’l] adjective

able
to be removed: designed in a way that allows it to be
taken off and put back on again
—re·mov·a·bil·i·ty
[ri mvə bíllətee], noun

—re·mov·a·ble·ness
[ri mvəb’lnəss], noun

—re·mov·a·bly [ri mvəblee], adverb[1]



removal

removal
re·mov·al 
[ri mvəl] (plural re·mov·als)
noun

1.  removing
of something: the taking away or getting rid of
something

2.  change
of location: a change in location, or in the place
where somebody lives

3.  HUMAN RESOURCES dismissal:
dismissal from office or from a position

[1]



remove

remove
re·move 
[ri mv] verb (past re·moved,
past participle re·moved, present participle re·mov·ing,
3rd person present singular re·moves)

1.  transitive
verb
take
something away: to take something away from somebody or
from a place

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb relocate:
to transfer somebody or something to another place, or change a place of
residence

3.  transitive
verb
take
something off: to take off an article of clothing

4.  transitive
verb
get
rid of something: to make something go away or disappear • a
detergent that can remove stains even more quickly

5.  transitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES dismiss
somebody:
to dismiss somebody from office

6.  intransitive
verb
depart:
to leave a place

7.  intransitive
verb
be
removed:
to go away or disappear • The
compound removed easily in solvent.
noun
(plural re·moves)

1.  distance:
the degree of distance or closeness between people or things • He
has only experienced war at one remove.

2.  change
of location: a change of residence or business (formal)

3.  FOOD individual
dish in meal: a dish that is taken away during a
formal meal to make way for another (dated formal)

[1]



removed

removed
re·moved 
[ri mvd] adjective

1.  distant:
separate or distant in space, time, or character from something or somebody
else

2.  distantly
related:
separated from somebody to a specified degree by birth, adoption, or marriage • a
first cousin twice removed
—re·mov·ed·ness [ri mvdnəss], noun[1]



REMsleep

REMsleep
REM
sleep
noun

type of sleep:
a stage of sleep that recurs several times during the night and is marked by
dreaming, rapid eye movements under closed lids, and elevated pulse rate and
brain activity.
Also called
paradoxical sleep
Also called
rapid eye movement sleep[1]



remuda

remuda
re·mu·da 
[ri mdə] noun

Southwestern
U.S.
herd
of horses:
the herd of saddle horses from which ranch hands select their mounts for that
day
[Late
19th century. Via American Spanish, literally “change of horses,” from,
ultimately, Spanish remudar “to exchange.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Remuda is an old-time common
  expression among working cattlemen in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain
  states. Alternative names are caballado, cavvy, and caviard
  (from Spanish caballada ), and string.

[1]



remunerate

remunerate
re·mu·ner·ate 
[ri mynə ràyt] (past re·mu·ner·at·ed,
past participle re·mu·ner·at·ed, present participle re·mu·ner·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·mu·ner·ates) transitive verb

pay
somebody:
to pay somebody for goods or services, or compensate somebody for losses
sustained or inconvenience caused in money
[Early
16th century. Via Latin remunerat-, the past participle stem of remunerari
“to reward,” from, ultimately, munus “gift.”]
—re·mu·ner·a·bil·i·ty
[ri mynərə bíllətee], noun

—re·mu·ner·a·ble
[ri mynərəb’l], adjective

—re·mu·ner·a·tor
[ri mynə ràytər] (plural re·mu·ner·a·tors),
noun

—re·mu·ner·a·to·ry [ri mynərə tàwree], adjective[1]



remuneration

remuneration
re·mu·ner·a·tion 
[ri mynə ráysh’n] (plural re·mu·ner·a·tions)
noun

1.  pay:
a payment or reward for goods or services or for losses sustained or
inconvenience caused

2.  paying:
the paying or rewarding of somebody for goods or services or for losses
sustained or inconvenience caused

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

[1]



remunerative

remunerative
re·mu·ner·a·tive 
[ri mynə ràytiv] adjective

paying
money:
paying somebody or rewarding somebody with money
—re·mu·ner·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



Remus

Remus
Re·mus 
[rməss] noun

brother of Romulus:
in Roman mythology, the son of Mars and twin brother of Romulus, the founder of
the city of Rome.
See also
Romulus[1]



renaissance

renaissance
ren·ais·sance 
[rénnə sns, rènnə
sns, ri náyss’ns] (plural ren·ais·sanc·es)
or re·nas·cence [ri náss’ns, ri náyss’ns] (plural re·nas·cenc·es)
noun

rebirth:
a rebirth or revival, for example, of culture, skills, or learning forgotten or
previously ignored
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from renaître “to be reborn,” from Latin renasci
(see renascent ).][1]



Renaissance

Renaissance


Ren·ais·sance
[rénnə sns, rènnə
sns, ri náyss’ns] or Ren·as·cence
[ri náss’ns, ri
náyss’ns] noun

1.  end
of Middle Ages: the period in European history from
about the 14th through 16th centuries regarded as marking the end of the Middle
Ages and featuring major cultural and artistic change

2.  classical
revival:
the cultural and religious spirit that characterized the Renaissance, including
the decline of Gothic architecture, the revival of classical culture, the
beginnings of modern science, and geographical exploration. The new emphasis on
individualism and secularism at this time led to the Reformation.
adjective

1.  relating
to the Renaissance: relating to the history and
culture of the Renaissance

2.        ARCHITECTURE in
architectural style of Renaissance:
in the architectural style of classical revival that characterized the
Renaissance[1]



Renaissanceman

Renaissanceman
Ren·ais·sance
man
noun

man with wide-ranging
intellect: a man who has a wide range
of accomplishments and intellectual interests[1]



Renaissancewoman

Renaissancewoman
Ren·ais·sance
wom·an
noun

woman with wide-ranging
intellect: a woman who has a wide range
of accomplishments and intellectual interests[1]



renal

renal
re·nal 
[rn’l] adjective

relating
to kidneys:
relating to or affecting the kidneys
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin renes “kidneys.”][1]



renalclearance

renalclearance
re·nal
clear·ance
noun

way of measuring kidney
performance: a measure of the
removal of waste products from the blood by the kidneys, expressed as the
volume of blood cleared of one particular substance in one minute[1]



renalpelvis

renalpelvis
re·nal
pel·vis
noun

cavity in kidney:
the cavity in the kidney where urine collects before passing into the ureter[1]



Renascence

Renascence
Re·nas·cence 
noun

HISTORY
See Renaissance[1]



renascence

renascence
re·nas·cence 
noun

See
renaissance[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








renascent

renascent
re·nas·cent 
[ri náss’nt, ri
náyss’nt] adjective

newly
active:
showing new life or activity
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, the present participle stem of renasci “to be reborn.”][1]



renature

renature
re·na·ture
[ree náychər] (past re·na·tured,
past participle re·na·tured, present participle re·na·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular re·na·tures) transitive verb

restore
properties of organic molecule: to restore the
physical and chemical properties of an organic molecule, for example, a
denatured protein
—re·nat·u·ra·tion [ree nàychə ráysh’n], noun[1]



rencounter

rencounter
ren·coun·ter 
[ren kówntər] noun (archaic)

1.  hostile
meeting:
a hostile meeting between adversaries

2.  casual
meeting:
an unexpected casual meeting
[Early 16th century. From
French rencontrer “to have a (hostile) meeting,” from encontrer
(see encounter ).][1]



rend

rend
rend 
[rend] (past rent [rent] or rend·ed, past participle
rent or rend·ed, present participle rend·ing,
3rd person present singular rends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tear
something apart: to tear something apart violently, or be
torn apart in this way • The
hurricane rent the flimsy houses in pieces.

2.  transitive
verb
tear
clothes:
to tear or pull clothes or hair out of rage, frustration, or grief

3.  transitive
verb
take
somebody or something away forcibly: to
tear or wrest something or somebody away

4.  transitive
verb
make
a piercing sound: to disturb the silence or pierce the air
with a loud sound • a scream rent the air

5.  transitive
verb
distress
somebody:
to cause pain or distress to the heart or emotions
[Old
English . Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English rind .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at tear

[1]



render

render
ren·der 
[réndər] verb (past ren·dered,
past participle ren·dered, present participle ren·der·ing,
3rd person present singular ren·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
give
help:
to give help or provide a service (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
translate
something:
to translate something into another language (formal) • fragments
of poetry, hastily rendered into English

3.  transitive
verb
ARTS portray
something artistically: to portray something or
somebody in art, literature, music, or acting (formal)

4.  transitive
verb
give
decision:
to deliver a verdict or decision officially (formal)

5.  transitive
verb
submit
something for action: to submit something for
consideration, approval, or payment (formal) • render
an invoice for payment

6.  transitive
verb
pay
respect:
to give what is due or appropriate to somebody who has authority or power (formal)
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s” Matthew 22:21 The
Bible

7.  transitive
verb
put
somebody or something in particular state: to
make somebody or something be or become something (formal) • His
actions rendered her powerless.

8.  transitive
verb
purify
fat:
to purify or extract something by melting, especially to heat solid fat slowly
until as much liquid fat as possible has been extracted from it, leaving small
crisp remains

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
up something: to surrender something (formal or
literary)

10. transitive
verb
trade
something:
to give something in exchange for something else (formal or literary)

11. transitive
verb
return
something:
to give something back (formal or literary)

12. transitive
verb
BUILDING cover
wall with plaster: to cover masonry with a thin
coat of plaster
noun
(plural ren·ders)

1.  BUILDING coat
of plaster:
the first thin coat of plaster applied to masonry

2.  HISTORY tenant’s
payment:
a payment in goods, services, or money made by a tenant to a feudal lord
[14th
century. Via Old French rendre from, ultimately, Latin reddere
“to give back,” from dare “to give” (source of English date ).]
—ren·der·a·ble,
adjective

—ren·der·er, noun[1]



rendering

rendering
ren·der·ing 
[réndəring] (plural ren·der·ings)
noun

1.  ARTS artistic
portrayal:
a portrayal of somebody or something in art, music, literature, or drama

2.  LITERATURE translation:
a translation of a literary work

3.  INDUSTRY heating
animal remains to extract fat: the process or
business of separating fat from meat or animal remains by slow heating

4.  ARCHITECTURE architect’s
perspective drawing: an architect’s
representation of the inside and outside of a finished building, drawn in
perspective

5.  BUILDING coat
of plaster:
a coat of plaster applied to masonry

[1]



rendezvous

rendezvous
ren·dez·vous 
[rn day v, rndə
v] noun (plural ren·dez·vous [rn day vz, rndə vz])

1.  meeting:
a meeting arranged for a specified time and place

2.  place
of meeting:
the location of a prearranged meeting

3.  place
where people meet: a popular meeting place for
people
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ren·dez·voused,
past participle ren·dez·voused [rn
day vd, rndə vd], present
participle ren·dez·vous·ing [rn day v
ing, rndə ving], 3rd person
present singular ren·dez·vous·es [rn
day vz, rndə vz])

meet somebody:
to meet, or meet somebody, at a specified time and place, or cause this to
happen
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “present yourself.”][1]



rendition

rendition
ren·di·tion 
[ren dísh’n] (plural ren·di·tions)
noun

1.  ARTS version
of musical or theatrical piece: an interpretation or
performance of a piece of music or drama

2.  LITERATURE translation:
a translation of a literary work

3.  translating:
the act of translating something into another language (formal)

4.  surrender:
a surrender (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from rendre (see render
).][1]



rendzina

rendzina
ren·dzi·na 
[ren jnə] (plural ren·dzi·nas)
noun

rich
soil:
a dark rich soil that develops beneath grassland above a layer of limestone or
chalk
[Early 20th century. From
Polish rëdzina .][1]



renegade

renegade
ren·e·gade 
[rénnə gàyd] (plural ren·e·gades)
noun

1.  traitor:
somebody who abandons previously held beliefs or loyalties

2.  rebel:
somebody who chooses to live outside of the laws or conventions of a group
[From Spanish renegado,
from medieval Latin renegatus, from the past participle of Latin renegare
(see renege )][1]



renege

renege
re·nege 
[ri níg, ri nég,
ri ng] (past re·neged, past
participle re·neged, present participle re·neg·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·neges) intransitive verb

1.  break
a promise:
to go back on a promise or commitment

2.  CARD GAMES not
follow suit: in cards, to fail to follow suit when
able and required to do so
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin renegare “to deny,” from Latin negare
(source of English negate ).]
—re·nege,
noun

—re·neg·er, noun[1]



renegotiate

renegotiate
re·ne·go·ti·ate 
[rnə gṓshee àyt] (past re·ne·go·ti·at·ed,
past participle re·ne·go·ti·at·ed, present participle re·ne·go·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ne·go·ti·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

change terms:
to negotiate an agreement again in order to change the terms[1]



renew

renew
re·new 
[ri n] (past re·newed, past
participle re·newed, present participle re·new·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·news) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb return
to doing something: to begin something again, or
return to doing something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
something:
to make something such as a contract, lease, or license effective for a longer
period • You’ll
need to renew your lease at the end of the year.

3.  transitive
verb
replace
something worn: to replace something that is worn out or
no longer suitable for use

4.  transitive
verb
LIBRARIES borrow
library book for longer: to extend the period of time
a book or other item is borrowed from a library

5.  transitive
verb
repeat
promise:
to reaffirm or restate a promise or commitment • renewed
their marriage vows

6.  transitive
verb
give
somebody or something new energy: to give somebody or
something new energy, strength, or enthusiasm • I
felt quite renewed after the weekend.

7.  transitive
verb
get
new supply:
to get a new a supply of something

8.  transitive
verb
make
something new again: to make something new or as
if new again
—re·new·ed·ly
[ri n ədlee], adverb

—re·new·er
[ri n ər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  renew, recondition, renovate, restore,
  revamp
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  improve the condition of something renew;
  to replace something worn or broken; recondition;
  to bring something such as a machine or appliance back to a good condition or
  working state by means of repairs or replacement of parts; renovate; to bring something such as a
  building back to a former better state by means of repairs, redecoration, or
  refurbishment; restore; to bring
  something back to an original state after it has been damaged or fallen into
  a bad condition; revamp; an
  informal word, to improve the appearance or condition of something

[1]



renewable

renewable
re·new·a·ble 
[ri n əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be renewed: capable of being renewed

2.  not
likely to run out: able to be sustained or
renewed indefinitely, either because of inexhaustible supplies or because of
new growth • renewable
resources
—re·new·a·bil·i·ty
[ri n ə bíllətee], noun

—re·new·a·bly [ri n əblee], adverb[1]



renewableresource

renewableresource
re·new·a·ble
re·source
(plural re·new·a·ble re·sourc·es) noun

1.  resource
that can be sustained: a resource such as lumber
that can be renewed as quickly as it is used up so that it can, in theory, last
indefinitely, unlike mineral resources

2.  natural
resource that replaces itself: a natural resource
that replaces itself unless overused, for example, animal or plant life or
fresh water

3.  renewable
form of energy: a source of energy, for example,
sunlight, wind, or tidal power, that can be used indefinitely to generate
electricity because it does not involve burning fuel or damaging the
environment

[1]



renewal

renewal
re·new·al 
[ri n əl] (plural re·new·als)
noun

1.  act
of renewing something: the act or process of
renewing something, or the state of being renewed

2.  something
renewed:
something that is being or has been renewed

3.  urban
rebuilding:
the rebuilding and revitalization of an urban area

[1]



reniform

reniform

ren·i·form 
[rénnə fàwrm, rnə
fàwrm] adjective
kidney-shaped:
shaped like or suggestive of a kidney[1]



renin

renin
ren·in 
[rénnin] noun

enzyme released by kidneys:
an enzyme released by the kidneys that breaks down proteins and plays an
important role in regulating blood pressure[1]



renitent

renitent
ren·i·tent 
[rénnitənt, ri
nt’nt] adjective (formal)

1.  rigid
in structure: resisting physical pressure, rather than
being flexible or pliant

2.  rigid
in attitude: reluctant to have a change of mind or
concede to others
[Early
18th century. From Latin, the present participle stem of reniti “to
struggle against.”]
—ren·i·tence,
noun

—ren·i·ten·cy, noun[1]



Rennes

Rennes
Rennes 
[ren]

capital city of Ile-Vilaine
Department, Brittany Region, western France. It is situated about 97 km/60 mi
north of Nantes. Population: 203,533 (1990)[1]



rennet

rennet
ren·net 
[rénnət] (plural ren·nets) noun

1.  ANATOMY stomach
lining of calves: the inner lining of the fourth stomach
or abomasum of calves and other young ruminants

2.  FOOD MANUFACTURING substance for curdling
milk:
a preparation made from rennet that contains the enzyme rennin and is used to
curdle milk in making cheese

3.  vegetarian
alternative to rennet: a substitute for rennet made
from plants and used in the manufacture of cheese

4.  BIOCHEMISTRY See rennin
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an Old English word.][1]



rennin

rennin
ren·nin 
[rénnin] noun

enzyme
that curdles milk: an enzyme that is found in
the gastric juice of the fourth stomach of calves and other young ruminants and
is the constituent in rennet that curdles milk.
Also
called
rennet
Also
called
chymosin
[Late 19th century. Formed
from rennet .][1]



Reno

Reno
Re·no 
[rnō]

city in western Nevada,
located on the Truckee River, near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It is a resort and commercial center, and is home to the University of
Nevada-Reno. Population: 145,029 (1994)[1]



renogram

renogram
re·no·gram 
[rnə gràm] (plural re·no·grams)
noun

1.  record
of kidney function: a photographic record of
kidney function, showing how quickly a radioactive substance injected into the
bloodstream is removed when it passes through the kidneys

2.  kidney
X-ray:
an X-ray image of a kidney
[Early 20th century. Reno-
formed from Latin renes “kidneys.”][1]



Renoir,Jean

Renoir,Jean
Re·noir
[rén wr, rən
wr], Jean (1894–1979)

French movie director. The
son of Pierre Auguste Renoir, he was a technical innovator known for the
fluidity of his work. His greatest movie is The Rules of the Game ( 1939
). He lived in the United States after 1941.[1]



Renoir,Pierre Auguste

Renoir,Pierre Auguste

Re·noir
[rén wr, rən
wr], Pierre Auguste (1841–1919)
French painter and sculptor. One of the
leading Impressionists, he is noted for the harmony of his lines, the
brilliance of his colors, and the intimate charm of his wide variety of
subjects.[1]



Reno,Janet

Reno,Janet

Re·no 
[rnō], Janet (1938– )
U.S. attorney. She became the first
female U.S. attorney general in 1993.[1]



renounce

renounce
re·nounce 
[ri nówns] verb (past re·nounced,
past participle re·nounced, present participle re·nounc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·nounc·es)

1.  transitive
verb
give
up claim to something: formally to give up a claim,
title, position, or right

2.  transitive
verb
reject
belief:
to reject or disavow a belief or theory

3.  transitive
verb
give
something up: to give up a habit, pursuit, or practice

4.  intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES not
follow suit: in cards, to be unable to follow suit
and be forced to play a card from a different suit
noun
(plural re·nounc·es)

CARD GAMES act
of not following suit: a failure to follow suit
[14th
century. Via French renoncer from Latin renuntiare “to report,” from
nuntiare “to announce.”]
—re·nounce·ment,
noun

—re·nounc·er, noun[1]



renovascular

renovascular
re·no·vas·cu·lar 
[rnō váskyələr] adjective

of
kidney’s blood vessels: relating to the blood
vessels of the kidneys
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin ren “kidney” + vascular .][1]



renovate

renovate
ren·o·vate 
[rénnə vàyt] (past ren·o·vat·ed,
past participle ren·o·vat·ed, present participle ren·o·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular ren·o·vates) transitive verb

1.  make
something like new again: to restore something to good
condition

2.  refresh
somebody or something: to give new vigor to
somebody or something
[15th
century. From Latin renovare, from novus “new.”]
—ren·o·va·tion
[rènnə váysh’n], noun

—ren·o·va·tive
[rénnə vàytiv], adjective

—ren·o·va·tor
[rénnə vàytər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at renew

[1]



renown

renown
re·nown 
[ri nówn] noun

widespread
acclaim:
widespread fame or honor
[14th century. From Old
French renon, from renomer “to make famous,” from nomer
“to name,” from Latin nominare (source of English nominate ).][1]



renowned

renowned
re·nowned 
[ri nównd] adjective

famous:
well known or famous, especially for a skill or expertise[1]



rent

rent2
rent2 [rent]
(plural rents) noun

1.  hole
made by tearing: an opening or hole made by tearing
something

2.  relationship
rift:
a rift in a relationship or breach in friendly relations
[Mid-16th century. From the
past participle of rend .][1]



rent

rent3
rent3

Past tense of
rend Past participle of rend[1]



rent

rent1
rent1 [rent]
noun (plural rents)

1.  payment
by tenant:
a regular payment made by a tenant to an owner or landlord for the right to
occupy or use property

2.  payment
to use equipment: a regular payment to the owner for the
right to use equipment or personal property

3.  profit
from cultivated land: the financial return from
cultivated land after production costs have been deducted

4.  income
of landowners: the portion of the national income that
is earned by landowners

5.  ECONOMICS See economic rent
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rent·ed,
past participle rent·ed, present participle rent·ing,
3rd person present singular rents)

1.  pay
to use somebody’s property: to occupy somebody else’s
property or use somebody else’s equipment in return for regular payments

2.  allow
use of property for payment: to allow somebody to occupy
property or use equipment in return for regular payment
[12th
century. Via French rente from, ultimately, Latin reddere (see render ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hire

[1]



rental

rental
rent·al 
[rént’l] noun (plural rent·als)

1.  rent
payment:
the amount paid in rent

2.  rent
income:
the amount received in rent

3.  act
of renting something: the renting of property or
equipment

4.  something
rentable:
something rented or available to rent • The
car is a rental.

5.  renting
business:
a business that rents out property or equipment
adjective

1.  for
rent:
available to be rented

2.  relating
to rent:
relating to property for rent or with rent payments

[1]



rentallibrary

rentallibrary
rent·al
li·brar·y
noun

library:
a library that lends books or other items for a fee[1]



rentcontrol

rentcontrol
rent
con·trol
(plural rent con·trols) noun

regulation
of rents:
government regulation of the amount charged for housing rental and sometimes of
eviction procedures
—rent-con·trolled, adjective[1]



renter

renter
rent·er 
[réntər] (plural rent·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who rents from somebody: somebody who rents property
or equipment from somebody else

2.  somebody
who rents to somebody: somebody who rents property
or equipment to somebody else

[1]



rent-free

rent-free
rent-free 
adjective

free
of charge:
not subject to rent payments
adverb

at no cost:
without having to pay rent[1]



rentier

rentier
ren·tier 
[rón tyày, roN
tyáy] (plural ren·tiers) noun

somebody
with unearned income: somebody whose income is
primarily from rent and securities
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from rente (see rent 1 ).][1]



rentstrike

rentstrike
rent
strike
(plural rent strikes) noun

mass nonpayment of rent:
an organized refusal by tenants to pay their rent[1]



renumber

renumber
renumber
[ree númbər] transitive verb

give items new order:
to number items according to a new sequence[1]



renunciation

renunciation
re·nun·ci·a·tion 
[ri nùnsee áysh’n] (plural re·nun·ci·a·tions)
noun

1.  denial
or rejection: a denial or rejection of something,
usually for moral or religious reasons

2.  declaration
giving something up: an official declaration
giving up a title, office, claim, or privilege
—re·nun·ci·a·to·ry [ri núnsee ə tàwree], adjective[1]



renvoi

renvoi
ren·voi 
[ren vóy] (plural ren·vois) noun

referring
of disputes to another jurisdiction: the
referral of a case or dispute from the country or state in which it arose to
the laws of another
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from renvoyer “to send back.”][1]



Renwick,James

Renwick,James
Ren·wick
[rén wik], James (1818–1895)

U.S. architect. He designed
the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (1846), and St. Patrick’s
Cathedral in New York City (1858).[1]



reopen

reopen
re·o·pen 
[ree ṓpən] (past re·o·pened, past
participle re·o·pened, present participle re·o·pen·ing,
3rd person present singular re·o·pens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  open
again:
to open or open something once more

2.  start
something again: to begin something again that was
considered settled, or to be begun again

3.  open
something closed: to open something that has been closed
for a time, or to be opened after being closed for a long time

[1]



reorder

reorder
re·or·der 
[ree áwrdər] verb (past re·or·dered,
past participle re·or·dered, present participle re·or·der·ing,
3rd person present singular re·or·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb request
new supply:
to order the same goods again

2.  transitive
verb
rearrange
something:
to arrange something differently

3.  transitive
verb
arrange
something again: to put something in order again
noun
(plural re·or·ders)

another order:
another order for the same goods from the same supplier

[1]



reorganization

reorganization
re·or·gan·i·za·tion 
[ree àwrgəni záysh’n] (plural re·or·gan·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  change
in something: a change in the way something is
organized, arranged, or done

2.  BUSINESS restructuring
of organization: the thorough physical or financial
restructuring of a business or organization
—re·or·gan·i·za·tion·al,
adjective[1]



reorganize

reorganize
re·or·gan·ize 
[ree áwrgə nz] (past re·or·gan·ized,
past participle re·or·gan·ized, present participle re·or·gan·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·or·gan·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  organize
something again: to impose organization on something
again after its being disturbed

2.  organise
something differently: to change the way that
something is organised
—re·or·gan·iz·er, noun[1]



reorient

reorient
re·o·ri·ent 
[ree áwree ənt, ree
áwree ènt] (past re·o·ri·ent·ed, past participle re·o·ri·ent·ed,
present participle re·o·ri·ent·ing, 3rd person present
singular re·o·ri·ents) or re·o·ri·en·tate [ree áwree ən tàyt, ree
áwree en tàyt] (past re·o·ri·en·tat·ed, past participle
re·o·ri·en·tat·ed, present participle re·o·ri·en·tat·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·o·ri·en·tates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  get
bearings:
to find out where you are or where you are going after being lost

2.  adapt
to new situation: to change your behavior or ideas to deal
with a new situation
—re·o·ri·en·ta·tion [ree àwree ən táysh’n], noun[1]



reovirus

reovirus
re·o·vi·rus 
[r ō vrəss] (plural re·o·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
containing double-stranded RNA: a virus that contains
double-stranded RNA and is associated with various infections in plants and
animals. Reoviruses are often found in people with breathing and stomach
disorders.
[Mid-20th century. Reo-, an
acronym formed from respiratory enteric orphan .][1]



rep

rep5
rep5 [rep]
noun

repetition:
a repetition of a fitness exercise (informal)[1]



rep

rep4
rep4 [rep]
noun

reputation:
a reputation (informal)
[Early 18th century.
Shortening.][1]



Rep.

Rep.
Rep.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Republic

2.  Abbreviation
of
Republican

3.  Abbreviation
of
Representative

[1]



rep.

rep.
rep.

1.  Abbreviation
of
repair

2.  Abbreviation
of
report

3.  Abbreviation
of
reported

4.  Abbreviation
of
reporter

5.  Abbreviation
of
reprint

[1]



rep

rep2
rep2 [rep]
noun

repertory
theater:
repertory theater (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



rep

rep3
rep3 [rep]
noun (plural reps)

sales
representative: a sales representative (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past repped, past participle repped, present
participle rep·ping, 3rd person present singular reps)

be
a sales representative: to work as a sales
representative (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



rep

rep1
rep1 [rep]
(plural reps) or repp [rep]
(plural repps) noun

ribbed
fabric:
a ribbed or corded fabric made from silk, wool, rayon, or cotton
[Mid-19th century. From
French reps, of uncertain origin: probably from English ribs,
plural of rib .][1]



repackage

repackage
re·pack·age 
[ree pákij] (past re·pack·aged,
past participle re·pack·aged, present participle re·pack·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pack·ag·es) verb

1.  put
product in new packaging: to package a product in a
new and differently designed container or wrapping

2.  transitive
verb
give
somebody new image: to give somebody such as a
political leader or celebrity a new public image
—re·pack·ag·er, noun[1]



repaid

repaid
re·paid 
verb

Past tense of
repay Past participle of repay[1]



repair

repair1
re·pair1 [ri
páir] transitive verb (past re·paired, past
participle re·paired, present participle re·pair·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·pairs)

1.  fix
or mend something: to restore something broken
or damaged to good condition • repair
a flat tire

2.  restore
relationship: to restore a relationship or friendship
by resolving a difficulty or disagreement

3.  atone
for something: to make amends for something wrong • How
can I repair this wrong?
noun
(plural re·pairs)

1.  job
of mending something: the process of mending
something, or the job that is done in order to achieve this • carry
out repairs

2.  repaired
item:
something that has been repaired

3.  condition
of something: the condition of something with respect
to whether it needs mending or fixing • an
air conditioner no longer in good repair
[14th
century. Via Old French réparer from Latin reparare, from parare
“to make ready” (source of English prepare
).]
—re·pair·a·ble,
adjective

—re·pair·a·bil·i·ty,
noun

—re·pair·er, noun[1]



repair

repair2
re·pair2 [ri
páir] intransitive verb (past re·paired, past
participle re·paired, present participle re·pair·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·pairs)

go somewhere: to go
to a particular place (formal) • repaired
to the library after dinner
noun
(plural re·pairs) (archaic)

1.  act
of going somewhere: the act of going to a
particular place

2.  meeting
place:
a meeting place or a place where a person or animal is found
[14th century. Via French repairer
from late Latin repatriare (see repatriate
).][1]



repairman

repairman
re·pair·man 
[ri páir màn, ri
páirmən] (plural re·pair·men [ri
páir mèn, ri páirmən]) noun

man who repairs things:
a man whose job is making repairs to equipment or machinery[1]



repairperson

repairperson
re·pair·per·son 
[ri páir pùrs’n] (plural re·pair·peo·ple
[ri páir pp’l] or re·pair·per·sons)
noun

person who repairs things:
a person whose job is making repairs to equipment or machinery[1]



repairwoman

repairwoman
re·pair·wom·an 
[ri páir wmmən] (plural re·pair·wom·en
[ri páir wìmmin]) noun

woman who repairs things:
a woman whose job is making repairs to equipment or machinery[1]



repand

repand
re·pand 
[ri pánd] adjective

BOTANY wavy-edged:
with a wavy edge • a repand leaf
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin repandus,
literally “curving back,” from, ultimately, pandere, “to become
curved.”][1]



reparable

reparable
rep·a·ra·ble 
[réppərəb’l] adjective

able
to be repaired: able to be repaired, recovered, or put
right
—rep·a·ra·bil·i·ty
[rèppərə bíllətee], noun

—rep·a·ra·bly [réppərəblee], adverb[1]



reparation

reparation
rep·a·ra·tion 
[rèppə ráysh’n] noun (plural rep·a·ra·tions)

1.  amends:
compensation for a wrong, or something that is done to achieve this

2.  repair:
restoration of something to good condition, or the process of doing this (formal)
plural
noun
rep·a·ra·tions

compensation for war:
compensation demanded of a defeated nation by the victor in a war, especially
that demanded of Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I
—re·par·a·tive
[ri páirətiv], adjective

—re·par·a·to·ry [ri páirə tàwree], adjective[1]



repartee

repartee
rep·ar·tee 
[rèppər t, rèppər
táy, rè paar t, rè paar táy] (plural rep·ar·tees) noun

1.  witty
talk:
conversation consisting of witty remarks

2.  wit:
skill in making witty remarks or conversation

3.  witty
remark:
a witty remark or reply
[Mid-17th century. From
French repartie, from repartir, literally “to set out again,”
from partir (see part ).][1]



repartition

repartition
re·par·ti·tion 
[r paar tísh’n] noun (plural re·par·ti·tions)

1.  distribution:
distribution or division of something

2.  dividing
of something again: the act of dividing or
distributing something again, either in the same way or differently
transitive
verb
(past re·par·ti·tioned, past participle re·par·ti·tioned,
present participle re·par·ti·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular re·par·ti·tions)

divide something up again:
to divide something up again, either in the same way or differently

[1]



repast

repast
re·past 
[ri pást] noun (plural re·pasts)

food:
a meal, or the food eaten at a meal (archaic or literary)
intransitive
verb
(past re·past·ed, past participle re·past·ed, present
participle re·past·ing, 3rd person present singular re·pasts)

eat:
to eat or feast on food (formal or literary)
[14th century. From Old
French, formed from repaistre “to feed,” from, ultimately, Latin pascere
(source of English pasture ).][1]



repatriate

repatriate
re·pa·tri·ate 
transitive verb [ree páytree àyt] (past
re·pa·tri·at·ed, past participle re·pa·tri·at·ed, present
participle re·pa·tri·at·ing, 3rd person present singular re·pa·tri·ates)

1.  send
somebody back: to send somebody back to his or her
country of birth, the country of which he or she is a citizen, or the country
from which he or she arrived

2.  FINANCE send
back money:
to send money that has been invested abroad back to its country of origin
noun
[ree páytree ət, ree
páytree àyt] (plural re·pa·tri·ates)

somebody repatriated:
somebody who has been repatriated
[Early
17th century. From Latin repatriare “to go back home,” from patria
“homeland.”]
—re·pa·tri·a·tion [ree pàytree áysh’n], noun[1]



repay

repay
re·pay 
[ri páy] (past re·paid [ri páyd], past participle re·paid, present
participle re·pay·ing, 3rd person present singular re·pays)
transitive verb

1.  pay
back money to somebody: to pay back money that is
owed to somebody

2.  return
favor:
to reward somebody for that his or her effort, aid, or success

3.  return
in kind:
to return something in kind
—re·pay·a·ble, adjective[1]



repayment

repayment
re·pay·ment
[ri páymənt] (plural repayments)
noun

1.  sum
paid back to lender: a sum of money, especially
one of a series of instalments, paid back by a borrower to a lender

2.  repaying
of something: the act or an instance of repaying
something

[1]



repeal

repeal
re·peal
[ri pl] transitive verb (past
re·pealed, past participle re·pealed, present
participle re·peal·ing, 3rd person present singular re·peals)

1.  LAW undo
law:
to officially revoke or abolish something such as a law

2.  bring
somebody back from exile: to recall somebody from
exile (archaic)
noun
(plural re·peals)

LAW abolition
of law:
the act of repealing something such as a law
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman repeler, a variant of Old French rapeler,
from re- “again, back,” + apeler (see appeal
).]
—re·peal·a·ble,
adjective

—re·peal·er, noun[1]



repeat

repeat
re·peat 
verb [ri pt] (past re·peat·ed,
past participle re·peat·ed, present participle re·peat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·peats)

1.  transitive
verb
say
something again: to say or write something again

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do or
undergo something again: to do, produce, or
experience something again or several times • She
repeated the exercises every day.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb echo
somebody’s words: to say again what somebody else has said

4.  transitive
verb
tell
what has been heard: to tell another person
something that was told to you, especially when it was done in confidence • I’ll
tell you, but you mustn’t repeat it to anyone else.

5.  transitive
verb
say
something memorized: to recite something that has
been learned

6.  reflexive
verb
say
the same thing over again: to do or say something
again, especially more than once • You
get tired of repeating yourself after a while.

7.  reflexive
verb
happen
again as before: to happen again in the same way as
previously

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING broadcast again:
to broadcast a television or radio program again, or be broadcast again

9.  intransitive
verb
FOOD be
tasted again: to be tasted again after having been
eaten, through wind or partial regurgitation (informal) • Those
spicy meatballs are repeating on me.
noun
[r pt] (plural re·peats)

1.  recurring
event or situation: an event or situation that
is the same as a previous one

2.  BROADCASTING something
shown again: something that is broadcast, shown, or
performed again

3.  MUSIC recurring
musical passage or its notation: a passage of music
played again within a single piece, or the notation indicating that this is to
be done. If a passage is to be repeated, the notation “||”: or “:||” is placed
before or after it in a musical score.

4.  uniformly
reproduced pattern: a pattern reproduced
uniformly across a surface • upholstery
fabric with a large floral repeat

5.  act
of reordering something: a reorder of the same goods or
by the same customer
[14th
century. Via French répéter from Latin repetere, literally “to
demand again,” from petere “to demand” (source of English petition ).]
—re·peat·a·bil·i·ty
[ri ptə bíllətee], noun

—re·peat·a·ble [ri ptəb’l], adjective[1]



repeated

repeated
re·peat·ed 
[ri ptəd] adjective

happening again:
happening or done again and again[1]



repeatedly

repeatedly
re·peat·ed·ly 
[ri ptədlee] adverb

again and again:
again and again, or on several occasions[1]



repeater

repeater
re·peat·er 
[ri ptər] (plural re·peat·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something repeating: somebody who or something
that repeats

2.  ARMS gun
firing several shots without reloading: a
firearm such as a rifle with a magazine that can fire several shots before it
has to be reloaded.
Also
called
repeating firearm

3.  TIME timepiece
that repeats chimes: a clock or watch that can be
made to repeat its latest chime when somebody presses a spring

4.  EDUCATION student
made to repeat studies: a student required to repeat
a course or grade after failing it

5.  CRIMINOLOGY recidivist:
a repeat offender

6.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
for amplifying signals: an electrical device that
boosts and amplifies incoming communications signals and retransmits them. Such
boosting is needed as the quality and strength of the analog signal decays over
distance.

[1]



repeatingdecimal

repeatingdecimal
re·peat·ing
dec·i·mal 
noun

decimal with recurring
digits: a decimal number in which
one or more digits recur indefinitely after the decimal point, for example,
3.77777… or 8.691691691….
Also called
circulating decimal
Also called
recurring decimal[1]



repeatingfirearm

repeatingfirearm
re·peat·ing
fire·arm
noun

See
repeater  noun 2[1]



repeatprescription

repeatprescription
re·peat
pre·scrip·tion noun

U.K.,
Canada prescription reissued
without seeing doctor: a
prescription for a regularly needed medicine that has been prescribed before
and can be renewed without the doctor having to see the patient[1]



repechage

repechage
re·pe·chage 
[rèppə sh] (plural re·pe·chag·es)
noun

last
chance for advancement in competition: a
heat within a competition such as a fencing, rowing, or cycling competition,
during which runners-up in earlier heats have a final chance to qualify for the
next round
[Early 20th century. From
French, from repêcher, literally “to fish out.”][1]



repel

repel
re·pel 
[ri pél] (past re·pelled, past
participle re·pelled, present participle re·pel·ling, 3rd
person present singular re·pels) verb

1.  transitive
verb
MILITARY resist
attack:
to ward off or force back an attack or invasion

2.  transitive
verb
keep
something away: to ward something off or keep something
away • a
cream that is effective in repelling mosquitoes

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb fail
to mix:
to fail to mix or blend with something else • Oil
and water repel each other.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS exert opposing force:
to exert a force that tends to push something away • Particles
of like charge repel each other.

5.  transitive
verb
spurn
somebody or something: to reject or refuse to
accept something or somebody

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
great distaste: to make somebody feel intense aversion,
disgust, or revulsion
[15th
century. Via Old French repeler from Latin repellere, literally
“to drive back,” from pellere “to drive” (source of English pulse ).]
—re·pel·ler,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at repulse.

[1]



repellent

repellent
re·pel·lent 
[ri péllənt] or re·pel·lant [ri péllənt] adjective

1.  resistant
to something: resistant or impervious to something (often
used in combination) • water-repellent
material

2.  causing
disgust:
making somebody feel intense dislike, disgust, or revulsion

3.  pushing
away:
pushing something away or driving something back
noun
(plural re·pel·lents) (plural re·pel·lants)

1.  something
that repels insects: a substance that drives away
insects

2.  substance
that resists something harmful: a substance that is
applied to a surface of something to resist water, mold, or mildew
—re·pel·lence,
noun

—re·pel·lent·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  repellent
  or repulsive ?
  Both
  words mean “causing disgust or revulsion,” but repulsive
  is rather stronger in effect than repellent,
  corresponding to the difference in strength between the root verbs repulse
  and repel . Repellent is common in
  combinations such as insect-repellent and water-repellent,
  denoting substances that repel or resist the things specified. Repulsive does not have a literal meaning
  corresponding to this, except in technical use in physics.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  Spelling
  trap:
  Note
  that the adjective is usually spelled -ent and not -ant . The -ant
  form is somewhat more common for the noun, but -ent is still
  preferable.

[1]



repent

repent2
re·pent2 [rpənt]
adjective

growing
on ground:
growing or lying along the ground
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
repent-, the present participle stem of repere “to creep” (source
also of English reptile ).][1]



repent

repent1
re·pent1 [ri
pént] (past re·pent·ed, past participle re·pent·ed,
present participle re·pent·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·pents) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  be
sorry:
to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it

2.  RELIGION change
ways:
to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits
[13th
century. From French repentir, from pentir, from, ultimately,
Latin paenitere (source also of English penitent
).]
—re·pent·er, noun[1]



repentance

repentance
re·pen·tance 
[ri pént’ns] noun

feeling of sorrow about
wrongdoing: a feeling of regret or
contrition for having done something wrong[1]



repentant

repentant
re·pen·tant 
[ri péntənt] adjective

penitent:
feeling or showing regret about having done something wrong
—re·pen·tant·ly, adverb[1]



repercussion

repercussion
re·per·cus·sion 
[rpər kúsh’n] (plural re·per·cus·sions)
noun

1.  result
of action:
something, especially an unforeseen problem, that results from an action (often
used in the plural)

2.  rebound:
the rebounding of a force after impact

3.  PHYSICS reflection:
the reflection of light or sound

4.  MUSIC point
of reappearance in fugue: in a fugue, the return of
the theme after an episode
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin repercuss-, the past
participle stem of repercutere, literally “to strike back through,” from
percutere “to strike through.”]
—re·per·cus·sive, adjective[1]



repertoire

repertoire
rep·er·toire 
[rèppər twr] (plural rep·er·toires)
noun

1.  material
available for performance: a stock of musical or
dramatic material that is known and can be performed.
Also
called
repertory

2.  body
of artistic works: the entire body of works in
a specific area of the arts.
Also
called
repertory

3.  range
of resources that somebody has: the range of
techniques, abilities, or skills that somebody or something has • the
surgeon’s repertoire
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from late Latin repertorium (see repertory ).]
in
repertoire

used to refer to performances
of different plays or ballets given on different days[1]



repertory

repertory
rep·er·to·ry 
[réppər tàwree] (plural rep·er·to·ries)
noun

1.  THEATER See stock

2.  THEATER group
or theater using stock system: a theater or company
that uses the stock system

3.  ARTS See repertoire  noun 1
See repertoire  noun 2

4.  collection
of available things: a store or stock of
available items • a comedian with a large
repertory of jokes
[Late
16th century. From late Latin repertorium “inventory,” from, ultimately,
Latin reperire “to get completely,” from parire “to get” (source
of English parent ).]
—rep·er·to·ri·al [rèppər táwree əl], adjective[1]



repertorycompany

repertorycompany
rep·er·to·ry
com·pa·ny
noun

See
stock company[1]



repetend

repetend
rep·e·tend 
[réppə tènd] (plural rep·e·tends)
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS repeated
part of decimal: the part of a repeating decimal that is
repeated infinitely, for example, “37” in “0.373737”

2.  something
repeated:
something that is repeated
[Early 18th century. From
Latin reperendum “thing to be repeated,” from repetere (see repeat ).][1]



repetition

repetition
rep·e·ti·tion 
[rèppə tísh’n] (plural rep·e·ti·tions)
noun

1.  repeating
of something: an act of doing something again

2.  something
the same as before: an event or situation that
is the same as one that happened previously

3.  procedure
of stating something again: the act or process of saying
or writing something again

4.  repeated
words:
something that is repeated, especially unnecessary words

5.  replica:
a replica or duplicate of something (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin repetere (see repeat
).][1]



repetitious

repetitious
rep·e·ti·tious 
[rèppə tíshəss] adjective

full
of repeated material: full of things that are said
or written over and over again, especially in an unnecessary or tiresome way
—rep·e·ti·tious·ly,
adverb

—rep·e·ti·tious·ness, noun[1]



repetitive

repetitive
re·pet·i·tive 
[ri péttitiv] adjective

repeated
in action:
full of or involving things that are done over and over again • a
boring, repetitive task
—re·pet·i·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·pet·i·tive·ness, noun[1]



repetitivestrain injury

repetitivestrain injury
re·pet·i·tive
strain in·ju·ry or re·pet·i·tive stress
in·ju·ry noun

Full form of
RSI[1]



rephrase

rephrase
re·phrase 
[ree fráyz] (past re·phrased, past
participle re·phrased, present participle re·phras·ing,
3rd person present singular re·phras·es) transitive verb

say something differently:
to say or write something again using different words as a clarification or for
variety[1]



repine

repine
re·pine 
[ri pn] (past re·pined, past
participle re·pined, present participle re·pin·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·pines) intransitive verb

feel
dissatisfied and complain: to feel dissatisfied or
fretful about something and complain or grumble about it (formal)
[Early
16th century. Formed from pine 2 “to fret,” on the model of repent
.]
—re·pin·er, noun[1]



replace

replace
re·place 
[ri pláyss] (past re·placed, past
participle re·placed, present participle re·plac·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·plac·es) transitive verb

1.  substitute
for something: to take the place of or substitute for
somebody or something • The
new ways rapidly replaced the old.

2.  supplant
somebody or something: to fill the place of
something or somebody with something or somebody else • You
can be replaced.

3.  put
something in another’s place: to provide or find a
substitute for something • can’t
afford to replace his car

4.  put
something back in its place: to put an object back in its
usual place • She
replaced the receiver slowly.
[Late
16th century. Formed from place “to put,” on
the model of French remplacer .]
—re·place·a·ble,
adjective

—re·plac·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at substitute.

[1]



replacement

replacement
re·place·ment 
[ri pláyssmənt] (plural re·place·ments)
noun

1.  substitution
of somebody or something: the act or process of taking
the place of or substituting for somebody or something

2.  substitute:
somebody who or something that replaces another

3.  CHEMISTRY change
of one mineral to another: the partial or complete
transformation of one mineral into another in response to changing conditions
such as the presence of water

4.  MILITARY somebody
filling military vacancy: somebody who fills a vacancy
in a military force

[1]



replant

replant
re·plant 
[ree plánt] (past re·plant·ed,
past participle re·plant·ed, present participle re·plant·ing,
3rd person present singular re·plants) transitive verb

1.  GARDENING transfer
plant to new place: to transfer a plant or part
of a plant into new soil or a new area

2.  GARDENING provide
place with new plants: to put new plants in a place
or container to replace previous plants • replant
the flower boxes every spring

3.  MEDICINE DENTISTRY reattach or reinsert body
part:
to reattach or reinsert a severed body part such as a limb or tooth
—re·plan·ta·tion [r plan táysh’n], noun[1]



replay

replay
re·play 
transitive verb [ree pláy] (past
re·played, past participle re·played, present
participle re·play·ing, 3rd person present singular re·plays)

1.  SPORTS GAME play match again:
to play a game, match, or contest again

2.  RECORDING play
recording again: to play again something that has been
recorded on tape, video, or film
noun
[r plày] (plural re·plays)

1.  SPORTS GAME contest played again:
a contest, match, or game that is played again

2.  RECORDING recorded
material replayed: something recorded on tape,
video, or film that is played again

3.  repeat
of previous event: an event that repeats or
appears to repeat something in the past • The
latest business failure was a replay of the previous one.

[1]



replenish

replenish
re·plen·ish 
[ri plénnish] (past re·plen·ished,
past participle re·plen·ished, present participle re·plen·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular re·plen·ish·es) transitive verb

1.  replace
used items:
to restock depleted items or material • time
for the campers to replenish their supplies

2.  nourish
somebody or something: to fill somebody or
something with needed energy or nourishment

3.  furnish
new fuel for fire: to resupply a fire with fuel
[Early
17th century. From Old French repleniss-, the stem of replenir,
literally “to fill again,” from plenir “to fill,” from, ultimately,
Latin plenus (source of English full
).]
—re·plen·ish·er,
noun

—re·plen·ish·ment, noun[1]



replete

replete
re·plete 
[ri plt] adjective

1.  amply
or fully equipped: amply, completely, or fully
supplied with something • a
kitchen replete with all the latest gadgets

2.  full:
having eaten enough to be fully satisfied
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin repletus, the past participle
of replere, literally “to fill up,” from plere “to fill” (source
of English complete ).]
—re·plete·ness, noun[1]



repletion

repletion
re·ple·tion 
[ri plsh’n] noun

1.  state
of being gorged: a condition of being overfull after
eating too much

2.  state
of being satisfied: the condition of being fully
satisfied

[1]



replevin

replevin
re·plev·in 
[ri plévvin] noun (plural re·plev·ins)

action
by claimant to recover goods: an act or writ to recover
goods by somebody who claims to own them and who promises to have the claim
later tested in court
transitive
verb
(past re·plev·ined, past participle re·plev·ined, present
participle re·plev·in·ing, 3rd person present singular re·plev·ins)

See
replevy  verb
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman, from replevir (see replevy
).][1]



replevy

replevy
re·plev·y 
[ri plévvee] transitive verb (past
re·plev·ied, past participle re·plev·ied, present
participle re·plev·y·ing, 3rd person present singular re·plev·ies)

seize
claimed goods before legal test: to seize goods on the
grounds of ownership after promising to test the claim in court
noun
(plural re·plev·ies)

seizure
of claimed goods: a seizure of claimed goods after a
promise that the claim will be tested in court later.
Also
called
replevin
[Late
16th century. Via Anglo-Norman replevir, literally “to recover
thoroughly,” from plevir “to recover.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word (ancestor also of English pledge
).]
—re·plev·i·a·ble, adjective[1]



replica

replica
rep·li·ca 
[répplikə] (plural rep·li·cas)
noun

1.  faithful
copy of something: an accurate reproduction of
an object

2.  ARTS faithful
copy of artwork: a scrupulous copy of a work of art,
especially one made, authorized, or supervised by the original artist
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian, “repeat,” from, ultimately, Latin replicare (see replicate ).][1]



replicant

replicant
rep·li·cant
[répplikənt] (plural rep·li·cants)
noun

half-human,
half-technological being: an
imaginary being, especially in science fiction, that has been constructed from
organic and computerized components to look like a human being.
See also
cyborg[1]



replicase

replicase
rep·li·case 
[réppli kàyss, réppli
kàyz] (plural rep·li·cas·es) noun

enzyme
promoting RNA synthesis: a polymerase enzyme,
especially one that catalyzes the synthesis of a complementary RNA molecule
from a template of an existing RNA strand, required for the replication of RNA
viruses
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from replicate .][1]



replicate

replicate
rep·li·cate 
verb [réppli kàyt] (past rep·li·cat·ed,
past participle rep·li·cat·ed, present participle rep·li·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular rep·li·cates)

1.  transitive
verb
do
something again: to do something again or copy something

2.  intransitive
verb
be
done again:
to undergo a repetition or reproduction

3.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY copy
cellular or genetic material: to reproduce exactly an
organism, genetic material, or a cell
adjective
[répplikət]

BOTANY bent
back:
folded back on itself
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin replicare, literally “to fold back” (source also of
English reply ), from plicare
“to fold.” The underlying idea is of “going over again.”]
—rep·li·ca·tive
[réppli kàytiv], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at copy

[1]



replication

replication
rep·li·ca·tion 
[rèppli káysh’n] (plural rep·li·ca·tions)
noun

1.  process
of repeating: the process of repeating, duplicating,
or reproducing something

2.  BIOLOGY making
of cellular or genetic copy: the production of exact
copies of molecules, genetic material, or cells

3.  LAW reply:
a reply (dated)

4.  BOTANY fold:
a fold or folding back

5.  reply
to answer:
something said in reply to an answer (archaic)

[1]



replicon

replicon
rep·li·con 
[réppli kòn] (plural rep·li·cons)
noun

unit
of genetic material: a segment of DNA or RNA that
replicates itself as a unit, distinct from adjacent segments in a chromosome or
other genetic element
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from replication + on
.][1]



reply

reply
re·ply 
[ri pl] verb (past re·plied,
past participle re·plied, present participle re·ply·ing,
3rd person present singular re·plies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb respond
to what somebody says: to say or write something in
response to what somebody else has said or written • replied
that she wouldn’t be available to take the job

2.  intransitive
verb
respond
with action or gesture: to respond to somebody’s
action with a countering action or gesture

3.  intransitive
verb
LAW answer
defendant’s plea: to speak in response to the plea of a
defendant

4.  intransitive
verb
echo:
to echo or return a sound
noun
(plural re·plies)

1.  spoken
or written response: something said or written as
a response to something else

2.  action
performed as response: something done as a response
to somebody else’s action • Her
only reply was to turn on her heel and leave.

3.  LAW answer
to defendant’s plea: a statement made in response
to the plea of a defendant
[14th
century. Via Old French replier from Latin replicare (see replicate ).]
—re·pli·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at answer

[1]



repo

repo
re·po
[r p] (plural re·pos) noun
(informal)

1.  property
subject to repossession: property that is repossessed
because payments have not been made wholly or in part

2.  repurchase
agreement:
a repurchase agreement for something
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of repossess .][1]



repoint

repoint
re·point
[ree póynt] (past re·point·ed,
past participle re·point·ed, present participle re·point·ing,
3rd person present singular re·points) transitive verb

repair wall with mortar:
to repair a brick wall by putting new mortar or cement between the bricks[1]



report

report
re·port 
[ri páwrt] verb (past re·port·ed,
past participle re·port·ed, present participle re·port·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ports)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tell
about what happened: to give information about
something that has happened • reported
that negotiations were proceeding slowly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING PRESS
tell
people news using media: to find out facts and tell
people about them in print or a broadcast

3.  transitive
verb
inform
authorities about something or somebody: to
inform somebody in authority about something that has happened, especially a
crime or an accident, or about somebody who has done something wrong • reported
him missing two days ago • reported
the break-in to the police

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb tell
about research or investigation: to give detailed
information about research or an investigation • The
committee will report their findings early next week.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
full official statement: to make a formal statement
regarding something

6.  transitive
verb
LAW record
court proceedings: to record the proceedings of
a court

7.  intransitive
verb
inform
about arrival: to let somebody know you have arrived • Guests
should report to reception on arrival.

8.  intransitive
verb
be
under somebody’s authority: to be subordinate and
responsible to somebody or something • You’ll
be reporting to me from now on.
noun
(plural re·ports)

1.  account
of something: an account of an event, situation, or
episode

2.  PRESS BROADCASTING news item or broadcast:
an account of news presented by a journalist

3.  document
giving information about something: a
document that gives information about an investigation or a piece of research,
often put together by a group of people working together

4.  unconfirmed
account of something: a widely-known account of
something that may be true but has not been confirmed • Report
had it that the company was approaching bankruptcy.

5.  BUSINESS periodic
statement of company’s finances: a detailed periodic
account of a company’s activities, financial condition, and prospects that is
made available to shareholders and investors • a
quarterly report

6.  U.K.
EDUCATION See report card

7.  LAW sharp
loud noise:
a very sharp loud noise, especially that of an explosion or gunshot

8.  reputation:
reputation or character
plural
noun
re·ports

LAW accounts
of court cases: written accounts of a court’s
adjudication, summarizing arguments and findings
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin reportare, literally “to carry back,”
from portare “to carry.” The underlying idea is of “bringing back
news.”]
—re·port·a·ble, adjective[1]



reportage

reportage
re·port·age 
[ri páwrtij] noun

1.  process
of telling news: the use of print and electronic media to
inform people about news and current events

2.  things
reported:
a body of reported news

3.  way
of giving news: a particular way of gathering and
presenting news
[Late 19th century. Formed
from report, in the model of French reportage
.][1]



reportcard

reportcard
re·port
card
noun

written account of child’s
schoolwork: a record of a child’s
performance at school over a specified period, prepared by teachers and given
to the child’s parents.
U.K. term
report[1]



reportedly

reportedly
re·port·ed·ly 
[ri páwrtədlee] adverb

according to report:
according to an unconfirmed report • Reportedly
he lost all his money.[1]



reportedspeech

reportedspeech
re·port·ed
speech
noun

See
indirect speech[1]



reporter

reporter
re·port·er 
[ri páwrtər] (plural re·port·ers)
noun

1.  BROADCASTING PRESS somebody
who reports news: somebody whose job is to find out facts
and use the print or broadcast media to tell people about them

2.  somebody
who reports: somebody who makes a report of any kind

3.  LAW compiler
of court proceedings: somebody who compiles
summarized records of court proceeding

4.  POLITICS somebody
who compiles legislative proceedings: an
official who compiles the proceedings of a legislature
—rep·or·to·ri·al
[rèppər táwree əl, rpər
táwree əl], adjective

—rep·or·to·ri·al·ly [rèppər táwree əlee, rppər
táwree əlee], adverb[1]



repose

repose2
re·pose2 [ri
pṓz] (past re·posed, past participle re·posed,
present participle re·pos·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·pos·es) transitive verb

put
faith or confidence in: to place faith, confidence,
or trust in somebody or something (formal) • reposed
a great deal of confidence in him
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from Latin repos-, the stem of reponere, literally “to place
again,” from ponere “to place” (source of English position ).][1]



repose

repose1
re·pose1 [ri
pṓz] noun

1.  rest:
a state of rest or inactivity

2.  tranquility:
a condition of peacefulness and tranquility, for example, in a place

3.  peace
of mind:
freedom from troubles or stress

4.  composure:
calmness and composure of manner
verb
(past re·posed, past participle re·posed, present
participle re·pos·ing, 3rd person present singular re·pos·es)
(formal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb lie
resting:
to lie or lay something at rest

2.  intransitive
verb
be
dead:
to lie dead (used euphemistically)

3.  intransitive
verb
lie
resting on top of something: to lie while resting on or
supported by something

4.  reflexive
verb
settle
self at rest: to settle yourself in a relaxed or
restful position

5.  intransitive
verb
take
support from something: to be supported or based on
something • Your
argument reposes on false analogies.
[15th
century. Via French reposer from Latin repausare, literally “to
rest completely,” from pausare “to rest” (source of English pause ).]
—re·pos·al,
noun

—re·pos·er, noun[1]



reposeful

reposeful
re·pose·ful 
[ri pṓzfəl] adjective

restful:
showing or giving rise to restfulness or calm
—re·pose·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·pose·ful·ness, noun[1]



reposit

reposit
re·pos·it 
[ri pózzit] (past re·pos·it·ed,
past participle re·pos·it·ed, present participle re·pos·it·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pos·its) transitive verb

put
something somewhere: to put or store something
somewhere (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
reposit-, the past participle stem of reponere (see repose 2 ).][1]



reposition

reposition
re·po·si·tion
[rpə zísh’n] (past re·po·si·tioned,
past participle re·po·si·tioned, present participle re·po·si·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular re·po·si·tions) transitive verb

1.  put
something somewhere different: to put something in a
new position

2.  MARKETING change
marketing of something: to change the marketing
strategy of a company or product so as to have a wider or different appeal

[1]



repository

repository
re·pos·i·to·ry 
[ri pózzə tàwree] (plural re·pos·i·to·ries)
noun

1.  place
or receptacle for storage: a place or container in
which something is stored

2.  somebody
with extensive knowledge: somebody with, or something
such as a book that contains, extensive detailed knowledge of something • She
was a repository of information about the history of the island.

3.  somebody
entrusted with something: somebody in whom something
is confided

4.  U.K.
COMMERCE warehouse
for commodities: a place where goods are stored prior to
sale

5.  tomb:
a burial vault or sepulcher

[1]



repossess

repossess
re·pos·sess 
[rpə zéss] (past re·pos·sessed,
past participle re·pos·sessed, present participle re·pos·sess·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pos·sess·es) transitive verb

reclaim
sold goods or property: to take back goods or
property from a buyer who has failed to keep up payments on them
—re·pos·ses·sion,
noun

—re·pos·ses·sor, noun[1]



repoussé

repoussé
re·pous·sé 
[rə p sáy] adjective

1.  forming
pattern in relief: formed as a raised pattern
on a thin piece of metal by having been hammered through from the reverse side

2.  decorated
with hammered pattern: decorated with a raised
pattern that has been hammered through from the reverse side
noun

1.  hammered
design on metal: a raised design on a piece of metal made
by hammering the design through from the reverse side

2.  technique
of hammering a design: the technique of producing a
raised design on a thin piece of metal by hammering it through from the reverse
side
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of repousser, literally “to push back,” from
pousser “to push” (source of English push
).][1]



repp

repp
repp 
noun

See
rep 1[1]



repr.

repr.
repr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
representative

2.  Abbreviation
of
represented

3.  Abbreviation
of
representing

4.  Abbreviation
of
reprint

[1]



reprehend

reprehend
rep·re·hend 
[rèppri hénd] (past rep·re·hend·ed,
past participle rep·re·hend·ed, present participle rep·re·hend·ing,
3rd person present singular rep·re·hends) transitive verb

censure
somebody or something: to criticize or reprove
somebody or something
[14th
century. From Latin reprehendere, literally “to seize again,” from prehendere
“to seize” (source of English prison
).]
—rep·re·hend·a·ble,
adjective

—rep·re·hen·der, noun[1]



reprehensible

reprehensible
rep·re·hen·si·ble 
[rèppri hénssəb’l] adjective

deserving
to be censured: highly unacceptable and deserving
censure
[14th
century. From late Latin reprehensibilis, from, ultimately, reprehendere
(see reprehend ).]
—rep·re·hen·si·bil·i·ty
[rèppri henssə bíllətee], noun

—rep·re·hen·si·bly [rèppri hénsəblee], adverb[1]



reprehension

reprehension
rep·re·hen·sion 
[rèppri hénshən] noun

censure:
reproof or criticism for wrongdoing
[14th
century. Formed from Latin reprehension-, the past participle stem of reprehendere
(see reprehend ).]
—rep·re·hen·sive,
adjective

—rep·re·hen·sive·ly, adverb[1]



represent

represent
rep·re·sent
[rèppri zént] (past rep·re·sent·ed,
past participle rep·re·sent·ed, present participle rep·re·sent·ing,
3rd person present singular rep·re·sents) verb

1.  transitive
verb
act
or speak for another: to act or speak on behalf of
somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
symbolize
something:
to symbolize or stand for something • The
bear is often used to represent Russia.

3.  transitive
verb
go
somewhere on behalf of another: to go or be present
somewhere on behalf of somebody or something

4.  transitive
verb
act
for another officially: to speak and act for
somebody else in an official way • Who
will be representing France at the conference?

5.  transitive
verb
express
or explain something: to express or explain what
is happening or what people think • Her
views represent those of the majority of the community.

6.  transitive
verb
be
present somewhere: to be somewhere in large or
small numbers

7.  transitive
verb
be
equivalent of something: to be a sign or equivalent
of something

8.  transitive
verb
depict
something or somebody: to portray or present an
image of somebody or something as being something in particular

9.  reflexive
verb
untruthfully
claim to be something: to describe yourself as something
you are not • He
was arrested at the airport despite trying to represent himself as a tourist.

10. transitive
verb
THEATER depict
somebody on stage: to portray or perform a
character or role on stage
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin repraesentare, literally “to
show back,” from praesentare “to show” (source of English present 2 ).]
—rep·re·sent·a·bil·i·ty
[rèppri zentə bíllətee], noun

—rep·re·sent·a·ble,
adjective

—rep·re·sent·er, noun[1]



re-present

re-present
re-pre·sent
(past re-pre·sent·ed, past participle re-pre·sent·ed,
present participle re-pre·sent·ing, 3rd person present
singular re-pre·sents) transitive verb

present something over again:
to send, offer, or present something again[1]



representation

representation
rep·re·sen·ta·tion 
[rèpprəzən táysh’n] (plural rep·re·sen·ta·tions)
noun

1.  fact
of being served by representative: the fact or right of
being represented by somebody, especially of having a member in a legislature
with power to vote or speak for an electorate

2.  voting
system or body of electors: the system by which electors
vote for people to represent them as legislators, administrators, or judges, or
the group of people so elected

3.  picture:
a visual depiction of somebody or something

4.  something
spoken or done for another: action or speech on behalf
of another, especially as an agent or deputy

5.  something
described or stated: a description, account, or
statement of something real or alleged, especially one meant to induce a
response from authority (often used in the plural)

6.  LAW statement
inducing somebody to make contract: a
statement, real or implied, that encourages somebody to make an agreement

7.  THEATER performance:
a theatrical performance or production

[1]



representational

representational
rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al 
[rèpprəzən táyshən’l, rèpprəzən táyshnəl] adjective

1.  characterized
by representation: relating to or characterized
by representation

2.  ARTS portraying
recognizable objects: depicting something in a
physically recognizable form, especially in art • representational
painting
—rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



representationalism

representationalism
rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al·ism
[rèpprəzən táyshən’l ìzzəm, rèpprəzən táyshnə lìzzəm] or rep·re·sen·ta·tion·ism
[rèpprəzən táysh’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of direct apprehension of objects: the theory that the
mind directly apprehends external objects only through ideas or data provided
by the senses

2.  ARTS realistic
depiction of objects: the practice or principle of
depicting objects in recognizable form, especially in art
—rep·re·sen·tion·al·ist
[rèpprəzən táyshnəlist], noun

—rep·re·sen·ta·tion·al·is·tic
[rèpprəzən táyshən’l ístik, rèpprəzən táyshnə lístik], adjective[1]



representative

representative
rep·re·sen·ta·tive 
[rèpprə zéntətiv] noun (plural
rep·re·sen·ta·tives)

1.  somebody
who speaks for others: somebody who votes or speaks
on behalf of others

2.  POLITICS member
of legislature: a member of a legislative assembly

3.  rep·re·sen·ta·tive
or Rep·re·sen·ta·tive (plural Rep·re·sen·ta·tives) member
of House of Representatives: a member of the House of
Representatives in the U.S. Congress, or of one of the state legislatures

4.  COMMERCE commercial
agent or salesperson: an agent or salesperson for
a company.
Also
called
sales representative

5.  example:
an example or type of something
adjective

1.  typical:
typical of something, especially of a class or kind

2.  made
up of elected people: composed of elected or
authorized people • a representative
assembly

3.  POLITICS letting
people elect somebody: allowing people to vote for
somebody to represent them in a legislative body such as the Congress in the
United States or the House of Commons in the United Kingdom • a
representative form of government

4.  made
up of all types: including a complete range of examples
of something • a
representative sample

5.  acting
on somebody’s behalf: acting as somebody’s agent,
deputy, or delegate
—rep·re·sen·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—rep·re·sen·ta·tive·ness,
noun[1]



repress

repress
re·press 
[ri préss] (past re·pressed, past
participle re·pressed, present participle re·press·ing,
3rd person present singular re·press·es) transitive verb

1.  curb
actions that show feelings: to check or restrain an
action that would reveal feelings • He had
to repress a smile.

2.  use
authority to control people’s freedom: to
control people’s freedom by force or military means • repress
an uprising

3.  PSYCHOLOGY block
something from mind: to block unacceptable or
painful impulses, desires, or memories from the conscious mind
[14th
century. From Latin repress-, the past participle stem of reprimere,
literally “to press back,” from premere “to press” (source of English press ).]
—re·press·i·bil·i·ty
[ri prèssə bíllətee], noun

—re·press·i·ble [ri préssəb’l], adjective[1]



represser

represser
re·pres·ser 
[ri préssər] noun

See
repressor  noun 1[1]



repression

repression
re·pres·sion 
[ri présh’n] noun

1.  being
kept down by force: the process of suppressing
somebody or the condition of having political, social, or cultural freedom
controlled by force

2.  PSYCHOLOGY psychological
protective mechanism: in Freudian psychology, a
mechanism by which individuals protect themselves from threatening thoughts by
blocking them out of the conscious mind.
See
also
denial

[1]



repressive

repressive
re·pres·sive 
[ri préssiv] adjective

severely
restrictive: exerting strict control on the freedom
of others
—re·pres·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·pres·sive·ness, noun[1]



repressor

repressor
re·pres·sor 
[ri préssər] (plural re·pres·sors)
noun

1.  re·pres·sor
or re·press·er repressing person or thing:
somebody or something that represses

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY protein
blocking transcription of messenger RNA: a
protein that binds to an operator gene and blocks transcription by messenger
RNA. It is produced in the translation of a regulatory gene.

[1]



reprieve

reprieve
re·prieve 
[ri prv] transitive verb (past
re·prieved, past participle re·prieved, present
participle re·priev·ing, 3rd person present singular re·prieves)

1.  stop
or postpone somebody’s punishment: to halt or delay
somebody’s punishment, especially when the punishment is death (often
passive)

2.  offer
respite to somebody: to provide somebody with
temporary relief from something harmful, especially danger or pain
noun
(plural re·prieves)

1.  stopping
or postponement of punishment: the halting or delay
of somebody’s punishment, especially when the punishment is death

2.  warrant
halting or postponing punishment: a warrant giving the
authority to stop or postpone somebody’s punishment, especially when the
punishment is death

3.  respite
from something harmful: a relief from something
harmful, especially danger or pain
[Mid-17th
century. Alteration of earlier repry “to take back to prison” (hence “to
escape the death sentence”), via Old French repris “taken back,” from,
ultimately, Latin reprehendere (see reprehend
).]
—re·priev·a·ble,
adjective

—re·priev·er, noun[1]



reprimand

reprimand
rep·ri·mand 
[réppri mànd] transitive verb (past
rep·ri·mand·ed, past participle rep·ri·mand·ed, present
participle rep·ri·mand·ing, 3rd person present singular rep·ri·mands)

tell
somebody off: to rebuke somebody for a wrongdoing
noun
(plural rep·ri·mands)

rebuke:
a rebuke given for having done something wrong
[Mid-17th century. Via French
réprimande from, ultimately, Latin reprimenda “that is to be
suppressed,” from, ultimately, reprimere (see repress
).][1]



reprint

reprint
re·print 
transitive verb [ree prínt] (past
re·print·ed, past participle re·print·ed, present
participle re·print·ing, 3rd person present singular re·prints)

print something again:
to print something again, especially with few or no changes
noun
[r prìnt] (plural re·prints)

1.  copy
of something already published: a printed copy of
something that has already been in print

2.  See
offprint

3.  reissue
of printed work: a book or other printed work that is the
same as, or has only minor changes from, one that was previously issued

4.  impression
of postage stamp: an impression of a postage stamp made
from the original plates but after the stamp has been withdrawn from circulation
—re·print·er, noun[1]



reprisal

reprisal
re·pri·sal 
[ri prz’l] (plural re·pri·sals)
noun

1.  MILITARY retaliation
in war:
a violent military action such as the killing of prisoners or civilians,
carried out in retaliation for an enemy’s action

2.  strong
or violent retaliation: a strong or violent
retaliation for an action that somebody has taken

3.  retaliatory
seizure from another country: the forcible seizure of
property or people from another country as retaliation for some injury
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman reprisaille from, ultimately, Latin reprehendere
(see reprehend ).][1]



reprise

reprise
re·prise 
[ri prz] noun (plural re·pris·es)

1.  MUSIC repeat
of musical passage: a repeated passage of music,
or a return to an earlier musical theme

2.  MUSIC See chorus  noun 1

3.  repetition:
a repetition or recurrence of something
transitive
verb
(past re·prised, past participle re·prised, present
participle re·pris·ing, 3rd person present singular re·pris·es)

1.  MUSIC repeat
music:
to repeat a passage of music or return to an earlier theme

2.  repeat
action:
to repeat an action or performance • reprised
her role as Gertrude in the New York production
[Mid-20th century. Via
French, the past participle of reprendre, literally “to take again,”
used as a noun, from prendre “to take,” from Latin prehendere .][1]



reprivatize

reprivatize
re·pri·va·tize
[ree prvə tz] (past re·pri·va·tized,
past participle re·pri·va·tized, present participle re·pri·va·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pri·va·tiz·es) transitive verb

restore
something to private ownership: to return something
from public to private ownership
—re·pri·va·ti·za·tion
[r prvətə záysh’n], noun[1]



repro

repro
re·pro 
[r pr] (plural re·pros) noun
(informal)

1.  reproduction:
a reproduction, especially of a painting or piece of furniture

2.  PRINTING reproduction
proof:
a reproduction proof
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



reproach

reproach
re·proach 
[ri prṓch] verb (past re·proached,
past participle re·proached, present participle re·proach·ing,
3rd person present singular re·proach·es)

1.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody:
to criticize somebody for doing something wrong

2.  reflexive
verb
feel
blameworthy: to feel ashamed because you know you
have done something wrong • There’s
no reason to reproach yourself, because there was nothing you could do.

3.  transitive
verb
disgrace
somebody or something: to bring disgrace upon somebody
or something (archaic)
noun
(plural re·proach·es)

1.  criticism:
criticism or disapproval for having done something wrong, or an expression of
this

2.  something
disgraceful: something that reflects badly on
somebody who has failed to improve or deal with it

3.  discredit:
shame or disgrace that somebody or something incurs • actions
that brought reproach upon his family
[15th
century. Via Old French reprochier from assumed Vulgar Latin repropiare
“to bring back near” (hence “to force to face up to things”), from Latin prope
“near.”]
—re·proach·a·ble,
adjective

—re·proach·a·ble·ness,
noun

—re·proach·a·bly,
adverb

—re·proach·er,
noun

—re·proach·ing·ly,
adverb
above
or beyond reproach

so good that no criticism can
be made[1]



reproachful

reproachful
re·proach·ful 
[ri prṓchfəl] adjective

disapproving:
expressing disapproval or blame
—re·proach·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·proach·ful·ness, noun[1]



reprobate

reprobate
rep·ro·bate 
[répprə bàyt] noun (plural rep·ro·bates)

1.  somebody
immoral:
a disreputable or immoral person

2.  RELIGION somebody
damned:
somebody whose soul is believed to be damned
adjective

1.  disreputable:
disreputable or immoral

2.  RELIGION damned:
with a soul that is damned
transitive
verb
(past rep·ro·bat·ed, past participle rep·ro·bat·ed,
present participle rep·ro·bat·ing, 3rd person present singular
rep·ro·bates)

1.  censure
somebody:
to censure or condemn somebody (formal)

2.  RELIGION deny
salvation to somebody: to condemn somebody to
supposed eternal damnation
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin reprobatus, from Latin, the past participle of reprobare
(see reprove ).]
—rep·ro·bat·er
[répprə bàytər], noun

—rep·ro·ba·tive [répprə bàytiv], adjective[1]



reprobation

reprobation
rep·ro·ba·tion
[rèpprə báysh’n] noun

1.  disapproval:
strong condemnation or disapproval of somebody or something

2.  RELIGION divine
rejection:
the supposed condemnation of somebody’s soul to eternal damnation
[15th
century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin reprobare (see reprove ).]
—rep·ro·ba·tion·ar·y [rèpprə báysh’n èrree], adjective[1]



reproduce

reproduce
re·pro·duce 
[rprə dss] (past re·pro·duced,
past participle re·pro·duced, present participle re·pro·duc·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pro·duc·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
duplicate of something: to duplicate something, or
be duplicated, by photographing, scanning, printing, or another process

2.  transitive
verb
repeat
something:
to do something in the same way as before

3.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY produce
offspring:
to produce offspring or new individuals through a sexual or asexual process

4.  transitive
verb
remember
something:
to remember or imagine something again
—re·pro·duc·er
[rprə dssər], noun

—re·pro·duc·i·bil·i·ty
[rprə doossə bíllətee], noun

—re·pro·duc·i·ble,
adjective

—re·pro·duc·i·bly
[rprə dssəblee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at copy

[1]



reproduction

reproduction
re·pro·duc·tion 
[rprə dúkshən] (plural re·pro·duc·tions)
noun

1.  copy
of object:
a copy of something in an earlier style, especially a painting or a piece of
furniture

2.  reproducing
of something: the act or process of reproducing
something

3.  print,
electronic, or photographic duplicate: a
copy of something printed, scanned, photographed, or produced by other means

4.  RECORDING recording
of sound:
the recording of sound or the quality of recorded sound

5.  BIOLOGY production
of offspring: the production of young plants and
animals of the same kind through a sexual or asexual process
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from reproduce, on the model of production
.][1]



reproductionproof

reproductionproof
re·pro·duc·tion
proof
noun

high-quality proof:
a printed proof, usually on glossy paper, of such high quality that it can be
photographed for making a printing plate[1]



reproductive

reproductive
re·pro·duc·tive 
[rprə dúktiv] adjective

involving
production of new organisms: relating to, taking part in,
or enabling the production of new offspring or individuals • reproductive
organs
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from reproduce, on the model
of productive .]
—re·pro·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·pro·duc·tive·ness,
noun[1]



reproductivesystem

reproductivesystem
re·pro·duc·tive
sys·tem
noun

body system aiding
reproduction: the combination of
bodily organs and tissues used in the process of producing offspring[1]



reprography

reprography
re·prog·ra·phy 
[ri próggrəfee] noun

reproduction
of print:
the reproduction of something printed, for example, by offset printing,
microfilming, photography, or xerography
[Mid-20th
century. From German Reprographie, a blend of Reproduktion
“reproduction” + Photographie “photography.”]
—re·pro·graph·ic [rprə gráffik, rèpprə
gráffik], adjective[1]



reproof

reproof
re·proof 
[ri prf] (plural re·proofs) or
reproval [ri prf] (plural reprovals)
noun

censure:
the act of criticizing somebody for having done something wrong, or something
stated as a rebuke
[14th century. From Old
French reprove, from reprover (see reprove
).][1]



reprove

reprove
re·prove 
[ri prv] (past re·proved, past
participle re·proved, present participle re·prov·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·proves) transitive verb

censure
somebody:
to speak to somebody in a way that shows disapproval of something he or she has
done
[14th
century. Via Old French reprover from Latin reprobare, literally
“to prove to be unworthy,” from probare “to prove” (source of English prove ).]
—re·prov·a·ble,
adjective

—re·prov·er,
noun

—re·prov·ing·ly, adverb[1]



rept.

rept.
rept.

Abbreviation of
report[1]



reptant

reptant
rep·tant 
[réptənt] adjective

creeping:
creeping or lying along the ground
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
reptare, literally “to keep creeping,” from repere (see reptile ).][1]



reptile

reptile
rep·tile 
[répt’l, rép tl]
noun (plural rep·tiles)

1.  cold-blooded
scaly vertebrate: an air-breathing cold-blooded egg-laying
vertebrate such as the crocodile, tortoise, snake, or lizard, with an outer
covering of scales or plates and a bony skeleton. Class: Reptilia
Also
called
reptilian

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody whose behavior or
character is regarded as suspicious, untrustworthy, or sickeningly ingratiating
(informal insult)
adjective

being a reptile:
belonging to the class of reptiles
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, late Latin reptilis “creeping,” from rept-, the
past participle stem of repere “to creep.”][1]



reptilian

reptilian
rep·til·i·an 
[rep tíllee ən] adjective

1.  of
reptiles:
relating to reptiles

2.  mean
or groveling: displaying any of the characteristics
traditionally attributed to or suggestive of reptiles, for example, coldness
and lack of emotion, or creeping, groveling behavior
noun
(plural rep·til·i·ans)

See reptile  noun 1

[1]



Repub.

Repub.
Repub.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Republic

2.  Abbreviation
of
Republican

[1]



republic

republic
re·pub·lic 
[ri púbblik] (plural re·pub·lics)
noun

1.  political
system with powerful electorate: a political system or
form of government in which people elect representatives to exercise power for
them

2.  state
with powerful electorate: a state or other political
unit with a form of government in which the supreme power is in the hands of
representatives elected by the people

3.  re·pub·lic
or Re·pub·lic country with republican
government:
a country whose government or political system is that of a republic

4.  re·pub·lic
or Re·pub·lic (plural Re·publics) republican
unit within larger country: a constituent political and
territorial unit of a national federation or union

5.  group
of equals with collective interests: a
group of people who are considered to be equals and who have a collective
interest, objective, or vocation (formal) • the
republic of letters
[Late
16th century. Via French république from Latin res publica,
literally “public matter.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Republic, a political treatise by the Greek philosopher Plato ( early 4th
  century BC ). Presented in the
  form of a series of dialogues between Socrates and his pupils, it begins with
  a discussion of the nature of justice that leads in turn to an attempt to
  define the ideal society. For Plato, this would consist of an aristocracy run
  by a class of legislators groomed for leadership by a state education system.

[1]



republican

republican
re·pub·li·can 
[ri púbblikən] noun (plural re·pub·li·cans)

supporter
of republic as government: somebody who believes that
the best government is one in which supreme power is vested in an electorate
adjective

of a republic:
relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a republic[1]



Republican

Republican1
Re·pub·li·can1 adjective

1.  of
Republican Party: belonging to or supporting the
Republican Party in the United States

2.  U.K.
desiring
united Ireland: supporting the idea that Northern
Ireland should be united politically with the Republic of Ireland and should
cease to form part of the United Kingdom
noun
(plural Re·pub·li·cans)

1.  Republican
Party member: a member or supporter of the Republican
Party in the United States

2.  U.K.
supporter
of united Ireland: somebody who wants Northern
Ireland to be united politically with the Republic of Ireland

[1]



Republican

Republican2
Re·pub·li·can2  [ri
púbblikən]

river that flows from
Colorado into Kansas, where it unites with the Smoky Hill River, to form the
Kansas River. Length: 715 km/445 mi.[1]



Republicanism

Republicanism
Re·pub·li·can·ism 
noun

1.  Republican
Party support: support for the Republican Party in the
United States

2.  U.K.
support
for united Ireland: support for the idea of
uniting Northern Ireland politically with the Republic of Ireland

[1]



republicanism

republicanism
re·pub·li·can·ism 
[ri púbblikə nìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in republic as political system: the belief that the
supreme power of a country should be vested in an electorate

2.  theory
of republican government: the theory and principles of
republican government

[1]



republicanize

republicanize
re·pub·li·can·ize 
[ri púbblikə nz] (past re·pub·li·can·ized,
past participle re·pub·li·can·ized, present participle re·pub·li·can·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pub·li·can·iz·es) transitive
verb

make
state into republic: to make a state or other
political unit into a republic
—re·pub·li·can·i·za·tion
[ri pùbblikəni záysh’n], noun[1]



RepublicanParty

RepublicanParty
Re·pub·li·can
Par·ty
noun

U.S. political party:
a political party at state and national level in the United States, founded in
1854–1856[1]



republication

republication
re·pub·li·ca·tion 
[r pubbli káysh’n] (plural re·pub·li·ca·tions)
noun

1.  republishing
of something: the act or process of publishing
something again

2.  something
published again: something published again, especially in
an unchanged form

[1]



republish

republish
re·pub·lish 
[ree púbblish] (past re·pub·lished,
past participle re·pub·lished, present participle re·pub·lish·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pub·lish·es) transitive verb

1.  publish
something again: to reissue a publication, especially in
an unchanged form

2.  LAW execute
will for second time: to execute a will again
after it has been revoked
—re·pub·lish·er [ree púbblishər], noun[1]



repudiate

repudiate
re·pu·di·ate 
[ri pydee àyt] (past re·pu·di·at·ed,
past participle re·pu·di·at·ed, present participle re·pu·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·pu·di·ates) transitive verb

1.  disown
something:
to disapprove of something formally and strongly and renounce any connection
with it • She
repudiated the committee’s actions.

2.  deny
something:
to state that something is untrue

3.  reject
something:
to reject something that is offered

4.  disown
loved one:
to disown a family member or lover

5.  reject
something as invalid: to refuse to accept the
validity of something

6.  refuse
to pay debt: to refuse to acknowledge or pay a debt
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin repudiare “to divorce” (the original meaning in
English) from repudium “divorce.”]
—re·pu·di·a·ble,
adjective

—re·pu·di·a·tive,
adjective

—re·pu·di·a·tor,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at refute.

[1]



repudiation

repudiation
re·pu·di·a·tion 
[ri pydee áysh’n] (plural re·pu·di·a·tions)
noun

1.  fact
of repudiating something: the act or process of
repudiating something

2.  rejection
of something by government: a refusal by a government to
acknowledge and honor a claim or obligation because it is considered to be
invalid
—re·pu·di·a·tion·ist, noun[1]



repugn

repugn
re·pugn 
[ri pyn] (past re·pugned, past
participle re·pugned, present participle re·pugn·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·pugns) transitive verb

oppose
something:
to oppose or resist something (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin repugnare, literally “to fight back,” from pugnare
“to fight” (source of English pugnacious
).][1]



repugnance

repugnance
re·pug·nance 
[ri púgnəns] or re·pug·nan·cy
[ri púgnəns] noun

strong
dislike:
a very strong dislike or distaste

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dislike

[1]



repugnant

repugnant
re·pug·nant 
[ri púgnənt] adjective

1.  offensive:
offensive and completely unacceptable

2.  revolting:
making somebody feel physically repelled • a
repugnant odor
[Late
18th century. Via Old French, “contrary,” from, ultimately, Latin repugnare
(see repugn ).]
—re·pug·nant·ly, adverb[1]



repulse

repulse
re·pulse 
[ri púls] transitive verb (past
re·pulsed, past participle re·pulsed, present
participle re·puls·ing, 3rd person present singular re·puls·es)

1.  MILITARY force
back military attack: to force back an attacking
military force

2.  disgust
somebody:
to cause disgust or revulsion in somebody

3.  spurn
somebody:
to reject or rebuff an approach from somebody
noun

1.  rejection:
a refusal or rejection of somebody

2.  MILITARY act of
forcing back attack: the forcing back of an
attacking military force
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin repuls-, the past participle stem of repellere
(see repel ).]
—re·puls·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  repulse
  or repel ?
  Repulse is a much stronger word
  than repel in all its meanings, physical
  and abstract. To repel people physically
  is to drive them back from the immediate vicinity; and its figurative
  equivalent is “to ward off” or “to be distasteful to.” To repulse people physically is to drive them away
  with great force or strength, and it is normally used with reference to
  battles and warfare. The corresponding figurative meaning here is “to
  disgust.”

[1]



repulsion

repulsion
re·pul·sion 
[ri púlshən] noun

1.  fact
of being repulsed: the act or condition of
being repulsed

2.  revulsion:
a feeling of disgust or very strong dislike

3.  PHYSICS repelling
force:
a force between two bodies of like electric charge or magnetic polarity that
tends to repel or separate them. It is this repulsive force between atoms and
molecules at very short distances that tends to keep them separated.

[1]



repulsive

repulsive
re·pul·sive 
[ri púlsiv] adjective

1.  very
unpleasant:
making somebody feel disgust or very strong dislike

2.  repellent:
tending to repel
—re·pul·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·pul·sive·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at repellent.

[1]



repurchaseagreement

repurchaseagreement
re·pur·chase
a·gree·ment 
[ree púrchəss ə grmənt] noun

1.  agreement
about repurchase of securities: an agreement between a
dealer and an investor in which the investor agrees to sell purchased
securities back to the dealer on a fixed date for a specified profit

2.  agreement
to buy back something: an agreement between a buyer
and a seller in which the seller agrees to buy back the purchased item at the
end of a specified period

[1]



reputable

reputable
rep·u·ta·ble 
[réppyətəb’l] adjective

with
good reputation: known to be honest, reliable, or
respectable
[Late
17th century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin reputabilis,
from Latin reputare (see repute ).]
—rep·u·ta·bil·i·ty
[rèppyətə bíllətee], noun

—rep·u·ta·bly, adverb[1]



reputation

reputation
rep·u·ta·tion 
[rèppyə táysh’n] (plural rep·u·ta·tions)
noun

1.  general
opinions about somebody or something: the
views that are generally held about somebody or something

2.  good
opinion:
a high opinion that people hold about somebody or something

3.  something
that somebody is known for: the generally accepted
estimation of somebody or something as having particular qualities or
attributes • The
new manager has a reputation for being a stickler for details.
[14th century. From the Latin
stem reputation- “consideration,” from reputare (see repute ).][1]



repute

repute
re·pute 
[ri pyt] noun (formal)

1.  reputation:
estimation or character according to what people in general think

2.  good
reputation:
good reputation or standing
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French reputer from Latin reputare, literally “to think
repeatedly,” formed from putare “to think.” The underlying idea is “to
think well or badly of.”][1]



reputed

reputed
re·put·ed 
[ri pytəd] adjective

generally
believed:
widely believed, although not necessarily established as fact
[Late 16th century. Formed
from repute, used as a verb.][1]



req.

req.
req.

1.  Abbreviation
of
request

2.  Abbreviation
of
require

3.  Abbreviation
of
required

4.  Abbreviation
of
requirement

5.  Abbreviation
of
requisition

[1]



request

request
re·quest 
[ri kwést] transitive verb (past
re·quest·ed, past participle re·quest·ed, present
participle re·quest·ing, 3rd person present singular re·quests)

1.  ask
politely for something: to ask formally or
courteously for something to be given or done • requested
that he be excused • requested
her favorite song

2.  ask
somebody for something: to ask somebody to do
something • requested
Father Peter to perform their marriage ceremony
noun
(plural re·quests)

1.  expression
of a polite wish or desire: an act of politely or
formally asking that something be done or given

2.  music
that has been asked for: a piece of music played on a
radio program, at a live performance, or at a disco because somebody asks for
it • We’ll
be taking several requests tonight.

3.  act
of expressing a wish: the act of asking or
petitioning for something to be done or given
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin requisitus, the past
participle of requirere (see require
).]
—re·quest·er, noun[1]



requeststop

requeststop
re·quest
stop
noun

U.K.
See flag stop[1]



requiem

requiem
req·ui·em 
[rékwee əm] (plural req·ui·ems)
or Req·ui·em [rékwee əm] (plural
Req·ui·ems) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic service for the dead: a Roman Catholic mass
held to offer prayers for somebody who has died

2.  MUSIC CHRISTIANITY music for a requiem:
a piece of music written to accompany a requiem mass

3.  MUSIC sad
commemorative music: a piece of music written to
commemorate somebody who has died
[14th century. From Latin,
“rest,” in a line of a prayer Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine “Grant
them eternal rest, O Lord.”][1]



requiemshark

requiemshark
req·ui·em
shark
noun

tropical
shark:
a voracious shark of tropical waters. Hammerheads, tiger sharks, and soupfins
are all requiem sharks . Family: Carcharhinidae
[By folk etymology from
French requin “shark”][1]



requiescat

requiescat
req·ui·es·cat 
[rèkwee é skt] (plural req·ui·es·cats)
noun

prayer
on behalf of the dead: a prayer asking that the
soul of a dead person might be at rest
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “may he or she rest.”][1]



require

require
re·quire 
[ri kwr] (past re·quired, past
participle re·quired, present participle re·quir·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·quires) transitive verb

1.  need
something or somebody: to be in need of something
or somebody for a particular purpose • The
recipe requires a cup of milk.

2.  make
something necessary: to have something as a
necessary precondition • A
password is required for entry to the system.

3.  demand
something by law: to demand something by a law or
regulation (often passive) • Notification
was required by law.

4.  insist
on something: to insist that somebody do something • All
applicants are required to pass a medical exam.
[14th
century. From Old French requ(i)er-, the stem of requere, from,
ultimately, Latin requirere, literally “to seek in return,” from Latin quaerere
“to seek” (source of English query
).]
—re·quir·a·ble,
adjective

—re·quir·er, noun[1]



required

required
re·quired 
[ri kwrd] adjective

1.  needed:
necessary or appropriate • He
lacks the required degree of expertise.

2.  compulsory:
insisted upon or imposed as a condition • required
reading for a course

[1]



requirement

requirement
re·quire·ment 
[ri kwrmənt] (plural re·quire·ments)
noun

1.  something
needed:
something that is needed for a particular purpose (often used in the plural)

2.  something
insisted upon: something that is obligatory or demanded
(often used in the plural) • a
requirement for the job

3.  fact
of requiring something: an act or process of
requiring something

[1]



requisite

requisite
req·ui·site 
[rékwizit] adjective

essential:
necessary or indispensable for something (formal) • the
requisite skills for the job
noun
(plural req·ui·sites)

something
essential:
something that is necessary or indispensable
[15th
century. From Latin requisitus, the past participle of requirere
(see require ).]
—req·ui·site·ly,
adverb

—req·ui·site·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at necessary

[1]



requisition

requisition
req·ui·si·tion 
[rèkwi zísh’n] noun (plural req·ui·si·tions)

1.  demand
for something: a demand for something that is required

2.  official
form:
a written or printed request for something that is needed

3.  fact
of making a formal demand: the act or process of making
a formal demand for something

4.  POLITICS request
for the return of a fugitive: a request by a government
that another government return a fugitive from the law
transitive
verb
(past req·ui·si·tioned, past participle req·ui·si·tioned,
present participle req·ui·si·tion·ing, 3rd person present
singular req·ui·si·tions)

1.  demand
and take something officially: to demand and take
something that is needed, especially for official or military use

2.  require
and obtain somebody for a job: to require and obtain
the services of somebody to do something • requisitioned
a few friends for the weekend to help paint the house
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin requisit-, the
past participle stem of requirere (see require
).]
—req·ui·si·tion·ar·y [rèkwi zísh’n èrree], adjective[1]



requital

requital
re·quit·al
(plural re·quit·als) noun

1.  act
done in response: an act done in response, repayment, or
retaliation (formal)

2.  repayment
or retaliation: response, repayment, or retaliation

[1]



requite

requite
re·quite 
[ri kwt] (past re·quit·ed, past
participle re·quit·ed, present participle re·quit·ing,
3rd person present singular re·quites) transitive verb

1.  pay
something back: to return in kind a kindness or hurt
that somebody has done

2.  recompense
somebody:
to pay somebody back for a service performed
[Early
16th century. Formed from an earlier form of quit,
in the meaning “to pay up.”]
—re·quit·a·ble,
adjective

—re·quite·ment,
noun

—re·quit·er, noun[1]



reradiate

reradiate
re·ra·di·ate 
[ree ráydee àyt] (past re·ra·di·at·ed,
past participle re·ra·di·at·ed, present participle re·ra·di·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ra·di·ates) transitive verb

emit
absorbed radiation: to emit radiation after
absorbing incident radiation
—re·ra·di·a·tion [ree ràydee áysh’n], noun[1]



reread

reread
re·read
[ree rd] (past participle re·read
[ree réd], present participle re·read·ing,
3rd person present singular re·reads) transitive verb

read again:
to read something again[1]



reredos

reredos
rere·dos 
[rérrə dòss, rírrə
dòss] (plural rere·dos·es) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY decoration
for the rear of an altar: an artistic decoration
behind the altar in a church, for example, a wood or stone screen or a
wall-hanging

2.  back
of a fireplace: the back of an open fireplace
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French areredos, from arere “behind” + dos
“back” (from Latin dorsum ).][1]



rerelease

rerelease
re·re·lease 
[r ri lss] transitive verb (past
re·re·leased, past participle re·re·leased, present
participle re·re·leas·ing, 3rd person present singular re·re·leas·es)

distribute
something again: to release a music recording or a movie
again for distribution to the public
noun
(plural re·re·leas·es)

rereleased recording or
movie: a music recording or a movie
that has been released again to the public[1]



reroute

reroute
re·route
[ree rówt, ree
rt] (past re·rout·ed, past participle re·rout·ed,
present participle re·rout·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·routes) transitive verb

direct vehicles or people
another way: to direct people or
vehicles along an alternate route, for example, because of an accident, road
construction, or for security reasons[1]



rerun

rerun
re·run 
transitive verb [ree rún] (past
re·ran [ree rán], past participle
re·run, present participle re·run·ning, 3rd person
present singular re·runs)

1.  CINEMA TV show recorded entertainment
again:
to show or broadcast a TV series, video, or movie again

2.  SPORTS repeat
a race:
to run a race again, or cause a race to be run again, after the result on the
first occasion has been disallowed because of an infraction of the rules
noun
[r rùn] (plural re·runs)

1.  CINEMA TV repeat showing of recorded
entertainment: a repeat showing of recorded
entertainment, especially a TV series

2.  SPORTS repeat
running of race: the repeat running of a race after an
infraction of the rules

[1]



res.

res.
res.

1.  Abbreviation
of
research

2.  Abbreviation
of
reservation

3.  Abbreviation
of
reserved

4.  Abbreviation
of
reservoir

5.  Abbreviation
of
residence

6.  Abbreviation
of
resident

7.  Abbreviation
of
resolution

[1]



RES

RES
RES

Abbreviation of
reticuloendothelial system[1]



res

res
res
[rayss, reez]
(plural res) noun

matter:
in law, a matter or thing
[From Latin, “thing, legal
matter”][1]



resadjudicata

resadjudicata
res
ad·ju·di·ca·ta  noun

LAW
See res judicata[1]



resale

resale
re·sale 
[r sàyl] (plural re·sales) noun

1.  selling
again:
the selling of something again • Not
for resale.

2.  selling
second-hand: the selling of something second-hand
—re·sal·a·ble
[ree sáyləb’l], adjective

—re·sal·a·bil·i·ty [ree sàylə bíllətee], noun[1]



rescale

rescale
re·scale
[ree skáyl] (past re·scaled, past
participle re·scaled, present participle re·scal·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·scales) transitive verb

change something’s scale:
to modify the scale of something, especially to reduce it • rescale
a budget • rescale
a drawing[1]



reschedule

reschedule
re·sched·ule 
[ree skéjool] (past re·sched·uled,
past participle re·sched·uled, present participle re·sched·ul·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sched·ules) transitive verb

1.  change
the time fixed for something: to arrange a new time slot
for something

2.  FINANCE extend
a loan:
to extend the payment schedule of a loan

[1]



rescind

rescind
re·scind 
[ri sínd] (past re·scind·ed, past
participle re·scind·ed, present participle re·scind·ing,
3rd person present singular re·scinds) transitive verb

1.  cancel
something:
to remove the validity or authority of something

2.  repeal
a decision or enactment: to declare a decision or
enactment null and void
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin rescindere, literally “to cut back,” from scindere
“to cut.”]
—re·scind·a·ble,
adjective

—re·scind·er,
noun

—re·scind·ment, noun[1]



rescission

rescission
re·scis·sion 
[ri sí’n] noun

rescinding
of something: the act of rescinding something
[Early 17th century. Via the
late Latin stem rescission- from, ultimately, Latin rescindere
(see rescind ).][1]



rescissory

rescissory
re·scis·so·ry 
[ri sízzəree, ri
síssəree] adjective

having
the power to rescind something: relating to rescission
or having the power to rescind (formal)
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin rescissorius from, ultimately, Latin rescindere (see rescind ).][1]



rescore

rescore
re·score
[ree skáwr] (past re·scored, past
participle re·scored, present participle re·scor·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·scores) transitive verb

rework the orchestration for
a composition: to write new
instrumentation for a piece of music[1]



rescript

rescript
re·script 
[r skrìpt] (plural re·scripts)
noun

1.  rewrite:
an act of rewriting something

2.  CHRISTIANITY ecclesiastical
ruling:
a formal reply by the pope or some other high dignitary of the Roman Catholic
Church on a matter of doctrine or discipline

3.  HISTORY LAW Roman emperor’s legal ruling:
a formal reply by an ancient Roman or Holy Roman emperor on a point of law
[14th century. From Latin rescriptum,
the neuter past participle of rescribere, literally “to write back,”
from scribere .][1]



rescue

rescue
res·cue 
[réskyoo] verb (past res·cued,
past participle res·cued, present participle res·cu·ing,
3rd person present singular res·cues)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
somebody or something from danger: to save somebody or
something from a dangerous or harmful situation • The
boys had to be rescued from the rocks by helicopter

2.  save
something:
to prevent something from being discarded, rejected, or put out of operation • At
the last minute the factory was rescued from closure.

3.  transitive
verb
LAW get
somebody out of jail: to release somebody from
legal custody by force

4.  transitive
verb
LAW take
forcible possession of something: to seize property or
goods by force
noun
(plural res·cues)

removal from danger or harm:
an act or instance of saving somebody or something from a dangerous or harmful
situation (often used before a noun) • a
daring rescue attempt


an
instance of helping somebody in an awkward or difficult situation • I
couldn’t think what to say, but luckily he came to my rescue.
noun
(plural res·cues) LAW

1.  release
from jail:
the release of somebody from legal custody by force

2.  seizure
of goods:
the seizure of property or goods by force
[14th
century. From Old French rescourre, literally “to shake loose,” from escourre
“to shake,” from Latin escutere, from ex- “out”+ quatere
“to strike.”]
—res·cu·a·ble,
adjective

—res·cu·er, noun[1]



rescuegrass

rescuegrass
res·cue
grass
noun

grass cultivated for hay:
a grass native to South America cultivated for hay. Latin name: Bromus
unioloides[1]



research

research
re·search 
noun [r sùrch, ri súrch] (plural re·search·es)

organized
study:
methodical investigation into a subject in order to discover facts, to
establish or revise a theory, or to develop a plan of action based on the facts
discovered
intransitive
and transitive verb [ri
súrch, r sùrch] (past re·searched,
past participle re·searched, present participle re·search·ing,
3rd person present singular re·search·es)

study
something methodically: to carry out research into a
subject
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete French recerche from Old French recercher,
literally “to search closely,” from cerchier (see search ).]
—re·search·a·ble,
adjective

—re·search·er,
noun

—re·search·ist, noun[1]



researchand development

researchand development
re·search
and de·vel·op·ment noun

investigation into new or
improved products: the work in
a company of investigating improved processes, products, and services and of
developing new ones[1]



reseat

reseat
re·seat 
[ree st] (past re·seat·ed, past
participle re·seat·ed, present participle re·seat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·seats) transitive verb

1.  seat
somebody elsewhere: to seat somebody in another
place

2.  seat
somebody as before: to return somebody to the
seat previously occupied

3.  replace
the seats in building: to fit new seats in an
auditorium or hall

4.  provide
a new seat for: to replace the material on a seat

5.  replace
valve seating: to return the seating of a valve to good
condition

[1]



reseau

reseau
re·seau
[ray zṓ, rə zṓ]
(plural re·seaux [ray zṓz, rə zṓz, ray zṓ]
or re·seaus [ray zṓz, rə zṓz]) noun

1.  CRAFT net
for making lace: a mesh foundation on which lace is made

2.  ASTRONOMY photographic
reference plate: a grid of lines photographed onto or cut
into a glass plate and used as a reference for astronomical observations
[Late 16th century. Via
French réseau “network” from Old French reseuil, literally
“little net,” from raiz “net,” from Latin rete “net.”][1]



resect

resect
re·sect 
[ri sékt] (past re·sect·ed, past
participle re·sect·ed, present participle re·sect·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sects) transitive verb

surgically
remove part of something: to cut through and
surgically remove part of an organ, bone, or other body part
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
resect-, the past participle stem of resecare, literally “to cut
back,” from secare “to cut.”][1]



resection

resection
re·sec·tion
[ri sékshən] (plural re·sec·tions)
noun

1.  SURGERY partial
surgical removal: the surgical removal of part of an
organ, bone, or other body part

2.  CIVIL ENGINEERING establishment
of location of point: the establishment of the
location of a point when surveying by sighting from that point to two other
points whose locations are known

[1]



resectoscope

resectoscope
re·sec·to·scope 
[ri séktə skp] (plural re·sec·to·scopes)
noun

surgical instrument for
performing a resection: a surgical
instrument that allows a resection to be made without a bigger incision than
that caused by the instrument itself[1]



reseda

reseda
re·se·da 
[ri sdə, ri
séddə] noun (plural re·se·das or re·se·da)

1.  PLANTS Mediterranean
plant with grayish-green flowers: a Mediterranean plant
that has small dense spikes of grayish-green flowers with divided petals.
Genus: Reseda

2.  COLORS grayish
green:
a grayish-green color
adjective

grayish-green in colour:
of a grayish-green color
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Latin, of unknown origin.][1]



reseed

reseed
re·seed
[ree sd] (past re·seed·ed, past
participle re·seed·ed, present participle re·seed·ing,
3rd person present singular re·seeds) verb

1.  transitive
verb
plant
land with seeds again: to plant seeds on an area of
land again

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
a plant from its seed: to grow a plant or to grow
from seed dropped by the previous generation

[1]



resemblance

resemblance
re·sem·blance 
[ri zémbləns] (plural re·sem·blances)
noun

1.  similarity
to somebody or something: similarity in appearance or
quality to somebody or something else

2.  degree
of similarity: the extent to which somebody or
something resembles somebody or something else • the
resemblance between them is striking

3.  point
of similarity: a respect in which somebody or something
resembles somebody or something else

4.  something
similar:
something that resembles something else

[1]



resemble

resemble
re·sem·ble 
[ri zémb’l] (past re·sem·bled,
past participle re·sem·bled, present participle re·sem·bling,
3rd person present singular re·sem·bles) transitive verb

be
like somebody or something: to be similar to somebody or
something in appearance or behavior
[14th
century. From Old French resembler, literally “to be very like,” from sembler
“to seem” (source of English semblance
), from Latin simulare “to simulate”).]
—re·sem·bler, noun[1]



resend

resend
re·send
[ree sénd] (past re·sent [ree sént], past participle re·sent, present
participle re·send·ing, 3rd person present singular re·sends)
transitive verb

send again:
to send something again[1]



resent

resent
re·sent 
[ri zént] (past re·sent·ed, past
participle re·sent·ed, present participle re·sent·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sents) transitive verb

be
annoyed at:
to feel aggrieved about something or toward somebody often because of a
perceived wrong or injustice
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete French ressentir, literally “to feel strongly,” from sentir
“to feel,” from Latin sentire “to feel.”][1]



resentful

resentful
re·sent·ful 
[ri zéntfəl] adjective

1.  annoyed:
feeling aggrieved and ill-used

2.  resulting
from resentment: characterized by feelings of annoyance
or ill-use • a
resentful silence
—re·sent·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·sent·ful·ness, noun[1]



resentment

resentment
re·sent·ment 
[ri zéntmənt] (plural re·sent·ments)
noun

ill
feeling:
aggrieved feelings about something or toward somebody, usually as a result of
ill-usage or insult, or an instance of these
[Early 17th century. From
obsolete French ressentiment “strong feeling,” from ressentir
(see resent ).][1]



reservation

reservation
res·er·va·tion 
[rèzzər váysh’n] noun (plural res·er·va·tions)

1.  arrangement
made beforehand: an advance booking, for example, of a
seat, table, hotel room, or a ticket on a plane, train, or bus

2.  place
arranged beforehand: something such as a seat,
table, hotel room, or ticket booked in advance

3.  arranging
of something beforehand: the act of booking something
in advance

4.  land
set aside:
an area of land set aside for a particular purpose, especially in North America
for the use of a Native North American people

5.  keeping
something back: the act of withholding something, or an
instance of so doing

6.  limiting
condition:
a limiting condition to an agreement

7.  LAW legal
interest retained in something granted: a
clause in a deed by which somebody retains an interest in something being
granted or leased, or such an interest itself

8.  CHRISTIANITY preservation
of consecrated elements for later: the practice of
retaining part of the consecrated bread and wine after celebrating Communion,
in order to use it later, for example, when visiting the sick
plural
noun
res·er·va·tions

misgivings that cause hesitation:
doubts that prevent wholehearted agreement to or approval of something
—res·er·va·tion·ist,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



reserve

reserve
re·serve 
[ri zúrv] transitive verb (past
re·served, past participle re·served, present
participle re·serv·ing, 3rd person present singular re·serves)

1.  set
something aside: to keep something back for future use or
for some specific purpose

2.  book
a place beforehand: to make arrangements in
advance to secure a place such as a seat, ticket, table, or hotel room

3.  retain
something for your own benefit: to retain the option
of future action on somebody’s or your own behalf • I
reserve the right to change my mind.

4.  postpone
a decision:
to defer making a decision until all the issues have been considered • reserve
judgement
noun
(plural re·serves)

1.  FINANCE money
retained for future use: an amount of capital or
revenue retained by a company or financial institution to meet future
contingencies (often used in the plural)

2.  emergency
supply:
something kept back for later use, especially in an emergency

3.  coolness
of manner:
emotional restraint, resulting in a reticent or composed manner

4.  SPORTS substitute
player:
a team member called to play when a member of the original team withdraws,
either before or during a game

5.  MILITARY inactive
part of the armed services: the part of a country’s
armed services that is not on active service at a given time

6.  MILITARY reinforcement
force:
the part of an armed force that is not initially committed during a military
engagement but supplies reinforcements as necessary

7.  MILITARY member
of a reserve: a member of a military reserve

8.  U.K.
See preserve

9.  ECONOMICS national
funds:
a country’s supply of gold and foreign currency that is held by the central
bank against future liabilities or to support the currency when the exchange
rates fluctuate

10. GEOLOGY unexploited
natural resource: a supply of a natural resource such as a
mineral or petrochemical that is estimated to exist from geologic data but is
not yet utilized

11. Canada
land
used as a reservation: an area of land set aside as
a reservation for use by a Native North American people

12. next
runner-up:
a competitor or exhibit such as an animal at an agricultural show that places
immediately after the prizewinners and will receive a prize if a prizewinner is
disqualified
plural
noun
re·serves

extra stamina, usable in an emergency:
additional personal resources of energy or strength that can be called upon in
an emergency
[14th
century. Directly and via French réserver from Latin reservare,
literally “to keep back,” from servare “to keep.”]
—re·serv·a·ble,
adjective

—re·serv·er,
noun
have
or keep something in reserve

to use only part of
something, keeping some of it back in case it is needed at a later time[1]



reservebank

reservebank
re·serve
bank
noun

bank in U.S. Federal Reserve
system: one of the 12 banks in the
U.S. Federal Reserve system[1]



reservecurrency

reservecurrency
re·serve
cur·ren·cy
noun

currency held in a reserve
bank: foreign currency that is
acceptable for settling international transactions and that is held in reserve
for that purpose by a central bank[1]



reserved

reserved
re·served 
[ri zúrvd] adjective

1.  booked:
booked in advance

2.  earmarked
for a specific use: kept or set aside for a
particular purpose

3.  having
a cool manner: having a tendency to emotional restraint
and so appearing reticent or composed
—re·serv·ed·ly
[ri zúrvədlee], adverb

—re·serv·ed·ness [ri zúrvədnəss], noun[1]



reserveprice

reserveprice
reserve
price
noun

lowest price acceptable to a
seller: the lowest price that a
seller is willing to accept for something being sold at auction.
See also
upset price[1]



reservist

reservist
re·serv·ist 
[ri zúrvist] (plural re·serv·ists)
noun

inactive member of a military
force: a member of a military force
not on active service at a given time[1]



reservoir

reservoir
res·er·voir 
[rézzər vwr] (plural res·er·voirs)
noun

1.  ENVIRONMENT lake
or tank for storing water: a large tank or natural or
artificial lake used for collecting and storing water for human consumption or
agricultural use

2.  large
backup supply: a substantial reserve supply of
something intangible

3.  BIOLOGY organism
acting as a parasite carrier: an organism in which a
parasite lives and develops without damaging it, but from which the parasite
passes to another species that is damaged by it

4.  ANATOMY See cisterna

5.  liquid
store in a device: a part of a machine or
device where liquid is stored for use by the machine or device

6.  GEOLOGY INDUSTRY underground supply of gas or
oil:
a natural chamber in porous rock where a supply of natural gas or crude oil
collects
[Mid-17th century. From
French, formed from réserver (see reserve
).][1]



reset

reset
re·set 
(past re·set, past participle re·set, present
participle re·set·ting, 3rd person present singular re·sets)
transitive verb [ree sét]

1.  set
something again: to set something again

2.  put
something back to zero: to change the reading of
dial or counter to zero or a different number
—re·set·ta·ble,
adjective

—re·set·ter, noun[1]



resettle

resettle
re·set·tle
[ree sétt’l] (past re·set·tled,
past participle re·set·tled, present participle re·set·tling,
3rd person present singular re·set·tles) transitive verb

relocate
population:
to provide a group or population with a new place to live and transfer it there
—re·set·tle·ment, noun[1]



resgestae

resgestae
res
ges·tae 
[ràyss gé st, rz
jé st] plural noun

admissible
facts:
circumstances and facts that may be admitted as evidence in a lawsuit because
they shed light on the matters in question
[From Latin, literally
“things done”][1]



resh

resh
resh 
[resh] (plural reshes) noun

20th
letter of the Hebrew alphabet: the 20th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “r”
[Early 19th century. From
Aramaic rēš “head.”][1]



reshape

reshape
re·shape 
[ree sháyp] (past re·shaped, past
participle re·shaped, present participle re·shap·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·shapes) transitive verb

1.  change
or restore shape of something: to alter or restore
the shape of something

2.  change
the organization of something: to change the form or
organization of something

[1]



reshuffle

reshuffle
re·shuf·fle 
[ree shúff’l] noun (plural re·shuf·fles)

1.  CARD GAMES shuffling
of cards again: an act of shuffling something,
especially cards, again

2.  POLITICS redistribution
of jobs:
a reorganization of the jobs of a group of people, especially a change by a
president or prime minister of the positions or personnel of a cabinet
transitive
verb
(past re·shuf·fled, past participle re·shuf·fled, present
participle re·shuf·fling, 3rd person present singular re·shuf·fles)

1.  CARD GAMES shuffle
cards again: to shuffle something, especially cards,
again

2.  POLITICS redistribute
jobs:
to carry out a reshuffle of jobs

[1]



resid

resid
re·sid 
[ri zíd] noun

residual
oil:
residual oil (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



reside

reside
re·side 
[ri zd] (past re·sid·ed, past
participle re·sid·ed, present participle re·sid·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·sides) intransitive verb

1.  live
somewhere:
to have a home in a particular place

2.  be
present:
to be present in or belong to somebody or something

3.  be
vested:
to be vested or placed in somebody or something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via French résider from Latin residere,
literally “to remain behind,” from sedere “to sit.”][1]



residence

residence
res·i·dence 
[rézzid’ns] (plural res·i·dences)
noun

1.  home:
the house, apartment, or other dwelling in which somebody lives

2.  large
house:
a grand and imposing dwelling

3.  BUSINESS corporation’s
official headquarters: the official headquarters of
a corporation

4.  living
somewhere:
the fact of living in a particular place.
Also
called
residency

5.  time
lived in place: the period of time that somebody lives
in a particular place.
Also
called
residency

6.  MEDICINE See residency
in
residence

1.  living
in a place at a particular time

2.  employed
as a creative artist by an educational or other institution to foster interest
in a subject

[1]



residency

residency
res·i·den·cy 
[rézzid’nsee] (plural res·i·den·cies)
noun

1.  MEDICINE medical
training following internship: a period of
specialized training in clinical medicine or surgery in a hospital on
completion of an internship.
Also
called
residence

2.  ARTS performing
and teaching engagement: an engagement at a
university or conservatory for a performer or group of performers, usually for
at least a semester, that involves performance, teaching, and master classes

3.  HISTORY official
residence of an Indian governor: formerly, the official
residence of a governor in India

4.  U.K.
POLITICS HISTORY territory administered by
resident agent: formerly, a territory such as the East
Indies that was administered by the resident agent of a protecting state

[1]



resident

resident
res·i·dent 
[rézzid’nt] noun (plural res·i·dents)

1.  somebody
living in a particular place: somebody who lives
permanently or for a considerable period in a particular place

2.  MEDICINE doctor
completing a residency: a doctor or surgeon engaged
in a residency

3.  SOCIAL WELFARE somebody
living in a residential situation: somebody who lives in
a nursing home, children’s home, retirement home, or other communal housing

4.  POLITICS diplomat:
a diplomatic official based in a foreign country

5.  POLITICS local
organizer of governmental investigative agency: a
member of a government intelligence-gathering agency, domestic or foreign, who
lives in a certain area and oversees operations for the agency there

6.  ZOOLOGY nonmigratory
bird or other animal: a bird or other animal that
does not migrate seasonally

7.  U.K.
HISTORY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS British
colonial representative: a representative of the
British government in a British colony or protectorate
adjective

1.  living
in a particular place: living permanently or for a
considerable period in a particular place

2.  live-in:
living somewhere as part of a particular job

3.  inherent:
present or inherent in something

4.  ZOOLOGY nonmigratory:
not migrating seasonally

5.  COMPUTING permanently
installed in a computer’s memory: used to describe a
computer program or data intentionally retained in random-access memory after
being loaded, even if another program is executing, so that it can be accessed
quickly
—res·i·dent·ship, noun[1]



residentcommissioner

residentcommissioner
res·i·dent
com·mis·sion·er noun

representative from a
dependency: a representative from a
dependency who is allowed to speak but not vote in the U.S. House of
Representatives[1]



residential

residential
res·i·den·tial 
[rèzzi dénshəl] adjective

1.  relating
to housing:
relating to or consisting of private housing rather than offices or factories

2.  used
for long-term living: used as a place to live for
the long term

3.  with
living accommodations: providing living
accommodations
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from residence .]
—res·i·den·tial·ly, adverb[1]



residentialschool

residentialschool
res·i·den·tial
school
noun

school for physically
challenged children: a
government-run school providing education and living accommodations for
children who are physically or mentally challenged[1]



residentiary

residentiary
res·i·den·ti·ar·y 
[rèzzi dénshee èrree, rèzzi dénshəree] adjective

1.  live-in:
requiring the incumbent to live in an official residence

2.  living
in an official residence: residing in official
residence

[1]



residual

residual
re·sid·u·al 
[ri zíjjoo əl] adjective

1.  left
over:
remaining after completion of a process that involves the removal of part of
the original • residual
damp

2.  GEOLOGY relating
to residue from rock weathering: relating to the
material left after weathering of a rock and removal of its soluble
constituents
noun
(plural re·sid·u·als)

1.  something
left over:
something that remains after completion of a process that involves the removal
of part of the original

2.  STATISTICS difference
between actual and theoretical results: the
difference between results obtained through theoretical calculation and those
obtained through observation

3.  CINEMA TV repeat fee:
a payment to performers, directors, or writers when their filmed work is shown
again, especially on television
—re·sid·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



residualoil

residualoil
re·sid·u·al
oil
noun

low-grade oil:
the low-grade hydrocarbons that remain after the process of petroleum
distillation, used for example, in asphalt or as a furnace fuel[1]



residuary

residuary
re·sid·u·ar·y 
[ri zíjjoo èrree] adjective

1.  LAW entitled
to the remainder of an estate: entitled to the
residue of a deceased person’s estate after debts have been paid and bequests
distributed

2.  left
over:
remaining after a process has been gone through
[Early 18th century. Formed
from residuum .][1]



residue

residue
res·i·due 
[rézzi d] (plural res·i·dues)
noun

1.  something
left over:
something that remains after a process involving the removal of part of the
original has been completed

2.  LAW remainder
of an estate: the remainder of a deceased person’s
estate after debts have been paid and bequests distributed.
Also
called
residuum

3.  remainder
after processing: something remaining after a chemical or
physical process such as combustion, distillation, evaporation, or filtration
removes part of the original.
Also
called
residuum
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin residuum “something remaining,” from residere (see reside ).][1]



residuum

residuum
re·sid·u·um 
[ri zíjjoo əm] (plural re·sid·u·a
[ri zíjjoo ə]) noun

LAW See residue  noun 2
[Late 17th century. From
Latin (see residue ).][1]



resign

resign
re·sign 
[ri zn] (past re·signed, past
participle re·signed, present participle re·sign·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·signs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave
a job:
to give up a paid or unpaid position voluntarily

2.  reflexive
verb
accept
something reluctantly: to come to terms with
something and acquiesce in it reluctantly • He
resigned himself to giving up work.

3.  transitive
verb
relinquish
a claim:
to give up a right or claim to something
[14th
century. Via Old French resigner from Latin resignare “to unseal,
cancel, give back,” from signare “to seal,” from signum “mark.”]
—re·sign·er, noun[1]



re-sign

re-sign
re-sign 
(past re-signed, past participle re-signed, present
participle re-sign·ing, 3rd person present singular re-signs)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS sign another contract:
to sign or cause a player to sign another contract

2.  transitive
verb
sign
something again: to sign a document again

[1]



resignation

resignation
res·ig·na·tion 
[rèzzig náysh’n] (plural res·ig·na·tions)
noun

1.  notification
of leaving a job: a formal notification of leaving a paid
or unpaid position • I’ve handed in my
resignation.

2.  departure
from job:
an instance of leaving a paid or unpaid position

3.  unprotesting
acceptance of something: agreement to something,
usually given reluctantly but without protest

[1]



resigned

resigned
re·signed 
[ri znd] adjective

accepting
something without protest: acquiescing in something
reluctantly, but without protest
—re·sign·ed·ly
[ri znədlee], adverb

—re·sign·ed·ness [ri znədnəss], noun[1]



resile

resile
re·sile 
[ri zl] (past re·siled, past
participle re·siled, present participle re·sil·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·siles) intransitive verb (formal)

1.  spring
back into the same shape: to spring back into the same
shape or position

2.  jump
back:
to jump or leap back
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via obsolete French resilir from Latin resilire (see resilient ).][1]



resilience

resilience
re·sil·ience 
[ri zíllyəns] or re·sil·ien·cy
[ri zíllyənsee] noun

1.  speedy
recovery from problems: the ability to recover
quickly from setbacks

2.  elasticity:
the ability of matter to spring back quickly into shape after being bent,
stretched, or deformed

[1]



resilient

resilient
re·sil·ient
adjective

1.  recovering
quickly:
able to recover quickly from setbacks

2.  elastic:
able to spring back quickly into shape after being bent, stretched, or deformed
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin resilient-, the present participle stem of resilire,
literally “to jump back,” from salire (see salient
).]
—re·sil·ient·ly, adverb[1]



resin

resin
res·in 
[rézzin] noun (plural res·ins)

1.  PLANTS organic
substance from plants: a solid or semisolid natural
organic substance secreted in the sap of some plants and trees that has a
transparent or translucent quality and a yellow or brown color. It is used in
varnishes, paints, adhesives, inks, and medicines.

2.  CHEMISTRY synthetic
compound resembling resin: a synthetic polymeric
compound physically resembling natural resin, for example, polyvinyl,
polystyrene, or epoxy, used in the petrochemical and plastics industries
transitive
verb
(past res·ined, past participle res·ined, present
participle res·in·ing, 3rd person present singular res·ins)

treat something with resin:
to coat or rub something with resin
[14th
century. Via Old French resine and Latin resina from, ultimately,
Greek rhētinē, of unknown origin (source also of English rosin ).]
—res·in·ous,
adjective

—res·in·ous·ly,
adverb

—res·in·ous·ness, noun[1]



resinate

resinate
res·in·ate 
[rézzi nàyt] (past res·in·at·ed,
past participle res·in·at·ed, present participle res·in·at·ing,
3rd person present singular res·in·ates) transitive verb

permeate something with
resin: to impregnate, saturate, or
flavor something with resin[1]



resincanal

resincanal
res·in
ca·nal
noun

resin-secreting area in woody
plants: a tubular space between
cells of woody vascular seed plants that is lined with resin-secreting cells[1]



resiniferous

resiniferous
res·in·if·er·ous 
[rèzzi níffərəss] adjective

producing resin:
producing, yielding, or secreting resin[1]



resinoid

resinoid
res·in·oid 
[rézzi nòyd] adjective

of
resin:
relating to or containing resin
noun
(plural res·in·oids)

synthetic resin:
a resinous, usually synthetic, substance[1]



resipsa loquitur

resipsa loquitur
res
ip·sa lo·qui·tur  [ràyss ípsə
lókwə tr, rz ípsə lókwi tr] noun

rule
of evidence: a rule of evidence that allows that mere
proof that an accident occurred is enough to prove negligence on the part of
the defendant
[From Latin, literally “the
thing speaks for itself”][1]



resist

resist
re·sist 
[ri zíst] verb (past re·sist·ed,
past participle re·sist·ed, present participle re·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sists)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fight
against somebody or something: to oppose and stand
firm against somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
refuse
to give in to something: to refuse to accept or
comply with something • resisted
all attempts to force them out of their homes

3.  transitive
verb
be
unharmed by something: to remain unaltered by the
damaging effect of something • ability
to resist infection

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb say no
to something tempting: to refrain from something in
spite of being tempted • I
couldn’t resist having a peek.
noun
(plural re·sists)

TECHNOLOGY protective
coating:
a protective coating, especially one used to prevent corrosion or oxidation,
provide electrical insulation in a printed circuit, or prevent part of a fabric
from accepting dye
[14th
century. Directly and via French résister from Latin resistere,
literally “to stand against,” from sistere “to make stand,” from stare
“to stand.”]
—re·sist·i·bil·i·ty
[ri zìstə bíllətee], noun

—re·sist·i·ble,
adjective

—re·sist·i·bly [ri zístəblee], adverb[1]



Resistance

Resistance
Re·sis·tance
noun

secret nationalist force
fighting occupation: an illegal
secret organization that fights for national freedom against an occupying
power, especially one that fought in France, the Netherlands, Denmark, or Italy
during World War II[1]



resistance

resistance
re·sis·tance 
[ri zístəns] (plural re·sis·tances)
noun

1.  opposition:
opposition to somebody or something

2.  refusal
to give in:
refusal to accept or comply with something

3.  MEDICINE PHYSIOLOGY ability to withstand damaging
effect:
the ability to remain unaltered by the damaging effect of something, for
example, an organism’s ability not to succumb to disease or infection

4.  ability
to say no to temptation: the ability to refrain from
something in spite of being tempted

5.  PHYSICS force
opposing another force: a force that opposes or
slows down another force. Symbol R Symbol r

6.  ELECTRICITY opposition
to an electric current: the opposition that a
circuit, component, or substance presents to the flow of electricity. Symbol
R

7.  ELECTRICITY source
of resistance: something such as a resistor that is a
source of opposition to the flow of electricity. Symbol R

8.  PSYCHOANALYSIS repression
of thoughts: the process by which the ego keeps
repressed thoughts and feelings from the conscious mind

[1]



resistant

resistant
re·sis·tant
[ri zístənt] adjective

1.  resisting:
offering resistance to something • resistant
to change

2.  not
damaged by something: unaltered by or impervious
to the damaging effect of something (often used in combination) • moisture-resistant
noun
(plural re·sis·tants)

somebody or something that resists:
somebody or something that offers resistance

[1]



resistive

resistive
re·sis·tive 
[ri zístiv] adjective

1.  See
resistant

2.  ELECTRICITY electrically
resistant:
having the property of electrical resistance
—re·sis·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·sis·tive·ness, noun[1]



resistivity

resistivity
re·sis·tiv·i·ty 
[ri zìs tívvətee] noun

1.  ELECTRICITY electrical
resistance of a standard-length substance: the
electrical resistance of a substance of a standard length and cross section.
Also
called
specific resistance Symbol ρ

2.  ability
to resist:
capacity to resist

[1]



resistless

resistless
re·sist·less 
[ri zístləss] adjective

1.  irresistible:
not able to be resisted

2.  unable
to resist:
not able to resist something

[1]



resistor

resistor

re·sis·tor 
[ri zístər] (plural re·sis·tors)
noun
component controlling the flow of
electricity: a component of an
electrical circuit that has resistance and is used to control the flow of
electric current[1]



resize

resize
re·size
[ree sz] (past re·sized, past
participle re·sized, present participle re·siz·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·sizes) transitive verb

change the size of something:
to make something a different size, for example, a dress pattern or graphics on
a computer screen[1]



resjudicata

resjudicata
res
ju·di·ca·ta 
[ràyss joodee ktə, rz
joodee ktə] or res ad·ju·di·ca·ta [ràyss ə joodee ktə, rz
ə joodee ktə] noun

issue
previously decided by a court: an issue already
decided by a court
[From Latin, literally
“judged matter”][1]



resole

resole
re·sole 
[ree sṓl] (past re·soled, past
participle re·soled, present participle re·sol·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·soles) transitive verb

put a new sole on a shoe:
to put a new sole on a shoe[1]



resoluble

resoluble2
re·sol·u·ble2  [ree
sóllyəb’l] adjective

capable
of being dissolved again: able to be dissolved again
[15th
century. Formed from soluble .]
—re·sol·u·bil·i·ty
[ree sòllyə bíllətee], noun

—re·sol·u·ble·ness
[ree sóllyəb’lnəss], noun

—re·sol·u·bly [ree sóllyəblee], adverb[1]



resoluble

resoluble1
re·sol·u·ble1  [ri
zóllyəb’l] adjective

able
to be resolved: able to be resolved or analyzed
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin resolubilis, from resolvere,
literally “to loosen up.”]
—res·ol·u·bil·ity
[ri zòllyə bíllətee], noun

—re·sol·u·ble·ness [ri zóllyəb’lnəss], noun[1]



resolute

resolute
res·o·lute 
[rézzə lt] adjective

1.  having
determination: possessing determination and
purposefulness

2.  characterized
by determination: motivated by or displaying determination
and purposefulness
[15th
century. From Latin resolutus, the past participle of resolvere
(see resolve ).]
—res·o·lute·ly,
adverb

—res·o·lute·ness, noun[1]



resolution

resolution
res·o·lu·tion 
[rèzzə lsh’n] (plural res·o·lu·tions)
noun

1.  resolving
of something: the process of resolving something • the
resolution of a difficulty

2.  joint
formal expression of opinion: a formal expression of the
consensus at a meeting, arrived at after discussion and usually as the result
of a vote

3.  decision:
a firm decision to do something

4.  determination:
firmness of mind or purpose

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING reproduction
of detail in an image: the level of reproduction of
detail offered by a TV or computer screen or a film image

6.  solution:
an answer to a problem

7.  PHYSICS CHEMISTRY separation into constituent
parts:
the process or act of separating something such as a chemical compound or a
source of light into its constituent parts

8.  MEDICINE subsiding:
the disappearance or coming to an end of symptom or condition such as fever or
inflammation

9.  MUSIC satisfactory
conclusion of a harmonic pattern: the movement from a
dissonant to a consonant chord or note

10. MUSIC final
note in a harmonic progression: the note or chord to
which the harmony moves when progressing from dissonance to consonance

11. THEATER part
of a story when conflict is resolved: the
point in a dramatic work when the conflict is resolved

12. PHYSICS See resolving power

13. POETRY syllable
replacement: the substitution of a long syllable for
two short ones in the rhythm of a line of poetry
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French from, ultimately, Latin resolut-, the past participle
stem of resolvere (see resolve ).][1]



resolve

resolve
re·solve 
[ri zólv] verb (past re·solved,
past participle re·solved, present participle re·solv·ing,
3rd person present singular re·solves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
decision:
to come to or cause somebody to come to a firm decision about something • He
resolved to leave.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb split
into constituent parts: to cause something to
separate into its constituent elements, or to become separated into constituent
parts

3.  transitive
verb
express
a joint opinion formally: to express the opinion of a
meeting formally as a consensus, after discussion and usually as the result of
a vote

4.  transitive
verb
solve
a difficulty: to find a solution to a problem

5.  transitive
verb
dispel
doubts:
to dispel doubts or anxieties

6.  transitive
verb
settle
an argument: to bring a disagreement to an end

7.  reflexive
verb
change:
to change into something else

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE make or become less swollen:
to subside or to cause an inflammation, swelling, or tumor to subside

9.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY separate
a racemic mixture: to separate a racemic
compound or mixture into its two components

10. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC move from dissonant to
consonant:
to move, or cause a chord or note to move, from dissonant to consonant

11. transitive
verb
PHYSICS make
parts of an image distinct: to make parts of an image
distinct, for example, in a microscope or telescope

12. transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS split
a vector into directional components: to
separate a vector into its directional components
noun
(plural re·solves)

1.  determination:
firmness of purpose

2.  decision:
a firm decision to do something
[14th
century. Directly and via Old French from Latin resolvere, literally “to
loosen up,” from solvere (see solve
).]
—re·solv·a·bil·i·ty
[ri zòlvə bíllətee], noun

—re·solv·a·ble
[ri zólvəb’l], adjective

—re·solv·a·ble·ness
[ri zólvəb’lnəss], noun

—re·solv·er, noun[1]



resolved

resolved
re·solved
[ri zólvd] adjective

determined:
determined in purpose
—re·sol·ved·ly
[ri zólvədlee], adverb

—re·solv·ed·ness [ri zólvədnəss], noun[1]



resolvent

resolvent
re·sol·vent 
[ri zólvənt] adjective

1.  SCIENCE causing
separation into constituent elements:
causing or capable of causing something to separate into its constituent
elements

2.  MEDICINE anti-inflammatory:
able to cause reduction in inflammation or swelling
noun
(plural re·sol·vents)

1.  SCIENCE something
causing separation into constituent elements: a
substance that causes or is capable of causing something to separate into its
constituent elements

2.  MEDICINE anti-inflammatory
medicine:
a medicine that reduces inflammation or swelling

[1]



resolvingpower

resolvingpower
re·solv·ing
pow·er
noun

ability to distinguish
adjacent objects: the ability of an
optical system such as a telescope or microscope to distinguish objects
separated by small angular distances.
Also called
resolution[1]



resonance

resonance
res·o·nance 
[rézzənəns] (plural res·o·nances)
noun

1.  resonant
quality:
the quality or state of being resonant

2.  underlying
meaning:
the effect of an event or work of art beyond its immediate or surface meaning

3.  ACOUSTICS amplified
sound:
an intense and prolonged sound produced by sympathetic vibration

4.  ACOUSTICS MUSIC ringing
quality of an instrument or voice: an amplification of a
sound, for example, that of an instrument or the human voice, caused by
sympathetic vibration in a chamber such as an auditorium or a singer’s chest

5.  PHYSICS large
oscillation at a natural frequency:
increased amplitude of oscillation of a mechanical system when it is subjected
to vibration from another source at or near its own natural frequency

6.  ELECTRICITY oscillation
in an electrical circuit: a state of oscillation that
occurs at a very specific frequency in an electrical circuit consisting of
inductive and capacitive components

7.  MEDICINE sound
when a body cavity is tapped: the sound heard during
tapping ( percussion ) of a healthy chest or
abdomen

8.  CHEMISTRY property
of certain chemical compounds: the property of some
chemical compounds of having characteristics of two or more electronic
structures simultaneously

[1]



resonant

resonant
res·o·nant 
[rézzənənt] adjective

1.  deep
in sound:
deep and rich in sound

2.  resounding:
continuing to sound for some time

3.  ACOUSTICS causing
echoes:
producing or increasing amplification of sound or echoes, usually by
sympathetic vibration
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin resonare
(see resonate ).]
—res·o·nant·ly, adverb[1]



resonate

resonate
res·o·nate 
[rézzə nàyt] (past res·o·nat·ed,
past participle res·o·nat·ed, present participle res·o·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular res·o·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb resound:
to resound or echo, or cause something to resound or echo

2.  have
extended effect: to have an effect or impact beyond that
which is immediately apparent

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRICITY
CHEMISTRY produce
or make something produce resonance: to
produce or exhibit chemical, mechanical, or electrical resonance, or to cause a
chemical compound or a electrical system to produce or exhibit resonance

4.  intransitive
verb
be
familiar:
to produce a response in somebody, especially by reminding that person of
something
[Late 19th century. From
Latin resonare “to resound,” from sonare “to sound.”][1]



resonator

resonator
res·o·na·tor 
[rézzə nàytər] (plural res·o·na·tors)
noun

1.  ELECTRICITY resonating
device:
a device or part that resonates, especially one that produces sound or
microwaves

2.  MUSIC resonating
part of an instrument: a part of a musical
instrument designed to produce resonance, for example, the hollow body of a
violin or the tubes in a vibraphone

[1]



resorb

resorb
re·sorb 
[ri sáwrb, ri
záwrb] (past re·sorbed, past participle re·sorbed,
present participle re·sorb·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·sorbs) transitive verb

absorb
again:
to absorb something again
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin resorbere, literally “to drink in again,” from sorbere
(see absorb ).]
—re·sor·bent, adjective[1]



resorcinol

resorcinol
res·or·cin·ol 
[ri záwrsi nàwl] noun

colorless
crystalline phenol: a colorless crystalline
phenol used in making dyes, resins, and drugs and in tanning. C6H6O2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from resin + orcin + -ol .][1]



resorption

resorption
re·sorp·tion 
[ri sáwrpshən, ri
záwrpshən] noun

1.  resorbing
or being resorbed: the process or state of
resorbing or being resorbed

2.  GEOLOGY partial
fusion of a crystal: the partial fusion of a
crystal in a magma in response to changing conditions of temperature and
pressure
[Early
19th century. Formed from resorb, on the
model of absorption .]
—re·sorp·tive [ri sáwrptəv, ri
záwrptiv], adjective[1]



re-sort

re-sort
re-sort 
(past re-sort·ed, past participle re-sort·ed, present
participle re-sort·ing, 3rd person present singular re-sorts)
transitive verb

sort again:
to sort something again[1]



resort

resort
re·sort 
[ri záwrt] (plural re·sorts) noun

1.  vacation
place:
a place that is popular for recreation and vacations and provides
accommodations and entertainment

2.  source
of help:
a person, place, or course of action seen as a source of help in dealing with a
problem • As
a last resort we could sell the car.

3.  act
of having recourse to: the act of turning to
somebody or something for help in dealing with a problem

4.  frequent
visiting:
the act of going somewhere frequently or in large numbers

5.  much-visited
place:
a place frequently visited
[14th century. From Old
French resortir, literally “to come back,” from sortir “to go
out” (source of English sortie ).][1]



resortto

resortto
resort
to
transitive verb

1.  have
recourse to something: to turn to something,
sometimes something extreme, for help in dealing with a problem

2.  go
somewhere frequently visited: to go somewhere that is
frequently visited, or go somewhere in large numbers

[1]



resound

resound
re·sound 
[ri zównd] (past re·sound·ed, past
participle re·sound·ed, present participle re·sound·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sounds) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a reverberating sound: to produce a long
reverberating sound

2.  intransitive
verb
sound
clearly:
to sound loudly and clearly

3.  intransitive
verb
be
filled with a reverberating sound: to be filled with a
long reverberating sound • The
hall resounded to the cheers of the audience.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
extremely well known: to be extremely well known,
especially over a long period or a wide area

5.  transitive
verb
say
something so that it echoes: to say something loudly and
in echoing tones
[14th century. Alteration of
Old French resoner (under the influence of sound
), from Latin resonare (see resonate
).][1]



resounding

resounding
re·sound·ing
[ri zównding] adjective

1.  clear
and emphatic: clear and unequivocal • a
resounding defeat

2.  echoing
loudly:
making a loud noise that echoes
—re·sound·ing·ly, adverb[1]



resource

resource
re·source
[r sàwrs, ri
sáwrs] noun (plural re·sour·ces)

1.  source
of help:
somebody who or something that can be used as a source of help or information

2.  backup
supply:
a reserve supply of something such as money, personnel, or equipment

3.  ability
to find solutions: adeptness at finding
solutions to problems

4.  See
natural resource
plural
noun
re·sour·ces

1.  talent
drawn on when necessary: an inner ability or capacity
that is drawn on in time of need

2.  nation’s
natural, economic, or military asset: a
natural, economic, political, or military asset enjoyed by a nation, for
example, mineral wealth, labor, capital, or military personnel

3.  COMMERCE company’s
asset:
a source drawn on by a company for making profit, for example, personnel,
capital, machinery, or stock
[Early
17th century. Via French, from, ultimately, Latin resurgere “to rise
again, be replenished,” from surgere, literally “to rise up from
below.”]
—re·source·less [r sàwrsləss, ri
sáwrsləss], adjective[1]



resourceful

resourceful
re·source·ful 
[ri sáwrsfəl] adjective

ingenious
and enterprising: full of initiative and good at
problem-solving, especially in difficult situations
—re·source·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·source·ful·ness, noun[1]



resp.

resp.
resp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
respective

2.  Abbreviation
of
respectively

3.  Abbreviation
of
respiration

4.  Abbreviation
of
respondent

[1]



respect

respect
re·spect 
[ri spékt] noun (plural re·spects)

1.  characteristic:
an individual characteristic or point • satisfactory
in all respects

2.  esteem:
a feeling or attitude of admiration and deference toward somebody or something
• won
the respect of her colleagues

3.  state
of being admired: the state of being admired deferentially

4.  thoughtfulness:
consideration or thoughtfulness
plural
noun
re·spects

regards:
polite greetings offered to somebody
transitive
verb
(past re·spect·ed, past participle re·spect·ed, present
participle re·spect·ing, 3rd person present singular re·spects)

1.  esteem
somebody or something: to feel or show admiration
and deference toward somebody or something

2.  not
go against or violate something: to pay due attention
to and refrain from violating something • respect
the law
• respect
another’s privacy

3.  be
considerate toward somebody or something: to
show consideration or thoughtfulness in relation to somebody or something
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin respectus, the past participle of respicere
“to regard,” literally “to look back at,” from specere “to look at.”]
—re·spect·er
(plural re·spect·ers), noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



respectable

respectable
re·spect·a·ble 
[ri spéktəb’l] adjective

1.  morally
above reproach: in accordance with accepted standards of
correctness or decency • a
respectable district

2.  satisfactory:
meeting an adequate standard • a
respectable salary

3.  worthy
of respect:
deserving or receiving respect

4.  large
enough:
sufficiently large

5.  acceptable
in appearance: tidy and fit to be seen in public (informal)
—re·spect·a·bil·i·ty
[ri spèktə bíllətee], noun

—re·spect·a·ble·ness
[ri spéktəb’lnəss], noun

—re·spect·a·bly [ri spéktəblee], adverb[1]



respected

respected
re·spect·ed
[ri spéktəd] adjective

esteemed:
held in high regard by equals as well as subordinates[1]



respectful

respectful
re·spect·ful 
[ri spéktfəl] adjective

showing
respect:
showing appropriate deference and respect
—re·spect·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·spect·ful·ness, noun[1]



respecting

respecting
re·spect·ing 
[ri spékting] preposition

regarding:
regarding or concerning somebody or something[1]



respective

respective
re·spec·tive 
[ri spéktiv] adjective

relating
separately to each one: varying according to each of
the people or things concerned • They
returned to their respective homes.
—re·spec·tive·ness, noun[1]



respectively

respectively
re·spec·tive·ly 
[ri spéktivlee] adverb

correspondingly:
matching one list with another in the order given for both • Joe
and his wife are aged 52 and 51 respectively.[1]



respell

respell
re·spell 
[ree spél] (past re·spelled, past
participle re·spelled, present participle re·spell·ing,
3rd person present singular re·spells) transitive verb

give
another spelling of something: to spell something
again or in a different way, especially using a different alphabet in order to
give guidance on pronunciation
—re·spell·ing, noun[1]



respirable

respirable
res·pi·ra·ble 
[réspərəb’l, ri
sprəb’l] adjective

breathable:
fit or able to be breathed
—res·pi·ra·bil·i·ty [rèspərə bíllətee, ri
sprə bíllətee], noun[1]



respiration

respiration

res·pi·ra·tion 
[rèspə ráysh’n] noun

1.  breathing:
the act of breathing air in and out

2.  BIOLOGY distribution
of oxygen:
the complete chemical and physical process in which oxygen is delivered to
tissues or cells of the body and carbon dioxide and water are given off

3.  BIOLOGY oxidation
process in cells: an energy-producing oxidation process in
cells
—res·pi·ra·tion·al [rèspə ráyshən’l, rèspə
ráyshnəl], adjective[1]



respirator

respirator
res·pi·ra·tor 
[réspə ràytər] (plural res·pi·ra·tors)
noun

1.  machine
providing artificial respiration: a machine used in
hospitals to maintain breathing.
Also
called
inhalator

2.  protective
mask through which to breathe: a device placed over
the nose and mouth to filter out noxious particles and fumes from inhaled air
or to warm chilled air before it is inhaled

[1]



respiratory

respiratory
res·pi·ra·to·ry
[réspərə tàwree, ri
sprə tàwree] adjective

relating to breathing:
relating to or used in breathing or the system in the body that takes in and
distributes oxygen[1]



respiratorydistress syndrome

respiratorydistress syndrome
res·pi·ra·to·ry
dis·tress syn·drome noun

respiratory disease of
newborns: a respiratory disease of
newborns, especially premature infants, caused by the inability of the lungs to
take in oxygen and marked by cyanosis and difficult breathing[1]



respiratorypigment

respiratorypigment
res·pi·ra·to·ry
pig·ment
(plural res·pi·ra·to·ry pig·ments) noun

protein important in
respiration: a protein such as
hemoglobin found in any of several colors in the cells of living organisms and
serving to transfer oxygen atoms among some molecules active in cellular
respiration[1]



respiratoryquotient

respiratoryquotient
res·pi·ra·to·ry
quo·tient
noun

ratio of carbon dioxide to
oxygen: the ratio of the volume of
carbon dioxide released to the volume of oxygen absorbed by an organism, cell,
or tissue over a given time period[1]



respiratorysystem

respiratorysystem

res·pi·ra·to·ry sys·tem
noun
air-breathing system:
the system of organs in the body responsible for the intake of oxygen and the
expiration of carbon dioxide. In mammals it consists of the lungs, bronchi,
bronchioles, trachea, diaphragm, and nerve supply.[1]



respire

respire
re·spire 
[ri spr] (past re·spired, past
participle re·spired, present participle re·spir·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·spires) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breathe:
to breathe air in and out

2.  intransitive
verb
breathe
normally after anxiety or exertion: to
breathe again in a normal way after anxiety or exertion (literary)
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin respirare, literally “to breathe again,” from spirare
“to breathe.”][1]



respirometer

respirometer
res·pi·rom·e·ter 
[rèspə rómmətər] (plural res·pi·rom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring respiration: an instrument for measuring
and studying the process in which oxygen is taken into the body, delivered to
tissues and cells, and used by them
[Late
19th century. Coined from respiration + -meter .]
—res·pi·ro·met·ric
[rèspərō méttrik], adjective

—res·pi·rom·e·try [rèspə rómmətree], noun[1]



respite

respite
res·pite 
[réspit] (plural res·pites) noun

1.  brief
interval of rest: a brief period of rest and recovery
between periods of exertion or after something disagreeable

2.  delay:
a temporary delay

3.  LAW reprieve:
a temporary stay of execution of a criminal
[13th century. Via Old
French, “refuge,” from Latin respectus, the past participle of respicere
“to look back.”][1]



resplendent

resplendent
re·splen·dent 
[ri spléndənt] adjective

dazzling:
having a dazzlingly impressive appearance • resplendent
in his dress uniform
[15th
century. From Latin resplendere, literally “to shine brightly,” from splendere
“to shine.”]
—re·splen·dence,
noun

—re·splen·dent·ly, adverb[1]



respond

respond
re·spond 
[ri spónd] verb (past re·spond·ed,
past participle re·spond·ed, present participle re·spond·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sponds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb provide
an answer:
to reply something or to something in spoken or written words

2.  intransitive
verb
react:
to act or do something in reaction to something else • was
unsure of how to respond to his moods

3.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE have
a positive medical reaction: to react positively to
medical treatment
noun
(plural re·sponds)

1.  ARCHITECTURE pilaster
or pillar supporting arch: a pilaster or pillar that
supports an arch

2.  CHRISTIANITY MUSIC choral
part of an anthem: the choral part in an anthem
for priest and choir following a lesson in a church service
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French respondre from Latin respondere,
literally “to promise in return,” from spondere “to pledge.”]
—re·spon·dence, noun[1]



respondent

respondent
re·spon·dent 
[ri spóndənt] noun (plural re·spon·dents)

1.  answerer:
somebody who replies to something

2.  LAW defendant:
the person against whom a divorce petition or an appeal is brought
adjective

1.  responding:
giving a response

2.  LAW being
a respondent: being a defendant in a divorce petition
or appeal

[1]



responsa

responsa
re·spon·sa 
[ri spónsə]

Plural of
responsum[1]



response

response
re·sponse 
[ri spóns] (plural re·sponses)
noun

1.  reply
given to a question: something said or written in
reply to a statement or question from somebody else

2.  reaction:
something done in reaction to something else

3.  CARD GAMES bid
in bridge:
a bid in bridge that is in reply to a partner’s bid or double

4.  CHRISTIANITY reply
made by church choir: a phrase sung or spoken by
the choir or congregation in reply to the officiant during a church service

5.  MEDICINE body’s
reaction to stimulus: the reaction of an organism
or any of its parts to a stimulus
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin responsum, from the past
participle of respondere (see respond
).]
—re·sponse·less
[ri spónsləss], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at answer

[1]



responsibility

responsibility
re·spon·si·bil·i·ty 
[ri spònsə bíllətee] (plural re·spon·si·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  accountability:
the state, fact, or position of being accountable to somebody or for something
• The
responsibilities of parenthood

2.  blame:
the blame for something that has happened • took
full responsibility for the mix-up

3.  something
to be responsible for: somebody or something for
which a person or organization is responsible

4.  authority
to act:
authority to make decisions independently

[1]



responsible

responsible
re·spon·si·ble 
[ri spónsəb’l] adjective

1.  answerable
to somebody: accountable to somebody for an action or
for the successful carrying out of a duty

2.  important:
conferring the authority to take decisions independently and requiring
conscientiousness and trustworthiness • in
a responsible position

3.  being
to blame for something: being the cause of
something, usually something wrong or disapproved of • Who’s
responsible for this mess?

4.  in
charge of somebody or something: expected to deal with
something or take care of somebody

5.  reliable:
able to be counted on owing to qualities of conscientiousness and
trustworthiness

6.  rational
and accountable for your actions: capable of taking
rational or moral decisions, and therefore accountable for your actions

7.  having
authority to act: having the authority to take decisions
independently

8.  FINANCE financially
sound:
having adequate means to meet financial obligations
[Late
16th century. Via obsolete French, “corresponding,” from Latin respons-,
the past participle stem of respondere (see respond
).]
—re·spon·si·ble·ness
[ri spónsəb’lnəss], noun

—re·spon·si·bly [ri spónsəblee], adverb[1]



responsive

responsive
re·spon·sive 
[ri spónsiv] adjective

1.  showing
a positive response: reacting quickly, strongly,
or favorably to something, especially a suggestion or proposal

2.  done
in response: serving to respond to something

3.  CHRISTIANITY consisting
of a choir’s or congregation’s responses:
consisting of responses by a choir or congregation in a church service
—re·spon·sive·ly,
adverb

—re·spon·sive·ness, noun[1]



responsory

responsory
re·spon·so·ry 
[ri spónsəree] (plural re·spon·so·ries)
noun

chant
with responses: an anthem consisting of short verses
sung or spoken by the officiant and responses sung or spoken by the choir,
especially after the lesson in a church service
—re·spon·so·ri·al [ri spòn sáwree əl], adjective[1]



responsum

responsum
re·spon·sum 
[ri spónsəm] (plural re·spon·sa
[ri spónsə]) noun

rabbinic
answer to a religious question: a definitive written
reply by a rabbinic authority to a question on religion
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “reply,” from the past participle of respondere (see respond ).][1]



respublica

respublica
res
pub·li·ca 
[ràyss pbli k, rz
púbblikə] noun

1.  POLITICS concept
of the state: the state, a republic, or the
commonwealth as a concept

2.  public
good:
the public or common good
[From Latin, literally
“public matter”][1]



ressentiment

ressentiment
res·sen·ti·ment 
[rə sNti mN] noun

resentment
marked by powerlessness: a feeling of resentment and
hostility characterized by an inability to act to change the situation
[Mid-20th century. Directly
or via German from French, formed from ressentir (see resent ).][1]



rest

rest2
rest2 [rest]
noun

remainder:
something left as a remainder (takes a singular or plural verb)
intransitive
verb
(past rest·ed, past participle rest·ed, present
participle rest·ing, 3rd person present singular rests)

continue
to be:
to remain or continue to be (usually used as a command) • Rest
assured that we’re doing everything possible.
[15th century. From French reste
“remnant,” from rester “to remain,” from Latin restare “to stay
behind,” literally “to stand back,” from stare (see station ).][1]



rest

rest1
rest1 [rest]
noun (plural rests)

1.  cessation
of labor:
a state or period of refreshing freedom from exertion • a
period of rest and recreation

2.  refreshing
repose of sleep: the repose of sleep that is refreshing
to body and mind and is marked by a reduction in metabolic activity

3.  cessation
of movement: the cessation of movement or action

4.  repose
of death:
death perceived as freedom from earthly toil

5.  freedom
from anxiety: freedom from mental or emotional anxiety
• I
put her mind at rest.

6.  MUSIC pause
in music:
a rhythmic pause between musical notes, or the mark indicating a musical pause

7.  POETRY See caesura

8.  place
to stop and relax: a stopping place for shelter
and relaxation

9.  support:
something used for support, especially on a piece of furniture
verb
(past rest·ed, past participle rest·ed, present
participle rest·ing, 3rd person present singular rests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sleep
or relax:
to restore energy to somebody or something by means of relaxation or sleep • rest
the sled dogs • Put
your feet up and rest.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
tranquil:
to be in a state of tranquility

3.  intransitive
verb
be
dead:
to be dead, and so free from earthly concerns

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
moving:
to cease activity, or cause something to cease activity

5.  intransitive
verb
be
left alone:
to be subject to no further discussion or attention • Let
the matter rest.

6.  intransitive
verb
lie
fallow:
to lie unfarmed

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb support
or be supported: to support something, or to be
supported, on or against something • The
ornament was resting on a narrow ledge.

8.  intransitive
verb
come
to stop:
to allow the eyes to come to a stop on somebody or something

9.  intransitive
verb
be
vested:
to be vested or placed in somebody or something

10. intransitive
verb
depend
on somebody or something: to depend on somebody or
something for action or as a burden or responsibility

11. intransitive
verb
be
based on something: to rely on something for
proof or explanation

12. intransitive
and transitive verb LAW conclude a legal case:
to conclude the presentation of evidence in a case • I
rest my case.
[The
verb is from Old English ræstan ; the noun from Old English ræst,
both of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—rest·er, noun[1]



restarea

restarea
rest
ar·e·a
noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand stopping
place for drivers: an area at
the side of a major road where motorists can rest. These areas may be equipped
with picnic tables, light refreshments, or toilet facilities.
Also called
rest stop[1]



restart

restart
re·start 
(past re·start·ed, past participle re·start·ed, present
participle re·start·ing, 3rd person present singular re·starts)
intransitive and transitive verb [ree strt]

1.  resume
something:
to begin doing something again after it was stopped or suspended

2.  get
something working again: to start something or get it
working again
—re·start,
noun

—re·start·a·ble, adjective[1]



restate

restate
re·state 
[ree stáyt] (past re·stat·ed, past
participle re·stat·ed, present participle re·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·states) transitive verb

say something again:
to say something again, especially in order to clarify or summarize what has
already been said • time
to restate our goals[1]



restaurant

restaurant
res·tau·rant 
[réstərənt, réstə
rònt] (plural res·tau·rants) noun

eating
place:
a place where meals and drinks are sold and served to customers
[Early 19th century. From
French, the present participle of restaurer (see restore ).][1]



restaurantcar

restaurantcar
res·tau·rant
car
(plural res·tau·rant cars) noun

U.K.
See dining car[1]



restaurateur

restaurateur
res·tau·ra·teur 
[rèstərə túr] (plural res·tau·ra·teurs)
or res·tau·ran·teur [réstərəntər,
réstə ròntər] (plural restau·ran·teurs)
noun

restaurant
manager:
somebody who owns or manages a restaurant
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “restorer,” from restaurer (see restore ).][1]



restcure

restcure
rest
cure
(plural rest cures) noun

treatment involving rest:
a treatment involving complete rest, for example, as a remedy for stress[1]



rested

rested
rest·ed
[réstəd] adjective

refreshed and relaxed:
refreshed and relaxed following a period of rest[1]



restful

restful
rest·ful 
[réstfəl] adjective

1.  providing
rest:
giving, promoting, or involving rest • a
restful vacation

2.  calm:
at rest or tranquil
—rest·ful·ly,
adverb

—rest·ful·ness, noun[1]



restharrow

restharrow
rest·har·row 
[rést hèrrō] (plural rest·har·rows)
noun

flowering
plant with pods: a pod-bearing plant of Europe and Asia
that has three-lobed leaves, woody stems and roots, and clusters of white,
purple, or pink flowers. Latin name: Ononsis repens Ononsis spinosa
[So called because its tough
roots can stop, or arrest, the progress of a harrow][1]



resthome

resthome
rest
home
(plural rest homes) noun

home for senior citizens:
a place where infirm senior citizens and chronically ill people are housed and
cared for (dated)[1]



resting

resting
rest·ing 
[résting] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY immobile:
used to describe organisms that are not moving or active

2.  dead:
having recently died (used euphemistically)

3.  CELL BIOLOGY not
dividing:
not undergoing cell division

4.  BOTANY dormant:
used to describe spores, seeds, and eggs that are dormant before germination

[1]



restitution

restitution
res·ti·tu·tion 
[rèstə tsh’n] noun

1.  giving
back:
the return of something to its rightful owner

2.  paying
back:
compensation for a loss, damage, or injury

3.  restoration:
the return of something to the condition it was in before it was changed
[13th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem restitution-,
ultimately from restituere “to restore,” from statuere (see statue ).]
—res·ti·tu·tive
[réstə ttiv], adjective

—res·ti·tu·to·ry [rèstə ttəree, ri
stíchə tàwree], adjective[1]



restive

restive
res·tive 
[réstiv] adjective

1.  uneasy:
uneasy and on the verge of resisting control • The
people soon grew restive under the rule of the occupying force.

2.  impatient:
having little patience and unwilling to tolerate annoyances

3.  obstinate
or awkward:
unwilling to be guided or controlled • a
restive horse
[Late
16th century. An alteration of earlier restiff, from Old French restif,
from, ultimately, Latin restare “to rest.”]
—res·tive·ly,
adverb

—res·tive·ness, noun[1]



restless

restless
rest·less 
[réstləss] adjective

1.  constantly
moving:
constantly moving, or unable to be still • Some
waited patiently but others were restless.

2.  discontented:
seeking a change because of discontent • He
began to feel restless after only a few weeks in the job.

3.  sleepless:
lacking rest or sleep • She
spent a restless night worrying.
—rest·less·ly,
adverb

—rest·less·ness, noun[1]



restmass

restmass
rest
mass
(plural rest mass·es) noun

mass of immobile object:
the mass a body has when it is not moving, as opposed to the additional mass it
gains as a result of its movement, according to the theory of relativity[1]



restock

restock
re·stock 
[ree stók] (past re·stocked, past
participle re·stocked, present participle re·stock·ing,
3rd person present singular re·stocks) intransitive and
transitive verb

replace
or refill something: to replace or refill
something after it has been used or its contents emptied
—re·stock·able, adjective[1]



restoration

restoration
res·to·ra·tion 
[rèstə ráysh’n] (plural res·to·ra·tions)
noun

1.  restoring
of something: the return of something that was
removed, or the restoring of something to a former condition • calls
for the restoration of curfews

2.  thing
restored:
something, especially a building, that has been brought back to an earlier and
usually better condition

3.  model:
a model made to resemble or represent something in its original condition • a
restoration of a Neandertal dwelling

[1]



Restoration

Restoration
Res·to·ra·tion
noun

return to monarchy:
the reestablishment of monarchy in Great Britain under Charles II in 1660, or
the period of his reign[1]



restorative

restorative
re·stor·a·tive 
[ri stáwrətiv] adjective

giving
new strength: tending or meant to give somebody new
strength or vigor • restorative properties
of a vacation
noun

something
that restores: something that gives somebody new
strength or vigor, especially an activity or medication
—re·stor·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·stor·a·tive·ness, noun[1]



restore

restore
re·store 
[ri stáwr] (past re·stored, past
participle re·stored, present participle re·stor·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·stores) transitive verb

1.  give
something back: to return something to its proper owner
or place

2.  return
something to previous condition: to bring something
back to an earlier and better condition • techniques
used to restore old oil paintings

3.  make
somebody feel better: to give somebody new
strength or vigor • I felt restored after
my weekend away.

4.  return
somebody to previous position: to return somebody to
a previously held rank, office, or position • restore
the ousted governor to his office

5.  put
something back: to reestablish or put back something
that was once but is no longer there • restore
order in the capital
[13th
century. Via Old French restorer from Latin restaurare, literally
“to set upright again,” from the stem -staurare .]
—re·stor·a·ble,
adjective

—re·stor·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at renew

[1]



restrain

restrain
re·strain 
[ri stráyn] (past re·strained,
past participle re·strained, present participle re·strain·ing,
3rd person present singular re·strains) transitive verb

1.  hold
somebody back: to prevent somebody or yourself from
doing something • I couldn’t restrain
myself from calling out.

2.  control
something:
to keep something under control or within limits • trying
to restrain his desire to flee

3.  control
somebody:
to physically control the movements of a person or animal • Restrain
him before he hurts someone.

4.  imprison
somebody:
to put somebody in prison or otherwise take away his or her freedom
[14th
century. Via Old French restreindre from Latin restingere “to
bind fast, confine,” from stringere (see strain
).]
—re·strain·a·ble, adjective[1]



restrained

restrained
re·strained
[ri stráynd] adjective

showing
restraint:
characterized by control, especially in not being excessively emotional or
aggressive • the
artist’s restrained use of color
—re·strain·ed·ly [ri stráynədlee], adverb[1]



restrainingorder

restrainingorder
re·strain·ing
or·der
(plural re·strain·ing or·ders) noun

court order:
a court order that commands somebody to stop doing something until the issuing
court can determine its legality[1]



restraint

restraint
re·straint 
[ri stráynt] (plural re·straints)
noun

1.  holding
back:
an act or the quality of holding back, limiting, or controlling something • Although
severely provoked, she showed admirable restraint in not retaliating.

2.  restraining
thing:
something that controls or limits somebody or something • impose
trade restraints

3.  holding
device:
something that is fastened to limit somebody’s freedom of movement
[14th century. From Old
French restreinte, the feminine past participle of restreindre
(see restrain ).][1]



restraintof trade

restraintof trade
re·straint
of trade
noun

restricting business
activities: the limiting of commercial
competition by means such as price-fixing or monopolistic practices[1]



restrict

restrict
re·strict 
[ri stríkt] (past re·strict·ed,
past participle re·strict·ed, present participle re·strict·ing,
3rd person present singular re·stricts) transitive verb

keep
something within limits: to keep something within
fixed limits • Entry
is restricted to members only.
[15th century. From Latin restrictus,
the past participle of restringere (see restrain
).][1]



restricted

restricted
re·strict·ed 
[ri stríktəd] adjective

1.  limited:
limited or made smaller or less than might be desired • It’s
difficult to turn the vehicle in such a restricted space.

2.  subject
to controls: subject to controls or limits, for
example, of time or availability • restricted
use of the facilities

3.  requiring
authorization: intended only for authorized people • That
information is restricted.
—re·strict·ed·ly, adverb[1]



restriction

restriction
re·stric·tion 
[ri stríkshən] (plural re·stric·tions)
noun

1.  something
that limits: something that limits or controls
something else • There are restrictions
on the use of the photocopier.

2.  act
or state of restricting: a restricting of something,
or the condition of being restricted • the
restriction of a person’s freedom

[1]



restrictionenzyme

restrictionenzyme
re·stric·tion
en·zyme
(plural re·stric·tion en·zymes) noun

enzyme used to break down
DNA: an enzyme that can be used
to break down DNA into segments at precise locations for use in genetic
engineering[1]



restrictionfragment

restrictionfragment
re·stric·tion
frag·ment
(plural re·stric·tion frag·ments) noun

separated part of DNA
molecule: a portion of a larger DNA
molecule that has been separated at precise locations by a restriction enzyme[1]



restrictive

restrictive
re·stric·tive 
[ri stríktiv] adjective

1.  tending
to limit:
acting as a limit or control on something

2.  GRAMMAR limiting
a meaning:
limiting the range of reference or application of a word, phrase, or clause
—re·stric·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·stric·tive·ness, noun[1]



restrictivecovenant

restrictivecovenant
re·stric·tive
cov·e·nant 
(plural re·stric·tive cov·e·nants) noun

limitation on use of land:
a stipulation on a party buying or leasing land to refrain from something, for
example, reselling or subletting it[1]



restrike

restrike
re·strike 
(plural re·strikes) noun [r
strk]

reissued
coin:
a coin struck at a later date from a die that has already been used to produce
the original issue
—re·strike, transitive
verb[1]



restroom

restroom
rest·room 
[rést rm, rést
rm] (plural rest·rooms) noun

room with toilet:
a room that includes a toilet, especially in a building used by the public[1]



restructure

restructure
re·struc·ture 
[ree strúkchər] (past re·struc·tured,
past participle re·struc·tured, present participle re·struc·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular re·struc·tures) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
something’s basic structure: to change the way in which
something is organized or arranged • restructure
the company

2.  transitive
verb
FINANCE reorganize
a debt:
to alter the terms of a loan, especially to relieve its burden on the debtor

[1]



restructuring

restructuring
re·struc·tur·ing
[ree strúkchəring] noun

reorganization:
the process or an instance of changing the way in which something is organized
or arranged[1]



reststop

reststop
rest
stop
(plural rest stops) noun

1.  See
rest area

2.  break
in journey:
a break in a journey for the use of a restroom or for refreshment.
Also
called
pit stop

[1]



result

result
re·sult 
[ri zúlt] intransitive verb (past
re·sult·ed, past participle re·sult·ed, present
participle re·sult·ing, 3rd person present singular re·sults)

1.  follow
as consequence: to follow as a consequence of a
particular action, condition, or event • This
kind of error results from inattention.

2.  cause
an outcome:
to produce a particular outcome • Overgrazing
results in soil erosion.
noun
(plural re·sults)

1.  consequence:
something that follows as a consequence of a particular action, condition, or
event

2.  number:
a number arrived at by a calculation

3.  score:
an outcome, especially the final score in a sporting competition or the grade
awarded to somebody who has taken a test • The
results were in Saturday’s paper.
plural
noun
re·sults

desired outcome:
the desired outcome from an action • The
new policy is already showing results.
[15th century. From Latin resultare
“to spring back, reverberate” (“to result” in medieval Latin ), from saltare
“to jump” (source of English sauté
).][1]



resultant

resultant

re·sul·tant 
[ri zúltnət] adjective

resulting from:
happening as a consequence of something else
noun (plural
re·sul·tants)

1.  outcome
of something else: something that is an outcome
of something else such as a calculation

2.        PHYSICS MATHEMATICS single
vector equivalent to others added: a
single vector that is equivalent to two or more other vectors[1]



resultanttone

resultanttone
re·sul·tant
tone
(plural re·sul·tant tones) noun

combination of tones:
a tone that is created by the sounding together of two other tones but is
different from both of them[1]



resume

resume
re·sume 
[ri zm] (past re·sumed, past
participle re·sumed, present participle re·sum·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·sumes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb continue
something:
to continue with something after a temporary halt

2.  transitive
verb
take
something again: to take, assume, or occupy a position
again • She
came in and resumed her place at the head of the table.
[15th
century. Directly or via French résumer from Latin resumere “to
take up again,” from sumere “to take” (source of English assume ).]
—re·sum·a·ble, adjective[1]



resumption

resumption
re·sump·tion 
[ri zúmpshən] (plural re·sump·tions)
noun

continuing
something temporarily stopped: the act or an instance
of continuing with something that has been stopped for a while • hoping
for a resumption of negotiations
[15th century. Directly or
via French résumption from Latin resumpt-, the past participle
stem of resumere (see resume ).][1]



resupinate

resupinate
re·su·pi·nate 
[ri spə nàyt, ri
spənət] adjective

upside
down:
used to describe a plant part, especially the flower of an orchid, that grows
upside down or appears to do so
[Late
18th century. From Latin resupinatus, the past participle of resupinare
“to bend back,” ultimately from supinus “turned upwards.”]
—re·su·pi·na·tion [ri spə náysh’n], noun[1]



resurface

resurface
re·sur·face 
[ree súrfəss] (past re·sur·faced,
past participle re·sur·faced, present participle re·sur·fac·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sur·fac·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
to surface again: to come back to the surface of a body of
water after having submerged

2.  intransitive
verb
appear
again:
to appear again after having disappeared or been absent • He
resurfaced in Bangkok after the war.

3.  transitive
verb
put
new surface on something: to put a new surface on
something, especially a road

[1]



resurge

resurge
re·surge 
[ri súrj] (past re·surged, past
participle re·surged, present participle re·surg·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·surg·es) intransitive verb

1.  rise
again:
to rise or grow strong again

2.  sweep
back:
to sweep forward or back in a powerful way • watched
the waves dissipate and resurge along the rocky shore
[Late 16th century. From
Latin resurgere, from surgere (see surge
).][1]



resurgent

resurgent
re·sur·gent 
[ri súrjənt] adjective

rising
again:
rising or becoming stronger again
[Late
18th century. From Latin resurgere (see resurge
).]
—re·sur·gence, noun[1]



resurrect

resurrect
res·ur·rect 
[rèzzə rékt] (past res·ur·rect·ed,
past participle res·ur·rect·ed, present participle res·ur·rect·ing,
3rd person present singular res·ur·rects) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb raise
somebody from dead: to come or bring somebody
back to life after apparent death

2.  transitive
verb
reinstate
something:
to bring back into use something that had been stopped or discarded • resurrect
an old argument
[Late 18th century.
Back-formation from resurrection .][1]



Resurrection

Resurrection
Res·ur·rec·tion
noun

1.  Jesus
Christ’s rising from the dead: in Christian belief,
the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead after his crucifixion and entombment

2.  rising
of dead on Judgment Day: the rising of the dead on
Judgment Day, as anticipated by Christians, Jews, and Muslims

[1]



resurrection

resurrection
res·ur·rec·tion 
[rèzzə rékshən] (plural res·ur·rec·tions)
noun

1.  rising
from dead:
in some systems of belief, a rising from or raising of somebody from the dead,
or the state of having risen from the dead

2.  revival:
the revival of something old or long disused • the
resurrection of a youthful dream
[13th
century. Via Old French résurrection from, ultimately, Latin resurrect-,
the past participle stem of resurgere (see resurge
).]
—res·ur·rec·tion·al, adjective[1]



resurrectionplant

resurrectionplant
res·ur·rec·tion
plant
(plural res·ur·rec·tion plants) noun

desert plant:
a plant that survives well in hot dry conditions for example, the Rose of
Jericho[1]



resuscitate

resuscitate
re·sus·ci·tate 
[ri sússə tàyt] (past re·sus·ci·tat·ed,
past participle re·sus·ci·tat·ed, present participle re·sus·ci·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·sus·ci·tates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb revive
somebody or be revived: to revive somebody or be
revived from unconsciousness or apparent death

2.  transitive
verb
return
something to popularity: to revive waning interest in
something such as a style or project
[Early
16th century. From Latin resuscitare, from suscitare “to raise,”
literally “to move from under,” from citare (see cite ).]
—re·sus·ci·ta·ble
[ri sússətəb’l], adjective

—re·sus·ci·ta·tion
[ri sùssə táysh’n], noun

—re·sus·ci·ta·tive [ri sússə tàytiv], adjective[1]



resuscitator

resuscitator
re·sus·ci·ta·tor 
[ri sússə tàytər] (plural re·sus·ci·ta·tors)
noun

reviver:
somebody who resuscitates somebody else, or more commonly, a machine used to
reestablish normal breathing or heartbeat[1]



ret

ret
ret 
[ret] (past ret·ted, past
participle ret·ted, present participle ret·ting, 3rd
person present singular rets) intransitive and transitive verb

soak
plant fibers: to soak or moisten plant fibers such as
flax or hemp so that they become easier to separate
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch reeten .][1]



ret.

ret.
ret.

1.  LAW Abbreviation of retain

2.  Abbreviation
of
retired

3.  LAW Abbreviation of return

4.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
returned

[1]



retable

retable
re·ta·ble 
[r tàyb’l, réttəb’l]
(plural re·ta·bles) noun

structure
behind altar: a shelf or setting behind an altar for
holding candles, flowers, or religious images
[Early 19th century. Via
French rétable from, ultimately, Latin retro- “back” + tabula
“table.”][1]



retail

retail
re·tail 
[r tàyl] noun

sale to consumers:
the selling of goods in small amounts directly to customers, for example, in
stores • She
works in retail.
Also
called
retailing
adverb

in small, not bulk, amounts:
from an ordinary store or at the regular customer price and in small amounts
rather than in bulk • I
bought it retail.
verb
(past re·tailed, past participle re·tailed, present
participle re·tail·ing, 3rd person present singular re·tails)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
goods:
to sell goods, or be sold, to customers in small amounts and without a discount
• This
item usually retails at a much higher price.

2.  transitive
verb
repeat
something heard: to regularly repeat what is heard,
especially gossip
[14th
century. From Old French retaille “piece cut off,” ultimately from taillier
“to cut” (source of English tailor ),
the underlying idea being to sell in small quantities, not wholesale.]
—re·tail·er, noun[1]



retailprice index

retailprice index
re·tail
price in·dex noun

U.K.
inflation guide:
a list of the prices of essential consumer goods that is published each month
by the government to show how much prices in general have risen or fallen[1]



retain

retain
re·tain 
[ri táyn] (past re·tained, past
participle re·tained, present participle re·tain·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·tains) transitive verb

1.  keep
something:
to keep possession of something • Despite
losing the court case he retains all rights to the magazine article.

2.  remember
things:
to be able to keep ideas or information in mind or memory

3.  keep
something in position: to keep or hold something in
a place or position • water
retained by a dam

4.  hold
something within: to be able to hold or accumulate
something, especially liquid

5.  pay
somebody to do work: to pay somebody regularly to
do work

6.  hire
professional person: to pay a preliminary fee to
reserve the services of an attorney, accountant, or other professional whenever
needed
[14th
century. Via the Anglo-Norman stem retaign- from, ultimately, Latin retinere
“to hold back” (source of English rein
), from tenere “to hold” (see tenant
).]
—re·tain·a·bil·i·ty
[ri tàynə bíllətee], noun

—re·tain·a·ble
[ri táynəb’l], adjective

—re·tain·ment, noun[1]



retainedobject

retainedobject
re·tained
ob·ject 
(plural re·tained ob·jects) noun

object of passive verb:
the direct or indirect object of a passive verb, for example, “letter” in “She
was sent a letter by her brother”[1]



retainer

retainer1
re·tain·er1 [ri
táynər] (plural re·tain·ers) noun

1.  holder:
a device for holding something in place

2.  DENTISTRY device
holding teeth in position: a device for holding a tooth
or teeth in position after orthodontic treatment

3.  HUMAN RESOURCES servant:
a paid servant, especially one who has been employed for many years

4.  follower:
in the past, a soldier or other person who supported or was dependent on
somebody of high rank

[1]



retainer

retainer2
re·tain·er2 [ri
táynər] (plural re·tain·ers) noun

fee
reserving professional services: a fee paid to reserve
the services of a professional, especially an attorney or accountant, whenever
needed
on
(a) retainer

paid regularly in order to be
consulted whenever necessary, rather than being paid for each job[1]



retainingwall

retainingwall
re·tain·ing
wall 
(plural re·tain·ing walls) noun

holding wall:
a wall built to keep earth or water from moving[1]



retake

retake
re·take 
transitive verb [ree táyk] (past
re·took [ree tk], past participle
re·tak·en [ree táykən], present
participle re·tak·ing, 3rd person present singular re·takes)

1.  MILITARY recapture
something:
to recapture a place that has been captured by an enemy

2.  RECORDING CINEMA film
something again: to record, photograph, or film something
again in order to get it right

3.  SPORTS take
shot again:
to take a shot in a game again because of some infringement during the first
attempt • The
referee ordered him to retake the penalty shot.
noun
[r tàyk] (plural re·takes)

act of recording something again:
an instance of recording, photographing, or filming something again, or the
product that results from this

[1]



retaliate

retaliate
re·tal·i·ate 
[ri tállee àyt] (past re·tal·i·at·ed,
past participle re·tal·i·at·ed, present participle re·tal·i·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·tal·i·ates) intransitive verb

hurt
somebody in return: to deliberately harm
somebody in response or revenge for a harm he or she has done
[Early
17th century. From Latin retaliare “to pay back in kind,” from talio
“punishment in kind.”]
—re·tal·i·a·tion
[ri tàllee áysh’n], noun

—re·tal·i·a·tive
[ri tállee àytiv], adjective

—re·tal·i·a·to·ry [ri tállee ə tàwree], adjective[1]



retard

retard
re·tard 
[ri trd] transitive verb (past
re·tard·ed, past participle re·tard·ed, present
participle re·tard·ing, 3rd person present singular re·tards)

slow something down:
to slow or delay the progress of something
noun
(plural re·tards)

1.  MUSIC slowing
of tempo:
in music, a slowing down of a previously quick tempo

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody with a learning disability
or somebody regarded as unintelligent (offensive)
[15th century. Via French retarder
from Latin retardare, from tardus “slow” (source of English tardy ).][1]



retardant

retardant
re·tar·dant 
[ri trd’nt] noun (plural re·tar·dants)

slowing
agent:
something designed to slow down a particular process or change, especially a
chemical substance that inhibits change (often used in combination)
adjective

able to slow something:
capable of making something move or happen more slowly • flame-retardant
fabric[1]



retardation

retardation
re·tar·da·tion 
[r taar dáysh’n] noun

1.  slowing:
the process or fact of slowing down

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term for the condition of being mentally challenged (dated
offensive)

3.  delay:
something that acts as a delay or obstacle to progress

4.  deceleration:
deceleration, or the rate of deceleration

[1]



retarded

retarded
re·tard·ed 
[ri trdəd] adjective

1.  underdeveloped:
not fully developed • the
retarded growth of the plant

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term for mentally challenged (dated offensive)

[1]



retch

retch
retch 
[rech] verb (past retched,
past participle retched, present participle retch·ing,
3rd person present singular retch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
experience
a vomiting spasm: to experience a spasm of vomiting
without actually bringing anything up

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb vomit:
to vomit, or vomit something
noun
(plural retch·es)

vomiting spasm:
a spasm of vomiting without bringing anything up
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
obsolete reach “to spit, vomit,” from Old English hrcan, from
prehistoric Germanic; originally an imitation of the sound.][1]



retd.

retd.
retd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
retained

2.  Abbreviation
of
retired

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
returned

[1]



rete

rete
re·te 
[rtee] (plural re·ti·a [rtee ə, rshə])
noun

anatomical
network:
a network of veins, arteries, or nerve fibers in the body
[14th
century. From Latin, “net.” Originally in the meaning of “astrolabe.”]
—re·tial [rsh’l], adjective[1]



retell

retell
re·tell 
[ree tél] (past re·told, past
participle re·told [ree tṓld], present
participle re·tell·ing, 3rd person present singular re·tells)
transitive verb

repeat something:
to tell something such as a story or joke again, especially in a different form
or to somebody who has not heard it[1]



retelling

retelling
re·tell·ing 
[ree télling] (plural re·tell·ings)
noun

repetition of something:
a repeating of an account or story that has been told before • a
modern retelling of an ancient fable[1]



retene

retene
re·tene 
[r tn, ré tn]
noun

yellow
hydrocarbon: a yellow crystalline hydrocarbon that
occurs in pine tar and in some fossil resins. C18H18
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek rhētinē “resin” + -ene .][1]



retention

retention
re·ten·tion 
[ri ténshən] noun

1.  holding
in of something: the act of retaining something or the
condition of being retained

2.  memory:
the ability to remember things

3.  PHYSIOLOGY abnormal
holding of waste: the abnormal holding in the body of
waste that is normally excreted
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem retention-, ultimately from retinere
(see retain ).][1]



retentive

retentive
re·ten·tive 
[ri téntiv] adjective

1.  able
to retain something: able to or tending to hold
something • a
soil that is highly retentive of rainwater

2.  with
good memory: able to remember a great deal of
information
[14th
century. Via Old French retentif or medieval Latin retentivus
from Latin retent-, the past participle stem of retinere (see retain ).]
—re·ten·tive·ly,
adverb

—re·ten·tive·ness, noun[1]



retentivity

retentivity
re·ten·tiv·i·ty 
[r ten tívvətee] noun

1.  power
to retain:
the power or condition of retaining something

2.  PHYSICS magnetization
capacity:
the capacity of a material to remain magnetized after the force that magnetized
it has been taken away

[1]



rethink

rethink
re·think 
intransitive and transitive verb [ree thíngk]
(past re·thought, past participle re·thought [ree tháwt], present participle re·think·ing,
3rd person present singular re·thinks)

reconsider
something:
to think about something again, especially using new information or in order to
produce a better result
noun
[r thìngk]

reconsideration:
an attempt to rethink something, or an occasion on which something is rethought
(informal) • Let’s have a rethink before
we proceed.
—re·think·er, noun[1]



retia

retia
re·ti·a


Plural of
rete[1]



reticence

reticence
ret·i·cence 
[réttiss’ns] noun

1.  tendency
not to communicate: the tendency not to
communicate very much or not reveal everything

2.  reluctance:
hesitation or uncertainty about acting in a matter
[Early 17th century. From
Latin reticentia, from reticere “to keep silent,” from tacere
“to be silent” (source of English taciturn
).][1]



reticent

reticent
ret·i·cent 
[réttiss’nt] adjective

reserved:
unwilling to communicate very much, talk a lot, or reveal all the facts • rather
reticent on the subject of her finances
—ret·i·cent·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Extended
  senses:
  In
  its traditional sense, reticent means
  reluctant to speak. Thus it is more nearly a synonym for silent than
  it is for reluctant : • He
  was never reticent about wanting the job. It
  is, however, increasingly seen in contexts in which it conveys other kinds of
  reluctance: • He was reticent to
  travel so much. Many regard this as a misuse, and in
  fact such usages tend to convey nothing that reluctant would not
  convey better.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at silent

[1]



reticle

reticle
ret·i·cle 
[réttik’l] (plural ret·i·cles)
noun

grid:
a grid of fine lines in the focus of an optical instrument, used for
determining the scale or position of what is being looked at.
Also
called
reticule
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
reticulum (see reticulum ).][1]



reticula

reticula
re·tic·u·la


Plural of
reticulum[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








reticular

reticular
re·tic·u·lar 
[ri tíkyələr] adjective

1.  similar
to a net:
relating to, involving, or structurally resembling a net or network

2.  complex:
having a complicated, intricate structure
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin reticularis, from Latin reticulum (see reticulum ).][1]



reticularformation

reticularformation
re·tic·u·lar
for·ma·tion 
(plural re·tic·u·lar for·ma·tions) noun

nerve bundle:
a formation of neurons in the brainstem that regulates many body functions,
including respiration, blood pressure, sleeping and waking, and transmission of
stimuli[1]



reticulate

reticulate
re·tic·u·late 
adjective [ri tíkyələt, ri tíkyə làyt]

See reticular  adjective 1
verb
[ri tíkyə làyt] (past re·tic·u·lat·ed,
past participle re·tic·u·lat·ed, present participle re·tic·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular re·tic·u·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have a
network structure: to form a network, or be
formed into a network

2.  transitive
verb
mark
something with lines: to mark something with lines
so that it looks like a network
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin reticulatus, from reticulum (see reticulum ).]
—re·tic·u·late·ly,
adverb

—re·tic·u·la·tion [ri tìkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



reticule

reticule
ret·i·cule 
[rétti kyl] (plural ret·i·cules)
noun

1.  ACCESSORIES woman’s
purse:
a small purse made of netting or lightweight fabric, usually closed with a
drawstring, carried by women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (archaic)

2.  OPTICS See reticle
[Early 18th century. Via
French réticule from Latin reticulum (see reticulum ).][1]



reticulocyte

reticulocyte
re·tic·u·lo·cyte 
[ri tíkyələ st] (plural re·tic·u·lo·cytes)
noun

immature
red blood cell: an immature red blood cell containing a
network of fibers of ribosomal remains that show up with laboratory staining
[Early
20th century. Coined from reticulum + -cyte .]
—re·tic·u·lo·cyt·ic [ri tìkyələ síttik], adjective[1]



reticulum

reticulum
re·tic·u·lum 
[ri tíkyələm] (plural re·tic·u·la
[ri tíkyələ]) noun

1.  network:
a network or something resembling a network in structure

2.  ANATOMY second
stomach:
the second stomach or stomach compartment in cows, sheep, and other ruminants
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
reticulum, literally “little net,” from rete “net.”][1]



Reticulum

Reticulum
Re·tic·u·lum 
[ri tíkyələm] noun

small southern constellation:
a small constellation of the southern hemisphere lying between Dorado and
Horologium near to the Large Magellanic Cloud[1]



retin-

retin-
retin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
retino-[1]



retina

retina
ret·i·na 
[rétt’nə] (plural ret·i·nas or
ret·i·nae [rétt’nee]) noun

eye
part:
a light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye containing rods and cones
that receive an image from the lens and send it to the brain through the optic
nerve
[14th
century. From medieval Latin, formed from Latin rete “net,” from the
network of blood-vessels.]
—ret·i·nal, adjective[1]



retinaculum

retinaculum
ret·i·nac·u·lum 
[rètt’n ákyələm] (plural ret·i·nac·u·la
[rètt’n ákyələ]) noun

holding
device:
an anatomical structure of insects that holds small body parts together like a
hook or clasp
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “band,” literally “little thing that holds back,” from retinire
(see retain ).]
—ret·i·nac·u·lar, adjective[1]



retinae

retinae
ret·i·nae


Plural of
retina[1]



retinene

retinene
ret·i·nene 
[rétt’n n] or ret·i·nal [rétt’nəl] noun

component of eye pigment:
an aldehyde derived from vitamin A that combines with proteins to form visual
pigments in the eye. C20H28O[1]



retinite

retinite
ret·i·nite 
[rétt’n t] (plural ret·i·nites)
noun

fossil
plant resin: a fossil resin, especially one in which
the plant matter has not formed a hard coal
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from Greek rhētinē “resin.”][1]



retinitis

retinitis
ret·i·ni·tis 
[rètt’n tiss] noun

eye inflammation:
inflammation of the retina[1]



retinitispigmentosa

retinitispigmentosa
ret·i·ni·tis
pig·men·to·sa  [rett’n
tiss pigmən tṓzə] noun

eye
disease:
an inherited disorder of the eye involving progressive disintegration of the
retina and optic nerve and leading eventually to tunnel vision or inability to
see
[Pigmentosa from modern
Latin, “pigmented”][1]



retino-

retino-
retino-
prefix

retina
• retinoblastoma
[From retina][1]



retinoblastoma

retinoblastoma
ret·i·no·blas·to·ma 
[rètt’nō bla stṓmə] (plural ret·i·no·blas·to·mas
or ret·i·no·blas·tom·a·ta [rètt’nō
bla stṓmətə]) noun

eye tumor:
a malignant tumor of the eye, usually resulting from a genetic disorder and
appearing in early childhood[1]



retinol

retinol
ret·i·nol 
[rét’n awl] noun

See
vitamin A
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from retina .][1]



retinopathy

retinopathy
ret·i·nop·a·thy 
[rètt’n óppəthee] (plural ret·i·nop·a·thies)
noun

retina
disease:
a disease of the retina, especially one that is noninflammatory and usually
associated with damage to the blood vessels of the retina • diabetic
retinopathy
—ret·i·no·path·ic [rètt’nō páthik], adjective[1]



retinoscope

retinoscope
ret·i·no·scope 
[rétt’nə skp] (plural ret·i·no·scopes)
noun

eye instrument:
an instrument for identifying refractive errors in the eye by measuring the
angle of a beam of light reflected from the retina and back out through the
pupil[1]



retinoscopy

retinoscopy
ret·i·nos·co·py 
[rètt’n óskəpee] (plural ret·i·nos·co·pies)
noun

method
of eye examination: a method of measuring
refractive errors in the eye using a retinoscope
—ret·i·no·scop·ic
[rètt’nə skóppik], adjective

—ret·i·no·scop·i·cal·ly
[rètt’nə skóppikəlee], adverb

—ret·i·no·scop·ist [rètt’n óskəpist], noun[1]



retinue

retinue
ret·i·nue 
[rétt’n ] (plural ret·i·nues)
noun

followers:
a body of people who travel with and attend an important person
[14th century. From Old
French, literally “retained (in service),” from the past participle of retenir
“to retain,” from Latin retinere (see retain
).][1]



retire

retire
re·tire 
[ri tr] (past re·tired, past
participle re·tired, present participle re·tir·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·tires) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
HUMAN RESOURCES stop
working willingly: to leave a job or career
voluntarily, at or near the usual age for doing so

2.  intransitive
verb
go
to bed:
to stop engaging in daily activities and go to bed

3.  intransitive
verb
withdraw:
to leave a place, position, or way of life and go to a place of less activity • retire
from public life

4.  transitive
verb
make
somebody stop working: to stop a person or an
animal performing some activity because of illness or an inability to continue
• injuries
so extensive that the horse was retired

5.  transitive
verb
withdraw
something from service: to take a machine or piece
of equipment out of service

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY go back or move troops back:
to fall back, or move troops away from a position, action, or danger

7.  transitive
verb
put
somebody out: to end a batter’s or team’s turn at bat
by getting batters out • The
pitcher retired eight batters in a row.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS withdraw from sports contest:
to withdraw or withdraw somebody from a sports contest, because of an inability
to continue

9.  transitive
verb
FINANCE withdraw
something from circulation: to take a loan, stock, bond,
or other financial instrument out of circulation by paying for it
[Mid-16th
century. From French retirer “retreat,” from tirer “to draw”
(source of English tier and tirade ).]
—re·tir·er, noun[1]



retired

retired
re·tired 
[ri trd] adjective

1.  no
longer working: having stopped working, typically after
having worked many years • a
retired bus driver

2.  having
withdrawn:
having withdrawn from a busy way of life • a
retired lifestyle
noun

retired people:
used to refer to retired people as a group (takes a plural verb)

[1]



retiree

retiree
re·tir·ee 
[ri t r] (plural re·tir·ees)
noun

somebody retired from work:
somebody who has retired from a job or career[1]



retirement

retirement
re·tire·ment 
[ri trmənt] (plural re·tire·ments)
noun

1.  leaving
of job or career: the act of leaving a job or career at or
near the usual age for doing so

2.  time
after having stopped working: the time that follows the
end of somebody’s working life

3.  being
away from busy life: a state of being withdrawn
from the rest of the world or a former busy life • He
lives in retirement in the country.

[1]



retiring

retiring
re·tir·ing 
[ri tring] adjective

1.  shy
and reserved: avoiding social contact with other
people

2.  undergoing
retirement:
at, involving, or undergoing retirement from a job or career • The
retiring chairman made an emotional speech.
—re·tir·ing·ly,
adverb

—re·tir·ing·ness, noun[1]



retool

retool
re·tool 
[ree tl] (past re·tooled, past
participle re·tooled, present participle re·tool·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·tools) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb refit
equipment:
to replace the tools or machinery in a factory, or to obtain new tools or
machinery

2.  transitive
verb
reorganize
something:
to reorganize something in order to make it more efficient or powerful • The
company will have to retool if it’s to remain competitive.

[1]



retorsion

retorsion
re·tor·sion 
[ri táwrsh’n] (plural re·tor·sions)
noun

retaliation:
an act of retaliation by a government against citizens of another country for a
similar offense committed by the other country.
Also
called
retortion
[Mid-17th century. Via French
rétorsion from, ultimately, Latin retort-, the past participle
stem of retorquere (see retort 1 ).][1]



retort

retort1
re·tort1 [ri
táwrt] transitive verb (past re·tort·ed, past
participle re·tort·ed, present participle re·tort·ing,
3rd person present singular re·torts)

1.  respond
sharply:
to say something sharp, angry, witty, or insulting in quick response to
something somebody else has said

2.  argue
something in reply: to put forward something as
an argument in reply to somebody else’s argument
noun
(plural re·torts)

sharp answer:
something sharp, angry, witty, or insulting said quickly in response to
something somebody else has said
[15th
century. From Latin retort-, the past participle stem of retorquere,
literally “to twist again,” from torquere (see torque
).]
—re·tort·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at answer

[1]



retort

retort2

re·tort2 [ri
táwrt] noun (plural re·torts)

1.  glass
vessel:
a glass vessel with a long downward-pointing tapering spout, used for
distilling by heat

2.  closed
container for heating substances: a closed container in
which large quantities of a substance are heated to extract something, for
example, metal from ore
transitive verb
(past re·tort·ed, past participle re·tort·ed, present
participle re·tort·ing, 3rd person present singular re·torts)

heat something in retort:
to heat or distill something in a retort
[Early 17th century. Via
French retorte from medieval Latin retorta, from Latin retorquere
“to twist back” (see retort 1 ), from the
shape of the neck.][1]



retortion

retortion
re·tor·tion 
(plural re·tor·tions) noun

INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS See retorsion[1]



retouch

retouch
re·touch 
transitive verb [ree túch] (past
re·touched, past participle re·touched, present
participle re·touch·ing, 3rd person present singular re·touch·es)

1.  improve
something:
to make small finishing, correcting, or improving changes to something

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY alter
photograph:
to alter a photographic negative or print by removing imperfections or adding
details

3.  color
hair:
to color new hair growth to match hair that is already bleached, tinted, or
dyed
noun
[r tùch, ree
túch] (plural re·touch·es)

1.  activity
of retouching: the process of retouching something, or
the occasion on which something is retouched

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY something
altered:
something that has been retouched, especially a photograph

3.  improving
change:
a small, finishing, correcting, or improving change to something
—re·touch·er, noun[1]



retrace

retrace
re·trace 
[ri tráyss] (past re·traced, past
participle re·traced, present participle re·trac·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·trac·es) transitive verb

1.  follow
route again: to go back over a path or route again

2.  review
something:
to review something in the mind, for example, an argument, account, or series
of events • retraced
the events leading up to the war
—re·trace·a·ble,
adjective

—re·trac·er, noun[1]



retract

retract
re·tract 
[ri trákt] (past re·tract·ed, past
participle re·tract·ed, present participle re·tract·ing,
3rd person present singular re·tracts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move,
or move something, back inside: to draw something in
from an extended position, or be able to be drawn in • Cats
can retract their claws but dogs can’t.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb withdraw
statement:
to withdraw or deny something previously said, published, or promised • She
has since retracted her earlier statement.

3.  intransitive
verb
move
back:
to move back from something

4.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS change
vowel sound: to alter a vowel sound by drawing the
tongue inward from the lips
[15th
century. From Latin retract-, the past participle stem of retrahere
“to draw back,” from trahere “to pull” (see tractor
).]
—re·tract·a·bil·i·ty
[ri tràktə bíllətee], noun

—re·tract·a·ble
[ri tráktəb’l], adjective

—re·trac·ta·tion [r trak táysh’n], noun[1]



retractile

retractile
re·trac·tile 
[ri trákt’l] adjective

able
to retract:
capable of being retracted
—re·trac·til·i·ty [ri tràk tíllətee], noun[1]



retraction

retraction
re·trac·tion 
[ri trákshən] (plural re·trac·tions)
noun

1.  act
of retracting: the act of retracting something or the
condition of being retracted

2.  retracting
statement:
a statement, sometimes formal, that withdraws or denies a previous statement

3.  something
retracted:
something that has been denied or taken back

4.  power
to retract:
the ability or authority to draw back or be drawn back

[1]



retractor

retractor
re·trac·tor 
[ri tráktər] (plural re·trac·tors)
noun

1.  SURGERY surgical
instrument:
a surgical instrument used to hold back skin or tissue during surgery

2.  ANATOMY muscle
that retracts body part: a muscle that retracts a
body part, for example, one that closes the jaw

[1]



retrain

retrain
re·train 
[ree tráyn] (past re·trained, past
participle re·trained, present participle re·train·ing,
3rd person present singular re·trains) intransitive and
transitive verb

train
again:
to teach somebody or learn new skills • decided
to retrain as a systems analyst
—re·train·a·ble, adjective[1]



retraining

retraining
re·train·ing
[ree tráyning] noun

learning of new skills:
the process or activity of learning new skills or of updating existing skills[1]



retransmit

retransmit
re·trans·mit
[ree tràns mít, ree
trànz mít] (past re·trans·mit·ted, past participle re·trans·mit·ted,
present participle re·trans·mit·ting, 3rd person present
singular re·trans·mits) verb

1.  transitive
verb
transmit
something again: to transmit or broadcast something
again, or transmit something onward to another place

2.  transmit
a broadcast by cable: to transmit a television
broadcast by cable
—re·trans·mis·sion, noun[1]



retread

retread
re·tread 
transitive verb [ree tréd] (past
re·tread·ed, past participle re·tread·ed, present
participle re·tread·ing, 3rd person present singular re·treads)

add layer to tire:
to add a new tread to a worn tire
noun
[r trèd] (plural re·treads)

1.  tire
with new tread: a second-hand tire with a new tread
bonded to it

2.  retrained
worker:
a worker who has been retrained for a new position

3.  returning
worker:
somebody who returns to a line of work previously given up (informal)

[1]



re-tread

re-tread
re-tread 
[ree tréd] (past re-trod [ree tród], past participle re-trod·den
[ree tród’n], present participle re-tread·ing,
3rd person present singular re-treads) transitive verb

walk route again:
to walk again on a route that has already been walked over[1]



retreat

retreat
re·treat 
[ri trt] noun (plural re·treats)

1.  movement
back:
a movement away from danger or a confrontation, back along the original route • The
bear had the hunters in full retreat.

2.  MILITARY troop
withdrawal:
a withdrawal of military forces following a defeat or preceding a change of
position

3.  MILITARY signal
to move back: a signal, usually a bugle call or
drumbeat, telling soldiers to perform a retreat

4.  withdrawal
from position: a withdrawal from a particular position
or point of view to one intended to lessen conflict • their
retreat from a previously inflexible position

5.  quiet
time:
a period of quiet rest and contemplation in a secluded place

6.  quiet
place:
a quiet, secluded place where people go for rest and privacy

7.  safe
place:
a place where people or animals go to avoid danger or capture

8.  RELIGION period
of seclusion: a period away from normal activities,
devoted to prayer and meditation, often spent in a religious community

9.  special
hospital:
a place for the long-term care and treatment of people who are incapable of
caring for themselves (dated)

10. MILITARY flag-lowering
ceremony:
the ceremony of lowering the flag at a military institution, or the signal
given to lower the flag
verb
(past re·treat·ed, past participle re·treat·ed, present
participle re·treat·ing, 3rd person present singular re·treats)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
back:
to move back away from danger or a confrontation

2.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY make
military withdrawal: to withdraw following a
defeat or prior to a change of position

3.  intransitive
verb
withdraw
from position: to withdraw from a particular position
or point of view to one intended to lessen conflict

4.  intransitive
verb
recede:
to recede or fall back from a previous position

5.  transitive
verb
CHESS move
piece back:
to move a chesspiece back to an earlier position
[13th
century. From Old French retret, from the past participle of retraire,
from Latin retrahere (see retract ).]
—re·treat·er,
noun
beat
a (hasty) retreat

1.  to
leave, especially in a hurry

2.  to
back down or take something back that was said

[1]



retreatant

retreatant
re·treat·ant 
[ri trt’nt] (plural re·treat·ants)
noun

somebody on a spiritual
retreat: somebody who takes part in a
spiritual or religious retreat[1]



retrench

retrench
re·trench 
[ri trénch] (past re·trenched,
past participle re·trenched, present participle re·trench·ing,
3rd person present singular re·trench·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb economize:
to reduce something such as costs

2.  transitive
verb
cut
something out: to cut out, cut back, or omit something

3.  intransitive
verb
rethink
something:
to stop doing something in order to reorganize or rethink something • We
retrenched and began reorganizing when we realized the plan wasn’t working.
[Late
16th century. From French retrancher “to recut,” from trenchier
“to cut” (source of English trench
).]
—re·trench·er, noun[1]



retrenchment

retrenchment
re·trench·ment 
[ri trénchmənt] (plural re·trench·ments)
noun

reduction of expenses:
the cutting back of expenses[1]



retrial

retrial
re·tri·al 
[ree tr əl] (plural re·tri·als)
noun

second trial:
a second trial in a court of law that replaces a prior one that was flawed or
ended in a hung jury[1]



retribution

retribution
ret·ri·bu·tion 
[rèttrə bysh’n] noun

punishment:
something done or given to somebody as punishment or vengeance for something he
or she has done • a just retribution for
their crime
[14th
century. From the Latin stem retribution-, ultimately from retribuere
“to hand back, repay,” from tribuere “to allot” (source of English tribute ).]
—re·trib·u·tive
[ri tríbbyətiv], adjective

—re·trib·u·tive·ly
[ri tríbbyətivlee], adverb

—re·trib·u·to·ry [ri tríbbyə tàwree], adjective[1]



retrieval

retrieval
re·triev·al 
[ri trv’l] (plural re·triev·als)
noun

1.  recovery
of something: the act of getting something back, or a
particular occasion on which this is done

2.  possibility
of being restored: the possibility of something
being brought back, saved, or restored to an original condition • Their
business seemed beyond retrieval.

3.  COMPUTING data
access:
the process of reading data from a storage device and returning it to the
program or device that requested it

[1]



retrieve

retrieve
re·trieve 
[ri trv] verb (past re·trieved,
past participle re·trieved, present participle re·triev·ing,
3rd person present singular re·trieves)

1.  transitive
verb
get
something back: to get something back

2.  transitive
verb
save
something:
to save something from being lost, damaged, or destroyed

3.  transitive
verb
remedy
something:
to set something right or make it better • attempt
to retrieve the situation before it worsens

4.  transitive
verb
restore
something:
to revive or restore something to its original condition • She
quickly retrieved her sense of humor.

5.  transitive
verb
remember
something:
to recall something from memory

6.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING get
data:
to read data from a storage device and return it to the program or device that
requested it

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb RACKET GAMES return shot:
to return a difficult shot in a game such as tennis or badminton

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING fetch game:
to fetch small game that has been shot by a hunter
noun
(plural re·trieves)

retrieving of something:
the act of retrieving something • a
successful retrieve
[15th
century. From Old French retroev-, the stem of retrover “to find
again,” from trover “to find.”]
—re·triev·a·bil·i·ty
[ri trvə bíllətee], noun

—re·triev·a·ble
[ri trvəb’l], adjective

—re·triev·a·bly [ri trvəblee], adverb[1]



retriever

retriever

re·triev·er 
[ri trvər] (plural re·triev·ers)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
dog that retrieves game: a large strong-bodied dog
originally bred to retrieve game for a hunter

2.        somebody
or something that retrieves: any person
who or thing that retrieves something[1]



retro

retro
ret·ro 
adjective

modeled on something from past:
modeled on something from the past, for example, a style of fashion or music • retro
clothing
noun
(plural ret·ros)

1.  use
of past styles: the practice of modeling things such as
clothes or music on styles from the past, or an example of such a practice • The
band is heavily into sixties retro.

2.  AEROSPACE See retrorocket
[Late 20th century. From
French rétro, a shortening of rétrograde “retrograde,” from Latin
retrogradus (see retrograde );
influenced by retro- .][1]



retro-

retro-
retro-
prefix

1.  back,
backward, after • retrorocket
• retrofit

2.  behind
• retrochoir
[From Latin retro][1]



retroaction

retroaction
ret·ro·ac·tion 
[rèttrō ákshən] (plural ret·ro·ac·tions)
noun

1.  applicability
to the past: the applicability of something to past
circumstances or events

2.  action
reacting to past situation: an action that responds or
reacts to something in the past

3.  countereffect:
an action that goes against or balances a previous action

[1]



retroactive

retroactive
ret·ro·ac·tive 
[rèttrō áktiv] adjective

applying to past:
relating or applying to things that have happened in the past as well as the
present • a
pay increase retroactive to the beginning of the year[1]



retroactiveinhibition

retroactiveinhibition
ret·ro·ac·tive
in·hi·bi·tion noun

loss of information:
the tendency of recently gained knowledge or skills to degenerate when new
learning in a similar area is acquired[1]



retrocede

retrocede
ret·ro·cede 
[réttrō sd] (past ret·ro·ced·ed,
past participle ret·ro·ced·ed, present participle ret·ro·ced·ing,
3rd person present singular ret·ro·cedes) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
go
back:
to go back or return

2.  transitive
verb
give
something back: to give back something such as land or a
territory
[Mid-17th
century. From French rétrocéder, from céder (see cede ).]
—ret·ro·ce·dent
[rèttrō sd’nt], adjective

—ret·ro·ces·sion
[rèttrō sésh’n], noun

—ret·ro·ces·sive [rèttrō séssiv], adjective[1]



retrochoir

retrochoir
ret·ro·choir 
[réttrō kwr] (plural ret·ro·choirs)
noun

space
in church:
the area behind the high altar in a large church or cathedral
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin retrochorus, literally “back choir,” from chorus
(see choir ).][1]



re-trod

re-trod
re-trod


Past tense of
re-tread[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








re-trodden

re-trodden
re-trod·den


Past participle of
re-tread[1]



retro-engine

retro-engine
ret·ro-en·gine
(plural ret·ro-en·gines) noun

See
retrorocket[1]



retrofire

retrofire
ret·ro·fire 
[réttrō fr] (past ret·ro·fired,
past participle ret·ro·fired, present participle ret·ro·fir·ing,
3rd person present singular ret·ro·fires, plural ret·ro·fires)
intransitive and transitive verb

ignite retrorocket:
to fire a retrorocket to decelerate[1]



retrofit

retrofit
ret·ro·fit 
[rèttrō fít] transitive verb (past
ret·ro·fit·ted, past participle ret·ro·fit·ted, present
participle ret·ro·fit·ting, 3rd person present singular ret·ro·fits)

1.  modify
something with new parts: to modify something such as
a machine or a building by adding parts or devices of types not originally
included • older
cars retrofitted with catalytic converters

2.  install
new parts:
to install new parts or devices of types not originally included in existing
equipment, machinery, or buildings • retrofit
a microchip in the alarm system
noun
(plural ret·ro·fits)

1.  new
part or something with one: something that has been
equipped with a newly developed component, or such a component designed for
something that is already in use

2.  process
of adding new part: the process or an instance
of modifying something such as a machine or a building by adding new parts or
devices

[1]



retroflection

retroflection
ret·ro·flec·tion
[rèttrō flékshən] or ret·ro·flex·ion
[rèttrō flékshən] noun

1.  bent
condition:
the condition of bending or being bent backwards

2.  PHONETICS pronunciation
with tongue bent back: the pronunciation of a
letter or sound with the tongue raised and bent backward

3.  PSYCHOLOGY inability
to externalize difficult emotion: in Gestalt therapy,
the act of directing a difficult emotion such as anger at yourself rather than
at somebody who has provoked the emotion
[Early 19th C. Coined from retro- on the model of reflection
.][1]



retroflex

retroflex
ret·ro·flex 
[réttrō flèks] or ret·ro·flexed
[réttrō flèks] adjective

1.  bent
backward:
bent or curved backward

2.  PHONETICS with
tip of tongue bent backward: used to describe speech
sounds that are pronounced with the tip of the tongue raised and bent backward
[Late 18th century. From
Latin retroflex-, the past participle stem of retroflectere “to
bend back,” from flectere “to bend.”][1]



retroflexion

retroflexion
ret·ro·flex·ion
[rèttrō fléksh’n] noun

See
retroflection[1]



retrograde

retrograde
ret·ro·grade 
[réttrō gràyd] adjective

1.  moving
backward:
moving backward in space or time

2.  inverse:
in writing, inverse or reversed, especially in syntactic order

3.  getting
worse:
worsening or returning to an earlier worse condition

4.  ASTRONOMY having
a contrary orbit: orbiting in a direction opposite to that
of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun or of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth

5.  ASTRONOMY moving
east to west: moving or appearing to move from east to
west in the sky, counter to the direction of most astronomical bodies

6.  MUSIC reversing
notes:
reversing the sequence of notes of an earlier version of a musical composition
intransitive
verb
(past ret·ro·grad·ed, past participle ret·ro·grad·ed,
present participle ret·ro·grad·ing, 3rd person present
singular ret·ro·grades)

1.  go
backward:
to go back or appear to be moving backward in space or time

2.  See
retrogress  verb 1
[14th
century. From Latin retrogradus “going backwards,” from gradus
“step.”]
—ret·ro·gra·da·tion
[rèttrō gray dáysh’n], noun

—ret·ro·grade·ly [réttrō gràydlee], adverb[1]



retrogress

retrogress
ret·ro·gress 
[rèttrō gréss] (past ret·ro·gressed,
past participle ret·ro·gressed, present participle ret·ro·gress·ing,
3rd person present singular ret·ro·gress·es) intransitive verb

1.  revert
or degenerate: to return to an earlier and usually
worse condition

2.  go
backward:
to move or travel backward

3.  BIOLOGY have
less complex features: to show or develop the less
complex features of simpler organisms
[Early
19th century. Formed from retro- on the
model of progress .]
—ret·ro·gres·sive,
adjective

—ret·ro·gres·sive·ly, adverb[1]



retrogression

retrogression
ret·ro·gres·sion 
[rèttrə grésh’n] noun

1.  return
to worse condition: the process of returning to
an earlier and usually worse condition

2.  BIOLOGY development
of less complex features: the development of less
complex features usually associated with simpler organisms

[1]



retrolental

retrolental
ret·ro·len·tal 
[rèttrō lént’l] adjective

behind
lens:
located behind the lens of the eye, or the lens of an optical instrument
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from retro- + modern Latin lent-, the
stem of lens (see lens ).][1]



retronym

retronym
ret·ro·nym
(plural ret·ro·nyms) noun

word
distinguishing class of meaning: a term that
distinguishes a subclass from members of a superclass, for example, “snail
mail” is a retronym coined by those for whom “mail” is likely to mean “e-mail”
[Combination of retro- + synonym][1]



retropack

retropack
ret·ro·pack
[réttrō pàk] (plural ret·ro·packs)
noun

rocket cluster:
an array of retrorockets on a spacecraft, used for slowing down or for changing
direction[1]



retropulsion

retropulsion
ret·ro·pul·sion
[rèttrō púlshən] noun

walking
backward:
a tendency to walk backward involuntarily, associated with Parkinson’s disease
[Late 18th century. Blend of retro- and propulsion
.][1]



retrorocket

retrorocket
ret·ro·rock·et 
[réttrō ròkət] (plural ret·ro·rock·ets)
noun

reverse thrust rocket:
a small rocket engine on a spacecraft or missile that produces thrust to act
against the main engines and is used for decelerating.
Also called
retro
Also called
retro-engine[1]



retrorse

retrorse
re·trorse 
[ri tráwrs] adjective

bent:
used to describe plant parts that are turned back or down
[Early
19th century. From Latin retrorsus, a contraction of retroversus
“turning backward,” from versus “turning.”]
—re·trorse·ly, adverb[1]



retrospect

retrospect
ret·ro·spect 
[réttrə spèkt] noun

recollection:
the remembering of past events
[Early
17th century. Formed from retro- on the
model of prospect .]
—ret·ro·spec·tion,
noun
in
retrospect

thinking about or reviewing
the past, especially from a new perspective or with new information[1]



retrospective

retrospective
ret·ro·spec·tive 
[rèttrə spéktiv] adjective

1.  looking
to the past: looking back over things in the past

2.  ARTS containing
past works:
containing examples of work from many periods of an artist’s life • a
retrospective exhibition

3.  applying
to past events: applying to things that have happened in
the past as well as the present • a
retrospective ruling
noun
(plural ret·ro·spec·tives)

ARTS exhibition
of artist’s past work: an exhibition of the work of
a particular artist or artistic movement, showing examples from all periods or
styles • a
Degas retrospective
—ret·ro·spec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



retroussé

retroussé
re·trous·sé 
[rèttrə sáy] adjective

turned
up:
turned up at the end • a
retroussé nose
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “turned up.”][1]



retroversion

retroversion
ret·ro·ver·sion 
[rèttrə vúrzh’n] noun

1.  turning
backward:
the act or condition of being turned backward

2.  MEDICINE backward
tilt of body part: the abnormal turning or
tilting backward of a body part, for example, the uterus, but without folding
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin retroversus (see retrorse ).]
—ret·ro·verse
[rèttrə vúrs], adjective

—ret·ro·vert·ed [rèttrə vúrtəd], adjective[1]



retrovirus

retrovirus
ret·ro·vi·rus 
[rèttrō vrəss, réttrə
vrəss] (plural ret·ro·vi·rus·es) noun

virus
with genetic information in RNA: a type of virus whose
genetic information is contained in RNA rather than DNA. Some retroviruses
cause AIDS and cancer and they contain the enzyme reverse transcriptase for
generating DNA from RNA.
—ret·ro·vi·ral [rèttrō vrəl], adjective[1]



retry

retry
re·try 
[ree tr] verb (past re·tried,
past participle re·tried, present participle re·try·ing,
3rd person present singular re·tries)

1.  transitive
verb
LAW try
somebody again: to try a person or case again in a court
of law

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb attempt
something again: to try to do something again
noun
(plural re·tries)

second attempt:
another attempt to do something

[1]



retsina

retsina
ret·si·na 
[rétsinə, ret
snə] (plural ret·si·nas) noun

Greek
resin-flavored wine: a Greek wine flavored with
pine resin
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Greek from, ultimately, Greek rētinē “pine resin.”][1]



return

return
re·turn 
[ri túrn] verb (past re·turned,
past participle re·turned, present participle re·turn·ing,
3rd person present singular re·turns)

1.  intransitive
verb
come
or go back:
to come or go back to a place after leaving it or to a former condition

2.  intransitive
verb
go
back:
to go back to something that has already been mentioned or considered,
especially in order to deal with it more thoroughly or conclusively • Let’s
return to the matter at hand.

3.  intransitive
verb
appear
again:
to appear or happen again

4.  transitive
verb
reply
to somebody: to answer or reply to something somebody
has said • “Do
it yourself!” she returned.

5.  transitive
verb
put
something back: to put, bring, send, or take something
back to where it came from

6.  transitive
verb
repay
something:
to give back something of equivalent value • I
hope that one day I’ll be able to return the favor.

7.  transitive
verb
yield
profit:
to yield something as a profit on an investment • returns
6 percent per annum

8.  transitive
verb
reelect
somebody to office: to reelect somebody to an
office or position • returned her to
Congress for a second term

9.  transitive
verb
reflect
something:
to send back or reflect something such as an echo • The
cliff wall returned the sound of their laughter.

10. transitive
verb
LAW produce
verdict:
to give a particular verdict in a court of law • return
a guilty verdict

11. transitive
verb
submit
official report: to give an official report, usually in
response to a request or legal requirement

12. transitive
verb
COMPUTING give
response:
to give a particular response to a command, routine, or subroutine • returns
zero if the condition is false

13. transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE build
something to face opposite direction: to
construct part of a building, for example, a wall or decoration, so that it
turns away from its original direction

14. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS hit ball back:
to hit a ball, especially a serve, back to an opponent in various games

15. transitive
verb
FOOTBALL run
football back up field: to run a football back up
the field after it has been kicked, punted, fumbled, or intercepted

16. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES lead
same suit:
to lead the same suit as a partner in various card games, including bridge and
pinochle
noun
(plural re·turns)

1.  going
or coming back: a going or coming back to a place after
having left it or to a former condition

2.  replacement:
a putting, taking, sending, or bringing back of something to where it came from

3.  something
given back:
something that has come or been brought back, especially unsold merchandise • Returns
go in that bin over there

4.  reappearance:
a reappearance or recurrence of something

5.  reciprocation:
a response to something done or given • If
you are kind to your puppy it will give you love in return

6.  answer:
something said in response to something else • If
you ask her an absurd question you can expect an angry return

7.  FINANCE profit:
a profit made on an investment or business venture (often used in the plural)

8.  FINANCE tax
return:
a tax return

9.  financial
report:
a periodic financial report of an organization

10. re·turn
or re·turn key COMPUTING
See enter key

11. ARCHITECTURE angled
part:
part of a building, for example, a wall or decoration, built so that it turns
away from its original direction

12. SPORTS ball
played back: an instance of hitting or playing the
ball back to an opponent in various games

13. LAW legal
report:
a report on a legal document previously issued, for example, a subpoena or
writ, by an officer of that court of law

14. CARD GAMES lead
of same suit: an instance of leading the same suit as
a partner in various card games
plural
noun
re·turns

election results:
the results from an election or election district • We
sat up late waiting for the election returns.
adjective

1.  connected
with going back again: relating to an act of going
or coming back to an earlier place or position • I
hope the return flight isn’t delayed.

2.  U.K.
See round-trip

3.  happening
again:
given or done again or in order • We
enjoyed the resort so much that we decided to make a return visit the next
year.
[14th
century. Via Old French reto(u)rner, literally “to turn again,” from to(u)rner
“to turn,” from Latin tornare (see turn
).]
in
return (for something)

as
an exchange for something

many
happy returns (of the day)

a conventional way of
expressing good wishes to somebody whose birthday it is, often as an
exclamation[1]



returnable

returnable
re·turn·a·ble 
[ri túrnəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be returned: capable of being returned • a
returnable deposit

2.  requiring
response:
requiring a response to a formal document, usually within a particular period
of time, as do for example, some court writs
noun

(plural
re·turn·ables) container returned to recover
deposit:
a bottle, jar, or other container on which a deposit is paid and that can be
returned and reused

[1]



returnee

returnee
re·turn·ee 
[ri tùr n] (plural re·turn·ees)
noun

somebody returning:
somebody who comes back, especially from military service or some other long
absence[1]



returnkey

returnkey
return
key 
(plural return keys)

See
return  noun 10[1]



returnticket

returnticket
re·turn
tick·et
(plural re·turn tick·ets) noun

1.  See
round-trip ticket

2.  ticket
back:
the portion of a ticket for the journey back to your point of departure

[1]



retuse

retuse
re·tuse 
[ri tss] adjective

blunt:
used to describe leaves that have a blunt notched apex
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
retusus, past participle of retundere “to beat back,” from tundere
“to beat.”][1]



Reuben

Reuben1
Reu·ben1  [rbən]
(plural Reu·bens) or Reu·ben sand·wich [rbən] (plural Reu·ben sand·wich·es)
noun

corned
beef sandwich on rye: a grilled sandwich of rye
bread filled with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island
dressing
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly named for the U.S. grocer Reuben Kulakofsky (died
1960).][1]



Reuben

Reuben2
Reu·ben2  [rbən]
(plural Reu·bens) noun

Hebrew patriarch:
in the Bible, a Hebrew patriarch and the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. He was
the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel.[1]



reunify

reunify
re·u·ni·fy 
[ree ynə f] (past re·u·ni·fied,
past participle re·u·ni·fied, present participle re·u·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular re·u·ni·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

come
together again: to come together or bring people or
factions together again, after they have been divided
—re·u·ni·fi·ca·tion [ree ynəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



reunion

reunion
re·un·ion 
[ree ynyən] (plural re·un·ions)
noun

1.  a
coming together again: the coming together again of
things or people that have been divided, or the condition of having come
together in this way

2.  gathering:
a gathering of old friends, relatives, or people who were colleagues at one
time • a
high-school class reunion

[1]



reunionist

reunionist
re·un·ion·ist 
[ree ynyənist] (plural re·un·ion·ists)
noun

supporter
of reunion:
a supporter of reunion between divided groups or parties, especially somebody
who seeks reunion between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches
—re·un·ion·ism,
noun

—re·un·ion·is·tic [ree ynyə nístik], adjective[1]



reunite

reunite
re·u·nite 
[r yoo nt] (past re·u·nit·ed,
past participle re·u·nit·ed, present participle re·u·nit·ing,
3rd person present singular re·u·nites) intransitive and
transitive verb

unite again:
to bring people together, or come together, after a separation[1]



re-up

re-up
re-up 
(past re-upped, past participle re-upped, present
participle re-up·ping, 3rd person present singular re-ups)
intransitive verb

reenlist:
to sign up for another tour of duty in a military service (informal)[1]



reupholster

reupholster
re·up·hol·ster
[r up hṓlstər, r
ə pṓlstər] (past re·up·hol·stered, past participle re·up·hol·stered,
present participle re·up·hol·ster·ing, 3rd person present
singular re·up·hol·sters) transitive verb

replace upholstery on seat:
to replace the worn or damaged upholstery on a chair or sofa[1]



reuptake

reuptake
re·up·take
[ree úp tàyk] noun

reabsorption of
neurochemical: the reabsorption by
nerve cells of a neurochemical after it has performed its function of
transmitting a neural impulse[1]



reuse

reuse
re·use 
transitive verb [ree yz] (past
re·used, past participle re·used, present participle
re·us·ing, 3rd person present singular re·us·es)

use
something again: to use something again, often for a
different purpose and usually as an alternative to throwing it out
noun
[ree yss]

use
of something again: the using of something
again, often for a different purpose and usually as an alternative to throwing
it out
—re·us·a·bil·i·ty
[ree yzə bíllətee], noun

—re·us·a·ble [ree yzəb’l], adjective[1]



Reuter,Paul Julius, Baron von

Reuter,Paul Julius, Baron von
Reu·ter
[róytər], Paul Julius, Baron von (1816–1899)

German-born
British journalist. In 1851 he established the pioneer Reuters Telegrams, now
Reuters, the first news agency in the world.
Real name
Josaphat, Isreal Beer[1]



Reuters

Reuters
Reu·ters
[róytərz] noun

news
agency:
a London news agency providing international news reports
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Paul Julius, Baron von Reuter .][1]



rev

rev
rev 
[rev] intransitive and transitive verb
(past revved, past participle revved, present
participle rev·ving, 3rd person present singular revs)

make
vehicle engine go faster: to increase a vehicle’s
engine speed by pressing down on the gas pedal or advancing the throttle,
especially while the vehicle is stationary
noun
(plural revs)

engine
revolution:
a single revolution of a vehicle’s engine (informal) (usually plural)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of “revolutions per minute.”][1]



rev.

rev.
rev.

1.  Abbreviation
of
revenue

2.  Abbreviation
of
reverse

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of review

4.  PUBLISHING Abbreviation of
revised

5.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
revision

6.  Abbreviation
of
revolution

[1]



Rev.

Rev.
Rev.

Abbreviation of
Reverend[1]



revalue

revalue
re·val·ue 
[ree vállyoo] (past re·val·ued,
past participle re·val·ued, present participle re·val·u·ing,
3rd person present singular re·val·ues) or re·val·u·ate
[ree vállyoo àyt] (past re·val·u·at·ed,
past participle re·val·u·at·ed, present participle re·val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·val·u·ates) transitive verb

1.  FINANCE raise
value of currency: to increase the value of a
nation’s currency.
See
also
reevaluate

2.  COMMERCE reassess
the present value: to assign a new value to
something such as assets

[1]



revamp

revamp
re·vamp 
[r vámp] transitive verb (past
re·vamped, past participle re·vamped, present
participle re·vamp·ing, 3rd person present singular re·vamps)

alter
something for the better: to alter something in order
to improve the way it looks or works
noun
(plural re·vamps)

alteration
for the better: a change made in something in order to
improve its appearance or functioning
[The
word meant originally “to furnish a shoe with a new vamp”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at renew

[1]



revanche

revanche
re·vanche 
[ri vnch] noun

policy
of reclaiming territory: a nation’s or an ethnic
group’s policy of regaining lost territory
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from Old French revancher “to revenge,” from vengier
(see revenge ).]
—re·vanch·ism,
noun

—re·vanch·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



Revd.

Revd.
Revd.

Abbreviation of
Reverend[1]



reveal

reveal1
re·veal1 [ri
vl] (past re·vealed, past participle re·vealed,
present participle re·veal·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·veals, plural re·veals) transitive verb

1.  make
something known: to disclose something that was unknown
or secret

2.  expose
something:
to make something visible that had been hidden or covered

3.  RELIGION make
known divine truth: to make something known by
divine or supernatural means
[14th
century. Via French révéler from Latin revelare, literally “to
unveil,” from velum (see veil ).]
—re·veal·er, noun[1]



reveal

reveal2
re·veal2 [ri
vl] (plural re·veals) noun

vertical
section of wall opening: the vertical section of wall
that lies between a doorframe or window frame and the outer wall
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier revale “to lower,” from Old French revaler,
from val “valley” (see vale ).][1]



revealedreligion

revealedreligion
re·vealed
re·lig·ion 
(plural re·vealed re·lig·ions) noun

religion based on divine
revelation: a religion based on what its
adherents believe to be the word of a supreme deity[1]



revealing

revealing
re·veal·ing 
[ri vling] adjective

1.  showing
body:
exposing part of the body that would normally be kept covered

2.  disclosing
information: giving away new, surprising, or valuable
information

3.  frank:
exposing true emotions or intentions
—re·veal·ing·ly, adverb[1]



reveille

reveille

rev·eil·le 
[révvəlee] (plural rev·eil·les)
noun

1.  wake-up
call:
the sounding of a bugle to awaken and summon military personnel in a camp

2.  time
of reveille: the time of day at which reveille is
sounded

3.  early-morning
military formation: the military formation that
begins the day

4.  signal
to awake:
any signal that it is time to get out of bed
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of French réveillez “wake up!”, from Old French resveiller “to
awaken,” from esveiller, via assumed Vulgar Latin exvigilare
from, ultimately, Latin vigil (see vigil
).][1]



revel

revel
rev·el 
[révv’l] intransitive verb (past
rev·eled, past participle rev·eled, present participle
rev·el·ing, 3rd person present singular rev·els)

1.  enjoy:
to take great pleasure in something

2.  be
at a party:
to have an enjoyable time in the company of others, especially at a party
noun
(plural rev·els)

noisy celebration:
an uproarious party or celebration (often used in the plural)
[14th
century. Via Old French reveler “to rebel, carouse” from Latin rebellare
(see rebel ).]
—rev·el·er, noun[1]



Revelation

Revelation
Rev·e·la·tion
or Rev·e·la·tions noun

book of the Bible:
a book of the Bible that includes a description of the end of the world[1]



revelation

revelation
rev·e·la·tion 
[rèvvə láysh’n] (plural rev·e·la·tions)
noun

1.  information
revealed:
information that is newly disclosed, especially surprising or valuable
information

2.  surprising
thing:
a surprisingly good or valuable experience

3.  disclosure:
the revealing of something previously hidden or secret

4.  CHRISTIANITY demonstration
of divine will: a showing or revealing of divine will or
truth
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin revelare (see reveal ).]
—rev·e·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



revelator

revelator
rev·e·la·tor 
[révvə làytər] (plural rev·e·la·tors)
noun

revealer:
somebody or something believed to reveal divine will or truth
[15th century. From late
Latin, formed from Latin revelare (see reveal
).][1]



revelatory

revelatory
rev·e·la·to·ry 
[ri véllə tàwree, révvələ
tàwree] adjective

revealing:
disclosing something not previously known[1]



reveler

reveler
rev·el·er
[révvələr] (plural rev·el·ers)
noun

somebody partying noisily:
somebody enjoying a noisy party or celebration[1]



revelry

revelry
rev·el·ry
[révv’lree] (plural rev·el·ries)
noun

noisy celebrating:
lively enjoyment or celebration, usually involving eating, drinking, dancing,
and noise (often used in the plural)[1]



revenant

revenant
rev·e·nant 
[révvənənt] (plural rev·e·nants)
noun

ghost:
a dead person believed to have come back as a ghost (literary)
[Early 19th century. From
French, the present participle of revenir (see revenue
).][1]



revenge

revenge
re·venge 
[ri vénj] transitive verb (past
re·venged, past participle re·venged, present
participle re·veng·ing, 3rd person present singular re·veng·es)

1.  secure
revenge for somebody: to avenge yourself or
somebody else who has been harmed

2.  punish
somebody for harm done: to punish somebody in
retaliation for harm or injury done
noun

1.  something
done in retaliation: something done to get even
with somebody else who has caused harm

2.  desire
for retaliation: the desire or urge to get even with
somebody

3.  retaliatory
punishment:
the punishing of somebody in retaliation for harm done
[14th
century. From Old French revengier, from vengier “to avenge,”
from late Latin vindicare (see vindicate
).]
—re·venge·ful,
adjective

—re·venge·ful·ly,
adverb

—re·veng·er, noun[1]



revenue

revenue
rev·e·nue 
[révvə n] (plural rev·e·nues)
noun

1.  BUSINESS income
from business: money that comes into a business from
the sale of goods or services

2.  POLITICS government
income:
the income of a government from all sources, used to pay for a nation’s
expenses

3.  FINANCE personal
income:
income or salary received from employment

4.  FINANCE yield
on investment: the total return produced by an
investment

5.  tax-collecting
department:
the department of a nation’s government that is responsible for collecting
taxes
[15th century. From French revenu,
the past participle of revenir “to return,” from Latin revenire,
literally “to come back,” from venire (see venue
).][1]



revenuebond

revenuebond
rev·e·nue
bond
(plural rev·e·nue bonds) noun

public bond issue:
a bond issued by a government agency in order to build or improve a public
property. The income from the property pays for the bond.[1]



revenuecutter

revenuecutter
rev·e·nue
cut·ter
(plural rev·e·nue cut·ters) noun

customs boat:
a small lightly armed boat used to patrol coastlines, enforce customs
regulations, and prevent smuggling.
Also called
revenuer[1]



revenuer

revenuer
rev·e·nu·er
[révvə n ər] (plural rev·e·nu·ers)
noun (informal)

1.  SHIPPING revenue
cutter:
a revenue cutter

2.  POLITICS government
agent:
a government agent who is in charge of stopping the illegal manufacture of
alcoholic beverages

[1]



revenuesharing

revenuesharing
rev·e·nue
shar·ing 
noun

distribution of federal
funds: the practice of distributing
a portion of federal income to state and city governments[1]



revenuestamp

revenuestamp
rev·e·nue
stamp
(plural rev·e·nue stamps) noun

tax stamp:
a stamp put on something that proves a government tax has been paid[1]



revenuetariff

revenuetariff
rev·e·nue
tar·iff
(plural rev·e·nue tar·iffs) noun

tax raising revenue:
a tax or duty imposed to produce public revenue, as distinct from one imposed
to protect a domestic economy[1]



reverb

reverb
re·verb 
[ri vúrb] noun (plural re·verbs)

1.  echo
in music:
an echoing effect produced in live or recorded music by electronic means

2.  echo-producing
device:
an electronic device used to produce an echoing effect in live or recorded
music
intransitive
verb
(past re·verbed, past participle re·verbed, present
participle re·verb·ing, 3rd person present singular re·verbs)

produce electronic echo:
to produce an echoing effect in live or recorded music
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of reverberate ; earliest as verb
meaning “to reverberate.”][1]



reverberant

reverberant
re·ver·ber·ant
[ri vúrbərənt] adjective

echoing:
making an echoing sound
—re·ver·ber·ant·ly, adverb[1]



reverberate

reverberate
re·ver·ber·ate 
[ri vúrbə ràyt] (past re·ver·ber·at·ed,
past participle re·ver·ber·at·ed, present participle re·ver·ber·at·ing,
3rd person present singular re·ver·ber·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
echo:
to echo repeatedly

2.  intransitive
verb
have
continuing effect: to have a far-reaching or
lasting impact, especially as a result of being circulated widely

3.  intransitive
verb
PHYSICS bounce
back:
to be reflected repeatedly off different surfaces (refers to heat, light, or
sound waves)

4.  transitive
verb
cause
sound to echo: to cause sound to bounce back from a
surface

5.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY heat
or refine metal: to treat metal in a furnace ( reverberatory furnace ) that reflects flame or
heat
[15th
century. From Latin reverberare, literally “to beat again,” from verberare
“to beat,” from verber “scourge.”]
—re·ver·ber·a·tion
[ri vùrbə ráysh’n], noun

—re·ver·ber·a·tive [ri vúrbə ràytiv], adjective[1]



reverberationtime

reverberationtime
re·ver·ber·a·tion
time
(plural re·ver·ber·a·tion times) noun

measure of sound:
the time it takes for a sound in a room to be reduced by 60 decibels[1]



reverberatory

reverberatory
re·ver·ber·a·to·ry 
[ri vúrbərə tàwree] adjective

deflected:
produced or functioning by the process of deflection of sound, light, or heat[1]



reverberatoryfurnace

reverberatoryfurnace
re·ver·ber·a·to·ry
fur·nace
(plural re·ver·ber·a·to·ry fur·nac·es) noun

furnace using reflected heat:
a furnace in which material is heated by heat reflected from above[1]



revere

revere
re·vere
[ri vr] (past re·vered, past
participle re·vered, present participle re·ver·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·veres) transitive verb

treat
somebody with admiring respect: to regard somebody
with admiration and deep respect
[Mid-17th century. Via French
révérer from Latin revereri, from vereri “to be in awe
of.”][1]



Revere

Revere
Re·vere 
[ri véer]

city in eastern
Massachusetts, east of Medford. It is a northeastern suburb of Boston.
Population: 41,761 (1996)[1]



reverence

reverence
rev·er·ence 
[révvərəns] noun

1.  respect
felt:
feelings of deep respect or devotion

2.  respect
gained:
the respect or devotion that others show somebody or something

3.  rev·er·ence
or Rev·er·ence CHRISTIANITY
used
to address Christian clergy: used as a form of address
for some members of the Christian clergy
transitive
verb
(past rev·er·enced, past participle rev·er·enced, present
participle rev·er·enc·ing, 3rd person present singular rev·er·enc·es)

respect somebody or something deeply:
to regard somebody or something with deep respect (formal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



Reverend

Reverend
Rev·er·end
noun

used to address Christian
clerics: used as a title and form of
address for some members of the clergy in many Christian churches[1]



reverend

reverend
rev·er·end 
[révvərənd] adjective

1.  respected:
deserving to be shown respect (formal)

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
clergy:
relating or belonging to the Christian clergy
noun
(plural rev·er·ends)

CHRISTIANITY Christian
priest:
a member of the Christian clergy (informal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin reverendus “to be revered,”
from revereri (see revere ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  reverend
  or reverent ?
  Care
  should be taken in distinguishing between reverend,
  which refers to a member of the clergy, and reverent,
  which is a descriptive adjective, meaning “showing reverence,” applicable to
  anyone who merits it.

[1]



ReverendMother

ReverendMother
Rev·er·end
Moth·er
noun

CHRISTIANITY
used to address a Mother Superior:
used as a title of respect to address the nun in charge of a convent[1]



reverent

reverent
rev·er·ent 
[révvərənt] adjective

respectful:
feeling or expressing profound respect or awe
[14th
century. From Latin revereri (see revere
).]
—rev·er·ent·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at reverend.

[1]



reverential

reverential
rev·er·en·tial 
[rèvvə rénshəl] adjective

1.  respectful:
feeling or expressing deep respect or awe

2.  deserving
respect:
worthy of deep respect or awe
—rev·er·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



Revere,Paul

Revere,Paul

Re·vere 
[ri vr], Paul (1735–1818)
American silversmith and patriot. A
leading Boston silversmith, he made an historic midnight ride, on April 18,
1775, from Boston to Concord to warn of an impending British attack.[1]



reverie

reverie
rev·er·ie 
[révvəree] (plural rev·er·ies)
noun

daydream:
a state of idle and pleasant contemplation
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from rêver “to dream,” of unknown origin.][1]



revers

revers
re·vers
[ri vr, ri váir]
(plural re·vers [ri vrz, ri váirz]) noun

reversed
part of garment: a part of a garment such as a lapel,
turned back so that the reverse side shows
[Mid-19th century. From
French, (see reverse ).][1]



reversal

reversal
re·ver·sal 
[ri vúrs’l] (plural re·ver·sals)
noun

1.  change
to opposite direction: a change to an opposite
direction or state

2.  problem:
an unfortunate experience or setback, particularly in business or financial
affairs

3.  reversing
of something: the changing of something to an opposite
direction or state

4.  LAW change
of judicial decision: a ruling made by a higher
court that sets aside the decision of a lower court

[1]



reverse

reverse
re·verse 
[ri vúrs] adjective

1.  opposite
to usual or previous arrangement: opposite to what is
usual or what was previously said or arranged • announce
the results in reverse order

2.  on
back side:
on the other side or the back side of something

3.  for
backward movement: used to make a machine or
vehicle go backward • reverse
gear
noun
(plural re·vers·es)

1.  the
opposite:
the contrary of something • She
always does the reverse of what I tell her.

2.  back
side:
the rear or back side of something • The
names are written on the reverse of the photo.

3.  MONEY back
side of coin: the side of a coin, medal, or seal on
which the primary design does not appear • The
reverse of some coins carries the national motto.
Also
called
verso
See
also
obverse

4.  change
to opposite direction: a change or turn to the
opposite direction, position, or condition

5.  setback:
a change for the worse • a
military reverse

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING gear
for backward movement: the gear in a vehicle or
machine that makes it run backward • It’s
easier to get out of here in reverse.

7.  FOOTBALL offensive
play in football: in football, a move in which a back
receives the handoff from the quarterback and then hands the ball to another
back running in the opposite direction
verb
(past re·versed, past participle re·versed, present
participle re·vers·ing, 3rd person present singular re·vers·es)

1.  transitive
verb
change
something to opposite: to change something to the
opposite direction, order, or position • reversing
the trend of population growth

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
backward:
to go backward, or move something in a backward direction • reverse
the car

3.  transitive
verb
turn
something inside out: to change something so that
the opposite side or part shows • You
can reverse the cloak and wear it with the lining on the outside.

4.  transitive
verb
LAW revoke
ruling:
to overturn a previous ruling made by a lower court

5.  transitive
verb
PRINTING print
something white against dark background: to
print text or graphics in white against a dark or colored background

6.  transitive
verb
MILITARY turn
weapon upside down: to turn a weapon upside
down, especially as a sign of mourning
[14th
century. Via Old French revers “reversed” from Latin reversus,
the past participle of revertere, literally “to turn back,” from vertere
(see verse ).]
—re·verse·ly,
adverb

—re·vers·er, noun[1]



reverse-charge

reverse-charge
re·verse-charge
adjective

U.K.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS See collect[1]



reversecommuting

reversecommuting
re·verse
com·mut·ing
noun

traveling
from city to suburban job: the practice of traveling
regularly between a home in a city and a job in the suburbs
—re·verse com·mut·er, noun[1]



reversediscrimination

reversediscrimination
re·verse
dis·crim·i·na·tion noun

discrimination against
dominant social groups:
discrimination against a member of a social group generally regarded as
dominant or privileged, for example, in employment or admission to a university[1]



reverseengineering

reverseengineering
re·verse
en·gi·neer·ing noun

stealing
competitor’s technology: the pirating of a
competitor’s technology by dismantling an existing product and reproducing its
parts and construction to manufacture a replica
—re·verse-en·gi·neer,
transitive verb

—re·verse-en·gi·neered,
adjective[1]



reversemortgage

reversemortgage
re·verse
mort·gage
(plural re·verse mort·gag·es) noun

type of residential mortgage:
a financial instrument in which a residential mortgage is transferred to a
bank, which then pays an annuity to the homeowner[1]



reverseosmosis

reverseosmosis
re·verse
os·mo·sis
noun

production of pure liquids:
a process of purifying water or other liquids such as fruit juices by passing
them through a semipermeable membrane that filters out unwanted substances[1]



reversetakeover

reversetakeover
re·verse
take·o·ver
(plural re·verse take·o·vers) noun

sale to avoid hostile
takeover: the sale of a company to
another company in order to avoid takeover by an unwanted predatory company[1]



reversetranscriptase

reversetranscriptase
re·verse
tran·scrip·tase noun

enzyme involved in DNA
formation: an enzyme that assists in
the formation of DNA using RNA as a template, used in genetic engineering
because it reverses the natural flow of genetic information[1]



reversevideo

reversevideo
re·verse
vid·e·o
noun

reversal of color combination
on computer: the reversal of the
usual character and background color combination on a computer display, used as
a highlighting tool[1]



reversi

reversi
re·ver·si
[ri vúrsee] noun

board
game:
a board game for two players, played on a checkerboard, in which captured
pieces are transferred to the capturer
[Early 19th century. From
French, an alteration of reversin, via Italian rovescina
“reversal” from, ultimately, Latin reversus (see reverse ).][1]



reversible

reversible
re·vers·i·ble 
[ri vúrsəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be reversed: able to be changed or undone

2.  CLOTHES usable
inside out:
made so that either side can be used as the outer or upper side

3.  CHEMISTRY undergoing
a reaction and reversing it: capable of going through a
stage such as a chemical reaction and then reversing the process
—re·vers·i·bil·i·ty
[ri vùrsə bíllətee], noun

—re·vers·i·ble·ness
[ri vúrsəb’lnəss], noun

—re·vers·i·bly [ri vúrsəblee], adverb[1]



reversion

reversion
re·ver·sion 
[ri vúr’n] (plural re·ver·sions)
noun

1.  return
to former condition: a return to an earlier
condition often perceived as less desirable or inferior

2.  reversal:
a change to the opposite direction

3.  GENETICS return
to original characteristics: the restoration of the
normal genetic constitution in a mutant organism, for example, by means of a
second mutation that cancels out the effects of an earlier one

4.  GENETICS reverted
organism:
an organism that has reverted to ancestral genetic characteristics

5.  LAW return
to former owner: the return of property to its former
owner or his or her heirs at the end of a specified period, usually when the
present owner dies

6.  LAW property
returned to former owner: property that has been returned
to its former owner or his or her heirs

7.  LAW right
to inherit property: the right to succeed to
property, granted to somebody by the former owner
—re·ver·sion·al,
adjective

—re·ver·sion·al·ly,
adverb

—re·ver·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



reversioner

reversioner
re·ver·sion·er 
[ri vúr’nər] (plural re·ver·sion·ers)
noun

somebody who will regain
property: somebody to whom ownership
of property will be returned after a specified period of time[1]



revert

revert
re·vert 
[ri vúrt] (past re·vert·ed, past
participle re·vert·ed, present participle re·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular re·verts) intransitive verb

1.  go
back to previous state: to return to a former state,
often one perceived as less desirable or inferior

2.  return
in discussion: to return to an earlier topic in the
course of a discussion

3.  GENETICS reacquire
original features: to acquire or develop
original genetic features again

4.  return
to old habits: to return to a former pattern of
behavior, usually something less acceptable

5.  LAW be
returned to owner: to become once again the
property of the former owner or his or her heirs
[14th
century. Via Old French revertir from, ultimately, Latin revertere,
literally “to turn back,” from vertere (see verse
).]
—re·vert·er,
noun

—re·vert·i·ble,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at refer.

[1]



revertant

revertant
re·ver·tant 
[ri vúrt’nt] adjective

having
reacquired original features: used to describe an organism
or part of an organism that has reacquired features that are original or
simpler
noun
(plural re·ver·tants)

revertant organism:
a revertant organism or part[1]



revest

revest
re·vest 
[ree vést] (past re·vest·ed, past
participle re·vest·ed, present participle re·vest·ing,
3rd person present singular re·vests) transitive verb

1.  reinstate
somebody:
to reinstate somebody in a position or office

2.  restore
something to somebody: to restore power or property
to somebody

[1]



revet

revet
re·vet 
[ri vét] (past re·vet·ted, past
participle re·vet·ted, present participle re·vet·ting,
3rd person present singular re·vets) intransitive and
transitive verb

add
support to building: to give a structure
additional support by adding a facing of bricks, stone, or concrete
[Early 19th century. Via
French revêtir from late Latin revestire, literally “to clothe
again,” from vestire “to clothe,” from vestis (see vest ).][1]



revetment

revetment
re·vet·ment 
[ri vétmənt] (plural re·vet·ments)
noun

1.  BUILDING supporting
facing on structure: a facing added to a
structure such as a wall or building that provides additional support

2.  MILITARY barricade:
a barricade constructed to protect against damage or injury from explosives

[1]



review

review
re·view 
[ri vy] noun (plural re·views)

1.  survey
of past:
a report or survey of past actions, performance, or events • a
review of the stock market for the past five years

2.  ARTS journalistic
article giving opinion: a journalistic article
giving an assessment of a book, play, movie, concert, or other public
performance • The
book got unexpectedly bad reviews.

3.  PUBLISHING publication
featuring reviews: a magazine or journal that
publishes reviews • the Literary Review

4.  reexamination
of something: another look at or consideration of
something

5.  covering
of learned material again: a brief discussion of
subject matter already learned, in preparation for a test • This
professor always has a review before a big test.
U.K.
term
revision  noun 4

6.  MILITARY military
inspection:
a formal military inspection

7.  MILITARY formal
military ceremony: a formal military ceremony
staged to honor a person or an occasion

8.  LAW judicial
reexamination: a critical examination by a higher court
of a decision taken by a lower court

9.  THEATER See revue
verb
(past re·viewed, past participle re·viewed, present
participle re·view·ing, 3rd person present singular re·views)

1.  transitive
verb
look
at something critically: to examine something to make
sure that it is adequate, accurate, or correct • They
need to review their sales strategy.

2.  transitive
verb
ARTS give
opinion on quality of something: to write a
journalistic report on the quality of a new play, book, movie, concert, or
other public performance • He
reviews movies for a newspaper.

3.  transitive
verb
consider
something again: to consider, study, or check something
again

4.  intransitive
verb
EDUCATION study
notes for test: to study for a test by looking over
notes and course materials.
U.K.
term
revise  verb 4

5.  transitive
verb
look
back on something: to discuss or examine
something again • She’s writing an
article reviewing the company’s history.

6.  transitive
verb
LAW reconsider
decision judicially: to reexamine a judicial
decision made in a lower court in order to consider whether it should be
overturned

7.  transitive
verb
MILITARY subject
troops to military inspection: to make a formal
inspection of a military force
[15th
century. From obsolete French reveue “inspection,” from revoir
“to inspect,” from Latin revidere, literally “to see again,” from videre
(see vision ).]
—re·view·a·ble, adjective[1]



reviewcopy

reviewcopy
re·view
cop·y
noun

copy of new book for
reviewer: a copy of a new book that a
publisher sends to potential critics and reviewers to encourage published
reviews[1]



reviewer

reviewer
re·view·er 
[ri vy ər] (plural re·view·ers)
noun

somebody evaluating new
works: somebody who writes
journalistic articles giving opinions on plays, books, movies, concerts, and
other events or works in the arts[1]



revile

revile
re·vile 
[ri vl] (past re·viled, past
participle re·viled, present participle re·vil·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·viles) verb

1.  transitive
verb
attack
somebody or something verbally: to make a fierce or
abusive verbal attack on somebody or something

2.  intransitive
verb
use
abusive language: to use insulting or abusive language
[14th
century. From Old French reviler, from vil (see vile ).]
—re·vile·ment,
noun

—re·vil·er, noun[1]



revise

revise
re·vise 
verb [ri vz] (past re·vised,
past participle re·vised, present participle re·vis·ing,
3rd person present singular re·vis·es)

1.  transitive
verb
rethink
something:
to come to different conclusions about somebody or something after thinking
again

2.  transitive
verb
give
updated version of something: to change a previous
estimate in order to make it more accurate or realistic

3.  transitive
verb
alter
something for correction or updating: to
amend a text in order to correct, update, or improve it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. EDUCATION See review  verb 4
noun
[r vz, ri vz]
(plural re·vis·es)

1.  something
revised:
something that has been revised

2.  PUBLISHING late
stage of printed proof: a late stage of a printed
proof that incorporates corrections to earlier proofs (often used in the
plural)
[Mid-16th
century. Via French réviser from Latin revisere, literally “to
look over again,” from visere “to keep watching,” from videre
(see vision ).]
—re·vis·a·ble,
adjective

—re·vis·er, noun[1]



RevisedStandard Version

RevisedStandard Version
Re·vised
Stan·dard Ver·sion  noun

modern U.S. edition of Bible:
a modern U.S. revision of the American Standard Version of the Bible, published
in full in 1953[1]



RevisedVersion

RevisedVersion
Re·vised
Ver·sion
noun

19C British edition of Bible:
a 19th-century British revision of the King James’ Bible[1]



revision

revision
re·vi·sion 
[ri ví’n] (plural re·vi·sions)
noun

1.  changing
of something: the changing of a decision, estimate,
statistic, or set of figures in order to correct it or make it more realistic

2.  changing
of text:
the amending of a text in order to correct, update, improve, or adapt it

3.  PUBLISHING new
edition:
a revised and republished version of a text

4.  U.K.
EDUCATION See review  noun 5
—re·vi·sion·ar·y, adjective[1]



revisionism

revisionism
re·vi·sion·ism 
[ri ví’n ìzzəm] noun

1.  reconsidering
of accepted truths: the reconsidering of
long-established practices, views, or beliefs

2.  POLITICS HISTORY anti-Marxist socialist
movement:
a socialist movement arguing against revolutionary Marxist theory and believing
in the peaceful achievement of social progress through reforms
—re·vi·sion·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



revisit

revisit
re·vis·it 
[ree vízzit] transitive verb (past
re·vis·it·ed, past participle re·vis·it·ed, present
participle re·vis·it·ing, 3rd person present singular re·vis·its)

1.  go
to place again: to visit a place again

2.  reconsider
something:
to reconsider something such as an issue of public policy or a course of
action, especially when additional facts indicate that an earlier decision was
inappropriate
noun
(plural re·vis·its)

subsequent visit:
another visit to a place

[1]



revisory

revisory
re·vi·so·ry 
[ri vzəree] adjective

revising or able to revise:
carrying out a revision, or given the authority to revise something[1]



revitalize

revitalize
re·vi·tal·ize 
[r vt’l z] (past re·vi·tal·ized,
past participle re·vi·tal·ized, present participle re·vi·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular re·vi·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

renew
somebody or something: to give new life or energy
to somebody or something
—re·vi·tal·i·za·tion [ree vt’li záysh’n], noun[1]



revival

revival
re·viv·al 
[ri vv’l] (plural re·viv·als)
noun

1.  renewal
of interest: a renewal of interest in something that
results in its becoming popular once more

2.  THEATER MUSIC new production:
a new production of a play or opera that has not been performed recently

3.  reviving
of somebody: the process of bringing somebody back to
life, consciousness, or full strength

4.  recovery:
the recovering of life, consciousness, or full strength

5.  RELIGION renewed
religious interest: a new interest in religion,
or the reawakening of such interest

6.  CHRISTIANITY evangelical
Christian meeting: a meeting or a series of
meetings of evangelical Christians intended to awaken religious fervor in those
who attend

7.  LAW reestablishing
of legal validity: the renewal of the validity
of a contract or the effect of a judicial decision

[1]



revivalism

revivalism
re·viv·al·ism 
[ri vv’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  desire
to foster new interest: a desire or tendency to
renew interest in something old, for example, old customs or beliefs

2.  RELIGION evangelical
religious movement: the efforts of a religious
movement, especially an evangelical Christian movement, to reawaken religious
commitment

[1]



revivalist

revivalist
re·viv·al·ist 
[ri vv’list] noun (plural re·viv·al·ists)

1.  somebody
advocating renewed interest: somebody who wishes to
revive old customs, ideas, or institutions

2.  RELIGION evangelist:
somebody who promotes, organizes, or preaches at a religious revival meeting,
especially one for evangelical Christians
adjective

RELIGION reawakening
religious faith: dedicated to reawakening or stimulating
religious fervor in evangelical Christians
—re·viv·al·is·tic [ri vv’l ístik], adjective[1]



revive

revive
re·vive 
[ri vv] (past re·vived, past
participle re·vived, present participle re·viv·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·vives) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb recover
consciousness: to come, or bring somebody, back to
life, consciousness, or full strength

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb flourish
again:
to become, or make something, active, accepted, or popular once more

3.  transitive
verb
cause
experience to return: to cause something to be
experienced again as a memory or feeling

4.  transitive
verb
THEATER MUSIC stage again:
to stage a new production of an old play or opera
[15th
century. Directly or via French revivre from late Latin revivere,
literally “to make live again,” from vivere (see vivid ).]
—re·viv·a·ble,
adjective

—re·viv·er, noun[1]



revivify

revivify
re·viv·i·fy 
[ree vívvə f] (past re·viv·i·fied,
past participle re·viv·i·fied, present participle re·viv·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular re·viv·i·fies) transitive verb

give
something or somebody new life: to impart new life,
energy, or spirit to something or somebody
—re·viv·i·fi·ca·tion [r vívvəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



revocable

revocable
rev·o·ca·ble 
[révvəkəb’l, ri
vṓkəb’l] adjective

able
to be invalidated: able to be revoked or
canceled
—rev·o·ca·bil·i·ty
[rèvvəkə bíllətee, ri
vkə bíllətee], noun

—rev·o·ca·bly [révvəkəblee, ri vṓkəblee],
adverb[1]



revocation

revocation
rev·o·ca·tion 
[rèvvə káysh’n, r
vō káysh’n] noun

annulment:
the cancellation or withdrawal of something such as a law or license
—rev·o·ca·to·ry [révvəkə tàwree, ri vókə
tàwree], adjective[1]



revoke

revoke
re·voke 
[ri vṓk] verb (past re·voked,
past participle re·voked, present participle re·vok·ing,
3rd person present singular re·vokes)

1.  transitive
verb
LAW formally
cancel something: to make something null and void by
withdrawing, recalling, or reversing it

2.  transitive
verb
summon
somebody back: to call somebody back, for example, from
exile or from an overseas position

3.  intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES not
follow suit in cards: in a card game, to fail to
follow suit though able to do so
noun
(plural re·vokes)

CARD GAMES failure
to follow suit in cards: failure to follow suit in a
card game when able to do so
[14th
century. Via French révoquer from Latin revocare, literally “to
call back,” from vocare (see vocal
).]
—re·vok·er, noun[1]



revolt

revolt
re·volt 
[ri vṓlt] verb (past re·volt·ed,
past participle re·volt·ed, present participle re·volt·ing,
3rd person present singular re·volts)

1.  intransitive
verb
rebel
against the state: to try to overthrow an
existing government

2.  intransitive
verb
defy
authority:
to resist authority or rules

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb feel
disgust:
to feel, or cause somebody to feel, disgust or repulsion
noun
(plural re·volts)

1.  uprising
against government: an uprising that attempts to
overthrow a government

2.  defiance
of authority: a protest against authority or rules
[Mid-16th
century. Via French révolter from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin revolvitare
“to overturn,” from Latin revolvere (see revolve
).]
—re·volt·er, noun[1]



revolting

revolting
re·volt·ing 
[ri vṓlting] adjective

1.  provoking
disgust:
arousing feelings of disgust, nausea, or repulsion

2.  nasty:
unattractive or otherwise unpleasant (informal)
—re·volt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



revolute

revolute
rev·o·lute 
[révvə lt] adjective

curled
back:
used to describe leaves and other plant parts that are rolled backward and
downward from the tip or edge
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
revolutus, the past participle of revolvere (see revolve ).][1]



revolution

revolution
rev·o·lu·tion 
[rèvvə lsh’n] (plural rev·o·lu·tions)
noun

1.  POLITICS overthrow
of government: the overthrow of a ruler or political
system

2.  major
change:
a dramatic change in ideas or practice

3.  complete
circular turn: one complete circular movement made by
something round or cylindrical, for example, a wheel, around a fixed point

4.  circle
around something: a complete circle made around something,
for example, the orbit made by a planet or satellite around another body

5.  GEOLOGY period
of major geologic change: a period during which the
Earth’s crust changes considerably and major features such as mountain ranges
may emerge
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin revolut-, the past participle stem of revolvere
(see revolve ).][1]



revolutionary

revolutionary
rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y 
[rèvvə lsh’n èrree] adjective

1.  POLITICS of a
political revolution: relating to or involving a
political or social revolution

2.  POLITICS stirring
rebellion:
causing, supporting, or advocating revolution

3.  new
and different: so new and different as to cause a major
change in something
noun
(plural rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies)

POLITICS rebel:
somebody committed to a political or social revolution.
Also
called
revolutionist
—rev·o·lu·tion·ar·i·ly,
adverb

—rev·o·lu·tion·ar·i·ness,
noun[1]



Revolutionary

Revolutionary
Rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
adjective

1.  of
the American Revolution: relating to the war with
Great Britain fought by the American colonists

2.  of
particular national revolution: relating to a
particular revolution that has taken place such as the Russian Revolution or
the French Revolution

[1]



RevolutionaryCalendar

RevolutionaryCalendar
Rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y
Cal·en·dar
noun

See
French Republican Calendar[1]



revolutionist

revolutionist
rev·o·lu·tion·ist 
[rèvvə lsh’nist] (plural rev·o·lu·tion·ists)
noun

See
revolutionary[1]



revolutionize

revolutionize
rev·o·lu·tion·ize 
[rèvvə lsh’n z] (past rev·o·lu·tion·ized,
past participle rev·o·lu·tion·ized, present participle rev·o·lu·tion·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular rev·o·lu·tion·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  change
something radically: to cause a radical change in
something such as a method or approach

2.  POLITICS incite
people to rebellion: to inspire people with
revolutionary ideas

3.  POLITICS cause
rebellion in country: to bring about a revolution
in a country
—rev·o·lu·tion·iz·er, noun[1]



revolve

revolve
re·volve 
[ri vólv] verb (past re·volved,
past participle re·volved, present participle re·volv·ing,
3rd person present singular re·volves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in circular fashion: to move, or send something,
in a circular movement, either around an object or on a central axis

2.  intransitive
verb
be
focused:
to have something as a primary focus or theme

3.  intransitive
verb
recur:
to happen in cycles or regular periodic intervals
noun
(plural re·volves)

THEATER turning
stage:
a circular part of a stage that can be turned mechanically in order to change a
scene
[14th
century. From Latin revolvere, literally “to roll back,” from volvere
(see volute ).]
—re·volv·a·ble, adjective[1]



revolver

revolver
re·volv·er 
[ri vólvər] (plural re·volv·ers)
noun

pistol with revolving
chambers: a handgun with a revolving
cylinder of chambers, allowing several shots to be fired without reloading[1]



revolvingcredit

revolvingcredit
re·volv·ing
cred·it
noun

credit plan:
a credit scheme that imposes regular repayments and a predetermined spending
limit[1]



revolvingdoor

revolvingdoor
re·volv·ing
door
(plural re·volv·ing doors) noun

1.  door
that goes around: a door, usually in a large building,
consisting of four panels that intersect at right angles and turn on a central
pivot

2.  HUMAN RESOURCES circular
system:
any system in which people frequently enter and leave, for example, a
corporation that repeatedly hires and fires staff or a criminal justice system
that returns offenders to society (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



revolvingfund

revolvingfund
re·volv·ing
fund
(plural re·volv·ing funds) noun

fund for set purpose:
a fund that can be drawn upon and repaid as desired, established for a
particular purpose[1]



revue

revue
re·vue 
[ri vy] (plural re·vues) noun

musical
variety show: a musical variety show consisting of
skits, dance routines, and songs that often satirize current events and
personalities.
Also
called
review
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from revoir (see review
).][1]



revulsed

revulsed
re·vulsed 
[ri vúlst] adjective

sickened:
disgusted or appalled by something[1]



revulsion

revulsion
re·vul·sion 
[ri vúlshən] noun

1.  feeling
of disgust:
a sudden and violent feeling of extreme loathing

2.  withdrawal:
a pulling or turning back (formal)

3.  MEDICINE diversion
of blood:
the diversion of blood or disease from one part of the body to another
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin revuls-, the past participle
stem of revellere, literally “to pull back,” from vellere “to
tear, pull.”]
—re·vul·sive, adjective[1]



revup

revup
rev
up
transitive verb (informal)

1.  intensify
something:
to increase the tempo, intensity, or amount of something • We’d
better rev up production if we’re going to meet our deadline.

2.  empassion
somebody:
to stir up intense feelings in somebody, usually feelings of excitement,
desire, or anger

[1]



Rev.Ver.

Rev.Ver.
Rev.
Ver.

Abbreviation of
Revised Version[1]



rewake

rewake
re·wake 
[ree wáyk] (past re·woke [ree wṓk] or re·waked, past
participle re·wok·en [ree wṓkən] or
re·waked, present participle re·wak·ing, 3rd person
present singular re·wakes) intransitive and transitive verb

wake again:
to wake again, or wake somebody again[1]



rewaken

rewaken
re·wak·en 
[r wáykən] (past re·wak·ened,
past participle re·wak·ened, present participle re·wak·en·ing,
3rd person present singular re·wak·ens) intransitive verb

waken again:
to waken up again[1]



reward

reward
re·ward 
[ri wáwrd] noun (plural re·wards)

1.  thing
given in return: something desirable given in return for
what somebody has done

2.  money
offered in return: money offered for
information about the whereabouts of a criminal or the return of something lost
or stolen

3.  benefit
received:
a benefit obtained as a result of an action taken or a job done

4.  PSYCHOLOGY something
reinforcing desired behavior: something positive that
follows a desired response and acts to encourage desired behavior
transitive
verb
(past re·ward·ed, past participle re·ward·ed, present
participle re·ward·ing, 3rd person present singular re·wards)

1.  give
somebody something as reward: to give somebody something
in return, especially in thanks for kindness or help

2.  repay
effort:
to be worth the effort or attention that is given
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman, a variant of Old French reguard (see regard ).]
—re·ward·a·ble,
adjective

—re·ward·er, noun[1]



rewarding

rewarding
re·ward·ing 
[ri wáwrding] adjective

1.  satisfying:
providing somebody with personal satisfaction or great pleasure

2.  given
as reward:
intended as a reward for something
—re·ward·ing·ly, adverb[1]



rewind

rewind
re·wind 
transitive verb [ree wnd] (past
re·wound [ree wównd], past
participle re·wound, present participle re·wind·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·winds)

wind something back:
to wind something such as video or audio tape back onto its original spool or
back to an earlier point
noun
[r wnd] (plural re·winds)

1.  rewinding
process:
the process of rewinding something

2.  rewinding
function:
a function, for example, on a camera or video recorder, that rewinds film or
tape

[1]



rewire

rewire
re·wire 
[ree wr] (past re·wired, past
participle re·wired, present participle re·wir·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·wires) transitive verb

provide something with new
electrical wiring: to install
new electrical wiring in a building, vehicle, or electrical device[1]



reword

reword
re·word 
[ree wúrd] (past re·word·ed, past
participle re·word·ed, present participle re·word·ing,
3rd person present singular re·words) transitive verb

revise wording of something:
to change the wording of something written or spoken[1]



rework

rework
re·work 
[ree wúrk] transitive verb (past
re·worked, past participle re·worked, present
participle re·work·ing, 3rd person present singular re·works)

1.  make
improvements to something: to alter or revise something
in order to improve or update it

2.  amend
something for reuse: to alter something in order
to reuse it in a different context
noun
(plural re·works)

revised version:
a new version of something, especially a spoken or written text.
U.K.
term
reworking

[1]



reworking

reworking
re·work·ing
[r wúrking] noun

U.K.
See rework[1]



rewrite

rewrite
re·write 
transitive verb [ree rt] (past
re·wrote [ree rṓt], past
participle re·writ·ten [ree rítt’n],
present participle re·writ·ing, 3rd person present singular
re·writes)

1.  amend
wording of text: to redraft a text by changing the
wording or structure

2.  PRESS edit
for publication: to edit a reporter’s copy for
publication in a newspaper or magazine

3.  alter
facts about something: to change the way the past
is perceived or known about
noun
[r rt] (plural re·writes)

amended text: an
amended version of a written document
—re·writ·er, noun[1]



Rex

Rex
Rex
[reks] noun

king:
a word used in the formal title of a reigning king, especially on coins and
official documents (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “king” (source of English regal,
royal, viceroy,
and reign ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of rich,
Reich, and rajah .][1]



Rexburg

Rexburg
Rex·burg
[rèks búrg]

city in northeastern Idaho,
northeast of Idaho Falls. Population: 14,204 (1996)[1]



Reye’ssyndrome

Reye’ssyndrome
Reye’s
syn·drome 
[rz sìn drōm] noun

rare
childhood disease: a rare and serious childhood
disease, usually following a respiratory infection, causing vomiting, fatty
deposits in the liver, disorientation, and swelling of the kidneys and brain
[Named for the Australian
pediatrician Ralph Douglas Reye (1912–1978), who first described the
condition][1]



Reykjavik

Reykjavik
Rey·kja·vik 
[ràykyə vík]

capital city of Iceland,
situated on Faxaflói Bay, in the southwest of the country. Population: 103,000
(1994)[1]



Reynolds,Burt

Reynolds,Burt
Rey·nolds
[rénn’ldz], Burt (1936– )

U.S.
actor. In his early movies such as Deliverance ( 1972 ), he played
action roles, but later moved on to comedies.
Full name
Reynolds Jr., Burton Leon[1]



Reynolds,Joshua

Reynolds,Joshua
Rey·nolds
[rénn’ldz], Sir Joshua (1723–1792)

British painter. He painted
portraits of many notable people of his day, and was the founding president of
the Royal Academy of Arts (1768).[1]



Reynold’snumber

Reynold’snumber
Reyn·old’s
num·ber
noun

number
showing flow of fluid: a number used to indicate
the flow of fluid through a pipe or around an obstruction. Symbol Re
[Named for the Irish
physicist Osborne Reynolds ( 1842–1912 )][1]



rezone

rezone
re·zone 
[ree zṓn] (past re·zoned, past
participle re·zoned, present participle re·zon·ing, 3rd
person present singular re·zones) transitive verb

change zoning of:
to change the zoning of a neighborhood or a piece of property[1]



RF

RF1
RF1

1.  RADIO Abbreviation of radio frequency

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
reconnaissance fighter

3.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
regular forces

4.  GENETICS Abbreviation of releasing factor

5.  MAPS Abbreviation of
representative fraction

6.  Abbreviation
of
République française

7.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
Reserve Force

8.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
retention factor

9.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of right
fielder

[1]



Rf

Rf2
Rf2

MONEY
Abbreviation of rufiyaa[1]



rf.

rf.
rf.

1.  Abbreviation
of
reef

2.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of refund

[1]



RF

RF2
RF2

MONEY
Symbol Rwanda franc[1]



r.f.

r.f.
r.f.

1.  RADIO Abbreviation of radio frequency

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of rapid
fire

3.  PAPER Abbreviation of rough
finish

[1]



Rf

Rf1
Rf1

CHEMICAL
ELEMENTS Symbol for rutherfordium[1]



Rfactor

Rfactor
R
fac·tor
(plural R fac·tors) noun

cause
of resistance to antibiotics: a combination of genes that
makes some bacteria resistant to antibiotics. It can be transferred to other
bacteria through conjugation.
[R abbreviation of resistance][1]



RFC

RFC
RFC

1.  Abbreviation
of
Reconstruction Finance Corporation

2.  SPORTS Abbreviation of Rugby
Football Club

[1]



RFD

RFD
RFD

1.  RADIO Abbreviation of
radio-frequency device

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
reporting for duty

3.  MAIL Abbreviation of rural free delivery

[1]



Rfn.

Rfn.
Rfn.

Abbreviation of
Rifleman[1]



r.g.

r.g.
r.g.
or RG

Abbreviation of
right guard[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








RGB

RGB
RGB

(used to describe a color
monitor or color value)Abbreviation of red, green, blue[1]



RGS

RGS
RGS

Abbreviation of
Royal Geographical Society[1]



Rgt.

Rgt.
Rgt.

Abbreviation of
regiment[1]



Rh

Rh2
Rh2 

Abbreviation of
rhesus factor[1]



Rh

Rh1
Rh1 

Symbol for
rhodium[1]



r.h.

r.h.
r.h.

1.  METEOROLOGY Abbreviation of
relative humidity

2.  Abbreviation
of
right hand

[1]



RH

RH
RH


1.  METEOROLOGY Abbreviation of
relative humidity

2.  Abbreviation
of
right hand

3.  Abbreviation
of
Royal Highness

[1]



rhabdom

rhabdom
rhab·dom 
[rábdəm, ráb dòm]
(plural rhab·doms) noun

part
of insect’s eye: a transparent rod-shaped part of the
compound eye of insects, spiders, and other arthropods
[Late 19th century. From late
Greek rhabdōma, from rhabdos “rod.”][1]



rhabdomancy

rhabdomancy
rhab·do·man·cy 
[rábdə mànsee] noun

water
divining:
the use of a divining rod to locate underground water or mineral ores
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek rhabdomanteia, from rhabdos “rod” + -manteia
(see -mancy ).]
—rhab·do·man·cer,
noun

—rhab·do·man·tist, noun[1]



rhabdovirus

rhabdovirus
rhab·do·vi·rus 
[rábdə vrəss] (plural rhab·do·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
containing RNA: a rod-shaped virus that contains RNA
such as the virus that causes rabies
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek rhabdos “rod” + virus .][1]



Rhadamanthus

Rhadamanthus
Rhad·a·man·thus
[ràddə mánthəss] noun

mythological judge:
in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Europa, and brother of Minos. According
to Homer, he lived in Elysium, the home of the blessed dead. Later legend
states that he was one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld.[1]



Rhaetian

Rhaetian
Rhae·tian
[rshee ən, rsh’n]
noun

See Rhaeto-Romance
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of
Rhaeto-Romance: relating or belonging to Rhaeto-Romance

2.  of
Rhaetia:
relating to Rhaetia, an alpine province of ancient Rome, or the section of the
Alps in this area
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Rhaetia, an alpine province of ancient Rome.][1]



Rhaeto-Romance

Rhaeto-Romance
Rhae·to-Ro·mance
[rtō rō máns] noun

group
of Romance dialects: a group of Romance dialects,
sometimes considered to be separate languages, spoken in some Alpine regions of
Switzerland and Italy. The group comprises Romansch, Ladin, and Friulian.
Also
called
Rhaetian
—Rhae·to-Ro·mance, adjective[1]



rhamnose

rhamnose
rham·nose
[rám nss] noun

plant
sugar:
a crystalline sugar found in the cells of most plants. C6H12O5
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin rhamnus, genus name of the buckthorn (in whose berries
the substance is found), from Greek rhamnos .][1]



rhapsode

rhapsode
rhap·sode
[ráp sd] (plural rhap·sodes) noun

See
rhapsodist  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
rhapsōidēs, from rhapsōidein “to recite” (see rhapsody ).][1]



rhapsodic

rhapsodic
rhap·sod·ic 
[rap sóddik] or rhap·sod·i·cal
[rap sóddik’l] adjective

1.  MUSIC of a
rhapsody:
relating to a rhapsody, or with the emotional and improvisational qualities of
a rhapsody

2.  enthusiastic:
joyfully enthusiastic or ecstatic about something
—rhap·sod·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



rhapsodist

rhapsodist
rhap·so·dist 
[rápsədist] (plural rhap·so·dists)
noun

1.  enthusiastic
person:
somebody who is joyfully enthusiastic or ecstatic about something (literary)

2.  HISTORY ancient
Greek reciter: an ancient Greek poet who recited epic
poetry professionally.
Also
called
rhapsode

[1]



rhapsodize

rhapsodize
rhap·so·dize 
[rápsə dz] (past rhap·so·dized,
past participle rhap·so·dized, present participle rhap·so·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular rhap·so·diz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
express
enthusiasm:
to speak or write in an enthusiastic or ecstatic manner

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb POETRY recite rhapsody:
to write or recite a rhapsody

[1]



rhapsody

rhapsody
rhap·so·dy 
[rápsədee] (plural rhap·so·dies)
noun

1.  MUSIC free-form
musical composition: a composition that is often
irregular in form, emotional in effect, and improvisational in nature

2.  enthusiastic
talk:
an expression of intense enthusiasm (often used in the plural)

3.  POETRY ancient
Greek recited poem: in ancient Greece, an epic
poem recited by a professional reciter

4.  LITERATURE exalted
literary composition: any literary work written in
an intense or exalted style
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek rhapsōdia, from rhapsōidein “to
recite poems,” from rhaptein “to stitch together” + ōidē “song”
(see ode ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Rhapsody
  in Blue, a musical composition by U.S. composer George Gershwin ( 1924 ).
  Originally written for piano and jazz band, it was later rearranged for
  orchestra by Ferde Grofé. One of the first classical works to incorporate
  jazz influences such as syncopated rhythms, it was inspired by the vibrancy
  of contemporary urban life, particularly that of New York City.

[1]



rhatany

rhatany
rhat·a·ny 
[rátt’nee] (plural rhat·a·ny or
rhat·a·nies) noun

1.  S
American shrub: a South American shrub with two-sided
symmetrical flowers, spiny globular fruits, and thick roots. Genus: Krameria

2.  dried
rhatany root: the dried root of the rhatany, formerly
used as an astringent but now commonly used in dental products, including
toothpaste and mouthwash
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin rhatania from, ultimately, Quechua ratánya .][1]



rhea

rhea
rhe·a 
[r ə] (plural rhe·as or
rhe·a) noun

flightless
bird:
a large flightless bird that looks like an ostrich but is slightly smaller. It
is native to South America and lives in open country. Rheas have long legs and
can run at high speeds. Family: Rheidae
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, of uncertain origin: probably from Rhea 1 .][1]



Rhea

Rhea2
Rhe·a2  [r
ə] noun

second-largest moon of
Saturn: the second-largest natural
satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1672. It is 1,528 km (949 mi ) in diameter
and occupies an intermediate orbit.[1]



Rhea

Rhea1
Rhe·a1  noun

mother of gods:
in Greek mythology, a Titan who was the wife of Cronus and mother of the gods. Roman
equivalent Cybele[1]



rhebok

rhebok
rhe·bok
[r bòk] (plural rhe·boks or
rhe·bok) or ree·bok [r bòk]
(plural ree·boks or ree·bok) noun

antelope
of southern Africa: a straight-horned antelope
that lives in upland meadows and rocky outcrops in southern Africa. It has
brownish-gray woolly hair. Rheboks are related to reedbucks. Latin name: Pelea
capreolus
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch reebok “roebuck.”][1]



Rhee,Syngman

Rhee,Syngman

Rhee
[ree], Syngman (1875–1965)
Korean statesman. He led the fight for
Korean independence from Japan and served as South Korea’s first president
(1948–1960).[1]



rheme

rheme
rheme
[reem] (plural rhemes) noun

sentence
element:
the part of a sentence, often the predicate, that adds the greatest amount of
new information to what is already available in the discourse.
See
also
theme
[Late 19th century. From
Greek rhēma “what is said.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to speak,” which is also the ancestor of English word, verb,
and irony .][1]



Rhenish

Rhenish
Rhen·ish 
[rnish] adjective

from
Rhineland:
coming from or relating to the Rhineland area of Germany
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman reneis, from, ultimately, Latin Rhenus “Rhine.”][1]



rhenium

rhenium

rhe·ni·um 
[rnee əm] noun
rare
heavy metallic element: a rare heavy silvery-white
metallic chemical element that has a high melting point and is used as a
catalyst and with tungsten in thermocouples. Symbol Re
[Early 20th century. Via
German, which was coined by its discoverers, from Latin Rhenus “the
Rhine.”][1]



rheo-

rheo-
rheo-
prefix

flow,
current • rheometer
[From Greek rheos
“stream, current,” which was formed from rhein “to flow.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English stream .][1]



rheobase

rheobase
rhe·o·base
[r ō bàyss] (plural rhe·o·bas·es)
noun

threshold nerve impulse:
the minimum electrical nerve impulse necessary to cause a twitch in a muscle[1]



rheology

rheology
rhe·ol·o·gy 
[ree ólləjee] noun

study
of how matter flows: a branch of physics dealing
with the way matter flows and changes shape
—rhe·o·log·i·cal
[r ə lójjik’l], adjective

—rhe·o·log·i·cal·ly
[r ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—rhe·ol·o·gist [ree ólləjist], noun[1]



rheometer

rheometer
rhe·om·e·ter 
[ree ómmətər] (plural rhe·om·e·ters)
noun

device
measuring liquid flow: an instrument that measures
the flow of thick liquids such as blood
—rhe·o·met·ric [r ə méttrik], adjective[1]



rheomorphism

rheomorphism
rhe·o·mor·phism
[r ə máwr fìzzəm] noun

liquefying of rock:
the liquefying of rock[1]



rheostat

rheostat
rhe·o·stat 
[r ə stàt] (plural rhe·o·stats)
noun

adjustable
resistor:
a resistor designed to allow variation in resistance without breaking the
electrical circuit of which it is a part. An example is the volume control of a
radio.
—rhe·o·stat·ic [r ə státtik], adjective[1]



rheotaxis

rheotaxis
rhe·o·tax·is 
[r ə táksiss] noun

movement
in relation to current: the motion of an organism
toward or away from a current of water or air
—rhe·o·tac·tic [r ə táktik], adjective[1]



rheotropism

rheotropism
rhe·ot·ro·pism
[ree óttrə pìzzəm] noun

growth matching water flow:
growth of a plant, or of an immobile animal such as a coral, in the direction
of a flow of water[1]



Rhesus

Rhesus
Rhe·sus
[rssəss] noun

mythological king of Thrace:
in Greek mythology, one of the kings of Thrace[1]



Rhesusfactor

Rhesusfactor
Rhe·sus
fac·tor
noun

See
Rh factor
[From the fact that the
antigens were first discovered in the blood of rhesus monkeys][1]



rhesusmonkey

rhesusmonkey
rhe·sus
mon·key
noun

brown
S Asian monkey: a brownish monkey of the macaque family,
found in southern Asia and used in medical research. It is the most common
monkey in India. Latin name: Macaca mulatta
[Rhesus from modern Latin
genus name, arbitrarily for Rhesus][1]



Rhesusnegative

Rhesusnegative
Rhe·sus
neg·a·tive
adjective

See
Rh negative[1]



Rhesuspositive

Rhesuspositive
Rhe·sus
pos·i·tive
adjective

See
Rh positive[1]



rhetoric

rhetoric
rhet·o·ric 
[réttərik] noun

1.  persuasive
speech or writing: speech or writing that
communicates its point persuasively

2.  pretentious
words:
complex or elaborate language that only succeeds in sounding pretentious

3.  empty
talk:
fine-sounding but insincere or empty language

4.  skill
with language: the ability to use language effectively,
especially to persuade or influence people

5.  study
of writing or speaking effectively: the
study of methods employed to write or speak effectively and persuasively
[14th century. Via Old French
rethorique, from, ultimately, Greek rhētorikē (tekhnē) “(art) of
public speaking,” from rhētor “speaker.”][1]



rhetorical

rhetorical
rhe·tor·i·cal 
[ri táwrik’l] adjective

1.  of
effective use of language: relating to the skill of
using language effectively and persuasively

2.  bombastic:
relating to or using language that is elaborate or fine-sounding but insincere
—rhe·tor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



rhetoricalquestion

rhetoricalquestion
rhe·tor·i·cal
ques·tion
noun

question requiring no answer:
a question asked for effect that neither expects nor requires an answer[1]



rhetorician

rhetorician
rhet·o·ri·cian 
[rèttə rísh’n] (plural rhet·o·ri·cians)
noun

1.  EDUCATION rhetoric
teacher:
somebody who teaches the art of using language effectively and persuasively

2.  skilled
speaker or writer: a skilled and effective
speaker or writer

3.  pretentious
speaker or writer: somebody who speaks or
writes using elaborate or fine-sounding but insincere language

[1]



rheum

rheum
rheum 
[room] noun

watery
discharge:
watery discharge coming from the eyes, nose, or mouth
[14th century. Via Old French
reume from, ultimately, Greek rheuma “flow, bodily humor.”][1]



rheumatic

rheumatic
rheu·mat·ic 
[roo máttik] adjective

of
rheumatism:
relating to or affected with rheumatism
noun
(plural rheu·mat·ics)

somebody
with rheumatism: somebody who is affected with rheumatism
—rheu·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



rheumaticfever

rheumaticfever
rheu·mat·ic
fe·ver
noun

childhood disease:
an acute infectious disease that causes a sore throat, fever, pain, swelling in
the joints, and often damage to the heart valves. It affects children
particularly.[1]



rheumaticheart disease

rheumaticheart disease
rheu·mat·ic
heart dis·ease noun

heart damage from rheumatic
fever: damage to the valves or
muscular tissue of the heart caused by rheumatic fever[1]



rheumatism

rheumatism
rheu·ma·tism 
[rmə tìzzəm] noun

1.  stiffness
in joints or muscles: any painful condition of the
joints or muscles that is not caused by infection or injury

2.  rheumatoid
arthritis:
a popular name for rheumatoid arthritis

[1]



rheumatoid

rheumatoid
rheu·ma·toid 
[rmə tòyd] adjective

of
rheumatoid arthritis: relating to or affected with
rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis
—rheu·ma·toi·dal·ly [rmə tóyd’lee], adverb[1]



rheumatoidarthritis

rheumatoidarthritis
rheu·ma·toid
ar·thri·tis
noun

chronic disease of joints:
a chronic disease of the joints that causes stiffness, swelling, weakness, loss
of mobility, and eventual destruction and deformity of the joints[1]



rheumatoidfactor

rheumatoidfactor
rheu·ma·toid
fac·tor
noun

substance in blood of
rheumatic patients: an antibody
found in the blood serum of many people who have rheumatoid arthritis. It is
used to diagnose the disease.[1]



rheumatology

rheumatology
rheu·ma·tol·o·gy 
[rmə tólləjee] noun

medical
specialization in rheumatic diseases: a
branch of medicine dealing with the study and treatment of rheumatic diseases
—rheu·ma·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



Rhfactor

Rhfactor
Rh
fac·tor
noun

substance
in red blood cells: a group of
antibody-producing substances ( antigens )
present in most people’s red blood cells. Rh compatibility is important in
matching blood for transfusions and between pregnant women and their fetuses.
Also
called
Rhesus factor
See
also
Rh negative
See
also
Rh positive
[Rh from rhesus][1]



rhin-

rhin-
rhin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
rhino-[1]



rhinal

rhinal
rhi·nal 
[rn’l] adjective

nasal:
relating to the nose[1]



Rhine

Rhine
Rhine 
[rīn]

river and major economic
waterway in western Europe, flowing through Switzerland, Austria,
Liechtenstein, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Length: 1,320 km/820 mi.[1]



Rhine,Joseph Banks

Rhine,Joseph Banks
Rhine 
[rīn], Joseph Banks (1895–1980)

U.S. psychologist. He was a
pioneer in the field of parapsychology, including the study of extrasensory
perception, ESP.[1]



rhinencephalon

rhinencephalon
rhi·nen·ceph·a·lon 
[r nen séffə lòn, r
nen séffələn] (plural rhi·nen·ceph·a·lons or rhi·nen·ceph·a·la
[r nen séffələ]) noun

region
of brain:
the area of the forebrain that controls the sense of smell
—rhi·nen·ce·phal·ic [r nensə fállik], adjective[1]



rhinestone

rhinestone
rhine·stone 
[rn stn] (plural rhine·stones)
noun

small
fake gem:
a small piece of paste or glass used as an imitation diamond
[Late 19th century.
Translation of French caillou du Rhin, so called because the stones were
first made in the city of Strasbourg, on the Rhine.][1]



rhinitis

rhinitis
rhi·ni·tis 
[rī ntiss] noun

inflamed nasal passage:
inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, usually accompanied by a
discharge of mucus[1]



rhino-

rhino-
rhino-
prefix

nose,
nasal • rhinoplasty
[From Greek rhin-, the
stem of rhis “nose,” of unknown origin][1]



rhino

rhino
rhi·no
[r nō] (plural rhi·no or
rhi·nos) noun

rhinoceros:
a rhinoceros (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



rhinoceros

rhinoceros

rhi·noc·er·os 
[rī nóssərəss] (plural rhi·noc·er·os·es
or rhi·noc·er·os or rhi·noc·er·i [rī nóssə r]) noun
massive
horned mammal: a very large herbivorous mammal with
very thick skin and one or two horns on its snout. It is native to Africa and
Asia. Family: Rhinocerotidae
[13th
century. Via Latin from Greek rhinokerōs, from rhin-, the stem of
rhis “nose” + keras “horn” (see kerato-
).]
—rhi·noc·e·rot·ic [rī nòssə róttik], adjective[1]



rhinocerosbeetle

rhinocerosbeetle
rhi·noc·er·os
bee·tle
(plural rhi·noc·er·os bee·tles) noun

large beetle with horns:
any large tropical scarab beetle that has horns on its head and thorax[1]



rhinocerosbird

rhinocerosbird
rhi·noc·er·os
bird
(plural rhi·noc·er·os birds) noun

See
oxpecker[1]



rhinology

rhinology
rhi·nol·o·gy 
[rī nólləjee] noun

branch of medicine dealing
with nose: the branch of medicine
dealing with conditions and structures of the nose[1]



rhinopharyngitis

rhinopharyngitis
rhi·no·phar·yn·gi·tis 
[r nō ferrən jtiss] noun

inflammation of nose and
pharynx: inflammation of the mucous
membranes in the nose and pharynx[1]



rhinoplasty

rhinoplasty
rhi·no·plas·ty 
[r nō plàstee, rnə
plàstee] (plural rhi·no·plas·ties) noun

nose
surgery:
plastic surgery performed on the nose, whether for medical or cosmetic reasons
—rhi·no·plas·tic [r nō plástik, rnə
plástik], adjective[1]



rhinoscope

rhinoscope
rhi·no·scope
[rnə skp] (plural rhi·no·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining the nose: a device used by physicians
to examine the nasal passages
—rhi·no·scop·ic
[rnə skóppik], adjective

—rhi·nos·co·py [rī nóskəpee], noun[1]



rhinovirus

rhinovirus
rhi·no·vi·rus 
[r nō vrəss] (plural rhi·no·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus that causes colds:
a virus containing RNA that causes infections of the upper respiratory system,
including the common cold[1]



rhiz-

rhiz-
rhiz-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
rhizo-[1]



rhizo-

rhizo-
rhizo-
prefix

root
• rhizosphere
[From Greek rhiza
“root” (source also of English licorice
). Probably ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of root, wort,
and radical .][1]



rhizobium

rhizobium
rhi·zo·bi·um 
[rī zṓbee əm] (plural rhi·zo·bi·a
[rī zṓbee ə]) noun

soil
bacterium:
a soil bacterium that forms nodules on the roots of legumes such as beans and
clover and takes up nitrogen from the atmosphere. Genus: Rhizobium
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek rhiza “root” + bios “life.”][1]



rhizocarpous

rhizocarpous
rhi·zo·car·pous
[r zō krpəss] adjective

producing fruit underground:
used to describe plants that produce their fruit underground[1]



rhizocephalan

rhizocephalan
rhi·zo·ceph·a·lan 
[rzō séffələn] (plural rhi·zo·ceph·a·lans)
noun

parasitic
crustacean:
a small crustacean that lives in water as a parasite on crabs. Order:
Rhizocephala
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Rhizocephala, order name, from
Greek rhiza “root” + kephalē “head.”]
—rhi·zo·ceph·a·lous, adjective[1]



rhizogenic

rhizogenic
rhi·zo·gen·ic 
[r zō jénnik] or rhi·zo·ge·net·ic
[r zō jə néttik] or rhi·zog·e·nous
[rī zójjənəss] adjective

root-producing:
used to describe plant cells and tissues from which roots develop[1]



rhizoid

rhizoid
rhi·zoid 
[r zòyd] (plural rhi·zoids) noun

nutrient-absorbing
filament:
a slender outgrowth on mosses, liverworts, and the reproductive cells of ferns
that absorbs nourishment in much the same way as a root
—rhi·zoi·dal [rī zóyd’l], adjective[1]



rhizome

rhizome
rhi·zome 
[r zm] (plural rhi·zomes) noun

underground
stem:
a thick underground horizontal stem that produces roots and has shoots that
develop into new plants. In some plants such as the iris it is fleshy and
survives the winter.
Also
called
rootstock
[Mid-19th
century. Via Greek rhizōma “mass of roots” from, ultimately, rhiza
“root” (see rhizo- ).]
—rhi·zom·a·tous [rī zómmətəss, rī zṓmətəss],
adjective[1]



rhizomorph

rhizomorph
rhi·zo·morph
[rzə màwrf] (plural rhi·zo·morphs)
noun

fungus
part:
a structure in some pathogenic fungi that allows them to move from host to host
—rhi·zo·mor·phous [rzə máwrfəss], adjective[1]



rhizophagous

rhizophagous
rhi·zoph·a·gous 
[rī zóffəgəss] adjective

root-eating:
feeding on roots[1]



rhizoplane

rhizoplane
rhi·zo·plane
[rzə plàyn] (plural rhi·zo·planes)
noun

surface part of plant’s root:
the part of a plant’s root that lies at the surface of the soil, where many
microorganisms adhere to it[1]



rhizopod

rhizopod
rhi·zo·pod 
[rzə pòd] (plural rhi·zo·pods)
noun

single-celled
organism:
a single-celled organism ( protozoan ) that
moves and eats by means of filaments that it can extend temporarily. Subphylum:
Rhizopoda
—rhi·zop·o·dous [rī zóppədəss], adjective[1]



rhizopus

rhizopus
rhi·zo·pus 
[rzōpəss, rzəpəss]
(plural rhi·zo·pus·es) noun

mold
fungus:
a mold that causes decay such as the common bread mold. Genus: Rhizopus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek rhiza “root” + pous “foot”;
so called because of its shape.][1]



rhizosphere

rhizosphere
rhi·zo·sphere 
[rzə sfr] (plural rhi·zo·spheres)
noun

soil around plant’s roots:
the area of soil that immediately surrounds and is affected by a plant’s roots[1]



rhizotomy

rhizotomy
rhi·zot·o·my 
[rī zóttəmee] (plural rhi·zot·o·mies)
noun

spinal surgery:
surgery in which spinal nerves are cut in order to relieve pain or high blood
pressure[1]



Rhnegative

Rhnegative
Rh
neg·a·tive
adjective

without Rh factor:
lacking the Rh factor in the blood.
See also
Rh factor
See also
Rh positive[1]



rho

rho
rho 
[rō] (plural rhos) noun

17th
letter of Greek alphabet: the 17th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “r”
[14th century. From Greek rhō,
of Phoenician origin.][1]



rhod-

rhod-
rhod-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
rhodo-[1]



rhodamine

rhodamine
rho·da·mine 
[rṓdə mn] (plural rho·da·mines)
noun

red
dye:
a red or pink fluorescent dye used to color wool and silk, and also used as a
biological stain
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek rhodon “rose” + -amine .][1]



RhodeIsland




Back to definition

RhodeIsland

[1]



RhodeIsland

RhodeIsland


Rhode
Is·land 
[rd lənd]
state
in the northeastern United States, bordered by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and
the Atlantic Ocean. The country’s smallest state, its territory was bought from
Native North American peoples by religious dissidents from Massachusetts in the
1630s. Capital: Providence. Population: 987,429 (1997) Area: 3,188 sq km/1,231
sq mi. Official name State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
—Rhode Is·land·er, noun[1]



Rhodes

Rhodes
Rhodes 
[rōdz]

1.  island
in Greece, the largest of the Dodecanese Islands. Population: 87,831 (1981)
Area: 1,400 sq km/540 sq mi.

2.  city
in Greece, the capital of the island of Rhodes. Population: 40,656 (1981)

[1]



Rhodes,Cecil

Rhodes,Cecil

Rhodes 
[rōdz], Cecil (1853–1902)
British
colonial statesman. He made a fortune mining diamonds in South Africa, where he
formed De Beers Consolidated Mining Company (1888). He was prime minister of
Cape Colony (1890–1896) and helped to develop Rhodesia after 1889.
Full name
Rhodes, Cecil John[1]



Rhodesia

Rhodesia
Rho·de·sia
[rō də]

Former
name for
Zimbabwe
—Rho·de·sian, adjective,
noun[1]



Rhodesianman

Rhodesianman
Rho·de·sian
man
noun

early
human being: an early human being sharing features
with the Neanderthals and with modern human beings and living in Africa in the
late Pleistocene period. Latin name: Homo sapiens rhodesiensis
[Early 20th century. Named
for Rhodesia, where the fossils were found.][1]



Rhodesianridgeback

Rhodesianridgeback

Rho·de·sian ridge·back
(plural Rho·de·sian ridge·backs) noun
large dog:
a large dog with a ridge of hair growing down its back, belonging to a breed
originally developed in Africa.
Also called
ridgeback[1]



Rhodesscholarship

Rhodesscholarship
Rhodes
schol·ar·ship (plural Rhodes schol·ar·ships)
noun

scholarship
for study at Oxford University: a sum of money awarded
annually to students from the United States, South Africa, and several
Commonwealth countries to help pay for studies in the United Kingdom at Oxford
University
[Early
19th century. Named for Cecil Rhodes .]
—Rhodes schol·ar (plural
Rhodes schol·ars), noun[1]



rhodinal

rhodinal
rho·di·nal
[rṓd’n àl] noun

See
citronellal[1]



rhodium

rhodium

rho·di·um 
[rṓdee əm] noun
hard
metallic element: a hard silvery-white metallic chemical
element that is resistant to corrosion. It is found in platinum and nickel ores
and is used with platinum in alloys and in plating other metals. Symbol
Rh
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek rhodos “rose,” from the pink color of its compounds.][1]



rhodo-

rhodo-
rhodo-
prefix

red,
rosy • rhodolite
[From Greek rhodon
“rose.” Ultimately related to Latin rosa (source of English rose ).][1]



rhodochrosite

rhodochrosite
rho·do·chro·site 
[rdə krṓ st] noun

mineral
containing manganese: a pink, red, brown, or gray
mineral that is an ore of manganese. It consists of manganese carbonate.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek rhodokhrōs “rose-colored.”][1]



rhododendron

rhododendron

rho·do·den·dron 
[rdə déndrən] (plural rho·do·den·drons)
noun
ornamental
shrub:
an evergreen shrub of the heath family that is native to southern Asia but is
widely grown in temperate regions for its clusters of brightly colored flowers.
Genus: Rhododendron
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin, “oleander,” from Greek, from rhodon “rose” + dendron
“tree.”][1]



rhodolite

rhodolite
rho·do·lite 
[rṓd’l t] (plural rho·do·lites)
noun

variety
of garnet:
a variety of garnet, used as a gem, with a color ranging from pink to rose red
[Late 19th century. Coined
from rhodo- + -lite
.][1]



rhodonite

rhodonite
rho·do·nite 
[ródd’n t] noun

ornamental
pink mineral: a pink to brown mineral that consists
mainly of manganese silicate. It is found in metamorphic rock and is used as an
ornamental stone.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek rhodon “rose.”][1]



RhodopeMountains

RhodopeMountains
Rhod·o·pe
Moun·tains 
[rdəpi mówntinz]

mountain range in the Balkan
peninsula, situated predominantly in southwestern Bulgaria. Its highest point
is Musala, 2,925 m/9,596 ft .[1]



rhodopsin

rhodopsin
rho·dop·sin 
[rō dópsin] noun

light-sensitive
pigment:
a reddish light-sensitive pigment found in the rod cells of the retina of the
eye. Light splits the pigment’s molecule into its two components, retinal and
opsin, triggering nerve impulses to the brain.
Also
called
visual purple
[Late 19th century. Coined
from rhodo- + Greek opsis “sight” + -in .][1]



rhodora

rhodora
rho·do·ra 
[rō dáwrə] (plural rho·do·ras)
noun

marshy
N American shrub: a shrub of the rhododendron family,
native to marshy regions of northeastern North America, with deep pink flowers
that bloom in spring before the leaves emerge. Latin name: Rhododendron
canadense
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, former genus name, of uncertain origin: possibly an alteration of
Latin rodarum, a kind of plant, or formed from Greek rhodon
“rose.”][1]



rhomb

rhomb
rhomb
(plural rhombs) noun

See
rhombus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rhombencephalon

rhombencephalon
rhom·ben·ceph·a·lon 
[ròmb en séffə lòn, rómb
en séffələn] (plural rhom·ben·ceph·a·lons) noun

See
hindbrain
[Late 19th century. Coined
from rhombus + encephalon
.][1]



rhombi

rhombi
rhombi

Plural of
rhombus[1]



rhombohedron

rhombohedron
rhom·bo·he·dron 
[ròmbō h dròn] (plural rhom·bo·he·drons)
noun

six-faced
prism:
a prism with six faces, each one a rhombus
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from rhombus, on the model of polyhedron .][1]



rhomboid

rhomboid
rhom·boid 
[róm bòyd] noun (plural rhom·boids)

parallelogram with unequal adjacent
sides:
a parallelogram with adjacent sides that are not equal
adjective

1.  rhomboid
-shaped:
shaped like a rhomboid

2.  relating
to rhombus:
relating to or characteristic of a rhombus
[Late 16th century. From
Greek rhomboeidēs “lozenge-shaped,” from rhombos (see rhombus ).][1]



rhombus

rhombus
rhom·bus 
[rómbəss] (plural rhom·bus·es or
rhom·bi [róm b]) noun

oblique-angled
parallelogram: a parallelogram that has four equal
sides and oblique angles.
Also
called
rhomb
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek rhombos . Ultimately, from an
Indo-European word meaning “to bend,” which is also the ancestor of English warp .]
—rhom·bic, adjective[1]



rhonchus

rhonchus
rhon·chus 
[róngkəss] (plural rhon·chi [róng k]) noun

rattling
sound in the chest: a harsh rattling or
whistling sound heard through a stethoscope on examination of the chest, caused
by partial obstruction of the airways
[Early
19th century. Via Latin, “snoring,” from, ultimately, Greek rhegkhos,
from rhegkein “to snore.”]
—rhon·chal, adjective[1]



rhotacism

rhotacism
rho·ta·cism 
[rṓtə sìzzəm] noun

faulty
pronunciation of r: unusual pronunciation of the
letter “r,” or too much emphasis on this sound
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin rhotacismus, from, ultimately, Greek rhōtakizein “to make
wrong use of the letter r,” from rhō .][1]



rhotic

rhotic
rho·tic 
[rṓtik] adjective

pronouncing
r:
pronouncing the letter “r” when it occurs after a vowel or at the end of a
syllable • a
rhotic accent
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from rhotacism .][1]



rhp

rhp
rhp
or r.h.p.

Abbreviation of
rated horsepower[1]



Rhpositive

Rhpositive
Rh
pos·i·tive
adjective

containing Rh factor:
containing the Rh factor in the blood or having blood that contains the Rh
factor.
See also
Rh factor
See also
Rh negative[1]



rhubarb

rhubarb

rhu·barb 
[r brb] (plural rhu·barbs) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with edible stalks: a perennial plant, found in
the wild and cultivated, with green or pink leaf stalks that are edible when
cooked. The leaves are toxic. Genus: Rheum
Also
called
pie plant

2.  FOOD rhubarb
stalks as food: the pink stalks of the common rhubarb
plant, cooked and eaten as fruit

3.  PHARMACOLOGY medicinal
Asian plant: a rhubarb plant found in central and
eastern Asia whose underground stems may be dried and used as a laxative

4.  quarrel:
a serious disagreement, quarrel, or fight (informal)
[14th
century. Via Old French reubarbe, from, ultimately, Latin rha
barbarum “barbarian rhubarb,” from Greek Rha, the ancient name of
the river Volga, because rhubarb was once grown on its banks.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Greeks had two words for rhubarb : “rhēon”
  (which evolved into Latin “rheum,” now the plant’s scientific name) and rha,
  which is said to have come from Rha, an ancient name of the river
  Volga, in allusion to the fact that rhubarb
  was once grown on its banks ( rhubarb is
  native to China, and was once imported to Europe via Russia). In medieval
  Latin rhubarb became known as rha
  barbarum “ foreign rhubarb,” again with reference to the plant’s distant
  origins; and in due course association with Latin rheum altered this
  to rheubarbarum.

[1]



rhumb

rhumb
rhumb 
[rum, rumb] (plural rhumbs) noun

1.  NAVIGATION See rhumb line  noun 2

2.  compass
point:
any of the 32 points of a compass

[1]



rhumba

rhumba
rhum·ba
noun

See
rumba[1]



rhumbline

rhumbline
rhumb
line
(plural rhumb lines) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY imaginary
geometric line: an imaginary line on the surface of the
Earth intersecting all meridians at the same angle.
Also
called
loxodrome
Also
called
loxodromic curve

2.  NAVIGATION steady
course:
a steady course along one compass setting taken by a ship or aircraft.
Also
called
rhumb

[1]



rhyme

rhyme
rhyme 
[rīm] or rime [rīm] noun (plural rhymes) (plural
rimes)

1.  similarity
in sound:
similarity in the sound of word endings, especially in poetry

2.  word
sounding same as another: a word with an ending that
sounds similar to the ending of another word

3.  poem:
a poem, or poetry generally, of a lighthearted kind with a pattern of similar
sounds at the ends of the lines
verb
(past rhymed, past participle rhymed, present
participle rhym·ing, 3rd person present singular rhymes)
(past rimed, past participle rimed, present
participle rim·ing, 3rd person present singular rimes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sound
similar:
to have an ending that sounds similar to the ending of another word or line of
poetry • “Rough”
rhymes with “cuff.”

2.  transitive
verb
choose
rhyming word: to find or choose a word with an ending
that sounds similar to another

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
poetry:
to write rhyming poetry or express something in rhyme
[12th
century. Alteration (influenced by rhythm )
of earlier rime, from Old French, of Germanic origin. Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to put in order” that is also the ancestor of
English arithmetic and rite .]
without
rhyme or reason

without any rational
explanation or apparent sense[1]



rhymer

rhymer
rhym·er 
(plural rhym·ers [rmər]) or
rim·er (plural rim·ers) noun

See
rhymester[1]



rhymeroyal

rhymeroyal
rhyme
roy·al
noun

seven-line
verse:
a form of poetry using verses with seven lines of iambic pentameter with a
rhyme scheme ababbcc, or one of these verses
[Mid-19th century. From the
use of the form by James I of Scotland.][1]



rhymescheme

rhymescheme
rhyme
scheme
(plural rhyme schemes) noun

pattern of rhymes:
the pattern of rhyming lines in a poem or verse of a poem often indicated with
matching letters to show which lines rhyme. For example, ababcc means the first
and third, second and fourth, and fifth and sixth lines rhyme with each other.[1]



rhymester

rhymester
rhyme·ster 
(plural rhyme·sters) or rime·ster (plural rime·sters)
noun

poet:
somebody who writes poems with rhyming lines, especially lighthearted or poor
quality verse.
Also called
rhymer[1]



rhyming

rhyming
rhym·ing
[rming] adjective

with similarly ending lines:
with lines that end in similar sounding words, forming a pattern[1]



rhymingslang

rhymingslang
rhym·ing
slang 
noun

slang using rhyming
expressions as substitutes: a form of
slang that replaces a word with an expression that rhymes with the word but has
no meaningful connection with it, used especially in Cockney. Sometimes the
rhyming part of the original expression is eventually dropped, for
example,“whistle,” originally “whistle and flute,” means “suit.”[1]



rhynchocephalian

rhynchocephalian
rhyn·cho·ce·pha·lian 
[rìngkō sə fállyən] adjective

of
nearly extinct reptile order: relating to an order of
primitive reptiles resembling lizards with only one living representative, the
tuatara of New Zealand. Order: Rhynchocephalia
noun
(plural rhyn·cho·ce·pha·lians)

nearly
extinct reptile: a member of the rhynchocephalian order
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Rhyncocephalia, order name, from Greek rhugkhos
“snout” + kephalē “head.”][1]



rhyolite

rhyolite
rhy·o·lite 
[r ə lt] (plural rhy·o·lites)
noun

volcanic
rock:
a fine-grained acid rock that is the volcanic form of granite
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek rhuax “stream (of lava)” (formed from rhein
“to flow” + -lite .]
—rhy·o·lit·ic [r ə líttik], adjective[1]



rhythm

rhythm

rhythm 
[ríəm] (plural rhythms) noun

1.  MUSIC pattern
of beats in music: the regular pattern of beats
and emphasis in a piece of music • The
audience clapped in rhythm as we sang.

2.  MUSIC particular
music pattern: a particular pattern of beats in a piece
or kind of music

3.  POETRY pattern
of stress in poetry: in poetry, the pattern
formed by stressed and unstressed syllables

4.  POETRY particular
poetry pattern: a particular pattern of stress in a poem
or kind of poetry

5.  regular
pattern:
any regularly recurring pattern of activity such as the cycle of the seasons,
night and day, or repeated functions of the body

6.  characteristic
pattern:
the characteristic pattern of a particular activity

7.  ARTS pattern
in art:
a pattern of elements suggesting movement or pace in something such as a work
of art

8.  LANGUAGE sound
pattern:
the pattern of sound that characterizes a language, dialect, or accent

9.  CINEMA LITERATURE pattern from repeated
elements:
a mood or effect in a book, play, or film created from repeated elements
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek rhuthmos . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
flow” that is also the ancestor of English stream
and hemorrhoid .][1]



rhythmand blues

rhythmand blues
rhythm
and blues
noun

style of music:
a style of music combining elements of blues and jazz, originally developed by
African American musicians[1]



rhythmguitar

rhythmguitar
rhythm
gui·tar
(plural rhythm gui·tars) noun

nonmelodic guitar:
chordal accompaniment from a guitar that does not play the melody[1]



rhythmic

rhythmic
rhyth·mic 
[rímik] or rhyth·mi·cal [rímik’l] adjective

1.  with
recurring pattern: with a regularly recurring
pattern or beat

2.  of
rhythm:
relating to rhythm
—rhyth·mi·cal·ly,
adverb

—rhyth·mic·i·ty [ri míssətee], noun[1]



rhythmics

rhythmics
rhyth·mics 
[rímiks] noun

study of rhythms:
the study of rhythms and rhythmic forms (takes a singular verb)[1]



rhythmist

rhythmist
rhyth·mist 
[rímist] (plural rhyth·mists)
noun

student or producer of
rhythm: somebody who studies or
creates rhythm[1]



rhythmmethod

rhythmmethod
rhythm
meth·od
noun

method of contraception:
a method of contraception in which sexual intercourse is avoided at the times
when a woman is most likely to conceive[1]



rhythmsection

rhythmsection
rhythm
sec·tion
(plural rhythm sec·tions) noun

rhythm instruments:
the instruments in a band such as the drums, bass, piano, or guitar that
provide the basic rhythm[1]



rhythmstick

rhythmstick
rhythm
stick
(plural rhythm sticks) noun

percussion instrument:
either of a pair of wooden sticks, often with notches, used as a simple
percussion instrument[1]



rhytidectomy

rhytidectomy
rhy·ti·dec·to·my 
[rìtmi déktəmee] (plural rhy·ti·dec·to·mies)
noun

face-lift:
a face-lift (technical)
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek rhutid-, the stem of rhutis “wrinkle” + -ectomy .][1]



rhyton

rhyton
rhy·ton 
[r tòn] (plural rhy·tons) noun

ancient
Greek drinking vessel: a drinking vessel in ancient
Greece with a hole in the bottom through which to drink
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
rhuton, from rhutos “flowing.”][1]



Rhône

Rhône
Rhône
[rōn]

major river in southern
Europe, flowing through Switzerland and France. Length: 813 km/505 mi.[1]



RI

RI
RI
or R.I.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Rhode Island

2.  Abbreviation
of
religious instruction

[1]



RIA

RIA
RIA

Abbreviation of
radioimmunoassay[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ria

ria
ri·a
[r ə] (plural ri·as) noun

U.K.
sea
inlet:
a narrow inlet running inland from the coastline, formed when a valley is
permanently flooded as a result of a rise in sea-level. Rias are a feature of
the coastlines of southwestern England and southwestern Ireland.
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish ría “estuary,” feminine of río “river,” from Latin rivus
“stream” (see rival ).][1]



rial

rial
ri·al
[ree l] (plural ri·als) or
ry·al [ree l] (plural ry·als)
noun

1.  unit
of Middle Eastern currency: the main unit of currency in
Iran, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen

2.  coin
worth one rial: a coin worth one rial
[Mid-20th century. Via
Persian and Arabic riyāl from Spanish real (see real 2 ).][1]



rialto

rialto
ri·al·to 
[ree áltō] (plural ri·al·tos) noun

1.  ri·al·to
or Ri·al·to THEATER theater
district:
the part of a town or city where its theaters are located

2.  COMMERCE marketplace:
a market or marketplace
[Mid-16th century. Named for Rialto,
the district of Venice in which the market was located.][1]



riata

riata
ri·a·ta
[ree áttə, ree
tə] (plural ri·a·tas) or re·a·ta [ree áttə, ree tə]
(plural re·a·tas) noun

lasso:
a lasso or lariat
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish reata (source of English lariat
), from reatar, literally “to retie,” from atar “to tie,” via
Latin aptare “to join” from, ultimately, apere “to tie.”][1]



rib

rib
rib 
[rib] noun (plural ribs)

1.  ANATOMY curved
bone of chest: any of the curved bones extending from
the vertebrae and in some cases meeting the sternum, forming a cavity housing
vital organs in many vertebrates

2.  FOOD meat:
a cut of meat that contains ribs

3.  KNITTING ridged
knitting:
a portion of knitted material with raised vertical lines of stitches, made by
alternating purl stitches with plain stitches

4.  BOTANY leaf
vein:
a raised vein on a leaf

5.  ARCHITECTURE molding
on vault:
a ridge or molding on the underside of a vault or arched ceiling

6.  NAUTICAL part
of a ship’s hull: any of the beams extending from the keel
to the top of the hull of a ship, giving it its shape

7.  AIR part
of aircraft wing: a part of an aircraft wing crossing from
the leading to the trailing edge of the wing

8.  piece
resembling rib: a bar, rod, or other supporting part
that has the shape or function of a rib • a
broken rib on the umbrella

9.  teasing
comment:
a comment or action meant as a joke or to tease somebody (informal)
plural
noun
ribs

ribs with little meat:
ribs of an animal from which most of the meat has been removed, eaten as food
verb
(past ribbed, past participle ribbed, present
participle rib·bing, 3rd person present singular ribs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tease:
to make playful teasing remarks to somebody about something (informal) • They
ribbed me about my haircut.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb KNITTING knit plain and purl stitches:
to knit plain stitches alternately with purl stitches to make raised lines in
knitting

3.  transitive
verb
provide
with ribs:
to provide or strengthen something with ribs
[Old English ribb,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “covering (of the chest cavity)”][1]



ribald

ribald
rib·ald 
[ríbbəld, r
bàwld] adjective

coarse
and funny:
humorous but rude and vulgar, often involving jokes about sex
noun
(plural rib·alds)

ribald
person:
somebody who often uses ribald language
[14th
century. From Old French ribau(l)t, from riber “to sleep around,”
of Germanic origin.]
—rib·ald·ly, adverb[1]



ribaldry

ribaldry
rib·ald·ry 
[ríbbəldree, rbəldree]
noun

ribald language or behavior:
language or behavior that is humorous but rude and vulgar, often involving
jokes about sex[1]



riband

riband
rib·and 
(plural rib·ands) or rib·band (plural rib·bands)
noun

ribbon:
a ribbon, especially one that is used for decorative purposes (old)
[14th century. Variant of riban
(see ribbon ).][1]



Ribault,Jean

Ribault,Jean
Ri·bault
[r b], Jean (1520?–1565)

French-born American explorer
and colonizer. He explored the Florida coast and settled Port Royal, South
Carolina (1562).[1]



ribavirin

ribavirin
ri·ba·vi·rin 
[rbə vrin] noun

antiviral
agent:
a synthetic antiviral agent that is used to treat certain viral diseases,
notably Lassa fever. It inhibits the synthesis of DNA and RNA.
[Late 20th century. Coined
from riba-, of uncertain origin: probably from rib(onucleic) a(cid) + virus + -in .][1]



ribband

ribband
rib·band 
noun

See
riband[1]



ribbed

ribbed
ribbed
[ribd] adjective

1.  having
ribs:
with structural support or decoration in the form of ribs

2.  KNITTING knitted
into pattern of vertical lines: knitted to form a
pattern of raised vertical lines, giving a stretchy fabric

3.  striped:
with a surface marked by raised, roughly parallel bands

[1]



ribbing

ribbing
rib·bing 
[ríbbing] (plural rib·bings) noun

1.  KNITTING section
of rib in knitting: a section of knitting in a
pattern of raised vertical lines, making a stretchy fabric

2.  rib
framework:
a supporting structure or framework of ribs, for example, in the hull of a boat

3.  teasing:
playful or friendly teasing (informal)

[1]



ribbon

ribbon
rib·bon 
[ríbbən] noun (plural rib·bons)

1.  TEXTILES decorative
strip of fabric: a strip of fabric, often in a bright
color, used for tying hair, trimming gifts, and other decorative purposes

2.  COMMERCE strip
of inked material: a strip of material with ink
on it, used in some printers and typewriters

3.  COMPUTING flat
cable:
a flat cable in which all the wires are parallel to one another in a single
plane

4.  ribbon
as award or badge: a decorative strip of fabric
given to somebody as an award or worn as a sign of rank or membership

5.  long
narrow strip: something that is long, narrow, and
thin, in the shape of a ribbon

6.  CONSTRUCTION See ledger board
plural
noun
rib·bons

1.  badly
damaged state: a damaged state in which something is
cut or torn very badly • My
shirt was in ribbons.

2.  EQUESTRIAN reins:
reins for controlling a horse (informal)
transitive
verb
(past rib·boned, past participle rib·boned, present
participle rib·bon·ing, 3rd person present singular rib·bons)

1.  decorate
with ribbons: to decorate something by attaching
ribbons to it

2.  tear
into strips: to tear something into strips
[Early
16th century. Variant of earlier riban, from Old French, a variant of ruban,
of uncertain origin: probably from a Germanic source.]
—rib·bon·y, adjective[1]



ribbondevelopment

ribbondevelopment
rib·bon
de·vel·op·ment noun

U.K.
housing along sides of main road:
a planning scheme or development with houses built in a single row on each side
of main roads leading out of a town or city center[1]



RibbonFalls

RibbonFalls
Rib·bon
Falls
[rìbbən fáwlz]

falls in eastern California,
and the highest in Yosemite National Park. It often dries up in summer. Height:
491 m/1,612 ft.[1]



ribbonfish

ribbonfish
rib·bon·fish 
[ríbbən fìsh] (plural rib·bon·fish
or rib·bon·fish·es) noun

fish with long tapering body:
a marine fish that has a long tapering ribbon-shaped body and, typically, a
dorsal fin extending from head to tail. Some species can exceed 10 m/ 32 ft in
length. Family: Trachypteridae[1]



ribbongrass

ribbongrass
rib·bon
grass
noun

variegated ornamental grass:
a grass that is grown as an ornamental in northern temperate regions for its
drooping cream-striped leaves. Latin name: Phalaris arundinacea picta[1]



ribbonsnake

ribbonsnake
rib·bon
snake
(plural rib·bon snakes) noun

N American snake:
a nonvenomous North American snake with longitudinal reddish or yellow stripes
extending the full length of its body. It bears live young and feeds on frogs
and worms. Latin name: Thamnophis sauritus[1]



ribbonworm

ribbonworm
rib·bon
worm
(plural rib·bon worms) noun

See
nemertean[1]



ribcage

ribcage

rib cage
[ríb kàyj] (plural rib cag·es)
noun
ribs as unit:
the ribs as a whole, forming a protective bony enclosure surrounding the heart
and lungs[1]



ribgrass

ribgrass
rib·grass 
[ríb gràss] (plural rib·grass·es
or rib·grass) noun

Eurasian
plant with white flowers: a Eurasian plant with long
slender ribbed leaves and a dense rounded spike of small white flowers that
grows as a weed. Latin name: Plantago lanceolata
[Early 16th century. From the
plant’s ribbed leaves.][1]



riblet

riblet
rib·let 
[ríblət] (plural rib·lets) noun

veal or lamb rib end:
veal or lamb cut from the end of a rib[1]



ribo-

ribo-
ribo-
prefix

ribose
• riboflavin
[From ribose][1]



riboflavin

riboflavin
ri·bo·fla·vin 
[rbə fláyvin] or ri·bo·fla·vine
[rbə fláy vn] noun

vitamin needed for growth and
energy: an orange-yellow crystalline
pigment in the vitamin B complex, essential for normal growth in humans and an
important component of many of the body’s enzymes. It is found in foods such as
spinach, eggs, milk, and liver. C17H20N4O6 
Also called
vitamin B 2 
Also called
lactoflavin
Also called
vitamin G[1]



ribonuclease

ribonuclease
ri·bo·nu·cle·ase 
[rbō nklee àyss, rbō
nklee àyz] (plural ri·bo·nu·cle·ases) noun

catalyzing enzyme:
any enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of RNA[1]



ribonucleicacid

ribonucleicacid
ri·bo·nu·cle·ic
ac·id 
[rbō noo kl ik ássid] (plural ri·bo·nu·cle·ic
ac·ids) noun

Full form of
RNA[1]



ribonucleoprotein

ribonucleoprotein
ri·bo·nu·cle·o·pro·tein 
[rbō nooklee ō prṓ tn] (plural ri·bo·nu·cle·o·pro·teins)
noun

chromosomal molecule:
a conjugated protein found in chromosomes, made up of RNA molecules together
with protein molecules[1]



ribonucleoside

ribonucleoside
ri·bo·nu·cle·o·side 
[rbō nklee ə sd] (plural ri·bo·nu·cle·o·sides)
noun

ribonucleotide precursor:
a nucleoside in which the sugar group is ribose. Ribonucleosides are important
in living organisms as precursors of ribonucleotides.[1]



ribonucleotide

ribonucleotide
ri·bo·nu·cle·o·tide 
[rbō nklee ə td] (plural ri·bo·nu·cle·o·tides)
noun

component of RNA:
a nucleotide that contains the sugar ribose and makes up many important
cellular molecules including RNA and energy coenzymes such as ATP[1]



ribose

ribose
ri·bose 
[r bss] noun

organic
sugar:
a five-carbon sugar found in all living cells as a constituent of RNA and many
other metabolically important compounds, including ribonucleotides, nucleic
acids, and riboflavin. C5H10O5
[Late 19th century. Via
German, from arabinose .][1]



ribosomalRNA

ribosomalRNA
ri·bo·so·mal
RNA
[rībə sm’l aar en áy] noun

RNA in ribosomes:
an RNA that is a structural and functional component of ribosomes[1]



ribosome

ribosome
ri·bo·some 
[rbə sm] (plural ri·bo·somes)
noun

cluster
of proteins and RNA: a submicroscopic cluster of
proteins and RNA, occurring in great numbers in the cytoplasm of living cells,
that takes part in the manufacture of proteins. Ribosomes bind to messenger RNA
molecules, which carry encoded transcripts of the cell’s genes, and direct the
assembly of amino acids into proteins according to the code.
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from ribonucleic acid + -some .]
—ri·bo·so·mal [rbə sṓm’l], adjective[1]



ribozyme

ribozyme
ri·bo·zyme 
[rbə zm] (plural ri·bo·zymes)
noun

biological
catalyst:
a strand of RNA that attaches to and catalyzes site-specific cleavages of other
strands of RNA. Ribozymes are the only nonenzyme biological catalysts known.
[Late 20th century. Coined
from ribonucleic acid + enzyme .][1]



ribroast

ribroast
rib
roast
(plural rib roasts) noun

cut of meat:
a large cut of red meat that includes the part along the outer edge of the rib[1]



rib-tickler

rib-tickler
rib-tick·ler
(plural rib-tick·lers) noun

funny story:
a very funny joke or story (informal)[1]



Ricci,Matteo

Ricci,Matteo
Ric·ci
[rchee], Matteo (1552–1610)

Italian priest. A Jesuit
missionary, he lived in China from 1583, and provided the West with early
descriptions of the country.[1]



rice

rice
rice 
[rīss] noun (plural ric·es
or rice)

1.  BOTANY tall
grass:
an annual grass probably native to India but long cultivated for its grain in
tropical and warm regions of the world. Latin name: Oryza sativa

2.  FOOD edible
grains:
the edible grains obtained from the rice plant, served hot or cold after
cooking in water or other liquid
transitive
verb
(past riced, past participle riced, present
participle ric·ing, 3rd person present singular ric·es)

COOKING sieve
food:
to push food through a sieve or ricer to make it into a coarse purée
[13th century. Via Old French
ris and Italian riso from, ultimately, Greek oruza, of
Iranian origin.][1]



Rice,Anne

Rice,Anne
Rice 
[rīss], Anne (1941– )

U.S.
writer. She is best known for the Vampire Chronicles, beginning with Interview
with the Vampire ( 1976 ).
Born
O’Brien, Howard Allen[1]



ricebird

ricebird
rice·bird 
[rss bùrd] (plural rice·birds)
noun

bird frequenting rice fields:
a bird, especially the bobolink, that is commonly seen in rice fields[1]



Rice,Elmer

Rice,Elmer
Rice 
[rīss], Elmer (1892–1967)

U.S.
playwright. He won a Pulitzer Prize for the play Street Scene ( 1929 ),
and is also known for The Adding Machine ( 1923 ).
Real name
Reizenstein, Elmer[1]



ricepaper

ricepaper
rice
pa·per
noun

1.  FOOD edible
paper:
thin brittle edible paper made from plant sources, used to undercoat baked
foods such as almond macaroons that would otherwise stick to the pan during
baking. The paper bakes into the mixture providing an edible, slightly crisp
base.

2.  INDUSTRY paper
from rice-paper plant: thin paper made from the
rice-paper plant

[1]



rice-paperplant

rice-paperplant
rice-pa·per
plant 
(plural rice-pa·per plants) noun

Chinese shrub grown for
fiber: a Chinese shrub grown for
its fiber that is used to make rice paper. Latin name: Tetrapanax
papyriferus[1]



ricepudding

ricepudding
rice
pud·ding
(plural rice pud·dings) noun

rice baked in milk:
a hot dessert made by baking rice slowly in milk and sugar[1]



ricer

ricer
ric·er 
[rssər] (plural ric·ers) noun

kitchen utensil:
a kitchen utensil consisting of a perforated plate in one end of an open
cylinder through which foods can be pressed to form long strings[1]



ricerat

ricerat
rice
rat
(plural rice rats) noun

rat inhabiting rice fields:
a rat that inhabits the marshes of the southern United States and Central and
South America where rice fields are located. Genus: Oryzomys[1]



ricercare

ricercare
ric·er·care
[rchər k rày] (plural ric·er·ca·ri
[rchər k r]) noun

fugal
composition: a fugal composition for musical
instruments, analogous to a motet for voices, involving lines of melody
interwoven in an often complicated pattern
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, literally “to seek out.”][1]



riceweevil

riceweevil
rice
wee·vil
(plural rice wee·vils) noun

weevil infesting rice:
an insect of the weevil family that infests stored rice, wheat, and other
grains. Latin name: Sitophilus oryzae[1]



rich

rich
rich 
[rich] adjective (comparative rich·er,
superlative rich·est)

1.  wealthy:
owning a lot of money or expensive property

2.  worth
much:
worth a great deal

3.  costly
and fine:
made from or consisting of things of the highest quality • rich
fabrics

4.  with
good supply of something: with a good supply of a
resource or substance • an
area rich in minerals

5.  plentiful:
existing in large quantities in plentiful supply • a
rich supply of conscripts

6.  productive:
productive and so potentially very profitable

7.  AGRICULTURE fertile:
very fertile and able to produce strong healthy plants

8.  FOOD with
high proportion of fatty foods: containing a high
proportion of foods such as cream, eggs, or butter, that are full of fat • a
very rich chocolate cake

9.  strong
and smooth-flavored: with a pleasantly strong,
smooth flavor • rich coffee

10. with
strong pleasant smell: having a strong and pleasant
smell

11. strongly
colored:
deep or fully saturated in color • a rich
shade of brown

12. with
deep full sound: with a deep smooth full sound

13. AUTOMOBILES with
too much fuel in mixture: with a higher than normal
proportion of fuel to air in the mixture supplied to an engine

14. unlikely:
hard to believe because ridiculous (informal) • That’s
rich, coming from her!
plural
noun

well-off:
wealthy people in general • a
playground for the rich and famous.
See
also
riches
[Old
English rīce “strong, powerful” and Old French riche, of Germanic
origin. Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “king” that is also the
ancestor of English royal, rajah, and bishopric
.]
—rich·ness, noun[1]



RichardI

RichardI

Rich·ard
I 
[ríchərd], King of England (1157–1199)
He
spent most of his reign (1189–1199) overseas, fighting in the Third Crusade and
against Philip II of France.
Known as
Richard the Lionheart[1]



RichardII

RichardII
Rich·ard
II
[ríchərd], King of England (1367–1399)

His reign (1377–1399) was
marked by national disunity and civil strife that culminated in his being
deposed.[1]



RichardIII

RichardIII
Rich·ard
III
[ríchərd], King of England (1452–1485)

He usurped the throne while
protector of the young Edward V (1483), but was defeated at the Battle of
Bosworth Field (1485) in a rebellion led by the future King Henry VII.[1]



RichardRoe

RichardRoe
Rich·ard
Roe 
[rìchərd rṓ] noun

LAW
unknown man:
a name used for a second unknown man in legal proceedings, the first unknown
man being called John Doe[1]



Richards,I. A.

Richards,I. A.
Rich·ards
[ríchərdz], I. A. (1893–1979)

British
critic, poet, and teacher. He founded the New Criticism movement, which was
influential on the teaching of English literature in universities.
Full name
Richards, Ivor Armstrong[1]



Richardson,H.H.

Richardson,H.H.

Rich·ard·son 
[ríchərdss’n], H.H. (1838–1886)
U.S.
architect. He was a leader of the romanesque revival movement in the United
States, which led to a distinctively American style of architecture.
Full name
Richardson, Henry Hobson[1]



Richardson,John

Richardson,John
Rich·ard·son 
[ríchərdss’n], John (1796–1852)

Canadian writer. He is known
for his historical and autobiographical novels.[1]



Richardson,Robert C.

Richardson,Robert C.
Rich·ard·son 
[ríchərdss’n], Robert C. (1937– )

U.S. physicist. He shared a
Nobel Prize in physics (1996) for his research into the superfluidity of
helium-3.[1]



Richardson’sground squirrel

Richardson’sground squirrel
Rich·ard·son’s
ground squir·rel  [rìchərdss’nz
grównd skwùrrəl] (plural Rich·ard·son’s ground squir·rels)
noun

American
ground squirrel: a ground squirrel found in the
northwestern United States and Canadian prairies that can be a pest of grain
crops. Latin name: Citellus richardsoni
Also
called
flickertail squirrel
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson ( 1787–1865 ), who first
collected it.][1]



Richelieu,Armand Jean du Plessis

Richelieu,Armand Jean du Plessis

Rich·e·lieu 
[ríshə l, rshə
lyö], Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de (1585–1642)
French
cardinal and statesman. He was named a cardinal in 1622. As chief minister to
Louis XIII after 1624, he wielded supreme power in France. He strengthened the
monarchy and made France the pre-eminent military power in Europe.
Known as
Cardinal Richelieu[1]



riches

riches
rich·es 
[ríchəz] plural noun

1.  great
wealth:
great wealth or many valuable possessions

2.  plentiful
natural things: things occurring naturally in abundance
• enjoy
the riches of the forest
[12th century. Originally
singular, misunderstood as plural; variant of richesse, from Old French richeise,
from riche “rich,” from the prehistoric Germanic ancestor of English rich (see rich
).][1]



Richler,Mordecai

Richler,Mordecai
Rich·ler
[ríchlər], Mordecai (1931– )

Canadian writer. He drew on
his working-class Jewish background in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
( 1959 ) and other works.[1]



richly

richly
rich·ly
[ríchlee] adverb

1.  elaborately:
beautifully and elaborately • richly
decorated

2.  with
deep color:
with a deep, fully saturated color

3.  completely:
completely and suitably • a
richly deserved award

4.  plentifully:
plentifully or very fully
[Old English riclice][1]



Richmond

Richmond
Rich·mond 
[ríchmənd]

1.  capital
city of the state of Virginia, situated in the eastern part of the state.
Population: 201,108 (1994)

2.  city
in central Kentucky, southwest of Winchester and southeast of Lexington.
Population: 26,227 (1996)

3.  city
in eastern Indiana, west of the Indiana-Ohio border, on the East Fork River,
east of Indianapolis. Population: 37,312 (1996)

4.  market
town in North Yorkshire, northern England, on the banks of the Swale River.
Population: 7,862 (1991)

5.  town
in eastern New South Wales, Australia, on the Hawkesbury River. Population:
(including Windsor) 21,317 (1996)

[1]



Richterscale

Richterscale
Rich·ter
scale 
[ríktər skàyl] noun

scale
for measuring earthquakes: a scale from 1 to 10 used to
measure the severity of earthquakes according to the amount of energy released,
with a higher number indicating stronger tremors. Each increment of the scale
is a 32-fold increase over the previous one.
See
also
Mercalli scale
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. seismologist Charles Francis Richter (1900–1985), who devised
it.][1]



ricin

ricin
ri·cin 
[rss’n, ríss’n]
noun

toxic
plant substance: a white poisonous protein extracted from
the beans of the castor plant for use as a biochemical reagent that acts in the
body to clump red blood cells
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin ricinus “castor oil plant,” of unknown origin.][1]



ricinoleicacid

ricinoleicacid
ric·in·o·le·ic
ac·id 
[rīss’n ō l ik ássid] noun

substance
obtained from castor oil: an unsaturated fatty acid
that is the main constituent of castor oil and is used in making soap,
plastics, and in textile finishing. C18H34O3
[Coined from Latin ricinus
“castor oil plant” + oleic][1]



rick

rick
rick 
[rik] noun (plural ricks)

stack
of hay or straw: a large quantity of hay or straw stacked
into a rectangular shape for storage and covered at the top to protect it from
the weather
transitive
verb
(past ricked, past participle ricked, present
participle rick·ing, 3rd person present singular ricks)

form
a rick:
to stack hay or straw to form a rick
[Old English hrēac, of
unknown origin][1]



rickets

rickets
rick·ets 
[ríkits] noun

bone-softening
disease:
a disease, especially of children, caused by a deficiency in vitamin D that
makes the bones become soft and prone to bending and structural change. Technical
name rachitis
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rickettsia

rickettsia
rick·ett·si·a 
[ri kétsee ə] (plural rick·ett·si·as
or rick·ett·si·ae [ri kétsee ]
or rick·ett·si·a) noun

parasitic
bacterium causing disease: a parasitic bacterium that
typically lives inside ticks and can be transmitted to humans, causing Rocky
Mountain spotted fever, certain forms of typhus, and other diseases. Order:
Rickettsiales
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, genus name, named for the U.S. pathologist H.
T. Ricketts (1871–1910).]
—rick·ett·si·al, adjective[1]



rickety

rickety
rick·et·y 
[ríkətee] (comparative rick·et·i·er,
superlative rick·et·i·est) adjective

1.  unstable:
in bad condition, unstable, and likely to collapse • a
rickety chair

2.  infirm:
weakened by the aging process or illness

3.  MEDICINE with
rickets:
affected by rickets

4.  MEDICINE relating
to rickets:
relating to or resembling rickets
[Late
17th century. Formed from rickets, from the
unsteadiness that the disease causes.]
—rick·et·i·ness, noun[1]



rickey

rickey
rick·ey 
[ríkee] (plural rick·eys) noun

gin
or vodka cocktail: a cocktail made from soda
water, lime or lemon juice, sugar, and gin or vodka
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the name Rickey .][1]



rickrack

rickrack
rick·rack 
[rík ràk] or ric·rac [rík ràk] noun

decorative
braid:
a narrow decorative braid in a zigzag shape
[Late 19th century. Doubling
of rack 1 .][1]



rickshaw

rickshaw
rick·shaw 
[rík shàw] (plural rick·shaws)
or rick·sha [rík shàw] (plural
rick·shas) noun

1.  two-wheeled
passenger vehicle: a small vehicle with two
wheels and a seat for passengers, pulled along by somebody walking in front of
it, used especially in Asia

2.  three-wheeled
passenger vehicle: a small three-wheeled
vehicle, like a tricycle with a seat at the back for passengers, that is driven
by somebody sitting at the front and pedalling.
Also
called
trishaw
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of Japanese jinrikisha, from jin “man” + riki
“strength” + sha “vehicle.”][1]



RICO

RICO
RICO
[r kō]

Abbreviation of
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Act)[1]



ricochet

ricochet
ric·o·chet 
[ríkə shày, rìkə
sháy] intransitive verb (past ric·o·cheted, past
participle ric·o·cheted [ríkə shàyd,
rìkə sháyd], present participle ric·o·chet·ing
[ríkə shày ing, rìkə
sháy ing], 3rd person present singular ric·o·chets [ríkə shàyz, rìkə sháyz])

rebound:
to hit a surface and bounce, traveling away in a different direction
noun
(plural ric·o·chets)

rebounding
action:
the rebounding action of something that hits a surface and bounces off in a
different direction
[Mid-18th century. From Old
French, “give-and-take, repetition,” of unknown origin.][1]



ricotta

ricotta
ri·cot·ta 
[ri kóttə] (plural ri·cot·tas)
noun

soft
cheese:
a soft white mild-tasting Italian cheese made from whey and used mostly in
cooking, or a cheese made to resemble this
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian, literally “recooked,” from Latin recocta, the feminine past
participle of recoquere “to recook,” from coquere (see cook ).][1]



rictus

rictus
ric·tus 
[ríktəss] (plural ric·tus or
ric·tus·es) noun

1.  strange
grin or grimace: a fixed open-mouthed grin or grimace,
especially an expression of horror

2.  ZOOLOGY gape
of bird’s beak: the gape of a bird’s beak
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, from the past participle of ringi “to gape,” of
unknown origin.]
—ric·tal, adjective[1]



rid

rid
rid 
[rid] (past rid or rid·ded
(archaic), past participle rid or rid·ded (archaic),
present participle rid·ding, 3rd person present singular rids)
transitive verb

1.  empty
of something: to free, relieve, or empty a place or
thing of something, usually something undesirable • an
attempt to rid the town of crime

2.  free
yourself from something: to free somebody or yourself
from something undesirable • trying
to rid myself of the habit
[12th
century. From Old Norse ryðja “to clear land,” from hrjóða “to
strip.”]
—rid·der,
noun
be
or get rid of

1.  to
make somebody or something burdensome, unpleasant, or unnecessary go away

2.  to
throw something out

[1]



riddance

riddance
rid·dance 
[rídd’ns] (plural rid·danc·es)
noun

removal
or destruction: the removal or destruction of something
unwanted
good
riddance (to somebody or something)

used to show that you are
glad to be free of somebody or something[1]



ridden

ridden
rid·den


Past participle of
ride[1]



riddle

riddle1
rid·dle1 [rídd’l]
noun (plural rid·dles)

1.  word
puzzle:
a puzzle in the form of a question or rhyme that contains clues to its answer

2.  puzzling
thing:
something that is difficult to understand or presents a problem that needs to
be solved
verb
(past rid·dled, past participle rid·dled, present
participle rid·dling, 3rd person present singular rid·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb answer
riddle:
to find or explain the answer to a riddle

2.  intransitive
verb
talk
in riddles:
to speak in a deliberately obscure way
[Old
English rdels . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English read, reason, and rathskeller
.]
—rid·dler,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at problem

[1]



riddle

riddle2
rid·dle2 [rídd’l]
transitive verb (past rid·dled, past participle rid·dled,
present participle rid·dling, 3rd person present singular rid·dles)

1.  make
holes in something: to damage something by
making a large number of small holes in it

2.  affect
every part:
to affect every part of something, for example, by spreading throughout

3.  sift
soil or stones: to put soil or stones through a sieve to
separate the large pieces from the small ones

4.  shake
ashes from fire: to shake ashes from the bottom of a fire
by poking it with a metal rod or moving a mechanism under the grate
noun
(plural rid·dles)

sieve: a
large flat shallow sieve for sifting soil or stones
[Old
English hriddel “sieve,” an alteration of hridder . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to sort” that is also the ancestor of
English discriminate, criterion, and crime
.]
—rid·dler, noun[1]



ride

ride
ride 
[rīd] verb (past participle rid·den
[rídd’n] or rode [rōd], present participle rid·ing, 3rd
person present singular rides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb EQUESTRIAN sit on and control horse:
to sit on a horse or other animal and control it as it moves along

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT travel on bike:
to travel mounted on a bicycle or motorcycle

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
as passenger: to travel as a passenger in a vehicle

4.  transitive
verb
SPORTS use
sports equipment: to use any of various kinds of gliding
or rolling sports equipment such as a skateboard or surfboard

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
in an elevator: to travel in an elevator

6.  transitive
verb
travel
over area:
to travel across an area of land • ride
the range

7.  transitive
verb
SPORTS be in
race:
to take part in a race or other event on a horse or bike

8.  intransitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES handle
well or badly: to function in a particular way while
moving • a
car that rides well over rough ground

9.  transitive
verb
to
carry somebody along: to carry or take somebody
along • His
mother rode him around on her bicycle.

10. intransitive
verb
appear
to be floating: to appear to be floating in the sky or
moving like a floating object • Birds
soared above our heads, riding the currents.

11. intransitive
verb
do
something effortlessly: to do something successfully
and apparently effortlessly, as if carried along by a wave • riding
on a tide of sympathy

12. intransitive
verb
depend
on something: to depend on something for success • Her
future is riding on the outcome of the interview.

13. intransitive
verb
be
allowed to continue: to continue without
intervention or alteration • let it
ride for a few days

14. transitive
verb
deal
with problem and survive: to manage to deal with a
difficult situation successfully and survive without too much harm • to
ride the storm

15. transitive
verb
tease
or torment:
to tease or torment somebody with criticism or mockery (informal) • My
sister always rides me about my hair.

16. transitive
verb
SAILING rise
on top of wave: to rise up on a wave and move forward
with it

17. intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL anchor:
to be moored with the anchor down, or to moor a ship by dropping its anchor • a
ship riding at anchor

18. intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING be
supported by something: to be supported by something
such as a pivot or an axle • Most
of the weight rides on the central shaft.

19. transitive
verb
AUTOMOBILES partially
depress clutch or brake: to put your foot on the
clutch or brake, partially depressing it, while driving

20. transitive
verb
overlap:
to overlap or encroach on something such as another part

21. transitive
verb
yield
to blow:
to move in the direction of something forceful such as a blow, in order to
lessen the impact
noun
(plural rides)

1.  TRANSPORT journey
by vehicle or animal: a journey or outing in a
motor vehicle or on an animal • to go
for a ride

2.  TRANSPORT means
of transportation: transportation as a
passenger in a vehicle, especially when this is offered to somebody who would
otherwise have to walk or use public transportation • Do
you want a ride?

3.  AUTOMOBILES quality
of travel:
the quality of travel in a motor vehicle • The
new model offers a very smooth ride.

4.  LEISURE fairground
entertainment: an entertainment such as a roller
coaster at an amusement park or carnival, offering a thrilling experience

5.  EQUESTRIAN path
for horses:
a broad grassy path where horses can be ridden

6.  MUSIC jazz
cymbal:
one of the three cymbals in a drum set, used to keep time and mark rhythmic
accents in jazz
[Old
English rīdan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English road, raid, ready,
and array .]
—rid·a·ble,
adjective
be
riding high

to
be enjoying a period or feeling of success

ride
herd on somebody

to
keep a close eye on or control over somebody

ride
roughshod over somebody

to
treat somebody very arrogantly without regard to that person’s feelings

ride
roughshod over something

to
disregard a rule, law, or agreement

ride
shotgun

to
sit in the front passenger seat of a car (informal)

take
somebody for a ride

to cheat or deceive somebody[1]



RideauHall

RideauHall
Ri·deau
Hall
[ri dṓ hàwl] noun

Canadian Governor General’s
official residence: the
official residence of the Governor General of Canada[1]



ridedown

ridedown
ride
down
transitive verb

1.  trample:
to hit and knock down somebody while riding, especially on horseback

2.  catch
up with or overtake: to catch up with or overtake
somebody

[1]



rideout

rideout
ride
out
intransitive and transitive verb

deal with problem and
survive: to manage to deal with a
difficult situation successfully and survive without too much harm • ride
out the storm[1]



rider

rider
rid·er 
[rdər] (plural rid·ers) noun

1.  TRANSPORT somebody
on horse or bike: somebody who rides or is riding on an
animal or vehicle

2.  additional
comment:
an extra comment or clause added to a document or statement

3.  LAW additional
clause to bill: an extra clause added to a legislative
bill, often not directly related to the main issue

4.  something
resting on or strengthening something:
something that rests on or strengthens something else, for example, the
horizontal rail of a fence or additional timbers in the frame of a ship

5.  sliding
adjustment:
a small sliding weight on the arm of a chemical balance, used for adjusting the
scales

6.  GEOLOGY thin
seam:
a thin seam of a mineral lying above a thicker one

[1]



ridership

ridership
rid·er·ship 
[rdər shìp] noun

number of passengers:
the number of passengers using a particular form of public transportation[1]



ridesharing

ridesharing
ride·shar·ing 
[rd shàiring] noun

sharing of vehicles:
an arrangement in which commuters take turns using their cars for going to
work, taking one another as passengers to cut down the number of cars on the
roads[1]



rideup

rideup
ride
up
intransitive verb

move up out of position:
to gradually move up out of the correct position • Her
skirt was riding up.[1]



ridge

ridge
ridge 
[rij] noun (plural ridg·es)

1.  raised
strip:
a long narrow raised area of something

2.  GEOGRAPHY raised
land formation: a long narrow hilltop or range of hills.

Also
called
ridgeline

3.  GEOGRAPHY ridge
on ocean floor: an elevation on the ocean floor
resembling a ridge on land and resulting from volcanic eruption along the
fissures between tectonic plates

4.  METEOROLOGY area
of high pressure: a long area of high pressure in a
weather system

5.  ANATOMY raised
part on bone: a long narrow protuberance or crest, for
example, on a bone

6.  ZOOLOGY backbone
of animal:
the backbone of an animal, especially a whale

7.  CONSTRUCTION top
of roof:
the line along the top of a roof or a tent where the two sloping sides meet
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ridged, past
participle ridged, present participle ridg·ing, 3rd
person present singular ridg·es)

form ridges: to
mark, form, or provide something with ridges, or make something into the shape
of a ridge
[Old
English hrycg . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “back, spine”
that is also the ancestor of English rucksack
.]
—ridg·y, adjective[1]



ridgeback

ridgeback
ridge·back 
[ríj bàk] (plural ridge·backs)
noun

See
Rhodesian ridgeback[1]



ridgel

ridgel
ridg·el 
[ríjjəl] (plural ridg·els) noun

See
ridgeling[1]



ridgeline

ridgeline
ridge·line 
[ríj ln] (plural ridge·lines)
noun

See
ridge  noun 2[1]



ridgeling

ridgeling
ridge·ling
[ríjling] (plural ridge·lings)
or ridg·ling [ríjling] (plural
ridgl·ings) noun

animal
with undescended testis: a male animal in which one
or both testes fail to descend into the scrotum at the usual time. The
condition is most common in horses and pigs.
Also
called
ridgel
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from earlier ridgel, of uncertain origin.][1]



ridgepole

ridgepole

ridge·pole 
[ríj pl] (plural ridge·poles)
or ridge·tree [ríj tr] (plural
ridge·trees) noun

1.  BUILDING beam
along ridge of roof: a long beam of wood that
runs along the ridge of a roof, supporting the upper ends of the rafters.
Also
called
ridge piece
Also
called
rooftree

2.        CAMPING horizontal
tent pole: the horizontal pole
supporting the top of a tent[1]



Ridgway,Matthew Bunker

Ridgway,Matthew Bunker
Ridg·way
[ríj wày], Matthew Bunker (1895–1993)

U.S. army officer. He
commanded an airborne assault on Normandy (1944) and was supreme commander of
United Nations ground forces in Korea (1950–1952).[1]



ridicule

ridicule
rid·i·cule 
[ríddi kyl] transitive verb (past
rid·i·culed, past participle rid·i·culed, present
participle rid·i·cul·ing, 3rd person present singular rid·i·cules)

mock:
to make fun of or mock somebody or something in a contemptuous way
noun

mocking
laughter, behavior, or comments: mocking laughter,
mimicry, or comments intended to make fun of somebody in a contemptuous way
[Late
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin ridiculum “joke,” from ridiculus
(see ridiculous ).]
—rid·i·cul·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  ridicule, deride, laugh at, mock, send
  up
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  belittle or make fun of somebody or something ridicule;
  to belittle somebody or something in a cruel contemptuous way in order to
  make that person or thing an object of fun; deride;
  a formal word used to talk about ridiculing somebody or something in strong
  harsh terms; laugh at; to ridicule somebody in an amused or
  contemptuous way; mock; to treat
  somebody or something with scorn or contempt, often involving cruel
  mimicking. It is often used to suggest something more subtle than ridicule
  or deride; send up; an
  informal phrase meaning to make fun of or mock somebody or something, usually
  by means of parody or mimicking

[1]



ridiculous

ridiculous
ri·dic·u·lous 
[ri díkyələss] adjective

1.  unreasonable:
completely unreasonable and not at all sensible or acceptable

2.  completely
silly:
silly and amusing
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin ridiculus “laughable,” from ridere “to
laugh” (source of English risible ),
of unknown origin.]
—ri·dic·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—ri·dic·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



riding

riding2
rid·ing2 [rding]
(plural rid·ings) noun

1.  ri·ding
or Rid·ing (plural Ridings) area
of Yorkshire: one of the three administrative
districts into which the British county of Yorkshire was formerly split

2.  Canadian
Canadian
constituency: a constituency represented by either a
federal member of parliament or a member of the provincial legislature
[Pre-12th century. From Old
Norse þriðungr “third part,” from þriði “third.”][1]



riding

riding1
rid·ing1 [rding]
noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN being
on a horse:
the sport or hobby of sitting on a horse and controlling it as it moves along

2.  TRANSPORT traveling
on animal or vehicle: the act of traveling on an
animal or vehicle
adjective

EQUESTRIAN used
on horseback: used while riding a horse • riding
breeches

[1]



ridingcrop

ridingcrop
rid·ing
crop
(plural rid·ing crops) noun

short riding whip:
a straight short riding whip with a loop at the end.
Also called
crop[1]



ridinghabit

ridinghabit
rid·ing
hab·it
(plural rid·ing hab·its) noun

outfit for riding:
outfit worn for horseback riding[1]



RidingMountain National Park

RidingMountain National Park
Rid·ing
Moun·tain Na·tion·al Park [rding
mòwnt’n nashən’l prk]

national park in Canada, in
southwestern Manitoba. Area: 2,973 sq km/1,148 sq mi.[1]



ridley

ridley
rid·ley 
[ríddlee] (plural rid·leys) noun

1.  a
small marine turtle, especially the gray-shelled Kemp’s ridley found in the
Atlantic, or the larger greenish olive ridley found in the Pacific

2.  See
olive ridley

[1]



ridotto

ridotto
ri·dot·to
[ri dóttō] (plural ri·dot·tos)
noun

musical
entertainment: a musical entertainment with dancing,
popular in the 18th century
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian, “retreat, entertainment,” from medieval Latin reductus, from
the past participle of Latin reducere (see reduce
).][1]



riebeckite

riebeckite
rieb·eck·ite
[rbə kt, r be
kt] noun

blue-black
mineral:
a blue-black silicate mineral of the amphibole group, found in acidic igneous
rocks and metamorphic schists. Tiger’s eye is a mixture of riebeckite and
silica.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German explorer Emil Riebeck (died 1885).][1]



Riefenstahl,Leni

Riefenstahl,Leni
Rief·en·stahl
[rf’n shtl], Leni (1902– )

German
movie director and photographer. Her documentary films of a Nazi rally and of
the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games glorified the Nazis, but are nevertheless
masterpieces of cinematic technique.
Born
Amalie, Helena Bertha[1]



Riel,Louis David

Riel,Louis David
Riel 
[ree él], Louis David (1844–1885)

Canadian political leader. He
headed provisional governments of Manitoba (1869, 1885), and led the North West
Rebellion.[1]



Riemanniangeometry

Riemanniangeometry
Rie·mann·ian
ge·om·e·try 
[ree mnee ən jee ómmətree, ree mànnee ən jee ómmətree] noun

branch
of non-Euclidean geometry: a type of non-Euclidean
geometry in which it is assumed that in a plane all pairs of straight lines
intersect
[Early 20th century. Named
for G. F. B. Riemann (1826–1866), the German mathematician who founded
it.][1]



riesling

riesling
ries·ling
[rzling, rssling]
(plural ries·lings) or Riesling [rzling, rssling]
(plural Rieslings) noun

1.  white
wine:
a fruity dry to sweet white wine produced from a white grape grown mainly in
Germany, Austria, Alsace, and Australia

2.  riesling
grape:
the grape used to make riesling
[Mid-19th century. From
German, alteration of obsolete Rüssling .][1]



Riesman,David

Riesman,David
Ries·man
[rss mən], David (1909– )

U.S. sociologist. His
controversial work The Lonely Crowd ( 1950 ) describes a U.S. society
evolving from individualism to conformism.[1]



rifampicin

rifampicin
ri·fam·pi·cin 
[ri fámpissin] noun

See
rifampin
[Mid-20th century. Blend of rifamycin and piperazine
.][1]



rifampin

rifampin
ri·fam·pin 
[ri fámpin] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic derived from soil bacteria and used to treat various bacterial
infections, including tuberculosis. It works by interfering with RNA synthesis
in the infecting bacteria.
Also
called
rifampicin
[Mid-20th century. Blend of rifamycin and piperazine
.][1]



rifamycin

rifamycin
rif·a·my·cin 
[rìffə mss’n] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium Streptomyces mediterranei and
used to treat various bacterial infections, including leprosy and tuberculosis
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably coined from Italian riformare “to reform,” from formare
“to form” from Latin (see reform ) + -mycin .][1]



rife

rife
rife 
[rīf] adjective

1.  widespread
and plentiful: occurring everywhere in plentiful supply
• areas
where poverty is rife

2.  full
of something: full of or severely affected by
something undesirable • an
organization rife with corruption
[Old
English rfe]
—rife·ly,
adverb

—rife·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at widespread

[1]



riff

riff
riff 
[rif] noun (plural riffs)

1.  MUSIC series
of notes:
a short, often repeated series of notes in pop music or jazz that forms a
distinctive part of the accompaniment

2.  quip:
a quick, witty remark, especially when exchanged rapidly
intransitive
verb
(past riffed, past participle riffed, present
participle riff·ing, 3rd person present singular riffs)

use riffs: to
play or make use of riffs
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a shortening of riffle,
or perhaps an alteration of refrain .][1]



Riffian

Riffian
Rif·fi·an
[ríffee ən] noun

Berber
dialect:
a dialect of Berber spoken in Morocco, especially in the Riff Mountains of
northern Morocco
—Rif·fi·an, adjective[1]



riffle

riffle
rif·fle 
[ríff’l] verb (past rif·fled,
past participle rif·fled, present participle rif·fling,
3rd person present singular rif·fles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flick
through pages: to flick through the pages of a book,
magazine, or newspaper, glancing casually at the contents

2.  transitive
verb
CARD GAMES shuffle
cards:
to shuffle playing cards by halving the deck, lifting the corners, and flicking
the cards so that they overlap as they fall

3.  intransitive
verb
become
choppy:
to become rough and choppy when passing over submerged rocks • Water
riffles over the rocks.
noun
(plural rif·fles)

1.  OCEANOGRAPHY submerged
rocks or sandbar: an area of rocks or a sandbar lying just
below the surface of the water

2.  OCEANOGRAPHY rough
water:
an area of rough water caused by submerged rocks or a sandbar

3.  quick
look at book: a quick flick through the pages of a
book, magazine, or newspaper

4.  CARD GAMES shuffling:
the shuffling of playing cards

5.  MINING grooved
part of sluice: the bottom part of a sluice that has
grooves for collecting gold or other mineral particles
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of ripple and ruffle 1 .][1]



riffler

riffler
rif·fler
[rífflər] (plural rif·flers) noun

curved
file:
a curved file for smoothing concave surfaces
[Late 18th century. From
French rifloir, from rifler “to scratch” (see rifle 2 ).][1]



riffraff

riffraff
riff·raff 
[ríf ràf] noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s social status,
importance, and manners (insult)

2.  worthless
things:
rubbish or worthless objects (informal)
[15th century. From French rif
et raf “pieces of plunder of small value,” from rifler “to plunder”
and raffler “to snatch.”][1]



rifle

rifle2
ri·fle2 [rf’l]
(past ri·fled, past participle ri·fled, present
participle ri·fling, 3rd person present singular ri·fles)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
through vigorously: to search vigorously through
something such as a drawer or room, often leaving things in disorder and
sometimes with the intent to steal

2.  transitive
verb
rob:
to rob or plunder somebody or something
[14th
century. From French rifler “to plunder, scratch,” of uncertain origin:
probably from prehistoric Germanic.]
—ri·fler, noun[1]



rifle

rifle1

ri·fle1 [rf’l]
noun (plural ri·fles)

1.  gun:
a gun with a long barrel that is fired from the shoulder. Spiral grooves inside
the barrel make the bullet spin, improving its accuracy over a long distance.

2.  cannon:
a large cannon with spirals cut into the bore
plural noun ri·fles
Ri·fles

ARMY unit
of armed soldiers: a unit of soldiers carrying
rifles
transitive verb
(past ri·fled, past participle ri·fled, present
participle ri·fling, 3rd person present singular ri·fles)

1.  ARMS cut
gun barrel:
to cut the inside of a gun barrel with spiral grooves

2.  SPORTS throw
fast ball:
to hit or throw a ball hard, making it travel very fast
[Late 17th century. From
French rifler “to scratch” (see rifle 2 ).][1]



riflebird

riflebird
ri·fle·bird 
[rf’l bùrd] (plural ri·fle·birds)
noun

bird
of Australia and New Guinea: a bird of paradise found in
parts of Australia and New Guinea, the male of which performs an elaborate
courtship dance. Genus: Ptiloris
[Mid-19th century. Rifle of
uncertain origin: probably from rifle 1, either an
imitation of the sound of the bird’s cry, or because its plumage resembles a
military uniform.][1]



riflegrenade

riflegrenade
ri·fle
gre·nade
(plural ri·fle gre·nades) noun

grenade propelled by bullet:
a grenade propelled to its target by a rifle-fired bullet, requiring special
adapting hardware[1]



rifleman

rifleman
ri·fle·man 
[rf’lmən] (plural ri·fle·men
[rf’lmən]) noun

1.  ARMY soldier
with rifle:
a soldier who has been trained to use a rifle

2.  ARMS rifle
user:
somebody skilled in the use of a rifle

[1]



riflerange

riflerange
ri·fle
range
(plural ri·fle rang·es) noun

area for shooting practice:
an area with targets where people can practice shooting rifles[1]



riflery

riflery
ri·fle·ry 
[rf’lree] noun

1.  firing
rifles:
the skill or practice of firing rifles

2.  rifle
fire:
fire from rifles

[1]



riflescope

riflescope
ri·fle·scope 
[rf’l skp] (plural ri·fle·scopes)
noun

telescopic
sight:
a telescopic sight designed to be used on a rifle
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from rifle + telescope
.][1]



rifling

rifling
ri·fling 
[rfling] noun

1.  cutting
grooves:
the cutting of spiral grooves in the barrel of a gun

2.  spiral
grooves:
a series of spiral grooves cut in the barrel of a gun

[1]



rift

rift1
rift1 [rift]
noun (plural rifts)

1.  gap
or break:
a gap or break in something where it has split apart

2.  disagreement:
a serious disagreement that disrupts good relations

3.  GEOLOGY See fault  noun 6
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rift·ed,
past participle rift·ed, present participle rift·ing,
3rd person present singular rifts)

split: to
split or make something split apart
[14th century. Of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



rift

rift2
rift2 [rift]
(plural rifts) noun

1.  shallow
water:
a shallow, often rapidly flowing area of water

2.  backwash:
the backward flow of water caused by a wave when it breaks
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch rif (see reef
).][1]



riftvalley

riftvalley
rift
val·ley
noun

valley formed by faults:
a valley formed by geological faulting, where the land between two parallel
faults drops down to give a broad central plain with steep sides[1]



riftzone

riftzone
rift
zone
(plural rift zones) noun

area of faulting:
an area of the earth’s surface, often associated with the margins of
continental plates, that is especially heavily faulted and may be subject to
earth tremors[1]



rig

rig2
rig2  [rig]
transitive verb (past rigged, past participle rigged,
present participle rig·ging, 3rd person present singular rigs)

arrange
outcome dishonestly: to affect the outcome of
something by intervening dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage
noun
(plural rigs)

trick:
a trick or swindle
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rig

rig3
rig3  [rig]
(plural rigs) noun

ridgeling:
a male animal in which one or both testes fail to descend into the scrotum at
the usual time. The condition is most common in horses and pigs. (informal)
[15th century. Variant of ridge .][1]



rig

rig1
rig1  [rig]
transitive verb (past rigged, past participle rigged,
present participle rig·ging, 3rd person present singular rigs)

1.  SAILING equip
vessel with rigging: to fit a boat or its mast
with sails and rigging

2.  equip:
to equip or fit out something so it is ready to use

3.  make:
to make something temporary and serviceable, usually done in haste and lacking
the proper materials

4.  AIR prepare
aircraft for use: to make an aircraft ready for use by
making sure that all the parts are correctly adjusted

5.  CLOTHES dress:
to dress or adorn something or somebody (usually passive) • rigged
in striped pajamas
noun
(plural rigs)

1.  INDUSTRY drilling
structure for oil: a structure and apparatus
used for drilling for oil and gas.
Also
called
drilling rig

2.  SAILING arrangement
of sails and masts: the arrangement of sails and
masts on a boat

3.  CLOTHES outfit
of clothing: an outfit that somebody is wearing (informal)

4.  specialist
equipment:
the special equipment used for an activity, especially fishing tackle or the
radio equipment used by an amateur radio operator

5.  TRANSPORT truck:
a tractor-trailer, or a tractor without a trailer (informal)

6.  TRANSPORT horse
carriage:
in former times, a carriage or cart pulled by one or more horses
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.][1]



Riga

Riga
Ri·ga 
[réegə]

capital city of Latvia, on
its eastern coast. Population: 839,675 (1995)[1]



rigadoon

rigadoon
rig·a·doon 
[rìggə dn] (plural rig·a·doons)
or rig·au·don [r gaw dáwN] (plural
rig·au·dons) noun

lively
couple dance: in former times, a lively couple dance,
or the music for it, with two or four beats to the bar. Traditionally from the
Provence region of France, in the 17th and 18th centuries it was popular in the
French court where it was danced in a more dignified manner.
[Late 17th century. From
French rigaudon, of uncertain origin: perhaps named for Rigaud, a
dancing-master in Marseilles who is said to have invented it.][1]



rigamarole

rigamarole
rig·a·ma·role 
noun

See
rigmarole[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rigatoni

rigatoni
rig·a·to·ni 
[rìggə tṓnee] noun

pasta:
short rounded tubes of pasta with narrow ridges running along them
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from rigato “ridged,” the past participle of rigare “to
draw a line,” from riga “line.”][1]



rigaudon

rigaudon
rig·au·don
noun

See
rigadoon[1]



Rigel

Rigel
Ri·gel 
[rjəl] noun

star:
a blue-white double star of the first magnitude in the constellation Orion
[From Arabic rijl,
literally “foot,” because it appears at the base of the constellation][1]



rigger

rigger
rig·ger 
[ríggər] (plural rig·gers) noun

1.  ROWING bracket
on rowing boat: a bracket supporting a rowlock on a
rowing boat

2.  SAILING somebody
who rigs boats: somebody whose job is to rig a boat

3.  SAILING ship:
a ship, especially one with a specific kind of rigging

4.  CONSTRUCTION scaffolding
worker:
somebody whose job is to erect and maintain scaffolding and lifting equipment

5.  INDUSTRY oil-rig
worker:
somebody who works on an oil or gas rig

[1]



rigging

rigging
rig·ging 
[rígging] noun

1.  SAILING ropes,
wires, and pulleys: the ropes, wires, and
pulleys that support the masts and control the sails of a boat

2.  THEATER theater
equipment:
the system of ropes, pulleys, and other equipment used to shift scenery on a
stage

3.  supporting
equipment:
any system of ropes, pulleys, or other equipment used as a support for
something, for example, construction scaffolding

4.  CLOTHES special-purpose
clothing:
clothing, especially when designed for a special purpose

[1]



right

right
right 
[rīt] adjective

1.  true:
consistent with facts or belief • gave
the right answer

2.  socially
approved:
adhering to or consistent with conventional ideas of morality, propriety, or
decorum • right
conduct between nations

3.  usual:
conforming to what is usual or expected • Something
didn’t seem right when I walked in.

4.  proper:
proper with regard to use, function, or operation • You’re
not holding the thing by the right end.

5.  best:
most suitable or desirable • waiting
for the right offer to come along

6.  superior:
holding a view or position that is superior, more proper, or more moral • hard
to tell who’s right in this situation

7.  healthy:
in good physical and mental health • hasn’t
felt right in weeks

8.  in
a satisfactory condition: being in a satisfactory
condition or proper state, or going into one • make
things right for them

9.  prominent:
prominent in business, society, or some other sphere • knows
all the right people

10. east
when facing north: on the side of the body that
is east when you face north

11. main:
main or most prominent • has to
be stored right side up

12. GEOMETRY perpendicular:
being perpendicular or forming an angle of 90 degrees
adverb

1.  properly:
in the proper or conventional way, or a way that will be successful • You
didn’t do it right.

2.  immediately
or exactly:
used to emphasize immediacy or exactness • right
at that moment

3.  straight:
without deviating from a course • went
right to work from the hospital

4.  correctly:
in conformity with fact or expectation • If
you’d answered right you would have won $100.

5.  morally
and appropriately: in conformity with
conventional morality, propriety, or justice • I
want to do right by my children.

6.  desirably:
desirably or advantageously • afraid
that it won’t turn out right

7.  toward
east when facing north: in or toward the east when
you are facing or moving north, and correspondingly for other directions • turn
right at the church

8.  very:
very (regional) • a
right good deal

9.  intensely:
used to intensify the meaning of another term • He
just kept right on going and didn’t even think about anyone else.

10. used
as part of title: used as part of a title of respect • Right
Reverend
noun
(plural rights)

1.  morally
appropriate thing: that which is conventionally
moral or appropriate • She’s
too young to know right from wrong.

2.  accurate
or true:
something that is correct, completely true, and accurate

3.  entitlement:
an entitlement, freedom, or privilege to do something (often used in the
plural) • human
rights

4.  entitlement
under law:
an entitlement granted under law • the
right to an appeal

5.  LAW claim:
somebody’s interest in a property (often used in the plural)

6.  FINANCE securities
option:
the entitlement or option to purchase or receive securities not offered for
sale openly, or the certificate indicating this (often used in the plural)

7.  Right
or right conservatives:
political conservatives generally, or the opinions they hold

8.  east
when facing north: the side of something that
lies east when you are facing north

9.  right-hand
turn:
a turn to the right

10. CLOTHES one of
pair:
the member of a pair designed for the right hand or foot

11. blow
with right hand: a blow delivered with the right hand
verb
(past right·ed, past participle right·ed, present
participle right·ing, 3rd person present singular rights)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become upright: to put something upright, or
to return to an upright position • I
righted the vase and mopped up the water.

2.  transitive
verb
bring
justice:
to bring justice or proper results to a situation

3.  transitive
verb
correct
mistake:
to change something that is wrong so that it is correct

4.  transitive
verb
make
amends for wrong: to redress an error or misdeed
interjection

1.  used
to agree:
used to indicate assent or understanding (informal)

2.  seeking
confirmation: used to solicit confirmation of a
statement • You
just got here, right?
[Old
English riht . Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to go
straight,” which is also the ancestor of English direct
and rectify .]
—right·er,
noun

—right·ness,
noun
be
in the right

to
be correct in what you say or do

have
or catch somebody dead to rights

to
catch a criminal in the act of committing a crime (informal)

in
somebody’s own right

because
of somebody’s birth, ability, or other entitlement, without reference to anyone
else

set
or put something to rights

to put something into a
correct or ordered state[1]



rightable

rightable
right·a·ble
[rtəb’l] adjective

capable of returning to
upright: designed to be able to be
restored to an upright position[1]



rightabout

rightabout
right·a·bout
[rtə bòwt] noun (plural right·a·bouts)

turn
through 180°: a turn through 180° to face in the
opposite direction
adjective
adverb

facing opposite:
facing in the opposite direction[1]



rightangle

rightangle
right
an·gle
(plural right an·gles) noun

90°
angle:
an angle of 90°
—right-an·gled, adjective[1]



rightascension

rightascension
right
as·cen·sion
noun

arc of celestial equator:
one of the two reference points in the equatorial coordinate system for
specifying the position of an astronomical object on the celestial sphere.
Corresponding to longitude on the earth, it is measured in hours, minutes, and
seconds eastward from the vernal equinox, the point where the ecliptic
intersects the celestial equator.[1]



rightatrioventricular valve

rightatrioventricular valve
right
a·tri·o·ven·tric·u·lar valve noun

See
tricuspid valve[1]



rightaway

rightaway
right
a·way
adverb

immediately:
immediately, without waiting or any delay[1]



right-brain

right-brain
right-brain
adjective

creative:
relating to or involving emotions or creative ability that are believed to be
associated with the right half of the cerebrum[1]



rightcircular cone

rightcircular cone
right
cir·cu·lar cone (plural right cir·cu·lar cones)
noun

See
cone  noun 2[1]



righteous

righteous
right·eous 
[rchəss] adjective

1.  strictly
observant of morality: always behaving according to
a religious or moral code

2.  justifiable:
considered to be correct or justifiable

3.  responding
to injustice: arising from the perception of great
injustice or wrongdoing • righteous
indignation

4.  great:
good or outstanding (dated slang)
noun

morally upright group:
righteous people viewed as a group • believing
that the righteous will prevail
[Alteration
of Old English rihtwīs, from earlier forms of right
+ -wise]
—right·eous·ly,
adverb

—right·eous·ness, noun[1]



rightface

rightface
right
face
noun

military
command:
a military command to turn 90° to the right
interjection

turn 90° to right:
used as a military command to turn 90° to the right[1]



rightfield

rightfield
right
field
noun

1.  right
side of outfield: the right side of the outfield on a
baseball field, when looking from home plate

2.  baseball
position:
the position covered by the right fielder in baseball
—right field·er, noun[1]



rightful

rightful
right·ful 
[rtfəl] adjective

1.  having
claim:
with a legal or moral claim to something • the
rightful owner

2.  owned
by somebody with right: owned by somebody who has a
right to it • rightful
property

3.  fair:
considered to be right and fair • a
rightful objection
—right·ful·ly,
adverb

—right·ful·ness, noun[1]



righthand

righthand
right
hand
(plural right hands) noun

1.  right
side:
the side of something that lies east when you are facing north

2.  somebody
invaluable:
somebody who is of invaluable assistance to another

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at assistant

[1]



right-hand

right-hand
right-hand 
adjective

1.  on
or to the right: on the right or bending to the right

2.  for
the right hand: designed for or done with the right hand

3.  most
important and trusted: most important and trusted,
and relied upon to the greatest extent

[1]



right-handed

right-handed
right-hand·ed 
adjective

1.  preferring
to use right hand: using the right hand in
preference to the left for writing, throwing, and other activities that require
skill and careful control

2.  done
with right hand: carried out with the right hand

3.  designed
for right hand: designed to be done with or used by the
right hand

4.  toward
the right:
turning toward the right in a clockwise direction

5.  swinging
toward left: swinging a bat or other implement to the
left
adverb

1.  with
right hand:
using the right hand

2.  toward
the left:
with a swing or direction toward the left • hit
a ball right-handed
—right-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—right-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



right-hander

right-hander
right-hand·er 
(plural right-hand·ers) noun

1.  somebody
right-handed: a right-handed person, especially an
athlete

2.  blow
with right hand: a blow delivered with the right hand

[1]



RightHonourable

RightHonourable
Right
Hon·our·a·ble noun

Canada
Canadian title of respect:
a title of respect used to refer to the governor general, prime minister, or
chief justice of Canada, and some other eminent Canadians[1]



rightist

rightist
right·ist
[rtist] adjective

relating
to conservatism: favoring or relating to political
conservatism
noun
(plural right·ists)

political
conservative: somebody with politically conservative
views
—right·ism, noun[1]



rightly

rightly
right·ly 
[rtlee] adverb

1.  correctly:
correctly, properly, and appropriately

2.  understandably:
with very good reason

3.  certainly:
certainly or positively (informal)

[1]



right-minded

right-minded
right-mind·ed 
adjective

sensible:
with opinions and attitudes considered to be sensible and fair
—right-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—right-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



rightmost

rightmost
right·most 
[rt mst] adjective

farthest to right:
in the position that is farthest to the right[1]



rightoff

rightoff
right
off
adverb

immediately:
immediately, without waiting or any delay[1]



rightof search

rightof search
right
of search
noun

right to search ships:
the right of a country at war to stop and search the merchant ships of neutral
nations to determine if they are carrying forbidden goods that may be seized[1]



rightof way

rightof way
right
of way
(plural rights of way or right of ways) or right-of-way
(plural rights-of-way or right-of-ways) noun

1.  TRANSPORT permission
to go first: the legal or accepted right of a vehicle
or craft to proceed ahead of another

2.  LAW right
to cross property: the right to cross somebody
else’s property by a specific route, for example, as a means of accessing your
own property

3.  lawful
route across somebody’s property: a lawful route that
may be taken across somebody else’s property

4.  TRANSPORT land
used for road or line: a narrow length of land used
for the route of a railroad, electric power line, or public road

[1]



righton

righton
right
on
interjection

showing approval:
used to show enthusiastic agreement with something said or done (dated
informal)[1]



right-on

right-on
right-on 
adjective

1.  up-to-date:
socially and politically fashionable and forward-looking, particularly in a way
that corresponds to the attitudes of the political left (dated informal)

2.  true:
perfectly true (informal)

[1]



RightReverend

RightReverend
Right
Rev·er·end
noun

form of address for bishop:
a form of address for a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Episcopal bishop, or for a
Roman Catholic abbot or monsignor[1]



rightshoulder arms

rightshoulder arms
right
shoul·der arms noun

command or act of shouldering
weapon: the command or act of
bringing a weapon to rest on the right shoulder during a military drill[1]



rightsissue

rightsissue
rights
is·sue
(plural rights is·sues) noun

stock on favorable terms:
an instance of an organization offering stock to existing holders on favorable
terms so that they can maintain their percentage share of ownership[1]



right-size

right-size
right-size
(past right-sized, past participle right-sized, present
participle right-siz·ing, 3rd person present singular right-siz·es)
intransitive verb

achieve appropriate size:
to achieve an optimal size appropriate to a particular company, usually an
effort considered to require dismissal of employees[1]



rightstuff

rightstuff
right
stuff
noun

necessary qualities:
exactly the psychological and physical characteristics called for by a task (informal)[1]



right-thinking

right-thinking
right-think·ing
adjective

See
right-minded[1]



right-to-life

right-to-life
right-to-life 
adjective

See
pro-life[1]



right-to-work

right-to-work
right-to-work
adjective

concerned with nonunionized
workers’ rights: relating to the right
of workers to gain or keep a job regardless of whether they belong to a union[1]



righttriangle

righttriangle
right
tri·an·gle
(plural right tri·an·gles) noun

triangle having one right
angle: a triangle having one angle
that is a right angle[1]



rightward

rightward
right·ward 
[rtwərd] adjective

directed
to the right: moving toward or positioned on the right
adverb
right·ward right·wards

toward the right:
in a direction toward the right[1]



rightwhale

rightwhale
right
whale
noun

whale of northern oceans:
a large-headed whale of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans with a deeply
curved jawline and notched tail. Family: Balaenidae[1]



rightwing

rightwing
right
wing
noun

1.  POLITICS conservative:
the conservative membership of a group or political party

2.  SPORTS player
or position at right: in certain team games, the
player or position occupying the right-hand part of a playing area when facing
an opponent

3.  MILITARY right-hand
military force or position: the right-hand part or
position of a military force while facing the enemy

[1]



right-wing

right-wing
right-wing
adjective

1.  POLITICS conservative:
conservative in conviction or temperament

2.  SPORTS on
right while facing opponent: occupying the right-hand
part of a playing area when facing an opponent

3.  MILITARY occupying
right during military engagement: occupying the
right-hand part or position of a military force when it is facing the enemy
—right-wing·er, noun[1]



righty

righty
right·y 
[rtee] noun (plural right·ies)
(informal)

1.  right-handed
person:
somebody who is right-handed

2.  right-wing
person:
somebody who holds right-wing views
adverb

with right hand:
using the right hand (informal)

[1]



rigid

rigid
rig·id 
[ríjjid] adjective

1.  firm
and stiff:
not bending or easily moved into a different shape or position • lengths
of rigid plastic pipe

2.  inflexible:
applied or carried out strictly, with no allowances or exceptions • a
rigid set of rules

3.  held
inflexibly:
inflexibly adhered to • rigid
opinions

4.  refusing
to change:
unchanging in behavior, opinions, or attitudes • Despite
arguments to the contrary, she remained rigid in her stand.
[15th
century. From Latin rigidus, from rigere “to be stiff” (source of
English rigor ).]
—ri·gid·i·ty
[ri jídd@tee], noun

—rig·id·ly,
adverb

—rig·id·ness, noun[1]



rigiddesignator

rigiddesignator
rig·id
des·ig·na·tor (plural rig·id des·ig·na·tors)
noun

proper name not description:
in philosophy, a name that stands for the same thing in every possible world as
opposed to a description that could stand for somebody or something else in
some possible world[1]



rigidify

rigidify
ri·gid·i·fy
[ri jíddə f] (past ri·gid·i·fied,
past participle ri·gid·i·fied, present participle ri·gid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ri·gid·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become rigid:
to become or cause something to become stiff and inflexible[1]



rigmarole

rigmarole
rig·ma·role 
[rígmə rl] (plural rig·ma·roles)
or rig·a·ma·role [ríggəmə rl]
(plural rig·a·ma·roles) noun

1.  ridiculously
complicated process: an irritating, tedious, or
confusing sequence of tasks, especially tasks that seem unnecessary or absurd

2.  overelaborate
account of something: a tediously long,
complicated, or unhelpful explanation
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of earlier ragman roll,
a parchment scroll used in the gambling game of ragman .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  A
  ragman roll was a parchment scroll used in a medieval gambling game.
  The roll had things such as names written on it, with pieces of string
  attached to them, and participants had to select a string at random. The word
  ragman may have been a contraction of ragged man, perhaps in
  allusion to the appearance of the scroll, with all its bits of string hanging
  from it. Ragman roll eventually came to be used for any list or
  catalog, and ragman itself denoted a “long rambling discourse” in
  16th-century Scottish English - a meaning that seems to have transferred
  itself eventually to rigmarole.

[1]



rigor

rigor
rig·or 
[ríggər] (plural rig·ors) noun

1.  use
of demanding standards: the application of precise
and exacting standards in the doing of something

2.  lack
of tolerance: severity, strictness, or harshness in
dealing with somebody

3.  hardship:
great hardship or difficulty

4.  METEOROLOGY severe
weather:
harshness of weather or climate

5.  MEDICINE rigidity
of body:
stiffness and lack of response to stimuli in body organs or tissues

6.  MED sudden
feeling of chilliness: an abrupt attack of shivering
and coldness, typically marking a rise in body temperature, for example, at the
onset of fever

7.  BOTANY inertia
in plants:
insensitivity of a plant due to unfavorable conditions
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French from Latin rigor “stiffness,” from rigere “to be
stiff” (source also of English rigid
).][1]



rigorism

rigorism
rig·or·ism 
[ríggə rìzzəm] noun

1.  severity:
great strictness or severity

2.  CHRISTIANITY adoption
of strict morality: in Roman Catholic
philosophy, the theory that in matters of moral choice the stricter course
should be taken
—rig·or·is·tic [rìggə rístik], adjective[1]



rigormortis

rigormortis
rig·or
mor·tis 
[rìggər máwrtiss] noun

body
stiffness after death: the progressive stiffening
of the body that occurs several hours after death, due to the coagulation of
protein in the muscles. It usually starts to wane after about 24 hours.
[From Latin, literally
“stiffness of death”][1]



rigorous

rigorous
rig·or·ous 
[ríggərəss] adjective

1.  strict:
harsh, strict, or difficult in nature • a
rigorous training program

2.  exacting:
extremely precise and exacting • rigorous
standards of cleanliness

3.  severe:
severe and extreme to experience • climbing
in rigorous conditions

4.  LOGIC precise:
precise and formalized • a
rigorous proof
—ri·gor·ous·ly,
adverb

—rig·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



rigour

rigour
rig·our 
noun

U.K. =
rigor[1]



rigout

rigout
rig
out
transitive verb (informal)

1.  dress
somebody up: to put a special kind of clothing on
somebody • rigged
himself out for a heavyweight bout

2.  provide
equipment for somebody or something: to
fit a person, place, or object with proper or necessary equipment • rigged
out for a trekking expedition

[1]



Rig-Veda

Rig-Veda
Rig-Ve·da 
[rig váydə, rig
vdə] noun

collected
Hindu hymns: a large collection of Hindu hymns dating
from 2000 BC or earlier
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit ṛgvedaḥ, from ṛc “verse” + vedaḥ “knowledge” (see
Veda ).][1]



Riis,Jacob August

Riis,Jacob August
Riis
[rees], Jacob August (1849–1914)

Danish-born U.S. journalist
and social reformer. He reported on life in overcrowded areas of U.S. cities.[1]



Rijeka

Rijeka
Ri·je·ka 
[ree yékə]

city and port in northwestern
Croatia, situated on the Gulf of Kvarner, on the Adriatic Sea. Population:
167,964 (1991)[1]



rijsttafel

rijsttafel
rijst·ta·fel 
[r stf’l] or rijs·ta·fel [r stf’l] noun

meal
with many side dishes: a Dutch meal of Indonesian
origin based on rice with many small side dishes, for example, Indonesian-style
curry, seafood, satay, soups, sauces, and condiments
[Late 19th century. From
Dutch, from rijs “rice” + tafel “table.”][1]



rile

rile
rile 
[rīl] (past riled, past
participle riled, present participle ril·ing, 3rd
person present singular riles) transitive verb

1.  get
somebody angry: to irritate somebody enough that it
provokes anger (informal) (often passive)

2.  make
waves in water: to stir up water or other liquid
violently
[Early 19th century. Variant
of roil .][1]



riley

riley
rile·y 
[rlee] adjective

1.  full
of sediment: cloudy with stirred-up sediment

2.  annoyed:
annoyed or angered by something

[1]



Riley

Riley
Ri·ley
[Early 20th century. Origin uncertain: probably from a popular late
19th-century song.]
the
life of Riley

a comfortable well-off life
with no worries[1]



Riley,Bridget

Riley,Bridget
Ri·ley 
[rlee], Bridget (1931– )

British
painter. She was a leading figure in the 1960s art movement known as op art.
Full name
Riley, Bridget Louise[1]



Riley,James Whitcomb

Riley,James Whitcomb

Ri·ley
[rlee], James Whitcomb (1849–1916)
U.S. poet. Best known for his Hoosier
dialect and whimsical sense of humor, he published several collections of
poems.[1]



rilievo

rilievo
rilievo
(plural rilievos) noun

See
relievo[1]



rill

rill
rill
[ril] noun (plural rills)

1.  stream:
a little stream or brook

2.  GEOGRAPHY groove
in soil:
a small channel cut in soil

3.  rill
or rille (plural rilles) ASTRONOMY trench on moon:
a long narrow valley on the Moon’s surface
transitive
verb

GEOGRAPHY form
channels in field: to form small channels in a
plowed field as a result of the runoff of rainwater
[Mid-16th century. From Low
German rille . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to run,”
which is also the ancestor of English run
and rivulet .][1]



rillet

rillet
rill·et 
[ríllət] (plural rill·ets) noun

1.  tiny
stream:
a little rill

2.  ASTRONOMY short
valley on moon: a short narrow valley on the Moon’s
surface

[1]



rillettes

rillettes
ril·lettes 
[ri léts] noun

appetizer
of pork or goose: seasoned pork or goose cooked in its own
fat until very tender and potted as a type of soft spreadable pâté (takes a
singular or plural verb)
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “small pieces of pork,” from rille “piece of pork,” a
variant of reille “board,” from Latin regula (see rule ).][1]



rim

rim
rim 
[rim] noun (plural rims)

1.  outer
edge of something circular: an outer edge, often
slightly raised, that runs along the outside of something curved or circular

2.  limit:
the farthest limit of something (literary)

3.  TRANSPORT part
around a wheel’s edge: the curved outer edge of a
wheel of a motor vehicle or bicycle

4.  part
of glasses frame: a usually curved part that holds and
forms an edge to lenses in a pair of glasses

5.  BASKETBALL metal
hoop for basketball net: the metal hoop to which a basketball
net is attached
transitive
verb
(past rimmed, past participle rimmed, present
participle rim·ming, 3rd person present singular rims)

form something’s outer edge:
to form an edge, usually a slightly raised edge, along the edge of something
curved or circular
[Old English rima
“border, coast,” of unknown origin][1]



rimaye

rimaye
ri·maye 
[ri máy] (plural ri·mayes) noun

GEOGRAPHY See bergschrund
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “group of fissures,” from Latin rima (see rimose ).][1]



rime

rime1
rime1 [rīm]
noun (plural rimes)

frost
coating:
a thin coating of frost formed on cold objects exposed to fog or cloud
transitive
verb
(past rimed, past participle rimed, present
participle rim·ing, 3rd person present singular rimes)

coat
something with thin frost: to cover something with a
thin frost or with something resembling it (often passive)
[Old English hrīm,
from a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin][1]



rime

rime2
rime2 [rīm]
noun

POETRY
rhyme:
a rhyme (archaic)[1]



rimeriche

rimeriche
rime
riche 
[reem rsh] (plural rimes riches
[reem rsh]) noun

rhyme
with identical pronunciations: the use of rhyme in
which stressed syllables or words are identical in pronunciation, as in “weigh”
and “away,” and sometimes in spelling, as in “back” and “track”
[From French, literally “rich
rhyme”][1]



rimfire

rimfire
rim·fire
[rím fr] adjective

with cartridge having primer
in rim: designed for or using a
cartridge with its primer located in the rim of the base, rather than in the
center[1]



Rimini

Rimini
Ri·mi·ni 
[rímmənee]

city and port in Forli
Province, Emilia-Romagna Region, northern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea.
Population: 129,876 (1992)[1]



rimjob

rimjob
rim
job
(plural rim jobs) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for the use of the lips and tongue on or in the anus of a
sexual partner (slang taboo)[1]



rimmed

rimmed
rimmed
[rimd] adjective

with a surrounding edge:
made with an outer rim or border, sometimes of a different material, substance,
or color[1]



rimose

rimose
ri·mose 
[rī mṓss, r
mss] adjective

with
cracks:
covered with cracks, fissures, or crevices
[Early
18th century. From Latin rimosus, from rima “fissure.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to scratch,” which is also the ancestor of
English row 1 .]
—ri·mose·ly,
adverb

—ri·mos·i·ty [rī móssətee], noun[1]



Rimouski

Rimouski
Ri·mous·ki 
[ri mskee]

city in Canada, in Quebec
State, on the St. Lawrence River, northeast of Quebec City. Population: 48,104
(1996)[1]



rimple

rimple
rim·ple 
[rímpəl] noun (plural rim·ples)

wrinkle:
a wrinkle (archaic) (regional)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rim·pled,
past participle rim·pled, present participle rim·pling,
3rd person present singular rim·ples)

to
wrinkle:
to wrinkle, rumple, or crease something (archaic) (regional)
[Old English hrympel .
From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English rumple .][1]



rimrock

rimrock
rim·rock 
[rím ròk] noun

vertical rock layer:
a layer of rock that forms a vertical boundary to a plateau, valley, or deposit
of gravel[1]



Rimsky-Korsakov,Nikolay

Rimsky-Korsakov,Nikolay
Rim·sky-Kor·sa·kov
[rìmskee káwssə kàwf], Nikolay (1844–1908)

Russian
composer. He was renowned as a consummate orchestrator. His works, often
inspired by Russian folk music, include Scheherazade ( 1888 ).
Full name
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay Andreyevich[1]



rimy

rimy
rim·y
[rmee] (comparative rim·i·er,
superlative rim·i·est) adjective

with coating of rime:
with a thin coating of frost (literary)[1]



rind

rind
rind 
[rīnd] (plural rinds) noun

1.  tough
outside layer of fruit: the thick tough outer skin
of a fruit

2.  FOOD hard
outer layer of food: a tough outer protective
layer of a food product, for example, a cheese
[Old English rind(e),
literally “something torn off.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to tear,” which is also the ancestor of English rend
.][1]



rinderpest

rinderpest
rin·der·pest 
[ríndər pèst] noun

cattle
disease:
a sometimes fatal viral disease mainly affecting cattle, sheep, and goats that
occurs chiefly in central Africa and Asia and is marked by fever, hemorrhage,
and diarrhea. Animals can be vaccinated against rinderpest, and importation of
animals from affected regions is strictly controlled.
Also
called
cattle plague
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Rinder “cattle” + Pest “plague.”][1]



Rinehart,Mary Roberts

Rinehart,Mary Roberts
Rine·hart
[rn haart], Mary Roberts (1876–1958)

U.S. writer. She wrote
mystery stories and coauthored the play The Bat ( 1920 ).[1]



rinforzando

rinforzando
rin·for·zan·do 
[rn fawr tsn d] adjective adverb

emphasized:
loud and with emphasis (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian “getting stronger.”][1]



ring

ring1
ring1 [ring]
noun (plural rings)

1.  small
band of something: a durable circular band of
something, especially a small band made of a particular material or for some
special use

2.  ACCESSORIES small
circular piece of jewelry: a band, usually made of
metal, worn as an ornament on a part of the body, especially around a finger.
Rings are made in a variety of decorative designs, sometimes with mounted
gemstones on the outer part of the band.

3.  encircling
mark:
an outline, mark, or figure in the shape of a circle (often used in the
plural)

4.  circle
of something: a circular arrangement of people or
objects • a
ring of chairs

5.  circular
motion:
a movement of steps, especially by people skipping or dancing, that goes around
in a continuous circle • dancing
in a ring

6.  CRIMINOLOGY group
of people operating dishonestly: an organized group of
people who work together in a dishonest or unethical way • a
gambling ring

7.  ARTS circular
area for performance: a round stage or piece of
ground, usually surrounded by seating, on which a spectator event such as a
circus or a theatrical performance takes place • a
three-ring circus

8.  BOXING WRESTLING platform for boxing or
wrestling:
a raised square roped platform on which a boxing or wrestling match takes place

9.  BOXING boxing:
the sport of boxing • choose
the ring as a career

10. ASTRONOMY band
of matter circling planet: a band of dust, particles,
and small bodies revolving around a planet. Such bands are known to circle
Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.

11. TREES See growth ring

12. SPORTS See bullring

13. contest:
a competition or contest, especially a political one

14. AGRICULTURE enclosure
for livestock at fair: an enclosure at a fair in
which livestock are shown, paraded, or auctioned

15. turn
of spiral:
a single turn of a spiral

16. MATHEMATICS set
of mathematical elements: a set of elements that is
associative under multiplication and distributive under addition

17. CHEMISTRY closed
loop of atoms: a collection of bound atoms represented
graphically in cyclic form

18. GEOMETRY space
between circles: a space between two concentric circles
plural
noun
rings

SPORTS gymnastic
apparatus:
a pair of wooden rings that are suspended from a ceiling and used to perform
gymnastic routines
verb
(past ringed, past participle ringed, present
participle ring·ing, 3rd person present singular rings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb encircle:
to encircle something, or be encircled by something • We
were ringed by the herd of cattle.

2.  transitive
verb
LEISURE encircle
something with ring: to throw a ring or horseshoe
so that it encircles a peg or stake
[Old
English hring . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to curl,”
which is also the ancestor of English shrink
and curve .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Ring of the Nibelung, a series of musical dramas by German composer Richard
  Wagner ( 1813-1883 ). Based on Teutonic legends, this massive tetralogy — The
  Rhinegold (1869), The Valkyrie (1870), Siegfried (1876),
  and The Twilight of the Gods (1876) —a full performance of which lasts
  up to 15 hours, recounts the complex chain of events triggered by the theft
  of a magical gold ring. It represents Wagner’s most successful attempt to
  create a new form of theater in which poetic drama is set to a musical score
  unified by recurring themes or leitmotifs.

[1]



ring

ring2

ring2 [ring]
verb (past rang [rang],
past participle rung [rung], present
participle ring·ing, 3rd person present singular rings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
the sound of a bell: to make, or cause something
such as a bell to make, a metallic sound when struck or played

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
sound to alert somebody: to produce or make something
produce a continuous or regular high-pitched sound to alert somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
echo
loudly:
to be full of a loud, high-pitched, or reverberating sound, especially laughter
or applause • The
hall rang with applause.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
call for something: to call for somebody or
something by sounding a bell or buzzer

5.  intransitive
verb
impress
somebody as something: to make a particular
impression on somebody • His
excuse didn’t ring true.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. UTILITIES telephone:
to telephone somebody • He
rang me to cancel the appointment.

7.  intransitive
verb
have
sensation of high-pitched sounds: to have a sensation of
a repeated or continuous high-pitched sound • It
made my ears ring.
noun (plural
rings)

1.  act
of sounding bell: the act of making a bell sound

2.  bell
sound:
the sound of a bell or something like a bell

3.  general
impression:
a general impression made by somebody or something • It
had a familiar ring to it.

4.  repeated
sound:
a loud continuous repeated or reverberating sound

5.  set
of bells in tower: a set of bells in a tower or
belfry
[Old
English hringan, of uncertain origin: probably from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to make a noise,” which is also the ancestor of English raven and cricket 1]
ring down the curtain on something

to bring an end to something
(informal)[1]



ring-a-levio

ring-a-levio
ring-a-levio
[rìng ə lvee ] noun

children’s
game:
a children’s game in which members of one team hide and the other team tries to
find and capture them. A captured player must stand inside a circle drawn on
the ground until tagged by a free teammate.
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of earlier ring relievo, from ring 1 + relieve .][1]



ring-a-ring-a-roses

ring-a-ring-a-roses
ring-a-ring-a-roses
noun

See
ring-around-the-rosey[1]



ring-around-the-rosey

ring-around-the-rosey
ring-a·round-the-rosey
or ring-a·round-the-ros·y or ring-a·round-a-ros·y noun

children’s
circle game: a young children’s game in which players
sing while moving around in a circle and abruptly squat when the words “all
fall down” are sung
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: popularly thought to refer to the “rosy” (rash) of the bubonic
plague, but probably originally simply a singing game with a curtsy at the
end.][1]



ringback

ringback
ring
back
intransitive and transitive verb

return a telephone call:
to make a return telephone call to somebody (informal) • I
left several messages but she never rang back.[1]



ringback

ringback
ring
back
intransitive and transitive verb

return a telephone call:
to make a return telephone call to somebody (informal) • I
left several messages but she never rang back.[1]



ring-bill

ring-bill
ring-bill 
(plural ring-bills) noun

See
ring-necked duck[1]



ring-billedgull

ring-billedgull
ring-billed
gull 
(plural ring-billed gulls) noun

N American gull:
a white gull that nests by inland lakes of North America, lives on the coast in
winter, and has a black ring around its bill. Latin name: Larus delawarensis[1]



ringbinder

ringbinder
ring
bind·er
(plural ring bind·ers) noun

stiff cover holding loose
papers: a stiff cover with metal
rings inside the spine that snap open for insertion or removal of punched
looseleaf paper[1]



ringbolt

ringbolt
ring·bolt 
(plural ring·bolts) noun

eyebolt with ring:
a bolt with a ring fitted through the eye at its head[1]



ringbone

ringbone
ring·bone 
[ríng bn] noun

1.  horse’s
bone disorder: a condition of a horse’s pastern bone in
which bony outgrowths develop, sometimes leading to pain and lameness. It is
treated with rest, medication, or surgery.

2.  bony
outgrowth:
a bony outgrowth characteristic of ringbone
[So called because the
outgrowths encircle the bone][1]



ringdance

ringdance
ring
dance
(plural ring danc·es) noun

See
round dance[1]



ringdove

ringdove
ring·dove 
[ríng dùv] (plural ring·doves)
noun

1.  See
wood pigeon

2.  black-collared
pigeon:
a domesticated variety of the collared dove that has a semicircular black
collar. Latin name: Streptopelia risoria

[1]



ringed

ringed
ringed 
[ringd] adjective

1.  wearing
ring:
wearing one or more rings

2.  encircled:
encircled by a ring

3.  ZOOLOGY with
marks that form ring: with markings that form a
ring around the neck, bill, or other body part

[1]



ringedplover

ringedplover
ringed
plov·er
(plural ringed plov·ers) noun

plover with black-tipped
orange bill: a plover of sandy or
pebbly shores of Europe, Asia, and Africa with a gray back and wings, white
undersides, a black breast band, and a black-tipped orange bill. Latin name: Charadrius
hiaticula[1]



ringedseal

ringedseal
ringed
seal
(plural ringed seals) noun

seal with white markings
around body: a seal of Arctic and
subarctic regions that has a dark grayish coat with lighter markings that
encircle the body. Latin name: Pusa hispida[1]



ringent

ringent
rin·gent 
[rínjənt] adjective

with
lip-shaped parts: with an opening bordered by parts
resembling the lips of a gaping mouth, as has, for example, the flower of a
snapdragon
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
ringent-, the present participle stem of ringi “to gape” (source
of English rictus ).][1]



ringer

ringer2
ring·er2 [ríngər]
(plural ring·ers) noun

something thrown at and
encircling peg: a horseshoe or quoit
thrown skillfully so that it encircles a peg or stake[1]



ringer

ringer1
ring·er1 [ríngər]
(plural ring·ers) noun

1.  See
bander

2.  CRIMINOLOGY fraudulent
entry:
somebody or something fraudulently substituted in a competition (informal)

3.  LEISURE game
of marbles:
a game in which marbles are formed like a cross inside a circle and each player
uses a marble to shoot the laid out marbles outside the circle.
Also
called
ringers

[1]



ringers

ringers
ring·ers
[ríngərz] noun

(takes a singular verb)See
ringer 1 noun
3[1]



Ringer’ssolution

Ringer’ssolution
Ring·er’s
so·lu·tion 
or Ring·er so·lu·tion noun

tissue-sustaining
fluid:
a solution of inorganic salts used to sustain cells, tissues, or organs outside
the body
[Late 19th century. Named for
Sydney Ringer (1834–1910), the British physician who introduced this
type of solution.][1]



ringfinger

ringfinger
ring
fin·ger
(plural ring fin·gers) noun

finger next to the little
finger: the third finger of the
hand, especially the left hand, on which an engagement or wedding ring is
traditionally worn[1]



ringhals

ringhals
ring·hals 
[ríng hàls] (plural ring·hals or
ring·hals·es) noun

spitting
snake:
a southern African snake related to the cobra that has a small rough-skinned
black or brown body and can spit jets of venom from its fangs at an aggressor.
Latin name: Hemachatus hemachatus
Also
called
spitting cobra
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “ring-neck,” from the one or two white rings across the
snake’s neck.][1]



ring-in

ring-in
ring-in
(plural ring-ins) noun

Australia
outsider brought into group:
an outsider brought into a team or group, usually to replace somebody or make
up the numbers (informal)[1]



ringin

ringin
ring
in
transitive verb

1.  celebrate
the beginning of something: to make bells ring in
celebration of the beginning of something

2.  Australia
fraudulently
substitute something: to substitute something
fraudulently, especially a horse in a race

[1]



ringing

ringing
ring·ing
[rínging] noun

continuing
sound:
a clear continuing usually high-pitched sound
adjective

stated
loudly and unmistakably: expressed in a definite and
unrestrained way
—ring·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ringleader

ringleader
ring·lead·er 
[ríng ldər] (plural ring·lead·ers)
noun

chief
troublemaker in group: the member of a circle or
gang who organizes and encourages others to do something unlawful or rebellious
[From the phrase lead the
ring “to go first”][1]



ringlet

ringlet
ring·let 
[rínglət] (plural ring·lets) noun

1.  curly
lock of hair: a spiral curl of hair

2.  small
ring:
a small ring or circle

[1]



ringleted

ringleted
ring·let·ed
[rínglətəd] adjective

wearing ringlets:
wearing the hair in ringlets[1]



ringmaster

ringmaster
ring·mas·ter 
[ríng màstər] (plural ring·mas·ters)
noun

circus announcer of events:
somebody who presides over a circus show from a ring, announcing and commenting
on the events[1]



RingNebula

RingNebula
Ring
Neb·u·la 
noun

nebula in Lyra:
a nebula in the constellation Lyra that has a ring-shaped appearance[1]



ring-necked

ring-necked
ring-necked
[ríng nèkt] or ring·neck [ríng nèk] adjective

with neck markings resembling
ring: with markings resembling a
ring around the neck in a color that contrasts with adjacent feathers, scales,
or hair[1]



ring-neckedduck

ring-neckedduck
ring-necked
duck 
noun

duck with ring markings on
neck: a North American diving duck
found on woodland ponds that has coppery ring neck markings and two white rings
on the bill. The males are mainly black, the females mostly brown. Latin name: Aythya
collaris
Also called
ring-bill[1]



ring-neckedpheasant

ring-neckedpheasant
ring-necked
pheas·ant
noun

pheasant with white collar:
an Asian pheasant widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. Males have a
white neck collar, a red head, and lustrous coppery-red and green plumage;
females are mottled brown. Latin name: Phasianus colchicus[1]



ringnecksnake

ringnecksnake
ring·neck
snake 
(plural ring·neck snakes) or ring-necked snake (plural
ring-necked snakes) noun

snake with neck band:
a small nonvenomous North American snake that has a yellowish or orange neck
band. Genus: Diadophis[1]



ringout

ringout
ring
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
sound
loudly:
to be heard loudly and clearly

2.  transitive
verb
celebrate
the end of something: to make bells ring in
celebration of the end of something

[1]



ringouzel

ringouzel
ring
ou·zel
(plural ring ou·zels) noun

See
ousel[1]



ring-porous

ring-porous
ring-po·rous
adjective

with conspicuous annual
rings: with annual rings marked by
prominent bands of large pores. These rings are readily apparent when a cross
section of a trunk or branch is examined.[1]



ring-pull

ring-pull
ring-pull
noun

U.K.
See pull-tab[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ringroad

ringroad
ring
road
(plural ring roads) noun

U.K.
See beltway[1]



ringside

ringside
ring·side 
[ríng sd] noun

1.  area
next to ring: the row of seats or area directly in
front of a boxing, wrestling, or circus ring

2.  place
offering good view of something: a place or location
offering a clear and close view of something (informal)
—ring·sid·er, noun[1]



ringspot

ringspot
ring
spot
(plural ring spots) noun

1.  round
plant discoloration: a pale or yellowish
ring-shaped discoloration occurring in plants infected with a virus disease

2.  fungal
disease of cabbage: a fungus disease affecting
members of the cabbage family, with brown spots appearing on the leaves

[1]



ringster

ringster
ring·ster
[ríngstər] (plural ring·sters)
noun

somebody operating in
dishonest group: somebody who belongs to
an illegal or unethical business or political group that manipulates something
to its own advantage (dated)[1]



ringtail

ringtail
ring·tail 
[ríng tàyl] (plural ring·tails)
noun

1.  ring-tailed
animal:
a ring-tailed mammal, especially a member of the family that includes the
cacomistle and raccoon. Family: Procyonidae

2.  See
ringtail possum

[1]



ring-tailed

ring-tailed
ring-tailed 
adjective

with markings resembling
rings on tail: with a tail encircled
by colored bands or markings in a color that contrasts with adjacent feathers,
scales, or hair[1]



ring-tailedlemur

ring-tailedlemur
ring-tailed
lemur
(plural ring-tailed lemurs) noun

lemur with striped tail:
a lemur with a gray coat and a long tail with black and white bands. Latin
name: Lemur catta[1]



ringtailpossum

ringtailpossum
ring·tail
pos·sum
noun

marsupial with curly-tipped
tail: a possum found in
Australasia and New Guinea that has a curly-tipped striped tail that it uses
for grasping branches and carrying objects. Family: Pseudocheiridae
Also called
ringtail[1]



ringtoss

ringtoss
ring·toss
[ríng tòss] noun

game of tossing rings:
a game in which rope or metal rings are thrown to encircle a peg, popular at
carnivals[1]



ringup

ringup
ring
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
accomplish:
to accomplish or achieve something

2.  transitive
verb
COMMERCE enter
sum paid for something: to press keys on a cash
register to record the amount of money being paid for something (dated)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. phone:
to telephone somebody

[1]



ringworm

ringworm
ring·worm 
[ríng wùrm] noun

fungal skin disease:
a fungal disease of the skin, scalp, or nails in which intensely itchy
ring-shaped patches develop. Infection is transmitted to humans from pets or
livestock, or from infected bedding.[1]



rink

rink
rink 
[ringk] (plural rinks) noun

1.  ICE SKATING area
of ice used for sports: a smooth, enclosed, and
often artificially prepared ice surface used for ice-skating, hockey, or
curling

2.  SPORTS surface
used for roller-skating: a smooth, enclosed, usually
wooden surface used for roller-skating

3.  SPORTS building
for ice sports: a building or arena in which
ice-skating, hockey, or curling takes place

4.  SPORTS playing
side:
a team of players in curling, bowls, or quoits
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Old French renc “line, row” (see rank 1 ). The
English word originally meant “racecourse.”][1]



rinky-dink

rinky-dink
rin·ky-dink 
adjective (informal)

1.  out-of-date:
broken down or no longer useful

2.  old-fashioned:
old-fashioned or outmoded

3.  insignificant:
small and insignificant
noun
(plural rin·ky-dinks)

inferior person or thing:
something or somebody considered shoddy and inferior (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of rickety
.][1]



rinse

rinse
rinse 
[rins] transitive verb (past rinsed,
past participle rinsed, present participle rins·ing,
3rd person present singular rins·es)

1.  lightly
clean something in liquid: to wash something lightly by
dipping it in a liquid, especially clean water, or by running liquid over it

2.  flush
mouth with water: to flush the mouth or teeth with clean
water

3.  TEXTILES dip
something into dye: to dip fabrics or garments
into a dye solution
noun
(plural rins·es)

1.  gentle
wash:
the act of washing something lightly by running a liquid, usually clean water,
over or around it

2.  HAIRDRESSING cosmetic
treatment for hair: a solution that is applied
to somebody’s wet hair to alter or enhance its color or condition temporarily

3.  cleansing
liquid:
a liquid, usually water or a water-based solution, used to wash away something
lightly
[13th
century. Via Old French reincier, of uncertain origin: possibly via
assumed Vulgar Latin recentiare “to freshen,” from Latin recens
(see recent ).]
—rins·a·ble,
adjective

—rins·er,
noun

—rins·i·ble, adjective[1]



Riode Janeiro

Riode Janeiro

Ri·o de Ja·nei·ro 
[r ō day ə náir ō, r ō day zhə nír ō]
city and port in Brazil, in the southeast
of the country. It is the capital of Rio de Janeiro State, and the former
capital of the country. Population: 5,533,011 (1996)[1]



Riode Janeiro




Back to definition

Riode Janeiro

[1]



RioGrande

RioGrande
Ri·o
Grande 
[r ō gránd, rèe
ō grándee]

river of North America,
rising in Colorado, flowing through New Mexico and along the Texas-Mexico
boundary, and emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. Length: 3,034 km/1,885 mi.[1]



Rioja

Rioja
Ri·o·ja 
[ree ṓ h] (plural Ri·o·jas) noun

dry
Spanish wine: a dry red or white wine with a
distinctive flavor, produced in northern Spain
[Early 20th century. Named
for Rioja, the district in northern Spain where the wine is produced.][1]



riot

riot
ri·ot 
[r ət] noun (plural ri·ots)

1.  violent
disturbance: a public disturbance during which a
group of angry people becomes noisy and out of control, often damaging property
and acting violently. In law, a riot is typically defined as a group of three
or more persons disturbing the peace for private purposes.

2.  something
extremely enjoyable: a social occasion, event, or
experience that people enjoy in a wild, noisy, and energetic way (informal)

3.  funny
person:
somebody who is very amusing (informal)

4.  great
display:
a spectacular visual display

5.  wild
enjoyable amusement: uninhibited fun, especially
involving dancing, drinking, and eating (dated)

6.  uncontrolled
way of life: behavior that shows complete lack of
control, especially financially or sexually (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past ri·ot·ed, past participle ri·ot·ed, present
participle ri·ot·ing, 3rd person present singular ri·ots)

1.  take
part in public disturbance: to act as part of a crowd in
an unruly, violent, and unrestrained way

2.  be
wild and self-indulgent: to behave without any
personal control, especially financially or sexually (archaic)
[12th
century. From Old French, “quarrel,” from rioter “to quarrel,” of
uncertain origin.]
run
riot

1.  to
behave in a wild and uncontrolled way

2.  to
grow in profusion

[1]



RiotAct

RiotAct
Ri·ot
Act 
noun

law
to disperse riots: an English law, passed in
1713, providing that persons making a public disturbance had to disperse within
one hour of having had the act read to them by a magistrate
read
(somebody) the riot act

to reprimand somebody
severely for doing something, often including a threat of punishment if the
offending behavior does not stop[1]



riotgun

riotgun
ri·ot
gun
(plural ri·ot guns) noun

gun used to disperse crowd:
a short-barrelled gun used to disperse crowds. It fires plastic or rubber
bullets.[1]



riotous

riotous
ri·ot·ous 
[r ətəss] adjective

1.  unrestrained:
loud, conspicuous, and unrestrained

2.  rioting
or likely to riot: involved in or taking part
in serious public unrest (formal)
—ri·ot·ous·ly,
adverb

—ri·ot·ous·ness, noun[1]



riotpolice

riotpolice
ri·ot
po·lice
noun

police equipped for combating
riot: a police reserve specially
equipped for controlling a rioting crowd[1]



rip

rip3
rip3 [rip]
(plural rips) noun (archaic informal)

1.  dissolute
person:
somebody considered to be corrupt and dissolute

2.  something
old and worthless: something, especially a
horse, that is old and of no value
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an altered shortening of reprobate
.][1]



R.I.P.

R.I.P.
R.I.P.

Abbreviation
of
rest in peace
[Latin requiescat in pace
or requiescant in pace][1]



rip

rip2
rip2 [rip]
noun

1.  rough
water:
an area of rough water caused by winds or opposing currents

2.  See
rip current See riptide
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from rip 1 .][1]



rip

rip1

rip1 [rip]
verb (past rips, past participle ripped, present
participle rip·ping, 3rd person present singular rips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tear
or be torn:
to tear something or become torn with a sudden or rough splitting action,
especially occurring accidentally and usually accompanied by a distinct tearing
noise

2.  transitive
verb
use
force to remove something: to remove something from a
place where it had been firmly set, especially by tearing it out forcibly
without taking time or care • Most
of the original features of the house were ripped out.

3.  intransitive
verb
move
with extreme speed: to move with dangerous or
violent speed • The tornado ripped through
northern Nebraska.

4.  transitive
verb
WOODWORK divide
timber lengthways: to make a split along the
grain of a piece of wood using a saw or chopping tool
noun

1.  roughly
torn place:
a rough tear or split, especially one that is caused suddenly and forcefully

2.  ripsaw:
a ripsaw (informal)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
snatch away,” which is also the ancestor of English rob
and bereave .]
let her rip

to
proceed without hesitation or restraint (informal)

let rip

to
speak rapidly and without restraint, especially with a series of curses (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at tear

[1]



riparian

riparian
ri·par·i·an 
[ri pérree ən, rī
pérree ən] adjective

along
riverbank:
situated or taking place along or near the bank of a river
noun
(plural ri·par·i·ans)

land
owner by river: somebody who owns land along a river
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin riparius (source of English river
), from ripa “riverbank.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to cut,” which is also the ancestor of rift 1 .][1]



ripcord

ripcord
rip·cord 
[ríp kàwrd] (plural rip·cords)
noun

1.  cord
to open parachute: a cord that, when pulled,
opens a parachute

2.  cord
releasing gas in balloon: a cord used to release gas
from a hot air balloon during an emergency

[1]



ripcurrent

ripcurrent
rip
cur·rent
(plural rip cur·rents) noun

strong
narrow current: a narrow current strongly flowing from
the shore to the sea, visible as a band of agitated water.
Also
called
rip 1 verb 2
[From rip 2][1]



ripe

ripe
ripe 
[rīp] (comparative rip·er, superlative
rip·est) adjective

1.  ready
and pleasant to eat: ready to be picked and eaten
because it is mature and has reached optimum flavor

2.  BOTANY AGRICULTURE ready to harvest:
having developed to the stage for harvesting and subsequent storage or sale

3.  FOOD mature
and mellow:
matured enough to have developed the best flavor and body • ripe
cheese

4.  impolite
or lewd:
full of rude words, swearwords, sexual references, or outrageous opinions (informal)

5.  exactly
ready:
at the most suitable stage of preparation or development • The
occasion was ripe for asking for a raise.

6.  advanced
in years:
representing or constituting a long life

7.  experienced
and knowledgeable: showing plenty of experience
and knowledge accumulated gradually over time

8.  smelly:
giving off a strong and unpleasant smell, especially caused by sweat from part
of the body (informal)

9.  full
and red:
full and ruddy, suggesting ripe fruit
[Old
English rīpe . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English reap and ripple 2 .]
—ripe·ly,
adverb

—ripe·ness, noun[1]



ripen

ripen
rip·en 
[rpən] (past rip·ened, past
participle rip·ened, present participle rip·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular rip·ens) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become ready to eat: to reach, or cause fruit or
other food to reach, a ripe or mature condition

2.  reach
right condition: to become or make something fully
developed, mature, or ready (often passive)
—rip·en·er,
noun

—rip·en·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



ripieno

ripieno
ri·pie·no 
[rip yáynō] noun

full
ensemble:
in a baroque concerto, the full ensemble, as contrasted with the soloist or
group of soloists ( concertino )
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, literally “filled up,” from pieno “full.”][1]



ripinto

ripinto
rip
into
transitive verb

attack somebody verbally:
to attack somebody or something, especially with a sudden and damaging
criticism (informal)[1]



Ripken,Cal, Jr.

Ripken,Cal, Jr.

Rip·ken
[rípkən], Cal, Jr. (1960– )
U.S. baseball player. He broke Lou
Gehrig’s major league record of 2,130 consecutive games played (1995).[1]



rip-off

rip-off
rip-off 
(plural rip-offs) noun (informal)

1.  unfairly
priced item: something that is not worth the price
asked or paid

2.  act
of being dishonestly treated: an act or example of being
cheated, tricked, or exploited

3.  imitation
of something: an imitation of something more
inventive, successful, or famous perpetrated in order to make a financial gain
based on the other’s reputation

[1]



ripoff

ripoff
rip
off
transitive verb (informal)

1.  treat
somebody unfairly over money: to charge somebody an unfair
price or cheat somebody financially

2.  steal
something:
to rob somebody or steal something

[1]



Ripon

Ripon
Rip·on
[ríppən]

city in North Yorkshire,
England, on the River Ure. Population: 13,806 (1991)[1]



riposte

riposte
ri·poste 
[ri pṓst] noun

1.  smart
answer:
something said or done quickly and effectively in response

2.  FENCING quick
fencing thrust: a quick deft thrust made after parrying
the lunge of a fencing opponent
[Early
18th century. Via French from Italian risposta, the past participle of rispondere
“to respond,” from Latin respondere (see respond
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at answer

[1]



ripper

ripper
rip·per
[ríppər] noun

murderer using knife:
a murderer who uses a knife to kill and mutilate people (informal)[1]



ripping

ripping
rip·ping 
[rípping] adjective

U.K.
terrific:
wonderful or excellent (dated informal)
—rip·ping·ly, adverb[1]



ripple

ripple2
rip·ple2 [rípp’l]
transitive verb (past rip·pled, past participle rip·pled,
present participle rip·pling, 3rd person present singular rip·ples)

remove
plant’s seeds: to use a comb-shaped tool to remove
seeds from a plant
noun
(plural rip·ples)

tool
to remove plant’s seeds: a comb-shaped tool used to
remove seeds from a plant
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



ripple

ripple1
rip·ple1 [rípp’l]
verb (past rip·pled, past participle rip·pled,
present participle rip·pling, 3rd person present singular rip·ples)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
in tiny gentle waves: to flow with, or be lightly
disturbed by, a succession of tiny waves moving quickly and gently • a
breeze rippled the water

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shape
something into gentle wavy pattern: to
take on or give something an appearance of very small wavy shapes across its
surface or length

3.  intransitive
verb
make
lapping sound: to make a gentle lapping sound

4.  intransitive
verb
be
heard briefly among crowd: to begin as a sound made by
a few people, spreading and briefly becoming slightly louder before dying away
• Laughter
rippled around the room.
noun
(plural rip·ples)

1.  tiny
wave or series of waves: a small wave or series of
gentle waves across a surface

2.  gentle
wavy shape or mark: something that resembles a
ripple in its smooth undulating shape

3.  gentle
pattern of sound: a sound that starts quietly and then
spreads, becoming slightly louder for a few seconds before dying away • a
ripple of scorn

4.  GEOLOGY shallow
broken river water: an area of shallow water in
a river broken by rocks or sand bars

5.  ELECTRICITY oscillation
of current:
a small oscillation of electrical current
plural
noun
rip·ples

consequences: a
series of repercussions or consequences • The
ripples of the sector’s downturn continue to be felt.
adjective

FOOD with
second flavor mixed in: with a second flavor partly
combined or marbled through • raspberry
ripple ice cream
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—rip·pler,
noun

—rip·ply, adjective[1]



rippleeffect

rippleeffect
rip·ple
ef·fect
(plural rip·ple ef·fects) noun

spread
of consequences: a spreading series of effects or
consequences caused by a single event
[From the ripples that spread
across the surface of a pool when something is dropped into the water][1]



ripplemark

ripplemark
rip·ple
mark
(plural rip·ple marks) noun

series
of tiny ridges: a series of small wavy ridges created in
sand or silt by wind or water. Ripple marks can be preserved in sedimentary
rocks.
—rip·ple-marked, adjective[1]



ripplet

ripplet
rip·plet 
[rípplət] (plural rip·plets) noun

small ripple:
a small ripple (literary)[1]



riprap

riprap
rip·rap 
[ríp ràp] noun

1.  broken
stone used in construction: broken stone used in making
protective foundations and embankments for riverbeds and riverbanks

2.  something
built of broken stone: a protective foundation or
embankment made from broken stone loosely or irregularly combined
transitive
verb
(past rip·rapped, past participle rip·rapped, present
participle rip·rap·ping, 3rd person present singular rip·raps)

construct something with broken stone:
to build or strengthen a riverbed or riverbank with broken stone
[Late 16th century. Doubling
of rap 1 .][1]



rip-roaring

rip-roaring
rip-roar·ing 
adjective

exciting
and energetic: full of boisterous excitement or energy
(informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from rip 1 + uproarious
.]
—rip-roar·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ripsaw

ripsaw
rip·saw 
[ríp sàw] (plural rip·saws) noun

coarse-toothed saw:
a saw with coarse teeth used to cut along the grain of wood[1]



ripsnorter

ripsnorter
rip·snort·er 
[ríp snàwrtər] (plural rip·snort·ers)
noun

impressive
thing:
something or somebody exceptionally impressive (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from rip 1 + snort “something big and impressive.”][1]



ripstop

ripstop
rip·stop
[ríp stòp] adjective

made with extra threads:
woven with extra threads to make tearing less likely • ripstop
nylon[1]



riptide

riptide
rip·tide
[ríp td] (plural rip·tides) noun

strong
turbulent current: a strong narrow tide that
opposes other currents and produces turbulence, especially sea water that
rushes seaward after incoming waves mount up on the shore.
Also
called
rip 1 verb 2

Also
called
tide-rip
[From rip 2][1]



Ripuarian

Ripuarian
Rip·u·ar·i·an 
[rìppyoo áiree ən] adjective

of
ancient Franks: belonging or relating to the Frankish
people who lived beside the Rhine in the 4th century BC
[Late 18th century. Formed
from medieval Latin Ripuarius, of unknown origin.][1]



ripup

ripup
rip
up
transitive verb

tear up something:
to tear something up with the hands into pieces or strips[1]



RISC

RISC
RISC
[risk]

Abbreviation of
reduced-instruction-set computer[1]



rise

rise
rise 
[rīz] verb (past rose [rōz], past participle ris·en [rízz’n], present participle ris·ing,
3rd person present singular ris·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
stand
up:
to assume a standing or nearly vertical position after sitting, kneeling, or
lying

2.  intransitive
verb
ascend:
to go up to a higher position or location • Disturbed
by our footsteps, the birds rose above the trees.

3.  intransitive
verb
get
higher:
to gain a greater height or level • After
heavy rains the river rose dangerously.

4.  intransitive
verb
grow
larger:
to increase in amount, degree, or quantity • Prices
are rising.

5.  intransitive
verb
achieve
greater social prominence: to achieve higher wealth,
status, or importance • He
rose steadily through the ranks.

6.  intransitive
verb
extend
upward:
to become elevated or extend upward • The
church tower rose above the village.

7.  intransitive
verb
grow
louder or more intense: to increase in volume or
intensity of sound • Their voices rose.

8.  intransitive
verb
become
mentally more intense: to become more intense or
powerful in the mind • Her
spirits rose.

9.  intransitive
verb
grow
or intensify: to grow or intensify, especially until a
particular state is reached • By
morning a blizzard had risen.

10. intransitive
verb
become
larger and puffier: to swell and puff out, for
example, in the manner of dough containing yeast • The
bread is rising.

11. intransitive
verb
rebel
or revolt:
to make an organized rebellion against something or somebody • They
rose against the government.

12. intransitive
verb
end
a meeting:
to adjourn after a meeting or assembly

13. intransitive
verb
become
erect:
to become stiff and erect • He
felt the hair rise on the back of his neck.

14. intransitive
verb
originate:
to have an origin or beginning • The
stream rises a few miles back.

15. intransitive
verb
grow:
to spring up or grow

16. intransitive
verb
become
apparent:
to become visible or apparent • After
many days at sea, Africa rose before their astonished eyes.

17. intransitive
verb
BUILDING be
built:
to become larger during the process of building

18. intransitive
verb
ASTRONOMY appear
over horizon: to appear above the horizon • The
sun was rising when we went to bed.

19. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL See raise  verb 19

20. intransitive
verb
be
resurrected: to become resurrected • rise
from the dead
noun
(plural ris·es)

1.  increase:
an increase in amount • a rise
in prices

2.  process
of being noticed: the process of becoming noticed and
successful • the
rise of a new talent

3.  increase
in social importance: an increase in wealth,
status, or importance • the
rise and fall of the empire

4.  upward
slope:
an upward slope or gradient • a rise
in the road

5.  higher
ground:
a hill or piece of raised or rising ground

6.  upward
movement:
an ascent or upward movement

7.  increase
in a quality: an increase in degree, intensity, or
force • a
rise in her fever

8.  increase
of sound:
an increase in loudness or pitch

9.  height:
the vertical extent of something

10. ASTRONOMY appearance
above horizon: the appearance of something above the
horizon

11. origin:
a beginning or origin of something

12. rebellion:
a rebellion against authority

13. U.K.
salary
increase:
an increase in salary or wages

14. CLOTHES distance
between crotch and waist: the length between the
crotch and the waist of a pair of pants
[Old
English rīsan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English raise and rear 1 .]
give
rise to something

to
cause something

take
or get a rise out of somebody

to produce a desired
response, usually anger or annoyance, by teasing or taunting somebody (informal)[1]



riseabove

riseabove
rise
above
transitive verb

cope well in spite of
something: to overcome something
unpleasant by not letting it become too important[1]



riser

riser
ris·er 
[rzər] (plural ris·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who rises from bed: somebody who gets up in a
particular way after sleeping for the night • We
are late risers on weekends.

2.  vertical
part of step: the vertical part of a step or stair

3.  CONSTRUCTION vertical
pipe:
a vertical pipe, duct, or conduit

4.  somebody
rising:
somebody who or something that rises

[1]



riseto

riseto
rise
to
transitive verb

perform well in response to
something: to behave well in response
to a challenge or difficulty (informal) • rose
to the occasion[1]



risibility

risibility
ris·i·bil·i·ty 
[rìzzə bíllətee] (plural ris·i·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  ability
to laugh:
an ability or tendency to laugh (formal) “I believe that the humorous
peculiarities of my countenance excited the infant’s risibilities; at any rate,
the young mother assured me that he smiled when he looked at me.” George van
Schaick A Top-Floor Idyl 1917

2.  ludicrousness:
laughable or ludicrous quality

[1]



risible

risible
ris·i·ble 
[rízzəb’l] adjective

1.  ludicrous:
causing or capable of causing laughter

2.  inclined
to laugh:
able or inclined to laugh (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From late
Latin risibilis, from Latin ris-, the past participle stem of ridere
“to laugh” (source of English ridiculous
).][1]



rising

rising
ris·ing 
[rzing] adjective

1.  getting
more important: becoming increasingly respected or
significant in an occupation or activity

2.  becoming
powerful:
becoming more influential and powerful

3.  getting
higher:
going up or becoming higher
noun
(plural ris·ings)

1.  revolt:
a rebellion or revolt

2.  something
getting higher: something that rises in height

3.  upward
movement:
the action of something that moves upward or to a higher level

4.  action
of standing up: the action of assuming a standing or nearly
vertical position after sitting, kneeling, or lying

5.  FOOD leavening
process:
the process of leavening bread

[1]



risingdamp

risingdamp
ris·ing
damp
noun

damaging moisture absorbed by
walls: moisture that is absorbed
from the ground into walls, resulting in structural damage[1]



risingdiphthong

risingdiphthong
ris·ing
diph·thong
(plural ris·ing diph·thongs) noun

diphthong with second sound
stressed: a diphthong in which the
second of two sounds has more stress or sonority than the first[1]



risingrhythm

risingrhythm
ris·ing
rhythm
(plural ris·ing rhythms) noun

rhythmic pattern of accented
syllables: a rhythmic pattern produced
by a succession of metrical feet, each foot having an accented syllable
preceded by one or more syllables that are unaccented[1]



risingtrot

risingtrot
ris·ing
trot
noun

riding technique:
a horse-riding technique used while trotting, in which the rider rises from the
saddle every second beat.
See also
sitting trot[1]



risk

risk
risk 
[risk] noun (plural risks)

1.  chance
of something going wrong: the danger that injury,
damage, or loss will occur

2.  somebody
or something hazardous: somebody or something likely
to cause injury, damage, or loss

3.  INSURANCE chance
of loss to insurer: the probability, amount, or
type of possible loss incurred and covered by an insurer

4.  FINANCE possibility
of investment loss: the possibility of loss in
an investment or speculation

5.  statistical
odds of danger: the statistical chance of danger from
something, especially from the failure of an engineered system
transitive
verb
(past risked, past participle risked, present
participle risk·ing, 3rd person present singular risks)

1.  put
something in danger: to place something valued in
a position or situation where it could be damaged or lost, or exposed to damage
or loss

2.  do
something despite danger: to incur the chance of harm
or loss by taking an action
[Mid-17th
century. Via French risque from Italian rischo, from rischiare
“to run into danger,” of uncertain origin.]
—risk·er,
noun
at
risk

1.  in
danger of damage or loss

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES in
danger of being harmed or of harming others

run
or take a risk

to
do something that involves the possibility of injury, damage, or harm

[1]



riskarbitrage

riskarbitrage
risk
ar·bi·trage
noun

exploitation
of price discrepancies: the technique of using price
discrepancies in a market in order to profit, for example, by buying shares in
a company being acquired while selling shares in the acquiring company
—risk ar·bi·tra·geur, noun[1]



risk-benefit

risk-benefit
risk-ben·e·fit
adjective

studying risks and benefits:
studying or testing whether the benefits of a procedure, process, or treatment
outweigh the risks involved[1]



riskcapital

riskcapital
risk
cap·i·tal
noun

See
venture capital[1]



riskfactor

riskfactor
risk
fac·tor
(plural risk fac·tors) noun

something that contributes to
getting ill: a feature of somebody’s
habits, genetic makeup, or personal history that increases the probability that
disease or harm to health will occur[1]



riskmanagement

riskmanagement
risk
man·age·ment noun

analysis of possible loss:
the profession or technique of determining, minimizing, and preventing
accidental loss in a business, for example, by taking safety measures and
buying insurance[1]



risky

risky
risk·y 
[rískee] (comparative risk·i·er,
superlative risk·i·est) adjective

involving
potential danger: likely to cause damage, injury, or loss
—risk·i·ly,
adverb

—risk·i·ness, noun[1]



Risorgimento

Risorgimento
Ri·sor·gi·men·to 
[ree sàwrjə mén t] noun

Italian
unification: the movement for, and period of,
political unification in Italy beginning about 1750 and culminating in the
occupation of Rome by Italian troops in 1870
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, literally “resurgence.”][1]



risotto

risotto
ri·sot·to 
[ri zóttō] (plural ri·sot·tos)
noun

rice
dish:
a moist Italian dish of short-grained rice and other ingredients cooked gently
in stock
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, formed from riso (see rice
).][1]



risqué

risqué
ris·qué 
[ri skáy] adjective

suggestively
implying sex: alluding to sexual conduct in a way that
is close to being indecent or in bad taste
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of risquer “to risk,” from risque
(see risk ).][1]



Riss

Riss
Riss
[riss] noun

Ice
Age in Europe: one of the four major glacial periods in
Europe, at its peak 150,000 years ago
[Early 20th century. Named
for the river Riss, a tributary of the Danube in Germany where signs of
the glaciation were observed.][1]



rissole

rissole
ris·sole 
[ri sṓl, rí sl]
(plural ris·soles) noun

small
fried cake of meat: a small fried cake of minced
seasoned meat or poultry, often coated or mixed with breadcrumbs
[Early 18th century. Via
French from assumed Vulgar Latin russeola (pasta) “reddish (pastry),”
from Latin russus “red.”][1]



risussardonicus

risussardonicus
ri·sus
sar·don·i·cus  [rssəss
sr dónnikəss] noun

contorted
facial expression: a distorted grinning
expression caused by involuntary prolonged contraction of the facial muscles,
especially as a result of tetanus
[From modern Latin, literally
“sardonic grin”][1]



rit.

rit.
rit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ritardando

2.  Abbreviation
of
ritenuto

[1]



Ritalin

Ritalin
Rit·a·lin
[rítt’lin] Trademark

a trademark for
methylphenidate[1]



ritardando

ritardando
ri·tar·dan·do 
[r taar dn dō] adjective adverb

becoming
slower:
becoming gradually slower (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, the present participle of ritardare “to slow down,” from Latin retardare
(see retard ).][1]



rite

rite
rite 
[rīt] (plural rites) noun

1.  ceremonial
act:
a solemn and ceremonial act or procedure that follows the rule customary to a
community, especially a religious group (often used in the plural) • the
rite of baptism

2.  formal
procedure:
a formal, customary observance or procedure (often used in the plural) • rites
of courtship

3.  ceremonial
way of proceeding: a system of ceremonial
procedure • Roman
rite

4.  rite
or Rite CHRISTIANITY
liturgical
procedure:
a liturgy or version of a liturgy, especially of a Communion service

5.  rite
or Rite CHRISTIANITY
division
of churches: a historical division of Christian
churches based on their liturgies
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin ritus . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to fit together,” which is also the ancestor of English arithmetic and rhyme
.][1]



ritenuto

ritenuto
ri·te·nu·to 
[rtə ntō] adjective adverb

slightly
slower:
played slightly slower than the rest of a piece of music (used as a musical
direction)
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, “held back.”][1]



riteof passage

riteof passage
rite
of pas·sage
(plural rites of pas·sage) noun

1.  significant
transitional event: an event or act that marks a
significant transition in a human life

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY ceremony
marking changed status: a ceremony that marks
somebody’s passage from one stage of life to another, for example, from
childhood to puberty or from unmarried to married life
[Translation of French rite
de passage][1]



ritornello

ritornello
ri·tor·nel·lo 
[r tawr néllō] (plural ri·tor·nel·los
or ri·tor·nel·li [r tawr néllee])
noun

1.  musical
refrain:
a short musical passage used as an orchestral refrain between verses of a song
or aria

2.  return
of orchestral music after solo: in a concerto grosso,
the return of full orchestral music after a solo
[Late 17th century. From
Italian, literally “little return.”][1]



ritual

ritual
rit·u·al 
[ríchoo əl] noun (plural rit·u·als)

1.  established
formal behavior: an established and prescribed pattern of
observance, for example, in a religion

2.  actions
done formally and repeatedly: the performance of actions
or procedures in a set, ordered, and ceremonial way (often used before a
noun) • a
ritual dance

3.  unchanging
pattern:
a formalized pattern of actions or words followed regularly and precisely (informal)
• the
weekend car-washing ritual

4.  BIOLOGY set
form of communication: a set sequence of actions
that an animal uses to communicate information or to reinforce social cohesion
• mating
rituals

5.  PSYCHOLOGY repetitive
behavior:
an inflexible, stylized, and often repetitive sequence of actions, for example,
repeated hand-washing, that may indicate an obsession

6.  book
of ceremonies: a book containing rites or ceremonial
procedures, especially religious rites
adjective

concerned with rite:
concerned with or practicing a rite • ritual
observance
[Late
16th century. From Latin ritualis, from ritus (see rite ).]
—rit·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



ritualabuse

ritualabuse
rit·u·al
a·buse
noun

supposed systematic child
abuse: the alleged physical abuse
of children by adults taking part in supposed satanic rituals[1]



ritualism

ritualism
rit·u·al·ism 
[ríchoo ə lìzzəm] noun

adherence to rituals:
a devotion or adherence to rituals[1]



ritualistic

ritualistic
rit·u·al·is·tic 
[rìchoo ə lístik] adjective

forming
part of ritual: forming part of or adhering to a ritual
—rit·u·al·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



ritualization

ritualization
rit·u·al·i·za·tion
[rìchoo əli záysh’n] noun

1.  turning
something into ritual: the act of making something
into a ritual

2.  ETHNOLOGY process
of modifying behavior into rituals: the
process in which different forms of behavior are modified and combined to form
a ritual

[1]



ritualize

ritualize
rit·u·al·ize 
[ríchoo ə lz] (past rit·u·al·ized,
past participle rit·u·al·ized, present participle rit·u·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular rit·u·al·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something a ritual: to make a ritual of
something

2.  intransitive
verb
promote
rituals:
to promote the use of rituals

[1]



ritualmurder

ritualmurder
rit·u·al
mur·der
(plural rit·u·al mur·ders) noun

1.  RELIGION offering
of human life: a human sacrifice, especially to appease
a deity

2.  CRIMINOLOGY murder
with ritualistic appearance: a murder performed in a
methodical, formalized, or ritualistic way

[1]



ritz

ritz
ritz 
[rits] noun

pretentious
display:
an extravagant or ostentatious show or display of something (informal)
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from ritzy .]
put
on the ritz

to make a show of wealth and
extravagance (dated informal)[1]



ritzy

ritzy
ritz·y 
[rítsee] (comparative ritz·i·er,
superlative ritz·i·est) adjective

expensively
stylish:
expensively stylish and elegant (informal)
[Early
20th century. Formed from Ritz, name of the luxurious hotels established
by the Swiss-born entrepreneur César Ritz ( 1850–1918 ).]
—ritz·i·ly,
adverb

—ritz·i·ness, noun[1]



riv.

riv.
riv.

Abbreviation of
river[1]



rivage

rivage
riv·age 
[rívvij] (plural riv·ag·es) noun

shore:
a shore, coastline, or bank (archaic literary)
[13th century. From French,
formed from rive “bank,” from Latin ripa (see riparian ).][1]



rival

rival
ri·val 
[rv’l] noun (plural ri·vals)

1.  competing
person or group: a person or group competing with another
for something or somebody

2.  somebody
equal or better: somebody who or something that can equal
or surpass another in a particular respect
verb
(past ri·valed, past participle ri·valed, present
participle ri·val·ing, 3rd person present singular ri·vals)

1.  transitive
verb
equal
or surpass:
to equal or better somebody or something in a particular respect

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb compete:
to compete with somebody

3.  transitive
verb
try
to equal:
to try to equal or surpass somebody or something in a particular respect
adjective

competing:
competing with somebody or something
[Late
16th century. From Latin rivalis, literally “using the same stream,”
from rivus “stream” (source of English derive
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English run .]
—ri·val·rous,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Rivals, a play by Irish dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan ( 1775 ). This
  lively comedy of manners portrays the attempts of Captain Jack Absolute to
  woo Lydia Languish, the idealistic niece and ward of Mrs. Malaprop. The
  latter’s habit of misusing similar-sounding words created one of the most
  memorable characters in English drama and gave rise to a new term: malapropism
  .

[1]



rivalry

rivalry
ri·val·ry 
[rvəlree] (plural ri·val·ries)
noun

1.  condition
of competitiveness: the condition or fact of
competing with somebody or something

2.  competitive
action:
an act of competitiveness

[1]



rive

rive
rive 
[rīv] (past rived, past
participle riv·en [rívv’n] or
rived, present participle riv·ing, 3rd person present
singular rives) verb

1.  transitive
verb
tear
something apart: to tear something apart (archaic)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb split:
to split or become split (literary)
[12th century. From Old Norse
rífa . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut,” which is
also the ancestor of English rift and
river .][1]



riven

riven
riv·en
adjective

torn
apart:
torn apart (literary) • a
political party riven by dissent
[Past participle of rive][1]



river

river
riv·er 
[rívvər] (plural riv·ers) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY large
natural channel of water: a natural formation in which
fresh water forms a wide stream that runs across the land until it reaches the
sea or another area of water

2.  flow:
a large flow or stream of something (often used in the plural) • a
river of mud
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman rivere from, ultimately, Latin riparius
(see riparian ).]
sell
somebody down the river

to betray or desert somebody,
usually for a selfish or mercenary motive (informal)[1]



Rivera,Diego

Rivera,Diego


Ri·ve·ra
[ri vérrə], Diego (1886–1957)
Mexican artist. He is known for his
murals portraying Mexican social issues, influenced by Native American art.[1]



riverbank

riverbank
riv·er·bank 
[rívvər bàngk] (plural riv·er·banks)
noun

ground rising up beside
river’s edge: a piece of sloping
ground at the edge of a river[1]



riverbasin

riverbasin
riv·er
ba·sin
(plural riv·er ba·sins) noun

land drained by river:
a large area of land that drains exclusively to a particular river[1]



riverbed

riverbed
riv·er·bed 
[rívvər bèd] (plural riv·er·beds)
noun

channel of a river:
the ground or part of the ground covered by a river along its course and
between its banks[1]



riverbirch

riverbirch
riv·er
birch
noun

tree growing beside running
water: a tree of the eastern United
States, found on the banks of rivers and streams, that has a fissured reddish
brown lower trunk and smooth pinkish upper trunk and branches. The river birch
is grown as an ornamental, and the wood is used to make furniture and other
items. Latin name: Betula nigra[1]



riverblindness

riverblindness
riv·er
blind·ness
noun

See
onchocerciasis[1]



riverboat

riverboat
riv·er·boat 
[rívvər bt] (plural riv·er·boats)
noun

boat used to travel on
rivers: a boat built with a flat
bottom or shallow draft, used for traveling on rivers[1]



rivercatchment

rivercatchment
riv·er
catch·ment
(plural riv·er catch·ments) noun

See
river basin[1]



riverfront

riverfront
riv·er·front 
[rívvər frùnt] (plural riv·er·fronts)
noun

property situated along a
river’s edge: the area of a town,
property, or built-up area directly facing a river[1]



riverhead

riverhead
riv·er·head 
[rívvər hèd] (plural riv·er·heads)
noun

source and upstream land of
river: the upstream source of a
river or the area of land around it[1]



Riverina

Riverina
Rive·rina
[rìvvə rnə]

region in southern New South
Wales, Australia. It is heavily irrigated and predominantly agricultural.[1]



riverine

riverine
riv·er·ine 
[rívvə rn, rívvə
rn] adjective

1.  of
a river:
relating to or produced by a river

2.  beside
a river:
located beside a river

[1]



riverside

riverside
riv·er·side 
[rívvər sd] noun

land
by river:
the area of land beside a river
adjective

by a river:
located beside a river[1]



Riverside

Riverside
Riv·er·side 
[rívvər sd]

city in southwestern
California, on the Santa Ana River. It is a citrus-growing center, and is home
to the University of California-Riverside. Population: 241,644 (1994)[1]



Rivers,Larry

Rivers,Larry
Riv·ers
[rívvərz], Larry (1923– )

U.S.
artist. A versatile painter and sculptor, he was both an early exponent of pop
art, a realist, and an abstract expressionist.
Real name
Grossberg, Yitzroch Loisa[1]



riverward

riverward
riv·er·ward 
[rívvərwərd] or riv·er·wards [rívvərwərdz] adverb adjective

toward river:
moving or facing toward a river (literary)[1]



riverweed

riverweed
riv·er·weed 
[rívvər wd] (plural riv·er·weeds)
noun

aquatic plant with clinging
roots: a small many-branched
freshwater plant that clings to rock with roots that function as suckers.
Genus: Podostema[1]



rivet

rivet
riv·et 
[rívvit] noun (plural riv·ets)

short metal fastening:
a fastening in the form of a short metal rod with a head. The shaft is passed
through holes in materials and flattened into a second head on the other side.
Rivets are commonly used in aircraft, building, and bridge construction.
transitive
verb
(past riv·et·ed, past participle riv·et·ed, present
participle riv·et·ing, 3rd person present singular riv·ets)

1.  firmly
fix attention: to fix or hold the attention completely
(informal) (often passive)

2.  fasten
with rivet:
to fasten something using a rivet or rivets

3.  pull
and hold onto something firmly: to draw and hold
people’s eyes or attention in a powerful, absorbing way (informal) “Old
Grannis dared not move, but sat rigid, his eyes riveted on his empty soup
plate.” Frank Norris McTeague –A Story of San Francisco 1899

4.  fix
something firmly: to fix or secure something firmly
[14th century. From Old
French, formed from river “to fasten,” of unknown origin.][1]



riveting

riveting
riv·et·ing 
[rívviting] adjective

fascinating:
completely fixing and holding the attention (informal)
—riv·et·ing·ly, adverb[1]



riviera

riviera
riv·i·er·a 
[rìvvee érrə] noun

popular coastal holiday area:
a stretch of coastland where the climate and beaches are good and there are
fashionable resort towns[1]



rivière

rivière
ri·vière
[rìvvee áir, ri
vyáir] (plural ri·vières) noun

precious
necklace:
a necklace made of a string of diamonds or other gemstones that gradually
increase in size up to a large centered gem
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, literally “river,” from, ultimately, Latin riparius (see riparian ).][1]



Rivière-du-Loup

Rivière-du-Loup
Riv·ière-du-Loup
[ree vvyàir dyoo l]

city in Quebec, Canada, on
the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River. Population: 22,378 (1996)[1]



rivulet

rivulet
riv·u·let 
[rívvyələt] (plural riv·u·lets)
noun

1.  little
stream:
a small stream of flowing water (literary)

2.  small
flow:
a small quick-flowing stream of something
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Italian rivoletto, literally “little stream,”
from, ultimately, Latin rivus (see rival
).][1]



rix-dollar

rix-dollar
rix-dol·lar 
[ríks dòllər] (plural rix-dol·lars)
noun

old
silver coin: any of several silver coins formerly
used in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany
[Late 16th century. From
obsolete Dutch rijksdaler “dollar of the realm.”][1]



Riyadh

Riyadh
Ri·yadh 
[r yd]

capital city of Saudi Arabia,
located in the eastern central part of the country. Population: 2,500,000
(1994)[1]



riyal

riyal
ri·yal 
(plural ri·yals) noun

MONEY
See rial[1]



RJ

RJ
RJ

Abbreviation of
road junction[1]



RL

RL
RL

(used in e-mail and
Internet chat)Abbreviation of real life[1]



Rm

Rm
Rm

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Romans[1]



RM

RM
RM

1.
(international vehicle registration) Abbreviation of Madagascar

2.  Abbreviation
of
Registered Midwife

[1]



rm.

rm.
rm.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ream

2.  Abbreviation
of
room

[1]



RMS

RMS
RMS

1.  Abbreviation
of
Royal Mail Ship

2.  RMS
or R.M.S. Abbreviation of Railway Mail Service

3.  RMS
or R.M.S. Abbreviation of Royal Mail Service

[1]



rms

rms
rms

Abbreviation of
root mean square[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








RN

RN
RN
or R.N.

1.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of registered nurse

2.  NAVY Abbreviation of Royal
Navy

[1]



Rn

Rn
Rn

Symbol for
radon[1]



RNA

RNA
RNA 
noun

nucleic acid in all living
cells: a nucleic acid that contains
the sugar ribose, is found in all living cells, and is essential for the
manufacture of proteins according to the instructions carried by genes. RNA
also acts instead of DNA as the genetic material in certain viruses. Full
form ribonucleic acid[1]



RNApolymerase

RNApolymerase
RNA
pol·y·mer·ase (plural RNA pol·y·mer·as·es)
noun

enzyme that promotes RNA
synthesis: a polymerase, found in
living cells, that catalyzes the synthesis of RNA from its constituent
nucleotides, using DNA or RNA as a template[1]



RNase

RNase
RN·ase 
(plural RN·ases)

Abbreviation of
ribonuclease[1]



RNAvirus

RNAvirus
RNA
vi·rus
(plural RNA vi·rus·es) noun

virus with RNA in core:
a virus in which the core of nucleic acid consists of RNA[1]



rnd

rnd
rnd
or rnd.

Abbreviation of
round[1]



RNP

RNP
RNP

Abbreviation of
ribonucleoprotein[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ro.

ro.
ro.

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of rood[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








roach

roach2
roach2 [rōch]
(plural roach·es) noun

1.  INSECTS cockroach:
a cockroach (informal)

2.  DRUGS marijuana
cigarette butt: the end of a marijuana cigarette after
the rest of it has been smoked (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of cockroach .][1]



roach

roach3
roach3 [rōch]
noun (plural roach·es)

SAILING curve
of sail:
the upward curve at the foot of a square sail
transitive
verb
(past roached, past participle roached, present
participle roach·ing, 3rd person present singular roach·es)

EQUESTRIAN cut
horse’s mane: to cut a horse’s mane short so that the
hairs stand up
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from roach 1, perhaps
from the shape of its back.][1]



roach

roach1
roach1 [rōch]
(plural roach or roach·es) noun

1.  food
fish:
a northern European freshwater fish of the carp family that has an olive-green
or gray-green back and reddish fins. It is a popular game fish. Latin name: Rutilus
rutilus

2.  small
N American fish: a small sunfish of eastern North America
that resembles a European roach. Latin name: Hesperoleucus symmetricus
[12th century. From Old
French roche, of unknown origin.][1]



road

road
road 
[rōd] (plural roads) noun

1.  hard
track for use of vehicles: a long surfaced route broad
enough for vehicles to be driven on it (often used in placenames)

2.  course
of action:
a route or way that heads toward some predictable outcome • the
road to financial success

3.  RAIL See railroad

4.  MINING mine
tunnel:
a tunnel used for hauling coal or ore in a mine

5.  SHIPPING (often used in the plural)
See roadstead
[Old
English rād “a riding” (source also of English raid ). Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to ride,” which is also the ancestor of English ride and ready
.]
down
the road

in
the future

one
for the road

an
alcoholic drink taken just before leaving (informal)

on
the road

traveling
from place to place • The
band has been on the road all summer.





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  On the Road, a novel by Jack Kerouac (
  1957 ). A thinly disguised and rapidly composed memoir, it describes a series
  of cross-country trips undertaken by a group of people united by their quest
  for new experiences and disregard for traditional values. It is both an
  engaging chronicle of the Beat generation and a lyrical evocation of the
  energy and passion of youth.

[1]



roadability

roadability
road·a·bil·i·ty
[rdə bíllətee] noun

degree of driving comfort:
the ability of a motor vehicle to maintain a steady, balanced, and comfortable
ride over a variety of routes[1]



roadapple

roadapple
road
ap·ple
(plural road ap·ples) noun

piece of horse manure on
road: a round piece of horse
manure on a road (informal)[1]



roadbed

roadbed
road·bed 
[rṓd bèd] (plural road·beds) noun

foundation for road:
a foundation of soil, cinders, or crushed rock that supports a road or railroad[1]



roadblock

roadblock
road·block 
[rṓd blòk] (plural road·blocks)
noun

1.  barrier
across road to stop traffic: a temporary barrier used to
prevent vehicles from continuing along a road so that they can be checked or
their drivers questioned, usually by police or military personnel

2.  obstacle:
a hindrance or obstacle to something

[1]



roadcompany

roadcompany
road
com·pa·ny
noun

touring actors:
a group of actors who tour with a show, usually performing a play that has been
successful in a large city[1]



roadeo

roadeo
road·e·o
[rṓdee ] (plural road·e·os) noun

competition
for truck drivers: a competition in driving
skill for professional truck drivers
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of rodeo .][1]



roadhockey

roadhockey
road
hock·ey
noun

Canada
hockey played on road:
a game that uses the rules of ice hockey and is played on a road or street by
children wearing shoes or in-line skates[1]



roadhog

roadhog
road
hog
(plural road hogs) noun

selfish arrogant motorist:
somebody who drives in an inconsiderate and dangerous way, usually by refusing
to let other motorists pass or go first, or by forcing them to move out of the
way (informal)[1]



roadhouse

roadhouse
road·house 
[rṓd hòwss] (plural road·hous·es
[rṓd hòwzəz]) noun

refreshment place beside
road: a hotel or tavern located
beside a main road (dated)[1]



roadie

roadie
road·ie
[rṓdee] (plural road·ies) noun

equipment handler for
traveling show: somebody who loads,
unloads, and sets up the equipment used by a musical or theatrical group on
tour, especially a rock band[1]



roadkill

roadkill
road·kill
[rṓd kìl] (plural road·kills) noun

animal killed by vehicle:
a bird or animal that has been hit and killed by a motor vehicle on the road[1]



roadmap

roadmap
road
map
[rṓd map] (plural road maps) or
road·map [rṓd map] (plural road·maps)
noun

1.  map
showing roads: a motorists’ map or atlas that shows
routes, mileage, and often other features of interest to travelers

2.  guide:
a plan or guide for something (informal) “the national bank at a profit
sells roadmaps for the soul to the old folks home” Bob Dylan Lyrics 1962–1985
1987

[1]



roadmetal

roadmetal
road
met·al
(plural road met·als) noun

material for making road:
the cinders, crushed rock, and other materials used in the construction of
roads.
Also called
metal[1]



roadmovie

roadmovie
road
mov·ie
(plural road mov·ies) noun

movie about traveling by
road: a movie that depicts the
adventures of a person or people who leave home and travel from place to place
by road, often to find or escape from something[1]



roadracing

roadracing
road
rac·ing
noun

race for vehicles on public
road: a race for motor vehicles or
bicycles that takes place on a public road temporarily reserved for the
purpose, or on a racing course resembling a public road[1]



roadrunner

roadrunner
road·run·ner 
[rṓd rùnnər] (plural road·run·ners)
noun

fast-running desert bird:
a swift-running bird of the cuckoo family, found in deserts of the western
United States and Mexico. It has streaked brown-and-white plumage, a head
crest, small, round wings, and a long tail. Latin name: Geococcyx
californianus[1]



roadshow

roadshow
road
show
[rṓd sh] (plural road shows [rṓd shws]) or road·show [rṓd sh] (plural road·shows) noun

1.  THEATER performance
by traveling actors: a show staged by a touring
company of entertainers, or the company performing such a show

2.  BROADCASTING traveling
radio broadcast: a live open-air radio show that travels
to a series of locations. The following location is announced in advance to
ensure an audience.

3.  traveling
promotional group: a group of people who travel
from place to place in order to broadcast, publicize, or promote something, or
to conduct a political campaign

[1]



roadside

roadside
road·side
[rṓd sd] noun

area at road’s edge:
an area along or bordering a road[1]



roadstead

roadstead
road·stead 
[rṓd stèd] (plural road·steads)
noun

place for vessels at
anchorage: a partly sheltered area for
anchored vessels.
Also called
road[1]



roadster

roadster
road·ster 
[rṓdstər] (plural road·sters) noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES sports
car:
a small open-topped car with a single seat in front and often with an
additional folding seat ( rumble seat ) at
the back (dated)

2.  EQUESTRIAN horse
for riding on road: a sturdy horse for riding on
a road (archaic)

[1]



road-test

road-test
road-test
transitive verb

determine how well something
works: to carry out a test of a
vehicle or other product under actual operating conditions[1]



roadtest

roadtest
road
test
(plural road tests) noun

1.  AUTOMOBILES test
of vehicle or tire performance: a test of a motor
vehicle or tire under actual operating conditions

2.  AUTOMOBILES practical
driving test: an official test on the road to
determine whether a driver of a motor vehicle is competent to be issued a
license to drive

3.  MANUFACTURING test
of how well something works: a series of tests carried
out on a new product or design to determine how well it performs during actual
use

[1]



roadway

roadway
road·way 
[rṓd wày] noun

driving area of road:
the main part of a road area meant to be driven on[1]



roadwork

roadwork
road·work 
[rṓd wùrk] noun

1.  TRANSPORT repairs
to a road:
construction or repair work being carried out on a section of public road, or
on the utilities located near it, creating a temporary obstruction for road
users

2.  SPORTS training
exercise:
a form of exercise consisting of long runs on roads, chiefly used as part of
training for boxers

[1]



roadworthiness

roadworthiness
road·wor·thi·ness
[rṓd wùreenəss] noun

acceptable condition for
driving: the condition of a motor
vehicle in terms of whether it can be driven safely on public roads[1]



roadworthy

roadworthy
road·wor·thy 
[rṓd wùree] adjective

fit
to be driven: in a safe condition to be driven on
public roads
[Early 19th century. Modeled
on “seaworthy.”][1]



roam

roam
roam 
[rōm] intransitive and transitive verb
(past roamed, past participle roamed, present
participle roam·ing, 3rd person present singular roams)

wander
aimlessly:
to move over a large area, especially without any particular purpose or
definite destination
noun
(plural roams)

aimless
wander:
an act of roaming
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—roam·er, noun[1]



roan

roan
roan 
[rōn] adjective

with light speckles in dark coat:
having a reddish brown, brown, or black coat speckled with white or gray hairs
noun
(plural roans)

1.  roan
horse:
an animal, especially a horse, that has a roan coat

2.  COLORS roan
color:
the color of a roan animal

3.  INDUSTRY fine-grained
leather:
a soft pliable kind of sheepskin leather used in bookbinding. It has a close
grain resembling that of morocco.
[Early 16th century. Via
French from Old Spanish roano, of uncertain origin: possibly from
Germanic.][1]



Roanoke

Roanoke
Ro·a·noke 
[rṓ ə nk]

1.  river
in the United States, rising in western Virginia and flowing through eastern
North Carolina to Albemarle Sound. Length: 660 km/410 mi.

2.  city
in southwestern Virginia, on the Roanoke River. Population: 96,397 (1990)

[1]



roar

roar

roar 
[rawr] verb (past roared,
past participle roared, present participle roar·ing,
3rd person present singular roars)

1.  intransitive
verb
growl
loudly:
to make a loud natural growling noise, for example, as a lion makes

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout
loudly:
to make a loud shouting noise, or utter something with a loud shouting noise,
especially in anger

3.  intransitive
verb
laugh
loudly:
to give a loud, prolonged, and unrestrained laugh

4.  intransitive
verb
burn
noisily:
to burn noisily while giving off a lot of heat • a
roaring fire

5.  intransitive
verb
crash
loudly:
to make a loud crashing or blowing noise, for example, as wind, waves, and
other natural phenomena do

6.  intransitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE breathe
noisily:
to breathe with difficulty, making a rasping or wheezing noise, as some
diseased horses do

7.  intransitive
verb
move
noisily:
to move quickly and with a loud mechanical noise, especially a harsh or droning
noise

8.  reflexive
verb
become
by roaring:
to cause the voice to be in a particular condition through shouting, cheering,
or making some other loud vocal noise • roared
themselves hoarse
noun (plural
roars)

1.  loud
shout:
a loud, often prolonged, shout or cry, especially one made by a person or crowd
that is cheering, angry, or upset

2.  loud
laugh:
a loud, prolonged, and unrestrained laugh

3.  loud
growl:
a loud growling noise made by a large animal, especially a lion

4.  noise
of something burning: a loud continuous noise made
by something burning intensely

5.  loud
crashing noise: a loud crashing or blowing noise made by
waves, the wind, or some other natural phenomenon
[Old
English rārian, of uncertain origin: possibly an imitation of the sound]
—roar·er, noun[1]



roaring

roaring
roar·ing 
[ráwring] noun

1.  act
of making roar: an act of making a roar

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE breathing
difficulties in horses: noisy breathing in horses,
especially when caused by paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve
adjective

1.  with
a roar:
making or characterized by a roar

2.  with
fast sales:
selling vigorously and making a good profit • It’s
a hot day and the ice-cream sellers are doing a roaring trade.

3.  huge:
conspicuously great • Her
new novel proved a roaring success.
See
also
rip-roaring
adverb

exceedingly: to an
extreme degree
—roar·ing·ly, adverb[1]



RoaringTwenties

RoaringTwenties
Roar·ing
Twen·ties
plural noun

1920s:
the 1920s, especially when thought of as being a time of exuberance, hedonism,
and prosperity in contrast to the hardship of World War I[1]



roast

roast
roast 
[rōst] verb (past roast·ed,
past participle roast·ed, present participle roast·ing,
3rd person present singular roasts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING cook in oven:
to cook something, especially meat or vegetables, by dry heat, usually in an
oven or over an open fire, basting it with fat, or be cooked in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING INDUSTRY
prepare
by drying or browning: to heat something until it
is dry or brown, especially coffee beans or nuts, as part of a manufacturing
process, or be heated in this way

3.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY heat
ore in furnace: to heat ore in a furnace without fusing
in order to concentrate, dehydrate, or purify it or to cause a chemical change
that will facilitate smelting. When sulfide ores are roasted to covert them to
oxides, the escaping sulfur laden gases are often used to make sulfuric acid.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb overheat:
to become too warm or make something or somebody too warm at a source of heat
such as the sun or a fire • roast
in front of the log fire

5.  transitive
verb
disparage:
to criticize somebody or something harshly (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
mock:
to make fun of somebody (informal)
noun
(plural roasts)

1.  COOKING FOOD oven-cooked meat:
something such as a piece of meat that is suitable for roasting, or that has
been roasted

2.  open-air
meal:
an outside gathering or party with food cooked on open fires

3.  party
for somebody: a gathering, party, or other celebration
where the guest of honor is the subject of speeches that alternate between
praise and humorous criticism
adjective

oven-cooked:
cooked by dry heat, usually in an oven or over an open fire, and basted with
fat
[13th century. From Old
French rostir, of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



roaster

roaster
roast·er 
[rṓstər] (plural roast·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that roasts: somebody who or something
that roasts a food or ore

2.  something
for roasting food: a pan, dish, or oven for
roasting food in

3.  roasted
chicken:
an item of food, especially a chicken, that is suitable for roasting

[1]



roasting

roasting
roast·ing
[rṓsting] adjective

very
hot:
feeling or causing somebody to feel very hot (informal)
noun
(plural roast·ings)

harsh
criticism:
a harsh criticism of somebody (informal)
adverb

extremely:
to a high degree of temperature (informal) • roasting
hot[1]



rob

rob
rob 
[rob] (past robbed, past
participle robbed, present participle rob·bing, 3rd
person present singular robs) verb

1.  transitive
verb
deprive
somebody illegally: to take something illegally
from a person or place, especially by using force, threats, or violence

2.  transitive
verb
steal
something:
to steal something (nonstandard) • They
broke in and robbed the TV and video.

3.  intransitive
verb
commit
robbery:
to commit robbery, especially habitually

4.  transitive
verb
deprive
somebody unfairly: to deprive somebody of
something unfairly or harmfully • The
wet weather robbed her of her holiday.
[12th century. From Old
French rober, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English bereave and rover .][1]



robalo

robalo
ro·ba·lo 
[rō b lō] (plural ro·ba·los or
ro·ba·lo) noun

fish:
any fish in a large diverse family that ranges from large ocean fish such as
the snook to the tiny glass fish popular with aquarists. Family: Centropomidae
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish robalo, of uncertain origin: probably from assumed lobaro
“wolflike fish,” from lobo “wolf,” from Latin lupus .][1]



roband

roband
ro·band
[rṓbən, róbbən,
rṓbənd, róbbənd]
(plural ro·bands) noun

rope
for attaching sail to spar: a piece of rope used to
attach a sail to a spar
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch raband, from ra “sailyard” + band
“band.”][1]



Robards,Jason

Robards,Jason
Ro·bards
[róbbərds], Jason (1922– )

U.S. actor. Primarily a stage
actor known especially for his roles in plays by Eugene O’Neill, he also won an
Academy Award for his role in the movie All the President’s Men ( 1976
).[1]



robber

robber
rob·ber
[róbbər] (plural rob·bers) noun

somebody who robs:
somebody who commits robbery[1]



robberbaron

robberbaron
rob·ber
bar·on
(plural rob·ber bar·ons) noun

1.  unscrupulous
19C U.S. industrialist: a wealthy industrialist or
businessman of the late 19th century who used unscrupulous business practices

2.  medieval
nobleman stealing from travelers: a land-holding
nobleman who, in feudal Europe, habitually stole from people traveling through
his lands

[1]



robberfly

robberfly
rob·ber
fly
noun

fly that feeds on other
insects: a predatory fly that catches
other insects in its long bristly legs and pierces them with its sharp
mouthparts. Family: Leptidae
Also called
assassin fly
Also called
bee caller[1]



robbery

robbery
rob·ber·y 
[róbbəree] (plural rob·ber·ies)
noun

theft
of property: the act or an instance of illegally
taking something that belongs to somebody else, especially by using force,
threats, or violence

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at theft

[1]



Robbins,Jerome

Robbins,Jerome
Rob·bins
[rób binz], Jerome (1918–1998)

U.S.
choreographer and theatrical director. Among the Broadway musicals he
choreographed are The King and I ( 1951 ), West Side Story ( 1957
), and Fiddler on the Roof ( 1964 ).
Real name
Rabinowitz, Jerome[1]



robe

robe
robe 
[rōb] noun (plural robes)

1.  CLOTHES ceremonial
dress:
a long loose outer garment worn on ceremonial occasions or as a symbol of
authority, especially by the judiciary, academics, and members of the clergy (often
used in the plural)

2.  CLOTHES dressing
gown or bathrobe: a loose garment for wear at home,
especially a dressing gown or bathrobe

3.  CLOTHES CHRISTIANITY See christening robe

4.  CLOTHES HISTORY woman’s outer dress:
in the 17th and 18th centuries, a woman’s outer dress, especially a heavy
brocade and ornately decorated one worn over a plainer one

5.  ACCESSORIES material
for keeping legs warm: a fur or fabric covering for
keeping the lower part of the body warm, especially while driving or riding in
an open vehicle
verb
(past robed, past participle robed, present
participle rob·ing, 3rd person present singular robes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dress
in robe:
to dress somebody in a robe, or be dressed in a robe

2.  transitive
verb
cover
something:
to cover or adorn something • robed
in glory
[13th century. From Old
French, literally “(clothes taken as) booty, spoil,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English rob .][1]



RobertI

RobertI
Rob·ert
I 
[ròbbərt ə fúrst], King of Scotland
(1274–1329)

He
fought successfully for Scottish independence from the English, whom he
defeated at the Battle of Bannockburn (1314).
Known as
Robert the Bruce[1]



RobertII

RobertII
Rob·ert
II
[ròbbərt ə sékənd], King of Scotland
(1316–1390)

The grandson of Robert I, he
founded the Stuart dynasty.[1]



RobertIII

RobertIII
Rob·ert
III
[ròbbərt ə thúrd], King of Scotland
(1337–1406)

The son of Robert II and
father of James I of Scotland, he ruled Scotland (1390–1406) during a time of
civil strife and war with England.[1]



Roberts,Charles George Douglas

Roberts,Charles George Douglas
Rob·erts
[róbbərts], Sir Charles George Douglas
(1860–1943)

Canadian poet. He wrote poems
about New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.[1]



Roberts,Julia

Roberts,Julia
Rob·erts
[róbbərts], Julia (1967– )

U.S. movie actor. She is best
known for her role in Pretty Woman ( 1990 ).[1]



Roberts,Owen Josephus

Roberts,Owen Josephus
Rob·erts
[róbbərts], Owen Josephus (1875–1955)

U.S. jurist. Associate
justice of the United States Supreme Court (1930–1945), he was a leading
exponent of conservation in jurispudence.[1]



Robeson,Paul

Robeson,Paul


Robe·son
[rṓbsən], Paul (1898–1976)
U.S.
singer and actor. He acted in both musicals and Shakespeare, and gave recitals
of spirituals. His openly communist sympathies and opposition to racial
discrimination forced him from public life.
Full name
Robeson, Paul Bustill[1]



Robespierre,Maximilien

Robespierre,Maximilien

Robes·pierre
[rṓbz peer], Maximilien (1758–1794)
French
lawyer and revolutionary. He was elected as first deputy for Paris to the
National Convention after the fall of the monarchy in 1792. As commissioner of
public safety (1793) he instituted the Reign of Terror and was later
guillotined.
Full name
Robespierre, Maximilien François Marie Isidore de[1]



robin

robin


rob·in 
[róbbin] (plural robins) noun

1.  large
N American thrush: a large North American
thrush with a rust-colored breast and dark gray or brown upper parts. Latin
name: Turdus migratorius
Also
called
robin redbreast

2.  European
songbird:
a small thrush, native mainly to Europe, the adult male of which has an reddish
orange breast and head. Latin name: Erithacus rubercula
Also
called
robin redbreast

3.  bird
with reddish breast like robin: a bird with a reddish
breast that is similar to the European or North American robin, especially
numerous Australian species
[Mid-16th century. Shortening
of robin redbreast, from the name Robin,
a diminutive of Robert .][1]



RobinGoodfellow

RobinGoodfellow
Rob·in
Good·fel·low  [ròbbin gd
fèllō] noun

See
Puck[1]



robinredbreast

robinredbreast
rob·in
red·breast
(plural rob·in red·breasts) noun

See
robin  noun 1
See robin  noun 2[1]



RobinsonCrusoe

RobinsonCrusoe
Rob·in·son
Cru·soe 
[ròbbinsən kr s] noun

shipwrecked hero of novel:
the eponymous hero of Daniel Defoe ’s novel of 1719, in which the ingenuity,
loneliness, survival, and eventual rescue of the shipwrecked sailor on a desert
island are chronicled. The novel, which is often regarded as the first English
novel, is based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk’s five-year stay on the
uninhabited island of Juan Fernandez.[1]



Robinson,Edward G.

Robinson,Edward G.
Rob·in·son
[róbbinss’n], Edward G. (1893–1973)

Romanian-born
U.S. actor. He is best known as the tough-talking gangster in the movie Little
Caesar ( 1930 ).
Real name
Goldenberg, Emmanuel[1]



Robinson,Edwin Arlington

Robinson,Edwin Arlington
Rob·in·son
[róbbinss’n], Edwin Arlington (1869–1935)

U.S. poet. His collection Captain
Craig and Other Poems (1902) attracted the attention of Theodore Roosevelt.
He won Pulitzer Prizes (1922, 1925, and 1928) for subsequent works.[1]



Robinson,Jackie

Robinson,Jackie

Rob·in·son
[róbbinss’n], Jackie (1919–1972)
U.S.
baseball player and civil rights activist. He broke baseball’s color barrier,
stole home 19 times, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (1962).
Full name
Robinson, Jack Roosevelt[1]



Robinson,Mary

Robinson,Mary
Rob·in·son
[róbbinss’n], Mary (1944– )

Irish
lawyer and politician. After her tenure as president of the Republic of Ireland
(1990–1997), the first woman to serve in that role, she became the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1997.
Born
Bourke, Mary[1]



Robinson,Sugar Ray

Robinson,Sugar Ray

Rob·in·son
[róbbinss’n], Sugar Ray (1921–1989)
U.S.
boxer. He was the welterweight champion (1946–1951) and middleweight champion
(1951–1960) of the world.
Real name
Smith, Walker[1]



robin’s-eggblue

robin’s-eggblue
rob·in’s-egg
blue 
noun

pale
greenish-blue: a pale greenish-blue color
—rob·ins-egg blue, adjective[1]



Robin’splantain

Robin’splantain
Rob·in’s
plan·tain 
(plural Rob·in’s plan·tains) noun

purple-flowered
N American plant: a plant of eastern North America with
rayed purple flower heads. Latin name: Erigeron pulchellus
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



roble

roble
ro·ble 
[rṓ blày, rṓb’l]
(plural ro·bles) noun

1.  Californian
oak:
an oak, native to California, that has a short trunk, leathery leaves, and thin
tapering acorns. Latin name: Quercus lobata
Also
called
white oak

2.  tree
like true roble: any of various oaks of California and
Mexico similar or related to the roble
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish and Portuguese from Latin robur “oak tree, hardness, strength.”][1]



roborant

roborant
rob·o·rant 
[róbbərənt, rṓbərənt]
adjective

fortifying
or strengthening: used to describe medications or other
remedies that have the effect of restoring somebody’s strength or vigor
noun
(plural rob·o·rants)

strengthening
substance:
a medication or other remedy that restores strength or vigor
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
roborant-, present participle stem of roborare “to strengthen,”
from robur “oak tree, hardness, strength.”][1]



robot

robot
ro·bot 
[rṓ bòt, rṓbət]
(plural ro·bots) noun

1.  mechanical
device programmed to perform tasks: any
machine that can be programmed to carry out instructions and perform particular
duties, especially one that can take over tasks normally done by people. These
mechanical devices are best suited to sensing, gripping, and moving objects or
to performing repetitive tasks such as welding.
See
also
automaton

2.  imaginary
machine like human: a machine that resembles a
human in appearance and can function like a human, especially in science
fiction.
See
also
android

3.  person
like a machine: somebody who works or behaves
mechanically, showing little or no emotion and often responding to orders
without question
[Early
20th century. Via German from Czech, from robota “forced labor”; coined
by Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) (1920).]
—ro·bot·ic
[rō bóttik], adjective

—ro·bot·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ro·bo·tism
[rṓbə tìzzəm], noun

—ro·bot·is·tic
[rbə tístik], adjective

—ro·bot·like
[rṓ bòt lk, rṓbət
lk], adjective

—ro·bot·ry [rṓbətree], noun[1]



robotbomb

robotbomb
ro·bot
bomb
(plural ro·bot bombs) noun

jet-propelled bomb with
guidance system: a jet-propelled bomb
whose flight to a target is governed by a gyroscopic guidance system, for
example, the V-1 used by Germany against London in World War II.
Also called
buzz bomb[1]



robotics

robotics
ro·bot·ics 
[rō bóttiks] noun

design and use of robots:
the science and technology relating to computer-controlled mechanical devices,
for example, the automated tools commonly found on automobile assembly lines (takes
a singular verb)[1]



robotize

robotize
ro·bot·ize 
[rṓbə tz] (past ro·bot·ized, past
participle ro·bot·ized, present participle ro·bot·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ro·bot·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  automate
something:
to introduce automation into something, especially a factory or factory process

2.  make
behave like robot: to make somebody act in an
automated and unemotional or insensitive fashion
—ro·bot·i·za·tion [rbəti záysh’n], noun[1]



RobRoy

RobRoy
Rob
Roy 
[rob róy] (1671–1734)

Scottish
brigand. Forced into life as an outlaw by debts, he led raids against both the
English and the Scots. His life was romanticized in a novel by Sir Walter
Scott.
Real name
MacGregor, Robert[1]



RobRoy

RobRoy
Rob
Roy 
[rob róy] (plural Rob Roys) noun

alcoholic
drink:
a cocktail made with Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters.
See
also
Manhattan
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Scottish brigand Rob Roy .][1]



robust

robust
ro·bust 
[rō búst, rṓ
bùst] adjective

1.  strong
and healthy: strong, healthy, and hardy in
constitution

2.  strongly
constructed: built, constructed, or designed to be
sturdy, durable, or hard-wearing

3.  needing
physical strength: involving or requiring great
physical strength and stamina • Football
is a robust sport.

4.  FOOD full-flavored:
rich, strong-tasting, and full-bodied

5.  determined:
characterized by firmness and determination and a refusal to make concessions

6.  straightforward:
showing clear thought and common sense

7.  blunt
or crude:
rough and direct or crude

8.  COMPUTING capable
of recovery: able to recover from unexpected
conditions during operation • a
robust operating system
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin robustus “oaken, hard, strong,” from robur
“oak tree, hardness, strength.”]
—ro·bust·ly,
adverb

—ro·bust·ness, noun[1]



robusta

robusta
ro·bus·ta
[rō bústə] (plural ro·bus·tas)
noun

1.  African
coffee plant: a coffee plant, native to western
central Africa, that has white flowers and red berries. Latin name: Coffea
canephora

2.  coffee:
beans from the robusta coffee plant, or coffee made from them
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, feminine of robustus “robust.”][1]



robustious

robustious
ro·bus·tious 
[rō búschəss] adjective

1.  energetic:
rowdy, unruly, or out of control (old or humorous)

2.  healthy:
strong, healthy, and hardy in constitution (archaic or humorous)

3.  vulgar:
vulgar or crude (archaic or humorous)
—ro·bus·tious·ly,
adverb

—ro·bus·tious·ness, noun[1]



roc

roc
roc 
[rok] (plural rocs) noun

large
mythical bird: in Arabian legend, a large bird of prey
strong enough to lift and fly with an elephant in its talons
[Late 16th century. Via
Arabic ru from Persian ru, source of English rook 2 .][1]



rocaille

rocaille
ro·caille 
[rō k] noun

1.  decorative
stonework:
decorative rococo stonework or shellwork, especially scrollwork

2.  See
rococo
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “pebble work, rock work,” from roc “rock” (see rock ).][1]



rocambole

rocambole
roc·am·bole 
[rókəm bl] (plural roc·am·boles)
noun

plant
like garlic: a leek of Europe and Asia grown for its
bulb that resembles garlic and used to flavor food. Latin name: Allium
scorodoprasum
[Late 17th century. Via
French from German Rockenbolle “distaff bulb” (from its shape), formed
from Rocken “distaff” + Bolle “bulb.”][1]



Rochelimit

Rochelimit
Roche
lim·it 
[ráwsh lìmmit, rṓsh
lìmmit] (plural Roche lim·its) noun

closest
satellite can approach celestial body: the
closest a satellite can come to the celestial body it is orbiting before being
torn apart by tidal forces generated by the gravitational attraction of the
celestial body. The distance varies with relative density but is approximately
2.45 times the radius of the primary for bodies of similar density.
[Late 19th century. Named for
Édouard Roche (1820–1883), French astronomer who first made the
calculation.][1]



Rochellesalt

Rochellesalt
Ro·chelle
salt
[rə shél sàwlt, rō
shél sàwlt] noun

white
powder used as a laxative: a white powder used in
medicine as a mild laxative, as a food preservative, and in electronics. KNaC4H4O6
[Mid-18th century. Named for La
Rochelle, a French seaport, at which the salt is mined.][1]



rochemoutonnée

rochemoutonnée
roche
mou·ton·née
[rsh moot’n áy] noun

elongated
mound of bare rock: an elongated mound of bare
rock, modified by glacial erosion, that is smooth and striated on one side and
shattered rubble on the other
[Mid-19th century. From French,
literally “fleecy rock” (that is, rounded like a sheep’s back).][1]



Rochester

Rochester
Roch·es·ter 
[rch estər]

1.  city
on the Zumbro River in southeastern Minnesota. It is the site of the Mayo
Clinic, founded in 1914. Population: 70,745 (1990)

2.  city
and port in western New York, south of Lake Ontario and northeast of Buffalo.
Population: 221,594 (1996)

[1]



rochet

rochet
roch·et 
[róchət] (plural roch·ets) noun

bishop’s
robe:
a white linen garment, similar to a surplice but with tight-fitting sleeves,
worn on ceremonial occasions by bishops and other high-ranking members of the
clergy
[14th century. From Old
French, “little mantle,” from roc “mantle,” of prehistoric Germanic
origin.][1]



Rock

Rock
Rock
[raak]

river rising in Wisconsin,
flowing through Illinois and into the Mississippi River. Length: 483 km/300 mi.[1]



rock

rock2
rock2 [rok]
verb (past rocked, past participle rocked, present
participle rock·ing, 3rd person present singular rocks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sway
to and fro:
to swing or sway, or cause something or somebody to swing or sway, backward and
forward or from side to side, especially with a slow gentle rhythm

2.  transitive
verb
bring
to a state by rocking: to cause somebody to be in a
specified condition by rocking • rocked
the child to sleep

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shake
or tremble:
to move or shake, or cause somebody or something to move or shake, violently • An
earth tremor rocked the city.

4.  transitive
verb
shock:
to disturb, upset, or shock somebody (informal) • The
ruling rocked the legal profession.

5.  intransitive
verb
play
or dance to rock music: to sing, play, or dance to
music, especially to rock music (informal)

6.  intransitive
verb
be
filled with rock music: to contain people performing
or enjoying music, especially rock music (informal) • The
joint was really rocking.

7.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC have
strong beat: to have or play music with a strong
solid beat (informal)

8.  intransitive
verb
travel:
to advance steadily or quickly (informal) • rocking
along at 60 miles an hour

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb MINING wash ore in cradle:
to wash gold-bearing or gem-bearing sands or gravel in a pivoting cradle ( rocker )

10. transitive
verb
ARTS roughen
copper plate: in engraving a mezzotint, to prepare a
copper plate with a tool with a short, curved, jagged blade ( rocker )
noun
(plural rocks)

1.  act
of rocking:
an act or the process of rocking somebody or something

2.  MUSIC type
of pop music: a style of pop music, derived from rock
and roll, usually played on electric or electronic instruments and equipment
[Old English roccian,
of uncertain origin: probably from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
move”][1]



rock

rock1
rock1 [rok]
noun (plural rocks)

1.  hard
mineral aggregate: any consolidated material
such as granite or limestone, or unconsolidated material such as sand or mud,
consisting of more than one mineral and sometimes organic material

2.  projecting
mass of rock: a large mass of mineral material,
especially an isolated or projecting one (often used in placenames)

3.  boulder:
a large stone or boulder

4.  somebody
dependable:
somebody who or something that is considered to be stable, dependable, or supportive,
especially in times of trouble

5.  U.K.
hard
candy:
a hard, often brightly colored, candy made from boiled sugar, usually in the
form of a long cylindrical stick, sometimes with the name of a seaside resort
through it

6.  diamond:
a large gemstone, especially a diamond (informal)

7.  crack
cocaine:
crack cocaine, or a small piece of crack cocaine (slang)
plural
noun
rocks

1.  money:
money (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for the testicles (slang offensive)
[14th
century. Via Old French ro(c)que from assumed Vulgar Latin rocca,
of unknown origin.]
between
a rock and a hard place

faced
with a choice between two equally unpleasant or undesirable alternatives

get
your rocks off

1.  an
offensive term meaning to have an orgasm (slang offensive) (refers to
a male)

2.  to
get a great deal of pleasure or excitement from some activity (slang
offensive)

on
the rocks

1.  in
great difficulties and heading for ruin or disaster, especially financially or
emotionally (informal)

2.  served
with ice cubes

[1]



rockabilly

rockabilly
rock·a·bil·ly 
[rókə bìllee] noun

pop
music:
a style of pop music, originating in the late 1950s, that combines elements of
rock and roll with elements of country music
[Mid-20th century. Blend of rock and roll + hillbilly
.][1]



rockabye

rockabye
rock·a·bye
[rókə b] or rock·a·by [rókə b] interjection

hushaby:
used to encourage a baby or child to go to sleep
[Early 19th century. Blend of
rock 2 + lullaby .][1]



Rockall

Rockall
Rock·all
[rk àwl]

rocky islet in the Atlantic
Ocean, 354 km/220 mi west of the Outer Hebrides. The small islet is the subject
of a maritime dispute between several countries. Area: 743 sq m.//8,000 sq ft.[1]



rockand roll

rockand roll
rock
and roll
[ròkən rṓl, rókən
rl] or rock’n’roll [ròkən rṓl,
rókən rl] noun

1.  MUSIC pop
music with heavy beat: a style of pop music that
has its roots mainly in blues music and is characterized by heavily stressed
beats. It is played on electric instruments, and has simple, often repetitive,
lyrics.

2.  DANCE dance
done to rock and roll: a style of dancing done to rock
and roll music
intransitive
verb
(past rocked and rolled, past participle rocked and
rolled, present participle rock·ing and roll·ing, 3rd
person present singular rocks and rolls) (past rock’n’rolled,
past participle rock’n’rolled, present participle rock’n’roll·ing,
3rd person present singular rock’n’rolls)

dance to rock and roll:
to do a rock and roll dance
—rock and roll·er, noun[1]



rockand rye

rockand rye
rock
and rye
noun

sweetened rye whiskey
liqueur: a type of rye whiskey that
contains pieces of rock candy and, occasionally, fruits[1]



rockaway

rockaway

rock·a·way 
[rókə wày] (plural rock·a·ways)
noun
horse-drawn
carriage:
a light, four-wheeled, horse-drawn carriage for two or four passengers that
usually has a fixed top and open sides
[Mid-19th century. Named for Rockaway,
a town in northern New Jersey where the carriage was first made.][1]



rockbass

rockbass
rock
bass 
[rók bàss] noun

N American sunfish:
a sunfish with a dark olive back, white undersides, and red eyes. It is a
freshwater food and game fish native to eastern and central North America.
Latin name: Ambloplites rupestris[1]



rockbottom

rockbottom
rock
bot·tom
noun

lowest
level:
the lowest level or price possible
—rock-bot·tom, adjective[1]



rockbound

rockbound
rock·bound
[rók bòwnd] adjective

1.  surrounded
by rocks:
entirely, or almost entirely, surrounded by rocks

2.  too
rocky to get at: being so rocky as to be inaccessible

[1]



rockbrake

rockbrake
rock
brake
(plural rock brakes) noun

fern growing on rocky ground:
a fern that has compound fronds and grows on rocky ground. Genus: Crytogramma[1]



rockcandy

rockcandy
rock
can·dy
noun

hard sugar candy:
a hard candy consisting of dissolved sugar that is cooled to form large
crystals. It is sometimes made on a piece of string or a stick.[1]



rockclimbing

rockclimbing
rock
climb·ing
noun

scaling
rock faces:
the activity of scaling rock faces, usually using ropes and other specialized
equipment and often in a team
—rock climb·er, noun[1]



RockCornish

RockCornish
Rock
Cor·nish 
(plural Rock Cor·nish·es) noun

small breed of chicken:
a small chicken developed by crossbreeding Cornish and white Plymouth Rock
fowls, used especially as a roasting chicken.
Also called
game hen
Also called
Cornish game hen[1]



rockcrab

rockcrab
rock
crab
(plural rock crabs) noun

N American crab of rocky
coasts: a crab found in rocky
coastal areas of North America. Genus: Cancer[1]



rockcrystal

rockcrystal
rock
crys·tal
(plural rock crys·tals) noun

colorless transparent variety
of quartz: a colorless transparent
variety of quartz, used in electronic and optical instruments[1]



rockdove

rockdove
rock
dove
(plural rock doves) noun

dove that is ancestor of
pigeons: a bluish gray dove of Europe
and Asia from which domestic and wild pigeons are descended. Latin name: Columba
livia
Also called
rock pigeon[1]



Rockefeller,John D.

Rockefeller,John D.
Rock·e·fel·ler 
[rókə fèllər], John D. (1839–1937)

U.S.
industrialist and philanthropist. He founded Standard Oil and established the
Rockefeller Foundation (1913).
Full name
Rockefeller, John Davison[1]



rockelm

rockelm
rock
elm
noun

1.  TREES eastern
N American elm tree: a deciduous tree of eastern
North America with corky branches. Latin name: Ulmus thomasii

2.  INDUSTRY timber:
the wood of the rock elm tree

[1]



rocker

rocker
rock·er 
[rókər] (plural rock·ers) noun

1.  rocking
device:
a device that functions by way of a rocking movement

2.  furniture
stand:
an upwardly curved piece of wood or metal that allows something such as a
rocking chair or baby’s cradle to move backward and forward or from side to
side

3.  FURNITURE See rocking chair

4.  MINING See cradle  noun 8

5.  ARTS engraver’s
tool:
a tool with a short, curved, jagged blade used in the engraving of mezzotints
for roughening the copper plates

6.  ICE SKATING type
of ice skate: an ice skate with a curved blade, or the
curved blade itself (often used in the plural)

7.  MUSIC rock
musician:
a rock singer or musician (informal)

8.  MUSIC rock
fan:
a fan of rock music or rock and roll (informal)

9.  rock
song:
a rock music song
be
off your rocker

an offensive phrase that
deliberately insults somebody’s mental balance (informal or offensive)[1]



rockerarm

rockerarm
rock·er
arm
(plural rock·er arms) noun

pivoted lever that transmits
motion: a pivoted lever, for
example, in an internal-combustion engine, that transmits motion from a cam or
pushrod at one end to open and close a valve at the other[1]



rockercam

rockercam
rock·er
cam
(plural rock·er cams) noun

oscillating or rocking cam:
a cam that oscillates or rocks but does not revolve[1]



rockerpanel

rockerpanel
rock·er
pan·el
(plural rock·er pan·els) noun

exterior panel below
doorsill: on a passenger vehicle, the
exterior panel located below the doorsill of the passenger compartment[1]



rockery

rockery
rock·er·y 
[rókəree] (plural rock·er·ies)
noun

See
rock garden  noun 1[1]



rocket

rocket1
rock·et1 [rókət]
noun (plural rock·ets)

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY space
vehicle:
a device or vehicle designed for space travel, propelled by a device that
carries both fuel and oxidizer and produces thrust by expelling expanding hot
gases ( rocket engine )

2.  See
rocket engine

3.  MILITARY rocket
-propelled weapon: a weapon consisting of an
explosive, nuclear, or other warhead that is propelled by a rocket engine

4.  self-propelled
firework or flare: a firework, flare, or
similar device containing combustible propellants. Rockets are usually
cylindrical in shape with a lightable fuse at the bottom.
Also
called
sky rocket
verb
(past rock·et·ed, past participle rock·et·ed, present
participle rock·et·ing, 3rd person present singular rock·ets)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move or begin to move at great speed

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb attain
or make attain something quickly: to get to, or cause
somebody or something to get to, a particular condition or position very
quickly (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
increase
quickly:
to increase very quickly and dramatically (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
MILITARY AEROSPACE power something using rocket
engine:
to send something, especially a spacecraft, warhead, or missile, into the air
or atmosphere by means of a rocket engine or rocket engines

5.  transitive
verb
bombard
with rocket: to fire a rocket at a target

6.  intransitive
verb
fly
up quickly:
to fly up vertically at speed (refers to game birds)
[Early 17th century. From
Italian rocchetta “small distaff” (from its shape), from rocca
“distaff,” of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



rocket

rocket2
rock·et2 [rókət]
(plural rock·ets) noun

1.  yellow-flowered
fast-growing plant: a fast-growing plant with
pale yellow flowers, typically growing on waste ground. Genus: Sisymbrium

2.  See
dame’s violet

3.  See
sea rocket

4.  U.K.
See arugula
[Early 16th century. Via
French roquette from Italian ruchetta, literally “small ruca” (a
cabbage), ultimately from Latin eruca “caterpillar, cole.”][1]



rocketeer

rocketeer
rock·et·eer 
[ròkə tr] (plural rock·et·eers)
noun

1.  somebody
who designs space rockets: a scientist or engineer who
designs space rockets

2.  somebody
traveling in space rocket: somebody who launches,
operates, or travels in a space rocket

[1]



rocketengine

rocketengine
rock·et
en·gine
(plural rock·et en·gines) noun

device producing thrust by
expelling gases: a device that carries
both fuel and oxidizer that it burns in a combustion chamber, producing thrust
by expelling the expanding hot gases through a nozzle. The fuel and oxidizer
may be liquefied gases, such as oxygen and hydrogen, or solids, such as powdered
aluminum and ammonium perchloride.
Also called
rocket[1]



rocketplane

rocketplane
rock·et
plane
(plural rock·et planes) noun

1.  aircraft
powered by rocket engines: an aircraft that is powered
by a rocket engine or engines

2.  rocket-carrying
aircraft:
an aircraft that is designed to carry and launch rockets, missiles, or warheads

[1]



rocketry

rocketry
rock·et·ry 
[rókətree] noun

study of rocket design and
use: the science and technology
of the design, construction, operation, flying, and maintenance of rockets[1]



rocketscience

rocketscience
rock·et
sci·ence
noun

complex
activity:
a complex and intellectually demanding activity (informal) • Using
the Internet isn’t exactly rocket science.
[Late 20th century. From the
idea that rocket science is the province of a few highly qualified
specialists.][1]



rocketscientist

rocketscientist
rock·et
sci·en·tist
(plural rock·et sci·en·tists) noun

intelligent person:
somebody who is highly intelligent (informal) • It
doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out![1]



rocketship

rocketship
rock·et
ship
(plural rock·et ships) noun

rocket-powered spaceship:
a spaceship powered by rocket engines[1]



rocketsled

rocketsled
rock·et
sled
(plural rock·et sleds) noun

rocket-propelled sled on
rails: a rocket-propelled vehicle
that runs on a rail or rails and can be accelerated rapidly to high speeds,
used in aeronautical applications such as crash and G-force tolerance testing[1]



rocketsonde

rocketsonde
rock·et·sonde 
[rókət sond] (plural rock·et·sondes)
noun

meteorological device:
an instrument transported by rocket to the upper atmosphere to carry out
weather observations[1]



rockfall

rockfall
rock·fall
[rók fàwl] (plural rock·falls)
noun

1.  fallen
rocks:
a collection or mass of fallen rocks

2.  falling
rocks:
an avalanche of falling rocks

[1]



rockfish

rockfish
rock·fish 
[rók fìsh] (plural rock·fish or
rock·fish·es) noun

1.  food
fish living among rocks: a fish that lives among
rocks. Many are important food fishes.

2.  See
striped bass

[1]



rockflour

rockflour
rock
flour
noun

powdery rock particles:
fine powdery rock produced by grinding or abrasion, for example, by the
movement of a glacier.
Also called
glacier meal[1]



Rockford

Rockford
Rock·ford 
[rkfərd]

city in northern Illinois,
south of the Wisconsin border, east of Freeport and northwest of Chicago.
Population: 143,531 (1996)[1]



rockgarden

rockgarden
rock
gar·den
(plural rock gar·dens) noun

1.  decorative
stony garden: a garden or area of a garden in which
plants, especially low-growing colorful hardy ones grow between carefully
arranged large stones.
Also
called
rockery

2.  garden
with rocks:
a garden in which large stones are a prominent feature

[1]



RockHill

RockHill
Rock
Hill
[rk híl]

city in northern South
Carolina, north of Columbia and southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Population: 44,061 (1996)[1]



rockhopper

rockhopper
rock·hop·per
[rók hòppər] (plural rock·hop·pers)
noun

small Antarctic penguin:
a small penguin, native to Antarctica, New Zealand, and the Falkland Islands,
that has a stout bill and a yellow crest. Latin name: Eudyptes crestatus[1]



rockhound

rockhound
rock
hound
(plural rock hounds) noun (informal)

1.  rock
collector:
somebody who has an interest in, or whose hobby is, collecting rocks and
minerals

2.  GEOLOGY a geologist
—rock·hound·ing [rók hòwnding], noun[1]



rockhyrax

rockhyrax
rock
hy·rax
noun

African hyrax:
a small plant-eating African hyrax that lives in large colonies in rocky
outcrops. Genus: Procavia
Also called
rock rabbit[1]



Rockies

Rockies
Rock·ies
[rókeez]

See
Rocky Mountains[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rockingchair

rockingchair
rock·ing
chair 
(plural rock·ing chairs) noun

chair on rockers:
a chair that is set on a pair of curved pieces of wood so that somebody sitting
in it can be rocked backward and forward.
Also called
rocker[1]



rockinghorse

rockinghorse
rock·ing
horse
(plural rock·ing hors·es) noun

child’s model horse:
a small model horse fitted with reins and a saddle and set on a pair of rockers
on which a child can sit and rock backward and forward.
Also called
hobbyhorse[1]



RockIsland

RockIsland
Rock
Is·land

city in northwestern
Illinois, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. It forms the
Illinois-Iowa border, southwest of Moline. Population: 39,679 (1996)[1]



rockling

rockling
rock·ling 
[rókling] (plural rock·lings or
rock·ling) noun

fish of cod family:
any of various small North Atlantic fishes of the cod family. Family: Gadidae[1]



rocklobster

rocklobster
rock
lob·ster
noun

See
spiny lobster[1]



rockmaple

rockmaple
rock
ma·ple
(plural rock ma·ples) noun

See
sugar maple[1]



rockoon

rockoon
rock·oon 
[ro kn] (plural rock·oons) noun

upper-atmosphere
research system: an upper-atmosphere research system
consisting of a large plastic balloon, launched at a high altitude, that
carries a small rocket fitted with scientific equipment
[Mid-20th century. Blend of rocket 1 + balloon .][1]



rockpigeon

rockpigeon
rock
pi·geon
(plural rock pi·geons) noun

See
rock dove[1]



rockrabbit

rockrabbit
rock
rab·bit
(plural rock rab·bits) noun

See
rock hyrax[1]



rock-ribbed

rock-ribbed
rock-ribbed 
adjective

1.  firm
in beliefs:
rigid and inflexible in beliefs or principles

2.  rocky:
characterized by rocks or rocky outcrops

[1]



rockrose

rockrose
rock·rose 
[rók rz] (plural rock·ros·es)
noun

shrub with roselike flowers:
a woody shrub or plant grown for its small light-yellow or reddish flowers that
are shaped like roses. Genera: Cistus Helianthemum[1]



rocksalt

rocksalt
rock
salt
noun

See
halite[1]



rockslide

rockslide
rock·slide 
[rók sld] (plural rock·slides)
noun

1.  rocks
that have slid downward: a collection or mass of
rocks that have slid downward

2.  sliding
avalanche of rocks: an avalanche of rocks as a
result of surface movement

[1]



rock-solid

rock-solid
rock-sol·id
adjective

1.  completely
solid:
firm and unshakable

2.  unlikely
to break:
extremely hard and unlikely to break

[1]



Rockville

Rockville
Rock·ville 
[rk víl]

city in western central
Maryland, south of Gaithersburg. It is a northwestern suburb of Washington,
D.C. Population: 46,019 (1996)[1]



RockvilleCentre

RockvilleCentre
Rock·ville
Cen·tre


village on Long Island,
southeastern New York, directly east of the borough of Queens, New York City.
Population: 24,787 (1996)[1]



rockwallaby

rockwallaby
rock
wal·la·by
noun

Australian marsupial of rocky
country: a medium-sized Australian
marsupial that is found in open rocky country and has large well-padded hind
feet with stiff hairs to prevent it from slipping on the rocks. Genus: Petrogale[1]



rockweed

rockweed
rock·weed 
[rók wd] (plural rock·weeds) noun

brown seaweed:
any of various coarse brown seaweeds that grow on coastal rocks. Genera: Fucus
Ascophyllum[1]



Rockwell,Norman

Rockwell,Norman

Rock·well
[rók wèl, rókwəl],
Norman (1894–1978)
U.S. illustrator. He is best known for
his magazine covers and illustrations of everyday small-town life, published in
U.S. periodicals such as The Saturday Evening Post and the Ladies’ Home
Journal.[1]



rockwool

rockwool
rock
wool
noun

See
mineral wool[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rockwork

rockwork
rock·work 
[rók wùrk] noun

1.  decorative
stonework:
artificial or decorative stonework designed to resemble the irregularity of
natural rocks

2.  mass
of stones:
a collection or mass of large stones or rocks

[1]



rockwren

rockwren
rock
wren
(plural rock wrens) noun

N American wren:
a gray wren of western North America, commonly found in rocky barrens and
canyons. Latin name: Salpinctes obsoletus[1]



rocky

rocky1
rock·y1 [rókee]
(comparative rock·i·er, superlative rock·i·est) adjective

1.  with
rocks:
consisting of or covered with rocks

2.  hard:
resembling rock in its hardness or firmness

3.  completely
steady:
unyielding, unwavering, or lacking in human emotions
—rock·i·ness, noun[1]



rocky

rocky2
rock·y2 [rókee]
(comparative rock·i·er, superlative rock·i·est) adjective

1.  difficult:
characterized by difficulties, obstacles, or troubles

2.  unsteady:
wobbly and unsteady

3.  unwell:
unwell, especially feeling sick or dizzy (informal)
—rock·i·ly,
adverb

—rock·i·ness, noun[1]



RockyMountain goat

RockyMountain goat
Rock·y
Moun·tain goat (plural Rock·y Moun·tain goats)
noun

See
mountain goat[1]



RockyMountain National Park

RockyMountain National Park
Rock·y
Moun·tain Na·tion·al Park

national park in northern
Colorado, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, established in 1915. Area: 1,073
sq km/414 sq mi.[1]



RockyMountains

RockyMountains
Rock·y
Moun·tains

major mountain system of
North America. Its highest point is Mount Elbert, at 4,399 m/14,433 ft .
Length: 4,800 km/3,000 mi.
Also called
Rockies[1]



RockyMountain spotted fever

RockyMountain spotted fever
Rock·y
Moun·tain spot·ted fe·ver noun

disease
caused by tick bite: an acute infectious disease
transmitted by the bite of ticks infected with the microorganism Rickettsia
rickettsi. Symptoms include chills, fever, muscle and joint pain, skin
rash, and prostration.
[Because first reported in
the area of the Rocky Mountains][1]



rock’n’roll

rock’n’roll
rock’n’roll
noun intransitive verb

See
rock and roll[1]



rococo

rococo

ro·co·co 
[rə kṓkō, rō kṓkō,
rṓkə k] noun

1.  ro·co·co
or Ro·co·co ARTS ornate
18C art style: a style of architecture and the
decorative arts characterized by intricate ornamentation that was popular
throughout Europe in the early 18th century

2.  ro·co·co
or Ro·co·co MUSIC ornate
18C music style: a style of music characterized by the
use of ornamentation and embellishment that was popular in the 18th century

3.  ornate
style:
any overly ornate or fancy style
adjective

1.  ro·co·co
or Ro·co·co ARTS MUSIC in
style of rococo: belonging to, relating to, or in the
style of 18th-century rococo

2.  ornate:
overly ornate or fancy
[Mid-19th century. From
French, a fanciful alteration of rocaille .][1]



rod

rod
rod 
[rod] (plural rods) noun

1.  thin
stick:
a narrow, usually cylindrical, length of wood, metal, plastic, or other
material

2.  ANGLING See fishing rod

3.  whipping
stick:
a stick, or bundle of sticks tied together, used for whipping somebody as a
punishment

4.  BUILDING surveying
pole:
a graduated pole used by surveyors for sighting with a leveling instrument to
determine elevation differences

5.  MEASUREMENTS See measuring
rod

6.  JOINERY board
marked with full-scale joinery pattern: a
board on which the dimensions of a joinery assembly, for example, a window or
door frame, are marked in full scale

7.  See
lightning rod

8.  FREIGHT RAIL metal bar supporting railroad
car:
one of the metal bars that form the framework of the underside of a railroad
car, especially one on a freight car (often used in the plural)

9.  POLITICS staff
of office:
a staff, especially one that indicates somebody’s standing, office, authority,
or power

10. power
wielded:
tyrannical or oppressive power

11. BOTANY plant
stem:
a straight stem or shoot that has been cut from, or that is growing on, a woody
plant

12. ANATOMY receptor
cell in eye: a rod-shaped receptor in the retina of
the eye that is sensitive to dim light but not color

13. MICROBIOLOGY bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium

14. MEASUREMENTS unit
of length:
a unit of length equal to 5.03 m/5½ yd, now largely obsolete

15. MEASUREMENTS unit
of area:
a unit of area equal to 25.3 m 2/30¼ sq yd, now largely
obsolete

16. pistol:
a gun, especially a pistol (slang)
[Old
English rodd “pole, rod,” of uncertain origin]
—rod·less,
adjective

—rod·like [ród lk], adjective[1]



Rodbell,Martin

Rodbell,Martin
Rod·bell
[róddbel], Martin (1925– )

U.S. biochemist. He shared a
Nobel Prize (1994) in physiology or medicine for discovering a chemical
transducer.[1]



rode

rode1
rode1

Past tense of
ride[1]



rode

rode2
rode2 [rōd]
(plural rodes) noun

rope
or chain for anchor: a rope or chain, especially
one attached to an anchor
[Early17th century. Of
uncertain origin.][1]



rodent

rodent
ro·dent 
[rṓd’nt] (plural ro·dents) noun

small
gnawing mammal: a small mammal such as a mouse, rat,
squirrel, or marmot with large gnawing incisor teeth that continue growing
throughout the animal’s life. Rodents make up more than a third of all living
mammal species and are adapted to all terrestrial habitats. Order: Rodentia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Rodentia, order name, from Latin rodent-, the
present participle stem of rodere “to gnaw.”][1]



rodenticide

rodenticide
ro·den·ti·cide 
[rō déntə sd] (plural ro·den·ti·cides)
noun

rat poison:
a substance designed to kill rodents, especially rats and mice[1]



rodentulcer

rodentulcer
ro·dent
ul·cer
(plural ro·dent ul·cers) noun

skin
ulcer:
a persistent, usually cancerous ulcer of the skin, especially of the face
[Rodent literally “gnawing”
(see rodent )][1]



rodeo

rodeo
ro·de·o 
[rṓdee , rō dáy
] noun (plural ro·de·os)

1.  competition
in cowboy skills: a competition or display of lassoing,
bronco-riding, calf-roping, and steer-wrangling

2.  motorcycling
competition: a competition or display of motorcycle
riding that often includes stunts

3.  AGRICULTURE cattle
round-up:
an occasion when cattle are rounded up, especially so that they can be branded,
counted, or have their health checked

4.  AGRICULTURE cattle
pen:
a pen for rounded-up cattle
intransitive
verb
(past ro·de·od, past participle ro·de·od, present
participle ro·de·o·ing, 3rd person present singular ro·de·os)

AGRICULTURE SPORTS to take part in a rodeo
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, literally “cattle ring,” from rodear “to go round, surround,”
from Latin rotare (see rotate ).][1]



Rodgers,Richard

Rodgers,Richard

Rodg·ers
[rójjərz], Richard (1902–1979)
U.S. composer. His collaborations with
Lorenz Hart ( 1920–1940 ) and Oscar Hammerstein II ( 1943–1959 ) produced
popular musicals such as Pal Joey (1940) and Oklahoma! (1943).[1]



Rodin,Auguste

Rodin,Auguste


Ro·din
[rō dáN], Auguste (1840–1917)
French
sculptor. Among his bronze sculptures are The Thinker (1880), The
Kiss (1880), and The Burghers of Calais (1886).
Full name
Rodin, François Auguste René[1]



rodman

rodman
rod·man 
[ródmən, ród màn]
(plural rod·men [ródmən]) noun

surveyor’s assistant:
a surveyor’s assistant whose job is to hold the graduated pole, or rod.
U.K. term
staffman[1]



Rodney,Caesar

Rodney,Caesar
Rod·ney
[ródnee], Caesar (1728–1784)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of the Continental Congress of Independence (1776) and presided
over Delaware (1778–1782).[1]



rodomontade

rodomontade
rod·o·mon·tade 
[ròddəmən táyd, ròddə
mon táyd, ròddəmən td] or rho·do·mon·tade
[ròddəmən táyd, ròddə
mon táyd, ròddəmən td] noun (plural
rod·o·mon·tades) (plural rho·do·mon·tades)

boastfulness:
pretentious, self-important, or self-indulgent boasting, speech, or behavior (literary)
intransitive
verb
(past rod·o·mon·tad·ed, past participle rod·o·mon·tad·ed,
present participle rod·o·mon·tad·ing, 3rd person present
singular rod·o·mon·tades) (past rho·do·mon·tad·ed, past
participle rho·do·mon·tad·ed, present participle rho·do·mon·tad·ing,
3rd person present singular rho·do·mon·tades)

boast:
to boast or speak in a pretentious, self-important, or self-indulgent way (literary)
adjective

boastful:
boastful in a pretentious, self-important, or self-indulgent way (literary)
[Early 17th century. Via
French from obsolete Italian rodomontada, from rodomonte
“braggart,” from Rodomonte, a boastful king in Boiardo ’s Orlando
Innamorato and Ariosto ’s Orlando Furioso .][1]



roe

roe2
roe2 [rō]
(plural roe or roes) noun

See
roe deer
[Old English rā, from
prehistoric Germanic][1]



roe

roe1
roe1 [rō]
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY FOOD fish eggs:
a mass of mature fish eggs, especially when still inside the ovarian sac,
sometimes eaten cooked

2.  ZOOLOGY fish
sperm:
a mass of mature fish sperm, especially when it is still inside the testicular
sac

3.  ZOOLOGY crustacean
eggs:
a mass of mature eggs of certain crustaceans, for example, the lobster,
especially when still inside the ovarian sac
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch or Middle Low German roge, of unknown origin.][1]



Roebling,John Augustus

Roebling,John Augustus
Roeb·ling
[rṓbling], John Augustus (1806–1869)

German-born U.S. civil
engineer. He pioneered the construction of suspension bridges, and designed the
Brooklyn Bridge (1869).[1]



roebuck

roebuck
roe·buck 
[rṓ bùk] (plural roe·buck or
roe·bucks) noun

male roe deer:
a male roe deer, especially an adult one[1]



Roedean

Roedean
Roe·de·an
[rō dáyən] noun

private school in southern
England: a private school for girls
in southern England. It was founded in 1885.[1]



roedeer

roedeer
roe
deer
noun

woodland deer:
a medium-sized reddish brown European and Asian deer found in deciduous
woodlands. Latin name: Capreolus capreolus
Also called
roe[1]



roentgen

roentgen
roent·gen 
[réntgən, réntjən]
(plural roent·gens) or rönt·gen [réntgən, réntjən]
(plural rönt·gens) noun

unit
of radiation dosage: a unit of radiation, used to
measure the exposure of somebody or something to X-rays and gamma rays, defined
in terms of the ionization effect on air. It is equal to the quantity of
radiation that produces ionization equal to one electrostatic unit of charge at
0° and standard atmospheric pressure. Symbol R
[Late 19th century. Named for
W.C. Roentgen .][1]



roentgen-

roentgen-
roentgen-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
roentgeno-[1]



roentgeno-

roentgeno-
roentgeno-
prefix

X-ray
• roentgenotherapy
[From roentgen][1]



Roentgen,Wilhelm Conrad

Roentgen,Wilhelm Conrad
Roent·gen 
[réntgən, réntjən],
Wilhelm Conrad (1845–1923)

German physicist. He was
awarded a Nobel Prize in 1901 for his discovery of X-rays, originally known
also as Roentgen rays.[1]



Roeslare

Roeslare
Roes·lare
[rssə lrə]

city in West Flanders
Province, western Belgium, 29 km/18 mi south of Bruges. Population: 53,706
(1996)[1]



Roethke,Theodore

Roethke,Theodore

Roeth·ke
[rétkə], Theodore (1908–1963)
U.S. poet. His volume of poetry, The
Waking: Poems ( 1953 ), won a Pulitzer Prize.[1]



rogation

rogation
ro·ga·tion 
[rō gáysh’n] (plural ro·ga·tions)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY solemn
prayer:
in the Christian church, a solemn prayer or supplication, especially one made
as part of the observation of the three days preceding Ascension Day ( Rogation Days ) (often used in the plural)

2.  HISTORY submission
of law for approval: in ancient Rome, the
submission of a law by a consul or tribune to the people for their approval, or
a law so submitted
[14th century. From the Latin
stem rogation-, from rogare “to ask, beg.”][1]



RogationDay

RogationDay
Ro·ga·tion
Day 
(plural Ro·ga·tion Days) noun

day preceding Ascension Day:
any of the three days preceding Ascension Day on which Christians are expected
to pray (often used in the plural)[1]



RogationSunday

RogationSunday
Ro·ga·tion
Sun·day
noun

Sunday before Ascension Day:
the Sunday before the Christian festival of Ascension Day, falling five weeks
after Easter[1]



rogatory

rogatory
ro·ga·to·ry 
[róggə tàwree] adjective

requesting
information: requesting information, especially
information that might be pertinent to a court case
[Mid-19th century. Via French
rogatoire from medieval Latin rogatorius, from Latin rogare
“to ask, beg.”][1]



roger

roger
rog·er 
[rójjər] interjection

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS as
code word in telecommunications: used in
telecommunications to indicate that the speaker has received and understood a
transmitted message

2.  OK:
used to indicate the speaker’s agreement to something (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rog·ered,
past participle rog·ered, present participle rog·er·ing,
3rd person present singular rog·ers)

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse with a woman (dated
slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. From the
name Roger, used in radio communications for the letter r and
meaning received .][1]



Rogers

Rogers
Rog·ers 
[rjərz]

city in northwestern
Arkansas, west of Beaver Lake and north of Springdale. Population: 35,355
(1996)[1]



Rogers,Ginger

Rogers,Ginger
Rog·ers 
[rjərz], Ginger (1911–1995)

U.S.
dancer and actor. She was Fred Astaire’s dance partner in many Hollywood
musicals ( 1933–1949 ), including Top Hat ( 1935 ).
Born
Virginia Katherine McMath[1]



RogersMountain

RogersMountain
Rog·ers
Moun·tain

mountain in southwestern
Virginia, near the North Carolina border. It is the highest point in the state.
Height: 1,807 m/5,927 ft.[1]



Rogers,Will

Rogers,Will

Rog·ers 
[rjərz], Will (1879–1935)
U.S.
humorist. He was known for his vaudeville performances and rope tricks.
Full name
Rogers, William Penn Adair[1]



Roget,Peter Mark

Roget,Peter Mark
Ro·get
[rō áy], Peter Mark (1779–1869)

British scholar and doctor.
He compiled the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases ( 1852 ), now
known as Roget’s Thesaurus.[1]



rogue

rogue
rogue 
[rōg] noun (plural rogues)

1.  somebody
dishonest:
somebody who is unscrupulous or dishonest, especially somebody who is
nevertheless likable

2.  somebody
mischievous: somebody who is mischievously playful,
especially a naughty child

3.  PLANTS ZOOLOGY biologically inferior
variant:
a plant or animal that is a biologically inferior variant as compared to the
rest of its species

4.  ZOOLOGY dangerous
solitary animal: a vicious or uncontrolled animal that
lives apart from the rest of its herd or group, especially an elephant

5.  tramp:
a tramp or vagrant (archaic)
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY dangerous
and solitary: vicious and uncontrolled and living
apart from the rest of the herd or group

2.  maverick:
acting independently and using unorthodox methods that often cause trouble

3.  stray:
different and unwanted, and often dangerous or destructive
transitive
verb
(past rogued, past participle rogued, present
participle rogu·ing, 3rd person present singular rogues)

1.  AGRICULTURE PLANTS clear
away plants from land: to remove inferior plants
from a piece of land or a group of plants

2.  defraud:
to swindle or defraud somebody
[Mid-16th century. Originally
“vagrant,” of uncertain origin: possibly from roger (“g” pronounced
hard) “beggar posing as an impoverished student,” from Latin rogare “to
beg.”][1]



Rogue

Rogue
Rogue 
[rōg]

river in southwestern Oregon,
rising in the Cascade Mountains and emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Length:
320 km/200 mi.[1]



roguery

roguery
rogu·er·y 
[rṓgəree] (plural rogu·er·ies)
noun

1.  dishonest
action:
an act or behavior that is unscrupulous or dishonest

2.  mischievous
action:
an act or behavior that is mischievously playful

[1]



roguesite

roguesite
rogue
site
(plural rougue sites) noun

Web site with similar name:
a World Wide Web site that redirects users to its site by having a similar
domain name as a popular site[1]



rogues’gallery

rogues’gallery
rogues’
gal·ler·y 
noun

photographs of criminals:
a set of photographs of known criminals that the police show to witnesses to
crimes for possible identification (archaic)[1]



roguish

roguish
rogu·ish 
[rṓgish] adjective

1.  dishonest:
unscrupulous or dishonest in the manner of a rogue

2.  mischievous:
mischievously playful
—rogu·ish·ly,
adverb

—rogu·ish·ness, noun[1]



ROI

ROI
ROI

Abbreviation of
return on investment[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








roil

roil
roil 
[royl] (past roiled, past
participle roiled, present participle roil·ing, 3rd
person present singular roils) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS make or become opaque:
to stir up a liquid so that the sediment becomes dispersed through the liquid
and makes it cloudy, or become cloudy with sediment by being stirred

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody angry: to anger or annoy somebody.
See
also
rile
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from French rouiller “to make
muddy, rust,” from assumed Vulgar Latin robicula, alteration of Latin robigo
“rust.”]
—roil·y, adjective[1]



roister

roister
rois·ter 
[róystər] (past rois·tered, past
participle rois·tered, present participle rois·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular rois·ters) intransitive verb

1.  celebrate
rowdily:
to take part in loud rowdy partying or celebrations

2.  brag
loudly:
to behave in a loud bragging manner
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old French ru(i)stre “boor,
churl,” ultimately from Latin rusticus “rustic.”]
—rois·ter·er,
noun

—rois·ter·ous,
adjective

—rois·ter·ous·ly, adverb[1]



role

role
role
[rōl] (plural roles) or
rôle [rōl] noun

1.  ARTS acting
part:
an individual part in a play, movie, opera, or other performance played by an
actor, singer, or other performer

2.  specific
function:
the usual or expected function of somebody or something, or the part somebody
or something plays in a particular action or event

3.  PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY part
played in social context: the part played by somebody
in a given social context, with any characteristic or expected pattern of
behavior that it entails
[Early 17th century. From
French rôle “(paper) roll on which an actor’s part is written,” from Old
French rol(l)e (see roll ).][1]



rolemodel

rolemodel
role
mod·el
(plural role mod·els) noun

somebody to be copied:
somebody who is regarded as somebody to look up to and often as an example to
emulate[1]



role-play

role-play
role-play 
noun

acting
out of part: role-playing, or an instance of it
intransitive
and transitive verb

act out part:
to engage or act out a part in role-playing[1]



role-playing

role-playing
role-play·ing 
noun

acting out of part:
the acting out of a part, especially that of somebody with a particular social
role, in order to understand the role or person better. This process is used in
psychotherapy and in training people in interpersonal skills.[1]



Rolfe,John

Rolfe,John
Rolfe
[rolf], John (1585–1622)

English-born American
colonist. He devised a method for curing tobacco, and was married to the Native
North American princess, Pocahontas (1614).[1]



Rolfing

Rolfing
Rolf·ing 
[rólfing]

a service mark for a type of
therapy using vigorous massage to alleviate physical or psychological tension[1]



roll

roll
roll 
[rōl] verb (past rolled,
past participle rolled, present participle rol·ling,
3rd person present singular rolls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
over and over: to move or cause something to move with
repeated turning or rotating motions

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
on wheels:
to move, or cause something to move, on wheels or rollers

3.  intransitive
verb
drive
in vehicle:
to move in a wheeled vehicle

4.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY writhe:
to lie on the back and move about or from side to side, but without moving very
far, often with a writhing motion (refers to animals)

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL rock from side to side:
to move with a sideways swaying or rocking motion on waves or a swell, or cause
something, especially a ship, to move in this way

6.  intransitive
verb
walk
unsteadily:
to walk with an unsteady or staggering motion

7.  intransitive
verb
walk
with a sway: to sway rhythmically in walking

8.  intransitive
verb
stretch
out or away in undulations: to have or take the form of
a succession of gentle slopes • green
hills rolling away into the distance

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with undulations: to move, or cause something to move, in
a steady flowing motion

10. intransitive
verb
elapse:
to go by or elapse, especially uneventfully or imperceptibly (refers
especially to time)

11. intransitive
verb
travel
around:
to travel from place to place

12. intransitive
verb
carry
on:
to proceed or continue successfully (informal) • Now
this project is finally rolling.

13. intransitive
verb
move
as crowd:
to move or arrive in large numbers or in a crowd

14. transitive
verb
PHONETICS trill
sound:
to pronounce a sound, especially an “r,” with a trill

15. intransitive
verb
reverberate
loudly:
to make a low prolonged rumbling noise

16. intransitive
verb
MUSIC MILITARY beat drum:
to make a series of quick beats on a drum

17. transitive
verb
MUSIC play
chord with spread notes: to play a chord with its
notes in rapid succession ( arpeggio )
rather than simultaneously

18. intransitive
and transitive verb GAME throw dice:
to throw a die or dice

19. transitive
verb
GAME score
number by throwing dice: to achieve a specified
number, position, or score by throwing a die or dice

20. intransitive
verb
be
carried by river: to be transported by river

21. intransitive
and transitive verb rotate:
to turn or cause something to turn in a complete or partial rotation

22. intransitive
verb
ASTRONOMY orbit:
to revolve in an orbit (refers to celestial bodies)

23. intransitive
and transitive verb AIR rotate aircraft:
to cause an aircraft to perform a single complete rotation about its lengthwise
axis while maintaining the same altitude and direction, or perform such a
rotation

24. transitive
verb
flatten
something with roller: to flatten or spread
something, especially by using a roller or rolling pin

25. transitive
verb
PRINTING ink
something with roller: to apply ink to type or a
plate with a roller

26. intransitive
and transitive verb form
into round shape: to form something, or be formed, into a
ball, tube, cylinder, or other rounded shape, or form something with such a
shape

27. transitive
verb
wrap
something into cylinder: to make something into a
cylinder shape, especially by wrapping something over and over on itself

28. transitive
verb
turn
between or on something: to revolve something between
two surfaces or on a coating material

29. intransitive
and transitive verb operate
something:
to function or cause something, especially a motion picture camera or printing
press, to function

30. intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA TV send
or go up on screen: to cause credits, titles, or
other captions to move in a continuous upward direction on a cinema or
television screen, or move in this way

31. transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY rob
somebody:
to take money or belongings from somebody who cannot offer any resistance (informal)

32. intransitive
and transitive verb have
sex:
to have sexual intercourse or engage in sexual foreplay with somebody (informal)
(offensive in some contexts)
noun
(plural rolls)

1.  official
list:
an official register or list of names, especially of school pupils, members of
a club, or of people entitled to vote

2.  total
on official list: the total number of people registered on
a school, club, or electoral roll

3.  something
tube-shaped: a tube, cylinder, or coil of something,
especially something that is wrapped around itself

4.  rounded
layer:
a thick rounded layer of something, especially of flesh

5.  wad
of money:
a cylindrical wad of bills formed by coiling the wad around itself (informal)

6.  FOOD filled
food:
a food made by wrapping pastry around a filling or by spreading a filling on
something, for example, sponge cake, and wrapping it around itself (usually
used in combination)

7.  FOOD individual
loaf:
a small individual-sized loaf of bread, usually round or long in shape, or a
sandwich made from one

8.  equipment
holder with pockets: a length or belt of fabric
or leather that has pockets to hold tools, medical instruments, or other
equipment and can usually be wrapped around itself and tied up

9.  ARCHITECTURE spiral
scroll:
in Greek architecture, a spiral scroll on an Ionic column

10. act
of flattening: an act of flattening or spreading
something, especially by using a roller or rolling pin

11. repeated
turn:
a repeated turning or rotating motion

12. GAME toss
of dice:
a throw of a die or dice

13. AIR rotation
of aircraft: a midair flight maneuver in which an
aircraft maintains the same height and direction while doing a single complete
rotation about its lengthwise axis.
See
also
pitch
See
also
yaw

14. GYMNASTICS somersault:
a gentle somersault

15. movement
on wheels:
a movement on wheels or rollers

16. single
turn:
a complete or partial rotation

17. writhing
motion:
an action that involves writhing while turning backward and forward or from
side to side, but without moving very far

18. movement
from side to side: a swaying or rocking motion,
especially by a ship.
See
also
pitch
See
also
yaw

19. swaying
walk:
a rhythmical sway in walking

20. something
undulating:
a gentle rounded hump on a surface, often one of a series

21. undulating
movement:
a steady, flowing, undulating movement

22. rhythmical
stream of words: a continuous stream of words with a
rhythmical quality

23. INDUSTRY roller
for metal:
a cylinder or roller used for pressing, shaping, or flattening something,
especially one used for shaping metal in a rolling mill

24. CRAFT bookbinder’s
tool:
a bookbinder’s tool for embossing book covers

25. trilling
sound:
a trilling noise, especially the sound of a trilled “r” or the song of a canary

26. rumbling
noise:
a low prolonged rumbling noise

27. MUSIC MILITARY drum beats:
a series of quick beats on a drum

28. MUSIC chord
with spread notes: a chord played with its
notes in rapid succession ( arpeggio )
rather than simultaneously

29. CRIMINOLOGY act
of robbery:
an act or the process of taking money or belongings from somebody who cannot
offer any resistance (informal)

30. sex
act:
an act of sexual intercourse or foreplay (informal) (offensive in
some contexts)
[12th
century. Via Old French rolle “scroll,” from the Latin stem rotul-
“little wheel,” ultimately from Latin rofa “wheel.”]
on
a roll

enjoying
a period of good luck or of doing something well (informal)

rolled
into one

forming a single unit
consisting of a number of different aspects or qualities[1]



rollaway

rollaway
roll·a·way 
[rṓlə wày] adjective

movable on wheels:
fitted with wheels or casters so as to be easily moved or stored[1]



rollback

rollback
roll·back 
[rṓl bàk] (plural roll·backs) noun

1.  money
cut:
a decrease in something, especially in something such as prices and wages
involving money

2.  reduction
of influence or effectiveness: a reduction or
nullification of the influence or effectiveness of something

[1]



rollback

rollback
roll
back
transitive verb

1.  decrease
something:
to cause something, especially prices or wages, to decrease

2.  force
to withdraw: to cause somebody or something to
retreat

3.  put
stop to something: to reduce or nullify the
influence or effectiveness of something

[1]



rollbar

rollbar
roll
bar
(plural roll bars) noun

protecting roof bar in
vehicle: a reinforcing bar across the
top of a vehicle, especially an open-top sports car or off-road vehicle, to
protect the occupants if the vehicle overturns[1]



rollcage

rollcage
roll
cage
(plural roll cag·es) noun

protective network of metal
bars: a protective network of
metal bars enclosing the driver of a racing car[1]



rollcall

rollcall
roll
call
(plural roll calls) noun

1.  attendance
check:
a check on attendance, especially in a school or military establishment, by
calling out the names of those expected to be present, with each of those
present responding

2.  time
for roll call: a time when a roll call is read out,
especially one that is fixed at a regular time of day

[1]



rolledoats

rolledoats
rolled
oats
plural noun

oats for oatmeal:
oats that have had the husks removed and been flattened. They are especially
used in making oatmeal.[1]



rolledsteel

rolledsteel
rolled
steel
(plural rolled steels) noun

steel passed through rollers:
steel produced to a desired thickness by being passed through a set of rollers[1]



roller

roller
roll·er
[rṓlər] (plural roll·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that rolls: somebody who or something
that rolls

2.  device
for applying paint: a painting tool in the form
of a revolving tube with a soft absorbent covering and a handle, used for
applying paint to large surface areas

3.  PRINTING inked
tube:
a hard tube, usually of compressed rubber, on which ink is spread. It is used
for inking type or a plate.

4.  spokeless
wheel:
a small wheel without spokes, especially on a skate or piece of heavy furniture

5.  GARDENING device
for flattening lawns: a large heavy revolving
cylinder or pair of cylinders with a handle, used for flattening a lawn or green

6.  ENGINEERING cylinder
that transmits force and motion: a cylindrically shaped
rotating device that transmits force and motion via its rotation and is often
used in sets or pairs and machine-operated

7.  HAIRDRESSING hair
curler:
a short tube around which hair is wrapped in order to make it curly or wavy

8.  MEDICINE coiled
bandage:
a long bandage that is rolled up tightly upon itself to form a dense cylinder.
The required amount is then cut off for use.

9.  EQUESTRIAN belt
for horse blanket: a strap around the belly of
a horse to hold a blanket in place

10. heavy
wave:
a long heavy wave that does not break until it reaches the shoreline

11. BASEBALL ball
hit with little force: in baseball, a batted ball
that rolls along the ground slowly

12. BIRDS brightly
colored bird known for tumbling flight: a
brightly colored European bird with a hooked bill that performs rolling dives
and erratic flight during the breeding season as a courtship display. Family:
Coraciidae

[1]



rollerbearing

rollerbearing
roll·er
bear·ing
(plural roll·er bear·ings) noun

set of rollers for preventing
friction: a set of rotating
cylindrically shaped parallel steel rollers contained within a closed track,
used to prevent friction between machine parts[1]



Rollerblade

Rollerblade
Roll·er·blade 
[rṓlər blàyd] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
roller skate on which the wheels are arranged in one straight line[1]



rollercoaster

rollercoaster
roll·er
coast·er
(plural roll·er coast·ers) noun

1.  LEISURE fairground
ride:
an amusement park ride consisting of a narrow rail track on a metal framework
shaped into extreme peaks and troughs and sharp bends.
Also
called
coaster

2.  situation
with extreme highs and lows: a situation that is
characterized by sudden, extreme, and often repeated, changes (hyphenated
when used before a noun)

[1]



rollerderby

rollerderby
roller
der·by
noun

roller-skating competition:
competition between two teams of roller skaters[1]



rollerhockey

rollerhockey
roll·er
hock·ey
noun

hockey on roller skates:
hockey played on a roller rink or other hard surface by players wearing roller
skates[1]



rollerrink

rollerrink
roll·er
rink
(plural roll·er rinks) noun

rink for roller-skating:
a place where people can go to roller-skate[1]



rollerskate

rollerskate
roll·er
skate
(plural roll·er skates) noun

1.  set
of wheels attached to shoe: a metal or plastic frame
with wheels attached, usually one pair at the front and another at the back,
fastened onto a shoe and used for skating

2.  shoe
for roller-skating: a specially designed shoe or
boot to which a roller skate is attached
—roll·er
skat·er, noun

—roll·er skat·ing, noun[1]



roller-skate

roller-skate
roll·er-skate 
(past roll·er-skat·ed, past participle roll·er-skat·ed,
present participle roll·er-skat·ing, 3rd person present
singular roll·er-skates) intransitive verb

move on roller skates:
to travel on roller skates[1]



rollertowel

rollertowel
roll·er
tow·el
(plural roll·er tow·els) noun

coiled towel:
a continuous roll of material, usually linen or toweling, housed inside a metal
box and used, especially in public bathrooms, for drying the hands. Each user
pulls down a fresh section of towel.[1]



rollfilm

rollfilm
roll
film
(plural roll films) noun

rolled film for camera:
a length of film rolled around a spool and put inside a protective case ready
to be loaded into a camera[1]



rollick

rollick
rol·lick 
[róllik] (past rol·licked, past
participle rol·licked, present participle rol·lick·ing,
3rd person present singular rol·licks, plural rol·licks)
intransitive verb

display
boisterous high spirits: to have fun, especially in a
loud, rowdy way
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably a blend of roll
or romp and frolic
.]
—rol·lick,
noun

—rol·lick·some,
adjective

—rol·lick·y, adjective[1]



rollicking

rollicking
rol·lick·ing 
adjective

boisterous:
loud and rowdy
—rol·lick·ing·ly, adverb[1]



rollin

rollin
roll
in
intransitive verb

1.  arrive
late:
to come home or arrive at a destination, especially in a leisurely way, often
later than expected

2.  arrive
in large numbers: to arrive or attend in large numbers or
quantities

[1]



rolling

rolling
roll·ing
[rṓling] adjective

1.  undulating:
characterized by undulating slopes

2.  rich:
rich or very well-off (informal)

3.  gradually
developing:
proceeding in successive phases and usually gaining in momentum, intensity, or
effectiveness

4.  reverberating:
characterized by a low, prolonged, rumbling noise
adverb

extremely: to
the extent of staggering (informal) • rolling
drunk
be
rolling in it or something

to have plenty of something,
especially money, assets, or wealth (informal)[1]



rollinghitch

rollinghitch
roll·ing
hitch
(plural roll·ing hitch·es) noun

sailing knot:
a knot used for joining two pieces of rope together or for attaching a rope to
a spar[1]



RollingMeadows

RollingMeadows
Roll·ing
Mead·ows


city in northeastern
Illinois, northeast of Hoffman Estates. It is a northwestern suburb of Chicago.
Population: 22,560 (1996)[1]



rollingmill

rollingmill
roll·ing
mill 
(plural roll·ing mills) noun

1.  metal-pressing
factory:
a factory, or part of a factory, where metal, usually in ingot form, is
processed by being rolled into sheets or bars of the desired shape and size

2.  metal
press employing rollers: a machine with rollers that
press metal into sheets or bars of the desired shape and size

[1]



rollingpaper

rollingpaper
roll·ing
pa·per
(plural roll·ing pa·pers) noun

paper for rolling cigarette:
a small piece of fine paper used for rolling a handmade cigarette (often
used in the plural)[1]



rollingpin

rollingpin
roll·ing
pin
(plural roll·ing pins) noun

kitchen utensil:
a cylinder, sometimes with small handles at either end, used for rolling out
and flattening dough, pastry, or other uncooked food.
Also called
pin[1]



rollingstock

rollingstock
roll·ing
stock
noun

1.  railroad
vehicles:
railroad vehicles such as locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars thought
of collectively, especially those belonging to a particular company.
Also
called
stock

2.  road
vehicles:
road vehicles thought of collectively, especially those belonging to a
particular company

[1]



rollingstone

rollingstone
roll·ing
stone
(plural roll·ing stones) noun

somebody
with no roots: somebody who is unable to stay in the
same job, or live in the same place, for any length of time
[Originally in the proverb, a
rolling stone gathers no moss][1]



RollingStones

RollingStones
Rol·ling
Stones
[rling stṓnz]

British rock group, formed in
1962, that rivaled the popularity of the group’s early contemporaries, the
Beatles. The group was formed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones,
Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman, who left the band in late 1992. After Jones’
death (1968), Mick Taylor replaced him until 1975, when Ron Wood took his
place.[1]



rollmops

rollmops
roll·mops 
[rṓl mòps] noun

raw
marinated fish: a fillet of raw herring wrapped around a
slice of onion or a pickle and left to marinate in spiced vinegar. It is
usually served as an hors d’oeuvre.
[Early 20th century. From
German, from rollen “to roll” + Mops “pug dog.”][1]



roll-neck

roll-neck
roll-neck
noun (plural roll necks)

1.  fold-down
collar:
a garment neck that is high, tight-fitting, and worn rolled down.
See
also
crew neck
See
also
turtleneck

2.  roll-neck
garment:
a garment, especially a sweater, with a roll-neck
adjective

with roll-neck:
having a roll-neck.
See
also
crew-neck
See
also
turtleneck
—roll-necked, adjective[1]



rolloff

rolloff
roll
off
intransitive verb

1.  move
easily or in quantity: to flow, especially with
ease or in large numbers

2.  reduce
amplitude-frequency response: to display a gradually
decreasing response in the upper and lower portions of the amplitude-frequency
range of an electronic system or transducer

[1]



roll-on

roll-on
roll-on 
adjective

with
rotating-ball applicator: that is applied to the skin
by means of a rotating ball in the top of the container
noun
(plural roll-ons)

deodorant with rotating-ball
applicator: a deodorant, cosmetic, or
other product that comes in a container with a rotating ball in its top[1]



rollout

rollout
rollout 
(plural rollouts) noun

1.  AEROSPACE showing
of new aircraft: the first public display of a new
aircraft or spacecraft

2.  MARKETING gradual
launch of new product: a launch of a new product
that involves gradually increasing the number of outlets where it is available
to the public

3.  FOOTBALL passing
play in football: in football, a play in which a
quarterback runs with the ball toward the side of the field in order to pass it

[1]



rollout

rollout
roll
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
flatten
pastry:
to flatten pastry, dough, or other uncooked food by shaping it with a rolling
pin

2.  transitive
verb
uncoil:
to unfold or uncoil something

3.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL run
toward sideline: to perform a play in which a quarterback
runs toward either sideline

4.  transitive
verb
MARKETING launch
product gradually: to launch a new product or
service by gradually increasing the number of outlets where it is available to
the public

5.  transitive
verb
AEROSPACE show
new aircraft to public: to put a new aircraft or
spacecraft on public display for the first time

[1]



rollover

rollover
roll·o·ver 
[rṓl vər] (plural roll·o·vers)
noun

1.  FINANCE transfer
of funds:
a transfer of funds from one investment to another similar investment, often
without taking possession of the funds

2.  accident
where a vehicle overturns: a road accident involving a
vehicle that has overturned

3.  capsizing
incident:
an act or the process of capsizing, tipping over, or overturning

[1]



rollover

rollover
roll
over
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
capsize:
to capsize, tip over, or overturn

2.  transitive
verb
FINANCE extend
loan:
to allow a loan to be paid at a later date

3.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to defeat a person or team overwhelmingly

4.  transitive
verb
FINANCE negotiate
new financial terms for something: to achieve new terms
for a financial contract through discussion

5.  transitive
verb
FINANCE reinvest
funds:
to transfer funds from one investment to a similar investment

[1]



roll-topdesk

roll-topdesk
roll-top
desk
(plural roll-top desks) or roll-top (plural roll-tops)
noun

writing desk with a cover:
a desk with a rounded cover consisting of connected parallel wooden slats that
can be pulled down over the writing area and, usually, locked[1]



rollup

rollup
roll
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
arrive:
to come to a place or destination, often in a vehicle and especially when later
than expected or when not expected at all

2.  transitive
verb
produce
cylinder shape: to turn something into a cylindrical
form

3.  transitive
verb
accumulate
money:
to accumulate something, especially money

[1]



rollway

rollway
roll·way 
[rṓl wày] (plural roll·ways) noun

1.  slope
for logs:
a natural or artificial sloping area along which cylindrical objects are
rolled, especially a slope used by lumberjacks to move felled timber to water
for transportation

2.  set
of rollers:
a series of parallel rollers used to facilitate the transportation of heavy
loads

[1]



Rolodex

Rolodex
Ro·lo·dex
[rṓlə dèks] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
desktop card-index system in which cards containing names, addresses, and
telephone numbers are attached to but removable from a central cylinder[1]



roly-poly

roly-poly
ro·ly-po·ly 
adjective

overweight:
of greater body weight than is desirable (insult)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably a rhyming compound of roll and poll,
originally meaning “rascal,” and the name of several games of rolling balls.]
—ro·ly-po·ly, noun[1]



Rom

Rom
Rom 
[rōm] (plural Rom or Ro·ma
[rṓmə]) noun

Romany
man:
a member of the Romany people, especially a Romany man
[Mid-19th century. From
Romany, literally “married man.”][1]



rom.

rom.
rom.
or rom

PRINTING
Abbreviation of roman[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Rom.

Rom.
Rom.

1.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
Roman

2.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Romance

3.  Abbreviation
of
Romania

4.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Romanian

5.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Romans

[1]



ROM

ROM
ROM 
[rom]

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of read-only memory[1]



Roma

Roma
Ro·ma

Plural of
Rom[1]



Romaic

Romaic
Ro·ma·ic 
[rō máy ik] noun adjective

modern
Greek:
modern Greek (archaic)
[Early 19th century. From
Greek Rhōmaïkos “Roman” (in reference to the Eastern Roman Empire).][1]



romaine

romaine
ro·maine 
[rō máyn] (plural ro·maines) or
ro·maine let·tuce [rō máyn] (plural
ro·maine let·tuc·es) noun

variety
of lettuce:
a variety of lettuce that has a long slender head and loose leaves. Latin name:
Latuca sativa longifolia
Also
called
cos
U.K.
term
cos
[Early 20th century. From
French, feminine of romain “Roman”; perhaps because this lettuce was
introduced into France during the Avignon papacy (1309–1377).][1]



romaji

romaji
ro·ma·ji 
[rṓməjee] noun

romanized
spelling for Japanese: the Roman alphabet as used
for transliterating Japanese
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, from roma “Roman” + ji “character.”][1]



Roman

Roman
Ro·man 
[rṓmən] adjective

1.  of
modern Rome: relating or belonging to the modern city
of Rome and its inhabitants

2.  HISTORY of
ancient Rome: belonging to or characteristic of the
ancient city of Rome and its territories and inhabitants

3.  ARCHITECTURE in
ancient Roman architectural style: relating to, belonging
to, or built in a style characteristic of the buildings of ancient Rome,
especially in having rounded arches, vaults, and domes

4.  CHRISTIANITY of
the Roman Catholic church: belonging to or
characteristic of the Roman Catholic church
noun
(plural Ro·mans)

1.  somebody
from modern Rome: somebody who was born in or is a citizen
of the modern city of Rome

2.  HISTORY somebody
from ancient Rome: somebody who was born in or
was a citizen of ancient Rome

3.  CHRISTIANITY offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the Roman Catholic church (offensive)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Romanus “Roman, a Roman,” from Roma “Rome”; later reinforced by
French Romain .][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








roman

roman1
ro·man1  [rṓmən]
adjective

in
or of upright type: relating to a type with
upright as opposed to slanting characters that is the standard type used in
printing books, newspapers, and magazines
noun

roman
type:
roman type or characters
[Early 16th century. So
called because it imitates the style of Roman inscriptions.][1]



roman

roman2
ro·man2  [rō
maán] (plural ro·mans) noun

1.  novel:
a novel, especially a French one or one in a French genre (literary)

2.  medieval
French poem: a medieval French narrative poem,
especially one that has heroic exploits as its main theme
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “romance, novel.”][1]



Romanalphabet

Romanalphabet
Ro·man
al·pha·bet
noun

Western writing system:
the writing system that represents sounds by the letters A-Z and is used for
the languages of most Western European countries and many elsewhere. It is
based on the alphabet developed in ancient Rome and now has 26 letters.
Also called
Latin alphabet[1]



Romancalendar

Romancalendar
Ro·man
cal·en·dar
noun

former dating system:
the lunar calendar, comprising 10 months and an intercalated month, that was
used by the ancient Romans until the introduction of the Julian calendar in 46 BC.
See also
Julian calendar
See also
Gregorian calendar[1]



Romancandle

Romancandle
Ro·man
can·dle
(plural Ro·man can·dles) noun

firework:
a short cylindrical firework that when placed on the ground and lit produces
showers of sparks and occasional colored balls or stars of fire[1]



RomanCatholic

RomanCatholic
Ro·man
Cath·o·lic
adjective

of
the Catholic Church: relating to the Roman
Catholic Church, its members, or its beliefs
noun
(plural Ro·man Cath·o·lics)

member of the Catholic
Church: a member of the Roman
Catholic Church[1]



RomanCatholic Church

RomanCatholic Church
Ro·man
Cath·o·lic Church noun

church based in the Vatican:
a Christian church that has a pope as the head of a hierarchy of bishops and
priests and is administered from the Vatican City in Rome.
Also called
Church of Rome
Also called
Catholic Church
Also called
Latin Church[1]



RomanCatholicism

RomanCatholicism
Ro·man
Ca·thol·i·cism noun

religion of the Catholic
Church: the system of beliefs,
practices, and organization of the Roman Catholic Church[1]



romance

romance
ro·mance 
noun [rō mánss, rṓ mànss] (plural ro·manc·es)

1.  love
affair:
a love affair, especially a brief and intense one • This
is more than just a holiday romance.

2.  love:
sexual love, especially when the other person or the relationship is idealized
or when it is exciting and intense • The
secret of a happy marriage is to keep the romance alive.

3.  spirit
of adventure: a spirit or feeling of adventure,
excitement, the potential for heroic achievement, and the exotic • the
romance of cruising down the Nile

4.  fascination
with something: a particular fascination or enthusiasm
for something, especially of an uncritical or inexplicable kind • his
lifelong romance with football

5.  story
of love:
a novel, movie, or play with a love story as its main theme • a
writer of cheap romances

6.  love
stories collectively: love stories considered as a
genre

7.  LITERATURE medieval
adventure story: a story of the adventures of chivalrous
heroes written in verse or prose in a vernacular language in the Middle Ages

8.  LITERATURE medieval
adventure stories collectively: the genre of medieval
adventure stories • Arthurian romance

9.  narrative
of adventures: a fictional narrative dealing with
exciting and extravagant adventures • a
romance of piracy on the high seas

10. fictitious
account:
an extravagant or absurd fictitious account of something

11. MUSIC short
lyrical piece: a short lyrical song or instrumental
composition, usually expressing or evoking tender emotions
verb
[rō máns] (past ro·manced, past
participle ro·manced, present participle ro·manc·ing, 3rd
person present singular ro·manc·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
tell
romantic or adventurous stories: to tell or write
extravagant or idealized fictitious accounts

2.  intransitive
verb
tell
love stories: to tell or write stories about love

3.  intransitive
verb
think
romantically: to think or behave in a romantic way

4.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody romantically: to treat somebody in a
special way during a love relationship or with a view to entering on one

5.  transitive
verb
have
an affair with somebody: to have a love affair with
somebody
[13th
century. From Old French romanz “(work composed) in French,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin romanice “in the vernacular,” a form of Latin romanicus
“Roman,” ultimately from Rome .]
—ro·manc·er [rō mánsər], noun[1]



Romance

Romance
Ro·mance
noun

Italic
branch of Indo-European: the Italic branch of the
Indo-European group of languages that includes French, Italian, Portuguese,
Romanian, and Spanish, all of which are descended from Latin. About 500 million
people speak one of the Romance languages.
—Ro·mance, adjective[1]



Romancollar

Romancollar
Ro·man
col·lar
(plural Ro·man col·lars) noun

See
clerical collar[1]



RomanEmpire

RomanEmpire
Ro·man
Em·pire
noun

1.  territory
ruled by Roman emperors: the territories ruled by
ancient Rome under its emperors, from 27 BC
to AD 395. In 395, these
territories were split into the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire and the
Western Roman Empire.
See
also
Holy Roman Empire

2.  rule
of Roman emperors: the rule or form of
government of ancient Rome under its emperors

[1]



Romanesque

Romanesque
Ro·man·esque 
[rmə nésk] adjective

1.  typical
of an early European architectural style:
relating to or built in the style of European architecture that combines Roman
and Byzantine elements, prevalent from the 9th century to the 12th and
featuring rounded arches and barrel vaults

2.  relating
to the period of Romanesque architecture:
characteristic of or relating to the style of European painting, sculpture, or
decorative arts contemporary with Romanesque architecture. Romanesque works of
art show a Byzantine influence and often feature elaborate ornamentation.
noun

Romanesque style:
the Romanesque style in architecture or art

[1]



roman-fleuve

roman-fleuve
ro·man-fleuve 
[rō mn flv] (plural ro·mans-fleuves)
noun

novel
about a group of people: a long novel or series of
novels telling the stories of a linked group of people over many years.
Also
called
saga novel
[From French, literally “river-novel”][1]



Romanholiday

Romanholiday
Ro·man
hol·i·day
(plural Ro·man hol·i·days) noun

1.  entertainment
involving cruelty: a type of entertainment in
which people are killed, for example, a gladiatorial contest

2.  pleasure
in watching bloodshed: a feeling of pleasure
derived from watching others be maimed or killed

[1]



Romani

Romani
Rom·a·ni
noun

See
Romany
[See Romany][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Romania

Romania



Ro·ma·ni·a 
[rō máynee ə]
republic in southeastern Europe, bordered
by Ukraine, Moldova, the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Hungary.
Language: Romanian. Currency: Romanian leu. Capital: Bucharest. Population:
22,600,000 (1997) Area: 237,500 sq km/91,700 sq mi.[1]



Romania




Back to definition

Romania

[1]



Romanian

Romanian
Ro·ma·ni·an 
[rō máynee ən, rō
máynyən] (plural Ro·ma·ni·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Romania: somebody who was born or raised in
Romania, or who has Romanian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Romania:
the official language of Romania, belonging to the Romance group of
Indo-European languages that developed from Latin
—Ro·ma·ni·an, adjective[1]



Romanic

Romanic
Ro·man·ic 
[rō mánnik] adjective

1.  HISTORY of
ancient Rome: belonging or relating to ancient Rome or
the ancient Romans

2.  LANGUAGE of
Romance languages: belonging or relating to the
Romance family of languages
noun

LANGUAGE Romance
languages collectively: the Romance family of
languages as a group

[1]



Romanism

Romanism
Ro·man·ism 
[rṓmə nìzzəm] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for Roman Catholicism, especially its ritual (offensive)[1]



Romanist

Romanist
Ro·man·ist 
[rṓmənist] noun (plural Ro·man·ists)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the Roman Catholic Church (offensive)

2.  student
of ancient Rome: somebody who studies or is an expert in
ancient Roman history or law
adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning belonging or relating to the Roman Catholic Church (offensive)

2.  of
ancient Roman history: relating to or involving
ancient Roman history or law
—Ro·man·is·tic [rmə nístik], adjective[1]



Romanize

Romanize
Ro·man·ize 
[rṓmə nz] (past Ro·man·ized, past
participle Ro·man·ized, present participle Ro·man·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Ro·man·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY make
something Roman Catholic: to make something such as a
service take on a Roman Catholic character or influence

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHRISTIANITY convert to Roman
Catholicism: to become a Roman Catholic, or convert
somebody to Roman Catholicism

3.  ro·man·ize
or Ro·man·ize transitive verb LANGUAGE transcribe something into the
Roman alphabet: to transcribe something such as a
language or text in the characters of the Roman alphabet

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb HISTORY make or become Roman:
to take on Roman characteristics, or make somebody or something take on Roman
characteristics • the Romanized Celts
—Ro·man·i·za·tion [rməni záysh’n], noun[1]



Romanlaw

Romanlaw
Ro·man
law
noun

1.  law
of ancient Rome: the system of law established in ancient
Rome, forming the basis of many modern legal systems

2.  See
civil law  noun 3

[1]



Romanmile

Romanmile
Ro·man
mile
(plural Ro·man miles) noun

ancient Roman measure:
a measure of distance used in ancient Rome, approximately equal to 1,481
meters1,620 yards[1]



Romannose

Romannose
Ro·man
nose
(plural Ro·man nos·es) noun

high-bridged nose:
a nose with a high and prominent bridge[1]



Romannumeral

Romannumeral
Ro·man
nu·mer·al
(plural Ro·man nu·mer·als) noun

letter representing a number:
any of the letters or sequences of letters used by the ancient Romans to
represent cardinal numbers, including I for 1, V for 5, and X for 10[1]



Romano

Romano
Ro·ma·no 
[rō m nō] noun

hard
Italian cheese: a type of hard and sharp-tasting Italian
cheese, similar to Parmesan and often used grated
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian, literally “Roman,” from Latin Romanus (source of English Roman ).][1]



Romans

Romans
Ro·mans
noun

book of the Bible:
in the Bible, a letter from St. Paul to the Church at Rome. Written in about AD 58, it is an exposition of his theory
of religious thinking.[1]



Romansch

Romansch
Ro·mansch 
[rō mánsh, ro
maansh] or Ro·mansh [rō mánsh,
ro maansh] noun

Swiss
language:
one of the official languages of Switzerland, belonging to the Romance group of
Indo-European languages and existing in several dialectal forms. Romansch is
spoken by about 50,000 people.
[Mid-17th
century. From Romansch, via medieval Latin romanice from assumed Vulgar
Latin (see romance ).]
—Ro·mansch, adjective[1]



romans-fleuves

romans-fleuves
ro·mans-fleuves

Plural of
roman-fleuve[1]



romantic

romantic
ro·man·tic 
[rō mántik] adjective

1.  involving
sexual love: involving or characteristic of a love
affair or sexual love, especially when the relationship is idealized or
exciting and intense • I
don’t think there’s any romantic attachment between them.

2.  suitable
for love:
characterized by or suitable for lovemaking or the expression of tender
emotions • a
romantic candlelit dinner for two

3.  involving
enthusiasm:
relating to or characterized by a fascination or enthusiasm for something, especially
of an uncritical or indefinable kind • a
romantic attachment to the mountains

4.  involving
adventure:
relating to or characterized by adventure, excitement, the potential for heroic
achievement, and the exotic • a
romantic tale about life in the Outback

5.  idealistic:
characterized by or arising from idealistic or impractical attitudes and
expectations • a
romantic dreamer

6.  imaginary:
imaginary or fictitious in an extravagant or glamorizing way • a
romantic version of the events of her life

7.  ARTS See Romantic  adjective
noun
(plural ro·man·tics)

1.  romantic
person:
somebody who has a romantic personality or outlook

2.  ARTS See Romantic  noun
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from romaunt Mid-16th century. From Old French, variant of romanz
(see romance ).]
—ro·man·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Romantic

Romantic
Ro·man·tic
[rō mántik] or ro·man·tic [rō mántik] adjective

of
an 18C artistic movement: relating to the movement in
late 18th- and early 19th-century music, literature, and art that departed from
classicism and emphasized sensibility, the free expression of feelings, nature,
and the exotic
noun
(plural Ro·man·tics) (plural ro·man·tics)

ARTS
artist involved in the Romantic movement:
a writer, composer, or artist who was involved in the Romantic movement during
the late 18th and early 19th centuries[1]



romanticcomedy

romanticcomedy
ro·man·tic
com·e·dy
noun

comedy with a love story:
a humorous movie, play, or novel about a love story that ends happily, or the
genre itself[1]



Romanticism

Romanticism
Ro·man·ti·cism
noun

Romantic
movement:
in the arts, the style and theories of the Romantic movement, or the movement
itself
—Ro·man·ti·cist, noun[1]



romanticism

romanticism
ro·man·ti·cism 
[rō mánti sìzzəm] noun

romantic quality:
the quality of being romantic or having romantic inclinations[1]



romanticize

romanticize
ro·man·ti·cize 
[rō mánti sz] (past ro·man·ti·cized,
past participle ro·man·ti·cized, present participle ro·man·ti·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular ro·man·ti·ciz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something appear glamorous: to make something seem or
believe something to be more glamorous or ideal than it really is • The
movie tends to romanticize a rather sordid period in history.

2.  intransitive
verb
think
romantically: to think or express something in an
amorous, idealistic, or sentimental way
—ro·man·ti·ci·za·tion
[rō màntissi záysh’n], noun[1]



Romany

Romany
Rom·a·ny 
[rómmənee, rṓmənee]
(plural Rom·a·nies) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a nomadic people: a member of a nomadic people
who probably originated in northwestern India. They appeared in Western Europe
in the fifteenth century and there are now Romany communities throughout the
world.

2.  Rom·any
or Rom·a·ni LANGUAGE
language
of the Romanies: the Indic language spoken by the Romany
people. It belongs to the Indo-European family of languages and is spoken by
around 250,000 people.
[Early 19th century. From
Romany Romani, a form of Romano “Romany” (adjective), from Rom
“man.”][1]



romanà clef

romanà clef
ro·man
à clef 
[r maan ə kláy] noun

novel
disguising real people as characters: a
novel in which some or all of the characters are based on real people and that
usually includes clues to the characters’ true identities
[From French, literally
“novel with a key”][1]



Romberg,Sigmund

Romberg,Sigmund
Rom·berg
[róm bùrg], Sigmund (1887–1951)

Hungarian-born U.S. composer.
His operettas include The Student Prince ( 1924 ), The Desert Song
( 1926 ), and Up in Central Park ( 1945 ).[1]



Rome




Back to definition

Rome

[1]



Rome

Rome

Rome 
[rōm]

1.  capital
city of Italy, located in the center of the country. The former capital of the
Roman Empire, it includes within its boundaries the independent state of the
Vatican City. Population: 2,687,881 (1993)

2.  city
in New York, on the Mohawk River, northwest of Utica and northeast of Syracuse.
Population: 40,979 (1996)
fiddle while Rome burns

to
occupy yourself with unimportant things when there are extremely important
things requiring to be done

when in Rome (do as the Romans do)

used to indicate the
advisability of adopting the behavior and customs of the place or circumstances
in which you find yourself[1]



Romeldale

Romeldale
Rom·el·dale
[rómm’l dàyl] (plural Rom·el·dales)
noun

breed
of sheep:
an American breed of sheep that produces fine wool and high-grade lamb
[Mid-20th century. Blend of Romney Marsh, Rambouillet,
and Corriedale .][1]



Romeo

Romeo
Ro·me·o 
[rṓmee ] (plural Ro·me·os) noun

1.  amorous
man:
a man with a reputation for having or seeking romantic or sexual involvement
with a large number of women • the
office Romeo

2.  COMMUNICATION code
word for the letter “R”: a code word for the letter
“R,” used in international radio communications
[Mid-18th century. Named for Romeo,
lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare ’s play Romeo and Juliet 1594 .][1]



Romish

Romish
Rom·ish 
[rṓmish] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning belonging to, characteristic of, or influenced by the
Roman Catholic Church (offensive)
—Rom·ish·ly,
adverb

—Rom·ish·ness, noun[1]



Rommel,Erwin

Rommel,Erwin

Rom·mel
[rómməl], Erwin (1891–1944)
German
military leader. He is renowned for his victories in the African deserts during
World War II.
Known as
the Desert Fox[1]



RomneyMarsh

RomneyMarsh
Rom·ney
Marsh 
[rómnee mrsh] (plural Rom·ney
Marshes) noun

British breed of sheep:
a sheep of a breed that has long wool and is bred for mutton, originally from
the Romney Marsh area in southern England[1]



romp

romp
romp 
[romp] intransitive verb (past
romped, past participle romped, present participle romp·ing,
3rd person present singular romps)

1.  play
boisterously: to run around or play in a boisterous
way • kids
romping in the playground

2.  run
easily:
to run or move forward easily and smoothly • The
horse romped toward the finishing line.

3.  win:
to win a contest easily (informal) • Their
team just romped all over us.

4.  make
easy progress: to progress swiftly and effortlessly • romped
through her final exam
noun
(plural romps)

1.  boisterous
activity:
boisterous or playful activity • The
dogs had a romp in the park.

2.  lighthearted
work:
a book, play or movie that is lighthearted and lively as opposed to serious or
weighty (informal) • The
novel is an exhilarating romp through the pages of recent history.

3.  casual
sex:
a casual or lighthearted sexual encounter (informal)

4.  easy
victory:
a victory that is remarkably or unexpectedly easy (informal)

5.  easy
pace:
an easy smooth pace

6.  somebody
playful:
a playful or boisterous person, especially a woman (archaic)
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of ramp 2 in the
sense “to stand menacingly.”][1]



rompers

rompers
romp·ers
[rómpərz] plural noun

baby suit:
a one-piece suit usually with short pants and a bib held up by shoulder straps,
worn by babies and small children[1]



Romulo,Carlos Pena

Romulo,Carlos Pena
Ro·mu·lo
[róm y l], Carlos Pena (1899–1985)

Filipino politician. He
served as president of the United Nations General Assembly (1949–1950), and was
ambassador to the United States in 1952.[1]



Romulus

Romulus
Rom·u·lus 
[rómmyələss] noun

founder of Rome:
in Roman mythology, the founder of the city of Rome. He was the son of Mars and
twin brother of Remus, whom he is said to have killed.
See also
Remus[1]



rondeau

rondeau
ron·deau 
[rón d, ron dṓ]
(plural ron·deaux [rón dz]) noun

1.  LITERATURE poem
with a refrain: a poem of 13 or 10 lines in three
stanzas, with two rhymes and with the opening phrase repeated twice as an
unrhyming refrain

2.  MUSIC medieval
French song: a medieval French song, especially a
trouvère song with a two-part refrain
[Early 16th century. From
French, later form of rondel (see rondel
).][1]



rondel

rondel
ron·del 
[rónd’l, ron dél]
(plural ron·dels) or ron·delle [ron dél] (plural ron·delles) noun

poem
with 2 rhymes and refrain: a poem, similar to a
rondeau, that has 13 or 14 lines in 3 stanzas, with 2 rhymes and with the
opening 2 lines repeated as a refrain.
Also
called
roundel
[14th century. From Old
French, literally “small round” (from the repetition of the opening two lines),
from rond “round,” from, ultimately, Latin rotundus (see round ).][1]



rondelet

rondelet
ron·de·let 
[róndə lèt, ròndə
lét] (plural ron·de·lets) noun

short rondeau:
a short form of rondeau, with five or seven lines and the first line repeated
as a refrain. The first line is of four syllables and is repeated as line three
and, in the longer form, line seven, while the other lines have eight
syllables.[1]



rondo

rondo
ron·do 
[rón dō] (plural ron·dos) noun

musical
piece with a repeated theme: an instrumental piece or
movement in which the principal theme is repeated between at least two sections
that contrast with it, often forming the last movement of a sonata
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian from French rondeau “rondeau,” a later form of Old French rondel
(see rondel ).][1]



rondure

rondure
ron·dure 
[rónjər] (plural ron·dures) noun

something
round:
something that has a circular, curved, or round shape (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
French rondeur “roundness,” from rond (see rondel ).][1]



roo

roo
roo
[roo] (plural roos) noun

Australia
kangaroo:
a kangaroo (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



rood

rood
rood 
[rood] (plural roods) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE crucifix:
a crucifix, especially one mounted at the entrance to the choir or chancel of a
church

2.  Jesus
Christ’s cross: the cross on which Jesus Christ was
crucified (archaic)

3.  MEASUREMENTS quarter
of an acre:
a unit of area equal to 0.10117 hectares/0.25 acre
[Old English rōd
“cross, pole”][1]



roodscreen

roodscreen
rood
screen
(plural rood screens) noun

church partition:
a partition with a cross mounted on it and often decorated, separating the
choir or chancel of a church from the nave or main part[1]



roof

roof
roof 
[roof, rf]
noun (plural roofs)

1.  upper
covering of a building: the outside covering of the
top of a building, or the framework supporting this

2.  top
part:
the top part of something, forming a covering, for example, the top of a
vehicle • a
blue car with a black roof

3.  top
of inside cavity: the top of the inside of a hollow
structure • the
roof of the cave

4.  structure
covering a body cavity: the upper covering structure
of a body part, especially one with a vaulted structure such as the mouth

5.  highest
point:
the highest point or upper limit of something • a
mountain range known as the roof of the world
transitive
verb
(past roofed, past participle roofed, present
participle roof·ing, 3rd person present singular roofs)

fix roof on something:
to fix a top covering onto something, especially a building • The
house is roofed with slate tiles.
[Old
English hrōf “roof, ceiling, top,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—roof·less,
adjective

—roof·like
[rf līk, rf
līk], adjective
hit
the roof

to
be extremely angry

go
through the roof

to
rise to an extremely high level





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Cat
  on a Hot Tin Roof, a play by Tennessee Williams ( 1955 ). Set in the U.S.
  South, it depicts the Pollitt family gathering to celebrate the 65th birthday
  of patriarch Big Daddy. The simmering conflicts between Daddy and sons Gooper
  and Buck and their wives reflect the lies and deceit that underpin many
  family relationships. It was made into a movie by Richard Brooks in 1958. One
  of its most famous lines is the last one from Act III: “Nothing’s more
  determined than a cat on a tin roof –is there? Is there, baby?” .

[1]



roofer

roofer
roof·er 
[rfər, rfər]
(plural roof·ers) noun

builder of roofs:
somebody whose job is to build or repair the roofs of buildings[1]



roofgarden

roofgarden
roof
gar·den
(plural roof gar·dens) noun

1.  garden
on top of a building: a garden on the flat roof of
a building

2.  restaurant
at the top of a building: a restaurant, bar, or public
area at the top of a building, usually with access to an outdoor area

[1]



roofing

roofing
roof·ing 
[rfing, rfing]
(plural roof·ings) noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION material
for a roof:
material used to make a roof

2.  top
of something: something forming a top or roof

3.  occupation
of making or repairing roofs: the business or occupation
of making or repairing roofs

[1]



roofline

roofline
roof·line 
[rf ln, rf
ln] (plural roof·lines) noun

outline of a roof:
the outline of the roof of a building or a series of roofs[1]



roofrack

roofrack
roof
rack
(plural roof racks) noun

U.K.
See luggage rack  noun 1[1]



rooftop

rooftop
roof·top 
[rf tòp, rf
tòp] (plural roof·tops) noun

outer surface of roof:
the outer surface of the roof of a building[1]



rooftree

rooftree
roof·tree 
[rf tr, rf
tr] (plural roof·trees) noun

1.  See
ridgepole  noun 1

2.  roof:
a roof

[1]



rook

rook2
rook2 [rk]
(plural rooks) noun

chess
piece:
any one of four chess pieces that begin a game in the corner squares and that
can move in a straight line in any direction over any number of unoccupied
squares.
Also
called
castle
[13th century. From Old
French rok, ultimately from Arabic ru (of unknown original
meaning).][1]



rook

rook1
rook1 [rk]
noun (plural rooks)

1.  bird
of the crow family: a large bird of the crow
family found in Europe and Asia that has black plumage and a pale area at the
base of its bill. It nests in colonies in treetops. Latin name: Corvus
frugilegus

2.  swindler:
somebody who swindles or cheats, especially at cards (slang)
transitive
verb
(past rooked, past participle rooked, present
participle rook·ing, 3rd person present singular rooks)

cheat somebody:
to overcharge, swindle, or cheat somebody (slang) • If
you paid that amount you’ve been rooked.
[Old
English hrōc, from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin:
probably an imitation of the sound]
—rook·y, adjective[1]



rookery

rookery
rook·er·y 
[rkəree] (plural rook·er·ies)
noun

1.  colony
of rooks:
a colony of nesting rooks

2.  rooks’
breeding place: a place, especially in the tops of
trees, where rooks breed

3.  animals’
collective breeding place: a breeding or living area
for large numbers of animals, especially birds or mammals that come together in
colonies to nest or breed

4.  slum:
a slum or overcrowded group of run-down houses, especially tenements (dated
informal)

[1]



rookie

rookie
rook·ie 
[rkee] (plural rook·ies) noun
(informal)

1.  somebody
inexperienced: somebody who is new to an activity or
job, for example, a new recruit to the army

2.  inexperienced
player:
a player, especially a professional, who is in the first year of participation
in a sport
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of recruit,
influenced by rook 1 in the
obsolete sense “dupe, person easily cheated.”][1]



room

room
room 
[room, rm]
noun (plural rooms)

1.  usable
space:
space that may or may not be filled with something • There’s
room for another passenger in my car.

2.  part
of a building: an area within a building that is
enclosed by a floor, walls, and a ceiling • a
hotel room

3.  people
in a room:
the people in a room considered as a group • Her
entrance silenced the room.

4.  scope:
the scope, opportunity, or possibility for something to exist, happen, or be
done • there’s
room for improvement
plural
noun
rooms

accommodations:
part of a house or hotel that may be rented as separate accommodations • I
managed to find myself rooms in town.
intransitive
verb
(past roomed, past participle roomed, present
participle room·ing, 3rd person present singular rooms)

share living quarters with somebody:
to occupy or share living quarters with one person or several people • She
rooms with her aunt.
[Old
English rūm, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “spacious,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English rural]
not
enough room to swing a cat

very little space[1]



roomand board

roomand board
room
and board
noun

accommodations with meals:
accommodations with all meals provided, sometimes paid for and sometimes given
in return for work • Do
you prefer bed and breakfast or room and board?[1]



roomer

roomer
room·er 
[roómər, rómər]
(plural room·ers) noun

person who rents a room:
a person who rents a room in another person’s house, sharing the accommodations
with the owner.
U.K. term
lodger[1]



roomette

roomette
room·ette 
[r mét, r mét]
(plural room·ettes) noun

small sleeping compartment:
a private single compartment in a railroad sleeping car[1]



roomful

roomful
room·ful 
[rm fl, rm
fl] (plural room·fuls) noun

1.  contents
of a full room: as many people or things as a room can
hold • a
roomful of desks

2.  those
in a room:
all the people or things in a room

[1]



roomie

roomie
room·ie
[rmee, rmee]
(plural room·ies) noun

roommate:
a roommate (informal)[1]



roommate

roommate
room·mate 
[rm màyt, rm
màyt] (plural room·mates) noun

somebody sharing a room:
somebody with whom a person shares a room, apartment, or house[1]



roomservice

roomservice
room
ser·vice
noun

1.  providing
of refreshments: a service providing food and drinks
served to hotel guests in their rooms • Room
service is available throughout the day.

2.  staff
providing food and drink to rooms: the staff or
department of a hotel responsible for serving food and drinks to guests in
their rooms • Call
room service and order lunch.

[1]



roomtemperature

roomtemperature
room
tem·per·a·ture noun

normal temperature of a
living room: the average normal
temperature of a living room, usually thought of as around 68°F / 20°C or
slightly above • This
wine should be served at room temperature.[1]



roomy

roomy
room·y 
[rmee, rmee]
(comparative room·i·er, superlative room·i·est) adjective

spacious:
having plenty of space in which to move around
—room·i·ly,
adverb

—room·i·ness, noun[1]



roorback

roorback
roor·back 
[rr bàk] (plural roor·backs) noun

defamatory
story:
a false and defamatory story made public to gain a political advantage
[Mid-19th century. From an
attack on U.S. presidential candidate James K. Polk in 1844, which pretended to
quote from a nonexistent work by a Baron von Roorback .][1]



Roosevelt,Eleanor

Roosevelt,Eleanor

Roo·se·velt 
[rṓzə vèlt], Eleanor (1884–1962)
U.S.
first lady, social activist, and writer. As the first lady of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, her national broadcasts and syndicated newspaper column
established her reputation as a campaigner for progressive social causes. She
was a U.S. delegate to the United Nations (1945–1953) and chaired the
commission that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Born
Roosevelt, Anna Eleanor[1]



Roosevelt,Franklin D.

Roosevelt,Franklin D.

Roo·se·velt 
[rṓzə vèlt], Franklin D. (1882–1945)
U.S.
statesman and 32nd president of the United States. He served longer than any
other president (1933–1945), with an unprecedented election to four terms. He
held office during the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II.
Full name
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano[1]



Roosevelt,Theodore

Roosevelt,Theodore

Roo·se·velt 
[rṓzə vèlt], Theodore (1858–1919)
U.S.
statesman and 26th president of the United States During his presidency
(1901–1909) he expanded U.S. involvement in world affairs, established domestic
reforms, and promoted conservation.
Known as
Teddy Roosevelt[1]



roost

roost
roost 
[roost] noun (plural roosts)

1.  place
where birds sleep: a place where a bird rests
or sleeps such as a perch or a building with perches for domestic fowl

2.  birds
sharing a roost: a group of birds sharing a roost

3.  temporary
accommodations: a place where somebody may rest or sleep
temporarily
intransitive
verb
(past roost·ed, past participle roost·ed, present
participle roost·ing, 3rd person present singular roosts)

go to sleep: to
rest or sleep on or in a roost • Starlings
were roosting in the trees.
[Old
English hrōst]
come
home to roost

to
result in undesirable or negative effects, usually after a fairly long period
of time

rule
the roost

to be the person who is in
charge and who must be obeyed[1]



rooster

rooster

roost·er 
[rstər] (plural roost·ers) noun

1.  male
bird:
an adult male bird, especially a domestic fowl

2.        arrogant
man: a cocky or vain man[1]



root

root2
root2 [root]
(past root·ed, past participle root·ed, present
participle root·ing, 3rd person present singular roots)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig in
the ground with the snout: to dig in the surface of the
ground with the snout or nose out of curiosity or in search of food • The
pigs were rooting for beech nuts.

2.  intransitive
verb
rummage:
to move things about unsystematically while looking for something • rooting
in the drawer for a pencil
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration (influenced by root 1 ) of wroten, from Old
English wrōtan .]
—root·er, noun[1]



root

root1

root1 [root]
noun (plural roots)

1.  BOTANY underground
base of a plant: the part of a plant that has no leaves
or buds and usually spreads underground, anchoring the plant and absorbing
water and nutrients from the soil

2.  BOTANY underground
stem of a plant: an underground plant part that behaves
like a root, for example, a rhizome or tuber, especially a fleshy edible one
such as that of a carrot or turnip

3.  ANATOMY embedded
body part:
the portion of a body part such as a tooth or hair that is embedded in tissue

4.  base
of something: the bottom or base of something, or the
part by which something is attached to the body • the
root of the tongue

5.  cause:
the fundamental cause, basis, or essence of something, or the source from which
something derives • the roots of discontent

6.  ancestor:
an ancestor or progenitor, especially one from whom many people are descended

7.  MATHEMATICS number
multiplied by itself: a number that when
multiplied by itself a given number of times equals another number • 2
is the square root of 4.

8.  MATHEMATICS number
substitutable for a variable: a number that can take the
place of the variable in an equation and solve the equation

9.  LINGUISTICS basic
part of a word: in linguistics, the basic meaningful
part of a word that is left when any affixes are removed and that cannot be
analyzed further into other meaningful elements

10. LINGUISTICS original
form of a word: in historical linguistics, the original
reconstructed form from which a recorded word is derived, for example, by
phonetic change or the addition of affixes.
Also
called
radical noun 5

11. MUSIC foundation
of a chord:
the note that forms the foundation of a chord

12. ANATOMY end of
a nerve:
the end of a nerve that is nearer to the center of the body
plural noun roots

1.  feeling
of belonging: a feeling of belonging in a particular
place or culture • I live in the city but
my roots are in the country.

2.  somebody’s
genetic origin: somebody’s origins or ancestry
verb (past
root·ed, past participle root·ed, present participle
root·ing, 3rd person present singular roots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grow
roots:
to develop a root or roots or cause a plant to grow roots

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
fixed:
to become fixed, embedded, or immobile or to cause somebody or something to
become fixed, embedded, or immobile • news
that rooted me to the spot

3.  intransitive
verb
be
based:
to have a basis or origin in something • herbal
remedies that are rooted in folk medicine
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse rót . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “branch, root,” which is also the ancestor of English eradicate, radical,
and wort .]
—root·er,
noun
root and branch

in
every respect or to the fullest extent • reformed
the system root and branch

take root

to
become established and accepted

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at origin

[1]



root

root3
root3 [root]
(past root·ed, past participle root·ed, present
participle root·ing, 3rd person present singular roots)
intransitive verb

1.  support
somebody or something noisily: to cheer, shout, or
applaud in support of a contestant or team

2.  lend
support to somebody: to provide support to or be
actively in favor of somebody or something
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of rout “to low loudly.”]
—root·er, noun[1]



rootage

rootage
root·age 
[rtij] (plural root·ages) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
roots:
a system of plant roots

2.  PLANTS growth
of roots:
the developing of roots

3.  act
or process of becoming fixed: the act or process of
becoming rooted or established

[1]



rootball

rootball
root
ball
(plural root balls) noun

mass of roots:
the tightly packed mass of roots and soil produced by a plant, especially when
grown in a container[1]



rootbeer

rootbeer
root
beer
(plural root beers) noun

soft drink:
a sweet carbonated soft drink made from the extracts of various roots and herbs[1]



rootcanal

rootcanal
root
ca·nal
(plural root ca·nals) noun

1.  pulp
cavity of a tooth: the cavity in the root of a
tooth, containing pulp, nerves, and blood vessels

2.  dental
treatment:
a dental treatment in which the diseased tissue in a root canal is removed and
replaced with an inert material

[1]



rootcap

rootcap
root
cap
(plural root caps) noun

protective covering of a
root: a thick protective mass of
cells that covers the growing tip of the root of a plant[1]



rootcellar

rootcellar
root
cel·lar
(plural root cel·lars) noun

storage place for root crops:
a pit or underground cellar used for storing root crops and vegetables[1]



rootclimber

rootclimber
root
climb·er
(plural root climb·ers) noun

plant that climbs by its
roots: a vine such as an ivy that
climbs up a structure by developing small roots on its stems that grip the
structure[1]



rootcrop

rootcrop
root
crop
(plural root crops) noun

crop grown for its edible
roots: a crop grown for its edible
roots, for example, turnips, potatoes, or sugar beets[1]



rooted

rooted
root·ed
[rtəd] adjective

1.  having
roots:
on which strong roots have developed • a
rooted plant

2.  well
established: arising from firmly held beliefs or
long-standing traditions or practices • a
rooted conviction

3.  unable
to move:
unable to move because of shock or fear

4.  having
strong ties: having strong emotional or cultural
roots
—root·ed·ness, noun[1]



Root,Elihu

Root,Elihu
Root 
[root], Elihu (1845–1937)

U.S. lawyer and politician.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize (1912) for his work with the League of Nations.[1]



roothair

roothair
root
hair
(plural root hairs) noun

outgrowth of a root
resembling hair: a fine growth from the
outer cells of a plant root that resembles a hair and absorbs nutrients. Root
hairs are elongated epidermal cells that increase the surface area of roots to
improve absorption of water and minerals.[1]



roothold

roothold
root·hold 
[rt hld] (plural root·holds)
noun

anchoring of a plant in the
soil: the anchoring of a plant in
the soil by the spreading of its roots[1]



rootknot

rootknot
root
knot
noun

plant disease:
a disease of plants caused by nematodes in which the roots become enlarged and
plant growth is stunted[1]



rootless

rootless
root·less 
[rtləss] adjective

1.  PLANTS without
roots:
with roots cut off or underdeveloped

2.  lacking
a bond with people: lacking close ties to people
or places
—root·less·ly,
adverb

—root·less·ness, noun[1]



rootlet

rootlet
root·let 
[rtlət] (plural root·lets) noun

small root:
a small root or part of a root[1]



rootmean square

rootmean square
root
mean square
(plural root mean squares) noun

square root of an average:
the square root of the mean of the squares of a set of numbers. Sometimes the
root mean square is a more useful measure of central tendency than the mean or
the median.[1]



rootnodule

rootnodule
root
nod·ule
(plural root nod·ules) noun

swelling on a root:
a swelling on the roots of leguminous plants such as alfalfa, soybeans, and
peas, caused by symbiotic bacteria that can fix nitrogen in the soil[1]



rootout

rootout
root
out
transitive verb

1.  eradicate
something:
to eradicate or remove somebody or something completely • He
ruthlessly rooted out all opposition.

2.  find
something eventually: to find or remove something
after rummaging for it • I’ll
root out some old photos of him.

[1]



rootpressure

rootpressure
root
pres·sure
noun

upward push of water in
plants: the pressure that forces
water upward through the conducting tissues of a plant, caused by the water
potential in the stem being lower than in the root. Root pressure causes
exudation of sap from cut stems and secretion of water droplets from leaves.[1]



rootrot

rootrot
root
rot
noun

disease of plants:
a disease of plants that causes the roots to break or decay, often caused by
fungi[1]



rootsmusic

rootsmusic
roots
mu·sic
noun

world music:
world music (dated)[1]



rootstock

rootstock
root·stock 
[rt stòk] (plural root·stocks)
noun

1.  PLANTS See rhizome

2.  PLANTS root
used in grafting: a root or piece of root used as a stock
in propagation by grafting.
See
also
stock  noun 13

3.  source
of something: a source or origin of something

[1]



rootsystem

rootsystem
root
sys·tem
[root sístəm] noun

roots of a plant:
the network of roots that a plant develops[1]



rootup

rootup
root
up
transitive verb

dig up a plant:
to pull or dig up a whole plant, including its roots[1]



rootvegetable

rootvegetable
root
veg·e·ta·ble (plural root veg·e·ta·bles)
noun

vegetable grown for its
edible root: a vegetable such as a
carrot, turnip, or beet that is grown for its fleshy edible root or tuber. Some
are also used for their young leaves.[1]



rootworm

rootworm
root·worm 
[rt wùrm] (plural root·worms)
noun

plant pest:
a beetle whose larvae feed on the roots of crops, including corn. Genus: Diabrotica[1]



rooty

rooty
root·y 
[rtee] (comparative root·i·er,
superlative root·i·est) adjective

1.  having
many roots:
full of or having many roots

2.  similar
to a root:
resembling a root or roots
—root·i·ness, noun[1]



ropable

ropable
ro·pa·ble
[rṓpəb’l] or rope·a·ble [rṓpəb’l] adjective

able to be roped:
able to be caught or restrained using a rope[1]



rope

rope
rope 
[rōp] noun (plural ropes)

1.  strong
cord:
a strong cord made by twisting together strands of hemp or other fibers or wire

2.  string
of something: a row of things strung or twisted
together • a
rope of pearls

3.  strand
of sticky material: a stringy strand of a sticky
substance • a
rope of saliva

4.  cord
for hanging somebody: a cord with a noose at one
end, used to execute people by hanging

5.  death
by hanging:
execution by hanging

6.  freedom
to do something: freedom or latitude to do something
plural
noun
ropes

1.  lasso:
a lasso or lariat

2.  BOXING cords
of a ring used for fighting: the cords used to enclose a
boxing or wrestling ring

3.  how
to do something: the appropriate means and procedures for
doing something or for functioning in an environment (informal) • Her
task was to show the new employee the ropes.
verb
(past roped, past participle roped, present
participle rop·ing, 3rd person present singular ropes)

1.  transitive
verb
secure
something with a rope: to tie, link, or bind
somebody or something with rope • the
two climbers were roped together for the ascent

2.  transitive
verb
enclose
an area:
to enclose or partition an area using ropes as barriers • Museum
staff had roped off the area.

3.  transitive
verb
catch
an animal with a lasso: to catch an animal with a
lasso • rope
a steer

4.  intransitive
verb
form
strands similar to rope: to form strands that
resemble rope in shape or texture
[Old
English rāp (source of English stirrup
)]
—rop·er,
noun
give
somebody enough rope

to
allow somebody enough freedom or latitude to accomplish something or do
something well

give
somebody enough rope to hang himself or herself

to
give somebody enough freedom to make mistakes or reveal his or her shortcomings

on
the ropes

in a desperate or hopeless
position and likely to fail (informal)[1]



ropedancer

ropedancer
rope·danc·er
[rṓp dànsər] (plural rope·danc·ers)
noun

tightrope
performer:
an acrobat who dances or performs feats on a rope, especially a tightrope,
stretched above the ground
—rope·danc·ing, noun[1]



ropein

ropein
rope
in
transitive verb

1.  involve
somebody:
to involve somebody in an activity, especially if he or she was initially
reluctant or unwilling • We got
roped in to help with the cleaning up.

2.  fool
somebody:
to trick or deceive somebody into doing something

[1]



ropetow

ropetow
rope
tow
(plural rope tows) noun

See
ski tow[1]



ropewalk

ropewalk
rope·walk 
[rṓp wàwk] (plural rope·walks)
noun

shed where ropes are made:
a long shed or covered walk where ropes are made[1]



ropewalker

ropewalker
rope·walk·er
[rṓp wàwkər] (plural rope·walk·ers)
noun

tightrope
walker:
an acrobat who performs on a rope stretched above the ground, especially a
tightrope walker
[Early 17th century][1]



ropeway

ropeway
rope·way
[rṓp wày] (plural rope·ways) noun

cables for transporting
something: a system of cables strung
from high supports and used to carry heavy objects such as logs from one place
to another through the air[1]



ropy

ropy
rop·y
[rṓpee] (comparative rop·i·er,
superlative rop·i·est) or rop·ey [rṓpee] (comparative rop·i·er, superlative
rop·i·est) adjective

1.  similar
to rope:
resembling a rope or ropes

2.  forming
sticky threads: forming into sticky, stringy strands
—rop·i·ly,
adverb

—rop·i·ness, noun[1]



roque

roque
roque 
[rōk] noun

game
based on croquet: a game developed from croquet and played
on a hard court with a surrounding wall from which the ball can rebound and
still be in play
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of croquet .][1]



Roquefort

Roquefort
Roque·fort 
[rṓkfərt] (plural Roque·forts)
noun

strong
blue cheese: a moist, strongly flavored, blue-veined
cheese made from ewes’ milk and matured in caves
[Mid-19th century. Named for Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, where it was first made.][1]



Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon
Roque·fort-sur-Soul·zon
[rkfərt syoor s zoN]

town in Aveyron Region, in
southwestern France, famous for its blue cheese. Population: 880 (1998)[1]



roquelaure

roquelaure
ro·que·laure 
[ròkə làwr, rkə
làwr] (plural ro·que·laures) noun

men’s
hooded cloak: a knee-length hooded cloak worn by men
in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries
[Early 18th century. Named
for Antoine-Gaston ( 1656–1738 ), Duc de Roquelaure and Marshal of
France.][1]



roquet

roquet
ro·quet 
[rō káy] intransitive and transitive verb
(past ro·queted, past participle ro·queted, present
participle ro·quet·ing, 3rd person present singular ro·quets)

strike
an opponent’s croquet ball: in croquet, to strike
another player’s ball with your own ball
noun
(plural ro·quets)

croquet
stroke hitting another ball: in croquet, a stroke that
makes the player’s ball strike that of another player
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of croquet
.][1]



rorqual

rorqual
ror·qual 
[ráwrkwəl] (plural ror·quals) noun

type
of baleen whale: any large streamlined baleen whale that
has a small pointed dorsal fin and longitudinal grooves on the throat, for
example, the blue whale or the humpback whale. Genus: Balaenoptera
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Norwegian røyrkval, from Old Norse reyðarhvalr, from reyðr
“rorqual” (which was formed from rauðr “red”) + hvalr “whale”;
from its reddish color.][1]



Rorschachtest

Rorschachtest
Ror·schach
test 
[ráwr shaak tèst, ráwr
shaakh test] (plural Ror·schach tests) noun

interpreting
of inkblots: a projective test of personality or
mental state based on somebody’s interpretation of a series of standard
inkblots.
Also
called
inkblot test
See
also
projective test
[Early 20th century. Named
for its inventor, Hermann Rorschach ( 1884–1922 ), a Swiss
psychiatrist.][1]



rosacea

rosacea
ro·sa·ce·a 
[rō záyshə] noun

skin
disease of the face: a recurring inflammatory
disorder of the skin of the nose, cheeks, and forehead that is characterized by
swelling, dilation of capillaries, pimples, and a reddened appearance.
Also
called
acne rosacea
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin (acne) rosacea “rose-colored (acne)” from Latin rosacea,
feminine of rosaceus .][1]



rosaceous

rosaceous
ro·sa·ceous 
[rō záyshəss] adjective

1.  of
roses:
belonging or relating to the rose family Rosaceae of flowering plants

2.  similar
to a rose:
resembling a rose flower
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
rosaceus .][1]



Rosalind

Rosalind
Ro·sa·lind
[rózzə lind, rṓzə
lind] noun

small inner moon of Uranus:
a small inner natural satellite of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2
planetary probe. It is approximately 58 km (36 mi ) in diameter.[1]



rosaniline

rosaniline
ros·an·i·line 
[rōz ánn’lin] or ros·an·i·lin
[rō zánnələn] noun

red
dye:
a brownish-red crystalline compound derived from aniline and used as a dye, in
the preparation of other dyes, as an antifungal drug, and in Schiff’s reagent.
C20H21N3O
[Mid-19th century. From rose + aniline
.][1]



rosarian

rosarian
ro·sar·i·an 
[rō zérree ən] (plural ro·sar·i·ans)
noun

expert
rose-grower: somebody who cultivates roses or who is
an expert on their cultivation
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin rosarium “rose garden,” a form of rosarius “of roses,”
from rosa (see rose ).][1]



Rosario

Rosario
Ro·sa·ri·o 
[rō zree ō, rō
sree ō]

city in east central
Argentina, situated on the Parana River. Population: 894,645 (1991)[1]



rosary

rosary
ro·sa·ry 
[rṓzəree] (plural ro·sa·ries) noun

1.  series
of prayers:
a series of Roman Catholic prayers, usually made up of 5 or 15 decades of Hail
Marys, each decade beginning with an Our Father and ending with a Gloria

2.  Catholic
prayer beads: a string of beads used in counting the
prayers said in a rosary

3.  ro·sa·ry
or ro·sa·ry bead (plural ro·sa·ry beads) non-Catholic
prayer beads: a string of beads used in praying by
members of religions or denominations other than Roman Catholicism
[15th
century. From Latin rosarium and Anglo-Latin rosarius “rose
garden” (see rosarian ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  It
  was a common stylistic device in the Middle Ages to name collections of verse
  or similar short pieces after bunches of flowers ( anthology comes
  from the Greek word for “flower,” and a similar inspiration underlies florilegium
  ). This was the background against which a collection of Roman Catholic
  prayers came to be known as a rosary . The
  metaphor was probably encouraged by the symbolic association of roses and
  rose gardens with, respectively, the Virgin Mary and paradise.

[1]



rosarypea

rosarypea
ro·sa·ry
pea
(plural ro·sa·ry peas) noun

1.  tropical
plant:
a tropical vine naturalized in Florida that produces scarlet and black
poisonous seeds used as beads and a root that is used as a substitute for
licorice. Latin name: Abrus precatorius
Also
called
Indian licorice
Also
called
crab’s eye

2.  rosary
pea seed:
a seed of the rosary pea

[1]



Roscommon

Roscommon
Ros·com·mon
[raass kmən]

town and administrative
center of County Roscommon, in the Republic of Ireland. Population: 1,363
(1986)[1]



rose

rose1

rose1  [rōz]
noun (plural roses)

1.  PLANTS prickly
shrub with ornamental flowers: a prickly shrub or
bush with compound leaves that is cultivated in many varieties and hybrids for
its flowers. Genus: Rosa

2.  PLANTS flower
of a rose shrub: the flower of the rose shrub. Roses are
usually red, pink, yellow, or white and are often fragrant. The wild rose has
five petals, but cultivated varieties are usually double or partly double.

3.  PLANTS plant
similar to a rose: a member of the family of flowering
plants that includes the rose, or a plant that resembles it, especially in
having similar flowers. Family: Rosaceae

4.  COLORS reddish
color:
a reddish-pink color

5.  ornament
resembling a rose: a representation of a rose
flower as an emblem or decoration, or an ornament or design resembling a rose
flower

6.  MINERALS form
of various minerals: a mineral form that is round
and resembles a rose

7.  sprinkler
nozzle:
a perforated nozzle on a watering can or hose for producing a spray

8.  CRAFT INDUSTRY See rose cut

9.  ARCHITECTURE rose
window:
a rose window

10. See
compass card
plural noun roses

1.  easy
circumstances: favorable, comfortable, or easy
circumstances

2.  pink
coloring:
pink coloration, especially in the cheeks
adjective

1.  reddish-pink:
having a reddish-pink color

2.  having
or resembling roses: containing roses or
resembling roses, especially in smell

3.  relating
to roses:
relating to or used for roses
[Old
English rōse, via prehistoric Germanic from Latin rosa (source of
English rosary, and rosé ), of uncertain origin: probably
ultimately from Greek rhodon, of Iranian origin]
everything’s coming up roses

everything is going very well[1]



rose

rose2
rose2 

Past tense of
rise[1]



roseacacia

roseacacia
rose
a·ca·cia
(plural rose a·ca·cias) noun

shrub with rose-pink flowers:
a prickly shrub of the southeastern United States that has clusters of pale
purple or rose-pink flowers. Latin name: Robinia hispida[1]



Roseanne

Roseanne
Rose·anne
[rō zán] (1952– )

U.S.
comedian and actor. She is best known for her television comedy series Roseanne
( 1988–1997 ).
Full name
Barr, Roseanne[1]



roseapple

roseapple
rose
ap·ple
(plural rose ap·ples) noun

1.  SE
Asian tree:
an evergreen tree of Southeast Asia that is widely grown for its decorative
flowers and edible fruit. Latin name: Eugenia jambos Syzygium jambos

2.  fruit
of the rose apple tree: the edible oval fruit of the
rose apple tree, used in jellies and confections

[1]



roseate

roseate
ro·se·ate 
[rṓzee àyt, rṓzee
ət] adjective

1.  rose-colored:
of the reddish-pink color of roses

2.  optimistic:
optimistic or idealistic, especially to an absurd degree
[15th
century. Formed from Latin roseus “rosy,” from rosa “rose” (see rose ).]
—ro·se·ate·ly, adverb[1]



roseatespoonbill

roseatespoonbill
ro·se·ate
spoon·bill 
(plural ro·se·ate spoon·bills) noun

wading bird with pink
plumage: an American wading bird that
has rosy plumage and a spoon-shaped bill. Latin name: Ajaia ajaja[1]



rosebay

rosebay
rose·bay 
[rṓz bày] (plural rose·bays) noun

1.  See
rosebay rhododendron

2.  See
fireweed

3.  See
oleander

[1]



rosebayrhododendron

rosebayrhododendron
rose·bay
rho·do·den·dron (plural rose·bay
rho·do·den·drons) noun

rhododendron with rosy
flowers: a rhododendron of the
eastern United States that has rose-pink bell-shaped flowers. Latin name: Rhododendron
maximum
Also called
great laurel
Also called
rosebay[1]



rosebaywillowherb

rosebaywillowherb
rose·bay
wil·low·herb (plural rose·bay wil·low·herbs)
noun

See
fireweed[1]



rosebeetle

rosebeetle
rose
bee·tle
(plural rose bee·tles) noun

See
rose chafer[1]



Rosebery

Rosebery
Rose·ber·y 
[rṓz bèrree]

lake in the center of the
North Island, New Zealand, originally formed by a volcanic eruption. It is a
major tourist center. Area: 80 sq km/31 sq mi.[1]



Rosebery,Archibald Philip Primrose

Rosebery,Archibald Philip Primrose
Rose·ber·y 
[rṓz bèrree], Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th
Earl of (1847–1929)

British statesman. He
succeeded W. E. Gladstone as Liberal Party leader and prime minister
(1894–1895) before retiring from a long political career.[1]



rose-breastedgrosbeak

rose-breastedgrosbeak
rose-breast·ed
gros·beak 
(plural rose-breast·ed gros·beaks) noun

bird with a rose-red patch:
a North American woodland finch with a heavy bill, the male of which is black
and white with a rose-red patch on its breast. The female is grayish brown with
a streaked breast. Latin name: Pheucticus ludovicianus[1]



rosebud

rosebud
rose·bud 
[rṓz bùd] (plural rose·buds) noun

bud of a rose:
the unopened flower of a rose[1]



rosebug

rosebug
rose
bug
(plural rose bugs) noun

See
rose chafer[1]



rosebush

rosebush
rose·bush 
[rṓz bsh] (plural rose·bush·es)
noun

rose shrub:
any variety of rose that grows as a bush[1]



rosecampion

rosecampion
rose
cam·pi·on
(plural rose cam·pi·ons) noun

plant with pink flowers:
a plant that has white woolly down on its stems and leaves and is grown for its
pink flowers. It is native to Europe and Asia but naturalized in northeastern
North America. Latin name: Lychnis coronaria[1]



rosechafer

rosechafer
rose
cha·fer
(plural rose cha·fers) noun

plant-eating beetle:
a North American beetle that feeds on the roots, leaves, and flowers of roses
and other garden plants. Latin name: Macrodactylus subspinosus
Also called
rose beetle
Also called
rose bug[1]



rosecold

rosecold
rose
cold
noun

See
rose fever[1]



rose-colored

rose-colored
rose-col·ored 
adjective

1.  COLORS reddish
pink:
a reddish-pink color

2.  optimistic:
optimistic or idealistic, especially to an unjustifiable degree

[1]



Rosecrans,William Starke

Rosecrans,William Starke
Rose·crans
[rṓz krànz], William Starke (1819–1898)

U.S. Civil War Union general.
He captured Chattanooga, Tennessee (1863) from the Confederates, but his troops
were later besieged there.[1]



rosecut

rosecut
rose
cut
(plural rose cuts) noun

way
of cutting gemstones: a way of cutting gemstones
that gives them a flat base and a hemispherical crown with facets rising to a
low point.
Also
called
rose
—rose-cut, adjective[1]



rosefever

rosefever
rose
fe·ver
noun

hay fever:
hay fever experienced in the spring or early summer, caused by pollen, usually
of grasses, that is airborne when roses are in bloom.
Also called
rose cold[1]



rosefish

rosefish
rose·fish 
[rṓz fìsh] (plural rose·fish or
rose·fish·es) noun

1.  N
Atlantic fish: a spiny-finned red food fish of the
North Atlantic. Latin name: Sebastes marinus
Also
called
ocean perch

2.  See
redfish  noun 1

[1]



rosegeranium

rosegeranium
rose
ge·ra·ni·um
(plural rose ge·ra·ni·ums) noun

shrub with pink flowers:
a shrub grown for its pink flowers and fragrant leaves that are used for
scenting cosmetics and for flavoring. Latin name: Pelargonium graveolens[1]



rosehip

rosehip
rose·hip
[rṓz hìp] (plural rose·hips) noun

fruit of the rose plant:
the fleshy fruit of a rose, resembling a berry and used to make jelly, herbal
tea, or a medicinal syrup[1]



Roselle

Roselle
Ro·selle 
[rō zél]

village in northeastern
Illinois, south of Schaumburg. It is a western suburb of Chicago. Population:
23,044 (1996)[1]



roselle

roselle
ro·selle 
[rō zél] (plural ro·selles) noun

tropical
hibiscus:
a hibiscus of tropical Africa and Southeast Asia that has flowers with yellow
petals and a red calyx from which jelly and beverages are made. Latin name: Hibiscus
sabdariffa
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps by folk etymology from French l’oseille (de Guinée)
“sorrel (of Guinea),” alteration of popular Latin acidula, literally
“sourish (plant),” from, ultimately, Latin acidus “sour.”][1]



rosemallow

rosemallow
rose
mal·low
(plural rose mal·lows) noun

1.  marsh
plant:
a tall plant that grows in marshy areas of eastern North America and has downy
leaves and pink or white flowers. Genus: Hibiscus

2.  See
hollyhock

[1]



rosemary

rosemary

rose·mar·y 
[rṓz mèrree] (plural rose·mar·ies)
noun
aromatic
evergreen shrub: a southern European aromatic shrub of
the mint family grown for its fragrant gray-green needle-shaped leaves and used
as a flavoring in cooking and in making perfume. Latin name: Rosmarinus
officinalis
[14th century. By folk
etymology from rosmarine, ultimately from Latin rosmarinus, from ros
“dew” + marinus “of the sea,” from its growth near sea coasts and its
blossom’s resemblance to dew.][1]



rosemoss

rosemoss
rose
moss
(plural rose moss·es) noun

PLANTS
See portulaca[1]



Rosenberg,Julius

Rosenberg,Julius
Ro·sen·berg 
[rṓz’n bùrg], Julius (1917–1953)

U.S. convicted spy. He and
his wife Ethel Rosenberg (1916–1953), both members of the Communist Party, were
convicted in 1951 of passing nuclear weapons information to the Soviets during World
War II. They were the first U.S. civilians to be executed for espionage (1953).[1]



Rosenwald,Julius

Rosenwald,Julius
Ro·sen·wald
[rṓz’n wàwld], Julius (1862–1932)

U.S. merchant and
philanthropist. He financed various educational projects, including the Museum
of Science and Industry (1929) in Chicago.[1]



roseof Jericho

roseof Jericho
rose
of Jer·i·cho  (plural roses of Jer·i·cho)
noun

desert
plant:
a plant of desert regions that curls up into a ball in dry conditions and
unfolds and grows in wet conditions. One variety is found in North Africa and
southwest Asia, and the other in southwest North America and northern South
America. Latin name: Anastatica hierochuntica Selaginella
lepidophylla
[Named for Jericho, an
ancient city in Palestine][1]



roseof Sharon

roseof Sharon
rose
of Shar·on 
[rz əv shérrən] (plural roses of
Shar·on) noun

1.  European
shrub with yellow flowers: a creeping southern European
shrub, widely grown as ground cover and for its large yellow flowers. Latin
name: Hypericum calycinum
Also
called
Aaron’s beard

2.  hibiscus:
a Syrian shrub that is widely grown for its large red, purple, or white
flowers. Latin name: Hibiscus syriacus
[Early 17th century.
Translation of the Hebrew name in the Song of Solomon ; Sharon
refers to the fertile plain south of Mount Carmel in Israel.][1]



roseoil

roseoil
rose
oil
noun

oil from roses:
an essential oil made from rose flowers, used in perfumes, flavorings, and
medicines[1]



roseola

roseola
ro·se·o·la 
[rzee ṓlə, rō
z ələ] noun

red
rash:
a red rash on the skin, seen in diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, and
syphilis
[Early
19th century. Formed on the model of rubeola
from Latin roseus “rosy,” from rosa (see rose
).]
—ro·se·o·lar, adjective[1]



roseolainfantum

roseolainfantum
ro·se·o·la
in·fan·tum
[rōzee ōlə in fántoom] noun

children’s disease with rash:
a mild disease of young children, typically involving a three-day fever and the
eruption of pink spots[1]



roseperiwinkle

roseperiwinkle
rose
per·i·win·kle (plural rose per·i·win·kles)
noun

See
Madagascar periwinkle[1]



Rose,Pete

Rose,Pete

Rose 
[rōz], Pete (1941– )
U.S.
baseball player and manager. He had a record-breaking 4,256 career hits, but
was banned from baseball for betting (1989).
Full name
Rose, Peter Edward[1]



rosequartz

rosequartz
rose
quartz
noun

pink quartz:
a pink translucent variety of quartz used as a gemstone and for ornaments[1]



roseroot

roseroot
rose·root 
[rṓz rt] noun

mountain
plant:
a perennial mountain plant of Europe and Asia with yellow flowers, fleshy
leaves, and a pinkish underground stem. Latin name: Sedum rosea
[Late 16th century. Rose from
its root, which smells of roses when bruised.][1]



roseslug

roseslug
rose
slug
(plural rose slugs) noun

larva feeding on roses:
the larva of the sawfly, which feeds on the leaves of roses. Latin name: Claudius
isomerus Endelomyia aethiops[1]



rosetopaz

rosetopaz
rose
to·paz
noun

pink topaz:
a pink form of topaz made by applying heat to yellowish-brown topaz[1]



Rosettastone

Rosettastone
Ro·set·ta
stone 
noun

stone with parallel texts:
a stone tablet found in 1799 near Rashîd in Egypt that contained the same text
repeated in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Egyptian demotic script, and Greek, thereby
supplying the key to deciphering hieroglyphics[1]



rosette

rosette
ro·sette 
[rō zét] (plural ro·settes) noun

1.  rose-shaped
badge:
a circular badge made from gathered loops of ribbon or pleated material, worn
to demonstrate support for a team or political party or to indicate having won
a prize

2.  ornament
resembling a rose: a carved or painted ornament
resembling the open flower of a rose

3.  ZOOLOGY marking
resembling a rose: a patch of color or a
marking resembling the open flower of a rose, especially a cluster of spots on
the fur of a leopard

4.  BOTANY cluster
of leaves:
a circular or spiral cluster of leaves at the base of the stem of a plant
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “small rose,” from rose “rose,” from Latin rosa
(see rose ).][1]



Rosewall,Ken

Rosewall,Ken
Rose·wall
[rṓz wàwl], Ken (1934– )

Australian
tennis player. He won the Australian, French, and U.S. championships, and was
also a successful doubles player.
Full name
Rosewall, Kenneth Robert[1]



rosewater

rosewater
rose
wa·ter
noun

water scented by rose petals:
a fragrant liquid made by distilling or steeping rose petals in water, used as
toilet water and in cooking[1]



rosewindow

rosewindow

rose win·dow
(plural rose win·dows) or rose noun
round window with radiating tracery:
a round window with tracery radiating from the center in a pattern that
resembles a rose. Often made of stained glass, rose windows are a feature of
the Gothic style of church architecture.[1]



rosewood

rosewood
rose·wood 
[rṓz wd] (plural rose·woods) noun

1.  dark
wood of tropical trees: a dark, heavy, rose-scented
wood used in cabinetmaking that is obtained from various tropical trees,
especially blackwood. Genus: Dalbergia

2.  rosewood
tree:
a tree that yields rosewood

[1]



RoshChodesh

RoshChodesh
Rosh
Cho·desh
[ràwsh khàw dèsh] noun

first
day of the Jewish month: the first day of a new month
in the Jewish religious calendar
[From Hebrew rō’šḥōdeš,
literally “head of the month”][1]



RoshHashanah

RoshHashanah
Rosh
Ha·sha·nah
[ràwsh hə sháwnə, ràwsh
hə shnə] or Rosh Ha·sha·na [ràwsh
hə sháwnə, ràwsh hə shnə] or Rosh
Ha·sho·na [ràwsh hə sháwnə, ràwsh hə shnə] or Rosh Ha·sho·nah [ràwsh hə sháwnə, ràwsh
hə shnə] noun

Jewish
New Year Festival: the festival that celebrates
the Jewish New Year, observed on the first and second days of Tishri in the
autumn. It marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a period concerned with
confessions of sin and redemption.
[Mid-18th century. From
Hebrew rō’š haššānāh, literally “head of the year.”][1]



Rosicrucian

Rosicrucian
Ro·si·cru·cian 
[rzi krsh’n, ròzzi
krsh’n] (plural Ro·si·cru·cians) noun

member
of a mystical organization: a member of an international
organization concerned with esoteric wisdom derived from ancient mystical and
philosophical doctrines
[Early
17th century. Formed from modern Latin rosa crucis “rose of the cross,”
translation of German Rosenkreuz, named for the organization’s reputed
founder, Christian Rosenkreuz .]
—Ro·si·cru·cian·ism, noun[1]



rosin

rosin
ros·in 
[rózzin] noun

hard
resin:
a hard translucent resin ranging in color from amber to dark brown that is
derived from the sap, stumps, or other parts of pine trees. It is used in
making varnishes and other products and to increase friction, for example,
between the bow and strings of some stringed instruments.
transitive
verb
(past ros·ined, past participle ros·ined, present
participle ros·in·ing, 3rd person present singular ros·ins)

treat
something with rosin: to treat something with
rosin, in particular to rub rosin on the bow of a stringed instrument to
increase friction
[13th
century. Alteration of Old French raisine, variant of resine,
from Latin resina (source of English resin
); also via Anglo-Latin rosina from, ultimately, Latin resina .]
—ros·in·y, adjective[1]



Rosinante

Rosinante
Ros·i·nan·te
[ròzz’n ántee, rz’n
ántee] (plural Ros·i·nan·tes) noun

1.  Don
Quixote’s horse: the bony old horse that belongs to Don
Quixote, the hero of the novel by Cervantes published in 1605

2.  old
horse:
any worn-out old horse (literary)

[1]



rosinoil

rosinoil
ros·in
oil
(plural ros·in oils) noun

oil from rosin:
a thick yellowish sticky liquid distilled from rosin and used in making
varnishes, inks, and other products.
Also called
retinol[1]



rosinweed

rosinweed
ros·in·weed 
[rózzin wd] (plural ros·in·weeds)
noun

plant with resinous juice:
a North American plant that smells of resin or has resinous juice, for example,
the compass plant. Genera: Silphium Grindelia[1]



Roskilde

Roskilde
Ros·kil·de 
[rss klə]

city in Denmark, in eastern
Sjaelland, situated about 24 km/15 mi west of Copenhagen. Population: 49,080
(1990)[1]



Ross,Betsy

Ross,Betsy
Ross
[ross], Betsy (1752–1836)

U.S.
seamstress. She is credited with sewing the first flag of the United States of
America (1776).
Born
Griscom, Elizabeth[1]



Ross,Diana

Ross,Diana
Ross
[ross], Diana (1944– )

U.S.
pop singer. Known for her seductive vocal style and glamorous appearance, she
helped her 1960s female group the Supremes become one of the most successful
acts in the history of popular music before pursuing a solo career.
Real name
Ross, Diane Ernestine[1]



Rossetti,Christina

Rossetti,Christina
Ros·set·ti
[rō zéttee], Christina (1830–1894)

British
lyric poet. She wrote in a variety of styles and forms, often exploring the
themes of religion and death. She was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Full name
Rossetti, Christina Georgina[1]



Rossetti,Dante Gabriel

Rossetti,Dante Gabriel

Ros·set·ti
[rō zéttee], Dante Gabriel (1828–1882)
British
painter and poet. A founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848), he
brought medieval and Italianate influences to bear on idealized, emotionally
charged paintings such as The Annunciation ( 1850 ) and Proserpina
( 1874 ). His last volume of verse was Ballads and Sonnets ( 1881 ). He
was the brother of Christina Rossetti.
Full name
Rossetti, Gabriel Charles Dante[1]



Ross,George

Ross,George
Ross
[ross], George (1730–1779)

American patriot. A member of
the Continental Congress (1774–1777) from Delaware, he signed the Declaration
of Independence (1776).[1]



Rossini,Gioacchino Antonio

Rossini,Gioacchino Antonio
Ros·si·ni
[rō snee], Gioacchino Antonio (1792–1868)

Italian composer. The most
successful operatic composer of his time, he was a master of the bel canto
style and excelled in comedy. His 37 operas, all written before 1831, include The
Barber of Seville ( 1816 ) and William Tell ( 1829 ).[1]



Ross,James Clark

Ross,James Clark
Ross
[ross], Sir James Clark (1800–1862)

British explorer. He
determined the position of the magnetic North Pole (1831) and discovered
Victoria Land, Ross Island, and the Ross Sea (1839–1843).[1]



Ross,John

Ross,John
Ross
[ross], John (1790–1866)

U.S. Native American leader.
He led the Cherokee on the Georgia–Oklahoma “Trail of Tears” to a new home
(1838–1839) and became Chief of the United Cherokee nation.[1]



RossSea

RossSea
Ross
Sea

southern extension of the
Pacific Ocean, bordering Antarctica. A large part of its surface is frozen,
forming the Ross Ice Shelf. Ross Island, in the Ross Sea, is the location of
the volcano Mt. Erebus.[1]



rostellum

rostellum
ros·tel·lum 
[rò stélləm] (plural ros·tel·la
[rò stéllə]) noun

something
shaped like a beak: a part of an animal or plant
that resembles a beak, for example, the hooked projection from the head of a
tapeworm
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin, “small beak,” from rostrum (see rostrum ).]
—ros·tel·lar,
adjective

—ros·tel·late [róstə làyt, ro stéllət],
adjective[1]



roster

roster
ros·ter 
[róstər] noun (plural ros·ters)

1.  list
of names:
a list, especially of employees, athletes, or members of the armed forces,
often detailing their duties and the times when they are to be carried out

2.  people
on a list:
the people listed on a roster
transitive
verb
(past ros·tered, past participle ros·tered, present
participle ros·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular ros·ters)

put somebody on a roster:
to put somebody’s name on a roster
[Early 18th century. From
Dutch rooster, originally “gridiron,” hence (from the resemblance of its
pattern to lines on paper) “list,” from roosten “to roast.”][1]



Rostock

Rostock
Ros·tock 
[róst òk, ráwst
àwk]

city and port in northeastern
Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on the Baltic Sea.
Population: 236,100 (1994)[1]



Rostov

Rostov
Ros·tov 
[rə stáwf]

city in southwestern European
Russia, on the Don River. Population: 1,027,100 (1992)[1]



rostra

rostra
ros·tra


Plural of
rostrum[1]



rostrate

rostrate
ros·trate 
[rós tràyt, róstrət]
adjective

beak-shaped:
having a part that is shaped like a beak[1]



rostrum

rostrum
ros·trum 
[róstrəm] (plural ros·trums or
ros·tra [róstrə]) noun

1.  platform
for public speaking: a platform or raised area
where somebody stands to address an audience

2.  MUSIC conductor’s
platform:
a platform on a stage or in front of an orchestra where the conductor stands

3.  HISTORY prow
of Roman ship: the beak-shaped prow of an ancient Roman
ship, especially a war galley

4.  beak-shaped
part:
a beak or beak-shaped part of something
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “beak, ship’s prow,” in plural, “platform” (because ships’
prows decorated the orator’s platform in the Forum), from rodere “to
gnaw.”]
—ros·tral,
adjective

—ros·tral·ly, adverb[1]



Roswell

Roswell
Ros·well 
[róz wèll, rózwəl]

city in southeastern New
Mexico, directly west of the Pecos River and southeast of Albuquerque.
Population: 47,559 (1996)[1]



rosy

rosy
ros·y 
[rṓzee] (comparative ros·i·er,
superlative ros·i·est) adjective

1.  rose-colored:
of the reddish-pink color of roses • the
sunset turning the sky a rosy hue

2.  having
a pinkish complexion: having a pinkish complexion
that is regarded as indicating good health in Caucasian people

3.  promising:
likely to be characterized by success or happiness • predicts
a rosy future for the business

4.  optimistic:
optimistic, especially to an unreasonable degree • takes
a rosy view of things

5.  like
a rose:
resembling roses, characteristic of roses, or full of roses
—ros·i·ly,
adverb

—ros·i·ness, noun[1]



rosypastor

rosypastor
rosy
pastor
(plural rosy pastors) noun

BIRDS
See pastor[1]



rosé

rosé
ro·sé 
[rō záy] (plural ro·sés) noun

pink
wine:
a pink-colored wine, especially one made by fermenting red grapes and removing
the skins from the juice before all the color has been extracted
[Late 19th century. From
French, from (vin) rosé “pink (wine).”][1]



rot.

rot.
rot.

MATHEMATICS
Abbreviation of rotation[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








rot

rot
rot 
[rot] verb (past rot·ted,
past participle rot·ted, present participle rot·ting,
3rd person present singular rots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb decompose:
to be broken down or to break something organic down by the action of bacteria
or fungi • rotting
vegetation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
by decomposition: to be reduced, damaged, or broken by the
action of bacteria or fungi, or to affect something organic in this way • allow
the compost to rot down

3.  intransitive
verb
languish:
to endure the effects of complete neglect • thrown
into prison and left to rot
noun

1.  process
of decaying: the process or condition of decaying or
a decayed area

2.  nonsense:
irrelevant or ridiculous talk (informal)

3.  fungal
disease:
disease caused by fungi, for example, foot rot of sheep, dry rot of timber and
plants, and wet rot of timber

4.  ZOOLOGY animal
disease:
infestation with liver flukes

5.  BOTANY bacterial
plant disease: a plant disease in which the tissue is
broken down by the action of bacteria
interjection

expression of disagreement:
used to disagree with what somebody has said or to express annoyance or
exasperation (informal)
[Old English rotian
(verb), ultimately of uncertain origin: perhaps from an Indo-European word that
is also the ancestor of English rude
. The noun perhaps came from Scandinavian .][1]



Rota

Rota
Ro·ta 
noun

Catholic tribunal:
the supreme ecclesiastical tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church[1]



rota

rota
rota 
[rṓtə] (plural ro·tas) noun

U.K.
list
of names and duties: a list of people’s names and
the order in which they are to carry out specified duties
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “wheel.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word rota from which rota is
  derived is also the source of English control,
  rodeo, roll,
  rondo, rotate,
  rotund, roué,
  and round.

[1]



Rotarian

Rotarian
Ro·tar·i·an 
[rō térree ən] (plural Ro·tar·i·ans)
noun

member
of A Rotary Club: somebody who belongs to a Rotary Club
—Ro·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



rotary

rotary
ro·ta·ry 
[rṓtəree] (plural ro·ta·ries) noun

1.  rotating
part:
a machine or part of a machine that rotates around an axis or a fixed point

2.  TRANSPORT See traffic circle
[Mid-18th century. From
medieval Latin rotarius, from Latin rota “wheel.”][1]



RotaryClub

RotaryClub
Ro·ta·ry
Club
(plural Ro·ta·ry Clubs) noun

local
branch of a community service organization: a
local club that is a member of Rotary International, an international
organization of business and professional people originally formed in the
United States to encourage service to the community
[Rotary from the
organization’s early practice of holding meetings in rotation at members’
business premises][1]



rotarycultivator

rotarycultivator
ro·ta·ry
cul·ti·va·tor (plural ro·ta·ry
cul·ti·va·tors) noun

AGRICULTURE
See rototiller[1]



rotarycutter

rotarycutter
ro·ta·ry
cut·ter
(plural ro·ta·ry cut·ters) noun

tool for cutting fabric
quickly: a disk blade encased in a
handle and used for speed-cutting of strips of fabric, especially in patchwork[1]



rotaryengine

rotaryengine
ro·ta·ry
en·gine
(plural ro·ta·ry en·gines) noun

1.  internal-combustion
engine with rotating cylinders: an internal-combustion
engine with cylinders that rotate about a fixed crankshaft

2.  engine
powering a rotating part: an engine that produces
torque or power entirely by a rotating mechanism rather than by a crankshaft
and reciprocating piston arrangement.
See
also
radial engine

[1]



RotaryInternational

RotaryInternational
Ro·ta·ry
In·ter·na·tion·al noun

organization
for service to community: an international
organization of business and professional people formed in the United States in
1905 to encourage service to the community
[See Rotary
Club][1]



rotarymower

rotarymower
ro·ta·ry
mow·er
(plural ro·ta·ry mow·ers) noun

lawn mower with a rotating
blade: a lawn mower with a single
blade attached in the middle and sharpened at both ends that rotates as the
mower is moved[1]



rotaryplow

rotaryplow
ro·ta·ry
plow
(plural ro·ta·ry plows) noun

AGRICULTURE
See rototiller[1]



rotarypress

rotarypress
ro·ta·ry
press
(plural ro·ta·ry press·es) noun

rotating printing press:
a printing press that prints from curved plates mounted on a revolving
cylinder, often onto a continuous roll of paper[1]



rotarypump

rotarypump
ro·ta·ry
pump
(plural ro·ta·ry pumps) noun

pump with rotating parts:
a pump that imparts motion by internal sets of rotating vanes or screws, used
to move water or other fluids[1]



rotarytiller

rotarytiller
ro·ta·ry
til·ler
(plural ro·ta·ry til·lers) noun

AGRICULTURE
See rototiller[1]



rotary-wingaircraft

rotary-wingaircraft
ro·ta·ry-wing
air·craft 
(plural ro·ta·ry-wing air·crafts) noun

aircraft with rotating
airfoils: an aircraft, especially a
helicopter, that is lifted or propelled by rotating airfoils.
Also called
rotorcraft[1]



rotate

rotate
ro·tate 
[rṓ tàyt] verb (past ro·tat·ed,
past participle ro·tat·ed, present participle ro·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular ro·tates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
around an axis: to turn like a wheel around an axis or a
fixed point, or make something turn around an axis or a fixed point • The
earth rotates around the axis through its poles. • The
windmill’s sails are rotated by the wind.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE vary the crop grown:
to vary the crops grown on the same piece of ground so as not to exhaust the
soil or make it susceptible to disease

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb follow
in order:
to follow in a sequence, taking turns, or make things follow in such a sequence
• Rotate
the plates in the pile so that they all get used.

4.  replace
personnel:
to be replaced by somebody else, or replace one person or group by another, for
example, in a sports team or military unit • The
manager rotates first-team players with promising newcomers in less important
games.
adjective

wheel-shaped:
having parts that radiate from a central point
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: either from Latin rotat-, past
participle stem of rotare, from rota “wheel”; or a back-formation
from rotation .]
—ro·tat·a·ble, adjective[1]



rotation

rotation
ro·ta·tion 
[rō táysh’n] (plural ro·ta·tions)
noun

1.  turning
motion:
a turning motion like that of a wheel around an axis or a fixed point, or the
act or process of turning in such a way • the
rotation of the earth

2.  single
revolution:
a single turn of something around an axis or a fixed point • one
full rotation of the wheel

3.  regular
variation:
a regular or planned recurrent sequence of events or changes of position • The
families use the vacation home in strict rotation.

4.  AGRICULTURE crop
rotation:
crop rotation

5.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
transformation: a mathematical transformation in which
axes are rotated by a fixed angle while the origin remains unchanged

6.  CUE GAMES way
of playing pool: a way of playing pool in which the balls
are shot in ascending numerical order
—ro·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



rotative

rotative
ro·ta·tive 
adjective

See
rotatory
—ro·ta·tive·ly, adverb[1]



rotator

rotator
ro·ta·tor 
[rṓ tàytər] (plural ro·ta·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
or something rotating: somebody who or something
that rotates or causes rotation

2.  (plural
ro·ta·tor·es) ANATOMY muscle
for rotation: a muscle that rotates part of the body
on an axis

[1]



rotatorcuff

rotatorcuff
ro·ta·tor
cuff
(plural ro·ta·tor cuffs) noun

muscles in the shoulder
joint: the deep muscles of the
shoulder and their tendons, which connect the arm to the shoulder joint,
encircle it, and provide strength and stability while permitting rotation of
the arm[1]



rotatory

rotatory
ro·ta·to·ry 
[rṓtə tàwree] or ro·ta·tive [rṓ tàytiv] adjective

1.  rotating
like a wheel: involving, characterized by, or causing
rotation around an axis or a fixed point

2.  varying
regularly:
involving, characterized by, or causing rotation of people or things in
sequence

[1]



rotavirus

rotavirus
ro·ta·vi·rus 
[rṓtə vrəss] (plural ro·ta·vi·rus·es)
noun

virus
causing gastroenteritis: a wheel-shaped RNA virus
that causes gastroenteritis, especially in infants. It is the most common cause
of viral gastroenteritis.
[Late 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “wheel-virus,” from Latin rota “wheel” + virus
“poison, virus.”][1]



ROTC

ROTC
ROTC

Abbreviation of
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps[1]



rote

rote3
rote3 [rōt]
(plural rotes) noun

medieval
stringed instrument: a medieval stringed
instrument played by plucking
[14th century. From Old
French, of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from late Latin chrotta
“British musical instrument,” from Welsh crwth “(type of) Celtic
stringed instrument” or Old Irish crot “harp, cithara.”][1]



rote

rote1
rote1 [rōt]
noun

repetition:
mechanical repetition of something so that it is remembered, often without real
understanding of its meaning or significance • learned
it by rote
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French ro(u)te (see route
) or Latin rota “wheel.”][1]



rote

rote2
rote2 [rōt]
noun

sound
of surf:
the noise of waves breaking on the shore
[Early 17th century. Variant
of rut, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



rotenone

rotenone
ro·te·none 
[rṓt’n n] noun

insecticide:
a white crystalline insecticide extracted from the roots of derris. C23H22O6
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Japanese roten “derris.”][1]



ROTFL

ROTFL
ROTFL
or ROFL

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of rolling on the floor laughing[1]



rotgut

rotgut
rot·gut 
[rót gùt] noun

inferior liquor:
cheap and rough alcoholic drink (informal)[1]



Rothko,Mark

Rothko,Mark
Roth·ko
[róth k], Mark (1903–1970)

Russian-born U.S. artist. He
is known for large color-field abstract expressionist paintings, often in
somber tones.[1]



Roth,Philip

Roth,Philip
Roth
[rawth], Philip (1933– )

U.S.
writer. His novels, which often concern American Jewish life, include Goodbye
Columbus ( 1959 ) and Portnoy’s Complaint ( 1969 ).
Full name
Roth, Philip Milton[1]



roti

roti
ro·ti
[rṓtee] (plural ro·tis) noun

unleavened
bread:
a type of unleavened bread originally from the northern parts of the Indian
subcontinent, also eaten in the Caribbean
[Early 20th century. From
Hindi roī .][1]



rotifer

rotifer
ro·ti·fer 
[rṓtəfər] (plural ro·ti·fers) noun

minute
water invertebrate: a microscopic invertebrate
animal that has a wheel-shaped crown of projecting threads ( cilia ) at the anterior end and lives mostly in
freshwater habitats. The cilia aid in locomotion and food ingestion. Phylum:
Rotifera
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, literally “wheel-bearing, wheel-bearer,” from,
ultimately, Latin rota “wheel.”]
—ro·tif·er·al
[rō tíffərəl], adjective

—ro·tif·er·ous [rō tíffərəss], adjective[1]



rotisserie

rotisserie
ro·tis·se·rie 
[rō tíssəree] (plural ro·tis·se·ries)
noun

1.  roasting
spit:
a cooking appliance for roasting meat using a rotating spit

2.  place
roasting meat: a shop or restaurant where meat is
roasted and sold
[Mid-19th century. From
French rôtisserie, from rôtir “to roast,” from Old French rostir,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English roster .][1]



rotl

rotl
rot·l 
[rótt’l] (plural rot·ls) noun

unit
of weight:
a unit of weight used in many Islamic countries, varying from approximately
0.45 to 2.25 kg1 to 5 lbs
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic ral, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Greek litra
“pound (unit of weight)” (source of English liter
).][1]



rotogravure

rotogravure
ro·to·gra·vure 
[rtəgrə vyr] (plural ro·to·gra·vures)
noun

1.  printing
process with a rotary press: a printing process in which
images are etched photomechanically onto copper cylinders mounted in a rotary
press, from which they are printed onto a moving web of paper

2.  something
printed by rotogravure process: something printed
using rotogravure, for example, a magazine or a photographic section of a
newspaper
[Early 20th century. From
German Rotogravur, company name, of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend of
the company names Rotophot and (Deutsche) Photogravur .][1]



rotor

rotor
ro·tor 
[rṓtər] (plural ro·tors) noun

1.  AIR rotating
airfoils:
an assembly of airfoils that rotate about a hub to give lift to an aircraft,
especially a helicopter

2.  AIR rotor
blade:
a blade or airfoil of a rotor (informal)

3.  rotating
part of machine: a rotating part of an electrical
apparatus, for example, the armature of a generator, or of a mechanical device

4.  METEOROLOGY wave
of air:
a wave of air in which air rotates around a horizontal axis
[Late 19th century.
Contraction (perhaps modeled on vector ) or rotator .][1]



rotorcraft

rotorcraft
ro·tor·craft 
[rṓtər kràft] (plural ro·tor·craft)
noun

AIR
See rotary-wing aircraft[1]



Rotorua

Rotorua
Ro·to·ru·a
[rtə r ə]

city in the center of the
North Island, New Zealand, noted for its volcanic activity and thermal springs.
Population: 56,928 (1996)[1]



Rotorua,Lake

Rotorua,Lake
Ro·to·ru·a,
Lake
[rtə r ə]

lake in the center of the
North Island, New Zealand, originally formed by a volcanic eruption. It is a
major tourist center. Area: 80 sq km/31 sq mi.[1]



rototill

rototill
ro·to·till 
[rṓtə tìl] (past ro·to·tilled,
past participle ro·to·tilled, present participle ro·to·till·ing,
3rd person present singular ro·to·tills) transitive verb

till
with a rototiller: to break up or till soil
using a rototiller
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from rototiller .][1]



rototiller

rototiller
ro·to·till·er 
[rṓtə tìllər] (plural ro·to·till·ers)
noun

mechanized
plow:
a machine for breaking up and tilling soil, consisting of a series of blades
mounted on a revolving power-driven shaft.
Also
called
rotary plow
U.K.
term
rotary plough
[Early 20th century. From,
ultimately, Latin rota “wheel” (see rota
) + tiller .][1]



rotten

rotten
rot·ten 
[rótt’n] adjective (comparative
rot·ten·er, superlative rot·ten·est)

1.  decayed:
affected by rot or decay • a
rotten apple

2.  foul:
extremely unpleasant, unfortunate, or nasty (informal) • rotten
weather

3.  inferior:
below the acceptable standard (informal) • He’s
a rotten driver.

4.  not
feeling well: feeling unwell, usually without a
specific complaint (informal)

5.  unhappy:
feeling unhappy or uncomfortable, especially through guilt or embarrassment (informal)
• I
feel rotten about letting you down.

6.  unethical:
lacking ethical principles in the treatment of other people or animals
adverb

to a great degree:
to a great degree, especially so much as to be disapproved of (informal)
• The
grandmother spoils those kids rotten.
[13th
century. From Old Norse rotinn, of uncertain origin: probably the past
participle of an assumed verb.]
—rot·ten·ly,
adverb

—rot·ten·ness, noun[1]



rottenborough

rottenborough
rot·ten
bor·ough
(plural rot·ten bor·oughs) noun

HISTORY
constituency with few electors:
a political constituency with few electors but the same right to elect a
representative as a more populous constituency[1]



rottenstone

rottenstone
rot·ten·stone 
[rótt’n stn] (plural rot·ten·stones)
noun

silica-rich limestone:
a form of silica-rich limestone that has been decomposed by weathering and is
used in powdered form for polishing metal[1]



rotter

rotter
rot·ter 
[róttər] (plural rot·ters) noun

nasty
person:
somebody who behaves in a nasty or unpleasant way (informal dated)
[Early 17th century.
Originally in the sense “causer of rotting.”][1]



Rotterdam

Rotterdam
Rot·ter·dam 
[ráwtər daàm]

city and port in Zuid-Holland
Province, southwestern Netherlands. Population: 1,074,387 (1994)[1]



rottweiler

rottweiler

rott·wei·ler 
[rótt wlər, rótt
vīlər] (plural rott·wei·lers) noun
large powerful dog:
a large powerful dog of a breed that has a black smooth coat with tan markings.
Rottweilers are often used as guard dogs.[1]



rotund

rotund
ro·tund 
[rō túnd] adjective

1.  overweight:
with a greater body weight than is advisable

2.  rich
in sound:
having a full, rich sound
[15th
century. Directly or via Italian rotondo from Latin rotundus
“round,” from rotare “to rotate,” from rota “wheel.”]
—ro·tun·di·ty,
noun

—ro·tund·ly,
adverb

—ro·tund·ness, noun[1]



rotunda

rotunda
ro·tun·da 
[rō túndə] (plural ro·tun·das)
noun

1.  round
building:
a round building, usually covered with a dome

2.  round
room:
a large round hall or room

3.  open
area in a public building: a large open area at an
airport, railroad station, or other public building
[Early 17th century.
Alteration (modeled on Latin rotundus “round”) of Italian rotonda,
from Latin rotunda, the feminine of rotundus “round.”][1]



roturier

roturier
ro·tu·rier 
[rō tree ày, rō
tyrə ày] (plural ro·tu·riers) noun

commoner:
a commoner or peasant
[Late 16th century. From
French, from roture “land tenure by somebody of low social class,” hence
“newly cultivated land,” from Latin ruptura “breaking” (source of
English rupture ).][1]



Roubaix

Roubaix
Rou·baix 
[roo bé]

city in Nord Department,
Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, northern France, situated northeast of Lille.
Population: 98,179 (1990)[1]



rouble

rouble
rou·ble 
[rb’l] noun

See
ruble
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Russian rubl .][1]



Rouen

Rouen
Rou·en 
[roo n]

capital of Seine-Maritime
Department, Haute-Normandie Region, northwestern France. Population: 105,470
(1990)[1]



rouge

rouge
rouge 
[roozh] noun

1.  reddish
makeup for the cheeks: red or pink makeup in powder
or cream form used to add color to the cheeks or lips or to accentuate the
shape of the cheekbones (dated)

2.  polish
in powder form: any of various kinds of polish in powder
form containing metallic oxides, especially a polish for metal called jeweler’s
rouge that contains ferric oxide
verb
(past rouged, past participle rouged, present
participle roug·ing, 3rd person present singular roug·es)

1.  transitive
verb
color
something with rouge: to put rouge on the cheeks
or lips (dated)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb blush:
to blush or cause somebody to blush (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Latin rubeus “red.”][1]



rougeet noir

rougeet noir
rouge
et noir 
[r ay nwr] noun

card
game with gambling: a card game in which
gamblers place their stakes on a table marked with two red and two black
diamonds and all betting is against the house at even money.
Also
called
trente et quarante
[From French, literally “red
and black”][1]



rough

rough
rough 
[ruf] adjective (comparative rough·er,
superlative roughest)

1.  not
smooth or flat: having a bumpy, knobby, or uneven
surface rather than being smooth, flat, and regular

2.  not
soft:
not soft and smooth, but rather coarse in texture • a
dog with a rough, bristly coat

3.  windy
or turbulent: stormy, or unpleasantly turbulent as a
result of stormy conditions • The
weather had been rough for days.

4.  difficult
to travel over: in a wild and natural state and
difficult to travel across • marching
over rough terrain

5.  not
gentle:
done with or using a lot of force or violence • toys
that will stand up to rough handling

6.  not
polite:
not refined or polite in manner and behavior • rough
talk

7.  sounding
or tasting harsh: harsh on the ears or to the taste

8.  not
detailed:
not exact, precise, or detailed, but broadly correct • a
rough estimate

9.  just
barely serviceable: made quickly or without
using proper or good-quality materials, or providing for only the most basic
needs • used
branches to build a rough shelter

10. lacking
finish or refinement: hastily or incompletely made
• a
rough wooden carving

11. severe
or unpleasant: severe, unfair, or generally unpleasant
• received
rough treatment at the hands of the judge

12. rowdy:
tending to noisy, rowdy, or violent • a
rough crowd

13. frequented
by unsavory people: frequented or inhabited by
people who tend to be noisy, rowdy, or violent • a
rough part of town
noun
(plural roughs)

1.  GOLF unmowed
part of a golf course: that area of a golf course
on which grass and other vegetation is allowed to grow higher than on the
fairway

2.  preliminary
outline:
a preliminary version of something, for example, a sketch giving the broad
layout of an artwork

3.  U.K.
violent
person:
a violent or brutal person, especially a hired thug (regional)
transitive
verb
(past roughed, past participle roughed, present
participle rough·ing, 3rd person present singular roughs)

1.  roughen
something:
to make something rough

2.  SPORTS use
violence on an opposing player: in football and ice
hockey, to treat an opposing player with unnecessary violence
[Old
English rūh . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of Dutch ruw and German rauh .]
—rough·ish,
adjective

—rough·ness,
noun
in
the rough

in
a crude, unfinished, or uncultivated state

rough
it

to
live in a less comfortable or less sophisticated way than usual (informal)

rough
or smooth

RACKET
GAMES used as a call when spinning
a racket in a game of tennis or squash to decide which player should serve
first or choose the end to serve from[1]



roughage

roughage
rough·age 
[rúffij] noun

MEDICINE See fiber  noun 7
[Late 19th century.
Originally in the sense “rough grass, weeds.”][1]



rough-and-ready

rough-and-ready
rough-and-read·y 
adjective

1.  crude
but serviceable: not elegant or stylish but practical or
usable • rough-and-ready
accommodations in a hostel

2.  lacking
politeness but not friendliness: not polite or
well-mannered but friendly or kindhearted

[1]



rough-and-tumble

rough-and-tumble
rough-and-tum·ble 
noun

disorderly
situation:
a situation characterized by a lack of restraint and a ruthless disregard for
rules and conventions
—rough-and-tumble, adjective[1]



roughbluegrass

roughbluegrass
rough
blue·grass
noun

forage grass:
a grass native to Eurasia and northern Africa and naturalized in the United
States, where it is used in lawns and as forage. Latin name: Poa trivialis[1]



roughbreathing

roughbreathing
rough
breath·ing
noun

sound like “h”:
in ancient Greek, a sound like that of the English “h,” occurring with an
initial vowel or the letter ρ and indicated by the symbol ‘.
See also
smooth breathing[1]



roughcast

roughcast
rough·cast 
[rúf kàst] noun (plural rough·casts)

1.  pebbled
surface on walls: a surface of coarse plaster covered with
pebbles on the outside walls of a building (often used before a noun) • roughcast
walls

2.  rough
model:
a preliminary form or model of something • made
a roughcast in clay before starting to work the marble
transitive
verb
(past rough·cast, past participle rough·cast, present
participle rough·cast·ing, 3rd person present singular rough·casts)

1.  cover
a wall with roughcast: to cover the surface of a
wall or the walls of a building with roughcast

2.  form
something roughly: to shape or form something
in a crude fashion or as a preliminary to more polished work
—rough·cast·er, noun[1]



roughcollie

roughcollie
rough
col·lie
noun

collie with thick hair around
the neck: a long-haired collie dog
that is black and white or black, white, and tan and has a band of thick hair
around its neck and shoulders[1]



roughcut

roughcut
rough
cut
noun

preliminary version of film:
the preliminary version of a movie, with only basic editing done to put the
scenes together in sequence[1]



roughdiamond

roughdiamond
rough
di·a·mond
(plural rough di·a·monds) noun

U.K.
See diamond in the rough[1]



rough-dry

rough-dry
rough-dry
transitive verb

dry
laundry without pressing: to dry washed laundry but
not iron it
—rough-dry, adjective[1]



roughen

roughen
rough·en 
[rúff’n] (past rough·ened, past
participle rough·ened, present participle rough·en·ing,
3rd person present singular rough·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become rough:
to make something rough, or become rough[1]



roughfish

roughfish
rough
fish
noun

fish undesirable for food or
sport: a species of fish that is
neither caught for food nor fished for by anglers.
Also called
trash fish[1]



rough-hew

rough-hew
rough-hew 
(past rough-hewed, past participle rough-hewn, present
participle rough-hew·ing, 3rd person present singular rough-hews)
transitive verb

1.  cut
something roughly, without smoothing: to
cut or carve something roughly without smoothing the surface or edges • He
rough-hewed the wood to make a crude table.

2.  make
something crudely: to shape or form something
crudely

[1]



rough-hewn

rough-hewn
rough-hewn
adjective

1.  cut
not smoothed: cut or shaped only roughly, with the
surface and the edges not smoothed • blocks
of rough-hewn sandstone

2.  crudely
made:
crudely shape or formed

3.  rugged:
rugged or rough and unrefined in character

[1]



roughhouse

roughhouse
rough·house 
[rúf hòwss] noun (plural rough·hous·es)

rowdiness:
rough behavior or excessively boisterous play (informal) • The
party turned into a roughhouse.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rough·housed,
past participle rough·housed, present participle rough·hous·ing,
3rd person present singular rough·hous·es [rúf hòwzəz])

behave
or treat somebody roughly: to behave or treat somebody
in a rough boisterous way (informal)
[Late 19th century. From the
idea of an establishment such as a bar or brothel where disorderly behavior
occurs.][1]



rough-leggedbuzzard

rough-leggedbuzzard
rough-leg·ged
buz·zard
(plural rough-leg·ged buz·zards) noun

U.K.
See rough-legged hawk[1]



rough-leggedhawk

rough-leggedhawk
rough-leg·ged
hawk 
noun

Arctic hawk with
feather-covered legs: a large
Arctic hawk that has a dark body, feathers covering its legs, and a white tail
with a broad dark band at the end. Latin name: Buteo lagopus
U.K. term
rough-legged buzzard[1]



roughly

roughly
rough·ly
[rúfflee] adverb

1.  crudely:
in a crude or incomplete way • shape
the ground beef roughly into balls

2.  violently
or rudely:
in a violent way or a manner lacking in gentleness and politeness

3.  approximately:
as a guess without any claim to exactness • Roughly
one third of the funding comes from government.

[1]



roughneck

roughneck
rough·neck 
[rúf nèk] (plural rough·necks)
noun

1.  hired
thug:
somebody who is violent, especially a hired thug (informal)

2.  coarse
person:
somebody who behaves in a rough, bad-mannered way (informal)

3.  INDUSTRY oil-field
worker:
an unskilled worker on an oil-drilling rig or at an oil well (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Neck used
here for “person.”][1]



roughout

roughout
rough
out
transitive verb

outline something roughly:
to prepare a rough model, plan, or sketch of something • The
scriptwriters meet to rough out a scene-by-scene narrative long before a word
of dialogue is written.[1]



roughrider

roughrider
rough·rid·er 
[rúf rdər] (plural rough·rid·ers)
noun

rider of wild horses:
somebody who breaks wild horses, or who is skilled at riding horses that have
not been trained[1]



RoughRider

RoughRider
Rough
Rid·er
noun

cavalryman under Teddy
Roosevelt: a soldier in the 1st U.S.
Volunteer Cavalry recruited by Theodore Roosevelt to fight in the
Spanish-American War[1]



roughshod

roughshod
rough·shod 
[rúf shòd] adjective

1.  wearing
spiked horseshoes: fitted with horseshoes that
have short spikes to prevent slipping in wet weather

2.  brutal:
displaying great forcefulness and a lack of consideration
ride
roughshod over somebody or something

to dispose of somebody or
something forcefully and inconsiderately[1]



roughsledding

roughsledding
rough
sled·ding
noun

hard time:
a hard or difficult time or experience (informal)[1]



roughstuff

roughstuff
rough
stuff
noun

violence:
violent behavior or acts (informal)[1]



roughtrade

roughtrade
rough
trade
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a tough or sometimes violent sexual partner for a gay man
(slang offensive)[1]



roughup

roughup
rough
up
transitive verb

1.  beat
somebody violently: to subject somebody to a
violent beating (informal)

2.  give
something an untidy look: to make something such as
somebody’s hair look untidy

[1]



rough-wingedswallow

rough-wingedswallow
rough-winged
swal·low 
noun

small
N American swallow: a small brown bird in the
swallow family commonly found near water in North America. Genus: Stelgidopteryx
[From the barb-shaped hooks
on the outer feathers][1]



rouille

rouille
rouille 
[r ] noun

spicy
sauce with Provençal foods: a sauce made from chilies,
garlic, and olive oil served as an accompaniment to many Provençal foods,
especially bouillabaisse and other fish soups
[Mid-20th century. Via
French, literally “rust” (from its color), from, ultimately, Latin robigo
.][1]



roulade

roulade
rou·lade 
[roo ld] (plural rou·lades) noun

1.  FOOD food
in the form of a roll: a dish in which a piece of
food is coated with a sauce or filling and rolled up before being cooked, so
that each slice has a spiral appearance

2.  MUSIC vocal musical
ornament:
a run of several musical notes sung rapidly to one syllable
[Early 18th century. Via
French, from rouler “to roll,” from, ultimately, Latin rota
“wheel” (source of English rota and rotate ).][1]



rouleau

rouleau
rou·leau 
[roo lṓ] (plural rou·leaux [roo lṓ] or rou·leaus [roo lṓz]) noun

1.  roll
of coins:
a stack of coins wrapped in a paper cylinder

2.  SEWING piping:
rolled or folded ribbon used as decorative piping or trimming
[Late 17th century. Via
French, literally “small roll,” from, ultimately, Latin rotula “small
wheel,” from rota (see roulade ).][1]



roulette

roulette
rou·lette 
[roo lét] noun (plural rou·lettes)

1.  GAMBLING gambling
game with a spinning wheel: a game in which a ball is
rolled onto a spinning horizontal wheel divided into compartments, with players
betting on which compartment the ball will come to rest in (often used
before a noun)

2.  tool
with a toothed wheel: a tool with a toothed wheel
used for making dots, for example, in engraving, or for making perforations in
paper, for example, on a sheet of postage stamps

3.  slits
cut in paper: a line of slits or perforations made by
a cutting tool on a sheet of paper
transitive
verb
(past rou·lett·ed, past participle rou·lett·ed, present
participle rou·lett·ing, 3rd person present singular rou·lettes)

mark something with dots or perforations:
to use a roulette to mark a surface with a line of dots or make perforations in
a sheet of paper
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, literally “small wheel” (the original sense in English ), from,
ultimately, late Latin rotella, from Latin rota “wheel” (source
of English rota ).][1]



Roumanian

Roumanian
Rou·ma·ni·an
[rō máynee ən, roo
máynee ən] noun adjective

Romanian:
Romanian (dated)[1]



round

round4
round4  [rownd]
(past rounded, past participle rounded, present
participle round·ing, 3rd person present singular rounds)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
move
past an obstacle: to move in a curve past the edge or
corner of something • as
they rounded the corner

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS express as a round
number:
to express a number containing several units as the nearest significant number
above or below it, for example, treating 5,753 as 6,000, or 6.375 as 6 • The
estimate was rounded to the nearest dollar.

3.  transitive
verb
pronounce
sounds:
to pronounce a sound with rounded lips • Try
to round your vowels.

4.  transitive
verb
purse
lips:
to purse the lips

[1]



round

round3
round3  [rownd]
noun

1.  round
shape:
a round shape or object • little
rounds of cheese

2.  session:
a session or instance of a particular event, usually in a series of similar or
related events • the Uruguay round of
global talks • the
dreary round of fruitless calls

3.  SPORTS stage
of a competition: a game or series of games in a
competition • He
beat last year’s champion in the first round of the competition.

4.  WRESTLING BOXING period
of boxing or wrestling: a time period, usually three
minutes, during which boxers or wrestlers fight

5.  GOLF game
of golf:
a playing of all the holes on a golf course constituting one game

6.  LEISURE turn
of play:
a single turn of play, as in a game of cards

7.  ARCHERY arrows
shot:
a specified number of arrow shot from a specified distance

8.  ARMS charge
of ammunition: a bullet, blank cartridge, or other
charge of ammunition • a city
that has received more than its share of mortar rounds

9.  ARMS gun
discharge:
a single discharge by a gun or guns • loose
off a few rounds

10. series
of visits:
a series of visits made on a regular basis to different places or people (often
used in the plural)

11. drinks
bought:
a number of drinks bought for each member of a group of people

12. FOOD slice
of bread:
a slice of bread or toast, or a sandwich made from two slices of bread

13. applause:
an outburst of applause or cheering • She
entered the hall to a huge round of applause.

14. MUSIC partsong:
a song sung by several people whereby each person sings a different part of the
song at the same time

15. movement
in a circle: movement in a circle or around an axis

16. MUSIC bells
rung:
a sequence of bells rung in order of treble to tenor

17. DANCE circular
dance:
a dance involving a sequence of movements in a circle

18. FOOD cut of
beef:
a cut of beef from between the rump and the shank
make
or do or go the rounds

1.  to
circulate and become widespread • a new
rumor making the rounds

2.  to
go from place to place in a regular pattern

in
the round

1.  THEATER with the stage in the center
and the audience seated around it

2.  with
full detail and perspective from all sides

[1]



round

round1
round1  [rownd]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that a circle of people, a place, or an
object surrounds or encloses something • (preposition)
She sat clasping her hands round her knees. • (preposition)
an area of green belt round the town • (adverb)
a crowd soon gathered round

1.
preposition in a partial circuit:
to move to the other side of a corner or obstacle in a partial circuit, or be
reached by such a movement • The
truck came round the bend at breakneck speed.

2.
preposition adverb turning on an axis:
revolving around a center or axis • (preposition)
the movement of the planets round the sun • (adverb)
cylinders going round at 1,000 revolutions per minute.
[13th century. Via Old French
ro(u)nd-, the stem of ro(o)nt, from, ultimately, Latin rotundus
(source of English rotund, rondo, and roundelay
).][1]



round

round2
round2  [rownd]
adjective

1.  circular
or spherical: shaped like a circle or a ball • a
big, perfectly round bowl

2.  curved:
curved rather than square or angular • round
hips and a small waist

3.  in
a circular motion: done with or involving a
circular motion

4.  complete:
not less or more than • I’ll
have a round 100 of them.

5.  MATHEMATICS expressed
by an integer: expressed as an approximate value,
especially to the nearest integer or power of ten • use
1500 as a round number

6.  considerable:
large in amount or size • a
round sum

7.  fully
developed:
fully developed in terms of personality, or fully depicted, as in a character
in a book • His
heroes are always very round and colorful.

8.  rather
plump:
full and plump, especially in facial features • kindly
eyes surrounded by a round face

9.  sonorous:
mellow and rich in tone

10. brisk:
lively and rather fast • We set
off at a round pace.

11. straightforward:
plain and outspoken “I said in good round English ‘I’m going to knock the
stuffing out of you’.” John Buchan Greenmantle

12. PHONETICS pronounced
with rounded lips: articulated with the lips
forming an oval opening • a
round vowel sound
—round·ish
[równdish], adjective

—round·ness [równdnəss], noun[1]



roundabout

roundabout
round·a·bout 
[równdə bòwt] adjective

circuitous:
indirect and not straightforward • went
by a roundabout route • answered
in a roundabout way
noun
(plural round·a·bouts) U.K.

1.  LEISURE See merry-go-round

2.  TRANSPORT See traffic circle
—round·a·bout·ness, noun[1]



roundclam

roundclam
round
clam
noun

See
quahog
[From its rounded shell][1]



rounddance

rounddance
round
dance
noun

1.  DANCING folk
dance in a circle: any folk dance in which
several dancers or couples come together to form a circle.
Also
called
ring dance

2.  DANCING ballroom
dance with a revolving motion: any ballroom dance in
which couples revolve as they move around the room, as they do in a waltz

3.  ZOOLOGY bee’s
sequence of movements: a more or less circular
sequence of movements that a honey bee performs in or near the hive to show
others that food is nearby

[1]



rounddown

rounddown
round
down
transitive verb

express as a smaller number:
to express a number as a smaller and less exact number for ease of calculation[1]



rounded

rounded
round·ed 
[równdəd] adjective

1.  curved,
or with curved parts: having curved, not straight
or angular, surfaces or edges • a
rounded lawn

2.  complex
or diverse:
having many different features or aspects that together form a whole that is
complete and interestingly complex or diverse • received
a rounded education

3.  PHONETICS pronounced
with pursed lips: pronounced with the lips pursed to form
a round shape
—round·ed·ness, noun[1]



roundel

roundel
roun·del 
[równd’l] (plural roun·dels) noun

1.  round
part:
a round part or piece such as a round section in a stained-glass window or a
round panel in a section of wood paneling

2.  POETRY modified
form of rondeau: an English form of the rondeau that has
eleven lines arranged in three stanzas of three lines and a one-line refrain
after the first and third stanzas

3.  POETRY type
of rondel:
a modified form of the rondel that has ten lines arranged in two stanzas of three
lines and one of four lines, with the opening line repeated as a refrain

4.  DANCE See roundelay
[13th century. From Old
French rondel, literally “small circle,” from ro(u)nd-, the stem
of ro(o)nt (see round 1 ).][1]



roundelay

roundelay
roun·de·lay 
[równdə lày, róndə
lày] (plural roun·de·lays) noun

1.  MUSIC song
with a verse repeated as a chorus: a simple song in which
the chorus consists of one of the verses repeated, or the music for this song

2.  DANCE medieval
dance with dancers in a circle: a slow medieval dance
performed by a group arranged in a circle.
Also
called
roundel
[15th century. Anglicization
of French rondelet “small roundel,” from rondel, literally “small
circle,” from ro(u)nd-, the stem of ro(o)nt (see round 1 ).][1]



rounder

rounder
round·er 
[równdər] (plural round·ers) noun

1.  SPORTS complete
circuit in rounders: a score in the game of
rounders made when the batter runs around all four bases after a single hit of
the ball

2.  tool
making things round: a tool that makes edges or
surfaces round

3.  somebody
living a debauched life: somebody who lives a life of
crime or debauchery (informal)
[Early 17th century.
Originally in the sense “somebody who makes the rounds of sentries.”][1]



rounders

rounders
round·ers
[równdərz] noun

ball game:
a British ball game in which batters score a point, or rounder, if they run
around all four marked fielding positions or bases after a single hit of the
ball[1]



roundhand

roundhand
round
hand
noun

rounded style of handwriting:
handwriting with broad rounded letters as opposed to, for example, copperplate[1]



Roundhead

Roundhead
Round·head 
[równd hèd] (plural Round·heads)
noun

Cromwell
supporter in the English Civil War:
somebody who supported Oliver Cromwell and the parliamentary party against King
Charles I during the English Civil War of 1642 to 1649.
See
also
Cavalier
[Mid-17th century. From their
close-cropped hair (contrasted with that of the Cavaliers).][1]



roundherring

roundherring
round
her·ring
noun

small fish similar to a
herring: a small silvery fish that is
similar and related to the herring but does not have its sharp keeled abdomen.
Family: Dussumieriidae[1]



roundhouse

roundhouse
round·house 
[równd hòwss] (plural round·hous·es
[równd hòwzəz]) noun

1.  RAIL building
for locomotives: a circular building in which railroad
locomotives are stored or repaired, consisting of a central turntable with
several sections of track radiating from it

2.  SHIPPING cabin
on a sailing ship: a large cabin or set of
cabins at the rear of an old-fashioned sailing ship

3.  BOXING punch
delivered with a circular swing: a punch made with a
wide circular swing of the arm (slang)

4.  CARD GAMES pinochle
meld:
a meld of four kings and four queens in all suits in the card game pinochle.
Also
called
round trip
[Late 16th century.
Originally in the sense “prison.”][1]



roundish

roundish
round·ish 
[równdish] adjective

largely
round:
somewhat round • large roundish eyes
—round·ish·ness, noun[1]



roundlet

roundlet
round·let 
[równdlət] (plural round·lets)
noun

small round object:
a small circular or disk-shaped object (literary)[1]



roundlot

roundlot
round
lot
noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE standard
trading unit: a regular number of
stocks or bonds as a trading unit, usually 100 shares of stock or 5 bonds[1]



roundly

roundly
round·ly 
[równdlee] adverb

1.  severely:
forcefully and thoroughly • They
were roundly criticized for their failure.

2.  as
a circle or sphere: so as to form a circle or
sphere (dated)

[1]



roundoff

roundoff
round
off
transitive verb

1.  make
something more rounded: to make the edges, sides, or
corners of something less straight or angular and more rounded

2.  finish
something in pleasing way: to bring something to a
pleasant or satisfactory end by doing or adding one last thing

[1]



roundon

roundon
round
on
transitive verb

make sudden attack on:
to attack somebody suddenly, either physically or verbally, in a fit of anger[1]



roundout

roundout
round
out
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become more complete:
to achieve or cause something to achieve a more complete or satisfactory form[1]



roundrobin

roundrobin
round
rob·in
noun

1.  SPORTS tournament
with everyone playing one another: a tournament in which
each player or team plays against every other player or team in turn

2.  petition
with signatures in a circle: a letter, especially a
petition or letter of protest, on which the signatures are arranged in a circle
in order to hide the identity of the first person to sign

3.  document
each person passes on: a letter or other document
circulated in turn to all members of a group, with each of them adding comments
if they wish
[From the male first name
Robin][1]



round-shouldered

round-shouldered
round-shoul·dered 
adjective

with drooping shoulders and a
forward lean: with the shoulders
hunched or drooping and the upper back bent forward slightly[1]



roundsman

roundsman
rounds·man 
[równdzmən] (plural rounds·men
[równdzmən]) noun

1.  somebody
doing the rounds of places: somebody who makes regular
visits to places on a set route, for example, to make deliveries or carry out
inspections

2.  police
officer supervising a patrol: a police officer, especially
a sergeant, in charge of all the officers patrolling a particular area

[1]



RoundTable

RoundTable
Round
Ta·ble
noun

1.  King
Arthur’s table: the legendary table at which King Arthur
and his knights sat, made round so that no one would appear to have precedence

2.  King
Arthur’s knights: the knights of King Arthur as a group

[1]



roundtable

roundtable
round·ta·ble 
[równd tàyb’l] noun

discussion
between groups on equal terms: a discussion or
negotiation between several parties or groups who all take part on equal terms
[From Round Table][1]



round-the-clock

round-the-clock
round-the-clock 
adjective

twenty-four hours a day:
lasting or operating throughout the day and night • mounted
round-the-clock surveillance on the house[1]



roundtrip

roundtrip
round
trip
(plural round trips) noun

1.  TRANSPORT trip
there and back: a trip to a place and back again,
usually returning by the same route

2.  CARD GAMES See roundhouse  noun 4

[1]



round-tripticket

round-tripticket
round-trip
tick·et
noun

two-way ticket:
a ticket that entitles a passenger to travel both to and back from a particular
destination.
U.K. term
return ticket[1]



roundup

roundup
round
up
transitive verb

gather people together:
to gather people or animals together in one place[1]



roundup

roundup
round
up
transitive verb

increase number when rounding
it: to express a number
containing several units as the nearest significant number above it, regarding,
for example, 5,924 as 6,000, or 7.57 as 8[1]



roundup

roundup
round·up 
[równd ùp] (plural round·ups) noun

1.  gathering
of people or animals: a gathering together of
people or animals, for example, suspects in a criminal investigation or
livestock on a farm or ranch

2.  summary:
a gathering together of things of any kind, especially information or news • a
news roundup on the hour

[1]



roundworm

roundworm
round·worm 
[równd wùrm] (plural round·worms)
noun

parasitic worm found in
humans: a parasitic round-bodied
worm ( nematode ) that infests the
intestines of people and some animals. Latin name: Ascaris lumbricoides[1]



roup

roup
roup 
[roop] noun

disease
of poultry:
an infectious respiratory disease that affects poultry
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source. Originally in the sense “to
shout, croak.”][1]



rouse

rouse
rouse 
[rowz] (past roused, past
participle roused, present participle rous·ing, 3rd
person present singular rous·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wake,
or wake somebody: to wake up, or wake somebody from sleep
or unconsciousness

2.  transitive
verb
shake
somebody out of apathy: to stir somebody into action
or a more active state, or to become more active • Anger
roused her to write a letter of complaint.

3.  transitive
verb
provoke
feeling in somebody: to cause somebody to feel a
particular emotion • the feelings of guilt
that the whole affair roused in us
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French r(e)user “to repel,”
from, ultimately, Latin recusare, literally “to cause to go back,”
formed from causa “cause” (source of English cause
).]
—rous·er, noun[1]



rousing

rousing
rous·ing 
[rówzing] adjective

1.  inciting
emotion:
filling people with passion, emotion, and enthusiasm • a
rousing speech

2.  lively:
suggesting energy and vigor, especially by its fast pace
—rous·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Roussarcoma

Roussarcoma
Rous
sar·co·ma
[rówss saar kmə] noun

disease
of chickens: a cancerous tumor found in chickens,
caused by a specific tumor-producing RNA virus
[Early 20th century. Named
for Francis Peyton Rous ( 1879–1970 ), the U.S. physician who first
described it.][1]



Rousseau,Jean Jacques

Rousseau,Jean Jacques

Rous·seau
[roos ṓ], Jean Jacques (1712–1778)
French philosopher and writer. He was one
of the great authors of the Age of Enlightenment. His works include The
Social Contract (1762), The New Heloise (1761), and Émile
(1762).[1]



roust

roust
roust 
[rowst] transitive verb (past roust·ed,
past participle roust·ed, present participle roust·ing,
3rd person present singular rousts)

1.  force
somebody to get up: to make somebody get up,
make a move, or take action, especially abruptly or roughly

2.  harass
somebody:
to bother, annoy, or jostle somebody (slang)
noun
(plural rousts)

harassing: a
harassing of somebody (slang)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of rouse
.][1]



roustabout

roustabout
roust·a·bout 
[rówstə bòwt] (plural roust·a·bouts)
noun

unskilled laborer:
an unskilled laborer, especially on an oil-drilling rig, on a ship or wharf, or
in a circus[1]



rouster

rouster
roust·er
[rówstər] (plural roust·ers) noun

cargo handler:
a deckhand or longshoreman[1]



rout

rout2
rout2  [rowt]
(past rout·ed, past participle rout·ed, present
participle rout·ing, 3rd person present singular routs)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION make
a groove in something: to cut a groove in wood or
metal, especially with a router

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
by poking:
to search for something by poking around or digging through something, as pigs
do with their snouts
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
root 2 .][1]



rout

rout1
rout1  [rowt]
noun (plural routs)

1.  defeated
army’s retreat: a swift and disorderly retreat by a
defeated army

2.  crushing
defeat:
any severe and humiliating defeat • The
game quickly turned into a rout.

3.  rabble:
a noisy and disorganized group of people
transitive
verb
(past rout·ed, past participle rout·ed, present
participle rout·ing, 3rd person present singular routs)

1.  force
an army to retreat: to defeat an army completely
and force it to make a swift and disorderly retreat

2.  defeat
somebody thoroughly: to subject an opponent to a
thorough and humiliating defeat
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman rute and Old French route “dispersed group,” from,
ultimately, Latin rumpere “to break” (source of English rupture ).][1]



route

route
route 
[root, rowt]
noun (plural routes)

1.  way
to travel:
a way, path, or road for traveling from one place to another

2.  general
course something follows: the course that something
follows, or the way it progresses or develops • My
career might have taken an entirely different route.

3.  regular
journey or sequence of calls: a journey somebody regularly
makes, especially a set sequence of stops made, for example, by somebody
delivering something • Their
store wasn’t on my usual route.
transitive
verb
(past rout·ed, past participle rout·ed, present
participle route·ing, 3rd person present singular routes)

send somebody or something along a route:
to direct or arrange for somebody or something to follow a particular course • All
phone calls were routed through my office.
[12th century. Via Old French
route from assumed Vulgar Latin rupta, literally “broken” (from
frequent use), the feminine past participle of Latin rumpere “to break”
(source of English rupture ).][1]



routeman

routeman
route·man
[rtmən] (plural route·men [rtmən, rówtmən])
noun

somebody working a regular
route: somebody who makes a regular
set of calls or stops in the course of a job, especially somebody selling or
delivering something[1]



routemarch

routemarch
route
march
noun

soldiers’
long march:
a long march over rough ground, often used as training in physical endurance
for soldiers, in which discipline is often relaxed and route step is allowed
—route-march, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



router

router1
rout·er1  [rtər,
rówtər] (plural rout·ers) noun

1.  somebody
arranging delivery: somebody who routes,
especially somebody who arranges deliveries

2.  COMPUTING computer
switching program: a computer switching program
that transfers incoming messages to outgoing links via the most efficient route
possible, for example, over the Internet

[1]



router

router2
rout·er2  [rówtər]
(plural rout·ers) noun

CONSTRUCTION
tool for cutting grooves:
a tool that cuts shaped grooves and hollows in wood or metal, originally a hand
tool but now usually a power tool[1]



routestep

routestep
route
step
(plural route steps) noun

march with reduced
discipline: a mode of marching in
formation where there is no requirement to keep in step and talking and singing
are allowed[1]



routine

routine
rou·tine 
[roo tn] noun (plural rou·tines)

1.  usual
sequence of activities: the usual way tasks or
activities are arranged

2.  something
repetitive:
something that is unvarying or boringly repetitive • a
life of mindless routine

3.  regular
pattern of behavior: a typical pattern of
behavior that somebody adopts in particular circumstances, especially insincere
or affected behavior (informal) • The
salesman went into his routine about the car’s unique reliability and
performance.

4.  rehearsed
performance: a rehearsed set of movements, actions,
or speeches that make up a performance • her
gymnastic routine on the parallel bars

5.  COMPUTING part
of a computer program: a part of a computer program
that performs a particular task • a dump
routine
adjective

1.  usual
or standard: regular or standard and nothing out of
the ordinary • carrying
out routine questioning

2.  repetitive:
boringly predictable, monotonous, and unchanging • found
the work pretty routine
[Late
17th century. From French, from route (see route
).]
—rou·tine·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at habit

[1]



routinize

routinize
rou·tin·ize 
[rt’n z, roo
t nz] (past rou·tin·ized, past participle rou·tin·ized,
present participle rou·tin·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
rou·tin·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something conform to a routine: to arrange or plan
something so that it follows a regular or unchanging pattern
—rou·tin·i·za·tion [rt’ni záysh’n, roo
tni záysh’n], noun[1]



routout

routout
rout
out
transitive verb

1.  force
somebody out: to drive a person or animal from a
place, especially by the use of force

2.  reveal
something after searching: to reveal or uncover
something, especially after a search • routed
out his true motives

[1]



roux

roux
roux 
[roo] (plural roux [roo, rooz]) noun

base
for a sauce: a mixture of flour and fat that is
cooked briefly and used as the thickening base of a sauce or soup
[Early 19th century. Via
French, “browned,” which evolved from Old French rous “reddish brown,”
from Latin russus “red” (source of English russet
and rissole ).][1]



Rouyn

Rouyn
Rou·yn 
[r in, rwaN]

city in eastern Quebec,
Canada, in a gold- and copper-mining district near the Ontario border.
Population: 39,096 (1996)[1]



roué

roué
rou·é 
[roo áy] (plural rou·és) noun

debauched
man:
a man who regularly engages in drinking, gambling, and womanizing (literary)
[Early
19th century. From French, noun use of the past participle of rouer “to
break on the wheel” (a medieval instrument of torture), from, ultimately, Latin
rotare (see rotate ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  term roué is thought to stem from Philip
  II, Regent of France ( 1715-1723 ), who humorously designated his debauched
  companions as roués, either to suggest that they deserved to be broken
  upon the wheel or because their behavior was so exhausting that they felt they
  had undergone this torture.

[1]



rove

rove3
rove3 

NAUTICAL
Past tense of reeve Past
participle of reeve[1]



rove

rove2
rove2  [rōv]
transitive verb (past roved, past participle roved,
present participle rov·ing, 3rd person present singular roves)

TEXTILES twist
fibers prior to spinning: to twist fibers slightly
before they are spun into yarn or thread
noun

TEXTILES fibers
twisted for spinning: wool, cotton, or other
fibers twisted slightly in preparation for spinning
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rove

rove1
rove1  [rōv]
(past roved, past participle roved, present
participle rov·ing, 3rd person present singular roves)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wander
or travel aimlessly: to wander or travel about
with no definite purpose, often over a wide area

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in changing directions: to move, especially to look,
in changing directions • The
officer’s trained gaze roved around the room, taking it all in.
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps originally a dialect word meaning “to wander,” probably of
Scandinavian origin. Originally, “to shoot at random targets.”][1]



rovebeetle

rovebeetle
rove
bee·tle
noun

carnivorous
beetle:
a carnivorous or scavenging beetle with a long body and short wing covers.
Family: Staphylinidae
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from rove 1][1]



rover

rover3
rov·er3  [rṓvər]
(plural ro·vers) noun

TEXTILES machine
twisting fibers for spinning: a machine or attachment for
twisting fibers slightly in preparation for spinning
[Mid-18th century. Originally
in the sense “somebody who twists fibers for spinning.”][1]



rover

rover2
rov·er2  [rṓvər]
(plural ro·vers) noun

pirate:
a pirate or pirate ship (archaic)
[14th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch rōver, from rōven “to rob.”][1]



rover

rover1
rov·er1  [rṓvər]
(plural ro·vers) noun

1.  wanderer:
somebody who wanders from place to place, never settling anywhere for long

2.  ARCHERY archery
target:
a mark or object selected randomly as a target in archery

3.  SPORTS croquet
ball:
a ball in croquet that has been through all the hoops but has not yet hit the
final peg

4.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY vehicle
for exploring a planet: a small vehicle launched
from a lander and used to explore the surface of the moon or a planet

[1]



roving

roving
rov·ing
[rṓving] adjective

1.  moving
about:
moving or traveling from one place or thing to another • a
bulletin from our roving reporter

2.  erratic
or fickle:
tending to wander or waver rather than settle or concentrate on one thing

[1]



rovingeye

rovingeye
rov·ing
eye
noun

sexual interest in many
people: a wide and often promiscuous
sexual interest[1]



row

row3
row3  [row]
noun (plural rows)

1.  loud
fight:
a noisy quarrel or dispute

2.  racket:
an unpleasant or excessively loud noise
intransitive
verb
(past rowed, past participle rowed, present
participle row·ing, 3rd person present singular rows)

argue noisily:
to have a noisy argument
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



row

row2
row2 [rō]
(past rowed, past participle rowed, present
participle row·ing, 3rd person present singular rows, plural
rows) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb propel
a boat with oars: to propel a boat across water by using
oars

2.  intransitive
verb
row
as sport:
to take part in the sport of rowing
[Old
English rōwan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
steer.”]
—row·er, noun[1]



row

row1
row1 [rō]
(plural rows) noun

1.  line
of things:
things or people that are arranged in a line that is usually straight, or the
line itself • cabbages
planted in a row

2.  line
of seats:
a line of seats in a theater, lecture hall, or similar public place • the
second row in the balcony

3.  narrow
street between lines of houses: a narrow street that
is lined with houses or other buildings on both sides

4.  street
with a particular character: a street where a particular
occupation or type of person predominates • lawyer’s
row

5.  MUSIC See tone row
[Old
English rāw]
in
a row

one
after the other in succession

a
tough or hard row to hoe

something that is difficult
to do[1]



rowan

rowan

row·an 
[rów ən, rṓ ən]
(plural row·ans) noun

1.  See
mountain ash  noun

2.  row·an
or row·an·ber·ry (plural row·an·ber·ries) berry
of rowan:
a red to orange berry from a rowan tree
[Early 19th century. From a
Scandinavian source. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “red.”
Originally a Scots and northern English dialect word.][1]



rowboat

rowboat

row·boat 
[rṓ bt] (plural row·boats) noun
small boat propelled by oars:
a small lightweight boat designed to be propelled through the water by one or
more people rowing with oars.
U.K. term
rowing boat[1]



rowdy

rowdy
row·dy 
[rówdee] adjective (comparative
row·di·er, superlative row·di·est)

unruly:
noisy and disorderly • The
debate was a pretty rowdy affair.
noun
(plural row·dies)

noisy
person:
somebody who is rough and noisy and often causes disturbances • a
bar full of local rowdies
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from row 3 .]
—row·di·ly,
adverb

—row·di·ness,
noun

—row·dy·ism, noun[1]



rowel

rowel
row·el 
[rów əl, rowl]
noun (plural row·els)

spiked
wheel on a spur: a small spiked revolving wheel on the
end of a horse rider’s spur
transitive
verb
(past row·eled, past participle row·eled, present
participle row·el·ing, 3rd person present singular row·els)

spur
a horse on:
to urge a horse on by digging rowels into its sides
[14th century. Via Old French
roel(e) “small wheel” (the original English sense), from late Latin rotella
(source of English roulette ), formed
from Latin rota “wheel” (source of English rota
).][1]



rowen

rowen
row·en 
[rów ən] (plural row·ens) noun

New
England
second
crop of hay: a second mowing of hay or grass in the
same season
[14th
century. From Old Norman French, a variant of French regain, literally
“to till again,” formed from Old French gaignier “to till” (source of
English gain 1 ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  word rowen is the dominant form in New
  England, extending across upstate New York and the northernmost counties of
  Pennsylvania. See also aftermath.

[1]



rowhouse

rowhouse
row
house 
[rō howss] or row home [rō howss] noun

house adjoining others:
one of a line of houses joined to each other by their side walls.
U.K. term
terraced house
Also called
town house[1]



rowing

rowing
row·ing
[rṓ ing] noun

activity
of propelling a boat with oars: the propelling of a
small boat through the water using oars, especially the sport of racing in
specially designed lightweight boats (often used before a noun) • a
member of the rowing team
[Old English rōwing][1]



rowingboat

rowingboat
row·ing
boat
(plural row·ing boats) noun

U.K.
See rowboat[1]



rowingmachine

rowingmachine
row·ing
ma·chine 
noun

fitness machine with rowing
action: a fitness machine that
imitates the action of rowing a boat[1]



Rowland,F. Sherwood

Rowland,F. Sherwood
Row·land
[rṓlənd], F. Sherwood (1927– )

U.S.
chemist. He shared a Nobel Prize in chemistry (1995) for his research into
chlorofluorocarbons and the depletion of the ozone layer.
Full name
Rowland, Frank Sherwood[1]



rowlock

rowlock
row·lock 
[rṓ lòk] (plural row·locks) noun

U.K.
See oarlock
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of oarlock by substituting row for oar .][1]



royal

royal
roy·al 
[róy əl] adjective

1.  of
kings and queens: relating to, belonging to, or consisting
of a king, queen, or other member of a monarch’s family • members
of the royal household

2.  enjoying
royal patronage: a word used in the titles of
organizations and societies established by a monarch or a member of a monarch’s
family, or given his or her formal approval and support

3.  largest
or best:
of the largest size or of the highest standard

4.  excellent:
of the most excellent kind • given
a royal welcome

5.  extremely
bad:
used to emphasize how extremely bad something is (informal) • a
royal pain in the neck

6.  SAILING above
the topgallant: located in the area of rigging that is
above the topgallant
noun
(plural roy·als)

1.  monarch
or member of monarch’s family: a monarch or a member
of a monarch’s family, especially his or her immediate family (informal)

2.  HUNTING stag
with large antlers: a stag with large antlers
that have 12 or more points on them

3.  SAILING sail
above topgallant sail: the sail above the
topgallant sail on a full-rigged ship

4.  PRINTING size
of paper:
a size of printing paper 508 x 635 mm20 x 25 in
[13th century. Via Old French
roial from Latin regalis (source of English regal and regalia
), from reg-, the stem of rex “king” (source of English regicide ).][1]



royalblue

royalblue
roy·al
blue
adjective

deep
bright blue: of a bright, deep blue color
—roy·al blue, noun[1]



RoyalCanadian Mounted Police

RoyalCanadian Mounted Police
Roy·al
Ca·na·di·an Mount·ed Po·lice noun

Canadian police force:
a police force that operates throughout Canada except in cities and provinces
with their own police forces[1]



royalfern

royalfern
roy·al
fern
noun

deep-rooted fern:
a deep-rooted fern with branched stems, found throughout the world. Latin name:
Osmunda regalis[1]



royalflush

royalflush
roy·al
flush
noun

top five cards of same suit:
in poker, a hand that consists of a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same
suit[1]



RoyalHighness

RoyalHighness
Roy·al
High·ness
noun

title used for royal person:
a title used when speaking or referring to a member of a royal family other
than a king or queen[1]



Royalist

Royalist
Roy·al·ist 
[róy əlist] (plural Roy·al·ists)
noun

1.  Cavalier:
a Cavalier, or supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War

2.  See
Tory  noun 1

3.  French
loyalist:
in France, a supporter of the Bourbon dynasty after the Revolution

[1]



royalist

royalist
roy·al·ist 
[róy əlist] (plural roy·al·ists)
noun

somebody
in favor of monarchy: somebody who supports the
monarchy or who thinks a country should keep its king or queen rather than
become a republic (often used before a noun)
—roy·al·ism [róy ə lìzzəm], noun[1]



royaljelly

royaljelly
roy·al
jel·ly
noun

protein substance secreted by
bees: a protein-rich substance
that worker bees secrete and feed to larvae in the early stages of their
development and to the larvae of queen bees in all stages of their development[1]



royally

royally
roy·al·ly
[róy əlee] adverb

splendidly:
with impressive generosity and hospitality • royally
entertained[1]



royalmast

royalmast
roy·al
mast
noun

mast above topgallant:
the highest section of a mast that is immediately above the topgallant[1]



royalpalm

royalpalm
roy·al
palm
noun

tall palm tree:
a palm tree with a tall naked trunk, found in the tropical regions of the
Americas. Genus: Roystonea[1]



royalpoinciana

royalpoinciana
roy·al
poin·ci·an·a noun

tropical tree with red
flowers: a tropical tree native to
Madagascar but widely grown in other tropical regions for its bright red flower
clusters. Latin name: Delonix regia
Also called
flamboyant[1]



royalpurple

royalpurple
roy·al
pur·ple
adjective

reddish-purple:
of a deep vivid reddish-purple color
—roy·al pur·ple, noun[1]



royalroad

royalroad
roy·al
road
noun

best or sure way:
the route or method by which progress or a particular result is guaranteed,
often by virtue of special privileges • a
young singer on the royal road to stardom[1]



royalty

royalty
roy·al·ty 
[róy əltee] (plural roy·al·ties)
noun

1.  royal
person or people: a king, queen, or other member of a
monarch’s family, or members of a royal family generally • mixing
with royalty at garden parties

2.  royal
person’s status: the status or authority of a king,
queen, or other member of a monarch’s family

3.  kingly
or queenly qualities: the personal qualities
conventionally ascribed to a king or queen, especially great dignity

4.  monarch’s
permission to have something: the right to have or take
something, especially minerals, granted by a king or queen to a person or
company

5.  percentage
of income paid to creator: a percentage of the income
from a book, piece of music, or invention that is paid to the author, composer,
or inventor (often used in the plural) • still
living on the royalties from her first novel

6.  mining
company’s payment to landowner: money paid to a
landowner by a company taking minerals, oil, or gas from his or her land (often
used in the plural)

[1]



royalwarrant

royalwarrant
royal
war·rant
(plural royal war·rants) noun

permission to supply royal
household: a king’s or queen’s official
authorization to a company to supply goods to a royal household[1]



Roy,Arundhati

Roy,Arundhati
Roy 
[roy], Arundhati (1961– )

Indian writer. She achieved
success with her first novel, The God of Small Things ( 1997 ), which
won the Booker Prize.[1]



Royce,Josiah

Royce,Josiah
Royce
[royss], Josiah (1855–1916)

U.S. philosopher and teacher.
A proponent of idealism, he wrote many philosophical works, including The
Religious Aspect of Philosophy ( 1885 ).[1]



Roy,Gabrielle

Roy,Gabrielle
Roy 
[roy], Gabrielle (1909–1983)

Canadian writer. She wrote
novels about poverty among the working classes.[1]



R.P.

R.P.
R.P.

Abbreviation of
Received Pronunciation[1]



RPG

RPG
RPG 
noun

computer language:
a high level computer language used primarily to produce business reports. Full
form report program generator[1]



rpm

rpm
rpm
or r.p.m.

Abbreviation of
revolutions per minute[1]



rps

rps
rps
or r.p.s.

Abbreviation of
revolutions per second[1]



rpt.

rpt.
rpt.

1.  Abbreviation
of
repeat

2.  Abbreviation
of
report

[1]



RPV

RPV
RPV

MILITARY
Abbreviation of remotely piloted vehicle[1]



R.Q.

R.Q.
R.Q.

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of respiratory quotient[1]



RR

RR
RR
or R.R.

1.  Abbreviation
of
railroad

2.  Abbreviation
of
rural route

[1]



R.R.

R.R.
R.R.

Abbreviation of
Right Reverend[1]



RRB

RRB
RRB

Abbreviation of
Railroad Retirement Board[1]



-rrhagia

-rrhagia
-rrhagia
suffix

abnormal
or excessive flow or discharge • metrorrhagia
[From Greek, formed from rhag-,
the stem of rhēgnunai “to burst forth”][1]



-rrhoea

-rrhoea
-rrhoea
or -rrhea suffix

flow,
discharge • pyorrhoea
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek rhein “to flow” (see rheo-
)][1]



rRNA

rRNA
rRNA

Abbreviation of
ribosomal RNA[1]



RRSP

RRSP
RRSP

Abbreviation of
Registered Retirement Savings Plan[1]



Rs

Rs
Rs

Symbol for
rupees[1]



RS

RS
RS

1.  Abbreviation
of
recording secretary

2.  Abbreviation
of
right side

3.  RS
or R.S. Abbreviation of Royal Society

[1]



RSA

RSA2
RSA2 noun

COMPUT
computer encryption system:
a system of encryption based on the difficulty of factoring very large numbers[1]



RSA

RSA1
RSA1

Abbreviation of
Republic of South Africa[1]



RSC

RSC
RSC
noun

1.  Abbreviation
of
Royal Shakespeare Company

2.  Abbreviation
of
Royal Society of Canada


Abbreviation of
Royal Society of Chemistry

[1]



RSFSR

RSFSR
RSFSR
or R.S.F.S.R.

Abbreviation of
Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic[1]



RSI

RSI
RSI
noun

painful muscle condition:
a painful condition affecting some people who overuse muscles as a result of,
for example, regularly operating a computer keyboard and mouse or playing the
piano. Full form repetitive strain injury

See also
tenosynovitis[1]



RSM

RSM
RSM

1.  Abbreviation
of
regimental sergeant major

2.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of Royal
Society of Medicine

[1]



RSV

RSV
RSV
or R.S.V.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Revised Standard Version[1]



R.S.V.P.

R.S.V.P.
R.S.V.P.
or r.s.v.p.

used
on an invitation to request a response to it. Abbreviation of please
reply
[French, répondez s’il
vous plaît][1]



RT

RT
RT

1.  Abbreviation
of
radiotelephone

2.  Abbreviation
of
radio telephony

3.  Abbreviation
of
room temperature

[1]



rt.

rt.
rt.

Abbreviation of
right[1]



RTA

RTA
RTA

Abbreviation of
ready to assemble[1]



RTDS

RTDS
RTDS

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of real-time data system[1]



rte.

rte.
rte.

Abbreviation of
route[1]



rtf

rtf
rtf 
suffix

COMPUTING
type of document file:
used after the period in a computer file name to show that the file contains
codes identifying different fonts, layouts and other presentational features. Full
form rich text format[1]



Rt.Hon.

Rt.Hon.
Rt.
Hon.

Abbreviation of
Right Honorable[1]



Rt.Rev.

Rt.Rev.
Rt.
Rev.

Abbreviation of
Right Reverend[1]



RTW

RTW
RTW

Abbreviation of
ready-to-wear[1]



Ru

Ru
Ru

Symbol for
ruthenium[1]



RU-486

RU-486
RU-486
Trademark

a trademark for a drug that
blocks the body’s use of progesterone and is used to induce an early-term
abortion[1]



RuahineRange

RuahineRange
Ru·a·hine
Range
[r ə h nay rànj]

mountain range in the south
of the North Island, New Zealand. Its highest point is Mount Mangaweka, 1,733
m/5,686 ft .[1]



ruana

ruana
ru·a·na 
[roo nə] (plural ru·a·nas) noun

S
American poncho: a cape or poncho worn in Peru and
Colombia
[Mid-20th century. Via
American Spanish from Spanish, “woolen fabric,” from, ultimately, Latin ruga
“wrinkle.”][1]



rub

rub
rub 
[rub] verb (past rubbed,
past participle rubbed, present participle rub·bing,
3rd person present singular rubs)

1.  transitive
verb
press
and move hand on something: to move the hand or an
object over the surface of something, pressing down with a repeated circular or
backward and forward motion • rubbing
ointment into his skin

2.  intransitive
verb
touch
something with dragging pressure: to make dragging
contact with a surface • metal
parts rubbing against one another

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb clean
something with repeated strokes: to clean, dry, or
polish something, or be able to be cleaned, dried, or polished, by moving a
cloth, sponge, or other implement over the surface repeatedly • Rub
the flaking paint off with sandpaper.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
discomfort on skin by scraping: to cause discomfort or
pain by repeatedly scraping the skin • These
shoes are rubbing my heels.

5.  transitive
verb
annoy
somebody:
to cause annoyance to somebody (informal) • Her
brusqueness was beginning to rub me.
noun
(plural rubs)

1.  rubbing
action:
a rubbing motion, or a rubbing of something with or against something else

2.  massage:
a massaging of part of the body • a
soothing back rub

3.  difficulty:
a problem or difficulty • That’s
the rub: too little time.

4.  irritating
thing:
something that somebody does or says that irritates or offends somebody else
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German rubben, of unknown
origin.]
rub
somebody the wrong way

to irritate or annoy somebody[1]



Rubal-Khali

Rubal-Khali
Rub
al-Khali
[rb al klee]

desert in the Arabian
Peninsula. Also called the Empty Quarter, it extends from central Saudi Arabia
into Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Area: 2,300,000 sq km/900,000
sq mi.[1]



rubasse

rubasse
ru·basse 
[roo báss, r
bàss] noun

MINERALS red
quartz with high iron-oxide content: a
variety of quartz with a high iron-oxide content that gives it a ruby red color
[Late 19th century. Via
French rubace, from rubis “ruby,” from, ultimately, the base of
Latin rubeus, ruber “red” (source of English rubric and ruby
).][1]



rubato

rubato
ru·ba·to 
[roo btō] noun (plural ru·ba·tos)

divergence
from strict beat: rhythmic freedom in musical performance,
often against a steady accompaniment
adjective
adverb

with
rubato:
performed with rubato
[Late 18th century. From
Italian (tempo) rubato, literally “robbed (time),” the past participle
of rubare “to rob.”][1]



rubber

rubber2
rub·ber2  [rúbbər]
(plural rub·bers) noun

1.  CARD GAMES bridge
match of three games: a match of three or five
games in cards, especially bridge and whist

2.  CARD GAMES deciding
game in cards match: in some card games, an extra
game played to decide a tied match

3.  CARD GAMES session
of play in card game: a match or session of
playing in a card game (informal)

4.  SPORTS set of
games:
a set or series of games in some sports (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from rubber 1 .][1]



rubber

rubber1
rub·ber1  [rúbbər]
(plural rub·bers) noun

1.  INDUSTRY naturally
occurring elastic substance: a strong elastic material
made by drying the sap from various tropical trees, especially the rubber tree

2.  INDUSTRY elastic
synthetic substance: a strong elastic synthetic
substance made either by improving the qualities of natural rubber or by an
industrial process using petroleum and coal products

3.  CLOTHES waterproof
overshoe:
a waterproof overshoe worn over normal shoes to protect them in wet weather (usually
used in the plural)

4.  BASEBALL spot
pitcher stands on: the rectangle of hard rubber
on the mound that the pitcher stands on to throw the ball in baseball

5.  FURNITURE rubbing
or polishing cloth: a cloth or pad used for
rubbing or polishing something, especially the pad that a cabinetmaker uses to
apply varnish or polish

6.  device
that rubs something: any machine or device that
rubs a surface

7.  See
eraser

8.  condom:
a contraceptive sheath that fits over a man’s penis (slang) (offensive
in some contexts)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from rub .][1]



rubberband

rubberband
rub·ber
band
noun

rubber loop for holding
things together: a loop of thin rubber
that is wrapped around objects to hold them together.
Also called
elastic
Also called
elastic band[1]



rubberbridge

rubberbridge
rub·ber
bridge
noun

form of contract bridge:
a form of contract bridge in which a new hand is dealt for each round[1]



rubberbullet

rubberbullet
rub·ber
bul·let
noun

projectile fired in
crowd-control: a cylindrical block of
hard rubber fired by police officers or troops during crowd-control operations,
designed as a deterrent but capable of inflicting serious injury[1]



rubbercement

rubbercement
rub·ber
ce·ment
noun

adhesive made with rubber:
an adhesive made by dissolving rubber in an organic solvent[1]



rubbercheck

rubbercheck
rub·ber
check
noun

check
that bounces: a check that is returned by a bank
because the person who wrote it has insufficient funds in his or her account to
cover it (informal humorous)
[Because it bounces][1]



rubber-chickencircuit

rubber-chickencircuit
rub·ber-chick·en
cir·cuit 
noun

dull
events people must attend: a series of events that
people feel obliged to attend, especially lunches or dinners for politicians or
other public figures (informal)
[Because the food served is usually
unappetizing][1]



rubberize

rubberize
rub·ber·ize 
[rúbbə rz] (past rub·ber·ized,
past participle rub·ber·ized, present participle rub·ber·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular rub·ber·iz·es) transitive verb

treat something with rubber:
to coat or impregnate something, especially fabric, with rubber[1]



rubberneck

rubberneck
rub·ber·neck 
[rúbbər nèk] noun (plural rub·ber·necks)

(informal)
See rubbernecker
intransitive
verb
(past rub·ber·necked, past participle rub·ber·necked,
present participle rub·ber·neck·ing, 3rd person present
singular rub·ber·necks)

gawk
at something: to stare at somebody or something in an
over-inquisitive or insensitive way (informal)
[Late
19th century. From craning or turning the neck as if it were made of rubber.]
—rub·ber·neck·ing,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at gaze

[1]



rubbernecked

rubbernecked
rub·ber·necked
[rúbbər nèkt] adjective

tending to stare:
staring insensitively or in an over-inquisitive way (informal) • a
crowd of rubbernecked onlookers[1]



rubbernecker

rubbernecker
rub·ber·neck·er 
[rúbbər nèkər] (plural rub·ber·neck·ers)
noun

gawking onlooker:
somebody who stares at somebody or something in an over-inquistive, stupid, or
insenstive way (informal)
Also called
rubberneck[1]



rubberplant

rubberplant
rub·ber
plant
noun

1.  tropical
plant grown as houseplant: a tropical plant with thick
glossy leaves and a rubbery sap, widely grown as a houseplant but growing as a
full-size tree in Southeast Asia. Latin name: Ficus elastica

2.  plant
with rubbery sap: any plant that produces a rubbery sap

[1]



rubber-stamp

rubber-stamp
rub·ber-stamp 
(past rub·ber-stamped, past participle rub·ber-stamped,
present participle rub·ber-stamp·ing, 3rd person present
singular rub·ber-stamps) transitive verb

1.  give
something automatic approval: to authorize or approve
something automatically, without thinking, questioning, or dissenting

2.  to
stamp something with imprint: to mark a document with an
imprint from a rubber stamp

[1]



rubberstamp

rubberstamp
rub·ber
stamp
noun

1.  stamping
device:
a device for stamping words or numbers on paper, consisting of an embossed flat
rubber pad that is inked

2.  automatic
authorization: authorization or approval that is given
automatically

3.  somebody
giving approval automatically: a person or group who
gives authorization or approval automatically, without thinking, questioning,
or dissenting

[1]



rubbertree

rubbertree
rub·ber
tree
noun

1.  tropical
American tree supplying rubber: a tropical American
tree whose sap is the world’s largest commercial source of natural rubber.
Latin name: Hevea brasiliensis

2.  any
tree producing rubber: any tree that produces a sap
from which rubber is made

[1]



rubbery

rubbery
rub·ber·y 
[rúbbəree] adjective

1.  tough
or elastic:
with the elastic or tough texture of rubber

2.  wobbly:
lacking firmness or stiffness • Suddenly,
my legs felt rubbery.

[1]



rubbing

rubbing
rub·bing 
[rúbbing] (plural rub·bings) noun

impression
of surface:
an impression of a textured surface, for example, a raised design on a
tombstone, made by placing paper over the surface and rubbing with a drawing
implement
[14th century. Originally in
the sense “action of rubbing.”][1]



rubbingalcohol

rubbingalcohol
rub·bing
al·co·hol
noun

alcohol for massaging and
cleansing: a liquid, usually consisting
of 70 percent denatured ethyl alcohol or isopropanol, used for massaging and as
an antiseptic[1]



rubbish

rubbish
rub·bish 
[rúbbish] noun

1.  trash:
trash, garbage, or other unwanted things (often used before a noun)

2.  worthless
things:
things that are worthless or of very poor quality • Most
of what he’s written is utter rubbish.

3.  nonsense:
foolish things said or written, or things dismissed as wrong or not to be
believed • Don’t
talk rubbish!
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman rubbous, of uncertain origin: perhaps from,
ultimately, Old French robe “stolen objects” (source of English robe ), from Vulgar Latin rauba ).]
—rub·bish·y, adjective[1]



rubble

rubble
rub·ble 
[rúbb’l] noun

1.  fragments
of broken buildings: broken stones, bricks, and
other materials from buildings that have fallen down or been demolished

2.  CONSTRUCTION rough
stones as filler or bulk: rough unfinished stones used
to fill space between walls or to build the bulk of a wall that will have a
finishing surface of dressed stone

3.  rub·ble
or rub·ble·work CONSTRUCTION
masonry
of rough stones: masonry that is constructed using rough
unfinished stones
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Anglo-Norman, an alteration of Old
French robe (see rubbish ).]
—rub·bly, adjective[1]



rubdown

rubdown
rub·down 
[rúb dòwn] (plural rub·downs) noun

act of rubbing something
down: a brisk rubbing down,
usually of a person’s or animal’s body after exercising[1]



rubdown

rubdown
rub
down
transitive verb

1.  massage
somebody:
to massage somebody or part of the body vigorously

2.  dry
body with vigorous rubbing: to dry a person’s or
animal’s body by vigorous rubbing with a towel

[1]



rube

rube
rube 
[roob] (plural rubes) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is naive or unsophisticated, especially
somebody from a rural area and not used to city ways (slang)
[Late 19th century. From
“Rube,” a pet form of the male forename Reuben ; perhaps because it was
considered a common name among country people.][1]



rubefacient

rubefacient
ru·be·fa·cient 
[rùbbə fáysh’nt] adjective

reddening
the skin:
causing the skin to become red (formal)
noun
(plural ru·be·fa·cients)

something
that makes skin red: a substance that causes the
skin to become red, particularly a cream or ointment used as a counterirritant
[Early
19th century. From Latin rubefacient-, the present participle stem of rubefacere
“to make red,” from rubeus “red” + facere “to make.”]
—ru·be·fac·tion [rùbbə fákshən], noun[1]



rubefy

rubefy
ru·be·fy 
[rbə f] (past ru·be·fied, past
participle ru·be·fied, present participle ru·be·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ru·be·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

MEDICINE treat
skin with rubefacient: to use a rubefacient on skin
[14th century. Formed from
Old French rube-, the stem of rubifier from, ultimately, Latin rubeus
“red.”][1]



RubeGoldberg

RubeGoldberg
Rube
Gold·berg 
[roob gṓld bùrg] adjective

needlessly
complex:
unnecessarily intricate and complicated.
U.K.
term
Heath Robinson
[Mid-20th century. Named for Reuben
Goldberg ( 1883–1970 ), a U.S. cartoonist known for his depictions of
complex devices performing elementary tasks.][1]



rubella

rubella
ru·bel·la 
[roo béllə] noun

contagious
childhood disease: a highly contagious viral
disease especially of children that causes swelling of the lymph glands and a
reddish-pink rash on the skin. It can be harmful to the unborn baby of a
pregnant woman who contracts it.
Also
called
German measles
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, “rash,” noun use of the neuter plural of Latin rubellus
“reddish,” from rubeus “red” (source of English rubeola ).][1]



rubellite

rubellite
ru·bel·lite 
[rbə lt, roo
bé lt] noun

red
mineral used in jewelry: a red variety of the glassy
mineral tourmaline, used in jewelry
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin rubellus (see rubella ).][1]



Rubens,Peter Paul

Rubens,Peter Paul
Ru·bens
[rbənz], Peter Paul (1577–1640)

Flemish painter. He is
considered one of the most important artists of the 17th century, and his style
has come to define the sensuous aspects of baroque painting.[1]



rubeola

rubeola
ru·be·o·la 
[roo b ələ, rbi
ṓlə] noun

measles:
measles (technical)
[Late
17th century. From modern Latin, noun use of the neuter plural of assumed rubeolus
“reddish,” from Latin rubeus “red” (source of English rubella ).]
—ru·be·o·lar, adjective[1]



rubescent

rubescent
ru·bes·cent 
[roo béss’nt] adjective

reddening:
turning red or reddish, for example, by blushing (literary)
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin rubescent-, the present participle stem of rubescere
“to redden,” from, ultimately, ruber “red.”]
—ru·bes·cence [roo béss’ns], noun[1]



Rubicon

Rubicon2
Ru·bi·con2  [rbi
kn]

stream in northeastern Italy
that in ancient times marked the frontier between Italy and Cisalpine Gaul. Now
called the Rubicone, it empties into the Adriatic Sea just north of Rimini. See
Origin note above.[1]



Rubicon

Rubicon1
Ru·bi·con1  [rbi
kòn] or ru·bi·con [rbi kòn]
noun

point
of no return: a point at which any action taken
commits the person taking it to a further particular course of action that
cannot be avoided
[Early
17th century. Named for the Rubicon 2 .]
cross
the Rubicon

to
do something that commits you to a particular course of action





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Rubicon was a stream in northern Italy
  that formerly constituted part of the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and
  Italy. By crossing it with his army en route to Rome in 49 BC, Julius Caesar broke a law
  forbidding a general to lead an army out of his own province and so committed
  himself to civil war against the Senate and Pompey. The expression crossing
  the Rubicon has come to mean making an irrevocable step that commits you
  to a course of action.

[1]



rubicund

rubicund
ru·bi·cund 
[rbikənd] adjective

rosy:
with the reddish skin color that is widely regarded as a sign of good health in
Caucasian people (literary)
[15th
century. From Latin rubicundus, from, ultimately, ruber “red”
(source of English rubescent ).]
—ru·bi·cun·di·ty [rbi kúndətee], noun[1]



rubidium

rubidium

ru·bid·i·um 
[roo bíddee əm] noun
silvery-white
radioactive chemical element: a soft silvery-white
radioactive chemical element of the alkali metal group that reacts strongly
with water, bursts into flame when exposed to air, and is used in photocells. Symbol
Rb
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin rubidus “red,” from rubere “to be red”;
from the two red lines in its spectrum.][1]



rubiginous

rubiginous
ru·big·i·nous 
[roo bíjjənəss] adjective

rust-colored:
reddish-brown, like the color of rust (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin rubigin-, the stem of rubigo “rust,” a variant of robigo
(source of English rouille ).
Originally in the sense “(of a plant) affected by blight.”][1]



Rubik’scube

Rubik’scube
Ru·bik’s
cu·be
[rbiks kyb] Trademark

a trademark for a puzzle that
is a cube composed of smaller rotating colored cubes, the aim being to rotate
them to make each of the large cube’s faces a uniform color[1]



rubin

rubin
rub
in
verb

mention something repeatedly
to annoy: to keep reminding somebody
of something that person does not want to be reminded of, usually because it is
embarrassing (informal)[1]



Rubinstein,Arthur

Rubinstein,Arthur
Ru·bin·stein
[rbin stn], Arthur (1887–1982)

Polish-born U.S. pianist. He
is known for his interpretations of works by the romantic composers, notably
Frédéric Chopin.[1]



rubious

rubious
ru·bi·ous 
[rbee əss] adjective

ruby
red:
dark red, like the color of rubies (literary)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from ruby .][1]



ruble

ruble
ru·ble
[rb’l] (plural ru·ble) or
rou·ble [rb’l] (plural rou·ble)
noun

1.  unit
of Russian currency: the main unit of currency in
Russia, Belarus, and some other former republics of the U.S.S.R.

2.  coin
worth one ruble: a coin worth one ruble

[1]



ruboff

ruboff
rub
off
intransitive verb

be passed on to somebody:
to be passed to somebody or be an influence on somebody who is exposed to it[1]



rubout

rubout
rub
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb obliterate:
to remove or obliterate something, for example, by rubbing or wearing away, or
to be removed or obliterated

2.  transitive
verb
kill:
to murder somebody (slang)

[1]



rubric

rubric
ru·bric 
[rbrik] noun (plural ru·brics)

1.  title
or heading:
a printed title or heading, usually distinguished from the body of the text in
some way, especially the heading of a section of a legal statute, originally
underlined in red

2.  set
of printed instructions: a set of printed rules or
instructions, for example, the rules governing how Christian services are to be
conducted, often printed in red in a prayer book

3.  established
custom:
a well-established custom or tradition that provides rules for conduct

4.  category:
a class or category of things
adjective

in red:
printed or marked in red
[13th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin rubrica “red ochre,” from
the base of rubeus, ruber “red” (source of English ruby ).]
—ru·bri·cal,
adjective

—ru·bri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



rubricate

rubricate
ru·bri·cate 
[rbri kàyt] (past ru·bri·cat·ed,
past participle ru·bri·cat·ed, present participle ru·bri·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ru·bri·cates) transitive verb
(formal)

1.  add
headings to text: to add titles or heading to a text, or
to print them in red

2.  mark
something in red: to print or mark something in red

3.  regulate
something:
to apply a set of rules to something
—ru·bri·ca·tion
[rbri káysh’n], noun

—ru·bri·ca·tor [rbri kàytər], noun[1]



rubrician

rubrician
ru·bri·cian 
[roo brísh’n] (plural ru·bri·cians)
noun

authority on conduct of
religious services: somebody
who is an authority on the way religious services should be conducted[1]



rubup

rubup
rub
up
intransitive and transitive verb

refresh old knowledge or
skill: to refresh old knowledge of
something, or to bring a skill back up to its former standard • rubbing
up on his high-school French[1]



ruby

ruby
ru·by 
[rbee] noun (plural ru·bies)

1.  MINERALS red
gemstone:
a glassy red stone that is a variety of corundum, highly valued for its use in
jewelry as well as in the making of watches and other precision instruments (often
used before a noun) • a ruby
ring

2.  COLORS deep
red:
a deep glowing red color tinged with dark purple, like that of a ruby
adjective

COLORS deep
red in color: of a deep glowing red color tinged with
purple, like that of a ruby
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin ruber, rubeus “red” (source also of
English rubella and rubric ).][1]



rubyport

rubyport
ru·by
port
noun

young port:
a port that is matured for a minimal period in the barrel and then bottled for
immediate drinking[1]



rubyspinel

rubyspinel
ru·by
spi·nel
noun

red variety of mineral
spinel: a red transparent variety of
the mineral spinel, used in jewelry[1]



ruby-throatedhummingbird

ruby-throatedhummingbird
ru·by-throat·ed
hum·ming·bird  noun

N American hummingbird with
red throat: the most common hummingbird
in North America, with a red throat and a shiny green back. Latin name: Archilochus
colubris[1]



ruche

ruche
ruche 
[roosh] noun (plural ruch·es)

garment’s
frilly trimming: a strip of gathered, pleated, or frilled
fabric used as a decorative trimming on a garment
transitive
verb
(past ruched, past participle ruched, present
participle ruch·ing, 3rd person present singular ruch·es)

trim
garment with ruches: to decorate the edges of a
garment with ruches
[Early 19th century. Via
French from medieval Latin rusca “tree bark,” of Celtic origin.][1]



ruching

ruching
ruch·ing 
[rshing] noun

decorative fabric edging:
decorative edges of gathered, pleated, or frilled fabric[1]



ruck

ruck1
ruck1 [ruk]
(past rucked, past participle rucked, present
participle ruck·ing, 3rd person present singular rucks,
plural rucks) noun

1.  large
number:
a large number of people or things

2.  ordinary
people or things: the great mass of unexceptional people
or things

3.  followers:
the group of competitors behind the leader in a race
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language. Originally in the meaning
“pile of combustible material.”][1]



ruck

ruck2
ruck2 [ruk]
intransitive and transitive verb (past rucked, past
participle rucked, present participle ruck·ing, 3rd
person present singular rucks)

wrinkle:
to become wrinkled or creased, or cause something, especially fabric, to become
wrinkled or creased • The
carpet is rucked up under your chair.
noun
(plural rucks)

unwanted
fold:
a crease or wrinkle, especially in a fabric
[Late 18th century. From Old
Norse hrukka “wrinkle.”][1]



rucksack

rucksack
ruck·sack 
[rúk sàk, rk
sàk] (plural ruck·sacks) noun

bag
carried on the back: a large bag, usually with
two straps and often with a supporting frame, carried on the back and used
especially by walkers and climbers
[Mid-19th century. From German,
literally “back-sack.”][1]



ruckus

ruckus
ruck·us 
[rúkəss] (plural ruck·us·es) noun

disturbance:
a noisy and unpleasant disturbance
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of ruction and rumpus .][1]



ruction

ruction
ruc·tion 
[rúkshən] (plural ruc·tions) noun

quarrel
or fight:
a noisy, often violent, quarrel or fight
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of insurrection
.][1]



rudbeckia

rudbeckia
rud·beck·i·a 
[rud békee ə, rood
békee ə] (plural rud·beck·i·as or rud·beck·i·a)
noun

plant
with yellow-rayed flowers: a North American plant with
showy yellow flowers that have green or black centers. It has alternate leaves
and belongs to the composite family of flowering plants. Genus: Rudbeckia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, named for the Swedish botanists Olof Rudbeck the elder
(1630–1702) and the younger (1660–1740).][1]



rudd

rudd
rudd 
[rud] (plural rudds or rudd)
noun

freshwater
fish with red fins: a European freshwater fish
of the carp family with a thin greenish-brown body and red fins. Latin name: Scardinius
erythrophthalmus
[Early 16th century. Variant
of obsolete rud “redness.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English red
.][1]



rudder

rudder

rud·der 
[rúddər] (plural rud·ders) noun

1.  means
of steering boat or ship: a means of steering a boat
or ship, usually in the form of a pivoting blade under the water, mounted at
the stern and controlled by a wheel or handle ( tiller
)

2.  airfoil
for steering airplane: an airfoil, usually on the
tail of an airplane, that pivots vertically and controls left-to-right movement

3.  controlling
force:
a guiding or controlling force or influence
[Old
English rōþer . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English row .]
—rud·der·less, adjective[1]



rudderfish

rudderfish
rud·der·fish 
[rúddər fìsh] (plural rud·der·fish
or rud·der·fish·es) noun

fish that follows ships:
a small-to-medium oval fish known for its habit of following oceangoing ships
in schools. Family: Kyphosidae[1]



ruddle

ruddle
rud·dle 
[rúdd’l] or red·dle [rédd’l] or rad·dle [rádd’l] noun (plural rud·dles)
(plural red·dles) (plural rad·dles)

coloring
substance:
a type of red ocher used as a dye. It was formerly used to mark sheep.
transitive
verb
(past rud·dled, past participle rud·dled, present
participle rud·dling, 3rd person present singular rud·dles)
(past red·dled, past participle red·dled, present
participle red·dling, 3rd person present singular red·dles)
(past rad·dled, past participle rad·dled, present
participle rad·dling, 3rd person present singular rad·dles)

color
something with ruddle: to dye or mark something
such as a sheep with ruddle
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from obsolete rud (see rudd ).][1]



ruddy

ruddy
rud·dy 
[rúddee] adjective (comparative
rud·di·er, superlative rud·di·est)

1.  rosy
with health: with a healthy reddish glow • ruddy
cheeks

2.  reddish:
red or reddish in color • ruddy
sky
adjective
(comparative rud·di·er, superlative rud·di·est) adverb

U.K. swearword:
used as a mild swearword to emphasize how good, bad, or severe something is (slang)
(offensive in some contexts)
[Old
English rudig . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English red .]
—rud·di·ly,
adverb

—rud·di·ness, noun[1]



ruddyduck

ruddyduck
rud·dy
duck
noun

brownish-red N American duck:
a North American duck with a broad bill, upright tail, and white cheeks. During
the mating season the male is brownish-red with a black crown and blue bill.
Latin name: Oxyura jamaicensis
Also called
sprigtail[1]



rude

rude
rude 
[rood] (comparative rud·er, superlative
rud·est) adjective

1.  ill-mannered:
disagreeable or discourteous in manner or action • Don’t
be rude!

2.  indecent:
offensive to accepted standards of decency • rude
words

3.  unrefined:
lacking refinement or social skills

4.  sudden
and unpleasant: happening with unexpected suddenness and
unpleasantness • a rude awakening

5.  roughly
made:
in a rough or incomplete state • a rude
wooden bench

6.  unskilled:
showing a lack of skill or training • rude
paintings

7.  inexperienced:
without schooling or experience • a rude
youth raised in the wilderness

8.  raw:
in a raw or unprocessed state • rude
fibers

9.  vague:
lacking precision • a rude guess

10. undeveloped:
technologically or economically undeveloped

11. robust:
strong and energetic • in
rude health
[13th
century. Via French from Latin rudis “raw, rough” (source of English rudiment and erudite
).]
—rude·ly,
adverb

—rude·ness, noun[1]



ruderal

ruderal
ru·der·al 
[rdərəl] adjective

growing
in trash:
growing in wasteland, trash, or disturbed ground
noun
(plural ru·der·als)

ruderal
plant:
a plant that grows in wasteland, trash, or disturbed ground
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from the Latin stem ruder- “rubble.”][1]



rudiment

rudiment
ru·di·ment 
[rdəmənt] (plural ru·di·ments)
noun

1.  something
basic to subject: a basic principle or skill, especially
in a particular field or subject (often used in the plural) • the
rudiments of computer programming

2.  beginning:
an early stage in the development of something such as a plan (often used in
the plural)

3.  BIOLOGY undeveloped
body part:
a body part that does not develop fully and performs no useful function. The
mammary gland in males is a rudiment .

4.  BIOLOGY embryo
of organ:
an embryonic stage of an organ or body part
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from, ultimately, Latin rudis (see rude ).][1]



rudimentary

rudimentary
ru·di·men·ta·ry 
[rdə méntəree] or ru·di·men·tal
[rdə mént’l] adjective

1.  basic:
existing at an elementary or basic level

2.  developing:
in an early or partially developed stage

3.  BIOLOGY undeveloped:
not fully developed • a
rudimentary tail

4.  BIOLOGY in
form of embryo: in an embryonic state
—ru·di·men·tar·i·ly,
adverb

—ru·di·men·ta·ri·ness,
noun[1]



RudolfI

RudolfI
Ru·dolf
I
[r dolf], King of Germany and Holy Roman
Emperor (1218–1291)

His acquisition of Bohemian
territories in 1278 greatly strengthened the house of Hapsburg. He is
considered the founder of the Hapsburg dynasty.[1]



Rudolf,Lake

Rudolf,Lake
Ru·dolf,
Lake
[r dolf]

Former name for
Turkana, Lake[1]



rue

rue1
rue1 [roo]
intransitive and transitive verb (past rued, past
participle rued, present participle ru·ing, 3rd
person present singular rues)

feel
regret for:
to feel regret or sorrow for something in the past • I
rue the day I offered to help.
noun

feeling
of regret:
a feeling of regret or sorrow (archaic)
[Old English hrēowan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German reuen
“to repent.” Originally in the meaning “to induce pity.”][1]



rue

rue2
rue2 [roo]
(plural rues or rue) noun

flowering
plant once used medicinally: a woody plant with small
yellow flowers, native to Europe and Asia. Its bitter, strongly scented leaves
yield an oil formerly used as a narcotic and stimulant. Latin name: Ruta
graveolens
[14th century. Via French and
Latin ruta from Greek rhutē .][1]



rueful

rueful
rue·ful 
[rf’l] adjective

1.  regretful:
feeling, showing, or causing regret

2.  inducing
pity:
causing people to feel pity
—rue·ful·ly,
adverb

—rue·ful·ness, noun[1]



ruff

ruff2
ruff2 [ruf]
noun (plural ruffs)

1.  playing
of trump card: in bridge or whist, the act of playing a
trump card

2.  CARD GAMES card
game:
an old card game similar to whist
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ruffed, past
participle ruffed, present participle ruff·ing, 3rd
person present singular ruffs)

play trump on different suit:
in bridge or whist, to play a trump card on a card from a different suit
[Late 16th century. From Old
French roffle, a card game, of uncertain origin: perhaps from renfler
“to rise” (from, ultimately, Latin inflare “to inflate”), or from
Italian trionfo “trump.”][1]



ruff

ruff1
ruff1 [ruf]
(plural ruffs) noun

1.  fancy
pleated collar: a separate collar of starched pleated
linen or lace worn by men and women from the middle of the 16th century to the
early 17th century

2.  ZOOLOGY neck
hair or feathers: a growth of long, colorful, or bushy
hair or feathers on the neck of a bird or other animal.
Also
called
ruffle

3.  (plural
ruffs or ruff) BIRDS
bird
with elaborate ruff: a bird of the sandpiper
family, the male of which has a ruff of feathers that are erected during
courtship displays. It is native to Europe and Asia. Latin name: Philomachus
pugnax
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of rough,
or perhaps a shortening of ruffle .]
—ruffed, adjective[1]



ruffian

ruffian
ruf·fi·an 
[rúffee ən] (plural ruf·fi·ans)
noun

rough
person:
somebody who behaves in a rough, bullying, or violent way, often a member of a
gang of criminal thugs (dated)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Italian ruffiano, of Germanic
origin.]
—ruf·fi·an·ism,
noun

—ruf·fi·an·ly, adjective[1]



ruffle

ruffle3
ruf·fle3 [rúff’l]
(past ruf·fled, past participle ruf·fled, present
participle ruf·fling, 3rd person present singular ruf·fles)
intransitive verb

behave
arrogantly:
to behave in an ostentatiously arrogant or boastful way (archaic)
[15th century. Origin
unknown. It disappeared by 1700 but was revived in the 19th century by Sir
Walter Scott .][1]



ruffle

ruffle1
ruf·fle1 [rúff’l]
verb (past ruf·fled, past participle ruf·fled,
present participle ruf·fling, 3rd person present singular ruf·fles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
waves in a surface: to disturb or ripple
something, especially a surface, or to become disturbed or rippled

2.  transitive
verb
make
feathers erect: to erect feathers, for example, in
defense, as a display, or for warmth or grooming

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb annoy somebody:
to bother or fluster somebody, or to become bothered or flustered • gets
ruffled so easily

4.  transitive
verb
glance
quickly through something: to flip rapidly through the
pages of a book or magazine (dated)

5.  transitive
verb
SEWING gather
or pleat:
to draw a strip of material into pleats or gathers to use as trim

6.  transitive
verb
CARD GAMES shuffle
cards:
to shuffle playing cards (dated)
noun
(plural ruf·fles)

1.  wave
in surface:
a disturbance or ripple in something, especially a surface

2.  irritating
thing:
a source of irritation or annoyance

3.  SEWING trim
of pleated fabric: a strip of closely pleated
or gathered material used as trim

4.  ZOOLOGY See ruff 1 noun 2
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps thought to suggest the action.]
—ruf·fled,
adjective

—ruf·fly, adjective[1]



ruffle

ruffle2
ruf·fle2 [rúff’l]
noun (plural ruf·fles)

low
drumbeat:
a low continuous drumbeat
transitive
verb
(past ruf·fled, past participle ruf·fled, present
participle ruf·fling, 3rd person present singular ruf·fles)

beat
ruffle on a drum: to play a ruffle on a drum
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.][1]



rufiyaa

rufiyaa
ru·fi·yaa 
[roo f yaa, r
fee y] (plural ru·fi·yaa) noun

1.  unit
of currency of Maldives: the main unit of currency in
the Maldives, worth 100 laari

2.  bill
worth one rufiyaa: a bill worth one rufiyaa
[Late 20th century. Via
Maldivian from Hindi rupiya (see rupee
).][1]



rug

rug
rug 
[rug] (plural rugs) noun

1.  fabric
floor covering: a thick heavy fabric covering for a
floor, especially one that is smaller than a carpet

2.  animal
skin mat:
an animal skin used as a mat or small carpet

3.  blanket:
a thick blanket, especially one formerly used by car or carriage passengers to
cover their legs and feet

4.  hairpiece:
a toupee or wig (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian word.][1]



ruga

ruga
ru·ga 
[rgə] (plural ru·gae [r gee, r g])
noun

fold
in body part: a natural crease or ridge in a body
part, especially in the internal organs (often used in the plural)
[Late
18th century. From Latin, “wrinkle.”]
—ru·gate [r gàyt], adjective[1]



Rugby

Rugby2
Rug·by2  [rúgbee]

town in Warwickshire, central
England. Rugby School, a leading independent school, is located there.
Population: 84,300 (1991)[1]



Rugby

Rugby1
Rug·by1 [rúgbee]
or Rug·by foot·ball [rúgbee] noun

team
sport:
a team sport in which players run with an oval ball, pass it laterally from
hand to hand, and kick it (often used before a noun)
[Mid-19th century. Named for Rugby School, where it was reputedly invented.][1]



rugged

rugged
rug·ged 
[rúggəd] adjective

1.  with
irregular surface: with a sharply rising and
falling, rough, or jagged surface • over
rugged terrain

2.  strong-featured:
with furrowed facial features thought to suggest physical strength or strength
of character, especially in men • their
rugged faces

3.  physically
resilient:
physically strong enough to endure harsh conditions, or used to enduring them

4.  severe
in manner:
harsh and forbidding in manner

5.  METEOROLOGY stormy:
affected by violent and dangerous storms

6.  lacking
refinement:
coarse or unrefined in behavior

7.  testing:
requiring strength, skill, or endurance

8.  ENGINEERING strongly
built:
designed and manufactured to withstand hard use or harsh environments
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian word. The underlying
idea is of a bristled surface.]
—rug·ged·ly,
adverb

—rug·ged·ness, noun[1]



ruggedize

ruggedize
rug·ged·ize
[rúggə dz] (past rug·ged·ized,
past participle rug·ged·ized, present participle rug·ged·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular rug·ged·iz·es) transitive verb

adapt
something for hard use: to make something such as a
piece of equipment capable of withstanding rough treatment
—rug·ged·i·za·tion [rùggədi záysh’n], noun[1]



rugosarose

rugosarose
ru·go·sa
rose
[roo gssə rṓz] noun

fragrant
prickly rose: a common hedge rose that has not been
cultivated. It is thorny with fragrant pink or white blossoms and is found
across eastern North America. Latin name: Rosa rugosa
[Rugosa from Latin, the
feminine form of rugosus (see rugose
)][1]



rugose

rugose
ru·gose 
[r gss] or ru·gous [rgəss] adjective

1.  creased:
with creases, wrinkles, or ridges

2.  BOTANY with
ridged surface: used to describe a leaf or other plant
part that has a surface of alternating depressions and ridges
[15th
century. From Latin rugosus, from ruga “wrinkle.”]
—ru·gose·ly,
adverb

—ru·gos·i·ty [roo góssətee], noun[1]



rugrat

rugrat
rug
rat
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a young child, especially an infant or toddler (slang
offensive)[1]



Ruhr

Ruhr
Ruhr 
[rr]

river in western Germany. The
Ruhr valley contains the largest coalfield and industrial region in western
Europe. Length: 235 km/146 mi.[1]



ruin

ruin
ru·in 
[r in] noun (plural ru·ins)

1.  broken
remains:
the physical remains of something such as a building or city that has decayed
or been destroyed (often used in the plural)

2.  complete
devastation: a state of complete destruction, decay,
collapse, or loss • The buildings had gone
to ruin.

3.  complete
failure:
complete moral, social, or economic failure • facing
financial ruin

4.  somebody
or something destroyed: somebody or something
completely lost or destroyed

5.  cause
of destruction: a cause of complete loss or destruction
• Alcohol
was their ruin.

6.  loss
of virginity: a woman’s loss of virginity to a man
other than her husband (archaic)
plural
noun
ru·ins

complete devastation:
a state of complete destruction, decay, collapse, or loss • Her
dreams lay in ruins.
verb
(past ru·ined, past participle ru·ined, present
participle ru·in·ing, 3rd person present singular ru·ins)

1.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to cause something to be destroyed or lost

2.  transitive
verb
destroy
somebody financially: to bring about somebody’s
financial demise

3.  transitive
verb
damage
something beyond repair: to spoil something so
severely that it cannot be restored

4.  intransitive
verb
decline:
to fall into a state of complete destruction or loss (literary)

5.  transitive
verb
seduce
then abandon a woman: to induce a woman to engage
in sex before marriage, then abandon her (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French ruine from Latin ruina, from ruere “to
fall.”]
—ru·ined,
adjective

—ru·in·er, noun[1]



ruination

ruination
ru·in·a·tion 
[r ə náysh’n] noun

1.  loss:
the destruction or loss of something

2.  cause
of loss:
something that brings about destruction or loss

[1]



ruinous

ruinous
ru·in·ous 
[r inəss] adjective

1.  damaging:
causing severe damage or complete destruction or loss

2.  decayed:
decayed or deteriorated beyond repair
—ru·in·ous·ly,
adverb

—ru·in·ous·ness, noun[1]



rule

rule
rule 
[rool] noun (plural rules)

1.  principle
governing conduct: an authoritative principle
set forth to guide behavior or action • the
rules of the game

2.  usual
condition:
a prevailing condition or quality

3.  governing
power:
a governing or reigning power • under
Communist rule

4.  reign
or government: a period during which a person or group
reigns or governs

5.  RELIGION religious
principles:
a body of principles governing a religious order or group • the
Benedictine rule

6.  MATHEMATICS method
of calculating: a mathematical procedure for performing
an operation or solving a problem

7.  See
ruler  noun 2

8.  PRINTING line
between printed columns: a thin strip or design used
for borders or for separating columns of type

9.  LAW law
governing court procedure: a law made to govern
procedure in court

10. LAW court
order:
an order issued by a court of law or by a judge
verb
(past ruled, past participle ruled, present
participle rul·ing, 3rd person present singular rules)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb govern:
to exercise controlling authority over somebody or something • She
ruled for almost 50 years.

2.  transitive
verb
control
something:
to subject something to control or to restrain something

3.  transitive
verb
mark
with lines:
to make a straight line or mark something with straight lines

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb dominate:
to prevail or be the prevailing influence over something • He
let his heart rule his head.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb LAW make legal decision:
to issue a legal decision or order • The
judge ruled against the plaintiff.
[13th
century. Via French riule from, ultimately, Latin regula
“straight stick, standard” (source of English regular
and regulate ).]
—rul·a·ble, adjective[1]



ruleof thumb

ruleof thumb
rule
of thumb
noun

1.  common
practice:
a way of proceeding based on experience or sound judgment

2.  generally
reliable method: any practical, though not entirely
accurate, method that can be relied on for an acceptable result
[Said
to derive from the workman’s practice of using the thumb as a rough measure]
—rule-of-thumb, adjective[1]



ruleout

ruleout
rule
out
transitive verb

1.  exclude
something:
to exclude something or take a decision not to consider something

2.  prevent
something:
to make something impossible

[1]



ruler

ruler
rul·er 
[rlər] (plural rul·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who rules:
somebody such as a sovereign who governs a state or nation

2.  straight
tool for measuring and drawing: a strip of plastic,
wood, or metal with at least one straight edge and units of length marked on
it. It is used for measuring and for drawing straight lines.
Also
called
rule

[1]



ruling

ruling
rul·ing 
[rling] adjective

1.  in
power:
exercising controlling or governing authority • the
ruling party

2.  most
powerful:
exerting the strongest influence • a
ruling passion
noun
(plural rul·ings)

LAW decision
by authority: an official or binding decision made,
for example, by a court or judge

[1]



rum

rum2
rum2 [rum]
(comparative rum·mer, superlative rum·mest) adjective

U.K.
bizarre:
out of the ordinary (dated informal)
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rum

rum1
rum1 [rum]
(plural rums) noun

1.  liquor
made from sugar cane: an alcoholic liquor made
from sugar cane or molasses. It can be clear but is usually colored
brownish-red by storage in oak casks or by the addition of caramel.

2.  liquor:
any intoxicating liquor
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of obsolete rumbullion, of unknown origin.][1]



rumba

rumba
rum·ba 
[rúmbə, rmbə,
rmbə] or rhum·ba [rúmbə, rmbə, rmbə] noun (plural rum·bas)
(plural rhum·bas)

1.  Cuban
dance:
a rhythmically complex Cuban dance

2.  rhythmic
ballroom dance: a ballroom dance based on the Cuban
rumba . It is danced more or less on the spot, with exaggerated swinging of the
hips.

3.  music
for rumba:
a piece of music for or in the rhythm of a rumba
intransitive
verb
(past rum·baed, past participle rum·baed, present
participle rum·ba·ing, 3rd person present singular rum·bas)
(past rhum·baed, past participle rhum·baed, present
participle rhum·ba·ing, 3rd person present singular rhum·bas)

dance rumba: to
dance a rumba
[Early 20th century. Via
American Spanish and Spanish rumbo “course, direction” from, ultimately,
Latin rhombus “rhombus.”][1]



rumble

rumble

rum·ble 
[rúmb’l] verb (past rum·bled,
past participle rum·bled, present participle rum·bling,
3rd person present singular rum·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
deep sound:
to make a deep rolling sound • thunder
rumbling in the distance

2.  intransitive
verb
move
noisily:
to travel, for example, along a road, with a deep rolling sound • Trucks
rumbled past.

3.  transitive
verb
utter
with a rumble: to say something with a deep rolling
voice

4.  transitive
verb
U.K. find
out about somebody or something: to discover the truth
about somebody or something (informal) • We’ve
been rumbled!

5.  intransitive
verb
U.S., New Zealand be in a fight:
to be involved in a street fight, especially one between members of rival gangs
(slang)

6.  transitive
verb
MINERALS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING to
clean stones or metal: to polish stones or metal in
a rotating drum ( tumbling barrel )
noun (plural
rum·bles)

1.  deep
sound:
a deep rolling sound

2.  murmur
of dissatisfaction: a feeling of dissatisfaction
quietly expressed by several people (informal)

3.  U.S.,
New Zealand street fight:
a street fight, especially one fought by members of rival gangs (slang)

4.  MINERALS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING See tumbling
barrel
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from obsolete Dutch rommelen, an
imitation of the sound.]
—rum·bler,
noun

—rum·bly, adjective[1]



rumbleseat

rumbleseat
rum·ble
seat
noun

folding car seat:
a folding passenger seat on the back of some early automobiles.
U.K. term
dicky[1]



rumbling

rumbling
rum·bling
[rúmbling] noun (plural rum·blings)

1.  deep
sound:
a deep rolling sound

2.  first
indication:
an early sign of growing discontent, or an indication of an unpleasant event
that is about to happen (often used in the plural)
adjective

making deep sound:
making a deep rolling sound • rumbling
stomach

[1]



rumbustious

rumbustious
rum·bus·tious 
[rum búschəss] adjective

noisy
and exuberant: full of noisy uncontrollable exuberance
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of robustious .]
—rum·bus·tious·ly,
adverb

—rum·bus·tious·ness, noun[1]



rumen

rumen
ru·men 
[rmen, rmən]
(plural ru·mi·na [rmənə] or
ru·mens) noun

first
stomach of a ruminant animal: the large first chamber of a
ruminant animal’s stomach in which microorganisms break down plant cellulose
before the food is returned to the mouth as cud for additional chewing.
Also
called
paunch
[Early
18th century. From Latin .]
—ru·mi·nal, adjective[1]



ruminant

ruminant
ru·mi·nant 
[rmənənt] noun (plural ru·mi·nants)

ZOOLOGY hoofed
animal that chews cud: any cud-chewing hoofed
mammal with an even number of toes and a stomach with multiple chambers.
Cattle, camels, and giraffes are ruminants . Suborder: Ruminantia
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY of
ruminants:
relating or belonging to the suborder of animals that chew the cud

2.  thoughtful:
inclined to be thoughtful and reflective
[Mid-17th
century. From the present participle stem of Latin ruminare (see ruminate ).]
—ru·mi·nant·ly, adverb[1]



ruminate

ruminate
ru·mi·nate 
[rmə nàyt] (past ru·mi·nat·ed,
past participle ru·mi·nat·ed, present participle ru·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular ru·mi·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY chew
partially digested food: to regurgitate partially
digested food and chew it again (refers to ruminants)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb mull
something over: to think carefully and at length about
something
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin ruminat-, the past participle stem of ruminare,
from rumen “rumen.”]
—ru·mi·na·tion
[rmə náysh’n], noun

—ru·mi·na·tive
[rmə nàytiv], adjective

—ru·mi·na·tive·ly [rmə nàytivlee], adverb[1]



rummage

rummage
rum·mage 
[rúmmij] verb (past rum·maged,
past participle rum·maged, present participle rum·mag·ing,
3rd person present singular rum·mag·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
through things looking for something: to
make a rapid search for or through something by carelessly moving and
disarranging things

2.  transitive
verb
find
something:
to find something by searching
noun
(plural rum·mag·es)

1.  thorough
search:
a thorough search for or through something

2.  second-hand
articles:
articles sold at a rummage sale.
U.K.
term
jumble

3.  group
of things:
a miscellaneous collection of items
[15th
century. Via Old French arrumage “arrangement of cargo in a ship” from,
ultimately, run “ship’s hold,” from Dutch ruim “space.”]
—rum·mag·er, noun[1]



rummagesale

rummagesale
rum·mage
sale
noun

sale of secondhand items for
charity: a sale of miscellaneous
donated items to raise money for charity.
U.K. term
jumble sale[1]



rummer

rummer
rum·mer 
[rúmmər] (plural rum·mers) noun

drinking
glass:
a large drinking glass, especially one with a short stem
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via German Römer from Dutch roemer, from roemen “to
praise.”][1]



rummy

rummy2
rum·my2 [rúmmee]
noun (plural rum·mies)

drunkard:
a drunkard (slang)
adjective

of or like rum:
tasting or smelling of rum, or similar to rum in smell or taste[1]



rummy

rummy1
rum·my1 [rúmmee]
noun

card
game aiming for sequential cards: a card game in which
the players try to get three or more cards of the same rank or a sequence of
three or more cards of the same suit
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rumor

rumor
ru·mor 
[rmər] noun (plural ru·mors)

1.  unverified
report:
a generally circulated story, report, or statement without facts to confirm its
truth

2.  idle
speculation: general talk or opinion of uncertain
reliability

3.  uproar:
a loud noise or disturbance (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past ru·mored, past participle ru·mored, present
participle ru·mor·ing, 3rd person present singular ru·mors)

to pass on rumors:
to pass along information by rumor (usually passive) • It
is rumored that they are leaving the company.
[14th century. Via Old French
rumur from Latin rumor “noise, rumor.”][1]



rumormonger

rumormonger
ru·mor·mon·ger 
[rmər mùng gər, rmər
mòng gər] noun (plural ru·mor·mon·gers)

somebody
spreading rumors: somebody who habitually spreads rumors
intransitive
verb
(past ru·mor·mon·gered, past participle ru·mor·mon·gered,
present participle ru·mor·mon·ger·ing, 3rd person present
singular ru·mor·mon·gers)

spread rumors:
to participate actively in spreading rumors[1]



rumour

rumour
ru·mour 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
rumor[1]



rump

rump
rump 
[rump] (plural rumps) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
hindquarters: the fleshy hindquarters of a four-legged
mammal, not including its legs

2.  FOOD beef
from the hindquarters: a cut of beef that is tender
and contains some fat, taken from the rump • rump
steak

3.  buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks (informal)

4.  LAW remains
of legislature: the remnant of a legislative body after
the majority of its members have resigned or been expelled

5.  BIRDS bird’s
tail end:
the lower part of a bird’s back, nearest the tail. It is sometimes colored
distinctively.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.][1]



rumple

rumple
rum·ple 
[rúmp’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past rum·pled, past participle rum·pled, present
participle rum·pling, 3rd person present singular rum·ples)

make
or become unkempt: to take on a disheveled
appearance, or to make clothes or hair untidy, for example, by creasing clothes
or pulling hair out of style
noun
(plural rum·ples)

a
crease:
a wrinkle or crease
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch rumpelen .][1]



rumpus

rumpus
rum·pus 
[rúmpəss] (plural rum·pus·es) noun

disturbance:
an outcry or noisy disturbance
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



rumpusroom

rumpusroom
rum·pus
room
noun

Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, U.S. room
for parties and play: a room in a
house for recreational activities such as parties and children’s play[1]



rumrunner

rumrunner
rum·run·ner 
[rúm rùnnər] (plural rum·run·ners)
noun

1.  smuggler
of liquor:
somebody who smuggles liquor across a border

2.  SHIPPING boat
used in carrying illegal liquor: a boat used to smuggle
liquor across a border

[1]



run

run
run 
[run] verb (past ran [ran], past participle run, present
participle run·ning, 3rd person present singular runs)

1.  intransitive
verb
go
at fast pace: to move rapidly on foot so that both
feet are momentarily off the ground in each step

2.  intransitive
verb
gallop:
to go at a fast pace in which all four feet are momentarily off the ground in
each stride (refers to four-footed animals)

3.  transitive
verb
travel
distance by running: to cover a particular
distance while running

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb participate
in race:
to compete in a race on foot, or on a horse or other animal

5.  transitive
verb
enter
animal in race: to enter a horse or other animal in a
race

6.  intransitive
verb
be
in relative position: to be or end in a particular
position, for example, in a race, election, or contest • running
behind until the last lap

7.  transitive
verb
perform
something:
to carry out or accomplish something • run a
test

8.  intransitive
verb
leave
quickly:
to leave a place quickly or in a hurry, usually in order to escape notice or
capture • take
the money and run

9.  intransitive
verb
move
freely:
to move around without restraint • allow
the cats to run

10. transitive
verb
speed
across something: to travel quickly across, over, or
through something • running the rapids

11. transitive
verb
transport
somebody or something: to take or transport
somebody or something, usually by motor vehicle • ran
me into town

12. intransitive
verb
go
to for help: to turn to somebody for assistance,
especially in desperation or as a dependant to a protector • He
always runs to his brother for money.

13. intransitive
verb
visit:
to make a brief trip or visit somewhere • ran
out to the mountains for the weekend

14. intransitive
and transitive verb move
smoothly:
to pass, or cause something to pass, quickly or smoothly through or over
something • ropes
running easily through the pulleys

15. intransitive
and transitive verb be a
candidate:
to be a candidate, or enter somebody as a candidate, in an election • running
for president

16. intransitive
verb
come
into particular state: to enter into a particular
state or condition • Supplies were running
low.

17. intransitive
and transitive verb operate:
to be functioning, or to put or leave something in a functioning mode • Let
the engine run.

18. transitive
verb
control
something:
to direct the activities, affairs, or operation of something • responsible
for running the whole department

19. intransitive
and transitive verb pour
or flow:
to flow, or cause water or another liquid to flow from or to something • run
a faucet

20. intransitive
verb
MED release
mucus:
to discharge a fluid such as pus or mucus • a
nose that was constantly running

21. intransitive
and transitive verb go
back and forth: to travel, or cause somebody or
something to travel, regularly over a set route • running
a shuttle between stations

22. intransitive
verb
roll
freely:
to roll unhindered or unchecked • could
only stand and watch it run down the hill

23. intransitive
and transitive verb go or
take off course: to deviate, or allow something such as a
ship or automobile to deviate, from the usual or proper course • run
a car off the road

24. intransitive
verb
spread
or leak undesirably: to spread as a result of
unwanted dissolving or mixing • The
red stripes ran into the white.

25. intransitive
verb
range:
to range between particular limits • The
work ran from difficult to impossible.

26. intransitive
verb
keep
company:
to associate with a particular person or group

27. intransitive
and transitive verb extend
something:
to route something or be routed in a particular direction or for a particular
distance • They
plan to run the cable under the road.

28. intransitive
verb
continue
for a time:
to continue for a particular length or period • a
report running ten pages

29. intransitive
and transitive verb PUBLISHING BROADCASTING
show
publicly:
to print, broadcast, or exhibit something, or to be printed, broadcast, or
exhibited • run
a news story

30. transitive
verb
experience
something:
to experience, undergo, or be subject to something • a
child running a high temperature

31. intransitive
and transitive verb total:
to total a particular amount • The
bill runs to four figures.

32. transitive
verb
breach
something:
to break through a barrier of some kind • run
a checkpoint

33. intransitive
verb
be
worded:
to be worded in a particular way • in a
statement that runs as follows

34. intransitive
verb
exhibit
tendency:
to tend or be inclined in a particular direction • His
tastes in art run to abstractions.

35. intransitive
verb
be
recurrent:
to appear recurrently as a feature or quality • Stubbornness
runs in the family.

36. intransitive
verb
be
communicated: to be communicated from person to person
• a
story running around the office

37. intransitive
and transitive verb sustain
damage through unraveling stitches: to
unravel, or cause the stitching in a garment such as a stocking, to come undone
and cause damage

38. intransitive
verb
remain
legally valid: to continue to have force in law • The
contract has a year to run.

39. transitive
verb
trade
goods illegally: to import or export goods illegally • running
guns to the rebels

40. intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY go
upstream to spawn: to migrate in large numbers,
usually upstream, to spawn (refers to fish)

41. intransitive
and transitive verb FOOTBALL carry football downfield:
to advance the football while run ning as opposed to passing

42. transitive
verb
METALLURGY produce
metal by casting: to cast or mold molten metal
noun
(plural runs)

1.  fast
pace:
a rapid pace faster than a walk or jog

2.  galloping
pace:
an animal’s fastest pace

3.  spell
of running:
a spell of running, especially for pleasure or exercise

4.  race:
a race in which the competitors run

5.  regular
trip:
a regular or scheduled trip or route • the
run to work each day

6.  trip
for pleasure: a trip in a vehicle, especially for
pleasure • went
for a run along the coast road

7.  distance
or time covered: a distance or period covered while
traveling or running

8.  errand:
a brief trip made in order to get something • a
quick run to the store

9.  free
use of a place: unrestricted access to, use of, and
movement around a place • given
the run of the whole house

10. uninterrupted
period:
an extended period during which a specified condition or circumstance prevails
• a
run of bad luck

11. MANUFACTURING PRINTING quantity
manufactured: an amount of something produced in a
period of continuous operation of a machine or factory • an
initial print run of five thousand copies

12. MANUFACTURING operating
period:
a period of continuous operation of a machine or factory

13. CARD GAMES sequence
of cards:
in card games, a sequence of playing cards in one suit

14. CUE GAMES successive
shots:
a series of successful shots in some games such as billiards

15. ARTS series
of performances: a series of continuous showings or
performances

16. urgent
requirement: a sudden large demand for something such
as goods or payment • Rumors
of a shortage led to a run on coffee.

17. flow:
a flow of liquid

18. pipe
for liquid:
a channel or pipe in which a liquid flows

19. period
of flow:
a period during which a liquid flows

20. amount
of liquid:
an amount of liquid in a flow

21. SPORTS steep
route:
a sloping course or track for a particular activity • a
ski run

22. SPORTS passage
down track:
a single trip along a course or down a slope

23. direction
something lies in: the natural direction of a
pattern in something, for example, wood grain

24. tendency:
the general direction in which things or events are moving • the
usual run of things

25. something
ordinary:
an average or typical kind of person or thing • the
general run of merchandise

26. unraveling
of stitches: a damaged section of a stocking or other
knitted garment caused by unraveling stitches

27. AGRICULTURE animal
enclosure:
an outdoor enclosure for domestic animals, often one attached to or used as a
temporary break from a standard enclosure that allows less freedom of movement

28. ZOOLOGY animal
trail:
a trail followed regularly by a group or herd of animals

29. POLITICS election
campaign:
a campaign for election to public office • a
run for Congress

30. MUSIC rapid
musical passage: a rapid musical scale or melodic
passage, especially one for the piano

31. FOOTBALL gain
while running: an offensive player’s advance of the
ball while running

32. BASEBALL score
in baseball: a score in baseball made by traveling
around all the bases to home plate

33. runs
MED diarrhea:
an attack of diarrhea (informal) (takes a singular or plural verb)
• have
the runs
adjective

1.  melted:
in a melted state

2.  worn
out:
exhausted or out of breath, especially from running
[Old
English rinnan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English runnel
.]
be
on the run

to
be fleeing from something, especially the law

give
somebody a run for his or her money

to
provide somebody with some serious, sometimes unexpected, competition

run
yourself or somebody ragged

to
work yourself or somebody else to the point of exhaustion





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE








  Run, a small fast-flowing stream, is a
  South Midland and Southern term, common from Pennsylvania south to Virginia,
  as in Bull Run . Terms such as Northern creek and Southern branch
  identify larger streams.

[1]



runabout

runabout
run·a·bout 
[rúnnə bòwt] (plural run·a·bouts)
noun

1.  small
vehicle:
a small car, motorboat, or aircraft, especially one used for short trips

2.  wanderer:
somebody who moves from place to place

[1]



runacross

runacross
run
across
transitive verb

encounter somebody or
something unexpectedly: to meet
somebody or find something unexpectedly[1]



runafter

runafter
run
after
transitive verb

1.  pursue
somebody or something: to chase after somebody or
something

2.  pursue
somebody romantically: to pursue somebody
romantically or sexually (informal)

[1]



runalong

runalong
run
along
intransitive verb

leave:
to go away (usually used as a command)[1]



runaround

runaround
run·a·round 
[rúnnə ròwnd] noun

1.  delaying
or misleading tactics: inconvenience deliberately
engineered in order to mislead or delay somebody (informal) • They’ve
been giving me the runaround.

2.  PRINTING arrangement
of type around a picture: an arrangement of printed
type in which lines are shortened to leave room for an illustration or symbol

[1]



runaround

runaround
run
around
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  be
promiscuous: to behave promiscuously

2.  associate:
to spend a lot of time with somebody • running
around with a bad crowd

[1]



runaway

runaway
run
away
intransitive verb

escape:
to escape or flee from somebody or something[1]



runaway

runaway
run·a·way 
[rúnnə wày] noun (plural run·a·ways)

somebody who escapes:
somebody who leaves a place, for example, to escape confinement or harm (often
used before a noun)
adjective

1.  out
of control:
moving too fast to be stopped or controlled

2.  easily
won:
won by an overwhelming margin (informal)

[1]



Runaway,Cape

Runaway,Cape
Run·a·way,
Cape
[rúnnə wày]

cape on the northeastern
coast of the North Island, New Zealand, situated at the eastern end of the Bay
of Plenty[1]



runaway with

runaway with
run
away with
transitive verb

1.  take
something and leave: to steal something and
escape with it

2.  elope
with somebody: to leave secretly with a lover,
especially in order to marry

3.  take
control of somebody: to cause somebody to lose
self-control • His
excitement ran away with him.

4.  win
easily:
to win a competition, contest, or election easily

[1]



runback

runback
run·back 
[rún bàk] (plural run·backs) noun

run after catch:
a run made in football after catching an opponent’s kick or intercepting a pass[1]



runby

runby
run
by
(past ran by, past participle run by, present
participle run·ning by, 3rd person present singular runs
by) or run past (past ran past, past
participle run past, present participle run·ning past,
3rd person present singular runs past) transitive verb

tell in order to get an
opinion: to tell somebody about
something in order to find out his or her opinions or ideas about it • Could
I run these figures by you before I send them out?[1]



runciblespoon

runciblespoon
run·ci·ble
spoon 
[rùnssib’l spn] noun

spoon-shaped
fork:
a fork with three curved prongs, one of which is sharp
[“Runcible” is a nonsense
word coined by Edward Lear in The Owl and the Pussy Cat (1871)][1]



rundown

rundown
run·down 
[rún dòwn] (plural run·downs) noun

1.  review:
a summary of the main points of a subject

2.  BASEBALL out in
baseball:
a baseball play in which a runner is tagged out after being chased back and
forth between two bases

[1]



run-down

run-down
run-down
adjective

1.  exhausted:
tired out, for example, from overwork or poor health

2.  shabby:
in poor repair from neglect or hard use

3.  out
of power:
depleted of energy or power and unable to operate

[1]



rundown

rundown
run
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
functioning: to lose power and cease to function, or
allow a device to lose its power

2.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody with a vehicle: to knock somebody or
something to the ground with a vehicle

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce:
to shrink in size or amount, or reduce the size or amount of something

4.  transitive
verb
belittle
somebody:
to speak of somebody in a disparaging or critical manner

5.  transitive
verb
catch
somebody eventually: to find or capture somebody
after a long search or chase

6.  transitive
verb
trace
something:
to find the source of something • run
down a lead

7.  transitive
verb
read
something quickly: to read or review something
quickly

8.  transitive
verb
SHIPPING cause
ship to sink: to collide with a ship and cause it to
sink

9.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL remove
baseball player: to chase and tag out a base runner
trapped between two bases

[1]



rune

rune

rune
[roon] (plural runes) noun

1.  LANGUAGE old
Germanic alphabet character: a character in any of
several ancient Germanic alphabets used from about the 3rd to the 13th
centuries. The earliest Anglo-Saxon texts and inscriptions were written in
runes .

2.  magical
symbol or spell: a mysterious symbol, inscription, or
incantation, especially one believed to have magical power

3.  POETRY poem
in Finnish:
a Finnish poem or stanza
[Old
English rūn . From a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German
raunen “to whisper.” Its “runic character” sense, once obsolete, was
reintroduced from Old Norse rún in the 17th century.]
—run·ic, adjective[1]



rung

rung2
rung2

Past participle of
ring[1]



rung

rung1
rung1 [rung]
(plural rungs) noun

1.  ladder
step:
any of the steps of a ladder

2.  crosspiece
of chair:
a horizontal bar used to strengthen the legs of a chair or stool

3.  level
in hierarchy: a position in a hierarchy, for example,
of a profession

4.  NAUTICAL part
of ship’s wheel: a spoke or handle on the wheel of a ship
by which the wheel is turned
[Old English hrung .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German Runge
“rung.”][1]



run-in

run-in
run-in 
(plural run-ins) noun

1.  argument:
a heated argument or quarrel (informal)

2.  PRINTING addition
to printed text: a section of text added to a page that
has already been typeset or printed

[1]



runin

runin
run
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
arrest
somebody:
to take somebody into police custody (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
visit:
to pay somebody a casual visit (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
PRINTING add
something as text: to insert additional text in
printed matter

[1]



runinto

runinto
run
into
verb

1.  transitive
verb
meet
somebody by chance: to meet somebody
unexpectedly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb collide
with something: to have, cause, or allow a collision
between people or things

3.  transitive
verb
encounter
something:
to encounter something unanticipated, usually problems or trouble

4.  transitive
verb
amount
to something: to add up to something or be
approximately equal to something • left
debts running into millions

[1]



runlet

runlet
run·let 
[rúnnlət] (plural run·lets) noun

small stream:
a small river or stream (regional)[1]



runnel

runnel
run·nel 
[rúnn’l] (plural run·nels) noun

1.  stream:
a small brook or stream

2.  water
channel:
any narrow channel for water such as a gutter
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of obsolete rindle . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English run
.][1]



runner

runner
run·ner 
[rúnnər] (plural run·ners) noun

1.  racer:
somebody or something that runs, especially an athlete or a horse in a race

2.  POLITICS candidate:
somebody entered as a candidate in an election

3.  messenger:
somebody who carries messages or does errands for a bank, brokerage firm, or
other business

4.  BASEBALL See base runner

5.  FOOTBALL See ball carrier

6.  smuggler:
somebody involved in smuggling (often used in combination) • gun
runner

7.  SHIPPING smuggler’s
vessel:
a boat or ship used for smuggling (often used in combination)

8.  operator:
somebody who manages or operates something such as a business or a machine

9.  door
or drawer slide: a guide on which a drawer or door slides

10. strip
under a sled: either of the long blades beneath a sled
or sleigh, on which it rides

11. skate
blade:
the blade of an ice skate

12. carpet
strip:
a long narrow piece of carpet

13. fabric
strip:
a strip of fabric, often linen or lace, used to protect or decorate the top of
a piece of furniture such as a dresser

14. BOTANY creeping
stem that grows roots: a thin horizontal stem that
grows roots from nodes at regular intervals

15. BOTANY plant
growing from stem nodes: a plant such as a strawberry
that has runners or grows by runners

16. BOTANY climbing
plant:
any plant that climbs and twists, for example, a bean plant

17. ZOOLOGY deep-water
marine fish: a swift streamlined deep-water marine
fish of the jack family, especially either of two edible bluish species. Latin
name: Caranx crysos Elagatis bipinnulata
Also
called
blue runner

18. MOUNTAINEERING anchoring
loop:
a continuous loop of webbing used to provide an anchor to a rock, tree, or
other point

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at candidate

[1]



runner-up

runner-up
run·ner-up 
(plural run·ners-up) noun

somebody in second place:
a contestant or competitor who comes second, for example, in a sports event or
an election[1]



running

running
run·ning 
[rúnning] noun

1.  fast
movement:
rapid movement on foot, with long strides and both feet momentarily off the
ground

2.  SPORT running
as exercise: the sport or exercise of running

3.  management:
the managing of a business or organization
adjective

1.  flowing:
flowing continuously in a stream

2.  functioning:
in operation or in working order

3.  for
use or wear by runners: relating to or intended for
the sport or exercise of running • running
shoes

4.  SPORTS while
running:
begun with a run or performed during a run • a
running jump

5.  long-standing:
begun long ago and still continuing • a
running joke

6.  made
during an event: made while something is operating or
happening • a
running commentary

7.  MED open:
open and discharging fluid or pus • a
running sore

8.  BOTANY creeping:
growing by means of horizontal stems that creep along the ground

9.  FOOTBALL gaining
yards while running: advancing the ball while
running rather than passing
adverb

consecutively:
in succession • for five days running
[Old
English]
be
in or out of the running

to have or not have a chance
of success[1]



runningback

runningback
run·ning
back
noun

back who carries the ball
running: in football, an offensive
back who advances the ball in running plays[1]



runningboard

runningboard
run·ning
board
noun

step for getting into a
vehicle: a narrow step beneath the
doors of some motor vehicles, typically vintage cars[1]



runninghand

runninghand
run·ning
hand
noun

writing with letters run
together: handwriting done without
lifting the pen or pencil from the writing surface[1]



runninghead

runninghead
run·ning
head
or run·ning ti·tle noun

line at the head of each
page: a heading printed on every
page or every other page of a book[1]



runninglight

runninglight
run·ning
light
noun

light for night sailing or
flying: a light displayed on a ship
or aircraft at night to show its location and size[1]



runningmate

runningmate
run·ning
mate
noun

1.  POLITICS nominee
for lesser office: a candidate for the lesser
of two associated political offices, for example, a vice-presidential candidate

2.  HORSERACING pacesetting
horse:
in horseracing, a horse that is entered in a race for the purpose of setting
the pace for a stronger horse from the same stable

[1]



runningstart

runningstart
run·ning
start
noun

See
flying start[1]



runningstitch

runningstitch
run·ning
stitch
noun

simple sewing stitch:
a simple sewing stitch that goes down and up evenly through cloth without being
looped[1]



runningtitle

runningtitle
run·ning
ti·tle
noun

PUBLISHING
See running head[1]



runny

runny
run·ny 
[rúnnee] (comparative run·ni·er,
superlative run·ni·est) adjective

1.  of
a liquid consistency: of a liquid or semiliquid
consistency that pours or flows

2.  watery:
of a consistency that is too thin

3.  releasing
mucus:
producing excessive flowing mucus • a
runny nose

[1]



runoff

runoff
run
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
in haste:
to leave quickly without notifying anyone

2.  transitive
verb
make
copies:
to produce or print copies, for example, on a photocopier

3.  transitive
verb
force
somebody to leave: to force trespassers off
property

4.  transitive
verb
settle
tied contest: to settle a tied competition or election
by running a final deciding contest

[1]



runoff

runoff
run·off 
[rún àwf, rún òf]
(plural run·offs) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY water
not absorbed by soil: rainfall that does not soak
into the soil but flows into surface waters

2.  ENVIRONMENT MANUFACTURING AGRICULTURE water pollution:
agricultural or industrial waste products that are carried by rainfall and
melting snow into surface waters

3.  SPORTS POLITICS second contest to determine
the winner:
an election, race, or other contest held after an earlier one that produced no
clear winner

[1]



runoff with

runoff with
run
off with
transitive verb

1.  steal
something:
to steal and escape with something

2.  elope
with somebody: to leave secretly with a lover,
especially in order to marry

[1]



run-of-the-mill

run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mill 
adjective

unexceptional:
with no exceptional or distinguishing qualities[1]



runon

runon
run
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
talk
at length:
to talk at length, especially about trivial things

2.  intransitive
verb
continue:
to continue without interruption, often boringly or frustratingly

3.  transitive
verb
PRINTING print
text without paragraph break: to print or typeset
following text without a paragraph break

[1]



run-on

run-on
run-on 
adjective

PRINTING on the
same line:
added to a line of text without a line break
noun
(plural run-ons)

1.  PRINTING text
added without a line break: an added section of text
that continues a line, without a line break

2.  LINGUISTICS word
understood but undefined: an undefined word appearing
at the end of a dictionary entry, whose meaning can be understood from the
previous defined senses (often used before a noun)

[1]



runout

runout
run
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
come
to an end:
to be consumed completely • Time
is running out.

2.  intransitive
verb
exhaust
supplies:
to consume all of a supply of something • We’ve
run out of milk.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
invalid:
to become invalid because of time restrictions

4.  transitive
verb
chase
somebody away: to expel somebody using force

[1]



runout on

runout on
run
out on
transitive verb

abandon somebody or
something: to leave somebody or
something in a helpless state or at a time when support is needed (informal)[1]



runover

runover
run
over
verb

1.  transitive
verb
knock
somebody down with vehicle: to hit somebody or something
with a vehicle while driving it

2.  intransitive
verb
overflow:
to overflow the limits or capacity of a container

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
longer than planned: to go beyond a limit or time
previously set

4.  transitive
verb
review
something:
to examine or consider something again, especially reviewing its main points

[1]



runpast

runpast
run
past
transitive verb

See
run by[1]



runt

runt
runt 
[runt] (plural runts) noun

1.  smallest
animal:
an animal that is considerably smaller than others of the same kind, especially
the smallest or weakest animal in a litter

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a short person or somebody regarded as lacking physical
strength (informal insult)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Dutch rund “bull, cow, small
ox.”]
—runt·i·ness,
noun

—run·tish,
adjective

—runt·y, adjective[1]



run-through

run-through
run-through 
noun

1.  rehearsal:
a practice or rehearsal of something, especially a dramatic performance

2.  brief
survey:
a brief review of something such as an agenda or report

[1]



runthrough

runthrough
run
through
transitive verb

1.  use
something up: to exhaust a supply of something,
especially money, quickly and without much consideration

2.  review
something:
to examine or consider something again, especially reviewing its main points

3.  ARTS rehearse
something quickly: to read or perform at speed
the whole or part of a play, script, piece of music, lecture or other prepared
text in order to rehearse it

4.  ARMS stab
somebody with sword: to push a sword all the way
through somebody’s body (literary)

[1]



run-time

run-time
run-time
(plural run-times) noun

1.  See
execution time

2.  running
time of program: the time during which a program runs

3.  program
version with limited functions: a version of a
computer program that allows a user to perform some, but not all, of the
program’s functions • a
run-time module

[1]



runto

runto
run
to
transitive verb

amount to:
to have the particular length[1]



run-up

run-up
run-up
(plural run-ups) noun

1.  sudden
rise:
a sudden increase in something such as price, sales, or value

2.  run
preceding something: a run taken to gather
momentum, for example, for a jump or kick in an athletic event

3.  U.K.
time
immediately before something: the period of time that
leads up to an important event

[1]



runup

runup
run
up
transitive verb

1.  FINANCE incur
as expense:
to amass or accumulate a large expense

2.  SEWING sew:
to make something, usually a garment, by means of fast sewing

3.  raise
on flagpole: to hoist a flag on a flagpole

[1]



runup against

runup against
run
up against
transitive verb

U.K.
encounter unexpectedly:
to suddenly encounter an unexpected problem[1]



runway

runway
run·way 
[rún wày] (plural run·ways) noun

1.  strip
for aircraft landings and takeoffs: a
long wide level roadway or other strip of land on which aircraft land and take
off

2.  extension
of stage into audience: a narrow ramp or platform
that is part of a stage and extends into the auditorium of a theater or
nightclub

3.  platform
used in fashion shows: a long platform along which
fashion models walk during a show

4.  chute
for logs:
a chute down which logs are slid

5.  track:
a track, passageway, or channel along which something runs

[1]



Runyon,Damon

Runyon,Damon
Run·yon
[rúny’n], Damon (1880–1946)

U.S.
journalist and short story writer. His writings, mainly about low life, are
distinguished by their use of slang and colorful characterizations.
Full name
Runyon, Alfred Damon[1]



rupee

rupee
ru·pee 
[roo p, rpee]
(plural ru·pees) noun

1.  currency
of India and Pakistan: the standard unit of
currency in India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, the
Seychelles, and Sri Lanka

2.  bill
worth a rupee: a bill worth a rupee
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi rūpiyā, from Sanskrit rūpya, “wrought silver,” from rūpa,
“shape.”][1]



RupesRecta

RupesRecta
Ru·pes
Rec·ta
[rpez réktə] noun

geologic feature on Moon:
a fault on the surface of the Moon running north –south for 120 km/75 mi along
the eastern edge of Mare Nubium[1]



rupiah

rupiah
ru·pi·ah 
[roo p ə] (plural ru·pi·ahs or
ru·pi·ah) noun

1.  unit
of Indonesian currency: the standard unit of
currency in Indonesia

2.  bill
worth one rupiah: a bill worth one rupiah
[Mid-20th century. Via Malay
from Hindi rūpiyā (see rupee ).][1]



rupicolous

rupicolous
ru·pic·o·lous 
[roo píkələss] adjective

found
on or among rocks: used to describe organisms
that live or grow on or among rocks
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin rupi- “rock, cliff” + -colous .][1]



rupture

rupture
rup·ture 
[rúpchər] noun (plural rup·tures)

1.  broken
state of something: a break in or breaking apart
of something • a
rupture in a water main

2.  torn
tissue:
a tear in or tearing of bodily tissue • the
rupture of a blood vessel

3.  See
hernia

4.  breach
in relations: a breakdown in a friendly or peaceful
relationship
intransitive
and transitive verb (past rup·tured,
past participle rup·tured, present participle rup·tur·ing,
3rd person present singular rup·tures)

1.  break,
burst, or tear something: to break, burst, or tear
something or to become broken, burst, or torn

2.  cause
rift in relationship: to cause or undergo a
breakdown in a friendly or peaceful relationship

3.  tear
tissue:
to cause or suffer a tearing of bodily tissue

4.  produce
or have hernia: to cause or suffer a hernia
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin ruptura, from rumpere “to
break.”]
—rup·tur·a·ble,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Latin
  rumpere, from which rupture is
  derived, is also the source of English corrupt,
  disrupt, erupt, rout, route, and routine.

[1]



rural

rural
ru·ral 
[rrəl] adjective

1.  outside
the city:
found in or living in the country

2.  typical
of country:
relating to or characteristic of the country or of country living

3.  agricultural:
relating to, characteristic of, or involving farming
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin rural-, from rur-, stem of rus
“country, countryside” (source of English rustic
).]
—ru·ral·i·ty
[r rállətee], noun

—ru·ral·ly [rrəlee], adverb[1]



ruralfree delivery

ruralfree delivery
ru·ral
free de·liv·er·y noun

countryside mail delivery:
free mail delivery in rural areas[1]



ruralist

ruralist
ru·ral·ist 
[rrəlist] (plural ru·ral·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
living in country: somebody who lives in the
country

2.  somebody
favoring rural life: somebody who supports or
promotes a rural lifestyle and rural interests

[1]



ruralize

ruralize
ru·ral·ize 
[rrə lz] (past ru·ral·ized, past
participle ru·ral·ized, present participle ru·ral·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ru·ral·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
something rural: to make something rural in character or
habit

2.  intransitive
verb
live
in countryside: to live or pass time in the country
after having lived in a city or town
—ru·ral·i·za·tion [rrələ záysh’n], noun[1]



ruralroute

ruralroute
ru·ral
route
(plural ru·ral routes) noun

rural mail route:
a route for mail delivery in rural areas[1]



Rurik

Rurik
Ru·rik 
[rrik] noun

Scandinavian founder of
Russian kingdom: a Scandinavian leader
who died in AD 879 after
establishing the first kingdom and royal dynasty of Russia, which continued
until 1598[1]



Ruritan

Ruritan
Ru·ri·tan
[rrətən] (plural Ru·ri·tans) noun

member
of Ruritan club: a member of the Ruritan National club, a
service organization with emphasis on education for underprivileged people
[Mid-20th century. From Ruritan
National, a service club.][1]



Ruritania

Ruritania
Ru·ri·ta·ni·a
[rrə táynee ə] noun

somewhere
romantic:
a place of romance, adventure, and intrigue
[Late
19th century. Named for Ruritania, fictional central European kingdom in
the novels The Prisoner of Zenda 1894 and Rupert of Hentzau 1898
by Anthony Hope .]
—Ru·ri·ta·ni·an, adjective,
noun[1]



ruse

ruse
ruse 
[rooz, rooss]
(plural ruses) noun

something
done to deceive others: a clever trick or plot used
to deceive others
[15th century. Originally
“doubling of hunted game in its tracks,” from Old French ruser “to
repulse, retreat, dodge” (source of English rush 1 ).][1]



Ruse

Ruse
Ru·se 
[rss ay]

city in Ruse Province,
northern Bulgaria. Population: 168,000 (1996)[1]



rush

rush2
rush2  [rush]
(plural rush·es) noun

1.  plant
growing in wet areas: a marsh plant with a
cylindrical stem that is sometimes hollow and leaves that resemble blades of
grass. Genus: Juncus

2.  stem
of the rush plant: the stem of a rush plant,
used in weaving baskets and mats and in caning chairs (often used before a
noun) • a
rush mat
[Old English rysc,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



rush

rush1
rush1  [rush]
verb (past rushed, past participle rushed, present
participle rush·ing, 3rd person present singular rush·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move, act, or proceed quickly

2.  transitive
verb
hurry
somebody or something along: to make somebody or
something move, act, or proceed quickly • Don’t
rush me.

3.  transitive
verb
take
somebody or something urgently: to take or send
somebody or something to a place quickly and urgently • We
rushed him to the airport to catch his flight.

4.  transitive
verb
do
something hastily: to do something in a hurry
and without careful thought • rush a
job

5.  intransitive
verb
go
recklessly:
to proceed in a quick and reckless way • We
mustn’t rush into things. “For fools rush in where
angels fear to tread.” Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism 1711

6.  intransitive
verb
flow
fast:
to flow somewhere quickly

7.  transitive
verb
capture
an enemy quickly: to seize a position or overcome an enemy
by a sudden quick attack

8.  transitive
verb
encourage
somebody to join something: to encourage somebody to
become a member of something, especially a fraternity or sorority, with parties
and entertainment

9.  transitive
verb
seek
to join an association: to seek to become a member
of something, especially a fraternity or sorority, by, for example, attending
its parties • I’m
rushing Sigma Chi, what about you?

10. intransitive
and transitive verb FOOTBALL carry a ball forward:
to carry the football forward in a running play

11. transitive
verb
FOOTBALL charge
the passer or kicker: to move aggressively toward
the opposing passer or kicker in football to try to block the ball or tackle
the player before the ball is passed or kicked
noun
(plural rush·es)

1.  hurry:
a hurry or need for hurry

2.  sudden
fast movement by a crowd: a sudden and quick movement
of a person or group of people toward a place or objective • there
was a rush to the door

3.  busy
time:
a very busy period, for example, a time when large numbers of people try to do
something at the same time • a rush
during the store’s sale

4.  sudden
attack:
a sudden quick forward movement in an attack

5.  sudden
flow:
a sudden quick flow or movement of something

6.  sudden
feeling:
a sudden powerful onset of an emotion

7.  sudden
pleasurable sensation: a sudden feeling of elation
and pleasure (informal)

8.  FOOTBALL football
play without a pass: a football play in which the
ball is carried rather than passed

9.  FOOTBALL defensive
play:
a football defense in which linemen move aggressively toward the opposing
passer or kicker to try to block the ball or tackle the player before the ball
is passed or kicked

10. recruitment
drive:
a concentrated effort by a fraternity or sorority to recruit new members • a
rush party
plural
noun
rushes

CINEMA unedited
prints of movie scenes: the first unedited prints of
a scene or scenes shot for a movie
adjective

1.  done
quickly:
done or needing to be done quickly • a rush
job

2.  very
busy:
very busy, especially with many people traveling at the same time
[14th
century. From Old French re(h)usser “to repel,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Latin recusare “to object to”; or from assumed Vulgar Latin
rursare, from Latin rursus “backward.”]
—rush·er, noun[1]



rushcandle

rushcandle
rush
can·dle
(plural rush can·dles) noun

See
rushlight[1]



Rushdie,Salman

Rushdie,Salman

Rush·die
[rúshdee], Salman (1947– )
Indian-born British novelist. A master of
the magic realist style, his novels include Midnight’s Children ( 1981
), which won the Booker Prize, The Satanic Verses ( 1988 ), and The
Ground Beneath Her Feet ( 1999 ).[1]



rushed

rushed
rushed
[rusht] adjective

1.  done
in a hurry:
done very quickly, usually too quickly

2.  very
busy:
feeling a need or obligation to do something quickly

[1]



rushee

rushee
rush·ee 
[ru sh] (plural rush·ees) noun

student being recruited by a
fraternity: a college or university
student who is being rushed by a fraternity or sorority[1]



Rush,Geoffrey

Rush,Geoffrey
Rush 
[rush], Geoffrey (1951– )

Australian actor. In 1997 he
won an Academy Award for his role in Shine ( 1996 ).[1]



rushhour

rushhour
rush
hour
(plural rush hours) noun

peak period of travel to
work: a period of heavy traffic in
the morning and evening during which people are traveling to and from work[1]



rushinto

rushinto
rush
into
transitive verb

do something with little
consideration: to do or agree to
something or to cause somebody to do or agree to something quickly, with little
consideration of the consequences[1]



rushlight

rushlight
rush·light 
[rúsh lt] (plural rush·lights)
noun

candle made from rush pith:
a candle made from pith of the stem of a rush that has been dipped in tallow.
Also called
rush candle[1]



Rushmore,Mount

Rushmore,Mount
Rush·more,
Mount
[rúsh màwr]

mountain in the Black Hills,
western South Dakota, carved with the faces of presidents George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Height: 1,700
m/5,600 ft.[1]



rushthrough

rushthrough
rush
through
transitive verb

1.  get
something approved quickly: to get something approved or
put in place hurriedly, often without allowing time for full consideration • The
plans for the new building were rushed through.

2.  do
something quickly: to do something quickly and
with little thought or preparation

[1]



rushy

rushy
rush·y 
[rúshee] (comparative rush·i·er,
superlative rush·i·est) adjective

full of rushes:
overgrown with, made of, or resembling rushes[1]



rusk

rusk
rusk 
[rusk] (plural rusks) noun

crisp
bread for children: a sweet crisp golden-brown
bread, often given to children and babies and made from bread that is baked,
sliced, left to dry out, and then baked again
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Portuguese or Spanish rosca “screw, coil, bread twist,” of
uncertain origin.][1]



Ruskin,John

Ruskin,John
Rus·kin
[rússkin], John (1819–1900)

British art and social
critic. He argued for the moral and religious significance of art in works such
as Modern Painters ( 1843–1860 ) and The Stones of Venice (
1851–1853 ).[1]



Russ.

Russ.
Russ.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Russia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Russian

[1]



Russell,Bertrand

Russell,Bertrand

Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Bertrand, 3rd Earl Russell
(1872–1970)
British
philosopher and mathematician. A pacifist and winner of a Nobel prize in
literature (1950), he wrote many highly influential philosophical works.
Full name
Russell, Bertrand Arthur William[1]



Russell,Bill

Russell,Bill

Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Bill (1934– )
U.S.
basketball player. He played for the Boston Celtics (1957–1969), during which
time the team won 11 NBA championships.
Full name
Russell, William Felton[1]



Russell,Charles Taze

Russell,Charles Taze
Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Charles Taze (1852–1916)

U.S.
religious leader. He founded the International Bible Students Association, now
known as Jehovah’s Witnesses (1872).
Known as
Pastor Russell[1]



Russell,Henry Norris

Russell,Henry Norris
Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Henry Norris (1877–1957)

U.S. astronomer. He studied
the evolution of stars by plotting them on a special graph, which became known
as the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.[1]



Russell,Ken

Russell,Ken
Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Ken (1927– )

British
movie director. His vivid adaptations of the novels of D. H. Lawrence and
biographies of composers often attracted controversy.
Full name
Russell, Henry Kenneth Alfred[1]



Russell,Lillian

Russell,Lillian
Rus·sell
[rúss’l], Lillian (1861–1922)

U.S.
singer. Her most famous roles included leading parts in the operettas of
Gilbert and Sullivan.
Real name
Leonard, Helen Louise[1]



Russellville

Russellville
Rus·sel·lville
[rúss’l vìl]

city in northern Arkansas,
directly north of the Arkansas River and north of Hot Springs. Population:
24,794 (1996)[1]



Russell’sviper

Russell’sviper
Rus·sell’s
vi·per 
(plural Rus·sell’s vi·pers) noun

Indian
snake:
a venomous snake common in India. Latin name: Vipera russelli
[Early 20th century. Named
for Patrick Russell (1727–1805), Scottish naturalist and physician.][1]



russet

russet
rus·set 
[rússət] noun (plural rus·sets)

1.  COLORS reddish
brown:
a reddish-brown color

2.  BOTANY potato:
a usually small reddish-brown potato

3.  rus·set
or rus·set ap·ple (plural rus·set ap·ples) BOTANY apple
with rough skin: an apple with a rough brownish skin, a
deep sweet-sharp flavor, and a firm texture

4.  TEXTILES homespun
fabric:
a coarse homespun fabric with a reddish-brown color
adjective

reddish-brown:
of a reddish-brown color
[13th century. From Old
French rousset, literally “small red,” from rous “red,” from
Latin russus (source of English roux
).][1]



Russia

Russia



Rus·sia 
[rúshə]
republic in eastern Europe and northern
and western Asia. In the past the term referred to the Russian Empire, a state
that included several republics that are now independent. Language: Russian.
Currency: ruble. Capital: Moscow. Population: 147,501,000 (1997) Area:
17,075,400 sq km/6,592,850 sq mi. Official name Russian Federation[1]



Russia




Back to definition

Russia

[1]



Russialeather

Russialeather
Rus·sia
leath·er
(plural Rus·sia leath·ers) noun

leather used in bookbinding:
a smooth brownish-red leather impregnated with oil from birch bark, used for
binding books[1]



Russian

Russian
Rus·sian 
[rúsh’n] noun (plural Rus·sians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Russia: somebody who was born or raised in
Russia or who has Russian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Russia: the official language of
Russia, also spoken by people of Russian descent in other parts of the world.
It belongs to the Balto-Slavic branch of Indo-European languages. There are
about 160 million native speakers of Russian and approximately another 110 million
people use it as a second language.
adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Russia:
relating to Russia, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Russian:
relating to the Russian language

3.  PEOPLES of the
former Soviet Union: relating to the former
Soviet Union, or its peoples or cultures (dated)

[1]



Russianblue

Russianblue
Rus·sian
blue
(plural Rus·sian blues) noun

cat with bluish-gray fur:
a cat belonging to a breed of shorthaired domestic cats with a slender body and
bluish-gray fur[1]



Russiandressing

Russiandressing
Rus·sian
dress·ing
(plural Rus·sian dress·ings) noun

mayonnaise salad dressing:
a salad dressing with a mayonnaise or vinaigrette base and sometimes with added
chili sauce or pickles[1]



Russianize

Russianize
Rus·sian·ize 
[rúsh’n z] (past Rus·sian·ized,
past participle Rus·sian·ized, present participle Rus·sian·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Rus·sian·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
Russian or make something Russian: to become or make
somebody or something become Russian in style, character, or appearance
—Rus·sian·i·za·tion [rùsh’nə záysh’n], noun[1]



Russianolive

Russianolive
Rus·sian
ol·ive
(plural Rus·sian olives) noun

BOTANY
See oleaster  noun 2[1]



RussianOrthodox Church

RussianOrthodox Church
Rus·sian
Or·tho·dox Church noun

Russian national church:
the national church of Russia, an independent section of the Eastern Orthodox
Church with the Patriarch of Moscow at its head[1]



Russianroulette

Russianroulette
Rus·sian
rou·lette
noun

1.  deadly
game using a revolver: a deadly game in which
people take turns firing a revolver loaded with only one bullet at their own
heads, after spinning the cylinder

2.  something
dangerous:
a dangerous or reckless action or activity
[Russian because it was
reportedly played by Russian officers in Romania in 1917, except that only one
bullet was removed from the revolver][1]



Russianthistle

Russianthistle
Rus·sian
this·tle
or Rus·sian tum·ble·weed noun

weed with spiny leaves:
a European saltwort of the goosefoot family that has narrow spiny leaves and
has become a troublesome weed in western North America. Latin name: Salsola
kali[1]



Russianwolfhound

Russianwolfhound
Rus·sian
wolf·hound
noun

See
borzoi[1]



Russki

Russki
Rus·ski
[rúskee, rskee]
(plural Rus·skis) or Rus·sky [rúskee, rskee]
(plural Rus·skies) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a Russian person (slang offensive)
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian russki .][1]



Russo-

Russo-
Russo-
prefix

Russia,
Russian • Russophile
[From Russia][1]



Russo-JapaneseWar

Russo-JapaneseWar
Rus·so-Jap·a·nese
War
noun

war between Russia and Japan:
a war fought in 1904–1905 between Russia and Japan, mainly over control of
Korea, in which Russia was unexpectedly defeated[1]



Russophile

Russophile
Rus·so·phile 
[rússə fl] (plural Rus·so·philes)
or Rus·so·phil [rússəfil] (plural
Rus·so·phils) noun

admirer
of Russia or Russians: somebody who likes or
admires Russia, its people, or its culture
—Rus·so·phile, adjective[1]



Russophobe

Russophobe
Rus·so·phobe 
[rússə fb] (plural Rus·so·phobes)
noun

somebody
who dislikes Russia: somebody who dislikes or is
afraid of Russia, its people, or its culture
—Rus·so·pho·bi·a
[rùssə fṓbee ə], noun

—Rus·so·pho·bic [rùssə fṓbik], adjective[1]



rust

rust
rust 
[rust] noun (plural rusts)

1.  reddish-brown
coating on metal: a reddish-brown coating of iron oxide on
the surface of iron or steel that forms when the metal is exposed to air and
moisture

2.  something
resembling rust: something that resembles rust,
especially in color, for example, another type of corrosion or a stain

3.  COLORS reddish
brown:
a reddish-brown color

4.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a disease of plants caused by rust fungus, in which reddish-brown spots form on
the leaves and stems

5.  BOTANY See rust fungus
verb
(past rust·ed, past participle rust·ed, present
participle rust·ing, 3rd person present singular rusts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb corrode
with rust:
to cause something to corrode with rust or to become corroded with rust

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY develop
a plant disease: to become infected with a disease caused
by rust fungus

3.  intransitive
verb
deteriorate:
to deteriorate from neglect or lack of use • His
knowledge of German had rusted over the years.
adjective

reddish-brown:
of a reddish-brown color
[Old English rūst,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English red][1]



rustbelt

rustbelt
rust
belt
(plural rust belts) or Rust Belt (plural Rust
Belts) noun

declining area of heavy
industry: an area of heavy industry
where unprofitable factories have closed down or are closing down[1]



rustbucket

rustbucket
rust
buck·et
(plural rust buck·ets) noun

rusted car:
a car that is badly affected by rust (informal humorous)[1]



rustfungus

rustfungus
rust
fun·gus
noun

parasitic fungus:
a fungus that lives as a parasite on many plants, causing reddish-brown spots
on the plant parts. Order: Uredinales
Also called
rust[1]



rustic

rustic
rus·tic 
[rústik] adjective

1.  relating
to a country lifestyle: relating to, characteristic
of, or appropriate to the country or country living

2.  plain
and simple:
lacking excessive refinement or elegance

3.  made
of rough branches: made of rough wood,
especially branches with the bark left on them

4.  CONSTRUCTION having
a rough surface: with a rough finish • rustic
bricks
noun
(plural rus·tics)

somebody living in country:
somebody who lives in the country, especially somebody who is considered to be
unsophisticated (offensive in some contexts)
[15th
century. From Latin rusticus, from rus “country” (see rural ).]
—rus·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—rus·tic·i·ty [ru stíssətee], noun[1]



rusticate

rusticate
rus·ti·cate 
[rústi kàyt] (past rus·ti·cat·ed,
past participle rus·ti·cat·ed, present participle rus·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular rus·ti·cates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
move
to the country: to go to the country to live

2.  transitive
verb
send
somebody to the country: to send somebody to the
country to live

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something appear rustic: to
become or to cause somebody or something to become rustic in appearance or
quality

4.  transitive
verb
U.K. suspend
student from university: to suspend a student from
university for a set time as a punishment

5.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION finish
a wall with rough masonry: to finish the outside of a
wall with large blocks of masonry that are left with a rough surface, beveled,
and have deep joints between them
—rus·ti·ca·tion
[rùsti káysh’n], noun

—rus·ti·ca·tor [rústi kàytər], noun[1]



rustle

rustle2
rus·tle2  [rúss’l]
(past rus·tled, past participle rus·tled, present
participle rus·tling, 3rd person present singular rus·tles)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb steal
livestock:
to steal livestock, especially cattle or horses

2.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly and energetically: to move or work quickly and
energetically
[Early 20th century. From rustle 1 .][1]



rustle

rustle1

rus·tle1  [rúss’l]
verb (past rus·tled, past participle rus·tled,
present participle rus·tling, 3rd person present singular rus·tles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
swishing sound: to make or cause something to make a
swishing or soft crackling sound, for example, that made by dry leaves rubbing
together

2.  intransitive
verb
move
with rustling sound: to move with a swishing or
soft crackling sound
noun (plural
rus·tles)

rustling sound:
a swishing or soft crackling sound • the
rustle of paper money
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—rus·tling·ly, adverb[1]



rustler

rustler
rus·tler
[rússlər] (plural rus·tlers) noun

cattle or horse thief:
somebody who steals livestock, especially cattle or horses[1]



rustleup

rustleup
rustle
up
transitive verb (informal)

1.  prepare
food quickly: to prepare a meal or snack quickly using
any food that is immediately available

2.  get
things or people together: to quickly find and bring
together things or people

[1]



rustmite

rustmite
rust
mite
(plural rust mites) noun

plant mite:
a gall mite that produces brown spots on leaves and fruit by burrowing into
them[1]



Ruston

Ruston
Rus·ton 
[rústən]

city in northern Louisiana,
east of Shreveport and west of Monroe. Population: 19,853 (1996)[1]



rustproof

rustproof
rust·proof 
[rúst prf] adjective

treated
to inhibit rust: not susceptible to rust or treated so as
not to be susceptible to rust
transitive
verb
(past rust·proofed, past participle rust·proofed, present
participle rust·proof·ing, 3rd person present singular rust·proofs)

make
metal rustproof: to treat metal to prevent it rusting
—rust·proof·ing, noun[1]



rusty

rusty
rust·y 
[rústee] (comparative rust·i·er,
superlative rust·i·est) adjective

1.  corroded:
covered with or corroded by rust

2.  out
of practice: out of practice or impaired because of
old age, neglect, or lack of use • My
German is very rusty.

3.  rust-colored:
of the color of rust

4.  BOTANY infected
with rust fungus: affected by rust fungus

5.  discolored:
faded and threadbare from wear and age
[Old
English]
—rust·i·ly,
adverb

—rust·i·ness, noun[1]



rut

rut2
rut2  [rut]
noun (plural ruts)

sexual
excitement in male deer: a period of sexual
excitement that recurs annually in male ruminants, especially deer
intransitive
verb
(past rut·ted, past participle rut·ted, present
participle rut·ting, 3rd person present singular ruts)

be
in rut:
to be in a state of sexual excitement (refers to male ruminants)
[12th
century. From Old French, “bellowing, roaring (of a stag in rut),” from late
Latin rugitus “roaring,” from Latin rugire “to roar.”]
—rut·tish, adjective[1]



rut

rut1
rut1  [rut]
noun (plural ruts)

1.  narrow
groove:
a narrow channel or groove in something, especially one made by the wheels of
vehicles

2.  boring
situation:
a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting
and tiresome • I
felt I was in a rut.
transitive
verb
(past rut·ted, past participle rut·ted, present
participle rut·ting, 3rd person present singular ruts)

make ruts in something:
to make ruts in a road, track, or other surface
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French rote “route.”][1]



rutabaga

rutabaga
ru·ta·ba·ga 
[rtə bàygə] (plural ru·ta·ba·gas)
noun
U.K.
term
swede

1.  European
turnip:
a European turnip plant that has a large edible yellowish root. Latin name: Brassica
napus napobrassica

2.  edible
root:
the edible root of the rutabaga plant
[Late 18th century.
Anglicization of Swedish dialect rotabagge, literally “baggy root,” from
rot “root” + bagge “bag” (source of English bag ).][1]



Ruth

Ruth
Ruth 
[rooth] noun

1.  woman
in the Bible: in the Bible, a Moabite widow who left
her own people to live with her mother-in-law Naomi, married Boaz, and was an
ancestor of King David

2.  book
of Bible:
the book of the Bible that tells the story of Ruth

[1]



ruth

ruth
ruth 
[rooth] noun (archaic)

1.  sadness
for another: pity for another person’s troubles

2.  sorrow:
sorrow or remorse for having done something wrong
[12th century. Formed by
adding -th (on the model of words like truth
) from rue .][1]



Ruth,Babe

Ruth,Babe

Ruth 
[rooth], Babe (1895–1948)
U.S.
baseball player. While playing for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s,
his legendary home run hitting dominated the sport and made him one of the most
popular players in the history of baseball.
Real name
Ruth, George Herman[1]



Ruthenian

Ruthenian
Ru·the·ni·an 
[roo thnee ən] (plural Ru·the·ni·ans)
noun

1.  somebody
from Ruthenia: somebody who was born or raised in the
former region of Ruthenia, or who was a citizen of Ruthenia

2.  Ukrainian
dialect:
a dialect of Ukrainian spoken in the former region of Ruthenia
—Ru·the·ni·an, adjective[1]



ruthenic

ruthenic
ru·then·ic 
[roo thénnik, roo
thnik] adjective

containing
high-valence ruthenium: relating to or containing
ruthenium, especially with a high valence
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from ruthenium + -ic .][1]



ruthenious

ruthenious
ru·the·ni·ous 
[roo thnee əss] adjective

containing
low-valence ruthenium: relating to or containing
ruthenium, especially with a low valence
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from ruthenium + -ous
.][1]



ruthenium

ruthenium

ru·the·ni·um 
[roo thnee əm] noun
white
metallic element: a brittle white metallic chemical
element found in platinum ores and used to harden platinum and palladium
alloys. Symbol Ru
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Ruthenia, where the ore was first found.][1]



Rutherford,Dame Margaret

Rutherford,Dame Margaret
Ruth·er·ford 
[rúər fùrd], Dame Margaret (1892–1972)

British actor. A character
and comic actor in movies and on stage, she is best known for her role as Miss
Marple in movie adaptations of the novels by Agatha Christie.[1]



Rutherford,Ernest

Rutherford,Ernest

Ruth·er·ford 
[rúər fùrd], Ernest, 1st Baron Rutherford
of Nelson and Cambridge (1871–1937)
New Zealand-born British physicist. He
discovered the nuclear structure of the atom (1909), and was awarded a Nobel
Prize in chemistry (1908).[1]



rutherfordium

rutherfordium

ruth·er·ford·i·um 
[rùər fáwrdee əm] noun
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
chemical element:
a radioactive chemical element that does not occur naturally but is produced
artificially in high-energy atomic collisions. Symbol Rf[1]



ruthful

ruthful
ruth·ful 
[rthf’l] adjective

feeling
or causing sorrow: feeling or causing somebody
to feel sorrow or pity (archaic)
—ruth·ful·ly,
adverb

—ruth·ful·ness, noun[1]



ruthless

ruthless
ruth·less 
[rthləss] adjective

being
without pity: having or showing no pity or mercy
—ruth·less·ly,
adverb

—ruth·less·ness, noun[1]



rutilant

rutilant
ru·ti·lant 
[rt’lənt] adjective

glowing
red:
shining or glowing with a red light
[15th century. From Latin rutilant-,
present participle stem of rutilare “to redden,” from rutilus
“reddish.”][1]



rutile

rutile
ru·tile 
[r tl, r tl]
noun

dark
lustrous mineral: a dark reddish-brown or lustrous black
form of titanium dioxide that occurs widely in igneous and metamorphic rocks as
needle-shaped crystals and is used as a source of titanium
[Early 19th century. Via
French and German from Latin rutilus “reddish.”][1]



Rutledge,Edward

Rutledge,Edward
Rut·ledge
[rút lìdj], Edward (1749–1800)

U.S. politician. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) and was governor of South Carolina
(1798–1800).[1]



Rutledge,John

Rutledge,John
Rut·ledge
[rút lìdj], John (1739–1800)

U.S. jurist. He was associate
justice (1789–1791) and chief justice (1795) of the U.S. Supreme Court.[1]



rutting

rutting
rut·ting
[rútting] adjective

sexually excited:
used to describe male ruminants, especially deer, that are in a state of sexual
excitement[1]



rutty

rutty
rut·ty 
[rúttee] (comparative rut·ti·er,
superlative rut·ti·est) adjective

full
of ruts:
with a surface marked by ruts
—rut·ti·ness, noun[1]



RuwenzoriRange

RuwenzoriRange
Ru·wen·zo·ri
Range
[r ən záwree]

mountain range in central
Africa, on the northeastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
the southwestern border of Uganda, between Edward and Albert lakes[1]



RV

RV
RV

1.  Abbreviation
of
recreational vehicle

2.  Abbreviation
of
reentry vehicle

3.  RV
or R.V. BIBLE Abbreviation
of Revised Version

[1]



Rv.

Rv.
Rv.

Abbreviation of
Revelation[1]



R-value

R-value
R-val·ue 
(plural R-val·ues) noun

measure
of insulation ability: a measure of the ability of
a material such as insulation to retard heat flow. A higher number indicates
better insulating properties.
[Mid-20th century. R is the symbol for resistance
.][1]



R.W.

R.W.
R.W.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Right Worshipful

2.  Abbreviation
of
Right Worthy

[1]



Rwanda

Rwanda2



Rwan·da2  [r
ndə]
republic
in east central Africa bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Lake Kivu, and
the Democratic Republic of Congo. Language: Rwanda. Language: French. Currency:
Rwanda franc. Capital: Kigali. Population: 6,727,000 (1996) Area: 26,338 sq
km/10,169 sq mi. Official name Rwandese Republic
—Rwand·an,
noun, adjective

—Rwand·ese, noun,
adjective[1]



Rwanda




Back to definition

Rwanda2

[1]



Rwanda

Rwanda1
Rwan·da1  [roo
ndə] noun

LANGUAGE official
language of Rwanda: one of the official
languages of Rwanda, also spoken in other parts of east central Africa. It is a
Bantu language belonging to the Benue-Congo branch of Niger-Congo languages and
is spoken by about 15 million people.
[Early 20th century. From
Bantu .][1]



r.w.d.

r.w.d.
r.w.d.

TRANSPORT
Abbreviation of rear-wheel drive[1]



rwy.

rwy.
rwy.
or Rwy.

Abbreviation of
railway[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Rx

Rx
Rx 
noun

prescription:
a prescription
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of a symbol used at the beginning of prescriptions, abbreviation of
Latin recipe, literally “take” (source of English recipe ).][1]



ry.

ry.
ry.
or Ry.

Abbreviation of
railway[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-ry

-ry
-ry
suffix

See
-ery[1]



rya

rya
ry·a 
[r ə] (plural ry·as) noun

1.  handwoven
Scandinavian rug: a type of handwoven Scandinavian rug
with a deep pile and a colorful pattern

2.  weaving
pattern used for a rya: the weaving pattern or style
used in making a rya
[Mid-20th century. Named for Rya,
a city in Sweden where the craft originated.][1]



Ryan,Nolan

Ryan,Nolan
Ry·an
[r ən], Nolan (1947– )

U.S.
baseball player. Considered one of the greatest pitchers in major league
history, he retired in 1993 with the record for most career strikeouts (2,714)
and most career no-hitters (7).
Real name
Ryan, Jr., Lynn Nolan[1]



Ryder,Albert Pinkham

Ryder,Albert Pinkham
Ry·der
[rdər], Albert Pinkham (1847–1917)

U.S. painter. His
idiosyncratic style of painting, often seen in depictions of the sea, involved
the application of several layers of paint.[1]



rye

rye1
rye1 [rī]
(plural ryes) noun

1.  BOTANY hardy
annual grass: a tall hardy annual cereal grass that
has bluish-green leaves and is widely cultivated for its light brown grain.
Latin name: Secale cereale

2.  rye
grain:
the grain of the rye plant, used to make flour and whiskey and also as fodder

3.  See
rye whiskey

4.  FOOD See rye bread
[Old
English ryge]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Catcher
  in the Rye, a novel by J. D. Salinger ( 1951 ). A moving and realistic
  account of a young boy’s attempt to come to terms with encroaching adulthood,
  it describes two days in the life of disaffected teenager Holden Caulfield.
  Holden absconds to New York, then resolves to leave home for good; his
  failure to accomplish this results in his mental collapse.

[1]



rye

rye2
rye2 [rī]
(plural ryes) noun

gentleman:
a word used by Romany people to mean gentleman
[Mid-19th century. From
Romany rai, from Sanskrit rājan “rajah.”][1]



ryebread

ryebread
rye
bread
(plural rye breads) noun

bread made from rye flour:
a dark or light bread made using rye flour, often flavored with caraway seed.
Also called
rye[1]



ryegrass

ryegrass
rye
grass
(plural rye grass·es) noun

cultivated grass:
a European grass that is widely cultivated as forage, as a cover crop, and for
lawns. Latin name: Lolium perenne[1]



Ryerson,Adolphus Egerton

Ryerson,Adolphus Egerton
Ry·er·son
[rrssən], Adolphus Egerton (1803–1882)

Canadian clergyman and
educator. As superintendent of education for Canada West (1844–1876), he
promoted universal and compulsory education.[1]



ryewhiskey

ryewhiskey
rye
whis·key
noun

alcoholic beverage:
whiskey distilled from fermented rye.
Also called
rye[1]



Ryle,Martin

Ryle,Martin
Ryle
[rīl], Sir Martin (1918–1984)

British astronomer. As
Astronomer Royal (1972–1982) he received the Nobel Prize in physics (1974) for
his development of aperture synthesis in radio astronomy.[1]



RyukyuIslands

RyukyuIslands
Ryu·kyu
Islands 
[ree  koo ləndz]

chain of islands in
southwestern Japan, between Kyushu and Taiwan. Population: 1,222,458 (1990)
Area: 2,260 sq km/870 sq mi.[1]



Réaumur

Réaumur
Ré·au·mur
[rày ō myr, ráy
ō myr] adjective

on
Réaumur scale: using or measured on the Réaumur scale
[Early 19th century. Named
for the French physicist René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur (1683–1757),
who developed the scale.][1]



Réaumurscale

Réaumurscale
Ré·au·mur
scale
noun

temperature
scale:
an obsolete temperature scale on which water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at
80 degrees under normal atmospheric conditions
[Late 18th century. Named for
the French physicist and inventor René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
(1683–1757), who introduced it.][1]



réchauffé

réchauffé
ré·chauf·fé 
[rày shṓ fáy] (plural ré·chauf·fés)
noun

1.  reheated
food:
a dish of reheated leftovers

2.  reused
material:
a piece of work, for example, a piece of writing, that is merely a reuse of old
material
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of réchauffer “to reheat.”][1]



réclame

réclame
ré·clame 
[ray klm] noun

1.  fame:
public attention or fame

2.  capacity
to attract notoriety: the capacity or gift for
attracting public attention or fame
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “advertisement,” formed from réclamer (see reclaim ).][1]



régisseur

régisseur
ré·gis·seur 
[ràyzhee súr, rézhee
sr] (plural ré·gis·seurs) noun

ballet
director:
a director who is responsible for staging a theatrical work, especially a
ballet
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “agent, manager,” from régir “to manage, rule.”][1]



rémoulade

rémoulade
ré·mou·lade 
[ràymoo ld] noun

mayonnaise
sauce:
mayonnaise with herbs, mustard, capers, and pickles added, and sometimes
chopped hard-boiled egg
[Mid-19th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps, ultimately, from Latin armoracea
“wild radish.”][1]



répétiteur

répétiteur
ré·pé·ti·teur
[ri pèttee túr] (plural ré·pé·ti·teurs)
noun

vocal
coach of opera chorus: a musician in an opera
company who coaches the singers and accompanies them on the piano in rehearsal
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “somebody who repeats.”][1]



résumé

résumé
ré·su·mé 
[rézzə mày] (plural ré·su·més)
or re·su·mé [rézzə mày] (plural
re·su·més) or re·su·me [rézzə
mày] (plural re·su·mes) noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand work
history:
a summary of somebody’s educational and work experience, for the information of
possible future employers. A résumé is typically used by people in all
professions except academia and medicine.

2.  summary:
a summary of something such as events that have happened • a
résumé of the afternoon’s activities
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of résumer (probably influenced by Old
French sommer “to find the sum of”) (see resume
).][1]



RíoMuni

RíoMuni
Rí·o
Mu·ni
[rèe ō mnee]

mainland region of Equatorial
Guinea, in western central Africa. Population: 240,804 (1983) Area: 26,017 sq
km/10,045 sq mi.[1]



Rölvaag,O. E.

Rölvaag,O. E.
Röl·vaag
[rṓl vaag], O. E. (1876–1931)

Norwegian-born
U.S. writer and educator. He wrote epic novels about Norwegian settlers in the
United States.
Full name
Rölvaag, Ole Edvart[1]



röntgen

röntgen
rönt·gen 
noun

See
roentgen[1]



rösti

rösti
rös·ti
[rstee] noun

potato
dish:
a Swiss fried potato cake made from thinly sliced or grated potatoes, sometimes
with added onions and bacon
[Mid-20th century. From Swiss
German .][1]



R’n’B

R’n’B
R’n’B
or R & B

Abbreviation of
rhythm and blues[1]



S.

S.
S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Sabbath

2.  Abbreviation
of
Saturday

3.  Abbreviation
of
Saxon

4.  Abbreviation
of
September

5.  Abbreviation
of
Saint

6.  Abbreviation
of
Sea

7.  Abbreviation
of
Sunday

[1]



s.

s.
s.

1.  Abbreviation
of
semi-

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of solo

3.  Abbreviation
of
shilling

4.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of singular

5.  MUSIC Abbreviation of soprano

6.  Abbreviation
of
sire

7.  Abbreviation
of
sister

8.  Abbreviation
of
small

9.  Abbreviation
of
son

10. Abbreviation
of
stock

11. GRAMMAR Abbreviation of substantive

[1]



S

S3
S3

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Samuel

2.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
satisfactory

3.  QUANTUM PHYSICS Abbreviation
of strangeness

4.  Abbreviation
of
small

[1]



S

S2
S2

1.  QUANTUM PHYSICS Symbol
for entropy

2.  MONEY Symbol for schilling

3.  Symbol
for
sulfur

4.  MONEY Symbol for sucre

[1]



s

s1

s1 [ess]
(plural s’s) or S [ess]
(plural S’s or Ss) noun

1.  19th
letter of English alphabet: the 19th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “S”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “S”

3.        letter
“S” written: a written
representation of the letter “S”[1]



s

s2
s2

TIME
GEOMETRY Symbol for second[1]



S

S4
S4 or S.

Abbreviation of
South[1]



s

s3
s3

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
stere

2.  QUANTUM PHYSICS Abbreviation
of strange quark

[1]



S

S1
S1 or s

PHYSICS
Symbol for siemens[1]



s.a.

s.a.
s.a.

1.  Abbreviation
of
semiannual

2.  Abbreviation
of
without date

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of
subject to approval

[1]



SA

SA
SA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Salvation Army

2.  Abbreviation
of
Sturmabteilung

[1]



SAA

SAA
SAA

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of systems application architecture[1]



Saadiaben Joseph

Saadiaben Joseph
Saa·di·a
ben Jo·seph
[sdee ə ben jṓzif] (882–942)

Arabian philosopher and
scholar, whose Book of Opinions and Beliefs ( 933 ) is a classic
exegesis of Jewish traditions and laws.[1]



Saami

Saami
Saa·mi
[smee] (plural Saa·mi or
Saa·mis) noun

1.  somebody
from Lapland: a member of the indigenous people of
Lapland who are traditionally nomadic herders of reindeer

2.  Saami
language:
the Finno-Ugric language of the Saami. Saami is spoken by about 80,000 people.
[Late 18th century. From
Saami .][1]



Saamiland

Saamiland
Saa·mi·land
[smee lənd]

region
largely within the Arctic Circle, extending across the northern parts of
Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia Former name
Lapland
—Saa·mi·lan·der, noun[1]



Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken
Saar·brück·en
[sá brkèn, za
brykèn]

capital city of Saarland
State, in southwestern Germany. Population: 189,900 (1994)[1]



Saarinen,Eero

Saarinen,Eero

Saa·ri·nen
[srənən], Eero (1910–1961)
Finnish-born U.S. architect. He is known
for his innovative and elegant buildings such as the TWA terminal at New York’s
Kennedy International Airport (1962). He was the son of Eliel Saarinen.[1]



Saarinen,Eliel

Saarinen,Eliel
Saa·ri·nen
[srənən], Eliel (1873–1950)

Finnish-born
U.S. architect, whose most admired work was the Helsinki Railway Station
(1915). He emigrated to the U.S. (1923), where he headed the Cranmore Academy
of Art (1932–1948). He often worked in collaboration with his son, Eero
Saarinen.
Full name
Saarinen, Gottlieb Eliel[1]



Sab.

Sab.
Sab.

Abbreviation of
Sabbath[1]



sabadilla

sabadilla
sab·a·dil·la 
[sàbbə díllə, sàbbə
d yə] (plural sab·a·dil·las or sab·a·dil·la)
noun

1.  Mexican
plant:
a Mexican plant of the lily family with long flower spikelets and bitter brown
seeds. Latin name: Schoenocaulon officinale

2.  seeds
of sabadilla plant: the seeds of the sabadilla
plant, used in insecticides and the source of the toxic compound veratrine
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish cebadilla, a diminutive of cebada “barley,” ultimately
from Latin cibatus “food, fodder,” from cibus “food.”][1]



Sabah

Sabah
Sa·bah 
[s b]

the second largest state in
Malaysia, on the northeast of the island of Borneo. Capital: Kota Kinabalu.
Population: 1,736,902 (1991) Area: 73,711 sq km/28,800 sq mi. Former name
North Borneo until 1963[1]



Sabatier,Paul

Sabatier,Paul
Sa·ba·tier 
[saa baa tyáy], Paul (1854–1941)

French chemist. His research
on the catalytic hydrogenation of oils made possible the manufacture of
margarine. He shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry (1912).[1]



sabbat

sabbat
sab·bat 
[sábbət] noun

See
witches’ Sabbath
[Via French from Latin sabbatum
(see Sabbath )][1]



Sabbatarian

Sabbatarian
Sab·ba·tar·i·an 
[sàbbə táiree ən] noun (plural
Sab·ba·tar·i·ans)

1.  strict
observer of the Sabbath: somebody who believes in the
strict observance of Sunday, in most Christian denominations, or Saturday, in
Judaism and some Christian denominations, as a day of worship and rest

2.  observer
of Saturday as Sabbath: somebody who observes
Saturday as the Sabbath, for example, in Judaism
adjective

of Sabbath or Sabbatarians:
relating to the Sabbath, its observance, or to Sabbatarians
[Early
17th century. Formed from late Latin Sabbatarius, from Latin sabbatum
(see Sabbath ).]
—Sab·ba·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



Sabbath

Sabbath
Sab·bath 
[sábbəth] (plural Sab·baths) noun

1.  Sunday
as day of religious worship: Sunday, observed by most
Christians as the day of worship and rest from work

2.  Saturday
as day of religious worship: Saturday, observed as a day
of religious worship and rest from work in Judaism and some Christian
denominations

3.  See
witches’ Sabbath
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin sabbatum
from Greek sabbaton, from Hebrew šabbā “rest,” from šāa
“to rest.”][1]



sabbathschool

sabbathschool
sab·bath
school
(plural sab·bath schools) or Sab·bath School (plural
Sab·bath Schools) noun

Saturday school for religious
teaching: in the tradition of the
Seventh-Day Adventists, a school for religious teaching held on Saturday[1]



sabbatical

sabbatical
sab·bat·i·cal 
or sab·bat·ic noun (plural sab·bat·i·cals) (plural
sab·bat·ics)

leave
from work:
a period of leave from work for research, study, or travel, often with pay and
usually granted to college professors every seven years.
Also
called
sabbatical year
adjective

of
sabbatical:
relating to a sabbatical
[Late 16th century.
Ultimately from Greek sabbatikos “of the Sabbath,” from sabbaton
(see Sabbath ).][1]



Sabbatical

Sabbatical
Sab·bat·i·cal
(plural Sab·bat·i·cals) or Sab·bat·ic (plural
Sab·bat·ics) adjective

of Sabbath:
relating to or suitable for the Sabbath[1]



SabbaticalYear

SabbaticalYear
Sab·bat·i·cal
Year
(plural Sab·bat·i·cal Years) noun

year of leaving land fallow:
every seventh year, during which the ancient Israelites allowed their land to
lie fallow[1]



sabbaticalyear

sabbaticalyear
sab·bat·i·cal
year
(plural sab·bat·i·cal years) or sab·bat·i·cal leave
(plural sab·bat·i·cal leaves) noun

See
sabbatical  noun[1]



saber

saber

sa·ber 
[sáybər] noun (plural sa·bers)

1.  heavy
sword with curved blade: a heavy cavalry sword with a
slightly curved blade that is sharp on one edge

2.  fencing
sword with tapering blade: a light sword with a guard
to cover the hand and a tapering flexible blade, used in fencing

3.  fencing
with saber:
the sport or technique of fencing with a saber
transitive verb
(past sa·bered, past participle sa·bered, present
participle sa·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular sa·bers)

injure somebody with saber:
to jab, injure, or kill somebody with a saber
[Late 17th century. Via
French sabre from obsolete German Sabel, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Slavic ( Polish szabla or Russian sablya ) or from
Hungarian szablya .][1]



saberrattling

saberrattling
sa·ber
rat·tling
noun

show of power:
an aggressive display or threat of force, especially military force[1]



saber-toothedtiger

saber-toothedtiger
sa·ber-toothed
ti·ger 
(plural sa·ber-toothed ti·gers) or sa·ber-toothed cat
(plural sa·ber-toothed cats) noun

extinct member of cat family:
an extinct animal of the cat family that lived in the Oligocene and Pleistocene
epochs and had long curving upper canine teeth. Genus: Smilodon[1]



sabin

sabin
sa·bin 
[sáybin] (plural sa·bins) noun

unit
of sound absorption: a unit of sound absorption
equal to the absorption of one square foot of a perfectly absorbing surface
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Wallace Clement Ware Sabine 1868–1919, U.S. physicist who established
the discipline of architectural acoustics.][1]



Sabin,Albert

Sabin,Albert
Sa·bin 
[sáybin], Albert (1906–1993)

Russian-born
U.S. microbiologist and immunologist. Best known for developing an oral,
live-virus polio vaccine (1957), he also developed vaccines against dengue and
sandfly fever.
Full name
Sabin, Albert Bruce[1]



Sabine

Sabine2
Sa·bine2  [sè
bn]

river rising in Texas,
forming the Texas-Louisiana border, flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Length:
612 km/380 mi.[1]



Sabine

Sabine1
Sa·bine1  [sáy
bn, sáy bn] (plural Sa·bines)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Italian people: a member of an ancient
people that occupied lands in central Italy, to the northeast of Rome. By the
3rd century BC, after centuries of
rivalry and fighting, the Romans had defeated them.

2.  LANGUAGE Sabine
language:
the Italic language of the Sabines
[14th
century. From Latin Sabinus .]
—Sa·bine, adjective[1]



Sabinvaccine

Sabinvaccine
Sabin
vac·cine
[sáybin vàk sn] noun

oral
vaccine against polio: an oral vaccine used to
immunize against poliomyelitis and containing live poliovirus
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Albert Sabin who developed the vaccine.][1]



sabji

sabji
sab·ji
[súbjee] noun

South
Asia
vegetable:
a raw or cooked vegetable
[Early 19th century. From
Urdu sabzī “greenness,” from sabz “green,” from Persian sebz
.][1]



sable

sable
sa·ble 
[sáyb’l] noun (plural sa·bles
or sa·ble)

1.  ZOOLOGY northern
Asian marten: a marten of northern Asia that has soft
dark fur. Latin name: Martes zibellina

2.  (plural
sa·bles) fur of sable: the
fur of the sable, which is highly valued

3.  sable
garment:
a garment made of sable fur

4.  ARTS artist’s
brush:
an artist’s brush made with the hairs of a sable

5.  COLORS black
color:
a black color, the color of sable fur (literary)

6.  HERALDRY color
black in heraldry: in heraldry, the color black
plural
noun
sa·bles

mourning clothes:
black clothes worn in mourning (archaic)
adjective

1.  COLORS of a
black color: of a black color, like that of sable fur
(literary)

2.  dark:
very dark or gloomy (literary)

3.  HERALDRY of
heraldic black color: in heraldry, of a black
color
[15th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin sabelum, from a Baltic ( Lithuanian sàbalas )
or a Slavic ( Russian sobol ) source.][1]



sableantelope

sableantelope
sa·ble
an·te·lope
noun

large African antelope:
a large African antelope with long backward-curving horns. The male has a black
coat. Latin name: Hippotragus niger[1]



sablefish

sablefish
sa·ble·fish 
[sáyb’l fìsh] (plural sa·ble·fish
or sa·ble·fish·es) noun

large dark-colored food fish:
a large dark-colored fish of the North American Pacific coast that is important
for commercial fisheries. Latin name: Anaplopoma fimbria
Also called
black cod[1]



sabot

sabot
sa·bot 
[sa bṓ, sá b]
(plural sa·bots) noun

1.  wooden
shoe:
a wooden shoe, or a shoe with a wooden sole, formerly worn in Belgium, France,
the Netherlands, and Germany

2.  support
for projectile in weapon: a sleeve placed around a
projectile so that it can be fired from a weapon with a larger bore. The sabot
drops away shortly after the projectile is fired.

3.  sandal
or strap:
a strap across the instep of a sandal, or a sandal with a strap across the
instep
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Old French çabot, the source of English sabotage, a blend of savate “old shoe,”
of unknown origin, and bot (source of English boot ).][1]



sabotage

sabotage
sab·o·tage 
[sábbə t] noun

1.  deliberate
destruction: the deliberate damaging or destroying of
property or equipment, for example, by resistance fighters, enemy agents, or
disgruntled workers

2.  action
to hinder:
an action taken to undermine or destroy somebody’s efforts or achievements
transitive
verb
(past sab·o·taged, past participle sab·o·taged, present
participle sab·o·tag·ing, 3rd person present singular sab·o·tag·es)

1.  damage
something:
to damage, destroy, or disrupt something deliberately, especially in a war

2.  hinder
something:
to undermine or destroy somebody’s efforts or achievements
[Mid-19th century. From
French from saboter “to clatter in clogs,” hence “to act clumsily, work
badly, ruin,” from sabot (see sabot
).][1]



saboteur

saboteur
sab·o·teur 
[sàbbə túr] (plural sab·o·teurs)
noun

somebody
who sabotages: somebody who carries out an act of
sabotage
[Early 20th century. From
French, from sabot (see sabotage ).][1]



sabra

sabra
sa·bra 
[sbrə] (plural sa·bras) noun

native
Israeli:
a Jewish person who was born in Israel
[Mid-20th century. Directly
or via colloquial modern Hebrew ṣābrāh from Arabic ṣabr “prickly
pear” (widespread in the Negev).][1]



sabre

sabre
sa·bre 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
saber[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sabulous

sabulous
sab·u·lous 
[sábbyələss] or sab·u·lose [sábbyə lss] adjective

sandy:
having a gritty texture like sand
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin sabulum “sand.”]
—sab·u·los·i·ty [sàbbyə lóssətee], noun[1]



sac

sac
sac 
[sak] (plural sacs) noun

animal
or plant part: a small bag or pouch, especially one
that contains a fluid, formed by a membrane in an animal or plant • amniotic
sac
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Latin saccus . See sack 1 .][1]



SAC

SAC
SAC
[sak]

Abbreviation of
Strategic Air Command[1]



Sac

Sac
Sac 
[sak, sawk]
(plural Sacs or Sac) noun

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Sauk[1]



Sacagawea

Sacagawea
Sac·a·ga·we·a
[sàkəjə w ə] (1784–1812?)

Shoshone
interpreter and guide. She was the guide and interpreter for the Lewis and
Clark expedition (1804–1805).
Born
Boinaiv[1]



sacaton

sacaton
sac·a·ton 
[sákə tn] noun

coarse
grass:
a coarse perennial grass grown in the southwestern United States and Mexico and
used for hay and pasture in dry alkaline areas. Latin name: Sporobolus
wrightii
[Mid-19th century. From
American Spanish zacatón, literally “large coarse grass” from zacate
“coarse grass,” from Nahuatl zacatl “straw.”][1]



saccade

saccade
sac·cade 
[sa kd, sə kd]
(plural sac·cades) noun

eye
movement:
a rapid irregular movement of the eye as it changes focus moving from one point
to another, for example, while reading
[Early
18th century. From French, literally “twitch” (literally “pulling as if drawing
a sack closed violently”), ultimately from sac “sack,” from Latin saccus
(see sack 1 ).]
—sac·cad·ic,
adjective

—sac·cad·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



saccate

saccate
sac·cate 
[sá kàyt] adjective

contained
in sac:
enclosed in or resembling a sac
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin saccatus, a derivative of saccus (see sack 1 ).][1]



sacchar-

sacchar-
sacchar-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
saccharo-[1]



saccharase

saccharase
sac·cha·rase 
[sákə ràyss, sákə
ràyz] noun

See
invertase[1]



saccharate

saccharate
sac·cha·rate 
[sákə ràyt, sákərət]
(plural sac·cha·rates) noun

compound
of saccharic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of saccharic acid
[Early 19th century. Formed
from saccharic acid + -ate .][1]



saccharicacid

saccharicacid
sac·char·ic
ac·id 
[sə kèrrik ássid, sa
kèrrik ássid] noun

white soluble solid:
a white soluble solid formed by the oxidation of sugar or starch. COOH(CHOH)4COOH[1]



saccharide

saccharide
sac·cha·ride 
[sákə rd] (plural sac·cha·rides)
noun

sweet-tasting carbohydrate:
a water-soluble carbohydrate with a sweet taste and a chemical structure
comprising a ring of four or five carbon atoms and one oxygen atom[1]



saccharify

saccharify
sac·char·i·fy 
[sə kérrə f, sa
kérrə f] (past sac·char·i·fied, past participle sac·char·i·fied,
present participle sac·char·i·fy·ing, 3rd person present
singular sac·char·i·fies) transitive verb

convert
a substance into sugar: to convert a complex
substance such as starch into simple sugars
—sac·char·i·fi·ca·tion
[sə kèrrəfə káysh’n, sa kèrrəfə káysh’n], noun[1]



saccharimeter

saccharimeter
sac·cha·rim·e·ter 
[sàkə rímmitər] (plural sac·cha·rim·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for finding sugar concentration: an instrument, for
example, a polarimeter, used to measure the concentration of sugar in a
solution
—sac·cha·rim·e·try, noun[1]



saccharin

saccharin
sac·cha·rin 
[sákərin] noun

white crystalline sugar
substitute: a white crystalline compound
that is several hundred times sweeter than sugar, used as a sugar substitute. C7H5NO3S[1]



saccharine

saccharine
sac·cha·rine 
[sákərin, sákə
rn] adjective

1.  of
or like sugar: relating to, resembling, or containing
sugar

2.  too
sweet:
excessively sweet and ingratiating • a
saccharine smile

3.  too
sentimental: excessively sentimental and cloying
—sac·cha·rine·ly,
adverb

—sac·cha·rin·i·ty [sàkə rínnətee], noun[1]



saccharo-

saccharo-
saccharo-
prefix

sugar
• saccharometer
[Via Latin and Greek from,
ultimately, Sanskrit śarkarā “sugar”][1]



saccharoid

saccharoid
sac·cha·roid 
[sákə ròyd] or sac·cha·roi·dal
[sàkə róyd’l] adjective

having texture resembling
sugar: used to describe rocks and
minerals that have a texture resembling loaf sugar[1]



saccharometer

saccharometer
sac·cha·rom·e·ter 
[sàkə rómmitər] (plural sac·cha·rom·e·ters)
noun

hydrometer measuring sugar
solutions: a hydrometer used to
determine the strength of a sugar solution by measuring its density[1]



saccharomycete

saccharomycete
sac·cha·ro·my·cete 
[sákərō m st] (plural sac·cha·ro·my·cetes)
noun

single-celled
yeast:
a single-celled yeast that has no mycelium, reproduces asexually, and ferments
sugar. Genus: Saccharomyces
[Late 19th century. Coined
from saccharo- + Greek mukēs
“mushroom, fungus.”][1]



saccharose

saccharose
sac·cha·rose 
[sákə rōss, sákə
rz] noun

See
sucrose
[Late 19th century. Formed
from saccharo- + -ose
.][1]



Sacco,Nicola

Sacco,Nicola
Sac·co
[sákō], Nicola (1891–1927)

Italian-born
U.S. anarchist. He was executed (1927) for murder in what was considered an
unjust and political trial.
Full name
Sacco, Ferdinando Nicola[1]



saccular

saccular
sac·cu·lar 
[sákyələr] adjective

resembling
sac:
resembling a sac or saccule
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin sacculus (see saccule ).][1]



sacculate

sacculate
sac·cu·late 
[sákyələt, sákyə
làyt] or sac·cu·lat·ed [sákyə
làytəd] adjective

containing
saccule:
containing or resembling a saccule or saccules
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin sacculus (see saccule
).]
—sac·cu·la·tion [sàkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



saccule

saccule
sac·cule 
[sá kyool] (plural sac·cules) or
sac·cu·lus [sákyələss] (plural
sac·cu·li [sákyəl, sákyəl]) noun

1.  small
sac:
a small membranous bag or pouch in an animal or plant

2.  sac
in inner ear: the smaller of two sacs in the vestibule
of the inner ear
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
sacculus, literally “little sack” from saccus (see sack 1 ).][1]



sacerdotal

sacerdotal
sac·er·do·tal 
[sàssər dṓt’l, sàkər
dṓt’l] adjective

of
priest:
relating to or characteristic of a priest or the priesthood
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin sacerdotalis “priestly,” from the
stem sacerdot- the stem of sacerdos “priest.”]
—sac·er·do·tal·ly, adverb[1]



sacerdotalism

sacerdotalism
sac·er·do·tal·ism 
[sàssər dṓt’l ìzzəm, sákər dṓt’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  principles
of priesthood: the beliefs or methods of priests

2.  belief
in priest’s power as mediator: the belief that a
priest is able to mediate between God and human beings
—sac·er·do·tal·ist, noun[1]



SACEUR

SACEUR
SAC·EUR

Abbreviation of
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe[1]



sacfungus

sacfungus
sac
fun·gus
noun

See
ascomycete[1]



sachem

sachem
sa·chem 
[sáychəm] (plural sa·chems) noun

1.  Native
North American chief: a chief of a Native North
American people or confederation, especially of Algonquian people

2.  POLITICS leader
of Tammany Society: a leader or official of the
Tammany Society
[Early
17th century. From an Algonquian word.]
—sa·chem·ic [say chémmik], adjective[1]



sachertorte

sachertorte
sa·cher
torte 
[skər tàwrt, zkhər
tàwrtə] (plural sa·cher tortes) noun

chocolate
cake:
a dark rich chocolate cake, sometimes with a filling of apricot jam, covered
with glossy chocolate frosting
[Early 20th century. From
German, named for Franz Sacher, the pastry chef who invented the cake.][1]



sachet

sachet
sa·chet 
[sa sháy] (plural sa·chets) noun

perfumed
bag to scent clothes: a small bag containing
perfumed powder or potpourri, used to scent clothes in wardrobes or drawers
[15th century. From Old
French, literally “little sack,” a diminutive of sac “bag” from Latin saccus
(see sack 1 ).][1]



sack

sack1
sack1 [sak]
noun (plural sacks)

1.  large
bag:
a large bag, especially one that is made from coarse cloth or thick heavy-duty
paper

2.  amount
in sack:
the amount that a sack will hold

3.  job
dismissal:
dismissal from a job (informal) • to
get the sack

4.  bed:
bed (informal)

5.  FOOTBALL tackle
of passer:
in football, a tackle of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage during
the quarterback’s attempt to pass the ball

6.  BASEBALL base
in baseball: a base on a baseball diamond (informal)

7.  woman’s
dress:
a woman’s loose-fitting dress that narrows below the knee

8.  18C
woman’s gown: a gown worn by women in the 18th century
that had a bodice with loose pleats at the back
transitive
verb
(past sacked, past participle sacked, present
participle sack·ing, 3rd person present singular sacks)

1.  fire
somebody:
to dismiss somebody from a job (informal)

2.  put
something in a sack: to put something into a
sack, for example, for storage or transport

3.  FOOTBALL tackle
passer behind line of scrimmage: in football, to tackle
the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage during the quarterback’s attempt
to pass the ball
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin saccus “sack, bag, wallet” influenced by Old French
sac, also from Latin saccus from Greek sakkos “packing material,”
from a Semitic word.]
—sack·er,
noun
hit
the sack

to go to bed (informal)[1]



sack

sack3
sack3 [sak]
(plural sacks) noun

dry
white wine:
dry white wine from Spain, Portugal, or the Canary Islands (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. An
alteration of earlier wine seck, a partial translation of French (vin)
sec “dry (wine),” from Latin siccus “dry” (source of English desiccate ).][1]



sack

sack2
sack2 [sak]
transitive verb (past sacked, past participle sacked,
present participle sack·ing, 3rd person present singular sacks)

destroy
and plunder place: to destroy a captured town
or city and plunder its goods and valuables
noun

destruction
and plundering: the destruction of a captured town or
city and the plundering of its goods and valuables
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French (a) sac, call to plunder, literally “(to the) bag,” from,
ultimately, Italian saccomano “plunderer,” literally “bag-man,” via
German from, ultimately, Latin saccus “sack.”][1]



sackbut

sackbut


sack·but 
[sák bùt] (plural sack·buts) noun
medieval
wind instrument: a wind instrument with a long slide like
a trombone, played in medieval times
[Early 16th century. From Old
French saqueb(o)ute “hooked lance for pulling riders from their horses,”
of uncertain origin: perhaps from saquer “to pull” + assumed Vulgar
Latin bottare “to push against.”][1]



sackcloth

sackcloth
sack·cloth 
[sák klòth] (plural sack·cloths)
noun

1.  cloth
for sacks:
coarse cloth used to make sacks

2.  mourning
clothes:
clothes made from the type of coarse cloth usually used for sacks, which were
worn in the past as a sign of mourning or penitence
sackcloth
and ashes

a show of mourning or
repentance[1]



sacking

sacking
sack·ing 
[sáking] (plural sack·ings) noun

cloth for making sacks:
coarse cloth used for making sacks, usually woven from hemp or jute[1]



sackout

sackout
sack
out
intransitive verb

sleep:
to go to sleep or to bed (informal)[1]



sackrace

sackrace
sack
race
(plural sack rac·es) noun

race with legs in sack:
a race in which each competitor stands in a sack and jumps toward the finish
line while holding up the sack[1]



Sackville-West,Vita

Sackville-West,Vita
Sack·ville-West
[sàk vil wést], Vita (1892–1962)

British
writer. She is remembered for poems such as “The Land” (1926) and novels
including The Edwardians (1930). Virginia Woolf celebrated their
friendship in her novel Orlando ( 1928 ).
Full name
Sackville-West, Victoria Mary[1]



Saco

Saco
Sa·co 
[sáykō]

city in southwestern Maine,
on the northern shore of the Saco River, opposite Biddeford. Population: 15,681
(1996)[1]



sacra

sacra
sa·cra


Plural of
sacrum[1]



sacral

sacral2
sa·cral2 [sákrəl,
sáykrəl] adjective

of
sacred rites: relating to or used in sacred rites
[Late 19th century. From
Latin sacr-, the stem of sacer “sacred” (source of English sacred ).][1]



sacral

sacral1
sa·cral1 [sákrəl,
sáykrəl] adjective

of sacrum:
relating to or near the sacrum[1]



sacrament

sacrament
sac·ra·ment 
[sákrəmənt] (plural sac·ra·ments)
noun

1.  religious
rite or ceremony: in Christianity, a rite that is
considered to have been established by Jesus Christ to bring grace to those
participating in or receiving it. In the Protestant Church, the sacraments are
baptism and Communion. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Churches also include
penance, confirmation, holy orders, matrimony, and the anointing of the sick.

2.  sac·ra·ment
or Sac·ra·ment consecrated elements of
Communion:
the bread and wine consecrated at Communion

3.  something
sacred:
something considered to be sacred or have a special significance
[12th century. Via Old French
from Late Latin sacramentum “rite, mystery, (gospel) revelation,
sacrament” from Latin, “soldier’s oath of loyalty, solemn obligation” (see sacred ).][1]



sacramental

sacramental
sac·ra·men·tal 
[sàkrə mént’l] adjective

1.  used
in sacrament: relating to or used in a sacrament

2.  sacred:
bound by a sacrament or in a way considered inviolable
noun
(plural sac·ra·men·tals)

ritual action or sign:
in the Roman Catholic Church, an object, act, or ritual such as the sign of the
cross that is used to show religious devotion
—sac·ra·men·tal·i·ty
[sàkrəmən tállətee, sàkrə
men tállətee], noun

—sac·ra·men·tal·ly [sàkrə mént’lee], adverb[1]



sacramentalism

sacramentalism
sac·ra·men·tal·ism 
[sàkrə mént’l ìzzəm] noun

belief
in Christian sacraments: in Christianity, the belief
in the necessity of the sacraments to attain salvation and God’s grace
—sac·ra·men·tal·ist, noun[1]



Sacramentarian

Sacramentarian
Sac·ra·men·tar·i·an 
[sàkrəmən táiree ən, sàkrə men táiree ən] noun (plural Sac·ra·men·tar·i·ans)

1.  believer
in the symbolic nature of Communion:
somebody who believes that the consecrated bread and wine of the Communion are
only symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ

2.  sacramentalist:
somebody who believes in sacramentalism
adjective

of Sacramentarians:
relating to or characteristic of Sacramentarians
—Sac·ra·men·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



Sacramento

Sacramento
Sac·ra·men·to 
[sàkrè méntō]

1.  river
in California, rising near Mount Shasta and flowing south into San Francisco
Bay. Length: 615 km/382 mi.

2.  capital
city of California, at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers.
Population: 369,365 (1990)

[1]



SacramentoMountains

SacramentoMountains
Sac·ra·men·to
Moun·tains

mountain range in southern
New Mexico, between the Pecos River and the Rio Grande[1]



sacrarium

sacrarium
sa·crar·i·um 
[sə kráiree əm] (plural sa·crar·i·a
[sə kráiree ə]) noun

1.  sanctuary
or sacristy: a Christian church’s sanctuary or
sacristy

2.  See
piscina  noun 1
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “place for keeping sacred things, shrine,” from sacer
“holy, sacred.”][1]



sacred

sacred
sa·cred 
[sáykrid] adjective

1.  devoted
to deity:
dedicated to a deity or religious purpose

2.  of
religion:
relating to or used in religious worship

3.  worthy
of worship:
worthy of or regarded with religious veneration, worship, and respect

4.  dedicated
to somebody: dedicated to or in honor of somebody

5.  inviolable:
not to be challenged or disrespected
[14th
century. Originally the past participle of archaic sacre “to
consecrate,” via Old French sacrer from Latin sacrare, from sacr-,
the stem of sacer “holy, sacred.”]
—sa·cred·ly,
adverb

—sa·cred·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word sacer, from which sacred
  is derived, is also the source of English consecrate,
  execrate, sacrament, sacrifice,
  sacrilege, sacristan, and sexton.

[1]



sacredbaboon

sacredbaboon
sa·cred
ba·boon
(plural sa·cred ba·boons) noun

See
hamadryas baboon
[Late 19th century. From its
being held sacred by the ancient Egyptians.][1]



sacredcow

sacredcow
sa·cred
cow
(plural sa·cred cows) noun

somebody
or something beyond criticism: somebody or something
exempt from any criticism by, or interference from, others
[Early 20th century. From the
sacrosanctity of cattle for Hindus.][1]



SacredHeart

SacredHeart
Sa·cred
Heart
(plural Sa·cred Hearts) noun

1.  heart
of Jesus Christ: in the Roman Catholic Church, the heart
of Jesus Christ, seen as a symbol of his love

2.  image
of Sacred Heart: an image representing the Sacred Heart,
often shown as bleeding

[1]



sacredibis

sacredibis
sa·cred
i·bis
noun

black-and-white
ibis:
a large wading bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia with bold black-and-white
plumage, a large downward-curving beak, and decorative plumes on its back.
Latin name: Threskiornis aethiopica
[Sacred from its being held
sacred by the ancient Egyptians][1]



sacredmushroom

sacredmushroom
sa·cred
mush·room
(plural sa·cred mush·rooms) noun

hallucinogenic mushroom:
a hallucinogenic American mushroom eaten in the past in Native American
rituals. Genus: Psilocybe[1]



sacrifice

sacrifice
sac·ri·fice 
[sákrə fss] noun (plural sac·ri·fic·es)

1.  giving
up of something valued: a giving up of something
valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more
value or importance

2.  something
valued and given up: something valuable or
important given up as a sacrifice

3.  offering
to god:
an offering to honor or appease a god, especially of a ritually slaughtered
animal or person

4.  something
or somebody offered to a god: something or somebody
offered to honor or appease a god

5.  symbolic
offering:
a symbolic offering made to a god

6.  loss
in giving up something valued: a loss incurred by
giving away or selling something below its value

7.  CHESS strategic
giving up of chess piece: in chess, an act or instance
of allowing or forcing an opponent to take one of your pieces or pawns so that
you can gain an advantage position

8.  See
sacrifice bunt
verb
(past sac·ri·ficed, past participle sac·ri·ficed, present
participle sac·ri·fic·ing, 3rd person present singular sac·ri·fic·es)

1.  transitive
verb
give
up somebody or something valued: to give up somebody or
something important or valued in exchange for somebody or something else that
is considered more important or valuable

2.  transitive
verb
abandon
somebody or something for advantage: to
allow somebody or something to be hurt, killed, or destroyed for your own
advantage

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
offering to god: to make an offering of a ritually
slaughtered animal or person to a god

4.  transitive
verb
strategically
give up chess piece: in chess, to allow or force
one of your pieces or pawns to be taken by an opponent so that you can gain an
advantage in position

5.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL hit
a sacrifice bunt: in baseball, to bunt the ball, expecting
to be put out, in order to advance a base runner
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin sacrificium, literally “making
sacred,” from sacr-, stem of sacer “sacred.”]
—sac·ri·fice·a·ble,
adjective

—sac·ri·fic·er, noun[1]



sacrificebunt

sacrificebunt
sac·ri·fice
bunt
(plural sac·ri·fice bunts) or sac·ri·fice hit (plural
sac·ri·fice hits) noun

bunt to advance runner:
in baseball, an act of bunting the ball, expecting to be put out, in order to
advance a base runner.
Also called
sacrifice[1]



sacrificefly

sacrificefly
sac·ri·fice
fly
noun

caught ball leading to score:
in baseball, a fly ball that is caught in the outfield and on which a runner
scores[1]



sacrificehit

sacrificehit
sac·ri·fice
hit
(plural sac·ri·fice hits) noun

See
sacrifice bunt[1]



sacrificial

sacrificial
sac·ri·fi·cial 
[sàkrə físh’l] adjective

used
in sacrifice: relating to, used in, or offered as a
sacrifice
—sac·ri·fi·cial·ly, adverb[1]



sacrilege

sacrilege
sac·ri·lege 
[sákrəlij] noun

1.  treating
holy thing without respect: the violation, desecration,
or theft of something considered holy or sacred

2.  disrespect:
the disrespectful or irreverent treatment of something others consider worthy
of respect or reverence
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin sacrilegium “temple robbery,” from sacrilegus,
literally “collector of sacred things,” from sacr- the stem of sacer
“sacred.”]
—sac·ri·le·gist [sàkrə ljist], noun[1]



sacrilegious

sacrilegious
sac·ri·le·gious 
[sàkrə líjjəss] adjective

relating
to sacrilege: relating to, involving, or committing
sacrilege
—sac·ri·le·gious·ly,
adverb

—sac·ri·le·gious·ness,
noun[1]



sacristan

sacristan
sac·ris·tan 
[sákristən] (plural sac·ris·tans)
or sac·rist [sáykrist, sákrist] (plural sac·rists) noun

1.  somebody
responsible for Christian church contents:
somebody who looks after the contents of a Christian church, especially those
kept in the sacristy

2.  sexton:
a sexton (dated)
[14th century. From medieval
Latin sacristanus, from sacrista “keeper of sacred things,” from sacer
“sacred.”][1]



sacristy

sacristy
sac·ris·ty 
[sákristee] (plural sac·ris·ties)
noun

room
for sacred objects: a room in a Christian church
in which sacred objects such as vessels and vestments are kept
[15th century. Via French
from medieval Latin sacristia, from sacrista . See sacristan .][1]



sacroiliac

sacroiliac
sac·ro·il·i·ac 
[sàkrō íllee àk] adjective

relating
to sacrum and ilium: relating to the sacrum and
the upper portion of the hip bone ( ilium ),
or to the joint between the sacrum and ilium
noun
(plural sac·ro·il·i·acs)

joint
where sacrum and ilium meet: the joint in the back where
the sacrum and the ilium meet
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from sacrum + ilium .][1]



sacrosanct

sacrosanct
sac·ro·sanct 
[sákrō sàngkt] adjective

1.  sacred:
very holy and sacred

2.  inviolable:
not to be criticized or tampered with
[Early
17th century. From Latin sacrosanctus, from sacro sanctus “made
holy through religious rites,” from sacer “sacred.”]
—sac·ro·sanc·ti·ty
[sàkrō sángktətee], noun

—sac·ro·sanct·ness [sákrō sangktnəss], noun[1]



sacrum

sacrum
sa·crum 
[sáykrəm, sákrəm]
(plural sa·crums or sa·cra [sáykrə, sákrə]) noun

triangular
bone in lower back: a triangular bone at the
base of the spine that joins to a hip bone on either side and forms part of the
pelvis. In human beings it consists of five fused vertebrae.
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
(os) sacrum, a translation of Greek hieron (osteon) “sacred
(bone)” (from the belief that the soul resided there).][1]



sad

sad
sad 
[sad] (comparative sad·der, superlative
sad·dest) adjective

1.  unhappy:
feeling or showing unhappiness, grief, or sorrow • a
sad expression

2.  causing
unhappiness: causing or containing unhappiness • sad
news

3.  regrettable:
unfortunate, or to be deplored • The
sad fact is that there are not enough funds available to support this project.

4.  dull
in color:
dull or dark in color
[Old
English sæd “weary, heavy, sated.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English satisfy
. The meaning “unhappy” developed in the 14th century.]
—sad·ly,
adverb

—sad·ness, noun[1]



SAD

SAD
SAD

Abbreviation of
seasonal affective disorder[1]



Sadat,Anwar al-

Sadat,Anwar al-

Sa·dat
[sə dát, sə dt],
Anwar al- (1918–1981)
Egyptian statesman. As president of Egypt
(1970–1981), he was the first Arab leader to recognize Israel, and he shared
the Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin in 1978 for
the negotiations that culminated in the signing of their historic peace treaty
in 1979. He was assassinated by members of his own army.[1]



sadden

sadden
sad·den 
[sádd’n] (past sad·dened, past
participle sad·dened, present participle sad·den·ing, 3rd
person present singular sad·dens) intransitive and transitive
verb

make or become sad:
to become sad or to cause somebody to become sad (often passive)[1]



saddhu

saddhu
sad·dhu 
(plural sad·dhus) noun

See
sadhu[1]



saddle

saddle

sad·dle 
[sádd’l] noun (plural sad·dles)

1.  seat
for riding an animal: a seat, usually made of
leather, used by a rider on the back of an animal such as a horse or donkey

2.  seat
on a bicycle or motorcycle: a padded seat for a rider on
a vehicle such as a bicycle, motorcycle, or tractor

3.  part
of an animal’s back: the part of an animal where
a saddle is placed

4.  part
of a harness: a pad that forms part of a harness and
fits across the back of an animal carrying or pulling something

5.  something
resembling a saddle: something that looks like or
is used like a saddle

6.  GEOGRAPHY low
point of a ridge: a low point of a ridge connecting two
peaks.
Also
called
saddleback

7.  cut
of meat:
a cut of meat that includes part of the backbone and both loins

8.  back
part of a chicken: the back part of a chicken
or other fowl nearest its tail
verb (past
sad·dled, past participle sad·dled, present participle
sad·dling, 3rd person present singular sad·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
strap
a saddle onto an animal: to put a saddle onto a horse
or other animal

2.  intransitive
verb
mount
an animal:
to mount a horse, or other animal, that has a saddle on it
[Old
English sadol . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to sit,”
which is also the ancestor of English sit
.]
—sad·dle·less,
adjective
in the saddle

in control of something[1]



saddleback

saddleback
sad·dle·back 
[sádd’l bàk] (plural sad·dle·backs)
noun

1.  animal
with a saddle-shaped marking: an animal such as a bird,
fish, or other vertebrate that has a saddle-shaped marking on its back

2.  ARCHITECTURE See saddle roof

3.  GEOGRAPHY See saddle  noun 6

[1]



saddle-backed

saddle-backed
sad·dle-backed
[sádd’l bàkt] adjective

1.  having
back like a saddle: with its back curved into a
shape like a saddle

2.  having
saddleback:
with a saddle-shaped marking on its back

[1]



saddlebag

saddlebag
sad·dle·bag 
[sádd’l bàg] (plural sad·dle·bags)
noun

bag on a horse, bicycle, or
motorcycle: a bag, sometimes one of a
pair, carried near or attached to an animal’s saddle or attached to a frame
over a wheel of a bicycle or motorcycle[1]



saddle-billedstork

saddle-billedstork
sad·dle-billed
stork 
[sàdd’l bild stáwrk] (plural sad·dle-billed
storks) or sad·dle·bill [sádd’l
bil] (plural sad·dle·bills or sad·dle·bill) noun

bird of tropical Africa:
a stork of sub-Saharan Africa that has black-and-white plumage, long black legs
with red joints, and a red bill with a black band. Latin name: Ephippiorhynchus
senegalensis[1]



saddleblanket

saddleblanket
sad·dle
blan·ket
(plural sad·dle blan·kets) noun

blanket under a saddle:
a blanket or other pad placed under a saddle to prevent it from chafing the
animal’s back[1]



saddlebow

saddlebow
sad·dle·bow 
[sádd’l b] (plural sad·dle·bows)
noun

arch
at front of a saddle: the high arch or raised part
( pommel ) at the front of a horse’s saddle
[Old English][1]



saddlecloth

saddlecloth
sad·dle·cloth 
[sádd’l klòth] (plural sad·dle·cloths)
noun

cloth identifying a
racehorse: a cloth placed under or over
a racehorse’s saddle that shows the horse’s number[1]



saddlehorn

saddlehorn
sad·dle
horn
(plural sad·dle horns) noun

projection on a saddle:
a projection like a horn on the arch at the front of a horse’s saddle[1]



saddlehorse

saddlehorse
sad·dle
horse
(plural sad·dle hors·es) noun

horse for riding:
a horse that is used or trained for riding[1]



saddler

saddler
sad·dler 
[sáddlər] (plural sad·dlers) noun

dealer in saddlery:
somebody who makes, sells, or repairs saddlery[1]



saddleroof

saddleroof
sad·dle
roof
(plural sad·dle roofs) noun

roof with two gables and a
ridge: a roof that has two gables
and a ridge.
Also called
saddleback[1]



saddlery

saddlery
sad·dler·y 
[sáddləree] (plural sad·dler·ies)
noun

1.  equipment
for horses:
saddles, harnesses, and other equipment for horses

2.  job
of saddler:
the work done by a saddler

3.  saddler’s
shop:
a shop that sells equipment for horses

4.  place
for storing saddles: a room in or near a stable
used for making, repairing, or storing equipment for horses

[1]



saddleshoe

saddleshoe
sad·dle
shoe
(plural sad·dle shoes) noun

shoe with contrasting instep:
a white or light-colored laced shoe with a band of contrasting leather across
the instep[1]



saddlesoap

saddlesoap
sad·dle
soap
noun

soap for leather:
a mild soap containing neat’s-foot oil, used for cleaning, softening, and
preserving leather[1]



saddle-sore

saddle-sore
sad·dle-sore
adjective

1.  sore
from riding: sore from having ridden something with a
saddle such as a horse or bicycle

2.  sore
from having worn a saddle: sore, or affected by sores,
from the wearing of a saddle

[1]



saddlesore

saddlesore
sad·dle
sore
(plural sad·dle sores) noun

1.  sore
on a rider:
a sore on the buttocks, groin, or inner thighs of a rider, caused by the
rubbing of the saddle

2.  sore
on a horse:
a sore on a horse’s body, caused by the rubbing of an ill-fitting saddle

[1]



saddle-stitch

saddle-stitch
sad·dle-stitch
(past sad·dle-stitched, past participle sad·dle-stitched,
present participle sad·dle-stitch·ing, 3rd person present
singular sad·dle-stitch·es) intransitive and transitive verb

sew something with a saddle
stitch: to sew something using a
saddle stitch[1]



saddlestitch

saddlestitch
sad·dle
stitch
(plural sad·dle stitch·es) noun

1.  running
stitch:
a long running stitch, usually made with a contrasting color for ornamentation

2.  binding
by stitching on a fold: in bookbinding, a method of
binding the pages of a small book or magazine together by folding it in half
and stitching along the line of the fold

[1]



saddletree

saddletree
sad·dle·tree 
[sádd’l tr] (plural sad·dle·trees)
noun

saddle’s frame:
the frame of a saddle[1]



saddleup

saddleup
saddle
up
intransitive and transitive verb

put saddle on horse:
to put a saddle on a horse to prepare for riding it[1]



saddlewith

saddlewith
saddle
with
transitive verb

burden somebody with
something: to give somebody an
unwelcome or unpleasant task or responsibility[1]



Sadducee

Sadducee
Sad·du·cee 
[sájjəssee, sáddyəssee]
(plural Sad·du·cees) noun

member
of Jewish group: a member of an ancient Jewish group of
priests and aristocrats who accepted the literal interpretation of the Torah
but rejected Oral Law and belief in the afterlife. Sadducees favored
accommodation with the Roman occupiers of Palestine.
[Pre-12th
century. Via late Latin from late Greek Saddoukaios, from post-Biblical
Hebrew &Sdotunder;ĕḏūqī “follower of Zadok,” from &Sdotunder;āḏōq
“Zadok” (the high priest who supposedly founded the group), literally
“righteous.”]
—Sad·du·ce·an
[sàjjə s ən, sàddyə
s ən], adjective

—Sad·du·cee·ism [sájjəssee ìzzəm, sáddyəssee
ìzzəm], noun[1]



Sade,Marquis de

Sade,Marquis de
Sade
[saad, sad],
Marquis de (1740–1814)

French
philosopher and novelist. His own cruel sexual practices, for which he was
imprisoned, were reflected in such novels as Juliette (1797).
Full name
Donatien Alphonse François, Comte de Sade[1]



sadhe

sadhe
sa·dhe 
[sdee, sdə]
(plural sad·hes) or sade [sdee,
sdə] (plural sa·des) or
tsa·de [tsdee, tsdə] (plural tsa·des) noun

18th
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 18th letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “s” or “ts”
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew ṣādhē .][1]



sadhu

sadhu
sa·dhu 
[s d] (plural sa·dhus) or
sad·dhu [s d] (plural sad·dhus)
noun

Hindu
holy beggar: a Hindu holy man who lives by begging
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit sādhu “good, holy,” literally “straight.”][1]



Sadi,Mosharref al-Din ebn Mosleh al-Din

Sadi,Mosharref al-Din ebn Mosleh al-Din
Sa·di
[saa d] or Saa·di [saa d], Mosharref al-Din ebn Mosleh al-Din
(1213?–1292)

Persian
poet. His contributions to classical Persian literature include the The Rose
Garden ( 1258 ).
Pseudonym of
Mosharref al-Din ebn Mosleh[1]



sadiron

sadiron
sad·i·ron 
[sád rn] (plural sad·i·rons) noun

iron
pointed at both ends: a heavy iron that curves to
a point at both ends, has a removable handle, is heated on an external source,
and is used for pressing clothes and linens
[Mid-18th century. From sad in the obsolete sense “solid, heavy” + iron .][1]



sadism

sadism
sa·dism 
[sáy dìzzəm, formerly also sá dìzzəm] noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY hurting
others for sexual pleasure: the gaining of sexual
gratification by causing physical or mental pain to other people, or the acts
that produce such gratification

2.  being
cruel for fun: the gaining of pleasure from causing
physical or mental pain to people or animals

3.  cruelty:
great physical or mental cruelty
[Late
19th century. From French sadisme, named for the Marquis de Sade .]
—sa·dist,
noun

—sa·dis·tic
[sə dístik], adjective

—sa·dis·ti·cal·ly [sə dístikəlee], adverb[1]



sadomasochism

sadomasochism
sa·do·mas·o·chism 
[sàydō mássə kìzzəm, sáddō mássə kìzzəm] noun PSYCHOLOGY

1.  sexual
practices involving sadism and masochism: the
gaining of sexual gratification by alternately or simultaneously enduring pain
and causing pain to somebody else, or the acts that produce such gratification

2.  combination
of sadistic and masochistic tendencies: a
combination of sadistic and masochistic sexual tendencies within an individual,
who may derive sexual pleasure both from inflicting and from enduring pain and
cruelty
[Mid-20th
century. From sadism + masochism .]
—sa·do·mas·o·chist,
noun

—sa·do·mas·o·chis·tic
[sàydō mássə kístik, sàydō mázzə kístik, formerly also sàddō mássə kístik, sàddō
mázzə kístik], adjective[1]



sadsack

sadsack
sad
sack
(plural sad sacks) noun

inept
person:
somebody, especially a soldier, who means well but is hopelessly inept (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From the
name of a melancholy cartoon GI created by the U.S. cartoonist George Baker
during World War II.][1]



s.a.e.

s.a.e.
s.a.e.
or SAE

Abbreviation of
stamped addressed envelope[1]



SAE

SAE
SAE

Abbreviation of
Society of Automotive Engineers[1]



Safar

Safar
Sa·far 
[sə fr] (plural Sa·fars) or
Sa·phar [sə fr] (plural Sa·phars)
noun

CALENDAR 2nd
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
second month of the year, made up of 29 days
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic safar .][1]



safari

safari
sa·fa·ri 
[sə free] (plural sa·fa·ris) noun

1.  cross-country
expedition:
a journey across a stretch of land, especially in East Africa, for the purpose
of hunting or observing wild animals • go on
safari

2.  people
on expedition: a group of people on a safari, together
with the animals or vehicles that transport them
[Late 19th century. Via
Swahili from Arabic safar “journey.”][1]



safarijacket

safarijacket
sa·fa·ri
jack·et
(plural sa·fa·ri jack·ets) noun

belted shirt resembling
jacket: a casual jacket, usually
made of tough light-colored fabric, with four large pockets and a belt[1]



safaripark

safaripark
sa·fa·ri
park
(plural sa·fa·ri parks) noun

zoo without cages:
a large enclosed area of land where wild animals wander relatively freely and
people pay to drive around and observe them.
Also called
wildlife park[1]



safarisuit

safarisuit
sa·fa·ri
suit
(plural sa·fa·ri suits) noun

casual light-colored suit:
a short-sleeved safari jacket in a light-colored fabric, with matching pants,
shorts, or skirt[1]



Safaviddynasty

Safaviddynasty
Sa·fa·vid
dy·nas·ty
[sə f wìd dnəstee] noun

16thC
Persian dynasty: a Persian dynasty, originally part of a
Turkic nomadic group, that ruled from 1500 to 1722 and established the Shiite
branch of Islam as the state religion
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Arabic ṣafaw i, from &Sdotunder; i al-Din Isḥ aq, the
name of the dynasty’s founder.][1]



safe

safe
safe 
[sayf] adjective (comparative saf·er,
superlative saf·est)

1.  not
dangerous:
unlikely to cause or result in harm, injury, or damage • Is
it safe to open the window?

2.  not
in danger:
in a position or situation that offers protection, so that harm, damage, loss,
or unwanted tampering is unlikely • You’ll
be safe with me. • It’s
hidden in a safe place.

3.  unharmed
or undamaged: in an unharmed, uninjured, or undamaged
condition • They’re
safe, but the car’s beyond repair.

4.  sure
to be successful: certain to be successful or profitable,
and not at risk of failure or loss • a safe
investment

5.  unlikely
to cause trouble: unlikely to cause trouble or controversy
• Is
it safe to talk about politics with them?

6.  probably
correct:
unlikely to be wrong • It’s
safe to assume that the weather will be good.

7.  cautious
and conservative: cautious with regard to risks or
unforeseen problems, conservative with regard to estimates, or unadventurous with
regard to choices and decisions • The
safe option is just to put the money in the bank.

8.  dependable:
able to be trusted or depended on • Don’t
worry, your child’s in safe hands.

9.  BASEBALL having
reached base successfully: having reached a base or home
plate without being put out
noun
(plural safes)

1.  container
for valuables: a strong metal container, often with a
complex locking system, for the storage of money and other valuables

2.  storage
container:
a container for storage or protection, especially a ventilated box or small
cupboard for keeping food cool or fresh (dated)

3.  condom:
a condom (slang)
[13th
century. Via Old French sauf from Latin salvus .]
—safe·ly,
adverb

—safe·ness,
noun
be
on the safe side

to take as few risks, or
eliminate as many risks, as possible[1]



safe-conduct

safe-conduct
safe-con·duct 
(plural safe-con·ducts) noun

1.  guarantee
of traveler’s safety: official protection from
harm or immunity from arrest for somebody passing through a dangerous area,
such as enemy territory in wartime

2.  something
guaranteeing traveler’s safety: a document or escort
providing safe-conduct

[1]



safecracker

safecracker
safe·crack·er 
[sáyf kràkər] (plural safe·crack·ers)
noun

robber
of safes:
somebody who breaks into a safe, with or without the use of force, so that the
contents can be stolen.
U.K.
term
safebreaker
—safe·crack·ing, noun[1]



safe-deposit

safe-deposit
safe-de·pos·it
noun

safe storage for valuables:
the placement of money and other valuables in storage without risk of loss or
damage by fire or theft, for example, in a bank vault.
Also called
safety-deposit[1]



safe-depositbox

safe-depositbox
safe-de·pos·it
box 
(plural safe-de·pos·it box·es) noun

box for storing valuables at
bank: a strong metal container for
valuables, for example, jewelry or documents, usually kept in a bank vault.
Also called
safety-deposit box[1]



safeguard

safeguard
safe·guard 
[sáyf grd] noun (plural safe·guards)

1.  protective
measure:
something intended to prevent undesirable consequences from happening, for
example, a safety device or measure, or a proviso in a legal document

2.  safe-conduct
document:
a document providing safe-conduct
transitive
verb
(past safe·guard·ed, past participle safe·guard·ed,
present participle safe·guard·ing, 3rd person present singular
safe·guards)

keep something safe:
to prevent something or somebody from being harmed, damaged, or lost
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman salve garde and French sauve garde,
from sauf “safe” (see safe ) + garde
(see guard ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  safeguard, protect, defend,
  guard, shield
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  keep safe from actual or potential injury, danger, or attack safeguard; a fairly formal word, often used
  to talk about preventative or precautionary planning, usually against
  potential harm or damage; protect;
  a general word, used to talk about working to prevent harm, or something that
  is intended to prevent harm; defend;
  to take measures to ward off defeat or an actual or threatened attack; guard; to work to prevent harm, damage, or
  attack by being vigilant and taking defensive measures; shield; to prevent harm, damage, or attack
  by doing something that forms a barrier between the person or thing being
  defended and the source of the threat

[1]



safehouse

safehouse
safe
house
noun

hiding place from enemies or
pursuers: a house or other place of
refuge where people in danger can hide or meet in secret[1]



safekeeping

safekeeping
safe·keep·ing 
[sàyf kping, sáyf
kping] noun

1.  keeping
something safe: protection from harm, damage, loss, or
theft • I
put the documents in my desk for safekeeping.

2.  BANKING not
returning checks: a system whereby banks keep checks that
people write, rather than returning them to the account holder with the monthly
statement

[1]



safelight

safelight
safe·light 
[sáyf lt] (plural safe·lights)
noun

light for use in a darkroom:
a type of light used in darkrooms that filters out the rays that are harmful to
sensitive film and photographic paper[1]



safesex

safesex
safe
sex
noun

protected sex:
sexual activity in which precautions are taken to avoid spreading sexually
transmitted diseases, for example, by using a condom[1]



safety

safety
safe·ty 
[sáyftee] (plural safe·ties) noun

1.  freedom
from danger: protection from or nonexposure to the
risk of harm or injury • a
safety device • The
captain is responsible for the safety of the crew.

2.  lack
of danger:
inability to cause or result in harm, injury, or damage • People
are beginning to question the safety of the medication.

3.  safe
place:
a place or situation where harm, damage, or loss is unlikely • She
led the passengers to safety.

4.  being
unharmed or undamaged: the fact of being or
remaining unharmed, uninjured, or undamaged • There
are fears for their safety.

5.  device
preventing unintentional operation: a
device designed to prevent a mechanism from being operated unintentionally, for
example, one that keeps a gun from being fired by accident or an elevator from
falling

6.  FOOTBALL defensive
back:
in football, a player defending the back of the field.
Also
called
safetyman

7.  FOOTBALL play
awarding points for defensive team: in
football, a play in which a member of the offensive team downs the ball
intentionally or unintentionally in his own end zone, resulting in the
defensive team being awarded two points

8.  condom:
a condom (slang)
[14th century. Via French sauveté
from medieval Latin salvitas, from Latin salvus (see safe ).][1]



safetybelt

safetybelt
safe·ty
belt
(plural safe·ty belts) noun

1.  See
seat belt

2.  strap
to prevent somebody from falling: a strong strap
attached to a fixed point, worn by a person in danger of falling, such as
somebody working in a high place

[1]



safetycurtain

safetycurtain
safe·ty
cur·tain
(plural safe·ty cur·tains) noun

fireproof curtain in theater:
a fireproof curtain that can be lowered at the front of the stage in a theater
to isolate the auditorium from the stage in the event of fire[1]



safety-deposit

safety-deposit
safe·ty-de·pos·it
noun

See
safe-deposit[1]



safety-depositbox

safety-depositbox
safe·ty-de·pos·it
box
(plural safe·ty-de·pos·it box·es) noun

See
safe-deposit box[1]



safetyfilm

safetyfilm
safe·ty
film
(plural safe·ty films) noun

nonflammable photographic
film: nonflammable movie film made
with a cellulose acetate or polyester base. Formerly, film was made with
cellulose nitrate and was prone to catch fire upon aging.[1]



safetyglass

safetyglass
safe·ty
glass
noun

1.  shatterproof
glass:
a type of strong laminated glass designed not to shatter, made with a layer of
clear plastic sandwiched between two glass sheets

2.  splinterproof
glass:
a type of glass that, if it breaks, forms rounded fragments rather than sharp
splinters

[1]



safetyisland

safetyisland
safe·ty
is·land
(plural safe·ty is·lands) noun

safe area on road:
an area within a road that is marked off and from which vehicular traffic is
prohibited, used especially for the safety of pedestrians[1]



safetylamp

safetylamp
safe·ty
lamp
(plural safe·ty lamps) noun

miner’s lamp:
a miner’s lamp in which the flame is enclosed in fine wire gauze to prevent the
combustion of flammable gases[1]



safetyman

safetyman
safe·ty·man 
[sáyfti màn] (plural safe·ty·men
[sáyfti mèn]) noun

See
safety[1]



safetymatch

safetymatch
safe·ty
match
(plural safe·ty match·es) noun

match that cannot be
accidentally lighted: a match
that will only produce a flame if it is struck against a specially prepared
surface[1]



safetynet

safetynet
safe·ty
net
(plural safe·ty nets) noun

1.  net
to catch falling person: a net installed below a high
place, such as a circus tightrope or trapeze from which somebody might fall or
jump

2.  protection
for people in difficulty: something intended to help
people in the event of hardship or misfortune, especially something providing
financial security, such as insurance or welfare payments

[1]



safetypin

safetypin

safe·ty
pin
(plural safe·ty pins) noun
Also
called
pin

1.  pin
with covered point: a loop-shaped pin that
fastens into itself with its point under a protective cover to prevent
accidental opening or injury

2.        ARMS pin
preventing detonation: a pin, for
example, in a grenade, that when properly seated prevents accidental or
premature detonation[1]



safetyrazor

safetyrazor
safe·ty
ra·zor
(plural safe·ty ra·zors) noun

razor with partially covered
blade: a razor in which the blade
is partially covered to minimize the risk of accidental injury[1]



safetyvalve

safetyvalve
safe·ty
valve
(plural safe·ty valves) noun

1.  ENGINEERING fluid
release valve: a valve that will automatically open and
release a fluid when the pressure in a chamber, for example, a steam engine or
a boiler, approaches a dangerous level

2.  PSYCHOLOGY means
of releasing emotion or energy: something that enables
people to get rid of strong feelings such as anger, grief, anxiety, or
excitement without harming themselves or others

[1]



saffian

saffian
saf·fi·an 
[sáffee ən] noun

brightly
colored hides: hides of sheep or goats tanned with
sumac and often dyed in bright colors
[Late 16th century. Via
Russian saf’yan from, ultimately, Persian saktiyān .][1]



safflower

safflower
saf·flow·er 
[sá flòwr] (plural saf·flow·ers)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
yielding oil and dye: an annual composite plant
with orange or red flowers, native to the Indian subcontinent, from which dye
and an oil used in cooking, paints, and medicine are obtained. Latin name: Carthamus
tinctorius

2.  dried
flowers:
the dried flowers of the safflower plant, used to make a red dye

3.  red
dye:
a red dye made from the dried flowers of the safflower plant, used to color
fabric, food, and cosmetics
[15th century. Via Dutch or
German from Old French saffleur, via obsolete Italian asfiore
from, ultimately, Arabic asfar “yellow plant”; influenced by saffron and flower
.][1]



saffron

saffron
saf·fron 
[sáffrən] noun (plural saf·frons
or saf·fron)

1.  spice-producing
crocus:
a crocus introduced into Europe from Asia Minor, with showy purple or white
flowers bearing stigmas that are used as spice. Latin name: Crocus sativus

2.  cooking
spice:
the deep orange-colored stigmas of the saffron plant, or an orange or yellow
powder obtained from these, used to color and flavor food

3.  COLORS bright
orange-yellow color: a bright orange-yellow color
adjective

COLORS orange-yellow:
of a bright orange-yellow color
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French safran and medieval Latin safranum from, ultimately,
Arabic za’farān .][1]



Safi

Safi
Sa·fi 
[saa f]

capital city of Safi Province
and a port on the Atlantic Ocean, in western Morocco. Population: 278,000
(1993)[1]



S.Afr.

S.Afr.
S.
Afr.

Abbreviation of
South Africa[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








safranine

safranine
saf·ra·nine 
[sáffrə nn, sáffrənin]
(plural saf·ra·nines) or saf·ra·nin [sáffrənin] (plural saf·ra·nins) noun

red
organic dye: red organic dye derived from phenazine,
used to color textiles and as a biological stain
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from safran (see saffron
).][1]



safrole

safrole
saf·role 
[sá frl] noun

oily
liquid used in perfumes: a colorless or yellow
poisonous oily liquid found in sassafras oil and used in making perfumes and
soap. C10H10O2
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from sassafras + -ole
.][1]



sag

sag
sag 
[sag] verb (past sagged,
past participle sagged, present participle sag·ging,
3rd person present singular sags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
under weight: to bend downward in the middle, or to
hang or droop instead of remaining firm or level, or to make something bend in
this way, usually through having to support excessive weight • The
skirt’s hem sags in the back.

2.  intransitive
verb
become
weaker or lose intensity: to become weaker or lose
intensity or enthusiasm

3.  intransitive
verb
fall
in value:
to decrease in value

4.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL drift
leeward:
to drift to leeward
noun
(plural sags)

1.  place
where something sags: a bend, depression, or
slackness in something where it has sagged

2.  decline
in strength: a decline in strength, intensity, or
value • a
sag in the stock market

3.  NAUTICAL leeward
drift:
a tendency to drift to leeward
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from a Scandinavian source or from Middle
Low German sacken “to sink.”]
—sag·gy, adjective[1]



saga

saga
sa·ga 
[sgə] (plural sa·gas) noun

1.  Norse
literary genre: an epic tale in Old Norse literature,
usually in prose, recounting events in the lives of historical and mythological
figures from medieval Iceland and Norway

2.  long
novel or series of novels: a long story or novel, or a
series of stories or novels, often following the lives of a family or community
over several generations

3.  series
of events:
a complicated series of events or personal experiences stretching over a
considerable period of time, or a detailed account of such a series of events
or experiences (informal) • Have
you heard the saga of our coast-to-coast relocation?
[Early
18th century. From Old Icelandic saga “saga, story” (see saw ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Forsyte Saga, a series of novels by English writer John Galsworthy (
  1906-1922 ). Set in early 20th-century England, it charts the decline of
  Victorian values in upper-middle-class society through the story of three
  generations of the Forsyte family. It was made into a popular television
  series in 1967.

[1]



sagacious

sagacious
sa·ga·cious 
[sə gáyshəss] adjective

wise
or shrewd:
having or based on a profound knowledge and understanding of the world combined
with intelligence and good judgment (formal)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin sagac-, the stem of sagax “of
quick perception.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to seek,”
which is also the ancestor of English seek
.]
—sa·ga·cious·ly,
adverb

—sa·ga·cious·ness, noun[1]



sagacity

sagacity
sa·gac·i·ty 
[sə gássətee] noun

wisdom
or discernment: profound knowledge and understanding,
coupled with foresight and good judgment
[15th century. Via Old French
sagacité from Latin sagacitas, from the stem sagac- (see sagacious ).][1]



sagamore

sagamore
sag·a·more 
[sággə màwr] (plural sag·a·mores)
noun

Native
N American leader: among the Native North
American Algonquian people, a subordinate chief
[Early 17th century. From
Algonquian (Abnaki) sangman literally “he overcomes” or “chief.”][1]



Sagan,Françoise

Sagan,Françoise
Sa·gan
[saa gn], Françoise (1935– )

French
writer. Among her best known novels are Bonjour Tristesse ( 1954 ) and A
Certain Smile ( 1956 ).
Pseudonym of
Quoirez, Françoise[1]



saganovel

saganovel
sa·ga
nov·el
(plural sa·ga nov·els) noun

See
roman-fleuve[1]



sage

sage2

sage2 [sayj]
(plural sa·ges or sage) noun

1.  plant
with aromatic leaves: a plant or shrub with blue,
purple, or white flowers and aromatic grayish-green leaves that are used as a
flavoring. Latin name: Salvia officinalis
Also
called
ramona

2.  leaves
used as cooking herb: the fresh or dried leaves of
the sage plant used in cooking as a flavoring

3.  See
sagebrush

4.  See
sage green
[14th century. Via Old French
sauge from Latin salvia “healing plant,” from salvus .][1]



sage

sage1
sage1 [sayj]
noun (plural sa·ges)

wise
person:
somebody who is regarded as knowledgeable, wise, and experienced, especially a
man of advanced years revered for his wisdom and good judgment (literary)
adjective

wise:
having or showing great wisdom, especially that gained from long experience of
life (literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin sapere “to be wise, have
taste” (source of English savor and savvy ).]
—sage·ly,
adverb

—sage·ness, noun[1]



sagebrush

sagebrush
sage·brush 
[sáyj brùsh] (plural sage·brush·es
or sage·brush) noun

N American plant:
a bushy composite plant native to dry regions of North America that has silvery
wedge-shaped leaves and large clusters of small white flowers. Genus: Artemisia

Also called
sage[1]



SagebrushRebellion

SagebrushRebellion
Sage·brush
Re·bel·lion
noun

campaign against federal
regulation: a populist campaign in the
late 1970s waged in the western states by ranchers and farmers with mining and
timber interests who protested the imposition of more federal regulations on
land management[1]



sagegreen

sagegreen
sage
green
or sage adjective

of
a grayish-green color: of a grayish-green color,
like sage leaves
—sage green, noun[1]



sagegrouse

sagegrouse
sage
grouse
noun

large N American grouse:
a large grouse of western North America that has mottled plumage, a black
belly, and a long pointed tail that it spreads during courtship. Latin name: Centrocercus
urophasianus[1]



sagethrasher

sagethrasher
sage
thrash·er
(plural sage thrash·ers) noun

low-nesting N American bird:
a grayish-brown thrasher of western North America that nests in sagebrush and
other low-growing desert plants. Latin name: Oreoscoptese montanus[1]



saggar

saggar
sag·gar
[sággər] (plural sag·gars) or
sag·ger [sággər] (plural sag·gers)
noun

protective
box within a kiln: a clay box into which
delicate ceramic objects are placed to protect them in the kiln during firing.
It is seldom used now that fuels are cleaner.
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a contraction of safeguard
.][1]



Sagitta

Sagitta
Sa·git·ta 
[sə jíttə] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a small but conspicuous
constellation in the sky of the northern hemisphere lying in the Milky Way
between Aquila and Vulpecula[1]



sagittal

sagittal
sag·it·tal 
[sájjət’l] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY relating
to median plane: relating to or situated on the imaginary
plane that divides a human or animal body into right and left halves

2.  resembling
arrow:
resembling an arrow or an arrowhead in shape
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin sagittalis, from Latin sagitta
“arrow.”]
—sag·it·tal·ly, adverb[1]



Sagittarian

Sagittarian
Sag·it·tar·i·an 
[sàjjə táiree ən] (plural Sag·it·tar·i·ans)
noun

See
Sagittarius[1]



Sagittarius

Sagittarius

Sag·it·tar·i·us 
[sàjjə táiree əss] (plural Sag·it·tar·i·us·es)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY constellation
in the southern hemisphere: a large zodiacal
constellation in the sky of the southern hemisphere between Scorpius and
Capricornus, crossed by the Milky Way and lying in the direction of the center
of the galaxy

2.  ninth
sign of zodiac: the ninth sign of the zodiac,
represented by an archer and lasting from approximately November 22 to December
21. Sagittarius is classified as a fire sign and its ruling planet is Jupiter.
Also
called
Archer the

3.  somebody
born under Sagittarius: somebody whose birthday
falls between November 22 and December 21.
Also
called
Sagittarian
U.K.
term
Sagittarian
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, “archer,” from sagitta “arrow.”]
—Sagittarian, adjective[1]



sagittate

sagittate
sag·it·tate 
[sájjə tàyt] or sag·it·ti·form
[sə jíttə fàwrm] adjective

shaped
like arrowhead: used to describe a leaf that is shaped
like an arrowhead
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin sagitta “arrow.”][1]



sago

sago
sa·go 
[sáygō] noun

starchy
cereal:
a powdery substance obtained from the pith of the sago palm, used in cooking as
a thickener, for example, in soups, and also used for stiffening textiles
[Mid-16th century. From Malay
sagu .][1]



sagopalm

sagopalm
sa·go
palm
noun

Asian palm tree yielding
sago: a tall Asian palm tree that
yields sago. Genus: Metroxylan[1]



saguaro

saguaro
sa·gua·ro 
[sə gwrō, sə
wrō] (plural sa·gua·ros or sa·gua·ro) or
sa·hua·ro [sə wrō] (plural sa·hua·ros
or sa·hua·ro) noun

large
cactus of southwestern N America: a large cactus of the
southwestern United States and northern Mexico growing up to 18 m/60 ft tall
with upward-curving branches, white nocturnal flowers, and edible red fruit.
Latin name: Carnegiea gigantea
[Mid-19th century. From
Mexican Spanish, of uncertain origin: probably from Uto-Aztecan .][1]



Sahara

Sahara
Sa·har·a 
[sè hrè]

the largest desert in the
world, covering much of northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red
Sea. Area: 9,100,000 sq km/3,500,000 sq mi.[1]



Saharan

Saharan
Sa·har·an
[sə hérrən, sə
hrən] noun

group of languages spoken in Chad:
a group of languages spoken in parts of Chad and neighboring countries. It is
thought to be a branch of the Nilo-Saharan family.
adjective

1.  relating
to Sahara:
relating to or found in the Sahara

2.  belonging
to Saharan group of languages: relating to or
belonging to the Saharan group of languages

[1]



Sahel

Sahel
Sa·hel 
[sá hil, sè híl]

semiarid zone, extending from
Sudan in the east to Senegal in the west, and separating the Sahara from the
tropical regions of western and central Africa[1]



sahib

sahib
sa·hib 
[s hìb, s ìb]
(plural sa·hibs) noun

South
Asia
Indian
form of address for men: a respectful form of address
for men in the Indian subcontinent, formerly widely used to address Caucasian
men during the colonial period. The term is also used as a title, placed after
the man’s name.
[Late 17th century. Via Hindi
from Arabic “friend.”][1]



Sahl,Mort

Sahl,Mort
Sahl
[saal], Mort (1927– )

Canadian-born U.S. comedian.
He was known for his satirical monologues based on current events.[1]



said

said1
said1  verb

Past
tense of
say Past participle of say
adjective

LAW
previously mentioned:
previously named or mentioned • The
said car was later found abandoned.[1]



said

said2
said2  (plural saids)
noun

See
sayyid[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








saiga

saiga
sai·ga 
[sgə] (plural sai·gas or
sai·ga) noun

antelope
of central Asia: an antelope of central Asia, with a
thick tawny coat and enlarged snout, considered a genetic link between the
antelope and the sheep. Genus: Saiga
[Early 19th century. From
Russian, of uncertain origin: probably from a Finnic language.][1]



sail

sail
sail 
[sayl] noun (plural sails)

1.  fabric
catching wind on boat: a large piece of strong
fabric, usually triangular or rectangular in shape, fixed by rigging, masts,
and booms to catch the wind and propel a vessel forward

2.  journey
in vessel:
a trip or voyage in a boat or ship, especially a sailing vessel • a
pleasant sail across the bay

3.  (plural
sail) vessel with sails:
a boat or ship with sails, or such vessels considered collectively • go
by sail

4.  sails
of vessel:
the sails of a boat or ship considered collectively • a
ship under full sail

5.  thing
or part resembling sail: something that resembles a
sail of a boat or ship in form, function, or position

6.  blade
of windmill: any of the long flat structures on the
outside of a windmill that are turned by the wind.
Also
called
vane

7.  NAUTICAL part
of submarine: the conning tower of a submarine
verb
(past sailed, past participle sailed, present
participle sail·ing, 3rd person present singular sails)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go by
vessel on water: to travel in a boat or ship across a
stretch of water

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
on water:
to move across the surface of water, or across a particular stretch of water,
driven by wind or engine power • pirate
ships that sailed the high seas

3.  transitive
verb
drive
boat or ship: to control the movement of a boat or
ship, especially one with sails • She
sailed the boat into the harbor.

4.  intransitive
verb
begin
sea journey: to depart in a boat or ship, or to leave
a harbor, mooring, or anchorage • The
ferry sails at noon.

5.  intransitive
verb
move
smoothly:
to move smoothly or swiftly and usually in a graceful way • The
ball sailed over the fence.
[Old
English segl, from a prehistoric Germanic word perhaps meaning “cut
cloth”]
—sail·a·ble,
adjective
set
sail

to
depart in a boat or ship, or to leave a harbor, mooring, or anchorage

under
sail

with sails hoisted, and not
propelled by an engine[1]



sailboard

sailboard
sail·board 
[sáyl bàwrd] noun (plural sail·boards)

surfboard
with a sail: a large surfboard with a keel and a mast
and a sail mounted on it that is operated by one person standing up in the
sport of windsurfing
intransitive
verb

ride
on sailboard: to ride on a sailboard or take part in
the sport of windsurfing
—sail·board·er, noun[1]



sailboarding

sailboarding
sail·board·ing
[sáyl bàwrding] noun

See
windsurfing[1]



sailboat

sailboat

sail·boat 
[sáyl bt] (plural sail·boats)
noun
boat with sails:
a boat with one or more masts and sails that is propelled by the wind, chiefly
used for sport and leisure. Larger sailboats often have an engine as well.
U.K. term
sailing boat[1]



sailcloth

sailcloth
sail·cloth 
[sáyl klòth, sáyl
klàwth] (plural sail·cloths) noun

1.  fabric
for sails:
any strong fabric used to make sails, originally a heavy cotton canvas

2.  fabric
for clothes: a lightweight cotton fabric with a
texture like that of canvas, used to make clothes

[1]



sailer

sailer
sail·er
[sáylər] (plural sail·ers) noun

vessel with particular
qualities: a boat or ship, especially a
sailing vessel, that has particular sailing characteristics[1]



sailfish

sailfish
sail·fish 
[sáyl fìsh] (plural sail·fish or
sail·fish·es) noun

fish with large sail-shaped
fin: a warm-water marine fish
with a large high dorsal fin resembling a sail and an elongated upper jaw that
projects forward like a spear. Genus: Istiophorus[1]



sailing

sailing
sail·ing 
[sáyling] (plural sail·ings) noun

1.  traveling
in a vessel with sails: the sport, leisure activity,
or occupation of traveling in or operating a boat or ship propelled by sails

2.  skill
of operating vessel: the art or a method of
controlling a boat or ship, especially one with sails • Expert
sailing is required in such conditions.

3.  ship’s
departure or departure time: the departure of a ship, or
the time at which a ship is scheduled to leave port • The
next sailing is at noon.
[Old English segling][1]



sailingboat

sailingboat
sail·ing
boat
(plural sail·ing boats) noun

See
sailboat[1]



sailingship

sailingship
sail·ing
ship
(plural sail·ing ships) noun

ship with sails:
a ship with masts and sails that is propelled by the wind, formerly used for
transporting passengers and goods[1]



sailinto

sailinto
sail
into
transitive verb (informal)

1.  attack
somebody violently: to make a violent physical
or verbal attack on somebody • She
sailed into me for forgetting to mail the letter.

2.  get
on with something: to start to do something
with vigor and enthusiasm • He
sailed into the task of redesigning the building.

[1]



sailor

sailor
sail·or 
[sáylər] (plural sail·ors) noun

1.  somebody
who works on ship: somebody who works aboard a
boat or ship, especially a low-ranking member of the crew of a merchant or
naval ship

2.  somebody
traveling on water: somebody who frequently
sails or travels on a boat or ship, especially with reference to his or her
susceptibility to seasickness • I’m
not a good sailor.

[1]



sailorcollar

sailorcollar
sail·or
col·lar
(plural sail·or col·lars) noun

collar resembling sailor’s
collar in shape: a collar that is
V-shaped in front and has a broad square shape at the back, traditionally worn
by sailors[1]



sailorhat

sailorhat
sail·or
hat
(plural sail·or hats) noun

hat with curved brim:
a hat with a flat top, a low crown, and wide brim that is either straight or
rolled upward all around[1]



sailorsuit

sailorsuit
sail·or
suit
(plural sail·or suits) noun

child’s clothes resembling
sailor’s uniform: an outfit for children
resembling the traditional sailor uniform, made up of a top with a sailor
collar and pants or a skirt, usually in dark blue and white[1]



sailor’s-choice

sailor’s-choice
sail·or’s-choice 
noun

small Atlantic fish:
a small fish of Atlantic coastal regions of North America such as the pinfish
or pigfish[1]



sailplane

sailplane
sail·plane 
[sáyl plàyn] noun (plural sail·planes)

light
glider:
a light glider particularly well adapted to making use of rising air currents,
used for soaring
intransitive
verb
(past sail·planed, past participle sail·planed, present
participle sail·plan·ing, 3rd person present singular sail·planes)

travel
by sailplane: to travel in a sailplane
—sail·plan·er, noun[1]



sailthrough

sailthrough
sail
through
intransitive and transitive verb

do something with ease:
to do something, especially to pass a test, with ease • He
sailed through the exam.[1]



Saimaa,Lake

Saimaa,Lake
Sai·maa,
Lake
[smaa lake]

lake in southeastern Finland.
Area: 1,300 sq km/500 sq mi.[1]



sainfoin

sainfoin
sain·foin 
[sáyn fòyn] (plural sain·foins
or sain·foin) noun

forage
plant:
a plant of the pea family that is grown as forage. It has clusters of pink
flowers and is native to Europe and Asia. Latin name: Onobrychis viciifolia
[Early 17th century. From
obsolete French, from modern Latin sanctum foenum, literally “holy hay,”
alteration of sanum foenum “wholesome hay.”][1]



saint

saint
saint 
[saynt, in French names often saN] noun (plural saints)

1.  somebody
honored by church after death: somebody who has been
particularly holy in life and after death is declared by a Christian church to
have a privileged place in heaven and be worthy of veneration

2.  somebody
in heaven:
somebody who is thought to have gone to heaven after death

3.  virtuous
person:
a particularly good or holy person, or one who is kind and patient in dealing
with difficult people or situations
transitive
verb
(past saint·ed, past participle saint·ed, present
participle saint·ing, 3rd person present singular saints)

recognize somebody as saint:
to declare somebody officially to be a saint of a Christian church
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin sanctus “holy,” literally “consecrated,” past
participle of sancire “to confirm, consecrate.”]
—saint·dom, noun[1]



sainted

sainted
saint·ed 
[sáyntəd] adjective

1.  recognized
as saint:
officially declared to be a saint of a Christian church

2.  in
heaven:
dead and thought to be in heaven

3.  virtuous:
good, virtuous, or holy (literary)

[1]



Sainte-Foy

Sainte-Foy
Sain·te-Foy
[sàNt fw]

city in the southern part of
the province of Quebec, Canada, located on the St. Lawrence and Cap-Rouge
rivers. Population: 72,330 (1996)[1]



Saint-Exupéry,Antoine Marie Roger de

Saint-Exupéry,Antoine Marie Roger de
Saint-Ex·u·pé·ry
[sàN teg zpə r], Antoine Marie Roger de
(1900–1944)

French aviator and writer. He
wrote novels, essays and autobiographical works, but is chiefly remembered for
his much-loved children’s story, The Little Prince ( 1943 ).[1]



Saint-Gaudens,Augustus

Saint-Gaudens,Augustus
Saint-Gau·dens
[saynt gáwd’nz], Augustus (1848–1907)

Irish-born U.S. sculptor. His
works, mostly in bronze, include various U.S. public monuments such as the Shaw
Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts (1897) and “Grief” in Washington, D.C.
(1891).[1]



sainthood

sainthood
saint·hood 
[sáynt hd] noun

1.  status
of being saint: the condition or status of being a saint
or saintly

2.  saints
collectively: saints regarded as a group

[1]



Saint-Laurent

Saint-Laurent
Saint-Lau·rent
[sànt law rént, sàN
law rN]

city in Île-de-Montreal
County, southern Quebec Province, on Montreal Island. Population: 74,240 (1996)[1]



Saint-Leonard

Saint-Leonard
Saint-Le·o·nard
[saynt lénnərd, sàN
layō nr]

city in Île-de-Montreal
County, southern Quebec Province, on Montreal Island. Population: 71,327 (1996)[1]



saintly

saintly
saint·ly 
[sáyntlee] (comparative saint·li·er,
superlative saint·li·est) adjective

1.  of
Christian saint: characteristic of or associated with a
saint of a Christian church

2.  very
virtuous:
very good, virtuous, or holy
—saint·li·ly,
adverb

—saint·li·ness, noun[1]



Saint-Saëns,Camille

Saint-Saëns,Camille
Saint-Saëns
[saN sNss, saN
sN], Camille (1835–1921)

French
composer. His works, including symphonies, church music, concertos, songs, and
operas, are in the classical French tradition.
Full name
Saint-Saëns, Charles Camille[1]



saint’sday

saint’sday
saint’s
day 
(plural saint’s days) noun

day commemorating a saint:
a day of the year on which a particular saint is remembered or honored. Some
saint’s days are marked by traditional festivities or associated with popular
superstitions.[1]



saith

saith
saith 
[seth, sáy ith]

(archaic) 3rd
person present singular of say[1]



Saiva

Saiva
Sai·va 
[svə] (plural Sai·vas) noun

somebody
worshipping Shiva: a member of a Hindu
religious group that worships Shiva
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit -saiva- “sacred to Shiva.”]
—Sai·va,
adjective

—Sai·vism,
noun

—Sai·vite, noun[1]



sakai

sakai
sa·kai
[s k] (plural sa·kais) noun

member
of Malaysian people: a member of an aboriginal
people who live in the forests of Malaysia
[Mid-19th century. From
Malay, “dependent, subject.”][1]



Sakai

Sakai
Sa·kai 
[saa k]

southern suburb of Osaka,
situated on Osaka bay in Osaka Prefecture, on western Honshu, Japan.
Population: 807,765 (1990)[1]



sake

sake2
sa·ke2 [skee]
(plural sakes) or sa·ki [skee]
(plural sa·kis) noun

Japanese
rice drink:
a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice and usually served warm
[Late 17th century. From
Japanese .][1]



sake

sake1
sake1 [sayk]
(plural sakes) noun

1.  somebody’s
or something’s interest: the good, benefit, or
welfare of somebody or something • I hope
you’re right, for all our sakes!

2.  motive
or objective: the purpose of doing, obtaining,
achieving, or maintaining something • It’s
not worth risking your life for the sake of getting there a few minutes
earlier.
[Old English sacu,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “seeking,” hence “accusation, cause,”
which is also the ancestor of English seek][1]



saker

saker
sa·ker 
[sáykər] (plural sa·kers) noun

large
falcon:
a large falcon from central Asia and eastern Europe with brown body plumage and
a pale-colored head, used in falconry. Latin name: Falco cherrug
[15th century. Via (Old)
French sacre from Arabic sakr “hawk, falcon.”][1]



saki

saki
sa·ki 
(plural sa·kis) noun

See
sake[1]



Sakkara

Sakkara
Sak·ka·ra 
[sə krə]

village near Cairo, Egypt. It
is the site of a stepped pyramid built by King Zoser between 2737 and 2717 BC, the first monumental royal tomb, and
one of the oldest stone structures in Egypt.[1]



Sakyamuni

Sakyamuni
Sak·ya·mu·ni 
[skyə mnee] (plural Sak·ya·mu·nis)
noun

name of Buddha:
one of the names of the Buddha, deriving from Sakya, the name of his clan[1]



sal

sal
sal 
[sal] (plural sals) noun

PHARMACOLOGY salt:
used in pharmacology to denote salt (usually used in combination) • sal
ammoniac
[14th century. From Latin,
“salt.”][1]



salaam

salaam
sa·laam 
[sə lm] noun (plural sa·laams)

1.  deep
bow with hand on forehead: a deeply respectful or
deferential gesture of greeting or acknowledgment, used especially in Islamic
countries, made by bowing low with the palm of the right hand against the
forehead

2.  respectful
greeting:
the word “salaam,” meaning “peace,” used as a respectful greeting
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sa·laamed,
past participle sa·laamed, present participle sa·laam·ing,
3rd person present singular sa·laams)

make salutation of greeting or respect:
to perform a salaam, or to greet somebody with a salaam
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic salām “peace.”][1]



salable

salable
sal·a·ble
or sale·a·ble adjective

suitable
for selling: suitable for selling or capable of being
sold
—sal·a·bil·i·ty
[sàylə bíllətee], noun

—sal·a·bly [sáyləblee], adverb[1]



salacious

salacious
sa·la·cious 
[sə láyshəss] adjective

1.  with
sexual content: intended to titillate or arouse people
sexually, usually by having an explicit erotic content

2.  explicitly
sexual:
having or showing explicit or crude sexual desire or interest
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from the Latin stem salac-, from salire “to leap”
(source of English salient ).]
—sa·la·cious·ly,
adverb

—sa·la·cious·ness, noun[1]



salad

salad
sal·ad 
[sálləd] (plural sal·ads) noun

1.  (plural
salads) mixture of raw vegetables:
a cold savory dish consisting mainly of a mixture of raw vegetables, whole,
sliced, chopped, or in pieces, usually served with a dressing for moisture and
flavor. Many other ingredients may be incorporated into a salad, which can be
served as a separate course or as an accompaniment to other food.

2.  (plural
salads) dish of cold ingredients:
a cold dish consisting of a particular type of food, for example, a single
vegetable or a selection of fruit, cut into pieces or slices, and served
usually with a dressing • potato
salad

3.  (plural
salads) leafy vegetables:
any of the leafy vegetables commonly used to make a green salad, typically the
many types of lettuce, watercress, chicory, and endive

4.  confused
mixture:
a confused or varied mixture • a
salad of ideas
[14th century. Via French salade
from assumed Vulgar Latin salata “salted,” ultimately from Latin sal
“salt” (source of English salami ).][1]



saladbar

saladbar
sal·ad
bar
(plural sal·ad bars) noun

counter serving or selling
salads: a counter in a restaurant or
grocery store where salads of various types are available, set up as a buffet
where customers can choose their own ingredients • The
menu offered typical meals but we could also choose the salad bar.[1]



saladdays

saladdays
sal·ad
days
plural noun

time
of youthful inexperience: the period of a person’s
life when he or she is young, innocent, naive, and inexperienced (dated)
[From the words of Cleopatra
in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra : “My salad days, When I was green
in judgement, cold in blood”][1]



saladdressing

saladdressing
sal·ad
dress·ing
(plural sal·ad dress·ings) noun

sauce for salad:
a well-seasoned sauce poured over or mixed with the ingredients of a salad, for
example, one made from oil and vinegar or mayonnaise[1]



saladeniçoise

saladeniçoise
sal·ade
ni·çoise
[sə ld nee swz] (plural sal·ade
ni·çoises [sə ld nee swz]) noun

hearty
French salad containing fish: a cold dish originally from
the region around Nice in France, containing anchovies, tuna fillets, olives,
green beans, and sometimes other ingredients, served with a dressing of olive
oil and garlic
[Early 20th century. From
French, named for Nice, city in France.][1]



Saladin

Saladin
Sal·a·din 
[sállədin], Sultan of Egypt and Syria
(1137–1193)

During
his sultanate (1174–1193), he led the Muslims successfully against the
Christian crusaders in Palestine until he was defeated and captured at Acre
(1191).
Full name
Salah ed-din Yussuf ibn Ayub[1]



salal

salal
sa·lal 
[sə lál] (plural sal·als or
sal·al) noun

evergreen
plant with edible purple berries: an evergreen shrub of
the heath family native to the west coast of North America, with leathery
leaves, clusters of pink or white flowers, and edible purple berries. Latin
name: Gaultheria shallon
[Early 19th century. From
Chinook jargon sallal .][1]



Salamanca

Salamanca
Sal·a·man·ca 
[salè mángkè]

city in the autonomous region
of Castile-León, west central Spain. It is the site of the University of
Salamanca, founded in 1218. Population: 167,316 (1995)[1]



salamander

salamander

sal·a·man·der 
[sállə màndər] (plural sal·a·man·ders)
noun

1.  small
animal resembling lizard: an amphibian that resembles
a lizard but has porous moist skin instead of scales, and that lives in water
as a larva and on land as an adult. Order: Caudata

2.  MYTHOLOGY mythical
reptile living in fire: a mythical lizard that can
live in fire

3.  BUILDING portable
stove:
a stove that is used on construction projects to heat or dry out buildings or
to thaw frozen water pipes
[14th
century. Directly and via Old French from Latin and Greek salamandra .]
—sal·a·man·drine [sàllə mándrin, sállə
màndrin], adjective[1]



salami

salami
sa·la·mi 
[sə lmee] (plural sa·la·mis) noun

spicy
cold sausage: a large thick highly seasoned sausage,
Italian in origin and very often cured, usually served cold in thin slices
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, plural of salame, from, ultimately, Latin sal “salt”
(source of English sauce ).][1]



Salamis

Salamis
Sal·a·mis 
[sállèmèss]

island in eastern Greece 13
km/8 mi west of the port of Piraeus. It was the location of a major sea battle
in 480 BC in which the Greeks
defeated the Persians. Population: 28,574 (1981) Area: 10 sq km/39 sq mi.[1]



salammoniac

salammoniac
sal
am·mo·ni·ac
[sàl ə mṓnee àk] noun

See
ammonium chloride
[From Latin sal ammoniacus,
literally “salt of Ammon” (see ammonia )][1]



salaried

salaried
sal·a·ried
[sálləreed, sállreed]
adjective

paid regular salary:
receiving a regular salary for employment, for example, as opposed to being
paid by the hour[1]



salbutamol

salbutamol
sal·bu·ta·mol 
[sal bytə mòl] noun

drug
used in inhalers: a bronchodilating drug used as a
component in inhalers to relieve asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. C13H21NO3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from salicylic acid + butyl + amine + -ol .][1]



salchow

salchow
sal·chow 
[sál kòw] (plural sal·chows) noun

rotating
jump in figure skating: a jump in figure skating in
which the skater takes off from one skate, does a complete rotation in the air,
and lands on the opposite skate
[Early 20th century. Named for
the Swedish figure skater Ulrich Salchow (1877–1949).][1]



sale

sale
sale 
[sayl] noun (plural sales)

1.  selling
of something: the exchanging of goods or services for
an agreed amount of money, or a single transaction of this nature

2.  opportunity
to buy goods at discount: a period of time when a
store sells goods at reduced prices, often in order to clear its stock • We
always look for bargains at the after-Christmas sales.

3.  opportunity
to buy secondhand goods: an event at which personal
possessions or other secondhand items are sold, usually at low prices,
sometimes to raise money for a charitable or other cause

4.  auction:
an event at which goods are sold to the highest bidder

5.  market
or demand:
demand that creates an opportunity to sell something

6.  amount
sold or rate of selling: a quantity of things sold,
or the rate at which they are sold
plural
noun
sales

1.  department
selling things: the department of a company involved
with selling its products or services

2.  things
sold:
the total number or value of items sold • Sales
fell by 10 percent last month.
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse sala, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English sell .]
for
sale

available
for purchase

on
sale

available for purchase,
especially at a reduced price[1]



saleable

saleable
sale·a·ble 
adjective

See
salable[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








saleand leaseback

saleand leaseback
sale
and lease·back noun

sale of asset followed by
rental: the sale of an asset that
the vendor rents back from the buyer immediately after the sale, thereby
raising cash and allowing a tax deduction[1]



Salem

Salem
Sa·lem 
[sáylèm]

1.  city
in northeastern Massachusetts, on Massachusetts Bay, northeast of Boston. It
was the site of witchcraft trials and executions in 1692. Population: 38,008
(1996)

2.  capital
city of Oregon, on the Willamette River, in the northwest of the state.
Population: 107,786 (1990)

[1]



salep

salep
sal·ep 
[sálləp] noun

orchid
tubers dried and ground: the dried ground tubers of
various orchids used as food and formerly in medicine
[Mid-18th century. Via French
from Turkish sālep, from Arabic a’lab “fox,” a shortening of uṣa
“-a’lab”“orchid,” literally “fox’s testicles.”][1]



saleratus

saleratus
sal·er·a·tus 
[sàllə ráytəss] noun

baking
soda:
baking soda (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin sal aeratus, literally “aerated salt.”][1]



Salerno

Salerno
Sa·ler·no 
[sè lÚrnō]

capital city and port in
Salerno Province, Campania Region, southern Italy. Population: 147,564 (1994)[1]



saleroom

saleroom
sale·room
[sáyl rm, sáyl
rm] (plural sale·rooms) noun

U.K.
See salesroom[1]



salesassistant

salesassistant
sales
as·sis·tant
(plural sales as·sis·tants) noun

U.K.
See salesclerk[1]



salescheck

salescheck
sales
check 
(plural sales checks) noun

See
sales slip[1]



salesclerk

salesclerk
sales·clerk 
[sáylz klùrk] (plural sales·clerks)
noun

somebody serving customers in
store: somebody who is employed to
assist and sell goods to customers in a retail store.
U.K. term
sales assistant[1]



salesforce

salesforce
sales
force
noun

salespeople employed by
company: the body of salespeople
employed by a company to sell its goods and services[1]



salesgirl

salesgirl
sales·girl 
[sáylz gùrl] (plural sales·girls)
noun

young woman serving customers
in store: a young woman employed to
sell goods to customers in a store (dated or offensive)[1]



Salesian

Salesian
Sa·le·sian 
[sə l’n] (plural Sa·le·sians)
noun

member
of Roman Catholic order: a member of the Roman
Catholic order of Saint Francis de Sales founded in Turin, Italy, in 1845 and
dedicated to educational and missionary work
—Sa·le·sian, adjective[1]



salesman

salesman
sales·man 
[sáylzmən] (plural sales·men [sáylzmən]) noun

man
employed to sell something: a man who sells goods or
services, either in a store or by contacting potential customers within a
particular area
—sales·man·ship,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Death
  of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller ( 1949 ). The tragic story of Willi
  Loman, an aging salesman tormented by an overwhelming sense of failure,
  highlights the false values of contemporary consumer society and questions
  traditional ideas of success and failure. It was made into a movie by Volker
  Schlöndorff in 1985. As a result of the power of the play, the term Willi
  Loman came to mean a man who has tragically sacrificed or sold his own
  life, and that of his family, in pursuit of the so-called American Dream.

[1]



salesperson

salesperson
sales·per·son 
[sáylz pùrss’n] (plural sales·peo·ple
[sáylz pp’l] or sales·per·sons)
noun

somebody employed to sell
something: somebody who sells goods or
services, usually in a store or by contacting customers within a particular
area[1]



salespitch

salespitch
sales
pitch
(plural sales pitch·es) noun

seller’s persuasive words:
the statements made, arguments used, and assurances given by somebody trying to
sell something[1]



salesrepresentative

salesrepresentative
sales
rep·re·sen·ta·tive (plural sales
rep·re·sen·ta·tives) noun

somebody who sells company’s
products: somebody employed by a
company to visit prospective customers with a view to selling them the
company’s products.
Also called
representative[1]



salesresistance

salesresistance
sales
re·sis·tance noun

potential buyers’ opposition
to seller’s tactics: reluctance
or refusal to buy, especially when aggressive selling techniques are used[1]



salesroom

salesroom
sales·room 
[sáylz rm, sáylz
rm] (plural sales·rooms) noun

1.  place
displaying goods for sale: a large room where goods for
sale are put on display

2.  place
of auction:
a large room where goods are sold by auction.
U.K.
term
saleroom

[1]



salesslip

salesslip
sales
slip
(plural sales slips) noun

proof of purchase or sale:
a record of a purchase or sale made in a store, usually given to the customer
as a receipt.
Also called
sales check[1]



salestax

salestax
sales
tax
(plural sales tax·es) noun

retail tax:
a tax on retail merchandise that is levied by the federal, state, or local
government and collected at the point of sale by the retailer[1]



saleswoman

saleswoman
sales·wom·an 
[sáylz wmmən] (plural sales·wom·en
[sáylz wìmmin]) noun

woman employed to sell
something: a woman who sells goods or
services, usually in a store or by contacting potential customers within a
particular area[1]



salet

salet
sal·et
(plural sal·ets) noun

See
sallet[1]



Salian

Salian
Sa·li·an 
[sáylee ən, sáylyən]
(plural Sa·li·ans) noun

member
of Frankish people: a member of the branch of
Frankish people, the Salii, who invaded and then settled in an area of the
Rhine valley in the Netherlands during the 4th century AD. They subsequently spread into and conquered large parts
of Northern Gaul.
[Early 17th century. Formed
from late Latin Salii “Salian Franks.”][1]



Salic

Salic
Sal·ic 
[sáylik, sállik]
or Sal·ique [sáylik, sállik, sə lk,
sa lk] adjective

1.  PEOPLES relating
to Salians:
relating to the Salians, or their culture

2.  HISTORY relating
to Salic Law: relating to Salic Law
[Mid-16th century. Via French
salique or medieval Latin Salicus from late Latin Salii
(plural) “Salian Franks.”][1]



salicaceous

salicaceous
sal·i·ca·ceous 
[sàlli káyshəss] adjective

with
catkins:
used to describe trees or woody shrubs that have catkins, for example, the
willow and poplar. Family: Salicaceae
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin salicaceus, from Latin salic-, stem of salix
“willow.”][1]



salicin

salicin
sal·i·cin 
[sállissin] noun

medicine
from tree bark: a colorless crystalline substance
obtained from the bark of certain poplar and willow trees and formerly used as
an analgesic. C13H18O7
[Mid-19th century. Via French
salicine from Latin salic- the stem of salic “willow.”][1]



salicional

salicional
sa·li·cion·al 
[sə líshən’l, sə
líshnəl] (plural sa·li·cion·als) noun

organ
stop producing soft tone: a stop and pipes on an organ
that produce a soft, gentle tone
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Latin salic-, the stem of salix “willow.”][1]



Saliclaw

Saliclaw
Sal·ic
law
noun

law against female
succession: a law excluding women from
the right to succeed to the throne that formerly applied in France and some
other European monarchies. The prohibition was supposedly founded on a law of
the Salians that prevented women from inheriting land in some areas.[1]



salicylate

salicylate
sa·lic·y·late 
[sə líssə làyt, sə
líssələt] (plural sa·lic·y·lates) noun

salt
of salicylic acid: a salt or ester of salicylic
acid
[Mid-19th century. Via French
salicyle from Latin salictum, from salic-, the stem of salix
“willow.”][1]



salicylicacid

salicylicacid
sal·i·cyl·ic
ac·id 
[sàlli sìllik ássid] noun

substance
used to make aspirin: a white crystalline acid
used in making aspirin and dyes and to preserve foods. C7H6O3
[Formed from French salicyle
(see salicylate )][1]



salience

salience
sa·li·ence 
[sáylyənss] (plural sa·li·enc·es)
or sa·li·en·cy [sáylyənssee] (plural
sa·li·en·cies) noun

1.  being
important:
the quality of being particularly important or striking

2.  important
or striking feature: a particularly important or
striking feature

[1]



salient

salient
sa·li·ent 
[sáylyənt] adjective

1.  noticeable
or striking: particularly noticeable, striking, or
relevant

2.  projecting:
sticking out from a surface

3.  GEOMETRY projecting
outward:
used to describe an angle that projects outward from a polygon

4.  HERALDRY jumping:
represented as a jumping or leaping animal
noun
(plural sa·li·ents)

1.  MILITARY projecting
part of defensive alignment: a part of a front, line, or
fortification that projects outward into enemy-held territory or toward the
enemy

2.  GEOMETRY salient
angle:
a salient angle
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin salient-, present participle stem of salire
“to jump” (source of English salacious
).]
—sa·li·ent·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word salire, from which salient
  is derived, is also the source of English assail,
  assault, desultory, insult,
  salacious, sally, and sauté.

[1]



salientian

salientian
sa·li·en·tian 
[sàylee énsh’n] adjective

See
anuran
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Salentia from the Latin stem salient- (see salient ).][1]



Salieri,Antonio

Salieri,Antonio
Sal·i·er·i
[sàllee áiree], Antonio (1750–1825)

Italian composer. As a
successful writer of operas and church music in Vienna, he was a rival of
Mozart.[1]



saliferous

saliferous
sa·lif·er·ous 
[sə líffərəss] adjective

containing
or producing salt: used to describe a
geological formation that contains or produces salt
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin sal “salt” + -ferous .][1]



salimeter

salimeter
sa·lim·e·ter 
[sa límmətər] (plural sa·lim·e·ters)
noun

See
salinometer
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin sal “salt” + -meter
.]
—sal·i·met·ric
[sàllə méttrik], adjective

—sa·lim·e·try [sa límmətree], noun[1]



salina

salina
sa·li·na 
[sə lnə, sə lnə]
(plural sa·li·nas) noun

salt
marsh or lake: a salt marsh, lake, pond, or spring
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish from medieval Latin, “salt pit.”][1]



Salina

Salina
Sa·li·na 
[sə lnə]

city in central Kansas, on
the Smoky Hill River, southwest of Abilene and north of McPherson. Population:
44,176 (1996)[1]



Salinas

Salinas
Sa·li·nas 
[sə lnəss]

river in western California,
rising in the Santa Lucia Mountains and flowing into Monterey Bay. Length: 241
km/150 mi.[1]



Salinasde Gortari, Carlos

Salinasde Gortari, Carlos

Sa·li·nas de Gor·ta·ri
[sə lnəss də gawr tree], Carlos (1948– )
Mexican statesman. He was president of
Mexico (1988–1994), and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
with the United States and Canada in 1992.[1]



saline

saline
sa·line 
[sáy ln, sáy
ln] adjective

1.  containing
salt:
containing or impregnated with salt

2.  CHEMISTRY containing
salts:
relating to or containing alkali metal salts or magnesium salt
noun
(plural sa·lines)

MEDICINE solution
of salt and distilled water: a solution of common salt ( sodium chloride ) and distilled water, especially
one having the same concentration as body fluids. It is used as a diluent for
drugs and as a plasma substitute.
[15th
century. From Latin salinum “salt cellar,” from sal “salt”
(source of English salad ).]
—sa·lin·i·ty [sə línnətee], noun[1]



Salinger,J. D.

Salinger,J. D.
Sal·in·ger
[sállinjər], J. D. (1919– )

U.S.
writer. After great success with such works as The Catcher in the Rye (
1951 ), in the mid-1960s he became a complete recluse.
Full name
Salinger, Jerome David[1]



salinize

salinize
sal·i·nize 
[sállə nz] (past sal·i·nized,
past participle sal·i·nized, present participle sal·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular sal·i·niz·es) transitive verb

treat
something with salt: to treat or contaminate
something with salt
—sal·i·ni·za·tion [sàllənə záysh’n], noun[1]



salinometer

salinometer
sal·i·nom·e·ter 
[sàllə nómmətər] (plural sal·i·nom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring concentration of salt solutions: an
instrument used to measure the concentration of salt in salt solutions.
Also
called
salimeter
Also
called
salometer
—sal·i·no·met·ric
[sàllənə méttrik], adjective

—sal·i·nom·e·try [sàllə nómmətree], noun[1]



Salique

Salique
Sa·lique 
adjective

See
Salic[1]



Salisbury

Salisbury
Salis·bur·y 
[sáwlzbèree, sáwlzbree]

city and port in southeastern
Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula, on the Wicomico River. Population: 21,160
(1996) Former name Sarum[1]



Salisburysteak

Salisburysteak
Salis·bur·y
steak
[sáwlz bèrree stàyk] (plural Salis·bur·y
steaks) noun

beef
patty with gravy: a mixture of ground beef, egg, bread
crumbs, onion, and seasoning that is formed into a flat round cake, cooked by
broiling or frying, and usually served with gravy
[Late 19th century. Named for
the U.S. physician, J. H. Salisbury, known for his work on food
chemistry.][1]



Salish

Salish
Sa·lish 
[sáylish] (plural Sa·lish·es) noun

1.  Salish
or Salishan LANGUAGE
family
of Native N American languages: a family of Native
North American languages spoken in the northwestern United States and British
Columbia. Around 2,000 people speak one of the remaining 20 Salish languages.

2.  PEOPLES Native
N Americans speaking Salish languages: the
group of Native North American peoples who speak the Salish languages (takes
a plural verb)
[Mid-19th century. From
Salish séʔliš “Flatheads.”][1]



Salishan

Salishan
Sa·lish·an
noun (plural Sal·is·hans)

See
Salish  noun 1
adjective

of or about Salish:
relating to the Salish languages or the Salish peoples and their culture[1]



saliva

saliva
sa·li·va 
[sə lvə] noun

liquid
secreted into mouth: the clear liquid secreted
into the mouth by the salivary glands, consisting of water, mucin, protein, and
enzymes. It moistens food and starts the breakdown of starches.
[15th century. Via French salive
and directly from Latin saliva “spittle.”][1]



salivary

salivary
sal·i·var·y 
[sállə vèrree] adjective

relating to saliva:
relating to saliva or the salivary glands[1]



salivarygland

salivarygland
sal·i·var·y
gland
(plural sal·i·var·y glands) noun

saliva-producing gland:
any of the glands in mammals that produce and secrete saliva into the mouth[1]



salivate

salivate
sal·i·vate 
[sállə vàyt] (past sal·i·vat·ed,
past participle sal·i·vat·ed, present participle sal·i·vat·ing,
3rd person present singular sal·i·vates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
saliva:
to produce saliva in the mouth, especially at an increased rate, for example,
when food is seen, smelled, or expected

2.  transitive
verb
cause
animal to salivate: to cause something, for
example, an animal in an experiment, to produce large amounts of saliva

3.  intransitive
verb
long
for:
to feel or show an immense desire for or appreciation of something (informal)
• I’m
practically salivating over that set of golf clubs in the shop window.
[Mid-17th
century. Back-formation from salivation, directly and via French from,
ultimately, Latin saliva “saliva.”]
—sal·i·va·tion [sàllə váysh’n], noun[1]



Salk,Jonas

Salk,Jonas

Salk
[sawk, sok],
Jonas (1914–1995)
U.S.
physician and epidemiologist. He developed the first vaccine against
poliomyelitis.
Full name
Salk, Jonas Edward[1]



Salkvaccine

Salkvaccine
Salk
vac·cine
noun

vaccine
against polio: a vaccine against poliomyelitis
containing a form of the virus that causes it, which has been made inactive by
treatment with a solution of formaldehyde.
See
also
Sabin vaccine
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Jonas Salk .][1]



sallet

sallet
sal·let 
[sállət] (plural sal·lets) or
sal·et [sállət] (plural sal·ets)
noun

medieval
helmet:
a light helmet protecting the head and the back of the neck, worn in the late
Middle Ages
[15th century. Via French salade
from, ultimately, Latin caelata “engraved (helmet),” from caelum
“chisel.”][1]



SallieMae

SallieMae
Sal·lie
Mae
[sàlli máy] noun

student
loan provider: the Student Loan Marketing Association,
the U.S. government agency providing liquidity to the student loan market (informal)
[From a pronunciation of the
acronym SLMA][1]



sallow

sallow1
sal·low1 [sállō]
adjective

unnaturally
yellow:
unnaturally pale and yellowish • a
sallow complexion
transitive
verb
(past sal·lowed, past participle sal·lowed, present
participle sal·low·ing, 3rd person present singular sal·lows)

make
something sallow: to make something unnaturally pale and
yellowish • The
illness had sallowed her skin.
[Old
English salo “dark, dusky,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—sal·low·ly,
adverb

—sal·low·ness, noun[1]



sallow

sallow2
sal·low2 [sállō]
(plural sal·lows or sal·low) noun

willow
tree:
a small European willow tree with broad leaves and large catkins that yields a
hard wood used to produce charcoal. Latin name: Salix caprea
[Old
English salh . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “willow,”
which is also the ancestor of English salicaceous
.]
—sal·low·y, adjective[1]



Sallust

Sallust
Sal·lust 
[sálləst] (86 BC–35? BC)

Roman
historian. His histories of Catiline’s conspiracy and a Roman war in Africa,
written after he retired from holding colonial governorships, influenced the
work of later historians.
Full name
Gaius Sallustius Crispus[1]



sally

sally
sal·ly 
[sállee] noun (plural sal·lies)

1.  MILITARY attack
from defensive position: an offensive thrust from a
defensive position, especially, formerly, a sudden attack by the defenders of a
besieged position on the people besieging them

2.  sudden
rush forward: a sudden rush or spring forward

3.  sudden
action:
a sudden burst of activity or springing into action

4.  sudden
expression:
a sudden outburst of speech or expression of emotion

5.  witty
remark:
a witty remark, reply, or retort

6.  expedition:
an expedition or excursion
intransitive
verb
(past sal·lied, past participle sal·lied, present
participle sal·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular sal·lies)

1.  MILITARY make
sally:
to make an offensive thrust from a defensive position

2.  set
out:
to go out after being indoors or set out on a journey or excursion

3.  rush
out suddenly: to rush or spring out suddenly
[Mid-16th
century. From French saillie, from the past participle of saillir
“to leap,” ultimately from Latin salire (source of English salient ).]
—sal·li·er, noun[1]



SallyLunn

SallyLunn
Sal·ly
Lunn
[sàlli lún] (plural Sal·ly Lunns)
noun

light
sweet bread: a sweet bread leavened with yeast that
is typically baked in a round pan with a hole in the center and served warm in
slices with butter
[Late 18th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps named for the woman in Bath, England, who first sold these cakes.][1]



sallyport

sallyport
sal·ly
port
[sálli pàwrt] (plural sal·ly ports)
noun

opening in fort to sally
from: an opening in a
fortification from which the defenders can make sallies[1]



salmagundi

salmagundi
sal·ma·gun·di 
[sàlmə gúndee] (plural sal·ma·gun·dis)
noun

1.  mixed
salad:
a mixed salad of many ingredients, such as meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables,
arranged in rows on a platter

2.  mixture:
a mixture or miscellany (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
French salmagondis, originally “seasoned salt meats,” of uncertain
origin.][1]



Salmanazar

Salmanazar
Sal·man·a·zar 
[sàlmə názzər] or sal·man·a·zar
[sàlmə názzər] noun

bottle
with 12 times normal capacity: a large wine bottle
that holds the equivalent of 12 standard bottles, used especially for champagne
[Mid-20th century. From late
Latin Salmanasar, a variant of Shalmaneser, a king of Assyria in
the Bible.][1]



salmi

salmi
sal·mi 
[sálmee] (plural sal·mis) or
sal·mis [sálmee] (plural sal·mis)
noun

rich
game stew:
a dish made from pieces of partly roasted game stewed with mushrooms and served
with a rich wine sauce
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of French salmagondis (see salmagundi
).][1]



Salmon

Salmon
Salm·on 
[sámmèn]

river in Idaho flowing into
the Snake River on the Washington border. Length: 676 km/420 mi.[1]



salmon

salmon
salm·on 
[sámmən] (plural salm·on or
salm·ons) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
N Atlantic food fish: a large North Atlantic fish,
popular for fishing and eating, that has soft fins and pink flesh and migrates
up freshwater rivers to spawn. Family: Salmonidae

2.  ZOOLOGY large
N Pacific food fish: a food fish of the salmon
family found in the North Pacific, for example, the Chinook, sockeye, coho, or
chum. Genus: Oncorhynchus

3.  FOOD salmon
as food:
the red or pink flesh of the salmon eaten as food

4.  COLORS See salmon pink
[13th century. Via French saumon
from Latin salmon-, stem of salmo, of uncertain origin: perhaps
from salire “to leap.”][1]



salmonberry

salmonberry

salm·on·ber·ry 
[sámmən bèrree] (plural salm·on·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS N
American raspberry: a raspberry plant from the
Pacific coast of North America that has showy red flowers and salmon-pink
fruit. Latin name: Rubus spectabilis

2.        FOOD fruit
of salmonberry: the edible salmon-pink
fruit of the salmonberry[1]



salmonella

salmonella
sal·mo·nel·la 
[sàlmə néllə] (plural sal·mo·nel·lae
[sàlmə néllee]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY bacterium
causing food poisoning: a rod-shaped bacterium found
in the intestine that can cause food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and typhoid
fever. Genus: Salmonella

2.  MED See salmonellosis
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, named for Daniel Elmer Salmon (1850–1914), the U.S.
veterinary surgeon who isolated a strain of these bacteria.][1]



salmonellosis

salmonellosis
sal·mo·nel·lo·sis 
[sàlmə ne lṓssiss] noun

food poisoning:
food poisoning caused by infection with salmonella organisms, usually
characterized by gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, fever, and occasionally
death. It is usually contracted by eating undercooked contaminated food.
Also called
salmonella[1]



salmonid

salmonid
salm·o·nid 
[sámmənid, sálmənid]
(plural salm·o·nids) noun

fish:
a bony soft-finned fish belonging to the family that includes salmon, trout,
whitefish, and char. Family: Salmonidae[1]



salmonpink

salmonpink
salm·on
pink
noun

orange-pink:
a pale orange-pink color, like the flesh of a salmon.
Also
called
salmon
—salm·on-pink, adjective[1]



Salome

Salome
Sa·lo·me 
[sə lṓmee, sállə
mày] noun

daughter of Herodias:
in the New Testament, the daughter of Herodias who demanded and received John
the Baptist’s head as reward for her dancing before her stepfather, Herod
Antipas (Matthew 14:6–11 and Mark 6:21–28)[1]



salometer

salometer
sa·lom·e·ter 
[sə lómmətər] (plural sa·lom·e·ters)
noun

See
salinometer
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin sal “salt” + -meter .][1]



salon

salon
sa·lon 
[sə lón, sa láwN]
(plural sa·lons) noun

1.  grand
sitting room: an elegantly furnished room in a large
house where guests are received and entertained

2.  social
gathering of intellectuals: a regular gathering of
prominent people from the worlds of literature, art, music, or politics,
especially one held at the home of a wealthy woman. Salons were especially
popular in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

3.  place
for hairdressing or beauty treatments: a
commercial establishment where hairdressers or beauticians work, sometimes part
of a larger store or a hotel

4.  FASHION expensive
clothes shop: a shop selling elegant or fashionable
women’s clothes, especially expensive designer clothes

5.  ARTS art
exhibition or gallery: an art exhibition,
especially one devoted to the work of living artists, or the hall in which the
exhibits are displayed
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian salone “large hall,” from sala, ultimately
from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



Salonika

Salonika
Sa·lo·ni·ka 
[sə lónnikə, sàllə
nkə]

See
Thessaloniki[1]



salonmusic

salonmusic
sa·lon
mu·sic
noun

light classical music:
light classical music for easy listening[1]



saloon

saloon
sa·loon 
[sə ln] (plural sa·loons) noun

1.  drinking
place:
a commercial establishment serving alcoholic drinks to the general public

2.  part
of ship or train: a large room on a ship where passengers
can sit and relax
[Early 18th century.
Anglicization of salon .][1]



saloop

saloop
sa·loop 
[sə lp] (plural sa·loops) noun

(plural
saloops) medicinal infusion:
a hot drink prepared from aromatic herbs or plant parts such as salep or
sassafras, formerly used for medicinal purposes (archaic)
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of French salep (see salep
).][1]



salopettes

salopettes
sa·lo·pettes 
[sàllə péts] plural noun

U.K.
high-waisted
skiing pants: a garment worn by skiers, comprising a
pair of usually padded, water-resistant pants that reach up to the chest with
straps passing over the shoulders
[Late 20th century. From
French .][1]



salp

salp
salp 
[salp] (plural salps) or
sal·pa [sálpə] (plural sal·pae
[sálpee] or sal·pas) noun

tiny
marine animal: a tiny free-swimming organism ( tunicate ) that inhabits warm seas and has a
transparent barrel-shaped body. Genus: Salpa
[Mid-19th
century. Via French from modern Latin salpa from, ultimately, Greek salpe
“fish.”]
—sal·pi·form [sálpə fàwrm], adjective[1]



salpingectomy

salpingectomy
sal·pin·gec·to·my 
[sàlpin jéktəmee] (plural sal·pin·gec·to·mies)
noun

severing
or removal of fallopian tube: the severing or surgical
removal of a fallopian tube
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek salpigg-, the stem of salpinx “trumpet” + -ectomy .][1]



salpingitis

salpingitis
sal·pin·gi·tis 
[sàlpin jtiss] noun

inflammation
of fallopian tube: inflammation of a fallopian
tube
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from the Greek stem salpigg- “trumpet” + -itis .]
—sal·pin·git·ic [sàlpin jíttik], adjective[1]



salsa

salsa

sal·sa 
[slssə] (plural sal·sas) noun

1.  FOOD spicy
sauce:
a spicy sauce of finely chopped vegetables including tomatoes, onions, and
chilis, eaten with tortilla chips and other Mexican foods

2.  MUSIC Latin
American dance music: a type of Latin American
dance music combining elements of jazz and rock with rhythmic African-Cuban
melodies

3.  DANCING dance
to salsa music: a dance performed to salsa music
[Late 20th century. Via
Spanish, “sauce,” from Latin, “salted,” from the past participle of sallere
“to salt,” from sal “salt” (source of English sauce ).][1]



salsify

salsify
sal·si·fy 
[sálssəfee, sálssə
f] (plural sal·si·fies or sal·si·fy) noun

1.  PLANTS European
herb with edible root: a European composite plant
that has leaves resembling grass, purple flowers, and a long edible root. Latin
name: Tragopogon porrifolius
Also
called
oyster plant
Also
called
vegetable oyster

2.  FOOD root
eaten as vegetable: the long pale edible root of
the salsify plant, which can be eaten boiled or fried as a vegetable
[Early 18th century. Via
French salsifis from Italian salsefica, of unknown origin.][1]



salsoda

salsoda
sal
so·da
noun

See
washing soda[1]



SALT

SALT
SALT 
[sawlt]

Abbreviation of
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (or Treaty)[1]



salt

salt
salt 
[sawlt] noun (plural salts)

1.  FOOD white
crystals used in food preparation: a substance, usually
in the form of small white crystals, with a sharp tangy taste that is used to
season or preserve food. Salt consists mainly of sodium chloride and is
abundant in sea water.
Also
called
common salt
See
also
sodium chloride

2.  CHEMISTRY crystalline
chemical compound: a crystalline chemical
compound formed as a result of the neutralization of an acid by a base
containing a metal or group acting like a metal

3.  something
that adds zest: something that adds zest, piquancy,
liveliness, or vigor

4.  dry
wit:
sharp or dry wit

5.  See
old salt

6.  HOUSEHOLD See saltcellar
plural
noun
salts

substance resembling salt:
a chemical or crystalline solution used for a particular purpose • smelling
salts
adjective

1.  preserved
with salt:
preserved with salt or a salt solution • salt
cod

2.  containing
salt:
containing or consisting of salt • salt
tears

3.  containing
or associated with salt water: containing, covered
with, or growing near salt water

4.  tasting
of salt:
tasting or smelling of salt
transitive
verb
(past salt·ed, past participle salt·ed, present
participle salt·ing, 3rd person present singular salts)

1.  season
food with salt: to add salt to food, during or after
preparation, to emphasize its flavor

2.  preserve
food with salt: to preserve food by treating it with
salt or a salt solution

3.  put
salt on cold ground: to scatter salt over a road
or sidewalk to melt ice or prevent it from forming

4.  add
zest to something: to add a more lively or
entertaining quality to something • She
salted her speech with jokes.

5.  MINING enrich
ore sample:
to enrich a mining area or sample with a valuable ore artificially introduced
in order to increase its apparent value
[Old
English sealt . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “salt.”]
—salt·ness,
noun
rub
salt in the wound

to
add to somebody’s distress, embarrassment, or sense of shame, often
deliberately

take
something with a grain or pinch of salt

to
listen to something without fully believing it

the
salt of the earth

a
very good, worthy person or group of people

worth
your salt

efficient
and doing the job well





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Indo-European ancestor of salt is also the
  ultimate source of English halogen,
  salad, salami,
  salary, saline, sauce, saucer,
  sausage, silt, and souse,
  and also of the cellar of saltcellar.

[1]



salt-and-pepper

salt-and-pepper
salt-and-pep·per 
adjective

See
pepper-and-salt[1]



saltarello

saltarello
sal·ta·rel·lo 
[sltə réllō, sàwltə
réllō] (plural sal·ta·rel·los or sal·ta·rel·li
[sltə réllee, sàwltə
réllee]) noun

1.  DANCE quick
dance with medieval origins: a quick dance in triple
meter dating from the medieval period and especially popular in Spain and Italy

2.  MUSIC music
for saltarello dance: a piece of music for a
saltarello
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin saltare “to dance,” (see saltation ).][1]



saltation

saltation
sal·ta·tion 
[sal táysh’n, sawl
táysh’n] (plural sal·ta·tions) noun

1.  jumping
or jump:
leaping or jumping, or a sudden jump or leap (formal)

2.  sudden
change:
development or transition that takes place in jumps or leaps (formal)

3.  BIOLOGY abrupt
evolutionary development: the abrupt evolutionary
development of a new species or property, especially as a result of genetic
mutation

4.  GEOLOGY jumping
motion of particles: the transportation of
particles of soil or sand in the wind or in running water, characterized by
bouncing movements
[Early 17th century. From the
Latin stem saltation-, from saltare literally “to keep leaping,”
from salire “to leap” (source of English salient
).][1]



saltatorial

saltatorial
sal·ta·to·ri·al 
[sàltə táwree əl, sàwltə
táwree əl] or sal·ta·to·ry [sáltə
tàwree, sáwltə tàwree, sóltə tàwree] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY relating
to jumping:
relating to or adapted for jumping • an
insect with saltatorial legs

2.  associated
with jumping or dancing: associated with or involving
jumping, leaping, or dancing

3.  developing
in jumps or leaps: involving or characterized
by sudden change rather than gradual transition

[1]



saltaway

saltaway
salt
away
transitive verb

put
money aside: to hoard or save money for future use,
often secretly or illegally
[Origin uncertain: probably
from the practice of preserving food in salt][1]



saltbox

saltbox

salt·box 
[sáwlt bòks] (plural salt·box·es)
noun

1.  box
for salt:
a box in which salt is stored, especially one with a sloping lid

2.        ARCHITECTURE frame
house design: a wood-frame house that
has two floors at the front but only one in the back, and with a long,
typically broken rear slope to the roof[1]



saltbush

saltbush
salt·bush 
[sáwlt bsh] (plural salt·bush·es
or salt·bush) noun

See
orach[1]



saltcake

saltcake
salt
cake
noun

impure form of sodium
sulfate: an impure form of sodium
sulfate used in the manufacture of glass, paper pulp, soap, and ceramic glazes[1]



saltcellar

saltcellar
salt·cel·lar 
[sáwlt sèllər] (plural salt·cel·lars)
noun

salt dispenser:
a small container for salt, especially one used at the table to season food
after it is served.
Also called
salt[1]



saltchuck

saltchuck
salt·chuck
[sáwlt chùk] (plural salt·chucks)
noun

Canada
stretch of salt water:
a stretch of salt water flowing into a freshwater lake or river[1]



saltchucker

saltchucker
salt·chuck·er
[sáwlt chùkər] (plural salt·chuck·ers)
noun

Canada
saltwater angler:
an angler who fishes in salt water[1]



saltdepletion

saltdepletion
salt
de·ple·tion
noun

illness caused by body losing
salt: the dangerous loss of salt
from the body by excessive sweating, diarrhea, and vomiting, causing muscular
weakness and cramps[1]



saltdome

saltdome
salt
dome
(plural salt domes) noun

dome-shaped rock structure
with salt core: a dome-shaped structure
formed in sedimentary rock when buried salt deposits move up through overlying
rocks, owing to their low density and high buoyancy[1]



salted

salted
salt·ed
[sáwltəd] adjective

1.  treated
with salt:
with salt added for seasoning, preservation, or some other purpose

2.  hardened
or experienced: hardened or experienced, for example, in
a trade or profession

[1]



salter

salter
salt·er 
[sáwltər] (plural salt·ers) noun

1.  dealer
in salt:
somebody who produces or sells salt

2.  somebody
treating food with salt: somebody who treats food
with salt to preserve it

[1]



saltern

saltern
salt·ern 
[sáwltərn] (plural salt·erns) noun

1.  INDUSTRY saltworks:
a place where salt is produced commercially

2.  GEOGRAPHY source
of salt produced by evaporation: a place where salt is
produced naturally when pools of sea water evaporate
[Old English, from sealt
(see salt ) + ærn “building” (source
of English barn )][1]



saltfish

saltfish
salt·fish
[sáwlt fìsh] noun

Caribbean
cod preserved with salt:
cod or other fish preserved with salt[1]



saltflat

saltflat
salt
flat
(plural salt flats) noun

salty desert area:
a broad flat area in hot deserts encrusted with salt left after the evaporation
of water from shallow saline lakes (often used in the plural)[1]



saltgland

saltgland
salt
gland
(plural salt glands) noun

salt-excreting gland:
a gland in certain marine animals, for example, birds or reptiles, used to
excrete excess ingested salt[1]



saltglaze

saltglaze
salt
glaze
(plural salt glaz·es) noun

(plural salt glazes)
glaze formed by salt in kiln:
a glaze formed by throwing salt into a kiln during the firing process[1]



saltgrass

saltgrass
salt
grass
noun

grass in salt marshes:
any grass native to salt marshes or alkaline regions[1]



salthay

salthay
salt
hay
noun

hay made from salt grass:
hay produced from salt grass, used as fodder[1]



Saltillo

Saltillo
Sal·ti·llo 
[sal tl yō]

capital of Coahuila State in
northern Mexico, founded in 1575. Population: 420,845 (1990)[1]



saltimbocca

saltimbocca
sal·tim·boc·ca 
[sltim bṓkə, sàwltim
bṓkə, sltim bókə, sàwltim bókə] noun

Italian
veal dish:
a dish consisting of thin slices of veal rolled up with prosciutto ham and
fresh sage leaves, lightly fried and braised in white wine
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, from saltare “to leap” + in “into” + bocca
“mouth.”][1]



saltine

saltine
sal·tine 
[sawl tn] (plural sal·tines) noun

thin cracker:
a thin crisp cracker sprinkled with salt[1]



saltire

saltire

sal·tire 
[sál tr, sáwl
tr] (plural sal·tires) noun
diagonal
cross on coat of arms: one of the basic designs
used on coats of arms consisting of a diagonal cross
[15th century. Via Old French
sau(l)toir “stirrup, style” from, ultimately, Latin saltare (see saltation ).][1]



salt-kind

salt-kind
salt-kind
noun

Caribbean
salted meat:
salted meat or meat soaked in brine, including pig’s feet and oxtails, used in
making soup or cooking beans[1]



saltlake

saltlake
salt
lake
(plural salt lakes) noun

lake high in salt content:
a lake with no outlet and having a high salt content as a result of
evaporation, for example, the Dead Sea[1]



SaltLake City

SaltLake City
Salt
Lake Ci·ty


capital city of Utah, located
in the northern central part of the state, 24 km/15 mi east of the Great Salt
Lake. Population: 171,849 (1994)[1]



saltlick

saltlick
salt
lick
(plural salt licks) noun

1.  place
where animals lick salt deposits: a place where animals
go to lick salt deposits that occur naturally

2.  salt
fed to farm animals: a block of salt or other
preparation that livestock lick in order to supplement their salt intake. It
may also contain other essential minerals such as magnesium or iodine.

[1]



saltmarsh

saltmarsh
salt
marsh
(plural salt marsh·es) noun

marsh prone to salt water
flooding: a marshy grassland area
regularly flooded with salt water[1]



SaltonSea

SaltonSea
Sal·ton
Sea 
[sàwlt’n s]

saltwater lake in southern
California, formed when the Colorado River flooded in 1905. Area: 932 sq km/360
sq mi.[1]



saltout

saltout
salt
out
transitive verb

extract dissolved substance
by adding salt: to cause a dissolved
substance to come out of solution by adding a salt[1]



saltpan

saltpan
salt·pan
[sáwlt pàn] (plural salt·pans)
noun

basin with high salt content:
a basin in a semiarid region where salts are precipitated after saline
floodwaters evaporate[1]



saltpeter

saltpeter
salt·pe·ter 
[sàwlt ptər] noun

1.  See
Chile saltpeter

2.  See
potassium nitrate
[14th century. Alteration,
influenced by salt, of salpetre,
from, ultimately, Latin sal “salt” + petra “rock,” from its
appearance as a crust on rock.][1]



saltpork

saltpork
salt
pork
noun

cured fat pork:
a fat cut of pork from the belly, back, or sides, cured by salting[1]



saltshaker

saltshaker
salt·shak·er 
[sáwlt shàykər] (plural salt·shak·ers)
noun

perforated salt dispenser:
a small container with holes in the top for sprinkling salt over food at the
table[1]



saltwater

saltwater
salt·wa·ter
[sáwlt wàwtər, sáwlt
wòttər] adjective

1.  of
salt water:
containing or involving salt water

2.  BIOLOGY living
in salt water: living or growing in salt water

[1]



saltwater

saltwater
salt
wa·ter
noun

1.  water
containing salt: water containing a lot of salt

2.  seawater:
the water of the sea and coastal inlets

[1]



saltwatercrocodile

saltwatercrocodile
salt·wa·ter
croc·o·dile
noun

large Australian and Asian
crocodile: a large crocodile that
inhabits the coastal waterways of northern Australia and Southeast Asia and
feeds on fish, birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Latin name: Crocodylus
porosus[1]



saltworks

saltworks
salt·works 
[sáwlt wùrks] noun

place where salt is produced:
a place or factory where salt is produced commercially (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



saltwort

saltwort
salt·wort 
[sáwlt wùrt, sáwlt
wàwrt] (plural salt·worts or salt·wort) noun

plant native to seashores:
a plant of the goosefoot family with prickly leaves and small flowers that is
native to seashores. Genus: Salsosa[1]



salty

salty
salt·y 
[sáwltee] (comparative salt·i·er,
superlative salt·i·est) adjective

1.  tasting
of salt:
containing or tasting of salt

2.  of
sea or sailors: associated with the sea or with nautical
life

3.  lively
and amusing: lively, amusing, and sometimes mildly
indecent • salty
jokes
—salt·i·ly,
adverb

—salt·i·ness, noun[1]



salubrious

salubrious
sa·lu·bri·ous 
[sə lbree əss] adjective

good
for the health: beneficial to or promoting health or
well-being (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin salubris, from salus “health” (source
of English salutary and salute ).]
—sa·lu·bri·ous·ly,
adverb

—sa·lu·bri·ous·ness,
noun

—sa·lu·bri·ty, noun[1]



Saluda

Saluda
Sa·lu·da 
[sè ldè]

river in South Carolina,
rising in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flowing into the Congaree River. Length:
322 km/200 mi.[1]



saluki

saluki

sa·lu·ki 
[sə lkee] (plural sa·lu·kis) noun
tall
slender dog: a tall slender dog belonging to a breed
originally developed in Arabia and Egypt. It has a smooth coat and long fur on
the ears and tail.
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic salūī, from Salū, a town in Yemen.][1]



salutary

salutary
sal·u·tar·y 
[sállyə tèrree] adjective

1.  useful:
of value or benefit to somebody or something • We
asked if military service had been a salutary experience for him.

2.  healthful:
promoting good health (formal)
[15th
century. Directly or via French salutaire from Latin salutaris,
from salus “health” (source of English salubrious
).]
—sal·u·tar·i·ly,
adverb

—sal·u·tar·i·ness, noun[1]



salutation

salutation
sal·u·ta·tion 
[sàllyə táysh’n] noun (plural sal·u·ta·tions)

1.  sign
of greeting: a gesture or phrase that is used to
greet, welcome, or recognize somebody

2.  act
of greeting somebody: the expression of greetings,
welcome, or recognition

3.  opening
greeting:
the opening phrase of a letter or speech, used to address the recipient or
audience, for example, “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Ladies and Gentlemen”
interjection
plural noun sal·u·ta·tions

greetings:
greetings or regards (formal) • Salutations
from us all!
—sal·u·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



salutatorian

salutatorian
sa·lu·ta·to·ri·an 
[sə ltə táwree ən] (plural sa·lu·ta·to·ri·ans)
noun

second best graduate:
a student in a graduating class who is second highest in academic ranking,
usually required to give a salutatory at the graduation ceremony[1]



salutatory

salutatory
sa·lu·ta·to·ry 
[sə ltə tàwree] adjective

expressing
greetings:
expressing or conveying greetings
noun
(plural sa·lu·ta·to·ries)

welcoming speech at
graduation: a welcoming speech,
especially one given at a graduation ceremony[1]



salute

salute
sa·lute 
[sə lt] verb (past sa·lut·ed,
past participle sa·lut·ed, present participle sa·lut·ing,
3rd person present singular sa·lutes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY give formal sign of respect:
to formally signal respect to another member of the armed forces or to a flag,
usually by raising the right hand to the forehead or by presenting arms

2.  transitive
verb
greet
somebody:
to greet, welcome, or acknowledge somebody, either with a gesture or in words

3.  transitive
verb
formally
praise or honor somebody: to praise or honor somebody
for something, especially in a formal ceremony • We
salute you for your contribution.
noun
(plural sa·lutes)

1.  gesture
of respect:
a gesture used by members of the armed forces and some other organized groups
as a formal sign of respect

2.  firing
guns as military honor: a military display of honor
for a dignitary or on a special occasion, for example, the firing of guns into
the air at the funeral of an officer • a
21-gun salute

3.  act
of saluting: an act or an occasion of saluting
[14th
century. From Latin salutare, from salut-, stem of salus
“health” (source of English salubrious
).]
—sa·lut·er, noun[1]



salvable

salvable
sal·va·ble 
[sálvəb’l] adjective

able
to be salvaged: capable of being saved or salvaged (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin salvare “to save” (see salvage
).][1]



Salvador

Salvador
Sal·va·dor 
[sálvèdawr]

port and capital city of
Bahia State in eastern Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 2,209,465
(1996)[1]



Salvadoran

Salvadoran
Sal·va·do·ran 
[sàlvə dáwrən] or Sal·va·do·ri·an
[sàlvə dáwree ən] or Sal·va·do·re·an
[sàlvə dáwree ən] noun (plural
Sal·va·do·rans) (plural Sal·va·do·ri·ans) (plural Sal·va·do·re·ans)

somebody
from El Salvador: somebody who was born or raised in El
Salvador, or who is a citizen of El Salvador
adjective

of El Salvador:
relating to El Salvador or its people or culture[1]



Salvador,El

Salvador,El
Sal·va·dor,
El
[sálvèdawr]

See
El Salvador[1]



salvage

salvage
sal·vage 
[sálvij] transitive verb (past
sal·vaged, past participle sal·vaged, present
participle sal·vag·ing, 3rd person present singular sal·vag·es)

1.  save
something for further use: to save used, damaged, or
rejected goods for recycling or further use • Maybe
we can salvage some spare parts from your old car.

2.  rescue
something from bad situation: to save something of worth
or merit from a situation or event that is otherwise a failure

3.  save
something from destruction: to save a ship, cargo, crew,
or other property or goods from destruction or loss (often passive) • They
salvaged what they could from the wreckage.
noun

1.  rescue
of property from destruction: the rescue of property or
goods from destruction or loss, for example, because of a flood or fire

2.  SHIPPING rescue
of ship from sea: the rescue of a ship, its cargo, or crew
from loss at sea

3.  rescued
goods:
something such as a ship or goods that have been saved from destruction or loss
• a
salvage yard

4.  something
reused:
something that would otherwise be destroyed or discarded but is recycled or put
to further use

5.  payment
to rescuers: payment made to volunteers who help in
the rescue of ships, property, or goods from destruction or loss

6.  money
from sale of rescued goods: money from the sale of goods
or property that have been saved from destruction or loss
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, late Latin salvare “to save,” from
Latin salvus “safe.”]
—sal·vage·a·bil·i·ty
[sàlvijə bíllətee], noun

—sal·vage·a·ble
[sálvijəb’l], adjective

—sal·vag·er, noun[1]



salvation

salvation
sal·va·tion 
[sal váysh’n] noun

1.  act
of saving from harm: the saving of somebody or
something from harm, destruction, difficulty, or failure • The
business was clearly beyond salvation.

2.  means
of saving somebody or something: somebody or something
that protects or delivers somebody or something else from harm, destruction,
difficulty, or failure • Those
long walks were my salvation.

3.  CHRISTIANITY deliverance
from sin through Jesus Christ: in the Christian
religion, deliverance from sin or the consequences of sin through Jesus
Christ’s death on the cross

4.  Christian
Science philosophy of life: in the Christian Science
religion, belief in the supremacy of life, truth, and love, and in their
destruction of such illusions as sin, illness, and death
[13th
century. Via Old French salvacion from, ultimately, Latin salvare
“to save” (see salvage ).]
—sal·va·tion·al, adjective[1]



SalvationArmy

SalvationArmy
Sal·va·tion
Ar·my 
noun

charitable Christian
organization: a worldwide evangelical
Christian organization that provides aid to those in need. It was founded by
William Booth in London, England, in 1865.[1]



Salvationist

Salvationist
Sal·va·tion·ist 
(plural Sal·va·tion·ists) noun

Salvation Army member:
a member of the Salvation Army[1]



salvationist

salvationist
sal·va·tion·ist
[sal váysh’nist] (plural sal·va·tion·ists)
noun

evangelical
Christian:
a Christian who preaches the doctrine that Jesus Christ died on the cross to
save people from sin or the consequences of sin
—sal·va·tion·ism, noun[1]



salve

salve2
salve2 [salv]
(past salved, past participle salved, present
participle salv·ing, 3rd person present singular salves)
transitive verb

salvage
something:
to save something from destruction or loss
[Early
18th century. Back-formation from salvage .]
—sal·vor [sálvər, sál vàwr],
noun[1]



salve

salve1
salve1 [sav,
salv] noun (plural salves)

1.  soothing
ointment:
an ointment for soothing or healing wounds or sores

2.  something
that soothes or calms: anything that eases pain or
anxiety • Her
forgiveness was a salve to my conscience.
transitive
verb
(past salved, past participle salved, present
participle salv·ing, 3rd person present singular salves)

ease pain or worry:
to soothe or ease pain or anxiety • salve
your wounded pride
[Old English salf, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



salver

salver
sal·ver 
[sálvər] (plural sal·vers) noun

serving
tray:
a tray, especially a silver one, used to serve food or drinks, or to present
things such as letters or visiting cards
[Mid-17th century. Via French
save “tray for presenting things to the king” from, ultimately, late
Latin salvare “to save” (see salvage
).][1]



salverform

salverform
sal·ver·form 
[sálvər fàwrm] adjective

tubular with spreading tip:
used to describe the corolla of a flower with joined petals that is long and
tube-shaped with a spreading upper part[1]



salvia

salvia
sal·vi·a 
[sálvee ə] (plural sal·vi·as or
sal·vi·a) noun

ornamental
red-flowered plant: an ornamental plant of the
mint family with opposite leaves and whorled red flowers, each of which has a
two-lipped corolla and two anthers. Latin name: Salvia splendens
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Salvia, genus name, from Latin salvia “sage,” from salvus
“safe.”][1]



salvific

salvific
sal·vif·ic 
[sal víffik] adjective

bringing
salvation:
having the power or desire to bring salvation (formal)
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin salvificus, from Latin salvus “safe.”][1]



salvo

salvo2
sal·vo2 [sálvō]
(plural sal·vos) noun

salve
for conscience: something that is used to save a
reputation or soothe somebody’s conscience or wounded pride
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, a form of salvus “safe.”][1]



salvo

salvo1
sal·vo1 [sálvō]
(plural sal·vos or sal·voes) noun

1.  simultaneous
discharge of weapons: the firing of several
weapons simultaneously, especially at a formal military ceremony

2.  heavy
burst of firing or bombing: a concentrated burst of
firing or bombing from several different sources during a battle

3.  number
of bombs released at once: a number of bombs or
projectiles released simultaneously

4.  outburst:
a sudden burst of applause or cheering • a
salvo of applause

5.  verbal
attack:
a vigorous written or spoken attack • a
blistering salvo
[Late 16th century. Via
French salve or Italian salva “greeting, salutation” from,
ultimately, Latin salvus “safe.”][1]



salvolatile

salvolatile
sal
vo·la·tile 
[sàl və látt’lee] noun

1.  See
ammonium carbonate

2.  smelling
salts:
a solution of ammonium carbonate in alcohol and ammonia in water, often mixed
with aromatic oils, that is used as smelling salts.
Also
called
spirits of ammonia
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, literally “volatile salt.”][1]



Salween

Salween
Sal·ween 
[sálween]

river in Southeast Asia,
flowing through China, including Tibet, and Myanmar (Burma). Length: 2,900
km/1,800 mi.[1]



Salzburg

Salzburg
Salz·burg 
[sáltsburg, zltsboo
erg]

capital city of Salzburg
Province in western Austria. The Salzburg Festival, which concentrates on the
music of Mozart, who was born in the city, is held there annually. Population:
143,978 (1991)[1]



Salzgitter

Salzgitter
Salz·git·ter 
[zlts gitèr]

city in Lower Saxony State,
northern central Germany, situated 169 km/105 mi south of Hamburg. Population:
117,700 (1994)[1]



Salé

Salé
Sa·lé 
[saa láy]

city on the Atlantic coast of
Morocco. Population: 521,000 (1993)[1]



SAM

SAM
SAM
[sam, èss ay ém]

Abbreviation of
surface-to-air missile[1]



Sam.

Sam.
Sam.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Samuel[1]



samara

samara
sam·a·ra 
[sámmərə, sə
mérrə, sə mrə] (plural sam·a·ras)
noun

BOTANY See key 1 noun 26
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “elm seed.”][1]



Samaria

Samaria
Sa·mar·i·a 
[sə márree ə]

ancient
city and state in Palestine, located north of present-day Jerusalem, east of
the Mediterranean Sea
—Sam·ar·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Samaritan

Samaritan
Sa·mar·i·tan 
[sə mérrətən] (plural Sa·mar·i·tans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Samaria: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of Samaria

2.  somebody
who helps those in need: somebody who helps others
who are in difficulty, without expecting any reward or recognition. See Good Samaritan
[Pre-12th
century. Via late Latin Samaritanus from, ultimately, Greek Samareia
“Samaria.”]
—Sa·mar·i·tan·ism, noun[1]



samarium

samarium

sa·mar·i·um 
[sə máiree əm] noun
silvery-gray
metallic element: a silvery-gray metallic chemical element
that is found in monazite and bastnaesite and is used particularly in making
strong magnets. It is also used in carbon-arc lighting, as a dopant for laser
materials, and as a neutron absorber. Symbol Sm
[Late 19th century. Coined
from samarskite + -ium
.][1]



Samarkand

Samarkand
Sa·mar·kand 
[sámmər kànd] or Sa·mar·qand [sámmər kànd]

capital city of Samarkand
Oblast, central Uzbekistan. Located in the valley of the Zeravshan River, it is
the oldest city in central Asia. Population: 371,000 (1991)[1]



samarskite

samarskite
sa·mar·skite 
[sə mr skt, sámmər
skt] noun

black
mineral containing uranium: a black mineral that
contains uranium and a mix of rare-earth elements and is found in pegmatites
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Russian mining engineer V. E. Samarskii -Vykhovets ( 1803–1870 ).][1]



Sama-Veda

Sama-Veda
Sa·ma-Ve·da
[smə váydə] noun

ancient
Hindu sacred text: one of the four collections
of chants ( Veda ) used during Hindu
sacrifices. It contains songs based on the Rig-Veda with instructions on their
recitation.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit, formed from sāman “chant” + vedaḥ “knowledge” (see Rig-Veda ).][1]



samba

samba
sam·ba 
[sámbə, smbə]
noun (plural sam·bas)

1.  DANCE Brazilian
dance:
a lively Brazilian ballroom dance with strong African influences

2.  MUSIC music
for samba:
a piece of music in 4/4 time written for the samba
intransitive
verb
(past sam·baed, past participle sam·baed, present
participle sam·ba·ing, 3rd person present singular sam·bas)

DANCE dance
the samba:
to dance the samba
[Late 19th century. From
Portuguese, of uncertain origin: perhaps from an African language.][1]



sambal

sambal
sam·bal 
[sm bl, saam
bl] or sam·bol [sm bl,
saam bl] noun

spicy
side dish of SE Asia: a spicy condiment or relish
of Southeast Asia made of chili, spices, vinegar, tomato, onion, and other
vegetables
[Early 19th century. From
Malay .][1]



sambar

sambar
sam·bar 
[sámbər, smbər]
(plural sam·bars or sam·bar) or sam·bur
[sámbər, smbər]
(plural sam·burs or sam·bur) noun

large
SE Asian deer: a large deer that has a reddish-brown
coat and three-pronged antlers. It is native to Southeast Asia. Latin name: Cervus
unicolor
[Late 17th century. Via Hindi
sāmbar from Sanskrit šambaraḥ .][1]



sambo

sambo
sam·bo
[sámbō] or sam·bo wres·tling [sámbō] noun

type
of wrestling based on judo: a form of wrestling based on
judo that originated in the former Soviet Union and is now practiced
internationally
[Mid-20th
century. An acronym from Russian samozashchita bez oruzhiya, literally
“unarmed self-defence.”]
—sam·bo wres·tler, noun[1]



sambol

sambol
sam·bol
noun

See
sambal[1]



SamBrowne belt

SamBrowne belt
Sam
Browne belt 
[sàm brówn bèlt] or Sam Browne
[sàm brówn bèlt] noun

wide
belt supported by diagonal strap: a wide belt supported
by a diagonal strap that passes from the left-hand side over the right
shoulder, worn as part of military or police uniforms
[Named for the British
military commander Sir Samuel Browne ( 1824–1901 ), who invented it][1]



sambuca

sambuca
sam·bu·ca 
[sam bkə, sam
bykə] (plural sam·bu·cas) noun

flavored
elderberry liqueur: an Italian liqueur made from
elderberries and flavored with licorice or aniseed
[Late 20th century. Via
Italian from Latin sambucus “elder tree.”][1]



sambur

sambur
sam·bur 
noun

See
sambar[1]



same

same
same 
[saym] CORE
MEANING:
a word indicating that one thing or person is involved rather than two or more
different things or people • (adjective)
I can’t drive and talk at the same time. • (adjective)
He lives on the same street as I do.

1.
adjective pronoun previously mentioned:
previously mentioned, or as previously described (used as pronoun without
“the” in business contexts) • (adjective)
She left because she was bored, and I left two months later for the same
reason.
• (pronoun)
Wool should always be washed carefully. The same applies to silk.

2.
adjective pronoun adverb identical:
resembling something exactly • (adjective)
They turned up at the party wearing the same dress. • (adjective)
All the houses looked exactly the same. • (adjective)
Look –their curtains are the same as ours! • (pronoun)
All the experts say the same.

3.
adjective unchanged:
unchanged or unchanging • After
the accident, he just wasn’t the same person. • The
house looked the same as always. • I
want things to stay the same.
[12th
century. From Old Norse samr . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “one,” which is also the ancestor of English simple and homo-
.]
the
same as

in
the identical way that (informal) • He
wants to win, the same as I do.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  We
  have received your order and have pleasure in completing same.
  This
  use of same as a pronoun is characteristic
  of commercial language and is not normally suitable for general use, except
  for special or humorous effect: • She poured
  out a large glass of water and drank same.

[1]



samekh

samekh
sa·mekh 
[s mèk, s mèkh]
(plural sa·mekhs) noun

15th
Hebrew letter: the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet,
represented in the English alphabet as “s”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew sāmekh, literally “a support.”][1]



sameness

sameness
same·ness 
[sáymnəss] noun

1.  quality
of being the same: the quality or condition of
being very similar or the same • There
was a sameness about the two accounts.

2.  lack
of variety:
a lack of variety or change • There’s
a certain sameness about all his paintings.

[1]



same-sex

same-sex
same-sex
adjective

homosexual:
homosexual or lesbian • involved
in a same-sex relationship[1]



SamHill

SamHill
Sam
Hill
[sàm híl] or sam hill [sàm híl] noun

euphemism
for “hell”:
used for emphasis, especially in questions, as a euphemism for “hell” (slang)
• What
the Sam Hill is wrong with my computer?
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Samian

Samian
Sa·mi·an 
[sáymee ən] (plural Sa·mi·ans)
noun

PEOPLES somebody
from Samos:
somebody who was born or raised on the Greek island of Samos
—Sa·mi·an, adjective[1]



samiel

samiel
sam·iel 
[sm yèl, səm
yél] (plural sam·iels) noun

METEOROLOGY See simoom
[Late 17th century. From
Turkish samyeli, literally “poisonous wind.”][1]



samisen

samisen

sam·i·sen 
[sámmi sèn] (plural sam·i·sens)
noun
Japanese
stringed instrument: a Japanese three-stringed
musical instrument that has a long fretless neck and is played with a plectrum
[Early 17th century. Via
Japanese from Chinese sānxián literally “three strings.”][1]



samite

samite
sam·ite 
[sá mt, sáy mt]
(plural sam·ites) noun

heavy
silk fabric: a heavy silk fabric, often interwoven
with gold or silver threads, that was used for clothing in the Middle Ages
[12th century. Via Old French
samit and medieval Latin examitum from, ultimately, Greek hexamiton
literally “six threads.”][1]



samizdat

samizdat
sa·miz·dat 
[smiz dàt, smiz
dt] noun

1.  underground
publishing in former USSR: in the former Soviet Union,
the printing and distribution of secret or banned literature

2.  banned
literature:
literature produced by the samizdat system

3.  (plural
sa·miz·dats) secret printing press:
a secret printing press, especially in the former Soviet Union
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, formed from sam- “self” + izdatel’stvo “publishing
house.”][1]



samlet

samlet
sam·let 
[sámmlət] (plural sam·lets) noun

young
salmon:
a young salmon, feeding in fresh water
[Mid-17th century.
Contraction of salmonlet .][1]



Samnite

Samnite
Sam·nite
[sám nt] noun (plural Sam·nites)

member
of people in ancient Italy: a member of an ancient
people who occupied an area of central and southern Italy known as Samnium.
They repeatedly tried to spread into territory held by Rome during the 4th and
3rd centuries BC and were
eventually defeated by the Romans around 290 BC.
adjective

of
the Samnites: relating to the Samnites, or their
culture or empire • the Samnite Wars
[14th C. From Latin Samnites
“the Samnites.”][1]



Samoa

Samoa


Sa·mo·a 
[sə mṓ ə]
independent island state in the southern
Pacific Ocean, situated west of American Samoa. Language: Samoan. Language:
English. Currency: tala. Capital: Apia. Population: 167,400 (1996) Area: 2,831
sq km/1,093 sq mi. Official name Independent State of Samoa Former
name Western Samoa[1]



Samoan

Samoan
Sa·mo·an 
[sə mṓ ən] (plural Sa·mo·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Samoa:
somebody who was born or raised in Samoa or is a citizen of American Samoa or
the Independent State of Samoa

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Samoa:
the language of Samoa, belonging to the Polynesian family of languages. About
300,000 people speak Samoan.
—Sa·mo·an, adjective[1]



Samos

Samos
Sa·mos 
[sáymoss]

Greek island in the Aegean
Sea, separated from the southwestern coast of Turkey by the narrow Samos
Strait. Population: 41,965 (1991) Area: 505 sq km/195 sq mi.[1]



samosa

samosa
sa·mo·sa 
[sə mṓssə, sə
móssə] (plural sa·mo·sas or sa·mo·sa) noun

spicy
Indian pastry: an Indian snack consisting of a thin
pastry case filled with spiced vegetables or meat and then deep-fried
[Mid-20th century. From Urdu
.][1]



Samothrace

Samothrace
Sam·o·thrace 
[sámmè thrayss]

Greek island in the
northeastern Aegean Sea, situated 40 km/25 mi from mainland Greece. Population:
2,871 (1981) Area: 178 sq km/69 sq mi.[1]



samovar

samovar

sam·o·var 
[sámmə vr] (plural sam·o·vars)
noun
Russian
tea urn:
a large and often ornate Russian tea urn. In older models the water was heated
by a built-in charcoal burner, but many modern models are electrically
operated.
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian, formed from samo- “self” + varit “to boil.”][1]



Samoyed

Samoyed
Sam·o·yed
[sámmə yèd, sám
oy yèd] (plural Sam·o·yeds) noun

1.  (plural
Sam·o·yeds or Sam·o·yed) PEOPLES
member
of a Siberian people: a member of a people living
traditionally as reindeer herders in far northeastern European Russia and
western Siberia

2.  LANGUAGE Samoyed
language:
the group of languages spoken by the Samoyed peoples. They belong to the Uralic
family of languages, are related to Finno-Ugric, and are sometimes classified
as belonging to the Ural-Altaic group.

3.  ZOOLOGY Siberian
dog:
a dog belonging to a Siberian breed that has a thick creamy-white coat,
distinctive ruff, and tightly-curled tail
[Late
16th century. From Russian .]
—Sam·o·yed, adjective[1]



samp

samp
samp 
[samp] noun

New
England
cornmeal
mush:
cornmeal mush
[Mid-17th century. From
Algonquian nasàump .][1]



sampan

sampan
sam·pan 
[sám pàn] (plural sam·pans) noun

small
SE Asian boat: a small flat-bottomed boat ( skiff ) propelled by two oars or a single
rear-mounted oar ( scull )
[Early 17th century. From
Chinese sānbăn, literally “three-board (boat).”][1]



samphire

samphire
sam·phire 
[sám fr] (plural sam·phires or
sam·phire) noun

1.  European
plant with white flowers: a European coastal plant
that has small white flowers, and fleshy leaves that are used in pickles. Latin
name: Crithmum maritimum

2.  See
glasswort
[Mid-16th century.
Contraction of French herbe de Saint Pierre .][1]



S& L

S& L
S
& L

Abbreviation of
savings and loan association[1]



sample

sample
sam·ple 
[sámp’l] noun (plural sam·ples)

1.  example
of something: a small amount of something, used as an
example of more general character, features, or quality • a
free sample of the new shampoo

2.  specimen
for analysis: a small part or quantity of something,
for example, blood or soil, for scientific or medical examination or analysis • took
a blood sample

3.  RECORDING piece
of recorded sound: a piece of recorded sound or
a musical phrase taken from an existing recording, especially in digital form,
used as part of a new recording • a CD
of drum samples

4.  STATISTICS group
selected for testing: a representative selection
of a population that is examined to gain statistical information about the
whole
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sam·pled,
past participle sam·pled, present participle sam·pling,
3rd person present singular sam·ples)

1.  get
a sample of something: to take a sample of
something, especially to determine its character, features, or quality • sample
the river water

2.  RECORDING take
sample of something for recording: to take a sample of
recorded music, especially in order to use it in another recording • sampled
whatever albums happened to be lying around

3.  RECORDING convert
sound into digital information: to convert sound into
digital information in order to store or manipulate it electronically
[13th century. Shortening of
Norman French assample “example.”][1]



sampler

sampler
sam·pler 
[sámplər] (plural sam·plers) noun

1.  somebody
who analyzes samples: somebody who samples small
quantities of something, especially in order to determine quality

2.  device
for taking samples: a machine or device used to
take and analyze samples

3.  STATISTICS representative
selection:
a selection that is intended to represent what is available in a particular
range

4.  SEWING embroidered
cloth:
a piece of embroidered cloth containing rows of different stitches, either as a
practice piece or, originally, as a demonstration of the embroiderer’s skill

5.  RECORDING electronic
equipment for sampling musical phrases: an
electronic device that can record sounds or take short musical phrases from an
existing recording, and allow them to be manipulated digitally before being
used to make a new recording

6.  RECORDING machine
converting sound to digital information: an
electronic device that converts sound to digital information for electronic
storage or manipulation

[1]



samplespace

samplespace
sam·ple
space
(plural sam·ple spac·es) noun

set of possible statistical
outcomes: the set of all possible
outcomes of a statistical experiment, represented by points[1]



sampling

sampling
sam·pling 
[sámpling] (plural sam·plings)
noun

1.  process
of selecting sample group: the process of selecting a
group of people or products to be used as a representative or random sample

2.  something
used as a sample: a small part, number, or quantity of
something that has been taken or selected as a sample

3.  RECORDING reuse
of recorded musical phrases: the process of taking a
short musical phrase from one recording and using it in another recording,
often in repeated sequences and sometimes in an adapted or edited form • recent
advances in sampling technology

[1]



S& M

S& M
S
& M

Abbreviation of
sadomasochism[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Sampras,Pete

Sampras,Pete
Sam·pras
[sámprəss], Pete (1971– )

U.S.
tennis player. At 19, he became the youngest player to win the U.S. Open
championship. He was ranked the world’s number one player in 1993 and 1994.
Full name
Peter Sampras Known as Pistol Pete[1]



samsara

samsara
sam·sa·ra 
[səm srə] noun

1.  Hindu
cycle of death and rebirth: in Hinduism, the endless
cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth

2.  rebirth:
in Buddhism, somebody’s rebirth
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit saṃs araḥ, from sam “together” + sarati “it
flows.”][1]



Samson

Samson
Sam·son 
[sámss’n] noun

1.  biblical
warrior:
in the Bible, an Israelite judge and warrior. He used his enormous strength to
fight the Philistines, to whom he was ultimately betrayed by his mistress,
Delilah (Judges 13–16) .

2.  (plural
Sam·sons) strong man: any
very strong man
—Sam·so·ni·an [sam sṓnee ən], adjective[1]



Samuel

Samuel
Sam·u·el 
noun

Hebrew prophet:
in the Bible, the leader of the Israelites in the 11th century BC . He was the first prophet after
Moses.[1]



Samuelson,Paul

Samuelson,Paul
Sam·uel·son
[sámmyəls’n, sámmyoo
əls’n], Paul (1915– )

U.S.
economist, who is best known for his widely used and constantly updated
textbook, Economics, first published in 1948. He won the Nobel Prize in
economics (1970).
Full name
Samuelson, Paul Anthony[1]



samurai

samurai
sam·u·rai 
[sámmə r] (plural sam·u·rai or
sam·u·rais) noun

1.  aristocratic
Japanese warrior: an aristocratic Japanese warrior of a
class that dominated the military aristocracy from the 11th to the 19th
centuries

2.  former
Japanese warrior class: the powerful class of
Japanese warriors that dominated the military aristocracy from the 11th to the
19th centuries
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



San

San1
San1  [san]
noun

man
who is a saint: used as a title, usually in place names,
before the name of a man who has been made a saint.
See
also
Santo
See
also
Santa
[Via Spanish and Italian,
“Saint,” from Latin sanctus “sacred” (see saint
)][1]



San

San2
San2  [saan]
(plural San or Sans) noun

1.  member
of southern African people: a member of a people living
in southern Africa. The San traditionally live in small nomadic groups as
hunters and gatherers.

2.  San
language:
the group of Khoisan languages spoken by the San people
[Late 19th century. From Nama
san .][1]



san

san
san
[saan] or -san [saan] noun

Japanese
title that follows somebody’s name: used
in Japanese after somebody’s first name, last name, or title, as a polite form
of address
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, contraction of sama .][1]



SanAndreas Fault

SanAndreas Fault
San
An·dre·as Fault  [sàn an
drày əss fáwlt] noun

geologic
fault zone:
a geologic fault zone between two tectonic plates that runs from San Francisco
south to San Diego in California. It is an area of frequent earthquakes caused
by the plates sliding past each other. Length: 970 km/600 mi.
[So called because it runs
along the San Andreas valley][1]



SanAngelo

SanAngelo
San
An·ge·lo 
[san ánjəlō]

city in western Texas, on the
Concho River. Population: 84,474 (1990)[1]



SanAntonio

SanAntonio

San An·to·ni·o 
[sàn an tṓnee ō]
city in southern central Texas. It is the
cultural and commercial center for the Rio Grande Valley, and is where the
battle of the Alamo was fought. Population: 935,933 (1990)[1]



SanAntonio




Back to definition

SanAntonio

[1]



sanative

sanative
san·a·tive 
[sánnətiv] adjective

healing:
able to restore health (archaic formal)
[15th century. Directly, or
via Old French sanatif, from late Latin sanativus, from Latin sanare
“to heal.”][1]



sanatorium

sanatorium
san·a·to·ri·um 
[sànnə táwree əm] (plural san·a·to·ri·ums
or san·a·to·ri·a [sànnə táwree ə])
or san·i·tar·i·um [sànnə táiree əm]
(plural san·i·tar·i·ums or san·i·tar·i·a [sànnə táiree ə]) noun

1.  medical
facility for long-term illness: a medical facility
where people affected by long-term illnesses can receive treatment and those
recovering from severe illnesses can recuperate

2.  health
resort:
a resort for maintaining or improving health (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin sanat-, the past participle stem of sanare
“to cure,” from sanus “healthy” (source of English sane ).][1]



sanbenito

sanbenito
san·be·ni·to 
[sànbə ntō] (plural san·be·ni·tos)
noun

sackcloth
garment:
a sackcloth garment worn by those declared heretics by the Spanish Inquisition.
Penitent heretics wore a yellow one with a red cross on it and impenitent
heretics wore a black one decorated with flames and devils.
[Mid-16th century. From
Spanish sambenito, an alteration of San Benito “St. Benedict,”
because it resembles the scapular of a Benedictine monk.][1]



SanBernardino

SanBernardino
San
Ber·nar·di·no [sàn bərnər
dnō]

city in southern California,
located at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains in the eastern extreme of a
large metropolitan region centered on Los Angeles. Population: 181,718 (1994)[1]



SanBernardino Mountains

SanBernardino Mountains
San
Ber·nar·di·no Moun·tains [san
bùrnèr dnō mountains]

mountain range in southern
California. The highest peak is San Gorgonio Mountain, 3,506 m/11,485 ft .
Length: 160 km/100 mi.[1]



SanBruno

SanBruno
San
Bru·no 
[san brnō]

city in San Mateo County,
western California, on San Francisco Bay. Population: 38,961 (1990)[1]



SanCarlos

SanCarlos
San
Car·los 
[san krləss]

city in San Mateo County,
western California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. Population: 26,167 (1990)[1]



SanClemente

SanClemente
San
Cle·men·te 
[sàn klə méntee]

city and resort in Orange
County, southwestern California, on the Pacific Ocean. Population: 41,100
(1990)[1]



sancoche

sancoche
san·coche
[sang kóch, sang
kósh, sang kóchee] noun

Caribbean
Caribbean
soup:
a Caribbean soup made with a variety of vegetables, split peas, and salted
meat, or sometimes with chicken or beef
[Mid-20th century. Via
American Spanish sancocho from, ultimately, Spanish sancochar “to
parboil.”][1]



SanCristobal

SanCristobal
San
Cri·sto·bal 
[san krístə bl]

one of the Galapagos Islands,
off the coast of Ecuador. Area: 505 sq km/195 sq mi.[1]



SanCristóbal

SanCristóbal
San
Cri·stó·bal
[san kri stṓb’l]

capital city of Táchira
State, western Venezuela. Population: 238,670 (1992)[1]



sancta

sancta
sanc·ta


Plural of
sanctum[1]



sanctasanctorum

sanctasanctorum
sanc·ta
sanc·to·rum


Plural of
sanctum sanctorum[1]



sanctify

sanctify
sanc·ti·fy 
[sángktə f] (past sanc·ti·fied,
past participle sanc·ti·fied, present participle sanc·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sanc·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  RELIGION bless
something:
to make something holy

2.  RELIGION free somebody
from sin:
to free somebody from sin, for example, by a ritual act of purification

3.  RELIGION bless
something through religious vow: to give a religious
blessing to something, for example, a marriage, usually through an oath or vow

4.  officially
approve something: to give social, moral, or
official approval to something

5.  RELIGION make
something route to holiness: to make something a means of
achieving holiness or a source of grace

6.  cause
something to be revered: to designate something an
object of reverence (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French saintifier from, ultimately, Latin sanctus
“sacred” (see saint ).]
—sanc·ti·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—sanc·ti·fi·ca·tion
[sàngktəfə káysh’n], noun

—sanc·ti·fi·er [sángktə f ər], noun[1]



sanctimonious

sanctimonious
sanc·ti·mo·ni·ous 
[sàngktə mṓnee əss] adjective

holier-than-thou:
making an exaggerated show of holiness or moral superiority (disapproving)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin sanctimonia “sanctity,” from sanctus
“sacred” (see saint ).]
—sanc·ti·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—sanc·ti·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun

—sanc·ti·mo·ny [sángktə mnee], noun[1]



sanction

sanction
sanc·tion 
[sángksh’n] noun (plural sanc·tions)

1.  authorization:
official permission or approval for a course of action • unable
to proceed without the sanction of the board

2.  support:
something that serves as approval or encouragement, for example, social
acceptance or custom

3.  law:
a law or rule that leads to a penalty being imposed when it is disobeyed

4.  penalty
imposed for breaking rule: a punishment imposed as a
result of breaking a law or rule

5.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS punitive
measure to pressure a country: a measure taken by one
or more nations to apply pressure on another nation to conform to international
law or opinion. Such measures usually include restrictions on or withdrawal of
trade rights, diplomatic ties, and membership of international organizations or
forums. (often used in the plural) • to
impose trade sanctions

6.  ETHICS principle
determining behavior: an ethical principle or
consideration that determines or influences somebody’s conduct
transitive
verb
(past sanc·tioned, past participle sanc·tioned, present
participle sanc·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular sanc·tions)

1.  authorize
something:
to grant official approval or permission for something • The
county government refused to sanction the proposed design of the new building.

2.  approve
of something: to allow something to be tolerated or
accepted • The
school’s inaction further sanctions this behavior.
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin sanctus “sacred” (see saint ).]
—sanc·tion·a·ble,
adjective

—sanc·tion·er,
noun

—sanc·tion·less, adjective[1]



sanctity

sanctity
sanc·ti·ty 
[sángktətee] (plural sanc·ti·ties)
noun

1.  sacredness:
the condition of being considered sacred or holy, and therefore entitled to
respect and reverence

2.  holy
thing:
something considered holy or sacred (formal)
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French sainctité from Latin sanctitas, from sanctus
“sacred” (see saint ).][1]



sanctuary

sanctuary
sanc·tu·ar·y 
[sángkchoo èrree] (plural sanc·tu·ar·ies)
noun

1.  refuge:
a safe place, especially for people being persecuted

2.  place
where wildlife is protected: a place or area of land
where wildlife is protected from predators and from being destroyed or hunted
by human beings • a bird sanctuary

3.  RELIGION holy
place:
a holy place such as a church, mosque, or temple

4.  RELIGION most
sacred part of holy building: the most sacred part of a
consecrated building, for example, the area around the altar in a Christian
church

5.  CHRISTIANITY church
protecting fugitives: in medieval times, a holy
place, usually a church, that provided immunity from the law

6.  JUDAISM HISTORY Israelite holy of holies:
the holy of holies in the Israelite temple at Jerusalem
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman sanctuarie from, ultimately, Latin sanctus “sacred”
(see saint ).][1]



sanctum

sanctum
sanc·tum 
[sángktəm] (plural sanc·tums or
sanc·ta [sángktə]) noun

1.  RELIGION sacred
inner place: a sacred place inside a church, temple,
or mosque

2.  quiet
private place: a quiet private place where somebody is
free from interference or interruption
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin from Latin sanctus “sacred” (see saint
).][1]



sanctumsanctorum

sanctumsanctorum
sanc·tum
sanc·to·rum 
[sàngktəm sangk táwrəm] (plural sanc·ta
sanc·to·rum [sàngktə sangk táwrəm] or
sanc·tum sanc·to·rums) noun

1.  See
holy of holies  noun 1

2.  private,
quiet place: a very private, quiet place in which to
be alone or relax
[14th century. From late
Latin, literally “holy of holies.”][1]



Sanctus

Sanctus
Sanc·tus 
[sángktəss] (plural Sanc·tus·es)
noun

musical
setting forming part of Mass: in some Christian churches,
a musical setting that forms part of the Mass and praises the power and
holiness of God
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Latin sanctus “sacred” (see saint
), the first word of the hymn.][1]



Sanctusbell

Sanctusbell
Sanc·tus
bell
(plural Sanc·tus bells) noun

bell rung during Roman
Catholic Mass: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a bell rung at the beginning of the Sanctus and at other times during
Mass, for example, at the elevation of the consecrated elements[1]



sand

sand
sand 
[sand] noun

1.  material
made of tiny grains: a substance consisting of
fine loose grains of rock or minerals, found on beaches, in the desert, and in
soil, and also used as a building material. Sand is a sedimentary material,
usually quartz fragments, that is finer than gravel but coarser than silt, with
particle sizes between 0.06 mm and 2 mm.

2.  COLORS brownish
yellow:
a brownish-yellow color like that of sand

3.  determination:
courage and determination (dated informal)

4.  particles
in hourglass: the tiny grains in an hourglass

5.  GEOGRAPHY area
of sand:
an area covered with or made up of sand, for example, a beach or a desert • playing
on the sand and swimming in the sea
plural
noun
sands

time remaining:
remaining or allotted portion of time (literary) • the
sands of time
verb
(past sand·ed, past participle sand·ed, present
participle sand·ing, 3rd person present singular sands)

1.  transitive
verb
smooth
something using sandpaper: to rub a surface with
sandpaper or sand to make it smoother

2.  transitive
verb
sprinkle
something with sand: to cover or sprinkle
something such as an icy road with sand

3.  transitive
verb
add
sand to something: to add sand to something,
for example, to a mixture of building materials when making mortar

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb fill
with sand:
to become filled with sand, or fill something with sand
adjective

COLORS of the
color of sand: of a brownish-yellow color, like sand
[Old
English, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
kick
sand in somebody’s face

to show contempt for or
dominance over somebody less strong or powerful, especially somebody already in
a weak position[1]



sandal

sandal
san·dal
[sánd’l] (plural san·dals) noun

1.  light
shoe with straps: a light open shoe that is held on by
straps across the instep or around the heel or ankle, usually worn during warm
weather

2.  strap
for fastening shoe: a strap for going around the
ankle or across the instep to keep a shoe on a foot
[14th
century. Via Latin sandalium from, ultimately, Greek sandalon, of
uncertain origin: probably from an Asian language.]
—san·daled, adjective[1]



sandalwood

sandalwood
san·dal·wood 
[sánd’l wd] (plural san·dal·woods)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
evergreen tree: a tropical evergreen tree native to
southern Asia and Australia that has a fragrant wood. Genus: Santalum

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of sandalwood tree: the wood of the sandalwood
tree, used extensively in the manufacture of furniture, and burned as incense

3.  aromatic
oil of sandalwood tree: the aromatic oil that is
extracted from the wood of sandalwood trees and used in perfumes and incense
and as an essential oil in aromatherapy

4.  TREES tree
resembling sandalwood tree: any tree native to southern
Asia and Australia that resembles the sandalwood and that is harvested for
wood. Genera: Adenanthera Myroporum Pterocarpus

[1]



sandarac

sandarac
san·da·rac 
[sándə ràk] (plural san·da·racs)
noun

1.  evergreen
tree of Africa and Spain: a coniferous tree that is
native to northwestern Africa and Spain and has flat branches, leaves with
overlapping scales, and dark hard aromatic wood. Latin name: Tetraclinis
articulata

2.  resin
from sandarac tree: a brittle yellowish
translucent resin that oozes from the bark of the sandarac and is used in
varnishes and incense

3.  wood
from sandarac tree: the wood from the sandarac,
used as a building material.
Also
called
citron wood
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin sandaraca
from Greek sandarakē .][1]



sandbag

sandbag
sand·bag 
[sánd bàg] noun (plural sand·bags)

1.  sack
of sand:
a sealed bag full of sand, used in building defenses against gunfire or
flooding, or as ballast in hot air balloons

2.  bag
of sand used as weapon: a small bag filled with sand
and used as a weapon in the same way as a cosh
verb
(past sand·bagged, past participle sand·bagged, present
participle sand·bag·ging, 3rd person present singular sand·bags)

1.  transitive
verb
protect
something with sandbags: to put sandbags in or around
something as protection

2.  transitive
verb
knock
somebody or something down: to attack or hit somebody or
something with a sandbag (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb delay
negotiations: to delay negotiations or a business deal
in the hope of receiving a more favorable offer from somebody else (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
coerce
somebody:
to force somebody to do something using coercive or crude tactics (dated
slang)
—sand·bag·ger, noun[1]



sandbank

sandbank
sand·bank 
[sánd bàngk] (plural sand·banks)
noun

mound of sand:
a mound or bank of sand, especially one that is submerged at most states of the
tide[1]



sandbar

sandbar
sand·bar 
[sánd br] (plural sand·bars) noun

ridge of sand:
a long ridge of sand formed in a body of water by currents or tides[1]



sandblast

sandblast
sand·blast 
[sánd blàst] intransitive and transitive
verb (past sand·blast·ed, past participle sand·blast·ed,
present participle sand·blast·ing, 3rd person present singular
sand·blasts)

polish with sand:
to clean, polish, or mark glass, metal, or a stone surface by applying a jet of
pressurized air or steam mixed with sand or grit
noun
(plural sand·blasts)

1.  jet
of sand fired under pressure: a jet of pressurized air or
steam mixed with sand or grit that is used to sandblast something

2.  machine
for sandblasting: a machine that is used for sandblasting
—sand·blast·er, noun[1]



sand-blind

sand-blind
sand-blind 
adjective

with
impaired vision: having reduced ability to see (archaic
or literary)
[15th
century. Alteration of Old English samblind, from sam- “half” + blind
“blind.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “half,” which is also
the ancestor of English semi- and hemi- .]
—sand-blind·ness, noun[1]



sandbox

sandbox
sand·box 
[sánd bòks] (plural sand·box·es)
noun

container of sand for
children’s play: an area of sand for
children to play in, usually contained in a box or frame.
U.K. term
sandpit[1]



sandboxtree

sandboxtree
sand·box
tree
(plural sand·box trees) noun

spiny
tropical American tree: a tropical American tree
with spiny bark, milky sap that can irritate the skin, and woody seed capsules
that explode when ripe. Latin name: Hura crepitans
[So called because the seed
capsules formerly served as boxes for sand][1]



sandbur

sandbur
sand·bur 
[sánd bùr] (plural sand·burs) noun

1.  grass
with seed-containing bur: a grass that is native to
the eastern United States and tropical America. Its single-grained spikelet is
enclosed by a spiny bur. Genus: Cenchrus

2.  bur
of sandbur:
a bur of the sandbur plant

[1]



Sandburg,Carl

Sandburg,Carl

Sand·burg
[sánd burg], Carl (1878–1967)
U.S. poet, folklorist, and historian. He
wrote poems, collected and sang American folksongs, and won a Pulitzer Prize
for his six-volume biography Abraham Lincoln ( 1926–1939 ).[1]



sand-cast

sand-cast
sand-cast 
transitive verb

make casting using sand mold:
to make a casting by pouring molten metal into a sand mold[1]



sandcasting

sandcasting
sand
cast·ing
noun

casting made using sand mold:
a casting made by pouring molten metal into a sand mold[1]



sandcrack

sandcrack
sand
crack
(plural sand cracks) noun

vertical crack in horse’s
hoof: a crack in a horse’s hoof
that starts at the top ( coronet ) and
extends vertically toward the sole[1]



sanddab

sanddab
sand
dab
noun

small flatfish:
a small flatfish that is native to North American Pacific coastal waters and is
caught for food. Genus: Citharichthys[1]



sanddollar

sanddollar

sand dol·lar
(plural sand dol·lars) noun
flat circular sea animal:
a flat circular animal ( echinoderm )
related to the starfish and sea urchin, found in shallow sandy North American
coastal waters. Its shell looks like a white disk with an imprint that
resembles a flower. Genus: Citharichthys[1]



sandeel

sandeel
sand
eel
(plural sand eels) noun

See
sand lance[1]



sander

sander
sand·er 
[sándər] (plural sanders) noun

1.  power
tool for smoothing surfaces: an electric power tool that
is used to smooth wooden or metal surfaces

2.  truck
that spreads sand on roads: a truck or a truck
attachment that spreads sand on roads

3.  somebody
who sands something: somebody who sands something
or operates a sander

[1]



sanderling

sanderling
sand·er·ling 
[sándərling] (plural sand·er·lings
or sand·er·ling) noun

small
coastal bird: a small bird, found in coastal regions
worldwide, that is similar to but smaller than a sandpiper and has gray and
white plumage. Latin name: Calidris alba
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from sand + -ling .][1]



sandflea

sandflea
sand
flea
(plural sand fleas) noun

1.  See
chigoe

2.  tiny
jumping crustacean: a tiny jumping crustacean
that lives on sandy tidal beaches. Genus: Orchestia
Also
called
beach flea
Also
called
sand hopper

[1]



sandfly

sandfly
sand
fly
noun

tropical biting fly:
a hairy fly that resembles a moth and lives in tropical regions. Bloodsucking
females transmit several tropical diseases. Genus: Phlebotomus[1]



sandflyfever

sandflyfever
sand·fly
fe·ver 
[sánd fl fvər] noun

illness caused by sand fly
bite: a mild viral illness
transmitted by the bite of a female sand fly. It causes fever, headaches, eye
pain, and general discomfort.
Also called
phlebotomus fever[1]



Sand,George

Sand,George

Sand 
[sand], George (1804–1876)
French
writer. She wrote many volumes of essays, novels, and plays, which reflect her
feminist and libertarian ideals.
Pseudonym of
Dudevant, Amandine Aurore Lucille, Baronne[1]



sandglass

sandglass
sand·glass
[sánd glàss] (plural sand·glasses)
noun

See
hourglass[1]



sandgrouse

sandgrouse

sand·grouse
[sánd gròwss] (plural sand·grouses
or sand·grouse) noun
bird of arid regions:
a bird related to the pigeon that is native to the arid and semiarid regions of
Europe and Asia. Sandgrouses have long pointed wings and tails, and short feet
and bills. Genus: Pterocles[1]



sandhi

sandhi
san·dhi 
[sándee, sndee,
súndee] (plural san·dhis) noun

change
to sound of word: the modification of the sound or form of
a word under the influence of a preceding or following sound. The variation
between “a” and “an” for the indefinite article in English is a form of sandhi.
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit saṃdhiḥ “combination.”][1]



sandhillcrane

sandhillcrane
sand·hill
crane 
[sánd hìl kràyn] (plural sand·hill
cranes) noun

N
American crane with red crown: a crane of North
America and northeastern Siberia that has gray drooping plumage and a bald red
crown. Latin name: Grus canadensis
[So called because the bird
is commonly found among sand dunes][1]



sandhog

sandhog
sand·hog 
[sánd hòg] (plural sand·hogs) noun

builder working under water:
somebody who works inside a caisson in underwater building projects such as
tunnels (slang)[1]



sandhopper

sandhopper
sand
hop·per
(plural sand hop·pers) noun

See
sand flea[1]



SanDiego

SanDiego

San Di·e·go 
[san dee áygō]
city in southwestern California, on San
Diego Bay. It is the second largest city in California, and the sixth largest
in the United States. Population: 1,151,977 (1994)[1]



SanDiego




Back to definition

SanDiego

[1]



SanDiego

SanDiego

San Di·e·go 
[san dee áygō]
city in southwestern California, on San
Diego Bay. It is the second largest city in California, and the sixth largest
in the United States. Population: 1,151,977 (1994)[1]



SanDimas

SanDimas
San
Di·mas 
[san dməss]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, 40 km/25 mi east of Los Angeles. Population: 32,397
(1990)[1]



Sandinista

Sandinista
San·din·is·ta 
[sàndə nstə, sndə
nstə] (plural San·din·is·tas) noun

Nicaraguan
socialist revolutionary: a member of a socialist
movement in Nicaragua that successfully overthrew the government of President
Anastasio Somoza in 1979 and fought a United-States-backed insurgent force in
the 1980s
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Nicaraguan revolutionary leader Augusto César Sandino (
1893–1934 ).][1]



sandlance

sandlance
sand
lance
(plural sand lanc·es) noun

small fish resembling eel:
a small slender marine fish that resembles an eel. Sand lances travel in large
schools and burrow in sand or shingle. Genus: Ammodytes
Also called
sand eel
Also called
launce[1]



sandlily

sandlily
sand
lil·y
noun

low-growing white-flowered
plant: a low-growing stemless plant
of western North America that has long thin leaves and fragrant white
star-shaped flowers. Latin name: Leucocrinum montanum[1]



sandlot

sandlot
sand·lot 
[sánd lòt] (plural sand·lots) noun

play
area for children: a vacant lot used by
children for playing games, especially baseball (informal)
—sand·lot·ter, noun[1]



sandman

sandman
sand·man 
[sánd màn] noun

folklore character who makes
children sleep: a character from
folklore and fairy tales, personifying drowsiness, who makes children go to
sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes[1]



sandpainting

sandpainting
sand
paint·ing
(plural sand paint·ings) noun

1.  Native
N American ceremonial practice using sand: a
ceremonial practice of the Navajo and Pueblo peoples, in which different colors
of sand are distributed over a flat surface to create symbolic pictures and
designs

2.  design
made by sand painting: a picture or design made by
sand painting

[1]



sandpaper

sandpaper
sand·pa·per 
[sánd pàypər] noun (plural sand·pa·pers)

strong
paper coated with abrasive material:
strong paper coated on one side with sand or another abrasive, used for
smoothing surfaces
transitive
verb
(past sand·pa·pered, past participle sand·pa·pered,
present participle sand·pa·per·ing, 3rd person present
singular sand·pa·pers)

smooth
something using sandpaper: to rub a surface, for
example, a piece of wood or a wall, with sandpaper
—sand·pa·per·y, adjective[1]



sandpear

sandpear
sand
pear
(plural sand pears) noun
Also
called
Asian pear

1.  TREES Chinese
tree with edible fruit: a Chinese tree, related to
the rose, that bears edible fruit. Latin name: Pyrus pyrifolia

2.  FOOD fruit
of the sand pear tree: the fruit of the sand pear
with the shape of an apple and the coloring of a pear, thin skin, crisp juicy
flesh, and a delicate flavor

[1]



sandpiper

sandpiper
sand·pi·per 
[sánd ppər] (plural sand·pi·pers
or sand·pi·per) noun

long-billed
shore bird:
a wading shore bird with a long slender sensitive bill that it uses to catch
insects, worms, and soft mollusks in sand and mud. Family: Scolopacidae
[Piper from its piping voice][1]



sandpit

sandpit
sand·pit 
[sánd pìt] (plural sand·pits) noun

1.  See
sandbox

2.  pit
for excavating sand: a large deep pit from which
sand is excavated

[1]



sandshark

sandshark
sand
shark
noun

shallow-water shark:
a shark that lives mainly in the shallow coastal waters of the central and
southern Atlantic and western Pacific. Although it has very sharp teeth, it is
not generally considered dangerous. Genus: Carcharias[1]



sandshoe

sandshoe
sand·shoe
[sánd sh] (plural sand·shoes)
noun

U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand light canvas
shoe: a light low-cut canvas shoe
with a rubber sole[1]



sandstone

sandstone
sand·stone 
[sánd stn] (plural sand·stones)
noun

rock made of sand:
a type of sedimentary rock made up of particles of sand, mostly quartz, bound
together with a mineral cement, along with some feldspar, mica, and rock
debris. It is widely used as a building material.[1]



sandstorm

sandstorm
sand·storm 
[sánd stàwrm] (plural sand·storms)
noun

strong wind carrying sand:
a strong windstorm, especially in the desert, that carries clouds of sand or
dust, reducing visibility[1]



sandtable

sandtable
sand
ta·ble
(plural sand ta·bles) noun

1.  MILITARY table
with sand imitating battleground terrain: a
table covered with a layer of sand molded to imitate the relief of a
battleground terrain, used to plan military tactics

2.  raised
box of sand: a table whose top is a shallow box
filled with sand for children to play with

[1]



sandtrap

sandtrap
sand
trap
(plural sand traps) noun

sand-filled hollow on golf
course: a depression on a golf
course that is partly filled with sand, usually located near a green as a
hazard.
Also called
bunker[1]



sandverbena

sandverbena
sand
ver·be·na
noun

western American wildflower:
a low trailing plant of the four-o’clock family that is native to western North
America and has fragrant usually red, yellow, or white flowers resembling those
of verbena. Genus: Abronia[1]



sandviper

sandviper
sand
vi·per
(plural sand vi·pers) noun

See
horned viper[1]



sandwedge

sandwedge
sand
wedge
(plural sand wedg·es) noun

golf club for sand traps:
a golf club with a face angle of more than 50º that is used for chipping the
ball out of a sand trap[1]



sandwich

sandwich
sand·wich 
[sándwich, sámwich]
noun (plural sand·wich·es)

1.  FOOD bread
slices with filling in between: a snack or light meal
usually made of two slices of bread or a split roll with a filling, or a single
slice of bread with a topping.
See
also
club sandwich

2.  something
like a sandwich: something resembling a sandwich,
especially something in which various things are squashed together or arranged
in layers
transitive
verb
(past sand·wiched, past participle sand·wiched, present
participle sand·wich·ing, 3rd person present singular sand·wich·es)

place somebody or something between
things:
to fit something or somebody tightly between two other things or people in
space or time • I’ll see if I can
sandwich you in on Tuesday.
[Mid-18th
century. Named for John Montague, fourth Earl of Sandwich ( 1718–1792
).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Earl of Sandwich is said to have been so
  addicted to the gambling table that in order to sustain him through an entire
  24-hour session uninterrupted, he had a portable meal of cold beef between
  slices of toast brought to him. The idea was not new, but the earl’s patronage
  ensured that it became a vogue, and by the early 1760s we have the first
  evidence of his name being attached to it: the historian Edward Gibbon
  recorded in his diary in 1762 how he dined at the Cocoa Tree and saw “twenty
  or thirty of the best men in the kingdom … supping at little tables … upon a
  bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich. ”

[1]



Sandwich

Sandwich
Sand·wich 
[sán wich]

market town in southern Kent,
England. It was one of the original Cinque Ports. Population: 4,164 (1991)[1]



sandwichboard

sandwichboard
sand·wich
board
(plural sand·wich boards) noun

1.  notices
hanging from shoulders: a pair of boards, usually
displaying advertisements or notices, joined by straps and hung from the
shoulders with one displayed in front and one behind

2.  one
board of a sandwich board: either of the two boards
that make up a sandwich board
[So called because the boards
sandwich the person wearing them][1]



sandwichcoin

sandwichcoin
sand·wich
coin
(plural sand·wich coins) noun

coin with three layers:
a three-layered coin such as a U.S. twenty-five cent piece that has a middle
layer made of a different metal from the outside layers[1]



sandwichman

sandwichman
sand·wich
man
noun

man carrying sandwich board:
a man who carries a sandwich board[1]



sandworm

sandworm
sand·worm 
[sánd wùrm] (plural sand·worms)
noun

segmented worm:
a segmented worm living in coastal sand or mud, often used as fishing bait.
Genera: Nereis Anicola[1]



sandwort

sandwort
sand·wort 
[sánd wùrt, sánd
wàwrt] (plural sand·worts or sand·wort) noun

low-growing plant:
a plant that grows in thick tufts close to the ground on sandy soil and has
single white or pink flowers. Genus: Arenaria[1]



sandy

sandy
sand·y 
[sándee] (comparative sand·i·er,
superlative sand·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of sand:
made up of, covered in, or full of sand

2.  like
sand:
having a grainy texture or consistency similar to that of sand

3.  of
the color of sand: of a yellow color tinged
with red or brown
—sand·i·ness, noun[1]



sane

sane
sane 
[sayn] (comparative san·er, superlative
san·est) adjective

1.  mentally
balanced:
mentally healthy and able to make rational decisions

2.  reasonable:
based on sensible, reasonable, or rational thinking • a
sane and practical solution to the problem

3.  healthy:
in good health (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin sanus “healthy” (source of English sanatorium ).]
—sane·ly,
adverb

—sane·ness, noun[1]



SanFernando Valley

SanFernando Valley
San
Fer·nan·do Val·ley

residential and industrial
region in southern California, north of Los Angeles. It is bounded by the
Transverse Range on the north, the Santa Susana Mountains on the west, and the
Santa Monica Mountains on the south. Population: 1,300,000 (1998)[1]



Sanford

Sanford
San·ford 
[sánfèrd]

city in southwestern Maine,
southwest of Biddeford and Saco. Population: 20,801 (1996)[1]



Sanforized

Sanforized
San·for·ized
[sánfə rzd] Trademark

a trademark used to describe
fabric preshrunk by a patented process[1]



SanFrancisco




Back to definition

SanFrancisco

[1]



SanFrancisco

SanFrancisco

San
Fran·cis·co 
[san frèn sískō]
city
in western California, in a spectacular location on San Francisco Bay.
Population: 723,959 (1990)
—San Fran·cis·can, noun,
adjective[1]



SanFrancisco Bay

SanFrancisco Bay
San
Fran·cis·co Bay

inlet linked to the Pacific
Ocean by the Golden Gate Strait, in California. Length: 80 km/50 mi.[1]



sang

sang
sang


Past tense of
sing[1]



SanGabriel

SanGabriel
San
Gab·ri·el 
[san gáybree əl]

city in Los Angeles County,
southwestern California, a residential community near Los Angeles. Population:
37,120 (1990)[1]



sangaree

sangaree
san·ga·ree 
[sàng gə r] (plural san·ga·rees)
noun

1.  drink
of wine with fruit juice: a chilled drink of wine
mixed with fruit juice, nutmeg, and sometimes a hard liquor

2.  See
sangria
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of Spanish sangría (see sangria ).][1]



Sanger,Margaret

Sanger,Margaret

San·ger
[sángər], Margaret (1883–1966)
U.S.
social reformer. She founded and led the U.S. birth control movement in the
1910s and 1920s.
Born
Higgins, Margaret Louise[1]



sang-froid

sang-froid
sang-froid 
[sàng frw, sàang
frw] noun

calmness
under pressure: self-possession or calmness, especially
in a dangerous or stressful situation (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “cold blood.”][1]



sangoma

sangoma
san·go·ma
[sang gṓmə] (plural san·go·mas)
noun

South
Africa
South
African traditional healer: in South Africa, a
traditional healer ( shaman ) or herbalist
[Late 19th century. From
Nguni .][1]



Sangreal

Sangreal
San·greal
[san gráyl] or San·graal [san grl] noun

CHRISTIANITY See Grail  noun
[15th century. From Old
French saint graal “Holy Grail.”][1]



Sangrede Cristo Mountains

Sangrede Cristo Mountains
San·gre
de Cris·to Moun·tains  [sàng
gri dè krístō mountains]

range of the Rocky Mountains.
Its highest point is Blanca Peak, 4,372 m/14,345 ft . Length: 354 km/220 mi.[1]



sangria

sangria
san·gri·a 
[sang gr ə] (plural san·gri·as)
noun

red
wine and fruit drink: a chilled Spanish drink of
red wine, fruit juice, carbonated water, sugar, and brandy or another liquor,
usually served in a jug with pieces of fruit.
Also
called
sangaree
[Mid-20th century. Via
Spanish, literally “a bleeding,” from, ultimately Latin sanguis “blood”
(source of English sanguine ).][1]



sanguinaria

sanguinaria
san·gui·nar·i·a 
[sàng gwə náiree ə] noun

1.  PLANTS See bloodroot

2.  MEDICINE root
of bloodroot used medicinally: the dried rhizome and
roots of the bloodroot plant, formerly used internally as a medicine, now used
as an antiplaque agent in toothpaste
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin Sanguinaria, order name, from, ultimately, Latin sanguis
“blood.”][1]



sanguinary

sanguinary
san·gui·nar·y 
[sáng gwə nèrree] adjective (formal)

1.  involving
bloodshed:
involving death or bloodshed

2.  bloodthirsty:
bloodthirsty or eager to kill

3.  bloodied:
consisting of or stained with blood
—san·gui·nar·i·ly,
adverb

—san·gui·nar·i·ness, noun[1]



sanguine

sanguine
san·guine 
[sáng gwin] adjective

1.  confident:
cheerfully optimistic

2.  ruddy:
flushed with a healthy rosy color

3.  COLORS blood-red:
of a blood-red color

4.  bloodthirsty:
eager to shed blood (archaic)

5.  PHYSIOLOGY HISTORY having
blood as dominant humor: in medieval physiology,
having blood as the dominant humor and therefore characterized by a ruddy
complexion and a courageous, optimistic, and romantic temperament.
See
also
phlegmatic
See
also
melancholic
See
also
choleric
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin sanguin-, the stem of sanguis
“blood.”]
—san·guine·ly,
adverb

—san·guine·ness,
noun

—san·guin·i·ty [sang gwínnətee], noun[1]



sanguineous

sanguineous
san·guin·e·ous 
[sang gwínnee əss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE containing
blood:
relating to or containing blood, especially mixed with other fluids (often
used in combination) • a
sero-sanguineous discharge

2.  COLORS blood-colored:
of the color of blood

3.  bloodthirsty:
involving or enjoying bloodshed (literary)
[Early 16th century. Formed
from Latin sanguineus, from sanguin, the stem of sanguis
“blood.”][1]



Sanhedrin

Sanhedrin
San·hed·rin 
[san hdrin, san
héddrin] (plural San·hed·rins) noun

ancient
Jewish council: the supreme Jewish judicial,
ecclesiastical, and administrative council in ancient Jerusalem before AD 70, having 71 members from the
nobility and presided over by the high priest
[Late 16th century. Via
Hebrew from Greek sunedrion “council,” from sun “together” + hedra
“seat.”][1]



sanicle

sanicle
san·i·cle 
[sánnik’l] (plural san·i·cles)
noun

flowering
plant formerly used as astringent: a widely distributed
plant with clusters of small, variously colored flowers, oval fruits, and
hooked bristles. It was formerly used as an astringent. Genus: Sanicula
[15th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin sanicula, of uncertain origin: probably formed from
Latin sanus “healthy.”][1]



sanidine

sanidine
san·i·dine 
[sánni dn, sánnidin]
noun

glassy
potassium feldspar: a glassy high-temperature
form of the potassium feldspar variety of orthoclase, found in lava deposits.
When translucent it is known as moonstone. KAlSi3O8
[Early 19th century. From
Greek sanid-, stem of sanis “board,” from the shape of the
mineral’s crystals.][1]



sanit.

sanit.
sanit.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sanitary

2.  Abbreviation
of
sanitation

[1]



sanitaria

sanitaria
san·i·tar·i·a


Plural of
sanitarium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sanitarian

sanitarian
san·i·tar·i·an 
[sànnə táiree ən] adjective

of
public health: relating to public health and hygiene,
especially sanitation (formal)
noun
(plural san·i·tar·i·ans)

public health official:
a public health official or inspector, especially one involved in sanitation (formal)[1]



sanitarium

sanitarium
san·i·tar·i·um 
noun

See
sanatorium[1]



sanitary

sanitary
san·i·tar·y 
[sánnə tèrree] adjective

1.  connected
with public health: relating to public health,
especially general hygiene and the removal of human waste through the sewage
system

2.  clean
and hygienic: clean and free from agents that cause
disease or infection
[Mid-19th
century. Via French sanitaire from, ultimately, Latin sanus
“healthy” (source of English sane ).]
—san·i·tar·i·ly,
adverb

—san·i·tar·i·ness, noun[1]



sanitaryengineering

sanitaryengineering
san·i·tar·y
en·gi·neer·ing noun

sewer
building and maintenance: the branch of civil
engineering concerned with the building, maintenance, and development of water
and sewage systems and other public health services
—san·i·tar·y en·gi·neer,
noun[1]



sanitarylandfill

sanitarylandfill
san·i·tar·y
land·fill
(plural san·i·tar·y land·fills) noun

(dated) See landfill[1]



sanitarypad

sanitarypad
san·i·tar·y
pad
(plural san·i·tar·y pads) or san·i·tar·y nap·kin (plural
san·i·tar·y nap·kins) noun

pad for absorbing blood
during menstruation: a
disposable or cotton pad worn by women to absorb the blood flow during
menstruation.
Also called
napkin
U.K. term
sanitary towel[1]



sanitation

sanitation
san·i·ta·tion 
[sànnə táysh’n] noun

1.  study
of water and sewage systems: the study and maintenance of
public health and hygiene, especially the water supply and sewage systems • sanitation
laws

2.  sewage
and garbage collection and disposal:
conditions or procedures related to the collection and disposal of sewage and
garbage
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from sanitary .][1]



sanitationworker

sanitationworker
san·i·ta·tion
work·er
(plural san·i·ta·tion work·ers) noun

See
garbage man[1]



sanitize

sanitize
san·i·tize 
[sánnə tz] (past san·i·tized,
past participle san·i·tized, present participle san·i·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular san·i·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  clean
something by disinfecting or sterilizing: to
clean something thoroughly by disinfecting or sterilizing it

2.  make
something less likely to offend: to make something more
likely to be acceptable by removing anything that might be considered offensive
or controversial (usually passive) • a
sanitized version of the article
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from sanitary .]
—san·i·ti·za·tion [sànnətə záysh’n], noun[1]



sanity

sanity
san·i·ty 
[sánnətee] noun

1.  state
of good mental balance: the condition of being
mentally healthy and able to make rational decisions

2.  good
sense:
common sense, reasonableness, and predictability • to
restore a little sanity to the situation
[Early 17th century. via Old
French sanite from, ultimately, Latin sanus “whole, sound.”][1]



SanJacinto

SanJacinto
San
Ja·cin·to 
[san yè síntō]

river flowing from
southeastern Texas into the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston Bay. Length: 137 km/85
mi.[1]



SanJoaquin

SanJoaquin
San
Joa·quin 
[sàn waw kn]

river in central California
flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Sacramento River. Length: 563
km/350 mi.[1]



SanJose scale

SanJose scale
San
Jo·se scale
(plural San Jo·se scales) noun

destructive
insect:
a scale insect that originated in Asia and is destructive to fruit trees and
other fruit-bearing plants. Latin name: Quadraspidiotus perniciosus
[Late 19th century. Named for
the city of San Jose in California, where it was first identified in the
United States.][1]



SanJosé

SanJosé
San
Jo·sé 
[sàn hō sáy]

capital city of Costa Rica,
and of San José Province, situated in the center of the country. It is the
country’s largest city and its economic and political hub. Population: 324,011
(1996)[1]



SanJuan

SanJuan
San
Juan 
[san hwn]

1.  river
flowing from Colorado into New Mexico and back into Colorado, joining the
Colorado River in Utah. Length: 580 km/360 mi.

2.  capital
city and port of Puerto Rico, located in the northeast of the island.
Population: 433,705 (1996)

[1]



SanJuan Capistrano

SanJuan Capistrano
San
Ju·an Ca·pist·ra·no  [san
wn kàppi strnō]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California. It is the site of a Spanish mission, and is known for
its swallows that regularly fly off in October and return in March. Population:
26,183 (1990)[1]



SanJuan Islands

SanJuan Islands
San
Juan Is·lands

group of 172 islands in
Washington State, between Haro and Rosario straits, east of Vancouver Island.
Population: 10,035 (1990)[1]



SanJuan Mountains

SanJuan Mountains
San
Ju·an Moun·tains

mountain range in the
southwestern United States, in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New
Mexico. Volcanic in origin, it is part of the Rocky Mountains. The highest
point is Uncompahgre Peak, 4,361 m/14,309 ft .[1]



sank

sank
sank


Past
tense of
sink

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sink.

[1]



Sankhya

Sankhya
San·khya 
[sngkyə] noun

system
of Hindu philosophy: one of six systems of
orthodox Hindu philosophy, based on the perpetual interaction of spirit and
matter
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit sāṁkhya, literally “relating to number.”][1]



SanLeandro

SanLeandro
San
Le·an·dro 
[sàn lee ándrō]

city in Alameda County,
western California, on San Francisco Bay, near Oakland. Population: 68,223
(1990)[1]



SanLuis Obispo

SanLuis Obispo
San
Lu·is Ob·is·po  [san l iss
ə bíspō]

city in western California,
on San Luis Obispo Creek, near the Pacific coast. Population: 41,958 (1990)[1]



SanLuis Potosí

SanLuis Potosí
San
Lu·is Po·to·sí [san loo ss
póttō see]

industrial center and capital
city of San Luis Potosí State, central Mexico. Population: 489,238 (1990)[1]



SanMarino




Back to definition

SanMarino

[1]



SanMarino

SanMarino



San
Ma·ri·no 
[san mè rnō]
small
independent republic entirely surrounded by Italy. It has been independent
since AD 885 and a republic since
the 14th century. Language: Italian. Currency: Italian lira. Capital: San
Marino. Population: 24,521 (1996) Area: 61 sq km/24 sq mi. Official name
Republic of San Marino
—Sam·ma·ri·nese
[sa mèrrə nz], noun, adjective

—San Ma·ri·nese [san mèrrə nz], noun, adjective[1]



SanMartín, José Francisco de

SanMartín, José Francisco de
San
Mar·tín
[san maar tn], José Francisco de
(1778–1850)

Argentine statesman and
soldier. He helped to liberate Argentina (1812), Chile (1818), and Peru (1821)
from Spanish rule. Frustrated by political quarrels, he retired to France in
1824.[1]



SanMateo

SanMateo
San
Ma·te·o 
[san mə táyō]

city in San Mateo County,
western California, on San Francisco Bay. Population: 85,486 (1990)[1]



SanMiguel de Tucumán

SanMiguel de Tucumán
San
Mig·uel de Tu·cu·mán [san
mi gèl də too koo mn]

capital city of Tucumán
Province, northwestern Argentina, on the Río Salí. Population: 626,143 (1990)[1]



sannup

sannup
san·nup 
[sánnəp] (plural san·nups) noun

married
Native American man: a married Native North
American man
[Early 17th century. From
Massachusetts Algonquian sanomp .][1]



sannyasi

sannyasi
sann·ya·si 
[sun yssee] (plural sann·ya·sis)
or sann·ya·sin [sun yssin] (plural
sann·ya·sins) noun

Hindu
holy man:
in Hinduism, a Brahmin who has reached the fourth and final stage of life as a
mendicant and will be absorbed into the Universal Soul instead of being reborn
[Early 17th century. From
Sanskrit saṃnyāsī, literally “somebody who renounces.”][1]



S-Anode

S-Anode
S-A
node 
(plural S-A nodes)

Abbreviation of
sinoatrial node[1]



SanPedro Sula

SanPedro Sula
San
Pe·dro Su·la  [san pèddrō
s laa]

capital city of Cortés
Department, northwestern Honduras, in the Sula Valley. Population: 353,800
(1993)[1]



SanRafael

SanRafael
San
Ra·fa·el 
[san rə fél]

city in western California,
on San Francisco Bay, near San Francisco. Population: 48,404 (1990)[1]



SanRemo

SanRemo
San
Re·mo 
[san rmō]

town and port in Imperia
Province, Liguria Region, northwestern Italy. Population: 59,600 (1990)[1]



sans

sans
sans 
[sanz, saaN]
preposition

without:
without (archaic or literary or humorous) • looking
forward to a well-earned break sans children
[13th century. Via Old French
sanz from, ultimately, Latin sine “without,” influenced by absentia
“absence.”][1]



SanSalvador

SanSalvador
San
Sal·va·dor 
[san sálvèdawr]

1.  capital
city of El Salvador and of San Salvador Department, located in central El
Salvador. Population: 422,520 (1992)

2.  island
of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean, near Cat Island. Population: 465 (1990)
Area: 155 sq km/60 sq mi.

[1]



sans-culotte

sans-culotte
sans-cu·lotte 
[sànzkyə lót, sànkyə
lót] (plural sans-cu·lottes) noun

1.  revolutionary
in French Revolution: during the French
Revolution, a revolutionary either from the poorer classes or with extreme
republican sympathies

2.  revolutionary
extremist:
a revolutionary in any country who has extremist views (formal)
[Late
18th century. From French, literally “without breeches.”]
—sans-cu·lot·tic,
adjective

—sans-cu·lot·tism,
noun

—sans-cu·lot·tist, noun[1]



SanSebastián

SanSebastián
San
Se·bas·tián
[san sè báschèn]

city and administrative
center of Guipúzcoa Province in the Basque Country, northern Spain. It is the
site of an annual international film festival. Population: 178,470 (1995)[1]



Sansei

Sansei
San·sei 
[san sáy] (plural San·seis or
San·sei) noun

N
American person with Japanese grandparents:
somebody born in North America whose grandparents immigrated from Japan. The
word is mainly used by Japanese American people.
See
also
Nisei
See
also
Issei
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “third generation.”][1]



sansevieria

sansevieria

san·se·vie·ri·a 
[sànsə vree ə] (plural san·se·vie·ri·as
or san·se·vie·ri·a) noun
tropical
plant with fleshy leaves: a plant, native to tropical
Africa and Asia, with thick variegated blade-shaped leaves. It is commonly
grown as a houseplant or as a source of bowstring hemp. Genus: Sansevieria

Also
called
mother-in-law’s tongue
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Italian patron of horticulture, Raimondo de Sangro, Prince of Sanseviero
( 1710–1770 ).][1]



Sanskrit

Sanskrit
San·skrit 
[sánskrit] noun

ancient
Indian language: the extinct Indo-European language of
ancient India. Sanskrit was spoken between the fourteenth and fifth centuries BC, and survives as the language of
classical Indian literature and Hindu religious texts.
[Early
17th century. From Sanskrit saṃskra “perfected.”]
—San·skrit·ic
[san skríttik], noun, adjective

—San·skrit·ist [sánskritist], noun[1]



sansserif

sansserif
sans
ser·if 
[san sérrif] or san·ser·if [san sérrif] noun

style of typeface with simple
lines: any style of typeface in
which there are no fine lines ( serifs ) at
the ends of the main strokes of the characters[1]



Santa

Santa2
San·ta2 [sántə]
noun

Santa
Claus:
Santa Claus (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Santa

Santa1
San·ta1 [sántə]
noun

woman
who is a saint: used as a title, usually in place names,
before the name of a woman who has been made a saint.
See
also
San
See
also
Santo
[From Spanish and Italian, a
form of San “Saint”][1]



SantaAna

SantaAna2
San·ta
A·na2  [sàntə
ánnə]

city in Orange County,
southwestern California, located in the southern portion of a large
metropolitan region centered around Los Angeles. Population: 290,827 (1994)[1]



SantaAna

SantaAna1
San·ta
An·a1  [sàntə
ánnə] (plural San·ta An·as) noun

Californian
wind from desert: a strong hot dry wind that blows from
the deserts of California to the coast during the winter months. It is often
responsible for spreading dangerous wildfires.
[Named for the Sant Ana
mountains in southern California][1]



SantaAnna, Antonio Lopez de

SantaAnna, Antonio Lopez de

San·ta An·na
[sàntə ánnə], Antonio Lopez de (1794–1876)
Mexican general and politician.
Alternately viewed as a national hero and national scapegoat, he served as
president of Mexico (1833–1836, 1844, 1847, and 1853–1855).[1]



SantaBarbara Islands

SantaBarbara Islands
San·ta
Bar·ba·ra Is·lands [sàntè
brbèrè islands]

group of eight U.S. islands
in the Pacific Ocean, off the southern coast of California[1]



SantaCatalina Island

SantaCatalina Island
San·ta
Cat·a·li·na Is·land  [sàntè
katè lnè island]

island off the coast of
California in the Pacific, south of Long Beach. It is one of the Santa Barbara
Islands. Population: 2,918 (1990)[1]



SantaClara

SantaClara
San·ta
Cla·ra 
[sàntə klárrə]

city in Silicon Valley,
western California, on the Guadalupe River, near San Jose. Population: 93,613
(1990)[1]



SantaClarita

SantaClarita
San·ta
Cla·ri·ta
[sàntə klə rtə]

city in southern California,
in Los Angeles County, situated on a valley floor and along canyons reaching
into the San Gabriel and Santa Susanna mountains. Population: 123,676 (1994)[1]



SantaCruz

SantaCruz
San·ta
Cruz 
[sàntə krz]

1.  river
in southern Argentina that flows eastward out of Lake Argentino in western
Santa Cruz Province, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the port of Santa
Cruz. Length: 400 km/250 mi.

2.  city
in Santa Cruz Department, central Bolivia, on the Piray River, in the tropical
plains region east of the Andes Mountains. Population: 694,616 (1992)

3.  city
and tourist center in Santa Cruz County, western California, on Monterey Bay.
Population: 49,040 (1990)

[1]



SantaCruz de Tenerife

SantaCruz de Tenerife
San·ta
Cruz de Te·ne·ri·fe  [sàntè
krooz dè tenè rf]

capital city and port of
Tenerife Island and of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, in the Canary Islands,
Spain. Population: 204,948 (1995)[1]



SantaFe

SantaFe
San·ta
Fe 
[sàntè fáy]

1.  capital
city of New Mexico, on the Santa Fe River, in the north of the state.
Population: 66,522 (1996)

2.  capital
city of Santa Fe Province in northeastern Argentina. It is a port on the River
Salado. Population: 342,796 (1991)
—San·ta Fe·an, noun,
adjective[1]



SantaFe Trail

SantaFe Trail
San·ta
Fe Trail
noun

wagon trail to the Southwest:
an important route from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe in what is now New
Mexico for wagons and stagecoaches prior to the opening of the railroad during
the 19th century.
See also
Route 66[1]



SantaGertrudis

SantaGertrudis
San·ta
Ger·tru·dis 
[sàntə gər trdəss] (plural San·ta
Ger·tru·dis·es or San·ta Ger·tru·dis) noun

red
Texan cow:
a large red cow belonging to a breed developed in Texas from Brahman and
shorthorn cattle and bred for beef. It is highly resistant to heat and insects.
[Named for a section of the
King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas, where the breed was developed][1]



SantaMaria

SantaMaria
San·ta
Ma·ri·a 
[sàntə mə r ə]

city in Santa Barbara County,
southwestern California. Population: 61,284 (1990)[1]



SantaMarta

SantaMarta
San·ta
Mar·ta 
[sàntè mrtè]

port and capital city of
Magdalena Department in northern Colombia, on the Caribbean Sea. Population:
309,372 (1995)[1]



SantaMonica

SantaMonica
San·ta
Mo·ni·ca 
[santə mónnikə]

city near Los Angeles in
southwestern California, on Santa Monica Bay. It is chiefly a resort and
residential city. Population: 86,905 (1990)[1]



Santander

Santander
San·tan·der 
[sàntèn dáir]

port and capital city of
Santander Province in the autonomous region of Cantabria, northern Spain.
Population: 194,837 (1995)[1]



SantaPaula

SantaPaula
San·ta
Pau·la 
[sàntə páwlə]

city in Ventura County,
southern California, situated on the Santa Clara River, northwest of Los
Angeles. Population: 25,062 (1990)[1]



SantaRosa

SantaRosa
San·ta
Ro·sa 
[sàntə rṓzə]

city in Sonoma County,
northwestern California. Population: 116,962 (1994)[1]



Santee

Santee
San·tee 
[sántee]

river flowing from southern
South Carolina into the Atlantic Ocean, south of Georgetown. Length: 230 km/143
mi.[1]



Santería

Santería
San·te·rí·a 
[sàntə r ə, sntə
r ə] or san·te·rí·a [sàntə r
ə, sntə r ə] noun

religion
combining Yoruba religion and Catholicism: a
religion that combines the West African Yoruba religion with Roman Catholicism.
The religion recognizes a supreme God as well as other spirits. Originally
developed in Cuba by West African enslaved laborers, it is now practiced in the
Caribbean and the United States.
[Mid-20th century. Via
Spanish santería “holiness” from, ultimately, Latin sanctus
“sacred” (see saint ).][1]



Santiago

Santiago

San·ti·a·go 
[sàntee gō]
capital and largest city of Chile, on the
Mapocho River, in the central part of the country. Population: 4,295,593 (1992)[1]



Santiago




Back to definition

Santiago

[1]



Santiagode Compostela

Santiagode Compostela
San·ti·a·go
de Com·postela [santee gō
day kompo stáylè]

capital city of the
autonomous region of Galicia, northwestern Spain. Its cathedral has been a
major place of pilgrimage since medieval times. Population: 94,057 (1995)[1]



Santiagode Cuba

Santiagode Cuba
San·ti·a·go
de Cu·ba 
[santee gō day kbè]

the second largest city in
Cuba, situated in the southeast of the country. It is a major port. Population:
440,084 (1993)[1]



santim

santim
san·tim
[sán teem] noun

1.  subunit
of Latvian currency: a subunit of currency in
Latvia, 100 of which are worth one lat

2.  coin
worth a santim: a coin worth a santim

[1]



Santo

Santo
San·to
[sántō] (plural San·tos) noun

man
who is a saint: used as a title, usually in place names,
before the name of a man who has been made a saint.
See
also
San
See
also
Santa
[Via Spanish and Italian from
Latin sanctus (see saint )][1]



SantoDomingo

SantoDomingo
San·to
Do·min·go 
[sàntō də míng gō]

capital and largest city of
the Dominican Republic, situated in the south of the country. Population:
2,100,000 (1993)[1]



santonica

santonica
san·ton·i·ca 
[san tónnikə] (plural san·ton·i·cas
or san·ton·i·ca) noun

1.  wormwood
plant with abundant flowers: a shrubby wormwood plant
native to Europe and Asia that has twin needle-shaped leaves and abundant
flower heads. Genus: Artemisia

2.  source
of santonin: the dried unopened flower heads of the
santonica plant which contain santonin
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from, ultimately, Latin santonicus “of the Santoni,” a tribe of
the Gauls.][1]



santonin

santonin
san·to·nin 
[sántənin] noun

compound
formerly used against parasitic worms: a
white crystalline compound that is extracted from the dried flower heads of the
santonica plant, formerly used to eradicate parasitic worms. C15H18O3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from santonica + -in
.][1]



Santorini

Santorini
San·tor·in·i
[sàntə r nee]

See
Thera[1]



Santos

Santos
San·tos 
[sántooss]

city and port in São Paulo
State, in southeastern Brazil, situated on the Atlantic island of São Vicente.
Population: 412,288 (1996)[1]



sap

sap2
sap2 [sap]
noun (plural saps)

covered trench leading to enemy
territory:
a deep narrow covered trench, dug to approach or get inside enemy territory,
especially during a siege
verb
(past sapped, past participle sapped, present
participle sap·ping, 3rd person present singular saps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig a
sap:
to dig a sap, or undermine the foundations of an enemy fortification by digging
a tunnel

2.  transitive
verb
take
away somebody’s energy: to gradually weaken or
reduce something, especially somebody’s strength or energy • The
long hours were sapping his strength.
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French sappe and Italian zappa from late Latin sappa,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Arabic sarab “burrow.”][1]



sap

sap1
sap1 [sap]
noun (plural saps)

1.  plant
fluid:
a watery liquid containing mineral salts, sugars, and other nutrients that
circulates through the conducting tissues of a plant

2.  body
fluid:
any essential body fluid

3.  energy:
bodily strength or vitality • feel
the sap rising

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence and ability
to recognize the truth (informal insult)

5.  cosh:
a weapon such as a cosh or blackjack
transitive
verb
(past sapped, past participle sapped, present
participle sap·ping, 3rd person present singular saps)

1.  drain
plant of sap: to drain a plant of sap

2.  hit
somebody with a sap: to hit or knock somebody out
with a sap
[Old
English sæp . From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of German Saft “juice.”]
—sap·less, adjective[1]



sapajou

sapajou
sap·a·jou 
[sáppə j, sàppə
] (plural sap·a·jous or sap·a·jou) noun

See
capuchin
[Late 17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Tupi .][1]



sapele

sapele
sa·pe·le 
[sə plee] (plural sa·pe·les or
sa·pe·le) noun

1.  TREES West
African tree with hard wood: a tree native to western
Africa that produces a hard wood. Genus: Entandrophragma

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from sapele tree: the wood from the sapele tree, which is
similar to mahogany and is used for making furniture
[Early 20th century. Named
for Sapele, a port on the Benin River in Nigeria.][1]



saphead

saphead
sap·head 
[sap hèd] (plural sap·heads) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or cunning
(slang insult)
—sap·head·ed, adjective[1]



saphena

saphena
sa·phe·na 
[sə fnə] (plural sa·phe·nae [sə fnee]) noun

See
saphenous vein
—sa·phe·nous, adjective[1]



saphenousvein

saphenousvein
sa·phe·nous
vein
[sə fnəss váyn] (plural sa·phe·nous
veins) noun

vein
in the leg:
either of two major veins in the leg that run from the foot to the thigh near
the surface of the skin.
Also
called
saphena
[From medieval Latin, “vein”][1]



sapid

sapid
sap·id 
[sáppəd] adjective (formal)

1.  flavorful:
having a strong and pleasant taste

2.  pleasant
to think about: engaging or pleasant to think about
[Early
17th century. From Latin sapidus, from sapere “to taste” (source
of English insipid ).]
—sa·pid·i·ty
[sə píddətee], noun

—sap·id·ness [sáppədnəss], noun[1]



sapient

sapient
sa·pi·ent 
[sáypee ənt] adjective

full
of wisdom:
wise or learned
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin sapiens-, the present participle stem
of sapere “to be wise, taste.”]
—sa·pi·ence,
noun

—sa·pi·ent·ly, adverb[1]



sapiential

sapiential
sa·pi·en·tial
[sàypee énsh’l] adjective

wise:
having or giving wisdom (formal)
—sa·pi·en·tial·ly, adverb[1]



sapindaceous

sapindaceous
sa·pin·da·ceous
[sàppin dáyshess] adjective

related
to soapberry: belonging to an order of trees and
shrubs that includes the soapberry. Order: Sapindaceae
[19th century. Formed from
modern Latin Sapindaceae, order name, from Sapindus, literally
“Indian soap,” from sapo “soap” + Indus “India.”][1]



Sapir-Whorfhypothesis

Sapir-Whorfhypothesis
Sa·pir-Whorf
hy·poth·e·sis [sə pr
wáwrf hīpòthəssəss] noun

theory about language:
the theory that the structure of a language helps determine how its native
speakers perceive and categorize experience. It was proposed by Edward Sapir in
1929 and further developed by Benjamin Lee Whorf.
Also called
Whorf hypothesis[1]



sapling

sapling
sap·ling 
[sápling] (plural sap·lings) noun

1.  TREES small
tree:
a young tree with a slender trunk

2.  young
person:
a young person (literary)

[1]



sapodilla

sapodilla
sap·o·dil·la 
[sàppə díllə, sàppə
d yə] (plural sap·o·dil·las) noun

1.  TREES tropical
evergreen tree: an evergreen tree of Mexico, Central
America, and the Caribbean that yields chicle and has a brown rough-skinned
fruit with sweet yellowish pulp.
Also
called
sapota

2.  FOOD sapodilla
fruit:
a small round edible fruit with a brown skin that grows on the sapodilla tree.
Also
called
naseberry
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish zapotillo, from zapote, from Nahuatl tzapotl .][1]



saponaceous

saponaceous
sap·o·na·ceous 
[sàppə náyshəss] adjective

like
soap:
with the consistency of soap (formal)
[Early
18th century. Formed from modern Latin from Latin sapon- saponaceus,
from “hair dye” (see saponated ).]
—sap·o·na·ceous·ness, noun[1]



saponated

saponated
sap·o·na·ted 
[sáppə nàytəd] adjective

mixed
with soap:
treated or mixed with soap
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin sapon-, the stem of sapo “hair dye,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



saponify

saponify
sa·pon·i·fy 
[sə pónni f] (past sa·pon·i·fied,
past participle sa·pon·i·fied, present participle sa·pon·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sa·pon·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or be made into soap: to be converted into soap or
to convert a fat into soap, especially by reaction with an alkali
[Early
19th century. Via French saponifier from, ultimately, Latin sapo-
“hair dye” (see saponated ).]
—sa·pon·i·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—sa·pon·i·fi·er, noun[1]



saponin

saponin
sap·o·nin 
[sáppənin, sə pṓnin]
(plural sap·o·nins) noun

soap
from plant:
any of a group of chemical substances ( glucosides
) extracted from plants that form a soapy lather when mixed with water and are
used to make detergents
[Mid-19th century. Via French
saponine from, ultimately, the Latin stem sapon- “hair dye” (see saponated ).][1]



saponite

saponite
sap·o·nite 
[sáppə nt] noun

soft
soapy mineral: a soft soapy clay mineral found in the
veins and cavities of certain rocks that have undergone hydrothermal alteration
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from the Latin stem sapon- “hair dye” (see saponated
).][1]



sapor

sapor
sa·por 
[sáy pər] (plural sa·pors) noun

flavor:
taste or flavor as a characteristic of something (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin (also the source of English savor
), formed from sapere “to taste.”]
—sa·po·rif·ic
[sàypə ríffik, sàppə
ríffik], adjective

—sa·po·rous [sáypərəss, sáppərəss],
adjective[1]



sapota

sapota
sa·po·ta
[sə pṓtə] (plural sa·po·tas or
sa·po·ta) noun

1.  See
sapodilla  noun 1

2.  See
sapote  noun 1

[1]



sapotaceous

sapotaceous
sap·o·ta·ceous
[sàppə táyshəss] adjective

related
to balata:
belonging to an order of trees that includes the balata tree. Order: Sapotaceae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from sapota (see sapota
).][1]



sapote

sapote
sa·po·te 
[sə pṓtee, sə pṓtay]
(plural sa·po·tes) noun

1.  TREES tropical
American tree: a Mexican and Central American tree that
has a sweet brown fruit. Latin name: Poulteria sapota
Also
called
sapota

2.  FOOD fruit
of sapote tree: an oval brown edible fruit that grows on
the sapote tree.
Also
called
marmalade plum
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from Spanish zapote, from Nahuatl tzapotl .][1]



sappanwood

sappanwood
sap·pan·wood 
[sə pán wd] (plural sap·pan·woods)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
Asian tree:
a tropical Asian tree. Latin name: Caesalpina sappan

2.  INDUSTRY tropical
wood:
the wood of the sappanwood tree, which yields a red dye
[Late 16th century. Via Dutch
from Malay sapang .][1]



sapper

sapper
sap·per 
[sápper] (plural sap·pers) noun

1.  specialist
in trenches and tunnels: a military engineer who
specializes in fortifications, especially tunnels dug under enemy territory

2.  specialist
in mines:
a military engineer who lays, detects, and disarms mines
[Early 17th century. Formed
from sap 2 .][1]



Sapphic

Sapphic
Sap·phic 
[sáffik] adjective

1.  relating
to Sappho’s poetry: relating to the Greek poet
Sappho or her poetry, largely written in 11-syllable lines, with stanzas of
three such lines and a shorter fourth line

2.  lesbian:
lesbian (literary)
noun
(plural Sap·phics)

Greek poem: a
Sapphic line, stanza, or poem

[1]



sapphire

sapphire
sap·phire 
[sá fr] noun (plural sap·phires)

1.  MINERALS deep
blue jewel:
a clear hard precious stone that is a variety of the mineral corundum and is
usually deep blue in color

2.  COLORS brilliant
blue color:
a brilliant blue color like that of a sapphire
adjective

1.  with
a sapphire:
made of or set with a sapphire

2.  COLORS of
brilliant blue: of a brilliant blue color like that of a
sapphire
[13th century. Via Old French
safir and Latin sapphirus from Greek sappheiros .][1]



sapphirine

sapphirine
sap·phi·rine 
[sáffə rn, sáffə
rn, sáffə rin] adjective

like
a sapphire:
resembling a sapphire, especially in being a brilliant blue color
noun

kind of mineral:
a rare blue or green mineral that is a silicate of aluminum and magnesium[1]



sapphism

sapphism
sap·phism 
[sá fìzzəm] noun

lesbianism:
lesbianism (literary)
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Greek poet Sappho .][1]



Sappho

Sappho
Sap·pho 
[sáffō] (lived 7th century BC)

Greek poet. She wrote odes,
wedding songs, and hymns notable for their depth of feeling. Few fragments of
her work remain.[1]



Sapporo

Sapporo
Sap·po·ro 
[sáppōrō, sa pṓrō]

commercial center and capital
of Hokkaido Prefecture, on western Hokkaido Island, Japan. Population:
1,748,000 (1995)[1]



sappy

sappy
sap·py 
[sáppee] (comparative sap·pi·er,
superlative sap·pi·est) adjective

1.  PLANTS full
of sap:
full of sap

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing somebody as thoughtless or unintelligent (informal
insult)
—sap·pi·ly, adverb[1]



sapr-

sapr-
sapr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sapro-[1]



sapremia

sapremia
sa·pre·mi·a
[sə prmee ə] noun

kind
of blood poisoning: blood poisoning thought to
be caused by the toxic products of microorganisms in decaying tissue (archaic)
[Late
19th century. Coined from sapro- + -emia .]
—sa·pre·mic, adjective[1]



sapro-

sapro-
sapro-
prefix

1.  death,
decay, putrefaction • saprozoic

2.  dead
or decaying organic matter • saprophagous
[From Greek sapros
“rotten”][1]



saprobe

saprobe
sap·robe 
[sáp rb] (plural sap·robes) noun

organism
that feeds on decay: an organism that gets its
nourishment from inorganic or decaying organic matter
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from sapro-, on the model of
microbe .]
—sap·ro·bic, adjective[1]



saprobiology

saprobiology
sap·ro·bi·ol·o·gy 
[sàpprō bī ólləjee] noun

study
of decaying organic matter: the study of environments
that support organisms ( saprobes ) that feed on decaying organic matter
—sap·ro·bi·o·log·i·cal
[sàpprō bī ə lójjik’l], adjective

—sap·ro·bi·ol·o·gist [sàpprō bī ólləjist], noun[1]



saprogenic

saprogenic
sap·ro·gen·ic 
[sàpprə jénnik] adjective

causing
decay:
causing or resulting from decay
—sap·ro·ge·nic·i·ty [sàpprəjə níssətee], noun[1]



saprolite

saprolite
sap·ro·lite 
[sápprə lt] noun

crumbling
rock:
soft disintegrating igneous rock that remains where it was located when solid,
formed by heavy weathering in a humid environment
—sap·ro·lit·ic, adjective[1]



sapropel

sapropel
sap·ro·pel 
[sápprə pèl] noun

muddy
bottom deposit: a soft black layer of decaying organic
matter at the bottom of a body of water
[Early
20th century. From German, from Greek sapros “rotten” (see sapro- ) + pēlos “mud.”]
—sap·ro·pel·ic [sàpprə péllik, sàpprə
plik], adjective[1]



saprophagous

saprophagous
sa·proph·a·gous 
[sa prófəgəs] adjective

feeding on decaying matter:
feeding on or obtaining food from decaying organic matter[1]



saprophyte

saprophyte
sap·ro·phyte 
[sápprə ft] (plural sap·ro·phytes)
noun

organism
that lives on decay: a plant, especially a
fungus, or bacterium that obtains food from dead or decaying organic matter
—sap·ro·phyt·ic
[sàpprə fíttik], adjective

—sap·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly
[sàpprə fíttikəlee], adverb[1]



saprozoic

saprozoic
sap·ro·zo·ic 
[sàpprə zṓ ik] adjective

feeding on dissolved organic
matter: getting nourishment by
absorbing dissolved organic matter and salts[1]



sapsago

sapsago
sap·sa·go 
[sap sáygō, sápsə
g] (plural sap·sa·gos or sap·sa·go) noun

green
Swiss cheese: a hard green Swiss cheese made with sour
skim milk and flavored with sweet clover
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of German Schabzieger, from schaben “to scrape” and zieger
“curd cheese.”][1]



sapsucker

sapsucker
sap·suck·er 
[sáp sùkər] (plural sap·suck·ers)
noun

N American woodpecker:
a small North American woodpecker that drills holes in trees in order to drink
the sap and eat insects attracted by the sap. Genus: Sphyrapicus[1]



sapwood

sapwood
sap·wood 
[sáp wd] noun

outer wood of tree trunk:
the soft wood of a tree between the inner bark and the heartwood. It is lighter
in color than the heartwood and more active in conducting water.[1]



SAR

SAR
SAR

Abbreviation of
Sons of the American Revolution[1]



saraband

saraband
sar·a·band
[sárrə bànd] (plural sar·a·bands)
or sar·a·bande [sárrə bànd] (plural
sara·ban·des) noun

1.  DANCE Spanish
court dance: a slow and dignified dance in triple
time, favored by the Spanish nobility in the 17th and 18th centuries

2.  MUSIC music
for saraband: music for the saraband, written in
triple time with an accent on the second beat of the measure
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Spanish zarabanda .][1]



Saracen

Saracen
Sar·a·cen 
[sárrəss’n] noun (plural Sar·a·cens)

1.  Muslim
opposing Christian Crusades: a Muslim who fought against
the Christian Crusaders in the Middle Ages

2.  member
of ancient desert people: a member of an ancient
nomadic desert people of Syria and Arabia living on the fringes of the Roman
Empire. They resisted periodic Roman attempts to incorporate their territories.

3.  Arab:
an Arab (archaic)
adjective

1.  relating
to Saracens: relating to or typical of the ancient or
medieval Saracens or their culture

2.  Islamic
or Arab:
relating to Muslims or Arabs or their cultures (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Via Old French sarazin from, ultimately, late Greek sarakēnos,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Arabic sarki “eastern.”]
—Sar·a·cen·ic
[sàrrə s’ənnik], adjective

—Sar·a·cen·i·cal [sàrrə sénnik’l], adjective[1]



Saragossa

Saragossa
Sar·a·gos·sa 
[sàrrè góssè]

See
Zaragoza[1]



Sarah

Sarah
Sa·rah 
[sáirə] noun

wife of Abraham:
in the Bible, the wife and half-sister of Abraham, and mother of Isaac (Genesis
17:15–22)[1]



Sarajevo

Sarajevo
Sa·ra·je·vo 
[sàrrè yáyvō]

capital city of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the eastern central part of the country. Population:
415,631 (1991)[1]



saran

saran
sa·ran 
[sə rán] noun

kind
of plastic:
a thermoplastic resin created from a vinyl compound and used to make fabrics,
plastic wrap, and other articles
[Mid-20th century. Originally
a trademark.][1]



Sarandon,Susan

Sarandon,Susan
Sa·ran·don
[sə rándən], Susan (1946– )

U.S.
movie actor. She won an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking ( 1995 ).
Born
Susan Tomaling[1]



sarangi

sarangi
sar·an·gi
[sə ráng gee] (plural sar·an·gis)
noun

Indian
stringed instrument: a musical instrument of the
Indian subcontinent that is similar to a violin with a rectangular soundbox and
three strings with additional sympathetic strings
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit sārangī .][1]



SaratogaSprings

SaratogaSprings
Sar·a·to·ga
Springs 
[sàrrè tṓgè springs]

city in eastern New York, in
the Adirondack Mountain foothills, north of Albany. Two battles were fought in
its vicinity during the Revolution. Population: 25,118 (1996)[1]



Saratogatrunk

Saratogatrunk
Sar·a·to·ga
trunk
[sàrrə tṓgə trungk] (plural Sar·a·to·ga
trunks) noun

piece
of luggage:
a large traveling trunk with a rounded top, once widely used by women
[Named for Saratoga Springs, New York, a popular resort
destination in the 19th century][1]



Sarawak

Sarawak
Sa·ra·wak 
[sə rwaak]

state in Malaysia, in the
northwestern portion of the island of Borneo. Capital: Kuching. Population:
1,648,217 (1990) Area: 124,449 sq km/48,050 sq mi.[1]



Sarazen,Gene

Sarazen,Gene
Sa·ra·zen
[sárrəz’n], Gene (1902–1999)

U.S.
golfer. He was the first golfer to win the four championships that comprise the
Grand Slam of golf.
Born
Eugene Saraceni[1]



sarc-

sarc-
sarc-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sarco-[1]



sarcasm

sarcasm
sar·casm 
[sr kàzzəm] noun

cutting
language:
remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and are intended to
mock or deride
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek sarkazein “to tear flesh,” from sarx
“flesh” (source of English sarcoma
and sarcophagus ).][1]



sarcastic

sarcastic
sar·cas·tic 
[saar kástik] adjective

1.  mocking:
characterized by words that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and make
fun of something or somebody or express irritation

2.  fond
of sarcasm:
fond of or habitually using sarcasm
—sar·cast·ic·al·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  sarcastic, ironic, sardonic,
  satirical, satiric,
  caustic
  CORE
  MEANING: used
  to describe remarks that are designed to hurt or mock sarcastic; used to describe remarks that are
  contemptuous, scornful, or mocking and that are intended to hurt or belittle
  the person or thing they are directed at; ironic;
  used to describe remarks that deliberately state the opposite of the truth,
  usually with the intention of being amusing rather than contemptuous or
  mocking; sardonic; used to describe
  remarks or behavior that are mocking and cynical or disdainful. It does not
  suggest such deliberate hurtfulness as does sarcastic;
  satirical; used to describe writing,
  drama, drawing, or any other form of expression that uses ridicule and irony
  to criticize somebody’s or something’s faults; satiric; a more formal
  word used in the same way as satirical; caustic;
  used to describe remarks that are harsh and bitter and intended to mock,
  offend, or belittle the person or thing they are directed at

[1]



sarcenet

sarcenet
sar·ce·net 
[srssnət] or sar·se·net [srssnət] noun

fine
silk:
a soft delicate silk cloth once widely used for veils, linings, and ribbons
[15th century. From Old
French sarzinet, of uncertain origin: perhaps formed from Sarazin
(see Saracen ).][1]



sarco-

sarco-
sarco-
prefix

1.  striated
muscle • sarcolemma

2.  flesh
• sarcoid
[From Greek sark-, the
stem of sarx “flesh.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
cut, tear,” which is also the ancestor of English sarcasm
and sarcophagus .][1]



sarcodinian

sarcodinian
sar·co·din·i·an 
[srkə dínnee ən] adjective

of
amoeba class of protozoans: belonging to the class of
protozoans that includes amoebas
noun
(plural sar·co·din·i·ans)

sarcodinian
protozoan:
a protozoan that belongs to the same class as amoebas
[Formed from modern Latin Sarcodìna,
superclass name, from Greek sarkōdēs, “fleshy,” from sarx
“flesh”][1]



sarcoid

sarcoid
sar·coid 
[sr kòyd] noun (plural sar·coids)

infected
area:
a small area of chronic infection in the body of a person affected by
sarcoidosis
adjective

like flesh:
relating to or resembling flesh[1]



sarcoidosis

sarcoidosis
sar·coid·o·sis 
[sr koy d__’ossəss] noun

disease marked by lesions:
a disease in which lumps of fibrous tissue and collections of cells (
granulomas ) appear on the skin and internal organs[1]



sarcolacticacid

sarcolacticacid
sar·co·lac·tic
ac·id 
[srkə làktik ássəd] noun

acid produced by muscles:
a form of lactic acid produced by muscle tissue during anaerobic activity[1]



sarcolemma

sarcolemma
sar·co·lem·ma 
[srkə lémmə] (plural sar·co·lem·mas)
noun

membrane in muscle tissue:
a thin clear membrane that covers a striated muscle fiber[1]



sarcoma

sarcoma
sar·co·ma 
[saar kṓmə] (plural sar·co·mas
or sar·co·ma·ta [saar kṓmətə])
noun

cancerous
growth:
a malignant tumor that begins growing in connective tissue such as muscle,
bone, fat, or cartilage. Sarcomas may occur in any part of the body, and are
typically fast-growing and quick to spread.
—sar·co·ma·toid,
adjective

—sar·co·ma·tous, adjective[1]



sarcomatosis

sarcomatosis
sar·co·ma·to·sis 
[saar kmə tṓssəss] noun

multiple tumors of solid
tissue: a disease marked by the
growth of sarcomas in various parts of the body[1]



sarcomere

sarcomere
sar·co·mere 
[srkə mr] (plural sar·co·meres)
noun

part of a muscle fiber:
any of the tiny segments that make up a fibril of striated muscle[1]



sarcophagus

sarcophagus
sar·coph·a·gus 
[saar kóffəgəss] (plural sar·coph·a·gi
[saar kóffəgī] or sar·coph·a·gus·es)
noun

stone
coffin:
an ancient stone or marble coffin, often decorated with sculpture and
inscriptions
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek sarkophogos, literally “flesh-eater.” The word
originally referred to a kind of limestone used for making coffins in which
bodies were thought to decompose quickly.][1]



sarcoplasm

sarcoplasm
sar·co·plasm 
[srkə plàzzəm] noun

part
of muscle fiber: the cytoplasm of a striated muscle fiber
—sar·co·plas·mic
[srkə plázmik], adjective

—sar·co·plas·mous [srkə plázməss], adjective[1]



sarcoplasmicreticulum

sarcoplasmicreticulum
sar·co·plas·mic
re·tic·u·lum noun

part of muscle fiber:
the endoplasmic reticulum of a striated muscle fiber[1]



sarcopticmange

sarcopticmange
sar·cop·tic
mange 
[saar kòptik máynj] noun

skin
disease:
a form of mange caused by a parasitic mite that burrows into the skin
[Formed from modern Latin Sarcoptes,
genus name of the mite that causes the disease, from Greek sarx “flesh”
+ koptein “to cut”][1]



sarcostyle

sarcostyle
sar·co·style 
[srkə stl] (plural sar·co·styles)
noun

See
myofibril[1]



sarcous

sarcous
sar·cous 
[srkəss] adjective

of flesh:
consisting of or relating to flesh or muscle tissue[1]



sard

sard
sard 
[saard] (plural sards) noun

semiprecious
stone:
a deep orange-red variety of chalcedony used in making jewelry.
Also
called
sardius
[15th century. Via Latin sarda
from Greek sardios, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Sardis .][1]



sardar

sardar
sar·dar
(plural sar·dars) noun

See
sirdar
[Late 16th century. From
Persian, literally “holding the position of chief.”][1]



sardine

sardine
sar·dine 
[sr dn] (plural sar·dines) noun

tiny
ocean fish:
a small marine fish related to the herring, especially the European pilchard.
Sardines are netted in large numbers for food and preserved in cans, packed
tightly in oil. Latin name: Sardinia pilchardus
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek Sardō “Sardinia.”]
be
packed like sardines

to be crowded closely
together[1]



Sardinia

Sardinia

Sar·din·i·a 
[saar dínnee è]
Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. Capital:
Cagliari. Population: 1,659,466 (1995) Area: 23,813 sq km/9,194 sq mi.[1]



Sardinian

Sardinian
Sar·din·i·an 
[saar dínnee ən] noun (plural Sar·din·i·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Sardinia: somebody who was born in or who lives in
Sardinia

2.  LANGUAGE spoken
language of Sardinia: the language spoken in
Sardinia. It belongs to the Romance family of languages and is regarded by some
linguists as a dialect of Italian.
adjective

relating to Sardinia:
relating to Sardinia, or its people or culture

[1]



Sardis

Sardis
Sar·dis 
[srdiss]

ancient city of Asia Minor,
in present-day Turkey. It was the capital city of Lydia and an early seat of
Christianity.[1]



sardius

sardius
sar·di·us 
[srdee əss] (plural sar·di·us·es)
noun

See
sard
[15th century. From Latin,
formed from sarda (see sard ).][1]



sardonic

sardonic
sar·don·ic 
[saar dónnik] adjective

disdainfully
mocking:
disdainfully or ironically mocking
[Mid-17th
century. Via French sardonique from, ultimately, Greek sardanios
“scornful.” Originally meaning “Sardinian,” its later meaning derives from the
“Sardinian plant,” which caused facial contortions resembling a scornful grin.]
—sar·don·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—sar·don·i·cism,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at sarcastic

[1]



sardonyx

sardonyx
sar·don·yx 
[saar dónniks] (plural sar·don·yx·es)
noun

semiprecious
stone:
a variety of onyx with alternating bands of light orange-brown sard and white
chalcedony, once widely used in making cameos
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek sardonux, from sardios (see sard
) + onux (see onyx ).][1]



saree

saree
sa·ree
(plural sa·rees) noun

See
sari[1]



sargasso

sargasso
sar·gas·so 
[saar gássō] or sar·gas·so weed
[saar gássō] noun

See
gulfweed
[Late 16th century. From
Portuguese sargaço, of unknown origin.][1]



SargassoSea

SargassoSea
Sar·gas·so
Sea 
[sar gàssō s]

section of the North Atlantic
Ocean, between the West Indies and the Azores. It is noted for its
predominantly still waters.[1]



sargassum

sargassum
sar·gas·sum 
[saar gássəm] noun

See
gulfweed
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from sargasso .][1]



sargassumfish

sargassumfish
sar·gas·sum
fish
noun

ocean fish:
a brown and black fish that lives in floating gulfweed in the Atlantic and
western Pacific oceans. Latin name: Histrio histrio[1]



sarge

sarge
sarge 
[saardg] noun

sergeant:
a sergeant in the armed forces or police (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of sergeant .][1]



Sargent,John Singer

Sargent,John Singer
Sar·gent
[srjənt], John Singer (1856–1925)

Italian-born U.S. artist.
Possessing a brilliant technique, he was known for oil portraits of well-known
people such as Madame Gautreau ( 1882–1883 ). He later turned to
watercolors.[1]



Sargodha

Sargodha
Sar·go·dha 
[saar gṓdè]

city in Punjab Province,
Pakistan, about 177 km/110 mi northwest of Lahore. Population: 291,361 (1981)[1]



sari

sari

sa·ri 
[sree] (plural sa·ris) or
sa·ree [sree] (plural sa·rees)
noun
Asian
woman’s garment: a traditional garment worn by women in
or from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a long rectangle of fabric
reaching the feet, wrapped and pleated around the waist over an underskirt and
choli, and draped over the shoulder
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
saṛi from, ultimately, Sanskrit śai “garment.”][1]



sarin

sarin
sar·in
[srin] noun

nerve
gas:
an extremely toxic gas that attacks the central nervous system, causing
convulsions and death. It has been used for chemical warfare. C4H10FO2P
[Mid-20th century. From
German, of unknown origin.][1]



sarmentose

sarmentose
sar·men·tose 
[saar méntōss] or sar·men·tous
[saar méntəss] adjective

with
long trailing stems: producing long slender stems
that reach out and take root along the ground
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin sarmentosus “full of twigs,” from sarmentum “twig.”][1]



Sarnia

Sarnia
Sar·ni·a 
[srneeè]

city at the southern tip of
Lake Huron, on the St. Clair River, Ontario, Canada. Population: 86,480 (1996)[1]



Sarnoff,David

Sarnoff,David
Sar·noff
[srn of], David (1891–1971)

Russian-born U.S.
entrepreneur. A pioneer in radio and television, he headed the Radio
Corporation of America (1930–1970) and established the National Broadcasting
Company (1926).[1]



sarod

sarod
sa·rod
[sə rṓd] (plural sa·rods) noun

Indian
musical instrument: a stringed instrument of
northern India that resembles a lute with two resonating gourds but is played
with a bow
[Mid-19th century. Via Urdu
from Persian sar ud .][1]



sarong

sarong
sa·rong 
[sə ráwng] (plural sa·rongs) noun

1.  traditional
Malaysian garment: a traditional garment of
Java and the Malay archipelago, consisting of a length of fabric wrapped and
tied around the body at the waist or under the arms. It is worn by men and
women.

2.  CLOTHES fashion
version of sarong: a fashion version of the
sarong worn by a woman as a wrapped skirt, often for the beach

3.  cloth
for Malaysian garments: cloth for a sarong, often
brightly colored
[Mid-19th century. From Malay
“covering.”][1]



SaronicGulf

SaronicGulf
Sa·ron·ic
Gulf 
[sè rónik gulf]

gulf of the Aegean Sea, on
the coast of southeastern Greece[1]



saros

saros
sa·ros 
[sáir oss, srōss]
noun

solar
and lunar eclipse cycle: the cycle of 6,585.32 days,
or approximately 18 years 11 days, after which a sequence of eclipses of the
sun and moon repeats itself. It was known to the Babylonians and some other
ancient civilizations.
[Early
19th century. Via Greek from Babylonian sāru “the number 3600.” The
modern sense, “eclipse cycle,” derives from a 19th century misunderstanding of
the Babylonian word.]
—sa·ron·ic [sə rónnik], adjective[1]



Saroyan,William

Saroyan,William
Sa·roy·an
[sə róy ən], William (1908–1981)

U.S. playwright and novelist,
whose often flamboyant works include the play The Time of Your Life (
1938 ). He refused its Pulitzer Prize because he disapproved of such awards.[1]



sarpanch

sarpanch
sar·panch
[sr pùnch] (plural sar·panch·es)
noun

Indian
village leader: the head of a village council ( panchayat ) in India
[Mid-20th century. From Urdu,
formed from sar “head” + panch “five.”][1]



sarracenia

sarracenia
sar·ra·ce·ni·a 
[sàrrə snee ə] (plural sar·ra·ce·ni·as
or sar·ra·ce·ni·a) noun

pitcher
plant:
any of the pitcher plants that are native to eastern North America and have
hollow tubular leaves that trap insects. Genus: Sarracenia
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, named for the 17th century Canadian botanist D. Sarrazin
.][1]



sarrusophone

sarrusophone
sar·ru·so·phone
[sə rzə fn] (plural sar·ru·so·phones)
noun

woodwind
instrument:
a woodwind musical instrument similar to a bassoon but made of brass
[Late 19th century. Named for
M. Sarrus, the 19th century French bandmaster who invented the
instrument.][1]



sarsaparilla

sarsaparilla
sar·sa·pa·ril·la 
[sspə ríllə] (plural sar·sa·pa·ril·las
or sar·sa·pa·ril·la) noun

1.  tropical
vine:
tropical American vine with aromatic roots and heart-shaped leaves. Genus: Smilax

2.  plant
similar to sarsaparilla: a plant similar to
sarsaparilla, especially American sarsaparilla and Australian sarsaparilla

3.  medicinal
root:
the dried root of any sarsaparilla plant, used in traditional or herbal
medicine and to make a soft drink

4.  BEVERAGES kind
of soda pop: a carbonated drink flavored with
sarsaparilla root, similar to root beer
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish zarzaparilla, from zarza literally “little bramble
vine.”][1]



sarsen

sarsen
sar·sen 
[srss’n] (plural sar·sens) noun

block
of stone:
any of the many large sedimentary rocks that have been broken into blocks by
frost action and are found scattered across the chalk downs of southern England
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Saracen . The association is
unclear.][1]



sarsenet

sarsenet
sar·sen·et
noun

See
sarcenet[1]



sartor

sartor
sar·tor 
[srtər] (plural sar·tors) noun

tailor:
a tailor (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, formed from sart-, the past participle stem of sarcire “to
patch.”][1]



sartorial

sartorial
sar·to·ri·al 
[saar táwree əl] adjective

1.  CLOTHES of
tailoring:
relating to tailoring or clothing in general

2.  ANATOMY of
sartorius muscle: relating to the sartorius muscle in the
thigh

[1]



sartorius

sartorius
sar·to·ri·us 
[saar táwree əss] (plural sar·to·ri·i
[saar táwree ]) noun

thigh
muscle:
a flat narrow muscle that extends from the hip to the inner thigh and helps
rotate the leg to a cross-legged position. It is the longest muscle in the
human body.
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin musculus sartorius “tailor’s muscle,” from sartor (see
sartor ). The term derives from the
cross-legged seating posture tailors traditionally assumed when sewing.][1]



Sartre,Jean-Paul

Sartre,Jean-Paul

Sar·tre
[srtrə, saart],
Jean-Paul (1905–1980)
French philosopher, playwright, and
novelist. The principal exponent of existentialism, he wrote Being and
Nothingness (1943) and the novel Nausea (1938).[1]



Sarvodaya

Sarvodaya
Sar·vo·day·a
noun

social
order envisioned by Gandhi: the name that Mahatma Gandhi
and his followers gave to the new social order that they sought to establish in
India
[Early 20th century. From
Sanskrit, literally “prosperity for all.”][1]



SAS

SAS
SAS
noun

special British military
force: a British military force
that is specially trained to undertake dangerous clandestine operations. Full
form Special Air Service[1]



SASE

SASE
SASE

Abbreviation of
self-addressed stamped envelope[1]



sash

sash
sash
[sash] (plural sash·es) noun

1.  fabric
belt:
a strip of cloth tied around the waist, for example, as part of ceremonial
dress

2.  wide
ribbon worn across the chest: a band of cloth draped over
one shoulder and across the chest as a symbol of rank or office

3.  frame
for glass:
a frame holding the glass panes of a window or door
[Late 17th century. From
Arabic “muslin.”][1]



sashay

sashay
sa·shay 
[sa sháy] intransitive verb (past
sa·shayed, past participle sa·shayed, present
participle sa·shay·ing, 3rd person present singular sa·shays)

1.  flounce
gracefully:
to walk in a way that is intended to attract attention, especially by swaying
the hips or swinging the elbows (informal)

2.  perform
steps in square dancing: to dance a sequence of steps
in square dancing
noun
(plural sa·shays)

1.  See
chassé

2.  pattern
in square dancing: a figure in square dancing
in which partners circle each other using sideways steps
[Mid-19th century. From
French chassé, literally “chasing, chase.”][1]



sashcord

sashcord
sash
cord
(plural sash cords) noun

cord in window frame:
a weighted cord that runs through a groove on either side of a window frame, to
provide balance as the window is raised and lowered[1]



sashimi

sashimi
sa·shi·mi 
[saa shmee] (plural sa·shi·mis)
noun

Japanese
fish dish:
a Japanese dish consisting of slices of raw fish, usually served with a dipping
sauce such as a seasoned soy sauce. Small quantities of other ingredients, for
example, finely shredded white radish or selected pickles, may also be added as
garnishes and palate-refreshing accompaniments.
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



sashsaw

sashsaw
sash
saw
(plural sash saws) noun

fine saw:
a small saw with a thin blade, used in making window sashes[1]



sashweight

sashweight
sash
weight
(plural sash weights) noun

weight inside window frame:
a small metal weight attached to the sash cord on either side of a window frame
to provide balance so that the window can be raised and lowered smoothly[1]



sashwindow

sashwindow
sash
win·dow
(plural sash win·dows) noun

two-framed window:
a window that consists of two frames, one above the other in vertical grooves,
allowing either to be opened or shut by sliding it up or down[1]



sasin

sasin
sa·sin
[sáyssin] (plural sa·sins) noun

See
blackbuck[1]



Sask.

Sask.
Sask.

Abbreviation of
Saskatchewan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan1


Sas·katch·e·wan1  [sas
káchèwèn]
the
central Prairie province of Canada, along with Alberta and Manitoba. Capital:
Regina. Population: 990,237 (1996) Area: 652,330 sq km/251,865 sq mi.
—Sas·katch·e·wa·ni·an
[sa skàchə wnee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Saskatchewan




Back to definition

Saskatchewan1

[1]



Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan2
Sas·katch·e·wan2  [sès
káchèwèn]

river in Canada, rising in
central Saskatchewan and flowing into Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba. Length: 547
km/340 mi.[1]



Saskatoon

Saskatoon
Sas·ka·toon 
[sàskè tn]

the second largest city in
Saskatchewan, Canada, 242 km/150 mi northwest of Regina. Population: 219,056
(1996)[1]



saskatoon

saskatoon
sas·ka·toon 
[sàskə tn] (plural sas·ka·toons)
noun

1.  TREES N
American shrub: a small bush that grows in northwest
North America, with white flowers and sweet purple-black fruit. Latin name: Amelanchier
alnifolia

2.  wild
N American fruit: the sweet purple-black fruit of the
saskatoon.
Also
called
Juneberry
Also
called
serviceberry
[Early 19th century. From
Cree misaaskwatoomin, “amelanchier berry.”][1]



sasquatch

sasquatch
sas·quatch
[sás kwòch, sás
kwàwch] (plural sas·quatch·es) noun

mythical
Canadian monster: a large hairy humanoid creature said to
live in the mountains of western Canada.
Also
called
Bigfoot
[Early 20th century. From
Salish .][1]



sass

sass
sass 
[sass] noun

back
talk:
disrespectful or impudent remarks, especially in reply to an older person or
somebody in authority (informal)
transitive
verb
(past sassed, past participle sassed, present
participle sass·ing, 3rd person present singular sass·es)

talk
back to somebody: to talk disrespectfully or impudently,
especially to somebody who is older or in authority (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of sauce .][1]



sassaby

sassaby
sas·sa·by 
[sássəbee] (plural sas·sa·bies)
noun

See
topi 1 noun
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of Tswana tsessébi .][1]



sassafras

sassafras

sas·sa·fras 
[sássə fràss] (plural sas·sa·fras)
noun

1.  N
American tree: an eastern North American tree with
aromatic bark, unevenly lobed leaves, and small bluish fruits. Latin name: Sassafras
albidum

2.  flavored
bark:
the dried root bark of the sassafras tree, used for flavoring and in perfumes
and medicines
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish sasafrás, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Latin saxifraga
(see saxifrage ).][1]



sassafrasoil

sassafrasoil
sas·sa·fras
oil
noun

oil from sassafras:
a clear oil made from the root of the sassafras tree[1]



Sassanid

Sassanid
Sas·sa·nid 
[sássənid] (plural Sas·sa·nids)
noun

line
of ancient Persian kings: a member of a Persian
dynasty that ruled from AD
224–651. The dynasty superseded the Parthian Empire, and challenged Roman power
in the East. It was the last line of Persian kings before the Arab conquests.
[Late
18th century. Named for the Persian monarch Sasan, grandfather of the
first Sassanian king.]
—Sas·sa·ni·an [sə sáynee ən], adjective[1]



Sassari

Sassari
Sas·sa·ri 
[sássèree]

capital of Sassari Province,
Sardinia, Italy, situated near the northwestern coast of the island.
Population: 121,961 (1992)[1]



Sassoon,Siegfried

Sassoon,Siegfried
Sas·soon
[sə sn], Siegfried (1886–1967)

British
poet and novelist. He is known for his searing poems about the horrors of World
War I and for his semiautobiographical fictional trilogy, collected as The
Memoirs of George Sherston ( 1928–1936 ).
Full name
Sassoon, Siegfried Lorraine[1]



sasswood

sasswood
sass·wood 
[sáss wd] (plural sass·woods)
noun

See
sassy 2[1]



sassy

sassy1
sas·sy1 [sássee]
(plural sas·sies, comparative sas·si·er, superlative
sas·si·est) adjective

1.  impudent:
impudent or disrespectful

2.  high-spirited:
lively and high-spirited • The
show has refreshingly sassy hoedown-style choreography.

3.  stylish:
stylish or fashionable • a
sassy look for spring
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of saucy .][1]



sassy

sassy2
sas·sy2 [sássee]
(plural sas·sies) noun

African
tree:
a western African tree with poisonous bark and hard insect-resistant wood used
for building. Latin name: Erythrophleum suaveolens
Also
called
sasswood
Also
called
sassy wood
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Twi sese “plane tree.”][1]



sassywood

sassywood
sas·sy
wood
(plural sas·sy woods) noun

1.  See
sassy 2

2.  W
African poison: a drink made with the poisonous extract
of the sassy tree. In West African tradition it was used as a poison in trial
by ordeal, and the ability to drink it and survive was thought to be a proof of
innocence.

[1]



sastra

sastra
sas·tra
(plural sas·tras) noun

See
shastra[1]



sastruga

sastruga
sas·tru·ga 
[sas trgə, sástrəgə]
(plural sas·tru·gas) noun

snow
ridge:
a long wave-shaped ridge of hard snow formed by the wind and common in polar
regions
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Russian zastruga .][1]



sat.

sat.
sat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
saturated

2.  Abbreviation
of
saturation

3.  Abbreviation
of
satellite

[1]



SAT

SAT
SAT 
noun

high school test:
a test of performance given to high school students, used to determine
eligibility for admission to a college or university. Full form Scholastic Aptitude Test[1]



sat

sat
sat


Past tense of
sit Past participle of sit[1]



Sat.

Sat.
Sat.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Saturday[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Satan

Satan
Sa·tan 
[sáyt’n] noun

Devil:
in Christianity, the enemy of God, the lord of evil, and the tempter of human
beings. He is sometimes identified with Lucifer, the leader of the fallen
angels.
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from, ultimately, Hebrew śāān “to accuse.”][1]



satang

satang
sa·tang 
[sə tng] (plural sa·tang) noun

1.  subunit
of Thai currency: a subunit of currency in Thailand, 100
of which are worth one baht

2.  coin
worth a satang: a coin worth a satang

[1]



satanic

satanic
sa·tan·ic 
[sə tánnik] adjective

1.  relating
to Satan worship: relating to Satan or the worship of
Satan

2.  extremely
evil:
extremely evil or cruel
—sa·tan·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—sa·tan·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



Satanism

Satanism
Sa·tan·ism 
[sáyt’n ìzzəm] noun

Satan worship:
the worship of Satan, especially as a parody of Christian rites[1]



satay

satay
sa·tay 
[s tay] noun

Southeast
Asian kebab: a dish popular in Indonesia and
Malaysia, consisting of marinated well-seasoned pieces of meat, chicken, or
fish grilled on wooden skewers and served with peanut sauce
[Mid-20th century. From Malay
.][1]



SATB

SATB
SATB

Abbreviation of
soprano, alto, tenor, bass[1]



satchel

satchel
satch·el 
[sáchəl] (plural satch·els) noun

bag
for carrying things: a small bag, often with a
shoulder strap, used for carrying books and personal belongings
[14th century. Via Old French
sachel from Latin sacellus, from saccus “bag” (source of
English sack ).][1]



sate

sate
sate
[sayt] (past sat·ed, past
participle sat·ed, present participle sat·ing, 3rd
person present singular sates) transitive verb

1.  fully
gratify desire: to satisfy completely somebody’s hunger
or some other desire

2.  glut
somebody:
to provide somebody with more than enough, to the point of exhaustion or
disgust
[Old English sadian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English sad, satisfy,
and asset .][1]



sateen

sateen
sa·teen 
[sə tn] (plural sa·teens or
sa·teen) noun

imitation
satin:
a cotton or polyester fabric with a shiny side intended to look like satin
[Late 19th century. Formed
from satin, on the model of “velveteen.”][1]



satellite

satellite
sat·el·lite 
[sátt’l t] (plural sat·el·lites)
noun

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS device
that orbits a planet: an object put into orbit
around Earth or any other planet in order to relay communications signals or
transmit scientific data

2.  ASTRONOMY moon
orbiting other body: a celestial body that orbits
a larger one

3.  country
dependent on another country: a nation or political unit
that is dependent economically and politically on another more powerful nation

4.  GEOGRAPHY suburb:
a town or small city located near and dependent on a larger city

5.  attendant:
somebody who attends a person of importance, often obsequiously
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin satelles “attendant.”][1]



satellitebroadcasting

satellitebroadcasting
sat·el·lite
broad·cast·ing noun

sending programs by
satellite: the global transmission of
television programs via satellite[1]



satellitecell

satellitecell
sat·el·lite
cell
(plural sat·el·lite cells) noun

supporting cell surrounding
nerve cell: one of the cells forming the
capsule that encloses the nerve cells in many spinal ganglia[1]



satellitedish

satellitedish
sat·el·lite
dish
(plural sat·el·lite dish·es) noun

dish-shaped antenna:
a dish-shaped device for receiving television signals broadcast via satellite[1]



satelliteDNA

satelliteDNA
sat·el·lite
DNA
noun

DNA of different density:
a component of an animal’s DNA that differs in density from surrounding DNA,
consists of short repeating sequences of nucleotide pairs, and does not undergo
transcription[1]



satellitestation

satellitestation
sat·el·lite
sta·tion
(plural sat·el·lite sta·tions) noun

kind of radio or television
station: a radio or television
station that receives programs from another station and rebroadcasts them
immediately on a different wavelength[1]



satellitium

satellitium
sat·el·li·ti·um
[sàttə líttee əm] (plural sat·el·li·ti·ums)
noun

group of planets in zodiac
sign: in astrology, a group of
planets in one sign of the zodiac (archaic)[1]



satem

satem
sa·tem 
[stəm] adjective

denoting
language group: relating to Indo-European languages in
which the consonant sounding like “k” developed into the sound “s” or “sh”
[Early 20th century. From
Avestan satem “hundred.”][1]



sati

sati
sa·ti 
noun

See
suttee[1]



satiable

satiable
sa·tia·ble 
[sáyshəb’l] adjective

satisfiable:
able to be satisfied
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin satiare “to satisfy” (see satiate ).]
—sa·tia·bil·i·ty
[sàyshə bíllətee], noun

—sa·tia·bly [sáyshəblee], adverb[1]



satiate

satiate
sa·ti·ate 
[sáyshee àyt] transitive verb (past
sa·ti·at·ed, past participle sa·ti·at·ed, present
participle sa·ti·at·ing, 3rd person present singular sa·ti·ates)

1.  gratify
desire:
to satisfy hunger or another appetite completely

2.  glut
somebody:
to provide somebody with too much of something desirable, to the point of
overindulgence (often passive)
adjective

having too much:
having had enough or too much
[15th century. From Latin satiat-,
the past participle stem of satiare, from satis “enough” (source
of English satisfy ).][1]



satiety

satiety
sa·ti·e·ty 
[sə t ətee] noun

state
of overindulgence: a state in which somebody
has had enough or too much
[Mid-16th century. Via French
satiété from, ultimately, Latin satis “enough.”][1]



satin

satin
sat·in 
[sátt’n] noun (plural sat·ins)

glossy silk or rayon fabric:
a fabric woven of silk or rayon, with a smooth glossy finish and a dull back
adjective

1.  of
satin:
made of satin fabric

2.  glossy
like satin:
smooth and glossy like satin
[14th
century. Via Old French from Arabic zaytūnî “of the town of Zaytun,” of
uncertain location: probably the Chinese city of Tsinkiang.]
—sat·in·y, adjective[1]



satinet

satinet
sat·in·et 
[sàtt’n ét] (plural sat·in·ets)
or sat·in·ette [sàtt’n ét] (plural
sat·in·ettes) noun

1.  imitation
satin:
an imitation satin made from cotton and wool

2.  inferior
satin:
thin or inferior satin

[1]



satinflower

satinflower
sat·in
flow·er
(plural sat·in flow·ers) noun

1.  N
American plant: a North American plant that grows on the
Pacific coast and has red flowers. Latin name: Clarkia amoena

2.  See
honesty  noun 3

[1]



satinspar

satinspar
sat·in
spar
noun

sulfate of calcium:
a variety of sulfate or carbonate of calcium.
See also
gypsum[1]



satinstitch

satinstitch
sat·in
stitch
(plural sat·in stitch·es) noun

kind of embroidery stitch:
an embroidery stitch that is worked in close parallel lines to fill in an area
or form a solid line[1]



satinwalnut

satinwalnut
sat·in
wal·nut
noun

wood of sweet gum:
the wood of the sweet gum tree, often used to make furniture.
See also
sweet gum[1]



satinweave

satinweave
sat·in
weave
noun

weave that yields smooth
cloth: a weave in which the face of
the fabric is covered entirely with warp threads, producing a smooth finish[1]



satinwood

satinwood
sat·in·wood 
[sátt’n wd] (plural sat·in·woods)
noun

1.  E
Indian tree: a tree that grows in India and Sri Lanka
and has hard yellow-brown wood. Latin name: Chloroxylon swietenia

2.  wood
from satinwood tree: the smooth hard wood of the
East Indian satinwood tree, used in fine carpentry

3.  W
Indian tree: a tree that grows in the West Indies and
has smooth lustrous wood. Latin name: Zanthoxylum flavum

[1]



satiny

satiny
sat·in·y 
[sátt’nee] adjective

smooth like satin:
smooth and lustrous like satin[1]



satire

satire
sat·ire 
[sá tr] (plural sat·ires) noun

1.  use
of wit:
the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to attack the vices
and follies of humankind

2.  literary
work using satire: a literary work that uses
satire, or the branch of literature made up of such works
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French from Latin satira “poetic medley, satire,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps a variant of satura “a mixed dish.”][1]



satirical

satirical
sa·tir·i·cal 
[sə tírik’l] adjective

of
satire:
relating to satire or the use of wit to attack the vices and follies of
humankind
—sa·tir·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at sarcastic

[1]



satirist

satirist
sat·i·rist 
[sáttərist] (plural sat·i·rists)
noun

writer of satires:
somebody who writes satirical works[1]



satirize

satirize
sat·i·rize 
[sáttə rz] (past sat·i·rized,
past participle sat·i·rized, present participle sat·i·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular sat·i·riz·es) transitive verb

mock
somebody or something: to attack or criticize
somebody or something by means of satire
—sat·i·ri·za·tion
[sàrtərə záysh’n], noun

—sat·i·riz·er [sáttə rzər], noun[1]



satisfaction

satisfaction
sat·is·fac·tion 
[sàttəs fáksh’n] noun

1.  gratification:
the feeling of pleasure that comes when a need or desire is fulfilled • job
satisfaction

2.  fulfillment:
the fulfillment of a need, claim, or desire

3.  happiness
with something: happiness with the way that something
has been arranged or done • organized
to her satisfaction

4.  freedom
from doubt:
the assurance that something has been fully explained or settled • a
solution that was never explained to my satisfaction

5.  compensation:
compensation for an injury or loss • demanded
satisfaction for their mistreatment
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin satisfacere, from satis “enough” + facere
“to make.”][1]



satisfactory

satisfactory
sat·is·fac·to·ry 
[sàttəs fáktəree] adjective

adequate:
good enough to meet a requirement or to be considered acceptable
[15th century. Via French satisfactoire
from, ultimately, Latin satisfacere “to satisfy” (see satisfaction ).][1]



satisfied

satisfied
sat·is·fied 
[sáttəs fd] adjective

1.  content
with something: contented or pleased with what has
happened

2.  fully
convinced:
fully convinced that something is right, proper, or true

3.  fully
paid:
paid in full

[1]



satisfy

satisfy
sat·is·fy 
[sáttəs f] (past sat·is·fied,
past participle sat·is·fied, present participle sat·is·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sat·is·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody feel content: to do or offer enough to
make somebody feel pleased or content

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fulfill
need:
to fulfill a need or gratify a desire

3.  transitive
verb
resolve
doubts:
to convince somebody by resolving questions or doubts

4.  transitive
verb
be
good enough to meet condition: to achieve or be of
sufficient standard to meet a requirement or condition

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS solve
mathematical problem: to make both sides of an
equation equal by finding the quantities of the unknown variables

6.  transitive
verb
LAW pay
debt:
to pay a debt in full

7.  transitive
verb
compensate
somebody:
to compensate somebody for an injury or loss
[15th
century. Via Old French satisfier from Latin satisfacere “to
satisfy” (see satisfaction ).]
—sat·is·fi·er, noun[1]



SatoEisaku

SatoEisaku
Sa·to
Ei·sa·ku 
[stō áyss aak] (1901–1975)

Japanese prime minister, who
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1974) for his role in negotiating a nuclear
nonproliferation pact.[1]



satori

satori
sa·to·ri 
[saa táwree] noun

spiritual
illumination: in Zen Buddhism, a state of spiritual
enlightenment that is a spiritual objective
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese “awakening.”][1]



satrap

satrap
sa·trap 
[sá tràp, sáy
tràp] (plural sa·traps) noun

1.  Persian
governor:
the governor of a province in ancient Persia

2.  political
henchman:
a subordinate official, especially a self-important one
[15th century. Via French and
Latin from, ultimately, Old Persian kšatrapāvan, literally “protector of
the country.”][1]



satrapy

satrapy
sa·tra·py 
[sáttrəpee, sáytrəpee]
(plural sa·tra·pies) noun

area ruled by satrap:
the province or territory ruled by a satrap[1]



satsuma

satsuma
sat·su·ma 
[sat smə] (plural sat·su·mas)
noun

1.  FOOD kind
of tangerine: a citrus fruit with a thin orange skin

2.  TREES Japanese
citrus tree: a small Japanese tree that bears
satsumas. Latin name: Citrus reticulata
[Late 19th century. Named for
a province in the island of Kiusiu, in Japan.][1]



Satsumaware

Satsumaware
Sat·su·ma
ware
or Sat·su·ma noun

Japanese pottery:
a kind of cream-colored Japanese pottery[1]



saturable

saturable
sat·u·ra·ble
[sáchərəb’l] adjective

possible
to saturate: capable of being saturated, or of
reaching the point where nothing more can be absorbed
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin saturat-, the past participle stem of saturare
“to saturate” (see saturate ).]
—sat·u·ra·bil·i·ty [sàchərə bíllətee], noun[1]



saturant

saturant
sat·u·rant 
[sáchərənt] noun (plural sat·u·rants)

something
that saturates: a substance that is used to saturate
another substance
adjective

saturating:
causing saturation
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
saturant-, the present participle stem of saturare “to saturate”
(see saturate ).][1]



saturate

saturate
sat·u·rate 
transitive verb [sáchə ràyt] (past
sat·u·rat·ed, past participle sat·u·rat·ed, present
participle sat·u·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular sat·u·rates)

1.  make
something wet: to make something soaked with liquid

2.  fill
something completely: to fill something with so
many people or things that no more can be added

3.  COMMERCE supply
market fully: to supply a market fully, so that all
existing demand for a product is met

4.  CHEMISTRY fill
solution with another substance: to add a liquid,
solid, or gas to a solution until it reaches the point where nothing more can
be absorbed

5.  MILITARY bomb
enemy heavily: to overwhelm an enemy with intensive
bombing
adjective

saturated:
saturated with liquid (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
saturat-, the past participle stem of saturare, from satur
“satiated” (probable source of English satire ).][1]



saturated

saturated
sat·u·rat·ed 
[sáchə ràytəd] adjective

1.  wet:
soaked with liquid

2.  CHEMISTRY containing
maximum solute: containing the maximum amount of
absorbed solute

3.  packed
full:
completely packed or full so that no more can be added

4.  FOOD containing
fatty acids: containing a relatively large number of
fatty acids

[1]



saturatedfat

saturatedfat
sat·u·rat·ed
fat
(plural sat·u·rat·ed fats) noun

fat from animal products:
a kind of fat, often found in meat and other animal products, that cannot
incorporate any additional hydrogen atoms. A diet heavy in saturated fat is
thought to raise cholesterol in the bloodstream.[1]



saturation

saturation
sat·u·ra·tion 
[sàchə ráysh’n] noun

1.  state
of total wetness: a state in which something is completely
soaked with liquid

2.  state
of being packed full: a state in which something
is so full or packed that no more can be added

3.  MILITARY heavy
bombing:
intensive bombing of a military target in order to overwhelm an enemy

4.  COMMERCE full
supplying of market: the full supplying of a
market, to the point where all existing demand for a product is met

5.  CHEMISTRY maximum
absorption:
the absorption of the greatest possible amount of a liquid, solid, or gas by a
solution

6.  PHYSICS state
of magnetization: a state of complete magnetization

7.  METEOROLOGY 100
percent humidity: the condition of the atmosphere when it
contains as much water vapor as it can hold at a specific temperature

8.  PHYSICS color
intensity:
the intensity of a color

9.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING condition
of stable output current: a condition where the output
current of an electronic device is substantially constant and no longer
increases as a function of increasing input
adjective

comprehensive:
comprehensive in the use of outlets or other resources • The
event had saturation coverage in the press.

[1]



saturationdiving

saturationdiving
sat·u·ra·tion
div·ing
noun

kind of deep-sea diving:
a method of diving in which the diver’s bloodstream is saturated with an inert
gas so that the time required for decompression is unaffected by the duration
of the dive[1]



saturationpoint

saturationpoint
sat·u·ra·tion
point
(plural sat·u·ra·tion points) noun

1.  limit
to scope for expansion: the point at which no more
can be added

2.  CHEMISTRY limit
to absorption: the point at which the greatest possible
amount of a substance has been absorbed in a solution

[1]



saturationzone

saturationzone
sat·u·ra·tion
zone
noun

area of ground with
groundwater: the zone below the
water table that is saturated with groundwater[1]



Saturday

Saturday
Sat·ur·day 
[sáttər dày, sáttərdee]
(plural Sat·ur·days) noun

CALENDAR 7th
day of week: the day of the week after Friday and
before Sunday
[Pre-12th century.
Translation of Latin Saturni dies, literally “day of Saturn” (see Saturn ).][1]



Saturdaynight special

Saturdaynight special
Sat·ur·day
night spe·cial (plural Sat·ur·day night
spe·cials) noun

cheap
handgun:
a small cheap handgun that is easy to obtain and conceal
[Because the guns are most
often used in urban attacks, fights and robberies, the types of crime that
typically occur on a Saturday night][1]



Saturdays

Saturdays
Sat·ur·days
[sáttər dàyz, sáttərdeez]
adverb

CALENDAR
every Saturday:
every Saturday[1]



Saturn

Saturn

Sat·urn 
[sáttərn] noun

1.  Roman
god of agriculture: in Roman mythology, the god
of agriculture and ruler of the universe during the Golden Age. Greek
equivalent Cronus

2.  planet
6th from sun: the second largest planet in the solar
system and the sixth planet from the sun. Saturn has bright rings made up of
orbiting fragments of rock. It takes 10 hours and 39 minutes to rotate on its
axis and 29.5 years to orbit the Sun. Its mass is 95 times that of Earth.
[Old English . From Latin Saturnus,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Etruscan.][1]



Saturnalia

Saturnalia
Sat·ur·na·li·a
plural noun

Roman
festival of Saturn: an ancient Roman festival of
feasting and revelry held in mid-December in celebration of the god Saturn and
the winter solstice
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from Saturnus “Saturn” (see Saturn
).][1]



saturnalia

saturnalia
sat·ur·na·li·a 
[sàttər náylee ə] (plural sat·ur·na·li·as
or sat·ur·na·li·a) noun

wild
celebration: a wild celebration or orgy
[Late 18th century.
Generalized use of Saturnalia .][1]



Saturnian

Saturnian
Sa·tur·ni·an 
[sa túrnee ən] adjective

1.  of
the planet Saturn: relating to the planet
Saturn

2.  of
god Saturn:
relating to the Roman god Saturn or the Golden Age of his reign

[1]



saturniid

saturniid
sa·tur·ni·id 
[sa túrnee id] (plural sa·tur·ni·ids)
noun

kind
of moth:
a large brightly colored moth that has a stout hairy body. Family: Saturniidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Saturniidae, from Latin Saturnus “Saturn” (see Saturn ).][1]



saturnine

saturnine
sat·ur·nine 
[sáttər nn] adjective

1.  melancholy:
gloomy and morose

2.  caused
by lead poisoning: caused by the absorption of
lead or suffering from lead poisoning (archaic)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin saturninus, from
Latin Saturnus “Saturn” (see Saturn
).]
—sat·ur·nine·ly, adverb[1]



satyagraha

satyagraha
sa·tya·gra·ha
[sut jgrəhə] noun

passive
resistance:
the doctrine of nonviolent resistance originated by Mahatma Gandhi and used in
the opposition to British rule in India
[Early 20th century. From
Sanskrit satyāgrahaḥ, literally “force born out of truth.”][1]



satyagrahi

satyagrahi
sa·tya·gra·hi 
[sut ygrəhee] (plural sa·tya·gra·his)
noun

adherent
of satyagraha: somebody who practices nonviolent
resistance or satyagraha
[Early 20th century. From
Sanskrit (see satyagraha ).][1]



satyr

satyr

sa·tyr 
[sáytər, sáttər]
(plural sa·tyrs) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY half-man,
half-goat:
in Greek mythology, a wood-dwelling creature with the head and body of a man
and the ears, horns, and legs of a goat. Roman equivalent faun

2.  man
displaying inappropriate sexual behavior: a man
who displays inappropriate or excessive sexual behavior

3.  ZOOLOGY butterfly:
a brown or gray butterfly with spotted wings. Family: Satyridae
[14th
century. Via French from Latin satyrus, from Greek saturos .]
—sa·tyr·ic
[say tírrik, sətírrik],
adjective

—sa·tyr·i·cal [saytírrik’l, sətírrik’l],
adjective[1]



satyriasis

satyriasis
sa·ty·ri·a·sis 
[sàytə rəssiss] noun

PSYCHIATRY
abnormal male sex drive:
excessive and uncontrollable sexual desire in a man[1]



satyrid

satyrid
sa·tyr·id 
[sáytərid, sáttərid]
(plural sa·tyr·ids) noun

kind of butterfly:
a small brown butterfly. Family: Satyridae[1]



satyrplay

satyrplay
sa·tyr
play
(plural sa·tyr plays) noun

ancient Greek comedy:
in ancient Greece, a comic play that mocked a mythological subject and included
a chorus of satyrs[1]



sauce

sauce
sauce 
[sawss] noun (plural sauc·es)

1.  flavoring
liquid for food: a thick liquid that is served with food
to add extra flavor

2.  stewed
fruit:
stewed fruit served with a meal • cranberry
sauce

3.  impudent
remarks:
impudent or disrespectful remarks (informal)

4.  zest:
something that adds zest or excitement

5.  liquor:
alcoholic liquor (slang)
transitive
verb
(past sauced, past participle sauced, present
participle sauc·ing, 3rd person present singular sauc·es)

1.  speak
to somebody disrespectfully: to make impudent or
disrespectful remarks to somebody (informal)

2.  add
sauce to food: to add flavor to food using a sauce

3.  enliven
something:
to add zest or interest to something
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin salsus, past participle of sallere “to
salt,” from sal “salt.”][1]



sauceboat

sauceboat
sauce·boat 
[sáwss bt] (plural sauce·boats)
noun

small pitcher:
a low boat-shaped pitcher used for serving sauce or gravy[1]



saucepan

saucepan
sauce·pan 
[sáwss pàn] (plural sauce·pans)
noun

pot with handle:
a cooking pot with a handle, used on top of a stove[1]



saucepot

saucepot
sauce·pot 
[sáwss pòt] (plural sauce·pots)
noun

pot with two handles:
a cooking pot with two handles and a close-fitting lid[1]



saucer

saucer
sau·cer 
[sáwssər] (plural sau·cers) noun

1.  small
circular dish: a small shallow dish designed to hold a
matching cup

2.  round
flat object: anything circular and shallow like a
saucer

[1]



saucesuprême

saucesuprême
sauce
su·prême
noun

See
suprême sauce[1]



saucy

saucy
sauc·y 
[sáwssee] (comparative sauc·i·er,
superlative sauc·i·est) adjective

1.  impudent:
showing a lack of respect

2.  pert:
cheerfully pert • a hat at a saucy angle

3.  sexually
explicit:
intended to be amusingly vulgar, especially in sexual innuendo
[Early
16th century]
—saucily,
adverb

—sauciness, noun[1]



Saud

Saud

Saud
[saa d], King of Saudi Arabia (1902–1969)
The son of King Ibn Saud, he ruled
(1953–1963) until he was peacefully deposed and replaced by his brother Faisal.[1]



Saudi

Saudi
Sa·u·di 
[sówdee] noun (plural Saudis)

somebody
from Saudi Arabia: somebody who was born or
raised in Saudi Arabia, or who is a citizen of Saudi Arabia
adjective

relating
to Saudi Arabia: relating to Saudi Arabia, or its people
or culture
[Mid-20th century. Named for Sa’ūd,
founder of the dynasty that has ruled Saudi Arabia since 1932.][1]



SaudiArabia

SaudiArabia



Sa·u·di
A·ra·bi·a 
[sòwdee ə ráybee ə]
monarchy
in the Middle East, on the Arabian Peninsula. Language: Arabic. Currency:
riyal. Capital: Riyadh. Population: 18,426,000 (1996) Area: 2,240,000 sq
km/864,869 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
—Sa·u·di A·ra·bi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



SaudiArabia




Back to definition

SaudiArabia

[1]



sauerbraten

sauerbraten
sau·er·bra·ten 
[sówər brt’n] noun

pot
roast in vinegar: a German dish of beef roast marinated
and cooked in a vinegar mixture
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “sour roast meat.”][1]



sauerkraut

sauerkraut
sau·er·kraut 
[sówər kròwt] noun

pickled
cabbage salad: a German dish of shredded cabbage
fermented in its own juice with salt
[Mid-17th century. From
German, literally “sour cabbage.”][1]



sauger

sauger
sau·ger 
[sáwgər] (plural sau·gers) noun

N
American fish: a North American freshwater fish similar
to but smaller than a walleyed pike and valued in sport fishing. Latin name: Stizostedion
canadense
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Saugus

Saugus
Sau·gus 
[sáwgèss]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, on the Saugus River. It is a northeastern suburb of Boston.
Population: 26,223 (1996)[1]



Sauk

Sauk
Sauk 
[sawk] (plural Sauk or Sauks)
or Sac [sawk] (plural Sac
or Sacs) noun

1.  member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands in Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Iowa, and whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma. The Sauk joined with the
Fox to fight in the Black Hawk War of 1832, following U.S. attempts to move the
Fox from their lands in Illinois.
Also
called
Sac

2.  Sauk
language:
the Algonquian language of the Sauk, related to Fox
[Early 18th century. Via
Canadian French Saki from Ojibwa osāki .][1]



Saul

Saul
Saul 
[sawl] (lived 11th century BC)

first king of ancient Israel,
mentioned in 1 Samuel 8–15. He defeated the Philistines but later died in
battle against them. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, David.[1]



sault

sault
sault 
[soo] (plural saults) noun

waterfall
or rapids:
a waterfall or rapids
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin saltus “leap,” from salire “to leap” (source of
English somersault and insult ).][1]



SaultSainte Marie

SaultSainte Marie
Sault
Sainte Ma·rie  [s sàynt
me r]

1.  city
in Ontario, Canada, between Lakes Superior and Huron, on the St. Mary’s River.
Population: 83,619 (1996)

2.  city
in northern Michigan, opposite Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario. Population: 14,689
(1990)

[1]



SaultSainte Marie Canals

SaultSainte Marie Canals
Sault
Sainte Ma·rie Ca·nals

series of ship canals in
North America, two in the United States and one in Canada, on St. Mary’s River,
between Lakes Superior and Huron.[1]



sauna

sauna
sau·na 
[sáwnə, sównə]
(plural sau·nas) noun

1.  steam
bath:
a kind of bath involving a spell in a hot steamy room followed by a plunge into
cold water or a light brushing with birch or cedar boughs

2.  room
for sauna:
a room designed or prepared for having a sauna
[Late 19th century. From
Finnish .][1]



saunter

saunter
saun·ter 
[sáwntər] intransitive verb (past
saun·tered, past participle saun·tered, present
participle saun·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular saun·ters)

stroll: to
walk at an easy unhurried pace
noun

1.  easy
pace:
an easy unhurried pace • walk
at a saunter

2.  slow
walk:
a slow leisurely walk • go for
a saunter around the grounds
[Mid-17th
century. Origin unknown.]
—saun·ter·er, noun[1]



saurel

saurel
sau·rel 
[sáwrəl, saw rél]
(plural sau·rels) noun

1.  See
jack mackerel

2.  See
horse mackerel
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
saurus from Greek sauros “lizard, horse mackerel” (source of
English dinosaur ).][1]



saurian

saurian
sau·ri·an 
[sáwree ən] noun (plural sau·ri·ans)

lizard:
any of a former suborder of reptiles that included all lizards. Suborder:
Sauria
adjective

of
lizards:
relating to or resembling a lizard
[Early 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Sauria, name of the suborder, from Latin saurus
“lizard,” from Greek sauros .][1]



saurischian

saurischian
saur·is·chi·an 
[saw rískee ən] noun (plural saur·is·chi·ans)

kind
of dinosaur: a dinosaur that had a pelvis like that
of a modern lizard. Order: Saurischia
adjective

of
saurischians: relating to the saurischians
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Saurischia, name of the order, literally “lizard
hip-joint.”][1]



sauropod

sauropod
sau·ro·pod 
[sáwrə pd] noun (plural sau·ro·pods)

kind
of dinosaur: a gigantic plant-eating dinosaur that
had a long neck and tail and a small head. Suborder: Sauropoda
adjective

of
sauropods:
relating to the sauropods
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Sauropoda, name of the suborder,
literally “lizard foot.”]
—sau·rop·o·dous [saw róppədəss], adjective[1]



saury

saury
sau·ry 
[sáwree] (plural sau·ries) noun

small
offshore marine fish: a small offshore tropical or
temperate marine fish that resembles a needlefish but has shorter jaws and a
series of finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Family: Scomberosocidae
Also
called
skipper
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin saurus “lizard,” from Greek sauros .][1]



sausage

sausage
sau·sage 
[sóssij] (plural sau·sag·es) noun

1.  spicy
meat in a casing: seasoned pork or other meat chopped fine
and stuffed into a tube of animal intestine or another tube-shaped skin

2.  See
sausagemeat
[15th century. Via Old French
saussiche from medieval Latin salsicius “made by salting,” from
Latin salsus “salted.”][1]



sausagedog

sausagedog
sau·sage
dog
(plural sau·sage dogs) noun

(informal) See dachshund[1]



sausagetree

sausagetree
sau·sage
tree
(plural sau·sage trees) noun

African tree:
a tropical African tree with clusters of scarlet flowers and long fruits with
hard shells. Latin name: Kigelia pinnata[1]



sauterne

sauterne
sau·terne 
[sō túrn] (plural sau·ternes) noun

1.  kind
of white wine: a sweet white wine made from grapes
grown in the Sauternes region of France

2.  wine
similar to sauterne: a category of wines similar
to sauterne
[Early 18th century. Named
for the French region of Sauternes where the wine is produced.][1]



sauté

sauté
sau·té 
[sō táy] transitive verb (past
sau·téed, past participle sau·téed, present participle
sau·té·ing, 3rd person present singular sau·tés)

fry
something lightly: to cook food quickly and
lightly in a little butter, oil, or fat
noun
(plural sau·tés)

sautéed
dish:
a dish consisting of food, usually meat, that has been sautéed and prepared
with a sauce
adjective

being
cooked lightly: cooked by being sautéed
[Early 19th century. From
French, the past participle of sauter “to leap,” from, ultimately, Latin
salire .][1]



Sauve,Jeanne-Mathilde Benoit

Sauve,Jeanne-Mathilde Benoit
Sauve
[sōv], Jeanne-Mathilde Benoit (1922– )

Canadian
journalist and politician. She was the first woman governor-general of Canada
(1984–1990).
Born
Benoit, Jeanne-Mathilde[1]



sauvequi peut

sauvequi peut
sauve
qui peut
[sv kee p] noun

panicked
departure:
a disordered or panicked escape
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “save who can.”][1]



Sauvignonblanc

Sauvignonblanc
Sau·vi·gnon
blanc
[svi nyōn blngk] (plural Sau·vi·gnon
blancs) noun

grape
for white wine: a variety of grape from which white wine
is made
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “white Sauvignon.”][1]



savage

savage
sav·age 
[sávvij] adjective

1.  violent:
unrestrained, violent or vicious

2.  brutal:
brutal and severe • savage cuts in funding

3.  undomesticated:
living wild, beyond the control of people • savage
beasts

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a culture perceived as inferior to one’s own (offensive)
noun
(plural sav·ag·es)

1.  vicious
or violent person: somebody who enjoys treating
other people and animals in a cruel violent way

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a member of a people considered inferior or not
as advanced as your own group (offensive)
transitive
verb
(past sav·aged, past participle sav·aged, present
participle sav·ag·ing, 3rd person present singular sav·ag·es)

1.  attack
somebody or something violently: to attack somebody or
something violently, viciously, and without restraint

2.  criticize
somebody or something cruelly: to criticize somebody
or something cruelly and unrestrainedly • The
same critics who praised her first book savaged her second.
[13th
century. Via French sauvage from, ultimately, Latin silvaticus
“wild,” from silva “forest” (source of English sylvan ).]
—sav·age·ly,
adverb

—sav·age·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sensitivity
  issue:
  The
  use of savage to refer to primitive
  peoples was a feature of 19th-century and earlier English ( • Vouchsafe
  to show the sunshine of your face, that we, like savages, may worship it,
  Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost Act 5, scene 2), but is regarded as inappropriate
  and offensive in current use.

[1]



savagery

savagery
sav·age·ry 
[sávvijəree] noun

1.  violent
cruelty:
barbarity or violent cruelty

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a culture perceived to be inferior to or less
advanced than your own (offensive)

[1]



savanna

savanna
sa·van·na 
[sə vánnə] (plural sa·van·nas)
or sa·van·nah [sə vánnə] (plural
sa·van·nahs) noun

grassy
plain:
a flat grassland, sometimes with scattered trees, in a tropical or subtropical
region
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish zavana from Taino .][1]



Savannah

Savannah
Sa·van·nah 
[sè vánnè]

1.  river
rising in northeastern South Carolina, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean below
Savannah, Georgia. Length: 505 km/314 mi.

2.  city
and seaport in southeastern Georgia, United States, on the Savannah River near
its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. Population: 140,597 (1994)

[1]



savant

savant
sa·vant 
[sa vnt] (plural sa·vants) noun

learned
person:
a wise or scholarly person
[Early 18th century. From
French, the present participle of savoir “to know,” from, ultimately,
Latin sapere “to be wise.”][1]



savate

savate
sa·vate 
[sə vát, sə vt]
noun

kick
boxing:
a form of boxing in which kicking as well as hitting is allowed
[Mid-19th century. From
French, originally a kind of shoe.][1]



save

save2
save2 [sayv]
preposition conjunction

except:
except • Everyone
agreed save one.[1]



save

save1
save1 [sayv]
verb (past saved, past participle saved, present
participle sav·ing, 3rd person present singular saves)

1.  transitive
verb
rescue
somebody or something: to rescue somebody or
something from harm or danger • The
entire crew was saved.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb accumulate
money:
to set aside money for later use, often adding to the sum periodically • She’s
saving for a new computer.

3.  transitive
verb
conserve
something:
to avoid wasting something or using it unnecessarily • take
a shortcut to save time

4.  transitive
verb
keep
something back for later: to set something aside, keep
something back, or protect something so that it can be used later • Save
some of the pie for tomorrow.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
expense:
to reduce or limit the expense of something • Extra
insulation helps us to save on fuel.

6.  transitive
verb
collect
items for later: to collect as many items of a particular
kind as possible, usually in order to do something with them later • She
saves old jam jars for when she makes marmalade.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING copy data for storage:
to store a copy of a data file on a storage medium such as a hard drive or disk

8.  transitive
verb
spare
somebody from something: to make it possible for
somebody to be spared from a situation or activity • It
will save me from having to decide.

9.  transitive
verb
preserve
something:
to treat something carefully or stop using it in order to keep it from being
used up or worn out • Turn
the radio off to save the batteries.

10. transitive
verb
SPORTS prevent
goal:
to prevent an opponent from scoring a goal

11. transitive
verb
RELIGION redeem
somebody:
to free somebody from the consequences of sin

12. transitive
verb
maintain
lead successfully: in baseball, to maintain the
lead in completing a game started by another pitcher
noun
(plural saves)

1.  SPORTS block:
an action that keeps an opponent from scoring

2.  maintenance
of lead:
in baseball, the successful maintenance of a team’s lead by a relief pitcher
[13th century. Via Old French
salver from late Latin salvare, which was formed from Latin salvus
“safe.”][1]



save-all

save-all
save-all 
(plural save-alls) noun

1.  container
for salvaging waste: a receptacle for catching
waste products so that they can be reused

2.  something
preventing waste: something that prevents waste or loss

[1]



saveloy

saveloy
sav·e·loy 
[sávvə lòy] (plural sav·e·loys)
noun

spicy
sausage:
a spicy smoked pork sausage
[Mid-19th century. Via French
cervelas from Italian cervellata “sausage.”][1]



saver

saver
sav·er
[sáyvər] (plural sav·ers) noun

1.  FINANCE somebody
who saves money: somebody who sets aside money for later
use, especially in a bank account • The
fall in interest rates is not such good news for savers.

2.  something
that conserves resources: something that avoids
wasting resources or using them unnecessarily (used in combinations) • E-mail
is a great time-saver.

[1]



Savethe Children Fund

Savethe Children Fund
Save
the Chil·dren Fund noun

U.K. children’s charity:
an organization in the United Kingdom that provides international aid directed
toward children’s well-being[1]



savin

savin
sav·in
[sávvin] (plural sav·ins) or
sav·ine [sávvin] (plural sav·ines)
noun

Eurasian
evergreen:
an evergreen shrub found in Europe, northern Asia, and North America that
yields an oil formerly used as a medicine and in perfumes. Latin name: Juniperus
sabina
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French savine from Latin herba Sabina “Sabine plant.”][1]



saving

saving
sav·ing 
[sáyving] noun (plural sav·ings)

1.  something
kept from being wasted: an amount of time or money
that is reduced or not spent or used

2.  rescue
from danger: rescue of somebody or something from
harm or danger

3.  LAW legal
exception:
an exception or reservation in law
plural
noun
sav·ings

money set aside:
money set aside for future use
preposition
conjunction

except:
except (literary)

[1]



savinggrace

savinggrace
sav·ing
grace
noun

redeeming feature:
a quality or feature that redeems a person or situation[1]



savingsaccount

savingsaccount
sav·ings
ac·count 
(plural sav·ings ac·counts) noun

account for saving money:
a bank account that earns interest on money saved[1]



savingsand loan association

savingsand loan association
sav·ings
and loan as·so·ci·a·tion (plural sav·ings
and loan as·so·ci·a·tions) noun

cooperative bank that invests
savings: a financial institution that
issues shares to members who deposit savings and invests the money mainly in
home mortgage loans. Members receive interest on their savings in the form of
dividends.[1]



savingsbank

savingsbank
sav·ings
bank
(plural sav·ings banks) noun

bank that invests savings:
a bank that invests the savings of individual depositors and pays interest on
the deposits[1]



savingsbond

savingsbond
sav·ings
bond
(plural sav·ings bonds) noun

1.  U.S.
government bond: a registered bond issued by the U.S.
government in denominations of $50 to $10,000. It allows people to earn
interest on the savings they entrust to the government in exchange for the
bond.

2.  Canada
Canadian
government-issued bond: a bond issued by the Canadian
government in denominations of $100 to $100,000. The bond is offered to most
working Canadians through a payroll deduction plan.

[1]



savingsmethod

savingsmethod
sav·ings
meth·od
noun

method of memory test:
a method of testing memory by assessing how much faster somebody can learn
information already previously learned, seen, or read[1]



savingsratio

savingsratio
sav·ings
ra·tio
noun

ratio measuring savings:
the ratio of national disposable income to consumer spending, used as a measure
of national saving[1]



savior

savior
sav·ior 
[sáyvyər] (plural sav·iors) noun

rescuer:
somebody who rescues somebody or something from harm or danger
[13th century. Via Old french
sauveour from, ultimately, late Latin salvare “to save” (see save ).][1]



Savior

Savior
Sav·ior
[sáyvyər] noun

Jesus Christ:
a name used by Christians for the teacher and prophet Jesus Christ[1]



saviour

saviour
sav·iour 
(plural sav·iours) noun

U.K. =
savior[1]



savoir-faire

savoir-faire
sa·voir-faire 
[sàv waar fáir] noun

social
adeptness:
the ability to act appropriately and adroitly in any situation
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “to know how to do.”][1]



savor

savor
sa·vor 
[sáyvər] verb (past sa·vored,
past participle sa·vored, present participle sa·vor·ing,
3rd person present singular sa·vors)

1.  transitive
verb
enjoy
something unhurriedly: to enjoy something with
unhurried appreciation • savor
the moment

2.  intransitive
verb
show
traces:
to show traces of something • something
in his manner that savored of deceit

3.  transitive
verb
relish
something:
to enjoy the taste or smell of something

4.  intransitive
verb
have
taste or smell: to have a specific taste or smell (literary)

5.  transitive
verb
season
something:
to add flavor or scent to, especially by seasoning (archaic)
noun
(plural sa·vors)

1.  enjoyment:
enjoyment and relish

2.  taste
or smell something has: the way that something
tastes or smells

3.  distinctive
quality:
a quality that identifies or distinguishes something
[12th
century. Via Old French savour from Latin sapor “taste,” from sapere
“to have a taste.”]
—sa·vor·less,
adjective

—sa·vor·ous, adjective[1]



savory

savory2
sa·vor·y2 [sáyvəree]
noun
Also
called
summer savory

1.  kind
of mint:
a Mediterranean herb with pale lavender and white flowers and aromatic leaves
used for seasoning. Latin name: Satureja hortensis

2.  savory
leaves:
the leaves of savory used as a herb
[14th century. From Latin satureia
.][1]



savory

savory1
sa·vor·y1 [sáyvəree]
adjective

1.  not
sweet:
salty or sharp-tasting rather than sweet

2.  appetizing:
having an appetizing taste or smell

3.  respectable:
respectable or morally acceptable • not a
very savory character
noun
(plural sa·vor·ies)

U.K. FOOD dish
that adds relish: a light dish served before or at the end
of a meal
[13th
century. Via Old French savoure, the past participle of savourer
“to taste” from, ultimately, Latin sapor (see savor
).]
—sa·vor·i·ly,
adverb

—sa·vor·i·ness, noun[1]



savour

savour
sa·vour 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

U.K. =
savor[1]



savoury

savoury
sa·vour·y 
adjective noun

U.K. =
savory[1]



savoy

savoy
sa·voy
[sə vóy] (plural sa·voys) or
sa·voy cab·bage [sə vóy] (plural
sa·voy cab·bages) noun

winter
cabbage:
a winter cabbage with crinkled leaves
[16th century. Named for the Savoy
region of southeast France.][1]



Savoyard

Savoyard
Sa·voy·ard
[sàv oy rd] (plural Sa·voy·ards)
noun

1.  somebody
from Savoy:
somebody who was born or lives in the French region of Savoy

2.  MUSIC devotee
of Gilbert and Sullivan: a performer, producer, or
admirer of the operettas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.
[Early 17th century. From
French, formed from Savoie “the region of Savoy.”][1]



savoycabbage

savoycabbage
sa·voy
cab·bage
(plural sa·voy cab·bag·es) noun

See
savoy[1]



Savoyopera

Savoyopera
Sa·voy
o·pe·ra
(plural Sa·voy o·pe·ras) noun

Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta: an operetta by Gilbert and
Sullivan or a work composed in the same style[1]



savvy

savvy
sav·vy 
[sávvee] noun

shrewdness:
shrewdness and practical knowledge (informal)
adjective

shrewd:
shrewd and well informed (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sav·vied,
past participle sav·vied, present participle sav·vy·ing,
3rd person present singular sav·vies)

comprehend
something:
to understand something, especially what somebody has said (informal)
[Late 18th century.
Originally an African American dialect form of Spanish sabe usted,
literally “you know.”][1]



SAW

SAW
SAW


Abbreviation of
surface acoustic wave[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








saw

saw3
saw3 [saw]

Past tense of
see[1]



saw

saw2
saw2 (plural saws) noun

trite
maxim:
an old saying, especially a cliché
[Old English sagu .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English say .][1]



saw

saw1
saw1 [saw]
noun (plural saws)

tool for cutting wood:
a hand-operated or power-driven tool with a toothed metal blade, used to cut
wood or other hard materials
verb
(past sawed, past participle sawed or sawn
[sawn], present participle saw·ing,
3rd person present singular saws)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
something using saw: to cut something using a saw

2.  transitive
verb
move
forward and back: to make back-and-forth motions, as if
using a handsaw
[Old English saga .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English section and sickle
.][1]



sawbones

sawbones
saw·bones 
[sáw bnz] (plural saw·bones or
saw·bones·es) noun

doctor:
a surgeon or physician (slang)
[Mid-19th century. From early
surgeons’ role as amputators.][1]



sawbuck

sawbuck
saw·buck 
[sáw bùk] (plural saw·bucks) noun

1.  See
sawhorse

2.  10
dollars:
a ten-dollar bill (slang)
[Mid-19th century. From Dutch
zaagbok ; in sense 2, from the resemblance between the X-shaped end of a
sawhorse and the roman numeral for “ten.”][1]



sawdust

sawdust
saw·dust 
[sáw dùst] noun

particles of wood:
tiny particles of wood produced when wood is sawed[1]



sawed-off

sawed-off
sawed-off 
adjective

1.  cut
short:
relating to a shotgun with the barrel cut short. This increases the gun’s field
of fire as well as making it less cumbersome or obtrusive.

2.  short:
of small stature (slang offensive)

[1]



sawfish

sawfish
saw·fish 
[sáw fìsh] (plural saw·fish or
saw·fish·es) noun

fish with long toothed snout:
a ray that inhabits tropical seas and is characterized by a long snout with
projections resembling teeth that it uses as a weapon. Family: Pristidae[1]



sawfly

sawfly
saw·fly 
[sáw fl] (plural saw·flies) noun

insect with notched
egg-laying organ: an insect in which the
female has a prominent, often serrated appendage at the tip of its abdomen, for
boring holes and laying eggs in wood and plants. Family: Tenthredinidae[1]



sawgrass

sawgrass
saw
grass
noun

sedge with serrated leaves:
any one of various sedges that have serrated leaves. Genus: Cladium[1]



sawhorse

sawhorse
saw·horse 
[sáw hàwrss] (plural saw·horses)
noun

support for wood:
a support for wood during sawing.
Also called
sawbuck[1]



sawine

sawine
saw·ine
[sáy wn, s wn]
noun

Caribbean
Trinidadian dessert:
a Trinidadian dessert consisting mostly of milk with fried vermicelli, spiced
with cinnamon, raisins, and other additions, usually made and shared with
others during the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr[1]



sawlog

sawlog
saw
log
(plural saw logs) noun

log big enough to saw:
a log of sufficient size to be suitable for sawing[1]



sawmill

sawmill
saw·mill 
[sáw mìl] (plural saw·mills) noun

1.  factory
where wood is sawed: a factory in which wood is
sawed into planks or boards by machine

2.  sawing
machine:
a powerful sawing machine

[1]



sawn

sawn
sawn


Past participle of
saw[1]



sawpalmetto

sawpalmetto
saw
pal·met·to
noun

small palm with spiny leaves:
a small palm tree of the southeastern United States that has spiny-toothed
leafstalks. Latin name: Serenoa repens[1]



saw-scaledviper

saw-scaledviper
saw-scaled
vi·per
(plural saw-scaled vi·pers) noun

small venomous snake:
a small venomous snake of arid North Africa and Central Asia that is believed
to have the most powerful venom of all the vipers. Latin name: Echis
carinaus[1]



sawset

sawset
saw
set
(plural saw sets) noun

instrument to bend teeth of
saw: an instrument that bends
alternating teeth of a saw in opposite directions[1]



Sawtell

Sawtell
Saw·tell
[saw tél]

coastal town in northeastern
New South Wales, Australia. Population: 13,240 (1996)[1]



sawtooth

sawtooth
saw·tooth
[sáw tth] noun (plural saw·teeth
[sáw tth])

tooth
of a saw:
any one of the teeth of a saw
adjective
saw·tooth saw·toothed

zigzag:
in a zigzag shape, like the teeth of a saw[1]



saw-toothed

saw-toothed
saw-toothed 
adjective

1.  with
teeth like a saw’s: having notched teeth like a
saw

2.  See
sawtooth  adjective

[1]



saw-toothedgrain beetle

saw-toothedgrain beetle
saw-toothed
grain bee·tle (plural saw-toothed grain
bee·tles) noun

small beetle with sawlike
teeth: a tiny red beetle with
prominent teeth on either side of the front of the middle part of its body. It
is a common pest in grain warehouses and processing plants. Latin name: Oryzaephilus
surinamensis[1]



saw-whetowl

saw-whetowl
saw-whet
owl 
(plural saw-whet owls) noun

owl
with mechanical-sounding call: a small North American
owl with a call that is a long series of short whistles. Latin name: Aegolius
acadicus
[Saw-whet because its
call was considered to resemble the sound of a saw being sharpened][1]



saw-wort

saw-wort
saw-wort
noun

plant with serrated leaves:
a European plant of the daisy family with serrated leaves that yield a yellow
dye. Latin name: Serratula tinctoria[1]



sawyer

sawyer
saw·yer 
[sáwyər] (plural saw·yers) noun

1.  somebody
who saws wood: somebody who saws wood for a living

2.  horned
beetle:
a horned beetle whose larvae bore into coniferous trees. Genus: Monochamus
[13th century. Formed from saw + -yer, a variant of -ier .][1]



Sax.

Sax.
Sax.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Saxon

2.  Abbreviation
of
Saxony

[1]



sax

sax
sax 
[saks] (plural sax·es) noun

saxophone:
a saxophone (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



saxatile

saxatile
sax·a·tile 
[sáksə tl, sáksət’l]
adjective

growing
on rocks:
growing on or living in rocks
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin saxatilis, from saxum “rock, stone.”][1]



saxeblue

saxeblue
saxe
blue
[sàks bl] adjective

blue-gray:
of a light blue color with a tinge of gray
[Saxe
via French from German Sachsen “Saxony,” because the color is produced
from Saxon blue]
—saxe blue, noun[1]



saxhorn

saxhorn
sax·horn 
[sáks hàwrn] (plural sax·horns)
noun

brass
wind instrument: any of a family of valved brass wind
instruments, often used in military brass bands
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Belgian instrument makers Charles Joseph Sax 1791–1865, who invented
these instruments, and his son Antoine Joseph Sax 1814–1894 (known as
“Adolphe”), who improved them.][1]



saxicolous

saxicolous
sax·ic·o·lous 
[sak síkələss] or sax·ic·o·line
[sak síkə ln] adjective

See
saxatile
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin saxicola, from Latin saxum “rock, stone” + colere
“to inhabit.”][1]



saxifrage

saxifrage
sax·i·frage 
[sáksi fràyj, sáksi
frìj] (plural sax·i·frages or sax·i·frage) noun

plant
of rocky ground: a plant growing on rocky ground that has
small white, yellow, purple, or red flowers. Genus: Saxifraga
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin saxifraga “rock-breaking,” from saxum
“rock, stone” (because the plants often grow in rock crevices).][1]



saxitoxin

saxitoxin
sax·i·tox·in 
[sàksi tóksin] noun

neurotoxin
from marine organism: a strong neurotoxin that is
produced by certain organisms found in plankton ( dinoflagellates ) and
accumulates in shellfish feeding on them, causing food poisoning in humans. It
is found in red tides.
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Saxodomus, genus of clams (from Latin saxum “rock” +
domus “home”) + toxin .][1]



Saxon

Saxon
Sax·on 
[sáks’n] (plural Sax·ons) noun

1.  member
of ancient Germanic people: a member of a West Germanic
people that originally came from the southern part of the Jutland Peninsula,
and who started to spread west during Roman times. During the 5th century AD, they made incursions into Gaul and
Britain and by the 7th century they had settlements in southern Britain, where,
with the Angles, they established powerful kingdoms.
See
also
Angle
See
also
Jute

2.  language
of ancient Saxons: the group of West Germanic
dialects spoken by the ancient Saxons.
Also
called
Old Saxon
See
also
Anglo-Saxon

3.  somebody
from Saxony: somebody who was born or who lives in
the region of Saxony in Germany
[12th
century. Via French from Latin Saxones (plural), from a prehistoric
Germanic word perhaps meaning “to cut” (perhaps because they were armed with
swords).]
—Sax·on, adjective[1]



Saxonblue

Saxonblue
Sax·on
blue
noun

blue dye:
a dye made from a solution of indigo in sulfuric acid[1]



Saxonism

Saxonism
Sax·on·ism 
[sáksə nìzzəm] (plural Sax·on·isms)
noun

word of Anglo-Saxon origin:
a word, phrase, or idiom in English supposedly from an Anglo-Saxon rather than
Latin source[1]



Saxony

Saxony
Sa·xo·ny 
[sáks’nee]

state in eastern Germany. It
was a kingdom until 1918, although part of the North German Confederation from
1866. Between 1945 and 1989 the area was part of East Germany. Population:
5,000,000 (1990)[1]



saxony

saxony
sax·o·ny 
[sáksənee] noun

1.  fine
yarn:
a fine three-ply knitting yarn

2.  fine
woolen fabric: a fine woolen fabric used for coats
[Mid-19th century. Originally
“fine kind of wool,” named for the state of Saxony
in Germany, where it was first made.][1]



saxophone

saxophone


sax·o·phone 
[sáksə fn] (plural sax·o·phones)
noun
metal
wind instrument: a metal wind instrument with keys and a
reed that comes in several sizes and registers, the alto and tenor saxophones
being the most popular. It is particularly associated with jazz.
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Adolphe Sax (see saxhorn
), who invented it.]
—sax·o·phon·ic
[sàksə fónnik], adjective

—sax·o·phon·ist [sáksə fnist], noun[1]



saxtuba

saxtuba
sax·tu·ba 
[sáks tbə] (plural sax·tu·bas)
noun

bass
saxhorn:
a large bass saxhorn
[Mid-19th century. Blend of saxhorn and tuba
.][1]



say

say
say 
[say] verb (past said [sed], past participle said, present
participle say·ing, 3rd person present singular says [sez])

1.  transitive
verb
utter
something:
to utter something in a normal voice, not singing, shouting, or whispering

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
verbally:
to convey information or express feelings in spoken words

3.  transitive
verb
state
something:
to utter something as a matter of fact, belief, or prediction • said
to be the largest in captivity

4.  transitive
verb
indicate
something:
to convey information in written or printed words, numbers, or symbols • The
clock said midnight. • The
rules say that you should not kick your opponent.

5.  transitive
verb
make
case for or against something: to utter something by
way of argument, explanation, or excuse • There’s
much to be said for being rich.

6.  transitive
verb
command
something:
to utter something as an instruction • She
said to buy some wine for tonight.

7.  transitive
verb
suppose
something:
to assume something for the sake of argument, or take something as a suitable
example • Let’s
say that it will cost you $500.

8.  transitive
verb
recite
something:
to utter something that has a formula or set form of words • says
his prayers

9.  transitive
verb
convey
something indirectly: to convey something over and
above the immediate words or superficial sound or appearance • The
finale says that we can all triumph in the end.

10. transitive
verb
convey
something important: to convey something
substantial or significant in what is said or written • We
talked for hours but didn’t really say anything.
noun

1.  chance
to speak:
a chance or turn to say something, especially to give an opinion • You’ve
already had your say.

2.  right
to give opinion: the right to express an opinion and have
it considered by others • The
junior staff appeared to have no say in the way things were done.
interjection
(informal)

1.  expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise, admiration, or protest

2.  attracting
attention:
used to attract somebody’s attention
[Old
English secgan, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English saga and scold]
—say·er,
noun
enough
said

or ’nuff
saidused to indicate that nothing more need be said for a situation to be
understood

I
say

1.  U.K.
used to express surprise, admiration, or protest (dated)

2.  U.K.
used to attract somebody’s attention (dated)

it
goes without saying

used
to emphasize that there should be no doubt concerning something

say
when

used
to ask somebody to indicate when enough drink has been poured or food served (informal)

that
is to say

used
to indicate that you are repeating something more clearly or in other words

there’s
no saying

used
to emphasize the uncertainty of a situation

you
can say that again!

used
to indicate complete agreement with what has just been said (informal)

[1]



Sayers,Dorothy L.

Sayers,Dorothy L.
Say·ers
[sáy ərz], Dorothy L. (1893–1957)

British
writer. She wrote detective stories, including Whose Body? ( 1923 ) and Gaudy
Night ( 1935 ).
Full name
Sayers, Dorothy Leigh[1]



sayest

sayest
say·est
[sáy əst] or sayst [sáy əst]

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of say[1]



sayid

sayid
say·id
noun

See
sayyid[1]



saying

saying
say·ing 
[sáy ing] (plural say·ings) noun

proverbial expression:
a frequently offered piece of advice or information, or a frequently heard
reflection on the way things are[1]



sayonara

sayonara
sa·yo·na·ra 
[s ə nrə] (plural sa·yo·na·ras)
noun

Japanese
for good-bye: good-bye
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “if it be so.”][1]



say-so

say-so
say-so 
(plural say-sos) noun (informal)

1.  authorization:
permission or authorization from somebody

2.  assertion:
a mere assertion by somebody that something is so

[1]



sayyid

sayyid
say·yid 
[syid, sáyid]
(plural say·yids) or sayid [syid, sáyid] (plural
sayids) or said [s id]
(plural saids) noun

1.  descendant
of Muhammad’s grandson: a Muslim who claims to be
descended from Muhammad’s grandson Husain

2.  Islamic
title:
an Islamic title of respect for a man
[Mid-17th century. From
Arabic, literally “prince.”][1]



Sazerac

Sazerac
Saz·er·ac 
[sázzə ràk] Trademark

a trademark for a cocktail of
bourbon, bitters, Pernod, and sugar, with a twist of lemon[1]



s.b.

s.b.
s.b.

BASEBALL
Abbreviation of stolen base[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








S.B.

S.B.
S.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Science
[Latin, Scientiae
Baccalaureus][1]



Sb

Sb
Sb

Symbol
for
antimony
[Shortening of Latin stibium
“antimony”][1]



SB

SB
SB
(plural SBs)

Abbreviation of
simultaneous broadcast[1]



SBA

SBA
SBA

Abbreviation
of
Small Business Administration
noun

radio navigation system:
a system of radio navigation that provides an aircraft with lateral guidance
and marker beam indicators at set points during its landing approach. Abbreviation
of standard beam approach[1]



SbE

SbE
SbE

Abbreviation of
south by east[1]



SBS

SBS
SBS

Australia
Abbreviation of Special Broadcasting Service[1]



SbW

SbW
SbW

Abbreviation of
south by west[1]



S.C.

S.C.
S.C.

1.  S.C.
or SC Abbreviation of South
Carolina

2.  Abbreviation
of
Supreme Court

[1]



sc

sc
sc
or s.c.

Abbreviation of
small capital[1]



sc.

sc.
sc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
scene

2.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
scruple

3.  Abbreviation
of
that is to say

[1]



Sc.

Sc.
Sc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Scots

2.  Abbreviation
of
Scottish

[1]



SC

SC
SC

1.  S.C.
or SC Abbreviation of South
Carolina

2.  Abbreviation
of
Security Council

3.  Abbreviation
of
Signal Corps

[1]



Sc

Sc
Sc

Symbol for
scandium[1]



scab

scab
scab 
[skab] noun (plural scabs)

1.  crust
over healing wound: a hard crust of dried blood,
serum, or pus, that forms over a wound during healing

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who continues to work during a strike, or who
does a striker’s job during a strike (insult offensive)

3.  BOTANY plant
disease causing crusty spots: a fungal plant disease
causing crusty spots on the affected parts

4.  VETERINARY MEDICINE skin
disease of sheep: a skin disease of sheep and other
animals that resembles mange

5.  dislikable
person:
a despicable or dislikable person (slang insult)

6.  BOTANY crusty
spot on a plant: a crusty spot on a plant caused by a
fungal disease
intransitive
verb
(past scabbed, past participle scabbed, present
participle scab·bing, 3rd person present singular scabs)

1.  become
covered with scab: to become covered with a
scab during healing

2.  work
during strike: to continue to work during a strike, or
do a striker’s job during a strike (disapproving)
[13th century. From Old Norse
skabb ; ultimately “something that is scratched,” from an Indo-European
word meaning “to scrape,” which is also the ancestor of English scabies and shabby
.][1]



scabbard

scabbard
scab·bard 
[skábbərd] noun (plural scab·bards)

sheath
for sword:
a sheath, hanging from a belt, for a sword, dagger, or bayonet
transitive
verb
(past scab·bard·ed, past participle scab·bard·ed, present
participle scab·bard·ing, 3rd person present singular scab·bards)

put
sword into sheath: to put a sword, dagger, or
bayonet into a sheath
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman escauberge, of uncertain origin: probably originally “blade
protector,” from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



scabble

scabble
scab·ble 
[skább’l] (past scab·bled, past
participle scab·bled, present participle scab·bling, 3rd
person present singular scab·bles) transitive verb

shape
stone roughly: to give a rough shape to stone
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Middle English scapple, from Old French escapeler
“to shape timber,” from capler “to cut.”][1]



scabby

scabby
scab·by 
[skábbee] (comparative scab·bi·er,
superlative scab·bi·est) adjective

1.  with
scabs:
having or covered in scabs

2.  dislikable:
despicable or dislikable (slang)
—scab·bi·ly,
adverb

—scab·bi·ness, noun[1]



scabies

scabies
sca·bies 
[skáybiz] noun

contagious
skin disease: a contagious skin disease marked by
intense itching, inflammation, and red papules. It is caused by the itch mite,
which burrows into the skin.
[14th
century. From Latin, from scabere “to scratch” (see scab ).]
—sca·bi·et·ic [skàybee éttik], adjective[1]



scabious

scabious
sca·bi·ous
[skáybee əss, skábbee
əss] adjective

covered
in scabs:
having scabs or scabies
noun
(plural sca·bi·ous·es or sca·bi·ous)

plant
with dome-shaped flowers: a plant with blue, pink, or
white dome-shaped flowers. Genera: Scabiosa Knautia
[14th century. Directly and
via French scabieux from Latin scabiosus, from scabies
(see scabies ); the plant was formerly used
in cures for skin diseases.][1]



scablands

scablands
scab·lands
[skáb làndz] plural noun

elevated rocky region:
tracts of elevated land with bare rock, thin soil, and sparse vegetation,
crossed by dry channels formed by glacial floodwaters[1]



scabrous

scabrous
scab·rous 
[skábbrəss, skáybrəss]
adjective

1.  with
a rough surface: having a rough surface because of scales
or short stiff hairs

2.  obscene:
dealing with sex or referring to sex in an obscene way (literary)

3.  requiring
tact:
requiring something to be handled with tact and care
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French scabreux from late Latin scabrosus,
from Latin scaber “scurfy, scaly, rough.”]
—scab·rous·ly,
adverb

—scab·rous·ness, noun[1]



scad

scad
scad
[skad] (plural scad or scads)
noun

1.  fish
with long body: a fish that has a long body and sharp
bony plates on either side of the narrow point of the tail, found in tropical
and subtropical seas. Family: Caringidae

2.  See
horse mackerel
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



scads

scads
scads
[skadz] plural noun

large
quantities:
large numbers or quantities (informal) • scads
of money
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: earlier also “money”; perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



scaffold

scaffold
scaf·fold 
[skáff’ld, ská
fld] noun (plural scaf·folds)

1.  framework
to support workers: a temporary framework of
poles and planks that is used to support workers and materials during the
erection, repair, or decoration of a building

2.  platform
for executions: a raised platform on which somebody is
executed by hanging or beheading

3.  death
by hanging:
death by hanging or beheading as a form of punishment

4.  support:
any supporting framework
transitive
verb
(past scaf·fold·ed, past participle scaf·fold·ed, present
participle scaf·fold·ing, 3rd person present singular scaf·folds)

erect scaffold around building:
to put up a scaffold around or against a building
[13th
century. Via Old French (e)schaffaut from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar
Latin catafalcum (source of English catafalque
).]
—scaf·fold·er, noun[1]



scaffolding

scaffolding
scaf·fold·ing 
[skáff’lding, ská
flding] noun

1.  system
of scaffolds: a scaffold or a system of scaffolds

2.  materials
for building scaffold: the poles and planks used to
build a scaffold

[1]



scag

scag
scag 
[skag] or skag [skag] noun

(slang)
See heroin
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



scagliola

scagliola
scagl·io·la 
[skàl yṓlə] noun

imitation
marble:
imitation marble made of gypsum mixed with glue with a polished surface of
marble or granite dust
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, literally “tiny scale, small chip of marble,” ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English scale 3 .][1]



scalable

scalable
scal·a·ble
[skáyləb’l] adjective

1.  climbable:
able to be climbed up or over

2.  variable:
used to describe computer graphics fonts generated by an algorithm that permits
the size to vary proportionately over a wide range

3.  expandable:
used to describe a computer, component, or network that can be expanded to meet
future needs
—scal·a·bil·i·ty
[skàyl ə bíl ətee], noun

—scal·a·ble·ness,
noun

—scal·ab·ly, adverb[1]



scalage

scalage
scal·age 
[skáylij] (plural scal·ages) noun

1.  COMMERCE percentage
off cost for shrinkage: an allowance in the form of
a percentage deducted from the cost of goods to reflect loss in amount or size
during storage or shipping

2.  FORESTRY estimated
lumber yield: the estimated yield of lumber from a log

[1]



scalar

scalar
sca·lar 
[skáylər] noun (plural sca·lars)

quantity
with magnitude but not direction: a quantity, for
example, mass or time, that has magnitude but no direction
adjective

with
magnitude but not direction: used to describe a quantity
that has magnitude but no direction
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
scalaris, from scala (see scale 2 ).][1]



scalare

scalare
sca·la·re 
[skə lérree, skə
lree] (plural sca·la·re or sca·la·res) noun

See
angelfish
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, a form of scalaris “of a ladder” (from its parallel markings),
from scala (see scale 2 ).][1]



scalariform

scalariform
sca·lar·i·form 
[skə lérrə fàwrm] adjective

like
a ladder:
used to describe the walls of a cell that have parallel structural formations
resembling the rungs of a ladder
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin scalaris “of a ladder,” from scala (see scale 2 ).][1]



scalarproduct

scalarproduct
sca·lar
prod·uct
(plural sca·lar prod·ucts) noun

quantity derived from two
vectors: a number ( scalar ) equal to the product of the magnitudes of
any two vectors and the cosine of the angle formed between them.
Also called
dot product
Also called
inner product[1]



scalawag

scalawag
scal·a·wag 
[skállə wàg] (plural scal·a·wags)
or scal·ly·wag [skálli wàg] (plural
scal·ly·wags) noun

1.  mischievous
person:
somebody who behaves in inappropriate or disruptive ways (dated informal)

2.  Southerner
who collaborated with government: a Caucasian person in
the South who worked with the federal government during the Reconstruction
period after the Civil War
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Scottish scallag “farm servant,”
from Old Scottish scolloc “tenant of church land,” originally “monastery
student,” from Latin schola (see school
).][1]



scald

scald
scald
[skawld] verb (past scald·ed,
past participle scald·ed, present participle scald·ing,
3rd person present singular scalds)

1.  transitive
verb
burn
somebody with hot liquid: to burn somebody or a part
of the body with hot liquid or steam

2.  transitive
verb
sterilize
something with boiling liquid: to subject something
to the action of boiling liquid or steam in order to clean or sterilize it

3.  transitive
verb
heat
liquid to near boiling point: to heat a liquid to just
below the boiling point

4.  transitive
verb
treat
fruit with boiling water: to plunge a fruit or
vegetable into boiling water or pour boiling water over it and leave it briefly
before draining to prevent cooking. Scalding is used to loosen skin on fruit
and to stop naturally present enzymes working on fruit and vegetables during
freezing.

5.  brew
tea:
to pour boiling water on to tea and leave it to brew (informal)
noun
(plural scalds)

1.  burn
caused by liquid: a burn caused by hot liquid or steam

2.  plant
disease:
any of various plant diseases or conditions that produce brownish discoloration
of leaves and fruit
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman escalder from, ultimately, late Latin excaldere “to
bathe in hot water,” literally “to be very hot,” from calidus “hot” (see
cauldron ).][1]



scalding

scalding
scald·ing 
[skáwlding] adjective

1.  extremely
hot:
extremely hot, especially hot enough to scald somebody

2.  scathing:
severely critical

[1]



scale

scale3
scale3 [skayl]
noun (plural scales)

1.  bony
plate on fish: any one of the small flat bony or horny
overlapping plates that cover the bodies of fish and some reptiles and mammals

2.  flake:
a thin flat piece or flake of something such as dead skin

3.  ZOOLOGY covering
of butterfly wing: any of the small overlapping
structures that cover the wings of butterflies and moths

4.  METALLURGY black
oxide on heated iron: a flaky oxide that forms on
the surface of some metals undergoing heat treatment, especially the black
oxide that forms on iron or steel at high temperatures

5.  deposit
inside a kettle or boiler: a white deposit sometimes
formed on the inside of a kettle or boiler by the action of heat on the water

6.  DENTISTRY See tartar  noun 1

7.  BOTANY See scale leaf

8.  INSECTS See scale insect

9.  BOTANY plant
disease:
the diseased condition of plants caused by scale insects
verb
(past scaled, past participle scaled, present
participle scal·ing, 3rd person present singular scales)

1.  transitive
verb
clean
scales or scale from something: to remove the scales
or scale from something

2.  intransitive
verb
flake
off:
to come off in scales

3.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY shed
scales:
to shed scales

4.  intransitive
verb
Australia dodge fare: to
travel by public transport without paying (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French escale from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English shield,
shell, and skill .]
—scale·less, adjective[1]



scale

scale2

scale2 [skayl]
noun (plural scales)

1.  measuring
instrument:
an instrument or apparatus with graduated markings for measuring something

2.  size
ratio:
a ratio representing the size of an illustration or reproduction, especially a
map or a model, in relation to the object it represents • The
scale of the map is 1:50,000.

3.  measuring
system:
a system of measurement based on a series of marks laid down at regular
intervals and representing numerical values

4.  minimum
payment:
the minimum payment for work, as agreed on during labor negotiations.
Also
called
union scale

5.  level:
the extent or relative size of something

6.  series
of musical notes: a series of musical notes, usually
sequential, arranged in ascending or descending order of pitch
verb (past
scaled, past participle scaled, present participle scal·ing,
3rd person present singular scales)

1.  transitive
verb
climb
something:
to climb up something, especially a steep incline, often using a ladder

2.  transitive
verb
make
something to scale: to make a model or draw a
map in a regular proportion to the size of the original

3.  intransitive
verb
rise
in stages:
to go upward in stages or steps
[14th
century. From Latin scala “staircase, ladder.”]
to scale

with the same proportion of
reduction or enlargement throughout, for example, in a map or model[1]



scale

scale1
scale1 [skayl]
noun (plural scales)

1.  weighing
machine:
a device on which something or somebody can be weighed (sometimes used in
the plural)

2.  pan
of balance:
either of the dishes or pans of a balance
transitive
verb
(past scaled, past participle scaled, present
participle scal·ing, 3rd person present singular scales)

1.  weigh
so much:
to have a particular weight when put on a scale

2.  weigh
something or somebody: to weigh something or
somebody with a scale
[12th
century. From Old Norse skál “bowl” (plural “pair of scales”), from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English scale 3 .]
tip
the scales at something

to weigh a particular amount[1]



scaleboard

scaleboard
scale·board
[skáyl bàwrd] (plural scale·boards)
noun

1.  thin
board for backing pictures: very thin board used to back
a picture or mirror

2.  strip
for justifying type: a thin strip of wood used to
justify hand-set type

[1]



scaledown

scaledown
scale
down
or scale back transitive verb

reduce:
to reduce something in size, amount, or extent[1]



scaleinsect

scaleinsect
scale
in·sect
(plural scale in·sects) or scale (plural scales)
noun

destructive plant-sucking
insect: any of various plant-sucking
insects found worldwide that cover themselves with a waxy secretion resembling
scales. They are extremely destructive, especially to fruit trees. Superfamily:
Coccoidea[1]



scaleleaf

scaleleaf
scale
leaf
or scale noun

leaf that protects bud:
a kind of leaf that protects a plant bud before the bud expands[1]



scalemoss

scalemoss
scale
moss
noun

small leafy plant:
any of various liverworts with leaves resembling scales. Order: Jungermanniales[1]



scalene

scalene
sca·lene 
[skáy ln, skày
ln] adjective

lacking
two equal sides: used to describe a triangle in which
each side is a different length
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin scalenus
from Greek skalenos “uneven, unequal.”][1]



scaler

scaler
scal·er 
[skáylər] (plural scal·ers) noun

electronic circuit:
an electronic circuit that produces an output pulse for every specified number
of input pulses received. It is typically used in counting applications and the
implementation of electronic counters.[1]



Scales

Scales
Scales 
[skaylz] plural noun

See
Libra[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Scalia,Antonin

Scalia,Antonin
Sca·li·a
[skə l ə], Antonin (1936– )

U.S. jurist. Known as an
articulate legal conservative, he was appointed associate justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court in 1986.[1]



scaling

scaling
scal·ing 
[skáyling] noun

creation of new scale of
measurement: the creation of a
measurement device for such things as attitudes and strength of feeling, where
there is no existing scale. These devices are used in social research.[1]



scalingladder

scalingladder
scal·ing
lad·der
(plural scal·ing lad·ders) noun

ladder for climbing high
walls: a ladder used to climb high
walls, especially those of a besieged fortress[1]



scallion

scallion
scal·lion 
[skállyən] (plural scal·lions)
noun

small
onion with long leaves: any onion with a small bulb
and long green leaves, for example, spring onions and shallots
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman scal(o)un, variant of Old French escalo(i)gne
(source of English shallot ) from,
ultimately, Latin Ascalonia (caepa), literally “(onion) of Ascalon” from
Ascalon, port in ancient Palestine.][1]



scallop

scallop

scal·lop 
[skólləp] or scol·lop [skólləp] noun (plural scal·lops)

1.  marine
mollusk:
a marine bivalve mollusk that has a fan-shaped shell with radial ribs and wavy
edges. Scallops move by opening and closing the valves. Family: Pectinidae

2.  scallop
as food:
the round white edible muscle of a scallop, often with bright red roe around
one side

3.  See
scallop shell  noun

4.  dish
shaped like scallop shell: a dish shaped like a scallop
shell, used for cooking and serving food in

5.  fabric
edging:
an ornamental undulating edging in fabric.
Also
called
escallop

6.  thin
slice of meat: a thin boneless slice of meat or
poultry.
U.K.
term
escalope

7.  pilgrim’s
badge:
a representation of a scallop shell worn as a badge by pilgrims in the Middle
Ages
verb (past
scal·loped, past participle scal·loped, present
participle scal·lop·ing, 3rd person present singular scal·lops)

1.  transitive
verb
make
edge wavy:
to decorate the edge of a fabric or object with an undulating pattern

2.  transitive
verb
cook
food in scallop shell: to cook food in a scallop
shell or in a dish shaped like a scallop shell

3.  intransitive
verb
collect
scallops:
to gather or dredge for scallops
[14th
century. From Old French escalope, of uncertain origin.]
—scal·loped,
adjective

—scal·lop·er,
noun

—scal·lop·ing, noun[1]



scallopshell

scallopshell
scal·lop
shell
(plural scal·lop shells) noun

shell valve of a scallop:
either of the fan-shaped shell valves of the scallop, with radial ribs and a
wavy edge. Scallop shells are used for cooking and serving seafood dishes in.
Also called
scallop[1]



scallywag

scallywag
scal·ly·wag 
noun

See
scalawag[1]



scalogram

scalogram
scal·o·gram 
[skáylə gràm] (plural scal·o·grams)
noun

test
with hierarchy of questions: a test of attitudes or
opinions in which the questions are ranked so that the answer to one implies
the same answer to all questions lower on the scale
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from scale 2, probably
modeled on cardiogram .][1]



scalp

scalp
scalp 
[skalp] noun (plural scalps)

1.  skin
on top of head: the skin and underlying tissues covering
the dome of the skull

2.  scalp
cut off as trophy: the scalp of an enemy cut
off as a trophy

3.  trophy:
a trophy or achievement belonging to somebody that somebody else wants to win
or take away
transitive
verb
(past scalped, past participle scalped, present
participle scalp·ing, 3rd person present singular scalps)

1.  cut
off somebody’s scalp: to cut off the scalp of an
enemy as a trophy

2.  resell
something for quick profit: to resell something quickly
or at an inflated price in order to make a quick profit
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.]
—scalp·er, noun[1]



scalpel

scalpel

scal·pel 
[skálpəl] (plural scal·pels) noun
surgical
knife:
a surgical knife with a short, very sharp blade
[Mid-18th century. Directly
or via French from Latin scalpellum “small cutting tool.”][1]



scalplock

scalplock
scalp
lock
(plural scalp locks) noun

tuft of hair on shaven scalp:
a tuft or braid of hair left on the otherwise shaven scalp by the men among
some Native North American peoples[1]



scaly

scaly
scal·y 
[skáylee] (comparative scal·i·er,
superlative scal·i·est) adjective

covered
in scales:
covered in scales or flakes
—scal·i·ness, noun[1]



scalyanteater

scalyanteater
scal·y
ant·eat·er
(plural scal·y ant·eat·ers) noun

See
pangolin[1]



scam

scam
scam 
[skam] noun (plural scams)

dishonest
scheme:
a scheme for making money by dishonest means (slang)
transitive
verb
(past scammed, past participle scammed, present
participle scam·ming, 3rd person present singular scams)

trick
somebody:
to obtain money from somebody by dishonest means (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin unknown.]
—scam·mer, noun[1]



scammony

scammony
scam·mo·ny 
[skámmənee] (plural scam·mo·nies
or scam·mo·ny) noun

1.  twining
plant:
a twining Asian plant that has arrow-shaped leaves and white, pink, or purple
funnel-shaped flowers. Latin name: Convulvulus scammonia

2.  purgative
from scammony root: a resin obtained from the
roots of the scammony or similar plants and used as a purgative
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French escamonie or Latin scammonia from Greek skammōnia
.][1]



scamp

scamp2
scamp2 [skamp]
(past scamped, past participle scamped, present
participle scamp·ing, 3rd person present singular scamps)
transitive verb

be
hasty in doing something: to do something hastily,
carelessly, or in a perfunctory manner
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from scamp 1 ; or
related to skimp .][1]



scamp

scamp1
scamp1 [skamp]
(plural scamps) noun

1.  mischievous
child:
a mischievous person, especially a child who misbehaves in harmless or humorous
ways (informal)

2.  rogue:
a rascally or dishonest person (dated informal)
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via Middle Dutch schampen “to slip
away, decamp” from Old French esc(h)amper, ultimately from Latin campus
“field” (source of English camp, campus, and champion
).]
—scamp·ish, adjective[1]



scamper

scamper
scam·per 
[skámpər] intransitive verb (past
scam·pered, past participle scam·pered, present
participle scam·per·ing, 3rd person present singular scam·pers)

run
playfully:
to run quickly or playfully
noun

playful
run:
a quick or playful run
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch schampen (see
scamp 1 ).]
—scam·per·er, noun[1]



scampi

scampi
scam·pi 
[skámpee] noun

shrimp
with garlic and lemon: shrimp cooked in a very
garlicky sauce with lemon
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, plural of scampo, a kind of lobster, from Greek kampē
“bending”; from its shape.][1]



scan

scan
scan 
[skan] verb (past scanned,
past participle scanned, present participle scan·ning,
3rd person present singular scans)

1.  transitive
verb
examine
something in detail: to subject something to a
thorough examination

2.  transitive
verb
look
through something quickly: to look through or read
something quickly

3.  transitive
verb
look
at something intently: to look over and around
something intently

4.  intransitive
verb
conform
to verse rules: to conform to the rules of meter

5.  transitive
verb
analyze
verse:
to analyze verse according to the rules of meter

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
area using radar: to search a region for specific objects,
such as aircraft, by systematically sweeping a radar or sonar beam across it

7.  transitive
verb
obtain
image of body: to obtain an image of internal organs
with any of various devices, especially in order to make a diagnosis without
the need for exploratory surgery.
See
also
CT scan
See
also
MRI

8.  transitive
verb
examine
something with beam of light: to direct a light-sensitive
device over a surface in order to convert an image into digital or electronic
form for further storage, retrieval, and transmission

9.  transitive
verb
examine
stored data: to make an automatic search of a
computer storage medium such as a magnetic disk or tape for data in
anticipation of retrieving that data
noun
(plural scans)

1.  image
of body:
an image of an internal body part taken using a scanner, or the process
involved in obtaining one

2.  brief
perusal:
a quick look at or through something
[14th
century. From late Latin scandere “to scan a verse” from Latin “to
climb.” Originally, in English, “to mark off a verse into metrical feet,” hence
“to analyze.”]
—scan·na·ble, adjective[1]



Scan.

Scan.
Scan.
or Scand.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Scandinavia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Scandinavian

[1]



scandal

scandal
scan·dal 
[skánd’l] (plural scan·dals) noun

1.  something
causing public outrage: a situation or event that
causes public outrage or censure

2.  public
outrage:
an outburst of public outrage or censure as a consequence of some event

3.  malicious
talk:
malicious talk, especially about other people’s private lives
[12th
century. Via French scandale (later form of escandle, source of
English slander ) from, ultimately,
Greek skandalon “trap, temptation.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  School
  for Scandal, a play by Irish dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan ( 1777 ). In
  this satire on contemporary middle-class mores, Sir Oliver Surface attempts
  to spy on his nephews Charles and Joseph in order to discover their true
  characters. Among the play’s many targets are the hypocrisy and
  vindictiveness of gossipmongers, personified by the characters of Lady
  Sneerwell, Sir Benjamin Backbite, and Mrs. Candour. When a media outlet or a
  society is characterized as a school for scandal, the reference is to
  this play.

[1]



scandalize

scandalize
scan·dal·ize 
[skánd’l z] (past scan·dal·ized,
past participle scan·dal·ized, present participle scan·dal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular scan·dal·iz·es) transitive verb

offend
somebody:
to shock people by outrageous or improper behavior
—scan·dal·i·za·tion
[skànd’lə záysh’n], noun

—scan·dal·iz·er [skánd’l zər] (plural scan·dal·iz·ers),
noun[1]



scandalmonger

scandalmonger
scan·dal·mon·ger 
[skánd’l mùng gər, skànd’l
móng gər] (plural scan·dal·mon·gers) noun

spreader of malicious gossip:
somebody who indulges in malicious talk about other people’s private lives[1]



scandalous

scandalous
scan·dal·ous 
[skánd’ləss] adjective

1.  shocking:
causing or deserving to cause public outrage or censure

2.  defamatory:
causing or having the potential to cause damage to somebody’s reputation
—scan·dal·ous·ly,
adverb

—scan·dal·ous·ness, noun[1]



scandalsheet

scandalsheet
scan·dal
sheet
(plural scan·dal sheets) noun

newspaper with scandal:
a periodical publication that features scandalous stories about people’s
private lives (disapproving)[1]



scandent

scandent
scan·dent 
[skándənt] adjective

growing
by climbing: used to describe a plant that climbs as
it grows
[Late 17th century. From
Latin scandent-, present participle stem of scandere “to climb.”][1]



scandic

scandic
scan·dic
[skándik] adjective

containing scandium:
containing the element scandium[1]



Scandinavia

Scandinavia
Scan·di·na·vi·a 
[skàn dè náyvee ə]

region
in northern Europe comprising Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and
the Faroe Islands
—Scan·di·na·vi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



scandium

scandium

scan·di·um 
[skándee əm] noun
rare
silvery-white metallic element: a rare silvery-white
metallic chemical element found in various minerals in association with
rare-earth elements. Symbol Sc
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin Scandia, shortening of Scandinavia,
because it is found in various minerals in Scandinavia.][1]



scanner

scanner
scan·ner
[skánnər] (plural scan·ners) noun

1.  data-scanning
device:
a device for examining written or recorded data, for example, for reading a
product bar code for inventory and pricing purposes

2.  device
putting something into digital form: a
device used to convert an image into digital form for storage, retrieval, and
transmission.
Also
called
optical scanner

3.  body-scanning
device:
a device used to obtain information about the internal parts of the body
without the need for surgery, or the contents of something without the need for
opening it.
See
also
CAT scanner

4.  radar
searching device: a rotating directional radar antenna
that emits a beam to search for or locate objects

5.  somebody
who scans texts: somebody who scans texts, for example,
for errors or in poetic analysis

[1]



scanningelectron microscope

scanningelectron microscope
scan·ning
e·lec·tron mi·cro·scope  (plural scan·ning
e·lec·tron mi·cro·scopes) noun

microscope
using electrons: a microscope that uses a beam of
electrons to scan an object and produce an enlarged image of it on a
cathode-ray tube. It can work at much greater magnifications than a light
microscope while avoiding depth of field problems.
—scan·ning e·lec·tron
mi·cros·co·py, noun[1]



scansion

scansion
scan·sion 
[skánshən] noun

1.  analysis
of verse:
analysis of verse according to the rules of meter

2.  metrical
structure:
the way that a line, verse, or poem scans
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin scansion-, the stem of scansio, from Latin, “act of
climbing,” from scandere “to climb,” the underlying idea being “moving
along in steps.”][1]



scant

scant
scant 
[skant] adjective

1.  inadequate:
not sufficient

2.  only
or not quite: just about or just below the amount
stated • a
scant twenty votes
transitive
verb
(past scant·ed, past participle scant·ed, present
participle scant·ing, 3rd person present singular scants)

not provide enough of something:
to provide an insufficient supply of something (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old Norse skamt, a form of skammr “short, brief.”]
—scant·ly, adverb[1]



scanties

scanties
scant·ies
[skánteez] plural noun

brief
panties:
very brief panties for women (dated informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from scanty on the model of panties .][1]



scantling

scantling
scant·ling 
[skántling] (plural scant·lings)
noun

1.  thin
piece of timber: a piece of timber with a small
cross-section, for example, a rafter

2.  size:
the dimension of a building material or a structural part of a ship

3.  small
amount:
a small amount or quantity
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of obsolete scantillon “gauge,” via Old French escantillon
“sample” from, ultimately, late Latin scandaculum “ladder, gauge,” from
Latin scandere “to climb.”][1]



scanty

scanty
scant·y 
[skántee] (comparative scant·i·er,
superlative scant·i·est) adjective

1.  revealing:
not covering much of the part of the body that it is worn on

2.  inadequate:
not much and less than is needed

3.  meager:
only just enough
—scant·i·ly,
adverb

—scant·i·ness, noun[1]



scape

scape1
scape1 [skayp]
(plural scapes) noun

1.  BOTANY leafless
flower stalk: a leafless flower stalk rising directly
from the root

2.  ZOOLOGY part
of feather or antenna: a shaft of a feather or
other animal part, or a segment of an antenna

3.  ARCHITECTURE architectural
column:
the shaft of an architectural column
[Early
17th century. Via Latin scapus from Greek skapos “rod.”]
—sca·pose [ská pss], adjective[1]



scape

scape2
scape2 [skayp]
(past scaped, past participle scaped, present
participle scap·ing, 3rd person present singular scapes,
plural scapes) intransitive and transitive verb

escape:
to escape (archaic)
[13th century. Shortening of escape .][1]



-scape

-scape
-scape
suffix

a
scene or view • seascape
• lunarscape
[From landscape][1]



scapegoat

scapegoat
scape·goat 
[skáyp gt] noun (plural scape·goats)

1.  somebody
made to take the blame: somebody who is made to take
the blame for others

2.  PSYCHOLOGY somebody
wrongly blamed: somebody who is unjustly blamed for
causing upset or distress by another person who is unwilling or unable to take
personal responsibility for his or her own actions

3.  BIBLE goat
given sins in Jewish ritual: on the Jewish Day of
Atonement, a goat on which the high priest symbolically loaded all the sins of
the community before sending the animal out into the wilderness
verb
(past scape·goat·ed, past participle scape·goat·ed,
present participle scape·goat·ing, 3rd person present singular
scape·goats)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody take the blame: to force somebody to take
the blame for others

2.  PSYCHOLOGY blame
somebody to avoid taking responsibility: to
blame another person unjustly for causing upset or distress as a way of
avoiding taking personal responsibility
[Mid-16th century. Scape from
scape 2, because in
Jewish ritual the goat, having had the sins of the people symbolically laid on
it, was allowed to “escape” into the desert.][1]



scapegrace

scapegrace
scape·grace 
[skáyp gràyss] (plural scape·graces)
noun

mischievous
person:
a lazy, mischievous, or irresponsible person, especially a child (archaic)
[Early 19th century. From scape 2 + grace ; literally “someone who has escaped God’s
grace.”][1]



scaphoid

scaphoid
scaph·oid 
[ská fòyd] adjective

ANATOMY navicular:
navicular (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin scaphoides from Greek skaphoeidēs, from skaphē
“boat.”][1]



scapolite

scapolite
scap·o·lite 
[skáppə lt] noun

mineral:
any of a group of variously colored aluminosilicate minerals found in
metamorphic rocks and as weathering products of basic igneous rocks. They
include semiprecious gemstones.
Also
called
wernerite
[Early 19th century. From
Greek skapos “rod” + lithos “stone.”][1]



scapula

scapula

scap·u·la 
[skáppyələ] (plural scap·u·lae
[skáppyəlee] or scap·u·las) noun

1.  bone
forming back of shoulder: either of two large flat
triangular bones that form the back of the shoulder in humans. Each forms a
joint with the respective upper arm and provides attachment for muscles.

2.  shoulder
blade in vertebrates: a bone in vertebrates that
corresponds to the human shoulder blade
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin, singular of Latin scapulae “shoulder blades.”][1]



scapular

scapular2
scap·u·lar2  [skáppyələr]
(plural scap·u·lars) or scap·u·lar·y [skáppyələree] (plural scap·u·lar·ies)
noun

1.  monk’s
garment:
a loose sleeveless garment worn by monks

2.  cloths
showing affiliation to religious order: two
pieces of cloth joined together and worn over the shoulder and back underneath
other garments to signify membership in a particular religious order or some
other devotional purpose
[15th century. From late
Latin scapulare, from scapula “shoulder” (see scapula ), because it covers the shoulders.][1]



scapular

scapular1
scap·u·lar1  [skáppyələr]
noun (plural scap·u·lars)

bird’s
shoulder feather: any one of the feathers on a bird’s
shoulder
adjective

of shoulder blade:
relating to or associated with the shoulder blade[1]



scar

scar1
scar1 [skaar]
noun (plural scars)

1.  mark
on skin after wound heals: a mark left on the skin
after a wound, burn, or sore has healed over

2.  mental
effect of distressing experience: a lasting effect left
on somebody’s mind by a personal misfortune or unpleasant experience

3.  mark
on surface:
a mark on a surface caused by damage

4.  BOTANY mark
of former attachment on plant: the mark on a plant
indicating the place where a part such as a leaf was formerly attached
verb
(past scarred, past participle scarred, present
participle scar·ring, 3rd person present singular scars)

1.  transitive
verb
mark
somebody or something with scars: to leave somebody or
something with a physical or emotional scar

2.  intransitive
verb
form
a scar:
to form or become marked by a scar
[14th century. Via Old French
escharre “scar, scab,” from, ultimately, Greek eskhara “hearth,
brazier, scab formed after a burn.”][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








scar

scar2
scar2 [skaar]
(plural scars) noun

1.  steep
craggy rock formation: a steep bare rocky cliff,
typically in the limestones of the Yorkshire Dales, England

2.  rock
submerged in sea: a rock submerged or partly submerged in
the ocean
[14th century. From Old Norse
sker “low reef,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English shear .][1]



scarab

scarab

scar·ab 
[skérrəb] (plural scar·abs) noun

1.  sacred
beetle:
any of several beetles regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians. Many
scarabs roll dung into balls to provision their larvae. Family: Scarabaeidae
Also
called
scarabaeid

2.  representation
of a beetle: a representation of a beetle used on
amulets and signets by the ancient Egyptians.
Also
called
scarabaeus
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
scarabaeus from Greek karabos “crab, beetle.”][1]



scarabaeid

scarabaeid
scar·a·bae·id 
[skèrrə b id] (plural scar·a·bae·ids)
or scar·a·bae·an [skèrrə b ən]
noun

See
scarab  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Scarabaeidae, family name, from Latin scarabaeus (see scarab ).][1]



scarabaeus

scarabaeus
scar·a·bae·us 
[skèrrə b əss] (plural scar·a·bae·us·es
or scar·a·bae·i [skèrrə b ])
noun

See
scarab  noun 2
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
(see scarab ).][1]



Scaramouch

Scaramouch
Scar·a·mouch
[skérrə mch, skérrə
msh] (plural Scar·a·mouch·es) or Scar·a·mouche
[skérrə mch, skérrə
msh] (plural Scar·a·mouch·es) noun

boastful
coward:
a boastful and cowardly man (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French Scaramouche from Italian Scaramuccia, character in
the commedia dell’arte, literally “skirmish” (see skirmish
).][1]



scarce

scarce
scarce 
[skairss] adjective

1.  insufficient:
being in insufficient supply

2.  rare:
rarely found or rarely occurring
adverb

scarcely:
scarcely (archaic or literary)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman (e)scars from, ultimately, Latin excerpere
“to pick out” (source of English excerpt
), from carpere “to pluck” (source of English carpet ).]
—scarce·ness,
noun
make
yourself scarce

to go or stay away, often in
order to avoid some kind of trouble or difficulty (informal)[1]



scarcely

scarcely
scarce·ly 
[skáirsslee] adverb

1.  surely
not:
surely or almost certainly not • That
is scarcely a good reason for taking the day off.

2.  hardly
at all:
only to the slightest degree • I
scarcely slept all night.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at hardly.

[1]



scarcement

scarcement
scarce·ment
[skáirssmənt] (plural scarce·ments)
noun

ledge:
a ledge in a wall
[Early 16th century. Formed
from obsolete scarce “to make scarce.”][1]



scarcity

scarcity
scar·ci·ty 
[skáirssətee] (plural scar·ci·ties)
noun

1.  insufficient
supply:
an insufficient supply of something

2.  rarity:
an infrequency of occurrence of something

[1]



scare

scare
scare 
[skair] verb (past scared,
past participle scared, present participle scar·ing,
3rd person present singular scares)

1.  transitive
verb
frighten
somebody:
to make somebody afraid or alarmed

2.  intransitive
verb
be
frightened:
to be or become frightened
noun
(plural scares)

1.  fright:
a sudden fright or feeling of fear

2.  something
that frightens: a situation causing general fear or
alarm
[12th
century. From Old Norse skirra “to frighten, to avoid,” from skjarr
“timid, shy.”]
—scar·er, noun[1]



scarecrow

scarecrow
scare·crow 
[skáir kr] (plural scare·crows)
noun

1.  object
for scaring birds away: an object in the shape of a
person dressed in old clothes, set up in a field to scare birds away from the
crops

2.  poorly
dressed person: somebody who wears ragged clothes (informal)

3.  something
frightening but not dangerous: somebody or something
that may have a frightening effect but is not dangerous

[1]



scared

scared
scared
[skaird] adjective

frightened:
feeling full of worry or fear
—scared·ly,
adverb

—scared·ness, noun[1]



scaredy-cat

scaredy-cat
scare·dy-cat
[skáirdi kàt] (plural scare·dy-cats)
noun

(informal) See fraidy-cat[1]



scaremonger

scaremonger
scare·mon·ger 
[skáir mùng gər, skáir
mòng gər] (plural scare·mon·gers) noun

spreader
of alarming rumors: somebody who deliberately
spreads alarming rumors
—scare·mon·ger·ing, noun[1]



scareoff

scareoff
scare
off
or scare away transitive verb

frighten somebody into
leaving: to frighten a person or an
animal into going away[1]



scareup

scareup
scare
up
transitive verb

find or improvise something:
to manage to find something or put something together from whatever is
available (informal)[1]



scarf

scarf1
scarf1 [skaarf]
noun (plural scarfs or scarves [skaarvz])

1.  cloth
worn around the neck: a piece of cloth of various
shapes, worn around the neck or on the head for warmth or decoration

2.  cloth
covering for surface: a cloth covering a surface
such as a table or a piano

3.  military
sash:
an official sash, usually indicating military rank
transitive
verb
(past scarfed, past participle scarfed, present
participle scarf·ing, 3rd person present singular scarfs)

wrap something in scarf:
to wrap a scarf around something (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
Northern French escarpe from Old French escherpe “pilgrim’s bag
hung around the neck,” from assumed Frankish skirpja “bag woven from
rushes,” from Latin scirpus “rush.”][1]



scarf

scarf3
scarf3  or scarf down
transitive verb

eat
greedily:
to eat or drink something greedily or noisily (slang)
[“Scarf”: variant of scoff][1]



scarf

scarf2
scarf2 [skaarf]
noun (plural scarfs)

1.  scarf
or scarf joint joint made between notched
ends:
a joint made by joining two notched boards together

2.  notched
end:
either of the notched ends of a scarf joint
transitive
verb
(past scarfed, past participle scarfed, present
participle scarf·ing, 3rd person present singular scarfs)

join boards using notches:
to join boards together by means of a scarf joint
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Old French from a Scandinavian language.][1]



scarfjoint

scarfjoint
scarf
joint
(plural scarf joints) noun

See
scarf 2 noun
2[1]



scarfskin

scarfskin
scarf·skin 
[skrf skìn] noun

outermost
skin:
the outermost layer of skin, especially the cuticle of a nail
[Early 16th century. “Scarf”
from scarf 1, with the
underlying sense of a light outer covering.][1]



scarificator

scarificator
scar·i·fi·ca·tor 
[skérrəfi kàytər] (plural scar·i·fi·ca·tors)
noun

surgical instrument:
a surgical instrument formerly used to make superficial incisions in the skin[1]



scarify

scarify1
scar·i·fy1 [skérrə
f] (past scar·i·fied, past participle scar·i·fied,
present participle scar·i·fy·ing, 3rd person present singular
scar·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
scratches on skin: to make scratches on or
superficial incisions in the skin, done in the past, for example, to promote an
improved blood supply in the underlying tissues

2.  loosen
soil:
to break up and loosen the surface of soil

3.  scratch
seeds:
to break the outer cover of hard seeds to aid germination
[14th
century. Via French scarifier from, ultimately, Greek skarisphasthai
“to scratch an outline, sketch lightly,” from skariphos “stylus.”]
—scar·i·fi·ca·tion
[skèrrəfi káysh’n], noun

—scar·i·fi·er [skérri fr], noun[1]



scarify

scarify2
scar·i·fy2 [skérri
f] (past scar·i·fied, past participle scar·i·fied,
present participle scar·i·fy·ing, 3rd person present singular
scar·i·fies) transitive verb

frighten
somebody:
to make somebody afraid or alarmed (informal)
[Late
18th century. Formed from scare, perhaps
modeled on terrify .]
—scar·i·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



scarious

scarious
scar·i·ous 
[skérree əss] or scar·i·ose [skérree ss] adjective

thin
and dry:
used to describe parts of plants that have a thin dry membranous appearance
[Late 18th century. Via
French scarieux from modern Latin scariosus .][1]



scarlatina

scarlatina
scar·la·ti·na 
[skrlə tnə] noun

(technical)
See scarlet fever
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Italian scarlattina “little scarlet
things,” from scarlatto “scarlet,” from, ultimately, Arabic siqillāt
(see scarlet ).]
—scar·la·ti·nal, adjective[1]



Scarlatti,Alessandro

Scarlatti,Alessandro
Scar·lat·ti
[skaar ltee], Alessandro (1659–1725)

Italian
composer. The father of Domenico Scarlatti, he was a major contributor to the
establishment of the Neapolitan style of opera. He also wrote over 700 works of
church music.
Full name
Scarlatti, Pietro Alessandro Gaspare[1]



Scarlatti,Domenico

Scarlatti,Domenico
Scar·lat·ti
[skaar làttee], Domenico (1685–1757)

Italian composer. The son of
Alessandro Scarlatti, he composed operas and church music, but is best known
for over 550 sonatas for harpsichord.[1]



scarlet

scarlet
scar·let 
[skrlət] noun

1.  bright
red color:
a bright red color tinged with orange

2.  scarlet
cloth:
scarlet clothing or cloth, especially the traditional red uniforms of the
British army
adjective

bright red in color:
of a bright red color tinged with orange • scarlet
lipstick
[13th century. Via Old French
escarlate from Arabic siqillāt, a rich cloth (scarlet being its
usual color), from Latin sigillatus “decorated with raised figures,”
ultimately from signum “sign.”][1]



scarletfever

scarletfever
scar·let
fe·ver
noun

contagious disease mainly of
children: a contagious bacterial
infection marked by fever, a sore throat, and a red rash, mainly affecting
children. Technical name scarlatina[1]



scarlethat

scarlethat
scar·let
hat
(plural scar·let hats) noun

CHRISTIANITY
See red hat[1]



scarletibis

scarletibis
scar·let
i·bis
noun

BIRDS
large red bird found in Caribbean:
an ibis that is bright red when mature. It nests in swamps and is the national
bird of Trinidad and Tobago, displayed on the national coat-of-arms. Latin
name: Eudocimus ruber[1]



scarletletter

scarletletter
scar·let
let·ter
(plural scar·let let·ters) noun

letter
A worn by adulterous woman: a scarlet letter A that a
woman convicted of adultery was formerly made to wear, especially among the
Puritans of 17th-century New England





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Scarlet Letter, a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne ( 1850 ). The title of this
  eloquent plea for tolerance refers to the red letter A that Hester Prynne, a
  woman living in mid-17th-century New England, is forced to wear as punishment
  for an adulterous affair. While her husband and lover are consumed by anger
  and guilt respectively, Hester’s honesty and strength of character help her
  to survive the scandal. The term scarlet letter, used generically to
  denote adultery or evidence of it, derives from this novel.

[1]



scarletpimpernel

scarletpimpernel
scar·let
pim·per·nel
noun

plant with scarlet flowers:
a common pimpernel that has small scarlet, purple, or white flowers that close
in cloudy weather. Latin name: Anagallis arvensis[1]



scarletrunner

scarletrunner
scar·let
run·ner
(plural scar·let run·ners) noun

See
string bean[1]



scarlettanager

scarlettanager
scar·let
tan·a·ger
(plural scar·let tan·a·gers) noun

bright red songbird:
a medium-sized songbird of the eastern United States. The male is bright red
with black wings and tail during the breeding season. Latin name: Piranga
olivacea[1]



scarletwoman

scarletwoman
scar·let
wom·an
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman believed to be an adulterer or
prostitute or to engage excessively in sexual activity, especially a prostitute
(disapproving)
[From the Bible, Revelations
17:1–6, in which a whorish woman, representing the Roman Church, appears “in
purple and scarlet color”][1]



scarp

scarp
scarp 
[skaarp] (plural scarps) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY steep
cliff:
a steep slope or cliff, formed by erosion or faulting.
See
also
escarpment

2.  MILITARY steep
slope in a fortification: a steep slope, for example,
the inner wall of a ditch, in front of a fortification
[Late 16th century. From
Italian scarpa (source of English escarp
), of uncertain origin.][1]



scarper

scarper
scarp·er
[skrpər] (past scarp·ered, past
participle scarp·ered, present participle scarp·er·ing,
3rd person present singular scarp·ers) intransitive verb

U.K.
leave
quickly:
to leave a place quickly (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Italian scappare “to escape,” influenced by
rhyming slang “Scapa Flow,” “go.”][1]



scart

scart
scart 
[skaart] (past scarted, past
participle scarted, present participle scart·ing, 3rd
person present singular scarts) intransitive and transitive verb

Scotland
scratch:
to scratch something or the self (nonstandard)
[14th century. Alteration of
dialect scrat, of unknown origin.][1]



scartissue

scartissue
scar
tis·sue
noun

connective tissue over old
wound: dense fibrous tissue that
forms the scar over a healed wound[1]



scarves

scarves
scarves


Plural of
scarf[1]



scary

scary
scar·y 
[skáiree] (comparative scar·i·er,
superlative scar·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  frightening:
causing fear or alarm

2.  timid:
easily frightened
—scar·i·ly,
adverb

—scar·i·ness, noun[1]



scat

scat3
scat3 [skat]
(plural scats or scat) noun

small
tropical fish: a small tropical Indo-Pacific marine
fish, popular for aquariums because of its bright color. Family: Scatophagidae
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of modern Latin Scatophagidae, family name, from Greek scatophagos,
“dung-eating,” because it frequents sewage outlets.][1]



scat

scat2
scat2 [skat]
noun

jazz
vocal style: a style of jazz singing that uses
nonsense syllables to approximate the sound of a solo instrument. Ella
Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé are considered consummate scat singers.
intransitive
verb
(past scat·ted, past participle scat·ted, present
participle scat·ting, 3rd person present singular scats)

sing
scat:
to sing in scat style
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.][1]



scat

scat1
scat1 [skat]
(past scat·ted, past participle scat·ted, present
participle scat·ting, 3rd person present singular scats)
intransitive verb

leave
quickly:
to leave immediately and quickly (informal) (usually used as a
command)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



scat

scat4
scat4 [skat]
(plural scats) noun

animal
dropping:
a fecal dropping of an animal
[Mid-20th century. From the
Greek stem skat- (see scatology ).][1]



scathe

scathe
scathe 
[skay] transitive verb (past scathed,
past participle scathed, present participle scath·ing,
3rd person present singular scathes)

1.  criticize
somebody:
to subject somebody to severe criticism (literary)

2.  damage
something by blasting: to damage something by
blasting or scorching it (archaic)
noun

harm:
injury or harm (archaic)
[12th
century. From Old Norse skaða “to harm or damage.”]
—scathe·less, adjective[1]



scathing

scathing
scath·ing 
[skáying] adjective

highly
critical:
severely critical and scornful
—scath·ing·ly, adverb[1]



scato-

scato-
scato-
prefix

excrement
• scatology
[Formed from Greek skat-,
the stem of skōr “excrement.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning literally “something cut off,” which is also the ancestor of English dreck .][1]



scatology

scatology
sca·tol·o·gy 
[ska tólləjee, skə
tólləjee] noun

1.  vulgar
language:
vulgar language related to excretory functions

2.  obsession
with excrement: preoccupation with excrement or
obscenity

3.  study
of excrement: the scientific study of excrement,
especially for diagnostic purposes
—scat·o·log·i·cal
[skàtt’l ójjik’l], adjective

—sca·tol·o·gist [ska tólləjist], noun[1]



scatter

scatter
scat·ter
[skáttər] verb (past scat·tered,
past participle scat·tered, present participle scat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular scat·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
things around: to throw things around so that they land
with an irregular distribution over a relatively wide area

2.  transitive
verb
scatter
something over an area: to cover an area by throwing
things around over it • scatter
seed

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb disperse:
to separate and move suddenly in different directions, or cause people or
animals to move in this way

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS deviate:
to cause waves or a beam of particles to be irregularly deflected, dispersed,
or reflected, or to be turned aside in such a fashion
noun

things scattered around:
a number of things spread untidily around an area (literary)
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of shatter
.]
—scat·ter·a·ble,
adjective

—scat·ter·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  scatter, broadcast, distribute, disseminate
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  spread around scatter; to spread
  things around physically, especially in a random widespread manner; broadcast; used in old-fashioned or formal
  English with the meaning to scatter seeds. It is now commonly used with the
  meaning to spread or transmit information, especially by means of radio or
  television; distribute; to allocate something or give it out in a
  structured or organized way. It can also be used in formal English in a
  similar way to; scatter;, to talk
  about physically spreading something over a surface or area; disseminate;
  a formal word with the meaning to spread abstract things such as ideas,
  information, or good will

[1]



scatterbrain

scatterbrain
scat·ter·brain 
[skáttər bràyn] (plural scat·ter·brains)
noun

somebody
incapable of organized thought: somebody who is
incapable of serious or organized thought, or of remembering important things
—scat·ter·brained, adjective[1]



scattercushion

scattercushion
scat·ter
cush·ion
(plural scat·ter cush·ions) noun

See
throw pillow[1]



scatterdiagram

scatterdiagram
scat·ter
di·a·gram
(plural scat·ter di·a·grams) noun

graph showing relationship
between variables: a graph
that represents the joint relationship of two variables by depicting the data
as points along two axes at right angles to each other. The smoother the curve
that can be drawn through the points, the greater the relationship between the
variables.[1]



scattered

scattered
scat·tered
[skáttərd] adjective

1.  dispersed:
in a number of different places far away from each other • scattered
communities

2.  infrequent
or isolated: few in number and far apart in distance
or time • scattered
showers

[1]



scattergood

scattergood
scat·ter·good 
[skáttər gd] (plural scat·ter·goods)
noun

spendthrift:
somebody who spends money wastefully[1]



scattergun

scattergun
scat·ter·gun
[skáttər gùn] (plural scat·ter·guns)
noun

shotgun:
a shotgun[1]



scattering

scattering
scat·ter·ing 
[skáttəring] (plural scat·ter·ings)
noun

1.  small
amount or number: a small amount or number of things
irregularly spread over a large area

2.  PHYSICS deflection
of particles: the deflection of a wave or beam of
particles caused by collisions with other particles

[1]



scatteringlayer

scatteringlayer
scat·ter·ing
lay·er
(plural scat·ter·ing lay·ers) noun

plankton layer that scatters
sound waves: an undersea zone where
there is a high concentration of plankton that causes sound waves to become
scattered. This makes strong acoustic echoes possible.[1]



scatterpin

scatterpin
scat·ter
pin
(plural scat·ter pins) noun

decorative pin:
a small decorative pin typically worn as part of a cluster on clothing[1]



scatterrug

scatterrug
scat·ter
rug
(plural scat·ter rugs) noun

small rug:
a small decorative rug.
Also called
throw rug[1]



scattershot

scattershot
scat·ter·shot 
[skáttər shòt] adjective

unsystematic:
indiscriminate and lacking in focus • a
scattershot approach to the operation[1]



scattersite

scattersite
scat·ter·site
[skáttər sīt] adjective

scattered throughout city:
relating to low-income housing distributed across a large urban area so as to
avoid concentration of poverty[1]



scatty

scatty
scat·ty 
[skáttee] (comparative scat·ti·er,
superlative scat·ti·est) adjective

U.K.,
Canada forgetful or eccentric:
lacking in serious or organized thought, forgetful, and often eccentric in
behavior (informal)
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from a shortening of scatterbrained
.]
—scat·ti·ly,
adverb

—scat·ti·ness, noun[1]



scaup

scaup
scaup 
[skawp, skaap]
(plural scaups or scaup) or scaup duck
[skawp, skaap]
noun

diving
duck:
a diving duck native to Europe and North America. The male has a
black-and-white body. Genus: Aythya
Also
called
bluebill
[Late 17th century. Variant
of scalp “shellfish-bed,” of uncertain origin: perhaps because it feeds
on shellfish.][1]



scauper

scauper
scau·per
[skáwpər, skpər]
(plural scau·pers) noun

wood-engraving
tool:
an engraving tool used to clear away lines or other unwanted areas on wood
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
scalper from scalp .][1]



scaur

scaur
scaur
(plural scaurs) noun

Scotland
steep
hill:
a steep eroded hill or precipice (often used in place names)
[Early 18th century. Variant
of scar 2 .][1]



scavenge

scavenge
scav·enge 
[skávvənj] (past scav·enged, past
participle scav·enged, present participle scav·eng·ing,
3rd person present singular scav·eng·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  look
for something usable: to search for or through
discarded material in order to find something usable

2.  feed
on carrion or scraps: to feed on dead and rotting
flesh or discarded food scraps

3.  clean
up:
to remove waste material and dirt from an area

4.  CHEMISTRY get
rid of impurities: to neutralize or remove
impurities in a chemical reaction or mixture
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from scavenger .][1]



scavenger

scavenger
scav·en·ger 
[skávvənjər] (plural scav·en·gers)
noun

1.  animal
feeding on carrion or scraps: an animal, bird, or other
organism that feeds on dead and rotting flesh or discarded food scraps

2.  somebody
looking for something usable: somebody who searches for or
through discarded material in order to find something usable

3.  CHEMISTRY substance
removing impurities: something that is added to a
chemical reaction or mixture to neutralize or remove impurities

4.  U.K.
street
cleaner:
somebody who works as a street cleaner or refuse collector (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of scavager “tax collector,” from Anglo-Norman scawager,
from, ultimately, Flemish scauwen “to look at.”]
—scav·en·ge·ry,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  term scavager was originally, in the Middle Ages, an official who
  collected taxes levied on overseas merchants. Later the term came to denote a
  street-cleaner, and by the time it had metamorphosed into scavenger (by the same process as produced messenger
  from messager and passenger from passager ) it had
  completed its descent to its modern meaning.

[1]



scavengerbeetle

scavengerbeetle
scav·en·ger
bee·tle
noun

water beetle feeding on
decaying vegetation: a dark
oval-shaped beetle that lives in water and feeds on decaying vegetation.
Family: Hydrophilidae[1]



scavengerhunt

scavengerhunt
scav·en·ger
hunt
(plural scav·en·ger hunts) noun

hunt for listed items:
a game in which people must obtain items on a list within a time limit and
without buying them[1]



scavengermoth

scavengermoth
scav·en·ger
moth
(plural scav·en·ger moths) noun

small moth scavenging stored
food: a small moth that is
commonly found scavenging stored food, for example, grains and oils. The
clothes moth is a kind of scavenger moth. Family: Tineidae[1]



Sc.B.

Sc.B.
Sc.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Science
[Latin, Scientiae
Baccalaureus][1]



SCC

SCC
SCC

Abbreviation of
storage connecting circuit[1]



Sc.D.

Sc.D.
Sc.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Science
[Latin, Scientiae Doctor][1]



scena

scena
sce·na 
[sháynə] (plural sce·ne [sháynay]) noun

1.  scene
in opera:
a division of an opera that is equivalent in length or structure to a scene in
a play

2.  dramatic
concert piece: a dramatic concert piece written and
performed in the style of an operatic scena
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from Latin scaena (see scene 1 ).][1]



scenario

scenario
sce·nar·i·o 
[sə nárree ō, sə
nérree ō, sə nree ō] (plural sce·nar·i·os)
noun

1.  possible
situation:
an imagined sequence of possible events • the
worst-case scenario

2.  plot
outline:
an outline of the plot of a play or opera

3.  CINEMA screenplay:
a screenplay
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, formed from scena “scene,” from Latin scaena (see scene 1 ).][1]



scenarist

scenarist
sce·nar·ist 
[sə nárrəst, sə
nérrəst] (plural sce·nar·ists) noun

scriptwriter:
somebody who writes movie scripts[1]



scend

scend
scend
[send] or send [send] noun (plural scends)

ship’s
upward pitch: the upward movement of a ship that is
pitching in heavy seas
intransitive
verb
(past scend·ed, past participle scend·ed, present
participle scend·ing, 3rd person present singular scends)

rise
high on wave: to rise up high under the force of a
strong wave (refers to ships)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of descend
or ascend .][1]



scene

scene1
scene1  [seen]
(plural scenes) noun

1.  ARTS division
of an act of a play: any of the divisions of an
act of a play or opera, presenting continuous action in one place

2.  ARTS short
section of a play or movie: a short section of a play,
movie, opera, or work of literature that presents a single event • the
love scene

3.  ARTS setting
in a dramatic work: a setting for the whole or a
part of a play, movie, opera, or work of literature

4.  place
where something happens: a location at which an event
or action happens • the scene of many
battles

5.  ARTS scenery
for dramatic work: the backgrounds, sets, or
props for a play, movie, or opera (often used before a noun) • a
couple of quick scene changes

6.  view
or picture:
a view of a place or an activity, especially one presented in a painting or
photograph

7.  embarrassing
public display: an embarrassing or disconcerting public
display of emotion • Don’t make a scene, but
I think they lost your coat.

8.  milieu:
the characteristic environment in which an activity or pursuit is carried out • new
to the fashion scene

9.  situation:
a set of circumstances of any kind (informal) • We
seem to have stumbled into a bad scene.
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin scaena from Greek skēnē “tent, stage.” The
underlying idea is of something that gives shade.]
behind
the scenes

1.  out
of sight of the audience at a performance or spectacle

2.  in
private and away from public view

set
the scene

1.  to
describe a situation or the background to an event

2.  to
create the circumstances in which something can or does happen

[1]



scene

scene2
scene2

Plural of
scena[1]



scenery

scenery
scen·er·y 
[snəree] noun

1.  ARTS theatrical
backdrop:
the set or decorated background for a play, movie, or opera

2.  surroundings:
landscape or natural surroundings, especially when regarded as picturesque • admired
the scenery from the hotel balcony
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of scenary, from Italian scenario (see scenario
).][1]



scene-stealer

scene-stealer
scene-steal·er 
(plural scene-steal·ers) noun

performer diverting attention
to self: a performer who, by his or
her performance or personal qualities, takes the audience’s attention away from
another performer who is supposedly the focus of the scene[1]



scenic

scenic
sce·nic 
[snik, sénnik]
adjective

1.  picturesque:
with attractive or impressive natural scenery

2.  of
natural scenery: relating to the natural scenery of an
area • famous
for its scenic beauty

3.  ARTS of
dramatic scenes: relating to scenes in a play, movie, or
opera

4.  THEATER of
stage scenery: relating to stage scenery
—sce·ni·cal·ly, adverb[1]



scenicrailroad

scenicrailroad
sce·nic
rail·road
(plural sce·nic rail·roads) or sce·nic rail·way (plural
sce·nic rail·ways) noun

1.  train
traveling a scenic route: a railroad that has been
restored for passenger use, especially for tourists, because of its passage
through attractive scenery

2.  miniature
railroad in a park: a miniature railroad that
carries customers past artificial scenery in an amusement park or other place
of entertainment

[1]



scenography

scenography
sce·nog·ra·phy 
[see nóggrəfee] noun

1.  PAINTING painting
or drawing in perspective: the artistic representation
of objects according to the rules of perspective

2.  THEATER scenery-painting:
the painting of theatrical scenery
—sce·nog·raph·er,
noun

—sce·no·graph·ic
[snə gráffik], adjective

—sce·no·graph·i·cal
[snə gráffik’l], adjective

—sce·no·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



scent

scent
scent 
[sent] noun (plural scents)

1.  characteristic
pleasant smell: a distinctive odor, especially a
pleasant one • the
scent of jasmine

2.  smell
used as trail: a smell left behind by a person or
animal and used especially for tracking • They
followed the scent deep into the forest.

3.  perfume:
cosmetic fragrances, especially women’s perfume

4.  smelling
sense:
the sense of smell

5.  ability
to sense something: an ability to sense or
detect something as likely to happen

6.  hint:
a faint indication that something is likely to happen • There
was the scent of danger in the air.
verb
(past scent·ed, past participle scent·ed, present
participle scent·ing, 3rd person present singular scents)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb smell
somebody or something: to perceive somebody or
something by smelling

2.  transitive
verb
detect
something as imminent: to sense that something is
likely to happen • They could scent
victory.

3.  transitive
verb
imbue
something with a pleasant smell: to fill something with
a distinctive odor, especially a pleasant one • Roses
scented the room.
[14th
century. Via French sentir from Latin sentire “to feel” (source
of English sense and sentiment ).]
put
or throw somebody off the scent

to
divert somebody from finding or discovering something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



scentgland

scentgland
scent
gland
(plural scent glands) noun

animal gland producing scent:
a specialized skin gland that enables an animal to secrete a scent designed to
send social or sexual signals or serve as a deterrent[1]



scentstrip

scentstrip
scent
strip
(plural scent strips) noun

piece of perfumed paper:
a strip of perfumed paper used to advertise a commercially available perfume to
potential customers[1]



scepter

scepter

scep·ter 
[séptər] noun (plural scep·ters)

1.  staff
used as a royal emblem: a ceremonial staff, rod, or
wand used as an emblem of a monarch’s authority

2.  royal
authority:
royal or imperial power or authority
transitive verb
(past scep·tered, past participle scep·tered, present
participle scep·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular scep·ters)

give somebody royal authority:
to endow somebody with royal power or authority
[13th
century. Via Old French sceptre from, ultimately, Greek skēptron
“staff, scepter,” from skēptein “to lean on.”]
—scep·tered, adjective[1]



Sceptic

Sceptic
Scep·tic
noun adjective

See
Skeptic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sceptic

sceptic
scep·tic 
noun adjective

See
skeptic[1]



sceptical

sceptical
scep·ti·cal 
adjective

See
skeptical

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



sceptre

sceptre
scep·tre 
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
scepter[1]



SCF

SCF
SCF

Abbreviation of
Save the Children Fund[1]



sch.

sch.
sch.


Abbreviation of
school[1]



Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen
Schaff·hau·sen
[shaáf hòwzèn]

capital of Schaffhausen
Canton, in northern Switzerland. Population: 34,396 (1983)[1]



schappe

schappe
schappe
[shap, shpə]
or schappe silk [shap, shpə] noun

fabric
made from waste silk: yarn or fabric made from the
waste products of silk
[Late 19th century. From
German .][1]



Schaumburg

Schaumburg
Schaum·burg 
[shówm bùrg]

village in northeastern
Illinois, south of Hoffman Estates. It is a western suburb of Chicago.
Population: 74,294 (1996)[1]



schav

schav
schav 
[shav, shchaav]
noun

sorrel
or spinach soup: a chilled soup made from sorrel or
spinach, to which chopped egg, sour cream, lemon juice, and chopped green
onions are sometimes added
[Via Yiddish shtshav
“sorrel, soup made with sorrel” from Polish szczaw][1]



schechita

schechita
schechita
noun

See
shechita[1]



schedule

schedule
sched·ule 
[skéjool, skéjjəl]
noun (plural sched·ules)

1.  work
plan:
a plan of work to be done in a specified order and by specified times

2.  list
of meetings, commitments, or appointments: an
outline description of the things somebody is to do and the times at which they
are to be done • Her busy work schedule
didn’t permit us to meet for lunch.

3.  list
of arrivals and departures: a list of the times of
arrivals and departures, for example, of buses or trains.
Also
called
timetable
U.K.
term
timetable

4.  EDUCATION student’s
timetable:
a list of the classes that are the responsibility of a student or a teacher in
a given period

5.  list
of items:
a table of items of information • a
schedule of tariffs

6.  DRUGS list
of restricted drugs: a list of drugs that are
subject to legal restrictions

7.  LAW supplementary
list:
a list of details, often in the form of an appendix to a legal or legislative
document
transitive
verb
(past sched·uled, past participle sched·uled, present
participle sched·ul·ing, 3rd person present singular sched·ules)

1.  plan
something for a particular time: to plan something to
happen at a particular time • They
are scheduled to arrive at midday.

2.  make
a list of things: to put together a table of items of
information, or place an item in the table
[14th
century. Via Old French cēdule from late Latin schedula “small
piece of paper,” from, ultimately, Greek skhedē “page.”]
—sched·u·lar,
adjective

—sched·u·ler, noun[1]



scheduledcastes

scheduledcastes
sched·uled
castes
plural noun

disadvantaged castes in
India: castes in India that are
officially considered disadvantaged and granted special treatment[1]



scheelite

scheelite
schee·lite 
[sháy lt, sh
lt] noun

tungsten
ore:
a variously colored mineral that occurs in veins and is the chief ore of
tungsten
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Karl Wilhelm Scheele ( 1742–1786 ), the German-born Swedish chemist who
first isolated tungstic acid from this mineral.][1]



schefflera

schefflera
schef·fle·ra 
[shef lrə, shéfflərə]
(plural schef·fle·ras or schef·fle·ra) noun

tropical
plant with glossy leaves: a tropical tree or shrub
with glossy leaves, often cultivated as a house plant. Genus: Schefflera
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, named for German botanist J. C. Scheffler (1742–1786).][1]



Schelte

Schelte
Schel·te
[skéltə]

river in Europe that flows
through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Length: 435 km/270 mi.[1]



schema

schema
sche·ma 
[skmə] (plural sche·ma·ta [skmətə]) noun

1.  diagram:
a diagram or plan showing the basic outline of something

2.  PSYCHOLOGY mental
pattern:
an organizational or conceptual pattern in the mind

3.  PHILOSOPHY Kantian
philosophical principle: in the philosophy of Kant, a
method that allows the understanding to apply concepts to the evidence of the
senses

4.  LOGIC dummy
expression in logic: in logic, a dummy expression
indicating where certain words should appear, for example, in “S and R,” “S”
and “R” are schemata for sentences
[Late 18th century. Via
German from Greek skhēma (see scheme
).][1]



schematic

schematic
sche·mat·ic 
[skee máttik, ski
máttik] adjective

showing
layout:
showing the basic form or layout of something • a
schematic drawing
noun
(plural sche·mat·ics)

diagram:
a diagram, especially of electrical circuits[1]



schematism

schematism
sche·ma·tism 
[skmə tìzzəm] noun

layout:
the basic arrangement or layout of parts in a complex object or system
[Mid-17th century][1]



schematize

schematize
sche·ma·tize 
[skmə tz] (past sche·ma·tized,
past participle sche·ma·tized, present participle sche·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular sche·ma·tiz·es) transitive verb

arrange
something systematically: to arrange or organize
something according to a system
—sche·ma·ti·za·tion [skmətə z áysh’n], noun[1]



scheme

scheme
scheme 
[skeem] noun (plural schemes)

1.  secret
plot:
a secret and cunning plan, especially one designed to cause damage or harm

2.  plan:
a systematic plan of action

3.  system:
a systematic and coherent arrangement of parts

4.  diagram:
a diagram, chart, or map

5.  U.K.
government
or business program: a plan, policy, or program
carried out by a government or business • training
scheme

6.  ASTRONOMY astrologer’s
chart:
an astrological chart of the sky
verb
(past schemed, past participle schemed, present
participle schem·ing, 3rd person present singular schemes)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a secret plan: to devise a secret and cunning plan,
especially one intended to cause damage or harm

2.  transitive
verb
plan
something systematically: to devise a systematic plan
for something
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin schema
(stem schemat- ) “form,” from Greek skhēma . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to hold,” which is also the ancestor of English school .][1]



scheming

scheming
schem·ing
[skming] adjective

making
secret plans: making secret and cunning plans,
especially to do damage or cause harm
—schem·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Schenectady

Schenectady
Sche·nec·ta·dy 
[skə néktədee]

city in eastern New York, on
the Mohawk River, northwest of Albany. Population: 62,893 (1996)[1]



Schererville

Schererville
Scher·er·ville
[shúrrə vìl]

town in northwestern Indiana,
near the Indiana-Illinois border, southeast of Chicago. Population: 23,322
(1996)[1]



scherzando

scherzando
scher·zan·do 
[skair tsndō] adjective adverb

in
playful style: performed in a playful musical style and
tempo (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural scher·zan·di [skair tsndee]
or scher·zan·dos)

scherzando
piece:
a scherzando piece or passage of music
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, formed from scherzare (see scherzo
).][1]



scherzo

scherzo
scher·zo 
[skáirtsō] (plural scher·zos or
scher·zi [skáirtsee]) noun

1.  lighthearted
musical movement: a rapid, playful, or humorous movement,
usually the third of four, in a musical work

2.  lighthearted
musical piece: an independent musical work in a rapid,
playful, or humorous style
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, formed from scherzare “to joke,” of uncertain origin: probably
of Germanic origin.][1]



Scheveningen

Scheveningen
Sche·ven·in·gen
[skáyvən ingən]

resort town in the western
Netherlands, on the North Sea. It is now a district of The Hague.[1]



Schiaparelli,Elsa

Schiaparelli,Elsa
Schia·pa·rel·li
[skee pə réllee, skàppə
réllee], Elsa (1896–1973)

Italian fashion designer. Her
designs were often extravagant with deliberately overstated effects.[1]



Schicktest

Schicktest
Schick
test 
[shík test] (plural Schick tests)
noun

test
for diphtheria immunity: an injection of nontoxic
diphtheria under the skin, used to determine whether a patient is immune to
diphtheria. A patch of reddened skin at the point of injection indicates no
immunity.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Bela Schick ( 1877–1967 ), the Hungarian-born U.S. pediatrician who
devised the test.][1]



Schiele,Egon

Schiele,Egon
Schie·le
[shlə], Egon (1890–1918)

Austrian painter. His
depictions of the human figure, in the expressionist style, have a strongly
erotic quality.[1]



Schiff’sreagent

Schiff’sreagent
Schiff’s
re·a·gent 
[shìffs ree áyjənt] or Schiff
re·a·gent [shìffs ree áyjənt] noun

test
for aldehydes: an acid solution of fuchsine used to
test for the presence of aldehydes
[Late 19th century. Named for
the German chemist Hugo Schiff ( 1834–1915 ).][1]



schiller

schiller
schil·ler 
[shíllər] noun

mineral
luster:
a metallic iridescent luster in some minerals
[Early 19th century. From
German, “iridescence.”][1]



Schiller,Friedrich von

Schiller,Friedrich von

Schil·ler 
[shíllər], Friedrich von (1759–1805)
German
poet, dramatist, historian, and philosopher. Regarded as Germany’s greatest
playwright, he wrote works in praise of the freedom of the human spirit,
including the dramas Wallenstein, Maria Stuart ( both 1800 ), and
William Tell ( 1804 ).
Full name
Schiller, Johann Christoph Friedrich von[1]



schilling

schilling
schil·ling 
[shílling] (plural schil·lings)
noun

1.  Austrian
unit of currency: a unit of currency in Austria worth 100
groschen

2.  coin
worth schilling: a coin worth one schilling
[Mid-18th century. From
German .][1]



schipperke

schipperke
schip·per·ke 
[shíppər k] (plural schip·per·kes
or schip·per·ke) noun

small
black dog:
a small black tailless dog of a breed with pointed ears and a thick coat
[Late 19th century. From
Dutch dialect, a diminutive of Dutch schipper “skipper” (see skipper 1 ). From the
use of the dog as a watchdog on boats.][1]



schism

schism
schism
[skízzəm, sízzəm]
(plural schisms) noun

1.  splitting
into factions: the division of a group into mutually
antagonistic factions

2.  faction:
a faction formed as a result of a schism

3.  RELIGION division
in or from a religious denomination: a
division within a religious denomination or a breaking away from it, usually on
the grounds of differing beliefs or practices
[14th century. Via Old French
scisme from late Latin schisma from, ultimately, Greek skhizein
(see schizo- ).][1]



schismatic

schismatic
schis·mat·ic 
[skiz máttik, siz
máttik] or schis·mat·i·cal [skiz
máttik’l, siz máttik’l] adjective

of
a schism:
relating to, involved in, or causing schism
noun
(plural schis·mat·ics) (plural schis·mat·i·cals)

member
or promoter of a schism: somebody who is involved in
a schism or who causes a schism
—schis·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—schis·mat·i·cal·ness,
noun[1]



schist

schist
schist 
[shist] noun

rock
that splits into layers: any rock whose minerals have
aligned themselves in one direction in response to deformation stresses, with
the result that the rock can be split in parallel layers
[Late
18th century. Via French schiste from Latin (lapis) schistos
“fissile (stone),” from Greek skhistos, from skhizein (see schizo- ).]
—schis·tose
[shíss tss, shíss
tz], adjective

—schis·tos·i·ty [shiss tóssətee], noun[1]



schistocyte

schistocyte
schis·to·cyte 
[shístə st] (plural schis·to·cytes)
noun

fragmented red blood cell:
a red blood cell undergoing fragmentation, or any of the fragments that are
formed as a result[1]



schistosome

schistosome
schis·to·some 
[shístə sm] (plural schis·to·somes)
noun

parasitic flatworm:
a tiny flatworm that often lives as a parasite in the blood of birds and
mammals. In humans, it causes the disease schistosomiasis.
Also called
bilharzia[1]



schistosomiasis

schistosomiasis
schis·to·so·mi·a·sis 
[shístəsō m əssiss] noun

illness cause by blood
infection: an often chronic illness
that results from infection of the blood with a parasitic flatworm ( schistosome ). It causes debilitation and can
cause liver and intestinal damage. It is most common in Asia, Africa, and South
America, especially in areas where the water is contaminated by freshwater
snails that carry the parasite.
Also called
bilharziasis
Also called
snail fever[1]



schiz-

schiz-
schiz-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
schizo-[1]



schizanthus

schizanthus
schi·zan·thus 
[skit sánəss, ski
zánəss] (plural schi·zan·thus) noun

Chilean
plant with flowers like orchids: a Chilean plant with
small flowers that resemble orchids. Genus: Schizanthus
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, name of the genus; coined from schizo-
+ Greek anthos “flower.”][1]



schizo

schizo
schiz·o 
[skítsō] noun (plural schiz·os)

an
offensive term: an offensive term for somebody who has
schizophrenia (slang offensive)
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to characteristics often erroneously thought of as
symptomatic of schizophrenia (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of schizophrenic .][1]



schizo-

schizo-
schizo-
prefix

1.  split,
cleft • schizocarp

2.  cleavage,
fission • schizogenesis

3.  schizophrenia
• schizoaffective
[Via modern Latin from Greek skhizein
“to split.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English schism and rescind .][1]



schizocarp

schizocarp
schiz·o·carp 
[skítsə krp] (plural schiz·o·carps)
noun

fruit
splitting into single-seeded parts: a dry
fruit that splits into individually seeded parts ( carpels
) when ripe
—schiz·o·car·pic
[skìtsə krpik], adjective

—schiz·o·car·pous [skìtsə krpəss], adjective[1]



schizogony

schizogony
schi·zog·o·ny 
[ski zóggənee, skit
sóggənee] noun

asexual reproduction in
single-celled organisms: a form of
asexual reproduction that occurs in certain single-celled organisms ( protozoans ), in which the nucleus of an
individual divides many times before the cytoplasm divides to form the daughter
cells. This process enables certain parasites, including the malaria parasite,
to undergo rapid proliferation in the body tissues of an infected host.[1]



schizoid

schizoid
schiz·oid 
[skíts òyd] (plural schiz·oids)
adjective

1.  PSYCHIATRY tending
toward schizophrenia: with some of the symptoms of
schizophrenia, for example, withdrawal into the self and a tendency to
fantasize • exhibits
a schizoid personality

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing a personality that suggests inner conflicts and
exhibits outer contradictions (offensive)

[1]



schizont

schizont
schiz·ont 
[skíz ònt, skít
zònt] (plural schiz·onts) noun

cell of single-celled
organism: a cell formed during the
asexual phase of the life cycle of certain single-celled organisms ( protozoans )[1]



schizophrenia

schizophrenia
schiz·o·phre·ni·a 
[skìtsə frnee ə] noun

1.  psychiatric
disorder affecting the coherence of the personality:
a severe psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability,
detachment from reality, often with delusions and hallucinations, and
withdrawal into the self

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for contradictory or conflicting attitudes, behavior, or
qualities (offensive)
[Early 20th century. Coined
from schizo- + Greek phrēn “mind”
(see phreno- ).][1]



schizophrenic

schizophrenic
schiz·o·phren·ic 
[skìtsə frénnik] (plural schiz·o·phren·ics)
adjective

1.  PSYCHIATRY of
schizophrenia: relating to schizophrenia or resulting
from schizophrenia

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning characterized by conflicts and contradictions (offensive)

[1]



schizophyte

schizophyte
schiz·o·phyte 
[skítsə fīt] (plural schiz·o·phytes)
noun

microorganism
reproducing by fission: a microorganism that
reproduces by fission. Bacteria and bluish-green algae are schizophytes .
—schiz·o·phyt·ic [skìtsə fíttik, skìzzə
fíttik], adjective[1]



schizopod

schizopod
schiz·o·pod 
[skítsə pòd, skízzə
pòd] (plural schiz·o·pods or schiz·o·pod) noun

crustacean resembling shrimp:
any of numerous kinds of crustacean that resemble shrimp, including krill.
Order: Mysidacea Euphausiacea[1]



schizothymia

schizothymia
schiz·o·thy·mi·a 
[skìtsə thmee ə] noun

mild
form of schizophrenia: an introverted psychiatric
condition that resembles a mild form of schizophrenia
[Mid-20th
century. Ultimately from Greek skhizein “to split” + thumos
“soul, mind.”]
—schiz·o·thy·mic, adjective[1]



schizy

schizy
schiz·y 
[skítssee] (comparative schiz·i·er,
superlative schiz·i·est) adjective

offensive
term:
offensive term meaning emotionally sensitive or moody to a degree that makes
others feel uneasy (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of schizophrenic or schizoid
with alteration.][1]



schlemiel

schlemiel
schle·miel 
[shlə ml] (plural schle·miels)
or schle·mihl [shlə ml] (plural
schle·mihls) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as bungling, inept, or unlucky
(insult slang)
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish shlemiel, of uncertain origin: probably from Shelumiel, biblical
figure identified in the Talmud with a prince who was killed while committing
adultery.][1]



schlep

schlep
schlep 
[shlep] verb (past schlepped
or shlepped, past participle schlepped or shlepped,
present participle schlep·ping or shlep·ping, 3rd
person present singular schleps or shleps) (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
move
something with difficulty: to lug or haul something
from one place to another

2.  intransitive
verb
go
with difficulty: to move slowly, clumsily, or tediously
noun
(plural schleps or shleps)

1.  tedious
journey:
a long, tedious, or difficult journey (informal) • It’s
such a schlep all the way across town.

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as unintelligent or
clumsy (insult)
[Early
20th century. Via Yiddish shlepn from German schleppen “to
drag.”]
—schlep·per, noun[1]



Schleswig-Holstein

Schleswig-Holstein
Schles·wig-Hol·stein
[shlèzvig hólstīn]

state in northern Germany
occupying the southern part of the Jutland peninsula. Capital: Kiel.
Population: 2,708,000 (1994) Area: 15,710 sq km/6,066 sq mi.[1]



schlieren

schlieren
schlie·ren 
[shlrən] plural noun

1.  PHYSICS streaks
in fluid:
zones of different density and refraction in a transparent fluid, visible as
streaks and caused by pressure or temperature variations

2.  GEOLOGY linear
features in rocks: a texture observed in some
igneous rocks where the darker, more basic minerals form linear aggregates in
the paler host rock
[Late 19th century. Via
German, “streaks,” from, ultimately, Middle High German slier “mud,” of
uncertain origin.][1]



schlierenphotography

schlierenphotography
schlie·ren
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

photography of streaks in
fluid: a form of flash photography
that records schlieren present in a fluid[1]



schlimazel

schlimazel
schli·ma·zel 
[shlə mzəl] (plural schli·ma·zels)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody regarded as prone to mistakes, errors and bad
luck (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish, formed from Middle High German slim “crooked” + Hebrew mazzāl
“luck.”][1]



schlock

schlock
schlock 
[shlok] noun

junk:
something that has no value and is shoddily made (slang)
adjective

lacking
in substance: cheap and lacking any redeeming quality
(slang) • a schlock horror film
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Yiddish shlak “stroke,
evil,” from Middle High German slag .]
—schlock·y, adjective[1]



schlockmeister

schlockmeister
schlock·meis·ter 
[shlók mstər] (plural schlock·meis·ters)
noun

seller
of shoddy goods: somebody who sells shoddy goods of
little value (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Meister
from German, “master.”][1]



schmaltz

schmaltz
schmaltz 
[shmaalts, shmawlts]
or schmalz [shmaalts, shmawlts] or shmaltz [shmaalts, shmawlts]
noun

1.  sentimentality:
cloying or exaggerated sentimentality (informal)

2.  COOKING cooking
fat:
melted chicken fat used for cooking
[Mid-20th
century. Via Yiddish shmalts, literally “melted fat,” from German Schmalz
.]
—schmaltz·y, adjective[1]



schmatte

schmatte
schmat·te
[shmtə] or shmat·te [shmtə] noun

rag:
a rag or worthless thing (informal)
[Late 20th century. Via
Yiddish from Polish szmata “rag.”][1]



schmeer

schmeer
schmeer
[shmeer] (plural schmeers) or
schmear [shmeer] (plural schmears)
or shmeer [shmeer] noun

1.  whole
set:
an entire set or group of related things (slang) • the
whole schmeer

2.  bribe:
a bribe (slang)

3.  FOOD spread
or paste:
something such as cream cheese spread on a roll or bagel
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish schmirn “to smear” from Middle High German smiren .][1]



Schmidtcamera

Schmidtcamera
Schmidt
cam·er·a
[shmít kàmmərə] (plural Schmidt
cam·er·as) noun

See
Schmidt telescope[1]



Schmidt,Helmut

Schmidt,Helmut

Schmidt
[shmit], Helmut (1918– )
German
statesman. He was chancellor of West Germany (1974–1982), a prominent leader of
the European Union, and, from 1983, publisher of Die Zeit.
Full name
Schmidt, Helmut Heinrich Waldemar[1]



Schmidtsystem

Schmidtsystem
Schmidt
sys·tem
noun

optical
system:
an optical system that uses a special concave spherical mirror to correct
optical aberrations
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Bernhard Voldemar Schmidt ( 1879–1935 ), an Estonian-born German
specialist in optics.][1]



Schmidttelescope

Schmidttelescope
Schmidt
tel·e·scope
(plural Schmidt tel·e·scopes) noun

astronomical
telescope:
a wide-angle photographic telescope used in astronomy. It has a special
internal mirror to correct optical aberrations.
Also
called
Schmidt camera
[Mid-20th century (see Schmidt system )][1]



Schmitttrigger

Schmitttrigger
Schmitt
trig·ger
[shmít trìggər] (plural Schmitt
trig·gers) noun

electronic
circuit that triggers output: an electronic circuit that
produces an output when the input exceeds a predetermined turn-on or threshold
level. The output is maintained until the input falls below the threshold
level.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Otto H. Schmitt ( b. 1913 ), U.S. biophysicist and electronics
engineer.][1]



schmo

schmo
schmo 
[shmō] (plural schmoes) or
shmo [shmō] (plural shmoes)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as boring, easily deceived, or
having otherwise objectionable qualities (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of schmuck .][1]



schmooze

schmooze
schmooze 
[shmooz] verb (past schmoozed,
past participle schmoozed, present participle schmooz·ing,
3rd person present singular schmooz·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
chat
informally:
to chat socially and agreeably (slang)

2.  transitive
verb
be
ingratiating toward somebody: to talk persuasively to
somebody, often to gain personal advantage
noun
(plural schmooz·es)

a chat: an
informal chat about trivial matters (slang)
[Late
19th century. Via Yiddish schmuesn “to talk” from, ultimately, Hebrew šĕmū‘āh
“rumor.”]
—schmooz·er, noun[1]



schmuck

schmuck
schmuck 
[shmuk] (plural schmucks) or
shmuck [shmuk] (plural shmucks)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as being unworthy of
respect (slang insult)
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish shmok “penis,” of unknown origin.][1]



Schnabel,Artur

Schnabel,Artur
Schna·bel
[shnb’l], Artur (1882–1951)

Austrian pianist and
composer. He was known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Schubert, and
Mozart. His own compositions include chamber music and piano works. After 1939
he settled in the United States.[1]



schnapps

schnapps
schnapps 
[shnaps] (plural schnapps) noun

1.  flavored
liquor:
a strong liquor in which flavoring, for example, peppermint, is distilled in
rather than added later

2.  glass
of schnapps: a glass or measure of schnapps
[Early 19th century. Via
German from Low German or Dutch snaps, “mouthful” (of uncertain
origin).][1]



schnauzer

schnauzer

schnau·zer 
[shnówtsər, shnówzər]
(plural schnau·zers) noun
wiry-coated
German dog:
a wiry-coated dog with bushy eyebrows and whiskers that grow like a beard,
belonging to any of three breeds that originated in Germany. They are bred in
giant, standard, and miniature sizes.
[Early 20th century. From
German, formed from Schnauze “snout.”][1]



schnecken

schnecken
schneck·en
[shnékən] plural noun

sweet,
spiral-shaped rolls: sweet bread rolls flavored
with layers of butter, chopped nuts, and cinnamon between the spiraled strands
[From German, plural of Schnecke
“snail”][1]



schnitzel

schnitzel
schnit·zel 
[shníts’l] (plural schnit·zels)
noun

fried
thin slice of meat: a piece of meat, typically
veal, beaten flat and served fried, usually coated in egg and breadcrumbs
[Mid-19th century. From
German, formed from, ultimately, Old High German snidan “to cut.”][1]



schnook

schnook
schnook 
[shnk] (plural schnooks) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is regarded as easily duped, or
unimportant (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Yiddish shnuk “snout.”][1]



schnorrer

schnorrer
schnor·rer 
[shnáwrər] (plural schnor·rers)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who seems unable or unwilling to
support him –or herself (slang insult)
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish, “beggar,” from, ultimately, Middle High German snurren “to
hum,” from the beggar’s practice of playing a musical instrument while
begging.][1]



schnozzle

schnozzle
schnoz·zle 
[shnózz’l] (plural schnoz·zles)
or schnoz [shnoz] (plural
schnoz·es) noun

nose:
a nose, especially a large one (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From
Yiddish shnoytsl, a diminutive of shnoyts “snout,” from German Schnauze
.][1]



Schoenberg,Arnold

Schoenberg,Arnold
Schoen·berg
[shúrn bùrg, shn
bairk], Arnold (1874–1951)

Austrian
composer. He is known for his revolutionary 12-tone, or serial, system and the
discordant works it produced.
Full name
Schoenberg, Arnold Franz Walter[1]



scholacantorum

scholacantorum
scho·la
can·to·rum
[sklə kan táwrəm] (plural scho·lae
can·to·rum [sklee kan táwrəm]) noun

choir,
or choir school: a choir, or choir school, housed in a
church or cathedral
[Late 18th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “school of singers.”][1]



scholar

scholar
schol·ar 
[skólər] (plural schol·ars) noun

1.  learned
person:
somebody who has a great deal of knowledge, especially an academic who
specializes in a particular arts subject

2.  scholarship
student:
a student who receives a scholarship

3.  student:
a student (formal)
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin scholaris, from Latin schola (see school
).][1]



scholarly

scholarly
schol·ar·ly 
[skólərlee] adjective

1.  learned:
with a great deal of knowledge, especially knowledge of an academic subject

2.  of
scholars:
relating to scholars or to formal study • scholarly
journals

3.  according
to principles of formal study: in keeping with a
rigorous and systematic approach to acquiring knowledge or to setting out the
results of formal study
—schol·ar·li·ness, noun[1]



scholarship

scholarship
schol·ar·ship 
[skólər shìp] (plural schol·ar·ships)
noun

1.  financial
help for a student: a sum of money awarded to a
student to help with living expenses, study, or travel.
Also
called
studentship

2.  formal
study:
academic learning or achievement

3.  academic
works:
a body of learning on an academic subject • a
review of German scholarship on the topic

[1]



scholastic

scholastic
scho·las·tic 
[skə lástik, sko
lástik] adjective

1.  of
schools or studying: relating to students,
schools, or studying

2.  pedantic:
too concerned with details or fine distinctions and too ready to criticize
minor errors

3.  HISTORY of scholasticism:
relating to the medieval movement of religious and philosophical learning known
as scholasticism
noun
(plural scho·las·tics)

1.  HISTORY student
or teacher under scholasticism: a student or teacher
in the medieval intellectual movement known as scholasticism

2.  pedant:
somebody who is quibbling or pedantic

3.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
undergoing Roman Catholic scholasticate:
somebody who is undergoing a scholasticate at a Roman Catholic seminary
[Late
16th century. Via Latin scholasticus from Greek skholastikos
“learned,” from, ultimately, skholē (see school
).]
—scho·las·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ScholasticAptitude Test

ScholasticAptitude Test
Scho·las·tic
Ap·ti·tude Test (plural Scho·las·tic
Ap·ti·tude Tests) noun

Full form of
SAT[1]



scholasticate

scholasticate
scho·las·ti·cate
[skə lásti kàyt, skə
lástikət] (plural scho·las·ti·cates) noun

1.  period
of study at a seminary: a probationary period of
study for a Jesuit student at a Roman Catholic seminary

2.  Jesuit
seminary:
a seminary where a scholasticate is undertaken

[1]



scholasticism

scholasticism
scho·las·ti·cism 
[skə lásti sìzzəm, sko
lásti sìzzəm] noun

1.  HISTORY medieval
theology and philosophy: a medieval theological and
philosophical system of learning based on the authority of St. Augustine and
other leaders of the early Christian Church, and on the works of Aristotle. It
sought to bridge the gap between religion and reason.

2.  traditional
learning:
narrowly traditional learning, or adherence to traditional educational methods

[1]



scholia

scholia
scho·li·a


Plural of
scholium[1]



scholiast

scholiast
scho·li·ast 
[skṓlee àst, skṓlee
əst] (plural scho·li·asts) noun

medieval
textual commentator: a medieval scholar who wrote
commentaries on ancient Greek and Latin texts
[Late
16th century. From medieval Greek skholiastēs, from, ultimately, skholion
(see scholium ).]
—scho·li·as·tic [sklee ástik], adjective[1]



scholium

scholium
scho·li·um 
[skṓlee əm] (plural scho·li·a
[skṓlee ə]) noun

medieval
note on a classical text: a medieval annotation or
commentary written on an ancient Greek or Latin text
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
skholion “interpretation,” from skholē (see school ).][1]



school

school2
school2 [skool]
noun (plural schools)

shoal
of aquatic animals: a group of fish, whales,
porpoises, or other aquatic animals of a single type
intransitive
verb
(past schooled, past participle schooled, present
participle school·ing, 3rd person present singular schools)

form
or swim in a school: to congregate in a school or
swim in a school
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch schole, from prehistoric West Germanic, perhaps from a base
meaning “to divide” (ancestor also of English scale 2 ), in
which case the underlying meaning is “division.”][1]



school

school1
school1 [skool]
noun (plural schools)

1.  EDUCATION building
for teaching children: a building or institution in
which children and teenagers are taught, usually up to the age of 17 (often
used before a noun)

2.  EDUC college
or university: any college or university

3.  EDUC department
specializing in an academic subject: a
faculty, department, or institution that offers specialized instruction in an
academic subject • medical school

4.  institution
teaching a nonacademic skill: an institution that
specializes in teaching a specific skill, especially a practical or sports
skill • tennis
school

5.  staff
and students: all the staff and students of an
educational institution (often used before a noun)

6.  day
in school:
the part of a day spent teaching or being taught in a school • School
was over for another day.

7.  years
spent at school: the part of somebody’s life spent being
taught in a school • After school, he went
abroad for two years.

8.  instructive
place or period: any place or period of activity regarded
as providing knowledge or experience • the
school of life

9.  artists
or writers sharing same approach: a group of people,
especially artists, writers, or philosophers, who share the same principles,
methods, ideals, or style • the
Impressionist school • the
Aristotelian school
transitive
verb
(past schooled, past participle schooled, present
participle school·ing, 3rd person present singular schools)

1.  instruct
somebody:
to train or instruct somebody in a specific skill • schooled
in the art of debate

2.  educate
somebody in school: to educate a child or
teenager formally in a school

3.  discipline
somebody:
to exert control or discipline over somebody or yourself

4.  EQUESTRIAN train
a horse:
to train a horse, especially for riding and dressage
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin schola from Greek skholē “leisure, learned
discussion, school.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to hold,”
which is also the ancestor of English epoch
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



schoolage

schoolage
school
age
noun

age
for attending school: the age at which a child is
required legally to attend school
—school-age, adjective[1]



schoolboard

schoolboard
school
board
(plural school boards) noun

See
board of education[1]



schoolboy

schoolboy
school·boy 
[skl bòy] noun (plural school·boys)

young
male student: a boy who attends school
adjective

immature:
at a level of maturity typical of, or designed to appeal to, boys of school age
• schoolboy
humor[1]



schoolbus

schoolbus
school
bus
(plural school bus·es) noun

bus for taking children to
school: a large motor vehicle that
takes children to and from school or on school-related trips[1]



schoolchild

schoolchild
school·child
[skl chld] (plural school·chil·dren
[skl chìldrən]) noun

child attending school:
a child who attends school[1]



Schoolcraft,Henry Rowe

Schoolcraft,Henry Rowe
School·craft
[skl kràft], Henry Rowe (1793–1864)

U.S. ethnologist. His studies
of Native North American life included Historical and Statistical
Information Respecting the Indian Tribes of the United States ( 1851–1857
). In 1832 he discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.[1]



schoolday

schoolday
school
day
(plural school days) noun

day
of school or schooling: any day on which school is
conducted, or the hours of instruction in that day
school
days

the period of time in
somebody’s life spent attending school[1]



schooldistrict

schooldistrict
school
dis·trict
(plural school dis·tricts) noun

administrative area of public
schools: an area that includes a
number of public schools that are administered together[1]



schoolfellow

schoolfellow
school·fel·low 
[skoól fèllō] (plural school·fel·lows)
noun

schoolmate:
a schoolmate[1]



schoolfigure

schoolfigure
school
fig·ure
(plural school fig·ures) noun

basic figure-skating
movement: any one of a number of basic
movements in figure-skating that are performed in competition (often used in
the plural)[1]



schoolgirl

schoolgirl
school·girl 
[skl gùrl] (plural school·girls)
noun

young girl school student:
a girl who attends school[1]



schoolhouse

schoolhouse
school·house 
[skl hòwss] (plural school·houses
[skl hòwzəz]) noun

1.  building
used as a school: a building that houses a school,
especially a rural elementary school

2.  teacher’s
house attached to a school: a house attached to a school
where a teacher lives, often the principal

[1]



schooliesweek

schooliesweek
school·ies
week
[skleez wk] noun

Australia
week of celebrations after school exams:
the week after the final-year school examinations, when school pupils
traditionally congregate in holiday resorts to celebrate quitting school (informal)[1]



schooling

schooling
school·ing 
[skling] noun

1.  EDUCATION education
at school:
the education or instruction that is acquired in school

2.  instruction:
instruction or training in anything, carried out systematically and in a
disciplined way

3.  EQUESTRIAN training
of a horse:
the training of a horse, especially for riding and dressage

[1]



schoolkid

schoolkid
school·kid
[skl kìd] (plural school·kids)
noun

boy or girl attending school:
a child or teenager who attends school (informal)[1]



school-leaver

school-leaver
school-leav·er
(plural school-leav·ers) noun

U.K.
student who quits school:
a student who has quit school or is about to do so, especially one who quits at
the minimum age and does not go on to further or higher education[1]



Schoolman

Schoolman
School·man
[skl màn] (plural School·men
[skl mèn]) noun

medieval scholar:
somebody who taught or studied as part of the medieval intellectual movement
known as a scholasticism[1]



schoolmarm

schoolmarm
school·marm 
[skl mrm] (plural school·marms)
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman schoolteacher, especially one considered too
proper and old-fashioned (dated insult)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman thought to live in a way regarded as
old-fashioned (informal insult)

[1]



schoolmaster

schoolmaster
school·mas·ter 
[skl màstər] (plural school·mas·ters)
noun

1.  man
schoolteacher: a man who teaches school, especially in
a private school (dated)

2.  (plural
school·mas·ters or school·mas·ter) ZOOLOGY tropical food fish:
a Caribbean and tropical Atlantic food fish with yellow fins. It belongs to the
snapper family. Latin name: Lutjanus apodus

[1]



schoolmate

schoolmate
school·mate 
[skl màyt] (plural school·mates)
noun

fellow student:
a friend or companion at school[1]



schoolmistress

schoolmistress
school·mis·tress 
[skl mìstrəss, skl
mìss triss] (plural school·mis·tress·es) noun

woman schoolteacher:
a woman who teaches school, especially in a private school (dated)[1]



schoolof arts

schoolof arts
school
of arts
(plural schools of arts) noun

Australia
adult-education center:
a building used for adult education classes in a rural town[1]



schoolof hard knocks

schoolof hard knocks
school
of hard knocks noun

difficulties in life that
educate somebody: difficult or
challenging experiences that are considered to be instructive[1]



Schoolof the Air

Schoolof the Air
School
of the Air
noun

Australia
education service using radio:
an education service provided for children living in remote parts of Australia.
Lessons are carried out by radio as well as through video, tape, fax, and
computer networks.[1]



schoolof thought

schoolof thought
school
of thought
(plural schools of thought) noun

way of thinking:
a way of thinking about something, or a group of people who share the same
attitude or opinion[1]



schoolpsychologist

schoolpsychologist
school
psy·chol·o·gist (plural school
psy·chol·o·gists) noun

psychologist for
schoolchildren: a psychologist who
specializes in the assessment and problems of schoolchildren[1]



schoolroom

schoolroom
school·room 
[skl rm, skl
rm] (plural school·rooms) noun

school classroom:
a classroom in a school[1]



schoolteacher

schoolteacher
school·teach·er 
[skl tchər] (plural school·teach·ers)
noun

teacher
in a school: somebody who teaches in a school
—school·teach·ing, noun[1]



schoolwork

schoolwork
school·work 
[skl wùrk] noun

study done by a student:
the work that a student does in or after school[1]



schoolyard

schoolyard
school·yard 
[skl yrd] (plural school·yards)
noun

play area for schoolchildren:
a playground adjacent to a school.
U.K. term
playground[1]



schoolyear

schoolyear
school
year
(plural school years) noun

1.  period
when schools are open: the months during which
instruction is given at a school, college, or university

2.  twelve-month
educational period: a period of twelve months,
beginning usually in late August or early September, throughout which students
are assigned to the same class

[1]



schooner

schooner

schoo·ner 
[sknər] (plural schoo·ners) noun

1.  SAILING sailing
vessel:
a fast sailing ship with at least two masts and with sails set lengthways (
fore and aft )

2.  U.S.,
Australia beer glass: a
tall slim glass for beer

3.  HISTORY See prairie schooner
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



schoonerrig

schoonerrig
schoo·ner
rig
(plural schoo·ner rigs) noun

arrangement
with the mainmast tallest: an arrangement of masts and
sails ( rig ) in which the mainmast is
taller than the foremast
—schoo·ner-rigged, adjective[1]



Schopenhauer,Arthur

Schopenhauer,Arthur
Scho·pen·hau·er 
[shṓpən hòwər], Arthur (1788–1860)

German philosopher. His
atheistic, deeply pessimistic philosophy was most fully expounded in The
World as Will and Idea ( 1819 ).[1]



schorl

schorl
schorl 
[shawrl] noun

black
form of tourmaline: a black opaque form of the
mineral tourmaline, often occurring in needle-shaped radiating crystals
[Late
18th century. From German Schörl, of unknown origin.]
—schor·la·ceous [shawr láyshəss], adjective[1]



schottische

schottische
schot·tische 
[shótish, sho
tsh] (plural schot·tisches) noun

1.  German
folk dance:
a round dance of German origin, resembling a slow polka

2.  music
for a schottische: a piece of music for a
schottische
[Mid-19th century. From
German (der) Schottische(tanz), literally “the Scottish dánce.”][1]



Schottkyeffect

Schottkyeffect
Schot·tky
ef·fect 
[shótkee i fekt] noun

electron
removal aided by electric field: a reduction in the
energy needed to remove an electron from a solid surface caused by the
application of an electric field
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Walter Schottky (1886–1976), the German physicist who described the
phenomenon.][1]



schrod

schrod
schrod 
noun

See
scrod[1]



schtick

schtick
schtick 
noun

See
shtick[1]



Schubert,Franz

Schubert,Franz


Schu·bert 
[shbərt], Franz (1797–1828)
Austrian
composer. He is particularly noted for his songs and chamber works, although he
also wrote choral and orchestral music.
Full name
Schubert, Franz Peter[1]



schul

schul
schul
noun

See
shul[1]



Schultz,Charles

Schultz,Charles
Schultz 
[shlts], Charles (1922– )

U.S.
cartoonist. He created the successful Peanuts comic strip ( 1950 ),
featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
Full name
Schultz, Charles Monroe[1]



Schumann,Robert

Schumann,Robert
Schu·mann 
[shm aan, shmən],
Robert (1810–1856)

German
composer. He was a major exponent of the romantic style, noted for his songs,
piano music, and orchestral and chamber works.
Full name
Schumann, Robert Alexander[1]



Schuman,William

Schuman,William
Schu·man
[shmən], William (1910–1992)

U.S.
composer. He is known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning Secular Cantata, No. 2
(A Free Song) ( 1943 ). He headed the Juilliard School of Music in New York
City (1945–1962).
Full name
Schuman, William Howard[1]



Schumpeter,Joseph Alois

Schumpeter,Joseph Alois
Schum·pe·ter 
[shmp aytər], Joseph Alois (1883–1950)

Austrian-born U.S. economist.
A professor at Harvard University (1932–1950), he promoted entrepreneurship for
the “creative destruction” by which it drives economies forward.[1]



Schurz,Carl

Schurz,Carl
Schurz
[shurts, shrts],
Carl (1829–1906)

German-born U.S. statesman
and journalist. He was a U.S. senator from Missouri (1869–1875) and secretary
of the interior (1877–1881). He continued to advocate for progressive policies
as an editor and journalist.[1]



schuss

schuss
schuss 
[shss, shooss]
intransitive verb (past schussed, past participle schussed,
present participle schuss·ing, 3rd person present singular
schuss·es)

ski
downhill:
to ski straight downhill at high speed
noun
(plural schuss·es)

downhill
run in skiing: a straight fast downhill run on skis
[Mid-20th century. From
German Schuß “shot.”][1]



schussboomer

schussboomer
schuss·boom·er 
[shss bmər, shss
bmər] (plural schuss·boom·ers) noun

downhill skier:
a skier adept at making fast straight downhill runs (informal)[1]



schwa

schwa
schwa 
[shwaa, shvaa]
(plural schwas) or shwa [shwaa,
shvaa] (plural shwas) noun

unstressed
vowel:
an unstressed vowel, for example, “a” in “above” or “e” in “sicken.” It is
represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet by the symbol ə.
Also
called
indeterminate vowel
[Late 19th century. Via
German from Hebrew šèwā, of uncertain origin: probably an alteration of šěwā
“emptiness.”][1]



Schwanncell

Schwanncell
Schwann
cell 
[shwn sèl, shvn
sèl] (plural Schwann cells) noun

cell
forming nerve sheath: a cell of the peripheral
nervous system that wraps around a nerve fiber and forms the myelin sheath
[Early 20th century. Named
for Theodor Schwann ( 1810–1882 ), the German physiologist and
histologist who described the structure.][1]



Schwarzenegger,Arnold

Schwarzenegger,Arnold
Schwarz·en·eg·ger
[shwáwrtsə nèggər], Arnold (1947– )

Austrian-born U.S. body
builder and movie actor. He has appeared in action movies such as The
Terminator ( 1984 ).[1]



Schwarzschildradius

Schwarzschildradius
Schwarzs·child
ra·di·us 
[shwáwrts chld ràydee əss, shvrts shìld ràydee əss] noun

radius
around a black hole: the critical radius within
which the gravitational force of a gravitationally collapsing celestial body
becomes so great that neither matter nor energy can escape, creating a black
hole
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild ( 1873–1916 ).][1]



Schweitzer,Albert

Schweitzer,Albert

Schweit·zer
[shwtsər], Albert (1875–1965)
German-born theologian, musicologist, and
missionary. He wrote important works on J.S. Bach and New Testament theology
before setting up a hospital in 1913 at Lambaréné, in present-day Gabon, where
he spent most of the rest of his life. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize
(1952).[1]



s.c.i.

s.c.i.
s.c.i.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of single column inch[1]



sci.

sci.
sci.

1.  Abbreviation
of
science

2.  Abbreviation
of
scientific

[1]



sciaenid

sciaenid
sci·ae·nid
[sī nid] (plural sci·ae·nids)
noun

fish
that produces a loud sound: a carnivorous tropical or
subtropical fish that produces loud sounds by snapping muscles attached to its
air bladder. Croakers, drums, and grunts are all members of the family. Family:
Sciaenidae
[Early
20th century. Via modern Latin Sciaenidae from Sciaena, name of
the genus, from Greek skiaina, a kind of fish.]
—sci·ae·nid, adjective[1]



sciamachy

sciamachy
sci·am·a·chy
[sī ámməkee, skī
ámməkee] (plural sci·am·a·chies) or ski·am·a·chy
[sī ámməkee, skī
ámməkee] (plural ski·am·a·chies) noun (literary)

1.  shadow-boxing:
practice fighting with a shadow or with an imaginary opponent

2.  futile
fighting:
fighting with an imagined foe or against a foe who cannot be defeated, or an
instance of this
[Early 17th century. From
Greek skiamakhia, literally “shadow fight,” from makhia “fight.”][1]



sciatic

sciatic
sci·at·ic 
[sī áttik] adjective

1.  of
the hip or sciatic nerve: relating to or affecting the
back of the hip or the sciatic nerve

2.  of
sciatica:
causing sciatica or caused by sciatica
[Early 16th century. Via
French sciatique from, ultimately, Greek iskhion “hip joint.”][1]



sciatica

sciatica
sci·at·i·ca 
[sī áttikə] noun

pain
in the hip and leg: pain and tenderness
extending from the back of the hip down to the calf, usually caused by a
protrusion of vertebral disk substance pressing on the roots of the sciatic
nerve
[15th century. From medieval
Latin, the feminine of sciaticus (see sciatic
).][1]



sciaticnerve

sciaticnerve
sci·at·ic
nerve 
(plural sci·at·ic nerves) noun

nerve running down the back
of the leg: either of two nerves that
run from the back of the hip down the thigh to the calf[1]



SCID

SCID
SCID

Abbreviation of
severe combined immunodeficiency[1]



science

science
sci·ence 
[s ənss] (plural sci·ences) noun

1.  study
of the physical world: the study of the physical
world and its manifestations, especially by using systematic observation and
experiment (often used before a noun)

2.  branch
of science:
a branch of science of a particular area of study • the
life sciences

3.  knowledge
gained from science: the knowledge gained by the
study of the physical world

4.  systematic
body of knowledge: any systematically organized
body of knowledge about a specific subject • the
social sciences

5.  something
studied or performed methodically: any activity that is
the object of careful study or that is carried out according to a developed
method • treated
me to a lecture on the science of dressing for success
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin scientia, from scient-,
present participle stem of scire “to know,” ultimately “to discern,”
from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut.”]
blind
somebody with science

to confuse or overwhelm
somebody by giving an impenetrable explanation using technical terms and
concepts[1]



sciencefiction

sciencefiction
sci·ence
fic·tion
noun

fiction based on futuristic
science: a form of fiction, usually
set in the future, that deals with imaginary scientific and technological
developments and contact with other worlds (often used before a noun)[1]



sciencepark

sciencepark
sci·ence
park
(plural sci·ence parks) noun

place for commercial
development of science: an area,
usually associated with a university, where scientific research is carried out
by commercial companies[1]



scienter

scienter
sci·en·ter 
[sī éntər] adverb

LAW knowingly:
with full knowledge or awareness
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “knowingly,” formed from the stem scient- (see science ).][1]



sciential

sciential
sci·en·tial 
[sī énsh’l] adjective

1.  of
science:
relating to science or knowledge

2.  knowledgeable:
possessing considerable knowledge or skill (formal)

[1]



scientific

scientific
sci·en·tif·ic 
[s ən tíffik] adjective

1.  of
science:
relating to, using, or conforming to science or its principles

2.  methodical:
proceeding in a systematic and methodical way
—sci·en·tif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



scientificmethod

scientificmethod
sci·en·tif·ic
meth·od
noun

means of acquiring knowledge
scientifically: the system of advancing
knowledge by formulating a question, collecting data about it through
observation and experiment, and testing a hypothetical answer[1]



scientificnotation

scientificnotation
sci·en·tif·ic
no·ta·tion
noun

short way to express large
numbers: a way of expressing a given
number as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by 10 to the appropriate power.
5,743.6 expressed in scientific notation is 5.7436 × 10 3 .[1]



scientificrevolution

scientificrevolution
sci·en·tif·ic
rev·o·lu·tion noun

17C period of advancement in
science: the period of advances in
science that was at its height in the 17th century and produced widespread
change in traditional beliefs held since the Middle Ages[1]



scientism

scientism
sci·en·tism 
[s ən tìzzəm] noun

1.  use
of the scientific method: the use of the scientific
method of acquiring knowledge, whether in the traditional sciences or in other
fields of inquiry

2.  reliance
on science for answers: the belief that science
alone can explain phenomena, or the application of scientific methods to fields
unsuitable for it (disapproving) “We feel that the attitude that
predominates in science at present is arrogance, which has fostered dogmatism
and scientism.” Brian D. Josephson, Beverly A. Rubik The Challenge of
Consciousness Research 1992
—sci·en·tis·tic [s ən tístik], adjective[1]



scientist

scientist
sci·en·tist 
[s əntist] (plural sci·en·tists)
noun

expert in science:
somebody who has had a scientific training or who works in one of the sciences
• a
social scientist[1]



sci-fi

sci-fi
sci-fi 
[s f] noun

science
fiction:
science fiction (informal)
[Shortening of science fiction][1]



scilicet

scilicet
scil·i·cet 
[sílli sèt, skli
kèt] adverb

namely:
used to introduce a word or phrase of clarification, or a missing word or
phrase
[14th century. From Latin, a
contraction of scire licet, literally “it is permitted to know.”][1]



scilla

scilla
scil·la 
[síllə] (plural scil·las or
scil·la) noun

plant
with bell-shaped flowers: a plant of the lily family
with flowers shaped like small bells. It is native to Europe and Asia. Genus: Scilla
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin from Greek skilla “squill.”][1]



scimitar

scimitar
scim·i·tar 
[símmətər, símmə
tr] (plural scim·i·tars) or sim·i·tar [símmətər, símmə tr]
(plural sim·i·tars) noun

Arab
or Turkish saber: an Arab or Turkish sword with a curved
blade that broadens out as it nears the point
[Mid-16th century. From
French cimeterre or Italian scimitarra, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Persian šimšir .][1]



scindapsus

scindapsus
scin·dap·sus
[skin dápsəss] (plural scin·dap·sus·es
or scin·dap·sus) noun

climbing
plant with heart-shaped leaves: a climbing plant that
has heart-shaped, often variegated leaves and is popular as a house plant. It
is native to Asia. Genus: Scindapsus
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin Scindapsus, name of the genus, from Greek skindapsos, an
ivylike plant.][1]



scintigram

scintigram
scin·ti·gram 
[sínti gràm] (plural scin·ti·grams)
noun

image
of a body organ: a two-dimensional image of the
distribution of a radioactive tracer in a body organ such as the brain or a
kidney, obtained using a special scanner ( scintiscanner
).
Also
called
scintiscan
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from scintillation + -gram .][1]



scintilla

scintilla
scin·til·la 
[sin tíllə] (plural scin·til·las)
noun

small
amount:
a tiny amount of something • There’s
not a scintilla of truth in what he said.
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “spark.”][1]



scintillate

scintillate
scin·til·late 
[sínt’l àyt] (past scin·til·lat·ed,
past participle scin·til·lat·ed, present participle scin·til·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular scin·til·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
sparkle:
to give off or reflect light in sparks or flashes

2.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS emit
light flashes: to produce sparks of light when hit by
particles or photons

3.  intransitive
verb
be
very dazzlingly clever: to be dazzlingly lively,
clever, or witty
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin scintillat-, past participle stem of scintillare,
from scintilla “spark.”]
—scin·til·lant,
adjective

—scin·til·lant·ly, adverb[1]



scintillating

scintillating
scin·til·lat·ing
[sínt’l àyting] adjective

dazzlingly
impressive:
possessing or displaying dazzling liveliness, cleverness, or wit
—scin·til·lat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



scintillation

scintillation
scin·til·la·tion 
[sìnt’l áysh’n] (plural scin·til·la·tions)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY twinkling
of stars:
the twinkling of stars, caused by refraction of light rays from the stars
because of different densities in the Earth’s atmosphere

2.  PHYSICS flash
of light:
a flash of light caused by the impact of particles or photons

3.  liveliness:
dazzling liveliness, cleverness, or wit (literary)

[1]



scintillationcounter

scintillationcounter
scin·til·la·tion
count·er
(plural scin·til·la·tion coun·ters) noun

instrument for measuring
radiation: a device that detects and
measures high-energy radiation through flashes of light produced when ionizing
radiation impacts on a phosphorescent substance[1]



scintillator

scintillator
scin·til·la·tor 
[sínt’l àytər] (plural scin·til·la·tors)
noun

substance producing light
flashes: a phosphorescent substance
that produces flashes of light when struck by particles or photons[1]



scintiscan

scintiscan
scin·ti·scan 
[sínt’ skàn] (plural scin·ti·scans)
noun

MEDICINE See scintigram
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from scintillation + scan .][1]



scintiscanner

scintiscanner
scin·ti·scan·ner 
[sínti skànnər] (plural scin·ti·scan·ners)
noun

diagnosing device producing
image of a tracer: an
apparatus used in diagnosing certain diseases that produces an image ( scintigram ) of the distribution in the body of a
radioactive tracer that has been administered to the patient[1]



sciolism

sciolism
sci·o·lism 
[s ə lìzzəm] noun

talking
with pretended expertise: displays of sham learning
designed to deceive or impress
[Early
19th century. From late Latin sciolus, a diminutive of scius
“having knowledge,” from scire (see science
).]
—sci·o·list,
noun

—sci·o·lis·tic [s ə lístik, s ō
lísstik], adjective[1]



scion

scion
sci·on 
[s ən] (plural sci·ons) noun

1.  BOTANY part
of a plant for grafting: a living shoot or twig of a
plant used for grafting to a stock

2.  younger
member of a family: a child or descendant of a
family, especially a rich, famous, or important family
[13th century. From Old
French ciun, of unknown origin.][1]



sciophyte

sciophyte
sci·o·phyte 
[s ə ft] (plural sci·o·phytes)
noun

shade-loving
plant:
a plant that prefers shady conditions
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek skia “shadow” + -phyte
.]
—sci·o·phy·tic [s ə fíttik], adjective[1]



ScipioAfricanus (the Elder)

ScipioAfricanus (the Elder)
Scip·i·o
Af·ri·ca·nus (the El·der) [sìppee
ō afri knəss, skìppee ō afri knəss]
(234? BC–183 BC)

Roman
general. He was the grandfather by adoption of Scipio Africanus the Younger.
His defeat of Hannibal in 202 BC
ended the Second Punic War.
Full name
Publius Cornelius Scipio[1]



ScipioAfricanus (the Younger)

ScipioAfricanus (the Younger)
Scip·i·o
Af·ri·ca·nus (the Youn·ger) [sìppee
ō afri knəss, skìppee ō afri knəss]
(185? BC–129 BC)

Roman
general. He was the grandson by adoption of Scipio Africanus the Elder. A
successful military commander, he destroyed Carthage to end the Third Punic War
(146 BC ). As a government
official in Rome, he opposed the populist Gracchi brothers.
Full name
Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus[1]



Scipio,Publius Cornelius

Scipio,Publius Cornelius
Scip·i·o
[síppee ō, skíppee
ō], Publius Cornelius

Roman general. He was the
father of Scipio Africanus the Elder. Although he failed to defeat the
Carthaginians in northern Italy and Spain, he helped to check their advances on
Rome.[1]



scirefacias

scirefacias
sci·re
fa·ci·as 
[sree fàyshee əss] noun

LAW proceeding
that leads to scire facias: the judicial proceeding that
produces a writ of scire facias
[15th century. From Latin,
literally “you should cause (him) to know.”][1]



scirocco

scirocco
sci·roc·co 
noun

See
sirocco[1]



scirrhous

scirrhous
scir·rhous 
[skírrəss, sírrəss]
adjective

hard
and fibrous: used to describe a cancerous tumor ( carcinoma ) that is hard and fibrous
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from modern Latin scirrhosus, ultimately via Latin
from Greek skirros “hard coat or covering.”]
—scir·rhos·i·ty [ski róssətee, si róssətee],
noun[1]



scissel

scissel
scis·sel
[síss’l, sízz’l]
noun

scrap-metal
clippings:
metal clippings left over after disks, especially coins, have been punched out
of sheets of metal
[Early 17th century. From
French cisaille, from cisailler “to clip with shears.”][1]



scissile

scissile
scis·sile 
[síss’l, sí sl]
adjective

easily
cut:
capable of being easily and smoothly cut, separated, or divided
[Early 17th century. From
Latin scissilis, from the stem sciss- (see scission ).][1]



scission

scission
scis·sion 
[sí’n, sísh’n]
noun

cutting
of something: the act or process of cutting,
separating, or dividing
[15th century. Via French or
directly from the Latin stem scission-, from sciss-, past
participle stem of scindere “to cut.”][1]



scissor

scissor
scis·sor 
[sízzər] (past scis·sored, past
participle scis·sored, present participle scis·sor·ing,
3rd person present singular scis·sors) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  cut
with scissors: to use scissors to cut something

2.  make
a movement like scissors: to move the legs, arms, or
body in the way that the blades of a pair of scissors open and shut • The
swimmer scissored through the water.
[Early 17th century. From the
singular of scissors .][1]



scissors

scissors
scis·sors
[sízzərz] (plural scis·sors) noun

1.  instrument
for cutting something: a hand-held cutting
instrument made up of two crossed connected blades, each with a ring-shaped
handle, that cut as they slide and pivot (takes a singular or plural verb)

2.  GYMNASTICS gymnastics
movement:
in gymnastics, a movement of the legs that resembles the opening and closing of
scissors

3.  SPORTS technique
in high-jumping: in the high jump, a simple technique of
clearing the bar sideways with each leg separately in a fast scissors movement.
This technique is now rarely used.

4.  WRESTLING See scissors hold
[14th century. Via French cisoires
from the plural of late Latin cisorium “cutting tool,” from Latin caedere
“to cut” (source of English concise
and decide ).][1]



scissors-and-paste

scissors-and-paste
scis·sors-and-paste
adjective

improvised:
crudely or hastily put together[1]



scissorshold

scissorshold
scis·sors
hold 
(plural scis·sors holds) noun

wrestling hold:
a wrestling hold in which the legs are wrapped and the feet locked around an
opponent’s head or body.
Also called
scissors[1]



scissorskick

scissorskick
scis·sors
kick
(plural scis·sors kicks) noun

SWIMMING
swimming movement:
in swimming, a kicking motion that resembles the opening and closing of
scissors, used especially when doing the sidestroke[1]



scissortail

scissortail

scis·sor·tail 
[sízzər tàyl] (plural scis·sor·tails
or scis·sor·tail) noun
bird with forked tail:
any bird with a long forked tail, especially a scissor-tailed flycatcher[1]



scissure

scissure
scis·sure 
[síər, síshər]
(plural scis·sures) noun

slit:
a long slit, especially one running lengthwise (archaic)
[14th century. Via French or
directly from Latin scissura, from the stem sciss- (see scission ).][1]



sciurine

sciurine
sci·u·rine
[s y rn] or sci·u·rid [s y rìd] noun (plural sci·u·rines)
(plural sci·u·rids)

rodent
of the squirrel family: any rodent belonging to the
family that includes squirrels, marmots, and chipmunks. Family: Sciuridae
adjective

of
the squirrel family: relating to or belonging to
the squirrel family of rodents
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin sciurus (see squirrel ).][1]



sclaff

sclaff
sclaff 
[sklaf] intransitive and transitive verb
(past sclaffed, past participle sclaffed, present
participle sclaff·ing, 3rd person present singular sclaffs)

hit
the ground with a golf club: in golf, to play a faulty
stroke in which the clubhead scrapes the ground before coming into contact with
the ball
noun
(plural sclaffs)

faulty
golf stroke: a golf stroke that is sclaffed
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound produced
when a club strikes the ground.]
—sclaff·er, noun[1]



SCLC

SCLC
SCLC

Abbreviation of
Southern Christian Leadership Conference[1]



scler-

scler-
scler-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sclero-[1]



sclera

sclera
scle·ra 
[sklrə] noun

tough
outer coating of the eyeball: the dense outer coating of
the eyeball that forms the white of the eye.
Also
called
sclerotic
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek sklēros “hard.”][1]



sclereid

sclereid
scler·e·id 
[sklérree ìd] (plural scler·e·ids)
noun

thick-walled
plant cell:
any of a group of mainly short thick-walled plant cells that help to make up a
plant’s supporting tissue ( sclerenchyma )
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek sklēros “hard” + -id .][1]



sclerenchyma

sclerenchyma
scle·ren·chy·ma 
[sklə réngkəmə] noun

supporting
plant tissue: strengthening or supporting walls of
plant tissue made up of long cells or fibers and short cells ( sclereids )
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from sclero- on the model of
parenchyma .]
—scle·ren·chym·a·tous
[sklrən klímmətəss], adjective[1]



scleriasis

scleriasis
scle·ri·a·sis
[sklə rī əssəss] noun

See
scleroderma[1]



sclerite

sclerite
scle·rite 
[sklr t] (plural scle·rites)
noun

layer
of an arthropod’s skeleton: a hard plate or layer of
chitin or calcium on the outer skeleton of an arthropod
—scle·rit·ic [sklə ríttik], adjective[1]



scleritis

scleritis
scle·ri·tis 
[sklə rtiss] noun

inflammation
of the white of the eye: inflammation of the tough
outer coat of the eyeball that forms the white of the eye ( sclera )
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from sclera .][1]



sclero-

sclero-
sclero-
prefix

1.  hard
• scleroderma

2.  hardness
• sclerometer

3.  sclera
• scleritis
[From Greek sklēros
“hard.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “dried up, withered,”
which is also the ancestor of English skeleton
.][1]



scleroderma

scleroderma
scle·ro·der·ma 
[sklrə dúrmə] noun

thickening and hardening of
skin: a disease in which the skin
becomes progressively hard and thickened.
Also called
scleriasis
Also called
sclerodermia[1]



sclerodermatous

sclerodermatous
scle·ro·der·ma·tous 
[sklrə dúrmətəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY scaly:
with a hard external covering of scales or plates

2.  MED of
scleroderma: relating to or characteristic of the
skin disease scleroderma

[1]



sclerodermia

sclerodermia
scle·ro·der·mi·a
[sklrə dúrmee ə] noun

See
scleroderma[1]



scleroid

scleroid
scle·roid 
[sklr oyd] adjective

hardened:
used to describe tissues or body parts that have become harder than is normal[1]



sclerometer

sclerometer
scle·rom·e·ter 
[sklə rómmətər] (plural scle·rom·e·ters)
noun

device
for measuring hardness: an instrument that
determines the hardness of a metal or mineral by measuring the force required
to scratch or pierce it
—scle·ro·met·ric [sklrə méttrik], adjective[1]



sclerophyll

sclerophyll
scle·ro·phyll 
[sklrə fìl] (plural scle·ro·phylls)
noun

woody
plant with leathery leaves: any woody plant of arid
areas with thick leathery evergreen foliage that retains water
—scle·ro·phyl·lous [sklrə fílləss], adjective[1]



scleroprotein

scleroprotein
scle·ro·pro·tein 
[sklrrō prṓ tn, sklrō
prṓtn] (plural scle·ro·pro·teins) noun

body tissue protein:
any one of a group of fibrous insoluble proteins, such as keratin, elastin, and
collagen that are found in body tissue.
Also called
albuminoid[1]



sclerosed

sclerosed
scle·rosed 
[sklə rṓst, sklə
rṓzd] adjective

hardened:
used to describe tissues and body parts that have become harder and thicker
than normal
[Late 19th century. Formed
from sclerosis .][1]



sclerosis

sclerosis
scle·ro·sis 
[sklə rṓssəss] (plural scle·ro·ses)
noun

1.  MEDICINE hardening
of body tissue: the hardening and thickening of body
tissue as a result of unwarranted growth, degeneration of nerve fibers, or
deposition of minerals, especially calcium

2.  BOTANY hardening
of plant cell wall: the hardening and thickening
of a plant cell wall that occurs as lignin is deposited, turning young green
growth woody
—scle·ro·sal, adjective[1]



sclerotia

sclerotia
scle·ro·ti·a


Plural of
sclerotium[1]



sclerotic

sclerotic
scle·rot·ic 
[sklə róttik] adjective

1.  BOTANY of
plant cell wall hardening: relating to the hardening
and thickening of plant cell walls that turns young green growth woody

2.  BIOLOGY of the
white of the eye: relating to the dense outer coating of
the eyeball that forms the white of the eye ( sclera
)

3.  MEDICINE of
sclerosis of body tissue: relating to or suffering
from sclerosis of body tissue

4.  inflexible:
having become unresponsively rigid, especially from longevity • a
political party grown sclerotic from too many years in power
noun

BIOLOGY See sclera
[Mid-16th century. From
modern Latin sclerotica, ultimately from Greek sklēros “hard”; or
formed from sclera .][1]



sclerotin

sclerotin
scler·o·tin 
[sklrətin, sklérrətin]
noun

protein
that hardens chitin: an insoluble protein that
hardens and darkens the chitin on the outer skeleton of arthropods
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from sclero- on the model of words such as keratin
.][1]



sclerotium

sclerotium
scle·ro·ti·um 
[sklə rṓshee əm, sklə
rṓ shəm] (plural scle·ro·ti·a [sklə
rṓshee ə, sklə rṓshə]) noun

food
store in fungi: in fungi, a compact hard mass that
contains stored food
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, originally the name of a genus of fungi, formed
from Greek sklērotēs “hardness,” from sklēros (see sclera ).]
—scle·ro·ti·al,
adjective

—scle·ro·ti·oid, adjective[1]



sclerotize

sclerotize
scle·ro·tize
[sklérrə tz] (past scle·ro·tized,
past participle scle·ro·tized, present participle scle·ro·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular scle·ro·tiz·es) transitive verb

harden
an arthropod’s exoskeleton: to harden and darken an
arthropod’s outer skeleton
[Mid-20th
century. Ultimately from sclerotic .]
—scler·o·ti·za·tion [sklèrrətə záysh’n], noun[1]



sclerotomy

sclerotomy
scle·rot·o·my 
[sklə rótəmee] (plural scle·rot·o·mies)
noun

eye surgery:
a surgical operation in which the outer coat ( sclera
) of the eyeball is cut, for example, in order to remove an underlying tumor[1]



sclerous

sclerous
scle·rous 
[sklrəss, sklérrəss]
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY hard:
used to describe animal parts that are bony or scaly

2.  MEDICINE hardened:
used to describe body tissue or body parts that have become especially
hardened, as a result of the deposition of minerals

[1]



scoff

scoff1
scoff1 [skof,
skawf] intransitive verb (past
scoffed, past participle scoffed, present participle
scoff·ing, 3rd person present singular scoffs)

be derisive or scornful:
to express derision or scorn about somebody or something • She
scoffed at all our suggestions.
noun
(plural scoffs)

1.  expression
of scorn:
an expression of derision or scorn

2.  object
of scorn:
somebody or something that is derided or scorned
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandinavian .]
—scoff·er,
noun

—scoff·ing·ly, adverb[1]



scoff

scoff2
scoff2 [skof,
skawf] (past scoffed, past
participle scoffed, present participle scoff·ing, 3rd
person present singular scoffs) intransitive and transitive verb

eat
hungrily:
to eat food quickly and hungrily or greedily (informal)
[Late 18th century. Variant
of dialect scaff, of unknown origin.][1]



scofflaw

scofflaw
scoff·law 
[skóf làw, skáwf
làw] (plural scoff·laws) noun

law
violator:
somebody who ignores or disregards the law (informal)
[Early 20th century. From scoff 1 .][1]



Scofield,Paul

Scofield,Paul
Sco·field
[skṓ feeld], Sir Paul (1922– )

British
actor. He won an Academy Award for A Man for All Seasons ( 1966 ) and is
known for his versatility in numerous stage and screen roles, from Shakespeare
to contemporary drama.
Full name
Scofield, Sir David Paul[1]



scold

scold
scold 
[skōld] verb (past scold·ed,
past participle scold·ed, present participle scold·ing,
3rd person present singular scolds)

1.  transitive
verb
tell
somebody off: to rebuke somebody angrily

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
harshly:
to use harsh language, especially when complaining or finding fault
noun
(plural scolds)

1.  rebuking
person:
somebody who is constantly rebuking others

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman who is said to make a habit of using abusive
language, especially when she is constantly reminding a man to do something (archaic)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse skáld “poet,” from
the poet’s role of satirizing or poking fun at people.]
—scold·er,
noun

—scold·ing·ly, adverb[1]



scolecite

scolecite
scol·e·cite 
[skáwlə sīt, skṓlə
sīt] (plural scol·e·cites) noun

white
mineral:
a white zeolite mineral consisting of hydrated calcium aluminum silicate and
found in both crystalline and massive forms
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek skōlēk-, stem of skōlēx “worm.”][1]



scolex

scolex
sco·lex 
[skṓ lèks] (plural sco·li·ces
[skṓli seez] or sco·le·ces [skō l seez]) noun

head
of tapeworm: the head of a tapeworm, with suckers or
hooks that enable the parasitic worm to attach itself to its host
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek skōlēx “worm.”][1]



scoliosis

scoliosis
sco·li·o·sis 
[sklee ṓssəss] noun

curvature
of spine:
an excessive, sideways curvature of the spine.
See
also
kyphosis
See
also
lordosis
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from Greek skoliōsis, from skolios
“bent, curved.”]
—sco·li·ot·ic [sklee óttik], adjective[1]



scollop

scollop
scol·lop 
noun

See
scallop[1]



sconce

sconce1
sconce1 [skonss]
(plural sconc·es) noun

candleholder:
a wall bracket for holding candles or, sometimes, electric light bulbs
[14th century. From Old
French esconse “hiding place, lantern,” or from medieval Latin absconsa
laterna “dark lantern,” from abscondere (see abscond ).][1]



sconce

sconce3
sconce3 [skónss]
(plural sconc·es) noun (archaic)

1.  head
or skull:
the head or skull of a human being

2.  intelligence:
wit or brains
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a humorous use of sconce 1 .][1]



sconce

sconce2
sconce2 [skonss]
(plural sconc·es) noun

MILITARY small
fort:
a small defensive fort or earthwork
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch schans “brushwood, earthwork,” of unknown origin.][1]



Scone

Scone
Scone 
[skoon]

village in central Scotland,
near the Tay River. It is famous for the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish
kings were crowned, which was originally located there.[1]



scone

scone
scone 
[skōn] (plural scones) noun

small
rich quick bread: a small baked quick bread, similar to a
rich biscuit and traditionally served split and buttered. Plain scones are
served with jam and clotted cream as part of the traditional British cream tea.
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch schoonbroot “fine bread.”][1]



scoop

scoop
scoop 
[skoop] noun (plural scoops)

1.  utensil
resembling a trowel: a utensil with a short
handle and deep rounded sides, used for shoveling or ladling grain, flour, or
other dry or semisolid substances

2.  COOKING ladle:
a utensil with a long handle and round bowl, used for transferring liquids

3.  COOKING utensil
with a bowl-shaped head: a utensil with a long handle
and a small hemispherical bowl, used for serving such things as ice cream and
mashed potatoes or making melon balls

4.  AUTOMOTIVE digging
part:
the part of a dredge or digging machine that is used for excavating

5.  quantity
lifted in a scoop: the quantity that is taken
by a scoop • three
scoops of ice cream

6.  digging
motion:
a curving digging movement of a scoop or the hand

7.  cavity:
a shallow cavity, hole, or other hollow area in something

8.  AUTOMOBILES opening
to take in a substance: an opening that allows a
substance to flow or be sucked inside, such as an air intake on the hood of a
hot rod

9.  BROADCASTING PRESS exclusive:
a news story that is published by a newspaper, magazine, or news program before
its rivals (informal) • scoop
of the year

10. MUSIC sliding
up to pitch: in vocal and instrumental music, a
sliding up to a pitch

11. news:
the latest news or gossip (informal) • What’s
the scoop?

12. quick
profit:
a large amount of money made quickly (informal)
verb
(past scooped, past participle scooped, present
participle scoop·ing, 3rd person present singular scoops)

1.  transitive
verb
hollow
something out: to create a shallow hole in something
with a scoop or similar object, or a cupped hand • He
scooped out a hole in the earth.

2.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove an amount of a liquid or solid substance with a scoop or similar
object, or a cupped hand • scooping
up water with a ladle

3.  transitive
verb
lift
somebody or something swiftly: to pick somebody or
something up swiftly and without ceremony • She
scooped him up in her arms.

4.  transitive
verb
BROADCASTING publish
or broadcast something first: to publish or broadcast an
item of news before any other newspaper, magazine, or news program • The
newspaper scooped its rivals for the second time in a week.
• scooping
the hottest story of the year

5.  transitive
verb
get
a great deal of money: to win or otherwise obtain a
large amount of money

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS hit a ball up in the air:
to hit a ball upward from underneath so that it rises into the air
[14th
century. From Middle Low German and Middle Dutch schōpe “bucket for
bailing, bucket of a waterwheel.”]
—scoop·er, noun[1]



scoopneck

scoopneck
scoop
neck
noun

low rounded neckline:
a low curved neckline on an article of women’s clothing[1]



scoosh

scoosh
scoosh
[sksh] (past scooshed, past
participle scooshed, present participle scoosh·ing, 3rd
person present singular scoosh·es, plural scoosh·es) noun

Scotland
squirting:
an act of squirting (informal)
[19th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



scoot

scoot
scoot 
[skoot] verb (past scoot·ed,
past participle scoot·ed, present participle scoot·ing,
3rd person present singular scoots) (informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to go away quickly (often used as a command)

2.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move, run, or go somewhere quickly

3.  transitive
verb
send
quickly:
to move or send something quickly • Scoot
that file to me as soon as you can.
noun
(plural scoots)

swift movement:
a swift movement or trip (informal) • a
quick scoot to the supermarket
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps of Scandinavian origin.][1]



scooter

scooter
scoot·er 
[sktər] (plural scoot·ers) noun

1.  wheeled
toy:
a child’s toy consisting of handlebars attached by a long rod to a footboard on
two wheels. One foot is placed on the board and the other propels it along.

2.  AUTOMOTIVE See motor scooter

3.  SAILING sailboat
for water or ice: a sailboat that can be used on water or
ice
[Early 19th century. Formed
from scoot .][1]



scop

scop
scop 
[skop] (plural scops) noun

Anglo-Saxon
bard:
a bard or poet in Anglo-Saxon England
[Old English sc(e)op,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that may also be the ancestor of English scoff . Obsolete by the 14th century but
revived in the 18th century.][1]



scope

scope3
scope3  [skōp]
(past scoped, past participle scoped, present
participle scop·ing, 3rd person present singular scopes)
transitive verb

look
at something: to look at or examine something (informal)
[Mid-17th century. From scope 1 .][1]



scope

scope2
scope2  [skōp]
(plural scopes) noun

optical
device:
any optical device or tool whose name ends in “-scope” such as a telescope,
microscope, endoscope, or oscilloscope (informal)
[Early 17th century.
Shortening.][1]



scope

scope1
scope1  [skōp]
noun

1.  room
to act:
freedom, space, or capacity to act • not
much scope for originality

2.  range
covered:
the range covered by an activity, subject, or topic • a
question that is beyond the scope of this lecture

3.  mental
capacity:
the extent of somebody’s mental capacity

4.  SHIPPING mooring
cable:
the length of a ship’s mooring cable

5.  LOGIC range
of a logical operator: the range of application or
boundaries of a logical operator, usually indicated by parentheses. The scope
of “and” in “(p and q) or r” is limited to “p” and “q.”
[Mid-16th century. Via
Italian scopo “aim, purpose” from Greek skopos “target.” The
underlying sense is “something aimed at or kept in view,” hence “range of
view.”][1]



-scope

-scope
-scope
suffix

an
instrument for viewing or observing • nephroscope
[Via
modern Latin -scopium from, ultimately, Greek skopein “to look,
see.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English inspect, specimen, and spy
.]
—-scopic,
suffix

—-scopy, suffix[1]



scopolamine

scopolamine
sco·pol·a·mine 
[skə pólə mn, skə
páwləmən] noun

poisonous
plant extract: a colorless thick liquid poisonous
alkaloid found in some plants of the nightshade family and used as a truth
serum, to prevent motion sickness, and as a sedative. C17H21NO4 
Also
called
hyoscine
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Scopolia japonica, scientific name of the Japanese
belladonna, from which scopolamine was first extracted, and which was named for
G. A. Scopoli ( 1723–1788 ), Italian naturalist.][1]



scopula

scopula
scop·u·la 
[skópyələ] (plural scop·u·las or
scop·u·lae [skópyəl]) noun

hairy
tuft on a spider’s leg: a tuft of dense hairs on the
back of the legs of some insects or spiders
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin, literally “little broom.”][1]



scorbutic

scorbutic
scor·bu·tic 
[skawr bytik] or scor·bu·ti·cal
[skawr bytik’l] adjective

of
scurvy:
relating to, affected with, or causing scurvy
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin scorbuticus from medieval Latin scorbutus
“scurvy,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English scurf
.]
—scor·bu·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



scorch

scorch
scorch 
[skawrch] verb (past scorched,
past participle scorched, present participle scorch·ing,
3rd person present singular scorch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb burn
something on its surface: to burn the surface of
something, or to be burnt so as to cause pain, injury, or discoloring • scorched
the handkerchief with the iron

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dry
out:
to dry or parch something with intense heat, or to become dried out or parched
because of intense heat • The
plains had been scorched by the sun.

3.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody:
to subject somebody to severe criticism (informal)
noun
(plural scorch·es)

1.  surface
burn:
a burn, or burn mark on the surface of something • The
iron left a slight scorch on the blouse.

2.  BOTANY discoloration
on plants:
a brown marking on plants or vegetables caused by disease, insecticide, or heat
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably of Scandinavian origin.][1]



scorched-earthpolicy

scorched-earthpolicy
scorched-earth
pol·i·cy 
noun

1.  MILITARY leaving
nothing for an enemy: a policy of destroying crops
or buildings, especially by burning, or of removing anything that might be
useful to an advancing enemy in wartime

2.  BUSINESS takeover-avoidance
strategy:
a strategy adopted by a company facing a hostile takeover whereby it makes
itself appear a financially less attractive acquisition until the threat has
gone

[1]



scorcher

scorcher
scorch·er 
[skáwrchər] (plural scorch·ers)
noun

1.  something
that burns:
somebody or something that scorches

2.  hot
day:
an extremely hot day (informal) • Yesterday
was fairly warm but today is a scorcher!

3.  critical
remark:
a severely critical remark

[1]



scorching

scorching
scorch·ing
[skáwrching] adjective

hot:
extremely hot (informal)[1]



score

score
score 
[skawr] noun (plural scores)

1.  SPORTS GAME points made:
the total number of points made by a player or team at the end of or during a
match or game

2.  SPORTS GAME tally of points made:
a record of the number of points made by a player or team in a match or game • Who’s
keeping score?

3.  SPORTS GAME gaining of point:
the gaining of a point or points in a match or game

4.  EDUCATION exam
result:
the result of a test or examination, usually presented in numerical form

5.  (plural
score or scores) group
of 20:
a group of twenty things or people (often used in combination) • A
score or more people showed up.

6.  MUSIC printed
music:
a written or printed copy of a musical composition • distributed
copies of the score to the chorus

7.  MUSIC music
composed:
the music that has been composed for a movie, play, or musical • a
film with a breathtaking score

8.  DANCE copy
of choreographic notation: a written record of the
choreography for a dance or ballet

9.  notch:
a notch or incision cut into the surface of something

10. partial
cut:
a crease or superficial cut made in something, such as a piece of paper to
enable it to be folded or separated easily

11. grudge:
a grievance that is not resolved and incurs resentment

12. record
of money owed: a record of an amount of money due for
payment

13. money
owed:
an amount of money due for payment

14. present
situation:
the present state or actual facts of a situation (informal) • What’s
the score, are you coming or not?

15. success:
a successful result or achievement, especially one that is significant (informal)

16. DRUGS drug
deal:
a purchase of illegal drugs (slang)

17. CRIMINOLOGY robbery:
the successful theft of something (informal)

18. sexual
conquest:
a successful seduction of somebody or the sexual encounter itself (informal)

19. SAILING groove
for rope:
a groove cut in wood to hold a rope
plural
noun
scores

many: a
great many • Scores
of members protested at the decision.
verb
(past scored, past participle scored, present
participle scor·ing, 3rd person present singular scores)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS GAME make
points:
to make a point or points in a match or game • scored
twice in the second half

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS GAME make a total of points in
game:
to make a total number of points in a match, game, or other competition

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS GAME record
points:
to keep a record of the number of points made in a match, game, or other
competition • Who’s
scoring?

4.  transitive
verb
SPORTS GAME assign somebody points:
to award a particular number of points to somebody in a match, game, or other
competition • Three
of the judges scored her a perfect 10.

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS GAME be worth certain points in a
game:
to count for a particular number of points in a match, game, or other
competition • Hitting
the red area scores ten.

6.  transitive
verb
EDUCATION exam
grade:
to grade or evaluate a test or examination

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
points in exam: to achieve a particular number of points
in a test or examination

8.  transitive
verb
cut
lines in something: to make notches, cuts, or
lines in a surface

9.  transitive
verb
cut
something superficially to separate it: to
make a superficial cut or crease in something, such as a piece of paper in
order to fold, tear, or break it easily

10. transitive
verb
write
something by making incisions: to write something by
means of notches, incisions, or lines cut into a surface • names
scored on the back of the bench with a penknife

11. intransitive
and transitive verb cross
something out: to draw a line through something in
order to mark it as canceled or deleted

12. transitive
verb
record
money owed:
to keep a record of an amount of money owed by somebody by making a series of
marks next to his or her name

13. intransitive
verb
do
well:
to secure an advantage in a particular field or area of activity (informal)
• She
scores because she can communicate.

14. transitive
verb
MUSIC orchestrate
something:
to orchestrate or arrange a piece of music

15. transitive
verb
MUSIC compose
the music for something: to write the music for a
movie, play, or musical

16. transitive
verb
DANCE write
the choreography for something: to write out the
choreography for a dance or ballet

17. transitive
verb
get
something:
to succeed in getting something (informal) • scored
front-row tickets for the concert

18. intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS buy drugs:
to buy illegal drugs (slang)

19. intransitive
verb
have
sex:
to succeed in having sex with somebody, especially a new sexual partner (slang)

20. transitive
verb
criticize
somebody:
to subject somebody to severe criticism (informal)
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse skor “notch, tally, 20.”]
on
this or that score

as far as this or that is
concerned • Her
health is fine, so there’s no need to worry on that score.[1]



scoreboard

scoreboard
score·board 
[skáwr bàwrd] (plural score·boards)
noun

board displaying a score:
a board at a sporting venue on which the score of a game, match, or other
competition in progress is displayed. Scores of other games in progress
elsewhere may also be shown.[1]



scorecard

scorecard
score·card 
[skáwr krd] (plural score·cards)
noun

1.  card
to keep score with: a small card used by a
player to keep a record of his or her own score, for example, in golf

2.  card
listing players in a game: a card listing the players
in a game or match that enables a spectator to identify who is who and to keep
a record of the progress of play

[1]



scorekeeper

scorekeeper
score·keep·er 
[skáwr kpər] (plural score·keep·ers)
noun

somebody
who keeps score: somebody who is responsible for keeping
a note of the score in a game, match, or other competition.
Also
called
scorer
—score·keep·ing, noun[1]



scoreless

scoreless
score·less 
[skáwrləss] adjective

showing no score:
having no points scored • The
game remained scoreless at the half.[1]



scorer

scorer
scor·er
[skáwrər] (plural scor·ers) noun

1.  SPORTS GAME somebody scoring point:
somebody who scores a point or points in a game or match

2.  SPORTS GAME See scorekeeper

3.  EDUCATION somebody
scoring points in an exam: somebody who gets a
particular score in a test or examination • a
consistently high scorer in math

4.  TECHNOLOGY cutting
device:
a device for cutting a notch or incision into something

[1]



ScoresbySound

ScoresbySound
Scores·by
Sound 
[skàwrzbee sównd]

arm of the Norwegian Sea
touching eastern Greenland. It is the largest fjord in the world. Length: 451
km/280 mi.[1]



scoria

scoria
sco·ri·a 
[skáwree ə] (plural sco·ri·ae
[skáwree ]) noun

1.  GEOLOGY porous
rock:
loose rubbly porous solidified lava that is ejected from a volcano and builds
up around the crater.
Also
called
slag

2.  METALLURGY See slag  noun 1
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek skōria “refuse, dross,” from skōr
“dung.”]
—sco·ri·a·ceous [skàwree áyshəss], adjective[1]



scorify

scorify
sco·ri·fy 
[skáwrə f] (past sco·ri·fied,
past participle sco·ri·fied, present participle sco·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sco·ri·fies) transitive verb

separate
ore into metal and slag: to purify ore by separating
it out into metal and slag
—sco·ri·fi·ca·tion
[skàwrəfə káysh’n], noun

—sco·ri·fi·er [skáwrə f ər], noun[1]



scorn

scorn
scorn 
[skawrn] noun

1.  disdain:
a strong feeling of contempt • poured
scorn on my attempts at writing

2.  object
of contempt: somebody or something that is held in
contempt • Their
behavior made them the scorn of the entire community.
verb
(past scorned, past participle scorned, present
participle scorn·ing, 3rd person present singular scorns)

1.  transitive
verb
disdain
somebody or something: to hold somebody or
something in contempt

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb reject
something contemptuously: to reject something with
contempt • They
had scorned our attempts at peace.
[12th
century. From Old French escharnir “to mock or despise.”]
—scorn·er, noun[1]



scornful

scornful
scorn·ful
[skáwrnf’l] adjective

contemptuous:
feeling or expressing great contempt for somebody or something
—scorn·ful·ly,
adverb

—scorn·ful·ness, noun[1]



scorpaenid

scorpaenid
scor·pae·nid 
[skawr pnid] (plural scor·pae·nids)
noun

fish
with spiny fins: a marine fish with spiny fins such as
the scorpion fish, redfish, or rockfish. Family: Scorpaenidae
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Scorpaenidae, from Latin scorpaena,
a kind of fish, from Greek skorpios (see scorpion
).]
—scor·pae·nid, adjective[1]



Scorpio

Scorpio
Scor·pi·o 
[skáwrpee ] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY See Scorpius

2.  ZODIAC eighth
sign of the zodiac: the eighth sign of the
zodiac, represented by a scorpion and lasting from approximately October 23 to
November 21. Scorpio is classified as a water sign and its ruling planets are
Mars and Pluto.
Also
called
Scorpion

3.  Scor·pi·o
(plural Scor·pi·os) or Scor·pi·an (plural Scor·pi·ans)
ZODIAC somebody
born under Scorpio: somebody whose birthday
falls between October 23 and November 21
[14th
century. From Latin, from scorpio (see scorpion
).]
—Scor·pi·o, adjective[1]



scorpioid

scorpioid
scor·pi·oid 
[skáwrpee òyd] adjective

1.  BOTANY with a
coiled main stem: having the main stem curled at the end • a
scorpioid cyme

2.  ZOOLOGY of or
like a scorpion: relating to or resembling a scorpion
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
skorpioeidēs, from skorpios (see scorpion
).][1]



Scorpion

Scorpion

Scor·pi·on 
[skáwrpee ən] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY See Scorpius

2.        ZODIAC See Scorpio  noun 2[1]



scorpion

scorpion
scor·pi·on 
[skáwrpee ən] (plural scor·pi·ons)
noun

arachnid
with a poisonous stinger: a nocturnal arachnid of warm
dry regions that has a long body with pincers in front and a thin segmented
upturned tail tipped with a venomous sting. Order: Scorpionida
[12th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek skorpios “sea fish, scorpion.”][1]



scorpionfish

scorpionfish
scor·pi·on
fish
noun

fish with poisonous spines:
a small brightly colored fish with venomous spines in its fins. Family:
Scorpaenidae[1]



scorpionfly

scorpionfly
scor·pi·on
fly
noun

type of fly:
a nonvenomous insect that has downward-pointing mouthparts and a reproductive
organ in the male resembling the sting of a scorpion. Order: Mecoptera[1]



scorpiongrass

scorpiongrass
scor·pi·on
grass
noun

See
forget-me-not[1]



Scorpius

Scorpius

Scor·pi·us 
[skáwrpee əss] noun
zodiacal
constellation between Libra and Sagittarius: a
distinctive bright zodiacal constellation between Libra and Sagittarius lying
partly in the Milky Way. Scorpius contains the bright red star Antares.
Also
called
Scorpio
Also
called
Scorpion
[15th century. From Latin scorpius
(see scorpion ).][1]



Scorsese,Martin

Scorsese,Martin
Scor·se·se
[skawr sáysee, skawr
sézzee], Martin (1942– )

U.S. movie director. His
movies, including Taxi Driver ( 1976 ) and Goodfellas ( 1990 ),
often depict urban violence.[1]



Scot

Scot
Scot 
[skot] (plural Scots) noun

1.  somebody
from Scotland: somebody who was born or raised in
Scotland, or is of Scottish descent

2.  member
of ancient British people: a member of a people who
lived in Ireland and who periodically invaded western Britain from the 3rd
century A.D., before settling in
northern Britain during the 6th century
[Pre-12th
century. Via medieval Latin from late Latin Scottus, of unknown origin.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Scot,
  Scotch, or Scottish ?
  All
  these words mean “of Scotland,” but they are used in different ways. Scottish is the most generally used word to
  describe the country and people of Scotland ( • Scottish
  history
  ; • a
  Scottish poet ; • Scottish
  Gaelic
  ), whereas Scots is normally applied to
  people or to the form of English spoken in Scotland ( • Scots
  Guard
  ; • a
  Scots accent ). A Scot
  is a person from Scotland; more specific words are Scotsman and Scotswoman
  . Scotch is a literary word more closely
  associated with the writing of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, and has
  fallen out of general use, usually being considered offensive unless used in
  fixed expressions such as Scotch pine and Scotch mist.

[1]



Scot.

Scot.
Scot.


1.  Abbreviation
of
Scotch

2.  Abbreviation
of
Scotland

3.  Abbreviation
of
Scottish

[1]



scot

scot
scot 
[skot] noun

tax
or fine:
money assessed or paid for something, for example, as a tax or fine (archaic)
[Pre-12th century. Partly
from Old Norse skot “shot,” partly from Old French escot .][1]



scotch

scotch1
scotch1 [skoch]
transitive verb (past scotched, past participle scotched,
present participle scotch·ing, 3rd person present singular
scotch·es)

1.  stop
something:
to put a stop to something such as a rumor

2.  disable
somebody:
to disable somebody by wounding (archaic)

3.  gash
something:
to make a gash or score in something (archaic)
noun
(plural scotch·es) (archaic)

1.  score
in something: a cut or score in something

2.  line:
a line drawn on the ground, especially one used to mark out a grid for
hopscotch
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Anglo-Norman escocher “to notch,” ultimately
from Latin coccum “scarlet oak berry” (that has notches), from Greek kokkos
.][1]



Scotch

Scotch
Scotch 
[skoch] or Scotch whis·key [skoch] noun (plural Scotch·es)

1.  BEVERAGES whiskey:
whiskey produced in Scotland

2.  LANGUAGE See Scots  noun
plural
noun

PEOPLES Scottish
people:
people who were born or raised in Scotland or who are of Scottish descent (offensive)
adjective

1.  of
Scotland:
relating to Scotland, its people, or its culture (offensive)

2.  from
Scotland:
made in Scotland, or typical of a style prevalent in Scotland • Scotch
broth

3.  frugal:
unwilling to spend or give money (offensive)
[Late
16th century. Contraction of Scottish .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Scot.

[1]



scotch

scotch2
scotch2 [skoch]
noun (plural scotch·es)

TECHNOLOGY wedge:
a wedge used to prevent something from moving
transitive
verb
(past scotched, past participle scotched, present
participle scotch·ing, 3rd person present singular scotch·es)

TECHNOLOGY wedge
something:
to wedge something in order to prevent it from moving
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Scotchbroom

Scotchbroom
Scotch
broom
noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a deciduous broom, originally from western Europe, with bright yellow flowers.
Latin name: Cytisus scoparius[1]



Scotchegg

Scotchegg
Scotch
egg
noun

egg in a meat covering:
a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausagemeat, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep
fried. It is served cut in half, either hot or cold.[1]



Scotch-Irish

Scotch-Irish
Scotch-I·rish 
[skòts rish] or Scots-I·rish
[skòts rish] plural noun

Irish
people of Scottish descent: Irish people of Scottish
descent, or U.S. citizens descended from these people.
U.K.
term
Scottish-Irish
—Scotch-Irish, adjective[1]



Scotchman

Scotchman
Scotch·man 
[skóchmən] (plural Scotch·men
[skóchmən]) noun

Scotsman:
a Scotsman (archaic or offensive)[1]



Scotchmist

Scotchmist
Scotch
mist
noun

1.  drizzly
mist:
a fine, damp mist

2.  something
imagined:
a figment of somebody’s imagination (humorous)

[1]



Scotchpine

Scotchpine
Scotch
pine
noun
U.K.
term
Scots pine

1.  TREES pine
with hard yellow wood: a pine native to Europe and
Asia that has a reddish trunk, twisted bluish-green needles, and yellow wood
valued as timber. Latin name: Pinus sylvestris

2.  INDUSTRY type
of wood:
the wood of the Scotch pine

[1]



Scotchtape

Scotchtape
Scotch
tape
Trademark

a trademark for a type of
transparent adhesive tape[1]



Scotchterrier

Scotchterrier
Scotch
ter·ri·er
(plural Scotch ter·ri·ers) noun

See
Scottish terrier[1]



Scotchverdict

Scotchverdict
Scotch
ver·dict
noun

1.  LAW verdict
of “not proven”: a verdict of “not proven” in a case in
which there is insufficient evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt

2.  inconclusive
judgment:
a judgment or statement that is inconclusive

[1]



Scotchwhiskey

Scotchwhiskey
Scotch
whis·key
noun

See
Scotch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Scotchwoman

Scotchwoman
Scotch·wom·an 
[skóch wmmən] (plural Scotch·wom·en
[skóch wìmmin]) noun

Scotswoman:
a Scotswoman (archaic or offensive)[1]



Scotchwoodcock

Scotchwoodcock
Scotch
wood·cock
noun

anchovy
paste and eggs on toast: a snack or light meal of
toast spread with an anchovy paste and topped with scrambled eggs
[Fanciful name for a meal,
thought to originate in Scotland, that is completely different to what its name
suggests][1]



scoter

scoter
sco·ter 
[skṓtər] (plural sco·ters or
sco·ter) noun

large
sea duck:
a large sea duck of the northern coasts of North America, Asia, and Europe, the
male of which has black plumage with white spots on its head. Genus: Melanitta
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



scot-free

scot-free
scot-free 
adverb

without
paying the consequences: without punishment being
exacted or payment being made
[The original meaning was
“without having to pay scot ”][1]



scotia

scotia
sco·tia 
[skṓshə] (plural sco·tias) noun

molding:
a deep concave molding, especially on the base of a column
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek skotia, from skotos “darkness” (from the shadow inside
the molding).][1]



Scotia

Scotia
Sco·tia 
[skṓshə] noun

Scotland:
a former name for Scotland, still sometimes used in literary contexts (archaic
or literary)
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin Scotia .]
—Sco·tian, adjective[1]



Scotism

Scotism
Sco·tism 
[skṓtizzəm] noun

philosophy
of Duns Scotus: the philosophical tenets of, or school
of scholastic philosophy founded by, Duns Scotus, the 13th-century Scottish
philosopher and theologian
—Sco·tist,
adjective

—Sco·tis·tic [skə tístik], adjective[1]



Scotland

Scotland

Scot·land 
[skótlənd]
one of the countries that comprise the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It consists of the
northern third of Great Britain, as well as hundreds of islands. It became
united with England in 1707. Capital: Edinburgh. Population: 5,132,400 (1994)
Area: 77,080 sq km/29,750 sq mi.[1]



Scotland




Back to definition

Scotland

[1]



ScotlandYard

ScotlandYard
Scot·land
Yard
noun

police
headquarters in London: the headquarters of the
Metropolitan Police in London, from which national criminal investigations are
coordinated. The headquarters moved to new premises in 1890 and 1967 and is
officially known as New Scotland Yard.
[Because it was originally
located in Great Scotland Yard, a street in which the palace used by
visiting kings of Scotland in medieval times formerly stood][1]



scotoma

scotoma
sco·to·ma 
[skə tṓmə] (plural sco·to·mas or
sco·to·ma·ta [skə tṓmətə]) noun

diminished
sight:
a permanent or temporary area of diminished sight in the field of vision
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek skotōma “dizziness,” ultimately from skotos
“darkness.”]
—sco·to·ma·tous, adjective[1]



scotopia

scotopia
sco·to·pi·a 
[skə tṓpee ə, skō
tṓpee ə] noun

nocturnal
vision:
the ability to see in poor light or in the dark
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek skotos “darkness” + -opia .]
—sco·to·pic [skə tóppik, skō tóppik],
adjective[1]



Scots

Scots
Scots 
[skots] adjective

of
Scotland:
relating to Scotland, its people, or its culture
noun

LANGUAGE Scottish
dialect of English: the dialect of English
spoken in Scotland.
Also
called
Scottish
Also
called
Scotch
[14th
century. Contraction of Scottish .]





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Scots is the Germanic speech of
  the Scottish Lowlands, in contrast to Gaelic, the traditional Celtic speech
  of the Highlands. It is regarded by some as a dialect of English, by others
  as a distinct language. Many scholars regard Scots of the period before the Union
  of the Crowns (1603) as a language in its own right and after that date as a
  more limited vernacular. It is, however, listed alongside languages such as
  Basque, Catalan, Gaelic, by the Bureau of Lesser Used European Languages (an
  institution of the European Union). Scots has its own dialects, from the
  Borders (linked with the dialects of Northern England) to Orkney and Shetland
  (mixed with elements of Old Norse). Its literature includes two medieval epic
  poems, copious 16th-century verse, the works of Robert Burns, and more recent
  poetry and fiction. Though there has been a massive mixing with English for
  over 200 years, its major characteristics remain clear-cut, including, first,
  a strong “rhotic” pronunciation (i.e., “r” is pronounced as an “alveolar
  tap,” or trill, in words such as art, door, and worker
  ). Second, the pronunciation is marked by use of the “velar fricative,” (as
  in German “machen”) in words such as nicht (night), sicht
  (sight), ach (ah), and och (oh). Third, verbs like tell
  and sell have distinctive past forms: tellt and sellt (
  for told and sold ). Fourth, some “double modal” verbs, as in
  “Ah micht could dae it” (“I might could do it”), are used to mean “I could
  probably do it.”. Fifth, the vocabulary is large and distinctive: e.g., tae
  blether (to talk nonsense), a blether (someone who talks
  nonsense); tae dicht (to wipe clean); tae ken (to know); tae
  lowp (to leap), a lowp (a leap); an ashet, (a serving dish,
  (from French assiette ); a dwam (a hazy mental condition); a
  howf(f), (a favorite spot, a pub); glaikit (stupid-looking); fantoosh
  (flashy); and tapselteerie (topsy-turvy). See IRISH ENGLISH, SCOTTISH
  ENGLISH.

[1]



Scots-Irish

Scots-Irish
Scots-I·rish
plural noun adjective

See
Scotch-Irish[1]



Scotsman

Scotsman
Scots·man 
[skótsmən] (plural Scots·men [skótsmən]) noun

PEOPLES man
from Scotland: a man who was born or raised in
Scotland, or who has Scottish ancestry

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Scot.

[1]



Scotspine

Scotspine
Scots
pine
(plural Scots pines) noun

U.K.
See Scotch pine[1]



Scotswoman

Scotswoman
Scots·wom·an 
[skóts wmmən] (plural Scots·wom·en
[skóts wìmmin]) noun

woman
from Scotland: a woman who was born or raised in
Scotland, or who has Scottish ancestry

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Scot.

[1]



Scott,George C.

Scott,George C.
Scott
[skot], George C. (1926– )

U.S.
actor. He specialized in tough-guy roles such as the title role in Patton
( 1970 ), for which he won an Academy Award, but refused to accept it.
Full name
Scott, George Campbell[1]



Scotticism

Scotticism
Scot·ti·cism 
[skótti sìzzəm] (plural Scot·ti·cisms)
noun

Scots word in English:
a word, phrase, or idiom that is characteristic of English as spoken in
Scotland[1]



Scottie

Scottie
Scot·tie
[skótee] (plural Scot·ties) or
Scot·ty [skótee] (plural Scot·ties)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY Scottish
terrier:
a Scottish terrier (informal)

2.  PEOPLES Scotsman:
somebody, especially a man, who is Scottish (informal offensive)

[1]



Scottish

Scottish
Scot·tish 
[skóttish] adjective

of
Scotland:
relating to Scotland, or its people or culture
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
of Scotland: people who were born, raised, or live in
Scotland
noun
(plural Scot·tish)

LANGUAGE See Scots  noun
[12th
century. Formed from Scot .]
—Scot·tish·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at Scot.

[1]



Scottishdeerhound

Scottishdeerhound
Scot·tish
deer·hound
noun

See
deerhound[1]



ScottishEnglish

ScottishEnglish
Scot·tish
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in Scotland





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Scottish English is the English language as
  used in Scotland, considered by some to include traditional (Lowland) Scots,
  and by others to be distinct from it, despite overlap. A compromise with the
  English of England began to emerge after the Union of the Crowns in 1707, when
  many among the upper and middle classes began to take on the pronunciation,
  grammar, and vocabulary of so-called refined London. The Scottish aristocracy
  became socially and linguistically indistinguishable from their peers in
  England, while the middle class developed a shaky compromise.

[1]



ScottishGaelic

ScottishGaelic
Scot·tish
Gael·ic
noun

Scottish Celtic language:
the Celtic language still spoken in parts of the Highlands and Western Isles of
Scotland.
Also called
Scots Gaelic[1]



Scottishrite

Scottishrite
Scot·tish
rite
noun

Masonic rite:
a type of Masonic rite[1]



Scottishterrier

Scottishterrier

Scot·tish ter·ri·er
or Scotch ter·ri·er noun
small dog:
a terrier of a breed with short sturdy legs, pointed ears and thick, wiry,
usually black hair[1]



Scott,Robert Falcon

Scott,Robert Falcon
Scott
[skot], Robert Falcon (1868–1912)

British naval officer and
explorer. On his second expedition to Antarctica (1910–1912) he was beaten to
the South Pole by Roald Amundsen. He died on the return journey.[1]



Scottsboro

Scottsboro
Scotts·bor·o
[skótsbərə]

city in northeastern Alabama,
on the western bank of the Tennessee River, southeast of Huntsville.
Population: 14,133 (1996)[1]



Scottsdale

Scottsdale
Scotts·dale 
[skóts dàyl]

city in southern Arizona, on
the Salt River, east of Phoenix. Population: 179,012 (1996)[1]



Scott,Walter

Scott,Walter

Scott
[skot], Sir Walter (1771–1832)
Scottish novelist and poet. His ballads
and historical novels, which mainly dealt with Scottish subjects, made him one
of the most popular writers of his day and did much to establish widespread European
interest in Scottish history and culture.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Scott,Winfield

Scott,Winfield
Scott
[skot], Winfield (1786–1866)

U.S.
general. A veteran of the War of 1812, he conducted a masterful campaign in the
Mexican War (1846–1848). He unsuccessfully ran for U.S. president (1852).
Known as
Old Fuss and Feathers[1]



Scotty

Scotty
Scot·ty 
(plural Scot·ties) noun

ZOOLOGY
(informal) See Scottie[1]



scoundrel

scoundrel
scoun·drel 
[skówndrəl] (plural scoun·drels)
noun

villain:
somebody who behaves dishonorably toward other people
[Late
16th century. Origin unknown.]
—scoun·drel·ly, adjective[1]



scour

scour1
scour1 [skowr]
verb (past scoured, past participle scoured,
present participle scour·ing, 3rd person present singular scours)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb clean
by rubbing:
to clean or brighten something by rubbing it with an abrasive substance or
material

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
something by rubbing: to remove something by
rubbing with an abrasive substance or material

3.  transitive
verb
free
something from dirt or impurities: to remove dirt or
impurities from something by washing

4.  transitive
verb
flush
something out: to clear something out by using water

5.  intransitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE have
diarrhea:
to be affected by diarrhea (refers to cattle)
noun
(plural scours)

1.  scouring:
a scouring of something

2.  cleaning
substance:
a substance or tool that can be used for cleaning

3.  place
scoured:
a place that has been scoured, especially by water
plural
noun
scours

VETERINARY MEDICINE diarrhea:
diarrhea affecting cattle and pigs (takes a singular or plural verb)
[12th
century. Via Middle Low German or Middle Dutch from, ultimately, late Latin excurare,
literally “to clean out, take care of,” ultimately from Latin cura
“care” (source of English cure ).]
—scour·er, noun[1]



scour

scour2
scour2 [skowr]
(past scoured, past participle scoured, present
participle scour·ing, 3rd person present singular scours)
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  search
something carefully: to search something
thoroughly and quickly for somebody or something • They
scoured the countryside for him, but to no avail.

2.  move
about at speed: to move quickly over or through an area
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.]
—scour·er, noun[1]



scourge

scourge
scourge 
[skurj] noun (plural scourg·es)

1.  tormentor:
somebody or something that is perceived as an agent of punishment, destruction,
or severe criticism • the
scourge of my childhood

2.  whip:
a whip that is used for inflicting punishment
transitive
verb
(past scourged, past participle scourged, present
participle scourg·ing, 3rd person present singular scourg·es)

1.  punish
somebody:
to punish or criticize somebody severely

2.  whip
somebody:
to whip somebody severely
[12th
century. From Old French escorgier “to whip,” ultimately from Latin corrigia
“thong, whip.”]
—scourg·er, noun[1]



scouringrush

scouringrush
scour·ing
rush 
noun

horsetail used for scouring:
a horsetail that has a rough stem and was, in the past, used for scouring.
Genus: Equisetum[1]



scourings

scourings
scour·ings 
[skówringz] plural noun

material left after scouring:
the material removed or left after scouring something, especially that left
after scouring grain[1]



Scouse

Scouse
Scouse
[skowss] noun (informal)

1.  Scouse
(plural Scous·es) or Scous·er (plural Scous·ers)
somebody
from Liverpool: somebody who was born, raised, or lives
in the English city of Liverpool

2.  U.K.
Liverpool
dialect:
the dialect spoken in the English city of Liverpool
adjective

U.K. Liverpudlian:
relating to the English city of Liverpool, or its inhabitants or their English
dialect (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of lobscouse (the original meaning).][1]



scouse

scouse
scouse 
[skowss] (plural scous·es) noun

U.K.
meat
stew:
a stew made from leftover meat with potatoes and vegetables (regional)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of lobscouse (the original meaning).][1]



scout

scout1
scout1 [skowt]
noun (plural scouts)

1.  MILITARY soldier
sent to gather information: somebody, especially a
soldier, who is sent to gather information about an enemy’s position or
movements

2.  SPORTS ARTS See talent scout

3.  SPORTS somebody
sent to evaluate opposing team: somebody sent to
discover and evaluate the performance, tactics, and players of an opposing team

4.  MILITARY reconnaissance
craft or vehicle: a ship, aircraft, or vehicle designed
and used for reconnaissance purposes

5.  MILITARY reconnoitering:
a gathering of information concerning an enemy’s position or movements

6.  person:
a person, usually a boy or man (dated informal) • Be
a good scout and give me a hand here.
verb
(past scout·ed, past participle scout·ed, present
participle scout·ing, 3rd person present singular scouts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
area:
to make a search of an area for somebody or something • scouting
around for a place to camp

2.  intransitive
verb
gather
information: to seek out information about somebody
or something, especially about an enemy’s position or movements

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS ARTS seek
out new talent: to look for talented players for a
sports team, or for talented performers for a show or group

4.  transitive
verb
SPORTS evaluate
opposing team: to discover and evaluate the
performance, tactics, and players of an opposing team
[14th
century. Via Old French escouter from, ultimately, Latin auscultare
“to listen.”]
—scout·er, noun[1]



scout

scout2
scout2 [skowt]
(past scout·ed, past participle scout·ed, present
participle scout·ing, 3rd person present singular scouts)
transitive verb

reject
somebody or something contemptuously: to
reject somebody or something with scorn or derision (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.][1]



Scout

Scout
Scout
[skowt] (plural Scouts) or
scout [skowt] (plural scouts)
noun

somebody
in Scouting: a member of the Boy Scouts or Girl
Scouts.
See
also
Boy Scout
See
also
Girl Scout
[Early 20th century. From scout 1 .][1]



Scouting

Scouting
Scout·ing
[skówting] noun

Boy or Girl Scout activities:
the activities of the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts[1]



scoutmaster

scoutmaster
scout·mas·ter 
[skówt màstər] (plural scout·mas·ters)
noun

Scout leader:
a man who is in charge of a troop of Boy Scouts[1]



scow

scow
scow 
[skow] (plural scows) noun

1.  SHIPPING freight
barge:
a barge for transporting freight

2.  SAILING sailboat:
a flat-bottomed sailboat
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
schouw .][1]



scowl

scowl
scowl 
[skowl] noun (plural scowls)

frown: an
expression of anger, displeasure, or menace made by drawing the eyebrows
together toward the middle of the forehead
verb
(past scowled, past participle scowled, present
participle scowl·ing, 3rd person present singular scowls)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a frown:
to draw the eyebrows together toward the middle of the forehead in an
expression of anger, displeasure, or menace

2.  transitive
verb
reveal
feeling with scowl: to give expression to an
emotion by means of a scowl
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.]
—scowl·er, noun[1]



SCPO

SCPO
SCPO

Abbreviation of
Senior Chief Petty Officer[1]



Scrabble

Scrabble
Scrab·ble
[skrább’l] Trademark

a trademark for a board game
in which the players try to form words by placing tiles, each with a single
letter on it, on the squares of a board[1]



scrabble

scrabble
scrab·ble 
[skrább’l] verb (past scrab·bled,
past participle scrab·bled, present participle scrab·bling,
3rd person present singular scrab·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
scratch
at something: to scrape or scratch at something with
small, hurried movements of the fingers, toes, or claws • The
cat was scrabbling at the door.

2.  intransitive
verb
feel
with fingers: to grope around frantically in an effort
to find something • She scrabbled around trying
to find the flashlight.

3.  intransitive
verb
climb
over something: to climb hastily or clumsily up or over
something

4.  intransitive
verb
struggle
to get something: to struggle desperately to get something

5.  transitive
verb
produce
something with difficulty: to produce something hastily
and with difficulty from scarce resources

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb scribble:
to scribble something
noun
(plural scrab·bles)

1.  a
scratching at something: a scraping or scratching at
something with short hurried movements of the fingers, toes, or claws

2.  a
search with fingers: a frantic groping around in
an effort to find something

3.  a
climb over something: a climb up or over
something, performed hastily or clumsily

4.  a
struggle to get something: a desperate struggle to
acquire or gain something

5.  a
scribbling:
a scribbling of something

6.  something
scribbled:
something that somebody has scribbled
[Mid-16th
century. From Middle Dutch schrabbelen, literally “to scratch
repeatedly,” from schrabben “to scratch or scrape.”]
—scrab·bler, noun[1]



scrabbly

scrabbly
scrab·bly
[skrábblee] (comparative scrab·bli·er,
superlative scrab·bli·est) adjective

1.  scratchy:
characterized by a scratching sound

2.  scrubby:
thinly covered with vegetation

[1]



scrag

scrag
scrag 
[skrag] noun (plural scrags)

1.  scrag
or scrag end bony cut of mutton:
the bony neck joint, especially of mutton, usually cut up and used in soups and
stews

2.  thin
person or animal: an unattractively thin person or animal

3.  neck:
somebody’s neck (informal)
transitive
verb
(past scragged, past participle scragged, present
participle scrag·ging, 3rd person present singular scrags)

strangle somebody:
to throttle or strangle somebody (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from dialect crag “neck,” from Middle Dutch crāghe
“throat.”][1]



scraggly

scraggly
scrag·gly 
[skrágglee] (comparative scrag·gli·er,
superlative scrag·gli·est) adjective

messy:
messy and uneven in appearance or shape
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from scrag .]
—scrag·gli·ness, noun[1]



scraggy

scraggy
scrag·gy 
[skrággee] (comparative scrag·gi·er,
superlative scrag·gi·est) adjective

1.  scrawny:
bony and thin • a scraggy little cat

2.  jagged:
having sharp points or edges
[Early
17th century. Formed from scrag .]
—scrag·gi·ly,
adverb

—scrag·gi·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



scram

scram
scram 
[skram] verb (past scrammed,
past participle scrammed, present participle scram·ming,
3rd person present singular scrams)

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
quickly:
to get out or leave quickly (informal) (often used as a command)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS shut down nuclear reactor:
to shut down a nuclear reactor rapidly in an emergency, or be shut down rapidly
noun
(plural scrams)

PHYSICS reactor
shutdown:
a rapid shutdown of a nuclear reactor in an emergency
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of scramble
.][1]



scramble

scramble
scram·ble 
[skrámb’l] verb (past scram·bled,
past participle scram·bled, present participle scram·bling,
3rd person present singular scram·bles)

1.  intransitive
verb
clamber:
to climb or advance over something using both hands and feet • We
managed to scramble over the fence.

2.  intransitive
verb
hurry:
to move in haste and with a sense of urgency

3.  intransitive
verb
compete
frantically: to struggle or compete frantically in
order to get something • Everyone
was scrambling for the best seats.

4.  transitive
verb
jumble
things together: to mix or gather two or more things
together haphazardly

5.  intransitive
verb
FOOTBALL run
when unable to pass: to run with the ball after
the pass protection breaks down, trying to avoid being tackled and pass the
ball, or to gain yardage (refers to a quarterback)

6.  transitive
verb
COOKING beat
and cook eggs: to beat eggs, usually with some milk,
and cook in a pan until set

7.  transitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS encode
transmitted signals: to render a
telecommunications or broadcast signal unintelligible by means of an electronic
device

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR FORCE launch aircraft against
attack:
to launch a large number of aircraft in a short space of time in response to an
impending attack, or to be launched in these circumstances
noun
(plural scram·bles)

1.  hard
climb:
a difficult climb or walk that involves using the hands as well as the feet but
no ropes

2.  dash
or struggle: a hasty, undignified, or disorganized
struggle for something or in order to do something

3.  MOTORCYCLES motorcycle
race:
a motorcycle race over rough terrain

4.  AIR FORCE launch
of aircraft: the scrambling of military aircraft

5.  confused
mass:
a jumbled mass of people or things
[Late 16th century. Thought
to suggest the action.][1]



scrambledeggs

scrambledeggs
scram·bled
eggs
plural noun

officer’s gold braid:
gold braid attached to the peak of the cap of a senior military officer (slang)[1]



scrambler

scrambler
scram·bler 
[skrámblər] (plural scram·blers)
noun

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
device to encode transmitted signals:
an electronic device that renders telecommunications or broadcast signals
unintelligible without a special receiver[1]



scramjet

scramjet
scram·jet 
[skrám jèt] (plural scram·jets)
noun

aircraft
burning fuel in supersonic airstream: a
ramjet aircraft in which fuel is burned in air that is moving at supersonic
speeds
[Mid-20th century. From the
initial letters of supersonic and combustion + ramjet
.][1]



Scranton

Scranton
Scran·ton 
[skránt’n]

city in northeastern
Pennsylvania. A mining city until the 1940s, it is now a manufacturing center.
Population: 81,805 (1990)[1]



scrap

scrap1
scrap1 [skrap]
noun (plural scraps)

1.  fragment:
a small piece or remnant that has been detached or torn off from a larger piece

2.  waste
material:
waste material, especially metal awaiting reprocessing

3.  small
piece:
a very small piece of something • There’s
not a scrap of evidence to prove it.

4.  bit
of written or printed material: a short piece of
writing, or a cutting from something printed
plural
noun
scraps COOKING

1.  leftovers:
pieces of leftover food • table scraps

2.  cracklings:
the crisp remains of animal fat after the oil has been rendered
transitive
verb
(past scrapped, past participle scrapped, present
participle scrap·ping, 3rd person present singular scraps)

1.  get
rid of something: to discard or discontinue something
because it is considered useless or ineffective

2.  convert
something to scrap: to convert something into
scrap material • scrapping old warships
[14th century. From Old Norse
skrap “scraps, trifles.”][1]



scrap

scrap2
scrap2 [skrap]
noun (plural scraps)

minor
fight:
a minor fight or disagreement (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past scrapped, past participle scrapped, present
participle scrap·ping, 3rd person present singular scraps)

fight
or disagree: to have a minor fight or disagreement
with somebody
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of scrape .][1]



scrapbook

scrapbook
scrap·book 
[skráp bk] (plural scrap·books)
noun

album:
a blank book or album for pasting in photos, pictures, cuttings, or other
material[1]



scrape

scrape
scrape 
[skrayp] verb (past scraped,
past participle scraped, present participle scrap·ing,
3rd person present singular scrapes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rub
something on surface: to move something hard,
sharp, or rough across a surface, especially in order to clean it • scraping
the wall to remove the paint

2.  transitive
verb
take
something off: to remove something by applying a hard
or sharp edge to it and rubbing with it • My
efforts to scrape the paint off failed.

3.  transitive
verb
scratch
something:
to scratch, cut, or damage something by bringing it into contact with a rough
or abrasive surface • fell
and scraped my knees

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
grating noise: to make a harsh grating sound or cause
something to make such a sound • scraping
his chair along the floor

5.  intransitive
verb
scrimp:
to live economically in an effort to save money • scraping
by on a single income

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb barely
do something: to manage only just to do or achieve
something • He
just scraped through law school.
noun
(plural scrapes)

1.  scraping:
a scraping of something • I’ll
give the paint a quick scrape.

2.  light
scratch:
a light cut, graze, or area of damage caused by contact with a rough or
abrasive surface

3.  grating
sound:
a sharp, grating sound • the
scrape of chairs on the bare floor

4.  dangerous
situation:
a dangerous, difficult, or awkward situation (informal)

5.  minor
fight:
a minor fight or disagreement (informal)
[Old
English scrapian “to scratch,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of English shear .
Reinforced by related Old Norse skrapa or Dutch schrapen .]
—scrap·er, noun[1]



scraperboard

scraperboard
scrap·er·board 
[skráypər bàwrd] (plural scrap·er·boards)
noun

1.  U.K.
See scratchboard

2.  scraperboard
drawing:
a drawing produced on a scraperboard

[1]



scrapetogether

scrapetogether
scrape
together
or scrape up transitive verb

gather something with
difficulty: to manage with difficulty to
collect together an amount of something, especially money, or a number of
people or things[1]



scrapheap

scrapheap
scrap·heap
[skráp hp] (plural scrap·heaps)
noun

1.  pile
of trash:
a large pile of unwanted or discarded items, especially those being used as
scrap material

2.  place
for discarded things: an imagined place to which
people and things discarded as worn out and useless are consigned (informal)
• workers
who are relegated to the scrapheap at 50

[1]



scrapie

scrapie
scra·pie 
[skráypee] noun

disease
of sheep and goats: a usually fatal disease
affecting the nervous system of sheep and goats that is marked by intense
itching and loss of muscular control. It is now thought to be one of the
diseases caused by a prion, and is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy
in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from scrape, from the animals’ rubbing
against objects to alleviate itching.][1]



scrapper

scrapper
scrap·per
[skráppər] (plural scrap·pers)
noun

good
fighter:
an enthusiastic, determined fighter, especially a boxer (slang)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from scrap 2 .][1]



scrapple

scrapple
scrap·ple 
[skrápp’l] (plural scrap·ples)
noun

pork
and cornmeal loaf: pork trimmings cooked with
cornmeal and seasonings, formed into a loaf, and cooled. It is sliced and fried
before serving.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from scrap 1 .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Also
  called Philadelphia scrapple, the term emerges from Pennsylvania and
  the Middle Atlantic states, extending southward as far as East Tennessee
  where it preserves remarkable currency.

[1]



scrappy

scrappy1
scrap·py1 [skráppee]
(comparative scrap·pi·er, superlative scrap·pi·est)
adjective

1.  in
scraps:
consisting of scraps or fragments

2.  disconnected:
poorly held together or structured
—scrap·pi·ly,
adverb

—scrap·pi·ness, noun[1]



scrappy

scrappy2
scrap·py2 [skráppee]
(comparative scrap·pi·er, superlative scrap·pi·est)
adjective (informal)

1.  plucky:
fighting with enthusiasm and determination

2.  belligerent:
too ready to fight or quarrel
—scrap·pi·ly,
adverb

—scrap·pi·ness, noun[1]



scratch

scratch
scratch 
[skrach] verb (past scratched,
past participle scratched, present participle scratch·ing,
3rd person present singular scratch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
make
mark in something: to scrape or make a slight
mark in the surface of something • He
scratched the tabletop with the knife.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb tear
skin:
to make a thin tear in the surface of the skin of a person or animal • The
cat scratched me.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
scraping movement: to rub or scrape a surface,
for example, with claws or a scraping instrument • The
cat was scratching at the door.

4.  intransitive
verb
make
harsh noise: to make a scraping sound

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb relieve
itching:
to rub the skin with nails or claws, especially to relieve itching or
discomfort

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC produce scraping sound from
record:
to run a record backward and forward on a turntable in order to repeat and
distort the original sound of the record

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
itching:
to irritate the surface of the skin by being rough or prickly

8.  transitive
verb
drag
something along surface: to drag something along a
rough surface so that the object is scraped

9.  transitive
verb
write
something with sharp instrument: to write or draw
something by marking a surface with a pointed or sharp instrument • names
scratched on the tree

10. intransitive
and transitive verb pen
something quickly: to write or draw something
hastily

11. transitive
verb
delete
something:
to delete or erase something by scraping it off, crossing it out, or rendering
it illegible

12. transitive
verb
cancel
something:
to cancel or abandon a project, plan, or proposal completely

13. intransitive
verb
search
aimlessly:
to search for something in an unsystematic way by picking through things or
looking on the ground • scratching
around for evidence

14. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS withdraw from competition:
to withdraw an individual or team from a race or competition

15. intransitive
verb
CUE GAMES incur
penalty:
to make a billiard shot that incurs a penalty, for example, by hitting the cue
ball into a pocket

16. intransitive
verb
CUE GAMES make
fluke shot:
in billiards, to make a mishit that produces a score

17. intransitive
and transitive verb just
get by:
to make a barely adequate living • scratching
out a living
noun
(plural scratch·es)

1.  mark
on surface:
a slight cut or mark on a surface

2.  tear
in skin:
a thin cut or tear in the surface of the skin of a person or animal

3.  scraping
sound:
a scraping sound, especially one made with the claws or nails

4.  action
to relieve itching: a rubbing of the skin with
the nails or claws, especially to relieve itching or discomfort

5.  scribbly
writing:
something written hastily or illegibly

6.  SPORTS See scratch line

7.  SPORTS withdrawn
competitor:
an individual or team withdrawn from a race or competition

8.  GOLF handicap
of zero:
in golf, a zero handicap

9.  CUE GAMES shot
incurring penalty: a billiard shot that incurs
a penalty

10. MUSIC type
of pop music: music produced by running a record
backward and forward on a turntable, repeating and distorting the original
sound. Scratch is performed especially by disk jockeys in clubs.

11. money:
money or cash (slang)
adjective

1.  done
randomly:
done randomly or by chance

2.  for
jotted notes: used for making quick or preliminary
notes • scratch
paper

3.  SPORTS assembled
hastily:
assembled hastily from available resources • a
scratch team

4.  GOLF with
no handicap: playing golf with a handicap of zero
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a blend of “scrat” (of unknown origin) and
“cratch” (probably from Middle Dutch kratsen ), both meaning “to
scratch.”]
from
scratch

1.  right
from the beginning, or with nothing having been done previously (informal)

2.  using
basic ingredients instead of a prepared mix (informal)

up
to scratch

of
or up to a satisfactory standard (informal) • exam
results that aren’t really up to scratch

[1]



scratch-and-sniff

scratch-and-sniff
scratch-and-sniff
adjective

releasing smell when
scratched: designed to release a smell
when scratched, especially as a complement to a visual experience[1]



scratchboard

scratchboard
scratch·board 
[skrách bàwrd] (plural scratch·boards)
noun

clay-covered drawing board:
a drawing board that is covered with a layer of white clay on top of which is a
layer of black that can be scraped away to make line drawings.
U.K. term
scraperboard  noun 1[1]



scratchcard

scratchcard
scratch
card
noun

card scratched in prize
competition: a card containing one
or more sections covered in an overlay that can be scratched off to reveal a
possible prize printed beneath[1]



scratchline

scratchline
scratch
line
noun

1.  scratch
line
or scratch starting line:
a starting line in a race

2.  line
not to be overstepped: a line that a competitor may
not step over without committing a foul

[1]



scratchpad

scratchpad
scratch·pad
[skrách pàd] (plural scratch·pads)
noun

note pad:
a pad of paper for making rough notes[1]



scratchproof

scratchproof
scratch·proof 
[skrách prf] adjective

not easily scratched:
resistant to being scratched[1]



scratchsheet

scratchsheet
scratch
sheet
noun

list of horses scratched from
race: in horseracing, a program
listing horses withdrawn from races and giving odds on those horses still
entered[1]



scratchtest

scratchtest
scratch
test
noun

allergy skin test:
a test to discover if somebody is allergic to a substance ( allergen ), in which a small amount of the
substance is rubbed into a lightly scratched area of skin. A reaction, for
example, the formation of a welt, indicates an allergy to the substance.[1]



scratchtogether

scratchtogether
scratch
together
or scratch up transitive verb

See
scrape together[1]



scratchy

scratchy
scratch·y 
[skráchee] (comparative scratch·i·er,
superlative scratch·i·est) adjective

1.  itchy:
causing or feeling itchiness on the skin • a
scratchy sweater

2.  sounding
like scratches: making a scratching or scraping sound • a
scratchy recording

3.  penned
quickly:
written or drawn hastily or illegibly

4.  irregular:
done haphazardly or not smoothly
—scratch·i·ly,
adverb

—scratch·i·ness, noun[1]



scrawl

scrawl
scrawl 
[skrawl] intransitive and transitive verb
(past scrawled, past participle scrawled, present
participle scrawl·ing, 3rd person present singular scrawls)

write
or draw something messily: to write or draw something
untidily or hastily, especially in large letters that are difficult to read
noun
(plural scrawls)

messy
writing:
messy or hurried-looking handwriting or drawing
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from obsolete scrawl “to
gesticulate, sprawl,” blend of sprawl and crawl .]
—scrawl·er,
noun

—scrawl·y, adjective[1]



scrawny

scrawny
scraw·ny 
[skráwnee] (comparative scraw·ni·er,
superlative scraw·ni·est) adjective

very
thin:
unpleasantly or unhealthily thin and bony
[Mid-19th
century. Variant of dialect “scranny,” of uncertain origin: probably from a
Scandinavian language.]
—scraw·ni·ly,
adverb

—scraw·ni·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



screak

screak
screak 
[skreek] intransitive verb (past
screaked, past participle screaked, present participle
screak·ing, 3rd person present singular screaks)

1.  to
screech:
to produce a screech

2.  to
creak:
to produce a creak
noun
(plural screaks)

1.  screech:
a screeching sound

2.  creak:
a creaking sound
[15th
century. From Old Norse skrækja, an imitation of the sound.]
—screak·y, adjective[1]



scream

scream

scream 
[skreem] noun (plural screams)

1.  piercing
cry:
a loud, piercing, high-pitched cry, uttered especially in fear, pain,
excitement, or amusement

2.  high-pitched
noise:
a very loud, high-pitched sound such as that of a siren or jet engine

3.  somebody
or something highly amusing: an extremely funny or
entertaining person, event, or activity (informal)
verb (past
screamed, past participle screamed, present participle
scream·ing, 3rd person present singular screams)

1.  intransitive
verb
cry:
to utter a loud, piercing, high-pitched cry, especially in fear, pain, or
excitement • He
screamed for help.

2.  transitive
verb
shout
something in piercing voice: to utter something in a
loud, piercing, high-pitched voice, especially in fear, panic, desperation, or
excitement • “Get
out!” he screamed.

3.  intransitive
verb
laugh
loudly:
to laugh shrilly and loudly

4.  intransitive
verb
make
high-pitched sound: to make a loud high-pitched
sound • The
ambulance went by, sirens screaming.

5.  intransitive
verb
move
at speed:
to move extremely quickly while producing a loud high-pitched sound • The
police car screamed by.

6.  intransitive
verb
be
obvious:
to be extremely obvious or noticeable • The
mistakes just scream out at you.
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch schreem or Old
Norse scræma, both imitations of the sound.]
—scream·ing·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Scream, a painting by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch ( 1893 ). Painted in
  a bold, expressionist style, it depicts a panic-stricken human figure
  standing on a bridge or pier. The skull-like face appears to emit a cry that
  reverberates through the surrounding landscape. A powerful symbol of despair,
  it is one of the best-known icons of modern art.

[1]



screamer

screamer
scream·er 
[skrmər] (plural scream·ers) noun

1.  something
that screams: somebody or something that screams

2.  BIRDS bird
resembling goose: a South American aquatic bird that
resembles a goose, but with a smaller bill, and has a harsh call. Family:
Anhimidae

3.  PRESS sensational
headline:
a sensational headline set in large letters (slang)

4.  PRINTING exclamation
point:
an exclamation point (slang)

[1]



screamingmeemies

screamingmeemies
scream·ing
mee·mies 
[skrming mmeez] plural noun

jitters:
an attack of nervous anxiety (informal) (takes a singular or plural
verb)
U.K.
term
screaming abdabs
[Meemies of unknown origin][1]



scree

scree
scree 
[skree] (plural screes) noun

1.  rock
debris at base of hill: an accumulation of rock
debris at the base of a cliff, hill, or mountain slope, often forming a heap

2.  scree
-covered slope: a slope covered with a layer of scree
[Early 18th century. From Old
Norse skriða “landslip.”][1]



screech

screech

screech 
[skreech] noun (plural screech·es)

1.  shrill
scream:
a high-pitched grating cry or scream, uttered especially in fear, pain,
excitement, or amusement • the
screech of an owl

2.  high-pitched
sound:
a loud high-pitched grating sound • a
screech of brakes

3.  Canada
BEVERAGES dark
rum:
a dark rum bottled in Newfoundland, Canada
verb (past
screeched, past participle screeched, present
participle screech·ing, 3rd person present singular screech·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
utter
shrill scream: to utter a high-pitched grating cry or
scream, especially in fear, pain, excitement, or amusement

2.  transitive
verb
shriek
something:
to utter something in a high-pitched and grating tone of voice

3.  intransitive
verb
make
screeching sound: to make a loud high-pitched grating
sound

4.  intransitive
verb
produce
screeching sound by moving fast: to move, usually
extremely fast, while producing a screeching sound • The
car screeched to a stop.
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of archaic scritch, ultimately an imitation of the
sound.]
—screech·er,
noun

—screech·i·ness,
noun

—screech·y, adjective[1]



screechowl

screechowl
screech
owl
(plural screech owls) noun

small N American owl:
a small North American owl with a high-pitched whistling call and feather tufts
on the head that resemble ears. Genus: Otus[1]



screed

screed
screed 
[skreed] (plural screeds) noun

1.  lengthy
piece of writing: a long and often tedious piece of
writing or speech

2.  CONSTRUCTION guide
for plastering: a strip of plaster, wood, or other
material placed on a surface as a guide to the correct thickness of plaster or
concrete to be applied there

3.  CONSTRUCTION board
for leveling: a board or tool used to level a layer of
concrete, sand, or other loose material

4.  CONSTRUCTION top
layer:
a smooth top layer on a concrete floor or other surface
[14th century. Variant of shred ; originally in the sense “torn strip.”][1]



screen

screen
screen 
[skreen] noun (plural screens)

1.  partition
or shelter:
a fixed or movable partition or frame that is used to conceal, divide,
separate, or provide shelter • You
may change your clothes behind the screen.

2.  something
that conceals: anything that serves to conceal, divide,
separate, or provide shelter • A
screen of leaves protected her from the sun.

3.  mesh
frame or mesh: a frame with a fine wire or plastic mesh
designed to prevent the entry of mosquitoes or other insects, or the mesh
itself

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
display surface: the broad flat end of a cathode-ray tube
or liquid crystal display on which images are displayed, for example, in a
television set or computer monitor

5.  COMPUTING data
displayed on monitor: the data displayed on the
screen of a computer monitor • to
print the screen

6.  CINEMA PHOTOGRAPHY surface for projecting
movie onto:
a large flat white or silver surface onto which a movie or slide is projected

7.  CINEMA movies:
the movie industry

8.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
frame:
a decorative frame or partition, for example, in a church choir • a
rood screen

9.  concealment:
a measure taken to conceal something • This
report is just a screen for the government’s inaction.

10. selection
system:
a system for selecting suitable people, for example, for a post, membership in
an organization, or rental of an apartment

11. sieve:
a sieve used to filter out fine particles, for example, of sand or gravel

12. SPORTS blocking
tactic:
a tactic in a team game in which players of one team block a player from the
opposing team

13. FOOTBALL See screen pass

14. PHOTOGRAPHY camera
plate for focusing: a ground-glass plate in a
camera that is used for getting an image properly focused before it is
photographed

15. PRINTING glass
plate for half-tone reproductions: a glass plate marked
with very fine lines and used in producing half-tone reproductions

16. MILITARY advance
detachment:
a military detachment sent in advance of a main force to protect it from the
enemy or give warning of an enemy approach

17. PSYCHOANALYSIS emotional
block:
something that prevents somebody from understanding his or her real feelings
verb
(past screened, past participle screened, present
participle screen·ing, 3rd person present singular screens)

1.  transitive
verb
conceal
or shelter somebody or something: to provide shelter,
protection, or concealment from somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
partition
something off: to partition, separate, or divide
something off from something else • They
had screened the area into cubicles.

3.  transitive
verb
fit
something with screen: to provide something with a
screen

4.  transitive
verb
protect
somebody:
to protect somebody from something unpleasant or dangerous

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA show in movie theater:
to project a movie onto a screen in a theater

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb TV show on television:
to broadcast a movie, program, or other item on television

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb test
for disease: to test somebody or something for a
particular illness or disease

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb select
by weeding out: to select somebody as being suitable for
something, for example, a post, membership in an organization, or renting an
apartment

9.  transitive
verb
sift
something:
to filter something through a sieve

10. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS block opponent:
to block a member of an opposing team so that he or she cannot see or respond
to a particular move

11. transitive
verb
PRINTING photograph
something for half-tone reproduction: to
photograph something through a glass plate to make a half-tone reproduction
[14th
century. From Old Northern French escren .]
—screen·a·ble,
adjective

—screen·er, noun[1]



screendump

screendump
screen
dump
noun

printing or saving of screen
data: the process of printing or
saving the contents of a computer display screen[1]



screening

screening
screen·ing 
[skrning] noun (plural screen·ings)

1.  CINEMA a
showing in a cinema: a projection of a movie on a
screen in a cinema

2.  TV a
showing on television: a showing of a movie,
program, or other item on television

3.  MEDICINE test
for disease: a test or testing carried out routinely
on supposedly healthy people in order to establish, as early as possible,
whether or not an illness or disease is present

4.  protecting
screens:
screens for providing shelter, protection, or concealment, or for separating or
dividing

5.  wire
mesh:
fine wire or plastic mesh used on a door or window to prevent the entry of
mosquitoes or other insects
plural
noun
screen·ings

sifted material:
waste material that has been screened from something

[1]



screenmemory

screenmemory
screen
mem·o·ry
noun

childhood masking memory:
an early childhood memory that is used subconsciously to mask another related,
often distressful, memory[1]



screenpass

screenpass
screen
pass
noun

FOOTBALL
forward pass to screened player:
a forward pass to a player who is protected from being tackled by a screen of
members of his or her own team.
Also called
screen[1]



screenplay

screenplay
screen·play 
[skrn plày] (plural screen·plays)
noun

film script:
a script or scenario for a film[1]



screen-print

screen-print
screen-print 
noun

silk-screen
print:
a print produced by silk-screen printing
—screen-print·ing,
noun

—screen-print, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



screensaver

screensaver
screen
sav·er
noun

utility for disguising
computer screen: a computer utility that
automatically makes the screen go blank or display a particular image after a
particular period of time. Originally developed to prevent the permanent
etching of a pattern on the screen of older monochrome monitors, screen savers
now are an adornment with which to personalize a computer.[1]



screentest

screentest
screen
test
noun

filmed
acting test: an audition for a movie role in which an
actor is filmed, or the film made of the audition
—screen-test, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



screenwriter

screenwriter
screen·writ·er 
[skrn rtər] (plural screen·writ·ers)
noun

writer
of screenplays: the writer of a script that is intended
to be filmed
—screen·writ·ing, noun[1]



screw

screw

screw 
[skroo] noun (plural screws)

1.  CONSTRUCTION threaded
fastener inserted into material: a piece of metal with
a tapering threaded body and grooved head by which it is turned into something
in order to fasten things together

2.  CONSTRUCTION screw
for nut:
a screw with a blunt end onto which a nut is fitted to hold two objects
together

3.  device
similar to screw: anything that has a form similar to a
tapering metal screw, for example, a corkscrew

4.  twisting
action:
a turn of a screw or of a device like a screw

5.  ENGINEERING See propeller

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for an act or instance of sexual intercourse (slang
offensive)

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a sexual partner with regard to his or her sexual
performance (slang offensive)

8.  CRIMINOLOGY guard:
a prison guard (slang)
verb (past
screwed, past participle screwed, present participle
screw·ing, 3rd person present singular screws)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
with screws: to fasten or tighten something with a
screw or screws • He screwed the shelf to
the wall.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
by rotating: to rotate something along a thread in
order to fasten or tighten it • screwed
the bulb in carefully

3.  transitive
verb
crush
something:
to crumple or crush something into a tight ball

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb contort:
to contort or crumple a part of or all of the face, or to be contorted or
crumpled • She
screwed her eyes up against the glare.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sexual intercourse with somebody (slang
offensive)

6.  transitive
verb
cheat
somebody:
to cheat or swindle somebody (slang)

7.  transitive
verb
extort
something:
to get something out of somebody with great difficulty (slang) • We
managed to screw some money out of him in the end.

8.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term used to express anger or frustration (slang offensive)
[15th
century. From Old French escroue, directly or via prehistoric Germanic
from Latin scrofa “sow” (because of its curly tail shaped like a
corkscrew).]
—screw·a·ble,
adjective

—screw·er,
noun
have a screw or few screws loose

to
be irrational or lack common sense or good judgment (informal)

put the screws on somebody

to use force or pressure on
somebody (slang)[1]



screwaround

screwaround
screw
around
intransitive verb (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to have sex with a number of different people,
especially when married or in an established relationship

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to waste time in trivial or pointless activities

[1]



screwball

screwball
screw·ball 
[skr bàwl] noun (plural screw·balls)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is regarded as behaving in an
unconventional, irrational, or strange way (informal insult)

2.  BASEBALL pitch
in opposite direction to curveball: in
baseball, a pitch that curves in a direction opposite to that of a regular
curveball, traveling instead to the same side as the hand with which it is
thrown
adjective

strange:
regarded as unconventional, irrational, or strange (informal)

[1]



screwballcomedy

screwballcomedy
screw·ball
com·e·dy
noun

comic movie:
a movie, especially a Hollywood comedy of the 1930s, featuring the amusing
antics of appealing characters in a glamorous world. These films often feature
an emancipated and strong-willed heroine.[1]



screwbean

screwbean
screw
bean
noun
Also
called
tornillo

1.  shrub
producing pods used as fodder: a shrub of the legume
family that is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico and produces
twisted pods that are used as fodder. Latin name: Prosopis pubescens

2.  seed
pod:
a pod of the screw bean plant

[1]



screwdriver

screwdriver
screw·driv·er 
[skr drvər] (plural screw·driv·ers)
noun

1.  TECHNOLOGY tool
for fastening screws: a tool for driving screws
that consists of a handle or power tool with a metal rod shaped at the tip to
fit into the head of a screw

2.  BEVERAGES vodka
and orange cocktail: a cocktail made from vodka
and orange juice

[1]



screwedup

screwedup
screwed
up
adjective (hyphenated when used before a noun)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning affected by or displaying symptoms of psychological
or emotional disorder (slang offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning mismanaged, disrupted, or made a mess of (informal)

[1]



screweye

screweye
screw
eye
noun

screw with looped head:
a screw with a looped instead of a flat head[1]



screwjack

screwjack
screw
jack
noun

lifting device:
a jack used for lifting heavy items such as vehicles, operated by a screw
mechanism.
Also called
jackscrew[1]



screwpine

screwpine
screw
pine
noun

See
pandanus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








screwpropeller

screwpropeller
screw
pro·pel·ler
noun

See
propeller[1]



screwthread

screwthread
screw
thread
noun

1.  outer
ridge of screw: the continuous helical outer surface of
a screw or the inner surface of a nut

2.  turn
of screw thread: a full turn of a screw thread

[1]



screwup

screwup
screw·up
[skr ùp] (plural screw·ups) noun
(slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a mess, blunder, or bungled event

2.  bungler:
an offensive term for somebody who habitually messes up, blunders, or bungles
things

[1]



screwup

screwup
screw
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to mismanage, disrupt, or make a mess of something (slang
offensive)

2.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to disturb somebody psychologically or emotionally (slang
offensive)

3.  muster
something:
to gather courage or nerve before doing something

[1]



screwworm

screwworm
screw·worm 
[skr wùrm] (plural screw·worms)
noun

larva
of blowfly:
the larva of the screwworm fly that grows under the skin of livestock and other
mammals, causing injury and death
[Late 19th century. Screw
from the spiny hairs of the larva, which encircle each segment.][1]



screwwormfly

screwwormfly
screw·worm
fly
noun

adult screwworm:
a bluish blowfly whose eggs, laid on the skin of livestock and other large
mammals, hatch as larvae ( screwworms ) that
grow under the skin. Latin name: Cochliomyia hominivorax[1]



screwy

screwy
screw·y 
[skr ee] (comparative screw·i·er,
superlative screw·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning irrational, unconventional, or strange

2.  improper
or illegal:
not quite right or correct, especially in being improper or illegal
—screw·i·ly,
adverb

—screw·i·ness, noun[1]



scribble

scribble
scrib·ble 
[skríbb’l] verb (past scrib·bled,
past participle scrib·bled, present participle scrib·bling,
3rd person present singular scrib·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
messily:
to write something hastily or untidily, often in smallish letters

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
meaningless markings: to write or draw meaningless
or undecipherable marks on something • Don’t
scribble on the wall!

3.  intransitive
verb
be
writer:
to be a writer, especially one of little merit (humorous)
noun
(plural scrib·bles)

1.  messy
handwriting: messy or careless handwriting

2.  hasty
note:
something written messily or hastily

3.  doodles:
meaningless marks written or drawn on something
[15th
century. Ultimately from Latin scribere “to write” (source of English scribe ).]
—scrib·bler, noun[1]



scribe

scribe
scribe 
[skrīb] noun (plural scribes)

1.  HISTORY book
copier:
somebody who copies or writes out documents, especially somebody who copied
manuscripts in medieval times

2.  JUDAISM copier
of Jewish religious documents: somebody who copies
the Sefer Torah and other religious documents using a quill pen on parchment

3.  clerk:
an official public clerk

4.  journalist:
a writer, especially a journalist (humorous)

5.  TECHNOLOGY See scriber
intransitive
and transitive verb (past scribed,
past participle scribed, present participle scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular scribes)

TECHNOLOGY mark
lines on something: to mark something such as
wood or metal with a line using a pointed instrument, especially as a guide for
cutting
[12th century. From Latin scriba
“official or public writer,” from scribere “to write.”][1]



scriber

scriber
scrib·er 
[skrībər] (plural scrib·ers) noun

marking tool:
a sharp instrument for marking lines on wood or other material.
Also called
scribe[1]



scrim

scrim
scrim 
[skrim] (plural scrims) noun

1.  THEATER theatrical
curtain:
a drop curtain in a theater that appears opaque to the audience when lit from
the front but transparent when lit from behind

2.  TEXTILES cotton
or linen fabric: a durable open-weave cotton or linen
fabric used for curtains, clothing, upholstery lining, and in industry
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



scrimmage

scrimmage
scrim·mage 
[skrímmij] noun (plural scrim·mag·es)

1.  SPORTS practice
game:
a practice game between two squads, often from the same team

2.  FOOTBALL play
in football: the action in a football game from the
moment the ball is snapped to the moment the ball is dead

3.  struggle:
a rough or confused struggle

4.  fight:
a skirmish or minor battle

5.  RUGBY scrum:
a scrum (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past scrim·maged,
past participle scrim·maged, present participle scrim·mag·ing,
3rd person present singular scrim·mag·es)

take part in scrimmage:
to engage in a scrimmage or play a scrimmage against somebody
[15th century. Alteration of skirmish .][1]



scrimmageline

scrimmageline
scrim·mage
line
(plural scrim·mage lines) noun

See
line of scrimmage[1]



scrimp

scrimp
scrimp 
[skrimp] (past scrimped, past
participle scrimped, present participle scrimp·ing, 3rd
person present singular scrimps) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
economize:
to economize drastically or be extremely frugal • scrimp
on food

2.  transitive
verb
be
stingy to somebody: to treat somebody meanly or
limit provision to somebody severely

3.  transitive
verb
make
something too small: to make something too small
or scanty
[Mid-18th
century. From obsolete scrimp “scant, meager,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps ultimately from a Scandinavian source.]
—scrimp·i·ly,
adverb

—scrimp·i·ness,
noun

—scrimp·y, adjective[1]



scrimshander

scrimshander
scrim·shand·er 
[skrím shàndər] (plural scrim·shand·ers)
noun

somebody
who makes scrimshaw: somebody who makes carved or
engraved articles from the teeth or bones of whales
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from a variant of scrimshaw .][1]



scrimshaw

scrimshaw
scrim·shaw 
[skrím shàw] noun

1.  carved
whale ivory: a carved or engraved article made
originally by North American whalers from the teeth and bones of whales or
walruses, or such articles collectively

2.  making
of scrimshaw: the skill or pastime of making scrimshaw
verb
(past scrim·shawed, past participle scrim·shawed, present
participle scrim·shaw·ing, 3rd person present singular scrim·shaws)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
scrimshaw:
to make scrimshaw

2.  transitive
verb
carve
or engrave something: to carve or engrave
something into scrimshaw
[Mid-19th century. From
earlier scrimshonting “carving whale ivory,” ultimately of unknown
origin: perhaps influenced by the surname Scrimshaw .][1]



scrip

scrip2
scrip2 [skrip]
(plural scrips) noun

certificate
representing fraction of stock: a document or
certificate representing a fraction of a share or stock
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of subscription receipt .][1]



scrip

scrip3
scrip3 [skrip]
(plural scrips) noun

small
satchel or wallet: a wallet or small satchel or
bag (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French escrep(p)e “alms purse,” from escherpe “scarf.”][1]



scrip

scrip1
scrip1 [skrip]
(plural scrips) noun

1.  temporary
paper currency: paper currency issued for temporary
emergency use, for example, by an occupying force

2.  brief
piece of writing: a list, receipt, or other short piece of
writing

3.  prescription:
a doctor’s prescription (slang)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of script, influenced by scrap .][1]



scripophily

scripophily
scrip·oph·i·ly 
[skri póffəlee] noun

hobby
of collecting share certificates: the hobby of
collecting share and bond certificates, especially those of historical interest
[Late
20th century. Coined from scrip 2 + -phily .]
—scrip·o·phile [skríppə fl], noun[1]



Scripps,E.W.

Scripps,E.W.
Scripps 
[skrips], E.W. (1854–1926)

U.S.
newspaper publisher. He gradually acquired newspapers and in 1894 established
what became the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. In 1897 he founded a news
service that became the United Press Association.
Full name
Scripps, Edward Wyllis[1]



script

script
script 
[skript] noun (plural scripts)

1.  text
of play or broadcast: the printed version of a
stage play, movie screenplay, or radio or television broadcast, including the
words to be spoken and often also technical directions

2.  manuscript:
an original document or manuscript

3.  handwriting:
characters written by hand, especially in cursive form

4.  system
of writing:
any system of characters used in writing

5.  printed
type resembling writing: printed type designed to
imitate handwriting
transitive
verb
(past script·ed, past participle script·ed, present
participle script·ing, 3rd person present singular scripts)

write script for something:
to write or prepare a script for something
[14th century. Via Old French
escri(p)t from Latin scriptus, from scribere “to write”
(source of English description and scripture ).][1]



Script.

Script.
Script.

Abbreviation of
Scripture[1]



scriptdoctor

scriptdoctor
script
doc·tor
(plural script doc·tors) noun

revising writer:
a writer who revises an unsatisfactory script for a play or movie[1]



scriptorium

scriptorium
scrip·to·ri·um 
[skrip táwree əm] (plural scrip·to·ri·ums
or scrip·to·ri·a [skrip táwree ə])
noun

room
for copying manuscripts: a room in a monastery for
storing, copying, illustrating, or reading manuscripts
[Late 18th century. From
medieval Latin, where it was formed from Latin scribere (see scripture ).][1]



scriptural

scriptural
scrip·tur·al 
[skrípchərəl] adjective

1.  RELIGION of
sacred writings: relating to, contained in, or according
to sacred writings, especially the biblical scriptures

2.  of
writing:
written or relating to writing
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin scripturalis, from scriptura (see scripture ).]
—scrip·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



scripture

scripture
scrip·ture
[skrípchər] (plural scrip·tures)
or Scrip·ture [skrípchər] (plural
Scrip·tures) noun

1.  biblical
writings:
the sacred writings of the Bible

2.  biblical
text:
a passage from the Bible

3.  sacred
writing:
any sacred writing or book • Buddhist
scripture

4.  authoritative
statement:
a statement regarded as authoritative
[14th century. From Latin scriptura
“that which is written,” from the past participle of scribere “to
write.”][1]



scriptwriter

scriptwriter
script·writ·er 
[skrípt rtər] (plural script·writ·ers)
noun

writer of scripts:
somebody who writes scripts for material to be broadcast[1]



scrivener

scrivener
scriv·en·er 
[skrívvənər] (plural scriv·en·ers)
noun

1.  professional
copyist or scribe: in former times, somebody
whose job involved writing or making handwritten copies of documents, books, or
other texts

2.  notary
public:
a notary public (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
escrivein, ultimately from Latin scriba (see scribe ).][1]



scrobiculate

scrobiculate
scro·bic·u·late 
[skrō bíkyə làyt, skrō
bíkyələt] adjective

BIOLOGY grooved
or pitted:
with a grooved or pitted surface
[Late 19th century. Via scrobicule
“small pit or groove,” from late Latin scrobiculus “little trench,” from
scrobis “trench.”][1]



scrod

scrod
scrod 
[skrod] (plural scrods) or
schrod [skrod] (plural schrods)
noun

young
cod or haddock: a young cod or haddock, especially when
split, cooked, and served as food
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Dutch schrood, “piece cut off,” from Middle Dutch
scrōde, “shred,” because the fish was usually sliced up before
preparation.][1]



scrofula

scrofula
scrof·u·la 
[skróffyələ] noun

tuberculosis
of lymph glands of neck: tuberculosis of the lymph
glands, especially of the neck. If untreated, the glands burst through the skin
to form running sores.
[14th century. From medieval
Latin scrofula “swelling of glands,” from scrofa “breeding sow,”
because the glands resemble a pig’s back, or because “scrofula” meant “swine
disease.”][1]



scrofulous

scrofulous
scrof·u·lous 
[skróffyələss] adjective

1.  having
or resembling scrofula: affected with or
characteristic of scrofula

2.  shabby
in appearance: run-down, diseased, or shabby in
appearance

3.  morally
corrupt:
morally corrupt and degenerate
—scrof·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—scrof·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



scroll

scroll
scroll 
[skrōl] noun (plural scrolls)

1.  roll
of parchment: a roll of paper, parchment, leather, or
other material for writing a document

2.  list:
a list, roll, or roster

3.  ornamental
design resembling roll of paper: an ornamental design
shaped like a rolled or partially rolled piece of paper

4.  MUSIC curved
head of stringed instrument: the curved head of a
stringed musical instrument such as a violin where the tuning pegs are set

5.  HERALDRY heraldic
ribbon with motto: in heraldry, a ribbon with
rolled ends inscribed with a motto
intransitive
and transitive verb (past scrolled,
past participle scrolled, present participle scroll·ing,
3rd person present singular scrolls)

move text or graphics:
to cause text or graphics to move up, down, or across a computer display
screen, or to be moved in this way
[15th century. Alteration of scrowe,
influenced by roll, via Old French escroe
“strip of parchment” from medieval Latin scroda “strip,” ultimately from
a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “something cut.”][1]



scrollbar

scrollbar
scroll
bar
(plural scroll bars) noun

bar for moving through
computer display: a horizontal or
vertical bar on a computer display screen containing a box used to make text or
graphics move up, down, or across the screen[1]



scrollsaw

scrollsaw
scroll
saw
(plural scroll saws) noun

saw for cutting curves:
a saw with a narrow blade used for cutting curved ornamental designs[1]



scrollwork

scrollwork
scroll·work 
[skrṓl wùrk] noun

designs with scrolls:
ornamental designs characterized by scrolls, especially in wood[1]



scrooch

scrooch
scrooch
[skrooch] (past scrooched, past
participle scrooched, present participle scrooch·ing, 3rd
person present singular scrooch·es) intransitive verb

crouch:
to crouch or bend down
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of scrouge .][1]



scrooge

scrooge
scrooge 
[skrooj] (plural scroog·es) or
Scrooge [skrooj] (plural Scroog·es)
noun

miser:
somebody who is regarded as very miserly (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From Ebenezer
Scrooge, a character in A Christmas Carol (1843), by Charles Dickens .][1]



scroop

scroop
scroop 
[skroop] noun (plural scroops)

rustling
sound of silk: a rasping sound like that of rustling
silk
intransitive
verb
(past scrooped, past participle scrooped, present
participle scroop·ing, 3rd person present singular scroops)

rustle:
to make a rustling or rasping noise
[Late 18th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



scrotum

scrotum
scro·tum 
[skrṓtəm] (plural scro·tums or
scro·ta [skrṓtə]) noun

pouch
containing testicles: the external pouch of skin
and muscle containing the testes in mammals. It allows sperm to develop at a
temperature lower than that of the body.
[Late
16th century. From Latin . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English shroud .]
—scro·tal, adjective[1]



scrounge

scrounge
scrounge 
[skrownj] (past scrounged, past
participle scrounged, present participle scroung·ing, 3rd
person present singular scroung·es) intransitive and transitive
verb (informal)

1.  beg
or borrow:
to acquire something from somebody by begging or borrowing without intending to
make repayment or return

2.  get
from any available source: to seek and acquire
something from any available source, for example, by foraging
[Early
20th century. Alteration of scringe, “to prowl around,” from cringe .]
—scroung·er, noun[1]



scroungy

scroungy
scroung·y 
[skrównjee] (comparative scroung·i·er,
superlative scroung·i·est) adjective

shabby:
shabby, dirty, and neglected (informal) • a
scroungy hovel[1]



scrub

scrub1
scrub1 [skrub]
verb (past scrubbed, past participle scrubbed,
present participle scrub·bing, 3rd person present singular
scrubs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb clean
by rubbing:
to clean something by rubbing hard

2.  transitive
verb
remove
dirt by rubbing: to remove dirt by rubbing hard, usually
with a brush

3.  transitive
verb
remove
impurities from gas: to remove impurities from a
gas by passing it over or through a liquid

4.  intransitive
verb
cleanse
for surgery: to cleanse the arms and hands in
preparation for surgery

5.  transitive
verb
cancel
something:
to cancel or postpone something (informal)
noun

act of scrubbing:
the act of cleaning something by rubbing hard
plural
noun
scrubs

clothing worn while performing surgery:
the clothing, usually a matching green shirt and pants, worn by surgeons and
nurses in an operating room (informal)
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schrubben .][1]



scrub

scrub2
scrub2 [skrub]
(plural scrubs) noun

1.  stunted
tree:
a stunted tree or shrub

2.  area
of low vegetation: low, stunted, or straggly
vegetation or an area of such vegetation

3.  mongrel:
a domestic animal of mixed breeding

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody small or insignificant

5.  SPORTS player
not on first string: a player not on the first
string or a team made up of such players

6.  Australia
remote
place:
a remote part of the countryside (informal)
[14th century. Alteration of shrub .][1]



scrubber

scrubber
scrub·ber 
[skrúbbər] (plural scrub·bers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that scrubs: somebody or something that
cleans by rubbing hard, often with a brush

2.  apparatus
for purifying gas: a device for removing
impurities from a gas
[Mid-19th century][1]



scrubby

scrubby
scrub·by 
[skrúbbee] (comparative scrub·bi·er,
superlative scrub·bi·est) adjective

1.  stunted
or straggly: inferior in size or quality

2.  covered
with low trees: covered with or consisting of low or
undersized shrubs or trees

3.  shabby:
shabby, messy, or wretched in appearance
—scrub·bi·ness, noun[1]



scrubland

scrubland
scrub·land 
[skrúb lànd] (plural scrub·lands)
noun

land covered with low trees:
land covered with low trees and shrubs[1]



scrubnurse

scrubnurse
scrub
nurse
(plural scrub nurs·es) noun

surgeon’s assistant:
a nurse who helps a surgeon in the operating room[1]



scruboak

scruboak
scrub
oak
(plural scrub oaks) noun

oak growing in scrubland:
a small North American oak found in scrubland. Latin name: Quercus
ilicifolia[1]



scrubpine

scrubpine
scrub
pine
noun

stunted pine tree:
a stunted, straggly, or undersized pine tree that is unsuitable for use as
lumber[1]



scrubtyphus

scrubtyphus
scrub
ty·phus
noun

infectious disease of Asia:
a common infectious disease in Asia that is caused by the microorganism Rickettsia
tsutsugamushi and spread by a biting mite. Symptoms include fever, painful
swollen lymph nodes, and a skin rash.
Also called
tsutsugamushi disease[1]



scrubwoman

scrubwoman
scrub·wom·an 
[skrúb wmmən] (plural scrub·wom·en
[skrúb wìmmin]) noun

woman hired as cleaner:
a woman hired to do cleaning (archaic)[1]



scruff

scruff
scruff 
[skruf] (plural scruffs) noun

back
of neck:
the back of the neck, especially when used to seize, drag, or lift a person or
animal
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of earlier scuff, from Old Norse skoft, “hair of the
head.”][1]



scruffy

scruffy
scruff·y 
[skrúffee] (comparative scruff·i·er,
superlative scruff·i·est) adjective

untidy
or shabby:
messy, shabby, or run-down in appearance
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from scruff . The modern
meaning, “shabby,” evolved from “scaly, covered with scurf.”]
—scruf·fi·ly,
adverb

—scruf·fi·ness, noun[1]



scrum

scrum
scrum 
[skrum] noun (plural scrums)

play
in rugby to get ball: a part of a rugby game in
which the two sets of forwards gather around the ball with heads down and arms
linked and try to obtain possession of it.
Also
called
scrummage
intransitive
verb
(past scrummed, past participle scrummed, present
participle scrum·ming, 3rd person present singular scrums)

form
rugby scrum: to form a scrum in rugby
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of scrummage .][1]



scrummage

scrummage
scrum·mage 
[skrúmmij] noun (plural scrum·mag·es)
intransitive verb (past scrum·maged, past participle
scrum·maged, present participle scrum·mag·ing, 3rd
person present singular scrum·mag·es)

See
scrum  noun
[Early
19th century. Alteration of scrimmage .]
—scrum·mag·er, noun[1]



scrumptious

scrumptious
scrump·tious 
[skrúmpshəss] adjective

delightful
or delicious: very pleasing, especially to the taste (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of sumptuous
.]
—scrump·tious·ly,
adverb

—scrump·tious·ness, noun[1]



scrunch

scrunch
scrunch 
[skrunch] verb (past scrunched,
past participle scrunched, present participle scrunch·ing,
3rd person present singular scrunch·es)

1.  transitive
verb
squeeze
something:
to crumple, crush, or squeeze something together tightly

2.  intransitive
verb
move
with crunching sound: to move with or make a
crunching sound

3.  intransitive
verb
hunker
down:
to hunker down, hunch, or crouch
noun

crunching sound:
a rustling, crunching sound
[Late 18th century. Thought
to suggest the action, or to be an imitation of the sound.][1]



scrunch-dry

scrunch-dry
scrunch-dry
(past scrunch-dried, past participle scrunch-dried,
present participle scrunch-dry·ing, 3rd person present
singular scrunch-dries) transitive verb

dry hair while scrunching it:
to dry hair while squeezing it together tightly in your hand to add volume and
create a natural curly style[1]



scrunchie

scrunchie
scrunch·ie
[skrúnchee] (plural scrunch·ies)
noun

band
for fastening hair: a thick elasticated band
loosely covered with fabric, used to hold a bunch of hair, for example, in a
pony tail
[Late 20th century. Formed
from scrunch, because of its crumpled
appearance.][1]



scruple

scruple
scru·ple 
[skrp’l] noun (plural scru·ples)

1.  moral
or ethical consideration: a moral or ethical
consideration that tends to restrain action or behavior

2.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of weight:
a unit of apothecaries’ weight equal to or about 1.3 g20 grains

3.  very
small amount: a minute amount or portion of something
(archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past scru·pled, past participle scru·pled, present
participle scru·pling, 3rd person present singular scru·ples)

hesitate because of moral considerations:
to hesitate because of moral or ethical considerations • She
wouldn’t scruple to cheat.
[15th century. Via Old French
scrupule from Latin scrupulus “small sharp stone, uneasiness,”
from scrupus “sharp stone.” The underlying idea is of a sharp stone
causing discomfort.][1]



scrupulous

scrupulous
scru·pu·lous 
[skrpyələss] adjective

1.  having
moral integrity: having or showing careful regard for
what is morally right

2.  very
precise:
rigorously precise and exact
—scru·pu·los·i·ty
[skrpyə lóssətee], noun

—scru·pu·lous·ly,
adverb

—scru·pu·lous·ness
[skrpyələssnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



scrutable

scrutable
scru·ta·ble 
[skrtəb’l] adjective

understandable
by scrutiny: capable of being understood by careful
observation, examination, or study
[Late
16th century. Back-formation from inscrutable
.]
—scru·ta·bil·i·ty [skrtə bíllətee], noun[1]



scrutineer

scrutineer
scru·ti·neer
[skrt’n r] (plural scru·ti·neers)
noun

inspector:
somebody who inspects or examines something very carefully
[Mid-16th century. Coined
from scrutiny + -eer
.][1]



scrutinize

scrutinize
scru·ti·nize 
[skrt’n z] (past scru·ti·nized,
past participle scru·ti·nized, present participle scru·ti·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular scru·ti·niz·es) transitive verb

examine:
to examine somebody or something closely and carefully
[Late
17th century. Formed from scrutiny .]
—scru·ti·niz·er, noun[1]



scrutiny

scrutiny
scru·ti·ny 
[skrt’nee] (plural scru·ti·nies)
noun

1.  careful
inspection:
close, careful, searching examination or inspection

2.  observation:
careful study or surveillance

3.  gaze:
a searching look
[15th century. From Latin scrutinium
“search, inquiry,” from scrutinari “to search, examine,” literally “to
pick through rags,” which was in turn formed from scruta “trash.”][1]



SCSI

SCSI
SCSI 
[skúzzee] noun

high-speed computer interface
specification: a specification for a
high-speed computer interface used to connect peripheral devices to a computer.
Abbreviation of small computer systems interface[1]



scuba

scuba

scu·ba 
[skbə] (plural scu·bas) noun
underwater
breathing apparatus: an apparatus for breathing
underwater consisting of a portable canister of compressed air and a mouthpiece
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus .][1]



scubadiver

scubadiver
scu·ba
div·er
(plural scu·ba div·ers) noun

swimmer
using scuba equipment: somebody who swims
underwater using scuba equipment
—scu·ba div·ing, noun[1]



scud

scud
scud 
[skud] intransitive verb (past
scud·ded, past participle scud·ded, present participle
scud·ding, 3rd person present singular scuds)

1.  move
swiftly:
to move swiftly and smoothly

2.  SAILING sail
before gale: to sail with a gale or strong wind
blowing from behind
noun
(plural scuds)

1.  swift
movement:
a swift smooth movement

2.  METEOROLOGY clouds
driven by wind: low clouds that are driven swiftly by
the wind

3.  METEOROLOGY sudden
shower or gust: a sudden shower of rain or gust of wind
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “to race like a hare,” alteration of scut in the obsolete sense “hare.”][1]



Scudmissile

Scudmissile
Scud
mis·sile
[skúd mìss’l] (plural Scud
mis·siles) noun

surface-to-surface
missile:
a surface-to-surface missile that can take a nuclear, conventional, or chemical
warhead
[Scud : a NATO codename, from scud][1]



scudo

scudo
scu·do 
[skdō] (plural scu·di) noun

old
unit of Italian currency: a gold or silver coin
introduced in the early 16th century and formerly current in various Italian
states, now only appearing occasionally as a commemorative coin issued by the
republic of San Marino
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin scutum, “shield” (source of écu and escudo
).][1]



scuff

scuff

scuff 
[skuf] intransitive and transitive verb
(past scuffed, past participle scuffed, present
participle scuff·ing, 3rd person present singular scuffs)

1.  scrape
or rub:
to scrape, rub, or wear away the surface of something, or to become scraped,
rubbed, or worn with use

2.  scrape
feet while walking: to scrape the feet on the
ground while standing or walking or to walk in a manner that makes the feet
scrape

3.  poke
the foot:
to move or shift the foot tentatively in embarrassment or exploration
noun (plural
scuffs)

1.  act
of scuffing: a scraping or shuffling movement or
sound

2.  mark
from scraping or rubbing: a mark or scratch made by
scuffing

3.  flat
shoe:
a flat-soled shoe with no strap or back
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Scandinavian, from a prehistoric Germanic base thought
to suggest the action. Originally “to evade,” the modern meaning may have
evolved via “sidestep.”][1]



scuffle

scuffle2
scuf·fle2 [skúff’l]
(plural scuf·fles) or scuf·fle hoe [skúff’l] (plural scuf·fle hoes) noun

hoe:
a hoe that is used by pushing it back and forth
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch schoffel .][1]



scuffle

scuffle1
scuf·fle1 [skúff’l]
noun (plural scuf·fles)

disorderly fight:
a disorderly confused fight or struggle at close quarters
verb
(past scuf·fled, past participle scuf·fled, present
participle scuf·fling, 3rd person present singular scuf·fles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fight
in confusion: to struggle or fight at close quarters
and in confusion

2.  intransitive
verb
shuffle
quickly:
to shuffle along hurriedly
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from scuff
+ -le, with the original meaning “to evade or dodge repeatedly.”]
—scuf·fler, noun[1]



scull

scull

scull 
[skul] noun (plural sculls)

1.  single
oar at back of boat: a single oar that is moved
from side to side at the stern of a boat to propel the boat forward

2.  either
of a pair of oars: either one of a pair of
relatively short oars used by a single rower

3.  light
racing boat: a light narrow racing boat propelled by
one, two, or four rowers using sculls
intransitive and transitive verb
(past sculled, past participle sculled, present
participle scull·ing, 3rd person present singular sculls)

propel boat with sculls:
to propel a boat using a scull or sculls
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—scull·er, noun[1]



scullery

scullery
scul·ler·y 
[skúlləree] (plural scul·ler·ies)
noun

room
for kitchen chores: a small room for washing and
storing dishes and utensils and doing other kitchen chores such as preparing
vegetables
[15th century. From French escuelerie
“duty of servant in charge of plates,” from escuelle “dish,” from Latin scutella
“serving platter” (source of English skillet
).][1]



scullion

scullion
scul·lion 
[skúllyən] (plural scul·lions)
noun

kitchen
servant:
a servant employed to perform menial kitchen chores
[15th century. Via Middle
French escouillon, escouvillon “swab, washcloth,” from escouve
“broom,” from Latin scopae (plural).][1]



sculp.

sculp.
sculp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sculptor

2.  Abbreviation
of
sculptress

3.  Abbreviation
of
sculpture

[1]



sculpin

sculpin
scul·pin 
[skúlpin] (plural scul·pin or
scul·pins) noun

1.  flat-headed
fish:
a marine and freshwater fish, mostly bottom-dwelling, with a large flat head,
large pectoral fins, and spines. Family: Cottidae

2.  scorpion
fish:
a scorpion fish with venomous spines that lives off the southern California
coast and is caught for food and for sport. Latin name: Scorpaena guttata
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from scorpene “scorpion-fish,” via Spanish scorpena
or Latin scorpæna from Greek skorpios “scorpion.”][1]



sculpt

sculpt
sculpt 
[skulpt] (past sculpt·ed, past
participle sculpt·ed, present participle sculpt·ing, 3rd
person present singular sculpts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
sculpture:
to carve, model, cast, or otherwise create a three-dimensional representation
of something as a work of art

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb carve
or model material: to use a material to create
a three-dimensional work of art

3.  intransitive
verb
be
sculptor:
to create three-dimensional works of art as a profession or pastime

4.  transitive
verb
change
shape of something naturally: to change the shape or
contours of something by natural processes such as erosion
[Mid-19th century. Via French
sculpter, from Latin sculpere “to carve” (see sculpture ).][1]



Sculptor

Sculptor
Sculp·tor 
noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a faint constellation in the
sky of the southern hemisphere between Grus and Cetus[1]



sculptor

sculptor
sculp·tor 
[skúlptər] (plural sculp·tors)
noun

artist
who makes sculptures: an artist who creates
three-dimensional works of art, especially by carving, modeling, or casting
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from sculpere . See sculpture
.][1]



sculpture

sculpture
sculp·ture 
[skúlpchər] noun (plural sculp·tures)

1.  creation
of three-dimensional art: the creation of a
three-dimensional work of art, especially by carving, modeling, or casting

2.  three-dimensional
work of art: a work of art created by sculpture, or
such works collectively

3.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY natural marking on a plant or
animal:
a natural indentation or other marking on a plant or animal, for example, a
ridge on a seashell
verb
(past sculp·tured, past participle sculp·tured, present
participle sculp·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular sculp·tures)

1.  transitive
verb
represent
something in three-dimensional art: to
carve, model, cast, or otherwise create a representation of something as a
three-dimensional work of art

2.  intransitive
verb
See sculpt  verb 1

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb See sculpt  verb 2

4.  transitive
verb
See sculpt  verb 4
[14th
century. From Latin sculptura “sculpture,” from sculpere “to
carve, scratch,” variant of scalpere “to carve” (source of English scalpel ).]
—sculp·tur·al,
adjective

—sculp·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



sculpturesque

sculpturesque
sculp·tur·esque 
[skùlpchə résk] adjective

like
sculpture:
resembling sculpture
—sculp·tur·esque·ly,
adverb

—sculp·tur·esque·ness,
noun[1]



scum

scum
scum 
[skum] noun

1.  filmy
layer on surface of liquid: a filmy layer of extraneous
matter or impurities that rises to or is formed on the surface of a liquid

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a person or group of people regarded as contemptible,
vile, or worthless (insult offensive)

3.  refuse:
refuse or worthless items

4.  METALLURGY refuse
from molten metal: dross or refuse from molten
metals
verb
(past scummed, past participle scummed, present
participle scum·ming, 3rd person present singular scums)

1.  intransitive
verb
have
scum:
to become covered with scum

2.  transitive
verb
clear
something of scum: to remove scum from
something
[14th
century. Via Middle Dutch scūme, “foam, froth,” ultimately from
Germanic. The meaning evolved from “froth on liquid” through “film on top of
liquid” and “film of dirt.”]
—scum·mer, noun[1]



scumbag

scumbag
scum·bag 
[skúm bàg] (plural scum·bags) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is seen as unpleasant or malicious
(slang insult offensive)
[Mid-20th century. From its
original slang meaning “(used) condom.”][1]



scumble

scumble
scum·ble 
[skúmb’l] transitive verb (past
scum·bled, past participle scum·bled, present
participle scum·bling, 3rd person present singular scum·bles)

1.  soften
something with opaque color: to soften the colors or
outlines of a painting or drawing by covering it with a film of opaque or
semiopaque color

2.  soften
colors by rubbing: to soften the colors or
outlines of a painting or drawing by rubbing
noun
(plural scum·bles)

1.  technique
of scumbling: the technique or effect of scumbling

2.  scumbling
material:
a material used for scumbling
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “to skim the surface repeatedly,” formed from scum .][1]



scungilli

scungilli
scun·gil·li 
[skun jíllee] noun

conch:
conch eaten as food
[Mid-20th century. Plural of scungille,
from Italian dialect scunciglio, of uncertain origin: perhaps an
alteration of Italian conchiglia “seashell, shellfish.”][1]



scup

scup
scup 
[skup] (plural scups or
scup) noun

food
fish of Atlantic coast: a fish of the porgy family
that is caught for food along the Atlantic coast from Maine to North Carolina.
Latin name: Stenotomus chrysops
[19th century. From
Narraganset mishcup, “big and close together,” because of the shape of
the fish’s scales.][1]



scupper

scupper2
scup·per2 [skúppər]
(past scup·pered, past participle scup·pered, present
participle scup·per·ing, 3rd person present singular scup·pers)
transitive verb

1.  NAUTICAL sink
ship:
to sink a ship, especially to sink your own vessel intentionally

2.  wreck
or ruin something: to wreck, defeat, or ruin
something
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from scupper 1 .][1]



scupper

scupper1
scup·per1 [skúppər]
(plural scup·pers) noun

1.  opening
for draining water from deck: an opening in the bulwarks
of a ship that allows water on the deck to drain overboard

2.  opening
allowing drainage from building: an opening allowing
water to drain from the roof or floor of a building
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from scoop, or
from Anglo-Norman and Old French escopir “to spit out.”][1]



scuppernong

scuppernong
scup·per·nong 
[skúppər nàwng, skúppər
nòng] (plural scup·per·nongs) noun

1.  muscadine
grape:
a cultivated variety of the muscadine grape that has sweet yellowish-green
fruit

2.  wine
made from scuppernong grapes: a sweet amber-colored wine
made from scuppernong grapes
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Scuppernong, a river in North Carolina, where the vine is
found.][1]



scurf

scurf
scurf 
[skurf] noun

1.  dandruff:
thin dry flaking scales of skin, usually as a result of a particular skin
condition such as dandruff

2.  flaky
incrustation: a flaky or scaly incrustation on a
surface

3.  BOTANY scaly
deposit on plant: a scaly deposit or covering on a plant

4.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a plant disease characterized by a scaly deposit or covering
[Old English][1]



scurrility

scurrility
scur·ril·i·ty 
[skə ríllətee] (plural scur·ril·i·ties)
noun

1.  coarseness:
coarseness, vulgarity, or a lack of refinement

2.  vulgar
remark or language: language that is coarse and
vulgar, or a remark made in coarse vulgar language

[1]



scurrilous

scurrilous
scur·ri·lous 
[skúr ələss, skúrrələss]
adjective

1.  abusive
or defamatory: containing abusive language or
defamatory allegations

2.  foul-mouthed
or vulgar:
using or containing coarse, vulgar, or obscene language

3.  wicked:
behaving in ways thought to be evil or immoral
[Late
16th century. Formed from scurrile, directly or via French from Latin scurrilis,
from scurra “buffoon.”]
—scur·ri·lous·ly,
adverb

—scur·ri·lous·ness, noun[1]



scurry

scurry
scur·ry 
[skúr ee, skúrree]
intransitive verb (past scur·ried, past participle scur·ried,
present participle scur·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular
scur·ries)

1.  move
briskly:
to move at a hurried pace, usually with small fast steps

2.  move
around agitatedly: to move around in an
agitated manner or with a swirling motion
noun
(plural scur·ries)

scurrying movement:
a hurried, agitated, or swirling movement
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of hurry-scurry “to rush about
frantically,” variant of hurry .][1]



scurvy

scurvy
scur·vy 
[skúrvee] noun

disease
caused by vitamin deficiency: a disease caused by
insufficient vitamin C, the symptoms of which include spongy gums, loosening of
the teeth, and bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes
adjective
(comparative scur·vi·er, superlative scur·vi·est)

despicable:
behaving in ways thought to be mean or contemptible
[15th
century. Coined from scurf + -y . “Disease” evolved from “covered with scurf,
wretched,” and was influenced by French scorbut and Dutch scheurbuik
“scurvy.”]
—scur·vi·ly,
adverb

—scur·vi·ness, noun[1]



scurvygrass

scurvygrass
scur·vy
grass
(plural scur·vy grass·es) noun

plant used to treat scurvy:
a northern European plant that was formerly used to treat scurvy. Latin name: Cochlearia
officinalis[1]



scut

scut
scut 
[skut] (plural scuts) noun

short
erect tail:
a short erect tail such as that of a rabbit
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from obsolete scut “short,” or from Scandinavian.][1]



scuta

scuta
scu·ta


Plural of
scutum[1]



scutage

scutage
scu·tage 
[skytij] (plural scu·tag·es) noun

medieval
tax:
in feudal times, a tax paid by a knight or vassal to his lord that freed him
from military service
[15th century. From medieval
Latin scutagium, literally “shield tax,” from Latin scutum
“shield.”][1]



scutate

scutate
scu·tate 
[sky tàyt] adjective

1.  BOTANY shield-shaped:
shaped like a shield • a
scutate leaf

2.  ZOOLOGY covered
by bony plates: covered or protected by external bony or
horny plates or scales
[Early
19th century. Coined from scutum + -ate .]
—scu·ta·tion [skyoo táysh’n], noun[1]



scutch

scutch
scutch 
[skuch] transitive verb (past scutched,
past participle scutched, present participle scutch·ing,
3rd person present singular scutch·es)

process
flax by beating: to beat flax in order to separate the
valuable fibers from the woody parts
noun
(plural scutch·es)

tool
for beating flax: a tool or machine for scutching flax or
cotton
[Late 17th century. Via Old
French escoucher, ultimately from Latin excutere “to shake.” The
meaning “to process flax” evolved from “to remove moss from bark.”][1]



scutcheon

scutcheon
scutch·eon 
[skúchən] (plural scutch·eons)
noun

escutcheon:
an escutcheon (archaic)
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman escuchoune (see escutcheon
).][1]



scutchgrass

scutchgrass
scutch
grass
(plural scutch grass·es) noun

See
Bermuda grass[1]



scute

scute
scute 
[skyoot, skoot]
(plural scutes) noun

bony
plate or scale: an external bony or horny plate or scale
in some animals, especially snakes and other reptiles.
Also
called
scutum
[14th century. From Latin scutum,
“shield.”][1]



scutellum

scutellum
scu·tel·lum 
[skyoo télləm] (plural scu·tel·la
[skyoo téllə]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY hard
plate or scale: a hard plate or scale, for example, on
the thorax of an insect or a toe of a bird

2.  BOTANY leaf
of developing grass seed: the shield-shaped embryonic
leaf ( cotyledon ) of a grass seed
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin, where it was formed from Latin scutella
“platter”; mistaken as literally “small shield,” formation from Latin scutum
“shield.”]
—scu·tel·lar,
adjective

—scu·tel·late
[skyoo téllət, skyt’l
àyt], adjective

—scu·tel·la·tion [skytə láysh’n], noun[1]



scutiform

scutiform
scu·ti·form 
[skytə fàwrm] adjective

shield-shaped:
shaped like a shield
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from Latin scutum “shield” + -form .][1]



scutter

scutter
scut·ter 
[skúttər] (past scut·tered, past
participle scut·tered, present participle scut·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular scut·ters) intransitive verb

scurry:
to move hastily in a scurrying manner
[Late 18th century. Variant
of medieval sense of scuttle “to scamper
about.”][1]



scuttle

scuttle3
scut·tle3 [skútt’l]
intransitive verb (past scut·tled, past participle scut·tled,
present participle scut·tling, 3rd person present singular
scut·tles)

move
with short fast steps: to run or move quickly with
short steps
noun

a rush or run:
a hurried pace or scuttling movement[1]



scuttle

scuttle2
scut·tle2 [skútt’l]
(plural scut·tles) noun

1.  coal
container:
a metal container shaped like a wide-rimmed pail with a lip and a handle, used
to carry or store coal indoors

2.  shallow
basket:
an open shallow basket used to carry foods or small items
[15th century. Via Old
English scutel and Old Norse skutill from Latin scutella
“dish, tray.”][1]



scuttle

scuttle1
scut·tle1 [skútt’l]
noun (plural scut·tles)

1.  small
hatch:
a small hatchway with a cover in the deck or hull of a ship or in some part of
a building such as the roof or a wall

2.  NAUTICAL scuttle
cover on ship: the cover for a scuttle on a ship
transitive
verb
(past scut·tled, past participle scut·tled, present
participle scut·tling, 3rd person present singular scut·tles)

1.  NAUTICAL sink
ship by letting water in: to sink a ship by making or
opening holes in the bottom

2.  destroy
something:
to destroy or bring something to an end • had
effectively scuttled his plans
[15th century. Via French escoutille,
or directly from Spanish escotilla “hatchway,” from escotar “to
cut out,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is the ancestor of English sheet .][1]



scuttlebutt

scuttlebutt
scut·tle·butt 
[skútt’l bùt] (plural scut·tle·butts)
noun

1.  gossip:
rumors about somebody’s activities, often of an intimate and scandalous nature
(slang)

2.  drinking
fountain on ship: a drinking fountain on a ship

3.  cask
of water on ship: a cask on a ship containing a day’s
supply of fresh water (archaic)
[Early 19th century. From scuttle 2 + butt .][1]



Scutum

Scutum
Scu·tum 
noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a small faint constellation
in the sky of the southern hemisphere lying partly in the Milky Way, located
between Sagittarius and Aquila[1]



scutum

scutum
scu·tum 
[skytəm] (plural scu·ta [skytə]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY See scute

2.  ARMS ancient
Roman shield: a large shield used by legionaries in
ancient Rome
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “shield.”][1]



scutwork

scutwork
scut·work 
[skút wùrk] noun

menial
work:
routine monotonous menial chores or work (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Scut of
uncertain origin: perhaps from scut, “silly or objectionable person.”][1]



scuzz

scuzz
scuzz
[skuz] (plural scuzz·es) noun

1.  something
disgusting:
something dirty, disgusting, or disreputable (slang)

2.  scuzz
or scuzz·ball (plural scuzz·balls) or scuzz·buck·et
(plural scuzz·buck·ets) or scuzz·bag (plural
scuzz·bags) offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as disgusting and contemptible
(slang insult offensive)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of disgusting,
or a blend of scum and fuzz .]
—scuzz·i·ly,
adverb

—scuz·zi·ness,
noun

—scuz·zy, adjective[1]



scuzzball

scuzzball
scuzz·ball
[skúz bàwl] (plural scuzz·balls)
or scuzz·buck·et [skúz bùkət]
(plural scuzz·buck·ets) or scuzz·bag [skúz bàg] (plural scuzz·bags) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as despicable or
repellent (slang insult)[1]



Scylla

Scylla
Scyl·la 
[síllə] noun

mythological
sea monster: in Greek mythology, a sea monster who
attacked sailors. In later times, Scylla was thought to be a rock on the
Italian side of the Straits of Messina.
be
between Scylla and Charybdis

to be faced with the
necessity of choosing between two equally undesirable or unpleasant things (formal)[1]



scyphistoma

scyphistoma
scy·phis·to·ma 
[sī fístəmə] (plural scy·phis·to·mae
[sī fístəm] or scy·phis·to·mas)
noun

marine
invertebrate stage producing free-swimming offspring:
the form in the life cycle of a marine invertebrate such as a jellyfish that
remains fixed in one place and reproduces asexually to produce free-swimming
offspring
[Late 19th century. Coined
from scyphus + stoma
.][1]



scyphozoan

scyphozoan
scy·pho·zo·an 
[sfə zṓ ən] (plural scy·pho·zo·ans)
noun

marine
invertebrate animal: a marine invertebrate animal
such as a jellyfish that is free-swimming and does not have a significant
sedentary stage
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, from scyphus and Greek zōa
“animals.”][1]



scyphus

scyphus
scy·phus 
[sfəss] (plural scy·phi [s f]) noun

1.  ancient
Greek drinking vessel: a drinking vessel with a
deep body, flat bottom, and two small handles near the rim, used by the ancient
Greeks

2.  BOTANY cup-shaped
structure:
a cup-shaped enlargement in lichens
[Late 18th century. Via
Latin, from Greek skuphos “large drinking vessel.”][1]



scythe

scythe

scythe 
[sī] noun (plural scythes)
tool
for mowing or reaping: an implement with a long
handle and a long curved single-edged blade, used to cut grass, crops, or
similar plants by swinging the blade horizontally close to the ground
intransitive
and transitive verb (past scythed,
past participle scythed, present participle scyth·ing,
3rd person present singular scythes)
cut
with scythe: to cut or reap something with a scythe
[Old English siþe .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut” that is also the
ancestor of English section, sickle, and insect
. Influenced by scissors .][1]



Scythian

Scythian
Scyth·i·an 
[síthee ən, síee
ən] noun (plural Scyth·i·ans)

inhabitant
of Scythia:
a member of an ancient people that lived in Scythia, an area of present-day
Ukraine
adjective

relating to Scythia:
relating to the ancient region of Scythia, or its people or culture[1]



SD

SD
SD

1.  SD
or S.D. Abbreviation of South
Dakota

2.  SD
or S.D. Abbreviation of special
delivery

3.  STATISTICS Abbreviation of
standard deviation

[1]



S.Dak.

S.Dak.
S.Dak.

Abbreviation of
South Dakota[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SDI

SDI
SDI
or S.D.I.

Abbreviation of
Strategic Defense Initiative[1]



SDR

SDR
SDR
or SDRs

ECONOMICS
Abbreviation of special drawing rights[1]



SDS

SDS
SDS

Abbreviation of
Students for a Democratic Society[1]



Se

Se
Se

Symbol for
selenium[1]



SE

SE
SE

1.  Abbreviation
of
southeast

2.  Abbreviation
of
southeastern

[1]



sea

sea
sea 
[see] (plural seas) noun

1.  salt
waters of Earth: the great body of salt water that covers
a large portion of the Earth

2.  particular
body of salt water: a body of salt water that is
surrounded by land on all or most sides, or that is part of one of the oceans

3.  large
lake:
a large inland body of fresh water

4.  ASTRONOMY See mare 2 noun

5.  turbulence
of ocean:
the motion and disturbance of a large body of water such as the ocean, or the
waves themselves

6.  seafarer’s
job or life: the occupation or way of life of a
sailor

7.  vast
body:
a large area or great number of something
[Old
English sæ, from prehistoric Germanic]
be
at sea

1.  to
be traveling on the ocean

2.  to
be bewildered and confused

[1]



seaanchor

seaanchor
sea
an·chor
(plural sea an·chors) noun

drag for controlling ship’s
heading: a device such as a conical
canvas bag that is thrown overboard and dragged behind a ship to control its
speed or heading[1]



seaanemone

seaanemone
sea
a·nem·o·ne
(plural sea a·nem·o·nes) noun

sea animal resembling flower:
a solitary and often colorful sea animal with a squat cylindrical body that
bears a ring of tentacles and is attached to rock or other nonliving material.
Order: Actiniaria[1]



seaaster

seaaster
sea
as·ter
(plural sea as·ters) noun

European plant:
a biennial or perennial plant of the daisy family with narrow fleshy leaves and
purple-and-yellow flowers that is found in salt marshes throughout Europe.
Latin name: Aster tripolium[1]



seabass

seabass
sea
bass 
[sée bàss] noun

bony marine fish:
a bony marine fish with a long body, large mouth, and spiny dorsal fin, caught
for food or sport in Atlantic coastal waters of North America. Latin name: Centropristis
striata[1]



seabed

seabed
sea·bed 
[s bèd] (plural sea·beds) noun

floor of ocean:
the surface of the Earth at the bottom of the sea[1]



Seabee

Seabee
Sea·bee 
[s b] (plural Sea·bees) noun

U.S.
Navy construction battalion member: a
member of one of the construction battalions of the United States Navy that
builds naval shore facilities in combat zones
[Mid-20th century. From the
abbreviation CB, “Construction Battalion,” influenced by “(worker) bee.”][1]



seabird

seabird
sea·bird
[s bùrd] (plural sea·birds) noun

ocean bird:
a bird such as a gull, albatross, or petrel that frequents the open ocean.
Also called
seafowl[1]



seabiscuit

seabiscuit
sea
bis·cuit
(plural sea bis·cuits) noun

See
hardtack[1]



seablite

seablite
sea·blite
[s blt] (plural sea·blites) noun

plant
found in salt marshes: an annual plant of the
goosefoot family that grows in salt marshes. Latin name: Suaeda maritima
[Mid-18th century. From sea + blite .][1]



seaboard

seaboard
sea·board 
[s bàwrd] (plural sea·boards)
noun

land near sea:
land that borders the sea[1]



seaborne

seaborne
sea·borne 
[s bàwrn] adjective

1.  carried
by sea:
carried over, on, or in the sea

2.  transported
by ship:
transported by ship across the sea

[1]



seabream

seabream
sea
bream
(plural sea breams) noun

1.  Atlantic
porgy:
a porgy of Atlantic coastal waters, harvested as a food fish. Latin name: Archosargus
rhomboidalis

2.  marine
food fish:
a marine food fish of European waters. Family: Sparidae
Also
called
bream

[1]



seabreeze

seabreeze
sea
breeze
(plural sea breez·es) noun

breeze blowing from sea:
a cooling breeze that blows inland from the sea during the daytime when the
land is warmer than the surface of the water[1]



seabuckthorn

seabuckthorn
sea
buck·thorn
noun

Eurasian shrub yielding
berries and dye: a shrub found on
seashores of Europe and Asia that has silvery leaves, greenish flowers, and
orange-red edible berries, and yields a yellow dye. Latin name: Hippophaë
rhamnoides[1]



Seabury,Samuel

Seabury,Samuel
Sea·bur·y
[s bèree, s bəree],
Samuel (1729–1796)

U.S. clergyman. He served as
a Loyalist under the British during the Revolution (1776–1783). Afterwards he
became the first Episcopal bishop of Connecticut and Rhode Island (1783).[1]



seabutterfly

seabutterfly
sea
but·ter·fly
noun

See
pteropod[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seacaptain

seacaptain
sea
cap·tain
(plural sea cap·tains) noun

captain of ship:
the person in charge of a ship, especially a merchant ship[1]



seachange

seachange
sea
change
(plural sea chang·es) noun

1.  great
change:
a substantial transformation

2.  change
caused by sea: a change caused by the sea (archaic)

[1]



seachest

seachest
sea
chest
(plural sea chests) noun

sailor’s storage chest:
a large box or trunk in which a sailor’s personal belongings are stored[1]



seacoast

seacoast
sea·coast 
[s kst] (plural sea·coasts) noun

land near sea:
the land that borders the sea[1]



seacock

seacock
sea·cock 
[s kòk] (plural sea·cocks) noun

valve in ship:
a valve in the hull of a ship used to let water in or out[1]



seacow

seacow
sea
cow
(plural sea cows) noun

See
sirenian[1]



seacrayfish

seacrayfish
sea
cray·fish
noun

See
spiny lobster[1]



seacucumber

seacucumber

sea cu·cum·ber
(plural sea cu·cum·bers) noun
sea animal with cucumber-shaped body:
a marine invertebrate ( echinoderm ) that
has a long tough muscular body and a mouth encircled by tentacles, and lives on
the seabed. Class: Holothuroidea[1]



seadevil

seadevil
sea
de·vil
noun

See
devilfish[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seadog

seadog
sea·dog
[s dòg] (plural sea·dogs) noun

METEOROLOGY See fogbow
[Mid-16th century. The
original meaning was “animal like a seal.” The modern meaning evolved through
“experienced sailor” to “phenomenon recognized by experienced sailors.”][1]



seadog

seadog
sea
dog
(plural sea dogs) noun

experienced sailor:
somebody who has been a sailor for a long time[1]



seaeagle

seaeagle
sea
ea·gle
(plural sea ea·gles) noun

fish-eating eagle:
a fish-eating eagle that lives near the sea[1]



seaelephant

seaelephant
sea
el·e·phant
(plural sea el·e·phants) noun

See
elephant seal[1]



seafan

seafan
sea
fan
(plural sea fans) noun

fan-shaped coral:
a coral with a fan-shaped skeleton that inhabits the waters of Florida and the
West Indies. Genus: Gorgonia[1]



seafarer

seafarer
sea·far·er 
[s fàirər] (plural sea·far·ers)
noun

1.  sea
traveler:
somebody who travels by sea

2.  sailor:
a sailor (archaic or literary)

[1]



seafaring

seafaring
sea·far·ing 
[s fàiring] adjective

1.  regularly
going to sea: regularly traveling by sea or working at
sea

2.  of
sea travel or transportation: relating to travel or
transportation by sea
noun

sailor’s way of life:
the work and way of life of a sailor

[1]



seafire

seafire
sea
fire
noun

light from marine organisms:
light that is produced by marine organisms[1]



seafloor

seafloor
sea·floor
[s flàwr] (plural sea·floors)
noun

bottom of the ocean:
the surface of the Earth at the bottom of the sea[1]



seafloorspreading

seafloorspreading
sea·floor
spread·ing
noun

creation of new seafloor:
a process in which molten material from the Earth’s mantle rises up at ocean
ridges, causing volcanic and seismic activity, spreads out, and creates a new
seafloor[1]



seafood

seafood
sea·food 
[s fd] noun

edible fish and shellfish:
fish and shellfish from the sea eaten as food[1]



seafowl

seafowl
sea·fowl 
[s fòwl] (plural sea·fowl or
sea·fowls) noun

See
seabird[1]



seafront

seafront
sea·front
[s frùnt] (plural sea·fronts)
noun

seaside waterfront:
the part of a town that faces the edge of the sea[1]



seagirt

seagirt
sea·girt 
[s gùrt] adjective

surrounded by sea:
encircled by the sea (literary)[1]



seagoing

seagoing
sea·go·ing 
[s g ing] adjective

1.  for
ocean travel: made or fit for sailing on the open sea

2.  See
seafaring  adjective 1

[1]



seagrape

seagrape
sea
grape
(plural sea grapes) noun

berry-bearing tree:
a tree that grows on sandy shores from Florida to South America and has large
rounded leaves and clusters of purple-to-whitish edible berries. Latin name: Coccoloba
uvifera[1]



seagreen

seagreen
sea
green
noun

blue
green:
a blue-green color in which the green is predominant
—sea-green, adjective[1]



seagull

seagull
sea·gull
[s gùl] (plural sea·gulls) noun

See
gull





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Seagull, a play by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov ( 1896 ). The plot
  centers on the young writer Triplev’s love for the aspiring actress Nina,
  who, to Triplev’s dismay, allows herself to be seduced by an older, more
  famous writer, Trigorin. One of Chekhov’s most successful plays, it typically
  eschews melodrama for social and psychological analysis.

[1]



seahare

seahare
sea
hare
(plural sea hares) noun

large marine snail:
a large marine mollusk that has an arched back, a reduced or absent external
shell, and two tentacles resembling rabbit ears. Genus: Aplysia[1]



seahog

seahog
sea
hog
(plural sea hogs) noun

See
porpoise  noun 1[1]



seaholly

seaholly
sea
hol·ly
noun

spiny-leaved seashore plant:
a perennial plant of the carrot family with spiny leaves and blue flowers,
found on European seashores. The roots were formerly thought to have
aphrodisiac properties. Latin name: Eryngium maritimum[1]



seahorse

seahorse

sea
horse
(plural sea hors·es) noun

1.  fish
resembling horse: a small bony fish with a head shaped
like that of a horse, a vertical swimming position, and a prehensile tail that
it uses to cling to seaweed. Genus: Hippocampus

2.  MYTHOLOGY mythological
creature:
a mythological creature with the head and forelegs of a horse and the body of a
fish

3.        walrus:
a walrus (archaic)[1]



sea-islandcotton

sea-islandcotton
sea-is·land
cot·ton
noun

West
Indian cotton: a type of cotton with long silky fibers
grown chiefly in the West Indies. Latin name: Gossypium barbadense
[Named for the Sea Islands][1]



SeaIslands

SeaIslands
Sea
Is·lands

chain of more than 100
islands in the southern United States, in the Atlantic Ocean[1]



seakale

seakale
sea
kale
(plural sea kales) noun

edible Eurasian seashore
plant: a plant related to the
cabbage that grows along the seashores of Europe and Asia and has edible leaves
and shoots. Latin name: Crambe maritima[1]



seaking

seaking
sea
king
(plural sea kings) noun

medieval Norse pirate chief:
a Norse pirate chief of the early Middle Ages[1]



seal

seal2


seal2 [seel]
noun (plural seals)

1.  fish-eating
marine mammal: a carnivorous marine mammal with a sleek
body adapted for swimming and living in cold regions and webbed feet modified
as flippers. Families: Otariidae Phocidae
See
also
common seal

2.  seal’s
pelt:
the pelt or fur of a seal

3.  leather
from seal’s skin: leather made from the skin of a seal
intransitive verb
(past sealed, past participle sealed, present
participle seal·ing, 3rd person present singular seals)

hunt seals: to
hunt seals, usually for their skins or blubber
[Old English seolh][1]



SEAL

SEAL
SEAL
[seel]

NAVY
Abbreviation of sea, air, land (team)[1]



seal

seal1
seal1 [seel]
noun (plural seals)

1.  tight
or perfect closure: a closure that prevents the
entrance or escape of something such as air or water, or a substance or device
that forms such a closure

2.  special
closure that reveals tampering: a closure for
something such as a package or container that must be broken to open it and can
thereby reveal tampering

3.  authenticating
stamp:
a ring or stamp with a raised or engraved symbol or emblem that is pressed into
wax in order to certify a signature or authenticate a document

4.  wax
marked with seal: a piece of wax bearing the mark of a
seal

5.  symbol
of office:
a device, emblem, or symbol that is a mark of office

6.  ornamental
adhesive stamp: an ornamental adhesive stamp used to
close a letter or package, sometimes created as part of fund-raising campaigns
or by charities

7.  something
giving confirmation: something that gives
confirmation or assurance • Mother
gave our plans for the party her seal of approval.
transitive
verb
(past sealed, past participle sealed, present
participle seal·ing, 3rd person present singular seals)

1.  close
something firmly: to close something tightly or securely
with a seal, for example, to prevent tampering

2.  make
something watertight or airtight: to make something
watertight, airtight, or nonporous, for example, by filling gaps or applying a
special substance to the surface

3.  attach
authenticating seal to something: to affix a marked
piece of wax to something in order to authenticate or certify it

4.  confirm
something:
to confirm a decision or come to an agreement on something

5.  settle
something:
to determine something irrevocably • His
fate was sealed when his lies were discovered.

6.  RELIGION solemnize
marriage or adoption: to solemnize a marriage or
adoption in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin sigillum “little mark or picture,”
from signum “sign, token, mark.”]
—seal·a·ble, adjective[1]



sealamprey

sealamprey
sea
lam·prey
noun

lamprey of N America and
Europe: a large eel-shaped jawless
marine fish that swims up rivers along Atlantic coasts to spawn and is
sometimes used as food. It lives as a parasite on other fish as an adult, and
has been introduced to some landlocked ecosystems such as the Great Lakes. Latin
name: Petromyzon marinus[1]



sealane

sealane
sea
lane
(plural sea lanes) noun

sea route for ships:
an established and commonly used sea route for large ships[1]



sealant

sealant
seal·ant 
[slənt] (plural seal·ants) noun

substance used to seal
something: a substance used to seal
something, for example, by filling gaps or making a surface nonporous[1]



sealavender

sealavender
sea
lav·en·der
(plural sea lav·en·ders) noun

plant with lavender-colored
flowers: a perennial plant of the
thrift family with a rosette of slender leaves at the base and branching spikes
of bluish-purple flowers, found in temperate salt marshes. Genus: Limonium

Also called
statice[1]



sealawyer

sealawyer
sea
law·yer
(plural sea law·yers) noun

argumentative sailor:
an argumentative sailor (informal)[1]



sealed-beamheadlight

sealed-beamheadlight
sealed-beam
head·light
(plural sealed-beam head·lights) noun

headlight with reflector and
lens: a vehicle headlight with a
prefocused reflector and lens sealed in one unit[1]



sealedorders

sealedorders
sealed
or·ders
plural noun

instructions to be read
later: written instructions not to
be opened or read before a particular time, for example, instructions to the
captain of a ship whose destination is not revealed before it leaves harbor[1]



sealedroad

sealedroad
sealed
road
(plural sealed roads) noun

Australia, New Zealand
surfaced road:
a road with a surface of bitumen or tar[1]



sealegs

sealegs
sea
legs
plural noun

ability to walk on ship:
the ability to move with ease on a ship and not feel seasick despite its
pitching and rolling motion (informal)[1]



sealer

sealer2
seal·er2 [slər]
(plural seal·ers) noun

seal hunter:
somebody who hunts seals, or a boat used for this purpose[1]



sealer

sealer1
seal·er1 [slər]
(plural seal·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that seals: a person, substance, or
device that seals something, for example, a substance used to make a surface
nonporous

2.  official
who certifies something: an official who inspects and
certifies weights and measures

[1]



sealery

sealery
seal·er·y
[sləree] (plural seal·er·ies)
noun

1.  rearing
or breeding place for seals: a place where seals are
reared or where seals congregate and breed

2.  place
where seals are hunted: a place where seals are
hunted

3.  hunting
of seals:
the occupation or practice of hunting seals

[1]



sealettuce

sealettuce
sea
let·tuce
(plural sea let·tuc·es) noun

seaweed used in salads:
a seaweed sometimes used as food in salads. Genus: Ulva[1]



sealevel

sealevel
sea
lev·el
noun

level of the surface of the
sea: the level of the surface of
the sea relative to the land, halfway between high and low tide, used as a
standard in calculating elevation[1]



sealily

sealily
sea
lil·y
noun

marine animal resembling
flower: a marine invertebrate that
has a stalk anchored to the seabed and a flower-shaped body. Class: Crinoidea[1]



sealingwax

sealingwax
seal·ing
wax 
(plural seal·ing wax·es) noun

resinous substance used for
sealing: a resinous substance that is
soft when heated and used for sealing letters, documents, batteries, or jars[1]



sealion

sealion

sea lion
(plural sea li·ons) noun
large seal:
a large gregarious seal that has external ears and coarse hair with no
underfur. Family: Otariidae[1]



sealoff

sealoff
seal
off
transitive verb

make area inaccessible:
to prevent people or things from entering or leaving a place, for example, by
surrounding it or closing it securely • Police
sealed off the area.[1]



sealpoint

sealpoint
seal
point
(plural seal points) noun

Siamese cat with dark points:
a Siamese cat with a cream or fawn body and a dark brown face, paws, and tail.
See also
blue point[1]



sealring

sealring
seal
ring
(plural seal rings) noun

See
signet ring[1]



sealskin

sealskin
seal·skin 
[sl skìn] (plural seal·skins)
noun

seal’s pelt:
the pelt or fur of a seal, or a garment made from this[1]



Sealyhamterrier

Sealyhamterrier
Sea·ly·ham
ter·ri·er 
[sli hàm térree ər, slee əm térree ər] (plural Sea·ly·ham ter·ri·ers)
noun

terrier
developed in Wales: a dog with short legs, a
long head, powerful jaws, and a wiry mostly white coat, belonging to a breed
developed in Wales for catching rabbits and similar animals
[Late 19th century. Named for
the village in Wales where the dog was first bred.][1]



seam

seam
seam 
[seem] noun (plural seams)

1.  place
where pieces join: the line along which pieces
of cloth or leather are joined by sewing

2.  stitches
forming seam: the stitches used to form a seam

3.  line
formed by adjacent sections: any line, groove, or ridge
formed by joining or fitting together two sections along their edges

4.  linear
indentation: a scar, wrinkle, or other linear
indentation

5.  GEOLOGY thin
layer of rock: a thin layer of a rock or mineral such
as a coal deposit occurring between different strata of bedrock
verb
(past seamed, past participle seamed, present
participle seam·ing, 3rd person present singular seams)

1.  transitive
verb
join
things along edges: to join two parts or pieces
along their edges, for example, by sewing them together

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb mark
with lines:
to mark something with wrinkles, scars, furrows, or other lines, or to become
marked in this way
[Old
English sēam, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English sew]
come
or fall apart at the seams

to enter into a state of
collapse[1]



seaman

seaman
sea·man 
[smən] (plural sea·men [smən]) noun

1.  See
sailor

2.  somebody
ranking below petty officer: somebody enlisted in the
U.S. Navy or Coast Guard who ranks below petty officer and above seaman
apprentice
[Old English][1]



seamanapprentice

seamanapprentice
sea·man
ap·pren·tice (plural sea·man ap·pren·tic·es)
noun

rank below seaman:
somebody enlisted in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard who ranks above a seaman
recruit and below a seaman[1]



seamanrecruit

seamanrecruit
sea·man
re·cruit
(plural sea·man re·cruits) noun

lowest rank in navy:
somebody enlisted in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard who holds the lowest rank[1]



seamanship

seamanship
sea·man·ship 
[smən shìp] noun

skill of being a good sailor:
the skill of handling, working on, or navigating a boat or ship[1]



seamark

seamark
sea·mark 
[s mrk] (plural sea·marks) noun

object serving to guide
sailors: an object on land easily
visible from the sea that serves as an aid to navigation[1]



seamer

seamer
seam·er
[smər] (plural seam·ers) noun

somebody
or something that makes seams: a person or machine
that makes seams or the operator of such a machine
[Old English][1]



seamew

seamew
sea
mew
(plural sea mews) noun

seagull:
a seagull, especially the common gull[1]



seamile

seamile
sea
mile
(plural sea miles) noun

See
nautical mile[1]



seamilkwort

seamilkwort
sea
milk·wort
noun

marine plant:
a plant of the primula family with small pink flowers that grows on northern
temperate coasts. Latin name: Glaux maritima[1]



seamless

seamless
seam·less 
[smləss] adjective

1.  without
seams:
having no seams

2.  perfectly
smooth:
free from awkward transitions and creating perfectly smooth continuity
—seam·less·ly,
adverb

—seam·less·ness, noun[1]



seamoss

seamoss
sea·moss
[s mòss] noun

Caribbean
drink made from seaweed:
a drink popular in the Caribbean, made of seaweed that is boiled until it
dissolves and then mixed with milk and spices[1]



seamoth

seamoth
sea
moth
(plural sea moths) noun

tropical fish with
wing-shaped fins: a small tropical marine
fish with large wing-shaped pectoral fins, a long snout, and an armor of bony
plates. Family: Pegasidae[1]



seamount

seamount
sea·mount 
[s mòwnt] (plural sea·mounts)
noun

undersea mountain:
an isolated undersea mountain of volcanic origin that rises from the seabed to
a height of up to 1,000 m/3,300 ft, usually 1,000 m/3,300 ft to 2,000 m/6,500
ft below the surface of the sea[1]



seamouse

seamouse
sea
mouse
noun

marine worm:
a large marine worm with a broad flat body that is covered in bristles
resembling hair. Genus: Aphrodite[1]



seamstress

seamstress
seam·stress 
[smstrəss] (plural seam·stress·es)
noun

woman
who sews:
a woman who sews or whose occupation is sewing.
Also
called
needlewoman
[Late 16th century. Formed
from seamster “tailor, person who sews,” from seam
.][1]



seamy

seamy
seam·y 
[smee] (comparative seam·i·er,
superlative seam·i·est) adjective

sordid:
having unpleasant qualities associated with a degraded or degenerate way of
living
[Late
16th century. Coined from seam + -y . The meaning “degraded” evolved from “rough
side of a garment, where the seams show.”]
—seam·i·ness, noun[1]



seance

seance
se·ance 
[sáy nss, sáy
Nss] (plural se·anc·es) noun

1.  meeting
to speak with dead: a meeting at which a
spiritualist attempts to receive communications from the spirits of the dead

2.  session:
a sitting, session, or meeting, for example, of a society or a legislative body
[Late 18th century. Via
French, “sitting,” and Old French seoir “to sit,” from Latin sedere
“to sit” (source of English session, sedentary, and sediment
).][1]



seanettle

seanettle
sea
net·tle
noun

stinging jellyfish:
a stinging jellyfish that inhabits Atlantic estuaries from Cape Cod to the West
Indies[1]



seaonion

seaonion
sea
on·ion
(plural sea on·ions) noun

Mediterranean plant with an
onion-shaped bulb: a
Mediterranean plant of the lily family that bears dense spikes of small white
flowers. It has an onion-shaped bulb with medicinal properties. Latin name: Urginea
maritima
U.K. term
sea squill[1]



seaotter

seaotter
sea
ot·ter
(plural sea ot·ters) noun

otter of Pacific coast:
a marine animal of the weasel family with a thick brown coat that inhabits
northern Pacific coasts and feeds mainly on shellfish. Latin name: Enhydra
lutris[1]



seapea

seapea
sea
pea
(plural sea peas) noun

U.K.
See beach pea[1]



seapen

seapen
sea
pen
(plural sea pens) noun

invertebrate marine animal:
a marine organism related to coral that forms feathery colonies in warm seas.
Genus: Pennatula[1]



seapink

seapink
sea
pink
(plural sea pinks) noun

See
thrift  noun 3[1]



seaplane

seaplane
sea·plane 
[s plàyn] (plural sea·planes)
noun

plane that can land on water:
a plane designed in such a way that it can take off from and land on water[1]



seapoacher

seapoacher
sea
poach·er
noun

small N Pacific fish:
a small slender marine fish that has an armor of bony plates and is found near
the bottom of the North Pacific and other cold waters. Family: Agonidae[1]



seaport

seaport
sea·port 
[s pàwrt] (plural sea·ports) noun

port for seagoing ships:
a port, town, or harbor that can accommodate seagoing ships[1]



seapower

seapower
sea
pow·er
(plural sea pow·ers) noun

1.  nation
with naval strength: a nation that has formidable
naval strength

2.  naval
strength:
the military power that a nation can deploy to fight on water

[1]



seapurse

seapurse
sea
purse
(plural sea purs·es) noun

egg case of shark or ray:
the egg pouch of a shark or ray that often has curly tendrils so that it can
attach itself to seaweed.
Also called
mermaid’s purse[1]



seaquake

seaquake
sea·quake 
[s kwàyk] (plural sea·quakes)
noun

earthquake in seabed:
an earthquake occurring under the sea[1]



sear

sear1
sear1 [seer]
verb (past seared, past participle seared, present
participle sear·ing, 3rd person present singular sears)

1.  transitive
verb
burn
something:
to burn or scorch something with an application of intense heat

2.  transitive
verb
have
an unpleasant effect on: to have a sudden painful or
unpleasant effect on somebody or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb wither:
to wither, shrivel, or dry up, or to cause something to wither, shrivel, or dry
up
noun
(plural sears)

burn or scorch mark:
a mark or scar made by searing
[Old English sēarian
“to wither away,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English sere “dried up”][1]



sear

sear2
sear2 [seer]
(plural sears) noun

catch
for gunlock: the catch that holds a gunlock cocked or
at half-cock
[Mid-16th century. From
French serre “grasp, lock,” from serrer “to grasp,” ultimately
from Latin sera “bar for a door.”][1]



searaven

searaven
sea
rav·en
(plural sea rav·ens) noun

large marine fish:
a large fish found along the Atlantic coast of North America that swallows air
and blows up like a balloon when removed from the water. Latin name: Hemitripterus
americanus[1]



search

search
search 
[surch] verb (past searched,
past participle searched, present participle search·ing,
3rd person present singular search·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb examine
thoroughly:
to look into, over, or through something carefully in order to find somebody or
something

2.  transitive
verb
examine
something for concealed items: to examine the
clothing, personal effects, or body of somebody in order to discover something
such as weapons or illegal drugs that have been deliberately concealed

3.  transitive
verb
examine
public record: to examine a public record to find
information about something

4.  transitive
verb
discover
something by examination: to discover, come to know,
or find something by examination

5.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING examine
computer file: to examine a computer file, disk,
database, or network for particular information
noun
(plural search·es)

1.  thorough
examination: a careful and thorough examination in
order to find somebody or something

2.  COMPUTING examination
of computer file: the examination of a computer file,
disk, database, or network in order to find particular information

3.  LAW boarding
of ship to search it: the boarding of a ship in
accordance with international law in order to search it, especially during
wartime
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sercher, and Old French cerchier “to
explore,” from Latin circare “to go around in circles,” from circus
“circle” (source of English circular
).]
—search·a·ble,
adjective

—search·er,
noun
search
me

used to emphasize your lack
of knowledge about something (informal)[1]



searchengine

searchengine
search
en·gine
(plural search en·gines) noun

computer program that
searches: a computer program that
searches for particular keywords and returns a list of documents in which they
were found, especially a commercial service that scans documents on the
Internet[1]



searching

searching
search·ing 
[súrching] adjective

penetrating
or probing:
observing acutely or examining thoroughly
—search·ing·ly, adverb[1]



searchlight

searchlight
search·light 
[súrch lt] (plural search·lights)
noun

1.  apparatus
for projecting light: an apparatus for projecting
a high-intensity beam of light in any direction

2.  intense
projected light: the light from a searchlight

[1]



searchparty

searchparty
search
par·ty
noun

group searching for missing
person: a group of volunteers or
professionals organized to search for a missing person[1]



searchwarrant

searchwarrant
search
war·rant
(plural search war·rants) noun

court order authorizing
search of property: a court
order authorizing entry to somebody’s property to look for unlawful possessions[1]



searobin

searobin

sea rob·in
noun
fish with feelers:
a marine fish with red or brown coloring, a bony head, and long pectoral fins
with fingershaped extensions that it uses as feelers or for crawling. Family:
Triglidae Peristediidae[1]



searocket

searocket
sea
rock·et
(plural sea rock·ets) noun

plant growing along seashore:
a plant of the mustard family that grows along seashores and has sharp-tasting
leaves and white or lavender flowers. Genus: Cakile
Also called
rocket[1]



searoom

searoom
sea·room
[s rm, s rm]
noun

maneuvering space at sea:
open space at sea in which to turn or maneuver a ship[1]



searover

searover
sea
rov·er
(plural sea ro·vers) noun

pirate:
a pirate or a pirate ship (literary)[1]



seasalt

seasalt
sea
salt
(plural sea salts) noun

coarse salt from seawater:
coarse salt obtained from the evaporation of seawater[1]



seascape

seascape
sea·scape 
[s skàyp] (plural sea·scapes)
noun

sea
view or picture: a painting or picture of the sea, or a
view of the sea
[Late 18th century. Formed
from sea, on the model of landscape .][1]



SeaScout

SeaScout
Sea
Scout
(plural Sea Scouts) noun

scout involved in water
activities: a member of a scouting
organization who learns sailing, boating, canoeing, and other water activities[1]



seaserpent

seaserpent
sea
ser·pent
(plural sea ser·pents) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY mythical
creature:
a giant creature resembling a snake often reported to have been seen at sea,
but never proven to exist.
Also
called
sea snake

2.  ZOOLOGY See sea snake  noun 1

[1]



seashell

seashell

sea·shell 
[s shèl] (plural sea·shells) noun
empty shell of sea creature:
the empty shell of a sea creature, especially a mollusk[1]



seashore

seashore
sea·shore 
[s shàwr] (plural sea·shores)
noun

1.  land
lying next to sea: the land lying next to the
sea, especially a beach

2.  LAW land
between tidemarks: the land lying between the
usual high and low water marks

[1]



seasick

seasick
sea·sick
[s sìk] adjective

nauseated
from rocking of boat: nauseated or dizzy as a
result of the rocking movement of a vessel on water
—sea·sick·ness, noun[1]



seaside

seaside
sea·side 
[s sd] noun

land
along sea:
the area of land bordering the sea
adjective

at the seaside:
situated or taking place at the seaside • a
seaside cottage[1]



seasidesparrow

seasidesparrow
sea·side
spar·row
(plural sea·side spar·rows) noun

Atlantic coast sparrow:
a sparrow that lives along the Atlantic coast of North America. Latin name: Ammodramus
maritimus[1]



seaslug

seaslug
sea
slug
(plural sea slugs) noun

creature resembling sea snail
without shell: a marine mollusc
without gills that resembles a sea snail with no shell and is often brightly
colored. Order: Nudibranchia
Also called
nudibranch[1]



seasnail

seasnail
sea
snail
(plural sea snails) noun

sea creature with a spiral
shell: a small sea creature such as
a whelk or periwinkle with a spiral shell resembling that of a snail. Class:
Gastropoda[1]



seasnake

seasnake
sea
snake
(plural sea snakes) noun

1.  poisonous
tropical snake: a venomous snake found in tropical seas
that swims by means of an oar-shaped tail and bears live young. Family:
Hydrophidae
Also
called
sea serpent

2.  MYTHOLOGY See sea serpent  noun 1

[1]



season

season

sea·son 
[sz’n] noun (plural sea·sons)

1.  traditional
division of year: any one of the periods marked by
particular weather conditions into which the year is traditionally divided. In
temperate regions, there are four seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter,
while in tropical countries there are often only two, a dry season and a rainy
season.

2.  period
for particular activity: a time or period of the year
during which a particular activity usually takes place in the human world or
among plants and animals • planting
season
• mating
season

3.  period
set aside for activity: a fixed period of every year
during which particular activities, especially sports, take place or are
permitted • baseball
season

4.  player’s
or team’s performance: the performance of a player
or team during a sporting season in relation to others • had
his best season ever

5.  time
for food:
the time of year when something, especially a kind of food, is abundant and at
its best • asparagus
season

6.  U.K.
ARTS connected
series of performances: a period of time during
which works that are all by or featuring the same person, or are connected by
theme or period, are shown or performed

7.  high
season at resorts: the time of year at which
resorts receive most visitors and charge their highest rates

8.  social
season:
the time during which the important social events of the year involving members
of high society take place (dated)

9.  time
around holiday: the period of time just before, after,
and including a holiday • the
Christmas season

10. period
of time:
a period of time of unspecified length • a
brief season

11. suitable
time:
a fit or appropriate time for something or to do something (literary)
verb (past
sea·soned, past participle sea·soned, present
participle sea·son·ing, 3rd person present singular sea·sons)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb add flavorings:
to add flavorings such as salt, spices, or herbs to food

2.  transitive
verb
enliven
something:
to liven up something such as a speech or piece of writing by inserting
exciting or amusing material • a
speech seasoned with wit

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb dry
out before use: to allow wood to dry out fully before
use, or to become fully dried out before being used

4.  transitive
verb
prepare
new pan for use: to prepare a new frying pan or wok for
use by rubbing vegetable oil into the heated cooking surface

5.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to gain experience: to cause or enable somebody
to gain experience and become more skilled, or to gain toughness and strength • seasoned
troops

6.  transitive
verb
moderate
something:
to temper something such as a strong emotion (literary)
[14th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem sation- “sowing,” from sat-,
past participle stem of serere “to sow.”]
—sea·son·er,
noun
in season

1.  plentifully
available and at a peak of quality • Strawberries
are in season now.

2.  allowed
to be hunted, caught, or killed

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE
sexually receptive to males

4.  at
an appropriate time (literary)

out of season

1.  not
widely available or not of good quality because of the time of year • Tulips
are out of season at this time of year.

2.  not
allowed to be hunted, caught, or killed because of the time of year

3.  at
an inappropriate time (literary)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Four Seasons, a violin concerto by the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (
  1725 ). Vivaldi’s best-known work (Opus 8) consists of four movements, each
  of which describes a season with appropriate music. The section called
  “Spring,” for example, features birdsong while “Autumn” incorporates sounds
  that suggest rustling leaves. Vivaldi provided a commentary on each movement
  in a series of sonnets he wrote to accompany the concerto.

[1]



seasonable

seasonable
sea·son·a·ble 
[sz’nəb’l] adjective

1.  typical
of particular season: typical of or appropriate
for a particular season of the year

2.  opportune:
done, given, or occurring at a time when needed or appropriate
—sea·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—sea·son·a·bly, adverb[1]



seasonal

seasonal
sea·son·al 
[szən’l, sznəl]
adjective

1.  dependent
on season:
dependent on or determined by the time of year

2.  limited
to particular times: available or employed only
during a particular time or at particular times of the year
—sea·son·al·ly,
adverb

—sea·son·al·ness, noun[1]



seasonalaffective disorder

seasonalaffective disorder
sea·son·al
af·fec·tive dis·or·der or sea·son·al
af·fec·tive dis·or·der syn·drome noun

winter depression:
a type of depression associated with the onset of winter and thought to be
caused by decreasing amounts of daylight[1]



seasoning

seasoning
sea·son·ing 
[sz’ning] (plural sea·son·ings)
noun

1.  flavoring:
salt, pepper, or any herb or spice used to give additional flavor to food

2.  removing
moisture from lumber: the process of treating
lumber to reduce its moisture sufficiently so that it is suitable for the
function for which it will be used

[1]



seasonticket

seasonticket
sea·son
tick·et
(plural sea·son tick·ets) or sea·son pass (plural
sea·son pass·es) noun

multiple-use ticket:
a ticket or pass valid for a season or particular period of time for use of
sport or leisure facilities or attendance at sporting or cultural events[1]



seaspider

seaspider
sea
spi·der
(plural sea spi·ders) noun

sea creature resembling
spider: a sea creature resembling a
spider, with a fairly small body and four to six pairs of long jointed legs.
Class: Pycnogonida
Also called
pycnogonid[1]



seasquill

seasquill
sea
squill
(plural sea squills) noun

See
sea onion[1]



seasquirt

seasquirt
sea
squirt
(plural sea squirts) noun

squirting sea creature:
a tiny sea creature that has a transparent sac-shaped body with openings
through which water passes in and out. It squirts out a stream of water when
disturbed. Class: Ascidiacea[1]



seastar

seastar
sea
star
(plural sea stars) noun

See
starfish[1]



seaswallow

seaswallow
sea
swal·low
(plural sea swal·lows) noun

tern:
a tern, especially the common tern. Latin name: Sterna hirundo[1]



seatback

seatback
seat·back
[st bàk] (plural seat·backs) noun

back support of seat:
the part of a seat against which the back rests[1]



seatbelt

seatbelt
seat
belt
(plural seat belts) noun

security harness:
a strong strap or harness designed to keep the wearer securely in a seat,
especially in a vehicle or aircraft.
Also called
safety belt[1]



seating

seating
seat·ing 
[sting] (plural seat·ings) noun

1.  seats:
the places provided for people to sit, especially in a public building or a
vehicle

2.  arrangement
of seats or sitters: the way in which seats or
people sitting are arranged • a
seating plan

3.  act
or time of sitting: a time or instance when
everyone sits down and an activity such as meal service begins • a
restaurant with two seatings for dinner

4.  something
object rests on: something on which an object rests or
into which it fits

5.  upholstering
material:
material for upholstering the seat of a chair

[1]



seatmate

seatmate
seat·mate 
[st màyt] (plural seat·mates)
noun

companion:
somebody in an adjacent seat, for example, on an airplane[1]



SEATO

SEATO
SEATO
[stō]

Abbreviation of
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization[1]



seat-of-the-pants

seat-of-the-pants
seat-of-the-pants 
adjective

relying
on intuition: relying on intuition or guesswork rather
than mechanical aids, rules and procedures, or planning
[The expression comes from
pilots’ cant, presumably because the intuitive understanding of the plane’s
motions is rumored to be located in that spot][1]



seatrain

seatrain
sea·train 
[s tràyn] (plural sea·trains)
noun

train-carrying ship:
a ship carrying loaded railroad freight cars[1]



seatrout

seatrout
sea
trout
noun

1.  N
American marine fish: a North American marine fish
of the Atlantic coast that resembles a trout but belongs to the croaker family.
Latin name: Cynoscion regalis
Also
called
weakfish

2.  European
and N African trout: a large silvery-colored
European and North African trout that lives mainly in the sea but returns to
fresh water to spawn. Latin name: Salmo trutta

[1]



Seattle

Seattle
Se·at·tle 
[see átt’l]

city in west central
Washington, between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The most important city in
the Pacific Northwest, it is a major seaport and commercial center. Population:
516,259 (1990)[1]



seaturtle

seaturtle

sea tur·tle
noun
warm-water marine turtle:
a large turtle with limbs shaped like paddles that is usually found in tropical
and subtropical seas. Family: Cheloniidae Dermochelyidae[1]



seatwork

seatwork
seat·work 
[st wùrk] noun

deskwork:
tasks to be done by students while sitting at their desks in the classroom[1]



seaurchin

seaurchin

sea ur·chin
(plural sea ur·chins) noun
sea animal with spiny spherical shell:
a small sea animal with a soft body enclosed in a spiny spherical shell. Class:
Echinoidea[1]



seawall

seawall
sea
wall
(plural sea walls) noun

wall to hold out sea:
a wall built to prevent flooding or coastal erosion by the sea[1]



seaward

seaward
sea·ward 
[swərd] adverb

toward the sea:
in a direction toward the sea
adjective

1.  situated
toward the sea: situated toward the sea

2.  blowing
from sea:
used to describe wind that blows in toward the shore from the sea

[1]



seaware

seaware
sea·ware 
[s wàir] noun

seaweed used as fertilizer:
seaweed collected from the shore and used as fertilizer[1]



seawasp

seawasp
sea
wasp
(plural sea wasps) noun

jellyfish:
a jellyfish that has a cube-shaped body with tentacles hanging from the lower
corners. Its sting is very venomous and sometimes fatal. Order: Cubomedusae[1]



seawater

seawater
sea·wa·ter 
[s wàwtər, s
wòttər] noun

salt
water from sea: salt water in or from the sea
[Old English][1]



seaway

seaway
sea·way 
[s wày] (plural sea·ways) noun

1.  inland
channel for ships: an inland canal, passage, or
channel large enough for seagoing ships to navigate • the
St. Lawrence Seaway

2.  route
across sea:
a shipping route across a sea

3.  ship’s
progress:
the progress of a ship through the sea

4.  rough
seas:
seas that are moderate to rough
[Old English][1]



seaweed

seaweed

sea·weed 
[s wd] (plural sea·weeds) noun
marine algae:
plants such as kelp that grow in the sea[1]



seawhip

seawhip
sea
whip
(plural sea whips) noun

Atlantic reef coral:
a coral that forms long flexible structures with few or no branches and is
common on Atlantic reefs[1]



seaworthy

seaworthy
sea·wor·thy 
[s wùree] adjective

fit
to sail:
suitable or in a fit state to sail safely on the sea
—sea·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



seawrack

seawrack
sea
wrack
noun

seaweed on shore:
seaweed, especially clumps of the larger varieties, found cast up on shore[1]



sebaceous

sebaceous
se·ba·ceous 
[sə báyshəss] adjective

of
sebum:
relating to or producing a waxy yellowish body secretion ( sebum )
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin sebaceus, from sebum (see sebum
).][1]



sebaceousgland

sebaceousgland
se·ba·ceous
gland
noun

gland secreting sebum:
a gland that secretes sebum into hair follicles to lubricate the hair and skin.
Sebaceous glands are found all over the human body except for the palms of the
hands and the soles of the feet.[1]



sebacicacid

sebacicacid
se·bac·ic
ac·id 
[sə bàssik ássid, sə
bàysik ássid] noun

acid
used in polyester resins: a white crystalline acid
that is used in the making of some polyester resins, rubbers, and plasticizers.
COOH(CH2)8COOH
[Sebacic formed from sebaceous][1]



Sebastopol

Sebastopol
Se·bas·to·pol 
[sə bástə pol] or Se·vas·to·pol
[sə bástə pol]

city and port on the Black
Sea, in the southern Ukraine, on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.
Population: 366,200 (1991)[1]



SEbE

SEbE
SEbE

Abbreviation of
southeast by east[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seborrhea

seborrhea
seb·or·rhe·a 
[sèbbə r ə] noun

oily
skin condition: excessively oily skin caused by heavy
discharge from the sebaceous glands
[Late
19th century. Coined from sebum + -rrhea .]
—seb·or·rhe·al,
adjective

—seb·or·rhe·ic, adjective[1]



seborrhoea

seborrhoea
seb·or·rhoe·a
[sèbbə r ə] noun

U.K. =
seborrhea[1]



SEbS

SEbS
SEbS

Abbreviation of
southeast by south[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sebum

sebum
se·bum 
[sbəm] noun

oily
secretion:
an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands that lubricates the hair and
skin and gives some protection against bacteria
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “grease, tallow.”][1]



sec

sec1
sec1  [sek]
(plural secs) noun

second:
a second (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



SEC

SEC
SEC

Abbreviation of
Securities and Exchange Commission[1]



sec.

sec.
sec.

1.  Abbreviation
of
second

2.  Abbreviation
of
secondary

3.  Abbreviation
of
secretary

4.  Abbreviation
of
section

5.  Abbreviation
of
sector

6.  Abbreviation
of
secundum

7.  Abbreviation
of
security

[1]



sec

sec2
sec2  [sek]
adjective

dry
in taste:
used to describe a wine, especially champagne, that is dry in taste
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin siccus “dry.”][1]



sec

sec3
sec3 

Abbreviation of
secant[1]



SECAM

SECAM
SECAM
[s kàm] noun

broadcasting system for color
TV: a broadcasting system for
color television used in France, Russia, and a number of other countries. Full
form séquentiel couleur à mémoire[1]



secant

secant

se·cant 
[skənt] (plural se·cants) noun
GEOMETRY

1.  straight
line cutting curve: a straight line that
intersects with a curve in two or more places

2.  trigonometric
function:
the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side adjacent to a given angle in a right
triangle
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin secare (see section
).][1]



secco

secco
sec·co 
[sékō] noun (plural sec·cos)

1.  PAINTING wall
painting technique: the technique of wall
painting on dry plaster using tempera or pigments ground in limewater

2.  PAINTING picture
painted on wall: a painting on a wall made by the secco
method

3.  MUSIC recitative
style:
a style of vocal recitative in which the natural stress of the words is
paramount and, if accompanied at all, is supported only by occasional chords of
continuo instruments
adjective
MUSIC

1.  accompanied
only by continuo instruments: used to refer to vocal
recitatives that are unaccompanied or accompanied only by occasional chords of
continuo instruments

2.  staccato:
played and released quickly and lacking resonance (used as a musical
direction)
adverb

MUSIC in
staccato manner: with the notes played and released
quickly and without resonance (used as a musical direction)
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian from Latin siccus “dry.”][1]



secede

secede
se·cede 
[si sd] (past se·ced·ed, past
participle se·ced·ed, present participle se·ced·ing, 3rd
person present singular se·cedes) intransitive verb

withdraw
formally:
to make a formal withdrawal of membership from an organization, state, or
alliance
[Early
18th century. From Latin secedere, literally “to go apart,” from cedere
(see cede ).]
—se·ced·er, noun[1]



secern

secern
se·cern 
[si súrn] (past se·cerned, past
participle se·cerned, present participle se·cern·ing, 3rd
person present singular se·cerns) transitive verb

distinguish
something:
to identify or perceive something as separate (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin secernere, literally “to separate apart,” from cernere
“to separate” (source of English discern
).]
—se·cern·ment, noun[1]



Secession

Secession
Se·ces·sion
noun

withdrawal of Southern States
from Union: the withdrawal from the
Union of 11 Southern States in 1860–1861 that led to the formation of the
Confederacy and the beginning of the Civil War[1]



secession

secession
se·ces·sion 
[si sésh’n] (plural se·ces·sions)
noun

formal
withdrawal:
a formal withdrawal from an organization, state, or alliance
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin secedere (see secede ).]
—se·ces·sion·al, adjective[1]



Seckelpear

Seckelpear
Seck·el
pear 
[sék’l pàir] (plural Seck·el pears)
noun

N
American pear: a small sweet North American variety of
pear with a reddish skin
[Early 19th century. Named
for an early grower from Philadelphia.][1]



seclude

seclude
se·clude 
[sə kld] (past se·clud·ed, past
participle se·clud·ed, present participle se·clud·ing,
3rd person present singular se·cludes) transitive verb

1.  isolate
somebody:
to remove somebody from contact with others

2.  make
something private: to make a place private and
quiet by screening or isolating it
[15th century. From Latin secludere,
literally “to shut apart,” from claudere “to shut” (source of English conclusive and recluse
).][1]



secluded

secluded
se·clud·ed 
[sə kldəd] adjective

1.  private
and quiet:
cut off from other places and therefore private and quiet

2.  having
little contact: having or involving little or no contact
with others
—se·clud·ed·ly,
adverb

—se·clud·ed·ness, noun[1]



seclusion

seclusion
se·clu·sion 
[sə kl’n] (plural se·clu·sions)
noun

1.  condition
of being secluded: the condition of being cut
off from others, or from other places

2.  act
of secluding: an act of setting somebody or something
apart from others

3.  secluded
place:
a quiet place removed from activity and people
[Early 17th century. From
Latin seclusion-, from secludere (see seclude
).][1]



seclusive

seclusive
se·clu·sive 
[sə klssiv] adjective

solitary:
disposed to be solitary (literary)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from seclude, on the model
of inclusive .]
—se·clu·sive·ly,
adverb

—se·clu·sive·ness, noun[1]



secobarbital

secobarbital
sec·o·bar·bi·tal 
[sèkō brbə tòl] noun

barbiturate
used as sedative: a barbiturate that in its form as a
sodium salt is used as a sedative. C12H18N2O3
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of secondary + barbital .][1]



Seconal

Seconal
Sec·o·nal
[sékə nàl, sékən’l]
Trademark

a trademark for a barbiturate
sedative made from secobarbital[1]



second

second1
sec·ond1 [sékənd]
adjective

1.  coming
after first: coming after the first in a series

2.  another:
additional to, repeating, or following one that came before or was previously
mentioned • I
need a second look at those figures.

3.  additional
and less important: additional to and less
important than the first or main one • a
second home

4.  similar
to predecessor: similar or comparable in many respects
to a particular renowned personality or event • a
second Watergate

5.  inferior
to:
inferior to or less important than somebody or something else • second
only to the president

6.  MUSIC performing
lower or less important part: singing or playing a lower
or less important part
noun
(plural sec·onds)

1.  second
member of series: the second member or item in a series

2.  another
person or thing: another person or thing of the same kind
as one previously mentioned

3.  competitor’s
or duelist’s assistant: an official assistant to a
contestant in a boxing match or a duel

4.  seconder:
a seconder for a proposal, a motion, or nomination in a debate

5.  article
with fault:
an imperfectly manufactured article that is sold at a discount

6.  TRANSPORT forward
gear:
a forward gear of a transmission that is higher than first gear and lower than third
gear

7.  BASEBALL See second base  noun 1

8.  MUSIC interval
of two notes: in a standard musical scale, the
interval between one note and another that lies one note above or below it. In
the scale of C major, C and D form a second.

9.  MUSIC note a
second away from another: in a standard musical scale,
a note that is a second away from another note

10. BALLET See second position
plural
noun
sec·onds

FOOD another
helping or serving: another helping or serving
of a dish or type of food (informal)
transitive
verb
(past sec·ond·ed, past participle sec·ond·ed, present
participle sec·ond·ing, 3rd person present singular sec·onds)

1.  act
as seconder of something: to state support officially
for a proposal, motion, or nomination introduced by somebody else, so that
discussion or voting can take place

2.  express
agreement and support for something: to
express agreement and support for something that somebody has just said (informal)
• I
second that.

3.  act
as competitor’s or duelist’s second: to
act as second to a contestant in a boxing match or duel

4.  assist
or support:
to assist or support somebody or something (formal) • seconded
her efforts
adverb

1.  except
for one:
the one that exceeds all the rest, except for one, in a particular way (used
to qualify a superlative) • the
second highest mountain in the world

2.  See
secondly
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin secundus “the following,
second,” from sequi “to follow” (source of English consequence and sequential
).]
second
to none

better than anyone or
anything else[1]



second

second2
sec·ond2 [sékənd]
(plural sec·onds) noun

1.  60th
of minute:
a unit of time that is equal to one sixtieth of a minute. Symbol s

2.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of measurement of angles: a unit of measurement of
angles equal to one sixtieth of a minute or one 360th of a degree. Symbol
s

3.  very
short time:
a very short period of time
[14th century. Via French
from medieval Latin secunda (see second 1 ), from secunda
pars minuta, literally “second diminished part.” The word denotes the
second division of an hour by sixty.][1]



second

second3
se·cond3 [sə
kónd] (past se·cond·ed, past participle se·cond·ed,
present participle se·cond·ing, 3rd person present singular
se·conds) transitive verb

U.K.
transfer
somebody temporarily: to transfer an employee,
official, or soldier temporarily to other duties
[Early
19th century. From French en second “in the second rank.”]
—sec·ond·ment, noun[1]



SecondAdvent

SecondAdvent
Sec·ond
Ad·vent 
noun

See
Second Coming[1]



secondary

secondary
sec·ond·ar·y 
[sékən dèrree] adjective

1.  not
primary or major: less important than or subordinate to
something else • matters of secondary
importance

2.  derived
from something original: derived from or reliant on
something original • a secondary source

3.  MEDICINE happening
as result of primary disorder: happening as a result
of something else, for example, an infection starting after a primary illness • secondary
tumors

4.  EDUCATION occurring
after primary school: intended for students who
have completed their primary education, usually for children in grades 7 to 12

5.  BIRDS growing
along inner edge of wing: used to describe feathers
that grow along the trailing edge of the inner segment of a bird’s wing

6.  ELECTRICITY electrically
induced:
used to describe a circuit or coil that has an electric current produced by
induction

7.  INDUSTRY involved
in manufacturing: involved in the manufacture of goods
from raw materials

8.  CHEMISTRY organic
carbon compound: used to describe an organic compound
having a carbon atom to which three organic groups of atoms are attached, at
least one of which is chemically active

9.  CHEMISTRY relating
to organic nitrogen compound: used to describe an amine
having two organic groups of atoms and one hydrogen atom attached to a nitrogen
atom

10. BOTANY of
rapidly dividing tissue: relating to or derived from
rapidly dividing tissue ( cambium ) that
gives rise to increased girth, not increased length
noun
(plural sec·ond·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
or something secondary: somebody or something that
is secondary or subordinate

2.  MEDICINE secondary
tumor:
a cancerous growth at a site remote from that of the original malignant tumor

3.  BIRDS secondary
feather:
a secondary feather

4.  ELECTRICITY induced
coil or circuit: a coil or circuit in which an induced
current flows
[14th
century. Formed from second 1 .]
—sec·ond·ar·i·ly
[sèkən dáirrəlee], adverb

—sec·ond·ar·i·ness, noun[1]



secondaryaccent

secondaryaccent
sec·ond·ar·y
ac·cent
(plural sec·ond·ar·y ac·cents) noun

1.  weaker
stress on syllable: an accentuation on a
syllable that is weaker than that on the syllable receiving the main accent.
For example, in the word “secondary,” the main accent falls on the first
syllable and the secondary accent on the third.
Also
called
secondary stress
U.K.
term
secondary stress

2.  stress
mark:
a mark used to indicate where the secondary accent is placed

[1]



secondarybattery

secondarybattery
sec·ond·ar·y
bat·ter·y
noun

See
storage battery[1]



secondaryboycott

secondaryboycott
sec·ond·ar·y
boy·cott
noun

union pressure tactic:
a strike or boycott against a company that is a supplier or customer of a
company involved in a labor dispute[1]



secondarycell

secondarycell
sec·ond·ar·y
cell
(plural sec·ond·ar·y cells) noun

rechargeable electric cell:
an electric cell in which electricity is produced by a reversible chemical
reaction. It is therefore rechargeable and able to store electrical energy.
Also called
storage cell[1]



secondarycolor

secondarycolor
sec·ond·ar·y
col·or
(plural sec·ond·ar·y col·ors) noun

color made of two primary
colors: a color such as orange,
green, or purple produced by mixing two primary colors in roughly equal
quantities[1]



secondaryelectron

secondaryelectron
sec·ond·ar·y
e·lec·tron
(plural sec·ond·ar·y e·lec·trons) noun

electron released by
secondary emission: an electron
released by secondary emission[1]



secondaryemission

secondaryemission
sec·ond·ar·y
e·mis·sion
noun

emission of electrons under
electron bombardment: the
emission of electrons from the surface of a substance bombarded with electrons
or ions[1]



secondaryinfection

secondaryinfection
sec·ond·ar·y
in·fec·tion
noun

additional infection due to
original infection: an
infection that is acquired during the course of a separate initial infection[1]



secondaryoffering

secondaryoffering
sec·ond·ar·y
of·fer·ing
noun

sale outside the stock
exchange: the sale of securities to
dealers outside the stock exchange[1]



secondaryschool

secondaryschool
sec·ond·ar·y
school
(plural sec·ond·ar·y schools) noun

high school:
a school for students who have completed their primary education, usually
attended by children in grades 7 to 12[1]



secondarysexual characteristic

secondarysexual characteristic
sec·ond·ar·y
sex·u·al char·ac·ter·is·tic (plural sec·ond·ar·y
sex·u·al char·ac·ter·is·tics) noun

physical feature
characteristic of sex: a
characteristic that develops at puberty but is not directly concerned with
reproduction, for example, a woman’s breasts or a man’s facial hair[1]



secondarystress

secondarystress
sec·ond·ar·y
stress
(plural sec·ond·ar·y stress·es) noun

See
secondary accent[1]



secondarysyphilis

secondarysyphilis
sec·ond·ar·y
syph·i·lis
noun

second stage of syphilis:
the second, highly infectious stage of syphilis that appears several weeks or
months after primary infection and is marked by a faint skin rash, fever, and
muscular pain[1]



secondballot

secondballot
sec·ond
bal·lot
(plural sec·ond bal·lots) noun

second round of voting:
a second round of voting in an election in which no candidate obtained a
winning majority in the first round. In a second ballot, the candidates who
received the fewest votes in the first round are usually left out.[1]



secondbanana

secondbanana
sec·ond
ba·nan·a
(plural sec·ond ba·nan·as) noun (slang)

1.  assistant
or subordinate: somebody who plays a less prominent role
or acts as an assistant or subordinate to somebody else

2.  comedian’s
stooge:
somebody who plays the straight man or stooge to a comedian in burlesque or
vaudeville

[1]



secondbase

secondbase
sec·ond
base
noun

1.  base
directly opposite home plate: the base opposite home plate
in the baseball diamond, or the position of the infielder playing nearest to
second base on the first-base side.
Also
called
second

2.  See
second baseman

[1]



secondbaseman

secondbaseman
sec·ond
base·man
noun

infielder nearest second
base: in baseball, the player
positioned closest to second base, on the first-base side of it.
Also called
second base[1]



secondbest

secondbest
sec·ond
best
adjective (hyphenated when used before a noun)

1.  next
in quality to best: next in quality to, or
surpassed only by, the best

2.  inferior
to best:
inferior to the best or the favorite • had to
make do with a second-best alternative
noun

1.  somebody
or something next to best: somebody or something that
is next in quality to, or surpassed only by, the best

2.  somebody
or something inferior to best: somebody or something
inferior to the best or the favorite

[1]



secondchildhood

secondchildhood
sec·ond
child·hood
noun

apparently regressive
behavior in old age: a condition
associated with aging that manifests itself in behavior regarded as resembling
that of a child (offensive)[1]



secondclass

secondclass
sec·ond
class
noun

1.  category
after best:
the category or standard of something, especially of accommodation or travel,
that comes immediately below the best

2.  mail
service:
a mail delivery service for newspapers and periodicals
adjective
(hyphenated when used before a noun)

1.  belonging
to second class: belonging to or meeting the standards of
second class, especially regarding mail service or travel accommodations • second-class
accommodations

2.  inferior:
inferior to, or less important than, somebody or something else
adverb
sec·ond-class

by second-class means of travel:
by second-class mail delivery service or travel accommodations • traveled
second-class

[1]



second-classcitizen

second-classcitizen
sec·ond-class
cit·i·zen
(plural sec·ond-class cit·i·zens) noun

citizen with reduced rights:
somebody who does not have or is perceived not to have the same rights,
privileges, or opportunities as a full citizen[1]



SecondComing

SecondComing
Sec·ond
Com·ing
noun

anticipated return of Jesus
Christ: in Christian belief, the
anticipated and prophesied return of Jesus Christ to judge humanity at the end
of the world.
Also called
Parousia
Also called
Second Advent[1]



secondcousin

secondcousin
sec·ond
cous·in
(plural sec·ond cousins) noun

child of parent’s first
cousin: a child of a first cousin of
either of your parents[1]



second-degreeburn

second-degreeburn
sec·ond-de·gree
burn 
(plural sec·ond-de·gree burns) noun

burn that causes blistering:
a burn that causes blistering on the skin, but does not damage the deeper
layers of the skin or require grafting[1]



seconde

seconde
se·conde 
[sə kónd] (plural se·con·des) noun

second
parrying position: the second of the eight
classic parrying positions in fencing
[Early 18th century. From
French, a form of second (see second 1 ).][1]



SecondEmpire

SecondEmpire
Sec·ond
Em·pire
noun

1.  HISTORY reign
of Napoleon III: the reign or the government of the
Emperor Napoleon III of France, lasting from 1852 until 1870

2.  ARTS style
of Second Empire: the weighty, grandiose, and highly
ornamented style of architecture, furnishing, and decoration typical of the
Second Empire

[1]



seconder

seconder
se·con·der
[sékəndər] (plural se·con·ders)
noun

somebody who seconds
proposal: somebody who officially
states support for a proposal, motion, or nomination introduced by somebody
else, so that discussion or voting can take place[1]



secondestate

secondestate
sec·ond
es·tate
noun

the nobility:
the nobility, as one of the three broad traditional classes of people within a
monarchical state[1]



secondfiddle

secondfiddle
sec·ond
fid·dle
noun

less important role:
a less important or less prominent role or somebody or something in such a role[1]



secondfloor

secondfloor
sec·ond
floor
(plural sec·ond floors) noun (hyphenated when used
before a noun)

1.  next
floor above ground level: the floor of a building
immediately above the floor at ground level.
U.K.
term
first floor

2.  U.K.
See third floor

[1]



secondgeneration

secondgeneration
sec·ond
gen·er·a·tion noun

1.  children
of immigrants: the children of immigrants to a
particular country

2.  later
stage of development: a later stage in the
development of something that benefits from what was learned from the first
stage of development
—sec·ond-gen·er·a·tion,
adjective[1]



secondgrowth

secondgrowth
sec·ond
growth
noun

natural regrowth in forest
area: the trees and plants that
grow back naturally in an area of forest after the original trees have been
removed by cutting or fire[1]



second-guess

second-guess
sec·ond-guess 
(past sec·ond-guessed, past participle sec·ond-guessed,
present participle sec·ond-guess·ing, 3rd person present
singular sec·ond-guess·es) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  criticize
after the event: to criticize, assess, or correct
somebody or something after an event is over and the outcome is known

2.  make
a prediction: to predict a course of events, outcome,
or what someone will do, from a position of relative ignorance • no
point in trying to second-guess what they’ll do
—sec·ond-guess·er, noun[1]



secondhand

secondhand
sec·ond
hand
(plural sec·ond hands) noun

hand showing time in seconds:
the hand of a clock or watch that shows time passing second by second and
rotates once around the dial in the space of a minute[1]



secondhand

secondhand
sec·ond·hand 
[sèkənd hánd] adjective

1.  previously
owned:
previously owned or used

2.  selling
used goods:
selling or dealing in used goods

3.  not
original:
received from or reliant on somebody or something other than the original
source • secondhand
accounts of the incident
adverb

1.  in
used condition: after being owned or used by somebody
else • bought
it secondhand

2.  through
intermediary: from or through somebody or something
else and not by direct experience or personal effort • acquires
the information secondhand
at
secondhand

or
at second handfrom or through somebody or something else[1]



secondhandsmoke

secondhandsmoke
sec·ond·hand
smoke
noun

tobacco smoke unintentionally
inhaled: tobacco smoke
unintentionally inhaled by people who do not smoke[1]



secondi

secondi
se·con·di


Plural of
secondo[1]



second-in-command

second-in-command
sec·ond-in-com·mand
noun

deputy:
somebody who is in charge in the absence of the person usually in charge[1]



SecondInternational

SecondInternational
Sec·ond
In·ter·na·tion·al noun

international socialist
association: an international
socialist association established in 1889 in Paris and lasting until World War
I[1]



secondlanguage

secondlanguage
sec·ond
lan·guage
(plural sec·ond lan·guages) noun (hyphenated when used
before a noun)

1.  language
learned after first language: a language learned by
somebody after the first language he or she learns at home

2.  language
of secondary importance: a language in widespread use
in a country that sometimes has official status after the main language of the
country

[1]



secondlieutenant

secondlieutenant
sec·ond
lieu·ten·ant (plural sec·ond lieu·ten·ants)
noun

1.  officer
of lowest commissioned rank: an officer of the lowest
commissioned rank in various military forces such as the U.S. and British
armies, the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force, or the British Royal Marines

2.  lowest
commissioned rank: the lowest commissioned rank
in various military forces, for example, the U.S. and British armies, the U.S.
Marine Corps and Air Force, or the British Royal Marines

[1]



secondly

secondly
sec·ond·ly 
[sékəndlee] adverb

used to introduce the second
point in an argument or discussion[1]



secondmate

secondmate
sec·ond
mate
(plural sec·ond mates) noun

officer on merchant ship:
the officer on a merchant ship next in the line of command after the first
mate, usually the third-highest-ranking officer on board[1]



secondmortgage

secondmortgage
sec·ond
mort·gage
(plural sec·ond mort·gag·es) noun

additional mortgage:
an additional mortgage on a property that has been mortgaged once already and
secondary to the main lien for settlement[1]



secondnature

secondnature
sec·ond
na·ture
noun

ingrained habit:
a habit or tendency so well-developed and long-practiced that it seems to be
done unconsciously[1]



secondo

secondo
se·con·do 
[si kóndō] (plural se·con·di [si kóndee]) noun

second
or lower music part: the second or lower part in
a piece of music for two players, especially a piano duet
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, “second.”][1]



secondopinion

secondopinion
sec·ond
o·pin·ion
(plural sec·ond o·pin·ions) noun

opinion or assessment by
another person: an opinion, especially
one of a professional nature, from somebody other than the usual or first
person consulted[1]



secondperson

secondperson
sec·ond
per·son
(plural sec·ond per·sons) noun

1.  grammatical
class of verb or pronoun: the grammatical class of a
verb or pronoun used when addressing somebody. In English, the second-person
pronoun is “you.”

2.  addressing
form of pronoun or verb: a form of a pronoun or verb
in the second person, for example, “you” or “are”

[1]



secondposition

secondposition
sec·ond
po·si·tion
noun

position of legs in ballet:
a position in ballet in which the feet are turned outward with the feet
slightly apart.
Also called
second[1]



second-rate

second-rate
sec·ond-rate 
adjective

mediocre:
inadequate in quality or performance • a
second-rate pianist
—sec·ond-rat·er, noun[1]



secondreading

secondreading
sec·ond
read·ing
(plural sec·ond read·ings) noun

second presentation of bill:
the second presentation of a bill to a legislature as part of the process of
turning the bill into law. In the U.S. Congress, it follows the committee stage
and precedes a full debate and opportunity for amendment.[1]



SecondRepublic

SecondRepublic
Sec·ond
Re·pub·lic
noun

France from 1848 to 1852:
the period of the Republican government in France from 1848 to 1852[1]



secondsight

secondsight
sec·ond
sight
noun

clairvoyance:
the supposed ability to see things that the physical eye cannot see, especially
events taking place in the future or elsewhere
—sec·ond-sight·ed·ness,
noun[1]



second-strike

second-strike
sec·ond-strike 
adjective

relating to nuclear
retaliation: relating to, involving,
or intended for use in, a retaliatory nuclear attack with weapons designed to
survive a first nuclear strike by an enemy • second-strike
capabilities[1]



secondstring

secondstring
sec·ond
string
(plural sec·ond strings) noun

substitute
team:
a substitute or reserve group of team members
—sec·ond-string,
adjective

—sec·ond-string·er, noun[1]



secondthought

secondthought
sec·ond
thought
(plural sec·ond thoughts) noun

reconsideration:
a reconsideration of something tentatively decided, for example, in light of
new developments or something not previously taken into account (often used
in the plural) • having second thoughts
about getting married
on
second thought

after reconsideration[1]



secondunit

secondunit
sec·ond
u·nit
(plural sec·ond u·nits) noun

CINEMA
secondary filming crew:
a smaller secondary crew that films locations or crowd scenes in which the main
actors do not appear or for which the major production personnel are not
required[1]



secondwind

secondwind
sec·ond
wind 
noun

renewed energy:
a renewal of energy following a period of effort and exertion[1]



SecondWorld War

SecondWorld War
Sec·ond
World War
noun

See
World War II[1]



Secord,Laura

Secord,Laura
Se·cord
[sék awrd, sk
awrd], Laura (1775–1868)

Massachusetts-born
Canadian patriot. She became a hero in British Canada during the War of 1812
when she walked a substantial distance to warn the British after overhearing
plans for a U.S. attack.
Born
Ingersoll, Laura[1]



secrecy

secrecy
se·cre·cy 
[skrəssee] noun

1.  state
of concealment: the state of being concealed or secret • talks
held in secrecy

2.  keeping
of secrets:
the keeping of a secret or secrets • sworn
to secrecy

3.  secretiveness:
a tendency to keep things secret
[Late 16th century. Formed
from secret .][1]



Secret

Secret
Se·cret 
[skrət] or se·cret [skrət] noun

prayer
in Roman Catholic Mass: a variable prayer said at
the conclusion of the Offertory and before the Preface in the Roman Catholic
Mass
[From ecclesiastical Latin secreta
oratio, literally, “concealed speech,” from the low voice used][1]



secret

secret
se·cret 
[skrət] adjective

1.  not
widely known: known by only a few people and
intentionally withheld from general knowledge

2.  undercover:
working or operating without the knowledge of the general public

3.  unadmitted:
acting or feeling in a particular way without admitting to it • a
secret admirer

4.  private
and secluded: known to very few people and
consequently quiet and secluded

5.  secretive:
tending by nature to keep things secret (informal)

6.  mysterious:
mysterious and often beyond common understanding
noun
(plural se·crets)

1.  information
not widely known: a piece of information that is known
only to a few people and is intentionally withheld from general knowledge

2.  mystery:
something that is unknown, hidden, or not understood

3.  something
ensuring success: a little-known technique, approach, or
piece of information that is the key to success in a particular endeavor
[14th
century. Via French from Latin secretus “separate, hidden,” from secernere
(see secern ).]
—se·cret·ly,
adverb
in
secret

without
anyone else’s knowledge • meet
in secret

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  secret, clandestine, covert, furtive,
  stealthy, surreptitious
  CORE
  MEANING: conveying
  a desire or need for concealment secret;
  a general word describing actions or events that are or should be concealed.
  It can also describe things, places, and information; clandestine; describes something such as a
  meeting between two people that is illicit, unauthorized, or unacceptable,
  and therefore must be concealed; covert;
  a formal word used to describe something that is done secretly, especially in
  order to emphasize a lack of honesty or openness; furtive;
  the cautious nervous behavior of a guilty person trying to avoid attention; stealthy; describes behavior that is quiet
  and slow in order to avoid notice, especially when this behavior is
  associated with wrongdoing; surreptitious;
  describes something forbidden or unacceptable done at an opportune moment

[1]



secretagent

secretagent
se·cret
a·gent
(plural se·cret a·gents) noun

spy:
somebody engaged in espionage for a government or organization[1]



secretagogue

secretagogue
se·cre·ta·gogue 
[sə krtə gàwg, sə
krtə gòg] (plural se·cre·ta·gogues) noun

agent
promoting secretion: a substance such as a
hormone that causes or stimulates secretion
[Early
20th century. Coined from secrete + Greek agōgos
“leading, eliciting,” from agein “to lead.”]
—se·cre·ta·gog·ic [sə krtə gójjik], adjective[1]



secretaire

secretaire
se·cre·taire 
[sèkrə táir] (plural sec·re·taires)
noun

FURNITURE See secretary
[Late 18th century. Via
French from late Latin secretarius (see secretary
).][1]



secretariat

secretariat
sec·re·tar·i·at 
[sèkrə térree ət] (plural sec·re·tar·i·ats)
noun

1.  administrative
department:
a department that carries out the administrative and clerical work of an
organization or legislature

2.  secretarial
staff:
the secretarial staff under the direction of a secretary-general

3.  building
housing secretariat: the headquarters or offices
of a secretariat
[Early 19th century. Via
French from medieval Latin secretariatus, from late Latin secretarius
(see secretary ).][1]



secretary

secretary
sec·re·tar·y 
[sékri tèrree] (plural sec·re·tar·ies)
noun

1.  clerical
worker:
somebody who does general clerical and administrative work such as
word-processing, filing, and arranging appointments for an individual or an
organization

2.  officer
of club, society, or committee: somebody elected or
appointed to keep the records of the meetings of an organization such as a
club, society, or committee, and to write or answer letters on its behalf

3.  See
company secretary

4.  Sec·re·tar·y
(plural Sec·re·tar·ies) or sec·re·tar·y POLITICS cabinet
member:
a cabinet-level official of a national government

5.  U.K.
See secretary of state

6.  U.K.
civil
servant assisting government minister: a
senior civil servant who advises a government minister

7.  FURNITURE cabinet
incorporating writing desk: a large cabinet with a
fold-down desktop, usually with drawers below and an enclosed bookcase above.
Also
called
secretaire
U.K.
term
secretaire
[14th
century. From late Latin secretarius “confidential officer,” from,
ultimately, secretus (see secret ).]
—sec·re·tar·i·al
[sèkrə térree əl], adjective

—sec·re·tary·ship, noun[1]



secretarybird

secretarybird


sec·re·tar·y
bird
(plural sec·re·tar·y birds) noun
long-legged
African bird of prey: a large long-legged African
bird of prey that feeds mainly on snakes. It has gray-and-black plumage and a
crest projecting from the back of its head. Latin name: Sagittarius
serpentarius
[Secretary from the supposed
resemblance of the bird’s crest to quill pens stuck behind a secretary’s ear][1]



secretary-general

secretary-general
sec·re·tar·y-gen·er·al 
(plural sec·re·tar·ies-gen·er·al) noun

chief executive officer:
the chief executive officer of an organization such as the United Nations, who
oversees a secretariat[1]



Secretaryof State

Secretaryof State
Sec·re·tary
of State
(plural Sec·re·taries of State) noun

foreign affairs official:
the U.S. government official and cabinet member who is in charge of foreign
affairs[1]



secretaryof state

secretaryof state
sec·re·tar·y
of state
(plural sec·re·tar·ies of state) noun

1.  state
official:
a state government official with administrative responsibilities that vary from
state to state

2.  British
government official: a member of the British
government and cabinet who is in charge of a major department such as Education
or Defense.
Also
called
secretary

[1]



secretballot

secretballot
se·cret
bal·lot
(plural se·cret bal·lots) noun

anonymous vote:
a situation in which people cast votes secretly in order to determine the
outcome of an election or some other decision[1]



secrete

secrete2
se·crete2 [sə
krt] (past se·cret·ed, past participle se·cret·ed,
present participle se·cret·ing, 3rd person present singular
se·cretes) transitive verb

1.  hide
something:
to conceal somebody or something

2.  remove
something secretly: to remove or steal something
secretly or without being observed (archaic)
[Mid-18th
century. Alteration (on the model of Latin secretus “hidden”) of
obsolete secret “to hide,” from secret
.]
—se·cre·tion, noun[1]



secrete

secrete1
se·crete1 [sə
krt] (past se·cret·ed, past participle se·cret·ed,
present participle se·cret·ing, 3rd person present singular
se·cretes) intransitive and transitive verb

produce
secretion:
to produce and discharge a secretion
[Early
18th century. From Latin secret-, the past participle stem of secernere
(see secern ).]
—se·cret·or, noun[1]



secretin

secretin
se·cre·tin 
[sə krt’n] noun

hormone
secreted in duodenum: a hormone secreted in the
duodenum that stimulates the pancreas and the bowel to produce digestive
enzymes and the liver to produce bile
[Early 20th century. Formed
from secretion .][1]



secretion

secretion
se·cre·tion
[sə krsh’n] (plural se·cre·tions)
noun

1.  process
of secreting: the process of producing a substance
from the cells and fluids within a gland or organ and discharging it

2.  secreted
substance:
a substance formed and discharged by a cell, tissue, gland, or organ
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin secernere (see secern ).]
—se·cre·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



secretive

secretive
se·cre·tive 
[skrətiv] adjective

unwilling
to reveal information: tending to keep information
secret
—se·cre·tive·ly,
adverb

—se·cre·tive·ness, noun[1]



secretory

secretory
se·cre·to·ry 
[sə krtəree] adjective

relating
to secretion: involved in, producing, or produced by
secretion
[Late 17th century. Formed
from secrete 1 .][1]



secretpartner

secretpartner
se·cret
part·ner
(plural se·cret part·ners) noun

unknown business partner:
a partner whose involvement in a business is kept secret[1]



secretpolice

secretpolice
se·cret
po·lice
noun

police force that operates in
secret: a police force that operates
in secret and whose function is to prevent subversion or suppress political
opposition to a regime[1]



secretservice

secretservice
se·cret
serv·ice
(plural se·cret serv·ic·es) noun

undercover government
organization: a government department
that carries out secret investigations and covert operations[1]



SecretService

SecretService
Se·cret
Ser·vice
noun

U.S. president’s security
officers: a branch of the U.S.
Treasury Department whose main function is the protection of the president and
vice president and their families[1]



secretsociety

secretsociety
se·cret
so·ci·e·ty
noun

organization that keeps
activities secret: an
organization that requires its members to keep all or some of its activities
secret from nonmembers[1]



sect

sect
sect 
[sekt] (plural sects) noun

1.  RELIGION nonmainstream
religious group: a religious group with beliefs and
practices at variance with those of a more established main group

2.  RELIGION religious
denomination: a denomination of a larger religious
group

3.  SOCIAL SCIENCES close-knit
group:
a small close-knit group with strongly held views that are sometimes regarded
as extreme by the majority
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin secta “school of thought,” originally “way, road,”
from sequi “to follow” (source of English sequence
and second ).][1]



sect.

sect.
sect.

1.  Abbreviation
of
section

2.  Abbreviation
of
sectional

[1]



-sect

-sect
-sect
suffix

1.  to
cut or divide • quadrisect

2.  cut,
divided • pinnatisect
[From Latin sectus,
the past participle of secare “to cut” (see section
)][1]



sectarian

sectarian
sec·tar·i·an 
[sek térree ən] adjective

1.  RELIGION of
religious group: relating to or involving relations
between religious groups or denominations

2.  RELIGION of
single religious group: relating to, involved with,
or devoted to a particular religious group or denomination

3.  dogmatic
and intolerant: rigidly adhering to a particular set of
doctrines and intolerant of other views
noun
(plural sec·tar·i·ans)

1.  member
of religious group: a member of a religious
group or denomination

2.  somebody
dogmatic and intolerant: somebody who rigidly adheres
to a particular set of doctrines and is intolerant of other views
—sec·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



sectarianize

sectarianize
sec·tar·i·an·ize
[sek térree ə nz] (past sec·tar·i·an·ized,
past participle sec·tar·i·an·ized, present participle sec·tar·i·an·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sec·tar·i·an·iz·es) transitive
verb

make somebody or something
sectarian: to cause somebody or
something to become sectarian[1]



sectary

sectary
sec·ta·ry 
[séktəree] (plural sec·ta·ries)
noun

member of a religious group
or denomination: a member of a religious
group or denomination (archaic)[1]



sectile

sectile
sec·tile 
[sékt’l] adjective

able
to be cut:
used to describe minerals that can be cut so as to leave a smooth surface
[Early
18th century. From Latin sectilis, from the stem sect- (see section ).]
—sec·til·i·ty [sek tíllətee], noun[1]



section

section
sec·tion 
[séksh’n] noun (plural sec·tions)

1.  distinct
part:
a distinct part that can be separated or considered separately from the whole
of something

2.  unit
of people:
a group of people forming a unit within a larger group, for example, a
subdivision of a military unit, or the musicians playing a particular kind of
instrument in an orchestra

3.  subdivision
of document: a major subdivision of a written work
such as a book or newspaper, or of an official or legal document, often
numbered

4.  GEOGRAPHY functional
area:
an area of a country, county, city, or town, usually characterized by the type
of activity mainly carried on there • a
residential section of the city

5.  area
of one square mile: an area of land, for
purposes of land surveying, equal to one square mile, 2.59 square kilometers,
or one thirty-sixth of a township

6.  view
of something cut through: a view or representation of
something cut through to show its internal structure or workings

7.  SCIENCE very
thin slice:
a very thin slice of something removed for examination under a microscope • a
tissue section

8.  SURGERY surgical
cut:
a surgical incision

9.  RAIL length
of rail track: a length of railroad track maintained by
a single crew

10. BOTANY segment
of citrus fruit: a segment of an orange, grapefruit, or
other citrus fruit

11. PRINTING See section mark
transitive
verb
(past sec·tioned, past participle sec·tioned, present
participle sec·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular sec·tions)

1.  divide
something:
to divide something up into separate parts

2.  cut
something surgically: to make a surgical incision
in something
[14th
century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem section-, from sect-,
past participle stem of secare “to cut.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word secare, from which section
  is derived, is also the source of English bisect,
  dissect, insect, intersect,
  secateurs, sector, and segment.

[1]



sectional

sectional
sec·tion·al 
[sékshən’l] adjective

1.  section
of:
relating to a particular group or section

2.  involving
different sections: involving different groups
or sections

3.  consisting
of sections: divided into or made up of sections
noun

furniture in parts:
a piece of furniture made up of coordinated sections that can be used together
or apart
—sec·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



sectionalism

sectionalism
sec·tion·al·ism 
[sékshn’lìzzəm] noun

excessive
concern for interests of section: excessive concern for
the interests of a particular group or area to the detriment of the whole
—sec·tion·al·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



sectionalize

sectionalize
sec·tion·al·ize 
[sékshən’l z] (past sec·tion·al·ized,
past participle sec·tion·al·ized, present participle sec·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sec·tion·al·iz·es) transitive verb

divide
something into sections: to divide something,
especially a geographic area, into sections
—sec·tion·al·i·za·tion
[sèkshən’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



SectionEight

SectionEight
Sec·tion
Eight 
(plural Sec·tion Eights) noun

1.  military
discharge:
a discharge from military service on physical or psychological grounds

2.  discharged
soldier:
a soldier discharged under Section Eight regulations

[1]



sectiongang

sectiongang
sec·tion
gang
(plural sec·tion gangs) noun

track maintenance gang:
a gang of railroad workers responsible for maintaining a particular section of
track[1]



sectionhand

sectionhand
sec·tion
hand
(plural sec·tion hands) noun

laborer in a section gang:
a worker on a section gang[1]



sectionmark

sectionmark
sec·tion
mark
(plural sec·tion marks) noun

printing symbol:
a symbol (§) sometimes used in printing to mark the beginning of a section of a
book or one of a series of footnotes, and for various other purposes.
Also called
section[1]



sector

sector
sec·tor 
[séktər] noun (plural sec·tors)

1.  component
part:
a component of an integrated system such as an economy or a society

2.  MILITARY part
of area of military operations: a part of an area
where military forces are operating or in control

3.  GEOMETRY part
of circle:
a part of a circle bounded by two radii and the part of the circumference that
lies between them

4.  measuring
instrument:
a measuring instrument consisting of two arms marked with graduations, hinged
together at one end

5.  COMPUTING unit
of magnetic storage device: the smallest addressable
unit of a magnetic storage device
transitive
verb
(past sec·tored, past participle sec·tored, present
participle sec·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular sec·tors)

divide something:
to divide something into sectors
[Late
16th century. From late Latin, “section of a circle,” originally “cutter,” from
the stem sect- (see section ).]
—sec·tor·al, adjective[1]



sectorial

sectorial
sec·to·ri·al 
[sek táwree əl] adjective

1.  of
sector:
relating to a sector or consisting of sectors

2.  ZOOLOGY used
for cutting: adapted or specialized for cutting • sectorial
teeth

[1]



secular

secular
sec·u·lar 
[sékyələr] adjective

1.  not
concerned with religion: not controlled by a
religious body or concerned with religious or spiritual matters

2.  not
religious:
not religious or spiritual in nature • secular
music

3.  not
monastic:
not belonging to a monastic order

4.  occurring
once a century: occurring only once in the course of an
age or century

5.  occurring
over long period: taking place over an extremely or
indefinitely long period of time
noun
(plural sec·u·lars)

1.  member
of secular clergy: a member of the secular
clergy

2.  lay
person:
a member of the laity
[14th
century. Formed from Old French seculer, from Latin saecularis,
from saeculum “world, generation, age.”]
—sec·u·lar·i·ty
[sèkyə lérrətee], noun

—sec·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



secularhumanism

secularhumanism
sec·u·lar
hu·man·ism
noun

nonreligious world view:
a philosophy or world view that stresses human values without reference to
religion or spirituality[1]



secularism

secularism
sec·u·lar·ism 
[sékyələ rìzzəm] noun

1.  exclusion
of religion from public affairs: the belief that
religion and religious bodies should have no part in political or civic affairs
or in running public institutions, especially schools

2.  rejection
of religion: the rejection of religion or its
exclusion from a philosophical or moral system
—sec·u·lar·ist,
noun

—sec·u·lar·is·tic [sèkyələ rístik], adjective[1]



secularize

secularize
sec·u·lar·ize 
[sékyələ rz] (past sec·u·lar·ized,
past participle sec·u·lar·ized, present participle sec·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sec·u·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  transfer
something to civil use: to transfer something from a
religious to a nonreligious use, or from control by a religious body to control
by the state or a lay body or person

2.  make
something secular: to remove the religious
dimension or element from something, or otherwise make it secular
—sec·u·lar·i·za·tion
[sèkyələrə záysh’n], noun

—sec·u·lar·iz·er, noun[1]



secund

secund
se·cund 
[s kùnd, sé
kùnd, sə kúnd] adjective

arranged
on one side of axis: arranged on or curving
toward only one side of an axis
[Late
18th century. From Latin secundus (see second
).]
—se·cund·ly, adverb[1]



secure

secure
se·cure 
[sə kyr] adjective

1.  not
worried:
untroubled by feelings of fear, doubt, or vulnerability

2.  firmly
fixed:
firmly fixed or placed in position and unlikely to come loose or give way • made
the rope secure

3.  reliable:
reliable and unlikely to fail or be lost • a
secure investment

4.  well
guarded and fortified: well guarded and strongly
fortified or protected

5.  safe:
safe, especially against attack or theft

6.  safe
for secret communications: safe to use for secret or confidential
communication • a secure line

7.  assured:
certain to be achieved or gained • Just
when victory seemed secure, we let it slip from our grasp.
verb
(past se·cured, past participle se·cured, present
participle se·cur·ing, 3rd person present singular se·cures)

1.  transitive
verb
fix
something firmly: to fix something firmly in position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something safe: to make a building or area safe to
occupy, usually by ensuring that all internal sources of danger are removed or
that it is defended against attack

3.  transitive
verb
acquire
something:
to obtain something, especially after using considerable effort to persuade
somebody to grant or allow it • secure
an agreement

4.  transitive
verb
FINANCE ensure
payment for something: to provide security for
something or otherwise guarantee payment • a
loan secured against your house

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb guarantee:
to guarantee or ensure something

6.  transitive
verb
prevent
somebody from escaping: to ensure that somebody
cannot escape • secure a prisoner

7.  transitive
verb
make
something safe for secret communications: to
ensure that a means of communication can be safely used for secret or
confidential messages • secure
a telephone line

8.  transitive
verb
make
things safe on board: to make sure that everything
on board a ship is safely stowed and that openings are covered • secure
a ship
• secure
the cargo
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin securus, literally “without care,” from cura
“care” (source of English cure ).]
—se·cur·a·ble,
adjective

—se·cure·ly,
adverb

—se·cure·ment,
noun

—se·cure·ness,
noun

—se·cur·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at get

[1]



Securitiesand Exchange Commission

Securitiesand Exchange Commission
Se·cu·ri·ties
and Ex·change Com·mis·sion  noun

U.S. regulatory agency for
securities: an agency of the U.S.
government set up to regulate transactions in securities and protect investors
against malpractice[1]



securitization

securitization
se·cu·ri·ti·za·tion
[sə kyrətə záysh’n] noun

preparation of marketable
securities: the preparation of readily
marketable securities representing an ownership interest in some asset such as
credit card loans or timberland that is not otherwise conveniently traded[1]



security

security
se·cu·ri·ty 
[sə kyrətee] (plural se·cu·ri·ties)
noun

1.  state
or feeling of safety: the state or feeling of
being safe and protected

2.  freedom
from worry about possible loss: the assurance that
something of value will not be taken away

3.  something
giving assurance: something that provides a sense of
protection against loss, attack, or harm

4.  safety:
protection against attack from without or subversion from within • a
matter of national security

5.  precautions
to maintain safety: precautions taken to keep
somebody or something safe from crime, attack, or danger • security
measures

6.  guards:
people or an organization entrusted with the job of protecting somebody or
something, especially a building or institution, against crime

7.  asset
deposited to guarantee repayment: something pledged to
guarantee fulfillment of an obligation, especially an asset guaranteeing
repayment of a loan that becomes the property of the creditor if the loan is
not repaid

8.  guarantor:
somebody who guarantees to fulfill an obligation entered into by somebody else
if that person fails to do so

9.  financial
instrument:
a tradable document such as a stock certificate or bond that shows evidence of
debt or ownership

[1]



securityblanket

securityblanket
se·cu·ri·ty
blan·ket
(plural se·cu·ri·ty blan·kets) noun

blanket that child carries
around: a familiar blanket, toy, or
other object that a child carries around for the feeling of security it gives,
or any object that fulfills the same function for an adult[1]



securityclearance

securityclearance
se·cu·ri·ty
clear·ance
noun

permission allowing access:
official permission allowing somebody to have access to a secure facility or to
information that has been classified for reasons of national security.
Also called
clearance[1]



SecurityCouncil

SecurityCouncil
Se·cu·ri·ty
Coun·cil 
noun

United Nations body:
the permanent committee of the United Nations that oversees its peacekeeping
operations throughout the world. The Security Council has five permanent
members: Great Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States, and ten
other members chosen in rotation from among the other member states.[1]



securityguard

securityguard
se·cu·ri·ty
guard
(plural se·cu·ri·ty guards) noun

guard employed by private
company: somebody employed by a
private organization to guard and protect a building or other property[1]



securityrisk

securityrisk
se·cu·ri·ty
risk
(plural se·cu·ri·ty risks) noun

danger to security:
somebody or something considered a threat to security, especially somebody
whose behavior is thought likely to compromise the security of a country[1]



secy.

secy.
secy.
or sec’y.

Abbreviation of
secretary[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sed.

sed.
sed.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sediment

2.  Abbreviation
of
sedimentation

[1]



sedan

sedan
se·dan 
[sə dán] (plural se·dans) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand type
of car:
a car with a fully enclosed passenger compartment, a permanent roof, two or
four doors, front and rear seats, and a separate trunk
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via an Italian dialect word from, ultimately, Latin sedes
“seat.”][1]



sedan

sedan
se·dan 
(plural se·dans) or se·dan chair (plural se·dan
chairs) noun

enclosed chair carried by
porters: in the 17th and 18th
centuries, an enclosed chair carried by porters at the front and rear on two
long poles passed through handles on the sides of the box[1]



Sedan

Sedan
Se·dan 
[sè dán, sè doN]

town in Ardennes Department,
Champagne-Ardenne Region, northeastern France. It was the location of a
decisive French defeat in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war. Population:
22,407 (1990)[1]



sedate

sedate2
se·date2 [sə
dáyt] (past se·dat·ed, past participle se·dat·ed,
present participle se·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular
se·dates) transitive verb

give
sedative to somebody: to administer a sedative to
somebody
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from sedative and sedation .][1]



sedate

sedate1
se·date1 [sə
dáyt] adjective

unhurried:
dignified, subdued, and lacking any sense of hurry or urgency
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin sedatus, past participle of sedare “to calm,”
literally “to force to sit,” from sedere “to sit” (source of English session ).]
—se·date·ly,
adverb

—se·date·ness, noun[1]



sedation

sedation
se·da·tion 
[sə dáysh’n] noun

1.  state
of calm:
a state of calm, restfulness, or drowsiness, especially as induced by a
sedative or tranquilizing drug

2.  use
of sedatives: the use of a sedative or tranquilizing
drug to induce a state of calm, restfulness, or drowsiness

[1]



sedative

sedative
sed·a·tive 
[séddətiv] noun (plural sed·a·tives)

drug
inducing sedation: a drug or other agent that
induces sedation
adjective

inducing sedation:
inducing sedation, especially by means of a tranquilizing drug • a
sedative effect[1]



sedentary

sedentary
sed·en·tar·y 
[sédd’n tèrree] adjective

1.  involving
sitting:
involving a lot of sitting and correspondingly little exercise • sedentary
work

2.  usually
sitting:
tending to sit most of the time and getting little exercise • a
sedentary person

3.  ZOOLOGY not
moving:
used to describe shellfish that remain in one place, usually attached to a
rock, for most of their lives

4.  BIRDS nonmigratory:
remaining in the same area throughout the year and not migrating
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French sédentaire from Latin sedentarius,
from, ultimately, sedere (see sedate 2 ).]
—sed·en·tar·i·ly,
adverb

—sed·en·tar·i·ness, noun[1]



Seder

Seder
Se·der 
[sáydər] (plural Se·ders or
Se·der·im [sə drim]) noun

CALENDAR Jewish
feast:
in Judaism, a ceremonial meal eaten on either of the first two nights of
Passover, commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt
[Mid-19th century. From Hebrew,
literally “order, procedure.”][1]



sedge

sedge
sedge 
[sej] (plural sedg·es) noun

plant
resembling grass: a wetland plant that resembles grass and
has a triangular stem, leaves growing in three vertical rows, and inconspicuous
spikes of flowers. Genus: Carex
[Old
English secg . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut”
that is also the ancestor of English section
. Probably from the plant’s sharpness.]
—sedg·y, adjective[1]



sedgewren

sedgewren
sedge
wren
(plural sedge wrens) noun

N American marsh bird:
a wren of eastern North America that is similar to a sparrow in coloration and
lives in grassy meadows and sedge marshes. Latin name: Cistothorus platensis

Also called
short-billed marsh wren[1]



sedilia

sedilia
se·di·lia 
[sə díllyə, sə
díllee ə] plural noun

set
of seats in church sanctuary: a set of three seats placed
near the altar of a church and often recessed into the wall used by priests
celebrating Mass or Holy Communion
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, plural of sedile “seat,” from sedere “to sit.”][1]



sediment

sediment
sed·i·ment 
[séddimənt] (plural sed·i·ments)
noun

1.  settled
matter at bottom of liquid: material, originally
suspended in a liquid, that settles at the bottom of the liquid when it is left
standing for a long time

2.  eroded
material:
material eroded from preexisting rocks that is transported by water, wind, or
ice and deposited elsewhere
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin sedimentum “settling,” from sedere
“to sit.”]
—sed·i·men·tous [sèddi méntəss], adjective[1]



sedimentary

sedimentary
sed·i·men·ta·ry 
[sèddə méntəree] adjective

1.  forming
in liquid:
forming at the bottom of a liquid

2.  formed
from eroded material: used to describe rocks
formed from material, including debris of organic origin, deposited as sediment
by water, wind, or ice and then consolidated by pressure
—sed·i·men·ta·ri·ly [sèddə men térrilee], adverb[1]



sedimentation

sedimentation
sed·i·men·ta·tion 
[sèddəmən táysh’n] noun

1.  formation
of rocks:
the process by which rocks are formed by the accumulation of sediment

2.  process
of forming sediment in liquid: the process by which
particles in suspension in a liquid form sediment

[1]



sedimentationtank

sedimentationtank
sed·i·men·ta·tion
tank
(plural sed·i·men·ta·tion tanks) noun

sewage tank:
a tank in which sewage is left in order to allow its solid constituents to
separate out[1]



sedimentology

sedimentology
sed·i·men·tol·o·gy 
[sèddəmən tólləjee] noun

study
of sedimentary rocks: the branch of geology
concerned with the nature and formation of sedimentary rocks
—sed·i·men·to·log·ic
[sèddəmənt’l ójjik], adjective

—sed·i·men·tol·o·gist
[sèddəmən tólləjist], noun[1]



sedition

sedition
se·di·tion 
[sə dísh’n] noun

rebellion
or incitement: actions or words intended to provoke or
incite rebellion against government authority, or such a rebellion
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from the Latin stem sedition- “civil disorder,”
literally, “a going apart, separation,” from, ultimately, ire “to go.”][1]



seditious

seditious
se·di·tious 
[sə díshəss] adjective

1.  involving
sedition:
involving or encouraging rebellion against a government or other authority

2.  involved
in sedition: taking part in activities that are
directed against a government or other authority
[15th
century Via French seditieux from, ultimately, Latin seditio
“discord” (see sedition )]
—se·di·tious·ly,
adverb

—se·di·tious·ness, noun[1]



seduce

seduce
se·duce 
[sə dss] (past se·duced, past
participle se·duced, present participle se·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular se·duc·es) transitive verb

1.  induce
somebody to have sex: to persuade somebody to have
sex, especially by using a romantic or deceptive approach

2.  lead
somebody astray: to persuade somebody into doing
something wrong

3.  win
somebody over: to persuade somebody into giving support
or agreement
[15th
century From Latin seducere “to lead astray,” from ducere “to
lead” (source of English educate )]
—se·duc·er,
noun

—se·duc·i·ble, adjective[1]



seducement

seducement
se·duce·ment 
[sə dssmənt] noun

1.  something
that seduces: something that tempts or persuades “ere
any flattering seducement, or vain principle seize them” John Milton Civil War
Polemic, part I

2.  seduction:
a seduction

[1]



seduction

seduction
se·duc·tion 
[sə dúksh’n] noun

1.  leading
astray of somebody: the act of persuading
somebody to do something wrong • their
easy seduction into a life of crime

2.  luring
of somebody into sex: the act of persuading
somebody to have sex, especially by using a romantic or deceptive approach

3.  tempting
thing:
something that tempts, persuades, or attracts

[1]



seductive

seductive
se·duc·tive 
[sə dúktiv] adjective

1.  sexually
enticing:
aiming to be or regarded as being sexually inviting • his
seductive smile

2.  tempting:
serving to tempt, persuade, or attract • made
me a very seductive offer
—se·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—se·duc·tive·ness, noun[1]



seductress

seductress
se·duc·tress 
[sə dúktrəss] noun

woman
who seduces: a woman who seduces others
[Early 19th century. Formed
from obsolete sedutor + -ess .][1]



sedulous

sedulous
sed·u·lous 
[séjjələss] adjective (literary)

1.  working
persistently: working with great zeal and persistence

2.  painstaking:
carried out with great care, concentration, and commitment • sedulous
attention to detail
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin sedulus, from, ultimately, se “without” + dolus
“deception.”]
—se·du·li·ty
[sə dlətee], noun

—sed·u·lous·ly
[séjjələsslee], adverb

—sed·u·lous·ness [séjjələssnəss], noun[1]



sedum

sedum
se·dum 
[sdəm] (plural se·dums) noun

succulent
plant:
any one of a genus of low-growing herbaceous plants that grow naturally in
rocky places and have fleshy leaves and clusters of white, yellow, or pink
flowers. Genus: Sedum
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “houseleek.”][1]



see

see2
see2 [see]
noun

1.  bishop’s
diocese:
the area that is under the jurisdiction of a bishop or archbishop

2.  bishop’s
power:
the position or authority of a bishop or archbishop
[13th century Via Old French se
from, ultimately, Latin sedere “to sit”][1]



see

see1
see1 [see]
(past saw [saw], past
participle seen [seen], present
participle see·ing, 3rd person present singular sees) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb perceive
with eyes:
to perceive, or perceive something, with the eyes

2.  intransitive
verb
have
vision:
to be able to perceive things with the eyes • sees
fine without his glasses

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb view
or watch:
to examine, look at, or watch somebody or something using the eyes • He
asked to see my passport.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb comprehend:
to have a clear understanding of something • I’m
not sure I see what you mean.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb realize
by seeing:
to realize that something is true or exists by using the eyes, for example, by
reading about it • I see from his letter
that he’s worked here before.

6.  transitive
verb
perceive
something as pleasing or good: to perceive or find a
trait in somebody, especially one that is interesting or pleasing • I
don’t understand what she sees in him.

7.  transitive
verb
meet
or consult with somebody: to meet somebody or spend
time with somebody, either socially or professionally • I’m
seeing an old friend for lunch.

8.  transitive
verb
have
a relationship with somebody: to meet with somebody in a romantic
context or have a romantic or sexual relationship with somebody • Is
he seeing anyone at the moment?

9.  transitive
verb
have
interview with somebody: to meet with somebody in
order to raise or discuss an issue such as a complaint • She
asked to see the manager.

10. transitive
verb
receive
somebody for interview: to admit or receive somebody
who has come for a visit or an interview • The
doctor can’t see you until next week.

11. transitive
verb
imagine
something:
to picture something in the mind • I
couldn’t see someone like him in a jacket and tie.

12. transitive
verb
believe
something:
to regard it as likely that somebody will do something • We
couldn’t see them agreeing to that.

13. transitive
verb
consider
somebody or something: to regard somebody or
something in a particular way • We
don’t really see them as good friends.

14. transitive
verb
undergo
something:
to experience something firsthand • They’ve
seen a lot of unhappiness in their short lives.

15. transitive
verb
escort
somebody:
to go somewhere with somebody, usually as a guide, for company, or for
protection • Would
you see me to my car?

16. transitive
verb
make
sure of something: to remember to do something
or be sure to do it • See
that they wipe their feet before they come in.

17. transitive
verb
refer
to something: to consult something or refer to
something • See
our main advertisement on page 25.

18. intransitive
and transitive verb ascertain:
to find something out • See if
you can get this book locally.

19. intransitive
verb
wait
until later to decide: to allow time to elapse,
either in order to be better able to judge what the outcome will be or in order
to delay making a decision • I
don’t know; we’ll have to see.

20. transitive
verb
GAMBLING match
bet:
to match an opponent’s bet by staking the same amount
[Old
English sēon . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of German sehen .]
—see·a·ble,
adjective
what
you see is what you get

used to emphasize that
nothing is disguised, hidden, or insincere.
See also
WYSIWYG[1]



seeabout

seeabout
see
about
transitive verb

1.  attend
to something: to take care of a particular matter

2.  investigate
something:
to make inquiries about a particular matter

[1]



seeafter

seeafter
see
after
transitive verb

take care of somebody:
to take care of somebody or something, especially children or animals[1]



Seebeckeffect

Seebeckeffect
See·beck
ef·fect
[s bèk i fèkt] noun

electricity
production between metals: the production of an
electric current in a circuit containing junctions between different metals or
semiconductors kept at different temperatures. The effect is used in
thermocouples.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Thomas J. Seebeck (1770–1831), the Russian-born German physicist who
first discovered the phenomenon.][1]



seed

seed

seed 
[seed] noun

1.  BOTANY plant
part containing embryo: the body produced by
reproduction in most plants that contains the embryo and gives rise to a new
individual. In flowering plants, it is enclosed within the fruit. The seed
develops from the fertilized ovule, contains a food supply, and is itself
enclosed in a protective coat ( testa ).

2.  BOTANY fruit
of grass plant: the small dry hard fruit produced by
cereal plants or grasses

3.  BOTANY propagative
part of plant: any compact part of a plant such as a
bulb, tuber, or spore that is used for propagation

4.  BOTANY propagative
plant parts collectively: propagative plant parts as a
whole, including seeds, tubers, rhizomes, spores, and bulbs • a
dry place to store seed

5.  source:
something that is the source of a significant change in outlook or action • sowing
the seeds of doubt in her mind

6.  something
resembling seed: something that resembles a seed in
shape, size, or function

7.  CHEMISTRY crystal:
a small crystal added to a supersaturated or supercooled solution to induce
further crystallization

8.  descendants:
descendants (literary) • the
seed of Abraham

9.  SPORTS graded
competitor:
a competitor who is graded according to the perceived likelihood of his or her
winning a particular tournament

10. sperm:
sperm or semen as a vehicle of reproduction (literary)

11. ZOOLOGY See seed oyster
verb (past
seed·ed, past participle seed·ed, present participle
seed·ing, 3rd person present singular seeds)

1.  transitive
verb
plant
seeds:
to plant seeds in soil or plant something by sowing seeds • The
lower field was seeded with barley.

2.  intransitive
verb
drop
seeds:
to shed seeds that develop into new plants (refers to plants) • Those
poppies have seeded themselves everywhere.

3.  transitive
verb
remove
seeds from something: to take the seeds out of a
fruit or vegetable before eating or cooking

4.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY add
crystal to solution: to add a small crystal to a
supersaturated or supercooled solution to induce further crystallization

5.  transitive
verb
METEOROLOGY sprinkle
cloud with crystals: to release silver iodide
into clouds to encourage precipitation

6.  transitive
verb
SPORTS structure
tournament:
to arrange the draw of a tournament so that the best players meet in the later
rounds

7.  transitive
verb
SPORTS rank
player:
to rank a player according to the perceived likelihood of his or her winning a
tournament

8.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS encourage
enterprise:
to give financial or other assistance to something such as a business during
the early stages of its development “Big venture capital funds have helped seed
a start-up culture…” Newsweek November 1998
adjective

AGRICULTURE reserved
for use as seed: reserved for planting to grow the next
crop • seed
potatoes
[Old
English sd . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor
of English sow .]
—seedless,
adjective
go to seed

1.  to
reach the stage of producing seeds. At this stage, flowering plants have lost
their flowers and the vegetables on vegetable plants have become inedible.

2.  to
become shabby or unhealthy from lack of proper care or attention

[1]



seedbed

seedbed
seed·bed 
[sd bèd] noun

1.  GARDENING ground
for planting: a plot of ground in which seeds and
seedlings are cultivated before being transplanted

2.  place
where something develops: a place where conditions
encourage the development of a significant change in outlook or action

[1]



seedcake

seedcake
seed·cake
[sd kàyk] noun

cake or cookie flavored with
seeds: a cake or cookie flavored
with seeds, usually caraway seeds[1]



seedcapital

seedcapital
seed
cap·i·tal
noun

U.K.
See seed money[1]



seedcoat

seedcoat
seed
coat
noun

See
testa[1]



seedeater

seedeater
seed·eat·er 
[sd tər] noun

bird feeding on seed:
a bird such as the finch that relies on seeds for its food and usually has a
stout conical bill adapted to cracking the seeds open[1]



seeder

seeder
seed·er 
[sdər] noun

1.  AGRICULTURE machine
for sowing seeds: a mechanical device designed to scatter
seed on the surface of the ground, usually either one pulled by a tractor or
one with wheels and a handle that is pushed

2.  HOUSEHOLD device
for removing seeds: a kitchen device used to
remove the seeds from fruit and vegetables

3.  somebody
or something that seeds: somebody or something that
seeds, especially somebody who seeds clouds
[Old English sdere][1]



seedfern

seedfern
seed
fern
noun

See
pteridosperm[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seedleaf

seedleaf
seed
leaf
noun

See
cotyledon[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seedling

seedling
seed·ling 
[sdling] noun

young plant:
a young developing plant that is grown from a seed[1]



seedmoney

seedmoney
seed
mon·ey
noun

initial funding:
money provided to enable a business venture to be developed.
U.K. term
seed capital[1]



seedoyster

seedoyster
seed
oys·ter
(plural seed oys·ters) noun

young oyster:
a small young oyster, especially one that is transplanted to a commercial
oyster bed.
Also called
seed[1]



seedpearl

seedpearl
seed
pearl
noun

tiny pearl:
a very small round pearl, natural or cultured, weighing less than one quarter
of a grain[1]



seedplant

seedplant
seed
plant
noun

See
spermatophyte[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seedpod

seedpod
seed·pod 
[sd pòd] (plural seed·pods) noun

See
pod 1 noun
1[1]



seedstock

seedstock
seed
stock
noun

1.  seed
supply:
a supply of seed for planting

2.  supply
of breeding animals: a supply of animals kept or
provided for breeding purposes, capable of founding a new population or
sustaining an existing population

[1]



seedtick

seedtick
seed
tick
noun

tick larva:
the tiny larva of a tick[1]



seedtime

seedtime
seed·time 
[sd tm] noun

1.  sowing
season:
the time of the year when seeds are planted

2.  development
period:
a period of new development or growth

[1]



seedvessel

seedvessel
seed
ves·sel
noun

seed-containing plant part:
the part of a plant that contains its seeds, especially a part that is not an
edible fruit or vegetable[1]



seedwasp

seedwasp
seed
wasp
noun

wasp boring into seeds:
any one of several species of wasp such as the gall wasp that bore into the
seeds of plants to lay their eggs. Superfamily: Chalcidoidea[1]



seedweevil

seedweevil
seed
wee·vil
noun

insect laying eggs in seeds:
any one of several species of insect of the weevil family that lays its eggs in
seeds, where the larvae then develop[1]



seedy

seedy
seed·y 
[sdee] (comparative seed·i·er,
superlative seed·i·est) adjective

1.  shabby:
shabby, dirty-looking, and often disreputable • He
discovered her singing in some seedy bar.

2.  having
seeds:
containing many seeds • seedy
raspberry jam

3.  unwell:
somewhat ill, especially with a stomach complaint (informal)
—seed·i·ly,
adverb

—seed·i·ness, noun[1]



Seeger,Pete

Seeger,Pete
See·ger
[sgər], Pete (1919– )

U.S. singer and songwriter.
He led the 1960s folk music revival with songs including “Where Have All the
Flowers Gone?” ( 1956 ).[1]



seeing

seeing
see·ing 
[s ing] noun

1.  vision:
vision or perception with the eyes • My
seeing isn’t too good.

2.  ASTRONOMY atmospheric
conditions:
the clarity of the Earth’s atmosphere for astronomical observations using an
optical telescope, or the quality of the images obtained
conjunction

in view of: used
to introduce a statement that takes into account something mentioned before or
after • Seeing
that you’re an old friend, I can give you a special price.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Perhaps
  a bonus on my wages might be an idea, seeing that I shall be doing this out
  of hours
  (Paula Marshall, An American Princess ).
  The
  use of seeing that as a conjunction not grammatically attached to a
  particular subject is established in current English and conforms to a
  pattern used also by given that, granted that, and others. On
  the other hand, seeing as, used in the same way, is informal only: • I’ll
  leave now seeing as you look tired.

[1]



seeinto

seeinto
see
into
transitive verb

1.  perceive
truth about something: to discern the true nature
or content of something hidden, for example, somebody’s thoughts

2.  foretell
events:
to be able to predict future events

[1]



seek

seek
seek 
[seek] (past sought [sawt], past participle sought, present
participle seek·ing, 3rd person present singular seeks)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb search
for something: to try to find a particular thing or
place

2.  transitive
verb
strive
for something: to try to achieve or obtain something • candidates
seeking election

3.  transitive
verb
ask
for something: to consult somebody in order to obtain
something such as help or advice • His
advice was regularly sought on such matters.

4.  transitive
verb
head
for something: to go to or toward a place or thing • As
the water rose, they sought higher ground.

5.  transitive
verb
attempt
something:
to try to do something • seeking
to exploit the rift between them
[Old
English sécan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to seek
out” that is also the ancestor of English sagacity
.]
—seek·er, noun[1]



seekout

seekout
seek
out
transitive verb

track somebody or something
down: to find somebody or
something as a result of active searching[1]



seel

seel
seel 
[seel] (past seeled, past
participle seeled, present participle seel·ing, 3rd
person present singular seels) transitive verb

sew
hawk’s eyelids shut: to sew shut the eyelids of a
hawk or falcon in order to make it tame
[15th century. Via Old French
siller, ciller from medieval Latin ciliare, from Latin cilium
“eyelid.”][1]



seem

seem
seem 
[seem] (past seemed, past
participle seemed, present participle seem·ing, 3rd
person present singular seems) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb appear
to be something: to give a particular impression, either
of a quality or of something happening • It’s
not as difficult as it seems.

2.  transitive
verb
appear
to be true:
to appear to exist or be true, used especially to lessen the force of a
following statement, usually by suggesting uncertainty or mitigating criticism,
often for the sake of politeness • We
seem to have a misunderstanding.
[12th century. From Old Norse
sœma “to conform to,” from sœmr “fitting.” The modern meaning “to
appear to be” evolved via “to be suitable” and “to appear to be suitable.”][1]



seeming

seeming
seem·ing 
[sming] adjective

appearing
to exist:
apparent to the senses or to the mind, but not necessarily true or real • her
seeming joy at his return
noun

apparent
existence of something: appearance to the senses or
the mind (archaic or literary)
—seem·ing·ly,
adverb

—seem·ing·ness, noun[1]



seemly

seemly
seem·ly 
[smlee] adjective (comparative
seem·li·er, superlative seem·li·est)

1.  suitable
and correct: in keeping with accepted standards and
appropriate to the circumstances

2.  pleasing:
pleasing to the eye or to the mind (archaic or literary)
adverb

in seemly way:
in a way that is fitting or appropriate (archaic) • He
was seemly courteous in his greeting.
[12th
century. From Old Norse sœmiligr, from sœmr “fitting.”]
—seem·li·ness, noun[1]



seen

seen
seen


Past participle of
see[1]



seeoff

seeoff
see
off
transitive verb

attend somebody’s departure:
to accompany somebody to a place of departure and say goodbye[1]



seeout

seeout
see
out
transitive verb

1.  escort
somebody out: to accompany somebody who is leaving a
room, building, or other place

2.  stay
until the end of something: to stay in a place or stay
committed to something until the end

[1]



seep

seep
seep 
[seep] intransitive verb (past
seeped, past participle seeped, present participle seep·ing,
3rd person present singular seeps)

1.  pass
through:
to pass or escape through an opening very slowly and in small quantities (refers
to liquids or gases) • water
seeping out of the cracks

2.  disappear:
to diminish slowly but steadily • with
her resistance gradually seeping away

3.  go
slowly:
to enter or escape slowly but inexorably • new
sensations seeping into his consciousness
noun

1.  GEOLOGY place
where liquid escapes: a small pool or spring where
liquid escapes from the ground

2.  See
seepage
[Late 18th century. Variant
of dialect sipe, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old English sipian
“to seep.”][1]



seepage

seepage
seep·age 
[spij] noun

escape of liquid:
the escape of liquid or the amount of liquid that escapes.
Also called
seep[1]



seer

seer
seer 
[seer, s ər]
noun

1.  predicter
of future:
somebody who claims or is assumed to be able to see into the future

2.  occultist:
somebody who claims to have supernatural powers

[1]



seersucker

seersucker

seer·suck·er 
[sr sùkər] noun
lightweight
fabric:
a lightweight cotton, linen, or synthetic fabric with a pattern of alternate
puckered and smooth stripes
[Early 18th century. Via
Hindi śīrśakar from, ultimately, Persian shīr o shakar, literally
“milk and sugar.”][1]



seesaw

seesaw
see·saw 
[s sàw] noun

1.  playground
toy:
a playground toy in which two people sit at either end of a bar balanced in the
middle and take turns riding up into the air.
Also
called
teeter-totter

2.  seesaw
riding:
the game of riding a seesaw

3.  up-and-down
movement:
an up-and-down, back-and-forth, or otherwise alternating movement, for example,
in the popularity of one political party over another
intransitive
verb
(past see·sawed, past participle see·sawed, present
participle see·saw·ing, 3rd person present singular see·saws)

1.  ride
a seesaw:
to ride up and down on a seesaw

2.  move
like seesaw: to move in an alternating fashion,
especially back and forth or up and down

3.  to
alternate:
to change regularly and repeatedly from one thing to another, for example, one
state of mind to another • seesawing
between one plan and another
[Mid-17th century. Thought to
suggest the repetitive action and sound of using a two-handled saw.][1]



seethe

seethe
seethe 
[see] verb (past seethed,
past participle seethed, present participle seeth·ing,
3rd person present singular seethes)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
angry:
to be in a state of extreme emotion, especially unexpressed anger • I
sat in my office quietly seething.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
busy:
to be full of bustling activity, especially with crowds of people moving in
many different directions

3.  intransitive
verb
make
boiling movements: to boil or to churn or foam
as if boiling

4.  intransitive
verb
begin
boiling:
to come to a boil (archaic)

5.  transitive
verb
COOKING boil
something:
to cook food by boiling it or boil something to extract its essence (archaic)

6.  transitive
verb
soak
something:
to soak something in liquid
noun

seething movement or action:
an act of seething
[Old English sēothan][1]



seething

seething
seeth·ing
[sing] adjective

1.  angry:
full of anger, especially pent-up anger

2.  boiling:
boiling and bubbling or foaming

3.  bustling:
moving in all directions, busily or frantically “the seething crowd of Paris”
Baroness Orczy The Scarlet Pimpernel 1905
—seeth·ing·ly, adverb[1]



see-through

see-through
see-through 
adjective

transparent:
made of transparent material, especially so as to reveal clothes or skin
underneath[1]



seethrough

seethrough
see
through
transitive verb

1.  finish
something:
to continue with something until it is completed • a
professional who sees every job through personally

2.  perceive
truth beneath exterior: to discern the true nature
of somebody or something beneath a façade or disguise • I
saw through all his bravado.

3.  help
somebody through difficulty: to provide somebody with
help, advice, and support, especially in times of trouble • He’s
seen me through some bad times.

[1]



seeto

seeto
see
to
transitive verb

attend to somebody or
something: to do what is required in
order to deal with something or take care of somebody successfully • We
need an usher to see to guests as they arrive.[1]



SeferTorah

SeferTorah
Se·fer
Tor·ah 
[sàyfər táwrə] (plural Se·fer
Tor·ahs or Si·frei Tor·ah [sì
fray táwrə]) noun

scriptural
scroll:
a parchment scroll on which the Pentateuch is handwritten
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew sēpēr tōrāh, literally “book of (the) Law.”][1]



segment

segment
seg·ment 
noun [ségmənt]

1.  component
part:
any one of the parts or sections into which an object or group is divided

2.  ZOOLOGY organism’s
body part:
any one of the individual units that make up an animal’s body or part of its
body. These units can follow a repeated pattern, as with a centipede, or can be
variously shaped, as with the mouth parts of a spider.

3.  GEOMETRY part
of geometric figure: the portion of a line or
curve between any two of its points or the portion of a solid cut by a plane

4.  LINGUISTICS speech
sound:
any one of the individual speech sounds that make up a longer string of sounds
transitive
verb
[seg mént] (past seg·ment·ed, past
participle seg·ment·ed, present participle seg·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular seg·ments)

split something into segments:
to divide an object or group into segments
[Late
16th century. From Latin segmentum, from secare “to cut.”]
—seg·men·tar·y [ségmən tèrree], adjective[1]



segmental

segmental
seg·men·tal 
[seg mént’l] adjective

1.  of
segments:
relating to segments or in the form of segments

2.  LINGUISTICS relating
to speech sounds: relating to individual speech sounds or
to the dividing of strings of speech into isolable sounds
—seg·men·tal·ly, adverb[1]



segmentation

segmentation
seg·men·ta·tion 
[sèg men táysh’n, sègmən
táysh’n] noun

1.  splitting
into segments: the dividing of something into segments

2.  segmented
structure:
the structure of something that is made up of a series of similar segments

3.  EMBRYOLOGY See cleavage  noun 5

4.  ZOOLOGY body
structure:
the structure of the body of an organism such as a worm or centipede that
consists of a linear series of similar subunits

[1]



segmentationcavity

segmentationcavity
seg·men·ta·tion
cav·i·ty
noun

See
blastocoel[1]



segno

segno
se·gno 
[sáynyō] (plural se·gnos or
se·gni [sáynyee]) noun

symbol:
a symbol used on sheet music to mark the beginning or end of a repeated section
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian from Latin signum “sign.”][1]



segolily

segolily
se·go
lil·y
[sgō lìllee] noun

N
American lily: a lily native to the western United
States that has mottled, variously colored flowers and an edible bulb. Latin
name: Calochortus nuttallii
[Early20th century. Sego from
Southern Paiute sigho’o.][1]



Segovia

Segovia
Se·go·vi·a 
[sè gṓviè]

capital of Segovia Province,
in the autonomous region of Castile-León, central Spain. Population: 54,750
(1989)[1]



Segovia,Andrés

Segovia,Andrés
Se·go·vi·a 
[si gṓvee ə, se
gáwvyaa], Andrés (1893–1987)

Spanish guitarist. His
successful international career revived interest in the classical guitar. He
made many transcriptions for guitar, and a number of contemporary composers wrote
works specially for him.[1]



segregant

segregant
seg·re·gant 
[séggrəgənt] adjective

having
different genetic makeup: having a genetic makeup that
differs from that of either parent because of genetic segregation
noun

distinct organism:
an organism having a genetic makeup that differs from that of either parent
because of genetic segregation.
Also called
segregate[1]



segregate

segregate
seg·re·gate 
verb [séggrə gàyt] (past seg·re·gat·ed,
past participle seg·re·gat·ed, present participle seg·re·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular seg·re·gates)

1.  transitive
verb
separate
people or things: to separate one person or group from the
rest or to keep different people or groups separate

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SOCIOLOGY keep groups separate:
to enforce a policy of keeping different groups within a population separate,
especially different ethnic, racial, religious or gender groups

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb GENETICS undergo genetic segregation:
to undergo or cause cells to undergo genetic segregation
noun
[séggrəgət, séggrə
gàyt]

GENETICS
Also
called
segregant noun
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin segregat-, the past participle stem of segregare
“to separate from the flock,” from grex “flock.”]
—seg·re·ga·ble,
adjective

—seg·re·ga·tive,
adjective

—seg·re·ga·tor [sèggrə gàytər], noun[1]



segregation

segregation
seg·re·ga·tion 
[sèggrə gáysh’n] noun

1.  SOCIOLOGY enforced
separation of racial groups: the practice of keeping
ethnic, racial, religious, or gender groups separate especially by enforcing
the use of separate schools, transportation, housing, and other facilities, and
usually discriminating against a minority group

2.  segregated
state:
the state or position of somebody or something kept separate from others

3.  act
of segregating: the separating of one person, group, or
thing from others or the dividing of people or things into separate groups kept
apart from each other

4.  GENETICS gene
separation:
the separation of the two versions ( alleles
) of each gene and their distribution to separate sex cells during formation ( meiosis ) of these cells in organisms with paired
chromosomes
—seg·re·ga·tion·al, adjective[1]



segregationist

segregationist
seg·re·ga·tion·ist 
[sèggrə gáysh’nist] noun

supporter
of segregation: somebody who advocates or enforces
segregation, especially racial segregation
—seg·re·ga·tion·ist, adjective[1]



segue

segue
se·gue 
[sé gwày, sáy
gwày] intransitive verb (past se·gued, past
participle se·gued, present participle se·gue·ing, 3rd
person present singular se·gues)

1.  MUSIC continue
playing:
to continue by playing the following piece or passage of music without a pause

2.  move
smoothly:
to make a smooth, almost imperceptible transition from one state, situation, or
subject to another • segued into a
discussion of the playoffs without skipping a beat
noun

1.  MUSIC continuation
of music:
the act of moving from one musical piece or passage into another, without a
pause

2.  MUSIC instruction
to continue: an instruction to a musician to begin
playing a following piece or passage without a pause

3.  smooth
transition:
the act of making a smooth transition from one state or situation to another
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, the third person singular of seguire “to follow,” from Latin sequi
.][1]



seguidilla

seguidilla
se·gui·dil·la 
[sèggə dyə, sàygə
dyə, sèggə dlyə, sàygə dlyə] noun

1.  DANCE Spanish
dance:
a Spanish dance in moderate 3/4 time, usually accompanied by castanets and
guitars.
Also
called
seigneur

2.  MUSIC dance
music for seguidilla: a piece of music written for
a seguidilla

3.  POETRY Spanish
verse form:
a poem with either four or seven very short verses that makes use of assonance
rather than rhyme. It is a popular form in Spanish poetry.
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish, literally “little sequence,” from, ultimately, Latin sequi “to
follow.”][1]



seicento

seicento
sei·cen·to 
[say chéntō] noun

17th
century:
the 17th century, with reference to Italian art and literature
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of Italian milseicento, literally “one thousand six
hundred.”][1]



seiche

seiche
seiche 
[saysh, seech]
noun

surface
movement on water: a movement on the surface of
an enclosed body of water such as a lake, usually caused by intense storm
activity
[Mid-19th century. From Swiss
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from German Seiche “sinking.”][1]



seidel

seidel
sei·del 
[sd’l, zd’l]
noun

beer
glass:
a large beer glass
[Early 20th century. Via
German Seidel from Latin situla “bucket.”][1]



Seidler,Harry

Seidler,Harry
Seid·ler
[zdlər], Harry (1923– )

Austrian-born Australian
architect. He was a modernist who studied under Walter Gropius at Harvard. He
designed Australia Square in Sydney.[1]



Seidlitzpowder

Seidlitzpowder
Seid·litz
pow·der 
[séddlits pòwdər] noun

laxative:
a laxative preparation in powder form that contains sodium bicarbonate,
tartaric acid, and potassium sodium tartrate ( Rochelle
salt ). It is taken dissolved in water.
[Late 18th century. Named for
the village of Seidlitz in Bohemia, which has a mineral spring noted for
its laxative properties.][1]



seifdune

seifdune
seif
dune 
[sáyf dn, sf
dn] noun

desert
dune:
a sand dune with curved edges, found in hot deserts in a series of parallel
ridges and often several miles long and up to 100 m/300 ft in height
[Early 20th century. From
Arabic sayf “sword” + dune . From its
shape.][1]



seigneur

seigneur
seign·eur 
[sayn yúr] or Seign·eur [sayn yúr] noun

1.  HISTORY See seignior

2.  former
French Canadian estate owner: in French Canada until 1854,
the owner of an estate originally granted by the king of France and farmed by
tenants holding a form of feudal tenure over the land
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin senior “older” (the ancestor of English sire, sir,
and surly ).][1]



seigneury

seigneury
seign·eur·y 
[sáynyəree, sén
yəree] (plural seign·eur·ies) noun

1.  seigneur’s
land:
the estate of a seigneur

2.  seigneur’s
rank:
the rank or authority of a seigneur

[1]



seignior

seignior
seign·ior 
[sàyn yáwr] noun

feudal
lord:
a feudal lord, especially in England.
Also
called
seigneur
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin senior “older” (source of English seigneur ).]
—sei·gnio·ri·al, adjective[1]



seigniorage

seigniorage
seign·ior·age 
[sáynyərij] noun

1.  monarch’s
percentage of bullion: a monarch’s right to a
percentage of the bullion brought to a mint for the minting of coins

2.  coining
profit:
the profit represented by the difference between the value of bullion and the
face value of the coins minted from it

3.  HISTORY aristocrat’s
privilege:
a right or privilege claimed by a sovereign or other person of high rank

[1]



seigniory

seigniory
seign·ior·y 
[sáynyəree] (plural seign·ior·ies)
or sign·ior·y [snyəree] (plural
sign·ior·ies) or sign·or·y [snyəree]
(plural sign·or·ies) noun

1.  seignior’s
land:
the estate of a seignior

2.  seignior’s
rank:
the rank or authority of a seignior

3.  lords
collectively: lords considered as a group, especially
English lords under the feudal system

[1]



seine

seine
seine 
[sayn] noun

fishing
net:
a large commercial fishing net that is weighted so that it hangs vertically in
the water. Its ends are then hauled together to form a trap like a large bag.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past seined, past
participle seined, present participle sein·ing, 3rd
person present singular seines)

fish
with seine:
to catch fish with a seine
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin sagena from Greek sagēnē .]
—sein·er, noun[1]



Seine

Seine
Seine
[sayn, sen]

river in northern France,
flowing from near Dijon into the English Channel. Length: 776 km/482 mi.[1]



Seinfeld,Jerry

Seinfeld,Jerry
Sein·feld
[sn feld], Jerry (1955– )

U.S. comedian. His comedy
series Seinfeld ( 1990–1998 ) was one of the most popular television
shows of its time.[1]



seise

seise
seise 
transitive verb

LAW See seize  verb 9
[Early 17th century. Variant
of seize.][1]



seisin

seisin
sei·sin
[szin] or sei·zin [szin] noun LAW

1.  possession
of land:
the legal possession of land, or the act of taking possession of it

2.  owned
land:
land that is wholly and legally owned, especially land taken possession of
legally
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman sesine or Old French seisine from saisir (see
seize ).][1]



seism-

seism-
seism-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
seismo-[1]



seism

seism
seism 
[szəm] noun

quake:
an earthquake (technical)
[Late 19th century. From
Greek seismos “earthquake,” from seiein “to shake.”][1]



seismic

seismic
seis·mic 
[szmik] or seis·mi·cal [szmik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to earthquakes: relating to or caused by an earthquake
or earth tremor

2.  large:
extremely large or great (informal) • This
had a seismic impact on the music world.
—seis·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



seismicarray

seismicarray
seis·mic
ar·ray
noun

set of seismometers:
a network of seismometers positioned to maximize the sensitivity of each of
them and best monitor seismic activity in a particular region of the world[1]



seismicity

seismicity
seis·mic·i·ty 
[sīz míssətee] noun

earthquake frequency:
the distribution and frequency of seismic events[1]



seismicwave

seismicwave
seis·mic
wave
noun

earthquake wave:
a shock wave traveling through the Earth from the epicenter of an earthquake[1]



seismogram

seismogram
seis·mo·gram 
[szmə gràm] noun

seismograph record:
a record of an earthquake made by a seismograph[1]



seismograph

seismograph
seis·mo·graph 
[szmə gràf] noun

device
for detecting earthquake: an instrument that detects
the presence of an earthquake and measures and records its magnitude
—seis·mog·ra·pher
[sīz móggrəfər], noun

—seis·mo·graph·ic
[szmə gráffik], adjective

—seis·mog·ra·phy [sīz móggrəfee], noun[1]



seismology

seismology
seis·mol·o·gy 
[sīz mólləjee] noun

earthquake
study:
the scientific study of earthquakes
—seis·mo·log·i·cal
[szmə lójjik’l], adjective

—seis·mo·log·i·cal·ly
[szmə lójjikəlee], adverb

—seis·mol·o·gist [sīz mólləjist], noun[1]



seismometer

seismometer
seis·mom·e·ter 
[sīz mómmətər] noun

instrument
for measuring earthquake: an instrument used to
measure vibrations caused by an earthquake
—seis·mo·met·ric [szmə méttrik], adjective[1]



seiwhale

seiwhale
sei
whale
[sáy hwàyl] noun

dark
gray whale found in all seas: a dark bluish-gray whale
similar to the blue whale but smaller and more streamlined. It feeds on tiny
marine organisms by filtering them through bony plates on the jaw. It lives in
all but the polar oceans and belongs to the rorqual family of whales. Latin
name: Balaenoptera borealis
[Early 20th century. From
Norwegian sejhval, from sei “coalfish” + hval “whale.”][1]



seize

seize
seize 
[seez] (past seized, past
participle seized, present participle seiz·ing, 3rd
person present singular seiz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
a hold of something: to take a hold of an object
quickly and firmly • seized the letter from
his hand

2.  transitive
verb
exploit
something immediately: to take advantage of
something such as a chance eagerly and immediately • seize
an opportunity

3.  transitive
verb
affect
somebody suddenly: to overwhelm the mind or
emotions suddenly • seized by panic

4.  transitive
verb
affect
somebody physically: to overwhelm somebody
physically • Yet
another spasm seized him.

5.  transitive
verb
appropriate
something:
to take official or legal possession of something, often something held
illegally such as arms, drugs, or stolen goods • The
shipment was seized by customs officials.

6.  transitive
verb
arrest
somebody:
to take somebody into custody • Attempts
to seize the attackers have so far failed.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb comprehend
something:
to understand an idea or concept, especially quickly

8.  intransitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING stop
working:
to become jammed, especially as a result of great heat, pressure, or friction,
often arising from lack of lubrication

9.  intransitive
verb
stiffen
up:
to become painfully stiff and immobile

10. intransitive
verb
stop:
to come to a sudden and sometimes permanent halt • The
negotiations seized up after the most recent incident.

11. transitive
verb
LAW give
somebody legal possession: to make somebody the legal
owner of property or goods • The
families were seized of all the relevant documentation.

12. transitive
verb
SAILING lash
something with thin rope: to tie or secure something
by lashing it using several turns of thin rope or wire
[13th
century. Via Old French saisir from medieval Latin sacire “to
claim,” of Germanic origin.]
—seiz·a·ble,
adjective

—seiz·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at catch

[1]



seizin

seizin
sei·zin 
noun

LAW
See seisin[1]



seizing

seizing
seiz·ing 
[szing] noun

knot:
a knot or lashing made using thin rope or wire, for example, to join two ropes
or to secure an item of ship’s gear[1]



seizure

seizure
sei·zure 
[sər] noun

1.  act
of seizing something: the seizing of something,
especially the taking of something by force or the official or legal
appropriation of something

2.  fact
of being seized: capture or appropriation • so
far managed to avoid seizure

3.  MEDICINE disease
attack:
a sudden attack of an illness or of particular symptoms, especially of the kind
experienced by people with epilepsy

4.  emotional
fit:
a sudden and intense rush of emotion • a
seizure of panic

[1]



sejant

sejant
se·jant 
[sjənt] or se·jeant [sjənt] adjective

HERALDRY sitting:
used to describe a figure on a coat of arms that is in a sitting position
[15th century. Variant of
French séant from, ultimately, Latin sedere “to sit.”][1]



Sejm

Sejm
Sejm
[saym] noun

Polish
parliament:
the national parliament of Poland. It has a single legislative chamber.
[Late 19th century. From
Polish, “Assembly.”][1]



Sekondi-Takoradi

Sekondi-Takoradi
Sek·on·di-Ta·ko·ra·di 
[sekèn d takè rdee]

port and capital of Western
Region, southwestern Ghana, situated 193 km/120 mi southwest of Accra.
Population: 116,500 (1990)[1]



selachian

selachian
se·la·chi·an 
[sə láykee ən] noun

marine
fish:
a fish that belongs to the order that includes all sharks, rays, and skates.
Order: Selachii
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
French selacien . Via modern Latin selachii, from the genus name selache,
from Greek selakhē “shark.”][1]



selaginella

selaginella
se·lag·i·nel·la 
[sə làjjə néllə] noun

mossy
plant:
a mossy plant with branching stems and small leaves bearing spores. It is
related to the club mosses. Genus: Selaginella
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Selaginella, genus name, from, ultimately, Latin selago, a
herb similar to savin.][1]



selah

selah
se·lah 
[slə, s l]
interjection

uncertain
biblical term: an ancient Hebrew word of unknown
meaning and uncertain grammatical status that appears in some books of the
Bible and is therefore, when included in English translations, left
untranslated. It is used to perform a punctuating function between verses.
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew selāh .][1]



seldom

seldom
sel·dom 
[séldəm] adverb

rarely:
not often
[Old
English seldum . Variant of seldan, of Germanic origin.]
—sel·dom·ness, noun[1]



select

select
se·lect 
[sə lékt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past se·lect·ed, past participle se·lect·ed,
present participle se·lect·ing, 3rd person present singular
se·lects)

choose from others:
to choose somebody or something from among several • select
a chocolate from the box
adjective

1.  of
good quality: chosen on grounds of particularly high
quality

2.  having
limited membership: admitting only a few
carefully chosen members • one of
the more select country clubs

3.  specially
chosen:
chosen from several others and given special treatment or a special privilege • advance
copies sent to a select few

4.  discriminating:
showing care and discernment when choosing “foreign films which generally
attract a select audience” James Berardinelli Review: Deception 1993

5.  FOOD lean:
used to describe meat with a relatively low amount of fat ( marbling )
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin select-, the past participle stem of seligere,
from legere “to choose.”]
—se·lect·ness,
noun

—se·lec·tor, noun[1]



selectcommittee

selectcommittee
se·lect
com·mit·tee
noun

Congressional investigative
group: a small group of members of
Congress instructed by either the Senate or the House of Representatives to
investigate and report on a particular matter[1]



selectee

selectee
se·lect·ee 
[sə lèk t] noun

draftee or other person
chosen: somebody who is selected,
especially for compulsory military service[1]



selection

selection
se·lec·tion 
[sə léksh’n] noun

1.  act
of choosing: an act of choosing somebody or something
from a wide variety of others

2.  chosen
state:
the status of somebody or something chosen from among others

3.  somebody
or something chosen: somebody or something chosen
from among others

4.  available
choice:
the range from which somebody or something can be selected • a
fantastic selection of carpets

5.  BIOLOGY survival
of the fittest: the production of more offspring by
organisms with particular desirable characteristics, resulting in a better gene
pool for the species. This can be a natural process or can be accomplished
through human intervention, for example, when breeding plants or animals for a
particular trait.

[1]



selectionist

selectionist
se·lec·tion·ist 
[sə léksh’nist] noun

somebody supporting natural
selection: somebody who accepts or
promotes the theory that natural selection is the major or only force governing
biological development or change[1]



selective

selective
se·lec·tive 
[sə léktiv] adjective

1.  not
universal:
applying to some but not others

2.  discerning:
tending to make careful choices

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING receiving
on some frequencies only: capable of selecting certain
frequencies or frequency bands and blocking out all others, and therefore
eliminating interference in reception
—se·lec·tive·ly,
adverb

—se·lec·tive·ness, noun[1]



selectiveattention

selectiveattention
se·lec·tive
at·ten·tion
noun

giving attention to important
things only: the ability to pay
attention to those things that are considered important and to ignore those
that are not[1]



selectiveservice

selectiveservice
se·lec·tive
ser·vice
noun

U.S. conscription system:
a system for calling up men for U.S. military service[1]



selectivity

selectivity
se·lec·tiv·i·ty 
[sə lèk tívvətee] noun

1.  choosing
only some:
the choosing of only some, not all, and the exercising of judgment in making
the choice

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ability
to distinguish frequencies: the degree to which an
electronic device or circuit can distinguish a desired frequency from others

[1]



selectman

selectman
se·lect·man 
[si léktmàn, sə
léktmən] (plural se·lect·men [sə
lékt mèn, sə léktmən]) noun

town official:
in most New England states, any one of a number of officers elected by the
public to manage local affairs[1]



selector

selector
se·lec·tor
[sə léktər] noun

somebody or something
selecting: a person or device that
selects[1]



selectwoman

selectwoman
se·lect·wom·an 
[si lékt wmmən] (plural se·lect·women
[si lékt wìmmin]) noun

woman town official:
in most New England states, a woman who is one of a number of officers elected
by the public to manage local affairs[1]



selen-

selen-
selen-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
seleno-[1]



selenate

selenate
sel·e·nate 
[séllə nàyt] noun

salt
or ester of selenic acid: a chemical compound that is
a salt or ester of selenic acid
[Early 19th century. Coined
from selenium + -ate
.][1]



Selene

Selene
Se·len·e 
[sə lnee] noun

Greek Moon goddess:
in Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon. Roman equivalent Luna[1]



selenic

selenic
se·le·nic 
[sə lénnik, sə
lnik] adjective

of
selenium:
relating to or containing the nonmetallic chemical element selenium, especially
in the form in which it has a valence of six
[Early 19th century. Coined
from selenium + -ic .][1]



selenicacid

selenicacid
se·le·nic
ac·id
noun

solid whitish acid:
a highly corrosive acid usually found in the form of a whitish solid. H2SeO4[1]



seleniferous

seleniferous
sel·e·nif·er·ous 
[sèllə níffərəss] adjective

containing
selenium:
containing or producing selenium
[Early 19th century. Coined
from selenium + -ferous
.][1]



selenious

selenious
se·le·ni·ous 
[sə lnee əss] adjective

of
selenium:
relating to or containing the nonmetallic chemical element selenium, especially
in the form in which it has a low valence
[Early 19th century. Coined
from selenium + -ous
.][1]



selenite

selenite
sel·e·nite 
[séllə nt] noun

transparent
colorless gypsum: a transparent colorless variety of
gypsum that cleaves in a particular way to reveal lustrous crystal faces
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek selēnitēs lithos “moon stone,” from selēnē “moon.” So
named because its luster resembles that of the Moon (see selenium ).][1]



selenium

selenium

se·le·ni·um 
[sə lnee əm] noun
nonmetallic
element:
a nonmetallic chemical element that occurs in several forms ranging from a red
powder to gray-black crystals. It is an essential trace element, although toxic
in excess, and is used in photocells and photocopiers owing to its
light-sensitive properties. Symbol Se
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek selēnē “moon,” from selas
“light.”][1]



seleniumcell

seleniumcell
se·le·ni·um
cell
noun

photoelectric cell:
a photoelectric cell based on the light-sensitive properties of selenium and
containing a strip of selenium mounted between two metal electrodes[1]



seleno-

seleno-
seleno-
prefix

1.  the
moon • selenography

2.  selenium
• selenite
[From Greek selēnē
“moon” (see selenium )][1]



selenography

selenography
sel·e·nog·ra·phy 
[sèllə nóggrəfee] noun

mapping
of Moon’s surface: the branch of astronomy that
is concerned with mapping the surface features of the Moon
—sel·e·no·graph·ic
[sèllənə gráffik, sə
lnə gráffik], adjective

—sel·e·no·graph·i·cal·ly
[sèllənə gráffikəlee, sə lnə gráffikəlee], adverb

—sel·e·nog·ra·phist [sèllə nóggrəfist], noun[1]



selenology

selenology
sel·e·nol·o·gy 
[sèllə nólləjee] noun

study
of Moon:
the branch of astronomy concerned with the origin and physical characteristics
of the Moon
—sel·e·no·log·i·cal
[sèllənə lójjik’l, sə
lnə lójjik’l], adjective

—sel·e·nol·o·gist [sèllə nólləjist], noun[1]



Seles,Monica

Seles,Monica

Se·les
[sél ess], Monica (1973– )
Yugoslavian-born U.S. tennis player. She
was the winner of the French Open (1990, 1991, 1992), Australian Open (1991,
1992, 1993, 1996), U.S. Open (1991 and 1992), and Canadian Open (1995).[1]



Seleucid

Seleucid
Se·leu·cid 
[sə lssid, sə
lyssid] (plural Se·leu·cids) noun

ancient
ruler of Asia Minor: any one of a dynasty of
rulers who ruled Asia Minor from 312 to 64 BC,
after the death of Alexander the Great
[Mid-19th
century. Via Latin Seleucides from Greek Seleukidēs, from Seleukos,
the name of the founder of the dynasty.]
—Se·leu·cid, adjective[1]



SeleucusI

SeleucusI
Se·leu·cus
I 
[sə lkəss] (358? BC–280 BC)

Macedonian
general. One of Alexander the Great’s successors, he founded the Seleucid
dynasty. He became king of Babylonia in 312 BC
and gained control of territory from India to Asia Minor, but died trying to
seize the throne of Macedonia.
Known as
Seleucus Nicator[1]



SeleucusII

SeleucusII
Se·leu·cus
II
[sə lkəss] (265? BC–226? BC)

Syrian monarch. During his
reign over the Seleucid kingdom (247–226 BC
), the Bactrians and Parthians won independence.[1]



self

self
self 
[self] noun (plural selves
[selvz])

1.  perceived
personality: somebody’s personality or an aspect of
it, especially as perceived by others • He’s
not his usual cheery self this morning.

2.  self-interest:
somebody’s own individual interests and welfare, especially when placed before
those of other people

3.  complete
personality: a complete and individual personality,
especially one that somebody recognizes as his or her own and with which there
is a sense of ease • A person needs to
develop a sense of self.

4.  IMMUNOLOGY own
body parts:
the set of organs and tissues that the body recognizes as its own and does not
attack with antibodies
pronoun

oneself:
myself, yourself, himself, or herself (informal) • not
enough to sustain self and family
adjective

1.  self-colored:
having the same color all over

2.  of
same fabric: made of the same material as the garment
it is worn with

3.  same:
same or identical (archaic)
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European pronoun that is also the ancestor of
English suicide and sober .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Grammar:
  The
  two main uses of -self compounds such as himself, herself,
  and myself are, first, to serve as a reflexive pronoun when the object
  of the verb is the same as the subject ( • He
  saw himself in the mirror ) and, second, to
  reinforce or emphasize a noun ( • Jane
  herself had wanted to go with them ).
  Compounds with -self should not be used simply as alternatives for other
  pronouns, such as him, her, me, and I : • It
  was up to her ( not • herself
  ) whether she came or not. • This
  is between him and me ( not • myself
  ).

[1]



self-

self-
self-
prefix

1.  of,
by, for, or in itself • self-assured

2.  automatic
• self-winding
[From self][1]



self-abandoned

self-abandoned
self-a·ban·doned 
adjective

lacking
self-restraint: showing little self-control and tending
to give in to impulse
—self-a·ban·don·ment, noun[1]



self-abasement

self-abasement
self-a·base·ment 
noun

humbling of self:
the humbling of yourself in response to feelings of guilt or shame[1]



self-absorbed

self-absorbed
self-ab·sorbed 
adjective

preoccupied with self:
excessively concerned with your own life and interests[1]



self-absorption

self-absorption
self-ab·sorp·tion
noun

1.  preoccupation
with self:
excessive concern with your own life and interests

2.  PHYSICS absorption
of own radiation: a radioactive material’s absorption of
part of the radiation that it emits

[1]



self-abuse

self-abuse
self-a·buse 
[sèlf ə byss] noun

1.  masturbation:
masturbation when viewed as being detrimental to character (dated) (sometimes
used humorously)

2.  criticism
of self:
somebody’s deprecation or deliberate misuse of his or her talents and abilities
—self-a·bus·er, noun[1]



self-acting

self-acting
self-act·ing 
adjective

automatic:
operating itself
—self-ac·tion, noun[1]



self-actualization

self-actualization
self-ac·tu·al·i·za·tion
noun

successful personal
development: the successful
development and use of personal talents and abilities[1]



self-addressed

self-addressed
self-ad·dressed 
adjective

addressed to sender:
addressed to the sender for return by mail[1]



self-adhesive

self-adhesive
self-ad·he·sive 
adjective

having sticky surface:
having adhesive on one side and able to stick in a position without needing to
be moistened or to have adhesive applied[1]



self-administer

self-administer
self-ad·min·is·ter
(past self-ad·min·is·tered, past participle self-ad·min·is·tered,
present participle self-ad·min·is·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular self-ad·min·is·ters) transitive verb

give
something to self: to administer something,
especially medical treatment, to yourself
—self-ad·min·is·tered,
adjective[1]



self-aggrandizement

self-aggrandizement
self-ag·gran·dize·ment 
noun

promotion
of self:
the ambitious or ruthless pursuit of increased personal importance, wealth,
reputation, or power
—self-ag·gran·diz·ing,
adjective[1]



self-annihilation

self-annihilation
self-an·ni·hi·la·tion 
noun

1.  detachment
from self:
loss of awareness of being an individual, achieved through meditation or other
mystical means

2.  suicide:
an act or instance of suicide

[1]



self-appointed

self-appointed
self-ap·point·ed 
adjective

chosen by self:
assuming a role personally, rather than being given it or being regarded as
worthy of it by others • a
self-appointed arbiter of good taste[1]



self-assertive

self-assertive
self-as·ser·tive
adjective

outspokenly
assertive:
tending to be aggressively confident in making your views heard and your
presence felt
—self-as·ser·tive·ly,
adverb

—self-as·ser·tive·ness,
noun[1]



self-assurance

self-assurance
self-as·sur·ance
noun

confidence in self:
relaxed confidence that your views and abilities are of value[1]



self-assured

self-assured
self-as·sured 
adjective

self-confident:
behaving in a relaxed manner that displays confidence that your views and
abilities are of value
—self-as·sur·ed·ly,
adverb

—self-as·sur·ed·ness, noun[1]



self-aware

self-aware
self-a·ware 
adjective

knowing
self well:
having a balanced and honest view of your own personality, and often an ability
to interact with others frankly and confidently
—self-a·ware·ness, noun[1]



self-basting

self-basting
self-bast·ing 
adjective

remaining moist during
cooking: commercially prepared with
added fat to prevent drying out when cooked in an oven • a
self-basting turkey[1]



self-catering

self-catering
self-ca·ter·ing
adjective

U.K.
not providing food:
used to describe accommodations, especially for vacationers or students, in
which meals are not provided but cooking facilities are[1]



self-centered

self-centered
self-cen·tered 
adjective

thinking
only of self: tending to concentrate selfishly on your
own needs and affairs and to show little or no interest in those of others
—self-cen·tered·ly,
adverb

—self-cen·tered·ness, noun[1]



self-cleaning

self-cleaning
self-clean·ing
adjective

keeping itself clean:
designed to stay clean when being used, usually by virtue of being coated with
materials that shed dirt • a
self-cleaning oven[1]



self-closing

self-closing
self-clos·ing
adjective

closing automatically:
used to describe a door, gate, or window fitted with a mechanism that returns
it to a closed position after it has been opened[1]



self-colored

self-colored
self-col·ored 
adjective

1.  uniform
in color:
of the same color all over or throughout

2.  BOTANY retaining
natural color: used to describe a flower whose color
has not been artificially changed by hybridization

3.  TEXTILES undyed:
used to describe cloth that has not been dyed and so retains its natural color

[1]



self-command

self-command
self-com·mand
noun

success in presentation:
the ability to present your ideas and intentions clearly and effectively[1]



self-compatible

self-compatible
self-com·pat·i·ble 
adjective

self-fertilizing:
used to describe a plant that is capable of pollinating itself[1]



self-concept

self-concept
self-con·cept 
noun

image of self:
the whole inner picture that somebody has of himself or herself, including a
complete evaluation of such traits as competence, worth, and attractiveness[1]



self-confessed

self-confessed
self-con·fessed 
adjective

according to own admission:
admitting freely to possessing a particular quality or to behaving in a certain
way[1]



self-confidence

self-confidence
self-con·fi·dence 
noun

confidence in self:
confidence in yourself and your own abilities[1]



self-confident

self-confident
self-con·fi·dent
adjective

showing
self-confidence: having or showing confidence in yourself
and your abilities, usually with a readiness to be assertive
—self-con·fi·dent·ly, adverb[1]



self-congratulation

self-congratulation
self-con·grat·u·la·tion
noun

smugness:
the frequent mentioning of personal achievements and the displaying of the smug
satisfaction taken in them
—self-con·grat·u·la·to·ry,
adjective[1]



self-conscious

self-conscious
self-con·scious 
adjective

1.  ill
at ease:
feeling acutely and uncomfortably aware of failings and shortcomings when in
the company of others and believing that others are noticing them too • too
self-conscious to speak in public

2.  excessively
concerned with appearances: highly conscious of the
impression made on others and tending to act in a way that reinforces this
impression • swinging
his car keys in a self-conscious manner
—self-con·scious·ly,
adverb

—self-con·scious·ness,
noun[1]



self-contained

self-contained
self-con·tained 
adjective

1.  having
everything required: possessing all the features
and facilities required to function independently

2.  keeping
feelings private: able or tending to keep feelings and
opinions private or to control feelings and reactions in front of others

3.  having
own facilities and entrance: used to describe
accommodations that have their own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance • All
of our units are self-contained
—self-con·tain·ment, noun[1]



self-contradiction

self-contradiction
self-con·tra·dic·tion 
noun

1.  lack
of consistency: speech, thoughts, or actions that
contradict what their author previously said, thought, or did

2.  something
contradictory: a statement, idea, or theory that
contradicts itself
—self-con·tra·dic·to·ry,
adjective[1]



self-control

self-control
self-con·trol 
noun

restraint:
the ability to control your own behavior, especially in terms of reactions and
impulses
—self-con·trolled, adjective[1]



self-correcting

self-correcting
self-cor·rect·ing 
adjective

1.  correcting
errors automatically: used to describe a word
processor that automatically corrects typing errors as they occur

2.  correcting
own mistakes: able or tending to notice personal
mistakes and correct them

[1]



self-critical

self-critical
self-crit·i·cal
adjective

critical
of self:
tending to notice and dwell on your own shortcomings
—self-crit·i·cism, noun[1]



self-deceiving

self-deceiving
self-de·ceiv·ing 
adjective

1.  ignoring
truth:
refusing to recognize the truth, usually because to do so would be painful or
difficult

2.  tending
to glorify self: cherishing self-indulgent beliefs about
yourself
—self-de·cep·tion, noun[1]



self-defeating

self-defeating
self-de·feat·ing
adjective

thwarting own aims:
defeating the very aim or purpose it is designed to serve[1]



self-defense

self-defense
self-de·fense 
noun

1.  LAW legal
right to defend self: the use of reasonable force
to defend yourself, your family, and your property against physical attack, or
the right to do this

2.  fighting
techniques:
fighting techniques used to defend yourself against physical attack, especially
unarmed combat techniques such as any of the martial arts

3.  justifying
of self:
the defending of your own ideas, principles, or actions
—self-de·fen·sive, adjective[1]



self-denial

self-denial
self-de·ni·al 
noun

denial
of own desires: the setting aside of your own wishes,
needs, or interests, whether voluntary, altruistic, or enforced by
circumstances
—self-de·ny·ing,
adjective

—self-de·ny·ing·ly, adverb[1]



self-deprecating

self-deprecating
self-dep·re·cat·ing 
or self-dep·re·ca·to·ry adjective

belittling self:
tending to belittle yourself or your achievements[1]



self-destruct

self-destruct
self-de·struct 
intransitive verb (past self-de·struc·ted, past
participle self-de·struc·ted, present participle self-de·struc·t·ing,
3rd person present singular self-de·structs)

1.  destroy
itself automatically: to destroy itself by means
of a built-in mechanism

2.  ruin
own life:
to behave in a way that destroys any chance of your success, credibility, or
effectiveness
adjective

causing destruction of itself:
causing a device or machine to destroy itself if certain conditions are met

[1]



self-destruction

self-destruction
self-de·struc·tion 
noun

1.  ruining
of own life: the ruining of your own life or an
aspect of it such as your health, happiness, or career

2.  automatic
destruction of device: the automatic destruction of
a device fitted with a self-destruct mechanism

3.  suicide:
an act or instance of suicide

[1]



self-destructive

self-destructive
self-de·struc·tive 
adjective

causing harm to self:
causing or tending to cause harm to yourself[1]



self-determination

self-determination
self-de·ter·mi·na·tion 
noun

1.  right
to decide for self: the ability or right to make
your own decisions without interference from others

2.  POLITICS right
to choose own government: the right of a people to
determine its own form of government without interference from outside

[1]



self-discipline

self-discipline
self-dis·ci·pline 
noun

ability
to motivate self: the ability to do what is necessary or
sensible without needing to be urged by somebody else
—self-dis·ci·plined, adjective[1]



self-discovery

self-discovery
self-dis·cov·er·y 
noun

learning about self:
the process of learning about your true personality and motives[1]



self-doubt

self-doubt
self-doubt
noun

lack of self-confidence:
feelings of doubt about your own worth and abilities[1]



self-effacing

self-effacing
self-ef·fac·ing 
adjective

modest
and reserved: tending to be modest about your
achievements and to avoid drawing attention to yourself in company
—self-ef·face·ment,
noun

—self-ef·fac·ing·ly, adverb[1]



self-efficacy

self-efficacy
self-ef·fi·ca·cy
noun

belief in ability to shape
self: the belief that you can
influence your own thoughts and behavior[1]



self-employed

self-employed
self-em·ployed 
adjective

controlling
own work:
earning a living by working independently of an employer, either freelance or
by running a business
—self-em·ploy·ment, noun[1]



self-esteem

self-esteem
self-es·teem 
noun

self-respect:
confidence in your own merit as an individual[1]



self-evaluation

self-evaluation
self-e·val·u·a·tion 
noun

appraisal of self:
the process of evaluating your own character, work, achievements, or goals[1]



self-evident

self-evident
self-ev·i·dent 
adjective

apparent:
obvious without explanation or proof
—self-ev·i·dence,
noun

—self-ev·i·dent·ly, adverb[1]



self-examination

self-examination
self-ex·am·i·na·tion 
noun

1.  reflection
on own condition: careful reflection on your own thoughts,
beliefs, behavior, and circumstances.
Also
called
self-reflection

2.  medical
examination of own body: the regular examination of
parts of your own body for signs of disease
—self-ex·am·in·ing, adjective[1]



self-excited

self-excited
self-ex·cit·ed
adjective

generating own current:
used to describe an electrical device with a field system that is excited by a
current the device generates for itself[1]



self-executing

self-executing
self-ex·e·cut·ing
adjective

automatically effective:
legally effective without intervention • self-executing
clauses in the contract[1]



self-exile

self-exile
self-ex·ile 
(plural self-ex·iles) noun

1.  somebody
who leaves own country voluntarily:
somebody who leaves his or her own country voluntarily to live elsewhere,
especially for political reasons

2.  voluntary
exile:
a voluntary state of exile
—self-ex·iled, adjective[1]



self-explanatory

self-explanatory
self-ex·plan·a·to·ry 
adjective

easy to understand by itself:
clear and easy to understand with no need for explanation[1]



self-expression

self-expression
self-ex·pres·sion 
noun

expressing of personality and
feelings: the expressing of your own
ideas, emotions, or individuality through behavior or an activity such as
painting, music, or writing[1]



self-feeder

self-feeder
self-feed·er
(plural self-feed·ers) noun

automatic feeder:
a machine or device that automatically supplies or replaces materials as they
are needed, for example, a device for feeding animals[1]



self-fertilization

self-fertilization
self-fer·til·i·za·tion 
noun

fertilization
of own ovum: fertilization of a plant or animal ovum
using pollen or sperm from the same individual
—self-fer·til·ized,
adjective

—self-fer·til·iz·ing, adjective[1]



self-financing

self-financing
self-fi·nanc·ing
adjective

financed internally:
paid for or run without outside financial support[1]



self-flagellation

self-flagellation
self-flag·el·la·tion 
noun

1.  self-criticism:
very strong or harsh self-criticism

2.  punishing
of own body: severe self-administered physical
punishment. The practice of self-flagellation was formerly used as an act of
penance, often in the form of beatings or floggings.

[1]



self-flattery

self-flattery
self-flat·ter·y
noun

exaggerated personal praise:
the exaggerating of positive personal traits while overlooking negative traits[1]



self-focusing

self-focusing
self-fo·cus·ing
adjective

having automatic focus:
focusing automatically rather than manually[1]



self-forgetful

self-forgetful
self-for·get·ful
adjective

unselfish:
putting the interests of others first (archaic)
—self-for·get·ful·ly,
adverb

—self-for·get·ful·ness,
noun[1]



self-fulfilling

self-fulfilling
self-ful·fill·ing 
adjective

1.  happening
because expected: brought about or proved true because of
having been expected or predicted

2.  satisfying:
providing satisfaction or pleasure through personal labor, initiative, or
talent

[1]



self-fulfillment

self-fulfillment
self-ful·fill·ment 
noun

personal satisfaction:
contentment or happiness as a result of personal work, initiative, or talent[1]



self-giving

self-giving
self-giv·ing 
adjective

unselfish:
willing to act unselfishly for the benefit of others[1]



self-glorification

self-glorification
self-glo·ri·fi·ca·tion
noun

boastful behavior:
promotion of your own qualities and abilities, especially beyond what is true
or appropriate[1]



self-governed

self-governed
self-gov·erned 
adjective

1.  not
influenced by others: not needing or wanting the
advice or influence of others

2.  independent:
run by the people who live or work in a particular area or place rather than by
external government

3.  using
self-control: capable of exercising self-control

[1]



self-governing

self-governing
self-gov·ern·ing 
adjective

1.  using
self-control: able to control your own actions and
behavior

2.  governed
by own inhabitants or employees: run by its own
members, employees, or citizens, rather than being run from outside

[1]



self-government

self-government
self-gov·ern·ment 
noun

1.  autonomy:
the ability or right of the citizens of a region to choose their own government
rather than having it imposed from outside.
Also
called
self-rule

2.  self-control:
the ability to exercise self-control (archaic)

[1]



self-gratification

self-gratification
self-grat·i·fi·ca·tion 
noun

satisfying own wishes:
the satisfying of your own desires for the sake of pleasure, especially sexual
pleasure (used euphemistically)[1]



self-hardening

self-hardening
self-hard·en·ing 
adjective

hardening without being
treated: becoming harder without
special treatment after being heated above a certain temperature[1]



self-harming

self-harming
self-harm·ing
noun

practice of hurting self:
the practice of causing physical harm to yourself, usually as a symptom of a
psychiatric disorder[1]



self-hatred

self-hatred
self-ha·tred 
or self-hate noun

hatred of self:
hatred or contempt for your own weaknesses or innate characteristics such as
ethnicity or race.
Also called
self-loathing[1]



selfheal

selfheal
self·heal
[sélf hl] noun

low-growing
plant with blue flowers: a low-growing creeping mint
with small spikes of purple-blue flowers that is native to Europe and Asia but
grows as a weed in North America. Latin name: Prunella vulgaris
Also
called
heal-all
[14th century. Applied to
various plants believed to have medicinal properties.][1]



self-help

self-help
self-help 
noun

1.  group
help and support: the practice of meeting or working with
others who share a common problem rather than relying on the government or
professionals for help

2.  action
outside legal system: an action that is usually
left to the legal authorities and may not be permitted by law, but that is
undertaken by an individual to protect a legal or moral right

3.  solving
problems without others’ help: the practice of
dealing with your own problems and challenges without seeking outside help

[1]



selfhood

selfhood
self·hood 
[sélf hd] noun

1.  individuality:
the possession of a unique identity, distinct from others

2.  complete
sense of self: the possession of a fully developed
personality and sense of identity

3.  somebody’s
character or personality: all the qualities and
characteristics that make up somebody’s character or personality

[1]



self-hypnosis

self-hypnosis
self-hyp·no·sis 
noun

See
autohypnosis[1]



self-identified

self-identified
self-i·den·ti·fied
adjective

1.  identifying
with somebody or something: having somebody or something
particular as the focus of a sense of self

2.  admitting
identity:
having voluntarily acknowledged an identity without coercion • a
self-identified thief

[1]



self-identity

self-identity
self-i·den·ti·ty 
noun

1.  individuality:
the awareness that an individual or group has of being unique

2.  sense
of being one: the quality that something has of being
one with itself

[1]



self-image

self-image
self-im·age 
(plural self-im·ag·es) noun

opinion of self:
the opinion that you have of your own worth, attractiveness, or intelligence[1]



self-immolation

self-immolation
self-im·mo·la·tion 
noun

suicide as sacrifice:
suicide, usually by burning, as an act of sacrifice or protest (formal)[1]



self-importance

self-importance
self-im·por·tance 
noun

arrogance:
an unrealistically high evaluation of your own importance or worth
—self-im·por·tant,
adjective

—self-im·por·tant·ly, adverb[1]



self-imposed

self-imposed
self-im·posed 
adjective

taken on by choice:
chosen willingly as a burden or limit • a
self-imposed deadline[1]



self-improvement

self-improvement
self-im·prove·ment 
noun

improvement by own effort:
improvement of yourself or advancement in career or status as a result of your
own effort[1]



self-incrimination

self-incrimination
self-in·crim·i·na·tion 
noun

implication
of own guilt: speech or action that suggests your own
guilt, especially during court testimony
—self-in·crim·i·nat·ing,
adjective

—self-in·crim·i·na·to·ry,
adjective[1]



self-induced

self-induced
self-in·duced 
adjective

1.  resulting
from own actions: brought on by your own actions

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING caused
by self-induction: produced by the process of
self-induction

[1]



self-induction

self-induction
self-in·duc·tion 
noun

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING induction
in same circuit as current: induction of an
electromotive force in a circuit by means of a changing current in that circuit
—self-in·duc·tive, adjective[1]



self-indulgence

self-indulgence
self-in·dul·gence 
(plural self-in·dul·genc·es) noun

1.  pursuit
of own pleasure: lack of self-control in pursuing your
own pleasure or satisfaction

2.  something
showing no self-control: something that reveals lack
of self-restraint
—self-in·dul·gent,
adjective

—self-in·dul·gent·ly, adverb[1]



self-inflicted

self-inflicted
self-in·flict·ed 
adjective

done to self:
caused or done by your own actions[1]



self-insurance

self-insurance
self-in·sur·ance 
noun

setting aside money as
insurance: the saving of money to
protect against a loss instead of buying an insurance policy[1]



self-interest

self-interest
self-in·ter·est 
noun

1.  selfishness:
the placing of your own needs or desires before those of others

2.  own
needs or desires: your own needs and desires
—self-in·ter·est·ed,
adjective

—self-in·ter·est·ed·ness,
noun[1]



self-involved

self-involved
self-in·volved 
adjective

See
self-absorbed[1]



selfish

selfish
self·ish 
[sélfish] adjective

1.  looking
after own desires: concerned with your own
interests, needs, and wishes while ignoring those of others

2.  demonstrating
selfishness: showing that personal needs and wishes
are thought to be more important than those of other people
—self·ish·ly
[sélfishlee], adverb

—self·ish·ness [sélfishnəss], noun[1]



selfishDNA

selfishDNA
self·ish
DNA
noun

DNA segment without apparent
benefit: a segment of DNA that
increases itself, for example, as repeated sequences, within the total genetic
material of a population over successive generations without apparent benefit
to the organisms concerned[1]



selfishgene

selfishgene
self·ish
gene
noun

gene that exploits organism:
a gene that exploits the organism in which it occurs as a vehicle for its
self-perpetuation. Posited by the biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976, it
overturns the traditional concept of the gene serving as a vehicle of
inheritance for the organism.[1]



self-justification

self-justification
self-jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
noun

1.  making
of excuses for actions: an attempt to explain your
own behavior or actions by making excuses

2.  something
done as justification: something that somebody does
or says in an attempt to explain personal behavior or actions

[1]



self-justifying

self-justifying
self-jus·ti·fy·ing 
adjective

1.  attempting
to explain:
making excuses in an attempt to explain your own behavior or actions

2.  automatically
making text uniform on margin: automatically
providing an even right or left margin for text printed on a page

3.  logically
complete:
used to describe an argument or rule that justifies or explains itself without
referring to something else because of being regarded as completely logical or
obvious

[1]



self-knowledge

self-knowledge
self-knowl·edge 
noun

understanding of self:
knowledge or understanding of your own motives and behavior[1]



selfless

selfless
self·less 
[sélfləss] adjective

thinking
of others first: putting other people’s needs first
—self·less·ly
[sélfləsslee], adverb

—self·less·ness [sélfləssnəss], noun[1]



selfless

selfless
self·less 
[sélfləss] adjective

thinking
of others first: putting other people’s needs first
—self·less·ly
[sélfləsslee], adverb

—self·less·ness [sélfləssnəss], noun[1]



self-limited

self-limited
self-lim·it·ed 
or self-lim·it·ing adjective

1.  limited
by own nature: limited by internal or personal
characteristics rather than by outside influences

2.  having
particular life span: used to describe a disease
that lasts for a particular length of time time whether or not it is treated

[1]



self-limiting

self-limiting
self-lim·it·ing 
adjective

1.  self-imposed:
imposing personal limitations or restrictions

2.  See
self-limited
—self-lim·i·ta·tion, noun[1]



self-liquidating

self-liquidating
self-liq·ui·dat·ing 
adjective

1.  able
to make money before due: used to describe a loan to
fund a transaction that is expected to make money before the loan is due to be
repaid

2.  paying
for itself:
used to describe a business transaction that makes enough money to cover its
costs

[1]



self-loading

self-loading
self-load·ing 
adjective

reloading
automatically: used to describe a firearm that
automatically ejects a spent cartridge and puts a new round into the chamber
each time it is fired
—self-load·er, noun[1]



self-loathing

self-loathing
self-loath·ing 
noun

See
self-hatred[1]



self-locking

self-locking
self-lock·ing
adjective

locking automatically when
closed: used to describe a window or
door that locks automatically when closed[1]



self-love

self-love
self-love 
noun

concern with self only:
concern with only your own wishes and desires[1]



self-lubricating

self-lubricating
self-lu·bri·cat·ing
adjective

needing no oiling:
not requiring external application of lubrication to parts that experience
friction[1]



self-made

self-made
self-made 
adjective

1.  successful
as a result of work: successful or wealthy
through your own efforts, rather than through birth or from the work of others

2.  made
unaided:
made without the help of others

[1]



self-mastery

self-mastery
self-mas·ter·y 
adjective

self-control:
control over your own emotions, needs, or desires and their expression[1]



self-medication

self-medication
self-med·i·ca·tion 
noun

treating
own illnesses: the practice of treating illnesses and
medical complaints without consulting a doctor, for example, by buying
treatments from a drugstore
—self-med·i·ca·tor, noun[1]



self-mortification

self-mortification
self-mor·ti·fi·ca·tion
noun

self-administered punishment:
self-administered punishment, often as prescribed by religious precepts,
because of some perceived fault or flaw[1]



self-motivated

self-motivated
self-mo·ti·vat·ed
adjective

not
needing motivation by others: energetic and ambitious, and
so able to make plans and get things done without being directed by others
—self-mo·ti·va·tion, noun[1]



self-murder

self-murder
self-mur·der
noun

suicide:
suicide (archaic or disapproving)[1]



self-mutilation

self-mutilation
self-mu·ti·la·tion
noun

hurting or cutting self:
self-inflicted injury, especially with a sharp object[1]



self-occupied

self-occupied
self-oc·cu·pied
adjective

preoccupied with own
thoughts: busy with your own thoughts
or problems[1]



self-opinion

self-opinion
self-o·pin·ion 
noun

overestimation of self:
a very high opinion of your own abilities or worth[1]



self-opinionated

self-opinionated
self-o·pin·ion·at·ed 
or self-opin·ioned adjective

1.  certain
of being right: confident of holding the correct
opinions

2.  vain:
very conceited

[1]



self-ordained

self-ordained
self-or·dained 
adjective

by own authority:
claiming the authority to speak as an expert without qualifications or the
support of others[1]



self-parody

self-parody
self-par·o·dy
noun

unintentional parody of self:
unintentional exaggeration or overemphasis by somebody of his or her worst
characteristics[1]



self-perpetuating

self-perpetuating
self-per·pet·u·at·ing 
adjective

carrying on indefinitely:
continuing because of having the power to preserve or renew itself indefinitely[1]



self-pity

self-pity
self-pit·y 
noun

pity
felt for self: the self-indulgent belief that your life
is harder and sadder than everyone else’s
—self-pit·y·ing,
adjective

—self-pit·y·ing·ly, adverb[1]



self-pollination

self-pollination
self-pol·li·na·tion 
noun

pollination
within single flower: pollination that takes place
within a flower through the transfer of pollen from its anthers to its stigmas
—self-pol·li·nate,
intransitive verb

—self-pol·li·nat·ing, adjective[1]



self-portrait

self-portrait
self-por·trait 
(plural self-por·traits) noun

portrait of self:
a visual image, sculpture, or written description of somebody, produced by that
person[1]



self-possessed

self-possessed
self-pos·sessed
adjective

in
control of emotions: confident and in control of
your own emotions
—self-pos·sess·edly, adverb[1]



self-possession

self-possession
self-pos·ses·sion 
noun

self-control:
the ability to remain calm and confident, especially in difficult or emotional
circumstances[1]



self-powered

self-powered
self-pow·ered
adjective

See
self-propelled  adjective 1[1]



self-preservation

self-preservation
self-pres·er·va·tion 
noun

instinct to keep self safe:
the instinctive need to do what is necessary to survive danger[1]



self-proclaimed

self-proclaimed
self-pro·claimed 
adjective

professing to be something:
claiming to be something, often without justification[1]



self-promotion

self-promotion
self-pro·mo·tion 
noun

action to attract attention:
behavior shown or action taken by somebody in order to attract attention,
especially in relation to work or business[1]



self-pronouncing

self-pronouncing
self-pro·nounc·ing
adjective

using ordinary letters:
using only letters of the ordinary alphabet to represent a pronunciation,
rather than using symbols from the phonetic alphabet[1]



self-propelled

self-propelled
self-pro·pelled 
adjective

1.  moving
under own power: able to move or travel using its own
power source such as a motor or batteries, rather than needing power from an
external source

2.  mounted
on vehicle:
relating to a piece of heavy military equipment that is mounted on a vehicle
rather than needing to be towed
—self-pro·pel·ling,
adjective

—self-pro·pul·sion, noun[1]



self-protection

self-protection
self-pro·tec·tion
noun

protective
action:
action taken to protect against attack on or injury to yourself
—self-pro·tect·ing,
adjective

—self-pro·tec·tive, adjective[1]



self-published

self-published
self-pub·lished 
adjective

published at own expense:
published without a publisher, and therefore at the author’s own expense[1]



self-raising

self-raising
self-rais·ing
adjective

U.K.
See self-rising[1]



self-realization

self-realization
self-re·al·i·za·tion 
noun

personal completeness:
fulfillment of personal potential[1]



self-referential

self-referential
self-ref·er·en·tial 
adjective

referring
to itself:
used to describe an art form that employs references to the art itself or to
personal experience or character
—self-ref·er·ence,
noun

—self-ref·er·en·tial·ly,
adverb[1]



self-reflection

self-reflection
self-re·flec·tion 
noun

See
self-examination  noun 1[1]



self-regard

self-regard
self-re·gard 
noun

1.  lacking
regard for others: self-interest rather than
concern for the well-being of others

2.  self-respect:
belief in your own worth and dignity
—self-re·gard·ing, adjective[1]



self-regulating

self-regulating
self-reg·u·lat·ing 
or self-reg·u·la·to·ry adjective

1.  regulating
itself without laws: regulating its own affairs
rather than being regulated by an outside organization or by law

2.  regulating
self automatically: capable of regulating its
functions automatically
—self-reg·u·la·tion, noun[1]



self-reliance

self-reliance
self-re·li·ance 
noun

reliance
on self:
the ability to make your own decisions confidently and independently
—self-re·li·ant,
adjective

—self-re·li·ant·ly, adverb[1]



self-renunciation

self-renunciation
self-re·nun·ci·a·tion
noun

giving up of things for
others: the giving up of your own
rights, claims, or property to benefit others[1]



self-replicating

self-replicating
self-rep·li·cat·ing 
adjective

reproducing
copies of self: used to describe a molecule or bacterium
that reproduces on its own by making copies of itself
—self-rep·li·ca·tion, noun[1]



self-reproach

self-reproach
self-re·proach 
noun

taking
blame on self: self-criticism or blame
—self-re·proach·ful,
adjective

—self-re·proach·ful·ly,
adverb[1]



self-respect

self-respect
self-re·spect 
noun

belief
in own integrity: belief in your own worth and dignity
—self-re·spect·ing, adjective[1]



self-restraint

self-restraint
self-re·straint 
noun

control over own actions:
self-control over speech, behavior, or action[1]



self-righteous

self-righteous
self-right·eous 
adjective

believing
in own virtue: sure of the moral superiority of your
own beliefs and actions (disapproving)
—self-right·eous·ly,
adverb

—self-right·eous·ness,
noun[1]



self-righting

self-righting
self-right·ing 
adjective

able to turn right side up:
able to right itself after being capsized[1]



self-rising

self-rising
self-ris·ing
adjective

containing leavening agent:
used to describe flour that has a leavening agent added to it so that baking
powder is not needed when making cakes.
U.K. term
self-raising[1]



self-rule

self-rule
self-rule 
noun

See
self-government  noun 1[1]



self-sacrifice

self-sacrifice
self-sac·ri·fice 
noun

giving
up of things for others: the giving up of personal
wants and needs, either from a sense of duty or in order to benefit others
—self-sac·ri·fic·ing,
adjective

—self-sac·ri·fic·ing·ly,
adverb[1]



selfsame

selfsame
self·same 
[sélf sàym] adjective

identical:
being the very same[1]



self-satisfaction

self-satisfaction
self-sat·is·fac·tion 
noun

satisfied
feelings relating to self: a feeling of satisfaction in
personal achievements and good fortune
—self-sat·is·fied, adjective[1]



self-sealing

self-sealing
self-seal·ing 
adjective

1.  sealing
without being moistened: used to describe an envelope
that has a flap coated with adhesive that can be closed without being moistened

2.  able
to seal self: used to describe a tire that can seal
itself after being punctured. The tire contains a compound that hardens in
contact with air.

[1]



self-seeded

self-seeded
self-seed·ed 
adjective

See
self-sown[1]



self-seeking

self-seeking
self-seek·ing 
adjective

selfish:
interested only in gaining an advantage over others, rather than in sharing or
cooperating
noun

self-seeking
behaviour:
behavior intended to secure an advantage over others
—self-seek·er, noun[1]



self-selection

self-selection
self-se·lec·tion 
noun

1.  See
self-service

2.  selecting
of self:
choice of, by, or for yourself
—self-se·lect·ed,
adjective

—self-se·lec·tive, adjective[1]



self-service

self-service
self-serv·ice 
adjective

having
people help themselves: used to describe a retail
outlet or device used by customers or users helping themselves • a
self-service gas station • a
self-service drink dispenser
—self-serv·ice, noun[1]



self-serving

self-serving
self-serv·ing 
adjective

lacking consideration of
others: putting personal concerns
and interests before those of others[1]



self-sown

self-sown
self-sown 
adjective

sown by seeds dispersed
naturally: used to describe plants that
grow from seeds that reach the soil by themselves, without being carried there
by people or animals[1]



self-starter

self-starter
self-start·er 
(plural self-start·ers) noun

1.  somebody
enterprising: somebody with the initiative and
motivation to work without needing help or supervision

2.  AUTOMOTIVE electric
starter:
an electrically operated device for starting an internal-combustion engine
—self-start·ing, adjective[1]



self-stick

self-stick
self-stick 
or self-stick·ing adjective

sticky:
coated with adhesive so as to adhere to something without being moistened[1]



self-styled

self-styled
self-styled 
adjective

claiming to be something:
using a particular name or title or professing knowledge of a subject without
having training or independent proof[1]



self-sufficient

self-sufficient
self-suf·fi·cient 
or self-suf·fic·ing adjective

1.  not
needing things from others: able to provide what is
needed, for example, by making enough money or growing enough food, without
having to borrow or buy from others

2.  able
to manage alone: able to live independently of others
—self-suf·fi·cien·cy,
noun

—self-suf·fi·cient·ly,
adverb[1]



self-suggestion

self-suggestion
self-sug·ges·tion
noun

See
autosuggestion[1]



self-supporting

self-supporting
self-sup·port·ing
adjective

1.  getting
along financially: earning enough money to live
or operate without external financial support

2.  standing
without being held: able to stand or stay
upright without being supported
—self-sup·port,
noun

—self-sup·port·ed, adjective[1]



self-sustaining

self-sustaining
self-sus·tain·ing 
adjective

able to exist by self:
able to live or continue existing without outside support[1]



self-talk

self-talk
self-talk
noun

mental talking:
the things that an individual says to himself or herself mentally[1]



self-taught

self-taught
self-taught 
adjective

learned without formal
education: having learned a skill, job,
or subject without formal instruction[1]



self-tender

self-tender
self-ten·der
(plural self-ten·ders) noun

offer to buy own shares:
an offer made by a company to buy back shares from its shareholders, for
example, to avoid a hostile takeover bid[1]



self-test

self-test
self-test
noun (plural self-tests)

1.  MEDICINE self-administered
test:
a diagnostic test, for example, for blood pressure, that you give yourself to
determine your health

2.  test
of knowledge: a test you give yourself to find out how
well you know a particular subject
verb
(past self-test·ed, past participle self-test·ed, present
participle self-test·ing, 3rd person present singular self-tests)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MEDICINE test on yourself:
to perform a diagnostic test on yourself in order to determine your health

2.  reflexive
verb
test
yourself on knowledge: to test yourself on a
particular subject to find out how well you know it

[1]



self-treatment

self-treatment
self-treat·ment 
noun

treatment of own medical
problems: an individual’s treating of
his or her own illnesses or injuries rather than seeking the advice of a doctor[1]



self-will

self-will
self-will 
noun

stubbornness:
stubborn determination to hold to personal views and behavior
—self-willed, adjective[1]



self-winding

self-winding
self-wind·ing 
adjective

winding automatically:
not needing to be wound • a
self-winding watch[1]



self-worth

self-worth
self-worth 
noun

belief in self:
confidence in personal value and worth as an individual[1]



Seljuk

Seljuk
Sel·juk 
[sél jk, sel
jk] (plural Sel·juks) noun

member
of Turkish ruling family: a member of one of the
Turkish dynasties that ruled large areas of Asia during the 11th, 12th, and
13th centuries before the Ottoman Empire
[Mid-19th
century. From Turkish Selčük, the name of the reputed founder of the
dynasty.]
—Sel·juk, adjective[1]



SelkirkMountains

SelkirkMountains
Sel·kirk
Moun·tains
[sèl kurk mównt’ns]

mountain range in
southeastern British Columbia, Canada, west of the Rocky Mountains. The highest
point is Mount Sandford, 3,522m/11,555 ft .[1]



sell

sell
sell 
[sel] verb (past sold [sōld], past participle sold, present
participle sell·ing, 3rd person present singular sells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb exchange
something for money: to exchange a product or
service for money

2.  transitive
verb
offer
something for sale: to offer a particular
product or range of products for sale

3.  intransitive
verb
be
bought in quantity: to be bought in large
numbers • The
book is selling well.

4.  transitive
verb
make
people want to buy something: to increase the sale of or
the demand for a particular product • Advertising
sells products.

5.  transitive
verb
persuade
somebody to accept something: to persuade somebody to
accept an idea or proposal • You’ve
convinced me but now you have to sell it to the shareholders.

6.  transitive
verb
give
something up for money: to sacrifice an important
personal quality in order to obtain wealth or success • He’s
sold his integrity for a long-term contract.
noun
(plural sells)

process of selling:
the activity or process of persuading people to buy a product or service (informal)
• use
an aggressive sell
[Old
English sellan “to grant, give up, hand over,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English sale
. Current senses developed via “to betray for money.”]
—sell·a·ble,
adjective
sell
somebody or something short

1.  to
make an estimate of the quality and worth of somebody or something that is too
low

2.  to
sell goods or securities without owning them, expecting to buy them at a price
lower than the selling price

sell
yourself

to
work hard to persuade others that you are talented, pleasant, well-qualified,
or suitable for a particular job

sell
your soul

to
abandon your principles in order to obtain wealth or success

[1]



sellback

sellback
sell·back 
[séll bàk] noun

selling something back:
the act of selling something back to the person it was bought from[1]



sell-bydate

sell-bydate
sell-by
date
(plural sell-by dates) noun

U.K.
date something should be sold by:
a date displayed on food and pharmaceutical products, after which they should
not be sold[1]



seller

seller
sell·er 
[séllər] (plural sell·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who is selling: a person, store, or company that offers
something for sale

2.  item
that is selling: a product that sells in a specified way,
especially well or badly

[1]



seller’smarket

seller’smarket
sell·er’s
mar·ket
noun

time of higher prices:
a situation or market in which the demand for something is greater than the
supply, so that its price can be forced up.
See also
buyer’s market[1]



sellingclimax

sellingclimax
sell·ing
cli·max 
(plural sell·ing cli·max·es) noun

decline and rally in stock
prices: a large volume of trading at
the end of a downturn in the stock markets (informal)[1]



sellingpoint

sellingpoint
sell·ing
point
(plural sell·ing points) noun

something that attracts
interest in product: a feature
of something such as a product or an idea that makes people more likely to want
to buy or support it[1]



sellingrace

sellingrace
sell·ing
race
(plural sell·ing rac·es) or sell·ing plate (plural
sell·ing plates) noun

horse race where winner is
sold: a horse race in which the
winner is auctioned and sold[1]



selloff

selloff
sell
off
transitive verb

sell something cheaply:
to sell something, especially at a low price, in order to get rid of it[1]



sellon

sellon
sell
on
transitive verb

persuade somebody of
excellence: to convince somebody that a
plan or product is the best (usually passive)[1]



sellout

sellout
sell·out 
[sél òwt] (plural sell·outs) noun

1.  event
with no tickets left: a show, concert, or sports
event for which all the tickets are sold

2.  betrayal:
betrayal of personal principles or another person (informal)

3.  traitor
to principle: somebody who has betrayed a principle or
cause for money or something else of value (informal)

[1]



Selma

Selma
Sel·ma 
[sélmè]

city in central Alabama,
northwest of Montgomery, on the northern bank of the Alabama River. Population:
22,745 (1996)[1]



selsyn

selsyn
sel·syn 
[sél sìn] (plural sel·syns) noun

system
for transmitting movement: a system used to transmit
angular rotation or position in a generator to a motor.
Also
called
synchro
[Early 20th century. Blend of
self and synchronous
.][1]



seltzer

seltzer
selt·zer 
[séltsər] noun

1.  naturally
fizzy mineral water: mineral water that contains
naturally occurring dissolved gases that make it slightly fizzy, often used for
medicinal purposes

2.  soda
water:
soda water (dated)
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of German Selterser, literally “from Selters,” alluding to mineral
springs in the village of Nieder- Selters near Wiesbaden in Germany.][1]



selva

selva
sel·va 
[sélvə] (plural sel·vas) noun

tropical
rain forest: a dense tropical rain forest, especially
in the Amazon Basin
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish or Portuguese from Latin silva “wood” (source of English sylvan and savage
).][1]



selvage

selvage
sel·vage 
[sélvij] (plural sel·vages) or
sel·vedge [sélvij] (plural sel·vedg·es)
noun

1.  nonfraying
edge of fabric: an edge of a piece of fabric that is
woven so that it will not fray

2.  strip
of material: an edge or strip of material included
when manufacturing something such as a metal or plastic article or a sheet of
postage stamps that allows it to be handled

3.  lock
plate:
a slotted plate or surface through which the bolt of a lock passes

4.  rug
fringe:
a decorative fringe on the ends of an oriental rug
[15th
century. Alteration of “self-edge” (because it “edges” itself and does not need
hemming).]
—sel·vaged, adjective[1]



selves

selves
selves


Plural of
self[1]



Selznick,David O.

Selznick,David O.
Selz·nick
[sélznik], David O. (1902–1965)

U.S.
movie producer. His many classic productions included Gone With the Wind
( 1939 ).
Full name
Selznick, David Oliver[1]



SEM

SEM
SEM

Abbreviation of
scanning electron microscope[1]



sem.

sem.
sem.

1.  Abbreviation
of
semester

2.  Abbreviation
of
semicolon

3.  Abbreviation
of
seminary

[1]



Sem.

Sem.
Sem.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Semitic

2.  Abbreviation
of
Seminary

[1]



semanteme

semanteme
se·man·teme 
[sə mán tm] (plural se·man·temes)
noun

smallest
unit of meaning: the smallest possible unit of meaning in
language
[Early 20th century. From
French sémantème, formed from Greek semantikos (see semantic ), on the model of morphème (see morpheme ).][1]



semantic

semantic
se·man·tic 
[sə mántik] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS relating
to words’ meanings: relating to meaning or the
differences between meanings of words or symbols

2.  LINGUISTICS of
semantics:
relating to semantics

3.  LOGIC relating
to truth:
relating to the conditions in which a system or theory can be said to be true
[Mid-17th
century. Via French semantique from Greek semantikos
“significant,” from sēmainein “to show or signify,” from sēma
“sign, mark.”]
—se·man·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



semantics

semantics
se·man·tics 
[sə mántiks] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS study
of meaning in language: the study of how meaning in
language is created by the use and interrelationships of words, phrases, and
sentences.
Also
called
semasiology

2.  LOGIC study
of symbols:
the study of the relationship between symbols and what they represent.
Also
called
semasiology

3.  LOGIC study
of logic:
the study of ways of interpreting and analyzing theories of logic
—se·man·ti·cist, noun[1]



semaphore

semaphore

sem·a·phore 
[sémmə fàwr] noun

1.  system
of signaling: a system for sending messages using
hand-held flags that are moved to represent letters of the alphabet

2.  mechanical
signaling device: a signaling device for sending
information over distances using mechanically operated arms or flags mounted on
a post, especially on a railroad
intransitive and transitive verb
(past sem·a·phored, past participle sem·a·phored, present
participle sem·a·phor·ing, 3rd person present singular sem·a·phores)

use semaphore to signal:
to send messages using semaphore
[Early
19th century. From French sémaphore, literally “sign-bearer,” from Greek
sēma “mark, sign, signal.”]
—sem·a·phor·ic
[sèmmə fáwrik], adjective

—sem·a·phor·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Semarang

Semarang
Se·ma·rang 
[sèmmè ráng]

city and port on the island
of Java, Indonesia, located east of Jakarta. Population: 1,250,971 (1990)[1]



semasiology

semasiology
se·ma·si·ol·o·gy 
[sə màyssee ólləjee, sə màyzee ólləjee] noun

See
semantics  noun 1
See semantics  noun 2
[Mid-19th
century. From German Semasiologie, literally “science of meaning,” from
Greek sēmasia “meaning,” from sēmainein (see semantic ).]
—se·ma·si·o·log·i·cal
[sə màyssee ə lójjik’l, sə màyzee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—se·ma·si·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—se·ma·si·ol·o·gist [sə màyssee ólləjist, sə
màyzee ólləjist], noun[1]



sematic

sematic
se·mat·ic 
[sə máttik] adjective

acting
as warning to predators: used to describe bright
colorings on particular animals that act as a warning to predators, for
example, because the animals are poisonous
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek sēmat-, stem of sēma “mark, sign.”][1]



semblable

semblable
sem·bla·ble 
[sémbləb’l] noun (plural sem·bla·bles)

somebody or something looking like
another:
somebody who or something that closely resembles somebody or something else (archaic)
adjective

1.  like
another:
resembling or similar to something or somebody else (formal)

2.  not
real:
apparent rather than real (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old French, formed from sembler (see semblance ).]
—sem·bla·bly, adverb[1]



semblance

semblance
sem·blance 
[sémblənss] (plural sem·blanc·es)
noun

1.  trace
of something: a small amount of something • a
semblance of dignity

2.  look
of being something: an outward appearance or
imitation of something • a
semblance of competence

3.  copy:
a representation, likeness, or copy (literary)
[14th century. From Old
French, formed from sembler “to seem” (source of English resemble ), from Latin simulare (see simulate ).][1]



sememe

sememe
se·meme 
[s mm] (plural se·memes) noun

meaning
of morpheme: the meaning that a morpheme has in a
linguistic system
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek sēma “mark, sign.”][1]



semen

semen
se·men 
[smən] noun

fluid
ejaculated by male: the thick white fluid
containing sperm that a male ejaculates
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “seed.”][1]



semester

semester
se·mes·ter 
[sə méstər] (plural se·mes·ters)
noun

period
when students are in school: either one of two periods of
15 to 18 weeks into which the academic year is often divided.
See
also
term
[Early
19th century. Via German from Latin semestris, literally “of six
months,” from mensis “month” (source of English menstrual ).]
—se·mes·tral, adjective[1]



semi

semi
sem·i 
[sémmee, sémmī]
(plural semis) noun

1.  See
tractor-trailer

2.  semifinal:
a semifinal (informal)

3.  See
semitrailer  noun 1
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



semi-

semi-
semi-
prefix

1.  partial,
partially, somewhat • semisweet
• semiterrestrial

2.  half
• semiround

3.  resembling,
having some characteristics of something • semitropical
• semivowel

4.  occurring
twice during a particular period • semiweekly
[From Latin, “half.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English hemi- and sand-blind
.][1]



semiabstract

semiabstract
sem·i·ab·stract 
[sèmmee ab strákt, sèmmī
ab strákt] adjective

stylized
but recognizable: used to describe art that has heavily
stylized but still recognizable subject matter
—sem·i·ab·strac·tion, noun[1]



semiannual

semiannual
sem·i·an·nu·al 
[sèmmee ánnyoo əl, sèmmī
ánnyoo əl] adjective

1.  happening
twice a year: happening or issued every six months or
twice a year

2.  lasting
six months:
lasting for half a year
—sem·i·an·nu·al·ly, adverb[1]



semiaquatic

semiaquatic
sem·i·a·quat·ic 
[sèmmee ə kwóttik, sèmmī
ə kwóttik] adjective

growing near water:
growing or living near water as well as in it[1]



semiarid

semiarid
sem·i·ar·id 
[sèmmee érrid, sèmmī
érrid] adjective

very
dry:
with little rainfall and scrubby vegetation
—sem·i·a·rid·i·ty [sèmmee ə rídditee, sèmmī
ə rídditee], noun[1]



semiattached

semiattached
sem·i·at·tached 
[sèmmee ə tácht, sèmmī
ə tácht] adjective

partially attached:
partly joined to something else[1]



semiautobiographical

semiautobiographical
sem·i·au·to·bi·o·graph·i·cal 
[sèmmee àwtō bī ə gráffik’l, sèmmī àwtō bī ə gráffik’l] adjective

drawing from author’s life:
used to describe something such as a novel or film that is based in part on the
life or experiences of its author[1]



semiautomatic

semiautomatic
sem·i·au·to·mat·ic 
[sèmmee àwtə máttik, sèmmī àwtə máttik] adjective

1.  reloading
automatically: automatically ejecting a spent shell
from a weapon’s chamber and replacing it with another round each time the
weapon is fired

2.  partially
automated:
operated partly automatically and partly manually
noun
(plural sem·i·au·to·mat·ic)

semiautomatic weapon:
a weapon that is semiautomatic
—sem·i·au·to·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



semiautonomous

semiautonomous
sem·i·au·ton·o·mous 
[sèmmee aw tónnəməss, sèmmī aw tónnəməss] adjective

1.  partly
self-governing: ruled partly by its own citizens or
rulers and partly by another country or region

2.  acting
as self-governing part: self-governing but remaining
within a larger organization of which it is part
—sem·i·au·ton·o·mous·ly,
adverb

—sem·i·au·ton·o·my, noun[1]



semibold

semibold
sem·i·bold
[sèmmee bṓld, sèmmī
bṓld] adjective

less than bold:
darker than ordinary type but not as dark as bold type[1]



semibreve

semibreve
sem·i·breve 
[sémmee brv, sémmī
brv] (plural sem·i·breves) noun

U.K.
See whole note[1]



semicentennial

semicentennial
sem·i·cen·ten·ni·al 
[sèmmee sen ténnee əl, sèmmī sen ténnee əl] adjective

marking
50th anniversary: marking the date or year that is 50
years after a particular event
noun
(plural sem·i·cen·ten·ni·als)

50th anniversary of event:
the 50th anniversary of an important event[1]



semicircle

semicircle
sem·i·cir·cle 
[sémmi sùrk’l] (plural sem·i·cir·cles)
noun

1.  half
circle:
half of the area or circumference of a circle

2.  curved
line:
a curved or crescent-shaped line of things or people in the shape of a
semicircle
[Early
16th century. From Latin semicirculus, from circulus, literally
“small circle.”]
—sem·i·cir·cu·lar
[sèmmi súrk jələr], adjective

—sem·i·cir·cu·lar·ly, adverb[1]



semicircularcanal

semicircularcanal
sem·i·cir·cu·lar
ca·nal
(plural sem·i·cir·cu·lar ca·nals) noun

tube in ear for maintaining
balance: any one of three tubes in
the inner ear, semicircular in shape and set at right angles to one another,
that help to maintain balance[1]



semiclassical

semiclassical
sem·i·clas·si·cal 
[sèmmee klássik’l, sèmmī
klássik’l] adjective

light
classical:
classical in musical style, pleasant, easy to listen to, and usually written
relatively recently
—sem·i·clas·si·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



semicolon

semicolon
sem·i·co·lon 
[sémmi klən] (plural sem·i·co·lons)
noun

punctuation mark:
a punctuation mark (;) used to separate parts of a sentence or list and
indicating a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period[1]



semicoma

semicoma
sem·i·co·ma 
[sèmmee kṓmə, sèmmī
kṓmə] (plural sem·i·co·mas) noun

partial coma:
a partial or light comatose state from which it is sometimes possible to rouse
people by stimulating them[1]



semicomatose

semicomatose
sem·i·co·ma·tose
[sèmmee kṓmə tss, sèmmī
kṓmə tss] adjective

1.  being
in semicoma: bordering on being unconscious but
capable of being awakened

2.  nearly
unconscious: almost unconscious or half asleep

[1]



semiconductor

semiconductor
sem·i·con·duc·tor 
[sèmmee kən dúktər, sèmmī
kən dúktər] (plural sem·i·con·duc·tors) noun

partially
conductive solid: a solid such as silicon or germanium
that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator
—sem·i·con·duct·ing,
adjective

—sem·i·con·duc·tion,
noun

—sem·i·con·duc·tive,
adjective

—sem·i·con·duc·tiv·i·ty
[sèmmee kùndək tívvətee, sèmmī kùndək tívvətee], noun[1]



semiconscious

semiconscious
sem·i·con·scious 
[sèmmee kónshəss, sèmmī
kónshəss] adjective

partially
awake:
only partly conscious
—sem·i·con·scious·ly,
adverb

—sem·i·con·scious·ness,
noun[1]



semiconservative

semiconservative
sem·i·con·ser·va·tive 
[sèmmi kən súrvətiv, sèmmī kən súrvətiv] adjective

relating
to molecule replication: relating to the replication
of a nucleic acid molecule such as DNA in which a double stranded molecule
separates into two templates for the formation of complementary strands
—sem·i·con·ser·va·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



semidarkness

semidarkness
sem·i·dark·ness 
[sèmmee drknəss, sèmmī
drknəss] noun

partial darkness:
a state in which it is neither fully dark nor fully light[1]



semidesert

semidesert
sem·i·des·ert 
[sèmmee dézzərt, sèmmī
dézzərt] (plural sem·i·des·erts) noun

semiarid region:
a region that is not completely arid, usually one lying between desert and a
more heavily vegetated area[1]



semidetached

semidetached
sem·i·de·tached 
[sèmmee di tácht, sèmmī
di tácht] adjective

sharing
a wall:
joined to a neighboring building by a shared wall
noun

semidetached house:
a house with a wall in common with the next house[1]



semidiameter

semidiameter
sem·i·di·am·e·ter 
[sèmmee dī ámmətər, sèmmī
dī ámmətər] (plural sem·i·di·am·e·ters) noun

observed angular diameter of
celestial body: half of the angular
diameter of the visible disk of a celestial body as measured by an observer[1]



semidiurnal

semidiurnal
sem·i·di·ur·nal 
[sèmmee dī úrn’l, sèmmī
dī úrn’l] adjective

1.  lasting
one-half day: continuing or happening over half a day

2.  occurring
at 12-hour intervals: happening approximately once
every twelve hours

[1]



semidocumentary

semidocumentary
sem·i·doc·u·men·ta·ry 
[sèmmee dòkyə méntəree, sèmmī dòkyə méntəree] (plural sem·i·doc·u·men·ta·ries)
noun

partly fictional documentary:
a film or TV program that is fictional but makes use of or is based on factual
details or events[1]



semidome

semidome
sem·i·dome 
[sémmee dm, sémmī
dm] (plural sem·i·domes) noun

half dome:
a half dome, especially one used as the roof for a semicircular space or recess[1]



semidomesticated

semidomesticated
sem·i·do·mes·ti·cat·ed
[sèmmee də mésti kàytəd, sèmmī də mésti kàytəd] adjective

living
with people: still wild but living with and bred by
humans for animal products
—sem·i·do·mes·ti·ca·tion
[sèmmee də mèsti káysh’n, sèmmī də mèsti káysh’n], noun[1]



semidry

semidry
sem·i·dry 
[sèmmee dr, sèmmī
dr] adjective

partially dry:
used to describe wine that is partially or moderately dry[1]



semielliptical

semielliptical
sem·i·el·lip·ti·cal 
[sèmmee i líptik’l, sèmmī
i líptik’l] adjective

shaped like half an ellipse:
resembling half an ellipse in shape, especially one that is divided along its
major axis[1]



semifinal

semifinal
sem·i·fi·nal 
[sèmmee fn’l, sèmmī
fn’l] (plural sem·i·fi·nals) noun

round
before final: either one of two matches or games, the
winners of which will play each other in the final round of a competition
—sem·i·fi·nal,
adjective

—sem·i·fi·nal·ist, noun[1]



semifinished

semifinished
sem·i·fin·ished 
[sèmmee fínnisht, sèmmī
fínnisht] adjective

partly completed:
partially finished, treated, or processed[1]



semifluid

semifluid
sem·i·flu·id 
[sèmmee fl id, sèmmī
fl id] adjective

midway
between fluid and solid: having properties between
those of a fluid and a solid
—sem·i·flu·id,
noun

—sem·i·flu·id·i·ty [sèmmee floo íddətee, sèmmī
floo íddətee], noun[1]



semiformal

semiformal
sem·i·for·mal 
[sèmmee fáwrm’l, sèmmī
fáwrm’l] adjective

suitable
for fairly formal occasions: designed to be worn on
moderately formal occasions
noun
(plural semi·for·mals)

dance:
a dance to which people, often students, wear semiformal attire[1]



semigloss

semigloss
sem·i·gloss 
[sèmmee glóss, sèmmī
glóss] noun

paint neither glossy nor
dull: a paint or varnish with a
finish that is midway between gloss and matte when it dries[1]



semihard

semihard
sem·i·hard 
[sèmmee hrd, sèmmī
hrd] adjective

firm but moist:
used to describe cheese that has a consistency firm enough to slice but that is
moist and pliable. Hard cheese is not pliable even when moist.[1]



semi-infinite

semi-infinite
sem·i-in·fi·nite 
adjective

unlimited in one dimension:
unbounded in one dimension or direction[1]



semilethal

semilethal
sem·i·le·thal
[sèmmee lth’l, sèmmī
lth’l] adjective

lethal more than half of
time: lethal in more than 50
percent but fewer than 100 percent of cases[1]



semiliquid

semiliquid
sem·i·liq·uid 
[sèmmee líkwid, sèmmī
líkwid] adjective

See
semifluid
—sem·i·liq·uid,
noun

—sem·i·liq·uid·i·ty [sèmmee li kwíddətee, sèmmī
li kwíddətee], noun[1]



semiliterate

semiliterate
sem·i·lit·er·ate 
[sèmmee líttərət, sèmmī
líttərət] adjective

1.  not
fully literate: unable to read or write properly

2.  having
only limited understanding: having only limited
understanding of a particular subject, especially a technical one
—sem·i·lit·er·a·cy,
noun

—sem·i·lit·er·ate, noun[1]



semilunar

semilunar
sem·i·lu·nar 
[sèmmee lnər, sèmmī
lnər] adjective

crescent-shaped:
shaped like a crescent or a half moon[1]



semilunarcartilage

semilunarcartilage
sem·i·lu·nar
car·ti·lage
(plural sem·i·lu·nar car·ti·lag·es) noun

piece of cartilage in knee:
either one of two crescent-shaped pieces of cartilage in the knee joint[1]



semilunarvalve

semilunarvalve
sem·i·lu·nar
valve
(plural sem·i·lu·nar valves) noun

crescent-shaped heart valve:
either one of two crescent-shaped valves in the heart that prevent blood from
flowing back into the ventricles. The two valves are called the aortic valve
and the pulmonary valve.[1]



semimonthly

semimonthly
sem·i·month·ly 
[sèmmee múnthlee, sèmmī
múnthlee] adjective

happening
twice in month: happening or published twice each month,
usually at equal intervals
adverb

twice
during month: twice each month, usually at equal
intervals
noun
(plural sem·i·month·lies)

PUBLISHING
semimonthly publication:
a publication that appears twice each month, usually at equal intervals[1]



seminal

seminal
sem·i·nal 
[sémminəl] adjective

1.  influential:
highly original and influential

2.  capable
of development: containing an idea or set of ideas that
forms a basis for later developments

3.  BIOLOGY of
semen or seeds: relating to, containing, or carrying
semen or seeds
[14th
century. Via French from Latin seminalis, from semin-, stem of semen
“seed” (source of English seminary
and disseminate ).]
—sem·i·nal·i·ty
[sèmmee nállətee], noun

—sem·i·nal·ly [sémmən’lee], adverb[1]



seminalvesicle

seminalvesicle
sem·i·nal
ves·i·cle
(plural sem·i·nal ves·i·cles) noun

type of gland:
either one of a pair of glands that secrete the fluid component of semen into
the ejaculatory duct in males[1]



seminar

seminar
sem·i·nar 
[sémmi nr] (plural sem·i·nars)
noun

1.  meeting
on specialized subject: a single session or short,
often one-day meeting devoted to presentations on and discussion of a
particular topic, usually at an advanced or professional level • a
seminar on the industrial applications of biotechnology

2.  specialized
educational class: a course of specialized
graduate or undergraduate study under faculty supervision, in which ideas,
approaches, and advances are regularly shared among participants

3.  meeting
of students and academic supervisor: a
meeting of university or college students for study or discussion with an
academic supervisor, or the group that participates in it
[Late 19th century. Via
German, “advanced class,” from Latin seminarium “seed plot, breeding
ground,” ultimately from the stem semin- (see seminal
).][1]



seminarian

seminarian
sem·i·nar·i·an 
[sèmmi náiree ən] (plural sem·i·nar·i·ans)
or sem·i·nar·ist [sémmənərist]
(plural sem·i·nar·ists) noun

student in seminary:
a student who is training in a seminary to be a priest, minister, or rabbi[1]



seminary

seminary
sem·i·nar·y 
[sémmə nèrree] (plural sem·i·nar·ies)
noun

1.  school
for clergy:
a school for the training of priests, ministers, or rabbis

2.  girls’
school:
a private residential school for girls (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin seminarium
“seed plot, breeding ground,” ultimately from the stem semin- (see seminal ).][1]



seminiferous

seminiferous
sem·i·nif·er·ous 
[sèmmee níffərəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY producing
semen:
carrying, containing, or producing semen

2.  BOTANY producing
seeds:
bearing or producing seeds
[Late 17th century. Coined
from the Latin stem semin- (see seminal
) + -ferous .][1]



Seminole

Seminole
Sem·i·nole 
[sémmi nl] noun (plural Sem·i·nole
or Sem·i·noles)

1.  PEOPLES Native
N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands to the east of the Mississippi
River, and whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma. The Seminole were one of
the Five Civilized Nations who, under the Removal Act of 1830, settled in
Indian Territory.

2.  LANGUAGE Seminole
language:
either one of the two Muskogean languages spoken by the Seminole
adjective

1.  of
Seminole:
relating to the Seminole or their languages or culture

2.  SEWING patchwork
style:
used to describe a type of patchwork in which long strips of fabric are joined
together, then cut up and reformed to create new patterns. It was originally
developed by the Seminole.
[Mid-18th century. From Creek
simanó:li, alteration of simaló:ni, alteration of
Spanish-American cimarrón “wild, untamed.”][1]



seminoma

seminoma
sem·i·no·ma 
[sèmmi nṓmə] (plural sem·i·no·mas
or sem·i·no·ma·ta [sèmmee nṓmətə])
noun

testicle
tumor:
a malignant tumor of the sperm-producing tissue in the testicle
[Early 20th century. Via
French seminome from modern Latin seminoma, from the Latin stem semin-
“seed” + -oma .][1]



seminomadic

seminomadic
sem·i·no·mad·ic
[sèmmee nō máddik, sèmmī
nō máddik] adjective

partly migratory, partly
settled: belonging or relating to an
ethnic group or people who migrate seasonally as well as cultivating crops
during periods of settlement[1]



seminude

seminude
sem·i·nude 
[sémmi nd, sémmī
nd] adjective

half-dressed:
only partly clothed, usually in underclothes or skimpy outer clothing
noun
(plural sem·i·nudes)

state
of partial undress: the state of being only
partly clothed, usually in underclothes or skimpy outer clothing
—sem·i·nu·di·ty [sèmmee ndətee, sèmmī
ndətee], noun[1]



semiochemical

semiochemical
sem·i·o·chem·i·cal
[sèmmee o kémmik’l] (plural sem·i·o·chem·i·cals)
noun

animal
attractor:
an organic chemical such as pheromone that plays a role in animal communication
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Greek sēmeion “sign” + chemical
.][1]



semiofficial

semiofficial
sem·i·of·fi·cial 
[sèmmee ə físh’l, sèmmī
ə físh’l] adjective

not
completely authoritative: with only some degree of
authority or official status and therefore not completely reliable
—sem·i·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb[1]



semiology

semiology
se·mi·ol·o·gy 
[smee ólləjee, sèmmee
ólləjee] noun

See
semiotics
[Late
17th century. Coined from Greek sēmeion “sign” + -logy .]
—se·mi·o·log·ic
[smee ə lójjik, sèmmee
ə lójjik], adjective

—se·mi·o·log·i·cal
[smee ə lójjik’l, sèmmee
ə lójjik’l], adjective

—se·mi·o·log·i·cal·ly
[smee ə lójjikəlee, sèmmee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—se·mi·ol·o·gist [smee ólləjist, sèmmee
ólləjist], noun[1]



semiotic

semiotic
se·mi·ot·ic 
[sèmmee óttik, smee
óttik] adjective

1.  relating
to signs or symbols: relating to signs or
symbols, especially in speech or writing

2.  of
semiotics:
relating to semiotics

3.  MEDICINE relating
to symptomatology: relating to the field of
symptomatology
[Early 17th century. From
Greek sēmeiōtikos, from sēmeiousthai “to interpret signs,” from sēmeion
“sign.”][1]



semiotics

semiotics
se·mi·ot·ics
[sèmmee óttiks, smee
óttiks] noun (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
semiology

1.  study
of signs:
the study of signs and symbols of all kinds, what they mean, and how they
relate to the things or ideas they refer to

2.  MEDICINE study
of symptoms of diseases: the study of identifying the
ways that various symptoms indicate the diseases that underlie them
—se·mi·o·ti·cian [sèmmee ə tísh’n, smee
ə tísh’n], noun[1]



semipalmate

semipalmate

sem·i·pal·mate 
[sèmmee pál màyt, sèmmee
p màyt, sèmmī pál màyt, sèmmī p màyt] or sem·i·pal·mat·ed [sèmmee pál màytəd, sèmmee
p màytəd, sèmmī pál màytəd, sèmmī p màytəd] adjective
with partially webbed feet:
with feet or toes that are partially webbed. Some shore birds have semipalmate
feet.[1]



semipermanent

semipermanent
sem·i·per·ma·nent
[sèmmee púrmənənt, sèmmī
púrmənənt] adjective

lasting for long time:
set up or arranged to last quite a long time but not indefinitely • Dozens
of refugees have taken up semipermanent residence in the grounds of the embassy.[1]



semipermeable

semipermeable
sem·i·per·me·a·ble 
[sèmmee púrmee əb’l, sèmmī púrmee əb’l] adjective

filtering
selectively: used to describe a membrane or tissue
that allows some types of particle to pass through, but not others
—sem·i·per·me·a·bil·i·ty
[sèmmee pùrmee ə bíllətee, sèmmī pùrmee ə bíllətee], noun[1]



semipolarbond

semipolarbond
sem·i·po·lar
bond
(plural sem·i·po·lar bonds) noun

See
coordinate bond[1]



semiporcelain

semiporcelain
sem·i·por·ce·lain 
[sèmmee páwrsslən, sèmmī
páwrsslən] (plural sem·i·por·ce·lains) noun

ceramic ware:
a durable glazed ceramic material widely used for tableware. It resembles
porcelain but is opaque.[1]



semipostal

semipostal
sem·i·post·al
[sèmmee pṓst’l, sèmmī
pṓst’l] (plural sem·i·post·als) noun

charity stamp:
a postage stamp sold for more than its face value, with the consequent proceeds
going to a charity[1]



semiprecious

semiprecious
sem·i·pre·cious
[sèmmee préshəss, sèmmī
préshəss] adjective

moderately valuable:
used to describe stones, gems, and minerals that have commercial value but are
not valued as highly as those called precious[1]



semiprivate

semiprivate
sem·i·pri·vate 
[sèmmee prvət, sèmmī
prvət] adjective

not completely private:
shared with at least one other person, for example, another patient • She
had a semiprivate room in the hospital.[1]



semipro

semipro
sem·i·pro 
[sèmmee prṓ, sèmmī
prṓ] noun (plural sem·i·pros)

somebody
semiprofessional: a semiprofessional (informal)
adjective

semiprofessional:
relating to or being semiprofessional (informal)[1]



semiprofessional

semiprofessional
sem·i·pro·fes·sion·al 
[sèmmee prə féshən’l, sèmmī prə féshən’l] adjective

1.  paid
but not full-time: participating in a sport or
artistic activity for pay but not as a full-time professional

2.  for
semiprofessional athletes: played in or contested by
semiprofessional athletes

3.  like
a professional: displaying some aspects of a
professional
noun
(plural sem·i·pro·fes·sion·als)

part professional:
somebody, especially an athlete or performing artist, who is intermediate
between an amateur and a professional
—sem·i·pro·fes·sion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



semiquaver

semiquaver
sem·i·qua·ver 
[sémmee kwàyvər, sémmī
kwùyvər] (plural sem·i·qua·vers) noun

See
sixteenth note[1]



semiretired

semiretired
sem·i·re·tired 
[sèmmee ri trd, sèmmī
ri trd] adjective

partly
retired:
working only part-time following the end of a full-time career
—sem·i·re·tire·ment, noun[1]



semirigid

semirigid
sem·i·rig·id 
[sèmmee ríjjid, sèmmī
ríjjid] adjective

1.  partly
rigid:
partly rigid or rigid only in some parts

2.  AEROSPACE with
rigid keel:
used to describe an airship with a rigid keel that maintains its shape

[1]



semiround

semiround
sem·i·round 
[sèmmee równd, sèmmī
równd] adjective

semicircular:
semicircular, with one flat side
noun

something semiround:
something with one round side and one flat side[1]



semirural

semirural
sem·i·ru·ral 
[sèmmee rrəl, sèmmī
rrəl] adjective

partly rural:
intermediate between rural and urban[1]



semisecret

semisecret
sem·i·se·cret
[sèmmee skrət, sèmmī
skrət] adjective

supposedly secret:
intended or supposedly intended to be secret but actually known about[1]



semiskilled

semiskilled
sem·i·skilled 
[sèmmee skíld, sèmmī
skíld] adjective

with or requiring some skill:
with or requiring relatively few skills or little training • semiskilled
workers • a
semiskilled job[1]



semisoft

semisoft
sem·i·soft 
[sèmmee sáwft, sèmmī
sáwft] adjective

somewhat soft:
softer than most things, especially foods, of its type[1]



semisolid

semisolid
sem·i·sol·id 
[sèmmee sóllid, sèmmī
sóllid] adjective

half
solid, half liquid: not quite solid or liquid,
but somewhere in between, like a gel
noun
(plural sem·i·sol·ids)

thick sticky substance:
a substance that has most of the qualities of a solid but can also flow, for
example, a gel[1]



semistaged

semistaged
sem·i·staged 
[sèmmee stáyjd, sèmmī
stáyjd] adjective

performed without full stage
effects: performed without all of the
elements of a full stage production such as costumes, props, or minor
characters • They
performed a semistaged version of Faust .[1]



semisubmersible

semisubmersible
sem·i·sub·mers·i·ble 
[sèmmee sub múrssəb’l, sèmmī sub múrssəb’l] (plural sem·i·sub·mers·i·bles)
or sem·i·sub·mers·i·ble rig [sèmmee
sub múrssəb’l, sèmmī sub múrssəb’l] (plural
sem·i·sub·mers·i·ble rigs) noun

oil-drilling platform:
a self-propelled oil-drilling platform resting on vertical pontoons that can be
flooded for stability in deep water[1]



semisynthetic

semisynthetic
sem·i·syn·thet·ic 
[sèmmee sin théttik, sèmmī sin théttik] adjective

1.  synthesized
using natural ingredients: chemically synthesized from
natural ingredients

2.  part
natural:
made up of some natural and some synthetic ingredients

[1]



Semite

Semite
Sem·ite 
[sé mt] (plural Sem·ites) noun

1.  member
of Semitic-speaking people: a member of any of several
Semitic-speaking peoples of the Middle East, including the Arab and Jewish
peoples, and the ancient Assyrians, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, and
Phoenicians

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a Jewish person (slang offensive)
[Mid-19th century. Ultimately
via modern Latin Semita from Greek Sēm “Shem,” son of Noah
traditionally believed to be the ancestor of this group.][1]



semiterrestrial

semiterrestrial
sem·i·ter·res·tri·al 
[sèmmee tə réstree əl, sèmmī tə réstree əl] adjective

partly land-based:
living partly on land but requiring a watery environment[1]



Semitic

Semitic
Se·mit·ic 
[sə míttik] noun

LANGUAGE languages
spoken by Semites: a group of languages
belonging to the Afro-Asiatic family and spoken in North Africa and
southwestern Asia, including Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Maltese, and Amharic
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE of
Semitic:
in or relating to Semitic

2.  PEOPLES of
peoples who speak Semitic languages:
relating to the peoples who speak Semitic languages

[1]



Semitics

Semitics
Se·mit·ics 
[sə míttiks] noun

study
of Semitic culture: the study of the Semitic
peoples, languages, and culture (takes a singular verb)
—Se·mit·i·cist
[sə míttissist], noun

—Sem·i·tist [sémmitist], noun[1]



Semitism

Semitism
Sem·i·tism 
[sémmi tìzzəm] (plural Sem·i·tisms)
noun

1.  Semitic
culture:
the customs, traditions, and characteristics of Semitic people

2.  language
feature of Semitic origin: a word or other language
feature of Semitic origin, especially one occurring in a non-Semitic language

[1]



semitone

semitone
sem·i·tone 
[sémmee tn, sémmī
tn] (plural sem·i·tones) noun

smallest
interval in music scale: the smallest interval of the
diatonic scale, half of a whole tone. It is the difference in pitch between
adjacent frets on fretted string instruments such as guitars, or between
adjacent black or white notes on the piano.
Also
called
half step
Also
called
half tone
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French, “half tone,” from medieval Latin semitonus,
from tonus (see tone ).]
—sem·i·ton·al
[sèmmee tṓn’l, sèmmī
tṓn’l], adjective

—sem·i·ton·al·ly
[sèmmee tṓn’lee, sèmmī
tṓn’lee], adverb

—sem·i·ton·ic [sèmmee tónnik, sèmmī
tónnik], adjective[1]



semitrailer

semitrailer
sem·i·trail·er 
[sémmee tràylər, sémmī
tràylər] (plural sem·i·trail·ers) noun
Also
called
semi

1.  trailer
without front wheels: a large rectangular vehicle
with wheels only at the rear and a hitch at the front that attaches to a
tractor or other towing vehicle

2.  tractor
with semitrailer: a tractor with an attached semitrailer

[1]



semitransparent

semitransparent
sem·i·trans·par·ent 
[sèmmee trans pérrənt, sèmmī tráns pérrənt] adjective

not fully transparent:
partly, but not completely, transparent[1]



semitropical

semitropical
sem·i·trop·i·cal 
[sèmmee tróppik’l, sèmmī
tróppik’l] adjective

See
subtropical
—sem·i·trop·ics, plural
noun[1]



semivowel

semivowel
sem·i·vow·el 
[sémmee vòw əl, sémmī
vòw əl] (plural sem·i·vow·els) noun

sound with vowel and
consonant features: a sound
that is like a vowel in involving no major obstruction of the airflow but that
functions as a consonant in preceding vowels that form the nucleus of
syllables. Examples in English are initial “w” and “y.”
Also called
glide[1]



semiweekly

semiweekly
sem·i·week·ly 
[sèmmee wklee, sèmmī
wklee] adjective

happening
twice per week: happening or published twice each week
adverb

twice per week:
twice each week[1]



semolina

semolina
sem·o·li·na 
[sèmmə lnə] (plural sem·o·li·nas)
noun

grains
of ground wheat: gritty ground grains of wheat that are a
byproduct of flour milling, used in making pasta, couscous, and other foods
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of Italian semolino, literally “small bran,” formed from semola
“bran,” from Latin simila “fine wheat flour,” of uncertain origin:
probably from Semitic .][1]



semperfidelis

semperfidelis
sem·per
fi·del·is 
[sèmpər fi dáyliss] adjective

always
faithful:
“always faithful,” the motto of the United States Marine Corps
[From Latin][1]



semperparatus

semperparatus
sem·per
par·a·tus 
[sèmpər pə rtəss, sèmpər
pə ráytəss] adjective

always
prepared:
“always prepared,” the motto of the United States Coast Guard
[From Latin][1]



sempervivum

sempervivum
sem·per·viv·um 
[sèmpər vvəm] (plural sem·per·viv·ums)
noun

ornamental
plant:
a widely-grown ornamental garden plant that has rosettes of fleshy leaves and
clusters of pink flowers growing on stems. Genus: Sempervivum
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, a form of sempervivus “ever-living,” from semper “ever” + vivus
“living” (see vivacious ).][1]



sempiternal

sempiternal
sem·pi·ter·nal 
[sèmpi túrn’l] adjective

everlasting:
lasting forever (literary)
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from late Latin sempiternalis, from
Latin sempiternus, from semper “always” + -ternus, suffix
of time.]
—sem·pi·ter·nal·ly,
adverb

—sem·pi·ter·ni·ty, noun[1]



semplice

semplice
sem·pli·ce 
[sémplə chày] adverb

simply:
in a simple manner, without rubato (used in musical directions)
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, “simple.”][1]



sempre

sempre
sem·pre 
[sém prày] adverb

always:
to be played or sung throughout in the manner indicated (used in musical
directions) • sempre largo
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, “always, throughout.”][1]



sempstress

sempstress
semp·stress 
[sémpstrəss, sémstrəss]
(plural semp·stress·es) noun

seamstress:
a seamstress (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from sempster, variant of seamster .][1]



Semtex

Semtex
Sem·tex
[sém tèks] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
plastic explosive of Czech origin[1]



semé

semé
se·mé 
[sə máy, sé mày]
adjective

finely
patterned:
covered with many small dots or delicate designs
[15th century. From French,
past participle of semer “to sow,” from Latin semere .][1]



Sen.

Sen.
Sen.

1.  POLITICS Abbreviation of senator

2.  Abbreviation
of
senior

3.  POLITICS Abbreviation of senate

[1]



sen

sen
sen 
[sen] (plural sen) noun

1.  subunit
of SE Asian currencies: a subunit of currency in
Cambodia, 100 of which are worth one riel, in Indonesia, 100 of which are worth
one rupiah, in Japan, 100 of which are worth one yen, and in Malaysia, 100 of
which are worth one ringgit

2.  coin
worth a sen: a coin worth a sen
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, ultimately from Mandarin Chinese qián “money, coin.”][1]



senary

senary
sen·a·ry 
[snəree, sénnəree]
adjective

relating
to six:
based on six (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
senarius “based on six,” from seni “six each,” from sex
“six.”][1]



senate

senate
sen·ate 
[sénnət] noun

1.  legislative
body:
the sole or upper law-making chamber of government in many countries or states,
past or present

2.  U.S.
state legislature: the higher of two elected
legislative bodies in many states of the United States

3.  HISTORY ancient
Roman assembly: the highest council of the ancient Roman
Republic and of the Roman Empire

4.  senate
building:
the building where a senate meets

5.  EDUCATION university
body:
the main faculty governing body in some universities and colleges
[12th century. Via Old French
from Latin senatus, literally “assembly of elders,” from senex
“male elder” (source of English senile
and senior ).][1]



Senate

Senate
Sen·ate
noun

1.  U.S.
legislature: the higher of the two elected
legislative bodies of the United States government. It is made up of two
senators from each state.

2.  upper
house of Canadian parliament: the upper chamber of the
federal parliament of Canada. It is made up of 104 senators appointed by the
ruling government.

[1]



senator

senator
sen·a·tor 
[sénnətər] noun

senate member:
an elected or appointed member of a senate, for example, in the United States,
Australia, or ancient Rome[1]



senatorial

senatorial
sen·a·to·ri·al 
[sènnə táwree əl] adjective

1.  of
senators or a senate: relating to or
characteristic of a senate or with the post of senator • senatorial
privileges

2.  consisting
of senators: made up of senators
—sen·a·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



senatorialcourtesy

senatorialcourtesy
sen·a·to·ri·al
cour·te·sy
noun

right to refuse presidential
appointment: a custom in the U.S.
Senate allowing it to refuse to approve a presidential appointment if
objections are raised by a particular party or parties. These are either the
senior senator in the president’s party from the appointee’s state, or both
senators from that state.[1]



senatorialdistrict

senatorialdistrict
sen·a·to·ri·al
dis·trict
(plural sen·a·to·ri·al dis·tricts) noun

U.S. state district:
a state electoral district in the United States, represented in a state senate
by a senator[1]



send

send1
send1  [send]
verb (past sent, past participle sent [sent], present participle send·ing, 3rd
person present singular sends)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody or something to go: to cause somebody or
something to be moved or taken to another place

2.  transitive
verb
communicate
something:
to transmit information to somebody who is somewhere else

3.  transitive
verb
command
somebody to go: to ask or command somebody to come or go

4.  transitive
verb
enable
somebody to go: to enable somebody to go somewhere
special • Let’s
send the children to camp this summer.

5.  transitive
verb
refer
somebody somewhere: to suggest that somebody go
somewhere or see somebody, usually for a specific kind of information

6.  transitive
verb
bring
something about: to make something happen • Our
blessings were sent by a higher power.

7.  transitive
verb
propel
something:
to make something move or travel by pushing it or hitting it • A
gust of wind sent the papers swirling around the office.

8.  transitive
verb
drive
somebody into particular state: to make somebody enter
a particular condition • The
delay is sending her into fits of frustration.

9.  transitive
verb
excite
somebody greatly: to excite or thrill somebody intensely (dated
slang)

10. intransitive
verb
COMPUTING be
transmitted: to be transmitted or transmittable • This
e-mail won’t send.

11. intransitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS broadcast
information: to transmit information by
telecommunication • The operator was still
sending when the power was cut off.
noun

COMPUTING command
to transmit computer data: a command, key, or icon on a
computer monitor or keyboard that is used to start the transmission of data
[Old
English sendan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to cause to
go”]
send
flying

to
make somebody or something fly through the air by force of impact

send
somebody packing

1.  to
tell somebody to go in a firm, not very polite way (informal)

2.  to
force or frighten somebody into going away (informal)

[1]



send

send2
send2  intransitive verb noun

See
scend[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Sendai

Sendai
Sen·dai 
[sen d]

capital city of Miyagi
Prefecture, on northeastern Honshu Island, Japan. Population: 918,398 (1990)[1]



sendaway for

sendaway for
send
away for
transitive verb

order something by mail:
to order something by mail or through a mail order catalog[1]



sendfor

sendfor
send
for
transitive verb

request somebody or
something: to request the delivery,
dispatch, or appearance of somebody or something • send
for reinforcements[1]



sendforth

sendforth
send
forth
transitive verb

produce something:
to give out or produce somebody or something (archaic or literary) • sent
forth a cry of joy[1]



sendin

sendin
send
in
transitive verb

submit something for
attention: to mail something, for
example, an application form, for processing along with those sent by other
people[1]



sendoff

sendoff
send
off
transitive verb

1.  MAIL dispatch
something:
to dispatch something in the mail

2.  send
somebody away: to send somebody away, either on an
errand, or by way of dismissal • We
sent him off to buy some things.

3.  bid
somebody farewell: to say goodbye or good luck
to somebody who is leaving • Who
was there to send her off?

[1]



sendoff

sendoff
send·off 
[sénd òf] (plural send·offs) noun

farewell:
an act of showing goodwill toward somebody who is leaving or something that is
starting, especially in a group at a place such as an airport or at a farewell
party[1]



sendout for

sendout for
send
out for
transitive verb

order food for delivery:
to order food by telephone, to be delivered to a particular address and paid
for when it arrives (informal) • Let’s
send out for a pizza.[1]



sendup

sendup
send
up
transitive verb

1.  make
something go up: to make something rise or climb,
especially a scale or index such as on a thermometer or a listing of stock
market values • News of lower interest
rates sent the stock market index up 60 points.

2.  send
somebody to prison: to imprison somebody
following conviction (informal) • He
was sent up for armed robbery.

3.  mock
somebody or something by imitation: to
make fun of somebody or something by humorous imitation (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ridicule

[1]



sendup

sendup
send·up
[sénd ùp] (plural send·ups) noun

parody:
a parody done as a joke (informal)[1]



sene

sene
se·ne 
[sáy nay] (plural se·ne) noun

1.  subunit
of Samoan currency: a subunit of currency in
Samoa, 100 of which are worth one tala

2.  coin
worth a sene: a coin worth one sene
[Mid-20th century. From
Samoan, “cent.”][1]



Seneca

Seneca2
Sen·e·ca2  [sénnəkə]
(4? BC–AD 65)

Spanish-born
Roman statesman, philosopher, and dramatist. He was Nero’s tutor, and
influenced the early years of his reign, but committed suicide after being
condemned for conspiracy against the state. His writings as a dramatist,
rhetorician, and Stoic moralist were influential in shaping the thought and
literature of the European Renaissance.
Full name
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus Known as Seneca the Younger[1]



Seneca

Seneca1
Sen·e·ca1 [sénnəkə]
(plural Sen·e·ca or Sen·e·cas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in western New York State, and
whose members mainly continue to live there and in southern Ontario. The Seneca
were one of the five peoples who formed the Iroquois Confederacy, which later
became known as the Six Nations.

2.  LANGUAGE Seneca
language:
the Iroquoian language of the Seneca. it now has few speakers.
[Mid-17th
century. From Dutch Sennecaas (plural) “the Upper Iroquois peoples,” of
uncertain origin: possibly from Mahican .]
—Sen·e·can, adjective[1]



SenecaLake

SenecaLake
Sen·e·ca
Lake

lake in New York. It is one
of the Finger Lakes. Area: 174 sq km/67 sq mi.[1]



Senecasnakeroot

Senecasnakeroot
Sen·e·ca
snake·root
(plural Sen·e·ca snake·roots) noun

N
American plant: a flowering plant of eastern North
America with small white flowers, and roots with various medicinal uses. Latin
name: Polygala senega
Also
called
senega
[From the plant’s use by the
Seneca people as an antidote to snakebite][1]



senecio

senecio
se·ne·ci·o 
[si nshi , si
nshō] (plural sen·ec·i·os) noun

See
ragwort
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “groundsel,” literally “male elder” (from the plant’s white hairs), from
senex (see senate ).][1]



senega

senega
sen·e·ga 
[sénnəgə] (plural sen·e·gas) noun

See
Seneca snakeroot
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Seneca
.][1]



Senegal

Senegal



Sen·e·gal 
[sénni gaal, seni
gáwl]
republic
in western Africa. Formerly a French territory, it became an independent
republic in 1960. Language: French. Currency: C.F.A. franc. Capital: Dakar.
Population: 8,532,000 (1996) Area: 196,192 sq km/75,750 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Senegal
—Sen·e·gal·ese [sènni gaal z], noun, adjective[1]



Senegal




Back to definition

Senegal

[1]



senescent

senescent
se·nes·cent 
[sə néss’nt] adjective

aging:
approaching an advanced age
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin senescent-, present participle stem of senescere,
ultimately from senex “advanced in age.”]
—se·nes·cence, noun[1]



seneschal

seneschal
sen·e·schal 
[sénnəshəl] (plural sen·e·schals)
noun

medieval
steward of great house: a steward in medieval times
who managed the retainers of a noble house
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin seniscalcus, from prehistoric Germanic words meaning
“old” and “servant.”][1]



senhor

senhor
sen·hor
[sayn yáwr, sin
yáwr] (plural sen·hors or sen·hor·es [sayn yáw rayss]) noun

Portuguese
equivalent of Mr.: a Portuguese title
equivalent to English “Mr.”
[Late 18th century.
Portuguese, via medieval Latin senior “lord, superior” from Latin,
“elder, older” (source of English sir
).][1]



senhora

senhora
sen·ho·ra
[sayn yáwrə, sin
yáwrə] (plural sen·ho·ras) noun

Portuguese
equivalent of Mrs.: a Portuguese title
equivalent to English “Mrs.”
[Early 19th century. From
Portuguese, formed from senhor .][1]



senhorita

senhorita
sen·ho·ri·ta
[sàynyə rtə, sènnyə
rtə] (plural sen·ho·ri·tas) noun

Portuguese
equivalent of Miss: a Portuguese title
equivalent to English “Miss”
[Late 19th century. From
Portuguese, literally “little senhora,” formed from senhora
.][1]



senile

senile
se·nile 
[s nl, sé nl]
adjective

1.  mentally
less acute in later life: forgetful, confused, or
otherwise mentally less acute in later life

2.  relating
to later life: occurring in or believed to be
characteristic of later life, especially the period after the age of 65 years
[Mid-17th
century. Directly or via French sénile from Latin senilis
“advanced in age,” from senex (see senate
).]
—se·nile·ly,
adverb

—se·nil·i·ty [sə níllətee], noun[1]



seniledementia

seniledementia
se·nile
de·men·tia
noun

dementia in later life:
a form of brain disorder marked by progressive and irreversible mental
deterioration, memory loss, and disorientation, known to affect some people
after the age of about 65 years[1]



senior

senior
sen·ior 
[snyər] adjective

1.  more
advanced in age: of a more advanced age

2.  higher
in rank:
of higher rank or having longer service or employment than another • Everyone
on the committee is senior to me

3.  sen·ior
or Sen·ior relating to earlier
generation:
used to distinguish the elder of two members of the same family with the same
name from the younger person of that name
noun
(plural sen·iors)

1.  somebody
of greater age: somebody who is more advanced in age
than somebody else

2.  higher-ranking
person:
somebody who is of a higher rank than somebody else or who has worked in the
same place longer than another person • She
is my only senior in the department.

3.  EDUCATION final-year
student:
a student in the last year of high school or college

4.  See
senior citizen

5.  Australia
LAW Australian
barrister:
in Australia, a barrister who has qualified as a Queen’s Counsel
[14th century. From Latin,
“elder, older,” the comparative from of senex (see senate ).][1]



seniorchief petty officer

seniorchief petty officer
sen·ior
chief pet·ty of·fi·cer (plural sen·ior
chief pet·ty of·fi·cers) noun

U.S. Navy rank:
an enlisted person in the United States Navy intermediate between a chief petty
officer and a master chief petty officer, or the rank of such a person[1]



seniorcitizen

seniorcitizen
sen·ior
cit·i·zen
(plural sen·ior cit·i·zens) noun

somebody of advanced years:
somebody of retirement age or beyond.
Also called
senior[1]



seniordebt

seniordebt
sen·ior
debt
noun

first debt paid off:
an indebtedness with no claims ahead of it and the first in line to be paid off[1]



seniorhigh school

seniorhigh school
sen·ior
high school
(plural sen·ior high schools) noun

final secondary school:
a school for the last three or four years of secondary education, grades 9 or
10 through 12[1]



seniority

seniority
sen·ior·i·ty 
[seen yáwrətee] (plural sen·ior·i·ties)
noun

1.  higher
status:
status accorded to greater age, higher rank, or longer service or employment • Days
off will be awarded on the basis of seniority.

2.  state
of being senior: the state of being of greater age or
higher rank than somebody else

[1]



seniorlecturer

seniorlecturer
sen·ior
lec·tur·er
(plural sen·ior lec·tur·ers) noun

U.K.
university teacher:
in the United Kingdom, a university teacher ranking above a lecturer and below
a reader or professor[1]



seniormanagement

seniormanagement
sen·ior
man·age·ment (plural sen·ior man·age·ments)
noun

top level of an organization:
the tier of management in an organization that makes important decisions about
direction, focus, and general policy[1]



seniormaster sergeant

seniormaster sergeant
sen·ior
mas·ter ser·geant (plural sen·ior mas·ter
ser·geants) noun

U.S. Air Force rank:
somebody holding a rank in the United States Air Force intermediate between a
master sergeant and a chief master sergeant, or the rank itself[1]



seniti

seniti
sen·i·ti 
[sénnee tee] (plural seniti) noun

1.  Tongan
subunit of currency: a subunit of currency in
Tonga, 100 of which are worth a pa’anga

2.  coin
worth a seniti: a coin worth one seniti

[1]



senna

senna

sen·na 
[sénnə] (plural sen·nas) noun

1.  flowering
plant used as laxative: a leguminous plant, usually
with clusters of yellow flowers, found widely in temperate regions and
sometimes used as a laxative. Genus: Cassia

2.  dried
leaves or pods: the dried leaves or pods of a senna
plant used as a purgative or laxative
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin sena from Arabic sanā .][1]



Senna,Ayrton

Senna,Ayrton
Sen·na 
[sénnə], Ayrton (1960–1994)

Brazilian
racing driver. One of the most celebrated Brazilian sportsmen of the 20th
century, he won the World Grand Prix Formula One championship three times
(1988, 1990, 1991).
Full name
Senna da Silva, Ayrton[1]



Sennacherib

Sennacherib
Sen·na·che·rib 
[sə nákə rìb], King of Assyria

During his reign (705–681 BC ) he conquered Babylon (689 BC ) and rebuilt Nineveh.[1]



sennet

sennet2
sen·net2 [sénnət]
(plural sen·nets) noun

barracuda:
a barracuda that is found in the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Latin
name: Sphyraena borealis
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown: probably from a Caribbean language.][1]



sennet

sennet1
sen·net1 [sénnət]
(plural sen·nets) noun

trumpet
call in Elizabethan theater: a trumpet call that
announced the exits and entrances of actors in Elizabethan drama
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from assumed Anglo-Norman senet, variant of signet
in the obsolete sense “signal.”][1]



Sennett,Mack

Sennett,Mack
Sen·nett
[sénnit], Mack (1880–1960)

Canadian-born
U.S. movie director. A leading director of silent movies, he was known for
slapstick movies featuring Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Cops.
Born
Sinnott, Mikall (or Michael)[1]



sennit

sennit
sen·nit 
[sénnət] (plural sen·nits) noun

1.  braided
cord used on ships: braided cord in flat
strands, used on ships

2.  braided
straw:
braided straw, reeds, or leaves, used to make hats
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
sinnet, of unknown origin.][1]



senryu

senryu
sen·ryu
[sén ry] (plural sen·ryu) noun

Japanese
poem:
a three-line ironic or satirical Japanese poem, similar in structure to a haiku
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Japanese poet Karai Senryu (1718–1790).][1]



sensate

sensate
sen·sate 
[sén sàyt] adjective

sensed:
perceived through any of the senses
[15th
century. From late Latin sensatus “equipped with senses,” from Latin sensus
(see sense ).]
—sen·sate·ly, adverb[1]



sensation

sensation
sen·sa·tion 
[sen sáysh’n] (plural sen·sa·tions)
noun

1.  physical
feeling:
a physical feeling caused by having one or more of the sense organs stimulated
• a
burning sensation in my mouth and throat

2.  power
to perceive: the capacity to receive impressions
through the sense organs • He has
lost all sensation in his legs.

3.  mental
impression:
a vague or general feeling, especially one not attributable to an obvious cause
• a
sensation of falling

4.  public
interest:
a state of avid public interest in a phenomenon • Her
speech caused a sensation.

5.  interesting
phenomenon:
a phenomenon that creates avid public interest
[Early 17th century.
Directly, or via French, from the medieval Latin stem sensation-
“perception,” from Latin sensus (see sense
).][1]



sensational

sensational
sen·sa·tion·al 
[sen sáyshən’l] adjective

1.  outstanding:
exceptionally good • sensational results

2.  extraordinary:
attracting a great deal of attention and interest • a
sensational defeat

3.  emphasizing
lurid details: giving too much emphasis to the most
shocking and lurid aspects of something • sensational
coverage of the murder trial

4.  sensory:
connected with the senses or sense impressions
—sen·sa·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



sensationalism

sensationalism
sen·sa·tion·al·ism 
[sen sáyshən’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  use
of shocking material: the practice of emphasizing
the most lurid, shocking, and emotive aspects of anything under discussion or
investigation, especially by the media

2.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of knowledge: the belief that all knowledge is
obtained only through the senses.
Also
called
sensualism
—sen·sa·tion·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—sen·sa·tion·al·is·tic
[sen sàyshən’l ístik], adjective[1]



sensationalize

sensationalize
sen·sa·tion·al·ize 
[sen sáyshən’l z] (past sen·sa·tion·al·ized,
past participle sen·sa·tion·al·ized, present participle sen·sa·tion·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sen·sa·tion·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

exaggerate
the details of something: to place excessive emphasis
on the most shocking and emotive aspects of a subject
—sen·sa·tion·al·i·za·tion
[sen sàyshən’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



sense

sense
sense 
[senss] noun (plural sens·es)

1.  physical
faculty:
one of the faculties by which a person or animal obtains information about the
physical world

2.  feeling
derived from the senses: a feeling derived from
multiple or subtle sense impressions • Flying
filled him with a sense of insecurity.

3.  ability
to appreciate something: the faculty whereby somebody
appreciates a particular quality • She
has no sense of humor.

4.  moral
discernment: an ability to perceive and be motivated
by moral or ethical principles • instill
a sense of right and wrong in the children

5.  intelligence:
the ability to make intelligent decisions or sound judgments • He’s
got no sense at all.

6.  point:
useful purpose or good reason • There’s
no sense in waiting any longer.

7.  reasoned
opinion:
an opinion arrived at through reflection or perception, often as a consensus • The
sense of the meeting was clearly against the proposal.

8.  main
idea:
the essence or gist of something • What
was the sense of her argument?

9.  meaning:
a single meaning of a word or phrase that may have many

10. LOGIC term’s
meaning:
the meaning as opposed to the reference of a term or sentence
plural
noun
sens·es

rational mind:
a sensible, rational state of mind • I must
be out of my senses.
transitive
verb
(past sensed, past participle sensed, present
participle sens·ing, 3rd person present singular sens·es)

1.  perceive
somebody or something: to perceive somebody or
something with a sense or the senses • I
sensed a movement behind me.

2.  infer
something:
to understand something intuitively • He
must have sensed that I was disappointed.

3.  detect
and identify change: to detect and identify a change
in something • The
device senses when the door is opened and sounds the alarm.
[14th
century. Directly, and via Old French, from Latin sensus “feeling,
perception,” from sens-, past participle stem of sentire “to
feel.”]
in
a sense

1.  considered
from a point of view that may not be the most obvious or the most popular

2.  used
when saying that something could be described in a particular way, but that the
description is not complete or accurate

make
sense

to
be understandable and consistent with reason

make
sense of something

to
understand something well enough to be able to act on it or evaluate it





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word sentire, from which sense
  is derived, is also the source of English assent,
  consensus, consent, dissent,
  resent, sensible,
  sentence, sentiment, and sensual.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Sense
  and Sensibility, a novel by English writer Jane Austen ( 1811 ). Set in
  Devonshire, in southwestern England, Austen’s first novel describes the
  emotional development of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who live
  with their widowed mother in a modest cottage. Outwardly, Elinor appears dull
  and practical, Marianne sensitive and passionate, but the story of their
  involvement with two seemingly appropriate suitors warns against simplistic
  character judgments.

[1]



sensedatum

sensedatum
sense
da·tum
noun

sensation:
in the doctrine of phenomenalism, a sensation[1]



sensei

sensei
sen·sei
[sen sáy] (plural sen·sei) noun

1.  martial
arts teacher: somebody who teaches one of the martial
arts such as karate or tai-chi

2.  form
of address:
used as a title to address somebody who is a teacher, especially in the martial
arts
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, “teacher, instructor,” from sen “previous” + sei
“birth.”][1]



senseless

senseless
sense·less 
[sénssləss] adjective

1.  without
intelligence: demonstrating a lack of reason and
intelligence • a
senseless decision

2.  unconscious:
unconscious, or unable to perceive anything • was
knocked senseless by the blow

3.  with
no apparent purpose: apparently or really without
purpose or meaning • a senseless activity

[1]



senseorgan

senseorgan
sense
or·gan
(plural sense or·gans) noun

organ giving information
about the physical world: an organ
such as an eye or ear that is specialized to receive stimuli from the physical
world and transmit them via nerve impulses to the brain. Sense organs include
the eye, ear, nose, skin, and taste buds of the tongue, which respond to light,
sound, airborne chemicals, touch, and chemicals in food and drink,
respectively.[1]



sensibilia

sensibilia
sen·si·bil·i·a 
[sènssə bíllee ə] plural noun

objects
of sense:
things that can be sensed, considered collectively
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, a plural form of sensibilis “perceptible by the senses,” from sensus
(see sense ).][1]



sensibility

sensibility
sen·si·bil·i·ty 
[sènssə bíllətee] noun (plural
sen·si·bil·i·ties)

1.  capacity
to feel:
the capacity to perceive or feel

2.  emotional
responsiveness: the capacity to respond emotionally or
aesthetically • the sensibility of a
child

3.  BOTANY plants’
capacity for response: the sensitivity of plants to
external stimuli
plural
noun
sen·si·bil·i·ties

moral sense:
sensitivity about moral or ethical issues • careful
not to offend their sensibilities

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  sensibility
  or sensitivity ?
  Sensitivity
  is used in ways corresponding to the meanings of the adjective sensitive,
  and is mainly concerned with physical or emotional reactions of various
  kinds: • a
  sensitivity to bright light . Sensibility
  is less closely related in meaning to sensible than sensitivity is to sensitive,
  and chiefly denotes somebody’s acute perceptions or finer feelings,
  corresponding to a particular meaning of sensible, as in • poetry
  that appealed to his sensibility.

[1]



sensible

sensible
sen·si·ble 
[sénssəb’l] adjective

1.  showing
good sense:
having or demonstrating sound reason and judgment • a
sensible decision • She’s
not very sensible.

2.  practical:
practical, usually comfortable and hard-wearing, and not worn as an adornment • a
pair of sensible shoes

3.  subject
to perception: able to be perceived through the senses
• sensible
objects in the world around us

4.  aware
of something: aware or conscious of something (formal)
• not
sensible of the tragic mistake he’d made

5.  conscious:
awake or conscious, and having the capacity to understand
[14th
century. Directly, and via French sensible, from late Latin sensibilis
“perceptible by the senses, able to perceive,” from the stem sens- (see sense ).]
—sen·si·ble·ness,
noun

—sen·si·bly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  sensible
  or sensitive ?
  The
  two words overlap in meaning to some extent in the sense illustrated by the
  sentence • I
  am sensible of your difficult situation (“I
  can appreciate your difficult situation”). In this meaning, sensible is normally used to express emotional
  or intellectual awareness. In a comparable use, sensitive
  is followed by to and denotes a more involved and finely attuned
  feeling about or for something: • He
  was always sensitive to their needs.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at aware

[1]



sensiblehorizon

sensiblehorizon
sen·si·ble
ho·ri·zon
(plural sen·si·ble ho·ri·zons) noun

ASTRONOMY
See horizon  noun 2[1]



sensillum

sensillum
sen·sil·lum 
[sen sílləm] (plural sen·sil·la
[sen síllə]) noun

insect’s
sense organ: a simple sense organ made up of one or a
few cells connected by a nerve cell, often found in insects
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, literally “little sense,” from Latin sensus (see sense ).][1]



sensitive

sensitive
sen·si·tive 
[sénssətiv] adjective

1.  able
to sense:
with the capacity to perceive via the sense organs

2.  delicate:
easily damaged or irritated physically • a
toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth

3.  acutely
perceptive:
unusually responsive to stimuli from the physical world • a
sensitive nose

4.  subtle
in artistic expression: subtly expressive in one of
the arts

5.  artistically
impressionable: susceptible to artistic effects, for
example, in music, writing, or painting

6.  affected
by an external stimulus: affected in some way by a
particular external stimulus such as an allergen (often used in combination)
• eyes
sensitive to light • a
touch-sensitive screen • a
price-sensitive product

7.  thoughtful
and sympathetic: tactful and sympathetic in relation to
the feelings of others

8.  touchy:
easily offended or annoyed if something is spoken about • He’s
very sensitive about his driving.

9.  secret
or confidential: not to be mentioned or divulged • sensitive
matters of national security

10. requiring
tactfulness: needing to be dealt with tactfully to
avoid embarrassment • a
sensitive issue

11. able
to measure small differences: capable of detecting minute
changes in levels, conditions, or amounts • a
sensitive scientific instrument

12. FINANCE fluctuating:
volatile and subject to fluctuation • a
sensitive market

13. PHOTOGRAPHY responsive
to light:
extremely responsive to radiation, especially to light of a specific wavelength

14. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING responsive
to signals:
able to respond to transmitted signals
noun
(plural sen·si·tives)

psychic person:
somebody who has clairvoyant or psychic powers
[14th
century. Directly, and via French, from medieval Latin sensitivus, from
the Latin stem sens- (see sense ).]
—sen·si·tive·ly,
adverb

—sen·si·tive·ness,
noun

—sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[sènsə tívvətee], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sensible.

[1]



sensitiveplant

sensitiveplant
sen·si·tive
plant
(plural sen·si·tive plants) noun

1.  flowering
plant sensitive to the touch: a tropical American shrub
with purplish flowers that recoils when touched. Latin name: Mimosa pudica

Also
called
touch-me-not

2.  unduly
sensitive person: somebody who is easily upset (informal)

[1]



sensitize

sensitize
sen·si·tize 
[sénssə tz] (past sen·si·tized,
past participle sen·si·tized, present participle sen·si·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular sen·si·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody sensitive: to make somebody sensitive,
especially to a situation

2.  make
somebody allergic: to induce undue sensitivity
in somebody to a particular substance such as a food ingredient or drug so that
subsequent exposure to the substance triggers an allergic reaction

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY make
film sensitive to light: to make a film, plate, or
other medium sensitive to light by coating it with an emulsion
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from sensitive + -ize .]
—sen·si·ti·za·tion
[sènssətə záysh’n], noun

—sen·si·tiz·er [sénssə tzər], noun[1]



sensitometer

sensitometer
sen·si·tom·e·ter 
[sènssə tómmətər] (plural sen·si·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring sensitivity: an instrument for measuring
degrees of sensitivity, especially one used on photographic materials
[Late
19th century. Coined from sensitive + -meter .]
—sen·si·tom·e·try, noun[1]



sensor

sensor
sen·sor 
[sénssər] (plural sen·sors) noun

detecting
instrument:
a device capable of detecting and responding to physical stimuli such as
movement, light, or heat
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sense or Latin sens-, past
participle stem of sentire “to sense,” + -or
.][1]



sensoria

sensoria
sen·so·ri·a


Plural of
sensorium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sensorial

sensorial
sen·so·ri·al 
[sen sáwree əl] adjective

relating
to sensation: relating to sensation and the sense
organs
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from sensorium + -al .]
—sen·so·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



sensorimotor

sensorimotor
sen·so·ri·mo·tor 
[sènssəri mṓtər] adjective

1.  sensory
and motor:
relating to both the motor and sensory functions in the brain or the
neurological structures underlying these functions

2.  of
movement caused by sensory stimuli:
relating to motor functions arising from sensory stimuli

[1]



sensorimotorstage

sensorimotorstage
sen·so·ri·mo·tor
stage
noun

first major stage of
cognitive development: the first
major stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, from birth to
approximately two years, in which children begin to understand their world
through sensory and motor experience[1]



sensorineural

sensorineural
sen·so·ri·neu·ral 
[sènssəri nrəl] adjective

connected with sensory
nerves: involving or relating to
sensory nerves[1]



sensorium

sensorium
sen·so·ri·um 
[sen sáwree əm] (plural sen·so·ri·a
[sen sáwree ə]) noun

1.  brain
area that responds to stimuli: the sensory components
of the brain and nervous system that deal with the receiving and interpreting
of external stimuli

2.  sensory
functions:
all the sensory functions in the body, considered as a single unit
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin sensorium “the seat or organ of sensation,” from the stem sens-
(see sense ).][1]



sensory

sensory
sen·so·ry 
[sénssəree] adjective

relating
to sensation: relating to sensation and the sense
organs • heightened
sensory awareness
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from sense or Latin sens-, past
participle stem of sentire “to feel” + -ory
.][1]



sensoryadaptation

sensoryadaptation
sen·so·ry
ad·ap·ta·tion noun

sensory system adjustment:
the tendency of a sensory system to adjust as a result of repeated exposure to
a particular type of stimulus such as low levels of light[1]



sensorydeprivation

sensorydeprivation
sen·so·ry
dep·ri·va·tion noun

removal or reduction of
stimulation: the elimination of or a
sharp reduction in sensory stimulation, usually as part of an experiment in
psychology or as part of repressive interrogation procedures or brainwashing[1]



sensoryregister

sensoryregister
sen·so·ry
reg·is·ter
(plural sen·so·ry reg·is·ters) or sen·so·ry store (plural
sen·so·ry stores) noun

short-term memory store for
the senses: a memory store for each
sense such as touch, vision, or hearing. It is presumed to hold large
quantities of information, but only for milliseconds.[1]



sensorythreshold

sensorythreshold
sen·so·ry
thresh·old
(plural sen·so·ry thresh·olds) noun

minimum level of detectable
stimulus: the minimum intensity of a
stimulus at which it can be detected[1]



sensual

sensual
sen·su·al 
[sénshoo əl] adjective

1.  sensory:
relating to the body and the senses as opposed to the mind or the intellect

2.  carnal:
relating to physical or, especially, sexual pleasure
[15th
century. From late Latin sensualis “equipped with feeling or sensation,”
from Latin sensus (see sense ).]
—sen·su·al·ly,
adverb

—sen·su·al·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  sensual
  or sensuous ?
  Both
  words are connected with gratification of the human senses. Sensual is the older word, and in the
  seventeenth century it developed special meanings associated with the bodily
  appetites, especially eating and above all sexual satisfaction: • Her
  mouth looked sensual and inviting. • They
  enjoyed the sensual pleasures of the table.
  About this time the poet John Milton seems to have invented the word sensuous to refer more specifically to the
  aesthetic and spiritual senses (seeing, hearing, thinking), and it was taken
  up by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the nineteenth century. In current use, it
  is almost impossible to keep the two sets of meanings apart, since the senses
  cannot readily be compartmentalized in this way, but it is prudent to have
  regard for the main distinction when using these words. Sensuous, for example, is the word to use in
  connection with music or poetry: • The
  conductor relished the sensuous parts of Ravel’s score.

[1]



sensualism

sensualism
sen·su·al·ism 
[sénshoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  pleasure-seeking:
devotion to sensual gratification

2.  PHILOSOPHY ETHICS See sensationalism  noun 2
—sen·su·al·ist,
noun

—sen·su·al·is·tic [sènshoo ə lístik], adjective[1]



sensuality

sensuality
sen·su·al·i·ty 
[sènshoo állətee] noun

1.  being
sensual:
the capacity for enjoying the pleasures of the senses

2.  being
pleasing to the senses: the quality of being
pleasing to the senses

[1]



sensuous

sensuous
sen·su·ous 
[sénshoo əss] adjective

1.  of
sense stimulation: relating to stimulation of
the senses

2.  appreciating
stimulation: enjoying or appreciating pleasurable
stimulation of the senses • a
sensuous lover

3.  causing
stimulation: causing pleasurable stimulation of the
senses • a
sensuous experience
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Latin sensus (see sense
) + -ous, apparently by John Milton, in
order to avoid the lustful overtones that sensual
had at the time.]
—sen·su·ous·ly,
adverb

—sen·su·ous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sensual.

[1]



Sensurround

Sensurround
Sen·sur·round 
[sénssə ròwnd] Trademark

a trademark for a movie sound
effect system emitting low-frequency sound signals that are felt by the
audience as vibrations[1]



sent

sent
sent


Past tense of
send 1 Past
participle of send 1[1]



sente

sente
sen·te 
[séntee] (plural li·sen·te [li séntee]) noun

1.  Lesotho
subunit of currency: a subunit of currency in
Lesotho, 100 of which are worth one loti

2.  coin
worth a sente: a coin worth one sente
[Late 20th century. From
Sesotho, “cent.”][1]



sentence

sentence
sen·tence 
[sént’nss] noun (plural sen·tenc·es)

1.  GRAMMAR meaningful
linguistic unit: a group of words or a single word that
expresses a complete thought, feeling, or idea. It usually contains an explicit
or implied subject and a predicate containing a finite verb.

2.  LAW judgment:
a judgment by a court specifying the punishment of somebody convicted of a
crime, or the punishment itself • a
sentence of 15 years in prison

3.  LOGIC well-formed
expression:
a well-formed expression in a symbolic language
transitive
verb
(past sen·tenced, past participle sen·tenced, present
participle sen·tenc·ing, 3rd person present singular sen·tenc·es)

LAW allocate
somebody punishment: to allocate a particular
punishment to somebody convicted of a crime, usually stating its nature and its
duration • was
sentenced to two years in prison
[13th
century. Via French from Latin sententia “feeling, opinion,” from sentient-,
present participle stem of sentire “to feel.”]
—sen·tenc·er, noun[1]



sentenceadverb

sentenceadverb
sen·tence
ad·verb
(plural sen·tence ad·verbs) noun

adverb
modifying a whole sentence: an adverb that modifies an
entire sentence. “Frankly” is a sentence adverb in “Frankly, I don’t care.”

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at clearly
  See Usage note at hopefully See
  Usage note at thankfully.

[1]



sentencesubstitute

sentencesubstitute
sen·tence
sub·sti·tute (plural sen·tence
sub·sti·tutes) noun

word used as sentence:
a single word that, when used in the proper context, meets all the semantic
requirements of a sentence. Words such as “yes” and “no” are sentence
substitutes.[1]



sentencing

sentencing
sen·tenc·ing 
[sént’nssing] noun

final phase of a trial:
the phase of a court trial in which a sentence is arrived at and pronounced, or
the act of making such a pronouncement[1]



sententia

sententia
sen·ten·tia 
[sen ténshee ə] (plural sen·ten·ti·ae
[sen ténshee ]) noun

aphorism:
a short memorable saying (formal)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin (see sentence ).][1]



sentential

sentential
sen·ten·tial 
[sen ténsh’l] adjective

of
sentences:
relating to sentences in natural language or logic
—sen·ten·tial·ly, adverb[1]



sententialcalculus

sententialcalculus
sen·ten·tial
cal·cu·lus
noun

LOGIC
See propositional calculus[1]



sententious

sententious
sen·ten·tious 
[sen ténshəss] adjective

1.  full
of aphorisms: tending to use, or full of, maxims and
aphorisms

2.  overly
moralizing:
inclined to moralize more than is merited or appreciated

3.  pithy:
expressing much in few words
[15th
century. Directly, and via Old French sententieux, from Latin sententiosus
“meaningful, pithy,” from sententia (see sentence
).]
—sen·ten·tious·ly, adverb[1]



sentience

sentience
sen·tience 
[sénshənss, sénshee
ənss] noun

1.  awareness:
the condition of being conscious or aware

2.  feeling:
the quality of emotional response, distinguished from intellectual processes

[1]



sentient

sentient
sen·tient 
[sénshənt, sénshee
ənt] adjective

1.  conscious:
capable of feeling and perception • a
sentient being

2.  responding
with feeling: capable of responding emotionally rather
than intellectually
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin sentient-, present participle stem of sentire
“to feel.”]
—sen·tient·ly, adverb[1]



sentiment

sentiment
sen·ti·ment 
[séntəmənt] noun (plural sen·ti·ments)

1.  mental
feeling:
a thought or idea based on a feeling or emotion

2.  general
feeling:
a feeling or opinion prevailing among a group of people • The
sentiment emerged that we were acting too soon.

3.  underlying
feeling:
an underlying feeling, as distinct from the action that it brings about • His
speech was awkward but the sentiment was right.

4.  appeal
to feeling:
a calculated appeal to feeling or emotion, especially one that is excessive and
unreasoning • The
book ends on a note of cheap sentiment.

5.  deep
feeling, especially in art: refined or tender feeling,
especially when expressed in a work of art (formal)
plural
noun
sen·ti·ments

opinion: a
point of view or judgment on something • What
are her sentiments on the matter?
[14th century. Via French
from medieval Latin sentimentum “opinion, feeling,” from Latin sentire
(see sense ).][1]



sentimental

sentimental
sen·ti·men·tal 
[sèntə mént’l] adjective

1.  mawkish
in feeling:
affected acutely by emotional matters, often to the point of mawkishness

2.  mawkish
in expression: displaying too much uncontrolled or
self-indulgent emotion

3.  appealing
to tender feelings: appealing to or expressing
tender, often romantic, feelings • a
sentimental portrait of our town

4.  nostalgic:
expressing or experiencing tender sadness or nostalgia

5.  expressing
deep feeling: expressing deep, refined feeling (formal)
—sen·ti·men·tal·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Sentimental Journey, a novel by English writer Laurence Sterne ( 1768 ).
  Sterne’s second and last novel was intended as a riposte to Tobias Smollett’s
  ill-tempered Travels Through France and Italy ( 1766 ) and even
  features a Smollett-like curmudgeon called Smellfungus. A rambling account of
  a trip through France from Calais to Lyons, it is transformed into an
  engaging work of art by the author’s wit, sensitivity, and sharp social
  observation. Not surprisingly, the word smellfungus came to mean a
  carping faultfinder in the general parlance.

[1]



sentimentalism

sentimentalism
sen·ti·men·tal·ism 
[sèntə mént’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  excessive
display of sentiment: a tendency to express or use
obvious or powerful feelings or emotions without appealing to reason

2.  something
with too much emotion: something that expresses
excessive emotion, especially something that is self-indulgent or nostalgic
—sen·ti·men·tal·ist, noun[1]



sentimentality

sentimentality
sen·ti·men·tal·i·ty 
[sèntəmən tállətee] noun

being sentimental:
the tendency or practice of indulging in emotion or nostalgia[1]



sentimentalize

sentimentalize
sen·ti·men·tal·ize 
[sèntə mént’l z] (past sen·ti·men·tal·ized,
past participle sen·ti·men·tal·ized, present participle sen·ti·men·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sen·ti·men·tal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
sentimental: to indulge excessively in emotion or
nostalgia

2.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody or something too emotionally: to
treat somebody or something, or express something, with undue emphasis on
feeling
—sen·ti·men·tal·i·za·tion
[sèntə mènt’lə záysh’n], noun[1]



sentimentalvalue

sentimentalvalue
sen·ti·men·tal
val·ue
noun

value based on emotional
association: a value placed on
something because of its emotional associations rather than its monetary worth[1]



sentinel

sentinel
sen·ti·nel 
[séntən’l, sént’nəl]
noun (plural sen·ti·nels)

sentry:
somebody who is assigned the duty of keeping guard
transitive
verb
(past sen·ti·neled, past participle sen·ti·neled, present
participle sen·ti·nel·ing, 3rd person present singular sen·ti·nels)

1.  guard
something:
to stand guard over something or a group of people

2.  provide
a guard for something: to provide a guard for
something or for a group of people
[16th century. Via French sentinelle
from Italian sentinella, of uncertain origin: possibly ultimately from
Italian sentire “to watch,” from Latin, “to perceive.”][1]



sentry

sentry
sen·try 
[séntree] (plural sen·tries) noun

lookout
or guard:
a member of the armed services who is assigned to keep watch to warn of danger
and to guard entrances and exits
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from centrinel, variant of sentinel .][1]



sentrybox

sentrybox
sen·try
box
(plural sen·try box·es) noun

shelter for posted sentry:
a covered shelter for a sentry, typically at an entrance or crossing[1]



Senussi

Senussi
Sen·us·si 
[sə nssee] (plural Sen·us·sis)
or Sen·u·si [sə nssee] (plural
Sen·u·sis) noun

member
of an Islamic denomination: a member of an Islamic
religious group in Arabia and North Africa, founded in the 19th century
[Late
19th century. From the name of the founder Sīdī Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī as- Sanūsī
( d. 1859).]
—Sen·us·si·an, adjective[1]



senza

senza
sen·za 
[séntsə, sénzə]
preposition

MUSIC without:
without something indicated by a following Italian noun (used in musical
directions) • senza ritenuto
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, “without,” of uncertain origin: possibly ultimately from Latin absentia
“absence,” influenced by sine “without.”][1]



Seoul

Seoul

Seoul 
[sōl]
capital city of South Korea, on the Han
River, in the northwest of the country. Capital of Korea from 1392, it became
capital city of the newly formed republic, South Korea, when Korea was
partitioned in 1948. Population: 10,229,260 (1995)[1]



Seoul




Back to definition

Seoul

[1]



Sep.

Sep.
Sep.

1.  CALENDAR Abbreviation of September

2.  Abbreviation
of
Septuagint

[1]



sep.

sep.
sep.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sepal

2.  Abbreviation
of
separate

3.  Abbreviation
of
separation

[1]



SEP

SEP
SEP

Abbreviation of
simplified employee pension[1]



sepal

sepal
se·pal 
[sp’l, sépp’l]
(plural se·pals) noun

part
of a flower enclosing the petals: a modified leaf in the
outermost whorl ( calyx ) of a flower. The
sepals enclose the petals and other parts.
[Early
19th century. Via French from modern Latin sepalum, blend of Greek skepē
“covering” (perhaps influenced by Latin separare “to separate”) and
French pétale “petal.”]
—se·paled,
adjective

—sep·a·lous, adjective[1]



sepaloid

sepaloid
se·pal·oid 
[séppə lòyd] adjective

resembling a sepal:
resembling or functioning as a sepal[1]



-sepalous

-sepalous
-sepalous
suffix

having a particular number or
kind of sepals • trisepalous[1]



separable

separable
sep·a·ra·ble 
[séppərəb’l] adjective

capable
of being parted: capable of being divided, taken apart,
or removed, either from each other or from something else
—sep·a·ra·bil·i·ty
[sèppərə bíllətee], noun

—sep·a·ra·ble·ness
[séppərəb’lnəss], noun

—sep·a·ra·bly [séppərəblee], adverb[1]



separate

separate
sep·a·rate 
adjective [séppərət]

1.  apart:
not touching or connected, not together, or not in the same place • They
slept in separate rooms.

2.  not
related to something else: distinct from or unrelated
to something else • I think we should treat
that as a separate issue.

3.  different:
not shared with somebody or something else • The
book will be sent to you under separate cover.
verb
[séppə ràyt] (past sep·a·rat·ed,
past participle sep·a·rat·ed, present participle sep·a·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular sep·a·rates)

1.  transitive
verb
move
or keep something apart: to move two or more people
or things away from each other or prevent them from coming into contact with
each other • Somehow
we got separated in the crowd.

2.  transitive
verb
be
between things: to stand or lie between one person or
thing and another

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something different: to be the factor that
makes two people or things different from one another • There
was something about her that separated her from the other interviewees.

4.  intransitive
verb
come
apart:
to come apart or stop being attached or connected

5.  intransitive
verb
part
company:
to leave one another and go off in different directions • A
crowd had gathered but it separated as soon as the police arrived.

6.  intransitive
verb
LAW cease
living as a couple: to stop living together as a
couple

7.  transitive
verb
categorize
somebody or something: to put somebody or something
into different categories or groups

8.  transitive
verb
show
how things differ: to see or show that two or
more things are different or not • We
must separate these two issues in the mind of the public.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide:
to split something, or to be split, into component parts

10. intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become independent: to leave a larger group and
become independent, or to cause part of a larger group to leave and form an
independent unit

11. transitive
verb
release
or fire somebody: to dismiss somebody from a job or
release somebody from military service
plural
noun
sep·a·rates

CLOTHES individual
items of clothing: articles of women’s clothing
such as blouses, skirts, jackets, and pants that can be bought as individual
items and worn in various combinations
[15th
century. From Latin separare, literally “to arrange apart,” from parare
“to make ready” (source of English prepare
).]
—sep·a·rate·ly
[séppərətlee], adverb

—sep·a·rate·ness [séppərətnəss], noun[1]



separated

separated
sep·a·rat·ed
[séppə ràytəd] adjective

living apart while married:
no longer living together as a couple but still legally married[1]



separateout

separateout
separate
out
intransitive and transitive verb

come or bring something out
of a mixture: to come out of a
mixture and form a distinct mass, or to make something do so[1]



separateschool

separateschool
sep·a·rate
school
(plural sep·a·rate schools) noun

Canada
denominational school:
a school run according to the beliefs of a denomination or religion, especially
Roman Catholicism, that receives public funding[1]



separatingfunnel

separatingfunnel
sep·a·rat·ing
fun·nel
(plural sep·a·rat·ing fun·nels) noun

funnel with a valve:
a large funnel that has a valve in its output tube, used to separate liquids
that do not mix[1]



separation

separation
sep·a·ra·tion 
[sèppə ráysh’n] (plural sep·a·ra·tions)
noun

1.  action
that separates or separate condition: the
act of separating things or people

2.  state
of being apart: the state of not being with somebody
else, or the period of time spent apart

3.  place
of meeting or space between: a place, line, or mark that
shows where two things meet, or the gap between them

4.  LAW agreement
not to live together: the act of stopping living
together as husband and wife while remaining married, or a formal agreement to
do so, especially one made in a court of law

5.  division:
splitting into component parts

6.  departure
from group:
dismissal from a job or release from military service

7.  dumping
part of rocket: the act of detaching the rear section of
a multistage rocket when it is burned out, or the time when this happens

[1]



separationanxiety

separationanxiety
sep·a·ra·tion
anx·i·e·ty
noun

anxiety at being alone:
a state of anxiety caused in somebody, especially a young child, by the thought
or fact of being separated from his or her mother or primary caregiver[1]



separationist

separationist
sep·a·ra·tion·ist 
[sèppə ráysh’nist] noun (plural
sep·a·ra·tion·ists) adjective

See
separatist[1]



separationof powers

separationof powers
sep·a·ra·tion
of pow·ers
noun

independence of branches of
government: the constitutional
requirement that each of the three branches of government, executive, judicial,
and legislative, be autonomous and distinct from the others[1]



Separatist

Separatist
Sep·a·ra·tist
(plural Sep·a·ra·tists) noun

Canada
advocate of secession from Canada:
somebody who is in favor of the secession of a province, especially Quebec,
from Canada[1]



separatist

separatist
sep·a·ra·tist 
[séppərətist] (plural sep·a·ra·tists)
noun
Also
called
separationist

1.  advocate
of breaking away: somebody who breaks away from or who is
in favor of breaking away from a religious group, a country, or a group or
organization of any sort

2.  supporter
of separation of different groups: somebody who is in
favor of keeping members of different racial, religious, sexual, or cultural
groups separate
—sep·a·ra·tism,
noun

—sep·a·ra·tis·tic, adjective[1]



separative

separative
sep·a·ra·tive 
[séppərətiv] adjective

tending
to become separate: tending to become separate
or make something become separate
—sep·a·ra·tive·ly,
adverb

—sep·a·ra·tive·ness, noun[1]



separator

separator
sep·a·ra·tor 
[séppə ràytər] (plural sep·a·ra·tors)
noun

somebody or something that
separates: somebody or something that
separates one thing from another, for example, a machine for separating cream
from milk[1]



sepd.

sepd.
sepd.

Abbreviation of
separated[1]



Sephardi

Sephardi
Se·phar·di 
[si fr dee] (plural Se·phar·dim
[si fr dim]) noun

Jewish
person of Iberian origin: a Jewish person of Spanish
or Portuguese origin, now used loosely to refer to any Jewish person who is not
of German or Eastern European descent.
See
also
Ashkenazi
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Hebrew, formed from sěāraḏ, a land of exile
mentioned in the Bible, assumed to be Spain.]
—Se·phar·dic, adjective[1]



sepia

sepia
se·pi·a 
[spee ə] noun (plural se·pi·as)

1.  reddish-brown
pigment:
a deep reddish-brown pigment made from the dark liquid in the ink sacs of
various species of cuttlefish, or an artificial form of it, used in painting.
The ink is used by the cuttlefish as a means of protection. When disturbed, it
ejects a stream of ink, which confuses its attacker.

2.  ARTS sepia
drawing or photograph: a drawing done in sepia or a
photograph with a brownish tone

3.  COLORS dark
brown:
a dark brown color with a tinge of yellow or red

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY brownish
color in photographs: a brownish tone produced,
especially in early photographs, by some photographic processes
adjective

deep reddish-brown:
of a deep reddish-brown color
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek sēpia “cuttlefish” (the original sense in English).][1]



sepiolite

sepiolite
se·pi·o·lite 
[spee ə lt] noun

See
meerschaum  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Via German
Sepiolith from Greek sēpion “cuttlefish bone” (because of its
similar texture).][1]



sepoy

sepoy
se·poy 
[s pòy] (plural se·poys) noun

soldier
of Indian origin: an Indian soldier under British command,
especially one who served in the British East India Company
[Early 18th century. From
Persian and Urdu sipāhī “horseman, soldier.”][1]



seppuku

seppuku
sep·pu·ku 
[se pkoo, séppə
koo] noun

See
hara-kiri
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “to cut the abdomen.”][1]



sepsis

sepsis
sep·sis 
[sépsiss] noun

presence
of microorganisms in tissue: the condition or syndrome
caused by the presence of microorganisms or their toxins in the tissue or the
bloodstream
[Late 19th century. From
Greek sēpsis, from sēpein “to make rotten.”][1]



sept

sept
sept 
[sept] (plural septs) noun

1.  division
of a people: a section of a people that believes
itself to be descended from one particular ancestor

2.  Celtic
clan:
a branch of a Scottish or Irish clan
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of sect .][1]



Sept.

Sept.
Sept.
or Sept

1.  CALENDAR Abbreviation of September

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Septuagint

[1]



septa

septa
sep·ta


Plural of
septum[1]



septal

septal
sep·tal 
[sépt’l] adjective

of the septum:
relating to a septum[1]



septarium

septarium
sep·tar·i·um 
[septáiree əm] (plural sep·tar·i·a
[septáiree ə]) noun

round
mass containing calcite: a roughly spherical mass of
mineral substance containing cracks that have been filled with a crystalline
mineral, usually calcite
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin septum (see septum ).]
—sep·tar·i·an, adjective[1]



septate

septate
sep·tate 
[sép tàyt] adjective

ANATOMY
BOTANY ZOOLOGY divided by
partitions: divided into sections or
compartments by septa[1]



September

September
Sep·tem·ber 
[sep témbər] (plural Sep·tem·bers)
noun

CALENDAR 9th
month of Gregorian year: in the Gregorian calendar,
the ninth month of the year, made up of 30 days
[Pre-12th century. Directly
or via French septembre from Latin September, from septem
“seven”; September was originally the seventh month of the Roman year.][1]



SeptemberMassacre

SeptemberMassacre
Sep·tem·ber
Mas·sa·cre
noun

massacre of prisoners in
Paris 1792: the massacre of hundreds of
prisoners by Paris mobs in September 1792, during the French Revolution. The
killings were caused by fears of a counterrevolution by royalist prisoners, but
most of those who were killed were ordinary criminals.[1]



Septembrist

Septembrist
Sep·tem·brist 
[sep témbrist] (plural Sep·tem·brists)
noun

member of mob in September
Massacre: a member of the Paris mob
that carried out the September Massacre in 1792[1]



septenary

septenary
sep·te·na·ry
[sép tnəree] adjective

1.  relating
to 7:
relating to the number seven

2.  containing
7:
made up of seven people or things
noun
(plural sep·te·na·ries)

1.  number
7:
the number seven

2.  group
of 7:
a group of seven people or things

3.  7
years:
a period of seven years

4.  POETRY line
of verse containing 7 feet: a line of verse that
contains seven metrical feet
[15th century. From Latin septenarius,
from septeni “seven each,” from septem “seven.”][1]



septennial

septennial
sep·ten·ni·al 
[sep ténnee əl] adjective

1.  for
7 years:
lasting seven years

2.  happening
every 7 years: occurring once every seven years
noun
(plural sep·ten·ni·als)

something happening every 7 years:
something that happens every seven years
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin septennium .]
—sep·ten·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



septet

septet
sep·tet
[sep tét] (plural sep·tets) or
sep·tette [sep tét] (plural septettes)
noun

1.  MUSIC 7
musical performers: a group of seven
instrumentalists or singers

2.  MUSIC music
for 7 performers: a musical piece composed for seven
instrumentalists or singers

3.  group
of 7:
a group of seven people or things
[Early 19th century. Via
German Septett from Latin septem “seven.”][1]



septi-

septi-
septi-
prefix

seven
• septivalent
[From Latin septem
(see septet][1]



septic

septic
sep·tic 
[sép tik] adjective

1.  poisoned:
full of or generating pus

2.  involving
sepsis:
relating to, involving, or causing sepsis
[Early
17th century. Via Latin septicus from Greek sēptikos, from sēpein
“to make rotten.”]
—sep·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

—sep·tic·i·ty [sep tíssitee], noun[1]



septicemia

septicemia
sep·ti·ce·mi·a 
[sèptə smee ə] noun

blood
disease:
a disease caused by toxic microorganisms in the bloodstream.
See
also
blood poisoning
U.K.
term
septicaemia
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin septicus (see septic
).]
—sep·ti·ce·mic, adjective[1]



septicidal

septicidal
sep·ti·ci·dal 
[sèptə sd’l] adjective

splitting
along septa: used to describe a fruit that splits
open along the septa, dividing the component carpels
[Early
19th century. Formed from septum + Latin -cidere,
from caedere “to cut.”]
—sep·ti·ci·dal·ly, adverb[1]



septictank

septictank
sep·tic
tank
(plural sep·tic tanks) noun

tank for holding human waste:
a tank, usually underground, in which human waste matter is decomposed by
bacteria[1]



septillion

septillion
sep·til·lion 
[sep tíllyən] (plural sep·til·lions
or sep·til·lion) noun

1.  10
24:
the number equal to 10 24, written as 1 followed by 24
zeros

2.  U.K.
10
42:
the number equal to 10 42, written as 1 followed by 42
zeros (dated)
[Late
17th century. From French, formed from sept “seven” + -illion as
in million .]
—sep·til·lion,
adjective, pronoun

—sep·til·lionth, adjective[1]



septime

septime
sep·time 
[sep tm] (plural sep·times) noun

parrying
or attacking position: in fencing, the seventh of
eight positions from which a parry or attack can be made
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
septimus “seventh,” from septem “seven.”][1]



septuagenarian

septuagenarian
sep·tu·a·ge·nar·i·an 
[sèp too əjə nérree ən, sèp choo əjə nérree ən] noun (plural
sep·tu·a·ge·nar·i·ans)

somebody
in the 8th decade of life: somebody who is between 70
and 79 years old
adjective

between
70 and 79:
between 70 and 79 years old
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin septuaginarius, ultimately from septuaginta
“seventy.”][1]



Septuagesima

Septuagesima
Sep·tu·a·ges·i·ma 
[sèp too ə jéssimə, sèp
choo ə jéssimə] noun

CALENDAR 3rd
Sunday before Lent: the third Sunday before Lent
in the Christian calendar
[14th century. From Latin septuagesima
(dies) “seventieth (day),” from septuaginta “seventy.” Perhaps
because it precedes Sexagesima, or perhaps referring to the seventy days
between Septuagesima and the Saturday after Easter.][1]



Septuagint

Septuagint
Sep·tu·a·gint 
[sép too ə jìnt, sép
choo ə jìnt] noun

Greek
version of the Hebrew Bible: a Greek translation of the
Hebrew Bible made in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC
to meet the needs of Greek-speaking Jewish people outside Palestine. The
Septuagint contains some books not in the Hebrew canon.
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
septuaginta “seventy” (because it is said that about seventy translators
worked on it).][1]



septum

septum
sep·tum 
[séptəm] (plural sep·ta [séptə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY BOTANY thin partition in an
organism:
a thin partition or membrane dividing something into two or more cavities such
as the tissue separating the nostrils or the internal dividing walls in the
seed heads of poppies

2.  ENGINEERING partition
in a machine: a thin partition that separates components
in a machine
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “partition,” formed from sepire “to enclose,” from sepes
“hedge.”][1]



septuple

septuple
sep·tu·ple 
[sèp tp’l, sèp
túp’l] adjective

1.  7
times as much: seven times as many or as much as
something else

2.  having
7 parts:
consisting of seven parts
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sep·tu·pled,
past participle sep·tu·pled, present participle sep·tu·pling,
3rd person present singular sep·tu·ples)

increase by 7 times:
to multiply something by seven, or become seven times as much or as many (formal)
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin septuplus, from Latin septem “seven.”][1]



septuplet

septuplet
sep·tu·plet 
[sep túpplət, sep
tplət] (plural sep·tu·plets) noun

1.  one
of 7 born together: any one of seven people or
animals born to the same mother at one time

2.  group
of 7:
a group of seven people or things

3.  MUSIC group
of 7 notes:
a group of seven notes to be played or sung in the time of four, six, or eight
of the same notated value
[Late 19th century. Formed
from septuple, modeled on triplet .][1]



Sept-Îles

Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles 
[se tl]

city on the northern shore of
the St. Lawrence River in southeastern Quebec, Canada. Population: 28,005
(1996)[1]



sepulcher

sepulcher
sep·ul·cher 
[sépp’l kər] noun (plural sep·ul·chers)

1.  burial
place:
a vault in which somebody is buried

2.  container
for relics:
a container for sacred relics, especially one in an altar
transitive
verb
(past sep·ul·chered, past participle sep·ul·chered,
present participle sep·ul·cher·ing, 3rd person present
singular sep·ul·chers)

put a corpse in a burial vault:
to put a dead body into a sepulcher (literary)
[12th century. Via Old French
sépulchre from Latin sepulc(h)rum, from sepult-, past
participle stem of sepelire “to bury.”][1]



sepulchral

sepulchral
se·pul·chral 
[sə púlkrəl, sə
plkrəl] adjective

1.  dismal:
suggesting or possessing the characteristics associated with the grave, for
example, gloominess

2.  of
sepulchers:
relating to burial vaults or funerals and burials (formal)
—se·pul·chral·ly, adverb[1]



sepulchre

sepulchre
sep·ul·chre
noun transitive verb

U.K. =
sepulcher[1]



sepulture

sepulture
sep·ul·ture 
[sépp’lchər, sépp’l
chər] (plural sep·ul·tures) noun

burial
in a vault:
the act of putting a dead body in a grave or tomb (formal or archaic)
[14th century. Via French
from Latin sepultura, from sepult- (see sepulcher
).][1]



seq.

seq.
seq.

Abbreviation of
sequel[1]



sequacious

sequacious
se·qua·cious 
[si kwáyshəss] adjective

1.  logical:
argued, or developing an argument, in a logically consistent and coherent way (formal)

2.  unthinkingly
obedient:
too willing to follow a leader uncritically (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin sequax, “inclined to follow,” from sequi
“to follow.”]
—se·qua·cious·ly,
adverb

—se·qua·cious·ness,
noun

—se·quac·i·ty [si kwássətee], noun[1]



sequel

sequel
se·quel 
[skwəl] (plural se·quels) noun

1.  continuation
of a story:
a movie, novel, or play that continues a story begun in a previous movie,
novel, or play

2.  something
following something else: something that happens after
something else, especially as a consequence of it
[15th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin sequel(l)a, from sequi “to follow.”][1]



sequela

sequela
se·quel·a 
[si kwéllə] (plural se·quel·ae
[si kwéllee]) noun

disease
resulting from another: a disease or disorder that
is caused by a preceding disease or injury in the same individual
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see sequel ).][1]



sequence

sequence
se·quence 
[skwənss] noun (plural se·quenc·es)

1.  series
of things:
a number of things arranged in a particular order or connected in some way, or
a number of actions or events that happen one after another • Can
you recall the sequence of events?

2.  order
of things:
the order in which things are arranged, actions are carried out, or events
happen

3.  CINEMA section
of movie:
a section of a movie showing a single incident or set of related actions or
events • a
chase sequence

4.  CARD GAMES cards
of consecutive values: three or more consecutive
playing cards, usually of the same suit

5.  MUSIC repeated
musical phrase: a musical passage or chant consisting of
three or more related short phrases repeated several times at successively
higher or lower pitch levels

6.  CHRISTIANITY hymn:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a hymn sung or said between the gradual and the
gospel.
Also
called
prose

7.  MATHEMATICS ordered
set of elements: an ordered set of elements that can be
put into a one-to-one correspondence with the set of positive integers

8.  BIOCHEMISTRY order
of molecular elements: the order of the constituent
subunits of a large biological molecule, for example, the order of amino acids
in a protein or the order of nucleotides in a nucleic acid. The sequence
determines the molecule’s biological properties, for example, its catalytic
properties, or the nature of its genetic information.
transitive
verb
(past se·quenced, past participle se·quenced, present
participle se·quenc·ing, 3rd person present singular se·quenc·es)

1.  put
or do things in order: to arrange things or perform
actions in a definite order

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY determine
molecule’s sequence: to determine the sequence of
a biological molecule such as a protein or nucleic acid
[14th
century. Via late Latin sequentia “what follows” from Latin sequent-,
present participle stem of sequi “to follow.” The word originally
denoted a hymn or chant that followed the gradual.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word sequi, from which sequence
  is derived, is also the source of English consecutive,
  consequence, ensue, obsequious,
  persecute, prosecute, pursue,
  second, sect,
  sequal, set, subsequent, sue,
  and suit.

[1]



sequenceof tenses

sequenceof tenses
se·quence
of tens·es
noun

relationship between verb
tenses in clauses: the
grammatical relationship that causes the tense of a verb in a subordinate
clause to be influenced or dictated by the tense of the verb in the related
main clause[1]



sequencer

sequencer
se·quenc·er 
[skwənssər] (plural se·quenc·ers)
noun

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
for sorting data: an instrument for sorting information
into the correct order for data processing

2.  MUSIC electronic
device for storing music: an electronic device or
software that digitally stores sequences of musical notes, chords, or rhythms
that can be transmitted as required to an electronic musical instrument such as
a synthesizer

3.  BIOCHEMISTRY device
for determining sequences: an apparatus for
automatically determining the sequence of the constituent subunits of a
protein, nucleic acid, or other biological molecule

[1]



sequent

sequent
se·quent 
[skwənt] adjective

1.  consequent:
following as a consequence or result (formal)

2.  following:
following one after another (formal or archaic)
noun
(plural se·quents)

1.  consequence:
a consequence or result (formal)

2.  LOGIC formal
logical representation: a formal representation of
an argument showing that an element is a theorem
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin sequent- (see sequence ).]
—se·quent·ly, adverb[1]



sequential

sequential
se·quen·tial 
[si kwénnsh’l] adjective

1.  in
sequence:
happening in a particular order or forming a particular sequence

2.  resulting:
being a consequence or result of something else
[Early
19th century. Formed from sequence, modeled
on consequence, consequential .]
—se·quen·ti·al·i·ty
[si kwènshee állətee], noun

—se·quen·tial·ly [si kwénnsh’lee], adverb[1]



sequentialaccess

sequentialaccess
se·quen·tial
ac·cess
noun

method of accessing
information: a way of accessing and
reading a computer file by starting at the beginning.
See also
direct access[1]



sequentialscanning

sequentialscanning
se·quen·tial
scan·ning
noun

way of scanning a television
picture: a system that scans a
television picture using lines in a numerical sequence.
See also
interlaced scanning[1]



sequester

sequester
se·ques·ter 
[si kwéstər] (past se·ques·tered,
past participle se·ques·tered, present participle se·ques·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular se·ques·ters) transitive verb

1.  put
somebody into isolation: to put somebody in an
isolated or lonely place away from other people, the pressures of everyday
life, or possible disturbances (formal)

2.  LAW take
somebody’s property to cover an obligation: to
take legal possession of somebody’s property temporarily until a debt that
person owes is paid, a dispute is settled, or a court order obeyed

3.  INTERNATIONAL LAW take
an enemy’s property: to demand or seize the
property of an enemy
[14th
century. Directly or via French séquestrer from late Latin sequestrare
“to place in safe keeping,” from sequester “trustee,” literally
“follower.”]
—se·ques·tra·ble, adjective[1]



sequestrant

sequestrant
se·ques·trant 
[si kwésstrənt] (plural se·ques·trants)
noun

agent that removes ions from
solution: an agent that removes ions
from a chemical solution, often used in horticulture to treat soil that has
lime in it[1]



sequestrate

sequestrate
se·ques·trate 
[skwə stràyt, sékwə
stràyt] (past se·ques·trat·ed, past participle se·ques·trat·ed,
present participle se·ques·trat·ing, 3rd person present
singular se·ques·trates) transitive verb

1.  U.K.
take
somebody’s property temporarily: to take legal
possession of somebody’s property temporarily until a debt that person owes is
paid, a dispute is settled, or a court order obeyed

2.  isolate
somebody or something: to isolate or separate
somebody or something (archaic)
[15th
century. From late Latin sequestrat-, past participle stem of sequestrare
(see sequester ).]
—se·ques·tra·tor, noun[1]



sequestration

sequestration
se·ques·tra·tion 
[skwə stráysh’n, sèkwə
stráysh’n] (plural se·ques·tra·tions) noun

1.  confiscating
or being confiscated: the act or process of
legally confiscating somebody’s property temporarily until a debt that person
owes is paid, a dispute is settled, or a court order obeyed

2.  INTERNATIONAL LAW seizing
or being seized: the seizing of an enemy’s property, or
the fact or process of being seized

3.  going
into or being in isolation: the act of going into or
putting somebody in an isolated place, away from people or everyday pressures,
or the fact of being in such a place (formal)

4.  CHEMISTRY ion-binding
process:
the chemical process of binding an ion, especially a metallic ion, in a
coordination complex

[1]



sequestrum

sequestrum
se·ques·trum 
[si kwésstrəm] (plural se·ques·tra)
noun

dead
tissue:
a fragment of dead tissue, usually bone, that separates from surrounding living
tissue. It may be seen in X-rays of inflammatory bone disease as a dense region
surrounded by a fibrous envelope.
[Mid-19th
century. From medieval Latin sequestrum “sequestration,” from late Latin
sequester (see sequester ).]
—se·ques·tral, adjective[1]



sequin

sequin
se·quin 
[skwin] (plural se·quins) noun

1.  FASHION small
shiny clothing decoration: a small round flat piece of
shiny metal or plastic that is sewn onto clothing as a decoration, usually in
large numbers

2.  sequin
(plural sequins) or zech·in (plural zech·ins)
or zec·chi·no (plural zec·chi·ni or zec·chi·nos)
MONEY former
gold coin:
a gold coin that was used in Venice and Turkey between the 16th and 18th
centuries
[Late
16th century. Via French from Italian zecchino, from zecca
“mint,” from Arabic sikka “coin, die for making coins.”]
—se·quined, adjective[1]



sequoia

sequoia
se·quoi·a 
[si kwóy ə] (plural se·quoi·a or
se·quoi·as) noun

large
Californian tree: a large coniferous tree of the bald
cypress family, native to California. Genus: Sequoia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, named for Sequoya .][1]



SequoiaNational Park

SequoiaNational Park
Se·quoi·a
Na·tion·al Park

park in south central
California, established in 1890. It includes Mt. Whitney, and is noted for its
giant sequoia trees. Area: 1629 sq km/629 sq mi.[1]



Sequoya

Sequoya

Se·quoy·a
[si kwóy ə] or Se·quoi·a [si kwóy ə] (1766?–1843)
U.S.
Cherokee leader. He tried to integrate Native North American and European
culture, and invented the Cherokee alphabet. The giant tree and the national
park in California are named for him.
Known as
Gist, George Known as Guess, George[1]



ser.

ser.
ser.

1.  Abbreviation
of
serial

2.  Abbreviation
of
series

3.  Abbreviation
of
sermon

[1]



sera

sera
se·ra


Plural of
serum[1]



serac

serac
se·rac 
[sə rk, say rk]
(plural se·racs) or sérac [sə
rk, say rk] (plural séracs)
noun

ridge
in a glacier: a ridge, pinnacle, or block of ice in
the crevasses or slope of a glacier
[Mid-19th century. From Swiss
French sérac, originally “kind of firm white cheese,” of uncertain
origin: probably from Latin serum “whey” (source of English serum ).][1]



seraglio

seraglio
se·ra·glio 
[sə r ályō, sə
rlyō] (plural se·ra·glios) noun

1.  harem:
the women’s quarters in a Muslim house, or the women themselves

2.  palace:
a Turkish palace, especially the Ottoman sultan’s palace at Istanbul
[Late 16th century. From
Italian serraglio, alteration of Turkish saray “palace,” from
Persian sarāī “inn”; influenced by Italian serraglio “cage,”
ultimately from Latin sera “bolt.”][1]



serape

serape
se·ra·pe 
[sə rpee, sə
ráppee] (plural se·ra·pes) or sa·ra·pe [sə rpee, sə ráppee]
(plural sa·ra·pes) noun

Latin
American man’s cloak: a usually brightly colored
woolen blanket worn as a cloak by men in Mexico and Central and South America
[Early 19th century. From
Mexican Spanish sarape .][1]



seraph

seraph
ser·aph 
[sérrəf] (plural ser·aphs or
ser·a·phim [sérrəffim]) noun

angel:
an angel of the highest rank in the traditional medieval hierarchy of nine
categories of angels. In the Book of Isaiah they are described as having six
wings.
[Pre-12th
century. Via late Latin seraphim (plural) from Hebrew sěrāīm .]
—se·raph·ic
[sə ráffik], adjective

—se·raph·i·cal·ly [sə ráffikəlee], adverb[1]



Serb.

Serb.
Serb.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Serbia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Serbian

[1]



Serb

Serb
Serb 
[surb] (plural Serbs) noun

member
of a Slavic people: a member of a Slavic people
living mainly in Serbia, where they constitute the largest ethnic group, and
other areas of the Balkan region.
Also
called
Serbian
[Early 19th century. From
Serbo-Croat Srb .][1]



Serbia

Serbia

Ser·bi·a 
[súrbiə]
republic in southeastern Europe that,
together with Montenegro, makes up the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Capital:
Belgrade. Population: 9,979,116 (1996) Area: 88,361 sq km/34,116 sq mi.[1]



Serbian

Serbian
Ser·bi·an 
[súrbee ən] noun (plural Ser·bi·ans)

1.  See
Serb

2.  LANGUAGE dialect
of Serbo-Croatian: the dialect of
Serbo-Croatian as it is spoken in Serbia and adjacent areas, written in a
Cyrillic alphabet
adjective

of Serbia:
relating to Serbia or its people, language, or culture

[1]



Serbo-Croatian

Serbo-Croatian
Ser·bo-Cro·a·tian 
[sùrbō krō áysh’n] or Ser·bo-Cro·at
[sùrbō krṓ at] noun (plural Ser·bo-Cro·a·tians)
(plural Ser·bo-Cro·ats)

1.  LANGUAGE Slavic
language:
the language spoken by the Serbians and Croatians, which belongs to the Slavic
branch of Indo-European

2.  PEOPLES speaker
of Serbo-Croatian: somebody whose native
language is Serbo-Croatian
adjective

of Serbo-Croatian:
relating to the Serbo-Croatian language or its speakers

[1]



sere

sere1
sere1 [seer]
or sear [seer] adjective

dry:
dry and withered (archaic or literary)
[Old
English sēar “withered.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is
also the ancestor of English austere
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dry

[1]



sere

sere2
sere2 [seer]
(plural seres) noun

successive
changes in flora and fauna: the series of different
communities of plants and animals that occupy a given site and create a stable
system during the process of ecological succession
[Early
20th century. From Latin serere “to join or connect” (source of English series ).]
—ser·al, adjective[1]



serein

serein
se·rein
[sə rán] noun

fine
rain:
in the tropics, a very fine rain that falls from a clear sky at dusk
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin serum “evening,” a form of serus
“late” (source of English soirée ).][1]



serenade

serenade
ser·e·nade 
[sèrrə náyd, sérrə
nàyd] noun (plural ser·e·nades)

1.  love
song:
a song or the performance of a song used to court somebody, traditionally sung
by a man in the evening outside a woman’s window.
Also
called
serenata

2.  instrumental
composition for a small ensemble: an instrumental work
similar to a sonata, designed for evening outdoor performance by a small
ensemble of musicians.
Also
called
serenata

3.  (regional)
See shivaree
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ser·e·nad·ed,
past participle ser·e·nad·ed, present participle ser·e·nad·ing,
3rd person present singular ser·e·nades)

perform a love song:
to sing or play a serenade • A
mockingbird serenades us every evening.
[Mid-17th
century. Via French sérénade from Italian serenata (see serenata ).]
—ser·e·nad·er, noun[1]



serenata

serenata
ser·e·na·ta 
[sèrrə ntə] (plural ser·e·na·tas)
noun

1.  18C
choral work: a choral work popular during the 18th
century, often based on a religious text and having solos and duets

2.  See
serenade  noun 1
See serenade  noun 2
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, formed from sereno “serene,” from Latin serenus (source
of English serene ). The meaning of
the Italian word was influenced by Italian sera “evening.”][1]



serendipity

serendipity
ser·en·dip·i·ty 
[sèrrən díppətee] noun

gift
for discovery: a natural gift for making useful
discoveries by accident
[Mid-18th
century (but rare before the 20th century). From The Three Princes of
Serendip, a Persian story about three princes who had this ability; Serendip
is supposedly a former name of Sri Lanka.]
—ser·en·dip·i·tous,
adjective

—ser·en·dip·i·tous·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Extended
  senses
  :
  The phrase serendipitous discovery, which is often seen, manages to
  suggest that serendipity is nothing other
  than good luck. However, the idea of a discovery is necessary to the word,
  and serendipity and serendipitous are
  nonstandard in senses unrelated to making happy discoveries by chance.

[1]



serene

serene
se·rene 
[sə rn] adjective

1.  calm
and untroubled: without worry, stress, or disturbance

2.  cloudless:
bright and without clouds
[15th
century. From Latin serenus “clear, calm.”]
—se·rene·ly,
adverb

—se·rene·ness,
noun

—se·ren·i·ty
[sə rénnə tee], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



Serene

Serene
Se·rene
[sə rn] adjective

European royal title:
a word used in the titles of members of certain European royal families, for
example, that of Monaco[1]



SerengetiNational Park

SerengetiNational Park
Se·ren·ge·ti
Na·tion·al Park [sèrrəng
gèttee náshən’l prk]

national park on the plains
of western Tanzania. Established in 1941, it is home to many species of large
mammals and other wildlife. Area: 14,750 sq km/5,700 sq mi.[1]



serf

serf
serf 
[surf] (plural serfs) noun

1.  medieval
farmworker:
an agricultural worker, especially in feudal Europe, who cultivated land
belonging to a landowner, and who was bought and sold with the land. A serf was
little better off than an enslaved laborer. Without the landowner’s permission,
a serf could not leave his or her plot of land or village, marry, or change
occupation.

2.  enslaved
laborer:
somebody who is, or is like, an enslaved laborer
[15th
century. Via French from Latin servus “slave.”]
—serf·dom,
noun

—serf·hood, noun[1]



serge

serge
serge 
[surj] (plural serg·es) noun

strong
cloth:
a strong cloth, usually made of wool but sometimes of other fibers, used
especially to make coats, jackets, and pants
[14th century. Via Old French
sarge from, ultimately, Latin serica lana “silken wool,” from sericus
(see silk ).][1]



sergeant

sergeant
ser·geant 
[srjənt] (plural ser·geants) noun

1.  military
rank:
in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps, the rank immediately above corporal, or any
of various ranks above that, or any of various equivalent ranks in the U.S. Air
Force

2.  police
rank:
the rank below lieutenant, captain, or inspector in a police force

3.  See
sergeant at arms
[12th
century. Via Old French sergent “servant” (the original sense in
English) from Latin servient-, present participle stem of servire
(see serve ).]
—ser·gean·cy
[sr jən see], noun

—ser·geant·ship, noun[1]



sergeantat arms

sergeantat arms
ser·geant
at arms
(plural ser·geants at arms) noun

somebody responsible for
keeping order: somebody appointed to
keep order within an organization, for example, a legislative body or court of
law, and to perform certain other duties, for example, making arrests.
Also called
sergeant[1]



sergeantfirst class

sergeantfirst class
ser·geant
first class
(plural ser·geants first class) noun

an Army rank:
a rank in the U.S. Army between staff sergeant and master sergeant or first
sergeant, or a soldier who has this rank[1]



sergeantfish

sergeantfish
ser·geant
fish
noun

1.  See
cobia

2.  See
snook
[Said to be so named because
of the stripes on its body, like those on a sergeant’s arm][1]



sergeantmajor

sergeantmajor
ser·geant
ma·jor
(plural ser·geants ma·jor or ser·geant ma·jors) noun

1.  military
administrative officer: the chief noncommissioned
administrative officer at a U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps headquarters
unit

2.  army
rank:
in the British armed forces, the second highest rank of noncommissioned
officer, immediately below regimental sergeant major, or somebody who holds
this rank

3.  (plural
ser·geant ma·jors) ZOOLOGY large
tropical fish: a large damselfish of tropical Atlantic
waters that ranges from blue-green to yellow in color with black vertical
stripes. Latin name: Abudefduf saxatilis

[1]



serial

serial
se·ri·al 
[sree əl] noun (plural se·ri·als)
PUBLISHING

1.  story
in parts:
a story that is published or broadcast in parts, normally at regular intervals

2.  regular
newspaper or magazine: a magazine or newspaper
published at regular intervals, especially weekly or monthly
adjective

1.  in
a series:
in or forming a series, or done or doing something repeatedly in a series

2.  produced
in parts:
published or broadcast in parts, usually at regular intervals

3.  COMPUTING sending
computer information sequentially: used to describe a
form of data communication in which the individual bits that comprise each byte
or character travel one after another through a single wire.
See
also
parallel

4.  MUSIC relating
to musical composition: used to describe a method of
musical composition in which all 12 chromatic tones of the octave appear in
strict order with no note repeated before the sequence is completed
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from series .]
—se·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



serialism

serialism
se·ri·al·ism 
[sree əlìzzəm] noun

type
of musical composition: a method of musical
composition in which all 12 chromatic tones of the octave appear in strict
order with no note repeated before the sequence is completed
—se·ri·al·ist, noun[1]



serialize

serialize
se·ri·al·ize 
[sree ə lz] (past se·ri·al·ized,
past participle se·ri·al·ized, present participle se·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular se·ri·al·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

produce
story in parts: to publish or broadcast a story in parts
at intervals, or to be divided into parts suitable for publishing or
broadcasting
—se·ri·al·i·za·tion [sree ələ záysh’n], noun[1]



serialkiller

serialkiller
se·ri·al
kill·er
(plural se·ri·al kill·ers) noun

somebody
who murders many people: somebody who murders a
number of people over a period of time, especially somebody who uses the same
method each time
—se·ri·al kill·ing, noun[1]



serialmonogamy

serialmonogamy
se·ri·al
mo·nog·a·my
noun

practice of having series of
partners: the idea or practice of
having only one sexual partner at a time and entering another relationship when
one comes to an end[1]



serialnumber

serialnumber
se·ri·al
num·ber
(plural se·ri·al num·bers) noun

identification number:
a set of numbers assigned to, and usually marked on, each of a series of
identical products, for example, television sets, cars, paper money, or
computers[1]



seriate

seriate
se·ri·ate 
[sírree àyt, it]
adjective

arranged
in rows:
arranged in rows or a series (formal)
—se·ri·ate·ly, adverb[1]



seriatim

seriatim
se·ri·a·tim 
[srree áytəm, srree
áttim] adverb

one
after another: one after another, or in a series
[15th century. From medieval
Latin, formed from Latin series (see series
).][1]



sericeous

sericeous
se·ri·ceous 
[sə ríshəss] adjective

1.  covered
with soft hairs: covered with small soft silky hairs

2.  silky:
having the soft smooth feel of silk (formal)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin sericus “silken,” ultimately from Greek Sēres, Greek
name of the Asian people who originally made silk, thought to be the Chinese.][1]



sericin

sericin
ser·i·cin 
[sérrəssin] noun

silk
protein:
a gelatinous protein that binds together the filaments of a silk fiber
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin sericum “silk,” a form of sericus (see sericeous ).][1]



sericulture

sericulture
ser·i·cul·ture
[sérrə kùlchər] noun

raising
silkworms:
the commercial breeding of silkworms for their silk
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening of French sériciculture, from Latin sericum
“silk,” a form of sericus (see sericeous
).]
—ser·i·cul·tur·al
[sèrrə kúlchərəl], adjective

—ser·i·cul·tur·ist, noun[1]



seriema

seriema

ser·i·e·ma 
[sèrree mə] (plural ser·i·e·ma
or ser·i·e·mas) noun
ground-dwelling
bird:
either one of two large, crested, mainly ground-dwelling birds native to South
America that have long tails and legs. Family: Cariamidae
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Tupi siriema, probably meaning “crested.”][1]



series

series
se·ries 
[sr eez] (plural se·ries) noun

1.  things
one after another: a number of similar or
related things coming one after another • a
series of lectures on modern philosophy

2.  BROADCASTING set
of broadcast programs: a set of regularly broadcast
programs, each of which is complete in itself

3.  PUBLISHING similar
publications from one organization: a
number of books, pamphlets, or periodicals brought out by one company or
organization on the same or related topics or in the same format

4.  SPORTS set of
games between same teams: in some sports, for example,
cricket and baseball, a set of games between the same teams

5.  COLLECTING related
items produced at one time: a number of related items,
for example, stamps or coins of different values, brought out at one time

6.  CHEMISTRY related
chemicals:
a group of related chemical compounds that are similar in structure or
properties.
Also
called
family

7.  MATHEMATICS sum
of sequence of terms: the indicated sum of a
finite or infinite sequence of terms, each term being added to those that
precede it.
See
also
geometric series

8.  GEOLOGY rock
layer:
a succession of rock strata deposited during a particular period of geologic
time

9.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING arrangement
of electric elements: a set of two or more
electronic components through which current flows in sequence

10. MUSIC set of
12 notes:
a set of 12 notes, the 12 chromatic pitches of an octave, in which no pitch is
repeated. This forms the basis for serial composition.

11. GRAMMAR two or
more coordinate elements: a sequence of two or more
elements in a sentence that have the same grammatical structure.
See
also
parallelism
[Early
17th century. From Latin, formed from serere “to join or connect.”]
in
series

connected
in a circuit so that the same current flows through each component in sequence





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word serere, from which series
  is derived, is also the source of English assert,
  insert, and serial.

[1]



serif

serif

ser·if 
[sérrif] (plural ser·ifs) noun
decorative
line on letter: a short decorative line at the start or
finish of a stroke in a letter
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch schreef “dash, line.”][1]



serigraph

serigraph
ser·i·graph 
[sérrə grf] (plural ser·i·graphs)
noun

See
silkscreen
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin sericum “silk,” a form of sericus
(see sericeous ).]
—se·rig·ra·pher
[sə ríggrəfər], noun

—se·rig·ra·phy [sə ríggrəfee], noun[1]



serin

serin
ser·in 
[sérrin] (plural ser·ins or
ser·in) noun

Mediterranean
species of finch: a yellowish or grayish finch found in
North Africa and the Mediterranean region. The best-known serin is the canary.
Genus: Serinus
[Mid-16th century. From
French, literally “canary” (the original sense in English), of uncertain
origin: perhaps ultimately from Greek .][1]



serine

serine
ser·ine 
[sə rn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid that is obtained in the hydrolysis of proteins and is a precursor
in the biosynthesis of glycine, choline, and other metabolites. C3H7O3N
[Late 19th century. From
German Serin, from Latin sericum “silk,” a form of sericus
(see sericeous ).][1]



seringa

seringa
se·rin·ga 
[sə ríng gə] (plural se·rin·gas)
noun

rubber
tree:
a Brazilian tree that yields rubber. Genus: Hevea
[Mid-18th century. Via French
and Portuguese from Latin syringa (see syringa
).][1]



seriocomic

seriocomic
se·ri·o·com·ic 
[sree ō kómik] or se·ri·o·com·i·cal
[sree ō kómik’l] adjective

serious
and comic:
with both serious and comic elements
—se·ri·o·com·i·cal·ly
[sree ō kómikəlee], adverb[1]



serious

serious
se·ri·ous 
[sree əss] adjective

1.  very
bad or great: very great, bad, dangerous, harmful, or
difficult to handle

2.  important:
important or grave enough to require thought and attention • There
are serious arguments against this proposal.

3.  likely
to succeed:
having a possibility of success or showing an intention to succeed • Only
two of the five applicants can be considered serious candidates for the job.

4.  thoughtful
or thought-provoking: discussing or dealing with
matters in a thoughtful or thought-provoking way as opposed to a superficial or
merely entertaining manner • a
serious discussion of the issues

5.  not
lighthearted: quiet, thoughtful, not laughing or
making jokes very often, and always being sensible

6.  meaning
something literally: not joking, pretending, or
exaggerating about something • Do you
think she’s serious about helping us out?

7.  substantial:
substantial or sustained rather than trivial or insignificant (informal)
• I’ve
invested serious money in this endeavor.

8.  dedicated
to something: showing great interest in or commitment
to an endeavor, skill, or pastime • a
serious stamp collector
[15th
century. Via French sérieux or late Latin seriosus from Latin serius
.]
—se·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



seriously

seriously
se·ri·ous·ly
[sree əsslee] adverb

1.  badly:
in a great, bad, dangerous, harmful, or problematic way • seriously
ill

2.  gravely:
in a grave and thoughtful way, without being lighthearted or dismissive • We
have to take this threat seriously.

3.  truly:
in a true or literal way, without exaggeration or deceit • Do
you seriously expect me to go along with this?

4.  extremely:
to a great or remarkable extent (informal) • I’m
getting seriously fed up with her arrogance.

[1]



serious-minded

serious-minded
se·ri·ous-mind·ed
adjective

not frivolous:
earnest and taking an interest in matters that are weighty and important[1]



Serkin,Rudolf

Serkin,Rudolf
Ser·kin
[súrkin], Rudolf (1903–1991)

Czechoslovakian-born U.S.
pianist. He was known especially for his interpretations of the classical
Austro-German repertoire.[1]



sermon

sermon
ser·mon 
[súrmən] (plural ser·mons) noun

1.  religious
talk:
a talk on a religious or moral subject given by a member of the clergy as part
of a religious service

2.  long
lecture on behavior: a long and tedious talk,
especially one telling somebody how or how not to behave
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sermun from Latin sermo “talk,
conversation.”]
—ser·mon·ic [sur mónnik], adjective[1]



sermonette

sermonette
ser·mon·ette 
[sùrmə nét] (plural ser·mon·ettes)
noun

short sermon:
a short and usually unwelcome sermon or scolding[1]



sermonize

sermonize
ser·mon·ize 
[súrmə nz] (past ser·mon·ized,
past participle ser·mon·ized, present participle ser·mon·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ser·mon·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

lecture
somebody about behavior: to give somebody a long
tedious talk about how or how not to behave
—ser·mon·iz·er, noun[1]



Sermonon the Mount

Sermonon the Mount
Ser·mon
on the Mount  noun

discourse by Jesus Christ:
a collection of Jesus Christ’s religious and moral teachings recorded in
Matthew’s Gospel in the Bible, much of which Jesus Christ set out in a speech
to his disciples from a hillside[1]



sero-

sero-
sero-
prefix

serum
• serology
[From serum][1]



seroconvert

seroconvert
se·ro·con·vert
[srōkən vúrt] (past se·ro·con·vert·ed,
past participle se·ro·con·vert·ed, present participle se·ro·con·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular se·ro·con·verts) intransitive verb

produce
antibodies to fight infection: to produce specific
antibodies in response to the presence of an antigen such as a bacterium or
virus
—se·ro·con·ver·sion [srō kən vúr shən], noun[1]



serology

serology
se·rol·o·gy 
[sə rólləjee] noun

study
of blood serum: the branch of medicine concerned with
the study of blood serum and its constituents, especially its role in
protecting the human body against disease
—se·ro·log·ic
[srə lójjik], adjective

—se·rol·o·gist [sə rólləjist], noun[1]



seronegative

seronegative
se·ro·neg·a·tive 
[srō néggətiv] adjective

uninfected:
after a blood test, showing no immunological evidence of infection, either
current or previous, with a particular bacterium, virus, or other infective
agent[1]



seropositive

seropositive
se·ro·pos·i·tive 
[srō pzətiv] adjective

infected:
after a blood test, showing immunological evidence of infection, either current
or previous, with a particular bacterium, virus, or other agent[1]



seropurulent

seropurulent
se·ro·pu·ru·lent 
[srō pyrələnt] adjective

containing blood serum and
pus: consisting of a mixture of
blood serum and pus[1]



serosa

serosa
se·ro·sa 
[sə rṓssə, sə rṓzə]
(plural se·ro·sae [sə rṓssee, sə rṓzee] or se·ro·sas) noun

See
serous membrane
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin (membrana) serosa “serous (membrane).”][1]



serostatus

serostatus
se·ro·sta·tus
[srō stáytəss, srō
státəss] (plural se·ro·sta·tus·es) noun

condition of health:
the condition of being either seropositive or seronegative[1]



serotinal

serotinal
se·rot·i·nal 
adjective

See
serotinous
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin serotinus (see serotine
).][1]



serotine

serotine
ser·o·tine 
[sérrətin, sérrətn]
(plural ser·o·tines) noun

small
bat:
a small brown bat found in Europe and Asia. Genus: Eptesicus
[Late 18th century. Via
French sérotine from a late Latin sense “in or of the evening” of Latin serotinus
“belated, late flowering,” from, ultimately, serus “late.”][1]



serotinous

serotinous
se·rot·i·nous 
[sə rótt’nəss] or se·rot·i·nal
[sə rótt’nəl] or ser·o·tine [sérrətin, sérrətn]
adjective

developing
in late part of season: developing or blooming
during the late part of a growing season
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
serotinus (see serotine ).][1]



serotonergic

serotonergic
se·ro·to·ner·gic 
[sèrrətə núrjik] or se·ro·to·ni·ner·gic
[sèrrə tə núrjik] adjective

capable of releasing
serotonin: used to describe neurons or
nerves that are capable of releasing serotonin as a neurotransmitter at their
endings[1]



serotonin

serotonin
se·ro·to·nin 
[sèrrə tṓnin] noun

neurotransmitter
chemical:
a chemical derived from the amino acid tryptophan, and widely distributed in
tissues. It acts as a neurotransmitter, constricts blood vessels at injury
sites, and may affect emotional states. LSD and certain antidepressants work by
interfering with serotonin in the brain. C10H12N2O
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sero- + tonic
+ -in .][1]



serous

serous
se·rous 
[srəss] adjective

relating
to serum:
relating to, resembling, or producing serum
[15th century. From French séreux
or medieval Latin serosus, both formed from Latin serum “whey,
watery fluid” (source of English serum
).][1]



serousfluid

serousfluid
se·rous
flu·id
(plural se·rous flu·ids) noun

bodily fluid like serum:
any bodily fluid that resembles serum[1]



serousmembrane

serousmembrane
se·rous
mem·brane
(plural se·rous mem·branes) noun

moist lining of body cavity:
a thin moist transparent membrane that lines the body cavities and surrounds
the internal organs, for example, the peritoneum that lines the abdomen and the
pericardium that surrounds the heart. Serous membranes secrete a lubricating
fluid that provides for virtually frictionless movement of the internal organs
against both the body wall and each other.
Also called
serosa[1]



serow

serow
se·row 
[sérrō, sə rṓ]
(plural se·rows or se·row) noun

goat
antelope:
a goat antelope that lives in the mountains of tropical and subtropical east
Asia. Genus: Capricornus
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Lepcha sā-ro .][1]



Serpens

Serpens
Ser·pens 
[súr penz] noun

equatorial constellation
having two separate parts: a
constellation of the equatorial region that is unique in being split into two
separate parts, the head Serpens Caput and the tail Serpens Cauda, located
either side of Ophiuchus.
Also called
Serpent the[1]



Serpent

Serpent
Ser·pent
noun

1.  biblical
guise of evil: in the Bible, the reptile said to have
tempted Eve

2.  Satan:
Satan (literary)

3.  ASTRONOMY See Serpens

[1]



serpent

serpent


ser·pent 
[súrpənt] (plural ser·pents) noun

1.  snake:
a snake

2.  treacherous
person:
somebody who is sly or treacherous

3.  old
wind instrument: a woodwind instrument shaped like a
curving snake, dating back to the medieval period. The sound is produced as in
a brass instrument, but there are key holes instead of valves, as in a wind
instrument.
[13th century. Via French
from Latin serpent-, present participle stem of serpere “to
creep.”][1]



serpentine

serpentine
ser·pen·tine 
[súrpən tn, súrpən
tn] adjective

1.  winding:
winding and twisting, with many bends and curves

2.  resembling
snake:
like a snake in motion or shape (literary)

3.  cunning:
untrustworthy and cunning, as a snake is conventionally thought to be (literary)

4.  MATHEMATICS curving:
relating to or being a complex curve that is symmetric about the x-axis and the
central part of which is convex
noun

MINERALS green
or brown mineral: a dull green or brownish mineral
consisting of hydrous magnesium silicate. It is often used as an ornamental
stone.
[15th century. In the noun
sense, from French serpentin ; from its being mottled like a snake’s
skin.][1]



SerpentineRidge

SerpentineRidge
Ser·pen·tine
Ridge
[sùrpən tīn ríj] noun

on the moon, a low ridge
running north to south across the eastern side of the Mare Serenitatis, or Sea
of Tranquility[1]



serpulid

serpulid
ser·pul·id
[súrpyəlid] (plural ser·pul·ids)
noun

marine
worm:
a round segmented marine worm that produces a flat, spirally coiled, limy
shell, from which it projects a crown of tentacles, typically found on rocks
and seaweed. Family: Serpulidae
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin serpula “small serpent.”][1]



Serra,Junípero

Serra,Junípero
Ser·ra
[sérrə], Junípero (1713–1784)

Spanish-born
North American missionary. He was a Franciscan who established Roman Catholic
missions throughout California, beginning in San Diego in 1769.
Born
Serra, Miguel José[1]



serranid

serranid
ser·ran·id 
[sə ránnid, sérrənid]
(plural ser·ran·ids) noun

large
marine fish: a robust large-mouthed marine fish such
as a sea bass or a grouper, living in temperate and tropical seas. Family:
Serranidae
[Mid-20th
century. From modern Latin Serranidae, ultimately from Latin serra
“saw” (source of English serrate ).]
—ser·ran·id, adjective[1]



serrate

serrate
ser·rate 
[sé ràyt] adjective

like
teeth of saw: with notches or projections like the
teeth of a saw
transitive
verb
(past ser·rat·ed, past participle ser·rat·ed, present
participle ser·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular ser·rates)

give
something toothed edge: to give something an edge
that is notched like the teeth of a saw
[14th century. From late
Latin serrat-, past participle stem of serrare, from Latin serra
“saw.”][1]



serrated

serrated
ser·rat·ed 
[sé raytəd] adjective

having notches:
with notches like the teeth of a saw[1]



serration

serration
ser·ra·tion 
[sə ráysh’n] (plural ser·ra·tions)
noun

1.  notches
like saw teeth: a row of notches like the teeth of a saw

2.  tooth
or notch:
a tooth or notch in a series or row that is like the teeth of a saw

3.  state
of being notched: the state of having a sharp notched edge
like the teeth of a saw

[1]



serried

serried
ser·ried 
[sérreed] adjective

close
together:
crowded together with little space between each (literary)
[Mid-17th century. Past
participle of obsolete serry “to close ranks,” from French serrer
“to press close together,” from, ultimately, Latin sera “bolt.”][1]



serriform

serriform
ser·ri·form
[sérrə fàwrm] adjective

notched:
with notches like the teeth of a saw
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Latin serra “saw” + -form .][1]



serrulate

serrulate
ser·ru·late 
[sérryələt, sérryə
làyt] or ser·ru·lat·ed [sérryə
làytəd] adjective

having
tiny notches: having an edge with tiny notches like
the teeth of a saw
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin serrulatus, from Latin serrulus “small saw,” from serra
“saw.”][1]



serrulation

serrulation
ser·ru·la·tion
[sèrryə láysh’n] (plural ser·ru·la·tions)
noun

1.  notch
on edge of something: any of a row of tiny notches
round the edge of something

2.  condition
of having tiny notches: the condition of having tiny
notches like the teeth of a saw

[1]



serum

serum
se·rum 
[srəm] (plural se·rums or
se·ra [srə]) noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY liquid
part of blood: the fluid that separates from clotted
blood, similar to plasma but without clotting agents.
Also
called
blood serum

2.  MEDICINE See antiserum

3.  BIOLOGY body
fluid:
any clear watery body fluid, especially that exuded by serous membranes

4.  whey:
whey (archaic)
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “whey, watery fluid.”]
—se·rum·al, adjective[1]



serumalbumin

serumalbumin
se·rum
al·bu·min
noun

blood protein:
the most abundant protein in blood serum. It helps determine the osmotic
pressure of blood, and is used in transfusions to treat shock.[1]



serumglobulin

serumglobulin
se·rum
glob·u·lin
(plural se·rum glob·u·lins) noun

soluble blood protein:
a globular soluble protein or mixture of proteins that can be separated from
blood serum and contains most of the blood’s antibodies[1]



serumhepatitis

serumhepatitis
se·rum
hep·a·ti·tis noun

See
hepatitis B[1]



serv.

serv.
serv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
servant

2.  Abbreviation
of
service

[1]



serval

serval
ser·val 
[súrv’l] (plural ser·vals or
ser·val) noun

African
wild cat:
an African wild cat that has a reddish-brown coat with black spots, long legs,
a long neck, and a relatively small head with large ears. The serval lives in
the African bush south of the Sahara Desert. It hunts at night, preying on
birds and small animals. Latin name: Felis serval
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin or French from Portuguese lobo cerval “lynx” (literally
“deerlike wolf”), ultimately from Latin cervus “deer.”][1]



servant

servant
ser·vant 
[súrvənt] (plural ser·vants) noun

1.  somebody
who serves another: somebody who serves another,
especially somebody employed to do household jobs such as cooking, cleaning,
and serving meals

2.  somebody
working for public: somebody in the public
employ.
See
also
civil servant
See
also
public servant
[12th century. From Old
French, present participle of servir (see serve
).][1]



serve

serve
serve 
[surv] verb (past served,
past participle served, present participle serv·ing,
3rd person present singular serves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
for somebody: to work, or work for somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be of
use:
to be useful or helpful for a particular purpose

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb prepare
and supply food: to prepare and supply food or drinks

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
somebody food or drink: to bring food or drink to
somebody

5.  transitive
verb
provide
customers with goods: to wait on customers in a
store, and provide them with goods, supplies, or services

6.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY assist
during Mass: to assist a Roman Catholic priest in the
celebration of Mass

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb spend
time in prison: to spend a certain length of time in a
place, especially in prison

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
as servant:
to work as a servant

9.  intransitive
verb
be
in armed force: to be a member of an armed force,
especially in wartime

10. transitive
verb
worship
somebody or something: to worship or follow
somebody or something (formal)

11. transitive
verb
copulate
with female: of a male animal, to copulate with a
female

12. intransitive
and transitive verb have
particular effect: to have a particular effect
or result • This
letter will serve to remind you of our appointment.

13. transitive
verb
LAW deliver
legal document to somebody: to deliver to somebody a
legal document such as a summons, writ, or warrant (formal)

14. intransitive
and transitive verb RACKET GAMES put ball or shuttlecock
in play:
to hit a ball or shuttlecock toward an opponent in a racket game as a way of
beginning play

15. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL bind
rope with wire or cord: to bind a rope with
something such as fine wire to keep it from wearing or fraying
noun
(plural serves)

RACKET GAMES hit
that starts point: in racket games, the shot
used to begin every point
[12th
century. Directly or via Old French servir from Latin servire,
from servus “slave.”]
—serv·a·ble,
adjective
serve
somebody right

to
be a deserved punishment for doing something wrong





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word servire, from which serve
  is derived, is also the source of English deserve,
  dessert, sergeant, and serviette
  (but not of conserve, observe, preserve, and reserve,
  which come from the unrelated Latin servare ).

[1]



server

server
serv·er 
[súrvər] (plural serv·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who serves:
somebody who serves something, for example, food at a meal

2.  RACKET GAMES somebody
who starts game: the player who starts a game in a sport
such as tennis or badminton by hitting the ball or shuttlecock across the net
to an opponent

3.  DOMESTIC tray
for serving something: a tray for serving food or
drinks on

4.  DOMESTIC food
utensil:
a utensil for serving food

5.  CHRISTIANITY assistant
at Mass:
somebody who assists a Roman Catholic priest at Mass.
See
also
acolyte
See
also
altar boy

6.  COMPUTING See file server

7.  COMPUTING See print
server

[1]



service

service1
ser·vice1  [súrvəss]
noun (plural serv·ic·es)

1.  work
done for somebody else: work done by somebody for
somebody else as a job, a duty, a punishment, or a favor

2.  meeting
of public need: the system or operation by which people
are provided with something they need, for example, public transportation, or
the organization that runs such a system

3.  government
agency:
an official organization, especially a government department, or the work performed
for such an organization • the
diplomatic service

4.  MILITARY one of
the armed forces: one of a country’s armed forces • Which
branch of the service is your daughter in?

5.  DOMESTIC domestic
servant’s work: the work done as a servant in a private
house

6.  maintenance
of machinery: the act of cleaning, checking,
adjusting, or making minor repairs to a piece of machinery, especially a motor
vehicle, to make sure that it works properly

7.  use
or operation: current use or operation • The
number you have dialed is not in service at this time.

8.  RELIGION public
worship ceremony: a religious ceremony usually involving
specific forms for worship and prayer

9.  RELIGION religious
ritual:
a specific religious ritual that is performed according to a prescribed form

10. DOMESTIC set of
dishes:
a set of dishes and cups for use in serving a particular meal • dinner
service

11. FOOD serving
somebody food: the act of bringing food to somebody or
the way in which this is done

12. RACKET GAMES act
of serving ball or shuttlecock: the act or manner of
serving in a racket game, or the right to do so

13. RACKET GAMES game:
a game in which a player serves

14. LAW serving
of legal document to somebody: the delivery of a
legal document such as a writ or summons

15. NAUTICAL material
used to bind rope: something such as fine wire
or cord used to bind a rope to prevent it from fraying
plural
noun
serv·ic·es

1.  TRANSPORT facilities
for travelers: facilities such as stores, restaurants,
and toilets available at certain places along a highway • There
are no services at the next exit.

2.  COMMERCE work
that does not make anything: jobs and businesses such as
banking and insurance that provide something for other people but do not
produce tangible goods

3.  things
provided by government: things such as education,
health care, and roads that are provided by national or local government and
paid for by taxation

4.  armed
forces:
the armed forces of a country
transitive
verb
(past serv·iced, past participle serv·iced, present
participle serv·ic·ing, 3rd person present singular serv·ic·es)

1.  provide
something for community: to provide a community or
organization with something that it needs • The
electric company services all nine counties.

2.  clean
and adjust machinery: to clean, check, adjust, and
make minor repairs to a piece of machinery in order to make sure that it works
properly • It’s
time to have my car serviced.

3.  FINANCE pay
interest on debt: to pay interest on a debt

4.  AGRICULTURE copulate
with female: of a male animal, to copulate with a
female
adjective

1.  providing
a service not goods: relating to jobs or
businesses such as banking and insurance that do something useful for people
but that do not manufacture any goods

2.  for
maintenance and repair: providing maintenance and
repair for manufactured products

3.  used
by employees or for deliveries: intended for employees
or deliveries rather than for members of the public (often used before a
noun) • a
service elevator
[Pre-12th
century. Directly or via French from Latin servitium “slavery,” from servus
“slave.”]
press
somebody or something into service

to use something or somebody
for an unusual purpose, especially in an emergency situation • At
the last minute, she was pressed into service as the organist at her brother’s
wedding.[1]



service

service2
ser·vice2  [súrvəss]
(plural serv·ic·es) noun

See
service tree
[Mid-16th century. Plural of
obsolete “serve,” ultimately from Latin sorbus, “service tree.”][1]



serviceable

serviceable
serv·ice·a·ble 
[súrvəssəb’l] adjective

1.  made
to wear well: suitable for everyday use and hard wear

2.  working:
in working condition

3.  effective:
useful or effective
—serv·ice·a·ble·ness,
noun

—serv·ice·a·bly, adverb[1]



servicearea

servicearea
ser·vice
ar·e·a
(plural ser·vice ar·e·as) noun

1.  TRANSPORT facilities
for highway travelers: a place beside a highway
where there are facilities for travelers such as a restaurant, toilets, and a
service station

2.  BROADCASTING area
of satisfactory signal: the area over which a radio
or television broadcasting station can transmit a satisfactory signal for
reception

[1]



serviceberry

serviceberry
serv·ice·ber·ry 
[súrvəss bèrree] (plural serv·ice·ber·ries)
noun

1.  plant
with small edible berries: a small tree or shrub of the
rose family, mostly native to North America, that bears clusters of white
flowers and produces small, edible, dark blue fruits. Genus: Amelanchier

Also
called
shadbush
Also
called
Juneberry
Also
called
shadblow

2.  round
fruit:
the round fruit of the serviceberry.
Also
called
shadberry
Also
called
Juneberry

3.  fruit
of service tree: the fruit of the service tree
[Service from service 2][1]



servicebreak

servicebreak
ser·vice
break
(plural ser·vice breaks) noun

game won during opponent’s
serve: a game won by a player in a
racket game when an opponent was serving[1]



servicecap

servicecap
ser·vice
cap
(plural ser·vice caps) noun

flat cap:
a round, flat-topped military cap with a visor[1]



servicecharge

servicecharge
ser·vice
charge
(plural ser·vice charg·es) noun

1.  money
added to bill for service: a sum of money, usually
calculated as a percentage of a customer’s bill, added to the bill in a
restaurant or hotel to pay the staff for their service

2.  COMMERCE money
charged for performing service: a sum of money charged
by a business or bank for handling a transaction

[1]



servicecontract

servicecontract
ser·vice
con·tract
(plural ser·vice con·tracts) noun

repair contract:
a contract with a company or manufacturer to maintain equipment in working
order at an agreed price over a fixed period[1]



servicecourt

servicecourt
ser·vice
court
(plural ser·vice courts) noun

area into which ball is
served: in racket games, the area
within which a served ball or shuttlecock must land[1]



serviceindustry

serviceindustry
ser·vice
in·dus·try
noun

industry that provides
services: an industry that provides a
service rather than goods, or such industries as a whole[1]



serviceline

serviceline
ser·vice
line
(plural ser·vice lines) noun

line server cannot cross:
in racket games and volleyball, a line on a court that the server must not
cross before serving[1]



serviceman

serviceman
serv·ice·man 
[súrvəssmən] (plural serv·ice·men
[súrvəssmən]) noun

1.  MILITARY soldier:
a man serving in the armed forces

2.  serv·ice·man
or ser·vice man BUSINESS
repairman:
a man whose job is repairing and servicing equipment

[1]



servicemark

servicemark
ser·vice
mark
(plural ser·vice marks) noun

sign identifying providers of
particular service: a sign or
symbol used by people or companies who provide a particular service to identify
themselves and set them apart from other companies[1]



servicemodule

servicemodule
ser·vice
mod·ule
(plural ser·vice mod·ules) noun

part of Apollo spacecraft:
the section of an Apollo spacecraft in which elements of the propulsion and
navigation systems are kept until the unit has reentered the earth’s atmosphere
and is jettisoned.
See also
lunar module
See also
command module[1]



serviceperson

serviceperson
ser·vice·per·son 
[súrvəss pùrss’n] (plural ser·vice·peo·ple
[súrvəss pp’l] or ser·vice·per·sons)
noun

1.  MILITARY soldier:
somebody serving in the armed forces

2.  ser·vice·per·son
or ser·vice per·son BUSINESS
repair
person:
somebody whose job is maintaining and servicing equipment

[1]



serviceroad

serviceroad
ser·vice
road
(plural ser·vice roads) noun

minor road beside main road:
a minor road that runs alongside a main road, especially a major highway,
giving access to houses, stores, offices, and other businesses.
Also called
frontage road[1]



Service,Robert William

Service,Robert William
Ser·vice 
[súrviss], Robert William (1874–1958)

British-born Canadian writer.
He is remembered for the popular poems such as “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” (
1907 ) that gained him the epithet “the Canadian Kipling.”[1]



servicestation

servicestation
ser·vice
sta·tion
(plural ser·vice sta·tions) noun

place selling gasoline to
motorists: a place where gasoline, oil,
and other requirements for motor vehicles can be bought, and often where
maintenance and repair work are also done[1]



servicestripe

servicestripe
ser·vice
stripe
(plural ser·vice stripes) noun

stripe showing length of
service: a stripe worn on the sleeve
of somebody’s uniform to show that he or she has been a member of the armed
forces for a certain number of years[1]



servicetree

servicetree
ser·vice
tree
(plural ser·vice trees) or service noun

European tree with edible
fruit: a tree, native to central
and southern Europe, that has compound leaves of up to 20 toothed leaflets and
produces edible fruit. The fruits are fermented with grain to produce an
alcoholic beverage. Latin name: Sorbus domestica
Also called
sorb[1]



servicewoman

servicewoman
ser·vice·wom·an 
[súrvəss wmmən] (plural ser·vice·wom·en
[súrvəss wìmmin]) noun

1.  MILITARY woman
soldier:
a woman serving in the armed forces

2.  ser·vice·woman
or ser·vice wom·an BUSINESS
repair
woman:
a woman whose job is repairing and servicing equipment

[1]



serviette

serviette
ser·vi·ette 
[sùrvee étt] (plural ser·vi·ettes)
noun

U.K.
See napkin  noun 1
[15th century. From French,
formed from servir “to serve” (see serve
).][1]



servile

servile
ser·vile 
[súrv’l, súr vīl]
adjective

1.  too
obedient:
too willing to agree with somebody or to do whatever demeaning thing somebody
wants

2.  for
servants:
relating to dirty degrading work that is considered fit only for servants or
enslaved laborers • servile tasks

3.  relating
to slavery:
relating to enslaved labor or the condition of enslaved labor
[14th
century. From Latin servilis, from servus “slave.”]
—ser·vile·ly,
adverb

—ser·vile·ness, noun[1]



serving

serving
serv·ing 
[súrving] (plural serv·ings) noun

quantity of food provided:
an amount of food served to one person[1]



servitor

servitor
ser·vi·tor 
[súrvitər, súrvitawr]
(plural ser·vi·tors) noun

servant:
a servant or attendant (dated)
[14th century. Via Old French
from late Latin, formed from Latin servire “to serve” (see serve ).][1]



servitude

servitude
ser·vi·tude 
[súrvi td] (plural ser·vi·tudes)
noun

1.  state
of slavery:
the state of being a slave

2.  subjection:
the state of being ruled or dominated by somebody or something

3.  work
imposed as punishment: work imposed as a punishment
for a crime

4.  LAW restriction
or obligation on property: a restriction or obligation
attached to a property that entitles somebody other than the owner to a
specified use of it, for example, the right to cross it
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin servitudo, from servus “slave.”][1]



servo

servo2
ser·vo2  [súr
v] (plural ser·vos) noun

Australia
service
station:
a service station (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



servo

servo1
ser·vo1  [súrv]
adjective

relating to servomechanism:
relating to, forming part of, or activated by a servomechanism
noun
(plural ser·vos)

1.  See
servomechanism

2.  See
servometer
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of French servo-moteur “servomotor” (an auxiliary motor); servo-
from Latin servus “slave.”][1]



servomechanism

servomechanism
ser·vo·mech·a·nism 
[súrvō mèkə nìzzəm] (plural ser·vo·mech·a·nisms)
noun

control
mechanism:
a closed-circuit device in which a small input power controls a much larger
power, as in a radio telescope.
Also
called
servo
—ser·vo·me·chan·i·cal
[sùrvōmə kánnik’l], adjective[1]



servomotor

servomotor
ser·vo·mo·tor 
[súrvō mtər] (plural ser·vo·mo·tors)
noun

motor supplying power in
servomechanism: a motor that supplies
the initial power in a servomechanism.
Also called
servo[1]



SES

SES
SES

Abbreviation
of
socioeconomic status
noun

Abbreviation of
Senior Executive Service[1]



sesame

sesame
ses·a·me 
[séssəmee] (plural ses·a·mes or
ses·a·me) noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
plant cultivated for seeds: an herbaceous plant of
tropical Asia, cultivated for its seeds. Latin name: Sesamum indicum

2.  FOOD seed
of sesame plant: the seed of the sesame plant. Both the
seed and its oil are used in cooking.
Also
called
benne
Also
called
til
[15th century. Via Latin sesamum
from Greek sēsamon, of Near Eastern origin.][1]



sesameoil

sesameoil
ses·a·me
oil
noun

oil from sesame seeds:
a strongly flavored oil from sesame seeds, widely used in Asian and Southeast
Asian cooking[1]



sesamoid

sesamoid
ses·a·moid 
[séssə mòyd] noun (plural ses·a·moids)

small
roughly spherical bone: a small, roughly spherical
bone lying within a tendon to assist in its mechanical action or to bear
pressure
adjective

relating
to various small bones: relating to or being various
small bones or cartilages in a tendon or joint such as the knee
[Late 17th century. Formed
from sesame .][1]



Sesotho

Sesotho
Se·so·tho 
[sə sṓt, sə s
t] noun

dialect
of Sotho:
the dialect of Sotho spoken by the Basotho in Lesotho
[Mid-19th
century. From Sesotho .]
—Se·so·tho, adjective[1]



sesqui-

sesqui-
sesqui-
prefix

one
and a half • sesquicentennial
[From Latin, from semis
“half” + -que “and”][1]



sesquicentennial

sesquicentennial
ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al 
[sèskwi sen ténnee əl] or ses·qui·cen·ten·ar·y
[sèskwi sen ténnəree] noun (plural
ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·als) (plural ses·qui·cen·ten·ar·ies)

1.  150th
anniversary: a 150th anniversary or the celebration
of one

2.  150
years:
a period of 150 years
adjective

occurring every 150 years:
relating to or happening after a period of 150 years
—ses·qui·cen·ten·ni·al·ly,
adverb[1]



sesquipedalian

sesquipedalian
ses·qui·pe·da·lian 
[sèskwipə dáylee ən] or ses·quip·e·dal
[sèskwi pédd’l] adjective (literary)

1.  using
long words:
characterized by the use of very long words

2.  long:
relating to or being a long word
noun
(plural ses·qui·pe·da·lians) (plural ses·quip·e·dals)

long word: a
word with many letters or syllables (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin sesquipedalis “measuring one and one-half
feet,” from the stem ped- “foot.”]
—ses·qui·pe·da·lian·ism,
noun[1]



sess.

sess.
sess.

Abbreviation of
session[1]



sessile

sessile
ses·sile 
[séssīl, séss’l]
adjective

1.  BOTANY lacking
stalk:
used to describe a leaf or flower that has no stalk but is attached directly to
the stem

2.  ZOOLOGY permanently
attached:
used to describe an animal that is permanently attached to something rather
than free-moving, for example, a barnacle
[Early
18th century. From Latin sessilis “lying close to the ground,” from sess-,
past participle stem of sedere “to sit” (source of English séance,
hostage, and obsession ).]
—ses·sil·i·ty [sə síllətee], noun[1]



session

session
ses·sion 
[sésh’n] noun (plural ses·sions)

1.  meeting:
a meeting of an official body, especially a court or legislature

2.  period
of meeting:
a period during which an official body meets or does business

3.  series
of meetings: a series of meetings of an official body

4.  EDUCATION teaching
period:
the time of year or the time of day during which a school or university holds
classes

5.  period
of doing something: a period of time during
which people are involved in doing something together

6.  period
of playing music: a period during which musicians play
together, especially in a recording studio

7.  CHRISTIANITY governing
body of Presbyterian congregation: the governing body of
a Presbyterian congregation, consisting of the minister and elders
plural
noun
ses·sions

LAW sittings
of English justice of peace: in England, the sittings of
a justice of the peace in court.
See
also
petty sessions
See
also
quarter sessions
adjective
MUSIC

1.  relating
to freelance musician: relating to or being a
musician paid to play or sing on recordings in a studio but not a permanent
member of a band

2.  relating
to freelance music: relating to playing or
singing done by a session musician
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin session- “a sitting,” from the stem sess-
(see sessile ).]
—ses·sion·al,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word sedere, from which session
  is derived, is also the source of English assess,
  assiduous, assize, insidious,
  séance, sedentary, size, subsidy,
  and supersede.

[1]



Sessions,Roger

Sessions,Roger
Ses·sions
[sésh’nz], Roger (1896–1985)

U.S.
composer. He is known for his 12-tone compositions. He won two Pulitzer Prizes.
Full name
Sessions, Roger Huntington[1]



sesterce

sesterce
ses·terce 
[sés tùrss] (plural ses·terc·es)
or ses·ter·ti·us [sestúrshəss,
se stúrshee əss] (plural ses·ter·ti·i
[se stúrshə, se
stúrshee ə]) noun

Roman
coin:
an ancient Roman coin, originally silver but later bronze, worth a quarter of a
denarius
[Late 16th century. From
Latin sestertius “two and one-half times as great,” literally “one-half
third,” from semis “half” + tertius “third”; originally
equivalent to two and a half asses.][1]



sestertium

sestertium
ses·ter·tium 
[se stúrshəm, se
stúrshee əm] (plural ses·ter·tia [se
stúrshə, se stúrshee ə]) noun

Roman
unit of currency: an ancient Roman unit of currency equal
to 1,000 sesterces
[Mid-16th century. From the
Latin phrase (mille) sestertium, literally “(a thousand) of sesterces”
(see sesterce ).][1]



sestet

sestet
ses·tet 
[se stét] (plural ses·tets) noun

six
lines of poetry: a stanza or poem of six lines,
especially the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet
[Early 19th century. From
Italian sestetto, literally “little sixth,” from sesto “sixth,”
from Latin sextus “sixth.”][1]



sestina

sestina
ses·ti·na 
[se stnə] (plural ses·ti·nas)
noun

form
of poem:
a poem of six six-line stanzas and a three-line envoy, with the last words of
the first six lines repeated, in different order, at the ends of the other
lines.
Also
called
sextain
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, formed from sesto “sixth” (see sestet
).][1]



set

set2
set2 [set]
noun (plural sets)

1.  collection
considered as unit: a collection of people or
things considered together and usually having something in common

2.  social
group:
a group of people who form a social group • They
were the first in our set to have kids.

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
receiving signals: a device that receives radio
or television signals

4.  RACKET GAMES part
of tennis match: a part of a tennis match that is won
when one player or couple wins a minimum of six games

5.  preference:
a preference for or increased ability in a particular activity

6.  MUSIC songs
played in one session: a number of songs or acts
that an entertainer or band performs on a single occasion

7.  SPORTS number
of repetitions of exercise: a number of repetitions of
an exercise done at one time

8.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC collection
of elements: a collection of elements in mathematics
or logic, e.g., numbers or terms.
Also
called
class

9.  DANCE couples
required for dance: a number of couples required
for certain dances • We need another couple
to complete our set.
intransitive
verb
(past set, past participle set, present
participle set·ting, 3rd person present singular sets)

DANCE dance
facing partner: to perform a series of moves while
facing another dancer
[14th century. Via Old French
sette from Latin secta “sect” (see sect
).][1]



set

set1
set1 [set]
verb (past set, past participle set, present
participle set·ting, 3rd person present singular sets)

1.  transitive
verb
place
something:
to put somebody or something somewhere • Set
the books on the table.

2.  transitive
verb
put
somebody into condition: to get or put somebody or
something into a particular condition • set
the hostages free

3.  transitive
verb
make
something happen: to cause something to happen • set
an unfortunate train of events in motion

4.  transitive
verb
focus
on something: to focus on a goal or task • had
set his mind on it

5.  transitive
verb
arrange
for use:
to arrange, place, or prepare something to be used • set
a trap for them

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make solid: to form or cause something to be formed
in a solid state • Let the concrete set.

7.  transitive
verb
adjust
measuring device: to adjust a device such as a clock to a
desired time, level, or position • Remember
to set the alarm.

8.  transitive
verb
decide
on or impose something: to decide on a particular
time or impose a rule as a condition for something • We’ve
set a date for the wedding.

9.  transitive
verb
be
example:
to be an example of a type of behavior • tried
to set an example for her younger siblings

10. transitive
verb
determine
price of something: to determine or state the
price of something • set the price at $20

11. transitive
verb
consider
as having value: to consider something as having a
particular value • set a high value on his
own work

12. transitive
verb
determine
course:
to determine a direction or course to travel • set
a course for home

13. transitive
verb
establish
record:
to establish a record • set a
new 100-meter record

14. transitive
verb
EDUCATION assign
something for study: to assign something such as
a book or subject to be studied

15. transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING arrange
hair:
to arrange hair in a particular style by using styling products or clips

16. transitive
verb
put
gem in setting: to put a gem or stone in a metal setting

17. transitive
verb
MEDICINE put
broken bone in position: to put a broken bone back in
its normal position so it can heal properly

18. intransitive
verb
MEDICINE heal:
to heal up and become solid after being broken (refers to a bone)

19. transitive
verb
MUSIC provide
music for something: to provide the music for
something such as lyrics or a poem • set
his words to music

20. transitive
verb
adorn:
to adorn something with decorations • set a
gown with sequins

21. transitive
verb
ARTS portray
in particular setting: to portray something as
happening in a particular place or time period (usually passive) • The
play is set in the 19th century.

22. transitive
verb
THEATER place
scenery on:
to place scenery on stage

23. transitive
verb
PRINTING arrange
type:
to arrange type for printing

24. intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING position sail:
to rig a sail to catch the wind, or to be rigged in this way

25. intransitive
verb
go
below horizon: to go below the horizon • watched
the sun set

26. intransitive
verb
CLOTHES fit
well or poorly: to fit in a particular way (refers to
clothes) • The
skirt sets well.

27. intransitive
verb
start:
to begin something, especially work • set to
work with a will

28. intransitive
verb
SPORTS get
ready to start race: to get into a position ready
to start a race • Ready, get set, go!

29. intransitive
verb
become
permanent:
to become permanent (refers to a dye or color)

30. transitive
verb
COOKING let
dough rise:
to place dough aside to allow it to rise

31. transitive
verb
sharpen
something:
to sharpen a blade

32. transitive
verb
displace
teeth on saw: to bend the teeth of a saw alternately
to either side of the blade

33. transitive
verb
drive
nail head below surface: to drive the head of a nail
below the surface

34. intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE PLANTS
produce
fruit or seeds: to produce fruit or seeds after being
pollinated, or be produced in this way

35. intransitive
verb
end:
to come to an end (literary)

36. transitive
verb
sit
somebody:
to cause somebody to sit somewhere (regional) • Set
yourself here.

37. transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING plant:
to plant something

38. intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE sit or make sit on
eggs:
to put a hen on eggs to keep them warm, or to sit on eggs

39. intransitive
and transitive verb GAME indicate game:
to indicate the presence of game by turning toward it and holding that position

40. transitive
verb
BRIDGE beat
in bridge:
to prevent an opponent from meeting the contract in bridge

41. intransitive
verb
METALLURGY become
bent:
to become bent from strain
noun
(plural sets)

1.  condition
of solidity: the condition of being solid

2.  posture:
the posture or bearing of somebody or an animal

3.  CLOTHES fit of
clothes:
the way something hangs when worn

4.  THEATER CINEMA theatrical scenery:
scenery for a play or film or the place where this has been put up

5.  PRINTING width
of piece of type: the width of a piece of type.
Also
called
set width

6.  PRINTING width
of line of type: the width of a column or a page of type.

Also
called
set width

7.  SAILING arrangement
of sails:
the way the sails and other rigging are arranged on a sailboat

8.  direction:
the direction of a wind, tide, or current

9.  preference:
a preference for or increased ability in a particular activity

10. PSYCHOLOGY bias
influencing reaction to stimulus: the psychological
state that causes an organism to react to a stimulus in a particular way

11. AGRICULTURE GARDENING seedling
ready for planting: a plant such as a seedling
that is ready to be planted

12. METALLURGY distortion
due to stress: a distortion or bending that occurs in
metal as a result of stress

13. HAIRDRESSING hairstyle:
a way of styling the hair

14. AGRICULTURE clutch:
the number of eggs that a hen lays at one time

15. See
sett
adjective

1.  established:
previously established such as by tradition, agreement, or authority

2.  inflexible:
being rigid and unwilling to change, especially in the way of doing things • They’re
so set in their ways, they’ll never change.

3.  ready:
prepared for somebody or something, or to do something • We’re
all set to go.

4.  stereotyped:
conforming to an established often conventional formula • a
set speech

5.  determined:
determined to do something • We’re
set on the idea and won’t consider changing.

6.  EDUCATION assigned
to study:
assigned for students to study • a set
text
[Old English settan,
literally “to cause to sit.” From a prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor also of
German setzen ) “to sit.”][1]



seta

seta
se·ta 
[stə] (plural se·tae [s t]) noun

bristle
or hair:
a slender, usually rigid bristle or hair
[Late
18th century. From Latin, “bristle.”]
—se·tal, adjective[1]



setabout

setabout
set
about
transitive verb

begin something:
to begin doing something[1]



setaceous

setaceous
se·ta·ceous 
[si táyshəss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY having
bristles:
having bristles or made up of bristles

2.  resembling
bristles:
having the appearance or feel of bristles (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from modern Latin setaceus, from Latin seta “bristle.”][1]



setagainst

setagainst
set
against
transitive verb

1.  compare:
to consider one thing in relation to another, especially when the other thing
is very important

2.  make
people fight one another: to make people or groups
start to fight with or be hostile to people they used to be on friendly terms
with

[1]



setapart

setapart
set
apart
transitive verb

1.  reserve
for specific use: to keep something for a specific use or
purpose

2.  make
somebody conspicuous: to make somebody conspicuous
or different • Her
knowledge sets her apart.

[1]



setaside

setaside
set
aside
transitive verb

1.  reserve:
to keep something, especially time or money, for a particular purpose

2.  put
to one side: to put something to one side

3.  reject
previous decision: to discard, reject, or annul
a previous decision or judgment

[1]



setback

setback
set
back
transitive verb

1.  delay:
to block or delay the progress of something or somebody

2.  cost
somebody:
to cost somebody a lot of money (informal)

[1]



setback

setback
set·back 
[sét bàk] (plural set·backs) noun

1.  something
that delays progress: something that reverses or
delays the progress of somebody or something

2.  ARCHITECTURE shelf
or recess in wall: a place in the wall of a
building where there is a shelf or recess.
Also
called
offset

3.  thermostat
reduction:
an automatic adjustment made by a thermostat to reduce a temperature, for
example, in a domestic heating system at night

4.  ARCHITECTURE distance
from building to property line: the distance required
by law between the edge of a building and the property line

[1]



setdown

setdown
set
down
transitive verb

1.  put
down:
to put something down on a surface

2.  write
down:
to write something down

3.  suspend:
to take somebody, for example, a jockey, out of competition as a punishment

4.  judge:
to judge somebody or something as being something specified • set
the whole thing down as a failure

5.  attribute:
to attribute an event or quality to something specified • set
his mistake down to inexperience

6.  sit:
to cause or allow somebody to sit down

7.  U.K.
scold
somebody:
to snub or rebuke somebody

8.  land
aircraft:
to land an aircraft

[1]



setenant

setenant
se
ten·ant
[sə ténnənt, sətə
nN] adjective

joined
but different: used to describe two stamps that are
joined together but have different values or designs
noun
(plural se ten·ants)

joined
pair of different stamps: a pair of stamps that are
joined together but have different values or designs
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “holding together.”][1]



setforth

setforth
set
forth
verb

1.  transitive
verb
state:
to state or present an argument or a set of figures in speech or writing

2.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to leave on a journey (literary)

[1]



SETI

SETI
SETI
[séttee] noun

search for extraterrestrials:
a scientific attempt to detect or communicate with intelligent beings from
beyond Earth, especially using radio signals. Full form Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence[1]



setiferous

setiferous
se·tif·er·ous 
[sə tíffərəss] or se·tig·er·ous
[sə tíjjərəss] adjective

having
bristles:
used to describe a living organism that has bristles or projections that
resemble bristles
[Early 19th century.
setiferous coined from seta + -ferous ; setigerous from Latin setiger
“bristly,” from seta “bristle.”][1]



setiform

setiform
se·ti·form 
[sti fàwrm] adjective

bristle-shaped:
having the shape of a bristle
[Early 19th century. Coined
from seta + -form
.][1]



setigerous

setigerous
se·tig·er·ous 
adjective

See
setiferous[1]



set-in

set-in
set-in 
adjective

1.  BUILDING built-in:
built or inserted into a space in something else

2.  CLOTHES stitched
in:
used to describe a part of a garment that is made separately and stitched in

[1]



setin

setin
set
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
begin:
to begin and become established • once
the winter snows set in

2.  transitive
verb
CLOTHES add
on:
to add a separately made part to a garment

3.  intransitive
verb
move
shoreward:
to move in a shoreward direction (refers to a wind, tide, or current)

[1]



setoff

setoff
set·off 
[sét òf] (plural set·offs) noun

1.  counterbalance:
something that compensates for something else

2.  something
improving appearance: something that contrasts
with something else in a way that improves its appearance

3.  PRINTING See offset  noun 4

4.  ACCOUNTING counterbalancing
claim:
a claim brought by a debtor against a creditor that counterbalances the debt
owed

[1]



setoff

setoff
set
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
start
out on trip: to start out on a journey

2.  transitive
verb
make
something work: to make something such as an alarm or
fireworks operate or explode

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody start doing something: to make somebody start
doing something such as laughing, crying, or talking about something • When
she started crying it set us all off too.

4.  transitive
verb
start
something:
to make something start happening • set
off a chain of events that eventually led to war

5.  transitive
verb
make
something look attractive: to provide a contrast to
something in a way that makes it look more attractive • The
new frame really sets off the painting.

6.  transitive
verb
ACCOUNTING counterbalance
credit:
to counterbalance a credit in the accounts of one person or organization
against a debit in those of another

[1]



seton

seton
set
on
transitive verb

1.  attack:
to attack somebody or encourage a person or animal to attack somebody or
something

2.  incite
somebody:
to encourage somebody to do something

[1]



Seton,Ernest Thompson

Seton,Ernest Thompson
Se·ton
[st’n], Ernest Thompson (1860–1946)

British-born
Canadian writer and illustrator. He was one of the founders of the Boy Scouts
of America (1910). He is known for his stories about animals for young people
such as Wild Animals I Have Known (1898).
Real name
Seton-Thompson, Ernest[1]



setose

setose
se·tose 
[s tss] adjective

having
bristles:
covered with bristles
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
setosus, formed from seta “bristle.”][1]



setout

setout
set
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
begin
journey:
to begin something, especially a journey

2.  intransitive
verb
intentionally
start doing something: intentionally to start doing
something or planning to do something • deliberately
set out to ruin the performance

3.  transitive
verb
display:
to arrange, display, or decorate something • merchants
setting out their wares

4.  transitive
verb
lay
out:
to lay out something in a planned way • The
gardens are beautifully set out.

5.  transitive
verb
present:
to present or explain something, especially in a full way • a
book that clearly sets out the author’s philosophy

6.  transitive
verb
GARDENING plant:
to plant out small plants

[1]



setpiece

setpiece
set
piece
(plural set piec·es) noun

1.  planned
action:
a carefully planned and rehearsed performance or action, especially a military
or diplomatic operation

2.  ARTS formal
work of art: a work of art with a formal theme,
undertaken to show the artist’s skill

3.  THEATER piece
of scenery:
a piece of stage scenery that can stand unsupported

[1]



setpoint

setpoint
set
point
(plural set points) noun

1.  TENNIS point
to win set:
a time in a tennis or paddle tennis match when a player can win a set by
winning the next point, or the point itself

2.  PHYSIOLOGY level
of variable: the level of some variable such as
weight that the body attempts to maintain

3.  PHYSIOLOGY natural
bodyweight:
the natural weight that somebody’s body will assume if provided with a balanced
diet

[1]



setscrew

setscrew
set·screw 
[sét skr] (plural set·screws)
noun

1.  screw
preventing relative motion: a screw that fixes one part
of a mechanism to another and prevents it moving relative to the part to which
it is fixed

2.  screw
regulating tension: a screw that regulates the
tension in a spring or the opening of a valve

[1]



setsquare

setsquare
set
square
(plural set squares) noun

U.K.
See triangle[1]



sett

sett
sett
[set] (plural setts) or
set [set] (plural sets)
noun

1.  paving
stone:
a rectangular stone paving block

2.  ZOOLOGY badger’s
burrow:
the burrow of a badger
[Variant of set 1][1]



settee

settee
set·tee 
[se t] (plural set·tees) noun

1.  comfortable
seat for two people: a comfortable seat for two
or more people, with a cushioned back and arms

2.  bench
with back:
a long wooden bench with a back
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of settle
.][1]



setter

setter
set·ter 
[séttər] (plural set·ters) noun

1.  somebody
or something that sets: somebody or something that
sets something

2.  ZOOLOGY bird
dog:
a long-haired bird dog belonging to various breeds that is trained to crouch in
a set position when it finds game

[1]



settheory

settheory
set
the·o·ry
noun

1.  MATHEMATICS mathematics
of sets:
the branch of mathematics that deals with the properties and relationships of
sets

2.  LOGIC system
of set axioms: the system of axioms for sets

[1]



setting

setting
set·ting 
[sétting] (plural set·tings) noun

1.  surroundings:
the surroundings or environment in which something exists

2.  level
on scale:
a chosen point or level in the operation of a machine

3.  surroundings
of jewel:
the metal fixture into which a jewel is fixed

4.  utensils:
the utensils, napkin, table mat, and any other items placed on a table to be
used by one person during a meal

5.  ARTS period
or place of story: the period in time or the
place in which the events of a story take place

6.  ARTS set
for performance: the set, including props and scenery,
where actors perform for a film or play

7.  MUSIC music
for poem:
the music composed for a particular text, for example, a poem or hymn

8.  BIRDS AGRICULTURE clutch of eggs:
a batch of eggs in a bird’s nest, especially a hen’s

[1]



settingcircle

settingcircle
set·ting
cir·cle
(plural set·ting cir·cles) noun

scale on telescope:
a scale on the mounting of an equatorial telescope, used to show right
ascension or declination[1]



settle

settle
set·tle 
[sett’l] verb (past set·tled,
past participle set·tled, present participle set·tling,
3rd person present singular set·tles)

1.  transitive
verb
decide
on something: to decide on something so that other
arrangements can be made

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb solve:
to solve a problem or end a dispute

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become resident: to become or cause somebody
to become a resident of a place

4.  transitive
verb
colonize:
to populate an area with permanent residents

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
floating:
to stop floating and sink to the bottom or the ground, or to cause something to
do this • waited
for the dust to settle before opening their eyes

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay:
to pay a bill, debt, or claim

7.  intransitive
verb
move
downward:
to move downward and spread over something • A
blanket of mist settled over the field.

8.  intransitive
verb
sink
into ground: to sink slowly to a lower level

9.  intransitive
verb
stop
moving:
to stop moving and come to rest somewhere

10. intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become clear: to cause a cloudy liquid to become clear
after a sediment has sunk to the bottom, or to become clear in this way

11. intransitive
and transitive verb LAW end legal dispute:
to end a legal dispute by mutual agreement out of court

12. intransitive
and transitive verb get
revenge:
to get revenge on somebody for an injury or offense

13. intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become calm: to become or cause somebody or something
to become calm, quiet, or stable

14. transitive
verb
put
in order:
to put all the details of a piece of business in order or into a desired
arrangement

15. intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody comfortable: to make somebody feel
comfortable in a particular position

16. transitive
verb
put
in place:
to put something in a place firmly or permanently

17. intransitive
and transitive verb establish
or become established: to establish somebody or
become established in a place, occupation, or way of life

18. transitive
verb
compact:
to press something such as loose soil down and make it firm

19. transitive
verb
LAW assign
property:
to give something, especially property or money, to somebody legally and
formally • settled
her with a substantial inheritance

20. transitive
verb
impregnate
or be impregnated: to make an animal pregnant,
or become pregnant

21. intransitive
verb
conceive:
of an animal, to become pregnant
noun
(plural set·tles)

FURNITURE long
wooden seat with high back: a long wooden seat with a
high back, and often with storage space inside the box-shaped seat
[Old
English setlan, formed from setl “chair, bench.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European base meaning “to sit” that is also the ancestor of English saddle and Upanishad
.]
—set·tle·a·ble, adjective[1]



settledown

settledown
settle
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become calm: to become or cause somebody or something
to become calm, quiet, or orderly

2.  intransitive
verb
live
orderly life: to begin a stable, orderly, and often
conventional way of life

3.  intransitive
verb
do
something diligently: to begin doing something in
a diligent and orderly way • settled
down to her morning’s work

[1]



settlefor

settlefor
settle
for
transitive verb

agree to:
to accept or agree to something that is not ideal or exactly what was wanted[1]



settlein

settlein
settle
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb adapt:
to adapt or cause somebody to adapt to a new environment • settling
in at a new school

2.  intransitive
verb
remain
somewhere for long time: to get comfortable in a
place because the intention is to stay there for a long time • decided
to settle in for the night

[1]



settlement

settlement
set·tle·ment 
[sétt’lmənt] (plural set·tle·ments)
noun

1.  settling:
an act of settling or the state of being settled

2.  colony:
a place that has recently been populated with permanent residents

3.  LAW agreement
out of court: an agreement reached without completing
legal proceedings

4.  agreement:
an agreement reached after discussion or negotiation

5.  payment:
the payment of a bill, debt, or claim

6.  populating:
the act of populating a place with permanent residents

7.  small
community:
a small community

8.  set·tle·ment
or set·tle·ment house SOCIAL
WELFARE welfare services building:
a public building in which social workers provide welfare services in a
deprived area

9.  U.K.
BUILDING subsidence:
subsidence in a building

10. LAW settling
of property on somebody: a conveyance of property to
a person or trustees for somebody

11. LAW conveyance
document:
a document recording a conveyance of property

[1]



settler

settler
set·tler 
[séttlər] (plural set·tlers) noun

early resident in new place:
somebody who comes to live in a new place, especially a place that is
unpopulated or populated by people of a different race or civilization[1]



settlings

settlings
set·tlings 
[séttlingz] plural noun

sediment:
solid material that has sunk to the bottom of a liquid[1]



settlor

settlor
set·tlor 
[séttlər] (plural set·tlors) noun

somebody settling property:
somebody who creates a trust or settlement[1]



set-to

set-to
set-to 
(plural set-tos) noun

argument:
a brief and hot-tempered argument or fight (informal)[1]



setto

setto
set
to
intransitive verb

1.  begin
task:
to start doing something, especially work

2.  start
fighting:
to start fighting

[1]



setup

setup
set
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
erect:
to erect something or put something in an upright or usable position • set
up road blocks

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb prepare
equipment for event: to prepare the equipment
needed for an event • The band
is setting up on stage.

3.  transitive
verb
organize:
to arrange, establish, or bring about something • I’ve
set up a meeting for next week.

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to be blamed: to cause somebody to be caught and
blamed for something (informal) • claims
he was set up

5.  transitive
verb
give
drinks:
to buy or provide an alcoholic beverage for somebody (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
plan:
to make necessary arrangements for something, for example, a meeting or
conference

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb claim
to be something: to claim to be something, especially an
expert or authority on something • set
herself up as an expert

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb start
business:
to start a business or give somebody everything needed to start a business • His
family set him up in business.

9.  transitive
verb
present
as model:
to present something or somebody as an example to a group

10. transitive
verb
propose:
to put an idea, theory, or proposal to a group for consideration

11. transitive
verb
produce
something:
to produce or create something • The
spectators set up a howl of protest.

12. transitive
verb
put
in position of power: to put a person or group in
a position of power

13. transitive
verb
make
healthy:
to make somebody feel healthy or invigorated, especially after having been ill

[1]



setup

setup
set·up 
[sét ùp] (plural set·ups) noun

1.  organization
of something: the way that something is organized or
arranged

2.  set
of prepared objects for task: an assembly of prepared
tools or apparatus required for performing a task

3.  erect
carriage of body: the way that somebody walks and stands,
especially when it is particularly soldierly

4.  table
setting:
a table setting for a single person

5.  BEVERAGES set
of requirements for cocktail: a glass, mixer, ice, or soda
water provided to customers who provide their own liquor

6.  something
deliberately made easy: something such as a task or
contest that is deliberately made easy to accomplish or win

7.  strategy:
a planned course of action

8.  dishonest
plan or trick: something that is planned to bring about
a desired result dishonestly (informal)

9.  CINEMA position
of camera for scene: the position of a camera at
the beginning of a scene

[1]



setupon

setupon
set
upon
transitive verb

attack:
to attack somebody violently[1]



setwidth

setwidth
set
width
(plural set widths) noun

See
set 1 noun
5
See set 1 noun
6[1]



Setúbal

Setúbal
Se·tú·bal
[se tb’l]

city and port in western
Portugal, situated 32 km/20 mi southeast of Lisbon. Population: 83,550 (1991)[1]



Seurat,Georges

Seurat,Georges

Seu·rat
[sə r], Georges (1859–1891)
French painter. He developed the theory
and practice of pointillism, or divisionism, seen in a work such as Sunday
Afternoon at the Grande Jatte (1886).[1]



Seuss,Dr.

Seuss,Dr.
Seuss 
[sooss], Dr. (1904–1991)

U.S.
writer and illustrator. His children’s books, replete with fanciful word play
and illustrated with his own drawings, include Horton Hatches the Egg (
1940 ) and The Cat in the Hat ( 1957 ).
Pseudonym of
Geisel, Theodor Seuss[1]



Sevan,Lake

Sevan,Lake
Se·van,
Lake
[se vn lake]

the largest lake in Armenia,
in the north of the country, in the Caucasus Mountains. It is drained by the
Razdau River. Area: 1,244sq km/480 sq mi.[1]



Sevastopol

Sevastopol
Se·vas·to·pol


See
Sebastopol[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








seven

seven
sev·en 
[sévv’n] (plural sev·ens) noun

1.  number
7:
the number 7

2.  something
with value of 7: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 7 • the
seven of clubs • to
play the seven

3.  group
of 7:
a group of seven objects or people
[Old
English seofon . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “seven,”
which is also the ancestor of English septi-
and hepta- .]
—sev·en, adjective,
pronoun[1]



sevendeadly sins

sevendeadly sins
sev·en
dead·ly sins plural noun

See
deadly sins[1]



sevenfold

sevenfold
sev·en·fold
[sévv’n fld] adjective

1.  being
seven times as much: relating to something that
is seven times as much as something else

2.  consisting
of seven parts: relating to something that is made up of
seven parts
adverb

by seven times:
by seven times as much or as many
[Old English][1]



sevenseas

sevenseas
sev·en
seas
plural noun

all oceans of world:
all the oceans of the world. They are the North and South Atlantic, North and
South Pacific, Arctic, Antarctic, and Indian Oceans.[1]



SevenSisters

SevenSisters
Seven
Sisters
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Pleiades the[1]



seventeen

seventeen
sev·en·teen 
[sèvv’n tn] (plural sev·en·teens)
noun

1.  number
17:
the number 17

2.  group
of 17:
a group of seventeen objects or people
[Old English seofontīene,
literally “ten more than seven,” from - tīene “ten more than”][1]



seventeenth

seventeenth
sev·en·teenth 
[sèvv’n tnth] (plural sev·en·teenths)
noun

one
of 17 parts of something: one of 17 equal parts of
something
[Old
English]
—sev·en·teenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



seventeen-yearlocust

seventeen-yearlocust
sev·en·teen-year
lo·cust 
(plural sev·en·teen-year lo·custs) noun

N American cicada:
a cicada of eastern North America that spends most of its 17 years of life as
an underground nymph, living as a winged adult for only a few weeks. In the
southern United States the nymph lasts 13 years. Latin name: Magicicada
septendecim
Also called
periodical cicada
Also called
locust[1]



seventh

seventh
sev·enth 
[sévv’nth] (plural sev·enths) noun

1.  one
of 7 parts of something: one of seven equal parts of
something

2.  See
seventh chord

3.  MUSIC interval
of seven notes: in a standard musical scale, the
interval between one note and another that lies six notes above or below it. In
the scale of C major, C and B form a seventh.

4.  MUSIC note a
seventh away from another: in a standard musical scale,
a note that is a seventh away from another note
[Old
English]
—sev·enth, adjective,
adverb[1]



seventhchord

seventhchord
sev·enth
chord
(plural sev·enth chords) noun

chord with added seventh:
a chord with a seventh note above the base note.
Also called
seventh[1]



Seventh-DayAdventist

Seventh-DayAdventist
Sev·enth-Day
Ad·vent·ist
(plural Sev·enth-Day Ad·vent·ists) noun

Adventist observing Sabbath
on Saturday: a member of a
Protestant denomination that believes in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus
Christ and observes Saturday as the Sabbath[1]



seventhheaven

seventhheaven
sev·enth
heav·en
noun

1.  perfect
happiness:
a state of extreme happiness

2.  RELIGION highest
heaven:
the highest of the seven heavens in Muslim and Talmudic belief

[1]



seventieth

seventieth
sev·en·ti·eth 
[sévv’ntee əth] (plural sev·en·ti·eths)
noun

one
of 70 parts of something: one of seventy equal parts
of something
—sev·en·ti·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



seventy

seventy
sev·en·ty 
[sévv’ntee] noun (plural sev·en·ties)

1.  number
70:
the number 70

2.  group
of 70:
a group of seventy objects or people
plural
noun
sev·en·ties

1.  numbers
70 to 79:
the numbers 70 to 79, particularly as a range of temperature • in
the low seventies

2.  years
1970 to 1979: the years 1970 to 1979

3.  period
from age 70 to 79: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 70 to 79
[Old
English hundseofontig, from hund (of uncertain origin and lost in
Middle English) + seofon “seven” (see seven
) + -tig “ten”]
—sev·en·ty, adjective,
pronoun[1]



seventy-eight

seventy-eight
sev·en·ty-eight
(plural sev·en·ty-eights) or 78 (plural 78s)
noun

phonograph record:
a phonograph record designed to be played at 78 revolutions per minute, a
former standard speed[1]



seven-up

seven-up
sev·en-up 
noun

card game:
a card game in which the first person to reach seven points wins the game.
Also called
all fours[1]



SevenYears’ War

SevenYears’ War
Sev·en
Years’ War
noun

18C war:
a war fought from 1756 to 1763 by Prussia, assisted by British subsidies and
Hanoverian troops, against France and Austria[1]



sever

sever
sev·er 
[sévvər] (past sev·ered, past
participle sev·ered, present participle sev·er·ing, 3rd
person present singular sev·ers) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  cut
through or off: to cut through something or cut off, or
be cut through or off

2.  break
off tie:
to break off a tie, or to become broken off • severed
her relationship with him

3.  separate:
to separate or put things or people apart, or to become separated or put apart
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman severer from Old French sevrer from, ultimately,
Latin separare “to separate” (see separate
).][1]



severable

severable
sev·er·a·ble 
[sévvərəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being severed: able to be severed

2.  legally
separable:
capable of being legally separated without invalidating what remains, for
example, clauses in an agreement
[Mid-16th
century]
—sev·er·a·bil·i·ty [sèvvərə bíllətee], noun[1]



several

several
sev·er·al 
[sévvərəl] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating a small number • (pronoun)
Several of the apples were bruised. adjective

1.  various:
various or separate • They
all went their several ways.

2.  LAW separate:
relating to separate individuals • joint
and several liability
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin separ “separate,” from separare
“to separate” (see separate ).][1]



severalfold

severalfold
sev·er·al·fold 
[sévvərəl fld] adjective

1.  being
several times as much: relating to something that
is several times as much as something else

2.  consisting
of several parts: relating to something that is made up of
several parts
adverb

by several times:
by several times as much or as many

[1]



severally

severally
sev·er·al·ly
[sévvərəlee] adverb (formal or
literary)

1.  separately:
in a separate or individual way

2.  respectively:
in turn or respectively

[1]



severalty

severalty
sev·er·al·ty 
[sévvərəltee] noun

state of being several:
the state of being several or separate[1]



severance

severance
sev·er·ance 
[sévvərənss] (plural sev·er·anc·es)
noun

1.  act
of severing: an act of severing or the state of being
severed

2.  See
severance pay

3.  LAW splitting
into parts:
the splitting into separate parts of something held jointly, for example, an
estate

[1]



severancepay

severancepay
sev·er·ance
pay
or sev·er·ance noun

compensation for loss of job:
money paid as compensation, usually on the basis of length of service, to an
employee who is fired[1]



severancetax

severancetax
sev·er·ance
tax
(plural sev·er·ance tax·es) noun

state tax on resource:
a tax imposed by a state on natural resources, for example, oil or gas,
extracted for use in another state[1]



severe

severe
se·vere 
[sə vr] adjective

1.  harsh:
very harsh or strict

2.  dangerous:
extremely bad or dangerous • severe
injuries

3.  extremely
unpleasant:
causing great discomfort by being extreme • a
severe frost

4.  difficult
to endure:
difficult to do or endure • severe
hardship

5.  exacting:
having standards or other criteria that are difficult to meet • a
severe test

6.  stern:
looking stern or serious

7.  plain:
plain or austere in style, with little or no decoration • severe
clothing
[Mid-16th
century. Via French sévère or directly from Latin severus
“serious,” of uncertain origin.]
—se·vere·ly,
adverb

—se·vere·ness, noun[1]



severity

severity
se·ver·i·ty 
[sə vérritee] noun

1.  state
or extent of badness: the state of being very bad,
or the extent to which something is bad

2.  strictness
or sternness: the state of being very strict or stern

3.  plainness:
the plainness or austerity of something such as a building or style of dress

4.  (plural
se·ver·i·ties) harsh act or criticism:
an instance of harsh treatment or censure

[1]



Severn

Severn
Sev·ern 
[sévvurn]

river that originates in
lakes in western Ontario, in Canada, and flows northeast into Hudson Bay.
Length: 982 km/610 mi.[1]



Seveso

Seveso
Se·ve·so
[se váyzō]

town situated near Milan, in
northern Italy. It was the scene of an industrial accident in 1976, when the
poisonous gas dioxin escaped into the atmosphere.[1]



seviche

seviche
se·vi·che 
noun

See
ceviche[1]



Seville

Seville
Se·ville 
[sè víl]

city and river port in the
autonomous region of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. Population: 719,590 (1995)[1]



Sevilleorange

Sevilleorange
Se·ville
or·ange
(plural Se·ville or·anges) noun

TREES See bitter orange
[Late 16th century. Named for
Seville, known for the quality of its
oranges.][1]



sew

sew
sew 
[sō] (past sewed, past
participle sewn [sōn] or sewed,
present participle sew·ing, 3rd person present singular sews)
intransitive and transitive verb

work
with needle and thread: to join things or repair or
make something by using a needle to pass thread repeatedly through material
[Old
English siowan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to sew”
that is also the ancestor of English hymen
and suture .]
—sew·a·ble, adjective[1]



sewage

sewage
sew·age 
[s ij] noun

waste
matter from homes: human and domestic waste
matter from buildings, especially houses, that is carried away through sewers.
Also
called
sewerage
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from sewer .][1]



Sewall,Samuel

Sewall,Samuel
Sew·all
[s əl], Samuel (1652–1730)

English-born U.S. jurist. He
was a primary judge in the witchcraft trial in Salem, Massachusetts (1692). In
1697 he confessed his error, and in 1700 he wrote one of the earliest
antislavery tracts. His diary remains a revealing picture of his times.[1]



SewardPeninsula

SewardPeninsula
Sew·ard
Pen·in·su·la

peninsula in western Alaska
that projects into the Bering Sea. Length: 320 km/200 mi.[1]



Seward,William H.

Seward,William H.
Se·ward 
[s ərd], William H. (1801–1872)

U.S.
statesman. As secretary of state (1861–1869) under presidents Lincoln and
Johnson, he negotiated foreign policy during the Civil War, and in 1867
purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, an act widely derided at the
time as “Seward’s folly.”
Full name
Seward, William Henry[1]



Sewell,Anna

Sewell,Anna
Sew·ell 
[s əl], Anna (1820–1878)

British writer. Her only
book, Black Beauty ( 1877 ), was written to advocate humane treatment of
animals and became a children’s classic.[1]



sewellel

sewellel
se·wel·lel 
[sə wélləl] (plural se·wel·lels)
noun

See
mountain beaver
[Early 19th century. From
Chinook šwalál “robe made of sewellel skin.”][1]



sewer

sewer2
sew·er2 [s
ər] (plural sew·ers) noun

medieval
servant:
a medieval servant who served meals
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman asseour, from French asseoir “to place a seat for,”
literally “to sit to,” ultimately from Latin sedere “to sit.”][1]



sewer

sewer3
sew·er3 [sṓ
ər] noun

somebody or something that
sews: somebody or something that
sews[1]



sewer

sewer1
sew·er1 [s
ər] (past sew·ered, past participle sew·ered,
present participle sew·er·ing, 3rd person present singular
sew·ers, plural sew·ers) noun

drain
for waste:
a pipe or drain, usually underground, that carries away waste or rainwater
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman sever from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin exaquare
“to remove water, drain,” from Latin ex- “out” + aqua “water”
(source of English aquarium ).][1]



sewerage

sewerage
sew·er·age 
[s ərij] noun

1.  sewer
system:
a system of sewers

2.  removal
of waste:
the removal of waste by means of sewers

3.  See
sewage

[1]



sewing

sewing
sew·ing 
[sṓ ing] noun

1.  use
of needle and thread: the act or work of using a
needle and thread to join or repair material

2.  material
being sewn:
a piece of material that somebody is sewing

[1]



sewingcircle

sewingcircle
sew·ing
cir·cle
(plural sew·ing cir·cles) noun

group of people who sew:
a group of people who meet regularly to sew items, often for charity[1]



sewingmachine

sewingmachine
sew·ing
ma·chine
(plural sew·ing ma·chines) noun

machine for sewing:
a machine, now usually electric, for sewing material[1]



sewn

sewn
sewn


Past participle of
sew[1]



sewup

sewup
sew
up
transitive verb

finish something
successfully: to finish a business or
plan successfully[1]



sex-

sex-
sex-
prefix

six
• sexangular
[From Latin sex “six.”
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “six,” which is also the ancestor of
English six and hexa- .][1]



sex

sex
sex 
[seks] noun (plural sex·es)

1.  male
or female gender: either of the two reproductive
categories, male or female, of animals and plants

2.  intercourse:
sexual intercourse

3.  sexual
behavior:
sexual activity or behavior leading to it

4.  genitals:
the genitals (literary)

5.  BIOLOGY reproductive
characteristics: the set of characteristics that
determine whether the reproductive role of an animal or plant is male or female
adjective

of sex:
relating to sexual matters or the sexes
transitive
verb
(past sexed, past participle sexed, present
participle sex·ing, 3rd person present singular sex·es)

determine sex of:
to determine the sex of an animal or plant
[14th
century. Via French sexe or directly from Latin sexus . The
meaning of “sexual intercourse” (first recorded in the works of D. H. Lawrence
) is a 20th century development.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at gender.

[1]



sexagenarian

sexagenarian
sex·a·ge·nar·i·an 
[sèksəjə náiree ən] (plural sex·a·ge·nar·i·ans)
or sex·ag·e·nar·y [sek sájjə nèrree]
noun

somebody
aged in sixties: somebody aged between 60 and 69
—sex·a·ge·nar·i·an, adjective[1]



Sexagesima

Sexagesima
Sex·a·ges·i·ma 
[sèksə jéssimə] (plural Sex·a·ges·i·mas)
noun

CALENDAR second
Sunday before Lent: in the Christian calendar,
the second Sunday before Lent, eight weeks before Easter
[14th century. From
ecclesiastical Latin, a form of Latin sexagesimus “sixtieth” (see sexagesimal ); probably because the day occurs two
Sundays before Quadragesima, literally “fortieth (day).”][1]



sexagesimal

sexagesimal
sex·a·ges·i·mal 
[sèksə jéssim’l] adjective

based
on 60:
relating to or based on the number 60
noun
(plural sex·a·ges·i·mals)

fraction
with denominator power of 60: a fraction in which the
denominator is a power of 60
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin sexagesimus “sixtieth,” from sexaginta “sixty” (see
sexagenary ).][1]



sexappeal

sexappeal
sex
ap·peal
noun

1.  sexual
attractiveness: the quality of being sexually attractive

2.  appeal:
attractiveness in general • Their
new product has real sex appeal.

[1]



sexavalent

sexavalent
sex·a·va·lent
[sèksə váylənt] adjective

See
hexavalent[1]



sexcell

sexcell
sex
cell
(plural sex cells) noun

See
gamete[1]



sexcentenary

sexcentenary
sex·cen·te·nar·y 
[sèk sen ténnəree, sek
sént’n èrree] adjective

1.  of
600:
relating to the number 600 or a period of 600 years

2.  of
600th anniversary: relating to a 600th
anniversary
noun
(plural sex·cen·te·nar·ies)

600th anniversary:
a 600th anniversary or the celebration of one

[1]



sexchange

sexchange
sex
change
(plural sex chang·es) noun

change from one sex to other:
an operation with accompanying hormonal treatment that changes somebody’s
physical characteristics from those of one sex to the other[1]



sexchromatin

sexchromatin
sex
chro·ma·tin
(plural sex chro·ma·tins) noun

See
Barr body[1]



sexchromosome

sexchromosome
sex
chro·mo·some (plural sex chro·mo·somes)
noun

chromosome determining sex:
a chromosome that determines the sex of an organism such as the X and Y
chromosomes in humans and other mammals. In each cell nucleus, a male mammal
has one X and one Y chromosome, and a female has two X chromosomes.[1]



sexduction

sexduction
sex·duc·tion 
[seks dúksh’n] noun

transfer
of genetic material: the transfer of a fragment
of chromosome from one bacterial cell to another by its incorporation into a
special DNA particle ( plasmid ) that
initiates sexual conjugation between the cells
[Mid-20th century. Blend of sex and transduction
.][1]



sexed

sexed
sexed
[sekst] adjective

1.  interested
in sex:
having a particular degree of interest in sex • highly
sexed

2.  BIOLOGY having
sexual characteristics: possessing sexual
characteristics
[Late 16th century][1]



sexennial

sexennial
sex·en·ni·al 
[sek sénnee əl] adjective

occurring
every six years: happening every six years or over a
period of six years
noun
(plural sex·en·ni·als)

something
occurring every six years: something that happens every
six years or over a period of six years
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin sexennium “a period of six years,” from annus
“year” (see annual ).]
—sex·en·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



sexfactor

sexfactor
sex
fac·tor
(plural sex fac·tors) noun

genetic structure:
a genetic element found in certain bacteria that enables the cell to put out a
fine tube to another bacterial cell and transfer some of its genetic material.
Also called
fertility factor[1]



sexgland

sexgland
sex
gland
(plural sex glands) noun

See
gonad[1]



sexhormone

sexhormone
sex
hor·mone
(plural sex hor·mones) noun

hormone affecting sexual
development: a hormone that affects
the development of the reproductive organs and sexual characteristics[1]



sexism

sexism
sex·ism 
[sék sìzzəm] noun

1.  sex
discrimination: discrimination against women or men
because of their sex

2.  sexual
stereotyping: the tendency to treat people as cultural
stereotypes of their sex

[1]



sexist

sexist
sex·ist
[séksist] adjective

1.  believing
one sex is inferior: believing that one sex is
inferior to the other in a variety of attributes

2.  resulting
from sexist belief: resulting from or relating
to the belief that one sex is inferior to the other in a variety of attributes
noun
(plural sex·ists)

somebody who is sexist:
somebody who believes that one sex is weaker to the other in a variety of
attributes

[1]



sexivalent

sexivalent
sex·i·va·lent
[sèksi váylənt] adjective

See
hexavalent[1]



sexkitten

sexkitten
sex
kit·ten
(plural sex kit·tens) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to a young woman perceived as sexually appealing (offensive)[1]



sexless

sexless
sex·less 
[séksləss] adjective

1.  without
sexual activity: living without sexual intercourse or
interest in sex

2.  not
sexy:
sexually unattractive

3.  without
sexual characteristics: used to describe an animal
or plant that has no, or no obvious, sexual characteristics
—sex·less·ly,
adverb

—sex·less·ness, noun[1]



sex-limited

sex-limited
sex-lim·i·ted 
adjective

occurring in one sex only:
used to describe genetically inherited traits or conditions that appear in one
sex only, although the genes themselves may be found in either sex[1]



sex-linked

sex-linked
sex-linked 
adjective

transmitted
by genes on sex chromosome: relating to a gene located
on a sex chromosome, typically the X chromosome, or inheritance determined by
such a gene
—sex-link·age, noun[1]



sexobject

sexobject
sex
ob·ject
(plural sex ob·jects) noun

somebody used for sex:
somebody treated or seen as worthy of notice because of characteristics
perceived as sexually appealing[1]



sexoffender

sexoffender
sex
of·fend·er
(plural sex of·fend·ers) noun

somebody who commits sex
crime: somebody who commits a crime
involving a sexual act[1]



sexology

sexology
sex·ol·o·gy 
[sek sólləjee] noun

study
of human sexuality: the study of human sexual
behavior
—sex·o·log·i·cal
[sèksə lójjik’l], adjective

—sex·ol·o·gist [sek sólləjist], noun[1]



sexpartite

sexpartite
sex·par·tite 
[seks pr tt] adjective

1.  ARCHITECTURE consisting
of six parts: divided into or made up of six parts • a
sexpartite vault

2.  having
six participants: involving six participants
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from sex- + partite
.][1]



sexploitation

sexploitation
sex·ploi·ta·tion 
[sèks ploy táysh’n] noun

exploitation
of sex:
the deliberate use of sexual material to make a product, especially a movie,
commercially successful
[Mid-20th century. Blend of sex and exploitation
.][1]



sexpot

sexpot
sex·pot 
[séks pòt] (plural sex·pots) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to a woman who appears to radiate sexuality (offensive)[1]



sexrole

sexrole
sex
role
(plural sex roles) noun

behavior typical of a sex:
a set of behaviors characteristic of or expected of members of one sex or the
other[1]



sexshop

sexshop
sex
shop
(plural sex shops) noun

shop selling items used
during sex: a shop that sells items
intended to aid sexual arousal or add to the pleasure of sexual intercourse[1]



sex-starved

sex-starved
sex-starved
adjective

wanting sexual activity:
lacking sexual activity even though it is desired[1]



sexsymbol

sexsymbol
sex
sym·bol
(plural sex sym·bols) noun

sexually attractive
celebrity: somebody such as a movie
star whose fame is linked to a widely perceived sex appeal[1]



sext

sext
sext
[sekst] (plural sexts) noun

fourth
canonical hour: in Christianity, especially Roman
Catholicism, the fourth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, or
the prayers said then. This was originally the sixth hour of the day, midday.
[14th century. Formed from
Latin sexta (hora) “sixth (hour),” the feminine of sextus .][1]



sextain

sextain
sex·tain
[sék stàyn] (plural sex·tains)
noun

See
sestina
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from sex- on the
model of quatrain and similar forms.][1]



Sextans

Sextans
Sex·tans 
[sék stànz] noun

equatorial constellation near
Leo: a faint constellation of the
equatorial region lying between Leo and Hydra[1]



sextant

sextant

sex·tant 
[sékstənt] (plural sex·tants) noun
navigational
instrument:
a navigational instrument incorporating a telescope and an angular scale that
is used to work out latitude and longitude. A celestial body is viewed through
the telescope and its angular distance above the horizon is read off the scale.
The data is then used to calculate position.
[Late 16th century. From the
Latin stem sextant- “sixth part (of a circle)” (referring to the arc on
which the scale is marked), from sextus .][1]



sextet

sextet
sex·tet 
[sek stét] (plural sex·tets) or
sex·tette [sek stét] (plural sex·tettes)
noun

1.  six
players or singers: a group of six musicians or
singers, or a piece of music composed for them

2.  six
people or things: any group of six people or things
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of sestet under the influence of Latin sex
“six” (see sex- ).][1]



sextherapy

sextherapy
sex
ther·a·py
noun

treatment
of sexual problems: the treatment of sexual
problems through counseling and psychotherapy
—sex ther·a·pist, noun[1]



sextile

sextile
sex·tile 
[sékst’l, sék
stl] (plural sex·tiles) noun

1.  STATISTICS statistical
division:
any of the six equal groups into which a statistical sample can be divided

2.  STATISTICS statistical
value:
any of the five statistical values that divide a frequency distribution into
six parts, with each containing a sixth of the sample population

3.  ASTRONOMY angle
between planets: a position of two celestial bodies in
which they are 60 degrees apart as viewed from the Earth
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin sextilis, from sextus “sixth.”]
—sex·tile, adjective[1]



sextillion

sextillion
sex·til·lion 
[sek stíllyən] (plural sex·til·lions
or sex·til·lion) noun

1.  1
followed by 21 zeros: the number equal to 10 21, written as 1 followed by 21
zeros

2.  U.K.
1
followed by 36 zeros: the number equal to 10 36, written as 1 followed by 36
zeros (dated)
[Late
17th century. From French, formed from Latin sex “six” (see sex- ) on the model of million and similar
numerals.]
—sex·til·lion,
adjective, pronoun

—sex·til·lionth, noun,
adjective[1]



sextodecimo

sextodecimo
sex·to·dec·i·mo 
[sèkstō déssi m] (plural sex·to·dec·i·mos)
noun

book
page size:
a size of book page obtained by folding a sheet of paper into 16 leaves,
producing 32 pages.
Also
called
sixteenmo
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
sexto decimo, a form of sextus decimus “sixteenth,” literally
“sixth tenth” ( decimus : source of English decimal
).][1]



sexton

sexton
sex·ton 
[sékstən] (plural sex·tons) noun

church
caretaker:
the caretaker of a church and its graveyard whose duties often include ringing
the bell and digging graves
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman segerstein from, ultimately, medieval Latin sacristanus
“sacristan” (see sacristan ).][1]



Sexton,Anne

Sexton,Anne
Sex·ton 
[sékstən], Anne (1928–1974)

U.S.
poet. Much of her intense poetry dealt with the psychiatric disorder that led
to her suicide.
Born
Anne Harvey[1]



sextuple

sextuple
sex·tu·ple 
[sek stp’l, sek
stúpp’l, sék stùpp’l] noun

MATHEMATICS number
six times another: a number or quantity that is
six times another number or quantity
adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS being
six times another: relating to or being a
number or quantity that is six times another number or quantity

2.  consisting
of six parts: made up of six parts or members

3.  MUSIC having
six beats to bar: used to describe a time or rhythm in
which there are six beats to the bar
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sex·tu·pled,
past participle sex·tu·pled, present participle sex·tu·pling,
3rd person present singular sex·tu·ples)

multiply by six:
to multiply something by six or be multiplied by six
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin sextuplus, from Latin sex “six” (see sex- ), on the model of medieval Latin quintuplus
“quintuple.”][1]



sextuplet

sextuplet
sex·tup·let 
[sek stúpplət, sek
stplət, sék stùpplət] (plural
sex·tup·lets) noun

1.  BIOLOGY one of
six offspring born together: one of six offspring born in
a single birth

2.  group
of six:
a group of six things

3.  MUSIC group
of six notes: a group of six notes played in a time
normally given to four
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from sextuple on the model of triplet
.][1]



sextuplicate

sextuplicate
sex·tu·pli·cate 
[sek stplikət, sek
stúpplikət] noun (plural sex·tu·pli·cates)

set of six copies:
a set of six things, especially identical copies
adjective

MATHEMATICS being
six times another: relating to or being a
number or quantity that is six times another number or quantity
verb
(past sex·tu·pli·cat·ed, past participle sex·tu·pli·cat·ed,
present participle sex·tu·pli·cat·ing, 3rd person present
singular sex·tu·pli·cates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb MATHEMATICS multiply by six:
to multiply something by six or be multiplied by six

2.  transitive
verb
make
six copies:
to make six copies of something
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from medieval Latin sextuplicat-, the past participle stem of sextuplicare
“to increase sixfold,” from, ultimately, Latin sex “six” (see sex- ).][1]



sex-typed

sex-typed
sex-typed
adjective

appropriate
for just one sex: intended for or conventionally perceived
as appropriate for one sex and not the other
—sex-typ·ing, noun[1]



sexual

sexual
sex·u·al 
[sékshoo əl, séksh’l]
adjective

1.  of
sex:
relating to sex, sexuality, or the sexual organs

2.  relating
to either sex: relating to the two sexes or to either
of them

3.  BIOLOGY involving
reproductive union: relating to the union of
male and female gametes in reproduction
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin sexualis, from Latin sexus “sex.”]
—sex·u·al·ly, adverb[1]



sexualassault

sexualassault
sex·u·al
as·sault
(plural sex·u·al as·saults) noun

forced sexual contact:
an incident that involves sexual contact that is forced on somebody or to which
somebody cannot consent[1]



sexualdimorphism

sexualdimorphism
sex·u·al
di·mor·phism noun

differences between male and
female: the existence of differences
in the appearance of the male and female of a species[1]



sexualharassment

sexualharassment
sex·u·al
ha·rass·ment noun

unwanted sexual advances:
unwanted sex-related behavior toward somebody, for example, touching somebody
or making suggestive remarks, especially by somebody with authority to a
subordinate[1]



sexualintercourse

sexualintercourse
sex·u·al
in·ter·course noun

insertion of penis into
vagina: an act carried out for
reproduction or pleasure involving penetration, especially one in which a man
inserts his erect penis into a woman’s vagina.
Also called
sexual relations
Also called
intercourse[1]



sexuality

sexuality
sex·u·al·i·ty 
[sèkshoo állətee] noun

1.  state
of being sexual: the state of being sexual

2.  involvement
in sexual activity: involvement or interest in
sexual activity

3.  sexual
appeal:
sexual appeal or potency

[1]



sexualize

sexualize
sex·u·al·ize 
[sékshoo ə lz] (past sex·u·al·ized,
past participle sex·u·al·ized, present participle sex·u·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sex·u·al·iz·es) transitive verb

make something sexual:
to impose a sexual interpretation or perception on something or somebody[1]



sexuallytransmitted disease

sexuallytransmitted disease
sex·u·al·ly
trans·mit·ted dis·ease  (plural sex·u·al·ly
trans·mit·ted dis·eases) noun

disease caught through sexual
activity: a disease such as syphilis
or genital herpes that is normally passed from one person to another through
sexual activity[1]



sexualorientation

sexualorientation
sex·u·al
o·ri·en·ta·tion (plural sex·u·al
o·ri·en·ta·tions) noun

nature of sexual preference:
the direction of somebody’s sexual desire, toward people of the opposite sex or
of the same sex, or of both sexes[1]



sexualrelations

sexualrelations
sex·u·al
re·la·tions
plural noun

See
sexual intercourse[1]



sexualreproduction

sexualreproduction
sex·u·al
re·pro·duc·tion noun

reproduction involving union
of gametes: reproduction that involves
the union of male and female gametes, each contributing half of the genetic
makeup of the resulting zygote[1]



sexualselection

sexualselection
sex·u·al
se·lec·tion
noun

choice of mate:
the choice by a female animal of a mate on the basis of a characteristic, for
example, a bird song or bright plumage[1]



sexup

sexup
sex
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sexually
arouse:
to arouse somebody sexually or become aroused

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody or something appealing: to made somebody or
something more appealing or stimulating, especially sexually

[1]



sexvalent

sexvalent
sex·va·lent
adjective

See
hexavalent[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sexwork

sexwork
sex
work
noun

work
in the sex industry: the work of somebody in one
of the sex industries such as pornography or prostitution
—sex work·er, noun[1]



sexy

sexy
sex·y 
[séksee] (comparative sex·i·er,
superlative sex·i·est) adjective

1.  arousing
desire:
arousing or intended to arouse sexual desire

2.  aroused:
sexually aroused

3.  appealing:
appealing especially because of being new, interesting, or trendy (informal)
—sex·i·ly,
adverb

—sex·i·ness, noun[1]



Seychelles

Seychelles



Sey·chelles 
[say shélz]
island
republic in the Indian Ocean. It contains four main islands and many islets.
Language: Creole. Language: English. Language: French. Currency: Seychelles
rupee. Capital: Victoria. Population: 76,100 (1996) Area: 455 sq km/175 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Seychelles
—Sey·chell·ois [sày shel w], adjective, noun[1]



Seychelles




Back to definition

Seychelles

[1]



Seyfertgalaxy

Seyfertgalaxy
Sey·fert
gal·ax·y 
[sfərt gàlləksee, sfərt
gàlləksee] noun

small
spiral galaxy: a small spiral galaxy that varies in
brightness and emits radio waves and X-rays
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Carl K. Seyfert ( 1911–1960 ), the U.S. astronomer who first described
this type of galaxy.][1]



Seymour,Jane

Seymour,Jane

Sey·mour 
[sm awr], Jane, Queen of England and
Ireland (1509?–1537)
She was the third wife of Henry VIII of
England, and died shortly after giving birth to Edward VI, Henry’s only male
heir.[1]



señor

señor
se·ñor
[sayn yáwr, sin
yáwr] (plural se·ñors or se·ñor·es [sayn yáw rayss, sin
yáw rayss]) noun

Spanish
equivalent of Mr.: a Spanish title equivalent
to English “Mr.”
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish, via medieval Latin senior (see senhor
).][1]



señora

señora
se·ño·ra
[sayn yáwrə, sin
yáwrə] (plural se·ño·ras) noun

Spanish
equivalent of Mrs.: a Spanish title equivalent
to English “Mrs.”
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish, formed from señor .][1]



señorita

señorita
se·ño·ri·ta
[sàynyə rtə, sènnyə
rtə] (plural se·ño·ri·tas) noun

Spanish
equivalent of Miss: a Spanish title equivalent
to English “Miss”
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish, literally “little señora,” formed from señora
.][1]



SF

SF
SF

1.  Abbreviation
of
science fiction

2.  Abbreviation
of
sinking fund

3.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of sacrifice fly

[1]



sf

sf
sf

1.  Abbreviation
of
sforzando

2.  Abbreviation
of
science fiction

[1]



Sfax

Sfax
Sfax
[sfaks]

port and capital city of
Safaqis Governorate, east-central Tunisia. Population: 230,900 (1994)[1]



SFC

SFC
SFC
noun

Abbreviation of
sergeant first class[1]



sferics

sferics
sfer·ics 
plural noun

See
spherics[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sforzando

sforzando
sfor·zan·do 
[sfawrt sndō] adverb

with
strong accent: with a sudden strong accent (used as
a musical direction)
noun
(plural sfor·zan·dos or sfor·zan·di [sfawrt sndee])

sudden
strong note: a note or chord that is to be played
with a sudden strong accent, or a symbol indicating this
[Early
19th century. From Italian, formed from sforzare “to use force,” from,
ultimately, Latin fortis “strong” (see fortis
).]
—sfor·zan·do, adjective[1]



sfumato

sfumato
sfu·ma·to 
[sfoo mtō] noun

gradual
blending:
the gradual blending of one area of color into another without a sharp outline
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, past participle of sfumare “to tone down,” literally “to smoke
out,” from, ultimately, Latin fumus “smoke” (see fume ).][1]



sfz.

sfz.
sfz.

Abbreviation of
sforzando[1]



S.G.

S.G.
S.G.
noun LAW

1.  Abbreviation
of
solicitor general

2.  Abbreviation
of
Secretary General

[1]



Sg

Sg
Sg

Abbreviation of
Song of Songs[1]



sg

sg
sg

Abbreviation of
specific gravity[1]



SG

SG
SG

1.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
senior grade

2.  Abbreviation
of
solicitor general
noun

SURGERY Abbreviation of
Surgeon General


Abbreviation of
singular

[1]



sgd.

sgd.
sgd.

Abbreviation of
signed[1]



SGHWR

SGHWR
SGHWR
(plural SGH·WRs)

Abbreviation of
steam-generating heavy-water reactor[1]



SGML

SGML
SGML 
noun

method of representing text
electronically: an international
standard for the definition of system-independent methods of representing texts
in electronic form by describing the relationship between a document’s form and
its structure. SGML is used widely to manage large documents that are subject to
frequent revisions and need to be printed in different formats. Full form
Standard Generalized Markup Language[1]



SGP

SGP
SGP

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Singapore[1]



sgraffito

sgraffito
sgraf·fi·to 
[zgraa ftō, skraa
ftō] (plural sgraf·fi·ti [zgraa
ftee, skrftee]) noun

1.  decoration
technique:
a technique used to decorate ceramics or plaster walls, in which the top layer
has patterns scratched into it, revealing the different-colored layer beneath

2.  decoration:
a decoration made using the sgraffito technique

3.  decorated
object:
an object decorated using the sgraffito technique
[Mid-18th century. From
Italian, the past participle of sgraffire “to scratch,” from sgraffio
“scratch,” from sgraffiare “to scratch” from Old Italian, literally “to
scratch completely,” from graffiare (see graffito
).][1]



Sgt.

Sgt.
Sgt.

Abbreviation of
Sergeant[1]



Sgt.Maj.

Sgt.Maj.
Sgt.
Maj.

Abbreviation of
Sergeant Major[1]



sh

sh
sh 
or shh interjection

be
silent:
used to tell somebody to be silent or quieter
[Mid-19th century. A
naturally produced interjection.][1]



sh.

sh.
sh.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sheep

2.  Abbreviation
of
sheet

3.  Abbreviation
of
shilling

4.  Abbreviation
of
share

[1]



SHA

SHA
SHA

Abbreviation of
sidereal hour angle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Shaanxi

Shaanxi
Shaan·xi 
[shaa nshee]

province in China bordering
Ningsia Hui, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Gansu. Capital:
Xi’an. Population: 34,810,000 (1994) Area: 195,799 sq km/75,598 sq mi.[1]



Shabbat

Shabbat
Shab·bat 
[shə bt] (plural Shab·ba·tot
[shàbba tṓt] or Shab·bes [shbəss]) noun

CALENDAR Jewish
Sabbath:
the Jewish Sabbath, celebrated on Saturday
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew šabbā, literally “day of rest” (source of English Sabbath ).][1]



shabby

shabby
shab·by 
[shábbee] (comparative shab·bi·er,
superlative shab·bi·est) adjective

1.  worn
and threadbare: worn out, frayed, or threadbare after
long use

2.  wearing
worn clothes: wearing worn-out clothing and perceived
as being unappealing to the eye

3.  inconsiderate:
inconsiderate and unfair • won’t
put up with shabby treatment

4.  inferior
in quality:
inferior in quality • shabby
goods

5.  run
down:
poorly maintained and thus falling apart or dirty • a
shabby section of town
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from obsolete shab “disreputable person,” from Old
English sceabb “scab.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that
is also the ancestor of English scab
.]
—shab·bi·ly,
adverb

—shab·bi·ness, noun[1]



Shacharis

Shacharis
Sha·cha·ris
[shkhriss] noun

Jewish
morning liturgy: the Jewish morning liturgy
[From Hebrew šaḥări,
literally “morning time”][1]



shack

shack
shack 
[shak] noun

small
flimsy building: a small crude building typically made of
boards or sheets of material, usually without a foundation
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Mexican Spanish jacal “wooden hut” from Nahuatl xacalli
.][1]



shackle

shackle
shack·le 
[shák’l] noun

1.  metal
bracelet for holding prisoners: a round metal band
that can be opened or locked in order to hold the wrist or ankle of a captive,
usually attached by chains in pairs or fours (often used in the plural)

2.  RIDING binder
for animal legs: a device used to hold together the legs
of horses and other animals

3.  U-shaped
fastener:
a U-shaped bar that is fastened with a straight pin or bolt to hold something
securely

4.  restraint
on freedom:
an oppressive restraint on something or somebody (often plural) • mental
shackles
transitive
verb
(past shack·led, past participle shack·led, present
participle shack·ling, 3rd person present singular shack·les)

1.  restrict
freedom:
to restrict the freedom of somebody or something • felt
shackled by the inflexible rules

2.  restrain
with shackles: to restrain somebody or an animal using
shackles

3.  secure
with shackle: to connect or secure something with a
shackle
[Old
English sceacul . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word denoting
“a fastening.”]
—shack·ler, noun[1]



Shackleton,Ernest Henry

Shackleton,Ernest Henry
Shack·le·ton
[shák’ltən], Sir Ernest Henry (1874–1922)

Irish explorer. He was the
leader of an expedition that almost reached the South Pole (1907–1909). He was
the first to cross South Georgia (1916), but died there on his fourth
expedition.[1]



shackup

shackup
shack
up
intransitive verb

live
with lover:
to live with a lover without being married (informal disapproving)
[From the practice of
military personnel living with local women off base][1]



shad

shad
shad 
[shad] (plural shads or
shad) noun

fish
in herring family: any of various North
Atlantic fishes similar to herring, commonly used as food. They leave salt
water to spawn upstream in rivers. Genus: Alosa
[Old English sceadd][1]



shadberry

shadberry
shad·ber·ry 
[shád bèrree] (plural shad·ber·ries)
noun

See
serviceberry  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From its
flowering when shad appear in the rivers to spawn.][1]



shadblow

shadblow
shad·blow 
[shád bl] noun

See
serviceberry  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. “blow,”
from blow .][1]



shadbush

shadbush
shad·bush 
[shád bsh] noun

See
serviceberry  noun 1[1]



shadchan

shadchan
shad·chan
[shdkhən] (plural shad·cha·nim
[shdkhənim] or shad·chans) or
shad·khan [shdkhən] (plural shad·ka·nim
or shad·khans) noun

Jewish
marriage broker: a marriage broker for Jewish couples
[Mid-19th century. Via
Yiddish shadkhn from medieval Hebrew šadděān, from šiddē
“to make marriage proposals.”][1]



shaddock

shaddock
shad·dock 
[sháddək] noun

See
pomelo  noun 1
See pomelo  noun 2
[Late 17th century. Named for
a 17th century English ship captain named Shaddock, who brought the seed
to Barbados.][1]



shade

shade
shade 
[shayd] noun

1.  area
out of direct sunlight: an area of relative darkness
where direct sunlight is blocked or obscured

2.  slightly
different color: a color that is a variation on a basic
color, for example, by being more or less bright or dark • a
pretty shade of blue

3.  something
that blocks light: something, for example, a
lampshade, used to block a direct light source

4.  window
device:
a flexible piece of material mounted on a window that can be rolled down to
block light or up to admit light

5.  ARTS dark
parts of painting: the darker areas of a
painting, drawing, or photograph.
Also
called
shadow

6.  small
amount:
a slight degree or amount • a shade
too close

7.  variation:
a slight variation on something similar • different
shades of opinion

8.  obscurity:
relative obscurity

9.  PARANORMAL ghost:
a ghost or phantom (literary)
Also
called
shadow

10. shadow:
a shadow (archaic)
plural
noun
shades

sunglasses:
sunglasses (informal)
verb
(past shad·ed, past participle shad·ed, present
participle shad·ing, 3rd person present singular shades)

1.  transitive
verb
protect
from sunlight: to protect something or block it off
from direct light, particularly from direct sunlight • The
awning shades the porch well.

2.  transitive
verb
darken
part of picture: to darken part of a drawing or picture
using pencil, ink, or some other dark medium • He
shaded in the trees in the background.

3.  intransitive
verb
change
slightly or gradually: to change imperceptibly into
something slightly different • The
cream gradually shades into gold.

4.  transitive
verb
darken:
to make a place or area darker

5.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS reduce
price:
to reduce a price slightly
[Old
English sceadu (source also of English shadow
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “darkness, shadow.”]
put
somebody or something in the shade

to
make somebody or something seem unimportant by appearing much more special or
attractive

shades
of somebody or something

used to say that something is
reminiscent of something, especially a time in the past or the work of a writer
or other artist • You
can take tea on the terrace –shades of E. M. Forster –or ride on an elephant.[1]



Shades

Shades
Shades
[shaydz] plural noun

Hades:
the underworld (literary)
[Late 16th century.
Originally in the meaning “darkness” (as of the underworld).][1]



shadetree

shadetree
shade
tree
(plural shade trees) noun

tree planted to give shade:
a tree with a broad crown that is planted to shade an area from sunlight[1]



shadfly

shadfly
shad·fly 
[shád fl] (plural shad·flies)
noun

See
mayfly
[Early 19th century. From its
appearance when shad appear in the rivers to spawn.][1]



shading

shading
shad·ing 
[sháyding] noun

1.  darkened
area in picture: an area of relatively dark tone or close
lines, dots, or hatching that produces darkness or shadow in a drawing or
picture

2.  slight
difference:
a subtle difference or variation

[1]



shadoof

shadoof
sha·doof 
[shə df, shaa
df] or sha·duf [shə df,
shaa df] noun

Egyptian
water-moving machine: a water-raising device used
in ancient Egypt consisting of a suspended pivoting pole with a bucket on one
end and a counterweight on the other
[Mid-19th century. From
Egyptian Arabic šādūf .][1]



shadow

shadow
shad·ow 
[sháddō] noun

1.  darkened
shape of something in light: a darkened shape on a
surface that falls behind somebody or something blocking the light

2.  darkness:
relative darkness in a place that is being screened or blocked off from direct
sunlight • Part
of the room was in shadow.

3.  hint
of something: a slight suggestion or hint of something
• beyond
the shadow of a doubt

4.  ominous
gloom:
a depressing or ominous gloom • The
news cast a shadow over the party.

5.  threat:
an ever-present threat or blight • living
under the shadow of environmental disaster

6.  dark
area under eyes: a darkened area of skin under the eyes
usually caused by fatigue

7.  overshadowed
state:
a state in which somebody is always overshadowed by another person • grew
up in his brother’s shadow

8.  somebody
always following after another: somebody who
constantly follows another person around wanting to be with the other person

9.  person
secretly trailing another: somebody, for example, a
detective or spy, who secretly follows somebody

10. ARTS See shade  noun 5

11. PARANORMAL See shade  noun 9

12. reflection:
a reflection of something in water • the
shadow of the stars in the dark lake

13. copy:
an imitation or copy of something

14. inferior
remnant:
a remnant of somebody or something formerly greater or more important • now
a shadow of her former self

15. BUSINESS somebody
learning job by following worker: somebody who learns a
job by following and observing somebody else who knows or regularly does the
job

16. MEDICINE abnormal
area in X-ray: an abnormal area showing up on an X-ray

17. PSYCHOLOGY Jungian
archetype:
in Jungian psychology, the archetype that represents sexual and aggressive
instincts inherited from a more primitive stage of humanity

18. shelter:
something that provides protection
transitive
verb
(past shad·owed, past participle shad·owed, present
participle shad·ow·ing, 3rd person present singular shad·ows)

1.  protect
from light:
to shade something from the light • Her
face was shadowed by a wide-brimmed straw hat.

2.  follow:
to follow somebody secretly • The
police had been shadowing him for days.

3.  BUSINESS learn
job by following worker: to learn a job by following
somebody who is actually doing the job

4.  represent
vaguely:
to represent something vaguely or in outline

5.  shelter
something:
to provide protection from something (archaic)
adjective

U.K. POLITICS in
capacity of opposition counterpart: used
to describe a member of an opposition party who speaks on a particular area of
policy and would hold a ministerial job if the party were in government • the
shadow cabinet
[Old
English sceaduwe, a form of sceadu (see shade
)]
—shad·ow·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



shadowbox

shadowbox
shad·ow
box
noun

display box:
a shallow box consisting of a frame and a glass front in which small objects
can be displayed and protected[1]



shadowbox

shadowbox
shad·ow·box 
[sháddō bòks] (past shad·ow·boxed,
past participle shad·ow·boxed, present participle shad·ow·box·ing,
3rd person present singular shad·ow·box·es) intransitive verb

box with imaginary opponent:
to practice boxing moves by sparring with an imaginary partner[1]



shadowdance

shadowdance
shad·ow
dance
noun

dance seen through screen:
a dance performance in which the dancers’ shadows are seen on a screen[1]



shadowgraph

shadowgraph
shad·ow·graph 
[sháddō gràf] noun

1.  image
cast in shadow: an image of a shape made by casting a
shadow onto a surface, for example, by shaping the hands so that their shadow
resembles the silhouette of an animal

2.  See
radiograph

[1]



shadowmask

shadowmask
shad·ow
mask
noun

part in TV tube:
a perforated metal sheet mounted close to the rear of the phosphor dot
faceplate of a three gun color picture tube. The shadow mask is used to direct
the electron beam to the desired phosphor color element.[1]



shadowplay

shadowplay
shad·ow
play
noun

performance seen in shadow:
a theatrical performance where the audience views a screen on which the shadows
of puppets or performers are cast by a light source behind them[1]



shadowprice

shadowprice
shad·ow
price
noun

estimated price:
the estimated price of goods or a service for which no market price exists[1]



shadowsenator

shadowsenator
shad·ow
sen·a·tor
noun

nonvoting D.C. Senator:
a nonvoting representative of the District of Columbia in the Senate[1]



shadowy

shadowy
shad·ow·y 
[sháddō ee] (comparative shad·ow·i·er,
superlative shad·ow·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of shadows:
full of shadows or shade

2.  not
clearly seen: not clearly or only vaguely seen

3.  mysterious:
mysteriously little-known or obscure
—shad·ow·i·ness, noun[1]



shaduf

shaduf
sha·duf 
noun

See
shadoof[1]



shady

shady
shad·y 
[sháydee] (comparative shad·i·er,
superlative shad·i·est) adjective

1.  having
shade:
having little natural light, often giving shelter from harsh sunlight

2.  dishonest:
probably dishonest or illegal • shady
dealings with foreign investors

3.  providing
shade:
providing shade
—shad·i·ly,
adverb

—shad·i·ness, noun[1]



SHAEF

SHAEF
SHAEF
[shayf]

Abbreviation of
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces[1]



shaft

shaft
shaft 
[shaft] noun

1.  long
handle:
the long slender handle on various instruments and tools, for example, golf
clubs and hammers

2.  vertical
passage:
a vertical passage, especially one in which an elevator travels or one that
gives access to a mine

3.  passage
for ventilation in building: a small passageway in a
building, particularly in a wall, ceiling, or floor, to allow for air
circulation

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING rotating
rod in machine: a rotating rod that provides motion or
power for a machine

5.  light
beam:
a beam of light • a shaft of sunlight

6.  sharp
comment:
a sharp or barbed comment directed at somebody • a
shaft of wit

7.  pole
for harnessing horse: either of the two parallel
bars by which an animal is harnessed to a cart or wagon

8.  harsh
treatment:
unkind or harsh treatment or dismissal (informal) • His
girlfriend gave him the shaft.

9.  arrow:
an arrow (literary)

10. body
of projectile: a long narrow rod that forms the body of
a spear, arrow, harpoon, or other projectile

11. ANATOMY middle
of long bone: the middle part of a long bone

12. ANATOMY body
of penis:
the cylindrical body of the penis

13. ANATOMY main
part of hair: the part of a hair that is visible above
the skin

14. ARCHITECTURE body
of column:
the main body of a column, between the capital and base

15. ARCHITECTURE column:
a column, especially one of a pair supporting an arch

16. BIRDS feather
rib:
the central rib of a feather

17. TREES tree
trunk:
the trunk of a tree

18. upright
part of cross: the upright bar in a cross
transitive
verb
(past shaft·ed, past participle shaft·ed, present
participle shaft·ing, 3rd person present singular shafts)

treat unfairly:
to cheat somebody or treat somebody unfairly (slang) • She
got shafted on her book contract.
[Old English sceaft][1]



shag

shag2
shag2  [shag]
(past shagged, past participle shagged, present
participle shag·ging, 3rd person present singular shags)
transitive verb

1.  retrieve:
to run and retrieve something

2.  BASEBALL catch
fly balls:
to chase, catch, and return fly balls in baseball practice

3.  chase
away:
to chase somebody or something away (regional)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shag

shag1
shag1 [shag]
noun

1.  long-piled
carpet:
a carpet or rug with a long thick pile

2.  TEXTILES long
pile on textile: a long rough nap or pile on a textile

3.  HAIRDRESSING layered
haircut:
a hairstyle with layers that are cut progressively shorter from base to crown

4.  DRUGS shredded
tobacco:
a strong, coarse tobacco that is finely shredded

5.  matted
tangle of hair: a rough matted tangle of hair or wool
transitive
verb
(past shagged, past participle shagged, present
participle shag·ging, 3rd person present singular shags)

1.  make
rough:
to cause something to be rough looking and shaggy

2.  provide
with shaft:
to provide something such as a tool with a shaft
[Old English sceacga][1]



shag

shag3
shag3 [shag]
noun

small
cormorant:
a small crested cormorant mainly found in Europe and North Africa. Latin name: Phalacrocorax
aristotelis
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from shag 1, because of
the bird’s shaggy crest.][1]



shag

shag4
shag4 [shag]
(past shagged, past participle shagged, present
participle shag·ging, 3rd person present singular shags)
intransitive and transitive verb

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to sexual intercourse (slang taboo)
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shag

shag5
shag5 [shag]
noun

1930s
dance:
a 1930s dance step involving hopping alternately on each foot
intransitive
verb
(past shagged, past participle shagged, present
participle shag·ging, 3rd person present singular shags)

dance
the shag:
to dance the shag
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain.]
—shag·ger, noun[1]



shagbark

shagbark
shag·bark 
[shág brk] or shag·bark hick·o·ry
[shág brk] noun

1.  TREES hickory
with shaggy bark: a hickory of eastern North America that
has gray shaggy bark. Latin name: Carya ovata
Also
called
shellbark

2.  INDUSTRY shagbark
wood:
the valuable hard light-colored wood of the shagbark

3.  FOOD hickory
nut:
the round hard-shelled edible nut of the shagbark

[1]



shaggy

shaggy
shag·gy 
[shággee] (comparative shag·gi·er,
superlative shag·gi·est) adjective

1.  long
and tangled: growing long and unevenly

2.  having
coarse long fibers: covered with or resembling
coarse, long, and usually uneven hair, wool, or similar fibers

3.  TEXTILES rough
napped:
having a rough, relatively long nap or pile

4.  done
without planning: done in a haphazard way, with little
thought or planning

[1]



shaggycap

shaggycap
shag·gy
cap
noun

See
shaggymane[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








shaggy-dogstory

shaggy-dogstory
shag·gy-dog
sto·ry 
noun

long
story with weak punchline: a long drawn-out absurd
story or joke, often with an ending or punchline that is anticlimactic
[From one such anecdote
involving a shaggy dog][1]



shaggymane

shaggymane
shag·gy·mane 
[shággi màyn] noun

edible mushroom with scales:
a common edible mushroom with shaggy scales on its cap that contain black
spores. Latin name: Coprinus comatus
Also called
shaggy cap[1]



shagreen

shagreen
sha·green 
[shə grn] noun

1.  rough
shark skin:
the rough skin of certain sharks and rays, used as an abrasive or as leather

2.  rough,
untanned leather: rough, untanned leather with a grainy
surface, made from the hide of various animals and often dyed green
[Late 17th century. Via
French chagrin “untanned leather” from Turkish sağri “back of a
horse.”][1]



shah

shah
shah 
[shaa] noun

hereditary
monarch of Iran: formerly, the hereditary monarch of
certain Middle Eastern nations, especially Iran
[Mid-16th
century. Via Persian šāh from Old Persian xšāyathiya- “king”
(source of English check ).]
—shah·dom, noun[1]



Shahn,Ben

Shahn,Ben
Shahn
[shaan], Ben (1898–1969)

Lithuanian-born U.S. artist.
He is known for employing bold colors and a poster-like style in paintings that
often had political themes.[1]



Shaitan

Shaitan
Shai·tan
noun

Devil:
in Islamic belief, the Devil[1]



shaitan

shaitan
shai·tan 
[shī tn, shày
tn] (plural shai·tans) noun

evil
spirit:
in Islamic countries, an evil spirit or person
[Mid-17th century. Via Arabic
šayān from Hebrew śāān .][1]



shake

shake
shake 
[shayk] verb (past shook
[shk], past participle shak·en
[sháykən], present participle shak·ing,
3rd person present singular shakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
back and forth: to move or make something or somebody
move back and forth or up and down in short quick movements • I
shook my coat to see if my keys were in the pockets.

2.  intransitive
verb
tremble:
to tremble uncontrollably • shaking
with fright

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
by shaking:
to achieve a particular state by shaking, or shake something in order to
achieve a particular state • The
door finally shook free of its hinges

4.  transitive
verb
shake
to dislodge: to shake something in order to make parts
attached to it come off • We
shook the apples from the tree.

5.  intransitive
verb
quaver
with emotion: to sound uncertain, nervous, angry, or
distressed • Her
voice was shaking.

6.  transitive
verb
shock
and upset somebody: to shock and upset or
disturb somebody • He was badly shaken by
the accident.

7.  transitive
verb
make
somebody less confident: to cause somebody to lose
confidence or certainty • Nothing
could shake his faith.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb clasp
hands as greeting: to grasp another person’s
hand and move it up and down as a greeting or sign of trust

9.  transitive
verb
get
rid of something: to get rid of something undesired • I
can’t shake this cold.

10. transitive
verb
mix
by shaking:
to mix ingredients together in a container by shaking the container

11. transitive
verb
move
head to express “No”: to move the head from side
to side in order to express disagreement, disbelief, commiseration, or sorrow

12. transitive
verb
wave
something threateningly: to wave something in the air
in a threatening way • She
shook her fist at them.

13. intransitive
and transitive verb rattle
dice before throwing: to rattle a die or dice in
the hand or in a dice cup before throwing

14. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC trill:
to trill a note
noun

1.  act
of shaking:
a shaking of something • She
gave the bag a good shake.

2.  vibration:
a trembling motion or vibration • The
device moves smoothly along the track without shake.

3.  moment:
a brief moment (informal) • I’ll
do it in two shakes.

4.  BEVERAGES See milk shake  noun 1

5.  BEVERAGES shaken
beverage:
a beverage made without milk or ice cream but blended or shaken like a milk
shake • a
fruit and yogurt shake

6.  handshake:
an act of grasping somebody’s hand as a greeting

7.  reasonable
chance:
reasonable treatment or a reasonable opportunity to succeed • give
everybody a fair shake

8.  GEOLOGY FORESTRY fissure or crack:
a fissure or crack in a rock or timber

9.  MUSIC trill:
a trilled note

10. SEISMOLOGY earthquake:
an earthquake (informal)

11. BUILDING wooden
shingle:
a rough wooden shingle cut with a hatchet
plural
noun
shakes

uncontrollable trembling:
uncontrollable trembling caused, for example, by fear or illness
[Old
English sceacan]
—shak·a·ble,
adjective
be
no great shakes

to be not very good or not
very important (informal)[1]



shakedown

shakedown
shake·down 
[sháyk dòwn] noun

1.  act
of extortion: an act of extorting money from somebody
using threats (slang)

2.  thorough
search:
a thorough search of somebody or a place (informal)

3.  trial
run of vessel: a trial run of a ship or aircraft in
order to locate and fix problems or to familiarize the crew with their duties

4.  makeshift
bed:
a makeshift bed such as a pile of blankets on a floor

[1]



shakedown

shakedown
shake
down
verb

1.  transitive
verb
extort
money from somebody: to extort money from
somebody (slang)

2.  transitive
verb
search
for something: to search somebody or a place,
especially for contraband (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
take
something for trial run: to subject a ship or
aircraft to a trial run in order to look for defects or train the crew

4.  intransitive
verb
become
accustomed:
to become comfortable in a new setting (informal)

5.  intransitive
verb
sleep
in makeshift bed: to go to bed in a makeshift bed

[1]



shaken

shaken
shak·en


Past participle of
shake[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








shakenbaby syndrome

shakenbaby syndrome
shak·en
ba·by syn·drome or shak·en in·fant syn·drome
noun

internal head injuries in
babies: in young babies, a series of
often life-threatening internal head injuries sustained through being shaken
violently[1]



shakeout

shakeout
shake·out 
[sháyk òwt] noun

change resulting in losses:
a major change in an organization or system resulting in the falling away of
some elements • a
shakeout in the voluntary sector[1]



shakeout

shakeout
shake
out
transitive verb

spread or dislodge by
shaking: to open something, spread
something, or dislodge things from something by holding it and shaking it[1]



shaker

shaker
shak·er 
[sháykər] noun

1.  container
for dispersing fine particles: a container with small
holes in its lid that can be shaken to disperse the contents

2.  container
for mixing drinks: a container with a lid in
which drinks are mixed by shaking the container

3.  somebody
causing change: somebody who is active in some field,
especially somebody who brings about change (informal) • a
real shaker in the industry

4.  something
that shakes: somebody or something that shakes or
shakes something

[1]



Shaker

Shaker
Shak·er
[sháykər] noun

CHRISTIANITY member
of ascetic denomination: a member of a Christian
denomination related to the Quakers who live communally, simply, and
celibately. The denomination originated in England in the 18th century but
settled in the United States.
adjective

1.  DESIGN simple
and functional: designed or made in the simple,
functional style that originated with the Shakers

2.  Shak·er
or shak·er parallel ribbed:
knit in a large gauge in thin parallel ribs
[Late 18th century. From the
shaking movements in their ritual dances.][1]



Shakespearean

Shakespearean
Shake·spear·e·an 
[shayk spree ən] or Shake·spear·i·an
[shayk spree ən] adjective

relating
to Shakespeare: relating to or written by William
Shakespeare, or typical of his works
noun

studier of Shakespeare:
a scholar who studies Shakespeare and his works[1]



Shakespeareana

Shakespeareana
Shake·spear·e·an·a
[shayk spree ánnə, shayk
speeree nə] or Shake·spear·i·an·a [shayk spree ánnə, shayk
speeree nə] noun

things relating to
Shakespeare: collectively, things
relating to William Shakespeare[1]



Shakespeareansonnet

Shakespeareansonnet
Shake·spear·e·an
son·net
noun

sonnet:
a sonnet in iambic pentameter composed of three quatrains followed by a
couplet. The rhyme pattern is abab cdcd efef gg. This is the form perfected by
William Shakespeare.
Also called
Elizabethan sonnet
Also called
English sonnet[1]



Shakespeare,William

Shakespeare,William

Shake·speare
[sháyks peer], William (1564–1616)
English poet and playwright. He is widely
recognized as one of the greatest dramatists in the English-speaking world.
Although much about his life is obscure, he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England. He was established as an actor-playwright in London by about 1590, and
over the next 23 years wrote 36 tragedies, histories, and comedies, including Hamlet
(1601?), Richard III (1592–1593?), and Twelfth Night (1600?). His
poetry includes over 150 sonnets.[1]



Shakespearian

Shakespearian
Shake·spear·i·an
adjective

See
Shakespearean[1]



Shakespeariana

Shakespeariana
Shake·spear·i·an·a 
noun

See
Shakespeareana[1]



shake-up

shake-up
shake-up
or shake·up noun

major change:
a major reorganization or change[1]



shakeup

shakeup
shake
up
transitive verb

1.  make
major changes: to make major changes in an organization
or institution, especially with the intention of improving or modernizing it

2.  upset
somebody:
to make somebody feel upset and disturbed

3.  mix
by shaking:
to mix something by shaking it in a container

[1]



shakingpalsy

shakingpalsy
shak·ing
pal·sy 
noun

Parkinson’s
disease:
Parkinson’s disease (informal dated)
[From its characteristic
tremor][1]



shako

shako
shak·o 
[shákō, sháykō]
(plural shak·os or shak·oes) noun

cylindrical
plumed hat:
a tall cylindrical military hat made of stiff material with a short visor and a
plume in front
[Early 19th century. Via
French schako from Hungarian csákós (süveg) “peaked (cap),” of
uncertain origin: probably from German Zacken “peak, point.”][1]



Shakta

Shakta
Shak·ta 
[shúktə, shktə]
or Sak·ta [súktə, sktə] noun

worshipper
of Shakti or Sakti: worshipper of Shakti or
Sakti: a Hindu who worships Shakti (also called Sakti), the female consort of
Shiva
[Early
19th century. From Sanskrit śāktaḥ, from śaktiḥ (see Shakti).]
—Shak·tism,
noun

—Shak·tist, noun[1]



Shakti

Shakti
Shak·ti
[sktee] or Sak·ti [shúktə, shktee]
noun

female
principle:
in Hinduism, the vital generative and creative principle at work in the
universe, typically associated with the feminine component of the divine, often
embodied as a goddess
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit śaktiḥ, literally “power,” from śak- “to be strong”
(source of English Sikh ).][1]



shakuhachi

shakuhachi

sha·ku·ha·chi
[shkoo hchee] (plural sha·ku·ha·chis)
noun
flute:
a Japanese bamboo flute
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, from shaku, a unit of measure + hachi “eight”; so
called because it is one and eight-tenths of a “shaku” in length.][1]



shaky

shaky
shak·y 
[sháykee] (comparative shak·i·er,
superlative shak·i·est) adjective

1.  trembling:
trembling or unsteady

2.  not
sturdy:
not sturdy or firm and likely to collapse

3.  weak
and not likely to last: weak or wavering and
unlikely to last long or to be successful • a
shaky financial venture

4.  unreliable:
unreliable or uncertain • made
us a pretty shaky promise
—shak·i·ly,
adverb

—shak·i·ness, noun[1]



shale

shale
shale 
[shayl] noun

rock
of dark sediment and clay: a dark fine-grained
sedimentary rock composed of layers of compressed clay, silt, or mud
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“to split,” which is also the ancestor of English scale
and shell .]
—shal·y [sháylee], adjective[1]



shaleoil

shaleoil
shale
oil
noun

crude oil from shale:
crude oil distilled from heated shale[1]



shall

shall
shall 
[(stressed) shal, (unstressed)
shəl] CORE
MEANING:
will happen in the future, or intended to happen • I
shall as president promote measures that keep families whole.
intransitive verb

1.  must:
used especially in formal speech and writing to indicate determination on the
part of the speaker that something will happen or somebody will do something • If
you want to behave like that you shall certainly not do it here.

2.  rules
and laws:
indicating that something must happen or somebody is obliged to do something
because of a rule or law • The
department shall issue an account number to the vehicle owner.

3.  offers
and suggestions: used to make offers and suggestions or
to ask for advice (used in questions) • Shall
I arrange it for you? • What
shall I do next?

4.  certainty:
indicating the certainty or inevitability of something happening in the future
• If
you want a new outfit that badly then you shall have one.
[Old
English sceal . From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to owe.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  shall
  or will ?
  The
  traditional rule, often stated in grammars and usage books, is that to
  express a simple future tense shall is
  used after I and we and will
  in other cases, and to express intention or wish their roles are reversed;
  but it is unlikely that this rule has ever been regularly observed, and many
  examples of written English can be found that contradict it. (The distinction
  is often difficult to establish, especially in the first person when the
  speaker is also the performer of the future action and intention must always
  be involved to some extent.) Although will
  and (occasionally) shall are used as
  auxiliary verbs with reference to future action or state, there are other
  ways of expressing this that are often preferred as more natural, such as am
  going to . When shall and will are used in conversation, they are normally
  contracted to ’ll, so that the difference between the two words
  becomes irrelevant. In all parts of the English-speaking world other than
  England, shall has been more or less
  driven out by will . It survives mostly in
  the contracted negative form shan’t, but this is not used in American
  English. In the English of England (note: England, not Britain), shall is fighting a rearguard action in such
  uses as • They
  shall apologize immediately (a command) and • Shall
  you bring the children? (an inquiry rather than a
  request), but even these sound very old-fashioned and affected, and will is now more common, especially in speech.

[1]



shalloon

shalloon
shal·loon 
[shə ln] noun

coat
lining material: a light wool twill, usually used as a
garment lining
[Mid-17th century. From
French chalon, of uncertain origin: perhaps named for the French city of
Châlons -sur-Marne, where it is said to have first been made.][1]



shallop

shallop
shal·lop 
[shálləp] noun

boat
for shallow water: a light boat with oars,
sails, or both, used in shallow waters
[Late 16th century. From
French chaloupe, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Dutch sloep
(see sloop ).][1]



shallot

shallot

shal·lot 
[shə lót] noun

1.  PLANTS plant
in onion family: a plant of the onion family widely
cultivated for use in cooking. Latin name: Allium ascalonicum

2.  FOOD shallot
bulb used as food: the bulb of the shallot that
divides into small sections and is used in cooking for its delicate onion
flavor
[Mid-17th century. From
French échalotte, an alteration of Old French esc(h)aloigne, from
assumed Vulgar Latin escalonia (see scallion
).][1]



shallow

shallow
shal·low 
[shállō] adjective (comparative
shal·low·er, superlative shal·low·est)

1.  not
deep:
with little space between the bottom and the surface or top

2.  not
thinking or feeling deeply: having or displaying little
intellectual or emotional complexity or value

3.  taking
in little air: characterized by the inhaling and
exhaling of an abnormally small amount of air
plural
noun
shal·lows

area of shallow water:
an area of shallow water
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shal·lowed,
past participle shal·lowed, present participle shal·low·ing,
3rd person present singular shal·lows)

make or become shallow:
to become less deep or to make water less deep
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—shal·low·ly,
adverb

—shal·low·ness, noun[1]



shalom

shalom
sha·lom 
[shaa lṓm] interjection

used
as Jewish greeting: used as a Jewish greeting or
leave-taking
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew šālōm “peace.”][1]



shalt

shalt
shalt 
[shalt]

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of shall 2nd
person present plural of shall[1]



sham

sham
sham 
[sham] noun

1.  a
fake:
something that is presented as genuine but that is not

2.  impostor:
somebody who pretends to be a completely different person or different type of
person

3.  See
pillow sham
adjective

not genuine: not
genuine and used for deception • sham
credentials
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shammed,
past participle shammed, present participle sham·ming,
3rd person present singular shams)

feign: to
pretend to be experiencing a condition, for example, illness or an emotion, in
order to deceive
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably a northern English variant of shame .]
—sham·mer, noun[1]



shaman

shaman
sha·man 
[shmən, sháymən]
noun

spiritual
leader:
somebody who acts as a go-between for the physical and spiritual realms, and
who is said to have particular powers such as prophecy and healing
[Late
17th century. Via Russian from Tungus šaman, ultimately from Sanskrit śramanáḥ
“Buddhist ascetic,” from śrámas “religious exercise.”]
—sha·man·ic [shə mánnik, shay
mánnik], adjective[1]



shamanism

shamanism
sha·man·ism 
[shmə nìzzəm, sháymə
nìzzəm] noun

1.  spiritualist
religion of Asia: a religion of northern Asia, in which
shamans can intercede between humanity and powerful good and evil spirits

2.  animistic
belief system: any animistic belief system involving
shamans

[1]



shamash

shamash
sha·mash
noun

See
shammash[1]



shamble

shamble
sham·ble 
[shámb’l] intransitive verb (past
sham·bled, past participle sham·bled, present
participle sham·bling, 3rd person present singular sham·bles)

shuffle
along clumsily: to walk clumsily keeping the feet close
to the ground
noun

shuffling
walk:
a shuffling, awkward walking style
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the obsolete expression shamble legs “ungainly
legs,” alluding to the rickety legs of a meat vendor’s stall (see shambles ).][1]



shambles

shambles
sham·bles 
[shámb’lz] noun

1.  disorganized
failure:
a failure caused by inadequate planning or organization

2.  messy
disorder:
a state of messy disorder or chaos

3.  place
of carnage:
a place of great destruction and carnage

4.  slaughterhouse:
a slaughterhouse (dated)

5.  meat
market:
a meat or fish market (archaic)
[15th
century. Formed from obsolete shamble “meat vendor’s stall,” from,
ultimately, Latin scamellum “small bench”).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Old English ancestor of shamble still
  meant simply “stool, table.” It gradually acquired the specialized meaning
  “meat table,” being applied to meat sellers’ stalls at markets (a street in
  the old butchers’ quarter of York is still known as the Shambles). By a
  natural extension the plural form shambles
  came to denote a “slaughterhouse,” and hence metaphorically any “scene of
  bloodshed and slaughter,” but the milder modern sense “scene of disorder or
  ruin” did not emerge until as recently as the early 20th century.

[1]



shambolic

shambolic
sham·bol·ic
[sham bóllik] adjective

U.K.
disorderly
or chaotic:
poorly organized and in a messy or chaotic state (informal)
[Late 20th century. Formed
from shambles, perhaps on the model of
“symbolic.”][1]



shame

shame
shame 
[shaym] noun

1.  negative
emotion:
a negative emotion that combines feelings of dishonor, unworthiness, and
embarrassment

2.  capacity
to feel unworthy: the capacity or tendency to feel shame • He
has no shame.

3.  state
of disgrace: a state of disgrace or dishonor • bring
shame on the family

4.  cause
for regret:
a cause for regret or disappointment • It’s a
shame you couldn’t stay for lunch.

5.  cause
of shame:
somebody or something that causes somebody to feel shame
transitive
verb
(past shamed, past participle shamed, present
participle sham·ing, 3rd person present singular shames)

1.  make
somebody feel ashamed: to make somebody feel
ashamed • It
shamed her that she had cheated.

2.  force
somebody through shame: to make somebody do
something by exploiting the fact that he or she would be ashamed not to do it • He
shamed us into making higher donations to the ministry.

3.  make
somebody feel inferior: to be so much better or more
successful than others as to expose their comparative inadequacy
interjection

1.  used
in sympathetic reaction: used to react
sympathetically to something disappointing • Shame,
man, we would have invited you if we’d known you were free.

2.  South
Africa
used
to show sentimental approval: used to show that you think
that something or somebody is attractive in an endearing way • “Have
you seen our new puppy?”“Oh, shame! Isn’t it cute!”
[Old
English sceamu]
put
somebody or something to shame

to make somebody or something
seem inferior or of inferior quality by comparison[1]



shamefaced

shamefaced
shame·faced 
[sháym fàyst] adjective

1.  showing
shame:
showing a feeling of shame or embarrassment

2.  timid:
timid or easily embarrassed
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration (influenced by shame )
of obsolete shamefast “bashful,” literally “held fast by shame,” from
Old English sceamfæst .]
—shame·fac·ed·ly
[sháym fàysədlee, sháym
fàystlee], adverb

—shame·fac·ed·ness [sháym fàysədnəss], noun[1]



shameful

shameful
shame·ful 
[sháymf’l] adjective

1.  disgraceful
or scandalous: bad enough to inspire shame in those
responsible

2.  ashamed:
feeling shame (archaic)
[Old
English sceamful]
—shame·ful·ly,
adverb

—shame·ful·ness, noun[1]



shameless

shameless
shame·less 
[sháymləss] adjective

1.  not
feeling shame: untroubled or unaffected by shame,
especially in situations where others would be shamed

2.  done
without shame: done without shame, especially where
others would feel shame
[Old
English sceamlēas]
—shame·less·ly,
adverb

—shame·less·ness, noun[1]



shamiana

shamiana
sha·mi·a·na
[shàmmee nə] noun

South
Asia
marquee:
a decorative circus-style tent used for outdoor entertaining or weddings
[Early 17th century. From
Persian and Urdu shāmiyāna .][1]



Shamir,Yitzhak

Shamir,Yitzhak
Sha·mir
[shə mr], Yitzhak (1914– )

Polish-born
Israeli political leader. He held many government positions, including foreign
minister (1980–1992), leader of the Likud Party (1983–1993), and prime minister
(1983–1984, 1986–1992).
Real name
Jazernicki, Yitzhak[1]



shammash

shammash
sham·mash
[shməss] (plural sham·ma·shim
[shaa mssim]) or sha·mash [shməss] (plural sha·ma·shim) or
sham·mes [shməss] (plural sham·mo·sim
[shaa mṓssim]) noun

1.  synagogue
caretaker:
the sexton of a synagogue

2.  candle
used to light others: the candle used to light the
candles in the Hanukkah candlestick
[Mid-17th century. Via
Yiddish shames from Hebrew šāmmaš “attendant,” from šimmēš
“to serve.”][1]



shammy

shammy
sham·my 
[shámmee] (plural sham·mies) noun

See
chamois[1]



shampoo

shampoo
sham·poo 
[sham p] noun

1.  hair-cleaning
soap:
soap for cleaning the hair and scalp, usually in liquid or gel form

2.  sudsy
detergent:
sudsy detergent for cleaning upholstery and carpets

3.  use
of shampoo:
a cleaning of the hair with shampoo
transitive
verb
(past sham·pooed, past participle sham·pooed, present
participle sham·poo·ing, 3rd person present singular sham·poos)

clean with shampoo:
to clean something with shampoo
[Mid-18th century. Via
Anglo-Indian from Hindi cāpō, from cāpnā “to knead, press,
massage.”][1]



shamrock

shamrock

sham·rock 
[shám ròk] noun
three-leafed
clover:
a three-leafed clover or a plant similar to clover that serves as the national
emblem of Ireland
[Late 16th century. From
Irish seamróg “small clover,” from seamar “clover.”][1]



shamus

shamus
sha·mus 
[sháyməss] noun (slang)

1.  police
officer:
a police officer

2.  private
detective:
private detective
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of shammash,
or perhaps from the Irish name Séamus, in allusion to the many Irish
immigrants who became police officers.][1]



Shan

Shan
Shan 
[shaan, shan]
(plural Shan or Shans) noun

1.  member
of Southeast Asian peoples: a member of a group of
peoples living mainly in the hilly regions of northeastern Myanmar, and also in
neighboring parts of China, Laos, and Thailand

2.  LANGUAGE Shan
language:
the tai language of the Shan people. Shan is spoken by 2.5 million people.
[Early
19th century. From Burmese .]
—Shan, adjective[1]



Shandong

Shandong
Shan·dong 
[shan dng]

province on the eastern coast
of China, bordered by Hebei, Henan, and Jiangsu. Capital: Jinan. Population:
86,710,000 (1994) Area: 153,300 sq km/59,200 sq mi.[1]



shandy

shandy
shan·dy 
[shándee] (plural shan·dies) noun

1.  beer
concoction:
a drink made of beer and lemon-lime soda

2.  See
shandygaff
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of shandygaff .][1]



shandygaff

shandygaff
shan·dy·gaff 
[shándi gàf] noun

beer
and ginger beer: a drink made of beer and ginger beer.
Also
called
shandy
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Shang

Shang
Shang 
[shaang] noun

ancient
Chinese dynasty: a Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1766?
to 1027? BC, a period that
coincided with the development of China’s system of handwriting and bronzework
(often used before a noun)
[Mid-17th century. From
Chinese Shāng .][1]



Shangaan

Shangaan
Shan·gaan
[shàng gn] (plural Shan·gaan or
Shan·gaans) noun

See
Tsonga
[Late 19th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



Shanghai

Shanghai
Shang·hai 
[shang h]

city
and port on Huang-p’u River in eastern China. Population: 8,760,000 (1993)
—Shang·hai·nese [shang h nz], plural noun[1]



shanghai

shanghai
shang·hai 
[shang h, sháng
h] (past shang·haied, past participle shang·haied,
present participle shang·hai·ing, 3rd person present singular
shang·hais) transitive verb

1.  NAVY force
into naval service: to recruit somebody forcibly
into a navy

2.  trick
or force to do something: to trick or force somebody
to do something or go somewhere
[Late 19th century. Named for
Shanghai, a typical destination of ships
crewed in this way.][1]



Shango

Shango
Shan·go
[shng gṓ] noun

Caribbean
religious group: a religious group in the Caribbean
characterized by a blend of West African religious practice and Christianity.
Rituals involve drumming, dancing, and chanting, as well as the sacrifice of
small animals. Some participants enter a state of trance.
[Mid-20th century. From
Yoruba, name of the god of thunder.][1]



Shangri-la

Shangri-la
Shan·gri-la 
[shàng gri l] noun

imaginary
utopia:
an imaginary and remote paradise on earth
[Mid-20th century. From the
name given to an imaginary land in the novel Lost Horizon ( 1933 ) by
the English novelist James Hilton .][1]



shank

shank
shank 
[shangk] noun

1.  long,
narrow part: the long narrowest part of something
such as a key or pipe, especially when it connects two functional parts

2.  FOOD cut of
meat:
a cut of meat from the leg of cattle or sheep

3.  ZOOLOGY bottom
of animal leg: the lower part of an animal’s leg,
between the bottom and middle joints

4.  lower
leg:
the lower part of the human leg, from ankle to knee

5.  leg:
a human leg (informal)

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING body
of pin or nail: the long, narrow part of a pin, nail,
screw, or bolt, between the head and the pointed or threaded part

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING part
connecting tool head to handle: a part sticking out
from the head of a tool, by which it can be fitted into a handle

8.  ACCESSORIES ring
band:
the plain band part of a ring, not including the jewels and their settings

9.  ACCESSORIES narrow
part of sole: the narrow part of the sole of a shoe,
beneath the arch of the foot, or any fitting at this part of a shoe

10. See
shankpiece

11. NAUTICAL anchor’s
stem:
the stem of an anchor

12. PRINTING part
of printing type: the body of a piece of type, between the
foot and shoulder

13. CLOTHES button
stem:
a loop or stem at the back of a button, by which it is sewn to the cloth

14. early
part of something: the early part of a period (regional)

15. later
part:
the later or remaining part of a period (regional)

16. homemade
dagger:
a makeshift dagger, for example, one made from a shard of glass, and especially
one made by a prisoner (slang)
verb
(past shanked, past participle shanked, present
participle shank·ing, 3rd person present singular shanks)

1.  transitive
verb
GOLF mishit
a golf ball: to hit a golf ball with the heel of the
club, sending it in the wrong direction

2.  transitive
verb
FOOTBALL miskick
football:
to kick a football so that it goes in the wrong direction

3.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY show
disease from base up: to shrivel, or show other
signs of disease spreading upward from the base of the stem
[Old English sceanca .
“shinbone.”][1]



Shankar,Ravi

Shankar,Ravi

Shan·kar
[shángk aar], Ravi (1920– )
Indian sitarist, composer, and teacher.
His international tours popularized Indian music in the West. His compositions
include movie scores and sitar concertos.[1]



shankpiece

shankpiece
shank·piece 
[shángk pss] noun

arch support:
a shoe insert that supports the arch of the foot.
Also called
shank noun 10[1]



shank’smare

shank’smare
shank’s
mare
noun

the feet:
the feet, as a means of transportation (dated or informal)
U.K. term
shanks’s pony[1]



shannachie

shannachie
shan·na·chie
[shánna kh] noun

Ireland
storyteller:
a traditional Irish storyteller
[From Irish seanchaidhe][1]



shanny

shanny
shan·ny
[shánnee] (plural shan·nies or
shan·ny) noun

European
coastal fish: a European fish with a small tapering
body and a long dorsal fin that lives in rocky coastal areas. Latin name: Blennius
pholis
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shantey

shantey
shan·tey 
noun

See
chantey[1]



shantung

shantung
shan·tung 
[shan túng] noun

1.  nubby
silk:
heavy silk cloth with a nubby uneven weave

2.  fabric
resembling shantung: cotton or synthetic fabric
made to resemble silk shantung
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Chinese province of Shantung (Shandong), where it was originally
manufactured.][1]



shanty

shanty
shan·ty
[shántee] (plural shan·ties) noun

crude
shack:
a crudely built shack or hut
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Canadian French chantier “lumberjack’s hut,”
via French, “timberyard,” from, ultimately, Latin cant(h)erius
“rafter.”][1]



shantytown

shantytown
shan·ty·town 
[shánti tòwn] noun

shack settlement:
a settlement consisting of crudely built shacks[1]



Shanxi

Shanxi
Shan·xi 
[shánshee]

agricultural province of
northeastern China, bordered by Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi.
Capital: Taiyuan. Population: 28,759,014 (1990) Area: 157,099 sq km/60,656 sq
mi.[1]



shan’t

shan’t
shan’t 
[shant] contraction

shall not:
contraction of “shall not”[1]



shape

shape
shape 
[shayp] noun

1.  outline
of something’s form: the outline of something’s
form • His
face has a square shape.

2.  something
not clearly seen: something that has bulk but is not
clearly seen in outline • She
could see a shape through the fog.

3.  GEOMETRY geometric
form:
a geometric form such as a square, triangle, cone, or cube

4.  general
character of something: the broad character that
something has • the overall shape of
the proposals

5.  original
form:
the original or optimal form of something • The
pleats lost their shape in the wash.

6.  health:
the condition of somebody’s health or fitness • She
exercises regularly and is in good shape.

7.  condition
of something: the condition of something • The
lawn is in great shape.

8.  physique:
the figure of a person

9.  mold:
a mold or pattern for making or giving something its form

10. ghost:
a ghostly form or phantom
transitive
verb
(past shaped, past participle shaped, present
participle shap·ing, 3rd person present singular shapes)

1.  influence
something greatly: to have a profound or
crucial influence over something • His
beliefs were shaped by his upbringing.

2.  plan
for nature of something: to plan or decide on what
the character of something should be • They
are meeting to shape the nation’s future.

3.  give
something particular shape: to mold something into a
different shape • She shapes the clay
into little animals.

4.  PSYCHOLOGY train
with reward and punishment: to change somebody’s
behavior gradually using reward as the person comes closer to the desired
behavior, and punishment for moving away from it
[Old
English gesceap “creation,” literally “something cut out.” From a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to cut out,” which is also the ancestor of
English -ship and -scape .]
knock
or lick or whip somebody or something into shape

to
bring somebody or something to a desired state quickly, roughly, or haphazardly
(informal)

take
shape

to take a definite form[1]



shapeless

shapeless
shape·less 
[sháypləss] adjective

1.  lacking
precise shape: with an indefinite or imprecise shape

2.  lacking
structure:
put together in a very haphazard way
—shape·less·ly,
adverb

—shape·less·ness, noun[1]



shapely

shapely
shape·ly 
[sháyplee] (comparative shape·li·er,
superlative shape·li·est) adjective

visually
appealing:
having a shape that is visually appealing
—shape·li·ness, noun[1]



shapeup

shapeup
shape
up
intransitive verb

1.  improve:
to improve or develop in the way that is wanted (informal)

2.  reach
acceptable standard: to reach an acceptably high
standard of behavior, skill, or attitude

3.  develop
in particular way: to seem to be developing in
the way specified • It’s shaping up to be
an environmental disaster.

[1]



shape-up

shape-up
shape-up
or shape·up noun

hiring process for docks:
a method of hiring dock workers in which those seeking work arrive at the docks
in the morning and employers select from among them[1]



shard

shard
shard 
[shaard] (plural shards) or
sherd [shurd] (plural sherds)
noun

1.  broken
piece of glass: a sharp broken piece of glass or metal

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY See potsher

3.  ZOOLOGY scale
or shell:
an animal’s scales, shell, or other tough outer covering

4.  INSECTS beetle’s
outer wing:
the outer wing covering of a beetle
[Old English sceard
“cut, notch.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut,” which is
also the ancestor of English shear, scar, score,
and short .][1]



share

share2
share2 [shair]
noun

See
plowshare
[Old English scear .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut,” which is also the
ancestor of shear and share 1 .][1]



share

share1
share1 [shair]
verb (past shared, past participle shared, present
participle shar·ing, 3rd person present singular shares)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
something along with others: to have or use something in
common with other people • We
shared an apartment.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
responsibility together: to take equal responsibility
for something along with other people • We
shared the blame.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb let
somebody use something: to allow somebody to use
something or have part of something • I
shared my ice cream with him.

4.  transitive
verb
divide
something equally between people: to allocate equal
parts of something to different people or groups • She
shared the money between her six grandchildren.

5.  transitive
verb
have
similar feeling or experience: to have something the
same as or in common with somebody else • He
shared my view that the plan would not work.

6.  transitive
verb
tell
somebody something: to express something to another
person rather than keeping silent • Do you
want to share your feelings?
noun

1.  part
of something allotted: a part of something that is
owned by, paid for by, done by, or set aside for each of several people • He
hasn’t had his share of the cake.

2.  FINANCE part
of company’s stock: any of the equal, usually
small, parts into which a company’s capital stock is divided • 100
shares of General Motors

3.  reasonable
or appropriate portion: the portion that somebody
deserves or should be responsible for • She
does more than her share of the work.
[Old
English scearu “division, portion.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to cut,” which is also the ancestor of English shear, scar,
score, and shirt .]
—shar·er, noun[1]



sharecrop

sharecrop
share·crop 
[sháir kròp] (past share·cropped,
past participle share·cropped, present participle share·crop·ping,
3rd person present singular share·crops) intransitive and
transitive verb

farm
as sharecropper: to farm land as a sharecropper
[Early 20th century. From share 1, because
the crop was shared with the landowner.][1]



sharecropper

sharecropper
share·crop·per 
[sháir kròppər] noun

tenant farmer:
a tenant farmer who farms land for the owner and is paid a share of the value
of the yielded crop.
Also called
cropper[1]



shareholder

shareholder
share·hold·er 
[sháir hldər] noun

owner of company stock:
somebody who owns one or more shares of a company’s stock.
Also called
stockholder[1]



shareware

shareware
share·ware
[sháir wàir] noun

software with voluntary
payment: software made available for
free trial with the understanding that users will voluntarily pay a fee to the
author or publisher if they continue to use it[1]



sharia

sharia
sha·ri·a 
[shəaa r ə] or sha·ri’·a [shəaa r ə] or sha·ri’·ah [shəaa r ə] noun

Islamic
law:
Islamic religious law, based on the Koran (often used before a noun)
[Mid-19th century. Via Arabic
šar`īya “lawfulness” from, ultimately, aš-šar` “Islamic law.”][1]



sharif

sharif
sha·rif 
noun

See
sherif[1]



Sharjah

Sharjah
Shar·jah
[shrjə]

one of the seven member
states of the United Arab Emirates. Population: 125,000 (1995)[1]



shark

shark

shark 
[shaark] noun (plural sharks)

1.  ZOOLOGY carnivorous
fish:
a carnivorous fish that has a long body, two dorsal fins, sharp teeth, a
cartilaginous skeleton, and thick, rough skin. Class: Chondrichthyes

2.  ruthless
person:
a ruthless greedy person (informal)

3.  loanshark:
a loanshark (informal)

4.  especially
talented person: somebody with a particular talent
verb (past
sharked, past participle sharked, present participle
shark·ing, 3rd person present singular sharks)

1.  transitive
verb
get
something illicitly: to get something illegally
or unethically (archaic)

2.  intransitive
verb
cheat
others professionally: to make a living as a
cheater or fraud
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown. Introduced to English in a ballad about the things seen by a group of
explorers. In the sense “ruthless person,” perhaps from German Schurke
“scoundrel.”][1]



sharknet

sharknet
shark
net
noun

net across bay:
a net strung across a bay to keep sharks out[1]



sharksiren

sharksiren
shark
si·ren
noun

Australia
siren warning of sharks:
a siren or similar mechanism sounded to warn swimmers and surfers that sharks
have been spotted offshore.
Also called
shark bell[1]



sharkskin

sharkskin
shark·skin 
[shrk skìn] noun

1.  TEXTILES glossy
fabric:
a smooth glossy fabric made from a mixture of acetate and rayon

2.  INDUSTRY shark
leather:
leather made from shark’s skin

[1]



sharksucker

sharksucker
shark·suck·er
[shrk sùkər] noun

See
remora
[Mid-19th century. From its
habit of attaching itself to sharks by means of a sucking disk.][1]



Sharman,Helen

Sharman,Helen
Shar·man
[shrmən], Helen (1963– )

British
astronaut. With her participation in the Russian scientific space mission
Project Juno (1991), she became Britain’s first astronaut.
Full name
Sharman, Helen Patricia[1]



sharp

sharp
sharp 
[shaarp] adjective (comparative
sharp·er, superlative sharp·est)

1.  able
to cut:
with an edge or point that is very acute and able to cut or puncture things • a
sharp blade

2.  pointed:
ending in a point or sharp angle • a
sharp nose

3.  abrupt
in changing direction: making a change in direction
that forms an acute angle • a
sharp turn

4.  quick-witted:
quick-witted and intelligent or quick to notice and understand

5.  critical:
critical and unsympathetic • a
sharp rebuke

6.  irritable:
irritable or angry • a sharp temper

7.  sudden:
sudden and significant • a
sharp rise in prices

8.  surprised:
abrupt or unexpected • a
sharp intake of breath

9.  distinct:
clearly and definitely distinct • Her
soft voice was in sharp contrast to her forbidding expression.

10. clearly
detailed:
with the detail clear and distinct • a
sharp image

11. piercing:
loud, piercing, and abrupt or unexpected • a
sharp cry

12. strong
in taste:
strong and slightly bitter in taste • a
sharp cheese

13. intense:
penetrating and intense • a
sharp frost

14. MUSIC higher
by semitone: higher in pitch by a half step • F
sharp

15. MUSIC too
high pitched: a little too high in pitch and therefore
slightly out of tune

16. stylish:
neat, stylish, and fashionable • a
sharp dresser

17. fraudulent:
deceitful or fraudulent • sharp
business practice
adverb

1.  precisely:
exactly, and not before or after • at 9
o’clock sharp

2.  MUSIC at
slightly too high a pitch: at higher than the usual
pitch and therefore slightly out of tune • She’s
singing sharp.
noun

1.  MUSIC note
higher by half step: a note or tone that is a
half step higher in pitch than the natural or unmodified pitch. Symbol ♯

2.  MUSIC sharp
symbol:
the symbol for a sharp note. Symbol ♯

3.  SEWING long
sewing needle: a long thin needle for hand sewing

4.  MEDICINE sharp
medical instrument: a sharp medical instrument
such as a hypodermic or surgical blade that requires careful disposal (usually
used in the plural) • a
container labeled “sharps only”

5.  sharper:
a sharper (informal)

6.  expert:
somebody expert at something (informal)
[Old
English scearp . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut,”
which is also the ancestor of English sharp,
scarf, and shard .]
—sharp·ly,
adverb

—sharp·ness, noun[1]



sharpbill

sharpbill
sharp·bill
[shrp bìl] noun

small bird of rainforest:
a small fruit-eating bird of the Central and South American rainforest with a
straight sharp bill, green and yellow plumage, and a red crest. Latin name: Oxyruncus
cristatus[1]



shar-pei

shar-pei
shar-pei 
[shaar páy] or Shar-Pei [shaar páy] noun

loose-skinned
dog:
a medium-sized dog with a squarish snout, blue tongue, short hair, and loose
skin that falls in folds over its body, especially when young. It belongs to a
breed originating in China.
Also
called
Chinese shar-pei
[Late 20th century. From
Chinese shā pi, literally “sand skin.”][1]



sharpen

sharpen
sharp·en 
[shrpən] (past sharp·ened, past
participle sharp·ened, present participle sharp·en·ing,
3rd person present singular sharp·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make sharper: to become or make something sharp or
sharper

2.  transitive
verb
improve
something:
to improve something so that it is more efficient or stylish than before

[1]



sharper

sharper
sharp·er 
[shrpər] noun

cheat:
a skillful cheat, especially in gambling[1]



Sharpeville

Sharpeville
Sharpe·ville
[shrp vil]

African township near
Vereeniging, South Africa. It was the scene of a massacre of antiapartheid
demonstrators in 1960. Population: 42,000 (1972)[1]



sharp-eyed

sharp-eyed
sharp-eyed 
adjective

1.  alert
to detail:
alert and able to notice detail

2.  having
good eyesight: with very keen eyesight

[1]



sharpie

sharpie
sharp·ie 
[shrpee] or sharp·y [shrpee] (plural sharp·ies) noun

1.  NAUTICAL flat
fishing sailboat: a long narrow fishing boat with a flat
bottom and one or two masts with triangular sails

2.  quick-witted
person:
somebody who is quick-witted and alert

3.  sharper:
a sharper (informal)

[1]



sharp-nosedpuffer

sharp-nosedpuffer
sharp-nosed
puff·er
noun

tropical fish:
any tropical marine fish that can inflate its body like other puffers but also
has a characteristic long snout with prominent nostrils. Family:
Canthigasteridae[1]



Sharp,Phillip

Sharp,Phillip
Sharp 
[shaarp], Phillip (1944– )

U.S.
molecular biologist. He shared in the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
(1933) for his research on the genetic structure of DNA.
Full name
Sharp, Phillip Allen[1]



sharp-set

sharp-set
sharp-set
adjective

eager:
eagerly wanting something, especially food[1]



sharp-shinnedhawk

sharp-shinnedhawk
sharp-shinned
hawk 
noun

small
N American hawk: a small bird-hunting hawk of North
America with short wings, a long square tail, and gray feathers with a brown
underside. Latin name: Accipiter striatus
[From its slender legs][1]



sharpshooter

sharpshooter
sharp·shoot·er 
[shrp shtər] noun

1.  somebody
who shoots precisely: somebody who is very good at
hitting precise targets using firearms

2.  SPORTS good
target-hitter: somebody who is accurate in hitting any
type of target, for example, a basketball player who can make baskets from long
distances

[1]



sharp-sighted

sharp-sighted
sharp-sight·ed 
adjective

1.  having
good vision: with very good eyesight

2.  alert
to detail:
quick to notice detail
—sharp-sight·ed·ly,
adverb

—sharp-sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



sharp-tailedgrouse

sharp-tailedgrouse
sharp-tailed
grouse 
noun

American grouse:
a light-colored grouse with a narrow tapered tail and dark breast markings,
found on prairies and scrubland of the northwestern United States and Canada[1]



sharp-tailedsparrow

sharp-tailedsparrow
sharp-tailed
spar·row
noun

N American sparrow:
a North American marsh-dwelling sparrow with tail feathers that have pointed
ends. Latin name: Ammodramus caudacutus[1]



sharp-tongued

sharp-tongued
sharp-tongued 
adjective

critical or sarcastic:
critical or sarcastic and unsympathetic in speech[1]



sharp-witted

sharp-witted
sharp-wit·ted 
adjective

mentally
keen:
quick to think, understand, or react
—sharp-wit·ted·ly, adverb[1]



sharpy

sharpy
sharp·y
noun

See
sharpie[1]



shashlik

shashlik
shash·lik 
[shsh lìk, shaash
lík] or shash·lick [shsh lìk,
shaash lík] noun

See
shish kebab
[Early 20th century. Via
Russian shashlyk from Crimean Turkish şişlik “small skewer,” from
şiş “skewer.”][1]



Shastadaisy

Shastadaisy
Shas·ta
dai·sy
noun

white-flowered
chrysanthemum: a chrysanthemum with large white flower
heads. Latin name: Chrysanthemum maximum
[Early 20th century. Named
for Mount Shasta, or the Shasta peoples of northern California, where
the flower is commonly found.][1]



Shasta,Mount

Shasta,Mount
Shas·ta,
Mount
[shástə mount]

mountain and extinct volcano
in the Cascade Range, northern California. It has five glaciers. Height: 4,317
m/14,162 ft.[1]



shastra

shastra
shas·tra
[shstrə] (plural shas·tras) or
sas·tra [shstrə] (plural sas·tras)
noun

sacred
Hindu text:
in Hinduism, a sacred text
[Mid-17th century. From
Sanskrit śāstra “lesson,” from śās- “to instruct.”][1]



shat

shat
shat


(taboo) Past tense
of shit Past participle of shit[1]



Shattal-Arab

Shattal-Arab
Shatt
al-Ar·ab
[shàt al árrəb, sht
al árrəb]

river in southwestern Asia.
It rises at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, flows along the
border between Iran and Iraq, and empties into the Persian Gulf, near Kuwait.
Length: 193.12 km/120 mi.[1]



shatter

shatter

shat·ter 
[sháttər] verb (past shat·tered,
past participle shat·tered, present participle shat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular shat·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb smash
into pieces: to break or cause something to break
suddenly into many small, brittle pieces

2.  transitive
verb
destroy
hope or belief: to destroy something that somebody
believed in or hoped for

3.  transitive
verb
shock
somebody:
to shock and distress somebody badly

4.  intransitive
verb
AGRICULTURE shed
plant parts: to drop petals, ripe fruit, or leaves
plural noun shat·ters

fragments:
fragments made by shattering something
[Assumed
Old English sceaterian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to split apart,” which is also the ancestor of English shingle 1 .]
—shat·ter·er, noun[1]



shattercone

shattercone
shat·ter
cone
noun

cone-shaped striated rock:
a cone-shaped rock piece that has stripes running from its point, created by
volcanic pressure or meteoric impact[1]



shatterproof

shatterproof
shat·ter·proof 
[sháttər prf] adjective

shatter resistant:
made to resist shattering[1]



shave

shave
shave 
[shayv] verb (past shaved,
past participle shaved or shav·en [sháyv’n], present participle shav·ing,
3rd person present singular shaves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
hair with razor: to remove hair from the body using a
razor

2.  transitive
verb
reduce
amount slightly: to reduce an amount, price, or time
taken by a very slight amount • shaved
two seconds off her best time

3.  transitive
verb
barely
touch in passing: barely to touch something when passing

4.  transitive
verb
remove
a thin layer of: to remove a thin layer from something
using a razor, rasp, or similar tool

5.  transitive
verb
trim
something closely: to trim something closely
noun

1.  act
of shaving:
the act, process, or result of shaving

2.  See
shaving  noun 1

3.  shaving
tool:
any tool for shaving or scraping
[Old English sceafan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to scrape, scratch,” which is
also the ancestor of English scabies
.][1]



shaven

shaven
shav·en
[sháyv’n] verb

Past participle of
shave
adjective
(often used in combination)

1.  with
no beard or hair: with the beard or the hair shaved off

2.  trimmed:
trimmed or cropped

[1]



shaver

shaver
shav·er 
[sháyvər] (plural shav·ers) noun

1.  device
for shaving: a device that is used to shave the beard
or hair, especially an electric razor (often used before a noun)

2.  young
boy:
a boy who is not old enough to shave (dated informal)
[The meaning of “young boy”
developed from “fellow.”][1]



Shavian

Shavian
Sha·vi·an 
[sháyvee ən] adjective

1.  by
or like G. B. Shaw: written by or in the style
of the work of the playwright George Bernard Shaw

2.  of
Shaw:
relating to or studying Shaw or his works
noun
(plural Sha·vi·ans)

admirer or student of Shaw:
an admirer of Shaw, or a scholar who studies his works
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Shavius, Latinized form of Shaw
.][1]



shaving

shaving
shav·ing 
[sháyving] (plural shav·ings) noun

1.  shaved-off
piece:
a thin slice shaved off.
Also
called
shave

2.  hair
removal with razor: the removing of hair or a
beard with a razor (often used before a noun)

[1]



Shavuoth

Shavuoth
Sha·vu·oth
[shə v t, shə
v th] (plural Sha·vu·oths) or Sha·vu·ot [shə v t] (plural Sha·vu·ots) noun

CALENDAR Jewish
festival:
a Jewish festival held on the 6th day of Sivan, in May or June, and
commemorating the Law being given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Also
called
Feast of Weeks
Also
called
Pentecost
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew šāū’ō, plural of šāūă “week,” alluding to the weeks
between Passover and Pentecost.][1]



shaw

shaw
shaw
[shaw] (plural shaws) noun

U.K.,
Midwestern U.S. thicket:
a thicket of shrubs or small trees
[Old English sceaga .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “something sticking out,”
which is also the ancestor of English shag
“long coarse pile.”][1]



Shawano

Shawano
Sha·wa·no
noun adjective

See
Shawnee[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Shaw,George Bernard

Shaw,George Bernard

Shaw
[shaw], George Bernard (1856–1950)
Irish playwright. His plays, including Pygmalion
( 1913 ) and Heartbreak House (1919), established him as the leading
English-language playwright of his time. He promoted socialism in works such as
The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism (1928).[1]



Shawinigan

Shawinigan
Sha·win·i·gan 
[shə wínnigən]

city in southern Quebec,
Canada, northwest of Trois Rivières on the St. Maurice River. Population:
19,931 (1991)[1]



shawl

shawl
shawl 
[shawl] noun (plural shawls)

garment
for the head and shoulders: a fabric square worn by
women over the shoulders or head and shoulders or used to wrap a baby in
transitive
verb
(past shawled, past participle shawled, present
participle shawl·ing, 3rd person present singular shawls)

wrap
in a shawl:
to cover somebody or something with a shawl or with something performing a
similar function
[Early 17th century. From
Persian and Urdu šāl .][1]



shawm

shawm

shawm 
[shawm] (plural shawms) noun
early
woodwind instrument: a woodwind instrument of the
Middle Ages and Renaissance that has a double reed and was the predecessor of
the modern oboe
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from schalmys, plural of shalemie,
from Old French chalemie, ultimately from Latin calamus “reed”
(see calamus ).][1]



Shawnee

Shawnee2
Shaw·nee2  [shaw
n]

city in northeastern Kansas.
It is a western suburb of Kansas City. Population: 43,006 (1996)[1]



Shawnee

Shawnee1
Shaw·nee1 [shaw
n] (plural Shaw·nee or Shaw·nees) or
Sha·wa·no [shə wnō] (plural Sha·wa·no
or Sha·wa·nos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands along the Ohio, Cumberland, and
Tennessee rivers, and whose descendants now live mainly in Oklahoma

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Shawnee:
the language of the Shawnee people, belonging to the Algonquian family. Few
people now speak Shawnee.
[Late
17th century. From Delaware ša:wano:w .]
—Shaw·nee, adjective[1]



Shawn,Ted

Shawn,Ted
Shawn
[shawn], Ted (1891–1972)

U.S.
dancer and choreographer. He founded the Denishawn Dance School ( 1915 ) with
his wife, Ruth St. Denis, and they were leading exponents of modern dance.
Real name
Shawn, Edwin Myers[1]



Shawwal

Shawwal
Shaw·wal 
[shə wól] (plural Shaw·wals) noun

10th
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
tenth lunar month of the year
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic shawwāl .][1]



Sha’ban

Sha’ban
Sha’·ban 
[shə bn, shaa
bn] (plural Sha’·bans) or Sha·ban [shə bn, shaa bn]
(plural Sha·bans) or Shaa·ban [shə bn, shaa bn]
(plural Shaa·bans) noun

CALENDAR 8th
month of Islamic calendar: in the Islamic calendar, the
eighth month of the year
[Mid-18th century. From
Arabic ša’bān .][1]



s/he

s/he
s/he 
[sh awr h] pronoun

she or he:
used in writing as a pronoun to mean “she or he” (intended to avoid sexism
in writing) • If
a student wishes to change courses s/he should consult me before the end of
term.[1]



she

she
she 
[stressed shee, unstressed shee] pronoun (used as the subject of a
verb)

1.  previously
mentioned female person or animal: used to refer to a
female person or animal who has been previously mentioned or whose identity is
known • Ms.
Jones continues to enjoy high approval ratings as she starts her third year in
office.

2.  object
perceived as female: used to refer to something
previously mentioned or known that has been traditionally thought of as female,
for example, a nation, a car, a machine, a boat, or a ship • Iran
stated that she is ready to start talks on the issue.
• She’ll
have to go to the scrap yard; she can’t be repaired any longer.
noun

something female:
a female animal or person, sometimes used of a new baby • Is
it a he or a she?
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of Old English hēo .][1]



shea

shea
shea
(plural sheas) noun

See
shea tree
[Late 18th century. From
Mande si .][1]



sheabutter

sheabutter
shea
but·ter 
noun

fat from shea tree seeds:
a white fat obtained from the seeds of the shea tree. It is used as a food and
in the manufacture of soap and candles.[1]



sheaf

sheaf
sheaf 
[sheef] noun (plural sheaves
[sheevz])

1.  bundle
of harvested grain stalks: a bundle of the harvested
stalks of a plant, especially wheat, barley, or another cereal, with the heads
still containing their seeds

2.  any
bundle:
a bundle of objects gathered or tied together
transitive
verb

See sheave 1 verb
[Old English sceaf .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English shove . The underlying idea
is of things shoved together.][1]



shear

shear
shear 
[sheer] verb (past sheared,
past participle sheared or shorn [shawrn], present participle shear·ing,
3rd person present singular shears)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
off:
to remove something with a sharp tool

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
hair, wool, or foliage from: to cut hair, fleece, or
foliage from the surface of something using a sharp tool

3.  transitive
verb
deprive:
to take something valuable or prized away from somebody • sheared
of all self-respect

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
cleanly through something: to move quickly and cleanly
through something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb deform
by applying twisting force: to cause something to deform
or break by applying a twisting force
noun
(plural shears)

1.  removal
of fleece:
a cutting off of a sheep’s wool, often used as a measure of the age of a sheep

2.  wool
cut off:
a quantity of wool cut off

3.  See
shear strain

4.  See
shear stress

5.  shears:
a pair of shears
plural
noun
shears

1.  cutting
tool:
a tool like a large pair of scissors, used for cutting or trimming.
Also
called
pair of shears

2.  sheerlegs:
a sheerlegs
[Old English sceran .
Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut” that is also the
ancestor of English score, short, and curtail
.][1]



shearforce

shearforce
shear
force
(plural shear forces) noun

force acting parallel to
plane: a force, or a component of a
force, that acts parallel to a plane[1]



shearlegs

shearlegs
shear·legs
noun

See
sheerlegs[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








shearling

shearling
shear·ling 
[shrling] (plural shear·lings)
noun

1.  young
sheep shorn for first time: a young sheep, usually
between six and twelve months old, after its first shearing

2.  tanned
skin with wool attached: the tanned skin of a
recently sheared lamb or sheep, with the short wool that remains after shearing
still attached

[1]



shearmodulus

shearmodulus
shear
mod·u·lus
noun

shear stress to shear strain
ratio: the ratio of the shear
stress to the shear strain, taken as an indication of the strength of a
material under shear forces[1]



shearpin

shearpin
shear
pin
(plural shear pins) noun

breakable pin for stopping
machine: a pin inserted in a machine
as a safety device. If safe loads are exceeded, the pin breaks and the machine
shuts down.[1]



shearstrain

shearstrain
shear
strain
(plural shear strains) noun

angular deformation of a
body: the angular deformation of a
body, quantitatively taken to be the sideways displacement of two adjacent
planes divided by the distance between them.
Also called
shear[1]



shearstress

shearstress
shear
stress
(plural shear stresses) noun

force producing shear strain:
the forces acting on a body that produce shear strain.
Also called
shear[1]



shearwater

shearwater
shear·wa·ter 
[shr wáwtər, shr
wòttər] (plural shear·wa·ters or shear·wa·ter)
noun

low-flying
sea bird:
a long-winged dark-colored sea bird with a short hooked bill. It flies low over
the water in search of food. Genus: Puffinus
[From the impression given
when the bird flies that its wings are shearing the water][1]



sheath

sheath

sheath 
[sheeth] noun (plural sheaths
[sheez, sheeths])

1.  case
for a blade: a case for the blade of a knife, sword,
or other cutting implement

2.  close-fitting
covering:
a covering or case that fits closely around something in the way that a sheath
covers a blade

3.  closely
fitting dress: a woman’s closely fitting dress,
originally floor-length, but now also knee-length

4.  U.K.
See condom

5.  BIOLOGY protective
tube:
a tubular covering that protects some body parts and plant parts, for example,
certain nerves and blood vessels in animals or leaf stems in some grasses
transitive verb

See sheathe
[Old English scð .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that probably meant “to divide,
split” (ancestor also of shed 1 ),
the underlying idea being of something split open.][1]



sheathbill

sheathbill
sheath·bill 
[shth bìl] (plural sheath·bills)
noun

Antarctic shore bird:
a squat shore bird with a horny sheath on its face, around the bill. It is a
gregarious scavenger native to rocky Antarctic and subantarctic coasts. Latin
name: Chionis alba Chionis minor[1]



sheathe

sheathe
sheathe 
[shee] (past sheathed, past
participle sheathed, present participle sheath·ing, 3rd
person present singular sheathes) or sheath [sheeth] (past sheathed, past
participle sheathed, present participle sheath·ing, 3rd
person present singular sheaths) transitive verb

1.  put
into a sheath: to put a knife, sword, or other cutting
implement into a sheath

2.  enclose
with a covering or case: to enclose something in a
protective covering or case

3.  retract:
to retract the claws, in the way a cat does

4.  thrust
into flesh:
to thrust a knife or sword into somebody’s flesh (literary)
[14th century. Formed from sheath .][1]



sheathing

sheathing
sheath·ing 
[shing] (plural sheath·ings)
noun

protective covering:
something that encloses and protects, for example, a covering of boards on a
building’s framework or a protective material applied to the underwater
surfaces of a boat’s hull[1]



sheathknife

sheathknife
sheath
knife
noun

knife carried in a sheath:
a knife with a fixed blade that is carried in a sheath[1]



sheatree

sheatree
shea
tree 
[sh tree, sháy
tree] (plural shea trees) or shea [sh tree, sháy tree]
noun

tropical tree with oily
seeds: a tropical West African tree
with seeds from which shea butter is obtained. Latin name: Vitellaria
paradoxa Butytrospermum parkii[1]



sheave

sheave1
sheave1 [sheev]
(past sheaved, past participle sheaved, present
participle sheav·ing, 3rd person present singular sheaves)
or sheaf [sheef] (past sheafed,
past participle sheafed, present participle sheafing,
3rd person present singular sheafs) transitive verb

gather
into sheaves: to gather something, especially the cut
stalks of a cereal crop, into a sheaf
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from sheaves .][1]



sheave

sheave2
sheave2 [sheev]
(plural sheaves) noun

grooved
pulley wheel: a wheel with a grooved rim for a rope,
cable, or belt, especially one used as a pulley
[13th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “disk, slice of bread.”][1]



sheaves

sheaves
sheaves


Plural of
sheaf[1]



Sheba

Sheba
She·ba 
[shbə]

ancient kingdom of
southwestern Arabia, in present-day Yemen. It reached the height of its wealth
and power in the 8th century BC .
In the Bible, it is the meeting place of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (1
Kings 10:1–13) .[1]



shebang

shebang
she·bang 
[shə báng][Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of shebeen .
Originally used for “hut, shed.”]
the
whole shebang

the whole of something (informal)[1]



Shebat

Shebat
She·bat 
noun

CALENDAR
JUDAISM See Shevat[1]



shebeen

shebeen
she·been 
[shə bn] (plural she·beens) noun

illegal
drinking establishment: a small establishment that
sells alcoholic beverages illegally or without a license, traditionally
operating in the poorer regions of Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa
[Late 18th century. From
Irish síbín, literally “little mug,” from séibe “mug.”][1]



Shechina

Shechina
She·chi·na 
[shə khnə, shə
knə, shə knə] or She·chi·nah
[shə khnə, shə
knə, shə knə] or She·khi·nah
[shə khnə, shə
knə, shə knə] noun

presence
of God:
in Jewish theology, God’s presence in and throughout the world
[Mid-17th century. From late
Hebrew šĕīnāh, from šākan “to rest, dwell.”][1]



shechita

shechita
she·chi·ta
[shə khtə] or sche·chi·ta [shə khtə] noun

Jewish
ritual slaughter of animals: the prescribed method of
slaughter of animals and birds under Jewish dietary laws. The act is performed
by a trained and licensed slaughterer ( shochet
) who draws a very sharp knife across the animal’s throat and allows the blood
to drain out.
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew šěīāh, literally “slaughter,” from šāa “to
slaughter.”][1]



shed

shed2
shed2 [shed]
(plural sheds) noun

1.  small
building:
a small structure, either free-standing or attached to a larger building, used
especially for storage or shelter

2.  large
open building: a large building with an open interior,
used for storage or shelter or as a work area. Some sides often have no walls.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of shade .][1]



shed

shed1
shed1 [shed]
verb (past shed, past participle shed, present
participle shed·ding, 3rd person present singular sheds)

1.  transitive
verb
cause
to flow:
to cause tears or blood to pour out

2.  transitive
verb
radiate:
to radiate or disperse something, especially light

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
naturally:
to cast off a growing part, for example, hair or leaves, as a result of a
natural process such as molting

4.  transitive
verb
get
rid of:
to get rid of somebody or something that is unwanted or unnecessary

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb repel
or be repelled: to flow off or drop off, or cause
something, especially water, to flow off or drop off

6.  transitive
verb
U.K. lose
accidentally: to have a transported load accidentally
fall off onto the road

7.  transitive
verb
Scotland part hair: to
part the hair
noun
(plural sheds)

Scotland division
in hair:
a part in the hair
[Old English scēadan
“to divide, separate.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English ski and, probably, sheath .][1]



sheddormer

sheddormer
shed
dor·mer
(plural shed dor·mers) noun

dormer with flat roof:
a dormer with a flat roof that slopes in the same direction as the main roof
that surrounds it[1]



she-devil

she-devil
she-dev·il 
(plural she-dev·ils) noun

heartless woman:
a woman who is perceived as treating people with cruelty or contempt[1]



Sheeler,Charles

Sheeler,Charles
Sheel·er 
[shlər], Charles (1883–1965)

U.S. painter and
photographer. He is known for his precisionist images of urban and rural
structures.[1]



sheen

sheen
sheen 
[sheen] noun

1.  glossy
appearance:
a bright, softly shining surface or appearance

2.  fine
clothing:
fine or brightly colored clothing (literary)
intransitive
verb
(past sheened, past participle sheened, present
participle sheen·ing, 3rd person present singular sheens)

U.K. shine:
to have a sheen (regional)
[14th
century. From earlier sheen “beautiful,” via Old English scēne
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to see” (ancestor of English show ).]
—shee·ny, adjective[1]



sheeny

sheeny
shee·ny
[shnee] (plural shee·nies) noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for a Jewish person (offensive)[1]



sheep

sheep
sheep 
[sheep] (plural sheep) noun

1.  mammal
raised for wool and meat: a stocky hooved mammal with
ribbed horns that is raised for its wool and meat. Genus: Ovis

2.  leather
from sheep:
leather made from the skin of a sheep

3.  submissive
person:
somebody who is timid, submits readily to others, or is easily led
[Old English scēap .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word perhaps meaning “to make,” in which
case the underlying idea is “something made or created.”][1]



sheepberry

sheepberry
sheep·ber·ry 
[shp bèrree] (plural sheep·ber·ries)
noun

N
American shrub with black berries: a North American shrub
or tree of the honeysuckle family that has white flower clusters and edible
black berries. Latin name: Viburnum lentago
Also
called
black haw
[Sheep from the berry’s
supposed resemblance to a sheep-dropping][1]



sheep-dip

sheep-dip
sheep-dip
(plural sheep-dips) noun

1.  disinfectant
for sheep:
a disinfectant in which sheep are immersed to rid them of external parasites
such as mites, ticks, and flies

2.  bath
containing sheep-dip: a bath containing a
disinfectant in which sheep are immersed to rid them of external parasites

[1]



sheepdog

sheepdog
sheep·dog
[shp dáwg] (plural sheep·dogs)
noun

dog that herds sheep:
a dog that is used to herd sheep, or one of a type traditionally bred to herd
sheep[1]



sheepfold

sheepfold
sheep·fold 
[shp fld] (plural sheep·folds)
noun

pen for sheep:
an enclosure or shelter for sheep[1]



sheepherder

sheepherder
sheep·herd·er 
[shp hùrdər] (plural sheep·herd·ers)
noun

herder of sheep:
somebody who herds and guards sheep, especially a large flock of sheep on the
open range[1]



sheepish

sheepish
sheep·ish 
[shpish] adjective

1.  embarrassed:
showing embarrassment as a result of having done something awkward or wrong

2.  timid:
showing the meekness popularly associated with sheep
—sheep·ish·ly,
adverb

—sheep·ish·ness, noun[1]



sheepked

sheepked
sheep
ked 
[shp kèd] (plural sheep keds)
noun

See
sheep tick
[Ked “sheep tick” of unknown
origin][1]



sheeplaurel

sheeplaurel
sheep
lau·rel
(plural sheep lau·rels) noun

poisonous evergreen shrub:
a low-growing evergreen shrub of the heath family that is native to the eastern
United States and Canada and is poisonous to young grazing animals. Latin name:
Kalmia angustifolia
Also called
lambkill
Also called
wicky[1]



sheepshank

sheepshank
sheep·shank 
[shp shàngk] (plural sheep·shanks)
noun

knot to shorten rope:
a knot used to shorten a rope in which the rope is doubled up upon itself[1]



sheepskin

sheepskin
sheep·skin 
[shp skìn] (plural sheep·skins)
noun

1.  sheep
leather with or without wool: the skin of a sheep used as
leather, with or without the wool still attached (often used before a noun)

2.  sheepskin
garment or rug: a rug or a garment, especially a coat or
jacket, made from sheepskin with the wool attached

3.  parchment:
a parchment made from the skin of a sheep (often used before a noun)

4.  diploma:
a diploma, traditionally made of sheepskin parchment (informal)

[1]



sheeptick

sheeptick
sheep
tick
(plural sheep ticks) noun

bloodsucking fly:
a wingless fly that lives as a bloodsucking parasite on sheep and can cause
serious skin irritations. Latin name: Melophagus ovinus
Also called
sheep ked[1]



sheep’seyes

sheep’seyes
sheep’s
eyes 
plural noun

loving
look:
shy glances full of love and longing
[From the large size and the
docile appearance of the eyes of sheep][1]



sheer

sheer3
sheer3 [sheer]
noun

side
curvature of boat: the upward curve of a boat’s
hull as seen from the side, or the degree to which the hull curves upward
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from shear .][1]



sheer

sheer2
sheer2 [sheer]
intransitive and transitive verb (past sheered, past
participle sheered, present participle sheer·ing, 3rd
person present singular sheers)

swerve from a course:
to swerve from a course, or cause a vehicle or vessel to swerve from its course
noun
(plural sheers)

1.  change
of course:
an abrupt or sudden change of course

2.  NAUTICAL position
of ship at anchor: the position of a ship in
relation to its anchor
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German scheren .][1]



sheer

sheer1
sheer1 [sheer]
adjective

1.  complete
and utter:
used to emphasize the unlimited extent or unmitigated quality of something • That
explanation is sheer nonsense.

2.  exclusive
of anything else: considered by itself without reference
to anything else, or acting by itself without help from anything else • She
won the race by sheer endurance.

3.  pure
or unadulterated: free from any impurities, or not mixed
with anything else

4.  vertical:
rising nearly straight up or falling nearly straight down over a long distance
• They
looked over the edge and there was a sheer drop.

5.  thin
and almost transparent: so thin and fine as to be
almost transparent • a sheer summer blouse
adverb

1.  vertically:
with an almost vertical rise or fall

2.  completely:
completely and utterly
noun
(plural sheers)

nearly transparent fabric:
a fabric or piece of clothing that is very thin and fine and almost transparent
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old English scīr “bright,
shining” from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English shimmer .]
—sheer·ly,
adverb

—sheer·ness, noun[1]



sheerlegs

sheerlegs
sheer·legs
[shr lègz] (plural sheer·legs)
or shear·legs [shr lègz] (plural
shear·legs) noun

hoisting apparatus with two
legs: a lifting device consisting
of two poles tied together at the top and spread apart at the bottom with a
pulley suspended from the apex (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also called
sheers[1]



sheet

sheet2
sheet2 [sheet]
noun (plural sheets)

rope
for changing sail’s position: a rope or line attached to a
bottom corner of a sail and used to change the sail’s position
plural
noun
sheets

spaces
at bow and stern: the spaces in the bow and stern of an
open boat that are not occupied by the seats
[Old English scēata
“corner; lower part of a sail”][1]



sheet

sheet1
sheet1 [sheet]
noun (plural sheets)

1.  HOUSEHOLD cloth
used on bed: a large rectangular piece of cloth that
is used to cover the mattress of a bed or somebody sleeping on the mattress

2.  flat
thin rectangular piece: a broad flat thin piece of a
material, especially a rectangular piece of paper, metal, or glass

3.  broad
thin expanse: a broad flat thin expanse of a
substance, especially ice or water

4.  expanse
of something moving: a broad expanse of something
that is in motion, for example, falling water

5.  COOKING flat
baking pan:
a large flat metal rectangle with very shallow sides or none at all, used for
baking

6.  STAMPS page
of stamps:
an entire rectangular page of postage stamps that were printed as a unit

7.  PUBLISHING newspaper:
a newspaper or periodical, especially one dismissed as trivial
verb
(past sheet·ed, past participle sheet·ed, present
participle sheet·ing, 3rd person present singular sheets)

1.  transitive
verb
put
a sheet over: to cover or wrap something in a sheet

2.  transitive
verb
cover
with thin layer: to cover something with a thin layer of
a material

3.  transitive
verb
make
into flat thin pieces: to form something,
especially metal, into broad flat thin pieces

4.  intransitive
verb
fall
over broad expanse: to fall, flow, or spread out
over a broad area
adjective

1.  broad,
flat, and thin: made in broad, flat, thin, usually
rectangular pieces

2.  covering
thinly:
covering a broad area thinly
[Old English scēte
“cloth.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to project”
(ancestor also of English shoot, shout, and scuttle
).][1]



sheetanchor

sheetanchor
sheet
an·chor
(plural sheet an·chors) noun

1.  large
emergency anchor: a large anchor that is dropped only in
emergencies

2.  help
in emergency: somebody who or something that is relied
on for help in a time of crisis or danger
[Sheet of unknown origin:
perhaps influenced by sheet 2][1]



sheeting

sheeting
sheet·ing 
[shting] noun

1.  cloth
for sheets:
wide cotton or linen cloth used primarily for making bedsheets

2.  thin
material for covering: thin material used for
covering or lining the surface of something

[1]



sheetlightning

sheetlightning
sheet
light·ning
noun

lightning appearing in broad
sheet: lightning that appears in a
broad sheet as a result of being diffused by cloud cover[1]



sheetmetal

sheetmetal
sheet
met·al
(plural sheet met·als) noun

metal in sheet form:
metal that has been formed into a sheet by being pressed between rollers until
it is thinner than plate but thicker than foil[1]



sheetmusic

sheetmusic
sheet
mu·sic
noun

printed music on unbound
sheets: music printed on folded or
unfolded sheets of paper that have not been bound into a book[1]



Sheetrock

Sheetrock
Sheet·rock
[sht ròk] Trademark

a trademark for a type of
plasterboard[1]



shegetz

shegetz
she·getz 
[sháygəts] (plural shkotz·im [shkáwtsim]) or shey·getz [sháygəts] (plural shkotz·im) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive Jewish term for a boy or man who is not Jewish (taboo insult)
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish sheygets from Hebrew sheqeṣ “abomination, detested
thing.”][1]



sheik

sheik
sheik
[sheek, shayk]
(plural sheiks) or sheikh [sheek,
shayk] (plural sheikhs) or
shaikh [sheek, shayk] (plural shaikhs [shayk, shīk]) noun

1.  Arab
chief:
the leader of an Arab tribe or village

2.  ISLAM Islamic
religious leader: a senior official in an Islamic
religious organization

3.  physically
appealing man: a handsome and physically appealing man
(dated informal)
[Late 16th century. From,
ultimately, Arabic šay, literally “old man,” from šāa “to be
old.”][1]



sheika

sheika
shei·ka 
[sháy kaa] (plural shei·kas) or
shei·kha [sháy kaa] (plural shei·khas)
or shai·kha [sháy kaa] (plural
shai·khas) noun

sheik’s
wife:
the wife of a sheik
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic šaya .][1]



sheikdom

sheikdom
sheik·dom
[shkdəm, sháykdəm]
(plural sheik·doms) or sheikh·dom [shkdəm, sháykdəm]
(plural sheikh·doms) or shaikh·dom [sháydəm, shkdəm]
(plural shaikh·doms) noun

area ruled by sheik:
a territory ruled by an Islamic religious leader. The emirates of the United
Arab Emirates are sheikdoms.[1]



sheikh

sheikh
sheikh
noun

See
sheik[1]



sheikha

sheikha
shei·kha 
noun

See
sheika[1]



sheikhdom

sheikhdom
sheikh·dom
noun

See
sheikdom[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sheila

sheila
shei·la 
[shlə] (plural shei·las) noun

Australia,
New Zealand
woman:
a woman, especially a girl or young woman (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Sheila, female name.][1]



shekel

shekel
shek·el 
[shék’l] noun (plural shek·els)

1.  Israeli
currency unit: the main unit of currency of the modern
state of Israel, worth 100 agorot

2.  coin
worth a shekel: a coin worth one shekel

3.  ancient
Jewish unit of weight: an ancient Jewish unit of
weight equivalent to approximately 16g/0.5 oz

4.  ancient
Jewish coin: an ancient Jewish coin that was a unit
of currency between 66 AD and 130 AD
plural
noun
shek·els

money: money
or cash (slang)
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew šeqel, from šaqal “to weigh.”][1]



Shekhinah

Shekhinah
She·khi·nah
noun

See
Shechina[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sheldrake

sheldrake
shel·drake 
[shél dràyk] (plural shel·drakes
or shel·drake) noun

1.  large
European duck: a large thick-set often brightly colored
or variegated European duck with a thick bill. Genus: Tadorna
Also
called
shelduck

2.  See
merganser
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from earlier sheld “variegated” + drake .][1]



shelf

shelf
shelf 
[shelf] (plural shelves [shelvz]) noun

1.  flat
surface for holding objects: a flat usually rectangular
board on which things are stored or displayed. It can be attached to a wall or
can form part of a cabinet.

2.  contents
of shelf:
the contents of a shelf, or the quantity of something that a shelf holds

3.  GEOGRAPHY ledge
on the landscape: a ledge of rock, ice, or sand

4.  MINING layer
of underground rock: a layer of underground rock
encountered when sinking a shaft

5.  ARCHERY heel of
hand:
the part of the heel of the hand on which the back end of an arrow is supported
before being fired from a bow
[14th
century. From Low German Schelf “shelf, shelves,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps, ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to split,” the
underlying idea being “split piece of wood.”]
—shelf·ful,
noun
be
(left) on the shelf

1.  to
be thought too old to have any chance of marrying (insult)

2.  to
be no longer wanted, used, or taken account of

[1]



shelfice

shelfice
shelf
ice
noun

mass of floating ice:
a large plate of floating ice that has broken off from an ice shelf[1]



shelflife

shelflife
shelf
life
noun

1.  storage
time of product: the length of time a product may be
stored before it begins to lose its freshness or effectiveness

2.  period
of popularity: the length of time that somebody or
something is popular or lasts (informal)

[1]



shell

shell

shell 
[shel] noun (plural shells)

1.  ZOOLOGY covering
of turtle or crab: the hard protective outer
covering of turtles, crabs, and other mollusks and crustaceans, or the
calcium-based material this covering is made of

2.  INSECTS covering
of insect’s body: the hard outer covering ( exoskeleton ) of an insect’s body

3.  ZOOLOGY covering
of egg:
the hard or tough protective outer covering of the eggs of birds, reptiles, and
a few mammals

4.  BIOLOGY nut’s
outer covering: the hard or fibrous protective outer
covering of some seeds and fruits such as nuts

5.  protective
casing:
any hard casing or covering that protects or holds its contents, or the
material composing it

6.  CONSTRUCTION framework
of building: the basic framework of a building,
especially while under construction or after damage by fire

7.  SHIPPING ship’s
hull:
the outer hull of a ship

8.  COOKING pastry
case:
a casing of pastry that has a filling put into it

9.  hollow
or empty thing: an external form that contains nothing • a
mere shell of her former self

10. reserved
manner:
a reserved manner behind which a shy person hides feelings or thoughts • eventually
came out of her shell and joined in

11. ARMS large
explosive projectile: an explosive projectile
fired from a large-bore gun such as a field gun or tank gun

12. ARMS gun
cartridge:
a piece of ammunition fired by a gun, especially a shotgun cartridge, which
holds the shot and explosive powder.
Also
called
cartridge

13. INDUSTRY firework
cartridge:
the cartridge that forms the outside of a firework and contains the explosive
powder

14. HOUSEHOLD small
glass:
a small beer glass

15. CLOTHES unlined
jacket:
an unlined usually lightweight jacket

16. CLOTHES sleeveless
blouse:
a sleeveless blouse or sweater for a woman

17. BUSINESS See shell company

18. ROWING narrow
racing boat: a narrow light boat used for racing,
rowed by one or more persons

19. PHYSICS group
of electrons in similar orbits: a group of electrons
orbiting the nucleus of an atom and having the same principal quantum number.
Also
called
electron shell

20. COMPUTING command
program:
a computer program that simplifies the interface between a user and the
operating system by allowing the user to pick from a set of menus instead of
entering commands
verb (past
shelled, past participle shelled, present participle
shell·ing, 3rd person present singular shells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
something out of a shell: to take something out of a
shell, or be taken out of a shell • shell
peas

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
kernels from a cob: to separate kernels from a
cob, or be separated from a cob • shell
sweet corn

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY bombard target:
to fire artillery shells at something

4.  intransitive
verb
flake
off:
to fall off in thin scales

5.  intransitive
verb
collect
seashells:
to look for and gather shells at the seashore

6.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL make
many hits against: to make many hits against an
opposing pitcher in baseball and score many runs
[Old English scell,
originally “something that splits off”][1]



shellac

shellac
shel·lac 
[shə lák] or shel·lack [shə lák] noun (plural shel·lacs)
(plural shel·lacks)

1.  purified
resin:
yellowish-orange flakes of a resin ( lac )
secreted by a tropical insect

2.  varnish:
a thin varnish made of purified lac dissolved in alcohol, used, especially
formerly, as a coating on furniture and other items made from wood

3.  78
rpm phonograph record: an old type of phonograph
record originally made from a material containing purified lac, played at 78
rpm
transitive
verb
(past shel·lacked, past participle shel·lacked, present
participle shel·lack·ing, 3rd person present singular shel·lacs)
(past shel·lacked, past participle shel·lacked, present
participle shel·lack·ing, 3rd person present singular shel·lacks)

1.  apply
shellac to something: to coat something with
shellac varnish

2.  hit
repeatedly:
to beat somebody repeatedly with hard blows (slang)

3.  defeat
easily:
to defeat somebody easily or decisively (slang)
[Mid-17th century. From shell + lac,
modeled on French laque en écailles “lac (melted) in thin plates.”][1]



shellacking

shellacking
shel·lack·ing
[shə láking] (plural shel·lack·ings)
noun (slang)

1.  severe
beating:
a severe physical beating

2.  decisive
defeat:
an easy or decisive defeat

[1]



shellback

shellback
shell·back 
[shél bàk] (plural shell·backs)
noun

1.  sailor
who has crossed equator: a sailor who has crossed the
equator, especially one whose crossing was marked by a traditional initiation
ceremony

2.  experienced
sailor:
an old or experienced sailor
[From the idea that limpets
and barnacles have grown on the sailor’s back during the long time at sea][1]



shellbark

shellbark
shell·bark 
[shél brk] (plural shell·barks)
noun

See
shagbark  noun 1[1]



shellbean

shellbean
shell
bean
(plural shell beans) noun

1.  bean
grown for seeds: a bean plant that is grown for its seeds
not its pods

2.  seed
of a shell bean plant: a seed of a shell bean
plant, used as food

[1]



shellcompany

shellcompany
shell
com·pa·ny
noun

company not operated for
itself: a company that has no
independent assets or operations of its own but is used by its owners to
conduct certain business dealings or maintain control of other companies.
Also called
shell[1]



Shelley,Mary

Shelley,Mary
Shel·ley
[shéllee], Mary (1797–1851)

British
writer. Her most famous work is Frankenstein (1818). She was the
daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Born
Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft[1]



Shelley,Percy Bysshe

Shelley,Percy Bysshe

Shel·ley
[shéllee], Percy Bysshe (1792–1822)
British poet. His lyric poetry was at the
forefront of the English romantic movement, and included odes such as “To a
Skylark” (1820) and an elegy on Keats, “Adonais” (1821). He was the husband of
Mary Shelley.[1]



shellfire

shellfire
shell·fire
[shél fr] noun

1.  fired
artillery shells: artillery shells or projectiles fired at
a target

2.  firing
of artillery shells: the firing or exploding of
artillery shells or projectiles

[1]



shellfish

shellfish
shell·fish 
[shél fìsh] (plural shell·fish
or shell·fish·es) noun

edible aquatic animal with
shell: an aquatic invertebrate
animal with a shell, especially an edible mollusk or crustacean such as an
oyster, shrimp, or lobster[1]



shellgame

shellgame
shell
game
(plural shell games) noun

1.  gambling
game:
a form of the game thimblerig in which spectators bet on the final location of
an object hidden under one of three walnut shells or cups that have been
shuffled

2.  fraudulent
scheme:
a scheme for defrauding or deceiving people

[1]



shelljacket

shelljacket
shell
jack·et
(plural shell jack·ets) noun

waist-length military jacket:
a tight-fitting military jacket that extends only to the waist and is worn on
semiformal occasions[1]



shellout

shellout
shell
out
intransitive and transitive verb

pay out:
to pay out money, especially a great deal of money (informal)[1]



shellpink

shellpink
shell
pink
adjective

pale
pink:
of a delicate pale pink color (hyphenated when used before a noun)
—shell pink, noun[1]



shellshock

shellshock
shell
shock
noun

psychiatric disorder caused
by warfare: a psychiatric disorder
caused by exposure to warfare, especially shellfire (dated)[1]



shell-shocked

shell-shocked
shell-shocked
adjective

1.  stunned
or exhausted: stunned, upset, or exhausted as a result
of a stressful experience (informal)

2.  affected
by battle fatigue: experiencing severe
psychological effects from exposure to warfare, especially shellfire

[1]



shellsteak

shellsteak
shell
steak
(plural shell steaks) noun

short loin cut of steak:
a cut of steak from the short loin area[1]



shellwork

shellwork
shell·work
[shèl wúrk] noun

ornamental work using
seashells: seashells stuck on furniture
and other items to give a decorative finish[1]



Shelta

Shelta
Shel·ta 
[shéltə] noun

secret
Romany language: an ancient secret language used by
Romany and other traveling people in Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is
based on Gaelic with consonants systematically inverted or changed.
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Old Irish bélre “language.”][1]



shelter

shelter
shel·ter 
[shéltər] noun (plural shel·ters)

1.  structure
that protects or covers: a structure or building that
provides cover from weather or protection against danger

2.  refuge:
an establishment providing accommodations and food for people who need to leave
a violent or otherwise dangerous situation

3.  refuge
for animals: an establishment that takes in and looks
after lost or unwanted animals

4.  protection
or cover:
the protection, cover, refuge, or safety that a shelter provides

5.  dwelling
or housing:
a place to live, considered as one of life’s necessities
verb
(past shel·tered, past participle shel·tered, present
participle shel·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular shel·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
provide
with protection: to provide somebody or something with
protection, cover, refuge, or safety

2.  intransitive
verb
find
protection:
to find protection, cover, refuge, or safety

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE invest
to avoid taxes: to put money into an investment that is
subject to a lower tax rate or is free from taxes
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of earlier sheltron “troops protected
by shields,” from Old English scieldtruma, from scield “shield” +
truma “troop.”][1]



sheltered

sheltered
shel·tered
[shéltərd] adjective

1.  protected
from elements: protected from the adverse effects of
the weather, especially wind

2.  not
exposed to rigors of life: protected from the
unpleasant, upsetting, or testing experiences of life

[1]



shelteredworkshop

shelteredworkshop
shel·tered
work·shop 
(plural shel·tered work·shops) noun

special workplace for people
who have disabilities: a workplace
specially designed to provide a noncompetitive environment where people who
have various limitations can acquire job skills and experience[1]



sheltertent

sheltertent
shel·ter
tent
(plural shel·ter tents) noun

small tent:
a small tent for two people usually made from two similar pieces of waterproof
fabric.
Also called
pup tent[1]



sheltie

sheltie
shel·tie 
[shéltee] (plural shel·ties) or
shel·ty [shéltee] (plural shel·ties)
noun

Shetland
pony or sheepdog: a Shetland pony or a Shetland sheepdog (informal)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Orkney dialect from Old Norse Hjalti
“Shetlander.”][1]



shelve

shelve2
shelve2  [shelv]
(past shelved, past participle shelved, present
participle shelv·ing, 3rd person present singular shelves)
intransitive verb

slope
gradually:
to descend with a flat, usually gradual slope
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from earlier shelf
“grassy bank.”][1]



shelve

shelve1
shelve1  [shelv]
(past shelved, past participle shelved, present
participle shelv·ing, 3rd person present singular shelves)
transitive verb

1.  put
on shelf:
to put or store something on a shelf

2.  set
aside:
to put something off until later, or set something aside

3.  dismiss:
to dismiss or withdraw somebody or something from active service
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from shelves .][1]



shelves

shelves
shelves


Plural of
shelf[1]



shelving

shelving
shelv·ing 
[shélving] noun

1.  shelves:
the shelves in a place, or shelves in general

2.  material
for shelves: material used for making shelves

[1]



ShenandoahNational Park

ShenandoahNational Park
Shen·an·do·ah
Na·tion·al Park [shénnèn dō
è national park]

national park in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia, established in 1935. Area: 788 sq km/304
sq mi.[1]



ShenandoahValley

ShenandoahValley

Shen·an·do·ah Val·ley

valley of the Shenandoah River in
Virginia, between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains, southwest of Harpers
Ferry. Length: 225 km/140 mi.[1]



shenanigan

shenanigan
she·nan·i·gan 
[shə nánnigən] (plural she·nan·i·gans)
noun (informal)

1.  questionable
act:
something that is deceitful, underhanded, or otherwise questionable (usually
used in the plural)

2.  trick
or prank:
a playful trick, mischievous prank, or other display of high spirits
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Spanish chanada “trick, deceit,” contraction of charranada
.][1]



Shenyang

Shenyang
Shen·yang 
[shèn yúng]

city in Liaoning Province,
northeastern China. Population: 3,860,000 (1993)[1]



Sheol

Sheol
She·ol 
[sh l, shee ṓl]
noun

ancient
Hebrew dwelling place of dead: in ancient Hebrew
theology, the dwelling place of the dead
[Late 16th century. From
Hebrew šĕ’ōl .][1]



Shepard,Alan, Jr.

Shepard,Alan, Jr.

Shep·ard 
[shéppərd], Alan, Jr. (1923–1998)
U.S.
astronaut. He was the first U.S. astronaut in space (May 5, 1961) and the fifth
person to walk on the moon (1971).
Full name
Shepard, Alan Bartlett, Jr.[1]



Shepard,Sam

Shepard,Sam

Shep·ard 
[shéppərd], Sam (1943– )
U.S.
playwright and actor. His offbeat plays include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried
Child ( 1978 ).
Full name
Rogers, Samuel Shepard, Jr.[1]



shepherd

shepherd
shep·herd 
[shéppərd] noun (plural shep·herds)

1.  somebody
tending sheep: somebody who looks after sheep

2.  somebody
providing guidance: somebody who is responsible
for caring for and guiding a group of people, especially a Christian minister
verb
(past shep·herd·ed, past participle shep·herd·ed, present
participle shep·herd·ing, 3rd person present singular shep·herds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tend
sheep:
to look after sheep

2.  transitive
verb
guide:
to guide a group of people somewhere

3.  transitive
verb
take
care of others: to look after the well-being of a group
of people
[Old English scēaphirde,
from scēap (see sheep ) + hierde
“herder”][1]



shepherdess

shepherdess
shep·herd·ess 
[shéppərdəss] (plural shep·herd·ess·es)
noun

woman shepherd:
a girl or woman who looks after sheep (dated)[1]



shepherd’scheck

shepherd’scheck
shep·herd’s
check
(plural shep·herd’s checks) noun (often used before a
noun)
Also
called
shepherd’s plaid

1.  pattern
of squares:
a pattern of small black and white squares

2.  shepherd’s
check fabric: a fabric in a shepherd’s check pattern

[1]



shepherd’spie

shepherd’spie
shep·herd’s
pie 
(plural shep·herd’s pies) noun

ground meat and potato pie:
a baked dish made of cooked ground meat, traditionally lamb or mutton, in gravy
with a topping of mashed potato[1]



shepherd’splaid

shepherd’splaid
shep·herd’s
plaid
(plural shep·herd’s plaids) noun

(often used before a noun)See
shepherd’s check[1]



shepherd’spurse

shepherd’spurse
shep·herd’s
purse
noun

plant
with heart-shaped seed pods: an annual plant of the
mustard family that has white flowers and heart-shaped seed pods and is
commonly found as a weed in gardens. Latin name: Capsella bursa-pastoris
[From the pod’s resemblance
to a bag used by shepherds to carry food][1]



Shepparton

Shepparton
Shep·par·ton
[shéppèrtèn]

city in northern Victoria,
Australia. It is an industrial, agricultural, and food processing center.
Population: 30,510 (1991)[1]



Sheraton

Sheraton
Sher·a·ton 
[shérrət’n] adjective

in a graceful style:
relating to furniture designed by or in the graceful simple style of Thomas
Sheraton, who favored straight lines, understated classical ornamentation, and
light thin legs[1]



Sheraton,Thomas

Sheraton,Thomas
Sher·a·ton 
[shérrət’n], Thomas (1751–1806)

British cabinetmaker. He
wrote The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book ( 1793–1794 ),
which was influential in formulating the neoclassical style in English
furniture.[1]



sherbet

sherbet
sher·bet 
[shúrbət] (plural sher·bets) noun

1.  sher·bet
or sher·bert (plural sher·berts) frozen
dessert:
a frozen dessert made with fruit syrup, milk and the white of an egg, whisked
until smooth and opaque

2.  U.K.
fizzy
powder:
a fruit-flavored sweet powder that fizzes when moistened on the tongue and is
eaten as a confection or is stirred into water to make a fizzy drink (often
used before a noun)

3.  U.K.
fruit
drink:
a drink made from fruit juice, water, and sugar and served chilled

4.  sher·bet
or sher·bert (plural sher·berts) U.K., Australia
beer:
beer (dated humorous slang)
[Early 17th century. Via
Turkish şerbet and Persian šerbet from Arabic šarbat
“drink,” from šariba “to drink” (source of English syrup ).][1]



Sherbrooke

Sherbrooke
Sher·brooke 
[shúr brk]

city situated south of the
St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, 160 km/100 mi east of Montreal.
Population: 76,429 (1991)[1]



sherd

sherd
sherd 
noun

See
potsherd[1]



Sheridan,Richard Brinsley

Sheridan,Richard Brinsley
Sher·i·dan 
[shérrid’n], Richard Brinsley (1751–1816)

Irish-born British
playwright. His comedies of manners include The Rivals (1775) and The
School for Scandal (1777). He was a Whig member of Parliament (1780–1812).[1]



sherif

sherif
she·rif 
[shə rf] (plural she·rifs) or
sha·rif [shə rf] (plural sha·rifs)
or she·reef [shə rf] (plural
she·reefs) noun

1.  ISLAM descendant
of Muhammad: a descendant of the prophet Muhammad
through his daughter Fatima

2.  governor
of Mecca:
the governor or chief magistrate of Mecca during the years of Ottoman Turkish
rule

3.  Arab
ruler:
an Arab prince or ruler
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic sharīf, literally “illustrious.”][1]



sheriff

sheriff
sher·iff 
[shérrif] (plural sher·iffs) noun

1.  U.S.
county law enforcement officer: in the United States,
the chief law enforcement officer for a county, whose duties are sometimes
restricted to the enforcement of the orders of the courts

2.  senior
official of English county: in England and Wales, the
senior representative of the monarch in a county, who performs ceremonial and
some judicial duties

3.  Scottish
judge:
in Scotland, a judge who presides over one of the lower courts for civil and criminal
cases

4.  Canadian
court officer: in Canada, an officer of the courts who
assists with the administration of the justice system, for example, by serving
writs

5.  Australian
court official: in Australia, a court official charged
with managing juries and implementing orders from the Supreme Court
[Old
English scīrgerēfa, literally “reeve of the shire,” from scīr
“shire” + gerēfa “reeve”]
—sher·iff·dom, noun[1]



Sherman,Cindy

Sherman,Cindy
Sher·man 
[shúrmən], Cindy (1954– )

U.S. photographer. Her
carefully staged and composed photographs, featuring herself in various roles,
gained widespread notice in the 1980s.[1]



Sherman,James S.

Sherman,James S.
Sher·man 
[shúrmən], James S. (1855–1912)

U.S.
statesman and vice president. He was William Howard Taft’s vice president
(1909–1912).
Full name
Sherman, James Schoolcraft[1]



Sherman,John

Sherman,John
Sher·man 
[shúrmən], John (1823–1900)

U.S. statesman. The brother
of General William T. Sherman, he served as secretary of the treasury
(1877–1881) and secretary of state (1897–1898). As a Republican U.S. senator
(1861–1877, 1881–1897), he wrote the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) and the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890).[1]



Sherman,Roger

Sherman,Roger
Sher·man 
[shúrmən], Roger (1721–1793)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) and represented Connecticut at the
Constitutional Convention (1787).[1]



Sherman,William T.

Sherman,William T.

Sher·man 
[shúrmən], William T. (1820–1891)
U.S.
soldier. A Mexican War veteran, he rejoined the army in 1861 as the Civil War
broke out and became one of the Union army’s most aggressive and successful
generals, marching on Atlanta and then to the sea (1864).
Full name
Sherman, William Tecumseh[1]



Sherpa

Sherpa
Sher·pa 
(plural Sher·pas or Sher·pa) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Himalayan mountain people: a member of a people
originally from Tibet who live on the southern Himalayan slopes in Nepal and
Sikkim. Sherpas are noted for their mountaineering skills.

2.  Sher·pa
(plural Sher·pas) or sher·pa (plural sher·pas)
MOUNTAINEERING Himalayan
mountain guide: a Sherpa who works as a guide for
mountaineers in the Himalayas

3.  Sher·pa
(plural Sher·pas) or sher·pa (plural sher·pas)
POLITICS expert
political aide: an expert who helps a government leader
prepare for a summit meeting
[Mid-19th century. From
Tibetan sharpa “inhabitant of an eastern country.”][1]



sherry

sherry
sher·ry 
[shérree] (plural sher·ries) noun

fortified
Spanish wine: a wine, especially one made near Jerez,
Spain, that has a higher alcohol content as a result of adding brandy, and
ranges from very sweet to very dry
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of earlier sherris, interpreted as plural, named for Xeres
(now Jerez), Spain, where the wine was produced.][1]



Sherwood,Robert E.

Sherwood,Robert E.
Sher·wood
[shúrwd], Robert E. (1896–1955)

U.S.
playwright. His Pulitzer Prize-winning plays include Idiot’s Delight (
1936 ).
Full name
Sherwood, Robert Emmet[1]



Shetland

Shetland
Shet·land 
[shétlənd] noun (plural Shet·lands)

1.  ZOOLOGY See Shetland sheepdog

2.  TEXTILES See Shetland wool

3.  CLOTHES garment
of Shetland wool: an item of clothing made of Shetland
wool, especially a sweater
adjective

made of Shetland wool:
made of Shetland wool

[1]



ShetlandIslands

ShetlandIslands
Shet·land
Is·lands
[shét lènd islands]

group
of about 150 islands lying 209 km/130 mi north of mainland Scotland. The
islands serve as a base for the North Sea oil industry. Mainland is the chief
island. Capital: Lerwick. Population: 23,232 (1996) Area: 1,438 sq km/555 sq
mi.
—Shet·land·er, noun[1]



Shetlandpony

Shetlandpony
Shet·land
po·ny
noun

small sturdy pony:
a small sturdy pony with a long shaggy mane and tail, belonging to a breed that
originated in Shetland.
Also called
sheltie[1]



Shetlandsheepdog

Shetlandsheepdog

Shet·land sheep·dog
(plural Shet·land sheep·dogs) noun
small herding dog:
a small herding dog with a heavy coat that resembles a collie, belonging to a
breed that originated in Shetland.
Also called
Shetland[1]



Shetlandwool

Shetlandwool
Shet·land
wool
noun

wool from Shetland:
fine wool from sheep raised in Shetland, or a yarn spun from this wool.
Also called
Shetland[1]



Shevardnadze,Eduard

Shevardnadze,Eduard

Shev·ard·na·dze
[shèvvərd ndzə], Eduard (1928– )
Georgian
statesman. As foreign minister (1985–1990, 1991) during the last years of the
Soviet Union, he helped to implement democratic reforms in East European
countries and cultivate warmer relations with the West. After his native
Georgia became an independent republic, he became its head of state (1992).
Full name
Shevardnadze, Eduard Amvrosiyevich[1]



Shevat

Shevat
She·vat 
[shə vót] or She·bat [shə bót, shə vót]
noun

JUDAISM CALENDAR 11th month of Jewish
calendar:
the eleventh month of the Jewish religious calendar, covering part of January
and February
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew šěa .][1]



shew

shew
shew 
[shō] (past shewed, past
participle shewed or shewn [shōn],
present participle shew·ing, 3rd person present singular shews)
intransitive and transitive verb

show:
to show (archaic)
[Variant spelling][1]



shewbread

shewbread
shew·bread 
[shṓ brèd] noun

bread placed in tabernacle:
in the Bible, the twelve loaves of bread placed in the tabernacle every Sabbath
by the Hebrew priests of ancient Israel (archaic)[1]



sheygets

sheygets
shey·gets
noun

(taboo insult) See
shegetz[1]



she’d

she’d
she’d 
[sheed] contraction

she had or she would:
a short form of “she had” or “she would”[1]



she’ll

she’ll
she’ll 
[sheel] contraction

she will or she shall:
a short form of “she will” or “she shall”[1]



she’s

she’s
she’s
[sheez] contraction

she is or she has:
a short form of “she is” or “she has”[1]



SHF

SHF
SHF
or shf

Abbreviation of
superhigh frequency[1]



Shia

Shia
Shi·a
[sh ə] or Shi·’a [sh ə] or Shi·’ah [sh ə] noun (plural Shi·a or
Shi·as) (plural Shi·’a or Shi·’as) (plural
Shi·’ah or Shi·’ahs)

1.  major
branch of Islam: the branch of Islam that considers Ali,
the cousin of Muhammad, and his descendants as Muhammad’s true successors.
Also
called
Shiism
See
also
Sunni

2.  See
Shiite  noun
adjective

See Shiite  adjective
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic šī’a “faction, party” (of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and the
fourth caliph).][1]



shiatsu

shiatsu
shi·at·su 
[shee t s] or shi·at·zu [shee t s] noun

form
of massage:
a form of healing massage in which the hands are used to apply pressure at
acupuncture points on the body in order to stimulate and redistribute energy.
Originating in Japan, it is used in alternative medicine to treat various
conditions, for example, back pain, migraine, insomnia, depression, and
digestive problems.
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “finger pressure.”][1]



shibboleth

shibboleth
shib·bo·leth
[shíbbə lèth] (plural shib·bo·leths)
noun

1.  catchword
or slogan:
a word or phrase frequently used, or a belief strongly held, by members of a
group that is usually regarded by outsiders as meaningless, unimportant, or
misguided

2.  common
saying or belief: a saying that is widely used or a belief
that is widely held, especially one that interferes with somebody’s ability to
speak or think about things without preconception

3.  identifying
word or custom: a unique pronunciation, word, behavior,
or practice used to distinguish one group of people from another and to
identify individuals as either members of the group or outsiders
[Mid-17th
century. From Hebrew šibbōle “stream.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  According
  to the Bible, the Gileadites used the word šibbōle as a password, for
  they knew their enemies the Ephraimites could not pronounce the “sh” properly
  (“And it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me
  go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he
  said, Nay, then they said unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said
  Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right” Judges
  (12:5-6.)

[1]



shidduch

shidduch
shid·duch
[shíddək] (plural shid·duch·im
[shddəkim]) noun

prospective
Jewish marriage: a prospective Jewish marriage that was
formerly usually arranged by a professional matchmaker ( shadchan )
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish from Hebrew šiddū “negotiation (of an arranged marriage).”][1]



shield

shield
shield 
[sheeld] noun (plural shields)

1.  ARMS piece
of armor carried on arm: a flat or convex piece of
armor carried on the arm and used as a protection against weapon blows, arrows,
bullets, or projectiles

2.  protection
or defense:
somebody or something that serves as protection or acts as a defense

3.  HERALDRY coat
of arms:
a shield or a shield -shaped insignia that contains somebody’s coat of arms

4.  prize
or trophy:
a prize or trophy, especially in a sports competition, that is made in the
shape of a shield

5.  decorative
official emblem: a decorative device used as an official
emblem by a government or organization, usually containing symbolic images
associated with the government’s territory or the organization’s purpose

6.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION U.S.
police officer’s badge: the official badge that a
U.S. law enforcement officer wears or carries

7.  CLOTHES See dress shield

8.  ARMS protective
plate attached to artillery: a steel plate attached to a
piece of artillery to protect those operating the artillery from bullets and
shrapnel

9.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine’s
safety barrier: a protective barrier such as a screen or
housing around the moving parts of a piece of machinery

10. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING antistatic
or antimagnetic screen: a screen used to protect
equipment or persons from unwanted electric or magnetic fields

11. NUCLEAR PHYSICS wall
protecting from radiation: an encasing structure or
wall, usually made of lead or concrete that is put around a nuclear reactor or
other source of radiation to prevent the release of radiation

12. GEOLOGY flat
area of rock: a broad flat area of exposed Precambrian
basement rock that lies at the center of each continent

13. ZOOLOGY animal’s
protective covering: the protective covering of
an animal, for example, a shell, scale, or plate

14. BOTANY See apothecium
verb
(past shield·ed, past participle shield·ed, present
participle shield·ing, 3rd person present singular shields)

1.  transitive
verb
protect
with shield: to defend or protect somebody or
something with a shield or by using the body or another object as a shield

2.  intransitive
verb
act
as shield:
to serve or act as a protection or defense

3.  transitive
verb
hide:
to conceal or shelter somebody or something from view
[Old
English scield . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word, probably
originally used for “board,” from a word meaning “to split.”]
—shield·er
[shldər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at safeguard

[1]



shielding

shielding
shield·ing
[shlding] noun

use of materials protecting
from radiation: the use of material
such as lead or concrete around a source of radiation to prevent the harmful
release of radiation[1]



shieldlaw

shieldlaw
shield
law
(plural shield laws) noun

law protecting
confidentiality of journalistic sources:
in North America, a law that protects a journalist from being forced to reveal
the name of a source who provided information confidentially[1]



Shieldof David

Shieldof David
Shield
of Da·vid 
noun

See
Star of David[1]



shieling

shieling
shiel·ing 
[shling] (plural shiel·ings) noun
Scotland

1.  cowherd’s
mountain hut: a mountain hut used by a cowherd

2.  mountain
pasture:
a mountain pasture that is used by cattle in the summer
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from earlier shiel, of unknown origin.][1]



shift

shift
shift 
[shift] verb (past shift·ed,
past participle shift·ed, present participle shift·ing,
3rd person present singular shifts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move:
to move somebody or something to a different position, or be moved to a
different position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
or exchange: to change or exchange something for
something else of the same group, set, or class • I’ve
shifted jobs three times in the last year.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE change gears:
to change gears in a motor vehicle

4.  intransitive
verb
provide
for own needs: to provide personal needs or manage
personal affairs • You need to learn to
shift for yourself.

5.  intransitive
verb
get
by with deceit: to get by through the use of deceit,
tricks, or underhanded methods

6.  intransitive
verb
press
shift key:
to press the shift key on a computer or typewriter keyboard to produce capital
letters and certain other characters

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb LINGUISTICS alter phonetically:
to alter a sound phonetically in the course of the development of a language,
or be altered phonetically

8.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL change
fielding positions: to change positions on a
baseball diamond to respond to a new batter or forestall an expected change of
tactics by the opposing team (refers to fielders)

9.  intransitive
verb
Malaysia, Singapore move house:
to move house • We are going to shift
to Penang.
noun
(plural shifts)

1.  change
made:
a change in position, direction, makeup, or circumstances

2.  INDUSTRY period
of time worked: a period of working time, especially any
of the fixed periods that the day is divided into in workplaces that operate 24
hours a day. There are usually two twelve-hour or three eight-hour shifts.

3.  people
working during period: the group of people who are
working during a particular period of time

4.  key
on computer keyboard: a key on a computer or
typewriter keyboard that is depressed to produce capital letters and certain
other characters

5.  CLOTHES dress:
a loose-fitting dress that hangs down from the shoulders

6.  CLOTHES woman’s
undergarment: a woman’s shirt-shaped undergarment of
the 17th and 18th centuries

7.  trick:
a deceitful or underhanded scheme or plan

8.  BASEBALL change
in fielders’ position: a change in the positions of
the fielders on a baseball diamond to respond to a new batter or forestall an
expected change of tactics by the opposing team

9.  FOOTBALL change
in players’ position: a change in the position of
a player or players on a football field after the teams have lined up but
before the ball is snapped

10. GEOLOGY rock
displacement at fault: a displacement of rocks on a
fault line

11. MUSIC change
in hand position: a change in hand position in order to
play a different set of notes in a different register on a keyboard or string
instrument

12. LINGUISTICS change
in pronunciation: a change in the pronunciation of a sound
in the course of the development of a language

13. PHYSICS change
in frequency: a change in the position of a spectral
line representing a change of frequency, for example, that caused by the
Doppler effect
[Old
English sciftan “to divide, arrange.” Ultimately from prehistoric
Germanic. The main modern meanings evolved from “arrange” via “change.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



shiftkey

shiftkey
shift
key
(plural shift keys) noun

keyboard key making letters
capitals: a key on a computer or
typewriter keyboard that is pressed to produce capital letters or certain other
characters[1]



shiftless

shiftless
shift·less 
[shíftləss] adjective

1.  lacking
ambition:
unwilling to make the effort to be successful or do something properly

2.  inefficient:
lacking the abilities or knowledge required to do something successfully or
properly
—shift·less·ly,
adverb

—shift·less·ness, noun[1]



shifty

shifty
shift·y 
[shíftee] (comparative shift·i·er,
superlative shift·i·est) adjective

1.  untrustworthy:
likely to try to deceive or avoid responsibility

2.  changing
direction or position: changing direction or
position often or quickly, or able to do so

3.  resourceful:
with the abilities and knowledge needed to do something successfully
—shift·i·ly,
adverb

—shift·i·ness, noun[1]



shigella

shigella
shi·gel·la 
[shi géllə] (plural shi·gel·lae
[shi géllee] or shi·gel·las) noun

dysentery-causing
bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium that lives in the intestinal tracts of human beings and
animals and causes dysentery. There are four species, all causing dysentery but
with varying degrees of severity. Genus: Shigella
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Shigella, genus name, which was named for Kiyoshi Shiga
(1870–1957), the Japanese bacteriologist who discovered the bacterium.][1]



shigellosis

shigellosis
shig·el·lo·sis 
[shìggə lṓssəss] (plural shig·el·lo·ses
[shìggə lṓ sz]) noun

form of dysentery:
a highly infectious form of dysentery caused by the shigella bacterium. It
occurs mainly in tropical countries, especially under unsanitary conditions and
among children and people with weakened immune systems.[1]



shihtzu

shihtzu
shih
tzu
[sh ts] (plural shih tzus or
shih tzu) noun

small
dog with long coat: a small short-legged dog
with a short muzzle, long dense coat, and a tail that curls over its back,
belonging to a breed developed in Tibet
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese shīzigǒu, literally “lion dog.”][1]



Shiism

Shiism
Shi·ism
[sh ìzzəm] or Shi·’ism [sh ìzzəm] noun

See
Shia  noun 1
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Shia or Shiite
.][1]



shiitake

shiitake
shi·i·ta·ke 
[shi tkee] (plural shi·i·ta·kes)
or shi·i·ta·ke mush·room [shi tkee]
(plural shi·i·ta·ke mush·rooms) or shi·ta·ke [shi tkee] (plural shi·ta·kes) or
shi·ta·ke mush·room [shi tkee] (plural
shi·ta·ke mush·rooms) noun

edible
Asian mushroom: a dark-colored mushroom with an edible
fleshy cap, native to eastern Asia. Latin name: Lentinus edodes
Also
called
Oriental black mushroom
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “oak-tree mushroom.”][1]



Shiite

Shiite
Shi·ite 
[sh t] or Shi·’ite [sh t] noun (plural Shi·ites)
(plural Shi·’ites)

follower
of major branch of Islam: a follower of the Shia
branch of Islam, which considers Ali, the cousin of Muhammad, and his
descendants as Muhammad’s true successors.
Also
called
Shia
See
also
Sunni
adjective

of
Shiites:
relating or belonging to Shiites or to the Shia branch of Islam
—Shi·it·ic [shee íttik], adjective[1]



Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang
Shi·jia·zhuang 
[shèjiè j ung]

industrial center and capital
of Hebei Province, southwest of Beijing, in northeastern China. Population:
1,320,000 (1990)[1]



shikari

shikari
shi·ka·ri 
[shi kree] (plural shi·ka·ris)
or shi·ka·ree [shi kree] (plural
shi·ka·rees) noun

South
Asia
big-game
hunter or guide: a big-game hunter, especially a
professional hunter who works as a guide
[Early 19th century. Via Urdu
from Persian šikārī “of hunting,” from šikār “hunting.”][1]



shiksa

shiksa
shik·sa 
[shíksə] (plural shik·sas) or
shik·se [shíksə] (plural shik·ses)
noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive Jewish term for a girl or woman who is not Jewish (taboo
insult)
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish shikse, feminine of sheygets (see shegetz ).][1]



shill

shill
shill 
[shil] noun (plural shills)

1.  pretended
customer or gambler: somebody who pretends to be
an interested customer or gambler in order to lure others into buying or
gambling

2.  self-interested
promoter:
somebody who promotes somebody or makes a sales pitch for something for reasons
of self-interest
verb
(past shilled, past participle shilled, present
participle shill·ing, 3rd person present singular shills)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
shill:
to be or work as a shill

2.  transitive
verb
promote
as shill:
to promote or sell something using the tactics of a shill
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of the name of Benjamin Penhallow Shillaber
(1814–1890), U.S. humorist who was accused of plagiarism.][1]



shillelagh

shillelagh
shil·le·lagh 
[shə láylee, shə
láylə] (plural shil·le·laghs) or shil·la·lah
[shə láylee, shə
láylə] (plural shil·la·lahs) noun

Ireland
stick
or club:
a stick or club, traditionally made of oak or blackthorn wood
[Late 18th century. Named for
Shillelagh, town in east-central Ireland famous for oaks.][1]



shilling

shilling
shil·ling 
[shílling] (plural shil·lings)
noun

1.  former
British coin: a former British coin and subunit of
currency, in use until 1971, that was equivalent to one-twentieth of a pound

2.  former
U.S. coin:
an old U.S. coin

3.  unit
of currency in East Africa: a unit of currency in Kenya,
Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda

4.  coin
worth a shilling: a coin worth a shilling in Kenya,
Somalia, Tanzania, or Uganda

5.  Malaysia,
Singapore coin: a
coin (informal)
[Old English scilling
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word perhaps meaning “to divide,” in
which case the underlying idea is “division of a standard unit of weight or
currency.”][1]



Shillong

Shillong
Shil·long
[shi lóng]

capital of Meghalaya State,
northeastern India. Population: 132,000 (1991)[1]



Shilluk

Shilluk
Shil·luk 
[shi lk] (plural Shil·luk or
Shil·luks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of NE African people: a member of a people who
live in northeastern Africa, mainly along the western bank of the Nile River in
Sudan

2.  LANGUAGE Shilluk
language:
the language spoken by the Shilluk, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan family of
languages. Shilluk is spoken by about 110, 000 people.
[Late
18th century. From Shilluk .]
—Shil·luk, adjective[1]



shilly-shally

shilly-shally
shil·ly-shal·ly 
[shílli shàllee] intransitive verb (past
shil·ly-shal·lied, past participle shil·ly-shal·lied, present
participle shil·ly-shal·ly·ing, 3rd person present singular shil·ly-shal·lies)

1.  hesitate
or vacillate: to be unable to make a choice or
decision when one is needed

2.  waste
time:
to waste time on unimportant things
adverb

irresolutely: with
hesitation or a lack of decision
adjective

lacking decisiveness:
feeling or showing a lack of decisiveness
noun
(plural shil·ly-shal·lies)

hesitation: a
failure or inability to make a choice or decision
[Early
18th century. Alteration (perhaps influenced by dilly-dally
) of “shall I? shall I?”.]
—shil·ly-shal·li·er, noun[1]



shim

shim
shim 
[shim] noun (plural shims)

thin
wedge-shaped piece: a thin usually wedge-shaped
piece of wood, metal, plastic, or other material that is used to help position
something properly, usually by adjusting a level or filling a gap
transitive
verb
(past shimmed, past participle shimmed, present
participle shim·ming, 3rd person present singular shims)

position
something using shim: to position or adjust
something using a shim
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown. Originally used for “piece of iron attached to a tool for scraping
soil.”][1]



shimmer

shimmer
shim·mer 
[shímmər] intransitive and transitive
verb (past shim·mered, past participle shim·mered,
present participle shim·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular
shim·mers)

1.  shine
with a wavering light: to shine softly with a
wavering or flickering light, or cause something to shine in this way

2.  be
visible as wavering image: to be visible as a wavering
or flickering and sometimes distorted image, or make something visible in this
way
noun
(plural shim·mers)

1.  wavering
light or glow: a wavering or flickering soft light or
glow

2.  wavering
image or appearance: a wavering or flickering and
sometimes distorted image, for example, that caused by hot air rising from the
ground
[Old
English scymrian, originally “to shine repeatedly.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to shine,” which is also the ancestor of
English shine and sheer .]
—shim·mer·y, adjective[1]



shimmy

shimmy
shim·my 
[shímmee] noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE wobbling
of a vehicle: a wobbling motion or vibration,
especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle

2.  DANCE popular
1920s dance: a jazz dance, popular in the 1920s in
which the body was held straight and shaken rhythmically and rapidly from the
shoulders down

3.  CLOTHES chemise:
a chemise (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past shim·mied, past participle shim·mied, present
participle shim·my·ing, 3rd person present singular shim·mies)

1.  AUTOMOTIVE wobble:
to wobble or be shaken with a wobbling motion, especially in the front wheels (refers
to vehicles)

2.  DANCE dance
the shimmy:
to dance the shimmy

3.  move
shakingly:
to move the body in shaking or swaying way
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shin

shin1
shin1 [shin]
noun (plural shins)

1.  ANATOMY front
of lower leg: the front portion of the leg from below
the knee to above the ankle, or the leg bone ( tibia
) located there

2.  FOOD cut of
beef:
the lower portion of the foreleg in cattle, used as a cut of beef in stews
verb
(past shinned, past participle shinned, present
participle shin·ning, 3rd person present singular shins)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb climb
using arms and legs: to climb a rope, tree, or
pole with speed and agility by gripping with the arms and legs and then pulling
up with the arms and sliding upward

2.  transitive
verb
hit
in shin:
to kick or hit somebody in the shin

3.  intransitive
verb
walk
briskly or run: to walk at a fast pace or run
[Old English scinu .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word probably meaning “thin piece.”][1]



shin

shin2
shin2 [shin]
(plural shins) noun

22nd
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 22nd letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “sh”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew shīn .][1]



shinbone

shinbone
shin·bone 
[shín bn] (plural shin·bones)
noun

front
of lower leg: the flat surface of the bone immediately
under the skin on the front of the lower leg. Technical name tibia
[Old English scinbān][1]



shindig

shindig
shin·dig 
[shín dìg] (plural shin·digs) noun

1.  noisy
party:
a noisy and festive party or celebration (informal)
Also
called
shindy

2.  See
shindy  noun 1
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of shindy
.][1]



shindy

shindy
shin·dy 
[shíndee] (plural shin·dies) noun

1.  disturbance:
a disturbance or commotion (informal)
Also
called
shindig

2.  See
shindig  noun 1
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of shinny .][1]



shine

shine
shine 
[shīn] verb (past shone,
past participle shone [shōn], present
participle shin·ing, 3rd person present singular shines)

1.  intransitive
verb
emit
light:
to give out light

2.  intransitive
verb
be
bright:
to be bright or reflect light

3.  transitive
verb
direct
light:
to direct the light emitted by something • Shine
the flashlight over here.

4.  intransitive
verb
excel:
to be very good at or do very well in some form of activity

5.  intransitive
verb
appear
clearly:
to appear clearly

6.  intransitive
verb
have
radiant quality: to appear to have a specially bright or
radiant quality as a result of good health or a strong positive emotion • Her
face shone with happiness.

7.  (past
shined, past participle shined) transitive verb polish
something:
to make something bright and gleaming by polishing it
noun
(plural shines)

1.  brightness
from light source: brightness or radiance
emitted by a source of light

2.  bright
surface:
the bright or gleaming surface of something

3.  act
of polishing something: an act of polishing
something to make it shiny

4.  BEVERAGES moonshine:
moonshine (informal)
plural
noun
shines

tricks:
mischievous or amusing tricks played on somebody
[Old
English scīnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
glimmer, shine faintly” that is also the ancestor of English shimmer and skiagram .]
come
rain or shine

whatever
the weather or other attending circumstances

take
a shine to somebody

to take a liking to somebody
(informal)[1]



shiner

shiner
shin·er
[shnər] (plural shin·ers) noun

1.  black
eye:
a black eye (informal)

2.  shiny
freshwater fish: a small silvery freshwater fish. Genus: Notropis

3.  something
shiny:
something that shines or makes something shine

[1]



shingle

shingle2
shin·gle2 [shíng
g’l] noun

1.  pebbles:
small round pebbles on a beach

2.  pebbly
area:
an area of beach covered in shingle
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—shin·gly, adjective[1]



shingle

shingle1
shin·gle1 [shíng
g’l] noun (plural shin·gles)

1.  roof
or wall tile: a small flat tile, especially one made
of wood or asphalt, used in overlapping rows to cover a roof or wall

2.  sign
or nameplate: a nameplate or a small sign giving the
name of a doctor, lawyer, or other professional person, fixed outside that
person’s office

3.  hairstyle:
a short hairstyle for women, popular in the 1920s, in which the back hair was
cut to taper at the nape of the neck
transitive
verb
(past shin·gled, past participle shin·gled, present
participle shin·gling, 3rd person present singular shin·gles)

1.  cover
something with tiles: to cover something with
small overlapping tiles

2.  taper
hair at back: to cut hair so that it is tapered at the
nape of the neck
[12th
century. Alteration of late Latin scindula, a variant of Latin scandula
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to split” that is also the
ancestor of English shatter .]
—shin·gler,
noun
hang
out your shingle

to begin working as a
professional from your own office (informal)[1]



shingle

shingle3
shin·gle3 [shíng
g’l] (past shin·gled, past participle shin·gled,
present participle shin·gling, 3rd person present singular
shin·gles) transitive verb

remove
slag from iron: to remove the slag from iron by
hammering or squeezing it in the process of making wrought iron
[Late 17th century. Via
French cingler from German zängeln, from Zange “tongs.”][1]



shingles

shingles
shin·gles 
[shíng g’lz] noun

viral
skin disease: a disease of adults caused by the
reactivation of chickenpox viruses in a nerve ganglion and resulting in
inflammation, pain, and a rash of small skin blisters. Technical name herpes zoster Technical name zoster
[14th century. Alteration of
Latin cingulum “girdle” (a translation of Greek zōstēr ), from cingere
“to gird.” So called because the skin eruptions often encircle the body.][1]



shinleaf

shinleaf
shin·leaf 
[shín lf] (plural shin·leafs or
shin·leaves [shín lvz]) noun

evergreen
plant:
a plant of the wintergreen family found in Europe, Asia, and North America that
has a base of evergreen leaves and white or pink flowers. Family: Pyrolaeceae
[Early 19th century. From its
formerly being used to treat shin soreness.][1]



shinny

shinny2
shin·ny2  [shínnee]
(past shin·nied, past participle shin·nied, present
participle shin·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular shin·nies)
intransitive verb

climb
quickly:
to climb up or down something using the hands and legs
[Late 19th century. Formed
from shin 1 .][1]



shinny

shinny1
shin·ny1  [shíntee]
or shin·ney [shíntee] noun
(plural shin·nies) (plural shin·neys)

1.  game
resembling field hockey: a game similar to field
hockey, played with a small hard ball and curved wooden sticks

2.  stick
used in shinny: the stick that is used to play shinny
intransitive
verb
(past shin·nied, past participle shin·nied, present
participle shin·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular shin·nies
[shínnee]) (past shin·neyed, past
participle shin·neyed, present participle shin·ney·ing,
3rd person present singular shin·neys)

play shinny: to
play the game of shinny
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the phrase shin (t’)ye!, uttered by players of
the game, of unknown origin.][1]



shinplaster

shinplaster
shin·plas·ter 
[shín plàstər] (plural shin·plas·ters)
noun

devalued
piece of paper money: a piece of low-value paper
money, especially one issued in the United States during the Civil War
[Early 19th century. From its
resemblance to the plaster used for leg plasters.][1]



shinsplints

shinsplints
shin
splints
noun

shinbone pain:
a painful inflammation of the muscles surrounding the shinbone, often caused by
running or jogging on hard roads (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



shintaido

shintaido
shin·tai·do
[shin t d] noun

group
exercise:
a form of exercise based on the movements used in Japanese martial arts,
performed by a group
[From Japanese][1]



Shinto

Shinto
Shin·to 
[shín t] noun

Japanese
religion:
a Japanese religion in which devotees worship and make offerings to numerous
gods and spirits associated with the natural world
[Early
18th century. From Japanese shintō, literally “way of the gods.”]
—Shin·to·ism,
noun

—Shin·to·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



shinty

shinty
shinty
[shíntee] or shinny [shíntee] noun

Scotland
SPORTS Scottish
game like hockey: a game resembling
hockey traditionally played in the Highlands[1]



shiny

shiny
shin·y 
[shnee] (comparative shin·i·er,
superlative shin·i·est) adjective

1.  bright
and polished: bright and polished or with a glossy or
glistening surface

2.  worn
smooth and glossy: smooth and glossy on the
surface through too much wear • a shiny
patch on the seat of his pants

3.  sunny:
bright with sunlight

4.  light:
filled with light
—shin·i·ness, noun[1]



ship

ship
ship 
[ship] noun (plural ships)

1.  large
boat:
a large wind-driven or engine-powered vessel designed to carry passengers or
cargo over water, especially across the ocean

2.  large
square-rigged sailboat: a large sailing vessel with
three, four, or five square-rigged masts

3.  ship
’s crew:
the crew of a ship

4.  aircraft
or spacecraft: a large aircraft or spacecraft
verb
(past shipped, past participle shipped, present
participle ship·ping, 3rd person present singular ships)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb transport
over water:
to transport something by ship

2.  transitive
verb
transport
overland or by air: to send or transport
something overland or by air, using a common carrier

3.  transitive
verb
send
somebody:
to send somebody to a place • shipped
the children off to summer camp

4.  intransitive
verb
be
sent to stores: to be sent to stores and made available
for purchase • If
all goes well, the new software will be shipping early next year.

5.  transitive
verb
take
in water:
to take in water over the sides of a ship or boat • We’re
shipping water.

6.  transitive
verb
bring
oars inside boat: to bring oars inside a boat and lay them
down

7.  intransitive
verb
go
on ship:
to travel on a ship

8.  intransitive
verb
work
on ship:
to take a job aboard a ship
[Old
English scip . From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English skipper and skiff .]
—ship·pa·ble,
adjective
desert
or leave a sinking ship

to
leave an organization that is having difficulties

when
your ship comes in

when
you become rich

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boat

[1]



-ship

-ship
-ship
suffix

1.  condition,
state, or quality • companionship

2.  skill,
art, craft • musicianship

3.  office,
title, position, profession • governorship

4.  a
group of people collectively • membership

5.  person
holding a particular title • ladyship

6.  something
showing a particular quality or condition • township
[Old English -scipe][1]



shipbiscuit

shipbiscuit
ship
bis·cuit
(plural ship bis·cuits) noun

See
hardtack[1]



shipboard

shipboard
ship·board 
[shíp bàwrd] adjective

occurring
on board ship: used, intended for, or occurring on
board a ship
on
shipboard

on board a ship[1]



shipborne

shipborne
ship·borne 
[shíp bàwrn] adjective

transported by ship:
transported by ship[1]



shipbuilder

shipbuilder
ship·build·er
[shíp bìldər] (plural ship·build·ers)
noun

person
or business making ships: a person or business that
constructs ships
—ship·build·ing, noun[1]



shipcanal

shipcanal
ship
ca·nal
(plural ship ca·nals) noun

wide canal for ships:
a canal that is wide and deep enough for ships to pass through.
Also called
shipway[1]



shipchandler

shipchandler
ship
chan·dler
(plural ship chan·dlers) noun

supplier
for ships:
a person, store, or company that sells supplies for ships
—ship chan·dler·y, noun[1]



shipfitter

shipfitter
ship
fit·ter
(plural ship fit·ters) noun

1.  ship
part assembler: somebody who assembles the structural
parts of a ship

2.  U.S.
sailor who maintains metal fittings: a
sailor in the U.S. Navy who maintains ship metal fittings

[1]



Shipley,Jenny

Shipley,Jenny
Ship·ley
[shíplee], Jenny (1952– )

New
Zealand political leader. A Liberal Party politician, she became prime minister
of New Zealand in 1997.
Full name
Shipley, Jennifer Mary[1]



shipload

shipload
ship·load 
[shíp ld] (plural ship·loads)
noun

amount in ship:
the quantity of cargo carried by a ship[1]



shipmaster

shipmaster
ship·mas·ter 
[shíp màstər] (plural ship·mas·ters)
noun

captain of ship:
the captain or master of a ship[1]



shipmate

shipmate
ship·mate 
[shíp màyt] (plural ship·mates)
noun

fellow sailor:
a fellow sailor in a ship’s crew[1]



shipment

shipment
ship·ment 
[shípmənt] (plural ship·ments)
noun

1.  goods
shipped together: a quantity of goods that are shipped
together as part of the same cargo

2.  act
of shipping: the act of shipping something

[1]



shipof the line

shipof the line
ship
of the line
(plural ships of the line) noun

large warship:
formerly, a sailing warship large enough to be in the front line of battle[1]



shipper

shipper
ship·per 
[shíppər] (plural ship·pers) noun

transporter
of goods:
a person or company that sends or receives goods by ship, land, or air
[Old English scipere
“seaman”][1]



shipping

shipping
ship·ping 
[shípping] noun

1.  act
of transporting goods: the act or business of
transporting goods

2.  group
of ships:
ships considered collectively, especially those belonging to a single port,
country, or industry, and often referred to in terms of their tonnage

[1]



shippingarticles

shippingarticles
ship·ping
ar·ti·cles
plural noun

See
ship’s articles[1]



shippingclerk

shippingclerk
ship·ping
clerk
(plural ship·ping clerks) noun

employee responsible for
shipping goods: somebody who is
employed to prepare, send, receive, and record shipments of goods[1]



ship-rigged

ship-rigged
ship-rigged 
adjective

rigged with masts and sails:
used to describe a sailing ship with three, four, or five masts and square
sails set at right angles to the hull[1]



shipshape

shipshape
ship·shape 
[shíp shàyp] adjective

being
in good order: neat and in good order
adverb

in
orderly way: in a neat and orderly way
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of obsolete shipshapen “made appropriate for use aboard ship.”][1]



shipside

shipside
ship·side 
[shíp sd] noun

area adjacent to ship:
the area, especially at a dock, beside a ship[1]



shipway

shipway
ship·way 
[shíp wày] (plural ship·ways) noun

1.  structure
on which ships are built: a structure on which a ship
is built and down which it slides when it is launched

2.  See
ship canal

[1]



shipworm

shipworm
ship·worm 
[shíp wùrm] (plural ship·worms)
noun

destructive marine mollusk:
a burrowing marine mollusk that drills into wood, damaging wharves and ships.
Family: Teredinidae
Also called
teredo[1]



shipwreck

shipwreck
ship·wreck 
[shíp rèk] noun (plural ship·wrecks)

1.  sinking
or destruction of ship: the sinking, destruction, or
damaging of a ship while at sea

2.  sunken
ship:
a ship that has been destroyed or sunk

3.  destruction:
the destruction or failure of something
verb
(past ship·wrecked, past participle ship·wrecked, present
participle ship·wreck·ing, 3rd person present singular ship·wrecks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb involve
somebody in shipwreck: to experience the sinking or
destruction of a ship or cause somebody to experience this (usually passive)
• shipwrecked
on a desert island

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb destroy
ship:
to sink or destroy a ship, or to be sunk or destroyed, at sea (usually
passive)

3.  transitive
verb
ruin
something:
to ruin or destroy something utterly (literary)
[Old English scipwræc][1]



shipwright

shipwright
ship·wright 
[shíp rt] (plural ship·wrights)
noun

shipbuilder:
somebody who builds or repairs ships
[Old English scipwyrhta][1]



shipyard

shipyard
ship·yard 
[shíp yrd] (plural ship·yards)
noun

place where ships are built:
a place where ships are built or repaired[1]



ship’sarticles

ship’sarticles
ship’s
ar·ti·cles
or ship·ping ar·ti·cles plural noun

sailor’s contract:
the terms of shipboard service agreed to by a sailor[1]



ship’spapers

ship’spapers
ship’s
pa·pers 
plural noun

legal documents for ship:
documents stating the ownership, nationality, cargo, and destination of a ship,
required by international law to be carried by all ships[1]



Shiraz

Shiraz
Shi·raz
[shi rz] noun

black
grape used for making wine: a black grape, grown mainly
in Australia and South Africa, used for making red wine
[Mid-17th century. Named for
the city of Shiraz.][1]



shire

shire
shire 
[shīr] (plural shires) noun

1.  British
county:
a county in Great Britain, especially one with a name ending in “-shire” such
as Hertfordshire or Berkshire

2.  shire
or Shire See shire horse
[Old English scīr
“administrative office, district,” of unknown origin][1]



Shire

Shire
Shire 
[shray]

river flowing from Malawi to
Mozambique in south central Africa. Length: 402 km/250 mi.[1]



ShireHighlands

ShireHighlands
Shire
High·lands

plateau in southern Malawi,
east of the Shire River. Height: 900 m/3,000 ft.[1]



shirehorse

shirehorse
shire
horse
(plural shire hors·es) or Shire horse (plural
Shire hors·es) noun

cart horse:
a large heavy cart horse with long hair growing from its fetlocks, belonging to
a breed originating in the Midlands of England.
Also called
shire[1]



shirk

shirk
shirk 
[shurk] (past shirked, past
participle shirked, present participle shirk·ing, 3rd
person present singular shirks) verb

1.  transitive
verb
avoid
something:
to avoid having to carry out something such as an obligation, task, or
responsibility through lack or initiative, cowardice, or distaste for it

2.  intransitive
verb
avoid
responsibility: to lack initiative or deliberately avoid
work or duty
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from German Schurke “scoundrel.”]
—shirk·er, noun[1]



Shirleypoppy

Shirleypoppy
Shir·ley
pop·py
[shúrli pòppee] noun

annual
poppy:
an annual poppy with red, pink, or white single or double flowers
[Late 19th century. Named for
the district of Shirley in Croydon, Surrey, England,where it was
developed.][1]



shirr

shirr
shirr 
[shur] (past shirred, past
participle shirred, present participle shirr·ing, 3rd
person present singular shirrs, plural shirrs) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SEWING gather fabric:
to gather fabric into two or more parallel rows for decoration on a garment
such as a skirt, usually using elasticated thread

2.  transitive
verb
COOKING bake
egg in dish: to bake an egg without its shell, for
example, in a ramekin dish
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shirt

shirt
shirt 
[shurt] (plural shirts) noun

1.  clothing
for upper body: an article of clothing for the upper
part of the body usually made of a fairly light material and having a collar,
sleeves, and buttons down the front

2.  man’s
undergarment: a usually loose linen garment for the
upper body with sleeves that was worn by men as underwear until the early 20th
century

3.  nightshirt:
a nightshirt
[Old
English scyrte . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut”
that is also the ancestor of English short
and cortex .]
lose
your shirt

to
lose everything you have, especially as a result of losing a bet

keep
your shirt on

to keep your temper (informal)
(usually used as a command)[1]



shirtdress

shirtdress
shirt·dress
[shúrt drèss] (plural shirt·dress·es)
noun

woman’s shirt-style dress:
a woman’s dress that is tailored to resemble a shirt, with buttons fastening
down the front.
Also called
shirtwaist[1]



shirtfront

shirtfront
shirt·front
[shúrt frùnt] (plural shirt·fronts)
noun

front of shirt:
the front part of a shirt, especially the stiffened fabric on the front of a
dress shirt[1]



shirting

shirting
shirt·ing 
[shúrting] noun

fabric for shirts:
fabric used in making men’s shirts[1]



shirtsleeve

shirtsleeve
shirt·sleeve 
[shúrt slv] noun (plural shirt·sleeves)

sleeve
of shirt:
the part of a shirt that covers all or part of the arm
adjective

needing
no jacket:
sufficiently warm or sufficiently informal for a shirt without a jacket to be
the appropriate wear • shirtsleeve
wearer
in
shirtsleeves

not wearing a jacket[1]



shirttail

shirttail
shirt·tail 
[shúrt tàyl] noun (plural shirt·tails)

1.  CLOTHES bottom
part of shirt: the lower part of a shirt, usually cut
in a curved shape, that extends below the waist at the back and is usually
tucked into pants

2.  piece
at end of newspaper article: a short additional and
related piece of writing at the end of a newspaper article
adjective

1.  too
small:
small and inadequate • living
on a shirttail allowance

2.  young:
very young

[1]



shirtwaist

shirtwaist
shirt·waist 
[shúrt wàyst] (plural shirt·waists)
noun

1.  blouse
resembling man’s shirt: a woman’s blouse styled like
a man’s shirt

2.  See
shirtdress

[1]



shirtwaister

shirtwaister
shirt·waist·er
[shúrt wàystər] noun

U.K.
See shirtdress[1]



shirty

shirty
shirt·y 
[shúrtee] (comparative shirt·i·er,
superlative shirt·i·est) adjective

U.K.
annoyed
and bad-tempered: aggressive or bad-tempered because of
being annoyed about something (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from the expression “get your shirt out”“to
lose your temper.”]
—shirt·i·ly,
adverb

—shirt·i·ness, noun[1]



shishkebab

shishkebab
shish
ke·bab 
[shísh kə bb] (plural shish
ke·babs) noun

skewered
meat dish:
a dish of cubes of marinated meat and vegetables grilled and served on a
skewer.
Also
called
shashlik
[Early 20th century. Via
Armenian from Turkish şiş kebabiu, from şiş “skewer” + kebab
“roast meat.”][1]



shit

shit
shit 
[shit] noun (plural shits)

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to human or animal excrement (taboo
offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to an act of defecating (taboo offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
a mean or unpleasant person (taboo insult)

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for something that is unpleasant, of no value, or of inferior
quality (taboo offensive)

5.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to useless or unnecessary things (taboo)

6.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to nonsense or lies (taboo offensive)

7.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to difficulty or trouble (taboo offensive)

8.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to criticism perceived as unhelpful or
mean-spirited (taboo offensive)

9.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to illegal drugs, especially cannabis (taboo
offensive)
plural
noun
shits

offensive term:
a highly offensive term referring to diarrhea (taboo offensive)
interjection

offensive term:
used as a swearword (slang offensive)
verb
(past shit or shat, past participle shit
or shat [shat], present
participle shit·ting, 3rd person present singular shits)
(taboo offensive)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offensive
term:
a highly offensive term meaning to eliminate waste from the body via the rectum

2.  reflexive
verb
offensive
term:
a highly offensive term meaning to be extremely scared

3.  transitive
verb
offensive
term:
a highly offensive term meaning to tease somebody or deceive somebody for
amusement

4.  intransitive
verb
offensive
term:
a highly offensive term meaning to behave toward or criticize somebody with
arrogant contempt and a total disregard for his or her feelings, especially
from a position of power
adjective

offensive term:
a highly offensive term meaning very bad or inferior (taboo offensive)
[Old
English scitte . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut,
split,” which is also the ancestor of English schism
and science .]
get
your shit together

a
highly offensive phrase meaning to get organized (taboo offensive)

no
shit

an
offensive exclamation of surprise, disbelief, or sarcasm (taboo offensive)

tough
shit

a
highly offensive phrase indicating in an unfriendly way that there is no
alternative to a difficult or undesirable situation (taboo offensive)

when
the shit hits the fan

a highly offensive phrase
indicating that trouble is just beginning (taboo offensive)[1]



shitake

shitake
shi·ta·ke
or shi·ta·ke mush·room noun

See
shiitake[1]



shittah

shittah
shit·tah 
[shíttə] (plural shit·tahs or
shit·tim [shíttim]) noun

acacia
tree in Bible: the tree that yielded the shittim wood
of the Bible, probably a species of acacia
[Early 17th century. From
Hebrew šiāh .][1]



shittimwood

shittimwood
shit·tim·wood
[shíttim wd] (plural shit·tim·woods)
noun

1.  wood
in Bible:
the wood of the shittah tree that according to the Bible was used to make the
Ark of the Covenant

2.  (plural
shittimwoods or shittimwood) N
American tree with hard wood: a North American tree that
has hard dense wood and black fruit. Genus: Bumelia

[1]



shitty

shitty
shit·ty 
[shíttee] adjective

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term describing something inferior, unpleasant, or
unenjoyable (taboo offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term describing a feeling of misery (taboo)

3.  offensive
term:
of very poor quality (taboo)

4.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term describing something covered with excrement (taboo)
—shit·ti·ly,
adverb

—shit·ti·ness, noun[1]



shiv

shiv
shiv 
[shiv] (plural shivs) noun

knife:
a switchblade knife or sharp object used as a weapon (slang)
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of chiv .][1]



Shiva

Shiva
Shi·va 
[shvə] or Si·va [svə] noun

Hindu
god:
an important Hindu deity, worshipped as the god of destruction. Shiva is one of
the Trimurti trinity.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit, literally “the auspicious one.”][1]



shiva

shiva
shiv·a 
[shívə] or shiv·ah [shívə] noun

Jewish
period of mourning: seven days of formal
mourning observed by close relatives of a deceased Jewish person during which
they sit on low stools and do not go out, work, bathe, or shave
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish shive from Hebrew ši`āh “seven.”][1]



shivaree

shivaree
shiv·a·ree
[shìvvə rée, shívvə
r] (plural shiv·a·rees) noun

noisy
serenade for newlyweds: a noisy mock-serenade to
wish newlyweds well, involving the banging of saucepans, kettles, and other
objects.
U.K.
term
charivari
Also
called
horning
Also
called
serenade
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of French charivari, of uncertain origin.][1]



shive

shive
shive
noun

See
shiva[1]



shiver

shiver2
shiv·er2 [shívvər]
noun (plural shiv·ers)

fragment:
a very small piece of something such as glass that has splintered off a larger
piece
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shiv·ered,
past participle shiv·ered, present participle shiv·er·ing,
3rd person present singular shiv·ers)

shatter:
to splinter into fragments or cause something to splinter into fragments
[12th century. From assumed
Old English scifer ; ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
split” that is also the ancestor of English schism
and science .][1]



shiver

shiver1
shiv·er1 [shívvər]
verb (past shiv·ered, past participle shiv·ered,
present participle shiv·er·ing, 3rd person present singular
shiv·ers)

1.  intransitive
verb
to
tremble:
to tremble or shake slightly because of cold, fear, or illness

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb flap
or make sail flap: to flap, or make a sail
flap, when a sailing vessel is too close to the wind
noun
(plural shiv·ers)

body tremor: a
tremor or shudder in the body caused by fear, cold, or illness
plural
noun
shiv·ers

attack of shivering:
an attack of shivering caused by fear, cold, or illness (informal)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—shiv·er·er,
noun

—shiv·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



shivery

shivery
shiv·er·y
[shívvəree] adjective

trembling:
trembling from cold, fear, or illness[1]



Shizuoka

Shizuoka
Shi·zu·o·ka 
[shee zoo ṓkè]

capital city of Shizuoka
Prefecture, west of Suruga Bay, on southeastern Honshu Island, Japan.
Population: 472,196 (1990)[1]



Shkodër

Shkodër
Shkod·ër
[shkṓdair]

capital city of Shkodër
District, northwestern Albania, situated near the southern end of Lake Shkodër.
Population: 83,700 (1991)[1]



shkotzim

shkotzim
shkotz·im


Plural of
shegetz[1]



shlemiel

shlemiel
shle·miel 
noun

(informal) See schlemiel[1]



shlep

shlep
shlep
intransitive and transitive verb

(slang) See schlep[1]



Shluh

Shluh
Shluh
[shloo] (plural Shluh or
Shluhs) noun

1.  member
of North African people: a member of a people that is
a subgroup of the Berbers and lives mainly in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco
and Algeria

2.  Shluh
language:
the Berber dialect of the Shluh people
[Early 18th century. From
Berber .][1]



SHM

SHM
SHM
noun

Abbreviation of
simple harmonic motion[1]



shmaltz

shmaltz
shmaltz
noun

See
schmaltz[1]



shmatte

shmatte
shmat·te 
(plural shmat·tes) noun

See
schmatte[1]



shmo

shmo
shmo
(plural shmoes) noun

(informal) See schmo[1]



shmuck

shmuck
shmuck
noun

See
schmuck[1]



Shoah

Shoah
Sho·ah 
[shṓ ə, shṓ ]
noun

Holocaust:
a Hebrew word for the Holocaust
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew šōāh, literally “catastrophe.”][1]



shoal

shoal2
shoal2 [shōl]
noun (plural shoals)

1.  shallow
water:
an area of shallow water in a larger body of water

2.  underwater
sandbank:
an underwater sandbank or sandbar that is visible at low water
verb
(past shoaled, past participle shoaled, present participle
shoal·ing, 3rd person present singular shoals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become shallow: to become shallow or
shallower, or to make something shallow

2.  intransitive
verb
enter
shallower water: to enter a shallower area of water
adjective
shoal shoal·y

shallow:
shallow
[Old English sceald][1]



shoal

shoal1
shoal1 [shōl]
noun (plural shoals)

1.  group
of fish:
a large group of fish or other marine animals swimming together

2.  group
of people:
a large group of similar people or things • a
shoal of reporters
intransitive
verb
(past shoaled, past participle shoaled, present
participle shoal·ing, 3rd person present singular shoals)

form shoal: to
group together to form a shoal
[Late 16th century. From
Middle Dutch scōle or Middle Low German schōle (see school 2 ).][1]



shoat

shoat
shoat
[shōt] (plural shoats) or
shote [shōt] (plural shotes)
noun

weaned
pig:
a young pig that has just been weaned
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shochet

shochet
shoch·et
[shṓkət, shṓkhət]
(plural shoch·et·im [shṓkətim,
shṓkhətim]) noun

somebody
licensed to perform ritual slaughter:
somebody licensed to perform the ritual kosher slaughter of animals for food ( shechita )
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew šōḥē, the present participle of šāḥa “to slaughter.”][1]



shock

shock3
shock3 [shok]
(plural shocks) noun

mass
of shaggy hair: a large amount of thick shaggy hair
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



shock

shock1
shock1 [shok]
noun (plural shocks)

1.  something
surprising and upsetting: an unexpected, intense, and
distressing experience that has a sudden and powerful effect on somebody’s
emotions or physical reactions • The
news of her death came as a great shock to us all.

2.  distressing
feelings after shock: the feeling of distress or
numbness experienced by somebody who has had a shock

3.  MEDICINE physiological
collapse:
a state of physiological collapse, marked by a weak pulse, coldness, sweating,
and irregular breathing, and resulting from, for example, blood loss, heart
failure, allergic reaction, or emotional trauma • in
shock

4.  physical
impact:
a sudden and violent impact, collision, or blow

5.  movement
after impact: the movement or violent shaking felt
after a collision, explosion, or earthquake

6.  something
threatening or damaging: an unexpected event that
threatens or damages a system, organization, or conventional situation • The
economy cannot take any more shocks.

7.  electric
shock:
an electric shock

8.  See
shock absorber
verb
(past shocked, past participle shocked, present
participle shock·ing, 3rd person present singular shocks)

1.  transitive
verb
upset
somebody:
to make somebody feel suddenly and acutely distressed or upset

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb offend
or be offended: to make somebody feel deeply offended or
disgusted, or to be likely to feel offended or disgusted • He
shocks easily.

3.  transitive
verb
give
somebody electric shock: to give an electric shock to
a person or animal

4.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE put
somebody into shock: to cause a state of shock in
somebody

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb collide:
to collide, or to cause people or things to collide (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. The noun is via French choc, the verb directly from French choquer
“to strike,” of uncertain origin.]
—shock·a·bil·i·ty
[shòkə bíllətee], noun

—shock·a·ble [shókəb’l], adjective[1]



shockabsorber

shockabsorber

shock ab·sorb·er
(plural shock ab·sorb·ers) noun
device for absorbing mechanical shocks:
a device on a vehicle designed to absorb jarring or jolting, for example, that
caused by wheels moving over a rough surface.
Also called
shock[1]



shocker

shocker
shock·er 
[shókər] (plural shock·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  something
unpleasant:
a highly unpleasant experience, thing, or person

2.  shocking
story, play, or movie: a story, play, or movie that
is particularly lurid and intended to shock people

3.  Australia
bad
sports performance: a very poor performance,
especially at sport

[1]



shockhorror

shockhorror
shock
hor·ror
interjection

used to pretend to be
shocked: used humorously to feign
shock about something that others might really find shocking (informal)[1]



shock-horror

shock-horror
shock-hor·ror
adjective

intended to shock:
lurid, sensational, and apparently intended to cause a shocked or horrified
reaction (informal) (used ironically)[1]



shocking

shocking
shock·ing 
[shóking] adjective

1.  outrageous:
provoking a deeply offended or outraged response

2.  distressing:
emotionally distressing or horrifying

3.  very
bad:
very bad or unpleasant (informal)
adjective
adverb

very bright: very
bright or glaring in shade of color
—shock·ing·ly,
adverb

—shock·ing·ness, noun[1]



shockingpink

shockingpink
shock·ing
pink
adjective

garishly
pink:
of a bright garish pink color
—shock·ing pink, noun[1]



shockjock

shockjock
shock
jock
(plural shock jocks) noun

provocative disk jockey:
a disk jockey or radio host who uses provocative language and broadcasts his or
her extreme views (slang)[1]



Shockley,William B.

Shockley,William B.

Shock·ley
[shóklee], William B. (1910–1989)
U.S.
physicist. He codeveloped the transistor (1948) and shared the Nobel Prize in
physics (1956). He went on to promote controversial theories about intelligence
and race.
Full name
Shockley, William Bradford[1]



shockproof

shockproof
shock·proof 
[shók prf] adjective

able to withstand impact:
designed or able to withstand the effects of jarring or impact[1]



shocktactics

shocktactics
shock
tac·tics
plural noun

shocking methods:
the use of methods that are likely to shock people in order to achieve
something[1]



shocktherapy

shocktherapy
shock
ther·a·py
or shock treat·ment noun

electric shock treatment:
a method of treating patients affected with psychiatric disorders that involves
passing an electric current through the brain[1]



shocktroops

shocktroops
shock
troops
plural noun

soldiers
trained for assault: soldiers who are specially
trained and equipped to be in the forefront of an attack
[Translation of German Stosstruppen][1]



shockwave

shockwave
shock
wave
(plural shock waves) noun

1.  wave
of heat and air pressure: a wave of increased
temperature or pressure as a result of an explosion or earthquake or the
movement of a supersonic body

2.  surprised
reaction:
a widespread reaction of shock or distress caused by an event or piece of news
(often used in the plural)

[1]



shod

shod
shod


Past participle of
shoe Past tense of shoe[1]



shoddy

shoddy
shod·dy 
[shóddee] adjective (comparative
shod·di·er, superlative shod·di·est)

1.  poorly
made:
poorly or carelessly made or done

2.  made
from inferior material: made of inferior material

3.  dishonest:
dishonest or disgraceful • shoddy
treatment
noun
(plural shod·dies)

1.  cloth
made with old wool: cloth made using a yarn
composed of a mixture of old unraveled woolen cloth and new wool

2.  something
inferior:
something that is of inferior quality, especially if it is imitating something
better
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
—shod·di·ly,
adverb

—shod·di·ness, noun[1]



shoe

shoe
shoe 
[shoo] noun (plural shoes)

1.  stiff
outer covering for the foot: an outer covering for the
foot, usually made of leather, fabric, or plastic, with a stiff sole and
usually not reaching above the ankle

2.  See
horseshoe  noun 1

3.  protective
part in an engine: a lining or part in an
engine or machine that protects another part from being worn down

4.  playing
card dispenser: a special box that dispenses playing
cards one at a time

5.  power
collector on an electric train: the part of an
electric train or streetcar that connects with the electrified rail from which
it draws power

6.  metal
strip on sled: a strip of metal along the runner of a
sled

7.  part
of a bridge: a base that supports the upper part of a
bridge
transitive
verb
(past shod or shoed, past participle shod
[shod] or shoed, present
participle shoe·ing, 3rd person present singular shoes)

1.  provide
a horse with horseshoes: to fix a horseshoe on a
horse

2.  supply
somebody with shoes: to provide somebody with
shoes (usually passive)

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING put
a protective covering on something: to
cover something with a hard, especially metal, plate to protect against wear
[Old
English scōh]
be
in somebody’s shoes

to be in somebody else’s
position (informal)[1]



shoebill

shoebill
shoe·bill 
[sh bìl] (plural shoe·bills) noun

large tropical wading bird:
a large East African tropical wading bird with shaggy gray plumage, a large
head, long black legs, and a broad hooked bill. Latin name: Balaeniceps rex

Also called
whalehead[1]



shoeblack

shoeblack
shoe·black
[sh blàk] (plural shoe·blacks)
noun

(dated) See bootblack[1]



shoebox

shoebox
shoe·box 
[sh bòks] (plural shoe·boxes)
noun

1.  box
for shoes:
a box, usually made of cardboard, in which shoes are packed for sale

2.  cramped
space:
a small and cramped living or working space (informal)

[1]



shoehorn

shoehorn
shoe·horn 
[sh hàwrn] noun (plural shoe·horns)

device
to help heel into shoe: a curved piece of plastic,
metal, or horn used to help ease the heel into a tight-fitting shoe or boot
transitive
verb
(past shoe·horned, past participle shoe·horned, present
participle shoe·horn·ing, 3rd person present singular shoe·horns)

squeeze somebody or something
into space: to squeeze somebody or
something into a space that is barely large enough[1]



shoelace

shoelace
shoe·lace 
[sh làyss] (plural shoe·laces)
noun

cord for fastening shoe:
a thin cord of leather or fabric used to fasten together the two top flaps of a
shoe.
Also called
shoestring[1]



shoemaker

shoemaker
shoe·mak·er 
[sh màykər] (plural shoe·mak·ers)
noun

cobbler:
somebody who makes or repairs boots or shoes[1]



Shoemaker,Willie

Shoemaker,Willie

Shoe·ma·ker 
[sh maykər], Willie (1931– )
U.S.
jockey. He won a record 8,833 horse races during his 42-year career.
Real name
Shoemaker, William Lee[1]



shoepac

shoepac
shoe·pac
[sh pàk] (plural shoe·pacs) or
shoe·pack [sh pàk] (plural shoe·packs)
noun

laced
waterproof boot: a heavy laced waterproof boot
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of pidgin Delaware seppock “shoes,” from Unami Delaware čipahko
“moccasins.”][1]



shoeshine

shoeshine
shoe·shine 
[sh shn] noun

1.  act
of polishing shoes: the act of giving a clean or
shiny finish to shoes by polishing them

2.  polish
on shoes:
a polished finish on shoes

[1]



shoestring

shoestring
shoe·string 
[sh strìng] adjective

1.  consisting
of little money: consisting of or running on a very
limited amount of money • a
shoestring allocation for new classrooms

2.  FOOD long
and narrow:
cut or made long and narrow in shape • shoestring
licorice
noun
(plural shoe·strings)

See shoelace
on
a shoestring

using very little money[1]



shoestringcatch

shoestringcatch
shoe·string
catch
noun

BASEBALL
a low-level catch:
a catch of a fly or pass made near the ground by a running player[1]



shoetree

shoetree
shoe·tree 
[sh tr] (plural shoe·trees) noun

device to keep shoes in
shape: a wooden or metal block that
is inserted into a boot or shoe to stretch it or help it to keep its shape when
not being worn[1]



shofar

shofar

sho·far 
[shṓ fr] (plural sho·fars or
sho·froth [shō frót]) noun
horn
blown in synagogue: a horn, usually a ram’s
horn, blown in a synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Also
called
ram’s horn
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew šōpār, literally “ram’s horn.”][1]



shogi

shogi
sho·gi 
[shṓgee] noun

Japanese
board game:
a Japanese board game for two players that resembles chess
[Mid-19th century. From
Japanese shōgi .][1]



shogun

shogun
sho·gun 
[shṓgən, shṓ ùn]
(plural sho·guns) noun

Japanese
military commander: any one of the hereditary
military commanders in feudal Japan who ruled the country under the nominal
rule of an emperor between the years 1192 and 1867
[Mid-17th
century. Via Japanese shōgun from Chinese jiāng jūn “general.”]
—sho·gun·al, adjective[1]



shogunate

shogunate
sho·gun·ate 
[shṓgənət, shṓgə
nàyt] (plural sho·gun·ates) noun

shogun’s rule or office:
the office, period in office, or rule of a shogun[1]



shoji

shoji
sho·ji 
[shṓ jee] (plural sho·ji or
sho·jis) noun

Japanese
screen or partition: a rice paper screen in a
wooden frame used as a sliding partition or door in traditional Japanese houses
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese shōji .][1]



Sholapur

Sholapur
Sho·la·pur 
[shōlè pr]

city and administrative
headquarters of Sholapur District, Maharashtra State, western India.
Population: 603,870 (1991)[1]



Shona

Shona
Sho·na
[shṓnə] (plural Sho·na or
Sho·nas) noun

1.  member
of central African people: a member of a people that
live in parts of southern central Africa, mainly in Zimbabwe, where they are
the dominant ethnic group, and in Mozambique.
Also
called
Mashona

2.  Shona
language:
the Bantu language of the Shona people. Shona is spoken by about eight million
people.
[Mid-20th
century. Of Bantu origin.]
—Sho·na, adjective[1]



shone

shone
shone 
verb

Past tense of
shine Past participle of shine[1]



shoneen

shoneen
shon·een
[shō nn] (plural shon·eens) noun

Ireland
Irish
person acting English: an Irish person who, in
order to seem of a higher social class, imitates an English person, especially
in accent
[Mid-19th century. From Irish
seóinín, literally “little John,” from Seón “John, John Bull.”][1]



shoo

shoo
shoo
[shoo] interjection

used
to get animal to leave: used to tell a child or
animal to go away
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shooed, past
participle shooed, present participle shoo·ing, 3rd
person present singular shoos)

wave
away:
to say shoo and gesture to a child or animal to go away
[15th century. An instinctive
exclamation.][1]



shoofly

shoofly
shoo·fly 
[sh fl] (plural shoo·flies) noun

child’s
rocker:
a child’s rocker with the seat between two flat sides cut in the shape of an
animal
[Late 19th century. From the
exclamation “shoo-fly.”][1]



shooflypie

shooflypie
shoo·fly
pie
(plural shoo·fly pies) noun

pie
with brown sugar filling: a pie made with a filling of
crumbs, butter, and brown sugar or molasses
[From its sweet filling,
which is apt to attract flies][1]



shoo-flyplant

shoo-flyplant
shoo-fly
plant 
noun

See
apple of Peru
[So called because it is
supposed to repel flies][1]



shoo-in

shoo-in
shoo-in 
(plural shoo-ins) noun

certainty
to win or succeed: somebody who is certain to
win something such as an election or be chosen for something such as a job
[Origin uncertain][1]



shook

shook2
shook2 [shk]
(plural shooks) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE See shock

2.  set
of timber parts for barrel: a set of timber parts for
assembling a barrel or box
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the phrase shook cask, a cask broken down for
shipment, from shake in the archaic sense “to split apart.”][1]



shook

shook1
shook1

Past tense of
shake[1]



shook-up

shook-up
shook-up 
adjective

upset:
disturbed and upset (informal)[1]



shoot

shoot
shoot
[shoot] verb (past shot,
past participle shot, present participle shoot·ing,
3rd person present singular shoots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fire a
weapon or projectile: to fire a projectile such as
a bullet, missile, or arrow from a weapon, or make a weapon fire a projectile • Don’t
shoot!

2.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody or something with a bullet: to
fire a weapon at and hit, injure, or kill a person or animal • She
shot herself.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb hunt
animals with a gun: to hunt animals or birds
with a gun for sport

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
fast:
to move or cause something to move quickly and suddenly • She
shot out her hand to catch the ball.

5.  intransitive
verb
dash:
to go somewhere quickly and suddenly (informal) • He
shot off to his interview.

6.  transitive
verb
travel
over something fast: to travel quickly over a
stretch of water where the current is fast • shoot
the rapids

7.  intransitive
verb
progress
very rapidly: to make extremely rapid progress or
undergo a startlingly rapid change of state • She
shot to fame.

8.  intransitive
verb
move
swiftly through the body: to seem to move very
swiftly, and usually painfully, through the body • Pain
shot up her leg.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
something out rapidly: to send out something
rapidly or forcefully or in a beam or ray

10. transitive
verb
direct
something quickly: to direct a look or glance
at something briefly and rapidly • He
shot a glance at her.

11. transitive
verb
ask
or say something rapidly: to say something rapidly or
ask a question rapidly

12. intransitive
and transitive verb record
something on film: to record a shot, scene,
movie, or program on film with a camera

13. intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS kick ball to get point:
to kick, hit, or throw a ball in a sport such as soccer or basketball in an
attempt to score a goal or point

14. transitive
verb
score
a point in a sport: to score a goal or point in
a sport

15. intransitive
verb
strive
to achieve something: to try to achieve something
difficult (informal) • shooting
for a five percent increase in productivity

16. transitive
verb
move
a bolt into place: to move something such as a
bolt into or out of a fastening

17. intransitive
verb
germinate:
to germinate or begin to grow

18. transitive
verb
DRUGS (slang) See shoot up  verb 4

19. transitive
verb
travel
over something fast: to travel quickly over water
where the current is fast • shoot
the rapids

20. transitive
verb
CUE GAMES play
cue game:
to play a game of pool or billiards

21. intransitive
and transitive verb throw
dice:
to throw a die or dice

22. transitive
verb
measure
the distance to heavenly body: to measure the
altitude of a star or other heavenly body
noun
(plural shoots)

1.  new
plant growth: a newly grown aerial part of a plant,
for example, a leaf bud or branch

2.  act
of firing:
an act of firing a weapon

3.  U.K.
hunting
party:
a party of people gathered together to hunt animals with guns for sport

4.  U.K.
hunting
area:
an area where people shoot animals with guns for sport

5.  GEOLOGY vein
of ore:
a narrow vein of ore
interjection
(informal)

1.  used
to tell somebody to start: used to tell somebody to go
ahead and start talking

2.  used
to express annoyance: used as an exclamation of
annoyance or disappointment
[Old English scēotan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English
shot, shut,
and shuttle .][1]



shootdown

shootdown
shoot
down
transitive verb

1.  bring
down an aircraft: to bring down an aircraft while it is in
the air by firing a weapon or missile

2.  kill
somebody or something by shooting: to fire a weapon at
and hit, injure, or kill a person or animal

3.  destroy
argument:
to destroy somebody’s argument, theory, or idea by disproving, criticizing, or
discrediting it

[1]



shooter

shooter
shoot·er
[shtər] (plural shoot·ers) noun

1.  gun:
a pistol or other gun (informal)

2.  somebody
shooting:
somebody or something that shoots

[1]



shootinggallery

shootinggallery
shoot·ing
gal·ler·y 
noun

1.  place
to practice shooting: a place used for target
practice using guns or rifles

2.  place
where drug addicts shoot up: a place such as an abandoned
building where addicts inject drugs (slang)

[1]



shootingiron

shootingiron
shoot·ing
i·ron
(plural shoot·ing i·rons) noun

handgun:
a handgun (informal)[1]



shootingscript

shootingscript
shoot·ing
script
(plural shoot·ing scripts) noun

final screenplay used for
shooting: the final screenplay for a
cinema or television film that includes directions for shooting and is broken
down into scenes with the shots numbered consecutively[1]



shootingstar

shootingstar

shoot·ing
star
(plural shoot·ing stars) noun

1.  See
meteor

2.        N
American primrose: a North
American plant in the primrose family that has oblong leaves and flowers with
petals that curve backward. Genus: Dodeatheon[1]



shootingstick

shootingstick
shoot·ing
stick
(plural shoot·ing sticks) noun

walking stick usable as seat:
a walking stick with handles at one end that fold out to form a small seat,
often used by a spectator at an outdoor sporting event[1]



shootout

shootout
shoot·out
(plural shoot·outs) noun

1.  decisive
fight with guns: a fight to the finish with guns

2.  SOCCER tie-breaker
with penalty shots: a means of resolving a tie
in a soccer game in which five players from each side take alternate penalty
shots at the goal

3.  fight
to settle dispute: an argument or fight that
finally settles a long-drawn-out dispute (informal)

[1]



shoot-the-chute

shoot-the-chute
shoot-the-chute
(plural shoot-the-chute) or chute-the-chute (plural
chute-the-chute) noun

amusement ride:
an amusement ride in which visitors slide down a steep slope in a boat into a
pool at the bottom of the slide[1]



shootthrough

shootthrough
shoot
through
intransitive verb

Australia
leave suddenly:
to leave a place, usually abruptly (informal)[1]



shoot-to-kill

shoot-to-kill
shoot-to-kill
adjective

aiming to kill, not wound:
relating to or involving the aiming of a gun to kill, not wound, somebody[1]



shootup

shootup
shoot
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
increase
suddenly:
to increase suddenly by a large amount

2.  intransitive
verb
get
taller:
to grow considerably taller in a short space of time

3.  transitive
verb
harm
somebody or something by gunfire: to cause serious
injuries to somebody or damage to something with gunfire

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS inject a drug:
to inject an illegal drug (slang)

[1]



shoot-’em-up

shoot-’em-up
shoot-’em-up 
[shtəm ùp] (plural shoot-’em-ups)
noun

1.  movie
with shooting: a movie or television show featuring a
large amount of shooting and bloodshed (dated)

2.  computer
game with shooting: a video or computer game in
which a player scores points by shooting at figures on the screen

[1]



shop

shop
shop 
[shop] noun (plural shops)

1.  COMMERCE retail
business:
a retail business that sells consumer merchandise and sometimes services

2.  MANUFACTURING workshop:
a place where goods are manufactured or repaired

3.  EDUCATION industrial
arts school subject: a school subject in which
students are taught to work with tools and machinery, especially on wood

4.  EDUCATION schoolroom
for learning industrial arts: a schoolroom or building
with tools and equipment for students to learn industrial arts
verb
(past shopped, past participle shopped, present
participle shop·ping, 3rd person present singular shops)

1.  intransitive
verb
visit
stores:
to visit stores and shops in order to look at and usually buy things

2.  transitive
verb
visit
particular store: to buy goods from a particular store

3.  transitive
verb
U.K. inform
on somebody: to inform on somebody to the police or
authorities (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
try
to sell something: to try to sell something
such as a company or creative work by bringing it to the attention of potential
buyers
[Old
English sceoppa “booth, peddler’s stall” (related to German Schuppen
“shed”]
close
or shut up shop

1.  to
stop working or doing something

2.  to
close down a business

talk
shop

to
talk about your work or some other specialized activity

[1]



shopaholic

shopaholic
shop·a·hol·ic 
[shòppə hóllik] (plural shop·a·hol·ics)
noun

lover of shopping:
somebody who enjoys or compulsively engages in shopping (informal)[1]



shoparound

shoparound
shop
around
intransitive verb

1.  look
around for the best deal: to look around for the best
deal or bargain

2.  consider
several possibilities before choosing: to
review a number of possibilities before making a choice

[1]



shopassistant

shopassistant
shop
as·sis·tant
(plural shop as·sis·tants) noun

U.K.
See salesclerk[1]



shop-bought

shop-bought
shop-bought
adjective

U.K.
See store-bought[1]



shopfloor

shopfloor
shop
floor
noun

1.  manufacturing
area in a factory: the area in a factory where
goods are manufactured.
Also
called
factory floor

2.  manual
workers:
the manual workers in a factory

[1]



shopkeeper

shopkeeper
shop·keep·er 
[shóp kpər] (plural shop·keep·ers)
noun

See
storekeeper[1]



shoplift

shoplift
shop·lift 
[shóp lìft] (past shop·lift·ed,
past participle shop·lift·ed, present participle shop·lift·ing,
3rd person present singular shop·lifts) intransitive and
transitive verb

steal
from store:
to steal something from a shop or store while pretending to shop for goods
—shop·lift·er,
noun

—shop·lift·ing, noun[1]



shoppe

shoppe
shoppe
[shop] (plural shoppes) noun

shop:
a shop (archaic)
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of shop .][1]



shopper

shopper
shop·per 
[shóppər] (plural shop·pers) noun

1.  somebody
doing shopping: somebody who is looking for things to
buy in a shop or store

2.  COMMERCE somebody
who shops for others: somebody who shops on behalf
of a customer or employer as a job

3.  local
newspaper:
a usually free newspaper that carries advertising and some local news

4.  somebody
filling mail orders: somebody whose job is to
fill mail or telephone orders

[1]



shopping

shopping
shop·ping
[shópping] noun

1.  activity
of going to shop: the activity of visiting shops and
stores to look at and buy things

2.  U.K.
goods
purchased in shops: goods bought in a shop or
shops, especially food and household items

[1]



shoppingbag

shoppingbag
shop·ping
bag 
(plural shop·ping bags) noun

bag for carrying shopping:
a large strong bag with handles used for carrying purchases when shopping[1]



shoppingcart

shoppingcart
shop·ping
cart
(plural shop·ping carts) noun

wheeled cart for purchases:
a basket mounted on wheels with a push handle that is supplied by supermarkets
and other stores for shoppers to collect their purchases in.
U.K. term
shopping trolley[1]



shoppingcenter

shoppingcenter
shop·ping
cen·ter
(plural shop·ping cen·ters) noun

U.K.
See mall[1]



shoppinglist

shoppinglist
shop·ping
list
(plural shop·ping lists) noun

1.  list
of items to shop for: a list of all the things
somebody wants to buy when shopping

2.  list
of things wanted: a list of demands, requirements, or
things wanted

[1]



shoppingtrolley

shoppingtrolley
shop·ping
trol·ley
noun

U.K.
See shopping cart[1]



shopsoiled

shopsoiled
shop·soiled
[shóp sòyld] adjective

U.K.
See shopworn[1]



shopsteward

shopsteward
shop
stew·ard
[shóp st ərd] (plural shop
stew·ards) noun

workers’ representative with
management: a worker elected by fellow
union members as their representative in dealings with the management.
Also called
steward[1]



shoptalk

shoptalk
shop·talk 
[shóp tàwk] noun

1.  talk
about work:
conversation about work or another specialized activity at a time when more
lighthearted chat is the norm, especially outside working hours

2.  job’s
jargon:
jargon used in a particular field, job, or profession

[1]



shopwalker

shopwalker
shop·walk·er
[shóp wàwkər] (plural shop·walk·ers)
noun

U.K.
See floorwalker[1]



shopworn

shopworn
shop·worn 
[shóp wàwrn] adjective

damaged in shop:
faded, tarnished, or otherwise slightly spoiled from being on display in a shop[1]



shoran

shoran
sho·ran 
[sháw ràn] noun

short-range
navigational system: a short-range navigational
system in which a ship’s or aircraft’s precise location is determined by the
time taken for a signal to travel to two fixed stations and back
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of short-range navigation .][1]



shore

shore1
shore1 [shawr]
(plural shores) noun

1.  land
at edge of water: the land that runs along the edge of the
ocean, a sea, or lake

2.  dry
land:
dry land as opposed to water • on
shore

3.  country:
a land or country (literary) (often used in the plural) • having
reached our native shores

4.  U.K.
LAW coast
between low and high tides: the area of land that lies
between normal low and high tide marks
[Old English scora .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut” that is also the
ancestor of English shear and scarp .][1]



shore

shore2
shore2 [shawr]
transitive verb (past shored, past participle shored,
present participle shor·ing, 3rd person present singular shores)

1.  prop
up a structure: to stop something such as a wall from
falling down or over by propping a support against it

2.  help
to stop something failing: to give support or help in
order to stop something failing
noun
(plural shores)

prop to support something:
a beam or other prop set at an angle to support something such as a wall or
tree
[14th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch schōre “prop,” of unknown origin.][1]



shorebird

shorebird
shore
bird
(plural shore birds) noun

bird living near water:
a bird that lives and feeds near the shores of coastal or inland waters, for
example, the plover, sandpiper, avocet, or snipe. Suborder: Charadrii[1]



shoredinner

shoredinner
shore
din·ner
(plural shore din·ners) noun

seafood meal:
a meal consisting mainly of fish and seafood[1]



shorefront

shorefront
shore·front 
[sháwr frùnt] noun

land by water:
land situated immediately next to a body of water[1]



shoreice

shoreice
shore
ice
noun

sheet of sea ice:
a large sheet of sea ice attached to a shore[1]



shoreleave

shoreleave
shore
leave
noun

1.  permission
to go ashore: permission for a member of a ship’s crew
to go ashore

2.  time
spent ashore: a period of time spent ashore by a
member of a ship’s crew

[1]



shoreless

shoreless
shore·less
[sháwrləss] adjective

lacking flat shore:
having no flat shore on which a boat can land[1]



shoreline

shoreline
shore·line 
[sháwr ln] (plural shore·lines)
noun

edge where water meets shore:
the edge of a body of water, especially the ocean, where it meets the shore[1]



shorepatrol

shorepatrol
shore
pa·trol
(plural shore pa·trols) noun

military police on shore:
the military police of the the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps, or the
British Royal Navy while on shore[1]



shoreward

shoreward
shore·ward 
[sháwrwərd] adjective

facing
shore:
facing or near the shore
adverb
shore·ward shore·wards

toward shore:
toward the shore[1]



shoring

shoring
shor·ing 
[sháwring] noun

structure to shore something
up: a structure or arrangement
designed to shore something up[1]



shorn

shorn
shorn 
[shawrn]

Past participle of
shear
adjective

1.  having
short hair:
with hair cut short

2.  deprived
of something: having had something removed or taken
away

[1]



short

short
short 
[shawrt] adjective (comparative
short·er, superlative short·est)

1.  not
long:
having little or relatively little length, or extending only a small distance • short
hair

2.  not
tall:
having little or relatively little height • shorter
than her sister

3.  not
lasting long: lasting for only a small amount of time
• a
short stay

4.  not
seeming long in duration: seeming or imagined not to
last very long • in a few short weeks

5.  concise:
expressed economically and briefly • a
short summary

6.  abbreviated:
expressed in fewer words or using fewer letters or characters than the full
form • Typo
is short for typographical error.

7.  having
less than needed: having less than the amount needed,
expected, or thought to be sufficient • I’m
rather short of cash at the moment.

8.  insufficiently
long or tall: not long or tall enough by a particular
amount • All
the beams are six inches short.

9.  not
remembering more distant events: unable or unwilling to
recall events that happened before the comparatively recent past • a
short memory

10. discourteous:
rude and abrupt when speaking to somebody • She
was very short with the cashier.

11. full
of fat:
made with lots of fat so as to be flaky or crumbly when baked • short
pastry

12. FINANCE sold
without possessing the shares sold:
involving a seller who, at the time of sale, does not possess the shares he or
she is selling and has to borrow them before being able to deliver. Once the
share price has fallen, the short seller buys the shares and returns them to
the person from whom they were borrowed, resulting in a gain on the deal. • short
sale

13. FINANCE maturing
soon:
being due for payment or repayment within a comparatively short space of time • short
bill

14. LINGUISTICS pronounced
with a relatively brief sound: used to describe
phonemes or syllables that, when spoken, are comparatively brief in duration or
are categorized as being of this type. The vowel “a” in the word “hat” is short
compared with the same vowel in the word “hate.”
adverb

1.  abruptly:
abruptly and unexpectedly • stop
short

2.  not
reaching the target: before reaching a goal,
target, or destination • The
pass fell 3 yards short.

3.  FINANCE without
actual possession: without actually possessing
the things being sold when the sale is agreed on • sell
short
noun
(plural shorts)

1.  film
of short duration: a film whose running time is
approximately 30 minutes or less. See short
subject

2.  See
short circuit  noun

3.  BASEBALL See shortstop

4.  U.K.
small
drink:
a drink consisting of a small measure of spirits in a small glass (informal)

5.  garment
size:
a size of garment for a short person
plural
noun

1.  shorts
short
pants:
pants that end somewhere between the upper thigh and the knee

2.  shorts
underpants:
men’s underpants

3.  AGRICULTURE mixture
of bran and coarse flour: a mixture of bran and coarse
flour left over from the milling of wheat

4.  STOCK EXCHANGE short-dated
items:
bills or securities that are due to mature within a comparatively short space
of time
verb
(past short·ed, past participle short·ed, present
participle short·ing, 3rd person present singular shorts)

1.  transitive
verb
provide
with less:
to give somebody less than expected or due

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb See short circuit
[Old
English sceort . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut”
that is also the ancestor of English shirt,
skirt, and curt .]
—short·ness,
noun
cut
something short

to
end something earlier than expected or desired

for
short

as
an abbreviation or shortened form

go
short

to
have insufficient money or food

in
short

used
to introduce a rephrasing of something in a more concise form

short
and sweet

pleasant
or bearable because brief

short
of

1.  not
having something, or not having enough of something

2.  less
than

3.  without
actually doing something, usually something unpleasant or wrong

[1]



short-acting

short-acting
short-act·ing
adjective

having a brief effect:
effective for a short period[1]



shortage

shortage
short·age 
[sháwrtij] (plural short·ages)
noun

lack:
a lack of something that is needed or required

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lack

[1]



short-billedmarsh wren

short-billedmarsh wren
short-billed
marsh wren
(plural short-billed marsh wrens) noun

See
sedge wren[1]



shortbread

shortbread
short·bread 
[sháwrt brèd] noun

buttery cookie:
a rich crumbly cookie made with a high proportion of butter to flour and a
comparatively small proportion of sugar[1]



shortcake

shortcake
short·cake 
[sháwrt kàyk] noun

1.  dessert
with fruit and cream: a dessert consisting of a
spongecake base topped with fruit and cream

2.  spongy
cake:
a round, spongy cake that serves as a base for a shortcake dessert

[1]



shortchange

shortchange
short·change 
[shàwrt cháynj] (past short·changed,
past participle short·changed, present participle short·chang·ing,
3rd person present singular short·chang·es) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody too little change: to give somebody less change
than is due to him or her

2.  treat
somebody unfairly: to behave unfairly toward
somebody by giving him or her less of something than he or she deserves or
expects
—short·chang·er, noun[1]



short-circuit

short-circuit
short-cir·cuit 
(past short-cir·cuit·ed, past participle short-cir·cuit·ed,
present participle short-cir·cuit·ing, 3rd person present
singular short-cir·cuits) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or cause failure in a circuit: to have or cause a
failure in an electrical circuit by creating a connection of low resistance
across which an excessive current flows

2.  transitive
verb
use
shortcut to do something: to use a much quicker or
more direct method to achieve something

3.  transitive
verb
frustrate
or hinder plans: to hinder a plan or project by erecting
obstacles

[1]



shortcircuit

shortcircuit
short
cir·cuit
(plural short cir·cuits) noun

failure in electrical
circuit: a failure in an electrical
circuit caused by an accidental connection of low resistance such as when there
is a break in the insulation across which an excessive current can flow.
Also called
short[1]



shortcoming

shortcoming
short·com·ing 
[sháwrt kùmming] (plural short·com·ings)
noun

a defect:
a defect or failure in somebody’s character or in a system or organization (often
used in the plural)[1]



shortcut

shortcut
short·cut 
[sháwrt kùt] (plural short·cuts)
noun

1.  shorter
route:
a route that is shorter or more direct than the usual one

2.  timesaver:
a way of saving time and effort in doing something
—short·cut, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



short-day

short-day
short-day 
adjective

flowering in brief periods of
sunlight: able to flower only upon
exposure to relatively short periods of sunlight, for example, during spring or
autumn[1]



shorten

shorten
short·en 
[sháwrt’n] (past short·ened, past
participle short·ened, present participle short·en·ing,
3rd person present singular short·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make shorter: to make something shorter or become
shorter

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
odds shorter: to reduce the odds on a bet, or to be
reduced in this way

3.  transitive
verb
reduce
sail area:
to reduce the area of a sail

4.  transitive
verb
make
pastry shorter: to make pastry more crumbly by adding
more shortening
—short·en·er, noun[1]



shortening

shortening
short·en·ing 
[sháwrt’ning] noun

fat:
fat such as lard that is solid at room temperature such as lard used for making
pastry[1]



shortfall

shortfall
short·fall 
[sháwrt fàwl] (plural short·falls)
noun

1.  amount
lacking:
an amount by which something falls short of what is required

2.  failure
to meet a goal: a failure to meet a goal or requirement

[1]



shortfuse

shortfuse
short
fuse
(plural short fus·es) noun

quick temper:
a tendency to get angry quickly and with little provocation (informal)[1]



shorthair

shorthair
short·hair 
[sháwrt hàir, sháwrt
hèr] (plural short·hairs) noun

cat with short thick fur:
a medium-sized muscular domestic cat with a short thick coat[1]



shorthaired

shorthaired
short·haired 
[shàwrt hàrd, sháwrt
hèrd] adjective

with short hair:
having a coat of short hair • a
shorthaired cat[1]



shorthand

shorthand
short·hand 
[sháwrt hànd] (plural short·hands)
noun

1.  quick
way of taking notes: a fast method of writing,
using symbols to represent letters, words, or phrases

2.  shorter
way of saying something: a shorter or quicker way of
referring to something

[1]



short-handed

short-handed
short-hand·ed 
adjective

short
of workers:
having fewer than the usual or required number of staff, helpers, or players
—short-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



shorthandtypist

shorthandtypist
short·hand
typ·ist
noun

U.K.
See stenographer[1]



short-haul

short-haul
short-haul
adjective

for short distances:
traveling or used for traveling a short distance[1]



shorthorn

shorthorn
short·horn 
[sháwrt hàwrn] (plural short·horns
or short·horn) noun

breed of beef or dairy
cattle: a reddish-brown or white
breed of cattle with short curved horns developed in northern England and used
for beef or milk production[1]



short-hornedgrasshopper

short-hornedgrasshopper
short-horned
grass·hop·per  noun

common grasshopper:
a winged grasshopper with short antennae belonging to the family that includes
the locust and many other common crop pests. Family: Acrididae[1]



shorthundredweight

shorthundredweight
short
hun·dred·weight noun

See
hundredweight  noun 1[1]



shortie

shortie
short·ie 
(plural short·ies) noun

See
shorty[1]



shortinterest

shortinterest
short
in·ter·est
noun

unsold shares:
the number of shares in a particular security that have been borrowed and sold
and must eventually be returned to the lender[1]



shortleafpine

shortleafpine
short·leaf
pine 
[shàwrt leef pn] noun

1.  southeastern
U.S. pine tree: a pine tree native to the southeastern
United States, that has reddish bark and short bluish-green flexible needles in
groups of two. Latin name: Pinus echinata

2.  wood
used in building: the yellow wood of the shortleaf pine,
used in construction

[1]



short-list

short-list
short-list 
(past short-list·ed, past participle short-list·ed,
present participle short-list·ing, 3rd person present singular
short-lists) transitive verb

put somebody on short list:
to put somebody or something on a final list of candidates for a position or
award[1]



shortlist

shortlist
short
list
noun

final list from which to
select: a list of the best
candidates for a position or award after all others have been eliminated[1]



short-lived

short-lived
short-lived 
[sháwrt lvd, shàwrt
lívd] adjective

lasting only short time:
lasting or living for only a short period of time[1]



shortly

shortly
short·ly 
[sháwrtlee] adverb

1.  in
short time:
soon or in a short time • The
guests will arrive shortly.

2.  curtly:
in a curt or discourteous manner • “I
wish you’d stop interrupting me,” he said shortly.

3.  briefly:
using only a few words
[Old English][1]



short-nosedcattle louse

short-nosedcattle louse
short-nosed
cat·tle louse  noun

louse on grazing animals:
a sucking louse that infests large grazing mammals, sometimes to the detriment
of their health. Latin name: Haematopinus eurysternus
Also called
short-nosed ox louse[1]



shortorder

shortorder
short
or·der
noun

quickly prepared restaurant
food: food in a restaurant that is
prepared and served quickly (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



shortposition

shortposition
short
po·si·tion
(plural short po·si·tions) noun

security after a short sale:
an open position in a security in which the investor borrowed the security from
somebody, sold it, and promised to replace the borrowed security at a later
time[1]



shortradius

shortradius
short
ra·di·us
noun

distance from center of a
polygon: the perpendicular distance
or line from the center of a regular polygon to one of its sides[1]



short-range

short-range
short-range 
adjective

1.  for
short distance operation: designed for or capable of
traveling or operating only over a short distance

2.  about
the near future: concerned with the near future • short-range
plans

[1]



shortribs

shortribs
short
ribs
plural noun

rib end cut of beef:
a cut of beef consisting of tough fatty meat on rib ends from between the rib
roast and plate[1]



shortsale

shortsale
short
sale
noun

sale of securities before
payment: the sale of a borrowed
security in anticipation that the security price will fall and can be paid back
from the profits earned after repurchasing it at the lower price[1]



shortscore

shortscore
short
score
noun

musical score rewritten for
fewer parts: a condensed orchestra
score omitting some of the less important instruments and often combining
several parts on one staff[1]



shortshrift

shortshrift
short
shrift
noun

1.  unsympathetic
treatment:
brief and inconsiderate or unsympathetic treatment

2.  brief
period for confession: a short period of time
before execution during which a condemned prisoner could confess (archaic)
make
short shrift of something

deal with a matter quickly,
giving it little attention[1]



shortsight

shortsight
short
sight
noun

inability to see in distance:
an inability to see distant objects clearly[1]



short-sighted

short-sighted
short-sight·ed
adjective

1.  U.K.
OPHTHALMOLOGY See nearsighted

2.  for
short term only: without taking the future into account
—short-sight·ed·ly,
adverb

—short-sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



short-spoken

short-spoken
short-spo·ken 
adjective

abrupt:
inclined to speak abruptly[1]



short-staffed

short-staffed
short-staffed
adjective

short of workers:
lacking the normal or required number of staff[1]



shortstop

shortstop
short·stop 
[sháwrt stòp] (plural short·stops)
noun
Also
called
short

1.  infielder
position:
the position of the infielder in baseball playing closest to second base on the
side toward third base

2.  player
at shortstop: the baseball player playing at shortstop

[1]



shortstory

shortstory
short
sto·ry
noun

short work of prose fiction:
a work of prose fiction that is shorter than a novel[1]



shortsubject

shortsubject
short
sub·ject
noun

short movie:
a short movie of approximately 30 minutes or less, sometimes a documentary,
shown before a full-length feature movie.
Also called
short[1]



short-tempered

short-tempered
short-tem·pered 
adjective

quick to anger:
easily made angry or impatient[1]



short-term

short-term
short-term 
adjective

1.  not
lasting long: lasting for or affecting a relatively
short period of time

2.  FINANCE maturing
or due soon: maturing or payable within a relatively
short period of time

3.  FINANCE from
assets held briefly: realized from assets held
for a short time and then sold

[1]



short-termmemory

short-termmemory
short-term
mem·o·ry
noun

memory for temporary
information: the part of the mind
used for retaining temporary information over a short period[1]



shortton

shortton
short
ton
(plural short tons) noun

See
ton 1 noun
1[1]



short-waisted

short-waisted
short-waist·ed
adjective

with high waistline:
unusually short between the shoulders and the waist[1]



shortwave

shortwave
short·wave 
[sháwrt wàyv] adjective

shorter
than 200 m:
transmitting or receiving wavelengths shorter than 200 m
noun

radio:
a radio capable of transmitting or receiving short waves[1]



short-winded

short-winded
short-wind·ed 
adjective

1.  short
of breath:
experiencing shortness of breath, especially after mild exertion

2.  brief:
expressed in few words

[1]



shorty

shorty
short·y
[sháwrtee] (plural short·ies) or
short·ie [sháwrtee] (plural short·ies)
noun

somebody or something short:
somebody or something very short or shorter than average (informal)[1]



Shoshone

Shoshone
Sho·sho·ne 
[shō shṓnee] (plural Sho·sho·nes
or Sho·sho·ne) or Sho·sho·ni [shō shṓnee] (plural Sho·sho·nis or
Sho·sho·ni) noun

1.  member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people living mainly in Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah

2.  Shoshone
language:
the Uto-Aztecan group of languages spoken by the Shoshone. Shoshone languages
are spoken by about 3,000 people.
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]
—Sho·sho·ne·an, noun,
adjective[1]



ShoshoneFalls

ShoshoneFalls
Sho·sho·ne
Falls
[shō shṓni fals]

falls on the Snake River in
southern Idaho, named for the Shoshone people. Height: 65 m/212 ft.[1]



Shoshone,Lake

Shoshone,Lake
Sho·sho·ne,
Lake
[shō shṓni lake]

lake in the Rocky Mountains,
west of Yellowstone Lake, in Yellowstone National Park, northwestern Wyoming.
Length: 19 km/12 mi.[1]



Shostakovich,Dmitry

Shostakovich,Dmitry
Shost·ako·vich
[shòstə kṓvich], Dmitry (1906–1975)

Russian
composer. A major figure in 20th-century music, he wrote prolifically in many
different forms despite repeated criticism of his work by the Soviet
government. His works include 15 symphonies and an equal number of string
quartets.
Full name
Shostakovich, Dmitry Dmitrievich[1]



shot

shot2
shot2 [shot]

Past tense of shoot Past participle of shoot
adjective

1.  two-tone
in color:
woven of two colors in such a way that when the fabric is viewed from different
angles the visible colors change

2.  marked
with varying color: streaked or flecked with a
different color

3.  filled
with particular quality: filled with or permeated by
an emotion or quality

4.  made
useless:
brought to a state of ruin or exhaustion (informal) • I’ve
been so busy my nerves are shot.

5.  used
up:
no longer full or operating properly (informal) • This
tube of toothpaste is shot.

[1]



shot

shot1

shot1 [shot]
noun (plural shots)

1.  shooting
of gun:
a firing of a gun or other weapon

2.  somebody
who shoots:
somebody who shoots in a particular way • a
good shot

3.  shooting
of a projectile at a target: an aimed discharge of a
projectile, for example, a bullet from a gun

4.  bullet
or cannonball: a single solid metal missile for a gun
or cannon, for example, a bullet or cannonball

5.  small
metal pellets: small steel or lead pellets used in
shotgun shells

6.  SPORTS attempt
to score:
an attempt to score points in a sport by throwing, hitting, kicking, or
shooting something • Jordan’s foul shot went
right into the hoop.

7.  SPORTS act of
hitting ball: an act of hitting the ball in certain
sports such as golf, tennis, or snooker • His
shot from the fairway was perfectly placed.

8.  SPORT See shot put

9.  PHOTOGRAPHY particular
view on film: a particular view recorded on film with
a camera • The
cameraman bent down to get a low shot of the damaged wheels.

10. CINEMA continuous
uninterrupted film sequence: a continuous action or image
on the screen that appears to be the result of a single uninterrupted operation
of the camera

11. PHOTOGRAPHY camera
view:
the range of, or view from, a camera

12. attempt:
an opportunity to attempt something • He had
a shot at repairing the vacuum cleaner.

13. guess:
a wild guess or speculation, usually based on little or no information (informal)

14. MEDICINE injection:
an injection of a medication or vaccine (informal)

15. BEVERAGES small
amount of alcohol: a small glass or drink of a
strong alcoholic beverage (informal)

16. sharp
comment:
an angry or critical remark

17. SPACE TECHNOLOGY rocket
launch:
the launching of a rocket or probe to a particular destination

18. MINING blasting
explosion:
a charge of explosives used in blasting

19. projectile
flight path: a flight or path of a projectile

20. GAMBLING chance
at winning:
something such as a racehorse to bet on at particular odds (informal) • The
horse was a 3 to 1 shot.

21. small
quantity of something: a small amount given or
taken on one occasion (informal) • You
need a shot of energy.

22. MEASUREMENTS measurement
in fathoms:
a unit of chain length equal to 15 fathoms in the United States and 12.5
fathoms in the United Kingdom
plural noun shots

small candies:
small candies sprinkled on something such as ice cream or cake
[Old
English sceot, gesceot “act of shooting,” also “payment.”
Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to project,” which is
also the ancestor of English shoot
and shuttle .]
a shot in the arm

something
that has a sudden good effect on somebody or something

a shot in the dark

1.  a
guess made without any information

2.  an
attempt made in desperation but with little hope of success

deliver or fire a shot across
somebody’s bows

give
somebody a warning of what might happen

like a shot

very
eagerly and quickly

[1]



shotclock

shotclock
shot
clock
noun

clock for timing ball
possession: a clock used in basketball
to limit the time a team may take before it must either shoot or lose
possession of the ball[1]



shote

shote
shote 
(plural shotes) noun

See
shoat[1]



shotgun

shotgun
shot·gun 
[shót gùn] noun (plural shot·guns)

1.  gun
that shoots pellet load: a short-range smoothbore gun
that discharges a load of small pellets

2.  FOOTBALL formation
in football: an offensive formation in football,
usually used when passing, in which the quarterback receives the snap a few
yards behind the line of scrimmage
adjective

1.  involving
intimidation: brought about by pressure, threats, or
force

2.  hit-or-miss:
having no clear design, purpose, or objective

[1]



shotgunhouse

shotgunhouse
shot·gun
house
noun

house with lined-up rooms:
a house with all the rooms in a line, usually from front to back, found
especially in the southern United States[1]



shotgunwedding

shotgunwedding
shot·gun
wed·ding
or shot·gun mar·riage noun

quick
marriage due to pregnancy: a marriage that takes place
at short notice, usually because the bride is pregnant
[Because the parties are or
feel compelled, as if at gunpoint, to marry][1]



shothole

shothole
shot
hole
noun

1.  MINING hole
for explosive charge: a hole bored into rock in
which an explosive charge is placed

2.  parasite
or insect damage: a small hole made in wood or leaves by
insects or parasites (informal)

[1]



shotput

shotput
shot
put
noun
Also
called
shot

1.  competition
for throwing ball: an athletic field event in
which contestants compete to throw a heavy metal ball as far as possible

2.  ball
for throwing competition: a heavy metal ball used in
the shot put
—shot-put·ter, noun[1]



shotten

shotten
shot·ten 
[shótt’n] adjective

having
released spawn: having recently spawned and therefore
less valuable as food • a
shotten fish
[15th century. From the
obsolete past participle of shoot .][1]



shottower

shottower
shot
tow·er
noun

tower for making lead shot:
a tower formerly used for making lead shot, in which molten lead was dropped
from the top into water at the bottom in which the drops solidified[1]



should

should
should 
[shd, shəd]
CORE
MEANING:
modal verb indicating that something is the right thing for somebody to do • You
should get more exercise. • I
should have told her I was leaving. • The
report recommended that children should be tested regularly.
verb

1.  expressing
likelihood or probability: to be scheduled or expected
to be or do something • I
should be back by 12. • The
scissors should be in the second drawer down. • They
should have arrived at Grandma’s by now.

2.  expressing
conditions or consequences: used to express the
conditionality of an occurrence and suggest it is not a given, or to indicate
the consequence of something that might happen (used in conditional clauses)
• If
anything should happen to my car, I’d be heartbroken.
• Should
you have any questions, our staff will be available to help.
“If I should die, think only this of me…” Rupert Brooke The Soldier 1887–1915

3.  would:
used to mean the same thing as the verb would (used with “I” or “we”) • If
we spent that much every month, we should soon run out of money.
• I
should love to meet her.

4.  reporting
past viewpoint about future: used when reporting
something from a past perspective, for example, somebody’s words or thoughts,
about a future event • It was
intended that the library should be for the use of everyone.
• He
was keen that I should meet his publisher friend.

5.  used
to soften harsh words: used to soften a blunt
statement or make one more polite • I
should hope you’re sorry now.
I
should

used
to advise somebody to do something • I
should take him up on his offer, if I were you.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  should
  or would ?
  The
  same general pattern is true here as for shall and will . As an
  auxiliary verb, would is more usual than should when stating a condition or proposition
  and is the only choice when asking a question ( • They
  would like to come. • I
  would think so. • Would
  you like to go to the movies? ). Should has the special role of denoting
  obligation or likelihood ( • I
  should stay until they arrive. • Should
  you be lifting that? • That
  should be our visitors now ) and must be used in
  inverted constructions expressing a condition: • Should
  it rain, the party will be held indoors. Would has to be used when referring to habitual
  action in the past: • On
  Wednesdays I would go to the library. In
  conversational English, the contracted form I’d, you’d, etc.,
  are regularly used instead of the full forms in making simple statements ( • They’d
  like to come ), but these are not available in
  place of should in its sense of obligation
  or likelihood.

[1]



shoulder

shoulder
shoul·der 
[shṓldər] noun (plural shoul·ders)

1.  ANATOMY place
where an arm attaches to the trunk:
either one of the two parts of the human body immediately below and at each
side of the neck, where the arm joins the trunk

2.  ZOOLOGY joint attaching
a forelimb to the trunk: the part of the body of a
vertebrate animal equivalent to the shoulder, where the forelimb joins the
pectoral girdle

3.  part
of garment fitting shoulder: a part of a piece of
clothing that covers the shoulder

4.  meat
from shoulder: a fairly fatty cut of meat consisting of
the upper part of a foreleg of an animal

5.  something
sloped like shoulder: something resembling a
shoulder in position or slope, for example, the part of a stringed instrument
between the neck and body or the slope near the top of a hill

6.  TRANSPORT land
beside road: a strip of land along the side of a road

7.  PRINTING type
surface that is not letter: a flat surface of printers’
type below the base of the raised letter or character

8.  wider
portion of shaft: any portion of a shaft or other
instrument for transmitting force that has an increase in diameter to withstand
thrust
plural
noun
shoul·ders

1.  ANATOMY upper
area of back: the upper back, including both shoulders
and the area between them

2.  capacity
to handle responsibility: the capacity to carry
responsibility for something, especially something unpleasant or worrying • The
blame rests on her shoulders.
verb
(past shoul·dered, past participle shoul·dered, present
participle shoul·der·ing, 3rd person present singular shoul·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
carry
or place something on shoulders: to carry, lift, or
place something on the shoulders

2.  transitive
verb
accept
responsibility: to accept and bear a burden or
responsibility

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
something with shoulder: to push something or make
way using a shoulder • She
successfully shouldered her way to the front of the crowd.
[Old
English sculdor . Ultimately, from a prehistoric West Germanic word
meaning “shoulder blade.”]
put
your shoulder to the wheel

work
hard

rub
shoulders with somebody

associate
with somebody of a particular type or social class

shoulder
to shoulder

1.  side
by side

2.  in
a cooperative effort

straight
from the shoulder

in
a frank or blunt way

[1]



shoulderbag

shoulderbag
shoul·der
bag
noun

bag carried by shoulder
strap: a bag carried by a long
strap hung over the shoulder[1]



shoulderbelt

shoulderbelt
shoul·der
belt
noun

See
shoulder harness[1]



shoulderblade

shoulderblade
shoul·der
blade
noun

bone in back of shoulder:
either one of two large flat triangular bones over the upper outer parts of the
ribs at the top of the back that joins with the upper arm bone. Technical
name scapula[1]



shoulderboard

shoulderboard
shoul·der
board
noun

cloth shoulder patch showing
military rank: one of a pair of stiff
cloth patches worn on the shoulders of a military uniform to indicate rank.
U.K. term
shoulder strap[1]



shouldergirdle

shouldergirdle
shoul·der
gir·dle
noun

bones around lower neck:
an incomplete ring of bones formed by the two shoulder blades ( scapulas ), the two collar bones ( clavicles ), and the upper edge of the breastbone
( sternum )[1]



shoulderharness

shoulderharness
shoul·der
har·ness
or shoul·der belt noun

restraining belt in car:
a safety belt in a motor vehicle that is worn diagonally across the shoulder
and chest and is attached at the waist to the seat belt[1]



shoulderholster

shoulderholster

shoul·der hol·ster
(plural shoul·der hol·sters) noun
gun holster worn under arm:
a holster hung from a shoulder strap and worn under the arm, used to hide a gun
under a coat or jacket[1]



shoulderknot

shoulderknot
shoul·der
knot
noun

uniform decoration:
a decoration of braided cord worn on the shoulder of a uniform[1]



shoulderpad

shoulderpad
shoul·der
pad
(plural shoul·der pads) noun

pad inserted into shoulder of
garment: a pad inserted into the
shoulder of a piece of clothing to improve its shape, often making it appear
larger[1]



shoulderpatch

shoulderpatch
shoul·der
patch
(plural shoul·der patch·es) noun

identifying patch on uniform:
a cloth patch with an identifying emblem on it, worn on the upper part of the
sleeve of a uniform[1]



shoulderstrap

shoulderstrap
shoul·der
strap
noun

1.  strap
to support clothing: a strap that goes over a
shoulder for carrying a bag or holding up a garment

2.  See
shoulder board

[1]



shouldn’t

shouldn’t
should·n’t 
[shd’nt] contraction

should not[1]



shouldst

shouldst
shouldst


(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of should[1]



shout

shout
shout 
[showt] verb (past shout·ed,
past participle shout·ed, present participle shout·ing,
3rd person present singular shouts)

1.  transitive
verb
say
something loudly: to say or utter something very loudly

2.  intransitive
verb
speak
loudly:
to speak in a loud or angry voice

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb Australia, New Zealand
pay
for food or drink: to buy something for
somebody else, especially a drink in a bar or a meal in a restaurant (informal)
noun
(plural shouts)

1.  loud
cry:
a loud call or cry

2.  Australia,
New Zealand,
U.K. turn
to pay:
somebody’s turn to buy something, especially a drink or meal (informal)
• “It’s
my shout. What would you like to drink?”
[14th
century. Origin unknown: perhaps from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “to project,” which is also the ancestor of English shoot, or from Old Norse skúta “to
taunt.”]
—shout·er,
noun
be
all over bar the shouting

U.K.
used to say that something is nearly over, and the outcome is clear

nothing
to shout about

not good enough to speak of
with pride (informal)[1]



shoutdown

shoutdown
shout
down
transitive verb

drown out somebody by
shouting: to prevent somebody from
being heard by shouting loudly[1]



shove

shove
shove 
[shuv] intransitive and transitive verb
(past shoved, past participle shoved, present
participle shov·ing, 3rd person present singular shoves)

1.  move
something with force: to push somebody or
something along or forward with force

2.  push
somebody or something roughly: to push somebody or
something in a rude or careless way
noun
(plural shoves)

push: a
strong push
[Old
English scufan “to push away.” Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English scuffle
.]
—shov·er, noun[1]



shovel

shovel
shov·el 
[shúvv’l] noun (plural shov·els
or shov·els)

1.  long-handled
scoop:
a hand tool consisting of a broad, usually curved blade attached to a long
handle, used for lifting and moving loose material

2.  machine
for earth digging: a power-driven machine that
operates with a scooping motion, especially one used for digging or moving
earth

3.  amount
held by shovel: the amount that a shovel is capable of
holding
verb
(past shov·eled or shov·elled, past participle
shov·eled or shov·elled, present participle shov·el·ing
or shov·el·ling, 3rd person present singular shov·els)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig
with shovel for something: to lift, move, or clear
something with a shovel

2.  transitive
verb
throw
something carelessly: to move large amounts of
something from one place to another in a careless or clumsy way
[Old English scofl .
The underlying sense is “an implement for shoving.”][1]



shoveler

shoveler
shov·el·er 
[shúvvələr] (plural shov·el·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something that shovels: somebody or something that
uses a shovel to move or throw something

2.  BIRDS broad-billed
duck:
a small freshwater duck with a broad spoon-shaped bill that inhabits marshes in
the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Anas clypeata

[1]



shovelful

shovelful
shov·el·ful 
[shúvv’l fl] (plural shov·el·fuls
or shov·els·ful) noun

amount in a shovel:
an amount that a shovel can hold[1]



shovelhat

shovelhat
shov·el
hat
(plural shov·el hats) noun

black felt hat worn by
clergymen: a black felt hat with a low
crown and a wide brim turned up at the sides, formerly worn by some English
clergymen[1]



shovelhead

shovelhead
shov·el·head 
[shóvv’l hèd] (plural shov·el·heads
or shov·el·head) noun

common shark:
a common hammerhead shark of Atlantic and Pacific waters with a broad
shovel-shaped head. It grows to about 1.6 m/ 6 ft long, is not dangerous to
human life, and inhabits shallow waters. Latin name: Sphyrna tiburo
Also called
bonnethead[1]



shovelnose

shovelnose
shov·el·nose 
[shúvv’l nz] (plural shov·el·nos·es)
noun

(plural
shov·el·nose or shov·el·noses) See shovel-nosed sturgeon
[Early 18th century. From its
broad, flat snout.][1]



shovel-nosed

shovel-nosed
shov·el-nosed 
adjective

with snout shaped like a
shovel: having a broad shovel-shaped
head, snout, or bill[1]



shovel-nosedsturgeon

shovel-nosedsturgeon
shov·el-nosed
stur·geon
noun

N American freshwater fish:
a freshwater sturgeon of North America with a broad shovel-shaped snout. Latin
name: Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus
Also called
shovelnose[1]



shoveoff

shoveoff
shove
off
intransitive verb

1.  leave:
to leave (informal) (sometimes used as a command)

2.  leave
shore:
to move from shore or a mooring in a boat

[1]



show

show
show
[shō] verb (past showed,
past participle shown [shōn] or
showed, present participle show·ing, 3rd person present
singular shows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
visible:
to cause or allow something to come into view • Show
me your hand.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
visible:
to be visible or allow something to be seen easily • Does
the spot on my shirt show?

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb exhibit:
to put on an exhibition or performance or to present something for the public
to see • She’s
showing her paintings all over the world now. • A
new movie is showing.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb display
for sale:
to present something for sale to the public • His
work was showing at the Museum of Modern Art.

5.  transitive
verb
guide
somebody:
to guide or accompany somebody • Show
them to the office.

6.  transitive
verb
point
something out to somebody: to call somebody’s attention
to something • She
showed him the mistake.

7.  transitive
verb
demonstrate
qualities:
to make somebody’s or something’s fundamental qualities or characteristics
evident • He
has shown that he is honest.

8.  transitive
verb
establish
something using reason: to explain, demonstrate, or
prove something in a logical way • The
teacher showed them the solution.

9.  transitive
verb
demonstrate
something for instruction: to give a demonstration of
something in order to teach others • She
showed us how to apply the glaze to the pot.

10. transitive
verb
give
information: to register information • This
chart shows the sudden increase in temperature.

11. transitive
verb
display
attitude:
to display a personal feeling or attitude • She’s
never shown much interest in art.

12. intransitive
verb
appear
in certain way: to have a particular appearance when
being viewed • The
horse shows well.

13. intransitive
verb
arrive:
to put in an appearance at a place (informal) • They
never showed.

14. intransitive
verb
come
in third:
to finish at least third in a race, especially a horse race or a dog race

15. transitive
verb
LAW plead
something in lawsuit: to allege or plead something
in a legal document
noun
(plural shows)

1.  demonstration:
an expression or demonstration of something • a
show of force

2.  public
presentation: a public entertainment such as a theater
performance, movie, or radio or television program • Shall
we go to a show tonight?

3.  exhibition:
an exhibition, for example, of art, flowers, animals, or an industry’s products
• a
flower show

4.  U.K.
See fair

5.  appearance:
an appearance given, either as an outward display of an emotion or trait, or as
a demonstration of falseness and pretense • a
show of diligence

6.  sizable
venture:
an undertaking or task, especially one of some size and complexity (informal)
• You
decide –it’s your show!

7.  impressive
display:
an extravagant or impressive display

8.  spectacle:
a display or exhibition designed to evoke laughter or ridicule

9.  third
place:
a third place finish in a race, especially a horse race or a dog race

10. Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. opportunity:
a chance or opportunity (informal) • no
show of winning

11. indication:
a trace of something indicating its presence, for example, oil in the ground

12. MEDICINE blood
indicating start of labor: a bloody mucous discharge
indicating the onset of labor in childbirth
[Old
English scēawian “to look at.” Ultimately, from a prehistoric West
Germanic word meaning “to look,” which is also the ancestor of English sheen .]
—show·a·ble,
adjective
get
the or this show on the road

begin
an activity or start an event (informal)

steal
the show

attract the most attention or
admiration[1]



show-and-tell

show-and-tell
show-and-tell
or show and tell noun

1.  informative
classroom activity: a classroom activity for
children in which each child brings an object to school and tells the other
children about it

2.  public
presentation: an informative meeting or presentation
to which the public is invited (informal)

[1]



showbill

showbill
show
bill
noun

advertising poster:
a poster advertising or publicizing something[1]



showbiz

showbiz
show
biz
noun

show business:
show business (informal)[1]



showboat

showboat
show·boat 
[shṓ bt] noun (plural show·boats)

1.  riverboat
theater:
a river steamboat equipped with a theater and carrying an acting company that
performs for communities along the river

2.  show-off:
somebody who behaves flamboyantly in order to attract attention (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past show·boat·ed, past participle show·boat·ed, present
participle show·boat·ing, 3rd person present singular show·boats)

show off for attention:
to behave flamboyantly in order to attract attention (informal)

[1]



showbusiness

showbusiness
show
busi·ness
noun

entertainment:
the entertainment industry, including movies, radio, television, theater, and
music recording[1]



showcase

showcase
show·case 
[shṓ kàyss] noun (plural show·cas·es)

1.  glass
case for displaying objects: a box or case, usually one
made of glass, used to display objects, especially in a museum or shop

2.  most
favorable setting: an event, setting, or medium
in which something or somebody is presented to advantage
transitive
verb
(past show·cased, past participle show·cased, present
participle show·cas·ing, 3rd person present singular show·cas·es)

present something to advantage:
to present something or somebody in a way that is designed to attract attention
and admiration

[1]



showdown

showdown
show·down 
[shṓ dòwn] (plural show·downs)
noun

1.  confrontation:
a confrontation to settle a conflict or dispute

2.  placing
of cards face up: in poker, the moment at the end of a
round when the players show their cards to see who has the best hand

[1]



shower

shower2
show·er2 [shṓ
ər] (plural show·ers) noun

somebody
who displays something: somebody or something that
shows, especially an exhibitor at a public exhibition
[Old English scēawere
“scout, watchman,” from scēawian “to look at” (see show )][1]



shower

shower1
show·er1 [shówər]
noun (plural show·ers)

1.  bath
under spray: a method of washing in which somebody
stands upright under a spray of water from a nozzle.
Also
called
shower bath

2.  place
and equipment for shower: an enclosure or the plumbing
apparatus for a shower

3.  METEOROLOGY period
of precipitation: a short period of rain, snow, hail, or
sleet

4.  something
like rain:
a sudden spray or fall of something, for example, meteors, sparks, or bullets

5.  large
amount of something: something that somebody
receives all at once in quantity

6.  Australia,
New Zealand,
Canada, U.S. party with gifts:
a party given by friends, especially in honor of a woman who is about to be
married or is expecting a baby, at which gifts are given

7.  U.K.
disagreeable
group:
a group of people considered unpleasant, worthless, or inferior (informal)

8.  PHYSICS ionizing
particles caused by cosmic ray: a large number of
ionizing particles and photons caused by the collision of a cosmic-ray particle
with the upper atmosphere
verb
(past show·ered, past participle show·ered, present
participle show·er·ing, 3rd person present singular show·ers)

1.  intransitive
verb
wash
under shower: to wash using a shower

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb rain down
on somebody: to fall or make things fall in a spray

3.  transitive
verb
give
somebody something plentifully: to give somebody
something in abundance • They
were showered with gifts.
[Old
English scūr . Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of German schauer and Dutch schoer .]
—show·er·y, adjective[1]



showerbath

showerbath
show·er
bath 
(plural show·er baths) noun

See
shower 1 noun
1[1]



showergel

showergel
show·er
gel
noun

gel soap for showering:
a liquid soap with the consistency of a gel, used especially when in the shower
and often scented[1]



showerhead

showerhead
show·er·head 
[shówər hèd] (plural show·er·heads)
noun

overhead spray nozzle in
shower: a spray nozzle that is part
of an overhead plumbing fixture used in a shower[1]



showertea

showertea
show·er
tea
noun

Australia, New Zealand
party with gifts for prospective bride:
a party given by friends for a woman soon to be married at which they give her
gifts, usually small items for the kitchen[1]



showgirl

showgirl
show·girl 
[shṓ gùrl] (plural show·girls)
noun

young woman performing in
stage chorus: a young woman who
performs in the chorus of a stage show, usually a musical, as a dancer or
singer[1]



showing

showing
show·ing 
[shṓ ing] (plural show·ings) noun

1.  display:
a presentation or exhibition, for example, of a movie or artwork

2.  type
of performance: the way a person, group, or team
performs

3.  presentation
of facts:
a presentation of facts
[Old English scēawung][1]



showjumping

showjumping
show
jump·ing
[shṓ jùmping] noun

competition
on horseback: a competitive sport in which riders on
horseback take turns jumping over a series of obstacles on a set course and are
judged on speed and ability
—show·jump·er, noun[1]



showman

showman
show·man 
[shṓmən] (plural show·men [shṓ mən]) noun

1.  gifted
entertainer: somebody who has a natural talent for
dramatic presentation or entertainment

2.  producer
of show:
a producer or promoter of commercial entertainment ventures, especially in
musical theater
—show·man·ship, noun[1]



shown

shown
shown

Past participle of
show[1]



showoff

showoff
show
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
attract
the attention of others: to try to impress others by
behaving in a way that attracts attention

2.  transitive
verb
present
something for approval: to display somebody or
something proudly for others to admire

3.  transitive
verb
present
something in an appealing way: to display something
in a way that enhances it

[1]



show-off

show-off
show-off
(plural show-offs) noun

somebody who tries to impress
others: somebody who behaves in a
way that attracts attention and invites admiration (informal)[1]



showof hands

showof hands
show
of hands
noun

voting by counting raised
hands: a form of voting that
involves counting the hands raised by people to vote for or against a proposal[1]



showpiece

showpiece
show·piece 
[shṓ pss] (plural show·piec·es)
noun

excellent example of
something: something considered or
offered as a fine example of something[1]



showplace

showplace
show·place
[shṓ plàyss] (plural show·plac·es)
noun

1.  special
place:
a place visited for its beauty or historical significance

2.  something
exceptionally beautiful: a place that is considered
or offered as an example of beauty

[1]



showpony

showpony
show
po·ny
noun

Australia
somebody superficially impressive:
somebody who looks and sounds good but lacks substance or depth[1]



showroom

showroom
show·room
[shṓ rm, shṓ
rm] (plural show·rooms) noun

room for displaying retail
products: a room in which goods for
sale, especially cars or electrical appliances, are displayed[1]



showstopper

showstopper
show·stop·per 
[shṓ stòppər] (plural show·stop·pers)
noun

1.  act
getting prolonged applause: a performance receiving so
much applause from an audience that the show is interrupted

2.  something
so striking it stops action: somebody or something so
spectacular as to attract and hold everyone’s attention

[1]



showtime

showtime
show·time
[shów tm] noun

1.  starting
time for entertainment: the scheduled time for an
entertainment such as a movie or play to begin

2.  time
to start something: the scheduled time for any
event or activity to begin (informal)

[1]



showtrial

showtrial
show
tri·al
noun

trial held for political
reasons: a trial with a predetermined
verdict held for propaganda purposes[1]



showup

showup
show
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
arrive:
to arrive or put in an appearance (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
bring
something to light: to expose or reveal
something, especially an error or personal shortcoming

3.  intransitive
verb
be
seen:
to be easily seen

4.  transitive
verb
embarrass
somebody before others: to embarrass or humiliate
somebody publicly

5.  transitive
verb
make
somebody look bad: to perform in a superior way
and make somebody look inferior by comparison

[1]



showwindow

showwindow
show
win·dow
noun

display window:
a window in a store used to display merchandise[1]



showy

showy
show·y 
[shṓ ee] (comparative show·i·er,
superlative show·i·est) adjective

1.  impressive:
making an attractive or impressive display

2.  ostentatious:
appearing tasteless and ostentatious
—show·i·ly,
adverb

—show·i·ness, noun[1]



shoyu

shoyu
sho·yu 
[shṓ y] (plural sho·yus) noun

soy
sauce:
a Japanese variety of soy sauce
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



shp

shp
shp
or s.hp.

Abbreviation of
shaft horsepower[1]



shpilkes

shpilkes
shpil·kes
[shpílkəss] plural noun

nervousness:
a state of great nervousness or anxiety[1]



shpt.

shpt.
shpt.

Abbreviation of
shipment[1]



shr.

shr.
shr.

Abbreviation of
share[1]



shrank

shrank
shrank


Past participle of
shrink[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








shrapnel

shrapnel
shrap·nel 
[shrápnəl] (plural shrap·nels)
noun

1.  fragments
from an explosive device: metal balls or fragments
that are scattered when a shell, bomb, or bullet explodes

2.  shell
that scatters metal fragments: an artillery shell
designed to explode before impact producing a shower of metal balls and
fragments
[Early 19th century. Named
for General Henry Shrapnel, 1761–1842, the British artillery officer who
invented the shell.][1]



shred

shred
shred 
[shred] noun (plural shreds)

1.  long
torn strip:
a ragged scrap or strip cut or torn from something

2.  small
part:
a very small amount or fragment of something
verb
(past shred·ded, past participle shred·ded, present
participle shred·ding, 3rd person present singular shreds)

1.  transitive
verb
tear
something into shreds: to cut or tear something
into shreds

2.  transitive
verb
put
something through shredder: to reduce a document to
unreadable strips in a shredder

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb Australia, U.S.
SPORTS surf
or snowboard expertly: to ride a wave on a
surfboard or descend a slope on a snowboard with expert skill (informal)
[Old English scrēade .
Ultimately, from a prehistoric West Germanic word meaning “cut,” which is also
the ancestor of English scroll .][1]



shreddedwheat

shreddedwheat
shred·ded
wheat
noun

cold breakfast cereal of
wheat: a breakfast cereal made from
cooked dried whole wheat that has been shredded, shaped into biscuits, and
baked[1]



shredder

shredder
shred·der
[shréddər] (plural shred·ders)
noun

1.  machine
for destroying documents: an office machine used to
destroy documents by cutting them into very small pieces so that they cannot be
read

2.  Australia,
U.S. SPORTS good
surfer:
an expert surfer or snowboarder (informal)
[Late 16th century.
Originally, “instrument for shredding.”][1]



Shreveport

Shreveport
Shreve·port 
[shrv pawrt]

city in northwestern
Louisiana, on the western bank of the Red River, east of the Texas border. The
city is an important producer of oil, natural gas, and cotton. Population:
191,558 (1996)[1]



shrew

shrew

shrew 
[shroo] (plural shrews) noun

1.  small
mammal with pointed nose: a small nocturnal mammal
resembling a mouse but really an insectivore, with velvety fur, a long pointed
snout, and small eyes and ears. Family: Soricidae

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman who is regarded as quarrelsome, nagging,
or ill-tempered (offensive)
[Old
English scrēawa, of unknown origin. The sense “quarrelsome woman”
derives from the belief that the shrew had a poisonous bite.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Taming of the Shrew ( 1593–1594? ), a play by English dramatist William
  Shakespeare. The central story of this play within a play is set in Verona
  and describes Petruchio’s attempts to woo the wealthy but haughty and
  temperamental Katharina (the “shrew” of the title). The rounded and
  convincing protagonists make this an intriguing character study as well as a
  boisterous farce. The expression “Kiss me, Kate” comes from line 318, scene
  i, Act II: “Kiss me, Kate, we will be married o’ Sunday.” .

[1]



shrewd

shrewd
shrewd 
[shrood] (comparative shrewd·er,
superlative shrewd·est) adjective

1.  good
at judging people or situations: showing or possessing
intelligence, insight, and sound judgment, especially in business or politics

2.  clever
and probably accurate: based on good judgment and
probably correct • a shrewd assessment of
the situation

3.  crafty:
inclined to deal with others in a clever underhanded way

4.  sharp:
piercing or sharp (archaic)
[13th
century. From shrew in the obsolete sense of
“wicked man.” The meaning evolved from “wicked, dangerous” via “cunning.”]
—shrewd·ly,
adverb

—shrewd·ness, noun[1]



shrewish

shrewish
shrew·ish 
[shr ish] adjective

quarrelsome:
with a quarrelsome ill-tempered disposition
—shrew·ish·ly,
adverb

—shrew·ish·ness, noun[1]



Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury
Shrews·bur·y 
[shrzbèree, shrṓzbèree]

town in central
Massachusetts, southeast of Leominster and northeast of Worcester. Population:
26,771 (1996)[1]



shriek

shriek
shriek 
[shreek] verb (past shrieked,
past participle shrieked, present participle shriek·ing,
3rd person present singular shrieks)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
shrill sound: to make a loud high-pitched piercing
sound

2.  transitive
verb
say
something in loud shrill voice: to utter something in
a loud high-pitched piercing voice
noun
(plural shrieks)

loud shrill cry:
a loud high-pitched piercing cry or sound
[15th
century. From a Scandinavian source, probably of imitative origin.]
—shriek·er, noun[1]



shrieve

shrieve
shrieve 
[shreev] intransitive and transitive verb

shrive:
to shrive or shrive somebody (archaic)
[Alteration of shrive][1]



shrift

shrift
shrift 
[shrift] noun (archaic)

1.  shriving
somebody:
the act of shriving or of being shriven

2.  confession:
confession to a priest

3.  absolution:
absolution granted by a priest
[Old English scrift
from scrīfan (to shrive )][1]



shrike

shrike
shrike 
[shrīk] (plural shrikes or
shrike) noun

bird
that impales its prey: a brown or gray songbird
with a screeching call and a hooked bill. It eats insects and small animals
that it impales on sharp objects such as thorns. Family: Laniidae
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



shrill

shrill
shrill 
[shril] adjective (comparative
shrill·er, superlative shrill·est)

1.  penetratingly
high-pitched: with a high-pitched penetrating quality

2.  making
a shrill sound: making a high-pitched penetrating sound

3.  insistent:
with an obtrusive insistent quality

4.  strident:
having a harsh intense quality perceived as unpleasant
verb
(past shrilled, past participle shrilled, present
participle shrill·ing, 3rd person present singular shrills)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a shrill sound: to make a high-pitched penetrating sound
(literary)

2.  transitive
verb
say
something in a piercing voice: to utter something in
a high-pitched penetrating voice
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—shrill·ness,
noun

—shril·ly, adverb[1]



shrimp

shrimp

shrimp 
[shrimp] noun (plural shrimp
or shrimps)

1.  ZOOLOGY small
marine crustacean with ten legs: a small mainly marine
crustacean with ten legs belonging to a suborder that includes several edible
species. A shrimp has a long thin semitransparent body, five pairs of jointed
legs, a tail resembling a fan, and a pair of pincers. Suborder: Natantia

2.  something
undersize:
somebody or something very small or considered insignificant (informal)
intransitive verb
(past shrimped, past participle shrimped, present
participle shrimp·ing, 3rd person present singular shrimps)

fish for shrimp:
to fish for shrimp
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—shrimp·er, noun[1]



shrimpplant

shrimpplant
shrimp
plant
noun

houseplant with flowers that
resemble shrimp: a tropical American
plant, grown in gardens and as a houseplant, with long curving spikes of white
flowers that grow out from overlapping pink bracts. Latin name: Beloperone guttata[1]



shrine

shrine
shrine 
[shrīn] noun (plural shrines)

1.  holy
place of worship: a sacred place of worship associated
with a holy person or event

2.  container
for holy relics: a case or other container for sacred
relics, for example, the bones of a saint

3.  tomb
of holy person: the tomb of a saint or other revered
figure

4.  niche
for religious icon: a ledge or alcove for a
religious icon, for example, in a church

5.  something
revered:
an object or place revered for its associations or history
transitive
verb
(past shrined, past participle shrined, present
participle shrin·ing, 3rd person present singular shrines)

enshrine something:
to enshrine something (literary)
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
scrinium “a case for books or papers,” of uncertain origin. First used
to denote a container.][1]



Shriner

Shriner
Shrin·er 
[shrnər] (plural Shrin·ers) noun

fraternal organization
member: a member of a secret
fraternal non-Masonic organization whose members are Knights Templars and
32nd-degree Masons[1]



shrink

shrink
shrink 
[shringk] verb (past shrank
[shrangk] or shrunk, past
participle shrunk [shrungk] or
shrunk·en [shrúngkən], present
participle shrink·ing, 3rd person present singular shrinks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become smaller: to become smaller or cause
something to become smaller, for example, when exposed to cold, heat, or damp

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb reduce
size:
to decrease or cause something to decrease in amount, extent, value, or weight

3.  intransitive
verb
draw
away from something: to move back and away,
especially out of disgust, fear, or horror

4.  intransitive
verb
be
disinclined to do something: to be unwilling or reluctant
to do something, especially something difficult or unpleasant
noun
(plural shrinks)

1.  psychiatrist:
a psychiatrist (slang) (considered offensive by some people)

2.  act
of shrinking away: an act of shrinking away
from something

3.  amount
something shrinks: the amount by which
something shrinks
[Old
English scrincan “to wither.” Ultimately, from an Indo-European word
meaning “to turn, bend,” which is also the ancestor of English curve .]
—shrink·a·ble,
adjective

—shrink·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recoil

[1]



shrinkage

shrinkage
shrink·age 
[shríngkij] noun

1.  decrease
after shrinking: the amount lost when something is
decreased or reduced, or when it shrinks

2.  act
of shrinking: the shrinking of something

3.  merchandise
stolen or broken: the loss of goods due to theft or
breakage

4.  loss
of value:
the decrease in value of something

5.  AGRICULTURE weight
reduction in carcasses: the loss in body weight of
livestock carcasses during shipping, storage, and preparation for sale

6.  reduced
size of clay item: the reduction in size of a
clay object when it is fired in a kiln, caused by the moisture burning off

[1]



shrinkfit

shrinkfit
shrink
fit
(plural shrink fits) noun

extra tight fit of parts:
the fit of two interlocking parts in which the outer is heated and therefore
expands before being put in position, the contraction during cooling ensuring
that it is tight[1]



shrinkingviolet

shrinkingviolet
shrink·ing
vi·o·let 
noun

meek person:
somebody who is very shy or retiring (informal)[1]



shrink-wrap

shrink-wrap
shrink-wrap 
noun

transparent
plastic packaging material: a clear thermoplastic film
that is wrapped around a product and shrunk to its original smaller size using
heat, thereby forming a tightly sealed package
transitive
verb

wrap something in
shrink-wrap: to wrap goods in
shrink-wrap[1]



shrive

shrive
shrive 
[shrīv] (past shrove [shrōv] or shrived, past
participle shriv·en [shrívv’n] or
shrived, present participle shriv·ing, 3rd person
present singular shrives) verb

1.  transitive
verb
absolve
somebody of sins: in Christianity, to hear somebody’s
confession of sins and give the person absolution

2.  transitive
verb
impose
penance:
in Christianity, to impose a penance on a sinner

3.  intransitive
verb
confess:
to confess sins to a priest (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Ultimately, from Latin scribere “to write” (source of English scribe ). The meaning evolved via the sense
“to prescribe penances.”]
—shriv·er, noun[1]



shrivel

shrivel
shriv·el 
[shrívv’l] (past participle shriv·eled,
present participle shriv·el·ing, 3rd person present singular
shriv·els) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  shrink:
to become or cause somebody or something to become shrunken or wrinkled,
especially from drying out or aging

2.  weaken:
to become or cause somebody to become useless or ineffectual

3.  become
or make smaller: to become or cause something to become
gradually smaller or less
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dry

[1]



shriven

shriven
shriv·en


Past participle of
shrive[1]



Shrivijaya

Shrivijaya
Shriv·i·jay·a
[shrvi jàyə] noun

Far
Eastern former trading empire: a trading empire
centered on the Malacca Straits between Malaya and Sumatra with a Buddhist
government that opened up Southeast Asia to Muslim conversion when it fell
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi .][1]



shroff

shroff
shroff 
[shrof, shrawf]
noun (plural shroffs)

1.  Indian
banker:
a banker or moneychanger in India

2.  expert
in counterfeit coins: somebody employed in eastern
Asia to separate counterfeit from real coins
transitive
verb
(past shroffed, past participle shroffed, present
participle shroff·ing, 3rd person present singular shroffs)

separate counterfeit coins:
to separate counterfeit from real coins
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Hindi śarāf, from Arabic ṣarrāf .][1]



Shropshire

Shropshire
Shrop·shire 
[shróp sheer, shrópshər]
(plural Shrop·shires) noun

sheep:
a dark-faced sheep belonging to a breed kept for wool and meat
[Mid-18th century. From the
name of the place in England where the breed originated.][1]



shroud

shroud
shroud 
[shrowd] noun (plural shrouds)

1.  burial
cloth:
a cloth in which a dead body is wrapped before burial

2.  covering:
something that covers or conceals something or somebody

3.  protective
covering:
a protective covering such as a guard for a piece of machinery

4.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY protective
covering for spacecraft: a shield that protects a
spacecraft from heat during launch

5.  SAILING mast
stay:
any one of the supporting ropes or wires that extend down from the top of a
mast

6.  cable
to stop sway: a supporting cable that extends from the
top of a tall structure such as a smokestack to the ground

7.  part
of airfoil surface: a rearward extension of a
fixed airfoil surface covering the leading edge of a movable surface hinged to
it

8.  AIR parachute
line:
any one of the lines by which the harness of a parachute is attached to the
canopy
verb
(past shroud·ed, past participle shroud·ed, present
participle shroud·ing, 3rd person present singular shrouds)

1.  transitive
verb
wrap
corpse:
to wrap a dead body in a cloth

2.  transitive
verb
cover
or conceal something: to cover or conceal somebody
or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shelter:
to shelter somebody or to seek shelter (archaic)
[Old English scrūd
“garment.” Ultimately, from a prehistoric West Germanic word meaning “to cut,”
which is also the ancestor of English shred
.][1]



shrove

shrove
shrove


Past tense of
shrive[1]



Shrovetide

Shrovetide
Shrove·tide 
[shrṓv td] noun

CALENDAR
days before Lent:
in the Christian calendar, the three-day period preceding Ash Wednesday and the
season of Lent[1]



ShroveTuesday

ShroveTuesday
Shrove
Tues·day
[shrv tz dày, shrv
tzdee] noun

day
before Ash Wednesday: in the Christian calendar,
the last day before the beginning of Lent
[From the practice of going
to confession at the beginning of Lent][1]



shrub

shrub2
shrub2 [shrub]
noun

alcoholic
fruit juice drink: a drink made with fruit
juice, sugar, spices, and rum or other alcohol
[Early 18th century. From
Arabic surb “a drink,” which is also the ancestor of English syrup .][1]



shrub

shrub1
shrub1 [shrub]
(plural shrubs) noun

trunkless
woody plant: any woody plant without a trunk but with
several stems growing from the base
[Old English scrybb
“shrubbery.” Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to cut,” which is
also the ancestor of English short .][1]



shrubbery

shrubbery
shrub·ber·y 
[shrúbbəree] (plural shrub·ber·ies)
noun

1.  part
of garden with shrubs: a part of a garden where
shrubs grow

2.  shrubs
collectively: shrubs considered collectively

[1]



shrubby

shrubby
shrub·by 
[shrúbbee] (comparative shrub·bi·er,
superlative shrub·bi·est) adjective

1.  with
shrubs:
having shrubs or covered with shrubs

2.  like
a shrub:
resembling a shrub in size or in having little or no trunk
—shrub·bi·ness, noun[1]



shrug

shrug
shrug 
[shrug] intransitive and transitive verb
(past shrugged, past participle shrugged, present
participle shrug·ging, 3rd person present singular shrugs)

raise
and drop shoulders briefly: to raise and drop the
shoulders briefly, especially to indicate indifference or lack of knowledge
noun
(plural shrugs)

gesture
of raising and dropping shoulders: a gesture of raising
and dropping the shoulders briefly
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



shrugoff

shrugoff
shrug
off
transitive verb

1.  dismiss
something:
to reject or disregard something as unimportant

2.  get
free of something: to become free of something
such as a disease

3.  remove
clothing:
to get out of clothing by wriggling

[1]



shrunk

shrunk
shrunk


Past tense of
shrink Past participle of shrink[1]



shrunken

shrunken
shrunk·en


Past participle of
shrink[1]



sht.

sht.
sht.

Abbreviation of
sheet[1]



shtetl

shtetl
shtetl 
[shtétt’l, shtáyt’l]
(plural shtetls or shtet·lach [shtét laak, shtáyt
laak]) or schtetl [shtétt’l,
shtáyt’l] (plural schtetls or
schtet·lech [shtétlak]) noun

small
Jewish community in Eastern Europe:
formerly, a small Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish, “little town” from German Stadt “town.”][1]



shtg.

shtg.
shtg.

Abbreviation of
shortage[1]



shtick

shtick
shtick
[shtik] (plural shticks) or
schtick [shtik] (plural schticks)
or shtik [shtik] (plural
shtiks) noun

1.  entertainer’s
routine:
a comedian’s or entertainer’s act, routine, or gimmick (informal)

2.  special
attribute of somebody: something, for example, an
interest, talent, trait, job, or hobby, that especially characterizes somebody
(slang)

3.  exaggeration:
an exaggerated complaint or extreme position (humorous)
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish “a routine, a piece,” from, ultimately, Old High German stucki
“piece.”][1]



shtinker

shtinker
shtink·er
[stíngkər] noun

mean person:
a reprehensible person (insult)[1]



shuck

shuck
shuck 
[shuk] noun (plural shucks)

1.  outer
covering of grain or fruit: the husk, pod, or shell of
something such as a nut, pea, or ear of corn

2.  oyster
or clam shell: the shell of a clam or oyster
plural
noun
shucks

something with little value:
something of little or no value (informal)
transitive
verb
(past shucked, past participle shucked, present
participle shuck·ing, 3rd person present singular shucks)

1.  take
something from husk: to remove the husk, pod, or
shell from something

2.  get
rid of something: to get rid of or remove something or
throw something off (informal)
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—shuck·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Shuck, as both noun and verb, is
  a strong Southern marker that extends from Southern Delaware above Virginia
  into West Virginia. In the North, it identifies the northern reaches of South
  Midland territory, from Ohio to Iowa; in the South, the term is virtually
  unchallenged.

[1]



shucks

shucks
shucks
[shuks] interjection

expression
of disappointment: used to express
disappointment, bashfulness, or irritation (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From shuck
“something worthless.”][1]



shudder

shudder
shud·der 
[shúddər] intransitive verb (past
shud·dered, past participle shud·dered, present
participle shud·der·ing, 3rd person present singular shud·ders)

1.  shiver
violently:
to shake or tremble uncontrollably from a reaction such as cold, fear, or
disgust

2.  vibrate:
to vibrate rapidly
noun
(plural shud·ders)

1.  violent
shaking movement: an uncontrolled shaking or trembling
movement

2.  vibration:
a rapid vibrating movement
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Low German schōderen “to
keep on shuddering” or Middle Dutch shūderen .]
—shud·der·y, adjective[1]



shuffle

shuffle
shuf·fle 
[shúff’l] verb (past shuf·fled,
past participle shuf·fled, present participle shuf·fling,
3rd person present singular shuf·fles)

1.  intransitive
verb
walk
without lifting feet: to walk slowly without
picking up the feet

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb drag
feet:
to move the feet without picking them up

3.  intransitive
verb
move
awkwardly:
to move in an awkward clumsy way

4.  intransitive
verb
DANCE dance
by shuffling the feet: to slide the feet in a dance
step

5.  transitive
verb
change
where something is located: to move things around from
one place to another

6.  transitive
verb
mix
things up:
to mix things together carelessly

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES rearrange order of playing
cards:
to rearrange playing cards randomly so the order is not known

8.  transitive
verb
avoid
or hide something: to put something aside in
order to avoid or hide it

9.  intransitive
verb
behave
evasively:
to be deliberately evasive or shifty in addressing an issue
noun
(plural shuf·fles)

1.  foot-dragging
walk:
a slow walk while dragging the feet

2.  DANCE sliding
dance step:
a dance or dance step in which the feet drag or slide on the floor

3.  jumble
of things:
a careless mixture of things

4.  CARD GAMES reordering
of cards:
a random reordering of playing cards

5.  CARD GAMES somebody’s
chance to shuffle something: a player’s turn to shuffle
playing cards

6.  evasion:
a deliberate evasion of an issue
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German schuffeln “to walk
with dragging feet.” Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English shove .]
—shuf·fler, noun[1]



shuffleboard

shuffleboard
shuf·fle·board 
[shúff’l bàwrd] (plural shuf·fle·boards)
noun

1.  game
played with disks: a game in which players use
a long pronged cue to push disks along a smooth hard surface into numbered
scoring areas

2.  surface
for shuffleboard: the surface on which shuffleboard is
played
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of shovelboard, an alteration of obsolete shove-board, an earlier name
for the game.][1]



shul

shul
shul 
[shool] (plural shuls) or
schul [shool] (plural schuls)
noun

synagogue:
a synagogue
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish from German Schule “school.” From its use as a place of
learning.][1]



Shull,Clifford G.

Shull,Clifford G.
Shull
[shul], Clifford G. (1915– )

U.S. physicist. He shared a
Nobel Prize (1994) for his research on shattering neutrons and atomic
structure.[1]



shun

shun
shun 
[shun] (past shunned, past
participle shunned, present participle shun·ning, 3rd
person present singular shuns) transitive verb

deliberately
avoid somebody: to avoid somebody or something
intentionally
[Old
English scunian, of unknown origin]
—shun·ner, noun[1]



shunpike

shunpike
shun·pike 
[shún pk] (plural shun·pikes)
noun

road that avoids traffic and
tolls: a secondary road taken to
avoid traffic or to avoid paying a toll on a main highway or turnpike[1]



shunt

shunt
shunt 
[shunt] verb (past shunt·ed,
past participle shunt·ed, present participle shunt·ing,
3rd person present singular shunts)

1.  transitive
verb
move
somebody or something elsewhere: to move somebody or
something to a different place, especially for convenience rather than fairness
or kindness

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb RAIL change tracks:
to move rolling railroad cars from one track to another, either by using a
locomotive or by means of an automatic switch, especially when assembling
trains

3.  transitive
verb
get
rid of responsibility: to avoid something by
ignoring it or shifting responsibility for it to somebody else

4.  transitive
verb
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING divert
current:
to use an electrical device to divert electrical current from an instrument

5.  transitive
verb
surgically
divert flow: to use an artificially created passage
to redirect the circulation of blood or cerebrospinal fluid
noun
(plural shunts)

1.  diversion
of something: a turning aside or means of turning
something aside

2.  RAIL sorting
of railway vehicles: the act of a locomotive
pushing railway vehicles in the process of sorting them

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
for diverting electric current: a component in an
electric circuit that is connected in parallel with an instrument and diverts
the majority of current from the instrument.
Also
called
bypass

4.  bypass
for bodily fluid: a passage in the body that diverts the
flow of blood or other bodily fluid form one channel to another, created either
as a result of disease or injury or artificially by surgery. Artificial shunts
are used to facilitate regular connection to a kidney dialysis machine or to
relieve the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid on the brain in the condition of
hydrocephalus.
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from shun .][1]



shush

shush
shush 
[shsh, shush]
interjection

be
quiet:
used to tell somebody to be quiet
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shushed,
past participle shushed, present participle shush·ing,
3rd person present singular shush·es)

silence
somebody:
to silence somebody or to become silent (informal)
[Early 20th century. Of
imitative origin.][1]



shut

shut
shut 
[shut] verb (past shut,
past participle shut, present participle shut·ting,
3rd person present singular shuts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb close
opening:
to move something or move into a position that blocks or covers an opening • leaned
over to shut the window

2.  transitive
verb
stop
access or exit: to prevent entrance to or exit from
something, for example, by locking doors • Rising
water levels meant that they had to shut the tunnel.

3.  transitive
verb
fold
parts closed: to close something by bringing its
covering or parts together • had to
shut her eyes against the light

4.  transitive
verb
lock
something:
to secure something with a lock or latch • The
gate had not been shut properly.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop operation:
to discontinue or cause something to discontinue operation temporarily or
permanently • another
factory shut because it was losing money
adjective

secured:
closed or fastened against entrance or exit
noun
(plural shuts)

METALLURGY connection
region between welded metal pieces: the
region of connection between pieces of metal that are welded together
[Old English scyttan .
Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English shoot . From the sense of
shooting a bolt across a door to fasten it.][1]



shutdown

shutdown
shut·down 
[shút dòwn] (plural shut·downs)
noun

1.  business
closing:
the cessation or suspension of activities at a business, factory, or plant

2.  maintenance
level of reactor power: the reduction of power in a
nuclear reactor by maintaining the core at the lowest level possible

[1]



shutdown

shutdown
shut
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
operation:
to cease or cause something to cease operation or activity

2.  intransitive
verb
settle
over place:
to settle over and blanket a place

3.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS cut
reactor output: to reduce the power output of a nuclear
reactor by maintaining it at its lowest possible level

[1]



shuteye

shuteye
shut·eye
noun

sleep:
a short sleep (informal)[1]



shut-in

shut-in
shut-in 
(plural shut-ins) noun

somebody confined indoors:
somebody who cannot leave a dwelling because of illness or physical limitations
on mobility[1]



shutin

shutin
shut
in
transitive verb

enclose something:
to confine or enclose somebody or something[1]



shutoff

shutoff
shut
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
something working: to stop operating or to
cause something to stop operating

2.  transitive
verb
cut
off flow:
to stop the passage, flow, or supply of something

3.  transitive
verb
block
something off: to impede the flow or progress of
something

4.  transitive
verb
isolate
somebody:
to put somebody or something into a state of isolation

[1]



shutoff

shutoff
shut·off
(plural shut·offs) noun

1.  device
that stops something working: a device, usually a valve,
that shuts something off

2.  temporary
stop:
an interruption or stoppage, for example, in flow or supply

[1]



shutout

shutout
shut
out
transitive verb

1.  exclude
somebody:
to exclude somebody or something

2.  stop
somebody entering: to prevent somebody or
something from entering a place

3.  hide
something:
to hide something from sight

4.  SPORTS keep
somebody from scoring: to prevent an opponent from
scoring in a game

[1]



shutout

shutout
shut·out
(plural shut·outs) noun

1.  See
lockout  noun

2.  SPORTS game
scoreless on one side: a game in which one team
does not score

[1]



shutter

shutter
shut·ter 
[shúttər] noun (plural shut·ters)

1.  door
or window cover: a hinged cover for a door or window,
often with louvers and usually fitted in pairs

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY camera
device:
a mechanical part of a camera that opens and closes the lens aperture to expose
the film or plate to light
transitive
verb
(past shut·tered, past participle shut·tered, present
participle shut·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular shut·ters)

1.  close
something using shutters: to close or protect
something by means of shutters

2.  fit
something with shutters: to equip something with
shutters

[1]



shutterbug

shutterbug
shut·ter·bug 
[shúttər bùg] (plural shut·ter·bugs)
noun

enthusiastic amateur
photographer: an active and
enthusiastic amateur photographer (informal)[1]



shuttle

shuttle
shut·tle 
[shútt’l] noun (plural shut·tles)

1.  weaving
device:
a device in weaving that holds the weft thread and is used to pass it between
the warp threads

2.  spindle
or bobbin holding thread: a thread holder, for
example, in tatting or netting or for the lower thread in a sewing machine

3.  route
taken or vehicle used: the route taken or the
aircraft, bus, or train used to travel frequently between two places, often
relatively near each other

4.  See
space shuttle

5.  going
back and forth: frequent travel by vehicle between two
places

6.  RACKET GAMES See shuttlecock
intransitive
and transitive verb (past shut·tled,
past participle shut·tled, present participle shut·tling,
3rd person present singular shut·tles)

1.  go
back and forth: to move or cause somebody or something
to move between two places frequently

2.  TRANSPORT go
by shuttle:
to transport somebody or something or to be transported by a shuttle
[Old English scytel
“arrow, dart.” Ultimately, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
project,” which is also the ancestor of English shoot
.][1]



shuttlecock

shuttlecock

shut·tle·cock 
[shútt’l kòk] noun (plural shut·tle·cocks)
object
hit in badminton: a small rounded piece of cork or rubber
attached to a cone of feathers that is hit back and forth in badminton and in
the old game of battledore.
Also
called
birdie
Also
called
bird
Also
called
shuttle
transitive
verb
(past shut·tle·cocked, past participle shut·tle·cocked,
present participle shut·tle·cock·ing, 3rd person present
singular shut·tle·cocks)
send
something back and forth: to toss or send something
back and forth
[Early 16th century. Shuttle
probably from its going back and forth, like the shuttle in a loom; cock
from the feathers, like a bird’s crest.][1]



shuttlecraft

shuttlecraft
shut·tle·craft 
[shútt’l kràft] (plural shut·tle·craft)
noun

spacecraft:
a reusable spacecraft for carrying astronauts or material between Earth and
space or between objects in space[1]



shuttlediplomacy

shuttlediplomacy
shut·tle
di·plo·ma·cy noun

diplomatic mediation:
diplomatic negotiations carried on between countries by a mediator who travels
back and forth between the countries[1]



shutup

shutup
shut
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
stop
talking:
to be quiet or stop talking (informal) • I
shut up before saying something I would regret.

2.  transitive
verb
silence
somebody:
to cause somebody to be quiet or stop talking (informal) • She
shot me a look that shut me up instantly.

3.  transitive
verb
confine
somebody:
to confine or imprison somebody or something • She
shut the dog up in the pen.

4.  transitive
verb
close
something:
to close or prevent entrance to something • The
building is all shut up.

[1]



shvartse

shvartse
shvart·se
[shvrtsə] (plural shvart·ses)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody of African ancestry (slang offensive)
[Mid-20th century. From the
Yiddish pronunciation of the feminine form of German schwarz “black.”][1]



shwa

shwa
shwa
noun

See
schwa[1]



shy

shy1
shy1 [shī]
adjective (comparative shi·er, superlative shi·est)

1.  uncomfortable
with others: reserved, diffident, and uncomfortable
in the company of others

2.  timid:
easily frightened • The deer were shy and
ran when we tried to approach them.

3.  cautious:
unwilling to trust or put confidence in somebody or something • The
children were shy of their new classmates.

4.  reluctant:
fearful of making a commitment • Don’t
be shy of speaking your mind.

5.  short
of something: short of the full or a particular amount
• We
are $100 shy of the down payment.

6.  BIOLOGY not
reproducing easily: used to describe plants and
animals that do not breed readily or freely
intransitive
verb
(past shied, past participle shied, present
participle shy·ing, 3rd person present singular shies)

1.  move
suddenly:
to move suddenly in fright or alarm • The
horse shied when the firecracker went off in the next field.

2.  stay
away:
to avoid or evade something • He
always shies away from public speaking.
noun
(plural shies)

sudden move: a
sudden movement in fright or alarm
[Old
English scēoh . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English eschew and skew .]
—shy·er,
noun

—shy·ly,
adverb

—shy·ness, noun[1]



shy

shy2
shy2 [shī]
transitive verb (past shied, past participle shied,
present participle shy·ing, 3rd person present singular shies)

throw
something:
to toss something quickly and suddenly
noun
(plural shies)

quick
throw:
a quick sudden throw of something
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from shy 1, applied to timid cockerels,
from the custom of throwing sticks at them to make them fight.]
—shy·er, noun[1]



shylock

shylock
shy·lock 
[sh lòk] noun (plural shy·locks)

heartless
creditor:
a ruthless and demanding moneylender or creditor
intransitive
verb
(past shy·locked, past participle shy·locked, present
participle shy·lock·ing, 3rd person present singular shy·locks)

practice
usury:
to charge exorbitant interest on borrowed money
[Late 18th century. Named for
Shylock, a moneylender in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice
.][1]



shyster

shyster
shy·ster 
[shstər] (plural shy·sters) noun

unethical
person:
an unscrupulous person, especially a lawyer or political representative (slang
insult)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the name Scheuster, a New York lawyer in the
1840s known for his unethical methods. Alternatively from German Scheisser
“bastard,” formed from Scheisse “excrement.”][1]



Si

Si
Si

Symbol for
silicon[1]



SI

SI
SI

Abbreviation
of
International System of Units
[French Système
International (d’Unités)][1]



si

si
si
[see] noun

MUSIC See ti
[Early 18th century. From the
initial letters of Latin Sancte Iohannes “St. John,” which are the words
sung to this note in the hymn for St. John’s day.][1]



sial

sial
si·al 
[s àl] (plural si·als) noun

rock
forming the continents: a term used in the past for
rocks rich in silicon and aluminum that form the crust of the continental
masses
[Early
20th century. A blend of silicon and aluminum .]
—si·al·ic [sī állik], adjective[1]



sialagogue

sialagogue
si·al·a·gogue 
[sī állə gòg] (plural si·al·a·gogues)
or si·al·o·gogue [sī állə gòg]
(plural si·al·o·gogues) noun

drug
to help salivation: a drug or agent that
stimulates the flow of saliva
—si·al·a·gog·ic [sī àllə gójjik, sī àllə
góggik], adjective[1]



sialicacid

sialicacid
si·al·ic
ac·id 
noun

component of blood and
tissue: an amino acid found in
animal blood and tissues[1]



Sialkot

Sialkot
Si·al·kot 
[see álkot]

town in Punjab Province,
northeastern Pakistan, situated about 97 km/60 mi north of Lahore. Population:
302,009 (1981)[1]



sialogogue

sialogogue
si·al·o·gogue
noun

See
sialagogue[1]



sialoid

sialoid
si·a·loid 
[s ə lòyd] adjective

like saliva:
resembling saliva[1]



Siam

Siam
Si·am 
[sī ám]

Former name for
Thailand[1]



siamang

siamang
si·a·mang 
[s ə màng, s ə
mng] (plural si·a·mangs) noun

largest
gibbon:
the largest species of gibbon, found in Sumatra and Malaysia. It has a large
throat sac that inflates during calls and webbing between its second and third
toes. Latin name: Hylobates syndactylus
[Early 19th century. From
Malay .][1]



siamese

siamese
siamese 
[s ə mz] adjective

two-to-one connection:
connecting two or more hoses or pipes into a Y-shaped adapter that permits a
discharge in a single stream[1]



Siamese

Siamese
Si·a·mese 
[s ə mz] adjective

PEOPLES (dated) See Thai
noun
(plural Si·a·mese)

1.  PEOPLES (dated) See Thai

2.  See
Siamese cat
[Late 17th century. The
original meaning is “of Siam.”][1]



Siamesecat

Siamesecat
Si·a·mese
cat
(plural Si·a·mese cats) noun

sleek
domestic cat: a short-haired domestic cat with blue
eyes and a long cream-colored body with dark ears, paws, face, and tail,
belonging to a breed that originated in Thailand (formerly Siam).
Also
called
Siamese
[Named for its place of
origin][1]



Siamesefighting fish

Siamesefighting fish
Si·a·mese
fight·ing fish noun

aggressive fish of SE Asia:
a brightly colored long-finned freshwater fish, native to Thailand and
Malaysia. The male of this popular aquarium fish is very aggressive. Latin
name: Betta splendens[1]



Siamesetwins

Siamesetwins
Si·a·mese
twins
plural noun

conjoined
twins:
a term used mainly in the past for twins physically joined together at birth
[Named for two twins, Chang
and Eng ( 1811–1874 ), born in Siam (Thailand), who were physically joined
together near the waist at birth][1]



Siam,Gulf of

Siam,Gulf of
Si·am,
Gulf of
[sī ám]

Former name for
Thailand, Gulf of[1]



sib

sib
sib 
[sib] noun (plural sibs)

1.  brother
or sister:
a brother or sister

2.  GENETICS individual
with same parents as another: an individual that has the
same parents as another individual

3.  ANTHROPOLOGY group
with single common ancestor: a group of persons who trace
their descent lineally from a single real or presumed ancestor
plural
noun
sibs

wider family:
members of an extended family considered as a group (takes a plural verb)
adjective

closely related:
with the same parents or closely related
[Old
English sib(b), of unknown origin]
—sib·ship, noun[1]



Sib.

Sib.
Sib.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Siberia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Siberian

[1]



Sibelius,Jean

Sibelius,Jean
Si·be·li·us
[sə báylee əss], Jean (1865–1957)

Finnish
composer. One of the leading symphonic composers of the 20th century, his works
are much influenced by the culture and landscape of his native Finland.
Full name
Sibelius, Jean Julius Christian[1]



Siberia

Siberia
Si·be·ri·a 
[sī bree ə]

vast
region of eastern Russia, extending from the Ural Mountains in the west to the
Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north, to China,
Mongolia, and Kazakhstan in the south. Much of it is frozen for over half the
year. Sparsely populated, it was used during Soviet rule (1917–1991) as a place
of exile, and now has no administrative significance.
—Si·be·ri·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Siberianhusky

Siberianhusky

Si·be·ri·an hus·ky
noun
Siberian sled dog:
any of a breed of medium-sized dogs with a thick soft coat, erect ears, and a
bushy tail that were first bred in Siberia to pull sleds[1]



sibilant

sibilant
sib·i·lant 
[síbbilənt] adjective

1.  pronounced
with hissing sound: used to describe consonants
that are pronounced with a hissing sound

2.  producing
hissing sound: producing a hissing sound • the
sibilant sound of air escaping from a tire
noun
(plural sib·i·lants)

sibilant consonant:
a sibilant consonant
[Mid-17th
century. From the present participle stem of Latin sibilare “to hiss,”
thought to be imitative of the sound.]
—sib·i·lance,
noun

—sib·i·lant·ly, adverb[1]



sibilate

sibilate
sib·i·late 
[síbbi làyt] (past sib·i·lat·ed,
past participle sib·i·lat·ed, present participle sib·i·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular sib·i·lates) intransitive and
transitive verb

speak
hissingly:
to pronounce sounds with a hiss
[Mid-17th century. From the
past participle stem of Latin sibilare (see sibilant
).][1]



sibling

sibling
sib·ling 
[síbbling] (plural sib·lings) noun

1.  brother
or sister:
a brother or sister (often used before a noun)

2.  ANTHROPOLOGY member
of sib:
a member of a group of persons who trace their descent from a single real or
presumed ancestor
[Old English . Formed from sib(b)
(see sib ). The word disappeared by the end
of the 15th century and was re-introduced by anthropologists in the early 20th
century.][1]



siblingspecies

siblingspecies
sib·ling
spe·cies
noun

similar species not capable
of interbreeding: a species that closely
resembles another in appearance and other characteristics but cannot interbreed
with it[1]



sibyl

sibyl
sib·yl 
[síbbil] (plural sib·yls) noun

1.  Greek
or Roman prophet: a woman of ancient Greece and Rome
believed to be an oracle or a prophet

2.  fortune
teller:
a woman prophet or fortune teller
[13th
century. Directly or via Old French Sibile from Latin Sibylla,
which came from Greek Sibulla .]
—si·byl·lic
[si bíllik], adjective

—syb·il·line [síbbi ln, síbbi ln],
adjective[1]



Sic.

Sic.
Sic.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Sicilian

2.  Abbreviation
of
Sicily

[1]



sic

sic2
sic2  [sik]
(past sicced or sicked, past participle sicced
or sicked, present participle sic·cing or sick·ing,
3rd person present singular sics) or sick [sik] transitive verb

1.  attack
somebody:
to attack somebody physically, usually used as a command to a dog

2.  incite
somebody to attack: to urge a person or animal,
especially a dog, to attack somebody physically
[Mid-19th century. Originally
a dialect form of seek .][1]



sic

sic1
sic1 [sik]
adverb

thus
or so:
thus or so, used within brackets to indicate that what precedes it is written
intentionally or is copied verbatim from the original, even if it appears to be
a mistake
[Late
19th century. From Latin .]
sic
passim

used
to show that a particular word or term is used in the same form throughout a
printed work (formal)

sic
transit gloria mundi

thus passes the glory of the
world, used, for example, when a distinguished person dies or an important era
comes to an end[1]



siccative

siccative
sic·ca·tive 
[síkətiv] noun (plural sic·ca·tives)

drying
agent:
a substance added to paints and other liquids to speed drying
adjective

absorbent:
absorbing moisture to promote drying
[15th century. From late
Latin siccativus, from Latin siccare “to dry.”][1]



sice

sice
sice
noun

See
syce[1]



Sichuan

Sichuan
Si·chuan
[sè chwn]

province of southern China
bordered by Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Tibet.
Capital: Chengdu. Population: 112,140,000 (1994) Area: 569,000 sq km/219,691 sq
mi. Former name Szechwan[1]



siciliano

siciliano
si·cil·i·a·no
[si sìllee  n] (plural si·cil·i·a·nos)
or si·cil·i·a·na [si sìllee nə]
(plural si·cil·i·a·nas) noun

1.  Sicilian
dance:
an old Sicilian folk dance

2.  music
for dancing: a piece of music for a siciliano, in a
minor key with six or twelve beats to the measure
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “Sicilian.”][1]



Sicily

Sicily
Si·ci·ly 
[síssèlee]

the
largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, in southern Italy. Capital: Palermo.
Population: 5,082,697 (1995) Area: 25,460 sq km/9,830 sq mi.
—Si·cil·ian [si síllee ən], noun, adjective[1]



sick

sick1
sick1 [sik]
adjective (comparative sicker, superlative sick·est)

1.  ill:
affected by an illness

2.  relating
to illness:
relating to illness or to people who are ill • The
company gives employees five sick days a year.

3.  likely
to vomit:
feeling on the point of vomiting

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody thought to have a psychiatric disorder
that makes him or her dangerous to others

5.  in
bad taste:
dealing with subjects regarded by most people as bizarre, gruesome, or
otherwise unsuitable for lighthearted treatment (informal)

6.  distressed:
spiritually or emotionally distraught • sick
with worry

7.  very
bored with something: utterly tired of something
because of having had too much of it • I am
sick of watching television.

8.  yearning:
feeling a deep or passionate longing for something or somebody • sick
for my family

9.  disgusted:
filled with disgust or repulsion • His
rudeness makes me sick.

10. impaired:
in need of repair • a sick economy

11. suggesting
illness:
pale and unhealthy looking

12. AGRICULTURE unproductive:
unable to produce a profitable crop • a sick
field

13. MEDICINE forming
unhealthful environment: used to describe a building
or other location that is seen as an unhealthful environment for people • a
sick office building
noun

ill people:
people who are ill
[Old English sēoc,
ultimately of unknown origin][1]



sick

sick2
sick2 transitive verb

See
sic 2[1]



sickbay

sickbay
sick·bay 
[sík bày] (plural sick·bays) noun

1.  ship’s
hospital:
a hospital and dispensary on a ship

2.  treatment
facility:
a place for treating the sick or injured

[1]



sickbed

sickbed
sick·bed 
[sík bèd] (plural sick·beds) noun

ill person’s bed:
a bed on which a sick person lies[1]



sickbuilding syndrome

sickbuilding syndrome
sick
build·ing syn·drome noun

illness from something in
building: a group of symptoms
typically including headaches and respiratory problems that affect workers in
usually new or remodeled office buildings and are attributed to toxic building
materials or poor ventilation[1]



sickcall

sickcall
sick
call
(plural sick calls) noun

formation for medical care:
a daily lineup or formation for military personnel in need of medical
attention, or the scheduled time at which they may receive medical attention.
U.K. term
sick parade[1]



sicken

sicken
sick·en 
[síkən] (past sick·ened, past
participle sick·ened, present participle sick·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular sick·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  make
or become nauseated: to become ill or nauseated,
or make somebody feel ill or nauseated • I
sicken at the sight of blood.

2.  make
or feel disgusted: to feel disgust for
something or somebody, or inspire disgust in somebody

3.  make
or become bored: to grow weary of somebody or something,
or make somebody weary • We
soon sickened of their chatter.

[1]



sickener

sickener
sick·en·er
[síkənər] (plural sick·en·ers)
noun

poisonous
mushroom:
a widely distributed poisonous mushroom with a fragile red cap. Latin name: Russula
emetica Russula fragilis
[Early 19th century.
Originally in the meaning “nauseating thing.”][1]



sickening

sickening
sick·en·ing 
[síkəning] adjective

1.  disgusting:
inspiring feelings of disgust or repulsion • sickening
cruelty

2.  causing
illness:
bringing on illness
—sick·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



sickheadache

sickheadache
sick
head·ache
(plural sick head·aches) noun

headache with nausea:
a headache accompanied by feelings of nausea[1]



sickie

sickie
sick·ie 
(plural sick·ies) noun

(offensive) See
sicko[1]



sickle

sickle
sick·le 
[sík’l] noun (plural sick·les)

1.  tool
for cutting grass: a short-handled implement
with a curved blade used for cutting tall grass or grain.
Also
called
hook

2.  blades
of farm implement: the cutting mechanism of a
combine, reaper, or mower
verb
(past sick·led, past participle sick·led, present
participle sick·ling, 3rd person present singular sick·les)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
something with sickle: to cut something using a
sickle

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb deform
red blood cell: to change a red blood cell into a sickle
cell, or become a sickle cell
adjective

curved:
curved in shape like a sickle (literary)
[Old English sicol .
Via prehistoric Germanic from Latin secula, from secare “to cut”
(source of English section and insect ).][1]



sickleave

sickleave
sick
leave
(plural sick leaves) noun

absence due to illness:
absence from work for reasons of illness[1]



sicklebill

sicklebill
sick·le·bill 
[sík’l bìl] (plural sick·le·bills)
noun

bird with curved bill:
a name given to various birds that have long curved bills, for example, the
curlew and the honeycreeper[1]



sicklecell

sicklecell
sick·le
cell
(plural sick·le cells) noun

abnormal red blood cell:
an abnormal red blood cell that is crescent-shaped as a result of an inherited
defect in the cell’s hemoglobin[1]



sickle-cellanemia

sickle-cellanemia
sick·le-cell
a·ne·mi·a
noun

form of anemia:
a chronic hereditary form of anemia that occurs mainly in people of African
descent. It is caused by a gene inherited from both parents.[1]



sicklecell trait

sicklecell trait
sick·le
cell trait
noun

blood condition:
a hereditary condition of the blood in which some red cells become
sickle-shaped, but not enough cells to cause anemia. This trait, which usually
gives some resistance to malaria, occurs when the responsible gene is inherited
from only one parent.
Also called
sicklemia[1]



sicklefeather

sicklefeather
sick·le
feath·er
(plural sick·le feath·ers) noun

rooster’s tail feather:
a long curving feather in the tail of a rooster[1]



sicklemedic

sicklemedic
sick·le
med·ic
(plural sick·le med·ics) or sick·le med·ick (plural
sick·le med·icks) noun

small plant with yellow
flowers: a small plant with
three-lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and curved pods. It is native to Europe and
Asia. Latin name: Medicago falcata[1]



sicklemia

sicklemia
sick·le·mi·a 
[sìkə lmee ə] noun

See
sickle cell trait[1]



sicklist

sicklist
sick
list
(plural sick lists) noun

sick people:
a list of people who are sick, especially in the military[1]



sickly

sickly
sick·ly 
[síklee] adjective (comparative
sick·li·er, superlative sick·li·est)

1.  often
ill:
unhealthy or tending to be frequently ill • a
sickly child

2.  from
illness:
produced by or related to illness • a
sickly complexion

3.  bringing
illness:
causing or conducive to illness • a
sickly climate

4.  causing
disgust:
provoking feelings of disgust or nausea • a
sickly smell

5.  feeble:
lacking in strength or intensity

6.  overly
sentimental: sentimental to a degree that inspires
disgust or scorn • a sickly display of
affection
adverb

feebly: in a
weak or feeble way
—sick·li·ness, noun[1]



sickly-sweet

sickly-sweet
sick·ly-sweet
adjective

too sweet:
excessively sweet or sentimental • a
sickly-sweet smile[1]



sickness

sickness
sick·ness 
[síknəss] (plural sick·ness·es)
noun

1.  illness:
an illness or a disease

2.  nausea:
feelings of nausea

3.  impaired
condition:
an unsound or corrupt condition
[Old English][1]



sicknote

sicknote
sick
note
(plural sick notes) noun

U.K.
See excuse  noun 4[1]



sicko

sicko
sick·o 
[síkō] (plural sick·os) or
sickie [síkō] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody though to have a psychiatric disorder
that makes him or her dangerous to others (offensive)[1]



sick-out

sick-out
sick-out
(plural sick-outs) noun

U.S.,
Caribbean organized absence from
work: an organized absence from
work by employees on the pretext of illness in an effort to force an employer
to grant demands[1]



sickparade

sickparade
sick
pa·rade
(plural sick pa·rades) noun

U.K.
See sick call[1]



sickpay

sickpay
sick
pay
noun

pay for sick time:
wages paid to an employee who is absent from work due to illness[1]



sickroom

sickroom
sick·room 
[sík rm, sík
rm] (plural sick·rooms) noun

room for sick person:
a room to which an ill person is confined[1]



Siddons,Sarah

Siddons,Sarah
Sid·dons 
[sídd’nz], Sarah (1755–1831)

British
actor. An acclaimed tragic stage actor, she was noted particularly for her role
as Lady Macbeth.
Born
Kemble, Sarah[1]



siddur

siddur
sid·dur 
[sí dr, síddər]
(plural sid·du·rim [si drim] or
sid·durs) noun

Jewish
prayer book: a Jewish daily and Sabbath prayer book
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew siddūr, literally “arrangement, order.”][1]



side

side
side 
[sīd] noun (plural sides)

1.  perimeter
of figure:
a line segment that forms the perimeter of a plane geometric figure • A
square has four sides.

2.  surface
of figure:
a surface of a solid geometric figure • A
cube has six sides.

3.  surface
of something flat: either of the two surfaces
of a flat object

4.  left
or right of something: the left or right of an
object as opposed to the top, bottom, front, or back

5.  either
division:
either of two parts or areas into which something can be divided relative to
the observer • The
playing field is on the far side of the park.

6.  place
relative to center: a location, place, or
direction relative to a central point • We
live on the east side of the city.

7.  place
separated by barrier: a place or area on either
side of a barrier or boundary • We
live on the east side of the river.

8.  vertical
surface:
a vertical surface of something • the
side of a building

9.  edge:
the area at the edge of something • the
side of the road

10. half
of body:
either half of the body of an animal or person, especially the area of a
person’s body between the shoulder and the hip • My
side aches.

11. half
of carcass:
half of a meat carcass • a side
of pork

12. nearby
position:
the place next to somebody or something • Come
stand at my side.

13. party
in contest:
any one of two or more opposing individuals, teams, groups, or factions

14. opinion
in a dispute: any one of the positions or opinions
held in a dispute

15. supporters:
the group of people who support a particular party in a dispute • I’m
on your side.

16. aspect:
an aspect or view of an issue or event • the
funny side of a situation

17. part
of family:
a line of descent • He gets his red hair
from his father’s side.

18. See
side dish

19. U.K.
CUE GAMES See English
adjective

1.  at
the side:
situated at or on a side • The
side door is open.

2.  from
the side:
directed to or from the side • a side
blow

3.  incidental:
having only minor or subsidiary importance • a
side issue
verb
(past sid·ed, past participle sid·ed, present
participle sid·ing, 3rd person present singular sides)

1.  intransitive
verb
align
with or against somebody: to align with or against one
or other of the individuals, teams, groups, or factions in a contest or dispute
• We
all sided with the home team.

2.  transitive
verb
fit
building with outer walls: to fit the boards ( siding ) that form the outer skin of a building • side
the barn
[Old
English sīde . From a prehistoric Germanic word, of uncertain origin:
probably formed from an adjective meaning “long, deep, low.”]
get
on the right side of somebody

or keep
on the right side of somebodyto get into or keep in somebody’s favor

get
on the wrong side of somebody

to
make yourself disliked by somebody

on
the side

1.  illegally
or secretly

2.  in
addition to a main job or activity

3.  as
an additional separate dish

to
one side

out
of the focus of attention for the moment, to be dealt with later

side
by side

close
beside each other

take
sides

to
support one person or group against another

this
side of

almost
or just short of

[1]



sidearm

sidearm
side
arm
(plural side arms) noun

weapon:
a weapon such as a pistol that is worn at the waist, usually on a belt[1]



sidearm

sidearm
side·arm 
[sd rm] adjective

thrown
with sideways motion: in baseball, thrown with a
sweep of the arm at the side while keeping it between the shoulder and the hip
• a
sidearm pitch
adverb

with sweeping motion:
used to describe a way of throwing a baseball with a sweeping motion at the
side and the arm kept below shoulder height • He
pitches sidearm.[1]



sideband

sideband
side·band
[sd bànd] (plural side·bands)
noun

range of frequencies:
the band of frequencies on either side of the carrier frequency, produced by
modulation of a carrier wave[1]



sidebar

sidebar
side·bar 
[sd br] (plural side·bars) noun

1.  supplementary
news story:
a short news story containing supplementary information that is printed
alongside a featured story

2.  judge-lawyer
discussion:
a conversation among a judge and lawyers at a trial that those on the jury
cannot hear
[Mid-20th century. From the
practice of printing such articles boxed off to the side.][1]



sideboard

sideboard
side·board 
[sd bàwrd] (plural side·boards)
noun

furniture
for tableware storage: a piece of dining room
furniture with a flat top and drawers and cupboards to store tableware and
linens
[14th century. The meaning
evolved from “side table” via “dining-room table.”][1]



sideboards

sideboards
side·boards
[sd bàwrdz] plural noun

U.K.
See sideburns[1]



sideburns

sideburns
side·burns 
[sd bùrnz] plural noun

hair
in front of the ears: hair grown down the side of
a man’s face in front of his ears.
U.K.
term
sideboards
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of burnsides, named for General Ambrose E. Burnside (
1824–1881 ), who wore them.][1]



sidecar

sidecar
side·car 
[sd kr] (plural side·cars) noun

1.  vehicle
attached to motorcycle: a one-wheeled passenger
vehicle attached to the side of a motorcycle

2.  cocktail:
a cocktail of brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice
[Late 19th century. Originally
in the meaning “carriage with lengthwise seats.”][1]



sidechain

sidechain
side
chain
(plural side chains) noun

short chain of atoms:
a group of atoms attached to an atom in a principal chain or to a ring in a
molecule[1]



sidechair

sidechair
side
chair
(plural side chairs) noun

type of chair:
a straight-backed chair with no arms, especially at a dining table[1]



sidedeal

sidedeal
side
deal
(plural side deals) noun

agreement for personal
benefit: a mutually beneficial
agreement made between two people aside from an agreement negotiated by them on
behalf of the parties or organizations they represent[1]



sidedish

sidedish
side
dish
(plural side dish·es) noun

accompanying food:
accompanying food, for example, vegetables or salad, served with the main dish
of a meal.
Also called
side[1]



side-dress

side-dress
side-dress
transitive verb

fertilize plants near roots:
to fertilize plants by applying nutrients to the soil near the roots[1]



side-dressing

side-dressing
side-dress·ing
(plural side-dress·ings) noun

1.  fertilizer
added at roots: fertilizer that is put into the soil
near the roots of a growing crop

2.  use
of side-dressing: the adding of fertilizer near the roots
of growing crops

[1]



sidedrum

sidedrum
side
drum
(plural side drums) noun

See
snare drum
[From its place at the
drummer’s side][1]



sideeffect

sideeffect
side
ef·fect
(plural side ef·fects) noun

1.  secondary
medical effect: an undesirable secondary effect of a
drug or other form of medical treatment

2.  secondary
effect:
a usually undesirable secondary effect produced by something

[1]



side-glance

side-glance
side-glance 
(plural side-glanc·es) noun

1.  sideways
glance:
a glance directed sideways

2.  indirect
reference:
a casual or indirect reference or allusion

[1]



side-impact

side-impact
side-impact
adjective

relating to impact from the
side: relating to or designed to
protect somebody from an impact from the side[1]



sideissue

sideissue
side
is·sue
(plural side is·sues) noun

lesser issue:
a matter that tends to distract from the important issue[1]



sidekick

sidekick
side·kick 
[sd kìk] (plural side·kicks) noun

companion:
an associate or companion who is sometimes considered subordinate (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from “side-kicker,” which was coined by the American writer O.
Henry ( 1862–1910 ).][1]



sidelight

sidelight
side·light 
[sd lt] (plural side·lights)
noun

1.  incidental
information: incidental information, usually
additional to what is known already

2.  light
from side:
light coming from the side

3.  side
window:
a window at the side of a door

4.  NAUTICAL ship’s
light:
either of a ship’s two navigational running lights, red on the port bow and
green on the starboard bow

5.  U.K.
See parking light

[1]



sideline

sideline
side·line 
[sd ln] noun (plural side·lines)

1.  sports
field’s side boundary: either of two lines marking
the side limits of a playing field

2.  supplementary
source of income: a job or activity that supplements
income from a primary job • He does
television repairs as a sideline.

3.  COMMERCE additional
range of merchandise: a supplementary line of
merchandise
plural
noun
side·lines

1.  SPORTS area
of a playing field: the area of a playing field
outside the lines marking its limits

2.  place
for uninvolved people: a place for people who are
not involved in something, or the condition of being uninvolved • You
can always get opinions on any subject from the sidelines.
transitive
verb
(past side·lined, past participle side·lined, present
participle side·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular side·lines)

1.  keep
player out of game: to remove or keep a player
from a game • sideline
a player for injuries

2.  exclude
somebody:
to keep somebody from participating in an activity

[1]



sideling

sideling
side·ling 
[sdling] adverb

sideways:
sideways (archaic)
adjective

to one side:
directed toward one side (archaic)[1]



sidelong

sidelong
side·long 
[sd lòng] adjective

1.  to
the side:
directed to the side

2.  sloping:
slanting to one side

3.  indirect:
not direct or straightforward • a
sidelong remark
adverb

obliquely:
toward an area that lies at the side

[1]



sideman

sideman
side·man 
[sd màn] (plural side·men [sd mèn]) noun

member of band:
a member of a jazz or dance band who is neither the leader nor a soloist[1]



sidemeat

sidemeat
side
meat
noun

pork:
salt pork or bacon (regional)
[From the part of the animal
from which the meat is cut][1]



sideorder

sideorder
side
or·der
(plural side or·ders) noun

food accompanying main dish:
a portion of food ordered as an accompaniment to the main dish in a restaurant
or other food outlet[1]



sider-

sider-
sider-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sidero-[1]



sidereal

sidereal
si·de·re·al 
[sī dree əl] adjective

relating
to stars:
relating to the stars, especially measured with reference to the apparent
motion of the stars
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin sidereus, from sidus “star.”][1]



siderealday

siderealday
si·de·re·al
day
(plural si·de·re·al days) noun

day calculated by using
star’s position: the time it takes for
the Earth to make one complete revolution in relation to a given star, equal to
23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.1 seconds[1]



siderealhour

siderealhour
si·de·re·al
hour
(plural si·de·re·al hours) noun

24th of sidereal day:
a 24th part of a sidereal day[1]



siderealmonth

siderealmonth
si·de·re·al
month
(plural si·de·re·al months) noun

single revolution of Moon:
the time it takes for the Moon to make one revolution around the Earth in
relation to a given star, equal to 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 4.5 seconds[1]



siderealtime

siderealtime
si·de·re·al
time
noun

time measured with reference
to stars: time measured by the daily
rotation of the Earth in relation to a given star[1]



siderealyear

siderealyear
si·de·re·al
year
(plural si·de·re·al years) noun

one revolution around sun:
the time it takes the Earth to make one revolution around the Sun with
reference to fixed stars, equal to 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 9.5 seconds[1]



siderite

siderite
sid·er·ite 
[sdə rt] (plural sid·er·ites)
noun

1.  ore
of iron:
a yellow-brown mineral that is an important source of iron. It consists mainly
of ferrous carbonate and is widespread in sedimentary rock. FeCO3 
Also
called
chalybite

2.  meteorite:
a meteorite consisting of dense metallic masses composed chiefly of iron
alloyed with nickel
[Late
18th century. Coined from Greek sidēros “iron” + -ite .]
—sid·er·it·ic [sdə ríttik], adjective[1]



sidero-

sidero-
sidero-
prefix

iron
• siderolite
[From Greeek sidēros
“iron”][1]



sideroad

sideroad
side·road
[sd rd] (plural side·roads) noun

1.  smaller
road:
a secondary road off the main road

2.  Canada
road
alongside boundary: a road along the side
boundary of a concession road

[1]



siderolite

siderolite
sid·er·o·lite 
[síddərə lt] (plural sid·er·o·lites)
noun

meteorite:
a meteorite that is made up of approximately equal amounts of iron and stone[1]



siderophilin

siderophilin
sid·e·roph·i·lin 
[sddə róffəlin] (plural sid·e·roph·i·lins)
noun

See
transferrin[1]



siderosis

siderosis
sid·er·o·sis 
[sddə rṓssəss] noun

1.  lung
disease:
a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling dust particles of iron or other
metals. It is a form of pneumoconiosis.

2.  iron
accumulation in somebody’s body: an abnormal
accumulation of iron in the blood and tissues
—sid·er·ot·ic [sìddə róttik], adjective[1]



siderostat

siderostat
sid·er·o·stat 
[síddərə stàt] (plural sid·er·o·stats)
noun

clock-driven
astronomical instrument: an astronomical instrument
consisting of a plane mirror driven by a clock mechanism that keeps a celestial
object within the same field of view of a telescope
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from sidero-, from the Latin stem sider- “star” +
-stat .]
—sid·er·o·stat·ic [sìddərə státtik], adjective[1]



sidesaddle

sidesaddle
side·sad·dle 
[sd sàdd’l] noun (plural side·sad·dles)

women’s
riding saddle: a saddle designed for women wearing long
skirts so that the rider sits with both legs on the same side of the horse
adverb

with legs on one side:
seated with both legs on the same side of a horse[1]



sideshow

sideshow
side·show 
[sd sh] (plural side·shows) noun

1.  smaller
show:
a minor attraction offered in addition to the main entertainment at a circus or
fair

2.  something
outrageous:
an action or behavior that is outrageous or bizarre (informal) • that
sideshow he calls a home life

3.  minor
event:
a subordinate event or spectacle

[1]



sideslip

sideslip
side·slip 
[sd slìp] intransitive verb (past
side·slipped, past participle side·slipped, present
participle side·slip·ping, 3rd person present singular side·slips)

1.  slide
sideways:
to skid or slide sideways

2.  AIR slip
sideways in airplane: to move sideways and
downward while banking steeply in an airplane

3.  SKIING slide
sideways down slope: to slide at an angle down a
slope
noun
(plural side·slips)

1.  sideways
skid:
a skid sideways • The car went into a
sideslip.

2.  AIR sideways
movement of airplane: a sideways and downward
movement made by a steeply banking aircraft.
Also
called
slip

3.  SKIING angled
slide down slope: a sideways slide at an angle down a
slope

[1]



sidesplitting

sidesplitting
side·split·ting 
[sd splìtting] adjective

hilarious:
extremely funny
[The
idea is of bursting with laughter]
—side·split·ting·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



sidestep

sidestep
side·step 
[sd stèp] intransitive and transitive
verb (past side·stepped, past participle side·stepped,
present participle side·step·ping, 3rd person present singular
side·steps)

1.  step
aside:
to step aside or out of the way of somebody or something • I
sidestepped to avoid the running children.

2.  evade
something:
to avoid saying or discussing something • sidestep
the question
noun
(plural side·steps)

sideways movement:
a movement to one side
—side·step·per, noun[1]



side-straddlehop

side-straddlehop
side-strad·dle
hop 
(plural side-strad·dle hops) noun

See
jumping jack[1]



sidestreamsmoke

sidestreamsmoke
side·stream
smoke 
[sd strm smk] noun

uninhaled smoke:
smoke from a cigarette or cigar that the smoker does not inhale[1]



sidestreamsmoke

sidestreamsmoke
side·stream
smoke 
[sd strm smk] noun

uninhaled smoke:
smoke from a cigarette or cigar that the smoker does not inhale[1]



sidestreet

sidestreet
side
street
(plural side streets) noun

small street:
a secondary street, often off a main street[1]



sidestroke

sidestroke
side·stroke 
[sd strk] (plural side·strokes)
noun

swimming stroke:
a swimming stroke performed on the side by thrusting the arms alternately
forward and downward while doing a scissors kick[1]



sideswipe

sideswipe
side·swipe 
[sd swp] noun (plural side·swipes)

1.  glancing
blow:
a glancing blow from or on the side

2.  gibe:
a critical or insulting remark made in passing (informal) • They
were all taking sideswipes at my golfing skills.
transitive
verb
(past side·swiped, past participle side·swiped, present
participle side·swip·ing, 3rd person present singular side·swipes)

strike side of something:
to strike a glancing blow to or from the side of something • sideswiped
a car in the parking lot
—side·swip·er, noun[1]



sidetrack

sidetrack
side·track 
[sd tràk] verb (past side·tracked,
past participle side·tracked, present participle side·track·ing,
3rd person present singular side·tracks)

1.  transitive
verb
distract
somebody:
to divert somebody from the original subject or activity • The
interruption sidetracked the discussion.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb shunt
a train:
to shunt a train to a railroad siding or to run into a siding
noun
(plural side·tracks)

1.  cause
of diversion: something that causes a diversion from
the original subject or activity

2.  siding:
a railroad siding

[1]



sidewalk

sidewalk
side·walk 
[sd wàwk] (plural side·walks)
noun

path for pedestrians:
a paved path for pedestrians alongside a street.
U.K. term
pavement[1]



sidewalksuperintendent

sidewalksuperintendent
side·walk
su·per·in·ten·dent (plural side·walk
su·per·in·ten·dents) noun

somebody
watching workers: somebody, often a passing pedestrian,
who watches or gives unsolicited advice to workers on a construction site
[From the onlooker’s
demeanor][1]



sidewall

sidewall
side·wall 
[sd wàwl] (plural side·walls)
noun

side
of tire:
the side surface of a vehicle’s tire, between the edge of the tread and the rim
[15th century. Originally any
wall forming the side of a structure.][1]



sideward

sideward
side·ward 
[sdwərd] adjective

at
side:
toward one side or at one side
adverb
side·ward side·wards

toward side:
toward one side[1]



sideways

sideways
side·ways 
[sd wàyz] adjective adverb

1.  to
one side:
to or toward one side • a
sideways jump

2.  from
side:
from one side • a sideways approach

3.  with
side facing front: with or into a position with
the side toward the front • See if
it will fit in sideways.

4.  into
new but equal position: into a job or position with
the same rank or status as previously held • not
a promotion but more of a sideways move into another department

[1]



sidewheel

sidewheel
side·wheel
[sd hwl] noun (plural side·wheels)

paddle
wheel:
either of the paddle wheels on the sides of a sidewheeler
adjective

with paddle wheels:
propelled by a paddle wheel on each side • a
sidewheel steamboat[1]



sidewheeler

sidewheeler
side·wheel·er
[sd hwlər] (plural side·wheel·ers)
noun

paddle-wheel vessel:
a steamboat driven by a paddle wheel on each side[1]



sidewhiskers

sidewhiskers
side
whis·kers
plural noun

sideburns:
sideburns, especially long ones[1]



sidewinder

sidewinder
side·wind·er 
[sd wndər] (plural side·wind·ers)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY rattlesnake:
a small rattlesnake of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico that
moves forward with a diagonal looping motion. Latin name: Crotalus cerastes

2.  MILITARY air-to-air
missile:
an air-to-air missile that uses a heat-seeking device to home in on a target

3.  BOXING punch
in boxing:
a hard swinging punch from the side

4.  somebody
sneaky:
somebody who does things regarded as sneaky, especially a treacherous person or
a sidearm pitcher in baseball (slang)

[1]



sidewise

sidewise
side·wise 
[sd wz] adjective adverb

See
sideways[1]



Sidi-bel-Abbès

Sidi-bel-Abbès
Si·di-bel-Ab·bès
[sdi bele béss]

capital of Sidi-bel-Abbès
Province, northwestern Algeria, situated 80 km/50 mi south of Oran. Population:
152,778 (1995)[1]



siding

siding
sid·ing 
[sding] (plural sid·ings) noun

1.  material
forming building’s outer skin: sheets of wood, vinyl,
aluminum, or other material used to surface the outside of a building

2.  short
railroad track: a short stretch of railroad track that
connects with the main track

[1]



sidle

sidle
si·dle
[sd’l] verb (past si·dled,
past participle si·dled, present participle si·dling,
3rd person present singular si·dles)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
furtively:
to edge along in a furtive way • I
sidled to the door in the hope that no one would notice me.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
sideways:
to move, or move something, sideways
noun
(plural si·dles)

sidling movement:
a sideways or furtive movement
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from sideling, modeled on verbs such as
paddle and mumble .][1]



Sidney,Philip

Sidney,Philip
Sid·ney 
[sídnee], Sir Philip (1554–1586)

English soldier, courtier,
and poet. He was a favorite of Elizabeth I and an accomplished diplomat and
soldier. His Arcadia, posthumously published in 1590, became the model
for later English pastoral poetry.[1]



Sidon

Sidon
Si·don 
[sd’n]

city and seaport in
southwestern Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea south of Beirut. It was a
Phoenician city-state in the 3rd millennium BC
. Population: 38,000 (1988)[1]



Sidra,Gulf of

Sidra,Gulf of
Sid·ra,
Gulf of
[sídrè]

arm of the Mediterranean Sea
that forms a bay on the coast of Libya, northern Africa[1]



SIDS

SIDS
SIDS
[sidz] noun

Abbreviation of
sudden infant death syndrome[1]



siege

siege
siege 
[seej] noun (plural sieg·es)

1.  military
operation:
a military or police operation in which an army or the police surround a place
and cut off all outside access to force surrender (often used before a noun)
• siege
warfare

2.  prolonged
effort:
a prolonged effort to gain or overcome something

3.  tiresome
period:
a prolonged and tedious period

4.  seat:
a seat, especially a formal or ceremonial seat, for example, a throne (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past sieged, past participle sieged, present
participle sieg·ing, 3rd person present singular sieg·es)

subject place to siege:
to assail or assault an enemy’s fortifications militarily • a
town sieged with troops
[12th
century. Via Old French sege “seat” from, ultimately, Latin sedere
“to sit” (source of English session, size, subsidy
).]
lay
siege to

1.  to
besiege a place

2.  to
make a persistent attempt to gain something

[1]



Siegfried

Siegfried
Sieg·fried 
[sg frd, síg
frd] noun

legendary German hero:
in German legend, a prince who kills the dragon guarding the treasure of the
Nibelungs, and wins Brunhild for Gunther[1]



Siegfriedline

Siegfriedline
Sieg·fried
line
noun

Germany’s
frontier fortifications: the line of fortifications
constructed by Germany before and during World War II on its western frontier,
facing the Maginot line in France
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Siegfried, the (nearly) invincible hero of Germanic legend.][1]



SiegHeil

SiegHeil
Sieg
Heil
[sg hl] interjection

Nazi
salute:
hail to victory, a Nazi salute usually accompanied by the right arm raised with
the palm facing downward
[Mid-20th century. From
German .][1]



siemens

siemens
sie·mens 
[smənz] (plural sie·mens) noun

measurement
of conductance: the SI unit of electrical conductance
equal to one ampere per volt. Symbol S
Also
called
mho
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the German inventor Werner von Siemens ( 1816–1892 ).][1]



Siena

Siena
Si·en·a 
[see énnè]

capital
of Siena Province, Tuscany Region, in north central Italy. Population: 58,300
(1990)
—Si·e·nese [seè ə néez], noun, adjective[1]



sienna

sienna
si·en·na
[see énnə] noun

1.  earth
used as pigment: a kind of iron-rich soil that is used as
a pigment in paints. It is brownish-yellow in its natural state ( raw sienna ) and reddish-brown when roasted ( burnt sienna ).

2.  paint:
artists’ paint made with either color of sienna, or either color itself
[Late
18th century. Named for Siena, a city in western Italy where the pigment
was first produced.]
—si·en·na, adjective[1]



sierra

sierra
si·er·ra 
[see érrə] (plural si·er·ras) noun

1.  mountains:
a range of mountains with jagged peaks, or the country surrounding such a range

2.  Spanish
mackerel:
a large Spanish mackerel valued as game fish and for food. Genus: Scomberomorus
[Mid-16th
century. Via Spanish from Latin serra “saw” (source of English serrate ).]
—si·er·ran [see érrən], adjective[1]



Sierra

Sierra
Si·er·ra
noun

code word for letter “S”:
a code word for the letter “S,” used in international radio communications[1]



SierraLeone




Back to definition

SierraLeone

[1]



SierraLeone

SierraLeone



Si·er·ra
Le·one 
[siàirə li ṓn]
republic
in western Africa, situated south of Guinea, northwest of Liberia, and with the
Atlantic Ocean on its western coast. Language: English. Currency: leone.
Capital: Freetown. Population: 4,630,000 (1996) Area: 71,740 sq km/27,699 sq
mi. Official name Republic of Sierra Leone
—Si·er·ra Le·on·e·an, noun,
adjective[1]



SierraMadre

SierraMadre
Si·er·ra
Ma·dre
[see èrrə m dray]

mountain system in Mexico
that stretches southeastward from the U.S. border in the north to the border
with Guatemala in the south. Length: 2,500 km/1,500 mi.[1]



SierraNevada

SierraNevada
Si·er·ra
Ne·va·da 
[siàirə nè vdə]

1.  mountain
range in southeastern Spain. Its highest peak is Cerro de Mulhacén, 3,480
m/11,411 ft .

2.  mountain
range in eastern California, extending from the Mojave Desert to the Coast
Range. Its highest peak is Mount Whitney, 4,417 m/14,491 ft . Length: 640
km//400 mi.

[1]



SierraVista

SierraVista
Si·er·ra
Vis·ta 
[siàirè vstè]

city in southeastern Arizona,
north of the Mexican border and southeast of Tucson. Population: 37,434 (1996)[1]



siesta

siesta
si·es·ta 
[see éstə] (plural si·es·tas) noun

afternoon
rest:
an early afternoon rest or nap
[Mid-17th century. Via
Spanish from Latin sexta (hora), literally “sixth (hour of the day),
noon.” From its customary time.][1]



sieve

sieve

sieve 
[siv] noun (plural sieves)
meshed
utensil:
a utensil consisting of a round frame surrounding a mesh and used to separate
solids from liquids, large particles from small particles, or to purée foods
transitive
verb
(past sieved, past participle sieved, present
participle siev·ing, 3rd person present singular sieves)
put
something through a sieve: to pass something through a
sieve
[Old English sife .
From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English sift .][1]



sieveplate

sieveplate
sieve
plate
(plural sieve plates) noun

perforated cell wall:
an area of perforations in the end walls of the cells that make up a sieve tube
in plants[1]



sievert

sievert
siev·ert 
[svərt] (plural siev·erts) noun

unit
for measuring effect of radiation: the SI unit measuring
the probability that a stated dose of a particular radiation type will cause a
biological effect. 1 sievert is equal to 1 joule per kilogram. Symbol Sv
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Swedish radiologist R. M. Sievert (1896–1966).][1]



sievetube

sievetube
sieve
tube
(plural sieve tubes) noun

cells carrying plant
nutrients: a sap-conducting tube within
the phloem tissue of a plant. It is composed of numerous cells sieve tube
elements connected end to end and separated by porous sieve plates.[1]



sifaka

sifaka
si·fa·ka 
[si fákə] (plural si·fa·kas) noun

lemur:
a large rare tree-dwelling lemur of Madagascar. It has a black face and long
soft fur variously patterned in white, black, or brown. Latin name: Propithecus
verreauxi Propithecus diadema
[Mid-19th century. From
Malagasy .][1]



sift

sift
sift 
[sift] (past sift·ed, past
participle sift·ed, present participle sift·ing, 3rd
person present singular sifts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
particles:
to pass a substance through a sieve to separate out or break up coarse
particles

2.  transitive
verb
take
something out: to separate something out with a sieve,
or by a process of selection or elimination • sift
the good from the bad

3.  transitive
verb
scatter
something:
to scatter something with or as if with a sieve • We
sifted sugar on the candies.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb examine:
to sort or examine something carefully • sift
evidence

5.  intransitive
verb
pass
through:
to pass or fall through or as if through a sieve
[Old
English siftan . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English sieve .]
—sift·er, noun[1]



siftings

siftings
sift·ings
[síftingz] plural noun

things separated out:
parts or elements separated out using a sieve or by a process of elimination[1]



sig.

sig.
sig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
signature

2.  Abbreviation
of
signal

3.  sig.
or Sig. Abbreviation of signor

4.  sig.
or Sig. Abbreviation of signore

[1]



Sig.

Sig.
Sig.

used
on prescriptions before instructions that should be written on the label of the
medicine given to a patient. Abbreviation of Signa
[Shortening of Latin signa
“mark or label it”][1]



SIG

SIG
SIG 
noun

Abbreviation of
special interest group[1]



sigh

sigh
sigh
[sī] verb (past sighed,
past participle sighed, present participle sigh·ing,
3rd person present singular sighs)

1.  intransitive
verb
breathe
long and loud: to take in and let out a deep audible
breath in relief or weariness

2.  intransitive
verb
make
exhaling sound: to make a sound like the exhalation of a
deep breath • The
wind sighed in the trees.

3.  intransitive
verb
yearn:
to long for somebody or something • sigh
for simpler times

4.  transitive
verb
express
feeling in sighs: to express an emotion by sighs • She
sighed her relief when she found us.
noun
(plural sighs)

1.  exhalation:
an audible exhalation of a deep breath

2.  sound
of exhaling: a sound like that of somebody exhaling a
deep breath
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from the past tense form of Old English sīcan
“to sigh,” which is of unknown origin.][1]



sight

sight

sight
[sīt] noun (plural sights)

1.  faculty
of seeing:
the ability to see using the eyes

2.  seeing:
the perception of something using the visual sense

3.  range
of seeing:
the range or field of vision • Home
is within sight.

4.  something
seen:
something that somebody sees

5.  something
worth seeing: something that is worth seeing,
especially the landmarks of a particular place (often used in the plural)
• the
sights of the city

6.  something
unpleasant to look at: something or somebody that
has an unpleasant, distressing, or disarranged appearance (informal) • He
was a sight after the fight.

7.  alignment
device:
an alignment device on a gun or surveying instrument used to guide the eye in
aiming or determining direction

8.  aim:
a determination of direction made with a gun or surveying instrument

9.  opportunity
for observation: an opportunity to observe or inspect

10. opinion:
a point of view • In the sight of his
followers he was infallible.

11. insight:
expert knowledge or sharp perception (archaic)
verb (past
sight·ed, past participle sight·ed, present participle
sight·ing, 3rd person present singular sights)

1.  transitive
verb
see
something:
to see or notice somebody or something • They
sighted the plane in the distance.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb observe
using optical device: to observe something or take
measurements of something using an optical device

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb aim at
something with gun: to take aim at something
with a firearm

4.  transitive
verb
adjust
gun’s sights: to adjust the sights of a gun

5.  intransitive
verb
direct
the eyes:
to look carefully in a particular direction • sight
down a line
[Old
English (ge)sih]
a sight

a
great deal or quantity (informal) • He’s
feeling a far sight better today.

a sight for sore eyes

a
very welcome sight

at sight

or on
sightas soon as something is able to be seen

in sight

1.  able
to be seen

2.  likely
to happen in the near future

know somebody by sight

be
able to recognize somebody whom you have never actually met or spoken to

out of sight

1.  no
longer able to be seen

2.  used
to express approval and surprise (informal)

set your sights on something

or have
your sights on somethingto decide to try to get something

sight unseen

without
seeing or inspecting first • buy
something sight unseen

[1]



sightdraft

sightdraft
sight
draft
(plural sight drafts) noun

bill payable on demand:
a written order for the payment of money that is payable upon presentation.
Also called
demand draft[1]



sighted

sighted
sight·ed 
[stəd] adjective

1.  able
to see:
having the faculty of sight

2.  with
specified vision: having sight of a particular kind (used
in combination) • clear-sighted
—sight·ed·ness, noun[1]



sightgag

sightgag
sight
gag
(plural sight gags) noun

joke seen:
a joke or comic episode that depends on it being seen to be funny (informal)[1]



sighting

sighting
sight·ing 
[sting] (plural sight·ings) noun

occasion of seeing:
an occasion on which something is seen, usually something unusual or searched
for • sightings
of UFOs[1]



sightless

sightless
sight·less 
[stləss] adjective

1.  unable
to see:
without the faculty of sight

2.  unseen:
invisible (literary) “heaven’s cherubim, hors’d upon the sightless
couriers of the air” William Shakespeare Macbeth 1623
—sight·less·ly,
adverb

—sight·less·ness, noun[1]



sightline

sightline
sight·line
[st ln] (plural sight·lines)
noun

line of vision:
a line of vision between a person and an object, especially between a member of
an audience and the stage in a theater[1]



sightly

sightly
sight·ly 
[stlee] (comparative sight·li·er,
superlative sight·li·est) adjective

1.  attractive:
pleasing to look at

2.  with
good view:
affording a fine view

[1]



sight-read

sight-read
sight-read 
[st rd] intransitive and transitive
verb

read
something without preparation: to read or perform
something, for example, music or a foreign language, without having practiced
or seen it beforehand
—sight read·er, noun[1]



sightrhyme

sightrhyme
sight
rhyme
(plural sight rhymes) noun

See
eye rhyme[1]



sightsee

sightsee
sight·see 
[st s] (past sight·saw [st sàw], past participle sight·seen
[st sn], present participle sight·see·ing,
3rd person present singular sight·sees) intransitive verb

visit
to see sights: to visit a place’s interesting sights
—sight·se·er, noun[1]



sightseeing

sightseeing
sight·see·ing 
[st s ing] noun

visiting sights:
visiting places of interest (often used before a noun) • a
sightseeing tour[1]



sigil

sigil
sig·il 
[síjjəl] (plural sig·ils) noun

1.  seal:
a seal or signet

2.  magical
sign:
a sign or image that is supposed to have magical power
[16th
century. Via late Latin from Latin sigillum, literally “small sign,”
from signum (see sign ).]
—sig·il·la·ry [si jílləree], adjective[1]



Sigismund

Sigismund
Sig·is·mund 
[síggissmənd] (1368–1437)

As king of Hungary
(1387–1437), he conquered much Balkan territory, but was defeated by the
Ottoman Turks at Nicopolis (1396). He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1411 to 1437.
His rule over Bohemia (1419–1437) was constantly challenged by Bohemians
opposed to his role in the execution of the religious reformer John Huss
(1415).[1]



siglos

siglos
sig·los 
[sígllòss] (plural sig·loi [sígllòy]) noun

old
Persian coin: a silver coin used in ancient Persia
between the sixth and fourth centuries BC
[Early 20th century. From
Greek .][1]



sigma

sigma
sig·ma 
[sígmə] (plural sig·mas) noun

1.  18th
Greek letter: the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet,
represented in the English alphabet as “s”

2.  MATHEMATICS symbol
showing summation: the symbol σ indicating the
addition of the numbers or quantities indicated

3.  See
sigma hyperon
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek .][1]



sigmahyperon

sigmahyperon
sig·ma
hy·per·on
(plural sig·ma hy·per·ons) or sig·ma (plural
sig·mas) or sig·ma par·ti·cle (plural sig·ma
par·ti·cles) noun

elementary particle:
any of three unstable elementary particles of the baryon group, with a mass of
2328 to 2343 times that of an electron, and a positive, negative, or neutral
electric charge[1]



sigmate

sigmate
sig·mate
[síg màyt] adjective

sigma-shaped:
shaped like the Greek letter sigma or the Roman S
—sig·ma·tion [sig máysh’n], noun[1]



sigmoid

sigmoid
sig·moid 
[síg mòyd] adjective

1.  S-shaped:
shaped like the letter S

2.  relating
to sigmoid colon: relating to the sigmoid colon of the
large intestine

[1]



sigmoidcolon

sigmoidcolon
sig·moid
co·lon
(plural sig·moid co·lons) noun

part of large intestine:
the final S-shaped portion of the large intestine leading to the rectum.
Also called
sigmoid flexure[1]



sigmoidflexure

sigmoidflexure
sig·moid
flex·ure
(plural sig·moid flex·ures) noun

1.  See
sigmoid colon

2.  S-shaped
curve:
an S-shaped curve or bend, for example, in the neck of a bird or turtle

[1]



sigmoidoscope

sigmoidoscope
sig·moid·o·scope 
[sig móydə skp] (plural sig·moid·o·scopes)
noun

medical
instrument:
a fiber-optic tubular instrument inserted through the anus for examining the
interior of the rectum and sigmoid colon
—sig·moid·o·scop·ic
[sig mòydə skóppik], adjective

—sig·moid·os·co·py [sìg moy dóskəpee], noun[1]



sign

sign
sign 
[sīn] noun (plural signs)

1.  something
representing something else: something that indicates or
expresses the existence of something else not immediately apparent • a
sign of wealth

2.  something
conveying idea: an action or gesture used to convey an
idea, information, a wish, or a command • His
kick under the table was a sign we should leave.

3.  advertising
notice:
a publicly displayed structure, for example, a painted board or neon lights,
carrying lettering or designs intended to advertise a business or product

4.  information
notice:
a publicly displayed notice or board bearing directions, instructions, or
warnings • a
highway sign

5.  indication:
something that indicates the presence of something or somebody • no
sign of life

6.  trace
left by animal: a trace of a wild animal, for example,
the droppings, scent, or footprints

7.  omen:
something interpreted as being an omen

8.  division
of zodiac:
any of the 12 equal parts into which the zodiac is divided, each represented by
a symbol

9.  evidence
of disease:
an indication of the presence of a disease or disorder, especially one observed
by a doctor but not apparent to the patient • Fever
is a sign of an infection.

10. symbol
used in math or logic: a symbol indicating an
operation or relation in mathematics or logic • the
plus sign

11. musical
notation symbol: a symbol used in musical notation

12. See
sign language
verb
(past signed, past participle signed, present
participle sign·ing, 3rd person present singular signs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb write
name:
to write a signature on something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb approve
document:
to affirm or approve a document formally by affixing a signature or seal • sign
a bill into law

3.  transitive
verb
hire
somebody:
to engage somebody or somebody’s services by written agreement • The
college signed him to coach the team.

4.  intransitive
verb
agree
to take job: to agree to be hired by writing the
signature on a contract • He
signed for a year.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb communicate
in sign language: to use sign language to communicate a
message • She
signed “yes.”

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb signal
information: to convey information using a signal or
signals

7.  transitive
verb
portend
something:
to be an omen of something to come • That
signs danger.

8.  transitive
verb
give
blessing to somebody: to bless somebody or
something by making the sign of the cross
[13th
century. Via French signe from Latin signum “mark,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps from an Indo-European base, meaning “to say, tell,” which is
also the ancestor of English say .]
—sign·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  sign, indication, symptom
  CORE
  MEANING: something
  that suggests the presence or occurrence of something sign; a general word for something that
  suggests the presence or occurrence of another thing. It can refer to
  concrete or abstract things; indication;
  used in a similar way to sign, but most commonly used to talk about
  abstract things; symptom; used to
  refer to a physical sign that suggests the presence of a particular medical
  condition. It can also refer to something that suggests the presence of a
  particular problem

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin word signum, from which sign
  is derived, is also the source of English assign,
  consign, design, designate,
  ensign, insignia,
  resign, seal,
  signal, signature,
  signet, and significant.

[1]



signage

signage
sign·age 
[snij] noun

1.  signs:
signs collectively • the signage along a
highway

2.  sign-designing:
the design and display of signs

[1]



signal

signal
sig·nal 
[sígn’l] noun (plural sig·nals)

1.  means
of communication: an action, gesture, or sign used as a
means of communication • Yellow
is a signal for caution.

2.  communicated
information: a piece of information communicated by
an action, gesture, or sign

3.  incitement:
something that incites somebody to action • The
threat of a shortage was a signal to hoard.

4.  transmitted
information: information transmitted by means of a
modulated current or an electromagnetic wave and received by telephone,
telegraph, radio, television, or radar
adjective

notable: of
considerable importance • a
signal accomplishment
verb
(past sig·naled, past participle sig·naled, present
participle sig·nal·ing, 3rd person present singular sig·nals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb communicate:
to communicate a message to somebody

2.  transitive
verb
send
message using signal: to communicate something by
sending a signal of some kind

3.  transitive
verb
indicate
something:
to be a sign that something has happened or is about to happen • This
event signaled the end of the conflict.
[14th
century. Via Old French seignal from, ultimately, Latin signum
(see sign ). The adjective came via French signalé
and Italian segnalato “made famous.”]
—sig·nal·er, noun[1]



signalbox

signalbox
sig·nal
box
(plural sig·nal box·es) noun

U.K.
See signal tower[1]



signalgenerator

signalgenerator
sig·nal
gen·er·a·tor (plural sig·nal gen·er·a·tors)
noun

device testing electronic
equipment: a device used to test
electronic equipment by generating a signal whose frequency, wave shape, and
amplitude are independently adjustable over a wide range of settings[1]



signalize

signalize
sig·nal·ize 
[sígnə lz] (past sig·nal·ized,
past participle sig·nal·ized, present participle sig·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sig·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
something stand out: to make something
conspicuous or remarkable

2.  point
something out: to indicate something distinctly

3.  provide
traffic signals: to provide a place with traffic signals
—sig·nal·i·za·tion [sìgnələ záysh’n], noun[1]



signally

signally
sig·nal·ly 
[sígnəlee] adverb

notably:
completely and unmistakably[1]



signalman

signalman
sig·nal·man
[sígnəlmən] (plural sig·nal·men
[sígnəlmən]) noun

1.  somebody
who sends and receives signals: a member of the armed
forces who sends and receives signals

2.  railroad
employee:
a railroad employee who is in charge of operating signals

[1]



signalment

signalment
sig·nal·ment 
[sígnəlmənt] (plural sig·nal·ments)
noun

physical
description: a detailed physical description of
somebody for purposes of identification
[Late 18th century. From
French signalement, from signaler “to mark out.”][1]



signal-to-noiseratio

signal-to-noiseratio
sig·nal-to-noise
ra·tio
noun

ratio of information to
interference: the ratio of the
strength of a signal carrying information to unwanted interference in an
electronic circuit[1]



signaltower

signaltower
sig·nal
tow·er
noun

railroad control point:
an electrically and semiautomatically operated control point for a large system
of railroad track.
U.K. term
signal box[1]



signatory

signatory
sig·na·to·ry 
[sígnə tàwree] noun (plural sig·na·to·ries)

party
to treaty or contract: a person, government, or
organization that has signed a treaty or contract and is bound by it
adjective

bound by treaty:
bound by the terms of a treaty or contract • a
signatory nation[1]



signature

signature
sig·na·ture 
[sígnəchər, sígnə
chr] (plural sig·na·tures) noun

1.  signed
name:
somebody’s name signed by him or her or by somebody authorized by him or her to
sign

2.  signing
of name:
a signing of somebody’s name

3.  distinctive
characteristic: a distinctive mark, characteristic, or
thing that identifies somebody (often used before a noun) • a
signature song

4.  MEDICINE directions
on prescription: the part of a doctor’s prescription that
contains the directions for use

5.  MUSIC See key signature

6.  MUSIC See time signature

7.  PRINTING mark
indicating page order: a letter or mark printed on
what will become the first page of a section of a book, indicating its order in
binding

8.  PRINTING sheet
printed with multiple pages: a sheet of paper printed
with several pages that, when folded, will become a section of a book

9.  PRINTING section
of book:
a section of a book consisting of a folded sheet with several pages printed on
it
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin signatura, from Latin signare
(see sign ).][1]



signaturetune

signaturetune
sig·na·ture
tune
(plural sig·na·ture tunes) noun

U.K.
See theme song[1]



signaway

signaway
sign
away
transitive verb

transfer something to other’s
ownership: to convey rights or property
to somebody by signing a document • He
signed away his property to pay his debts.[1]



signboard

signboard
sign·board 
[sn bàwrd] (plural sign·boards)
noun

board for notices:
a board carrying a notice or advertisement[1]



signed

signed
signed
[sīnd] adjective

1.  having
plus or minus sign: with a positive or negative
value, as indicated by a plus or minus sign

2.  with
signature on it: bearing a signature, for example,
written to authenticate a document or as an autograph

[1]



signed-rankstest

signed-rankstest
signed-ranks
test
(plural signed-ranks tests) noun

See
Wilcoxon test[1]



signet

signet
sig·net
[sígnət] noun (plural sig·nets)

1.  small
seal:
a small seal, for example, one that is engraved on a ring

2.  stamp
for documents: a seal used to stamp official documents

3.  impression
made by seal: the impression made on a document with a
seal
transitive
verb
(past sig·net·ed, past participle sig·net·ed, present
participle sig·net·ing, 3rd person present singular sig·nets)

stamp document with seal:
to stamp a document with a seal
[14th century. Directly or
via French from medieval Latin signetum, literally “small seal,” from
Latin signum (see sign ).][1]



signetring

signetring
sig·net
ring
(plural sig·net rings) noun

ring with seal:
a finger ring containing a small seal.
Also called
seal ring[1]



significance

significance
sig·nif·i·cance 
[sig níffikənss] or sig·nif·i·can·cy
[sig níffikənssee] noun

1.  importance:
the quality of having importance or being regarded as having great meaning

2.  meaning:
implied or intended meaning

3.  STATISTICS value
as statistical pointer: status as a statistical
value that is not accidental or random (often used before a noun)

[1]



significancelevel

significancelevel
sig·nif·i·cance
lev·el
(plural sig·nif·i·cance lev·els) noun

See
level of significance[1]



significancy

significancy
sig·nif·i·can·cy
noun

See
significance[1]



significant

significant
sig·nif·i·cant 
[sig níffikənt] adjective

1.  meaningful:
having or expressing a meaning

2.  communicating
secret meaning: having a hidden or implied meaning • a
significant nod of the head

3.  momentous
and influential: having a major or important effect • a
significant idea

4.  substantial:
relatively large in amount • Her
work was a significant contribution to the project.

5.  STATISTICS occurring
not merely by chance: relating to the occurrence
of events or outcomes that are too closely linked statistically to be mere
chance
[Late 16th century. From the
present participle stem of Latin significare (see signify ).][1]



significantdigits

significantdigits
sig·nif·i·cant
dig·its
plural noun

digits in decimal:
the digits necessary in a decimal number to express accuracy, beginning with
the first nonzero digit to the right of the decimal and ending with the digit
farthest to the right.
U.K. term
significant figures[1]



significantfigures

significantfigures
sig·nif·i·cant
fig·ures
plural noun

U.K.
See significant digits[1]



significantly

significantly
sig·nif·i·cant·ly
[sig níffikəntlee] adverb

1.  greatly:
to a large extent or degree • significantly
higher

2.  importantly:
in an important or fundamental way • Your
ideas will contribute significantly.

[1]



significantother

significantother
sig·nif·i·cant
oth·er
(plural sig·nif·i·cant oth·ers) noun

1.  husband,
wife, partner, or lover: a spouse or someone with
whom somebody has a long-term sexual relationship

2.  somebody
important:
an influential or supportive person in somebody’s life

[1]



signification

signification
sig·ni·fi·ca·tion 
[sìgnifi káysh’n] (plural sig·ni·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  meaning:
the meaning of something, for example, a word, event, or other phenomenon

2.  signifying:
the signifying or indicating of something
[13th century. Either
directly or via Old French from the Latin stem signification-
“indication, sign,” from significare (see signify
).][1]



significative

significative
sig·nif·i·ca·tive 
[sig níffi kàytiv] adjective

1.  meaningful
or important: carrying meaning or importance

2.  signifying
or indicating something: used to describe signs,
symbols, or other marks that signify or indicate something
—sig·nif·i·ca·tive·ly,
adverb

—sig·nif·i·ca·tive·ness,
noun[1]



signify

signify
sig·ni·fy 
[sígni f] (past sig·ni·fied, past
participle sig·ni·fied, present participle sig·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sig·ni·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
mean
something:
to have something as a particular meaning

2.  transitive
verb
be
sign of something: to be a sign or symbol of
something

3.  intransitive
verb
be
important:
to be important or significant

4.  intransitive
verb
exchange
insults:
to exchange insults with somebody playfully (slang)
[13th
century. Either directly or via Old French signifier from Latin significare,
from signum (see sign ).]
—sig·ni·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—sig·ni·fi·er, noun[1]



signin

signin
sign
in
intransitive verb

write name:
to write a signature in a register, usually as a way of recording presence or
attendance[1]



signing

signing
sign·ing
[sning] noun

See
sign language[1]



signingbonus

signingbonus
sign·ing
bo·nus
noun

FINANCE
money paid for signing contract:
an extra amount paid to somebody when he or she signs a contract, especially in
entertainment and sports[1]



signior

signior
si·gnior 
noun

See
signor[1]



signiory

signiory
si·gnio·ry 
noun

See
seigniory[1]



signlanguage

signlanguage

sign lan·guage
(plural sign lan·guag·es) or sign noun
communication by gestures:
communication, or a system of communication, by gestures as opposed to written
or spoken language, especially the highly developed system of hand signs used
by or to people who are hearing-impaired.
Also called
signing[1]



signmanual

signmanual
sign
man·u·al
noun

signature
in own hand: somebody’s signature, especially that of
a king or queen on an official document
[Translation of Anglo-Latin signum
manuale, literally “sign made with the hand”][1]



sign-off

sign-off
sign-off
(plural sign-offs) noun

1.  end
of transmission period or communication: the
end of a transmission period or communication

2.  approval:
approval or agreement (informal)

[1]



signoff

signoff
sign
off
intransitive verb

1.  end
some form of communication: to bring a communication or
transmission, for example, a radio or TV program, a letter, or an e-mail
message, to an end by announcing its conclusion

2.  agree
to something: to give approval to something (informal)
• Several
members have not yet signed off on the proposed changes.

[1]



signof the cross

signof the cross
sign
of the cross (plural signs of the cross)
noun

gesture in form of cross:
in Christianity, a movement of the hand as if tracing a cross in the air or on
the body, usually by touching the forehead, chest, and shoulders in turn. The
gesture is made, mainly by Roman Catholics, in order to invoke the blessing of
God or as a declaration of Christian faith.[1]



signon

signon
sign
on
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
consent
by signing:
to agree to do some activity, especially by signing a contract

2.  transitive
verb
employ
somebody:
to take somebody on as an employee or to do a particular job

[1]



signor

signor
si·gnor 
[seen yáwr] (plural si·gnors or
si·gno·ri [seen yáwree]) or si·gnior
[seen yáwr] (plural si·gniors or
si·gnio·ri) or Si·gnor [seen
yáwr] (plural Si·gnors or Si·gno·ri) or
Si·gnior [seen yáwr] (plural Si·gniors
or Si·gnio·ri) noun

Italian
man:
the usual Italian form of title or address for a man. It is the equivalent of
English “Mr.”
See
also
signore
See
also
signora
See
also
signorina
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, a reduced form of signore .][1]



signora

signora
si·gno·ra 
[seen yáwrə] (plural si·gno·ras
or si·gno·re [seen yáw ray]) or
Si·gno·ra [seen yáwrə] (plural
Si·gno·ras) or Si·gno·re [seen
yáwrə] noun

Italian
woman:
the usual Italian form of title or address for a married or older woman. It is
equivalent to English “Mrs.” or “madam.”
See
also
signor
See
also
signore
See
also
signorina
[Mid-17th century. From the
Italian feminine form of signore .][1]



signore

signore
si·gno·re 
[seen yáw ray] (plural si·gno·ri
[seen yáwree]) noun

Italian
man of advanced age: the Italian form of title or
address for a highly respected man or a man of advanced age. It is equivalent
to English “sir.”
See
also
signor
See
also
signora
See
also
signorina
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from Latin senior (source of English senior
), the comparative form of senex “old.”][1]



signorina

signorina
si·gno·ri·na 
[snyə rnə] (plural si·gno·ri·nas
or sig·no·ri·ne [snyə r nay])
noun

unmarried
Italian woman: the usual Italian form of title or
address for a young or unmarried woman. It is equivalent to English “Miss.”
See
also
signor
See
also
signore
See
also
signora
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, literally “little signora,” formed from signora .][1]



signory

signory
si·gno·ry
noun

See
seigniory[1]



sign-out

sign-out
sign-out
(plural sign-outs) noun

signing out:
the act or an instance of signing out, or of signing somebody or something out[1]



signout

signout
sign
out
(plural signs outs) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
write
name when leaving: to write a signature as a
record of having left somewhere, especially a workplace

2.  transitive
verb
acknowledge
receipt:
to sign the name as an acknowledgment of having received something, especially
as being temporarily in possession of it

[1]



signover

signover
sign
over
transitive verb

transfer ownership of
something: to transfer possession of
something to somebody else by writing a signature on a document[1]



signpainting

signpainting
sign
paint·ing
noun

designing
and painting signs: the activity or profession
of designing and painting signs, especially for advertising.
U.K.
term
signwriting
—sign paint·er, noun[1]



signpost

signpost
sign·post 
[sn pst] noun (plural sign·posts)

1.  information
sign:
a pole with a sign on it, especially one that gives directions or other
information

2.  something
that indicates something: something that gives a clue,
indication, hint, or guide
transitive
verb
(past sign·post·ed, past participle sign·post·ed, present
participle sign·post·ing, 3rd person present singular sign·posts)

direct somebody to place:
to direct somebody or mark the way to a place with signposts or similar
indications • a
series of notices signposting patients to the X-ray department

[1]



signup

signup
sign
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  agree
to participate: to agree, or get somebody to agree, to
participate in something, especially by way of a signature

2.  enlist:
to enlist, or enlist somebody, for military service

[1]



signwriting

signwriting
signwriting
[sn rting] noun

U.K.
See sign painting[1]



Sihanouk,Norodom

Sihanouk,Norodom
Si·ha·nouk
[s ənk], Norodom, King of Cambodia (1922–
)

As king of Cambodia
(1941–1955) and intermittently prime minister and head of state, he helped win
independence from French rule (1954) and protested the Vietnamese occupation (1975–1982).
He was restored to the throne after negotiating a political settlement in 1993.[1]



sika

sika
si·ka 
[skə] (plural si·kas) noun

Japanese
deer:
a small deer native to Japan and China that has a brown, often spotted coat
with a white patch on the rump. Latin name: Cervus nippon
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, “deer.”][1]



sike

sike
sike
[sīk] (plural sikes) noun
Northern England Scotland

1.  small
stream:
a small, usually slow-moving stream, especially one that tends to dry up in
summer.
See
also
burn

2.  ditch:
a ditch
[Old English sīc][1]



Sikh

Sikh
Sikh
[seek] noun (plural Sikhs)

member
of Indian religion: a member of a religious
group that broke away from Hinduism during the 16th century and advocated a
monotheistic doctrine, incorporating some aspects of Islam
adjective

of
Sikhs:
belonging or relating to the Sikhs or their religion, beliefs, customs, or
history
[Late
18th century. Via Panjabi or Hindi from Sanskrit śiṣya “disciple.”]
—Sikh·ism, noun[1]



Sikkim

Sikkim
Sik·kim 
[síkim]

mountainous
state in northeastern India, in the eastern Himalayas, bordered by Tibet,
Bhutan, and Nepal. Capital: Gangtok. Population: 406,457 (1991) Area: 7,096 sq
km/2,740 sq mi.
—Sik·kim·ese, noun,
adjective[1]



Sikorsky,Igor

Sikorsky,Igor
Si·kor·sky
[si káwrskee], Igor (1889–1972)

Russian-born
U.S. aeronautical engineer. He built the first multi-engined airplane (1913)
and produced the first helicopter that could be controlled during sustained
flight (1939).
Full name
Sikorsky, Igor Ivanovich[1]



sila

sila
si·la
noun

morality:
in Buddhism, morality, one of the three major divisions of the noble eightfold
path, which consists of right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
[Mid-20th century. From Pali
.][1]



silage

silage
si·lage 
[slij] noun

animal
feed:
animal fodder that is made by storing green plant material in a silo where it
is preserved by partial fermentation
[Late 19th century. Via
French ensilage from, ultimately, Spanish ensilar “to store in a
silo.” The alteration from ensilage to “silage” was probably influenced
by silo .][1]



silane

silane
si·lane 
[sí làyn] (plural si·lanes) noun

silicon-hydrogen
compound:
a compound containing silicon and hydrogen, analogous to a paraffin
hydrocarbon. SinH2n+2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from silicon + -ane
.][1]



SilburyHill

SilburyHill
Sil·bur·y
Hill
[sílbèri hil]

artificial mound near
Avebury, in Wiltshire, England. It was made about 2100 BC . Height: 40 m/130 ft.[1]



sild

sild
sild 
[sild] (plural silds or
sild) noun

immature
herring:
an immature herring, especially one that has been processed and canned.
See
also
sprat
See
also
sardine
[Early 20th century. Via
Danish and Norwegian from Old Norse sīld “herring.”][1]



sildenafilcitrate

sildenafilcitrate
sil·den·a·fil
cit·rate
[sil dènnə fil s tràyt] noun

impotence
drug:
a drug used to treat impotence
[Late 20th century.
Sildenafil an invented name.][1]



silence

silence
si·lence 
[slənss] noun (plural si·lenc·es)

1.  quietness:
the absence or lack of noise

2.  not
speaking:
a refusal, failure, or inability to speak

3.  absence
of acknowledgment of something: an absence of notice
or acknowledgment of something • Most
remarkable was the statement’s silence about the recent policy change.
transitive
verb
(past si·lenced, past participle si·lenced, present
participle si·lenc·ing, 3rd person present singular si·lenc·es)

1.  stop
something or somebody making noise: to
stop something or somebody from making a noise

2.  suppress
something:
to suppress the expression of something or stop a person or group from speaking
out • silence
criticism

3.  end
somebody’s hostile behavior: to cause somebody to stop
hostile or aggressive behavior
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin silentium, from the stem of silens, the present
participle of silere “to be silent.”][1]



silencer

silencer
si·lenc·er 
[slənssər] (plural si·lenc·ers)
noun

1.  ARMS firearm
muffler:
a device that muffles the noise of a gun

2.  U.K.
AUTOMOBILES part
of exhaust system: the drum-shaped part of a
vehicle’s exhaust system that is designed to lessen noise.
See
also
muffler

3.  somebody
or something imposing silence: somebody or something
that causes silence or lessens noise

[1]



silent

silent
si·lent 
[slənt] adjective

1.  utterly
quiet:
lacking any noise or sound • a
silent country lane

2.  not
speaking:
not speaking or communicating, especially through choice • The
children all remained silent.

3.  saying
little:
not inclined to say much • the
strong silent type

4.  unspoken:
not expressed or voiced, though felt or believed • rolled
her eyes in silent disbelief

5.  CINEMA without
soundtrack:
relating to movies made without sound, typically those made before 1927

6.  RELIGION unable
to speak:
unable or not allowed to speak • a
silent order of monks

7.  inactive:
currently inactive or not operating • a
silent volcano

8.  quietly
expressed:
drawing attention inconspicuously, without making noise • a
silent warning

9.  not
pronounced:
used to describe a letter that appears in a word but is not pronounced, for
example, the “k” in “knight” or the “b” in “debt”
noun
(plural si·lents)

CINEMA silent
movie:
a motion picture made without sound
[15th
century. From Latin silent-, the stem of silens (see silence ).]
—si·lent·ly,
adverb

—si·lent·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  silent, quiet, reticent,
  taciturn, uncommunicative
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  speaking or not saying much silent;
  describes somebody who is refraining from speech at a particular time or in a
  particular situation, or somebody who is not disposed to speak much; quiet; describes somebody who is not
  disposed to speak much, often because of shyness. It can also be used to
  describe somebody who is not speaking much in a particular situation,
  especially when this seems out of character; reticent;
  describes somebody who is reluctant to speak on a particular occasion or
  about a particular subject. It can also describe somebody whose disposition
  is not to reveal much about himself or herself; taciturn;
  describes a person who is not inclined to say very much, usually as a matter
  of disposition, especially when this creates an impression of gruffness or
  bad-temper; uncommunicative;
  describes somebody who is deliberately withholding information or refusing to
  talk about something. It can also be used in a similar way to taciturn
  to describe somebody who tends not to say much

[1]



silentauction

silentauction
si·lent
auc·tion
(plural si·lent auc·tions) noun

auction with sealed bids:
an auction that is conducted by submitting bids in sealed envelopes before the
sale[1]



silentbutler

silentbutler
si·lent
but·ler
(plural si·lent but·lers) noun

box for crumbs or ash:
a small container, usually with a hinged lid, for crumbs from the table and the
contents of ashtrays (dated)[1]



silentmajority

silentmajority
si·lent
ma·jor·i·ty
noun

large group not expressing
opinions: a significant number of a
given population who choose not to express their views, often because of apathy
or because they do not believe their views matter[1]



silentpartner

silentpartner
si·lent
part·ner
(plural si·lent part·ners) noun

nonexecutive provider of
business funds: somebody who invests
capital in a business but who takes no part in managing it.
U.K. term
sleeping partner[1]



silentservice

silentservice
si·lent
ser·vice
noun

U.S. navy:
the submarine service of the U.S. Navy (informal)[1]



silenttreatment

silenttreatment
si·lent
treat·ment
noun

period of deliberately not
communicating: a prolonged spell of
refusing to communicate as a way of expressing contempt, anger, disapproval, or
some other negative emotion (informal)[1]



silenus

silenus
si·le·nus 
[sī lnəss] (plural si·le·ni [sī l n]) noun

woodland
god:
in Greek mythology, a woodland god resembling an elderly satyr
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek silenos, from Silēnos, name of a woodland satyr,
the tutor of Dionysius.][1]



Silenus

Silenus
Silenus 
[sī lnəss] noun

tutor of Dionysus:
in Greek mythology, an old woodland god in charge of Dionysus’ education. In
art, Silenus is often depicted as a drunken old man.[1]



silesia

silesia
si·le·sia 
[sī lə] noun

strong
cotton fabric: a hard-wearing cotton twill fabric, used
especially for pockets and linings of garments
[Late 17th century. Named for
Silesia, where it was manufactured.][1]



Silesia

Silesia
Si·le·sia 
[sī lshè]

historic
region in east central Europe, lying mostly within present-day southwestern
Poland
—Sil·es·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



silex

silex
si·lex 
[s lèks] noun

1.  powdered
silica:
powdered silica or tripoli, used as a filter material

2.  heat-resistant
glass:
a heat-resistant glass with high quartz content
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “flint.”][1]



silhouette

silhouette
sil·hou·ette 
[sìlloo ét] noun (plural sil·hou·ettes)

1.  shadowed
contour:
an outline of somebody or something filled in with black or a dark color on a
light background, especially when done as a likeness or work of art

2.  something
dark on light background: something lit in such a way
as to appear dark but surrounded by light, or the effect produced by such
lighting • silhouettes
dancing in front of the bonfire
transitive
verb
(past sil·hou·et·ted, past participle sil·hou·et·ted,
present participle sil·hou·et·ting, 3rd person present
singular sil·hou·ettes)

make something appear as a silhouette:
to cause somebody or something to appear surrounded by light (often passive)
• The
buildings were silhouetted against the rising sun.
[Late
18th century. Via French, named for Etienne de Silhouette (1709–1767),
French finance minister.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  As
  French finance minister in the late 1750s, Étienne de Silhouette gained a reputation for stinginess, and silhouette came to be used for anything skimped.
  One account of the application of the word to a “simple cut-out picture” is
  that it carries on this notion of “simplicity” or “lack of finish,” but an
  alternative theory is that Silhouette
  himself was in the habit of making such pictures.

[1]



silic-

silic-
silic-
prefix

See
silici-[1]



silica

silica
sil·i·ca 
[síllikə] noun

naturally
occurring silicon dioxide: silicon dioxide found
naturally in various crystalline and amorphous forms, for example, quartz,
opal, sand, flint, and agate
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, from the stem of Latin silex “flint.”][1]



silicagel

silicagel
sil·i·ca
gel
noun

silica absorbing water from
air: gelatinous silica in a form
that readily absorbs water from the air, used as a drying agent, a carrier for
catalysts, and an anticaking agent[1]



silicate

silicate
sil·i·cate 
[sílli kàyt, síllikət]
(plural sil·i·cates) noun

common mineral:
any of the most important and common of the rock-forming minerals, formed from
silicon and oxygen combined with various elements, classified by their
crystalline structures[1]



siliceous

siliceous
si·li·ceous 
[sə líshəss] or si·li·cious [sə líshəss] adjective

1.  of
silica or silicates: connected with or consisting
of silica or a silicate

2.  requiring
silica:
used to describe plants that require silica-rich soil in order to grow
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
siliceus “of flint,” from the stem of silex “flint.”][1]



silici-

silici-
silici-
prefix

1.  silica
• silicosis

2.  silicon
• silicate
[From silicon and silica][1]



silicic

silicic
si·lic·ic 
[sə líssik] adjective

of silica or silicon:
relating to or containing silica or silicon[1]



silicicacid

silicicacid
si·lic·ic
ac·id
noun

weak acid:
a weak gelatinous acid obtained by adding an acid to sodium silicate[1]



silicide

silicide
sil·i·cide 
[síllə sd] (plural sil·i·cides)
noun

silicon compound:
a binary compound of silicon with another element[1]



siliciferous

siliciferous
sil·i·cif·er·ous 
[sìllə síffərəss] adjective

with silica:
containing or yielding silica[1]



silicify

silicify
si·lic·i·fy 
[sə líssə f] (past si·lic·i·fied,
past participle si·lic·i·fied, present participle si·lic·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular si·lic·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
to silica:
to convert something or become converted into silica
—si·lic·i·fi·ca·tion [sə lìssəfə káysh’n], noun[1]



silicle

silicle
sil·i·cle 
noun

See
silicula[1]



silicon

silicon

sil·i·con 
[síllikən, sílli
kòn] noun
brittle
nonmetallic element: an abundant brittle
nonmetallic chemical element found naturally in sand, granite, clay, and many
minerals, and used in alloys, semiconductors, and building materials. Symbol
Si
[Early 19th century. Coined
from silica + -on
.][1]



siliconcarbide

siliconcarbide
sil·i·con
car·bide
noun

hard bluish-black crystalline
compound: an extremely hard
bluish-black crystalline compound used as an abrasive, refractory, and
semiconductor. SiC[1]



siliconchip

siliconchip
sil·i·con
chip
(plural sil·i·con chips) noun

wafer of silicon:
a small wafer of silicon forming the base on which an integrated circuit is
laid out, or such a wafer together with its integrated circuit[1]



silicondioxide

silicondioxide
sil·i·con
di·ox·ide
noun

colorless transparent solid:
a colorless transparent solid that melts at a very high temperature. It is an
important material in microchip manufacture. SiO2[1]



silicone

silicone
sil·i·cone 
[sílli kn] (plural sil·i·cones)
noun

silicon-based
compound:
a silicon-based synthetic substance in the form of a heat- and water-resistant
grease, oil, or plastic. Silicones are used as lubricants, insulators,
water-repellents, resins, adhesives, coatings, and paints.
See
also
siloxane
[Mid-20th century. Coined from
silicon + -one
.][1]



SiliconValley

SiliconValley
Sil·i·con
Val·ley 
[sìlli kn vállee]

region in Santa Clara County,
western California, that is an important center for electronics and computer
manufacturing industries[1]



silicosis

silicosis
sil·i·co·sis 
[sìlli kṓssiss] noun

chronic
lung disease: a lung disease caused by prolonged
inhalation of dust containing silica, and marked by the development of fibrous
tissue in the lungs resulting in chronic shortness of breath
—sil·i·cot·ic [sìlli kóttik], adjective[1]



silicula

silicula
sil·i·cu·la 
[si líkyələ] (plural sil·i·cu·lae
[si líkyə l] or sil·i·cu·las)
or sil·i·cule [sílli kyl] (plural
sil·i·cules) or sil·i·cle [síllik’l]
(plural sil·i·cles) noun

seed
container:
a type of dry fruit, for example, that of honesty, consisting of a broad flat
pod divided by a membrane into two seed chambers
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, literally “little pod,” from siliqua (see silique ).][1]



silique

silique
si·lique 
[sə lk, síllik]
(plural si·liques) or si·li·qua [síllikwə] (plural si·li·quae [sílli kw] or si·li·quas) noun

seed
pod:
a long dry seed capsule of plants of the mustard family that has two valves
that open, leaving a central partition to which seeds are attached
[Late
18th century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin siliqua “seed pod.”]
—si·li·qua·ceous
[sìlli kwáyshəss], adjective

—si·li·quose
[síllikwss], adjective

—si·li·quous [sílli kwəss], adjective[1]



silk

silk
silk 
[silk] noun (plural silks)

1.  thread
from silkworms: the fine fiber that silkworms secrete to
make their cocoons. Because of its strength and elasticity and soft, shiny
appearance, it is used in the manufacture of threads and fabrics.

2.  TEXTILES silk
thread or fabric: thread or fabric made from the fiber
that silkworms secrete

3.  ZOOLOGY thread
from spiders: a fine fiber that spiders secrete and
use to make their webs, nests, and cocoons

4.  PLANTS tuft
on corn:
the tuft of long soft hairs that forms at the end of ears of corn. See corn silk

5.  U.K.
LAW King’s
or Queen’s Counsel: somebody who has the right
to practice as a King’s or Queen’s Counsel in British courts (informal)

6.  U.K.
LAW high
barrister’s garment: the gown worn by a King’s or
Queen’s Counsel in British courts
plural
noun
silks

HORSERACING jockey’s
silk garments: distinctively colored clothes made from
silk or a similar fabric, worn by a jockey as a mark of identification
[Old
English seoloc . Origin uncertain: probably via a Slavic language, from,
ultimately, Chinese .]
hit
the silk

to jump from an aircraft with
a parachute[1]



silkaline

silkaline
silk·a·line
[sílkə ln] (plural silk·a·lines)
or silk·a·lene [sílkə ln] (plural
silk·a·lenes) noun

polished
cotton:
a fine cotton fabric with a glossy finish
[Late 19th century. Coined
from silk + -oline .][1]



silkcotton

silkcotton
silk
cot·ton
noun

See
kapok[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








silk-cottontree

silk-cottontree
silk-cot·ton
tree 
(plural silk-cot·ton trees) noun

tree yielding kapok:
a tropical tree with large fruit capsules containing seeds coated with silky
hairs, the source of kapok. Genera: Bombax Ceiba[1]



silken

silken
silk·en 
[sílkən] adjective

1.  made
of silk:
made or consisting of silk

2.  like
silk in texture or appearance: resembling silk,
especially in smoothness, softness, or shininess • Spaniels
have lovely silken ears.

3.  in
silk clothes: dressed in garments made of silk

4.  soft
or gentle:
pleasingly soft, gentle, or delicate • silken
phrases

5.  luxurious:
luxurious or opulent (dated)

[1]



silkgland

silkgland
silk
gland
(plural silk glands) noun

gland of insect or spider:
a salivary gland of a cocoon-spinning insect or an abdominal gland of a
web-spinning spider that produces a viscous liquid that is expelled in a thread
and polymerizes into a filament[1]



silkhat

silkhat
silk
hat
(plural silk hats) noun

man’s top hat:
a man’s top hat with an outer covering made of silk or a fabric resembling silk[1]



silk-screen

silk-screen
silk-screen
intransitive and transitive verb

print design by silk-screen printing:
to print a design on paper or fabric using the silk-screen printing technique
noun

1.  See
silk-screen printing

2.  silk-screen
print:
a print made using the silk-screen printing technique.
Also
called
serigraph

[1]



silk-screenprinting

silk-screenprinting
silk-screen
print·ing
or silk-screen noun

printing method:
a method of printing on paper or fabric in which ink is forced through areas of
a silk screen that are not blocked out with an impermeable substance[1]



silk-stocking

silk-stocking
silk-stock·ing 
adjective

affluent:
affluent, wealthy, or aristocratic[1]



silktree

silktree
silk
tree
(plural silk trees) noun

Asian tree with pink flowers:
an Asian tree of the mimosa family that is widely cultivated for its showy pink
flowers with silky filaments. Latin name: Albizia julibrissin
Also called
mimosa[1]



silkweed

silkweed
silk·weed 
[sílk wd] (plural silk·weeds)
noun

See
milkweed[1]



silkworm

silkworm
silk·worm 
[sílk wùrm] (plural silk·worms)
noun

1.  moth
larva that spins silk: a yellowish caterpillar, the
larva of an Asian moth, that feeds on mulberry leaves and is a commercial
source of silk. Latin name: Bombyx mori

2.  silk-spinning
larva:
a moth larva that excretes a substance resembling silk. Family: Bombycidae

[1]



silkwormmoth

silkwormmoth
silk·worm
moth
(plural silk·worm moths) noun

moth from silkworm:
a moth with larvae that spin silk for cocoons. Family: Bombycidae[1]



silky

silky
silk·y 
[sílkee] (comparative silk·i·er,
superlative silk·i·est) adjective

1.  looking
or feeling like silk: resembling silk, especially
in smoothness, softness, or shininess • silky
hair

2.  TEXTILES made
of silk:
made of silk or a similar fiber or fabric • a
silky blouse

3.  smooth
in manner:
smooth, refined, elegant, or sophisticated, often to the extent of being
unctuous • a
silky manner

4.  covered
with fine hairs: covered with delicate downy hairs or
feathers
—silk·i·ly,
adverb

—silk·i·ness, noun[1]



silkyoak

silkyoak
silk·y
oak
noun

Australian evergreen tree:
an Australian evergreen tree grown for its feathery leaves, orange flowers, and
smooth silky timber. Latin name: Grevillea robusta[1]



silkyterrier

silkyterrier
silk·y
ter·rier
(plural silk·y ter·riers) noun

small Australian dog with a
silky coat: a small slender Australian
terrier with a long silky gray or gray-and-tan coat[1]



sill

sill
sill 
[sil] (plural sills) noun

1.  BUILDING window
ledge:
a ledge below a window, especially one on the inside of a building

2.  BUILDING bottom
of frame:
the horizontal part at the bottom of a window or door frame

3.  GEOLOGY layer
of igneous rock: a more or less horizontal layer of
igneous rock forced between layers of sedimentary rock or older volcanic beds
[Old English syll
“foundation of a wall”][1]



sillabub

sillabub
sil·la·bub 
(plural sil·la·bubs) noun

See
syllabub[1]



sillimanite

sillimanite
sil·li·man·ite 
[sílləmə nt] noun

white
or greenish-brown fibrous mineral: a white or
greenish-brown fibrous mineral consisting of aluminum silicate and found in
metamorphic rock
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from the name of U.S. geologist Benjamin Silliman (1779–1864) + -ite .][1]



Sillitoe,Alan

Sillitoe,Alan
Sil·li·toe
[síllitō], Alan (1928– )

British novelist, short story
writer, and poet. The theme of social exclusion and of the individual’s
rebellion against society runs through much of his work, including Saturday
Night and Sunday Morning (1958).[1]



Sills,Beverly

Sills,Beverly
Sills
[silz], Beverly (1929– )

U.S.
soprano. She was known for her coloratura voice during a 27-year operatic
career, and was manager of the New York City Opera (1979–1988).
Real name
Silverman, Belle Miriam[1]



silly

silly
sil·ly 
[síllee] adjective (comparative
sil·li·er, superlative sil·li·est)

1.  ridiculous:
lacking common sense

2.  trivial:
unworthy of serious concern

3.  dazed
or helpless: in or into a stunned, dazed, or helpless
condition • be
scared silly
noun
(plural sil·lies)

silly person:
somebody who lacks sense or acts foolishly (informal)
[Old
English slig “happy.” Ultimately from a prehistoric West Germanic word
meaning “luck, happiness.”]
—sil·li·ly,
adverb

—sil·li·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Silly has undergone one of the
  most astonishing semantic about-faces in the history of the English lexicon.
  In a thousand years it has gone from “blessed, happy” to “foolish.” The
  transformation began with “blessed” becoming “pious.” This led on via
  “innocent, harmless,” “pitiable,” and “feeble” to “ foolish.” The related
  German selig retains its original meaning “happy, blessed.”

[1]



SillyPutty

SillyPutty
Silly
Putty
Trademark

a trademark for a soft
colored modeling material that can be stretched and bounced[1]



sillyseason

sillyseason
sil·ly
sea·son
noun

period lacking hard news:
a period in summer when newspapers print frivolous articles because there is a
lack of political news[1]



silo

silo
si·lo 
[slō] noun (plural si·los)

1.  container
for grain or animal feed: a tall cylindrical tower
used for storing grain, animal feed, or other material or for making silage

2.  missile
safety chamber: a reinforced, protective underground
chamber where a missile or missiles can be stored and from which they can be
launched
transitive
verb
(past si·loed, past participle si·loed, present
participle si·lo·ing, 3rd person present singular si·los)

store in silo:
to store something in a silo
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from, ultimately, Latin sirus, from Greek siros “pit to
keep corn in.”][1]



siloxane

siloxane
si·lox·ane 
[si lók sàyn, sī
lók sàyn] (plural si·lox·anes) noun

compound
of silicon and oxygen: a compound containing
silicon atoms alternating with oxygen atoms and attached to organic groups or
hydrogen.
See
also
silicone
[Early 20th century. Coined
from silicon + oxygen
+ methane .][1]



silt

silt
silt 
[silt] noun

river
deposits:
fine-grained sediment, especially of mud or clay particles at the bottom of a
river or lake
intransitive
and transitive verb (past silt·ed,
past participle silt·ed, present participle silt·ing,
3rd person present singular silts)

clog
up:
to become full or obstructed, or to fill or obstruct something, with silt
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.]
—sil·ta·tion
[sil táysh’n], noun

—silt·y [síltee], adjective[1]



siltstone

siltstone
silt·stone 
[sílt stn] noun

sedimentary rock:
a form of fine-grained sandstone consisting of compressed silt[1]



Silures

Silures
Sil·u·res 
[síllyə rz] plural noun

ancient
people of Britain: an ancient people that
occupied lands in western Britain, especially South Wales, and who put up a
strong defense against the invading Romans during the 1st century AD
[Late 19th century. From
Latin .][1]



Silurian

Silurian
Si·lu·ri·an 
[si lree ən, sī
lree ən] (plural Si·lu·ri·ans) noun

1.  GEOLOGY geologic
period:
the period of geologic time when fishes first appeared, 439 to 408.5 million
years ago

2.  PEOPLES member
of Silures:
a member of the Silures
[Early
18th century. Formed from Latin Silures ; from the discovery of rocks of
this period in southeast Wales, where the Silures lived.]
—Si·lu·ri·an, adjective[1]



silurid

silurid
si·lu·rid 
[si lrid, sī
lrid] noun (plural si·lu·rids)

Eurasian
freshwater catfish: a freshwater catfish of
Europe and Asia with an elongated scaleless body, a short dorsal fin, and a
long anal fin. Family: Siluridae
adjective

of
silurids:
relating or belonging to the silurids
[From Latin silurus
“type of catfish,” which came from Greek silouros][1]



silva

silva
sil·va
or syl·va (plural syl·vas or syl·vae)
noun

1.  regional
forest:
the forests or trees of a particular region

2.  book
describing trees: a book or treatise on the trees or
forests of a particular region

[1]



silvan

silvan
sil·van 
adjective

See
sylvan[1]



Silvanus

Silvanus
Sil·va·nus
or Syl·va·nus noun

Roman god of fields:
in Roman mythology, the god of fields and forests, protector of flocks and
cattle. He later came to be identified with the gods Pan and Faunus.[1]



silver

silver

sil·ver 
[sílvər] noun (plural sil·vers)

1.  shiny
element:
a shiny grayish-white metallic element that has the highest thermal and
electric conductivity of any substance and is used in coins, ornaments,
jewelry, dental materials, solders, photographic chemicals, and conductors. Symbol
Ag

2.  HOUSEHOLD silver
articles:
items of tableware or other household goods that are made of silver, coated
with silver plate, or made of a silver-colored metal

3.  COINS coins:
money, especially coins made of silver or a silver-colored metal

4.  COLORS lustrous
grayish-white: a pale or lustrous grayish-white color

5.  silver
medal:
a silver medal (informal)

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY silver
compound:
a compound of silver used in photography, for example, to make paper sensitive
to light
adjective

1.  made
of silver:
made of, plated with, or containing some silver • a
silver bracelet

2.  COLORS with
color of silver: of a pale or lustrous grayish-white
color

3.  shiny:
shining like silver • silver
moonlight

4.  of
25th anniversary: connected with or describing the 25th
anniversary of something • silver
wedding anniversary

5.  resonant:
pleasingly resonant and clear in tone

6.  fluent:
fluently or persuasively eloquent • a
silver tongue
verb (past
sil·vered, past participle sil·vered, present
participle sil·ver·ing, 3rd person present singular sil·vers)

1.  transitive
verb
coat
something with silver: to coat something with a
layer of silver or a similar shiny material

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become like silver: to become, or cause
something to become, like silver in color or sheen • Frost
silvered the trees.
[Old
English siolfor . Probably ultimately from an Asian source.]
—sil·ver·er,
noun

—sil·ver·ing, noun[1]



SilverAge

SilverAge
Sil·ver
Age
noun

second classical epoch:
in classical mythology, the epoch following the Golden Age that was
characterized by a refusal to serve the gods and a love of luxury[1]



silverback

silverback
sil·ver·back 
[sílvər bàk] (plural sil·ver·backs)
noun

male gorilla:
an older adult male gorilla with grayish-white hair on its back[1]



silverbell

silverbell
sil·ver·bell
[sílvər bèl] (plural sil·ver·bells)
or sil·ver·bell tree [sílvər bèl]
(plural sil·ver·bell trees) noun

tree with bell-shaped
flowers: a deciduous tree or shrub of
the storax family of the southeastern United States and Asia with toothed
leaves and drooping white bell-shaped flowers. Genus: Halesia
Also called
snowdrop tree[1]



silverberry

silverberry
sil·ver·ber·ry 
[sílvər bèrree] (plural sil·ver·ber·ries)
noun

1.  silvery
N American shrub: a North American shrub of the oleaster
family that has silvery leaves and berries. Latin name: Elaeagnus commutata

2.  See
oleaster  noun 2

[1]



silverbirch

silverbirch
sil·ver
birch
noun

tree with silvery-white bark:
a deciduous tree of Europe and Asia that has peeling silvery-white bark. Latin
name: Betula pendula[1]



silverbromide

silverbromide
sil·ver
bro·mide
noun

light-sensitive powder used
in photography: a yellowish
light-sensitive powder that is used in photographic emulsions because it
darkens when exposed to light. AgBr[1]



silverbullet

silverbullet
sil·ver
bul·let
(plural sil·ver bul·lets) noun

magic
solution:
a magical solution to a problem, for example, a cure for cancer (informal)
[From the idea that silver
possesses magical qualities, rendering the bullet effective against such enemies
as vampires in modern fiction][1]



silvercertificate

silvercertificate
sil·ver
cer·tif·i·cate (plural sil·ver
cer·tif·i·cates) noun

bill issued under silver
standard: a bill redeemable for a
fixed quantity of silver. They were issued as legal tender by the U.S.
government under the former silver standard.[1]



silverchloride

silverchloride
sil·ver
chlo·ride
noun

light-sensitive powder used
in photography: a white light-sensitive
powder that is used in photographic emulsions because it darkens when exposed
to light. AgCl[1]



silvercord

silvercord
sil·ver
cord
noun

mother
and child bond: the mutual bond that unites a mother and
child (dated or literary)
[From the title of a play
(1926) by Sidney Howard, probably based on the earlier sense “cord whose
loosening allows life to depart,” inspired by a Bible passage, Ecclesiastes
12:6][1]



silverdollar

silverdollar
sil·ver
dol·lar
(plural sil·ver dol·lars) noun

1.  COINS American
coin:
a one-dollar coin with high silver content, minted from time to time in various
designs and sizes in the United States

2.  Canada
COINS commemorative
Canadian coin: in Canada, a dollar coin issued
annually, as a collector’s item, to commemorate different subjects

3.  PLANTS See honesty

[1]



silverdollar fish

silverdollar fish
sil·ver
dol·lar fish noun

tropical American fish:
a tropical freshwater fish from Central or South America with a flattened round
silver body. It is similar to the piranha but has a more docile nature and
plant-eating habits. Genera: Metynnis Myleus[1]



silverfir

silverfir
sil·ver
fir
noun

fir tree with silvery leaves:
a fir tree with leaves that have a white or silvery underside. Genus: Abies[1]



silverfish

silverfish

sil·ver·fish 
[sílvər fìsh] (plural sil·ver·fish
or sil·ver·fish·es) noun

1.  INSECTS wingless
insect:
a small silvery wingless insect with three long tail bristles and two long
antennae that feeds on the starch of books, wallpaper, food, and other
materials. Latin name: Lepisma saccharina

2.        ZOOLOGY silver-scaled
fish: a silvery fish, for example,
the tarpon or silversides[1]



silverfox

silverfox
sil·ver
fox
(plural sil·ver fox·es) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY fox
with white-tipped fur: an American red fox in the
color phase in which the black fur is silver-tipped

2.  pelt
of silver fox: the pelt of the silver fox, once valued
for making fur coats and other articles

[1]



silver-gilt

silver-gilt
sil·ver-gilt
noun

1.  silver
coated with gold: silver that has been coated with a very
thin layer of gold

2.  silver
coating:
a decorative coating of silver leaf

[1]



silver-gray

silver-gray
silver-gray
adjective

pale
lustrous gray: of a pale lustrous gray color
noun

pale lustrous gray color:
a pale lustrous gray color[1]



silvergull

silvergull
sil·ver
gull
(plural sil·ver gulls) noun

Australian gull:
a common Australian seagull that has a white head and breast, a gray back,
black-tipped wing feathers, and red beak, legs, and eye-ring. Latin name: Larus
novaehollandiae[1]



silverhake

silverhake
sil·ver
hake
noun

marine food fish:
a common fish resembling a cod with silvery scales. It is found in North
American Atlantic coastal waters and is an important food fish. Latin name: Merluccius
bilinearis[1]



silveriodide

silveriodide
sil·ver
i·o·dide
noun

yellow compound used in
photography: a yellow
light-sensitive powder that is used in photographic emulsions and as an
antiseptic. It can also be scattered in clouds to cause rainfall. AgI[1]



silverlining

silverlining
sil·ver
lin·ing
(plural sil·ver lin·ings) noun

benefit
from adversity: something that offers hope or benefit in
a situation that is generally adverse
[From the proverb “Every
cloud has a silver lining”][1]



silvermaple

silvermaple
sil·ver
ma·ple
(plural sil·ver ma·ples) noun

1.  N
American maple with silvery leaves: a
common North American maple tree with deeply cut five-lobed leaves that are
light green above and silvery-white underneath. Latin name: Acer saccharinum

2.  hard
wood:
the hard wood of the silver maple tree

[1]



silvermedal

silvermedal
sil·ver
med·al
(plural sil·ver med·als) noun

award
for coming in second: an award for taking second
place in a race or other competition, usually in the form of a silver disk on a
ribbon
—sil·ver med·al·ist, noun[1]



silvern

silvern
sil·vern 
[sílvərn] adjective

of
or like silver: made of or resembling silver (archaic
or literary)
[Old English silfren,
formed from siolfor (see silver )][1]



silvernitrate

silvernitrate
sil·ver
ni·trate
noun

white compound for
photography and medicine: a white
poisonous light-sensitive compound used in photographic emulsions, as a
chemical reagent, and in medicine as an antiseptic and astringent. AgNO3[1]



silverperch

silverperch
sil·ver
perch
noun

1.  silvery
fish resembling perch: a silvery fish resembling a
perch, for example, the white crappie and white perch

2.  U.S.
coastal fish: a drum fish found along the southern
Atlantic coast of the United States. Latin name: Bairdiella chrysoura
Also
called
mademoiselle

[1]



silver-plate

silver-plate
sil·ver-plate 
(past sil·ver-plat·ed, past participle sil·ver-plat·ed,
present participle sil·ver-plat·ing, 3rd person present
singular sil·ver-plates) transitive verb

coat something with silver:
to coat something, especially a base metal, with a thin layer of silver,
usually by electroplating[1]



silverplate

silverplate
sil·ver
plate
noun

1.  thin
layer of silver: a thin layer of silver, especially one
that is used to coat a base metal

2.  items
coated in silver: items, especially of tableware, that are
made from a base metal coated with a thin layer of silver

[1]



silverpoint

silverpoint
sil·ver·point 
[sílvər pòynt] (plural sil·ver·points)
noun

1.  drawing
technique using silver-tipped pencil: a
drawing technique that involves using a silver-tipped pencil on specially
prepared paper or parchment

2.  drawing
in silverpoint: a drawing made using the silverpoint
technique

[1]



silversalmon

silversalmon
sil·ver
sal·mon
noun

See
coho salmon[1]



silverscreen

silverscreen
sil·ver
screen
(plural sil·ver screens) noun

1.  movies:
movies or the movie industry in general

2.  film
projection screen: the screen that movies are
projected onto

[1]



silverside

silverside
sil·ver·side 
[sílvər sd] noun

small fish with silvery band:
a small bony fish with a broad silvery stripe along each side of its body.
Family: Atherinidae[1]



silversmith

silversmith
sil·ver·smith 
[sílvər smìth] (plural sil·ver·smiths)
noun

worker
in silver:
somebody who is skilled in making or repairing silver or silver-plated objects
[Old
English seolforsmi]
—sil·ver·smith·ing, noun[1]



silverspoon

silverspoon
sil·ver
spoon
(plural sil·ver spoons) noun

high
social status: inherited wealth and high social status
[From the expression be
born with a silver spoon in your mouth “to be born advantageously into a
wealthy family”][1]



silverspot

silverspot
sil·ver·spot
[sílvər spòt] (plural sil·ver·spots)
noun

butterfly with silver-colored
spots: a butterfly of northern
temperate areas that has silver-colored spots. Family: Nymphalidae[1]



silverstandard

silverstandard
sil·ver
stan·dard
(plural sil·ver stan·dards) noun

basis for currency:
a basis for currency consisting of a reserve of silver for which issued bills
are redeemable at a fixed rate[1]



SilverStar

SilverStar
Sil·ver
Star
(plural Sil·ver Stars) or Sil·ver Star Med·al (plural
Sil·ver Star Med·als) noun

military decoration:
a U.S. military decoration for gallantry in combat[1]



silvertail

silvertail
sil·ver·tail
[sílvər tàyl] (plural sil·ver·tails)
noun

Australia
member of high society:
an affluent and influential member of society (slang)[1]



silvertip

silvertip
sil·ver·tip 
[sílvər tìp] (plural sil·ver·tips)
noun

See
grizzly bear
[Late 19th century. From the
white tips of its hairs.][1]



silver-tongued

silver-tongued
sil·ver-tongued 
adjective

eloquent:
having the gift of persuading or complimenting people eloquently and with charm[1]



silverware

silverware
sil·ver·ware 
[sílvər wàir] noun

1.  metal
tableware:
metal knives, forks, and other items of tableware

2.  silver
items:
items made of silver or silver plate, especially tableware

[1]



silverweed

silverweed
sil·ver·weed 
[sílvər wd] noun

creeping plant:
a creeping plant of the rose family that has yellow flowers and leaves with
silvery undersides. Latin name: Potentila anserina[1]



silvery

silvery
sil·ver·y 
[sílvəree] adjective

1.  like
silver:
resembling silver, especially in color or sheen

2.  with
silver:
containing some silver or coated with a thin layer of silver

3.  clear
and resonant: clear and ringing in tone • silvery
peals of laughter
—sil·ver·i·ness, noun[1]



silvex

silvex
sil·vex 
[síl vèks] noun

chemical
herbicide:
an herbicide used to control woody plants that is toxic to animals. Its use is
now widely banned or severely restricted. C9H7Cl3O3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin silva “a wood” + -ex, as in exterminate .][1]



silvicolous

silvicolous
sil·vic·o·lous 
[sil víkələss] adjective

living
or growing in woods: used to describe plants and
animals that grow or live in woods or forests
[Formed from Latin silvicola
“living in woods”][1]



silviculture

silviculture
sil·vi·cul·ture 
[sílvi kùlchər] or syl·vi·cul·ture
[sílvi kùlchər] noun

branch
of forestry: the study, cultivation, and management
of forest trees
[Late
19th century. From French, from Latin silva “a wood” + French culture
“cultivation.”]
—sil·vi·cul·tur·al
[sìlvi kúlchərəl], adjective

—sil·vi·cul·tur·ist [sìlvi kúlchərist], noun[1]



sim.

sim.
sim.

Abbreviation of
similar[1]



sima

sima
si·ma 
[smə] (plural si·mas) noun

Buddhist ordination place:
an area consecrated for the ordination of Buddhist monks, and for other formal
monastic activities[1]



simarouba

simarouba
si·ma·rou·ba 
[sìmmə rbə] (plural si·ma·rou·bas)
or si·ma·ru·ba [sìmmə rbə] (plural
si·ma·ru·bas) noun

tree with medicinal
properties: a tropical American tree of
the quassia family with bark that has various medicinal properties. Genus: Simaruba[1]



SimchatTorah

SimchatTorah
Sim·chat
To·rah 
[sìm khaat táwrə] or Sim·chas
To·rah [sìm khaas táwrə] or Sim·chath
To·rah [sìm khaat táwrə] noun

Jewish
festival:
a Jewish festival at the end of Succoth celebrating the end of the annual cycle
of reading from the Torah and the beginning of a new one
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew śimḥath tōrā, literally “rejoicing of the Torah.”][1]



Simcoe,John Graves

Simcoe,John Graves
Sim·coe
[símkō], John Graves (1752–1806)

British military officer. He
was lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (1791–1796).[1]



Simenon,Georges

Simenon,Georges
Si·me·non
[seemə náwN], Georges (1903–1989)

Belgian-born
French writer. He published more than 500 novels under a variety of pseudonyms,
but is best known for the 80 crime novels featuring his tough and intuitive
sleuth, Inspector Maigret.
Full name
Simenon, Georges Joseph Christian[1]



SimeonStylites, Saint

SimeonStylites, Saint
Sim·e·on
Sty·li·tes 
[sìmmee ən stī lt eez], Saint (390?–459)

Syrian ascetic. He was the
first “pillar saint,” so called for the stone pillar near Antioch on which he
resided for long periods of time and from which he preached.[1]



Simferopol

Simferopol
Sim·fer·o·pol 
[sìmfə ráwpəl] or Sim·fer·o·pol’
[sìmfə ráwpəl]

city on the Crimean
Peninsula, in southern Ukraine, situated about 48 km/30 mi northeast of
Sevastopol. Population: 353,000 (1991)[1]



simian

simian
sim·i·an 
[símmee ən] adjective

of
or like monkeys and apes: belonging to or
characteristic of monkeys or apes, or resembling such animals in appearance or
behavior
noun
(plural sim·i·ans)

monkey:
a monkey or an ape
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin simia “ape,” from, ultimately, Greek simos
“snub-nosed.”][1]



similar

similar
sim·i·lar 
[símmələr] adjective

1.  alike:
sharing some qualities, but not exactly identical

2.  GEOMETRY the
same proportionally: used to describe geometric
figures that differ in size or proportion but not in shape or angular
measurements

3.  Malaysia,
Singapore identical:
exactly the same
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French similaire from medieval Latin similaris,
from Latin similis “like.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  similar
  to
  In
  its meaning “of the same kind, having resemblances,” similar
  is followed by to : • My
  own experience has been similar to yours .
  Use with as, though occasionally found, is incorrect: • I
  had a similar experience as yours.

[1]



similarity

similarity
sim·i·lar·i·ty 
[sìmmə lérrətee] (plural sim·i·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  likeness:
the possession of one or more qualities in common

2.  shared
characteristic: a quality or feature that two or more
things or people have in common

[1]



similarly

similarly
sim·i·lar·ly
[símmələrlee] adverb

1.  in
a similar way: so as to share some qualities but not
exactly identical

2.  correspondingly:
used to indicate that something corresponds to or is similar to something else

[1]



simile

simile
sim·i·le 
[símməlee] (plural sim·i·les) noun

figurative
language drawing comparison: a figure of speech that
draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing
the word “like” or “as,” for example, “as white as a sheet.”
See
also
metaphor
[14th century. From Latin simile
“a like thing,” from similis “like.”][1]



similitude

similitude
si·mil·i·tude 
[si míllə td] (plural si·mil·i·tudes)
noun

1.  being
similar:
likeness or resemblance (formal)

2.  something
or somebody that resembles another:
something or somebody that is like something or somebody else

3.  a
similarity:
a shared characteristic (formal)

4.  form
or semblance: a form or semblance of somebody or
something (formal or literary)

5.  simile
or allegory: a simile, allegory, or parable (archaic)
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin similitudo “likeness,” from similis
“like.”][1]



simious

simious
sim·i·ous 
[símmee əss] adjective

simian:
simian (archaic)[1]



simitar

simitar
sim·i·tar
(plural sim·i·tars) noun

See
scimitar[1]



Simla

Simla
Sim·la
[símlə]

capital city of Himachal
Pradesh State, northwestern India. Population: 81,463 (1991)[1]



Simmental

Simmental
Sim·men·tal 
[zímmən tl] (plural Sim·men·tals
or Sim·men·tal) or Sim·men·thal [zímmən tl] (plural Sim·men·thals or
Sim·men·thal) noun

large
Swiss cow:
a large cow with a yellowish-brown or reddish coat, a white head, and white
legs. It belongs to a breed originating in Switzerland and is bred for beef and
milk.
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Simmental valley in central Switzerland.][1]



simmer

simmer
sim·mer 
[símmər] verb (past sim·mered,
past participle sim·mered, present participle sim·mer·ing,
3rd person present singular sim·mers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING cook just below boil:
to cook gently or cook something gently just below boiling point, usually with
the occasional bubble breaking on the surface

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING stay or keep something below
boil:
to stay just below boiling point, or to cause a liquid to stay just below
boiling point

3.  intransitive
verb
be
growing angry: to have anger, or some other strong
emotion, building up inside • simmering
with rage

4.  intransitive
verb
build
up:
to build up or ferment, often without being expressed “with grief and rage and
laughter all simmering within me like a boiling pot” Arthur Conan Doyle The
Lost World 1912
noun
(plural sim·mers)

COOKING gentle
cooking temperature: a cooking temperature that
cooks food or keeps liquid at just below boiling point
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of obsolete English simper “to simmer,” which may have been an imitation
of the sound.][1]



simmerdown

simmerdown
simmer
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
become
calm:
to become calm, for example, after an outburst of anger or a state of
excitement

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING condense by simmering:
to condense something by simmering or boiling it gently, or to reduce the
volume of something in this way

[1]



simnelcake

simnelcake
sim·nel
cake
[símnəl kàyk] (plural sim·nel
cakes) noun

U.K.
Easter
fruitcake:
a fruitcake covered with marzipan or with a layer of marzipan baked in the
middle, usually served during the Christian celebrations of Lent or Easter. It
is traditionally decorated with 11 balls of marzipan representing the loyal
apostles of Jesus Christ, excluding Judas Iscariot.
[13th century. “Simnel” via
Old French simenel from, ultimately, Latin simila “fine flour”
(source of English semolina ).][1]



simoleon

simoleon
si·mo·le·on 
[sə mṓlee ən] (plural si·mo·le·ons)
noun

dollar:
a dollar (dated slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Simon

Simon
Si·mon 
[smən] noun

apostle of Jesus Christ:
in the New Testament, one of the 12 apostles, traditionally believed to have
been martyred in Persia with St. Jude. Known as Simon the Zealot[1]



Simone,Nina

Simone,Nina
Si·mone
[si mṓn], Nina (1933– )

U.S.
jazz singer and composer. She wrote and sang protest songs against racism in
the 1960s, using her smoky contralto voice to great dramatic effect.
Real name
Waymon, Eunice Kathleen[1]



simoniac

simoniac
si·mo·ni·ac 
[sī mṓnee àk, si
mṓnee àk] noun (plural si·mo·ni·acs)

somebody
trading in sacred things: somebody who buys and sells
sacred things or who has been found guilty of buying and selling sacred things
adjective
si·mo·ni·ac si·mo·ni·a·cal

connected
with simony: relating or belonging to the buying or
selling of sacred or spiritual things
[14th century. From French simoniaque,
from late Latin simonia (see simony
).][1]



SimonLegree

SimonLegree
Si·mon
Le·gree 
[smən lə gr] (plural Si·mon
Le·grees) noun

disciplinarian:
somebody who is considered to be a hard taskmaster and a stickler for
discipline
[Named for the brutal owner
of enslaved people in Harriet Beecher Stowe ’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin ( 1852
) who had the eponymous African American hero beaten to death][1]



Simon,Neil

Simon,Neil
Si·mon 
[smən], Neil (1927– )

U.S.
playwright. Plays such as The Odd Couple ( 1965 ) and Sweet Charity
( 1966 ) made him the country’s most successful writer of comedies. He later
wrote more serious works including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lost in
Yonkers ( 1991 ).
Full name
Simon, Marvin Neil[1]



simon-pure

simon-pure
si·mon-pure 
adjective

genuine:
completely genuine or authentic, often used to describe somebody who is an
amateur as opposed to a professional
[Late 18th century. From Simon
Pure, the name of a character in Susannah Centlivre ’s play A Bold
Stroke for a Wife ( 1717 ).][1]



simony

simony
si·mo·ny 
[smənee] noun

trading
in sacred things: in Christianity, the buying or selling
of sacred or spiritual things
[13th
century. Via French simonie from late Latin simonia, from Simon
Magus, the name of a Samaritan who tried to buy the power of conferring the
Holy Spirit.]
—si·mo·nist, noun[1]



Simon’sTown

Simon’sTown
Si·mon’s
Town

town and naval base in
Western Cape Province, South Africa, situated about 32 km/20 mi south of Cape
Town. Population: 6,500 (1997)[1]



simoom

simoom
si·moom 
[si mm] or si·moon [si mn] noun

hot
dry wind of N Africa: a hot dry wind that blows
across North Africa and the Arabian peninsula, carrying dust and sand particles
[Late 18th century. From
Arabic samūm, from samma “to poison.”][1]



simp

simp
simp 
[simp] (plural simps) noun

simpleton:
a simpleton (informal offensive)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



simpatico

simpatico
sim·pa·ti·co 
[sim ptikō, sim
páttikō] adjective

compatible:
sharing similar temperaments or interests and, therefore, able to get on well
together
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish simpático or Italian simpatico “sympathetic” from,
ultimately, Latin sympathia .][1]



simper

simper
sim·per 
[símpər] verb (past sim·pered,
past participle sim·pered, present participle sim·per·ing,
3rd person present singular sim·pers)

1.  transitive
verb
say
something coyly: to say something while simpering

2.  intransitive
verb
smile
coyly:
to smile in an affected, coy, and usually irritating way
noun
(plural sim·pers)

affected smile:
a coy and affected smile
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian source.]
—sim·per·er,
noun

—sim·per·ing,
adjective, noun

—sim·per·ing·ly, adverb[1]



simple

simple
sim·ple 
[símp’l] adjective (comparative
sim·pler, superlative sim·plest)

1.  easy:
easy to do, understand, or work out because not complicated • a
simple task

2.  not
elaborate:
lacking decoration or embellishment and therefore plain in appearance • a
simple black dress

3.  not
complex:
made up of or having only one part or element • a
simple organism

4.  without
complications: with no complications, luxuries, or
embellishments • the simple life

5.  straightforward:
ordinary or straightforward • It’s a
simple case of the flu and I should be back to work in a couple of days.

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody with an intellectual capacity that does
not allow somebody to perform higher level cognitive processes (offensive)

7.  naive:
naive and lacking in depth and detail

8.  humble:
humble and unsophisticated • simple
folk

9.  guileless:
direct, sincere, or lacking any form of deceitfulness

10. CHEMISTRY containing
one compound only: consisting of a single
chemical compound

11. BIOLOGY not
divided:
not divided, either totally or partially, into separate segments • a
simple leaf.
See
also
compound
noun
(archaic)

1.  naive
or unintelligent person: a naive, unsophisticated, or
unintelligent person

2.  simple
thing:
something that has no additions, complications, or separate parts

3.  herbal
medicine:
an herbal medicine or an herb that yields medicine
[Pre-12th
century. Via French from Latin simplus . Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English assemble, same,
single, and some .]
—sim·ple·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at simplistic.

[1]



simpleclosed curve

simpleclosed curve
sim·ple
closed curve (plural sim·ple closed curves)
noun

curved line enclosing space:
a plane curve, for example, a circle or ellipse, that is closed and does not
intersect itself[1]



simpleequation

simpleequation
sim·ple
e·qua·tion
(plural sim·ple e·qua·tions) noun

See
linear equation[1]



simplefraction

simplefraction
sim·ple
frac·tion
(plural sim·ple frac·tions) noun

fraction with line, not
decimal point: a fraction that
consists of two whole numbers separated by a horizontal or slanting line, as
opposed to a decimal fraction.
Also called
common fraction
Also called
vulgur fraction[1]



simplefracture

simplefracture
sim·ple
frac·ture
(plural sim·ple frac·tures) noun

bone fracture not involving
tissue damage: a fracture of a bone in
which the fragments remain in their correct alignment, with little damage to
the surrounding tissue[1]



simplefruit

simplefruit
sim·ple
fruit
(plural sim·ple fruits) noun

fruit from one pistil:
a fruit, for example, a pea pod or a tomato, that forms from a single pistil[1]



simpleharmonic motion

simpleharmonic motion
sim·ple
har·mon·ic mo·tion noun

See
harmonic motion[1]



simple-hearted

simple-hearted
sim·ple-heart·ed
adjective

lacking deviousness:
honest, open, and lacking deceit or deviousness[1]



simpleinterest

simpleinterest
sim·ple
in·ter·est
noun

interest that is not
compounded: interest on an investment
that is calculated once per period, usually annually, on the amount of the
capital alone and not on any interest already earned[1]



simplemachine

simplemachine
sim·ple
ma·chine
(plural sim·ple ma·chines) noun

basic elementary machine:
any one of the six devices formerly considered to be the elements from which
all machines were composed. They were the inclined plane, lever, pulley, screw,
wedge, and wheel and axle.[1]



simple-minded

simple-minded
sim·ple-mind·ed
adjective

1.  lacking
due thought: showing a lack of intelligent thinking
or proper consideration

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody whose intellectual ability is limited (offensive)

3.  unsophisticated:
without guile or complexity
—sim·ple-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—sim·ple-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



simpleprotein

simpleprotein
sim·ple
pro·tein
(plural sim·ple pro·teins) noun

protein from amino acids
only: a protein such as globulin
that yields only amino acids on complete hydrolysis[1]



simplesentence

simplesentence
sim·ple
sen·tence
(plural sim·ple sen·tenc·es) noun

sentence with one clause:
a sentence that takes the form of a single main clause with no relative or
subordinate clause, for example, “I read the book.”
See also
complex sentence
See also
compound sentence[1]



SimpleSimon

SimpleSimon
Sim·ple
Si·mon 
(plural Sim·ple Si·mons) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody, especially a man or boy, who is
perceived as lacking intelligence or sophistication (insult)
[From the name of a character
in a nursery rhyme][1]



simplesugar

simplesugar
sim·ple
sug·ar
(plural sim·ple sug·ars) noun

See
monosaccharide[1]



simpletense

simpletense
sim·ple
tense
(plural sim·ple tens·es) noun

verb tense:
a grammatical form of a verb that expresses a relationship of time without
using any auxiliary or modal verbs. In English, there are only two simple
tenses, the simple present, as in “I walk,” and the simple past, as in “I
walked.”[1]



simpletime

simpletime
sim·ple
time
noun

tempo with beats divisible by
two: a musical tempo in which the
main beats are divisible by two, for example, 2/2 or 4/4 time[1]



simpleton

simpleton
sim·ple·ton 
[símp’ltən] (plural sim·ple·tons)
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who seems to lack intelligence or
common sense (insult)[1]



simplex

simplex
sim·plex 
[sím plèks] adjective

1.  simple:
containing, using, or designed for a single element or component

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS allowing
transmission in one direction: allowing transmission
of signals or communication in only one direction at a time
noun
(plural sim·plex·es)

1.  LINGUISTICS root
form of word: a word in its base form, without any
inflections, prefixes, or suffixes, and not formed by putting two distinct words
together. The words “book” and “mark” are simplexes, whereas “bookmark,”
“books,” “marked,” and “remark” are not.

2.  GEOMETRY geometric
figure or element: a geometric element in a
Euclidean space that exhibits the minimum number of dimensions of the space,
for example, a line in one-dimensional space or a triangle in two-dimensional
space

3.  apartment
on one floor: an apartment with all rooms on one floor
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from simplus (see simple
).][1]



simplicity

simplicity
sim·plic·i·ty 
[sim plíssətee] (plural sim·plic·i·ties)
noun

1.  being
simple:
lack of complexity, complication, embellishment, or difficulty

2.  simple
thing:
a simple quality or thing
[14th century. Directly or
via French simplicité from Latin simplicitas “simpleness,” from simplex
(see simplex ).][1]



simplify

simplify
sim·pli·fy 
[símpli f] (past sim·pli·fied,
past participle sim·pli·fied, present participle sim·pli·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular sim·pli·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
something easier: to make something less complicated or
easier to understand

2.  MATHEMATICS reduce
mathematical expression to simpler terms: to
convert a mathematical expression, for example, a fraction or equation, to a
simpler form by removing common factors or regrouping elements
[Mid-17th
century. Via French simplifier from medieval Latin simplificare,
from Latin simplus (see simple ).]
—sim·pli·fi·ca·tion
[sìmplifi káysh’n], noun

—sim·pli·fic·a·tive
[símplifi kàytiv], adjective

—sim·pli·fi·er [símpli fr], noun[1]



simplism

simplism
sim·plism 
[sím plìzzəm] (plural sim·plisms)
noun

fondness
for the simple: a tendency to avoid or ignore the
complexities of something
—sim·plist, noun[1]



simplistic

simplistic
sim·plis·tic
[sim plístik] adjective

1.  naively
simple:
characterized by naive simplicity

2.  simplifying
too much:
tending to oversimplify something, especially by avoiding or ignoring its
complexities
—sim·plis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  simple
  or simplistic ?
  Simplistic is normally a derogatory
  word, implying that something is artificially oversimplified rather than
  naturally simple: • He
  argued that it was simplistic to reject these methods as unscientific.
  It should not be used as an alternative or supposedly stronger word for simple : A simplistic [use simple
  ] approach would be helpful here.

[1]



SimplonPass

SimplonPass
Sim·plon
Pass 
[sìm plon páss]

mountain pass in the Swiss
Alps, between Brig in Switzerland, and Iselle in northern Italy. Height: 2,009
m/6,590 ft.[1]



simply

simply
sim·ply 
[símplee] adverb

1.  nothing
other than:
with nothing else involved • It was
simply a misunderstanding.

2.  plainly:
in an uncomplicated, straightforward, or plain way • To
put it simply, I can’t afford it.

3.  at
all or totally: to any or the fullest degree or extent • simply
astonishing

4.  frankly:
frankly and without embellishment • It
was, quite simply, the best they had in stock.

5.  naively:
without full understanding

[1]



SimpsonDesert

SimpsonDesert
Simp·son
Des·ert

desert in central Australia,
centered on the junction of the South Australia, Northern Territory, and
Queensland borders. Area: 77,000 sq km/29,723 sq mi.[1]



Simpson,George

Simpson,George
Simp·son
[símps’n], Sir George (1787?–1860)

British-born
Canadian administrator and explorer. He was the governor of the Hudson’s Bay
Company from 1821 to 1856. In 1841–1842 he traveled overland around the world.
Known as
Little Emperor[1]



Simpson,O.J.

Simpson,O.J.
Simp·son
[símps’n], O.J. (1947– )

U.S.
football player, sportscaster, and actor. He was one of the NFL’s greatest
running backs in a ten-year career, mostly with the Buffalo Bills. He was
acquitted of murdering his wife after a controversial criminal trial (1995),
but convicted in a civil trial (1997).
Full name
Simpson, Orenthal James[1]



simulacrum

simulacrum
sim·u·la·crum 
[sìmmyə láykrəm, sìmmyə
lákrəm] (plural sim·u·la·cra [sìmmyə
lákrə]) noun

1.  representation
or image:
a representation or image of something

2.  something
vaguely similar: something that has a vague, tentative,
or shadowy resemblance to something else
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, formed from simulare (see simulate
).][1]



simulant

simulant
sim·u·lant
[símmyələnt] adjective

simulating:
serving to imitate or reproduce the essential features of something (formal)
noun

See
simulator  noun 1
[Mid-18th century. From the
present participle stem of Latin simulare (see simulate
).][1]



simular

simular
sim·u·lar 
[símmyələr] noun (plural sim·u·lars)

somebody
or something fake: somebody or something that
mimics, simulates, or pretends to be another person or thing, especially for
deceptive purposes (archaic)
adjective

fake:
mimicking, simulating, or pretending to be somebody or something else,
especially for deceptive purposes (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Formed
from Latin simulare (see simulate ),
perhaps on the model of similar .][1]



simulate

simulate
sim·u·late 
[símmyə làyt] transitive verb (past
sim·u·lat·ed, past participle sim·u·lat·ed, present
participle sim·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular sim·u·lates)

1.  reproduce
features of something: to reproduce an essential
feature or features of something, for example, as an aid to study or training • a
computer model simulating the process of continental drift

2.  fake
something:
to feign something, or pretend to experience something • simulating
enjoyment

3.  mimic
somebody or something: to mimic or imitate somebody
or something
adjective

fake or deceptive:
mimicking, simulating, or pretending to be something or somebody else (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin simulat-, the past participle stem of simulare
“to simulate,” from similis “like” (source of English similar ).]
—sim·u·la·tive,
adjective

—sim·u·la·tive·ly, adverb[1]



simulated

simulated
sim·u·lat·ed 
[símmyə làytəd] adjective

1.  reproduced
by simulation: reproduced or realized by simulation,
especially computer simulation

2.  not
genuine:
artificial, especially made in imitation of a genuine article, fabric, or other
substance

3.  false:
feigned or faked

[1]



simulation

simulation
sim·u·la·tion 
[sìmmyə láysh’n] (plural sim·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  reproduction
of features of something: the reproduction of the
essential features of something, for example, as an aid to study or training

2.  false
appearance:
the imitation or feigning of something

3.  fake:
an artificial or imitation object

4.  COMPUTING STATISTICS construction
of mathematical model: the construction of a
mathematical model to reproduce the characteristics of a phenomenon, system, or
process, often using a computer, in order to infer information or solve
problems
[14th century][1]



simulator

simulator
sim·u·la·tor 
[símmyə làytər] (plural sim·u·la·tors)
noun

1.  device
that simulates something: a device, instrument, or
piece of equipment designed to reproduce the essential features of something,
for example, as an aid to study or training.
Also
called
simulant
See
also
emulator  noun 2

2.  somebody
who simulates something: somebody who feigns or
imitates something
—sim·u·la·to·ry [símmyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



simulcast

simulcast
si·mul·cast 
[smm’l kàst] noun (plural si·mul·casts)

1.  simultaneous
TV and radio broadcast: a program that is broadcast
simultaneously on both television and radio, on multiple channels, or in
multiple languages

2.  live
broadcast:
a live broadcast of an event on closed-circuit television
transitive
verb
(past si·mul·cast, past participle si·mul·cast, present
participle si·mul·cast·ing, 3rd person present singular si·mul·casts)

make simultaneous broadcast:
to broadcast a simulcast program
[Mid-20th century. Blend of simultaneous and broadcast
.][1]



simultaneous

simultaneous
si·mul·ta·ne·ous 
[sm’l táynee əss] (plural si·mul·ta·ne·ous·es)
adjective

1.  at
the same time: done, happening, or existing at the same
time

2.  MATHEMATICS taking
same variables: used to describe equations that are
satisfied by the same values of the variables
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin simultaneus, from Latin simul “at
the same time,” probably on the model of momentaneus “momentary.”]
—si·mul·ta·ne·i·ty
[sm’ltə n ətee], noun

—si·mul·ta·ne·ous·ly
[sm’l táynee əsslee], adverb

—si·mul·ta·ne·ous·ness
[sm’l táynee əssnəss], noun[1]



sin

sin2
sin2

Abbreviation of
sine
See also
cos
See also
tan[1]



sin

sin1
sin1 [sin]
noun (plural sins)

1.  transgression
of theological principles: an act, a thought, or
behavior that goes against the law or teachings of a particular religion,
especially when the person who commits it is aware of this

2.  shameful
offense:
something that offends a moral or ethical principle

3.  estrangement
from God:
in Christian theology, the condition of being denied God’s grace because of a
sin or sins committed
intransitive
verb
(past sinned, past participle sinned, present
participle sin·ning, 3rd person present singular sins)

1.  knowingly
do wrong:
to commit a sin, especially by knowingly violating a law or the teachings of a
particular religion

2.  commit
shameful offense: to commit any serious moral or ethical
offense
[Old
English synn . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that also produced
German Sünde “sin” and perhaps Latin sons “guilty.”]
live
in sin

to live together as husband
and wife without being married (dated or humorous)[1]



Sinai

Sinai
Si·nai
[s n]

peninsula in the Middle East
bounded on the east by the Gulf of Aqaba, on the north by the Mediterranean
Sea, and on the west by the Gulf of Suez. A sparsely populated wilderness, it
has long been the land bridge between Africa and Asia. Area: 60,863 sq
km/23,500 sq mi.[1]



Sinai,Mount

Sinai,Mount
Si·nai,
Mount
[s n]

mountain in northeastern
Egypt on the south central Sinai Peninsula, about 2,888 m/7,500 ft high.
According to the Bible, it is the place where Moses received the Ten
Commandments (Exodus 19) .[1]



sinamay

sinamay
si·na·may 
[snə m, sínnə
m] noun

fabric
made from banana-plant fibers: a stiff open-weave
fabric spun from the fibers of the banana plant, used in making hats
[Mid-20th century. From
Tagalog .][1]



Sinanthropus

Sinanthropus
Sin·an·thro·pus 
[sin ánthrəpəss] (plural Sin·an·thro·pus·es)
noun

Peking
man:
the original scientific name for Peking man
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin, coined from late Latin Sinae “the Chinese” + Greek anthrōpos
“person.”][1]



Sinatra,Frank

Sinatra,Frank
Si·na·tra
[si ntrə], Frank (1915–1998)

U.S.
singer and actor. He won an Academy Award for From Here to Eternity (
1953 ), and is generally recognized as the supreme master of the popular song.
Full name
Sinatra, Francis Albert[1]



sinbin

sinbin
sin
bin
(plural sin bins) noun

area for penalized players:
an area with a bench beside an ice-hockey rink where penalized players must
stay during the period they have to serve as a time penalty for an offense (slang)[1]



since

since
since 
[sinss] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate that a situation has continued from a
particular time or event in the past • (preposition)
Karen has lived in London since 1988. • (adverb)
She left the firm in 1980 and has since been self-employed.
• (conjunction)
He has been on a high since he got married in January.

1.
preposition conjunction happening
after:
happening at some point or points after the stated period of time or event • The
rate of job growth is higher than under any administration since 1920.
• Since
Ryland became commissioner in 1994, all complaints are investigated fully.

2.
adverb subsequently: at
some point between then and now • even
when the department had an engineer, who has since retired

3.
conjunction because:
because, seeing that • He
recalls that since it was fall, it was already dark by 6:00 p.m.
[15th
century. Contraction of earlier sithence, from Old English siððan,
from sīð “after” + þām “that.”]
long
since

a
long time ago

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at because.

[1]



sincere

sincere
sin·cere 
[sin sr] (comparative sin·cer·er,
superlative sin·cer·est) adjective

1.  honest
and open:
honest and unaffected in a way that shows what is said is really meant

2.  not
feigned:
based on what is truly and deeply felt
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin sincerus “pure, whole.”]
—sin·cere·ly,
adverb

—sin·cere·ness, noun[1]



sincerity

sincerity
sin·cer·i·ty 
[sin sérrətee] noun

honesty and genuineness:
honesty in the expression of true or deep feelings[1]



sinciput

sinciput
sin·ci·put 
[sínssəpət] (plural sin·ci·puts
or sin·cip·i·ta [sin síppətə])
noun

part
of skull including forehead: the part of the skull that
includes the forehead and the area above it
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “half head.”]
—sin·cip·i·tal [sin síppət’l], adjective[1]



Sinclair,Upton

Sinclair,Upton
Sin·clair
[sin kláir, sing
kláir], Upton (1878–1968)

U.S.
writer and reformer. His social and political novels include The Jungle
( 1906 ). He ran unsuccessfully for several public offices including governor
of California (1934).
Full name
Sinclair, Upton Beall[1]



Sind

Sind
Sind 
[sind]

historical region of
southeastern Pakistan in the lower Indus valley. A province of British India
from 1843, it became part of Pakistan after partition in 1947. Capital:
Karachi. Population: 21,682,000 (1985) Area: 140,914 sq km/54,407 sq mi.[1]



Sindhi

Sindhi
Sin·dhi 
[síndee] (plural Sin·dhi or
Sin·dhis) noun

1.  somebody
from Sind:
somebody who was born or raised in Sind

2.  Sindhi
language:
the Indic language spoken in Sind and parts of western India. Sindhi is spoken
by about 14 million people.
[Early 19th century. Via
Persian and Urdu sindī from Sind (see Sind
), from Sanskrit sindhu “river,” specifically “the Indus.”][1]



sine

sine
sine
[sīn] (plural sines) noun

1.  trigonometric
function for angles: for a given angle in a right
triangle, a trigonometric function equal to the length of the side opposite the
angle divided by the hypotenuse

2.  mathematical
function on circle: a mathematical function
equal to the vertical coordinate of a circumference point divided by the radius
of a circle with its center at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system
[Late 16th century. From
Latin sinus “a curve, fold” (source of English sinus ) later “fold in a garment.” From the
confusion of Arabic jiba “sine” with jayb “fold in a garment.”][1]



sinecure

sinecure
si·ne·cure 
[snə kyr] (plural si·ne·cures)
noun

1.  paid
job requiring little work: a job or position that
provides a regular income but requires little or no work

2.  paid
church office without duties: a church office whose holder
is paid but is not required to do pastoral work
[Mid-17th century. From the
medieval Latin phrase beneficium sine cura, literally “benefice without
cure (of souls).”][1]



sinecurve

sinecurve

sine curve
(plural sine curves) noun
graph of sine function:
a graph of the sine equation “ y = a sin bx,” with “a” and “b” being constants.

Also called
sinusoid[1]



sinedie

sinedie
si·ne
di·e 
[snee d , sìn
ay dée ày] adverb

indefinitely
adjourned:
without a day being fixed for a further meeting (formal) • The
committee was adjourned sine die.
[From Latin, literally
“without day”][1]



sineprole

sineprole
si·ne
pro·le 
[snee prṓ lee, sín
prṓ lay] adverb

LAW without
children:
without offspring • She died in 1985, aged
59, sine prole.
[From Latin, literally
“without offspring”][1]



sinequa non

sinequa non
si·ne
qua non 
[sìnnee kwaa nṓn, sìnni
kwaa nón, snə kwaa nṓn, sni kwaa nón] noun

essential
condition:
an essential condition or prerequisite • The
suspension of industrial activity is considered a sine qua non for talks to
proceed.
[From Latin, literally
“without which (cause) not”][1]



sinew

sinew
sin·ew 
[sínnyoo] noun (plural sin·ews)

1.  See
tendon

2.  strength:
strength, power, or resilience (literary)

3.  source
of power:
a source of strength or power (literary) (often used in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past sin·ewed, past participle sin·ewed, present
participle sin·ew·ing, 3rd person present singular sin·ews)

strengthen somebody or something:
to give added strength to somebody or something
[Old
English sin(e)we, sionwe . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of Dutch zenuw and German Sehne .]
—sin·ew·less, adjective[1]



sinewave

sinewave
sine
wave 
(plural sine waves) noun

wave shaped like sine curve:
a waveform with the shape of a sine curve, representing a single frequency
indefinitely repeated in time[1]



sinewy

sinewy
sin·ew·y 
[sínnyoo ee] adjective

1.  thin
and strong:
lean, tough, and muscular • a
sinewy 20-year-old.

2.  containing
or resembling tendons: consisting of or containing
tendons or stringy parts resembling tendons • a
rather sinewy steak

3.  forceful:
vigorous and forceful (literary) • rich,
sinewy prose
—sin·ew·i·ness, noun[1]



sinfonia

sinfonia
sin·fo·ni·a 
[sin fṓnee ə] (plural sin·fo·ni·as
or sin·fo·ni·e [sin fṓnee ày])
noun

1.  overture
or interlude: a piece of orchestral music used as an
overture or interlude in an opera

2.  symphony
or symphonic work: a complex instrumental
composition, usually for a group of stringed instruments or an orchestra
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian from Latin symphonia “sound of instruments, harmony” (source of
English symphony ).][1]



sinfonietta

sinfonietta
sin·fo·ni·et·ta 
[sìnfən yéttə, sìnfōn
yéttə] (plural sin·fo·ni·et·tas) noun

1.  short
symphony:
an orchestral piece that resembles a symphony but is shorter or written for
fewer instruments, often for strings only

2.  small
orchestra:
a small symphony orchestra, often composed of stringed instruments only
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “little sinfonia,” from sinfonia (see sinfonia ).][1]



sinful

sinful
sin·ful 
[sínf’l] adjective

1.  committing
or characterized by sin: engaging in or characterized
by behavior that goes against the law or teachings of a particular religion

2.  wrong:
morally or ethically wrong • a
sinful waste of an expensive education
[Old
English]
—sin·ful·ly,
adverb

—sin·ful·ness, noun[1]



sing.

sing.
sing.

Abbreviation of
singular[1]



sing

sing
sing 
[sing] verb (past sang
[sang], past participle sung [sung], present participle sing·ing, 3rd
person present singular sings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
music with voice: to use the voice to produce words or
sounds in a musical way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb perform
songs professionally: to perform songs as a
trained or professional singer

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
tuneful animal sound: to make a melodious sound
that is typical of a species (refers to animals)

4.  intransitive
verb
make
continuous musical sound: to make a continuous
whistling, humming, or ringing sound • a
strong wind making the wires sing

5.  intransitive
verb
make
brief speeding sound: to make a brief whistling or
whizzing sound

6.  intransitive
verb
experience
ringing or humming in head: to experience a continuous
ringing or humming sound in the head

7.  transitive
verb
intone
something:
to chant something, especially a religious text, on a single note or a small
range of notes

8.  transitive
verb
sing
for particular purpose: to bring something to a
particular condition by singing • sing
the baby to sleep

9.  intransitive
verb
confess
or implicate somebody: to confess to or implicate others
in a crime (slang)

10. intransitive
and transitive verb tell
about something: to praise somebody or proclaim
something, especially in verse

11. intransitive
verb
be
happy:
to rejoice in something
noun
(plural sings)

performance of songs:
a session of singing, especially by a group gathered for this purpose (informal)
[Old
English singan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English song .]
—sing·a·ble,
adjective

—sing·a·bil·i·ty
[sìngə bíllətee], noun

—sing·ing·ly [sínginglee], adverb[1]



singalong

singalong
sing
along
[síng ə làwng] intransitive verb

sing with somebody:
to join in a song that somebody else is singing[1]



sing-along

sing-along
sing-a·long 
noun

occasion when people sing
together: a meeting of a group of
people to sing songs together for fun, or an impromptu session of singing.
U.K. term
singsong  noun 2[1]



Singapore

Singapore


Sin·ga·pore 
[síng gə pàwr]
city-state
in Southeast Asia, comprising one major island and several islets, situated
south of Malaysia. Language: Chinese. Language: Malay. Language: Singapore
English. Language: Tamil. Currency: Singapore dollar. Population: 2,986,500
(1995) Area: 640 sq km/247 sq mi. Official name Republic of Singapore
—Sin·ga·por·e·an, noun,
adjective[1]



SingaporeEnglish

SingaporeEnglish
Sing·a·pore
Eng·lish
noun

a
variety of English spoken in Singapore





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Singapore English is the English
  language as used in the city-state of Singapore, where it has been
  co-official since 1965 with Mandarin Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, having
  already been a regional lingua franca since the early 19th century. As the
  key language of government, business, and education, it has uniquely acquired
  a large fully native-speaking community of non-Western origin. There are two
  varieties: educated, more formal usage and a patois influenced by Chinese and
  Malay. Singapore English is “non-rhotic” (i.e., “r” is not pronounced in
  words such as art, door, and worker ). It tends to have
  full vowels in all syllables (e.g., 7 is pronounced “seh-ven” not
  “sevn”). Words ending in k, p, and t are generally
  pronounced with “glottal stops,” as in “ki?” (kick), “sto?” (stop), and “pu?”
  (put). Those words ending in clusters such as -st and -ld are
  reduced to the vowel and the first of the last two consonants e.g., “fas” for
  fast, “sol” for sold . Colloquial usage diverges considerably
  from the standard, as in: “You come or not?” for “Are you coming?”; “My dad,
  he come from Penang” for “My dad comes from Penang”; “This hotel cheap” for
  “This hotel is cheap.” Compare MALAYSIAN ENGLISH.

[1]



singe

singe
singe 
[sinj] verb (past singed,
past participle singed, present participle singe·ing,
3rd person present singular sing·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb scorch
something slightly: to burn or cause something
to burn slightly so that only the surface, edge, or tip is affected

2.  transitive
verb
remove
feathers or hair with flame: to expose the carcass of a
bird or animal to a flame in order to remove unwanted feathers, bristles, or hair

3.  transitive
verb
burn
ends of cloth fibers: to burn the short fuzzy ends
of fibers from cloth in the process of manufacturing it
noun
(plural sing·es)

scorch: a
superficial burn
[Old English sencgan][1]



singer

singer
sing·er
[síngər] (plural sing·ers) noun

1.  performer
of songs:
somebody who sings, especially professionally

2.  singing
bird:
a bird that sings

3.  poet
or versifier: somebody who writes poetry or other
verse (literary)

[1]



Singer,Isaac Bashevis

Singer,Isaac Bashevis

Sing·er 
[síngər], Isaac Bashevis (1904–1991)
Polish-born U.S. writer. His novels often
concern Polish-Jewish subjects, and, like most of his works, were written first
in Yiddish. He won the Nobel Prize in literature (1978).[1]



Singer,Isaac M.

Singer,Isaac M.
Sing·er 
[síngər], Isaac M. (1811–1875)

U.S.
inventor and entrepreneur. He patented a home sewing machine (1851) and founded
the Singer Manufacturing Company.
Full name
Singer, Isaac Merritt[1]



Singh.

Singh.
Singh.

Abbreviation of
Singhalese[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Singh

Singh
Singh
noun

Sikh
title adopted as surname: a title adopted as a surname
by a Sikh boy when he is initiated at puberty into the fraternity of warriors
[Early 17th century. Via
Panjabi siṅgh “lion” from Sanskrit siṃha .][1]



Singhalese

Singhalese
Sin·gha·lese 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Sinhalese[1]



singing

singing
sing·ing
[sínging] noun

1.  use
of voice to produce songs: the technique of producing
musical sounds with the voice, or the performance of songs

2.  melodic
sounds:
the melodic or other sounds made by somebody or something that sings
adjective

making musical sound:
performing songs or making a melodic, whistling, humming, or ringing sound

[1]



singingtelegram

singingtelegram
sing·ing
tel·e·gram
(plural sing·ing tel·e·grams) noun

sung message:
a message sung by a messenger paid to do so, or the service of providing sung
messages[1]



single

single
sin·gle 
[síng g’l] adjective

1.  unmarried:
unmarried or characteristic of being unmarried

2.  for
one person:
suitable or designed for one person • We
have a single room on the third floor.

3.  considered
individually: considered separately as something
distinct or unique • every single time

4.  one:
only one • in
the space of a single day

5.  consisting
of one thing: consisting of one part, element, or
quality

6.  between
only two people: taking place as a contest or competition
between two persons only, one to each side • a
single competition

7.  forming
one undivided unit: forming a whole and left
undivided or unbroken • The
swan had been carved from a single block of ice.

8.  uniform:
sole and the same for all • a
single rate for the job

9.  BOTANY with
one petal row: used to describe a flower that has only
one whorl or row of petals
noun
(plural sin·gles)

1.  accommodation
for one:
a room, cabin, or bed for one person • Do you
have any singles left?

2.  MUSIC recording
with one song on a side: a record, cassette, or CD
with only one song on it, or the song recorded

3.  one
dollar:
a one-dollar bill

4.  baseball
hit:
a hit in baseball that allows the batter to reach first base.
Also
called
one-base hit

5.  GOLF two-player
match:
a match between two golfers.
Also
called
twosome

6.  U.K.
outward-bound
ticket:
a ticket that covers the outward-bound part of a journey to a destination but
not the return

7.  sin·gles
racquet
game between two players: a match between two players
in a racquet game
plural
noun
sin·gles

unmarried people:
unmarried people considered as a group
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sin·gled,
past participle sin·gled, present participle sin·gling,
3rd person present singular sin·gles)

hit baseball single:
to hit a single in baseball or advance a runner by hitting a single
[13th
century. Via Old French sengle, single from Latin singulus,
from the stem of simplus (see simple
).]
—sin·gle·ness, noun[1]



single-action

single-action
sin·gle-ac·tion
adjective

requiring
cocked hammer of firearm: requiring the hammer of a
firearm to be cocked by hand before each shot can be fired
noun

firearm requiring cocked
hammer: a firearm that cannot be
fired until the hammer is cocked by hand[1]



single-blind

single-blind
sin·gle-blind
(plural sin·gle-blinds) adjective

designed to avoid bias:
used to describe an experiment or clinical trial in which the subjects are not
told whether the tested substance or procedure they receive is active, in order
to avoid subjective bias in the results. Single-blind experiments are often
used to test people’s reaction to drugs so as to eliminate the placebo effect.
See also
double-blind[1]



singlebond

singlebond
sin·gle
bond
(plural sin·gle bonds) noun

covalent chemical bond:
a covalent bond between two atoms formed through the sharing of a pair of
electrons[1]



single-breasted

single-breasted
sin·gle-breast·ed 
adjective

with single row of buttons:
with a small overlap at the front and fastened with a single row of buttons[1]



single-cellprotein

single-cellprotein
sin·gle-cell
pro·tein 
noun

protein produced by simple
organisms: a protein derived from
one-celled organisms grown in various cultures. It is used as food supplement.[1]



singlecross

singlecross
sin·gle
cross
(plural sin·gle cross·es) noun

cross between two inbred
lines: the first generation of
offspring resulting from hybridization between two inbred lines[1]



single-cutfile

single-cutfile
sin·gle-cut
file
(plural sin·gle-cut files) noun

file with teeth in one
direction: a file that has all its
teeth pointing in one direction. It is used on soft materials.[1]



singleentry

singleentry
sin·gle
en·try
noun

bookkeeping system:
a system of bookkeeping in which the amounts owed or due are kept in a single
account (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



single-family

single-family
sin·gle-fam·i·ly 
adjective

for one family:
designed or suitable for a single family • a
number of single-family units[1]



singlefile

singlefile
sin·gle
file
noun

single
line:
a line of people, animals, or vehicles standing or moving one behind another
adverb

moving in single line:
moving in a line, one behind another[1]



single-foot

single-foot
sin·gle-foot 
noun

See
rack 4 noun
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sin·gle-foot·ed,
past participle sin·gle-foot·ed, present participle sin·gle-foot·ing,
3rd person present singular sin·gle-foots)

See
rack 4 verb[1]



single-handed

single-handed
sin·gle-hand·ed 
adjective

1.  unaided:
accomplished alone and unaided • the
first single-handed circumnavigation of the world

2.  with
one-hand only: with only one hand or the use of one
hand

3.  for
one hand only: using or requiring only one hand
adverb

without help:
without any help from anyone • sailed
round the world single-handed
—sin·gle-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—sin·gle-hand·ed·ness,
noun[1]



single-hearted

single-hearted
sin·gle-heart·ed 
adjective

sincere
and devoted: sincere, faithful, and straightforward
[Single
in the obsolete sense of “honest”]
—sin·gle-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—sin·gle-heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



single-issue

single-issue
sin·gle-is·sue 
adjective

devoted to one issue only:
concerned with only a single public issue • the
multiplication of single-issue groups[1]



singleknot

singleknot
sin·gle
knot
(plural sin·gle knots) noun

See
overhand knot[1]



single-lensreflex

single-lensreflex
sin·gle-lens
re·flex
(plural sin·gle-lens re·flex·es) noun

camera with one lens:
a camera in which the light passes through one lens to the film and, by means
of a mirror and prism system, to the focusing screen.
See also
reflex camera[1]



single-minded

single-minded
sin·gle-mind·ed 
adjective

1.  with
single aim:
with only one goal in mind

2.  dedicated:
with the mind fixed on one task or preoccupation
—sin·gle-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—sin·gle-mind·ed·ness,
noun[1]



singleout

singleout
single
out
transitive verb

choose somebody or something
from group: to select an individual from
a group for a particular reason[1]



singleparent

singleparent
sin·gle
par·ent
(plural sin·gle par·ents) noun

somebody who raises child
alone: a parent who brings up a
child or children alone, usually because he or she is unmarried, widowed, or
divorced (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



single-phase

single-phase
sin·gle-phase 
adjective

with single voltage:
with, generating, or powered by a single alternating voltage[1]



singlephoton emission computed tomography

singlephoton emission computed tomography
sin·gle
pho·ton e·mis·sion com·put·ed to·mog·ra·phy noun

diagnostic technique:
a technique used in diagnosing certain diseases that generates a
three-dimensional computer-generated image of the distribution of a radioactive
tracer in a particular organ[1]



singlesbar

singlesbar
sin·gles
bar 
(plural sin·gles bars) noun

bar used as meeting place:
a bar frequented by men and women, usually unmarried, who are seeking romance,
companionship, or sex[1]



single-serve

single-serve
sin·gle-serve
adjective

for one person:
packaged in small amounts intended for one person • available
in single-serve sizes[1]



single-sex

single-sex
sin·gle-sex
adjective

for one sex only:
restricted to either men or to women[1]



single-shot

single-shot
sin·gle-shot
adjective

requiring to be reloaded:
reloaded after each shot is fired[1]



single-space

single-space
sin·gle-space 
(past sin·gle-spaced, past participle sin·gle-spaced,
present participle sin·gle-spac·ing, 3rd person present
singular sin·gle-spac·es) transitive verb

type text without line
spaces: to type or print text
without a blank space between the lines[1]



singlestick

singlestick
sin·gle·stick 
[síng g’l stìk] (plural sin·gle·sticks)
noun

1.  fencing
stick:
a stick fitted with a handguard, formerly used in fencing

2.  practice
of fencing with singlestick: the former sport or skill of
fencing with a singlestick

[1]



singlet

singlet
sin·glet 
[síng glət] (plural sin·glets)
noun

1.  light
sleeveless shirt: a sleeveless shirt worn with shorts in
sports such as basketball or amateur boxing

2.  U.K.
sleeveless
undergarment: a sleeveless undershirt
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from single on the model of doublet, because it originally referred to an
unlined, one-layered garment.][1]



singletax

singletax
sin·gle
tax
(plural sin·gle tax·es) noun

1.  taxation
with sole source of revenue: a taxation system in which
all revenue is raised from a tax on one thing, usually the value of land

2.  tax
on one type of thing: a tax applied to one thing
only, especially the value of land

[1]



singleton

singleton
sin·gle·ton 
[síng g’ltən] (plural sin·gle·tons)
noun

1.  single
occurrence of somebody or something:
somebody or something that occurs singly and not as part of a group, for
example, the only child in a family

2.  CARD GAMES one
card of a suit: a playing card that is the only one of
its suit in a hand

[1]



Singleton

Singleton
Sin·gle·ton 
[síng gèltèn]

town in eastern New South
Wales, in Australia. It is a center for coal mining, agriculture, and light
industry. Population: 12,519 (1996)[1]



single-tongue

single-tongue
sin·gle-tongue
(past sin·gle-tongued, past participle sin·gle-tongued,
present participle sin·gle-tongu·ing, 3rd person present
singular sin·gle-tongues) intransitive and transitive verb

articulate notes on wind
instrument: to articulate notes on a
wind instrument by raising the tip of the tongue against the palate,
temporarily obstructing the flow of air[1]



single-track

single-track
sin·gle-track 
adjective

1.  fixed
on single idea: fixed on one thought or idea only

2.  RAIL with
one track only: with only one track and passing places
for trains coming from opposite directions

[1]



singletree

singletree
sin·gle·tree 
[síng g’l tr] (plural sin·gle·trees)
noun

See
whiffletree
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of swingletree “a whiffletree,” by
association with doubletree “crosspiece to
which the whiffletree is attached.”][1]



singly

singly
sin·gly 
[síng glee] adverb

1.  individually
in sequence: one at a time or one by one

2.  without
help:
alone and by unaided efforts

3.  separately:
solely and separately

[1]



singout

singout
sing
out
intransitive verb

call out:
to call out in a loud voice, especially to warn somebody[1]



singsong

singsong
sing·song 
[síng sàwng] adjective

with repeatedly rising and falling
intonation:
with an intonation that regularly rises and falls in pitch
noun
(plural sing·songs)

1.  singsong
way of speaking: a voice with an intonation that rises
and falls regularly in pitch

2.  singsong
verse rhythms or rhymes: a singsong rhythm or rhyme
in verse, or a verse marked by such monotony

3.  U.K.
See sing-along

[1]



singspiel

singspiel
sing·spiel 
[síng spl, zíng
shpl] (plural sing·spiels) or Sing·spiel [síng spl, zíng shpl]
(plural Sing·spiels) noun

old
German comic opera: an 18th-century German comic
opera consisting of folksongs or classical music performed in a popular or folk
style interspersed with spoken dialogue
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “singing play.”][1]



singular

singular
sin·gu·lar 
[síng gyələr] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS referring
to one person or thing: used to describe a word or
form that refers to one person or thing

2.  exceptional:
remarkably good or admirable

3.  unusual:
unusual, odd, or striking

4.  LOGIC standing
for individual thing: used to describe a term
intended to stand for an individual thing, or a proposition containing such a
term
noun

1.  singular
word or form: the form of a word that is used when
referring to one person or thing

2.  LOGIC thing
in isolation: something considered solely by itself
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin singularis “alone of its kind,” from singulus
(see single ).]
—sin·gu·lar·ly,
adverb

—sin·gu·lar·ness, noun[1]



singularity

singularity
sin·gu·lar·i·ty 
[sìng gyə lárrətee] (plural sin·gu·lar·i·ties)
noun

1.  singular
quality:
singular, exceptional, or unusual quality

2.  something
unique or unusual: something that is unique,
distinctive, or remarkable

3.  characteristic:
a distinguishing trait

4.  ASTROPHYSICS hypothetical
point in space: a hypothetical region in space in which
gravitational forces cause matter to be infinitely compressed and space and
time to become infinitely distorted

5.  MATHEMATICS function
that is not differentiable: a point at which a complex
function is undefined because it is neither differentiable nor single-valued
while the function is defined in every neighborhood of the point.
Also
called
singular point
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin singularis (see singular
).][1]



singularize

singularize
sin·gu·lar·ize 
[síng gyələ rz] (past sin·gu·lar·ized,
past participle sin·gu·lar·ized, present participle sin·gu·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sin·gu·lar·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become singular: to make a word singular or
to become singular

2.  transitive
verb
make
conspicuous: to distinguish somebody or something or
make somebody or something stand out from the rest (formal)
—sin·gu·lar·i·za·tion
[sìng gyələrə záysh’n], noun[1]



singularpoint

singularpoint
sin·gu·lar
point
(plural sin·gu·lar points) noun

MATHEMATICS
See singularity  noun 5[1]



Sinhalese

Sinhalese
Sin·ha·lese
[sìnhə lz, sìnghəlz]
(plural Sin·ha·lese) or Sin·gha·lese [sìng gə lz, sìnghə
lz] (plural Sin·gha·lese) noun

1.  member
of Sri Lankan people: a member of a people who
live mainly in Sri Lanka, where they are the dominant ethnic group

2.  Sinhalese
language:
the language of the Sinhalese people and the official language of Sri Lanka. It
belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family of languages.
[Late
18th century. Via Portuguese Singhalez from Sanskrit Siṅhala, a
variant of Siṁhala “Sri Lanka.”]
—Sin·ha·lese, adjective[1]



Sinicism

Sinicism
Si·ni·cism 
[snə sìzzəm, sínnə
sìzzəm] (plural Si·ni·cisms) noun

something
characterizing Chinese: a custom, usage, or idiom
peculiar to or characteristic of the Chinese
[Late 19th century. Formed
from obsolete English Sinic “Chinese,” from late Latin Sinae “the
Chinese” (see Sino- ).][1]



Sinicize

Sinicize
Si·ni·cize 
[snə sz, sínnə
sz] (past Si·ni·cized, past participle Si·ni·cized,
present participle Si·ni·ciz·ing, 3rd person present singular
Si·ni·ciz·es) intransitive and transitive verb

make
or become like Chinese: to acquire, or give somebody
or something, a Chinese idiom, form, or cultural trait (often passive)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from obsolete English Sinic (see Sinicism
).][1]



Sinification

Sinification
Si·ni·fi·ca·tion
[snəfə kàysh’n, sìnnəfə
káysh’n] noun

introduction
of Chinese qualities: the adoption, imposition, or
acquisition of Chinese idioms, forms, or cultural traits
[Early 20th century. Formed
from English sinify, from late Latin Sinae (see Sino- ).][1]



sinister

sinister
sin·is·ter 
[sínnəstər] adjective

1.  suggesting
evil:
threatening or suggesting malevolence, menace, or harm

2.  HERALDRY on
left part of shield: on the left side of a
heraldic shield as seen by the holder • a
bend sinister
[15th
century. Directly and via Old French from Latin, “left,” from the superstition
that the left side of the body is unlucky.]
—sin·is·ter·ly,
adverb

—sin·is·ter·ness, noun[1]



sinistral

sinistral
sin·is·tral 
[sínnistrəl, si
nístrəl] adjective

1.  of
or on left side: relating to or located on the left side,
especially the left side of the body (archaic)

2.  left-handed:
left-handed (archaic)

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY coiling
clockwise:
coiling in a clockwise direction from the apex to the aperture
—sin·is·tral·ly, adverb[1]



sinistrorse

sinistrorse
sin·is·trorse 
[sínnə stràwrss] adjective

spiralling
clockwise:
growing upward in a clockwise spiral
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin sinistrorsus, from sinister (see sinister ).]
—sin·is·trorse·ly, adverb[1]



sinistrous

sinistrous
sin·is·trous 
[sínnəstrəss, si
nístrəss] adjective

sinister:
sinister or ill-omened (archaic)
—sin·is·trous·ly, adverb[1]



Sinitic

Sinitic
Si·nit·ic 
[si níttik, sī
níttik] noun

Chinese
language group: the branch of the Sino-Tibetan language
group that includes the Chinese languages
[Late 19th century. Formed
from late Latin sinæ (see Sino- ).][1]



sink

sink
sink
[singk] verb (past sank
[sangk] or sunk, past
participle sunk [sungk], present
participle sink·ing, 3rd person present singular sinks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
beneath surface of liquid: to go beneath the surface of
a liquid or a soft substance and become partly or wholly submerged

2.  intransitive
verb
appear
to fall:
to appear to descend toward or below the horizon • We
watched the sun sink in the sky.

3.  intransitive
verb
fall
to lower level: to become lower in height or depth • The
water level in the lake must have sunk six inches.

4.  intransitive
verb
go
down gradually: to slowly subside or settle at a lower
level

5.  intransitive
verb
fall
gently:
to fall or collapse slowly • He
sank to his knees in exhaustion.

6.  transitive
verb
drill
into ground: to drill a well, tunnel, or shaft in the
ground

7.  transitive
verb
drive
into ground: to force something into the ground • We
need to sink more piles.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate
or make penetrate: to penetrate something or
cause something to penetrate something

9.  intransitive
verb
be
absorbed:
to become absorbed in something

10. intransitive
verb
become
quieter:
to sound quieter or weaker • voice
sank to a whisper

11. intransitive
verb
subside:
to diminish in degree, volume, or strength

12. intransitive
verb
decline
physically:
to deteriorate physically, usually because of fatigue, injury, or ill health • There’s
a danger he’ll sink into a coma.

13. intransitive
verb
feel
discouragement: to pass gradually into a condition of
hopelessness, dejection or despair

14. intransitive
verb
lose
social status: to gradually pass from a higher to a
lower social status or position

15. transitive
verb
invest
in something: to invest or lose money in a business or
project • He
must have sunk millions into these theaters.

16. intransitive
verb
decline
in value:
to decline in value or amount • The
pound sank again yesterday.

17. transitive
verb
bring
to ruin:
to defeat, undo, or ruin somebody or something • If
they won’t accept our offer, we’re sunk.

18. transitive
verb
defeat
in contest:
to defeat an opponent easily in a game or contest (informal)

19. transitive
verb
shoot
or hit successfully: to take aim at something and
make a successful shot or stroke (informal) • sink
a critical putt
noun
(plural sinks)

1.  basin
for washing something: a basin that is fixed or
mounted against a wall, and has a piped water supply and drainage

2.  cesspool:
a cesspool, drain, or sewer

3.  bad
or corrupt place: a place considered to be wicked and
corrupt (dated)

4.  GEOGRAPHY poorly
drained land where water collects: an area of low-lying,
poorly drained land in which water collects, sometimes in the form of a salt
lake, and evaporates or sinks into the ground

5.  GEOGRAPHY See sinkhole  noun 1

6.  PHYSICS device
absorbing energy or other entity: a device or component
of a system at which a physical entity such as energy or neutrons is absorbed

7.  MINING mine
shaft:
a shaft in a mine
[Old
English sincan]
—sink·a·ble,
adjective
sink
or swim

to
have no alternative but to succeed or fail without help from anyone else

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  sank,
  sunk, or sunken ?
  The
  inflections of the verb sink have been
  variable over many centuries of use. In current usage, the preferred past
  tense is sank, although sunk is also used and is not incorrect. For the
  past participle, sunk is used ( • Six
  enemy ships were sunk on a single day );
  the alternative form sunken is used only
  as an adjective: • a sunken garden.

[1]



sinkage

sinkage
sink·age 
[síngkij] noun

process or extent of sinking:
the process of sinking or the extent to which something sinks[1]



sinker

sinker
sink·er 
[síngkər] (plural sink·ers) noun

1.  weight
used in fishing: a weight used to take a fishing line or
net to the bottom

2.  downward
curving baseball pitch: in baseball, a pitched ball
that curves sharply downward as it reaches the plate

3.  doughnut:
a doughnut (informal)
[Early 16th century.
Originally in the meaning “someone who engraves designs on dies.”][1]



sinkhole

sinkhole
sink·hole 
[síngk hl] (plural sink·holes)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY depression
in ground with underground stream: a natural depression
in the land surface, especially in limestone, where a stream flows underground
into a passage or cave.
Also
called
sink

2.  sunken
area:
a sunken area where waste collects

[1]



sinkin

sinkin
sink
in
intransitive verb

finally become understood:
to become fully understood • I
don’t think the news of her death has sunk in yet.[1]



sinkingfund

sinkingfund
sink·ing
fund 
(plural sink·ing funds) noun

fund reserved to pay debt:
a fund created by setting aside regular sums for investment, usually in bonds,
in order to repay a debt that will fall due at a future date[1]



sinner

sinner
sin·ner 
[sínnər] (plural sin·ners) noun

somebody who commits a sin:
somebody who commits a sin or who habitually does wrong[1]



SinnFéin

SinnFéin
Sinn
Féin 
[shìn fáyn] noun

Irish
republican party: a nationalist Irish republican party
founded in 1905
[Early
20th century. From Irish sinn féin, literally “we ourselves.”]
—Sinn
Féin·er, noun

—Sinn Féin·ism, noun[1]



sinoatrial

sinoatrial
si·no·a·tri·al 
[snō áytree əl] adjective

of
sinus venosus and atrium: relating to the sinus
venosus and the right atrium of the heart
[Early 20th century. Coined
from sino-, from sinus, + atrial, from atrium .][1]



sinoatrialnode

sinoatrialnode
si·no·a·tri·al
node
(plural si·no·a·tri·al nodes) noun

specialized tissue in heart:
a small mass of specialized cardiac muscle fibers located in the wall of the
right atrium of the heart. It originates the regular electrical impulses that
stimulate the heartbeat.
Also called
sinus node[1]



Sinology

Sinology
Si·nol·o·gy 
[sī nólləjee] noun

study
of Chinese language and culture: the study of Chinese
civilization, literature, and language
—Si·no·log·i·cal
[sìnə lójjik’l, sīnnə
lójjik’l], adjective

—Si·nol·o·gist [sī nólləjist], noun[1]



Sinope

Sinope
Si·no·pe 
[si nṓpee] noun

outermost moon of Jupiter:
the outermost known natural satellite of Jupiter, discovered in 1914. It is 28
km/ (17 mi ) in diameter.[1]



Sinophile

Sinophile
Si·no·phile 
[snə fl] (plural Si·no·philes)
noun

admirer of China or Chinese:
somebody who admires China or the Chinese[1]



Sinophobe

Sinophobe
Si·no·phobe 
[snə fb] (plural Si·no·phobes)
noun

hater of China or Chinese:
somebody who hates or fears China and the Chinese[1]



Sino-Tibetan

Sino-Tibetan
Si·no-Ti·bet·an 
[snō tə bétt’n] noun

Asian language family:
a family of languages of East and Southeast Asia. There are two main branches,
Chinese ( Sinitic ) and Tibeto-Burman. Over
twelve hundred million people speak a Sino-Tibetan language.[1]



sinsemilla

sinsemilla
sin·se·mil·la 
[sìnssə m yə, sìnssə
míllə] noun

very
strong marijuana: a very strong form of marijuana obtained
from unpollinated female hemp plants
[Late 20th century. From
American Spanish, literally “without seed.”][1]



sintax

sintax
sin
tax
(plural sin tax·es) noun

tax on something with harmful
effects: a tax on something such as
tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or gambling that is considered to have harmful
personal and social effects[1]



sinter

sinter
sin·ter 
[síntər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past sin·tered, past participle sin·tered, present
participle sin·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular sin·ters)

bond metal particles:
to use pressure and heat below the melting point to bond and partly fuse masses
of metal particles, or to be bonded in this way
noun
(plural sin·ters)

1.  bonded
metal particles: a mass of metal particles bonded and
partly fused by the use of pressure and heat below the melting point

2.  porous
mineral sediment: a whitish chemical sediment consisting
of porous silica or calcium carbonate deposited by a mineral spring
[Late 18th century. From
German, “cinder,” from the same prehistoric Germanic word that produced English
cinder .][1]



Sintra

Sintra
Sin·tra
[síntrə]

city in Portugal, situated 24
km/15 mi west of Lisbon. Population: 20,000 (1981)[1]



sinuate

sinuate
sin·u·ate 
adjective [sínnyoo ət, sínnyoo àyt] sin·u·ate sin·u·at·ed

BOTANY with
wavy indented edge: used to describe a leaf with
a wavy indented margin
intransitive
verb
[sínnyoo àyt] (past sin·u·at·ed,
past participle sin·u·at·ed [sínnyoo àytəd],
present participle sin·u·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
sin·u·ates)

wind
sinuously:
to wind in and out
[Late
16th century. From Latin sinuat- the past participle stem of Latin sinuare,
“to bend, curve,” from sinus (see sinus
).]
—sin·u·ate·ly,
adverb

—sin·u·a·tion [sìnnyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



sinuosity

sinuosity
sin·u·os·i·ty 
[sìnnyoo óssətee] (plural sin·u·os·i·ties)
noun

1.  sinuousness:
the condition of being winding or curving in shape or movement

2.  something
sinuous:
a winding bend or curving movement

[1]



sinuous

sinuous
sin·u·ous 
[sínnyoo əss] adjective

1.  moving
in graceful curves: with graceful winding or
curving movements • the sinuous movements
of the dancer’s arm

2.  winding
or serpentine: full of bends and curves • the
sinuous course of a stream

3.  devious:
indirect and devious

4.  BOTANY See sinuate
[Late
16th century. From Latin sinuosus, from sinus (see sinus ).]
—sin·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—sin·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



sinus

sinus
si·nus 
[snəss] (plural si·nus·es) noun

1.  ANATOMY cavity
in bone of skull: a cavity filled with air in the bones of
the face and skull, especially one opening into the nasal passages

2.  ANATOMY channel
for blood:
a widened channel containing blood, especially venous blood

3.  MEDICINE channel
leading from body cavity: an elongated tract leading
from a pus-filled region of the body to the exterior or to the cavity of a
hollow organ

4.  BOTANY notch
between leaves: a cleft or indentation between the lobes
of a leaf or the fused petals of a corolla
[15th century. From Latin,
“curve, fold, hollow.”][1]



SinusIridum

SinusIridum
Si·nus
I·rid·um
[snəss írridəm] noun

ASTRONOMY
crater on Moon:
a large half-crater on the Moon adjoining the northwest side of Mare Imbrium.
Its walled perimeter forms the Montes Jura and it is approximately 260 km/160
mi in diameter.[1]



sinusitis

sinusitis
si·nus·i·tis 
[snə stiss] noun

inflammation of sinus lining:
inflammation of the membrane lining a sinus of the skull[1]



sinusnode

sinusnode
si·nus
node
(plural si·nus nodes) noun

See
sinoatrial node[1]



sinusoid

sinusoid
si·nu·soid 
[snə sòyd] noun (plural si·nu·soids)

1.  small
vessel in organ tissue: a small blood vessel or
cavity in the tissue of an organ such as the liver, heart, or pancreas

2.  See
sine curve
adjective

like sinus:
resembling a sinus in shape or function
—si·nu·soi·dal,
adjective

—si·nus·oi·dal·ly, adverb[1]



sinusoidalprojection

sinusoidalprojection
si·nu·soi·dal
pro·jec·tion (plural si·nu·soi·dal
pro·jec·tions) noun

map projection:
a map projection on which equal areas appear equal, the parallels of latitude
are regularly spaced straight lines, and all the lines of longitude except the
prime meridian are curved[1]



sinusvenosus

sinusvenosus
si·nus
ve·no·sus 
[snəss və nṓssəss] (plural si·nus
ve·no·si [snəss və nṓssee]) noun

part
of fish or reptile heart: an enlarged pouch attached
to the heart of fish, amphibians, and reptiles through which blood from the
veins is forced into the atrium
[From Latin, literally
“veined sinus”][1]



Siouan

Siouan
Siou·an 
[s ən] noun (plural Siou·ans)

1.  family
of Native N American languages: a family of Native
North American languages that includes Dakota, Omaha, and Choctaw. About 30,000
people speak a Siouan language.

2.  somebody
speaking Siouan language: somebody who speaks a Siouan
language
adjective

relating to Sioux:
relating to any of the Sioux peoples or their cultures

[1]



Sioux

Sioux
Sioux
[soo] (plural Sioux) noun

member
of Native N American people: a member of a group of
Native North American peoples that originally occupied vast tracts of the Great
Plains, and whose members now live mainly in North and South Dakota
[Early 18th century. From
North American French, shortening of Nadouessioux, from Ojibwa (Ottawa
dialect) nātowēssiwak .][1]



SiouxCity

SiouxCity
Sioux
Cit·y


city in western Iowa, across
the Missouri River from South Dakota and Nebraska, and northwest of Council
Bluffs. Population: 83,791 (1996)[1]



SiouxFalls

SiouxFalls
Sioux
Falls


city in southeastern South
Dakota, on the Big Sioux River, southeast of Mitchell. Population: 113,223
(1996)[1]



sip

sip
sip 
[sip] intransitive and transitive verb
(past sipped, past participle sipped, present
participle sip·ping, 3rd person present singular sips)

drink
slowly in very small amounts: to drink something slowly,
taking only a small amount at a time
noun
(plural sips)

small
amount of drink: a very small amount of liquid taken into
the mouth
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of sup,
thought to suggest a less vigorous action.]
—sip·per, noun[1]



SIPC

SIPC
SIPC

Abbreviation of
Securities Investor Protection Corporation[1]



siphon

siphon

si·phon
[sfən] or sy·phon [sfən] verb (past si·phoned, past
participle si·phoned, present participle si·phon·ing, 3rd
person present singular si·phons) (past sy·phoned, past
participle sy·phoned, present participle sy·phon·ing, 3rd
person present singular sy·phons)

1.  transitive
verb
draw
liquid through tube: to transfer liquid from one
container to another through a tube using atmospheric pressure to make it flow

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb illegally
tap funds or resources: to convey or draw money or
resources from something, especially illegally
noun (plural
si·phons) (plural sy·phons)

1.  bent
tube for drawing off liquid: a bent tube or pipe used to
transfer liquid from one container to another using atmospheric pressure to
make it flow

2.  See
siphon bottle

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY tubular
organ:
a tubular organ, especially of arthropods and mollusks, by which water is taken
in or expelled.
Also
called
neck
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin sipho, from Greek siphōn
“pipe, tube.”]
—si·phon·age,
noun

—si·phon·al,
adjective

—si·phon·ic [sī fónnik], adjective[1]



siphonbottle

siphonbottle
si·phon
bot·tle
(plural si·phon bot·tles) noun

bottle containing pressurized
water: a heavy sealed bottle fitted
with a valve and nozzle at the top and containing pressurized carbonated water.
When the valve is opened the water begins to flow.
Also called
siphon
U.K. term
soda siphon[1]



siphonophore

siphonophore
si·phon·o·phore 
[sī fónnə fàwr, sffənə
fàwr] (plural si·phon·o·phores) noun

marine
organism:
a marine hydrozoan such as the Portuguese man-of-war that forms floating or
swimming transparent or lightly-colored colonies. Order: Siphonophora
[Mid-19th
century]
—si·pho·noph·o·rous [sfə nóffərəss], adjective[1]



sippet

sippet
sip·pet 
[síppət] (plural sip·pets) noun

U.K.
small
neatly cut bread piece: a small piece of toast or
fried bread cut in a triangle or small neat shape and usually eaten with stews
or dishes served with sauce (dated)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from an alteration of sop, literally “small
sop.”][1]



Siqueiros,David Alfaro

Siqueiros,David Alfaro
Si·quei·ros
[si káyrōss], David Alfaro (1896?–1974)

Mexican painter and political
activist. He was a major figure among Mexican mural painters. His works include
The March of Humanity ( 1968 ).[1]



sir

sir
sir 
[(stressed) sur, (unstressed) sər] (plural sirs) noun

1.  polite
form of address to man: a form of address to a man
often used in speech as a sign of respect or as a salutation in a letter • Excuse
me, sir, do you know what time it is?

2.  U.K.
way
to address man teacher: a form of address to a man
teacher, mainly used by his students
[13th
century. Variant of sire .]
yes
sir

or
no sirused to emphasize emphatic confirmation or denial of something[1]



Sir

Sir
Sir
noun

title used before name of
knight: a title of honor used before
the name a knight or baronet[1]



sirdar

sirdar
sir·dar 
[súr dr, sər
dr] (plural sir·dars) noun
Also
called
sardar

1.  high-ranking
leader:
in India or Pakistan, somebody of high rank such as a political or military
leader

2.  former
British commander of Egyptian army: the
title formerly given to the British commander of the Egyptian army

3.  title
for Sikh man: a title of respect for a Sikh man
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi sardār from Persian, literally “head holder.”][1]



sire

sire
sire 
[sīr] transitive verb (past sired,
past participle sired, present participle sir·ing, 3rd
person present singular sires)

father offspring:
to father young, especially animals
noun
(plural sires)

1.  male
parent of four-legged animal: the male parent of a
four-legged animal, especially a domesticated animal such as a stallion or bull

2.  sire
or Sire address to king or lord:
a respectful form of address for a king or lord (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin senior “older” (source of English senior ).][1]



siren

siren
si·ren 
[srən] (plural si·rens) noun

1.  stationary
warning device: a mounted warning device that produces a
loud wailing sound when a current of compressed air or steam is forced through
a rotating perforated disk

2.  portable
warning device: an electronic warning device, often
mounted or placed on a moving vehicle, that produces a loud wailing sound

3.  sea
nymph luring sailors onto rocks: a sea nymph,
half-woman half-bird, who was believed to sing beguilingly to passing sailors
in order to lure them to their doom on the rocks she sat on

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a woman who is considered to be attractive
in a dangerous way (offensive)

5.  BIOLOGY salamander
resembling eel: a salamander with a long thin body and
tail, permanent external gills, lungs, small forelegs, and no hind limbs.
Family: Sirenidae
[14th century. Via Old French
sereine “sea nymph” and Latin Siren from Greek Seirēn .
The modern meaning evolved from the idea of the sea nymph’s cries.][1]



sirencall

sirencall
si·ren
call
noun

See
siren song[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sirenian

sirenian
si·re·ni·an 
[sī rnee ən] noun

large
aquatic mammal: an aquatic herbivorous placental mammal
that has forelimbs like paddles, no hind limbs, and a broad flat tail. The
dugong and manatee are sirenians . Order: Sirenia
Also
called
sea cow
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin Sirenia, order name, from Latin Siren
(see siren ).]
—si·re·ni·an, adjective[1]



sirensong

sirensong
si·ren
song
(plural si·ren songs) noun

dangerous appeal:
an alluring appeal that something possesses, even though it may have
unfortunate effects • She
yielded to the siren song of a higher salary.

Also called
siren call[1]



Sirius

Sirius
Sir·i·us 
[sírree əss] noun

bright star in constellation
Canis Major: a binary star in the
constellation Canis Major that appears as the brightest star in the sky.
Also called
Dog Star the[1]



sirloin

sirloin
sir·loin 
[súr lòyn] (plural sir·loins) noun

prime
cut of beef: an expensive prime cut of beef used for
roasting or steaks, taken from the lower part of the ribs or the upper loin
[15th
century. From an assumed Old French word, literally “loin above.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  One
  of the most persistent of etymological fictions is that the sirloin got its name because a particular
  English king found the joint of beef so excellent that he knighted it. The
  monarch in question has been variously identified as Henry VIII, James I, and
  Charles II, but none of these is chronologically possible, and in fact the
  story has no truth in it at all. The spelling sir-, which began to
  replace the original sur- (from Old French sur “above”) in the
  18th century, no doubt owes something to the “knighting” story.

[1]



sirocco

sirocco
si·roc·co 
[sə rókō] (plural si·roc·cos [shə rókō, sə rókō])
or sci·roc·co [sə rókō] (plural
sci·roc·cos) noun

oppressive
hot Mediterranean wind: a hot dusty humid southeast
wind in southern Europe that begins in the Sahara and picks up moisture as it
crosses the Mediterranean
[Early 17th century. Via
French sirocco and Italian scirocco from Arabic sharūq
“the east,” hence “east wind.”][1]



sirrah

sirrah
sir·rah 
[sírrə] noun

contemptuous
form of address: a form of address for a man or boy that
was used to express contempt (archaic)
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of sire, its original second
syllable associated with ah, as an
expression of contempt.][1]



sirree

sirree
sir·ree
[sə r] noun

sir:
sir, used to express emphasis
[Early
19th century. Extension of sir, thought to
suggest emphasis.]
yes
sirree!

or
no sirree!used to emphasize agreement or disagreement (informal)[1]



SirRoger de Coverley

SirRoger de Coverley
Sir
Rog·er de Cov·er·ley [sər
ròjjər də kúvvərlee] noun

country
dance:
an English country dance, similar to a Virginia reel, that is danced to a
traditional tune and performed by two rows of dancers facing each other
[Alteration of earlier
English roger of coverley, probably from Roger, the personal name
+ of + Coverley, a fictitious place
name (or perhaps that of Calverley in Yorkshire
)][1]



sirup

sirup
sir·up 
(plural sir·ups) noun

syrup:
syrup (archaic)[1]



sirvente

sirvente
sir·vente 
[sər vént, sər
vNt] or sir·vent·es [sər véntəss]
noun

satirical
troubadour poem: a poem in stanza form written by
troubadours in Provence that chiefly satirized moral or political matters
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Provençal sirventes, literally “servant’s song” (from the
position of a lover in relation to his mistress).][1]



sis

sis
sis 
[siss] noun

way
of addressing sister: a form of address for a
sister (informal)
[Mid-17th century.
Shortening.][1]



sisal

sisal
si·sal 
[sss’l, sz’l]
or si·sal hemp [sss’l, sz’l] noun

1.  plant
yielding fibers: a Mexican agave plant widely grown for
its large sword-shaped leaves that yield a stiff fiber. Latin name: Agave
sisalana

2.  fiber
from sisal:
a strong white fiber obtained from the leaves of the sisal plant, used to make
rope and rugs
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Sisal, a town in Yucatán.][1]



siskin

siskin
sis·kin 
[sískin] (plural sis·kins) noun

1.  finch:
a yellow-and-black finch of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa that is related
to the goldfinch. Latin name: Carduelis spinus

2.  See
pine siskin
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Dutch siseken and early Flemish sijsken, literally “little
siskin.” Ultimately of Slavic origin.][1]



sissified

sissified
sis·si·fied 
[síssə fd] adjective

See
sissy[1]



sissy

sissy
sis·sy 
[síssee] or cis·sy [síssee] noun (plural sis·sies)
(plural cis·sies)

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a boy or man who is considered not to
exhibit stereotypical masculine behavior, especially by other boys or men (informal
offensive)
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a boy, man, behavior, or object that is
considered not to exhibit or be characteristic of stereotypical masculinity (informal
offensive)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from sis, originally in the
sense “sister.”]
—sis·sy·ish,
adjective

—sis·si·ness, noun[1]



sissybar

sissybar
sis·sy
bar
(plural sis·sy bars) noun

bar
used as backrest: a U-shaped bar that chiefly acts as a
backrest for the rider or passenger of a motorcycle or bicycle
[Because the passenger is
supported by the bar][1]



sister

sister
sis·ter 
[sístər] noun (plural sis·ters)

1.  female
sibling:
a girl or woman who has the same parents as another person

2.  stepsister
or half-sister: a girl or woman who has one parent in
common with another person

3.  nun:
a female member of a religious community, or a form of address to such a person
• Sister
Brigit joined us a few weeks ago.

4.  U.K.
MEDICINE woman
senior nurse: a woman who holds the most senior grade
of hospital nurse, above staff nurse, often in charge of a ward

5.  woman
member of same organization: a woman who belongs to the
same organization as another

6.  woman
supporter of feminism: a woman who advocates or
supports feminist principles

7.  African
American woman: a form of address or way of referring to
an African American woman, used especially by other African Americans

8.  close
woman friend: a close woman friend, especially of
another woman
adjective

1.  closely
linked:
belonging to or closely associated with something • her
sister ship, The Princess

2.  GENETICS with
paired cell: used to describe either of an identical
pair of cells or cell components formed by division of a parent cell or
component
[Old
English sweostor, sweoster . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English sorority
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Three Sisters, a play by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov ( 1900 ). Set in
  rural Russia, this powerful and compassionate study of the quiet desperation
  of bourgeois life centers on the three Pozarov sisters. Stifled by the
  dreariness of local society, they look to the officers of the local garrison
  for romance and entertainment. But when the army departs, the sisters are
  left with only their dreams and each other.

[1]



sisterhood

sisterhood
sis·ter·hood 
[sístər hd] (plural sis·ter·hoods)
noun

1.  solidarity
among women: the empathy and loyalty that women feel
for other women who have shared goals, experiences, or viewpoints

2.  women’s
group:
a group of women who have shared goals, experiences, or viewpoints

3.  status
as sister:
the status of a sister or the relationship of sisters

4.  community
of nuns:
a religious community of women

[1]



sister-in-law

sister-in-law
sis·ter-in-law 
(plural sis·ters-in-law) noun

1.  spouse’s
sister:
the sister of somebody’s husband or wife

2.  brother’s
wife:
the wife of somebody’s brother

[1]



sisterly

sisterly
sis·ter·ly 
[sístərlee] adjective adverb

like
sister:
relating to, coming from, or characteristic of a sister, especially in an
affectionate, kind, or caring way
—sis·ter·li·ness, noun[1]



Sistine

Sistine
Sis·tine
[sís tn] adjective

1.  of
Pope Sixtus: relating to any of the popes named
Sixtus, especially Sixtus IV who was pope 1471–1484

2.  of
Sistine Chapel: relating to the Sistine Chapel
[Late 18th century. From
Italian Sistino “of Sixtus,” from Latin Sextus, a Roman personal
name, from sextus “sixth.”][1]



sistrum

sistrum

sis·trum 
[sístrəm] (plural sis·tra [sístrə]) noun
ancient
Egyptian rattle: an ancient Egyptian percussion
instrument consisting of a thin metal frame with rods or loops attached that
jingle when shaken
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek seistron, from seiein “to shake.”][1]



Sisyphean

Sisyphean
Sis·y·phe·an 
[sìssə f ən] adjective

endless
and futile:
involving endless but futile labor
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin Sisypheius, from, ultimately, Greek Sisuphos (see Sisyphus ).][1]



Sisyphus

Sisyphus
Sis·y·phus 
[síssəfəss] noun

king of ancient Corinth:
in Greek mythology, a cruel king of Corinth who was condemned for eternity to
roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again just before it reached
the top[1]



sit

sit
sit 
[sit] verb (past sat, past
participle sat [sat], present
participle sit·ting, 3rd person present singular sits)

1.  intransitive
verb
rest
with weight on buttocks: to assume a position of rest
in which the weight is largely supported by the buttocks, usually with the body
vertical and the thighs horizontal

2.  transitive
verb
place
in seat:
to place somebody or yourself in a seat or a sitting position

3.  intransitive
verb
rest
body on hindquarters: to rest the body with the
weight supported by the lowered hindquarters (refers to four-legged animals)

4.  intransitive
verb
perch,
roost, or cover eggs: to perch, roost, or cover
and warm eggs for hatching

5.  intransitive
verb
POLITICS LAW exercise authority:
to occupy a position of authority while deciding or legislating something

6.  intransitive
verb
ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY pose for something:
to pose for a portrait or picture

7.  intransitive
verb
be
idle:
to be or remain idle

8.  intransitive
verb
be
placed or situated: to be located or positioned
somewhere • The
dinner dishes were still sitting on the table.

9.  intransitive
verb
baby-sit:
to baby-sit (informal)

10. transitive
verb
have
seating space for: to have seats or seating
space for a specified number of people • We
can sit 10 around the dining table.

11. intransitive
verb
be
taken as specified: to be accepted or considered
in the way specified • The
news didn’t sit well with me.

12. intransitive
verb
be
digestible:
to be digestible (informal) • The
heavy meal didn’t sit well with me.

13. intransitive
verb
be
in specified way: to rest, weigh, or lie as specified • Authority
sits lightly on his shoulders.

14. intransitive
verb
CLOTHES fit
or hang:
to fit or hang on somebody in a specified way • The
gown sat beautifully on the model.

15. transitive
verb
be
astride something: to keep astride of a horse
or similar animal • She sat her gelding
with great poise.

16. intransitive
verb
set
in specified direction: to be in a specified
direction (archaic) • The
wind sat in the east.
noun
(plural sits)

1.  time
spent being seated: a period of being seated,
especially while waiting • We had
a long sit waiting for the dentist.

2.  CLOTHES way
garment fits: the way a garment hangs on somebody

3.  mounted
position:
a position astride a horse or similar animal
[Old
English sittan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English saddle . Related
to German sitzen “to sit.”]
be
sitting pretty

to
be in a fortunate or favorable situation (informal)

sit
tight

refrain from moving or acting
until the right time (informal)[1]



sitar

sitar


si·tar 
[si tr] (plural si·tars) noun
Indian
stringed instrument: an Indian stringed
instrument with a rounded resonating body and a long fretted neck. There are
several playing strings and a larger number that vibrate sympathetically.
[Mid-19th
century. Via Hindi from Persian, literally “three-stringed,” from the original
design.]
—si·tar·ist, noun[1]



sitback

sitback
sit
back
intransitive verb

be inactive:
to take no action • sat
back and watched the crisis develop[1]



sitcom

sitcom
sit·com
[sít kòm] (plural sit·coms) noun

situation
comedy:
a situation comedy (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



sitdown

sitdown
sit
down
intransitive and transitive verb

seat or become seated:
to become seated, or make somebody become seated • time
to sit him down and tell him the truth[1]



sit-down

sit-down
sit-down 
adjective

served while sitting down:
served to people sitting at a table • There’s
a sit-down dinner before the dancing.
noun
(plural sit-downs)

1.  See
sit-down strike

2.  See
sit-in

3.  period
of relaxation by sitting: a short spell of sitting in
order to relax (informal) • After
all that shopping I could do with a sit-down.

[1]



sit-downstrike

sit-downstrike
sit-down
strike
(plural sit-down strikes) noun

protest involving sitting:
a form of protest in which people refuse to leave a place, often sitting or
lying down, until their demands are granted or negotiated.
Also called
sit-down[1]



site

site
site
[sīt] noun (plural sites)

1.  place
where something stands: an area or piece of land
where something was, is, or will be located • The
whole area has become one vast building site.

2.  place
of significant event: a place where something
important happened

3.  COMPUTING See Web site
transitive
verb
(past sit·ed, past participle sit·ed, present
participle sit·ing, 3rd person present singular sites)

position something:
to locate something in a particular place or position • The
plan is to site all further malls in the suburbs.
[14th century. Directly or
via Anglo-Norman from Latin situs “place, position,” from the past
participle of sinere “to put.”][1]



sitella

sitella
si·tel·la 
[si téllə] (plural si·tel·las)
noun

small
tree-climbing Australian bird: a small gregarious
songbird found in Australasia, similar to the nuthatch in its stout body, short
tail, and habit of hopping up and down trees. Family: Neosittidae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Sittella, former genus name, literally “little nuthatch,”
from, ultimately, Greek sittē “nuthatch.”][1]



site-specific

site-specific
site-spe·cif·ic
adjective

intended for a particular
site: designed, built, or intended
for one particular site[1]



sitfast

sitfast
sit·fast
[sít fàst] (plural sit·fasts) noun

U.K.
sore on horse’s back:
a sore on a horse’s back caused by the rubbing of a saddle[1]



sith

sith
sith 
[sith] adverb conjunction preposition

since:
since (archaic)
[Old English Shortening of
Old English siððan “since” (source also of English since )][1]



sit-in

sit-in
sit-in 
(plural sit-ins) noun

protest involving occupation
of building: a form of protest in
which people occupy a building or public place and refuse to leave until their
demands have been met or negotiated.
Also called
sit-down[1]



sitin

sitin
sit
in
intransitive verb

1.  attend
without taking part: to attend something but not
take an active part in it • Do you
mind if I sit in on your meeting?

2.  temporarily
replace somebody: to do a job for the person who normally
does it • sitting
in for the regular announcer on the show

3.  occupy
building as protest: to take part in a sit-in

[1]



Sitka

Sitka
Sit·ka 
[sítkè]

city in southeastern Alaska,
on the western coast of Baranof Island, in the Alexander Archipelago.
Population: 8,588 (1996)[1]



sitkaspruce

sitkaspruce
sit·ka
spruce
[sítkə sprss] (plural sit·ka
spruc·es) noun

tall
N American spruce: a tall spruce tree of the
northwest Pacific coast of North America. It has reddish-brown bark and
silvery-white needles and yields soft, pale-brown timber. Latin name: Picea
sitchensis
[Late 19th century. Named for
Sitka .][1]



sitology

sitology
si·tol·o·gy
[sī tólləjee] noun

scientific
study of nutrition: the scientific study of
food, diet, and nutrition as they relate to health
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek sitos “food, grain” + -logy
.][1]



sitomania

sitomania
si·to·ma·ni·a 
[stə máynee ə] noun

excessive
craving for food: an eating disorder marked by excessive
craving for food (dated)
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek sitos “food, grain” + -mania
.][1]



siton

siton
sit
on
transitive verb

1.  be
part of decision-making group: to be a member of a
group that decides something

2.  suppress:
to suppress something or delay dealing with it • The
government sat on the information for weeks.

3.  nag
somebody:
to nag somebody continually (informal) • If
you want to be sure I’ll do it, you’ll have to sit on me.

[1]



sitout

sitout
sit
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
not
participate in: to remain seated during something and
not join in • I
think I’ll sit this one out.

2.  transitive
verb
stay
until end of: to remain until the end of something,
especially something unpleasant

3.  intransitive
verb
U.K. See hike out

[1]



sitspin

sitspin
sit
spin
(plural sit spins) noun

spin in ice skating:
a spin on one ice skate made in a squatting position with one leg stretched out
in front of the body[1]



sitter

sitter
sit·ter 
[síttər] (plural sit·ters) noun

1.  hired
minder:
somebody hired to look after something (often used in combination)

2.  See
baby-sitter

3.  MEDICINE somebody
hired to watch patients: somebody hired to watch over
patients in order to respond to urgent needs or to prevent them from harming
themselves accidentally

4.  ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY artist’s or
photographer’s model: somebody who poses for a
portrait

5.  AGRICULTURE brooding
hen:
a hen or other bird sitting on eggs to hatch them

[1]



sitting

sitting
sit·ting 
[sítting] noun (plural sit·tings)

1.  turn
to eat:
any of the periods when a meal is served in a place where there is insufficient
room for everyone to eat at the same time • The
first sitting is at 12 o’clock.

2.  ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY time for posing:
a period of time during which somebody is seated in posing for a portrait • I’d
like to get another sitting in this afternoon.

3.  POLITICS LAW session of public body:
a meeting or session of an official body such as a legislature or court

4.  period
of being seated: a period of being seated while engaged
in an activity • It took him three
sittings to read the book.

5.  AGRICULTURE set
of eggs:
a clutch of eggs under a brooding bird

6.  AGRICULTURE incubation
of eggs:
the period of time during which a hen sits on eggs to hatch them
adjective

1.  seated:
seated or for being seated • a
sitting area

2.  in
office:
holding office at the present

[1]



SittingBull

SittingBull

Sit·ting Bull 
[sìtting bl] (1831?–1890)
Sioux leader. He defeated General George
Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. He was killed during a later
outbreak of hostilities.[1]



sittingduck

sittingduck
sit·ting
duck
(plural sit·ting ducks) noun

easy target:
somebody or something that is defenseless, exposed to danger, and easy to
attack or exploit (informal)[1]



sittingroom

sittingroom
sit·ting
room
(plural sit·ting rooms) noun

room used for sitting:
a small room in a house, apartment, or office that is used for sitting,
especially one that forms part of a connecting suite.
See also
living room[1]



sittingtrot

sittingtrot
sit·ting
trot
noun

EQUESTRIAN
slow trot with rider sitting still:
a slow trot during which the rider does not rise from the horse’s saddle.
See also
rising trot[1]



situate

situate
sit·u·ate
[síchoo àyt] (past sit·u·at·ed,
past participle sit·u·at·ed, present participle sit·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular sit·u·ates) transitive verb

place
in context:
to place something in a context or set of circumstances and show its
connections (formal)
[15th century. From late
Latin situat-, the past participle stem of situare “to place,”
from Latin situs “position” (see site
).][1]



situated

situated
sit·u·at·ed 
[síchoo àytəd] adjective (often
used in combination)

1.  located:
located in a place or position • a
conveniently situated building

2.  in
specified financial state: in a specified financial
condition • comfortably
situated, living off their investments

[1]



situation

situation
sit·u·a·tion 
[sìchoo áysh’n] (plural sit·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  existing
conditions:
the general conditions that prevail in a place or society

2.  circumstances
of somebody’s life: the circumstances that
somebody is in at a particular moment

3.  location:
the location of a property

4.  combination
of difficult circumstances: a difficult or problematic
set of circumstances • I’m
afraid we have a situation here.

5.  U.K.
job:
a job or position of employment (formal)

6.  ARTS set of
circumstances in plot: a significant combination of
circumstances in a drama, movie, or work of literature
—sit·u·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



situationcomedy

situationcomedy
sit·u·a·tion
com·e·dy
noun

comedy based on everyday
situation: a television or radio comedy
series in which a regular cast of characters, usually working or living
together, respond to everyday situations in a humorous way.
Also called
sitcom[1]



situationethics

situationethics
sit·u·a·tion
eth·ics
or sit·u·a·tion·al eth·ics noun

system of ethics emphasizing
context: a system of ethics in which
moral judgments are thought to depend on the context in which they are to be
made, rather than on general moral principles (takes a singular verb)[1]



situla

situla
sit·u·la 
[síchələ, sítt’lə]
(plural sit·u·lae [síchə l]) noun

ancient
container:
an ancient decorated metal or pottery vessel shaped like a deep bucket, urn, or
vase
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “bucket.”][1]



situp

situp
sit
up
intransitive verb

1.  sit
straight:
to sit upright or rise from lying down

2.  become
alert:
to become alert or interested

3.  stay
up late:
to stay up past the usual time of going to bed

[1]



sit-up

sit-up
sit-up 
(plural sit-ups) noun

physical exercise:
an exercise in which you lie flat on your back with your legs bent and then
raise the upper part of your body to a sitting position without using your
hands[1]



situs

situs
si·tus 
[stəss] (plural si·tus·es or
si·tus) noun

1.  position
of organ:
the position of an organ or part of the body, especially the normal position

2.  LAW rightful
place:
the place where a thing or a right properly belongs
[Early 18th century. From
Latin (see site ).][1]



situsinversus

situsinversus
si·tus
in·ver·sus 
[stəss in vúrssəss] noun

mirror-image
reversal of body organs: an uncommon reversal of
organs in the body in which the apex of the heart points to the right and the
liver and appendix are on the left side
[From Latin, shortening of situs
inversus viscerum “inverted position of the internal organs”][1]



Sitwell,Dame Edith

Sitwell,Dame Edith

Sit·well 
[sít wel, síttwəl],
Dame Edith (1887–1964)
British
writer. Unconventional in her writing, behavior, and dress, she is best known
for her poetic work Façade (1922), which was set to music by Sir William
Walton. She was the sister of Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell.
Full name
Sitwell, Dame Edith Louisa[1]



Sitwell,Osbert

Sitwell,Osbert
Sit·well 
[sít wel, síttwəl],
Sir Osbert (1892–1969)

British writer. He wrote
satirical and serious poetry and five volumes of memoirs (1944–1950). He was
the brother of Edith and Sacheverell Sitwell.[1]



Sitwell,Sacheverell

Sitwell,Sacheverell
Sit·well 
[sít wel, síttwəl],
Sir Sacheverell (1897–1988)

British writer. He was known
for his biographies and studies in baroque art, which included Sacred and
Profane Love (1940). He was the brother of Osbert and Edith Sitwell.[1]



sitzbath

sitzbath
sitz
bath 
[síts bàth, zíts
bàth] (plural sitz baths) noun

1.  bathtub
shaped like a chair: a bathtub shaped like a
chair in which the bather sits immersed up to the waist in water, to which
salts may be added for therapeutic purposes

2.  therapeutic
bath:
an act of immersion in a sitz bath, especially for therapeutic purposes
[Partial translation of
German Sitzbad, literally “sitting bath”][1]



sitzkrieg

sitzkrieg
sitz·krieg 
[síts krg, zíts
krg] (plural sitz·kriegs) noun

warfare
with little fighting: a period in a war during
which there is little offensive activity or change in the positions of the
combatants
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from German sitzen “to sit” on the model of blitzkrieg
.][1]



sitzmark

sitzmark
sitz·mark 
[síts mrk, zíts
mrk] (plural sitz·marks) noun

snow
hole made by skier’s fall: a depression in the snow
made by a skier who has fallen backward
[Mid-20th century. Partial
translation of German Sitzmarke, literally “sitting mark.”][1]



SIunit

SIunit
SI
u·nit
(plural SI u·nits) noun

internationally accepted unit
of measurement: a unit adopted for
international use under the Système International d’Unités in science and
technology. There are seven fundamental units: the meter, kilogram, second,
ampere, kelvin, candela, and mole, and two supplementary units, the radian and
steradian.[1]



Siva

Siva
Si·va
noun

See
Shiva[1]



Sivan

Sivan
Si·van 
[sívv’n] (plural Si·vans) noun

3rd
month in Jewish calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
third month in biblical reckoning and the ninth month in the civil year, made
up of 30 days and usually falling around May
[14th century. From Hebrew sīwān
.][1]



siwash

siwash
si·wash
[s wàwsh, s
wòsh] noun (plural si·wash·es)

1.  Northwestern
U.S.,
Canada offensive term:
an offensive term for an Aboriginal person (offensive)

2.  Canada
siwash
sweater:
a siwash sweater (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past si·washed, past participle si·washed, present
participle si·wash·ing, 3rd person present singular si·wash·es)

Northwestern U.S.,
Canada camp without a tent:
to travel and camp out without a tent (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Via
Chinook Jargon from Canadian French sauvage, “savage.”][1]



siwashsweater

siwashsweater
si·wash
sweat·er
(plural si·wash sweat·ers) noun

heavy wool sweater:
a heavy sweater made from unbleached wool, originally by the North Americans of
British Columbia, decorated with symbolic designs[1]



six

six
six 
[siks] (plural six·es) noun

1.  number
6:
the number 6

2.  something
with value of 6: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 6

3.  group
of six:
a group of six objects or people, for example, an ice hockey team

4.  group
of Cubs or Brownies: a division of a Cub Scout
pack or Brownie Guide troop

5.  CRICKET ball
crossing boundary: a stroke in cricket that
clears the boundary without bouncing or the six runs scored by this stroke
[Old
English si(e)x . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English semester .]
—six,
adjective, pronoun
at
sixes and sevens

1.  disorganized
or in disarray (informal)

2.  in
disagreement (informal)

be
six of one and half-a-dozen of the other

used
when there is not much difference between two choices

[1]



sixain

sixain
six·ain
[sík sàyn] (plural six·ains) noun

sixline
verse:
a six-line stanza in poetry
[Late 16th century. From
French, from six “six.”][1]



Six-DayWar

Six-DayWar
Six-Day
War
noun

Mideast war:
a war between Israel and the states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria that lasted six
days in June 1967. The Six-Day War resulted in Israel’s occupation of the Gaza
Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank of the Jordan River, and the Golan
Heights.[1]



sixfold

sixfold
six·fold
[síks fld] adjective

1.  six
times greater: with six times as much or as many

2.  with
six parts:
with six parts or elements
adverb

multiplied by six:
by six times as much or as many

[1]



six-footer

six-footer
six-foot·er
(plural six-foot·ers) noun

tall person:
somebody who is six feet tall or taller (informal)[1]



six-gun

six-gun
six-gun 
(plural six-guns) noun

See
six-shooter[1]



SixNations

SixNations
Six
Na·tions
noun

confederacy of Native N
American peoples: a confederacy of six
Native North American peoples, the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca,
and Tuscarora, that lived together in New York State. It was formed in 1722
when the Tuscarora joined the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.[1]



six-pack

six-pack
six-pack 
(plural six-packs) noun

1.  unit
of six cans or bottles: six cans or bottles, usually
of beer, sold together in a pack

2.  abdominal
muscles:
a well-developed block of abdominal muscles (informal)

[1]



sixpennynail

sixpennynail
six·pen·ny
nail
[síkspənee nayl, síks
pènnee nayl] (plural six·pen·ny nails) noun

nail
size:
a nail that is 5 cm2 in. long
[From the original price of a
hundred such nails][1]



six-shooter

six-shooter
six-shoot·er 
(plural six-shoot·ers) noun

revolver with six chambers:
a handgun whose bullets are loaded into a revolving cylinder containing six
chambers (informal)
Also called
six-gun[1]



sixte

sixte
sixte 
[sikst] noun

defensive
position in fencing: the sixth of the eight basic
defensive positions in fencing
[Late 19th century. From
French, “sixth.”][1]



sixteen

sixteen
six·teen 
[sìks tn, síks
tn] noun

1.  number
16:
the number 16

2.  something
with value of 16: something in a numbered series with a
value of 16

3.  group
of 16:
a group of sixteen objects or people
[Old
English si(e)xtiene, syxtiene]
—six·teen, adjective,
pronoun[1]



sixteenmo

sixteenmo
six·teen·mo 
[sìks tnmō] (plural six·teen·mos)
noun

See
sextodecimo
[Mid-19th century. English
reading of the symbol 16mo .][1]



sixteenth

sixteenth
six·teenth 
[sìks tnth, síks
tnth] (plural six·teenths) noun

one
of 16 parts of something: one of 16 equal parts of
something
—six·teenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



sixteenthnote

sixteenthnote
six·teenth
note
(plural six·teenth notes) noun

one-sixteenth division of
whole note: a note that has the time
value of one-sixteenth of a whole note.
U.K. term
semiquaver[1]



sixth

sixth
sixth 
[siksth] (plural sixths) noun

1.  MUSIC interval
of six notes: in a standard musical scale, the
interval between one note and another that lies five notes above or below it.
In the scale of C major, C and A form a sixth.

2.  one
of 6 parts of something: one of six equal parts of
something

3.  MUSIC note a
sixth away from another: in a standard musical scale,
a note that is a sixth away from another note

4.  harmony
of a sixth:
the harmony created by playing two notes a sixth apart

5.  one
note in a sixth: one of the two notes in a sixth
—sixth, adjective,
adverb[1]



sixthchord

sixthchord
sixth
chord
noun

musical note plus third and
sixth: a musical chord made up of a
note plus a note a third above and a note a sixth above[1]



sixthsense

sixthsense
sixth
sense
noun

supposed extra sense:
a supposed special ability to perceive something not using any of the five
senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste[1]



sixtieth

sixtieth
six·ti·eth 
[síkstee əth] (plural six·ti·eths)
noun

one
of 60 parts of something: one of 60 equal parts of
something
—six·ti·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



SixtusV

SixtusV
Six·tus
V
[síkstəss], Pope (1521–1590)

He reformed the church
administration, ordered the construction of public buildings in Rome, and
supported missions abroad.[1]



sixty

sixty
six·ty 
[síkstee] noun (plural six·ties)

1.  number
60:
the number 60

2.  group
of 60:
a group of sixty objects or people
plural
noun
six·ties

1.  numbers
60 to 69:
the numbers 60 to 69, particularly as a range of temperature • in
the low sixties

2.  years
1960 to 1969: the years 1960 to 1969

3.  period
from age 60 to 69: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 60 to 69
[Old
English sixtig]
—sixty, adjective,
pronoun[1]



sixty-fourmo

sixty-fourmo
six·ty-four·mo
[sìkstee fàwrmō] (plural six·ty-four·mos)
noun

1.  paper
size:
a book or paper size that results from a sheet of paper being folded 64 times

2.  book
of sixty-fourmo size: paper or a book that is
sixty-fourmo in size
[English reading of the
symbol 64mo][1]



sixty-fourthnote

sixty-fourthnote
six·ty-fourth
note 
(plural six·ty-fourth notes) noun

MUSIC
one 64th of whole note:
a note written as a filled note-head with a stem and four tails, whose time
value is one 64th that of a whole note.
Also called
hemidemisemiquaver
U.K. term
hemidemisemiquaver[1]



sixty-nine

sixty-nine
six·ty-nine 
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a sexual activity in which two people
simultaneously stimulate each other’s genitals orally (slang offensive)
Also
called
soixante-neuf
[From the position of the
couple, with their heads at opposite ends from each other][1]



sizable

sizable
siz·a·ble
[szəb’l] or size·a·ble [szəb’l] adjective

large:
fairly large
—siz·a·ble·ness,
noun

—siz·a·bly, adverb[1]



sizar

sizar
siz·ar
[szər] (plural siz·ars) or
siz·er [szər] (plural siz·ers)
noun

U.K.
undergraduate receiving grant from college: an
undergraduate student at some universities who receives a grant for expenses
from a college
[Late
16th century. Coined from size in the
obsolete sense “quantity of bread or ale” (probably because the student’s
“sizes” were free) + -ar .]
—siz·ar·ship, noun[1]



size

size1
size1 [sīz]
noun (plural siz·es)

1.  how
much something measures: the amount, scope, or degree
of something, in terms of how large or small it is

2.  how
big something is: the large quality or extent of a
particular thing

3.  standard
measurement of manufactured item: a set of measurements
used when making or classifying articles that are produced and sold, such as
clothing or shoes. Manufacturers make goods in a fixed set of graduated sizes,
with particular dimensions.
transitive
verb
(past sized, past participle sized, present
participle siz·ing, 3rd person present singular siz·es)

1.  sort
according to size: to put things into different
groups according to their size

2.  make
to a particular size: to cut, shape, or
manufacture goods so that they have the necessary or chosen measurements
[13th
century. From Old French sise, an alteration of assise, from
Latin assidere “to sit beside” (see assize
). Originally “sitting down to make a judgment (later, on the standardization
of amounts),” hence “dimension.”]
cut
somebody down to size

to
make somebody be less self-important and arrogant

that’s
about the size of it

used
to indicate that something describes a situation very well (informal)

try
something (on) for size

1.  to
put something on to see whether it fits you or not

2.  to
find out how much you like something, or how well it suits you

[1]



size

size2
size2 [sīz]
noun (plural siz·es)

gelatinous
mixture for filling porous surfaces: a
gelatinous mixture made from glue, starch, or varnish that is used to fill the
pores in the surface of paper, textiles, or plaster.
Also
called
sizing
transitive
verb
(past sized, past participle sized, present
participle siz·ing, 3rd person present singular siz·es)

coat
with size:
to coat a porous surface such as paper, textile, or plaster with size
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps the same as size 1 .][1]



sizeable

sizeable
size·a·ble 
[szəb’l] adjective

See
sizable[1]



sized

sized
sized 
[sīzd] or size [sīzd] adjective

having particular size:
having a particular size (often used in combination)[1]



sizeism

sizeism
size·ism
[s zìzzəm] noun

discrimination
because of size: discrimination against somebody on the
basis of the person’s size, especially the person’s unusual tallness,
shortness, fatness or thinness
—size·ist, adjective[1]



sizer

sizer
siz·er
noun

See
sizar[1]



sizeup

sizeup
size
up
transitive verb

assess:
to assess a person or situation and form a judgment[1]



sizing

sizing
siz·ing 
[szing] noun

1.  See
size 2 noun

2.  use
of size:
the process of coating something with size

[1]



sizzle

sizzle

siz·zle 
[sízz’l] verb (past siz·zled,
past participle siz·zled, present participle siz·zling,
3rd person present singular siz·zles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
the noise of food frying: to make the hissing and
spattering sound typical of frying fat, or to cook food so that it makes a
hissing sound

2.  intransitive
verb
be
furious:
to show or feel great anger (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
be
hot:
to be extremely hot (informal)

4.  intransitive
verb
be
physically appealing: to be physically appealing
or very popular (informal)
noun

1.  physical
appeal:
appeal based on physical attributes (informal)

2.  hissing,
frying noise: the sound of something frying, or a
sound resembling this
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



sizzler

sizzler
siz·zler 
[sízzlər] (plural siz·zlers) noun

1.  something
that sizzles: something that sizzles

2.  hot
day:
an extremely hot day (informal)

[1]



sizzling

sizzling
siz·zling
[sízzling] adjective (informal)

1.  hot:
extremely hot

2.  physically
appealing:
physically appealing or very popular
—siz·zling·ly, adverb[1]



S.J.

S.J.
S.J.

Abbreviation of
Society of Jesus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Sjaelland

Sjaelland
Sjael·land 
[syéllènd]

the main island of Denmark,
on which Copenhagen is situated. Population: 2,159,260 (1994) Area: 7,000 sq
km/2,700 sq mi.[1]



sjambok

sjambok
sjam·bok 
[sham bók, sham
búk] (past sjam·bokked, past participle sjam·bokked,
present participle sjam·bok·king, 3rd person present singular
sjam·boks, plural sjam·boks) noun

South
Africa
animal-skin
whip:
a sturdy whip or riding crop made from the hide of a rhinoceros or hippopotamus
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Malay chambuk, from, ultimately, Persian chābuk
“whip.”][1]



SK

SK
SK

Abbreviation of
Saskatchewan[1]



ska

ska
ska
[skaa] noun

popular
Jamaican dance music: dance music in 4/4 time
originating in Jamaica in the late 1950s, marked by emphasis on the second and
fourth beats. It combines traditional Caribbean music and jazz, and was a
predecessor of reggae.
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Skagerrak

Skagerrak
Skag·er·rak
[skággè rak]

arm of the North Sea between
Norway and the Jutland Peninsula, Denmark. Length: 240 km/150 mi.[1]



skald

skald
skald
[skawld] (plural skalds) or
scald [skawld] (plural scalds)
noun

Scandinavian
bard:
a medieval Scandinavian poet or traveling minstrel (archaic or literary)
[Mid-18th
century. From Old Norse skáld . Perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to say” that is the ancestor of English say and saga
.]
—skald·ic, adjective[1]



skank

skank
skank 
[skangk] (past skanked, past
participle skanked, present participle skank·ing, 3rd
person present singular skanks) intransitive verb

dance
to reggae:
to dance to reggae music, especially in a jerky way
[Late 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



skat

skat
skat
[skat] noun

card
game for three: a card game for three players played
with 32 cards and involving bids, contracts, and the taking of tricks
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Italian scarto “discarded card,” from, ultimately, Latin charta
“paper” (see card ).][1]



skate

skate2
skate2 [skayt]
(plural skates or skate) noun

bottom-dwelling
marine food fish: a bottom-dwelling marine cartilaginous
fish that has a flattened body, very large flat pectoral fins, two small dorsal
fins, a long snout, and short slender tail. Family: Rajidae
[14th century. From Old Norse
skata .][1]



skate

skate1
skate1 [skayt]
noun (plural skates)

1.  ice
skate:
an ice skate

2.  roller
skate:
a roller skate

3.  metal
blade for an ice skate: a steel runner that is
fastened to the sole of a boot or shoe to make an ice skate

4.  time
spent skating: a period of time spent skating
verb
(past skat·ed, past participle skat·ed, present
participle skat·ing, 3rd person present singular skates)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
around on skates: to glide along a surface wearing ice
skates or roller skates

2.  intransitive
verb
slide
smoothly:
to slide along a slippery surface

3.  behave
idly or irresponsibly: to behave in an idle,
irresponsible manner (informal) • Instead
of studying, he’s skating.
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from Dutch schaats (taken as plural), from Old French eschasse
“stilt,” probably from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



skateboard

skateboard
skate·board 
[skáyt bàwrd] noun (plural skate·boards)

wheeled
board for riding: a short narrow board to which a set of
small wheels is fitted on the underside, used to move rapidly or to perform
jumps and stunts
intransitive
verb
(past skate·board·ed, past participle skate·board·ed,
present participle skate·board·ing, 3rd person present
singular skate·boards)

ride
on skateboard: to ride on a skateboard
—skate·board·er, noun[1]



skateboarding

skateboarding
skate·board·ing
[skáyt bàwrding] noun

riding of skateboard:
the sport or pastime of riding a skateboard[1]



skater

skater
skat·er 
[skáytər] (plural skat·ers) noun

1.  somebody
moving along on skates: somebody who ice-skates or
roller-skates as a sport, hobby, or profession

2.  INSECTS See water strider

[1]



skating

skating
skat·ing
[skáyting] noun

moving about or performing on
skates: the pastime or sport of
sliding on ice skates or rolling on roller skates[1]



skatole

skatole
skat·ole 
[ská tl, ská
tàwl] noun

substance
with strong fecal odor: an organic crystalline solid
that has a strong fecal odor, is found in feces, beetroot, and coal tar, and is
used as a fixative in making perfumes. C9H9N
[Late 19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem skat- “dung” (see scato-
) + -ole .][1]



skean

skean
skean 
[skeen] (plural skeans) noun

Scotland
dagger:
a dagger with a double-edged blade used in the past in Scotland and Ireland
[Early 16th century. Via
Gaelic scian from Old Irish . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to cut” that is also the ancestor of English shin and schism
.][1]



skedaddle

skedaddle
ske·dad·dle 
[skə dádd’l] intransitive verb (past
ske·dad·dled, past participle ske·dad·dled, present
participle ske·dad·dling, 3rd person present singular ske·dad·dles)

run
away:
to run away quickly (slang)
noun

quick
departure:
a very quick or agitated departure (slang)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
—ske·dad·dler, noun[1]



skeet

skeet
skeet 
[skeet] or skeet shoot·ing [skeet] noun

shooting
at clay targets: a form of sport shooting in which clay
targets are tossed into the air at speeds and angles intended to simulate the
flight of birds
[Early 20th century. Said to
be from skeet (invented as a supposedly archaic form of shoot ), the winning entry in a contest held to
choose a name for this sport.][1]



skeeter

skeeter
skeet·er 
[sktər] (plural skeet·ers) noun

mosquito:
a mosquito (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Dialect
variant of mosquito .][1]



skeetshooting

skeetshooting
skeet
shooting
noun

See
skeet[1]



skeg

skeg
skeg 
[skeg] (plural skegs) noun

1.  NAUTICAL part
connecting keel and rudderpost: a part of the keel of
a ship, near the stern, that connects the keel with the rudderpost

2.  fin
on surfboard: the short stabilizing fin on the rear
underside of a surfboard or sailboard
[Early 17th century. Via
Dutch scheg from Old Norse skegg “beard, point of a ship’s
stern.”][1]



skein

skein
skein 
[skayn] (plural skeins) noun

1.  twisted
bundle of yarn: a length of yarn or thread wound loosely
and coiled together

2.  BIRDS group
of geese in flight: a flock of wild birds flying
across the sky in a line

3.  tangle:
a tangled or complex mass of material
[15th century. From Old
French escaigne, of unknown origin.][1]



skeletal

skeletal
skel·e·tal 
[skéllət’l] adjective

1.  of
a skeleton:
relating to a skeleton

2.  very
thin:
extremely thin or emaciated
—skel·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



skeleton

skeleton

skel·e·ton 
[skéllət’n] (plural skel·e·tons)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY bones
of person or animal: the rigid framework of
interconnected bones and cartilage that protects and supports the internal
organs and provides attachment for muscles in humans and other vertebrate
animals

2.  ZOOLOGY supportive
protective structure of invertebrates:
something that provides support, gives protection, or maintains shape in an
invertebrate animal, such as the shell of a snail or cuticle of a crab

3.  basic
frame something is built around: a structure that is
needed to support and hold something together as an internal framework, onto
which the connecting or covering parts are attached

4.  something
with only essential parts left: a plan, organization,
or structure that has been reduced so that only its most basic and necessary
elements are still functioning or in place

5.  outline
or layout of something: a description that gives the
main points but no details of something such as a book or plan

6.  somebody
very thin:
an emaciated person or animal (informal)
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek skeleton (sōma) “dried up
(body),” from skellein “to dry up.”]
a skeleton in the closet

a closely kept secret that is
a source of shame or embarrassment[1]



skeletonize

skeletonize
skel·e·ton·ize 
[skéllət’n z] (past skel·e·ton·ized,
past participle skel·e·ton·ized, present participle skel·e·ton·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular skel·e·ton·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  cut
back to absolute basics: to reduce something until
only its most basic structure or outline remains

2.  create
outline of:
to create something in basic outline

3.  reduce
to a skeletal form: to reduce something to a
skeleton

[1]



skeletonkey

skeletonkey
skel·e·ton
key
noun

key
that can unlock many doors: a key with the usually
serrated part that connects with the lever of a lock ( bit
) filed down so that it can open many different unsophisticated locks.
Also
called
master key
Also
called
passkey
[From its basic cut-back
shape][1]



skell

skell
skell 
[skel] noun

somebody
living on street: somebody who has no home or job so must
live on the street (slang)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



skeptic

skeptic
skep·tic
[sképtik] (plural skep·tics) noun

1.  somebody
who doubts something is true: somebody who questions the
validity or truth of things that most people accept

2.  somebody
who doubts religious teachings: somebody who is not
willing to accept the doctrines and principles that form the basis of a
religion
[Late 16th century. Via
French sceptique or directly from Latin scepticus “follower of
the Greek philosopher Pyrrho,” from Greek skeptikos, from skeptesthai
“to look about.”][1]



Skeptic

Skeptic
Skep·tic
[sképtik] noun (plural Skep·tics)

somebody
denying knowledge is possible: a member of an ancient
Greek school of philosophy holding the doctrine that real knowledge is
impossible, or a later follower of this doctrine
adjective

relating
to Skeptics: relating to an ancient Greek school of
philosophy or its members, who believed that knowledge is impossible
[Late
16th century]
—Skeptic, adjective[1]



skeptical

skeptical
skep·ti·cal
[sképtik’l] adjective

1.  doubtful:
tending not to believe things but to question them

2.  showing
doubt:
marked by a doubting attitude
—skep·ti·cal·ness,
noun

—skep·ti·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



skepticism

skepticism
skep·ti·cism
[sképti sìzzəm] noun

1.  doubting
attitude:
an attitude marked by a tendency to doubt what others accept to be true

2.  RELIGION doubt
of religion: a doubting attitude toward religious
beliefs

3.  skep·ti·cism
or Skep·ti·cism PHILOSOPHY
doctrine
that knowledge is impossible: the doctrine that holds that
true knowledge is not possible
[Mid-17th century][1]



skerry

skerry
sker·ry 
[skérree] (plural sker·ries) noun

Scotland
rocky
islet:
a rocky islet or reef
[Early 17th century. Via
Scots dialect from Old Norse sker “reef.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to cut” that is also the ancestor of English sharp and scrape
.][1]



sketch

sketch
sketch 
[skech] noun (plural sketch·es)

1.  DRAWING picture
done quickly and roughly: a drawing or painting that
is done quickly without concern for detail. A sketch might be made to capture
the general mood of a scene, or to help the artist work out an idea for a
finished composition.

2.  ARTS short
performance: a quick comic routine or piece of acting
that is part of a variety show or comedy revue

3.  rough
description or explanation of something: a
short written or spoken account that conveys just a general outline or idea,
with little detail

4.  LITERATURE short
piece of writing: a short, often descriptive, piece of
writing

5.  MUSIC short
musical composition: a short piece of
instrumental music, often for piano
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sketched,
past participle sketched, present participle sketch·ing,
3rd person present singular sketch·es)

ARTS make a
sketch:
to create a sketch of something
[Mid-17th
century. Via Dutch schets or German Skizze from Italian schizzo,
from, ultimately, Vulgar Latin schediare “to do hastily,” from Latin schedius,
from Greek skhedios “on the spur of the moment.”]
—sketch·a·ble,
adjective

—sketch·er, noun[1]



sketchbook

sketchbook
sketch·book 
[skéch bk] (plural sketch·books)
or sketch·pad [skéch pàd] (plural
sketch·pads) noun

artist’s book of drawing
paper: a book of plain paper for
making sketches on[1]



sketchy

sketchy
sketch·y 
[skéchee] (comparative sketch·i·er,
superlative sketch·i·est) adjective

1.  superficial:
lacking in substance, clarity, or detail

2.  resembling
a sketch:
giving only the main points with little detail
—sketch·i·ly,
adverb

—sketch·i·ness, noun[1]



skew

skew
skew 
[skyoo] verb (past skewed,
past participle skewed, present participle skew·ing,
3rd person present singular skews)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb slant
or cause to slant: to make something uneven,
sloping, or unsymmetrical, or to be in this state

2.  transitive
verb
make
incorrect or distorted: to misrepresent the true
meaning or nature of something

3.  intransitive
verb
squint:
to look sideways at something
adjective

1.  in
a slanted position or line: being in a slanted or
unsymmetrical position

2.  MATHEMATICS not
parallel or intersecting: used to describe a line that
is neither parallel nor intersecting
noun
(plural skews)

1.  tilted
or inaccurate position: a position that is not
straight but that slants or twists out of correct alignment

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING slanting
direction:
a slanting movement, line, or direction
[14th century. Shortening of
Old Northern French eskiuer, a variant of Old French eschiver “to
eschew” (see eschew ).][1]



skewarch

skewarch
skew
arch
(plural skew arch·es) noun

arch with askew sides:
an arch, for example, on a bridge or tunnel, with sides that are not at right
angles to the span[1]



skewback

skewback

skew·back 
[sky bàk] (plural skew·backs)
noun
side of arch:
either of the sloping surfaces on which the sides of a segmental arch abut[1]



skewbald

skewbald
skew·bald 
[sky bàwld] adjective

with
white and brown patches: used to describe a horse
that has a spotted coat consisting of white and another color other than black,
generally brown
noun
(plural skew·balds)

skewbald
horse:
a skewbald horse
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from obsolete skewed “having mixed colors,” of unknown origin, on the
model of piebald .][1]



skewer

skewer
skew·er 
[sky ər] noun (plural skew·ers)

1.  thin
pin to cook food on: a thin metal or wooden rod
with a sharp end used to hold meat or meat and vegetables during cooking

2.  something
similar to skewer: a thin pointed object used
to pierce something or hold it in place
transitive
verb
(past skew·ered, past participle skew·ered, present
participle skew·er·ing, 3rd person present singular skew·ers)

1.  pierce
with skewer: to pierce somebody or something with a
skewer or with something else that is thin and sharp

2.  criticize
pointedly:
to make a pointed and effective criticism
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



skewlines

skewlines
skew
lines
plural noun

lines not parallel or
intersecting: two straight lines that
do not lie in the same plane, are not parallel, and do not intersect, the
distance between them being the unique segment perpendicular to both lines[1]



skewness

skewness
skew·ness
[skynəss] noun

1.  crookedness:
the way or amount that something is tilted or distorted from the true or
straight position

2.  STATISTICS lack
of symmetry: a lack of symmetry, especially about the
mean in a frequency distribution

[1]



ski

ski
ski 
[skee] noun (plural skis)

1.  board
used to slide across snow: either of a pair of long
thin boards made of wood, metal, or other material that curve up at the front
and are used to slide across snow

2.  See
water-ski

3.  runner
for vehicles traveling on snow: a runner fitted to
vehicles such as snowmobiles and airplanes for landing or traveling on snow and
ice
intransitive
and transitive verb (past skied, past
participle skied, present participle ski·ing, 3rd
person present singular skis)

move along on skis:
to glide over the surface of snow or water wearing skis, as a means of travel
or as a leisure pursuit or sport
[Mid-18th
century. Via Norwegian from Old Norse skið “piece of split wood,
snowshoe.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cut” that is also
the ancestor of English sheath and shiver .]
—ski·a·ble,
adjective

—ski·er, noun[1]



skibob

skibob
ski·bob 
[sk bòb] (plural ski·bobs) noun

vehicle
with two skis for snow travel: a vehicle similar to a
bicycle that has skis instead of wheels and is used to travel over snow
[Mid-20th
century. Bob is a shortening of bobsled .]
—ski·bob·ber,
noun

—ski·bob·bing, noun[1]



skid

skid

skid 
[skid] noun (plural skids)

1.  TRANSPORT uncontrolled
slide:
an uncontrolled slide across a surface in a wheeled vehicle

2.  AIR aircraft
runner:
a runner on the underside of an aircraft, used as part of its landing gear

3.  TECHNOLOGY pallet:
a low pallet on which goods are loaded for handling or transport

4.  pole
used to form track: one of two or more logs or
poles used to form a track for sliding or rolling something along, for example,
from a truckbed to the ground

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING block
used to prevent wheel turning: a shoe or block used
to prevent a wheel from turning, for example, when a vehicle is descending a
hill

6.  SHIPPING ship’s
fender:
a wooden structure hung over the side of a ship to protect the ship in loading
and unloading cargo
verb (past
skid·ded, past participle skid·ded, present participle
skid·ding, 3rd person present singular skids)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE slide dangerously across
surface:
to slide or make a vehicle slide across a surface, usually unintentionally, so
that the wheels lose their grip and control is lost

2.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT slide
over surface without rolling: to slide across a surface
without turning around and gripping it in the proper way

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR slide sideways:
to slide or make an aircraft slide sideways away from the center of curvature
when it is insufficiently banked in making a turn

4.  transitive
verb
move
something on skids: to lift or move something
along using a track made of poles or logs

5.  transitive
verb
drag
logs:
to move logs by dragging them
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse .]
—skid·dy,
adjective
be on the skids

to be in difficulties and
heading for failure (slang)[1]



skidmarks

skidmarks
skid
marks
plural noun

marks made on road by skid:
dark heavy lines marked on a road surface by the wheels of a vehicle that has
skidded[1]



Ski-Doo

Ski-Doo
Ski-Doo
Trademark

Canada
a trademark for a kind of snowmobile[1]



skidproof

skidproof
skid·proof
[skíd prf] adjective

preventing skids:
designed to prevent skidding[1]



skidroad

skidroad
skid
road
noun

1.  (informal)
See skid row

2.  track
for hauling logs along: a road with logs embedded in
it, along which timber is hauled to a mill or loading area

[1]



skidrow

skidrow
skid
row 
noun

rundown
part of town: an area of a city that has cheap bars
and rundown hotels and is frequented by members of the city’s underclass (informal)

Also
called
skid road
[Alteration of skid road . The word originally referred to an
area of a town that loggers typically frequented.][1]



skied

skied2
skied2  [skīd]

Past participle of
sky Past tense of sky[1]



skied

skied1
skied1  [skeed]

Past tense of
ski Past participle of ski[1]



skies

skies1
skies1 

Present tense of
ski[1]



skies

skies2
skies2 

Plural of
sky[1]



skiff

skiff
skiff 
[skif] (plural skiffs) noun

small
flatbottom boat: a small flatbottom boat of shallow draft
that is usually propelled with oars, a sail, or a motor
[Late 15th century. Via
French esquif from Italian schifo, probably from Old High German schif
. Related to English ship .][1]



skiffle

skiffle
skif·fle 
[skíff’l] noun

type
of 1950s pop music: a type of music that was
popular in the 1950s, usually played by a small group on guitars as well as
improvised instruments such as a washboard used as percussion
[Early 20th century. Origin unknown.][1]



skiing

skiing
ski·ing
[sk ing] noun

activity of using skis:
the activity, sport, or pastime of traveling on skis[1]



skijoring

skijoring
ski·jor·ing 
[sk jàwring] noun

sport
of skier pulled by horse: a sport in which a skier is
towed across a frozen surface by a horse or vehicle
[Early
20th century. From Norwegian skikjøring, literally “ski driving.”]
—ski·jor·er, noun[1]



skijump

skijump
ski
jump
noun

1.  track
for skiers to jump from: a steep artificial slope
with a sharp upturn at the bottom. People ski down this and then leap into the
air, competing with one another to travel the longest distance.

2.  jump
made from ski jump: a jump made by a skier from
a ski jump
intransitive
verb
(past ski jumped, past participle ski jumped, present
participle ski jump·ing, 3rd person present singular ski
jumps)

perform ski jump:
to perform a ski jump
—ski jump·er, noun[1]



Skikda

Skikda
Skik·da
[skik daa]

city and port in northeastern
Algeria, situated about 354 km/220 mi east of Algiers. Population: 128,747
(1987)[1]



skilful

skilful
skil·ful 
adjective

U.K. =
skillful[1]



skilift

skilift
ski
lift
noun

apparatus for getting skiers
up mountainside: a motor-driven
apparatus consisting of a continuously moving cable with seats, gondolas, or
tow bars suspended from it, built to transport skiers to the top of a ski run[1]



skill

skill
skill 
[skil] (plural skills) noun

1.  ability
to do something well: the ability to do something
well, usually gained through experience and training

2.  something
requiring training to do well: something such as an
art or trade that requires training and experience to do well
[12th
century. From Old Norse skil “discernment.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to cut” that is also the ancestor of English shell and scalpel
.]
—skill-less,
adjective

—skill-less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at ability

[1]



skilled

skilled
skilled 
[skild] adjective

1.  very
good at doing something: having or showing a special
ability and competence in a particular type of work or activity

2.  requiring
training and experience: characterized by the need
for special abilities developed and practiced over time

[1]



skillet

skillet
skil·let 
[skíllit] (plural skil·lets) noun

1.  See
frying pan

2.  U.K.
small
frying pan:
a small shallow pan with a long handle, used for frying or braising food
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French escuelete, literally “small
platter,” from escuele “platter,” from Latin scutella “flat dish”
(see scuttle ).][1]



skillful

skillful
skill·ful
[skílf’l] adjective

1.  particularly
adept at something: with a special ability and
dexterity in a particular type of work or activity

2.  involving
special skill: requiring or done with specialized
techniques and abilities developed over a period of time
—skill·ful·ly,
adverb

—skill·ful·ness, noun[1]



skim

skim
skim 
[skim] verb (past skimmed,
past participle skimmed, present participle skim·ming,
3rd person present singular skims)

1.  transitive
verb
COOKING scoop
from top of liquid: to remove a substance such
as a fatty accumulation forming a layer on the surface of a liquid, usually
with a large shallow spoon

2.  transitive
verb
rid
liquid of floating material: to rid a liquid of material
accumulating on its surface

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
closely over surface of something: to pass or make
something pass quickly across and just above the surface of something,
sometimes touching it lightly and briefly

4.  transitive
verb
glance
through a book or paper: to read something very
quickly looking only at occasional lines or words, to get a general idea of its
contents

5.  transitive
verb
send
something bouncing along: to throw something so that
it bounces lightly along the surface of water

6.  transitive
verb
give
little or no attention to: to deal with something in a
superficial way

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb coat
or become coated with layer: to develop a thin surface
layer of something, or coat an object so that its surface is covered in a thin
layer of something

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb embezzle:
to embezzle some of the proceeds from a business (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
hide
profits to avoid taxes: to hide earnings or profits
in order to avoid paying taxes on them (informal)
noun
(plural skims)

1.  thin
film:
a layer coating a surface

2.  cursory
look:
a cursory look at or treatment of something • a
quick skim over the main topics on the agenda

3.  substance
removed from surface of something: the matter that forms
a layer on a surface and is skimmed off

4.  skimming
process:
the process of removing a substance from a surface
[15th century. From Old
French escumer, from escume “scum,” from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of English scum
.][1]



skimask

skimask
ski
mask
noun

covering protecting face
against cold: a protective covering
for the face and sometimes the head, worn by skiers and made of knitted or
other material and often having openings for the eyes, nose, and mouth[1]



skimmer

skimmer
skim·mer 
[skímmər] (plural skim·mers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that skims: a person, object, or device
that skims

2.  CLOTHES flat
straw hat:
a flat hat usually made of straw

3.  BIRDS long-winged
marine bird: a long-winged marine bird that has a
bill with the lower half longer than the upper, used for skimming food from the
surface of water while in flight. Genus: Rynchops

4.  COOKING utensil
used for skimming: a broad flat spoon with
small perforations in it used to skim something such as fat from the surface of
a liquid

[1]



skimmilk

skimmilk
skim
milk
or skimmed milk noun

milk with fat removed:
milk with most or all of its fat content removed.
U.K. term
skimmed milk[1]



skimmings

skimmings
skim·mings
[skímmingz] plural noun

material removed from top of
liquid: the floating fat or debris
skimmed off the surface of a liquid[1]



skimoff

skimoff
skim
off
transitive verb

select best ones from group:
to cull the best people or items from a group[1]



skimp

skimp
skimp 
[skimp] (past skimped, past
participle skimped, present participle skimp·ing, 3rd
person present singular skimps) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
too little of something: to use or provide hardly
enough of something

2.  transitive
verb
do
something improperly: to carry out a piece of work
poorly, without spending enough time, trouble, or materials on it

3.  transitive
verb
not
provide with enough: to give or allow somebody
only an inadequate amount of money, food, or other necessary items
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



skimpy

skimpy
skimp·y 
[skímpee] (comparative skimp·i·er,
superlative skimp·i·est) adjective

1.  hardly
adequate:
made or done using barely enough of the necessary materials

2.  stingy:
not giving somebody enough of something through meanness
—skimp·i·ly,
adverb

—skimp·i·ness, noun[1]



skin

skin

skin 
[skin] noun (plural skins)

1.  natural
layer covering an animal’s body: the external
protective membrane or covering of an animal’s body, consisting of the dermis
and epidermis and often covered in hair, fur, scales, or feathers

2.  skin
on face:
somebody’s skin, especially on the face, in terms of its color and appearance

3.  BOTANY thin
natural covering: a relatively thin but protective layer
closely surrounding the flesh of a fruit or vegetable

4.  INDUSTRY fur or
leather from dead animal: skin or a piece of skin
removed from an animal’s body, especially once it has been cleaned and treated
to use as fur or leather

5.  solid
surface layer on a liquid: a thin pliant surface that
forms on the top of some liquids, for example, on hot milk left to cool

6.  tight-fitting
covering:
a thin tough casing or cover that fits closely around something such as a
sausage to hold in, protect, or preserve the enclosed material

7.  small
leather sack: a bag made from animal hide used to hold
liquid such as wine or water

8.  outer
covering of structure: the outer protective
covering of a structure such as an aircraft
plural noun skins

MUSIC jazz
drums:
drums, especially in a jazz band (informal)
verb (past
skinned, past participle skinned, present participle
skin·ning, 3rd person present singular skins)

1.  transitive
verb
take
the skin off: to remove the skin from a fruit or
vegetable, or from an animal or person, especially by cutting or ripping it

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE scrape
the skin:
to make the skin on a part of the body red, sore, and broken, especially by
falling on it or scraping it

3.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY swindle:
to trick somebody out of money or property (slang)

4.  transitive
verb
remove
outside part of: to strip off an outer, covering layer
that resembles a skin

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
skin on:
to grow or become covered with a skin, or cover somebody or something with a
skin
adjective

pornographic:
relating to or containing pornographic material (informal)
[12th
century. From Old Norse skinn . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to cut” (see ski ). The underlying
idea is of something peeled off (presumably a pelt from a hunted animal).]
—skin·less,
adjective
be no skin off your nose

to
be a matter that does not harm you at all and therefore may be of little
interest (informal)

by the skin of your teeth

by
a very narrow margin, or only just (informal)

get under your skin

1.  to
annoy or irritate you (informal)

2.  to
make you feel great interest or attraction (informal)

jump out of your skin

to
get a bad fright or a shock (informal)

save somebody’s skin

to
prevent somebody suffering hurt, loss, or punishment by giving vital help (informal)

skin up

intransitive verb
to roll a marijuana joint or cigarette (informal)

[1]



skin-deep

skin-deep
skin-deep 
adjective

without
deep meaning or importance: appearing to be important,
meaningful, or valuable but having little deep or lasting importance
adverb

not deeply:
in a superficial way[1]



skindiving

skindiving
skin
div·ing
noun

underwater
diving with snorkel: the sport of underwater
diving using flippers and a mask and snorkel
—skin-dive,
intransitive verb

—skin div·er, noun[1]



skineffect

skineffect
skin
ef·fect
noun

surface flow of alternating
current: the tendency of a
high-frequency alternating current to flow near the surface of the conductor
rather than in its interior[1]



skinflick

skinflick
skin
flick
noun

pornographic movie:
a pornographic movie (slang)[1]



skinflint

skinflint
skin·flint 
[skín flìnt] (plural skin·flints)
noun

miser:
somebody who hates parting with money, whether by spending it or by giving it
to other people
[Late 17th century. From the
phrase “skin a flint,” used of somebody so miserly as to try to remove the skin
from a piece of flint.][1]



skinfriction

skinfriction
skin
fric·tion
noun

drag on something moving
through air: a frictional force, or
drag, acting on the surface of an airfoil or other object immersed in a large
volume of fluid that is in motion relative to the object[1]



skingame

skingame
skin
game
noun

piece
of trickery: a confidence trick or scheme used to
cheat people of their money (slang)
[From skin “to swindle”][1]



skingraft

skingraft
skin
graft
noun

skin replacement:
a piece of skin taken from part of the body and used to replace lost or damaged
skin[1]



skinhead

skinhead
skin·head 
[skín hèd] (plural skin·heads)
noun (slang)

1.  somebody
with shaved head: somebody whose hair is very short or
whose head is shaved

2.  racist
young Caucasian man: one of a group of young
Caucasian men with closely-cropped or shaven hair who often have racist or
fascist beliefs, and are sometimes violent

[1]



skink

skink

skink 
[skingk] (plural skinks) noun
small
smooth insect-eating lizard: a small smooth insect-eating
lizard with a long thin body and small limbs. It lives in temperate and
tropical regions, especially in Asia and Africa. Family: Scincidae
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via obsolete French scinc from Latin scincus, from Greek skigkos
.][1]



skinner

skinner
skin·ner 
[skínnər] (plural skin·ners) noun

1.  somebody
who skins:
somebody who skins animals or deals in animal skins

2.  Western
U.S.
mule
driver:
somebody who drives a team of mules

[1]



Skinner,B. F.

Skinner,B. F.
Skin·ner 
[skínnər], B. F. (1904–1990)

U.S.
psychologist. His stimulus-response experiments and behaviorist theories
profoundly influenced methods of education and behavior therapy. His works
include Beyond Freedom and Dignity ( 1971 ).
Full
name
Skinner, Burrhus Frederic
—Skin·ner·i·an [ski nree ən], adjective, noun[1]



Skinnerbox

Skinnerbox
Skin·ner
box
noun

isolation
box for animal experiments: an enclosure for isolating
an animal during studies of learning behavior, or operant conditioning, that
contains a device the animal may operate to receive a reward or avoid
punishment
[Mid-20th century. Named for
B. F. Skinner .][1]



Skinner,Cornelia Otis

Skinner,Cornelia Otis
Skin·ner 
[skínnər], Cornelia Otis (1901–1979)

U.S. writer and actor. Known
for her one-woman shows, she was coauthor of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay
( 1942 ).[1]



skinny

skinny
skin·ny 
[skínnee] adjective (comparative
skin·ni·er, superlative skin·ni·est)

1.  very
thin:
thin, especially in an unappealing or unhealthy way

2.  low-fat:
made with skim milk (informal) • One
skinny latte to go.
noun

reliable information:
the truth about something (slang)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from skin .]
—skin·ni·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



skinny-dip

skinny-dip
skin·ny-dip 
intransitive verb (past skin·ny-dipped, past participle
skin·ny-dipped, present participle skin·ny-dip·ping, 3rd
person present singular skin·ny-dips)

swim
nude:
to go swimming in the nude (informal)
noun

nude
swim:
a swim in the nude (informal)
[From
skinny in its original sense “pertaining to
the skin”]
—skin·ny-dip·per,
noun

—skin·ny-dip·ping, noun[1]



skin-pop

skin-pop
skin-pop 
(past skin-popped, past participle skin-popped, present
participle skin-pop·ping, 3rd person present singular skin-pops)
intransitive and transitive verb

inject drugs into skin:
to take narcotic drugs by inserting the needle under the skin, not straight
into a vein (slang)[1]



skintest

skintest
skin
test
noun

medical allergy test:
a test in which a substance is applied to the skin to determine somebody’s
allergic sensitivity or immunity to it[1]



skintight

skintight
skin·tight 
[skīn tt] adjective

fitting close to body:
fitting tightly to the body[1]



skip

skip1
skip1  [skip]
verb (past skipped, past participle skipped,
present participle skip·ping, 3rd person present singular skips)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
with small hopping steps: to move along by hopping
from one foot to the other

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb jump
repeatedly over circling rope: to jump repeatedly
over a rope as it is swung around over the head and under the feet

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb omit:
to pass over or leave something out that should properly follow as part of a
sequence or a complete work

4.  transitive
verb
not
attend or be at: to choose or decide to miss an event or
activity (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
omit
school grade: to promote a student to a grade that is
one beyond the next in succession, or to omit a grade in this way

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave
somewhere secretly: to make a secret getaway,
especially for some dishonest reason, for example, to avoid being punished for
something (informal)

7.  intransitive
verb
RECORDING not
play correctly: to fail to play a CD or record properly
by jumping from one place to another, or to undergo this kind of faulty playing

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in series of small hops: to move lightly across a
surface in a series of small hops, or make something move in this way

9.  transitive
verb
nimbly
jump over:
to jump nimbly over something

10. transitive
verb
deal
with cursorily: to deal with or look at something in a
cursory way
noun
(plural skips)

1.  small
hopping step: a small forward hopping step

2.  act
of omitting something: an act of omitting part of
something
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse .]
—skip·pa·ble, adjective[1]



skip

skip2
skip2  [skip]
noun (plural skips (informal))

NAUTICAL skipper:
a skipper (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past skipped, past participle skipped, present
participle skip·ping, 3rd person present singular skips)

NAUTICAL be
skipper of:
to be the skipper of a vessel (slang)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



skipants

skipants
ski
pants
plural noun

1.  See
stirrup pants

2.  pants
for skiing:
pants that are worn for skiing and other cold weather activities and that are
often lined, windproof, and water-resistant

[1]



skipdistance

skipdistance
skip
dis·tance
noun

distance between radio
transmitter and receiver: the
shortest distance between a radio transmitter and receiver that permits waves
of a particular frequency to be sent and received by reflection from the
ionosphere[1]



skipjack

skipjack
skip·jack 
[skíp jàk] (plural skip·jacks or
skip·jack) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY leaping
marine fish: any of various marine fishes that leap
out of the water such as the bonito, ladyfish, or bluefish

2.  skip·jack
or skip·jack tu·na FOOD
ZOOLOGY marine
food fish:
a tropical marine sport and food fish of the tuna family that is blue and
silver with dark stripes on its abdomen. Latin name: Euthynnus pelamus

3.  SAILING sailboat:
a sailboat with straight sides and a V-shaped bottom

[1]



skiplane

skiplane
ski·plane
[sk plàyn] (plural ski·planes)
noun

aircraft equipped with skis:
an aircraft equipped with skis for taking off from and landing on snow[1]



skipole

skipole
ski
pole
noun

pole with grip used in
skiing: one of a pair of lightweight
poles held by skiers for balance and control. The bottom end has a point
surrounded by a disk for gaining purchase on the snow.[1]



skipper

skipper1
skip·per1 [skíppər]
noun (plural skip·pers)

1.  NAUTICAL somebody
in charge of ship: somebody in charge of a ship
or boat

2.  leader
of a team:
somebody in charge of a squad or group of others, especially the captain or
coach of a sports team (informal)
transitive
verb
(past participle skip·pered, present participle skip·per·ing,
3rd person present singular skip·pers)

be skipper of:
to be in charge of a ship, team or aircraft (informal)
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch schipper, from schip “ship.”][1]



skipper

skipper2
skip·per2 [skíppər]
(plural skip·pers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that skips: somebody or something that
skips

2.  INSECTS insect
resembling moth: a quick-flying insect that has a stout
hairy body and clubbed antennae with hooked tips, and is closely related to
true butterflies. Families: Hesperiidae Megathymidae

3.  ZOOLOGY See saury
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from skip 1 . The word
was used to designate these animals because of their jumping and darting
movements.][1]



skipping-rope

skipping-rope
skip·ping-rope
(plural skip·ping-ropes) noun

U.K.
See jump rope[1]



skirl

skirl
skirl 
[skurl] noun

Scotland
shrill
wailing noise: the high-pitched wailing sound that
bagpipes typically make
intransitive
and transitive verb (past skirled,
past participle skirled, present participle skirl·ing,
3rd person present singular skirls)

Scotland
produce
shrill wailing noise: to produce a high-pitched
wailing sound on the bagpipes
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.][1]



skirmish

skirmish
skir·mish 
[skúrmish] noun (plural skir·mish·es)

1.  MILITARY small,
relatively unimportant battle: an incident where
fighting breaks out briefly between two small contingents away from the main
battlefield in a war

2.  short
argument:
a brief fight or disagreement between people
intransitive
verb
(past skir·mished, past participle skir·mished, present
participle skir·mish·ing, 3rd person present singular skir·mish·es)

engage in minor battle:
to become involved in a skirmish
[14th
century. From the Old French stem eskermiss- “to fence,” from,
ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to defend”; the noun was later
reinforced by Old French escar(a)muche, from Italian scaramuccia
.]
—skir·mish·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fight

[1]



skirr

skirr
skirr
[skur] (past skirred, past
participle skirred, present participle skir·ring, 3rd
person present singular skirrs, plural skirrs) noun

whir:
a whirring sound
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



skirret

skirret
skir·ret 
[skúr ət] (plural skir·rets) noun

plant
with edible root: a plant cultivated in Europe for its
sweetish edible root. Latin name: Sium sisarum
[14th century. Earlier skirwhit,
of uncertain origin: probably by folk etymology (from obsolete scir
“pure” + white ) from Old French eschervi,
from Arabic karawiyā “caraway” (see caraway
).][1]



skirt

skirt
skirt 
[skurt] noun (plural skirts)

1.  CLOTHES garment
that hangs from the waist: a piece of clothing that
hangs from the waist and does not divide into two separate legs, usually worn
by women and girls

2.  CLOTHES area
of fabric falling from waistline: the section from the
waist to the hem on a dress, coat, or robe

3.  TECHNOLOGY something
similar to skirt: an attachment shaped like a skirt, or
covering the lower part of something like a skirt

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a girl or woman, or women in general, by
suggesting that they are objects (slang offensive)

5.  U.K.
FOOD cut of
beef:
a stewing cut of beef taken from the flank, below the sirloin and rump, and cut
from the inside of flank steak

6.  ENGINEERING flap
around bottom of hovercraft: the lower outer section of a
rocket or the flap around the bottom of a hovercraft.
Also
called
apron

7.  EQUESTRIAN flap
on saddle:
one of a pair of leather flaps that hang from a saddle
verb
(past skirt·ed, past participle skirt·ed, present
participle skirt·ing, 3rd person present singular skirts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
around the outside of something: to form a border along
the edge of an area or object

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
around the outside of something: to travel along the
edge of something such as an area, structure, or geographic feature

3.  transitive
verb
avoid
giving proper attention to: to avoid dealing with a
particular subject in any depth, usually because it is tricky or unpleasant

4.  transitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY give
an edge to:
to provide something with an attachment shaped like a skirt or border
[13th
century. From Old Norse skyrta “shirt,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English shirt
.]
—skirt·er, noun[1]



skirt-chaser

skirt-chaser
skirt-chas·er
(plural skirt-chas·ers) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer a man who is regarded as being excessively
interested in pursuing women sexually (slang offensive)
—skirt-chas·ing, noun[1]



skirting

skirting
skirt·ing
[skúrting] noun (plural skirt·ings)

1.  U.K.
CONSTRUCTION See skirting board

2.  INDUSTRY material
for skirts:
material used to make skirts
plural
noun
skirt·ings

Australia, New Zealand
pieces
of fleece:
pieces trimmed from a shorn fleece

[1]



skirtingboard

skirtingboard
skirt·ing
board
(plural skirt·ing boards) noun

U.K.
See skirting[1]



skit

skit
skit 
[skit] (plural skits) noun

1.  THEATER short
comic sketch: a short, usually comic, dramatic sketch

2.  LITERATURE comic
satirical writing: a short piece of comic
writing that satirizes somebody or something
[Early 18th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps from a Scandinavian language.][1]



skitouring

skitouring
ski
tour·ing
noun

cross-country skiing over
long distances: traveling over long
distances on skis, especially in wilderness areas[1]



skitow

skitow
ski
tow
noun

apparatus for getting skiers
to top: an apparatus consisting of a
motor-driven rope that skiers hang onto to be towed up a mountain.
Also called
rope tow[1]



skitter

skitter
skit·ter 
[skíttər] (past skit·tered, past
participle skit·tered, present participle skit·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular skit·ters, plural skit·ters)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
run
with tiny steps: to move about or run off quickly with
small scampering steps

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb skid
lightly across something: to pass quickly across
something, touching its surface very lightly and briefly, or to send something
skidding rapidly over the surface of something
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



skittish

skittish
skit·tish 
[skíttish] or skit·ter·y [skíttəree] adjective

1.  nervous:
easily agitated or alarmed

2.  silly
and irresponsible: with moods or ideas that
constantly change, in a frivolous and unreliable way

3.  lively:
tending to dash about in an energetic or restless way
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from an alteration of Old Norse skjóta
“to shoot.”]
—skit·tish·ly,
adverb

—skit·tish·ness, noun[1]



skittle

skittle
skit·tle 
[skítt’l] (plural skit·tles) noun

U.K.
See ninepin
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian language.][1]



skive

skive
skive 
[skīv] (past skived, past
participle skived, present participle skiv·ing, 3rd
person present singular skives) transitive verb

pare
leather:
to scrape thin slices off leather in preparing it
[Early 19th century. Of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



skiver

skiver
skiv·er 
[skvər] (plural skiv·ers) noun

1.  thin
soft leather: a thin soft tanned leather taken from
the outer side of a skin

2.  somebody
or something that skives: somebody or something that
skives leather

[1]



Skivvies

Skivvies
Skiv·vies
[skívviz] Trademark

a trademark for underwear,
especially men’s underwear[1]



skivvy

skivvy
skiv·vy
[skívvee] noun

Australia,
New Zealand
long-sleeved
cotton top:
a long-sleeved, usually cotton piece of clothing with a rolled neck worn on the
upper part of the body
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



skiwear

skiwear
ski·wear
[sk wàyr] (plural ski·wears) noun

skiing clothes:
clothing designed for skiers to wear[1]



skoal

skoal
skoal 
[skōl] interjection

cheers:
used as a drinking toast
[Early 17th century. Via
Danish skaal and Swedish and Norwegian skål from Old Norse skál
“bowl” (source of English scale ).][1]



Skokie

Skokie
Sko·kie 
[skṓkee]

village in northeastern
Illinois, south of Wilmette, on the northern border of Chicago. Population:
58,635 (1996)[1]



Skomer

Skomer
Sko·mer
[skṓmər]

islet in St. Bride’s Bay, off
the Pembrokeshire coast, Wales.[1]



Skopje

Skopje
Skop·je 
[skóp yee]

capital of the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, situated in the north-central part of the
country. Population: 563,102 (1994)[1]



skosh

skosh
skosh 
[skōsh] noun

jot:
a little bit (slang) • I’d
like just a skosh more, please.
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese sukoshi .][1]



Skr.

Skr.
Skr.
or Skt.

Abbreviation of
Sanskrit[1]



skulduggery

skulduggery
skul·dug·ger·y 
[skul dúggəree] or skull·dug·ger·y
[skul dúggəree] noun

sneaky
tricks:
unfair and dishonest practices carried out in a secretive way so as to trick
other people (humorous)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of sculduddery “sexual impropriety, indecency,” of unknown origin.][1]



skulk

skulk
skulk 
[skulk] intransitive verb (past
skulked, past participle skulked, present participle
skulk·ing, 3rd person present singular skulks)

1.  move
furtively:
to move about in a furtive way

2.  hide
for sinister purpose: to hide, especially in order
to do something sinister

3.  U.K.
shirk:
to avoid work or responsibilities
noun
(plural skulks)

1.  somebody
who skulks:
somebody who moves about furtively or conceals a sinister purpose

2.  ZOOLOGY group
of foxes:
a pack of foxes
[12th century. Of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



skull

skull

skull
[skul] (plural skulls) noun

1.  ANATOMY bony
part of the head: the skeletal part of the head in humans
and other vertebrates, consisting of the cranium, which encases the brain, and
the bones of the face and jaws

2.  head:
a person’s head or mind (informal) • tried
to din the principles of thermodynamics into his skull
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian language.][1]



skulland crossbones

skulland crossbones
skull
and cross·bones noun

1.  symbolic
sign representing danger: a representation of a human
skull above two human thighbones crossed over each other, used as a symbol of
danger or death

2.  See
Jolly Roger

[1]



skullcap

skullcap
skull·cap 
[skúl kàp] (plural skull·caps)
noun

1.  CLOTHES small
round brimless hat: a simple hat consisting of a
small circle of fabric shaped to fit over the crown of the head

2.  JUDAISM yarmulke:
a yarmulke

3.  PLANTS perennial
mint:
a perennial plant of the mint family. Its blue or pinkish flowers have a calyx
shaped like a helmet. Genus: Scutellaria

4.  ANATOMY top of
skull:
the top part of the skull

[1]



skullsession

skullsession
skull
ses·sion
noun (informal)

1.  business
planning meeting: a meeting to talk over and think about
policies and procedures

2.  SPORTS strategy
meeting for sports team: a meeting for a coach to
instruct team members on strategy

[1]



skunk

skunk
skunk 
[skungk] noun (plural skunks
or skunk)

1.  ZOOLOGY black-and-white
mammal with foul-smelling spray: a North and South
American black-and-white mammal of the weasel family that ejects a
foul-smelling liquid from an anal gland as a defensive action.
Also
called
polecat

2.  despicable
person:
somebody who is despised (slang)
transitive
verb
(past skunked, past participle skunked, present
participle skunk·ing, 3rd person present singular skunks)
(slang)

1.  defeat
soundly:
to defeat an opponent soundly, especially by not allowing him or her to score
any points in a sports competition

2.  cheat:
to cheat somebody out of something
[Mid-17th century. From
Massachusett .][1]



skunkcabbage

skunkcabbage
skunk
cab·bage
[skúngk wd] or skunk·weed [skúngk wd] (plural skunk·weeds or
skunk·weed) noun

1.  foul-smelling
perennial herb: a foul-smelling perennial herb of swampy
areas of eastern North America that has broad leaves and small flowers enclosed
in a greenish spathe. Latin name: Symplocarpus foetidus

2.  a
plant similar to skunk cabbage: a plant of western
North America, similar to skunk cabbage and with a large yellow spathe. Latin
name: Lysichitum americanum

[1]



skunkworks

skunkworks
skunk·works 
[skúngk wùrks] plural noun

department
performing secret research: a department or laboratory
involved in usually secret cutting-edge research and development (informal)
(usually takes singular verb)
[Mid-20th century. From Al
Capp ’s comic strip L’il Abner, where “Skonk Works” was the name of the
site at which Big Barnsmell brewed his Kickapoo Joy Juice.][1]



sky

sky
sky 
[skī] noun (plural skies)

1.  region
above the Earth: the area high above the trees,
buildings, landscape, or horizon. The sky is made up of the various layers of
the Earth’s atmosphere and the part of space beyond it, as seen from one place
on the Earth’s surface.

2.  way
sky appears: the way the sky looks in a particular
part of the world (often used in the plural)

3.  sky
or Sky heaven:
the plane, thought of as being high above the Earth, in which immortal powers
or beings exist, such as God or immortal souls (literary) (often used
in the plural)

4.  highest
limit:
the topmost limit or the best and most it is possible to achieve • to
the sky
intransitive
and transitive verb (past skied, past
participle skied, present participle sky·ing, 3rd
person present singular skies)

make something go very high:
to hit or throw a ball high up into the air
[13th
century. From Old Norse ský “cloud.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to conceal” that is also the ancestor of English scum and hide
.]
praise
somebody to the skies

to
praise somebody very highly

the
sky’s the limit

there is no upper limit on
something (informal)[1]



skyblue

skyblue
sky
blue
adjective

pale
blue:
of a pale blue color like that of the sky on a clear day
noun

pale blue color:
a pale blue color like that of the sky on a clear day[1]



skybox

skybox
sky·box 
[sk bòks] (plural sky·boxes) noun

VIP
box in sports stadium: a raised room or balcony
area in a stadium, which is private and separate from the main seating areas
[Late 20th century][1]



skycap

skycap
sky·cap 
[sk kàp] (plural sky·caps) noun

airport
porter:
somebody who works at an airport helping travelers with their baggage
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from sky on the model of redcap .][1]



skydive

skydive
sky·dive 
[sk dv] (past sky·dived or
sky·dove, past participle sky·dived or sky·dove
[sk dv], present participle sky·div·ing,
3rd person present singular sky·dives) intransitive verb

jump
from airplane with parachute: to jump from an airplane and
descend in free fall, sometimes performing acrobatic maneuvers, before pulling
the ripcord of a parachute
—sky
div·er, noun

—sky·div·ing, noun[1]



Skye

Skye
Skye
[skī]

the largest island in the
Inner Hebrides, in Scotland. Portree is the chief town and port. Population:
8,843 (1991) Area: 1,676 sq km/647 sq mi.[1]



Skyeterrier

Skyeterrier
Skye
ter·ri·er
noun

small
terrier:
a small terrier with short legs, a long body, and a long straight coat
belonging to a breed originating in Scotland
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Isle of Skye, where the dog was bred.][1]



sky-high

sky-high
sky-high 
adverb adjective

extremely
high:
up to or at the highest level • They
charge sky-high prices.
adverb

into pieces:
high into the air or in all directions, forcefully and often in pieces[1]



sky-hook

sky-hook
sky-hook
(plural sky-hooks) noun

heavy-lifting helicopter:
a helicopter that is specially configured with a hook-and-cable apparatus in
its fuselage, used to lift, drop, and transport heavy objects[1]



skyjack

skyjack
sky·jack 
[sk jàk] (past sky·jacked, past
participle sky·jacked, present participle sky·jack·ing,
3rd person present singular sky·jacks) transitive verb

hijack
an aircraft: to use force to take over control of an
aircraft, especially a commercial aircraft, when it is in the air
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from sky on the model of hijack .]
—sky·jack·er,
noun

—sky·jack·ing, noun[1]



SkyKennel

SkyKennel
Sky
Ken·nel
Trademark

a trademark for animal
transport cages[1]



skylark

skylark
sky·lark 
[sk lrk] noun (plural sky·larks)

BIRDS common
lark:
a lark that is common in Europe and Asia. It has streaked brown-and-white
plumage and is noted for singing melodiously while hanging high in the air.
Latin name: Alauda arvensis
intransitive
verb
(past sky·larked, past participle sky·larked, present
participle sky·lark·ing, 3rd person present singular sky·larks)

have
boisterous fun: to take part in lively physical playful
behavior (dated informal)
—sky·lark·er, noun[1]



skylight

skylight
sky·light 
[sk lt] (plural sky·lights) noun

window in roof:
an opening in a roof or ceiling, fitted with glass to let in daylight[1]



skylightfilter

skylightfilter
sky·light
fil·ter
noun

camera filter absorbing
ultraviolet light: a
photographic filter that is slightly pink and is used to filter out ultraviolet
light and reduce blueness[1]



skyline

skyline
sky·line 
[sk ln] noun

1.  shape
of objects against the sky: the pattern of shapes made
by the various features of a landscape such as hills or buildings against the
sky

2.  edge
where sky and landscape meet: the apparent line where the
Earth joins the sky

[1]



skymarshal

skymarshal
sky
mar·shal
(plural sky mar·shals) noun

armed federal officer
preventing skyjackings: an armed
federal officer whose job is to prevent or deal with skyjackings[1]



skypilot

skypilot
sky
pi·lot
(plural sky pi·lots) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a priest or chaplain, especially in the
armed forces (slang offensive)
[In supposedly humorous
reference to concern with spiritual matters][1]



skyrocket

skyrocket
sky·rock·et 
[sk ròkət] intransitive and transitive
verb (past sky·rock·et·ed, past participle sky·rock·et·ed,
present participle sky·rock·et·ing, 3rd person present
singular sky·rock·ets)

go
up dramatically and quickly: to rise or make something
rise suddenly to a very high level or value (informal)
noun
(plural sky·rock·ets)

See
rocket 1 noun
4[1]



Skyros

Skyros
Sky·ros
[skrəss, sk
ross]

the largest and most easterly
of the Greek Sporades Islands, in the west central Aegean Sea. Population:
2,757 (1981) Area: 205 sq km/79 sq mi.[1]



skysail

skysail
sky·sail 
[sk sàyl, skss’l]
(plural sky·sails) noun

small square sail:
a small light square sail that goes above the royal on a square-rigged sailing
vessel[1]



skyscape

skyscape
sky·scape
[sk skàyp] (plural sky·scapes)
noun

view of the sky:
a scene or picture showing chiefly sky, especially an artistic study of a
section of sky[1]



skyscraper

skyscraper
sky·scrap·er 
[sk skràypər] (plural sky·scrap·ers)
noun

very
tall building: a modern building, especially a block of
city offices or apartments, that is extremely tall
[Late 18th century. Like
moonraker, skyscraper originally referred to a sail positioned high above the
deck (the skysail ). The meaning “tall building” first appeared in the early
19th century.][1]



skyward

skyward
sky·ward 
[skwərd] adverb adjective

upward:
in the direction of the sky[1]



skywave

skywave
sky
wave
(plural sky waves) noun

radio wave reflected back by
ionosphere: a radio wave that is
transmitted around the curved surface of the Earth by being reflected back to
Earth by the ionosphere.
Also called
ionospheric wave[1]



skyway

skyway
sky·way 
[sk wày] (plural sky·ways) noun

1.  AIR aircraft
route:
a route used by aircraft

2.  TRANSPORT elevated
highway:
an elevated highway, supported by tall spans • the
Chicago Skyway

3.  ARCHITECTURE See skywalk

[1]



skywriting

skywriting
sky·writ·ing 
[sk rting] noun

1.  writing
with aircraft smoke: the use of an aircraft
releasing colored smoke to form letters in the sky

2.  writing
made with aircraft smoke: letters or a message formed
in the sky by colored smoke released from an aircraft
—sky·write,
intransitive and transitive verb

—sky·writ·er, noun[1]



Skåne

Skåne
Skåne
[skṓnə]

province forming the southern
tip of Sweden. It consists of the counties of Kristianstad and Malmöhus.
Population: 1,084,755 (1993) Area: 10,984 sq km/4,241 sq mi.[1]



SL

SL
SL

1.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
sea level

2.  LINGUISTICS Abbreviation of
source language

3.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
south latitude

[1]



sl.

sl.
sl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
slightly

2.  Abbreviation
of
slow

[1]



slab

slab
slab
[slab] noun (plural slabs)

1.  thick
piece:
a thick flat broad piece of something, especially when cut or trimmed

2.  ARCHITECTURE stone
base for something: a flat rectangular base or
foundation of concrete or stone

3.  GEOLOGY sheet
of rock:
a smooth flat sheet of rock sharply angled to the horizontal

4.  waste
from log:
any of the large outer sections of a log that are sawed off in manufacturing
lumber

5.  Australia
pack
of beer:
a pack or box of 24 cans or bottles of beer (informal)
transitive
verb
(past slabbed, past participle slabbed, present
participle slab·bing, 3rd person present singular slabs)

1.  make
into slabs:
to cut or make something into slabs

2.  cover
with slabs:
to cover something by laying stone or concrete slabs on it

3.  trim
by sawing:
to saw off the rough outer parts of a log
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



slabber

slabber
slab·ber
[slábbər] intransitive verb

to
slobber:
to slobber (regional)
noun

slobber:
slobber (regional)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably related to dialect slab “muddy place, puddle,” of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



slabbing

slabbing
slab·bing
[slábbing] noun

1.  laying
of slabs:
the laying of stone or concrete slabs to form a surface such as a pathway

2.  slabs:
stone or concrete slabs, collectively

[1]



slabpottery

slabpottery
slab
pot·ter·y
noun

pottery made with sheets of
clay: pottery made by hand using
rolled-out sheets of clay[1]



slab-sided

slab-sided
slab-sid·ed 
adjective

1.  with
long flat sides: having long, flat sides

2.  tall
and thin:
tall and thin (informal)

[1]



slack

slack
slack
[slak] adjective (comparative slack·er,
superlative slack·est)

1.  not
tight:
not tight or stretched taut, but hanging loosely or having a good deal of give
• The
reins are too slack.

2.  not
showing enough care: not showing enough care,
attention, or rigor • They’ve
been rather slack about keeping to performance targets.

3.  not
busy:
not busy or active, or less busy than usual • the
slack period following the main tourist season

4.  moving
slowly:
moving slowly or sluggishly

5.  PHONETICS See lax  adjective 4
adverb

loosely: in a
loose or limp way • His clothes hung slack
on him.
noun
(plural slacks)

1.  looseness:
looseness or give in something such as a rope, or the extra length or fullness
in it that needs to be taken in to make it taut

2.  unused
potential:
productive potential in an organization or system that is not being fully made
use of • take
in some of the slack in the administrative division

3.  quiet
time:
a period of time that is not busy

4.  still
water:
a stretch of water that is still or moving only slowly
intransitive
and transitive verb (past slacked,
past participle slacked, present participle slack·ing,
3rd person present singular slacks)

1.  avoid
work:
to be lazy, to avoid work, or to work with insufficient vigor or concentration

2.  See
slacken  verb 1

3.  CHEMISTRY See slake  verb 2
[Old English slæc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to be loose” that is also the
ancestor of English lax and languid .][1]



slacken

slacken
slack·en 
[slákən] (past slack·ened, past
participle slack·ened, present participle slack·en·ing,
3rd person present singular slack·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become slower or quieter: to become or to make
something become less intense, vigorous, or fast

2.  loosen
or relax:
to become or to make something become looser or more relaxed

[1]



slacker

slacker
slack·er 
[slákər] (plural slack·ers) noun

1.  shirker:
somebody who shirks or avoids doing something, especially work or military
service

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe a young educated person who is regarded as
being disaffected or apathetic, and underachieving (slang offensive)

[1]



slacks

slacks
slacks
[slaks] plural noun

pants:
casual pants, especially loose-fitting ones
[Early 19th century. From the
idea of being loose and slack.][1]



slackwater

slackwater
slack
wa·ter
noun

turning of tide:
the period of time during which the tide is turning and the water is still or
slow-moving because of this[1]



slag

slag
slag 
[slag] noun (plural slags)

1.  INDUSTRY waste
material from smelting: fused glassy material that
is produced when a metal is separated from its ore during smelting.
Also
called
scoria

2.  MINING coal
waste:
the mixture of coal dust and mineral waste produced after coal has been mined

3.  GEOLOGY See scoria  noun 2
intransitive
and transitive verb (past slagged,
past participle slagged, present participle slag·ging,
3rd person present singular slags)

INDUSTRY turn
something into slag: to convert something into
slag or become slag
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Low German slagge, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
strike” that is also the ancestor of English sledgehammer
and slay .][1]



slagheap

slagheap
slag
heap
(plural slag heaps) noun

mound of waste:
a large mound of waste material from a coal mine or factory[1]



slain

slain
slain


Past participle of
slay[1]



slake

slake
slake 
[slayk] (past slaked, past
participle slaked, present participle slak·ing, 3rd
person present singular slakes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
satisfy
need:
to satisfy a desire for something, especially a drink

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY make calcium hydroxide:
to treat lime with water to produce calcium hydroxide, or to undergo this
process
[Old
English slacian “to relax, slacken,” formed from slæc, (see slack )]
—slak·a·ble, adjective[1]



slakedlime

slakedlime
slaked
lime 
noun

See
calcium hydroxide[1]



slalom

slalom
sla·lom 
[slləm] noun (plural sla·loms)

1.  zigzag
ski race:
a downhill ski race in which competitors follow a winding course and zigzag
through flags on poles or through other obstacles

2.  zigzag
race:
any race that involves following a zigzag course through obstacles, for
example, in canoes
intransitive
verb
(past sla·lomed, past participle sla·lomed, present
participle sla·lom·ing, 3rd person present singular sla·loms)

follow zigzag course:
to follow a zigzag or winding course, especially in a race
[Early 20th century. From
Norwegian slalåm, literally “sloping track.”][1]



slam

slam2
slam2 [slam]
(plural slams) noun

CARD GAMES winning
of all tricks: the winning of all, or all but one, of
the tricks in a hand of bridge or whist
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



slam

slam1

slam1 [slam]
verb (past slammed, past participle slammed,
present participle slam·ming, 3rd person present singular slams)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb close
forcefully:
to close something forcefully and noisily

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
something down violently: to put something down
violently and noisily

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit:
to hit with sudden or violent force • The
waves slammed into the dock.

4.  transitive
verb
criticize:
to criticize somebody or something forcefully (informal) • The
press slammed the President’s performance.
noun (plural
slams)

1.  impact:
a heavy, noisy, or violent blow or impact

2.  criticism:
a forceful criticism
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



slam-bang

slam-bang
slam-bang 
adverb (informal)

1.  violently:
in a sudden, noisy, or violent way.
U.K.
term
slap-bang  adverb 1

2.  carelessly:
in a careless and reckless way

3.  excitingly:
in an exciting and vigorous way • The
novel ended slam-bang with a fight to the finish.
adjective
(informal)

1.  sudden
and noisy:
sudden, noisy, or violent • a
slam-bang fight

2.  careless
and reckless: careless and reckless • a
slam-bang approach to his work

3.  exciting:
exciting and vigorous • slam-bang
action scenes

[1]



slamdancing

slamdancing
slam
danc·ing 
noun

violent
dancing:
boisterous dancing to rock music in which young people hurl their bodies
against one another, more out of enthusiasm than aggression
—slam dance, intransitive
verb[1]



slam-dunk

slam-dunk
slam-dunk 
or slam dunk noun (plural slam-dunks) (plural
slam dunks)

1.  BASKETBALL forceful
dunk shot:
in basketball, a dunk shot carried out with great force

2.  something
easily done: something done without any effective
opposition (informal)
transitive
verb
(past slam-dunked, past participle slam-dunked, present
participle slam-dunking, 3rd person present singular slam-dunks)

1.  make
forceful dunk shot: in basketball, to make a
forceful dunk shot

2.  treat
somebody harshly: to speak of or treat somebody in a
dramatic, hostile, or disrespectful way (slang) • The
two legislators have done nothing but slam-dunk each other during the session.

3.  defeat
somebody completely: to defeat a person or a
group of people completely (slang) • The
prosecutor slam-dunked the defense in the trial.
adjective

certain of success:
without risk and sure to be successful • a
slam-dunk scenario

[1]



slammer

slammer
slam·mer 
[slámmər] noun

jail:
a jail or prison (slang)
[Mid-20th century. From the
idea of the doors slamming shut.][1]



s.l.a.n.

s.l.a.n.
s.l.a.n.

Abbreviation
of
without place, year, or name
[Shortening of Latin sine
loco, anno, vel nomine][1]



slander

slander
slan·der 
[slándər] noun (plural slan·ders)

1.  LAW saying
of something false and damaging: the act of saying
something false or malicious that damages somebody’s reputation

2.  false
and damaging statement: a false and malicious
statement that damages somebody’s reputation
transitive
verb
(past slan·dered, past participle slan·dered, present
participle slan·der·ing, 3rd person present singular slan·ders)

utter a slander against:
to make a false and malicious oral statement about somebody
[13th
century. Via Old French esclandre from, ultimately, ecclesiastical Latin
scandalum “cause of offense” (see scandal
).]
—slan·der·er,
noun

—slan·der·ous,
adjective

—slan·der·ous·ly,
adverb

—slan·der·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at malign

[1]



slang

slang
slang 
[slang] noun (plural slangs)

1.  very
casual speech or writing: words, expressions, and
usages that are casual, vivid, racy, or playful replacements for standard ones,
are often short-lived, and are usually considered unsuitable for formal
contexts

2.  language
of an exclusive group: a form of language used by a
particular group of people, often deliberately created and used to exclude
people outside the group • a word
that came from surfers’ slang
adjective

in slang:
belonging to, expressed in, or containing slang • a
slang dictionary
intransitive
and transitive verb (past slanged,
past participle slanged, present participle slang·ing,
3rd person present singular slangs)

use abusive language:
to use abusive language, usually slang, or to use this to attack somebody
verbally
[Mid-18th
century. Origin unknown.]
—slang·i·ly,
adverb

—slang·i·ness,
noun

—slang·y, adjective[1]



slant

slant
slant 
[slant] verb (past slant·ed,
past participle slant·ed, present participle slant·ing,
3rd person present singular slants)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
set something at an angle: to be at an angle, or set
something at an angle

2.  transitive
verb
cause
something to have a particular appeal: to
make something appeal to a particular group of people • a
magazine slanted toward the youth market

3.  transitive
verb
present
with bias:
to present something in a way that is biased toward a particular person, group,
or viewpoint • The
news report was slanted in favor of the nationalists.
noun
(plural slants)

1.  angled
position:
an angled position or a direction that is at an angle to something else • the
roof was built on a slant

2.  biased
perspective: a particular bias, or a perspective on
something that is likely to appeal to a particular group • The
news was given a progovernment slant.

3.  point
of view:
a point of view or way of looking at something • Her
diaries give us a new slant on the events of the time.

4.  FOOTBALL running
play:
a play in football in which an offensive player runs forward with the ball at
an angle to the line of scrimmage
adjective
slant slant·ing slant·y

sloping:
sloping, or at an angle (informal)
[15th
century. Variant of earlier slent, of uncertain origin: probably from a
Scandinavian language.]
—slan·ted,
adjective

—slant·ing·ly, adverb[1]



slantrhyme

slantrhyme
slant
rhyme
(plural slant rhymes) noun

POETRY
See half rhyme[1]



slantwise

slantwise
slant·wise 
[slánt wz] or slant·ways [slánt wàyz] adverb

angled:
at an angle to something else[1]



slap

slap

slap 
[slap] noun (plural slaps)

1.  blow
made with the open hand: a blow made with the open
hand or a flat object

2.  noise
of a slap:
the noise made by a slap, or something that sounds like it • the
slap of a wave on the side of the boat

3.  rebuke:
something that rebukes, insults, or hurts
verb (past
slapped, past participle slapped, present participle
slap·ping, 3rd person present singular slaps)

1.  transitive
verb
hit
with the open hand: to hit somebody or something
with the open hand or a flat object

2.  intransitive
verb
strike
sharply:
to strike sharply and noisily, as if with a slap

3.  transitive
verb
put
down sharply: to put something down sharply or noisily
on something else • He slapped the money on
the table and walked away.

4.  transitive
verb
apply
carelessly:
to put something on or make something, quickly and carelessly • I
slapped on some makeup and ran for the car.

5.  transitive
verb
apply
as a penalty: to apply something as a punishment,
penalty, or restriction to somebody or something (informal) • The
company was slapped with a fine.
adverb (informal)

1.  forcefully:
forcefully, and often with the sound or effect of a slap • landed
slap on the floor

2.  exactly:
exactly, and usually with suddenness and force • slap
in the middle of the target
[Mid-17th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—slap·per,
noun
a slap in the face

a
rebuke or rebuff (informal)

a slap on the back

congratulations
(informal)

a slap on the wrist

a mild rebuke or punishment (informal)[1]



slap-bang

slap-bang
slap-bang
adverb U.K. (informal)

1.  See
slam-bang

2.  See
smack-dab

[1]



slapdash

slapdash
slap·dash 
[sláp dàsh] adjective

careless:
careless, hasty, and unskillful
adverb

carelessly:
in a careless, hasty, and unskillful way[1]



slapdown

slapdown
slap
down
transitive verb (informal)

1.  rebuke:
to rebuke somebody sharply or cruelly

2.  suppress:
to suppress or check something thought to be unacceptable • Any
disrespect is slapped down immediately.

[1]



slaphappy

slaphappy
slap·hap·py 
[sláp hàppee] adjective (informal)

1.  cheerfully
irresponsible: irresponsible or careless in a cheerful
way

2.  dazed:
dazed or disoriented, like a boxer who has been hit in the head too many times

[1]



slapjack

slapjack
slap·jack 
[sláp jàk] (plural slap·jacks)
noun

1.  COOKING See flapjack

2.  CARD GAMES card
game using jacks: a card game in which players compete to
be first in slapping a hand on a face-up jack
[“Flapjack”: early 19th
century. Alteration of flapjack . “Card
game”: late 19th century. Coined from slap +
jack .][1]



slapshot

slapshot
slap
shot
(plural slap shots) noun

ice
hockey shot: a shot in ice hockey in which the player
swings the stick with a fast powerful stroke
[Slap from the loud sound
made when the stick hits the ice][1]



slapstick

slapstick
slap·stick 
[sláp stìk] (plural slap·sticks)
noun

boisterous
comedy:
comedy with the emphasis on fast physical action, farcical situations, and
obvious jokes that do not depend on language (often used before a noun)
• slapstick
comedy
[Early 20th century. From
earlier slapstick “device made of two flat linked pieces of wood,
formerly used in comic performances to simulate the sound of a blow.”][1]



slash

slash
slash 
[slash] transitive verb (past slashed,
past participle slashed, present participle slash·ing,
3rd person present singular slash·es)

1.  make
cuts in:
to make long deep cuts in something

2.  attack
with a sharp object: to cut or attack somebody
with the sharp sweeping strokes of a sword, knife, stick, or whip

3.  criticize:
to criticize somebody or something severely

4.  reduce
or shorten:
to greatly reduce or shorten something • All
prices slashed!

5.  CLOTHES make a
slit in cloth: to make a slit in fabric or a garment to
reveal the lining

6.  FORESTRY clear
a forest by cutting: to cut bushes and
undergrowth from a wooded area
noun
(plural slash·es)

1.  sharp
sweeping stroke: a sharp sweeping stroke of a sword,
knife, stick, or whip

2.  long
and deep cut: a long deep cut or wound

3.  CLOTHES slit
in fabric:
a slit in fabric or a garment, made to reveal the lining

4.  FORESTRY debris
from cut trees: the debris left after trees have been
cut down

5.  PRINTING print
character:
a character, (/), that is used to separate optional items in a list or to
express fractions or division, and that has various uses in computer
programming. Technical name virgule

6.  swampy
ground:
swampy ground covered with bushes and small trees (often used in the plural)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from French esclachier “to
break,” variant of Old French esclater, from esclat “splinter”
(source of English slat ).]
—slash·er, noun[1]



slash-and-burn

slash-and-burn
slash-and-burn
adjective

1.  AGRICULTURE cutting,
burning, and tilling: used to describe a form of
agriculture characterized by the cutting down and burning of trees and
vegetation in order to plant crops

2.  tending
to destroy something completely: having or showing the
intention to deal with somebody or something drastically and ruthlessly or to
destroy somebody or something completely (informal) • her
slash-and-burn approach to budget cuts

[1]



slashermovie

slashermovie
slash·er
mov·ie
(plural slash·er mov·ies) noun

gory movie:
a horror film featuring gory effects such as people being slashed with blades (slang)[1]



slashing

slashing
slash·ing 
[sláshing] noun

1.  SPORTS illegal
act in hockey and lacrosse: the illegal striking or
swinging of a stick at an opposing player in hockey or lacrosse

2.  (plural
slash·ings) cutting attack:
an act of attacking and cutting somebody with a blade
adjective

1.  critical:
aggressively critical

2.  reducing:
severely reducing or shortening something • make
slashing cuts to the budget
—slash·ing·ly, adverb[1]



slashpine

slashpine
slash
pine
noun

1.  TREES pine
found in swamps: a pine that grows mainly in swamps in
the southeastern United States and is a source of turpentine and timber. Latin
name: Pinus elliottii

2.  INDUSTRY wood
from slash pine: the hard and durable wood of the slash
pine
[Slash from slash
“swamp,” of unknown origin][1]



slashpocket

slashpocket
slash
pock·et
(plural slash pock·ets) noun

diagonal pocket:
a pocket in a garment fitted with a diagonal slit for easy access[1]



slat

slat
slat 
[slat] noun (plural slats)

1.  thin
strip:
a light thin narrow strip of wood or metal.
Also
called
spline

2.  TECHNOLOGY airfoil
on an aircraft wing: an auxiliary airfoil fixed
to the leading edge of a wing to give extra lift
transitive
verb
(past slat·ted, past participle slat·ted, present
participle slat·ting, 3rd person present singular slats)

add slats to: to
put slats in something
[Mid-18th century. From Old
French esclat “splinter, piece broken off,” of uncertain origin:
possibly from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



slate

slate
slate 
[slayt] noun (plural slates)

1.  GEOLOGY layered
rock:
a fine-grained metamorphic rock that splits easily into layers and is widely
used as a roofing material

2.  BUILDING roofing
tile:
a roofing tile made of slate

3.  writing
tablet:
a small square piece of slate used in the past for writing on, especially by
school students. It could be wiped clean and reused indefinitely.

4.  COLORS dark
gray:
a dark gray or bluish-gray color

5.  POLITICS list
of candidates: a list of the candidates in an election

6.  CINEMA identifying
board on a movie set: an identifying board used on
a movie set showing information such as the shot number that is held in front
of a camera at the beginning or end of a shot
transitive
verb
(past slat·ed, past participle slat·ed, present
participle slat·ing, 3rd person present singular slates)

1.  cover
a roof with slate: to cover a roof with tiles
made of slate

2.  POLITICS include
somebody in list of a candidates: to put somebody’s name
on a list of candidates for election

3.  designate
somebody:
to choose or schedule somebody for a particular task or position • You’ve
been slated for the next vacant management position.
adjective

COLORS dark
gray:
of a dark gray or bluish-gray color
[14th
century. From Old French esclate, feminine form of esclat
“splinter, piece broken off” (source of slat
).]
a
clean slate

an
imaginary record of somebody’s past, with no bad marks recorded on it or with
all previous bad marks forgotten (informal)

wipe
the slate clean

to forget about what has
happened and make a fresh start (informal)[1]



slateblack

slateblack
slate
black
adjective

purplish-black:
of a purplish-black color
—slate black, noun[1]



slateblue

slateblue
slate
blue
adjective

dark
bluish-gray: of a dark bluish-gray color
—slate blue, noun[1]



slate-coloredjunco

slate-coloredjunco
slate-col·ored
jun·co 
noun

dark gray junco:
an eastern North American subspecies of junco with dark gray plumage. Latin
name: Junco hyemalis[1]



slater

slater
slat·er 
[sláytər] (plural slat·ers) noun

roofing tile layer:
somebody whose job is to lay roofing tiles made of slate[1]



Slater,Samuel

Slater,Samuel
Slat·er 
[sláytər], Samuel (1768–1835)

British-born U.S. engineer
and entrepreneur. He founded the first North American cotton mill in Pawtucket,
Rhode Island (1789), after emigrating there and reconstructing British textile
machinery from memory.[1]



slather

slather
slath·er 
[sláər] transitive verb (past
slath·ered, past participle slath·ered, present
participle slath·er·ing, 3rd person present singular slath·ers)

1.  spread
something thickly: to spread something thickly
or excessively on something else

2.  squander
something:
to use something wastefully (informal)
plural
noun
slath·ers

large amount: a
large or generous quantity (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



slating

slating
slat·ing 
[sláyting] noun

activity of laying slates:
the process of covering something with slates, or the slates themselves[1]



slattern

slattern
slat·tern 
[sláttərn] (plural slat·terns)
noun (dated insult)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman regarded as ignoring conventional
standards of hygiene and grooming

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman regarded as being sexually promiscuous
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from a dialect word meaning “to slop, be
slovenly.”]
—slat·tern·li·ness,
noun

—slat·tern·ly, adjective[1]



slaty

slaty
slat·y 
[sláytee] (comparative slat·i·er,
superlative slat·i·est) adjective

made
of or like slate: made of slate or like slate, especially
in color
—slat·i·ness, noun[1]



slaughter

slaughter
slaugh·ter 
[sláwtər] noun

1.  killing
of animals:
the killing of animals for their meat

2.  killing
of people:
the brutal killing of a person or large numbers of people

3.  major
defeat:
an overwhelming defeat (slang)
transitive
verb
(past slaugh·tered, past participle slaugh·tered, present
participle slaugh·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular slaugh·ters)

1.  kill
an animal for meat: to kill an animal or
animals, usually for their meat

2.  kill
people brutally: to kill a person or large numbers of
people brutally

3.  defeat
somebody convincingly: to defeat a person or a
group of people overwhelmingly (slang)
[13th
century. From Old Norse slátr “meat, butchery.”]
—slaugh·ter·er,
noun

—slaugh·ter·ous,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill

[1]



slaughterhouse

slaughterhouse
slaugh·ter·house 
[sláwtər hòwss] (plural slaugh·ter·hous·es
[sláwtər hòwzəz]) noun

See
abattoir





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Slaughterhouse
  5, a novel by Kurt Vonnegut ( 1970 ). In this highly original blend of
  realism and science fiction, World War II veteran Billy Pilgrim is kidnapped
  by aliens who enable him to revisit his past. He subsequently relives the
  Allied firebombing of Dresden in 1945, an event witnessed by Vonnegut himself
  and here presented as a symbol of the endless cruelty and suffering of
  humanity.

[1]



Slav

Slav
Slav 
[slaav] (plural Slavs) noun

Slavonic
speaker:
a member of any of the peoples of Eastern Europe and north western Asia that
speak one of the Slavonic languages
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin Sclavus (source of English slave
) from medieval Greek Sklabos, ultimately of Slavic origin.][1]



Slav.

Slav.
Slav.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Slavic

2.  Abbreviation
of
Slavonic

[1]



slave

slave
slave 
[slayv] noun (plural slaves)

1.  person
forced to work for another: in former times, one person
who was forced to work for another person for no payment and was regarded as
the property of the person he or she worked for

2.  dominated
person:
somebody who is completely dominated by somebody or something

3.  somebody
accepting another’s rule: somebody who meekly accepts
being ruled by somebody else

4.  very
hard worker: somebody who works or has to work very
hard, often in bad conditions and for low pay

5.  device
controlled by another: a device that is totally
controlled by another (often used before a noun)
intransitive
verb
(past slaved, past participle slaved, present
participle slav·ing, 3rd person present singular slaves)

work very hard:
to work very hard • I’ve been slaving away
over this manuscript all day.
adjective

1.  using
enslaved laborers: using or relating to
enslaved laborers

2.  harsh:
very harsh and unfair • slave
conditions
[13th century. Via Old French
esclave from medieval Latin sclavus “Slav, captive” (see Slav ), because Slavic peoples were widely
captured and enslaved during the Middle Ages.][1]



slaveant

slaveant
slave
ant
(plural slave ants) noun

ant captured by others:
an ant captured and forced to work for an ant colony of another species[1]



slavedriver

slavedriver
slave
driv·er
(plural slave driv·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who makes people work hard: somebody who makes employees
work excessively hard

2.  HISTORY overseer
of laborers: in the past, somebody who was employed
to make sure that enslaved people worked hard

[1]



slaveholder

slaveholder
slave·hold·er 
[sláyv hldər] (plural slave·hold·ers)
noun

slave owner:
somebody owning slaves[1]



slavelabor

slavelabor
slave
la·bor
noun

1.  workforce
of enslaved laborers: a workforce consisting of
people who are forced to work against their will • The
pyramids were built by slave labor.

2.  hard
work:
hard or demanding work, in poor conditions, that is not well paid (informal)
• It’s
nothing but slave labor in that department.

[1]



slave-makingant

slave-makingant
slave-mak·ing
ant 
(plural slave-mak·ing ants) or slave-mak·er ant (plural
slave-mak·er ants) noun

ant that captures other ants:
a species of ant that raids the colonies of other ant species, capturing larvae
and pupae to be used in its own colony[1]



slaver

slaver1
slav·er1 [sláyvər]
(plural slav·ers) noun HISTORY

1.  slave
owner:
somebody who owned or bought and sold slaves in former times

2.  See
slave ship

[1]



slaver

slaver2
slav·er2 [slávvor,
sláyvər] intransitive verb (past
slav·ered, past participle slav·ered, present
participle slav·er·ing, 3rd person present singular slav·ers)

1.  dribble
saliva:
to dribble saliva from the mouth

2.  behave
obsequiously: to fawn or behave obsequiously to
somebody
noun
(plural slav·ers)

dripping saliva:
saliva that drips from somebody’s mouth
[14th century. Origin
uncertain; probably from Scandinavian .][1]



slavery

slavery
slav·er·y 
[sláyvəree] noun

1.  system
based on enslaved labor: a system based on using the
enforced labor of other people

2.  condition
of being an enslaved laborer: the condition of being
forced to work for somebody else in past times

3.  hard
work:
very hard work, especially for low pay and under bad conditions

4.  state
of being dominated: a state of being completely
dominated by another

[1]



slaveship

slaveship
slave
ship
(plural slave ships) noun

HISTORY
ship carrying enslaved people:
a ship used to carry captured and enslaved people, especially from Africa.
Also called
slaver[1]



slavestate

slavestate
slave
state
(plural slave states) noun

state with legalized slavery:
any of the 15 states where slavery was legal until the Civil War[1]



slavetrade

slavetrade
slave
trade
noun

dealing in captured people:
the business of capturing people and buying and selling them as enslaved
laborers[1]



Slavic

Slavic
Slav·ic 
[slvik] or Sla·von·ic [slə vónnik] noun

LANGUAGE E
European language group: a branch of the
Indo-European family of languages that includes Bulgarian, Russian, and Polish
adjective

typical of Slavic languages
or people: relating to the Slavic
languages or the people who speak them[1]



slavish

slavish
slav·ish 
[sláyvish] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term comparing something to the stereotypical traits attributed to
an enslaved person
—slav·ish·ly,
adverb

—slav·ish·ness, noun[1]



Slavism

Slavism
Slav·ism
[sl vìzzəm] (plural Slavisms)
noun

characteristic of Slavs:
a feature or characteristic of the Slavs or Slavic languages[1]



slavocracy

slavocracy
slav·oc·ra·cy 
[slay vókrəssee] noun

rule by slave owners:
slave owners considered collectively as a ruling group, or rule by slave owners[1]



Slavonic

Slavonic
Sla·von·ic 
noun adjective

LANGUAGE PEOPLES See Slavic
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin S(c)lavonicus, from S(c)lavonia “country of the
Slavs.”][1]



Slavophile

Slavophile
Slav·o·phile 
[slvə fl] (plural Slav·o·philes)
or Slav·o·phil [slvə fìl] (plural
Slavophils) noun (often used before a noun)

1.  admirer
of Slavic culture or people: somebody who admires Slavic
culture or people

2.  HISTORY advocate
of Slavic supremacy: somebody who, in
19th-century Russia, asserted the superiority of Slavic people and worked for
their supremacy
—Sla·voph·i·lism [slə vóffə lìzzəm], noun[1]



slaw

slaw
slaw 
[slaw] noun

FOOD See coleslaw
[Late 18th century. From
Dutch sla, a contraction of French salade “salad” (see salad ).][1]



slay

slay
slay 
[slay] (past slew [sloo], past participle slain [slayn], present participle slay·ing,
3rd person present singular slays) transitive verb

1.  kill
somebody:
to kill somebody or something (formal or literary)

2.  (past
slayed, past participle slayed or slain) amuse
somebody:
to amuse somebody very much (informal)
[Old
English slēan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to strike,”
which is also the ancestor of English onslaught
and sledge 2]
—slay·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at kill

[1]



slaying

slaying
slay·ing
[sláying] (plural slay·ings) noun

killing:
a killing or murder[1]



SLBM

SLBM
SLBM

Abbreviation of
submarine-launched ballistic missile[1]



SLCM

SLCM
SLCM

Abbreviation of
sea-launched cruise missile[1]



sld.

sld.
sld.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sailed

2.  Abbreviation
of
sealed

3.  Abbreviation
of
sold

[1]



SLE

SLE
SLE

MEDICINE
Abbreviation of systemic lupus erythematosus[1]



sleaze

sleaze
sleaze 
[sleez] (plural sleazes) noun

1.  dishonesty
or corruption: corruption, dishonesty, or scandal,
especially among public figures such as politicians

2.  (slang
insult) See sleazebag
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from sleazy .][1]



sleazebag

sleazebag
sleaze·bag
[slz bàg] (plural sleaze·bags)
or sleaze·ball [slz bàwl] (plural
sleaze·balls) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term referring to somebody whose behavior is perceived as immoral,
unethical, or disreputable (slang insult)
Also called
sleaze[1]



sleazy

sleazy
slea·zy 
[slzee] (comparative slea·zi·er,
superlative slea·zi·est) adjective

1.  sordid:
dirty, disreputable, or sordid in character or appearance

2.  dishonest
or immoral:
dishonest or immoral • You
get some pretty sleazy types in here.
[Mid-17th
century. Originally “flimsy in texture,” of uncertain origin: perhaps
ultimately from Silesia, region in present-day Poland, where a good
linen fabric was made that was later imitated cheaply.]
—slea·zi·ly,
adverb

—slea·zi·ness, noun[1]



sled

sled
sled 
noun (plural sleds)

1.  small
vehicle sliding over snow: a small low vehicle on
ski-style or other runners, designed to be pulled over snow or ice by people or
dogs.
Also
called
sledge

2.  child’s
toy vehicle for snow: a child’s toy vehicle on
runners, used for sliding down snowy hills
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sled·ded,
past participle sled·ded, present participle sledding,
3rd person present singular sleds)

move by sled: to
ride, travel, or transport something by sled
[14th
century. From Middle Low German sledde, from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “to slip, slide,” which is also the ancestor of English slide, sleigh,
and sledge 1 .]
—sled·der, noun[1]



sledding

sledding
sled·ding 
[slédding] noun

1.  use
of a sled:
the use of a sled for work or recreation

2.  conditions
for using a sled: conditions in which a sled may be used • The
sledding is good right now.

3.  progress:
a particular kind of progress • It was
hard sledding for a while, but now things are easier.

[1]



sleddog

sleddog
sled
dog
(plural sled dogs) noun

dog pulling a sled:
a dog trained to pull a sled, especially when part of a dog team[1]



sledge

sledge1
sledge1  [slej]
(past sledged, past participle sledged, present
participle sledg·ing, 3rd person present singular sledg·es,
plural sledg·es) noun

1.  large
transport sled: a large sled pulled by animals, used for
transporting loads across snow or ice

2.  See
sled  noun 1
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch dialect sleedse .][1]



sledge

sledge2
sledge2  [slej]
(plural sledg·es) noun

See
sledgehammer
[Old English slecg,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to strike,” which is also the
ancestor of English slay, slaughter, and onslaught][1]



sledgehammer

sledgehammer
sledge·ham·mer 
[sléj hàmmər] noun (plural sledge·ham·mers)

large
hammer:
a large heavy hammer swung with both hands.
Also
called
sledge
transitive
verb
(past sledge·ham·mered, past participle sledge·ham·mered,
present participle sledge·ham·mer·ing, 3rd person present
singular sledge·ham·mers)

strike
with a sledgehammer: to hit something with a
sledgehammer or with the force of one
adjective

very
forceful:
extremely forceful • sledgehammer blows
[15th century. Coined from sledge 2 + hammer .][1]



sleek

sleek
sleek 
[sleek] adjective (comparative
sleeker, superlative sleekest)

1.  smooth
and shiny:
attractively smooth and shiny

2.  well-groomed:
well-groomed and healthy looking

3.  suave:
smooth and polished in behavior or speech, often insincerely or suspiciously so
• a
sleek sales pitch
transitive
verb
(past sleeked, past participle sleeked, present
participle sleek·ing, 3rd person present singular sleeks)

make something sleek:
to make something appear smooth or shiny
[Late
16th century. Variant of slick .]
—sleek·ly,
adverb

—sleek·ness, noun[1]



sleep

sleep
sleep 
[sleep] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY state
of not being awake: a state of partial or full
unconsciousness in people and animals during which voluntary functions are
suspended and the body rests and restores itself, or a period in this state

2.  state
resembling sleep: any state that is inactive or dormant,
like sleep

3.  death:
death (literary) (also used euphemistically)

4.  mucus
in eyes:
small amounts of dried mucus that often collect in the eyes during sleep (informal)

5.  BOTANY See nyctitropism
verb
(past participle slept [slept],
present participle sleep·ing, 3rd person present singular sleeps)

1.  intransitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY be
in a state of sleep: to go into or be in a state
of sleep

2.  intransitive
verb
be
inactive:
to be in an inactive or dormant state • a
city that never sleeps

3.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY change
position at night: to assume a position at
night that is different from the daytime position

4.  transitive
verb
provide
beds for people: to provide sleeping accommodations for a
particular number of people • The
yacht sleeps eight.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
dead:
to be dead (literary) (also used euphemistically) • He
sleeps in the bosom of Abraham.

6.  transitive
verb
spend
time in sleep: to spend a period of time sleeping • We
slept the night in a hotel.
[The
noun is from Old English slp, the verb from Old English slpan,
both from prehistoric Germanic]
get
to sleep

or go
to sleepto begin sleeping

in
your sleep

1.  while
you are sleeping

2.  with
ease, as if not having to be fully awake (informal) • I
could find my way there in my sleep, I’ve been so often.

not
lose (any) sleep over something

not
to worry about something because it is thought to be trivial or irrelevant

put
something to sleep

to
kill an animal in a humane way, especially because it is ill, injured, or in
pain

sleep
on it

to
postpone a decision until at least the next day in order to give it more
thought

[1]



sleepapnea

sleepapnea
sleep
ap·ne·a
noun

cessation of breathing while
sleeping: a temporary cessation of
breathing that happens to some people while they are sleeping[1]



sleeparound

sleeparound
sleep
around
intransitive verb

sleep with people
indiscriminately: to have a lot of casual
sexual relationships with different people (informal)[1]



sleeper

sleeper
sleep·er 
[slpər] noun (plural sleep·ers)

1.  somebody
sleeping:
somebody who is sleeping, or somebody who sleeps in a particular way • a
light sleeper

2.  RAIL train
car with beds: a train car or compartment with beds for
passengers

3.  U.K.
RAIL See tie  noun 5

4.  BUILDING heavy
beam:
a heavy beam used as a sill, footing, or support

5.  surprising
success:
somebody or something that is not immediately successful but, often
surprisingly, becomes so after a while (informal)

6.  spy
inactive until called into action: a spy or secret agent
who lives an ordinary life until called into action (informal)

7.  ZOOLOGY tropical
fish:
a marine or freshwater tropical fish related to the goby that often lies
immobile. Family: Eleotridae

8.  FURNITURE convertible
bed:
a piece of furniture that converts into a bed

9.  WRESTLING wrestling
hold inducing unconsciousness: a wrestling hold in
which pressure is applied to the sides of an opponent’s neck so as to induce
real or simulated unconsciousness
plural
noun
sleep·ers

children’s coverall pajamas:
children’s one-piece pajamas with feet.
U.K.
term
sleepsuit

[1]



sleepin

sleepin
sleep
in
intransitive verb

1.  sleep
longer than usual: to sleep longer than you
usually do

2.  sleep
where you work: to sleep at the place where you are
employed.
U.K.
term
live in

[1]



sleep-in

sleep-in
sleep-in 
adjective

living at your place of work:
living in the house of an employer • a
sleep-in maid.
U.K. term
live-in[1]



sleepingbag

sleepingbag
sleep·ing
bag 
(plural sleep·ing bags) noun

fabric bag for sleeping in:
a long padded or lined fabric bag, often zippered, for sleeping in, especially
when camping[1]



sleepingcar

sleepingcar
sleep·ing
car
(plural sleep·ing cars) noun

railroad car where passengers
sleep: a railroad car that has
bunks or compartments in which passengers can sleep[1]



sleepingpartner

sleepingpartner
sleep·ing
part·ner
(plural sleep·ing part·ners) noun

U.K.
BUSINESS See silent partner[1]



sleepingpill

sleepingpill
sleep·ing
pill
(plural sleep·ing pills) noun

pill to help somebody sleep:
a pill containing a drug that is meant to induce sleep[1]



sleepingsickness

sleepingsickness
sleep·ing
sick·ness
noun

1.  tropical
disease:
a disease in tropical Africa caused by parasitic protozoans that are carried by
tsetse flies. Affected people and animals experience fever, weight loss, and
lethargy.

2.  encephalitis
causing lethargy: an epidemic form of encephalitis causing
lethargy, muscular weakness, and impaired vision.
Also
called
encephalitis lethargica

[1]



sleep-learning

sleep-learning
sleep-learn·ing 
noun

learning while asleep:
a method of learning something that involves the continuous playing of
recordings of it to a sleeping learner. Technical name hypnopedia[1]



sleepless

sleepless
sleep·less 
[slpləss] adjective

1.  lacking
sleep:
without sleep, or unable to sleep • a
sleepless night

2.  awake:
always awake, active, or busy
—sleep·less·ly,
adverb

—sleep·less·ness, noun[1]



sleepoff

sleepoff
sleep
off
transitive verb

sleep until you feel better:
to get rid of illness by sleeping until it is gone[1]



sleepout

sleepout
sleep
out
intransitive verb

1.  sleep
outside:
sleep out of doors

2.  sleep
away from your place of work: to sleep somewhere other
than the place where you are employed.
U.K.
term
live out

[1]



sleep-out

sleep-out
sleep-out
(plural sleep-outs) noun

Australia, New Zealand
outdoor sleeping area:
a part of a veranda or yard that has been turned into an outdoor sleeping area,
usually partially or fully enclosed with glass or insect screens[1]



sleepover

sleepover
sleep
over
intransitive verb

sleep at somebody else’s
house: to sleep at somebody else’s
house as part of a visit[1]



sleepover

sleepover
sleep·o·ver 
[slp vər] (plural sleep·o·vers)
noun

overnight stay:
an overnight stay at somebody else’s house after a children’s party (informal)[1]



sleepsuit

sleepsuit
sleep·suit
[slp st] (plural sleep·suits)
noun

U.K.
See sleepers[1]



sleepterror disorder

sleepterror disorder
sleep
ter·ror dis·or·der noun

persistent nightmares:
a condition of persistent nightmares from which the sleeper awakens in a state
of terror and disorientation but remembers nothing of the episode in the
morning[1]



sleeptogether

sleeptogether
sleep
together
intransitive verb

have sex:
to have sex (informal) (used euphemistically)[1]



sleepwalk

sleepwalk
sleep·walk 
[slp wàwk] (past sleep·walked,
past participle sleep·walked, present participle sleep·walk·ing,
3rd person present singular sleep·walks) intransitive verb

1.  walk
while asleep: to walk while you are asleep

2.  be
inattentive: to do something in an inattentive or
lethargic way (informal)
—sleep·walk·er,
noun

—sleep·walk·ing, noun[1]



sleepwear

sleepwear
sleep·wear 
[slp wàir] noun

clothes to wear at night:
clothes for people to wear while sleeping.
Also called
nightdress
Also called
nightwear
U.K. term
nightwear[1]



sleepwith

sleepwith
sleep
with
transitive verb

have sex with somebody:
to have sex with somebody (informal) (informal) (used
euphemistically)[1]



sleepy

sleepy
sleep·y 
[slpee] (comparative sleep·i·er,
superlative sleep·i·est) adjective

1.  drowsy:
feeling drowsy and wanting to sleep

2.  quiet
and without much activity: quiet and not very lively or
exciting • a
sleepy mining town

3.  causing
sleep:
tending to make somebody fall asleep
—sleep·i·ly,
adverb

—sleep·i·ness, noun[1]



sleepyhead

sleepyhead
sleep·y·head 
[slpi hèd] (plural sleep·y·heads)
noun

drowsy
person:
somebody who has just woken up and is drowsy, or somebody who is nearly falling
asleep (informal)
—sleep·y·head·ed, adjective[1]



sleet

sleet
sleet 
[sleet] noun

1.  partly
frozen rain: partly frozen rain

2.  thin
coating of ice: the thin coating of ice formed when rain
freezes on something
intransitive
verb
(past sleet·ed, past participle sleet·ed, present
participle sleet·ing, 3rd person present singular sleets)

fall as sleet:
to fall as sleet
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an Old English word.][1]



sleeve

sleeve
sleeve 
[sleev] noun (plural sleeves)

1.  CLOTHES covering
for the arm: either of the two parts of a garment
that wholly or partially cover the arms

2.  ENGINEERING tubular
piece:
a tubular piece designed to fit inside or over a cylinder

3.  RECORDING See jacket  noun 3
transitive
verb
(past sleeved, past participle sleeved, present
participle sleev·ing, 3rd person present singular sleeves)

fit with a sleeve:
to provide something with a sleeve
[Old
English slēfe . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to slide,
slip,” which is also the ancestor of English slop,
sloop, and lubricate .]
—sleeve·less,
adjective
roll
up your sleeves

to
get ready to do something energetically (informal)

up
your sleeve

kept hidden or secret but
available for use[1]



sleevenotes

sleevenotes
sleeve
notes
plural noun

U.K.
RECORDING See liner notes[1]



sleevevalve

sleevevalve
sleeve
valve
(plural sleeve valves) noun

engine valve:
a valve for an internal-combustion engine, fitted and reciprocating inside a
cylinder[1]



sleigh

sleigh

sleigh 
[slay] noun (plural sleighs)
snow
vehicle pulled by horses: an open, usually horse-drawn
vehicle on runners, used for travel on snow and ice
intransitive
verb
(past sleighed, past participle sleighed, present
participle sleigh·ing, 3rd person present singular sleighs)
travel
in sleigh:
to move over snow or ice in a sleigh
[Early 18th century. Via
Dutch slee from, ultimately, Middle Dutch slēde . From a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to slip, slide,” which is also the ancestor
of English slide and sled .][1]



sleighbell

sleighbell
sleigh·bell
[sláy bèl] (plural sleigh·bells)
noun

bell for a horse or sleigh:
one of several small bells attached to a sleigh or to the harness of horses
pulling it. Sometimes a number of them are used together as a musical
instrument.[1]



sleight

sleight
sleight 
[slīt, slayt]
(plural sleights) noun (archaic)

1.  trick:
a trick or cunning act

2.  skill:
dexterity or skill in doing something

3.  trickery:
cunning or trickery
[13th century. From Old Norse
slœgð “cunning,” from slœgr “crafty” (see sly ).][1]



sleightof hand

sleightof hand
sleight
of hand
noun

1.  skill
with the hands: skill or dexterity with the hands in
performing magic tricks, card tricks, or juggling.
Also
called
legerdemain

2.  deceptive
skill:
any kind of skill by which something happens without it being obvious how it is
done

[1]



slender

slender
slen·der 
[sléndər] adjective

1.  small
in width:
small or slight in width in proportion to height or length • a
flower with a slender stem

2.  slim:
thin in a graceful way

3.  limited:
small or limited in degree, extent, or size • The
home team won by a slender margin.
[13th
century. Origin unknown.]
—slen·der·ly,
adverb

—slen·der·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



slenderize

slenderize
slen·der·ize 
[sléndə rz] (past slen·der·ized,
past participle slen·der·ized, present participle slen·der·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular slen·der·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

become or make slender:
to become slender, or make somebody or something slender (dated)[1]



slenderloris

slenderloris
slen·der
lo·ris
noun

tailless loris:
a small tailless slow-moving primate found in the rainforests of India and Sri
Lanka. Latin name: Loris tardigradus[1]



slept

slept
slept


Past tense of
sleep Past participle of sleep[1]



sleuth

sleuth
sleuth 
[slooth] noun (plural sleuths)

1.  detective:
a detective (informal)

2.  See
sleuthhound  noun 1
verb
(past sleuthed, past participle sleuthed, present
participle sleuth·ing, 3rd person present singular sleuths)

1.  intransitive
verb
investigate:
to investigate as or in a similar way to a detective

2.  transitive
verb
track
somebody:
to track or find somebody or something
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of sleuthhound .][1]



sleuthhound

sleuthhound
sleuth·hound 
[slth hòwnd] (plural sleuth·hounds)
noun

1.  dog
for tracking people: a dog used for tracking
people, especially a bloodhound.
Also
called
sleuth

2.  (informal)
See sleuth  noun 1
[14th century. Sleuth from sleuth
“track, trail,” from Old Norse slóð, of unknown origin.][1]



slew

slew4
slew4

See
slough 1
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of slough .][1]



slew

slew3
slew3 [sloo]
intransitive and transitive verb

See
slue 1
noun

See
slue 1
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



slew

slew2
slew2 [sloo]
(plural slews) or slue [sloo]
(plural slues) noun

large
number:
a large quantity or number of something (informal) • They
hit us with a whole slew of complaints.
[Mid-19th century. Via Irish sluagh
“multitude,” from Old Irish slúag “host, army” (source of English slogan ).][1]



slew

slew1
slew1

Past tense of
slay[1]



slice

slice
slice 
[slīss] noun (plural slic·es)

1.  piece
cut from something: a thin broad piece cut from
something larger • a slice of ham

2.  share:
a part, portion, or share of something • a
slice of the profits

3.  COOKING serving
utensil:
a utensil with a thin, flat, triangular blade, used for cutting and serving
food, especially cake

4.  SPORTS oblique
way of hitting a ball: a stroke in which the ball
is hit off-center so that it follows a curving path

5.  SPORTS flight
of a ball:
the flight of a ball that has been sliced

6.  TENNIS tennis
shot:
a tennis shot that makes the ball spin and stay low when it bounces in the
opponent’s court
verb
(past sliced, past participle sliced, present
participle slic·ing, 3rd person present singular slic·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
into portions: to cut something, or to be cut, into
slices or portions

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
cleanly:
to cut something cleanly and effortlessly • The
sword sliced the rope in half.

3.  intransitive
verb
move
swiftly and cleanly: to move swiftly and cleanly,
especially through a medium such as air or water

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb cut
off:
to cut something off something else • The
spinning blade sliced off log after log.

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS set on
a curving path: to hit a ball off-center so that it
follows a curving path, whether intentionally or as a result of a bad swing or
stroke

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb TENNIS hit with a chopping action:
to hit a tennis shot with a chopping stroke so that the ball spins and stays
low when it bounces in the opponent’s court

7.  transitive
verb
ROWING put in
the water at an angle: to put the blade of an oar
into the water at an angle
[15th
century. From Old French esclice “splinter,” from esclicier “to
splinter,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English slit .]
—slice·a·ble,
adjective

—slicer, noun[1]



sliceof life

sliceof life
slice
of life
(plural slic·es of life) noun

realistic
portrayal of life: a realistic portrayal of
life, especially a harsh or unpleasant life, for example, in a movie
[From the idea of cutting
into something to see inside][1]



slick

slick
slick 
[slik] adjective (comparative slick·er,
superlative slick·est)

1.  slippery:
having a smooth, glossy, or slippery surface • a
slick runway

2.  crafty:
clever and resourceful but not entirely trustworthy (informal)

3.  glib:
superficially impressive or persuasive but lacking substance or sincerity • a
slick sales pitch

4.  polished:
done or able to do things with great skill and apparently effortlessly • a
slick presentation

5.  suave:
smooth or refined in manners or behavior
noun
(plural slicks)

1.  slippery
patch:
a thinly spread or slippery patch of something, especially a quantity of oil
floating on top of water

2.  PUBLISHING expensive
magazine:
a magazine containing high-quality color photographs, especially a fashion
magazine, printed on smooth-coated paper.
U.K.
term
glossy magazine

3.  MOTOR SPORTS treadless
tire:
a wide treadless tire used in auto racing

4.  AIR MILITARY unarmed aircraft:
an unarmed aircraft
transitive
verb
(past slicked, past participle slicked, present
participle slick·ing, 3rd person present singular slicks)

make something smooth:
to make something smooth, glossy, or presentable • He
wears his hair slicked back.
[14th
century. Ultimately from an Indo-European word denoting “slippery,” which is
also the ancestor of English slime, slip, and oblivion
.]
—slick·ly,
adverb

—slick·ness, noun[1]



slickenside

slickenside
slick·en·side 
[slíkən sd] (plural slick·en·sides)
noun

smooth
rock surface: a rock surface that is smooth and marked
with fine scratches caused by friction with another rock surface
[Early 19th century. Coined
from a dialect variant of slick + slide .][1]



slicker

slicker
slick·er 
[slíkər] (plural slick·ers) noun

1.  raincoat:
a shiny raincoat, often made of a plastic or rubber material

2.  sophisticated
but untrustworthy person: somebody who appears to be
very sophisticated, stylish, or clever, but is not very honest or trustworthy (informal)

See
also
city slicker

3.  smoothing
tool:
a tool used for smoothing something

[1]



slickheadfish

slickheadfish
slick·head
fish
[slík hèd fìsh] noun

slender deep-sea fish:
a small slender deep-sea fish with dark coloration and no scales on its head,
which gives it a slick appearance. Family: Alepocephalidae[1]



slide

slide
slide 
[slīd] verb (past slid
[slid], past participle slid, present
participle slid·ing, 3rd person present singular slides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
smoothly:
to move or make something move smoothly across a surface • The
car slid for 50 yards when the brakes locked.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
unobtrusively: to move or move something unobtrusively
• He
slid the letter into his pocket.

3.  intransitive
verb
to
change to a different condition: to change to a
different, usually worse, state or condition • unable
to stop the economy from sliding into recession

4.  intransitive
verb
slip:
to lose your grip or secure footing on a surface • It
seemed to slide right off the window ledge.

5.  intransitive
verb
decrease:
to decrease in value or quantity • Stock
prices are sliding for the third straight day.

6.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC play a
glide between notes: to make a gliding change
from one note to another

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL approach a base horizontally:
to approach a base in baseball or softball while skidding feet first, low to
the ground • The
runner avoided the tag with a beautiful hook slide.
noun
(plural slides)

1.  sliding:
a sliding movement

2.  LEISURE structure
that children play on: a structure with a metal
slope that children slide down for fun

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY small
positive photograph: a positive photograph
reproduced on a small piece of film, mounted in a frame or on a plate and
viewed by projection on a screen or through a magnifying device

4.  GEOLOGY fall
of rock, mud, or earth: a downhill displacement of
rock, mud, or earth, often caused by rainfall or erosion

5.  SCIENCE specimen
holder:
a small glass plate on which a specimen is mounted for viewing under a microscope

6.  sliding
machine part: a machine part that slides, or the part
on which it moves

7.  ROWING See sliding seat

8.  MUSIC trombone
mechanism:
the U-shaped tube of a trombone that is pushed in and out to allow for changes
in pitch

9.  MUSIC musical
feature:
a sliding change from one note to another
[Old
English slīdan, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English sled and sleigh]
let
things or something slide

to
let a situation gradually go back to its previous worse state

on
the slide

in the process of becoming
worse (informal)[1]



slide-action

slide-action
slide-ac·tion
adjective

with sliding lever:
used to describe a shotgun or rifle with a lever that ejects the case of a
spent round and loads a new one[1]



Slidell

Slidell
Sli·dell 
[slī dél]

city in southeastern
Louisiana, on the northeastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, opposite New
Orleans. Population: 25,846 (1996)[1]



Slidell,John

Slidell,John
Sli·dell 
[slī dél], John (1793–1871)

U.S. politician and diplomat.
He was the Confederacy’s commissioner to France during the Civil War.[1]



slider

slider
slid·er 
[sldər] (plural slid·ers) noun

1.  something
that slides: somebody or something that slides

2.  BASEBALL fast
reverse curve: a fast pitch in baseball that curves
outward from the side of the pitcher’s throwing arm as it reaches the batter

[1]



sliderule

sliderule
slide
rule
(plural slide rules) noun

calculating device:
a manual calculating device, now largely obsolete, consisting of two rulers
marked with graduated logarithmic scales, one sliding inside the other[1]



slideshow

slideshow
slide
show
(plural slide shows) noun

series of slides:
a sequence of photographic slides projected on a screen or wall as education or
entertainment[1]



slidetrombone

slidetrombone
slide
trom·bone
(plural slide trom·bones) noun

trombone with a movable
slide: a trombone with a slide that
is moved to select different pitches as distinct from a trombone fitted with
valves[1]



sliding

sliding
slid·ing
[slding] adjective

1.  varying
according to something else: varying according to
changing conditions

2.  moved
by sliding:
moved by sliding • a sliding door
[Old English][1]



slidingscale

slidingscale
slid·ing
scale 
(plural slid·ing scales) noun

scale tied to other factors:
any scale, for example, of wages, costs, or fees, that varies according to
changes in some other factor[1]



slidingseat

slidingseat
slid·ing
seat
(plural slid·ing seats) noun

seat to lengthen a rowing
stroke: a seat in a rowboat that
slides back and forth, allowing a rower to lengthen the stroke of the oars.
Also called
slide[1]



slier

slier
sli·er


Comparative of
sly[1]



sliest

sliest
sli·est


Superlative of
sly[1]



slight

slight
slight 
[slīt] adjective (comparative slight·er,
superlative slight·est)

1.  very
small:
very small in size, degree, amount, or importance • a
slight resemblance

2.  thin:
having a slim body that does not look very strong

3.  insubstantial:
not very substantial or convincing • an
assertion made without the slightest evidence
transitive
verb
(past slight·ed, past participle slight·ed, present
participle slight·ing, 3rd person present singular slights)

1.  snub
somebody:
to treat somebody rudely, for example, by deliberately ignoring him or her

2.  treat
something as unimportant: to think of or treat
something as unimportant

3.  do
something carelessly: to handle duties or
responsibilities carelessly
noun
(plural slights)

impolite act: an
action that shows contempt for somebody or something
[14th
century. Origin uncertain; possibly from Scandinavian .]
—slight·ly,
adverb

—slight·ness, noun[1]



slighting

slighting
slight·ing 
[slting] adjective

contemptuous:
showing contempt or disrespect • make
slighting remarks about it
—slight·ing·ly, adverb[1]



slim

slim
slim 
[slim] adjective (comparative slim·mer,
superlative slim·mest)

1.  smaller
in width than height: small in width, thickness,
or girth and generally long and narrow in shape

2.  pleasingly
thin:
slender and well-proportioned

3.  small:
small in degree, quality, or extent • Chances
for their survival were slim.
verb
(past slimmed, past participle slimmed, present
participle slim·ming, 3rd person present singular slims)

1.  intransitive
verb
lose
weight:
to lose weight, especially by dieting

2.  transitive
verb
reduce:
to reduce the size or scope of something • slim
down the bloated bureaucracy
[Mid-17th
century. Via Dutch, “inferior, small,” from Middle Dutch, “crooked.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to hang loose,” which is also the ancestor
of English lump and limp .]
—slim·ly,
adverb

—slim·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at thin

[1]



slime

slime
slime 
[slīm] noun

1.  slippery
liquid:
a fluid that is thick and slippery, especially one that is unpleasant to touch

2.  BIOLOGY mucous
secretion of some living things: a mucous substance
secreted by some living things such as fish, snails, and fungi
transitive
verb
(past slimed, past participle slimed, present
participle slim·ing, 3rd person present singular slimes)

1.  cover
something with slime: to cover or smear something
with slime

2.  remove
slime from something: to remove slime from
something such as a fish before preparing it for cooking
[Old English slīm .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “slippery” (see slick ).][1]



slimeball

slimeball
slime·ball
[slm bàwl] (plural slime·balls)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as despicable or
repellent (slang insult)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from slime, on the model of sleazeball,
variant of sleazebag .][1]



slimemold

slimemold
slime
mold
(plural slime molds) noun

organism that secretes slime:
a simple organism that forms a small slimy amoeboid mass, for example, on
fallen logs, and produces spore-bearing reproductive organs similar to those of
a fungus.
Also called
myxomycete[1]



slimmer

slimmer
slim·mer
[slímmər] (plural slim·mers) noun

U.K.
See dieter[1]



slimsy

slimsy
slim·sy 
[slímzee] (comparative slim·si·er,
superlative slim·si·est) or slimp·sy [slímpzee] (comparative slimp·si·er, superlative
slimp·si·est) adjective

slight
and flimsy:
both slight and flimsy (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Blend of slim and flimsy
.][1]



slimy

slimy
slim·y 
[slmee] (comparative slim·i·er,
superlative slim·i·est) adjective

1.  like
slime:
covered with or resembling slime • a
slimy secretion

2.  disgusting:
having the semiliquid, sticky consistency of slime • a
slimy mess

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody thought to behave in an excessively
ingratiating way (insult)
—slim·i·ly,
adverb

—slim·i·ness, noun[1]



sling

sling1
sling1 [sling]
noun (plural slings)

1.  MEDICINE supporting
bandage:
a wide bandage suspended from somebody’s neck to support an injured arm or hand

2.  carrying
strap:
a carrying strap attached to something such as a rifle

3.  loop
for carrying something heavy: a loop of rope, leather,
chain, or net used to lift, lower, or carry something heavy

4.  loop
used as weapon: a weapon used for throwing a stone or
other object, consisting of a loop of leather or other material in which the
missile is twirled before being released

5.  See
slingshot

6.  NAUTICAL support
for a yard:
a rope or chain that supports a ship’s beam
plural
noun
slings

MOUNTAINEERING anchoring
loop:
a fixed loop of webbing used to provide an anchor to a rock, tree, or other
point
verb
(past slung [slung], past
participle slung, present participle sling·ing, 3rd
person present singular slings)

1.  transitive
verb
throw
with force:
to throw something with a lot of force

2.  use
a carrying loop on something: to attach something to,
carry something with, or hang something from a carrying loop

3.  transitive
verb
U.K. pass
or put something casually: to throw or pass something
or to put or place something somewhere in a casual or careless way (informal)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: the noun is possibly from Low Dutch or Middle Low
German slinge ; the verb partly from Old Norse slyngva and partly
from the noun.]
—sling·er, noun[1]



sling

sling2
sling2 [sling]
(plural slings) noun

cocktail:
a mixed alcoholic drink made with liquor, sugar, lemon or lime juice, and water
[Mid-18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



slingshot

slingshot
sling·shot 
[slíng shòt] (plural sling·shots)
noun

small hand weapon:
a Y-shaped weapon with a loop of elastic attached to the two prongs, used to
propel stones or other objects.
U.K. term
catapult
Also called
sling[1]



slink

slink
slink 
[slink] verb (past slunk
[slunk] or slinked, past
participle slunk or slinked, present participle
slink·ing, 3rd person present singular slinks)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
furtively:
to move or behave quietly and secretively • I
could see her trying to slink away through the back door.

2.  intransitive
verb
move
sexily:
to walk in a sexually alluring way

3.  transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE bear
prematurely: to give birth to young prematurely,
especially to a calf
noun
(plural slinks)

VETERINARY MEDICINE premature
animal:
a prematurely born animal, especially a calf
adjective

VETERINARY MEDICINE born
early:
used to describe an animal, especially a calf, that is born prematurely
[Old English slincan,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to slide, throw,” which is also the
ancestor of English sling][1]



slinky

slinky
slink·y 
[slínkee] (comparative slink·i·er,
superlative slink·i·est) adjective

1.  seductive:
having a seductive appearance or way of moving

2.  close-fitting:
close-fitting and emphasizing the curves of the body • a
slinky outfit
—slink·i·ly,
adverb

—slink·i·ness, noun[1]



Slinky

Slinky
Slink·y 
Trademark

a trademark for a spring toy[1]



slip

slip1
slip1 [slip]
verb (past slipped, past participle slipped,
present participle slip·ping, 3rd person present singular slips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
smoothly:
to move or make something move smoothly and easily and usually with a sliding
motion • It
slips easily in and out of its case.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb put on
or take off: to put on or take off something quickly
and easily

3.  intransitive
verb
lose
your footing: to lose your footing or grip on a
slippery surface • I slipped and fell.

4.  intransitive
verb
move
from its proper position: to slide or move
accidentally out of the proper or desired position • This
strap keeps slipping off my shoulder.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
forgotten:
to be forgotten or overlooked by somebody • It
slipped my mind.

6.  intransitive
verb
go
quietly:
to go somewhere in a quiet, furtive, or unnoticed way • He
slipped out while nobody was looking.

7.  transitive
verb
pass
something secretly: to give somebody something
furtively or secretly • I saw
the man slip her an envelope

8.  intransitive
verb
err:
to make a mistake or to do something wrong • You
must have slipped up when you were making a note of the number.

9.  intransitive
verb
get
worse:
to decline from a previous standard, for example, of performance or awareness • He’s
slipping –two years ago he would have spotted that mistake at once

10. transitive
verb
dislocate
a bone:
to dislocate or displace a bone, especially in the spine

11. intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE disengage the clutch:
to disengage the clutch of a motor vehicle or be disengaged

12. intransitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING fail
to engage:
to fail to engage properly, usually because of wear (refers to mechanical
parts)

13. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL SAILING let a restraining cable go:
to let a line or cable that is securing a vessel to a mooring or anchor fall
over the side

14. intransitive
and transitive verb release:
to release an animal from a restraint, or be released in this way
noun
(plural slips)

1.  act
of slipping: an act of slipping, especially a sudden
slide on a slippery surface

2.  error:
an error or oversight

3.  lapse:
a moral lapse or instance of misconduct

4.  CLOTHES undergarment:
a light sleeveless woman’s undergarment worn under a dress

5.  NAUTICAL See slipway

6.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY deformation
of a crystal: the deformation of a metallic crystal by
shearing along a plane

7.  cloth
covering:
a cloth covering for something

8.  AIR See sideslip  noun 2
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German slippen
.]
give
somebody the slip

to
get away from somebody who is chasing or pursuing you

let
slip

1.  to
say something without meaning to, or reveal something that should be kept
secret

2.  to
allow somebody or something to escape

slip
one over on somebody

to
trick or deceive somebody (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mistake

[1]



slip

slip2
slip2  [slip]
noun (plural slips)

1.  BOTANY cutting:
a stem or branch of a plant broken off and used to start a new plant.
Also
called
scion

2.  narrow
piece:
a narrow strip of something • a slip
of paper

3.  delicate
young person: somebody who is both young and slightly
built • a
slip of a lad

4.  small
piece of paper: a small piece of paper, especially a
small form, document, or record of a transaction

5.  narrow
church pew:
a church pew that is narrow
transitive
verb
(past slipped, past participle slipped, present
participle slipping, 3rd person present singular slips)

BOTANY remove
a slip:
to remove a slip from a plant in order to grow a new plant

[1]



SLIP

SLIP
SLIP
[slip] noun

Internet access protocol:
the older of two protocols for dial-up access to the Internet using a modem. It
has now been largely replaced by a higher-level protocol ( PPP ). Full form
serial line Internet protocol[1]



slip

slip3
slip3  [slip]
noun

mixture of clay and water:
a mixture of clay and water, used as a decorative layer on pottery or for
casting in molds to form an actual piece[1]



slipcase

slipcase
slip·case 
[slíp kàyss] (plural slip·cas·es)
noun

protective case for books:
a box for protecting a book or set of books, usually made of sturdy cardboard,
with one or more open ends[1]



slipcover

slipcover
slip·cov·er 
[slíp kùvvər] noun (plural slip·cov·ers)

cover
for furniture: a fitted protective cover for a piece of
upholstered furniture, usually made of cloth.
U.K.
term
loose cover
transitive
verb
(past slip·cov·ered, past participle slip·cov·ered,
present participle slip·cov·er·ing, 3rd person present
singular slip·cov·ers)

cover furniture:
to provide a piece of furniture with a slipcover[1]



slipknot

slipknot

slip·knot 
[slíp nòt] (plural slip·knots)
or slip knot [slíp nòt] (plural
slip knots) noun
movable knot:
a knot that slips easily along the rope or cord around which it is tied[1]



slip-on

slip-on
slip-on 
noun (plural slip-ons)

garment
easy to put on: a shoe or piece of clothing that is easy
to put on or remove
adjective

easily donned:
easy to put on and take off[1]



slipover

slipover
slip·o·ver 
[slíp vər] (plural slip·o·vers)
noun

See
pullover[1]



slippage

slippage
slip·page 
[slíppij] (plural slip·pag·es)
noun

1.  slide:
the process or an instance of slipping, especially from a stable or desired
position • Recent
thunderstorms have caused slippage in the banks along rivers.

2.  amount
of slipping: an amount or extent that something slips

3.  decline:
a decrease in the quality, performance, or production of something

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING loss
of power:
a loss of power or forward motion caused by the slipping of a mechanical part

[1]



slipper

slipper
slip·per 
[slíppər] (plural slip·pers) noun

indoor
shoe:
a flat shoe of soft or lightweight material, usually worn indoors
—slip·pered, adjective[1]



slipperflower

slipperflower
slip·per
flow·er
(plural slip·per flow·ers) noun

See
calceolaria[1]



slipperwort

slipperwort
slip·per·wort 
[slíppər wùrt, slíppər
wàwrt] (plural slip·per·worts) noun

See
calceolaria[1]



slippery

slippery
slip·per·y 
[slíppəree] (comparative slip·per·i·er,
superlative slip·per·i·est) adjective

1.  causing
sliding:
likely to cause somebody or something to slip

2.  hard
to hold firmly: sliding easily from the grasp or from a
position

3.  precarious:
unstable and liable to change • We’re
in a slippery situation; things could go either way.

4.  untrustworthy:
behaving in a devious or deceitful way • a
slippery character
—slip·per·i·ly,
adverb

—slip·per·i·ness, noun[1]



slipperydip

slipperydip
slip·per·y
dip
(plural slip·per·y dips) noun

Australia
children’s slide:
a long children’s slide in a playground or funfair[1]



slipperyelm

slipperyelm

slip·per·y
elm
noun

1.  TREES N
American tree: a deciduous North American hardwood tree
with a moist sticky inner bark. Latin name: Ulmus rubra

2.        ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
bark of slippery elm:
the inner bark of the slippery elm used as a natural remedy in alternative
medicine to relieve inflammation in the digestive tract[1]



slipperyslope

slipperyslope
slip·pery
slope
noun

dangerous situation:
a dangerous situation, for example, in a military, political, foreign-policy,
or legal situation, that can lead to ultimate downfall[1]



slipring

slipring
slip
ring
(plural slip rings) noun

part of a machine:
a metal ring in a generator or motor to which current is delivered or from
which it is removed by brushes[1]



slipsheet

slipsheet
slip·sheet
[slíp sht] noun (plural slip·sheets)

blank
paper:
a sheet of blank paper placed between newly printed sheets to prevent wet ink
on the printed sheets from rubbing off or smearing
transitive
verb
(past slip·sheet·ed, past participle slip·sheet·ed,
present participle slip·sheet·ing, 3rd person present singular
slip·sheets)

insert blank paper between
printed sheets: to place a blank sheet
of paper between newly printed papers on which the ink is still wet[1]



slipshod

slipshod
slip·shod 
[slíp shòd] adjective

1.  careless:
done in a sloppy way without attention to details

2.  untidy:
not neat in appearance
[Late
16th century. From slip “to slide” + shod “wearing shoes.”]
—slip·shod·ly,
adverb

—slip·shod·ness,
noun

—slip·shod·di·ness, noun[1]



slipslop

slipslop
slip·slop 
[slíp slòp] noun (archaic)

1.  watery
food:
weak or watery food or drink

2.  trivial
talk or writing: inconsequential speech or writing
[Late 17th century. Doubling
of slop . “Trivial talk” from the character
Mrs. Slipslop in Joseph Andrews (1742) by Henry Fielding ( 1707–1754 ).][1]



slipstitch

slipstitch
slip
stitch
noun

hidden sewing stitch:
a stitch used to connect two layers of fabric in such a way that the stitches
are hidden from the right side[1]



slipstream

slipstream
slip·stream 
[slíp strm] noun (plural slip·streams)

1.  AIR air
from propeller: a stream of air driven backward by an
aircraft’s propeller

2.  area
behind fast-moving vehicle: an area of reduced air
pressure and forward suction that is directly behind and caused by a rapidly
moving vehicle
intransitive
verb
(past slip·streamed, past participle slip·streamed,
present participle slip·stream·ing, 3rd person present
singular slip·streams)

follow in slipstream:
to follow in another vehicle’s slipstream so as to take advantage of the
decreased air resistance

[1]



slipup

slipup
slip
up
intransitive verb

err:
to make a mistake (informal) • Somebody
slipped up and forgot to put your name on the guest list.[1]



slip-up

slip-up
slip-up 
noun

error:
an accidental mistake or blunder (informal)[1]



slipware

slipware
slip·ware 
[slíp wàir] noun

coated pottery:
pottery that has been coated or decorated with slip[1]



slipway

slipway
slip·way 
[slíp wày] (plural slip·ways) noun

ramp used to build boats:
a sloping surface used to build or repair boats before returning them to the
water.
Also called
slip[1]



slit

slit
slit 
[slit] transitive verb (past slit,
past participle slit, present participle slit·ting,
3rd person present singular slits)

1.  slice
something:
to make a long straight cut in something • She
slit the bag open with a knife.

2.  cut
something into strips: to cut something into thin
strips
noun
(plural slits)

narrow cut or opening:
a long narrow cut or opening
[12th
century, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—slit·ter,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at tear

[1]



slither

slither
slith·er 
[slíər] verb (past slith·ered,
past participle slith·ered, present participle slith·er·ing,
3rd person present singular slith·ers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb slide
or cause something to slide: to move along a slippery or
uneven surface, or make something slide along • We
slithered down the muddy river bank.

2.  intransitive
verb
glide:
to slide along easily, using friction to move forward, as a snake does
noun
(plural slith·ers)

gliding movement:
a gliding, effortless movement
[12th century. From Old
English slidrian, literally “to slide repeatedly,” from slidan,
an earlier form of slide .][1]



slittrench

slittrench
slit
trench
(plural slit trench·es) noun

protective trench used in
battle: a narrow trench dug as
protection against shelling during a battle[1]



sliver

sliver
sliv·er 
[slívvər] noun (plural sliv·ers)

1.  splinter:
a thin piece of something that has been split, cut, or broken off

2.  small
piece:
a small narrow portion or piece of something

3.  loose
fiber:
a loose strand of wool, cotton, or some other material prepared for drawing and
twisting by carding
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sliv·ered,
past participle sliv·ered, present participle sliv·er·ing,
3rd person present singular sliv·ers)

break into splinters:
to break something into splinters, or become splintered
[14th century. From Old
English slifan “to cleave, split,” from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



slivovitz

slivovitz
sliv·o·vitz 
[slívvə vìts] (plural sliv·o·vitz·es)
noun

plum
brandy:
a dry colorless plum brandy made in eastern Europe
[Late 19th century. From
Serbo-Croat sljivovica “plum brandy,” from sljiva “plum.”][1]



Sloan,John

Sloan,John
Sloan
[slōn], John (1871–1951)

U.S.
artist. A member of the group of artists called The Eight, he is known for his
paintings of urban life, which gave rise to the epithet "the Ashcan
School".
Full name
Sloan, John French[1]



slob

slob
slob 
[slob] (plural slobs) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s personal habits,
hygiene, and manners (informal insult)
[Late
18th century. Via Irish slab “mud” from English slab “bog,” from
Scandinavian, and related to Swedish slabb “slime.”]
—slob·bish, adjective[1]



slobber

slobber
slob·ber 
[slóbbər] verb (past slob·ber·ed,
past participle slob·ber·ed, present participle slob·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular slob·bers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dribble
saliva:
to drool or allow saliva or a liquid to run from the mouth

2.  intransitive
verb
express
extreme emotion: to be overly sentimental or emotional

3.  transitive
verb
smear
something with saliva: to soak or cover something
with saliva or liquid from the mouth
noun

1.  saliva:
saliva or liquid that has been drooled from the mouth

2.  sentimental
writing or talk: overemotional or sentimental talk or
writing • I
can’t stand to read such slobber.
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch slobberen “to feed
noisily, walk through mud.”]
—slob·ber·er,
noun

—slob·ber·y, adjective[1]



slobice

slobice
slob
ice
noun

Canada
slushy ice:
floating ice in slushy masses[1]



sloe

sloe
sloe 
[slō] (plural sloes or sloe)
noun

1.  See
blackthorn

2.  N
American plum tree: either of two eastern North
American plum trees or shrubs that bear dark purple, red, or yellow fruit.
Latin name: Prunus alleghaniensis Prunus americana

3.  small
tart plum:
the small sour fruit of the blackthorn or either species of sloe
[Old English slah .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “bluish,” which is also the
ancestor of English livid and slivovitz .][1]



sloe-eyed

sloe-eyed
sloe-eyed 
adjective

dark-eyed:
with dark almond-shaped eyes
[Refers to the blue-black
color of the fruit][1]



sloegin

sloegin
sloe
gin
noun

alcoholic beverage:
a liqueur made of gin flavored with sloes[1]



slog

slog
slog 
[slog] verb (past slogged,
past participle slogged, present participle slog·ging,
3rd person present singular slogs)

1.  intransitive
verb
plod:
to walk slowly with great effort • How
long did it take us to slog up that mountain?

2.  intransitive
verb
work
long and hard: to work at something for a long time
with little progress • They’ve
all been down at the office, slogging through endless reams of paperwork.

3.  transitive
verb
make
your way:
to make headway or progress through something with great difficulty • We
had to slog our way through several muddy fields.

4.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody or something hard: to hit somebody or something
with great force • It was like being
slogged by a heavyweight boxer.
noun
(plural slogs)

1.  long
hard walk:
a long difficult trip or walk • It was
quite a slog from the station to the hostel.

2.  hard
work:
a long period of hard work • It was
a hard long slog during law school

3.  hard
hit:
a hard blow or swipe
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of slug 3 .]
—slog·ger, noun[1]



slogan

slogan
slo·gan 
[slṓgən] (plural slo·gans) noun

1.  motto:
a short distinctive phrase used to identify a company or organization or its
goals

2.  advertising
phrase:
a short catchy phrase used in advertising to promote something

3.  Scotland
Scottish
battle cry:
the battle cry of a Highland clan (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
Gaelic sluagh-ghairm, from sluagh “army” + gairm “cry.”
Originally “a battle cry.”][1]



sloganeer

sloganeer
slo·gan·eer 
[slgə nr] noun (plural slo·gan·eers)

maker
of slogans:
somebody who creates or frequently uses slogans • the
kind of politician who is little more than a clever sloganeer
intransitive
verb
(past slo·gan·eered, past participle slo·gan·eered,
present participle slo·gan·eer·ing, 3rd person present
singular slo·gan·eers)

make up slogans:
to create or use slogans[1]



sloganize

sloganize
slo·gan·ize 
[slṓgə nz] (past slo·gan·ized,
past participle slo·gan·ized, present participle slo·gan·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular slo·gan·iz·es) transitive verb

make
something into slogan: to express something in a
slogan or make a slogan of something • the
sloganizing of political ideals
—slo·gan·iz·er, noun[1]



sloop

sloop
sloop 
[sloop] (plural sloops) noun

sailing
boat:
a single-masted sailing boat, rigged fore-and-aft, with one headsail extending
from the foremast to the bowsprit
[Early 17th century. Via
Dutch sloep from French chaloupe, from Old French chalupe
“sloop-rigged boat” (source of English shallop
).][1]



sloopof war

sloopof war
sloop
of war
(plural sloops of war) noun

warship:
a small armed sailing ship that is larger than a gunboat and carries guns on
only one deck[1]



slop

slop2
slop2 [slop]
noun (plural slops)

smock:
a loose smock or overalls (archaic)
plural
noun
slops

items
sold to sailors: clothes and personal articles that are
sold from the ship’s store to sailors on a merchant ship (archaic)
[14th century. Origin uncertain:
probably from Middle Dutch .][1]



slop

slop1
slop1 [slop]
noun

1.  something
spilled:
a liquid that has spilled or overflowed • Look
at all the slop on the floor!

2.  mud
or slush:
soft mud or slushy snow • How
far do we have to wade through this slop?

3.  unappealing
food:
poor-quality unappetizing or watery food (often used in the plural)

4.  BEVERAGES mash:
what remains of the mash after an alcoholic beverage has been distilled (often
used in the plural)

5.  human
waste:
human waste such as urine

6.  overly
sentimental writing or speech: overly emotional or
sentimental speech or writing without any literary value (informal) • He
has gotten rich by writing pure slop and is proud of it.
plural
noun
slops

hog feed:
leftover food, especially kitchen waste, that is fed to hogs
verb
(past slopped, past participle slopped, present
participle slop·ping, 3rd person present singular slops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spill
liquid:
to spill a liquid, or be spilled on or over somebody or something

2.  intransitive
verb
walk
through mud or water: to trudge or splash through
water, mud, or slush

3.  intransitive
verb
write
gushily:
to write or speak about something in an overly emotional or sentimental way (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
serve
food messily: to serve food in a careless and
unappetizing way

5.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE feed
animals slops: to feed kitchen waste to hogs and other
livestock
[14th century. From Old
English sloppe “dung,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English slip “clay and
water.”][1]



slopbasin

slopbasin
slop
ba·sin
(plural slop ba·sins) noun

U.K.
See slop bowl[1]



slopbowl

slopbowl
slop
bowl
noun

bowl for tea dregs:
a bowl or other container into which tea or coffee dregs are emptied at the
table.
U.K. term
slop basin[1]



slope

slope
slope 
[slōp] noun (plural slopes)

1.  slanted
ground:
ground that inclines slightly

2.  side
of a hill or mountain: the part of a hill or
mountain that is at an angle • Let’s
hit the slopes and do some skiing!

3.  slant:
a slant upward or downward, or the degree of such a slant

4.  something
slanted:
a line, surface, direction, or plane that is inclined

5.  MATHEMATICS tangent:
the tangent of the angle between a straight line and the x-axis

6.  MATHEMATICS first
derivative of curve: the first derivative of a
curve at a point

7.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term that deliberately insults somebody of Asian,
particularly Vietnamese, descent (offensive)
verb
(past sloped, past participle sloped, present
participle slop·ing, 3rd person present singular slopes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go up
or down:
to ascend or descend, or make something ascend or descend • From
here, the road slopes gently down to the valley.

2.  transitive
verb
take
something up or down: to make something rise or
descend gradually • We had a landscaper
slope the path through our garden.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
at a slant:
to be at or have an angle that deviates from horizontal • Does
the floor in this room slope?
[Late
16th century. From assumed Old English aslopen, past participle of aslupan
“to slip away,” from slupan “to slip.”]
—slop·er,
noun

—slop·ing, adjective[1]



slo-pitch

slo-pitch
slo-pitch 
noun

See
slow-pitch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sloppy

sloppy
slop·py 
[slóppee] (comparative slop·pi·er,
superlative slop·pi·est) adjective

1.  messy:
lacking order or tidiness

2.  wet:
slushy, muddy, or very wet

3.  not
done well:
carelessly or badly done (informal)

4.  gushy:
overly sentimental or emotional (informal)

5.  COOKING watery:
cooked or prepared in a way that results in excessive wateriness

6.  CLOTHES baggy:
loose-fitting so as to be casual and comfortable • a
big sloppy sweater

7.  dirty:
splashed or covered with liquid

[1]



sloppyjoe

sloppyjoe
slop·py
joe
(plural slop·py joes) noun

ground
beef with sauce: ground beef cooked in a spicy tomato
sauce and served on a bun
[Origin uncertain: joe
probably from the name Joe][1]



slopwork

slopwork
slop·work 
[slóp wùrk] noun

1.  cheap
clothes or their manufacture: clothing or the manufacture
of clothing that is cheap and of inferior quality (dated)

2.  quick
low-quality work: any kind of work that has been done
quickly and carelessly
—slop·work·er, noun[1]



slosh

slosh

slosh 
[slosh] verb (past sloshed,
past participle sloshed, present participle slosh·ing,
3rd person present singular slosh·es)

1.  transitive
verb
spill
liquid clumsily: to spill or splash a liquid on or over
something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stir
something in liquid: to move or splash something,
or move or splash in a liquid (informal) • Slosh
the shirt in some warm water before the stain sets.

3.  intransitive
verb
wade
in liquid:
to wade or splash around in water, mud, or slush (informal)
noun (plural
slosh·es)

1.  slush:
wet snow or mud

2.  liquid
splashing:
liquid splashing, or its sound • We
could hear the slosh of water against the docks all night because of the storm.
[Early
19th century. Probably a blend of slop “bog”
and slush .]
—slosh·y, adjective[1]



sloshed

sloshed
sloshed 
[slosht] adjective

drunk:
thoroughly intoxicated (slang)[1]



slot

slot1
slot1 [slot]
noun (plural slots)

1.  opening:
a narrow vertical or horizontal opening into which something can be inserted • Put
the coin in the slot.

2.  AEROSPACE air
passage:
an air passage in an airfoil that directs air from the lower to the upper
surface

3.  scheduled
time:
an assigned place and time in a sequence or schedule • The
station is moving the new comedy to a prime-time slot next month.

4.  BUSINESS job:
a job or a position in a company or other organization

5.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
expansion slot
verb
(past slot·ted, past participle slot·ted, present
participle slot·ting, 3rd person present singular slots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb assign
a place to something: to put something in a
specific place, position, or time • We’ve
slotted your appointment for three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

2.  transitive
verb
make
slot in something: to cut a slot or slots in
something
[14th century. From Old
French esclot “hollow of the breastbone,” of unknown origin.][1]



slot

slot2
slot2 [slot]
(plural slots) noun

animal’s
track:
the track of an animal, especially a deer
[Late 16th century. From Old
French esclot “horse’s hoof-print,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Old Norse slóð “track” (source of English sleuth
).][1]



slotcar

slotcar
slot
car
(plural slot cars) noun

toy car:
an electronic toy racing car that is operated by a rheostat and has a pin
underneath that fits into a groove on a slotted track[1]



sloth

sloth
sloth 
[slawth, slōth,
sloth] (plural sloths) noun

1.  slow-moving
mammal:
a slow-moving mammal found in Central and South America that uses its long
claws to hang upside down from tree branches. Genera: Bradypus Choloepus

2.  laziness:
a dislike of work or any kind of physical exertion
[12th century. Coined from slow + -th .][1]



slothbear

slothbear
sloth
bear
(plural sloth bears) noun

bear with shaggy fur:
a bear, native to India and Sri Lanka, with long shaggy fur and a long snout
that enables it to feed on plants and insects. Latin name: Melursus ursinus[1]



slothful

slothful
sloth·ful 
[slóthf’l] adjective

lazy:
disliking work or any form of physical exertion (formal)
—sloth·ful·ly,
adverb

—sloth·ful·ness, noun[1]



slotin

slotin
slot
in
intransitive and transitive verb

make time for somebody:
to find a suitable time or place for somebody or something in a plan,
organization, or series of events • The
doctor is busy this morning but she could slot you in at 2 o’clock.[1]



slotmachine

slotmachine
slot
ma·chine
(plural slot ma·chines) noun

1.  gambling
machine:
a gambling machine in which a player inserts coins or bills in a slot and pulls
a lever that spins symbols in matching combinations that determine winnings

2.  vending
machine:
a coin-operated vending machine

[1]



slotracing

slotracing
slot
rac·ing
noun

slot-car racing:
the racing of slot cars[1]



slotter

slotter
slot·ter
[slóttər] (plural slot·ters) noun

gambler on slot machine:
somebody who places bets on a slot machine (informal)[1]



slouch

slouch
slouch 
[slowch] verb (past slouched,
past participle slouched, present participle slouch·ing,
3rd person present singular slouch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
or sit in a lazy way: to stand, sit, or walk in a
careless drooping way or make a part of the body droop carelessly • He
slouched his back and shoulders and leaned against the wall.

2.  intransitive
verb
droop:
to hang casually, often at an angle • That
child slouched all over the chair, watching TV all day.
noun
(plural slouch·es)

1.  extremely
casual posture: an extremely relaxed or ungainly way of
sitting, standing, or walking

2.  lazy
or inept person: somebody who is unwilling or unable to
do something well (informal) (usually used in negative statements)
• very
good with children and no slouch around the house, either
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandanavian .]
—slouch·er,
noun

—slouch·i·ly,
adverb

—slouch·i·ness,
noun

—slouch·y, adjective[1]



slouchhat

slouchhat
slouch
hat
(plural slouch hats) noun

soft hat:
a hat made of a soft material, for example, felt, that has a broad drooping
brim[1]



slough

slough1
slough1 [sloo,
slow] (plural sloughs) or
slew [sloo] (plural slews)
noun

1.  deep
muddy hole:
a hole or low area in the ground filled with mud or water

2.  slough
or slew or slue swampy
area:
a stagnant area of water connected to a larger body of water such as a marsh,
inlet, bayou, or backwater

3.  estuary:
a saltwater estuary

4.  hole
filled with water: on the prairies, a low area
filled with water, especially from melting snow

5.  spiritual
low point:
deep despair or disgrace
[Old
English slōh, ultimately of unknown origin]
—slough·y, adjective[1]



slough

slough2
slough2 [sluf]
or sluff [sluf] noun (plural
sloughs) (plural sluffs)

1.  ZOOLOGY dead
outer covering: the dead outer skin shed by a reptile or
an amphibian

2.  MEDICINE dead
tissue layer: a layer of dead skin that separates from
healthy skin after an infection or inflammation

3.  CARD GAMES discarded
card:
in card games, a card that has been discarded

4.  something
cast off:
something discarded or shed
verb
(past sloughed, past participle sloughed, present
participle slough·ing, 3rd person present singular sloughs)
(past sluffed, past participle sluffed, present
participle sluff·ing, 3rd person present singular sluffs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb cast
something off: to shed something, or be shed • Snakes
slough off their dead skins.

2.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE separate
from healed tissue: to separate from surrounding
healthy skin (refers to dead skin)

3.  transitive
verb
discard
something or somebody: to get rid of somebody or
something that is no longer wanted or needed • She
sloughs off friends when she no longer has a use for them.

4.  transitive
verb
ignore
something:
to pay no attention to something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES discard card:
to get rid of an unwanted card

6.  transitive
verb
skip
something unwanted: to skip something unwanted,
especially school (regional)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  To
  slough school is a Nevada usage.

[1]



sloughof despond

sloughof despond
slough
of de·spond
[sloò əv dispónd, slòwəv
di spónd] noun

great
despondency: a state of extreme despair and
depression
[Named for the deep bog in Pilgrim’s
Progress, Part 1 (1678) by John Bunyan ( 1628–1688 ) that Christian has to
cross to reach the Wicket Gate][1]



Slovak

Slovak
Slo·vak 
[slṓ vàk] or Slo·va·ki·an [slō vákee ən] noun (plural Slo·vaks)
(plural Slo·va·ki·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Slovakia: somebody who was born or raised in
Slovakia or who is a citizen of Slovakia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Slovakia: the national language of Slovakia, a
member of the Slavic group of Indo-European languages. Slovak is spoken by over
five million people.
adjective

1.  of
Slovakia:
relating to Slovakia or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Slovak:
relating to the Slovak language

[1]



Slovakia

Slovakia



Slo·vak·i·a 
[slō vkee ə]
republic in eastern central Europe. It
was part of Czechoslovakia until 1993. Language: Slovak. Currency: Slovak
koruna. Capital: Bratislava. Population: 5,343,000 (1996) Area: 49,035 sq
km/18,932 sq mi. Official name Slovak Republic[1]



Slovakia




Back to definition

Slovakia

[1]



Slovakian

Slovakian
Slo·va·ki·an 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Slovak[1]



sloven

sloven
slov·en 
[slúvv’n] (plural slov·ens) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody who is not concerned about
conventional standards of personal hygiene and tidiness (insult)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Flemish sloovin “a scold.”][1]



Slovene

Slovene
Slo·vene 
[slṓ vn] or Slo·ve·ni·an [slō vnee ən] noun (plural Slo·venes)
(plural Slo·ve·ni·ans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Slovenia: somebody who was born, raised in, or is
a citizen of Slovenia

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Slovenia: the national language of Slovenia,
belonging to the Slavic group of Indo-European languages. Slovene is spoken by
about two million people.
adjective

1.  of
Slovenia:
relating to Slovenia or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Slovene:
relating to the Slovene language

[1]



Slovenia

Slovenia



Slo·ve·ni·a 
[slō vnee ə]
republic in eastern Europe, on the Balkan
Peninsula. It was part of Yugoslavia until 1991. Language: Slovene. Currency:
tolar. Capital: Ljubljana. Population: 1,991,000 (1996) Area: 20,254 sq
km/7,820 sq mi. Official name Republic of Slovenia[1]



Slovenia




Back to definition

Slovenia

[1]



Slovenian

Slovenian
Slo·ve·ni·an 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Slovene[1]



slovenly

slovenly
slov·en·ly 
[slúvv’nlee] (comparative slov·en·li·er,
superlative slov·en·li·est) adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody who is not concerned about
conventional standards of personal hygiene and tidiness[1]



slow

slow
slow 
[slō] adjective (comparative slow·er,
superlative slow·est)

1.  not
fast:
not moving quickly or at a fast pace

2.  lengthy:
taking a long time to do or create something • Writing
software is a slow process.

3.  taking
too much time: requiring more time than is usual or
expected

4.  not
keeping accurate time: showing a time that is
earlier than the correct time • I was
late for my appointment because my watch was slow.

5.  hesitant:
doing something hesitantly or unwillingly • Why
were you so slow to answer my question?

6.  sluggish:
lacking the usual volume of sales or customers • Business
is usually slow during the summer months.

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s imagination or
intelligence

8.  dull:
lacking in interest or activity • The
acting was good but the plot was terribly slow.

9.  COOKING warm:
operating at a low temperature that ensures thorough cooking throughout • Turkey
should be cooked in a slow oven.

10. SPORTS reducing
speed of ball or runner: tending to reduce the speed
or ability to travel of a ball, runner, or other competitor • That
horse usually wins on a slow track.
adverb
(comparative slow·er, superlative slow·est)

1.  behind:
behind the correct time or pace • My
watch seems to be running slow.

2.  at
a low speed: at a reduced speed or pace • The
law requires motorists to drive slow through school zones.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past slowed, past
participle slowed, present participle slow·ing, 3rd
person present singular slows)

1.  make
something slow: to make somebody or something slow or
slower, or become slow or slow er • Could
you slow your speed a little on those sharp turns?

2.  delay
or be delayed: to reduce the speed or progress of
something, or become reduced in speed or progress
[Old
English slaw “sluggish”]
—slow·ly,
adverb

—slow·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  slowly
  or slow ?
  The
  normal adverb is slowly : • The
  car moved slowly up the hill. Slow is used as an adverb ( • Don’t
  walk so slow ) in expressions such as go slow,
  and slow-moving.

[1]



slowburn

slowburn
slow
burn
or slow boil noun

increasing anger:
a steadily growing anger (informal) • doing
a slow burn[1]



slowcoach

slowcoach
slow·coach
[slṓ kch] (plural slow·coach·es)
noun

U.K.
(informal) See slowpoke[1]



slowdown

slowdown
slow·down 
[slṓ dòwn] (plural slow·downs)
noun

reduction in work:
an intentional reduction in pace or production by workers in order to win
demands from their employer.
U.K. term
go-slow[1]



slow-footed

slow-footed
slow-foot·ed 
adjective

tedious
or sluggish: happening or proceeding at an extremely
slow pace • Congress
has been slow-footed in passing the bill.
—slow-foot·ed·ness, noun[1]



slowloris

slowloris
slow
lo·ris
noun

small primate:
a small slow-moving primate found in Indonesia that has a rounded, almost
tailless body. Latin name: Nycticebus coucang[1]



slowmatch

slowmatch
slow
match
(plural slow match·es) noun

slow-burning match:
a flameless match or fuse that burns very slowly or at a known rate, used to
set off explosives[1]



slowmotion

slowmotion
slow
mo·tion
noun

filming method that slows
action: a method of filming action
at a rate faster than the normal projection rate, so that it appears on the
screen at a slower-than-normal rate[1]



slow-motion

slow-motion
slow-mo·tion
adjective

1.  slowed-down:
photographed or shown in slow motion

2.  happening
slowly:
taking place at a slower pace than normal • her
slow-motion reaction

[1]



slowneutron

slowneutron
slow
neu·tron
(plural slow neu·trons) noun

slow-moving neutron:
a relatively slow-moving neutron that possesses less than 100 electronvolts of
kinetic energy and is capable of bringing about nuclear fission.
Also called
thermal neutron[1]



slow-pitch

slow-pitch
slow-pitch 
or slo-pitch noun

kind of softball:
a kind of softball in which there are ten players on a team and the pitched
ball must travel in an arc from three to ten feet high[1]



slowpoke

slowpoke
slow·poke 
[slṓw pk] (plural slow·pokes)
noun

somebody
who is slow: somebody who moves, acts, responds, or
works very slowly (informal) • C’mon
you slowpokes! We’ll be late for the movie.
Also
called
poke
U.K.
term
slowcoach
[Mid-19th century. Poke
from poke in the sense “dawdling person.”][1]



slowvirus

slowvirus
slow
vi·rus
(plural slow vi·rus·es) noun

disease-causing virus:
any virus or agent resembling a virus that causes diseases with very long
incubation periods. Technical name lentivirus[1]



slowworm

slowworm
slow·worm 
[slṓ wùrm] (plural slow·worms)
noun

lizard
without legs: a legless lizard with a smooth body
resembling that of a snake. It feeds chiefly on slugs and is found in Europe,
northern Africa, and western Asia. Latin name: Anguis fragilis
Also
called
blindworm
[Old English slāwyrm
(altered by folk etymology), from slā “slowworm” (of unknown origin) + wyrm
“worm”][1]



SLR

SLR
SLR
(plural SLRs)

Abbreviation of
single-lens reflex[1]



slub

slub
slub 
[slub] noun (plural slubs)

1.  knot
in yarn:
a lump in yarn or fabric that is sometimes an imperfection, but is often made
to provide a knobby effect

2.  twisted
thread:
a loosely twisted roll of fiber, for example, of silk or cotton, prepared for
spinning
transitive
verb
(past slubbed, past participle slubbed, present
participle slub·bing, 3rd person present singular slubs)

prepare fiber for spinning:
to draw out and twist a strand of fiber to prepare it for spinning
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



sludge

sludge
sludge 
[sluj] noun

1.  slush:
wet material, especially watery mud or snow

2.  solid
waste:
the solids in sewage that separate out during treatment

3.  sediment:
a solid deposit found at the bottom of a liquid

4.  broken
ice:
a layer of broken or half-formed ice on a body of water, especially the sea

5.  MEDICINE mass
of blood cells: a sticky grouping of blood cells that
form a mass and hinder the circulation of blood
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from obsolete slutch “mud, mire,” or
a variant of slush .]
—sludg·y, adjective[1]



slue

slue3
slue3 noun

See
slew 2[1]



slue

slue2
slue2 noun

See
slough 1 noun
2[1]



slue

slue1
slue1 [sloo]
or slew [sloo] intransitive
and transitive verb (past slued, past participle slued,
present participle slu·ing, 3rd person present singular slues)
(past slewed, past participle slewed, present
participle slew·ing, 3rd person present singular slews)

1.  pivot
around an axis: to pivot or turn, or cause something to
pivot or turn, around an axis

2.  veer
or skid:
to swerve or skid sideways, or cause something to swerve or skid sideways off
course.
U.K.
term
slew
noun
(plural slues) (plural slews)

1.  veering
or skidding: an act of swerving or skidding sideways.

U.K.
term
slew

2.  position
after something slues: a position in which
something stops after it slues
[Variant of slew “alternative for slough” and slew “to turn”][1]



sluff

sluff
sluff
noun intransitive and transitive verb

See
slough 2[1]



slug

slug1
slug1 [slug]
noun (plural slugs)

1.  ARMS bullet:
a metal projectile that is fired from a gun or rifle

2.  BEVERAGES drink
of something: a single shot of a strong alcoholic
drink (informal)

3.  disk
used as illegal coin: a small metal disk, made in
the shape and size of a coin, used to purchase something illegally, especially
from a vending machine

4.  PRINTING type
metal:
a strip of type metal, less than type-high, used for spacing in traditional
hot-metal printing

5.  PRINTING line
of type:
a strip of cast type in a single strip of metal in traditional hot-metal
printing

6.  PRINTING temporary
type line:
a temporary type line inserted in copy that carries identifying marks or a
compositor’s instructions

7.  MANUFACTURING metal
or glass blank for processing: a metal or glass blank
that will receive further processing

8.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of mass:
a foot-pound-second unit of mass equal to 32.17 pounds that will acquire an
acceleration of one foot per second per second when acted on by a 1 pound force
transitive
verb

1.  drink
something quickly: to gulp down a drink (informal)

2.  PRINTING add
slugs:
to add printers’ slugs to copy in traditional hot-metal printing
[Early 17th century.
Originally “bullet,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from slug 2, from the
similarity in shape. “Drink” may have come from Gaelic slog “swallow.”][1]



slug

slug2
slug2 [slug]
(plural slugs) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY mollusk
without a shell: a small slow-moving terrestrial mollusk
that resembles a snail but has no shell, or only a rudimentary one. Order:
Stylommatophora

2.  INSECTS larva:
a soft smooth larva of some insects, for example, that of the sawfly

3.  CELL BIOLOGY cells
that develop into spore-bearing structure: a
sticky mass of cells from which the sporophore of a slime mold develops

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s level of energy or
activity (insult)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Scandinavian, and related to Norwegian dialect slugg
“large heavy body.”][1]



slug

slug4
slug4  [slug]
noun

lone
commuter without car pool: a commuter who is not a
member of an organized car pool and who hitches rides at established pickup
points, hoping for an empty seat (slang)
[Origin unknown][1]



slug

slug3
slug3 [slug]
transitive verb (past slugged, past participle slugged,
present participle slug·ging, 3rd person present singular slugs)

hit
somebody or something hard: to strike somebody or
something very hard with the fist or a bat
noun
(plural slugs)

hard
hit:
a hard strike or blow
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “to hit,” which is also the ancestor of English slog and slay
.]
slug
it out

to fight to a conclusion (informal)[1]



slugabed

slugabed
slug·a·bed 
[slúggə bèd] (plural slug·a·beds)
noun

lazy
person:
somebody who likes to stay in bed later than other people (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From slug 2 + abed .][1]



slugfest

slugfest
slug·fest 
[slúg fèst] (plural slug·fests)
noun

1.  brawl:
a long fight in which many heavy blows are exchanged (slang)

2.  BASEBALL baseball
game with many hits: a baseball game in which
both teams make many hits and score many runs

3.  heated
argument:
an intense debate or dispute

[1]



sluggard

sluggard
slug·gard 
[slúggərd] noun (plural slug·gards)

lazy
person:
somebody who avoids work or physical exertion (archaic)
adjective

lazy:
sluggishly lazy
[14th
century. Formed from slug 2 .]
—slug·gard·li·ness,
noun

—slug·gard·ly,
adjective

—slug·gard·ness, noun[1]



slugger

slugger
slug·ger 
[slúggər] (plural slug·gers) noun

1.  fighter:
somebody who delivers very hard blows during a fight

2.  BASEBALL good
hitter:
a baseball player who hits many extra-base hits
[Formed from slug 3][1]



sluggingaverage

sluggingaverage
slug·ging
av·er·age 
or slug·ging per·cent·age noun

measure of batting power:
the total number of bases reached on hits by a baseball player divided by the
number of official times at bat, expressed as a three-digit decimal[1]



sluggish

sluggish
slug·gish 
[slúggish] adjective

1.  not
moving much: inactive and moving slowly or very
little

2.  not
very responsive: slow to react or to respond to
stimulation

3.  lacking
alertness and energy: not alert and showing little
energy or vitality
—slug·gish·ly,
adverb

—slug·gish·ness, noun[1]



sluice

sluice
sluice 
[slooss] noun (plural sluic·es)

1.  water
channel:
an artificial channel for a flow of water that is controlled by a valve or gate

2.  floodgate:
a valve or floodgate that controls the water in a sluice.
Also
called
sluicegate

3.  water
behind floodgate: a body of water contained by a floodgate

4.  drainage
channel:
a channel for carrying away excess water

5.  trough:
a long inclined trough used to separate gold ore from sand or gravel

6.  channel
to move logs: an artificial stream or channel for
floating logs
verb
(past sluiced, past participle sluiced, present
participle sluic·ing, 3rd person present singular sluic·es)

1.  transitive
verb
flush
something with water: to flood or clean something
with a sudden heavy flow of water

2.  transitive
verb
wash
gold:
to wash gold or other minerals in water flowing in a sluice

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb release
something from a sluice: to flow from or let
something out of a sluice

4.  transitive
verb
move
something in sluice: to float something,
especially logs, down a sluice
[14th century. Via Old French
escluse from Latin exclus-, past participle stem of excludere
“to shut out” (see exclude ). Altered by
folk etymology by association with juice .][1]



sluicegate

sluicegate
sluice·gate 
[slss gàyt] (plural sluice·gates)
noun

See
sluice  noun 2[1]



sluiceway

sluiceway
sluice·way 
[slss wày] (plural sluice·ways)
noun

channel for sluice water:
an artificial channel into which water flows from a sluice[1]



slum

slum
slum 
[slum] noun (plural slums)

poor area: an
overcrowded area of a city in which the housing is typically in very bad
condition (often used in the plural)
verb
(past slummed, past participle slummed, present
participle slum·ming, 3rd person present singular slums)

1.  accept
lower standards than usual: to stay in or go to a place
that you would usually consider unacceptable (often used humorously) • We’ll
have to slum it and stay here until we can find a better place.

2.  intransitive
verb
visit
slums:
to go into a slum out of curiosity
[Mid-19th
century. From the earlier expression back slum “street housing poor
people” in which slum meant “room” (of unknown origin).]
—slum·mer, noun[1]



slumber

slumber
slum·ber 
[slúmbər] intransitive verb (past
slum·bered, past participle slum·bered, present
participle slum·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular slum·bers)

1.  sleep:
to be asleep

2.  be
in quiet state: to be in a state of inactivity or rest
noun
(plural slum·bers)

1.  sleeping:
the state of being asleep, or a period of sleep • A
loud noise disturbed my slumber.

2.  inactivity:
a state of being dormant or quiet
[14th
century. Alteration of obsolete sloom, from Old English slūma
“light sleep,” from prehistoric Germanic.]
—slum·ber·less, adjective[1]



slumberous

slumberous
slum·ber·ous 
[slúmbərəss] adjective

1.  drowsy:
feeling sleepy

2.  inactive:
characterized by inactivity or sluggishness • A
slumberous atmosphere seemed to stifle sound and motion in the town.

3.  causing
sleep:
inducing lethargy or sleep • She
dozed in the slumberous heat of the afternoon.
—slum·ber·ous·ly,
adverb

—slum·ber·ous·ness, noun[1]



slumberparty

slumberparty
slum·ber
par·ty
noun

sleep-over:
a party at which a group of teenage girls, wearing nightgowns or pajamas, talk,
eat, and stay overnight at one of the girls’ homes[1]



slumgullion

slumgullion
slum·gul·lion 
[slum gúllyən, slúm
gùllyən] noun

unappetizing
stew:
a watery meat stew (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from slum “sludge” (from German Schlamm ) +
obsolete gullion “mud, cesspool,” from Irish Gaelic goilin
“pit.”][1]



slumlord

slumlord
slum·lord 
[slúm làwrd] (plural slum·lords)
noun

owner
of slum housing: somebody who owns housing in slum areas,
especially somebody who overcharges for rent and does not maintain or repair
the buildings
[Mid-20th century. Blend of slum and landlord
.][1]



slump

slump
slump 
[slump] intransitive verb (past
slumped, past participle slumped, present participle
slump·ing, 3rd person present singular slumps)

1.  collapse:
to sink or fall suddenly and heavily

2.  slouch:
to have a hunched drooping posture • She
was slumped over her desk.

3.  decrease:
to decline suddenly and sharply in value • stock
prices slumped
noun
(plural slumps)

1.  slouched
posture:
a drooping or hunched posture

2.  economic
recession:
a sudden decline in business, stock prices, or productivity • an
economy fluctuating between boom and slump

3.  period
of poor performance: a relatively long period of
time during which somebody or something, for example, an employee, athlete, or
team fails to perform well • If he
doesn’t pull out of his slump, his job may be in jeopardy.
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



slumpflation

slumpflation
slump·fla·tion
[slùmp fláysh’n] noun

bad
financial period: an economic situation in which an
economic depression is accompanied by increasing inflation
[Late 20th century. Blend of slump and inflation
.][1]



slung

slung
slung


Past tense of
sling Past participle of sling[1]



slungshot

slungshot
slung·shot
[slúng shòt] (plural slung·shots)
noun

weapon:
a weight or weights attached to the end of a cord and used as a weapon[1]



slunk

slunk
slunk


Past tense of
slink Past participle of slink[1]



slur

slur
slur 
[slur] verb (past slurred,
past participle slurred, present participle slur·ring,
3rd person present singular slurs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
indistinctly: to pronounce sounds or words so that
they cannot be distinguished

2.  transitive
verb
demean
somebody:
to speak of somebody in an insulting or demeaning way

3.  transitive
verb
gloss
over something: to ignore something or treat it
superficially • The committee slurred
over my protests.

4.  transitive
verb
MUSIC perform
music smoothly: to play musical notes in a smooth,
uninterrupted way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb smear
or be smeared: to blur or smear wet ink on a page, or
be blurred or smeared
noun
(plural slurs)

1.  insult:
an insulting or demeaning statement about somebody

2.  slurred
pronunciation: an indistinct pronunciation or sound

3.  MUSIC music
symbol:
a curved line that connects two or more notes on a score, indicating that they
are to be performed smoothly

4.  blurred
image:
an image that has been smeared or blurred
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



slurb

slurb
slurb 
[slurb] (plural slurbs) noun

suburban
area with poor housing: an ugly suburban area in
which the housing is crowded or badly built (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Blend of slum and suburb
.][1]



slurp

slurp

slurp 
[slurp] intransitive and transitive verb
(past slurped, past participle slurped, present
participle slurp·ing, 3rd person present singular slurps)

drink something noisily:
to make a loud sucking sound while drinking or eating something • Would
you stop slurping your milkshake?
noun (plural
slurps)

1.  sucking
sound:
a loud sucking sound made while drinking or eating

2.  liquid
mouthful:
a mouthful of a liquid (informal) • Can
I have a slurp of your soda?
[Mid-17th
century. From Dutch slurpen, of uncertain origin: perhaps an imitation
of the sound.]
—slurp·ing·ly, adverb[1]



slurry

slurry
slur·ry 
[slúr ree] (plural slur·ries) noun

watery
mixture:
a liquid mixture of water and an insoluble solid material, for example, cement
or clay
[15th century. Formed from slur .][1]



slush

slush
slush 
[slush] noun (plural slush·es)

1.  melting
snow or ice: snow or ice that has begun to melt

2.  semiliquid
substance:
a solid substance such as mud that has become wet and sloppy

3.  NAUTICAL grease
from ship’s galley: the waste grease or fat
produced by a ship’s galley

4.  grease:
a greasy substance used to lubricate machine parts

5.  overly
sentimental expression: extremely sentimental speech
or writing

6.  BEVERAGES ice
drink:
a drink made of finely crushed ice with a flavored syrup poured over it
verb
(past slushed, past participle slushed, present
participle slush·ing, 3rd person present singular slush·es)

1.  transitive
verb
ENGINEERING grease
machinery:
to lubricate the parts of a machine

2.  transitive
verb
BUILDING put
mortar in joints: to fill masonry joints with mortar, or
cover a surface with cement

3.  transitive
verb
soak
something with slush: to splash or cover something
with mud or slush

4.  intransitive
verb
walk
through slush: to walk through wet snow or mud • It
had been raining so hard we had to slush through mud to get there.

5.  intransitive
verb
make
a splashing sound: to make a splashing or
squelching sound
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound of splashing, or from Scandinavian
.][1]



slushfund

slushfund
slush
fund
(plural slush funds) noun

1.  CRIMINOLOGY money
for illegal activities: money set aside by a
business or other organization for corrupt activities such as the bribery of
public officials

2.  FINANCE money
for entertainment: money set aside to use for
fun or entertainment expenses

3.  NAUTICAL luxury
fund for ship’s crew: money raised by selling
refuse and garbage from a ship to pay for small luxuries for the crew
[From the money gained from
selling a ship’s slush, the grease collected in a ship’s galley. “Money used
for bribes” comes from “greasing” somebody’s palm with money.][1]



slushpile

slushpile
slush
pile
(plural slush piles) noun

unsolicited manuscripts:
a pile of unsolicited manuscripts accumulated in a publisher’s office (informal)[1]



slushy

slushy
slush·y 
[slúshee] (comparative slush·i·er,
superlative slush·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of slush:
covered with or full of melting snow and ice

2.  resembling
slush:
with the consistency of slush

3.  overly
sentimental: filled with or expressing excessive
sentiment • a
slushy love story
—slush·i·ness, noun[1]



slut

slut
slut 
[slut] (plural sluts) noun

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a woman thought by others to be sexually
promiscuous (insult)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman who charges for engaging in sexual activities (insult)

3.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a woman who is not concerned about conventional
standards of domestic cleanliness (insult dated)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—slut·tish,
adjective

—slut·tish·ly,
adverb

—slut·tish·ness,
noun

—slut·ty, adjective[1]



SLV

SLV
SLV

Abbreviation of
standard launch vehicle Abbreviation of space launch vehicle[1]



sly

sly
sly 
[slī] (comparative sli·er, superlative
sli·est) adjective

1.  crafty:
cleverly skillful and cunning

2.  evasive:
lacking honesty or straightforwardness

3.  mischievous:
full of playful mischief
[13th
century. From Old Norse slœgr “clever, crafty,” literally “able to
strike” (source of English sleight
).]
—sly·ly,
adverb

—sly·ness,
noun
on
the sly

without the knowledge or
permission of others[1]



slyboots

slyboots
sly·boots 
[sl bts] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody considered to be cunning or devious (informal
insult) (takes a singular verb)[1]



slype

slype
slype 
[slīp] (plural slypes) noun

passageway:
a covered passage in a cathedral or church that joins the transept to a chapter
house
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of obsolete slipe, from slip ; or from Dutch dialect or West Flemish slijpe
“secret path.”][1]



S/M

S/M
S/M
or S-M

Abbreviation of
sadomasochism[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SM

SM1
SM1

1.  Abbreviation
of
station master

2.  Abbreviation
of
stage manager

3.  Abbreviation
of
service mark

[1]



Sm

Sm
Sm

Symbol for
samarium[1]



sm.

sm.
sm.

Abbreviation of
small[1]



SM

SM2
SM2 or S.M.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sergeant major

2.  Abbreviation
of
Soldier’s Medal

3.  Abbreviation
of
Master of Science

[1]



SMA

SMA
SMA

Abbreviation of
sergeant major of the army[1]



smack

smack3
smack3 [smak]
(plural smacks) noun

fishing
vessel:
a sailing vessel used for fishing, usually for carrying the catch to market
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch smak, of unknown origin.][1]



smack

smack4
smack4 [smak]
noun

heroin:
heroin (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of schmeck “drug,” from Yiddish,
“sniff,” ultimately from Middle High German smecken “to smell.”][1]



smack

smack2
smack2 [smak]
noun

1.  distinctive
taste:
a unique flavor or taste of something

2.  hint:
a small amount or trace
intransitive
verb
(past smacked, past participle smacked, present
participle smack·ing, 3rd person present singular smacks)

1.  be
distinctively flavored: to have a unique flavor or
taste

2.  express
something indirectly: to suggest or hint at
something • an
editorial that smacked of snobbery
[Old English smæc
“taste,” from prehistoric Germanic][1]



smack

smack1
smack1 [smak]
verb (past smacked, past participle smacked,
present participle smack·ing, 3rd person present singular smacks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb slap
somebody:
to hit somebody with a quick stinging and usually noisy blow with the palm of
the hand

2.  intransitive
verb
hit
against something noisily: to strike against, collide
with, or land in something with a sharp loud noise

3.  transitive
verb
press
lips together: to press together and then open the lips
with a short loud noise
noun
(plural smacks)

1.  slap:
a sharp quick blow with the palm of the hand

2.  noisy
sound:
a sharp loud noise made when one thing strikes another

3.  loud
kiss:
a brief noisy kiss
adverb

1.  with
a loud noise: with a sharp loud noise or collision

2.  directly:
directly or precisely • I was
smack in the middle of getting ready to leave when you called.
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Low German smacken “to open the lips noisily,” an imitation of
the sound.][1]



smack-dab

smack-dab
smack-dab 
adjective

squarely:
straight or directly (informal) • I
landed smack-dab in a huge mud puddle.

U.K. term
slap-bang[1]



smacker

smacker
smack·er 
[smákər] (plural smack·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  loud
kiss:
a noisy smacking kiss

2.  dollar:
a dollar

[1]



smacking

smacking
smack·ing 
[smáking] adjective

strong:
very brisk or lively • a
smacking breeze[1]



small

small
small 
[smawl] adjective (comparative
small·er, superlative small·est)

1.  little:
of a relatively little size • a
small animal

2.  not
much:
little in quantity or value • a
small sum of money

3.  insignificant:
unimportant or trivial • a
small matter

4.  limited:
operating on a limited scale • small
businesses

5.  minor:
lacking in power, influence, or status

6.  not
yet mature:
young or not fully grown • small
children

7.  ordinary:
humble or modest • He came from small
beginnings.

8.  mean:
petty and mean-spirited

9.  lower-case:
in lower case rather than capitals • small
letters

10. without
self-respect: humiliated or feeling little self-worth
• Her
criticisms and ridicule made me feel very small.

11. not
strong:
lacking in strength (archaic) • a
small sound
adverb

1.  in
small pieces: in or into little pieces • Cut
it up small.

2.  in
a small way: in a moderate or limited way • start
out small

3.  quietly:
quietly or softly (archaic)
noun
(plural smalls)

1.  narrow
part:
a part of something that is narrower or smaller than the rest of it • the
small of the back

2.  CLOTHES size
for somebody small: a size or a garment in a
size that fits somebody who is of less than average proportions
plural
noun
smalls

1.  little
things:
small things or products (informal)

2.  U.K.
undergarments:
items of underwear (informal or humorous)
[Old
English smæl “slender, small,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“small animal”]
—small·ish,
adjective

—small·ness, noun[1]



smallarms

smallarms
small
arms
noun

hand-held guns:
firearms such as pistols and rifles that can be held in one or both hands while
firing[1]



smallbeer

smallbeer
small
beer
noun

1.  trivia:
something of little or no importance (informal) • A
thousand dollars is small beer to folks like him.

2.  weak
beer:
weak or inferior beer (dated)

[1]



small-bore

small-bore
small-bore 
adjective

using small caliber:
used to describe .22-caliber firearms or ammunition.[1]



smallcalorie

smallcalorie
small
cal·o·rie
(plural small cal·o·ries) noun

See
calorie  noun 1[1]



smallcapital

smallcapital
small
cap·i·tal
(plural small cap·i·tals) noun

small capital letter:
a capital letter that is the same height as a lower-case letter[1]



smallchange

smallchange
small
change
noun

1.  coins
of low value: coins that have a low denomination

2.  something
trivial:
something that is considered to be insignificant, especially when compared with
something else

[1]



small-claimscourt

small-claimscourt
small-claims
court 
(plural small-claims courts) noun

court for civil actions:
a local court that has jurisdiction to try civil actions involving claims worth
only a small sum of money[1]



smallclothes

smallclothes
small·clothes 
[smáwl klz] plural noun

men’s breeches:
close-fitting knee breeches worn by men in the 18th century (archaic)[1]



Smalley,Richard E.

Smalley,Richard E.
Smal·ley
[smáwlee], Richard E. (1943– )

U.S. chemical physicist. He
discovered the molecular family of carbon called fullerenes, and shared a Nobel
Prize in chemistry (1996).[1]



smallfry

smallfry
small
fry
plural noun

1.  children:
young children (informal)

2.  young
fish:
young, immature, or small fish

3.  trivial
things:
people, events, or issues that are thought to be of little importance

[1]



smallgame

smallgame
small
game
noun

small animals and birds:
small animals and birds that are hunted for sport[1]



smallhours

smallhours
small
hours
noun

early morning:
the early morning hours after midnight[1]



smallintestine

smallintestine

small in·tes·tine
(plural small in·tes·tines) noun
part of digestive tract:
the part of the intestine between the stomach and large intestine, consisting
of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, where digestion of food and most
absorption of nutrients takes place[1]



small-minded

small-minded
small-mind·ed 
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is considered to be petty and intolerant of
the ideas and beliefs of others
—small-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—small-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



smallmouthbass

smallmouthbass
small·mouth
bass 
[smáwl mowth bàss] noun

freshwater bass:
a greenish-brown freshwater bass of North America that is found in clear
streams and lakes and is a popular game fish. Latin name: Micropterus
dolomieu[1]



smallpotatoes

smallpotatoes
small
po·ta·toes
plural noun

somebody
or something insignificant: somebody or something
considered to be unimportant or trivial (informal) • A
thousand dollars is small potatoes to him.
[Refers to potatoes too small
to be worth cleaning or peeling][1]



smallpox

smallpox
small·pox 
[smáwl pòks] noun

acute viral disease:
a highly contagious disease caused by a poxvirus and marked by high fever and
the formation of scar-producing pustules. A worldwide inoculation program has
virtually eradicated the smallpox virus from the human population. Technical
name variola[1]



smallprint

smallprint
small
print
noun

See
fine print[1]



small-scale

small-scale
small-scale 
adjective

1.  limited:
limited in scope or size

2.  small
in size:
made or constructed on a small scale • She
built a small-scale replica of the ship.

[1]



smallscreen

smallscreen
small
screen
(plural small screens) noun

television:
the medium of television, especially as distinct from the movies (informal)[1]



smallslam

smallslam
small
slam
(plural small slams) noun

See
little slam[1]



smallstores

smallstores
small
stores
plural noun

items sold on a ship:
small items such as clothing sold on a ship or at a naval base[1]



smallsword

smallsword
small·sword
[smáwl sàwrd] (plural small·swords)
noun

lightweight sword:
a light sword used in the 17th and 18th centuries for dueling and fencing (archaic)[1]



smalltalk

smalltalk
small
talk
noun

light conversation:
polite conversation about matters of little importance, especially between
people who do not know each other well[1]



small-time

small-time
small-time
adjective

unimportant:
of minor importance or influence (informal) • He’s
just a small-time crook.[1]



smalt

smalt
smalt 
[smawlt] noun

1.  blue
glass:
a kind of silica glass that has been colored a deep blue by cobalt oxide

2.  pigment:
a deep blue pigment made by crushing smalt
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Italian smalto smalto .][1]



smaltite

smaltite
smalt·ite 
[smáwl tt] noun

mineral containing cobalt:
a naturally occurring blue-gray arsenide of cobalt and nickel that is an
important ore of cobalt[1]



smalto

smalto
smal·to 
[smáwltō] noun

mosaic
tiles:
small bits of pottery, glass, and tiles used in mosaics
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



smaragd

smaragd
sma·ragd 
[smá ràgd] (plural sma·ragds or
sma·rag·des [smá ràgdəz]) noun

green
gemstone:
any green gemstone, for example, an emerald (archaic)
[13th
century. From Latin smaragdus, from Greek smaragdos, ultimately
from Hebrew bāreqe “emerald,” from bāraq “flash, sparkle.”]
—sma·rag·dine [smə rág din], adjective[1]



smaragdite

smaragdite
sma·rag·dite 
[smə rág dt] noun

green mineral:
a fibrous green amphibole mineral[1]



smarm

smarm
smarm
[smaarm] (past smarmed, past
participle smarmed, present participle smarm·ing, 3rd
person present singular smarms) noun (informal)

1.  self-serving
flattery:
ingratiating or servile flattery

2.  insincere
charm:
charm that is distastefully self-conscious or insincere
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



smarmy

smarmy
smarm·y 
[smrmee] (comparative smarm·i·er,
superlative smarm·i·est) adjective

1.  excessively
ingratiating: self-servingly earnest and ingratiating
in manner

2.  insincerely
charming:
charming in a distastefully self-conscious or insincere way (informal)
[Early
20th century. Formed from smarm .]
—smarm·i·ly,
adverb

—smarm·i·ness, noun[1]



smart

smart
smart 
[smaart] adjective (comparative
smart·er, superlative smart·est)

1.  clever:
showing intelligence and mental alertness • smart
students

2.  keen:
shrewd and calculating in business and other dealings • a
smart dealer

3.  witty
and amusing: amusingly clever and possessing a quick
wit

4.  insolent:
disrespectful or impertinent • Whatever
you say to him he has some smart answer.

5.  tidy:
with a neat and well-cared-for appearance

6.  fashionable:
fashionable and stylish • smart
restaurants

7.  lively:
vigorous and brisk • a smart pace

8.  stinging:
causing a sharp stinging sensation • a
smart slap

9.  MILITARY laser-
or radio-guided: used to describe a missile or weapon
that is guided to its target by laser or radio beams

10. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic:
with a built-in microprocessor • smart
traffic signals
intransitive
verb
(past smart·ed, past participle smart·ed, present
participle smart·ing, 3rd person present singular smarts)

1.  cause
or have sharp pain: to feel, cause, or be the
site of a sharp stinging pain • My
hand smarts.

2.  be
embarrassed: to feel acute embarrassment or distress
• She
still smarted when she remembered his criticism.

3.  be
punished:
to be punished severely
adverb

smartly: in a
smart manner
noun
(plural smarts)

1.  pain:
a sharp stinging localized pain

2.  embarrassment
or mental discomfort: a feeling such as
embarrassment, remorse, or shame
plural
noun
smarts

intelligence:
practical intelligence or expertise (informal) • She
has the smarts to succeed.
[Old
English smeortan “to be painful,” ultimately of uncertain origin:
perhaps from an Indo-European word meaning “to harm,” which is also the
ancestor of English nightmare and
perhaps remorse]
—smart·ly,
adverb

—smart·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at intelligent

[1]



smartaleck

smartaleck
smart
al·eck 
[smrt àllik] (plural smart
al·ecks) or smart al·ec [smrt
àllik] (plural smart al·ecs) noun

conceited
person:
somebody who shows off his or her knowledge or always has the right answer in a
way that annoys other people (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for an infamous New York pimp and confidence man of
the 1840s Aleck Hoag.][1]



smart-aleck

smart-aleck
smart-al·eck
[smaárt àllikee] or smart-al·eck·y
[smaárt àllikee] adjective

conceited
and pretentious: pretentiously clever and annoyingly
self-assertive (informal)
—smart-al·eck·y, adjective[1]



smartass

smartass
smart·ass
[smrt àss] (plural smart·ass·es)
or smart-ass [smrt àss] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for somebody who makes an annoying show of knowledge (slang
offensive)[1]



smartbomb

smartbomb
smart
bomb
(plural smart bombs) noun

guided missile:
a missile that is guided to its target by laser or radio beams[1]



smartcard

smartcard
smart
card 
(plural smart cards) noun

electronic card:
a small plastic card containing a microchip that can store personal data and
bank-account details, enabling it to be used for identification and to pay for
purchases[1]



smarten

smarten
smart·en 
[smrt’n] (past smart·ened, past
participle smart·ened, present participle smart·en·ing,
3rd person present singular smart·ens) transitive verb

1.  improve
appearance:
to improve the appearance of somebody or something

2.  speed
something up: to increase the speed of something

[1]



smartenup

smartenup
smarten
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  improve
appearance:
to improve your appearance, or the appearance of somebody or something else

2.  make
or become livelier: to make somebody or
something brighter or livelier, or become brighter or livelier

3.  make
or become wiser: to make somebody wiser or more knowing,
or become wiser or more knowing

[1]



smartgrowth

smartgrowth
smart
growth
noun

sensible growth:
economic growth that consciously seeks to avoid wastefulness and damage to the
environment and communities[1]



smartmoney

smartmoney
smart
mon·ey
noun

1.  wise
investment or bet: money bet on or invested in
something likely to yield a good profit

2.  wise
investors:
those with privileged information to make wise bets or investments

3.  LAW damages
awarded to punish a defendant: damages awarded to a
plaintiff in excess of the normal level of compensation to punish a defendant
in cases of serious negligence or willful misconduct

[1]



smartweed

smartweed
smart·weed 
[smrt wd] (plural smart·weeds)
noun

plant
with acidic juice: any of various plants of the
buckwheat family that grow in marshy temperate regions and have acidic juice
that can irritate the skin. Genus: Polygonum
[From smart “stinging pain,” because of its acidic juice][1]



smartypants

smartypants
smart·y
pants
[smrtee pants] (plural smart·y
pants) or smarty [smrtee pants]
(plural smarties) noun

know-it--all:
somebody who is annoying because he or she is always trying to be clever (informal)
(takes a singular verb)[1]



smash

smash

smash 
[smash] verb (past smashed,
past participle smashed, present participle smash·ing,
3rd person present singular smash·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
into pieces: to break, or break something, into many
small pieces

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
with force:
to break something, or break through something, with great force or violence

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
against something: to hit something, or make
something hit something else, with great force

4.  transitive
verb
defeat
or destroy:
to ruin, defeat, or put an end to somebody or something completely

5.  transitive
verb
RACKET GAMES hit
with overhand stroke: in games such as tennis and
badminton, to hit a ball or shuttlecock with great force, especially with an
overhand stroke
noun (plural
smash·es)

1.  loud
noise:
the loud sound of something hitting or being hit by something else and breaking
into pieces • The
mirror hit the floor with a smash.

2.  BUSINESS THEATER great success:
an unqualified success • The
new show was a smash hit.

3.  blow:
a heavy blow

4.  collision:
a crash or collision • There’s
been a bad smash on the freeway.

5.  RACKET GAMES overhand
stroke:
in games such as tennis and badminton, a strong overhand stroke hit downward
into the opponent’s court

6.  BUSINESS big
failure:
a major failure, especially one involving finances

7.  BEVERAGES cocktail:
a cocktail made with sugar, seltzer, mint leaves, and usually brandy
adverb

with a smash: with
the sound of a smash
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of such words as smack, smite,
and others such as bash, mash .]
—smash·a·ble,
adjective

—smash·er, noun[1]



smashed

smashed
smashed 
[smasht] adjective

intoxicated:
very drunk or under the influence of drugs (informal)[1]



smashing

smashing
smash·ing 
[smáshing] adjective

1.  crushing:
crushing or serving to smash something • a
smashing blow to the jaw

2.  U.K.
very
good:
extremely good or pleasing

[1]



smashup

smashup
smash
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
by collision: to damage something severely, or become
badly damaged, because of a collision with something solid

2.  transitive
verb
damage
by breaking: to damage or destroy something by
breaking

[1]



smashup

smashup
smash·up 
[smásh ùp] (plural smash·ups) noun

1.  wreck:
a collision between vehicles in which all those involved are badly damaged

2.  destruction:
complete ruin, collapse, or destruction

[1]



smatter

smatter
smat·ter 
[smáttər] transitive verb (past
smat·tered, past participle smat·tered, present
participle smat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular smat·ters)

1.  study
lightly:
to study a subject or language in a not very serious way

2.  speak
language poorly: to speak a language badly
noun
(plural smat·ters)

See smattering  noun 1
See smattering  noun 2
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—smat·ter·er, noun[1]



smattering

smattering
smat·ter·ing 
[smáttəring] noun (plural smat·ter·ings)

Also
called
smatter

1.  slight
knowledge:
a slight knowledge of something such as a subject or language

2.  small
amount:
a small amount or number • a
smattering of rain
adjective

superficial:
concerned only with surface issues and not going into depth or substance

[1]



SMATV

SMATV
SMATV

Abbreviation of
satellite master antenna television[1]



smear

smear
smear 
[smeer] verb (past smeared,
past participle smeared, present participle smear·ing,
3rd person present singular smears)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
over:
to spread over, or spread something liquid or greasy over something • This
lipstick is made not to smear.

2.  transitive
verb
spread
damaging rumors: to deliberately spread damaging rumors
about somebody

3.  transitive
verb
defeat:
to severely defeat a competitor or enemy (informal) (usually passive)
• We
got smeared.
noun
(plural smears)

1.  patch
of smeared substance: an act of smearing, or a
smeared patch of something

2.  MEDICINE sample
of cells:
a sample of cells taken from body tissue or a bodily secretion or discharge and
smeared on a microscope slide for examination

3.  harmful
rumor:
a harmful rumor or story about somebody
[The
verb is from Old English smeirwan, the noun from smeoru, both
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English smorgasbord]
—smear·er, noun[1]



smearcampaign

smearcampaign
smear
cam·paign
(plural smear cam·paigns) noun

sustained slander:
a concerted effort to diminish somebody’s reputation by spreading harmful
information about him or her[1]



smearcase

smearcase
smear·case 
[sméer kàyss] (plural smear·cases)
noun

cottage
cheese:
cottage cheese (regional)
[Early
19th century. By folk-etymology from German schmierkäse, from schmieren
“to smear” (because it is easily spread) + käse “cheese.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Concentrated
  in Eastern Pennsylvania, smearcase has
  spread with migrations throughout Appalachia into the Western Carolinas and
  East Tennessee. It is German-American usage, for example, in Cincinnati,
  Chicago, Milwaukee, and East Texas, and the Pennsylvania Dutch form occurs
  across much of the Eastern United States.

[1]



smeary

smeary
smear·y 
[smree] (comparative smear·i·er,
superlative smear·i·est) adjective

1.  smeared
or liable to smear: smeared on, easily smeared,
or likely to smear

2.  covered
with smears: having or covered with smears

[1]



smectic

smectic
smec·tic 
[sméktik] adjective

with
molecules in parallel layers: used to describe materials
whose liquid phase consists of elongated molecules arranged in layers and with
their axes parallel to each other. Liquid crystals are smectic.
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
smecticus, from Greek smēktikos, from smēkhein “to rub,
cleanse.”][1]



smectite

smectite
smec·tite 
[smék tt] noun

clay
mineral:
any of a group of clay minerals that includes montmorillonite and saponite.
These clays swell, or take up liquids between their layers, and are used in ion
exchange processes.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek smēktis “fuller’s earth.”][1]



smegma

smegma
smeg·ma 
[smégmə] noun

secretion:
a cheesy secretion of the sebaceous glands that collects under the foreskin or
around the clitoris
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin from Greek smēgmal “soap,” from smēkhein “to rub,
cleanse.”][1]



smell

smell
smell 
[smel] verb (past smelled
or smelt, past participle smelled or smelt,
present participle smell·ing, 3rd person present singular smells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb detect
by nose:
to detect or recognize something by means of sensitive nerves in the nose

2.  transitive
verb
use
nose:
to use the sensitive nerves in the nose to assess something • Smell
that and see if it’s still good.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
detected when breathed in: to seem to be in a
particular condition, or give a particular impression, when judged by somebody
breathing in through the nose • Something
smells good.

4.  intransitive
verb
give
unpleasant impression: to be considered unpleasant
when breathed in through the nose

5.  intransitive
verb
give
impression:
to give off a suggestion or impression of something • It
smells dangerous.

6.  transitive
verb
feel
or detect:
to detect the presence or existence of something, usually something bad

7.  intransitive
verb
seem
dishonest:
to seem dishonest or illegal • Her
excuse really smells.
noun
(plural smells [smelt])

1.  sense
based on nerves in nose: the sense based on the
sensitive nerves in the nose that distinguish odors

2.  quality
detected by nose: the quality of something that can be
detected by the sensitive nerves in the nose

3.  act
of smelling: an act or instance of breathing
something in through the nose in order to make a judgment about it

4.  suggestion
of something: a suggestion or impression of something
[12th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—smel·ler,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  smell, odor, aroma,
  bouquet, scent, perfume,
  fragrance, stink, stench,
  reek
  CORE
  MEANING: the
  way something smells smell; is a
  general word that describes the way something smells, whether this is
  neutral, pleasant, or unpleasant; odor;
  is a fairly formal word, usually describing either neutral or unpleasant
  smells; aroma; is a distinctive
  pleasant smell, especially one related to cooking or food; bouquet; is a characteristic pleasant smell,
  usually associated with fine wines; scent;
  is the characteristic smell given off by a particular animal. It is also used
  to describe a pleasant, sweet smell, for example, the smell of flowers; perfume; is a sweet, pleasant, and heady
  smell, especially the smell of flowers or plants; fragrance;
  is a sweet pleasant smell, especially a delicate or subtle one; stink; is a strong unpleasant smell; stench; is a strong unpleasant smell,
  especially one associated with burning or decay; reek;
  is a strong unpleasant smell, especially one associated with people’s bodies
  or homes

[1]



smellingsalts

smellingsalts
smell·ing
salts 
plural noun

preparation for reviving
somebody: a mixture of ammonium
carbonate and perfume used, especially in the past, to revive somebody who felt
faint or had become unconscious[1]



smellup

smellup
smell
up
transitive verb

fill something with a smell:
to fill something with an unpleasant smell[1]



smelly

smelly
smell·y 
[sméllee] (comparative smell·i·er,
superlative smell·i·est) adjective

with
a strong smell: giving off a strong or unpleasant smell
—smell·i·ness, noun[1]



smelt

smelt2
smelt2 [smelt]
(plural smelts or smelt) noun

fish
of northern waters: a small silvery marine or
freshwater fish found in northern waters that has oily flesh and is used
extensively for food. Family: Osmeridae
[Old English, of uncertain
origin][1]



smelt

smelt3
smelt3

Past tense of
smell Past participle of smell[1]



smelt

smelt1
smelt1 [smelt]
(past smelt·ed, past participle smelt·ed, present
participle smelt·ing, 3rd person present singular smelts)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
produce
metal:
to melt ore in order to get metal from it, or produce metal in this way. The
separation of the metal usually requires a chemical change.

2.  intransitive
verb
melt:
to undergo fusing or melting in the process of smelting
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Low German smelten .][1]



smelter

smelter
smelt·er 
[sméltər] (plural smelt·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who smelts ore: somebody who smelts ore or who owns a
factory where ore is smelted

2.  smelting
apparatus or factory: a place where smelting is
carried out, or an apparatus used for smelting

[1]



smew

smew
smew 
[smyoo] (plural smews or
smew) noun

diving
duck of Europe and Asia: a European and Asian duck
related to the mergansers that has a hooked serrated bill and, in the male,
predominantly white plumage with black markings. Latin name: Mergus albellus
[Late 17th century; probably
ultimately of prehistoric West Germanic origin][1]



smidgen

smidgen
smid·gen 
[smíjjən] (plural smid·gens) or
smid·gin [smíjjən] (plural smid·gins)
or smid·geon [smíjjən] (plural
smidgeons) or smidge [smij]
(plural smidges) noun

small
amount:
a small amount (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain, perhaps formed from smitch “particle.”][1]



smilax

smilax
smi·lax 
[sm làks] (plural smi·lax·es)
noun

1.  climbing
plant:
a climbing plant of temperate and tropical regions with small white or
yellowish flowers, red or bluish-black berries, and in many cases prickly
stems. Genus: Smilax

2.  florist’s
vine:
a South African vine prized by florists for its glossy bright green leaves.
Latin name: Asparagus asparagoides
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, from Greek, “bindweed.”][1]



smile

smile
smile 
[smīl] verb (past smiled,
past participle smiled, present participle smil·ing,
3rd person present singular smiles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
or make pleasant expression: to have or make an
expression with the corners of the mouth raised, usually expressing amusement,
pleasure, or approval

2.  intransitive
verb
have
pleasant appearance: to appear to be in a state
of happiness or enjoying good fortune or pleasure

3.  intransitive
verb
favor
somebody:
to be favorably disposed to somebody • Fortune
smiled on their trip

4.  transitive
verb
express
something by smiling: to express something by or
while smiling
noun
(plural smiles)

1.  pleasant
expression:
a facial expression in which the corners of the mouth are raised, usually
expressing amusement, pleasure, or approval

2.  pleasant
appearance:
an appearance of pleasure or approval (often used in the plural)

3.  sign
of favor:
an expression or sign of favor
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandinavian, from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English smirk
.]
—smil·er,
noun

—smil·ing·ly, adverb[1]



smiley

smiley
smil·ey
[smlee] adjective (comparative
smil·i·er, superlative smil·i·est)

smiling:
smiling or often smiling
noun
(plural smil·eys)

COMPUTING
computer face symbol:
a symbol emoticon, often in the form :-) keyed by a computer user to
communicate feelings such as pleasure, approval, or humor.
Also called
smiley face[1]



smileyface

smileyface
smil·ey
face
(plural smil·ey fac·es) noun

1.  COMPUTING See smiley

2.  circular
representation of face: a round yellow image
representing a smiling face, generally consisting of two dots and an
upward-curving arc, representing eyes and a mouth

[1]



Smiley,Jane

Smiley,Jane
Smil·ey
[smlee], Jane (1949– )

U.S. writer. Her novels
include A Thousand Acres ( 1991 ) and Moo ( 1995 ).[1]



smilodon

smilodon
smi·lo·don 
[smlə dòn] (plural smi·lo·dons)
noun

saber-toothed
tiger:
a large saber-toothed tiger existing during the Pleistocene epoch, between
about two million and ten thousand years ago. Genus: Smilodon
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “knife-toothed,” from Greek smilē “knife.”][1]



smirch

smirch
smirch 
[smurch] transitive verb (past
smirched, past participle smirched, present participle
smirch·ing, 3rd person present singular smirch·es) (archaic
or literary)

1.  damage
reputation:
to damage somebody’s or something’s reputation or good name

2.  dirty
something:
to make something dirty by smearing or staining it

3.  spoil:
to spoil or harm something
noun
(plural smirch·es) (archaic or literary)

1.  dirty
stain:
a dirty stain or smear

2.  something
damaging:
something that damages a reputation
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French esmorcher “to torture.”][1]



smirk

smirk
smirk 
[smurk] noun (plural smirks)

insolent smile:
an insolent smile expressing feelings such as superiority, self-satisfaction,
or conceit
verb
(past smirked, past participle smirked, present
participle smirk·ing, 3rd person present singular smirks)

1.  intransitive
verb
smile
insolently:
to smile in an insolent, smug, or contemptuous way

2.  transitive
verb
express
with smirk:
to express something with a smirk
[Old English smearcian
“to smile,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English smile][1]



smite

smite
smite 
[smīt] (past smote [smōt], past participle smit·ten [smítt’n] or smote [smōt], present participle smit·ing, 3rd
person present singular smites) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
hard:
to hit somebody or something hard (archaic or literary) (regional)

2.  transitive
verb
affect
or afflict:
to affect somebody strongly or disastrously, or afflict somebody with something
(archaic or literary) (often passive)

3.  transitive
verb
fill
somebody with love: to fill somebody with love
or longing (humorous or archaic or literary) (usually passive)
[Old
English smītan “to smear, pollute,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—smit·er, noun[1]



smith

smith
smith 
[smith] (plural smiths) noun

1.  metal
worker:
somebody who repairs and fashions metal objects

2.  See
blacksmith
[Old English smiþ,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “coppersmith”][1]



Smith,Adam

Smith,Adam

Smith 
[smith], Adam (1723–1790)
British philosopher and economist. He
articulated his theory of free trade in The Wealth of Nations (1776).[1]



Smith,Bessie

Smith,Bessie


Smith 
[smith], Bessie (1894–1937)
U.S.
singer. The leading blues singer of her day, she recorded widely with major
jazz bands.
Known as
Empress of the Blues[1]



Smith,Dame Maggie

Smith,Dame Maggie
Smith 
[smith], Dame Maggie (1934– )

British
actor. Her work in classical theater was complemented by her comedy
performances and extensive movie appearances.
Real name
Smith, Dame Margaret Nathalie[1]



Smith,David

Smith,David
Smith 
[smith], David (1906–1965)

U.S.
sculptor. Originally inspired by Picasso, his abstract sculptures of the 1930s,
made of iron and steel, greatly influenced later 20th-century sculptors.
Full name
Smith, David Roland[1]



Smith,Donald Alexander

Smith,Donald Alexander
Smith 
[smith], Donald Alexander, 1st Baron
Strathcona and Mount Royal (1820–1914)

Scottish-born Canadian
business executive and diplomat who was a financial backer of the Canadian
Pacific Railway (1885), governor of Hudson’s Bay Company (1889), and Canadian
high commissioner in Britain (1896).[1]



smithereens

smithereens
smith·er·eens 
[smìə rnz] plural noun

small
pieces:
very small broken pieces (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from Irish smidirín, literally “small
fragment,” from smiodar “fragment.”][1]



smithery

smithery
smith·er·y 
[smíthəree] (plural smith·er·ies)
noun

1.  smith’s
work:
the work or craft of a smith

2.  See
smithy  noun 1

[1]



Smith,Jedediah Strong

Smith,Jedediah Strong
Smith 
[smith], Jedediah Strong (1799–1831)

U.S. explorer and fur trader.
He was an early explorer of the Far West, including California and Oregon
(1826–1830).[1]



Smith,John

Smith,John
Smith 
[smith], John (1580–1631)

English-born North American
colonist. He was president of the Virginia colony at Jamestown (1608–1609). The
tale of his rescue from Native North Americans by Pocahontas is his own. His
explorations and accounts influenced many English people to settle in North
America.[1]



Smith,Joseph

Smith,Joseph

Smith 
[smith], Joseph (1805–1844)
U.S. religious leader. He was the
visionary founder of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (1830). Amid local
controversy, he established communities in Missouri and Illinois. He was killed
by a mob opposed to his philosophy.[1]



SmithsonianInstitution

SmithsonianInstitution
Smith·so·ni·an
In·sti·tu·tion [smith snee
ən instə tsh’n] or Smith·so·ni·an [smith snee ən instə tsh’n] noun

U.S.
research and educational organization: a
government trust founded in Washington, D.C., by an act of congress in 1846 to
promote research and education. It sponsors scientific research and
publications and maintains the national collections. The fourteen museums it
administers include the National Museum of American History and the National
Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum of the Native
American in New York City.
[Early 19th century. Named
for James L. M. Smithson ( 1765–1829 ), British chemist and mineralogist
who endowed the institution.][1]



smithsonite

smithsonite
smith·son·ite 
[smíthsə nt] noun

zinc
carbonate:
a white or yellow to brown zinc carbonate mineral, an important ore of zinc.
The honeycombed variety of smithsonite is also known as dry-bone ore. ZnCO3 
Also
called
calamine
[Mid-19th century. Named for
James L. M. Smithson (see Smithsonian
Institution ).][1]



Smithson,Robert

Smithson,Robert
Smithson
[smíths’n], Robert (1938–1973)

U.S.
sculptor. He reshaped large areas of land into earthworks such as Spiral
Jetty ( 1970 ).
Full name
Smithson, Robert Irving[1]



Smith,Stevie

Smith,Stevie
Smith 
[smith], Stevie (1902–1971)

British
poet and novelist. Her works include the autobiographical Novel on Yellow
Paper (1936) and collections of sharp, wry verse such as Not Waving but
Drowning (1957). Her Collected Poems (1975) were published
posthumously.
Real name
Smith, Florence Margaret[1]



smithy

smithy
smith·y 
[smíthee, smíee]
(plural smith·ies) noun

1.  blacksmith’s
workplace:
the place where a blacksmith works.
Also
called
smithery

2.  See
blacksmith

[1]



smitten

smitten
smit·ten


Past participle of
smite[1]



SMN

SMN
SMN

Abbreviation of
seaman[1]



smock

smock
smock 
[smok] noun (plural smocks)

1.  overshirt:
a loose garment worn to protect the clothes

2.  undergarment:
a woman’s loose-fitting undergarment or chemise of a type used until the 18th
century
transitive
verb
(past smocked, past participle smocked, present
participle smock·ing, 3rd person present singular smocks)

sew with gathering stitches:
to sew or decorate something with decorative gathering stitches
[Old English smoc,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to creep.” The underlying idea is of
a garment that you put on by creeping into it.][1]



smocking

smocking

smock·ing 
[smóking] noun
stitching to gather fabric:
decorative stitching in a honeycomb or zigzag pattern, used to gather fabric
evenly[1]



smog

smog
smog 
[smog] (plural smogs) noun

thick
dirty fog:
a mixture of fog and smoke or other airborne pollutants such as exhaust fumes
[Early
20th century. Blend of smoke and fog .]
—smog·gy, adjective[1]



smoke

smoke
smoke 
[smōk] noun (plural smokes)

1.  cloud
of tiny particles: a mass of tiny particles in
the air that rises up from something burning

2.  vapor
resembling smoke: something that resembles smoke, usually
consisting of minute particles suspended in a gas • a
white, stinging smoke of chemical fumes

3.  inhaling
of burning tobacco fumes: an act of smoking a
cigarette, cigar, or pipe

4.  cigarette:
a cigarette or other tobacco product (informal)

5.  smokable
substance:
something that can be smoked (informal)

6.  something
that obscures: something that obscures or obstructs
information, understanding, or awareness

7.  something
transient:
something transient or illusory

8.  COLORS gray
color:
a gray color with a tinge of blue or brown
verb
(past smoked, past participle smoked, present
participle smok·ing, 3rd person present singular smokes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
tobacco:
to have the habit of inhaling the smoke of burning tobacco in cigarettes,
cigars or pipes

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb inhale
vapors:
to inhale the smoke of any substance that can burn and be inhaled

3.  intransitive
verb
give
off smoke:
to give off smoke, often in a way that indicates some malfunction

4.  transitive
verb
FOOD cure
food with smoke: to cure or treat food such as meat,
fish, or cheese with wood smoke

5.  transitive
verb
fumigate
with smoke:
to fumigate, clean, or clear something with smoke

6.  transitive
verb
CRAFT darken:
to darken something to give it the color of smoke

7.  transitive
verb
stupefy
something:
to stupefy something with smoke
adjective

grayish: of a
gray color tinged with blue or brown
[Old
English smoca, from prehistoric Germanic. Its use as a verb in
connection with tobacco is first recorded in the early 17th century.]
—smok·a·ble,
adjective
go
up in smoke

1.  to
fail completely to happen as planned or hoped

2.  to
be destroyed by burning

3.  to
get into a very bad temper

[1]



smokealarm

smokealarm
smoke
a·larm
(plural smoke a·larms) noun

See
smoke detector[1]



smokeand mirrors

smokeand mirrors
smoke
and mir·rors noun

cover-up:
something that is intended to draw people’s attention away from something else
that somebody would prefer remained unnoticed
[The allusion is to the use
of smoke and mirrors in magic acts][1]



smokebomb

smokebomb
smoke
bomb
(plural smoke bombs) noun

weapon producing smoke:
a device that gives off dense clouds of irritating chemical smoke, used to
drive people or animals out of a place[1]



smokedetector

smokedetector
smoke
de·tec·tor
(plural smoke de·tec·tors) noun

alarm:
a device that sets off an alarm when it detects smoke.
Also called
smoke alarm[1]



smoke-dried

smoke-dried
smoke-dried
adjective

cured by smoke:
cured with or dried in smoke[1]



smokedrubber

smokedrubber
smoked
rub·ber
noun

crude rubber:
crude rubber prepared by drying coagulated latex sheets in smokehouses before
they are packed into bales. The smoking process hinders the formation of
bacteria and molds and aids in the preservation of the rubber against
oxidation.[1]



smoke-filledroom

smoke-filledroom
smoke-filled
room 
(plural smoke-filled rooms) noun

place where deals are struck:
a room where deals are negotiated in private, traditionally considered to be
filled with the smoke of the negotiators’ cigarettes, cigars, and pipes[1]



smokehouse

smokehouse
smoke·house 
[smṓk hòwss] (plural smoke·hous·es
[smṓk hòwzəz]) noun

building used for curing:
a small building where meat, fish, or other materials are cured in smoke[1]



smokejack

smokejack
smoke·jack
[smṓk jàk] (plural smoke·jacks)
noun

roasting device:
a device that turns a roasting spit and is powered by rising gases in a chimney[1]



smokejumper

smokejumper
smoke·jump·er 
[smṓk jùmpər] (plural smoke·jump·ers)
noun

parachute
firefighter: a firefighter who parachutes into
inaccessible areas to extinguish forest fires
—smoke·jump·ing, noun[1]



smokeless

smokeless
smoke·less 
[smṓkləss] adjective

producing no smoke:
producing little or no smoke[1]



smokelesspowder

smokelesspowder
smoke·less
pow·der
(plural smoke·less pow·ders) noun

explosive or propellant:
a nitrocellulose-based explosive or propellant that produces little smoke[1]



smokelesstobacco

smokelesstobacco
smoke·less
to·bac·co
noun

tobacco not smoked:
tobacco in a form that is not smoked but used in some other way, for example,
chewing tobacco and snuff[1]



smokeout

smokeout
smoke
out
transitive verb

1.  drive
from hiding: to drive somebody or something from a
hiding place by using smoke

2.  bring
to light:
to bring something to light by clever or assertive inquiry

[1]



smoker

smoker
smok·er 
[smṓkər] (plural smok·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who smokes:
somebody who smokes tobacco or another substance

2.  RAIL railroad
car designated for smoking: a railroad car or
compartment where smoking is permitted.
Also
called
smoking car
Also
called
smoking compartment

3.  COOKING apparatus
for smoking food: an apparatus for smoking food

4.  gathering
of men:
a social gathering of men

[1]



smoker’scough

smoker’scough
smok·er’s
cough
(plural smok·er’s coughs) noun

cough caused by smoking:
a hacking cough, often accompanied by phlegm, caused by excessive smoking[1]



smokescreen

smokescreen
smoke
screen
(plural smoke screens) noun

1.  action
intended to obscure: an action taken to mislead
somebody or obscure something

2.  MILITARY smoke
hiding something: a mass of smoke produced to conceal the
movements of ships, troops, or equipment

[1]



smokestack

smokestack
smoke·stack 
[smṓk stàk] (plural smoke·stacks)
noun

1.  outlet
of steam engine: a funnel mounted to the boiler of a
locomotive or steamboat that provides draft to the firebox and exhausts the
combustion gases from the cylinders of an engine.
U.K.
term
chimney

2.  tall
industrial chimney: a tall, often cylindrical
industrial chimney, often attached to a factory

[1]



smoketree

smoketree
smoke
tree
(plural smoke trees) noun

tree with small flowers:
a shrub or small tree whose clusters of small flowers resemble puffs of smoke.
Genus: Cotinus[1]



Smokey

Smokey
Smok·ey 
[smṓkee] noun

police:
the police (slang)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening of Smokey the Bear, a fictional character used in a campaign
about fire prevention, with a hat resembling that worn by fictional state
police.][1]



smokingcar

smokingcar
smok·ing
car
noun

See
smoker  noun 2[1]



smokingcompartment

smokingcompartment
smok·ing
com·part·ment noun

See
smoker  noun 2[1]



smokinggun

smokinggun
smok·ing
gun
(plural smok·ing guns) noun

proof:
conclusive evidence or proof, especially of some wrongdoing
[From the idea of finding a
recently fired gun in a suspect’s hand][1]



smokingjacket

smokingjacket
smok·ing
jack·et
(plural smok·ing jack·ets) noun

man’s casual jacket:
a loose-fitting jacket made of a rich fabric such as velvet or silk, worn in
the past by men while smoking[1]



smokingroom

smokingroom
smok·ing
room
(plural smok·ing rooms) noun

room for smokers:
a room designated for people to smoke in[1]



smoky

smoky
smok·y 
[smṓkee] (comparative smok·i·er,
superlative smok·i·est) adjective

1.  filled
with smoke:
filled with smoke, or smelling as if it had been filled with smoke

2.  COLORS colored
like smoke:
of a gray color, like smoke

3.  FOOD tasting
of smoke:
having or suggesting a taste imparted by smoke or an open flame

4.  giving
off excessive smoke: giving off smoke, especially
excessively

5.  affected
by smoke:
discolored or marked with smoke
—smok·i·ly,
adverb

—smok·i·ness, noun[1]



SmokyHill

SmokyHill
Smok·y
Hill
[smkee híl]

river rising in eastern
Colorado and flowing eastward into the Kansas River, in eastern Kansas. Length:
870 km/540 mi.[1]



smokyquartz

smokyquartz
smok·y
quartz
(plural smok·y quartz·es) noun

See
cairngorm[1]



smolder

smolder
smol·der 
[smṓldər] or smoul·der [smṓldər] intransitive verb (past smol·dered,
past participle smol·dered, present participle smol·dering,
3rd person present singular smol·ders) (past smoul·dered,
past participle smoul·dered, present participle smoul·dering,
3rd person present singular smoul·ders)

1.  burn
slowly:
to burn slowly and gently, usually with some smoke but without a flame

2.  have
suppressed emotion: to have or show a strong
emotion that is suppressed but liable to flare up at any time

3.  exist
in background: to exist in the background, liable to
appear or reappear at any moment
noun

1.  thick
smoke:
thick smoke from a slow-burning fire

2.  smoky
fire:
a slow-burning fire
[From Old English smorian
“to smoke, suffocate”][1]



Smolensk

Smolensk
Smo·lensk 
[smō lénsk]

city in western Russia, on
the Dnieper River. It is the capital of Smolensk Oblast. Population: 350,000
(1991)[1]



smolt

smolt
smolt 
[smōlt] (plural smolts) noun

young
salmon:
a young salmon before it has swum to the sea. It is characterized by
physiological changes in preparation for living in salt water, such as silver
coloration.
[15th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



smooch

smooch
smooch 
[smooch] intransitive and transitive verb
(past smooched, past participle smooched, present
participle smooch·ing, 3rd person present singular smooch·es)

to
kiss:
to kiss and caress somebody (informal)
noun
(plural smooch·es)

kiss:
an instance of kissing (informal)
[Mid-20th
century. An imitation of the sound of kissing.]
—smooch·y, adjective[1]



smooth

smooth
smooth 
[smoo] adjective (comparative
smooth·er, superlative smooth·est)

1.  not
rough or bumpy: not having a rough or uneven surface

2.  without
lumps:
without lumps or pieces of solid matter • Beat
the mixture to a smooth paste.

3.  without
upheaval or difficulties: proceeding without
interruption, upheaval, or problems

4.  without
jerks or jolts: in a steady flowing motion, without
jolts or interruptions

5.  not
harsh:
without harshness

6.  not
sharp or sour: not tasting sharp or sour

7.  not
easily upset: not easily ruffled or upset • a
smooth and serene personality

8.  insincerely
convincing:
using insincere flattery and pleasantness, especially in order to persuade
somebody to do something

9.  hairless:
without a beard or moustache • a
smooth-faced young man

10. frictionless:
offering no apparent resistance to sliding

11. PHONETICS unaspirated:
spoken without audible breath
transitive
verb
(past smoothed, past participle smoothed, present
participle smooth·ing, 3rd person present singular smoothes)

1.  even
out roughness: to remove bumps, unevenness, or
roughness

2.  press
out creases: to remove lines and creases

3.  make
creamy:
to remove lumps from something

4.  remove
difficulties: to remove obstacles and difficulties • Influential
allies smoothed his path to power.

5.  lessen
bad feelings: to remove or lessen bad feeling or
disagreement between people • I
tried to smooth things over with her.

6.  STATISTICS remove
irregularities from data: to modify a sequential set
of numerical data by reducing the differences in magnitude between adjacent
numbers

7.  PHYSICS ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING remove
irregularities in current: to remove the slight
irregularities ( ripples ) in a rectified
current
adverb

without problems:
without problems or difficulties • The
path of true love never runs smooth.
noun
(plural smooths)

1.  act
of smoothing: the action of smoothing something

2.  something
smooth:
a smooth part of something
[Old
English smōþ, of unknown origin]
—smooth·a·ble,
adjective

—smooth·er,
noun

—smooth·ly,
adverb

—smooth·ness, noun[1]



smoothbore

smoothbore
smooth·bore
[sm bàwr] adjective

smooth
in interior of barrel: having a barrel with no
ridges or grooves in the bore. Early firearms and modern shotguns and mortars
are characterized by smooth bores.
noun
(plural smooth·bores)

smoothbore gun:
a gun with a smooth surface inside its barrel[1]



smoothbreathing

smoothbreathing
smooth
breath·ing
(plural smooth breath·ings) noun

pronunciation mark:
a mark ’written over some initial Greek vowels to show that they are not
aspirated.
See also
rough breathing[1]



smoothcollie

smoothcollie
smooth
col·lie
(plural smooth col·lies) noun

breed of dog:
a dog belonging to a breed of collie with a thick short-haired coat[1]



smoothdown

smoothdown
smooth
down
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flatten
by smoothing: to make something flat by a smoothing
action, or become flat by being smoothed

2.  transitive
verb
calm
somebody:
to calm or placate somebody

[1]



smoothen

smoothen
smooth·en 
[sm’n] (past smooth·ened, past
participle smooth·ened, present participle smooth·en·ing,
3rd person present singular smooth·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

smooth:
to make something smooth, or become smooth[1]



smoothfox terrier

smoothfox terrier
smooth
fox ter·ri·er (plural smooth fox ter·ri·ers)
noun

small dog:
a dog belonging to a breed of English fox terrier with a mostly white short
coat[1]



smoothhound

smoothhound
smooth
hound
(plural smooth hounds) noun

small shark:
any of several small sharks, including some types of dogfish without a spine in
front of the dorsal fin. Genus: Mustelus[1]



smoothie

smoothie
smooth·ie 
[smee] (plural smooth·ies) noun

1.  smooth·ie
or smooth·y (plural smooth·ies) charming
man:
an attractive and charming man perceived as being insincere (informal)

2.  BEVERAGES milk
shake:
a drink similar to a milk shake made with fruit, cream, or milk, and ice cream

[1]



smoothingcircuit

smoothingcircuit
smooth·ing
cir·cuit
(plural smooth·ing cir·cuits) noun

current stabilizing device:
a circuit used to remove the alternating current component from a direct
current power source[1]



smoothmuscle

smoothmuscle
smooth
mus·cle
(plural smooth mus·cles) noun

uncontrolled muscle:
a type of muscle functioning involuntarily and made up of layers of
spindle-shaped cells lacking cross striations. It is found in the viscera, for
example, the stomach and bladder. Smooth muscle functions by slow contraction,
and is not under voluntary control. It is activated by the autonomic nervous
system, hormones, and drugs.[1]



smoothout

smoothout
smooth
out
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become smooth: to make something smooth, or become
smooth, by the removal of lines and creases

2.  make
or become easier: to make something easier or calmer, or
become easier or calmer, after a period of difficulty

[1]



smoothover

smoothover
smooth
over
transitive verb

make less tense:
to remove or lessen difficulties or tensions[1]



smooth-tongued

smooth-tongued
smooth-tongued 
adjective

persuasive:
speaking or spoken skillfully and persuasively[1]



smoothy

smoothy
smooth·y 
noun

(informal) See smoothie  noun 1[1]



smorgasbord

smorgasbord
smor·gas·bord 
[smáwrgəss bàwrd] (plural smor·gas·bords)
noun

1.  buffet
meal:
a meal served buffet style, consisting of a large variety of hot and cold
dishes

2.  restaurant
serving buffet: a restaurant featuring a smorgasbord

3.  variety:
a wide variety
[Late 19th century. From
Swedish smörgåsbord (see smear ).][1]



smote

smote
smote


Past tense of
smite[1]



smother

smother
smoth·er 
[smúər] verb (past smoth·ered,
past participle smoth·ered, present participle smoth·er·ing,
3rd person present singular smoth·ers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb allow
or get too little air: to deprive somebody or
something of air, or be deprived of air

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb suffocate:
to kill somebody or something, or die, by suffocation

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb overwhelm
with affection: to give somebody too much love or
affection with the effect that he or she feels restricted

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
out or be put out: to extinguish something such
as a fire, or go out from lack of oxygen

5.  transitive
verb
suppress
or hide:
to suppress or hide the expression of something

6.  transitive
verb
cover
thickly:
to cover something with a thick layer of something else
noun

1.  dense
smoke:
dense smoke or gas

2.  thick
coating:
a thick coating of something
[12th
century. Formed from Old English smorian “to suffocate, choke (with
smoke).”]
—smoth·er·er,
noun

—smoth·er·ing·ly,
adverb

—smoth·er·y, adjective[1]



smoulder

smoulder
smoul·der 
intransitive verb noun

See
smolder[1]



smriti

smriti
sm·ri·ti 
[smríttee] noun

Hindu texts:
a group of Hindu scriptures giving instruction on social and domestic matters[1]



SMSA

SMSA
SMSA

Abbreviation of
standard metropolitan statistical area[1]



S.M.Sgt.

S.M.Sgt.
S.M.Sgt.
or SMSGT

Abbreviation of
Senior Master Sergeant[1]



SMTP

SMTP
SMTP
(plural SMTPs) noun

Internet mail transfer
protocol: the main protocol used to
send electronic mail on the Internet, consisting of rules for how programs
sending mail should interact with programs receiving mail. Full form
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol[1]



smudge

smudge
smudge 
[smuj] noun (plural smudg·es)

1.  smeared
ink or paint: a patch of smeared ink or paint blurring
what has been written or painted

2.  dirty
mark:
a dirty or greasy mark

3.  indistinct
area:
something visible but blurred or indistinct and not easily identifiable

4.  AGRICULTURE smoke
or fire:
smoke produced to protect trees from frost or insect damage, or a fire that
produces such smoke
verb
(past smudged, past participle smudged, present
participle smudg·ing, 3rd person present singular smudg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb smear
or be smeared: to smear or blur something by rubbing
it, or become smeared or blurred by being rubbed

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become dirty: to smear something, or become smeared,
with dirt or grease

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE protect
with smoke:
to fill an orchard with smoke to protect the trees from frost or insects
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—smudg·i·ly,
adverb

—smudg·i·ness,
noun

—smudg·y, adjective[1]



smudgepot

smudgepot
smudge
pot
(plural smudge pots) noun

smoke maker:
a container in which material is burned to produce smoke for protecting trees
from frost or insects[1]



smug

smug
smug 
[smug] (comparative smug·ger, superlative
smug·gest) adjective

self-satisfied:
conceited and self-satisfied
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Low German smuk
“pretty,” from Middle Low German smucken “to adorn.”]
—smug·ly,
adverb

—smug·ness, noun[1]



smuggle

smuggle
smug·gle 
[smúgg’l] (past smug·gled, past
participle smug·gled, present participle smug·gling, 3rd
person present singular smug·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
into a country illegally: to carry goods into a
country secretly because they are illegal or in order to avoid paying duty on
them

2.  transitive
verb
take
or bring secretly: to take, bring, or carry
somebody or something secretly into or out of a place
[Late
17th century. From Low German smukkelen or Dutch smokkelen, of
uncertain origin: perhaps literally “to sneak repeatedly,” formed from a word.]
—smug·gler, noun[1]



smurf

smurf
smurf
[smurf] (past smurfed, past
participle smurfed, present participle smurfing, 3rd
person present singular smurfs) intransitive verb (slang)

1.  launder
money:
to launder money in nations requiring reports for large transactions, by using
a number of people to open small accounts and then drawing checks on them for
small amounts

2.  engage
in hacking attack: to route data to a computer
or a network of computers in such a way as to flood the target’s machine or
system with messages, causing a crash
[Late 20th century. From Smurf
the name of a children’s tiny blue toy; money laundering sense dates to 1985;
computer hacking sense, to 1999.][1]



smut

smut
smut 
[smut] noun (plural smuts)

1.  obscene
material:
obscene jokes, stories, or pictures

2.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a plant disease, especially of cereals and other grasses, caused by fungi and
characterized by sooty black masses of spores forming on leaves and other parts

3.  fungus
bearing disease: a parasitic fungus that causes smut.
Order: Ustilaginales

4.  small
piece of soot: a speck of dirt or soot
verb
(past smut·ted, past participle smut·ted, present
participle smut·ting, 3rd person present singular smuts)

1.  transitive
verb
make
dirty:
to mark or dirty something with smuts

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY become
affected with smut: to become affected with smut
[15th century. Ultimately
from prehistoric Germanic. Its original meaning was “to debase, defile.”][1]



smutch

smutch
smutch 
[smuch] noun (plural smutch·es)

smudge:
a smudge of something dirty or greasy
transitive
verb
(past smutched, past participle smutched, present
participle smutch·ing, 3rd person present singular smutch·es)

mark
with a smudge: to mark something with a smudge of
something dirty or greasy
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps thought to suggest a dirty mark.]
—smutch·y, adjective[1]



Smuts,Jan

Smuts,Jan

Smuts
[smutss, smötss],
Jan (1870–1950)
South
African statesman and general. He was instrumental in forming the Union of
South Africa (1910), and as prime minister (1919–1924, 1939–1948) was sometimes
unpopular for his pro-British policies.
Full name
Smuts, Jan Christiaan[1]



smutty

smutty
smut·ty
[smúttee] (comparative smut·ti·er,
superlative smut·ti·est) adjective

1.  obscene:
obscene or pornographic (informal)

2.  marked
with smuts:
covered with sooty marks of dirt

3.  BOTANY affected
by smut:
affected by the disease smut
—smut·ti·ly,
adverb

—smut·ti·ness, noun[1]



SMV

SMV
SMV
noun

Abbreviation of
slow-moving vehicle[1]



Smyrna

Smyrna
Smyr·na 
[smúrnə]

Former name for
Izmir[1]



Sn

Sn
Sn

Symbol for
tin[1]



SNA

SNA
SNA

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of systems network architecture[1]



snack

snack
snack 
[snak] noun (plural snacks)

1.  small
meal:
a small meal of prepared or easy-to-prepare food eaten in place of a regular
meal or between regular meals

2.  food
for snack:
any sort of food suitable for eating between meals or instead of a main meal
intransitive
verb
(past snacked, past participle snacked, present
participle snack·ing, 3rd person present singular snacks)

eat between meals:
to eat between the times that meals are usually served, or eat a snack instead
of a main meal • I’ve been snacking all
afternoon.
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch snac “bite.”][1]



snackbar

snackbar
snack
bar
(plural snack bars) noun

small restaurant:
a small restaurant or food outlet that sells snacks[1]



snaffle

snaffle
snaf·fle 
[snáff’l] noun (plural snaf·fles)
snaf·fle snaf·fle bit

EQUESTRIAN bit
for horses:
a bit for a horse that is jointed in the middle and has rings on either end
where the reins are attached
transitive
verb
(past snaf·fled, past participle snaf·fled, present
participle snaf·fling, 3rd person present singular snaf·fles)

1.  EQUESTRIAN fit
with bit:
to fit a horse or pony with a snaffle bit

2.  U.K.
steal:
to steal or take something, usually something relatively unimportant (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from a Low Dutch word . The early 18th century meaning “to steal” may be a
different word.][1]



snafu

snafu
sna·fu 
[sna f] noun (plural sna·fus)

bad
situation caused by incompetence: a mishap or mistake
generally caused by incompetence and resulting in delay or confusion (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sna·fued,
past participle sna·fued, present participle sna·fu·ing,
3rd person present singular sna·fus)

spoil
or be spoiled: to cause a situation or process to
become confused or delayed, generally by incompetence, or become confused or
delayed (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Originally
a U.S. military acronym formed from the initial letters of “situation normal
all fouled up.”][1]



snag

snag
snag 
[snag] noun (plural snags)

1.  small
problem:
a minor problem or obstacle to progress

2.  unwanted
sharp point: a sharp projection on which something
may catch and tear

3.  hole
in fabric:
a hole in a fabric resulting from catching it on something sharp

4.  SHIPPING navigational
obstruction: an object underwater, for example, a
tree stump, that may obstruct boats

5.  Australia,
New Zealand
sausage:
a sausage (slang)
verb
(past snagged, past participle snagged, present
participle snag·ging, 3rd person present singular snags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb catch
on a snag:
to catch on or collide with a sharp projection • snagged
my sleeve on a nail

2.  transitive
verb
obstruct:
to obstruct the progress of something

3.  transitive
verb
obtain:
to obtain by luck, skillful maneuvering, or both

4.  transitive
verb
clear
of obstructions: to clear a river or lake of underwater
obstructions

5.  intransitive
verb
meet
a problem:
to come up against a problem or obstacle that deters progress

6.  intransitive
verb
get
tangled:
to become tangled or entangled
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Scandinavian .]
—snag·gy, adjective[1]



snaggletooth

snaggletooth
snag·gle·tooth 
[snágg’l tth] (plural snag·gle·teeth
[snàgg’l teéth]) noun

broken
tooth:
a broken, projecting, or crooked tooth
[Early
19th century. Snaggle : literally “to snag repeatedly,” formed from snag .]
—snag·gle·toothed, adjective[1]



snaggle-toothedfish

snaggle-toothedfish
snag·gle-toothed
fish
noun

deep sea fish:
an elongated deep-sea fish with a long chin barbel, a large mouth with sharp
projecting teeth, and a large stomach for digesting prey. Family:
Astronesthidae[1]



snail

snail

snail 
[snayl] (plural snails) noun

1.  crawling
creature with shell: any of a large class of land
and water creatures ( gastropods ) that have a coiled shell and a retractable
muscular foot on which they crawl. Class: Gastropoda

2.  slow-moving
person or thing: somebody or something that moves very
slowly (informal)
[Old English snægel,
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to crawl,” which is also the ancestor
of English snake][1]



snaildarter

snaildarter
snail
dart·er
(plural snail dart·ers) noun

American fish:
a small snail-eating fish found in eastern Tennessee. Latin name: Percina
tanasi[1]



snailfever

snailfever
snail
fe·ver
noun

See
schistosomiasis[1]



snailfish

snailfish
snail·fish
[snáyl fìsh] (plural snail·fish
or snail·fish·es) noun

flabby
fish:
a small elongated flabby bottom-dwelling marine fish, often with ventral fins
modified to form a sucking disk, found in cold oceans, mostly the northern
Pacific. Family: Liparidae
[Snail perhaps because of its
soft and oily texture][1]



snail-hunter

snail-hunter
snail-hunt·er
(plural snail-hunt·ers) noun

beetle with long mandibles:
a small spherical ground beetle with specialized elongated mandibles for
extracting snails from their shells. Genus: Saphinotus[1]



snailkite

snailkite
snail
kite
(plural snail kites) noun

snail-eating hawk:
a tropical American bird of prey that has a sharp hooked bill, travels in
flocks, and feeds on snails. Latin name: Rostrhamus sociabilis
Also called
Everglade kite[1]



snailmail

snailmail
snail
mail
noun

postal mail:
mail sent through the postal service, as distinct from the faster electronic
mail (informal)[1]



snail’space

snail’space
snail’s
pace
noun

slow
rate:
a speed that is thought unbearably or unaccountably slow
—snail-paced, adjective[1]



Snake

Snake

Snake 
[snayk]
river in the northwestern United States,
rising in Wyoming and flowing into the Columbia River in Washington State.
Length: 1,670 km/1,038 mi.[1]



snake

snake

snake 
[snayk] noun (plural snakes)

1.  legless
reptile:
a legless reptile with a scaly tubular body tapering toward the tail, lidless
eyes, and often venomous fangs. Suborder: Serpentes

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s reliability and honesty,
especially in personal dealings

3.  plumber’s
tool:
a plumber’s tool consisting of a long flexible wire that can be inserted into
and rotated inside drains to unblock them.
Also
called
plumber’s snake
verb (past
snaked, past participle snaked, present participle snak·ing,
3rd person present singular snakes)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
like snake:
to move or lie like a snake, with many bends or twists

2.  transitive
verb
drag:
to drag something by a rope or chain

3.  transitive
verb
tug:
to pull or jerk something suddenly
[Old
English snaca, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to crawl,”
which is also the ancestor of English snail]
a snake in the grass

somebody who betrays or
deceives others[1]



snakebird

snakebird
snake·bird 
[snáyk bùrd] (plural snake·birds)
noun

See
anhinga[1]



snakebite

snakebite
snake·bite 
[snáyk bt] (plural snake·bites)
noun

bite of a snake:
the bite of a poisonous snake, or illness resulting from this[1]



snakecharmer

snakecharmer
snake
charm·er
(plural snake charm·ers) noun

entertainer with a snake:
an entertainer who elicits a swaying movement from snakes, especially cobras,
by means of music and rhythmic body movements[1]



snakedance

snakedance
snake
dance
(plural snake danc·es) noun

1.  Native
N American ritual: a ritual dance of some
Native North American peoples in which live snakes are handled

2.  dance
in line:
a group dance in which participants follow a leader in a single file, often
hanging onto the person in front and sometimes moving in a zigzag

[1]



snakedoctor

snakedoctor
snake
doc·tor
(plural snake doc·tors) noun

Southern
U.S.
dragonfly:
a dragonfly





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  Piedmont designation for “dragonfly” has spread across the Upper and Middle
  South, from Virginia to Arkansas and Texas. The Pennsylvania term snake
  feeder endures in eastern sections of Kentucky and Tennessee and the
  western parts of the Carolinas. Elsewhere, along the Atlantic and Gulf
  coasts, mosquito hawk prevails, with the clipped form skeeter hawk
  . The New England terms darning needle and devil’s darning needle
  extend across the Inland North into the Upper Midwest.

[1]



snakeeyes

snakeeyes
snake
eyes
noun

throw of two in dice:
a throw of two dice that turns up one spot on each (slang)[1]



snakefeeder

snakefeeder
snake
feed·er
(plural snake feed·ers) noun

dragonfly:
a dragonfly (regional)[1]



snakefence

snakefence
snake
fence
(plural snake fenc·es) noun

See
worm fence[1]



snakefish

snakefish
snake·fish 
[snáyk fìsh] (plural snake·fish
or snake·fish·es) noun

predatory fish:
an elongated predatory fish in the lizardfish family, found in the eastern
Pacific and western Atlantic inshore regions. Latin name: Trachinocephalus
myops[1]



snakefly

snakefly
snake
fly
noun

long-necked insect:
an insect with a small head and long prothorax. Family: Raphidiidae[1]



snakehead

snakehead
snake·head 
[snáyk hèd] (plural snake·heads)
noun

1.  See
turtlehead

2.  tropical
fish with protruding lower jaw: any of a group of
tropical freshwater African or Asian fish that have a protruding lower jaw and
are able to breathe air for long periods of time. Family: Channidae

[1]



snakelizard

snakelizard
snake
liz·ard
(plural snake liz·ards) noun

legless lizard:
a legless lizard found in Australia and New Guinea, not easily distinguished
from a snake except that its tongue is flat and fleshy like a lizard’s. Family:
Pygopodidae[1]



snakeoil

snakeoil
snake
oil
(plural snake oils) noun

1.  worthless
medicine:
any worthless liquid preparation sold as a medicine, especially in the past by
traveling peddlers

2.  deceiving
words:
something said or written with the intention of deceiving, pacifying, or
persuading others

[1]



snakepit

snakepit
snake
pit
(plural snake pits) noun

1.  horrible
confusion:
a place or situation of horrible confusion (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a place used to house and care for people judged to have
a psychiatric disorder (informal disapproving)

[1]



snakeroot

snakeroot

snake·root 
[snáyk rt] (plural snake·roots)
noun
medicinal plant:
a plant with roots used in folk medicine to treat snakebite, or the root of any
of these plants used as medicine[1]



snakeskin

snakeskin
snake·skin 
[snáyk skìn] (plural snake·skins)
noun

1.  snake’s
skin:
the skin of a snake

2.  leather
made of snakes’ skins: the skin of a snake or
snakes made into leather, for example, for shoes

[1]



snakeweed

snakeweed
snake·weed 
[snáyk wd] (plural snake·weeds)
noun

wild plant:
a plant used in folk medicine to cure snakebite, especially bistort[1]



snake’shead

snake’shead
snake’s
head
(plural snake’s heads) noun

European plant:
a European plant that grows in damp areas with drooping, purplish, checkered
flowers. Latin name: Fritillaria meleagris[1]



snaky

snaky
snak·y 
[snáykee] (comparative snak·i·er,
superlative snak·i·est) adjective

1.  resembling
a snake:
resembling a snake in being long and narrow with bends or coils, or like a
snake’s twisting and turning movements

2.  treacherous:
treacherous and deceitful
—snak·i·ly,
adverb

—snak·i·ness, noun[1]



snap

snap

snap 
[snap] verb (past snapped,
past participle snapped, present participle snap·ping,
3rd person present singular snaps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
with sharp noise: to break or break something suddenly
with a sharp cracking sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
something with a sharp noise: to move, strike, or operate
something in a way that makes a sharp noise

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb break:
to break under force or pressure, or break something by excessive force or
pressure

4.  intransitive
verb
lose
control:
to lose control or erupt in anger suddenly

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
angrily:
to say something or reply in anger or irritation

6.  transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY take
a photograph: to take a photograph of somebody or
something, especially in a casual way (informal)

7.  intransitive
verb
bite:
to bite or try to bite somebody or something with a quick movement or movements

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
something:
to take or grasp something eagerly, or take something away from somebody
suddenly

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
sharply:
to move or be moved quickly and sharply

10. intransitive
verb
appear
angry:
to flash, especially in anger (refers to eyes)

11. transitive
verb
flick
something away: to flick something away with a finger
coming forward sharply from the thumb

12. transitive
verb
FOOTBALL play
the ball:
in football, to put the ball into play by passing it back to the quarterback
behind the line of scrimmage
noun (plural
snaps)

1.  sharp
sound:
a short sharp sound, for example, of something brittle suddenly breaking or of
something clicking shut

2.  fastener
that clicks together: a circular fastener
consisting of two halves that close when pressed together and open when pulled
apart.
U.K.
term
press stud

3.  something
easy:
something easily done • The
test was a snap.

4.  short
time:
a short period of time, especially one with cold weather • a
sudden cold snap

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY See snapshot  noun 1

6.  liveliness:
liveliness and vigor • His
campaign needs more snap.

7.  CARD GAMES card
game:
a game where players lay cards face up in a pile. When two identical cards are
played one after the other, the first player to shout “snap” takes the pile.
The object of the game is to win the whole deck of cards.

8.  FOOD sweet
cookie:
a crisp, thin sweet cookie

9.  FOOTBALL football
play:
in football, the action required to start play in football, when the ball is
passed to the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage
adjective

1.  decided
without reflection: arrived at quickly and
without reflection • a snap decision

2.  coming
without warning: coming suddenly and without warning

3.  operating
with a sharp sound: operating with interlocking
parts that snap when being shut

4.  easily
done:
easily done with success
adverb

with a snap: so as
to make a sharp sound
[15th century. Partly an
imitation of the sound, and partly from Middle Dutch snappen “to seize”
(source of English snack ).][1]



snapbean

snapbean
snap
bean
(plural snap beans) noun

long-podded
bean:
an edible bean with long tubular pods that are harvested and eaten when
immature
[Snap either from its
crispness, or because the pods are broken in pieces before being cooked][1]



snap-brim

snap-brim
snap-brim 
(plural snap-brims) or snap-brim hat (plural
snap-brim hats) noun

brimmed hat:
a man’s hat with a flexible brim all around that is usually turned up in back
and down in front[1]



snapdragon

snapdragon

snap·drag·on 
[snáp dràggən] (plural snap·drag·ons)
noun
garden
flower:
a common perennial plant with spikes of flowers of various colors. Genus: Antirrhinum
[Late 16th century. So called
because the flowers are said to be similar to a dragon’s mouth.][1]



snapper

snapper
snap·per 
[snáppər] (plural snap·pers) noun

1.  (plural
snap·pers or snap·per) tropical
food fish:
a carnivorous fish common in tropical waters and caught for food. Family:
Lutjanidae

2.  See
snapping turtle

3.  something
that snaps:
somebody who or something that snaps

[1]



snappingbeetle

snappingbeetle
snap·ping
be·etle 
(plural snap·ping bee·tles) noun

See
click beetle[1]



snappingturtle

snappingturtle

snap·ping tur·tle
(plural snap·ping tur·tles) noun
N American turtle:
a North American freshwater turtle with a large head and powerful hooked jaws.
Family: Chelydridae
Also called
snapper[1]



snappish

snappish
snap·pish 
[snáppish] adjective

1.  showing
irritation:
showing a sharpness or curtness caused by irritation or impatience

2.  tending
to snap:
inclined to snap at things
—snap·pish·ly,
adverb

—snap·pish·ness, noun[1]



snappy

snappy
snap·py 
[snáppee] (comparative snap·pi·er,
superlative snap·pi·est) adjective

1.  stylish:
fashionable and stylish (informal) • a
snappy dresser

2.  interesting:
interesting and to the point, or able to write something interesting and to the
point (informal)

3.  showing
impatience:
expressing or showing impatience or irritation

4.  hasty:
done or produced without delay
—snap·pi·ly,
adverb

—snap·pi·ness,
noun
make
it snappy

to do something quickly (informal)[1]



snapring

snapring
snap
ring
(plural snap rings) noun

See
carabiner[1]



snaproll

snaproll
snap
roll
(plural snap rolls) noun

airplane maneuver:
an aerial maneuver in which an airplane turns a complete circle longitudinally
while maintaining altitude and direction of flight[1]



snapshot

snapshot
snap·shot 
[snáp shòt] (plural snap·shots)
noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY photograph:
a photograph, especially one taken by an amateur with simple equipment.
Also
called
snap

2.  record
of point in process: a record or view of a
particular point in a sequence of events or continuing process
[Early 19th century.
Originally meaning “quick shot from a gun,” the sense was extended to “casual
photograph” at the end of the 19th century.][1]



snapup

snapup
snap
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
something hastily: to quickly buy or take up
something offered or available

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
faster:
to make something be or go faster (informal) • Snap
it up or we’ll be late.

[1]



snare

snare1
snare1 [snair]
noun (plural snares)

1.  animal
trap:
a trap for small animals that operates like a noose

2.  trap
for unwary:
a situation that is both alluring and dangerous

3.  SURGERY surgical
device:
a surgical instrument for removing small polyps and tumors by means of a noose
that is tightened by being pulled into a narrow tube
transitive
verb
(past snared, past participle snared, present
participle snar·ing, 3rd person present singular snares)

1.  catch
in trap:
to catch somebody or something in a snare

2.  entrap
somebody:
to entrap somebody by alluring deception
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse snara . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to twist,” which is also the ancestor of English narcotic .]
—snar·er, noun[1]



snare

snare2
snare2 [snair]
(plural snares) noun

cord
on drum:
any of the gut or wire cords stretched across the bottom skin of a drum to
create a rattling sound when the drum is hit (often used in the plural)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch snaar “string.”][1]



snaredrum

snaredrum


snare drum
noun
type of drum:
a drum fitted with snares to produce a rattling effect.
Also called
side drum[1]



snarl

snarl1

snarl1 [snaarl]
verb (past snarled, past participle snarled,
present participle snarl·ing, 3rd person present singular snarls)

1.  intransitive
verb
growl:
to growl threateningly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
angrily:
to speak or say something angrily or threateningly
noun (plural
snarls)

growling noise:
the sound of somebody or something snarling
[Late
16th century. Literally “to “snar” repeatedly,” formed from obsolete snar
“to snarl, growl,” of uncertain origin: probably ultimately an imitation of the
sound.]
—snarl·er,
noun

—snarl·ing·ly, adverb[1]



snarl

snarl2
snarl2 [snaarl]
noun (plural snarls)

1.  tangle:
a tangled mass of something such as hair or wool

2.  confusion:
a state of confusion and obstruction from which there is no easy exit.
U.K.
term
snarl-up

3.  knot
in wood:
a knot in wood
intransitive
and transitive verb (past snarled,
past participle snarled, present participle snarl·ing,
3rd person present singular snarls)

1.  tangle
something:
to tangle something or become tangled

2.  get
confused or congested: to become or make something complicated,
confused, or too congested to move.
U.K.
term
snarl up
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “small snare,” formed from snare 1 . Its
orginal meaning was “moral snare, temptation.”][1]



snarl-up

snarl-up
snarl-up
(plural snarl-ups) noun

U.K.
See snarl[1]



snarlup

snarlup
snarl
up
intransitive and transitive verb

U.K.
See snarl[1]



snatch

snatch
snatch 
[snach] transitive verb (past snatched,
past participle snatched, present participle snatch·ing,
3rd person present singular snatch·es)

1.  take
quickly:
to grab or grasp somebody or something hastily

2.  move
something quickly: to move or remove something
quickly

3.  take
when opportunity arises: to take or get something
while there is an opportunity • snatched
a few hours of sleep

4.  kidnap:
to kidnap somebody (informal)
noun
(plural snatch·es)

1.  grabbing:
an instance of grabbing or grasping somebody or something

2.  small
amount:
a small, incomplete bit or short period of something

3.  kidnapping:
an act of kidnapping (informal)

4.  lifting
feat:
a weightlifting feat in which the barbell is raised from the floor to over the
lifter’s head in one motion

5.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to the outer sexual organs of a woman (taboo
offensive)
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch snacken “to snatch,
chatter.”]
—snatch·er, noun[1]



snatchblock

snatchblock
snatch
block
(plural snatch blocks) noun

block that opens at side:
a block that can be opened on one side to insert a rope, thereby avoiding the
necessity of threading the rope through from one end[1]



snatchy

snatchy
snatch·y 
[snáchee] (comparative snatch·i·er,
superlative snatch·i·est) adjective

occurring in short spells:
occurring or done in short spells[1]



snath

snath
snath
[snath] (plural snaths) or
snathe [snay] (plural snathes)
noun

scythe
handle:
the handle of a scythe
[Late 16th century. Variant
of snead, from Old English snd, of unknown origin.][1]



snazzy

snazzy
snaz·zy 
[snázzee] (comparative snaz·zi·er,
superlative snaz·zi·est) adjective

flashy:
attractively new, bright, or fashionable (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



SNCC

SNCC
SNCC
[snik]

Abbreviation of
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee[1]



SNCF

SNCF
SNCF
noun

Société Nationale des Chemins
de Fer: Société Nationale des
Chemins de Fer, the rail system in France[1]



Snead,Sam

Snead,Sam
Snead
[sneed], Sam (1912– )

U.S.
golfer. He won 84 Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournaments.
Real name
Snead, Samuel Jackson Known as Slammin’ Sammy[1]



sneak

sneak
sneak 
[sneek] verb (past participle sneaked
or snuck, present participle sneak·ing, 3rd
person present singular sneaks)

1.  intransitive
verb
go
stealthily:
to go or act in a stealthy, secretive way

2.  transitive
verb
do
something furtively: to do something stealthily,
furtively, and without being noticed • He
sneaked a look over the wall.

3.  transitive
verb
bring
stealthily:
to get or carry somebody or something secretly, furtively, and without being
noticed • sneak
friends into the house for a surprise party
noun
(plural sneaks)

1.  untrustworthy
person:
a cunning and deceitful person

2.  stealthy
departure:
a departure intended to be unobserved

3.  CLOTHES sneaker:
a sneaker (informal)
adjective

stealthily done:
done stealthily or furtively
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



sneaker

sneaker
sneak·er 
[snkər] (plural sneak·ers) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand rubber
shoe: a shoe with a rubber sole
and, usually, a cloth upper (often used in the plural)
Also called
tennis shoe[1]



sneaking

sneaking
sneak·ing 
[snking] adjective

1.  hidden
from others: unknown to or hidden from others

2.  slight
but persistent: slight but persistent • a
sneaking suspicion

3.  deceptive:
deceptive or given to cunning and deception
—sneak·ing·ly, adverb[1]



sneakpreview

sneakpreview
sneak
pre·view
(plural sneak pre·views) noun

test screening:
a public screening of a movie prior to its general release, in order to test
public reaction to it[1]



sneakthief

sneakthief
sneak
thief
noun

opportunistic thief:
a thief who surreptitiously steals unguarded or unsecured articles when the
opportunity arises[1]



sneakup on

sneakup on
sneak
up on
transitive verb

1.  approach
secretly:
to approach stealthily with the intention of surprising or frightening somebody
or something

2.  arrive
unexpectedly: to arrive more quickly than expected • The
weekend sneaked up on me.

[1]



sneaky

sneaky
sneak·y 
[snkee] (comparative sneak·i·er,
superlative sneak·i·est) adjective

underhanded:
done, doing something, or in the habit of behaving, in an underhanded and
unfair way
—sneak·i·ly,
adverb

—sneak·i·ness, noun[1]



sneer

sneer
sneer 
[sneer] noun (plural sneers)

expression of scorn:
a facial expression of scorn or hostility in which the upper lip may be raised
verb
(past sneered, past participle sneered, present
participle sneer·ing, 3rd person present singular sneers)

1.  intransitive
verb
feel
or show scorn: to feel or show scorn, contempt, or
hostility, either in speech or facial expression

2.  transitive
verb
say
with scorn:
to speak or say something with scorn or contempt
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps suggestive of the expression; or an
alteration of Old English fnran “to snort.”]
—sneer·er,
noun

—sneer·ing,
adjective

—sneer·ing·ly, adverb[1]



sneeze

sneeze

sneeze 
[sneez] noun (plural sneez·es)
explosive
expulsion of air: a sudden involuntary expulsion of air
through the nose and mouth, caused by irritation of the nasal passages
intransitive
verb
(past sneezed, past participle sneezed, present participle
sneez·ing, 3rd person present singular sneez·es)
make
a sneeze:
to suddenly, forcefully, and involuntarily expel air through the nose and mouth
because of irritation of the nasal passages
[15th
century. Alteration of fnesan, from Old English fneosan, an
imitation of the sound of breathing or sneezing.]
—sneez·er,
noun

—sneez·y, adjective[1]



sneezeguard

sneezeguard
sneeze·guard
[snz grd] (plural sneeze·guards)
noun

cover for food:
a plastic or glass cover hanging over a food display such as a salad bar or a
buffet to protect it from contamination[1]



sneezeweed

sneezeweed
sneeze·weed 
[snz wd] (plural sneeze·weeds)
noun

N American plant:
a perennial plant growing wild in North America that makes some people sneeze.
Genus: Helenium[1]



sneezewort

sneezewort
sneeze·wort 
[snz wùrt, snz
wàwrt] (plural sneeze·worts) noun

plant like daisy:
a European and Asian composite plant with small white flowers similar to those
of a daisy and silvery leaves that when powdered induce sneezing. Latin name: Achillea
ptarmica[1]



snell

snell
snell 
[snel] (plural snells) noun

short
string:
a short piece of gut or nylon used to connect a fishhook or lure to a longer
line
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Snellenchart

Snellenchart
Snel·len
chart 
[snéllən chrt] (plural Snel·len
charts) noun

eye
test chart:
a chart for vision testing on which are printed rows of letters and numbers in
decreasing size from top to bottom
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Herman Snellen 1834–1908, Dutch opthalmologist.][1]



Snell’slaw

Snell’slaw
Snell’s
law
[snélz làw] noun

law
governing refraction angle: the law stating that for a
light ray passing between two media the ratio of the sines of the angle of
incidence and the angle of refraction is a constant
[Late 19th century. Named for
Willebrord Van Roijen Snell 1591–1626, Dutch astronomer and
mathematician.][1]



SNG

SNG
SNG
noun

Abbreviation of
synthetic (or substitute) natural gas[1]



snick

snick
snick 
[snik] noun (plural snicks)

1.  small
cut:
a small cut or notch

2.  clicking
noise:
a small clicking noise
verb
(past snicked, past participle snicked, present
participle snick·ing, 3rd person present singular snicks)

1.  transitive
verb
cut
something:
to cut something slightly

2.  intransitive
verb
make
clicking noise: to make a small clicking noise
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from obsolete snick or snee (see snickersnee ).][1]



snicker

snicker
snick·er 
[sníkər] or snig·ger [sníggər] verb (past snick·ered,
past participle snick·ered, present participle snick·er·ing,
3rd person present singular snick·ers) (past snig·gered,
past participle snig·gered, present participle snig·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular snig·gers)

1.  intransitive
verb
laugh
disrespectfully: to laugh disrespectfully in a covert way

2.  transitive
verb
say
something with derision: to speak derisively or with
disrespectful laughter of somebody or something
noun
(plural snick·ers) (plural snig·gers)

disrespectful laugh:
an instance of laughing disrespectfully or the sound of disrespectful laughter
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an imitation of the sound.][1]



snickersnee

snickersnee
snick·er·snee 
[sníkər sn, sníkər
sn] (plural snick·er·snees) noun

knife
for fighting: a long knife used as a cutting or
thrusting weapon (archaic)
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of snick or snee “cut or thrust in knife-fighting,” an
alteration of stick or snee, from Dutch steken “to thrust” + snee,
variant of snijden “to cut.”][1]



snide

snide
snide 
[snīd] (comparative snid·er, superlative
snid·est) adjective

derisively
sarcastic:
derisively sarcastic
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown. Originally in the meaning of “counterfeit.”]
—snide·ly, adverb[1]



sniff

sniff
sniff 
[snif] verb (past sniffed,
past participle sniffed, present participle sniff·ing,
3rd person present singular sniffs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breathe
in through nose: to breathe in through the nose, for
example, to see how something smells

2.  transitive
verb
suspect
something:
to have a suspicion of something, especially something bad • sniff
trouble
noun
(plural sniffs)

1.  act
or sound of sniffing: an instance or the sound of
inhaling through the nose

2.  suspicion:
a hint or suspicion, especially of something bad
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



sniffat

sniffat
sniff
at
transitive verb

show contempt:
to show contempt or disdain for somebody or something[1]



sniffer

sniffer
sniff·er
[sníffər] (plural sniff·ers) noun

somebody who sniffs:
somebody who sniffs, especially somebody who takes drugs by inhaling them
through the nose[1]



sniffle

sniffle
snif·fle 
[sníff’l] intransitive verb (past
snif·fled, past participle snif·fled, present
participle snif·fling, 3rd person present singular snif·fles)

1.  inhale
mucus:
to inhale through the nose to prevent mucus from dripping out of it

2.  weep
quietly:
to sniff repeatedly while gently weeping
noun
(plural snif·fles)

act or sound of sniffling:
an instance or the sound of sniffling
plural
noun
snif·fles

slight cold: a
slight cold that causes sniffling (informal)
[Mid-17th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—snif·fler, noun[1]



sniffout

sniffout
sniff
out
transitive verb

find out:
to discover something, especially something bad, by investigation (informal)[1]



sniffy

sniffy
sniff·y 
[sníffee] (comparative sniff·i·er,
superlative sniff·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  haughty:
behaving in a haughty, disdainful way

2.  sniffing:
tending to sniff a lot, for example, because of a cold
—sniff·i·ly,
adverb

—sniff·i·ness, noun[1]



snifter

snifter
snif·ter 
[sníftər] (plural snif·ters) noun

1.  glass
for serving brandy: a stemmed glass with a bowl
that tapers upward, typically used for brandy.
Also
called
brandy snifter

2.  small
drink:
a small amount of drink, especially of alcohol (informal)
[Mid-18th century. Originally
in the meaning of “strong breeze,” from archaic snifter “to sniff,
snuffle,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



snigger

snigger
snig·ger 
intransitive verb

See
snicker
[Early 18th century. A later
variant of snicker .][1]



sniggle

sniggle
snig·gle 
[snígg’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past snig·gled, past participle snig·gled,
present participle snig·gling, 3rd person present singular
snig·gles)

fish
for eels:
to fish for eels by putting a baited hook into crevices where they hide, or to
catch eels using this method
noun
(plural snig·gles)

hook:
a baited hook used for catching eels
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from snig “young eel,” of unknown origin.]
—snig·gler, noun[1]



snip

snip
snip 
[snip] intransitive and transitive verb
(past snipped, past participle snipped, present
participle snip·ping, 3rd person present singular snips)

cut using small strokes:
to cut with scissors or shears, especially using small strokes, or cut
something using small strokes
noun
(plural snips)

1.  a
cut:
a short quick cut, made with scissors

2.  small
piece:
a small piece of something that has been snipped off.
Also
called
snipping

3.  act
or sound of snipping: the act or sound of using
scissors to snip something

4.  demeaning
term:
young girl regarded as behaving in ways inappropriate to her age or class (insult)
interjection

sound of snipping:
used to represent the sound that scissors make
[Mid-16th century. From Dutch
or Low German snippen, an imitation of the sound.][1]



snipe

snipe

snipe 
[snīp] noun (plural snipes
or snipe)

1.  wading
bird:
a wading bird with a long straight bill. It lives in marshy areas and on river
banks throughout the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Gallinago gallinago

2.  bird
related to snipe: a bird related to the snipe such as a
sandpiper or curlew

3.  shot
fired from concealment: a shot fired from a
concealed place
intransitive verb
(past sniped, past participle sniped, present
participle snip·ing, 3rd person present singular snipes)

shoot from concealed place:
to shoot at people from a concealed position
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse snípa . The verb came from the idea
of hunting snipe.][1]



snipefish

snipefish
snipe·fish 
[snp fish] (plural snipe·fish
or snipe·fish·es) noun

long-snouted fish:
a fish with a long snout and a spine extending from its dorsal fin to its tail.
It lives in tropical and temperate seas and is related to the sea horse.
Family: Macrorhamphosidae[1]



snipefly

snipefly
snipe
fly
noun

fly that eats other insects:
a fly with a long body and long legs that eats other insects. Some also suck
the blood of mammals. Family: Leptidae[1]



sniper

sniper
snip·er 
(plural snip·ers) noun

hidden shooter:
somebody who shoots at people from a concealed position[1]



snippety

snippety
snip·pet·y 
adjective

See
snippy  adjective
—snip·pet·i·ness, noun[1]



snipping

snipping
snip·ping
(plural snip·pings) noun

See
snip  noun 2[1]



snippy

snippy
snip·py 
[snípee] (comparative snip·pi·er,
superlative snip·pi·est) adjective

sharp-tongued:
behaving in a curt and irritable way (informal)
—snip·pi·ly,
adverb

—snip·pi·ness, noun[1]



snips

snips
snips
plural noun

shears:
shears used for cutting sheet metal (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also called
tin snips[1]



snit

snit
snit 
[snit] (plural snits) noun

fit
of temper:
a state of mild irritation or bad temper
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



snitch

snitch
snitch 
[snich] verb (past snitched,
past participle snitched, present participle snitch·ing,
3rd person present singular snitch·es) (slang)

1.  transitive
verb
pilfer
something:
to steal something in a sneaky way especially something of little value

2.  intransitive
verb
inform:
to inform on somebody • Friends
don’t snitch on each other.
noun
(plural snitch·es)

informer:
somebody who informs on others (slang)
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—snitch·er, noun[1]



snivel

snivel
sniv·el 
[snív’l] intransitive verb (past
sniv·eled or sniv·elled, past participle sniv·el·ling
or sniv·eled or sniv·elled, present participle
sniv·el·ing, 3rd person present singular sniv·els)

1.  sniff:
to sniff audibly

2.  whine:
to behave in a whining, tearful, or self-pitying way

3.  sniffle:
to have a runny nose
noun
(plural sniv·els)

whine or sniff:
an act of sniveling
[Assumed
Old English snyflan]
—sniv·el·er,
noun

—sniv·el·ing,
noun, adjective

—sniv·el·y, adjective[1]



snob

snob
snob 
[snob] (plural snobs) noun

1.  somebody
who looks down on others: somebody who admires and
cultivates relationships with those considered socially superior, and disdains
those considered inferior

2.  somebody
who feels superior: somebody who looks down on
people considered to have inferior knowledge or tastes
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown. Its meaning developed from “cobbler’s apprentice,”
through “lower-class person,” to “somebody who tries to imitate those of higher
status.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Snob originally meant “shoemaker” (a sense
  that survives in places). Cambridge University students of the late 18th
  century adopted it as a slang term for a “townsman, someone not a member of
  the university,” and it seems to have been this usage that formed the basis
  in the 1830s for the emergence of the new general sense “member of the lower
  classes.” The modern sense “someone who apes social superiors” received a
  considerable boost when William Thackeray used it in his Book of Snobs
  ( 1848 ). As for the origins of the word itself, the suggestion that it comes
  from s.nob., short for Latin sine nobilitate “without
  nobility,” is ingenious but ignores the word’s early history.

[1]



snobappeal

snobappeal
snob
ap·peal
noun

qualities that appeal to
snobbery: qualities intended to appeal
to a sense of snobbery in people and make them want to be part of or have
something[1]



snobbery

snobbery
snob·ber·y 
(plural snob·ber·ies) noun

snob’s behavior:
the attitude or behavior of somebody who looks down on those considered
inferior, or a particular example of this.
Also called
snobbism[1]



snobbish

snobbish
snob·bish 
adjective

acting
like a snob: displaying an offensively superior
condescending manner
—snob·bish·ly,
adverb

—snob·bish·ness, noun[1]



snobbism

snobbism
snob·bism 
(plural snob·bisms) noun

See
snobbery[1]



snobby

snobby
snob·by
(comparative snob·bi·er, superlative snob·bi·est) adjective

snobbish:
snobbish (informal)[1]



SNOBOL

SNOBOL
SNOBOL
[snṓ bawl] noun

computer
programming language: a computer programming
language designed for dealing with strings of symbols. Full form String
Oriented Symbolic Language
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
“COBOL.”][1]



Sno-Cat

Sno-Cat
Sno-Cat 
[snṓ kat] Trademark

a trademark for a motorized
vehicle that has tractor treads for moving easily on snow[1]



snoek

snoek
snoek 
[snook] (plural snoeks or
snoek) noun

edible
fish of southern hemisphere: a long predatory edible fish
of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa that belongs to the snake mackerel
family. Latin name: Thyrsites atun
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Middle Dutch snoec “pike” (source of English snook ).][1]



snollygoster

snollygoster
snol·ly·gos·ter 
[snóli gòstər] (plural snol·ly·gos·ters
(informal)) noun

self-seeker:
somebody, especially a politician, whose actions are motivated by self-interest
rather than by high principles (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of earlier snallygaster, perhaps from
Pennsylvania Dutch .][1]



snood

snood

snood 
[snood] noun (plural snoods)

1.  decorative
hair net:
a net that holds a woman’s hair at the back of her head

2.  ribbon
worn by unmarried Scottish women: a hairband or ribbon
that unmarried women in Scotland wore in the 17th and 18th centuries
transitive verb
(past snood·ed, past participle snood·ed, present
participle snood·ing, 3rd person present singular snoods)

wear a snood over the hair:
to fasten the hair with a snood
[Old English snōd .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to spin, sew,” which is also the
ancestor of English needle .][1]



snook

snook1
snook1 [snook,
snk] (plural snook or snooks)
noun

large
bony fish:
a large bony fish that lives in warm seas and rivers. Latin name: Centropomus
undecimalis
Also
called
sergeant fish
[Late 17th century. Via Dutch
snoek “pike” from Middle Dutch snoec .][1]



snook

snook2
snook2 [snook,
snk] (plural snooks) noun

rude
gesture:
a gesture made as a sign of contempt, by putting the thumb to the nose with the
fingers outstretched
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



snooker

snooker
snook·er 
[snkər] noun (plural snook·ers)

1.  game
like pool:
a pool game in which a white cue ball is used to hit 15 red balls and 6 balls
of different colors into any of 6 pockets

2.  position
in snooker:
a position in snooker in which a player is forced to play an indirect shot
because another ball is between the cue ball and the target ball
transitive
verb
(past snook·ered, past participle snook·ered, present
participle snook·er·ing, 3rd person present singular snook·ers)

1.  trick
somebody:
to deceive somebody through trickery (informal) • snookered
by a fast-talking salesman into buying something he didn’t really need

2.  put
somebody at disadvantage in snooker: to
put a snooker player in the position of being forced to play an indirect shot
because another ball is between the cue ball and the target ball
[Late
19th century. Origin unknown.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  most widely held theory of the origins of the word snooker
  is that it is an adaptation of late 19th-century British army slang snooker
  “new recruit.” The game was invented, as a diversion perhaps from the
  monotony of billiards, by British army officers serving in India in the
  1870s, and the story goes that the term snooker
  was applied to it by Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain (1856-1944), at that
  time a subaltern in the Devonshire Regiment stationed in Jubbulpore, in
  allusion to the inept play of one of his brother officers.

[1]



snoop

snoop
snoop 
[snoop] intransitive verb (past
snooped, past participle snooped, present participle
snoop·ing, 3rd person present singular snoops)

pry: to
pry into other people’s business or affairs, especially in a furtive way (informal)
noun
(plural snoops) (informal)

1.  somebody
who snoops:
somebody who pries into other people’s business or affairs, especially in a
sneaky way

2.  sneaky
prying into somebody’s affairs: a furtive search or
investigation of somebody’s private property or affairs
[Mid-19th
century. From Dutch snoepen “to eat on the sly.”]
—snoop·er, noun[1]



snooperscope

snooperscope
snoop·er·scope
[snpər skōp] (plural snoop·er·scopes)
noun

optical device for seeing in
dark: a device that converts
infrared radiation into a visual image and is used for seeing in the dark[1]



snoopy

snoopy
snoop·y 
(comparative snoop·i·er, superlative snoop·i·est) adjective

inclined to snoop:
tending to pry into the affairs of others[1]



snoot

snoot
snoot 
[snoot] noun (plural snoots)

nose:
a nose or snout (informal)
transitive
verb
(past snoot·ed, past participle snoot·ed, present
participle snoot·ing, 3rd person present singular snoots)

condescend
to somebody: to treat somebody haughtily (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
snout . In the meaning of “condescend,” a
back-formation from snooty .][1]



snooty

snooty
snoot·y 
[sntee] (comparative snoot·i·er,
superlative snoot·i·est) adjective (informal)

1.  supercilious:
showing a haughty, condescending manner

2.  exclusive:
excluding some people out of snobbery
[Early
20th century. Formed from snoot, from the
notion of looking down one’s nose at others.]
—snoot·i·ly,
adverb

—snoot·i·ness, noun[1]



snooze

snooze
snooze 
[snooz] intransitive verb (past
snoozed, past participle snoozed, present participle
snooz·ing, 3rd person present singular snooz·es)

to
nap:
to have a short sleep (informal)
noun
(plural snooz·es)

a
nap:
a short sleep (informal)
[Late
18th century. Origin unknown.]
—snooz·er, noun[1]



snore

snore

snore 
[snawr] intransitive verb (past
snored, past participle snored, present participle snor·ing,
3rd person present singular snores)
breathe
noisily in sleep: to breathe noisily while asleep because
of vibrations of the soft palate
noun
(plural snores)
a
sound made by snoring: a snorting or whistling
sound made while sleeping, or an act of snoring
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Old English fnora “sneezing.”]
—snor·er, noun[1]



snorkel

snorkel
snor·kel 
[snáwrk’l] noun (plural snor·kels)

1.  breathing
apparatus:
a device allowing somebody to swim just below water, consisting of a face mask
and a breathing tube held in the mouth while the other end projects above the
water

2.  ventilator
on submarine: a ventilation device on a submarine. It
projects above the surface while the vessel is submerged, allowing air in and
gases out.

3.  device
on tank:
a device on a tank or other vehicle that functions like the snorkel on a
submarine and enables the vehicle to go through shallow water
intransitive
verb
(past snor·keled, past participle snor·keled, present
participle snor·kel·ing, 3rd person present singular snor·kels)

swim with snorkel:
to swim underwater breathing air through a snorkel
[Mid-20th
century. From German Schnorchel, from a dialect word meaning “nose”;
originally “intake and exhaust shaft of a submarine”; from its resemblance to a
nose.]
—snor·kel·er, noun[1]



snorkeling

snorkeling
snor·kel·ing
noun

swimming with snorkel:
the activity or pastime of swimming with a snorkel[1]



snort

snort

snort 
[snawrt] verb (past snort·ed,
past participle snort·ed, present participle snort·ing,
3rd person present singular snorts)

1.  intransitive
verb
force
air through nose: to make a harsh sound by forcing air out
through the nostrils

2.  intransitive
verb
show
contempt:
to express a feeling, especially of contempt or impatience, by snorting

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS inhale drug:
to inhale a powdered drug through the nostrils (slang)
noun (plural
snorts)

1.  harsh
sound:
a harsh sound made by snorting, or an instance of this

2.  gulp
of alcohol:
a short drink, especially of alcohol, taken all at once (informal)

3.  DRUGS inhalation
of drug:
an act of inhaling a powdered drug through the nostrils (slang)

4.  submarine
snorkel:
the snorkel of a submarine (slang)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of snore
.]
—snort·er,
noun

—snort·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



snot

snot
snot 
[snot] (plural snots) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to mucus produced in the nose (slang offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody whose behavior is regarded as arrogant
or condescending (slang insult)
[Old English gesnot .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English snout and snoot .][1]



snot-nosed

snot-nosed
snot-nosed
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term describing somebody who is regarded as being young and
precocious but not to be taken seriously (slang offensive)[1]



snotty

snotty
snot·ty 
[snótee] (comparative snot·ti·er,
superlative snot·ti·est) adjective (slang offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing something that is wet or dirty with nasal mucus

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing somebody who is regarded as behaving in an
arrogant and condescending manner

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing actions that are regarded as mean or rude
—snot·ti·ly,
adverb

—snot·ti·ness, noun[1]



snout

snout
snout 
[snowt] (plural snouts) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
nose:
the projecting part of a vertebrate’s head, consisting of the nose and mouth

2.  INSECTS projecting
part of insect’s head: the projecting part of the
head of an insect or other invertebrate such as a weevil

3.  large
nose:
somebody’s nose (slang)

4.  projection
similar to a snout: something that sticks out
like a snout such as the muzzle of a gun

5.  GEOLOGY steep
end of glacier: the leading face of a glacier, usually
heavily loaded with rock debris
[13th
century]
—snout·ed, adjective[1]



snoutbeetle

snoutbeetle
snout
bee·tle
noun

See
weevil  noun 1
[“Snout” from the shape of
its head][1]



snow

snow
snow 
[snō] noun (plural snows)

1.  METEOROLOGY ice
crystal flakes: water vapor in the atmosphere that has
frozen into ice crystals and then falls to the ground in the form of flakes

2.  METEOROLOGY fall
of snow:
an amount of snow that falls at one time • had
a heavy snow last night

3.  METEOROLOGY snow
on ground:
a layer of snow on the ground

4.  something
resembling snow: something that resembles snow in color
or texture

5.  ELECTRICITY white
specks on television screen: random patterns of small
white specks on a television or radar screen caused by electrical interference

6.  dessert
resembling snow: a dessert made of whipped egg whites,
sugar, and fruit

7.  DRUGS narcotic
drug:
cocaine or heroin in the form of a white powder (slang)
verb
(past snowed, past participle snowed, present
participle snow·ing, 3rd person present singular snows)

1.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY to
fall in the form of snow: to be marked by the falling
of snow • It’s
snowing!

2.  transitive
verb
cover
something with snow: to cover, close in, or block
with a fall of snow • We
were snowed in for two days.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
like snow:
to fall as snow or like snow, or make something fall in this way

4.  transitive
verb
persuade
somebody with glib talk: to overwhelm or deceive
somebody especially with flattery or charm (slang) • She
actually snowed us into buying worthless stock.
[Old
English snāw . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “snow.”]
be
snowed under (with something)

to be overwhelmed with
something, especially work[1]



snowball

snowball
snow·ball 
[snṓ bàwl] noun (plural snow·balls)

1.  ball
of snow:
a soft lump of snow for throwing at somebody or something, made from handfuls
of snow pressed together

2.  frozen
snack:
a frozen snack made from crushed ice and colored, flavored syrup
verb
(past snow·balled, past participle snow·balled, present
participle snow·ball·ing, 3rd person present singular snow·balls)

1.  intransitive
verb
increase
rapidly:
to grow or multiply rapidly or at an accelerating rate • The
event snowballed until hundreds of people were involved.

2.  transitive
verb
cause
to increase: to cause something to increase rapidly
or at an accelerating rate

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb throw
snowballs:
to throw snowballs at each other or at somebody else
not
have a snowball’s chance (in hell)

to have no chance at all (informal)[1]



Snowbelt

Snowbelt
Snowbelt
or Snow Belt noun

northern United States:
the northern regions of the United States, especially the Midwest and
Northeast, which have a large amount of snow in winter[1]



snowberry

snowberry
snow·ber·ry 
[snṓ beree] (plural snow·ber·ries)
noun

1.  shrub
with white berries: a North American shrub with
small pink flowers and white berries. Genus: Symphoricarpos

2.  white
berry:
the white berry that grows on the snowberry shrub

[1]



snowbird

snowbird
snow·bird 
[snṓ bùrd] (plural snow·birds)
noun

1.  winter
traveler to a warmer climate: somebody who travels to a
place that has a warmer climate in the winter (informal)

2.  bird
seen in winter: any bird that is seen chiefly in winter
such as the snow bunting, fieldfare, and junco

[1]



snow-blind

snow-blind
snow-blind
or snow-blind·ed adjective

temporarily blinded by glare:
effected with temporary blindness and pain in the eyes caused by bright light
reflected from snow and ice[1]



snowblindness

snowblindness
snow
blind·ness
noun

temporary blindness:
a condition of temporary blindness caused by the bright sunlight and intense
radiation reflected from snow or ice, which causes swelling of parts of the
eyeball and severe pain[1]



snowblink

snowblink
snow·blink 
[snṓ blìngk] noun

glow in sky:
a white glow in the sky, especially in polar regions, caused by reflection of
light from distant snowfields[1]



snowblower

snowblower
snow·blow·er
[snṓ bl ər] (plural snow·blow·ers)
noun

machine for clearing snow:
a machine that clears snow from roads by scooping it into a fast-rotating
spiral blade and ejecting it to one side.
Also called
snow thrower[1]



snowboard

snowboard
snow·board 
[snṓ bàwrd] (past snow·board·ed,
past participle snow·board·ed, present participle snow·board·ing,
3rd person present singular snow·boards, plural snow·boards)
noun

1.  board
for sliding on snow: a board that somebody stands
on to slide down snow slopes. It has bindings for the feet and is used without
ski poles.

2.  intransitive
verb
use
a snowboard: to slide down snow slopes using a
snowboard
—snow·board·er,
noun

—snow·board·ing, noun[1]



snowbound

snowbound
snow·bound 
[snṓ bòwnd] adjective

kept in by snow:
prevented from moving or leaving a place by heavy snow[1]



snowbunting

snowbunting
snow
bunt·ing
noun

finch with dark markings:
a white finch with dark markings that nests on tundra and winters in coastal
regions. Latin name: Plectrophenax nivalis
Also called
snowflake[1]



snowbush

snowbush
snow·bush 
[snṓ bsh] (plural snow·bush·es)
noun

spiny shrub:
a spiny shrub that has small white flowers and is native to California and
Oregon. Latin name: Ceanothus cordulatus[1]



snowcap

snowcap
snow·cap 
[snṓ kàp] (plural snow·caps) noun

snow
that covers a peak: a covering of snow on a
mountain peak
—snow·capped, adjective[1]



snowcone

snowcone
snow
cone
(plural snow cones) noun

flavored ice snack:
a snack consisting of crushed flavored ice served in a paper cone[1]



snowdrift

snowdrift
snow·drift 
[snṓ drìft] (plural snow·drifts)
noun

bank of snow:
a bank of snow piled up by the wind[1]



snowdrop

snowdrop
snow·drop 
[snṓ dròp] (plural snow·drops)
noun

plant that blossoms in early
spring: a bulbous plant of Europe
and Asia with small white drooping flowers that appear early in spring. Latin
name: Galanthus nivalis[1]



snowdroptree

snowdroptree
snow·drop
tree
noun

See
silverbell[1]



snowfall

snowfall
snow·fall 
[snṓ fàwl] (plural snow·falls)
noun

1.  fall
of snow:
a period during which snow falls or an instance of snow falling

2.  amount
of fallen snow: the amount of snow that falls in a
particular place or in a given period • What
is the average snowfall for the area?

[1]



snowfence

snowfence
snow
fence
noun

fence for preventing snow
drifts: a portable flexible fence
made of upright slats, designed to stop snow from drifting onto roads or ski
runs[1]



snowfield

snowfield
snow·field
[snṓ fld] (plural snow·fields)
noun

large snow-covered area:
a large area permanently covered in snow[1]



snowflake

snowflake
snow·flake 
[snṓ flàyk] (plural snow·flakes)
noun

1.  crystal
of snow:
any of the individual masses of ice crystals that together fall as snow

2.  plant
with bell-shaped flowers: a bulbous garden plant with
white flowers like those of a snowdrop but larger. Genus: Leucojum

3.  See
snow bunting

[1]



snowgoose

snowgoose
snow
goose
noun

white goose with black
wingtips: a North American goose that
breeds in Arctic regions and migrates to coastal areas in winter. The adults
have white plumage and black wing tips. Latin name: Anser caerulescens[1]



snow-in-summer

snow-in-summer
snow-in-sum·mer 
noun

plant with white flowers:
a perennial European plant with wooly stems, notched silvery-green leaves, and
white flowers. Latin name: Cerastium tomentosum[1]



snowjob

snowjob
snow
job
noun

attempt to mislead:
an attempt to mislead or persuade somebody by insincere talk or flattery (slang)[1]



snowleopard

snowleopard

snow leop·ard
noun
Asian mountain cat:
a large cat that lives in mountainous regions of central Asia and has a thick
pale-gray or brown coat marked with dark splotches. Latin name: Panthera
uncia[1]



snowline

snowline
snow
line
noun

boundary of snowfield:
the line of altitude above which there is permanent snow, or the line of
latitude that marks the extent of permanent snow in the polar regions[1]



snowmaking

snowmaking
snow·mak·ing 
[snów màukiln] noun

process of making snow:
the science or process or making artificial snow, for example, at a ski area[1]



snowman

snowman
snow·man 
[snṓ màn] (plural snow·men [snṓ men]) noun

snow figure:
a roughly human figure made by piling up and shaping snow[1]



snowmelt

snowmelt
snow·melt 
[snṓ mèlt] noun

1.  runoff:
runoff produced when snow melts

2.  season:
the season when snow melts

[1]



snowmobile

snowmobile
snow·mo·bile 
[snṓmə bl, snṓ
mō bl] (plural snow·mo·biles) noun

small
vehicle for traveling over snow: a small vehicle used
for traveling over snow. It has runners at the front and a Caterpillar™ track
underneath.
—snow·mo·bil·er,
noun

—snow·mo·bil·ing, noun[1]



snow-on-the-mountain

snow-on-the-mountain
snow-on-the-moun·tain 
noun

shrub with white bracts:
a North American shrub that has white-edged leaves and white bracts. Latin
name: Euphorbia marginata[1]



snowpack

snowpack
snow·pack
[snów pàk] (plural snow·packs)
noun

snow accumulation:
accumulated snow, usually in a mountainous area[1]



snowpea

snowpea
snow
pea
(plural snow peas) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand vegetable:
a variety of garden pea that has an edible thin flat pod. Latin name: Pisum
sativum
Also called
sugar pea[1]



snowpellet

snowpellet
snow
pel·let
(plural snow pel·lets) noun

soft ice:
a soft white round mass of ice that falls as precipitation (often used in
the plural)[1]



snowplant

snowplant
snow
plant
noun

early blossoming plant:
a plant with scarlet flowers and a fleshy reddish stalk. It grows in the
mountains of western North America and often flowers before the snow has
melted. Latin name: Sarcodes sanguinea[1]



snowplow

snowplow
snow·plow 
[snó plòw] noun (plural snow·plows)

1.  vehicle
for clearing snow: a vehicle or an implement
that can be fixed to a vehicle, used for clearing snow from roads or paths

2.  control
technique in skiing: a technique used in skiing
in which the points of the skis are brought together to make a V, enabling the
skier to turn or stop
intransitive
verb
(past snow·plowed, past participle snow·plowed, present
participle snow·plowing, 3rd person present singular snow·plows)

ski in snowplow position:
to use the snowplow position to turn or stop in skiing

[1]



snowshed

snowshed
snow·shed
[snṓ shèd] (plural snow·sheds)
noun

shelter on railroad track:
a shelter over an open section of a railroad track, especially on a
mountainside, to prevent it from getting covered in snow[1]



snowshoe

snowshoe

snow·shoe 
[snṓ sh] noun (plural snow·shoes)
shoe
for walking in snow: a metal or wood framework
with interwoven straps that is attached to a boot and allows the wearer to walk
on snow without sinking
intransitive
verb
(past snow·shoed, past participle snow·shoed, present
participle snow·shoe·ing, 3rd person present singular snow·shoes)
walk
in snowshoes: to walk on snow wearing snowshoes
—snow·sho·er, noun[1]



snowshoehare

snowshoehare
snow·shoe
hare
or snow·shoe rabbit (plural snow·shoe rabbits) noun

white North American hare:
a North American hare with a white winter coat that turns brown in summer and
large heavily furred hind feet that allow it to move quickly in snow. Latin
name: Lepus americanus
Also called
varying hare[1]



snowstorm

snowstorm
snow·storm 
[snṓ stàwrm] (plural snow·storms)
noun

storm of heavy snow:
a storm with heavy snow and sometimes strong winds[1]



snowsuit

snowsuit
snow·suit 
[snṓ snt] (plural snow·suits)
noun

warm garment for snowy
weather: an insulated, often
water-resistant, garment of one or two pieces worn by children in cold snowy
weather[1]



snowthrower

snowthrower
snow
throw·er
(plural snow throw·ers) noun

See
snow blower[1]



snowtire

snowtire
snow
tire
noun

tire used in snow:
a tire with a deep tread pattern or studs to provide extra traction for a
vehicle driving in snowy conditions[1]



snowunder

snowunder
snow
under
transitive verb (past snowed un·der, past participle
snowed un·der, present participle snow·ing un·der, 3rd
person present singular snows un·der)

defeat
opponent:
to defeat an opposing team soundly


overwhelm somebody with something:
to inundate somebody with something such as work beyond the point at which the
person can deal with it[1]



snow-white

snow-white
snow-white 
adjective

white
as snow:
as white as fresh snow
—snow white, noun[1]



snowy

snowy
snow·y 
adjective

1.  marked
by snow:
characterized by the presence of snow • a
snowy day

2.  like
snow:
resembling snow, especially in color or purity • a
snowy beard
—snow·i·ly,
adverb

—snow·i·ness, noun[1]



snowyegret

snowyegret
snow·y
e·gret
noun

egret with white feathers:
a small egret of North and South America that has white feathers, black legs,
and yellow feet. Latin name: Egretta thula[1]



SnowyMountains

SnowyMountains
Snow·y
Moun·tains

range of peaks within the
Australian Alps, in southeastern New South Wales, Australia. Mount Kosciusko is
both its highest peak and the highest peak in Australia, 2,228 m/7,310 ft .[1]



snowyowl

snowyowl
snow·y
owl
noun

Arctic owl:
a large white owl that lives in the Arctic. It builds nests on the ground and
feeds mainly on lemmings. Latin name: Nyctea scandiaca[1]



snowyplover

snowyplover
snow·y
plov·er
(plural snow·y plov·ers) noun

North American plover:
a small shorebird with white underparts found on sandy coasts, sand flats, and
alkali ponds in the United States and Mexico. Latin name: Charadrius
alexandrinus[1]



snub

snub
snub 
[snub] transitive verb (past snubbed,
past participle snubbed, present participle snub·bing,
3rd person present singular snubs)

1.  treat
somebody rudely: to treat somebody with deliberate
coldness or contempt

2.  bring
something to a stop: to stop a line from paying
out by wrapping it around something, or to stop something attached to a line
such as a boat or horse from getting away by wrapping the line around something

3.  stub
something out: to extinguish something by stubbing it
out
noun
(plural snubs)

humiliating action:
a remark or act intended to humiliate or insult, for example, ignoring somebody
adjective

small: short
and flat or turned up at the end
[14th
century. From Old Norse snubba, of uncertain origin: probably from a
prehistoric Germanic base of words concerning the nose, which is also the
ancestor of English sniff .]
—snub·ber, noun[1]



snubby

snubby
snub·by
(comparative snub·bi·er, superlative snub·bi·est) adjective

1.  tending
to snub people: tending to treat people with a lack of
regard, for example, by ignoring or insulting them

2.  See
snub-nosed

[1]



snub-nosed

snub-nosed
snub-nosed 
adjective

1.  with
short barrel or blunt end: having a very short barrel
or a blunt end • snub-nosed pliers

2.  with
turned up nose: with a nose that is short and flat or
turned up

[1]



snuck

snuck
snuck 
[snuk]

Past tense of
sneak Past participle of sneak[1]



snuff

snuff2
snuff2 [snuf]
noun (plural snuffs)

1.  powdered
tobacco:
tobacco in the form of powder, taken by sniffing it up the nostrils

2.  amount
of snuff:
a portion of snuff
intransitive
verb
(past snuffed, past participle snuffed, present
participle snuff·ing, 3rd person present singular snuffs)

take snuff: to
inhale snuff
[Late 17th century. From
Dutch snuf, shortening of snuftabak, literally “sniffing
tobacco.” The verb came from Dutch snuffen “to snuffle.”][1]



snuff

snuff3
snuff3 verb (past snuffed,
past participle snuffed, present participle snuff·ing,
3rd person present singular snuffs)

1.  transitive
verb
inhale
something:
to inhale something through the nose

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb sniff:
to sniff, especially noisily, or to examine something by sniffing it • The
hounds snuffed the ground searching for the trail.
noun
(plural snuffs)

sniffing sound:
a sound made by sniffing noisily
[Early 16th century. From
Dutch snuffen “to snuffle,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
concerning the nose (see snub ).][1]



snuff

snuff1
snuff1 [snuf]
transitive verb (past snuffed, past participle snuffed,
present participle snuff·ing, 3rd person present singular snuffs)

1.  extinguish
flame:
to extinguish a flame, for example, that of a burning candle

2.  trim
candlewick:
to remove the burned end from the wick of a candle

3.  destroy
something:
to put an end to somebody or something (informal) • snuff
out enthusiasm
noun
(plural snuffs)

sooty wick: the
sooty, charred end of a candlewick
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



snuffbox

snuffbox
snuff·box 
[snúf boks] (plural snuff·box·es)
noun

box for storing snuff:
a small ornamental box for powdered tobacco[1]



snuff-colored

snuff-colored
snuff-col·ored
adjective

brownish:
of a dark yellowish-brown color[1]



snuffer

snuffer
snuff·er
[snúfər] (plural snuff·ers) noun

1.  long-handled
candle extinguisher: a device used to extinguish
a candle, consisting of a long handle with a cone shape at one end

2.  snuff·ers
candle
extinguisher like scissors: an instrument resembling a
pair of scissors, used for trimming wicks or extinguishing candles or oil lamps
(takes a singular or plural verb)

[1]



snuffle

snuffle
snuf·fle 
[snúf’l] verb (past snuf·fled,
past participle snuf·fled, present participle snuf·fling,
3rd person present singular snuf·fles)

1.  intransitive
verb
breathe
noisily:
to breathe noisily through a partially blocked nose

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
nasally:
to speak or say something in a nasal or whining way

3.  intransitive
verb
sniff:
to make repeated sniffing sounds
noun
(plural snuf·fles)

sound of snuffling:
the act of snuffling, or the sound made by breathing noisily through the nose
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Dutch snuffelen, literally
“to keep sniffing about,” from snuffen “to sniff.”]
—snuf·fler,
noun

—snuf·fly, adjective[1]



snuffmovie

snuffmovie
snuff
movie
or snuff film noun

porn movie with alleged
murder: a pornographic movie or
video that allegedly ends with the murder of one of the participants in a sex
act (slang)[1]



snuffy

snuffy
snuff·y
[snúfee] (comparative snuff·i·er,
superlative snuff·i·est) adjective

1.  disagreeable:
in a bad temper and acting irritably

2.  like
snuff:
like snuff in color or smell

3.  covered
with snuff:
soiled or marked with snuff
—snuff·i·ness, noun[1]



snug

snug
snug
[snug] adjective (comparative snug·ger,
superlative snug·gest)

1.  cozy:
warm and comfortable

2.  small
but comfortable: small in size but offering a comfortable
well-arranged space • a snug
cottage

3.  sheltered:
protected from the weather • The
fishing boats were snug in the harbor.

4.  close-fitting:
fitting comfortably close or too close • The
sweater was perhaps a little too snug.

5.  seaworthy:
seaworthy because of being well-built

6.  concealed:
offering a safe and private hiding place

7.  financially
secure:
allowing one to live comfortably and securely, without having to worry about
money
noun
(plural snugs)

1.  U.K.
small
room:
a small room or enclosed area in a pub allowing a small number of people to sit
in private.
Also
called
snuggery

2.  peg
for holding a bolt: a small peg used to hold the
head of a bolt in place while a nut is tightened onto the end
verb
(past snugged, past participle snugged, present
participle snug·ging, 3rd person present singular snugs)

1.  intransitive
verb
snuggle:
to lie closely together or curl up in a cozy way • snug
in the overstuffed chair

2.  transitive
verb
make
snug:
to make somebody or something comfortable and warm

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb secure
a boat:
to make a boat secure to weather a storm
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Scandinavian or Low Dutch .][1]



snuggery

snuggery
snug·ger·y 
[snúgəree] (plural snug·ger·ies)
noun U.K.

1.  cozy
place:
a place that is warm and comfortable

2.  See
snug
[Early 19th century. Formed
from snug .][1]



snuggle

snuggle
snug·gle 
[snúg’l] (past snug·gled, past
participle snug·gled, present participle snug·gling, 3rd
person present singular snug·gles, plural snug·gles) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
cuddle
up:
to get into a comfortable, cozy position, especially close to another person

2.  transitive
verb
get
close to somebody: to draw close to somebody or
something to offer or receive comfort and affection • snuggled
in front of the fireplace
[Late 17th century. Formed
from snug .][1]



Snyder,Gary

Snyder,Gary
Sny·der
[sndər], Gary (1930– )

U.S. writer. His poetry,
translations, and essays showed the influence of his interests in ecology, Zen
Buddhism, and Native American culture, and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning
verse collection Turtle Island ( 1975 ).[1]



So.

So.
So.
or so.

1.  Abbreviation
of
south

2.  Abbreviation
of
southern

[1]



s.o.

s.o.
s.o.

1.  Abbreviation
of
seller’s option

2.  BASEBALL Abbreviation of strike-out

[1]



S.O.

S.O.
S.O.

Abbreviation of
standing order[1]



so

so2
so2 noun

See
sol 1 noun[1]



so

so1
so1 [sō]
CORE
MEANING:
a conjunction indicating the reason for an action or situation, or its result • Let’s
go upstairs and talk, so we can have a little privacy.
• Keep
your password secret so that others cannot use your user name.
• I
had the flu, so I couldn’t attend the meeting.

1.
conjunction in order that:
introduces the reason for doing what has just been mentioned • The
poles are joined together so as to enclose an area of about twenty feet in
diameter.
• He
held her tight so that she wouldn’t fall.

2.
conjunction introduces result:
introduces the result of the situation that has just been mentioned • Everything
is done on a shoestring, so their prices are very low.

3.
adverb refers back:
refers back to something that has just been mentioned • Lunch
may be purchased on the island, for those who desire to do so.

4.
adverb indicates identity:
indicates that what is true of one person or thing is also true of another
person or thing (followed by auxiliary or modal, or by the main verb “do,
have,” or “be”) • If you
can keep a secret, so can I.

5.
adverb as it is:
indicates that something is the way it has been described • Nebraska
has the potential to be very important, and will soon be so, both politically
and commercially.

6.
adverb to such an extent:
emphasizes the degree of something by mentioning its result • He
is so busy working at Nathan’s, he doesn’t have time to take classes.
• He’s
not so unobservant as to miss seeing the change.

7.
adverb emphasizes a quality:
adds emphasis to the meaning of an adverb or adjective • I
was so scared. • He
acts so stubbornly sometimes.

8.
adverb therefore or in consequence:
introduces an event in a sequence • It’s
not working out. So we’ll have to go back to the beginning and start again.
• She
said she would like to see me again. So I gave her my phone number.

9.
adverb introduces comment:
introduces a new topic, or a question or comment about something • So
what are we going to do about it? • So
I see you’ve changed your mind.

10.
adverb indicates position or dimensions:
indicates the position or dimensions of something, using actions or gestures • Hold
onto the boat like so, and hoist yourself up.

11.
conjunction indicates similarity:
indicates that two events or situations are alike in some way • Just
as my circumstances have changed, so too have my aims in life.

12.
adverb indeed: used
to contradict a negative statement (nonstandard) • “You
never explained what to do.”“I did so!”
[Old
English swā . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English such and quasi .]
and
so on

or and
so forthused at the end of a list to indicate that there are other things
that could be mentioned • These
systems are traditionally used in industries such as insurance, banking,
universities and so on. • Remove
any additional hardware from the system (mouse, network card, fax board, modem,
and so forth.)

or
so

approximately
• That
pair of neutron stars at 1,600 light-years isn’t expected to crash for another
billion years or so.

so
be it

expresses
agreement or resignation • I wish
you’d think again, but never mind –so be it!

so
much

or so
manya certain degree or amount • The
government can only do so much. • I
can only take so many insults.

so
much for

1.  indicates
that there is nothing more that can be said or done about something (informal)
• So
much for the morning. I still had the afternoon to get through.

2.  indicates
that something has not been successful or helpful (informal) • Well,
so much for simple fairness!

so
what?

used
to ask rather rudely why something is important, implying that it is not • You
amass all these facts, but the question is, `so what?’

[1]



soak

soak
soak 
[sōk] verb (past soaked,
past participle soaked, present participle soak·ing,
3rd person present singular soaks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb to
steep:
to immerse something in liquid or be immersed in liquid for a period of time

2.  transitive
verb
make
something wet: to make something or somebody completely
wet (often passive) • We got
soaked in the rain on the way home.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb absorb:
to draw something such as moisture in through the pores or other small holes • This
sponge soaks up moisture.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb permeate
something:
to penetrate something by saturating it and passing into pores or small holes • The
water quickly soaked through her shoes.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
stain by soaking: to remove something, especially a mark
or a stain from an item of clothing, by leaving it in liquid for a time

6.  transitive
verb
overcharge:
to overcharge or tax somebody heavily (slang)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
drunk:
to drink too much alcohol, or to make somebody drunk (informal)
noun
(plural soaks)

1.  act
of soaking:
an act or the process of immersing something in liquid • had
a long, leisurely soak in the bathtub

2.  soaking
liquid:
a solution or liquid for soaking something in

3.  hard
drinker:
somebody who habitually drinks too much alcohol (slang)
[Old
English socian, from sūcan, an earlier form of suck]
—soak·er, noun[1]



soakage

soakage
soak·age 
[sṓkij] noun

1.  process
of soaking:
the process of soaking or the condition of being soaked

2.  amount
of liquid:
the amount of liquid soaking into or out of something

[1]



soaking

soaking
soak·ing
[sṓking] noun

1.  instance
of overpaying: an instance of being overcharged for
something (informal)

2.  drenching:
an instance of being made very wet (informal)

3.  steeping:
an act or the process of steeping something in liquid
adjective

very wet: very
wet, especially because of being rained on (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



so-and-so

so-and-so
so-and-so 
(plural so-and-sos) noun

1.  unnamed
person or thing: somebody or something not named or
specified (informal)

2.  somebody
unpleasant:
somebody regarded as annoying or disagreeable (informal insult)

[1]



soap

soap
soap 
[sōp] noun (plural soaps)

1.  cleansing
agent:
a solid, liquid, or powdered cleaning preparation that is made by potassium or
sodium hydroxide reacting with animal or vegetable oils. Soaps are usually used
with water and may contain perfumes or other additional ingredients.

2.  soap
opera:
a soap opera (informal)

3.  metallic
salt combined with fatty acid: a metallic salt of a
fatty acid, often made with calcium, aluminum and lithium, used as a
waterproofing agent and as a base for greases

4.  money
used to bribe: money, especially when it is used as a
bribe or for paying somebody secretly (slang)
verb
(past soaped, past participle soaped, present
participle soap·ing, 3rd person present singular soaps)

1.  transitive
verb
put
soap on:
to put soap on something or somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cajole:
to flatter somebody especially with the intention of persuading or soothing (slang)
[Old English sāpe,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “soap,” which is also the ancestor of
Latin sapo (source of English saponaceous
)][1]



soapbark

soapbark
soap·bark 
[sṓp brk] (plural soap·barks)
noun

1.  evergreen
tree:
a South American evergreen tree of the rose family that has small white flowers
and bark high in saponin. Latin name: Quillaja saponaria

2.  bark
of soapbark: the bark of the soapbark, which contains
saponin and was used in the past as soap.
Also
called
quillai bark

[1]



soapberry

soapberry
soap·ber·ry 
[sṓp bèree] (plural soap·ber·ries)
noun

1.  tropical
American tree: a tropical American tree or shrub that
has pulpy fruit containing saponin. Latin name: Sapindus saponaria
Also
called
chinaberry

2.  berry:
the fruit of the soapberry

[1]



soapboiler

soapboiler
soap
boil·er
noun

maker of soap:
a soap manufacturer[1]



soapbox

soapbox
soap·box 
[sṓp bòks] noun (plural soap·box·es)

1.  platform
for speaking: something, such as a wooden box, used as
a platform for making an impromptu speech

2.  box
for soap:
a box in which soap is packed
intransitive
verb
(past soap·boxed, past participle soap·boxed, present
participle soap·box·ing, 3rd person present singular soap·box·es)

speak unofficially:
to make an unofficial speech in public (informal)

[1]



soapbubble

soapbubble
soap
bub·ble
noun

1.  bubble:
a bubble formed with soapy water

2.  something
illusory:
something that is beautiful but that does not last

[1]



soapopera

soapopera
soap
op·e·ra
noun

1.  serial
drama:
a serial on television or radio that deals with the lives of a group of
characters, especially in a melodramatic or sentimental way

2.  something
like soap opera: an event or series of events that
resembles the events of a soap opera in melodrama or sentimentality
[Soap from the fact that they
were originally often sponsored by soap manufacturing companies][1]



soapplant

soapplant
soap
plant
(plural soap plants) noun

plant with parts used as
soap: any of several plants that
have bulbs or other parts used as soap. Genus: Chlorogalum[1]



soapstone

soapstone
soap·stone 
[sṓp stn] (plural soap·stones)
noun

soft stone:
a dark gray or green soft compact variety of talc that has a soapy texture and
is used to make objects including ornaments and hearths.
Also called
steatite[1]



soapsuds

soapsuds
soap·suds 
[sṓp sùdz] plural noun

See
suds  npl.
—soap·suds·y, adjective[1]



soapwort

soapwort
soap·wort 
[sṓp wùrt, sṓp
wàwrt] (plural soap·worts) noun

See
bouncing Bet[1]



soapy

soapy
soap·y 
[sṓpee] (comparative soap·i·er,
superlative soap·i·est) adjective

1.  with
soap:
full of or covered with soap

2.  like
soap:
with the look or feel of soap • a
soapy texture

3.  insincere:
given to excessive insincere flattery (slang)

[1]



soar

soar
soar 
[sawr] intransitive verb (past
soared, past participle soared, present participle soar·ing,
3rd person present singular soars)

1.  fly:
to fly or rise high in the air

2.  glide
high:
to glide, on rising currents of air

3.  increase
rapidly:
to increase rapidly in number, volume, size, or amount • soaring
prices

4.  become
more intense: to rise to a higher, more intense, or
exalted level
noun

act of soaring:
the act of soaring, or the height or range reached by soaring
[14th
century. Via Old French essorer from assumed Vulgar Latin exaurare,
from Latin ex- “out, up” + aura “air” (see aura ).]
—soar·er, noun[1]



Soave

Soave
So·a·ve
[sō  vay, sw
vay] (plural So·a·ves) noun

white
wine:
a dry white wine made in Italy
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the village of Soave, near Verona in Italy, where it is produced.][1]



Soay

Soay
So·ay 
[sṓ ay, sóy]
(plural So·ays) noun

Scottish sheep:
a small dark brown sheep of a breed found in the Outer Hebrides, especially on
the island of Soay[1]



sob

sob
sob 
[sob] verb (past sobbed,
past participle sobbed, present participle sob·bing,
3rd person present singular sobs)

1.  intransitive
verb
gasp
while crying: to draw in breath while crying, making
gasping sounds

2.  transitive
verb
utter
something while sobbing: to say something while
sobbing

3.  reflexive
verb
become
by sobbing:
to get into a particular state by sobbing • to
sob yourself to sleep
noun
(plural sobs)

sound of sobbing:
a convulsive breath made while sobbing, or the sound of this breath • stifled
a sob
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: possibly from Low German or Low Dutch .]
—sob·bing·ly, adverb[1]



SOB

SOB
SOB
or s.o.b. noun

(taboo offensive) Abbreviation
of son of a bitch[1]



sober

sober
so·ber 
[sṓbər] adjective

1.  not
intoxicated: not under the influence of drugs or
alcohol

2.  tending
not to drink: not in the habit of drinking much
alcohol or using drugs

3.  serious:
serious and thoughtful in demeanor or quality • a
sober face

4.  dull:
lacking vitality or brightness in appearance • He
always dresses in sober colors.

5.  not
fanciful or speculative: based on facts and rational
thinking rather than on speculation • a
sober assessment of the situation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past so·bered,
past participle so·bered, present participle so·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular so·bers)

lessen intoxication:
to become or make somebody become less intoxicated or completely sober
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin sobrius . Ultimately from an
Indo-European negative prefix and a word meaning “to drink,” which is also the
ancestor of English inebriate .]
—so·ber·ing,
adjective

—so·ber·ing·ly,
adverb

—so·ber·ly,
adverb

—so·ber·ness, noun[1]



sobersides

sobersides
so·ber·sides 
[sṓbər sdz] noun

solemn
person:
somebody who is solemn and serious
—so·ber·sid·ed, adjective[1]



sobriety

sobriety
so·bri·e·ty 
[sə br ətee, sō
br ətee] noun

1.  abstinence:
abstinence from or moderation in the use of alcohol or drugs

2.  seriousness:
the quality of being serious and thoughtful
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin sobrius “sober” (see sober
).][1]



sobriquet

sobriquet
so·bri·quet 
[sṓbri kay, sṓbri
ket, sbri káy, sbri két] (plural so·bri·quets) or
sou·bri·quet [sṓbri kay, sṓbri ket, sbri káy,
sbri két] (plural sou·bri·quets)
noun

nickname:
an unofficial name or nickname, especially a humorous one
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “a tap under the chin.”][1]



sobsister

sobsister
sob
sis·ter
noun (informal)

1.  journalist
who writes sentimental stories: a journalist who
writes or edits sentimental stories or answers problems sent in by readers

2.  overly
sentimental do-gooder: somebody who tries to help
others but is often ineffective

[1]



sobstory

sobstory
sob
sto·ry
noun

story provoking pity:
a story told to gain somebody’s sympathy or pity, especially when offered as an
excuse (informal)[1]



soc.

soc.
soc.
or Soc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
society

2.  Abbreviation
of
socialist

[1]



soca

soca
so·ca 
[sṓkə] noun

music
style:
a style of Caribbean music that combines calypso and soul and has a fast beat
[Late 20th century. Blend of soul and calypso
.][1]



socage

socage
soc·age 
[sókij, sṓkij]
or soc·cage [sókij, sṓkij] noun

feudal
system of holding land: a feudal system of holding
land in which the tenant either paid rent or performed a fixed service, usually
agricultural and nonmilitary in nature
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman, where it was formed from soc, variant of
soke .]
—soc·ag·er, noun[1]



so-called

so-called
so-called 
adjective

1.  popularly:
popularly known as, but not necessarily by the speaker or writer • the
so-called Information Superhighway

2.  incorrectly:
incorrectly known as • a
so-called art expert

[1]



soccer

soccer

soc·cer 
[sókər] noun
ball
game using no hands: a game in which two teams of
11 players try to score by kicking or butting a round ball into the net goals
on either end of a rectangular field. Only the goalkeeper may play the ball
with a hand or arm.
U.K.
term
football
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Assoc., an abbreviation of Association football, because it
was played under the rules of the Football Association, as opposed to “Rugby
football.”][1]



soccermom

soccermom
soc·cer
mom
noun

mother occupied with
children’s leisure activities: a
mother who devotes herself to her children’s leisure activities, for example,
driving them to and from sports activities[1]



Socceroos

Socceroos
Soc·ce·roos
[sòkə rz] noun

Australia
Australian soccer team:
an informal name for the Australian national soccer team (informal)[1]



sociable

sociable
so·cia·ble 
[sṓshəb’l] (plural so·cia·bles)
adjective

1.  gregarious:
inclined to seek out the company of other people

2.  friendly:
friendly and pleasant to other people

3.  offering
opportunity for social interaction:
allowing people to mix in an informal way • a
sociable occasion
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin sociabilis, from socius
“companion” (see social ).]
—so·cia·bil·i·ty
[sshə bíllətee], noun

—so·cia·ble·ness
[sṓshəb’lnəss], noun

—so·cia·bly
[sṓshəblee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  sociable
  or social ?
  Social is a neutral word that
  classifies a person or thing as being concerned in some way with society or
  its organization. A social club is a place provided for people to
  enjoy themselves, and a social worker is involved in work done for
  people’s welfare. Sociable, by contrast,
  is a judgmental word referring to a person’s capacity to deal in social ways
  with other people, so a sociable worker is a worker who enjoys the
  company of colleagues.

[1]



social

social
so·cial 
[sṓshəl] adjective

1.  relating
to society:
relating to human society and how it is organized

2.  relating
to interaction of people: relating to the way people
in groups behave and interact • the
social sciences

3.  living
in a community: living or preferring to live as part of
a community or colony, rather than alone • social
insects such as ants

4.  offering
opportunity for interaction: allowing people to meet and
interact with others in a friendly way • a
social club

5.  relating
to human welfare: relating to human welfare and the
organized welfare services that a community provides • social
services

6.  to
do with rank: relating to or thought appropriate to a
particular rank in society, especially the upper classes

7.  sociable:
tending to seek out the company of others (informal) • a
very social person

8.  growing
in clumps:
used to describe plants that grow in clumps or masses
noun
(plural so·cials)

informal get-together:
an informal gathering or party, usually of a particular group of people who
meet regularly
[Mid-17th
century. Via French from Latin socialis, from socius “companion.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to follow,” which is also the
ancestor of English sequel .]
—so·cial·ly,
adverb

—so·cial·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sociable.

[1]



socialanthropology

socialanthropology
so·cial
an·thro·pol·o·gy noun

U.K.
study of human society:
the scientific study of human society or a particular society, including study
of kinship systems, traditional political and economic practices, rituals, and
beliefs[1]



socialassistance

socialassistance
so·cial
as·sis·tance noun

Canada
social security:
social security[1]



socialcapital

socialcapital
social
capital
noun

upper-class advantages:
the educational, social, and cultural advantages that somebody from the upper
classes is believed to possess[1]



socialclimber

socialclimber
so·cial
climb·er
noun

somebody
seeking social advancement: somebody who tries to join a
higher social class by setting out to mix with people that belong to it (disapproving)
—so·cial climb·ing, noun[1]



socialcognition

socialcognition
so·cial
cog·ni·tion
noun

thought processes for
understanding people: thought
processes involved in understanding and dealing with other people[1]



socialcognitive theory

socialcognitive theory
so·cial
cog·ni·tive the·o·ry noun

theory of how people
understand others: a theory of
how individuals make sense of their social experiences and how the resulting
understanding influences their behavior and development. It is an extension of
the earlier social learning theory.[1]



socialcontract

socialcontract
so·cial
con·tract
or so·cial com·pact noun

agreement of social rights
and duties: an agreement among
individuals in a society or between the people and their government that
describes the rights and duties of each party. It derives from the ideas of
Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau and involves individuals giving up certain freedoms
in return for benefits such as state protection.[1]



SocialCredit

SocialCredit
So·cial
Credit
noun

Canada
Canadian
political party: a Canadian right-wing political party
founded in 1935
—So·cial Cred·it·er, noun[1]



socialDarwinism

socialDarwinism
so·cial
Dar·win·ism
noun

biological
advantage creating economic advantage: a
discredited social theory stating that the political and economic advantages in
a developed society are derived from the biological advantages of its
collective membership
—so·cial Dar·win·ist, noun[1]



socialdemocracy

socialdemocracy
so·cial
de·moc·ra·cy or So·cial De·moc·ra·cy noun

principle
of gradual shift to socialism: the political belief
that a change from capitalism to socialism can be achieved gradually and
democratically
—so·cial
dem·o·crat, noun

—so·cial dem·o·crat·ic,
adjective[1]



SocialDemocratic Party

SocialDemocratic Party
So·cial
Dem·o·crat·ic Party noun

German political party:
a German political party advocating gradual reform to socialism[1]



socialdisease

socialdisease
so·cial
dis·ease
noun

1.  venereal
disease:
a venereal disease (informal) (used euphemistically)

2.  disease
affected by socioeconomic conditions: a
disease, such as tuberculosis, brought about or affected by the socioeconomic
conditions in which people live

[1]



socialdrinker

socialdrinker
so·cial
drink·er
noun

moderate drinker:
somebody who only drinks in company and in moderation[1]



socialengineering

socialengineering
so·cial
en·gi·neer·ing noun

practical application of
social science: the use of policies
that are based on the findings of social science to deal with social problems[1]



socialinsurance

socialinsurance
so·cial
in·sur·ance
noun

insurance provided by state:
state insurance that uses compulsory contributions to pay for benefits for
unemployed and retired people[1]



socialism

socialism
so·cial·ism 
[sṓshə lìzəm] noun

1.  political
system of communal ownership: a political theory or system
in which the means of production and distribution are controlled by the people
and operated according to equity and fairness rather than market principles

2.  movement
based on socialism: any of several political
movements or theories of the 19th and 20th centuries based on principles of
socialism, typically advocating an end to private property and the exploitation
of workers

3.  stage
between capitalism and communism: in Marxist theory, the
stage after the proletarian revolution when a society is changing from
capitalism to communism, marked by pay distributed according to work done
rather than need

[1]



socialist

socialist
so·cial·ist 
[sṓshəlist] or So·cial·ist [sṓshəlist] noun (plural so·cial·ists)
(plural So·cial·ists)

believer in socialism:
somebody who believes in and supports socialism or a socialist party
adjective

1.  advocating
socialism:
relating to, based on, or advocating socialism

2.  so·cial·ist
or So·cial·ist relating to socialists:
relating to socialists or a socialist party
—so·cial·is·tic
[sshə lístik], adjective

—so·cial·is·ti·cal·ly
[sshə lístiklee], adverb[1]



SocialistLabor Party

SocialistLabor Party
So·cial·ist
La·bor Par·ty noun

U.S. Marxist party:
a Marxist political party in the United States[1]



socialistrealism

socialistrealism
so·cial·ist
re·al·ism
noun

theory that art should
glorify Communism: an artistic
doctrine officially sanctioned in many Communist countries, especially during
the 1930s-50s, that proposed the idea that art and literature should serve to
promote and glorify the ideals of a socialist state[1]



socialite

socialite
so·cial·ite 
[sṓshə lt] (plural so·cial·ites)
noun

socially important person:
somebody who is well-known in fashionable society[1]



sociality

sociality
so·ci·al·i·ty 
[sshee álətee] (plural so·ci·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being social: the quality of being social, or an
instance of it

2.  tendency
to form social groups: the tendency to form social
groups or live in a community

[1]



socialization

socialization
so·cial·i·za·tion
[sshələ záysh’n] noun

learning to be part of
society: the process involved when
young children are becoming aware of society and learning how they are expected
to behave[1]



socialize

socialize
so·cial·ize 
[sṓshə lz] (past so·cial·ized,
past participle so·cial·ized, present participle so·cial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular so·cial·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
take
part in social activities: to take part in social
activities or behave in a friendly way to others • a
group of friends who like to socialize after work

2.  transitive
verb
train
to be social: to teach somebody to be a fit member of
society • socialize
a child
—so·cial·iz·er, noun[1]



socializedmedicine

socializedmedicine
so·cial·ized
med·i·cine 
noun

health care subsidized by
government: a system of national health
care that provides medical care to all and is regulated and subsidized by the
government[1]



social-minded

social-minded
so·cial-mind·ed 
adjective

concerned with welfare of
society: concerned with the
conditions of human society and the welfare of others[1]



socialpsychology

socialpsychology
so·cial
psy·chol·o·gy noun

behavior
of groups:
the area of psychology that deals with how groups behave and how individuals
are affected by the group
—so·cial psy·chol·o·gist,
noun[1]



socialrealism

socialrealism
so·cial
re·al·ism
noun

use of realism in arts:
the use of realistic portrayals of life in art or literature to make a social
or political point[1]



socialscience

socialscience
so·cial
sci·ence
noun

1.  study
of society:
the study of people in society and how individuals relate to one another and to
the group

2.  discipline
studying particular area of society: any
of the disciplines within social science that study a particular area of human
society such as sociology, psychology, economics, political science, history,
or anthropology
—so·cial sci·en·tist, noun[1]



socialsecretary

socialsecretary
so·cial
sec·re·tar·y noun

arranger of social
activities: somebody whose job is to
arrange social activities and handle correspondence for a person or
organization[1]



socialsecurity

socialsecurity
so·cial
se·cu·ri·ty
noun

1.  so·cial
se·cu·ri·ty
or So·cial Se·cu·ri·ty government
program providing economic security: a
government program providing for the economic welfare of the individual, for
example, through payments to people who are retired, unemployed, or unable to
work. The U.S. Social Security program was established in 1935 and its funds
come from employers and employees.

2.  money
paid by government to individual: money paid by a
government to an individual through a Social Security program

[1]



socialservice

socialservice
so·cial
ser·vice
noun

service
for welfare of community: a service provided by a
government agency for the welfare of an individual or community. Such services
include housing, child protection, free school lunches, or health care. (often
used in the plural)
plural
noun
so·cial ser·vic·es

agency providing social
services: a government agency that
provides social services to individuals or a community (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



socialstudies

socialstudies
so·cial
stud·ies
noun

school subject involving
study of society: an academic subject
devoted to the study of society and including geography, economics, and history
(takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



socialwelfare

socialwelfare
so·cial
wel·fare
noun

social services:
the social services provided by a state or by a private organization[1]



socialwork

socialwork
so·cial
work
noun

provision
of social services: the profession or work of
providing people in need with social services
—so·cial work·er, noun[1]



societal

societal
so·ci·e·tal 
[sə s ət’l] adjective

relating
to society:
relating to society, especially its organization, structure, or function
—so·ci·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



society

society
so·ci·e·ty 
[sə s ətee] (plural so·ci·e·ties)
noun

1.  relationships
among groups: the sum of social relationships among
groups of humans or animals

2.  structured
community of people: a structured community of
people bound together by similar traditions, institutions, or nationality

3.  customs
of a community: the customs of a community and the way
it is organized, for example, its class structure • the
role of women in society

4.  subset
of society:
a particular section of a community that is distinguished by particular
qualities • In
those days, the subject was never mentioned in polite society.

5.  prominent
people:
the prominent or fashionable people in a community and their social life

6.  companionship:
the state of being with other people • seek
the society of coworkers

7.  group
sharing interests: an organized group of people
who share an interest, aim, or profession
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin societas, literally “companionship,” from socius
“companion” (see social ).][1]



Societyof Friends

Societyof Friends
So·ci·e·ty
of Friends
noun

Quakers:
the Christian group also known as the Quakers (formal)[1]



Societyof Jesus

Societyof Jesus
So·ci·e·ty
of Je·sus
noun

Roman Catholic order:
the Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits (formal)[1]



Socinian

Socinian
So·cin·i·an 
[sō sínee ən] noun (plural So·cin·i·ans)

follower
of Socinus:
a follower of Laelius and Faustus Socinus, Italian theologians who preached
belief in God but rejected other traditional Christian doctrines such as the
Trinity and the divinity of Christ
adjective

relating
to the Socinians: relating to the Socinians and their
beliefs
—So·cin·i·an·ism, noun[1]



socio-

socio-
socio-
prefix

society,
social • sociopath
• sociopsychological
[Via French from, ultimately,
Latin socius “companion” (see social
)][1]



sociobiology

sociobiology
so·ci·o·bi·ol·o·gy 
[ssi ō bī óləjee, sshi
ō bī óləjee] noun

social
behavior in animals: the study of the social
behavior of animals and humans and how this is related to genetics and the
survival of species
—so·ci·o·bi·o·log·i·cal,
adjective[1]



sociocultural

sociocultural
so·ci·o·cul·tur·al 
adjective

social
and cultural: involving cultural and social factors
—so·ci·o·cul·tur·al·ly,
adverb[1]



socioeconomic

socioeconomic
so·ci·o·ec·o·nom·ic 
[ssi ō ékə nómiks, sshi
ō ékə nómiks, sshi ō kə nómiks] adjective

economic
and social:
involving economic and social factors
—so·ci·o·ec·o·nom·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



sociol.

sociol.
sociol.

Abbreviation of
sociology[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sociolinguistics

sociolinguistics
so·ci·o·lin·guis·tics 
[ssi ō ling gwístiks, sshi ō ling gwístiks] noun

study
of language and society: the study of the
relationships between language and the social and cultural factors that affect
it
—so·ci·o·lin·guist
[ssi ō líng gwist, sshi
ō líng gwist], noun

—so·ci·o·lin·guis·tic
[ssi ō ling gwístik, sshi ō ling gwístik], adjective[1]



sociology

sociology
so·ci·ol·o·gy 
[ssee óləjee, sshee
óləjee] noun

1.  study
of society:
the study of the origin, development, and structure of human societies and the
behavior of individuals and groups in society

2.  study
of individual social institution: the study of a
particular social institution and the part it plays in society
[Mid-19th
century. From French sociologie, literally “science of companions,” from
Latin socius “companion” (see socio-
).]
—so·ci·o·log·ic
[sssee ə lójjik, s
shee ə lójjik], adjective

—so·ci·o·log·i·cal·ly
[sssee ə lójjikəlee, sssee ə lójjikəlee], adverb

—so·ci·ol·o·gist [sssee ólləjist, sssee
ólləjist], noun[1]



sociometry

sociometry
so·ci·om·e·try 
[ssee ómətree, sshee
ómətree] noun

study
of groups:
the statistical study of behavior and relationships within social groups,
especially expressed in terms of preferences
—so·ci·o·met·ric
[ssi ō métrik, sshi
ō métrik], adjective

—so·ci·om·e·trist [ssee áwmətrəst, sshee
áwmətrəst], noun[1]



sociopath

sociopath
so·ci·o·path 
[sṓsi ō pàth, sṓshi
ō pàth] noun

See
psychopath
[Mid-20th
century. Modeled on psychopath .]
—so·ci·o·path·ic
[ssi ō páthik], adjective

—so·ci·op·a·thy [ssee óppəthee, sshee
óppəthee], noun[1]



sociopolitical

sociopolitical
so·ci·o·po·lit·i·cal 
[ssi ō pə líttik’l, sshi ō pə líttik’l] adjective

social and political:
relating to or involving both social and political factors[1]



sociopsychological

sociopsychological
so·ci·o·psy·cho·log·i·cal 
[ssi ō sīkə lójik’l, sshi ō sīkə lójik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to social psychology: relating to or involving
social psychology

2.  social
and psychological: relating to or involving
both social and psychological factors

[1]



sock

sock1
sock1 [sawk]
noun

1.  (plural
socks or sox) soft foot covering:
a soft, usually knitted covering for the foot and ankle that may reach as high
as the knee. It is usually worn inside a shoe.

2.  METEOROLOGY See windsock
[Old English socc
“light shoe, slipper,” via prehistoric Germanic from Latin soccus
(source of English socle ), from
Greek sukkhos “(kind of) shoe”][1]



sock

sock2
sock2 [sáwk]
intransitive and transitive verb (past socked, past
participle socked, present participle sock·ing, 3rd
person present singular socks)

strike
somebody:
to hit somebody or something hard, usually with the fist (informal)
noun

hard
hit or blow: a hard hit or blow, usually with the
fist (informal)
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
sock
it to somebody

to subject somebody to a
physical or verbal attack (informal)[1]



sockaway

sockaway
sock
away
transitive verb

U.S.,
Canada, New Zealand save money:
to save money for the future (informal)
[From the practice of storing
savings in a sock][1]



sockdolager

sockdolager
sock·dol·a·ger 
[sawk dóləjər] or sock·dol·o·ger
[sawk dóləjər] noun (dated
informal)

1.  decisive
argument:
a decisive blow or argument

2.  something
outstanding: something outstanding or remarkable
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a fanciful formation from sock
.][1]



socket

socket
sock·et 
[sókət] noun

1.  shaped
hole for connection: a hole or recess in
something specially shaped to receive a particular object or part, for example,
the hole that receives a light bulb or one that receives a plug on an
electrical device

2.  ELECTRICITY
Also
called
power point See outlet

3.  hollow
in body:
a bony hollow in the body into which another part fits
transitive
verb
(past sock·et·ed, past participle sock·et·ed, present
participle sock·et·ing, 3rd person present singular sock·ets)

put in socket:
to insert something into a socket, or to provide something with a socket
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman soket, literally “small plowshare,” from Old French sok
“plowshare,” of uncertain origin: probably ultimately from Gaulish . Originally
“spearhead,” later “socket supporting a spear.”][1]



socketwrench

socketwrench
sock·et
wrench
noun

wrench with interchangeable
sockets: a long-handled wrench with
interchangeable heads that fit over various sized nuts and bolts and a ratchet
that makes tightening nuts and bolts easier[1]



sockeye

sockeye
sock·eye
[sáwk ] (plural sock·eyes or
sock·eye) or sock·eye salm·on [sáwk
] noun

kind
of salmon:
a Pacific food fish in the salmon family that has red flesh. Latin name: Oncorhynchus
nerka
Also
called
red salmon
[Late 19th century. By folk
etymology from Salish sukai, literally “fish of fishes.”][1]



sockin

sockin
sock
in
transitive verb

suspend takeoffs and
landings: to close an airport to air
traffic temporarily because of poor visibility (usually passive)[1]



socko

socko
sock·o 
[sáwkō] adjective

impressive:
producing a strong impression (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from sock 2 .][1]



socle

socle
so·cle 
[sáwk’l] noun

base
that sticks out: a base that sticks out from under the
bottom of a wall, or the lowest part of the base of a column or pedestal
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin socculus “small light shoe,” from soccus
(see sock 1 ).][1]



Socrates

Socrates

Soc·ra·tes 
[sókrə tz] (469–399 BC)
Greek philosopher. His philosophy has
survived through the writings of his pupils, especially Plato. He employed what
became known as the “Socratic method” to question conventional assumptions
about morality, justice, and other social concepts. Charged with atheism and
corrupting youth, he was condemned to death.[1]



Socratic

Socratic
So·crat·ic 
[sə kráttik] adjective

relating
to Socrates: relating to Socrates, to his philosophy,
or to his method of arriving at truth
noun

somebody
studying Socrates: a student or follower of
Socrates
—So·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—So·crat·i·cism,
noun

—So·crat·ist [sókrətəst], noun[1]



Socraticirony

Socraticirony
So·crat·ic
i·ro·ny
noun

feigned ignorance exposing
ignorance of others: ignorance
feigned in order to elicit explanations from somebody whose own ignorance can
then be exposed through subsequent clever questioning.
Also called
irony[1]



Socraticmethod

Socraticmethod
So·crat·ic
meth·od
noun

method of reasoning:
a means of arriving at truth by continually questioning, obtaining answers, and
criticizing the answers[1]



Socred

Socred
So·cred 
[sṓkred] noun

Canada
member
of Social Credit movement: a member or supporter of a
Social Credit movement or political party
adjective

Canada
of
Social Credit party: relating to the Social
Credit political party
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of Social Credit .][1]



sod

sod2
sod2 [sáwd]
noun U.K.

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as stupid, annoying, or
obnoxious (offensive)

2.  any
person:
used, often humorously or affectionately, to refer to a person (slang) (considered
offensive in some contexts)
transitive
verb

U.K. damn:
used as a swearword to express anger or defiance (slang offensive)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of sodomite .][1]



sod

sod1
sod1 [sáwd]
noun

1.  turf:
a surface section or strip of earth with growing grass and roots

2.  ground:
ground or soil (literary)
transitive
verb
(past sod·ded, past participle sod·ded, present
participle sod·ding, 3rd person present singular sods)

cover with turf:
to cover ground with sods
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch or Low German sode “turf,” of unknown origin.][1]



soda

soda
so·da 
[sṓdə] noun

1.  soft
drink:
a flavored and carbonated drink, served cold.
See
also
tonic

2.  See
soda water  noun 1

3.  ice
cream in flavored carbonated water: a
refreshment made with flavored carbonated water and ice cream, usually served
in a tall glass

4.  sodium:
sodium that is chemically combined with other elements

5.  See
sodium bicarbonate

6.  See
sodium carbonate

7.  See
sodium hydroxide

8.  CARD GAMES card
that starts faro: the card from the top of the pack that
is turned face up in the dealing box at the start of the card game faro
[15th century. Via Italian
“saltwort” (from which sodium carbonate is obtained) from Arabic suwwād
.][1]



sodaash

sodaash
so·da
ash
noun

sodium carbonate:
sodium carbonate when sold commercially, for example, for use as a
manufacturing ingredient in the soap and paper industries[1]



sodabiscuit

sodabiscuit
so·da
bis·cuit
noun

1.  biscuit
made using baking soda: a biscuit leavened with
baking soda

2.  See
soda cracker

[1]



sodabread

sodabread
so·da
bread
noun

bread made with baking soda:
bread leavened with soda rather than yeast, associated especially with Irish
cooking[1]



sodacracker

sodacracker
so·da
crack·er
noun

cracker made with baking
soda: a cracker leavened slightly
with baking soda and cream of tartar[1]



sodafountain

sodafountain
so·da
foun·tain
noun

1.  soda
water dispenser: a device for dispensing soda water

2.  food
and drink counter: a counter or stand where
beverages, ice cream, and snacks are sold (dated)

[1]



sodajerk

sodajerk
so·da
jerk
noun

waiter at counter:
somebody who serves food and beverages at a soda fountain (dated slang)[1]



sodalime

sodalime
so·da
lime
noun

sodium and calcium
hydroxides: a mixture of sodium
hydroxide and calcium hydroxide used commercially and industrially to absorb
moisture and carbon dioxide[1]



sodalist

sodalist
so·da·list 
[sṓdələst] noun

member of sodality:
somebody who belongs to a sodality[1]



sodalite

sodalite
so·da·lite 
[sṓdəlt] noun

translucent
mineral:
a blue, grayish, or yellow translucent mineral consisting of sodium and
aluminum silicates with chlorine. It is found in alkaline igneous rocks.
[Early 19th century. Coined
from soda + -lite
.][1]



sodality

sodality
so·dal·i·ty 
[sō dállətee] (plural so·dal·i·ties)
noun

1.  religious
society:
a Roman Catholic lay society that is run as a charity or a religious fellowship

2.  organized
group:
an association or fellowship of any kind
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French sodalité from Latin sodalitas “fellowship,” from sodalis
“fellow, companion.”][1]



sodaniter

sodaniter
so·da
ni·ter
noun

See
Chile saltpeter[1]



sodapop

sodapop
so·da
pop
noun

soft drink:
a flavored and carbonated drink, served cold (informal)[1]



sodasiphon

sodasiphon
so·da
si·phon
noun

See
siphon bottle
Also called
siphon[1]



sodawater

sodawater
so·da
wa·ter
noun

1.  water
charged with carbon dioxide: carbonated water drunk as a
beverage or used as a mixer in alcoholic drinks.
Also
called
club soda
Also
called
soda

2.  digestive
aid:
a weak solution of water, baking soda, and acid, taken to aid digestion

[1]



sodbuster

sodbuster
sod·bus·ter 
noun

1.  farmer:
somebody who farms the land

2.  plow:
a plow that is used to break the sod

3.  Canada
homesteader:
a prairie homesteader, especially one who raised crops (informal)

[1]



sodden

sodden
sod·den 
[sáwd’n] adjective

1.  thoroughly
wet:
saturated with moisture

2.  drunk:
with dulled senses from excessive drinking
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sod·dened,
past participle sod·dened, present participle sod·den·ing,
3rd person present singular sod·dens)

make or become sodden:
to make something or somebody sodden or to become sodden
[13th
century. The obsolete past participle of seethe
. Originally “boiled”; the sense “thoroughly wet” dates from the 19th century.]
—sod·den·ly,
adverb

—sod·den·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



sodium

sodium

so·di·um 
[sṓdee əm] noun
abundantly
occurring chemical element: a soft silver-white metallic
chemical element that reacts readily with other substances. It is essential to
the body’s fluid balance and occurs in abundance, especially in common salt. Symbol
Na
[Early 19th century. Coined
from soda (from its being isolated from
caustic soda) + -ium .][1]



sodiumbenzoate

sodiumbenzoate
so·di·um
ben·zo·ate
noun

food preservative:
a white crystalline powder used as a food preservative, as an antiseptic, and
in pharmaceutical preparations. C7H5O2Na[1]



sodiumbicarbonate

sodiumbicarbonate
so·di·um
bi·car·bon·ate noun

substance used in baking
powder: a white crystalline slightly
alkaline salt used as a leavening agent, in effervescent drinks and fire
extinguishers, and medicinally as an antacid. NaHCO3 
Also called
soda[1]



sodiumcarbonate

sodiumcarbonate
so·di·um
car·bon·ate
noun

1.  salt
of carbonic acid: a white crystalline salt of carbonic
acid used in making glass, ceramics, soap, and paper. It is also used as a
water softener, and in cleaning, bleaching, and photography. Na2CO3 
Also
called
soda

2.  See
washing soda

[1]



sodiumchlorate

sodiumchlorate
so·di·um
chlo·rate
noun

weed killer:
a colorless crystalline salt used as a weed killer, a bleaching agent, and in
explosives. NaClO3[1]



sodiumchloride

sodiumchloride
so·di·um
chlo·ride
noun

substance used for seasoning:
a colorless crystalline compound, found naturally in sea water and halite and
used as a preservative and food seasoning. NaCl
See also
salt[1]



sodiumcitrate

sodiumcitrate
so·di·um
cit·rate
noun

salt used in photography:
a crystalline salt used in photography, and in medicine as an anticoagulant in
stored blood. Na3C6H5O7[1]



sodiumcyanide

sodiumcyanide
so·di·um
cy·a·nide
noun

poisonous chemical substance:
a poisonous white salt used in fumigating, in manufacturing steel and dyes, and
in extracting gold and silver from ore. NaCN[1]



sodiumcyclamate

sodiumcyclamate
so·di·um
cy·cla·mate
noun

See
cyclamate[1]



sodiumdichromate

sodiumdichromate
so·di·um
di·chro·mate noun

oxidizing agent:
a red or orange crystalline salt used in tanning leather, in making dyes and
inks, and as an oxidizing agent and corrosion inhibitor. Na2Cr2O7[1]



sodiumfluoride

sodiumfluoride
so·di·um
fluor·ide
noun

tooth decay preventative:
a poisonous colorless crystalline salt used in small quantities in the
fluoridation of water, in preventing tooth decay, in metallurgy, and as a
pesticide. NaF[1]



sodiumfluoroacetate

sodiumfluoroacetate
so·di·um
fluor·o·ac·e·tate noun

chemical
used to kill rodents: a white poisonous powder
used to kill rodents. C2H2FNaO2
[Mid-20th century.
“Fluoroacetate” coined from fluoro- + acetate .][1]



sodiumglutamate

sodiumglutamate
so·di·um
glu·ta·mate 
noun

See
monosodium glutamate[1]



sodiumhydroxide

sodiumhydroxide
so·di·um
hy·drox·ide
noun

alkaline substance used in
manufacturing: a brittle white
alkaline solid used in making paper, rayon, soap, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,
and in petroleum refining. NaOH
Also called
caustic soda
Also called
soda[1]



sodiumhypochlorite

sodiumhypochlorite
so·di·um
hy·po·chlo·rite noun

chemical for bleaching:
a green crystalline salt used in bleaching, disinfecting, and water
purification. NaOCl[1]



sodiumhyposulfite

sodiumhyposulfite
so·di·um
hy·po·sul·fite noun

See
sodium thiosulfate[1]



sodiumnitrate

sodiumnitrate
so·di·um
ni·trate
noun

chemical for curing meat:
a white crystalline salt used in curing meat, in rocket propellants, as a
fertilizer, and in making explosives, pottery, and glass. NaNO3 
Also called
niter[1]



SodiumPentothal

SodiumPentothal
So·di·um
Pen·to·thal
Trademark

a trademark for thiopental
sodium[1]



sodiumperoxide

sodiumperoxide
so·di·um
per·ox·ide
noun

antiseptic:
a yellowish odorless powder used in bleaching and as an antiseptic and
disinfectant. Na2O2[1]



sodiumphosphate

sodiumphosphate
so·di·um
phos·phate
noun

salt of phosphoric acid:
any of several sodium salts of phosphoric acid that are used in medicine and
manufacturing[1]



sodiumpropionate

sodiumpropionate
so·di·um
pro·pi·o·nate noun

food preservative:
a colorless crystalline powder used to kill bacteria and fungi in the
preservation of food. C3H5NaO2[1]



sodiumpump

sodiumpump
so·di·um
pump
noun

sodium-potassium exchange
process: a molecular process by which
sodium ions are transported across cell membranes and exchanged with potassium
ions[1]



sodiumsilicate

sodiumsilicate
so·di·um
sil·i·cate
noun

silicate glass compound:
any of several compounds of silicate glass used as preservatives, in processing
textiles, and in cement.
Also called
soluble glass[1]



sodiumsulfate

sodiumsulfate
so·di·um
sul·fate
noun

bitter white salt:
a bitter white salt used in making glass, wood pulp, rayon, dyes, detergents,
ceramic glazes, and in pharmaceuticals as a cathartic. Na2SO4[1]



sodiumthiosulfate

sodiumthiosulfate
so·di·um
thi·o·sul·fate noun

fixer in photography:
a white crystalline salt used as a fixer in photography and as a bleach. Na2S2O3 
Also called
sodium hyposulfite[1]



sodium-vaporlamp

sodium-vaporlamp
so·di·um-va·por
lamp 
noun

orange-yellow electric lamp:
an electric lamp containing neon gas and sodium vapor through which a current
runs to produce an orange-yellow light used for street lighting[1]



Sodom

Sodom
Sod·om 
[sódəm] noun

1.  city
of depravity: in the Bible, a city full of moral
corruption and evil that was destroyed along with Gomorrah by God

2.  corrupt
place:
a place that is regarded as corrupt

[1]



sodomite

sodomite
sod·om·ite 
[sódəmt] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody who practices anal intercourse (offensive)
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek Sodomitēs “inhabitant of
Sodom,” from Sodoma “Sodom.”]
—sod·o·mit·ic [sàwdə míttik], adjective[1]



sodomize

sodomize
sod·om·ize 
[sódəmz] (past sod·om·ized, past
participle sod·om·ized, present participle sod·om·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sod·om·iz·es) transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to practice anal intercourse (offensive)[1]



sodomy

sodomy
sod·om·y 
[sódəmee] noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for anal intercourse (offensive)

2.  intercourse
with an animal: sexual intercourse with an animal (offensive)
[13th century. Directly or
via French sodomie from medieval Latin sodomia, which was formed
from ecclesiastical Latin peccatum Sodomiticum “sin of Sodom.”][1]



Sod’sLaw

Sod’sLaw
Sod’s
Law
noun

U.K.
(informal) See Murphy’s Law[1]



soever

soever
so·ev·er 
[sō évvər] adverb

at
all:
in any way or to any degree possible
[13th century. Originally two
words (from so + ever
).][1]



sofa

sofa
so·fa 
[sṓfə] noun

upholstered
seat for several people: a long upholstered seat that
has a back and arms and is made to seat more than one person
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Arabic ṣuffa, literally “long bench.” First attested
in English denoting a “cushioned dais for reclining (as found especially in
Arab countries).”][1]



sofabed

sofabed
so·fa
bed
noun

sofa converting to bed:
a sofa that can be temporarily converted into a bed as required, for example,
by unfolding its seat[1]



sofar

sofar
so·far 
[sṓfr] noun

using
sound to locate survivors: a way of locating survivors
at sea by measuring the time it takes sound waves to reach three shore
locations from an explosion set off underwater by the survivors
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from Sound fixing and ranging .][1]



soffit

soffit

sof·fit 
[sáwfət] noun
bottom
surface:
the underside of a structural component of a building, for example, the
underside of a roof overhang or the inner curve of an arch
[Early 17th century. Via
French soffite or Italian soffitto from, ultimately, Latin suffixus
“fixed under” (see suffix ).][1]



Sofia

Sofia
So·fi·a 
[sṓfee è]

capital city of Bulgaria,
situated in the Sofia basin, about 64 km/40 mi from the Yugoslavian border.
Population: 1,116,000 (1995)[1]



S.of Sol.

S.of Sol.
S.
of Sol.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Song of Solomon[1]



soft

soft
soft 
[sáwft] adjective (comparative
soft·er, superlative soft·est)

1.  malleable:
easily shaped, bent, or cut

2.  yielding:
giving way to externally applied pressure or weight • a
soft cushion

3.  smooth-textured:
having a texture that is smooth to the touch • soft
fur

4.  with
smooth outline: with no sharp or jagged edges • furniture
designed with soft lines

5.  quiet-sounding:
quiet and soothing in sound

6.  easy
on the eyes: without glare or intensity of light or
color

7.  mild:
not blowing strongly nor falling heavily • a
soft rain

8.  affectionate:
conveying love and tenderness

9.  emotional:
easily moved to tender emotions

10. cowardly:
lacking determination or strength of character

11. lenient:
lenient in treatment or punishment, often too lenient

12. undemanding:
requiring little effort or attention (informal) • a
soft job

13. not
well toned:
out of good physical condition

14. incapable
of enduring hardship: unable or unwilling to put
up with hardship or privation, especially from having lived a life of ease

15. lacking
good sense:
lacking intelligence or sound judgment (informal)

16. lacking
significance: dealing with other than serious issues
or facts • soft
news

17. not
easily verifiable: dealing with data that is
not easily proved or disproved using scientific method

18. conciliatory:
based on negotiation, flexibility, and good will rather than on coercion • a
soft sell

19. See
soft-core

20. vulnerable:
unprotected against violent attack

21. MILITARY unarmored:
used to describe military vehicles and sites with little or no protection
against military attack

22. FINANCE relating
to paper money: relating to currency or a monetary system
that is not backed by gold, and is therefore not easily convertible to a
foreign currency

23. COMMERCE declining
economically: exhibiting a downward trend, for
example, in price, demand, or economic activity

24. PHONETICS sibilant
or fricative: used to describe the consonant sounds
“c” and “g” when pronounced as a fricative, as in “dance” and “age,” rather
than as a stop, as in “cat” and “get”

25. PHONETICS palatalized:
used to describe a consonant that is palatalized in a Slavic language

26. PHYSICS low-energy:
used to describe radiation that has low energy and lacks penetrating ability
adverb

softly: in a
quiet, tender, or lenient way
noun

something soft:
a soft thing or part of something
[Old
English sōfte ( earlier sēfte ), from prehistoric Germanic. The
underlying idea is perhaps “fitting, arranged (so as to be pleasing).”]
—soft·ly,
adverb

—soft·ness,
noun
be
soft on somebody

to be romantically attracted
to somebody[1]



softback

softback
soft·back
[sáwft bàk] adjective noun

See
paperback[1]



softball

softball
soft·ball 
[sàwft báwl] noun

1.  ballgame:
a kind of baseball played on a smaller field with a larger and softer ball that
is pitched underhand

2.  ball
used for softball: the ball used to play
softball

[1]



soft-boiled

soft-boiled
soft-boiled 
adjective

1.  with
soft yolk:
boiled so that the yolk is soft but the white is firm

2.  tending
to sympathize: with a sympathetic or sentimental nature

[1]



softbound

softbound
soft·bound 
adjective

See
paperback  adjective[1]



softchancre

softchancre
soft
chan·cre
noun

See
chancroid
[Soft from the softness of
the ulcer][1]



softcoal

softcoal
soft
coal
noun

See
bituminous coal[1]



softcopy

softcopy
soft
cop·y
noun

unprinted information:
data stored on a computer disk, as distinct from data that is printed on paper[1]



soft-core

soft-core
soft-core 
adjective

not explicit sexually:
sexually suggestive or provocative without being explicit[1]



softcover

softcover
soft·cov·er 
[sáwft kùvvər] adjective noun

See
paperback[1]



softdrink

softdrink
soft
drink
noun

cold nonalcoholic drink:
any nonalcoholic and usually carbonated beverage, usually served chilled[1]



softdrug

softdrug
soft
drug
noun

less dangerous illegal drug:
any illicit drug that is thought by some to be less addictive and harmful than
the narcotic drugs heroin and cocaine[1]



soften

soften
soft·en 
[sáwf’n] (past soft·ened, past
participle soft·ened, present participle soft·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular soft·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  make
or become less hard: to become soft or softer, or
to make something soft or softer

2.  be
kinder:
to become gentler or less harsh, or to make something gentler or less harsh

3.  wear
somebody down: to make somebody’s resolve less firm, or
to become less firmly resolved

4.  harass
enemy:
to weaken an enemy’s resistance or morale by continuous bombardment, or to have
resistance or morale weakened

5.  reduce
something:
to decline, for example, in price, demand, or economic activity, or to cause
something such as a market to decline

[1]



softener

softener
soft·en·er
[sáwf’nər] noun

something that softens:
a substance added to something such as water or laundry to make it softer[1]



softfocus

softfocus
soft
fo·cus 
noun

blurring of image:
a deliberate slight blurring of a photograph or a filmed image giving it a hazy
appearance, in order to achieve a special effect such as romance or nostalgia (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



softgoods

softgoods
soft
goods
plural noun

fabric goods:
textiles and the items such as clothing and bedding that are made from them[1]



softhail

softhail
soft
hail
noun

See
graupel[1]



soft-hearted

soft-hearted
soft-heart·ed
adjective

kind:
showing sympathy, kindness, or generosity
—soft-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—soft-heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



softie

softie
soft·ie 
noun

See
softy[1]



soft-kill

soft-kill
soft-kill
adjective

causing inability to
retaliate: intended to disable rather
than kill an enemy[1]



softlanding

softlanding
soft
land·ing
noun

safe landing:
a landing of a spacecraft, especially on the moon, without enough impact to
cause damage[1]



softline

softline
soft
line
noun

moderate
stand:
a flexible and reasonable approach, especially to a political issue
—soft-lin·er, noun[1]



softpalate

softpalate
soft
pal·ate
noun

upper back part of mouth:
the fleshy rear portion of the roof of the mouth, extending from the hard
palate at the front and tapering to the hanging uvula at the rear. It elevates
to close off the nasal passages when swallowing, sucking, and pronouncing
certain sounds.[1]



soft-pedal

soft-pedal
soft-ped·al 
(past soft-ped·aled, past participle soft-ped·aled,
present participle soft-ped·al·ing, 3rd person present
singular soft-ped·als) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  play
piano’s soft pedal: to reduce the volume of
music played on a piano by operating the soft pedal

2.  play
something down: to try to make something seem less
important, noticeable, or objectionable (informal)

[1]



softpedal

softpedal
soft
ped·al
noun

piano pedal reducing volume:
a pedal on a piano that reduces the usual volume. It either shifts the hammers
so that they do not strike all the strings of each note or so that they strike
the strings with less force.[1]



softrock

softrock
soft
rock
noun

melodic rock music:
rock music that tends to be slower and more melodic than hard rock, often
influenced by folk or country and western music[1]



softrot

softrot
soft
rot
noun

decay of plants:
any bacterial or fungal plant disease that causes plant parts, especially
fruits and vegetables, to decay into a pulpy mass[1]



softsell

softsell
soft
sell
noun

subtle selling approach:
a method of selling or advertising goods and services that uses subtlety and
persuasion, rather than aggressive insistence (informal) (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



soft-shell

soft-shell
soft-shell 
adjective

with soft shell:
used to describe an aquatic animal with a soft or thin and brittle shell,
sometimes as a result of having recently molted[1]



soft-shelledturtle

soft-shelledturtle
soft-shelled
tur·tle
noun

freshwater turtle with
leathery shell: a freshwater turtle
with sharp claws, a pointed snout, and a soft flat shell covered with leathery
skin. Family: Trionychidae[1]



soft-shoe

soft-shoe
soft-shoe 
noun

tap dancing:
a type of tap dancing for which soft-soled shoes without metal taps are worn (often
used before a noun)[1]



softshoulder

softshoulder
soft
shoul·der
noun

soft edge of road:
a soft strip of ground alongside a road[1]



softsoap

softsoap
soft
soap
noun

1.  type
of soap:
a liquid or semiliquid soap, usually made with potassium hydroxide

2.  manipulative
flattery:
flattery used for the purpose of persuading or distracting somebody (informal)

[1]



soft-soap

soft-soap
soft-soap 
(past soft-soaped, past participle soft-soaped, present
participle soft-soap·ing, 3rd person present singular soft-soaps)
transitive verb

flatter manipulatively:
to use flattery to persuade or distract somebody (informal)[1]



soft-spoken

soft-spoken
soft-spo·ken 
adjective

with soft voice:
speaking or said with a quiet gentle voice[1]



softspot

softspot
soft
spot
noun

weak
spot:
a place, position, or area in which something is weak or vulnerable
have
a soft spot for somebody or something

to have especially tender
feelings or affection for somebody or something[1]



softtouch

softtouch
soft
touch
noun

persuadable person:
somebody who can be easily swayed or imposed upon to do something[1]



software

software
soft·ware 
[sáwft wàir] noun

programs
and applications for computer: computer programs and
applications, such as word processing or database packages, that can be run on
a particular computer system (often used before a noun)
[Mid-19th century.
Originally, in plural, “soft goods.” The modern sense dates from the mid-20th
century.][1]



softwareengineering

softwareengineering
soft·ware
en·gi·neer·ing noun

design and implementation of
computer programs: the
application of mathematics and technology to the design, implementation, and
testing of computer programs to optimize their production and support[1]



softwarepiracy

softwarepiracy
soft·ware
pi·ra·cy
noun

unauthorized use of software:
the illegal duplication of copyrighted software or the installation of
copyrighted software on more computers than authorized under terms of the
software license agreement[1]



softwater

softwater
soft
wa·ter
noun

water without dissolved
salts: water that contains very low
levels of calcium and magnesium salts, either naturally or because they have
been removed. Soap lathers easily in soft water.[1]



softwheat

softwheat
soft
wheat
noun

type of starchy wheat:
a type of wheat with soft kernels and weak gluten that is relatively low in
protein. It is used mainly for cakes, biscuits, pastries, and as a livestock
feed.[1]



softwood

softwood
soft·wood 
[sáwft wd] (plural soft·woods)
noun

1.  wood
of coniferous tree: the open-grained wood of a
pine, cedar, or other coniferous tree. Many softwoods are, in fact, hard and
durable.

2.  coniferous
tree:
any tree that yields softwood, such as a pine or cedar

[1]



softy

softy
soft·y
[sáwftee] (plural soft·ies) or
soft·ie [sáwftee] noun

weak person:
somebody who is weak, timid, or sentimental (informal)[1]



Sogdian

Sogdian
Sog·di·an 
[sáwgdee ən] noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Asian people: a member of a people that
lived in Sogdiana, an ancient region of central Asia

2.  LANGUAGE Sogdian
language:
the Iranian language of the Sogdian people, now extinct
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek Sogdianos, from Old Persian Suguda
.]
—Sog·di·an, adjective[1]



soggy

soggy
sog·gy 
[sóggee] (comparative sog·gi·er,
superlative sog·gi·est) adjective

1.  thoroughly
wet:
soaked through with moisture

2.  with
too much liquid: unpleasantly wet and heavy in texture

3.  uninteresting:
lacking animation or vitality
[Early
18th century. Formed from obsolete sog “area of marshy ground.”]
—sog·gi·ly,
adverb

—sog·gi·ness, noun[1]



SogneFjord

SogneFjord
Sog·ne
Fjord
[sóngnè fjord]

inlet of the North Sea in
southwestern Norway. Length: 200 km/125 mi.[1]



soh

soh
soh
noun

U.K.
See sol[1]



Soho

Soho
So·ho 
[sṓhō] noun

1.  area
in London:
an area of central London well known for its theaters, restaurants and clubs

2.  So·ho
or So·Ho area in New York:
an area of the lower west side of Manhattan well known for its art studios and
galleries
[In sense 2, from the first
letters of south and of Houston Street,
from its location][1]



soi-disant

soi-disant
soi-di·sant 
[swdee zN, swadee
zn] adjective

so-called:
self-styled or so-called (literary)
[From French, literally
“saying oneself”][1]



soigné

soigné
soi·gné 
[swaa nyáy, swnyay]
or soi·gnée [swaa nyáy, swnyay] adjective

1.  well
groomed:
neat and smart in dress and appearance

2.  well
furnished:
designed or furnished in an elegant style
[Early 19th century. From
French, past participle of soigner “to care for,” from, ultimately,
Germanic.][1]



soil

soil3
soil3 [soyl]
noun

feces:
excrement or sewage
[15th century. From Old
French souille “muddy place,” from soill(i)er (see soil 2 ).][1]



soil

soil2
soil2 [soyl]
transitive verb (past soiled, past participle soiled,
present participle soil·ing, 3rd person present singular soils)

1.  make
dirty:
to make something dirty or stained

2.  bring
dishonor on: to damage somebody’s reputation,
character, or good name
noun

1.  dirt:
dirt or dirty condition • remove
soil from linens

2.  moral
corruption:
immoral behavior or lack of moral standards (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French soill(i)er “to soil, wallow” (probable source of English sully ), of uncertain origin: probably from
assumed Vulgar Latin suculare “to make dirty,” from Latin sus
“pig, boar.”][1]



soil

soil1

soil1 [soyl]
noun

1.  top
layer of land: the top layer of most of the earth’s
land surface, consisting of the unconsolidated products of rock erosion and
organic decay, along with bacteria and fungi (often used before a noun)

2.  kind
of earth:
earth or ground of a particular kind

3.  country:
somebody’s country or land (literary)

4.  farming:
agricultural life and work (literary)

5.  nurturing
medium:
any medium in which growth and development takes place (literary)
[13th century Via
Anglo-Norman, “piece of land,” from Latin solium “seat,” by association
with solum “ground, soil”][1]



soilbank

soilbank
soil
bank
noun

land whose soil is being
improved: land retired from crop
production and planted with soil-building plants under a program that provides
subsidies for the retired land[1]



soilure

soilure
soil·ure 
[sóylyər] noun

1.  dirtying
of something: the soiling or staining of something (literary)

2.  dirty
mark:
a stain or smudge (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French soilleure, from soillier (see soil 2 ).][1]



soiree

soiree
soi·ree 
or soi·rée noun

evening
party:
a party or gathering held in the evening, especially in somebody’s home (formal)
[Late 18th century. From French,
from soir “evening,” from Latin sero “at a late hour,” from serus
“late” (partial source of English serenade
).][1]



soixante-neuf

soixante-neuf
soix·ante-neuf 
[sws aaN nf] noun

(slang
offensive) See sixty-nine
[From French, literally
“sixty-nine”][1]



sojourn

sojourn
so·journ 
[sṓ jùrn] noun

brief
visit:
a short stay at a place (literary)
intransitive
verb
(past so·journed, past participle so·journed, present
participle so·journ·ing, 3rd person present singular so·journs)

stay
for time:
to stay at a place for a time (literary)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sujurn or Old French sojorn (noun) from
sojourner (verb), from assumed Vulgar Latin subdiurnare “to spend
the day,” from late Latin diurnum “day.”]
—so·journ·er, noun[1]



Sokoto

Sokoto
So·ko·to
[sṓkètō]

capital city of Sokoto State,
northwestern Nigeria, situated about 483 km/300 mi northwest of Abuja.
Population: 207,000 (1995)[1]



Sol

Sol
Sol 
[sol] noun

1.  sun
personified: the personification of the sun (literary)

2.  Roman
sun god:
in Roman mythology, the god of the sun. Greek equivalent Helios
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “sun.”][1]



sol

sol4
sol4  [sōl]
(plural soles [sṓlays]) noun
MONEY
Also
called
nuevo sol

1.  Peruvian
unit of currency: the main unit of currency in Peru, worth
100 centimos

2.  coin
worth a sol: a coin worth one sol

[1]



sol

sol3
sol3 [sol]
noun

old
French coin: a copper or silver coin formerly used in
France, worth 12 deniers
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete French from Latin solidus (see soldier
).][1]



sol.

sol.
sol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
soluble

2.  Abbreviation
of
solution

[1]



Sol.

Sol.
Sol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
solicitor

2.  BIBLE Abbreviation of Solomon

[1]



sol

sol1
sol1 [sōl]
noun

note
in music:
the fifth note in the diatonic musical scale. In fixed solfeggio it corresponds
to the note “g.”
Also
called
so
U.K.
term
soh
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, being the first syllable of Latin solve “purge!, release!”, the
word sung to this note in a medieval hymn to St. John the Baptist.][1]



sol

sol2
sol2 [sawl,
sōl] (plural sols) noun

kind
of colloid:
a liquid colloidal solution
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of solution .][1]



sola

sola2
so·la2

Plural of
solum[1]



sola

sola1
so·la1  [sṓlə]
adjective

on stage alone:
used as a stage direction to indicate that a female character appears alone on
stage[1]



solace

solace
sol·ace 
[sólləss] noun

1.  relief
from emotional distress: comfort at a time of
sadness, grief, or disappointment

2.  source
of comfort:
somebody or something that provides comfort in times of sadness, grief, or
disappointment
transitive
verb
(past sol·aced, past participle sol·aced, present
participle sol·ac·ing, 3rd person present singular sol·ac·es)

provide with comfort:
to comfort somebody at a time of sadness, grief, or disappointment
[13th
century. Via Old French solas from Latin solatium, from solari
“to comfort” (source of English console
).]
—sol·ac·er, noun[1]



solan

solan
so·lan 
[sṓlən] or so·lan goose [sṓlən] noun

northern
gannet:
a gannet found in the North Atlantic. Latin name: Morus bassanus
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse súla “gannet” + and-, the stem
of ōnd “duck.”][1]



solanaceous

solanaceous
sol·a·na·ceous
[sòllə náyshəss] adjective

relating
to the nightshades: relating to or belonging to
the nightshade family of plants, a family that includes the potato, tomato, and
tobacco
[Early 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Solanaceae (family name), from Latin solanum
(see solanum ).][1]



solangoose

solangoose
so·lan
goose
noun

See
solan[1]



solanine

solanine
so·la·nine 
[sṓlənn] noun

poisonous alkaloid:
a bitter poisonous alkaloid found in several plants of the nightshade family.
It was formerly used to treat epilepsy, bronchitis, and asthma. C45H73NO15[1]



solanum

solanum
solanum
[sə láynəm, sə
lnəm] (plural solanums or solanum) noun

nightshade
plant:
a plant of the nightshade family. Some species such as the potato and eggplant
are cultivated for food. Genus: Solanum
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, from sol “sun” (see solar ).][1]



solar

solar
so·lar 
[sṓlər] adjective

1.  from
the Sun:
relating to or originating from the Sun

2.  operating
using energy from the Sun: using the Sun’s radiation as
a source of energy

3.  measured
by the Sun’s position: measured with reference to
the Earth’s movement in relation to the Sun
[15th century. From Latin solaris,
from sol “sun” (source of English parasol,
solarium, and solstice ).][1]



solarapex

solarapex
so·lar
a·pex
noun

point toward which the Sun
moves: the point in space toward
which the Sun appears to be moving. It is in the constellation Hercules.[1]



solarbattery

solarbattery
so·lar
bat·ter·y
noun

bank of solar cells:
an arrangement of several solar cells for converting solar radiation into
electricity[1]



solarcell

solarcell
so·lar
cell
noun

converter of solar radiation
to electricity: an electric cell that
converts solar radiation directly into electricity. Solar cells are mounted on
solar panels used, for example, on satellites and spacecraft.[1]



solarcycle

solarcycle
so·lar
cy·cle
noun

calendar based on sun:
a calendar system based on the solar year, typical of most civilizations.
Variations of solar calendars in western civilization are the Julian and
Gregorian calendars.[1]



solarday

solarday
so·lar
day
noun

one rotation of Earth:
the time taken for the Earth to make a complete revolution on its axis,
measured with respect to the Sun[1]



solareclipse

solareclipse
so·lar
e·clipse
noun

blocking of Sun’s light by
Moon: an eclipse in which the Moon
blocks all or part of the Sun’s light from reaching the Earth’s surface,
because it passes directly between the Earth and the Sun[1]



solarflare

solarflare
so·lar
flare
noun

eruption from the sun:
a brief sudden eruption of high-energy hydrogen gas from the surface of the
Sun, associated with sunspots. It causes interruptions of communication systems
on Earth.[1]



solarfurnace

solarfurnace
so·lar
fur·nace
noun

solar concentrator:
a furnace equipped with a series of concave mirrors that are motorized to
follow the Sun and focus its radiation to obtain and maintain extremely high
temperatures[1]



solaria

solaria
so·lar·i·a


Plural of
solarium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








solarimeter

solarimeter
so·lar·im·e·ter 
[slə rímmətər] noun

instrument
measuring solar radiation: an instrument used to
measure solar radiation
[Early 20th century. Coined
from solar + -meter
.][1]



solarium

solarium
so·lar·i·um 
[sə lérree əm, sō
lérree əm] (plural so·lar·i·a [sə
lérree ə] or so·lar·i·ums) noun

room
enjoying sunlight: a room built for the purpose
of enjoying sunlight, usually with large windows or glass walls, especially a
room in a hospital or other healthcare establishment
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “sundial (the original English sense), sunny roof, terrace,” from sol
“sun” (see solar ).][1]



solarize

solarize
so·lar·ize 
[sṓlə rīz] (past so·lar·ized, past
participle so·lar·ized, present participle so·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular so·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  overexpose
to sunlight: to affect or damage something with solar
radiation

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY overexpose:
to overexpose photographic materials to light for deliberate effect, usually in
order to exaggerate highlights
—so·lar·i·za·tion [slərə záysh’n], noun[1]



solarmonth

solarmonth
so·lar
month
noun

one-twelfth part of year:
one-twelfth of a solar year, equal to 30 days, 10 hours, 29 minutes, 3.8
seconds[1]



solarpanel

solarpanel
so·lar
pan·el
noun

panel to collect solar
energy: a large panel containing
solar cells or heat-absorbing plates that convert the sun’s radiation into
electricity, for use, for example, in heating buildings and powering satellites
and spacecraft[1]



solarplexus

solarplexus
so·lar
plex·us
noun

1.  nerves
in upper abdomen: a mass of nerve cells in the upper
abdomen behind the stomach, kidneys, and other internal organs

2.  abdominal
area:
a point on the upper abdomen just below where the ribs separate. A sharp blow
to this region can cause loss of consciousness.
[Solar from its radial
network of nerves, likened to the sun’s rays][1]



solarsystem

solarsystem
so·lar
sys·tem
noun

Sun and the bodies orbiting
it: the Sun and all the planets,
satellites, asteroids, meteors, and comets that are subject to its
gravitational pull[1]



solarwind

solarwind
so·lar
wind 
noun

particles ejected from sun:
the flow of high-speed ionized particles from the sun’s surface into
interplanetary space.
See also
stellar wind[1]



solaryear

solaryear
so·lar
year
noun

once around the sun:
the time taken for the Earth to move around the Sun, equal to 365 days, 5
hours, 48 minutes, 45.51 seconds.
Also called
astronomical year
Also called
equinoctial year
Also called
tropical year[1]



solation

solation
so·la·tion
[sō láysh’n] noun

changing from gel to liquid:
the process of changing from a gel to a liquid[1]



solatium

solatium
so·la·ti·um 
[sə láyshee əm] (plural so·la·ti·a
[sə láyshee e]) noun

compensation
for injured feelings: damages awarded for
emotional suffering, as opposed to financial loss or physical injury or
suffering
[Early 19th century. From
Latin (see solace ).][1]



sold

sold
sold


Past participle of
sell Past tense of sell[1]



solder

solder
sol·der 
[sáwdər] noun

1.  alloy
for joining metal: an alloy with a low melting
point, typically a mixture of tin and lead, used to join electrical components
to a circuit board or to join metal objects together

2.  something
that unites: something that forms a bond or union
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sol·dered,
past participle sol·dered, present participle sol·der·ing,
3rd person present singular sol·ders)

1.  join
things with solder: to work with solder or to
join things using solder

2.  unite
to form whole: to come together in unity, or to
establish a bond of unity between people or things
[Via
Old French from Latin solidare “to fasten together, make solid,” from solidus
“solid” (see solid )]
—sol·der·er, noun[1]



solderingiron

solderingiron
sol·der·ing
iron
noun

tool for working with solder:
a tool with a point that is heated for melting and applying solder[1]



soldier

soldier
sol·dier 
[sṓljər] noun

1.  MILITARY somebody
serving in army: somebody who serves in an army or other
military service

2.  ARMY army
member below officer rank: a member of an army who
ranks below a commissioned officer

3.  dedicated
worker:
somebody who works with dedication for a cause

4.  skilled
warrior:
a skilled and experienced fighter or military strategist

5.  INSECTS ant
that protects colony: a sterile member of an ant
or termite colony with a large head and powerful jaws. Its role is to defend
the colony.
intransitive
verb
(past sol·diered, past participle sol·diered, present
participle sol·dier·ing, 3rd person present singular sol·diers)

1.  MILITARY be
member of an army: to serve as a soldier in an
army

2.  pretend
to work:
to give the appearance of working while really idling
[13th
century. From Old French, literally “somebody having pay,” from soulde
“(soldier’s) pay,” from Latin solidus (nummus) “Roman gold coin,”
literally “solid (coin)” (see solid ).]
—sol·dier·ly,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Good Soldier, a novel by Ford Madox Ford ( 1915 ). Considered Ford’s
  masterpiece, it describes an American couple’s tragic involvement with an
  English army captain (the good soldier of the title) and his domineering
  wife. A powerful study of the conflict between sexuality and contemporary
  moral values, it is admired in particular for its innovative and intricate
  narrative structure.

[1]



soldierfish

soldierfish
sol·dier·fish
[sṓljər fìsh] (plural sol·dier·fish·es
or sol·dier·fish) noun

See
squirrelfish
[Soldier from its sharp
spines and rough scales][1]



soldierof fortune

soldierof fortune
sol·dier
of for·tune
(plural sol·diers of for·tune) noun

soldier fighting for money or
adventure: somebody who will serve in
any army in which there is profit or adventure[1]



soldieron

soldieron
soldier
on
intransitive verb

continue determinedly:
to persevere despite difficulties or setbacks[1]



soldiers’home

soldiers’home
sol·diers’
home 
noun

institution for war veterans:
an institution funded by the government for the care of war veterans.
Also called
veterans’ home[1]



soldiery

soldiery
sol·dier·y 
[sṓljəree] noun

1.  soldiers
collectively: soldiers as a group

2.  soldier’s
work:
the profession or skill of a soldier

[1]



soldo

soldo
sol·do
[sóldō] (plural sol·di [sóldee]) noun

old
Italian coin: a copper coin used in the former Italian
states until the 19th century, worth one-twentieth of a lira
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian from Latin solidus (see soldier
).][1]



Soldotna

Soldotna
Sol·dot·na
[sol dótnə]

city in southern Alaska on
the Kenai Peninsula, southeast of Anchorage. Population: 4,295 (1996)[1]



sold-out

sold-out
sold-out 
adjective

with no tickets left:
for which all available tickets have been sold[1]



sole

sole3
sole3 [sōl]
(plural soles or sole) noun

1.  fish
with flat body: a brownish marine fish with a small
mouth and both eyes on the upper side of its flat body. It is valued as a food
fish. Family: Soleidae

2.  food
fish like the sole: a name used for fishes
similar to the sole when they are sold as food
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin solea “sandal” (see sole
), from its being likened to the sole of a sandal.][1]



sole

sole1
sole1 [sōl]
noun

1.  ANATOMY bottom
of the foot: the underside of the foot, stretching
from the toes to the heel

2.  bottom
of a shoe:
the underside of a shoe, boot, or other piece of footwear, sometimes excluding
the heel

3.  GOLF bottom
surface of a golf club: the underside of the head of
a golf club
transitive
verb
(past soled, past participle soled, present
participle sol·ing, 3rd person present singular soles)

1.  put
sole on shoe: to put a sole on a shoe, boot, or other
piece of footwear

2.  GOLF place
on the ground: to put the sole of a golf club on the
ground in preparation for a stroke
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin solea “sandal, sole of an animal’s foot,” from solum
“ground, foot, shoe sole.”][1]



sole

sole2
sole2 [sōl]
adjective

1.  only:
of which there is only one • the
sole reason

2.  exclusive:
belonging to one person or group • has
sole responsibility for the department

3.  unfettered:
free from the interference of others

4.  LAW unmarried:
without husband or wife

5.  unaccompanied:
without a companion (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Old French soule from Latin sola, the feminine of solus
(source of English desolate, solitary, and sullen
).]
—sole·ness, noun[1]



solecism

solecism
sol·e·cism 
[sóllə sìzzəm, sṓlə
sìzzəm] noun

1.  grammatical
mistake:
a mistake in grammar or syntax

2.  error:
something incorrect, inappropriate, or inconsistent

3.  breach
of good manners: an action that breaks the rules of
etiquette or good manners
[Mid-16th
century. Ultimately via Latin soloecismus from Greek soloikismos,
from soloikos “speaking incorrectly,” literally “inhabitant of Soloi”
(in ancient Cilicia, southern Turkey), whose Attic dialect was considered
unattractive.]
—sol·e·cist,
noun

—sol·e·cis·ti·cal
[sòllə sístik’l, slə
sístik’l], adjective

—sol·e·cis·ti·cal·ly [sòllə sístiklee, slə
sístiklee], adverb[1]



solely

solely
sole·ly 
[sṓl lee] adverb

1.  only:
for nothing other than • sold
the company solely for commercial reasons

2.  exclusively:
to the exclusion of all else or others • He
is solely to blame.

[1]



solemn

solemn
sol·emn 
[sólləm] adjective

1.  earnest:
demonstrating sincerity and gravity

2.  humorless:
without joy or humor

3.  formal:
characterized by ceremony or formality

4.  religious:
observed with sacred or religious ceremony

5.  awe-inspiring:
inspiring wonder or reverence
[14th
century. Via Old French solemne from Latin sol(l)emnis
“customary, religious,” from sollus “whole, entire” (source of English solicit ) + an element of unknown origin.]
—sol·emn·ly,
adverb

—sol·emn·ness, noun[1]



solemnify

solemnify
so·lem·ni·fy
[sə lémnə f] (past so·lem·ni·fied,
past participle so·lem·ni·fied, present participle so·lem·ni·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular so·lem·ni·fies) transitive verb

make solemn:
to make something serious or solemn[1]



solemnity

solemnity
so·lem·ni·ty 
[sə lémnətee] (plural so·lem·ni·ties)
noun

1.  solemn
quality:
the solemn nature or quality of something

2.  solemn
ceremony:
a formal or solemn ceremony held to observe an occasion or event (often used
in the plural)

3.  LAW legal formality:
a formality that must be complied with before a contract or agreement can
become effective

[1]



solemnize

solemnize
sol·em·nize 
[sólləm nz] (past sol·em·nized,
past participle sol·em·nized, present participle sol·em·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular sol·em·niz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
celebrate
with ceremony: to observe an event or occasion with
ceremony or formality

2.  transitive
verb
perform
a marriage ceremony: to celebrate a marriage with
a religious ceremony

3.  transitive
verb
make
dignified:
to bring dignity or formality to something

4.  intransitive
verb
speak
solemnly:
to speak or reflect with great seriousness
—sol·em·ni·za·tion [sòlləmnə záysh’n], noun[1]



solenodon

solenodon
so·le·no·don 
[sō lnə dòn, sō
lénnə dòn] noun

nocturnal
mammal:
a rare nocturnal insect-eating mammal native to the West Indies, with a long
snout and a long scaly tail. It looks like a large shrew. Family:
Solenodontidae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “pipe-tooth,” from, ultimately, Greek sōlēn
“pipe, channel.”][1]



solenoid

solenoid
so·le·noid 
[sṓlə nòyd] noun

coil
of wire surrounding iron core: a device consisting of
a cylindrical coil of wire surrounding a moveable iron core that moves along
the length of the coil when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids
are used as switches and relays, for example, in a motor vehicle to complete
the circuit between the battery and starter motor.
[Early
19th century. From French solénoide, literally “pipe-shaped,” from Greek
sōlēn “pipe, channel.”]
—so·le·noi·dal
[slə nóyd’l], adjective

—so·le·noi·dal·ly [slə nóyd’lee], adverb[1]



soleplate

soleplate
sole·plate
[sṓl plàyt] noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD bottom
of an iron:
the underside of an iron for pressing clothes

2.  BUILDING plate
on which studs rest: the plate that supports the
bases of the studs used in framing a wall

[1]



soleus

soleus
so·le·us 
[sṓlee əss] (plural so·le·i [sṓlee ]) noun

smaller
muscle in the calf: a broad flat muscle in the
calf of the leg that helps to flex the ankle and depress the sole of the foot
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin solea (see sole 1 ).][1]



sol-fa

sol-fa
sol-fa 
[sōl f] noun

See
tonic sol-fa
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sol-faed,
past participle sol-faed, present participle sol-fa·ing,
3rd person present singular sol-fas)

sing using sol-fa:
to sing a tune using the sol-fa syllables[1]



solfatara

solfatara
sol·fa·ta·ra 
[slfə trə, sṓlfə
térrə] noun

vent
in a volcano: a vent in a volcano through which
sulfur-rich gases and steam escape, leaving bright yellow sulfur deposits
[Late
18th century. From Italian, “sulfurous volcano,” from solfo “sulfur,”
from Latin sulfur (source of English sulfur
).]
—sol·fa·ta·ric, adjective[1]



solfeggio

solfeggio
sol·feg·gio 
[sōl féjjee ō, sōl
féjjō] (plural sol·feg·gi [sōl
féjjee] or sol·feg·gios) or sol·fège [sol fé, sōl fé]
(plural sol·fèg·es) noun

voice
exercise:
an exercise in singing using the sol-fa syllables
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, from sol-fa “sol-fa.”][1]



solferino

solferino
sol·fe·ri·no 
[slfə r nō] adjective

reddish
purple:
of a red color tinged with purple
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Solferino, an Italian town at which a dye of this
color was invented.]
—sol·fe·ri·no, noun[1]



soli

soli
so·li

Plural of
solo[1]



solicit

solicit
so·lic·it 
[sə líssit] (past so·lic·it·ed,
past participle so·lic·it·ed, present participle so·lic·it·ing,
3rd person present singular so·lic·its) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb plead
for something: to try to get something by making
insistent requests or pleas

2.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody for something: to plead with or petition a
person or group for something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
sex for money: to offer to participate in sexual
activities in return for money

4.  transitive
verb
get
somebody to do something wrong: to attempt to draw
somebody into participating in illegal or immoral acts
[15th
century. Via French solliciter from Latin sollicitare “to
disturb,” from sollicitus, literally “completely moved,” from sollus
“whole” + citus, past participle of ciere “to move” (source of
English excite ).]
—so·lic·i·ta·tion [sə lìssə táysh’n], noun[1]



solicitor

solicitor
so·lic·i·tor 
[sə líssətər] noun

1.  top
legal officer: the chief officer for legal matters in a
city, town, or county, or in a government department

2.  somebody
who solicits contributions: somebody who solicits,
especially somebody who asks for financial contributions

3.  U.K.
lawyer:
a lawyer who gives legal advice, draws up legal documents, and does preparatory
work for barristers. A solicitor who holds an advocacy qualification may also represent
clients in court.
—so·lic·i·tor·ship, noun[1]



solicitorgeneral

solicitorgeneral
so·lic·i·tor
gen·er·al
(plural so·lic·i·tors gen·er·al) noun

1.  U.S.
law officer: a law officer appointed to the U.S.
Department of Justice who is in charge of appeals, including those before the
U.S. Supreme Court

2.  state
law officer: a high-ranking law officer equivalent to
a state attorney general

[1]



solicitous

solicitous
so·lic·i·tous 
[sə líssətəss] adjective

1.  concerned:
expressing an attitude of concern and consideration

2.  ready
and willing: full of eagerness and anticipation to do
something

3.  meticulous:
paying very careful attention to details

4.  not
at ease:
troubled by uneasiness or apprehension (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin sollicitus (see solicit
).]
—so·lic·i·tous·ly,
adverb

—so·lic·i·tous·ness, noun[1]



solicitude

solicitude
so·lic·i·tude 
[sə líssə td] noun

1.  expressed
concern:
concern and consideration, especially when expressed

2.  anxiety:
a state of uneasiness or anxiety (archaic)

3.  something
causing concern: a cause of concern or uneasiness (often
used in the plural)

[1]



solid

solid
sol·id 
[sólləd] adjective

1.  not
soft or yielding: consisting of compact unyielding
material

2.  not
hollow:
having no open interior spaces

3.  unadulterated
or unmixed:
made of the same material throughout

4.  of
strong and secure construction: built out of strong
substantial material and not likely to break or collapse

5.  uninterrupted:
continuing without breaks or openings • It
took a solid two hours to crack the code.

6.  nourishing:
providing ample nourishment

7.  unanimous:
in complete agreement • Support
for the amendment was solid.

8.  reliable:
able to be relied or depended upon

9.  financially
secure:
in sound financial condition

10. GEOMETRY three-dimensional:
with the three dimensions of length, breadth, and depth, or relating to
geometric figures that have three dimensions

11. CHEMISTRY retaining
its shape:
with a shape that resists moderate stress or deformation, and therefore
distinct from a liquid or a gas

12. LANGUAGE as
single word: written as one word without a space or
hyphen

13. PRINTING without
spaces:
without spaces between lines of type in printing
noun

1.  solid
thing:
something that is solid

2.  GEOMETRY solid
figure:
a three-dimensional geometric figure or object

3.  CHEMISTRY substance
that retains shape: a substance that resists
moderate stress and deformation, unlike a liquid or a gas
[14th
century. Directly or via French solide from Latin solidus “firm,
whole” (source of English soldier ).]
—so·lid·i·ty
[sə líddətee], noun

—sol·id·ly
[sóllədlee], adverb

—sol·id·ness [sóllədnəss], noun[1]



solidangle

solidangle
sol·id
an·gle
noun

three-dimensional angle:
a three-dimensional angle formed at the vertex of a cone or the intersection of
three planes[1]



solidarity

solidarity
sol·i·dar·i·ty 
[sòllə dérrətee] noun

mutual agreement and support:
harmony of interests and responsibilities among individuals in a group,
especially as manifested in unanimous support and collective action for
something[1]



Solidarity

Solidarity
Sol·i·dar·i·ty
noun

organization
of Polish trade unions: a federation of trade unions
in Poland, founded in 1980. Under the leadership of Lech Walesa it challenged
the Soviet-backed government of the day.
[Late 20th century.
Translation of Polish Solidarność .][1]



solidgeometry

solidgeometry
sol·id
ge·om·e·try
noun

geometry of solids:
the branch of geometry dealing with three-dimensional figures[1]



solidi

solidi
sol·i·di


Plural of
solidus[1]



solidify

solidify
so·lid·i·fy 
[sə líddə f] (past so·lid·i·fied,
past participle so·lid·i·fied, present participle so·lid·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular so·lid·i·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become solid: to become compact or firm, or make
something compact or firm

2.  strengthen:
to become strong and united, or make something strong and united
—so·lid·i·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—so·lid·i·fi·ca·tion
[sə lìddəfə káysh’n], noun

—so·lid·i·fi·er [sə líddə f ər], noun[1]



solidof revolution

solidof revolution
sol·id
of rev·o·lu·tion noun

mathematical figure:
a three-dimensional mathematical figure formed by rotating a plane figure
around an axis in its plane[1]



solidsolution

solidsolution
sol·id
so·lu·tion
noun

crystalline substance:
a crystalline substance such as glass or an alloy in which certain atoms or
molecules have been replaced by others but the structure has not changed[1]



solid-state

solid-state
sol·id-state 
adjective

1.  using
transistors or semiconductors: working by means of
the flow of electric current through solid material, as happens with
semiconductors and transistors. The term is usually used to distinguish modern
electronic equipment from earlier devices that made use of vacuum tubes or
heated filaments.

2.  of
electronics and solids: relating to the electronic
characteristics of solids, especially at the atomic or molecular level

[1]



solidus

solidus
sol·i·dus 
[sóllədəss] (plural sol·i·di [sólləd]) noun

1.  PRINTING See virgule

2.  MONEY Roman
gold coin:
a gold coin used in the Roman Empire from the fourth century BC. It remained in use in Europe until
the 12th century AD.
[14th century. From Latin
(see soldier ).][1]



solifluction

solifluction
so·li·fluc·tion 
[slə flúksh’n] noun

downhill
movement of earth: the slow movement of soil
downhill as a result of water saturation after rainfall or the melting of ice
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin solum “ground” + fluct-, the past participle stem of fluere
“to flow” (source of English fluctuate
).][1]



soliloquize

soliloquize
so·lil·o·quize 
[sə líllə kwz] (past so·lil·o·quized,
past participle so·lil·o·quized, present participle so·lil·o·quiz·ing,
3rd person present singular so·lil·o·quiz·es) intransitive
verb

speak
soliloquy:
to speak a soliloquy in the course of a play
—so·lil·o·quist,
noun

—so·lil·o·quiz·er, noun[1]



soliloquy

soliloquy
so·lil·o·quy 
[sə lílləkwee] (plural so·lil·o·quies)
noun

1.  talking
when alone:
the act of speaking while alone, especially when used as a theatrical device
that allows a character’s thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience

2.  section
in play:
a section of a play or other drama in which a soliloquy is spoken
[14th century. From late
Latin soliloquium, literally “a speaking alone,” from Latin solus
“alone” (see sole 2 ) + loqui
“to speak” (source of English eloquent
).][1]



Solingen

Solingen
So·ling·en 
[zṓlingèn]

city in North
Rhine-Westphalia State, west central Germany. Population: 166,000 (1994)[1]



solipsism

solipsism
sol·ip·sism 
[sólləp sìzzəm, sáwl
sìzzəm] noun

belief
in self as only reality: the belief that the only
thing somebody can be sure of is that he or she exists, and that true knowledge
of anything else is impossible
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin solus “alone” + ipse “self.”]
—sol·ip·sist,
noun

—sol·ip·sis·tic
[sòlləp sístik, sləp
sístik], adjective

—sol·ip·sis·ti·cal·ly
[sòlləp sístiklee, sləp
sístiklee], adverb[1]



solitaire

solitaire
sol·i·taire 
[sáwlə tàir] noun

1.  CARD GAMES card
game for one: a card game played by one person. The
object is to form sequences of cards, using up all the cards from several piles
dealt face down.
U.K.
term
patience

2.  ACCESSORIES single
gemstone:
a gem, especially a diamond, that is set alone in a ring

3.  BIRDS songbird:
a thrush that is native to North and Central America, well known for its
attractive song. Genus: Myadestes
[14th century. Via French,
“recluse,” from Latin solitarius (see solitary
). The original English sense was “widow.”][1]



solitaire

solitaire
sol·i·taire 
[sáwlə tàir] noun

1.  CARD GAMES card
game for one: a card game played by one person. The
object is to form sequences of cards, using up all the cards from several piles
dealt face down.
U.K.
term
patience

2.  ACCESSORIES single
gemstone:
a gem, especially a diamond, that is set alone in a ring

3.  BIRDS songbird:
a thrush that is native to North and Central America, well known for its
attractive song. Genus: Myadestes
[14th century. Via French,
“recluse,” from Latin solitarius (see solitary
). The original English sense was “widow.”][1]



solitary

solitary
sol·i·tar·y 
[sóllə tèrree] adjective

1.  done
alone:
done without the company of other people

2.  shunning
company:
preferring to be or live alone

3.  secluded:
in a remote location, apart from others

4.  single:
existing as the only one of its kind • a
solitary boat on the sea

5.  ZOOLOGY not
living in social groups: used to describe animals
that live alone or in pairs rather than in colonies or social groups

6.  BOTANY growing
singly:
used to describe flowers that grow singly rather than as a cluster
noun
(plural sol·i·tar·ies)

1.  recluse:
somebody who lives or prefers to live away from others

2.  See
solitary confinement
[14th century. Directly or
via French solitaire from Latin solitarius (source of English solitaire ), from solus “alone” (see sole 2 ).][1]



solitarybee

solitarybee
sol·i·tar·y
bee
noun

bee that lives alone:
a flower-visiting bee that does not live in a colony, but raises its young
independently[1]



solitaryconfinement

solitaryconfinement
sol·i·tar·y
con·fine·ment noun

imprisonment alone:
confinement of a prisoner in an area or cell isolated from other prisoners,
used as a punishment or for protection.
Also called
solitary[1]



solitarywasp

solitarywasp
sol·i·tar·y
wasp
noun

See
hunting wasp[1]



solitude

solitude
sol·i·tude 
[sóllə td] (plural sol·i·tudes)
noun

1.  state
of being alone: the state of being alone, separated from
other people, whether considered as a welcome freedom from disturbance or as an
unhappy loneliness

2.  remoteness:
a quality of quiet remoteness or seclusion in places from which human activity
is generally absent

3.  lonely
place:
a remote or uninhabited place (literary)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin solitudo, from solus
“alone.”]
—sol·i·tu·di·nous
[sòllə td’nəss], adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  One
  Hundred Years of Solitude, a novel by Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  ( 1967 ). It recounts 100 years in the lives of the Buendía family, founders
  of the town of Macondo in Colombia, a story that mirrors the history of the
  nation. Marquez’s skillful use of fantasy and myth to convey the depth of his
  characters’ experiences make this a key work in the magical realism school of
  literature.

[1]



solitudinarian

solitudinarian
sol·i·tud·i·nar·i·an 
[sòllə toodə nérree ən] (plural sol·i·tud·i·nar·i·ans)
noun

somebody solitary:
somebody who likes to be alone (literary)[1]



solleret

solleret
sol·ler·et 
[sòllə rét] (plural sol·ler·ets)
noun

shoe
of a suit of armor: a shoe made of steel plates
riveted together, forming part of a suit of armor
[14th century. Via the
diminutive of Old French soller, “shoe” from, ultimately, late Latin subtel
“hollow of the foot,” from sub “under” + talus “ankle.”][1]



solmization

solmization
sol·mi·za·tion 
[sòlmə záysh’n] noun

assignment
of syllable to musical pitch: the assignment of separate
syllables to different musical pitches for singing or training the ear, as, for
example, in solfeggio
[Mid-18th century. French solmisation
from solmiser “to sing sol-fa.”][1]



soln.

soln.
soln.

Abbreviation of
solution[1]



solo

solo
so·lo 
[sṓlō] noun (plural so·los
or so·li [sṓlee])

1.  MUSIC musical
piece performed by one person: a piece of music
performed by one musician or singer, or a passage for a single player or singer
within a longer piece for two or more, a choir, or an orchestra

2.  ARTS performance
by one artist: a performance by a single artist such as
a musician, singer, or dancer with or without accompaniment

3.  act
done by single person: an action or feat carried
out by one person alone, for example, a flight in an aircraft or a climb up a
mountain

4.  CARD GAMES card
game for individual players: a card game in which players
play on their own, not in pairs or teams, especially solo whist
adjective

1.  ARTS for a
single performer: intended for or executed by somebody
performing singly, not as one of a group

2.  done
by one person: carried out by one person unaccompanied
by anyone else
adverb

alone:
unaccompanied by anyone, or not performing or doing something as one of a group
intransitive
verb
(past so·loed, past participle so·loed, present
participle so·lo·ing, 3rd person present singular so·los)

do something without help or
accompaniment: to do something alone, without help or
accompaniment, especially to fly an aircraft without an instructor or to
perform an artistic solo
[Late 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin solus “alone.”][1]



soloist

soloist
so·lo·ist 
[sṓlō ist] (plural so·lo·ists)
noun

somebody
performing a solo: somebody who performs a solo
—so·lo·is·tic [slō ístik], adjective[1]



Soloman

Soloman
So·lo
man 
[sṓlō màn] noun

extinct variety of Homo
sapiens: an extinct variety of the
human species Homo sapiens that lived 50,000 years ago during the late
Pleistocene epoch and whose fossils were discovered near the Solo River in Java[1]



Solomon

Solomon
So·lo·mon 
[sólləmən], King of Israel (lived 10th
century BC)

The second son of David and
Bathsheba, he ruled Israel from 961 BC
to 922 BC . Famed for his wisdom,
he is generally acknowledged as the builder of the Temple in Jerusalem. He is
credited with writing the biblical Song of Solomon and Proverbs.[1]



Solomon

Solomon
Sol·o·mon 
[sólləmən] noun

wise person:
somebody who is very wise (informal)[1]



SolomonIslands

SolomonIslands


Sol·o·mon
Is·lands 
[sólləmən ləndz]
monarchy
comprising over 35 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. Language:
English. Currency: Solomon Islands dollar. Capital: Honiara. Population:
412,902 (1996) Area: 28,446 sq km/10,980 sq.mi.
—Sol·o·mon Is·land·er,
noun[1]



Solomon’sseal

Solomon’sseal

Sol·o·mon’s
seal
(plural Sol·o·mon’s seals) noun

1.  six-pointed
star:
a six-pointed symbol resembling a star, made up of one triangle laid on top of
another facing the other way. Examples are the Star of David that is the symbol
of Judaism, and the hexagram that healers of former times believed had the
power to cure diseases.

2.        PLANTS woodland
plant with drooping flowers: a perennial
plant found in woodlands in northern countries that has drooping whitish
flowers that grow in pairs. Latin name: Polygonatum multiflorum[1]



solon

solon
so·lon 
[sṓlən] (plural so·lons) noun
(literary)

1.  member
of a legislature: a member of a law-making body

2.  somebody
wise:
somebody wise, especially an experienced and wise legislator or politician
[Early 17th century. Named
for Solon (638?–558? BC ),
Athenian statesman, legal reformer, and poet.][1]



solonchak

solonchak
so·lon·chak 
[slən chák, sṓlən
chàk] noun

intrazonal
soil with grayish crust: an intrazonal soil with a
grayish crust that develops in semiarid and desert areas and contains large
amounts of soluble salts
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, literally “salt marsh, salt lake,” from sol “salt.”][1]



solonetz

solonetz
so·lo·netz 
[sàwlə néts, sáwlə
nèts] or so·lo·nets [sàwlə
néts, sáwlə nèts] noun

intrazonal
soil with blackish crust: an intrazonal soil with a
blackish crust developed from solonchak soil by leaching of the salts
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, literally “salt marsh, salt lake,” from sol “salt.”][1]



solong

solong
so
long
interjection

goodbye:
used to say goodbye (informal)
adverb

South Africa
in the meantime:
in the meantime, for the time being (informal)[1]



solostop

solostop
so·lo
stop
noun

organ stop used for melodic
lines: a stop on an organ with a
penetrating tone, used in isolated passages of organ pieces to give the effect
of a single instrument playing the melody[1]



solstice

solstice
sol·stice 
[sólstiss, sṓlstiss]
(plural sol·stic·es) noun

1.  longest
or shortest day: either of the times when the sun is
furthest from the equator, on or about June 21 or December 21. The summer
solstice falls in June in the northern hemisphere but in December in the
southern hemisphere, and vice versa for the winter solstice.

2.  point
on the ecliptic: either of the two points on the ecliptic
when the sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost point relative to the
celestial equator
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin solstitium, from sol “sun” +
the past participle stem of sistere “to stand still.”]
—sol·sti·tial [sòl stísh’l, sōl
stísh’l], adjective[1]



Solti,Georg

Solti,Georg
Sol·ti
[shṓltee], Sir Georg (1912–1997)

Hungarian conductor.
Associated particularly with the music of late romantic composers, he held
important posts in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where he
long conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1969–1991).[1]



solubility

solubility
sol·u·bil·i·ty 
[sòlyə bíllətee] (plural sol·u·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  capacity
to dissolve: the extent to which one substance is
able to dissolve in another

2.  measure
of capacity to dissolve: a measure of one substance’s
ability to dissolve in a specific amount of another substance at standard
temperature and pressure

[1]



solubilize

solubilize
sol·u·bi·lize 
[sólyəbə lz] (past sol·u·bi·lized,
past participle sol·u·bi·lized, present participle sol·u·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular sol·u·bi·liz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become soluble:
to make a substance soluble or more soluble, or become soluble or more soluble[1]



soluble

soluble
sol·u·ble 
[sólyəb’l] adjective

1.  dissolving
in liquid:
able to be dissolved in another substance. The level of solubility often varies
with temperature. (often used in combination) • water-soluble

2.  designed
to dissolve: designed to be dissolved in water

3.  solvable:
able to be solved or answered
[14th
century. Via Old French from Late Latin solubilis, from solvere
“to loosen, dissolve.”]
—sol·u·bly, adverb[1]



solubleglass

solubleglass
sol·u·ble
glass
noun

See
sodium silicate[1]



solubleRNA

solubleRNA
sol·u·ble
RNA
noun

See
transfer RNA[1]



solum

solum
so·lum 
[sṓləm] (plural so·la [sṓlə] or so·lums) noun

upper
layers of soil profile: the upper layers of a soil
profile where the formation of new soil takes place and where most plant roots
and soil animals are found
[Mid-19th century. Via Modern
Latin from Latin solum “ground, foundation.”][1]



solus

solus
so·lus 
[sṓləss] adjective

alone
on stage:
used as a stage direction to indicate that a character appears alone on stage • Enter
Hector solus
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “alone.”]
—solus, adverb[1]



solute

solute
sol·ute 
[sól yt] noun (plural sol·utes)

dissolved
substance:
a substance dissolved in another substance
adjective

dissolved:
dissolved in a solution
[15th century. From Latin solutus,
past participle of solvere (see soluble
).][1]



solution

solution
so·lu·tion 
[sə lsh’n] noun (plural so·lu·tions)

1.  way
of resolving difficulty: a method of successfully
dealing with a problem or difficulty

2.  answer
to a puzzle: the answer to a puzzle or question

3.  finding
of a solution: the process of resolving a difficulty or
finding the answer to a puzzle or question

4.  fluid
with substance dissolved in it: a substance consisting
of two or more substances mixed together and uniformly dispersed, most commonly
the result of dissolving a solid, fluid, or gas in a liquid. It is also,
however, possible to form a solution by dissolving a gas or solid in a solid or
one gas in another gas.

5.  process
of forming a solution: the process of forming a
solution or dissolving one substance in another, or the state of being
dissolved in another substance

6.  MATHEMATICS value
satisfying an equation: a value for a variable that
satisfies an equation

7.  LAW termination
of a dispute: the termination of a dispute or payment
of a debt

8.  ending
of something: the act of ending, breaking, or
separating something (literary)
transitive
verb
(past so·lu·tioned, past participle so·lu·tioned, present
participle so·lu·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular so·lu·tions)

solve: to
find a solution to something
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin solutionem, from solvere (see solve
).][1]



solutionset

solutionset
so·lu·tion
set
noun

set of values satisfying an
equation: the set of values for a
variable that satisfy an equation[1]



Solutrean

Solutrean
So·lu·tre·an 
[sə ltree ən] or So·lu·tri·an
[sə ltree ən] adjective

belonging
to prehistoric European culture: belonging to a
prehistoric culture that existed in Europe between 40,000 BC and 12,000 BC, at the end of the Paleolithic period, in which people
worked with leaf-shaped flint blades
[Late 19th century. From
French solutréen, from Solutré, a village in Saône-et-Loire,
France, where relics were discovered.][1]



solvable

solvable
solv·a·ble 
[sólvəb’l] adjective

able
to be solved: capable of being solved
—solv·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



solvate

solvate
sol·vate 
[sól vàyt] intransitive and transitive
verb (past sol·vat·ed, past participle sol·vat·ed,
present participle sol·vat·ing, 3rd person present singular
sol·vates)

become
or cause to become solution: to enter into solution with
a solvent, or cause a solute to dissolve in solution with a solvent
noun
(plural sol·vates)

aggregate
of solute and solvent: a compound consisting of an
ion or molecule of solute combined with one or more of solvent
[Early 20th century. Coined
from solvent + -ate
.][1]



solvation

solvation
sol·va·tion 
[sòl váysh’n] noun

bonding of solvent with
solute: the process by which
molecules of a solvent develop a weak bond with molecules or ions of the solute[1]



Solvayprocess

Solvayprocess
Sol·vay
proc·ess
[sól vay pr səss] noun

industrial
process for producing sodium carbonate: an
industrial process for producing sodium carbonate or washing soda from common
salt. A solution of salt is saturated with ammonia and carbon dioxide is passed
through it, which causes sodium hydrogen carbonate to precipitate; it is then
heated to obtain sodium carbonate.
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay, ( 1838–1922 ).][1]



solve

solve
solve 
[solv] (past solved, past
participle solved, present participle solv·ing, 3rd
person present singular solves) transitive verb

1.  deal
with a problem successfully: to find a way of dealing
successfully with a problem or difficulty

2.  find
answer to a puzzle: to find the answer to a
question or puzzle

3.  MATHEMATICS find
answer to math problem: to work out the solution to
an equation or other mathematical problem
[15th
century. From Latin solvere “to loosen, dissolve.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word solvere, from which solve
  is derived, is also the source of English absolute,
  absolve, dissolve, resolve,
  and solution.

[1]



solvency

solvency
sol·ven·cy
[sólvənsee] noun

ability to afford what must
be spent: the position of having
enough money to cover expenses and debts[1]



solvent

solvent
sol·vent 
[sólvənt] adjective

1.  having
enough money: having enough money to cover expenses
and debts

2.  dissolving
something:
able to dissolve substances
noun
(plural sol·vents)

substance that dissolves things:
a substance in which other substances are dissolved, often a liquid.
Also
called
dissolvent
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin solventem, present
participle of solvere (see solve ).]
—sol·vent·ly, adverb[1]



solvolysis

solvolysis
sol·vol·y·sis 
[sol vólləsiss] noun

combining of solute and
solvent: a chemical reaction in which
the solute and solvent present in a solution combine to form a new compound[1]



Solzhenitsyn,Aleksandr Isayevich

Solzhenitsyn,Aleksandr Isayevich

Sol·zhe·ni·tsyn
[slə ntsin, sələ
nytsin], Aleksandr Isayevich (1918– )
Russian writer. His imprisonment in the
Soviet Union for political dissent (1945–1953) inspired early novels such as One
Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1964). He was expelled after the
publication of The Gulag Archipelago (1974–1978), and lived in exile in
the United States for 20 years, returning to Russia after the collapse of the
Soviet Union. He won a Nobel Prize in literature (1970).[1]



som

som
som
[sōm] (plural som) noun

1.  Kyrgyz
unit of currency: the main unit of currency in Kyrgyzstan,
worth 100 tyiyn

2.  som
or soum Uzbek unit of currency:
the main unit of currency in Uzbekistan

3.  bill
worth a som: a bill worth a som

[1]



soma

soma1
so·ma1  [sṓmə]
(plural so·ma·ta [sṓmətə] or
so·mas) noun

1.  all
body cells except germ cells: all the cells and tissues in
the body considered collectively, with the exception of germ cells

2.  body
as distinct from mind: the body considered
separately from the mind or soul
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek sōma “body.”][1]



soma

soma2
so·ma2  [sṓmə]
(plural so·mas) noun

1.  BEVERAGES intoxicating
drink in Hindu scripture: an intoxicating drink made
from plant juice, mentioned in the Vedas, the most ancient sacred writings of
Hinduism

2.  PLANTS plant
soma is made from: the plant that soma is made
from, thought to be ephedra, but not identified in the Vedas
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit .][1]



Somali

Somali
So·ma·li 
[sō mlee, sə
mlee] (plural So·ma·li or So·ma·lis) or
So·ma·li·an [sō mlee ən, sə mlee ən] noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people from Somalia: a member of an Islamic
African people living mainly in Somalia

2.  LANGUAGE Somali
language:
the national language of Somalia, also spoken in eastern Ethiopia. It belongs
to the Cushitic branch of Afro-Asiatic languages. Somali is spoken by over five
million people.
[Early
19th century. From Somali .]
—So·ma·li, adjective[1]



Somalia

Somalia



So·ma·li·a 
[sō mlee ə, sə
mlee ə]
republic
in northeastern Africa. Language: Somali. Currency: Somali shilling. Capital:
Mogadishu. Population: 6,802,000 (1996) Area: 637,657 sq km/246,201 sq mi. Official
name Somali Democratic Republic
—So·ma·li,
adjective

—So·ma·li·an [sə mlyen], adjective[1]



Somalia




Back to definition

Somalia

[1]



Somalian

Somalian
So·ma·li·an
noun adjective

See
Somali[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Somaliland

Somaliland
So·ma·li·land 
[sè mli land]

region in northeastern
Africa, comprising Somalia, Djibouti, and part of Ethiopia[1]



somat-

somat-
somat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
somato-[1]



somatic

somatic
so·mat·ic 
[sō máttik] adjective

1.  affecting
body as distinct from mind: relating to or affecting the
body, especially the body as considered to be separate from the mind

2.  ANATOMY relating
to outer walls of body: relating to the outer walls
of the body, not the inner organs

3.  of
somatic cell: relating to a somatic cell
[Late
18th century. From Greek sōmatikós “bodily,” from sōma (see soma 1 ).]
—so·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



somaticcell

somaticcell
so·mat·ic
cell
(plural so·mat·ic cells) noun

any body cell except germ
cells: any cell of the body with
the exception of germ cells[1]



somaticize

somaticize
so·ma·ti·cize
[sō máttə sz] (past so·ma·ti·cized,
past participle so·ma·ti·cized, present participle so·ma·ti·ciz·ing,
3rd person present singular so·ma·ti·cizes) intransitive and
transitive verb

mistake emotional pain for
physical symptom: to believe mistakenly
that an emotional pain is a physical symptom[1]



somaticnervous system

somaticnervous system
so·mat·ic
nerv·ous sys·tem noun

nervous system serving the
sense organs: the part of the nervous
system that serves the sense organs and muscles of the body wall and limbs, and
brings about voluntary muscle activity.
See also
autonomic nervous system[1]



somato-

somato-
somato-
prefix

body
• somatotherapy
[From Greek sōmat-,
the stem of sōma][1]



somatology

somatology
so·ma·tol·o·gy 
[smə tóləjee] noun

1.  physiology
and anatomy: the study of both the physiology and
anatomy of the body

2.  anthropological
study of human anatomy: the branch of anthropology
that studies human development through variation and change in physical
characteristics
—so·ma·to·log·ic
[smətə lójjik], adjective

—so·ma·to·log·i·cal,
adjective

—so·ma·to·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



somatomedin

somatomedin
so·mat·o·me·din 
[sō màttə md’n, smətə
md’n] noun

hormone
stimulating bone and muscle growth: a
hormone produced in the liver that stimulates the growth of bone and muscle
[Late 20th century. Coined
from somato- + intermediary
+ -in .][1]



somatoplasm

somatoplasm
so·mat·o·plasm 
[sō máttə plàzzəm, sṓmətə
plàzzəm] noun

protoplasm
of body cells: the protoplasm of body cells as distinct
from the protoplasm of germ cells
—so·mat·o·plas·tic [sō màttə plástik, smətə
plástik], adjective[1]



somatopleure

somatopleure
so·mat·o·pleure 
[sō máttə plr, sō
màttə plrəl] noun

mass
of embryo tissue: a fold of embryonic tissue in
vertebrates formed by the fusion of ectoderm and mesoderm that gives rise to an
embryo’s inner and outer membranes
—so·mat·o·pleu·ral
[smətə plrəl], adjective

—so·mat·o·pleu·ric, adjective[1]



somatosensory

somatosensory
so·mat·o·sen·so·ry 
[sə màttə sénssəree, smətə sénssəree] adjective

relating to sensory stimuli
from skin: used to describe sensory
stimuli coming from the skin and internal organs and the perception of these
stimuli[1]



somatostatin

somatostatin
so·mat·o·stat·in 
[sō màttə státt’n, smətə
státt’n] noun

hormone
produced in hypothalamus: a hormone produced in the
hypothalamus that inhibits the release of growth hormone
[Late 20th century. Coined
from somato- + stat-, from Latin stare
“to stand” + -in .][1]



somatotropin

somatotropin
so·mat·o·tro·pin 
[sə màttə trṓpin, sōmətə
trṓpin] or so·ma·to·tro·phin [sə
màttə trṓfin, smətə trṓfin] noun

See
growth hormone
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from somato- + -tropic + -in
.]
—so·mat·o·tro·pic, adjective[1]



somatotype

somatotype
so·mat·o·type 
[sə máttə tp, sṓmətə
tp] (plural so·mat·o·types) noun

body type:
the type of physical build that a person has[1]



somber

somber
som·ber 
[sómbər] adjective

1.  dark
and gloomy:
lacking light or brightness and producing a dull, dark, or melancholy
atmosphere

2.  dark
in color:
having a color or tone that is dark, dull, or suitable for a serious mood or
occasion

3.  serious
and melancholy: marked by or conveying strict
seriousness combined with sadness or a troubled state of mind
[Mid-18th
century. Via French, “gloomy,” from, ultimately, late Latin subumbrare
“to shadow,” from sub “under” + umbra “shade” (source of English umbrage ).]
—som·ber·ly,
adverb

—som·ber·ness, noun[1]



sombre

sombre
som·bre 
adjective

U.K. =
somber[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sombrero

sombrero
som·bre·ro 
[som brérrō] (plural som·bre·ros)
noun

wide-brimmed
hat:
a straw or felt hat with a very wide upturned brim, originally worn by men in
Mexico and some other Spanish-speaking countries
[Late 16th century. Via
Spanish, “hat,” from sombra “shade,” from Vulgar Latin subombrare
(see somber ).][1]



sombrous

sombrous
som·brous 
[sómbrəss] adjective

somber:
somber (archaic)
[Early 18th century. From
French sombre (see somber ) + -ous .][1]



some

some
some 
[stressed sum, unstressed səm] CORE MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate an unspecified or unknown quantity of
people or things • (adjective) There is
always some risk in any project. • (pronoun)
There was plenty of food left over, so I took some.

1.
adjective pronoun a little:
used to indicate an unspecified number, quantity, or proportion of a total,
generally a fairly small to average or reasonable one • I
agree with you to some extent. • Some
of you, I know, will disagree with me.

2.
adjective quite a few: used
with a slight emphasis to indicate an unspecified but fairly large number or
quantity • We
have been debating this problem for some months now.

3.
adjective particular but unspecified:
used to indicate an unspecified single person or thing, often in a dismissive
way • He
was reading some medical book.

4.
adjective used for emphasis:
used to emphasize that somebody or something is impressive or remarkable in a
certain way (informal) • That
was some performance you put on for us!

5.
adverb approximately:
used to indicate that a number is approximate • for
some 30 years

6.
adverb to a small extent:
to a small extent or degree (informal) • I
do write some, but not as much as I’d like.

7.
adverb a great deal: a
great deal, at a considerable rate, or vigorously (informal) • I’m
going to have to study some to get through this exam.
[Old
English sum “one, someone.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “together with,” which is also the ancestor of English seem and similar
.]
and
then some

used to emphasize that more,
often considerably more, has been done than was suggested in a previous
statement (informal)[1]



-some

-some
-some
suffix

1.  body
• cytosome

2.  chromosome
• autosome
[From Greek sōma
“body”][1]



-some

-some
-some
suffix

1.  characterized
by a particular quality, condition, or thing • troublesome
• quarrelsome

2.  a
group containing a particular number of members • foursome
[Old English -sum][1]



somebody

somebody
some·bod·y 
[súm bòddee, súmbədee]
or some·one [súm wùn] pronoun

some
person:
some unspecified person
pronoun
noun (plural some·bod·ies) (plural someones)

important person:
an important or well-known person in society or in a particular place[1]



someday

someday
some·day 
[súm dày] adverb

at
a time in future: at some unknown, unspecified, and
usually fairly distant time in the future

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  someday,
  someplace, sometime:
  The
  adverbs someday and someplace are standard forms in American
  English: • Someday
  I’ll take you away from all this. • I
  must have left it someplace. Sometime is written as one word as an adjective
  meaning “former” ( • a
  sometime president of the Rotary Club ),
  and as an adverb meaning “at some time”( • I’ll
  see you again sometime ).

[1]



somehow

somehow
some·how 
[sùm hów] adverb

1.  in
some way:
in some unspecified or unknown way, often with great effort or difficulty • He
somehow managed to scramble back on board.

2.  for
an unknown reason: for some unknown or
inexplicable reason • She
somehow forgot to tell anyone where she was going.

[1]



someone

someone
some·one 
pronoun noun (plural some·ones)

See
somebody[1]



someplace

someplace
some·place 
[súm plàyss] adverb

somewhere:
somewhere (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at someday.

[1]



somersault

somersault
som·er·sault 
noun (plural som·er·saults)

1.  GYMNASTICS acrobatic
rolling over of body: an acrobatic movement in
which the body is rolled over, feet over head, either forward or backward, on
the ground or in midair, finally returning to an upright position

2.  reversal
of opinion or decision: a complete change of mind or
reversal of policy
intransitive
verb
(past som·er·sault·ed, past participle som·er·sault·ed,
present participle som·er·sault·ing, 3rd person present
singular som·er·saults)

GYMNASTICS perform
somersault:
to perform an acrobatic somersault
[Early 16th century. Via
Middle French sombresault, a variant of sobresault, from Latin super
“super” + saltus “leap.”][1]



Somerset

Somerset
Som·er·set 
[súmmèr set]

city in southeastern
Massachusetts, on the western bank of the Taunton River, across from Fall
River. Population: 17,719 (1996)[1]



SomersetIsland

SomersetIsland
Som·er·set
Is·land
[sùmmər set lənd]

island in Nunavut, Canada, in
the Arctic Archipelago, north of the Boothia Peninsula. Area: 24,786 sq
km/9,570 sq mi.[1]



Somerville

Somerville
Som·er·ville 
[súmmèr vil]

city in eastern
Massachusetts, on the Mystic River. It is a northwestern suburb of Boston, and
was founded in 1630. Population: 74,356 (1996)[1]



something

something
some·thing 
[súm thing] pronoun

1.  unspecified
thing:
an unspecified or unidentified object, phenomenon, action, utterance, or
feeling • Don’t
just stand there, do something! • I
had a feeling that there was something wrong. • Would
you like something to eat?

2.  uncertain
amount:
an unspecified and approximate amount expressed in relation to a specific
number or quantity • something over 50
• something
between 20 and 30 percent

3.  suggesting
resemblance: used to suggest that one thing or person
resembles another to a certain extent or has some of the qualities of the other
• There’s
definitely something of the knight errant about him.

4.  rather:
used to qualify a description of a thing or event and tone it down or make it
sound more guarded • It was something of a
disappointment.

5.  something
impressive:
an impressive or important person or thing • He’s
really something!
adverb

1.  somewhat:
slightly or to some degree • It
sounds something like what she might have said.

2.  to
an extreme degree: used to intensify the effect
of an adjective, especially a strong adjective used as an adverb (informal)
• It
hurts something awful.

3.  and
a bit more:
used to indicate that a number is slightly higher than the one mentioned (informal)
• She’s
thirty something.
something
else

somebody
or something really special, remarkable, or extreme (informal)

have
something to do with somebody or something

to be connected with or
involve somebody or something[1]



sometime

sometime
some·time 
[súm tm] adverb

1.  at
some time:
at some unspecified or unknown time • They
intend to marry sometime soon.

2.  formerly:
at one time in the past (formal) • our
speaker today, sometime a scholar of Lincoln College, Oxford

3.  occasionally:
occasionally or sporadically (archaic)
adjective

1.  former:
who at one time in the past had the job, position, or status in question • a
sometime student of this university

2.  occasional:
occasional or sporadic • an
author and sometime lecturer

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at someday.

[1]



sometimes

sometimes
some·times 
[súm tmz] adverb

1.  occasionally:
from time to time, not continually or every time • We
go to the theater sometimes.

2.  formerly:
at one time in the past (archaic)
[Early 16th century. The -s
is possessive (genitive) singular, not a plural.][1]



someway

someway
some·way 
[súm wày] or some·ways [súm wàyz] adverb

somehow:
using some means or method that is not yet known or not stated • We’ll
figure it out someway.[1]



somewhat

somewhat
some·what 
[súm wòt, súm
hwòt] adverb

to a certain extent:
to a certain extent or degree • The
hot night had cooled somewhat.[1]



somewhere

somewhere
some·where 
[súm wàir, súm
hwàir] adverb

1.  in
some unspecified place: in, to, or at some
unspecified place • He lives somewhere in
Scotland.

2.  approximately:
used in giving approximate amounts, numbers, or times • somewhere
around three hundred • somewhere
between three and four o’clock
get
somewhere

to make progress towards
achieving something[1]



somewheres

somewheres
some·wheres 
[súm wàirz, súm
hwàirz] adverb

somewhere (nonstandard)[1]



somewise

somewise
some·wise
[súm wz] adverb (archaic)

1.  somehow:
somehow

2.  somewhat:
somewhat

[1]



somite

somite
so·mite 
[sṓ mt] (plural so·mites) noun

1.  embryo
cell pair forming vertebrae: one of a series of paired
blocks of cells that develop along the back of a vertebrate embryo giving rise
to the vertebral column and most of the skeletal muscles

2.  body
segment:
a body segment, usually one of several, into which the bodies of certain
animals, for example, earthworms and crayfish, are divided along their length
[Mid-19th
century. From soma + -ite .]
—so·mit·al
[sṓmət’l], adjective

—so·mit·ic [sō míttik], adjective[1]



Somme

Somme
Somme 
[som]

river in northern France,
flowing from near St. Quentin into the English Channel. The Somme valley was
the scene of a major World War I battle in 1916, which resulted in more than
one million casualties. Length: 241 km/150 mi.[1]



sommelier

sommelier
som·me·lier 
[sùmməl yáy] (plural som·me·liers)
noun

wine
steward:
a wine steward in a restaurant, hotel, or other establishment, who supervises
the ordering, storing, and serving of wine
[Early 20th century. Via a
variant of French sommerier, sommier, “officer in charge of
provisions,” from somme “burden,” from, ultimately, Greek ságma,
“covering, packsaddle.”][1]



sommer

sommer
som·mer
adverb

South
Africa
simply
or somewhat: just, only, or somewhat (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From
Afrikaans somaar, sommer .][1]



somn-

somn-
somn-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
somni-[1]



somnambulate

somnambulate
som·nam·bu·late 
[som námbyə làyt] (past som·nam·bu·lat·ed,
past participle som·nam·bu·lat·ed, present participle som·nam·bu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular som·nam·bu·lates) intransitive
verb

sleepwalk:
to sleepwalk (technical)
—som·nam·bu·lance,
noun

—som·nam·bu·la·tion
[som nàmbyə láysh’n], noun

—som·nam·bu·la·tor [som námbyə làytər], noun[1]



somnambulism

somnambulism
som·nam·bu·lism 
[som námbyə lìzzəm] noun

sleepwalking:
sleepwalking (technical)
—somnambulist,
noun

—som·nam·bu·lis·tic [som nàmbyə lístik], adjective[1]



somni-

somni-
somni-
prefix

sleep
• somnifacient
[From Latin somnus][1]



somnifacient

somnifacient
som·ni·fa·cient 
[sòmnə fáysh’nt] adjective

causing sleep:
used to describe a drug designed to induce sleep[1]



somniferous

somniferous
som·nif·er·ous 
[sòm níffərəss] adjective

sleep-inducing:
making somebody, or designed to make somebody, feel sleepy
—som·nif·er·ous·ly, adverb[1]



somnolent

somnolent
som·no·lent 
[sáwmnələnt] adjective

1.  sleepy:
feeling sleepy or tending to fall asleep

2.  lacking
activity:
quiet and with little or no activity

3.  sleep-inducing:
making somebody feel sleepy
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin somnōlentus, “sleepy,” from somnus
“sleep.”]
—som·no·lence,
noun

—som·no·lent·ly, adverb[1]



Somoza,Anastasio

Somoza,Anastasio
So·mo·za
[sə mzə], Anastasio (1896–1956)

Nicaraguan
military and government leader. He was president of Nicaragua (1937–1947,
1950–1956), and the first of a dynasty of dictators ruling with U.S. support.
After his assassination he was succeeded by his sons, Luis Somoza Debayle
(1922–1967) and Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1925–1980).
Full name
Somoza García, Anastasio[1]



Son

Son
Son
noun

Jesus Christ:
a title that Christians give to Jesus Christ, especially when referred to as
the second person in the Holy Trinity[1]



son

son
son 
[sun] (plural sons) noun

1.  male
child:
a male child in relation to his parents

2.  male
descendant:
a male descendant

3.  male
with connections with something: a man or boy referred
to in terms of his connection with a place, a time in history, or a sphere of
interest • the
achievements of the sons of the Industrial Revolution

4.  term
of address:
an affectionate, or sometimes condescending, way of addressing a boy or man (informal)
[Old
English sunu . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to give
birth.”]
—son·less,
adjective

—son·like, adjective[1]



sonant

sonant
so·nant 
[sṓnənt] adjective

1.  having
sound:
producing or possessing a sound (formal)

2.  voiced:
made with vibration of the vocal cords

3.  syllabic:
used to describe a consonant that is capable of forming a syllable on its own,
without a vowel
noun
(plural so·nants)

1.  voiced
sound:
a sound made with vibration of the vocal cords

2.  syllabic
consonant:
a consonant capable of forming a syllable on its own, without a vowel
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin sonans, present participle of sonare “to sound.”]
—so·nance,
noun

—so·nan·tal
[sō nánt’l], adjective

—so·nan·tic, adjective[1]



sonar

sonar
so·nar 
[sṓ nr] (plural so·nars) noun

1.  system
for detecting underwater objects: a system that
determines the position of unseen underwater objects by transmitting sound
waves and measuring the time it takes for their echo to return after hitting
the object. Many modern ships, including warships and some commercial fishing
boats, are equipped with sonar.

2.  sonar
device:
a device that uses sonar
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
from sound navigation ranging .][1]



sonata

sonata
so·na·ta 
[sə ntə] (plural so·na·tas) noun

1.  classical
composition for a solo instrument: a piece of classical
music for a solo instrument or a small ensemble consisting of several
movements, at least one of which is in sonata form

2.  one-movement
baroque keyboard composition: a piece of baroque keyboard
music in a single movement
[Late 17th century. Via
Italian, from sonare “to sound,” from Latin sonare (see sonant ).][1]



sonataform

sonataform
so·na·ta
form
noun

three-part musical form:
an important musical form developed in the 18th century consisting of three
sections, an exposition, development, and recapitulation, and used especially
for the first movement of sonatas, concertos, and symphonies[1]



sonatina

sonatina
son·a·ti·na 
[sònə tnə] (plural son·a·ti·nas)
noun

short
sonata:
a short and usually less technically difficult sonata
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian, “little sonata,” from sonata (see sonata
).][1]



sondage

sondage
son·dage 
[sawn d] (plural son·dages) noun

trench
for studying archaeological layers: a
deep trench dug in order to study the relative positions of human artifacts in
horizontal layers
[Mid-20th century. French,
literally “sounding, bore hole” (see sound 1 ).][1]



sonde

sonde
son·de
[sond] (plural son·des) noun

system
transmitting meteorological or other information: a
collection of instruments that can be lowered down a borehole or carried into
the upper atmosphere by balloon or rocket to transmit information relating to
the conditions encountered
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “plumb line, sound” (see sound 1 ).][1]



Sondheim,Stephen

Sondheim,Stephen

Sond·heim 
[sónd hīm], Stephen (1930– )
U.S.
composer and lyricist. His innovative musicals include the Pulitzer
Prize-winning Sunday in the Park with George ( 1984 ).
Full name
Sondheim, Stephen Joshua[1]



sonet lumière

sonet lumière
son
et lu·mière
[sàwn ay loo myáir] noun

outdoor
spectacle with music and lights: an outdoor nighttime
spectacle that combines dramatic lighting effects with recorded sounds and
music, usually staged at the site of a famous and historical building, often
telling its history
[French, literally “sound and
light”][1]



Song

Song
Song 
noun

See
Sung[1]



song

song
song 
[sawng] (plural songs) noun

1.  set
of words sung: a usually relatively short musical
composition consisting of words set to music and the music itself

2.  singing:
the art or practice of singing

3.  instrumental
work in style of song: an instrumental work written
in the style of a vocal song, or, in popular music, any musical work

4.  characteristic
sound of bird or insect: the characteristic sound
that a bird or insect makes, usually either to attract a mate or to warn off
competing members of its species

5.  poetry:
poetry or verse (literary)

6.  poem:
a poem, especially one that rhymes (literary)
[Old
English sang . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to sing.”]
—song·like,
adjective
for
a song

very cheaply[1]



songand dance

songand dance
song
and dance
noun

long-winded explanation:
a long-winded attempt to explain or justify something (informal)[1]



songbird

songbird
song·bird 
[sáwng bùrd] (plural song·birds)
noun

bird with a musical call:
a bird with a musical call, especially a perching bird belonging to the
suborder that includes larks, finches, and thrushes. Suborder: Oscines[1]



songbook

songbook
song·book
[sáwng bk] (plural song·books)
noun

book of songs:
a book containing the words and music for a collection of songs[1]



songcycle

songcycle
song
cy·cle
noun

set of musically connected
songs: a set of songs linked by a
common subject or underlying musical theme or forming a narrative, often with
words by a single poet and music by a classical composer[1]



songfest

songfest
song·fest 
[sáwng fèst] (plural song·fests)
noun

gathering with group singing:
an informal gathering of people to sing folk or popular songs together[1]



songful

songful
song·ful 
[sáwngf’l] adjective

tuneful:
resembling song, especially in having a pleasing melody
—song·ful·ly,
adverb

—song·ful·ness, noun[1]



Songhai

Songhai
Song·hai 
[sàwng h, sòg
g] (plural Song·hai or Song·hais) or
Song·hay [sàwng h, sòg g] (plural Song·hay or Song·hays)
noun

1.  member
of W African people: a member of a people living
in West Africa, mainly in Mali and Niger. The Songhai established a powerful
empire in this area during the 7th century AD,
and they remained the dominant ethnic group until the 16th century.

2.  Songhai
language:
the Nilo-Saharan language of the Songhai people. Songhai is spoken by about two
million people.

[1]



Songof Solomon

Songof Solomon
Song
of Sol·o·mon  or Song of Songs noun

book in Bible:
a book of the Bible consisting of a set of love poems ascribed to King Solomon.

Also called
Bible[1]



songsmith

songsmith
song·smith 
[sáwng smìth] (plural song·smiths)
noun

See
songwriter[1]



songsparrow

songsparrow
song
spar·row
noun

musical N American finch:
a brown and white North American finch with a musical call. Latin name: Melospiza
melodia[1]



songster

songster
song·ster 
[sáwngstər] (plural song·sters)
noun

1.  singer:
a singer, especially a talented one

2.  songbird:
a bird with a musical call

3.  poet:
a poet (literary)

[1]



songthrush

songthrush
song
thrush
noun

thrush with whistling call:
a small common Eurasian bird with brown upper parts and a white breast speckled
with brown that has a melodic whistling call. Latin name: Turdus philomelos[1]



songwriter

songwriter
song·writ·er 
[sáwng rtər] (plural song·writ·ers)
noun

writer of songs:
somebody who writes the words, music, or both for songs, especially popular
songs.
Also called
songsmith[1]



sonic

sonic
son·ic 
[sáwnik] adjective

1.  relating
to sound or sound waves: relating to, using, or
producing sound or sound waves

2.  audible
to human ear: able to be heard by the human ear

3.  relating
to speed of sound: relating to or traveling at
the speed of sound in air, approximately 1,220 km per hour/760 mi per hour at
sea level
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin sonus “sound” + -ic .][1]



sonicbarrier

sonicbarrier
son·ic
bar·ri·er
noun

See
sound barrier[1]



sonicboom

sonicboom
son·ic
boom
noun

loud boom from shock waves:
a noise heard as a loud boom at ground level resulting from the shock waves
created by an aircraft flying above the speed of sound[1]



sonics

sonics
son·ics
[sónwniks] noun

study of sound:
the study of sound or, more generally, elastic wave motion (takes a singular
verb)[1]



soniferous

soniferous
so·nif·er·ous 
[sə níffərəss] adjective

producing
sound:
producing or transmitting sound
[Early 18th century. Coined
from Latin sonus “sound” + -iferous .][1]



son-in-law

son-in-law
son-in-law 
(plural sons-in-law) noun

daughter’s husband:
the husband of somebody’s daughter[1]



sonnet

sonnet
son·net 
[sónnət] (plural son·nets) noun

fourteen-line
rhyming poem with set structure: a short poem with
fourteen lines, usually ten-syllable rhyming lines, divided into two, three, or
four sections. There are many rhyming patterns for sonnets, and they are
usually written in iambic pentameter.
[Mid-16th century. Via French
and Italian sonnetto from Old Provençal son “poem,” from Latin sonus
“sound.”][1]



sonnetcycle

sonnetcycle
son·net
cy·cle
noun

See
sonnet sequence[1]



sonneteer

sonneteer
son·net·eer 
[sònnə tr] (plural son·net·eers)
noun

1.  sonnet
writer:
a poet who writes sonnets

2.  mediocre
poet:
a writer of mediocre poems

[1]



sonnetsequence

sonnetsequence
son·net
se·quence
noun

group of sonnets on single
subject: a set of sonnets written by
one poet and unified by a single theme or idea.
Also called
sonnet cycle[1]



sonny

sonny
son·ny 
[súnnee] (plural son·nies) or
son·ny boy [súnnee] (plural son·ny
boys) noun

term of address:
an affectionate, or sometimes condescending, way of addressing a man or boy (informal)[1]



sonobuoy

sonobuoy
so·no·buoy 
[sónnə b ee, sónnə
bòy, sáwnə bee, sáwnə bòy] (plural so·no·buoys) noun

buoy
transmitting detected underwater sounds: a
buoy fitted with equipment for detecting underwater noises and transmitting
them by radio
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin sonus “sound” + buoy .][1]



sonof a bitch

sonof a bitch
son
of a bitch
noun (plural sons of bitch·es)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody, usually a man, whom the speaker considers
hateful, despicable, or intensely annoying (slang offensive)

2.  person
in general:
used, together with an adjective, as a familiar, humorous, and slightly vulgar
term for a person, usually a man, who has the named characteristic (slang,
sometimes considered offensive) • He’s a
lucky son of a bitch.
interjection

swearword: used
as a swearword (slang, sometimes considered offensive)

[1]



sonof a gun

sonof a gun
son
of a gun
noun (plural sons of guns)

person:
a person, especially a man, and usually somebody affectionately or kindly
regarded (informal)
interjection

exclamation:
used to express mild annoyance or surprise (informal)
[Perhaps originally for the
illegitimate child of a soldier; also influenced by British argot gun, meaning
“thief”][1]



sonof God

sonof God
son
of God
noun

1.  angel:
a superhuman, angelic being

2.  Christian:
a believer in the Christian faith

[1]



Sonof God

Sonof God
Son
of God
or Son of Man noun

Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ, considered as the Messiah[1]



sonogram

sonogram
son·o·gram 
[sónnə gràm, sṓnə
gràm] (plural son·o·grams) noun

graphical representation of
sound: a graphical representation
of sound, especially in the three dimensions of frequency, time, and intensity.

Also called
echogram[1]



SonoranDesert

SonoranDesert
So·no·ran
De·sert
[sə nàwrən dézzərt]

the largest desert in North
America. It is situated in southwestern Arizona, southern California, and
northwestern Mexico. Area: 310,000 sq km/120,000 sq mi.[1]



sonority

sonority
so·nor·i·ty 
[sə náwrətee] (plural so·nor·i·ties)
noun

1.  resonance:
a sonorous quality

2.  resounding
sound:
a sound, especially a rich deep sound
[Early 16th century. Via
French sonorité from medieval Latin sonoritas, from Latin sonorus
(see sonorous ).][1]



sonorous

sonorous
so·no·rous 
[sə náwrəss, sónnərəss]
adjective

1.  producing
sound:
producing or possessing sound

2.  resonant:
sounding with loud, deep, and clear tones

3.  having
an impressive manner of speaking: speaking, spoken, or
expressed in a rich, full, and impressive manner
[Early
17th century. From Latin sonorus “noisy, loud,” from sonor
“sound,” from sonare “to make a sound.”]
—so·no·rous·ly,
adverb

—so·no·rous·ness, noun[1]



Sontag,Susan

Sontag,Susan

Son·tag
[són tag], Susan (1933– )
U.S. writer. She is best known for her
social commentary such as the article “Notes on Camp” (1964) and Illness as
Metaphor ( 1978 ). She has also written novels and short stories.[1]



soon

soon
soon 
[soon] (comparative soon·er, superlative
soon·est) adverb

1.  after
a short time: within or after a short time • She
soon realized that she had made a mistake.

2.  quickly:
quickly or without much delay • How
soon will you be ready? • I’ll
soon see about that!

3.  early:
before a reasonable or the desired length of time has elapsed • Do
you really have to go so soon? • It’s
a bit soon to be thinking of marriage, isn’t it?

4.  willingly:
used when expressing a preference for one alternative over another or an equal
willingness to accept either, and often in the comparative form “sooner” • I’d
sooner stay in than go out. • I’d
as soon stay in as go out.
[Old
English sōna . Originally in the sense “immediately, at once,” but
current meanings developed in Old English.]
as
soon as

immediately
after

no
sooner…than

immediately
after one thing had happened, another took place

sooner
or later

inevitably or certainly at
some as yet unspecifiable time[1]



soot

soot
soot 
[st] noun

black
dust given off by fire: a black powdery form of
carbon produced when coal, wood, or oil is burned, which rises up in fine
particles with the flames and smoke
transitive
verb
(past soot·ed, past participle soot·ed, present participle
soot·ing, 3rd person present singular soots)

cover
with soot:
to sprinkle or cover something with soot
[Old English sōt,
literally “something that sits.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “sit.”][1]



sooth

sooth
sooth 
[sooth] noun

truth: truth
(archaic or literary)
adjective
(archaic or literary)

1.  true:
true

2.  soft:
soft and soothing
[Old
English sōþ “true.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “be,”
which is also the ancestor of English is
.]
—sooth·ly, adverb[1]



soothe

soothe
soothe 
[soo] (past soothed, past
participle soothed, present participle sooth·ing, 3rd
person present singular soothes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
ease
pain:
to make pain or discomfort less severe

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb calm
somebody down: to make somebody less angry, anxious, or
upset
[Old
English sōþian “to prove to be true, verify,” from sōþ (see sooth ). The modern meanings evolved from “prove
true” via “support” and “encourage.”]
—sooth·er,
noun

—sooth·ing,
adjective

—sooth·ing·ly,
adverb

—sooth·ing·ness, noun[1]



soothfast

soothfast
sooth·fast 
[sth fàst] adjective (archaic)

1.  truthful:
truthful

2.  loyal:
loyal

[1]



soothsay

soothsay
sooth·say 
[sth sày] (past participle sooth·said,
present participle sooth·say·ing, 3rd person present singular
sooth·says [sth sèz]) intransitive
verb

tell
the future:
to predict the future
[Early
17th century. Back-formation from soothsayer
.]
—soothsaying, noun[1]



soothsayer

soothsayer
sooth·say·er 
[sth sàyər] (plural sooth·say·ers)
noun

somebody telling the future:
somebody who attempts to predict the future[1]



sooty

sooty
soot·y 
[stee] (comparative soot·i·er,
superlative soot·i·est) adjective

1.  soot-covered:
covered in soot, or lined or blocked with soot

2.  resembling
soot:
resembling soot in its blackness, dirtiness, or powdery texture

[1]



sootygrouse

sootygrouse
soot·y
grouse
noun

See
blue grouse[1]



sootymold

sootymold
soot·y
mold
noun

1.  fungal
plant disease: a plant disease characterized by a black
velvety fungus

2.  fungus:
a fungus that causes sooty mold. Genus: Meliola Capnodium

[1]



sootyshearwater

sootyshearwater
soot·y
shear·wa·ter noun

gray or brown seabird:
a medium-sized dark-gray or brown seabird of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
that rolls its body from side to side as it skims the surface of the water.
Latin name: Puffinus griseus[1]



sop.

sop.
sop.

Abbreviation of
soprano[1]



sop

sop
sop 
[sop] noun (plural sops)

1.  something
given to satisfy discontented person:
something offered as a concession or gesture to pacify somebody who is angry or
discontented

2.  FOOD food
dipped in liquid: a piece of food dipped or soaked in
liquid before it is eaten

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s, especially a man’s,
courage (dated informal insult)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sopped, past
participle sopped, present participle sop·ping, 3rd
person present singular sops)

make or become soaking wet:
to make something, or become, thoroughly wet
[Old English sopp
“bread dipped in liquid,” from sūpan “to swallow, taste.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to take liquid” (ancestor also of
English sip, soup, and supper
).][1]



SOP

SOP
SOP

Abbreviation of
standard operating procedure[1]



soph.

soph.
soph.

Abbreviation of
sophomore[1]



sophism

sophism
soph·ism 
[sóffìzzəm] (plural soph·isms)
noun

apparently
clever but flawed argument: an argument or explanation
that seems very clever or subtle on the surface but is actually flawed,
misleading, or intended to deceive.
Also
called
sophistry
[14th century. Via Old French
sophisme from, ultimately, Greek sóphisma “acquired skill, clever
device,” ultimately from sophós (see sophist
).][1]



sophist

sophist
soph·ist 
[sóffəst] (plural soph·ists) noun

1.  soph·ist
or Sophist (plural Soph·ists) PHILOSOPHY ancient
Greek philosopher: a member of a school of
ancient Greek professional philosophers who were expert in and taught the
skills of rhetoric, argument, and debate, but were criticized for specious
reasoning. The sophists were active before and during the time of Socrates and
Plato, who were their main critics.

2.  somebody
using clever talk to deceive: somebody who deceives people
with clever-sounding but flawed arguments or explanations
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek sophist&emacracute;s “master of a craft, man clever in
practical affairs,” also “cheat,” ultimately from sophós “skilled in a
craft, clever, wise.”][1]



sophistic

sophistic
so·phis·tic 
[sə fístik] or sophistical [sə fístik’l] adjective

1.  clever-sounding
but flawed:
clever-sounding and plausible but based on shallow or dishonest thinking or
flawed logic

2.  PHILOSOPHY of
sophists:
relating to sophists
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek sophistikós, from sophós (see sophist ).]
—so·phis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



sophisticate

sophisticate
so·phis·ti·cate 
[sə fístə kàyt] verb (past so·phis·ti·cat·ed,
past participle so·phis·ti·cat·ed, present participle so·phis·ti·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular so·phis·ti·cates)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody more cultured or worldly: to make somebody more
cultured or worldly, especially by educating out or destroying his or her
naturalness, naiveté, or innocence

2.  transitive
verb
make
something more complex: to make something more
advanced or complex

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
sophistry:
to use sophistic arguments, or make reasoning or an argument sophistic

4.  transitive
verb
corrupt:
to make something impure, false, or adulterated
noun
(plural so·phis·ti·cates)

somebody cultured or worldly:
somebody who is knowledgeable about the ways of the world and has cultured
taste and refined manners
[14th
century. From medieval Latin sophisticatus, past participle of sophisticare
“to deceive with words, disguise,” from, ultimately, Greek sophós (see sophist ).]
—so·phis·ti·ca·tor [sə fístə kàytər], noun[1]



sophisticated

sophisticated
so·phis·ti·cat·ed 
[sə fístə kàytəd] adjective

1.  knowledgeable
and cultured: knowledgeable about the ways of the
world, self-confident, and not easily deceived

2.  suitable
for sophisticated people: appealing to or frequented
by sophisticated people

3.  advanced:
complex, advanced, and very up-to-date
—so·phis·ti·cat·ed·ly,
adverb[1]



sophistication

sophistication
so·phis·ti·ca·tion
[sə fìstə káysh’n] (plural so·phis·ti·ca·tions)
noun

1.  knowledgeableness
and refinement: a combination of worldly wisdom,
self-confidence, and refinement in a person

2.  technical
advancedness: technical advancedness and complexity

3.  sophisticating:
the process of sophisticating something or somebody

[1]



sophistry

sophistry
soph·is·try 
[sóffistree] (plural soph·is·tries)
noun

1.  flawed
method of argumentation: a method of argumentation
that seems clever but is actually flawed or dishonest

2.  See
sophism
[14th century. Via Old French
sophistrie from Latin sophistria (see sophist
).][1]



Sophocles

Sophocles
Soph·o·cles 
[sóffə klz] (496? BC–406? BC)

Greek dramatist. The seven
tragedies of his 123 plays that survive in complete texts, including Electra,
Oedipus Rex, and Antigone, demonstrate the powerful treatment of
moral and religious themes that made him one of the greatest dramatists of all
time.[1]



sophomore

sophomore
soph·o·more 
[sóffə màwr] (plural soph·o·mores)
noun

1.  second-year
student:
a second-year student in a high school or college

2.  somebody
in second year of something: somebody in the second year
of a project or program
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier sophumer (probably influenced by Greek sophos
“wise” + mōros “dull”), from obsolete English sophum “sophism,” a
variant of sophism .][1]



sophomoric

sophomoric
sophomoric 
[sòffə máwrik] adjective

1.  immature:
showing the naive lack of judgement that accompanies immaturity

2.  of
sophomores:
relating to sophomores

[1]



-sophy

-sophy
-sophy
suffix

wisdom,
knowledge, science • theosophy
[From Greek sophia,
from sophos “wise”][1]



sopor

sopor
so·por 
[sṓpər] (plural so·pors) noun

deep
sleep or unconsciousness: an abnormally deep sleep or
state of unconsciousness
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “sleep.”][1]



soporific

soporific
sop·o·rif·ic 
[sòppə ríffik] adjective

1.  making
somebody sleepy: causing sleep or drowsiness

2.  feeling
sleepy:
experiencing sleepiness or drowsiness

3.  tedious:
dull and boring
noun
(plural sop·o·rif·ics)

sleep-inducing drug:
a drug or other substance that induces sleep
—sop·o·rif·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



sopping

sopping
sop·ping 
[sópping] or sop·ping wet [sópping] adjective

soaking:
thoroughly wet

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wet

[1]



soppy

soppy
sop·py 
[sóppee] (comparative sop·pi·er,
superlative sop·pi·est) adjective

1.  overly
sentimental or affectionate: affectionate or sentimental
in an excessive way (informal)

2.  soaking:
thoroughly wet

3.  rainy:
characterized by a lot of rain

[1]



sopranino

sopranino
so·pra·ni·no 
[sòpprə nnō] (plural so·pra·ni·nos)
noun

musical
instrument with highest possible pitch: a
musical instrument, usually a wind instrument, that has the highest pitch of
all those in its family, being even higher than the soprano
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, “little soprano” (see soprano ).][1]



soprano

soprano
so·pran·o 
[sə prnō] (plural so·pran·os)
noun

1.  woman
or boy with highest voice: a woman, girl, or a boy with
the highest register of singing voice

2.  highest
singing voice: the highest register of singing voice a
woman, girl, or boy can have

3.  singing
part for soprano voice: a singing part written for
somebody with a soprano voice

4.  musical
instrument with high pitch: a musical instrument,
especially a wind instrument, with the highest pitch of the instruments in its
family, or the second highest, if the family includes a sopranino
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, from sopra “above,” from Latin supra .][1]



sopranoclef

sopranoclef
so·pran·o
clef
noun

C clef:
a C clef in which middle C is designated by the first line of the staff. It was
formerly used for the soprano vocal line.[1]



sopup

sopup
sop
up
transitive verb

soak up liquid:
to soak up a liquid with something absorbent[1]



SOR

SOR
SOR
or s.o.r.

Abbreviation of
sale or return[1]



sora

sora
so·ra 
[sáwrə] (plural so·ras) noun

gray
N American swamp bird: a small grayish-brown North
American bird that lives in bogs and swamps, and, though common, is seldom
seen. Latin name: Porzana carolina
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown: possibly of Native North American origin.][1]



Sorb

Sorb
Sorb 
[sawrb] (plural Sorbs) noun

PEOPLES Slavic
people:
a member of a Slavic people living mainly in the upper Spree valley between
eastern Germany and southwestern Poland. There are about 150,000 Sorbs, who are
descendants of an earlier people known as Wends.
[Mid-19th
century. Via German Sorbe, ultimately from Lusatian serbje,
related to, or a variant of, Serb .]
—Sor·bi·an, adjective[1]



sorb

sorb
sorb
[sawrb] (plural sorbs) noun

1.  See
service tree

2.  sorb
or sorb ap·ple (plural sorb ap·ples) berry:
the berry of the service tree
[Early
16th century. Via French sorbe from Latin sorbum “service
berry.”]
—sor·bic, adjective[1]



sorbet

sorbet
sor·bet 
[sáwrbət, sáwr
bay] (plural sor·bets) noun

frozen
dessert:
a frozen dessert, usually made with fruit syrup and sometimes egg whites,
whisked until smooth
[Late 16th century. Via
French and Italian sorbetto from Turkish şerbet “cool drink” (see
sherbet ).][1]



Sorbian

Sorbian
Sor·bi·an 
[sáwrbee ən] noun adjective

LANGUAGE
See Wendish[1]



sorbicacid

sorbicacid
sor·bic
ac·id 
[sàwrbik ássəd] noun

plant extract used as food
preservative: a white crystalline
solid acid obtained from the unripe berries of the mountain ash, or
manufactured synthetically, and used as a food preservative and a fungicide. C6H8O2[1]



sorbitol

sorbitol
sor·bi·tol 
[sáwrbə tàwl] noun

plant alcohol used as
sweetener: a white crystalline sweet
alcohol extracted from the berries of the mountain ash tree, or manufactured
synthetically, and used as a sweetener and in cosmetics, toiletries, and
pharmaceuticals. C6H14O6[1]



Sorbonne

Sorbonne
Sor·bonne 
[sawr bón] noun

part of the University of
Paris: a part of the University of
Paris, founded in 1253, and containing the faculties of science and literature[1]



sorbose

sorbose
sor·bose 
[sáwr bss] noun

plant
sugar for making vitamin C: a whitish crystalline sugar
that is an isomer of fructose and a fermentation product of sorbitol, used in
the preparation of vitamin C. C6H12O6
[Late 19th century. From sorbitol + -ose
.][1]



sorcerer

sorcerer
sor·cer·er 
[sáwrssərər] noun

wizard:
somebody who is believed or claims to have magical powers
[Early 16th century. Via
French sorcier from, ultimately, Latin sors (see sort ).][1]



sorceress

sorceress
sor·cer·ess 
[sáwrsərəss] (plural sor·cer·ess·es)
noun

witch:
a woman who is believed or claims to have magical powers[1]



sorcery

sorcery
sor·cer·y 
[sáwrssəree] noun

witchcraft:
the supposed use of magic
—sor·cer·ous, adjective[1]



sordid

sordid
sor·did 
[sáwrdəd] adjective

1.  nasty:
demonstrating the worst aspects of human nature, for example, immorality,
selfishness, and greed

2.  squalid:
dirty and depressing
[Late
16th century. Via French sordide and Latin sordidus from,
ultimately, sordes “dirt.”]
—sor·did·ly,
adverb

—sor·did·ness, noun[1]



sordino

sordino
sor·di·no 
[sawr dnō] (plural sor·di·ni
[sawr dnee]) noun

device
to soften an instrument’s tone: a device used to
muffle or soften the tone of a musical instrument, for example, a mute for a
stringed or brass instrument or a damper on a piano.
Also
called
sourdine
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, formed from sordo “unable to speak or hear,” from Latin surdus
.][1]



sore

sore
sore 
[sawr] adjective (comparative sor·er,
superlative sor·est)

1.  painful:
painful or tender because of an injury, infection, or unaccustomed exercise

2.  annoying:
causing annoyance or embarrassment • His
dismissal has always been a sore point.

3.  offended:
angry or irritated, especially because of something said or done by another
person in the recent past (informal) • He
was still sore because I kidded him about his tie.

4.  urgent:
requiring urgent action to provide relief • The
survivors of the flood are in sore need of help.

5.  distressing:
causing great worry or distress (literary) • Her
illness was a sore trial to her husband and children.
noun

MEDICINE infected
spot:
a painful open skin infection or wound
adverb

sorely:
sorely (archaic)
[Old
English sār . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English sorry .]
—sore·ness, noun[1]



sorehead

sorehead
sore·head 
[sáwr hèd] noun

irritable person:
somebody who is easily offended or angered (informal)[1]



sorely

sorely
sore·ly 
[sáwrlee] adverb

very:
to a great extent or degree (formal) • I
was sorely tempted to give him the money.[1]



sorgho

sorgho
sor·gho 
noun

See
sorgo[1]



sorghum

sorghum
sor·ghum 
[sáwrgəm] (plural sor·ghums or
sor·ghum) noun

1.  PLANTS cereal
crop:
a cereal plant that is resistant to drought, widely cultivated in tropical and
warm areas as a grain crop and for animal feed. Genus: Sorghum

2.  FOOD syrup
from sorghum: a syrup made from the juice of some
varieties of sorghum
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Italian sorgo (see sorgo
).][1]



sorgo

sorgo
sor·go
[sáwrgō] (plural sor·gos) or
sor·gho [sáwrgō] (plural sor·ghos)
noun

sorghum
that yields syrup: any of several varieties of
sorghum cultivated as a source of syrup.
Also
called
sweet sorghum
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Vulgar Latin syricum (granum), literally “Syrian (grain).”][1]



sori

sori
so·ri


Plural of
sorus[1]



sorites

sorites
sor·i·tes 
[sə r tz] (plural sor·i·tes)
noun

serial
argument:
an argument consisting of a series of premises arranged so that the predicate
of each premise forms the subject of the next. The conclusion unites the
subject of the first premise with the predicate of the last.
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek sōreitēs, from sōros “heap.”][1]



Soroptimist

Soroptimist
Sor·op·ti·mist 
[sə róptimist] noun

member
of professional women’s club: a member of an international
organization Soroptimist International of professional women and businesswomen
that promotes public service. It was founded in California in 1921.
[Early 20th century. A blend
of Latin soror “sister” and optimist
.][1]



sororate

sororate
so·ror·ate 
[sáwrə ràyt] noun

marriage
to deceased wife’s sister: a custom in some societies
in which a widower marries a younger sister of his deceased wife
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin soror “sister.”][1]



sororicide

sororicide
so·ror·i·cide 
[sə ráwrə sd] noun

1.  murder
of sister:
the murder of a sister

2.  killer
of sister:
somebody who kills his or her sister
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Latin soror “sister” + -cide
.]
—so·ror·i·cid·al [sə ràwrə sd’l], adjective[1]



sorority

sorority
so·ror·i·ty 
[sə ráwrətee] (plural so·ror·i·ties)
noun

society
for women students: a social society for women
students at a college or university, with a name made up of Greek letters.
See
also
fraternity
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin sororitas, from Latin soror “sister.”][1]



sorption

sorption
sorp·tion 
[sáwrpsh’n] noun

taking
in of something: the taking in or holding of something,
either by absorption or adsorption
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from absorption and adsorption .][1]



sorrel

sorrel2
sor·rel2 [sáwrəl]
adjective

COLORS reddish
brown:
of a reddish-brown color
noun

1.  COLORS brown
with red added: a brown color with a suggestion of red

2.  ZOOLOGY reddish-brown
animal:
a sorrel horse or other animal
[15th century. From Old
French sorel, from sor “yellowish.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “dry.”][1]



sorrel

sorrel1

sor·rel1 [sáwrəl]
(plural sor·rels or sor·rel) noun
salad
plant:
a sharp-tasting plant of the dock family, used for salad greens and in
medicines. Genus: Rumex
[14th century. From Old
French surele, from sur “sour.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English sour
.][1]



sorreltree

sorreltree
sor·rel
tree
noun

See
sourwood[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Sorrento

Sorrento
Sor·ren·to 
[sè réntō]

town and resort on the
southern shore of the Bay of Naples, in Naples Province, Campania Region, in
southern Italy. Population: 17,015 (1991)[1]



sorrow

sorrow
sor·row 
[sáwrō, sórrō]
noun

1.  grief:
a feeling of deep sadness caused by a loss or misfortune

2.  saddening
burden:
an unfortunate event, experience, or other cause of sorrow
intransitive
verb
(past sor·rowed, past participle sor·rowed, present
participle sor·row·ing, 3rd person present singular sor·rows)

grieve: to
feel or express deep sadness over something (literary)
[Old
English sorg . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“care.”]
—sor·row·er,
noun
drown
your sorrows

to take alcoholic drink in
order to try to forget a source of sadness or disappointment[1]



sorrowful

sorrowful
sor·row·ful 
[sáwrōf’l, sórrōf’l]
adjective

1.  sad:
feeling or expressing sorrow

2.  causing
sadness:
characterized by or causing sorrow
—sor·row·ful·ly,
adverb

—sor·row·ful·ness, noun[1]



sorry

sorry
sor·ry 
[sáwree, sórree]
adjective (comparative sor·ri·er, superlative sor·ri·est)

1.  apologetic:
feeling or expressing regret for an action that has upset or inconvenienced
somebody, or for a similar future action

2.  sympathetic:
feeling or expressing sympathy or empathy, especially because of something that
has happened • I’m
sorry you’re leaving.

3.  pitiful:
pitifully bad or neglected

4.  very
bad:
pathetically or contemptibly unsatisfactory • a
sorry excuse for a car
interjection

1.  apologizing
for something: used as an apology for hurting,
interrupting, or inconveniencing somebody • Sorry
–I didn’t realize that was your foot.

2.  asking
somebody to repeat something: used with an interrogative
inflection to ask somebody to repeat something (informal)

3.  correcting
a remark:
used to introduce a correction in speech • The
company employs ten thousand –sorry, twelve thousand workers nationwide.
[Old
English sārig, formed from sār (see sore
)]
—sor·ri·ly,
adverb

—sor·ri·ness, noun[1]



sort

sort
sort 
[sawrt] noun

1.  category:
a category of persons or things with shared attributes, to which somebody or
something can be assigned • What
sort of instrument is that?

2.  particular
type:
a particular type of person (informal) • She’ll
help –she’s a good sort.

3.  similar
thing:
something similar to the thing specified • It’s
a sort of play with dancing.

4.  COMPUTING sorting
of data:
a process of arranging data in a set order

5.  PRINTING letter
or symbol:
a particular character in a font of type (often plural)

6.  manner:
a manner of doing something (archaic)
verb
(past sort·ed, past participle sort·ed, present
participle sort·ing, 3rd person present singular sorts)

1.  transitive
verb
put
in categories: to place people or things in categories
according to shared attributes • clothes
sorted into piles

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING put
in sequence: to arrange things in a set order,
especially automatically as some computer programs do with data

3.  transitive
verb
See sort out  verb 3

4.  intransitive
verb
be
compatible:
to be compatible or in accord with something (archaic)

5.  intransitive
verb
associate:
to associate with somebody (archaic)
[14th
century. Via French sorte and assumed Proto-Romance sorta “class,
order” from Latin sors “lot, fortune” (source of English sorcerer ).]
—sort·a·ble,
adjective

—sort·er,
noun
of
a sort

or of
sortsused to indicate that something is not very good • We
had a meal of sorts at the airport.

out
of sorts

1.  slightly
unwell

2.  not
in a very good mood

sort
of

somewhat
(informal) • This place is sort of
strange.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at kind.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



sortation

sortation
sor·ta·tion 
[sawr táysh’n] noun

sorting of things:
the process of sorting items into categories or into a set order, especially
when done by machine or computer[1]



sortie

sortie
sor·tie 
[sáwrtee] noun

1.  MILITARY attack
on an enemy: an attack made by a small military force
into enemy territory

2.  AIR aircraft
mission:
a mission flown by a combat aircraft or group of combat aircraft

3.  short
trip:
a brief trip away from home, especially to an unfamiliar place (humorous)

4.  MILITARY people
on sortie:
the personnel engaged in a military sortie
intransitive
verb
(past sor·tied, past participle sor·tied, present
participle sor·tie·ing, 3rd person present singular sor·ties)

MILITARY make a
sortie:
to make a sortie against an enemy position
[Late 17th century. From
French, the past participle of sortir “to go out,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from, ultimately, Latin sors (see sort
).][1]



sortilege

sortilege
sor·ti·lege 
[sáwrt’lij] noun

1.  prophecy
by drawing lots: the supposed foretelling of the future
by drawing lots

2.  magic:
the supposed practice of magic or sorcery
[14th century. Via French sortilège
from, ultimately, Latin sortilegus “prophetic, soothsayer,” from sors
(see sort ) + legere “to read.”][1]



sortout

sortout
sort
out
transitive verb

1.  resolve
effectively: to deal effectively with a problem • I
think we’ve sorted out our difficulties with the printer.

2.  reach
conclusion:
to think and come to a conclusion about a problem or difficulty

3.  put
in order:
to put something into order, or disentangle something • It
took weeks to sort out the library.

4.  separate:
to separate something from the mixture it exists in, or from another group of
things

[1]



sorus

sorus
so·rus 
[sáwrəss] (plural so·ri [sáw r]) noun

1.  spore
case cluster: a cluster of spore cases on the
underside of some fern fronds

2.  spore-producing
organ:
a spore-producing organ in some algae, fungi, and lichens
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek sōros “heap.”][1]



SOS

SOS
SOS
(plural SOSs) noun

1.  distress
signal:
an international radio signal that ships or aircraft in serious distress can
use to call for help. It consists of the letters “SOS” in Morse code ( … –––…
), interpreted as meaning “save our souls.”

2.  call
for help:
a call or signal requesting help

[1]



sosatie

sosatie
so·sa·tie
[sə stee] noun

South
Africa
kabob:
curried or spicy meat grilled on a skewer
[Mid-19th century. Via
Afrikaans from, ultimately, Malay sesate .][1]



so-so

so-so
so-so 
adjective

neither
good nor bad: neither very good nor very bad (informal)
• The
food was so-so, but the atmosphere was wonderful.
adverb

neither well nor badly:
neither very well nor very badly (informal) • feeling
so-so[1]



sostenuto

sostenuto
sos·te·nu·to 
[sòstə nt] adverb

with
prolonged notes: with notes sustained to or beyond the
notated value (used as a musical direction)
noun
(plural so·ste·nu·tos)

sostenuto
piece of music: a piece of music, or a section of a
piece, played sostenuto
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, the past participle of sostinere “to sustain,”
from Latin sustinere .]
—so·ste·nu·to, adjective[1]



sot

sot
sot 
[sot] noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who is nearly always drunk (dated informal
insult)
[Pre-12th century. Via Old
French, “fool,” from medieval Latin sottus .][1]



soteriology

soteriology
so·te·ri·ol·o·gy 
[sō tree ólləjee] noun

theology
of salvation: the Christian doctrine that salvation
has been brought about by Jesus Christ
[Mid-18th
century. Coined from Greek sōtēria “salvation” + -logy .]
—so·te·ri·o·log·ic [sō tree ə lójjik], adjective[1]



Sothiccycle

Sothiccycle
So·thic
cy·cle
[sthik sk’l, sòthik
sk’l] noun

CALENDAR ancient
Egyptian calendar cycle: a cycle of 1460 Sothic years
in the ancient Egyptian calendar
[Early 19th century. Sothic
formed from Greek Sōthis, the star Sirius, used in calendar
calculations.][1]



Sothicyear

Sothicyear
So·thic
year
(plural So·thic years) noun

CALENDAR ancient
Egyptian year: a year of 365¼ days in the ancient
Egyptian calendar, based on the first appearance of the dog star ( Sirius ) above the horizon
[See Sothic
cycle][1]



Sotho

Sotho
So·tho 
[sṓ t, s t]
(plural So·tho or So·thos) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of southern African people: a member of a large group of
peoples who live in southern Africa, mainly in Botswana, Lesotho, and South
Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Sotho
language:
the Bantu language of the Sotho, belonging to the Niger-Congo family. There are
several languages in the group, including Tswana and Lesotho.
—So·tho, adjective[1]



sotol

sotol
so·tol 
[sṓ tl] noun

1.  PLANTS flowering
desert plant: a desert plant of the southwestern
United States and Mexico that has prickly leaves and dense clusters of whitish
flowers. Genus: Dasylirion

2.  BEVERAGES drink
made from sotol: an alcoholic drink made from the sap of
the sotol plant
[Late 19th century. Via
American Spanish sotole from Nahuatl tzotolli .][1]



sottish

sottish
sot·tish 
[sóttish] adjective

1.  drunken:
in the habit of drinking far too much alcohol

2.  drunk:
showing the effects of having drunk too much alcohol

[1]



sottovoce

sottovoce
sot·to
vo·ce 
[sòttō vṓchee, sòttō
vṓ chày] adverb

softly:
in a soft voice, so as not to be overheard
[Mid-18th
century. From Italian, literally “under (the) voice.”]
—sot·to vo·ce, adjective[1]



sou

sou
sou 
[soo] noun

small
French coin: a French coin no longer in use, worth
only a small amount
[15th century. From French,
back-formation from Old French sous, the plural of sout “sou,”
from Latin solidus (see solidus ).][1]



soubrette

soubrette
sou·brette 
[soo brét] (plural sou·brettes)
noun

1.  maidservant
in comedy:
a pretty, flirtatious woman’s role in a comedy, especially one in which she
plays a lady’s maid involved in romantic intrigues

2.  actor
playing soubrette: an actor who often plays
soubrettes

3.  dismissive
term:
a dismissive term for a young woman whose behavior is interpreted as
flirtatious (dated)
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, literally “maid,” and Provençal soubreto “coy” from, ultimately,
Latin superare “to surpass,” from super “above.”][1]



soubriquet

soubriquet
sou·bri·quet 
noun

See
sobriquet[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








souchong

souchong
sou·chong 
[soo cháwng, s
chóng] noun

black
tea:
black China tea
[Mid-18th century. From
Cantonese síu-chúng, literally “small kind.”][1]



soucouyant

soucouyant
sou·cou·yant
[s koo yn] noun

Caribbean
blood-sucking
witch:
somebody, usually a woman, who reportedly can shed her skin and change into a
ball of fire and fly around by night, and who sucks people’s blood. Local
belief has it that she must return to her skin before daylight, and that salt
and thorn-trees offer protection against her.
[Mid-20th century. From a
West Indian creole, of uncertain origin.][1]



souffle

souffle
souf·fle
[sff’l] noun

noise
in lungs:
a soft blowing sound inside somebody’s chest, heard through a stethoscope and
caused by blood flowing through blood vessels
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “breath,” formed from souffler (see soufflé ).][1]



soufflé

soufflé
souf·flé 
[soo fláy] noun

light
dish made with egg whites: a baked or chilled dish that
has been made light by adding whisked egg whites. Hot soufflés are usually
based on a thick milk sauce and are baked, while cold soufflés are made with
gelatin and set by chilling.
[Early
19th century. From French, the past participle of souffler “to blow, to
puff up,” from Latin sufflare .]
—souf·flé, adjective[1]



SoufriereHills Volcano

SoufriereHills Volcano
Sou·fri·ere
Hills Vol·ca·no [sfree àir
hílz]

volcano on the island of
Montserrat in the Caribbean Sea. It erupted in 1997, leaving large parts of the
island uninhabitable. Height: 915 m/3,002 ft.[1]



sough

sough
sough 
[sow, suf]
intransitive verb (past soughed, past participle soughed,
present participle sough·ing, 3rd person present singular soughs)

to
rustle:
to make a soft rustling, sighing, or murmuring sound, like the wind in trees (archaic
or literary)
noun

soughing
sound:
a sound like that made by a gentle wind through trees (archaic or literary)
[Old English swōgan,
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



sought

sought
sought


Past tense of
seek Past participle of seek[1]



sought-after

sought-after
sought-af·ter
adjective

in demand:
in high demand because scarce • Blue
diamonds are among the most sought-after gems.[1]



souk

souk
souk 
[sook] or suq [sook] noun

outdoor
Arab market: an open-air market in North Africa or
the Middle East
[Early 19th century. From
Arabic sū .][1]



soukous

soukous
souk·ous 
[s kss] noun

African
dance music: a style of dance music originally from
the Congo, combining guitar, drums, and vocals
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Lingala from French secouer “to shake.”][1]



soul

soul
soul 
[sōl] noun

1.  nonphysical
aspect of person: the complex of human attributes that
manifests as consciousness, thought, feeling, and will, regarded as distinct
from the physical body

2.  RELIGION spirit
surviving death: in some systems of religious belief, the
spiritual part of a human being that is believed to continue to exist after the
body dies. The soul is sometimes regarded as subject to future reward and
punishment, and sometimes as able to take a form that allows it to remain on or
return to earth.

3.  feelings:
somebody’s emotional and moral nature, where the most private thoughts and
feelings are hidden • Her
soul was in turmoil.

4.  ARTS spiritual
depth:
evidence of spiritual or emotional depth and sensitivity, either in a person or
in something created by a person • Though
technically perfect, the drawing lacked soul.

5.  essence:
the deepest and truest nature of a people or a nation, or what gives somebody
or something a distinctive character • In my
travels I hoped to discover the soul of the Russian people.

6.  type
of person:
somebody of a particular type, especially one regarded sympathetically or with
familiarity • Poor
soul! What will he do now?

7.  anyone:
anyone at all (used in the negative) • You
have to promise not to tell a soul.

8.  individual:
an individual person, especially when thought of as making up the number of a
particular group (usually plural) • a
country of some 10 million souls

9.  perfect
example:
somebody who is a good example, or personification, of a positive quality • The
hotel manager was the soul of discretion.

10. somebody
essential to something: a leader or the most
influential person in a group or movement

11. African
American spirit: the quality that characterizes African
American culture, especially as manifested in somebody’s natural sympathies and
in social customs, speech, and music

12. MUSIC See soul music
[Old English sāwol .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German
Seele “soul.”][1]



Soul

Soul
Soul
[sōl] noun

God in Christian Science:
the name for God in Christian Science[1]



soulbrother

soulbrother
soul
broth·er
noun

another African American man:
a man who is an African American like the person in question[1]



soulfood

soulfood
soul
food
noun

African American food:
the traditional foods of African Americans of the South. Typical dishes are
yams, chitterlings, black-eyed peas, and collard greens.[1]



soulful

soulful
soul·ful 
[sṓlf’l] adjective

emotional:
deeply or sincerely emotional
—soul·ful·ly,
adverb

—soul·ful·ness, noun[1]



soulkiss

soulkiss
soul
kiss
noun

See
French kiss[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








soulless

soulless
soul·less 
[sṓl ləss] adjective

1.  lacking
feeling:
lacking warmth, sensitivity, or feeling • soulless
bureaucrats

2.  deadening:
lacking anything that might stimulate or engage the feelings
—soul·less·ly,
adverb

—soul·less·ness, noun[1]



soulmate

soulmate
soul
mate
noun

somebody close to somebody
else: somebody with whom somebody
else naturally shares deep feelings and attitudes[1]



soulmusic

soulmusic
soul
mu·sic
noun

kind of African American
music: a style of African American
popular music with a strong emotional quality, related to gospel music and
rhythm and blues.
Also called
soul[1]



soul-searching

soul-searching
soul-search·ing 
noun

careful consideration:
a thorough examination of personal thoughts and feelings, especially when faced
with a difficult problem[1]



soulsister

soulsister
soul
sis·ter
noun

another African American
woman: a woman who is an African
American like the person in question (dated)[1]



soum

soum
soum
noun

See
som[1]



sound

sound3
sound3 [sownd]
verb (past sound·ed, past participle sound·ed,
present participle sound·ing, 3rd person present singular sounds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL measure depth:
to measure the depth of water using a weighted line or sonar

2.  intransitive
verb
ZOOLOGY dive
down:
to dive suddenly and swiftly downward

3.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE examine
with a probe: to use a surgical probe to examine a
bodily cavity or passage, for example, the bladder, or to dilate an abnormal
constriction
noun

MEDICINE surgical
probe:
a surgical probe used to sound bodily cavities
[14th century. Via French sonder
from, ultimately, Vulgar Latin subundare, from Latin sub “under”
+ unda “wave” (source of English undulate
).][1]



sound

sound4
sound4 [sownd]
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY wide
channel:
a broad channel between two large bodies of water, or between an island and the
mainland

2.  GEOGRAPHY ocean
inlet:
a long wide arm of the sea

3.  ZOOLOGY air
bladder:
a fish’s air bladder
[Old English sund .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English swim . The current meaning
evolved from “swimming,” influenced by a related Scandinavian word.][1]



sound

sound2
sound2 [sownd]
(comparative sound·er, superlative sound·est) adjective

1.  not
damaged:
without any serious damage or decay

2.  healthy:
free from injury, disease, or illness

3.  sensible:
based on good sense and valid reasoning • a
sound argument

4.  completely
acceptable:
worthy of approval, especially as agreeing with traditional views or conforming
to conventional behavior

5.  deep
and peaceful: unbroken by waking and untroubled by
dreams or discomfort • She
had a sound night’s sleep.

6.  complete:
including all necessary aspects and details • sound
knowledge of the subject

7.  thorough:
painful and thorough

8.  FINANCE with
little financial risk: financially secure and
likely to make money

9.  LOGIC valid
with true premises: having a true conclusion that
follows from true premises

10. LAW legally
valid:
legally valid
[12th
century. Shortening of Old English gesund . Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German gesund “healthy.”]
—sound·ly,
adverb

—sound·ness,
noun
sound
asleep

sleeping
with no waking or disturbance from dreams or discomfort

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at valid

[1]



sound

sound1
sound1 [sownd]
noun

1.  something
audible:
something that can be heard • not a
sound in the whole house • the
sound of gunfire

2.  PHYSICS ACOUSTICS vibrations sensed by the ear:
vibrations traveling through air, water, or some other medium, especially those
within the range of frequencies that can be perceived by the human ear. At sea
level and freezing point the speed of sound through the air is 1,220 km/ 760 mi
per hour.

3.  sensation
of vibrations: the sensation produced in the ear by
vibrations traveling through air, water, or some other medium

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING reproduced
music or speech: the music, speech, or other sounds heard
through an electronic device such as a television, radio, or loudspeaker,
especially with regard to volume or quality • Please
turn down the sound.

5.  BROADCASTING recording
music or speech: the recording, editing, and replaying of
music, speech, or sound effects in the broadcast or entertainment industry

6.  implication:
an impression of somebody or something formed from limited but significant
information, especially information lately received • From
the sound of it she’s finally found a job she really likes.

7.  noise:
meaningless noise • I didn’t care for the
poetry –it had more sound than sense.

8.  earshot:
the distance or area within which something can be heard • Our
house was within sound of the church bells.

9.  LINGUISTICS element
of speech as heard: a basic element of speech
formed by the vocal tract and interpreted through the ear, or a combination of
such sounds

10. MUSIC type
of music:
the distinctive quality that identifies bands or music from a particular place,
area, or studio, or belonging to a particular movement or style
verb
(past sound·ed, past participle sound·ed, present
participle sound·ing, 3rd person present singular sounds)

1.  intransitive
verb
seem:
to give a particular impression when mentioned or described • The
meal sounded awful.

2.  intransitive
verb
indicate
status:
to give a particular impression about physical or mental condition via speech
or writing • He
sounded exhausted when I talked to him on the phone.

3.  intransitive
verb
have
particular quality when heard: to give a particular
impression to a hearer about the quality of the noise or the identity of the
source of the noise • That
sounds like the mailman.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
noise:
to make a particular noise so as to be heard, or make something produce such a
noise • Somewhere
down the corridor, an alarm sounded.

5.  transitive
verb
announce
something:
to spread the news of or signal something by making a noise, or produce a
similar effect by saying something • She
sounded a note of caution about the likely result of the reorganization.

6.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS articulate
a sound:
to pronounce a specific letter or sound, especially in a context in which it
might be silent • You don’t sound the “p”
in “psychic.”

7.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE test
bodily condition by causing sound: to make an organ of
the body emit a sound for testing or diagnostic purposes
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman soun and French son from Latin sonus (source
of English consonant, resonant, and sonnet
).][1]



sound-alike

sound-alike
sound-a·like 
noun

somebody sounding like
another performer: a performer
whose voice or musical style closely resembles that of a particular well-known
performer[1]



soundbarrier

soundbarrier
sound
bar·ri·er
noun

point where sonic boom is
produced: a sudden increase in the
force of air opposing an aircraft or other moving body when it approaches the
speed of sound, producing a sonic boom[1]



soundbite

soundbite
sound
bite
noun

brief broadcast remark:
a very short comment or phrase intended or suitable for broadcasting in a news
program, especially one by a politician. Their use is often regarded as
demonstrating superficiality and glibness.[1]



soundboard

soundboard
sound·board 
[sównd bàwrd] or sound·ing board
[sównding bàwrd] noun

board to increase resonance:
a thin sheet of wood placed under or above the strings of a musical instrument
to increase resonance. On a violin it is the top of the instrument.[1]



soundbow

soundbow
sound
bow
noun

part of bell:
the thick part of a bell, where the clapper strikes[1]



soundbox

soundbox
sound·box
[sównd bòks] noun

chamber to increase
resonance: the hollow chamber in a
stringed instrument that increases its resonance[1]



soundcard

soundcard
sound
card
noun

circuit board for computer
sound: a computer circuit board
that allows a personal computer to receive sound in digital form and reproduce
it through speakers[1]



soundeffect

soundeffect
sound
ef·fect
noun

ARTS sound
for a performance: a recording or imitation of
a particular sound used in a movie, radio or television program, play, or other
theatrical performance
plural
noun
sound ef·fects

movie sounds:
all the sounds in a movie other than dialogue and music. They are generally
added after shooting.[1]



sounder

sounder
sound·er
[sówndər] noun

depth-measuring device:
a device for determining the depth of a body of water[1]



soundhole

soundhole
sound
hole
noun

opening in a stringed
instrument: an opening near the center
of a hollow stringed instrument that increases resonance[1]



sounding

sounding1
sound·ing1 [sównding]
noun

1.  NAUTICAL depth
measurement: a measurement of the depth of water,
taken using sonar or a weighted line

2.  METEOROLOGY atmospheric
measurement: a measurement of the conditions in the
atmosphere at a specific altitude
plural
noun
sound·ings

1.  preliminary
inquiry into opinion: a sampling of the views of a
group of people taken before somebody becomes committed to a course of action • taking
soundings about the popularity of the council’s plans

2.  NAUTICAL water
where soundings are taken: a place where the water is
shallow enough for a sounding line to be used to determine its depth

[1]



sounding

sounding2
sound·ing2 [sównding]
adjective

resonant:
having an impressive or resonant sound (literary)
—sound·ing·ly, adverb[1]



soundingboard

soundingboard
sound·ing
board
noun

1.  MUSIC See soundboard

2.  somebody
to give preliminary opinion: a person or group who gives
feedback on preliminary ideas before they are considered for further
development

3.  ACOUSTICS structure
that reflects sound: a rooflike structure built
above a pulpit or platform to direct the speaker’s voice to the audience

[1]



soundingline

soundingline
sound·ing
line
noun

measuring line for water:
a weighted line with measurements marked on it, used for determining the depth
of water.
Also called
lead line[1]



soundingrocket

soundingrocket
sound·ing
rock·et
noun

device for studying the
atmosphere: a rocket used to make
scientific observations within the earth’s atmosphere[1]



soundless

soundless
sound·less 
[sówndləss] adjective

silent:
not making any noise
—sound·less·ly,
adverb

—sound·less·ness, noun[1]



soundmixer

soundmixer
sound
mix·er
noun

somebody or something mixing
sounds: a person or machine that
combines or balances sounds for a recording, broadcast, or movie soundtrack[1]



soundoff

soundoff
sound
off
intransitive verb

1.  speak
forcefully:
to express strong feelings through speech, or complain loudly about something (informal)
• always
sounding off about high property taxes

2.  MILITARY count
steps aloud: to chant or count in turn while marching

[1]



soundout

soundout
sound
out
transitive verb

probe somebody’s opinion:
to find out somebody’s opinions about something before becoming committed to a
course of action[1]



soundpollution

soundpollution
sound
pol·lu·tion
noun

See
noise pollution[1]



soundpost

soundpost
sound·post
[sównd pst] noun

piece below an instrument’s
bridge: a small piece of wood inside
the body of a stringed instrument that supports the bridge and transmits the
vibrations to the back[1]



soundproof

soundproof
sound·proof 
[sównd prf] adjective

impenetrable
to noise:
constructed so that no sound can enter or escape
transitive
verb
(past sound·proofed, past participle sound·proofed,
present participle sound·proof·ing, 3rd person present
singular sound·proofs)

make something soundproof:
to line or seal a room so that no sound can enter or escape[1]



soundranging

soundranging
sound
rang·ing 
noun

finding source of sound:
a method of locating the source of a sound by measuring the travel time of
sound waves to a microphone at a fixed position[1]



soundshift

soundshift
sound
shift
noun

regular change in
pronunciation: a systematic change
over time in the pronunciation of a set of sounds in a language[1]



soundspectrograph

soundspectrograph
sound
spec·tro·graph noun

instrument representing sound
graphically: an electronic
instrument that makes a graphic representation of sound qualities[1]



soundstage

soundstage
sound
stage
noun

indoor place where movies are
shot: a large room or studio,
usually soundproof, where movie scenes are shot.
Also called
stage[1]



soundsystem

soundsystem
sound
sys·tem
noun

electronic equipment for
amplifying sound: electronic equipment
for amplifying sound produced by recording, broadcasting, or live at public
gatherings[1]



soundtrack

soundtrack
sound·track
[sównd tràk] noun

1.  CINEMA TV sound recording for a movie:
the recorded music, dialogue, and sound effects in a movie or video production.

Also
called
track

2.  CINEMA VIDEO strip carrying movie sound:
a thin strip at the edge of a movie reel or videotape on which sound or the
soundtrack is recorded

3.  MUSIC music
from movie:
a commercially released recording of music that has been used in a particular
movie

[1]



soundtruck

soundtruck
sound
truck
noun

promotional vehicle:
a truck with loudspeakers attached to the roof, used for broadcasting political
messages or sales pitches[1]



soundwave

soundwave
sound
wave
noun

audible pressure wave:
an audible pressure wave caused by a disturbance in water or air and carried
forward in a ripple effect[1]



soup

soup
soup 
[soop] noun

1.  liquid
food:
a liquid food made by cooking meat, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients in
water, milk, or stock

2.  something
thick and swirling: something with the
consistency or appearance of soup, especially a swirling liquid or dense fog • the
primordial soup of hydrogen, oxygen, and other gases

3.  explosive:
nitroglycerine or gelignite (slang)
[Mid-17th
century. Via French soupe from late Latin suppa, formed from
assumed suppare “to soak.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that also produced English sop and sup .]
from
soup to nuts

used
to emphasize the variety or the wide range of something

in
the soup

in difficulties or trouble (informal)[1]



soupdu jour

soupdu jour
soup
du jour 
[sp də jr] (plural soups du jour
[sp də jr]) noun

soup
of the day:
a soup featured by a restaurant on a particular day
[Mid-20th century. From
French soupe du jour .][1]



Souphanouvong

Souphanouvong
Souph·an·ou·vong
[s fanoo vóng] (1909–1995)

Lao prince and statesman. He
fought for independence from French rule and helped to found the nationalist
Pathet Lao in 1950. He was president of Laos (1975–1986).[1]



soupkitchen

soupkitchen
soup
kitch·en
noun

emergency food service:
a place that serves free meals to people who have no money[1]



soupspoon

soupspoon
soup·spoon 
[sp spn] noun

spoon for eating soup:
a large spoon for eating soup[1]



soupup

soupup
soup
up
transitive verb

modify
car for power: to make changes to a car, motorcycle,
engine, or similar machine in order to make it more powerful (informal)
[From the use of soup for “a drug injected into a horse to increase
its speed”][1]



soupy

soupy
soup·y 
[spee] (comparative soup·i·er,
superlative soup·i·est) adjective

1.  like
soup:
like soup in appearance or consistency

2.  damp
or foggy:
unpleasantly damp or foggy (informal)

3.  sentimental:
highly sentimental (informal)

[1]



soupçon

soupçon
soup·çon
[soop sáwN, sp
sòn] noun

tiny
amount:
a very small amount of something
[Mid-18th century. Via
French, literally “suspicion,” from, ultimately, the Latin stem suspicion-
(see suspicion ).][1]



sour

sour
sour 
[sowr] adjective (comparative sour·er,
superlative sour·est)

1.  sharp-tasting:
having a tart or sharp taste that is acidic though not necessarily unpleasant,
like the taste of vinegar, lemons, or unripe apples

2.  bad
through fermentation: unpleasantly rancid in taste
or smell because of fermentation

3.  dissatisfied:
characterized by ill temper or feelings of bitterness or dissatisfaction • a
sour look

4.  unfriendly:
unpleasant, unfriendly, or ill-disposed, having previously been harmonious,
friendly, or approving

5.  unpleasant:
causing distaste or discomfort

6.  AGRICULTURE lacking
lime:
acidic because of a shortage of lime, and so unfavorable to crops

7.  INDUSTRY sulfurous
and acidic:
acidic because of containing sulfur compounds. These make oil or gas
foul-smelling, toxic, corrosive to metals, and poisonous to catalysts.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past soured, past
participle soured, present participle sour·ing, 3rd
person present singular sours)

1.  become
or make something sour: to become, or make something
become, sour in taste, smell, or composition

2.  become
or make somebody dissatisfied: to become, or make
somebody become, ill-tempered, embittered, or dissatisfied

3.  become
or make somebody unfriendly: to become, or make somebody
or something become, unpleasant, unfriendly, or ill-disposed toward somebody or
something, having previously been harmonious, friendly, or approving • A
breach of diplomacy soured relations between the countries.
noun

1.  sharpness:
sharpness or tartness of taste • add
some to tone down the sour

2.  BEVERAGES cocktail
with lemon or lime: a cocktail made with
whiskey, lemon or lime juice, and often sugar
[Old
English sūr . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced English sorrel 1 and German sauer
“sour” (source of English sauerkraut
).]
—sour·ly,
adverb

—sour·ness, noun[1]



sourball

sourball
sour·ball 
[sówr bàwl] noun

sour candy:
a round hard piece of candy with a tart flavor[1]



source

source
source 
[sawrss] noun

1.  origin:
the place where something begins, the thing from which something is derived, or
the person or group that initiated or created something

2.  somebody
or something providing information: a
person, organization, book, or other text that supplies information or evidence
• a
reliable source

3.  ARTS work
on which another is based: a creation such as a story
or work of art that forms the basis of or inspiration for a later work

4.  GEOGRAPHY beginning
of river:
the spring or fountain from which a river or stream first issues from the
ground, or the area around this

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electrode
region:
a region of a transistor from which charge carriers flow
verb
(past sourced, past participle sourced, present
participle sourc·ing, 3rd person present singular sourc·es)

1.  transitive
verb
specify
sources of something written: to list the people or
materials used in researching a written work

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MANUFACTURING locate something for
use:
to get or locate parts, materials, or information from elsewhere
[14th
century. Via Old French sourse “spring,” from, ultimately, Latin surgere
“to rise” (source of English surge
).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at origin

[1]



sourcebook

sourcebook
source
book
or source·book noun

source documents:
a document or collection of documents that is the main source of information
about a subject of study[1]



sourcecode

sourcecode
source
code
noun

written computer code:
computer code written in a recognized programming language that can be
converted into machine code.
See also
object code[1]



sourcelanguage

sourcelanguage
source
lan·guage
noun

original language:
the language from which a translation is made[1]



sourcherry

sourcherry
sour
cher·ry
noun

1.  TREES fruit
tree:
a Eurasian shrub or small tree with white flowers and edible fruit. Latin name:
Prunus cerasus

2.  FOOD fruit
of the sour cherry: the red or blackish fruit of
the sour cherry tree. It has a sharp taste, and is used mainly in cooking and
preserves.

[1]



sourcream

sourcream
sour
cream
noun

cream artificially soured:
a smooth thick cream that has been soured artificially, used in cooking and
baking and as a topping[1]



sourdine

sourdine
sour·dine 
[sr dn, soor
dn] noun

1.  old
musical instrument: a reed instrument with a
soft tone similar to a bassoon. It is no longer in use.

2.  See
sordino

3.  organ
stop:
a stop on an organ that produces a low muted tone
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Italian sordina, the feminine form of sordino (see sordino ).][1]



sourgrapes

sourgrapes
sour
grapes
noun

affected
scorn:
the scornful denial that something is attractive or desirable because it is
unobtainable
[In allusion to Aesop’s fable
The Fox and the Grapes where the fox disparages some grapes as sour when
he cannot reach them][1]



sourgum

sourgum
sour
gum
noun

N American hardwood:
a tree of the eastern United States that has glossy leaves and light wood.
Latin name: Nyssa sylvatica
Also called
black gum
Also called
pepperidge[1]



sourmash

sourmash
sour
mash
noun

1.  grain
mixture for distilling: a grain mash that is a
mixture of new and old batches, used in distilling some kinds of whiskey

2.  whiskey
from sour mash: whiskey distilled using sour mash

[1]



sourorange

sourorange
sour
or·ange
noun

See
bitter orange[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sourpuss

sourpuss
sour·puss 
[sówr pss] noun

somebody grouchy:
somebody who is gloomy or bad-tempered (informal)[1]



soursop

soursop
sour·sop 
[sówr sòp] (plural sour·sops or
sour·sop) noun

1.  TREES tropical
American tree: a tropical American tree with spicy
fragrant leaves and spiny fruit. Latin name: Annona muricata

2.  FOOD fruit
of soursop:
the spiny fruit of the soursop tree with a tart fibrous pulp

[1]



sourwood

sourwood
sour·wood 
[sówr wd] (plural sour·woods or
sour·wood) noun

N American tree:
a tree of the eastern United States with thick bark, small white flowers, and
sour-tasting leaves. Latin name: Oxydendrum arboreum
Also called
sorrel tree[1]



Sousa,John Philip

Sousa,John Philip

Sou·sa
[szə, ssə],
John Philip (1854–1932)
U.S.
military bandmaster and composer. His rousing patriotic compositions include
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” (1897).
Known as
the March King[1]



sousaphone

sousaphone


sou·sa·phone 
[szə fn] noun
brass
musical instrument: a large brass instrument
with a flaring bell, resembling a tuba. It is used in military marching bands.
[Early
20th century. Named for its inventor, John Philip Sousa
.]
—sou·sa·phon·ist, noun[1]



sous-chef

sous-chef
sous-chef
[s shef] noun

chef’s
assistant:
a head chef’s assistant and deputy
[Late 17th century. Sous via
French, literally “under,” from Latin subtus .][1]



souse

souse
souse
[sowss] verb (past soused,
past participle soused, present participle sous·ing,
3rd person present singular sous·es)

1.  transitive
verb
pickle
something:
to steep something in vinegar or brine in order to preserve it (often
passive)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb plunge
into liquid: to plunge, or plunge something, into a
liquid

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb soak:
to make something soaking wet, or become soaking wet

4.  transitive
verb
make
somebody intoxicated: to make somebody extremely
intoxicated (slang) (usually passive)
noun

1.  liquid
used in pickling: the brine or vinegar used in pickling

2.  FOOD pickled
food:
pickled food, especially pork trimmings

3.  Caribbean
FOOD broth
made with pork: broth made with pig’s snout, feet, and
sometimes tail, boiled until tender along with sliced cucumbers and various
seasonings such as onions, salt, lime, and pepper

4.  habitual
alcohol drinker: somebody who habitually consumes alcohol
to excess (slang)

5.  binge:
a bout of heavy drinking (slang)
[14th century. From Old
French sous . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English salt and
German Sülze “aspic.”][1]



souslik

souslik
sous·lik 
noun

See
suslik[1]



sou-sou

sou-sou
sou-sou 
[s s] or su·su [s s] noun

Caribbean
informal
savings plan: an arrangement for saving money whereby
participants pay a certain sum each month for a fixed period of time and take
turns borrowing the total amount accumulated
[Early 20th C. From Yoruba eesu
or esusu “fund where several people pool their money, each paying a
fixed sum and each drawing out the total in rotation,” probably influenced by
French sou “coin.”][1]



Sousse

Sousse
Sousse
[soos]

city and port in east central
Tunisia. Population: 125,000 (1994)[1]



soutache

soutache
sou·tache 
[soo tásh] noun

braid
for trimming: a narrow ornamental braid in a
herringbone pattern, used for trimming garments
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Hungarian sujtás .][1]



soutane

soutane
sou·tane 
[soo tn] noun

cassock:
a priest’s robe or cassock, especially one with buttons down the front
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Italian sottana, from sotto “below,” from Latin subtus
.][1]



Souter,David

Souter,David
Sout·er
[stər], David (1939– )

U.S.
jurist. He was appointed to the Supreme Court (1990) and developed a reputation
as a judicial centrist.
Full name
Souter, David Hackett[1]



souterrain

souterrain
sou·ter·rain 
[stə ráyn] noun

underground
place:
an ancient underground room or passage
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “underground.”][1]



south

south
south 
[sowth] noun

1.  direction
to the right facing rising sun: the direction that
lies directly to the right of somebody facing the rising sun or that is located
toward the bottom of a conventional map of the world

2.  compass
point opposite north: the compass point that lies
directly opposite north

3.  south
or South area in the south:
the part of an area, country, or region that is situated in or toward the south

4.  position
equivalent to south: the position equivalent to
south in any diagram consisting of four points at 90-degree intervals
adjective

1.  in
the south:
situated in, facing, or coming from the south of a place, region, or country

2.  METEOROLOGY blowing
from the south: blowing from the south (refers to
winds)
adverb

toward the south:
in or toward the south
[Old English sūþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is probably also the ancestor
of English sun .][1]



South

South

South 
[sowth] noun

1.  southern
states:
the region of the United States that includes the states south of the
Mason-Dixon Line

2.        Confederate
states: the states of the
Confederacy during the Civil War[1]



South




Back to definition

South

[1]



SouthAfrica




Back to definition

SouthAfrica

[1]



SouthAfrica

SouthAfrica



South
Af·ri·ca

republic
in southern Africa. It became a fully democratic republic in 1994. Language:
Afrikaans. Language: English. Currency: rand. Capital: Pretoria. Population:
42,327,458 (1997) Area: 1,224,691 sq km/472,731 sq mi. Official name
Republic of South Africa
—South Af·ri·can, noun,
adjective[1]



SouthAfrican Dutch

SouthAfrican Dutch
South
Af·ri·can Dutch noun

LANGUAGE
(not used in South Africa) See Cape
Dutch  noun[1]



SouthAfrican English

SouthAfrican English
South
Af·ri·can Eng·lish noun

English
of South Africa: a variety of English spoken in South
Africa





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  South African English is the English
  language as used in the Republic of South Africa: since the early 19th
  century the mother tongue of settlers of British origin and a second
  language, in varying degrees, of indigenous Afrikaners, Africans, and Asians.
  Since 1994, the nation has had 11 official languages: English, Afrikaans,
  Ndebele, Sotho (Northern and Southern), Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa,
  and Zulu. South African English is generally “non-rhotic” (i.e., “r” is not
  pronounced in words such as art, door, and worker ),
  and, among Africans, tends to have full vowels in all syllables (e.g., 7
  is pronounced “seh-ven” not “sevn”). In the speech of middle-class British
  South Africans distinctive usages are common: e.g., the vowels in park
  and trap are heard by outsiders as “pork” and “trep,” and in fair
  hair as “fay hay.” A curiosity of the grammar is the affirmative “ no,”
  as in “How are you? -- No, I’m fine,” probably adopted from Afrikaans. With
  its parent Dutch, this language has provided the bulk of local borrowings:
  e.g., Afrikaner (South African Caucasian of Dutch or Huguenot origin),
  apartheid (separate racial development, now obsolete), bakkie
  (pickup truck), braai (barbecue), drift (ford), kloof
  (ravine), the now internationalized trek (journey), and veld
  (pronounced “felt”) (open country), with its hybrid extensions highveld
  and backveld . Words from African languages include impala, muti
  (medicine), sangoma (diviner), and tshwala (sorghum beer).
  Distinctive English words are the now-archaic bioscope (movie), location
  (district set aside for a particular group), and robot (traffic
  light).

[1]



SouthAmerica

SouthAmerica

South A·mer·i·ca

the fourth largest continent in the
world, comprising Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French
Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela[1]



SouthAmerica




Back to definition

SouthAmerica

[1]



SouthAmerican

SouthAmerican
South
A·mer·i·can
[sòwth ə mérrikən] adjective

of South America:
relating to any of the countries of South America, or their peoples or cultures[1]



SouthAmerican trypanosomiasis

SouthAmerican trypanosomiasis
South
A·mer·i·can try·pan·o·so·mi·a·sis noun

See
Chagas’ disease[1]



SouthamptonIsland

SouthamptonIsland
South·amp·ton
Is·land

island in Nunavut, Canada,
between Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay. Area: 41,214 sq km/15,913 sq mi.[1]



SouthAsia

SouthAsia
South
A·sia

region comprising the
countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri
Lanka[1]



SouthAsian English

SouthAsian English
South
A·sian Eng·lish noun

English
of South Asia: a variety of English spoken in South
Asia





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  South Asian English is the English
  language as it has been used since the 17th century in South Asia (the Indian
  Subcontinent), i.e., in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldive Islands,
  Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Usage varies greatly from area to area,
  primarily because of the influence of local languages on pronunciation,
  grammar, and vocabulary, e.g., Bengali in Bangladesh and the Indian state of
  Bengal, Hindi in northern India, Tamil in southern India and Sri Lanka, Urdu
  in Pakistan and India, and Sinhala in Sri Lanka. At the same time, however,
  there is considerable uniformity throughout the region as a consequence of
  British administrative, legal, and commercial usage and the presence of
  English-language media schools based on British models. South Asian English
  is “rhotic” (i.e., “r” is pronounced in words such as art, door,
  and worker ). It tends to have full vowels in all syllables (e.g., 7
  is pronounced “seh-ven” not sevn ), and it is widely considered to
  have a “singsong” quality often compared with that of English speakers in
  Wales. Two widespread grammatical features are, first, Wh -questions
  without word-order inversion, as in “What you would like to buy, please?
  Where you are coming from? Why you are doing this?” Second is the
  end-of-sentence use of only for emphasis: “He is coming once a week
  only” meaning “He only comes once a week.” Widely used in the region are
  adopted local expressions such as: gherao (in industrial actions,
  surrounding people so that they cannot leave a place; also used as a verb, e.g.,
  “He was gheraoed yesterday”); wallah (man, used in compounds like dhobiwallah
  meaning “laundryman”; and the numbers lakh (one hundred thousand),
  e.g., “a lakh of rupees,” and crore (ten million) in “They have crores
  of rupees.” Hybridization of English with indigenous usages is common, as in policewallah
  (policeman), and goondaism (behaving like a goonda or thug,
  itself a South Asian word). See BANGLADESHI ENGLISH, INDIAN ENGLISH,
  PAKISTANI ENGLISH, SRI LANKAN ENGLISH.

[1]



SouthAustralia

SouthAustralia


South
Aus·tra·lia

state
occupying the central part of southern Australia. Founded in 1834, it was the
only Australian colony set up as a free settlement rather than a penal colony.
Capital: Adelaide. Population: 1,474,000 (1996) Area: 984,377 sq km/380,070 sq
mi.
—South Aus·tral·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



SouthAustralia




Back to definition

SouthAustralia

[1]



SouthBend

SouthBend
South
Bend 
[south bend]

city in northern Indiana, on
the Kankakee and St. Joseph rivers, southwest of Elkhart. Population: 102,100
(1996)[1]



southbound

southbound
south·bound 
[sówth bòwnd] adjective

going south:
leading, going, or traveling toward the south[1]



Southbridge

Southbridge
South·bridge 
[sówth brij]

town in south central
Massachusetts, north of the Connecticut border, east of Springfield and
southwest of Worcester. Population: 17,447 (1996)[1]



southby east

southby east
south
by east
noun

compass
point between S and SSE: the direction or compass
point midway between south and south-southeast
—south by east, adjective,
adverb[1]



southby west

southby west
south
by west
noun

compass
point between S and SSW: the direction or compass
point midway between south and south-southwest
—south by west, adjective,
adverb[1]



SouthCarolina

SouthCarolina


South
Car·o·li·na 
[south karè lnè]
state
of the southeastern United States, bordered by North Carolina, the Atlantic
Ocean, and Georgia. One of the original 13 colonies, it was admitted as a state
in 1788. Capital: Columbia. Population: 3,760,181 (1997) Area: 80,779 sq
km/31,189 sq mi.
—South Car·o·lin·i·an
[sowth kàrrə línnee ən], noun, adjective[1]



SouthCarolina




Back to definition

SouthCarolina

[1]



SouthChina Sea

SouthChina Sea
South
Chi·na Sea


part of the China Sea,
surrounded by the Philippines, Borneo, Taiwan, southeastern China, and the Gulf
of Thailand. Area: 2,319,086 sq km/895,400 sq mi.[1]



SouthDakota




Back to definition

SouthDakota

[1]



SouthDakota

SouthDakota


South
Da·ko·ta 
[south dèkṓtè]
state
of the north central United States, bordered by North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. Capital: Pierre. Population: 737,973 (1997)
Area: 199,742 sq km/77,121 sq mi.
—South Da·ko·tan, noun,
adjective[1]



Southdown

Southdown
South·down 
[sówth dòwn] noun

hornless
English sheep: a breed of small-to-medium hornless
English sheep with short dense wool, usually raised for mutton
[Late 18th century. Named for
the South Downs, where the breed originated.][1]



SouthDowns

SouthDowns
South
Downs


chalk ridge extending along
the south coast of England, through Hampshire and Sussex[1]



southeast

southeast
south·east 
[sowth st] noun

1.  compass
point between S and E: the direction or compass
point midway between south and east

2.  south·east
or South·east area in the southeast:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the
southeast
adjective

1.  south·east
or South·east in the southeast:
situated in, facing, or lying toward the southeast of a region, place, or
country

2.  METEOROLOGY from
the southeast: blowing from the southeast (refers to
winds)
adverb

toward the southeast:
in or toward the southeast
[Old English][1]



SoutheastAsia




Back to definition

SoutheastAsia

[1]



SoutheastAsia

SoutheastAsia

South·east
A·sia 
[sowth st áyzhə]
region
comprising the countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
—South·east A·sian, noun,
adjective[1]



SoutheastAsia Treaty Organization

SoutheastAsia Treaty Organization
South·east
A·sia Trea·ty Or·ga·ni·za·tion noun

former alliance in SE Asia:
a former alliance of countries for economic cooperation and defense against
communism in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, formed in 1954 and disbanded
in 1977. Its members were the United States, the United Kingdom, France,
Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Thailand.[1]



southeastby east

southeastby east
south·east
by east
noun

compass point between SE and
ESE: the direction or compass
point midway between southeast and east-southeast[1]



southeastby south

southeastby south
south·east
by south
noun

compass point between SE and
SSE: the direction or compass
point midway between southeast and south-southeast[1]



southeaster

southeaster
south·east·er 
[sowth stər] noun

storm from SE:
a storm or wind that blows from the southeast[1]



southeasterly

southeasterly
south·east·er·ly 
[sowth stərlee] adjective

1.  in
the southeast: situated in or toward the southeast

2.  METEOROLOGY blowing
from the southeast: blowing from the southeast (refers
to winds)
noun
(plural south·east·er·lies)

wind from the southeast:
a wind blowing from the southeast

[1]



southeastern

southeastern
south·east·ern
[sowth stərn] adjective

1.  in
the southeast: situated in the southeast of a region or
country

2.  facing
southeast:
situated in or facing the southeast

3.  south·east·ern
or South·east·ern of the southeast:
native to the southeast of a region or country

[1]



southeastward

southeastward
south·east·ward 
[sowth stwərd] adjective

in
the southeast: toward or in the southeast
noun

point
in the southeast: a direction toward or a point in the
southeast
—south·east·ward,
adverb

—south·east·ward·ly,
adverb, adjective

—south·east·wards, adverb[1]



souther

souther
south·er 
[sówər] noun

south wind:
a strong wind that blows from the south[1]



southerly

southerly
south·er·ly 
[súərlee] adjective

1.  in
the south:
situated in or toward the south

2.  METEOROLOGY blowing
from the south: blowing from the south (refers to
winds)
noun
(plural south·er·lies)

wind from the south:
a wind blowing from the south

[1]



southern

southern
south·ern 
[súərn] adjective

1.  in
the south:
situated in the south of a region or country

2.  south
of equator:
lying south of the equator or south of the celestial equator

3.  facing
south:
situated in or facing the south

4.  south·ern
or South·ern of the south:
native to the south of a region or country

5.  METEOROLOGY from
the south:
blowing from the south (refers to winds)
[Old English][1]



SouthernCross

SouthernCross

South·ern Cross
noun
constellation in southern hemisphere:
a constellation near Centaurus in the sky of the southern hemisphere, with four
bright stars placed as if at the points of a cross. The smallest of the 88
constellations, it contains the Coalsack, a dark cloud of dust obscuring the
stars beyond it in the Milky Way.
Also called
Crux Australis[1]



SouthernCrown

SouthernCrown
South·ern
Crown
noun

See
Corona Australis[1]



southerner

southerner
south·ern·er
[súərnər] (plural south·ern·ers)
or South·ern·er [súərnər] (plural
South·ern·ers) noun

somebody from the south:
somebody who lives in or comes from the southern part of a country or region.
The term applies especially to somebody from the southeastern United States.[1]



southernhemisphere

southernhemisphere
south·ern
hem·i·sphere noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY southern
half of earth: the half of the earth that is south of
the equator

2.  ASTRONOMY southern
half of the celestial sphere: the southern half of an
imaginary sphere that contains the universe and is divided horizontally by the
celestial equator

[1]



Southernism

Southernism
South·ern·ism 
[súər nìzzəm] noun

1.  LINGUISTICS expression
characteristic of South: an expression or
pronunciation that is characteristic of the southern United States

2.  SOCIAL SCIENCES southern
belief or practice: an attitude or custom that
is characteristic of the South, especially in the United States

[1]



southernlights

southernlights
south·ern
lights
noun

See
aurora australis the[1]



southernmost

southernmost
south·ern·most 
[súərn mst] adjective

farthest south:
situated farthest south[1]



SouthernPaiute

SouthernPaiute
South·ern
Pai·ute
(plural South·ern Pai·utes) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and
California. Most Southern Paiute now live in Utah.

2.  LANGUAGE Southern
Paiute language: the Uto-Aztecan language of the Southern
Paiute people
—South·ern Pai·ute, adjective[1]



Southernprickly ash

Southernprickly ash
South·ern
prick·ly ash noun

See
Hercules’ club  noun 2[1]



southernwood

southernwood
south·ern·wood 
[súərn wd] (plural south·ern·woods
or south·ern·wood) noun

European
shrub:
a fragrant European shrub or plant that has cream-colored flowers and
bitter-tasting leaves. Latin name: Artemisia abrotanum
[Old English][1]



SouthGeorgia

SouthGeorgia
South
Geor·gia


uninhabited mountainous
island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Falkland Islands. A
dependency of the United Kingdom, it was first visited by Captain James Cook in
1775. Area: 3,755 sq km/1,450 sq mi.[1]



SouthHadley

SouthHadley
South
Had·ley 
[south hádlee]

town in south central
Massachusetts, east of the Connecticut River and northeast of Holyoke. Mount
Holyoke College is situated in the town. Population: 17,047 (1996)[1]



SouthHolland

SouthHolland
South
Hol·land


province in the west central
Netherlands. Capital: The Hague. Population: 3,313,193 (1994) Area: 3,333 sq
km/1,287 sq mi.[1]



southing

southing
south·ing 
[sówing] noun

1.  distance
south from known latitude: how far south a point is
from a reference latitude

2.  nautical
progress toward south: the distance covered as a
ship sails toward the south

[1]



SouthIsland

SouthIsland
South
Is·land

the larger and more southerly
of the two main islands of New Zealand, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Population: 931,566 (1996) Area: 151,215 sq km/58,368 sq mi.[1]



SouthKingstown

SouthKingstown
South
Kings·town 
[south kíngstən]

town in southern Rhode Island
comprising the villages of Wakefield, Kingstown, and West Kingstown.
Population: 26,014 (1996)[1]



SouthKorea

SouthKorea
South
Ko·re·a


See
Korea, South[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SouthKorean

SouthKorean
South
Ko·re·an
noun

somebody
from South Korea: somebody who was born or raised in South
Korea, or who has South Korean citizenship
adjective

of South Korea:
relating to South Korea, or its people or culture[1]



Southland

Southland
South·land
[sówthlènd]

region of New Zealand,
occupying the southernmost tip of the South Island. Population: 100,758 (1996)
Area: 53,132 sq km/20,514 sq mi.[1]



southpaw

southpaw
south·paw 
[sówth pàw] noun

somebody
left-handed: a left-handed person, especially a
left-handed baseball pitcher, a left-handed fiddler, or a boxer who leads with
the left hand (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Originally used of left-handed baseball players, from the pitcher’s orientation
on the mound (since baseball diamonds are traditionally oriented to the same
points of the compass).][1]



SouthPole

SouthPole
South
Pole
noun

1.  southern
end in Earth’s axis: the southern end of the
Earth’s axis at the latitude of 90° S

2.  southern
axis intersection: the point where the southern
end of the Earth’s axis intersects the celestial sphere

[1]



SouthPortland

SouthPortland
South
Port·land


city in southwestern Maine,
on the southern shore of Casco Bay, southeast of Portland. Population: 22,985
(1996)[1]



Southron

Southron
South·ron
[súrən] noun

1.  Southern
U.S.
Southerner:
a Southerner (dated)

2.  Scotland
English
person:
somebody from England (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Variant of southern .][1]



SouthSaskatchewan

SouthSaskatchewan
South
Sas·katch·e·wan [sowth sə
skáchə wn]

river rising in the Rocky
Mountains and flowing north into Lake Winnipeg, Canada. Length: 1,393 km/865
mi.[1]



SouthSea Bubble

SouthSea Bubble
South
Sea Bub·ble
noun

disastrous 18C investment
scheme: frenzied speculation in the
South Sea Company in early 18th-century Britain. In 1720 the company collapsed,
ruining many banks and private investors. The company had taken over much of
the national debt in return for sole trading rights in the area.[1]



south-southeast

south-southeast
south-south·east 
noun

compass
point between S and SE: the direction or compass
point midway between south and southeast
adjective
adverb

in
south-southeast: in, from, facing, or toward the
south-southeast
—south-south·east·er·ly,
adverb[1]



south-southwest

south-southwest
south-south·west 
noun

compass
point between S and SW: the direction or compass
point midway between south and southwest
adjective
adverb

in
south-southwest: in, from, facing, or toward the
south-southwest
—south-south·west·er·ly,
adverb[1]



SouthTaranaki Bight

SouthTaranaki Bight
South
Ta·ra·na·ki Bight [south tàrrè
náki bt]

gulf on the southwestern
coast of the North Island, New Zealand. It extends from Otakeho in the west to
Kakaramea in the east.[1]



SouthVietnam

SouthVietnam
South
Vi·et·nam 
[sòwth vee èt nám, sówth
vyet nám, sówth vee èt nám]

former
country in Southeast Asia between 1954 and 1976. It occupied the southern part
of modern-day Vietnam.
—South Vi·et·nam·ese [sòwth vee étnə mz, sòwth
vyétnə mz], noun, adjective[1]



southward

southward
south·ward 
[sówthwərd] adverb

toward
the south:
in a southerly direction
noun
south·ward

point
in the south: a direction toward or a point in the
south
[Old
English]
—south·ward,
adjective

—south·ward·ly,
adverb, adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  southward
  or southwards ?
  Southward is the only form available
  for the adverb: • In a southward
  direction
  and in U.S. English is also more common than southwards for the adjective • The
  ship was moving slowly southward.

[1]



southwest

southwest
south·west 
[sowth wést] noun

1.  compass
point between S and W: the direction or compass
point midway between south and west

2.  south·west
or South·west area in the southwest:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the
southwest
adjective

in the southwest:
situated in, facing, or lying toward the southwest of a region, place, or
country
adverb

toward the southwest:
in or toward the southwest
[Old English][1]



Southwest

Southwest
South·west 
[sowth wést] noun

southwestern states:
the region of the United States that includes Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,
Nevada, and California and, sometimes regarded as extending northward to Utah
and Colorado[1]



southwestby south

southwestby south
south·west
by south
noun

compass point between SW and
SSW: the direction or compass
point midway between southwest and south-southwest[1]



southwestby west

southwestby west
south·west
by west
noun

compass point between SW and
WSW: the direction or compass
point midway between southwest and west-southwest[1]



SouthwestCape

SouthwestCape
South·west
Cape

the southernmost point in New
Zealand, situated at the southern tip of Stewart Island[1]



southwester

southwester
south·west·er 
[sowth wéstər, sow
wéstər] noun

1.  METEOROLOGY storm
from SW:
a storm or wind that blows from the southwest

2.  CLOTHES See sou’wester

[1]



southwesterly

southwesterly
south·west·er·ly 
[sowth wéstərlee, sow
wéstərlee] adjective

1.  in
the southwest: situated in or toward the southwest

2.  METEOROLOGY from
the southwest: blowing from the southwest (refers to
winds)
noun
(plural south·west·er·lies)

METEOROLOGY wind
from the southwest: a wind blowing from the
southwest

[1]



southwestern

southwestern
south·west·ern
[sowth wéstərn] adjective

1.  in
the southwest: situated in the southwest of a region or
country

2.  facing
southwest:
situated in or facing the southwest

3.  south·west·ern
or South·west·ern of the southwest:
native to the southwest of a region or country
[Old English][1]



southwestward

southwestward
south·west·ward 
[sowth wéstwərd] adjective

in
the southwest: toward or in the southwest
noun

point
in the southwest: a direction toward or a point in the
southwest
—south·west·ward,
adverb

—south·west·ward·ly,
adverb, adjective

—south·west·wards, adverb[1]



SouvannaPhouma

SouvannaPhouma
Sou·van·na
Phou·ma
[soo vnaa pmaa] (1901–1984)

Lao prince and statesman. As
prime minister of Laos for many of the years between 1951 and 1975, he
negotiated the treaty of independence from French rule (1953). He was deposed
in a coup in 1975.[1]



souvenir

souvenir
sou·ve·nir 
[svə nr] noun

reminder:
something bought or kept as a reminder of a particular place or occasion
[Late 18th century. Via
French, literally “memory,” from, ultimately, Latin subvenire “to come
into mind.”][1]



souvlakia

souvlakia
sou·vlak·i·a 
[soov lkee ə] plural noun

Greek
kabobs:
Greek kabobs consisting of pieces of meat, usually lamb, skewered and broiled.
The meat is often marinated before cooking.
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek, literally “small skewers,” from souvla “skewer.”][1]



sou’wester

sou’wester
sou’west·er 
[sow wéstər] noun

waterproof
hat:
a waterproof hat with a broad brim covering the back of the neck, originally
made of oilskin, now usually of rubber or plastic. Sou’westers were originally
worn by sailors and fishermen.
Also
called
southwester
[Mid-19th century.
Contraction of southwester .][1]



Sov.

Sov.
Sov.

Abbreviation of
Soviet[1]



sovereign

sovereign
sov·er·eign 
[sóvvrən] noun

1.  POLITICS monarch:
the ruler or permanent head of a state, especially a king or queen

2.  MONEY old
British gold coin: a gold coin worth one pound,
used in Britain between the early 17th century and the early 20th century
adjective

1.  independent:
self-governing and not ruled by any other state

2.  with
complete power: having supreme authority or power

3.  outstanding:
outstanding, for example, in its excellence or effectiveness
[13th
century. Via Old French souverein from Vulgar Latin superanus,
from Latin super “above.”]
—sov·er·eign·ly, adverb[1]



sovereigntist

sovereigntist
sov·er·eign·tist
[sóvvrəntist] noun

Canada
Quebec activist:
a supporter of sovereignty for Quebec[1]



sovereignty

sovereignty
sov·er·eign·ty 
[sóvvrəntee] (plural sov·er·eign·ties)
noun

1.  top
authority:
supreme authority, especially over a state

2.  independence:
freedom from outside interference and the right to self-government

3.  independent
state:
a politically independent state

[1]



sovereigntyassociation

sovereigntyassociation
sov·er·eign·ty
as·so·ci·a·tion noun

Can
proposed relationship between parts of
Canada: a proposed type of economic
and political association between a sovereign Quebec and the rest of Canada[1]



Soviet

Soviet
So·vi·et
adjective

of
or about U.S.S.R.: relating to the former
Soviet Union, or its people, culture, or political system
noun

somebody
from the U.S.S.R.: somebody who was born or
raised in or was a citizen of the former Soviet Union
plural
noun
So·vi·ets

leaders of the Soviet Union:
the government of the former Soviet Union, or the leaders of the former
Communist bloc[1]



soviet

soviet
so·vi·et 
[sṓvee ət, sṓvee
èt] noun HISTORY

1.  Communist
council:
one of the elected government councils that existed at local, regional, and
national levels in the former Soviet Union. The highest was the Supreme Soviet.

2.  early
Russian revolutionary council: a council in the early
political organization of the Russian Revolution, based on the council of
workers formed to seize city government in Petrograd in 1917
[Early
20th century. From Russian sovet “council.”]
—so·vi·et·ism, noun[1]



Sovietologist

Sovietologist
So·vi·et·ol·o·gist
[svee ə tólləjist] noun

expert on Soviet history:
a scholar who studies the Soviet Union, especially its government and political
history[1]



SovietUnion

SovietUnion
So·vi·et
Un·ion

former Communist federal
republic: a federation of Communist
states in eastern Europe and northern and central Asia from 1922 until 1991.
Moscow was its capital. Then the largest country in the world, the Soviet Union
was the Communist superpower during the Cold War. Official name Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics[1]



Sow.

Sow.
Sow.

South Asia
Abbreviation of Sowbhagyawati[1]



sow

sow1
sow1 [sō]
(past sowed, past participle sown [sōn] or sowed, present participle
sow·ing, 3rd person present singular sows) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb plant
seed:
to scatter or plant seed on an area of land in order to grow crops

2.  transitive
verb
introduce
an idea:
to cause some feeling or belief to arise or become widespread, especially when
negative or divisive • Increased
competition will only sow discord among the members of the company.

3.  transitive
verb
spread
thickly:
to spread something thickly with something (often passive) • a
sky sown with stars
[Old
English sāwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English season, seed, and semen
.]
—sow·a·ble,
adjective

—sow·er, noun[1]



sow

sow2
sow2 [sow]
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY female
hog:
an adult female hog

2.  ZOOLOGY adult
female animal: the adult female of several animals such
as the bear, mink, badger, guinea pig, and hedgehog

3.  METALLURGY channel
for molten iron: a channel through which molten iron runs
into a mold in the process of casting pig iron

4.  METALLURGY hardened
iron:
a mass of iron that has hardened in a channel or mold in the process of casting
pig iron
[Old English sugu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English swine and Greek hus “hog” (source of
English hyena ).][1]



sowback

sowback
sow·back
[sów bàk] noun

glacial
ridge:
a long ridge of earth left by a glacier
[Late 19th century. From sow 2 .][1]



sowbelly

sowbelly
sow·bel·ly 
[sów bèllee] noun

salt pork:
fatty salt pork (informal)[1]



Sowbhagyawati

Sowbhagyawati
Sow·bhag·ya·wa·ti
[sə bàgee ə wóttee] noun

South
Asia
Indian
equivalent of “Mrs”: a title used in India before
the name of a married woman whose husband is still alive, roughly equivalent to
the English term “Mrs”
[From Sanskrit][1]



sowbread

sowbread
sow·bread 
[sów brèd] (plural sow·breads or
sow·bread) noun

cyclamen:
a cyclamen, especially one of a southern European species with a single nodding
flower. Genus: Cyclamen
[Mid-16th century. So-called
because it is supposedly eaten by hogs.][1]



sowbug

sowbug
sow
bug 
noun

See
wood louse
[From its piglike shape][1]



Soweto

Soweto
So·we·to 
[sè wáytō, sè
wéttō]

township in southern
Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Population: 596,632 (1991)[1]



sown

sown
sown


Past participle of
sow 1[1]



sowthistle

sowthistle
sow
this·tle 
noun

prickly
Eurasian plant: a Eurasian plant with prickly leaves and
yellow flowers. Genus: Sonchus
[Origin uncertain: perhaps by
folk etymology from earlier thowthistle][1]



sox

sox
sox


(informal) Plural
of sock 1[1]



soy

soy
soy 
[soy] or soy·a [sóy ə] noun

1.  PLANTS soybean
plant:
the soybean plant

2.  FOOD See soy sauce
adjective

from soybeans:
made or derived from soybeans • soy
inks
[Late 17th century. Via
Dutch, Malay, and Japanese from Chinese jiàngyoú, literally “soybean
oil.”][1]



soyabean

soyabean
soy·a
bean
noun

U.K.
PLANTS See soybean[1]



soybean

soybean

soy·bean 
[sóy bn] noun
U.K.
term
soya bean

1.  PLANTS plant
with nutritious seeds: a southeastern Asian plant
cultivated around the world for its nutritious seeds, for soil improvement, and
to provide grazing for animals. Latin name: Glycine max

2.        FOOD seed
of soybean plant: the edible seed of the
soybean plant. It is rich in oil and protein.[1]



soymilk

soymilk
soy·milk 
[sóy mìlk] noun

soybean drink:
a milk substitute made from soybeans, often with vitamins and sugar added[1]



soysauce

soysauce
soy
sauce
or soy noun

flavoring made from soybeans:
a dark, salty liquid made by fermenting soybeans in brine, used to flavor foods[1]



sozzled

sozzled
soz·zled 
[sózz’ld] adjective

intoxicated:
extremely intoxicated (informal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from English dialect sozzle “to splash,” perhaps imitative of the
sound.][1]



SP

SP
SP

1.  NAVY Abbreviation of shore patrol

2.  ELECTRICITY Abbreviation of
single pole

3.  ARMY Abbreviation of specialist

4.  NAVY Abbreviation of
submarine patrol

[1]



s.p.

s.p.
s.p.

Abbreviation
of
without children
[Latin, sine prole][1]



sp.

sp.
sp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
special

2.  Abbreviation
of
species

3.  Abbreviation
of
specific

4.  Abbreviation
of
specimen

5.  Abbreviation
of
spelling

[1]



Sp.

Sp.
Sp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Spanish

2.  Abbreviation
of
Spain

3.  Abbreviation
of
Spaniard

[1]



SpA

SpA
SpA

(used
after the name of a company)Abbreviation of limited
company
[Italian, Società per
Azioni][1]



spa

spa
spa 
[spaa] noun

1.  See
health spa

2.  resort
with bathing and mineral water: a resort with mineral
springs

3.  whirlpool
bath:
a tub with a device for aerating or swirling water
[Early 17th century. Named
for a resort town in eastern Belgium, famous for its mineral springs.][1]



space

space
space 
[spayss] noun (plural spac·es)

1.  region
beyond Earth’s atmosphere: the region that lies beyond
the Earth’s atmosphere, and all that it contains

2.  region
between all celestial bodies: the region, usually of
negligible density, between all celestial bodies in the universe

3.  three-dimensional
expanse where matter exists: the unbounded
three-dimensional expanse in which all matter exists

4.  interval
of time:
a period or interval of time

5.  area
set apart:
an area set apart or available for use

6.  PRINTING blank
area between type: a blank area between
characters, words, or lines of type, or an interval the width of a single
character

7.  MUSIC interval
between lines of musical staff: an interval between
the lines of the musical staff

8.  COMMUNICATION time
or space available for use: broadcast time or an area in
a publication available for specific use, for example, by advertisers

9.  MATHEMATICS set
of points governed by axioms: a collection of points that
have geometric properties in that they obey set rules ( axioms ), for example, a Euclidian space that is governed by
Euclidian geometry. Each non-Euclidian geometry, having its own axioms, has its
own non-Euclidian space containing a collection of points governed by those
axioms.

10. PRINTING piece
of type to create space: a piece of type used to
create a blank interval in printing

11. freedom
to assert identity: the freedom or opportunity
to assert a personal identity or fulfill personal needs (informal) • I
need my own personal space in order to live stress-free.

12. TECHNOLOGY interval
in transmission of telegraphic message: an
interval during the transmission of a telegraphic message when the key is not
in contact
verb
(past spaced, past participle spaced, present
participle spac·ing, 3rd person present singular spac·es)

1.  transitive
verb
to
set things apart: to set things some distance apart or
arrange them with gaps between

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
inattentive: to be or become distracted, forgetful,
or inattentive (slang)
[13th century. Via French espace
from Latin spatium “space, distance.”][1]



spaceage

spaceage
space
age
or Space Age noun

era
of space exploration: the era marked by the
exploration of space, often considered as beginning in 1957 when the Soviet
Union launched Sputnik
—space-age, adjective[1]



spaceband

spaceband
space·band
[spáyss bànd] (plural space·bands)
noun

printing device for creating
even spacing: a device used in
printing to provide variable but even spacing between words in a justified line[1]



spacebar

spacebar
space
bar
(plural space bars) noun

keyboard bar pressed to
introduce space: a horizontal bar at the
bottom of a keyboard or typewriter that is pressed to introduce a space[1]



spacebiology

spacebiology
space
bi·ol·o·gy
noun

See
exobiology[1]



spaceblanket

spaceblanket
space
blan·ket
(plural space blan·kets) noun

plastic and aluminum foil
wrap: a plastic wrapping with
aluminum foil coating that is used to restore body heat in people affected by
exposure or exhaustion[1]



spaceborne

spaceborne
space·borne 
[spáyss bàwrn] adjective

operating in outer space:
traveling or operating in outer space[1]



spacebridge

spacebridge
space·bridge 
[spáyss brìj] (plural space·bridg·es)
noun

international television
communication: a way of communicating
internationally by television, using transmissions from orbiting satellites[1]



spacecadet

spacecadet
space
ca·det
(plural space ca·dets) noun

forgetful person:
somebody who behaves in a forgetful or dazed way, especially somebody who has
taken hallucinogenic drugs (slang)[1]



spacecapsule

spacecapsule
space
cap·sule
(plural space cap·sules) noun

vehicle for space transport:
a vehicle or cabin designed to support life and used for transporting human
beings or animals in outer space or at very high altitudes within Earth’s
atmosphere.
Also called
capsule[1]



spacecharge

spacecharge
space
charge
(plural space charg·es) noun

net electric charge in
volume: the net electric charge
distributed in a given volume of space[1]



spacecraft

spacecraft

space·craft 
[spáyss kràft] (plural space·craft
or space·crafts) noun
vehicle for space travel or use:
a vehicle or device designed for travel or use in space[1]



spaced-out

spaced-out
spaced-out 
adjective

dazed:
inattentive, dazed, confused, or lightheaded from or as if from drug use (slang)[1]



spacefaring

spacefaring
space·far·ing 
[spáys fàiring] noun

use
of spacecraft: the use of spacecraft for the
exploration of outer space
—spacefaring, adjective[1]



spaceflight

spaceflight
space·flight
[spáyss flt] (plural spaceflights)
noun

flight beyond Earth’s
atmosphere: flight beyond Earth’s
atmosphere, or an instance of this[1]



spaceheater

spaceheater
space
heat·er
(plural space heat·ers) noun

heater used to heat small
area: a small portable appliance
used to heat a small area[1]



spacelab

spacelab
space·lab
[spáyss làb] (plural space·labs)
noun

laboratory in space:
a laboratory in space used to carry out scientific experiments[1]



spacelattice

spacelattice
space
lat·tice
(plural space lat·tic·es) noun

See
lattice  noun 4[1]



spaceless

spaceless
space·less 
[spáyssliss] adjective (literary)

1.  boundless:
with no limits

2.  occupying
no space:
not occupying any space

[1]



spaceman

spaceman
space·man
[spáyss màn, spáyssmən]
(plural space·men [spáyss men,
spáyssmən]) noun

1.  astronaut:
an astronaut or somebody who travels in space

2.  extraterrestrial:
a traveler to Earth from outer space, in science fiction

[1]



spacemedicine

spacemedicine
space
med·i·cine
noun

medicine concerned with
effects of space: a branch of medicine
dealing with the effects of space flight on the human body[1]



SpaceNeedle

SpaceNeedle
Space
Nee·dle
noun

a tall tower in downtown
Seattle, Washington, with a revolving restaurant and observation deck near the
top. It was built for the 1962 World’s Fair.[1]



spaceopera

spaceopera
space
o·pe·ra
(plural space o·pe·ras) noun

sci-fi drama about space
travel: a science fiction drama
involving space travel and, often, extraterrestrial beings[1]



spaceplatform

spaceplatform
space
plat·form
(plural space plat·forms) noun

See
space station[1]



spaceport

spaceport
space·port 
[spáyss pàwrt] (plural space·ports)
noun

place for launching
spacecraft: an installation for
launching, testing, landing, and maintaining spacecraft[1]



spaceprobe

spaceprobe

space probe
(plural space probes) noun
spacecraft used to explore space:
a satellite or other spacecraft that is designed to explore the solar system
and transmit data back to earth.
Also called
probe[1]



spacer

spacer
spac·er
[spàyssər] (plural spac·ers) noun

something that keeps things
separate: something inserted between
two other things to keep them apart, for example, a pierced bar threaded on a
multistring necklace to prevent the strands from tangling[1]



spaceship

spaceship
space·ship 
[spáyss shìp] (plural space·ships)
noun

vehicle for space travel:
a vehicle designed to transport people or materials through outer space[1]



spaceshuttle

spaceshuttle

space shut·tle
(plural space shut·tles) noun
reusable spacecraft:
a reusable spacecraft designed to transport people and cargo between earth and
space, with two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank that are
jettisoned after takeoff.
Also called
shuttle[1]



spacesickness

spacesickness
space
sick·ness
noun

motion sickness in space
flight: motion sickness experienced
as a result of space flight[1]



spacestation

spacestation

space sta·tion
(plural space sta·tions) or space platform noun
satellite used as space base:
a spacecraft or satellite designed to be occupied by a crew for extended
periods of time and used as a base for the exploration, observation, and
research of space[1]



spacesuit

spacesuit
space·suit 
[spáyss st] (plural space·suits)
noun

special suit for space
traveler: a sealed pressurized suit
designed to support the wearer’s life in space[1]



space-time

space-time
space-time 
or space-time con·tin·u·um noun

space and time coordinate
system: a four-dimensional system
consisting of three spatial coordinates and one for time, in which it is
possible to locate events[1]



spacewalk

spacewalk
space·walk 
[spáyss wàwk] noun (plural space·walks)

astronaut’s
excursion out of spacecraft: an excursion by an astronaut
or cosmonaut outside the spacecraft
intransitive
verb
(past space·walked, past participle space·walked, present
participle space·walk·ing, 3rd person present singular space·walks)

leave
spacecraft:
to go out of a spacecraft in order to perform a task or experiment
—space·walk·er, noun[1]



spaceward

spaceward
space·ward 
[spáysswərd] adverb

toward outer space:
in the direction of outer space[1]



spacewoman

spacewoman
space·wom·an
[spáyss wmən] (plural space·wom·en
[spáyss wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
astronaut:
a woman astronaut or cosmonaut who travels in space

2.  female
visitor to Earth: a female who travels to Earth from outer
space, in science fiction

[1]



spacewriter

spacewriter
space
writ·er
(plural space writ·ers) noun

writer paid by length of
copy: a writer paid according to
the area of print taken up by what is written[1]



spacey

spacey
spac·ey 
adjective

(informal) See spacy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spacial

spacial
spa·cial 
[spáysh’l] adjective

See
spatial[1]



spacing

spacing
spac·ing 
(plural spac·ings) noun

1.  space
or its arrangement: the space, or the way this
is arranged, between several things, for example, between words or lines in
type

2.  arranging
in spaces:
the act of arranging things in spaces

[1]



spacious

spacious
spa·cious 
[spáyshəss] adjective

1.  containing
great space: roomy and containing ample space

2.  broad
in scope:
expansive and broad in scope

[1]



Spackle

Spackle
Spack·le 
[spák’l] Trademark

a trademark for a compound
used in surfacing interior walls[1]



spacy

spacy
spac·y
[spáyssee] (comparative spac·i·er,
superlative spac·i·est) or spac·ey [spáyssee] (comparative spac·i·er, superlative
spac·i·est) adjective

spaced-out:
spaced-out (slang)[1]



spade

spade1
spade1 [spayd]
noun (plural spades)

digging
tool:
a digging tool with a wide shallow blade flattened where it meets the shaft so
it can be pushed into the ground with the foot
intransitive
and transitive verb (past spad·ed,
past participle spad·ed, present participle spad·ing,
3rd person present singular spades)

dig
or remove something with spade: to dig or remove
something using a spade
[Old
English spadu . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English spoon and Greek spathē
“broad blade” (source of English spatula
and spay ).]
—spad·er,
noun
call
a spade a spade

say plainly and bluntly what
you mean without being euphemistic in any way[1]



spade

spade2
spade2 [spayd]
(plural spades) noun

1.  suit
with spear-shaped symbol: one of the four suits used
in cards, with a black figure shaped like a stylized spearhead as its symbol

2.  card
of spades suit: a card of the suit of spades

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody, especially a man, who is descended
from an African people (slang offensive)
[Late
16th century. Via Italian, the plural of spada “sword” (the sign used on
Italian cards), and Latin spatha “broadsword” from Greek spathē
(see spade 1 ).]
in
spades

to a very great degree (informal)[1]



spadefish

spadefish
spade·fish 
[spáyd fìsh] (plural spade·fish
or spade·fish·es) noun

food
fish of Atlantic: a deep-bodied bony fish found in coastal
waters of the Atlantic and used as a food fish. Family: Ephippidae
[Early 18th century. From its
shape.][1]



spadefoottoad

spadefoottoad
spade·foot
toad 
[spáyd fot tōd] (plural spade·foot
toads) noun

burrowing toad:
a burrowing toad found in drier regions of the world, with a hardened edge on
its hind feet that is used for excavating deep burrows. Family: Pelobatidae[1]



spadework

spadework
spade·work 
[spáyd wùrk] noun

1.  work
requiring spade: work done using a spade

2.  preliminary
work:
preliminary work that is often hard drudgery

[1]



spadiceous

spadiceous
spa·di·ceous
[spay díshəss, spə
díshəss] adjective

with
spadix:
bearing or resembling a spadix
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from the Latin stem spadic- (see spadix
).][1]



spadices

spadices
spa·di·ces

Plural of
spadix[1]



spadille

spadille
spa·dille 
[spə díl] (plural spa·dilles) noun

highest
trump in card game: the highest trump card in
some card games, for example, ombre
[Late 17th century. Via
French and Spanish espadilla, literally “a small sword,” from,
ultimately, Latin spatha (see spade 2 ).][1]



spadix

spadix
spa·dix 
[spáydiks] (plural spa·di·ces
[spáydi sz]) noun

fleshy
spike with tiny flowers: a fleshy or succulent plant
spike bearing tiny flowers and usually enclosed in a leafy sheath ( spathe )
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin,
literally “palm branch torn off with its fruit,” from Greek, formed from span
“to pull.”][1]



spaghetti

spaghetti
spa·ghet·ti 
[spə géttee] noun

1.  string-shaped
pasta:
pasta in the shape of long, thin strings

2.  cooked
string-shaped pasta: a dish of long thin strings
of boiled pasta, usually served with a sauce

3.  ELECTRICITY tubing
for covering bare wire: insulating tubing used to
cover bare wire.
U.K.
term
sleeving
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “small strings,” formed from spago “string,” of
unknown origin.][1]



spaghettini

spaghettini
spa·ghet·ti·ni 
[spàggə tnee] noun

pasta
thinner than spaghetti: a type of pasta that is
thinner than spaghetti but thicker than vermicelli
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “small spaghetti” (see spaghetti
).][1]



spaghettiWestern

spaghettiWestern
spa·ghet·ti
West·ern
(plural spa·ghet·ti West·erns) noun

Western made in Europe:
a Western made in Europe, usually Spain by an Italian film company,
characterized by extreme and melodramatic violence[1]



Spain




Back to definition

Spain

[1]



Spain

Spain



Spain 
[spayn]
monarchy in southwestern Europe on the
Iberian Peninsula, east of Portugal. Language: Spanish. Currency: peseta.
Capital: Madrid. Population: 39,181,114 (1996) Area: 504,782 sq km/194,897 sq
mi. Official name Kingdom of Spain[1]



spake

spake
spake


(archaic) Past
tense of speak[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spall

spall
spall 
[spawl] noun (plural spalls)

small
chip of stone or ore: a small fragment, splinter,
or chip of stone or ore
intransitive
and transitive verb (past spalled,
past participle spalled, present participle spall·ing,
3rd person present singular spalls)

break
into chips:
to break up into small chips, flakes, or splinters
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spallation

spallation
spal·la·tion 
[spaw láysh’n] noun

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS emission
of nuclear particles by bombardment: a
nuclear reaction in which several particles are emitted from the nucleus of an
atom after bombardment with high-energy particles or radiation

2.  GEOLOGY ASTRONOMY removal of rock surface by
meteorite:
the removal of the surface layers of a rock by meteorite impact

[1]



spalpeen

spalpeen
spal·peen 
[spáwl peen] (plural spal·peens)
noun Ireland

1.  rascal:
somebody who is mischievous and cunning

2.  poor
farm laborer: an impoverished farm laborer
[Late 18th century. From
Irish spailpín .][1]



Spam

Spam
Spam 
Trademark

a trademark for canned
chopped meat, mainly of chopped pork, that is pressed into a loaf[1]



spam

spam
spam
[spam] noun (plural spams)

electronic
junk mail:
an unsolicited often commercial message transmitted through the Internet as a
mass mailing to a large number of recipients
intransitive
and transitive verb (past spammed,
past participle spammed, present participle spam·ming,
3rd person present singular spams)

post
multiple unwanted messages: to post a message many times
to a newsgroup, an inappropriate message to multiple newsgroups, or to send an
unsolicited message, often an advertisement, to many people
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Monty Python sketch in which Spam™ is served
whether wanted or not.][1]



Span.

Span.
Span.

Abbreviation of
Spanish[1]



span

span1
span1  [span]
noun (plural spans)

1.  distance
between limits: the distance or expanse between two
extremes or limits

2.  period
for maintenance of cognitive function: the
period of time during which a mental function or act can be maintained • a
short attention span

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING distance
between bridge supports: the extent or space between
abutments or supports, for example, on a bridge or arch, or a portion of the
structure that is supported in this way

4.  AIR See wingspan

5.  period
of time:
a period of time, especially the lifetime of an individual

6.  MEASUREMENTS old
measurement: an old measurement based on the distance
from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand,
approximately 23 cm9 in
transitive
verb
(past spanned, past participle spanned, present
participle span·ning, 3rd person present singular spans)

1.  extend
over or across something: to reach or extend over or
across something

2.  measure
something with the hand: to measure something by or
as if by the hand with fingers and thumb fully extended

3.  encircle
something with the hands: to encircle or cover
something with the hands, especially in order to estimate its size
[Old English spann .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German spannen
“to stretch” (source of English spanner
).][1]



span

span3
span3

(archaic) Past
tense of spin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








span

span2
span2 [span]
transitive verb (past spanned, past participle spanned,
present participle span·ning, 3rd person present singular spans)

NAUTICAL tie
something:
to lash or tie something
noun
(plural spans)

1.  NAUTICAL strip
of rope:
a strip of rope that has been tied down at one end

2.  EQUESTRIAN pair
of horses driven together: a pair of horses or other
animals harnessed and driven together
[Mid-18th century. From
Dutch, formed from spannen “to harness.”][1]



spanakopita

spanakopita
spa·na·ko·pi·ta 
[spànnə kṓpeetə, spànnə
kə pta] (plural spa·na·ko·pi·tas) noun

spinach
and feta cheese pie: a traditional Greek dish of
spinach, feta cheese, and seasonings baked in phyllo dough
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Greek spanakopēta, literally “spinach pie.”][1]



spancel

spancel
span·cel 
[spánss’l] noun (plural span·cels)

rope
used to hobble animal: a rope with a noose used to
hobble a horse, cow, or other animal
transitive
verb
(past span·celed or span·celled, past participle
span·celed or span·celled, present participle span·cel·ing
or span·cel·ling, 3rd person present singular span·cels)

hobble
animal with spancel: to hobble a horse, cow, or
other animal using a spancel
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch spansel, from spannen (see span 2 ).][1]



Spandau

Spandau
Span·dau 
[spán dow]

district of Berlin, Germany.
It is home to a prison where Rudolf Hess was incarcerated after World War II.
Population: 192,895 (1986)[1]



spandex

spandex
span·dex 
[spán dèks] noun

synthetic
fabric:
a synthetic stretch fabric of fiber made from polyurethane
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from expand .][1]



spandrel

spandrel

span·drel 
[spándrəl] (plural span·drels)
or span·dril [spándrəl] (plural
span·drils) noun

1.  space
between one arch and another: the triangular space between
the right or left exterior curve of an arch and the framework of another arch

2.  space
between two arches and cornice: the area between two
arches and a horizontal cornice above them
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Anglo-Norman spaundre from Old French espandre
(see spawn ).][1]



spang

spang
spang 
[spang] adverb

exactly:
completely, squarely, or exactly on target or in the middle of something (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a dialect verb meaning “to leap,” or perhaps an
alteration of span-new .][1]



spangle

spangle
span·gle 
[spáng g’l] noun (plural span·gles)

1.  small
shiny decoration: a small shiny piece of metal or plastic
used for decoration on clothing

2.  small
sparkling object: a small sparkling spot or object
verb
(past span·gled, past participle span·gled, present
participle span·gling, 3rd person present singular span·gles)

1.  transitive
verb
sprinkle
something with spangles: to sprinkle or adorn
something with spangles

2.  intransitive
verb
glitter
with spangles: to sparkle or glitter as if adorned with
spangles
[15th century. Formed from
obsolete spang “glittering ornament,” from Dutch spange “clasp.”][1]



Spanglish

Spanglish
Spang·lish 
[spáng glish] noun

Spanish
with many English borrowings: a variety of Spanish
characterized by numerous borrowings from English.
See
also
Franglais
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
Spanish and English
.][1]



Spaniard

Spaniard
Span·iard 
[spánnyərd] (plural Span·iards)
noun

somebody
from Spain:
somebody who was born or raised in Spain, or who has Spanish citizenship
[14th century. Via Old French
Espaignart from, ultimately, Latin Hispania “Spain.”][1]



spaniel

spaniel

span·iel 
[spánnyəl] (plural span·iels) noun
medium-sized
dog with wavy coat: a small or medium-sized dog
characterized by a long wavy silky coat, usually short legs, large drooping
ears, and feathering on the legs and tail
[14th century. Via Old French
espaigneul, literally “Spanish,” from, ultimately, Latin Hispania
“Spain.” From the breed’s Spanish origin.][1]



Spanish

Spanish
Span·ish 
[spánnish] noun

LANGUAGE Romance
language:
one of the Romance languages, spoken in most of Spain and Central and South
America
plural
noun

PEOPLES people
of Spain:
the people of Spain
adjective

1.  relating
to Spain:
relating to Spain, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE relating
to Spanish language: relating to the Spanish
language

[1]



SpanishAmerica

SpanishAmerica
Span·ish
A·mer·i·ca


that part of America that was
colonized by the Spanish from the 16th century and where Spanish is still
widely spoken. It includes much of Central and South America and some Caribbean
islands.[1]



SpanishAmerican

SpanishAmerican
Span·ish
A·mer·i·can
(plural Span·ish A·mer·i·cans) noun

1.  U.S.
citizen of Spanish origin: a United States citizen of
Spanish descent

2.  somebody
from Spanish America: somebody who lives in or
comes from Spanish America
—Span·ish-A·mer·i·can,
adjective[1]



Spanishbayonet

Spanishbayonet
Span·ish
bay·o·net
(plural Span·ish bay·o·net or Span·ish bay·o·nets) noun

plant
related to yucca: a plant with stiff pointed leaves, white
flowers, and a long woody stem. Genus: Yucca
[From its swordlike leaves][1]



Spanishcedar

Spanishcedar
Span·ish
ce·dar
noun

tropical American tree:
a tropical American tree with reddish fragrant wood, used for making cigar
boxes. Genus: Cedrela[1]



Spanishchestnut

Spanishchestnut
Span·ish
chest·nut
(plural Span·ish chest·nuts) noun

See
chestnut  noun 1
See chestnut  noun 2[1]



Spanishfly

Spanishfly
Span·ish
fly
noun

1.  INSECTS European
beetle:
a green European blister beetle, used as a source of the stimulant and irritant
cantharides. Latin name: Lytta vesicatoria Cantharis vesicatoria
Also
called
cantharis

2.  DRUGS toxic
preparation used as aphrodisiac: a toxic preparation
made from the crushed dried bodies of the Spanish fly, used in the past as an
aphrodisiac and to treat skin blisters

[1]



Spanishguitar

Spanishguitar
Span·ish
gui·tar
(plural Span·ish gui·tars) noun

classical guitar:
the classical six-stringed form of guitar[1]



SpanishInquisition

SpanishInquisition
Span·ish
In·qui·si·tion noun

HISTORY
ecclesiastical tribunal in Spain:
an ecclesiastical tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church established in Spain in
1542, and finally suppressed in 1834, under which large numbers of people
deemed to be heretics were tortured and executed[1]



Spanishmackerel

Spanishmackerel
Span·ish
mack·er·el
noun

food fish of western
Atlantic: a large fish of the tuna
family that is caught for food and sport, and is found along the Atlantic coast
of North and South America. Latin name: Scomberomorous maculatus[1]



SpanishMain

SpanishMain
Span·ish
Main 
[spànnish máyn]

1.  region
of 16th- and 17th-century Spanish America from the isthmus of Panama to the
mouth of the Orinoco river

2.  section
of the Caribbean Sea crossed by Spanish ships in colonial times

[1]



Spanishmoss

Spanishmoss
Span·ish
moss
noun

long drooping grayish green
plant: a plant of the pineapple
family that grows on trees in long drooping matted clusters of grayish-green
filaments, from the southeastern United States to tropical South America. Latin
name: Tillandsia usneoides[1]



Spanishneedles

Spanishneedles
Span·ish
nee·dles
plural noun

(takes
a singular or plural verb)See beggar’s
lice
[From its spiny fruit][1]



Spanishomelet

Spanishomelet
Span·ish
om·e·let
(plural Span·ish om·e·lets) noun

omelet
served with spicy sauce: an omelet served with an
often spicy sauce of tomato, green pepper, and onion
[Because it contains
ingredients typical in Spanish cuisine][1]



Spanishonion

Spanishonion
Span·ish
on·ion
noun

mildly flavored onion:
an onion with yellow skin and a mild flavor. Latin name: Allium fistulosum[1]



Spanishpaprika

Spanishpaprika
Span·ish
pa·pri·ka
noun

seasoning made from red
pepper: a fairly mild but spicy food
seasoning made from red peppers[1]



Spanishrice

Spanishrice
Span·ish
rice
noun

seasoned rice:
rice cooked with onion, green pepper, tomato, and seasonings[1]



SpanishSahara

SpanishSahara
Span·ish
Sa·ha·ra


Former name for
Western Sahara[1]



spank

spank1
spank1  [spangk]
transitive verb (past spanked, past participle spanked,
present participle spank·ing, 3rd person present singular spanks)

slap
the buttocks: to strike somebody, usually on the
buttocks with the open hand in punishment
noun
(plural spanks)

open-handed
slap:
an open-handed slap on the buttocks
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.][1]



spank

spank2
spank2  [spangk]
intransitive verb

move
spiritedly:
to move briskly, spiritedly, or smartly
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from spanking 2 .][1]



spanker

spanker
spank·er 
[spángkər] (plural spank·ers) noun

type
of sail:
the fore-and-aft sail on the sternmost mast of a square-rigged ship
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from spank 2 .][1]



spanking

spanking1
spank·ing1  [spángking]
(plural spankings) noun

beating on buttocks:
a beating with the flat of the hand on somebody’s buttocks, given as punishment[1]



spanking

spanking2
spank·ing2  [spángking]
adjective

1.  exceptional:
with an unusual quality that makes something exceptional or remarkable of its
kind

2.  brisk:
lively, or moving briskly, especially a breeze
adverb

very:
extremely or very
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word.][1]



spanner

spanner
span·ner 
[spánnər] (plural span·ners) noun

1.  U.K.
See wrench

2.  wrench
with hook on head: a wrench with a hook or pin
at one or both ends of the head for engaging corresponding notches or holes on
the object to be turned
[Mid-17th century. From
German, formed from spannen (see span 1 ).][1]



spanworm

spanworm
span·worm 
[spán wùrm] (plural span·worms)
noun

See
inchworm[1]



spar

spar2
spar2 [spaar]
intransitive verb (past sparred, past participle sparred,
present participle spar·ring, 3rd person present singular spars)

1.  BOXING to
box:
to box, especially to fake a blow in order to draw an opponent or create an
opening

2.  BOXING use
light blows: to engage in a practice or exhibition
bout of boxing or martial arts using light blows

3.  fight
using feet and spurs: to fight using the feet and
spurs to strike an opponent (refers to gamecocks)

4.  argue:
to engage in argument
noun
(plural spars) BOXING

1.  practice
bout:
a practice or exhibition bout of boxing

2.  particular
motion in boxing: a motion in boxing for attack or defense
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of spur, or
perhaps via Old French esparer “to kick” from, ultimately, Latin parare
“to make ready.”][1]



spar

spar1
spar1 [spaar]
noun (plural spars)

1.  NAUTICAL stout
pole supporting rigging: a stout pole used to support
rigging on a ship

2.  AIR lateral
support of plane’s wing: one of the principal lateral
members supporting the wing of an airplane

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING metal
pole:
a metal pole that is part of a machine for lifting or moving heavy objects
transitive
verb

provide with spars:
to provide something with spars
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French esparre or Old Norse sperra
.][1]



spar

spar3
spar3 [spaar]
noun

mineral:
a light-colored lustrous nonmetallic flaky mineral that cleaves easily, for
example, feldspar
[Late 16th century. From Low
German .][1]



SPAR

SPAR
SPAR
[spaar] (plural SPARs) or
Spar [spaar] (plural Spars)
noun

HISTORY
MILITARY woman
Coast Guard member: a member of
the woman’s branch of the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. The unit was
disbanded in 1946.[1]



spare

spare
spare 
[spair] verb (past spared,
past participle spared, present participle spar·ing,
3rd person present singular spares)

1.  transitive
verb
refrain
from harming somebody: to refrain from killing,
punishing, or harming somebody

2.  transitive
verb
treat
somebody leniently: to treat leniently or
refrain from treating somebody harshly

3.  transitive
verb
save
somebody from doing something: to save or relieve
somebody from the effort or trouble of doing something

4.  transitive
verb
withhold
something:
to withhold or avoid something

5.  transitive
verb
use
something frugally: to use or dispense something
frugally

6.  transitive
verb
afford
something:
to give up or be able to contribute something from one’s resources, especially
without inconvenience • I can’t
spare any time to exercise.

7.  transitive
verb
refrain
from using something: to refrain from using
something

8.  intransitive
verb
be
frugal:
to be frugal and thrifty (archaic)
adjective

1.  kept
in reserve:
kept in reserve for emergency use

2.  superfluous:
more than what is needed

3.  lean:
with a muscular physique and no excess fat

4.  scanty:
lacking in quantity or extent
noun
(plural spares)

1.  something
extra:
something extra that is kept in reserve

2.  knocking
down pins in two tries: in bowling, an instance of
knocking down all the pins in two attempts

3.  bowling
score:
a score made in bowling by using two rolls to knock down all ten pins
[Old
English sparian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German sparen “to save.”]
—spar·er,
noun

—spare·ly,
adverb

—spare·ness,
noun
to
spare

more than what is needed[1]



sparerib

sparerib
spare·rib
[spáir rìb] (plural spareribs)
noun

pork
rib with little meat: a rib of pork from which
most of the meat has been removed, usually cooked in a barbecue or Chinese
sauce
[Late 16th century. By folk
etymology from Low German ribbesper “pickled pork ribs roasted on a
spit,” by association with spare .][1]



sparetire

sparetire
spare
tire
(plural spare tires) noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE extra
tire:
an extra tire, mounted somewhere on a motor vehicle and carried in case of a
flat tire

2.  extra
flesh:
a roll of extra flesh around somebody’s waist (informal)

[1]



sparid

sparid
spar·id 
[spárrəd] (plural spar·id or
spar·ids) noun

warm-water
marine fish: a warm-water marine fish with a
compressed body, large head, and sharp teeth. Porgies and breams are sparids.
Family: Sparidae
[Late 20th century. Via
modern Latin Sparidae, family name, from, ultimately, Greek sparos
“sea bream.”][1]



sparing

sparing
spar·ing 
[spáiring] adjective

1.  frugal:
showing careful restraint in the use of resources

2.  scanty:
limited or restricted in quantity

3.  merciful:
inclined to be lenient or merciful

[1]



spark

spark2
spark2 [spaark]
noun (plural sparks)

1.  dandy:
a vain young man, especially one concerned with fashion and appearance (archaic)

2.  boyfriend:
a male who courts a woman (dated informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sparked,
past participle sparked, present participle spark·ing,
3rd person present singular sparks)

woo: to
try to persuade somebody to become romantically or sexually involved (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from spark 1 .][1]



spark

spark1
spark1 [spaark]
noun (plural sparks)

1.  fiery
particle:
a small piece of a burning substance thrown off in combustion or produced in
friction

2.  ELECTRICITY electric
discharge:
a quick bright discharge of electricity between two conductors

3.  something
that activates: a factor or device that sets off or acts
as a stimulant, inspiration, or catalyst

4.  something
capable of development: a latent trace of something
capable of development

5.  sparks
radio
operator:
the radio operator on a ship or aircraft (informal) (takes a singular
verb)
verb
(past sparked, past participle sparked, present
participle spark·ing, 3rd person present singular sparks)

1.  intransitive
verb
throw
off sparks:
to throw off sparks

2.  intransitive
verb
ELECTRICITY produce
sparks:
to have an electric ignition working properly so that it generates sparks

3.  transitive
verb
stimulate
or incite something: to stimulate or initiate a
burst of activity
[Old English spærca .
Origin unknown.][1]



sparkchamber

sparkchamber
spark
cham·ber
(plural spark cham·bers) noun

device for tracking subatomic
particles: a device for tracking the
path of a subatomic particle, consisting of charged plates that cause the
particle to ionize the gas present and create sparks[1]



sparkcoil

sparkcoil
spark
coil
(plural spark coils) noun

induction coil in engine:
the induction coil that produces the spark discharge to start combustion in an
internal combustion engine[1]



Spark,Dame Muriel

Spark,Dame Muriel

Spark 
[spaark], Dame Muriel (1918– )
British
writer. She is best known for her novels, including Memento Mori ( 1959
) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie ( 1961 ).
Full name
Spark, Dame Muriel Sarah[1]



sparkerosion

sparkerosion
spark
e·ro·sion
noun

process for shaping metal:
a process for shaping metal, similar to conventional machining but using an
electric arc from a moving electrode to remove metal[1]



sparkgap

sparkgap
spark
gap
(plural spark gaps) noun

space between electrodes:
a space between two electrodes across which a discharge of electricity occurs,
for example, the gap between electrodes of a spark plug in an internal
combustion engine.
Also called
gap[1]



sparkingplug

sparkingplug
spark·ing
plug 
(plural spark·ing plugs) noun

U.K. =
spark plug  noun 1[1]



sparkle

sparkle
spar·kle 
[sprk’l] verb (past spar·kled,
past participle spar·kled, present participle spar·kling,
3rd person present singular spar·kles)

1.  intransitive
verb
throw
off sparks:
to throw off sparks

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb glitter:
to give off or reflect light in brilliant, glittering flashes, or make
something do this

3.  intransitive
verb
perform
vivaciously: to perform brilliantly or be vivacious,
witty, or enthusiastic

4.  intransitive
verb
BEVERAGES effervesce:
to effervesce, especially a wine or other drink
noun
(plural spar·kles)

1.  shining
particle:
a little spark or shining particle

2.  animation:
lively or brilliant animation and vivacity

3.  BEVERAGES effervescence:
effervescence in wine and other drinks
[12th
century. Formed from spark 1 .]
—spark·ly, adjective[1]



sparkleberry

sparkleberry
spar·kle·ber·ry 
[sprk’l bèrree] (plural spar·kle·ber·ries)
noun

See
farkleberry
[By folk etymology from farkleberry][1]



sparkler

sparkler
spar·kler 
[sprklər] (plural spar·klers)
noun

1.  handheld
firework:
a handheld firework that throws off sparks as it burns

2.  sparkling
gem:
a diamond or other sparkling gem (informal)

[1]



sparklingwater

sparklingwater
spar·kling
wa·ter 
noun

water with carbon dioxide:
water charged with carbon dioxide to make it effervescent[1]



sparklingwine

sparklingwine
spar·kling
wine
(plural spar·kling wines) noun

effervescent wine:
wine that is made effervescent naturally through a second fermentation or
artificially through the introduction of carbon dioxide[1]



sparkplug

sparkplug
spark
plug
(plural spark plugs) noun

1.  device
that ignites fuel in engine: a device that ignites the
fuel mixture in the cylinder in an internal-combustion engine by emitting a
spark.
U.K.
term
sparking plug

2.  somebody
who animates: somebody who inspires enthusiasm for a
project or task (informal)

[1]



sparktransmitter

sparktransmitter
spark
trans·mit·ter (plural spark trans·mit·ters)
noun

radio transmitter:
an obsolete form of radio transmitter that used power generated from the
discharge of a condenser across a spark gap[1]



sparky

sparky
spark·y 
[sprkee] (comparative spark·i·er,
superlative spark·i·est) adjective

lively:
very lively and enthusiastic[1]



sparling

sparling
spar·ling 
[sprling] (plural spar·lings or
spar·ling) noun

immature
herring:
a herring that has not yet matured
[14th century. From Old
French esperlinge, of Germanic origin.][1]



sparringpartner

sparringpartner
spar·ring
part·ner
(plural spar·ring part·ners) noun

1.  BOXING somebody
who spars with a boxer: somebody who spars with a
boxer to help in training

2.  debating
partner:
somebody who is regularly involved in debates or arguments with somebody else

[1]



sparrow

sparrow


spar·row 
[spárrō] (plural spar·rows) noun

1.  small
brownish songbird: a small dull-colored
songbird with a short stout bill for cracking seeds. Families: Passeridae
Emberizidae

2.  finch
resembling sparrow: a finch that resembles the
true sparrow
[Old English spearwa .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



sparrowgrass

sparrowgrass
spar·row·grass 
[spárrō gràss] noun

asparagus:
asparagus (regional)
[Mid-17th century. By folk
etymology from asparagus .][1]



sparrowhawk

sparrowhawk
spar·row
hawk
(plural spar·row hawks) noun

1.  N.
American kestrel: a kestrel native to North America. Latin
name: Falco sparverius

2.  European
and Asian hawk: a small hawk of Europe and Asia that has
short broad wings, a long tail, and a dark gray to blackish back, and preys on
smaller birds. Latin name: Accipiter nisus

[1]



sparry

sparry
spar·ry
[spree] adjective

relating to mineral spar:
relating to or resembling a mineral spar[1]



sparse

sparse
sparse 
[spaarss] adjective

scant:
thinly spread, or occurring with many spaces in between
[Early 18th century. From
Latin sparsus, the past participle of spargere “to scatter”
(source of English aspersion and sparge
).][1]



Spartacist

Spartacist
Spar·ta·cist
[sprtəssist] (plural Spar·ta·cists)
noun

German
socialist revolutionary: a member of a German
revolutionary group organized in 1918 and promoting an extreme socialistic
agenda
[Early 20th century. From
German Spartakist, from Spartakus “Spartacus,” adopted as pen
name by the German socialist leader Karl Liebknecht.][1]



Spartacus

Spartacus
Spar·ta·cus 
[sprtəkəss]

Roman enslaved laborer and
rebel leader. He led an uprising that defeated several Roman armies before he
was killed in battle against the Roman commander Crassus.[1]



Spartanburg

Spartanburg
Spar·tan·burg 
[sprtènbèrg]

city in northwestern South
Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, northeast of
Greenville. Population: 42,136 (1996)[1]



sparteine

sparteine
spar·te·ine 
[sprtə n, sprtee
ìn] noun

liquid
alkaloid:
a bitter thick poisonous liquid alkaloid obtained from the Scotch broom and
used in medicine. C15H26N2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Spartium, broom genus, from, ultimately, Greek sparton
“esparto.”][1]



sparvarnish

sparvarnish
spar
var·nish
noun

waterproof varnish:
a durable waterproof varnish for use on exterior wooden surfaces[1]



spasm

spasm
spasm 
[spázsəm] (plural spasms) noun

1.  involuntary
muscle contraction: an involuntary sudden muscle
contraction

2.  sudden
burst of activity: a sudden brief emotion,
sensation, or action • a
spasm of pain
[14th century. Via French and
Latin from Greek spasmos, from span “to pull.”][1]



spasmodic

spasmodic
spas·mod·ic 
[spaz móddik] adjective

1.  affected
by spasms:
affected or characterized by spasms

2.  resembling
spasm:
resembling a spasm in sudden brief intensity

3.  intermittent:
occurring at uneven intervals

4.  excitable:
prone to sudden outbursts of emotion
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin spasmodicus from Greek spasmōdēs,
from spasmos (see spasm ).]
—spas·mod·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



spasmolytic

spasmolytic
spas·mo·lyt·ic 
[spàzmə líttik] noun adjective

See
antispasmodic[1]



spastic

spastic
spas·tic 
[spástik] adjective

1.  affected
by spasms:
relating to or affected by spasms

2.  offensive
term:
lacking physical coordination or the ability to perform competently (slang
offensive)
noun
(plural spas·tics)

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to somebody affected by cerebral palsy (dated
insult)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s coordination or
competence (slang insult)
[Mid-18th
century. Via Latin from Greek spastikos, from span (see spasm ).]
—spas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



spasticcolon

spasticcolon
spas·tic
co·lon
noun

See
irritable bowel syndrome[1]



spasticparalysis

spasticparalysis
spas·tic
pa·ral·y·sis noun

See
cerebral palsy[1]



spat

spat2
spat2

Past tense of
spit Past participle of spit[1]



spat

spat3
spat3 [spat]
(plural spats) noun

shoe
covering:
a short cloth or leather gaiter, popular in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, worn over a shoe to cover the instep and the ankle
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of spatterdash .][1]



spat

spat4
spat4 [spat]
noun

young
oyster:
an immature bivalve mollusk, for example, an oyster
[Mid-17th century. From
Anglo-Norman, of unknown origin.][1]



spat

spat1
spat1 [spat]
noun (plural spats)

1.  petty
quarrel:
a brief quarrel usually concerning petty matters

2.  slap:
a light blow or slap (archaic)

3.  sound
of raindrops falling: the sound of raindrops
falling
verb
(past spat·ted, past participle spat·ted, present
participle spat·ting, 3rd person present singular spats)

1.  intransitive
verb
quarrel
pettily:
to engage in a petty, brief quarrel

2.  transitive
verb
slap
somebody or something: to strike somebody or
something with light force (archaic)

3.  intransitive
verb
make
spattering sound: to make the sound of rain falling in
large spattering drops
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spatchcock

spatchcock
spatch·cock 
[spách kòk] noun (plural spatch·cocks)

COOKING split
bird for cooking: a chicken or other fowl that is split,
dressed, and broiled or roasted on a spit
transitive
verb
(past spatch·cocked, past participle spatch·cocked,
present participle spatch·cock·ing, 3rd person present
singular spatch·cocks)

1.  COOKING prepare
fowl for roasting: to prepare a chicken or
other fowl for roasting by splitting it open

2.  insert
something awkwardly: to introduce or interpose
something into a piece of writing, especially in a forced or inappropriate way
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of spitchcock “prepared eel,” of
unknown origin.][1]



spate

spate
spate 
[spayt] (plural spates) noun

1.  flood:
a flood, or a river overflowing its banks • After
the heavy rain the river was in spate.

2.  outburst:
a sudden strong outburst

3.  large
quantity:
a large quantity of something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French espoit from Dutch spuiten “to
flood.”][1]



spathe

spathe

spathe 
[spay] (plural spathes) noun
plant
part enclosing flower: a leafy sheath ( bract ) that encloses the cluster of flowers ( spadix ) in some plants, for example, the arum,
and sometimes resembles a petal
[Late
18th century. Via Latin spatha from Greek spathē (see spade 1 ).]
—spathed [spayd], adjective[1]



spathic

spathic
spath·ic 
[spáthik] adjective

resembling
mineral spar: resembling mineral spar, especially in
being easy to split
[Late 18th century. Formed
from German Spat(h) “spar.”][1]



spathulate

spathulate
spath·u·late 
[spáttylət] noun

U.K.
See spatulate[1]



spatial

spatial
spa·tial 
or spa·cial adjective

relating
to space:
relating to, occupying, or happening in space
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin spatium (see space
).]
—spa·ti·al·i·ty
[spàyshee állətee], noun

—spa·tial·ly [spásh’lee], adverb[1]



spatiotemporal

spatiotemporal
spa·ti·o·tem·po·ral 
[spàyshee ō témpərəl, spàyshee ō témprəl] adjective

1.  relating
to space and time: relating to, existing in, or
having the qualities of both space and time

2.  relating
to space-time: relating to a four-dimensional
space-time system
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin spatium (see space
) + temporal .]
—spa·ti·o·tem·po·ral·ly,
adverb[1]



spatter

spatter
spat·ter 
[spáttər] verb (past spat·tered,
past participle spat·tered, present participle spat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular spat·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
out in drops: to expel something or come out in small
scattered drops or splashes

2.  transitive
verb
splash
with liquid: to splash something with or as if with a
liquid, especially if the liquid leaves a mark or residue

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb scatter
in droplets: to splash or scatter in droplets

4.  transitive
verb
defame:
to defame or sully somebody’s character
noun
(plural spat·ters)

1.  act
of spattering: an act of spattering or being spattered

2.  spattering
sound:
the sound of spattering

3.  droplet
of something spattered: a droplet or splash of
something spattered

4.  small
amount:
a small amount of something
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound.][1]



spatterdock

spatterdock
spat·ter·dock 
[spáttər dòk] (plural spat·ter·docks)
noun

yellow water lily:
a North American water lily with globe-shaped yellow flowers. Latin name: Nuphar
advena[1]



spatula

spatula
spat·u·la 
[spáchələ] (plural spat·u·las)
noun

1.  COOKING flat
utensil with handle: a flat flexible metal,
plastic, or rubber utensil with a handle, used to scoop, lift, spread, or mix

2.  MEDICINE tongue
depressor:
a flat wooden stick used to depress the tongue when the mouth or throat is
being examined
[Early
16th century. Via Latin, literally “a small broadsword,” from, ultimately,
Greek spathē (see spade 1 ).]
—spat·u·lar, adjective[1]



spatulate

spatulate
spat·u·late 
[spáchələt] adjective

broad with tapering base:
shaped like a spatula, with a narrow tapering base and a broad rounded tip[1]



spavin

spavin
spav·in 
[spávvin] noun

swelling:
an ailment of horses involving a swelling or enlargement of the hock joint
[15th century. From Old
French espavin, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



spavined

spavined
spav·ined 
[spávvind] adjective

1.  with
spavin:
having or being lame with a spavin

2.  old
and worn out: lacking health, vigor, and strength • a
spavined horse

[1]



spawn

spawn
spawn 
[spawn] noun (plural spawns)

1.  BIOLOGY egg
mass:
a mass of eggs of a fish, amphibian, or other aquatic animal

2.  offspring:
progeny or offspring, especially if numerous

3.  FUNGI mycelium:
a mass of microscopic fungal threads ( mycelium
), especially when prepared on a growth medium for starting a new culture of
the fungus

4.  seed:
a seed, germ, or the source of something
verb
(past spawned, past participle spawned, present
participle spawn·ing, 3rd person present singular spawns)

1.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY deposit
eggs:
to produce and deposit eggs

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
young:
to produce offspring in large numbers

3.  transitive
verb
give
rise to something: to generate or give rise to
something

4.  transitive
verb
start
new fungus culture: to start a new culture of a
fungus using spawn
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman espaundre “to shed” and Old French espandre
from Latin expandere “to spread out” (source of English expand ).]
—spawn·er, noun[1]



spay

spay
spay 
[spay] (past spayed, past
participle spayed, present participle spay·ing, 3rd
person present singular spays) transitive verb

VETERINARY MEDICINE remove
animal’s ovaries: to surgically remove an animal’s ovaries
and adjacent parts of the uterus
[15th century. From Old
French espeer, literally “to cut with a sword,” from espee
“sword” (source of English épée ),
from, ultimately, Greek spathē (see spade 1 ).][1]



spaza

spaza
spa·za
[spázə] (plural spa·zas) noun

South Africa
South African shop:
a small informal shop, often run from a home in a township[1]



SPCA

SPCA
SPCA
noun

Abbreviation of
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals[1]



SPCC

SPCC
SPCC
noun

Abbreviation of
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children[1]



speak

speak
speak 
[speek] (past spoke [spōk], past participle spo·ken [spṓkən], present participle speak·ing,
3rd person present singular speaks) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb talk:
to utter words or articulate sounds with the voice

2.  intransitive
verb
express
thoughts and opinions: to communicate thoughts,
opinions, or feelings by uttering with the voice

3.  transitive
verb
be
able to use language: to know and be able to
converse in a language

4.  intransitive
verb
be
on good terms: to be on good and friendly terms with
somebody • It’s
sad, but they’re not speaking anymore.

5.  intransitive
verb
deliver
speech to audience: to make a speech or deliver
an address

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
in writing:
to express something or make a statement in writing

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb communicate
nonverbally: to communicate by other than verbal
means • Actions
speak louder than words.

8.  intransitive
verb
make
characteristic sound: to produce or make a sound
typical of its kind • The
cannon spoke.

9.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL communicate
with another sea-going vessel: to communicate with
another vessel at sea

10. transitive
verb
indicate
something:
to hint at or indicate something • Her
poise spoke of self-esteem.
[Old
English specan, sprecan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that
also produced German sprechen “to speak.”]
—speak·a·ble,
adjective
so
to speak

used
to indicate that you are expressing something in an unusual way, for example, that
you are being euphemistic

speak
for itself

have
an obvious meaning

to
speak of

significant or worth
mentioning[1]



speakeasy

speakeasy
speak·eas·y 
[spk zee] (plural speak·eas·ies)
noun

place
for sale of illegal alcohol: a place where alcoholic
beverages are sold and consumed illegally, especially during Prohibition in the
United States (dated slang)
[Late 19th century. From the
custom of speaking softly so as not to attract attention.][1]



Speaker

Speaker
Speak·er
(plural Speak·ers) noun

presiding officer of
legislative body: the presiding officer
of a legislative body, for example, the U.S. or the Australian House of
Representatives or the British House of Commons[1]



speaker

speaker
speak·er 
[spkər] (plural speak·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who speaks:
a person who speaks

2.  somebody
who makes a speech: somebody who makes a speech
or gives a lecture or address

3.  spokesperson:
somebody who represents or speaks for a group

4.  See
loudspeaker

[1]



speakerphone

speakerphone
speak·er·phone 
[spkər fn] (plural speak·er·phones)
noun

phone with loudspeaker and
microphone: a telephone equipped with a
loudspeaker and microphone[1]



speakfor

speakfor
speak
for
transitive verb

act as advocate:
to act as an advocate for or speak on behalf of[1]



speaking

speaking
speak·ing 
[spking] adjective

1.  involving
speech:
involving speech or speaking

2.  eloquent:
capable of communicating in an eloquent or impressive way

3.  apparently
real:
resembling a real person or object • the
speaking image of her aunt

4.  able
to use specified language: able to speak a particular
language (usually used in combination) • French-speaking
students

[1]



speakingin tongues

speakingin tongues
speak·ing
in tongues
noun

making of utterances in
unknown language: the making of
utterances that are not recognizable as any known language and have no formal
linguistic content. It is a normal aspect of worship in many Pentecostal and
charismatic churches.
See also
gift of tongues[1]



speakingtube

speakingtube
speak·ing
tube
(plural speak·ing tubes) noun

pipe used to converse:
a pipe connecting different parts of something, for example, a ship or
building, through which conversation can be conducted[1]



speakout

speakout
speak
out
intransitive verb

1.  talk
loudly:
to talk loudly or loudly enough to be heard

2.  speak
frankly:
to express opinions boldly, freely, and frankly

[1]



speakto

speakto
speak
to
transitive verb

mention issue:
to address a particular issue in a speech or discussion (formal) • a
speech that spoke to the needs of international students[1]



speakup

speakup
speak
up
intransitive verb

1.  talk
loudly:
to talk loudly enough to be heard

2.  talk
frankly:
to express opinions freely and frankly

[1]



spear

spear1
spear1 [speer]
noun (plural spears)

1.  long-handled
weapon with blade: a weapon for throwing or
thrusting that has a long handle and a blade or head with a sharpened point

2.  weapon
for spearing fish: a weapon with a sharp point
and barbs used for catching fish by piercing them

3.  See
spearman
verb
(past speared, past participle speared, present
participle spear·ing, 3rd person present singular spears)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pierce
something with spear: to stab, strike, pierce, or
take somebody or something with or as though using a spear

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS catch
ball with thrust of arm: to catch a ball with an
abrupt thrust of the arm
[Old
English spere . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German Speer “spear” and is.]
—spear·er, noun[1]



spear

spear2
spear2 [speer]
noun (plural spears)

BOTANY young
shoot:
a young blade, shoot, or stalk of a plant such as asparagus or grass
intransitive
verb
(past speared, past participle speared, present
participle spear·ing, 3rd person present singular spears)

send
up spear:
to bear a spear or send one up through the soil
[15th century. Alteration of spire .][1]



spearcarrier

spearcarrier
spear
car·ri·er
(plural spear car·ri·ers) noun

1.  minor
member of cast: a minor member of a cast in a play or
opera

2.  somebody
whose contributions are unimportant:
somebody who contributes little of importance or relevance (informal)

[1]



spearfish

spearfish
spear·fish
[spr fìsh] noun (plural spear·fish
or spear·fish·es)

large
marine fish with spear-shaped projection: a
large marine billfish that is related to the marlin and sailfish and has a very
long, pointed upper jaw. Genus: Tetrapturus
intransitive
verb
(past spear·fished, past participle spear·fished, present
participle spear·fish·ing, 3rd person present singular spear·fish·es)

fish with spear:
to fish using a spear or spear gun[1]



speargun

speargun
spear
gun
(plural spear guns) noun

gun that shoots spear:
a gun designed to shoot a barbed spear underwater, used to catch fish[1]



spearhead

spearhead
spear·head 
[spr hèd] noun (plural spear·heads)

1.  ARMS pointed
head of spear: the pointed head of a spear

2.  MILITARY leading
forces in military attack: the leading forces in a
military attack

3.  driving
force in event: the leading or driving element or force
in an undertaking
transitive
verb
(past spear·head·ed, past participle spear·head·ed,
present participle spear·head·ing, 3rd person present singular
spear·heads)

act as leader of event:
to act as the leader or driving force of a military attack, or any event or
undertaking

[1]



spearman

spearman
spear·man 
[sprmən] (plural spear·men [sprmən]) noun

somebody armed with spear:
a soldier or other person who is armed with a spear.
Also called
spear 1[1]



spearmint

spearmint

spear·mint 
[spr mìnt] (plural spear·mint
or spear·mints) noun
common
mint plant:
a common mint, the leaves and essential oil of which are used for flavoring.
Latin name: Mentha spicata
[Mid-16th century. From the
stem’s resemblance to a spear.][1]



spearwort

spearwort
spear·wort 
[spr wùrt, spr
wàwrt] (plural spear·wort or spear·worts) noun

buttercup:
a buttercup with spear-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers that grows in
Europe, Asia, and the eastern United States
[Old English][1]



spec.

spec.
spec.

1.  Abbreviation
of
special

2.  Abbreviation
of
specialist

3.  Abbreviation
of
specification

[1]



spec

spec
spec 
[spek] noun (plural specs)

detailed
description: a detailed description of a particular
thing, especially one detailed enough to provide somebody with the information
needed to make that thing (informal)
transitive
verb
(past spec’d or specced, past participle spec’d
or specced, present participle spec’·ing or spec·cing,
3rd person present singular specs)

write
specifications for something: to write specifications for
something (informal)
[Late
18th century. Shortening.]
on
spec

1.  U.K.
with a chance of achieving something but no certainty of it (informal)

2.  without
being sure of profit or being paid (informal)

[1]



special

special
spe·cial 
[spésh’l] adjective

1.  unusual
or superior: distinct, different, unusual, or
superior in comparison to others of the same kind

2.  primary:
of the greatest importance

3.  held
in esteem:
regarded with particular esteem or affection

4.  reserved:
unique to or reserved for a specific person or thing

5.  made
for particular purpose: made or used for a
particular purpose or occasion

6.  arranged
for specific purpose: planned for a specific
occasion

7.  additional:
in addition to or more than is usual

8.  relating
to educating special-needs children:
designed or intended for educating children who have physical disabilities or
learning difficulties
noun
(plural spe·cials)

1.  something
reserved for particular purpose: something designed or
reserved for a particular purpose or occasion

2.  TV television
program not part of schedule: a television program that is
not part of a network’s regular schedule

3.  temporary
reduction in price: a temporary reduction in the
price of an item

4.  FOOD dish
not on usual menu: a dish that a restaurant or
other food outlet offers in addition to the standard menu, or one that is
available for a low price
[12th
century. Directly or via Old French especial from Latin specialis,
from species (see species ).]
on
special

Australia, New Zealand
U.S. being sold at a reduced price[1]



specialact

specialact
spe·cial
act
(plural spe·cial acts) noun

legislative act with limited
application: an act passed by a
legislative body intended to apply only to a specific individual or situation[1]



SpecialAir Service

SpecialAir Service
Spe·cial
Air Ser·vice noun

Full form of
SAS[1]



specialassessment

specialassessment
spe·cial
as·sess·ment (plural spe·cial as·sess·ments)
noun

special local tax on
property: a specific local tax levied
on private property to meet the cost of a public improvement that will result
in an increase in the value of the property[1]



specialcourt-martial

specialcourt-martial
spe·cial
court-mar·tial (plural spe·cial
court-mar·tials) noun

court-martial for
intermediate offenses: a
court-martial held to try offenses of an intermediate kind and presided over by
three officers[1]



specialdelivery

specialdelivery
spe·cial
de·liv·er·y
noun

delivery of mail outside
normal times: the delivery of mail
more quickly than or outside normal delivery times for an extra fee[1]



specialdrawing rights

specialdrawing rights
spe·cial
draw·ing rights noun

settling of debts through the
IMF: a method of settling
international debts through the International Monetary Fund in order to
stabilize exchange rates[1]



specialeducation

specialeducation
spe·cial
ed·u·ca·tion noun

teaching for students with
special needs: teaching modified to
serve students with special educational needs[1]



specialeffects

specialeffects
spe·cial
ef·fects
plural noun

images achieved by special
technical means: extraordinary visual
effects in a motion picture or television program achieved by technical means,
either optically, digitally, or mechanically[1]



SpecialForces

SpecialForces
Spe·cial
Forc·es 
plural noun

specially trained branch of
U.S. Army: a branch of the U.S. Army
trained in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency tactics[1]



specialhandling

specialhandling
spe·cial
hand·ling
noun

handling of fourth-class mail
as first-class: the handling of
fourth-class and parcel post mail as first-class mail for an additional fee[1]



special-interestgroup

special-interestgroup
spe·cial-in·ter·est
group
(plural spe·cial- in·ter·est groups) or spe·cial
in·ter·est (plural spe·cial in·ter·ests) noun

group trying to influence
government policy: a group
seeking to influence government policy in favor of a particular interest or
issue[1]



specialism

specialism
spe·cial·ism 
[spéshə lìzzəm] (plural spe·cial·isms)
noun

1.  concentration
in field of study: concentration in a
particular field of study • There
is a great deal of specialism in their education system.

2.  See
specialty  noun 1

[1]



specialist

specialist
spe·cial·ist 
[spéshələst] (plural spe·cial·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
specializing in particular interest:
somebody who is particularly interested in or good at an occupation, interest,
or field of study

2.  MEDICINE type
of physician: a medical doctor who practices in a
certain field, for example, surgery, dermatology, or oncology

3.  MILITARY enlisted
rank in U.S. army: an enlisted rank in the U.S.
Army from corporal to sergeant first class, and denoting special technical
skills
—spe·cial·is·tic [spèshə lístik], adjective[1]



speciality

speciality
spe·ci·al·i·ty 
[spèshee állətee] (plural spe·ci·al·i·ties)
noun

1.
U.K.
term
specialty

2.  distinctive
mark:
an unusual, distinctive, or superior mark or quality

[1]



specialization

specialization
spe·cial·i·za·tion 
[spèshələ záysh’n] (plural spe·cial·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  act
of becoming specialized: the act or process of
becoming specialized

2.  See
specialty  noun 1

3.  BIOLOGY adaptation
of organism: the adaptation of an organism or a part
of an organism to a particular function or condition in response to
environmental conditions

4.  BIOLOGY adapted
body part:
an organism or a part of an organism that has been adapted to a particular
function or condition

[1]



specialize

specialize
spe·cial·ize 
[spéshə lz] (past spe·cial·ized,
past participle spe·cial·ized, present participle spe·cial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular spe·cial·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
specify
something:
to specify or make specific mention of something

2.  transitive
verb
adapt
to particular purpose: to adapt something to suit a
specific purpose

3.  intransitive
verb
devote
time to particular activity: to devote time exclusively
to a particular interest, skill, or field of study

4.  intransitive
verb
become
adapted:
to become adapted to a particular function or condition

[1]



specialjury

specialjury
spe·cial
ju·ry
noun

See
blue-ribbon jury[1]



specialneeds

specialneeds
special
needs
plural noun

requirements made necessary
by challenges: the particular
requirements, especially in education, that some people have because of
physical disabilities or learning difficulties[1]



SpecialOlympics

SpecialOlympics
Spe·cial
O·lym·pics
noun

competition for disabled
athletes: an international athletic
competition for athletes who are physically or mentally challenged (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



specialpleading

specialpleading
spe·cial
plead·ing
(plural spe·cial plead·ings) noun

1.  LAW pleading
introducing new matter: pleading that introduces new
or special matter and that avoids allegations of matter pleaded by the opposite
side, instead of direct denial of those allegations

2.  argument
presenting only one aspect: an argument that presents
only one aspect of an issue and avoids any unfavorable aspects

[1]



specialrelativity

specialrelativity
spe·cial
rel·a·tiv·i·ty noun

See
relativity  noun 1[1]



specialschool

specialschool
spe·cial
school
(plural spe·cial schools) noun

school for special-needs
students: a school catering to
students who have special educational needs, for example, because of learning
difficulties or physical disabilities[1]



specialsession

specialsession
spe·cial
ses·sion
(plural spe·cial ses·sions) noun

additional session of
legislature: a session of a
legislature, court, or council held in addition to and outside of regularly
scheduled sessions[1]



specialteam

specialteam
spe·cial
team
(plural spe·cial teams) noun

football players who perform
specific function: a group of
football players who are on the field to perform only in particular situations,
for example, during a kickoff or punt[1]



specialtheory of relativity

specialtheory of relativity
special
theory of relativity noun

See
relativity  noun 1[1]



specialty

specialty
spe·cial·ty 
[spésh’ltee] (plural spe·cial·ties)
noun

1.  something
somebody specializes in: a skill, field of study,
interest, or activity in which somebody specializes.
Also
called
specialization
Also
called
specialism
U.K.
term
speciality

2.  product
of specialization: the product or result of a
specialization.
U.K.
term
speciality

3.  distinctive
mark:
an unusual, distinctive, or superior mark or quality.
U.K.
term
speciality

4.  LAW legal
agreement under seal: a legal agreement made under
seal

[1]



speciation

speciation
spe·ci·a·tion 
[spshee áysh’n, spssee
áysh’n] noun

formation
of new species: the evolutionary formation of new
biological species, usually by one species that divides into two or more
species that are genetically unique
[Early
20th century. Formed from species .]
—spe·ci·ate [spshee _at, spssee
_at], intransitive verb[1]



specie

specie
spe·cie 
[spshee, spssee]
noun

coined
money:
money in the form of coins
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of Latin in specie, literally “in kind,” from species
(see species ).]
in
specie

1.  in
the form of coins

2.  in
a similar way or kind

3.  LAW in the form specified

[1]



species

species
spe·cies 
[spseez, spsseez]
(plural spe·cies) noun

1.  BIOLOGY taxonomic
group:
a subdivision of a genus considered as a basic biological classification and
containing individuals that resemble one another and that may interbreed

2.  BIOLOGY organisms
in species:
the organisms belonging to a particular species

3.  kind
or sort:
a kind, sort, or variety of something

4.  humankind:
human beings or the human race

5.  CHEMISTRY atom
category:
a category of atomic nucleus, ion, molecule, or atom

6.  LOGIC subdivision
of genus:
a collection of objects or individuals that, on the basis of shared features,
form a subdivision of a genus

7.  CHRISTIANITY bread
and wine in Communion: the two elements of the
Communion, bread and wine, or their outward form after consecration
[14th
century. From Latin, “appearance, kind,” (source also of English spice ), formed from specere “to look”
(source of English spectator and spy ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at type

[1]



speciesism

speciesism
spe·cies·ism 
[spshees ìzzəm, spssees
ìzzəm] noun

human assumption of
superiority: the belief that the
human race is superior to other species, and that exploitation of animals for
the advantage of humans is justified[1]



specif.

specif.
specif.

1.  Abbreviation
of
specific

2.  Abbreviation
of
specifically

[1]



specifiable

specifiable
spec·i·fi·a·ble 
[spéssə f əb’l, spèssə
f əb’l] adjective

able to be identified:
capable of being explicitly identified • specifiable
causes[1]



specific

specific
spe·cif·ic 
[spə síffik] adjective

1.  precise:
particular and detailed, avoiding vagueness • specific
instructions

2.  relating
to particular thing: acting on or relating to a
particular thing • The instructions are
specific to this task.

3.  distinctive:
with individual qualities that allow a distinction to be made or make a
distinction necessary • discussing
these specific problems

4.  BIOLOGY of
species:
relating to a biological species

5.  MED effective:
specially effective in a particular pathological condition

6.  MED caused
by particular infectious agent: used to describe a
disease caused by a particular infectious agent

7.  PHYSICS denoting
physical property: used to indicate that a
physical property is being expressed with reference to a particular quantity,
such as mass, volume, or length

8.  COMMERCE levied
per unit:
used to describe taxes or duties levied on a per-unit basis using number,
weight, or volume
noun
(plural spe·cif·ics)

1.  detail:
a particular item, quality, or detail • didn’t
go into specifics

2.  PHARMACOLOGY effective
drug:
a medicine that is especially effective against a particular disease
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin specificus, literally “making a kind,” from
Latin species “kind” (see species ).]
—spe·cif·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—spec·i·fic·i·ty [spèssə físsətee], noun[1]



specification

specification
spec·i·fi·ca·tion 
[spèssəfə káysh’n] (plural spec·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  detailed
description: a detailed description of a particular
thing, especially one detailed enough to provide somebody with the information
needed to make that thing • a look
at the engine specification

2.  detail:
an item within a specification • The
machine’s technical specifications are in Appendix A.

3.  specifying:
the specifying of something

4.  COMMERCIAL LAW intellectual
property description: a detailed description of
intellectual property, as required by law

5.  PUBLISHING typographical
instructions: detailed instructions regarding
information such as font, point size, and layout that are sent with material to
be typeset and printed

[1]



specificcharge

specificcharge
spe·cif·ic
charge
(plural spe·cif·ic charg·es) noun

charge to mass ratio of
particle: the ratio of the electric
charge of an elementary particle divided by its mass[1]



specificgravity

specificgravity
spe·cif·ic
grav·i·ty
noun

(dated) See
relative density[1]



specificheat

specificheat
spe·cif·ic
heat
(plural spe·cif·ic heats) noun

heat to raise mass one
degree: the amount of heat needed to
raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree, usually
measured in joules per kilogram per kelvin.
U.K. term
specific heat capacity[1]



specificheat capacity

specificheat capacity
spe·cif·ic
heat ca·pac·i·ty noun

U.K.
See specific heat[1]



specificperformance

specificperformance
spe·cif·ic
per·form·ance (plural spe·cif·ic
per·form·anc·es) noun

LAW
court order to do something:
a court order compelling somebody to carry out an obligation, often something
stated in a contract[1]



specificresistance

specificresistance
spe·cif·ic
re·sis·tance (plural spe·cif·ic
re·sis·tanc·es) noun

See
resistivity[1]



specify

specify
spec·i·fy 
[spéssə f] (past spec·i·fied,
past participle spec·i·fied, present participle spec·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular spec·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  state
explicitly:
to state or identify something in detail or explicitly

2.  stipulate:
to state something or make it a condition • The
rules specify that pets cannot be kept here.

3.  include
in specification: to include or state something in a
specification
[13th
century. Via French spécifier or directly from late Latin specificare,
from specificus (see specific ).]
—spec·i·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—spec·i·fi·ca·tive
[spéssəfə kaytiv, spə
síffə kàytiv], adjective

—spec·i·fi·er [spéssə f ər], noun[1]



specimen

specimen
spec·i·men 
[spéssəmən] (plural spec·i·mens)
noun

1.  representative
thing:
something that is representative because it is typical of its kind or of a
whole, especially something that serves as an example (often used before a
noun) • a
specimen of the candidate’s handwriting

2.  type
of person:
somebody who displays or seems to typify certain characteristics (informal)
“turning away with disgust from the loathsome specimen of humanity before him”
Baroness Orczy The Scarlet Pimpernel 1905

3.  MEDICINE sample
of body material: a sample, for example, of urine or blood
used for testing and diagnosis

4.  SCIENCE typical
example:
an organism or one of its parts preserved as a typical example of its
classification
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, where it was formed from specere “to look at” (source of English expect, despise,
and conspicuous ).][1]



specious

specious
spe·cious 
[spshəss] adjective

1.  apparently
true but actually false: appearing to be true but
really false

2.  deceptively
attractive:
superficially attractive but actually of no real interest or value
[14th
century. From Latin speciosus “good-looking,” from species
“appearance” (see species ). Originally in
the meaning of “beautiful”; the modern meaning dates from the 17th century.]
—spe·cious·ly,
adverb

—spe·cious·ness, noun[1]



speck

speck
speck 
[spek] noun (plural specks)

1.  small
spot:
a very small mark or stain

2.  particle:
a tiny particle of something solid
transitive
verb
(past specked, past participle specked, present
participle speck·ing, 3rd person present singular specks)

mark with specks:
to mark something with specks (usually passive)
[Old English specca,
of uncertain origin][1]



speckle

speckle
speck·le 
[spék’l] noun (plural speck·les)

small
colored spot: a small spot or mark, often a small
irregular patch of contrasting color, for example, on plumage or an egg shell
transitive
verb
(past speck·led, past participle speck·led, present
participle speck·ling, 3rd person present singular speck·les)

mark
with speckles: to mark something with speckles (usually
passive)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “little speck.”][1]



speckled

speckled
speck·led 
[spék’ld] adjective

1.  with
small spots: with a pattern of many small spots or
small irregular patches, often of a contrasting color

2.  with
contrasts:
with parts that contrast distinctly with each other • a
speckled career • speckled
shadows

[1]



speckledtrout

speckledtrout
speck·led
trout
noun

See
brook trout[1]



speckleinterferometry

speckleinterferometry
speck·le
in·ter·fe·rom·e·try [spèk’l
ìntərfeerómmətree] noun

technique for reducing
photographic image distortions: a
technique for reducing distortions in photographic images of celestial objects
caused by atmospheric turbulence. A number of images of very short exposure are
combined. The technique can also be used to measure the diameter of some stars.[1]



specs

specs
specs
[speks] plural noun (informal)

1.  spectacles:
eyeglasses

2.  specifications:
specifications

[1]



SPECT

SPECT
SPECT

Abbreviation of
single photon emission computed tomography[1]



spectacle

spectacle
spec·ta·cle 
[spéktək’l] (plural spec·ta·cles)
noun

1.  something
remarkable that can be seen: an object, phenomenon, or
event that is seen or witnessed, especially one that is impressive, unusual, or
disturbing

2.  lavish
display:
an impressive performance or display, especially something staged as a form of
entertainment

3.  unpleasant
center of attention: somebody or something that
attracts attention by being unpleasant or ridiculous • You
are making a spectacle of yourself.
[14th
century. Via French from Latin spectaculum, from spectare “to
watch,” from specere (see specimen
).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin stem spect-, from which spectacle
  is derived, is also the source of English aspect,
  circumspect, conspectus, expect,
  inspect, perspective, prospect,
  respect, retrospect, specter,
  spectrum, and suspect.

[1]



spectacled

spectacled
spec·ta·cled
[spéktək’ld] adjective

1.  wearing
spectacles:
with eyeglasses on

2.  ZOOLOGY with
markings like spectacles: with markings on the face
that encircle the eyes in a way that resembles spectacles

[1]



spectacledbear

spectacledbear
spec·ta·cled
bear
(plural spec·ta·cled bears) noun

S American bear:
a rare South American bear found in the grasslands and forests of the Andes. It
is black with white markings around the eyes and is threatened with extinction.
Latin name: Tremarcto ornatus[1]



spectacles

spectacles
spec·ta·cles
[spéktək’lz] plural noun

eyeglasses:
a pair of glass or plastic lenses worn in a frame in front of the eyes to help
correct imperfect vision
[15th century. Plural of spectacle . The word was earlier used for various
implements of seeing, including windows and mirrors.][1]



spectacular

spectacular
spec·tac·u·lar 
[spek tákyələr] adjective

1.  visually
impressive:
impressive or dramatic to look at or watch

2.  remarkable:
remarkably large, great, or speedy
noun
(plural spec·tac·u·lars)

extravaganza: a
lavish celebration or artistic production
—spec·tac·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



spectate

spectate
spec·tate 
[spék tàyt, spèk
táyt] (past spec·tat·ed, past participle spec·tat·ed,
present participle spec·tat·ing, 3rd person present singular
spec·tates) intransitive verb

watch
something:
to watch rather than participate
[Early 18th century.
Back-formation from spectator .][1]



spectator

spectator
spec·ta·tor 
[spék tàytər, spèk
táytər] (plural spec·ta·tors) noun

1.  somebody
who watches: somebody who watches or observes,
especially somebody who watches an event

2.  See
spectator shoe
[Late
16th century. Via French spectateur or directly from Latin spectator,
from spectare “to watch” (see spectacle
).]
—spec·ta·to·ri·al
[spèktə táwree əl], adjective

—spec·ta·tor·ship [spék tàytər shìp, spek
táytər shìp], noun[1]



spectatoritis

spectatoritis
spec·ta·tor·i·tis
[spèk taytə rtəss, spek
tàytə rtəss] noun

preferring
watching to participating: the tendency to watch
leisure activities, whether live or on television, in preference to actively
participating in them
[Formed from spectator][1]



spectatorshoe

spectatorshoe
spec·ta·tor
shoe
(plural spec·ta·tor shoes) or spec·ta·tor noun

shoe in two colors:
a shoe, especially one for women, in two contrasting colors of leather[1]



spectatorsport

spectatorsport
spec·ta·tor
sport
(plural spec·ta·tor sports) noun

watchable sport:
a sport that attracts spectators in large numbers[1]



specter

specter
spec·ter 
[spéktər] (plural spec·ters) or
spec·tre [spéktər] (plural spec·tres)
noun

1.  ghost:
a ghostly presence or apparition

2.  unpleasant
prospect:
a threat or prospect of something unpleasant • the
specter of my performance review
[Early 17th century. Via
French or directly from Latin spectrum “image, apparition” (see spectrum ).][1]



spectinomycin

spectinomycin
spec·ti·no·my·cin 
[spèktinō mss’n] noun

antibiotic
drug:
an antibiotic used in the treatment of gonorrhea
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin spectabilis, species name, from Latin, “visible,” from
spectare “to watch” (see spectacle ),
modeled on actinomycin .][1]



spectra

spectra
spec·tra


Plural of
spectrum[1]



spectral

spectral
spec·tral 
[spéktrəl] adjective

1.  ghostly:
relating to specters or in the form of a specter

2.  of
spectrum:
produced by a spectrum or relating to a spectrum
—spec·tral·i·ty
[spek trállətee], noun

—spec·tral·ness
[spéktrəlnəss], noun

—spec·tral·ly [spéktrəlee], adverb[1]



spectralclass

spectralclass
spec·tral
class
(plural spec·tral clas·ses) noun

See
spectral type[1]



spectralline

spectralline
spec·tral
line
(plural spec·tral lines) noun

light or dark band in
spectrum: any of the discrete bands of
light in a spectrum associated with a specific wavelength. Characteristic
spectral lines are emitted by atoms and molecules and may be used to identify
substances.[1]



spectraltype

spectraltype
spec·tral
type
(plural spec·tral types) or spec·tral class noun

ASTRONOMY
classification system for stars:
a classification system for stars based on an analysis of the light they emit.
This analysis also gives information on a star’s temperature and chemical
composition.[1]



spectre

spectre
spec·tre 
noun

See
specter[1]



spectrin

spectrin
spec·trin 
[spéktrin] (plural spec·trins)
noun

fibrous
protein:
any of a group of fibrous proteins found especially in the membranes of red
blood cells
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from specter, because the material was first
isolated from red blood cells lacking hemoglobin, called “ghosts.”][1]



spectro-

spectro-
spectro-
prefix

spectrum
• spectroscope
[From spectrum][1]



spectrogram

spectrogram
spec·tro·gram 
[spéktrə gràm] (plural spec·tro·grams)
noun

record of spectrum:
a photograph or representation of a spectrum[1]



spectrograph

spectrograph
spec·tro·graph 
[spéktrə gràf] (plural spec·tro·graphs)
noun

equipment
to record spectrum: an instrument consisting of
a spectrometer and related equipment used to obtain a visual record of a
spectrum
—spec·tro·graph·ic
[spèktrə gráffik], adjective

—spec·tro·graph·i·cal·ly
[spèktrə gráffiklee], adverb

—spec·trog·ra·phy [spek tróggrəfee], noun[1]



spectroheliogram

spectroheliogram
spec·tro·he·li·o·gram 
[spèktrō hlee ə gràm] (plural spec·tro·he·li·o·grams)
noun

image of sun from its
radiation: an image of the sun produced
using a narrow wavelength band of the radiation it emits[1]



spectroheliograph

spectroheliograph
spec·tro·he·li·o·graph 
[spèktrō hlee ə gràf] (plural spec·tro·he·li·o·graphs)
noun

instrument
for obtaining images of sun: an instrument used to obtain
images of the sun over a narrow band of wavelengths
—spec·tro·he·li·o·graph·ic
[spèktrō hlee ə gráffik], adjective

—spec·tro·he·li·og·ra·phy
[spèktrō hlee óggrəfee], noun[1]



spectrohelioscope

spectrohelioscope
spec·tro·he·li·o·scope 
[spèktrō hlee ə skp] (plural spec·tro·he·li·o·scopes)
noun

instrument
for viewing sun’s spectrum: an instrument that is
similar to a spectroheliograph but is used for viewing the sun’s spectrum, as
distinct from recording it
—spec·tro·he·li·o·scop·ic
[spèktrō hlee ə skóppik], adjective[1]



spectrometer

spectrometer
spec·trom·e·ter 
[spek trómmətər] (plural spec·trom·e·ters)
noun

device
for creating and measuring spectrum: an
instrument used to disperse radiant energy or particles into a spectrum and
measure certain properties such as wavelength, mass, energy, or index of
refraction
—spec·tro·met·ric
[spèktrə méttrik], adjective

—spec·trom·e·try [spèk trómməttree], noun[1]



spectrophotometer

spectrophotometer
spec·tro·pho·tom·e·ter 
[spèktrōfə tómmətər] (plural spec·tro·pho·tom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring spectrum wavelength intensities: an
instrument used to measure the relative intensities of wavelengths in a
spectrum
—spec·tro·pho·to·met·ric
[spèktrō ftə méttrik], adjective

—spec·tro·pho·to·met·ri·cal·ly
[spèktrō ftə méttriklee], adverb

—spec·tro·pho·tom·e·try
[spèktrōfə tómməttree], noun[1]



spectroscope

spectroscope
spec·tro·scope 
[spéktrə skp] (plural spec·tro·scopes)
noun

instrument
for studying spectra: an instrument for dispersing
light, usually light in the visible range, into a spectrum in order to measure
it
—spec·tro·scop·ic
[spèktrə skóppik], adjective

—spec·tro·scop·i·cal·ly
[spèktrə skóppiklee], adverb[1]



spectroscopicanalysis

spectroscopicanalysis
spec·tro·scop·ic
a·nal·y·sis
noun

spectroscopy used to
determine chemical composition: the
use of spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition, energy levels, and
molecular structure of substances[1]



spectroscopy

spectroscopy
spec·tros·co·py 
[spek tróskəpee] noun

study
of spectra:
the study of spectra, especially to determine the chemical composition of
substances and the physical properties of molecules, ions, and atoms
—spec·tros·co·pist, noun[1]



spectrum

spectrum
spec·trum 
[spéktrəm] (plural spec·tra [spéktrə] or spec·trums) noun

1.  PHYSICS distribution
of colored light: a continuous distribution of colored
light produced when a beam of white light is dispersed into its components, for
example, by a prism.
See
also
absorption spectrum
See
also
emission spectrum

2.  PHYSICS radiation
frequency range with specified property: a
range of radiation frequencies that have a specified property.
See
also
electromagnetic spectrum

3.  PHYSICS record
of substance’s radiation density: a visual record of the
wavelengths of the radiation or particles emitted by a substance, used as a
means of analyzing its physical properties, for example, energy and mass.
See
also
mass spectrum

4.  any
range:
any range, especially one with opposite values at its limits • a
spectrum of opinions between the two extremes

5.  PHARMACOLOGY range
of drug targets: the range of organisms that an
antibiotic can kill
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “image, apparition,” from specere “to see” (see specimen ).][1]



specula

specula
spec·u·la


Plural of
speculum[1]



specular

specular
spec·u·lar 
[spékyələr] adjective

1.  OPTICS of or
like mirror: relating to mirrors or having the
characteristics of a mirror

2.  MEDICINE using
speculum:
carried out using a speculum
[Late 16th century. From
Latin specularis, from speculum (see speculum
).][1]



speculate

speculate
spec·u·late 
[spékyə làyt] (past spec·u·lat·ed,
past participle spec·u·lat·ed, present participle spec·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular spec·u·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb conjecture:
to conjecture something based on incomplete facts or information

2.  intransitive
verb
consider
something:
to think over possibilities

3.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE make
risky deals for profit: to engage in financial
transactions such as commodity trading that have an element of risk especially
in the short term with the hope of making a profit

4.  intransitive
verb
take
risks:
to take risks in an attempt to achieve something or get some benefit
[Late 16th century. From
Latin speculat-, the past participle stem of speculari “to
observe, spy out,” from, ultimately, specere (see specimen ).][1]



speculation

speculation
spec·u·la·tion 
[spèkyə láysh’n] (plural spec·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  opinion
based on incomplete information: a conclusion, theory,
or opinion based on incomplete information or evidence

2.  reasoning
based on incomplete information: reasoning based on
incomplete information or evidence

3.  FINANCE risky
transaction: a financial transaction that involves
risks but is potentially profitable

4.  FINANCE making
risky transactions: engaging in financial
transactions that are risky but also potentially profitable

[1]



speculative

speculative
spec·u·la·tive 
[spékyə làytiv, spékyələtiv]
adjective

1.  using
incomplete information: based on conjecture or
incomplete information

2.  forming
conclusions not based on fact: given to forming
conclusions or opinions that are not based on fact

3.  FINANCE risky
but potentially profitable: risky in nature but
potentially profitable speculative investments • speculative
investments
—spec·u·la·tive·ly,
adverb

—spec·u·la·tive·ness, noun[1]



speculator

speculator
spec·u·la·tor 
[spékyə làytər] (plural spec·u·la·tors)
noun

somebody who speculates:
somebody who speculates, especially financially[1]



speculum

speculum
spec·u·lum 
[spékyələm] (plural spec·u·la
[spékyələ] or spec·u·lums) noun

1.  OPTICS mirror:
a mirror or other reflective surface in an optical instrument such as a
telescope

2.  MEDICINE medical
instrument:
a medical instrument used to hold open a body passage, for example, the anus or
vagina, so that it can be examined

3.  BIRDS colored
patch on bird’s wings: a patch of color on the
wings of ducks and certain other birds, helpful in identification
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “mirror,” formed from specere “to see” (see specimen ).][1]



speculummetal

speculummetal
spec·u·lum
met·al
(plural spec·u·lum met·als) noun

copper-tin alloy used for
mirrors: an alloy of copper and tin
sometimes with other metals. It is hard, brittle, white, resistant to corrosion
and, because it can be highly polished, is used for metal mirrors.[1]



sped

sped
sped


Past tense of
speed Past participle of speed[1]



speech

speech
speech 
[speech] (plural speech·es) noun

1.  speaking
ability:
the ability to speak (often used before a noun)

2.  communication
by speaking: the act of communicating by speaking

3.  things
said:
things that are spoken • recordings
of human speech

4.  spoken
language:
spoken language especially as distinct from writing

5.  address:
a talk given to an audience

6.  particular
way of speaking: a particular way of speaking or using
language, especially that of an individual or group

7.  rumor:
rumor or hearsay (archaic)
[Old English spc,
from specan, an earlier form of speak][1]



speechcommunity

speechcommunity
speech
com·mu·ni·ty noun

group with shared language:
a group that includes all the speakers of a single language or dialect. They
may be widely dispersed geographically.[1]



speechify

speechify
speech·i·fy 
[spchə f] (past speech·i·fied,
past participle speech·i·fied, present participle speech·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular speech·i·fies) intransitive verb
(informal)

1.  talk
self-importantly: to talk in a tedious and self-important
manner, especially in giving an opinion

2.  make
speech:
to give a speech or speeches
—speech·i·fi·ca·tion
[spchəfə káysh’n], noun

—speech·i·fi·er [spchə f ər], noun[1]



speechless

speechless
speech·less 
[spchləss] adjective

1.  temporarily
unable to speak: temporarily not able to speak or not
able to think of something to say, for example, because of surprise or fear

2.  unable
to speak:
lacking the power of speech

3.  remaining
silent:
choosing not to say anything

4.  unspoken:
not expressed in words

5.  hard
to express:
difficult or impossible to put into words
[Old
English]
—speech·less·ly,
adverb

—speech·less·ness, noun[1]



speechmaker

speechmaker
speech·mak·er 
[spch màykər] (plural speech·mak·ers)
noun

somebody
making speech: somebody who makes a speech, often
somebody regularly called upon to make speeches
—speech·mak·ing, noun[1]



speechpathology

speechpathology
speech
pa·thol·o·gy noun

study
of speech disorders: the study, diagnosis, and
treatment of speech disorders, including failure of normal speech development
in children and language disorders resulting from acquired brain dysfunction
—speech pa·thol·o·gist,
noun[1]



speech-reading

speech-reading
speech-read·ing
noun

See
lip-reading[1]



speechrecognition

speechrecognition
speech
rec·og·ni·tion noun

understanding of speech by
computer: a system of computer input
and control in which the computer can recognize spoken words and transform them
into digitized commands or text. With such a system, a computer can be
activated and controlled by voice commands or take dictation as input to a word
processor or desktop publishing system.
Also called
voice recognition[1]



speechsynthesis

speechsynthesis
speech
syn·the·sis
noun

computer’s imitating of
speech: computer-generated audio
output that resembles human speech[1]



speechtherapy

speechtherapy
speech
ther·a·py
noun

treatment
of speech disorders: the treatment of speech
disorders of all kinds
—speech ther·a·pist, noun[1]



speechwriter

speechwriter
speech·writ·er 
[spch rtər] (plural speech·writ·ers)
noun

writer of speeches for
others: somebody who writes speeches
for other people often professionally[1]



speed

speed
speed 
[speed] noun (plural speeds)

1.  rate
of movement or happening: the rate at which something
moves, happens, or functions

2.  rapidity:
fast movement, progress, or operation

3.  rate
of movement irrespective of direction: rate
of movement irrespective of direction. It is equal either to distance traveled
divided by travel time, or to rate of change of distance with respect to time.

4.  DRUGS amphetamine:
an amphetamine drug (slang)

5.  something
suitable:
something that matches somebody’s tastes, abilities, or inclinations (informal)
• The
intermediate course will be more my speed.

6.  success:
success or prosperity (archaic)

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING gear
ratio:
a gear ratio in a motor, engine, or driving mechanism • a
ten-speed bicycle • operates
at three different speeds

8.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
film’s sensitivity to light: a measure of the sensitivity
of photographic film to light, expressed numerically according to any of
various rating systems
verb
(past sped [sped] or speed·ed,
past participle sped or speed·ed, present
participle speed·ing, 3rd person present singular speeds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go or
move quickly: to go or move quickly, or to make
something or somebody go or move quickly

2.  intransitive
verb
drive
fast:
to drive fast, especially exceeding the speed limit

3.  intransitive
verb
pass
quickly:
to pass or happen quickly or more quickly

4.  transitive
verb
hasten:
to make something happen sooner or more quickly

5.  intransitive
verb
DRUGS use
amphetamines: to be under the influence of
amphetamines (slang)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or be prosperous: to prosper or cause somebody or
something to prosper (archaic)
[Old
English spēd “success, prosperity.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to prosper,” which is also the ancestor of English prosper and despair
.]
be
or get up to speed

1.  to
reach the maximum or desirable rate of movement or progress

2.  to
be or become fully informed about the latest developments

[1]



speedball

speedball
speed·ball 
[spd bàwl] (plural speed·balls)
noun

1.  SPORTS game
resembling soccer: a team game similar to
soccer. The ball can be passed forward with the hands and caught when in
mid-air.

2.  DRUGS illegal
drug mixture: a combination of illegal drugs such as
cocaine and heroin taken by injection (slang)

[1]



speedboat

speedboat
speed·boat 
[spd bt] (plural speed·boats)
noun

fast boat:
a motorboat capable of traveling at high speeds[1]



speedbrake

speedbrake
speed
brake
(plural speed brakes) noun

wing flap:
a flap on an aircraft wing used to decrease speed in flight before landing[1]



speedbump

speedbump
speed
bump
(plural speed bumps) noun

bump to slow down motorists:
a raised area or ridge on a road surface designed to limit traffic speeds[1]



speedcamera

speedcamera
speed
cam·er·a
(plural speed cam·er·as) noun

camera that photographs
speeders: a roadside-mounted camera
that automatically photographs a vehicle passing by it at excessive speed. It
provides traffic police with concrete evidence of speeding offenses.[1]



speeddemon

speeddemon
speed
de·mon
(plural speed de·mons) noun

somebody driving too fast:
somebody who habitually drives too fast (informal)
U.K. term
speed merchant[1]



speeddial

speeddial
speed
di·al
noun

quick dial function:
a function on a telephone that enables numbers to be stored in a memory so that
they can be dialed by pressing a single button • I
have her number on speed dial.[1]



speeder

speeder
speed·er 
[spdər] (plural speed·ers) noun

breaker of speed limit:
a motorist who violates established speed limits[1]



speedfreak

speedfreak
speed
freak
(plural speed freaks) or speed·freak (plural
speed·freaks) noun

amphetamine addict:
somebody who is addicted to amphetamines or somebody who habitually takes them[1]



speeding

speeding
speed·ing 
[spding] noun

driving
vehicle above speed limit: the offense of driving a
vehicle at a speed above the designated speed limit
adjective

fast-moving:
moving or working quickly[1]



speedlimit

speedlimit
speed
lim·it
(plural speed lim·its) noun

maximum permitted speed on
road: the maximum permitted speed,
usually specified by law, at which a vehicle may travel on a particular stretch
of road[1]



speedmerchant

speedmerchant
speed
mer·chant
(plural speed mer·chants) noun

(informal) U.K. =
speed demon[1]



speedometer

speedometer
speed·om·e·ter 
[spə dómmətər] (plural speed·om·e·ters)
noun

instrument showing vehicle
speed: an instrument that
continuously measures a vehicle’s speed and displays it either numerically or
by means of a needle on a dial[1]



speed-read

speed-read
speed-read 
[spd reèd] intransitive and transitive
verb

read fast:
to read something very fast using a learned technique of skimming the text[1]



speedskate

speedskate
speed
skate
(plural speed skates) noun

ice
skate for racing: an ice skate designed for racing. It has
a blade that is much longer than on a standard skate.
—speed skat·er, noun[1]



speedskating

speedskating
speed
skat·ing 
noun

racing on skates:
the sport of racing competitively on speed skates. Two skaters race against
each other on a wide oval track divided into two lanes.[1]



speedster

speedster
speed·ster 
[spdstər] (plural speed·sters)
noun (dated slang)

1.  fast
car:
a car that goes very fast

2.  habitual
speeder:
somebody who habitually drives too fast
[Early 20th century. Formed
from speed, on the model of roadster
.][1]



speedtrap

speedtrap
speed
trap
(plural speed traps) noun

area monitored by traffic
police: a stretch of road kept under
hidden surveillance by police officers monitoring vehicle speeds, usually using
radar equipment.
Also called
radar trap[1]



speedup

speedup
speed·up 
[spd up] (plural speed·ups) noun

1.  increase
in speed:
an increase in rate or speed

2.  more
work, same pay: a demanded increase in productivity from
a workforce without a pay increase

[1]



speedwalking

speedwalking
speed
walk·ing
noun

See
race walking[1]



speedway

speedway
speed·way 
[spd wày] (plural speed·ways)
noun

1.  MOTOR SPORTS racetrack
for motor vehicles: a racetrack for cars or
motorcycles

2.  TRANSPORT fast
road:
a road on which vehicles are allowed to travel at high speeds

[1]



speedwell

speedwell
speed·well 
[spd wèl] noun

perennial
European plant: a perennial European plant of the
snapdragon family with opposite leaves and clusters of blue or pinkish flowers.
Genus: Veronica
[Late 16th century. From speed (verb) + well
.][1]



speedwriting

speedwriting
speed·writ·ing
[spd rting] noun

shorthand writing system:
a system of shorthand writing that uses combinations of standard letters, as
distinct from other systems that use symbols[1]



speedy

speedy
speed·y 
[spdee] (comparative speed·i·er,
superlative speed·i·est) adjective

1.  fast:
accomplished or achieved quickly

2.  fast-moving:
capable of moving very fast
—speed·i·ly,
adverb

—speed·i·ness, noun[1]



speedzone

speedzone
speed
zone
(plural speed zones) noun

speed limit area:
an area where a particular, usually reduced, speed limit is in effect[1]



speiss

speiss
speiss 
[spīss] noun

product
of smelting: a compound of arsenic or antimony formed
during the smelting of certain ores such as iron, nickel, and copper
[Late 18th century. From
German Speise “food, speiss.”][1]



spelaean

spelaean
spe·lae·an 
or spe·le·an adjective

of
caves:
relating to caves, or found in caves
[Mid-19th century. Via Latin spelaeum
from Greek spēlaion “cave.”][1]



speleology

speleology
spe·le·ol·o·gy 
[splee óləjee] noun

1.  study
of caves:
the scientific study or exploration of caves

2.  U.K.
See spelunking
—spe·le·o·log·i·cal
[splee ə lójjik’l], adjective

—spe·le·ol·o·gist [splee ólləjist], noun[1]



spell

spell2
spell2 [spel]
noun (plural spells)

1.  PARANORMAL words
with magical power: a word or series of words
believed to have magical power, spoken to invoke the magic

2.  spell
’s influence: the influence that a spell has over
somebody or something

3.  fascination:
a compelling fascination or attraction
transitive
verb
(past spelled, past participle spelled, present
participle spell·ing, 3rd person present singular spells)

influence using spell:
to put somebody or something under the influence of a spell
[Old English, from a
prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English spell 1 and gospel . Originally in the meaning of “talk,
speech.”][1]



spell

spell3
spell3 [spel]
noun (plural spells)

1.  short
period:
a period of indeterminate but usually short duration (informal) • Let’s
sit a spell.

2.  period
of particular weather: a period of weather of a
particular type • a warm spell

3.  bout
of illness:
a period of illness • a
fainting spell

4.  period
of work:
a period of work or purposeful activity

5.  tour
of duty:
somebody’s turn to work or perform a particular duty

6.  short
distance:
a short but unspecified distance (informal) • down
the road a spell
verb
(past spelled, past participle spelled, present
participle spell·ing, 3rd person present singular spells)

1.  transitive
verb
U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Scotland relieve:
to relieve somebody of a task temporarily, especially in order to allow him or
her to rest

2.  intransitive
verb
take
turns:
to take turns working at a job
[Late 16th century. The noun
came from the verb, a variant of obsolete spele “to take the place of
someone,” from Old English spelian, of unknown origin.][1]



spell

spell1
spell1 [spel]
(past spelled, past participle spelled, present
participle spell·ing, 3rd person present singular spells)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb name
or write letters of word: to name or write in correct
order the constituent letters of a word, part of a word, or group of words

2.  transitive
verb
form
word:
to form a word when arranged in the correct order

3.  transitive
verb
signify:
to be a sign or indication of something • Increased
interest rates could spell trouble for some corporate borrowers.
[13th century. Via Old French
espeller from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of spell 2 .][1]



spellbinding

spellbinding
spell·bind·ing
[spél bnding] adjective

captivating:
holding attention and interest completely, as if with the influence of a spell
—spell·bind,
transitive verb

—spell·bind·er,
noun

—spell·bind·ing·ly, adverb[1]



spellbound

spellbound
spell·bound 
[spél bòwnd] adjective

completely
captivated:
with attention and interest held completely, as if under the influence of a
spell
[Late 18th century. Literally
“bound by a spell,” formed from spell 2 .][1]



spellchecker

spellchecker
spell
check·er
(plural spell check·ers) noun

computer
spelling program: a computer program usually associated
with word processing software that compares words in a text to a file of
correctly spelled words in order to detect misspellings
—spell-check, transitive
verb[1]



spelldown

spelldown
spell·down 
[spél dòwn] (plural spell·downs)
noun

See
spelling bee[1]



speller

speller
spell·er 
[spéllər] (plural spell·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who spells:
somebody who spells words, usually characterized with regard to accuracy

2.  EDUCATION book
for spelling: a book for teaching or improving
spelling

[1]



spelling

spelling
spell·ing 
[spélling] (plural spell·ings)
noun

1.  ability
to spell:
the ability to spell words correctly

2.  forming
words by ordering letters: the forming of words with
letters in a conventionally accepted order (often used before a noun)

3.  specific
example of letter order: a specific example of how a
word is actually spelled

[1]



spellingbee

spellingbee
spell·ing
bee
(plural spell·ing bees) noun

spelling contest:
a competition in which the object is to see who can spell the most words
correctly.
Also called
spelldown[1]



spellingpronunciation

spellingpronunciation
spell·ing
pro·nun·ci·a·tion (plural spell·ing
pro·nun·ci·a·tions) noun

alternative pronunciation
influenced by spelling: a variant
pronunciation of a word that differs from the standard pronunciation and is
influenced by the way a word is spelled[1]



spellout

spellout
spell
out
transitive verb

1.  make
completely clear: to state something clearly, allowing no
room for misunderstanding

2.  read
slowly or with difficulty: to read something with
difficulty or very slowly, especially by reading out words one letter at a time

3.  figure
out:
to figure something out by careful study or analysis

[1]



spelt

spelt
spelt
[spelt] noun

hardy
wheat:
a hardy variety of wheat of inferior quality, sometimes grown in mountainous
regions. Latin name: Triticum spelta
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin spelta, of uncertain origin: probably from Germanic.][1]



spelter

spelter
spel·ter 
[spéltər] noun

impure
zinc used as bronze alternative: impure zinc often used
as a cheap alternative for bronze in cast decorative items
[Mid-17th century][1]



spelunking

spelunking
spe·lunk·ing 
[spə lúngking, spi
lúngking] noun

exploring
caves:
the sport or pastime of exploring caves.
U.K.
term
speleology
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from earlier spelunk “cave,” via Old French spelunque,
from Latin spelunca, from Greek spelunx .]
—spe·lunk·er, noun[1]



spencer

spencer
spen·cer
[spénssər] (plural spen·cers) noun

1.  short
boys’ jacket: a short jacket worn by boys in the late
18th and early 19th centuries

2.  women’s
jacket:
a very short jacket worn by women over a high-waisted gown in the late 18th and
early 19th centuries
[Late 18th century. Named for
George John Spencer, second Earl Spencer (1758–1834).][1]



Spencerian

Spencerian
Spen·ce·ri·an
[spen srree ən, spen
sérree ən] adjective

with
ornate handwritten letters: used to describe a style of
handwriting with perfectly formed letters and ornamentation of capitals
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Platt Rogers Spencer (1800–1864), a U.S. calligrapher.][1]



Spencer,Stanley

Spencer,Stanley
Spen·cer 
[spénssər], Sir Stanley (1891–1959)

British painter. Many of his
works, such as The Resurrection, Cookham ( 1923–1927 ), place
traditional biblical scenes in contemporary settings.[1]



spend

spend
spend 
[spend] (past spent [spent], past participle spent, present
participle spend·ing, 3rd person present singular spends,
plural spends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay
money:
to pay out money in exchange for goods or services

2.  transitive
verb
devote
time or effort: to devote time, energy, or thought to
something • spent
a lot of time thinking about it

3.  transitive
verb
pass
time:
to pass time in a specified place or way • spend
a week in Hawaii

4.  transitive
verb
use
up:
to deplete something totally

5.  transitive
verb
sacrifice
something:
to sacrifice something, especially for a cause • spent
her life working for reform
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
expendere “to pay” (see expend ), but
also in part from Old French despendre “to expend,” from Latin dispendere
“to distribute by weighing out” (see dispense
).][1]



spender

spender
spend·er
[spéndər] (plural spend·ers) noun

somebody who spends money:
somebody who spends money, especially in a specified way[1]



Spender,Stephen

Spender,Stephen
Spen·der
[spéndər], Sir Stephen (1909–1995)

British
poet and editor. He was a prominent member of the left-wing British literary
movement in the 1930s, and edited Encounter from 1953 to 1967. His works
include Collected Poems ( 1986 ) and Journals 1939–1983 ( 1986 ).
Full name
Spender, Sir Stephen Harold[1]



spendingmoney

spendingmoney
spend·ing
mon·ey 
noun

cash:
cash used or available for personal expenses, especially expenditure on
nonessential items[1]



spendthrift

spendthrift
spend·thrift 
[spénd thrìft] noun (plural spend·thrifts)

extravagant
spender:
somebody who spends money extravagantly and often recklessly
adjective

wasteful
with money:
tending to spend money extravagantly and wastefully
[Late 16th century. From spend + thrift,
in the archaic sense “savings, earnings.”][1]



Spenser,Edmund

Spenser,Edmund

Spen·ser
[spénssər], Edmund (1552?–1599)
English poet. He wrote the epic romance The
Faerie Queene ( 1590–1596 ), a panoramic historical allegory and one of the
classics of English Renaissance literature.[1]



Spenserian

Spenserian
Spen·se·ri·an
[spen srree ən] adjective

of
Spenser or his literary works: relating to or
characteristic of Edmund Spenser or his literary works
—Spen·se·ri·an, noun[1]



Spenseriansonnet

Spenseriansonnet
Spen·se·ri·an
son·net
(plural Spen·se·ri·an son·nets) noun

sonnet form:
a sonnet with a rhyming scheme abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee, invented by Edmund Spenser[1]



Spenserianstanza

Spenserianstanza
Spen·se·ri·an
stan·za
(plural Spen·se·ri·an stan·zas) noun

nine-line verse:
a stanza devised by Edmund Spenser. It contains eight lines of iambic
pentameter and a ninth of iambic hexameter, using the rhyming scheme ababbcbcc.
The scheme is used in The Faerie Queene.[1]



spent

spent
spent 
[spent]

Past tense of spend Past participle of spend
adjective

1.  consumed:
used or used up • tossed the spent match
into the fire

2.  exhausted:
totally depleted of energy or strength • felt
totally spent by the end of the day

3.  finished:
at an end

4.  ZOOLOGY exhausted
of spawn or sperm: used to describe a female
fish that has deposited all its spawn or a male fish that has used up all its
sperm

[1]



sperm

sperm1
sperm1 [spurm]
(plural sperm or sperms) noun

1.  semen:
used popularly, but technically incorrectly, to refer to semen

2.  CELL BIOLOGY See spermatozoon
[14th century. Via late Latin
sperma from Greek, “seed, semen.” Ultimately “something scattered,” from
an Indo-European word meaning “to scatter,” which is also the ancestor of
English spread and spore .][1]



sperm

sperm2
sperm2 [spurm]
(plural sperms) noun

1.  See
spermaceti

2.  See
sperm oil

3.  See
sperm whale
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



spermaceti

spermaceti
sper·ma·ce·ti 
[spùrmə séttee] noun

waxy
solid from sperm whales: a white waxy solid obtained
from oil in the head of sperm whales and other cetaceans, and formerly used in
cosmetics, candles, and ointments.
Also
called
sperm
[Late 15th century. From
medieval Latin, from late Latin sperma “semen” (see sperm 1 ) + Latin ceti
“of a whale” (see Cetus ). From its
appearance (it serves no reproductive function).][1]



spermary

spermary
sper·ma·ry 
[spúrməree] (plural sper·ma·ries)
noun

organ producing male
reproductive cells: an organ in
which male reproductive cells are developed. The testes are spermaries .[1]



spermat-

spermat-
spermat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
spermato-[1]



spermatheca

spermatheca
sper·ma·the·ca 
[spùrmə thkə] (plural sper·ma·the·cas)
noun

sperm
sac in insects: a receptacle for storing sperm in the
reproductive tracts of certain invertebrates such as insects
[Early
19th century. Coined from late Latin sperma “seed, semen” (see sperm ) + theca
.]
—sper·ma·the·cal, adjective[1]



spermatia

spermatia
sper·ma·ti·a


Plural of
spermatium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spermatic

spermatic
sper·mat·ic 
[spur máttik] or sper·mic [spúrmik] adjective

1.  of
semen:
relating to, carrying, or containing semen

2.  of
spermaries or spermatic cords: relating to a spermary
or to the spermatic cord.
Also
called
spermic
—sper·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



spermaticcord

spermaticcord
sper·mat·ic
cord
(plural sper·mat·ic cords) noun

cord supporting testis:
a cord by which a testis is suspended in the scrotum. It contains the vas
deferens as well as nerves, vessels, and veins.[1]



spermatid

spermatid
sper·ma·tid 
[spúrmə tid] (plural sper·ma·tids)
noun

cell that becomes
spermatozoon: any of the four cells
that are formed from a spermatocyte and develop into spermatozoa[1]



spermatium

spermatium
sper·ma·ti·um 
[spur máyshəm] (plural sper·ma·ti·a
[spur máyshə]) noun

reproductive
cell in fungi: a cell that functions as a male
reproductive cell in certain algae, fungi, and lichens
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek spermation, a diminutive of sperma (see sperm 1 ).][1]



spermato-

spermato-
spermato-
prefix

1.  sperm,
spermatozoon • spermatogenesis

2.  seed
• spermatophyte
[From Greek spermat-,
the stem of sperma (see sperm 1 )][1]



spermatocide

spermatocide
sper·mat·o·cide 
[spur máttə sd] (plural sper·mat·o·cides)
noun

See
spermicide
—sper·mat·o·cid·al [spùrmətə sd’l], adjective[1]



spermatocyte

spermatocyte
sper·mat·o·cyte 
[spur máttə st] (plural sper·mat·o·cytes)
noun

immature male cell:
a cell that develops from a spermatogonium. It divides into four spermatids by
means of the kind of cell division known as meiosis.[1]



spermatogenesis

spermatogenesis
sper·mat·o·gen·e·sis 
[spùrmətə jénnəssəss] noun

development
of spermatozoa: the formation and development of
spermatozoa in the testes
—sper·mat·o·ge·net·ic
[spùrmətō jə néttik], adjective[1]



spermatogonium

spermatogonium
sper·mat·o·go·ni·um 
[spùrmətō gṓnee əm] (plural sper·mat·o·go·ni·a
[spùrmətō gṓnee ə]) noun

primitive
male reproductive cell: a cell in the male testes
that develops and divides to form spermatocytes. These subsequently divide to
form spermatids, from which spermatozoa finally develop.
—sper·mat·o·go·ni·al, adjective[1]



spermatophore

spermatophore
sper·mat·o·phore 
[spur máttə fàwr] (plural sper·mat·o·phores)
noun

capsule
containing spermatozoa: a capsule or mass that
encloses spermatozoa in insects and other lower animals and that is transferred
to the female during insemination
—sper·ma·toph·o·ral [spùrmətə fáwrəl], adjective[1]



spermatophyte

spermatophyte
sper·mat·o·phyte 
[spur máttə ft] (plural sper·mat·o·phytes)
noun

seed-producing
plant:
any plant that produces seeds, including angiosperms and gymnosperms.
Also
called
spermophyte
Also
called
seed plant
—sper·mat·o·phyt·ic [spùrmətə fíttik], adjective[1]



spermatorrhea

spermatorrhea
sper·mat·or·rhe·a
[spùrmətə r ə] noun

ejaculation without orgasm:
the involuntary emission of semen without orgasm[1]



spermatozoa

spermatozoa
sper·mat·o·zo·a


Plural of
spermatozoon[1]



spermatozoid

spermatozoid
sper·mat·o·zo·id 
[spùrmətə zṓ id, spúrmətə
z əd] (plural sper·mat·o·zo·ids) noun

male
sex cell in some plants: a male reproductive cell,
resembling a ribbon, produced in algae, ferns, fungi, mosses, and some
gymnosperms. It can move by means of flagella.
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from spermatozoon + -id
.][1]



spermatozoon

spermatozoon
sper·mat·o·zo·on 
[spur màttə z_` on, spùrmətə
zṓ on] (plural sper·mat·o·zo·a [spúrmətə
zō a]) noun

CELL BIOLOGY male
reproductive cell: a male reproductive cell ( gamete ) that has an oval head with a nucleus, a
short neck, and a tail by which it moves to find and fertilize an ovum.
Also
called
sperm
—sper·mat·o·zo·an, adjective[1]



spermbank

spermbank
sperm
bank
(plural sperm banks) noun

semen storage place:
a place that stores semen until it is required for use in artificial
insemination[1]



spermcount

spermcount
sperm
count
(plural sperm counts) noun

1.  concentration
of sperm:
the concentration of sperm in a given volume of seminal fluid, taken as an
index of male fertility

2.  test
for number of sperm: a test to determine a man’s
sperm count

[1]



spermi-

spermi-
spermi-
prefix

See
spermo-[1]



spermic

spermic
sper·mic
adjective

See
spermatic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spermicide

spermicide
sper·mi·cide 
[spúrmə sd] (plural sper·mi·cides)
noun

sperm-killing
agent:
a pharmaceutical cream or gel used to kill spermatozoa, especially in
conjunction with a birth-control device such as a condom or diaphragm.
Also
called
spermatocide
—sper·mi·cid·al [spùrmə sd’l], adjective[1]



spermiogenesis

spermiogenesis
sper·mi·o·gen·e·sis 
[spùrmee ō jénnəssəss] noun

stage
of spermatogenesis: the stage of spermatogenesis
during which a spermatid is transformed into a spermatozoon
—sper·mi·o·ge·net·ic [spùrmee ō jə néttik], adjective[1]



spermo-

spermo-
spermo-
prefix

seed,
sperm • spermophyte
[From Greek sperma
“seed”][1]



spermoil

spermoil
sperm
oil
noun

yellow oil from sperm whale:
a pale yellow oil obtained from the head of the sperm whale and formerly used
as an industrial lubricant in delicate mechanisms.
Also called
sperm[1]



spermophyte

spermophyte
sper·mo·phyte 
[spúrmə ft] (plural sper·mo·phytes)
noun

See
spermatophyte[1]



spermwhale

spermwhale
sperm
whale
(plural sperm whales) noun

toothed
whale:
the largest of the toothed whales whose massive square head has a cavity filled
with a mixture of sperm oil and spermaceti. Its intestines are the source of
ambergris.
Also
called
cachalot
Also
called
sperm
[Shortening of spermaceti
whale][1]



-spermy

-spermy
-spermy
suffix

fertilization
• polyspermy
[From Greek sperma
“seed” + -y][1]



Sperry,Elmer Ambrose

Sperry,Elmer Ambrose
Sper·ry
[spérree], Elmer Ambrose (1860–1930)

U.S. inventor and engineer.
He invented the gyroscopic compass (1910) and ship and airplane stabilizers
(1913). He held over 400 patents.[1]



sperrylite

sperrylite
sper·ry·lite 
[spérri lt] noun

silvery
white mineral: a silvery white mineral and ore of
platinum consisting of white crystalline platinum arsenide
[Early 20th century. Named
for Francis L. Sperry, the Canadian chemist who identified the mineral.][1]



Sperry,Roger W.

Sperry,Roger W.
Sper·ry
[spérree], Roger W. (1913–1994)

U.S.
neurobiologist. He shared a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1981) for
his "split-brain" research.
Full name
Sperry, Roger Wolcott[1]



spessartine

spessartine
spes·sar·tine
[spéssər tèen] or spes·sar·tite
[spéssər tt] noun

yellow
or reddish-brown garnet: a yellow or reddish-brown
garnet consisting of manganese aluminum silicate. It is used as a gemstone.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, named for Spessart, a district in Bavaria, Germany, where it is
found.][1]



spew

spew
spew 
[spyoo] intransitive and transitive verb
(past spewed, past participle spewed, present
participle spew·ing, 3rd person present singular spews)

1.  vomit
something:
to vomit something that has been eaten

2.  pour
or flow out forcefully: to flow out forcefully, or
force something out in a stream • a
volcano spewing ash

3.  say
forcefully:
to utter something in an angry, forceful, or relentless way
noun

vomit:
something ejected from the mouth, especially vomit
[Old
English spīwan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
spit,” an imitation of the sound, which is also the ancestor of English spit, spout,
and sputum .]
—spew·er, noun[1]



SPF

SPF
SPF
noun

protection factor against
sun: the degree to which a sun
cream, lotion, screen, or block provides protection for the skin against the
sun. Abbreviation of sun protection factor[1]



sp.gr.

sp.gr.
sp.
gr.

Abbreviation of
specific gravity[1]



Spgs.

Spgs.
Spgs.

(in place names)Abbreviation
of Springs[1]



sphagnum

sphagnum
sphag·num 
[sfágnəm] (plural sphag·nums) noun

moss
forming peat: moss growing in wet, acid, temperate
regions that decays and becomes compacted to form peat. Genus: Sphagnum
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, Greek sphagnos,
a type of shrub.]
—sphag·nous, adjective[1]



sphalerite

sphalerite
sphal·er·ite 
[sfállə rt] noun

zinc
ore:
a yellow or brownish ore of zinc consisting of crystalline zinc sulfide.
Also
called
zinc blende
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek sphaleros “slippery, uncertain,” because the mineral is
easily confused with galena.][1]



sphen-

sphen-
sphen-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
spheno-[1]



sphene

sphene
sphene 
[sfeen] noun

titanium-containing
mineral:
a brown-black mineral composed of calcium titanium silicate that is widely
found in low concentrations in coarse-grained igneous rocks.
Also
called
titanite
[Early 19th century. Via
French sphène from Greek sphēn “wedge.”][1]



sphenic

sphenic
sphe·nic 
[sfnik] adjective

wedge-shaped:
like a wedge in shape[1]



spheno-

spheno-
spheno- 
prefix

wedge-shaped
• sphenogram
[From Greek sphēn
“wedge”][1]



sphenodon

sphenodon
sphe·no·don 
[sfnə dòn] (plural sphe·no·dons
[sfénə dòn]) noun

See
tuatara
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “wedge-toothed,” from Greek sphēn
“wedge.”][1]



sphenogram

sphenogram
sphe·no·gram 
[sfnə gràm] (plural sphe·no·grams
[sfénnə gràm]) noun

cuneiform character:
any of the characters with wedge-shaped strokes used in the ancient writing
systems known as cuneiform script[1]



sphenoid

sphenoid
sphe·noid 
[sf nòyd] (plural sphe·noids)
adjective

1.  wedge-shaped:
shaped like a wedge

2.  of
sphenoid bone: relating to the sphenoid bone

[1]



sphenoidbone

sphenoidbone

sphe·noid bone
(plural sphe·noid bones) or sphe·noid (plural
sphe·noids) noun
bone in the skull:
a bone with prominent wings at the base of the cranium. It forms part of the
walls and roof of the nasal cavity.[1]



spher-

spher-
spher-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sphero-[1]



spheral

spheral
spher·al 
[sfrəl] adjective

1.  of
spheres:
relating to a sphere or to spheres in general

2.  sphere-shaped:
shaped like a sphere

3.  symmetrical:
forming a symmetrical or harmonious shape or whole

[1]



sphere

sphere
sphere 
[sfeer] noun (plural spheres)

1.  globe:
any object similar in shape to a ball

2.  MATHEMATICS three-dimensional
surface:
a three-dimensional closed surface consisting of all points that are a given
distance from a center

3.  MATHEMATICS round
solid figure: the solid figure bounded by a sphere, or
the volume it encloses

4.  field
of knowledge or activity: a field of knowledge,
interest, or activity

5.  area
of influence: an area of control or influence • took
no interest in matters beyond her sphere

6.  group
in society:
a level or group within a society

7.  ASTRONOMY any
celestial object: a celestial object, for example, a
planet, moon, or star (literary)

8.  ASTRONOMY the
sky:
the sky or the heavens (literary)

9.  ASTRONOMY former
concept of celestial layer: any of the revolving
concentric transparent shells on which, in early astronomy, the Sun, Moon,
planets, and stars were thought to be fixed as they moved around the Earth
transitive
verb
(past sphered, past participle sphered, present participle
spher·ing, 3rd person present singular spheres)

1.  encircle:
to surround, encircle, or enclose something (literary)

2.  place
in heaven:
to place in the sky or in heaven, among the celestial spheres (literary)

3.  form
into ball:
to form something into the shape of a ball
[13th
century. Via Old French espere from late Latin sphera, (which
later influenced the English word), from Latin sphaera, from Greek sphaira
“ball.”]
—sphe·ric·i·ty [sfe ríssətee], noun[1]



sphereof influence

sphereof influence
sphere
of in·flu·ence (plural spheres of in·flu·ence)
noun

region of dominance:
a geographical region or area of activity in which a particular state,
organization, or person is dominant[1]



spherical

spherical
spher·i·cal 
[sfrək’l, sférrək’l]
or spher·ic [sfrik, sférrik] adjective

1.  round:
shaped like a sphere

2.  of
spheres:
relating to a sphere, or to spheres in general

3.  ASTRONOMY of
celestial bodies: relating to celestial objects

4.  ASTRONOMY of
ancient astronomy spheres: relating to the spheres of
ancient astronomy
—spher·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—spher·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



sphericalaberration

sphericalaberration
spher·i·cal
ab·er·ra·tion (plural spher·i·cal
ab·er·ra·tions) noun

lens defect:
a defect in a lens or curved mirror in which light passing through the edge has
a different focal point from light passing through the center, resulting in
blurred images[1]



sphericalangle

sphericalangle
spher·i·cal
an·gle
(plural spher·i·cal an·gles) noun

angle on sphere:
an angle formed on a sphere at the point at which any two circles of maximum
radius intersect[1]



sphericalcoordinates

sphericalcoordinates
spher·i·cal
co·or·di·nates plural noun

coordinates of point in
space: a set of coordinates used
for locating a point in space representing its distance from some origin and
two angles describing its orientation relative to perpendicular axes extending
from that origin[1]



sphericalgeometry

sphericalgeometry
spher·i·cal
ge·om·e·try
noun

geometry on spheres:
the geometry of figures formed on the surface of a sphere.
Also called
spherics 1[1]



sphericalpolygon

sphericalpolygon
spher·i·cal
pol·y·gon
(plural spher·i·cal pol·y·gons) noun

polygon on sphere:
a geometric figure formed on the surface of a sphere, bounded by three or more
arcs of great circles[1]



sphericaltriangle

sphericaltriangle
spher·i·cal
tri·an·gle
(plural spher·i·cal tri·an·gles) noun

three-sided spherical
polygon: a spherical polygon that has
three sides[1]



sphericaltrigonometry

sphericaltrigonometry
spher·i·cal
trig·o·nom·e·try noun

spherical triangle
trignometry: trigonometry dealing
with spherical triangles.
Also called
spherics 1[1]



spherics

spherics1
spher·ics1 [sfriks,
sférriks] noun

1.
(takes a singular verb) See spherical
geometry

2.  See
spherical trigonometry

[1]



spherics

spherics2
spher·ics2 [sfriks,
sférriks] or sfer·ics [sfriks, sférriks]
noun

study
of atmospheric interference: the study of electromagnetic
radiation emanating from natural sources in the atmosphere (takes a singular
verb)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of atmospherics .][1]



sphero-

sphero-
sphero-
prefix

sphere,
spherical • spheroid
[Via Latin sphaero-
from, ultimately, Greek sphaira “sphere”][1]



spheroid

spheroid
sphe·roid 
[sfr oyd, sfé
royd] (plural sphe·roids) noun

something
shaped like sphere: a three-dimensional object
that is shaped like a sphere but is not perfectly round, for example, an
ellipsoid
—sphe·roi·dal
[sfi róydl’l, sfe
róydl’l], adjective

—sphe·roi·dal·ly
[sfi róydl’lee, sfe
róydl’lee], adverb

—sphe·roi·dic·i·ty [sfr oy díssətee, sfè
roy díssətee], noun[1]



spherometer

spherometer
sphe·rom·e·ter 
[sfə ráwmətər] (plural sphe·rom·e·ters)
noun

instrument measuring
curvature: an instrument used to
measure the curvature of a surface[1]



spheroplast

spheroplast
spher·o·plast 
[sfrō plàst, sférō
plàst] (plural spher·o·plasts) noun

altered bacterium or yeast
cell: a bacterium or yeast cell
that has lost part of its cell wall and is as a result spherical in shape and
more sensitive to osmosis[1]



spherule

spherule
spher·ule 
[sfr ool, sfé
rool] (plural spher·ules) noun

tiny
sphere:
a minute sphere or globule
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin spherula, literally “small sphere,” from Latin sphaera
(see sphere ).]
—spher·u·lar, adjective[1]



spherulite

spherulite
spher·u·lite 
[sfryə lt, sférryə
lt] noun

ball-shaped
mass of crystal fibers: a more or less spherical
mass of radiating crystal fibers found in some kinds of volcanic rock, for
example, obsidian
—spher·u·lit·ic [sf ryə líttik, sfè
rryə líttik], adjective[1]



sphery

sphery
spher·y 
[sfree] adjective

1.  sphere-shaped:
in the shape of a sphere

2.  of
celestial bodies: relating to or resembling the planets,
the stars, and other celestial bodies (literary)

[1]



sphincter

sphincter
sphinc·ter 
[sfíngktər] (plural sphinc·ters)
noun

circular
band of muscle: a circular band of muscle that surrounds
an opening or passage in the body and narrows or closes the opening by
contracting
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek sphigktēr, from sphiggein “to
bind tight.”]
—sphinc·ter·al, adjective[1]



sphinges

sphinges
sphin·ges


Plural of
sphinx[1]



sphingosine

sphingosine
sphin·go·sine 
[sfíng gə sn, sfíng
gəssən] noun

long-chain
amino alcohol: a long-chain amino glycol that is part
of larger molecules found in nerve tissue, for example, gangliosides,
sphingomyelins, and cerebrosides. C18H37O2N
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek sphiggos “of a sphinx” (see sphinx
) + -ine . From the enigmatic character of
the material.][1]



sphinx

sphinx

sphinx 
[sfingks] (plural sphinx·es or
sphin·ges [sfìn jz]) noun

1.  Greek
composite creature: in Greek mythology, a winged
creature with a lion’s body and a woman’s head. It strangled all who could not
answer its riddle, but killed itself when Oedipus answered correctly.

2.  Egyptian
composite creature: in Egyptian mythology, a
creature with a lion’s body and the head of a man, ram, or bird

3.  sphinx
statue:
a statue of a sphinx

4.  mysterious
person:
a mysterious or inscrutable person
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek sphigx, of uncertain origin: probably from sphiggein
“to draw tight,” because the sphinx that terrorized Thebes often took people by
strangulation.][1]



sphinxlike

sphinxlike
sphinx·like
[sfíngks līk] adjective

enigmatic:
difficult to understand or find out about[1]



sphinxmoth

sphinxmoth
sphinx
moth
(plural sphinx moths) noun

See
hawk moth
[Sphinx from its appearance,
suggestive of a sphinx][1]



sphragistics

sphragistics
sphra·gis·tics 
[sfrə jístiks] noun

study
of seals:
the study of seals and signet rings (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or via French sphragistique from late Greek sphragistikos
“of seals,” from sphragis “seal.”]
—sphra·gis·tic, adjective[1]



spht

spht
sp
ht

Abbreviation of
specific heat[1]



sphygm-

sphygm-
sphygm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
sphygmo-[1]



sphygmic

sphygmic
sphyg·mic 
[sfígmik] adjective

of
pulse:
relating to the pulse
[Early 18th century. From
Greek sphugmikos, from sphugmos (see sphygmo-
).][1]



sphygmo-

sphygmo-
sphygmo- 
prefix

pulse
• sphygmograph
[From Greek sphugmos
“pulsation,” from “sphug-,” the stem of spuzein “to throb”][1]



sphygmograph

sphygmograph
sphyg·mo·graph 
[sfígmə gràf] (plural sphyg·mo·graphs)
noun

blood-pressure
recorder:
an apparatus used to make a graphical record sphygmogram of variations in blood
pressure and pulse
—sphyg·mo·graph·ic
[sfìgmə gráffik], adjective

—sphyg·mog·ra·phy [sfig móggrəfee], noun[1]



sphygmomanometer

sphygmomanometer

sphyg·mo·ma·nom·e·ter 
[sfìg mōmə nómmətər] (plural sphyg·mo·ma·nom·e·ters)
noun
blood-pressure instrument:
an instrument used to measure blood pressure in an artery. It consists of a
pressure gauge, an inflatable cuff placed around the upper arm, and an inflater
bulb or pressure pump.[1]



spic

spic
spic
[spik] (plural spics) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to a Spanish-speaking person from Mexico or
Central or South America (slang taboo)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of spiggoty, of uncertain origin: perhaps from a nonstandard
pronunciation of “ (no) speak the (English) .”][1]



spica

spica
spi·ca 
[spkə] (plural spi·cae [sp see] or spi·cas) noun

bandage
immobilizing joint: a bandage applied to a limb
in an overlapping figure-eight pattern to immobilize it
[14th century. From Latin,
“ear of grain”; from its spiralling shape, which is reminiscent of an ear of
grain.][1]



spic-and-span

spic-and-span
spic-and-span 
adjective

See
spick-and-span[1]



spicate

spicate
spi·cate 
[sp kàyt] adjective

spiky:
growing in the form of a spike, or with flowers growing in spikes
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
spicatus, the past participle of spicare “to furnish with sharp
points,” from spica “spike.”][1]



spiccato

spiccato
spic·ca·to 
[spi ktō] noun (plural spic·ca·tos)

musician’s
bowing technique: a technique of playing staccato on
stringed instruments, in which the bow is allowed to bounce on the string
adjective
adverb

using
spiccato bowing: played using a technique of allowing the
bow to bounce on the string
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, the past participle of spiccare “to pick off, detach.”][1]



spice

spice
spice 
[spīss] noun (plural spic·es)

1.  aromatic
plant substance used as flavoring: any of various
aromatic plant substances such as nutmeg and ginger used as flavorings

2.  flavorings
from plants: food flavorings derived from the non
leafy parts of plants (often used before a noun)

3.  exciting
or interesting thing: a source of excitement or
interest

4.  strong
smell:
a pungent odor or fragrance (often used before a noun)

5.  trace
of something: the tiniest amount of something
transitive
verb
(past spiced, past participle spiced, present
participle spic·ing, 3rd person present singular spic·es)

1.  season
with spice:
to season food or beverages with spice

2.  make
more exciting: to introduce excitement or interest into
something
[13th century. Via Old French
espice from Latin species “appearance, kind,” in late Latin, in
plural, “goods, wares” (see species ).][1]



spiceberry

spiceberry
spice·ber·ry 
[spss bèrree] (plural spice·ber·ries)
noun

1.  berry-producing
shrub:
a name given to various trees and shrubs that produce spicy orange, red, or
black berries, for example, the wintergreen

2.  spicy
berry:
a berry from a spiceberry plant

[1]



spicebush

spicebush
spice·bush 
[spss bsh] (plural spice·bush·es)
noun

shrub with aromatic leaves:
a North American shrub that belongs to the laurel family. It has aromatic
leaves and dense clusters of yellow flowers. Latin name: Lindera benzoin[1]



spicey

spicey
spice·y
adjective

See
spicy[1]



spick-and-span

spick-and-span
spick-and-span
[spìk ənd spán] or spic-and-span
[spìk ənd spán] adjective

1.  neat:
very clean and neat (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

2.  in
perfect condition: showing not the slightest
sign of damage or wear and tear
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of spick-and-span-new, from obsolete spick, variant of
spike 1 + and + span-new, from Old Norse spánnyr,
literally “new chip,” from spán “chip,” related to English spoon .][1]



spicule

spicule
spic·ule 
[spíkyool] (plural spic·ules or
spiculum) noun

1.  BIOLOGY small
needle-shaped part: a small hard needle-shaped
part, especially any of the calcium- or silicon-containing supporting parts of
certain invertebrates such as sponges and corals

2.  ASTRONOMY solar
prominence:
a slender column of relatively cool, high-density gas that rapidly erupts from
the solar chromosphere and then falls back. There can be as many as 250,000
spicules rising above the solar surface at any moment.
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin spiculum, literally “small spike,” Latin
spica “spike,” ear of grain (see spike 2 ).]
—spic·u·lar
[spíkyələr], adjective

—spic·u·late [spíkyələt, spíkyə làyt],
adjective[1]



spicy

spicy
spic·y 
or spice·y (comparative spic·i·er, superlative
spic·i·est) adjective

1.  seasoned
with spice:
smelling or tasting strongly of spices

2.  involving
impropriety: arousing interest because of its
scandalous nature, usually because it deals with sexual impropriety (informal)

3.  vivacious:
with a very lively personality

4.  BOTANY producing
spices:
used to describe plants or plant parts from which spices are obtained
—spic·i·ly,
adverb

—spic·i·ness, noun[1]



spider

spider
spi·der 
[spdər] (plural spi·ders) noun

1.  BIOLOGY eight-legged
animal that spins webs: a predatory animal with four
pairs of legs and two or more abdominal organs ( spinnerets
) used for spinning webs that serve as nests and traps for prey. It is
popularly thought to be an insect, although it is an arachnid. Order: Araneae

2.  COOKING frying
pan:
a cast-iron frying pan, originally one with legs or feet for cooking on a
hearth (dated) (regional)

3.  trivet:
a trivet for supporting a pan on a hearth

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
device:
a mechanical device that has radiating arms, spokes, or other parts

5.  NAUTICAL frame
securing redundant ropes: a circular frame at the base
of a ship’s mast, used to secure ropes when sails are not in use

6.  COMPUTING program
searching Internet for information: a
computer program that searches the Internet for newly accessible information to
be added to the index examined by a standard search tool ( search engine )

7.  CUE GAMES cue
rest:
a multi-position cue rest with wide legs designed to lift the cue tip over an
intervening ball

8.  TRANSPORT See spider phaeton

9.  Australia
ice-cream
soda:
an ice-cream soda (informal)
[Old
English spiþra, from spinnan “to spin” (see spin )]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Spider in the sense “frying pan”
  is an old-fashioned New England and Southern term that formerly competed with
  Midland skillet . Today, frying pan and fry pan are
  usual throughout the United States.

[1]



spiderbeetle

spiderbeetle
spi·der
bee·tle
(plural spi·der bee·tles) noun

wingless beetle:
a name given to various wingless beetles, many of which are pests to stored
food in households and warehouses. Family: Ptinidae[1]



spidercrab

spidercrab
spi·der
crab
(plural spi·der crabs) noun

long-legged crab:
a marine crab with a small triangular body and long slender legs. Family:
Majidae[1]



spiderflower

spiderflower
spi·der
flow·er
(plural spi·der flow·ers) noun

1.  See
cleome

2.  Australian
flower resembling spider: a name given to various
Australian flowering plants whose flowerheads resemble spiders. Genus: Grevillea

[1]



spiderhole

spiderhole
spi·der
hole
(plural spi·der holes) noun

sniper hideout:
a concealed sniper position (informal)[1]



spider-huntingwasp

spider-huntingwasp
spi·der-hunt·ing
wasp
(plural spi·der-hunt·ing wasps) noun

wasp that eats spiders:
a large black or metallic-blue solitary wasp that preys on spiders. Family:
Pepsidae
Also called
spider wasp
Also called
pompilid[1]



spiderlily

spiderlily
spi·der
lil·y
noun

See
crinum[1]



spidermite

spidermite
spi·der
mite
(plural spi·der mites) noun

small web-spinning mite:
any tiny web-spinning mite. Some spider mites are garden and crop pests.
Family: Tetranychidae
Also called
red spider[1]



spidermonkey

spidermonkey
spi·der
mon·key
noun

monkey with long limbs and
tail: a tree-dwelling monkey
native to Central and South America. It has long slender limbs, a long
prehensile tail, and a small head. Genus: Ateles[1]



spiderphaeton

spiderphaeton
spi·der
phae·ton
(plural spi·der phae·tons) or spider noun

horse carriage:
a high-bodied lightweight fast horse carriage with large wheels[1]



spiderplant

spiderplant
spi·der
plant
(plural spi·der plants) noun

common houseplant:
a plant of the lily family widely grown as a houseplant for its long narrow
variegated leaves, white flowers, and clusters of plantlets. Latin name: Chlorophytum
variegatum[1]



spiderwasp

spiderwasp
spi·der
wasp
noun

See
spider-hunting wasp[1]



spiderweb

spiderweb
spi·der·web
[spdər wèb] (plural spi·der·webs)
noun

web spun by spider:
a web that is constructed by a spider using silk produced from fluid from its
abdominal glands, used especially to entrap prey[1]



spiderwort

spiderwort
spi·der·wort 
[spdər wùrt, spdər
wàwrt] (plural spi·der·worts) noun

flowering
houseplant:
a plant widely grown as a houseplant for its pink, blue, or violet flowers.
Genus: Tradescantia
See
also
tradescantia
[Spider from the resemblance of
the stamens to a spider’s legs][1]



spidery

spidery
spi·der·y 
[spdəree] adjective

1.  thin
and irregular: with thin lines or constituent parts
that form irregular angles

2.  spider-infested:
infested with spiders

3.  like
spider:
like a spider in shape or movement

[1]



spiegeleisen

spiegeleisen
spie·gel·ei·sen 
[spg’l z’n] or spie·gel [spg’l] noun

type
of pig iron: pig iron containing high concentrations
of manganese and carbon. It is added to steel in the late stages of production
to adjust the final composition.
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from Spiegel “mirror” (ultimately from Latin speculum ;
see speculum ) + Eisen “iron.”][1]



spiel

spiel
spiel 
[speel, shpeel]
noun (plural spiels)

speech
designed to convince: an irritatingly long or
predictably glib speech, for example, a rambling apology or a prepared sales
patter (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past spieled, past participle spieled, present
participle spiel·ing, 3rd person present singular spiels)

give
spiel:
to deliver a spiel (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
German, “play, game.”][1]



Spielberg,Steven

Spielberg,Steven
Spiel·berg
[spl burg], Steven (1946– )

U.S. movie director and
producer. His movies include E.T. ( 1982 ) and the Academy Award-winning
Schindler’s List ( 1993 ).[1]



spieloff

spieloff
spiel
off
transitive verb

recite by rote:
to say something very quickly or by rote • spiel
off a list of names[1]



spier

spier
spi·er
[sp ər] (plural spi·ers) noun

spy:
somebody who spies or reconnoiters (archaic)[1]



spiffing

spiffing
spiff·ing
[spíffing] adjective

U.K.
excellent:
exceptionally good (dated informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spiffup

spiffup
spiff
up
[spìf úp] (past spiffed up, past
participle spiffed up, present participle spiff·ing up,
3rd person present singular spiffs up) transitive verb

enhance:
to improve something by adding enhancing features (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spiffy

spiffy
spiff·y 
[spíffee] (comparative spiff·i·er,
superlative spiff·i·est) adjective

smart:
stylish or modern and attractive (informal) “a spiffy collection of
supercomputers blinking away in a room of their own” Kathleen O’Gorman Detroit
Free Press 1997
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
—spiffily,
adverb

—spif·fi·ness, noun[1]



spigot

spigot
spig·ot 
[spíggət] (plural spig·ots) noun

1.  outdoor
faucet:
faucet situated out of doors

2.  indoor
faucet:
an indoor faucet (regional)

3.  tap
fitted to cask: a tap, usually wooden, that is fitted to
a cask

4.  plug
for cask hole: a plug for the vent hole of a cask
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps via Old French from Old Provençal espiga
“ear of grain,” from Latin spica (see spike 2 ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  word spigot spreads south and west out of
  Pennsylvania, where it yields to the New England term faucet in the
  northernmost counties. To the west, faucet and tap are usual in
  the Inland North. In the Upper Midwest and Western states, the form spicket
  reflects Midland and Southern influence.

[1]



spike

spike2
spike2 [spīk]
(plural spikes) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE ear
of grain:
an ear of grain such as wheat or barley

2.  PLANTS flower
cluster:
a long cluster of flowers attached directly to a stem with the newest flowers
at the tip.
See
also
inflorescence
See
also
raceme
[14th century. From Latin spica
“ear of grain.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp point,”
which is also the ancestor of English spine
and spike 1 .][1]



spike

spike1
spike1 [spīk]
noun (plural spikes)

1.  pointed
metal or wooden piece: a sharply pointed piece of
metal or wood, especially one of a number along the top of a railing, fence, or
wall

2.  CONSTRUCTION large
nail:
a long heavy metal nail

3.  CLOTHES metal
point on running shoe sole: a pointed metal stud, part
of a set attached to the sole of an athlete’s shoe to give better grip (often
used in the plural)
See
also
cleat

4.  sharp
point:
narrow sharp point

5.  ZOOLOGY unbranched
antler of deer: the antler of a young deer, straight and
without branches

6.  ELECTRICITY variation
in voltage:
an abrupt temporary surge in the voltage or current in an electrical circuit.
The change may be caused by turning off appliances, a lightning strike, or
power being restored after an outage.

7.  image
of peak and fall: a graphic representation of a sharp rise
followed by a sharp fall, especially on a graph or as a reading on an
instrument

8.  SPORTS downward
smash of volleyball: a hard smash of a
volleyball, hit close to the net and straight down into the opponent’s court

9.  FOOTBALL sign
of victory after touchdown: a slamming of the ball to
the ground in the end zone to signify triumph after a player has scored a
touchdown

10. U.K.
hostel
for people without homes: a hostel that houses people
who have no place to live (dated slang)

11. (slang)
See hypodermic needle

12. metal
part for gripping and climbing: a sharp pointed metal
projection strapped to a boot as an aid in gripping and climbing something

13. metal
rod for loose papers: a pointed metal rod mounted
on a base onto which loose papers are thrust, especially rejected news stories
(dated)

14. sudden
brief increase: a sharp and brief rise in something

15. ZOOLOGY mackerel:
a young mackerel
plural
noun
spikes

1.  SPORTS pair
of shoes with metal studs: a pair of athletic shoes
whose soles are equipped with pointed metal studs to give better traction

2.  CLOTHES spike
heel shoes:
a pair of spike heel shoes (informal)
verb
(past spiked, past participle spiked, present
participle spik·ing, 3rd person present singular spikes)

1.  transitive
verb
sneakily
add something to drink: to put alcohol, a drug, or a
poison into another person’s drink surreptitiously

2.  flavor
punch with alcohol: to add alcohol, for example,
wine, to punch

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS cause
injury with spikes on shoe: to injure another player or
competitor with the spikes of an athletic shoe

4.  intransitive
verb
rise
abruptly:
to rise sharply and briefly

5.  transitive
verb
PRESS discard
potential news story: to reject or decide not to
use a news story (slang)

6.  transitive
verb
SPORTS smash
volleyball downward: to leap high close to the
net and hit a volleyball straight down into an opponent’s court

7.  transitive
verb
render
useless:
to make something useless or ineffective (informal) • spike
a rumor

8.  transitive
verb
ARMS disable
cannon with spike: to render a cannon useless
by driving a spike into its vent
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp
point,” which is also the ancestor of English spit 2, spire, and spoke
.]
—spiked,
adjective
hang
up your spikes

to retire from a job,
especially in a professional sport[1]



spikeheel

spikeheel
spike
heel
(plural spike heels) noun

high pointed heel:
a high pointed heel on a woman’s shoe, or a shoe with such a heel[1]



spikelavender

spikelavender
spike
lav·en·der
noun

mint that resembles lavender:
a European mint related to lavender that has light purple flowers and yields an
oil used in paints. Latin name: Lavandula latifolia[1]



spikelet

spikelet
spike·let 
[spklət] (plural spike·lets) noun

small part of flower cluster:
a small flower spike, especially any of the basic units of the flower cluster
of a grass or sedge[1]



spikenard

spikenard
spike·nard 
[spk nrd] (plural spike·nards
or spike·nard) noun

1.  Himalayan
plant:
a perennial aromatic Himalayan plant of the valerian family that has pinkish
purple flowers. Latin name: Nardostachys jatamansi
Also
called
nard

2.  ancient
fragrant ointment: a fragrant ointment derived
from spikenard, used in ancient times.
Also
called
nard

3.  plant
with aromatic root: a North American plant of
the ginseng family that has small whitish flowers, purplish berries, and
aromatic roots. Latin name: Aralia racemosa
[14th century. From medieval
Latin spica nardi, literally “spike of nard” (translation of Greek nardou
stakhus ).][1]



spike-rush

spike-rush
spike-rush
(plural spike-rush·es) noun

grassy plant:
a perennial plant with narrow leaves and small flowers that grows in temperate
regions. Genus: Eleocharis[1]



spiky

spiky
spik·y 
[spkee] (comparative spik·i·er,
superlative spik·i·est) adjective

1.  with
one or several spikes: with one or more narrow
sharp points

2.  irritable:
easily made angry (informal)
—spik·i·ly,
adverb

—spik·i·ness, noun[1]



spile

spile
spile 
[spīl] noun (plural spiles)

1.  heavy
supporting post: a heavy timber post driven into the
ground as a foundation or support

2.  wooden
peg:
a wooden peg, especially used as a plug or stopper.
Also
called
spill 2

3.  tree-tapping
spout:
a tap for drawing sap from the sugar maple tree
transitive
verb
(past spiled, past participle spiled, present
participle spil·ing, 3rd person present singular spiles)

1.  support
with post:
to provide or support something with a heavy post driven into the ground

2.  tap
tree for sap: to draw sap from a tree with a spout or
spigot
[Early 16th century. Via
Dutch spijl from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German spile
“splinter, wooden pin” (see spill 2 ).][1]



spill

spill1
spill1 [spil]
verb (past spilled or spilt [spilt], past participle spilled or
spilt, present participle spill·ing, 3rd person present
singular spills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
from container: to flow or allow something to flow from
a container, especially accidentally and usually resulting in loss or waste

2.  intransitive
verb
come
out of confined space: to come out from a building
or other confined space in large numbers, often to the wrong place • The
fans spilled out onto the field

3.  transitive
verb
divulge:
to reveal or divulge something, often unintentionally (informal) • spilled
the news

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
off something: to fall off, or make somebody fall off,
something onto the ground or floor, especially from a horse, bicycle, or
motorbike (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
SAILING let
wind out of sail: to let the wind escape from a sail
noun
(plural spills)

1.  act
of falling from something: a tumble to the ground or floor,
especially from a bicycle, motorbike, or horse (informal)

2.  something
that runs over: a quantity of something that flows
accidentally or unintentionally from a container or confined area, or an
instance of this happening • Workers
fought hard to contain the spill.

3.  See
spillway
[Old
English spillan “to kill.” The underlying meaning is “to shed blood.”]
—spill·a·ble,
adjective

—spill·er,
noun
spill
blood

wound
or kill people

spill
the beans

reveal
a secret (slang)

spill
your guts

tell or confess everything[1]



spill

spill2
spill2 [spil]
(plural spills) noun

1.  splinter
or paper used for lighting: a splinter or twist of paper
used to light something, for example, a pipe or candle

2.  See
spile  noun 2
[14th century. From Middle
Low German spile (source of English spile
).][1]



spillage

spillage
spill·age 
[spíllij] (plural spill·ag·es)
noun

1.  spilling
of something: the act of spilling something.
Also
called
spilth

2.  quantity
spilled:
a quantity of something that has been spilled.
Also
called
spillover
Also
called
spilth

[1]



Spillane,Mickey

Spillane,Mickey
Spil·lane 
[spi láyn], Mickey (1918– )

U.S.
writer. He specialized in crime fiction known for its raw energy and violence.
Many of his stories featured the detective Mike Hammer.
Real name
Spillane, Frank Morrison[1]



spillikin

spillikin
spil·li·kin 
[spíllə kin] or spi·li·kin [spíllə kin] noun (plural spil·li·kins)
(plural spi·li·kins)

jackstraw:
any of the thin pieces used in the game of jackstraws (dated)
plural
noun
spil·li·kins spi·likins

jackstraws:
the game of jackstraws (dated) (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from spill 2, literally
“small spill.”][1]



spillover

spillover
spill·o·ver 
[spíl vər] (plural spill·o·vers)
noun

1.  See
spillage  noun 2

2.  spread:
any spread or expansion of something

3.  effect:
an indirect effect of something

[1]



spillover

spillover
spill
over
intransitive verb

1.  overflow:
to overflow a container or an enclosed area

2.  spread
out:
to spread out from a confined space into a nearby area

[1]



spillway

spillway
spill·way 
[spíl wày] (plural spill·ways)
noun

watercourse for removing
unwanted water: a channel for carrying
away excess water, for example, at a reservoir or dam.
Also called
wasteweir
Also called
spill[1]



spilt

spilt
spilt


Past tense of
spill Past participle of spill[1]



spilth

spilth
spilth 
[spilth] noun

See
spillage
[Early 17th century. Formed
form spill 1 .][1]



spin

spin
spin 
[spin] verb (past spun
[spun], past participle spun, present
participle spin·ning, 3rd person present singular spins)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rotate
quickly:
to turn or make something turn round and round rapidly, as if on an axis • He
spun a coin. • dancers
spinning around the room

2.  intransitive
verb
face
about quickly: to turn around rapidly to face in the
opposite direction

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb TEXTILES create yarn from raw
materials:
to twist raw fibers, for example, of wool, silk, or cotton, so that they form a
continuous yarn or thread

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb BIOLOGY make web or cocoon:
to make a web or cocoon from filaments extruded from the body

5.  intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING rotate
freely:
to revolve or rotate rapidly around an axis • Our
wheels spun on the ice.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS rotate rapidly in changed direction:
to strike, throw, or kick something in a way that makes it revolve and change
direction when it hits something, or to rotate and change direction in this way

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb AEROSPACE dive steeply:
to go into a steep spiral dive, or make an aircraft do this

8.  transitive
verb
MUSIC play
recording:
to play a piece of recorded music (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
invent
long story:
to make up an extended story or a series of lies

10. intransitive
and transitive verb shape
public opinion: to cast somebody’s remarks or relate a
story in such a way as to influence public opinion in a desired way (slang)

11. intransitive
and transitive verb dry
clothes:
to remove most of the water from washed clothes in a washing machine by
rotating them rapidly

12. intransitive
verb
become
dizzy:
to feel dazed, as if whirling round • My
head is spinning.

13. intransitive
verb
drive
fast and well: to drive smoothly and speedily

14. intransitive
verb
ANGLING fish
with rapidly moving bait: to fish with a rod, line,
and reel, constantly drawing a revolving bait or lure through the water
noun
(plural spins)

1.  rotation:
a quick rotating movement

2.  SPORTS rotation
causing changed direction: rotation given to a ball to
make it change direction

3.  MARKETING interpretative
point of view: a viewpoint, bias, or interpretation,
especially one that is presented to influence the public in a desired way (slang)
• There’s
no way the company can put a favorable spin on this disaster.

4.  SPORTS rotation
while skating: a stationary rotation during figure
skating

5.  AEROSPACE spiraling
dive:
a steep spiral dive in an aircraft

6.  short
journey in vehicle: a brief journey taken for
pleasure in a motor vehicle

7.  drying
operation in washing machine: the rapid rotation of washed
clothes in a washing machine to remove most of the moisture from them

8.  dizzy
state:
a state of mental disorientation or dizziness

9.  PHYSICS angular
momentum:
the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle or system of such
particles independent of its motion.
Also
called
spin angular momentum

10. PHYSICS quantum
property of angular momentum: the quantum property or
number of an elementary particle that is a measure of its intrinsic angular
momentum and magnetic moment
[Old
English spinnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
stretch, spin” that is also the ancestor of English spider,
spindle, and span .]
spin
your wheels

expend a lot of effort
without making progress[1]



spinabifida

spinabifida
spi·na
bif·i·da 
[spnə bíffidə] noun

condition
of spinal column: a congenital condition in which part of
the spinal cord or meninges protrudes through a cleft in the spinal column,
resulting in partial to total paralysis of the lower body. Spina bifida can
sometimes be prevented by taking folic acid from the start of pregnancy.
[From modern Latin, “spine
split in two”][1]



spinach

spinach
spin·ach 
[spínich] noun

1.  plant
with edible leaves: an annual plant with large,
thick, dark-green, edible leaves. It is native to Asia and is widely cultivated
in temperate regions. Latin name: Spinacia oleracea

2.  edible
leaves of spinach plant: the dark-green leaves of the
spinach plant eaten cooked as a vegetable or raw in salads. They are rich in
iron.
[14th century. Via Old French
espinache from, ultimately, Persian aspānā .][1]



spinal

spinal
spi·nal 
[spn’l] adjective

1.  relating
to spine:
on, in, near, or relating to a spine, especially a backbone

2.  like
spine:
resembling a spine
noun
(plural spi·nals)

MEDICINE spinal
anesthetic:
spinal anesthesia or a spinal anesthetic (informal)
—spi·nal·ly, adverb[1]



spinalanesthesia

spinalanesthesia
spi·nal
an·es·the·sia noun

1.  anesthesia
by injection into spine: an anesthesia of the lower
half of the body achieved by injecting an anesthetic into the fluid surrounding
the spinal cord.
See
also
epidural

2.  loss
of sensation from spinal injury: the loss of sensation
in part of the body caused by injury to the spine

[1]



spinalcanal

spinalcanal
spi·nal
ca·nal
(plural spi·nal ca·nals) noun

column containing spinal
cord: a passage that runs through
the opening in the middle of each vertebra of the spinal column and contains
the spinal cord, the meninges, nerve roots, and blood vessels.
Also called
vertebral canal[1]



spinalcolumn

spinalcolumn
spi·nal
col·umn
(plural spi·nal col·umns) noun

skeletal axis protecting
spinal cord: the axis of the
skeleton of a vertebrate animal, extending from the head and consisting of a
series of interconnected vertebrae that enclose and protect the spinal cord.
Also called
backbone
Also called
spine
Also called
vertebral column[1]



spinalcord

spinalcord
spi·nal
cord
(plural spi·nal cords) noun

thick cord of nerve tissue:
a thick whitish cord of nerve tissue extending from the bottom of the brain
through the spinal column and giving rise to pairs of spinal nerves that supply
the body. The spinal cord and brain together form the central nervous system.[1]



spinalmeningitis

spinalmeningitis
spi·nal
men·in·gi·tis noun

inflammation of membranes
around spinal cord:
inflammation of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord that particularly
affects young children[1]



spincontrol

spincontrol
spin
con·trol
noun

attempt to manipulate public
response: the attempt to evoke a
desired public response to something, especially a statement, policy, or action
(slang)[1]



spincycle

spincycle
spin
cy·cle
(plural spin cy·cles) noun

1.  extraction
of water in washing machine: a phase in which newly
washed laundry is spun rapidly in the perforated drum of a washing machine in
order to extract most of the water

2.  instance
of opinion manipulation: an instance of, or the
degree to which, public opinion is manipulated by efforts to control
interpretation of something such as a leader’s words (slang)

[1]



spindle

spindle
spin·dle 
[spínd’l] noun (plural spin·dles)

1.  TEXTILES specially
shaped rod for spinning thread: a handheld stick or
rod with a notched end through which strands of natural fibers are drawn, then
twisted into thread and wound around the rod

2.  TEXTILES thread-spinning
rod on spinning wheel: a device similar to the
handheld spindle, attached to a spinning wheel

3.  mechanical
thread-spinning device: a device on a spinning
machine for spinning thread and winding it onto bobbins

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING rotating
rod for device: a rotating rod on a device such as a
lathe, turntable, or door handle

5.  spindle-shaped
piece of wood: a long thin piece of wood such as a
table leg or baluster that is shaped like a spindle

6.  BIOLOGY spindle-shaped
cell structure: a spindle-shaped structure along which
chromosomes are distributed and drawn apart during meiosis and mitosis

7.  spike
for holding personal papers: an upright spike fixed to a
base, on which letters or bills are impaled

8.  INSECTS dragonfly:
a dragonfly (regional)

9.  SHIPPING topped
metal rod used as warning: a metal rod surmounted by a
ball or lantern and fixed to a rock or shoal, used as a warning to approaching
vessels
verb
(past spin·dled, past participle spin·dled, present
participle spin·dling, 3rd person present singular spin·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb impale
something on spindle: to place on an upright
spindle

2.  transitive
verb
make
with spindle: to form or equip something with a
spindle

3.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY rapidly
grow tall and slender: to grow quickly into a high
slender stalk or stem
[Old English spinel .
Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base as spin .][1]



spindlecell

spindlecell
spin·dle
cell
(plural spin·dle cells) noun

narrow cell associated with
cancer: a narrow, elongated cell
characteristic of certain cancers[1]



spindletree

spindletree
spin·dle
tree
(plural spin·dle trees) noun

evergreen tree used for
making spindles: an evergreen tree or
shrub of the staff tree family with small flowers and red fruits. Its hard wood
was used in the past to make spindles. Genus: Euonymus[1]



spindly

spindly
spin·dly 
[spíndlee] (comparative spin·dli·er,
superlative spin·dli·est) or spin·dling [spíndling] adjective

tall and thin:
long or tall, thin, and weak-looking[1]



spindoctor

spindoctor
spin
doc·tor
[spín mstər] (plural spin
doc·tors) or spin·mei·ster [spín
mstər] noun

somebody who imparts
favorable bias: somebody whose job is
to present the actions of a person or organization in the best possible light,
especially via the news media (slang)[1]



spindrift

spindrift
spin·drift 
[spín drìft] noun

1.  spray
from waves:
spray that blows from the surface of the sea

2.  driving
snow or sand: driving snow or sand in a storm.
Also
called
spoondrift
[Early 17th century.
Alteration (probably influenced by spin ) of
spoondrift .][1]



spin-dry

spin-dry
spin-dry
(past spin-dried, past participle spin-dried, present
participle spin-dry·ing, 3rd person present singular spin-dries)
transitive verb

extract water from laundry:
to remove most of the water from washed laundry by spinning it in a washing
machine or a spin-dryer[1]



spin-dryer

spin-dryer
spin-dry·er
(plural spin-dry·ers) or spin-dri·er (plural
spin-dri·ers) noun

machine for removing water:
a machine that forces most of the water out of wet laundry by spinning it
around rapidly in a perforated drum[1]



spine

spine

spine 
[spīn] (plural spines) noun

1.  ANATOMY See spinal column

2.  PRINTING vertical
back of book cover: the vertical back of a
book’s cover or a record’s sleeve, usually printed with the title and the name
of the author or performer

3.  ZOOLOGY hard
sharp projection on animal’s body: a sharp stiff
projection on the body of an animal or a fish, for example, the quill of a
porcupine or the ray of a fish’s fin

4.  BOTANY sharp
point on plant: a stiff sharp pointed plant part that is
a modification of part of a leaf, for example, in holly, or of an entire leaf,
for example, in cacti.
Also
called
prickle
Also
called
thorn

5.  GEOGRAPHY ridge
in mountains: a continuous ridge in a range of
mountains or hills
[14th century. Via Old French
espine from Latin spina “thorn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “sharp point” that is also the ancestor of English spike 1 and spike 2 .][1]



spine-chiller

spine-chiller
spine-chill·er
(plural spine-chill·ers) noun

something
frightening: something, especially a book, movie, or
story, that is meant to frighten people
—spine-chill·ing,
adjective

—spine-chill·ing·ly, adverb[1]



spinel

spinel
spi·nel 
[spə nél] (plural spi·nels) noun

hard
red mineral: a hard crystalline usually red mineral
that consists of mixed oxides of magnesium, aluminum, and, in small amounts,
iron or manganese. It is sometimes used as a gemstone.
[Early 16th century. Via
French spinelle from, ultimately, Latin spina (see spine ); from its pointed crystals.][1]



spineless

spineless
spine·less 
[spnləss] adjective

1.  weak
and cowardly: lacking in willpower, courage, or
strength of character

2.  without
spine:
lacking a vertebral column
—spine·less·ly,
adverb

—spine·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



spinescent

spinescent
spi·nes·cent 
[spī néss’nt] adjective

with
spine or spines: having or growing a spine or spines
[Late 18th century. From
Latin spinescent-, the present participle stem of spinescere “to
become thorny,” from spina (see spine
).][1]



spinet

spinet
spin·et 
[spínnit] (plural spin·ets) noun

1.  small
keyboard instrument: a small upright piano or
electronic organ

2.  small
harpsichord: a small harpsichord, popular in the 18th
century, that has the strings set at a slant to the keyboard
[Mid-17th century. Via French
espinette from Italian spinetta, of uncertain origin: probably
formed from spina “quill,” from Latin (see spine
); from the original use of quills resembling thorns to pluck the strings.][1]



spine-tingling

spine-tingling
spine-tin·gling
adjective

frightening
or exciting: causing nervous fear or excitement
—spine-tin·gling·ly, adverb[1]



spiniferous

spiniferous
spi·nif·er·ous 
[spī níffərəss] adjective

with
spines:
having, producing, or bearing spines or needles
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from Latin spina (see spine ) + -ferous .][1]



spinifex

spinifex
spi·ni·fex 
[spnə fèks] (plural spi·ni·fex·es
or spi·ni·fex) noun

Australian
grass with pointed leaves: a perennial Australian grass
that has sharp pointed leaves and grows in circular mounds in arid inland
areas. Genera: Plectrachne Triodia
Also
called
porcupine grass
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, literally “thorn-maker.”][1]



spinmeister

spinmeister
spin·mei·ster
noun

See
spin doctor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spinnaker

spinnaker
spin·na·ker 
[spínnəkər] (plural spin·na·kers)
noun

large
sail of yacht: a large triangular sail set at the front
of a racing yacht for running before the wind
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Sphinx’s acre, from Sphinx,
the name of the first yacht to carry such a sail.][1]



spinner

spinner
spin·ner 
[spínnər] (plural spin·ners) noun

1.  somebody
or something that spins: a person, object, or device
that spins

2.  ANGLING fishing
lure:
an angling lure that spins in the water when the line is reeled in

3.  AIR cover
for aircraft propeller: a streamlined dome-shaped
cap ( fairing ) that fits over the hub of
the propeller of an aircraft

[1]



spinneret

spinneret
spin·ner·et 
[spìnnə rét, spínnə
rèt] (plural spin·ner·ets) noun

1.  BIOLOGY silk-producing
organ:
a tiny tubular structure, usually one of two pairs, that exudes the fluid
produced by the abdominal glands of a silk-producing spider

2.  TEXTILES INDUSTRY perforated plate for making
synthetic fiber: a device for making filaments of
synthetic fiber, consisting of a finely perforated plate through which viscous
liquid is extruded

[1]



spinney

spinney
spin·ney 
[spínnee] (plural spin·neys) noun

U.K.
small
thicket:
a small thicket or wood
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French espinei “thorny hedge” from Latin spinetum, from spina
(see spine ).][1]



spinningframe

spinningframe
spin·ning
frame
(plural spin·ning frames) noun

machine that spins yarn:
a machine that draws out fibers, twists them into yarn or thread, and winds
them onto spindles[1]



spinningjenny

spinningjenny
spin·ning
jen·ny
noun

early spinning frame:
a spinning machine invented in the 18th century that was the first practical
device to wind yarn onto more than one spindle. Because it allowed one person
to spin several yarns at once the spinning jenny was a major invention of the
Industrial Revolution.[1]



spinningmule

spinningmule
spin·ning
mule
(plural spin·ning mules) noun

See
mule 1 noun
5[1]



spinningtop

spinningtop
spin·ning
top
(plural spin·ning tops) noun

See
top 2 noun[1]



spinningwheel

spinningwheel

spin·ning wheel
(plural spin·ning wheels) noun
domestic machine for spinning yarn:
a machine used at home for twisting fibers into yarn or thread and winding it
onto a spindle by means of a large wheel driven by hand or a treadle[1]



spinoff

spinoff
spin
off
verb (informal)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE derive something incidentally
from something else: to derive a new product,
material, or service from something that already exists, or be derived in this
way

2.  transitive
verb
FINANCE divest
a company of a subsidiary: to divest a company of a
subsidiary by distributing the subsidiary’s shares to shareholders in the
parent corporation

[1]



spinoff

spinoff
spin·off
[spín àwf] or spin-off [spín àwf] verb (past spin·offed,
past participle spin·offed, present participle spin·off·ing,
3rd person present singular spin·offs) (past spin-offed,
past participle spin-offed, present participle spin-off·ing,
3rd person present singular spin-offs)

produce as by-product:
to derive a new product, material, or service from something that already
exists, or be derived in this way
noun
(plural spin·offs) (plural spin-offs)

1.  derivative
of something: a product, material, or service deriving
from something that already exists

2.  BUSINESS subsidiary
divested by distributing stock: a subsidiary of a
company that is divested by means of a distribution of its shares of stock to
shareholders of the parent corporation

[1]



spinout

spinout
spin·out 
[spín owt] (plural spin·outs) or
spin-out [spín owt] (plural spin-outs)
noun

uncontrollable skid:
a skid, especially in a motor vehicle that is out of control[1]



spinout

spinout
spin
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
lose
control of vehicle: to skid out of control

2.  transitive
verb
make
supplies last: to make something last longer than it
ordinarily would, usually by careful management

3.  transitive
verb
prolong
something:
to make an activity last longer than it needs to, usually by adding something
unnecessary

[1]



Spinoza,Baruch

Spinoza,Baruch

Spi·no·za 
[spi nṓzə], Baruch (1632–1677)
Dutch philosopher. Rejecting the Judaism
of his cultural background, he developed a philosophy that combined rationalist
and pantheistic elements. His major work was his Ethics ( 1674 ).[1]



Spinozism

Spinozism
Spi·no·zism 
[spə nṓ zìzzəm] noun

philosophy
of Spinoza:
the philosophical system developed by Baruch Spinoza, defining God as a unique
impersonal deity with an infinite number of attributes and modes
—Spi·no·zist, noun[1]



spinstabilization

spinstabilization
spin
sta·bi·li·za·tion noun

means of stabilizing
projectile: a method of steadying the
flight of a projectile such as a bullet, shell, or rocket by spinning it about
its long axis[1]



spinster

spinster
spin·ster 
[spínstər] (plural spin·sters)
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman, especially one who is no longer young or is of
advanced years who has never married a man (dated offensive)

2.  LAW unmarried
woman in legal documents: in some legal documents, a
woman who has never married a man

3.  woman
spinner of yarn: in former times, a woman whose
livelihood was spinning yarn
[14th
century. Formed from spin .]
—spin·ster·hood, noun[1]



spinthariscope

spinthariscope
spin·thar·i·scope 
[spin thérrə skp] (plural spin·thar·i·scopes)
noun

instrument
to detect ionization: an instrument used to detect
ionizing radiation such as alpha particles that produces flashes of light on a
phosphorescent screen
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek spintharis “spark” + -scope
.][1]



spin-the-bottle

spin-the-bottle
spin-the-bottle 
noun

kissing game:
a game in which players in turn spin a bottle that is lying flat on the ground
or floor, and then kiss the person it points at when it stops[1]



spinto

spinto
spin·to 
[spín tō] (plural spin·tos) adjective

dramatic
and lyric:
relating to an operatic voice that is both lyric and dramatic
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, literally “pushed.”][1]



spinule

spinule
spi·nule 
[sp nyool] (plural spi·nules)
noun

BOTANY small
spine:
a tiny spine or thorn
—spi·nu·lose [spnyə lōss], adjective[1]



spiny

spiny
spin·y 
[spnee] (comparative spin·i·er,
superlative spin·i·est) adjective

1.  with
spines:
with or covered with spines

2.  thorny:
with thorns or prickles

3.  like
a spine:
shaped like a spine
—spin·i·ness, noun[1]



spinyanteater

spinyanteater
spin·y
ant·eat·er
(plural spin·y ant·eat·ers) noun

See
echidna[1]



spinyeel

spinyeel
spin·y
eel
(plural spin·y eels) noun

fish resembling eel with
spines: an African or Asian
freshwater fish that resembles an eel and has a sensitive elongated snout with
tubular nostrils and several sharp spines in front of the dorsal fin. Family:
Mastacembelidae[1]



spiny-headedworm

spiny-headedworm
spin·y-head·ed
worm 
(plural spin·y-head·ed worms) noun

parasitic worm with hooked
spines: a parasitic unsegmented worm
that has a proboscis composed of rows of hooked spines, used for attachment to
a vertebrate’s intestinal wall. Phylum: Acanthocephala
Also called
acanthocephalan[1]



spinylobster

spinylobster
spin·y
lob·ster
(plural spin·y lob·sters) noun

large crustacean resembling
lobster: a large edible crustacean
that is like a lobster but has a spiny shell and lacks enlarged pincers.
Family: Palinuridae
Also called
crayfish
Also called
langouste
Also called
rock lobster
Also called
sea crayfish[1]



spiracle

spiracle
spir·a·cle 
[sprək’l, spírrək’l]
(plural spir·a·cles) noun

1.  GEOLOGY vent
in lava flow: a small vent in a lava flow that allows
the escape of built-up gases

2.  BIOLOGY blowhole:
a blowhole (technical)

3.  INSECTS small
aperture in an insect: a small paired aperture
along the side of the thorax or abdomen of an insect or spider through which
air enters and leaves

4.  ZOOLOGY small
gill slit:
a small gill slit or opening behind the eye area of some fishes, such as skates
and rays
[Early
17th century. Via Old French from Latin spiraculum, from spirare
“to breathe” (see spirit ).]
—spi·rac·u·lar [spə rákyələr, spī rákyələr],
adjective[1]



spiraea

spiraea
spi·rae·a 
noun

See
spirea[1]



spiral

spiral
spi·ral 
[sprəl] noun (plural spi·rals)

1.  GEOMETRY continuous
circling flat curve: a flat curve or series of
curves that constantly increase or decrease in size in circling around a
central point

2.  GEOMETRY helix:
a helix

3.  something
with curving circular pattern: something that has a
helical or spiral form

4.  AIR flight
maneuver:
a maneuver in which an aircraft makes a continuous banking turn as it descends

5.  ECONOMICS change
in economic cycle: a continuous widening
increase or decrease of prices, wages, or interest rates
adjective

1.  continuously
circling with flat curves: with a flat curve or series
of curves that constantly increase or decrease in size in circling around a
central point

2.  helical:
helical in shape
verb
(past spi·raled or spi·ralled, past participle
spi·raled or spi·ralled, present participle spi·ral·ing
or spi·ral·ling, 3rd person present singular spi·rals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in a spiral: to move or make something move in a
spiral

2.  intransitive
verb
ECONOMICS change
increasingly: to increase or decrease with ever
increasing speed

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shape
something like a spiral: to take on or make something
take on a spiral shape
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin spiralis “coiled,” from Latin spira (see spire 2 ).][1]



spiralbinding

spiralbinding
spi·ral
bind·ing
(plural spi·ral bind·ings) noun

binding
coiled through punched holes: a binding, especially for a
notebook or booklet, in which pages are fastened together with a spiral of wire
or plastic that coils through a series of punched holes
—spi·ral-bound, adjective[1]



spiralgalaxy

spiralgalaxy
spi·ral
gal·ax·y
noun

galaxy with spiral arms:
a galaxy consisting of an older central nucleus of stars from which extend two
spiral arms of gas, dust, and newer stars[1]



spiralof Archimedes

spiralof Archimedes
spi·ral
of Ar·chi·me·des (plural spi·rals of
Ar·chi·me·des) noun

MATHEMATICS spiral
formed by moving point: a spiral curve formed by a
point moving at constant speed to or from a fixed point and along a line
rotating, also at a constant speed, about the point
[Mid-17th century. Named for Archimedes, who described it.][1]



spiralstaircase

spiralstaircase
spi·ral
stair·case
(plural spi·ral stair·cas·es) noun

staircase around central
axis: a staircase that winds
around a central axis, often made of stone or iron[1]



spirant

spirant
spi·rant 
[sprənt] noun (plural spi·rants)
adjective

PHONETICS See fricative
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
spirant-, the present participle stem of spirare “to breathe”
(see spirit ).][1]



spire

spire1
spire1 [spīr]
noun (plural spires)

1.  ARCHITECTURE narrow
tapering structure topping something: a
tall narrow pointed structure on the top of a roof, tower, or steeple

2.  BOTANY pointed
shoot of plant: a slender, upward-pointing part of a
plant such as a blade of grass or the top of a tree

3.  upward-facing
spike:
the top part of something narrow and pointed such as a mountain peak
intransitive
verb
(past spired, past participle spired, present participle
spir·ing, 3rd person present singular spires)

rise to point:
to rise to a narrow point
[Old English spīr .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp point” that is also the
ancestor of English spit 2, spike 1, and spine .][1]



spire

spire2
spire2 [spīr]
(plural spires) noun

1.  spiral:
a spiral or coil

2.  convolution
of spiral:
a convolution of a spiral or coil
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
spira “coil” from Greek speira .][1]



spirea

spirea
spi·re·a 
[spī r ə] (plural spi·re·as) or
spi·rae·a [spī r ə] (plural spi·rae·as)
noun

flowering
shrub:
a shrub of the rose family that has dense clusters of small white or pink
flowers. Genus: Spiraea
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin, genus name, from Greek speiraia “privet” (source of English aspirin ), from speira “coil, twist.”][1]



spirillum

spirillum
spi·ril·lum 
[spī rílləm] (plural spi·ril·la
[spī ríllə]) noun

spiral
or curved bacterium: a spiral-shaped or curved
bacterium with a rigid body requiring oxygen for respiration. Genus: Spirillum
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, genus name, literally “little spiral,” from
Latin spira (see spire 2 ).]
—spi·ril·lar, adjective[1]



Spirit

Spirit
Spir·it 
[spírrət] noun

Holy Spirit:
in Christianity, the Holy Spirit[1]



spirit

spirit
spir·it 
[spírrət] noun (plural spir·its)

1.  life
force of individual: a vital force that
characterizes a living being as being alive

2.  will:
somebody’s will, sense of self, or enthusiasm for living

3.  enthusiasm:
an enthusiasm and energy for living

4.  disposition:
somebody’s personality or temperament • She
has a generous spirit.

5.  attitude:
somebody’s attitude or state of mind • in the
spirit of compromise

6.  group
loyalty:
a sense of enthusiasm and loyalty that somebody feels through belonging to a
group • school
spirit

7.  important
influence:
somebody or something that is a divine, inspiring, or animating influence • one
of the guiding spirits of the Peace Movement

8.  real
meaning:
the intention behind something such as a rule or decree, rather than its
literal interpretation

9.  shared
outlook:
a prevailing mood or outlook characteristic of a place or time

10. PARANORMAL supernatural
entity:
a supernatural being that does not have a physical body, for example, a ghost,
fairy, angel, or demon

11. person:
somebody who shows a specific quality

12. soul:
somebody’s soul, especially that of a dead person

13. BEVERAGES alcoholic
drink:
a strong alcoholic liquor made by distillation (often used in the plural)

14. CHEMISTRY distilled
liquid:
any liquid produced by distillation, especially a distilled solution of ethanol
and water (often used in the plural)

15. CHEMISTRY alcoholic
solution:
a solution of an essence or volatile substance in alcohol (often used in the
plural)
plural
noun
spir·its

mood: a
particular frame of mind or mood
transitive
verb
(past spir·it·ed, past participle spir·it·ed, present
participle spir·it·ing, 3rd person present singular spir·its)

remove secretly:
to take somebody or something away quickly in a secret or mysterious way • spirited
him out of the room
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin spiritus, literally “breath,” from spirare
“to breathe,” of unknown origin. The underlying idea is of the “breath” of
life.]
out
of spirits

sad
or dejected





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin verb spirare, from which spirit
  is derived, is also the source of English aspire,
  conspire, expire, inspire,
  perspire, respire, and transpire.

[1]



spirited

spirited
spir·it·ed 
[spírrətəd] adjective

1.  lively:
lively and vigorous

2.  animated:
with great animation

3.  behaving
in specified way: behaving in a way that has a specified
feeling, mood, or character (usually used in combination) • low-spirited
—spir·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—spir·it·ed·ness, noun[1]



spiritgum

spiritgum
spir·it
gum
noun

adhesive:
a glue made from a solution of gum in ether, used especially to stick false
hair to an actor’s skin[1]



spiritism

spiritism
spir·it·ism 
[spírrə tìzzəm] noun

See
spiritualism  noun 1
—spir·it·ist,
noun

—spir·it·is·tic [spìrrə tístik], adjective[1]



spiritlamp

spiritlamp
spir·it
lamp
(plural spir·it lamps) noun

lamp that burns alcohol:
a lamp that uses alcohol as fuel[1]



spiritless

spiritless
spir·it·less 
[spírrətləss] adjective

apathetic:
lacking courage or energy
—spir·it·less·ly,
adverb

—spir·it·less·ness, noun[1]



spiritlevel

spiritlevel
spir·it
lev·el
(plural spir·it lev·els) noun

See
level  noun 8[1]



spiritoso

spiritoso
spir·i·to·so
[spìrrə tṓssō] adverb

lively:
in a lively and vivacious way, or to be played in this way (used as a
musical direction)
[Early
18th century. From Italian, “spirited.”]
—spi·ri·to·so, adjective[1]



spiritous

spiritous
spir·it·ous 
[spírrətəss] adjective

spirituous:
spirituous (archaic)[1]



spiritsof ammonia

spiritsof ammonia
spir·its
of am·mo·ni·a noun

See
sal volatile[1]



spiritsof hartshorn

spiritsof hartshorn
spir·its
of harts·horn plural noun

ammonium
hydroxide:
ammonium hydroxide (archaic)
[So called because hart’s
horn was an early source of ammonia][1]



spiritsof turpentine

spiritsof turpentine
spir·its
of tur·pen·tine noun

See
turpentine  noun 3[1]



spiritsof wine

spiritsof wine
spir·its
of wine
noun

alcohol:
alcohol (archaic)[1]



spiritual

spiritual
spir·i·tu·al 
[spírrichoo əl] adjective

1.  of
the soul:
relating to the soul or spirit, usually in contrast to material things

2.  RELIGION of
religion:
relating to religious or sacred things rather than worldly things

3.  temperamentally
or intellectually akin: connected by an affinity of
the mind, spirit, or temperament • spiritual
mother of the young artist

4.  refined:
showing great refinement and concern with the higher things in life
noun
(plural spir·i·tu·als)

1.  MUSIC CHRISTIANITY folk hymn:
a religious song, especially one arising from African American culture

2.  things
of the spirit: matters concerning the spirit • He
was deeply concerned with anything to do with the spiritual.
—spiritually,
adverb

—spiritualness, noun[1]



spiritualbouquet

spiritualbouquet
spir·i·tu·al
bou·quet
(plural spir·i·tu·al bou·quets) noun

devotions to be made for
another: in the Roman Catholic
Church, a promise of, or performance of, devotional acts, performed on behalf
of another, for example, in memory of somebody who has died[1]



spiritualism

spiritualism
spir·i·tu·al·ism 
[spírrichoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  PARANORMAL belief
in communication with dead people: the belief that the
spirits of dead people can communicate with the living, especially through
mediums.
Also
called
spiritism

2.  PARANORMAL practices
of communicating with dead people: the practices used
among people who believe that communication occurs between the dead and the
living

3.  RELIGION beliefs
emphasizing spiritual matters: a system of belief
that emphasizes the spiritual nature of existence

4.  PHILOSOPHY philosophy
emphasizing spiritual nature of reality: the
philosophical doctrine that all reality is spiritual, not material

5.  spiritual
state:
the quality or state of being spiritual
—spir·i·tu·al·ist, noun[1]



spirituality

spirituality
spir·i·tu·al·i·ty 
[spìrrichoo állətee] (plural spir·i·tu·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  spiritual
quality:
the quality or condition of being spiritual

2.  CHRISTIANITY church
property or revenue: the property or revenue
belonging to a church or church official (often used in the plural)
Also
called
spiritualty

[1]



spiritualize

spiritualize
spir·i·tu·al·ize 
[spírrichoo əlz] (past spir·i·tu·al·ized,
past participle spir·i·tu·al·ized, present participle spir·i·tu·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular spir·i·tu·al·iz·es [spírrichoo əlīz]) transitive verb

1.  make
spiritual:
to give something a spiritual content

2.  give
spiritual meaning to: to attribute a spiritual
meaning to something
—spir·i·tu·al·i·za·tion
[spìrrichoo ələ záysh’n], noun

—spir·i·tu·al·iz·er [spírrichoo ə lzər], noun[1]



spiritualty

spiritualty
spir·i·tu·al·ty 
[spìrrichoo àllətee] (plural spir·i·tu·al·ties)
noun

CHRISTIANITY
See spirituality  noun 2[1]



spirituel

spirituel
spir·i·tu·el
[spìrrichoo él] or spir·i·tu·elle
[spìrrichoo él] adjective

with
refined mind: showing a refined and graceful intellect
[Late 17th century. Spirituel
from French (see spiritual ), the masculine
form; spirituelle from French, the feminine form.][1]



spirituous

spirituous
spir·i·tu·ous 
[spírrichoo əss] adjective

alcoholic:
containing alcohol or made by distillation (formal)
—spir·i·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



spiritusasper

spiritusasper
spir·i·tus
as·per 
[spìrritəss áspər] noun

rough
breathing:
a rough breathing (technical)
[From Latin, “rough breath”][1]



spirituslenis

spirituslenis
spir·i·tus
le·nis 
[spìrritəss lnəss] noun

smooth
breathing:
a smooth breathing (technical)
[From Latin, “smooth breath”][1]



spiritvarnish

spiritvarnish
spir·it
var·nish
(plural spir·it var·nish·es) noun

varnish of resin in alcohol:
a varnish consisting of a resin dissolved in alcohol[1]



spiro-

spiro-
spiro-
prefix

breathing,
respiration • spirograph
[From Latin spirare
“to breathe”][1]



spirochete

spirochete
spi·ro·chete 
[sprə kt] (plural spi·ro·chetes)
noun

spiral-shaped
bacterium:
a coiled rod-shaped bacterium. The causative agents of syphilis and relapsing
fever are spirochetes. Order: Spirochaetales
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Spirochaeta, genus name, from Latin spira “coil” + chaeta
“hair.”][1]



spirochetosis

spirochetosis
spi·ro·che·to·sis 
[sprōki tṓssəss] (plural spi·ro·che·to·ses
[sprōki tṓsz]) noun

disease caused by spirochete:
a disease caused by a spirochete[1]



spirograph

spirograph
spi·ro·graph 
[sprə gràf] (plural spi·ro·graphs)
noun

instrument
that records breathing: an instrument that makes a
record of the depth and rapidity of somebody’s breathing
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin spirare “to breathe” + -graph .]
—spi·ro·graph·ic
[sprə gráffik], adjective

—spi·ro·graph·i·cal·ly
[sprə gráffiklee], adverb

—spi·rog·ra·phy [spī róggrə fee], noun[1]



spirogyra

spirogyra
spi·ro·gy·ra 
[sprə jrə] (plural spi·ro·gy·ras)
noun

freshwater
alga:
a multicellular freshwater green alga. Genus: Spirogyra
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin spira “coil” + Greek guros
“round.”][1]



spiroid

spiroid
spi·roid 
[sp royd] adjective

spiral-shaped:
resembling a spiral in shape
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin spira “coil” (see spire 2 ).][1]



spirometer

spirometer
spi·rom·e·ter 
[spī rommətər] (plural spi·rom·e·ters)
noun

device
for measuring lung capacity: an instrument for measuring
the capacity of the lungs
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin spirare “to breathe” + -meter .]
—spi·ro·met·ric
[sprə méttrik], adjective

—spi·rom·e·try [spī rómmətree], noun[1]



spironolactone

spironolactone
spi·ro·no·lac·tone 
[sprənō láktōn] noun

drug
used to treat hypertension: a steroid used with other
drugs in treating hypertension. C24H32O4S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from spirolactone, name of a steroid derivative (from Latin spira
“coil” + lactone ) by inserting -one .][1]



spiry

spiry
spir·y
adjective

like
spire:
shaped like a spire (literary)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from spire 1 .][1]



spit

spit2
spit2 [spit]
noun (plural spits)

1.  COOKING thin
rod for roasting something: a thin rod on which
something is impaled for roasting over a fire

2.  GEOGRAPHY land
projecting from shore: an elongated point of land
or shoal projecting into a body of water
transitive
verb
(past spit·ted, past participle spit·ted, present
participle spit·ting, 3rd person present singular spits)

impale: to
impale somebody or something on a roasting spit or on any long sharp pointed
thing
[Old English spitu .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “sharp point” that is also the
ancestor of English spike 1, spire 1, and spine .][1]



spital

spital
spit·al 
[spítt’l] (plural spit·als) noun

charity
hospital:
a hospital, especially for people with leprosy or others in need (archaic)
[14th century. Shortening of hospital .][1]



spitand polish

spitand polish
spit
and pol·ish
noun

attention to neatness of
appearance: meticulous care in
presenting a neat appearance, especially in the armed forces (informal)[1]



spitball

spitball
spit·ball 
[spít bàwl] (plural spit·balls)
noun

1.  chewed
paper wad:
a tiny wad of paper chewed and moistened with saliva that is thrown as a prank.

Also
called
spitter

2.  BASEBALL illegal
baseball pitch: an illegal pitch that is made to curve
deceptively because it has been moistened with saliva

[1]



spitchcock

spitchcock
spitch·cock 
[spích kòk] (plural spitch·cocks)
noun

split
and cooked eel: an eel split and then grilled or fried.
See
also
spatchcock
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spitcurl

spitcurl
spit
curl
(plural spit curls) noun

dampened
curl of hair: a spiral curl of dampened hair that is
laid flat against the skin of the cheek or forehead.
U.K.
term
kiss curl
[From its being fixed in
place with saliva][1]



spite

spite
spite 
[spīt] noun

petty
ill will:
a malicious, usually small-minded desire to harm or humiliate somebody
transitive
verb
(past spit·ed, past participle spit·ed, present
participle spit·ing, 3rd person present singular spites)

act
maliciously toward: to harm, hinder, or
humiliate somebody out of small-minded malice
[13th
century. Shortening of despite .]
in
spite of

notwithstanding, or without
taking account of something[1]



spiteful

spiteful
spite·ful 
[sptf’l] adjective

vindictive
in petty way: full of or showing petty maliciousness
—spite·ful·ly,
adverb

—spite·ful·ness, noun[1]



Spitfire

Spitfire
Spit·fire
(plural Spit·fires) noun

fighter aircraft:
a British fighter plane used by the Royal Air Force during World War II[1]



spitfire

spitfire
spit·fire 
[spít fr] (plural spit·fires)
noun

somebody
excitable and quick-tempered: somebody who is very
quick-tempered
[Late 17th century. The
underlying meaning is “spitting out sparks.”][1]



spitter

spitter
spit·ter 
[spíttər] (plural spit·ters) noun

See
spitball  noun 1
[14th century. Formed from spit 1 .][1]



spittingcobra

spittingcobra
spit·ting
co·bra 
(plural spit·ting co·bras) noun

See
ringhals[1]



spittingdistance

spittingdistance
spit·ting
dis·tance
noun

short distance:
a short enough distance to seem within reach (informal)[1]



spittingimage

spittingimage
spit·ting
im·age
noun

exact likeness:
an exact likeness of somebody (informal)[1]



spittle

spittle
spit·tle 
[spítt’l] noun

1.  saliva
ejected from mouth: saliva, especially that has
been or is about to be expelled from the mouth

2.  something
resembling frothy saliva: something that looks like
frothy saliva, especially the secretions from spittlebugs deposited on plants (
cuckoo spit )
[15th century. Alteration
(under the influence of spit 1 ), of
earlier spattle, from Old English spātl “spittle,” from the same
prehistoric Germanic base as spit 1 .][1]



spittlebug

spittlebug
spit·tle·bug 
[spítt’l bùg] (plural spit·tle·bugs)
or spit·tle in·sect [spítt’l bùg]
(plural spit·tle in·sects) noun

jumping insect:
a small jumping plant-sucking insect whose larvae produce cuckoo spit.
Also called
froghopper
U.K. term
froghopper[1]



spittoon

spittoon
spit·toon 
[spi tn] (plural spit·toons) noun

receptacle
for spittle: a container for people to spit into.
Spittoons, which used to be common in public places like bars, were especially
used by men who chewed tobacco.
Also
called
cuspidor
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from spit 1 .][1]



spitup

spitup
spit
up
transitive verb

regurgitate:
to regurgitate or cough up something (refers to babies)[1]



spitz

spitz
spitz 
[spits] (plural spitz·es) noun

dog
with curly tail: a breed of dog with a dense heavy coat,
erect pointed ears, and a tightly curled tail. Pomeranians and Samoyeds are
spitzes.
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of German Spitzhund, literally “pointed dog.”][1]



spiv

spiv
spiv 
[spiv] (plural spivs) noun

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a man whose way of dressing is considered
ostentatiously stylish and whose integrity is doubted (slang insult)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—spiv·vy, adjective[1]



splanchnic

splanchnic
splanch·nic 
[splángknik] adjective

intestinal:
relating to the intestines (technical)
[Late 17th century. From
modern Latin splanchnicus, from, ultimately, Greek splagkhna
“entrails.”][1]



splash

splash

splash 
[splash] verb (past splashed,
past participle splashed, present participle splash·ing,
3rd person present singular splash·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spatter
liquid:
to make a liquid scatter or fall in drops or larger amounts • The
children were splashing in the pool. • She
splashed water over the side of the bath.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
spattered about: to scatter or fly up in drops or larger
amounts • The
waves splashed against the rocks.

3.  transitive
verb
spatter
drops of liquid on: to wet or dirty something by
spattering it with liquid • She
splashed her blouse with the hot tea.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
while splashing: to make your way through water or
another liquid, scattering it about • They
splashed through the puddles.

5.  transitive
verb
add
contrasts to: to apply contrasting color or light to
something

6.  transitive
verb
display
prominently: to display something such as a news
headline, story, or photograph conspicuously (usually passive) • The
story was splashed across the front page.
noun (plural
splash·es)

1.  prominent
display:
a conspicuous display, e.g. a prominent news headline, story, or photograph

2.  noise
of water scattering: an act or sound of splashing

3.  patch
of color:
an area of contrasting color or light, often irregular • The
dark forest was dappled with splashes of moonlight.

4.  tiny
amount of liquid: a very small quantity of one liquid
added to another (informal) • Just a
splash of milk in my coffee, please.

5.  something
splashed:
something that is splashed

6.  mark
caused by splash: a mark or stain made by something
splashing or being splashed • The
backs of her legs were covered with splashes.
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of plash
.]
make a splash

to attract a great deal of
attention or publicity[1]



splashboard

splashboard
splash·board 
[splásh bàwrd] (plural splash·boards)
noun

1.  NAUTICAL protective
screen on boat: a screen for preventing water from
splashing into a boat

2.  AUTOMOTIVE protection
against splashes on motor vehicle: a protective guard
that prevents mud or water from splashing the upper part of a motor vehicle and
the people traveling in it

[1]



splashdown

splashdown
splash·down 
[splásh down] (plural splash·downs)
noun

landing on water after
flight: the landing of a spacecraft
or missile in the sea after a flight[1]



splashdown

splashdown
splash
down
[splásh dòwn] intransitive verb

AEROSPACE
land in sea:
to land in the sea after a flight in space[1]



splashguard

splashguard
splash·guard
[splásh grd] (plural splash·guards)
noun

AUTOMOTIVE
flap behind wheel:
a flap attached behind the wheel of a vehicle to prevent mud or water from
splashing up onto the vehicle, or onto the vehicles following.
Also called
mudguard
Also called
mud flap
U.K. term
mud flap[1]



splashy

splashy
splash·y 
[spláshee] (comparative splash·i·er,
superlative splash·i·est) adjective

1.  attracting
notice:
attracting a lot of attention (informal)

2.  colorful:
with lots of bright colors

3.  making
splashes:
with great splashing of liquid
—splash·i·ly,
adverb

—splash·i·ness, noun[1]



splat

splat

splat
[splat] noun (plural splats)
wet
smacking sound: a sound made when something soft and wet
hits something hard
adverb
with
smack:
with a wet smacking sound
interjection
imitating
impact:
used to imitate the sound made when something soft and wet hits something hard
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



splatter

splatter
splat·ter 
[spláttər] intransitive and transitive
verb (past splat·tered, past participle splat·tered,
present participle splat·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular
splat·ters)

to
spatter:
to spatter or splash something, or to be spattered or splashed
noun
(plural splat·ters)

a
spatter:
a spatter or splash
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of spatter and splash .][1]



splatterpunk

splatterpunk
splat·ter·punk
[spláttər pùngk] noun

gore and violence:
a form of narrative such as a story, movie, or comic strip that contains a lot
of gory violence (slang)[1]



splay

splay
splay 
[splay] intransitive and transitive verb
(past splayed, past participle splayed, present
participle splay·ing, 3rd person present singular splays)

1.  spread
wide and outward: to spread out something such as the
fingers or toes

2.  turn
out awkwardly: to turn something awkwardly outward

3.  ARCHITECTURE make
sides of something slant: to give something or have
obliquely sloping edges, for example, an opening in a wall that is bigger on
one side than the other
adjective

1.  spread
flat and outward: sloping, turning, or spread flatly and
outward

2.  turned
awkwardly outward: turned awkwardly outward
noun
(plural splays)

ARCHITECTURE slant
to sides of opening: an oblique slope given to
the edges of something such as an opening in a wall, so that the opening is
bigger on one side than the other
[14th century. Shortening of display .][1]



Splayd

Splayd
Splayd
[splayd] Trademark

Australia
a trademark for a utensil shaped like a spoon with tines at the end like a fork
and a sharp edge on one side like a knife[1]



splayfoot

splayfoot
splay·foot 
[spláy ft] (plural splay·feet
[spláy ft]) noun

1.  flat,
outwardly turned foot: a foot with fallen arches,
often with widely spread toes, or the condition that causes this.
See
also
flatfoot

2.  outspread
foot:
a foot that is excessively turned outward, or the condition causing it
—splay·foot·ed,
adjective

—splay·foot·ed·ly, adverb[1]



spleen

spleen

spleen 
[spleen] (plural spleens) noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY organ
in abdomen:
a vascular ductless organ in the left upper abdomen of humans and other
vertebrates that helps to destroy old red blood cells, form lymphocytes, and
store blood

2.  bad
temper:
anger or bad temper
[13th century. Via Latin from
Greek splēn .][1]



spleenful

spleenful
spleen·ful 
[splnf’l] adjective

See
splenetic  adjective 1
—spleen·ful·ly, adverb[1]



spleenwort

spleenwort
spleen·wort 
[spln wùrt, spln
wàwrt] (plural spleen·worts) noun

evergreen
fern:
an evergreen fern of temperate and tropical regions that has feathery fronds.
Genus: Asplenium
[Late 16th century. From the
former belief that it cured illnesses of the spleen.][1]



splendent

splendent
splen·dent 
[spléndənt] adjective (literary)

1.  lustrous:
reflecting light so that it shines

2.  illustrious:
distinguished in a particular field or endeavor
[15th century. From Latin splendere
“to shine.”][1]



splendid

splendid
splen·did 
[spléndəd] adjective

1.  magnificent:
impressive because of quality or size

2.  radiant:
reflecting light brilliantly

3.  excellent:
excellent or highly enjoyable

4.  acclaimed:
very well known and acclaimed
[Early
17th century. From Latin splendidus, from splendere “to shine”
(source also of English splendor and resplendent
).]
—splen·did·ness, noun[1]



splendidly

splendidly
splen·did·ly
[spléndədlee] adverb

admirably:
in a fine or admirable way • a
splendidly restored old castle[1]



splendiferous

splendiferous
splen·dif·er·ous 
[splen díffərəss] adjective

magnificent:
magnificent and wonderful (humorous)
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from splendor .]
—splen·dif·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—splen·dif·er·ous·ness,
noun[1]



splendor

splendor
splen·dor 
[spléndər] noun

1.  magnificence:
the condition of being magnificent, impressive, or brilliant

2.  something
splendid:
something that is magnificent, impressive, or brilliant • the
splendors of Ancient Greece
[15th
century. Directly and via Old French from Latin splendor, from splendere
“to shine” (source also of English splendid
).]
—splen·dor·ous, adjective[1]



splendour

splendour
splen·dour 
noun

U.K. =
splendor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








splenectomy

splenectomy
sple·nec·to·my 
[splə néktəmee] (plural sple·nec·to·mies)
noun

operation
to remove spleen: surgical removal of the spleen
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek splēn “spleen” + -ectomy
.][1]



splenetic

splenetic
sple·net·ic 
[splə néttik] adjective

1.  bad-tempered:
extremely bad-tempered or spiteful

2.  of
spleen:
relating to the spleen (dated)
noun
(plural sple·net·ics)

somebody bad-tempered:
somebody who is bad-tempered or spiteful
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin spleneticus, from splen “spleen.”]
—sple·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



splenic

splenic
splen·ic 
[splnik, splénnik]
adjective

of
spleen:
relating to, in, or near the spleen
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Greek splēn “spleen.”][1]



splenius

splenius
sple·ni·us 
[splnee əss] (plural sple·ni·i
[splnee ]) noun

muscle
on side of neck: either of two muscles on each side of
the neck that reach from the base of the skull to the upper back and rotate and
extend the head and neck
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek splēnion “bandage, compress.”]
—sple·ni·al, adjective[1]



splenomegaly

splenomegaly
sple·no·meg·a·ly 
[spl nō méggəlee, splènnə
méggəlee] noun

enlargement
of spleen:
abnormal enlargement of the spleen
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek splēn “spleen” + the Greek stem megal- “great.”][1]



splice

splice
splice 
[splīss] transitive verb (past
spliced, past participle spliced, present participle
splic·ing, 3rd person present singular splic·es)

1.  SAILING CONSTRUCTION interweave strands of
two ropes:
to join two pieces of rope or wire by weaving the strands of each into the
other

2.  CINEMA RECORDING join ends of film or tape:
to join the ends of two pieces of film or magnetic tape, for example, in
editing

3.  WOODWORK join
pieces of wood: to join two pieces of wood together by
overlapping them and bolting or otherwise attaching them

4.  GENETICS join
genetic material: to join together or insert pieces of
genetic material when altering the genetic structure of something or when
forming a new combination

5.  marry
two people:
to join a couple in marriage (slang) (often passive)
noun
(plural splic·es)

1.  connection:
a join made by connecting two pieces of something

2.  junction
of splicing: the junction where something has been
spliced
[Early
16th century. From Middle Dutch splissen . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “to split” that is also the ancestor of English split, splint,
and splinter .]
—splic·er, noun[1]



spliff

spliff
spliff 
[splif] (plural spliffs) noun

marijuana
cigarette:
a marijuana cigarette (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spline

spline
spline 
[splīn] (plural splines) noun

1.  flat
key formed in shaft: a flat, relatively narrow
key that is integral to a shaft, produced by milling a longitudinal groove

2.  guide
for drawing curves: a flat, flexible strip of
something used in drawing curved lines

3.  See
slat  noun 1

4.  connecting
strip:
a thin narrow piece of wood, metal, or plastic that fits onto or into the edges
of tiles or boards and connects them together
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps related to splinter .][1]



splint

splint
splint 
[splint] noun (plural splints)

1.  MEDICINE device
to immobilize broken bone: a strip of rigid material
used to keep a broken bone or other injured body part from moving

2.  CRAFT strip
of wood used in basketry: a thin strip of wood used to
weave something such as a basket or chair seat

3.  See
splinter  noun 1

4.  wood
sliver for lighting fires: a sliver of wood used to
carry a flame, for example, to light a fire or a candle

5.  MILITARY HISTORY metal plate in armor:
any of the overlapping metal plates or strips used in making a suit of armor

6.  VETERINARY MEDICINE enlargement
of horse’s leg bone: a condition that occurs in
young horses, consisting of painful bony outgrowths in or near the splint bones
on the inner sides of the legs
transitive
verb
(past splint·ed, past participle splint·ed, present
participle splint·ing, 3rd person present singular splints)

1.  immobilize
injured part: to immobilize a broken bone or injured
body part with a rigid support

2.  strengthen:
to give support or added strength to something
[13th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch splinte .][1]



splintbone

splintbone
splint
bone
(plural splint bones) noun

bone in horse’s leg:
either of a pair of thin bones on either side of the cannon bone in the lower
legs of horses and other hoofed animals[1]



splinter

splinter
splin·ter 
[splíntər] noun (plural splin·ters)

1.  thin
sharp fragment: a small thin sharp piece of wood, metal,
stone, glass, or other material broken from a larger piece.
Also
called
splint

2.  bomb
fragment:
a metal fragment thrown from an exploding bomb or shell

3.  See
splinter group
intransitive
and transitive verb (past splin·tered,
past participle splin·tered, present participle splin·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular splin·ters)

1.  break
into sharp fragments: to break something or be
broken into thin sharp fragments

2.  divide
group:
to split a larger group into factions or independent groups, or to be split in
this way
[14th
century. From Middle Dutch . Ultimately from the same base as splint .]
—splin·ter·y, adjective[1]



splintergroup

splintergroup
splin·ter
group
(plural splin·ter groups) noun

group split from another:
a group formed by individuals who have dissociated themselves from a larger
organization, usually because of disagreement.
Also called
splinter[1]



split

split
split 
[split] verb (past split,
past participle split, present participle split·ting,
3rd person present singular splits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
lengthwise:
to divide something or be divided lengthwise into two or more parts, usually by
force

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb burst:
to burst apart or rip something apart

3.  transitive
verb
affect
violently:
to disturb or disrupt something with a violently jarring presence

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb separate
into parts:
to divide a whole into parts, or to be separated from the rest or from a whole

5.  transitive
verb
separate
by adding something between: to separate a whole into its
components by interposing something

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb divide
into factions: to separate from a main group, or make a
group divide into factions, because of disagreement

7.  transitive
verb
share:
to share something among a group

8.  transitive
verb
POLITICS divide
vote for candidates: to divide a vote between
candidates of different parties

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb depart:
to leave a place (slang)

10. transitive
verb
SPORTS win
half of games: to win half the games of a series or one
of a double-header

11. transitive
verb
FINANCE divide
shares of stock: to divide shares of stock so that
shareholders receive more shares at a proportionately lower value, leaving the
total value unchanged
noun
(plural splits)

1.  act
of breaking apart: the action of breaking or
splitting something

2.  crack:
a crack or break in something, especially one that runs lengthways

3.  fragment:
a piece broken off from the whole

4.  division
through disagreement: a breach in a group, caused
by a disagreement between members

5.  portion:
a share, especially a share of money (informal)

6.  FOOD ice
cream dessert: a dessert of fruit with ice cream and a
topping of flavored syrup, nuts, and whipped cream

7.  CRAFT strip of
wood for basketry: a strip of flexible wood,
usually willow, used for basketry

8.  layer
of animal hide: a single thickness of animal hide other
than the outermost layer

9.  INDUSTRY leather:
leather made from a single inner layer of animal hide

10. BEVERAGES half-bottle:
a half-bottle of alcohol or carbonated beverage

11. BEVERAGES half-glass:
a half-glass of an alcoholic beverage

12. WINE quarter-size
wine bottle: a wine bottle holding 0.1875 liters6 to
6.5 ounces

13. SPORTS arrangement
of standing bowling pins: in ten-pin bowling, a batch
of remaining pins in which the pins are clustered into two groups with a large
gap in between
plural
noun
splits

gymnastic action:
a gymnastic action in which the legs are fully extended in opposite directions
until the body is sitting on or very close to the floor (takes a singular
verb) • do
the splits
adjective

1.  broken:
broken, divided, or separated into parts

2.  disunited:
divided because of disagreement

3.  FINANCE divided
into smaller stock units: used to describe shares of
stock that have been divided into smaller units
[Late
16th century. From Dutch splitten .]
—split·ter, noun[1]



Split

Split
Split 
[split]

chief city and port of
Dalmatia, southern Croatia, on the Adriatic Sea. Population: 189,388 (1991)[1]



splitbrain

splitbrain
split
brain
(plural split brains) noun

brain with hemispheres
unconnected: a brain that has the
corpus callosum surgically severed or missing from birth, so that the two
hemispheres of the brain are not connected[1]



splitdecision

splitdecision
split
de·ci·sion
(plural split de·ci·sions) noun

BOXING
win by a majority:
in boxing, a win awarded by a majority of judges, rather than by a unanimous
decision[1]



splitend

splitend
split
end
(plural split ends) noun

1.  FOOTBALL offensive
player:
a player at the end of an offensive line that lines up some distance outside
the rest of the line

2.  HAIRDRESSING hair
strand with damaged end: a hair with a damaged end
that has separated into strands

[1]



splitinfinitive

splitinfinitive
split
in·fin·i·tive (plural split in·fin·i·tives)
noun

phrase
separating “to” and verb: an infinitive in which the
“to” and the verb are separated by another word, as in the phrase “to seriously
think”

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  What
  is wrong with a split infinitive?
  The
  split infinitive is a stylistic issue that
  has been rationalized into a grammatical one. There is no grammatical basis
  for rejecting split infinitives, since to regard an infinitive with to
  as inseparable has no support in the typical structures of English grammar,
  which freely separates particles, auxiliary verbs, and other devices from the
  words to which they belong (e.g. • I
  have never been to Paris separates have from
  been . The issue is one of style and not of grammar. If splitting an
  infinitive produces awkwardness, it is better to avoid it, but if the split
  is natural and supports or clarifies the meaning, there can be no objection
  to it. The adverb belongs closely with the verb in cases such as • They
  agreed to flatly forbid such actions and
  • They
  were plotting to secretly copy the files but
  can be moved to a more comfortable position in other cases such as • We
  expect to further modernize our services
  (revise as: • … to modernize our
  services further ) and • I
  would like to briefly mention a few points
  (revise to: • I would like briefly
  to …
  ). It is usually advisable to avoid splitting the infinitive with an
  adverbial phrase (e.g., • They
  were trying to in some way improve the situation ).
  In some cases, however, even an adverbial phrase cannot be separated from its
  verb: • Prices
  are likely to more than double (in which more
  than double is effectively regarded as a set verb phrase). The guiding
  principle, in sum, is that the split infinitive has a long history of use and
  is not a cardinal sin; it is acceptable when the rhythm and meaning of the
  sentence call for it or when its use is that of a set verb phrase. It should
  be avoided (either by repositioning or by rephrasing) when it seems stilted
  or awkward, or especially in formal writing where its inclusion may draw
  criticism.

[1]



split-level

split-level
split-lev·el 
adjective

with
floor on different levels: used to describe the floor
of a room that is on different levels with steps between them
—split-lev·el, noun[1]



splitpea

splitpea
split
pea
(plural split peas) noun

dried pea used in soup:
a pea that has been shelled, dried, and split in half, used especially in soup[1]



splitpersonality

splitpersonality
split
per·son·al·i·ty noun

1.  PSYCHIATRY See multiple personality

2.  tendency
to mood swings: a tendency toward erratic mood or
temperament changes

[1]



splitpin

splitpin
split
pin
(plural split pins) noun

metal pin fastening things
together: a two-pronged metal pin that
holds things together when its prongs are passed through holes on both parts
and then bent back[1]



splitrail

splitrail
split
rail
(plural split rails) noun

wood fence rail:
a fence rail split lengthwise from a log[1]



splitring

splitring
split
ring
(plural split rings) noun

spiral ring:
a small steel ring with two spiral turns, often used as a key ring or as a
means of fastening two parts together[1]



splitscreen

splitscreen
split
screen
(plural split screens) noun

divided movie screen:
a movie or television screen frame divided into more than one image[1]



split-second

split-second
split-sec·ond
adjective

instantaneous:
carried out instantly, or depending on instant skill or judgment[1]



splitsecond

splitsecond
split
sec·ond
(plural split sec·onds) noun

very short time:
an extremely brief amount of time[1]



splitshift

splitshift
split
shift
(plural split shifts) noun

divided work period:
a single work period that is divided into two or more sessions of work,
separated by an interval that is longer than a normal rest or meal break[1]



splitstitch

splitstitch
split
stitch
(plural split stitch·es) noun

back stitch:
a back stitch in which each new stitch is made through the center of the
previous one[1]



splitticket

splitticket
split
tick·et
(plural split tick·ets) noun

POLITICS
vote split between parties:
a ballot cast by a voter for candidates of more than one political party[1]



splitting

splitting
split·ting 
[splítting] adjective

painful:
causing intense pain • a
splitting headache
noun

PSYCHIATRY
Freudian defense mechanism:
a Freudian defense mechanism in which somebody separates something unpleasant
such as an idea into parts that are each less threatening than the whole[1]



split-up

split-up
split-up
(plural split-ups) noun

separation:
an instance or the act of separating, for example, the ending of a relationship
between two people[1]



splitup

splitup
split
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
end
relationship: to end a relationship or a marriage

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
people different ways: to go off in a different
direction or send individuals off in different directions

3.  transitive
verb
divide
into parts:
to divide something into separate parts

[1]



splotch

splotch
splotch 
[sploch] noun (plural splotch·es)

large
spot:
a large irregular spot, stain, or discoloration.
U.K.
term
splodge
transitive
verb
(past splotched, past participle splotched, present
participle splotch·ing, 3rd person present singular splotch·es)

stain
something:
to mark, stain, or discolor something with one or more large spots.
U.K.
term
splodge
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of spot, blot, and botch
.][1]



splurge

splurge
splurge 
[splurj] verb (past splurged,
past participle splurged, present participle splurg·ing,
3rd person present singular splurg·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
indulge:
to indulge in something extravagant or expensive (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
spend
money extravagantly: to spend money in an
extravagant or wasteful way
noun
(plural splurg·es) (informal)

1.  bout
of extravagance: a period of indulgence or extravagant
spending

2.  grand
display:
a showy display of something such as wealth
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a blend of splash and surge .][1]



splutter

splutter
splut·ter 
[splúttər] verb (past splut·tered,
past participle splut·tered, present participle splut·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular splut·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
spitting sound: to make a spitting or choking sound

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
incoherently: to say something in a choking incoherent
manner

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb spit
something out: to scatter saliva, liquid, or particles
of food from the mouth
noun
(plural splut·ters)

1.  incoherent
speech:
a burst of choking incoherent speech

2.  choking
noise:
a spitting choking noise
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of sputter .]
—splut·ter·er,
noun

—splut·ter·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



Spock,Dr.

Spock,Dr.

Spock
[spok], Dr. (1903–1998)
U.S.
pediatrician and political activist. His Book of Baby and Child Care,
first published in 1946, which went through numerous editions and sold tens of
millions of copies worldwide, popularized a new, permissive philosophy of
parenting. He was a vociferous public opponent of the Vietnam War (1959–1975)
and of nuclear weapons.
Full name
Spock, Benjamin McLane[1]



Spode

Spode
Spode
[spōd] Trademark

a trademark for a
high-quality porcelain or bone china[1]



spodumene

spodumene
spod·u·mene 
[spójjə mn] noun

primary
ore of lithium: a grayish white, greenish, or lilac
mineral, found as large translucent crystals, that consists of a silicate of
lithium and aluminum and is the chief source of lithium. The green variety ( hiddenite ) and the lilac variety ( kunzite ) are used as gemstones.
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Greek spodoumenos, literally “burned to ashes,” from spodos
“ashes”; from its grayish color.][1]



spoil

spoil
spoil 
[spoyl] verb (past spoiled
or spoilt, past participle spoiled or spoilt
[spoylt], present participle spoil·ing,
3rd person present singular spoils)

1.  transitive
verb
impair:
to damage or ruin something in such a way that a quality such as worth, beauty,
or usefulness, is diminished

2.  transitive
verb
harm
by overindulgence: to harm a person’s
character, especially a child’s, by repeated overindulgence

3.  transitive
verb
treat
indulgently: to treat somebody with indulgence out of
a desire to please • The hotel staff really
spoiled us.

4.  transitive
verb
cause
to seem unsatisfactory: to be so good by comparison
with something else that what is usually offered no longer seems satisfactory • All
that sun spoils you for vacations in the far North.

5.  intransitive
verb
become
rotten:
to become unfit to eat because of decay

6.  transitive
verb
take
property from: to take somebody’s property by force or
violence (archaic)
noun
(plural spoils)

1.  waste
from excavation: waste material removed from an
excavation

2.  stealing:
the act of plundering (archaic)
plural
noun
spoils

1.  property
seized by victor: valuables or property seized by the
victor in a conflict

2.  something
gained through effort: something valuable or
desirable gained through effort, opportunism, or other means

3.  rewards
and benefits of winning: the rewards and benefits
considered by a winning political party to be its due
[13th
century. Via Old French espoillier “to plunder, despoil” from Latin spoliare,
from spolium “booty.”]
be
spoiling for something

be eager for something,
usually a conflict or confrontation • spoiling
for a victory after last year’s losses[1]



spoilage

spoilage
spoil·age 
[spóylij] noun

1.  decaying:
the process of decaying or becoming damaged, or such a condition

2.  waste:
waste arising from decay or damage

3.  amount
wasted:
the amount of something wasted because of decay or damage

[1]



spoiled

spoiled
spoiled
[spoyld] adjective

1.  ruined:
severely or irrevocably impaired, for example, by damage or decay

2.  overindulged:
willful or selfish because of having been overindulged

[1]



spoiler

spoiler
spoil·er 
[spóylər] (plural spoil·ers) noun

1.  AIR airfoil
for controlling lift and drag: a narrow hinged
airfoil attached lengthwise to the upper surface of an aircraft wing. It is
raised to increase drag and reduce lift during banking and descent.

2.  AUTOMOTIVE automobile
air deflector: a fixed air deflector on the rear of an
automobile, designed to keep it on the ground during high speeds

3.  somebody
who can ruin another’s win: a candidate for office, or a
competitor in sports, who cannot win but can or does prevent an opponent from
doing so

4.  somebody
who wrecks something: somebody or something that
ruins or wrecks something

5.  robber:
somebody or something that robs or pillages

[1]



spoilsport

spoilsport
spoil·sport 
[spóyl spàwrt] (plural spoil·sports)
noun

somebody who spoils others’
fun: somebody whose conduct
spoils the plans or pleasure of others[1]



spoilssystem

spoilssystem
spoils
sys·tem 
noun

political practice:
the practice of a winning political party giving government jobs and public
appointments to its supporters[1]



spoilt

spoilt
spoilt 
verb

Past tense of
spoil Past participle of spoil[1]



Spokane

Spokane
Spo·kane 
[spō káyn]

1.  river
in the northwestern United States. It rises in Idaho and flows across
Washington State into the Columbia River. Length: 195 km/120 mi.

2.  city
in eastern Washington. Situated on the falls of the Spokane River, it is a
commercial and manufacturing center. Population: 177,196 (1990)

[1]



spoke

spoke2
spoke2 verb

Past tense of
speak[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spoke

spoke1
spoke1 [spōk]
(plural spokes) noun

1.  supporting
rod for wheel rim: any of the bars or rods that
extend from the hub of a wheel to support or brace the rim

2.  knob
on ship’s wheel: any of the knobs that stick out from the
rim of a ship’s wheel

3.  rung:
a rung of a ladder
[Old English spāca .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “pointed object” that is also the
ancestor of English spike and spine .][1]



spoken

spoken
spo·ken 
[spṓkən] verb

Past participle of
speak
adjective

1.  vocal:
expressed with the voice • the
spoken word

2.  speaking
in particular way: speaking in a stated way,
for example, with a particular voice quality, accent, command of the language,
or attitude (used in combination) • well-spoken
be
spoken for

1.  to
be already owned or reserved by somebody

2.  to
be already married, engaged or romantically committed to somebody (dated)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at verbal

[1]



spokesman

spokesman
spokes·man 
[spṓksmən] (plural spokes·men
[spṓksmən]) noun

somebody
speaking on behalf of another: somebody authorized to
speak on behalf of another person or other people
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from spoke 2 .][1]



spokesperson

spokesperson
spokes·per·son 
[spṓks pùrss’n] (plural spokes·peo·ple
[spṓks pp’l]) noun

somebody
speaking on behalf of somebody else: a
spokesman or spokeswoman
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on spokesman .][1]



spokeswoman

spokeswoman
spokes·wom·an 
[spṓks wmmən] (plural spokes·wom·en
[spṓks wìmmən]) noun

woman
speaking on behalf of others: a woman authorized to speak
on behalf of another person or other people
[Mid-17th century. Modeled on
spokesman .][1]



spoliation

spoliation
spo·li·a·tion 
[splee áysh’n] (plural spo·li·a·tions)
noun

1.  plundering:
the seizing of things by force

2.  seizure
of ships:
the seizure or plundering of neutral ships at sea by a belligerent power in
time of war

3.  alteration
of document: the alteration or destruction of a
document so as to make it invalid or unusable as evidence
[15th
century. From the Latin stem spoliation-, from spoliare (see spoil ).]
—spo·li·a·tor·y [spṓlee ə tàwree], adjective[1]



spondaic

spondaic
spon·da·ic 
[spon dáy ik] adjective

POETRY of
spondees:
relating to spondees or written in spondees
[Late 16th century. From
French spondaïque, from, ultimately, Greek spondeios (see spondee ).][1]



spondee

spondee
spon·dee 
[spón d] (plural spon·dees) noun

POETRY unit
of poetic rhythm: a unit of rhythm in poetry ( foot ), consisting of two long or stressed
syllables
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek spondeios, literally “libational,” from spondē
“libation”; so called because the spondee was often used in songs accompanying
libations.][1]



spondylitis

spondylitis
spon·dy·li·tis 
[spòndə ltiss] noun

inflammation
of vertebrae: inflammation of the vertebrae and the
attached disks and ligaments
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin spondylus “vertebra,” from Greek spondulos, of unknown
origin.][1]



sponge

sponge
sponge 
[spunj] noun (plural spong·es)

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY marine
animal:
a chiefly marine invertebrate animal with a porous fibrous skeleton composed of
calcium carbonate, silica, and spongin. Sponges often live in colonies and
attach themselves to underwater objects. Phylum: Porifera
Also
called
poriferan

2.  HOUSEHOLD natural
material used for bathing: a lightweight porous
absorbent piece of the skeleton of some sponges, used for bathing or cleaning

3.  HOUSEHOLD synthetic
material used for bathing: a piece of cellulose or
synthetic material resembling a true sponge, used for bathing and cleaning

4.  MEDICINE gauze
pad:
a folded gauze pad used in surgery or medicine to absorb discharges, to dress
wounds, or to apply medications.
Also
called
swab

5.  contraceptive:
an absorbent contraceptive device that contains a spermicide and is inserted
into the vagina to cover the cervix

6.  (informal)
See sponger  noun 1

7.  heavy
drinker:
somebody who habitually drinks a lot of alcohol (informal)

8.  COOKING mass
of rising yeast dough: a small amount of yeast
dough that is allowed to rise before being kneaded with the rest of the batch

9.  FOOD See sponge cake

10. act
of cleaning: the act of rubbing or bathing somebody
or something with a wet sponge or cloth

11. METALLURGY porous
metal:
a porous metal capable of absorbing large quantities of gas, obtained by
reduction without melting of a metal compound, or by electrolysis
verb
(past sponged, past participle sponged, present
participle spong·ing, 3rd person present singular spong·es)

1.  transitive
verb
clean:
to wipe something or clean somebody with a wet sponge or cloth

2.  transitive
verb
remove:
to remove or destroy something by rubbing

3.  transitive
verb
absorb:
to absorb liquids with a sponge or with the efficiency of a sponge

4.  transitive
verb
get
by imposing on generosity: to get something by imposing
on the generosity of others

5.  intransitive
verb
live
off others:
to live at the expense of others, repeatedly imposing on them and making no
effort to live independently

6.  intransitive
verb
collect
sponges:
to dive for sponges, especially under the sea
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin spongia
from, ultimately, Greek sphoggos . From a pre-Indo-European word that
was probably also the source of Latin fungus .][1]



spongebath

spongebath
sponge
bath
noun

body wash without immersion:
a body cleansing just using a sponge and some water, without immersion, usually
performed on somebody confined to bed.
U.K. term
bed bath[1]



spongecake

spongecake
sponge
cake
(plural sponge cakes) noun

open-textured cake:
a light open-textured cake made of flour, eggs, sugar, flavoring, but no
shortening.
Also called
sponge[1]



spongemushroom

spongemushroom
sponge
mush·room
noun

See
morel[1]



sponger

sponger
spong·er 
[spúnjər] (plural spong·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who lives off others: somebody who lives off
others, habitually imposing on their generosity and making no effort to live
independently (informal)
Also
called
sponge

2.  collector
of sponges:
somebody who dives for sponges, or a ship used for gathering sponges

[1]



spongiformencephalopathy

spongiformencephalopathy
spong·i·form
en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy [spùnji
fawrm en sèffə lóppəthee] noun

brain disease:
any of various brain diseases in humans and animals in which areas of the brain
slowly degenerate and take on a spongy appearance[1]



spongin

spongin
spon·gin 
[spúnjin] noun

skeletal
protein:
a protein that forms the skeletal framework of sponges
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from sponge + -in
.][1]



spongioblast

spongioblast
spon·gi·o·blast 
[spúnjee ə blàst] (plural spon·gi·o·blasts)
noun

cell
in embryonic nervous system: any of the embryonic cells
in the brain and spinal cord that develop into supporting connective tissue ( glia )
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin spongia “sponge” + -blast .]
—spon·gi·o·blas·tic [spùnjee ə blástik], adjective[1]



spongy

spongy
spong·y 
[spúnjee] (comparative spong·i·er,
superlative spong·i·est) adjective

1.  open-textured:
with a light open texture full of holes or cavities

2.  absorbent:
absorbent and elastic

3.  soft
and wet:
soft and full of water

[1]



spongymesophyll

spongymesophyll
spong·y
mes·o·phyll
or spong·y pa·ren·chy·ma noun

BOTANY
layer of plant tissue:
a spongy tissue layer of irregularly shaped chlorophyll-bearing cells
interspersed with air spaces, sandwiched between the upper and lower epidermal
layers of a leaf[1]



sponson

sponson
spon·son 
[spónss’n] (plural spon·sons) noun

1.  NAVY ship’s
gun platform: a gun platform sticking out from the
side of a ship. A gun can be mounted in such a way that it can fire both fore
and aft.

2.  NAUT air
chamber in canoe: an air chamber that runs along each side
of a canoe to help keep it afloat

3.  AIR stabilizer
for seaplane: an air-filled structure or small wing
projecting from the lower hull of a seaplane to stabilize it in water

4.  ARMY HISTORY gun turret:
a gun turret mounted on the side of an early tank

5.  NAUTICAL support
for paddle wheel: a structural support for a paddle wheel
on a ship
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of expansion
.][1]



sponsor

sponsor
spon·sor 
[spónssər] noun (plural spon·sors)

1.  somebody
responsible for another: somebody who undertakes
responsibility for another, especially during a period of education,
apprenticeship, or probation

2.  BROADCASTING radio
or television advertiser: an individual or a business
that pays for radio or television programming by buying advertising time

3.  FINANCE contributor
to event’s funding: a person or organization
that provides or pledges money to help fund an event, especially an event run
by another person or group

4.  FINANCE contributor
to charity:
a person or organization that donates money to a charity on the basis of the
performance of a participant in an organized fundraising event

5.  POLITICS legislator:
a legislator who proposes and supports the passage of a bill

6.  supporter:
a country, organization, or group that supports or organizes an activity, or
one who vouches for the acceptability of another

7.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
answering at child’s baptism: somebody who answers for a
child at baptism and assumes responsibility for the child’s religious
upbringing (formal)
transitive
verb
(past spon·sored, past participle spon·sored, present
participle spon·sor·ing, 3rd person present singular spon·sors)

act as sponsor to:
to act as a sponsor to somebody or something
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin, “baptismal sponsor,” from Latin spons-, the
past participle stem of spondere “to pledge.”]
—spon·so·ri·al
[spon sáwree əl], adjective

—spon·sor·ship,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at backer

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  The
  Latin verb spondere, from which sponsor
  is derived, is also the source of English despondent,
  respond, riposte, and spouse.

[1]



spontaneity

spontaneity
spon·ta·ne·i·ty 
[spòntə n ətee, spòntə
náy ətee] noun

1.  unconstrained
behavior:
behavior that is natural and unconstrained and is the result of impulse, not
planning

2.  generation
from within: the generating or provoking of activity
from within, rather than as a result of external influences

[1]



spontaneous

spontaneous
spon·ta·ne·ous 
[spon táynee əss] adjective

1.  arising
from internal cause: resulting from internal or
natural processes, with no apparent external influence

2.  arising
from impulse: arising from natural impulse or
inclination, rather than from planning or in response to suggestions from
others

3.  unrestrained:
naturally unrestrained or uninhibited

4.  BOTANY growing
uncultivated: growing without cultivation
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin spontaneus “of one’s own accord,” from
Latin sponte, of uncertain origin.]
—spon·ta·ne·ous·ly,
adverb

—spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun[1]



spontaneousabortion

spontaneousabortion
spon·ta·ne·ous
a·bor·tion
(plural spon·ta·ne·ous a·bor·tions) noun

See
miscarriage  noun 1[1]



spontaneouscombustion

spontaneouscombustion
spon·ta·ne·ous
com·bus·tion noun

ignition from internal heat:
the ignition of a combustible material such as hay as a result of internal heat
generation usually caused by rapid oxidation.
Also called
spontaneous ignition[1]



spontaneousgeneration

spontaneousgeneration
spon·ta·ne·ous
gen·er·a·tion noun

BIOLOGY
See abiogenesis[1]



spontaneousignition

spontaneousignition
spon·ta·ne·ous
ig·ni·tion
noun

See
spontaneous combustion[1]



spontaneousrecovery

spontaneousrecovery
spon·ta·ne·ous
re·cov·er·y
noun

PSYCHOLOGY
reappearance of response:
the return of an extinguished conditioned response without reinforcement[1]



spontoon

spontoon
spon·toon 
[spon tn] (plural spon·toons)
noun

18thC
infantry weapon: a short pike used by some infantry
officers in the 18th century
[Mid-18th century. Via
obsolete French sponton from Italian spontone from, ultimately, punto
“point,” from Latin punctum (see point
).][1]



spoof

spoof
spoof 
[spoof] noun (plural spoofs)

1.  hoax:
a good-humored hoax

2.  amusing
satire:
a light amusing satire
transitive
verb
(past spoofed, past participle spoofed, present
participle spoof·ing, 3rd person present singular spoofs)

1.  deceive:
to fool or deceive somebody

2.  satirize:
to satirize somebody or something good-naturedly
[Late
19th century. Coined by the English comedian Arthur Roberts ( 1852–1933 ) as
the name for a game of his creation involving hoaxing.]
—spoof·er, noun[1]



spook

spook
spook 
[spook] noun (plural spooks)
(informal)

1.  ghost:
a ghost or a ghostly figure

2.  spy:
a spy
verb
(past spooked, past participle spooked, present
participle spook·ing, 3rd person present singular spooks)

1.  transitive
verb
haunt:
to haunt somebody as a ghost

2.  transitive
verb
startle
somebody:
to startle or make an animal or person feel uneasy

3.  intransitive
verb
be
frightened:
to feel frightened or uneasy
[Early 19th century. From
Dutch, of unknown origin.][1]



spooky

spooky
spook·y 
[spkee] (comparative spook·i·er,
superlative spook·i·est) adjective

1.  frighteningly
suggestive of supernatural involvement:
frightening or unnerving because suggesting the presence of supernatural forces
(informal)

2.  amazing:
strange or amazing, often because it seems that supernatural influences may
have been at work (informal)

3.  easily
frightened:
easily frightened or startled
—spook·i·ly,
adverb

—spook·i·ness, noun[1]



spool

spool
spool 
[spool] noun (plural spools)

1.  cylinder
on which something is wound: a cylinder around which
thread, tape, or film is wound. It has a central hole and a rim at each end.

2.  amount
on spool:
the amount of something wound on a spool
verb
(past spooled, past participle spooled, present
participle spool·ing, 3rd person present singular spools)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb wind
something on spool: to wind something on a spool
or on something similar to a spool such as a reel or bobbin

2.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING transfer
data to store: to transfer data for printing into a
memory store so that it can be printed later without slowing down the
computer’s operations
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French espole from Middle Dutch spoele .][1]



spooling

spooling
spool·ing 
[spling] noun

COMPUT
temporary data storage:
the temporary storage of data in the memory of a computer to compensate for the
slower operation of a peripheral device such as a printer while processing
continues[1]



spoon

spoon
spoon 
[spoon] noun (plural spoons)

1.  HOUSEHOLD eating
utensil:
a utensil used for eating or preparing food, consisting of a shallow oval bowl
attached to a handle

2.  ANGLING shiny
fishing lure: a bright oval metal fishing lure with a
hook attached

3.  GOLF golf
club:
a number three wood, used for hitting long high drives from the fairway (dated)

4.  DRUGS quantity
of drug:
a quantity of hard drugs, especially a two-gram measure of heroin (slang)
verb
(past spooned, past participle spooned, present
participle spoon·ing, 3rd person present singular spoons)

1.  transitive
verb
eat
food using spoon: to eat, scoop, or carry something with a
spoon or with the action of somebody using a spoon

2.  transitive
verb
hollow
out:
to dig or scrape a hollow in something, or dig something out to leave a hollow

3.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit
ball up:
to hit a ball upward with a scooping action, often as a result of an imperfect
stroke

4.  intransitive
verb
ANGLING use
spoon fishing lure: to fish with a spoon lure

5.  intransitive
verb
be
amorous:
to indulge in amorous behavior such as kissing and caressing (dated slang)
[Old English spōn
“wood chip.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “flat piece of wood”
that is also the ancestor of English spade
and spatula .][1]



spoonbill

spoonbill


spoon·bill 
[spn bìl] (plural spoon·bills)
noun

1.  wading
bird:
a long-legged wading bird found in tropical and warm regions. It is similar to
the ibis but has a long flat bill shaped like a spoon. Family:
Threskiornithidae

2.        broad-billed
duck: a duck with a broad bill
such as the shoveler[1]



spoonbread

spoonbread
spoon
bread
noun

Southern U.S.
cornbread:
a soft moist bread made with cornmeal, eggs, milk, and shortening, baked in a
bowl and eaten with a spoon[1]



spoondrift

spoondrift
spoon·drift 
[spn drìft] noun

See
spindrift  noun 2
[Mid-18th century. From
obsolete spoon “to run before a sea” (of unknown origin) + drift .][1]



spoonerism

spoonerism
spoon·er·ism 
[spnə rìzzəm] (plural spoon·er·isms)
noun

accidental
verbal error: an accidental transposition of initial
consonant sounds or parts of words, especially one that has an amusing result,
for example, “half-warmed fish” for “half-formed wish”
[Early 20th century. Named
for the British educator Reverend William Spooner ( 1844–1930 ), who was
known for such transpositions.][1]



spooney

spooney
spoon·ey 
adjective noun

See
spoony[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








spoon-feed

spoon-feed
spoon-feed 
(past spoon-fed, past participle spoon-fed, present
participle spoon-feed·ing, 3rd person present singular spoon-feeds)
transitive verb

1.  feed
with spoon:
to feed somebody, especially a child or hospital patient, using a spoon

2.  give
everything needed to: to cater to somebody
completely, requiring him or her to make no effort at all

3.  deprive
of independent thought: to provide somebody with
ideas, opinions, and judgments to an extent that independent thought becomes
unnecessary or impossible for that person

[1]



spoonful

spoonful
spoon·ful 
[spn fl] (plural spoon·fuls)
noun

amount held in spoon:
the amount that can be held in a spoon, usually a teaspoon[1]



spoony

spoony
spoon·y
[spnee] or spoon·ey [spnee] adjective (comparative spoon·i·er,
superlative spoon·i·est)

sentimental:
foolishly sentimental or amorous (dated)
noun
(plural spoon·ies)

somebody sentimental:
somebody foolishly sentimental or amorous (archaic)[1]



spoor

spoor
spoor 
[spoor, spawr]
noun (plural spoors)

animal
trail:
the visible trail of an animal, especially an animal that is being hunted for
sport
intransitive
and transitive verb (past spoored,
past participle spoored, present participle spoor·ing,
3rd person present singular spoors)

track
animal:
to track an animal by following its trail
[Early
19th century. Via Afrikaans from Middle Dutch . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “ankle” that is also the ancestor of English spur and spurn
.]
—spoor·er, noun[1]



Sporades

Sporades
Spor·a·des 
[spórrədiz]

group of Greek islands in the
Aegean Sea, north of the island of Euboea[1]



sporadic

sporadic
spo·rad·ic 
[spə ráddik] adjective

1.  occurring
irregularly: occurring occasionally at intervals that
have no apparent pattern

2.  MEDICINE not
epidemic:
used to describe a disease that appears in scattered or isolated instances or
locations
[Late
17th century. Via medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek sporad-, the
stem of sporas “scattered.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at periodic

[1]



sporangium

sporangium
spo·ran·gi·um 
[spə ránjee əm] (plural spo·ran·gi·a
[spə ránjee ə]) noun

spore-producing
organ:
a hollow spore-producing organ in fungi, ferns, and some other plants.
Also
called
spore case
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “spore-vessel,” from Greek spora (see spore ) + aggeion “small vessel” (see angio- ).][1]



spore

spore
spore 
[spawr] noun (plural spores)
BIOLOGY

1.  asexual
reproductive structure: a small, usually one-celled
reproductive structure produced by seedless plants, algae, fungi, and some
protozoans that is capable of developing into a new individual

2.  dormant
bacterium:
a dormant resistant form taken by some bacteria in response to adverse
conditions
intransitive
verb
(past spored, past participle spored, present
participle spor·ing, 3rd person present singular spores)

produce spores:
to produce or release spores
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek spora “sowing, seed.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to scatter” that is also the ancestor of English sprawl, sprout,
sperm, and diaspora .][1]



sporecase

sporecase
spore
case
(plural spore cas·es) noun

See
sporangium[1]



sporiferous

sporiferous
spo·rif·er·ous 
[spaw ríffərəss] adjective

spore-producing:
producing or releasing spores[1]



sporocarp

sporocarp
spo·ro·carp 
[spáwrō krp] (plural spo·ro·carps)
noun BOTANY

1.  spore-producing
organ of algae: the spore-producing organ in red algae
and some fungi and slime molds

2.  spore-producing
organ of fern: the hard round spore-producing organ of
some aquatic ferns

[1]



sporocyte

sporocyte
spo·ro·cyte 
[spáwrō st] (plural spo·ro·cytes)
noun

spore-producing cell:
a cell from which spores are produced[1]



sporogenesis

sporogenesis
spo·ro·gen·e·sis 
[spàw rō jénnəssəss] noun

1.  spore
production:
the production or formation of spores

2.  reproduction
by spores:
reproduction by means of spores
—spo·rog·e·nous [spaw rójjənəss], adjective[1]



sporogony

sporogony
spo·rog·o·ny 
[spə róggənee, spaw
róggənee] noun

reproductive process in
protozoans: the process in sporozoans by
which sporozoites are formed from multiple fission of an encysted zygote[1]



sporophore

sporophore
spo·ro·phore 
[spáwrə fàwr] (plural spo·ro·phores)
noun

spore-producing organ:
an organ in fungi that produces spores[1]



sporophyll

sporophyll
spo·ro·phyll 
[spáwrə fìl] (plural spo·ro·phylls)
or spo·ro·phyl [spáwrə fìl] (plural
spo·ro·phyls) noun

leaf with spore-producing
organ: a leaf or modified leaf that
bears spore-producing organs, for example, the fertile leaf of a fern or club
moss[1]



sporophyte

sporophyte
spo·ro·phyte 
[spáwrə ft] (plural spo·ro·phytes)
noun

spore-producing
generation of plant: in plants that alternate
between sexual and asexual phases, a plant in its asexual spore-producing phase
—spo·ro·phyt·ic [spàwrə fíttik], adjective[1]



sporoplasm

sporoplasm
spo·ro·plasm 
[spáwrə plàzzəm] noun

protoplasm in spore:
an infective mass of protoplasm contained inside a spore that is injected into
a host cell by various parasitic organisms[1]



sporopollenin

sporopollenin
spo·ro·pol·len·in 
[spàwrə póllənin] noun

polymer
in spore’s outer layer: a polymer that forms the
outer layer of pollen and some spores such as bacterial spores
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sporo- + pollen + -in ).][1]



sporotrichosis

sporotrichosis
spo·ro·tri·cho·sis 
[spàwrə tri kṓssiss] noun

fungal
infection:
a serious infectious disease caused by a fungus Sporothrix schenckii
that enters the body from soil or wood via a skin wound. It typically produces
skin ulcers and nodules on the lymph nodes.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Sporotrichum, former genus name of the fungus, from spora
(see spore ) + Greek thrix “hair.”][1]



sporozoan

sporozoan
spo·ro·zo·an 
[spàwrə zṓ ən] (plural spo·ro·zo·ans)
noun

parasitic
organism:
a parasitic single-celled organism ( protozoan
) that has alternating sexual and asexual generations and reproduces by means
of spores. The malaria parasites are sporozoans . Class: Sporozoa
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Sporozoa, class name, from Greek spora (see spore ) + zōion “animal.”][1]



sporozoite

sporozoite
spo·ro·zo·ite 
[spàwrə zṓ īt] (plural spo·ro·zo·ites)
noun

individual
produced by asexual fission: any of the small infectious
motile individuals produced in sporozoans by sporogony usually within a host
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Sporozoa, class name (see sporozoan
).][1]



sporran

sporran
spor·ran 
[spáwrən, spórrən]
(plural spor·rans) noun

pouch
worn with kilt: a leather pouch, sometimes decorated
with fur, worn hanging from a belt in front of the kilt in men’s traditional
Scottish Highland dress
[Mid-18th century. Via
Scottish Gaelic from Middle Irish sporán, of uncertain origin: probably
from late Latin bursa (see bursa ).][1]



sport

sport
sport 
[spawrt] noun (plural sports)

1.  competitive
physical activity: an individual or group
competitive activity involving physical exertion or skill, governed by rules,
and sometimes engaged in professionally (often used in the plural)

2.  pastime:
an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise

3.  somebody
cheerful:
somebody who remains cheerful when losing or in an unpleasant situation (informal)

4.  somebody
who plays fair: somebody noted for abiding by the rules
in a game or for generally honorable behavior (informal)

5.  good
companion:
somebody who is generally good-natured, easy-going, and good company (informal)

6.  joking:
good-natured joking (formal) • a
harmless prank done in sport

7.  derision:
contemptuous mockery (formal)

8.  object
of ridicule: an object of ridicule or mockery (formal)

9.  somebody
or something manipulated by others:
somebody or something manipulated by external forces (literary)

10. gambler:
a gambler, especially somebody who gambles on sporting events (informal)

11. Australia,
New Zealand,
U.S. form
of address:
a casual form of address, especially used between men or boys (informal)

12. BIOLOGY mutated
organism:
a plant or animal that deviates markedly from its parent stock or type, usually
as a result of mutation, especially mutation of somatic tissue

13. BIOLOGY unusual
character:
a mutant character of a mutated organism

14. amorous
behavior:
amorous behavior such as kissing or caressing (archaic)
verb
(past sport·ed, past participle sport·ed, present
participle sport·ing, 3rd person present singular sports)

1.  transitive
verb
wear:
to wear or display something, usually proudly or with the intention of
impressing others (informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
play
happily:
to romp and play happily (formal)

3.  intransitive
verb
enjoy
yourself:
to enjoy yourself, especially by taking part in outdoor physical activity (formal)

4.  intransitive
verb
make
jokes:
to joke or trifle with somebody (formal)

5.  intransitive
verb
BIOLOGY mutate:
to produce or undergo a mutation

6.  intransitive
verb
ridicule:
to ridicule somebody or something (archaic)
adjective
sports sport

1.  for
sporting activities: relating to or used in
physical or recreational activities • sports
equipment

2.  CLOTHES for informal
wear:
designed for informal or outdoor wear • sports
shirt
[14th
century. Shortening of disport “diversion, amusement,” from Old French desport,
from desporter (see disport ).]
—sport·er,
noun

—sport·ful,
adjective

—sport·ful·ly,
adverb

—sport·ful·ness, noun[1]



sporting

sporting
sport·ing 
[spáwrting] adjective

1.  used
in sports:
relating to or used in sports activities • sporting
dogs

2.  fair:
in keeping with the principles of fair competition, respect for other
competitors, and personal integrity

3.  GAMBLING of gambling:
relating to gambling, or taking an interest in gambling

4.  risking:
willing to take a risk

[1]



sportingchance

sportingchance
sport·ing
chance
noun

fair chance of success:
an even or good chance of succeeding[1]



sportive

sportive
spor·tive 
[spáwrtiv] adjective

1.  playful:
playful and frolicsome

2.  joking:
done as a joke

3.  fond
of sports:
regularly taking part in sports

4.  sexually
active:
frequently indulging in sexual activity or tending to enjoy it (archaic)
—spor·tive·ly,
adverb

—spor·tive·ness, noun[1]



sportscar

sportscar
sports
car 
(plural sports cars) noun

small fast car:
a small car with a low center of gravity designed for fast acceleration and for
handling at high speeds[1]



sportscast

sportscast
sports·cast 
[spáwrts kàst] (plural sports·casts)
noun

sports
broadcast:
a radio or television broadcast of a sports event or of sports news
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of sports and broadcast .]
—sports·cast·er, noun[1]



sportsdrink

sportsdrink
sports
drink
(plural sports drinks) noun

thirst-quenching drink:
a soft drink that is intended to quench thirst faster than water and replenish
the sugar and minerals lost from the body during physical exercise[1]



sportsman

sportsman
sports·man 
[spáwrtsmən] (plural sports·men
[spáwrtsmən]) noun

1.  man
engaging in sports: a man who participates in
and gets pleasure from sports

2.  somebody
fair and honorable: somebody who behaves
according to principles of fairness, and who observes rules, shows respect for
others, and accepts defeat graciously
—sports·man·like, adjective[1]



sportsmanship

sportsmanship
sports·man·ship 
[spáwrtsmən shìp] noun

1.  fair
conduct:
conduct considered fitting for a sportsperson, including observance of the
rules of fair play, respect for others, and graciousness in losing

2.  taking
part in sports: participation in sports

[1]



sportsmedicine

sportsmedicine
sports
med·i·cine
noun

branch of medicine:
the branch of medicine concerned with preventing and treating injuries
resulting from sports[1]



sportsperson

sportsperson
sports·per·son
[spáwrts pùrss’n] (plural sports·per·sons)
noun

somebody engaging in sports:
a sportsman or sportswoman[1]



sportssupplement

sportssupplement
sports
sup·ple·ment noun

dietary
supplement:
a dietary supplement used by athletes to enhance bursts of high performance
[Late 20th century][1]



sportswear

sportswear
sports·wear 
[spáwrts wàir] noun

casual clothes:
clothes appropriate for casual or informal occasions[1]



sportswoman

sportswoman
sports·wom·an 
[spáwrts wmmən] (plural sports·wom·en
[spáwrts wìmmən]) noun

1.  woman
engaging in sports: a woman who participates in
and gets pleasure from sports

2.  fair
and honorable woman: a woman who behaves
according to principles of fairness, and who observes rules, shows respect for
others, and accepts defeat graciously

[1]



sportswriter

sportswriter
sports·writ·er 
[spáwrts rtər] (plural sports·writ·ers)
noun

somebody writing about
sports: somebody who writes about
sports, especially for a newspaper or magazine[1]



sportute

sportute
sport
ute
(plural sport utes) noun

sport-utility vehicle:
a sport-utility vehicle (informal)[1]



sport-utility

sport-utility
sport-u·til·i·ty
(plural sport-u·til·i·ties) or sport-u·til·i·ty
ve·hi·cle (plural sport-u·til·i·ty ve·hi·cles) noun

four-wheel-drive vehicle:
a four-wheel-drive vehicle used for everyday driving but suitable for rough
terrain[1]



sporty

sporty
sport·y 
[spáwrtee] (comparative sport·i·er,
superlative sport·i·est) adjective

1.  for
sports:
designed or appropriate for sports or leisure activities

2.  enthusiastic
about sports: enthusiastic about sports or outdoor
activities and regularly taking part in them

3.  AUTOMOBILES similar
to sports car: with features resembling the style or
performance of a sports car

4.  sporting:
in keeping with the principles of fair play, generosity, and honor

5.  flashy:
smart, bright, and expensive-looking, sometimes excessively so

[1]



sporulate

sporulate
spor·u·late 
[spáwryə làyt] (past spor·u·lat·ed,
past participle spor·u·lat·ed, present participle spor·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular spor·u·lates) intransitive verb

produce
spores:
to produce spores
[Late
19th century. Formed from modern Latin sporula, literally “small spore,”
from spora (see spore ).]
—spor·u·la·tion [spàwryə láysh’n], noun[1]



spot

spot
spot 
[spot] noun (plural spots)

1.  small
round area:
a small defined area that is different in color, material, or texture from the
surrounding area, especially one that is more or less circular

2.  stain:
a dirty mark or stain

3.  mark
on skin:
a mark or blemish on the skin, especially a pimple

4.  character
blemish:
a blemish on somebody’s character or reputation

5.  particular
place:
a particular place or location • find a
weak spot in their defenses

6.  geographic
location:
a geographic location or area • a
local spot of pristine beauty

7.  BROADCASTING announcement
or advertisement: a brief announcement or advertisement
inserted between regular radio or television programs

8.  ARTS performer’s
time slot:
a performer’s appearance in a variety show, or the scheduled or regular time
for that appearance

9.  awkward
situation:
an awkward or difficult situation (informal)

10. entertainment
locale:
a place of entertainment (informal) • a
night spot

11. position:
a position in a series or sequence

12. money:
a piece of paper money worth a certain amount (informal) (usually
used in combination) • She
handed me a ten spot.

13. small
amount:
a small amount, for example, of liquid to drink or of work to do

14. ARTS See spotlight  noun 1

15. ZOOLOGY food
fish of N American Atlantic: a small edible marine fish
in the croaker family, found in waters of the Atlantic coast of North America.
It has a small spot near the gill on each side.

16. CUE GAMES dot
on billiard table: any of the small black dots
on the table in snooker and pool that mark where the balls should be placed

17. CARD GAMES symbol
on playing card: one of the traditional symbols, heart,
diamond, spade, or club, on a playing card

18. CARD GAMES playing
card:
any playing card from two to ten of any of the four suits • a
six spot

19. LEISURE dot on
game piece:
one of the dots on a domino or dice

20. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING illuminated
point on cathode-ray tube: the point on the face of a
cathode-ray tube at which the phosphor is illuminated by the impact of an
electron beam
adjective

1.  available
immediately: used to describe goods or currencies
that are paid for and delivered immediately after a sale

2.  BROADCASTING originating
locally:
used to describe a news report that is broadcast from the place where it
happens
verb
(past spot·ted, past participle spot·ted, present
participle spot·ting, 3rd person present singular spots)

1.  transitive
verb
see:
to see or detect something suddenly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become stained: to mark or dirty something
with stains, or to become marked or dirtied with stains

3.  transitive
verb
blemish
somebody’s character: to blemish somebody’s
character or reputation

4.  transitive
verb
mark
with dots:
to mark something with dots

5.  transitive
verb
remove
stains from: to remove stains from something

6.  transitive
verb
position
somebody or something: to position somebody or
something in a particular location

7.  transitive
verb
distribute
at intervals: to distribute people or things at
intervals • spotted
the outfielders far into the stadium

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY adjust fire:
to adjust gunfire for accuracy by observation

9.  transitive
verb
give
somebody an advantage: to concede an advantage or
point margin to an opponent in a game or contest as a handicap (informal)

10. transitive
verb
lend
to or buy for somebody: to give or lend money to
somebody, or pay for something for somebody (slang) • Will
somebody spot me twenty bucks?
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Middle Dutch spotte, or perhaps
an alteration of Old English splott “spot.” The sense “to see” comes
from the idea of putting a spot on a criminal or suspected person.]
hit
the high spots

to
focus or touch on the most important points or things (informal)

hit
the spot

to
be absolutely what is required for total satisfaction, especially in terms of
food or drink (informal)

in
a spot

in
a difficult or embarrassing position (informal)

on
the spot

1.  in
the exact place where something is happening

2.  immediately

3.  in
a difficult situation or under pressure

put
somebody on the spot

to
put somebody in a difficult or embarrassing position, especially a position of
having to make an instant judgment or decision

[1]



spotcheck

spotcheck
spot
check
(plural spot checks) noun

random
inspection:
a quick random inspection usually made without prior notice
—spot-check, transitive
verb[1]



spotless

spotless
spot·less 
[spótləss] adjective

1.  immaculate:
impeccably clean • a spotless kitchen

2.  unblemished:
beyond reproach • a spotless reputation
—spotlessly,
adverb

—spotlessness, noun[1]



spotlight

spotlight
spot·light 
[spót lt] noun (plural spot·lights)

1.  focused
beam of light: a strong beam of light that can be
directed to illuminate a small area, especially one focusing attention on a
stage performer.
Also
called
spot

2.  lamp:
a lamp that produces a strong narrow beam of light that can be directed at
will, for example, one mounted on a police car

3.  focus
of attention: the focus of public attention
transitive
verb
(past participle spot·lit [spót lit]
or spot·light·ed, present participle spot·light·ing,
3rd person present singular spot·lights [spót
lìt])

1.  illuminate
with light beam: to direct a beam of light on somebody or
something

2.  focus
attention on: to focus public attention on somebody or
something

[1]



spotmarket

spotmarket
spot
mar·ket
(plural spot mar·kets) noun

market with immediately
available goods: a market in which
commodities, securities, or currencies are traded for immediate payment and
delivery[1]



spotprice

spotprice
spot
price
(plural spot pric·es) noun

current market price:
the market price for goods, currencies, or securities at a given time[1]



spotted

spotted
spot·ted 
[spóttəd] adjective

1.  with
spots:
with a pattern of spots

2.  stained:
stained or soiled with spots of something

[1]



spottedcranesbill

spottedcranesbill
spot·ted
cranes·bill
noun

See
wild geranium[1]



spottedfever

spottedfever
spot·ted
fe·ver
(plural spot·ted fe·vers) noun

fever with spots on skin:
any fever accompanied by skin eruptions, for example, Rocky Mountain spotted
fever, typhus, or epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis[1]



spottedsalamander

spottedsalamander
spot·ted
sal·a·man·der noun

salamander of eastern N
America: a common salamander of
eastern North America. It has an irregular row of yellow or orange spots
running down each side of its black back. Latin name: Ambystoma maculatum[1]



spottedsandpiper

spottedsandpiper
spot·ted
sand·pi·per
(plural spot·ted sand·pi·pers) noun

N American sandpiper:
a small shore bird that is found near small lakes and streams in North America.
It has spots on its white breast during the breeding season. Latin name: Actitis
macularia[1]



spotter

spotter
spot·ter 
[spóttər] (plural spot·ters) noun

1.  somebody
who marks something: somebody who puts marks or
dots on something

2.  somebody
watching out: somebody or something that watches for
and locates something (often used before a noun)

3.  MILITARY locater
of enemy positions: a person or aircraft that
locates and reports enemy positions

4.  somebody
employed to spy: somebody employed to spy on fellow
employees to check their honesty (informal)

5.  BROADCASTING SPORTS sportscaster
assistant:
somebody who assists a sportscaster by identifying the players in the game

6.  SPORTS sports
assistant:
somebody whose job is to stand by and guard against injury during a sports
practice, for example, in gymnastics or water-skiing

7.  somebody
looking for talent: somebody who watches for new
talent or material

8.  somebody
who removes spots: somebody who removes spots,
especially in dry cleaning

[1]



spotty

spotty
spot·ty 
[spóttee] (comparative spot·ti·er,
superlative spot·ti·est) adjective

1.  inconsistent:
inconsistent in quality or character

2.  U.K.
pimply:
covered in pimples

3.  spotted:
with a pattern of spots
—spot·ti·ly,
adverb

—spot·ti·ness, noun[1]



spot-weld

spot-weld
spot-weld
transitive verb (past spot-weld·ed, past participle
spot-weld·ed, present participle spot-weld·ing, 3rd
person present singular spot-welds)

weld
metal in spots: to join overlapping pieces of metal by
making a series of small welds dotted about, rather than by making a large
continuous weld. Spot-welding is used when the bond is subject to light
temporary stresses but not to structural loads.
noun
(plural spot-welds)

joint
made by spot-welding: a joint between overlapping
metal parts, formed using the technique of spot-welding
—spot-weld·er, noun[1]



spousal

spousal
spou·sal 
[spówz’l] adjective

1.  of
husband or wife: relating to somebody’s husband or wife

2.  of
marriage:
relating to the institution or ceremony of marriage
noun
(plural spou·sals)

wedding: a
wedding ceremony (archaic) (often used in the plural)
[13th
century. Via Old French espousaille “marriage” from, ultimately, Latin sponsalia
“betrothal,” from spons-, the past participle stem of spondere
“to pledge” (see sponsor ).]
—spou·sal·ly, adverb[1]



spousalequivalent

spousalequivalent
spou·sal
e·quiv·alent  (plural spou·sal
e·quiv·a·lents) noun

somebody regarded as spouse:
somebody who acts as or is regarded as the equivalent to a husband or wife,
including a same-sex partner, especially for the purposes of tax, pension, or
government benefits.
Also called
spouse equivalent[1]



spouse

spouse
spouse 
[spowss, spowz]
noun (plural spous·es)

husband
or wife:
somebody’s husband or wife
transitive
verb
(past spoused, past participle spoused, present
participle spous·ing, 3rd person present singular spous·es)

marry:
to marry somebody (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old French
spous from Latin sponsus, literally “pledged,” the past
participle of spondere “to betroth.”][1]



spouseequivalent

spouseequivalent
spouse
e·quiv·a·lent noun

See
spousal equivalent[1]



spout

spout
spout 
[spowt] intransitive and transitive verb
(past spout·ed, past participle spout·ed, present
participle spout·ing, 3rd person present singular spouts)

1.  discharge:
to discharge a substance forcibly in a jet or stream

2.  ZOOLOGY discharge
air from blowhole: to discharge air and water
through a blowhole (refers to whales or dolphins)

3.  talk
at great length: to talk about something tediously and at
great length, usually with no regard for the listener’s interest
noun
(plural spouts)

1.  tube
for pouring liquid: a tube or pipe out of which
a liquid is poured

2.  chute
for discharge of solid substance: a chute through which
something solid such as grain is discharged

3.  stream
of liquid:
a continuous and forceful stream of liquid

4.  METEOROLOGY See waterspout  noun 2

5.  ZOOLOGY air
and water from blowhole: a burst of air and water
from a whale or other marine animal’s blowhole
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch spouten “to spout.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base,
imitative of the sound of spitting that is also the ancestor of English spew, spit,
and sputum .][1]



spouting

spouting
spout·ing 
[spówting] noun

New Zealand,
Northeastern U.S. gutters for
rainwater: the system of gutters and
downspouts that carry rainwater from the roof of a building[1]



spp.

spp.
spp.

Abbreviation of
species plural[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








S.P.Q.R.

S.P.Q.R.
S.P.Q.R.
or SPQR

Abbreviation
of
the senate and people of Rome
[Latin, Senatus Populusque
Romanus][1]



sprain

sprain
sprain 
[sprayn] noun (plural sprains)

injury
to ligaments: a painful injury to the ligaments of a
joint caused by wrenching or overstretching
transitive
verb
(past sprained, past participle sprained, present
participle sprain·ing, 3rd person present singular sprains)

injure
ligaments of: to injure a joint by a sudden wrenching
of its ligaments
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps, ultimately, from Latin exprimere (see express ).][1]



sprang

sprang
sprang 
verb

Past tense of
spring[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sprat

sprat
sprat 
[sprat] (plural sprats) noun

1.  (plural
sprats or sprat) ZOOLOGY
small
edible fish: a small food fish of the herring family
that lives in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Latin name: Clupea
sprattus

2.  ZOOLOGY small
herring:
a small or young herring or similar fish such as an anchovy

3.  somebody
young or unimportant: somebody who is young,
small, or dismissed as insignificant
[Old English sprot][1]



sprawl

sprawl
sprawl 
[sprawl] intransitive verb (past
sprawled, past participle sprawled, present participle
sprawl·ing, 3rd person present singular sprawls)

1.  lie
awkwardly:
to sit or lie with the arms and legs spread awkwardly in different directions

2.  extend
in a disordered way: to extend over or across
something in a disordered, awkward, or ugly way • handwritten
notes sprawled across the page
noun
(plural sprawls)

1.  awkward
sitting or lying position: a sitting or lying position
in which the arms and legs are spread out awkwardly

2.  unchecked
growth of urban area: the scattered, unplanned,
and unchecked expansion of a town or city into the surrounding countryside

3.  urbanized
areas on city’s edge: the urbanized areas on the
edge of a town or city that have developed as a result of unplanned and
unchecked expansion
[Old
English sprēawlian “to move convulsively.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to strew” that is also the ancestor of English spread and spray 1 .]
—sprawl·er,
noun

—sprawl·ing,
adjective

—spraw·ly, adjective[1]



spray

spray1
spray1 [spray]
noun (plural sprays)

1.  liquid
particles:
a moving cloud or mist of water or other liquid particles

2.  jet
of liquid:
a jet of fine particles of liquid from an atomizer or pressurized container

3.  container
for releasing liquid: an atomizer or pressurized
container that releases fine particles of a liquid (often used before a noun)

4.  something
in pressurized container: a liquid product such as a
deodorant, paint, or insecticide that is packaged in an atomizer or pressurized
container (often used before a noun)
verb
(past sprayed, past participle sprayed, present
participle spray·ing, 3rd person present singular sprays)

1.  transitive
verb
discharge
from pressurized container: to disperse a liquid in the
form of fine particles, or apply a liquid in this form to the surface of
something

2.  transitive
verb
paint
with paint spray: to paint or mark something using a paint
spray • spray
the car red
• He
sprayed his name on the wall.

3.  intransitive
verb
urinate:
to put out a stream of urine, for example, as a cat does when marking its
territory
[Early 17th century. From
Middle Dutch sprayen “to sprinkle.”][1]



spray

spray2
spray2 (plural sprays)
noun

1.  plant
sprig:
a shoot or branch of a plant, with flowers, leaves, or berries on it

2.  flower
arrangement: a decorative arrangement of flowers and
foliage

3.  decoration
imitating flowers and foliage: something decorative
such as a brooch, made in imitation of a sprig of flowers and foliage
[13th century. From assumed
Old English spræg, probably related to sprig and Old English spræc
“shoot, twig.”][1]



spraycan

spraycan
spray
can
(plural spray cans) noun

container of liquid under
pressure: a small pressurized
container used to disperse liquids in a fine mist[1]



spraygun

spraygun
spray
gun
(plural spray guns) noun

device for applying liquid:
a device that uses pressure to apply atomized paint or other liquids, operated
by means of a trigger[1]



spread

spread
spread 
[spred] verb (past spread,
past participle spread, present participle spread·ing,
3rd person present singular spreads)

1.  transitive
verb
open
fully:
to open or extend something to its fullest area

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
widely:
to extend, or cause something to extend, over a large area

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
in time:
to extend something over a period of time

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
in range:
to extend over a wider range, or cause something to cover a wider range

5.  transitive
verb
separate
things by stretching: to separate things by
stretching or pulling, so that they become far apart

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
or make known: to become widely known, or make
something widely known

7.  transitive
verb
apply
coating to:
to coat something with a layer of a substance, especially one smoothly applied

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb disperse:
to disperse something over a wide area

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
out in all directions: to send out something, or to
be sent out, in all directions

10. transitive
verb
display:
to exhibit or display something in its fullest extent

11. transitive
verb
get
table ready for meal: to prepare a table for a
meal

12. transitive
verb
put
food on table: to lay out food or a meal on a table
noun
(plural spreads)

1.  extension
of something: the extension, diffusion, or
distribution of something over an area, range, or time

2.  variety:
a wide variety of things

3.  limit
of extension: the limit to which something can be
extended

4.  distance
between things: the distance or range between two points
or things

5.  expanse
of land:
a large expanse of land (regional)

6.  ranch:
a ranch (regional)

7.  bed
or table cover: a covering for a bed or table

8.  FOOD spreadable
food:
a food with a soft texture, designed to be spread on bread or crackers

9.  PUBLISHING pair
of facing pages: two facing pages in a newspaper,
magazine, or book, often with material printed across the fold

10. PUBLISHING extensive
story or ad: an advertisement or story that occupies
two or more columns in a newspaper or magazine

11. FOOD meal:
a large meal laid out on a table (informal)

12. widening
of body:
a widening of the hips and waist owing to weight gain (informal)

13. AIR plane’s
wingspan:
the wingspan of an airplane (informal)

14. FINANCE difference
between bid and offer: the difference between the
asking price and the bid price of a security

15. FINANCE commodities
market transaction: a transaction in the
commodities market in which the investor takes long and short positions in
different commodities or different delivery dates in the same commodity

16. gemstone
size:
the size of a gemstone when viewed from above, expressed in carats
adjective

1.  extended:
extended or stretched out

2.  shallow:
used to describe a gemstone that is shallow and flat

3.  PHONETICS with
lips straight: used to describe a speech sound that is
pronounced with the lips forming a horizontal line
[Old
English sprdan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
strew” that is also the ancestor of English sprawl,
sprout, and spray 1 .]
—spread·able, adjective[1]



spreadeagle

spreadeagle
spread
ea·gle
noun

1.  symbolic
image of eagle: the image of an eagle with its wings and
legs outstretched, especially when used as an emblem of the United States. The
spread eagle appears on the Great Seal of the United States.

2.  ICE SKATING skating
figure:
in ice skating, a figure performed with the blades touching heel to heel

3.  posture
with spread limbs: a way of standing or lying
with arms and legs spread apart

[1]



spread-eagle

spread-eagle
spread-ea·gle 
verb (past spread-ea·gled, past participle spread-ea·gled,
present participle spread-ea·gling, 3rd person present
singular spread-ea·gles)

1.  transitive
verb
force
into spread-out position: to force somebody to stand
or lie with arms and legs spread apart, especially when being arrested or
searched

2.  intransitive
verb
ICE SKATING perform
skating figure: in ice skating, to perform a spread
eagle

3.  transitive
verb
stretch
body across: to stand or lie with limbs spread wide
across a gap or an object

4.  intransitive
verb
adopt
position with spread limbs: to stand or lie with arms
and legs spread apart
adjective

1.  overly
patriotic:
boastful or chauvinistically patriotic about the United States (slang)

2.  in
spread-out position: standing or lying with arms
and legs spread apart.
U.K.
term
spread-eagled

[1]



spreader

spreader
spread·er 
[spréddər] noun

1.  device
for distributing seed or fertilizer: a
machine used by farmers and gardeners to spread manure, fertilizer, seed, or
similar material over the ground (usually used in combination)

2.  implement
for spreading: an implement such as a spatula, trowel,
or broad-bladed knife, used for spreading soft substances (usually used in
combination)

3.  device
for separating things: a device such as a bar, used
to hold things such as cables or wires apart

[1]



spreadingfactor

spreadingfactor
spread·ing
fac·tor 
noun

See
hyaluronidase[1]



spreadsheet

spreadsheet
spread·sheet 
[spréd sht] noun

1.  computer
program for numerical data: a computer program that
displays numerical data in cells in a simulated accountant’s worksheet of rows
and columns in which hidden formulas can perform calculations on the visible
data. Changing the contents of one cell can cause automatic recalculation of
other cells.

2.  display
or printout of spreadsheet: the display or printout of a
spreadsheet, showing the many lines and columns of a ledger

[1]



sprechgesang

sprechgesang
sprech·ge·sang 
[shprékhgə zàng, shprékgə
zàng] or Sprech·ge·sang [shprékhgə
zàng, shprékgə zàng] noun

singing
using speech: a style of singing that blends elements
of normal nonmusical speech into the voice.
Also
called
sprechstimme
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “speech song.”][1]



sprechstimme

sprechstimme
sprech·stim·me 
[shprékh shtìmmə, shprék
shtìmmə] or Sprech·stim·me [shprékh
shtìmmə, shprék shtìmmə] noun

1.  voice
singing sprechgesang: the voice used to sing
sprechgesang

2.  See
sprechgesang
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “speech voice.”][1]



spree

spree
spree 
[spree] noun

1.  period
of extravagant activity: a session of extravagant
self-indulgent activity, especially of spending or drinking, but also of
criminal activity

2.  social
outing:
a fun-filled sociable outing (dated)
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



sprier

sprier
spri·er 
[sprr]

Comparative of
spry[1]



spriest

spriest
spri·est 
[spr əst]

Superlative of
spry[1]



sprig

sprig
sprig 
[sprig] noun

1.  BOTANY small
branch:
a shoot, stem, or twig cut or broken from a plant • garnished
with a sprig of parsley

2.  CRAFT decoration:
an artistic representation of a sprig that is usually repeated in rows on
fabric or wallpaper to produce a decorative pattern

3.  youth:
a young man (dated)

4.  small
nail:
a small headless tack that tapers to a point
transitive
verb
(past sprigged, past participle sprigged, present
participle sprig·ging, 3rd person present singular sprigs)

1.  CRAFT pattern
with sprigs: to decorate fabric, wallpaper, or
pottery with a pattern of sprigs • a
dress of sprigged cotton

2.  BOTANY cut
twigs from plant: to cut small twigs or branches from a
plant

3.  BUILDING HOME MAINTENANCE nail
with tacks:
to nail something using brads or tacks
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Low German sprick “twig,” and
probably related to spray 2 and Old English spræc
“shoot, twig.”]
—sprig·ger,
noun

—sprig·gy, adjective[1]



sprightful

sprightful
spright·ful 
[sprtf’l] adjective

sprightly:
sprightly (archaic)
[Late
16th century. See sprightly .]
—spright·ful·ly,
adverb

—spright·ful·ness, noun[1]



sprightly

sprightly
spright·ly 
[sprtlee] adjective (comparative
spright·li·er, superlative spright·li·est)

vigorous:
full of life and vigor, especially with a light and springy step
adverb

vigorously:
in a lively and vigorous way
[Early
16th century. Formed from an earlier variant of sprite
.]
—spright·li·ness, noun[1]



sprigtail

sprigtail
sprig·tail 
[spríg tàyl] noun

1.  See
pintail

2.  See
ruddy duck

[1]



spring

spring
spring 
[spring] verb (past sprang
[sprang], past participle sprung
[sprung], present participle spring·ing,
3rd person present singular springs)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
suddenly in single movement: to move rapidly upward or
forward in a single movement or in a series of rapid movements • He
sprang to his feet.

2.  transitive
verb
leap
over:
to leap over a barrier

3.  intransitive
verb
rapidly
resume original position: to move back rapidly to an
original position after being forced in another direction

4.  intransitive
verb
emerge
rapidly:
to appear or come into existence quickly • new
houses springing up

5.  intransitive
verb
come
from somebody’s lips: to be uttered, especially as
a sudden and almost involuntary reaction to something

6.  intransitive
verb
originate
from something: to originate from a particular source • reform
that springs from discontent

7.  intransitive
verb
be
descended:
to be descended from a person or family

8.  transitive
verb
suddenly
reveal to somebody: to make something known to
somebody unexpectedly or suddenly (informal) • You
can’t just spring a decision like that on me!

9.  intransitive
verb
pay
for something: to pay for something, usually for another
person (slang) • I’ll
spring for lunch.

10. transitive
verb
make
something operate: to operate a device or trap
by releasing a mechanism that was held in check

11. intransitive
verb
jump
out of place: to move suddenly out of place or come
suddenly loose within a mechanism

12. transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY get
out of prison: to release somebody from prison or help
somebody escape from prison (slang)

13. transitive
verb
HUNTING move
animal from cover: to move an animal or bird
out into the open during a hunting expedition

14. intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY detonate mine:
to explode or detonate a mine, or be detonated

15. intransitive
and transitive verb TECHNOLOGY warp or split:
to crack, split, or warp, or cause wood to do this

16. intransitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE extend
upward:
to extend upward from the topmost part of a column
noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING coil
of metal:
a resilient metal coil used especially for cushioning and in clockwork

2.  ability
to regain shape: the ability of an object to revert
rapidly to its original position after being extended, compressed, or under
tension • a
mattress with a lot of spring left in it

3.  season
of year:
the season of the year between winter and summer during which many plants bring
forth leaves and flowers

4.  onward
or upward leap: a rapid forward or upward movement

5.  water
emerging from underground: a source of water that flows
out of the ground as a small stream or pool

6.  source
of something: the source of something such as a
particular quality or state (literary)

7.  force
causing something: a strong motivation that
causes somebody to act in a particular way (formal) • the
springs of her ambition

8.  time
of renewal:
a time of new growth and regeneration

9.  TECHNOLOGY warping
or bending:
warping, cracking, or bending, especially when caused by great force

10. METEOROLOGY See spring tide  noun 1
adjective

1.  happening
in springtime: relating to, occurring in, or
appropriate to the season of spring • spring
fashions

2.  grown
in springtime: normally grown or growing in the season
of spring • spring
flowers

3.  full
of springs:
having or containing springs, especially for cushioning or as part of a
clockwork mechanism

4.  recoiling:
acting like a spring in being held back then quickly releasing energy
[Old
English springan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “rapid
movement.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Rite of Spring, a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (
  1913 ). This one-act work is based on traditional dances performed at pagan
  festivals in Russia. Its use of dissonance and irregular pulsating rhythms
  combined with Nijinsky’s unorthodox choreography outraged contemporary
  audiences, resulting in a famous riot at the first performance in Paris on
  May 29.

[1]



springbeauty

springbeauty
spring
beau·ty
noun

succulent herb:
a succulent herb of the purslane family of eastern North America that bears
white or pinkish flowers in early spring. Genus: Claytonia[1]



springboard

springboard
spring·board 
[spríng bàwrd] noun

1.  SWIMMING flexible
diving board: a flexible board secured to a base at
one end and projecting over the water at the other, used for diving

2.  GYMNASTICS gymnastic
equipment:
a flexible board on which gymnasts bounce in order to gain height for vaulting

3.  event
or factor helping advancement: an event, activity, or
plan that helps to further somebody’s career

[1]



springbok

springbok

spring·bok 
[spríng bòk] (plural spring·bok
or spring·boks) noun
small
gazelle:
a small swift gazelle of the semiarid regions of southern Africa, noted for its
ability to leap high in the air repeatedly when startled. Latin name: Antidorcas
marsupialis
Also
called
springbuck
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “leaping he-goat.”][1]



springbreak

springbreak
spring
break
noun

vacation during spring term:
a vacation from school or college in the spring, usually lasting at least a
week[1]



springbuck

springbuck
spring·buck 
[spríng bùk] (plural spring·buck
or spring·bucks) noun

See
springbok[1]



springchicken

springchicken
spring
chick·en
noun

young
chicken:
a chicken less than ten months old, formerly available for eating only in
spring
no
spring chicken

no longer young,
inexperienced, or agile[1]



spring-clean

spring-clean
spring-clean
(past spring-cleaned, past participle spring-cleaned,
present participle spring-clean·ing, 3rd person present
singular spring-cleans) intransitive and transitive verb

clean thoroughly:
to clean a house or room thoroughly, usually including all the contents and
furnishings, at the end of the winter or during spring[1]



spring-cleaning

spring-cleaning
spring-clean·ing 
noun

cleaning at end of winter:
the thorough cleaning of a house or room, traditionally carried out at the end
of the winter[1]



Springdale

Springdale
Spring·dale 
[spríng dayl]

city in northwestern
Arkansas, north of Fayetteville. Population: 38,576 (1996)[1]



springe

springe
springe 
[sprinj] noun

snare
or trap:
a snare or trap for small animals, consisting of a noose attached to a branch
under tension
[13th century. From assumed
Old English sprencg . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that
is also the ancestor of English spring
.][1]



springer

springer
spring·er 
[spríngər] noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE wedge-shaped
stone:
the first wedge-shaped stone ( voussoir ) of
an arch resting on the top section of the arch’s supporting pillar ( impost )

2.  AGRICULTURE cow
ready to give birth: a cow that is on the point
of giving birth to a calf

3.  See
springer spaniel

4.  somebody
or something that leaps: a person or animal that
springs or leaps

[1]



springerspaniel

springerspaniel
spring·er
span·iel
noun

hunting dog:
a hunting dog with a long wavy coat, short legs, and floppy ears, belonging to
either an English or a Welsh breed.
Also called
springer[1]



springfever

springfever
spring
fe·ver
noun

feelings aroused by
springtime: a feeling of restlessness,
yearning, lust, or sometimes laziness, believed to be brought on by the coming
of spring[1]



Springfield

Springfield
Spring·field 
[spríng feeld]

1.  city
in central Illinois, on the southern bank of the Sangamon River, west of
Decatur. President Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield from 1844 until 1861
and is buried there. Population: 112,921 (1996)

2.  city
in south central Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River, north of the
Connecticut border. It is home to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Population:
156,983 (1990)

[1]



Springfieldrifle

Springfieldrifle
Spring·field
ri·fle
[sprìng feeld rf’l] noun

World War I U.S. rifle:
a bolt-action .30-caliber rifle developed at the federal arsenal in
Springfield, Massachusetts, used by the U.S. Army in World War I.[1]



springfish

springfish
spring·fish
[spríng fìsh] (plural spring·fish
or spring·fish·es) noun

N American fish:
a small North American freshwater fish associated with caves and underground
passages in limestone formations, and related to cave fishes. Latin name: Chlorogaster
agassizi[1]



springformpan

springformpan
spring·form
pan 
[spríng fawrm pàn] noun

cake pan:
a cake pan with a detachable base that fastens to the rim with a spring or
clamp[1]



springhaas

springhaas
spring·haas 
[spríng hss] (plural spring·haas)
noun

S
African mammal: a jumping mammal with hind legs like a
kangaroo’s and a long black-tufted tail, found in semiarid regions of southern
Africa. It grows to approximately 41 cm/ 16 in. long excluding the tail. Latin
name: Pedestes capensis
[Late 18th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “leaping hare.”][1]



springhalt

springhalt
spring·halt 
[spríng hàwlt] noun

See
stringhalt
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of stringhalt .][1]



springhead

springhead
spring·head 
[spríng hèd] noun

1.  stream
source:
the source of a stream

2.  point
of origin:
the source of a particular way of thinking

[1]



springhouse

springhouse
spring·house 
[spríng hòwss] (plural spring·hous·es
[spríng hòwzəz]) noun

storehouse:
a storehouse built over a spring, formerly used to keep meat and dairy products
fresh and cool[1]



springing

springing
spring·ing
[sprínging] noun

base of support:
the point at which an arch, vault, or dome rises from its support[1]



springlet

springlet
spring·let 
[sprínglət] noun

small spring:
a small spring of water[1]



springline

springline
spring
line
noun

mooring line:
a rope by means of which a sailing vessel is made fast to an anchorage, usually
one of two[1]



spring-loaded

spring-loaded
spring-load·ed 
adjective

controlled by a spring:
fixed in place or controlled by a spring (refers to a part of a mechanism)[1]



springlock

springlock
spring
lock
noun

spring-loaded lock:
a lock that is bolted automatically by means of a spring[1]



springonion

springonion
spring
on·ion
noun

U.K.
See green onion[1]



springpeeper

springpeeper
spring
peep·er
noun

N American tree frog:
a small brownish tree frog of eastern North America that has an X-shaped
marking on its back and makes a shrill peeping call early in the spring. Latin
name: Hyla crucifer
Also called
peeper[1]



springroll

springroll
spring
roll
noun

hot
or cold Asian snack: a hot or cold pastry roll,
especially one made with a meat and vegetable filling and often fried until
crisp and golden
[Translation of Chinese chūn
juǎn][1]



Springs

Springs
Springs
[springz]

town in Gauteng Province,
South Africa, situated about 40 km/25 mi east of Johannesburg. Population:
170,000 (1991)[1]



Springsteen,Bruce

Springsteen,Bruce

Spring·steen
[spríng stn], Bruce (1949– )
U.S.
singer and songwriter. His songs include “Born in the U.S.A.” ( 1984 ).
Full name
Springsteen, Bruce Frederick Joseph[1]



springtail

springtail
spring·tail 
[spríng tàyl] noun

wingless jumping insect:
a primitive wingless insect with a forked abdominal structure that helps it
spring through the air. Order: Collembola[1]



springtide

springtide
spring·tide 
[spríng td] noun

springtime:
springtime (literary)[1]



springtide

springtide
spring
tide
noun

1.  tide
at new and full moon: a tide that occurs near the
times of the new moon and full moon and has a greater than average range.
Also
called
spring

2.  rush
of emotion:
a great rush of emotion (literary)

[1]



springtime

springtime
spring·time 
[spríng tm] noun

1.  season
of spring:
the season of spring, between winter and summer

2.  earliest
and best part: the earliest, freshest, and most
pleasant stage of somebody’s life, a relationship, or a period of time (literary)

[1]



springwood

springwood
spring·wood 
[spríng wd] noun

new wood:
young relatively soft wood that develops just beneath the bark of trees in
spring[1]



springy

springy
spring·y 
[spríngee] (comparative spring·i·er,
superlative spring·i·est) adjective

1.  bouncing
back into shape: springing back strongly to its original
shape after being compressed or extended

2.  making
springing motions: tending to make a lot of
springing movements (informal)
—spring·i·ly,
adverb

—spring·i·ness, noun[1]



sprinkle

sprinkle
sprin·kle 
[spríngk’l] verb (past sprin·kled,
past participle sprin·kled, present participle sprin·kling,
3rd person present singular sprin·kles)

1.  transitive
verb
distribute
small amounts of: to scatter small drops of a liquid or
particles of a fine or powdery substance such as sugar, ashes, or flour over
the surface of something

2.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY rain
very slightly: to rain very gently in fine drops,
usually for a short period

3.  transitive
verb
scatter
or be scattered throughout things: to scatter things in
among other things, at random or as though at random, or be scattered among
other things in this way • fields
sprinkled with poppies

4.  transitive
verb
give
out in small amounts: to distribute a substance,
emotion, or commodity in small amounts
noun

1.  act
of sprinkling: the action of scattering small drops of
liquid or particles of a fine or powdery substance

2.  METEOROLOGY light
rain:
a light rain falling in fine or sporadic drops
plural
noun
sprin·kles

FOOD sugar
particles for decorating cakes: small pieces of
colored sugar or candy that are scattered over the surface of ice cream, cakes,
or cookies as a decoration
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Dutch sprenkelen “to sprinkle.”][1]



sprinkler

sprinkler
sprin·kler 
[spríngklər] noun

1.  GARDENING watering
apparatus:
a device that sends a moving spray of water onto a garden or lawn. A sprinkler
may be attached to a movable hose or set permanently into a lawn or garden and
remotely controlled.

2.  GARDENING nozzle:
a plastic or metal nozzle perforated with many small holes that fits onto a
watering can or hose. It spreads the liquid being distributed so that it falls
gently over a larger area.

3.  person
or device that sprinkles: somebody who or something
that sprinkles small drops of liquid or particles of a solid on something

[1]



sprinklersystem

sprinklersystem
sprin·kler
sys·tem
noun

1.  ENGINEERING fire
extinguishing system: a system for extinguishing
fires, designed to release water from overhead nozzles that open automatically
when a particular temperature is reached

2.  GARDENING garden
watering system: a system of sprinklers for watering a
garden or lawn, operated by a single control

[1]



sprinkling

sprinkling
sprin·kling 
[spríngkling] noun

1.  small
amount scattered thinly: a small quantity of a fine
or powdery substance such as sugar, snow, dust, or sand scattered on or
throughout something

2.  meager
amount:
a small, thinly distributed amount of a particular emotion or quality • a
sprinkling of wit

[1]



sprint

sprint
sprint 
[sprint] noun

1.  short
swift race:
a short race run or cycled at a very high speed

2.  fast
finishing run: a burst of fast running or cycling
during the last part of a longer race

3.  burst
of activity: a sudden burst of activity or speed
intransitive
verb
(past sprint·ed, past participle sprint·ed, present
participle sprint·ing, 3rd person present singular sprints)

go at top speed:
to run, swim, or cycle as rapidly as possible
[Mid-16th century. From Old
Norse spretta “to jump.”][1]



sprit

sprit
sprit 
[sprit] noun

spar
across a sail: a pole that crosses a fore-and-aft sail
diagonally
[Old English sprēot .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English sprout .][1]



sprite

sprite
sprite
[sprīt] noun

1.  supernatural
elfin creature: in folklore, a small supernatural being
like an elf or a fairy, especially one associated with water

2.  somebody
like an elf: a small or delicately built person who
is likened to an elf or a fairy

3.  ghost:
in folklore, a ghost or spirit

4.  COMPUT independent
graphic object: an independent graphic object that moves
freely across a computer screen

5.  soul:
a soul (archaic)
[14th century. Via Old French
esp(i)rit from Latin spiritus (see spirit
).][1]



spritsail

spritsail
sprit·sail 
[sprít sàyl, nautical spríts’l] noun

sail extended by a spar:
a sail that is extended by being mounted on a sprit[1]



spritz

spritz
spritz 
[sprits] transitive verb (past
spritzed, past participle spritzed, present participle
spritz·ing, 3rd person present singular spritz·es)

spray
liquid:
to spray a fine jet of liquid through a nozzle
noun

fine
spray of liquid: a fine spray of liquid squirted through
a nozzle
[Early 20th century. From
German spritzen “to squirt.”][1]



spritzer

spritzer
spritz·er 
[sprítsər] noun

wine
and sparkling water: a drink consisting of wine,
generally white, diluted with sparkling water
[Mid-20th century. From
German, “splash.”][1]



sprocket

sprocket
sprock·et 
[sprókət] noun

tooth
on a wheel:
a projecting tooth on a wheel or cylinder that engages with the links of a
chain or with perforations in film to make the chain or film move forward
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



sprout

sprout
sprout 
[sprowt] verb (past sprout·ed,
past participle sprout·ed, present participle sprout·ing,
3rd person present singular sprouts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY develop shoots:
to develop buds or shoots

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY germinate:
to begin to grow from a seed

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb grow:
to grow or cause something or somebody to grow

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb emerge:
to emerge and grow rapidly, or cause something to emerge and grow rapidly
noun

1.  BOTANY new
growth on a plant: a new growth on a plant, for
example, a bud or shoot

2.  something
like a sprout: somebody who or something that grows
rapidly like a sprout

3.  See
Brussels sprout
plural
noun
sprouts

FOOD edible
shoots of plants: newly sprouted seeds or beans, eaten
especially in sandwiches, salads, and stir-fries
[Old English -sprūtan
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German sprießen
“to sprout.”][1]



spruce

spruce2
spruce2 [sprooss]
intransitive and transitive verb (past spruced, past
participle spruced, present participle spruc·ing, 3rd
person present singular spruc·es)

make
neat:
to make something or somebody, usually yourself, clean and neat in appearance
adjective
(comparative spruc·er, superlative spruc·est)

appearing
neat and tidy: having a clean and well-cared-for
appearance • a
spruce young man
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of Spruce leather,
a type of fine leather first made in Prussia (see spruce 1 ).]
—spruce·ly,
adverb

—spruce·ness, noun[1]



spruce

spruce1

spruce1 [sprooss]
(plural spruc·es or spruce) noun

1.  evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree of the pine family with a pyramid shape, short needles,
drooping cones, and soft light wood. Genus: Picea

2.  spruce
wood:
the soft light wood of a spruce tree
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of Spruce fir, literally “Prussian fir”; Spruce an
alteration of Pruce, from, ultimately, medieval Latin Prussia .][1]



sprucebudworm

sprucebudworm
spruce
bud·worm
noun

larva destructive to fir
trees: a North American moth with
destructive larvae that feed on the buds and branch tips of evergreen
coniferous trees such as spruce and balsam. Latin name: Choristoneura
fumiferana[1]



sprucegrouse

sprucegrouse
spruce
grouse
noun

N American game bird:
a common plump game bird of northern North American coniferous forests that has
a black throat and breast. Latin name: Dendragapus canadensis[1]



sprucepine

sprucepine
spruce
pine
noun

N American pine:
a tall pine of the southeastern United States with soft wood and needles in
pairs. Latin name: Pinus glabra[1]



sprue

sprue1
sprue1  [sproo]
noun

INDUSTRY part
of a mold:
a vertical channel in a mold, used to pour in molten material
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



sprue

sprue2
sprue2  [sproo]
noun

MEDICINE tropical
disease:
a tropical disease of unknown origin involving deficient absorption of
nutrients from the intestine and marked by persistent diarrhea, weight loss,
and anemia. Treatment with antibiotics and vitamin supplements is often
effective.
[Late 19th century. From
Dutch spruw “the disease thrush.”][1]



sprung

sprung
sprung


Past participle of
spring[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sprungrhythm

sprungrhythm
sprung
rhythm
noun

form of prosody:
a system of prosody that always places the accent on the first syllable of any
foot in an effort to evoke the rhythms of ordinary speech. The term and
practice were originated by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.[1]



spry

spry
spry 
[sprī] (comparative spry·er or
spri·er, superlative spry·est or spri·est) adjective

agile
and energetic: markedly brisk and active, especially at
an advanced age
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word, or perhaps a
shortening of sprightly .]
—spry·ly,
adverb

—spry·ness, noun[1]



spt.

spt.
spt.

Abbreviation of
seaport[1]



spud

spud
spud 
[spud] noun

1.  FOOD potato:
a potato (slang)

2.  GARDENING garden
implement:
a spade with a sharp narrow blade, used for cutting through roots and digging
up weeds

3.  FORESTRY tool
for removing bark from trees: a tool resembling a chisel
that is used to peel bark from trees
verb
(past spud·ded, past participle spud·ded, present
participle spud·ding, 3rd person present singular spuds)

1.  intransitive
verb
INDUSTRY start
drilling an oil well: to use a large bit to drill
the upper part of the bore of a new oil well

2.  transitive
verb
FORESTRY remove
bark:
to remove bark from trees by the use of a tool like a chisel

3.  transitive
verb
GARDENING dig
with a spud: to use a spud to dig up weeds or cut
through roots
[15th century. Origin
unknown. Originally in the meaning “dagger,” its use for “potato” seems to have
originated in New Zealand English.][1]



spume

spume
spume 
[spyoom] noun

foam:
a mass of fine bubbles on the surface of a liquid, especially on the ocean (literary)
intransitive
verb
(past spumed, past participle spumed, present
participle spum·ing, 3rd person present singular spumes)

be
foamy:
to produce or have a mass of fine bubbles on the surface (literary)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin spuma “foam.”]
—spu·mous,
adjective

—spum·y, adjective[1]



spumoni

spumoni
spu·mo·ni
[spoo mṓnee] or spu·mo·ne [spoo mṓnee] noun

1.  ice
cream:
an Italian ice cream composed of differently colored and flavored layers, often
containing nuts and candied fruit

2.  light
dessert:
an Italian light mousse dessert
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, from spuma “foam.”][1]



spun

spun
spun


Past tense of
spin Past participle of spin[1]



spunglass

spunglass
spun
glass
noun

1.  See
fiberglass

2.  glass
with glass threads in it: glass that is blown in such
a way as to incorporate slender threads of glass

[1]



spunk

spunk
spunk 
[spungk] noun

1.  pluckiness:
spiritedness or eager willingness (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for semen (taboo slang)

3.  tinder:
a combustible material, especially soft wood or twigs, that can be used to
kindle fires
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Irish sponc “tinder” from Latin spongia
(see sponge ), or perhaps a blend of spark and funk
. Originally in the meaning “spark.”][1]



spunky

spunky
spunk·y 
[spúngkee] (comparative spunk·i·er,
superlative spunk·i·est) adjective

energetic
and courageous: very lively, determined, and courageous
(informal)
—spunk·i·ly,
adverb

—spunk·i·ness, noun[1]



spunsilk

spunsilk
spun
silk
noun

silk yarn or fabric:
inexpensive fabric or yarn made from short-fibered silk combined with silk
waste[1]



spunsugar

spunsugar
spun
sug·ar
noun

FOOD
See cotton candy[1]



spunyarn

spunyarn
spun
yarn
noun

light rope:
rope or cord made from several light yarns twisted or spun together[1]



spur

spur

spur 
[spur] noun

1.  RIDING device
attached to a rider’s heel: a small spike or spiked
wheel attached to the heel of a rider’s boot that is nudged into the horse’s
sides to encourage it to go faster

2.  inducement:
something such as the hope of a reward or the fear of punishment that
encourages a person or organization to take action or to make a greater effort

3.  BOTANY projecting
plant part:
a tubular extension from a flower part, for example, that in larkspur and
columbine

4.  BOTANY short
branch or shoot: a short branch or lateral shoot from a
stem or branch of a plant

5.  BIRDS horny
projection:
a sharp horny projection on the legs of some male birds, for example, roosters,
above the claws

6.  RAIL part
of a railroad: a short section of railroad track
leading off a main line

7.  ZOOLOGY projecting
animal part: a pointed extension or projecting part (
process ) on some animals, for example, the
stiff outgrowth on the legs of some insects and birds

8.  ANATOMY short
bony outgrowth: a bony outgrowth, usually a normal part
of the body but sometimes one that develops such as that on the bottom of the
heel after an injury

9.  spike
fastened to the leg of a gamecock: a sharp metal spike
attached to the leg of a gamecock

10. BUILDING prop:
a timber or masonry prop or support

11. GEOGRAPHY mountain
ridge:
a ridge that projects outward from a mountain range and descends toward a
valley floor

12. CIVIL ENGINEERING short
jetty:
a small jetty extending from a shore to protect a beach against erosion or to
trap shifting sands

13. TRANSPORT road
off a major road: a short side road leading off a main
road

14. CERAMICS ceramic
support in a kiln: a small ceramic support
placed beneath a pot in a kiln
verb (past
spurred, past participle spurred, present participle
spur·ring, 3rd person present singular spurs)

1.  transitive
verb
encourage
somebody to try harder: to stimulate a person or
organization to take action or make greater efforts in the hope of a reward or
in the fear of punishment “Public schools are spurred to perform better thanks
to new reforms.” U.S. News & World Report December 1998

2.  transitive
verb
RIDING make a
horse go faster: to encourage a horse to go faster by
nudging spurs into its sides

3.  intransitive
verb
RIDING ride
fast:
to ride fast, using spurs (literary)

4.  intransitive
verb
go
quickly:
to go or proceed hastily (literary)

5.  transitive
verb
RIDING cause
injury to a horse with spurs: to injure a horse by using
spurs too strongly and too frequently

6.  transitive
verb
put
spurs on somebody or something: to equip somebody or
something with spurs
[Old
English spura . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to kick,”
which is also the ancestor of English spoor
and spurn .]
win or gain your spurs

1.  to
gain recognition and respect for the first time

2.  HISTORY in the past, to be given the
rank of knight

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at motive

[1]



spurge

spurge

spurge 
[spurj] noun
plant
with bitter juice: a herb or shrub that has
flowers without petals and a bitter milky juice. Genus: Euphorbia
[14th century. From Old
French espurge, from espurgier “to purge,” from Latin expurgare
“to cleanse.” From its purgative properties.][1]



spurgear

spurgear

spur gear
noun
gear wheel:
a gear whose teeth are arranged along the rim parallel to its axis of rotation.

Also called
spur wheel[1]



spurgelaurel

spurgelaurel
spurge
lau·rel
noun

evergreen shrub:
a low-growing evergreen shrub of Europe and Asia with elongated glossy leaves
and yellow flowers. Latin name: Daphne laureola[1]



spurious

spurious
spu·ri·ous 
[spyree əs] adjective

1.  not
genuine:
being different from what it claims to be

2.  BOTANY resembling
another plant part: having the outward
appearance of another plant part but not its function or origin

3.  born
out of wedlock: born to parents not legally married to
each other (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin spurius “illegitimate child.”]
—spu·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—spu·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



spurn

spurn
spurn 
[spurn] verb (past spurned,
past participle spurned, present participle spurn·ing,
3rd person present singular spurns)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reject
somebody or something with disdain: to
reject a person, offer, gift, or advances with scorn and contempt

2.  transitive
verb
thrust
something away with the foot: to reject something by
pushing it away with the foot (archaic)
noun
(archaic)

1.  scornful
rejection:
a contemptuous or scornful rejection

2.  kick:
a kick
[Old
English spurnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English spur (see spur ).]
—spurn·er, noun[1]



spurred

spurred
spurred 
[spurd] adjective

1.  RIDING wearing
spurs:
having or wearing spurs

2.  BOTANY with a
projecting plant part: used to describe a flower or
plant that has a tubular extension

[1]



spurry

spurry
spur·ry 
[spúr ee] (plural spur·ries) or
spur·rey [spúr ee] (plural spur·reys)
noun

European
plant:
a low-growing European plant of the pink family that has linear whorled leaves
and small white flowers. Genus: Spurgula
[Late 16th century. From
Dutch spurrie .][1]



spurt

spurt
spurt 
[spurt] noun

1.  jet
of liquid or gas: a sudden stream of liquid or gas, forced
out under pressure

2.  sudden
increase:
a short intense burst of energy, interest, action, or speed • I
had a spurt of energy as I was digging.
transitive
verb
(past spurt·ed, past participle spurt·ed, present
participle spurt·ing, 3rd person present singular spurts)

make something gush out:
to cause a liquid or gas to gush out in a pressurized stream or jet • The
burst pipe was spurting water.
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word thought to be
imitative of the sound of spitting.][1]



spurtle

spurtle
spur·tle
[spúrt’l] noun

Scotland
turned
stick:
a short turned stick, frequently with a decorative end, used for stirring
porridge. Spurtles are now more frequently sold as tourist items, often with
the decorative top in the design of a thistle.
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



spurwheel

spurwheel
spur
wheel
noun

MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING See spur gear[1]



sputa

sputa
spu·ta


Plural of
sputum[1]



sputnik

sputnik
sput·nik 
[sptnik, spútnik]
noun

Soviet
satellite:
one of a series of ten artificial Earth-orbiting satellites launched by the
former Soviet Union starting in 1957. The first launch initiated the space race
with the United States.
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, literally “fellow traveler.”][1]



sputter

sputter
sput·ter 
[spúttər] verb (past sput·tered,
past participle sput·tered, present participle sput·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular sput·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
popping sound: to make a popping, spitting sound

2.  intransitive
verb
spit
out food and saliva: to spray out drops of saliva
or food particles, especially when talking or laughing while eating

3.  intransitive
verb
speak
explosively: to make sounds or pronounce words in an
explosive way, especially when angry or excited

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS remove surface atoms by ion
bombardment: to cause or experience the effect in
which the atoms of a surface are removed through bombardment by ions, for
example, in cathode evaporation in a discharge tube

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS use a metal to coat
something:
to use a metal to coat something by the process of sputtering, or be coated in
this way
noun

1.  noise
of sputtering: the noise of a person, fire, candle, or
other object sputtering

2.  incoherent
speech:
the confused or incoherent speech of somebody who is angry or excited

3.  something
emitted while sputtering: drops of saliva or food
particles sprayed out of the mouth while sputtering
[Late
16th century. From Dutch sputteren “to spray,” thought to suggest the
action.]
—sput·ter·er, noun[1]



spy

spy
spy 
[spī] noun (plural spies)

1.  somebody
employed to obtain secret information:
somebody who is employed by a government to obtain secret information,
particularly regarding military matters, about other hostile countries (often
used before a noun) • a spy
ring

2.  employee
who obtains information about rivals:
somebody who is employed by a company to obtain secret information about rival
organizations

3.  secret
observer of others: somebody who watches other
people in secret

4.  act
of a spy:
an instance of acting as a spy

5.  close
view:
a close view of something (archaic)
verb
(past spied, past participle spied, present
participle spy·ing, 3rd person present singular spies)

1.  intransitive
verb
act
as a spy:
to work, operate, or function as a spy

2.  intransitive
verb
engage
in espionage: to maintain a network of spies and
gather intelligence in other clandestine ways

3.  intransitive
verb
observe
in secret:
to observe somebody or something secretly • Have
you been spying on us again?

4.  transitive
verb
see
suddenly:
to catch sight of somebody or something

5.  transitive
verb
discover
by observation: to discover something by close
observation

6.  intransitive
verb
investigate:
to investigate something intensively
[13th century. From Old
French espie, from espier “to spy” (source of English espy ), of prehistoric Germanic origin;
related to Latin specere “to look” (source of English spectator ).][1]



spyglass

spyglass
spy·glass 
[sp glàss] noun

small telescope:
a telescope that is small enough to be held in the hand[1]



spymaster

spymaster
spy·mas·ter 
[sp màstər] noun

head of a spy organization:
the leader of espionage and intelligence-gathering activities for a country or
organization, especially in fictional spy stories[1]



spyout

spyout
spy
out
transitive verb

discover covertly:
to discover something by close and discreet examination[1]



spätlese

spätlese
spät·le·se
[shpáyt làyzə] (plural spät·le·sen
[shpáyt làyz’n] or spät·le·ses)
noun

German
table wine:
a grade of high-quality German table wine made from late-picked grapes and
typically medium sweet
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “late vintage.”][1]



sq.

sq.
sq.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sequence

2.  Abbreviation
of
sequens

3.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
square
[Latin, “the one that
follows”][1]



Sq.

Sq.
Sq.

1.  MAIL Abbreviation of
Square

2.  MILITARY Abbreviation of
Squadron

[1]



SQL

SQL
SQL 
noun

computer language:
a standardized language that approximates the structure of natural English for
obtaining information from databases. Full form structured
query language[1]



Sqn.

Sqn.
Sqn.

Abbreviation of
Squadron[1]



sqq.

sqq.
sqq.

Abbreviation
of
sequentia
[Latin, “those that follow”][1]



squab

squab
squab 
[skwob] noun (plural squabs
or squab)

1.  FOOD young
bird:
a fledgling bird, especially a pigeon, sometimes cooked as a delicacy

2.  HOUSEHOLD sofa:
a couch
adjective
(comparative squab·ber, superlative squab·best)

1.  short
and stout:
short and somewhat stout

2.  BIRDS newly
hatched:
newly hatched and not flying yet
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word meaning
“flabby.”]
—squab·by, adjective[1]



squabble

squabble
squab·ble 
[skwóbb’l] noun

petty
loud argument: a noisy argument over a petty matter
intransitive
verb
(past squab·bled, past participle squab·bled, present
participle squab·bling, 3rd person present singular squab·bles)

argue
noisily over something unimportant: to
have a petty argument over a trivial matter
[Early
17th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—squab·bler, noun[1]



squad

squad
squad 
[skwod] noun

1.  ARMY group
of soldiers: any of three or four groups of soldiers
that make up a platoon

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION group
of police officers: a group of police officers,
generally assigned to a particular task

3.  team
of people:
a small group of people engaged in the same activity, especially in a sport • a
squad of volunteers

4.  MILITARY military
formation:
a small military formation, especially one that is doing a drill
[Mid-17th century. Via French
escouade and Italian squadra or Spanish escuadra from
assumed Vulgar Latin exquadra (see square
). From the arrangement of troops in a square formation.][1]



squadcar

squadcar
squad
car
noun

police car:
a police car linked by radio with police headquarters.
Also called
patrol car[1]



squadron

squadron
squad·ron 
[skwóddrən] noun

1.  NAVY naval
unit:
a naval unit containing two or more divisions of a fleet

2.  AIR FORCE air
force unit:
an element of a tactical air force belonging to a group and containing two or
more flights

3.  MILITARY cavalry
unit:
an armored cavalry unit belonging to a regiment and containing two or more
troops

4.  group:
an organized group of people, animals, or objects
[Mid-16th century. From
Italian squadrone, literally “large squad,” from squadra (see squad ).][1]



squadronleader

squadronleader
squad·ron
lead·er
noun

air force officer:
in the Royal Air Force, the commander of a squadron of military aircraft[1]



squadroom

squadroom
squad
room
noun

1.  room
in a police station: a room in a police station
where officers are briefed

2.  ARMY dormitory
in a barracks: a room in a barracks where a number of
soldiers are housed

[1]



squalene

squalene
squa·lene 
[skwáy ln] noun

substance
found in liver: a colorless hydrocarbon, found primarily
in human sebum and shark-liver oil, that is a cholesterol precursor and is used
as a bactericide and in the synthesis of some drugs. C30H50
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Squalus, shark genus, from Latin, “a sea fish.”][1]



squalid

squalid
squal·id 
[skwólləd] adjective

1.  neglected
and dirty:
dirty and shabby because of neglect and lack of money

2.  without
any fine qualities: lacking in honesty, dignity,
and morals • a
squalid little scandal
[Late
16th century. From Latin squalidus “filthy, rough,” from squalere
“to be filthy,” from squalus “filthy.”]
—squal·id·ly,
adverb

—squal·id·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dirty

[1]



squall

squall2
squall2 [skwawl]
intransitive verb (past squalled, past participle squalled,
present participle squall·ing, 3rd person present singular
squalls)

yell:
to cry or yell hoarsely
noun

noisy
cry:
a noisy cry or yell
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word imitative of the
sound.]
—squall·er, noun[1]



squall

squall1
squall1 [skwawl]
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY windstorm:
a sudden strong wind, often with heavy rain or snow

2.  brief
disturbance: a short but noisy disturbance

3.  show
of temper:
a brief but intense outburst of temper
intransitive
verb
(past squalled, past participle squalled, present
participle squall·ing, 3rd person present singular squalls)

METEOROLOGY blow
strongly:
to blow strongly and suddenly (refers to the wind)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from a Scandinavian word.][1]



squallline

squallline
squall
line
noun

stormy zone:
a series of small storms that occur along a cold front[1]



squally

squally
squall·y 
[skwáwlee] (comparative squall·i·er,
superlative squall·i·est) adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY stormy:
occurring in or characterized by strong gusts, often accompanied by rain or
snow

2.  involving
arguments:
marked by sudden short noisy arguments

[1]



squalor

squalor
squal·or 
[skwóllər] noun

1.  shabbiness:
shabbiness and dirtiness resulting from poverty or neglect

2.  moral
degradation: a state of moral degradation
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “dirtiness, roughness,” from squalere (see squalid ).][1]



squama

squama
squa·ma 
[skwáymə] (plural squa·mae [skwáy mee]) noun

scale
on body:
a scale, or a structure resembling a scale, of the type that make up the
covering of fish, reptiles, and some mammals
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “scale.”][1]



squamate

squamate
squa·mate
[skwáy màyt] noun

lizard
or snake:
a reptile of the order that comprises all lizards and snakes and includes about
6,000 species. Order: Squamata
adjective

with scales on the body:
having scales or structures resembling scales of the type that make up the
covering of fish, reptiles, and some mammals[1]



squamation

squamation
squa·ma·tion 
[skwə máysh’n] noun

1.  state
of having scales on the body: the state of having a body
with scales or plates like scales

2.  arrangement
of scales on the body: the arrangement of scales on
an animal’s body

[1]



squamiform

squamiform
squa·mi·form 
[skwáymi fàwrm] adjective

resembling scales on the
body: resembling a scale or scales
of the type that make up the covering of fish, reptiles, and some mammals[1]



squamosal

squamosal
squa·mo·sal 
[skway mṓss’l, skwə
mṓss’l] noun

thin
skull bone:
a thin plate-shaped bone of the vertebrate skull that forms the forward and
upper part of the temporal bone in humans
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin squamosus “squamous.”][1]



squamous

squamous
squa·mous 
[skwáyməss, skwáaməss]
or squa·mose [skwá mss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY of
scales on the body: covered with, consisting of,
or resembling scales or thin plates of the type that make up the covering of
fish, reptiles, and some mammals

2.  BIOLOGY consisting
of scale-shaped cells: used to describe a layer of
skin ( epithelium ) made up of small
scale-shaped cells

3.  ANATOMY of the
skull bone:
relating to the squamosal in the vertebrate skull
—squa·mous·ly,
adverb

—squa·mous·ness, noun[1]



squamouscell carcinoma

squamouscell carcinoma
squa·mous
cell car·ci·no·ma noun

type of cancer:
a common type of cancer that usually develops in the epithelial layer of the
skin but sometimes in various mucous membranes of the body. The cancerous cells
often contain keratin, and sometimes intercellular bridges are formed.[1]



squamulose

squamulose
squa·mu·lose 
[skwáymyə lss, skwámmyə
lss] adjective

with
tiny scales on the body: having or consisting of tiny
scales of the type that make up the covering of fish, reptiles, and some
mammals
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from squamule “small scale,” from Latin squamula, from squama
“scale.”][1]



squander

squander
squan·der 
[skwóndər] verb (past squan·dered,
past participle squan·dered, present participle squan·der·ing,
3rd person present singular squan·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
use
something wastefully: to spend or use something
precious in a wasteful and extravagant way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb strew
something:
to scatter something, or be scattered (archaic)
noun

extravagance:
extravagant spending
[Late
16th century. Origin unknown.]
—squan·der·er, noun[1]



Squanto

Squanto
Squan·to 
[skwóntō] (1585?–1622)

Wampanoag interpreter. He
helped the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony by interpreting for them and showing
them how to fish and grow food in New England.[1]



square

square
square 
[skwair] noun

1.  GEOMETRY equilateral
rectangle:
a geometric figure with four right angles and four equal sides

2.  rectangular
object:
an object in the shape of a square or a rectangle that is nearly a square

3.  GAME division
of a game board: any of the four-sided divisions marked
on the board used to play chess, checkers, or other games

4.  ARCHITECTURE open
space in a city: an open, usually four-sided area in a
city or town where two or more streets meet, often containing trees, grass, and
benches for recreational use

5.  ARCHITECTURE city
block:
a block of buildings surrounded by four streets

6.  MILITARY military
drill area:
an open space within an army barracks where soldiers practice marching and
handling weapons

7.  MATHEMATICS result
of multiplication: the product resulting from
multiplying a number or term by itself • The
square of 7 is 49.

8.  GEOMETRY drawing
instrument:
an L- or T-shaped instrument made of plastic, wood, or metal, used for drawing
or measuring right angles

9.  MILITARY body
of soldiers: formerly, a tactical formation of
soldiers in a solid or hollow rectangle, with the soldiers on the sides facing
outward

10. dull
unfashionable person: somebody who dresses and
behaves in an unfashionable way and is out of touch with current popular
culture (slang dated)

11. square
meal:
a square meal (informal)
adjective

1.  GEOMETRY shaped
like a square: having the shape of a square, with four
more or less equal sides and angles

2.  GEOMETRY forming
a right angle: intersecting at, having, or making a
right angle

3.  cubic:
in the shape of a cube • a
square block of stone

4.  vaguely
square in shape: roughly square or angular in shape, and
looking firm and solid

5.  MEASUREMENTS of
the measurement of surface area: used to describe a
measurement of area in which the specified unit refers to the length of each
side of a square whose surface area constitutes the measurement. For example,
one square meter is the surface area of a square all of whose sides are one
meter long. • One
box contains enough tiles to cover 100 square feet.

6.  MEASUREMENTS with
sides of a specified length: used to describe a square area
with sides of a particular length • a room
ten feet square

7.  straight
or level:
adjusted or made to be perfectly straight, even, level, or lined up with
something • Make
sure the picture is square on the wall.

8.  completely
fair:
completely fair, honest, and direct • a
square deal

9.  boring
and old-fashioned: dressing and behaving in an
unfashionable way and out of touch with current popular culture (slang dated)

10. not
owing money: with all outstanding debts paid up • She
paid me this morning –we’re square now.

11. MUSIC lacking
complexity:
in jazz and popular music, lacking swing or complexity
verb
(past squared, past participle squared, present
participle squar·ing, 3rd person present singular squares)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something square: to make something into a square or
rectangular shape

2.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS multiply
a number by itself: to multiply a number or term
by itself • Seven
squared equals 49.

3.  transitive
verb
divide
something into squares: to divide a surface, sheet
of paper, or other object into squares

4.  transitive
verb
set
something straight: to move an object, item of
clothing, or part of the body so that it is straight or level

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb put or
be at right angles: to adjust something or be
adjusted so that it is at right angles to something else, or test something for
this alignment

6.  transitive
verb
settle
things fairly: to arrive at a fair and equal agreement
with somebody about something, especially about paying off money owed • He
squared all his bills and left town.

7.  transitive
verb
bribe
somebody:
to bribe another person (slang)

8.  transitive
verb
SPORTS bring
scores level: to level the scores, especially in a
ballgame

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb concur
or make something agree: to agree with another
person, fact, event, or idea, or make two facts, events, or ideas concur • That
doesn’t square with what we know.

10. transitive
verb
improve
impression:
to try to improve the impression that somebody has of you
adverb

1.  at
right angles: so as to be even, straight, level, or at
right angles to something

2.  directly:
in a direct or forceful way (informal) • She
drove square into the wall.

3.  honestly:
in an honest and straightforward way (informal)
[13th
century. Via Old French esquare and assumed Vulgar Latin exquadra
from, ultimately, Latin quadrum, from the Latin stem quat- “four”
(source of English quarter and squad ).]
—squar·er,
noun

—square·ness,
noun
all
square

1.  SPORTS in which the scores are even

2.  in
which all participants are on equal terms, especially because debts have been
settled

on
the square

1.  at
right angles to something, or constructed with right angles

2.  in
an honest and direct manner, or direct and honest

3.  done
on equal terms, or being on equal terms with somebody

out
of square

1.  not
at right angles to something

2.  not
in agreement with each other

[1]



squarebracket

squarebracket
square
brack·et
noun

See
bracket  noun 3[1]



squaredance

squaredance
square
dance
noun

1.  country
dance:
a country dance or style of country dancing featuring dancers in pairs or sets,
lively music played on fiddles and other instruments, and a caller who
announces the steps

2.  dance
where four couples form squares: a country dance in
which four couples form a square
—square danc·ing, noun[1]



squareknot

squareknot

square knot
noun
symmetrical knot:
a symmetrical knot that will not slip after tying, made by passing one end of a
rope over and around another first in one direction, then in the opposite
direction. The usual formula for tying this knot is: left over right, then
right over left.
Also called
reef knot
U.K. term
reef knot[1]



squarely

squarely
square·ly
[skwáirlee] adverb

1.  directly:
in a direct or forceful way • She
met my gaze squarely.

2.  honestly:
in an honest and straightforward way

3.  at
right angles: in or into a position that is at right
angles to something else

[1]



squarematrix

squarematrix
square
ma·trix
noun

mathematical matrix:
a mathematical matrix that has equal numbers of rows and columns[1]



squaremeal

squaremeal
square
meal
noun

nourishing meal:
a filling and nourishing meal[1]



squaremeasure

squaremeasure
square
meas·ure
noun

unit for measuring an area:
a unit or system of units for measuring an area, for example, a hectare or an
acre[1]



squareoff

squareoff
square
off
intransitive verb

take a fighting position:
to take the proper stance for beginning to fight[1]



square-rigged

square-rigged
square-rigged 
adjective

with sails across the ship:
having principal sails that are at right angles to the length of the ship[1]



square-rigger

square-rigger
square-rig·ger 
noun

square-rigged ship:
a sailing vessel equipped with square-shaped sails[1]



squareroot

squareroot
square
root
noun

number multiplied together
producing given number: a number or
quantity that when multiplied by itself gives the stated number or quantity.
For example, 4 or –4 is the square root of 16.[1]



squaresail

squaresail
square
sail
noun

four-sided sail:
a sail with four sides that is usually suspended horizontally on the mast[1]



squareshooter

squareshooter
square
shoot·er
noun

somebody straightforward:
somebody who is straightforward and honest (informal)[1]



squaretimber

squaretimber
square
tim·ber
noun

Canada
logs for export:
logs that have been squared off for export[1]



squareup

squareup
square
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
settle
debts:
to pay bills, accounts, or other sums of money owed to somebody

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb arrange
or be arranged satisfactorily: to arrange something
or be arranged in an acceptable or pleasing way

3.  intransitive
verb
face
something unpleasant: to confront something
unpleasant or frightening

4.  intransitive
verb
adopt
an aggressive posture: to put up fists or adopt a
similar posture that shows a readiness to fight

5.  transitive
verb
DESIGN make
an enlargement using a grid of squares: to
enlarge or transfer a drawing using a grid of squares

[1]



squarrose

squarrose
squar·rose 
[skwá rss, skw
rss] adjective

scaly:
with many scales or scabs (dated)
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
squarrosus “scurfy.”][1]



squash

squash1

squash1 [skwosh]
(plural squash or squash·es) noun

1.  FOOD vegetable
of the gourd family: the fruit of any plant of
the gourd family, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
See
also
summer squash
See
also
winter squash

2.  PLANTS plant
bearing a gourd: any plant yielding or cultivated for its
edible gourds. Genus: Cucurbita
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of Narragansett asquutasquash, literally “green things that may be eaten
raw.”][1]



squash

squash2
squash2 [skwosh]
verb (past squashed, past participle squashed,
present participle squash·ing, 3rd person present singular
squash·es)

1.  transitive
verb
flatten
something with pressure: to apply pressure to
something so that its shape is altered • managed
to squash it flat before packing it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb enter
or put something into a small space: to
force your way into a confined space, or force something into a confined space
• people
trying to squash into the elevator

3.  transitive
verb
POLITICS MILITARY put down a rebellion:
to suppress a revolt or uprising completely by using force

4.  transitive
verb
make
somebody feel small: to silence somebody with a
crushing answer

5.  intransitive
verb
become
flat:
to become flat, often making a squelching sound
noun

1.  RACKET GAMES ballgame
in a walled court: a game for two or four
participants played in an enclosed court with long-handled rackets and a small
ball that may be hit off any of the walls

2.  many
people in a small space: a situation in which a lot
of people are crushed into a small space

3.  action
or noise of squashing: the action or noise that
results when something is being squashed
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French esquasser from assumed Vulgar Latin exquassare,
from Latin quassare (see quash ).]
—squash·er, noun[1]



squashbug

squashbug
squash
bug
noun

large N American bug:
a large black North American bug that is destructive to plants of the gourd
family such as squash and pumpkins. Latin name: Anasa tristis[1]



squashy

squashy
squash·y 
[skwóshee] (comparative squash·i·er,
superlative squash·i·est) adjective

1.  easily
squashed:
soft and easily squashed

2.  overripe:
overripe and full of juice

3.  soft
and wet:
soft and waterlogged

4.  looking
squashed:
having a squashed appearance

[1]



squat

squat
squat 
[skwot] intransitive verb (past
squat·ted, past participle squat·ted, present
participle squat·ting, 3rd person present singular squats)

1.  crouch
down:
to crouch down with the knees bent and the thighs resting on the calves

2.  crouch
down low:
to crouch close to the ground like an animal, especially in order to avoid
being seen

3.  LAW occupy
property without a legal claim: to occupy land or
buildings without permission of the owner or other rights holder
adjective
(comparative squat·ter, superlative squat·test)

1.  short
and solid:
short and solidly built

2.  in
a crouched posture: in a crouched position
noun

1.  action
of squatting: the action of crouching down with the
knees bent and the thighs resting on the calves

2.  squatting
position:
a crouched posture with knees bent and thighs resting on calves

3.  SPORTS weightlifting
exercise:
an exercise in weightlifting in which the lifter raises a barbell while rising
from a crouching position

4.  U.K.
LAW property
occupied by squatters: a piece of property that is
occupied by squatters

5.  ZOOLOGY hare’s
lair:
the den of a hare
[14th
century. Via Old French esquatir “to crush,” from, ultimately, Latin coactus,
the past participle of cogere “to force together” (source of English cogent ).]
—squat·ness, noun[1]



squatly

squatly
squat·ly
[skwóttlee] adverb

solidly:
in a solid unyielding manner • The
piano stood squatly by the window.[1]



squatter

squatter
squat·ter
[skwóttər] noun

1.  LAW illegal
occupant of land or property: somebody who occupies land
or property illegally, especially somebody who takes over and lives in somebody
else’s empty house

2.  somebody
or something that crouches: a person or animal that
crouches down

[1]



squaw

squaw
squaw 
[skwaw] noun

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a Native North American woman or wife (dated
offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term for a woman or wife (slang offensive)
[Mid-17th century. From
Narragansett squaws “woman” or Massachusett squa .][1]



squawfish

squawfish
squaw·fish 
[skwáw fìsh] (plural squaw·fish
or squaw·fish·es) noun

N American fish:
a freshwater fish of western North America that is large and slender and has
soft fins. Genus: Ptychocheilus[1]



squawk

squawk

squawk 
[skwawk] verb (past squawked,
past participle squawked, present participle squawk·ing,
3rd person present singular squawks)

1.  intransitive
verb
utter
a harsh cry: to utter a loud harsh cry

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb complain
loudly:
to complain or protest about something noisily and annoyingly (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
cry
loudly:
to cry or wail loudly and annoyingly (informal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb say
something loudly and shrilly: to say something in a loud
harsh voice (informal)
noun

1.  raucous
cry:
a loud raucous cry

2.  noisy
complaint:
a noisy and annoying complaint or protest (informal)
[Early
19th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—squawk·er, noun[1]



squawkbox

squawkbox
squawk
box
noun

intercom:
a public-address system or one of its speakers, originally box-shaped (dated
slang)[1]



squawman

squawman
squaw
man
noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term for the husband of a Native North American woman who is
himself not Native North American (slang dated offensive)[1]



squawroot

squawroot
squaw·root 
[skwáw rt] noun

herb:
a scaly herb of North America that has tube-shaped yellow flowers and lives as
a parasite on the roots of trees such as oaks and hemlocks. Latin name: Conophilis
americana
[Mid-19th century. From its
use in traditional Native American medicine.][1]



squeak

squeak

squeak 
[skweek] verb (past squeaked,
past participle squeaked, present participle squeak·ing,
3rd person present singular squeaks)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a high-pitched sound: to make a short high-pitched
sound or cry

2.  transitive
verb
say
something shrilly: to say something in a
high-pitched voice

3.  intransitive
verb
barely
manage something: to barely manage to pass, win, or
survive something (informal) • squeaked
through her final exams

4.  intransitive
verb
be
an informer: to give information or evidence about
somebody to the police (slang disapproving)
noun

high-pitched cry:
a short high-pitched sound or cry
[14th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
a narrow or close or near
squeak

an escape from something by
an extremely narrow margin[1]



squeaker

squeaker
squeak·er 
[skwkər] noun

1.  somebody
or something that squeaks: a person, animal, or device
that makes a short high-pitched sound or cry

2.  narrowly
won victory: a competition, election, race, or other
event that is won by a very slight margin (informal)

3.  informant:
somebody who gives information about a criminal to the police (slang
disapproving)

[1]



squeaky

squeaky
squeak·y 
[skwkee] (comparative squeak·i·er,
superlative squeak·i·est) adjective

1.  tending
to squeak:
having a tendency to squeak

2.  designed
to squeak:
designed to make a squeaking noise when pressed
—squeak·i·ly,
adverb

—squeak·i·ness, noun[1]



squeaky-clean

squeaky-clean
squeak·y-clean 
adjective

1.  extremely
clean:
so clean that it squeaks when rubbed • His
hair was squeaky-clean.

2.  irreproachably
good:
appearing to be almost unnaturally free from general human shortcomings (informal)

[1]



squeal

squeal

squeal 
[skweel] noun (plural squeals)

1.  shrill
cry:
a short high cry expressing pain, excitement, delight, or other strong emotion

2.  loud
high sound:
the screaming sound made by tires when a vehicle brakes suddenly
verb (past
squealed, past participle squealed, present participle
squeal·ing, 3rd person present singular squeals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give a
short high cry: to speak or make a sound in a loud
high-pitched tone

2.  intransitive
verb
become
an informer: to give information or evidence against
somebody to the police (slang disapproving)
[13th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—squeal·er, noun[1]



squeamish

squeamish
squea·mish 
[skwmish] adjective

1.  easily
made to feel sick: easily sickened by such
sights as blood or physical injuries

2.  easily
offended:
easily shocked by such things as violence, the mention of bodily functions, or
strong language

3.  fastidious:
excessively scrupulous about manners or behavior
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman escoymous, of unknown origin.]
—squea·mish·ly,
adverb

—squea·mish·ness, noun[1]



squeegee

squeegee
squee·gee 
[skw j] noun

1.  implement
for cleaning windows: a T-shaped implement edged
with plastic or rubber that is drawn across the surface of windows to remove
water after washing

2.  PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHY implement to eliminate
liquid:
an implement, usually a rubber roller, that is used in printing and photography
to remove excess water or ink
transitive
verb
(past squee·geed, past participle squee·geed, present
participle squee·gee·ing, 3rd person present singular squee·gees)

wipe with a squeegee:
to wipe or smooth a surface using a squeegee
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from obsolete squeege “to press,” an alteration of squeeze .][1]



squeegeeman

squeegeeman
squee·gee
man
noun

street-person windshield
washer: a man or youth, typically
one spending time on the streets, who enters stopped traffic without
invitation, attempting to wash motorists’ windshields for money (slang)
Also called
squeeze kid[1]



squeeze

squeeze
squeeze 
[skweez] verb (past squeezed,
past participle squeezed, present participle squeez·ing,
3rd person present singular squeez·es)

1.  transitive
verb
press
something from two sides: to press something hard in
the hand or between two other objects, especially in order to reduce its size
or alter its shape

2.  transitive
verb
press
somebody encouragingly: to exert slight pressure on
part of somebody’s body such as the hand, knee, or shoulder, usually as a sign
of affection and reassurance

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb apply
pressure:
to exert pressure on something • Come
on, squeeze harder!

4.  transitive
verb
hug
somebody:
to hold somebody tightly in your arms

5.  transitive
verb
push
a person or object into a gap: to force a person,
object, or part of the body into or through a small or narrow space

6.  intransitive
verb
push
into or through small space: to push into or through a
small, narrow, or crowded space • I
squeezed through a gap in the fence.

7.  transitive
verb
find
time for:
to find time or space for somebody or something in a busy schedule • I
could squeeze you in at 9:30.

8.  transitive
verb
press
fruit to obtain juice: to compress a piece of
fruit, especially a citrus fruit, in order to extract its juice

9.  transitive
verb
obtain
using physical pressure: to extract something by
exerting physical pressure on somebody or something

10. transitive
verb
extort
money or favors: to obtain something such as money or
favors from somebody by means of psychological pressure or threats

11. transitive
verb
demand
money from:
to make excessive financial demands on somebody, especially for rent and taxes

12. transitive
verb
produce
with difficulty: to make an effort to produce something • He
managed to squeeze out a timid “thank you.”

13. intransitive
verb
barely
manage:
to barely succeed in winning, passing, or surviving something • managed
to squeeze through the exam with a D

14. transitive
verb
BASEBALL bunt
the ball:
in baseball, to bunt the ball attempting to bring in the runner from third base

15. transitive
verb
CARD GAMES play
a card:
to lead a card in bridge or whist that may force an opponent to discard a
valuable card

16. intransitive
verb
collapse:
to condense or collapse under pressure

17. intransitive
verb
CRAFT make
an impression of: to make an impression or mold of an
object using a soft material such as wax or plaster of Paris
noun

1.  physical
pressing:
a pressing action • gave the sponge a quick
squeeze

2.  something
pressed out: an amount pressed out of something • Add
a squeeze of lemon.

3.  hug:
a hug or close embrace

4.  touch
that shows affection: the action of briefly
clasping somebody’s hand, arm, knee, or other part of the body, usually as a
sign of affection or reassurance

5.  crowd
of people or things: a group of people or objects
crowded together

6.  CARD GAMES BASEBALL squeeze
play:
a squeeze play (informal)

7.  CRAFT impression
of an object: an impression of an object made by using
a soft material such as wax or plaster of Paris

8.  something
extorted:
money or goods obtained from somebody as a result of threats or the use of
force

9.  COMMERCE financial
pressure to act: an action by business competitors that
influences or forces others to make some type of transaction
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of obsolete quease, ultimately of unknown origin.]
—squeez·a·bil·i·ty
[skwzə bíllətee], noun

—squeez·a·ble
[skwéezəb’l], adjective
put
the squeeze on somebody

1.  to
exert pressure on somebody by means of force and threats in order to extort
money or goods or to obtain some other end, for example, a confession (slang)

2.  to
place somebody in a difficult situation, especially financially, or pressure
somebody to do something (slang)

[1]



squeezebox

squeezebox
squeeze·box
[skwéez bòks] noun

accordion:
a concertina or small accordion (informal)[1]



squeezeoff

squeezeoff
squeeze
off
intransitive verb

fire a bullet:
to fire a bullet from a gun[1]



squeezeplay

squeezeplay
squeeze
play
noun

1.  BASEBALL play
when the batter bunts: in baseball, a play in which
the batter bunts the ball in an attempt to bring in a runner from third base

2.  CARD GAMES play
in a game of bridge: a play in bridge or whist in
which an opponent is forced to discard a valuable and potentially winning card

[1]



squelch

squelch
squelch 
[skwelch] verb (past squelched,
past participle squelched, present participle squelch·ing,
3rd person present singular squelch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a sucking sound: to move with or make a sucking or
gurgling sound like that of somebody walking on muddy ground

2.  transitive
verb
crush
by trampling: to crush something by trampling, or as
if by trampling

3.  transitive
verb
silence
something:
to silence something such as a rumor or an unwanted remark (slang)
noun

1.  sucking
sound:
a sucking or gurgling sound like that of somebody walking on muddy ground

2.  crushing
retort:
an ingenious or cutting answer to something somebody has said (slang)

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electronic
circuit:
an electronic circuit that automatically reduces the gain of a receiver in
response to an input signal that exceeds a predetermined level
[Early
17th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—squelch·er,
noun

—squel·chy, adjective[1]



squeteague

squeteague
sque·teague 
[skwə tg] (plural sque·teague
or sque·teagues) noun

Atlantic
fish:
any one of several large Atlantic fish of the croaker family, especially the
Atlantic weakfish. Genus: Cynoscion
[Early 19th century. From
southern New England Algonquian .][1]



squib

squib
squib 
[skwib] noun

1.  small
firecracker: a small firecracker

2.  dud
firecracker: a faulty firecracker that burns without
exploding

3.  LITERATURE piece
of satire:
a short satirical piece of writing or speech

4.  PRESS short
journalistic piece: a short humorous piece that
acts as a filler in a newspaper

5.  AEROSPACE device
for firing a rocket engine: a small device for firing a
rocket engine

6.  somebody
unimportant: somebody who is considered to be
insignificant or mean-spirited (archaic)
verb
(past squibbed, past participle squibbed, present
participle squib·bing, 3rd person present singular squibs)

1.  transitive
verb
FOOTBALL kick
a ball low:
in football, to kick the ball in such a way that it wobbles as it bounces along
the ground

2.  transitive
verb
LITERATURE satirize
somebody:
to write a satirical squib about somebody

3.  intransitive
verb
set
off a firework: to set off a small firecracker
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound made by a faulty firecracker.][1]



squibkick

squibkick
squib
kick
noun

kick keeping the ball low:
in football, a kick of the ball so that it wobbles as it bounces along the
ground in order to make it hard to field and return[1]



squid

squid

squid 
[skwid] (plural squid or
squids) noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY mollusk
with ten arms: a marine cephalopod mollusk that has two
long tentacles and eight shorter arms, a long tapered body, two triangular
fins, and an internal shell. It is often cooked and eaten. Order: Teuthoidea

2.  FOOD squid
as food:
a dish of squid that has been prepared and cooked for eating
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



squiggle

squiggle
squig·gle 
[skwígg’l] noun

1.  wavy
line:
a wavy or curly line or movement

2.  illegible
word:
an illegible handwritten word or words
intransitive
verb
(past squig·gled, past participle squig·gled, present
participle squig·gling, 3rd person present singular squig·gles)
(informal)

1.  squirm:
to twist, squirm, or wriggle

2.  draw
squiggles:
to draw wavy or curly lines
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of squirm
and wiggle or wriggle
.]
—squig·gler,
noun

—squig·gly, adjective[1]



squill

squill
squill 
[skwil] (plural squills) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with small drooping flowers: a bulbous plant native to
Europe, Asia, and Africa that has small blue, white, pink, or purple drooping
flowers. Genus: Scilla Pushkinia

2.  PLANTS See sea onion

3.  MEDICINE dried
bulb of a sea onion: the dried slices of a sea
onion’s bulb, used medicinally in the past as an expectorant and diuretic
[14th century. Via Latin squilla
“shrimp, squill” from Greek skilla, of unknown origin.][1]



squilla

squilla
squil·la 
[skwíllə] (plural squil·las) noun

burrowing
marine crustacean: a burrowing marine
crustacean that has eyes on stalks and large grasping appendages. Genus: Squilla

Also
called
mantis crab
Also
called
mantis shrimp
[Early 16th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, “shrimp” (see squill
).][1]



squinch

squinch1
squinch1 [skwinch]
(plural squinch·es) noun

ARCHITECTURE interior
supporting part of a tower: an arch, corbeling, or
lintel built across the upper inside corner of a square tower to support the
weight of a spire or other structure above
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of scuncheon, from Old French escoinson, literally “corner out,”
from coin “corner” (see coin ).][1]



squinch

squinch2
squinch2 [skwinch]
(past squinched, past participle squinched, present
participle squinch·ing, 3rd person present singular squinch·es)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
scrunch
up the face: to scrunch up the eyes or face

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb crouch
down:
to crouch so as to take up less space
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a blend of squint and pinch .][1]



squint

squint
squint 
[skwint] verb (past squint·ed,
past participle squint·ed, present participle squint·ing,
3rd person present singular squints)

1.  intransitive
verb
partly
close the eyes: to half- close the eyes so as to see
better • a
photo of them squinting into the camera in bright sunlight

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
eyes not looking in parallel: to have eyes that are not
aligned in parallel

3.  intransitive
verb
glance
aside:
to glance or look at something sideways

4.  intransitive
verb
look
askance:
to regard something with disapproval (disapproving) • Congress
clearly is squinting at the prospect of increased funding for the program.
noun
(plural squints)

1.  eye
condition:
a condition in which the eyes are not aligned in parallel, causing a cross-eyed
appearance. Technical name strabismus

2.  quick
glimpse:
a quick look or glance at something, often to the side

3.  action
of narrowing eyes: the act of narrowing the
eyes to try to see better

4.  ARCHITECTURE See hagioscope
adjective

1.  cross-eyed:
with a squint or a cross-eyed appearance

2.  askew:
not level or properly aligned (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of asquint, of uncertain origin: perhaps literally
“on a slant,” formed from Low German or Dutch .]
—squint·er,
noun

—squint·y,
adjective
have
or take a squint at

to have a look at something (informal)[1]



squint-eyed

squint-eyed
squint-eyed 
[skwìnt d] adjective

1.  with
squint:
with one or both eyes looking slightly inward or outward rather than in
parallel

2.  looking
with eyes partly closed: looking with the eyes partly
closed to see better

3.  askance:
looking askance or sidelong

[1]



squirarchy

squirarchy
squir·ar·chy 
[skwr rkee] noun

See
squirearchy
[Late 18th century. Coined
from squire + hierarchy
.][1]



squire

squire
squire 
[skwīr] noun (plural squires)

1.  rural
landowner:
a country landowner in England, often the main local landowner

2.  HISTORY attendant
to a knight: a young apprentice knight who acted as
an attendant to a knight in the Middle Ages

3.  man
who escorts a woman: a man who is escorting a
woman or going out with her regularly (dated)

4.  title
given to a rural dignitary: a title of respect given to
a magistrate or local dignity, especially in a rural district (dated)
transitive
verb
(past squired, past participle squired, present
participle squir·ing, 3rd person present singular squires)

escort somebody:
to escort or go out with a man or a woman (dated) (often passive)
[13th century. From Old
French esquier (see esquire ).][1]



squirearchy

squirearchy
squire·ar·chy
[skw ə rrkee] (plural squire·ar·chies)
or squir·ar·chy [skw ə rrkee]
(plural squir·ar·chies) noun

landed
gentry:
the main rural landowners collectively, especially the social, economic, or
political class formed by such landed proprietors
[Late
18th century. Coined from squire + hierarchy .]
—squire·ar·chal,
adjective

—squire·ar·chic, adjective[1]



squirm

squirm
squirm 
[skwurm] intransitive verb (past
squirmed, past participle squirmed, present participle
squirm·ing, 3rd person present singular squirms)

1.  wriggle
from discomfort: to wriggle the body, especially because
of discomfort or in an attempt to break free from being held

2.  feel
emotional distress: to feel very uncomfortable,
especially because of shame, embarrassment, or revulsion • a
tough question that made the press office squirm
noun
(plural squirms)

wriggling movement:
a wriggling movement, especially from discomfort or as an attempt to break free
from being held
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—squirm·er,
noun

—squirm·y, adjective[1]



squirrel

squirrel
squir·rel 
[skwúr rəl] noun (plural squir·rels)

1.  small
bushy-tailed rodent: a small rodent that has a
long bushy tail, lives in trees, and eats nuts and seeds. Family: Sciuridae
See
also
gray squirrel
See
also
red squirrel

2.  rodent
like a squirrel: a rodent related to or resembling the
squirrel, for example, the ground squirrel, flying squirrel, or chipmunk

3.  U.S.
criminal suspect: a person who is a criminal or who is
suspected of having committed a crime (slang)

4.  hoarder:
somebody who hoards things (informal)
transitive
verb
(past squir·reled, past participle squir·reled, present
participle squir·rel·ing, 3rd person present singular squir·rels)

hoard something:
to hoard or save things
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman esquirel, literally “little squirrel,” from, ultimately,
Greek skiouros, literally “shady-tail,” from skia “shadow” + oura
“tail.”][1]



squirrelcage

squirrelcage
squir·rel
cage
noun

1.  rotating
framework for an animal: a cage containing a
cylindrical framework that goes around when a small pet rodent runs inside it

2.  dull
task:
a dull, repetitive, seemingly purposeless task

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING winding
in induction motors: a rotor of an induction
motor consisting of copper bars mounted in slots around the periphery

[1]



squirrelcorn

squirrelcorn
squir·rel
corn
noun

wildflower with corn-like
tubers: a low-growing wild plant of
the eastern United States that belongs to the fumitory family and has divided
leaves, whitish-yellow flowers, and small tubers resembling grains of corn.
Latin name: Dicentra canadensis[1]



squirrelfish

squirrelfish
squir·rel·fish 
[skwúr rəl fìsh] (plural squir·rel·fish
or squir·rel·fish·es) noun

fish
found among tropical reefs: a brightly colored nocturnal
fish that lives in the shallow waters of tropical reefs. Family: Holocentridae
Also
called
soldierfish
[Squirrel possibly from their
large round eyes and spiny dorsal fin, which is arched like a squirrel’s tail][1]



squirrelly

squirrelly
squir·rel·ly 
[skwúr rəlee] adjective

1.  very
eccentric:
very eccentric or odd (informal offensive)

2.  characteristic
of squirrel: resembling or characteristic of a
squirrel
[“Eccentric” from the erratic
movements of squirrels][1]



squirrelmonkey

squirrelmonkey
squir·rel
mon·key
noun

small
monkey:
a small long-tailed monkey of Central and South America that has soft
yellowish-gray, brown, or reddish fur, a white face, and a black muzzle. Genus:
Saimiri
[Squirrel perhaps from its
long tail, which is used for balancing][1]



squirt

squirt
squirt 
[skwurt] verb (past squirt·ed,
past participle squirt·ed, present participle squirt·ing,
3rd person present singular squirts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb force
something out from a narrow opening: to
force something or be pushed out of a narrow opening in a strong quick stream • The
ketchup squirted all over the table. • managed
to squirt the last of the toothpaste out of the tube

2.  transitive
verb
squirt
liquid over something: to hit or cover somebody or
something with liquid that is forced out of a narrow opening in a strong quick
stream • She
squirted me with her water bottle.
noun
(plural squirts)

1.  stream
of ejected liquid: a small stream of liquid
forced out of a narrow opening • a
squirt of body lotion

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s young age or small size,
especially in response to perceived impudence (informal insult)

3.  instrument
for squirting liquid: an instrument such as a
syringe that is used to dispense liquid in a thin quick stream
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound of something being squirted.][1]



squirtgun

squirtgun
squirt
gun
noun

toy gun that shoots water:
a toy gun that shoots a stream of water.
Also called
water pistol
U.K. term
water pistol[1]



squirtingcucumber

squirtingcucumber
squirt·ing
cu·cum·ber 
[skwùrting ky kùmbər] noun

vine with bursting fruit:
a Mediterranean vine of the gourd family with oblong fruit that burst when
ripe, ejecting seeds and juice. Latin name: Ecballium elaterium[1]



squish

squish
squish 
[skwish] verb (past squished,
past participle squished, present participle squish·ing,
3rd person present singular squish·es)

1.  transitive
verb
squeeze:
to squeeze or crush something soft

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a soft splashing noise: to make a sucking or soft
splashing sound when subjected to pressure, as when being walked on or squeezed
noun
(plural squish·es)

1.  soft
splashing noise: a sucking or soft splashing sound

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody perceived as weak or cowardly (slang insult)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of squash 2 .][1]



squishy

squishy
squish·y 
[skwíshee] (comparative squish·i·er,
superlative squish·i·est) adjective

1.  soft:
soft and giving under pressure, like mud or a soft fruit

2.  overly
sentimental: overly sentimental or romantic (disapproving)

3.  weak:
lacking in courage or resolution (slang) • a
squishy foreign policy

[1]



sr

sr
sr

Symbol for
steradian[1]



Sr

Sr
Sr

Symbol for
strontium[1]



Sr.

Sr.
Sr.

1.  Sr.
or sr. Abbreviation of senior

2.  Abbreviation
of
Señor

3.  Abbreviation
of
Senhor

4.  Abbreviation
of
Sir

5.  Abbreviation
of
sister

[1]



Sra.

Sra.
Sra.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Senhora

2.  Abbreviation
of
Señora

[1]



sraddhaa

sraddhaa
srad·dhaa
[srdə] or shrad·dh [shrdə] noun

South
Asia
offering
to the dead: in the Indian subcontinent, a ceremonial
offering of food and water to the dead
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit śrāddha, from śraddhā “faith, trust.”][1]



SRAM

SRAM
SRAM

Abbreviation of
static random access memory[1]



Sranantongo

Sranantongo
Sra·nan·ton·go 
[srnən tóng gō] or Sra·nan [srnən] noun

creole
language of Suriname: a creole language based on
English that is the lingua franca of Suriname.
Also
called
taki-taki
[Mid-20th century. From
Sranantongo, literally “Suriname tongue.”][1]



S-Rconnection

S-Rconnection
S-R
con·nec·tion (plural S-R con·nec·tions)
noun

connection between a stimulus
and a response: the relationship
between a stimulus and a response[1]



Srebrenica

Srebrenica
Sreb·re·ni·ca
[srèbbrə ntsə]

town in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
southeastern Europe, situated between Sarajevo and Tuzla. During the
Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian War (1991 to 1995), it was declared a Muslim enclave.
Population: 37,211 (1991)[1]



Sri

Sri
Sri
[sree, shree]
noun

1.  title
for a man:
a title of respect for a man in the Indian subcontinent, equivalent to “Mr.”
Also
called
Sriman

2.  title
for a Hindu god or holy man: a title of respect for a
Hindu deity or holy man

3.  See
Lakshmi
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
from Sanskrit śrī “lord,” literally “beauty, wealth, majesty.”][1]



SriLanka

SriLanka



Sri
Lan·ka 
[shri láng kə]
island
republic in southern Asia. It became independent from Britain in 1948.
Language: Sinhala, Tamil. Currency: Sri Lankan rupee. Capital: Sri
Jayawardenepura. Population: 18,318,000 (1996) Area: 65,610 sq km/25,326 sq mi.
Official name Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name
Ceylon
—Sri Lan·kan, noun,
adjective[1]



SriLanka




Back to definition

SriLanka

[1]



Sriman

Sriman
Sri·man
noun

See
Sri  noun 1[1]



Srinagar

Srinagar
Sri·na·gar 
[sri núggər, shrínnə
gaar] or Srī·na·ger [sri núggər,
shrínnə gaar]

capital city of the state of
Jammu and Kashmir, northwestern India. Population: 595,000 (1991)[1]



sRNA

sRNA
sRNA

Abbreviation of
soluble RNA[1]



SRO

SRO
SRO

1.  Abbreviation
of
single room occupancy

2.  Abbreviation
of
standing room only

[1]



Srta.

Srta.
Srta.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Senhorita

2.  Abbreviation
of
Señorita

[1]



SS

SS
SS


1.  Abbreviation
of
Social Security

2.  Abbreviation
of
steamship

3.  Abbreviation
of
Sunday school

4.  Abbreviation
of
sworn statement

5.  Abbr
for
German Schutzstaffel, literally "defense squadron," a special Nazi
armed force known for being particularly vicious

[1]



ss.

ss.
ss.

1.  Abbreviation
of
sections

2.  Abbreviation
of
scilicet

[1]



SS.

SS.
SS.

Abbreviation of
Saints[1]



SSA

SSA
SSA

Abbreviation of
Social Security Administration[1]



SSB

SSB
SSB

Abbreviation of
single sideband (transmission)[1]



SSE

SSE
SSE

Abbreviation of
south-southeast[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SSGT

SSGT
SSGT
or S. or Sgt.

Abbreviation of
staff sergeant[1]



SSI

SSI
SSI

Abbreviation of
Supplemental Security Income[1]



SSM

SSM
SSM

Abbreviation of
surface-to-surface missile[1]



ssp.

ssp.
ssp.
(plural sspp.)

Abbreviation of
subspecies[1]



SSR

SSR
SSR

HISTORY
Abbreviation of Soviet Socialist Republic[1]



SST

SST
SST

Abbreviation of
supersonic transport[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SSW

SSW
SSW

Abbreviation of
south-southwest[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ST

ST
ST

Abbreviation of
standard time[1]



St.

St.
Saint

1.  Abbreviation
of
Saint

2.  Abbreviation
of
Strait

3.  Abbreviation
of
Street

[1]



st.

st.
st.

1.  Abbreviation
of
stanza

2.  Abbreviation
of
start

3.  Abbreviation
of
state

4.  Abbreviation
of
stet

5.  Abbreviation
of
statute

6.  Abbreviation
of
stitch

7.  Abbreviation
of
strophe

[1]



st

st
st

Abbreviation of
short ton[1]



Sta

Sta
Sta

Abbreviation of
Santa[1]



sta.

sta.
sta.

1.  Abbreviation
of
station

2.  Abbreviation
of
stationary

[1]



stab

stab
stab 
[stab] verb (past stabbed,
past participle stabbed, present participle stab·bing,
3rd person present singular stabs)

1.  transitive
verb
thrust
a knife into: to thrust a knife or other sharp pointed
instrument into somebody or something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb jab
finger or object at: to thrust a finger or an
object sharply at something • He
stabbed his potato angrily with his fork.

3.  intransitive
verb
hurt
like a knife wound: to cause a sudden sharp
hurting sensation, like that of a knife wound • Pain
stabbed at her temples.
noun
(plural stabs)

1.  act
of stabbing somebody: the action or result of
thrusting a knife or other sharp implement into somebody (often used before
a noun) • a
stab wound

2.  severe
criticism:
a severe criticism of somebody

3.  sudden
painful feeling: a sudden brief sensation, especially of
pain • felt
a sudden stab of loss

4.  attempt:
an attempt at something (informal)
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—stab·ber,
noun
stab
in the back

a betrayal or act of
treachery (informal)[1]



StabatMater

StabatMater
Sta·bat
Ma·ter
[st bat mtər] noun

hymn
about the sorrows of the Virgin Mary: a
Latin hymn that was composed in the 13th century and concerns the grief of the
Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
stabat mater dolorosa “the mother stood, full of grief,” the first words
of the hymn.][1]



stabbing

stabbing
stab·bing
[stábbing] noun (plural stab·bings)

act
of thrusting a knife into somebody: an
incident in which somebody is deliberately stabbed with a knife or sharp object
adjective

with sudden pain:
brief, sharp, and sudden, as if from the thrust of a knife • a
stabbing pain in the side[1]



stabile

stabile
sta·bile 
noun [stáy bl] (plural sta·biles)

SCULPTURE sculpture
attached to something: an abstract sculpture made
of wire, metal, or other materials and attached to fixed supports.
See
also
mobile
adjective
[stáyb’l, stáy
bl]

1.  stable:
in a fixed position

2.  CHEMISTRY not
changing chemically: not readily undergoing
chemical change
[Late 18th century. From
Latin stabilis (see stable 1 ).][1]



stability

stability
sta·bil·i·ty 
[stə bíllətee] noun

1.  stable
quality:
the condition of being stable • policies
aimed at creating economic stability

2.  mental
firmness:
mental or psychological firmness

3.  resistance
to change:
resistance to any sudden change or deterioration

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ability
to adjust to load changes: a property of a transmission
system that allows changes in load to be met without any reduction in
performance

5.  METEOROLOGY air
mass without upward movement: a condition of no upward
movement in an air mass

6.  METEOROLOGY resistance
to air currents: a measure of the tendency of an air mass
to be influenced by convection currents

7.  ECOLOGY ability
to maintain a balance: the ability of an ecological
community to resist disturbance caused by changes in, for example, climate, or
the ability to return to its original state after disturbance

8.  AEROSPACE SHIPPING resistance
to a changed position: the capability of an
aircraft, rocket, or ship to maintain a position and to return to it if
displaced

9.  CHEMISTRY resistance
to a chemical change: a resistance to chemical
change

10. PHYSICS measure
of maintaining equilibrium: a measure of the difficulty
of displacing an object or system from equilibrium

[1]



stabilization

stabilization
sta·bi·li·za·tion
[stàyb’lī záysh’n] noun

the act or process of
stabilizing something[1]



stabilizationfund

stabilizationfund
sta·bi·li·za·tion
fund
noun

reserve used to maintain an
exchange rate: a reserve of money that
a country uses to maintain its official exchange rate by buying and selling
foreign exchange[1]



stabilize

stabilize
sta·bi·lize 
[stáyb’l z] (past sta·bi·lized,
past participle sta·bi·lized, present participle sta·bi·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular sta·bi·liz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become stable: to become stable, or make something
stable • The
patient’s condition has stabilized.

2.  transitive
verb
maintain
the level of something: to maintain an unfluctuating
level of something

[1]



stabilizer

stabilizer
sta·bi·liz·er 
[stáybəlzər] noun (plural sta·bi·liz·ers)

1.  AEROSPACE airfoil
that stabilizes an aircraft: an airfoil or combination of
airfoils, for example, in the tail assembly of an airplane, that keeps an
aircraft or missile aligned with the direction of flight. A vertical stabilizer
controls yawing, or side-to-side motion, while a horizontal stabilizer controls
pitching, or up-and-down motion.

2.  SHIPPING fins
to control a ship’s rolling: one or more pairs of
submerged fins, often gyroscopically controlled, used to minimize the rolling
of a ship in rough waters

3.  CHEMISTRY additive
that maintains chemical properties: a
chemical compound added to another substance to make it resistant to chemical
or physical change

4.  ELECTRICITY device
to produce a constant voltage: a device used to
maintain a constant voltage from a source of direct current

5.  INDUSTRY something
added to disperse paint: a substance added to a
fast-drying paint to improve the dispersion of pigment

6.  stabilizing
person or thing: something that or somebody who acts to
bring stability
plural
noun
sta·bi·liz·ers

U.K. See
training wheels

[1]



stabilizerbar

stabilizerbar
sta·bi·liz·er
bar
noun

AUTOMOTIVE
See anti-roll bar[1]



stable

stable1
sta·ble1 [stáyb’l]
adjective

1.  not
changing:
steady and not liable to change • Prices
have remained stable.

2.  not
likely to move: steady or firm and not liable to move

3.  not
excitable:
having a calm and steady temperament rather than being excitable or given to
apparently irrational behavior

4.  CHEMISTRY not
readily undergoing change: not subject to changes in
chemical or physical properties

5.  PHYSICS not
naturally radioactive: incapable of becoming a
different isotope or element by radioactive decay
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French from Latin stabilis (source of
English establish ). Ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “to stand” (see stable 2 ).]
—sta·ble·ness,
noun

—sta·bly, adverb[1]



stable

stable2
sta·ble2 [stáyb’l]
noun (plural stables)

1.  AGRICULTURE building
for horses:
a building in which horses, and sometimes other large types of livestock, are
kept

2.  EQUESTRIAN horses
owned by somebody: the group of horses,
especially racehorses, owned by one person or kept and trained at one
establishment

3.  EQUESTRIAN people
working in a stable: the people who work in a
stable

4.  group
under management: a group of people managed by the same
person or organization • a
stable of bestselling authors
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sta·bled,
past participle sta·bled, present participle sta·bling,
3rd person present singular stables)

put or live in a stable:
to keep or put a horse or other large animal in a particular building, or be
kept in a particular building • We
stabled our horses in the barn.
[13th century. Via Old French
estable from Latin stabulum . Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stand, stem,
and static .][1]



stabledoor

stabledoor
sta·ble
door
noun

door with separate sections:
a door split into upper and lower sections that can be closed separately. In
stables the opened top section allows a confined horse to see out.[1]



stablefly

stablefly
sta·ble
fly
noun

biting fly:
a biting bloodsucking fly like a housefly that attacks humans and domestic
animals. Latin name: Stomoxys calcitrans[1]



stablemate

stablemate
sta·ble·mate
(plural sta·ble·mates) noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN horse
from the same stable: a horse that belongs to the
same owner or is kept and trained at the same racing stable as another

2.  person
associated with another: somebody who or something
that is associated with another, for example, an author who shares the same
publisher as another author

[1]



stabling

stabling
sta·bling
[stáybling] noun

1.  stables:
a stable or stables

2.  accommodation
for horses:
accommodation for horses, usually but not always in a stable

[1]



stabstitch

stabstitch
stab
stitch
noun

tiny stitch:
a very small straight stitch designed to hold two or more pieces of fabric
together without showing as more than a dot on the surface[1]



stacc.

stacc.
stacc.

Abbreviation of
staccato[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








staccato

staccato
stac·ca·to 
[stə ktō] adverb

MUSIC in
quick separate notes: to be played, as rapid short
detached notes (used as a musical direction)
adjective

quick
and clipped: rapid, brief, and clipped in sound
noun
(plural stac·ca·tos)

MUSIC staccato
passage:
a staccato passage in music
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “detached.”][1]



stachys

stachys
sta·chys 
[stáykiss] noun

plant
with spiked flowers: a plant with spiked whorls
of purple, reddish, or white flowers such as lamb’s ears or betony. Genus: Stachys
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek stakhus “ear of grain.”][1]



stack

stack
stack 
[stak] noun (plural stacks)

1.  heaped
pile of things: a pile of things more or less neatly
arranged one on top of another • a
stack of chairs

2.  AGRICULTURE large
pile of something stored outdoors: a large pile of hay,
straw, or grain often conical in shape, stored outdoors

3.  chimney
or chimneys: a tall chimney or group of chimneys
arranged together.
See
also
smokestack

4.  large
number:
a large number or amount (informal) • She
has stacks of money.

5.  AIR aircraft
waiting to land: a number of aircraft waiting a turn to
land at an airport, circling at different heights.
Also
called
stackup

6.  GEOGRAPHY rocky
pillar rising from coastal waters: a steep-sided pillar
of rock that has been isolated from nearby cliffs at the shoreline by the
erosion of the waves

7.  COMPUTING list
in a computer memory: an area in a computer memory
where data can be stored temporarily in a list in which the last item entered
is the first one removed. A control program uses a stack to save register
information and return addresses temporarily so it can restore the environment
upon returning from another procedure to which it has jumped.

8.  ARMS arrangement
of firearms: a group of firearms formed in a pyramid,
especially three rifles with their muzzles leaning against each other

9.  vertical
pipe:
a vertical duct or waste pipe
plural
noun
stacks

book storage in a library:
an area of a library, usually not open to the public, where books are stored on
shelves
verb
(past stacked, past participle stacked, present
participle stack·ing, 3rd person present singular stacks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put in
an organized pile: to put things one on top of
another to form a pile, or to be arranged in this way

2.  transitive
verb
put
things on a shelf: to arrange objects on a
shelf

3.  intransitive
verb
heap
with piles of objects: to load or heap something
with large piles of articles or objects • The
bins were stacked with bargains.

4.  transitive
verb
manipulate
a situation unethically: to arrange something
underhandedly to ensure a desired outcome

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR keep aircraft waiting in a
stack:
to keep aircraft waiting to land at an airport circling at different heights,
or be kept in this position
[13th
century. From Old Norse stakkr, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“stick, pole,” which is also the ancestor of English stagger, stockade,
and attack .]
—stack·a·ble,
adjective

—stack·er,
noun
be
stacked against

to
amount to an unfair disadvantage

blow
your stack

to
become suddenly furious (slang)

stack
the deck or cards

1.  CARD GAMES to arrange playing
cards in a deck for the purposes of cheating (slang)

2.  to
arrange something dishonestly or unethically so as to gain an unfair advantage
(slang)

[1]



stacked

stacked
stacked 
[stakt] adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe a woman in terms of her physical
characteristics (slang offensive)

2.  dishonestly
arranged:
unfairly or dishonestly manipulated or arranged

3.  AIR disposed
at different heights: disposed at different
heights prior to landing

[1]



stackedheel

stackedheel
stacked
heel
noun

layered high heel on a shoe:
a wide high heel made of different colored layers of wood or material
simulating wood[1]



stackup

stackup
stack·up 
[sták ùp] (plural stack·ups) noun

AIR
See stack  noun 5[1]



stackup

stackup
stack
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put in
a stack:
to put things, or be put, in a stack

2.  intransitive
verb
measure
up to:
to be measurable against or comparable to something

3.  intransitive
verb
U.S., Australia add up to:
to add up to a total

[1]



stacte

stacte
stac·te 
[stáktee] noun

sweet
spice:
a sweet spice mentioned in the Bible as being used by the ancient Jews in
making incense
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek staktē, from staktos, the past participle of stazein
“to drip, ooze.”][1]



staddle

staddle
stad·dle 
[stádd’l] (plural stad·dles) noun

supporting
base for hay: a supporting base to keep stored hay off
the ground (regional or archaic)
[Old English staþol .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to stand” (see stable 2 ).][1]



stadholder

stadholder
stad·hold·er 
[stád hldər] (plural stad·hold·ers)
or stadt·hold·er [stád hldər]
(plural stadt·hold·ers) noun

1.  chief
magistrate of a former Dutch republic: the
chief magistrate of the Dutch republic from the 16th to 18th centuries

2.  governor
of a former Dutch province: in the past, a governor or
viceroy of a province in the Netherlands
[Mid-16th
century. Partial translation of Dutch stadhouder, literally
“place-holder.”]
—stad·hold·er·ate,
noun

—stad·hold·er·ship, noun[1]



stadia

stadia2
sta·di·a2 [stáydee
ə] noun

surveying
technique:
a method of measuring distances or differences in elevation using a telescopic
instrument calibrated to correspond to distances from the surveyor
[Mid-19th century. Directly
or via Italian from Latin, plural of stadium (see stadium ).][1]



stadia

stadia1
sta·di·a1

Plural of
stadium[1]



stadimeter

stadimeter
sta·di·me·ter
[stə dímmətər] (plural sta·di·me·ters)
noun

optical
instrument for measuring distance: an optical instrument
used for measuring distance from an object of known height such as a ship
[Coined from stadia 2 + meter][1]



stadiometer

stadiometer
sta·di·om·e·ter 
[stàydee ómmətər] (plural sta·di·om·e·ters)
noun

measuring
device:
a device for measuring the length of a straight or curved line by tracing its
path with a toothed wheel
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek stadion stadium + -meter .][1]



stadium

stadium
sta·di·um 
[stáydee əm] (plural sta·di·ums
or sta·di·a [stáydee ə]) noun

1.  arena
with tiered seats: a place where people watch
sports or other activities, usually a large enclosed flat area surrounded by
tiers of seats for spectators

2.  HISTORY ancient
Greek racetrack: a racetrack for footraces in ancient
Greece that had tiers of seats at each side and one end

3.  MEASUREMENTS ancient
Greek measurement unit: a unit of linear measure in
ancient Greece equal to about 185 m/607 ft
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek stadion “racetrack, unit of measure.”][1]



stadtholder

stadtholder
stadt·hold·er 
noun

See
stadholder[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








staff

staff2
staff2 [staf]
noun

CONSTRUCTION plaster
and fiber as a temporary finish: a building material of
plaster and fibrous material used as a temporary, especially decorative, finish
on the outside of a structure
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German Stoff “material.”][1]



staff

staff1
staff1 [staf]
noun (plural staffs)

1.  workers:
people who are employed by a company or individual

2.  specific
body within a larger group: a specific group of
employees within a company, institution, or organization

3.  U.K.
EDUCATION See faculty

4.  people
who work for a leader: a group of people who serve
a leader or an executive of a company, organization, or institution

5.  MILITARY group
of aides to a commander: a group of officers in the
armed services who assist a commanding officer or work at headquarters as
advisers or planners

6.  Malaysia,
Singapore HOUSEHOLD EDUCATION member
of staff:
a member of staff working for a company, organization, or school

7.  large
heavy stick: a stick, rod, or pole, such as a stick
used as a support while walking, or a rod used as a symbol of authority in
ceremonies.
Also
called
stave noun 4

8.  See
flagpole  noun

9.  MUSIC set of
lines for writing music: a set of five horizontal
lines, together with the four spaces between them, on which the notes of music
are written

10. MEASUREMENTS graduated
rod used for measuring: a graduated rod used for
testing or measuring something, for example, in surveying
adjective

1.  employed
with salary: employed full-time, not on a freelance
basis

2.  HOUSEHOLD concerned
with staff:
for or relating to the staff of a company, institution, or organization
transitive
verb
(past staffed, past participle staffed, present
participle staff·ing, 3rd person present singular staffs)

provide with workers:
to provide a place or organization with employees (often passive)
[Old English stæf
“stick, rod.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to support,” which
is also the ancestor of English step,
stampede, and stalag .][1]



staffcollege

staffcollege
staff
col·lege
noun

military school:
a school in which military officers are prepared for higher positions, for
example, as staff officers or commanders[1]



staffer

staffer
staff·er 
[stáffhər] (plural staff·ers) noun

staff member:
somebody who belongs to the staff of an organization (informal) • White
House staffers[1]



staffof Aesculapius

staffof Aesculapius
staff
of Aes·cu·la·pi·us  [stàf
əv èskyə lày pee əss] noun

medical insignia:
a symbol for the medical profession consisting of a staff with a single snake
entwined around it.
See also
caduceus[1]



staffofficer

staffofficer
staff
of·fi·cer
noun

officer aiding a commander:
a military officer who assists a commanding officer or works as a planner or
adviser at a headquarters[1]



staffof life

staffof life
staff
of life
noun

bread:
bread, or sometimes another food, considered as an essential part of the human
diet (literary)
[Staff from staff 1, in the
sense “staple, support”][1]



Staffordshirebull terrier

Staffordshirebull terrier
Staf·ford·shire
bull ter·ri·er  or Staf·ford·shire ter·ri·er
noun

sturdy
muscular dog: a bull terrier belonging to a breed with
a white coat and broad head and often marked or streaked with brown or black
[Named for the county of Staffordshire
in England where it was developed][1]



staffroom

staffroom
staff·room
[stàf room, stàf
rm] (plural staff·rooms) noun

U.K.
room for teachers:
a room used only by the teachers in a school, for example, for relaxation
between classes[1]



staffsergeant

staffsergeant
staff
ser·geant
noun

1.  U.S.
army rank:
a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army, ranking above sergeant and below
sergeant first class

2.  U.S.
air force rank: a noncommissioned officer in the U.S.
Air Force, ranking above sergeant and below technical sergeant

3.  U.S.
marine rank: a noncommissioned officer in the U.S.
Marines, ranking above sergeant and below gunnery sergeant

4.  British
army rank:
a noncommissioned officer in the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below
warrant officer

[1]



stafftree

stafftree
staff
tree
noun

shrubby
plant:
a shrubby, usually climbing, plant of the staff tree family, including
bittersweet
adjective

belonging to a twining plant
family: belonging to or used to
describe a family of twining North American, Asian, or Australian trees and
shrubs that have red seeds in pods, including khat and euonymus. Family:
Celastraceae[1]



stag

stag

stag 
[stag] noun (plural stags)

1.  ZOOLOGY mature
male deer:
an adult male deer, especially a male red deer

2.  unaccompanied
man at a social event: a man who goes to a social
function without a partner (informal)

3.  AGRICULTURE castrated
adult animal: a male animal, for example, a hog,
castrated after it reaches maturity
adjective

restricted to men:
for men only, and usually involving activities that would not be appropriate in
mixed company (informal)
adverb

without a woman date:
without a woman companion on a social occasion (informal)
intransitive verb
(past stagged, past participle stagged, present
participle stag·ging, 3rd person present singular stags)

attend an event without a woman date:
to attend a social event without a woman companion (informal)
[Old English (assumed) stagga
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “pointed,” which is also the
ancestor of English stochastic, and
probably of sting .][1]



stagbeetle

stagbeetle
stag
bee·tle
noun

large beetle with outsize
jaws: a large beetle, the male of
which has long extended jaws ( mandibles )
shaped like a stag’s antlers. Family: Lucanidae[1]



stage

stage
stage 
[stayj] noun (plural stag·es)

1.  period
or step during a process: a step, level, or period in
the development or progress of something • The
project is still in its early stages.

2.  platform:
a raised platform, for example, in a hall or auditorium, where speeches are
made and ceremonies are carried out

3.  THEATER area
in a theater: the area in a theater where a
performance takes place, especially a platform on which actors perform a play

4.  setting
in which something happens: the scene of an event or
series of events • The summit marks her
first appearance on the world stage.

5.  significant
phase:
an important phase of cultural, economic, or social development

6.  TRANSPORT part
of journey:
a distinct section of a journey, especially one after which a stop is made

7.  THEATER dramatic
profession:
the profession of acting, drama, or the theater

8.  AEROSPACE detachable
rocket unit: a separable unit of a rocket or
spacecraft that contains fuel and can be jettisoned after the fuel is exhausted

9.  TRANSPORT See stagecoach

10. CONSTRUCTION platform
for workers: a raised platform, especially a
scaffolding for workers during the construction of a building

11. platform
for drying something: a platform used to dry fish
or meat

12. RECORDING See sound stage

13. BIOLOGY period
of development of an organism: a distinct period of
development in the life of an organism when its form is different from earlier
or later periods

14. MEASUREMENTS elevation
of a river surface: a measure of how much the
surface of a river or stream rises above a given point

15. platform
for mounting microscopic specimen: the small platform of
an optical microscope on which a specimen is placed for examination

16. GEOLOGY period
of rock strata: a relatively short distinct period, a
subdivision of a series, during which rock strata are deposited during an age
of geologic time

17. ELECTRICITY unit
of electrical components: a group of components that
form part of an electronic or electrical system
transitive
verb
(past staged, past participle staged, present
participle stag·ing, 3rd person present singular stag·es)

1.  organize
a performance for the public: to put on a play, concert,
exhibition, or similar event for an audience

2.  organize
event:
to organize or carry out something, for example, an event that will attract
attention or publicity

3.  THEATER set
play in place or time: to set a play in a
particular place or time

4.  MEDICINE classify
phases of disease: to classify the progress of
a disease
[13th
century. Via Old French estage from assumed Vulgar Latin staticum,
literally “standing place,” from Latin stat-, past participle stem of stare
“to stand” (see station ).]
—stage·a·bil·i·ty
[stàyjə bíllətee], noun

—stage·a·ble
[stày jəbəl], adjective

—stage·a·bly,
adverb
on
stage

performing
in something, especially as an actor

take
center stage

to draw people’s or public
attention[1]



stagebrace

stagebrace
stage
brace
noun

brace supporting theatrical
scenery: a brace used to support
upright pieces of scenery in a play[1]



stagebusiness

stagebusiness
stage
busi·ness
noun

THEATER
See business  noun 8[1]



stagecoach

stagecoach
stage·coach 
[stáyj kch] (plural stage·coach·es)
noun

large
horse-drawn coach: a large four-wheeled
horse-drawn coach used in the past to carry passengers and mail over a regular
route.
Also
called
stage





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Stagecoach, a movie by John Ford (
  1939 ). Considered the first modern Western, it portrays an encounter between
  a diverse group of stagecoach passengers and an intimidating outlaw, the
  Ringo Kid (played by John Wayne). Its convincing and intriguing characters,
  magnificent desert setting, gripping narrative, and exciting climax made it a
  landmark in U.S. movie-making.

[1]



stagecraft

stagecraft
stage·craft 
[stáyj kràft] noun

process of making something
stageable: the technique or art of
writing, adapting, or putting plays on stage[1]



stagedirection

stagedirection
stage
di·rec·tion
noun

instruction directing actor:
an instruction for an actor in the script of a play[1]



stagedoor

stagedoor
stage
door
noun

outside door into theater
backstage: a door in the back or side
of a theater that leads directly backstage and is usually used by performers[1]



stageeffect

stageeffect
stage
ef·fect
noun

special effect from a stage:
a special visual or auditory effect created on a theatrical stage by lighting,
scenery, or sound[1]



stagefright

stagefright
stage
fright
noun

fear of performing for
audience: fear or nervousness that
somebody feels before going in front of an audience to speak or perform[1]



stagehand

stagehand
stage·hand 
[stáyj hànd] (plural stage·hands)
noun

helper on a stage set:
somebody who does physical work in a theater, for example, setting up and
removing stage sets[1]



stageleft

stageleft
stage
left
noun

side of a stage on the
actor’s left: the side of a stage
that is to a performer’s left when facing the audience.
See also
stage right[1]



stage-manage

stage-manage
stage-man·age 
verb

1.  transitive
verb
tightly
control every aspect of event: to control an
organized event, especially in a way that is not public, so that it happens
exactly as planned

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb THEATER be a stage manager:
to carry out the work of a stage manager, especially on a particular production

[1]



stagemanager

stagemanager
stage
man·ag·er
noun

somebody who manages
backstage: somebody who assists the
director of a play by supervising all backstage activities[1]



stager

stager
stag·er 
[stáyjər] (plural stag·ers) noun

actor:
an actor (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a translation of Old French estagier “long-time
resident,” from estage “stage, dwelling” (see stage
).][1]



stageright

stageright
stage
right
noun

side of a stage on the
actor’s right: the part of a stage
that is to the performer’s right when facing the audience.
See also
stage left[1]



stage-struck

stage-struck
stage-struck 
adjective

loving the theater:
loving theater and intensely wanting to be part of it, especially as a
performer[1]



stagewait

stagewait
stage
wait
noun

unintentional break in play’s
action: an unintentional pause in
the action of a play, especially one caused by an actor’s missing a cue[1]



stagewhisper

stagewhisper
stage
whis·per
noun

1.  THEATER actor’s
loud whisper: something said on stage that for the
purposes of the play is supposed to be a whisper but is intended to be heard by
the audience

2.  conspicuous
whisper:
a loud whisper intended to be overheard

[1]



stagey

stagey
stag·ey 
adjective

See
stagy[1]



stagflation

stagflation
stag·fla·tion 
[stag fláysh’n] noun

period
of inflation and little growth: a period of rising
prices and unemployment but little growth in consumer demand and business
activity
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of stagnation and inflation .]
—stag·fla·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



Stagg,Amos Alonzo

Stagg,Amos Alonzo
Stagg 
[stag], Amos Alonzo (1862–1965)

U.S. football coach. He
coached at the University of Chicago (1892–1932) and College of the Pacific
(1933–1946), where he continued as an assistant until the age of 98.[1]



staggard

staggard
stag·gard 
[stággərd] (plural stag·gards)
noun

stag
in 4th year: a male red deer that is in its fourth
year
[14th century. Formed from stag .][1]



stagger

stagger
stag·ger 
[stággər] verb (past stag·gered,
past participle stag·gered, present participle stag·ger·ing,
3rd person present singular stag·gers)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
unsteadily, nearly falling: to move or walk unsteadily,
almost but not quite falling over

2.  transitive
verb
make
person or animal stumble: to make a person or animal
stumble or nearly fall, especially by a blow

3.  transitive
verb
astonish
somebody:
to completely astonish or amaze somebody (often passive)

4.  transitive
verb
arrange
activities for separate times: to arrange activities
so that they do not overlap

5.  transitive
verb
make
into an alternating or zigzag pattern: to
arrange things so that they do not form a straight line, especially in an
alternating or zigzag pattern (often passive)

6.  intransitive
verb
hesitate:
to hesitate or falter

7.  transitive
verb
AIR adjust
the edge of biplane’s wing: to make the leading edge of
one wing of a biplane project beyond the leading edge of the other wing
noun
(plural stag·gers)

1.  stumble
nearly resulting in a fall: an unsteady movement in
which a person or animal almost falls

2.  AIR arrangement
of biplane wings: a design in which the leading edge of
one wing of a biplane is ahead of that of the other wing
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of obsolete stacker, from Old Norse stakkra,
from staka “to push,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “pole”
(see stack ).]
—stag·ger·er, noun[1]



staggerbush

staggerbush
stag·ger·bush 
[stággər bsh] (plural stag·ger·bush·es
or stag·ger·bush) noun

shrub with poisonous leaves:
a shrubby deciduous heath of the eastern United States that has clusters of
white or pink flowers and leaves that are poisonous to livestock. Latin name: Lyonia
mariana[1]



staggered

staggered
stag·gered
[stággərd] adjective

1.  shocked:
shocked or astounded at something

2.  alternating
or zigzag:
not arranged in sequence or in a straight line

[1]



staggeredhours

staggeredhours
stag·gered
hours
plural noun

arrangement for workers to
stagger hours: an arrangement in a
business in which employees arrive and leave at different times but work hours
that overlap for part of the time[1]



staggering

staggering
stag·ger·ing 
[stággəring] adjective

amazing:
with the effect of shocking or astounding people
—stag·ger·ing·ly, adverb[1]



staggers

staggers
stag·gers
[stággərz] noun (takes a singular
or plural verb)

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE See
blind staggers

2.  MED vertigo
linked to decompression sickness: a form of vertigo
associated with decompression sickness, with symptoms including dizziness,
weakness, and confusion

[1]



staghorn

staghorn
stag·horn 
[stág hàwrn] or stag’s horn [stág hàwrn] noun

1.  piece
of stag’s antler: a stag’s antler, or a piece of this used
as material for carved objects

2.  See
staghorn fern

3.  See
staghorn moss

4.  See
staghorn sumac
adjective

made from stag’s antler:
made from a piece of a stag’s antlers

[1]



staghorncoral

staghorncoral
stag·horn
cor·al
noun

coral resembling antlers:
a form of stony coral branched like a deer’s antlers. Genus: Acropora[1]



staghornfern

staghornfern
stag·horn
fern 
noun

fern with leaves like
antlers: a fern with broad leaves
like antlers and smaller clinging leaves, often cultivated as a houseplant.
Genus: Platycerium
Also called
staghorn[1]



staghornmoss

staghornmoss
stag·horn
moss
noun

plant with stems like
antlers: a plant with creeping stems
like antlers and tiny overlapping leaves. Latin name: Lycopodium clavatum

Also called
staghorn[1]



staghornsumac

staghornsumac
stag·horn
su·mac
noun

sumac
with red fruit: a sumac of the eastern United States
whose compound leaves turn crimson or purple in fall. It has clusters of
greenish flowers, red fruit, and its new branches are covered in soft hair
until maturity. Latin name: Rhus typhina
Also
called
staghorn
[Staghorn from the
resemblance of its branches to a deer’s antlers in velvet][1]



staghound

staghound
stag·hound 
[stág hòwnd] (plural stag·hounds)
noun

hound used in hunting stags:
a hound like a large foxhound, used especially in the past in hunting stags[1]



staging

staging
stag·ing 
[stáyjing] noun

1.  THEATER technique
of presenting stage play: the activity, process, or
style of presenting a play on a stage

2.  CONSTRUCTION scaffolding
for building: a temporary structure of supports and
platforms used in building or working on something

3.  AEROSPACE technique
for increasing spacecraft’s velocity: a
technique to increase the velocity achieved by a spacecraft’s launch vehicle by
using multiple propulsive stages, each being jettisoned after use

[1]



stagingarea

stagingarea
stag·ing
ar·e·a
noun

place for assembling military
force: a place where soldiers and
military equipment are gathered for final organization, outfitting, and
training before deployment on an operation[1]



stagnant

stagnant
stag·nant 
[stágnənt] adjective

1.  still
and unmoving: not flowing or moving

2.  foul
or stale:
stale or impure from lack of motion

3.  not
developing:
not developing or making progress

4.  inactive:
not active or lively • a
stagnant week on the stock market
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin stagnant-, the present participle stem of stagnare
(see stagnate ).]
—stag·nan·cy,
noun

—stag·nant·ly, adverb[1]



stagnate

stagnate
stag·nate 
[stág nàyt] (past stag·nat·ed,
past participle stag·nat·ed, present participle stag·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular stag·nates) intransitive verb

1.  stop
flowing:
to stop flowing or moving

2.  become
foul:
to become stale or impure through not flowing or moving

3.  not
develop or make progress: to fail to develop,
progress, or make necessary changes

4.  become
inactive:
to become listless and inactive
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin stagnat-, the past participle stem of stagnare,
from stagnum “pool, swamp.”]
—stag·na·to·ry, adjective[1]



stagnation

stagnation
stag·na·tion
[stag náysh’n] noun

condition of inactivity:
a condition of no movement, activity, development, or progress, or the process
of becoming like this[1]



StAgnes’s Eve

StAgnes’s Eve
St
Ag·nes’s Eve [saynt ágnəssəz
v] (plural St Ag·nes’s Eves) noun

CALENDAR
night for dreaming of a future partner:
January 20, the eve of St. Agnes’s Day, on which, according to British
folklore, people dream of their future partners if they have performed
particular rituals before going to sleep.[1]



stagy

stagy
stag·y
[stáyjee] (comparative stag·i·er,
superlative stag·i·est) or stag·ey [stáyjee] (comparative stag·i·er, superlative
stag·i·est) adjective

artificial:
exaggerated or artificial in manner, as if in a play (disapproving)
—stag·i·ly,
adverb

—stag·i·ness, noun[1]



stag’shorn

stag’shorn
stag’s
horn
noun

See
staghorn  noun 1[1]



staid

staid
staid 
[stayd] (comparative staid·er,
superlative staid·est) adjective

sober
and steady:
sedate and settled in habits or temperament, sometimes to the point of dullness
[Mid-16th
century. An obsolete past participle of stay 1, literally “fixed, settled.”]
—staid·ly,
adverb

—staid·ness, noun[1]



stain

stain
stain 
[stayn] noun (plural stains)

1.  discolored
patch:
a discolored mark made by something such as blood, wine, or ink

2.  finish
for coloring something: a liquid that is applied to
something, especially wood, to darken it or change its color without hiding its
texture or grain

3.  MICROBIOLOGY dye
used to color microscopic specimens: a dye
used to color organic materials, for example, tissues and cells, to make
specimens more distinguishable under a microscope

4.  INDUSTRY dye
for textiles or leather: a dye that is used in liquid
form to color textiles or leather

5.  character
blemish:
something that detracts from somebody’s good reputation
verb
(past stained, past participle stained, present
participle stain·ing, 3rd person present singular stains)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb leave
mark on something: to make a discolored mark on
something (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
dye
something:
to dye something a different or deeper color using liquid or pigment that
penetrates the surface

3.  transitive
verb
tarnish
something:
to disgrace or detract from something

4.  transitive
verb
MICROBIOLOGY color
organic specimens: to color organic materials
with dyes to make specimens more distinguishable under a microscope
[15th
century. Partly from Old Norse steina “to paint” (from steinn
“stone, paint”) and partly from Old French desteindre, literally “to
discolor” (from Latin tingere “to dye”; see tinge
).]
—stain·a·bil·i·ty
[stàynə bíllətee], noun

—stain·a·ble,
adjective

—stain·er [stáynər], noun[1]



stainedglass

stainedglass

stained glass 
noun
colored glass often used in windows:
glass that has been colored so that it can be used to make a mosaic picture,
especially in a window. Stained glass may be made by enameling, burning
pigments into the surface, or by fusing metallic oxides with it. (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



stainless

stainless
stain·less 
[stáynləss] adjective

1.  entirely
reputable:
without any blemishes, especially of character or reputation

2.  without
stains:
without a stain or discolored mark

3.  resistant
to rust:
resisting rust or corrosion
noun

See stainless steel
—stain·less·ly, adverb[1]



stainlesssteel

stainlesssteel
stain·less
steel
noun

corrosion-resistant steel
containing chromium: a
corrosion-resistant steel containing at least 12 percent chromium that has many
domestic and industrial uses, for example, cutlery, ball bearings, and turbine
blades (hyphenated when used before a noun)
Also called
stainless[1]



stair

stair
stair 
[stair] noun (plural stairs)

1.  single
step:
a step in a series of steps leading from one floor or level to another

2.  series
of steps:
a flight of steps leading from one floor or level to another
plural
noun
stairs

set of steps: a set
or several sets of steps leading from one floor or level to another
[Old English stger .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to step, climb,” which is also
the ancestor of English stile 1 and stirrup .][1]



staircase

staircase
stair·case 
[stáir kàyss] (plural stair·cas·es)
noun

flight of stairs in building:
a set of stairs in a building, usually with banisters or handrails[1]



stairhead

stairhead
stair·head
[stáir hèd] (plural stair·heads)
noun

top of stairs:
the landing at the top of a flight of stairs[1]



StairMaster

StairMaster
Stair·Mas·ter
[stáir màstər] Trademark

a trademark for exercise
equipment[1]



stairrod

stairrod
stair
rod
noun

rod keeping carpet on stair:
a rod laid to hold a carpet in place against the bottom of a riser in a
staircase[1]



stairway

stairway
stair·way 
[stáir wày] (plural stair·ways)
noun

access to floors:
a passageway from one floor or level of a building to another, consisting of
stairs or a staircase[1]



stairwell

stairwell
stair·well 
[stáir wèl] (plural stair·wells)
noun

vertical shaft for stairs:
the vertical space in a building where stairs are located[1]



stake

stake2
stake2  [stayk]
noun (plural stakes)

1.  GAMBLING money
risked in gambling: an amount of money risked in
a bet or game

2.  share
or interest in something: a share or interest in
something, particularly through money risked in it

3.  personal
involvement: a personal or emotional interest,
concern, or involvement • We had
a huge stake in his success.

4.  See
grubstake
plural
noun
stakes

1.  degree
of risk:
the degree of hazard or danger involved in a situation

2.  prize
available:
the prize, reward, or success available in a gamble or competition

3.  GAMBLING prize
made up of contributions: the total of bets made by
players in a gambling game that is taken by the winner

4.  CARD GAMES amount
of bets in poker: in poker, the cash values assigned to
chips, bets, or raises
transitive
verb
(past staked, past participle staked, present
participle stak·ing, 3rd person present singular stakes)

1.  GAMBLING wager
something:
to bet something, especially money, on something

2.  risk
the loss of something: to risk the loss of
something valuable

3.  supply
somebody with requirements: to give or lend somebody
something needed or wanted

4.  FINANCE invest
in something: to put money into something, especially
initial capital
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from stake 1, from a supposed custom of
placing a wagered object on a stake.]
at
stake

at risk of being lost[1]



stake

stake1
stake1  [stayk]
noun (plural stakes)

1.  thin
pointed post in the ground: a thin wooden or metal post
that is driven into the ground to mark or support something

2.  HISTORY post
to tie and burn somebody: a wooden post used in an old
form of execution to which the person was tied. Wood was then piled around its
base and set alight.

3.  form
of execution: the method of execution in which
somebody was tied to a post and burnt

4.  TRANSPORT post
to retain a load: an independent upright post inserted
into sockets of a flat wagon or truck to keep long loads such as logs in place

5.  RELIGION Mormon
Church district: an administrative district in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that consists of wards, each governed by a
president and two counselors
verb
(past staked, past participle staked, present
participle stak·ing, 3rd person present singular stakes)

1.  transitive
verb
support
or strengthen with stake: to support or strengthen
something using a stake

2.  transitive
verb
tie
or tether to stake: to tie or tether something
to a stake

3.  intransitive
verb
mark
or fence area with stakes: to mark out, confine, or
fence off an area using stakes driven into the ground around the boundary

4.  transitive
verb
assert
rights over something: to assert something, usually
rights, over something such as an area of land
[Old
English staca, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “stick, pole”
(see stack )]
(pull)
up stakes

to
leave and move to another place

stake
a claim

to claim something such as an
area of land or a deposit of minerals[1]



stakeholder

stakeholder
stake·hold·er 
[stáyk hldər] (plural stake·hold·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
or something with direct interest: a person or group with
a direct interest, involvement, or investment in something, for example, the
employees, shareholders, and customers of a business concern “…demonstrating
how to build powerful stakeholder relationships based on trust…” Marketing Week
December 1998

2.  GAMBLING holder
and payer of bets: somebody who holds and pays
out bets in a gambling game
—stake·hold·ing, noun[1]



stakeout

stakeout
stake
out
transitive verb

1.  watch
continuously: to watch a place continuously from a
hidden vantage point (informal)

2.  establish
boundaries:
to establish the boundaries of an area intended to be used or controlled

3.  establish
and clarify position: to establish and clarify a
personal position in a situation

[1]



stakeout

stakeout
stake·out 
[stáyk òwt] (plural stake·outs)
noun (informal)

1.  police
surveillance: hidden surveillance of somebody or
something, especially by the police

2.  place
for police surveillance: the place from which
surveillance is carried out, especially by the police

[1]



stakes

stakes
stakes
[stayks] (plural stakes) noun

horserace with prize:
a horserace in which a prize is offered, especially a sum of money made up of
contributions from owners of horses that take part (takes a singular verb)[1]



Stakhanovite

Stakhanovite
Sta·kha·nov·ite 
[stə knə vt] noun (plural Sta·kha·nov·ites)

effective
Soviet worker: a worker in the former Soviet Union who
received a reward for increasing production
adjective

rewarding
hard work:
rewarding people who work very hard, especially in the former Soviet Union
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Soviet mine worker Aleksei Grigorevich Stakhanov (1906–1977), who
was held up as a model of productivity.][1]



stalactite

stalactite

sta·lac·tite 
[stə lák tt] (plural sta·lac·tites)
noun
conical
pillar hanging in cave: a conical hanging pillar in
a limestone cave that has gradually built up as a deposit from ground water
seeping through the cave’s roof.
See
also
stalagmite
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin stalactites from Greek stalaktos
“dripping,” from stalak-, the stem of stalassein “to drip,” of
unknown origin.]
—stal·ac·tit·ic
[stàllək títtik], adjective

—stal·ac·tit·i·cal·ly
[stàllək títtikəlee], adverb[1]



stalag

stalag
sta·lag 
[st lg, stá
làg] (plural sta·lags) noun

prisoner
of war camp: a German prisoner of war camp in World
War II for officers or lower ranks
[Mid-20th century. From
German, contraction of Stammlager, literally “main camp.”][1]



stalagmite

stalagmite

sta·lag·mite 
[stə lág mt] (plural sta·lag·mites)
noun
conical
pillar rising from cave floor: a conical pillar in a
limestone cave that is gradually built upward from the floor as a deposit from
ground water seeping through and dripping from the cave’s roof.
See
also
stalactite
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin stalagmites from Greek stalagmos
“something dropped,” from stalak-, the stem of stalassein “to
drip” (source also of English stalactite
).]
—stal·ag·mit·ic
[stàlləg míttik], adjective

—stal·ag·mit·i·cal·ly
[stàlləg míttiklee], adverb[1]



stale

stale2
stale2 [stayl]
intransitive verb (past staled, past participle staled,
present participle stal·ing, 3rd person present singular stales)

urinate:
to urinate (refers to livestock)
noun

livestock
urine:
the urine of livestock, especially horses and cattle
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French estaler “to take up a position,” from
estal (see stale 1 ).][1]



stale

stale1
stale1 [stayl]
adjective (comparative stal·er, superlative stal·est)

1.  kept
too long:
no longer fresh

2.  low
in oxygen:
stagnant and low in oxygen owing to lack of circulation or ventilation

3.  frequently
heard and boring: heard too often before and no longer
interesting or amusing

4.  out
of condition: ineffective, enervated, or bored because
of doing too much of the same thing

5.  LAW legally
expired:
having lost legal force through lack of use or elapse of time

6.  FINANCE not
negotiable because of delay: used to describe financial
statements or checks that are not negotiable by a bank because a time limit has
expired
intransitive
and transitive verb (past staled, past
participle staled, present participle stal·ing, 3rd
person present singular stales)

1.  lose
freshness:
to become, or make something become, stale

2.  lose
effectiveness: to lose effectiveness or energy

3.  become
boring:
to become dull and uninteresting over time
[13th century. From Old
French estale “settled,” literally “standing still,” ultimately from estal
“standing place,” from prehistoric Germanic (see stall 1 ).
Originally “wine or beer with settled sediment.”][1]



Stalingrad

Stalingrad
Sta·lin·grad 
[stlin gràd]

Former name for
Volgograd 1925–1961[1]



Stalinism

Stalinism
Sta·lin·ism 
[stlə nìzzəm] noun

principles
and policies of Stalin: the political principles and
economic policies developed by Joseph Stalin from Marxist-Leninist thought,
which included centralized autocratic rule and total suppression of dissent
—Sta·lin·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



Stalin,Joseph

Stalin,Joseph

Sta·lin
[stlin], Joseph (1879–1953)
Georgian-born
Soviet statesman. He was the general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party
(1922–1953). He ruled the Soviet Union as supreme leader after 1929,
eliminating political opponents in a series of purges and causing nationwide
famine with his collectivist agricultural policy. After World War II, he
extended Soviet control over most of eastern Europe.
Real name
Dzhugashvili, Iosif Vissarionovich[1]



stalk

stalk1
stalk1 [stawk]
(plural stalks) noun

1.  BOTANY stem
of plant:
the main stem or axis of a plant that is fleshy rather than woody

2.  BOTANY stem
or stemlike part of plant: a supporting part of a
plant, for example, a leaf stem ( petiole )
or flower stalk ( pedicel )

3.  slender
supporting part: a thin cylindrical part of something
that acts as a support, for example, of a glass

4.  ZOOLOGY slender
structural part of animal: a slender supporting
structure for an organ or body of an animal
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of obsolete stale
“stile of a ladder, handle,” from Old English stalu “upright piece.”]
—stalked, adjective[1]



stalk

stalk2
stalk2 [stawk]
verb (past stalked, past participle stalked,
present participle stalk·ing, 3rd person present singular stalks)

1.  transitive
verb
follow
stealthily:
to follow or try to get close to a person or animal unobtrusively

2.  intransitive
verb
walk
stiffly and angrily: to walk in a stiff, angry,
or proud way

3.  transitive
verb
proceed
steadily and malevolently: to proceed in a steady and
sinister way

4.  transitive
verb
LAW persistently
harass somebody: to harass somebody by persistent and
inappropriate attention, for example, by constantly following, telephoning, or
writing to him or her
noun

1.  stealthy
pursuit:
a stealthy pursuit or hunt of something

2.  stiff
walk:
a stiff, angry, or proud walk
[Old
English (assumed) stealcian, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“to steal,” which is also the ancestor of English steal
and stealth]
—stalk·a·ble,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



stalker

stalker
stalk·er
[stáwkər] (plural stalk·ers) noun

1.  stealthy
pursuer:
somebody who follows or tries to approach somebody or something stealthily

2.  LAW harasser:
somebody who persistently and obsessively harasses somebody else with
inappropriate attention

[1]



stalk-eyed

stalk-eyed
stalk-eyed 
adjective

with eyes on stalks:
with the eyes located on stalks ( pedicels
), as, for example, have some crustaceans and dipterans[1]



stalk-eyedfly

stalk-eyedfly
stalk-eyed
fly
noun

tropical fly:
a fly mostly found in tropical regions, with eyes that project from the sides
of its head on long stalks. Family: Diopsidae[1]



stalking

stalking
stalk·ing
[stáwking] noun

1.  stealthy
pursuit:
the act or process of stealthily following or trying to approach somebody or
something

2.  LAW act of
steady harassment: the crime of harassing
somebody with persistent and inappropriate attention
—stalk·ing·ly, adverb[1]



stalkinghorse

stalkinghorse
stalk·ing
horse
noun

1.  means
to disguise an objective: something used as a means of
disguising a real objective

2.  POLITICS deceptive
candidate for election: a candidate who is in an
election only to conceal the potential candidacy of somebody else, to divide
the opposition, or to determine how strong the opposition is

3.  HUNTING fake
horse:
a horse or figure of a horse that is used as cover in the hunting of game

[1]



stalky

stalky
stalk·y
[stáwkee] (comparative stalk·i·er,
superlative stalk·i·est) adjective

1.  long
and thin:
long or tall and thin like a stalk

2.  with
stalks:
with stalks, especially a lot of stalks
—stalk·i·ly,
adverb

—stalk·i·ness, noun[1]



stall

stall2
stall2 [stawl]
verb (past stalled, past participle stalled,
present participle stall·ing, 3rd person present singular stalls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb delay
with hesitation or evasion: to delay or obstruct
somebody, or to use delaying tactics

2.  intransitive
verb
unduly
prolong possession of ball: to prolong holding the ball
when a football or basketball team is in the lead so as to use up time and
prevent an opponent from scoring
noun

deceptive pretext:
a pretext or ruse used to delay or deceive somebody
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of obsolete stale “decoy, pickpocket’s accomplice,” from
Anglo-Norman estale, literally “something set up.”][1]



stall

stall1
stall1 [stawl]
noun (plural stalls)

1.  COMMERCE small
area selling or dispensing goods: a booth, table,
counter, or compartment set up to display goods for sale or information to give
out

2.  AGRICULTURE compartment
for a large animal: a compartment in a building
where a single large animal lives or is fed or milked

3.  AUTOMOTIVE situation
in which engine halts: a situation in which an
engine stops abruptly because of insufficient fuel, being braked too suddenly,
or mechanical failure

4.  BUILDING small
room:
a very small room, or partitioned area in a room, for a shower or toilet

5.  AIR sudden
dive by an aircraft: a situation in which an
aircraft suddenly dives because the airflow is so obstructed that lift is lost.
The loss of airflow can be caused by insufficient airspeed or by an excessive
angle of an airfoil when the aircraft is climbing.

6.  CHRISTIANITY seat
in a church: a pew or enclosed seat in a church

7.  AUTOMOBILES space
for parking: a space marked off for parking a motor
vehicle in a garage or parking lot

8.  MEDICINE sheath
for finger:
a protective covering for a finger or thumb
plural
noun
stalls

U.K. seats
closest to stage: the seats in a theater or movie house on
the ground floor nearest the stage or screen
verb
(past stalled, past participle stalled, present
participle stall·ing, 3rd person present singular stalls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE stop or make an engine stop:
to stop working suddenly, or make an engine do this

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR plunge or cause to plunge:
to go into a sudden dive, or cause a sudden dive in an aircraft

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE put
large animal into stall: to put a large animal into a
compartment where it will live or be fed or milked

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
stuck:
to cause something to get stuck, or become immovable • stalled
the project
• a
project that stalled
[Old English steall
“standing place,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English pedestal, stallion, and stale][1]



stallage

stallage
stall·age 
[stáwlij] noun

right
or rent of using stall: the right to use, or the
rent paid for, a stall at a fair or market
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman estalage from Old French estal (see stall 1 ).][1]



stallangle

stallangle
stall
an·gle
noun

AIR
See stalling angle[1]



stall-feed

stall-feed
stall-feed 
transitive verb

keep and fatten animal in
stall: to keep an animal in a stall
while fattening it for slaughter[1]



stallingangle

stallingangle
stall·ing
an·gle
noun

angle at which airflow
changes abruptly: the angle relative to
the horizontal at which the flow of air around an airfoil changes abruptly,
resulting in significant changes in the lift and drag of an aircraft.
Also called
critical angle
Also called
stall angle[1]



stallion

stallion
stal·lion 
[stállyən] (plural stal·lions)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY uncastrated
male horse:
an uncastrated adult male horse, especially one kept for breeding.
See
also
gelding

2.  man
with supposed sexual prowess: a man with supposed great
sexual prowess (informal)
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman estaloun . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “standing place,” which is also the ancestor of English stale 1 ; perhaps
because stallions were kept confined.][1]



Stallone,Sylvester

Stallone,Sylvester
Stal·lone
[stə lṓn], Sylvester (1946– )

U.S.
actor. He is best known for playing heroes in Hollywood action movies, most
notably a boxer in the Rocky series ( 1976–1990 ).
Full name
Stallone, Michael Sylvester[1]



stalwart

stalwart
stal·wart 
[stáwlwərt] adjective

1.  dependable:
dependable and loyal

2.  strong:
sturdy and strong
noun
(plural stal·warts)

hard-working loyal supporter:
somebody who is faithful, dependable, and hard-working
[15th
century. Variant of stealwurthe, from Old English stlwierþe
“good,” literally “having a worthy foundation,” from staþol “foundation”
(see staddle ) + weorþ (see worth ).]
—stal·wart·ly,
adverb

—stal·wart·ness, noun[1]



stamen

stamen
sta·men 
[stáymən] (plural sta·mens or
sta·mi·na [stáymənə, stámmənə]) noun

pollen-bearing
male part of flower: the male reproductive organ
of a flower, typically consisting of a stalk ( filament
) bearing a pollen-producing anther at its tip
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “thread in the warp of a loom.”]
—sta·mi·nal,
adjective

—sta·mi·nif·e·rous [stàmmə níffərəss], adjective[1]



Stamford

Stamford
Stam·ford 
[stámfərd]

city in southwestern
Connecticut, founded in 1641. Population: 108,056 (1990)[1]



stamina

stamina
stam·i·na
[stámmənə] noun

resilient
energy and strength: enduring physical or mental
energy and strength that allows somebody to do something for a long time
[Early
18th century. From Latin, plural of stamen “thread in woven cloth” (see stamen ). The meaning developed from “threads of a
life,” woven by the Fates, to “innate strength.”]
—stam·i·nal, adjective[1]



staminate

staminate
sta·mi·nate 
[stáymənət, stámmənət,
stáymə nàyt] adjective

with stamens:
used to describe plants that have stamens, especially flowers with stamens but
without female parts ( carpels )[1]



staminode

staminode
stam·i·node 
[stáymə nd, stámmə
nd] (plural stam·i·nodes) or stam·i·no·di·um
[stàymə nṓdee əm, stàmmə
nṓdee əm] (plural stam·i·no·di·a [stàymə
nṓdee ə, stàmmə nṓdee ə]) noun

sterile
or vestigial stamen: a sterile or vestigial
stamen. It forms a conspicuous part of some flowers, for example, in the iris.
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin staminodium, from stamen “thread” (see stamen ).][1]



staminody

staminody
sta·mi·no·dy 
[stáymə ndee, stámmə
ndee] noun

creation of stamens:
the process by which other organs of a flower are changed into stamens[1]



stammel

stammel
stam·mel 
[stámm’l] noun

1.  TEXTILES coarse
woolen cloth: a coarse woolen cloth, usually red, used
in medieval times to make undergarments

2.  COLORS red
color:
a bright red color, like that of the stammel cloth of medieval times
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of earlier stamin, via Old French estamine
from, ultimately, Latin stamineus “consisting of threads,” from stamen
“thread” (see stamen ).]
—stam·mel, adjective[1]



stammer

stammer
stam·mer 
[stámmər] intransitive and transitive
verb (past stam·mered, past participle stam·mered,
present participle stam·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular
stam·mers)

speak
with hesitations and repetitions: to speak, or say
something, with many quick hesitations and repeated consonants or syllables
because of a speech condition or a strong emotion
noun
(plural stam·mers)

speech
condition:
a speech condition that makes somebody speak with involuntary hesitations and
repetition of consonants or syllables. Stammering will usually respond to
treatment from a speech therapist.
[Old
English stamerian, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to halt,
stutter,” which is also the ancestor of English stumble
and stem 2]
—stam·mer·er, noun[1]



stamp

stamp
stamp 
[stamp] noun (plural stamps)

1.  MAIL gummed
paper paying for postage: a small piece of gummed
paper that is stuck on an envelope or package to show that postage has been
paid.
Also
called
postage stamp

2.  MAIL cancellation
across a postage stamp: a mark put across a postage
stamp on an envelope or package to show that the stamp has been used

3.  PRINTING small
block for printing design: a small block with a raised
design or lettering that can be printed onto paper by inking the block and pressing
it to the paper

4.  design
printed onto paper with a stamp: a design printed onto
paper using a stamp in order to show that a document has been read, canceled,
or officially approved

5.  gummed
paper as an official mark: a piece of printed gummed
paper fixed to a document as an official sign of something, for example,
approval or validity

6.  characteristic
of something: a characteristic or distinguishing sign
or impression

7.  type
of something: a class or type of something

8.  COMMERCE way of
paying for something: a piece of paper that can be
purchased as a way of redeeming part or all of the amount charged for goods or
a service.
See
also
trading stamp

9.  action
of banging down a foot: the action of bringing a
foot down forcefully on a surface

10. INDUSTRY machine
for crushing rocks and ores: a machine that crushes rocks
and ores, consisting of a freely falling weight lifted and dropped, or the
weight in such a machine
verb
(past stamped, past participle stamped, present
participle stamp·ing, 3rd person present singular stamps)

1.  transitive
verb
put
a stamp on a document: to press a stamp onto a
document leaving a design or lettering on it in order to show that it has been
seen, dated, canceled, or officially approved

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bang a
foot down forcibly: to bring a foot down
forcefully on a surface

3.  transitive
verb
MAIL stick
a postage stamp on something: to stick a stamp on an
envelope or package

4.  intransitive
verb
walk
forcefully:
to walk by taking short forceful steps

5.  transitive
verb
have
a lasting effect on somebody: to have a lasting effect or
influence on somebody

6.  transitive
verb
U.K. suppress
something or somebody: to suppress or eradicate
something or somebody • He
stamped on any suggestion he should resign.

7.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY crush
rocks:
to crush or pound rocks and ores
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English stampian
“to pound,” from prehistoric Germanic.]
—stamp·a·ble, adjective[1]



StampAct

StampAct
Stamp
Act
noun

British law taxing colonists:
a law passed in the British parliament in 1765 introducing a tax on legal
documents, commercial contracts, licenses, publications, and playing cards in
the North American colonies. Because of colonial opposition the first Stamp Act
was repealed in March 1766 but was later replaced by others.[1]



stampcollecting

stampcollecting
stamp
col·lect·ing noun

collecting
of postage stamps: the collecting of postage
stamps as a hobby or investment.
See
also
philately
—stamp col·lec·tor, noun[1]



stamped

stamped
stamped
[stampt] adjective

with a stamp on it:
having or bearing a stamp[1]



stampede

stampede
stam·pede 
[stam pd] noun

1.  headlong
rush of animals: an uncontrolled headlong rush of
frightened animals

2.  headlong
surge of crowd: an uncontrolled surging rush of a crowd
of people

3.  sudden
rush of people doing something: a sudden rush of many
people all doing or wanting to do something at the same time • There
was a stampede to take advantage of the low prices.

4.  festival
including a rodeo: a celebration in the western
United States and especially in Canada, usually held annually, that includes a
rodeo along with contests, exhibitions, dancing, and entertainment
verb
(past stam·ped·ed, past participle stam·ped·ed, present
participle stam·ped·ing, 3rd person present singular stam·pedes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rush
forward in frightened surge: to rush forward in a
frightened headlong surge, or make animals or people surge forward

2.  transitive
verb
force
somebody into doing something: to force somebody to
do something before he or she is ready or has properly thought about it
[Early
19th century. From Mexican Spanish estampida, from Spanish, “uproar.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of
English stamp .]
—stam·ped·er, noun[1]



stamper

stamper
stamp·er 
[stámpər] (plural stamp·ers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that stamps: a person or device used for
stamping

2.  INDUSTRY machine
for stamping something: a tool or machine that
stamps something, especially ore being pulverized

3.  RECORDING mold
for disk recordings: a mold from which disk
recordings are pressed

[1]



stampingground

stampingground
stamp·ing
ground 
noun

gathering place:
a place where somebody or a group of people is habitually found (informal)[1]



stampmill

stampmill
stamp
mill
noun

machine for crushing rock:
a machine in which ores and rocks are finely crushed, usually operated by
hydraulic power, or a building housing one or more such machines[1]



stampout

stampout
stamp
out
transitive verb

1.  eradicate
something:
to put an end to something

2.  extinguish
something:
to extinguish something by stamping on it with the feet

3.  cut
something out using a sharp tool: to cut out a shape or
object by pressing a sharp-edged machine or tool onto a material

[1]



stance

stance
stance 
[stanss] (plural stanc·es) noun

1.  attitude
toward something: an attitude or view that somebody takes
about something

2.  way
of standing: the way a person or an animal stands

3.  position
of wheels:
the position of a vehicle’s wheels in relation to its bodywork • The
newer model has a wider stance and a taller cab.

4.  SPORTS position
of player:
the position in which a player holds the body in attempting to hit a ball, for
example, in baseball or golf

5.  MOUNTAINEERING place
for pitching and belaying: a place where a mountain
climber can pitch and belay

6.  Scotland
TRANSPORT transportation
waiting place: a place where buses or taxis wait for
passengers
[Mid-16th century. Via
French, “position,” from Italian stanza (see stanza
).][1]



stanch

stanch2
stanch2  adjective

See
staunch 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








stanch

stanch1
stanch1 [stawnch,
stanch] (past stanched, past
participle stanched, present participle stanch·ing, 3rd
person present singular stanch·es) or staunch [stáwnch] (past staunched, past
participle staunched, present participle staunch·ing, 3rd
person present singular staunch·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
liquid flow: to stop the flow of a liquid,
particularly blood, or be stopped from flowing

2.  transitive
verb
stop
wound from bleeding: to stop a wound from
bleeding or exuding pus

3.  transitive
verb
assuage
something:
to assuage or allay something that is bad (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Old French estanchier from assumed Vulgar Latin stanticare,
literally “to cause to stand,” from Latin stant-, present participle
stem of stare (see station ).]
—stanch·a·ble,
adjective

—stanch·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at staunch.

[1]



stanchion

stanchion
stan·chion 
[stánchən] noun (plural stan·chions)

1.  upright
supporting pole: a vertical pole, bar, or beam used to
support something

2.  AGRICULTURE frame
for confining a cow: an upright frame in which
the neck of a cow is loosely fitted, usually to confine the cow for milking
transitive
verb
(past stan·chioned, past participle stan·chioned, present
participle stan·chion·ing, 3rd person present singular stan·chions)

support something with a pole:
to support something using a vertical pole, bar, or beam
[15th century. From Old
French estanchon, from estance “prop, support.”][1]



stand

stand
stand 
[stand] verb (past stood
[std], past participle stood,
present participle stand·ing, 3rd person present singular stands)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
set upright: to be in an upright position, or put
something in an upright position • I was
standing behind him. • Stand
the box in the corner.

2.  intransitive
verb
get
up on feet:
to get up into an upright position from a sitting or lying position • The
newborn foal tried to stand but only collapsed again.

3.  intransitive
verb
be
in particular place: to be situated or positioned
in a particular place • The
castle stands on a headland.

4.  intransitive
verb
measure
in height:
to be of a particular height when upright • He
stood six feet tall.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
in particular state: to be in a particular
condition or state • The old place stands in
need of a few repairs. • The
document can’t be published as it stands.

6.  intransitive
verb
remain
motionless:
to remain in a particular place without moving or being used • The
car stood outside the office all morning.

7.  intransitive
verb
remain
valid:
to continue to be in effect or existence • Her
world record still stands.

8.  intransitive
verb
stop:
to come to a halt • I had to stand and
catch my breath.

9.  intransitive
verb
gather
without flowing away: to gather somewhere and not
flow away • rainwater
standing in pools

10. intransitive
verb
be
at particular point: to be at a particular point
while subject to change or fluctuation • The
balance of the account stands at $400.

11. transitive
verb
tolerate:
to accept or put up with something • He
can’t stand being kept waiting.

12. transitive
verb
undergo
without harm: to resist or bear something without
being harmed or damaged • The
mechanism is too delicate to stand rough handling.

13. transitive
verb
submit
to something: to submit or be subjected to something • I
am prepared to stand trial.

14. intransitive
verb
POLITICS seek
election:
to enter an election as a candidate • She
decided not to stand at the next election.

15. intransitive
verb
fight:
to fight resolutely or give battle, often after having been in retreat • The
general was convinced the enemy would not stand if attacked.

16. transitive
verb
buy
something for somebody: to pay for something, for
example, a drink, for somebody else to have • My
uncle offered to stand dinner for all of us.

17. transitive
verb
benefit
from something: to benefit from something, or be no
worse for something • I
could stand to lose a few more pounds.
noun
(plural stands)

1.  act
of standing: the act or an example of standing • a
long stand in the airport

2.  attitude:
an opinion that somebody has or an attitude that somebody adopts on a
particular subject • Management took a tough
stand on absenteeism.

3.  supporting
structure:
a framework or structure on which something is supported • a
music stand

4.  FURNITURE piece
of furniture: a piece of furniture on which clothes or
accessories are hung or supported (often used in combination) • an
umbrella stand • a
hat stand

5.  U.K.
SPORTS See stands

6.  stationary
condition:
a state of having stopped or being stationary • The
runaway vehicle came to a stand in a field.

7.  COMMERCE place
where something is sold: a booth or stall where
something is sold or given out (often used in combination) • a
refreshment stand

8.  exhibition
area:
one of several places in an exhibition where something is displayed

9.  BOTANY area
of growing things: a group of several plants,
especially trees, growing together in one place • a
stand of trees

10. LAW place
for witnesses in court: a place in a court of law
where witnesses are questioned • take
the stand.

U.K.
term
witness box

11. halt
to fight:
a halt made, especially by a force that has been retreating, to give battle • Custer’s
last stand

12. TRANSPORT place
for waiting vehicles: a place where vehicles,
especially taxis, wait to pick up passengers (usually used in combination)
• a
taxi stand

13. ARTS stop
for performance: a halt made to give a performance during
a tour by a performer or theatrical company • a
three-week stand out of town
[Old
English standan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stem 1, stead, and stud
.]
stand
fast

to
be resolute and refuse to give in

stand
or fall by something

to succeed or fail depending
on particular circumstances[1]



stand-alone

stand-alone
stand-a·lone 
adjective

operating independently:
able to operate as a self-contained unit independently of a computer network or
system[1]



standard

standard
stan·dard 
[stándərd] noun (plural stan·dards)

1.  level
of quality or excellence: the level of quality or
excellence attained by somebody or something

2.  level
of quality accepted as norm: a level of quality or
excellence that is accepted as the norm or by which actual attainments are
judged (often used in the plural)

3.  MUSIC item
in usual repertoire: something, especially a song
or other piece of music, that is very popular or is performed as part of the
usual repertoire of somebody or something • played
all the old standards

4.  FINANCE commodity
money has value based on: the commodity or commodities
on which the value of a currency or monetary system is based

5.  authorized
model of unit of measurement: an authorized model used to
define a unit of measurement

6.  flag:
a flag with a distinctive design that is the emblem of, and often a focus of
loyalty to, a particular nation, person, or group

7.  MILITARY device
used as battle rallying point: a flag or other
symbolic device attached to a pole and used as a rallying point for troops in
battle

8.  COINS proportion
of metal in coin: the proportion of gold or silver and of
nonprecious metal that a coin is legally required to contain

9.  HERALDRY long
tapering flag: a long tapering flag ending in two
points and with heraldic devices on it, used in heraldry as an emblem of a
person or corporation. It was formerly carried on ceremonial occasions by or
before the nobleman to whom it belonged.

10. GARDENING plant
with straight bare stem: a plant, especially a fruit
tree or rose, trained so that its leaves and flowers grow at the top of a
straight bare stem

11. HOUSEHOLD supporting
base:
a base or support for something such as a large tall vase

12. BOTANY large
upper petal of pea: the large upper petal in the
flowers of plants of the pea family
plural
noun
stan·dards

principles:
principles or values that govern somebody’s behavior
adjective

1.  normal:
constituting or not differing from the norm for a particular thing

2.  widely
used and respected: very widely used and
generally regarded as authoritative • the
standard text in thermodynamics

3.  GRAMMAR grammatically
correct:
regarded as correct or acceptable by the majority of educated speakers of or
authorities on a language

4.  GARDENING trained
to grow with straight stem: trained in such a way that
the leaves and flowers grow at the top of a straight bare stem
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman estaundart “flag to which troops rally” from Old French estandart,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from prehistoric Germanic words.][1]



standardamenities

standardamenities
stan·dard
a·men·i·ties plural noun

U.K.
basic sanitary equipment:
the sanitary equipment required as a basic minimum for all dwellings by British
housing law, namely a bath or shower, washbasin, sink, and a flush toilet[1]



standardatmosphere

standardatmosphere
standard
atmosphere
noun

MEASUREMENTS
See atmosphere  noun 6[1]



standard-bearer

standard-bearer
stan·dard-bear·er 
(plural stan·dard-bear·ers) noun

1.  leader:
a leader or prominent and inspiring representative of a movement, cause, or
party

2.  somebody
who carries standard: somebody who carries a
standard or flag, especially for a military unit

[1]



standardbred

standardbred
stan·dard·bred 
(plural stan·dard·breds) or Stan·dard·Bred (plural
Stan·dard·Breds) noun

N American trotting horse:
a horse belonging to a North American breed specially bred for speed and
stamina in harness races[1]



standardcandle

standardcandle
stan·dard
can·dle
noun

MEASUREMENTS
See candela[1]



standardcell

standardcell
stan·dard
cell
noun

cell that produces constant
known voltage: an electric cell that
produces a constant known voltage and can be used to calibrate
voltage-measuring equipment[1]



standardcost

standardcost
stan·dard
cost
noun

budgeted cost:
the budgeted expenditure of a regular manufacturing process against which the
actual cost is measured[1]



standarddeviation

standarddeviation
stan·dard
de·vi·a·tion  noun

statistical measure of
dispersion: a statistical measure of the
amount by which a set of values differs from the arithmetical mean, equal to
the square root of the mean of the differences’ squares[1]



StandardEnglish

StandardEnglish
Stan·dard
Eng·lish 
noun

English as taught in schools:
the variety of the English language used by educated speakers and regarded as
representing correct usage in grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation,
while taking into account some regional differences[1]



standarderror

standarderror
stan·dard
er·ror
noun

measure of variability:
the standard deviation of the sample in a frequency distribution divided by the
square root of the number of values in the sample. It is a measure of the
variability that a constant would be expected to show during sampling.[1]



standardgauge

standardgauge
stan·dard
gauge
noun

most common railroad gauge:
the gauge used for most public railroad systems worldwide, the distance between
the rails being 143.5 cm/4 ft 8½ in[1]



StandardGeneralized Markup Language

StandardGeneralized Markup Language
Stan·dard
Gen·er·al·ized Mark·up Lan·guage noun

Full form of
SGML[1]



standardize

standardize
stan·dard·ize 
[stándər dīz] (past stan·dard·ized,
past participle stan·dard·ized, present participle stan·dard·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular stan·dard·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
standard:
to remove variations and irregularities and make all types or examples of
something the same or bring them into conformity with one another

2.  transitive
verb
assess
something by comparison with standard: to
assess something or determine its properties by comparing it with a standard
—stan·dard·iz·er, noun[1]



standardizedtest

standardizedtest
stan·dard·ized
test
noun

test for assessing student’s
aptitude: a test administered
according to standardized procedures and that assesses a student’s aptitude by
comparison with a standard[1]



standardlamp

standardlamp
stan·dard
lamp
noun

U.K.
See floor lamp[1]



standardof living

standardof living
stan·dard
of liv·ing
(plural stan·dards of liv·ing) noun

level of material comfort:
the level of material comfort enjoyed by a person, group, or society[1]



standardoperating procedure

standardoperating procedure
stan·dard
op·er·at·ing pro·ce·dure noun

uniformly followed procedure:
a procedure that is usually followed when carrying out a particular operation
or dealing with a particular situation[1]



standardtime

standardtime
stan·dard
time
noun

time of day in particular
time zone: a system of measuring time
in relation to the natural day usually based on the mean solar time at the
central meridian of a particular time zone[1]



standby

standby
stand·by 
[stánd bī] noun (plural stand·bys)

1.  person
or thing readily available: something or somebody that
can always be relied on to be available and useful, especially if needed as a
substitute or in an emergency

2.  TRANSPORT unreserved
ticket or passenger without reservation: an
unreserved ticket or a passenger having no prior reservation on a mode of
public transportation such as an airline
adjective

1.  reserve:
able to be used as a replacement • standby
generator

2.  TRANSPORT unreserved
and subject to availability: made available, usually at a
lower price, shortly before the departure of a flight when there are seats
remaining unsold, or using a ticket made available in this way
adverb

TRANSPORT on
standby basis: on the basis of standby • flew
standby from Washington to Amsterdam
[Late
18th century]
be
on standby

to be available for use or
service if necessary[1]



standby

standby
stand
by
intransitive verb

1.  remain
ready:
to wait in a state of readiness to act if required • Stand
by for further orders.

2.  be
present without action: to be present while
something is happening but play no part in it • I’m
not prepared to stand by and let this go on.

3.  support:
to support or remain faithful to somebody • Her
friends all stood by her.

4.  adhere
to something: to continue to assert or believe in
something • I
stand by what I said yesterday.

[1]



standdown

standdown
stand
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
resign:
to resign from office or withdraw from a contest

2.  intransitive
verb
LAW end
testimony:
to leave a witness stand after having been questioned

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
duty:
to end somebody’s period of duty, or to go off duty, especially military duty

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY go off alert:
to go off alert or be taken off alert or out of a combat zone

[1]



stand-down

stand-down
stand-down
or stand·down [stánd dòwn] noun

return to normal after alert:
a return to normal status after being on alert, or the withdrawal of a military
presence[1]



standee

standee
stand·ee 
[stan d] (plural stand·ees) noun

somebody who stands:
somebody who stands, for example, on a bus, usually because there are no seats
available[1]



standfor

standfor
stand
for
transitive verb

1.  mean
something:
to mean or represent something else

2.  believe
in something: to believe in something strongly and
fight for it • To
agree with this would go against everything I stand for.

3.  become
a candidate for something: to enter an election as a
candidate for a particular office

4.  put
up with:
to tolerate or put up with something • She
won’t stand for any nonsense.

5.  NAUTICAL head
for a place: to set a course for a particular
destination • The
fleet stood for home.

[1]



standin

standin
stand
in
intransitive verb

act as substitute:
to take the place of somebody or something else as a substitute • Who’s
going to stand in while you’re away?[1]



stand-in

stand-in
stand-in 
noun (plural stand-ins)

1.  temporary
replacement: somebody or something that acts as a
temporary replacement

2.  movie
actor’s double: somebody who replaces an actor in a
movie for preparatory or nonvital work on set or when dangerous stunts are
being shot
adjective

acting as replacement:
acting as a temporary replacement for somebody or something

[1]



standing

standing
stand·ing 
[stánding] noun

1.  status
and reputation: somebody’s reputation or position, for
example, in society or business • a
person of some standing in computer electronics

2.  duration:
the period over which something has been in existence • a
friend of long standing
adjective

1.  upright:
performed while standing rather than sitting or moving • received
a standing ovation

2.  permanent:
remaining permanently in existence or in force • You
have a standing invitation to visit us whenever you wish.

3.  not
flowing:
not flowing, or containing water that cannot flow or run away

4.  AGRICULTURE not
cut down:
growing where planted, having not been cut down

[1]



standingarmy

standingarmy
stand·ing
ar·my
noun

permanent military force:
a permanent professional military force maintained by a country in times of
peace as well as war[1]



standingcommittee

standingcommittee
stand·ing
com·mit·tee
noun

permanent committee:
a committee that remains in existence permanently in order to deal with a
particular issue[1]



standingcrop

standingcrop
stand·ing
crop
noun

total population:
the total mass of living things of all kinds or of one particular kind found in
a particular area at a particular time[1]



standingorder

standingorder
stand·ing
or·der
noun

order:
an order or rule, especially one governing military procedures, that remains in
force on all relevant occasions until it is specifically revoked[1]



standingrigging

standingrigging
stand·ing
rig·ging
noun

fixed rigging:
the wires and ropes holding the masts and spars of a sailing ship that are more
or less permanently fixed in place[1]



standingroom

standingroom
stand·ing
room
noun

space for people to stand:
space where people can only stand, not sit[1]



standingwave

standingwave
stand·ing
wave
noun

wave
phenomenon:
a stationary wave characterized by points of zero vibration and points of
maximum vibration, occurring when two waves of equal frequency and intensity
traveling in opposite directions combine.
Also
called
stationary wave
[Because the points of
minimum and maximum vibration remain stationary][1]



standoff

standoff
stand
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
away:
to keep at a distance from something, or to make somebody or something stay at
a distance

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL sail away:
to sail a vessel away from something such as a shore

3.  transitive
verb
suspend
from work:
to suspend somebody from work, usually temporarily

[1]



standoff

standoff
stand·off 
[stánd àwf, stánd
òf] noun

1.  deadlock:
a situation in which no result or conclusion can be reached because the two
sides in a contest or dispute are equally matched or are equally intransigent

2.  SPORTS draw:
a draw or tie

[1]



standoffinsulator

standoffinsulator
stand·off
in·su·la·tor noun

insulator protecting
conductor: an insulator that supports
an electrical conductor and keeps it at a distance from other conducting
elements. The insulators supporting power lines are examples of this.[1]



standoffish

standoffish
stand·off·ish 
[stànd áwfish, stànd
óffish] adjective

aloof:
reluctant to show friendship or enter into conversation with other people[1]



standoffmissile

standoffmissile
stand·off
mis·sile
noun

long-range missile fired from
aircraft: a guided missile that can be
fired from an aircraft at a sufficient distance from its target to be out of
range of enemy defenses[1]



standoil

standoil
stand
oil
noun

thick
oil used in paints: a thick drying oil used in
oil enamel paints, made by heating linseed or another oil to a high temperature
[Translation of German Standöl
; it was formerly prepared by allowing linseed oil to stand][1]



standon

standon
stand
on
verb

1.  transitive
verb
insist
on:
to insist on something or see it as being important • We
don’t stand on ceremony in this house.

2.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL maintain
sailing direction: to continue sailing a vessel
on a particular course

[1]



standout

standout
stand
out
intransitive verb

1.  be
conspicuous: to be conspicuous or prominent

2.  stick
out:
to project or protrude from something

3.  refuse
to accept something: to refuse to accept or
comply with something, especially after others have done so

[1]



standout

standout
stand·out 
[stánd òwt] noun

somebody or something
outstanding: somebody or something
that is especially prominent or outstanding (informal) “Achieving
cost-effective coverage and standout on TV is a problem …” Marketing Week
December 1998[1]



standoverman

standoverman
stand·o·ver
man
[stánd vər màn] noun

Australia
somebody who extorts money by threats:
somebody who intimidates people or threatens them with violence in order to
extort money or obtain other services from them[1]



standpatter

standpatter
stand·pat·ter 
[stánd pàttər] noun

somebody resisting change:
somebody who resists change, especially in politics[1]



standpipe

standpipe
stand·pipe 
[stánd pp] noun

ENGINEERING
vertical pressure-regulating pipe:
a vertical, open-ended pipe attached to a pipeline to act as a pressure
regulator, ensuring that the pressure head at that point cannot exceed the
length of the pipe[1]



standpoint

standpoint
stand·point 
[stánd pòynt] noun

point of view:
the particular way an individual or a group thinks about or is affected by an
event or an issue, usually as opposed to the way others view the same thing • From
the ecological standpoint, this is an utter disaster.[1]



StAndrew’s cross

StAndrew’s cross
St
An·drew’s cross  [saynt àn
drooz króss] (plural St An·drew’s cross·es) noun

X-shaped cross:
a diagonal cross with arms of equal length, especially a white one on a blue
background as on the flag of St Andrew and Scotland[1]



standstill

standstill
stand·still 
[stánd stìl] noun

complete halt:
a situation in which all movement or activity ceases and further movement or
activity is prevented • Traffic
is at a standstill.[1]



standstillagreement

standstillagreement
stand·still
a·gree·ment
noun

agreement of no change:
an agreement that things should remain as they are, especially one between a
creditor country and a debtor country that needs extra time to repay its debt[1]



standto

standto
stand
to
intransitive and transitive verb

take position:
to take up position in readiness for military action, or to make somebody do
this[1]



standup

standup
stand
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise:
to rise to an upright position, or make something do this

2.  intransitive
verb
resist
scrutiny:
to be seen as still valid or right despite being closely examined or criticized
• I
don’t think her testimony will stand up in court.

[1]



stand-up

stand-up
stand-up
adjective

1.  ARTS involving
solo performance by comedian: involving a performance by a
comedian standing alone on stage telling jokes or stories to an audience • stand-up
comedy

2.  at
which people stand: where or at which people
stand, especially to eat or drink • A
large stand-up buffet was laid out for the reception.

3.  erect:
standing erect and not folded down

4.  trustworthy:
showing the qualities of honesty, loyalty, and dependability (informal)
noun

standing to get work:
standing in a designated place to be hired for a day’s work (informal) • I’d
get in early for the stand-ups

[1]



standup for

standup for
stand
up for
intransitive verb

defend:
to defend or act to protect the interests of somebody[1]



standup to

standup to
stand
up to
intransitive verb

1.  resist:
to resist or refuse to be cowed by somebody • He’ll
back down if you stand up to him.

2.  endure:
to undergo something that is potentially damaging without being badly affected
• These
cars won’t stand up to being driven on rough terrain.

[1]



standup with

standup with
stand
up with
intransitive verb

support somebody at wedding:
to act as best man or maid of honor for somebody who is getting married[1]



Stanfield,Robert Lorne

Stanfield,Robert Lorne
Stan·field
[stán feeld], Robert Lorne (1914– )

Canadian lawyer and
statesman. He was prime minister of Nova Scotia (1956–1967).[1]



Stanford-Binettest

Stanford-Binettest
Stan·ford-Bi·net
test 
[stànfərd bi náy tèst] noun

intelligence
test:
an intelligence test commonly given to children
[Early 20th century. Named
for Stanford University, California, + Alfred Binet, (1857–1911),
a French psychologist who devised the original version.][1]



stanhope

stanhope
stan·hope 
[stán hp] noun

single-seat
horse-drawn carriage: a light open horse-drawn
carriage with a single seat and two or four wheels
[Early 19th century. Named
for Fitzroy H. R. Stanhope, ( 1787–1864 ), an English clergyman for whom
one was first made.][1]



Stanislavsky,Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev

Stanislavsky,Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev
Stan·i·slav·sky
[stànni slv skee, stánni
slf skee, stənyi slv skee],
Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev (1863–1938)

Russian
actor and theater director. He helped to found the Moscow Arts Theater (1889),
and there adopted methods of training actors that greatly influenced theater in
the 20th century.

—Stan·i·slav·ski·an, adjective[1]



Stanislavskymethod

Stanislavskymethod
Stan·i·slav·sky
meth·od
or Stan·i·slav·ski meth·od noun

See
Method[1]



stank

stank
stank


Past tense of
stink[1]



Stanley,H. M.

Stanley,H. M.
Stan·ley
[stánnlee], Sir H. M. (1841–1904)

British
journalist and explorer. On his African expeditions he located David
Livingstone at Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika (1871), traced the Lualaba and Congo
rivers to the sea (1874–1877), and helped to found the Congo Free State
(1890–1895).
Full name
Stanley, Sir Henry Morton Born Rowlands, John[1]



StanleyPool

StanleyPool
Stan·ley
Pool

Former name for
Malebo Pool[1]



stann-

stann-
stann-
prefix

tin • stanniferous[1]



stannic

stannic
stan·nic 
[stánnik] adjective

of
tin in tetravalent form: containing or relating to
tin, especially with a valence of four
[Late 18th century. Formed
from obsolete stannum (see stann- ).][1]



stannicsulfide

stannicsulfide
stan·nic
sul·fide
noun

pigment made of sulfur and
tin: a solid compound of sulfur
and tin that is usually found in the form of gold-colored crystals or a powder[1]



stanniferous

stanniferous
stan·nif·er·ous 
[sta níffərəss] adjective

containing
tin:
containing or yielding tin
[Early 19th century. Formed
from obsolete English stannum (see stann-
).][1]



stannite

stannite
stan·nite 
[stá nt] noun

mineral
containing tin: a gray mineral with a metallic luster
that is a source of tin. Cu2FeSn4
[Mid-19th century. Formed
form obsolete English stannum (see stann-
).][1]



stannous

stannous
stan·nous 
[stánnəss] adjective

of
tin in divalent form: containing or relating to
tin, especially with a valence of two
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from obsolete English stannum (see stann-
).][1]



stannousfluoride

stannousfluoride
stan·nous
fluor·ide
noun

powder used to fluoridate
toothpaste: a white crystalline powder
with a bitter salty taste used to fluoridate toothpaste. SnF2[1]



StAnthony’s cross

StAnthony’s cross
St
An·tho·ny’s cross  [saynt ànthəniz
króss] (plural St An·tho·ny’s cross·es) noun

See
tau cross[1]



StAnthony’s fire

StAnthony’s fire
St
An·tho·ny’s fire  [saynt ánthəniz
fr] noun

inflammatory skin disorder:
any acutely painful inflammatory skin disorder such as cellulitis, shingles, or
erysipelas (archaic)[1]



Stanthorpe

Stanthorpe
Stan·thorpe
[stán thawrp]

town in southeastern
Queensland, Australia. It is one of the highest towns in the state at 811
m/2,660 ft . Population: 4,154 (1996)[1]



Stanton,Edwin McMasters

Stanton,Edwin McMasters
Stan·ton 
[stántən], Edwin McMasters (1814–1869)

U.S. lawyer and statesman. He
was attorney general (1860–1861) and secretary of war under Presidents Lincoln
and Andrew Johnson (1862–1868). His expulsion from the cabinet became the cause
of Johnson’s impeachment.[1]



Stanton,Elizabeth Cady

Stanton,Elizabeth Cady

Stan·ton 
[stántən], Elizabeth Cady (1815–1902)
U.S. social reformer. She worked in the
abolitionist and temperance movements, and after 1840 devoted herself to the
campaign for women’s suffrage and civil rights.[1]



stanza

stanza
stan·za 
[stánzə] (plural stan·zas) noun

division
of poem:
a number of lines of verse forming a separate unit within a poem. In many poems
each stanza has the same number of lines and the same rhythm and rhyme scheme.
[Late
16th century. Via Italian from assumed Vulgar Latin stantia “a standing,
stopping place,” ultimately from Latin stare “to stand.” From the idea
of stopping after a section.]
—stan·za·ic [stan záy ik], adjective[1]



stapedectomy

stapedectomy
sta·pe·dec·to·my 
[stàypi déktəmee] (plural sta·pe·dec·to·mies)
noun

surgical
removal of bone in ear: surgical removal of the
stapes of the ear. It is performed in treating some forms of hearing loss.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin staped-, stem of stapes (see stapes ).][1]



stapedes

stapedes
sta·pe·des


Plural of
stapes[1]



stapelia

stapelia
sta·pe·li·a 
[stə plee ə] (plural sta·pe·li·as
or sta·pe·li·a) noun

African
plant similar to cactus: an African plant that
resembles the cactus, has thick fleshy four-angled stems, no leaves, and bears
large mottled flowers that give off a foul smell. Genus: Stapelia
Also
called
starfish flower
[Late 18th century. Formed
from modern Latin, genus name, named for Jan Bode van Stapel, (died
1636), a Dutch botanist.][1]



stapes

stapes
sta·pes 
[stáy pz] (plural sta·pes or
sta·pe·des [stə p dz]) noun

stirrup-shaped
bone in middle ear: a small stirrup-shaped bone
in the middle ear of mammals, the innermost of the three small bones that
transmit vibration to the inner ear.
Also
called
stirrup bone
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from medieval Latin, “stirrup.”]
—sta·pe·di·al [stə pdee əl], adjective[1]



staph

staph
staph 
[staf] (plural staphs) noun

staphylococcus:
a staphylococcus (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



staph

staph
staph 
[staf] (plural staphs) noun

staphylococcus:
a staphylococcus (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



staphylococcus

staphylococcus
staph·y·lo·coc·cus 
[stàffəlō kókəss] (plural staph·y·lo·coc·ci
[stàffəlō kók s]) noun

bacterium
occurring in clusters: a bacterium that typically
occurs in clusters resembling grapes, normally inhabits the skin and mucous
membranes, and may cause disease. These bacteria commonly infect the skin,
eyes, and urinary tract, and some produce toxins responsible for septicemia and
food poisoning. Genus: Staphylococcus
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin, genus name, from Greek staphulē “bunch
of grapes” + kokkos “berry.”]
—staph·y·lo·coc·cal, adjective[1]



staple

staple1
sta·ple1 [stáyp’l]
noun (plural sta·ples)

1.  bent
wire to fasten papers: a small thin piece of metal
wire bent into the shape of a flattened U with square corners, used to fasten
things together, especially sheets of paper. The staple is driven through the
material by a device that also bends its two ends inward and flattens them so
that they grip the material firmly.

2.  BUILDING U-shaped
fastener for wood or masonry: a small U-shaped piece of
strong metal wire with two sharp points, usually driven into a surface to hold
something such as a bolt or cable in place
transitive
verb
(past sta·pled, past participle sta·pled, present
participle sta·pling, 3rd person present singular sta·ples)

fasten with staples:
to fasten something to something else or in position with staples
[Old English stapol
“post, pillar,” of prehistoric Germanic origin. The underlying sense is perhaps
of “something that supports or holds.”][1]



staple

staple2
sta·ple2 [stáyp’l]
noun (plural sta·ples)

1.  FOOD basic
ingredient of diet: a food that forms the basis
of the diet of the people of a particular country or region or of a particular
animal

2.  principal
or recurring ingredient: a principal or continually
recurring ingredient or feature of something • Lurid
stories are a staple of tabloid journalism.

3.  COMMERCE most
important article of trade: the commodity or product
that is most important to the trade of a country, region, or organization

4.  raw
material:
a raw material, especially the principal raw material produced or grown in a
region

5.  MANUFACTURING wool,
cotton, or flax fiber: the fiber of wool, cotton,
or flax graded according to its length and fineness
transitive
verb
(past sta·pled, past participle sta·pled, present
participle sta·pling, 3rd person present singular sta·ples)

MANUFACTURING grade
fibers:
to grade the fibers of wool, cotton, or flax according to their length and
fineness
[14th century. Via Old French
estaple from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch stapel “shop;
pillar,” from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English staple 1 .][1]



staplegun

staplegun
sta·ple
gun
noun

wood or masonry stapling
device: a powerful device used to
project heavy metal staples into wood or masonry[1]



stapler

stapler
sta·pler
[stáyplər] noun

stapling device:
a device that fastens paper and other materials together using staples, usually
consisting of a flat metal base, a spring-loaded magazine of staples, and a top
section[1]



star

star
star 
[staar] noun (plural stars)

1.  ASTRONOMY mass
of gas in space: a gaseous mass in space such as the Sun,
ranging in size from that of a planet to larger than the Earth’s orbit, which
generates energy by thermonuclear reactions

2.  ASTRONOMY point
of light in night sky: a celestial body usually
visible as a small bright point of light in the night sky

3.  star
shape:
a shape representing or based on that of a star as seen in the night sky,
usually having five or more triangular points radiating from a center

4.  star-shaped
symbol of merit or rank: a star-shaped object or
symbol used as a sign of merit, quality, or rank

5.  See
asterisk

6.  ARTS SPORTS popular performer:
a very famous, successful, and popular performer, especially in the field of
entertainment or sports

7.  most
important or proficient person: somebody who is
particularly good at some activity, or who is the most important or most
skillful member of a group involved in a particular activity

8.  ZODIAC celestial
body in relation to fate: a planet or constellation
believed to influence somebody’s character or fate on Earth
plural
noun
stars

ZODIAC destiny:
somebody’s future, especially as supposedly revealed in a horoscope (informal)
verb
(past starred, past participle starred, present
participle star·ring, 3rd person present singular stars)

1.  transitive
verb
THEATER have
as leading actor: to have somebody as the leading
performer or as one of the leading performers

2.  intransitive
verb
THEATER be
leading performer: to be the leading performer
or one of the leading performers in something such as a movie or play

3.  transitive
verb
PRINTING mark
something with star: to mark something with an
asterisk or a star-shaped symbol, especially to call attention to it

4.  transitive
verb
cover
or decorate something with stars: to cover or decorate
something with stars, or with many brilliant or colorful objects so as to give
an effect comparable to that of the stars in the night sky
adjective

outstanding: very
or most important, skillful, or successful
[Old
English steorra . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin stella (source of English stellar
).]
see
stars

see flashes of light, for
example, after receiving a hard blow to the head[1]



staranise

staranise

star
an·ise
noun

1.  Chinese
evergreen tree: a Chinese evergreen tree of the magnolia
family that produces purple-red flowers and whose dried seeds and seed pods are
used in Chinese cooking and medicine. Latin name: Illicium verum
Also
called
Chinese anise

2.        star
anise seed pod: the star-shaped
aniseed-flavored dried seed and seed pod of the star anise tree, used in
Chinese cooking and medicine[1]



starapple

starapple

star
ap·ple
noun

1.  TREES tropical
American evergreen tree: a tropical American
evergreen tree that bears purplish-white flowers and produces an apple-shaped
fruit with a smooth greenish-purple skin. Latin name: Chrysophyllum cainito

2.        FOOD fruit
of the star apple tree: the fruit
of the star apple tree, which is shaped like an apple and when cut open reveals
an arrangement of seeds resembling a star[1]



StaraZagora

StaraZagora
Sta·ra
Za·go·ra 
[stàrrə zə górrə]

city in central Bulgaria,
situated about 153 km/95 mi west of the Black Sea port of Burgas. Population:
151,218 (1995)[1]



starbilling

starbilling
star
bill·ing
noun

advertisement as leading
performer: the fact of being advertised
as the leading performer in something[1]



starboard

starboard
star·board 
[strbərd] noun

right-hand
side:
the direction to the right of somebody facing the front of a ship or aircraft
adjective

on
right-hand side: on, toward, or from the right-hand side
of somebody facing the front of a ship or aircraft
adverb

toward
starboard:
toward starboard or the starboard side of a ship or aircraft
transitive
verb
(past star·board·ed, past participle star·board·ed,
present participle star·board·ing, 3rd person present singular
star·boards)

turn
toward starboard: to turn or move something, especially
the helm, toward starboard
[Old English stēorbord,
from stēor “paddle” + bord “board.” The modern meaning arose from
the early Germanic custom of steering boats by means of a paddle on the right
side.][1]



starburst

starburst
star·burst 
[str bùrst] noun

radiating pattern:
a pattern of lines or light rays radiating outward from a center[1]



starcactus

starcactus
star
cac·tus
noun

Mexican cactus:
a Mexican cactus with yellow flowers and spines arranged in clusters like
stars. Genus: Astrophytum[1]



starch

starch
starch 
[staarch] noun (plural starch·es)

1.  carbohydrate
substance:
a carbohydrate substance manufactured by plants and stored in seeds, tubers,
fruits, and stems and forming an important source of energy in the diet of
human beings and animals. The two main components of starch are amylose and
amylopectin. (C6H10O5)n

2.  HOUSEHOLD stiffening
substance for fabrics: a substance, especially
natural starch in the form of a white powder extracted from potatoes and grain,
used to stiffen the fabric of clothes before ironing

3.  FOOD starchy
foodstuff:
a foodstuff that contains a large amount of starch

4.  stiff
and formal manner: behavior marked by a stiff
manner and formality

5.  courage:
great courage or energy
transitive
verb
(past starched, past participle starched, present
participle starch·ing, 3rd person present singular starch·es)

HOUSEHOLD stiffen
with starch: to stiffen fabric with starch
[Old English (assumed) stercan
“to stiffen,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to be rigid,” which is
also the ancestor of English stare][1]



starchamber

starchamber
star
cham·ber
noun

harsh and arbitrary tribunal:
a court or tribunal noted for being harsh, arbitrary, and unaccountable in its
proceedings[1]



StarChamber

StarChamber
Star
Cham·ber
noun

English
special court: a court established by King Henry VII of
England to try civil and criminal cases, especially those involving the
security of the state, in secret. It was noted for its arbitrary proceedings
and abolished in 1641.
[Star because the ceiling of
the original courtroom was decorated with stars][1]



starchsyrup

starchsyrup
starch
syr·up
noun

glucose syrup:
a syrup created through the incomplete hydrolysis of glucose that contains
dextrose, maltose, and dextrine[1]



starchwheat

starchwheat
starch
wheat
noun

See
emmer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








starchy

starchy
starch·y 
[strchee] (comparative starch·i·er,
superlative starch·i·est) adjective

1.  containing
starch:
containing a large amount of starch, or like starch, especially in consistency

2.  formal:
very formal and unbending, and apparently lacking in warmth or a sense of humor

[1]



starconnection

starconnection
star
con·nec·tion noun

electrical connection in
polyphase device: an electrical
connection in a polyphase system in which the windings have one end connected
to a common junction and the other ends connected to separate load points[1]



star-crossed

star-crossed
star-crossed 
adjective

destined
to be unhappy: believed to be destined by fate to be
unhappy
[From the belief in the
influence of the stars over human lives][1]



stardom

stardom
star·dom 
[strdəm] noun

1.  star
status:
the status of a star performer in sports or entertainment, and the fame and
prestige that go with it

2.  star
performers:
star performers considered as a group

[1]



stardust

stardust
star·dust 
[str dùst] noun

1.  dreamy
romantic feeling: a dreamy romantic sentimental feeling,
or an imaginary substance, usually represented as starry and twinkling, that is
supposed to induce this feeling

2.  ASTRONOMY far
distant stars: far distant stars in a cluster or strewn
like a cloud of bright dust in the night sky

[1]



stare

stare
stare 
[stair] verb (past stared,
past participle stared, present participle star·ing,
3rd person present singular stares)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb look
fixedly:
to look directly at somebody or something for a long time without moving the
eyes away, usually as a result of curiosity or surprise, or to express rudeness
or defiance

2.  intransitive
verb
be
wide open with shock: to look wide open with
shock, fear, or amazement (refers to eyes)

3.  intransitive
verb
be
obvious:
to be obvious or blatant • The
answer was staring at you all the time; you just couldn’t see it.
noun
(plural stares)

1.  long
concentrated look: a long concentrated look at
somebody or something, often full of curiosity or hostility

2.  facial
expression:
a facial expression in which the eyes are wide open with shock or amazement and
looking fixedly at somebody or something
[Old
English starian, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to be rigid,”
which is also the ancestor of English stern
. The underlying idea is of “something fixed.”]
—star·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at gaze

[1]



staredown

staredown
stare
down
transitive verb

1.  look
somebody directly in the eyes: to look somebody
directly in the eyes until he or she is forced to look away.
U.K.
term
stare out

2.  cause
somebody to back down: to intimidate somebody or
something into backing down • two
hostile nations trying to stare each other down

[1]



stareout

stareout
stare
out
transitive verb

U.K.
See stare down[1]



starets

starets
sta·rets 
[st rèts] (plural star·tsy [strtsee]) noun

spritual
adviser:
a religious teacher or spiritual adviser in the Eastern Orthodox Church,
especially one who is a monk or holy man
[Early 20th century. From
Russian, “elderly man, elder.”][1]



starfacet

starfacet
star
fac·et
noun

triangular facet in
brilliant-cut gem: one of the
eight small triangular facets that surround the table of a gem cut in the
brilliant style[1]



starfish

starfish

star·fish 
[str fìsh] (plural star·fish or
star·fish·es) noun
starshaped marine animal:
a marine invertebrate animal ( echinoderm )
whose body consists of five or more arms radiating from a central disk.
Starfish have a central mouth on the underside and feed on oysters and other
mollusks on shores and the seabed. Class: Asteroidea
Also called
sea star[1]



starfishflower

starfishflower
star·fish
flow·er
noun

See
stapelia[1]



starflower

starflower
star·flow·er 
[str flòw ər] noun

plant with star-shaped
flowers: a plant that has star-shaped
flowers, for example, the star-of-Bethlehem and some plants of northeastern
North America[1]



starfruit

starfruit
star
fruit
noun

See
carambola[1]



stargaze

stargaze
star·gaze 
[str gàyz] (past star·gazed, past
participle star·gazed, present participle star·gaz·ing,
3rd person present singular star·gaz·es) intransitive verb

1.  watch
stars at night: to observe the stars at night

2.  daydream:
to engage in daydreaming

[1]



stargazer

stargazer
star·gaz·er 
[str gàyzər] noun

1.  daydreamer:
somebody who daydreams

2.  ZOOLOGY tropical
marine fish: a bottom-dwelling tropical marine fish
that has eyes and mouth on the top of its head. Families: Uranoscopidae
Dactyloscopidae

[1]



stargrass

stargrass
star
grass
noun

plant with star-shaped
flowers: a plant of the daffodil
family found in tropical and temperate regions that has long leaves that look
like grass and star-shaped white or yellow flowers. Genus: Hypoxis[1]



stark

stark
stark 
[staark] adjective (comparative
stark·er, superlative stark·est)

1.  forbiddingly
bare and plain: forbidding in its bareness and lack of
any ornament, relieving feature, or pleasant prospect

2.  unambiguous
and harsh:
presented in plain, unambiguous, and usually rather harsh terms • confronting
stark reality

3.  complete:
having reached the fullest extent or degree of something

4.  without
clothes:
completely unclothed and uncovered

5.  rigid:
showing or affected by rigor mortis (archaic)
adverb
(comparative stark·er, superlative stark·est)

utterly: to
the utmost degree
[Old
English stearc, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to be rigid,”
which is also the ancestor of English stare
and starve]
—stark·ly,
adverb

—stark·ness, noun[1]



Stark,Dame Freya

Stark,Dame Freya
Stark 
[staark], Dame Freya (1893–1993)

British
writer. She wrote over 30 travel books describing aspects of the Middle East,
especially life in the deserts.
Full name
Stark, Dame Freya Madeline[1]



stark-naked

stark-naked
stark-na·ked
adjective

without clothes:
completely unclothed and uncovered[1]



starlet

starlet
star·let 
[strlət] noun

young woman actor:
a young woman actor billed as a possible major movie star of the future[1]



starlight

starlight
star·light 
[str lt] noun

light from stars:
the light that comes from the stars[1]



starling

starling1


star·ling1 [strling]
noun
common
European bird: a common European bird with glossy
greenish-black plumage, a short tail, and pointed wings. Starlings often gather
in large noisy flocks to feed and roost. Latin name: Sturnus vulgaris
[Old English stærlinc,
literally “little starling,” from stær “starling.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



starling

starling2
star·ling2 [strling]
noun

protective
structure for bridge: a structure made of piles
surrounding a pier of a bridge to protect the pier from floating debris
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of staddling in the obsolete sense “pier of a
bridge.”][1]



starlit

starlit
star·lit 
[str lìt] adjective

lit by stars:
lit by light from the stars[1]



star-nosedmole

star-nosedmole
star-nosed
mole 
noun

mole with star-shaped nose:
a North American mole that has a ring of small pink fleshy tentacles
surrounding its nose. Latin name: Condylura cristata[1]



star-of-Bethlehem

star-of-Bethlehem
star-of-Beth·le·hem 
(plural stars-of-Beth·le·hem or star-of-Beth·le·hem)
noun

plant
with star-shaped flowers: a European perennial plant
of the lily family that has long slender leaves and bears clusters of white
star-shaped flowers on a central stalk. Genus: Ornithogalum
[Late 16th century. From its
abundance in Palestine.][1]



Starof David

Starof David
Star
of Da·vid
(plural Stars of David or Star of Davids) noun

symbol of Judaism:
a symbol of the Jewish faith and of the state of Israel consisting of two
equilateral triangles superimposed on each other to form a six-pointed star.
Also called
Magen David
Also called
Mogen Dovid
Also called
Shield of David[1]



Starr,Ringo

Starr,Ringo
Starr
[staar], Ringo (1940– )

British
musician. He attained fame as the drummer of the Beatles (1962–1970).
Real name
Starkey, Richard[1]



starruby

starruby
star
ru·by
noun

ruby with starry crystalline
structure: a ruby with a crystalline
structure that reflects light in a shape that resembles a star when it is cut
with a convex surface[1]



starry

starry
star·ry 
[stree] (comparative star·ri·er,
superlative star·ri·est) adjective

1.  with
many stars shining: bright with many shining
stars

2.  covered
with stars:
covered or decorated with stars

3.  similar
to star:
relating to or similar in shape or brightness to a star

[1]



starry-eyed

starry-eyed
star·ry-eyed 
adjective

naively idealistic:
having a happy and enthusiastic or romantic attitude that is naïve and
unrealistic[1]



Starsand Bars

Starsand Bars

Stars and Bars 
noun
Confederate flag:
the first flag of the Confederacy during the Civil War, which had two red
stripes and one white, and a circle of white stars representing the seceded
states (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



Starsand Stripes

Starsand Stripes
Stars
and Stripes
noun

U.S. national flag:
the national flag of the United States, which has 13 alternating red and white
stripes and one star for each state on a blue field (takes a singular or
plural verb)[1]



starsapphire

starsapphire
star
sap·phire
noun

sapphire with starry
crystalline structure: a sapphire
with a crystalline structure that reflects light in a star shape when cut with
a convex surface[1]



starshell

starshell
star
shell
noun

artillery shell:
an artillery shell designed to burst in midair and release a flare or a shower
of lights[1]



starship

starship
star·ship 
[str shìp] noun

spaceship:
a spaceship designed to travel between stars or star systems, and as yet
existing only in science fiction[1]



starsign

starsign
star
sign
noun

zodiac sign:
a sign of the zodiac, especially the sun sign under which somebody was born[1]



star-spangled

star-spangled
star-span·gled
adjective

1.  covered
with stars:
covered or decorated with stars

2.  filled
with VIPs and stars: attended by many important
people, including politicians, CEOs, and movie stars • The
State Dinner was a star-spangled gathering unequaled in history.

[1]



Star-SpangledBanner

Star-SpangledBanner
Star-Span·gled
Ban·ner 
noun

1.  U.S.
national anthem: the national anthem of the United States

2.  national
flag of U.S.: the national flag of the United States

[1]



starstruck

starstruck
star·struck
[str strùk] adjective

fascinated by stars and
stardom: feeling or showing an awed
fascination with stars, especially from the world of entertainment, and stardom[1]



star-studded

star-studded
star-stud·ded
adjective

with many movie or stage
stars: containing many well-known
actors or performers[1]



starsystem

starsystem
star
sys·tem
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY group
of celestial bodies: a group of celestial bodies,
such as a star and its planets or a cluster of stars, that forms a distinct
physical entity in space

2.  CINEMA use of
star’s personality for promotion: the system of
deliberately exploiting an individual star, both on screen and off, to sell
motion pictures

[1]



START

START
START
[staart]

Abbreviation of
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks[1]



start

start
start 
[staart] verb (past start·ed,
past participle start·ed, present participle start·ing,
3rd person present singular starts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin:
to begin doing something or begin something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin
happening:
to begin happening, or to make something begin happening • The
movie starts at 7 o’clock.

3.  transitive
verb
create
something:
to bring something into being as an entity or operation • start
a business

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES make engine begin to
work:
to begin working, or make an engine begin to operate

5.  transitive
verb
begin
working:
to commence work on something • start
a project

6.  transitive
verb
help
somebody begin something: to help somebody out in beginning
an activity such as a journey or career

7.  intransitive
verb
go
from a particular level: to begin at a particular
level • Prices
start at fifteen dollars.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS play first in a contest:
to be or select somebody to be in a race or to play at the beginning of a game
• finally
agreed to start the rookie in the next game

9.  intransitive
verb
begin
arguing:
to begin arguing or making a fuss (informal) • Please
don’t start.

10. transitive
verb
raise
something:
to raise or care for something in the early stages of its growth • start
some plants in early spring

11. intransitive
verb
make
sudden movement: to make a sudden movement out of
surprise, pain, fear, or anger

12. intransitive
and transitive verb move
suddenly:
to go or cause a person or animal to go very quickly from being still to moving

13. transitive
verb
alarm
somebody:
to cause somebody to be alarmed (archaic)

14. intransitive
and transitive verb come
loose:
to come loose, or cause something to come loose, from its proper place

15. intransitive
verb
flow
violently out: to flow violently or suddenly out of
something • water
starting from the barrel’s seams

16. transitive
verb
HUNTING cause
an animal to appear: to cause a hunted animal to
appear suddenly from its hiding place or den
noun
(plural starts)

1.  beginning:
the first part of something that proceeds through time • We
missed the start of the play.

2.  place
or time of start: the place or time at which something
starts • The
start of the race is scheduled for noon.

3.  quick
sudden movement: a quick sudden movement from being still
to moving

4.  sudden
involuntary movement: a sudden involuntary
movement caused by fear, pain, surprise, or anger

5.  SPORTS instance
of participating: the fact or an instance of participating
in a race or game • winning three out of
five starts

6.  position
ahead of others: a position of being ahead of other
competitors • get
a start on the rest

7.  position
at the beginning: a set of circumstances at the beginning
of something • He
needed a better start in life.

8.  signal
to begin:
the signal to begin something such as a race
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably ultimately from Old English styrtan
“to jump,” from prehistoric Germanic. The meaning “to begin” would have
developed from “move suddenly” via “begin a journey.”]
for
a start

or
for startersused in an argument to indicate that you are making the
first point of many

to
start with

at the beginning[1]



starter

starter
start·er 
[strtər] noun (plural start·ers)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING starting
device for an engine: a device for starting a
machine or engine, especially an electrically operated device that causes the
internal-combustion engine in a motor vehicle to fire

2.  SPORTS somebody
signaling start of race: somebody who gives the
signal for a race to start

3.  SPORTS competitor
who starts:
a horse or competitor who starts in a race

4.  SPORTS player
at beginning of a game: a player who takes the field
for a team at the beginning of a game

5.  BASEBALL first
pitcher:
the pitcher who pitches first for a baseball team, either regularly or in a
particular game

6.  FOOD first
course of a meal: a first course of a meal, or something
suitable to be eaten as a first course of a meal
adjective

used to start:
used to start something or as an introduction to something for people with
little experience of it • a
starter set of paints

[1]



starterhome

starterhome
start·er
home
noun

property for a first-time
buyer: a small property suitable
for somebody who is buying a home for the first time[1]



starter’spistol

starter’spistol
start·er’s
pis·tol
noun

See
starting gun[1]



starthistle

starthistle
star
this·tle
noun

plant with purple flowers:
a plant belonging to the daisy family and native to Europe and Asia that has
purple flowers encircled by radiating spines. Genus: Centaurea
Also called
caltrop[1]



startin

startin
start
in
intransitive verb

1.  begin:
to begin to do something (informal) • Let’s
start in now so we can get this work done.

2.  begin
to scold:
to begin to scold or criticize somebody • Don’t
start on me again.

[1]



starting

starting
start·ing
[strting] adjective

bulging:
protruding or bulging, or appearing to do so • ran
with starting eyes from the horrific scene[1]



startingblock

startingblock
start·ing
block 
noun

support for a runner at race
start: either of a pair of objects
used by runners to brace their feet against at the start of a sprint race. The
blocks are made up of a base that can be firmly placed onto the track and
angled supports against which the runner places the feet.
Also called
block[1]



startinggate

startinggate
start·ing
gate
noun

1.  stalls
horses leave to start a race: a line of stalls into which
racehorses are put at the start of a race that have gates at the front that
spring open simultaneously when operated by the starter

2.  barrier
connected to timer: a physical barrier or
electronic beam that automatically starts a timing device when a competitor
passes through it, for example, at the start of a skiing race

[1]



startinggrid

startinggrid
start·ing
grid
noun

starting positions on auto
racing track: a pattern of lines
marked on an auto racing track, with numbered starting positions. The cars that
recorded the fastest times in practice occupy the front positions.
Also called
grid[1]



startinggun

startinggun
start·ing
gun
noun

gun fired to start race:
a gun fired as the signal for a race to start.
Also called
starter’s pistol[1]



startingline

startingline
start·ing
line
noun

line on racetrack:
a line marked across a racetrack to show runners where to start[1]



startle

startle
star·tle 
[strt’l] (past star·tled, past
participle star·tled, present participle star·tling, 3rd
person present singular star·tles) transitive verb

disconcert
or frighten somebody: to disconcert or frighten a
person or an animal into making an involuntary movement, or become disconcerted
or frightened by a sudden shock
[Old
English steartlian, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English start]
—star·tler, noun[1]



startlecolor

startlecolor
star·tle
col·or
noun

coloration to startle
predators: a patch of bright color or a
bold design on part of an animal’s body that is normally hidden and is revealed
to scare away predators[1]



startling

startling
star·tling
[strtling] adjective

surprising
or alarming: provoking surprise, fright, wonder, or
alarm
—star·tling·ly, adverb[1]



startoff

startoff
start
off
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin:
to begin to do something, or cause or help somebody to begin to do something • Let’s
start off by introducing ourselves.

2.  intransitive
verb
set
off:
to begin moving in a particular direction, or begin a journey • She
turned and started off up the hill.

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody start talking or laughing: to do
something that causes somebody else to start doing something such as talking,
laughing, crying, or misbehaving (informal) • Stop
it, or you’ll start her off again.

[1]



starton

starton
start
on
transitive verb

begin to scold somebody:
to begin to scold, criticize, or attack somebody (informal) • Look,
don’t start on me. It’s not my fault![1]



startout

startout
start
out
intransitive verb

1.  begin
journey:
to set off on a journey • If we
start out at about nine, we should be there in time for lunch.

2.  begin:
to do something at the beginning of a process • He
starts out trying to prove she’s guilty and ends up convincing everyone she’s
innocent.

3.  intend:
to intend to do something, or have something as an initial intention • I
didn’t start out to cause a lot of trouble.

4.  begin
stage of life: to make a start in something such as
adult life or a career • young
people who are starting out in journalism

[1]



startsy

startsy
star·tsy


Plural of
starets[1]



startup

startup
start·up
[strt ùp] (plural start·ups) or
start-up [strt ùp] (plural start-ups)
noun

1.  something
just beginning: something such as a company that is just
beginning operations

2.  commencement
of something: the beginning of an activity such as the
construction of a building

[1]



startup

startup
start
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin
to operate:
to begin to operate, or make something begin to operate • start
the engine up

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
business:
to begin something such as a business venture • started
up her own accounting practice

3.  intransitive
verb
begin
to make sound: to begin to make a sound, especially a
characteristic sound, or begin to speak • First
a solitary blackbird started up, and soon the whole forest was alive with
birdsong.

4.  intransitive
verb
rise
suddenly:
to rise suddenly to a standing or upright position • He
started up from his chair at the loud sound and rushed to the window.

[1]



starvation

starvation
star·va·tion 
[staar váysh’n] noun

lack of food:
the state of having not enough food, or of losing strength or dying through
lack of food[1]



starve

starve
starve 
[staarv] (past starved, past
participle starved, present participle starv·ing, 3rd
person present singular starves) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb weaken
or die because of hunger: to weaken or die through
lack of food, or cause somebody to do this • The
besieged city was starved into submission.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
hungry:
to be very hungry (informal) • I’m
starving! What’s for dinner?

3.  transitive
verb
deprive
somebody:
to deprive somebody or something of something vitally needed • starved
for affection

4.  intransitive
verb
need:
to feel deprived of something, or feel a great need or desire for something • starving
for a kind word
[Old
English steorfan “to die,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
be stiff”]
—starv·er, noun[1]



starveling

starveling
starve·ling 
[strvling] noun

very thin person:
a very thin and hungry-looking person or animal (archaic)[1]



starveout

starveout
starve
out
transitive verb

force an enemy to surrender:
to force an enemy to surrender by making necessary food and supplies
inaccessible[1]



starwort

starwort
star·wort 
[str wúrt, str
wàwrt] (plural star·worts or star·wort) noun

See
water starwort[1]



stash

stash
stash 
[stash] noun (plural stash·es)

1.  hidden
store:
a secret or hidden store of something such as money or valuables (informal)

2.  hiding
place:
a secret hiding place (informal)

3.  secret
store of drugs: a store of illegal drugs kept for
personal consumption (slang)
transitive
verb
(past stashed, past participle stashed, present
participle stash·ing, 3rd person present singular stash·es)

1.  hide
something:
to put something into a secret hidden storage place (informal)

2.  put
something away: to put something somewhere, for example,
in a convenient place or where it belongs • We’ll
eat after we’ve stashed our gear.
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



stasis

stasis
sta·sis 
[stáyssiss] noun

1.  motionless
state:
a state in which there is neither motion nor development, often resulting from
opposing forces balancing each other

2.  MEDICINE stoppage
of flow of body fluids: a condition in which body
fluids, such as blood or the contents of the bowel, are prevented from flowing
normally through their channels

3.  BIOLOGY state
of no change: a state in which there is little or no
apparent change in a species of organism over a long period of time. It is most
evident in so-called living fossils, such as the coelacanth, which have
remained unchanged for many millions of years.
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek, “standing, stoppage.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English stand
.][1]



stat

stat1
stat1 [stat]
(plural stats) noun

statistic:
a statistic (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



stat.

stat.
stat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
statue

2.  Abbreviation
of
statute

3.  Abbreviation
of
stationary

[1]



stat

stat2
stat2 [stat]
adverb

MEDICINE immediately:
used in prescriptions to indicate that a drug is to be given immediately
adjective

MEDICINE urgent:
urgent • The
doctor received a stat page while on call.
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of Latin statim “immediately.”][1]



-stat

-stat
-stat
suffix

1.  device
for stabilizing or regulating • humidistat
• rheostat

2.  a
device for focusing something in a single direction • siderostat

3.  a
substance or device that inhibits the growth or flow of something • fungistat
• haemostat
[Via modern Latin -stata
from Greek statos “standing” and statēs “one that causes to
stand”][1]



state

state
state 
[stayt] noun (plural states)

1.  condition:
the condition that something or somebody is in at a particular time

2.  physical
stage:
a growth or developmental stage of an animal or plant • the
larval state

3.  POLITICS mostly
autonomous region of federal country: an
area forming part of a federal country such as the United States or Australia
with its own government and legislature and control over most of its own
internal affairs

4.  POLITICS country:
a country or nation with its own sovereign independent government

5.  POLITICS government:
a country’s government and those government-controlled institutions that are
responsible for its internal administration and its relationships with other
countries • a
corporation owned and run by the state

6.  nervous,
upset, or excited condition: a very nervous, upset, or
excited frame of mind or manner of behaving (informal) • Don’t
get into a state worrying about money.

7.  ceremonious
style:
a very formal, dignified or grand way of doing something in which all the
appropriate ceremonies are observed • The
senator will lie in state in the Capitol rotunda.

8.  PHYSICS form
or energy level: any of the various forms such as solid
or liquid or quantifiable conditions such as energy levels that a physical
substance can be in depending on its temperature and other circumstances

9.  bad
physical condition: a very messy or disreputable
condition (informal) • The
house is in such a state that we’ll never get it clean.
adjective

1.  POLITICS relating
to government: involving or relating to a state or to
its government

2.  POLITICS held
or run by a state: owned, operated, or financed
by a state

3.  done
with full ceremony: involving many grand rituals
and ceremonies, especially those appropriate to a head of state • worn
only on state occasions
transitive
verb
(past stat·ed, past participle stat·ed, present
participle stat·ing, 3rd person present singular states)

1.  express
in words:
to express something in spoken or written words, especially to announce
something publicly in a deliberate formal way • I
have already stated my position on this issue.

2.  LAW declare
with force of law: to declare something
officially so that it has the force of a law or regulation • It
is expressly stated in your contract that you must not work for another
employer.

3.  MUSIC play
musical theme for first time: to play a particular musical
theme or motif for the first time before it is repeated and developed within a
piece of music
[12th century. Directly or
via Old French estat from Latin status “way of standing,
condition” (as in status rei publicae “condition of the republic”).][1]



statebank

statebank
state
bank
noun

bank chartered by a U.S.
state: a bank that receives its
charter from, and operates under the laws of, a state of the United States[1]



statecapitalism

statecapitalism
state
cap·i·tal·ism noun

state control of capital:
an economic system in which the state controls the use of capital and the means
of production[1]



statecraft

statecraft
state·craft 
[stáyt kràft] noun

good governance:
the art of governing or managing the affairs of a country well[1]



stated

stated
stat·ed
[stáytəd] adjective

1.  officially
laid down:
laid down by an official agreement or in a legal document

2.  previously
announced:
announced previously, especially in a public medium

[1]



StateDepartment

StateDepartment
State
De·part·ment noun

U.S. department of foreign
affairs: the department of the United
States government that deals with foreign affairs and is headed by a Cabinet
secretary and staffed by career foreign service officers[1]



statehood

statehood
state·hood 
[stáyt hd] noun

status of state:
the status of a state in a federal union, especially in the United States, as
opposed to that of a territory or dependency[1]



statehooder

statehooder
state·hood·er 
[stáyt hdər] noun

advocate of statehood:
a person who advocates full U.S. state status for, for example, a territory or
commonwealth[1]



statehouse

statehouse
state·house
[stáyt hòwss] (plural state·hous·es
[stáyt hòwzəz]) or state house
[stáyt hòwss] or State·house [stáyt hòwss] (plural State·hous·es) noun

U.S. state capitol building:
a building in which a state legislature convenes in any of the U.S. state
capitals[1]



stateless

stateless
state·less 
[stáytləss] adjective

having no nationality:
not being a citizen of any country and having no nationality[1]



statelesssociety

statelesssociety
state·less
so·ci·e·ty
noun

society lacking political
power of state: a society, for example,
one in Africa, organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and
lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with
states[1]



stately

stately
state·ly 
[stáytlee] (comparative state·li·er,
superlative state·li·est) adjective

1.  impressively
weighty and dignified: characterized by an
impressively weighty and dignified but graceful manner

2.  grand
and imposing: grand and imposing in appearance

[1]



statement

statement
state·ment 
[stáytmənt] (plural state·ments)
noun

1.  expression
in words:
the expression in spoken or written words of something such as a fact,
intention, or policy, or an instance of this

2.  something
said:
something that somebody says that is not a question or an exclamation and that
expresses an idea or facts in definite terms • We
were unable to verify the truth of that statement.

3.  specially
prepared public announcement: a specially prepared
announcement or reply that is made public • Has
she made a statement to the press?

4.  CRIMINOLOGY account
of facts:
an account of the facts relating to a crime or case given to the police or in a
court of law usually for use as evidence

5.  ARTS wordless
expression of idea: a bold or conspicuous
expression of an idea, opinion, or concept made in a nonverbal way • Her
art is a powerful statement of her political beliefs.

6.  FINANCE printed
record of bank account: a printed record of all
transactions that have taken place over a period of time in a bank account and
of the amount of the holder’s current credit or debt

7.  FINANCE customer’s
account:
an account issued to a customer showing charges made, payments received, and
any balance owing

8.  MUSIC first
presentation of musical theme: the first presentation
of a theme or idea that is to be developed later in a piece of music

9.  COMPUTING computer
instruction: a computer instruction written in a
source language

[1]



StatenIsland

StatenIsland
Sta·ten
Is·land 
[stàtt’n lənd]

one of the five boroughs of
New York. It has a regular ferry service to Manhattan and is mainly
residential. Population: 378,977 (1990)[1]



stateof the art

stateof the art
state
of the art
noun

most
advanced level of technology: the most advanced level of
knowledge and technology currently achieved in any field at any given time
adjective
state-of-the-art

most advanced:
representing the most advanced level of knowledge or technology currently
achieved in any field at any given time[1]



stateof war

stateof war
state
of war
noun

1.  actual
hostilities: armed conflict between states or other
groups, with or without a formal declaration of war

2.  legal
situation of declaration of war: the situation brought
about by a declaration of war, with or without the commencement of actual armed
conflict, in which special internationally agreed-on laws apply

[1]



stateprison

stateprison
state
pris·on
noun

U.S. state prison:
a prison run by a state of the United States in which prisoners convicted of
serious crimes are held[1]



stater

stater2
sta·ter2 [stáytər]
(plural sta·ters) noun

ancient
Greek coin:
any of various ancient Greek coins in gold or silver
[14th century. Via late Latin
from Greek statēr, from the base of histanai “to weigh.”][1]



stater

stater1
stat·er1 [stáytər]
(plural stat·ers) or Stat·er [stáytər] (plural Stat·ers) noun

somebody from a particular
state: somebody who comes from a
particular state, especially of the United States, or from a particular type of
state (usually used in combination) • Bay
Staters are from Massachusetts.[1]



stateroom

stateroom
state
room
noun

large room used on state
occasions: a large imposing room in a
palace or government building, used for large-scale functions and entertaining
important guests[1]



stateroom

stateroom
state·room 
[stáyt rm, stáyt
rm] noun

private cabin or compartment:
a large and luxuriously furnished private cabin on a ship or a private sleeping
compartment on a train[1]



States

States
States
[stayts] plural noun

United States:
the United States of America (informal)[1]



stateschool

stateschool
state
school
noun

state government institution:
an institution, usually a prison for delinquent minors, that is controlled and
financed by a state government (informal)[1]



statesecret

statesecret
state
se·cret
noun

secret important to national
security: a piece of information,
usually considered important to national security, that is supposed to be known
only to certain people authorized by the state[1]



States-General

States-General
States-General
plural noun

legislative body in France
before 1789: the legislative body in
France before 1789, consisting of representatives of the three estates of the
realm[1]



stateside

stateside
state·side 
[stáyt sd] adverb

in
or toward United States: in or toward the continental
United States
adjective

relating to United States:
relating to, in, or toward the continental United States[1]



statesman

statesman
states·man 
[stáytsmən] (plural states·men
[stáytsmən]) noun

1.  leading
politician:
a senior politician who plays an important role in government or in
international affairs

2.  respected
impartial senior male politician: a senior politician
who is widely respected for integrity and impartial concern for the public good
—states·man·like,
adjective

—states·man·ship, noun[1]



statesocialism

statesocialism
state
so·cial·ism
noun

state
control of economy: a political and economic
system in which the state controls major industries and banks and plans its
economic and social welfare programs in order to bring about an egalitarian
society
—state so·cial·ist, noun[1]



stateswoman

stateswoman
states·wo·man 
[stáyts wmmən] (plural states·wo·men
[stáyts wìmmin]) noun

1.  leading
woman politician: a senior politician who plays an
important role in government or in international affairs

2.  respected
impartial senior woman politician: a senior woman
politician who is widely respected for integrity and impartial concern for the
public good

[1]



states’rights

states’rights
states’
rights
plural noun

1.  powers
and rights of U.S. states: the powers and rights not
granted by the U.S. Constitution to the federal government and not forbidden to
the states by the Constitution

2.  U.S.
antifederal political doctrine: a political doctrine
that advocates the reduction of federal rights and powers and a maximization of
those of the U.S. states
—states’ right·er, noun[1]



statetrooper

statetrooper
state
troop·er
noun

highway patrol police
officer: a member of the highway
patrol police of a state[1]



statewide

statewide
state·wide 
[stáyt wd, stáyt
wd] adjective

affecting
entire state: affecting or happening throughout an
entire state • a
statewide search for the escaped prisoner
adverb

throughout state:
throughout an entire state[1]



state’sattorney

state’sattorney
state’s
at·tor·ney
or state at·tor·ney noun

state prosecutor:
an attorney who acts as prosecutor in court cases on behalf of a state[1]



state’sevidence

state’sevidence
state’s
ev·i·dence 
noun

evidence for prosecution:
evidence given for the prosecution in a criminal trial in the United States and
certain other nations, sometimes by one of the accused or by an accomplice to
the crime, or the person who agrees to give such evidence • His
accomplice turned state’s evidence in exchange for a reduced sentence.[1]



static

static

stat·ic 
[státtik] adjective

1.  motionless:
not moving or changing, or fixed in position

2.  PHYSICS of
forces not causing movement: relating to forces, weight,
or pressures that act without causing movement

3.  PHYSICS involving
statics:
relating to, involving, or characteristic of statics

4.  ELECTRICITY involving
stationary electric charges: relating to, involving, or
characteristic of stationary electric charges

5.  BROADCASTING caused
by electrical interference: relating to or caused by
electrical interference in a radio or television broadcast

6.  COMPUTING not
needing to be refreshed: retaining its contents
without having to be refreshed by the central processor (refers to a
random-access-memory computer chip)
noun

1.  BROADCASTING electrical
interference: electrical interference in a radio or
television broadcast, causing a random crackling noise or disruption of a
picture

2.  ELECTRICITY See static electricity

3.  opposition
or interference: criticism, opposition, or unwanted
interference by somebody else (informal) • getting
a lot of static from the boss
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek statikos “causing to stand,” from statos
“standing” (see stato- ).]
—stat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



statice

statice
stat·i·ce 
[státtəssee] noun

See
sea lavender
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin, former genus name, from, ultimately, Greek statikos “causing to
stand or stop” (see static ), because it
stops the flow of blood.][1]



staticelectricity

staticelectricity
stat·ic
e·lec·tric·i·ty noun

stationary electric charge:
a stationary electric charge that builds up on an insulated object, for
example, on a capacitor or a thundercloud.
Also called
static[1]



staticline

staticline
stat·ic
line
noun

rope opening parachute
automatically: a rope attached to an
aircraft and a parachutist’s parachute. When the parachutist jumps from the
aircraft the line opens the parachute automatically.[1]



staticpressure

staticpressure
stat·ic
pres·sure
noun

pressure in flowing fluid:
pressure not caused by motion at a point on the surface of an object moving
freely in a flowing fluid[1]



statics

statics
stat·ics 
[státtiks] noun

mechanics of forces in
equilibrium: a branch of mechanics
that deals with forces and systems in equilibrium (takes a singular verb)[1]



statictube

statictube
stat·ic
tube
noun

tube measuring static
pressure: a tube used to measure the
static pressure present in a moving fluid[1]



station

station
sta·tion 
[stáysh’n] noun

1.  stop
on railroad or bus route: a place along a train or bus
route where passengers are picked up or set down, often with amenities such as
ticket offices, waiting rooms, refreshments, toilets, and facilities for goods
and parcels

2.  local
branch of an organization: a local branch or headquarters
of an official organization such as the police force, fire department, or
ambulance service

3.  specially
equipped building: a building or group of
buildings that provides a particular function or service • a
pumping station

4.  BROADCASTING broadcasting
building:
a place equipped to make and broadcast radio or television programs

5.  BROADCASTING broadcasting
channel:
a television or radio channel

6.  usual
place:
the place or position where somebody or something is usually to be found or is
supposed to be found

7.  position
for performing task: a position where somebody
performs a task, for example, in a factory, or the equipment used in performing
a task

8.  rank:
the position somebody holds in society or in an organization in terms of rank

9.  MILITARY military
posting:
a place where military personnel are sent to carry out duties

10. SHIPPING place
on ship for crew member: a place on board a ship
where a crew member carries out duties

11. NAVY place
where ship is sent: a place where a naval ship
or fleet is sent for a period of duty

12. Australia,
New Zealand
sheep
or cattle farm: a large farm in Australia or New Zealand
where sheep or cattle are raised

13. CIVIL ENGINEERING surveyor’s
reference point: a fixed point used by surveyors as a
reference

14. CHRISTIANITY Station
of the Cross: one of the Stations of the Cross

15. U.K.
military
or government settlement in India: a place where military
officers or government officials lived in India while it was under British rule
transitive
verb
(past sta·tioned, past participle sta·tioned, present
participle sta·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular sta·tions)

put in or send to a place:
to assign somebody to a particular place, or put something in a particular
place (often passive)
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from the Latin stem station- “standing still,” from stare
“to stand” (source of English stage
and obstacle ).][1]



stationary

stationary
sta·tion·ar·y 
[stáyshə nèrree] adjective

1.  not
moving:
not moving, especially at a standstill after being in motion

2.  immobile:
fixed in position and not able to be moved

3.  unchanging:
not changing

4.  staying
in one place: showing a tendency to remain in the same
place
[15th
century. Directly or via French stationnaire “motionless” from medieval
Latin stationarius, from Latin, “of a military station,” from the stem station-
(see station ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  stationary
  or stationery ?
  The
  two words are distantly related but have quite different meanings. Stationary is an adjective meaning “not moving”
  (normally used of vehicles), whereas stationery
  is a noun meaning “writing materials.” Confusion can be avoided by
  remembering the connection between stationery
  and stationer, a seller of stationery.

[1]



stationarybicycle

stationarybicycle
sta·tion·ar·y
bi·cy·cle
noun

See
exercise bike[1]



stationaryfront

stationaryfront
sta·tion·ar·y
front
noun

weather condition:
a weather condition in which the boundary between a cold air mass and a warm
air mass is stationary[1]



stationaryorbit

stationaryorbit
sta·tion·ar·y
or·bit
noun

orbit with same period as
planet: an orbit around a celestial
body that has the same period as one revolution of the celestial body. An
object in such an orbit appears stationary above the surface.[1]



stationarywave

stationarywave
sta·tion·ar·y
wave
noun

See
standing wave[1]



stationbreak

stationbreak
sta·tion
break
noun

interval on television or
radio: a time when a radio or
television program is interrupted by an announcement giving the name, and
sometimes other details, of the company that is broadcasting the program[1]



stationer

stationer
sta·tion·er
[stáysh’nər] noun

1.  seller
of stationery: a person or store that sells stationery

2.  PUBLISHING book
publisher:
a person or company that publishes or sells books (archaic)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  medieval Latin a stationarius was originally a “trader who kept a
  permanent stall” (as opposed to an itinerant seller) - the word’s source, the
  Latin stem station- see station, meant literally “standing, keeping
  still.” Such permanent stores were comparatively rare in the Middle Ages. Of
  those that did exist, the commonest were bookstores, licensed by the
  universities, and so English adopted the Latin term. It has since come down
  in the world somewhat to “seller of paper, pens, etc.” (a sense first
  recorded in the mid 17th century).

[1]



stationery

stationery
sta·tion·er·y 
[stáyshə nèrree] noun

things
used for writing: paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, and
other things used in writing

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at stationary.

[1]



stationhouse

stationhouse
sta·tion
house
noun

police or fire station:
a building housing a police department or precinct office, or a fire department[1]



stationmaster

stationmaster
sta·tion·mas·ter 
[stáysh’n màstər] (plural sta·tion·mas·ters)
noun

railroad official:
somebody whose job is to oversee the running of a railroad station[1]



Stationsof the Cross

Stationsof the Cross
Sta·tions
of the Cross  plural noun

1.  series
of 14 images: a series of 14 images around the inside
of a Roman Catholic church, each representing a stage in Jesus Christ’s road to
Calvary

2.  series
of 14 prayers: a Roman Catholic devotion in which a
prayer is said before each of the Stations of the Cross

[1]



station-to-station

station-to-station
sta·tion-to-sta·tion 
adjective

charged
from time of answer: charged from the time
somebody answers the telephone (dated)
adverb

by station-to-station call:
by a station-to-station call[1]



stationwagon

stationwagon
sta·tion
wag·on
noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand large
car:
an automobile with an extended area behind the rear seats that provides extra
seating or carrying capacity, usually with a tailgate.
Also
called
wagon
[Originally a covered
carriage for transporting passengers to and from train stations][1]



statism

statism
stat·ism 
[stáy tìzəm] noun

centralized
political control: the theory, or its practice,
that economic and political power should be controlled by a central government
leaving regional government and the individual with relatively little say in
political matters
[Early
17th century. Formed from state .]
—stat·ist, noun[1]



statistic

statistic
sta·tis·tic 
[stə tístik] noun

1.  element
of data:
a single element of data from a collection

2.  numerical
value or function: a numerical value or
function, such as a mean or standard deviation, used to describe a sample or
population

3.  piece
of information: somebody or something treated as a piece
of data or information
[Late
18th century. Back-formation from statistics
.]
—sta·tis·ti·cal,
adjective

—sta·tis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



statisticalmechanics

statisticalmechanics
sta·tis·ti·cal
me·chan·ics
noun

macroscopic systems analysis
using particle statistics: the branch
of physics that analyzes macroscopic systems by applying statistical principles
to their microscopic constituents (takes a singular verb)[1]



statistician

statistician
stat·is·ti·cian 
[stàttə stísh’n] noun

person skilled in statistics:
somebody who is skilled in statistics, or who compiles and works with
statistics[1]



statistics

statistics
sta·tis·tics 
[stə tístiks] noun

branch
of mathematics: a branch of mathematics that deals with
the analysis and interpretation of numerical data in terms of samples and
populations (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

collection
of numerical data: a collection of numerical
data • this
month’s sales statistics
[Late 18th century. Via
German Statistik from, ultimately, Latin status (see state ). The underlying meaning is “the study of
data relating to the state.”][1]



stative

stative
sta·tive 
[stáytiv] adjective

dealing
with states, not actions: used to describe a verb, for
example, “know” or “own,” that deals with states, as opposed to one, for
example, “listen,” “talk,” or “go,” that deals with actions
noun

stative
verb:
a verb dealing with states not actions
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
stativus, from stat-, past participle stem of stare (see station ).][1]



stato-

stato-
stato-
prefix

1.  balance,
equilibrium • statoscope

2.  resting
• statoblast
[From Greek statos
“standing.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stand,” which is
also the ancestor of English stand, station, and status
.][1]



statoblast

statoblast
stat·o·blast 
[státtə blàst] noun

bryozoan bud:
a chitin-encased body that serves as a means of asexual reproduction for
freshwater bryozoans. It can withstand climatic extremes and prolonged
dormancy.[1]



statocyst

statocyst
stat·o·cyst 
[státtə sìst] noun

invertebrate sensory organ:
a fluid-filled organ of balance in some invertebrates such as the lobster
containing suspended bony granules that, along with sensory cells, help it to
determine its position.
Also called
otocyst[1]



statolith

statolith
stat·o·lith 
[státtə lìth] (plural stat·o·liths)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY granules
within a statocyst: any of the tiny bony
granules that are suspended in fluid within a statocyst and whose movement is
detected by sensory hairs that determine an invertebrate’s position.
Also
called
otolith

2.  BOTANY starch
grain:
a starch grain or other particle inside plant cells that moves in response to
gravity, and is thought to influence the way shoots or other organs grow
—stat·o·lith·ic [stàttə líthik], adjective[1]



stator

stator
sta·tor 
[stáytər] noun

stationary
part around which rotor turns: a stationary part in a
machine, such as a motor or generator, around which or in which a rotor rotates
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “one that stands,” from Latin stat-, the past
participle stem of stare (see station
).][1]



statoscope

statoscope
stat·o·scope 
[státtə skp] noun

highly sensitive barometer:
a sensitive aneroid barometer used to detect small changes in atmospheric
pressure, often used in aircraft to determine changes in altitude[1]



statuary

statuary
stat·u·ar·y 
[stáchoo èrree] noun

1.  statues
considered together: statues considered
collectively

2.  art
of making statues: the art and techniques of
making statues
adjective

about statues:
relating to, belonging to, typical of, or for statues
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
statuarius “of a statue,” from statua (see statue ).][1]



statue

statue
stat·ue 
[stáchoo] noun

three-dimensional
image:
a three-dimensional image of a human being or animal that is sculpted, modeled,
cast, or carved
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin statua, from statuere “to set up” (see statute ).][1]



Statueof Liberty

Statueof Liberty
Stat·ue
of Lib·er·ty noun

statue in New York:
a huge statue of a woman holding a torch and a book inscribed “July 4, 1776.”
It stands in New York Harbor. At 46 m/ 152 ft high, it is one of the tallest
statues in the world. A gift from France to the United States, it was unveiled
in 1886.[1]



statuesque

statuesque
stat·u·esque 
[stàchoo ésk] adjective

attractive
in a stately way: like a statue, especially in having
classical beauty, elegance, or proportions
—stat·u·esque·ly, adverb[1]



statuette

statuette
stat·u·ette 
[stàchoo ét] noun

small statue:
a small usually portable statue[1]



stature

stature
stat·ure 
[stáchər] noun

1.  height:
the standing height of somebody or something

2.  individual’s
standing:
somebody’s standing or level of achievement
[13th century. Via Old French
from statura, Latin from stat-, the past participle stem of stare
(see station ).][1]



status

status
sta·tus 
[stáytəss, státtəss]
noun

1.  rank:
the relative position or standing of somebody or something in a society or
other group

2.  prestige:
high rank or standing, especially in a community, workforce, or organization

3.  condition:
a condition that is subject to change • What’s
the current status of the investigation?

4.  LAW legal
standing:
somebody’s standing in terms of the law
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see state ).][1]



StatusIndian

StatusIndian
Sta·tus
In·di·an
or sta·tus In·di·an noun

Canada
indigenous person recognized by federal
government: a member of an indigenous
people whom the federal government recognizes as having special rights and
privileges, especially residence on a reserve.
Also called
treaty Indian[1]



statusquo

statusquo
sta·tus
quo
[stàytəss kwṓ] noun

way
things are now: the condition or state of affairs that
currently exists
[From Latin, literally “the
state in which”][1]



statussymbol

statussymbol
sta·tus
sym·bol
noun

sign of wealth:
a possession that is a sign of wealth or prestige[1]



statutable

statutable
stat·u·ta·ble 
[stáchətəb’l] adjective

1.  statutory:
regulated or imposed by statute

2.  covered
by statute:
covered by a statute, and subject to the penalty laid down by that statute
—stat·u·ta·bly, adverb[1]



statute

statute
stat·ute 
[stáchoot] noun

1.  LAW law
enacted by legislature: a law established by a
legislative body

2.  BUSINESS established
rule:
a permanent established rule or law, especially one involved in the running of
a company or other organization
[13th century. Via Old French
from late Latin statutum, literally “something set up,” from Latin statuere
“to set up,” from status “position” (see state
).][1]



statutebook

statutebook
stat·ute
book
noun

record of acts:
a record of the acts that have been passed by a legislature and remain in force[1]



statutelaw

statutelaw
stat·ute
law
noun

law enacted by legislature:
the body of law that has been enacted by a legislature, or a specific law so
enacted[1]



statutemile

statutemile
stat·ute
mile
noun

See
mile  noun 1
[From the fact that it is
fixed by law][1]



statuteof limitations

statuteof limitations
stat·ute
of lim·i·ta·tions (plural stat·utes of
lim·i·ta·tions) noun

statute limiting time for
legal action: a statute that lays
down the time within which legal proceedings must be started[1]



statutory

statutory
stat·u·to·ry 
[stáchə tàwree] adjective

1.  of
a statute:
relating to a statute

2.  controlled
by statute:
regulated or imposed by statute

3.  subject
to penalty:
covered by a statute, and subject to the penalty laid down by that statute
—stat·u·to·ri·ly, adverb[1]



statutorydeclaration

statutorydeclaration
stat·u·to·ry
dec·la·ra·tion noun

declaration on oath:
a declaration that somebody makes on oath according to statute[1]



statutoryrape

statutoryrape
stat·u·to·ry
rape
noun

sexual relations with minor:
the offense under U.S. law of having sexual relations with somebody who has not
reached the legal age of consent[1]



St.Augustine

St.Augustine
Saint
Au·gus·tine 
[saynt áwgə stn]

city and resort in
northeastern Florida, on the Matanzas and San Sebastian rivers, near the
Atlantic coast. Population: 11,692 (1990)[1]



staunch

staunch1
staunch1 [stawnch]
(comparative staunch·er, superlative staunch·est) or
stanch [stawnch, stanch] adjective

1.  loyal:
showing loyalty, dependability, and enthusiasm

2.  sturdy:
solidly built or substantial
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman estaunche from, ultimately, Old French estanchier
“to stop” (see stanch 1 ).]
—staunch·ly,
adverb

—staunch·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  stanch
  or staunch ?
  There
  are two words spelled staunch and two
  others spelled stanch . The adjective staunch is the most commonly used form in the
  meaning “loyal, trustworthy,” although stanch
  is also used to mean the same thing. Conversely, stanch
  is more common as a verb meaning “to stop the flow of,” though staunch can also occur in this meaning: • The
  government is trying to staunch the outflow of money.

[1]



staunch

staunch2
staunch2 transitive verb

See
stanch 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








staurolite

staurolite
stau·ro·lite 
[stàwrə lt] noun

brown
shiny mineral: a reddish-brown or black mineral of iron
and magnesium that occurs as prismatic crystals in metamorphic rocks, often in
a cross shape. It is used as a gemstone.
[Late
18th century. Coined from Greek stauros “cross” (because it often forms
twin crystals in the shape of a cross) + -lite
.]
—stau·ro·lit·ic [stàwrə líttik], adjective[1]



Stavanger

Stavanger
Sta·vang·er 
[staa vngər]

city and port in southwestern
Norway. Population: 103,590 (1995)[1]



stave

stave
stave 
[stayv] noun

1.  band
of wood:
a long thin piece of wood, one of several sealed together to make the hull of a
boat, or the body of a container such as a barrel

2.  rung
or bar of wood: a bar or strip of wood or other
material, especially one that forms a rung in a ladder or a crosspiece between
the legs of a chair

3.  See
staff 1 noun 7

4.  MUSIC See staff 1 noun 6

5.  LITERATURE poetry
stanza:
a stanza of poetry
verb
(past staved or stove [stōv],
past participle staved, present participle stav·ing,
3rd person present singular staves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
staves:
to break a barrel, a tub, or a boat’s hull by smashing its staves in, or to
break by having the staves smashed in

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb break
a hole in an object: to smash a hole in the side
of a boat or a barrel

3.  transitive
verb
break
inward:
to strike something such as a door or a rib making it break inward

4.  transitive
verb
fit
a stave to:
to fit a stave to something such as a chair or a ladder

5.  avoid:
to avoid or prevent something unpleasant, often only temporarily • stave
off hunger with candy
[14th century. Back-formation
from staves, the plural of staff .][1]



stavesacre

stavesacre
staves·a·cre 
[stáyvz àykər] noun

flower
of Europe and Asia: a delphinium with purple
flowers that grows in Europe and Asia. Its poisonous seeds were once used as a
cathartic and an emetic. Latin name: Delphinium staphisagria
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier staphisagre, which came via Latin from Greek staphis agria,
literally “wild raisin.”][1]



stay

stay1
stay1 [stay]
verb (past stayed or staid, past
participle stayed, present participle stay·ing, 3rd
person present singular stays)

1.  intransitive
verb
remain:
to continue to be in the same place, condition, or state

2.  intransitive
verb
reside
for a short time: to spend some time or live temporarily
in a specified place

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
some time:
to spend a specified length of time at a place or in doing something

4.  intransitive
verb
remain
in contention: to keep up with somebody or something,
especially by going along with the leader or leaders of a race

5.  intransitive
verb
persevere:
to continue to do something, especially to support something, for example, an
idea, plan, or project • stay
the course until the task is completed

6.  transitive
verb
undergo:
to endure, put up with, or survive something, especially something trying,
difficult, or unpleasant • The
runner had trouble staying the final mile.

7.  intransitive
verb
be
around for something: to be present long enough to
take part in something, especially a meal

8.  intransitive
verb
linger:
to linger or wait somewhere • Stay a
moment.

9.  transitive
verb
stop:
to put a stop to something

10. transitive
verb
postpone
or hinder:
to postpone, hinder, or delay something • stay
a trip until the weather improves

11. transitive
verb
alleviate
in the short term: to relieve or ease something
temporarily, for example, hunger, thirst, or other physical need

12. transitive
verb
restrain:
to hold something back or in check

13. transitive
verb
LAW suspend
legal process temporarily: to suspend a judgment or
proceedings temporarily

14. intransitive
verb
Scotland reside: to
live permanently in a place

15. intransitive
verb
GAMBLING stake
same amount: to stake the same amount of money on a
poker hand as the person who last raised the stake

16. transitive
verb
crush
or stifle:
to suppress something unwelcome, such as an uprising or criticism (archaic)
noun

1.  a
visit:
a short spell of being away from home • a
weekend stay in the country

2.  curb
or check:
something that acts to stop or delay something negative happening

3.  LAW temporary
halt:
a temporary halt in legal proceedings, or a period during which a judgment may
not be carried out
[15th
century. Via Old French ester from Latin stare “to stand” (source
of English stance, stage, distant,
and constant ).]
stay
put

to remain in a place or
position[1]



stay

stay2
stay2 [stay]
noun CLOTHES

1.  a
support:
something that gives extra support to something else, for example, a brace,
prop, or buttress

2.  corset
bone:
a small bone or piece of metal or plastic used as a stiffener in corsets and
girdles
plural
noun
stays

CLOTHES stiffened
corset:
a corset that is stiffened with strips of whalebone, metal, or other material
transitive
verb
(past stayed, past participle stayed, present
participle stay·ing, 3rd person present singular stays)

1.  support:
to support something (archaic)

2.  comfort:
to give somebody comfort or strength (formal)
[Early 16th century. From Old
French estaye, of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



stay

stay3
stay3 [stay]
noun

1.  SAILING rope
supporting mast: a rope or cable used to support a mast

2.  BUILDING steadying
rope:
a rope used for steadying or guiding something, especially on a chimney or
flagpole
intransitive
and transitive verb (past stayed, past
participle stayed, present participle stay·ing, 3rd
person present singular stays)

SAILING turn
onto other tack: to turn onto the other tack, or make a
vessel turn
[Old English stæg .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to make stand,” which is also
the ancestor of English stay 2 and steel .][1]



stayer

stayer
stay·er
[stáy ər] noun

1.  somebody
who stays:
somebody or something that stays

2.  somebody
persistent:
somebody who has plenty of stamina and shows persistence

3.  horse
or dog that races persistently: a racehorse or
greyhound that has stamina and competes to the end of a race, even under
difficult conditions

[1]



stayingpower

stayingpower
stay·ing
pow·er 
noun

ability to keep doing
something: the ability to keep doing
something or keep trying, especially over long periods of time[1]



stayon

stayon
stay
on
intransitive verb

remain after others leave:
to remain somewhere after others have left or after the expected time of
leaving[1]



stayout

stayout
stay
out
intransitive verb

be away from home:
to be away from home, usually for or until a specified time[1]



staysail

staysail
stay·sail 
[stáy sàyl, nautical stáyss’l] noun

extra sail:
an extra sail hoisted on one of the stays of a sailing vessel[1]



staystitching

staystitching
stay
stitch·ing
noun

reinforcing stitches:
an extra line of stitches reinforcing a seam, used to prevent stretching and
fraying[1]



stayup

stayup
stay
up
intransitive verb

to remain awake:
to remain awake and not go to bed at the normal time[1]



Staël,Madame de

Staël,Madame de
Staël
[staal], Madame de (1766–1817)

French
writer. She is credited with disseminating the theories of romanticism in such
works as Germany ( 1810 ).
Full name
Staël-Holstein, Baronne Anne Louise Germaine de Born Necker, Anne Louise
Germaine[1]



StBartholomew’s Day Massacre

StBartholomew’s Day Massacre
St
Bar·thol·o·mew’s Day Mas·sa·cre [saynt baar thòllə myooz day mássəkər] noun

murder of French Huguenots:
a massacre of Huguenots that began in Paris on St Bartholomew’s Day, August 24,
1572[1]



stbd.

stbd.
stbd.

Abbreviation of
starboard[1]



StBernard

StBernard
St
Ber·nard 
[sàynt bər nrd] (plural St
Ber·nards) noun

large
dog:
a very large working dog belonging to a breed developed in Switzerland to
rescue lost mountain travelers
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard Pass .][1]



St.Bernard Pass

St.Bernard Pass
Saint
Ber·nard Pass [sènt
burnèrd pass]

either of two mountain passes
running between Italy and Switzerland[1]



St.Catharines

St.Catharines
Saint
Cath·a·rines [sènt
káthèrènz]

city in Ontario, Canada, on
the Welland Canal, across Lake Ontario from Toronto. Population: 129,300 (1996)[1]



St.Charles

St.Charles
Saint
Charles
[saynt chrlz]

city in eastern Missouri, on
the Missouri River, near its confluence with the Mississippi River. It is a
suburb of St. Louis. Population: 54,555 (1990)[1]



St.Clair, Lake

St.Clair, Lake
Saint
Clair, Lake
[saynt kláir]

lake in central North
America, astride the border between Michigan and Ontario. Area: 1,114 sq km/430
sq mi.[1]



St.Clair Shores

St.Clair Shores
Saint
Clair Shores

city in southeastern
Michigan, on Lake Saint Clair, near Detroit. Population: 68,107 (1990)[1]



St.Cloud

St.Cloud
Saint
Cloud
[saynt klówd]

city in central Minnesota, on
the Mississippi and Sauk rivers. Since 1870, it has been an important center
for quarrying and polishing granite. Population: 48,812 (1990)[1]



St.Croix

St.Croix
Saint
Croix
[sènt króy]

the largest island of the
U.S. Virgin Islands, situated in the West Indies. Population: 50,139 (1990)
Area: 218 sq km/84 sq mi.[1]



STD

STD
STD

MED
Abbreviation of sexually transmitted disease[1]



std.

std.
std.

Abbreviation of
standard[1]



St-Denis

St-Denis
St-De·nis 
[sa dè n]

city in north central France,
in Seine-St-Denis Department, on the Seine River. It is a northern suburb of
Paris. Population: 90,806 (1990)[1]



St.Denis, Ruth

St.Denis, Ruth
Saint
Denis
[sàN də n], Ruth (1878–1968)

U.S.
dancer and choreographer. A pioneer of 20th-century dance, she cofounded the
Denishawn Dance School ( 1915 ) with her husband, Ted Shawn.
Born
Dennis, Ruth[1]



Ste.

Ste.
Ste.

Abbreviation
of
Sainte
[French, “(female) Saint”][1]



stead

stead
stead 
[sted] noun

place
of another:
the position or role of somebody or something else
[Old
English stede “place.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stand,
stud, and station
.]
stand
somebody in good stead

to be useful to somebody,
especially at a later time[1]



steadfast

steadfast
stead·fast 
[stéd fàst] or sted·fast [stéd fàst] adjective

1.  firm:
firm and unwavering in purpose, loyalty, or resolve

2.  fixed:
firmly fixed or constant
[Old
English stedefæst, literally “fixed in place”]
—stead·fast·ly,
adverb

—stead·fast·ness, noun[1]



steady

steady
stead·y 
[stéddee] adjective (comparative
stead·i·er, superlative stead·i·est)

1.  stable:
fixed, stable, or not easily moved

2.  staying
the same:
showing no tendency to change or fluctuate

3.  constant
or continuous: coming in a regular nonstop flow

4.  regular
or ordinary: reliable, but often rather dull or
routine

5.  unruffled:
not easily upset or excited

6.  staid
or serious:
having a serious and calm attitude or character

7.  regular
or industrious: regular, habitual, or industrious
adverb
(comparative stead·i·er, superlative stead·i·est)

steadily: in a
steady way
intransitive
and transitive verb (past stead·ied,
past participle stead·ied, present participle stead·y·ing,
3rd person present singular stead·ies)

make or become steady:
to become steady or make something steady
noun
(plural stead·ies)

somebody dated regularly:
the person with whom somebody regularly goes on dates (informal)
interjection

1.  be
careful:
used to tell somebody to be careful or be calm

2.  SAILING keep
to present course: used to tell somebody
steering a ship or boat to keep to the present course
[Mid-13th
century. Formed from stead . The underlying
idea is of being fixed in place.]
—stead·i·er,
noun

—stead·i·ly,
adverb

—stead·i·ness,
noun
go
steady

to go out together regularly
as a couple (informal)[1]



steadystate

steadystate
stead·y
state
noun

condition of stability in
system: a condition of stability or
equilibrium in a system, for example, in the energy levels of an atom, in which
there is little or no change over time[1]



steady-statetheory

steady-statetheory
stead·y-state
the·o·ry 
noun

theory that the universe is
constant: a theory in astronomy that
the universe has always existed at a uniform density that is maintained because
new matter is created continuously as the universe expands.
Also called
continuous creation theory[1]



steak

steak
steak 
[stayk] noun

1.  cut
of beef:
a thick slice of beef from a lean part of a cow

2.  piece
of meat or fish: a piece of meat other than beef, for
example, pork, ham, venison, or veal, or of a large fish, for example, cod,
salmon, or tuna

3.  serving
of ground meat: ground meat formed into a solid shape,
usually a flat roundish shape, and served broiled, fried, or barbecued
[15th century. From Old Norse
steik “meat roasted on a spit.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “pointed,” which is also the ancestor of English stick, instigate,
and instinct .][1]



steakhouse

steakhouse
steak·house
[stáyk howss] (plural steak·hous·es
[stayk hòwzez]) noun

restaurant serving steaks:
a restaurant that specializes in serving beef steaks[1]



steakknife

steakknife
steak
knife
noun

sharp table knife:
a table knife with a sharp usually serrated blade, suitable for cutting steak[1]



steaktartare

steaktartare
steak
tar·tare 
noun

raw
beef dish:
freshly ground beef that is served uncooked with raw egg, chopped onions, and
seasonings.
Also
called
tartar steak
[Tartare from French,
“Tartar”][1]



steal

steal
steal 
[steel] verb (past stole
[stōl], past participle sto·len
[stṓlən], present participle steal·ing,
3rd person present singular steals)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
unlawfully:
to take something that belongs to somebody else, illegally or without the
owner’s permission

2.  transitive
verb
take
furtively:
to take or get something secretly, surreptitiously, or through trickery • steal
a glance

3.  intransitive
verb
sneak:
to move quietly, especially in the hope of not been seen or caught

4.  transitive
verb
take
and use another’s ideas: to take something that
another person has created, especially ideas, theories, or a piece of writing,
and present it as one’s own

5.  intransitive
verb
pass
unnoticed:
to pass or move without being noticed (literary) • Dawn
was stealing over the mountaintops.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL gain a base without hit:
to gain a base by running without the ball being hit by the batter and in the
absence of an error by the fielding team

7.  transitive
verb
succeed
at unexpectedly: to win or succeed at something
unexpectedly, luckily, or dishonestly at the expense of another or others (informal)
noun

1.  act
of stealing: an act of stealing

2.  bargain:
something that does not cost very much or that costs a lot less than would be
expected (informal)
[Old
English stelan, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English stalk]
—steal·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  steal, pinch, filch,
  purloin, pilfer, embezzle,
  misappropriate
  CORE
  MEANING: the
  taking of property unlawfully steal;
  a general word meaning to take unlawfully another person’s property or money;
  pinch; an informal word meaning the
  same as “steal”; filch; a formal
  word meaning the same as “pinch,” often suggesting quick casual theft of
  something of little value; purloin;
  a formal or humorous word meaning the same as “steal”; pilfer; meaning to steal things of little
  value and usually in small amounts, especially when done repeatedly; embezzle; meaning to take money unlawfully
  when it has been entrusted to the perpetrator; misappropriate;
  a formal word meaning the same as “embezzle” or “steal”

[1]



stealth

stealth
stealth 
[stelth] noun

1.  action
to avoid detection: the action of doing
something slowly, quietly, and covertly, in order to avoid detection

2.  furtiveness:
secretive, dishonest, or cunning behavior or actions
adjective

MILITARY virtually
undetectable by radar: designed or constructed in
such a way and using requisite technology and materials so as to be invisible
to enemy radar • stealth bombers
[13th
century. from assumed Old English stlþ, from a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of English steal
.]
—stealth·ful, adjective[1]



stealthtower

stealthtower
stealth
tow·er
noun

ecologically aesthetic
communications tower: an
ecologically friendly and aesthetic, camouflaged wireless telecommunications
tower, for example, one configured as a pine tree, intended to soften the
environmental and visual impact of proliferating antenna sites (informal)[1]



stealthy

stealthy
stealth·y 
[stélthee] (comparative stealth·i·er,
superlative stealth·i·est) adjective

1.  done
carefully:
done in a deliberately slow, careful, and quiet way

2.  furtive:
secretive, furtive, or cunning
—stealth·i·ly,
adverb

—stealth·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at secret

[1]



steam

steam
steam 
[steem] noun

1.  vaporized
water:
the vapor that is formed when water is boiled

2.  mist
of water vapor: the visible mist that forms when water
vapor condenses in the air

3.  vapor:
any visible form of vapor

4.  power:
stamina, strength, or speed (informal) • running
out of steam
adjective

1.  driven
by steam:
driven or powered by steam

2.  using
steam:
using steam to do something
verb
(past steamed, past participle steamed, present
participle steam·ing, 3rd person present singular steams)

1.  intransitive
verb
produce
steam:
to produce or be produced as steam

2.  intransitive
verb
move
by steam:
to move or be powered by steam

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb cook
in steam:
to cook something or be cooked in the steam of boiling water

4.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move very quickly and energetically (informal)

5.  intransitive
verb
generate
steam:
to generate steam (refers especially to boilers)
[Old
English stēam]
get
up steam

to gather together enough
energy and speed to do something (informal)[1]



steambath

steambath
steam
bath
noun

relaxing bath, inducing
sweating: a steam-filled room or
compartment that people go into to relax and refresh themselves through
sweating. A steam bath is often used as a way of temporarily losing weight
through sweat loss, especially by boxers and jockeys who need to reach target
weights.[1]



steamboat

steamboat
steam·boat 
[stm bt] noun

steam-powered boat:
a boat with an engine powered by steam[1]



steamchest

steamchest
steam
chest
noun

compartment in steam engine:
a compartment in a steam engine from which steam is supplied to the valve of
the engine[1]



steamengine

steamengine
steam
en·gine
noun

engine powered by steam:
an engine powered by steam, typically incorporating a flywheel attached to a
reciprocating piston that in turn is driven by the expansive action of steam
generated in a boiler[1]



steamer

steamer
steam·er 
[stmər] noun

1.  SHIPPING boat
powered by steam: a boat or ship that is powered by a
steam engine or engines

2.  COOKING pan
for steaming food: a covered pan in which food
is cooked by steam. It has a perforated base and fits on top of a saucepan in
which water is boiled to produce steam.

3.  CONSTRUCTION container
for steaming wood: a container in which wood is
treated with steam to make it pliable

4.  FOOD soft-shell
clam:
a soft-shell clam, especially when steamed and eaten

[1]



steamerrug

steamerrug
steam·er
rug
noun

cover for legs:
a warm blanket that people can put over their knees and legs for warmth,
especially when sitting on the deck of a ship[1]



steamertrunk

steamertrunk
steam·er
trunk
noun

trunk:
a traveler’s trunk, especially one that is shallow enough to fit underneath a
bunk on a ship[1]



steamfitter

steamfitter
steam·fit·ter 
[stm fìttər] noun

somebody fitting steam pipes:
somebody whose job is to install and repair pipes and accessories that carry
steam[1]



steam-generatingheavy-water reactor

steam-generatingheavy-water reactor
steam-gen·er·at·ing
heav·y-wa·ter re·ac·tor noun

nuclear reactor with water as
coolant: a nuclear reactor that uses
ordinary water as the coolant, which produces steam, and heavy water as the
moderator[1]



steaming

steaming
steam·ing
[stming] adjective

very angry:
very angry or upset (informal)[1]



steamiron

steamiron
steam
i·ron
noun

clothes iron producing steam:
an electric iron with a chamber for water. As the iron heats up steam is
produced and channeled through holes in the face of the iron to dampen the
laundry.[1]



steamjacket

steamjacket
steam
jack·et
noun

covering for parts of steam
engine: a covering or casing
surrounding the cylinders and heads of a steam engine to keep the surfaces hot
and dry[1]



steamorgan

steamorgan
steam
or·gan
noun

U.K.
See calliope[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








steamroller

steamroller

steam·rol·ler 
[stm rlər] noun

1.  TRANSPORT vehicle
for flattening roads: a specialized vehicle,
originally steam-powered, with large heavy rollers for wheels, designed to
flatten and compress newly laid road surfaces

2.  crushing
force:
somebody or something that is a powerful driving force, often crushing or
dismissing anybody or anything that might stand in the way
transitive verb
(past steam·rol·lered, past participle steam·rol·lered,
present participle steam·rol·ler·ing, 3rd person present
singular steam·rol·lers) steam·rol·ler steam·roll

1.  TRANSPORT flatten
road:
to flatten and compress a newly laid road surface using a steamroller

2.  ruthlessly
crush:
to crush or dismiss anybody or anything that might stand in the way • steamroller
everyone else’s ideas

3.        compel:
to force somebody to do something[1]



steamroom

steamroom
steam
room
noun

room with steam for bathing:
a room with a steam bath in it, or a room that can be filled with steam and
used as a steam bath[1]



steamship

steamship
steam·ship 
[stm shìp] noun

steam-powered ship:
a ship with an engine powered by steam[1]



steamshovel

steamshovel
steam
shov·el
noun

steam-powered earthmover:
a large steam-powered excavating machine, especially an earthmover that has a
bucket on a boom fixed to a jib that can be rotated[1]



steamtable

steamtable
steam
ta·ble
noun

place to keep cooked food
hot: a table used for keeping
cooked food hot. The food sits in containers in the table and hot water or
steam circulates underneath the containers.[1]



steamturbine

steamturbine
steam
tur·bine
noun

turbine powered by steam:
a turbine that uses the heat energy of steam to generate the power for
mechanical rotation[1]



steamup

steamup
steam
up
intransitive and transitive verb

become misty:
to become, or make something become, clouded with condensation[1]



steamwhistle

steamwhistle
steam
whis·tle
noun

steam-powered whistle:
a large whistle blown by forcing steam through it. Steam whistles were used in
the past on steam locomotives, or in factories to signal the end of the working
day.[1]



steamy

steamy
steam·y 
[stmee] (comparative steam·i·er,
superlative steam·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of steam:
covered with, full of, affected by, or like steam

2.  hot
and clammy:
unbearably or uncomfortably hot and humid

3.  overtly
sexual:
with an exaggerated emphasis on sexual relations or sexuality (informal)
—steam·i·ly,
adverb

—steam·i·ness, noun[1]



steapsin

steapsin
ste·ap·sin 
[stee áps’n] noun

pancreatic
lipase:
an enzyme in pancreatic juice that catalyses the hydrolysis of fats
[Late 19th century. Blend of
Greek stear “fat” (because it helps to break down fats) and pepsin .][1]



stearate

stearate
ste·a·rate 
[str àyt] noun

salt
or ester of stearic acid: a salt or ester of stearic
acid
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek stear (see steato -) + -ate
.][1]



stearic

stearic
ste·ar·ic 
[stee érrik, stéarik]
adjective

1.  containing
stearin or fat: relating to, containing, or typical of
stearin or fat

2.  derived
from stearic acid: about, derived from, or
containing stearic acid
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek stear (see steato -).][1]



stearicacid

stearicacid
ste·ar·ic
ac·id
noun

waxy substance:
a colorless odorless waxy crystalline fatty acid that occurs naturally in
animal and vegetable oils and is used in candles, cosmetics, soaps, lubricants,
and medicines. C18H36O2 
Also called
stearin[1]



stearin

stearin
ste·a·rin 
[st ərin, strin]
or ste·a·rine [st ə rn, strin] noun

1.  ester
of glycerol and stearic acid: a colorless ester of
glycerol and stearic acid used in making soap, candles, and adhesives.
Also
called
tristearin

2.  See
stearic acid

3.  solid
form of fat: the solid form of fat
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek stear (see steato- ) + -in .][1]



steatite

steatite
ste·a·tite 
[st ətt] noun

See
soapstone
[Mid-18th
century. Via Latin from Greek steatitis (lithos) “tallow-like (stone),”
from stear (see steato- ).]
—ste·a·tit·ic [st ə títtik], adjective[1]



steato-

steato-
steato-
prefix

fat
• steatopygia
[From Greek steat-,
the stem of stear “solid fat, tallow”][1]



steatopygia

steatopygia
ste·at·o·pyg·i·a 
[stee àtta píjjee ə, stee àttə pjee ə] noun

accumulation
of fat on buttocks: an accumulation of fat on
the buttocks
[Early
19th century. Coined from steato- + Greek pugē
“buttocks,” of unknown origin.]
—ste·a·to·py·gous [st ətə pgəss], adjective[1]



steatorrhea

steatorrhea
ste·at·or·rhe·a 
[st ətə r ə] noun

excess fat in stools:
an unusual condition in which an excess of fat is present in stools[1]



steatorrhoea

steatorrhoea
ste·at·or·rhoe·a
noun

U.K. =
steatorrhea[1]



stedfast

stedfast
sted·fast 
adjective

See
steadfast[1]



steed

steed
steed 
[steed] noun

spirited
horse:
a horse, especially a lively spirited one
[Old English stēda
“stallion.” Ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic base that produced stud .][1]



steel

steel
steel 
[steel] noun

1.  strong
alloy of iron and carbon: a strong alloy of iron
containing up to 1.5 percent carbon along with small amounts of other elements
such as manganese, chromium, and nickel. A wide range of mechanical properties
can be produced by varying the composition and treatment.

2.  something
made of steel: something made of steel, for example, a
weapon

3.  knife
sharpener:
a steel rod, often with a handle, that knives are drawn back and forward along
in order to sharpen them

4.  toughness:
determination, toughness, or great strength of character
adjective

strong or hard:
like steel, especially in strength or hardness
transitive
verb
(past steeled, past participle steeled, present
participle steel·ing, 3rd person present singular steels)

1.  treat
with steel:
to coat, plate, edge, or point something with steel

2.  prepare
by hardening: to make somebody unfeeling, or tough
enough to withstand a setback or trial • steeled
myself for the news
[Old English stēli .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base denoting “to stand, be solid,” which is
also the ancestor of English stay 2 and stay 3 .][1]



steelband

steelband
steel
band
noun

musical group playing steel
drums: a group of musicians who
play steel drums and often specialize in calypsos[1]



steelblue

steelblue
steel
blue
adjective

grayish-blue:
of a cold grayish-blue color[1]



steeldrum

steeldrum


steel drum
or steel pan noun
Caribbean percussion instrument:
a Caribbean percussion instrument made by hammering an oil drum into a concave
shape with flattened areas that make musical notes when struck[1]



Steele,Mount

Steele,Mount
Steele,
Mount
[steel]

peak in the Saint Elias
Range, in southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada. Height: 5,073 m/16,644 ft.[1]



steelengraving

steelengraving
steel
en·grav·ing
noun

1.  engraving
on steel plate: the art, technique, or process of
engraving on a steel plate

2.  print
from steel plate: a print made from an engraved steel
plate

[1]



steelgray

steelgray
steel
gray
adjective

dark gray with bluish tinge:
of a dark gray color with a bluish tinge[1]



steelguitar

steelguitar
steel
gui·tar
noun

guitar played with metal
slide: a fretless guitar played on
a horizontal stand with a plectrum and a movable metal slide.
See also
pedal steel guitar[1]



steelhead

steelhead
steel·head 
[stl hèd] (plural steel·heads
or steel·head) noun

kind of rainbow trout:
a rainbow trout that has matured in the North Pacific Ocean and acquired a
silver coloration, popular for sport fishing[1]



steelpan

steelpan
steel
pan
noun

See
steel drum[1]



steel-trap

steel-trap
steel-trap 
adjective

quick:
very quick and keen
[From the expression “a mind
like a steel trap,” that is, quick to grasp things][1]



steelwool

steelwool
steel
wool
noun

clump of abrasive steel
strands: thin strands of steel
tangled together to form an abrasive mass, used for cleaning and polishing[1]



steelwork

steelwork
steel·work 
[stl wùrk] noun

something made from steel:
something made from steel, especially a structural framework[1]



steelworker

steelworker
steel·work·er
[stl wùrkər] noun

maker of steel:
somebody who works at making steel[1]



steelworks

steelworks
steel·works
[stl wùrks] noun

steel-making factory:
a factory where steel is made[1]



steely

steely
steel·y 
[stlee] adjective

1.  like
steel:
like steel, especially in color or in being tough or determined

2.  made
of steel:
made of steel (dated or literary)
—steel·i·ness, noun[1]



steelyard

steelyard
steel·yard 
[stl yrd] noun

measuring
balance:
a portable balance for weighing objects. The object is hung on a hook and a
counterweight is moved along a scaled arm to find the weight.
[Mid-17th century. From yard “rod, spar.”][1]



steenbok

steenbok
steen·bok 
[stn bòk] (plural steen·boks or
steen·bok) or steinbok [stn
bàk] noun

small
African antelope: a small slender antelope that lives on
the grasslands of southern Africa. It has short straight horns, long legs, and
a reddish-brown coat. Latin name: Raphicerus campestris
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Middle Dutch steenboc, literally “stone buck.”][1]



steep

steep2
steep2 [steep]
verb (past steeped, past participle steeped,
present participle steep·ing, 3rd person present singular steeps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb immerse
in liquid:
to soak something, or be soaked, in a liquid, especially for cleaning or
softening, or in order to extract something

2.  transitive
verb
permeate:
to permeate somebody or something with a substance or quality, usually over a
long period (usually passive) • steeped
in tradition
noun

1.  a
soaking:
an act or the process of steeping something in a liquid

2.  liquid
for soaking: a liquid that something is or can be
steeped in
[14th
century. From assumed Old English stiepan, from a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of English stoup
.]
—steep·er, noun[1]



steep

steep1
steep1 [steep]
adjective (comparative steep·er, superlative steep·est)

1.  almost
vertical:
sloping very sharply, often to the extent of being almost vertical

2.  excessive:
unreasonably or excessively high, especially in cost (informal)

3.  rapid
or huge:
faster or greater than is usual, or might be expected • There’s
been a steep decline in the number of people out of work.

4.  taxing:
very ambitious or difficult
noun

something steep:
something such as a slope that is steep
[Old
English stēap “high.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “lofty, deep,” which is also the ancestor of English steeple and stoop
.]
—steep·ly,
adverb

—steep·ness, noun[1]



steepen

steepen
steep·en 
[stpən] (past steep·ened, past
participle steep·ened, present participle steep·en·ing,
3rd person present singular steep·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

increase in incline or level:
to become, or make something become, steep or steeper[1]



steeple

steeple

stee·ple 
[stp’l] noun

1.  church
tower:
a tall ornamental structure, usually a tapering tower with a spire on top of
it, found on the roofs of churches and temples

2.  spire:
a spire
[Old
English stēpel, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “lofty, deep”
(see steep 1 )]
—stee·pled, adjective[1]



steeplebush

steeplebush
stee·ple·bush 
[stp’l bsh] noun

See
hardhack
[Mid-19th century. Steeple
of uncertain origin: probably from the shape of the flower clusters.][1]



steeplechase

steeplechase
stee·ple·chase 
[stp’l chàyss] noun

1.  HORSERACING horserace
with jumps on track: a horserace run over a
course that has obstacles, for example, hedges, ditches, and water jumps, that
the horses must jump over.
See
also
flat race

2.  SPORT track
event with water jump: a track event in which the
runners must jump over a water jump as well as hurdles

3.  HORSERACING horserace
with jumps in open country: a cross-country horserace
that has natural obstacles such as hedges and ditches for the horses to jump
over (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past stee·ple·chased, past participle stee·ple·chased,
present participle stee·ple·chas·ing, 3rd person present
singular stee·ple·chas·es)

run a steeplechase:
to compete in a steeplechase
[Late
18th century. From the fact that a church steeple was originally the
competitors’ goal.]
—stee·ple·chas·er, noun[1]



steeplejack

steeplejack
stee·ple·jack 
[stp’l jàk] noun

builder of steeples:
somebody who builds, works on, or repairs high structures, especially steeples
and tall chimneys[1]



steer

steer2
steer2 [steer]
noun

young
castrated ox: a male of the cattle family that has
been castrated before reaching sexual maturity and is raised for beef,
especially a young bull
[Old English stēor][1]



steer

steer1
steer1 [steer]
verb (past steered, past participle steered,
present participle steer·ing, 3rd person present singular steers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT direct:
to guide something such as a motor vehicle or ship in a direction using a
steering wheel, rudder, or other device

2.  transitive
verb
influence
direction:
to try to influence people to follow a particular course of action by
unobtrusively guiding them toward it

3.  intransitive
verb
follow
particular course: to follow a specified course

4.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT maneuver
in a certain way: to go or move in a specified way or
direction when being driven or propelled • This
car steers to the left.
noun

piece of advice:
a piece of information or advice (informal)
[Old
English stīeran, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to steer,”
which is also the ancestor of English stern
and starboard]
—steer·a·ble,
adjective

—steer·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at guide

[1]



steerage

steerage
steer·age 
[strij] noun

1.  SHIPPING inexpensive
accommodations on ships: the cheapest passenger
accommodations on board a ship, usually in the area near the rudder and
steering gear

2.  NAUT steering:
the act or process of steering a boat

[1]



steerageway

steerageway
steer·age·way 
[strij wày] noun

enough movement to allow
steering: a rate of forward movement
that is fast enough to allow a boat to be steered from the helm[1]



steeringcolumn

steeringcolumn
steer·ing
col·umn
noun

guiding device in motor
vehicle: the part in a motor vehicle
that connects the steering wheel, or the handlebars on a motorcycle, with the
steering gear[1]



steeringcommittee

steeringcommittee
steer·ing
com·mit·tee 
noun

people setting agendas:
a group of selected people who decide agendas and topics for discussion, and
prioritize urgent business, especially one acting for a legislative body or
other assembly[1]



steeringgear

steeringgear
steer·ing
gear
noun

guiding equipment:
the mechanism in a vehicle or ship that allows it to be steered[1]



steeringwheel

steeringwheel
steer·ing
wheel
noun

means of guiding vehicle:
a wheel in a vehicle or ship that is connected by way of the steering column to
the steering gear and is turned to change direction[1]



steersman

steersman
steers·man 
[strzmən] (plural steers·men
[strz mən]) noun

helmsman:
somebody who steers a boat or ship
[Old English stēoresman,
literally “man for steering,” from stēor “steering”][1]



steeve

steeve2
steeve2 [steev]
intransitive and transitive verb (past steeved, past
participle steeved, present participle steev·ing, 3rd
person present singular steeves)

SAILING incline
upward:
to incline upward, or make a bowsprit incline upward
noun

SAILING angle
of inclination of bowsprit: the angle at which a
bowsprit inclines upward from the horizontal
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



steeve

steeve1
steeve1 [steev]
noun

SHIPPING cargo-stowing
aid:
a spar with a pulley block at one end that is used for stowing cargo on a boat
or ship
transitive
verb
(past steeved, past participle steeved, present
participle steev·ing, 3rd person present singular steeves)

SHIPPING put
cargo on board: to stow cargo in the hold of a boat or
ship and make it secure
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Spanish estibar or Catalan stivar “to stow
cargo” from Latin stipare “to stuff” (source of English stevedore and constipate
).][1]



Steffens,Lincoln

Steffens,Lincoln

Stef·fens
[stéff’nz], Lincoln (1866–1936)
U.S.
journalist. The author of articles exposing business and political corruption,
he was a leader of the so-called muckraking school of journalism.
Full name
Steffens, Joseph Lincoln[1]



Stegner,Wallace

Stegner,Wallace
Steg·ner
[stégnər], Wallace (1909–1993)

U.S.
writer. He wrote fiction and nonfiction, both often set in the American West,
and won a Pulitzer Prize for Angle of Repose ( 1972 ).
Full name
Stegner, Wallace Earle[1]



stegosaur

stegosaur

steg·o·saur 
[stéggə sàwr] or steg·o·sau·rus
[stèggə sáwrəss] noun
dinosaur
with bony plates and spikes: a plant-eating dinosaur that
lived in the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods and had tough bony dorsal
plates and spikes. Genus: Stegosauria
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Stegosaurus, genus name, from Greek stegos “plate” +
sauros “lizard.”][1]



Steichen,Edward

Steichen,Edward
Steich·en 
[stk’n], Edward (1879–1973)

Luxembourg-born
U.S. photographer. His works did much to establish photography as an art form.
He headed the photography department of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art
(1947–1962).
Full name
Steichen, Edward Jean[1]



stein

stein
stein 
[stīn] noun

1.  earthenware
beer mug:
a large beer mug, especially a German earthenware or pewter one, often with a
hinged lid

2.  quantity
of beer:
the amount of beer or other liquid that a stein holds
[Mid-19th century. From
German, shortening of Steinkrug “stoneware mug.”][1]



Steinbeck,John

Steinbeck,John

Stein·beck
[stn bek], John (1902–1968)
U.S.
writer. His fiction includes Of Mice and Men ( 1937 ) and The Grapes
of Wrath ( 1939 ), and is notable for its social realism. He won a Nobel
Prize in literature in 1962.
Full name
Steinbeck, John Ernst[1]



steinbok

steinbok
stein·bok 
noun

See
steenbok[1]



Steinem,Gloria

Steinem,Gloria

Stein·em
[stnəm], Gloria (1934– )
U.S. feminist. A leading member of the
women’s movement, she was one of the founders of Ms. magazine ( 1972 ).[1]



Steiner,Rudolf

Steiner,Rudolf
Stein·er
[stnər, shtnər],
Rudolf (1861–1925)

Austrian philosopher. He
founded the Anthroposophical Society (1912) to promote his intellectually-based
spirituality. The Waldorf School movement is based on his work.[1]



Stein,Gertrude

Stein,Gertrude

Stein 
[stīn], Gertrude (1874–1946)
U.S. writer. Her novels and works of
fiction are characterized by experimentation with language and style.[1]



stela

stela
ste·la 
[stlə] (plural ste·lae [st lee]) noun

See
stele  noun 1
[Late 18th century. Via Latin
from Greek stēlē (see stele ).][1]



stele

stele
ste·le 
[steel, stlee]
(plural ste·lae [stee lī]) noun

1.  ARCHAEOLOGY ancient
stone slab:
an ancient stone slab or pillar, usually engraved, inscribed, or painted, and
set upright. Found among the ruins of civilizations as diverse as China,
Greece, and Mexico, they are believed to have had religious significance.

2.  BOTANY central
part of stems and roots: the cylindrical core of the
stem and roots of a plant that contains the sap-conducting vascular tissues and
varying amounts of packing tissue ( pith ).
Also
called
vascular cylinder
[Early
19th century. From Greek stēlē “standing stone.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “post,” which is also the ancestor of English stultify .]
—ste·lar, adjective[1]



St.Elias, Mount

St.Elias, Mount
Saint
E·li·as, Mount [sènt è
lèss]

the second highest mountain
in Canada, in the St Elias Range, on the Alaska-Yukon Territory border. Height:
5,489 m/18,008 ft.[1]



Stella,Frank

Stella,Frank
Stel·la 
[stéllə], Frank (1936– )

U.S.
artist. His abstract geometric forms are often painted on irregularly shaped
canvases.
Full name
Stella, Frank Philip[1]



stellar

stellar
stel·lar 
[stéllər] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY involving
stars:
relating to, consisting of, or like a star or stars

2.  exceptional:
exceptionally good

3.  involving
famous people: about, involving, or full of famous
people, especially those in the movie or entertainment industries
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin stellaris, from Latin stella “star” (source of English constellation ). Ultimately from the
Indo-European word for “star,” which is also the ancestor of English star and disaster
.][1]



stellarwind

stellarwind
stel·lar
wind 
noun

stream of ionized particles
from star: a stream of ionized
particles ejected from the surface of a star.
See also
solar wind[1]



stellate

stellate
stel·late 
[stéllət, sté
làyt] or stel·lat·ed [stéllətəd,
sté làytid] adjective

1.  star-shaped:
shaped like a star

2.  having
parts radiating from center: having a central part with
smaller parts radiating out from it, like a starfish, some flower heads, and
some crystal formations
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin stella (see stellar
).]
—stel·late·ly, adverb[1]



Steller’sjay

Steller’sjay
Stel·ler’s
jay
[stèllərz jay] noun

N
American bird: a gregarious bird of western North
America that has a black high-crested head and blue and black plumage. Latin
name: Cyanocitta stelleri
[Named for the German
naturalist and explorer Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746)][1]



stelliform

stelliform
stel·li·form 
[stéllə fàwrm] adjective

star-shaped:
shaped like a star
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Latin stella (see stellar ) + -form .][1]



stellular

stellular
stel·lu·lar 
[stéllyələr] adjective

1.  full
of little stars: full of or covered in little stars

2.  like
little star: like a little star
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin stellula, literally “small star,” from stella
(see stellar ).]
—stel·lu·lar·ly, adverb[1]



StElmo’s fire

StElmo’s fire
St
El·mo’s fire  [saynt
élmōz fr] noun

electrical
discharge:
a luminous region of electrical discharge that appears during stormy weather
around a narrow pointed object, such as a church spire or the mast of a ship.
Also
called
corposant
[Early 19th century. Named
for St. Elmo (died AD 303),
patron saint of sailors.][1]



stem

stem2
stem2 [stem]
verb (past stemmed, past participle stemmed,
present participle stem·ming, 3rd person present singular stems)

1.  transitive
verb
prevent
from flowing: to hinder, obstruct, or stop something
from flowing, especially by creating a dam or plug

2.  transitive
verb
stop
up:
to plug something such as a blast or drill hole by packing it

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SKIING turn ski in:
to turn the tip of a ski or skis inward in order to turn or slow down
noun
stem stem turn

SKIING turning
in of ski:
an act or the technique of turning the tip of a ski or skis inward to turn or
slow down
[13th century. From Old Norse
stemma, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to halt, stammer,”
which is also the ancestor of English stammer
and stumble .][1]



stem

stem1
stem1 [stem]
noun

1.  BOTANY main
axis of plant: the main axis of a plant that bears buds
and shoots. It is usually above ground, although some plants have underground
stems ( rhizomes ).

2.  BOTANY secondary
plant branch: a slender part of a plant other than its
main axis that supports a leaf, flower, or fruit

3.  narrow
connecting part: any long slim part of an object, for
example, the part that connects the base of a wine glass to its bowl, or the
hollow tube on a smoker’s pipe

4.  genealogical
line:
the major line of descent in a family tree

5.  cylindrical
watch part:
a short rod, usually with an expanded crown at the end of it, that is used in
winding a watch

6.  LANGUAGE base
of a word:
the base of a word, to which affixes are added.
Also
called
theme

7.  vertical
letter part: an upright stroke, especially the main
one, in a letter or character

8.  MUSIC vertical
part of music note: the vertical part that
extends from the head of a written musical note

9.  SAILING upright
bow timber:
the main upright timber at the bow of a ship
verb
(past stemmed, past participle stemmed, present participle
stem·ming, 3rd person present singular stems)

1.  intransitive
verb
originate:
to derive, originate, or be caused by something

2.  transitive
verb
remove
stem of:
to take off the stem or part of the stem from something, especially a flower,
fruit, or vegetable

3.  transitive
verb
give
stem to:
to give something a stem, e.g., a smoker’s pipe or a wineglass

4.  transitive
verb
SAILING make
headway:
to make headway in a ship or boat against a tide or wind
[Old
English stefn . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stand”
(see stato- ).]
—stem·mer,
noun
from
stem to stern

through the whole of a place,
especially a ship[1]



stemcell

stemcell
stem
cell
noun

undifferentiated cell:
an undifferentiated cell from which specialized cells, for example, blood
cells, develop[1]



stemginger

stemginger
stem
gin·ger
noun

processed ginger root:
round portions of the underground stem of a ginger plant, cooked until tender
and preserved in syrup[1]



stemma

stemma
stem·ma 
[stémmə] (plural stem·ma·ta [stémmətə]) noun

1.  family
tree:
a family tree

2.  LITERATURE diagram
of texts of literary work: a diagram like a family
tree, showing the relationships between different texts of a literary work

3.  ZOOLOGY eye of
arthropod:
a simple eye or facet of a compound eye of some arthropods
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek, “garland”; from the ancient Roman practice of placing garlands on
images of their ancestors.][1]



stemmed

stemmed
stemmed 
[stemd] adjective

1.  having
a stem:
having a stem, often of a specified kind (often used in combination) • long-stemmed
lilies

2.  without
a stem:
having the stem or stems removed

[1]



stemrust

stemrust
stem
rust
noun

fungal disease of plants:
a fungal disease of plants in which streaks of dark pustules appear, especially
on the stem[1]



stemson

stemson
stem·son 
[stémss’n] noun

part
of wooden ship: a timber attached to the stem and
keelson in the bow of a wooden ship
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from stem 1, on the
model of keelson .][1]



stemturn

stemturn
stem
turn
(plural stem turns) noun

See
stem 2 noun
[“Stem” from stem 2][1]



stemware

stemware
stem·ware 
[stém wàir] noun

glass things with stems:
glasses, goblets, and other glass vessels that have stems[1]



stench

stench
stench 
[stench] noun

horrible
smell:
a really disgusting smell, especially a strong lingering one
[Old
English stenc “odor,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English stink]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



stencil

stencil
sten·cil 
[sténss’l] noun

1.  plate
with cutout design: a thin sheet of material
with a shape cut out of it that is marked on a surface when paint or ink is
applied

2.  pattern:
the design, lettering, or other characters marked using a stencil
transitive
verb
(past sten·ciled or sten·cilled, past participle
sten·ciled or sten·cilled, present participle sten·cil·ing
or sten·cil·ling, 3rd person present singular sten·cils)

1.  make
pattern using stencil: to apply a design,
lettering, or other characters to a surface using a stencil

2.  decorate
using stencil: to decorate or mark a surface, e.g., a
wall or paper, using a stencil
[Early
18th century. Via Old French estenceler “to decorate with bright colors”
from, ultimately, Latin scintilla “spark” (source of English scintillate and tinsel
).]
—sten·cil·er, noun[1]



Stengun

Stengun
Sten
gun
[stèn gún] noun

light
submachine gun: a light, cheaply manufactured submachine
gun used in the past by the British Army, especially in World War II
[Sten coined from the first
letters of R. V. Shepherd and H. J. Turpin, who designed it + the
district of Enfield in Greater London, where it was made (modeled on
Bren gun ).][1]



steno

steno
sten·o 
[sténnō] (plural sten·os) noun
(informal)

1.  stenographer:
a stenographer

2.  stenography:
stenography
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



steno-

steno-
steno-
prefix

narrow,
small • stenothermal
[From Greek stenos][1]



stenobathic

stenobathic
sten·o·bath·ic 
[stènnə báthik] adjective

living
in narrow range of depth: able to live only within a
narrow range of depth of water
[Early
20th century. Coined from steno- + Greek bathos
“depth.”]
—sten·o·bath [sté nə bàth], noun[1]



stenograph

stenograph
sten·o·graph 
[stènnə grf] noun

1.  shorthand
typewriter:
a machine like a small typewriter with keys for shorthand characters

2.  shorthand
character:
a character in a system of shorthand writing
transitive
verb
(past sten·o·graphed, past participle sten·o·graphed,
present participle sten·o·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular sten·o·graphs)

write or type in shorthand:
to record something in shorthand by writing or using a stenograph

[1]



stenographer

stenographer
ste·nog·ra·pher 
[stə nóggrəfər] noun

1.  somebody
using stenograph: somebody who uses a stenograph

2.  writer
or typist using shorthand: somebody who is skilled at
or whose job involves writing shorthand and typing up reports and letters from
shorthand copy.
U.K.
term
shorthand typist

[1]



stenography

stenography
ste·nog·ra·phy 
[stə nóggrəfee] (plural ste·nog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  shorthand
writing or typing: the act, process, or skill
of recording something in shorthand by writing or by using a stenograph

2.  something
written or typed in shorthand: something that has
been recorded in written shorthand or by using a stenograph
—sten·o·graph·ic
[stònnə gráffik], adjective

—sten·o·graph·i·cal
[stènnə gráffik’l], adjective

—sten·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[stènnə gráffik’lee], adverb[1]



stenohaline

stenohaline
sten·o·ha·line 
[stènnō háy līn, stènnō
há līn] adjective

unable
to tolerate variations in salinity of water:
unable to tolerate wide variations in salinity
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from steno- + the Greek stem hal-
“salt.”][1]



stenosis

stenosis
ste·no·sis 
[stə nṓssiss] noun

constriction:
an abnormal constriction or narrowing of a duct, passage, or opening in the
body
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin from Greek stenos “narrow.”]
—ste·nosed
[stə nṓzd, stə nṓst],
adjective

—ste·not·ic [stə nóttik], adjective[1]



stenothermal

stenothermal
sten·o·ther·mal 
[stènnə thúrm’l] adjective

living within narrow
temperature range: able to
live only within a narrow temperature range[1]



stenotype

stenotype
sten·o·type 
[stènnə tp] (plural sten·o·types)
noun

machine for recording speech:
a machine whose keyboard is used to record speech by means of phonetic
shorthand[1]



stenotypy

stenotypy
sten·o·typ·y 
[sténnə tpee] noun

shorthand
system:
a form of phonetic shorthand that uses combinations of letters to represent
sounds and short words
—sten·o·typ·ic
[stènnə típpik], adjective

—sten·o·typ·ist [sténnə tpist], noun[1]



stentor

stentor
sten·tor 
[stén tàwr] (plural sten·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
loud:
somebody with a loud powerful voice

2.  ZOOLOGY trumpet-shaped
microorganism: a trumpet-shaped protozoan with a mouth
at the broad end. Genus: Stentor
[Early 17th century. Named
for Stentor, a famously strong-voiced Greek herald in the Trojan war.][1]



stentorian

stentorian
sten·to·ri·an 
[sten táwree ən] adjective

loud:
loud, powerful, or declamatory in tone[1]



step

step
step 
[step] noun (plural steps)

1.  short
movement with foot: a short movement made by
raising one foot and lowering it ahead of the other foot

2.  distance
of step:
the distance traveled in taking a step

3.  sound
of footfall: the sound made by moving the foot on a
horizontal surface

4.  footprint:
the footprint made by putting down the foot on a surface

5.  way
of walking:
a particular manner of walking

6.  short
way:
a very short distance

7.  raised
surface:
a raised surface for the foot, especially in a series going up or down

8.  stage
in progress: a stage in a progression toward some
goal or target

9.  degree
or grade:
a degree, rank, or grade, especially on a scale

10. DANCE dance
moves:
a movement of the feet and body that forms part of a dance

11. MUSIC degree
or interval: a degree of a musical staff or scale, or
the interval between two degrees

12. step
aerobics:
step aerobics (informal) • a step
class
plural
noun
steps

1.  outdoor
stairs:
a flight of stairs, usually outdoors, and made of stone or a similar material

2.  path
made by somebody else: a route, path, or course set
by somebody else • She followed in her
mother’s steps and became an architect.
verb
(past stepped, past participle stepped, present
participle step·ping, 3rd person present singular steps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
foot:
to move a foot on top of something or in a particular direction • Please
step aside.

2.  intransitive
verb
walk
a few steps: to walk a short distance or to a
specific place

3.  intransitive
verb
to
move forward with foot: to move forward by raising
one foot and setting it down in front of the other

4.  intransitive
verb
DANCE move
in regular rhythm: to move at a measured pace,
for example, in a dance

5.  intransitive
verb
treat
somebody without respect: to show or treat somebody
with arrogant disregard and unkindness • She
is stepping on other people’s feelings constantly.

6.  intransitive
verb
easily
walk into situation: to come into a new situation
with ease or with little preparation

7.  transitive
verb
arrange
in steps:
to arrange or organize something in steps, or to furnish something with steps

8.  transitive
verb
measure
by steps:
to measure something by walking or pacing its length
[Old
English stæpe, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to tread,”
which is also the ancestor of English stamp,
stump, and stoop 2]
—stepped,
adjective

—step·per,
noun
be
in or out of step (with somebody or something)

1.  to
agree or disagree with somebody or something in your attitudes or opinions

2.  to
move in unison with other people, or at a different pace and rhythm

step
by step

gradually

step
on it

to
hurry (slang)

take
steps

to
take action

watch
your step

1.  to
be careful and cautious

2.  to
tread carefully

[1]



step-

step-
step-
prefix

related
because of remarriage, not by blood • stepson
[Old English stēop-][1]



stepaerobics

stepaerobics
step
aer·o·bics
noun

exercise involving stepping
onto a block: an exercise program
done to music that involves performing different movements with the arms and
legs while stepping onto and off a small portable platform (takes a singular
or plural verb)[1]



stepbrother

stepbrother
step·broth·er 
[stép brùər] (plural step·broth·ers)
noun

son of stepparent:
a boy or man who has brothers or sisters through the remarriage of a parent to
somebody who has children[1]



stepchild

stepchild
step·child 
[stép chld] (plural step·chil·dren
[stép chìldrən]) noun

stepson or stepdaughter:
the son or daughter of a stepparent[1]



stepdance

stepdance
step
dance
(plural step danc·es) noun

DANCE
dance emphasizing steps:
a dance in which feet and leg movements, rather than body or arm movements, are
most important. It is often performed with the dancer remaining in one place.[1]



stepdaughter

stepdaughter
step·daugh·ter 
[stép dàwtər] (plural step·daugh·ters)
noun

daughter of spouse from
previous marriage: the
daughter of somebody’s spouse by a previous marriage[1]



stepdown

stepdown
step
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
withdraw
from position: to resign, retire, or withdraw from a
position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb decrease
in stages:
to lower or decrease in stages

[1]



step-down

step-down
step-down 
adjective

1.  decreasing:
decreasing in quantity, size, or status, especially in stages

2.  ELECTRICITY lowering
voltage:
serving to lower voltage
—step-down, noun[1]



stepfamily

stepfamily
step·fam·i·ly 
[stép fàmməlee] (plural step·fam·i·lies)
noun

family with stepparent:
a family in which there is a stepparent[1]



stepfather

stepfather
step·fa·ther 
[stép fər] (plural step·fa·thers)
noun

mother’s subsequent husband:
a man who has married somebody’s mother after the death of or divorce from the
person’s father[1]



stepfunction

stepfunction
step
func·tion
(plural step func·tions) noun

mathematical function:
a mathematical function such as a waveform that remains constant in value over
a given interval but changes abruptly in value from one interval to the next[1]



stephanotis

stephanotis
steph·a·no·tis 
[stèffə nṓtiss] (plural steph·a·no·tis·es
or steph·a·no·tis) noun

plant
with white fragrant flowers: a vine or shrub grown for
its fragrant white waxy flowers and leathery leaves. Genus: Stephanotis
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
stephanōtis “fit for a crown,” from stephanos “crown, wreath,”
from stephein “to crown.”][1]



StephenI, St.

StephenI, St.
Ste·phen
I
[stvən], St., King of Hungary (975?–1038)

He founded the Hungarian
state and established Christianity in Hungary. He is the country’s patron
saint.[1]



Stephens,Alexander

Stephens,Alexander
Ste·phens
[stvənz], Alexander (1812–1883)

U.S. statesman. He was vice
president of the Confederacy (1861–1865) and served in the House of
Representatives (1843–1859 and 1874–1883).[1]



Stephen,St.

Stephen,St.
Ste·phen 
[stvən], St.

Christian
martyr. Condemned to death on a charge of blasphemy, he was the first Christian
martyr.
Known as
the Protomartyr[1]



step-in

step-in
step-in 
adjective

put
on by being stepped into: without fastenings and put
on by stepping into it
plural
noun
step-ins

clothing stepped into:
a step-in article of clothing, especially panties with wide legs worn by women
in the 1920s and 1930s (dated)[1]



stepin

stepin
step
in
intransitive verb

become involved:
to intervene or become involved in something[1]



stepladder

stepladder
step·lad·der 
[stép làddər] (plural step·lad·ders)
noun

ladder with steps:
a folding ladder that has flat broad steps and a hinged supporting frame[1]



stepmother

stepmother
step·moth·er 
[stép mùər] (plural step·moth·ers)
noun

father’s subsequent wife:
a woman who has married somebody’s father after the death of or divorce from
the person’s mother[1]



stepout

stepout
step
out
intransitive verb

1.  leave
briefly:
to leave a place for a brief period

2.  walk
with long strides: to walk fast, with longer
strides than usual

3.  date
somebody:
to go on a date or to a social gathering with somebody (informal)

4.  withdraw
from an activity: to withdraw from some activity (informal)

5.  to
be unfaithful: to be unfaithful to a spouse or partner
(informal)

[1]



stepparent

stepparent
step·par·ent 
[stép pàirənt, stép
pàrrənt] (plural step·par·ents) noun

stepfather
or stepmother: a stepfather or a stepmother
—step·par·ent·ing, noun[1]



steppe

steppe
steppe 
[step] (plural steppes) noun

GEOGRAPHY vast
plain:
an extensive, usually treeless plain, often semiarid and grass-covered
[Late 17th century. Via
German from Russian step .][1]



Steppes

Steppes
Steppes
[steps] noun

plains of Europe and Asia:
the vast grassy plains of Russia and the Ukraine[1]



steppingstone

steppingstone
step·ping
stone
(plural step·ping stones) or step·ping·stone (plural
step·ping·stones) noun

1.  stone
over wet area: one of a series of stones on which
somebody is able to step, for example, to cross shallow water

2.  step
toward goal: a stage or step that helps achieve a
goal

[1]



steprocket

steprocket
step
rock·et
(plural step rock·ets) noun

See
multistage rocket[1]



stepsister

stepsister
step·sis·ter 
[stép sìstər] (plural step·sis·ters)
noun

daughter of stepparent:
a girl or woman who has brothers or sisters through the remarriage of a parent
to somebody who has children[1]



stepson

stepson
step·son 
[stép sùn] (plural step·sons) noun

son of spouse from previous
marriage: the son of somebody’s spouse
by a previous marriage[1]



stepstool

stepstool
step
stool
(plural step stools) noun

portable hinged stool:
a stool with hinged steps that can be folded[1]



stepturn

stepturn
step
turn
(plural step turns) noun

change of direction with
skis: a turn in which a skier
lifts one ski in a desired direction, brings it down, and then aligns the other
ski with it[1]



stepup

stepup
step
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
raise
in stages:
to raise or increase something in stages

2.  transitive
verb
raise
voltage:
to raise voltage using a transformer

3.  intransitive
verb
to
come forward: to come forward, e.g., to stand for
something or to take responsibility for something

[1]



step-up

step-up
step-up 
adjective

1.  increasing:
increasing in quantity, size, or status, usually in stages

2.  ELECTRICITY raising
voltage:
serving to raise voltage
—stepped-up,
adjective

—step-up, noun[1]



stepwise

stepwise
step·wise 
[stép wz] adjective

1.  arranged
in steps:
arranged in or resembling steps

2.  moving
to next tone: moving from one adjacent tone to another
in intervals of a second

[1]



ster.

ster.
ster.

Abbreviation of
sterling[1]



-ster

-ster
-ster
suffix

1.  somebody
who is associated with, or does or makes a particular thing • gangster
• punster

2.  somebody
who has a particular characteristic • youngster
[Old English -estre,
originally a feminine suffix][1]



steradian

steradian
ste·ra·di·an 
[stə ráydee ən] (plural ste·ra·di·ans)
noun

SI
measurement of solid angle: the basic International
System unit of measurement of a solid angle in a sphere. One steradian is the
solid angle made at the center of a sphere by an area on the surface of the
sphere equal to the square of the sphere’s radius. Symbol sr
[Late 19th century. Coined
from stereo- + radian
.][1]



stercoraceous

stercoraceous
ster·co·ra·ceous 
[stùrkə ráyshəss] adjective

relating
to excrement: consisting of or resembling dung or
feces
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from the Latin stem stercor- “dung.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word that is also the ancestor of English dreck
and scatology .][1]



stere

stere
stere 
[steer] (plural steres) noun

cubic
meter:
a cubic meter, equal to 35.32 cubic ft
[Late 18th century. Via
French stère from Greek stereos (see stereo-
).][1]



stere-

stere-
stere-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
stereo-[1]



stereo

stereo
ster·e·o 
[stéree ō, stree
ō] (plural ster·e·os) noun

1.  device
producing stereophonic sound: an audio system or device
that reproduces stereophonic sound

2.  stereophonic
reproduction: stereophonic sound reproduction

3.  stereoscopic
photography: photography using stereoscopy

4.  PRINTING See stereotype  noun 3
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



stereo-

stereo-
stereo-
prefix

1.  three-dimensional
• stereology

2.  solid
• stereotaxy
[From Greek stereos
“solid” (source of English cholesterol
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “stiff,” which is also the
ancestor of stern 1, stare, strut,
and torpid .][1]



stereobate

stereobate
ster·e·o·bate 
[stérree ō bàyt, stri
ō bàyt] (plural ster·e·o·bates) noun

1.  supporting
platform:
a masonry platform that supports a building

2.  See
stylobate
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
stereobates, from Greek stereos “solid” + -batēs
“walker.”][1]



stereochemistry

stereochemistry
ster·e·o·chem·is·try 
[stèrree ō kémmistree, stree ō kémmistree] noun

study of arrangement of
atoms: the study of the spatial
distribution of atoms in a chemical compound and their effects on the
compound’s properties[1]



stereochrome

stereochrome
ster·e·o·chrome
[stérree ə krm, stree
ə krm] (plural ster·e·o·chromes) noun

picture
using stereochromy: a wall painting that uses
water glass as a medium or preservative
[Mid-19th
century. From German Stereochrom, from Greek stereos “solid” + khroma
“color.”]
—ster·e·o·chro·my, noun[1]



stereogram

stereogram
ster·e·o·gram 
[stérree ə gràm, stree
ə gràm] (plural ster·e·o·grams) noun

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY See stereograph

2.  ARTS diagram
giving three-dimensional impression: a
diagram or picture that shows objects as though in relief

[1]



stereograph

stereograph
ster·e·o·graph 
[stérree ə gràf, stree
ə gràf] (plural ster·e·o·graphs) noun

three-dimensional picture:
a picture with two superimposed images or two almost identical pictures placed
side-by-side which when viewed through special glasses or a stereoscope produce
a three-dimensional image.
Also called
stereogram[1]



stereography

stereography
ster·e·og·ra·phy 
[stèrree óggrəfee, stree
óggrəfee] noun

1.  illustrating
three-dimensional figure on flat surface: the
technique or art of depicting or drawing a three-dimensional object on a flat
surface

2.  GEOMETRY study
of solid geometric objects: the study and construction
of defined geometric objects
—ster·e·o·graph·ic
[stèrree ə gráffik, stree
ə gráffik], adjective

—ster·e·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[stèrree ə gráffiklee, stree ə gráffiklee], adverb[1]



stereoisomer

stereoisomer
ster·e·o·i·so·mer 
[stèrree ō ssəmər, stri
ōssəmər] (plural ster·e·o·i·so·mers) noun

isomer with atoms in
different arrangement: one
molecule in a group of molecules in which the atoms in the molecules are
connected in the same order but have different spatial arrangements[1]



stereoisomerism

stereoisomerism
ster·e·o·i·som·er·ism 
[stèrree ō ī sómmə rìzzəm, stree ōī sómmə rìzzəm] noun

having
atoms differently arranged: isomerism in which the atoms
in the molecules are connected in the same order but have different spatial
arrangements
—ster·e·o·i·so·mer·ic
[stèrrree ō ssə mérrik], adjective[1]



stereology

stereology
ster·e·ol·o·gy 
[stèrree ólləjee, stree
ólləjee] noun

study
of solid objects: the study of the properties of
three-dimensional structures and objects based on two-dimensional views of them
—ster·e·o·log·i·cal, adjective[1]



stereomicroscope

stereomicroscope
ster·e·o·mi·cro·scope
[stérri ō mkrə skp, stri ō mkrə skp] (plural ster·e·o·mi·cro·scopes)
noun

three-dimensional microscope:
a microscope with two optically separate eyepieces to make viewed objects look
three-dimensional.
Also called
stereoscope[1]



stereophonic

stereophonic
ster·e·o·phon·ic 
[stèrree ə fónnik, stree
ə fónnik] adjective

broadcasting
through two speakers: using an audio system based
on two or more soundtracks to make recorded sound seem more natural when
reproduced
—ster·e·o·phon·i·cal·ly,
adverb

—ster·e·oph·on·y [stèrree óffənee, stree
óffənee], noun[1]



stereopsis

stereopsis
ster·e·op·sis 
[stèrree ópsiss, stree
ópsiss] noun

stereoscopic vision:
three-dimensional vision[1]



stereopticon

stereopticon
ster·e·op·ti·con 
[stèrree ópti kòn, stree
ópti kòn] (plural ster·e·op·ti·cons) noun

projector
that slowly swops images: a type of slide projector
able to allow one image to gradually replace another
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek stereos “solid” + optikos “optic.”][1]



stereoscope

stereoscope
ster·e·o·scope 
[stérree ə skp, stree
ə skp] (plural ster·e·o·scopes) noun

device
with three-dimensional effect: a device resembling a
pair of binoculars in which two-dimensional pictures of a scene taken at
slightly different angles are viewed concurrently, one with each eye, creating
the illusion of three dimensions
—ster·e·o·scop·i·cal·ly
[stèrree ə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



stereoscopic

stereoscopic
ster·e·o·scop·ic 
[stèrree ə skóppik, stree
ə skóppik] adjective

1.  producing
three-dimensional effect when seen:
involving, producing, or resembling the effects of seeing something as three
dimensional

2.  relating
to stereoscope: produced by or relating to a stereoscope
—ster·e·o·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



stereoscopy

stereoscopy
ster·e·os·co·py 
[stèrree óskəpee, stree
óskəpee] noun

three-dimensional perception:
the visual perception of objects as being three dimensional[1]



stereospecific

stereospecific
ste·re·o·spe·cif·ic
[stèrree ō spə síffik, stree ōspə síffik] adjective

with atoms in fixed spatial
position: relating to a process in
which atoms are in a fixed spatial position[1]



stereotaxis

stereotaxis
ster·e·o·tax·is 
[stèrree o táksiss, stree
o táksiss] noun

1.  BIOLOGY movement
in response to solid object: the movement of an entire
organism in response to contact with a solid object.
Also
called
thigmotaxis
U.K.
term
thigmotaxis

2.  MEDICINE technique
in brain surgery: neurological surgery involving the
insertion of delicate instruments that are guided to a specific area by the use
of three-dimensional scanning techniques
—ster·e·o·tac·tic
[stèrree ō táktik, stree
ō táktik], adjective

—ster·e·o·tac·ti·cal·ly
[stèrree ō táktikəlee, stree ō táktikəlee], adverb

—ster·e·o·tax·ic
[stèrree o táksik, stree
o táksiss], adjective

—ster·e·o·tax·i·cal·ly
[stèrree o táksikəlee, stree o tàksikəlee], adverb[1]



stereotropism

stereotropism
ster·e·ot·ro·pism 
[stèrree óttrə pìzzəm, stree óttrə pìzzəm] noun

See
thigmotropism
—ster·e·o·trop·ic [stèrree ə tróppik, stree
ə tróppik], adjective[1]



stereotype

stereotype
ster·e·o·type 
[stérree ə tp, stree
ə tp] noun

1.  oversimplified
conception:
an oversimplified standardized image or idea held by one person or group of
another

2.  PSYCHOLOGY See stereotypy  noun 1

3.  PRINTING metal
printing plate: a metal printing plate cast from a mold
in another material such as papier-mâché.
Also
called
stereo
transitive
verb
(past ster·e·o·typed, past participle ster·e·o·typed,
present participle ster·e·o·typ·ing, 3rd person present
singular ster·e·o·types)

1.  reduce
to oversimplified categories: to categorize individuals or
groups according to an oversimplified standardized image or idea

2.  PRINTING use
stereotype in printing: to cast or print using a
stereotype
[Late
18th century. From French stéréotype “solid-block printing.”]
—ster·e·o·typ·er,
noun

—ster·e·o·typ·ist,
noun

—ster·e·o·typ·i·cal [stèrree ə típpik’l, stree
ə típpik’l], adjective[1]



stereotypy

stereotypy
ster·e·o·ty·py 
[stérree ə tpee, stree
ə tpee] noun

1.  ster·e·o·ty·py
or ster·e·o·type PSYCHOLOGY
persistent
inflexible behavior pattern: a pattern of persistent,
fixed, and repeated speech or movement that is apparently meaningless and is
characteristic of some mental conditions

2.  printing
stereotypes: the process of casting or printing
stereotypes

[1]



steric

steric
ster·ic 
[stérrik, strik]
adjective

relating
to atoms in space: related to the way atoms are
spatially arranged
[Late
19th century. Coined from stereo- .]
—ster·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



sterigma

sterigma
ste·rig·ma 
[stə rígmə] (plural ste·rig·ma·ta
[stə rígmətə] or ste·rig·mas) noun

stalk
bearing spores: a tiny stalk that bears a spore or
spores in a fungus
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek, “support,” from sterizein “to support.”][1]



sterilant

sterilant
ster·il·ant 
[stérrələnt] (plural ster·il·ants)
noun

MEDICINE sterilizing
substance:
a substance used to sterilize
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from sterile .][1]



sterile

sterile
ster·ile 
[stérrəl, stérrīl]
adjective

1.  ECOLOGY barren:
incapable of supporting vegetation

2.  BIOLOGY infertile:
incapable of becoming pregnant or of inducing pregnancy

3.  BIOLOGY not
producing seeds: not producing seeds, fruit, or spores

4.  MEDICINE free
from infective organisms: free from living bacteria
and other microorganisms

5.  dull
and uncreative: unstimulating, uncreative, and lacking
in ideas that will lead to any useful outcome
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin sterilis .]
—ster·ile·ly,
adverb

—ste·ril·i·ty [stə ríllətee], noun[1]



sterilization

sterilization
ster·il·i·za·tion 
[stèrrələ záysh’n] (plural ster·il·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE destruction
of microorganisms: the destruction of living
microorganisms to prevent infection

2.  MEDICINE ZOOLOGY surgical operation preventing
reproduction: a surgical procedure that prevents
reproduction by total or partial removal of the reproductive organs

[1]



sterilize

sterilize
ster·il·ize 
[stérrə lz] (past ster·il·ized,
past participle ster·il·ized, present participle ster·il·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ster·il·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE destroy
microorganisms: to kill all living microorganisms in
order to make something incapable of causing infection

2.  ZOOLOGY MEDICINE make infertile:
to stop a person or animal from reproducing, for example, by surgical removal
or alteration of reproductive organs
—ster·il·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—ster·il·iz·er, noun[1]



sterlet

sterlet
ster·let 
[stúrlət] (plural ster·lets or
ster·let) noun

small
sturgeon:
a small caviar-bearing sturgeon of the Black and Caspian Seas. Latin name: Acipenser
ruthenus
[Late 16th century. From
Russian sterlyad, ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



sterling

sterling
ster·ling 
[stúrling] noun

1.  See
sterling silver

2.  MONEY British
currency:
British money

3.  British
standard for coin metal purity: the official standard
of purity in terms of precious metal content for gold and silver coins in
Britain, being 91.666 percent (22 carat) or 74.999 percent (18 carat) for gold
and 92.5 percent for silver
adjective

1.  of
sterling silver: made of sterling silver

2.  admirable:
admirable or valuable
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably literally “small star,” from an earlier form of star . So called because some early Norman pennies
bore such a design.][1]



sterlingsilver

sterlingsilver
ster·ling
sil·ver
or ster·ling noun

alloy having at least 92.5
percent silver: an alloy containing at
least 92.5 percent silver with the remainder usually copper, or objects made
from this[1]



stern

stern1
stern1 [sturn]
(comparative stern·er, superlative stern·est) adjective

1.  strict:
rigid, strict, and uncompromising

2.  severe:
severe and allowing no leeway

3.  forbidding:
grim, austere, or forbidding in appearance
[Old English styrne .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “stiff,” which is also the
ancestor of English starch and stare .][1]



stern

stern2
stern2 noun (plural sterns)

1.  NAUTICAL rear
of ship:
the rear part of a vessel

2.  back
part:
the rear part of something
adjective

in rear:
located at or resembling the stern
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse stjórn “rudder,” from the same
prehistoric Germanic base that produced English steer
.][1]



sterna

sterna
ster·na


Plural of
sternum[1]



Sternberg,Josef von

Sternberg,Josef von
Stern·berg
[stúrnburg], Josef von (1894–1969)

Austrian-born
U.S. movie director. His interest in visual style is a notable element in his
films.
Born
Sternberg, Jonas[1]



stern-chaser

stern-chaser
stern-chas·er
(plural stern-chas·ers) or stern chas·er (plural
stern chas·ers) noun

cannon for firing to rear:
a cannon mounted at the stern of a vessel for firing to the rear[1]



Sterne,Laurence

Sterne,Laurence
Sterne
[sturn], Laurence (1713–1758)

British novelist. His comic
masterpiece, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy ( 1759–1767 ),
anticipated many of the techniques of the modern novel.[1]



Stern,Isaac

Stern,Isaac
Stern 
[sturn], Isaac (1920– )

Russian-born U.S. violinist.
He achieved international acclaim and recorded many of the works in the
classical repertoire.[1]



sternite

sternite
ster·nite 
[stúr nt] (plural ster·nites)
noun

hard
cover on arthropod: a ventral shield or cover on
the underside of a segment of an arthropod, especially the chitinous sternum of
an insect
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from sternum + -ite
.][1]



sterno-

sterno-
sterno-
prefix

the
sternum • sternotomy
[From Greek sternon
(see sternum )][1]



Sterno

Sterno
Ster·no
[stúr n] Trademark

a trademark for canned liquid
cooking fuel[1]



sternoclavicular

sternoclavicular
ster·no·cla·vic·u·lar 
[stùrnō klə víkyələr] adjective

of sternum and clavicle:
relating to or connecting the sternum and clavicle[1]



sternocostal

sternocostal
ster·no·cos·tal 
[stùrnō kóst’l] adjective

between
sternum and ribs: situated between or relating to the
sternum and ribs
[Late 18th century. Coined
from sterno- + Latin costa “rib.”][1]



Stern,Otto

Stern,Otto
Stern 
[sturn], Otto (1888–1969)

German-born U.S. physicist.
He won a Nobel Prize in physics (1943) for his research into the magnetic
properties of atoms.[1]



sternpost

sternpost
stern·post 
[stérn pst] (plural stern·posts)
noun

timber in stern of vessel:
the main upright timber in the stern of a vessel[1]



sternsheets

sternsheets
stern·sheets
[stúrn shts] plural noun

space
at stern of boat: the space at the rear of an open boat
that is behind the rowers’ bench
[Mid-17th century. From sheet 2 “forward or
after section of a boat.”][1]



sternson

sternson
stern·son 
[stúrnss’n] (plural stern·sons)
noun

strengthening
timber in vessel: a reinforcing timber at the joint of a
sternpost and keelson at the stern of a wooden vessel
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from stern 2, on the
model of keelson .][1]



sternum

sternum
ster·num 
[stúrnəm] (plural ster·nums or
ster·na [stúrnə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY breastbone:
the breastbone (technical)

2.  ZOOLOGY arthropod’s
abdominal covering: the chitinous ventral plate
covering the abdomen of an arthropod
[Mid-17th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek sternon “breastbone.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word meaning “to spread,” which is also the ancestor of
English stratus and street .]
—ster·nal, adjective[1]



sternutation

sternutation
ster·nu·ta·tion 
[stùrnyə táysh’n] (plural ster·nu·ta·tions)
noun

sneezing:
the act of sneezing, or a sneeze (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From the
Latin stem sternutation-, from sternutare, literally “to keep
sneezing,” from sternuere “to sneeze.”][1]



sternutatory

sternutatory
ster·nu·ta·to·ry 
[stur nytə tàwree] adjective

causing
sneezing:
causing or resulting in sneezing
noun
(plural ster·nu·ta·to·ries)

something
that causes sneezing: any substance that causes
sneezing
[Early 17th century][1]



sternward

sternward
stern·ward 
[stúrnwərd] or stern·wards [stúrnwərdz] adverb

toward the stern:
in the direction of the stern[1]



sternway

sternway
stern·way 
[stúrn wày] noun

backward movement of ship:
any backward movement of a vessel[1]



stern-wheeler

stern-wheeler
stern-wheel·er 
[stúrn hwlər] (plural stern-wheel·ers)
noun

boat with rear paddle wheel:
a boat propelled by a large paddle wheel at the rear, especially a river boat[1]



steroid

steroid
ster·oid 
[str òyd, sté
ròyd] (plural ster·oids) noun

organic
compound:
an organic fat-soluble compound composed of four joined carbon rings formed
naturally or synthetically, and including bile acids, adrenocortical and sex
hormones, sterols, and vitamin D
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from sterol + -oid .]
—ste·roid·al [steeróyd’l, steróyd’l],
adjective[1]



sterol

sterol
ster·ol 
[str òl, sté
ròl] (plural ster·ols) noun

waxy
steroid substance: a waxy colorless organic
solid such as cholesterol or ergosterol, containing an alcohol group and found
in animal and plant lipids
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of cholesterol .][1]



-sterone

-sterone
-sterone
suffix

steroid
hormone • androsterone
[From sterol + -one][1]



stertor

stertor
ster·tor 
[stúrtər] noun

noisy
snoring:
noisy or laborious snoring, heard when somebody is deeply unconscious or when
there are obstructed air passages
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin stertere “to snore.”
Ultimately, from an Indo-European base that was originally an imitation of the
sound of sneezing or snoring.]
—ster·to·rous,
adjective

—ster·to·rous·ly,
adverb

—ster·to·rous·ness, noun[1]



stet

stet
stet 
[stet] intransitive and transitive verb
(past stet·ted, past participle stet·ted, present
participle stet·ting, 3rd person present singular stets)

restore
deleted text: to restore or direct somebody to restore
something that has previously been deleted from a printed or written text
noun
(plural stets)

instruction
to restore deleted text: a word or mark indicating
that previously deleted printed or written matter should be restored
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, “let it stand.”][1]



stethoscope

stethoscope

steth·o·scope 
[stéthə skp] (plural steth·o·scopes)
noun
medical
instrument:
a medical instrument used for listening to breathing, heartbeats, and other
sounds made by the body
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek stēthos “chest” + -scope .]
—steth·o·scop·ic
[stèthə skóppik], adjective

—ste·thos·co·py [ste thóskəpee], noun[1]



Stetson

Stetson
Stet·son
[stéts’n] Trademark

a trademark for hats having
wide brims and high crowns[1]



stevedore

stevedore
ste·ve·dore 
[stvə dàwr] noun (plural ste·ve·dores)

dockworker:
somebody whose job is to load and unload ships
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ste·ve·dored,
past participle ste·ve·dored, present participle ste·ve·dor·ing,
3rd person present singular ste·ve·dores)

do
stevedore work: to work as a dockworker, loading and
unloading ships
[Late 18th century. Via
Spanish estibador or Portuguese estivador from, ultimately, Latin
stipare (see steeve 1 ).][1]



stevedore’sknot

stevedore’sknot
ste·ve·dore’s
knot 
(plural ste·ve·dore’s knots) noun

knot with lump in it:
a knot that forms a lump to prevent a line from passing through a hole[1]



Stevens,John

Stevens,John
Ste·vens
[stvənz], John (1749–1838)

U.S. inventor and engineer.
He pioneered steam power, patenting a boiler (1803) and building the world’s
first ocean-going steamboat (1809).[1]



Stevens,John Paul

Stevens,John Paul
Ste·vens
[stvənz], John Paul (1920– )

U.S. jurist. He was appointed
an associate justice of the Supreme Court (1975), where he became known as a
moderate.[1]



Stevens-Johnsonsyndrome

Stevens-Johnsonsyndrome
Ste·vens-John·son
syndrome
[stvənz jónss’n sin drōm] noun

skin
disease:
a severe inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes, often after a
respiratory infection or as an allergic reaction to drugs
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Albert Mason Stevens (1884–1945) and Frank Chambliss Johnson
(1894–1934), U.S. pediatricians, who identified the disease.][1]



Stevenson,Adlai

Stevenson,Adlai

Ste·ven·son
[stvənssən], Adlai (1900–1965)
U.S. statesman. He helped found the
United Nations in 1945 and was a popular Democratic governor of Illinois
(1949–1953) before losing two presidential elections to Dwight D. Eisenhower ( 1952,
1956 ).[1]



Stevenson,Robert Louis

Stevenson,Robert Louis

Ste·ven·son
[stvənss’n], Robert Louis (1850–1894)
Scottish
writer. He lived in Europe, the United States, and, after 1889, in Samoa. Among
his many books of travel, autobiography, and verse, he is best remembered for
classic adventure tales such as Treasure Island ( 1883 ) and Kidnapped
( 1886 ).
Full name
Stevenson, Robert Louis Balfour[1]



Stevens,Thaddeus

Stevens,Thaddeus
Ste·vens
[stvənz], Thaddeus (1792–1868)

U.S. statesman. He twice
served as a congressman (1849–1853 and 1859–1868), opposed slavery, and led the
move to impeach President Andrew Johnson.[1]



Stevens,Wallace

Stevens,Wallace

Ste·vens
[stvənz], Wallace (1879–1955)
U.S. poet. His poems have a strongly
philosophical bent. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his Collected Poems (
1954 ).[1]



stew

stew2
stew2 (plural stews)
noun

flight attendant:
flight attendant (dated slang)[1]



stew

stew1
stew1 [stoo]
noun (plural stews)

1.  COOKING simmered
dish:
a dish of meat, fish, or vegetables, or a combination of them, that is cooked
by slow simmering

2.  mixture:
any widely assorted mixture

3.  brothel:
a brothel (archaic)
verb
(past stewed, past participle stewed, present
participle stew·ing, 3rd person present singular stews)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING cook by simmering:
to cook something by long slow simmering

2.  intransitive
verb
be
upset:
to be deeply troubled or agitated

3.  intransitive
verb
be
very hot:
to swelter or become uncomfortably hot
[14th
century. Via Old French estuve “steam bath” from assumed vulgar Latin extufa
(see stove ).]
be
or get in a stew

to be in a difficult
situation or to become agitated or anxious (informal)[1]



steward

steward
stew·ard 
[st ərd] noun (plural stew·ards)

1.  TRANSPORT plane
or ship attendant: somebody who attends to the
passengers on an aircraft or ship, or handles food provisions and dining
arrangements on a ship

2.  See
shop steward

3.  hotel
or club manager: somebody who manages the domestic
affairs of a hotel, club, college, or other establishment that provides meals
or lodging

4.  property
manager:
somebody who manages the property, finances, or household of another

5.  official
at public event: somebody who acts as a marshal or
official at a large public event
intransitive
and transitive verb (past stew·ard·ed,
past participle stew·ard·ed, present participle stew·ard·ing,
3rd person present singular stew·ards)

work as steward:
to work as a steward
[Old English stigweard,
from stig “house, hall” (source of English sty 1 ) + weard
“keeper” (see ward )][1]



stewardess

stewardess
stew·ard·ess 
[st ərdəss] (plural stew·ard·ess·es)
noun

woman flight attendant:
a woman who attends to the passengers on an aircraft (dated)[1]



StewartIsland

StewartIsland
Stew·art
Is·land
[st ərt lənd]

island in New Zealand,
situated off the south coast of the South Island. Population: 417 (1996) Area:
1,735 sq km/670 sq mi.[1]



Stewart,Jimmy

Stewart,Jimmy
Stew·art
[st ərt, sty ərt],
Jimmy (1908–1997)

U.S.
actor. He was an appealing, drawling presence in dozens of movies, and was most
closely identified with his roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ( 1939
) and It’s a Wonderful Life ( 1946 ).
Full name
Stewart, James Maitland[1]



Stewart,Potter

Stewart,Potter
Stew·art
[st ərt, sty ərt],
Potter (1915–1985)

U.S. jurist. He was an
associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1958–1981).[1]



stewed

stewed
stewed 
[stood, styood]
adjective

1.  COOKING simmered:
cooked by slow simmering

2.  intoxicated:
very intoxicated (slang)

[1]



St.Ex.

St.Ex.
Saint
Ex.

Abbreviation of
Stock Exchange[1]



St.Francis

St.Francis
Saint
Fran·cis
[sènt fránsiss]

river rising in southeastern
Missouri and flowing south through Arkansas to join the Mississippi River.
Length: 684 km/425 mi.[1]



stg.

stg.
stg.

Abbreviation of
sterling[1]



stge.

stge.
stge.

Abbreviation of
storage[1]



St.George’s Channel

St.George’s Channel
Saint
Georg·e’s Chan·nel [sènt
jáwrjèz chanel]

sea passage between
southeastern Ireland and southwestern Wales[1]



StGeorge’s cross

StGeorge’s cross
St
Geor·ge’s cross [saynt jàwrjəz
króss] (plural St Geor·ge’s cross·es) noun

red cross on white
background: a red cross on a white
background, as on the flags of St George and England[1]



St.Gotthard Pass

St.Gotthard Pass
Saint
Gott·hard Pass [sènt
góttèrd pass]

pass through the central Alps
between southern Switzerland and Italy. Length: 26 km/16 mi.[1]



Sth.

Sth.
Sth.

Abbreviation of
South[1]



St.Helens, Mount

St.Helens, Mount

Saint Hel·ens, Mount
[sènt héllènz mount]
active volcano in southwestern Washington
State, in the Cascade Range. Its last major eruption was in 1980. Height: 2,550
m/8,365 ft.[1]



sthenia

sthenia
sthe·ni·a 
[sthə n ə, sthnee
ə] noun

strength:
great strength or vitality (archaic or formal)
[Late
18th century. Formed from Greek sthenos “strength,” of unknown origin.]
—sthen·ic, adjective[1]



stibine

stibine
stib·ine 
[stíbbeen, stíbbin]
(plural stib·ines) noun

toxic
gas:
a foul-smelling poisonous gas produced by the action of hydrochloric acid on an
alloy of antimony and zinc. SbH3
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek stibi “antimony” + -ine .][1]



stibnite

stibnite
stib·nite 
[stíb nt] noun

MINERALS antimony
ore:
a soft grayish crystalline mineral that is the chief ore of antimony
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from stibine + -ite
.][1]



stich

stich
stich
[stik] (plural stich·es) noun

poetry
line:
a line of poetry
[Early 18th century. From
Greek stikhos “row, rank, line of verse.”][1]



Stich,Michael

Stich,Michael
Stich 
[stik, stikh],
Michael (1968– )

German tennis player. He won
both the Wimbledon Men’s Singles (1991) and Men’s Doubles (1992), and the ATP
World Championship (1993).[1]



stichomythia

stichomythia
sti·cho·myth·i·a 
[stìkə míthee ə] noun

dialogue
spoken in alternating single lines: a
form of dramatic dialogue in which characters speak single lines alternately
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek stikhomuthia, literally “speaking in lines.”]
—stich·o·myth·ic, adjective[1]



stick

stick1
stick1  [stik]
noun (plural sticks)

1.  TREES thin
branch:
a thin branch or shoot cut or broken from a tree

2.  wood
used for fuel or construction: wood pieces used as
fuel for a fire or as construction material

3.  specially
shaped wood: a shaped piece of wood used for a
specified purpose • a hockey stick

4.  rod:
a rod, wand, or baton

5.  cane:
a cane, club, or cudgel

6.  short
thin thing:
a short slender part or piece • a
stick of celery

7.  something
used to secure compliance: something used to intimidate
or coerce somebody into compliant behavior • carrot
and stick

8.  NAUTICAL ship’s
mast:
a mast or spar on a ship

9.  ARMS bombs
falling on target at intervals: a group of bombs that
are arranged to fall on a target at regular intervals

10. AIR parachutists
jumping together: a group of parachutists all jumping at
the same time

11. U.K.
criticism:
strong adverse criticism (informal)

12. FURNITURE furniture:
a piece of furniture (informal) • We
need a few sticks to furnish the apartment

13. PRINTING See composing stick

14. boring
person:
somebody who is dull or very formal and conventional in manner (informal)

15. DRUGS cannabis
cigarette:
a marijuana cigarette (dated slang)
plural
noun
sticks

remote place: a
rural or remote place or district, especially one that is unsophisticated or
unfashionable (informal) • living
out in the sticks
transitive
verb
(past sticked, past participle sticked, present
participle stick·ing, 3rd person present singular sticks)

1.  GARDENING support
plant with stick: to support a plant with a stake or stick

2.  PRINTING use
composing stick: to set type using a composing stick (dated)
[Old English sticca
“peg.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stick, stab,” which is
also the ancestor of English stitch, stick 2, steak, stigma,
and instigate .][1]



stick

stick2
stick2  [stik]
verb (past stuck [stuk],
past participle stuck [stuk], present
participle stick·ing, 3rd person present singular sticks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate:
to pierce, stab, or puncture something, or be pierced, stabbed, or punctured

2.  transitive
verb
fasten
with pointed object: to fasten something in
position by thrusting a pointed object such as a pin or nail through something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
with adhesive: to fasten or fix something, or remain
attached, by means of an adhesive

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb protrude:
to protrude or cause something to protrude • She
stuck out her hand.

5.  transitive
verb
put
somewhere:
to place or put something in a location or position (informal) • Stick
it on the shelf.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
unable to move: to be at or cause to be at a standstill
or unable to move or proceed • be
stuck in traffic

7.  transitive
verb
puzzle:
to bewilder or perplex (usually passive) • stuck
for an answer

8.  intransitive
verb
stay
in the mind: to remain in the mind • He
told me all the facts but they didn’t stick.

9.  intransitive
verb
COMPUTING return
to Web site: to return often to a particular site on
the World Wide Web (informal)

10. transitive
verb
use
somebody:
to impose on or exploit somebody (usually passive) • stuck
with the boring jobs

11. transitive
verb
kill
animal:
to kill an animal by stabbing • stick a
pig
noun
stick·able

ability to adhere:
adhesive quality, for example, of glue or tape
[Old
English stician . Ultimately from the same Indo-European base as stick 1 .]
stick
it to

to
exploit somebody or treat somebody unfairly (informal)

stick
your neck out

to
take a risk or make yourself vulnerable (informal)

stick
in your craw or throat

to
be extremely distasteful or objectionable (informal)

stick
to your guns

to
stand firm or maintain an opinion

stick
to your ribs

to
be substantial, nourishing, or hearty as a meal (informal)

be
stuck on somebody

to
be infatuated with somebody (slang)

stick
it out

to persist with something to
the end, even when doing so is difficult[1]



stickaround

stickaround
stick
around
intransitive and transitive verb

wait:
to linger or wait for somebody or something (informal)[1]



stickat

stickat
stick
at
transitive verb

persist:
to persist at something • stick
at a job until it’s done[1]



stickball

stickball
stick·ball 
[stík bàwl] noun

game like baseball:
a game using baseball rules and played with a rubber ball and a broomstick or
other stick[1]



stickby

stickby
stick
by
transitive verb

stay loyal to:
to remain loyal to something or somebody • I’ll
stick by you no matter what.[1]



sticker

sticker
stick·er 
[stíkər] (plural stick·ers) noun

1.  something
with adhesive: an adhesive label, poster, or paper

2.  something
that sticks: something that or somebody who sticks,
especially a barbed part of a plant

3.  somebody
persistent:
somebody who perseveres

[1]



stickerprice

stickerprice
stick·er
price
(plural stick·er pric·es) noun

See
list[1]



stick-fighting

stick-fighting
stick-fight·ing
noun

Caribbean
stylized competitive fighting with
sticks: a highly stylized form of
fighting in which two chanting combatants attempt to score points by striking
each other with sticks[1]



stickfigure

stickfigure
stick
fig·ure
(plural stick fig·ures) noun

crude drawing:
a simple or crude drawing of a person or animal with single lines for the
torso, arms, and legs, and a circle for the head[1]



stickful

stickful
stick·ful 
[stík fl] noun

type held by composing stick:
the amount of type a composing stick will hold[1]



stickhandle

stickhandle
stick·han·dle 
[stík hànd’l] (past stick·han·dled,
past participle stick·han·dled, present participle stick·han·dling,
3rd person present singular stick·han·dles) transitive verb

control
ball with stick: to control and maneuver a ball or puck
using a lacrosse or ice hockey stick
—stick·han·dler,
noun

—stick·han·dling, noun[1]



stickie

stickie
stick·ie
[stíkee] (plural stick·ies) noun

self-adhesive note:
a self-sticking slip of paper sold in pads[1]



stickingpoint

stickingpoint
stick·ing
point
(plural stick·ing points) noun

point likely to cause
deadlock: an issue, detail, or item
likely to cause difficulty or prevent progress from being made, for example, in
a negotiation[1]



stickinsect

stickinsect
stick
in·sect
(plural stick in·sects) noun

insect resembling twig:
a long brown or green insect that resembles a twig. Family: Phasmidae[1]



stick-in-the-mud

stick-in-the-mud
stick-in-the-mud 
(plural stick-in-the-muds) noun

somebody determinedly
old-fashioned: somebody who resists
new ideas (informal)[1]



stickle

stickle
stick·le
[stík’l] (past stick·led, past
participle stick·led, present participle stick·ling, 3rd
person present singular stick·les) intransitive verb

argue:
to dispute stubbornly about trivial matters (archaic)
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of obsolete stightle, literally “to keep trying to control
things,” from Old English stihtian “to arrange, settle.”][1]



stickleback

stickleback
stick·le·back 
[stík’l bàk] (plural stick·le·backs
or stick·le·back) noun

small
spiny fish:
a small spiny-backed fish found in both salt and fresh water that has
distinctive nest-building and courtship behavior. Family: Gasterosteidae
[15th century. stickle,
from Old English sticel “thorn, sting.”][1]



stickler

stickler
stick·ler 
[stíklər] (plural stick·lers) noun

1.  somebody
fussy about details: somebody who insists on
every detail being right

2.  puzzle:
a puzzling or perplexing problem
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from stickle .][1]



stickout

stickout
stick
out
transitive verb

1.  extend
something:
to make something protrude

2.  put
up with:
to endure something disagreeable • stick
out a long wait

[1]



stickpin

stickpin
stick
pin
(plural stick pins) noun

long ornamental pin:
an ornamental pin with a long shaft and a decoration or design at one end[1]



stickseed

stickseed
stick·seed 
[stík sd] (plural stick·seeds)
noun

plant with sticking seeds:
a plant found in Europe, Asia, and North America with prickly seeds that can
stick to clothing. Genus: Lappula[1]



stickshift

stickshift
stick
shift
(plural stick shifts) noun

manual transmission:
a manually operated transmission in a motor vehicle, the gearshift that
operates it, or a motor vehicle with a manual transmission[1]



sticktackle

sticktackle
stick
tack·le
(plural stick tack·les) noun

illegal challenge in hockey:
an illegal challenge in field hockey when a player hits another player’s stick
instead of the ball[1]



sticktight

sticktight
stick·tight 
[stík tt] (plural stick·tights)
noun

plant with barbed fruits:
a plant with barbed fruits that can stick to clothing or fur[1]



stickto

stickto
stick
to
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb adhere
to:
to adhere to something, or make something adhere to something

2.  transitive
verb
be
loyal to:
to be loyal or close to somebody or something

3.  transitive
verb
persist
with:
to persist with something

4.  transitive
verb
continue
with:
to keep to without digression

[1]



sticktogether

sticktogether
stick
together
intransitive verb

stay close:
to stay close physically or to remain unified • stuck
together through thick and thin[1]



stick-to-it-iveness

stick-to-it-iveness
stick-to-it-ive·ness
[stik t itivnəss] noun

perseverance:
tenaciousness or perseverance[1]



stickum

stickum
stick·um 
[stíkəm] noun

sticking adhesive substance:
any glue or other adhesive substance[1]



stickup

stickup
stick·up 
(plural stick·ups) or stick-up (plural stick-ups)
noun

armed robbery:
an armed robbery (informal)[1]



stickup

stickup
stick
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
upright:
to protrude or point upward, or to make something protrude or point upward

2.  transitive
verb
rob
somebody with guns: to carry out an armed
robbery on somebody (informal)

[1]



stickup for

stickup for
stick
up for
transitive verb

defend something:
to defend a belief or a person[1]



stickweed

stickweed
stick·weed 
[stík wd] (plural stick·weeds
or stick·weed) noun

plant with clinging seeds:
a North American plant that has clinging seeds, especially ragweed[1]



stickwith

stickwith
stick
with
transitive verb

1.  persist
with:
to continue an enterprise rather than succumb to the temptation to cease

2.  stay
loyal to:
to remain loyal or faithful to somebody or something

[1]



sticky

sticky
stick·y 
[stíkee] (comparative stick·i·er,
superlative stick·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
in gluey stuff: covered in something gluey or viscous

2.  adhesive:
having adhesive qualities

3.  humid
and hot:
uncomfortably warm and humid • sticky
weather

4.  sentimental:
cloying or excessively sentimental (informal)

5.  COMPUTING attracting
viewers:
relating to a site on the World Wide Web that attracts users, especially for
long periods (informal)
—stick·i·ly,
adverb

—stick·i·ness, noun[1]



stickybeak

stickybeak
stick·y·beak
[stíki bk] noun (plural stick·y·beaks)
Australia, New Zealand (informal)

1.  somebody
nosy:
somebody who pries or snoops into the affairs of others

2.  nosy
look:
an inquisitive look
intransitive
verb
(past stick·y·beaked, past participle stick·y·beaked,
present participle stick·y·beak·ing, 3rd person present
singular stick·y·beaks)

Australia, New Zealand
snoop:
to pry or snoop into the affairs of others (informal)

[1]



stickywicket

stickywicket
stick·y
wick·et
(plural stick·y wick·ets) noun

tricky situation:
an awkward or difficult situation (informal)[1]



Stieglitz,Alfred

Stieglitz,Alfred
Stieg·litz
[stglits], Alfred (1864–1946)

U.S. photographer. A promoter
of photography as an art form, he was known for portraiture and wrote
extensively on photographic technique. He was the husband of Georgia O’Keeffe.[1]



stiff

stiff
stiff 
[stif] adjective

1.  rigid:
rigid, inflexible, or hard to move

2.  not
supple:
painful and not supple • stiff
muscles

3.  severe:
very harsh or severe • a
stiff punishment

4.  taxing:
difficult or demanding • stiff
competition

5.  forceful:
having force or power • a
stiff breeze

6.  strong:
strong or potent to the taste or in effect on the body

7.  resolute:
showing determination and resolve • stiff
resistance

8.  too
high:
higher than is justified or normal • stiff
prices

9.  formal:
rigidly formal or distant in manner • a
stiff manner

10. SAILING not
likely to capsize: relatively stable in the
water

11. intoxicated:
having had too much alcohol to drink (slang)
adverb

1.  totally:
totally or utterly • bored stiff

2.  in
a stiff way: in a stiff way or manner
noun
(plural stiffs)

1.  person:
a person, especially somebody of a particular type (slang) • a
lucky stiff

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as unpleasant or overly formal
(slang insult)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who leaves insufficient tips (slang
insult)

4.  corpse:
a dead body (slang)

5.  flop:
something that is an utter failure (slang)
transitive
verb
(past stiffed, past participle stiffed, present
participle stiff·ing, 3rd person present singular stiffs)

renege: to
fail to pay somebody an amount due or expected (slang) • He
stiffed me on the tip.
[Old
English stīf . Ultimately, from an Indo-European word meaning “to
compress, pack,” which is also the ancestor of English constipate and stevedore
).]
—stiff·ish,
adjective

—stiff·ly,
adverb

—stiff·ness, noun[1]



stiff-arm

stiff-arm
stiff-arm 
adjective

See
straight-arm[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








stiffen

stiffen
stiff·en 
[stíff’n] (past stiff·ened, past
participle stiff·ened, present participle stiff·en·ing,
3rd person present singular stiff·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  become
inflexible:
to become or make something rigid or inflexible

2.  strengthen
something:
to make something stronger or more effective or to become stronger or more
effective • stiffen
regulations

[1]



stiff-necked

stiff-necked
stiff-necked 
adjective

obstinately proud:
extremely obstinate and arrogant[1]



stifle

stifle2
sti·fle2 [stf’l]
(plural sti·fles) noun

joint
in leg of animal: the joint, corresponding to the human
knee, in the hind leg of a four-legged animal
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Old French estivel “leg” from, ultimately, Latin stipes
“stick, post.”][1]



stifle

stifle1
sti·fle1 [stf’l]
(past sti·fled, past participle sti·fled, present
participle sti·fling, 3rd person present singular sti·fles)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb suffocate:
to impair somebody’s breathing or find it hard to breathe

2.  transitive
verb
check
or repress:
to curb, repress, or prevent the development of something • stifled
the spreading discontent

3.  transitive
verb
repress
physical act: to cut off a physical act, for example,
a yawn or laugh, before it develops
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of Old French estouffer
“to smother” (influenced by Old Norse stífla “to stop up”), perhaps of
prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—sti·fler, noun[1]



stifling

stifling
sti·fling 
[stfling] adjective

1.  too
hot:
uncomfortably hot and stuffy

2.  repressive:
repressive in not allowing full expression
—sti·fling·ly, adverb[1]



stigma

stigma
stig·ma 
[stígmə] (plural stig·mas) noun

1.  sign
of social unacceptability: the shame or disgrace
attached to something regarded as socially unacceptable

2.  BOTANY plant
part:
the part of a flower’s female reproductive organ ( carpel
) that receives the male pollen grains. It is generally located at the tip of a
slender projecting style.

3.  stig·ma
(plural stig·ma·ta) mark on skin:
a mark on the skin indicating, for example, a medical condition

4.  ZOOLOGY spot
on butterflies: a colored mark or spot, often resembling
an eye, found on certain protozoans and invertebrates, especially butterflies
and other lepidoptera
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek, “mark on the skin,” from stig-, the stem of stizein
“to prick.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English stick 1 and instigate .][1]



stigmasterol

stigmasterol
stig·mas·ter·ol 
[stig mástə ràwl] noun

steroid:
a sterol found in soybeans and calabar beans, used in making progesterone. C29H48O
[Early 20th century. Coined
from a shortening of Physostigma genus name of calabar bean + sterol .][1]



stigmata

stigmata
stig·ma·ta 
[stig mtə, stígmətə]
plural noun

marks
resembling crucifixion wounds: marks on the hands and
feet resembling the wounds from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion
[Mid-17th century. From
Greek, the plural of stigma (see stigma ).][1]



stigmatic

stigmatic
stig·mat·ic 
[stig máttik] adjective

1.  socially
unacceptable: socially unacceptable

2.  OPTICS See anastigmatic
noun
(plural stig·mat·ics)

CHRISTIANITY somebody
with stigmata: somebody who bears stigmata.
Also
called
stigmatist
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Greek stigmat-, the stem of stigma (see stigma ). In sense 2, back-formation from
astigmatic .][1]



stigmatism

stigmatism
stig·ma·tism 
[stìgmə tízzəm] noun

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY properties
of an anastigmatic lens: the properties of an
anastigmatic lens

2.  MEDICINE being
anastigmatic: the condition in which the eye focuses
normally

3.  CHRISTIANITY having
stigmata:
the condition of having stigmata
[Mid-19th century. In senses
1 and 2, back-formation from astigmatism .][1]



stigmatist

stigmatist
stig·ma·tist 
[stígmətist] (plural stig·ma·tists)
noun

See
stigmatic[1]



stigmatize

stigmatize
stig·ma·tize 
[stígmə tz] (past stig·ma·tized,
past participle stig·ma·tized, present participle stig·ma·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular stig·ma·tiz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
label
as socially undesirable: to label somebody or
something as socially undesirable

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb mark
with stigma: to mark somebody or be marked with a
stigma or stigmata
—stig·ma·ti·za·tion
[stìgmətə záysh’n], noun

—stig·ma·tiz·er [stígmə tzər], noun[1]



stilb

stilb
stilb
[stilb] (plural stilbs) noun

unit
of luminescence: a unit of luminescence equal to 1
candela per square centimeter
[Mid-20th century. Via French
from Greek stilbein “to glitter,” of unknown origin.][1]



stilbene

stilbene
stil·bene 
[stíl bn] noun

crystalline
solid used in making dyes: a crystalline solid used in
making dyes. C14H12
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek stilbein “to glitter” + -ene
.][1]



stilbestrol

stilbestrol
stil·bes·trol 
[stil béstrawl] noun

See
diethylstilbestrol
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from stilbene + estrus
+ -ol .][1]



stilbite

stilbite
stil·bite 
[stíl bt] noun

white
or yellow mineral: a white or yellow mineral
consisting of a silicate of aluminum, calcium, and sodium chemically combined
with water
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek stilbein “to glitter” + -ite
; from its lustrous crystals.][1]



stile

stile2
stile2 [stīl]
(plural stiles) noun

vertical
part in door: a vertical piece in a door, frame, or
panel
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via Dutch stijl “prop, doorpost” from, ultimately,
Latin stilus “column, post” (see stylus
).][1]



stile

stile1
stile1 [stīl]
(plural stiles) noun

1.  steps
in fence:
a step or rung that enables people to climb over a fence or wall

2.  See
turnstile
[Old English stigel .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to step, climb,” which is also
the ancestor of English stair and stirrup .][1]



stilet

stilet
sti·let
[stlət] (plural sti·lets) noun

1.  wire
in catheter: a wire inserted in a catheter to give it
rigidity

2.  wire
used as probe: a fine wire used as a probe in surgery
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian stiletto (see stiletto
).][1]



stiletto

stiletto
sti·let·to 
[sti léttō] noun (plural sti·let·tos
or sti·let·toes)

1.  ARMS small
dagger:
a small dagger with a narrow tapering blade

2.  pointed
tool:
a pointed tool for making holes in fabric or leather

3.  CLOTHES See stiletto heel
transitive
verb
(past sti·let·toed, past participle sti·let·toed, present
participle sti·let·to·ing, 3rd person present singular sti·let·tos)

to stab with a stiletto:
to stab somebody with a stiletto
[Early 17th century. From
Italian, literally “small dagger,” from stilo “dagger,” from Latin stilus
(see stylus ).][1]



stilettoheel

stilettoheel
sti·let·to
heel
(plural sti·let·to heels) noun

high pointed heel:
a high pointed heel on a woman’s shoe, or a shoe with such a heel.
Also called
stiletto[1]



still

still1
still1 [stil]
adjective

1.  not
moving:
motionless and undisturbed

2.  BEVERAGES not
carbonated:
not sparkling or bubbly

3.  quiet:
subdued, gentle, or quiet

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY taking
static photographs: designed for, or relating to
the process of, taking photographs as opposed to making movies
adverb

silently or without motion:
without sound or movement
noun
(plural stills)

1.  peace:
silence or peace (literary)

2.  CINEMA scene
from a motion picture: a photographic print, either
made from a single frame of a motion-picture film or shot independently with a
still camera during production
verb
(past stilled, past participle stilled, present
participle still·ing, 3rd person present singular stills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
calm:
to make somebody or cause somebody to become quiet, calm, soundless, or
immobile

2.  transitive
verb
relieve:
to allay or relieve • stilled
our fears
[Old
English stille . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stay
put,” which is also the ancestor of English stall 2, stele, and apostle
.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



still

still2
still2 [stil]
adverb

1.  existing
now:
an adverb used to indicate that a situation that used to exist has continued,
and exists now • The original is still
my favorite. • I
still believe it’s a mistake. • It
was still light.

2.  even
at this time: used to emphasize that something is the
case even up to the point mentioned • Her
birthday is still a month away. • He
may still be around. • Still
to come…

3.  even
more:
used to emphasize that there is even more of a quality or quantity (often
used with a comparative) • Profits
next year will be larger still. • The
market for flour is equal to almost any in the West, and it will be still
better.

4.  nevertheless:
used to emphasize that something remains the case in spite of the situation
mentioned • How
am I going to do your work and still have time to do my own?

5.  always:
always or constantly (archaic or literary)
[13th century. From still 1 . The
present-day meanings evolved via “constantly” from “motionlessly.”][1]



still

still3
still3 [stil]
(plural stills) noun

1.  apparatus
for distilling: an apparatus for distilling liquids,
especially alcohol

2.  See
distillery
[Mid-16th century. Shortening
of distill .][1]



stillalarm

stillalarm
still
a·larm
(plural still a·larms) noun

silent alarm:
an alarm given by telephone in which the warning signal is not heard in the
place where it is set off[1]



stilland all

stilland all
still
and all
adverb

nonetheless:
nonetheless or notwithstanding[1]



stillbirth

stillbirth
still·birth 
[stíl bùrth] (plural still·births)
noun

stillborn fetus:
the birth of a dead fetus after the 28th week of pregnancy[1]



stillborn

stillborn
still·born 
[stíl bàwrn] adjective

1.  MEDICINE born
dead:
dead at birth

2.  ineffectual:
useless or ineffectual from the start
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from still 1 in the
obsolete meaning “dead.”][1]



Still,Clyfford

Still,Clyfford
Still 
[stil], Clyfford (1904–1980)

U.S. painter. He painted vast
abstract expressionist works with dominant jagged areas of intense color.[1]



stillframe

stillframe
still
frame
(plural still frames) noun

photograph from
motion-picture: a single frame from a
motion-picture or television program displayed as a photograph[1]



stillhunt

stillhunt
still
hunt
(plural still hunts) noun

hunting by stalking:
a hunt in which game is stalked or ambushed[1]



still-hunt

still-hunt
still-hunt
transitive verb

hunt game by stalking:
to hunt game by stalking or ambushing[1]



stilllife

stilllife
still
life
(plural still lifes) noun

1.  portrayal
of something inanimate: a representation of
inanimate objects, for example, fruit, flowers, or food, often in a domestic
setting, in paintings, pictures, and photographs (hyphenated when used before
a noun) • a
still-life class

2.  style
of still life portrayals: the style or genre of still
life used in the various arts such as painting and photography

[1]



Stillson

Stillson
Still·son
[stílss’n] Trademark

trademark for a monkey wrench
whose serrated jaws tighten when pressure is applied to the wrench handle[1]



stilt

stilt
stilt 
[stilt] noun (plural stilts)

1.  pole
for walking: either of two poles with footrests high
off the ground on which somebody balances and walks

2.  CONSTRUCTION supporting
post:
a tall post or column that supports a structure above land or water

3.  BIRDS long-legged
wading bird: a three-toed, straight-billed,
black-and-white shore bird that lives near ponds and marshes. Genera: Himantopus
Cladorhynchus
transitive
verb
(past stilt·ed, past participle stilt·ed, present
participle stilt·ing, 3rd person present singular stilts)

raise on stilts:
to place or raise something up on stilts
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low German ; ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to set up,” which is also the ancestor of English stout, stalk 1, and still 1 .][1]



stilted

stilted
stilt·ed 
[stíltəd] adjective

1.  not
fluent:
lacking fluency in being halting or unnatural in flow

2.  formal:
pompous or unduly formal

3.  BUILDING resting
on vertical pieces of stone: used to describe an arch
that is joined to its supporting impost by vertical pieces of stone
[Early 17th century.
Originally, “having stilts.” The sense “not fluent” evolved via the idea of
being unnaturally elevated, hence, “restrained.”][1]



Stilton

Stilton1
Stil·ton1  [stíltən]
(plural Stil·tons) noun

either
of two strong-flavored British white cheeses made from whole milk, one veined
with blue mold, the other plain
[Mid-18th century. Named
after the village of Stilton in
Cambridgeshire, England, where the cheese was originally sold.][1]



Stilton

Stilton2
Stil·ton2  [stíltən]

village near Peterborough, in
eastern England. It gave its name to Stilton cheese, made in the surrounding
areas. Population: 2,219 (1991)[1]



Stilwell,Joseph

Stilwell,Joseph
Stil·well
[stíl wel, stíllwəl],
Joseph (1883–1946)

U.S.
army general. He commanded U.S. forces in China, Burma, and India during World
War II.
Full name
Stilwell, Joseph Warren Known as Vinegar Joe[1]



Stimson,Henry

Stimson,Henry
Stim·son 
[stímsən], Henry (1867–1950)

U.S.
statesman. He was U.S. secretary of state (1929–1933) and secretary of war
(1940–1945).
Full name
Stimson, Henry Lewis[1]



stimulant

stimulant
stim·u·lant 
[stímmyələnt] noun (plural stim·u·lants)

1.  source
of stimulus: something that provides a stimulus,
incentive, or quickening

2.  MEDICINE agent
producing increase in functional activity: a
drug or other agent that produces a temporary increase in functional activity
of a body organ or part
adjective

increasing activity:
increasing bodily activity or acting as a stimulus or incentive

[1]



stimulate

stimulate
stim·u·late 
[stímmyə làyt] (past stim·u·lat·ed,
past participle stim·u·lat·ed, present participle stim·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular stim·u·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
encourage:
to encourage something, for example, an activity or a process, so that it will
begin, increase, or develop

2.  transitive
verb
make
interested:
to cause somebody to become interested in or excited about something

3.  transitive
verb
cause
to respond:
to cause physical activity in something such as a nerve or an organ

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
more alert:
to cause somebody to become more alert or active, as by the use of caffeine or
a drug
[Early
16th century. From Latin stimulat-, the past participle stem of stimulare,
literally “to goad,” from stimulus (see stimulus
).]
—stim·u·la·ble,
adjective

—stim·u·lat·ing,
adjective

—stim·u·lat·ing·ly,
adverb

—stim·u·la·tion
[stìmmyə láysh’n], noun

—stim·u·la·tive
[stímmyə làytiv, stímmyələtiv],
adjective

—stim·u·la·tor
[stímmyə làytər], noun

—stim·u·la·to·ry [stímmyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



stimulus

stimulus
stim·u·lus 
[stímmyələss] (plural stim·u·li
[stímmyə l]) noun

1.  incentive:
something that encourages an activity or a process to begin, increase, or
develop

2.  something
arousing interest: an agent or factor that
provokes interest, enthusiasm, or excitement

3.  cause
of a response: something, for example, a drug or an
electrical impulse, that causes a physical response in an organism
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “goad, stake,” of uncertain origin.]
—stim·u·lant, adjective[1]



sting

sting
sting 
[sting] verb (past stung
[stung], present participle sting·ing,
3rd person present singular stings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb inject
with toxin:
to prick the skin and inject a small quantity of a poisonous or irritant
substance, causing a sharp pain often followed by itchiness and swelling

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
sharp pain:
to feel, or cause somebody to feel, a sharp pain, usually only for a short
period of time • His eyes were stinging
from the onions.

3.  transitive
verb
upset:
to make somebody feel upset, hurt, or annoyed • I
was stung by her harsh criticisms.

4.  transitive
verb
goad:
to urge somebody on, usually with criticism • words
that stung them into action
noun
(plural stings)

1.  wound
caused by sting: a skin wound that may hurt, swell up,
and itch, caused by an insect, plant, or animal piercing the skin and injecting
a small quantity of poison

2.  See
stinger 1 noun 2

3.  sharp
pain:
a short sharp pain, for example, that caused by the application of an
antiseptic to a fresh wound

4.  hurtfulness:
the hurtful nature of something, for example, criticism

5.  power
to upset:
the power to inflict mental or emotional discomfort • threats
that have lost their sting

6.  See
stinging hair

7.  undercover
operation:
a complex undercover operation to catch criminals (slang) (often used
before a noun)

8.  trick:
an underhanded scheme, especially a carefully planned and orchestrated swindle
(slang)
[Old
English stingan]
—sting·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Sting

Sting
Sting 
[sting] (1952– )

British
singer, songwriter, and actor. He formed the group The Police (1978–1984), and
later pursued a solo singing and acting career.
Real name
Sumner, Gordon[1]



stingaree

stingaree
sting·a·ree 
[stíngə r, stìngə
r] (plural sting·a·rees or sting·a·ree) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand See stingray[1]



stinger

stinger1
sting·er1  [stíngər]
(plural sting·ers) noun

1.  something
stinging:
something that stings, especially a hurtful or critical comment

2.  poison-injecting
organ:
the sharp organ through which an insect or other animal injects poison to
immobilize its prey or for defense.
U.K.
term
sting  noun 2

Also
called
sting

3.  blow:
a sharp blow or slap that causes a smarting pain (informal)

4.  undercover
officer:
a law enforcement officer who is taking part in an undercover operation (informal)

[1]



stinger

stinger2
sting·er2  [stíngər]
(plural sting·ers) noun BEVERAGES

1.  cocktail:
a cocktail consisting of crème de menthe and brandy

2.  U.K.
whiskey
drink:
a whiskey and soda with crushed ice
[Early 20th century.
Alteration of stengah .][1]



stingingcell

stingingcell
sting·ing
cell 
noun

See
cnidoblast[1]



stinginghair

stinginghair
sting·ing
hair
noun

plant hair expelling
irritant: a glandular plant hair, for
example, on a stinging nettle, that releases an irritant chemical when touched.

Also called
sting[1]



stingingnettle

stingingnettle
sting·ing
net·tle
noun

See
nettle  noun 1[1]



stinglessbee

stinglessbee
sting·less
bee
noun

bee without sting:
a social bee that has no functional stinger, but may bite. Subfamily:
Meliponinae[1]



stingray

stingray
sting·ray 
[stíng rày] (plural sting·rays
or sting·ray) noun

ray with long tail:
a ray with a flexible tail shaped like a whip with poisonous spines. There are
several species, mainly found in shallow warm waters. Family: Dasyatidae
Also called
stingaree[1]



stingy

stingy
stin·gy 
[stínjee] (comparative stin·gi·er,
superlative stin·gi·est) adjective

1.  ungenerous:
not generous in giving or spending money

2.  small
or inadequate: ungenerously small or inadequate • a
stingy tip
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from a variant of sting, with an underlying meaning “irritable,
bad-tempered.”]
—stin·gi·ly,
adverb

—stin·gi·ness, noun[1]



stink

stink
stink 
[stingk] intransitive verb (past
stank [stangk] or stunk
[stungk], past participle stunk,
present participle stink·ing, 3rd person present singular stinks)

1.  smell
horrible:
to have a very strong and extremely unpleasant smell

2.  be
worthless:
to be loathsomely bad or worthless (informal) • This
poetry is so bad it stinks.

3.  be
corrupt:
to be despicably corrupt or dishonest (informal) • The
whole admissions process stinks.

4.  have
too much:
to have, or be suspected of having, been assisted by improper influence (informal)
• a
career that stinks of nepotism
noun
(plural stinks)

1.  terrible
smell:
a very strong and unpleasant smell

2.  scandal:
a scandalous revelation (informal) “even if there was a stink, he had
plenty good friends in San Francisco” Robert Louis Stevenson The Wrecker 1896
[Old
English stincan “to smell”]
—stink·i·ly,
adverb

—stink·y
(comparative stink·i·er [stíngkee],
superlative stink·i·est), adjective
make
a stink

or
raise a stinkto cause trouble, especially by protesting (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at smell

[1]



stinkaroo

stinkaroo
stinkaroo
noun

(slang) See stinkeroo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








stinkball

stinkball
stink·ball 
[stíngk bàwl] (plural stink·balls)
noun

See
stinkpot  noun 4[1]



stinkbomb

stinkbomb
stink
bomb
noun

toy emitting bad smell:
a practical joker’s toy in the form of a small glass or plastic capsule that,
when smashed, emits a horrible smell[1]



stinkbug

stinkbug
stink·bug 
[stíngk bùg] (plural stink·bugs)
noun

foul-smelling insect:
an insect that emits foul-smelling secretions. It typically has a flattish
body, and is often camouflaged to blend with its surroundings. Family:
Pentatomidae[1]



stinker

stinker
stink·er 
[stíngkər] (plural stink·ers) noun
(informal)

1.  something
unpleasant:
something that is very difficult or unpleasant • That
last exam was a real stinker.

2.  bad
behaver:
somebody who behaves in an obnoxious or hateful way

3.  BIRDS spitting
seabird:
a fulmar or petrel that spits a foul-smelling oil at aggressors. They feed on
offal and carrion.

[1]



stinkeroo

stinkeroo
stink·er·oo
[stingkə r, stíngkə
r] (plural stink·er·oos) or stink·a·roo [stingkə r, stíngkə r]
(plural stink·a·roos) noun

nasty
person:
an irritating, loathsome, or otherwise unpleasant person (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from stink .][1]



stinkhorn

stinkhorn
stink·horn 
[stíngk hàwrn] (plural stink·horns)
noun

fungus with foul-smelling
cap: a fungus with a thick white
stalk and a thimble-shaped foul-smelling cap containing spores. The smell
attracts flies, which disperse the spores. Order: Phallales[1]



stinking

stinking
stink·ing 
[stíngking] adjective

1.  smelly:
having or giving off a very strong and unpleasant smell

2.  extremely
bad:
used to describe an action or behavior regarded as unpleasant or contemptible (informal)
“This was, of course, a stinking lie.” Richard Kadrey Metrophage 1995

3.  intoxicated:
very intoxicated (slang)
adverb

used for emphasis:
used to emphasize the contemptible extent of something (informal)
—stink·ing·ly,
adverb

—stink·ing·ness, noun[1]



stinkingash

stinkingash
stink·ing
ash
noun

N American tree:
a deciduous tree with fragrant greenish white flowers, native to eastern North
America. Its fruits have a flavor similar to hops and are used in brewing beer.
Latin name: Ptelea trifoliata
Also called
water ash[1]



stinkingcedar

stinkingcedar
stink·ing
ce·dar
noun

See
California nutmeg
[From its foul-smelling
leaves and wood][1]



stinkingchamomile

stinkingchamomile
stink·ing
cham·o·mile
noun

European plant similar to
daisy: an annual plant, similar to
a daisy, with foul-smelling leaves. It grows as a weed on cultivated and waste
ground throughout Europe. Latin name: Anthemis cotula[1]



stinko

stinko
stink·o 
[stíngkō] adjective

1.  intoxicated:
very intoxicated (dated slang)

2.  poor-quality:
of the poorest quality (informal) • a
stinko bowl of stew

[1]



stinkpot

stinkpot
stink·pot 
[stíngk pòt] (plural stink·pots)
noun

1.  something
with horrible smell: somebody or something that
smells horrible (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody considered very unpleasant or unpopular
(slang insult)

3.  ZOOLOGY small
N American turtle: a small species of musk
turtle found in ponds and sluggish streams in the United States. It emits a
foul-smelling secretion from its cloacal glands. Latin name: Sternotherus
odoratus

4.  ARMS stinking
weapon:
a military weapon used in former times, consisting of an earthenware pot that
released a suffocating vapor when thrown into an enemy position or onto an
enemy ship.
Also
called
stinkball

[1]



stinkstone

stinkstone
stink·stone
[stíngk stn] noun

smelly
rock:
rock, especially limestone, that gives off a highly unpleasant odor when rubbed
or struck
[Early 20th century.
Translation of German Stinkstein .][1]



stinkup

stinkup
stink
up
transitive verb

give something foul smell:
to give something a very strong and unpleasant smell • The
smell of rotting potatoes stank the whole place up.[1]



stinkweed

stinkweed
stink·weed 
[stíngk wd] (plural stink·weeds
or stink·weed) noun

1.  See
wall rocket

2.  foul-smelling
plant:
a plant with unpleasant-smelling flowers or foliage, for example, mayweed or
pennycress

[1]



stinkwood

stinkwood
stink·wood 
[stíngk wd] (plural stink·woods
or stink·wood) noun

1.  tree
with foul-smelling wood: a tree with
unpleasant-smelling wood, in particular a South African deciduous tree whose
hard wood is used for making furniture

2.  wood:
the hard durable wood of any of the stinkwood trees
[Mid-18th century.
Translation of Dutch stinkhout .][1]



stint

stint1
stint1 [stint]
verb (past stint·ed, past participle stint·ed,
present participle stint·ing, 3rd person present singular stints)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
miserly:
to be ungenerous in offering, providing, or giving • For
a really good mousse, you can’t stint on the chocolate.

2.  transitive
verb
deny:
to deny somebody something out of miserliness, or deny something of the self,
usually in an act of sacrifice “your mother and me economizing and stinting
ourselves to give you a University education” Thomas Hardy Tess of the
d’Urbervilles 1891

3.  intransitive
verb
stop:
to stop or halt (archaic)
noun
(plural stints)

1.  allotted
time:
a fixed period of time spent on a particular task or job • do
a two-year stint as an apprentice

2.  limitation:
limitation or restriction, especially one of time or amount “I gave him time
and thought without stint” Willa Cather The Professor’s House 1925

3.  stoppage:
a pause or stoppage (archaic)
[Old
English styntan “to blunt,” later reinforced by Old Norse stytta
“to shorten”]
—stint·er, noun[1]



stint

stint2
stint2 [stint]
(plural stints or stint) noun

BIRDS shore
bird:
any one of various sandpipers
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



stip.

stip.
stip.

1.  Abbreviation
of
stipend

2.  Abbreviation
of
stipulation

[1]



stipe

stipe
stipe 
[stīp] (plural sti·pes) noun

1.  BOTANY fungus
or fern stalk: the stalk of a mushroom or fern.
Also
called
stipes

2.  ZOOLOGY See stipes  noun 1
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Latin stipes (see stipes
).][1]



stipel

stipel
sti·pel 
[stp’l] (plural sti·pels) noun

structure
that resembles leaf: a structure shaped like a
tiny leaf or scale located at the base of a leaflet of a compound leaf
[Early
19th century. Via French from modern Latin stipella, literally “small
stipule,” from stipula (see stipule
).]
—sti·pel·late [stī péllət, sti péllət,
stpə làyt], adjective[1]



stipend

stipend
sti·pend 
[st pènd, stpənd]
(plural sti·pends) noun

allowance:
a fixed amount of money paid at regular intervals as a salary or to cover
living expenses
[15th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin stipendium “soldier’s
pay,” from stips “payment” + pendere “to weigh out” (see pensive ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wage

[1]



stipendiary

stipendiary
sti·pen·di·ar·y 
[stī péndee èrree] adjective

1.  provided
with allowance: receiving a fixed amount of money on a
regular basis as a salary or to cover living expenses

2.  with
stipend:
paying a stipend or paid for by a stipend
noun
(plural sti·pen·di·ar·ies)

somebody receiving stipend:
somebody who receives a fixed amount of money on a regular basis as a salary or
to cover living expenses, for example, a graduate student

[1]



stipes

stipes
sti·pes 
[st pz] (plural stip·i·tes [stíppi teèz]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY mouthpart:
the second or bottom mouthpart of some insects and crustaceans.
Also
called
stipe

2.  ZOOLOGY eyestalk:
the eyestalk of a crayfish or crab

3.  BOTANY See stipe  noun 1
[Mid-18th
century. Via modern Latin from Latin, “post.”]
—sti·pi·form [stíppiə fàwrm], adjective[1]



stipitate

stipitate
stip·i·tate 
[stíppi tàyt] adjective

BOTANY supported
by stipe:
having or supported by a stipe
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin stipitatus, from stipit-, the stem of stipes
(see stipes ).][1]



stipites

stipites
stip·i·tes


Plural of
stipes[1]



stipple

stipple
stip·ple 
[stípp’l] transitive verb (past
stip·pled, past participle stip·pled, present
participle stip·pling, 3rd person present singular stip·ples)

1.  paint
by dabbing:
to paint, draw, or engrave something using dots or short dabbing strokes

2.  apply
with dabbing strokes: to apply paint or any other
substance in dots or short dabbing strokes

3.  make
surface material appear grainy: to give something, for
example, wet paint or plaster, a rough grainy texture with dabbing strokes

4.  dapple:
to mark something with dots or speckles (literary) (usually passive)
• its
lime-green clapboard stippled with sunlight
noun

1.  PAINTING artistic
technique:
the technique of painting, engraving, or drawing using dots or short dabbing
strokes

2.  CONSTRUCTION dabbed
finish:
an irregular or grainy finish in paint or wet plaster, produced using dabbing
strokes
[Mid-18th
century. From Dutch stippelen, literally “to keep pricking,” from,
ultimately, stip “point, dot.”]
—stip·pler,
noun

—stip·pling, noun[1]



stipulate

stipulate1
stip·u·late1 [stíppyə
làyt] (past stip·u·lat·ed, past participle stip·u·lat·ed,
present participle stip·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
stip·u·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
specify:
to specify something such as a condition when making an agreement or an offer • The
contract stipulates which expenses will be covered.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb demand:
to make a specific demand for something, usually as a condition in an agreement
• stipulate
a price

3.  transitive
verb
make
formal promise: to promise something formally or legally

4.  intransitive
verb
LAW agree:
to agree, in terms of the conduct of a legal proceeding • We
will stipulate to our receipt of all pertinent discovery documents, Your Honor.

5.  transitive
verb
LAW admit
fact:
to confess, admit, or agree to a fact rather than require the opposition to
prove that fact • Will the defendant
stipulate her presence at the scene of the crime?
[Early
17th century. From Latin stipulat-, the past participle stem of stipulari
“to demand, bargain,” of uncertain origin.]
—stip·u·la·ble
[stíppyələb’l], adjective

—stip·u·la·tion
[stìppyə láysh’n], noun

—stip·u·la·tor
[stíppyə làytər], noun

—stip·u·la·to·ry [stíppyələ tàwree], adjective[1]



stipulate

stipulate2
stip·u·late2 [stíppyə
lìt] adjective

having
stipules:
used to describe a stem or stalk that has a pair of growths resembling leaves (
stipules ) at the base
[Late 18th century. Formed
from stipule .][1]



stipule

stipule

stip·ule 
[stíppyool] (plural stip·ules)
noun
part
resembling leaf: either of a pair of small growths at the
base of a leaf stalk or stem that resemble leaves
[Late
18th century. Directly or via French from Latin stipula “straw, stalk”
(source of English stubble ), of
uncertain origin.]
—stip·u·lar [stíppyələr], adjective[1]



stir

stir1
stir1 [stur]
verb (past stirred, past participle stirred,
present participle stir·ring, 3rd person present singular stirs)

1.  transitive
verb
mix
ingredients: to move a spoon, stick, or some other
implement through a liquid in order to mix or cool the contents • Slowly
stir the cream into the soup.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
able to be stirred: to be of a consistency that
allows a spoon or other implement to be moved around

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb move:
to move gently or cause something to move gently

4.  intransitive
verb
leave:
to move or leave, especially from a favorite or usual place • The
guards were told not to stir from their posts.

5.  intransitive
verb
move
after resting: to get up and move about, especially
after a rest • anyone
stirring at this early hour

6.  transitive
verb
goad
into action: to rouse somebody into action

7.  transitive
verb
arouse
feeling:
to arouse something, for example, an emotion or a memory (formal)

8.  intransitive
verb
be
felt:
to begin to be experienced as an emotion (formal) • Deep-seated
bitterness began to stir within him.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
emotional:
to arouse strong emotions in somebody • music
that never fails to stir me

10. intransitive
verb
happen:
to happen or be current (informal) • What’s
stirring this week on Capitol Hill?
noun
(plural stirs)

1.  act
of stirring: an act or instance of stirring a liquid

2.  commotion:
a fervent reaction, usually either excitement or controversy

3.  slight
movement:
a gentle movement

4.  Australia
trouble:
trouble (informal)
[Old
English styrian “to agitate.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to whirl,” which is also the ancestor of English storm, turbine,
and disturb .]
—stir·ra·ble,
adjective

—stir·rer, noun[1]



stir

stir2
stir2 [stur]
noun

prison:
prison (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Romany sturbin “jail.”][1]



stir-crazy

stir-crazy
stir-cra·zy 
adjective

made
uneasy by confinement: mentally unsettled as a
result of spending a long time in a confined space, for example, a prison cell
(informal or humorous)
[From stir 2][1]



stir-fry

stir-fry
stir-fry 
transitive verb

fry
food rapidly: to fry small tender pieces of food
rapidly in a small amount of oil over high heat, stirring continuously. This
method is used extensively in Chinese cooking.
noun

stir-fried dish:
a dish of food prepared by stir-frying[1]



Stirlingengine

Stirlingengine
Stir·ling
en·gine
[stúrling ènjin] (plural Stir·ling
en·gines) noun

external-combustion
engine:
an external-combustion engine in which heat generated on the outside of the
cylinders causes either air or an inert gas within the cylinders to expand and
drive the pistons
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Scottish minister and engineer Rev. Robert Stirling (1790–1878), who
invented it.][1]



Stirling’sformula

Stirling’sformula
Stir·ling’s
for·mu·la
[stúrlingz fàwrmyələ] noun

mathematical
formula:
a mathematical formula used to calculate the approximate value of the factorial
of a very large number
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the Scottish mathematician James Stirling (1692–1770), who devised the
formula.][1]



stirps

stirps
stirps 
[sturps] (plural stir·pes [stúr pz]) noun

1.  HERALDRY stock:
a line of descendants from a common ancestor

2.  LAW ancestor:
an ancestor from whom a particular family is descended

3.  BOTANY plant
variety:
a plant variety in which the characters are fixed through cultivation
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “stem, lineage,” of unknown origin.][1]



stirring

stirring
stir·ring 
[stúr ring] adjective

1.  causing
emotional reaction: causing an emotional or
excited reaction

2.  lively:
full of energy and vitality • a
stirring rendition of a Chopin mazurka
noun
(plural stir·rings)

1.  movement:
a slight movement

2.  arousing
of feeling:
the awakening of something, especially an emotion or memory (formal)
[Old
English styrend, styring]
—stir·ring·ly, adverb[1]



stirrup

stirrup

stir·rup 
[stúr əp] (plural stir·rups) noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN horseback
rider’s foot support: a flat-bottomed metal ring
hanging from a strap on each side of a horse’s saddle. It provides support for
a rider’s foot.

2.  strap:
a loop or strap that supports a foot or passes under a foot, such as the straps
supporting a woman’s feet in childbirth

3.  NAUTICAL ship’s
rope:
one of a set of ropes hanging from a sail-supporting spar ( yard ) on a ship. Loops at the bottom allow
another rope for standing on to be threaded through.
[Old English stīgrāp,
literally “rope for getting up,” from stīgan “to go up” (see sty ) + rāp “rope”][1]



stirrupbone

stirrupbone
stir·rup
bone
noun

stapes:
the stapes
[From its shape][1]



stirrupcup

stirrupcup
stir·rup
cup
noun

farewell drink:
a farewell drink of alcohol, originally one shared with a departing horseback
rider[1]



stirrupiron

stirrupiron
stir·rup
i·ron
(plural stir·rup i·rons) noun

metal part of stirrup:
the metal ring of a riding stirrup[1]



stirrupleather

stirrupleather
stir·rup
leath·er
noun

strap attaching stirrup:
a leather strap that attaches a stirrup to the saddle[1]



stirruppants

stirruppants
stir·rup
pants
plural noun

women’s stretch pants:
women’s stretch pants with straps attached that pass under the feet.
Also called
ski pants[1]



stirruppump

stirruppump
stir·rup
pump
noun

pump
for spraying water: a portable hand-operated
pump, held on the ground with the feet, which draws water from a bucket, and
sprays it out. It is used to fight small fires.
[From the shape of the
foot-piece used to hold the pump in place][1]



stirup

stirup
stir
up
transitive verb

1.  cause
trouble:
to cause trouble or a confrontation deliberately

2.  agitate:
to cause something such as dust to rise and swirl around

[1]



stishovite

stishovite
stish·ov·ite 
[stíshə vt] (plural stish·ov·ites)
noun

rare
quartz:
a rare crystalline form of quartz found in meteor craters. It is formed from
common quartz by the tremendous pressure produced on impact.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the 20th-century Russian mineralogist S. M. Stishov, who first
synthesized it.][1]



stitch

stitch
stitch 
[stich] noun

1.  SEWING length
of thread in material: a short length of thread
that has been passed through one or more pieces of material, either for
decoration or to join pieces together

2.  SURGERY surgical
thread:
a single loop of surgical thread used to close up a wound

3.  KNITTING loop
of wool:
a single loop of wool or similar material, passed around a knitting needle or a
crochet hook

4.  CRAFT style
of needlework: a specified style of sewing or knitting
• lock
stitch

5.  aching
pain:
a cramp in the side of the abdomen caused, for example, by exercising or
laughing

6.  article
of clothing: a single article of clothing (informal)
• didn’t
have a stitch on

7.  AGRICULTURE ridge
between furrows: the ridge between two adjacent furrows
in a field
transitive
verb
(past stitched, past participle stitched, present
participle stitch·ing, 3rd person present singular stitch·es)

1.  SEWING sew:
to join, finish, or decorate something with stitches

2.  SURGERY close
wound:
to close a wound with one or more stitches

3.  PRINTING bind
pages:
to bind the pages of a book, pamphlet, or other publication with thread or
staples
[Old
English stice “prick.” Ultimately from Indo-European, meaning “to jab”
(ancestor also of English stick ).
Sense 7, “ridge,” probably from the same source, the underlying idea being
“cut, divided land.”]
—stitch·er,
noun
in
stitches

laughing a great deal[1]



stitchery

stitchery
stitch·er·y 
[stíchəree] noun

sewing:
needlework, especially when it is functional rather than decorative
[Early 17th century. Probably
coined by Shakespeare.][1]



stitchwort

stitchwort
stitch·wort 
[stích wùrt, stích
wàwrt] (plural stitch·worts or stitch·wort) noun

flowering
plant:
a low-growing herbaceous plant with small white star-shaped flowers. There are
several species. Genus: Stellaria
[Old English sticwyrt
; from its former use to cure sharp pains in the side][1]



stithy

stithy
stith·y 
[stíee, stíthee]
noun (plural stith·ies) (archaic)

1.  anvil:
an anvil

2.  forge
or smithy:
a place where metalwork is done
transitive
verb
(past stith·ied, past participle stith·ied, present
participle stith·y·ing, 3rd person present singular stith·ies)

forge something:
to forge something on an anvil (archaic)
[13th century. From Old Norse
steði . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to stand,” which
is also the ancestor of English stand
and stead .][1]



stiver

stiver
sti·ver 
[stvər] (plural sti·vers) noun

1.  old
Dutch coin:
a Dutch coin, no longer in circulation, worth one-twentieth of a guilder

2.  something
trifling:
something of very little value, especially the least or smallest amount of
money (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
Dutch stuiver . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“small piece,” which is also the ancestor of English stub .][1]



St.John

St.John
Saint
John
[saynt jón]

1.  river
in east central North America, that rises in northwestern Maine, flows
northeastward into New Brunswick, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It forms
part of the border between the United States and Canada. Length: 673 km/418 mi.

2.  largest
city and principal port of New Brunswick, Canada, situated on the Bay of Fundy.
Population: 74,969 (1991)

[1]



St.John, Lake

St.John, Lake
Saint
John, Lake
[saynt jón]

lake in south central Quebec
Province, Canada. It drains to the St. Lawrence River on the east by the
Saguenay River. Area: 1,070 sq km/414 sq mi.[1]



St.Johns

St.Johns
Saint
Johns
[saynt jónz]

river flowing in eastern
Florida to Jacksonville, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 444 km/276
mi.[1]



St.John’s

St.John’s
Saint
John’s
[saynt jónz]

1.  capital
city and principal port of Newfoundland, Canada, situated on the Atlantic
Ocean. Population: 174,051 (1996)

2.  capital
city of Antigua and Barbuda. It is situated in the northwestern part of
Antigua, on an inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Population: 21,514 (1991)

[1]



St.John’s-wort

St.John’s-wort
Saint
John’s-wort
[saynt jónz wùrt, sàynt
jónz wàwrt] noun

plant
with yellow flowers: an herb or shrub with showy
five-petaled yellow flowers. Genus: Hypericum
[St John’s from its being
said to flower on the feast of St. John the Baptist.][1]



St.Joseph

St.Joseph
Saint
Jo·seph
[sènt jṓssèf]

city in Buchanan County,
northwestern Missouri, on the Missouri River. Population: 71,852 (1990)[1]



stk.

stk.
stk.

Abbreviation of
stock[1]



St.Kilda

St.Kilda
Saint
Kil·da
[saynt kíldə]

group of small, now
uninhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. They are home to a seabird
sanctuary and a National Nature Reserve.[1]



St.Kitts and Nevis

St.Kitts and Nevis
Saint
Kitts and Ne·vis [saynt kìts ənd
nviss]

independent state in the West
Indies, comprising two islands that are part of the Leeward Islands group.
Language: English. Currency: East Caribbean dollar. Capital: Basseterre.
Population: 39,400 (1996) Area: 269 sq km/104 sq mi. Official name
Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis[1]



St.Laurent, Louis Stephen

St.Laurent, Louis Stephen
Saint
Laurent
[sàN law rN], Louis Stephen (1882–1973)

Canadian lawyer and
statesman. He served as the prime minister of Canada (1948–1957).[1]



St.Lawrence

St.Lawrence
Saint
Law·rence
[saynt láwrènss]

major river of North America,
linking the outflow from the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 1,300
km/800 mi.[1]



St.Lawrence, Gulf of

St.Lawrence, Gulf of
Saint
Law·rence, Gulf of [saynt
láwrənss]

deep inlet of the Atlantic
Ocean between Newfoundland and the Canadian mainland[1]



St.Lawrence Islands National Park

St.Lawrence Islands National Park
Saint
Law·rence Is·lands Na·tion·al Park

national park incorporating
part of the shore of the St. Lawrence River and 13 of the Thousand Islands,
Ontario, Canada. Area: 8 sq km/3 sq mi.[1]



St.Lawrence Seaway

St.Lawrence Seaway
Saint
Law·rence Sea·way

system of canals bypassing
unnavigable sections of the St. Lawrence River and allowing oceangoing vessels
to reach the Great Lakes sometimes also including the canals between the Great
Lakes.[1]



St.Louis

St.Louis
Saint
Lou·is
[saynt l iss]

city in eastern Missouri,
extending along the western bank of the Mississippi River. It is one of the
principal industrial and cultural centers of the Midwest. Population: 368,215
(1994)[1]



St-Louis

St-Louis
St-Lou·is 
[saN loo ]

town and port in northwestern
Senegal, situated 177 km/110 mi northeast of Dakar. Population: 132,444 (1994)[1]



St.Louis encephalitis

St.Louis encephalitis
Saint
Lou·is en·ceph·a·li·tis noun

disease
transmitted by mosquitoes: a viral inflammation of the
brain found in parts of North America and transmitted by mosquitoes
[Mid-20th century. Named for St. Louis, Missouri.][1]



St.Louis Park

St.Louis Park
Saint
Lou·is Park

city in southeastern
Minnesota, on Minnehaha Creek. It is a residential and industrial suburb of
Minneapolis. Population: 43,787 (1990)[1]



St.Lucia

St.Lucia
Saint
Lu·cia
[saynt lshə]

independent island state in
the West Indies. It is one of the Windward Islands. Language: English.
Currency: East Caribbean dollar. Capital: Castries. Population: 143,000 (1995)
Area: 617 sq km/238 sq mi.[1]



St-Lô

St-Lô
St-Lô
[saN lṓ]

city and administrative
center of Manche Department, Basse-Normandie Region, northwestern France.
Population: 22,819 (1990)[1]



S.T.M.

S.T.M.
S.T.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Sacred Theology
[Shortening of latin Sacrae
Theologiae Magister][1]



St.Martin

St.Martin
Saint
Mar·tin
[saynt mrt’n]

island in the West Indies,
one of the Leeward Islands, between the islands of Anguilla and
Saint-Barthélemy. It is a dependency of Guadeloupe. Area: 52 sq km/20 sq mi.[1]



St.Marys

St.Marys
Saint
Mar·ys
[saynt máiriz]

1.  river
rising in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, United States, winding eastward into
the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 282 km/175 mi.

2.  river
in North America connecting Lake Superior with Lake Huron, forming part of the
border between the United States and Canada. Length: 101 km/63 mi.

[1]



St.Matthews

St.Matthews
Saint
Mat·thews
[saynt máth yooz]

city in northern Kentucky,
south of the Illinois border. It is an eastern suburb of Louisville.
Population: 16,562 (1996)[1]



St.Moritz

St.Moritz
Saint
Mo·ritz
[saN mè ríts]

spa town in southeastern
Switzerland, situated 14 km/9 mi from the Italian border. Population: 5,600
(1996)[1]



St.-Nazaire

St.-Nazaire
Saint-Na·zaire 
[saN na záir]

city and port in
Loire-Atlantique Department, Pays de la Loire Region, western France.
Population: 66,087 (1990)[1]



stoa

stoa
sto·a 
[stṓ ə] (plural sto·as or
sto·ae [stṓ ]) noun

ancient
covered walkway: in ancient Greece, a covered walkway,
usually with a row of columns on one side and a wall on the other
[Early 17th century. From
Greek (source also of English stoic
).][1]



stoat

stoat
stoat 
[stōt] (plural stoats or
stoat) noun

See
ermine
[15th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



stob

stob
stob 
[stob] (plural stobs) noun

U.K.,
Southern U.S. stake:
a stake or stump (regional)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of stub .][1]



stochastic

stochastic
sto·chas·tic 
[stə kástik] adjective

1.  random:
involving or showing random behavior

2.  involving
probability: involving or subject to probabilistic
behavior

3.  involving
guesswork:
involving guesswork or conjecture (formal)
[Mid-20th
century. From Greek stokhastikos, from stokhos “target, aim,”
literally “pointed stake.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English stag .]
—sto·chas·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



stock

stock
stock 
[stok] noun (plural stocks)

1.  COMMERCE supply
of salable goods: a supply of goods for sale, kept on the
premises by a store or business

2.  supply:
a supply held in reserve for future use

3.  available
amount:
the amount of something, for example, a natural resource or a service,
available in a particular area • an
alarming fall in North Atlantic fish stocks

4.  U.K.
FINANCE See capital stock

5.  FINANCE investor’s
capital share: the share of capital held by an
individual investor (often used in the plural)

6.  FINANCE total
shares issued: the total number of shares issued by a
company or sector

7.  somebody’s
reputation:
somebody’s standing or reputation • Her
stock is high in terms of public opinion because of her aid work.

8.  AGRICULTURE See livestock

9.  descent:
ancestry, usually with reference to race, ethnic group, region, or profession

10. original
variety:
the original variety from which other similar plants, animals, or languages are
descended

11. BIOLOGY related
organisms:
a race, family, breed, or other related group of animals or plants

12. LINGUISTICS related
languages:
a group of related languages

13. COOKING broth:
a liquid made by simmering meat, fish, bones, or vegetables with herbs in
water, used in soups, stews, and sauces

14. BOTANY trunk:
the trunk of a tree or the main stem of a plant

15. BOTANY plant
receiving graft: a plant or plant stem onto which a shoot
or bud is grafted.
See
also
rootstock

16. BOTANY plant
used for cuttings: a plant or part of a plant
from which cuttings are taken

17. AGRICULTURE animal
pen:
a small pen or frame where a single animal can be confined, for example, for
veterinary examination or treatment (often used in the plural)

18. ARMS part
of firearm:
the part of a firearm to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached. It
is held in the hand or rested against the shoulder.

19. ARMS part
of gun carriage: the long beam on a field artillery
carriage that extends behind it. When placed on the ground, it becomes the
piece’s third point of contact, along with the two wheels.

20. AGRICULTURE HISTORY part
of plow:
the frame of a horse-drawn plow

21. handle:
a handle, for example, the handle of a fishing rod, whip, or carpentry tool

22. wooden
block:
a block of wood, especially the block from which a bell is hung

23. supporting
part:
any upright supporting part

24. NAUTICAL anchor
part:
the crosspiece on certain types of anchor

25. raw
material:
the basic material from which anything is manufactured

26. CINEMA unexposed
film:
movie film that has not yet been exposed

27. METALLURGY piece
of metal:
a piece of cut metal ready to be processed, especially by forging

28. (plural
stocks or stock) flowering
plant:
a plant with clusters of fragrant, brightly colored flowers. There are several
varieties, some of which are widely grown as ornamentals. They are native
chiefly to Europe and Asia. Genus: Matthiola

29. (plural
stocks or stock) See Virginia stock

30. EQUESTRIAN riding
neckcloth:
a white neckcloth now only worn as part of formal riding dress. In the 18th
century it was part of general male attire.

31. CHRISTIANITY clerical
shirt front: a broad piece of cloth worn on the chest
below a clerical collar by members of the clergy in some denominations of the
Christian Church

32. GAME undistributed
cards or counters: a pile of cards or counters
not dealt out at the start of a game, but picked up during it

33. THEATER system
of presenting plays: a system by which a
permanent theater company presents a set of works during a season, usually in
its own theater.
Also
called
repertory
U.K.
term
repertory

34. THEATER repertoire
of plays:
a theater company’s repertoire of plays

35. THEATER See stock company  noun 2

36. U.K.
hub:
the hub of a wheel

37. GEOLOGY rock
mass:
a roughly circular mass of exposed igneous rock

38. RAIL See rolling stock

39. CLOTHES sock:
a sock or stocking (archaic)
plural
noun
stocks

1.  punishment
device:
a wooden frame in which, in former times, an offender was secured by the hands
and feet or head and hands and left in public to be ridiculed or abused

2.  NAUTICAL construction
stand:
a frame that supports a boat or ship while it is being built
verb
(past stocked, past participle stocked, present
participle stock·ing, 3rd person present singular stocks)

1.  transitive
verb
have
product in stock: to have an item available for sale

2.  transitive
verb
fill
with supply of something: to fill something with goods

3.  transitive
verb
fill
up:
to fill with a plentiful supply of something • We’ve
stocked the refrigerator with cold cuts for the big game.

4.  transitive
verb
supply
farm with livestock: to supply a farm with
livestock

5.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY sprout:
to sprout new shoots

6.  transitive
verb
punish
somebody in stocks: to punish somebody by
putting him or her in the stocks
adjective

unoriginal:
typical or familiar and therefore lacking originality • When
pushed for an answer, he gave the stock response.
[Old
English stocc “tree trunk.” In sense 27, shortening of earlier stock-gillyflower
.]
—stock·er,
noun
take
stock

1.  to
think carefully about something so that you can form an opinion about it

2.  COMMERCE make an inventory of the
stock, especially at the end of a season in a store or business

[1]



stockade

stockade
stock·ade 
[sto káyd] noun (plural stock·ades)

1.  defensive
barrier:
a tall fence or enclosure made of wooden posts driven into the ground side by
side, to keep out enemies or intruders

2.  area
inside stockade: an area surrounded by a stockade

3.  military
prison:
a prison on a military base
transitive
verb
(past stock·ad·ed, past participle stock·ad·ed, present
participle stock·ad·ing, 3rd person present singular stock·ades)

surround area with stockade:
to enclose an area with a stockade
[Early 17th century. Via
obsolete French estocade from Spanish estacada, from estaca
“stake,” of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



stockbreeder

stockbreeder
stock·breed·er
[stók brdər] (plural stock·breed·ers)
noun

breeder
of farm animals: somebody who breeds and raises farm
animals for a living
—stock·breed·ing, noun[1]



stockbroker

stockbroker
stock·bro·ker 
[stók brkər] (plural stock·bro·kers)
noun

somebody
who deals in the stock market: somebody who buys and
sells stocks, shares, and other securities for clients on a commission basis.
Also
called
broker
—stock·bro·ker·age,
noun

—stock·bro·ker·ing, noun[1]



stockbrokerbelt

stockbrokerbelt
stock·bro·ker
belt
(plural stock·bro·ker belts) noun

U.K.
rich commuter district:
an affluent residential area outside a city, typically inhabited by
middle-class professional people who commute to the city to work[1]



stockcar

stockcar

stock
car
(plural stock cars) noun

1.  MOTOR SPORTS kind
of racing car: a standard passenger car that has been
modified for professional racing

2.        RAIL railroad
car for livestock: a railroad
car used for transporting livestock.
U.K. term
cattle truck[1]



stockcertificate

stockcertificate
stock
cer·tif·i·cate noun

certificate of stock
ownership: a certificate specifying the
number of shares owned by an individual or a company in a corporation’s stock.
U.K. term
share certificate[1]



stockcompany

stockcompany
stock
com·pa·ny
noun

1.  BUSINESS company
issuing tradable shares: a company that has its
capital divided into shares that are freely tradable

2.  THEATER theater
company performing cycle of plays: a permanent theater
company that puts on a repertoire of plays, usually in its own theater.
Also
called
repertory company
Also
called
stock
U.K.
term
repertory company

[1]



stockcube

stockcube
stock
cu·be
noun

U.K.
See bouillon cube[1]



stockdove

stockdove
stock
dove 
noun

European
dove:
a grayish dove that is native to Europe. It is slightly smaller than a wood
pigeon, and it nests in holes in trees and cliffs. Latin name: Columba oenas
[Origin uncertain: probably
from stock “tree trunk,” from its nesting in
trees][1]



stockexchange

stockexchange
stock
ex·change
(plural stock ex·chang·es) noun

1.  See
stock market  noun 1

2.  building:
a building in which a stock exchange is sited

[1]



stockfarm

stockfarm
stock
farm
noun

farm where animals are
raised: a farm on which animals, for
example, cattle, sheep, and hogs, are bred and raised[1]



stockfish

stockfish
stock·fish 
[stók fìsh] (plural stock·fish
or stock·fish·es) noun

cured
fish:
fish, usually cod or haddock, that has been cured by being split and air-dried
without the addition of salt
[13th century. Translation of
Low German and Middle Dutch stokvisch, from stok “stick, tree
trunk” + visch “fish.” The reason for the name is unknown.][1]



Stockhausen,Karlheinz

Stockhausen,Karlheinz
Stock·haus·en
[shtók howz’n, stók
howz’n], Karlheinz (1928– )

German composer. A major
figure in the musical avant-garde from the late 1950s, his work incorporates
serialism, random elements, and electronic sound.[1]



stockholder

stockholder
stock·hold·er 
[stók hldər] (plural stock·hold·ers)
noun

FINANCE owner
of company stock: somebody who owns one or more shares of
a company’s stock.
Also
called
shareholder
—stock·hold·ing, noun[1]



Stockholm

Stockholm
Stock·holm 
[stók hōm]

capital city of Sweden, on
the eastern coast of the country. Population: 711,119 (1996)[1]



Stockholmsyndrome

Stockholmsyndrome
Stock·holm
syn·drome
noun

hostage’s
sympathy for captor: a condition experienced by
people who have been held as hostages for some time in which they begin to
identify with and feel sympathetic toward their captors
[Late 20th century. Named for
Stockholm, Sweden, where a bank employee
taken hostage in a robbery became attached to one of her captors.][1]



stockinette

stockinette
stock·i·nette 
[stòki nét, stóki
nèt] or stock·i·net [stòki nét,
stóki nèt] noun

stretchy
knitted fabric: a stretchy knitted fabric formerly used
to make stockings and undergarments, now used for bandages and dishcloths
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of stocking net .][1]



stockinettestitch

stockinettestitch

stock·i·nette stitch
noun
pattern in knitting:
a pattern in knitting that alternates rows of plain and purl stitches.
U.K. term
stocking stitch[1]



stocking

stocking
stock·ing 
[stóking] (plural stock·ings) noun

1.  covering
for woman’s leg: either of a pair of tightly fitting leg
coverings for women, made of silk, nylon, or wool (often used in the plural)

2.  sock:
a sock (dated or formal)

3.  Christmas
stocking:
a Christmas stocking (informal)

4.  differently
colored part of animal’s leg: a differently colored part
of the lower leg of an animal, especially a horse
[Late
16th century. From stock in the obsolete
sense “stocking,” of uncertain origin.]
—stock·inged,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  use of stocking to mean leg coverings may
  have arisen in the 15th century from the blackly humorous comparison of the
  stocks in which one’s legs were restrained as punishment with “leggings,
  hose.” Until comparatively recently stocking
  was a unisex term (as it still is in the expression “in one’s stockinged
  feet”); the restriction to women’s hose is a 20th-century development.

[1]



stockingcap

stockingcap
stock·ing
cap
noun

kind of hat:
a tightly fitting, cone-shaped knitted cap with a tapering tail that often has
a tassel on the end[1]



stockingfiller

stockingfiller
stock·ing
fil·ler
noun

U.K.
See stocking stuffer[1]



stockingmask

stockingmask
stock·ing
mask
noun

stocking used as mask:
a nylon stocking pulled over the head to disguise the features, usually worn by
somebody committing a crime[1]



stockingstitch

stockingstitch
stock·ing
stitch
noun

U.K.
See stockinette stitch[1]



stockingstuffer

stockingstuffer
stock·ing
stuff·er
noun

small Christmas present:
a small and usually inexpensive Christmas gift, especially one put into a
child’s Christmas stocking.
U.K. term
stocking filler[1]



stock-in-trade

stock-in-trade
stock-in-trade
noun

1.  basic
resource:
a resource that somebody needs and regularly makes use of, especially at work • Courtesy
and composure are the receptionist’s stock-in-trade.

2.  goods
and equipment: the goods and equipment that need to be
kept on the premises for a business or store to run

[1]



stockjobber

stockjobber
stock·job·ber 
[stók jòbbər] (plural stock·job·bers)
noun

1.  stockbroker:
a stockbroker, especially an unscrupulous dealer trading worthless securities (dated)

2.  U.K.
dealer
trading with brokers only: formerly, a dealer on the
London stock exchange who dealt only with brokers, not with members of the
public.
Also
called
jobber
—stock·job·ber·y,
noun

—stock·job·bing, noun[1]



stockman

stockman
stock·man 
[stókmən, stók
màn] (plural stock·men [stókmən,
stók mèn]) noun

1.  breeder
of farm animals: a man who owns or breeds farm animals,
especially cattle

2.  man
tending livestock: a man who takes care of the
livestock on a farm or ranch

3.  man
working in warehouse: a man who works in a
warehouse or stockroom

[1]



stockmarket

stockmarket
stock
mar·ket
noun

1.  financial
market:
an organized market where brokers meet to buy and sell stocks and shares.
Also
called
stock exchange

2.  financial
trading:
the activity of buying and selling stocks and shares, or the global market for
stocks and shares (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



stockpile

stockpile
stock·pile 
[stók pl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past stock·piled, past participle stock·piled,
present participle stock·pil·ing, 3rd person present singular
stock·piles)

amass:
to accumulate large quantities of something, for example, food or weapons
noun
(plural stock·piles)

large
supply:
a large supply of something, for example, food or weapons, often accumulated in
anticipation of future difficulties
—stock·pil·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at collect

[1]



stockpot

stockpot
stock·pot 
[stók pòt] (plural stock·pots)
noun

cooking pot:
a large pot for cooking stock[1]



stockroom

stockroom
stock·room
[stók rm, stók
rm] (plural stock·rooms) noun

storeroom:
a room where merchandise or supplies are stored in a store, office, or factory[1]



stockroute

stockroute
stock·route
[stók rt, stók
ròwt] (plural stock·routes) noun

Australia, New Zealand
cattle track:
a road or track that cattle are herded along[1]



stocksaddle

stocksaddle
stock
sad·dle
(plural stock sad·dles) noun

large
saddle:
a large and heavy saddle for a horse with a raised pommel. It was originally
used on ranches in the western and southwestern United States.
Also
called
western saddle
U.K.
term
western saddle
[Originally a Scottish phrase
meaning “saddle with a wooden tree”][1]



stock-still

stock-still
stock-still 
adverb

completely still:
absolutely motionless[1]



stocktaking

stocktaking
stock·tak·ing 
[stók tàyking] (plural stock·tak·ings)
noun

1.  assessing
of situation: evaluating a personal situation, or that
of somebody else

2.  See
inventory

[1]



Stockton

Stockton
Stock·ton 
[stókttən]

city and inland port in
central California, on the San Joaquin River, south of Sacramento. Population:
210,943 (1990)[1]



Stockton,Frank

Stockton,Frank
Stock·ton 
[stókttən], Frank (1834–1902)

U.S.
writer. His whimsical short stories include “The Lady or the Tiger?” ( 1882 ).
Real name
Stockton, Francis Richard[1]



Stockton,Richard Nathaniel

Stockton,Richard Nathaniel
Stock·ton 
[stókttən], Richard Nathaniel (1730–1781)

American patriot. A New
Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress (1775–1778), he signed the
Declaration of Independence (1776).[1]



stockup

stockup
stock
up
intransitive and transitive verb

gather large supply:
to collect a large supply for future use[1]



stockwoman

stockwoman
stock·wo·man
[stók wmmən] (plural stock·wo·men
[stók wìmmin]) noun

1.  woman
breeder of farm animals: a woman who owns or breeds
farm animals, especially cattle

2.  woman
tending livestock: a woman who takes care of
the livestock on a farm or ranch

3.  woman
working in warehouse: a woman who works in a
warehouse or stockroom

[1]



stocky

stocky
stock·y 
[stókee] (comparative stock·i·er,
superlative stock·i·est) adjective

1.  broad
and strong-looking: having a broad
strong-looking physique, and usually short in stature

2.  overweight:
somewhat overweight
[Early
17th century. The underlying idea is “having the form of a tree stump or lump
of wood.”]
—stock·i·ly,
adverb

—stock·i·ness, noun[1]



stockyard

stockyard
stock·yard 
[stók yrd] (plural stock·yards)
noun

temporary animal enclosure:
a large enclosed yard with pens or covered stables where livestock is kept
before being sold, slaughtered, or shipped[1]



stodgy

stodgy
stodg·y 
[stójjee] (comparative stodg·i·er,
superlative stodg·i·est) adjective

1.  unimaginative:
lacking originality, flair, or imagination (informal) • another
stack of stodgy poems

2.  formal
or pompous:
boringly or laughably conventional, formal, or pompous (informal) • another
of his stodgy dinner parties

3.  filling:
heavy, filling, and usually fairly tasteless (informal)

4.  heavy
and plodding: heavy, bulky, and plodding
—stodg·i·ly,
adverb

—stodg·i·ness, noun[1]



stoep

stoep
stoep
[stoop] (plural stoeps) noun

South
Africa
porch:
a porch or veranda
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch (see stoop 2 ).][1]



stogy

stogy
sto·gy 
[stṓgee] (plural sto·gies) or
sto·gie [stṓgee] (plural sto·gies)
or sto·gey [stṓgee] (plural
sto·geys) noun

1.  cheap
cigar:
a long slim inexpensive cigar

2.  heavy
boot or shoe: a heavy boot or shoe that is not well
made
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of Conestoga, supposedly because drivers of Conestoga wagons used such cigars
and shoes.][1]



stoic

stoic
sto·ic 
[stṓ ik] noun (plural sto·ics)

somebody
impassive:
somebody who appears unaffected by emotions, especially somebody admired for
showing patience and endurance in the face of adversity
adjective
sto·ic sto·i·cal

impassive:
tending to remain unemotional, especially showing admirable patience and
endurance in the face of adversity
[Late
16th century. From Stoic .]
—sto·i·cal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at impassive

[1]



Stoic

Stoic
Sto·ic
[stṓ ik] noun (plural Sto·ics)

ancient
philosopher: a member of an ancient Greek school of
philosophy that asserted that happiness can only be achieved by accepting
life’s ups and downs as the products of unalterable destiny. It was founded
around 308 B.C. by Zeno.
adjective

of
the Stoics:
relating to the philosophy of the Stoics
[14th century. From Latin Stoicus,
from, ultimately, Greek stoa “porch,” referring to the Painted Porch in
Athens, where Zeno taught.][1]



stoical

stoical
sto·i·cal
or sto·ic adjective

See
stoic[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








stoichiology

stoichiology
stoi·chi·ol·o·gy 
[stòykee ólləjee] noun

branch
of science:
the study of the elements or principles of any discipline, especially the
chemical principles underlying cell and tissue physiology
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek stoikheion “element” on the model of German Stöchiologie
.]
—stoi·chi·o·log·i·cal
[stòykee ə lójjik’l], adjective[1]



stoichiometry

stoichiometry
stoi·chi·om·e·try 
[stòykee ómmətree] noun

1.  branch
of chemistry: the branch of chemistry concerned with
measuring the proportions of elements that combine when chemical reactions take
place

2.  measure:
a measure of the relative proportions of the chemical elements that take part
in a chemical reaction
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek stoikheion “element” on the model of German Stöchiometrie
.]
—stoi·chi·o·met·ric
[stòykee ō méttrik], adjective

—stoi·chi·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[stòykee ō méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



Stoicism

Stoicism
Sto·i·cism
[stṓ i sìzzəm] noun

philosophical school:
an ancient Greek school of philosophy that asserted that happiness can only be
achieved by accepting life’s ups and downs as the products of unalterable
destiny. It was founded around 308 B.C.
by Zeno.[1]



stoicism

stoicism
sto·i·cism 
[stṓ i sìzzəm] noun

impassivity:
emotional indifference, especially admirable patience and endurance shown in
the face of adversity[1]



stoke

stoke
stoke 
[stōk] (past stoked, past
participle stoked, present participle stok·ing, 3rd
person present singular stokes) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  add
fuel:
to add fuel to a fire and stir it up to make it burn more intensely

2.  tend
boiler:
to be responsible for adding fuel to and tending the boiler of a furnace
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from stoker .][1]



stoked

stoked
stoked 
[stōkt] adjective

exhilarated:
in an excited or euphoric state, especially from having taken drugs[1]



stokehold

stokehold
stoke·hold 
[stṓk hld] (plural stoke·holds)
noun

NAUTICAL
steamship’s boiler room:
the boiler room of a steamship.
Also called
stokehole[1]



stokehole

stokehole
stoke·hole 
[stṓk hl] (plural stoke·holes)
noun

1.  mouth
of furnace:
the opening through which fuel is added to a boiler or furnace

2.  NAUTICAL See stokehold
[Mid-17th century.
Translation of Dutch stookgat .][1]



stoker

stoker
stok·er 
[stṓkər] (plural stok·ers) noun

1.  tender
of furnace:
somebody whose job it is to add fuel to and tend a furnace or boiler, for
example, on a steamship

2.  device
feeding furnace: a mechanical device for adding fuel to a
furnace
[Mid-17th century. From
Dutch, from, ultimately, Middle Dutch stoken “to poke with a stick.”][1]



Stokes-Adamssyndrome

Stokes-Adamssyndrome
Stokes-Ad·ams
syn·drome 
[stks áddəms sìn drm] noun

temporary
dizziness or fainting: episodes of temporary
dizziness or fainting, due to disruption or extreme slowing of the heartbeat
and consequent brief stoppage of blood flow
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Irish physicians William Stokes 1804–1875 and Robert Adams
1791–1875 .][1]



stokeup

stokeup
stoke
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
add
fuel to fire: to add fuel to a fire or a furnace and
stir it up so that it burns more intensely

2.  transitive
verb
intensify
emotion:
to cause an emotion, for example, anger or fear, to be felt more strongly

3.  intransitive
verb
eat
in bulk:
to eat food in large quantities, because or as if food may not be had (informal)

[1]



Stokowski,Leopold

Stokowski,Leopold
Stok·ow·ski
[stə káwf skee, stə
ków skee], Leopold (1882–1977)

British-born
U.S. conductor. He brought the Philadelphia Orchestra international recognition
as its principal conductor (1912–1938).
Full name
Stokowski, Leopold Antoni Stanislaw Boleslawowicz[1]



STOL

STOL
STOL
[stawl, stol]
noun

1.  flying
system:
a flying system that gives an aircraft the ability to take off and land on a
very short runway. Abbreviation of short takeoff and landing

2.  (plural
STOLS) aircraft: an
aircraft fitted with the STOL system

[1]



stole

stole2
stole2 [stōl]
(plural stoles) noun

1.  CLOTHES woman’s
scarf:
a woman’s scarf or shawl often made of fur or worn as part of evening wear

2.  CHRISTIANITY ecclesiastical
scarf:
a long, narrow, and usually embroidered scarf made of silk or linen, worn by
various members of the clergy

3.  HISTORY Roman
robe:
a draped robe worn by women of high standing in ancient Rome
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek stolē “robe, equipment.”][1]



stole

stole1
stole1

Past tense of
steal[1]



stolen

stolen
sto·len


Past participle of
steal[1]



stolid

stolid
stol·id 
[stólləd] adjective

impassive:
solemn and showing little or no emotion
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin stolidus “dense,
stupid.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “standing object, post,”
which is also the ancestor of English stele
.]
—sto·lid·i·ty
[stə líddətee], noun

—stol·id·ly
[stóllədlee], adverb

—stol·id·ness
[stóllədnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at impassive

[1]



stollen

stollen
stol·len 
[stṓlən, shtṓlən]
(plural stol·len or stol·lens) noun

fruit
bread:
a rich sweet German fruit bread made with nuts, raisins, and other dried
fruits. It is traditionally served at Christmas.
[Early 20th century. Via
German from Old High German stollo “post, support.”][1]



stolon

stolon
sto·lon 
[stṓ lòn, stṓlən]
(plural sto·lons) noun

1.  BOTANY plant
shoot:
a long stem or shoot that arises from the central rosette of a plant and droops
to the ground. It may form new plantlets where it touches the soil.

2.  ZOOLOGY organism’s
anchoring part: a budding of the body wall in simple
organisms, especially an extension of certain colonial organisms, for example,
hydroids, that anchors the colony to a rock or other substrate
[Early
17th century. From the Latin stem stolon- . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “something standing up,” which is also the ancestor
of English stalk 1 .]
—sto·lon·ate
[stṓlə nàyt], adjective

—sto·lon·if·er·ous [stlə níffərəss], adjective[1]



stoma

stoma
sto·ma 
[stṓmə] (plural sto·ma·ta [stṓmətə]) noun

1.  BOTANY plant
pore:
a tiny pore in the outer layer ( epidermis )
of a plant leaf or stem that controls the passing of water vapor and other
gases into and out of the plant

2.  ZOOLOGY mouth
or similar structure: a mouth, or an opening that
acts as or is shaped like a mouth

3.  SURGERY surgical
opening:
an artificial opening made in an organ, especially an opening in the colon or
ileum made via the abdomen
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, “mouth” (source also of English stomach ).][1]



stomach

stomach

stom·ach 
[stúmmək] noun (plural stom·achs)

1.  BIOLOGY vertebrates’
digestive organ: an organ resembling a sac in which food
is mixed and partially digested. It forms part of the digestive tract of
vertebrates and is situated between the esophagus and the small intestine.

2.  (informal)
See abdomen

3.  ZOOLOGY invertebrates’
digestive organ: a digestive organ in some invertebrate
animals in which food is mixed, stored, and partially digested

4.  compartment
of animal’s stomach: any of the four digestive
chambers that make up the stomach in ruminant animals (informal)

5.  seat
of unpleasant feelings: the part of the body in
which disgust, nausea, and fear are experienced • The
very idea makes me sick to my stomach.

6.  resistance
to unpleasantness: the ability to withstand
disgust, nausea, or fear • This
is not a job for someone with a weak stomach.
transitive verb
(past stom·ached, past participle stom·ached, present
participle stom·ach·ing, 3rd person present singular stom·achs)

tolerate: to
put up with something • I find
their gloating hard to stomach.
[14th century. Via Old French
stomaque from, ultimately, Greek stomakhos “throat, gullet,” from
stoma “mouth.”][1]



stomachache

stomachache
stom·ach·ache 
[stúmmək àyk] (plural stom·ach·aches)
noun

abdominal pain:
a pain in the abdominal region, caused, for example, by indigestion or an
infection[1]



stomachcrunch

stomachcrunch
stom·ach
crunch
(plural stom·ach crunch·es) noun

exercise for stomach muscles:
an exercise in which you lie flat on your back with your legs bent and then
raise the upper part of your body a few inches off the ground without using
your hands[1]



stomacher

stomacher
stom·ach·er 
[stúmməkər] (plural stom·ach·ers)
noun

decorative garment:
a stiff panel of material, often decorated with embroidery or jewels, worn over
the chest and abdomen by women in the 17th and 18th centuries, and earlier by
both sexes[1]



stomachic

stomachic
sto·mach·ic 
[stə mákik] adjective sto·mach·ic
sto·mach·i·cal

1.  relating
to the stomach: associated with the stomach

2.  beneficial
for stomach: good for the stomach, especially in
stimulating digestion (archaic)
noun
(plural sto·mach·ics)

stomach medicine:
a medicinal preparation that stimulates gastric activity or improves appetite (archaic)
—sto·mach·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



stomachpump

stomachpump
stom·ach
pump
noun

device for removing stomach
contents: a popular name for the
equipment, consisting of a simple tube, funnel, and bucket, used to flush out
the stomach contents of somebody who has, for example, ingested a poison (informal)[1]



stomachtooth

stomachtooth
stom·ach
tooth
noun

canine milk tooth:
either of the first canine teeth in the lower jaw of humans, whose appearance
is popularly believed to be hastened by stomach upsets in infants[1]



stomachworm

stomachworm
stom·ach
worm
noun

parasitic worm:
a parasitic nematode worm that lives in the stomachs of mammals, especially one
of those that infest cattle and sheep[1]



stomal

stomal
sto·mal
[stṓm’l] adjective

of surgical stoma:
relating to a surgical stoma, or occurring in or near a surgical stoma[1]



stomat-

stomat-
stomat-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
stomato-[1]



stomata

stomata
sto·ma·ta


Plural of
stoma[1]



stomatal

stomatal
sto·ma·tal 
[stṓmət’l, stómmət’l]
adjective

of
a stoma:
relating to a stoma, especially in plants and animals
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek stomat-, the stem of stoma (see stoma ).][1]



stomatitis

stomatitis
sto·ma·ti·tis 
[stmə ttiss] noun

mouth
inflammation: inflammation of the mucous tissue lining
the mouth
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek stomat- (see stomatal
) + -itis .]
—sto·ma·tit·ic [stmə títtik], adjective[1]



stomatology

stomatology
sto·ma·tol·o·gy 
[stmə tólləjee] noun

scientific
study of mouth: the branch of medicine or dentistry that
is concerned with the study of the mouth and diseases of the mouth
—sto·ma·to·log·ic
[stmətə lójjik], adjective

—sto·ma·to·log·i·cal
[stmətə lójjik’l], adjective

—sto·ma·tol·o·gist [stmə tólləjist], noun[1]



stomatopod

stomatopod
sto·mat·o·pod 
[stṓmətə pòd, stō
máttə pòd] (plural sto·mat·o·pods) noun

shellfish:
shellfish with abdominal gills and a second pair of claws. They include the
squilla. Order: Stomatopoda[1]



stomatous

stomatous
sto·ma·tous 
[stṓmətəss] adjective

resembling stoma:
resembling a stoma in shape or function[1]



-stome

-stome
-stome
suffix

mouth,
stoma • peristome
[From
Greek stoma “mouth”]
—-stomous, suffix[1]



stomodeum

stomodeum
sto·mo·de·um
[stmə d əm] (plural sto·mo·de·a
[stmə d ə]) or sto·mo·dae·um
[stmə d əm] (plural sto·mo·dae·a)
noun

embryonic
structure:
a depression in the surface of an early embryo that develops into the mouth
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Greek stoma “mouth” + hodaios
“on the way, becoming” (formed from hodos “way, road”).]
—sto·mo·de·al, adjective[1]



stomp

stomp
stomp 
[stomp] verb (past stomped,
past participle stomped, present participle stomp·ing,
3rd person present singular stomps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
with heavy steps: to tread heavily and noisily, often in
anger

2.  transitive
verb
tread
heavily on something: to bring a foot down heavily
on something or somebody with the intention of causing damage or injury (informal)
noun
(plural stomps)

1.  DANCE jazz
dance:
a kind of jazz dance with stamping foot movements

2.  MUSIC jazz music:
jazz music accompanying the stomp
[Early
19th century. Variant of stamp .]
—stomp·er,
noun

—stomp·ing·ly, adverb[1]



stompie

stompie
stom·pie
[stómpee] (plural stomp·ies) noun

South
Africa
cigarette
butt:
a cigarette or cigarette butt (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “little stump,” from stomp “stump.”][1]



-stomy

-stomy
-stomy
suffix

a
surgical operation that creates an artificial opening • gastrostomy
[Coined from Greek stoma
“mouth, opening” + -y][1]



stone

stone
stone 
[stōn] noun (plural stones)

1.  hard
nonmetallic material: the hard solid nonmetallic
substance that rocks are made of. It is used as a building material.

2.  rock
fragment:
a small piece of rock of any shape

3.  shaped
rock fragment: a piece of rock that has been shaped for
a particular purpose, for example, a gravestone (often used in combination)

4.  small
hard mass:
a small hard mass, for example, a hailstone (usually used in combination)

5.  See
gemstone

6.  hard
mass inside fruit: the hard central part of
certain fruits, such as cherries, plums, olives, and peaches, that contains the
seed

7.  (plural
stone or stones) U.K. MEASUREMENTS unit of weight:
in the United Kingdom, a unit of weight equivalent to 6.35 kg14lb . It is used
especially for expressing somebody’s weight. • He’s
trying to get down to 12 stone.

8.  MEDICINE mineral
mass inside organ: a small hard mass of mineral
material formed in an organ, for example, the kidney or gall bladder. Technical
name calculus

9.  COLORS light
gray or beige: a dull light color between light gray
and beige

10. PRINTING printer’s
table:
a very smooth flat table that is used for arranging printing type

11. SPORTS curling
block:
the shaped and polished mass of granite or iron that is slid along the ice in
the game of curling

12. (archaic
slang) See testicle
adjective

1.  stoneware:
made of stoneware

2.  COLORS light
gray to beige in color: of a dull light color
between light gray and beige
adverb

1.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize the degree of a
quality, usually a quality associated with stone, such as coldness, stillness,
or lifelessness

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize the degree of a
quality (slang) • stone
fine
• stone
tired
transitive
verb
(past stoned, past participle stoned, present
participle ston·ing, 3rd person present singular stones)

1.  throw
stones at somebody: to throw stones at somebody
or something, especially as a form of punishment, execution, or vandalism

2.  remove
stone from fruit: to remove the hard central part from a
piece of fruit, for example, a plum

3.  rub
with stone:
to polish or sharpen something on a stone or with a stone
[Old
English stān . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English tungsten .]
—stone·less,
adjective

—stone·like,
adjective
be
carved or set or cast in stone

or
be carved or set or cast in tablets of stonebe so firmly
established as to make changes impossible or unthinkable

cast
or throw the first stone

to
be the first person to accuse, criticize, or quarrel with somebody else

leave
no stone unturned

to be very thorough in making
a search or in carrying out a task[1]



Stone-Age

Stone-Age
Stone-Age
[stṓn àyj] adjective

1.  from
Stone Age:
dating from the Stone Age, the earliest period of human history

2.  Stone-Age
or stone-age very old-fashioned:
hopelessly behind the times

[1]



StoneAge

StoneAge
Stone
Age
noun

early historical period:
the earliest period of human history, in which tools and weapons were made of
stone rather than metal. It is divided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and
Neolithic periods. It extends from around 2.5 million years ago to around 2400 B.C.[1]



stonebass

stonebass
stone
bass
noun

large
sea fish:
a large dark brown and yellow fish found in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters.
It belongs to the perch family and tends to inhabit offshore wreckage. Latin
name: Polyprion americanus
Also
called
wreckfish
[From its inhabiting rocky
ledges and wrecks][1]



stone-blind

stone-blind
stone-blind 
adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning completely unable to see (offensive)
—stone-blind·ness, noun[1]



stone-broke

stone-broke
stone-broke 
adjective

without any money:
having no money at all (informal)[1]



stonecanal

stonecanal
stone
ca·nal
noun

ZOOLOGY
starfish organ:
a narrow calcareous tube found in starfish and other echinoderms that connects
the ring canal surrounding the mouth with an external pore ( madreporite )[1]



stonecat

stonecat
stone·cat 
[stṓn kàt] (plural stone·cats or
stone·cat) noun

species of catfish:
a slender yellowish-brown North American catfish that inhabits the beds of
streams, rivers, and lakes, typically under stones. It has poisonous pectoral
spines. Latin name: Noturus flavus[1]



stonecell

stonecell
stone
cell
noun

BOTANY
type of plant cell:
a short squat plant cell that performs a strengthening function. It occurs in
large numbers in fruits such as the quince and the pear.[1]



stonechat

stonechat
stone·chat 
[stṓn chàt] (plural stone·chats
or stone·chat) noun

small
songbird:
a small songbird found in the grassy regions and dry plains of Europe and North
Africa. Males have a black head, brown back, chestnut breast, and white rump.
Latin name: Saxicola torquata
[Late 18th century. Stone
from the resemblance of the bird’s call to colliding stones.][1]



stone-cold

stone-cold
stone-cold
adjective

completely
cold:
completely cold, especially too cold to be palatable
adverb

absolutely:
completely and utterly (informal) • stone-cold
sober[1]



stonecrab

stonecrab
stone
crab
noun

large crab:
a large crab native to shores of the southern United States. It lays several
million eggs and can be a serious pest of oyster beds. Latin name: Menippe
mercenaria[1]



stonecrop

stonecrop
stone·crop 
[stṓn kròp] (plural stone·crops
or stone·crop) noun

1.  plant
with fleshy leaves: an annual or perennial
flowering plant with fleshy leaves, native mainly to northern temperate
regions. Many varieties are grown as ornamentals. Genus: Sedum

2.  plant
similar to stonecrop: a plant related or similar
to the stonecrop
[Old English stāncropp,
from an earlier form of stone (because the
plant grows on rocks) + crop in the obsolete
sense “flower cluster, ear of grain”][1]



stonecurlew

stonecurlew
stone
cur·lew
noun

wading bird:
a brownish, mostly nocturnal wading bird that inhabits an open dry stony
habitat. It has a large head and eyes, and thick knee joints. Family:
Burhinidae
Also called
thick-knee[1]



stonecutter

stonecutter
stone·cut·ter 
[stṓn kùttər] (plural stone·cut·ters)
noun

1.  somebody
who cuts stone: somebody who is skilled at cutting and
carving stone

2.  machine
for cutting stone: a machine that is used to
cut stone and concrete, especially a hand-held power tool with a circular blade
—stone·cut·ting, noun[1]



stoned

stoned
stoned 
[stōnd] adjective

1.  under
the influence of drugs: relaxed, excited, or
euphoric from taking illegal drugs, especially marijuana (slang)

2.  intoxicated:
very intoxicated (informal)

[1]



stone-dead

stone-dead
stone-dead
adjective

completely lifeless:
definitely or completely lifeless[1]



stone-deaf

stone-deaf
stone-deaf 
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning completely unable to hear (offensive)[1]



Stone,Edward Durell

Stone,Edward Durell
Stone 
[stōn], Edward Durell (1902–1978)

U.S. architect. His most
prestigious commission was the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C. (1964).[1]



stone-faced

stone-faced
stone-faced 
adjective

See
stony-faced[1]



stonefish

stonefish
stone·fish 
[stṓn fìsh] (plural stone·fish·es
or stone·fish) noun

tropical marine fish:
a tropical marine fish whose mottled and knobbly body serves as camouflage in
its rocky habitat. It has dorsal spines that can eject poison. Genus: Synanceja[1]



stonefly

stonefly
stone·fly 
[stṓn fl] (plural stone·flies
or stone·fly) noun

insect living on riverbed:
an insect that, in its wingless juvenile stage, lives among stones in rivers
and streams. The adults have long antennae and usually two pairs of wings. Both
larvae and adults are used as fishing bait. Order: Plecoptera
Also called
plecopteran[1]



stonefruit

stonefruit
stone
fruit
(plural stone fruits) noun

See
drupe[1]



stoneground

stoneground
stone·ground
[stn grównd] adjective

ground with millstones:
ground in the traditional way with millstones rather than with metal rollers[1]



Stone,Harlan Fiske

Stone,Harlan Fiske
Stone 
[stōn], Harlan Fiske (1872–1946)

U.S. jurist. He was associate
justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1925–1941), and served as U.S. chief justice
(1941–1946).[1]



stonehearted

stonehearted
stone·heart·ed 
adjective

See
stony-hearted[1]



Stonehenge

Stonehenge

Stone·henge 
[stōn hénj]
prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain,
southern England, consisting of two concentric circles of large standing
stones. It was built between 2800 and 1500 BC
and is thought to have been an astronomical calendar or a temple to the sun.[1]



stonelily

stonelily
stone
lil·y
noun

sea-lily fossil:
a fossil of a sea lily[1]



Stone,Lucy

Stone,Lucy

Stone 
[stōn], Lucy (1818–1893)
U.S. feminist and abolitionist. She
organized the first U.S. Woman’s Rights Convention (1850) and founded the Women’s
Journal (1870).[1]



stonemarten

stonemarten
stone
mar·ten
noun

1.  marten
of Europe and Asia: a marten found in the woods
of Europe and Asia. It has dark brown fur with a lighter throat and undersides.
It hunts rats and mice. Latin name: Martes foina
Also
called
beech marten

2.  fur:
the fur of the stone marten
[From its inhabiting rocky
inlets and crevices][1]



stonemason

stonemason
stone·ma·son 
[stṓn màyss’n] (plural stone·ma·sons)
noun

worker
with stone:
somebody who shapes and prepares stone for use in building work and who is
often also skilled at building with stone and repairing stone structures
—stone·ma·son·ry, noun[1]



stonemint

stonemint
stone
mint
noun

flowering
aromatic plant: an aromatic plant of the mint family
found in the dry woodlands and grasslands of eastern North America. It has
clusters of small, tubular, purplish or white flowers. It was once used as a
remedy for snakebite and fever. Latin name: Cunila origanoides
[So called because it grows
in rocky places][1]



StoneMountain

StoneMountain
Stone
Moun·tain
[stn mównt’n]

massive granite outcropping
near Atlanta, northern Georgia, United States. A monumental memorial to the
Confederacy is carved on its northern face. Height: 213 m/700 ft.[1]



Stone,Oliver

Stone,Oliver
Stone 
[stōn], Oliver (1946– )

U.S. movie director . His
movies, which include the Academy Award-winning Platoon ( 1986 ), deal
with contemporary issues, often controversially.[1]



stoneroller

stoneroller
stone·roll·er 
[stṓn rlər] (plural stone·roll·ers
or stone·roll·er) noun

minnow
living in gravel beds: a small brown freshwater
minnow found in eastern North America. In the breeding season, males turn
orange and dig nests in the stream bed. Latin name: Campostoma anomalum
[Late 19th century. From the
minnow’s practice of moving stones as it feeds.][1]



Stone,Thomas

Stone,Thomas
Stone 
[stōn], Thomas (1743–1787)

American patriot. A Maryland
delegate to the Continental Congress (1775–1778), he signed the Declaration of
Independence (1776).[1]



stonewall

stonewall
stone·wall 
[stṓn wàwl] (past stone·walled,
past participle stone·walled, present participle stone·wall·ing,
3rd person present singular stone·walls) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb refuse
to cooperate: to refuse to cooperate with somebody by
avoiding answering questions or providing information (informal) • All
reporters’ questions were steadfastly stonewalled.

2.  intransitive
verb
deliberately
create delay: to create obstructions or employ
delaying tactics
[Late
19th century. The underlying meaning is “to put up an immovable barrier.”]
—stone·wall·er, noun[1]



stoneware

stoneware
stone·ware 
[stṓn wàir] noun

dense opaque pottery:
dense opaque nonporous pottery that is fired at a very high temperature[1]



stonewashed

stonewashed
stone·washed
[stṓn wòsht] adjective

given faded look:
washed with small pumice pebbles to give a worn faded look[1]



stonework

stonework
stone·work 
[stṓn wùrk] noun

1.  stone
parts of building: the parts of a building or
other structure that are made of stone

2.  building
with stone:
using stone as a building material
—stone·work·er, noun[1]



stonewort

stonewort
stone·wort 
[stṓn wùrt, stṓn
wàwrt] (plural stone·wort or stone·worts) noun

kind of algae:
green algae that grow in fresh or slightly salty water. They have jointed
branches, often encrusted with lime. Genus: Chara[1]



stone’sthrow

stone’sthrow
stone’s
throw 
noun

short distance:
not very far away at all[1]



stony

stony
ston·y
[stṓnee] (comparative ston·i·er,
superlative ston·i·est) or ston·ey [stṓnee] (comparative ston·i·er, superlative
ston·i·est) adjective

1.  covered
with stones: covered with or having a great many
stones

2.  of
or like stone: made of stone or similar to stone in
appearance, texture, or color

3.  emotionless:
expressing no emotion, especially no friendliness or pity
—ston·i·ly,
adverb

—ston·i·ness, noun[1]



stonycoral

stonycoral
ston·y
cor·al
(plural ston·y cor·als) noun

reef-forming coral:
a coral with a robust external calcium-based skeleton. It forms reefs and
islands. Order: Scleractinia Madreporaria[1]



stony-faced

stony-faced
ston·y-faced 
or stone-faced adjective

expressionless:
showing not the slightest emotion, especially no sign of friendliness[1]



stony-hearted

stony-hearted
ston·y-heart·ed
or stone·heart·ed [stn náartəd]
adjective

lacking
kindness:
having or showing no compassion or kindness
—ston·y·heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



stony-ironmeteorite

stony-ironmeteorite
ston·y-iron
me·te·or·ite noun

meteorite of metal and stone:
a meteorite consisting of metal and stony material[1]



stonymeteorite

stonymeteorite
ston·y
me·te·or·ite noun

kind of meteorite:
a meteorite that is composed mainly of rock-forming silicate minerals,
especially olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxine[1]



stood

stood
stood


Past tense of
stand Past participle of stand[1]



stooge

stooge
stooge 
[stooj] noun (plural stoog·es)

1.  comic
loser:
a comic actor, usually part of a double act, who acts as the butt of most of
the jokes

2.  somebody
exploited:
somebody whom others take advantage of, especially somebody used by criminals
in perpetrating their crimes (slang insult)

3.  (slang)
See stool pigeon  noun 1
intransitive
verb
(past stooged, past participle stooged, present
participle stoog·ing, 3rd person present singular stoog·es)

be taken advantage of:
to be taken advantage of by another (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



stool

stool
stool 
[stool] noun (plural stools)

1.  simple
seat:
a simple seat with three or four legs and no back or armrests

2.  MEDICINE excrement:
a piece of excrement

3.  BOTANY plant
base:
the base of a plant, from which shoots or suckers sprout

4.  BOTANY clump
of shoots:
a clump of shoots or suckers sprouting from the base of a plant

5.  HUNTING hunter’s
decoy:
a real or artificial bird used by hunters as a decoy

6.  African
chief’s throne: in West Africa, a chief’s throne

7.  toilet:
a toilet or toilet seat (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past stooled, past participle stooled, present
participle stool·ing, 3rd person present singular stools)

1.  sprout
shoots:
to sprout shoots or suckers from a stool

2.  evacuate
bowels:
to evacuate the bowels

3.  HUNTING be
decoy or hunt with decoy: to be a decoy for a hunter
of wildfowl, or to hunt wildfowl using decoys

4.  be
stool pigeon: to provide information to law
enforcement agencies about criminals (slang)
[Old English stōl
“chair.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stand,” which is
also the ancestor of English stand
and stead . In sense 2, from the idea
of sitting to defecate.][1]



stoolpigeon

stoolpigeon
stool
pi·geon
(plural stool pi·geons) noun

1.  police
informer:
somebody who provides information to law enforcement agencies about criminals
or their activities (slang)
Also
called
stooge

2.  decoy
criminal:
a criminal working as a decoy for a gang of criminals, with the job of
distracting attention or throwing the police off the scent (slang)

3.  HUNTING hunter’s
decoy pigeon: a pigeon, or a dummy of a pigeon, used
by a hunter as a decoy
[From the fact that such
decoys were originally tied to a wooden platform][1]



stoop

stoop1
stoop1 [stoop]
verb (past stooped, past participle stooped,
present participle stoop·ing, 3rd person present singular stoops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bend
body:
to bend the top half of the body forward and downward

2.  intransitive
verb
walk
or stand bent over: to walk or stand with the
head and shoulders bent forward and downward

3.  intransitive
verb
behave
unethically: to act in an unethical or self-degrading
way • I
never imagined you would stoop so low.

4.  intransitive
verb
condescend:
to do something reluctantly and with the attitude of somebody who does not
normally do something that is so unworthy “He could not stoop to love; No lady
in the land had power His frozen heart to move”; Sir Walter Scott Waverley 1814

5.  intransitive
verb
swoop
down:
to swoop down with wings folded, for example, when attacking prey (refers to
birds)

6.  intransitive
verb
admit
defeat:
to admit defeat (archaic) “as befits mine honor To stoop in such a case”
William Shakespeare Anthony & Cleopatra 1606
noun
(plural stoops)

1.  bent
posture:
a posture in which the head and shoulders are bent forward and downward

2.  BIRDS bird’s
downward swoop: the downward swoop of a bird of prey
[Old
English stūpian]
—stoop·ing,
adjective

—stoop·ing·ly, adverb[1]



stoop

stoop2
stoop2 [stoop]
(plural stoops) noun

small
porch:
a small porch or veranda at the entrance to a house
[Mid-18th century. From Dutch
stoep . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “firm
support,” which is also the ancestor of English step
and staple .][1]



stoop

stoop3
stoop3 noun

CHRISTIANITY
See stoup[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








stoopball

stoopball
stoop·ball 
[stp bàwl] noun

baseball-style
game:
a game based on baseball in which a player throws a ball against a stoop or
wall, with the number of bounces representing the number of bases reached
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from stoop 2 .][1]



stooper

stooper
stoop·er 
[stpər] (plural stoop·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who stoops:
somebody who has a stooping posture

2.  seeker
of discarded tickets: somebody who looks for
winning pari-mutuel tickets accidentally thrown away by others at a racetrack (slang)

[1]



stoor

stoor
stoor
noun

Scotland
See stour[1]



stop

stop
stop 
[stop] verb (past stopped,
past participle stopped, present participle stop·ping,
3rd person present singular stops)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb discontinue:
to cease doing something or make somebody cease doing something • She’s
trying to stop smoking.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cease
moving:
to come to a standstill or bring something to a standstill • Stop
the car! I feel sick.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb end:
to come to an end or bring something to an end • The
snow has stopped.

4.  transitive
verb
prevent
from happening: to prevent something from happening or
continuing • We
couldn’t stop the roof from caving in.

5.  transitive
verb
prevent
an action:
to prevent somebody or something from doing something • a
way of stopping the children from climbing the fence

6.  intransitive
verb
pause:
to pause in order to do something before continuing • I
urge you to stop and think before deciding.

7.  intransitive
verb
interrupt
trip:
to interrupt a trip in order to make a brief visit somewhere • Stop
at the post office on the way into town.

8.  transitive
verb
fill
hole:
to fill or block a hole • We
need to stop the cracks in the wall.

9.  transitive
verb
block:
to block or plug something, for example, a pipe or a wound, so that nothing can
pass through it • grease stopping up the
drain

10. transitive
verb
FINANCE interdict
check:
to instruct a bank not to honor a check

11. transitive
verb
MUSIC press
musical string: to press a string on a stringed
instrument in order to produce a particular note

12. transitive
verb
MUSIC cover
hole on instrument: to use a finger to close a
hole on a wind instrument in order to produce a particular note

13. transitive
verb
MUSIC put hand
inside French horn: to alter the tone and pitch
of a French horn by putting a hand inside the bell

14. transitive
verb
BOXING knock
out:
to defeat an opponent by a knockout

15. intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES block bridge suit:
to block the winning of a suit in bridge

16. transitive
verb
be
hit by something: to be hit by something, usually a punch
or a bullet (informal)

17. transitive
verb
defeat
somebody or something: to defeat an opponent or
competitor or overcome an obstacle (informal) • Nothing’s
going to stop us now.
noun
(plural stops)

1.  standstill:
a complete end or lack of movement

2.  break
in trip:
a short break in a trip, for example, to rest or to visit somebody

3.  place
visited on the way: a place visited while on a
trip

4.  pause
on route:
a place where a bus or a train regularly pauses on its route • Is
this your stop?

5.  blockage:
a blockage or obstruction

6.  plug:
something, for example, a plug or a stopper, that is used to block the flow or
passage of something

7.  device
preventing movement: a device or control that
prevents movement (often used in combination)

8.  FINANCE order
interdicting check: an order to a bank not to
honor a check • had to put a stop on
the lost check

9.  MUSIC stopping
on musical instrument: an act of stopping a string
or a hole on a musical instrument

10. MUSIC subset
of organ pipes: a subset of organ pipes or harpsichord
strings with a common tone color that can be played in isolation by silencing
the remaining pipes or strings

11. MUSIC organ
control:
a knob or lever on an organ or harpsichord that isolates a subset of pipes or
strings

12. PHOTOGRAPHY camera’s
aperture setting: one of the graded settings for the size
of the aperture of a camera lens

13. PHOTOGRAPHY camera’s
diaphragm:
the diaphragm of a camera

14. SAILING short
rope:
a short length of line used to tie up something, for example, a sail

15. PHONETICS speech
sound:
a consonant sound made by closing the passage of air through the mouth and then
suddenly opening it again.
See
also
continuant

16. ZOOLOGY part
of animal’s face: the area between the nose and the
forehead of a cat or a dog

17. FENCING counterthrust:
a swift counterthrust made at the time of an opponent’s thrust that seeks to
make contact first

18. ARCHITECTURE carving:
a carving that finishes the end of a molding
[Old
English -stoppian “to block up.” Via prehistoric Germanic from assumed
Vulgar Latin stuppare “to plug up” (source of English stuff ), from Latin stuppa “plug,
stopper,” from Greek stuppē .]
—stop·pa·ble,
adjective
pull
out all the stops

to
make every possible effort in order to accomplish something

put
a stop to something

to bring something to an end,
usually quickly and permanently[1]



stopbath

stopbath
stop
bath
(plural stop baths) noun

PHOTOGRAPHY
solution that stops development:
an acid solution in which a negative or print is immersed in order to halt the
developing process[1]



stopcock

stopcock
stop·cock 
[stóp kòk] (plural stop·cocks)
noun

valve for controlling flow:
a valve or faucet used to turn on, turn off, or regulate the flow of a fluid in
a pipe[1]



stopdown

stopdown
stop
down
intransitive and transitive verb

reduce aperture:
to make the aperture of a camera lens smaller[1]



stope

stope
stope 
[stōp] noun (plural stopes)

step-shaped
excavation:
an excavation that resembles steps, used especially in the mining of ore
intransitive
and transitive verb (past stoped, past
participle stoped, present participle stop·ing, 3rd
person present singular stopes)

make
step-shaped excavations: to make stopes in a mine, or
to extract ore in this way
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Low German .][1]



Stopes,Marie

Stopes,Marie
Stopes
[stōps], Marie (1880–1958)

Scottish
pioneer advocate of birth control and writer. She wrote prolifically promoting
scientific methodology of birth control, and established the first birth
control clinic in Britain (1921).
Full name
Stopes, Marie Charlotte Carmichael[1]



stopgap

stopgap
stop·gap 
[stóp gàp] noun (plural stop·gaps)

temporary
substitute:
something used as a temporary substitute for something that is really needed
adjective

makeshift:
used as a temporary substitute for something that is really needed • a
stopgap spending bill[1]



stoplight

stoplight
stop·light 
[stóp lt] (plural stop·lights)
noun

1.  See
traffic light

2.  vehicle
rear light activated by brake: a red light on the
rear of a motor vehicle that lights up when the vehicle’s brakes are applied.
Also
called
brake light
U.K.
term
brake light

[1]



stopoff

stopoff
stop
off
intransitive verb

halt briefly:
to interrupt a trip briefly in order to do something or see somebody • We
stopped off at the supermarket on the way home.[1]



stop-off

stop-off
stop-off
(plural stop-offs) noun

See
stopover[1]



stoporder

stoporder
stop
or·der
(plural stop or·ders) noun

order to buy or sell:
an order to a stock broker to buy or sell a stock when it has risen or fallen
to a specified price[1]



stopover

stopover
stop·o·ver 
[stóp vər] (plural stop·o·vers)
noun
Also
called
stop-off

1.  stop
made during a trip: a usually brief halt on a
journey

2.  place
stopped at:
a place where somebody makes a brief halt on a trip

[1]



stoppage

stoppage
stop·page 
[stóppij] (plural stop·pag·es)
noun

1.  act
of stopping: the act of stopping the movement of
something

2.  situation
where things are stopped: a situation in which
something has been stopped or blocked • a
work stoppage

[1]



Stoppard,Tom

Stoppard,Tom
Stop·pard
[stóppərd, stóp
aard], Sir Tom (1937– )

Czech-born
British dramatist. He had instant success with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Are Dead (1966). Later plays include Arcadia (1993).
Born
Straussler, Tom[1]



stoppayment

stoppayment
stop
pay·ment
(plural stop pay·ments) noun

order not to pay check:
an order by a person or organization to a bank telling it that a particular
check is not to be paid[1]



stopper

stopper
stop·per 
[stóppər] noun (plural stop·pers)

1.  cork
or plug:
something that is put into an opening in order to close it.
Also
called
stopple

2.  somebody
or something that stops something: a person or thing that
brings something to a stop

3.  CARD GAMES card
that prevents taking of suit: a card held by somebody that
will prevent the opponents from taking all the tricks in that card’s suit
during a hand of bridge

4.  BASEBALL ace
relief pitcher: the most effective relief pitcher who is
brought on to win important games (informal)
transitive
verb
(past stop·pered, past participle stop·pered, present
participle stop·per·ing, 3rd person present singular stop·pers)

close with stopper:
to close or secure something with a stopper

[1]



stopple

stopple
stop·ple 
[stópp’l] noun

See
stopper  noun 1
[15th
century. Formed from stop .]
—stop·ple, transitive
verb[1]



stopwatch

stopwatch

stop·watch 
[stópp wòch] (plural stop·watch·es)
noun
watch for measuring length of time:
a special watch that can be started and stopped instantly and is used to
measure the amount of time somebody or something takes, for example, a runner
in a race[1]



storage

storage
stor·age 
[stáwrij] noun

1.  storing
or being stored: the act of storing something, or the
condition of being stored

2.  space
for storing: space in which to store things,
especially the amount of such space

3.  COMPUT medium
for storing data: any primary or secondary device or
medium used to store data and programs for use by a computer

4.  FINANCE price
for storing: the price charged for storing something

5.  ELECTRICITY recharging
of battery:
the recharging of a battery

[1]



storagebattery

storagebattery
stor·age
bat·ter·y
noun

battery with secondary cell:
a rechargeable battery consisting of one or more cells for producing electrical
energy from stored chemical energy.
Also called
secondary battery
U.K. term
accumulator[1]



storagecell

storagecell
stor·age
cell
(plural stor·age cells) noun

See
secondary cell[1]



storax

storax
sto·rax 
[stáwr àks] noun

1.  subtropical
tree with white flowers: any of various related
tropical or subtropical trees or shrubs with hairy leaves and long clusters of
drooping white flowers. Genus: Styrax

2.  vanilla-scented
balsam:
a vanilla-scented balsam obtained from a storax tree and used in the past in
medicine and perfumery, and as incense. Latin name: Styrax officinalis

3.  fragrant
balsam:
a liquid fragrant balsam used as an expectorant and in perfumery, obtained from
the bark of an Asian tree. Latin name: Liquidambar orientalis
Also
called
styrax
[14th century. From Latin, an
alteration of styrax .][1]



store

store
store 
[stawr] verb (past stored,
past participle stored, present participle stor·ing,
3rd person present singular stores)

1.  transitive
verb
put
away:
to put something away for use in the future

2.  transitive
verb
put
something into safekeeping: to put or hold something
somewhere for safekeeping, for example, in a warehouse

3.  transitive
verb
hold
something for safekeeping: to hold something for
safekeeping, for example, in a warehouse

4.  intransitive
verb
survive
storage:
to survive or stay fresh while being kept in storage • Apples
will store well in a cool, humid building.

5.  transitive
verb
stock
items:
to fill or provide something with other things

6.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING hold
data:
to enter or save data or programs into a computer memory
noun
(plural stores)

1.  COMMERCE place
selling goods: a place where merchandise is offered for
retail sale to customers

2.  quantity
saved for future use: a quantity or collection put
away for future use • a
store of grain in a silo

3.  place
where goods are kept: a place where merchandise is
kept in quantity, for example, a warehouse

4.  great
quantity:
a great quantity or large collection • a rich
store of memories
plural
noun
stores

supplies: items
or materials needed for something, for example, a business, expedition, or
vessel
adjective

commercially bought:
purchased from a retail store
[13th
century. Via Old French estorer “to build, supply” from Latin instaurare
. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to set up,” which is also the
ancestor of English restore and stow .]
—stor·a·ble,
adjective
in
store

1.  about
to happen in the future • She
has a surprise in store for you.

2.  in
a large amount • He has come back with
money in store.

mind
the store

to
be in charge of running something, usually in the temporary absence of the
person who is normally in charge (informal)

set
or lay or put great store by something

to
consider something to be important, valuable, or worthwhile

[1]



store-bought

store-bought
store-bought 
adjective

bought from store:
bought already made from a retail store rather than being homemade.
U.K. term
shop-bought[1]



storecheese

storecheese
store
cheese
noun

See
cheddar
[Perhaps so called because it
is commonly stocked in stores, or because it keeps well][1]



storefront

storefront
store·front 
[stáwr frùnt] noun (plural store·fronts)

1.  entrance
side of store: the side of a store that faces the
street or parking lot and includes the main entrance, usually having one or
more large windows that display the store’s goods

2.  room
or building with storefront: a room, suite of rooms, or
building that has a storefront
adjective

1.  located
on storefront: located on or near the side of the store
where the main entrance is

2.  based
in storefront: working or based in a storefront rather
than in a more professional or expensive location • a
storefront clinic

[1]



storehouse

storehouse
store·house 
[stáwr hòwss] (plural store·hous·es
[stáwr hòwzəz]) noun

1.  building
where things are stored: a place where things are
stored

2.  collection:
an abundant source, collection, or supply • She’s
a storehouse of information on local history.

[1]



storekeeper

storekeeper
store·keep·er 
[stáwr kpər] (plural store·keep·ers)
noun

1.  retail
store owner: somebody who runs a retail store or
shop, usually the owner of a small store.
Also
called
shopkeeper
U.K.
term
shopkeeper

2.  somebody
in charge of supplies: somebody who is responsible
for overseeing the supplies or stores of a military unit, ship, or organization

[1]



storeroom

storeroom
store·room 
[stáwr rm, stáwr
rm] (plural store·rooms) noun

room used for storing:
a room or enclosed space where things are stored[1]



storewide

storewide
store·wide 
[stáwr wd] adjective

involving the entire store:
applying to or involving all of a department store or another retail store or
its merchandise[1]



storey

storey
sto·rey 
noun

U.K. =
story 2[1]



storeyed

storeyed
sto·reyed 
adjective

U.K. =
storied 2[1]



storied

storied2
sto·ried2 [stáwreed]
adjective

with
stories:
with stories, usually of a given number (often used in combination) • a
multistoried shopping mall
[Early 17th century. Formed
from story 2 .][1]



storied

storied1
sto·ried1 [stáwreed]
adjective

1.  interesting
or celebrated: interesting, famous, or celebrated in
stories and books (literary) • the
storied outlaw Robin Hood

2.  decorated
with historical scenes: decorated with images of
scenes from history or legend
[14th century. Formed from story 1 .][1]



stork

stork

stork 
[stawrk] (plural storks or
stork) noun
large
wading bird with long legs: large wading bird that is
related to heron and ibis and has long legs, a long neck, a long straight bill,
and black-and-white plumage. Family: Ciconiidae
[Old English storc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “stiff,” which is also the
ancestor of English strut and stark .][1]



storksbill

storksbill
storks·bill 
[stáwrks bìl] (plural storks·bills)
noun

plant with beaked fruit:
any of various plants of the geranium family that have lobed leaves, clusters
of pink or purple flowers, and fruits with a beak-shaped tip. Genus: Erodium[1]



storm

storm
storm 
[stawrm] noun (plural storms)

1.  METEOROLOGY violent
weather:
a disturbance in the air above the earth, with strong winds and usually also
with rain, snow, sleet, or hail and sometimes lightning and thunder

2.  METEOROLOGY heavy
rain or snow: a heavy fall of rain, snow, or sleet,
often occurring with strong winds

3.  METEOROLOGY strong
wind:
a gale that has a speed of 103 to 106 km/64 to 72 mi per hour

4.  rain
of objects:
a heavy bombardment of solid objects

5.  outburst
of feeling:
a sudden strong outpouring of feeling in reaction to something, for example, of
protest or laughter • a
storm of anger

6.  BUILDING storm
window:
a storm window (informal) (often used in the plural)

7.  MILITARY sudden
strong attack: a sudden strong attack on a defended
place or position
verb
(past stormed, past participle stormed, present
participle storm·ing, 3rd person present singular storms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb attack
violently:
to attack or capture a place, especially a well defended one, suddenly and with
great force • stormed
the barricades

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
angry:
to be violently and noisily angry

3.  intransitive
verb
rush
with violence or anger: to go somewhere in a rush,
violently or angrily • stormed
out of the room in a huff

4.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY blow
with or without precipitation: to blow strongly, to
drop large amounts of rain, snow, or sleet, or to do both together
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to whirl,” which is
also the ancestor of English stir 1 and disturb .]
take
somebody or something by storm

1.  to
capture a place or overwhelm a body of enemies suddenly and with great force

2.  to
make a great and immediate impression on somebody or something

up
a storm

with
great energy and enthusiasm or skill (informal) • danced
up a storm at the party

[1]



stormbound

stormbound
storm·bound 
[stáwrm bòwnd] adjective

shut in by storm:
unable to leave, go out, or get in touch with anyone because of a strong storm[1]



stormcellar

stormcellar
storm
cel·lar
(plural storm cel·lars) noun

cellar for protection against
high winds: a shelter underground used
as a refuge during a windstorm[1]



stormcenter

stormcenter
storm
cen·ter
(plural storm cen·ters) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY central
area of low pressure: the central region of a
cyclonic storm, with a low barometric pressure and relatively calm conditions

2.  focus
of disturbance: a focus of trouble, disturbance, or
controversy

[1]



stormcloud

stormcloud
storm
cloud
(plural storm clouds) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY cloud
indicating bad weather: a large dark cloud that is a
sign of approaching heavy rain or a storm

2.  sign
of war:
a sign that violence, especially war, is soon to break out

[1]



stormdoor

stormdoor
storm
door
(plural storm doors) noun

additional outer door:
a door added outside the main door of a house to provide additional protection
against extremes of weather[1]



stormdrain

stormdrain
storm
drain
(plural storm drains) noun

See
storm sewer[1]



stormpetrel

stormpetrel
storm
pet·rel
(plural storm pet·rels) or stormy petrel noun

small
seabird:
any of various small seabirds that have black or brown plumage with a white
rump, especially a variety that lives in the northern Atlantic and
Mediterranean. Latin name: Hydrobates pelagicus
[So called because the bird’s
appearance was thought to forebode a storm][1]



stormproof

stormproof
storm·proof
[stáwrm prf] adjective

protecting from or
withstanding storms: able to
withstand the wind, rain, or other elements of a storm, or providing protection
from them[1]



stormsewer

stormsewer
storm
sew·er
(plural storm sew·ers) noun

large drain:
a large drain built to carry away excess water from a road during heavy rain.
Also called
storm drain[1]



storm-tossed

storm-tossed
storm-tossed
adjective

disturbed by storms:
subjected to or disturbed by storms[1]



stormtrooper

stormtrooper
storm
troop·er
(plural storm troop·ers) noun

1.  member
of Nazi militia: a member of the SA, a private militia of
the Nazi party that used tactics of violence and brutality

2.  soldier
of attack force: a member of a military shock force
specially trained to carry out attacks

3.  somebody
like Nazi storm trooper: somebody who acts like a
Nazi storm trooper in terms of cruelty, brutality and ruthlessness
[Formed from storm troop,
a translation of German Sturmabteilung][1]



stormwindow

stormwindow
storm
win·dow
(plural storm win·dows) noun

outer weatherproofing window:
a window added outside an ordinary house window to provide additional
protection against extremes of weather.
Also called
storm[1]



stormy

stormy
storm·y 
[stáwrmee] (comparative storm·i·er,
superlative storm·i·est) adjective

1.  affected
by or subject to storms: affected by or experiencing
a storm or frequent storms

2.  strongly
emotional:
dominated by or subject to strong emotions or disturbances
—storm·i·ly,
adverb

—storm·i·ness, noun[1]



stormypetrel

stormypetrel
storm·y
pet·rel
(plural storm·y pet·rels) noun

1.  BIRDS See storm petrel

2.  somebody
causing trouble: somebody who causes trouble or whose
appearance is usually followed by trouble

[1]



Stornoway

Stornoway
Storn·o·way
[stáwrnə wày] noun

Canada
residence of leader of Canadian
opposition: the name of the house that
is the official residence of the leader of the political opposition in Canada[1]



story

story1
sto·ry1 [stáwree]
noun (plural sto·ries)

1.  factual
or fictional narrative: a factual or fictional
account of an event or series of events

2.  LITERATURE short
fictional prose piece: a work of fiction in prose
that is shorter than a novel

3.  LITERATURE THEATER plot
of fiction or drama: the plot of a novel, play,
motion picture, or other fictional narrative work.
Also
called
story line

4.  account
of facts:
what somebody says has happened • changed
her story several times

5.  falsehood:
something that one person tells another that is not true (informal) • Don’t
give me any stories.

6.  PRESS news
report:
a report in the news of something that has happened

7.  subject
for report:
a subject or material for a news report

8.  LITERATURE legend
or romance:
traditional tales and legends, or the literature based on such tales
transitive
verb
(past sto·ried, past participle sto·ried, present
participle sto·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular sto·ries)

1.  decorate
with legendary scenes: to decorate something with
images of scenes from history or legend

2.  tell
something as story: to tell something as or in a
story (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman estorie from Latin historia (see history ).]
a
likely story

something
that is probably untrue (informal ironic)

the
same old story

what
always happens or is said (informal)

to
make or cut a long story short

to say something in a brief
rather than a longer and more detailed way[1]



story

story2
sto·ry2 [stáwree]
(plural sto·ries) noun

1.  floor
in building: any of the different floors or levels in
a building

2.  rooms
on one building level: a set of rooms, or space, on
a particular floor of a building
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Latin historia from Latin (see history
), perhaps because historical scenes were often painted on the façades of
medieval buildings.][1]



storyboard

storyboard
sto·ry·board 
[stáwri bàwrd] (plural sto·ry·boards)
noun

sketches outlining plot:
a set of sketches, arranged in sequence on panels, outlining the scenes that
will make up something to be filmed, for example, a motion picture, television
show, or advertisement[1]



storybook

storybook
sto·ry·book 
[stáwri bk] noun (plural sto·ry·books)

book
of children’s stories: a book of stories for
children
adjective

like children’s stories:
typical of or like something found in children’s stories rather than the real
world[1]



Story,Joseph

Story,Joseph
Sto·ry
[stáwree], Joseph (1779–1845)

U.S. jurist. He served as
associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1812–1845) and wrote extensively
on law.[1]



storyline

storyline
sto·ry
line
(plural sto·ry lines) noun

See
story 1 noun
3[1]



storyteller

storyteller
sto·ry·tell·er 
[stáwri tèllər] (plural sto·ry·tell·ers)
noun

1.  teller
or writer of stories: somebody who tells or writes
stories

2.  somebody
who fibs:
somebody who tells lies (informal)
—sto·ry·tell·ing, noun[1]



stoss

stoss
stoss 
[stoss, stawss,
shtōss] adjective

facing
oncoming glacier: used to describe a mountain, hill, or
slope that faces the direction of an oncoming glacier
[Late 19th century. From
German, “thrust, push.”][1]



stotin

stotin
sto·tin
[sto teén] (unmarked inflection sto·tins)
noun

Slovene
subunit of currency: a subunit of currency in
Slovenia, worth one hundredth of a tolar
[From Slovene, literally
“hundredth”][1]



stotinka

stotinka
sto·tin·ka 
[stō tíngkə] (plural sto·tin·ki
[stō tíngkee]) noun

1.  Bulgarian
subunit of currency: a subunit of currency in
Bulgaria, worth one hundredth of a lev

2.  coin
worth a stotinka: a coin worth a stotinka
[Late 19th century. From
Bulgarian, literally “hundredth,” from sto “hundred.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English hundred, cent,
hecto-, and satem .][1]



Stoughton

Stoughton
Stough·ton 
[stówtən]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, south of Boston and northwest of Brockton. Population: 27,481
(1996)[1]



stoup

stoup
stoup
[stoop] (plural stoups) or
stoop [stoop] (plural stoops)
noun

basin
for holy water: a basin for holy water in a church
[14th century. From Old Norse
staup “drinking vessel.”][1]



stour

stour
stour 
[stoor] or stoor [stoor] noun

U.K.
turmoil:
confusion, turmoil, or uproar (regional)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Anglo-Norman estur “tumult.”][1]



stout

stout
stout 
[stowt] adjective (comparative
stout·er, superlative stout·est)

1.  thickset
or heavy:
thicker and heavier in body than an average person of the same height

2.  courageous
and determined: possessing or showing courage and
determination

3.  strong:
strong and substantial

4.  strong
in structure: strong and substantial in structure
noun
(plural stouts)

1.  BEVERAGES dark
strong beer: a strong, very dark, almost black beer
made from roasted malted barley

2.  CLOTHES size
or garment for large person: a size of clothing that fits
a person who is heavier than average, or a garment in such a size

3.  stout
person:
somebody who is thicker-waisted and heavier than average for a certain height
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman, of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—stout·ish,
adjective

—stout·ly,
adverb

—stout·ness, noun[1]



stouten

stouten
stout·en 
[stówt’n] (past stout·ened, past
participle stout·ened, present participle stout·en·ing,
3rd person present singular stout·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make or become stout:
to become, or make somebody or something, stout or stouter[1]



stouthearted

stouthearted
stout·heart·ed 
[stòwt hrtəd] adjective

courageous
or unyielding: having or showing courage and resolution
—stout·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—stout·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



stove

stove2
stove2

Past tense of
stave Past participle of stave[1]



stove

stove1
stove1 [stōv]
noun (plural stoves)

1.  appliance
for cooking or heating: an appliance that uses
electricity or burns a fuel to produce heat for cooking or for heating

2.  heat-producing
chamber or device: a device or chamber that is
used to heat or dry something, for example, a kiln
transitive
verb
(past stoved, past participle stoved, present
participle stoving, 3rd person present singular stoves)

INDUSTRY heat
in a stove:
to treat something by heating it in a stove in order to coat it with a surface
such as enamel
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German, “heated room.”][1]



stovepipe

stovepipe
stove·pipe 
[stṓv pp] (plural stove·pipes)
noun

1.  pipe
for stoves:
a pipe used as a chimney for a fuel-burning stove, usually made of sheet steel
formed into a tube

2.  See
stovepipe hat

[1]



stovepipehat

stovepipehat
stove·pipe
hat
(plural stove·pipe hats) noun

tall hat:
a tall tube-shaped silk hat for a man.
Also called
stovepipe[1]



stover

stover
sto·ver 
[stṓvər] (plural sto·vers) noun

corn
stalks used as fodder: leaves and stalks of corn
that are left in a field after harvesting and are dried for use as fodder
[Mid-17th century. From
Anglo-Norman estover, a variant of Old French estoveir “to be
necessary,” from Latin est opus “it is necessary.”][1]



stovies

stovies
stov·ies
[stṓviz] plural noun

Scotland
stewed potatoes and onions:
a dish of sliced potatoes and onions stewed together, sometimes with a little
meat[1]



stow

stow
stow 
[stō] (past stowed, past
participle stowed, present participle stow·ing, 3rd
person present singular stows) transitive verb

1.  put
something away neatly: to pack something or put
something away, especially when the result is neat and orderly

2.  fill
something with tightly packed things: to
fill something with other things, especially things packed tightly • to
stow a boat’s hold with cargo

3.  store
something for later use: to store something for use
in the future

4.  hold
something:
to be capable of containing something

5.  stop
something:
to stop doing something (slang) • Stow
this silly chatter.

6.  lodge
somebody temporarily: to find a room or a place
for somebody to stay, often for only a short time
[14th century. Formed from
Old English stōw “place.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“to stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stand,
stead, and store .][1]



stowage

stowage
stow·age 
[stṓ ij] noun

1.  stowing
of things:
a loading, packing, or storing of something, or a way of doing this

2.  situation
or arrangement of things packed: the condition of being
stowed, or the way this has been done

3.  things
stowed:
something that is stowed somewhere or is to be stowed

4.  place
or space for stowing: a place, container, or space
for stowing things

5.  fee
for stowing: a fee or fees for stowing something

[1]



stowaway

stowaway
stow
away
intransitive verb

hide to travel free:
to hide on a ship or aircraft in the hope of being taken somewhere without
having to pay[1]



stowaway

stowaway
stow·a·way 
[stṓ ə wày] (plural stow·a·ways)
noun

somebody who stows away:
somebody who hides on a ship or aircraft in the hope of being taken somewhere
without having to pay[1]



Stowe,Emily Howard

Stowe,Emily Howard
Stowe 
[stō], Emily Howard (1831–1903)

Canadian
doctor. She was the first Canadian woman to practice medicine in Canada. She
founded Woman’s Medical College in Toronto (1883).
Born
Jennings, Emily[1]



Stowe,Harriet Beecher

Stowe,Harriet Beecher

Stowe 
[stō], Harriet Beecher (1811–1896)
U.S.
writer and abolitionist. She is best known for her antislavery novel Uncle
Tom’s Cabin ( 1852 ).
Born
Beecher, Harriet Elizabeth[1]



STP

STP2
STP2 Trademark

a trademark for a fuel
additive designed to improve the performance of internal-combustion engines[1]



STP

STP1
STP1

Abbreviation of
standard temperature and pressure[1]



St.Patrick’s Day

St.Patrick’s Day
Saint
Pat·rick’s Day (plural St. Pat·rick’s Days)
noun

CALENDAR
March 17:
March 17, the Christian feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.[1]



St.Paul

St.Paul
Saint
Paul
[saynt páwl]

capital city of Minnesota, in
the southeastern part of the state on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Population: 262,071 (1994)[1]



St.Paul’s Cathedral

St.Paul’s Cathedral

Saint Paul’s Cathedral
[sàynt páwlz] noun
London cathedral:
a large, domed, baroque cathedral in the City of London, England, designed by
Christopher Wren and completed in 1710[1]



St.Petersburg

St.Petersburg
Saint
Pe·ters·burg [saynt ptərz
bùrg]

1.  the
second largest city in Russia, located in the northwestern part of the country.
Situated at the head of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea, it is
also the country’s largest port. It was the capital of Russia for two
centuries, from 1712 until 1918. Population: 4,672,000 (1997) Former name
Leningrad 1924–1990

2.  city
in western Florida, located on Pinellas Peninsula between Tampa Bay and the
Gulf of Mexico. Population: 238,585 (1994)

[1]



St.Peter’s

St.Peter’s

Saint Pe·ter’s
[saynt ptərz] noun
Vatican city basilica:
a large Baroque basilica in the Vatican City, Rome, Italy that was completed in
1612. It is one of the largest churches in the world.[1]



St.-Pierre

St.-Pierre
Saint-Pi·erre
[sàynt pee áir]

town and tourist center in
the French West Indies, on Martinique Island in the Caribbean Sea, near the
base of the volcano, Montagne Pelée. Population: 5,007 (1990)[1]



St-Pierreand Miquelon

St-Pierreand Miquelon
St-Pi·erre
and Mi·que·lon [san pr ənd
mkə lon, saN pyàir ənd m klòN]

overseas territory of France,
in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It consists
of two small groups of islands. Population: 6,392 (1990) Area: 242 sq km/93 sq
mi.[1]



STR

STR
STR

Abbreviation of
synchronous transmitter receiver[1]



str.

str.
str.

1.  str.
or Str. Abbreviation of strait

2.  Abbreviation
of
steamer

3.  POETRY Abbreviation of strophe

4.  Abbreviation
of
stroke

5.  MUSIC Abbreviation of
stringed

6.  MUSIC Abbreviation of
strings

[1]



strabismus

strabismus
stra·bis·mus 
[strə bízməss] noun

squint:
a squint (technical)
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek strabizein “to
squint,” from strabos “squinting.”]
—stra·bis·mal,
adjective

—stra·bis·mic,
adjective

—stra·bis·mi·cal, adjective[1]



Strachey,Lytton

Strachey,Lytton
Stra·chey
[stráykee], Lytton (1880–1932)

British
writer. A member of the Bloomsbury Group, he wrote Eminent Victorians
(1918) and other biographies known for illuminating the personality of their
subjects.
Full name
Strachey, Giles Lytton[1]



Strad

Strad
Strad
[strad] (plural Strads) noun

violin:
a Stradivarius violin (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



straddle

straddle
strad·dle 
[strádd’l] verb (past strad·dled,
past participle strad·dled, present participle strad·dling,
3rd person present singular strad·dles)

1.  transitive
verb
sit
or stand with legs astride something: to
sit or stand so that one leg is on one side and the other leg is on the other
side of something or somebody

2.  transitive
verb
be
over or across something: to be on both sides of
something • The
city straddles the river.

3.  transitive
verb
apply
to more than one thing: to exist in, belong to, or
apply to more than one situation or category • The
rule of the dynasty straddled the end of one century and the beginning of the
next.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb favor
both sides:
to appear to favor both sides of an issue, or resist committing to one side or
the other

5.  transitive
verb
spread
legs apart:
to spread the legs apart, usually so that each leg is on one side of something

6.  transitive
verb
strike
and narrowly miss target: to strike a target as well
as miss it on either side

7.  intransitive
verb
sit
or walk with legs apart: to sit, stand, or walk with
the legs spread apart or on both sides of something

8.  transitive
verb
MILITARY fire
shells for range: to fire artillery shells in front of and
behind a target to find the correct range
noun
(plural strad·dles)

1.  position
across or over something: a position in which
something is over or across something else, or somebody’s legs are apart or on
both sides of something

2.  act
of straddling: the act of putting one leg on either
side of something

3.  noncommittal
position:
a position on an issue that seems to favor both sides or resists committing to
one side or the other

4.  FINANCE stock
transaction: the simultaneous holding of options to
buy and sell a commodity at a set price during a specific period of time. This
ensures a profit for the holder, irrespective of any rises or falls in value.
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of obsolete stridlen,
literally “to keep striding,” from an earlier form of stride
.]
—strad·dler, noun[1]



Stradivari,Antonio

Stradivari,Antonio
Stra·di·va·ri
[stràddə váiree, stràddə
vree], Antonio (1644–1737)

Italian violin maker. The
instruments that he produced, including violas and cellos, are among the most
highly prized in the world.[1]



Stradivarius

Stradivarius
Strad·i·var·i·us 
[stràddə váiree əss] (plural Strad·i·var·i·us·es)
noun

violin
made by Stradivari: a violin or other stringed
instrument that was made by the Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari or his
sons
[Mid-19th century. Latinized
form of Stradivari .][1]



strafe

strafe
strafe 
[strayf] transitive verb (past
strafed, past participle strafed, present participle
straf·ing, 3rd person present singular strafes)

attack
something with gunfire: to attack a position or
troops on the ground with machine gun or cannon fire from a low-flying aircraft
noun
(plural strafes)

air
attack:
a machine gun or cannon attack by low-flying aircraft on a ground target
[Early
20th century. From German strafen “to punish.”]
—straf·er, noun[1]



straggle

straggle
strag·gle 
[strágg’l] intransitive verb (past
strag·gled, past participle strag·gled, present
participle strag·gling, 3rd person present singular strag·gles)

1.  stray
from path:
to stray from a path, or wander away from or become separated from a group

2.  move
or become spread out: to move or become spread out
over a large area

3.  come
or go irregularly: to come or go in an
irregular or disorganized way

4.  grow
untidily:
to grow or hang in an untidy or irregular way
noun
(plural strag·gles)

straggled group or arrangement:
a group or arrangement that lacks order, is spread out, or is untidy
[15th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—strag·gly, adjective[1]



straggler

straggler
strag·gler
[strágg’lər] (plural strag·glers)
noun

person or animal that wanders
off: a person or animal that
wanders or becomes separated from a group, especially a soldier who falls
behind in a march • fell
behind to wait for the stragglers[1]



straight

straight
straight 
[strayt] adjective (comparative
straight·er, superlative straight·est)

1.  not
curved:
without bends, curves, irregularities, or deviations

2.  level:
level, even, or properly positioned • Your
tie isn’t straight.

3.  accurate:
accurate or correct • You
can rely on her for the straight figures.

4.  candid:
making no attempt to deceive or soften the truth • Give
a straight answer.

5.  honestly
straightforward: honest, fair and upright • straight
dealings

6.  consecutive:
following one after another, without interruption • The
team celebrated its tenth straight win.

7.  BEVERAGES not
diluted:
not diluted or mixed with any other drink

8.  neat
and tidy:
neat and tidy, or in order

9.  not
funny:
not intended to be funny or unconventional • playing
both straight and comic roles

10. consistent:
not leaving or differing from a principle or political party • the
straight party line

11. delivered
with unbent arm: delivered with the arm unbent • a
straight left to the body

12. heterosexual:
heterosexual (slang)

13. conventional:
unremarkable or conventional in outlook, style, or way of life (slang) • gave
up being a rock musician and got a straight job

14. DRUGS not
using drugs: not using or addicted to drugs (slang)

15. lacking
discount:
attracting no discount, no matter how many are bought
adverb

1.  without
bending:
without bending, curving, or diverging from a course

2.  immediately:
without delay or detour • She
went straight home.

3.  in
a level position: in a level, even, or proper position • Put
your hat on straight.

4.  candidly:
without any attempt to deceive or soften the truth • Give
it to me straight.

5.  with
no interruption: one after another, without interruption
• three
nights straight

6.  undiluted:
without being diluted or mixed with any other drink

7.  into
neat condition: in or into a neat, tidy, or orderly
condition • We’ll
have to put the place straight after the party.

8.  without
being funny: without trying to be funny or
unconventional
noun
(plural straights)

1.  something
straight:
something that is straight, for example, a line

2.  CARD GAMES five
cards in sequence: a poker hand in which the
cards form a continuous sequence but are not all of the same suit

3.  U.K.
See straightaway  noun

4.  heterosexual
person:
a heterosexual person (slang)

5.  conventional
person:
somebody who is conventional in outlook, style, or way of life (slang)

6.  cigarette
without filter: a cigarette with no filter
[14th
century. Originally the past participle of stretch
.]
—straight·ish,
adjective

—straight·ly,
adverb

—straight·ness, noun[1]



straight-ahead

straight-ahead
straight-a·head 
adjective

standard or conventional:
showing very little variation from what is usual or typical • straight-ahead
Italian opera[1]



straightand narrow

straightand narrow
straight
and nar·row
noun

socially approved way to
live: the orthodox and law-abiding
way to live life (informal)[1]



straightangle

straightangle
straight
an·gle
(plural straight an·gles) noun

180 degree angle:
an angle of 180 degrees[1]



straight-arm

straight-arm
straight-arm 
transitive verb (past straight-armed, past participle
straight-armed, present participle straight-arm·ing, 3rd
person present singular straight-arms)

1.  push
opponent away with outstretched arm: in
football, to push an opponent away with the arm stretched fully out and the
hand upturned and stiff

2.  ward
off or turn aside: to ward somebody off or turn
somebody aside using, or as if you were using, a push or thrust from a
straightened arm
noun
(plural straight-arms)

act of straight-arming somebody:
an act or instance of straight-arming somebody

[1]



straightarrow

straightarrow
straight
ar·row
(plural straight ar·rows) noun

steadfast
person:
somebody who is conventionally moral and upright in dealing with others (informal)
—straight-ar·row, adjective[1]



straightaway

straightaway
straight·a·way 
[stráyt ə wày] adverb

at
once:
immediately and without hesitation
noun
(plural straight·a·ways)

straight
track:
a part of a racing track that does not bend
adjective

without curves:
following a straight course, without any turns or curves[1]



straightchain

straightchain
straight
chain
(plural straight chains) noun

open chain of atoms:
an open chain of atoms in a molecule that has no side branches[1]



straightedge

straightedge
straight·edge 
[stráyt ej] (plural straight·edg·es)
noun

something used to draw
straight line: a rigid strip of wood,
metal, or plastic that is used in drawing a straight line or checking for
straightness[1]



straighten

straighten
straight·en 
[stráyt’n] (past straight·ened,
past participle straight·ened, present participle straight·en·ing,
3rd person present singular straight·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become straight: to make something straight,
or become straight
—straight·en·er, noun[1]



straightenout

straightenout
straighten
out
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  make
or become straight: to make something straight,
or become straight

2.  make
or become clear or satisfactory: to become, or make
something, clear, satisfactory, or less complicated

[1]



straightenup

straightenup
straighten
up
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become in line:
to become, or make something, upright or in line[1]



straightface

straightface
straight
face
(plural straight fac·es) noun

serious
expression:
a serious expression on somebody’s face that does not betray the fact that he
or she really wants to laugh
—straight-faced,
adjective

—straight-fac·ed·ly [stràyt fáystlee, stràyt
fáyssədlee], adverb[1]



straightflush

straightflush
straight
flush
(plural straight flush·es) noun

five cards in sequence:
a poker hand in which all the cards are of the same suit and form a continuous
sequence[1]



straightforward

straightforward
straight·for·ward 
[stràyt fáwrwərd] adjective

1.  frank:
truthful and to the point, rather than evasive

2.  easy:
not complicated, difficult, or hard to understand

3.  straight
or direct:
following a straight or direct path
adverb

in straightforward way:
in a straightforward way or direction
—straight·for·ward·ly,
adverb

—straight·for·ward·ness,
noun[1]



straightjacket

straightjacket
straight·jack·et 
noun transitive verb

See
straitjacket[1]



straight-line

straight-line
straight-line 
adjective

1.  happening
in straight line: happening in or along a straight line,
or following a straight path

2.  made
using straight lines: made using a straight line
or lines

3.  laid
out in straight lines: laid out or set up in
straight lines or so that something will follow a direct path

4.  moving
in straight line: with components that are designed to
move or make something move in a straight line, or are arranged in a straight
line

[1]



straightman

straightman
straight
man
noun

comedian who sets up joke:
a comedian whose role is to say or do things that allow another comedian to
deliver a punch line or make witty or humorous comments in response[1]



straightoff

straightoff
straight
off
adverb

at once:
right away or at once (informal)[1]



straight-out

straight-out
straight-out 
adjective (informal)

1.  blunt
or unrestrained: showing directness or bluntness rather
than restraint • a straight-out refusal

2.  complete
and total:
complete and thoroughgoing, without mitigation • a
straight-out jerk

[1]



straightpoker

straightpoker
straight
pok·er
noun

poker without drawing further
cards: a way of playing poker in
which each player is dealt five cards and no more cards can be drawn[1]



straightrazor

straightrazor
straight
ra·zor
(plural straight ra·zors) noun

folding razor:
a razor with a single straight blade that is attached to a handle by a hinge
and that is stored by folding it edge-first into a slot in the handle.
U.K. term
cutthroat razor[1]



straightshooter

straightshooter
straight
shoot·er
(plural straight shoot·ers) noun

forthright person:
somebody who is honest, speaks frankly, and behaves ethically (informal)[1]



straightstitch

straightstitch
straight
stitch
(plural straight stitch·es) noun

stitch forming straight line:
a simple stitch that forms a straight line on the surface of the fabric[1]



straightticket

straightticket
straight
tick·et
(plural straight tick·ets) noun

entire ballot cast for one
party: a ballot where all the
candidates selected by the voter are from the same political party[1]



straightup

straightup
straight
up
adverb

without any ice:
used to describe a cocktail that is served without any ice[1]



straightway

straightway
straight·way 
[stráyt wày] adverb

1.  immediately:
at once and without delay

2.  by
direct route: by a direct route

[1]



strain

strain1
strain1 [strayn]
verb (past strained, past participle strained,
present participle strain·ing, 3rd person present singular
strains)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pull
or stretch tight: to pull or stretch something until it is
tight, or be pulled or stretched until tight

2.  intransitive
verb
work
very hard:
to work extremely hard or exert yourself to the limit of your power

3.  transitive
verb
use
something to the utmost: to make the greatest
possible use of or demands on something

4.  transitive
verb
injure
something:
to damage a part of the body through using it too hard or too much

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
make something tense: to put something or somebody
under stress, or be put under stress

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
something through strainer: to pass something through a
filter in order to remove some of its contents, or be passed through a filter

7.  transitive
verb
remove
something using strainer: to remove part of something
from the rest of it with a filter

8.  transitive
verb
hug
somebody:
to hold somebody closely and tightly

9.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS deform
structure:
to deform a body or material by applying an external force to it

10. transitive
verb
compel
somebody or something: to compel or constrain
somebody or something (archaic) “The quality of mercy is not strain’d”
William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice 1596
noun
(plural strains)

1.  straining:
an act of straining something • Give
the sauce a thorough strain.

2.  being
strained:
the state of being strained

3.  force
that strains something: a pulling or stretching
force

4.  mental
or physical stress: mental or physical stress
caused by an intense or extreme pressure or demand

5.  demand
that causes stress: an intense or extreme demand
or pressure that causes mental or physical stress

6.  great
exertion:
a great, taxing, or extreme exertion or effort

7.  MEDICINE physical
injury:
an injury to a part of the body caused by excessive use or by a twisting or
stretching of muscles or tendons beyond their normal range

8.  PHYSICS deformation
of structure: the deformation of a body or material
caused by applying an external force to it
[14th century. Via Old French
estreindre “to draw tight” from Latin stringere (see stringent ).][1]



strain

strain2
strain2 [strayn]
(plural strains) noun

1.  line
of ancestry: a line of ancestry or a group of
descendants from a common ancestor

2.  ZOOLOGY variety
of organism: a subgroup of a species of organism that
shows particular characteristics, sometimes developed by breeders for those
characteristics

3.  inherited
quality or trait: an inherited tendency, character, or
trait

4.  trace:
a trace, or small amount of something mixed in with something else

5.  character
or mood:
the style, character, mood, or theme of something

6.  MUSIC musical
theme:
a musical theme or melody

7.  eloquent
language or words: language that is eloquent,
passionate, poetic, or otherwise heightened
[Old English strēon
“offspring,” originally “gain.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to spread flat,” which is also the ancestor of English strew and construct
.][1]



strained

strained
strained 
[straynd] adjective

1.  passed
through strainer: having been passed through a strainer to
remove part of its content

2.  not
natural:
not natural or spontaneous but produced by an effort

3.  tense:
full of tension and often on the verge of hostility

[1]



strainer

strainer
strain·er 
[stráynər] (plural strain·ers)
noun

1.  device
for removing something: a device for removing part
of the content of something, especially lumps or solids from a liquid

2.  device
for tightening: a device that is used to tighten or
stretch something

[1]



straingauge

straingauge
strain
gauge
(plural strain gaug·es) noun

1.  device
for measuring stress: a device that measures
pressure or stress, using the change of electrical resistance in a wire that is
subjected to the same stress as the object being measured

2.  See
extensometer

[1]



strainingbeam

strainingbeam

strain·ing beam 
(plural strain·ing beams) or strain·ing piece (plural
strain·ing piec·es) noun
horizontal beam in roof:
a horizontal beam that connects the tops of two vertical posts ( queen posts ) in a roof truss[1]



strait

strait
strait 
[strayt] noun (plural straits)
(often used in the plural)

1.  GEOGRAPHY channel
joining two seas: a narrow body of water that joins two
larger bodies of water, usually a body of salt water

2.  difficult
situation:
a situation that is difficult or involves hardship
adjective
(archaic)

1.  distressed
or trying:
distressed, difficult, or trying

2.  narrow
or confined: narrow or with very little room

3.  strict
or rigid:
very strict or severe
[14th
century. Via Old French estreit from Latin strictus “narrow,” the
past participle of stringere “to draw tight” (see stringent ).]
—strait·ly,
adverb

—strait·ness, noun[1]



straitened

straitened
strait·ened
[stráyt’nd] adjective

made difficult:
made very difficult, restricted, or narrow • had
lost all their money and were living in straitened circumstances[1]



straitjacket

straitjacket

strait·jack·et
[stráyt jàkət] or straight·jack·et
[stráyt jàkət] noun (plural strait·jack·ets)
(plural straight·jack·ets)

1.  confining
jacket-shaped garment: a jacket-shaped garment with
long sleeves that can be tied, used to restrict the arm movements of a
resisting person, for example, a prisoner

2.  thing
that restricts: something that limits somebody’s freedom
of action or initiative • a
bureaucratic straitjacket of regulations
transitive verb
(past strait·jack·et·ed, past participle strait·jack·et·ed,
present participle strait·jack·et·ing, 3rd person present
singular strait·jack·ets) (past straight·jack·et·ed, past
participle straight·jack·et·ed, present participle straight·jack·et·ing,
3rd person present singular straight·jack·ets)

1.  put
somebody into straitjacket: to put a resisting person
into a straitjacket

2.        restrict
somebody: to limit somebody’s freedom
of action or initiative[1]



strait-laced

strait-laced
strait-laced 
adjective

1.  excessively
strict:
prudish, or very strict in morals

2.  laced
tightly:
fitting tightly when laces are pulled and tied, or wearing a garment like this
—strait-lac·ed·ly
[stràyt láyssədlee, stràyt
láystlee], adverb

—strait-lac·ed·ness [stràyt láyssədnəss], noun[1]



strake

strake
strake 
[strayk] (plural strakes) noun

band
of planks or plates: a continuous band of wooden
planks or metal plates along the hull of a boat or ship
[15th century. From assumed
Old English straca ; ultimately related to stretch
.][1]



stramonium

stramonium
stra·mo·ni·um 
[strə mṓnee əm] noun

dried
preparation of jimsonweed: a preparation of dried
leaves and flowers of the jimsonweed containing alkaloids and formerly used as
medicine
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately related to Russian durman
.][1]



strand

strand2
strand2 [strand]
noun (plural strands)

1.  fiber,
thread, wire, or filament: any of the fibers, threads,
wires, or other filaments that are twisted or braided together to form a rope,
cable, or yarn

2.  long
thin piece:
a single length of something long and thin such as wire, string, rope, or wool

3.  human
hair or hairs: a human hair, or a tress of hair

4.  length
of tissue resembling thread: a length of animal, plant,
or mineral fiber or tissue that resembles a thread

5.  ACCESSORIES string
of beads:
a length of strung pearls or beads, especially when twisted into a ropelike
form

6.  element
of whole:
any of the elements that together make up a larger complex whole
transitive
verb
(past strand·ed, past participle strand·ed, present
participle strand·ing, 3rd person present singular strands)

make something by twisting:
to make something such as a rope or cable by braiding or twisting threads,
wires, or other filaments together • to
strand a rope
[15th century. Origin unknown.][1]



strand

strand1
strand1 [strand]
noun (plural strands)

land at water’s edge:
a strip of land along the edge of a body of water
verb
(past strand·ed, past participle strand·ed, present
participle strand·ing, 3rd person present singular strands)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb run
ashore or aground: to leave or run a ship or
aquatic animal aground, or be left or driven aground

2.  transitive
verb
leave
somebody in difficulty: to leave somebody in a
strange place without the capability or resources to get out of it (often
passive) • stranded
without any means of getting home

3.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL leave
somebody on base: to leave a base runner on a base at the
end of an inning in a baseball game
[Old English, of uncertain
origin][1]



strandline

strandline
strand·line
[stránd ln] (plural strand·lines)
or strand line [stránd ln] (plural
strand lines) noun

former shoreline:
a shoreline, usually one that the sea, a lake, or a river had at an earlier
point in time and that is higher than the present shoreline[1]



strange

strange
strange 
[straynj] adjective (comparative
strang·er, superlative strang·est)

1.  unexpected
or extraordinary: not expected, normal, or ordinary

2.  unfamiliar:
not known or experienced previously

3.  hard
to explain:
difficult to explain or understand

4.  exotic:
coming from a different place or environment, or belonging to a different kind

5.  unaccustomed:
not yet used to or familiar with something • strange
to these new surroundings

6.  reserved:
reserved or shy, often because of being unfamiliar with people

7.  ill
at ease:
uncomfortable, embarrassed, or slightly ill • I’ve
been feeling a little strange since I took the medicine.

8.  PHYSICS showing
quantum characteristic of strangeness:
showing or having the quantum characteristic of strangeness
adverb

in unusual way:
in a strange way (nonstandard)
[13th century. Via Old French
estrange from Latin extraneus “foreign,” from extra,
feminine of exter “outside” (see exterior
).][1]



strangely

strangely
strange·ly
[stráynjlee] adverb

1.  in
unusual way: in an unusual or puzzling way

2.  oddly:
it is odd or puzzling that • Strangely,
they seemed to have no firm plan of action.

[1]



strangeness

strangeness
strange·ness 
[stráynjnəss] noun

1.  condition
of being strange: the condition or quality of being
strange

2.  PHYSICS quantum
characteristic: a quantum characteristic of some
elementary particles that is conserved in strong and electromagnetic, but not
weak, interactions and has a value strangeness number of zero for most
particles

[1]



strangenessnumber

strangenessnumber
strange·ness
num·ber
(plural strange·ness num·bers) noun

value of quantum
characteristic: the value of the
quantum characteristic of strangeness, equal to the hypercharge minus the
baryon number[1]



strangeparticle

strangeparticle
strange
par·ti·cle
(plural strange par·ti·cles) noun

unstable
elementary particle: an elementary particle
having a strangeness number other than zero
[From the fact that such
particles’ long lifetimes were hard to explain][1]



strangequark

strangequark
strange
quark
(plural strange quarks) noun

type of quark:
a quark that has an electric charge equal to -⅓ that of the electron and a
strangeness number of –1[1]



stranger

stranger
strang·er 
[stráynjər] (plural strang·ers)
noun

1.  unfamiliar
person:
a person whom somebody does not know

2.  newcomer:
somebody who is new to a particular place

3.  outsider:
somebody who is not a member of a particular organization or group

4.  visitor
or guest:
somebody who does not live in a particular house or community but is present as
a visitor or guest

5.  person
unaccustomed to something: somebody who is not
accustomed to or acquainted with something specified • Being
a stranger to hard physical work, he found the job exhausting.

6.  alienated
person:
somebody who has become distanced or alienated from another, others, or
something • She
is a stranger to her former colleagues.

7.  person
not privy to transaction: somebody who is neither
privy nor party to a transaction
[14th
century. From Old French estrangier, from estrange “foreign” (see
strange ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Stranger, a novel by French writer Albert Camus ( 1942 ). This classic
  existentialist work is also known as The Outsider . It is set in
  Algiers and recounts how a young man’s extreme sense of alienation leads him
  to commit murder. During his trial, however, the absurdities of the judicial
  process compel him to acknowledge the value of human life.

[1]



strangle

strangle
stran·gle 
[stráng g’l] (past stran·gled,
past participle stran·gled, present participle stran·gling,
3rd person present singular stran·gles) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  kill
or die by choking: to kill a person or an
animal by squeezing the throat so that air cannot pass through it into the
lungs, or die in this way

2.  suppress
utterance:
to suppress suddenly a sound that is being uttered, or be suppressed suddenly • I
managed to strangle my giggles.

3.  stifle
or be stifled in development: to hinder or stop the growth
or development of something, or be hindered or stopped
[13th
century. Via Old French estrangler from Latin strangulare (see strangulate ).]
—stran·gler, noun[1]



stranglehold

stranglehold
stran·gle·hold 
[stráng g’l hld] (plural stran·gle·holds)
noun

1.  complete
power:
power over something or somebody that is complete and prevents any movement or
change

2.  WRESTLING choking
wrestling hold: an illegal hold in wrestling that chokes
an opponent

[1]



stranglerfig

stranglerfig
stran·gler
fig
(plural stran·gler figs) noun

evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree that grows in the West Indies and Florida and has yellow
fruit. Latin name: Ficus aurea
[From the fact that it
eventually envelops the host tree on which it grows][1]



strangles

strangles
stran·gles 
[stráng g’lz] noun

infectious disease of horses:
an infectious disease of horses in which they experience inflammation and
abscesses of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, causing strangling.
It is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi . (takes a singular
verb)[1]



strangulate

strangulate
stran·gu·late 
[stráng gyə làyt] (past stran·gu·lat·ed,
past participle stran·gu·lat·ed, present participle stran·gu·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular stran·gu·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
strangle:
to strangle a person or animal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MED obstruct or be obstructed:
to constrict a part of the body, or become constricted, until the natural flow
of blood or air is prevented
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin strangulare from Greek straggalan, from straggalē
“halter, cord.” Perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word.]
—stran·gu·la·tion [stràng gyə láysh’n], noun[1]



strangury

strangury
stran·gu·ry 
[stráng gyəree] noun

slow,
painful urination: painful and slow urination
caused by spasms that make urine come out drop by drop
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek straggouria, from stragx “drop” + ouron “urine.”][1]



strap

strap
strap 
[strap] noun (plural straps)

1.  flexible
strip used for binding: a narrow flexible strip of
leather, nylon webbing, plastic, metal, or other material used to bind or
secure something

2.  loop
of material used as handle: a loop of flexible material
attached to something so that it can be grasped or slung over a shoulder and
used in lifting or carrying something

3.  TRANSPORT loop
to hang on to: a loop of leather, rubber, or plastic
suspended from the roof inside a bus or train for standing passengers to hold
for support

4.  razor
strop:
a strop for a razor

5.  leather
strip for flogging: a long narrow strip of
leather used for flogging or beating
transitive
verb
(past strapped, past participle strapped, present
participle strap·ping, 3rd person present singular straps)

1.  secure
with strap:
to secure or bind somebody or something with a strap

2.  fasten
straps of:
to secure the straps that are used to fasten something • stood
up without strapping her shoes

3.  beat
with strap:
to beat or flog somebody with a strap

4.  sharpen
with strop:
to sharpen something, for example, a razor, with a strop
[Early 17th century.
Originally a Scottish dialect form of strop
.][1]



straphanger

straphanger
strap·hang·er 
[stráp hàngər] (plural strap·hang·ers)
noun (informal)

1.  standing
rider:
a passenger who stands while riding a bus or train and holds onto a strap that
is suspended from the roof

2.  rider
of public transportation: somebody who rides or
commutes on a bus, subway, or another form of public transportation

[1]



straphinge

straphinge
strap
hinge
(plural strap hing·es) noun

hinge with flap:
a hinge with a flap fastened to the exposed surface of a door, lid, or gate[1]



strapless

strapless
strap·less 
[strápləss] adjective

not
having straps: without straps, other supports, or
covering over the shoulders
noun
(plural strap·less·es)

woman’s garment without
shoulder straps: a woman’s garment that
does not have straps, other support, or covering over the shoulders[1]



strappado

strappado
strap·pa·do 
[strə páydō, strə
pdō] (plural strap·pa·does) noun

1.  form
of torture:
a form of torture in which somebody is hoisted by a rope around the wrists,
which are bound behind the back, and then dropped, but not to the ground

2.  apparatus
used for torture: an apparatus or machine that is used to
deliver a strappado
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of French (e)strapade, from Italian strappata, from strappare,
of uncertain origin.][1]



strapped

strapped
strapped 
[strapt] adjective

short of something:
very short of or in need of something, especially money (informal)[1]



strapper

strapper
strap·per 
[stráppər] (plural strap·pers)
noun

big or robust person:
somebody who is big and powerfully built (informal)[1]



strapping

strapping
strap·ping 
[strápping] adjective

robust: tall
and powerfully built (informal)
noun
(plural strap·pings)

1.  straps:
straps in general, or a set of straps

2.  material
for straps:
material for making straps or for use as straps

[1]



strappy

strappy
strap·py
[stráppee] (comparative strap·pi·er,
superlative strap·pi·est) adjective

with straps:
with straps, especially when they are an important part of the look or design
of something (informal) • strappy
sandals[1]



strapwork

strapwork
strap
work
noun

decorative work on building:
decorative work in the form of crossing or interlaced bands on the outside of a
building, especially in Tudor architecture[1]



Strasberg,Lee

Strasberg,Lee
Stras·berg 
[stráss burg], Lee (1901–1982)

Austro-Hungarian-born
U.S. actor and teacher. Following the theories of Stanislavsky, he developed
and taught the influential Method Acting technique.
Real name
Strassberg, Israel[1]



Strasbourg

Strasbourg
Stras·bourg 
[stráz burg]

capital city of Bas-Rhin
Department, Alsace Region, northeastern France. It is the site of the
headquarters of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Population:
252,338 (1990)[1]



strass

strass
strass 
[strass] (plural strass·es) noun

See
paste 1 noun 4
[Early 19th century. From
German, named for the 18th century. German jeweler Joseph Strasser, who
invented it.][1]



strata

strata
stra·ta


Plural of
stratum[1]



stratagem

stratagem
strat·a·gem 
[stráttəjəm] (plural strat·a·gems)
noun

1.  MILITARY ruse
for deceiving enemy: a military tactic or
maneuver that is designed to deceive an enemy

2.  clever
scheme:
clever ruse or scheme that is designed to deceive others or achieve something

3.  use
of clever schemes: the use of stratagems to
deceive an enemy or others, or skill in using stratagems
[15th century. Via French stratagème
from, ultimately, Greek stratēgēma, from stratēgos “general” (see
strategy ).][1]



stratatitle

stratatitle
stra·ta
ti·tle
[strttə ttl] noun

Australia
system of apartment ownership:
a system of ownership of space within an apartment building. Titles are issued
for each apartment and for common property, which is managed by a committee of
unit owners.[1]



strataunit

strataunit
stra·ta
u·nit
(plural stra·ta u·nits) noun

Australia
apartment owned under strata title:
an apartment whose ownership is registered according to strata title[1]



strategic

strategic
stra·te·gic 
[strə tjik] or stra·te·gi·cal
[strə tjik’l] adjective

1.  typical
of strategy: relating to involving, or typical of
strategy or a strategy • strategic
planning

2.  done
for reasons of strategy: necessary to a strategy, or
done because a strategy requires it • a
strategic retreat

3.  displaying
sound strategy: displaying a sound strategy or plan of
action • showing
strategic timing in selling a stock short

4.  MILITARY destroying
enemy’s fighting capacity: done to destroy, or having
the capability to destroy, an enemy’s ability to fight a war • strategic
bombing

5.  MILITARY necessary
for fighting war: necessary for fighting a war, or
essential to the military forces fighting a war • strategic
metals
• strategic
air bases

[1]



strategically

strategically
stra·te·gi·cal·ly
[strə tjikəlee] adverb

1.  as
part of strategy: as part of, or in a way useful to, a
strategy

2.  in
useful way:
in a clever or useful way

[1]



strategics

strategics
stra·te·gics 
[strə tjiks] noun

science of military strategy:
the science or art of military strategy (takes a singular verb)[1]



strategist

strategist
strat·e·gist 
[stráttəjist] (plural strat·e·gists)
noun

somebody skilled in strategy:
somebody who can develop and execute an effective strategy, especially for
winning a war[1]



strategize

strategize
strat·e·gize 
[stráttə jz] (past strat·e·gized,
past participle strat·e·gized, present participle strat·e·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular strat·e·giz·es) intransitive verb

plan strategy:
to plan or decide on a strategy[1]



strategy

strategy
strat·e·gy 
[stráttəjee] (plural strat·e·gies)
noun

1.  MILITARY planning
of war:
the science or art of planning and conducting a war or a military campaign

2.  planning
in any field: a carefully devised plan of action to
achieve a goal, or the art of developing or carrying out such a plan

3.  BIOLOGY adaptation
important to evolutionary success: in evolutionary
theory, a behavior, structure, or other adaptation that improves viability
[Early 19th century. Via
French stratégie from Greek stratēgia “generalship,” from stratēgos
“general,” from stratos “army” + agein “to lead.”][1]



strati

strati
stra·ti


Plural of
stratus[1]



strati-

strati-
strati-
prefix

stratum,
layer • stratigraphy
[From stratum][1]



straticulate

straticulate
stra·tic·u·late 
[strə tíkyələt] adjective

in
thin layers: used to describe a rock formation that
is made up of thin layers
[Late
19th century. Formed from stratum, on the
model of particulate .]
—stra·tic·u·la·tion [strə tìkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



stratification

stratification
strat·i·fi·ca·tion 
[stràttəfə káysh’n] (plural strat·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  GEOLOGY formation
of rock layers: the formation of layers in sedimentary
rocks through biological, chemical, or physical changes in the sediments
forming them

2.  formation
of layers:
the formation of layers, castes, classes, or other types of strata

3.  situation
where things are stratified: a situation or condition
where something is arranged in several strata

4.  GEOLOGY layered
arrangement or appearance: a layered arrangement or
appearance of successive rock strata

5.  AGRICULTURE seed
storage in chilled moist environment: the
storing of seeds in a chilled moist environment or material in order to induce
germination or to preserve them
—strat·i·fi·ca·tion·al,
adjective[1]



stratificationalgrammar

stratificationalgrammar
strat·i·fi·ca·tion·al
gram·mar 
noun

grammar that divides language
into layers: a form of grammar in
which language is analyzed in terms of layers linked to one another by rules[1]



stratifiedcharge engine

stratifiedcharge engine
strat·i·fied
charge en·gine  (plural strat·i·fied charge
en·gines) noun

engine with two fuel
mixtures: an internal combustion
engine with two layers of fuel density within the cylinder. A rich mixture is
adjacent to the spark plug whose combustion assists in the ignition of a lean
mixture in the remainder of the cylinder.[1]



stratiform

stratiform
strat·i·form 
[stráttə fàwrm] adjective

1.  composed
of layers:
composed of layers, or with a layered appearance or arrangement

2.  formed
as layer:
forming or formed as a layer

3.  METEOROLOGY like
stratus cloud: like or having the form of a stratus
cloud

[1]



stratify

stratify
strat·i·fy 
[stráttə f] (past strat·i·fied,
past participle strat·i·fied, present participle strat·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular strat·i·fies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
into layers: to form something into a layer or
layers, or become formed into a layer or layers

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SOCIAL SCIENCES form into status
groups:
to form or be formed into castes, classes, or other groups based on status

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE store
seeds in chilled moist environment: to
store seeds in chilled moist sand, peat moss, or other material in order to
induce germination or preserve the seeds

[1]



stratigraphic

stratigraphic
strat·i·graph·ic
[stràttə gráffik] or strat·i·graph·i·cal
[stràttə gráffik’l] adjective

of
stratigraphy: relating to stratigraphy
—strat·i·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



stratigraphiccolumn

stratigraphiccolumn
strat·i·graph·ic
col·umn
(plural strat·i·graph·ic col·umns) noun

succession of layers of rock:
a succession of rocks laid down over a particular period of geologic time[1]



stratigraphicunit

stratigraphicunit
strat·i·graph·ic
u·nit
(plural strat·i·graph·ic u·nits) noun

body of rock:
a body of rock defined by its fossil record, physical appearance, or time span[1]



stratigraphy

stratigraphy
stra·tig·ra·phy 
[strə tíggrəfee] (plural stra·tig·ra·phies)
noun

1.  GEOLOGY study
of rock strata: the study of the origin, composition,
and development of rock strata

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY vertical
section through ground: a section cut vertically
through the earth showing its different layers and allowing artifacts to be
dated according to the layers in which they are found

3.  GEOLOGY disposition
of rock strata: the way in which rock strata are
arranged, and the chronology of their formation
—stra·tig·ra·pher,
noun

—strat·i·graph·ist, noun[1]



stratocracy

stratocracy
stra·toc·ra·cy 
[strə tókrəssee] (plural stra·toc·ra·cies)
noun

military
rule:
government by armed forces (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from Greek stratos “army” (originally “crowd, people
spread out”) + -cracy .]
—strat·o·crat
[stráttə kràt], noun

—strat·o·crat·ic [stràttə kráttik], adjective[1]



stratocumulus

stratocumulus
stra·to·cu·mu·lus 
[stràytō kymyələss, stràttō kymyələss] (plural stra·to·cu·mu·li [stràytō kymyə l]) noun

extensive low-lying cloud
formation: a cloud formation in a
low-lying extensive layer with large dark round or rolling masses[1]



stratopause

stratopause
strat·o·pause 
[stráttə pàwz] noun

boundary
layer in atmosphere: the boundary layer between
the stratosphere and the mesosphere, at around 50 km/30 mi above the Earth’s
surface
[Mid-20th century. From stratosphere, modeled on tropopause .][1]



stratosphere

stratosphere
strat·o·sphere 
[stráttə sfr] noun

1.  region
of the atmosphere: the region of the Earth’s
atmosphere between the troposphere and mesosphere, from 10 km/6 mi to 50 km/30
mi above the Earth’s surface. It has no clouds and is marked by gradual
temperature increase.
See
also
ionosphere
See
also
mesosphere
See
also
troposphere

2.  very
high or highest position: a very high or the highest
level or position
[Early 20th century. Coined
from stratum + -sphere .][1]



stratospheric

stratospheric
strat·o·spher·ic 
[stràttə sfrik, stràttə
sférrik] adjective

1.  relating
to stratosphere: relating or belonging to the
stratosphere

2.  very
high:
very or excessively high
—strat·o·spher·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



stratovolcano

stratovolcano
strat·o·vol·ca·no 
[stràytō vol káynō, stràttō
vol káynō] (plural strat·o·vol·ca·noes or strat·o·vol·ca·nos)
noun

type of volcano:
a volcano consisting of layers of lava alternating with ash or cinder[1]



stratum

stratum
stra·tum 
[stráytəm, stráttəm]
(plural stra·ta [stráytə, stráttə]) noun

1.  layer:
any of several parallel layers or levels of something (formal) • We
found several strata of archaeological material on the site.

2.  GEOLOGY See bed  noun 12

3.  layer
of atmosphere or sea: a layer of the atmosphere or
the sea

4.  BIOLOGY layer
of cells:
a layer of living cells

5.  SOCIAL SCIENCES layer
of society:
a social class or level of society consisting of people of similar cultural,
economic, or educational status

6.  level
within system: a layer or level within an ordered
system • the
various strata of meaning within the text
[Late
16th century. From modern Latin, from Latin, literally “something thrown down,”
from, ultimately, sternere (see strew
).]
—stra·tal, adjective[1]



stratus

stratus
stra·tus 
[stráytəss, stráttəss]
(plural stra·ti [stráytee]) noun

flat
cloud formation: a low-lying flat gray cloud formation
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, which evolved from Latin, the past participle of sternere
(see strew ).][1]



Strauss,Johann

Strauss,Johann
Strauss
[strowss, shtrowss],
Johann (1804–1849)

Austrian
conductor and composer. His compositions include many waltzes and marches.
Known as
Johann Strauss the Elder[1]



Strauss,Johann

Strauss,Johann
Strauss
[strowss, shtrowss],
Johann (1825–1899)

Austrian
composer. The son of Johann Strauss the Elder, he wrote operettas including Die
Fledermaus (1874) and waltzes and other dance pieces including The Blue
Danube (1867).
Known as
Johann Strauss the Younger[1]



Strauss,Richard

Strauss,Richard
Strauss
[strowss, shtrowss],
Richard (1864–1949)

German conductor and
composer. His late romantic symphonic poems and operas such as Der
Rosenkavalier ( 1911 ) develop the ideas of Richard Wagner and are
characterized by rich harmonization.[1]



Stravinsky,Igor

Stravinsky,Igor


Stra·vin·sky
[strə vín skee], Igor (1882–1971)
Russian-born
U.S. composer. A major figure in 20th-century music, he experimented widely
with musical styles and forms and wrote the music for Sergei Diaghilev’s
ballets The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of
Spring (1913).
Full name
Stravinsky, Igor Fyodorovich[1]



straw

straw
straw 
[straw] noun (plural straws)

1.  stalks
of threshed cereal crops: the stalks of threshed
cereal crops such as wheat or barley. It is used as bedding and food for
animals, for weaving into objects such as baskets or mats, and for thatching.

2.  thin
tube for sucking up drink: a long thin tube, often made
of paper or plastic, used for sucking up a drink

3.  BOTANY dried
grass stalk: a single dried stalk of a cereal crop or
grass

4.  CRAFT item
made of straw: something made of straw, for example, a
hat or basket

5.  something
worthless:
anything of little or no importance or value

6.  COLORS See straw color
adjective

1.  worthless:
worthless or of little value

2.  acting
as a front:
acting as a front for somebody else’s activities or to show an adversary up

3.  COLORS of
straw color: of the pale brownish-yellow color of
straw
[Old
English strēaw . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
spread,” which is also the ancestor of English strew
. The underlying idea is of something strewn.]
—straw·y,
adjective
a
straw in the wind

a
relatively minor incident or thing that gives some indication of what is likely
to happen in the future

clutch
or grasp at straws

to
be willing to try anything that may help in a situation that is unlikely to
succeed

draw
the short straw

to be chosen from a group of
people to do a difficult or unpleasant task[1]



strawberry

strawberry

straw·ber·ry 
[stráw bèrree] (plural straw·ber·ries)
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with edible red fruit: a trailing plant of the rose
family that has white flowers and is cultivated for its edible red fruit.
Genus: Fragaria

2.  FOOD edible
part of strawberry plant: a small soft sweet part of
the strawberry plant, approximately heart-shaped, with tiny single-seeded
fruits on its surface. It may be eaten raw or processed to flavor other foods.
[Straw perhaps in the
obsolete sense “small piece of chaff” (referring to the external seeds), or
perhaps because the plant’s runners resemble straws][1]



strawberryblond

strawberryblond
straw·ber·ry
blond
adjective

reddish
blond:
used to describe hair that is very pale in color with a reddish or pinkish
tinge
noun
(plural straw·ber·ry blonds)

somebody with strawberry
blond hair: somebody who has strawberry
blond hair[1]



strawberrybush

strawberrybush
straw·ber·ry
bush
(plural straw·ber·ry bush·es) noun

N American shrub:
a shrub or small tree of eastern North America with tiny flowers and scarlet
pods and seeds. Latin name: Euonymus americanus[1]



strawberrymark

strawberrymark
straw·ber·ry
mark
(plural straw·ber·ry marks) noun

red birthmark:
a raised red birthmark, often found on the scalp or face, containing small
blood vessels[1]



strawberryroan

strawberryroan
straw·ber·ry
roan
(plural straw·ber·ry roans) noun

horse with reddish white
coat: a horse that has coat of
reddish hairs mixed with white[1]



strawberryshrub

strawberryshrub
straw·ber·ry
shrub
(plural straw·ber·ry shrubs) noun

See
Carolina allspice[1]



strawberrytomato

strawberrytomato
straw·ber·ry
to·ma·to
noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
plant with edible fruit: a hairy tropical plant of
the nightshade family bearing edible yellow fruit. Genus: Physalis

2.  FOOD fruit
of strawberry tomato plant: the round yellow edible
fruit of the strawberry tomato plant

[1]



strawberrytree

strawberrytree
straw·ber·ry
tree
(plural straw·ber·ry trees) noun

European evergreen tree:
a small evergreen tree of the heath family, native to southern Europe, that has
white or pink flowers and small berries resembling strawberries. Latin name: Arbutus
unedo[1]



strawboard

strawboard
straw·board 
[stráw bàwrd] noun

board made of straw pulp:
a coarse cardboard made of straw pulp and used in making packaging materials
and book covers[1]



strawboss

strawboss
straw
boss
(plural straw boss·es) noun

worker
and assistant foreman: a worker who also supervises
a small work crew, acting as an assistant to the foreman (informal)
[From U.S. farms, where the
second in command was formerly responsible for straw coming out of the
thresher][1]



strawcolor

strawcolor
straw
col·or
noun

pale
brownish yellow: a pale brownish yellow color.
Also
called
straw
—straw-col·ored, adjective[1]



strawflower

strawflower
straw·flow·er 
[stráw flòwr] (plural straw·flow·ers)
noun

everlasting flower:
an Australian plant with flower heads that remain colorful when dried. Latin
name: Helichrysum bracteatum[1]



straw-hat

straw-hat
straw-hat 
adjective

of
summer theater: used to describe or relating to a
theater that operates only in the summer
[From the relatively rustic
beginnings of these theaters, whose productions were often staged in a
converted barn or town hall][1]



strawman

strawman
straw
man
noun

1.  front
for somebody: somebody who acts as a front for
somebody else’s questionable or illegal activities

2.  unimportant
issue or person: an issue or person of little importance
or relevance, brought up to be shown as an easily defeatable idea or adversary

3.  figure
made of straw: a straw figure made to resemble a human
being

[1]



strawmushroom

strawmushroom
straw
mush·room
(plural straw mush·rooms) noun

edible mushroom:
a small brown or pale-colored edible mushroom used in Chinese cooking. It has a
delicate flavor and a slightly gelatinous texture. Latin name: Volvariella
volvacea[1]



strawpoll

strawpoll
straw
poll
(plural straw polls) or straw vote (plural straw
votes) noun

unofficial vote:
an unofficial poll or vote used to discover the likely result of an election or
the trend of opinion regarding a particular issue[1]



strawwine

strawwine
straw
wine
(plural straw wines) noun

wine from sun-dried grapes:
a type of sweet wine made from grapes that have been partially dried in the
sun, especially on a bed of straw[1]



strawworm

strawworm
straw·worm 
[stráw wùrm] (plural straw·worms)
noun

See
caddis worm
[Straw because it infests
stalks of grain][1]



stray

stray
stray 
[stray] intransitive verb (past
strayed, past participle strayed, present participle
stray·ing, 3rd person present singular strays)

1.  wander
away:
to leave the correct course or wander away from the correct place, often
unintentionally

2.  become
separated from group: to move away from or become
separated from a flock or group

3.  wander
about aimlessly: to roam or wander without a particular
aim or destination

4.  digress
from subject: to digress or become diverted from the
main subject

5.  depart
from accepted standards: to depart from traditional
or accepted standards of behavior

6.  meander:
to take an indirect course
adjective

1.  lost
or homeless: homeless, lost, or wandering

2.  scattered
or separated: scattered, separated, or happening
accidentally or randomly
noun
(plural strays)

1.  somebody
lost:
somebody, especially a child, who is lost

2.  AGRICULTURE lost
or homeless domestic animal: a domestic animal that is
lost, has been turned loose, or has wandered away from the place where it lives
plural
noun
strays

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electrical
interference: electrical interference in a radio or
television broadcast, causing a random crackling noise or disruption of a
picture
[13th
century. Shortening of astray, from Old French estraier, of
uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Latin extra vagari “to wander
outside” (source of English extravagant
).]
—stray·er, noun[1]



streak

streak
streak 
[streek] noun (plural streaks)

1.  thin
stripe of contrasting color: a long thin stripe or band
that is a different color from its background or surroundings

2.  short
period or unbroken run: a short period or unbroken
run, especially of good or bad luck • The
team is finally having a winning streak.

3.  contrasting
characteristic: a characteristic of somebody or
something, especially one that is only occasionally evident or that contrasts
with other characteristics • a
happy-go-lucky streak

4.  layer
of something: a layer or strip of something

5.  lightning
flash:
a flash of lightning

6.  MINERALS mark
of mineral powder: the colored mark that a
mineral makes when scratched on an unglazed porcelain tile. This mark is used
to identify the mineral.

7.  BOTANY viral
plant disease: a viral disease of plants such as
potatoes or tomatoes that produces discolored markings on stems and leaves

8.  MICROBIOLOGY linear
growth of bacteria: a linear growth of bacteria
on the surface of a culture medium, produced by drawing a contaminated needle
across the medium
verb
(past streaked, past participle streaked, present
participle streak·ing, 3rd person present singular streaks)

1.  transitive
verb
mark
with streaks: to mark or cover something with streaks

2.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING lighten
hair:
to lighten strands or sections of hair with a bleach or dye

3.  intransitive
verb
become
streaked:
to become streaked or form streaks

4.  intransitive
verb
dash
or rush:
to move at great speed

5.  intransitive
verb
run
naked through public place: to run across or through a
public place with no clothes on, usually as a joke or publicity stunt (informal)
[Old
English strica . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to
touch lightly,” which is also the ancestor of English strike .]
—streaked,
adjective
talk
a blue streak

to talk in a fast and
animated way[1]



streaker

streaker
streak·er
[strkər] (plural streak·ers) noun

somebody who runs naked in
public: somebody who runs through a
public place with no clothes on, usually as a joke or publicity stunt (informal)[1]



streaky

streaky
streak·y 
[strkee] (comparative streak·i·er,
superlative streak·i·est) adjective

1.  marked
with streaks: covered or marked with streaks • I
cleaned the windows twice but they still looked streaky.

2.  occurring
as streaks:
occurring in the form of streaks

3.  inconsistent:
variable and uneven in quality • Her
work’s a bit streaky.
—streak·i·ly,
adverb

—streak·i·ness, noun[1]



stream

stream
stream 
[streem] noun (plural streams)

1.  small
river:
a narrow and shallow river

2.  constant
flow:
a constant flow of liquid or gas

3.  air
or water current: a current of air or water

4.  continuous
series:
a continuous series or procession of people, things, or events, usually moving
in a line or in a certain direction

5.  quick
or unbroken flow: a quick or uninterrupted burst, flow, or
succession • a
stream of questions

6.  prevailing
attitude:
a general or prevailing attitude, drift, or trend

7.  beam
of light:
a steady ray or beam of light

8.  U.K.
EDUCATION group
of pupils of similar ability: a group or level in which
pupils of similar ability are placed and taught together
verb
(past streamed, past participle streamed, present
participle stream·ing, 3rd person present singular streams)

1.  intransitive
verb
flow
in large quantities: to flow continuously or
quickly in large quantities

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in quantity in same direction: to move continuously
in large numbers in the same direction

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
flow of liquid: to emit or produce liquid in a
continuous flow • His eyes streamed
tears.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb float
freely:
to float or trail freely in air, wind, or water, or cause something to do this
• an
advertising banner streaming behind the airplane

5.  intransitive
verb
pour
out in trail or beam: to issue in a beam or move
forward leaving a trail

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. EDUCATION put
pupils in ability groups: to place pupils in groups
according to their ability
[Old English strēam .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to flow,” which is also the
ancestor of English rhythm, hemorrhoid,
and maelstrom .][1]



streambed

streambed
stream·bed 
[strm bèd] (plural stream·beds)
noun

channel of stream:
a channel through which a stream flows or used to flow[1]



streamer

streamer
stream·er 
[strmər] (plural stream·ers) noun

1.  narrow
flag:
a long narrow flag or banner

2.  decorative
paper strip: a long narrow strip of colored paper or
other material that is used for decoration

3.  ASTRONOMY luminous
streak in sky: any one of the luminous streaks that
make up the aurora borealis and the aurora australis

4.  PRESS headline
running across a full page: a large headline that
extends the entire width of a newspaper page

[1]



streaming

streaming
stream·ing 
[strming] noun

CELL
BIOLOGY See cyclosis[1]



streamlet

streamlet
stream·let 
[strmlət] (plural stream·lets)
noun

small stream:
a small stream[1]



streamline

streamline
stream·line 
[strm ln] transitive verb (past
stream·lined, past participle stream·lined, present
participle stream·lin·ing, 3rd person present singular stream·lines)

1.  design
or build with smooth shape: to design or build something
with a smooth shape so that it moves with minimum resistance through air or
water

2.  make
something more efficient: to make something such as a
business, organization, or manufacturing process more efficient, especially by
simplifying or modernizing it
noun
(plural stream·lines)

1.  contour
designed to minimize resistance: a contour of a body,
for example, of a car, boat, or airplane, designed to minimize resistance when
moving through air or water

2.  PHYSICS line
in fluid:
a line in a fluid indicating the direction of the velocity of a particle
—stream·lined,
adjective

—stream·lin·ing, noun[1]



streamlineflow

streamlineflow
stream·line
flow
(plural stream·line flows) noun

flow with particles following
continuous paths: a flow of fluid in
which the particles follow continuous paths and the fluid velocity at a
particular point either remains constant or varies regularly with time.
See also
turbulent flow[1]



streamof consciousness

streamof consciousness
stream
of con·scious·ness (plural streams of
con·scious·ness) noun

1.  LITERATURE literary
style:
a literary style that presents a character’s continuous random flow of thoughts
as they arise (hyphenated when used before a noun)

2.  PSYCHOLOGY flow
of thoughts: the continuous uninterrupted flow of
thoughts and feelings through somebody’s mind

[1]



streamy

streamy
stream·y
[strmee] (comparative stream·i·er,
superlative stream·i·est) adjective

1.  having
many streams: covered with or rich in streams (literary)

2.  flowing:
flowing in a steady stream
—stream·i·ness, noun[1]



Streep,Meryl

Streep,Meryl
Streep
[streep], Meryl (1949– )

U.S.
actor. She won Academy Awards for Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) and Sophie’s
Choice ( 1982 ).
Real name
Streep, Mary Louise[1]



street

street
street 
[street] noun (plural streets)

1.  public
road in town: a public road, especially in a town or
city, usually lined with buildings

2.  buildings
on street:
the buildings on a particular street

3.  part
of road between sidewalks: the part of a road that lies
between the sidewalks and is used by vehicles

4.  workers
located on street: the people who work or live
on a particular street
adjective

related to modern urban society:
widely found or used in a modern urban environment or fashionable in its
culture, especially among young people or the underworld • Street
language has worked its way into the mainstream language.
[Old
English strt . Via prehistoric West Germanic from late Latin strata
“paved road,” from, ultimately, Latin sternere “to pave, throw down”
(source of English strew ).]
be
on the street

to
have no place to live

be
right up somebody’s street

to
be exactly suitable or appropriate for somebody

go
on the streets

to
become a prostitute

the
man or person or woman in the street

the average person[1]



streetArab

streetArab
street
Ar·ab
(plural street Ar·abs) or street ar·ab (plural
street ar·abs) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a child who has run way from home and lives on the
streets (dated offensive)
[From the perception of Arabs
as nomadic][1]



streetcar

streetcar
street·car 
[strt kr] (plural street·cars)
noun

passenger vehicle running on
rails: a public transport vehicle
that runs through city streets on metal rails built into the road surface.
U.K. term
tram[1]



streetcredibility

streetcredibility
street
cred·i·bil·i·ty noun

fashionable
appeal:
popularity and acceptance among fashionable urban people, especially the young
—street-cred·i·ble, adjective[1]



streetdoor

streetdoor
street
door
(plural street doors) noun

front door:
the door of a house or other building that opens onto the street[1]



streetfighter

streetfighter
street
fight·er
(plural street fight·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who learned fighting on streets: somebody whose
fighting skills were learned on the streets rather than through formal training
as a boxer

2.  somebody
cunning:
somebody who is tough, cunning, and aggressive (informal)

[1]



streetlight

streetlight
street·light 
[strt lt] (plural street·lights)
or street·lamp [strt làmp] (plural
street·lamps) noun

light on post illuminating
street: a light, normally attached
to the top of a tall post and one of a series, that illuminates a road or
street at night[1]



streetname

streetname
street
name
(plural street names) noun

slang term for illegal drug:
an informal or colloquial name given to an illegal drug by those who sell or
use it • "Smack"
has long been used as a street name for heroin.[1]



streetscape

streetscape
street·scape 
[strt skàyp] (plural street·scapes)
noun

picture of street:
an artistic portrayal of a street and its activities, especially a busy city
street[1]



street-smart

street-smart
street-smart 
adjective

See
streetwise[1]



streetsmarts

streetsmarts
street
smarts
plural noun

ability to survive in the
city: the ability to survive in a
hostile or dangerous urban environment[1]



streettheater

streettheater
street
the·a·ter
noun

dramatic entertainment
performed outdoors: dramatic
entertainment usually performed outdoors, for example, in a park or shopping
mall[1]



streetvalue

streetvalue
street
val·ue
(plural street val·ues) noun

price obtainable for
something illegal: the price
that something illegal would be worth if sold to a customer[1]



streetvirus

streetvirus
street
vi·rus
(plural street vi·rus·es) noun

natural strain of virus:
the natural virulent strain of a virus as distinguished from a less virulent
strain of the same organism that has been grown or treated in a laboratory[1]



streetwalker

streetwalker
street·walk·er 
[strt wàwkər] (plural street·walk·ers)
noun

prostitute:
a prostitute who solicits in the streets (informal)
—street·walk·ing, noun[1]



streetwise

streetwise
street·wise 
[strt wz] adjective

able to survive in modern
city: shrewd and experienced
enough to be able to survive in the often difficult and dangerous environment
of a modern city (informal)[1]



Streisand,Barbra

Streisand,Barbra
Streis·and
[str sand], Barbra (1942– )

U.S.
singer, actor, and movie director. The star of musicals, comedies, and dramas,
she won an Academy Award for her acting debut in Funny Girl ( 1968 ).
Born
Streisand, Barbara Joan[1]



strelitzia

strelitzia
stre·lit·zi·a 
[strə lítsee ə] (plural stre·lit·zi·as
or stre·lit·zi·a) noun

African
flowering plant: a perennial plant of southern Africa
that is widely cultivated for its showy flowers that are often unusual or
irregular in shape. Genus: Strelitzia
[Late 18th century. Named for
Charlotte of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, queen of George III.][1]



strength

strength
strength 
[strength] (plural strengths) noun

1.  physical
or mental power: the physical or mental power that makes
somebody or something strong

2.  resistance:
the ability to withstand force, pressure, or stress

3.  defensive
ability:
the ability to resist attack

4.  degree
of intensity: degree of intensity, for example, of
color, light, smell, or sound

5.  force
of feeling:
degree of force or effectiveness, for example, of beliefs or feelings

6.  persuasive
power:
power to convince or persuade, for example, by argument or suggestion

7.  intensity
of expression: the intensity of the way somebody
expresses ideas or feelings

8.  potency:
the potency of something such as an alcoholic drink or a drug

9.  number
of people needed for something: the number of people
required to make something such as an army, team, or workforce complete, used
as a measure of capability

10. asset
or quality:
an extremely valuable or useful ability, asset, or quality • One
of the strengths of this system is its adaptability.

11. FINANCE maintenance
of prices:
tendency of stock or overall market prices to be stable or rise due to
sufficient demand at current prices
[Old
English strengþu . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“strong,” which is also the ancestor of English strong
.]
go
from strength to strength

to
go on from one success or achievement to another and get progressively better

in
strength

in
large numbers

on
the strength of something

on the basis of something[1]



strengthen

strengthen
strength·en 
[stréngth’n] (past strength·ened,
past participle strength·ened, present participle strength·en·ing,
3rd person present singular strength·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become stronger: to make something stronger
or more powerful, or increase in strength or force
—strength·en·er, noun[1]



strenuous

strenuous
stren·u·ous 
[strénnyoo əss] adjective

1.  taxing:
requiring great effort, energy, stamina, or strength

2.  forceful:
active, energetic, or determined
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin strenuus “brisk, active,” of unknown
origin.]
—stren·u·os·i·ty
[strènnyoo óssətee], noun

—stren·u·ous·ly
[strénnyoo əsslee], adverb

—stren·u·ous·ness
[strénnyoo əssnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hard

[1]



strep

strep
strep 
[strep] noun (plural streps)

streptococcus:
a streptococcus (informal)
adjective

streptococcal:
streptococcal (informal)[1]



strepthroat

strepthroat
strep
throat
(plural strep throats) noun

acute sore throat:
an acute sore throat caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes and
accompanied by fever and inflammation[1]



strepto-

strepto-
strepto-
prefix

1.  streptococcus
• streptokinase

2.  twisted
chain • streptococcus

3.  streptomyces
• streptothricin
[From Greek streptos
“twisted,” from strephein “to turn”][1]



streptobacillus

streptobacillus
strep·to·ba·cil·lus 
[strèptō bə sílləss] (plural strep·to·ba·cil·li
[strèptō bə sí l]) noun

rod-shaped bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium that often causes disease, for example, rat-bite fever.
Individual cells join to form structures resembling chains. Genus: Streptobacillus[1]



streptocarpus

streptocarpus
strep·to·car·pus 
[strèptə krpəss] (plural strep·to·car·pus·es)
noun

plant
with tubular flowers: a subtropical plant with
brightly colored tubular flowers and often only one large leaf. Genus: Streptocarpus

Also
called
Cape primrose
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from Greek streptos “twisted” + karpos
“fruit,” because its fruit is spirally twisted.][1]



streptococcus

streptococcus
strep·to·coc·cus 
[strèptə kókəss] (plural strep·to·coc·ci
[strèptə kók s, strèptə
kó k]) noun

round
bacterium:
a spherical bacterium that often causes disease, for example, scarlet fever or
pneumonia. The bacteria link together in pairs or chains. Genus: Streptococcus
[Late
19th century. Via modern Latin, genus name, literally “twisted berry,” from
Greek streptos “twisted” (because the chains are usually twisted) + coccus
“berry.”]
—strep·to·coc·cal,
adjective

—strep·to·coc·cic [strèptə kóksik, strèptə
kókik], adjective[1]



streptodornase

streptodornase
strep·to·dor·nase 
[strèptə dáwr nàyss, strèptə dáwr nàyz] noun

enzyme
derived from streptococci: an enzyme derived from
streptococci and used with streptokinase to liquefy and drain blood clots and
purulent discharges, especially during surgery
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from streptococcus + contraction of deoxyribonuclease
.][1]



streptokinase

streptokinase
strep·to·kin·ase 
[strèptō kí nàyss, stréptō
k nàyss, strèptō kí nàyz] noun

enzyme
produced by bacterium: an enzyme produced by
streptococci that dissolves blood clots
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from streptococcal + kinase .][1]



streptolysin

streptolysin
strep·to·ly·sin 
[strèptə lssin] (plural strep·to·ly·sins)
noun

substance breaking down red
blood cells: a substance that breaks
down red blood cells and is produced by streptococci[1]



streptomyces

streptomyces
strep·to·my·ces 
[strèptə m sz] (plural strep·to·my·ces)
noun

bacterium
producing antibiotics: an aerobic soil bacterium.
Some streptomyces produce antibiotics. Genus: Streptomyces
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, coined from Greek strepto- “twisted” + mukēs
“fungus,” because it forms twisted chains and resembles mold.][1]



streptomycin

streptomycin
strep·to·my·cin 
[strèptə mssən] noun

antibiotic used for
tuberculosis: an antibiotic produced
by a soil bacterium that is used to treat infections caused by certain
bacteria, for example, tuberculosis. C21H39N7O12[1]



streptothricin

streptothricin
strep·to·thri·cin 
[strèptə thrssən] (plural strep·to·thri·cins)
noun

antibiotic
from soil bacterium: an antibiotic produced by a
soil bacterium that is used against bacteria and certain fungi
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin Streptothric-, stem of Streptothrix, former
genus name, coined from Greek strepto- “twisted” + thrix “hair,”
because it grows in hairlike filaments.][1]



STRESS

STRESS
STRESS 
[stress]

Abbreviation of
structural engineering system solver[1]



stress

stress
stress 
[stress] noun (plural stress·es)

1.  strain
felt by somebody: mental, emotional, or physical strain
caused, for example, by anxiety or overwork. It may cause such symptoms as
raised blood pressure or depression.

2.  cause
of strain:
something that causes mental or emotional strain

3.  special
importance:
special emphasis, importance, or significance attached to something

4.  PHONETICS emphasis
on syllable: the emphasis placed on a particular
sound or syllable by pronouncing it more loudly or forcefully than those
surrounding it in the same word or phrase

5.  POETRY emphasis
in poetry:
the emphasis placed on a particular syllable or word as part of the rhythm of a
poem or line

6.  MUSIC accent
in music:
the emphasis placed on a particular note as part of the rhythm of a piece of
music, or a mark representing this

7.  PHYSICS force
deforming a body: a force or system of forces exerted on a
body and resulting in deformation or strain
transitive
verb
(past stressed, past participle stressed, present
participle stress·ing, 3rd person present singular stress·es)

1.  emphasize
something:
to place emphasis on or attach importance to something

2.  PHONETICS pronounce
forcefully:
to pronounce a word or syllable more loudly or forcefully than those
surrounding it

3.  LANGUAGE See accent  noun 3

4.  subject
to stress:
to cause somebody or something to experience mental or physical stress
[14th
century. Partly a shortening of distress,
and partly via Old French estresse “narrowness,” from Latin strictus
“compressed” (source of English strict
).]
—stressed,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at worry

[1]



stressedout

stressedout
stressed
out
adjective

affected by mental stress:
unable to relax or function properly as the result of experiencing mental or
emotional stress (informal) (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



stressfracture

stressfracture
stress
frac·ture
(plural stress frac·tures) noun

small bone fracture:
a small fracture of a bone caused by repeated physical strain, sometimes
experienced, for example, by gymnasts, long-distance runners, or marching
soldiers[1]



stressful

stressful
stress·ful 
[strésf’l] adjective

producing
stress:
causing or involving mental or physical stress
—stress·ful·ly,
adverb

—stress·ful·ness, noun[1]



stressmark

stressmark
stress
mark
(plural stress marks) noun

mark showing syllable to be
stressed: a mark placed before, on, or
after a syllable that is to be stressed when the word containing it is
pronounced[1]



stressor

stressor
stres·sor 
[stréssər] (plural stres·sors)
noun

something that causes stress:
an activity, experience, or other situation that causes stress, for example,
lack of water to a plant or overwork to a person[1]



stressout

stressout
stress
out
intransitive and transitive verb

affect or be affected by
stress: to affect somebody with
emotional, mental, or physical stress, or be so affected[1]



stretch

stretch
stretch 
[strech] verb (past stretched,
past participle stretched, present participle stretch·ing,
3rd person present singular stretch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
or become extended: to lengthen, widen, or
extend something, or become lengthened, widened, or extended, especially by
force

2.  intransitive
verb
expand
and regain original shape: to be capable of expanding
and returning to its original shape afterward

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
or be extended excessively: to extend something or be
extended excessively so that the shape is permanently altered • The
sleeves of this sweater have stretched.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
body to full length: to straighten or extend the
body or part of it, especially the limbs, to full length • She
woke up, yawned, and stretched.

5.  transitive
verb
strain
body part:
to strain a part of the body such as a muscle

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something taut: to make something taut or tight, or
become taut or tight

7.  transitive
verb
suspend
something between two points: to suspend something, or
make something reach, between two points

8.  intransitive
verb
extend
in space:
to spread out or extend over an area or in a particular direction

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb extend
something over time: to last or continue over a
period of time, or prolong something

10. transitive
verb
make
small amount go further: to make limited supplies or
resources go further than usual, planned, or expected

11. intransitive
verb
be
enough:
to be sufficient to allow something • Will
the budget stretch to hiring a temporary assistant?

12. transitive
verb
exceed
limit or break rule: to exceed a limit or break a
rule that would usually prohibit something

13. transitive
verb
push
something to limit: to strain or push something
to the limit • You’re
stretching my patience.

14. transitive
verb
push
somebody to limit of ability: to cause somebody to make
full use of abilities or intellect, for example, with challenging or demanding
work

15. transitive
verb
exaggerate:
to make something sound better or worse than it really is, especially in order
to make it seem more impressive (informal) • To
call his house a mansion is stretching it a bit.

16. transitive
verb
knock
somebody down: to knock somebody down with a blow (informal)

17. intransitive
and transitive verb hang
somebody:
to hang or be hanged from a noose (archaic)
noun
(plural stretch·es)

1.  stretching
exercise:
the straightening and extending of a part of the body, for example, as an
exercise

2.  expanse:
a large expanse of something, especially land or water

3.  period
of time:
an uninterrupted period of time

4.  prison
term:
a term of imprisonment (slang)

5.  elasticity:
the ability to expand and return to the original shape afterward

6.  challenge:
something that is difficult to achieve (informal)

7.  HORSERACING MOTOR SPORTS SPORT straight part of racetrack:
the straight part of a racetrack, especially the final section approaching the
finishing line

8.  final
stage:
the final stage of an event, task, process, or period of time, especially one
that has been difficult or challenging

9.  BASEBALL position
by pitcher:
the position taken by a pitcher in order to hold a runner close to a base • He
had so many base runners that he was pitching from the stretch all day.
adjective

extended to provide extra space:
extended or enlarged in order to prove extra space, for example, for additional
seating
[Old
English streccan, of uncertain origin. Probably ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic base meaning “rigid” (hence “taut, stretched”), which is
also the ancestor of English starch
.]
—stretch·a·bil·i·ty
[strèchə bíllətee], noun

—stretch·a·ble
[stréchəb’l], adjective
at
a stretch

1.  continuously
• worked
five hours at a stretch

2.  with
great difficulty or effort • could
get there by six at a stretch

at
full stretch

using
all the energy or resources available

[1]



stretcher

stretcher
stretch·er 
[stréchər] (plural stretch·ers)
noun

1.  MEDICINE device
for carrying somebody lying down: a device consisting of
a sheet of material such as canvas stretched over a frame, used to carry
somebody in a lying position who is sick, injured, or dead

2.  Australia,
New Zealand
CAMPING camp
bed:
a camp bed consisting of a folding tubular metal frame and a canvas covering

3.  PAINTING frame
for artist’s canvas: a wooden frame over which a
canvas for an oil painting is stretched

4.  FURNITURE bar
bracing furniture legs: a bar that joins and braces
the legs of a chair, table, or other piece of furniture

5.  BUILDING strong
beam used as brace: a strong, usually horizontal
beam or bar that is used as a brace in the framework of a structure

6.  BUILDING stone
with long edge facing out: a brick or stone laid in a
wall so that its longer edge forms part of the face of the wall.
See
also
header

7.  exaggerated
story:
an exaggerated story or a lie based partly on the truth (slang)

[1]



stretcher-bearer

stretcher-bearer
stretch·er-bear·er 
(plural stretch·er-bear·ers) noun

somebody carrying stretcher:
somebody who helps carry a stretcher, especially a soldier given the task in
wartime[1]



stretchknit

stretchknit
stretch
knit
(plural stretch knits) noun

stretchy fabric:
knitted fabric that can stretch and return to its original shape afterward (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



stretchmark

stretchmark
stretch
mark
(plural stretch marks) noun

mark on skin from stretching:
a mark left on the skin of the abdomen, breasts, buttocks, or thighs after
pregnancy or weight loss (often used in the plural)[1]



stretch-out

stretch-out
stretch-out 
(plural stretch-outs) noun

1.  INDUSTRY extending
time to meet production quota: changing a production
schedule so that the same amount of goods can be produced over a longer period
of time

2.  FINANCE lengthening
of time for debt repayment: a restructuring of a debt
payment schedule so that the debt can be paid back over a longer period of time

3.  INDUSTRY additional
work without additional pay: an industrial practice in
which workers are required to do more work with little or no additional
compensation

[1]



stretchy

stretchy
stretch·y 
[stréchee] (comparative stretch·i·er,
superlative stretch·i·est) adjective

elastic:
capable of being stretched, usually returning to its original shape afterward,
or tending to stretch
—stretch·i·ness, noun[1]



stretto

stretto
stret·to 
[stréttō] (plural stret·tos or
stret·ti [stréttee]) noun

1.  overlapping
passages in fugue: in a fugue or similar work,
the successive statements of the theme very close together in time

2.  fast
passage:
the speeding up of a piece of music at a climactic moment
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian, literally “narrow, tight,” from Latin strictus (see strict ).][1]



streusel

streusel
streu·sel 
[strz’l, stròyz’l]
noun

sweet
crumbly topping: a crumbly topping for cakes and quick
breads. It is made of sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, and often chopped nuts.
[Early 20th century. From
German, from streuen “to sprinkle.”][1]



strew

strew
strew 
[stroo] (past strewed, past
participle strewn [stroon] or
strewed, present participle strew·ing, 3rd person
present singular strews) verb

1.  transitive
verb
scatter
something:
to scatter something, especially carelessly or untidily • Clothes
were strewn all over the floor.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
over area:
to spread or become spread over a large area • areas
strewn with landmines
[Old
English strewian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also
the ancestor of English straw and stratum .]
—strew·er, noun[1]



stria

stria
stri·a 
[str ə] (plural stri·ae [str ]) noun

1.  groove
or scratch:
a thin narrow groove or channel in the surface of something, for example, a
decorative feature on a column

2.  stripe
or band:
a stripe, streak, or narrow band, for example, a band of nerve fibers or
stretch marks seen in pregnancy striae gravidarum

3.  GEOLOGY See striation  noun 3
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “furrow, channel” (originally “something grazed”). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English strike .][1]



striate

striate
stri·ate 
[str àyt] transitive verb (past
stri·at·ed, past participle stri·at·ed, present
participle stri·at·ing, 3rd person present singular stri·ates)

mark
with striae: to mark something with parallel grooves,
ridges, stripes, or narrow bands
adjective

See
striated
[Late 17th century. From
Latin striare, from stria (see stria
).][1]



striated

striated
stri·at·ed
[str àytəd] adjective

with striae or striations:
marked with parallel grooves, ridges, stripes, or narrow bands[1]



striatedmuscle

striatedmuscle
stri·at·ed
mus·cle
(plural stri·at·ed mus·cles) noun

muscle with light and dark
bands: a muscle or muscle tissue,
for example, cardiac muscle or the muscles attached to the skeleton, that shows
light and dark bands within the muscle fibers.
Also called
striped muscle[1]



striation

striation
stri·a·tion 
[strī áysh’n] (plural stri·a·tions)
noun

1.  stripy
pattern:
patterning or marking with parallel grooves or narrow bands

2.  ANATOMY banding
or band within muscle fiber: the striped pattern of
striated muscle, or any of the light and dark bands that make up this effect

3.  GEOLOGY groove
or scratch:
a narrow groove or scratch on an exposed rock face, caused by abrasion by hard
rock fragments embedded in a moving glacier.
Also
called
stria

[1]



stricken

stricken
strick·en 
[stríkən]

Past participle of
strike
adjective

1.  deeply
or badly affected by something: deeply or very badly
affected by something such as grief, misfortune, or trouble

2.  affected
by illness:
experiencing severe physical symptoms caused by illness or injury

3.  hit
by missile:
injured, struck, or wounded, for example, by a missile
—strick·en·ly, adverb[1]



strickle

strickle
strick·le 
[strík’l] noun (plural strick·les)

1.  board
for leveling off excess material: a board used to level
off excess grain or other material in a container or measuring device.
Also
called
strike

2.  tool
for shaping mold surface: a tool used to shape the
surface of a mold
transitive
verb
(past strick·led, past participle strick·led, present
participle strick·ling, 3rd person present singular strick·les)

use strickle on something:
to level or shape something with a strickle
[Old English stricel .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English strike .][1]



strict

strict
strict 
[strikt] (comparative strict·er,
superlative strict·est) adjective

1.  severe
in maintaining discipline: severe in maintaining
discipline or rigorous in ensuring that rules are obeyed

2.  enforced
rigorously:
needing to be closely obeyed

3.  precise:
exact, precise, or narrowly interpreted

4.  faithful:
closely observing rules, principles, or practices

5.  absolute:
complete, utter, or absolute

6.  BOTANY growing
upright:
growing upward at or very close to the vertical
[15th
century. From Latin strictus, past participle of stringere “to
draw tight.”]
—strict·ly,
adverb

—strict·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word Latin stringere, from which strict
  is derived, is also the source of English constrain,
  constrict, distress, district,
  prestige, restrain, restrict,
  strain, stress,
  and stringent.

[1]



stricture

stricture
stric·ture 
[stríkchər] (plural stric·tures)
noun

1.  severe
criticism:
a severe criticism or strongly critical remark (formal)

2.  limit
or restriction: a limit or restriction, especially one
that seems unfair or too harsh (formal)

3.  MEDICINE constriction
of body passage: an abnormal constriction or narrowing of
a body passage
[14th
century. From Latin strictura, from, ultimately, stringere “to
draw tight.”]
—stric·tured, adjective[1]



stride

stride
stride 
[strīd] verb (past strode
[strōd], past participle strid·den
[strídd’n], present participle strid·ing,
3rd person present singular strides)

1.  intransitive
verb
walk
with long regular steps: to walk with long regular
steps, often briskly or energetically

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
long step over something: to cross or step over
something with a long step

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb straddle:
to sit or stand astride something (archaic or literary)
noun
(plural strides)

1.  long
step:
a long step, especially one taken briskly or energetically

2.  distance
covered by long step: the distance covered when
somebody or something takes a long step

3.  advance
toward improving something: an advance or step toward
improving or developing something

4.  way
of walking:
a way of walking or running in long regular steps, often taken briskly or
energetically

5.  ZOOLOGY coordinated
forward movement by animal: an act of forward motion by
a four-legged animal consisting of a coordinated cycle of movements that brings
the legs back to their original positions

6.  MUSIC See stride piano
plural
noun
strides

Australia trousers:
a pair of trousers (informal)
[Old
English strīdan “to straddle,” of uncertain origin. Perhaps ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to diverge,” which may also be the
ancestor of English strife and strive .]
—strid·er,
noun
hit
or reach your stride

to
become familiar with and at ease with something so that you can do it easily
and well

take
something in (your) stride

to accept something without
being unduly upset or worried about it[1]



strident

strident
stri·dent 
[strd’nt] adjective

1.  loud:
harsh, loud, grating, or shrill

2.  strongly
expressed:
loudly, strongly, or urgently expressed
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, the present participle stem of stridere “to creak”
(source of English stridulate ).]
—stri·dence,
noun

—stri·den·cy,
noun

—stri·dent·ly, adverb[1]



stridepiano

stridepiano
stride
pi·an·o
noun

style
of jazz piano: a style of jazz piano playing in which
the right hand plays the melody while the left hand alternates between playing
a single note and playing a related chord.
Also
called
stride
[Stride in the sense “to
straddle,” from the movements of the left hand][1]



stridor

stridor
stri·dor 
[strdər] (plural stri·dors) noun

1.  harsh
noise:
a harsh, grating, or creaking noise

2.  PATHOLOGY harsh
high-pitched wheeze: a harsh high-pitched
wheezing sound made when breathing in or out, caused by obstruction of the air
passages
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, from stridere (see strident
).][1]



stridulant

stridulant
strid·u·lant
adjective

See
stridulous[1]



stridulate

stridulate
strid·u·late 
[stríjjə làyt] (past strid·u·lat·ed,
past participle strid·u·lat·ed, present participle strid·u·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular strid·u·lates) intransitive verb

make
sound by rubbing body parts: to make a chirping or
grating sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as, for example,
male crickets and grasshoppers do
[Mid-19th
century. Via French striduler from, ultimately, Latin stridere
(see strident ).]
—strid·u·la·tion
[strìjjə láysh’n], noun

—strid·u·la·tor
[stríjjə làytər], noun

—strid·u·la·to·ry [stríjjələ tàwree], adjective[1]



stridulous

stridulous
strid·u·lous 
[stríjjələss] or strid·u·lant
[stríjjələnt] adjective

1.  making
a grating sound: having or making a shrill, harsh, or
grating sound

2.  PATHOLOGY of
obstructed breathing: relating to, affected by, or
characteristic of stridor
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin stridulus “creaking,” from stridere
(see strident ).]
—strid·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—strid·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



strife

strife
strife 
[strīf] noun

1.  bitter
conflict or rivalry: bitter and sometimes violent
conflict, struggle, or rivalry

2.  striving:
hard work to get or achieve something (archaic)
[12th
century. From Old French estrif, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately
from Old High German strīt “quarrel.”]
—strife·less, adjective[1]



strigil

strigil
strig·il 
[stríjjəl] (plural strig·ils) noun

skin
scraper used in ancient Greece: an instrument with a
curved blade used in ancient Greece and Rome to scrape dirt and sweat from the
skin after bathing or exercising
[Late 16th century. From
Latin strigilis .][1]



strigose

strigose
stri·gose 
[str gss] adjective

1.  BOTANY scaly
or bristly:
covered with fine scales or short bristles

2.  ZOOLOGY ridged:
with thin, closely spaced grooves or ridges
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin strigosus, from Latin striga “row.”][1]



strike

strike

strike 
[strīk] verb (past struck
[struk], past participle struck
or strick·en, present participle strik·ing, 3rd
person present singular strikes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
somebody or something: to hit somebody or
something, for example, with a hand, tool, or weapon • She
was struck on the arm by a piece of falling masonry.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb deliver
blow:
to deliver or inflict something such as a blow or punch

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb collide
with somebody or something: to crash into, knock hard
against, or collide with somebody or something • The
car swerved and struck a tree.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb penetrate
something:
to penetrate or seem to go right through something • The
pain struck deep into my shoulder blade.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
an attack:
to make an attack on somebody or something • The
enemy struck under cover of darkness.

6.  intransitive
verb
INDUSTRY stop
working as protest: to stop working as a
collective form of protest against an employer

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
somebody or something: to hit and damage or injure
something or somebody

8.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY stop
working for somebody: to take part in a strike
against an employer • They’re
striking the auto plant.

9.  transitive
verb
knock
away:
to remove something with a blow • She
struck the wasp from the child’s head.

10. (past
participle strick·en or struck) intransitive and
transitive verb affect somebody suddenly:
to affect somebody suddenly or unexpectedly • The
illness can strike at any age.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb produce
fire:
to produce fire by friction, or be produced by friction

12. intransitive
and transitive verb find
or discover something: to come across, find, or
discover something, especially suddenly or unexpectedly

13. intransitive
and transitive verb light
match:
to cause a match to light or to be lit by friction • The
matches won’t strike if they get damp.

14. transitive
verb
operate
something by pressing key: to operate, produce, or play
something by pressing a key or touching a string, for example, on a musical
instrument or a typewriter

15. transitive
verb
agree
to terms:
to agree on the terms of something • struck
a deal

16. intransitive
and transitive verb indicate
time by making sound: to indicate the time by
making a sound such as chiming

17. transitive
verb
METALLURGY make
something by stamping: to make or form something
such as a coin by stamping or punching • Moonbeams
struck the placid water on the lake.

18. intransitive
and transitive verb shine
on something: to fall or shine on something • Moonbeams
struck the placid water on the lake.

19. transitive
verb
be
noticed by somebody: to catch somebody’s
attention, or be noticed by somebody or something

20. transitive
verb
be
perceived by somebody: to be perceived by or become
audible to somebody

21. transitive
verb
make
certain impression on somebody: to have a certain effect
on or make a certain impression on somebody

22. transitive
verb
enter
somebody’s mind: to enter somebody’s mind or occur to
somebody, especially suddenly

23. transitive
verb
affect
somebody with emotion: to affect somebody or cause
somebody to be affected with an emotion in a deep, painful, or sudden way

24. intransitive
verb
bite
or sting suddenly: to deliver a sudden, fast
bite or sting, typically resulting in injury to the one bitten or stung • Suddenly
the snake struck.

25. intransitive
and transitive verb happen
suddenly:
to happen to somebody or something suddenly or unexpectedly

26. transitive
verb
cross
something out: to cancel, delete, or cross something
out • The
judge ordered that the preceding remark be stricken from the record.

27. transitive
verb
achieve
something by careful consideration: to
achieve something such as a balance or a compromise by careful consideration or
calculation

28. transitive
verb
adopt
pose:
to adopt or assume something such as a pose or attitude

29. intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING take bait:
to take or attempt to take a bait • The
fish are striking today.

30. intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY grow roots:
to send out and establish roots

31. transitive
verb
dismantle
something:
to dismantle something such as a tent or stage set

32. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL lower
mast or sail: to lower a mast or sail

33. transitive
verb
NAUTICAL lower
something in respect or surrender: to lower something
such as a flag or sail as a sign of respect or surrender

34. transitive
verb
SHIPPING lower
something into ship’s hold: to lower something into the
hold of a ship

35. intransitive
verb
NAVY attempt
technical rating in U.S. Navy: to work hard with the
aim of achieving a certain technical rating in the U.S. Navy

36. transitive
verb
See strickle
noun (plural
strikes)

1.  hit
or blow delivered: a blow delivered by striking

2.  sound
of hit:
a sound produced by striking somebody or something

3.  INDUSTRY work
stoppage:
a work stoppage by employees as a protest against an employer

4.  refusal
to do something as protest: a refusal to carry out a
regular action or activity, for example, eating or paying rent, as a form of
protest

5.  MILITARY military
attack using aircraft: a military attack,
especially one using aircraft

6.  success
in finding something: a success in finding or
discovering something, especially a valuable mineral source such as gold or oil

7.  BOWLING knocking
down of bowling pins: the knocking down of all the
pins with the first ball in a session of bowling

8.  BASEBALL missed
pitch:
a pitch in baseball that is swung at and missed or is in the strike zone and
not hit

9.  COINS coins
struck at same time: the number of coins or
medals struck at the same time

10. GEOLOGY direction
of geologic formation: the compass direction of a
horizontal line on a sloping rock surface, used to define geologic features
such as bedding or faults

11. See
strickle  noun 1

12. VETERINARY MEDICINE animal
disease caused by flies: an animal disease caused by
an infestation of flies or fly eggs in open wounds or moist areas of the skin

13. ANGLING pull
on fishing line by fish: a pull on a fishing line
indicating that a fish has taken the bait

14. BOTANY sending
out of plant roots: the establishment of roots
by a plant cutting or seedling
[Old
English strīcan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“to touch lightly,” which is also the ancestor of English stroke and streak
.]
strike it rich

to be extremely lucky or
successful, particularly in money matters[1]



strikebound

strikebound
strike·bound 
[strk bòwnd] adjective

closed by strike:
closed or unable to operate because people have stopped work as a form of
protest[1]



strikebreaker

strikebreaker
strike·break·er 
[strk bràykər] (plural strike·break·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who works while others strike: somebody who continues
to work for an employer while other employees are on strike

2.  somebody
hired to replace striker: somebody hired to do the
work of somebody who is on strike

[1]



strikebreaking

strikebreaking
strike·break·ing
[strk bràyking] noun

1.  action
of strikebreaker: the act of working for an employer while
other employees are on strike

2.  breaking
up of strike: action intended to break up a workers’
strike

[1]



strikedown

strikedown
strike
down
transitive verb

1.  cause
to fall:
to cause somebody or something to fall by hitting

2.  cause
somebody to become very ill: to affect somebody or cause
somebody to become seriously ill, especially suddenly

3.  kill
somebody:
to cause somebody to die, especially suddenly

4.  cause
something to become ineffective: to cause something to
be no longer in effect or valid

[1]



strikefault

strikefault
strike
fault
(plural strike faults) noun

fault with strike parallel to
strata: a fault with a strike
parallel to the rock strata[1]



strikeoff

strikeoff
strike
off
transitive verb

1.  delete
something:
to cancel or remove something from a list, record, or register by crossing it
out • A
steward struck off the names of the passengers as they boarded the plane.

2.  PRINTING print:
to print something

[1]



strike-out

strike-out
strike-out
(plural strike-outs) noun

out made by three strikes:
an out made in baseball by a batter charged with three strikes[1]



strikeout

strikeout
strike
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
fail:
to be unsuccessful (informal) • I
tried three times to get that job, but struck out completely.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL have three strikes:
to put a batter out, or to be made out, with three strikes

3.  transitive
verb
set
out energetically: to set out energetically,
especially for a particular destination or in a particular direction • We
struck out at sunrise, determined to get there by nightfall.

4.  intransitive
verb
attack
somebody or something: to attack somebody or
something, either physically or verbally

5.  transitive
verb
draw
line through something: to draw a line through
something in order to cancel or delete it

6.  intransitive
verb
begin
something:
to begin doing something, especially independently

[1]



strikeover

strikeover
strike·o·ver 
[strk vər] (plural strike·o·vers)
noun

1.  typing
over already typed character: the typing of one character
over another already typed without erasing the first one

2.  something
typed over:
a character or word that has been typed over by something else

[1]



strikepay

strikepay
strike
pay
noun

money paid by union to
strikers: money paid by a trade union
to members who are on strike[1]



striker

striker
strik·er 
[strkər] (plural strik·ers) noun

1.  INDUSTRY somebody
on strike:
somebody who has stopped working or taken other action as a form of protest

2.  SOCCER attacking
player in soccer team: an attacking player in a
soccer team whose main role is to score goals

3.  device
that strikes to tell time: a device that strikes to
tell the time, for example, a hammer in a clock or a clapper in a bell

4.  ARMS mechanism
that drives firing pin forward: the mechanical part of
a firearm that drives the firing pin forward

5.  NAVY sailor
working to get technical rating: somebody enlisted in
the U.S. Navy who is working hard toward a technical rating

[1]



strike-slipfault

strike-slipfault
strike-slip
fault
(plural strike-slip faults) noun

fault that moves parallel to
strike: a geological fault that
moves in a direction parallel to its strike[1]



strikeup

strikeup
strike
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb begin
to play:
to begin playing or singing something • struck
up the band and played a waltz

2.  transitive
verb
begin
something:
to begin something, or cause something to begin

[1]



strikezone

strikezone
strike
zone
(plural strike zones) noun

where baseball must travel
for strike: in baseball, the area above
home plate, between the batter’s armpits and knees, through which the ball must
travel in order to be called a strike[1]



striking

striking
strik·ing 
[strking] adjective

1.  conspicuous:
conspicuous, marked, or noticeable

2.  attractive
or impressive: attracting attention, especially in an
impressive or unusual way

3.  INDUSTRY on
strike:
not working as a form of protest
—strik·ing·ly,
adverb

—strik·ing·ness, noun[1]



strikingdistance

strikingdistance
strik·ing
dis·tance
noun

close proximity:
closeness to something or to achieving something[1]



strikingprice

strikingprice
strik·ing
price
(plural strik·ing pric·es) noun

price with buying or selling
right: the price at which the
holder of stock options or warrants has the right to buy or sell.
U.K. term
exercise price[1]



Strindberg,August

Strindberg,August

Strind·berg
[strínd burg, strín
burg], August (1849–1912)
Swedish
dramatist. Often considered the greatest figure in Swedish literature, he
greatly influenced European and U.S. dramatists with his naturalistic novels
and plays, notably The Ghost Sonata ( 1908 ).
Full
name
Strindberg, Johan August
—Strind·berg·i·an [strind búrgee ən], adjective[1]



Strine

Strine
Strine
[strīn] or strine [strīn] noun

Australian
English:
Australian English, especially a humorous representation in writing of
Australian pronunciation, for example, “Emma Chisit” for “How much is it?” (humorous)
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the supposed Australian pronunciation of Australian,
first used in the books of Alistair Morrison under the pseudonym Afferbeck
Lauder, Strine for “alphabetical order.”][1]



string

string
string 
[string] noun (plural strings)

1.  thin
cord:
a thin cord or twine, usually made of twisted fibers, used for binding,
fastening, hanging, or tying

2.  something
resembling string: something that resembles
string in form or texture

3.  succession
of items:
a series of similar or connected acts, events, or things

4.  line
of things:
a series of things forming or arranged in a line, usually one behind another

5.  group
of associated things: a group of similar things
belonging to, managed by, or connected with a single person or a set of people

6.  sequence
of similar elements: a sequence of elements of
the same nature, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, binary digits, sounds,
or words

7.  objects
threaded together: a set of objects connected
with a single thread

8.  MUSIC long
cord stretched across musical instrument: a
cord made of nylon, wire, or gut that is stretched across a musical instrument
and plucked, bowed, or otherwise vibrated in order to produce sound

9.  RACKET GAMES thin
cord stretched across sports racket: any
of the thin cords that are tightly stretched across the face of a sports racket
and interwoven to form a mesh

10. ARCHERY cord
stretched across archer’s bow: the cord stretched
between the ends of a bow in archery

11. plant
fiber:
a tough chewy fiber in a fruit or vegetable

12. tendon:
a tendon or ligament of an animal (archaic)

13. BUILDING See stringboard

14. BUILDING See stringcourse

15. SPORTS person
chosen and ranked on ability: a person or group of people
chosen, especially for a sports team, and ranked at a specified level on the
basis of their ability

16. CUE GAMES hit
determining playing order in billiards: an
act of hitting the cue ball in billiards toward the head cushion ( lag ) to determine who will play first

17. CUE GAMES See balkline  noun 1

18. BOWLING ten
frames of bowling: a game of bowling consisting
of ten frames

19. PHYSICS ASTRONOMY hypothetical one-dimensional
entity:
a hypothetical one-dimensional entity that vibrates as it moves through space
and is held to be a fundamental component of matter.
See
also
cosmic string
See
also
superstring
plural
noun
strings MUSIC

1.  musicians
playing stringed instruments: the section of an orchestra
consisting of musicians who play stringed instruments

2.  stringed
instruments of orchestra: the stringed instruments of
an orchestra or other musical ensemble considered as a group
verb
(past strung [strung], past
participle strung, present participle string·ing, 3rd
person present singular strings)

1.  transitive
verb
thread
onto string: to thread things onto a string

2.  transitive
verb
hang
something between two points: to hang or stretch something
between two points

3.  transitive
verb
arrange
or extend something in line: to arrange or extend
something in a line or series

4.  transitive
verb
provide
something with string or strings: to provide something,
for example, a sports racket or musical instrument, with a string or strings

5.  transitive
verb
fasten
or tie something with string: to bind, fasten, hang, or
tie something with a string or strings

6.  transitive
verb
COOKING remove
fibers:
to remove the stringy fibers from vegetables

7.  intransitive
verb
become
stringy:
to form strings or become stringy

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb CUE GAMES determine playing order in
billiards:
to hit the cue ball in billiards toward the head cushion ( lag ) to determine who will play first
adjective

made of string:
made of a mesh of string or similar material
[Old
English streng . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“stiff” (ancestor also of English strong
), the underlying idea being of something twisted until stiff.]
—string·less,
adjective
have
somebody on a string

to
be able to control somebody easily

pull
strings

to
use influence to try to gain an advantage

pull
the strings

to
be in control, although not obviously so

with
no strings (attached)

without any conditions or
restrictions being made[1]



stringalong

stringalong
string
along
verb (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
deceive
over a long time: to deceive or fool somebody over an
extended period of time, especially by keeping him or her in a state of false
hope

2.  intransitive
verb
accompany
or stay with: to accompany or stay with somebody,
often in a casual manner • She
wanted to string along with us when we went to the shops.

3.  intransitive
verb
agree
with:
to agree or go along with another or another person’s idea or suggestion

[1]



stringband

stringband
string
band
(plural string bands) noun

folk group playing on
stringed instruments: a group of
musicians who play folk or country music on stringed instruments[1]



stringbass

stringbass
string
bass 
(plural string bass·es) noun

See
double bass[1]



stringbean

stringbean

string
bean
(plural string beans) noun

1.  PLANTS cultivated
bean plant:
a climbing or bushy bean plant with slim green pods and white or purplish
flowers. Latin name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Also
called
scarlet runner

2.  FOOD pod of
string bean: the long green pod of the string bean
plant, containing edible seeds

3.        tall
and thin person: somebody who is tall
and thin (informal)[1]



stringboard

stringboard
string·board 
[stríng bàwrd] (plural string·boards)
noun

board
covering staircase: a board that covers the ends
of the steps on a staircase.
Also
called
string
Also
called
stringer
[Because the board “strings”
the steps together][1]



stringcourse

stringcourse
string·course 
[stríng kàwrss] (plural string·cours·es)
noun

decorative feature on
building: a decorative feature on a
building in the form of a horizontal band or molding.
Also called
beltcourse
Also called
cordon
Also called
string[1]



stringedinstrument

stringedinstrument

stringed in·stru·ment
(plural stringed in·stru·ments) or string in·stru·ment
(plural string in·stru·ment) noun
musical instrument with strings:
a musical instrument in which sound is produced by the vibration of a string or
strings tightly stretched across a soundboard. Most stringed instruments, for
example, the violin, cello, guitar, and lute, are played by bowing or plucking
the strings.[1]



stringendo

stringendo
strin·gen·do 
[strin jéndō] adverb

speeding
up:
at an accelerating tempo (used as a musical direction)
[Mid-19th
century. Via Italian, present participle of stringere “to press,
squeeze,” from Latin, “to draw tight” (source of English strict ).]
—strin·gen·do, adjective[1]



stringent

stringent
strin·gent 
[strínjənt] adjective

rigorous
or severe:
strictly controlled or enforced
[Early
17th century. From Latin, present participle stem of stringere “to draw
tight, bind” (source of English strict
).]
—strin·gen·cy,
noun

—strin·gent·ly, adverb[1]



stringer

stringer
string·er 
[stríngər] (plural string·ers)
noun

1.  PRESS freelance
or part-time journalist: a journalist, often covering
a particular geographic area, who works on a freelance or part-time basis for a
newspaper, network, or news agency

2.  BUILDING horizontal
timber:
a heavy horizontal timber used for structural purposes

3.  BUILDING See stringboard

4.  AEROSPACE auxiliary
member of wing: a light auxiliary part parallel with the
main structural members of a wing or fuselage, used mainly for bracing and
stabilizing

5.  SPORTS player
of specified ability: a member of a team who is
ranked according to excellence or skill (usually used in combination)

6.  GEOLOGY narrow
mineral vein: a narrow or discontinuous linear vein of
ore mineral

[1]



stringhalt

stringhalt
string·halt 
[stríng hàwlt] noun

condition
affecting horses: a condition of horses marked by sudden
lifting of and lameness in the hind legs, caused by muscle spasms.
Also
called
springhalt
[Early
16th century. From string in the sense
“tendon” + halt “to limp.”]
—string·halt·ed, adjective[1]



stringinstrument

stringinstrument
string
in·stru·ment noun

See
stringed instrument[1]



stringline

stringline
string
line
(plural string lines) noun

CUE
GAMES See balkline[1]



stringorchestra

stringorchestra
string
or·ches·tra
(plural string or·ches·tras) noun

orchestra of stringed
instruments: a small orchestra of
stringed instruments including violins, violas, cellos, and double basses[1]



stringpiece

stringpiece
string·piece
[stríng pss] (plural string·piec·es)
noun

wooden beam:
a beam of wood placed horizontally to support a framework[1]



stringquartet

stringquartet
string
quar·tet
(plural string quar·tets) noun

1.  group
of four string players: a group of four musicians
playing stringed instruments, traditionally two violins, a cello, and a viola

2.  music
for four string players: a piece of music composed
for four stringed instruments, traditionally two violins, a cello, and a viola

[1]



stringtheory

stringtheory
string
the·o·ry
(plural string the·o·ries) noun

theory of elementary
particles: a mathematical theory that
provides a unified structure to explain the properties and behavior of
elementary particles and fundamental forces[1]



stringtie

stringtie
string
tie
(plural string ties) noun

1.  narrow
necktie in a bow: a narrow necktie made of ribbon, tied in
a bow, briefly popular in the 1890s

2.  narrow
necktie fastened with sliding clip: a
narrow thong held by a sliding clip, worn as a necktie, especially by cowboys

[1]



stringy

stringy
string·y 
[stríngee] (comparative string·i·er,
superlative string·i·est) adjective

1.  fibrous:
containing strands of fiber and unpleasant to chew

2.  unattractively
thin:
unattractively thin, with bones or muscles showing beneath the skin

3.  resembling
strings:
looking like strings or hanging in long thin strands • a
stringy beard

4.  forming
strands:
forming long sticky threads

[1]



strip

strip3
strip3 [strip]
(past stripped, past participle stripped, present
participle strip·ping, 3rd person present singular strips)
transitive verb

get
remaining milk from udder: to remove the last remaining
milk from the udder of a cow or goat by hand after machine-milking
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



strip

strip1
strip1 [strip]
verb (past stripped, past participle stripped,
present participle strip·ping, 3rd person present singular
strips)

1.  intransitive
verb
get
undressed:
to remove your clothes, either completely or to a particular extent

2.  transitive
verb
undress
somebody:
to remove somebody’s clothes, either completely or to a particular extent

3.  intransitive
verb
do
striptease:
to do a striptease, or be a striptease artist

4.  transitive
verb
remove
covering:
to take off a covering, or take the covering off something • strip
the wallpaper

5.  transitive
verb
remove
paint or varnish from surface: to remove old paint or
varnish from a surface by scraping or burning it or by using a chemical

6.  transitive
verb
remove
contents:
to remove all the contents from a room, building, or similar place

7.  transitive
verb
GARDENING remove
all leaves or plants: to remove all the leaves or
flowers from a plant, or remove all the plants from an area

8.  transitive
verb
deprive
of status or possessions: to take status or
possessions away from somebody • stripped
him of his rank

9.  transitive
verb
take
something apart: to break down a machine, engine, or
weapon into pieces in order to clean or repair it

10. intransitive
and transitive verb MECHANICAL ENGINEERING damage
screw thread or gear teeth: to damage a screw or
gearwheel by breaking the thread or teeth, or undergo this damage

11. transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY remove
volatile content: to separate one or more components,
especially a volatile one, from a solution or mixture, for example, by
distillation or evaporation

12. transitive
verb
PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHY make into printing
plate:
to put pieces of photographic film or paper together to make a plate for
printing
noun
(plural strips)

act of stripping:
the performance of a striptease
[Old English -strpan,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



strip

strip2
strip2 [strip]
noun (plural strips)

1.  long
flat piece:
a long flat narrow piece of something

2.  AIR See airstrip

3.  PUBLISHING See comic strip

4.  COMMERCE road
lined with businesses: a road lined with stores,
shopping centers, restaurants, and other businesses
transitive
verb
(past stripped, past participle stripped, present
participle strip·ping, 3rd person present singular strips)

divide into strips:
to cut, tear, or divide something into strips
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low German strippe “strap, thong.”][1]



stripclub

stripclub
strip
club
(plural strip clubs) noun

club with striptease:
a club or bar where people can watch striptease acts[1]



stripcropping

stripcropping
strip
crop·ping
noun

growing crops in lines:
the growing of different crops in an arrangement of lines or bands to prevent
soil erosion[1]



stripe

stripe1
stripe1 [strīp]
noun (plural stripes)

1.  long
narrow band: a long narrow band that differs in
color, composition, or texture from the surrounding surface or background

2.  pattern:
a pattern of stripes

3.  TEXTILES fabric:
a fabric with a pattern of stripes

4.  MILITARY indication
of rank:
a narrow band or V-shaped piece of fabric, sewn on to a uniform as a symbol of
rank

5.  type
of person:
a recognizable type of person with a particular character or set of opinions • This
is a tyrant of a very different stripe.

6.  set
of characteristics: a particular set of
characteristics “…portals of all stripes face a challenging future…” Washington
Post November 1998
transitive
verb
(past striped, past participle striped, present
participle strip·ing, 3rd person present singular stripes)

mark with stripes:
to put stripes on something
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German strīpe .][1]



stripe

stripe2
stripe2 [strīp]
(plural stripes) noun

blow:
a blow from a whip, lash, cane, or belt
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Low German or Dutch .][1]



striped

striped
striped 
[strīpt] adjective

with stripes:
patterned or marked with stripes[1]



stripedbass

stripedbass
striped
bass 
[strpt báss] noun

large game fish:
a large fish found along the coasts of the United States that travels up rivers
to breed, has black stripes, and is a food and game fish. Latin name: Morone
saxatilus
Also called
rockfish
Also called
striper[1]



stripedmaple

stripedmaple
striped
ma·ple
(plural striped ma·ples) noun

N American maple:
a maple of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada with green
bark marked with white stripes. Latin name: Acer pennsylvanicum
Also called
moosewood[1]



stripedmarlin

stripedmarlin
striped
mar·lin
(plural striped mar·lins) noun

Pacific fish:
a large game and food fish of the Pacific with dark blue vertical stripes on
the sides. Latin name: Makaira audax[1]



stripedmuscle

stripedmuscle
striped
mus·cle
(plural striped mus·cles) noun

See
striated muscle[1]



stripedskunk

stripedskunk
striped
skunk
noun

common skunk:
a common North American skunk that has a white cap on its head and white
stripes down either side of the spine. Latin name: Mephitis mephitis[1]



striper

striper
strip·er 
[strpər] (plural strip·ers) noun

1.  MILITARY somebody
with stripes indicating rank: a member of the armed forces
whose stripes on the uniform indicate rank or length of service (slang)
(usually used in combination) • a
three-striper

2.  ZOOLOGY See striped bass

[1]



strip-grazing

strip-grazing
strip-graz·ing
noun

grazing where animals eat in
strips: a system in which cattle or
other livestock are periodically allocated a fresh strip of pasture to graze by
moving an electrified fence across the field[1]



stripjoint

stripjoint
strip
joint
(plural strip joints) noun

strip club:
a strip club (informal)[1]



striplight

striplight
strip·light
(plural strip·lights) noun

row of lamps:
a row of shaded lamps used to light a theater stage[1]



stripling

stripling
strip·ling 
[stríppling] (plural strip·lings)
noun

boy:
a boy in his early teenage years, who has not yet grown to his full size
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from strip 2, with the
underlying meaning “thin as a strip.”][1]



stripmall

stripmall
strip
mall
(plural strip malls) noun

row of stores:
a long building next to a road divided into separate stores and businesses with
parking spaces in front[1]



stripmine

stripmine
strip
mine
(plural strip mines) noun

surface
mine:
a mine where mineral seams near the surface of the ground are exposed by
stripping away soil and land
—strip min·ing, noun[1]



stripped-down

stripped-down
stripped-down 
adjective

minimalist:
deprived of all but the most essential or simple features[1]



stripper

stripper1
strip·per1  [stríppər]
(plural strip·pers) noun

1.  striptease
artist:
somebody who performs striptease acts

2.  paint
or wallpaper remover: a tool or substance used for
removing paint, varnish, wallpaper, or other substances from a surface

3.  somebody
who strips something: somebody whose job is to
strip something

[1]



stripper

stripper2
strip·per2  [stríppər]
(plural strip·pers) or strip·per well [stríppər] (plural strip·per wells) noun

small
well:
a small oil or gas well with limited production capacity
[Formed from strip 3 ; the word
originally meant “a cow that no longer gives much milk”][1]



strippoker

strippoker
strip
pok·er
noun

card game:
a variety of the card game poker in which, at each round, players who lose have
to remove an item of their clothing[1]



strippy

strippy
strip·py
[stríppee] noun

type
of patchwork: a type of patchwork in which broad
strips of fabric are pieced together in vertical bands, then quilted
adjective

of strips:
consisting of strips[1]



strip-search

strip-search
strip-search 
(past strip-searched, past participle strip-searched,
present participle strip-search·ing, 3rd person present
singular strip-search·es, plural strip-search·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

search
a naked suspect: to compel somebody to undress completely
while searching for concealed drugs, weapons, or contraband
—strip search, noun[1]



stripsteak

stripsteak
strip
steak
(plural strip steaks) noun

boneless
steak:
a boneless steak from the upper part of the loin
[From its long narrow shape][1]



striptease

striptease
strip·tease
[stríp tz, strìp
tz] (plural strip·teas·es) noun

erotic
entertainment: an entertainment in which the performer
slowly undresses in an erotic way, usually with music as an accompaniment
—strip·teas·er, noun[1]



stripy

stripy
strip·y 
[strpee] (comparative strip·i·er,
superlative strip·i·est) adjective

with stripes:
decorated with, marked with, or in the form of stripes[1]



strive

strive
strive 
[strīv] (past strove [strōv] or strived, past
participle striv·en [strívv’n] or
strived, present participle striv·ing, 3rd person
present singular strives) intransitive verb

1.  try
hard:
to try hard to achieve or get something

2.  oppose:
to fight in opposition to something

3.  compete:
to compete resolutely against somebody or something
[12th
century. From Old French estriver “to contend,” from estrif (see strife ).]
—striv·er, noun[1]



strobe

strobe
strobe 
[strōb] (plural strobes) noun

1.  See
strobe light

2.  See
stroboscope

3.  short
electronic pulse: an electronic pulse of short duration
used to examine the characteristics of a periodic waveform

4.  use
of a stroboscope: the process of viewing vibrations or
rotational motion with a stroboscope
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of stroboscope .][1]



strobelight

strobelight
strobe
light
(plural strobe lights) or strobe (plural strobes)
noun

high-intensity light flash:
a high intensity flashing beam of light produced by charging a capacitor to a
very high voltage then discharging it as a high-intensity flash of light in a
tube[1]



strobila

strobila
stro·bi·la
[strə blə] (plural stro·bi·lae
[strə b l]) noun

1.  body
of tapeworm: the segmented body of a tapeworm,
usually excluding the head ( scolex ) and
neck

2.  embryonic
jellyfish:
a chain of buds that are attached to the body of certain jellyfish and that
later develop into individual offspring
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek strobilē “twisted plug of lint,” feminine of strobilos
(see strobilus ).][1]



strobilation

strobilation
stro·bi·la·tion
[stròbbə láysh’n] noun

reproduction through
segmentation: the process of dividing
into segments to form repeating units, for example, buds in jellyfish, as a
means of reproduction[1]



strobilus

strobilus
stro·bi·lus
[strṓbələss] (plural stro·bi·li
[strṓbə l]) noun

1.  cone
of plant:
the cone of a coniferous plant, or a similar cone-shaped structure in certain
lower plants that consists of closely packed fertile leaves bearing
spore-producing organs (technical)

2.  cone-shaped
structure in plants: a cone-shaped structure in
flowering plants, for example, the fruit of the hop
[Mid-18th century. Via late
Latin from Greek strobilos “twisted object, pine cone,” from strobos
“whirling.”][1]



stroboscope

stroboscope
strob·o·scope
[strṓbə skp] (plural strob·o·scopes)
noun

flashing
device for intermittent illumination: a
flashing lamp of precisely variable periodicity that can be synchronized with
the frequency of moving machinery to give the appearance of being stationary.
It is often used in conjunction with flash or stop-action photography.
Also
called
strobe
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek strobos “whirling” + -scope
.]
—stro·bo·scop·ic [strbə skóppik], adjective[1]



strobotron

strobotron
stro·bo·tron
[strṓbə tròn] (plural stro·bo·trons)
noun

light
source in a stroboscope: the triggered gas-discharge
tube used as the pulsed light source in a stroboscope
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from stroboscope + -tron
.][1]



strode

strode
strode

Past tense of
stride[1]



Stroessner,Alfredo

Stroessner,Alfredo
Stroess·ner
[stréssnər], Alfredo (1912– )

Paraguayan soldier and
dictator. As commander in chief of armed forces, he overthrew President
Federico Chavez in 1954 and held office until he was overthrown in 1989.[1]



stroganoff

stroganoff
strog·a·noff 
[strṓgə nàwf, strṓgə
nòf] or Strog·a·noff [strṓgə
nàwf, strṓgə nòf] adjective

with
sour cream:
cooked in a wine sauce with sour cream
noun

See
beef stroganoff
[Mid-20th century. From
French, named for the Russian diplomat Count Pavel Aleksandrovich Stroganov
(1772–1817).][1]



Stroheim,Erich von

Stroheim,Erich von
Stro·heim
[strṓ hm], Erich von (1885–1957)

Austrian-born
U.S. actor and movie director. In Hollywood after 1914, he directed films of
unparalleled realism and psychological intensity, including his masterpiece, Greed
( 1925 ). His budget overruns ended his directing career after only eight
movies, and his later years were devoted to acting.
Full name
Stroheim, Erich Oswald[1]



stroke

stroke
stroke
[strōk] noun (plural strokes)

1.  MED stoppage
of the blood flow to the brain: a sudden blockage or
rupture of a blood vessel in the brain resulting in, for example, loss of
consciousness, partial loss of movement, or loss of speech. Technical name
cerebrovascular accident

2.  sudden
occurrence:
a sudden instance or occurrence of something that has a strong or unexpected
effect • a
stroke of luck

3.  SPORTS hitting
of a ball:
the hitting of a ball in racket games or golf, or the way in which this is done

4.  SWIMMING single
movement in swimming: a single complete movement
of the arms and legs when swimming

5.  SWIMMING swimming
style:
a style of swimming, using the arms and legs in a particular way

6.  ENGINEERING movement
of a piston: a single movement, up or down, of a
piston in an engine or the distance that it travels in a single movement

7.  ARTS brush
or pen line: a single line or mark made with a pen or
brush • a
brush stroke

8.  ARTS single
movement of a pen or brush: a single movement of a pen
or brush to make a line or mark

9.  positive
word of encouragement: a usually positive comment
or statement such as a compliment made by one person to another • I
need all the positive strokes I can right now.

10. striking
of a clock:
a single sound made by a clock that is striking • at
the stroke of seven

11. hit:
a hit or blow made by the hand, a cane, or a tool

12. caressing
movement:
a gentle caressing movement of the hand over fur, hair, or skin

13. single
movement in a series: a single movement forming
part of a series of movements, for example, the beat of a wing or the swing of
a pendulum • a
wing stroke

14. ROWING single
pull:
a single movement of the oars through the water in rowing

15. ROWING rowing
style:
a particular rowing style

16. ROWING rower
who keeps time: a rower in a racing boat who sets the
pace for the crew

17. U.K.
PRINTING See slash  noun 5

18. additional
feature:
a small additional feature that has an effect on the style or nature of
something • a
stroke of sarcasm

19. element
of social recognition: in transactional analysis, a
unit of social recognition between two or more people that, in its simplest
form, can be a one-word greeting such as “hello”
verb
(past stroked, past participle stroked, present
participle strok·ing, 3rd person present singular strokes)

1.  transitive
verb
caress
something:
to move the hand gently over something as if caressing it • stroked
the cat gently

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS hit a
ball smoothly: to hit or kick a ball smoothly in various
sports

3.  transitive
verb
compliment
somebody:
to behave encouragingly or solicitously toward somebody as a way of persuading
or eliciting cooperation

4.  intransitive
verb
ROWING move
oars:
to row at a particular speed or rate of the oars

5.  transitive
verb
ROWING set
the rowing pace for somebody: to be the rower who sets the
pace for the crew

6.  transitive
verb
push
gently:
to push something somewhere gently with a light movement of the hand

7.  transitive
verb
cross
something out: to draw a line through something
adjective

pornographic:
pornographic (slang)
[Old
English strācian . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
rub, press,” which is also the ancestor of English strike,
streak, and stringent .]
different
strokes for different folks

used to emphasize that people
are all individuals and that what suits one will not necessarily suit another[1]



strokeplay

strokeplay
stroke
play
noun

GOLF
See medal play[1]



stroll

stroll
stroll 
[strōl] verb (past strolled,
past participle strolled, present participle stroll·ing,
3rd person present singular strolls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
unhurriedly: to walk along somewhere in a slow
unhurried way, especially for enjoyment

2.  intransitive
verb
do
effortlessly: to do, obtain, or achieve something in a
casual effortless way • she
strolled through the exam
noun
(plural strolls)

leisurely walk:
a slow leisurely walk for pleasure • went
for a stroll in the park
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from German strollen “to wander,” a variant of strolchen,
from Strolch “vagabond, fortuneteller,” perhaps via Italian from,
ultimately, Greek astrologos “astronomer.”][1]



stroller

stroller
stroll·er 
[strṓlər] (plural stroll·ers) noun

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia baby transport:
a light chair with wheels in which a young child can be pushed around

2.  walker:
somebody who is walking in a slow leisurely way for pleasure

3.  THEATER traveling
performer:
an actor or performer who travels from place to place (archaic)

4.  vagrant:
a man who has no regular home and so wanders from place to place (archaic)

[1]



strolling

strolling
stroll·ing
[strṓling] adjective

itinerant:
going from place to place to earn a living, especially by entertaining • strolling
minstrels[1]



stroma

stroma
stro·ma 
[strṓmə] (plural stro·ma·ta [strṓmətə]) noun

1.  ANATOMY connective
tissue:
the connective tissue that provides the framework of an organ or other
anatomical structure rather than carrying out its functions

2.  BOTANY interior
of a chloroplast: the fluid-filled interior of a
chloroplast containing enzymes and other components required for
photosynthesis, including the light-trapping components
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Greek strōma “bed, cushion.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to spread,” which is also the ancestor of
English strew, straw, and stratum
.]
—stro·mat·ic [strō máttik], adjective[1]



stromatolite

stromatolite
stro·mat·o·lite 
[strō mátt’l t] (plural stro·mat·o·lites)
noun

fossil
made from marine algae: a very old fossil formed in
sedimentary rock by marine blue-green algae and consisting of a rounded or
columnar calcium-containing mass of many layers
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from late Latin stromat-, the stem of stroma
“bed-covering” + -lite .]
—stro·mat·o·lit·ic [strō màttə líttik], adjective[1]



Stromboli

Stromboli
Strom·bo·li 
[strómbə l, strom
bṓlee]

volcanic island in the
Italian Lipari Islands in the Adriatic Sea, north of Sicily. Area: 13 sq km/5
sq mi.[1]



strong

strong
strong 
[strong] (comparative strong·er,
superlative strong·est) adjective

1.  physically
powerful:
having the physical strength needed to exert considerable force, for example,
in lifting, pulling, or pushing something

2.  using
force:
using great physical force

3.  robust
and sturdy:
sturdy, well made, and not easily damaged or broken

4.  with
inner strength: having emotional strength that gives the
ability to cope with stress, grief, loss, risk, and other difficulties

5.  healthy
and well:
in good health, especially after an illness • getting
stronger every day

6.  thriving:
thriving, developing well, and likely to continue so • a
strong economy

7.  likely
to succeed:
very likely to succeed, win, or come to be something • a
strong candidate for the job.

8.  convincing:
supported by facts or good evidence and likely to be correct or effective • a
strong argument

9.  knowledgeable:
very skillful or knowledgeable in a particular subject or area • Physics
was never one of my strongest subjects!

10. exerting
influence:
influential or authoritative by virtue of having or holding power

11. effective:
having a powerful effect • strong
painkillers

12. felt
or expressed powerfully: felt or expressed with a
powerful effect • She has strong views on
the subject.

13. distinctive:
bold, clearly defined, and prominent • strong
features

14. extreme:
unusually severe of its kind • Strong
measures were taken to prevent a riot.

15. intense
in impression: having an intense, powerful, or vivid
effect on the senses • a
strong smell of garlic

16. easy
to detect:
easy to detect or receive • The
signal gets stronger as you get closer.

17. concentrated:
containing a lot of the main ingredient and not diluted or watery • strong
black coffee

18. alcoholic:
containing much alcohol

19. fast
moving:
flowing or blowing at high speed • a
strong current

20. CHEMISTRY fully
ionized:
producing ions freely in solution

21. MILITARY well
defended:
well defended and difficult to defeat • a
strong fortress

22. with
specified number: having a particular number of members • a
force 50,000 strong

23. OPTICS with
high magnification: having a powerful magnifying
or corrective ability • a
strong lens

24. COMMERCE with
high prices: characterized by high or rising prices • a
strong currency

25. GRAMMAR with a
changed vowel: used to describe an irregular verb that
changes the vowel in the stem in its different forms, for example, “ring,”
“rang,” “rung”
[Old
English strang . Of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—strong·ly,
adverb
come
on strong

1.  to
behave or express something aggressively (slang)

2.  to
begin to have a vivid or powerful effect (slang)

going
strong

thriving
and doing well

[1]



strong-arm

strong-arm
strong-arm 
adjective

using
force:
using or prepared to use coercion or physical force (informal) • ready
to use strong-arm tactics
transitive
verb
(past strong-armed, past participle strong-armed, present
participle strong-arm·ing, 3rd person present singular strong-arms)

use force against somebody:
to use coercion against somebody to induce cooperation (informal)[1]



strongbox

strongbox
strong·box 
[stróng bòks] (plural strong·box·es)
noun

safe for valuables:
a secure metal box or safe where money or valuables can be kept[1]



strongbreeze

strongbreeze
strong
breeze
(plural strong breez·es) noun

category of wind:
a wind with a speed between 40 and 50 km/25 and 31 mi per hour[1]



strongforce

strongforce
strong
force
noun

PHYSICS
See strong interaction[1]



stronggale

stronggale
strong
gale
(plural strong gales) noun

category of wind:
a wind with a speed between 76 and 87 km/47 and 54 mi per hour[1]



stronghold

stronghold
strong·hold 
[stróng hld] (plural strong·holds)
noun

1.  MILITARY defensible
place:
a place that is fortified or that can easily be defended

2.  concentrated
area:
a place where a particular group, activity, or set of opinions is concentrated

[1]



stronginteraction

stronginteraction
strong
in·ter·ac·tion or strong force noun

fundamental force between
elementary particles: a
fundamental force between elementary particles that is responsible for binding
protons and neutrons together in an atomic nucleus and other interactions
between elementary particles ( hadrons ).
Mediated by gluons, the interaction is the most powerful force known and is
responsible for the particle creation that occurs when high-energy particles
collide.[1]



stronglanguage

stronglanguage
strong
lan·guage
noun

forceful language:
language that expresses something in a forceful way, especially with abusive
words or swearing[1]



strongman

strongman
strong·man 
[stróng màn] (plural strong·men
[stróng mèn]) noun

1.  powerful
leader:
a powerful, typically dictatorial, leader who rules by force

2.  performer
showing strength: a performer of feats of strength, for
example, at a fair or circus

[1]



strong-minded

strong-minded
strong-mind·ed 
adjective

1.  determined:
determined and persevering in the face of difficulty

2.  mentally
strong:
confident, intelligent, and independent in thought
—strong-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—strong-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



strongpoint

strongpoint
strong
point
(plural strong points) or strong suit (plural
strong suits) noun

personal strength:
a particular area for which somebody has a talent • Tact
was never his strong point.[1]



strongroom

strongroom
strong·room
[stróng rm, stróng
rm] (plural strong·rooms) noun

reinforced room for safe
storage: a reinforced room designed
to withstand fire or theft and used for the storage of valuables[1]



strongside

strongside
strong
side
(plural strong sides) noun

side with more players:
in football, the side of the offensive formation with more players and the
tight end[1]



strongsuit

strongsuit
strong
suit
(plural strong suits) noun

1.  See
strong point

2.  CARD GAMES suit
with most cards: in various card games, the suit in which
a player or team holds the most cards or the most face cards.
See
also
long suit

[1]



strong-willed

strong-willed
strong-willed
adjective

determined:
determined to prevail in the face of difficulty or opposition[1]



strongyle

strongyle
stron·gyle
[strón jl] (plural stron·gyles
[strónjəl]) or stron·gyl [strón jl] (plural stron·gyls) noun

parasitic
worm:
a parasitic nematode worm related to the hookworms that infests the intestinal
tract of mammals. Superfamily: Strongyloidea
[Mid-19th century.
Anglicization of modern Latin Strongylus, genus name, from Greek stroggulos
“round, compact,” of unknown origin.][1]



strongyloidiasis

strongyloidiasis
stron·gy·loi·di·a·sis
[strònjə loy d əssiss] noun

infection
with worms:
intestinal infection in mammals by strongyles, producing various severe and
sometimes fatal intestinal disorders, especially in individuals with weakened
immune systems
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Strongyloidea, superfamily name, from Strongylus
(see strongyle ).][1]



strongylosis

strongylosis
stron·gy·lo·sis 
[strònjə lṓssiss] noun

worm infection of horses:
an illness, usually of horses, caused by infection with strongyles[1]



strontia

strontia
stron·tia 
[strónshee ə, stróntee
ə] noun

See
strontium monoxide
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from strontian .][1]



strontian

strontian
stron·ti·an
[strónshee ən, stróntee
ən] noun

1.  MINERALS See strontianite

2.  CHEMISTRY See strontium monoxide

3.  CHEMISTRY See strontium
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of Strontian earth ; named for the parish of Strontian
in Scotland, where the mineral was discovered in lead mines.][1]



strontianite

strontianite
stron·ti·an·ite 
[strónshee ə nt, stróntee
ə nt] noun

mineral
containing strontium: a variously colored mineral
consisting of strontium carbonate, a major source of strontium. SrCO3 
Also
called
strontian
[Late 18th century. Formed
from strontian .][1]



strontium

strontium

stron·ti·um 
[strónshee əm, stróntee
əm] noun
silvery-white
metallic element: a soft yellow or silvery-white metallic
chemical element of the alkaline-earth group, found only in combination with
other substances. It is used in fireworks and flares to produce red flames, and
in alloys. Symbol Sr
Also
called
strontian
[Early 19th century. Coined
from strontia .][1]



strontium90

strontium90
stron·ti·um
90
noun

isotope of strontium:
a radioactive isotope of strontium with a mass number of 90, present in nuclear
fallout and assimilated like calcium in bone formation[1]



strontiummonoxide

strontiummonoxide
stron·ti·um
mon·ox·ide
noun

white solid:
a white insoluble solid resembling quicklime. It is used in the purification of
sugar. SrO
Also called
strontia
Also called
strontian[1]



strontiumunit

strontiumunit
stron·ti·um
u·nit
(plural stron·ti·um u·nits) noun

measure of radioactivity:
a unit of measurement of the amount of strontium 90 in an organic substance
such as soil or bone, in relation to the concentration of calcium in the same
substance[1]



Stroopeffect

Stroopeffect
Stroop
ef·fect
[strp i fèkt] noun

color
confusion:
difficulty identifying the colors in which names of colors are written. For
example, if the word “red” is printed in green ink, people are likely to say
“red” when asked the color of the printed word.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
J.R. Stroop, who first published a study of the effect in English.][1]



strop

strop
strop 
[strop] noun (plural strops)

1.  leather
strap for sharpening: a leather strap used for
sharpening a straight razor

2.  NAUTICAL strap
for cargo:
a strap of leather or rope used for lifting cargo
transitive
verb
(past stropped, past participle stropped, present
participle strop·ping, 3rd person present singular strops)

sharpen razor:
to sharpen a straight razor on a strop
[Assumed Old English strop
“band, cord,” via Latin stroppus from Greek strophos (see strophoid )][1]



strophe

strophe
stro·phe 
[strṓfee] (plural stro·phes) noun

See
also
antistrophe

1.  POETRY first
metrical form in a poem: the first type of metrical
form in a poem that alternates two contrasting metrical forms

2.  LITERATURE movement
in ancient Greek drama: the first of two movements
made by the chorus in a classical Greek drama, or the part of an ode sung
during this
[Early
17th century. From Greek strophē, literally “turning” (source of English
catastrophe ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to turn,” which is also the ancestor of strepto- and stroboscope
.]
—stro·phic [stróffik, strṓfik],
adjective[1]



strophoid

strophoid
stro·phoid 
[strṓ fòyd] (plural stro·phoids)
noun

geometric
figure:
a plane curve symmetric to the x-axis, generated by a point whose distance from
the y-axis along a straight line is equal to the y-intercept
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek strophos “twisted cord.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to turn,” which is also the ancestor of English strophe, stroboscope,
and strepto- .][1]



strophulus

strophulus
stroph·u·lus 
[stróffyələss] noun

children’s
rash:
a skin eruption seen in children and infants, for example, hives or heat rash (dated)
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, of uncertain origin.][1]



stroppy

stroppy
strop·py 
[stróppee] (comparative strop·pi·er,
superlative strop·pi·est) adjective

U.K.
bad-tempered:
bad-tempered and uncooperative (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of obstreperous
.][1]



stroud

stroud
stroud 
[strowd] noun

woolen
fabric:
a rough woolen fabric used originally by British traders in trade with Native
North Americans
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



strove

strove
strove


Past tense of
strive[1]



struck

struck
struck 
[struk]

Past
tense of
strike Past participle of strike
adjective

affected by strikes:
closed temporarily or working at reduced output because of a labor dispute[1]



struckjury

struckjury
struck
ju·ry
noun

jury by elimination:
a jury reduced to the proper number when lawyers for the two sides have
eliminated names from a list of candidates[1]



struckmeasure

struckmeasure
struck
meas·ure
(plural struck meas·ures) noun

level quantity:
a quantity of something such as grain, measured by leveling the substance with
the top of a container[1]



structural

structural
struc·tur·al 
[strúkchərəl] adjective

1.  relating
to structure: relating to the way that the parts of
something are put together or how they work together

2.  resulting
from structure: resulting from the interrelationship of
constituent parts, for example, in a political or economic system

3.  basic
to a structure: constituting an important or essential
part of a structure

4.  used
in construction: suitable for use in construction • structural
fiberglass

5.  CHEMISTRY caused
by atomic arrangement: relating to or caused by the
arrangement of atoms in a molecule

6.  GEOGRAPHY of
rock structure: relating to or caused by movement of the
earth’s surface
—struc·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



structuralformula

structuralformula
struc·tur·al
for·mu·la
noun

detailed chemical formula:
the expanded form of a chemical formula representing the arrangement of atoms
and bonds within a molecule[1]



structuralgene

structuralgene
struc·tur·al
gene
(plural struc·tur·al genes) noun

gene coding for protein:
a gene that codes for a sequence of amino acids that form a polypeptide or
protein[1]



structuralism

structuralism
struc·tur·al·ism 
[strúkchərə lìzzəm] noun

1.  SOCIAL SCIENCES sociological
method:
a method of sociological analysis based on the notion of human society as a
network of interrelated elements whose patterns and significance can be
analyzed

2.  PSYCHOLOGY See structural psychology

3.  LINGUISTICS See structural linguistics
—struc·tur·al·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



structuralize

structuralize
struc·tur·al·ize 
[strúkchərə lz] (past struc·tur·al·ized,
past participle struc·tur·al·ized, present participle struc·tur·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular struc·tur·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

organize something into a
structure: to arrange or organize
something so that it has a structure[1]



structurallinguistics

structurallinguistics
struc·tur·al
lin·guis·tics noun

linguistics
emphasizing structure: a branch of linguistics that
emphasizes the significance of the interrelations between the elements that
constitute a linguistic system (takes a singular verb)
Also
called
structuralism
—struc·tur·al lin·guist,
noun[1]



structuralpsychology

structuralpsychology
struc·tur·al
psy·chol·o·gy noun

early
20C movement in psychology: a school of psychology of
the early part of the 20th century that sought to organize the components of
subjective experience in a hierarchy from simplest to most complex.
Also
called
structuralism
—struc·tur·al
psy·chol·o·gist, noun[1]



structuralsteel

structuralsteel
struc·tur·al
steel
noun

steel for construction:
strong steel shaped and suitable for use in construction[1]



structure

structure
struc·ture 
[strúkchər] noun (plural struc·tures)

1.  something
built or erected: a building, bridge, framework, or other
object that has been put together from many different parts

2.  orderly
system of parts: a system or organization made up of
interrelated parts functioning as an orderly whole

3.  way
that parts link or function: the way in which the
different parts of something link or work together, or the fact of being linked
together • the
structure of local government • The
essay is interesting, but it lacks structure.

4.  BIOLOGY organic
feature:
a part of a body or organism, for example, an organ or tissue, identifiable by
its shape and other properties

5.  CHEMISTRY arrangement
of atoms:
the specific arrangement of atoms in a molecule

6.  GEOLOGY component
parts of rocks: the physical disposition of a rock mass,
for example, its folding and faulting, or the disposition of its mineral
components, for example, its texture
transitive
verb
(past struc·tured, past participle struc·tured, present
participle struc·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular struc·tures)

give structure to:
to organize or arrange something so that it works as a cohesive whole
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin structura, from struct-,
the past participle stem of struere “to build.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word struere, from which structure
  is derived, is also the source of English construct,
  construe, destroy, instruct,
  and obstruct.

[1]



structured

structured
struc·tured 
[strúkchərd] adjective

1.  organized:
planned, organized, and controlled

2.  defined:
with a definite shape, form, or pattern • For
business wear, suits need a more structured look.

[1]



structuredprogramming

structuredprogramming
struc·tured
pro·gram·ming  noun

programming technique using a
subroutine hierarchy: a style of
computer programming in which a program consists of a hierarchy of simple
subroutines[1]



structuredquery language

structuredquery language
struc·tured
que·ry lan·guage noun

Full form of
SQL[1]



structurizer

structurizer
struc·tur·i·zer
[strúkchər zər] noun

conditioner for hair:
a hair conditioner designed to strengthen and restructure the hair shaft[1]



strudel

strudel
stru·del 
[strd’l] (plural stru·dels) noun

rolled
pastry with filling: a pastry made with very thin
pastry rolled and baked with a filling, usually of chopped apples, raisins, and
sugar
[Late 19th century. Via
German from Middle High German, “whirlpool.”][1]



struggle

struggle
strug·gle 
[strúgg’l] intransitive verb (past
strug·gled, past participle strug·gled, present
participle strug·gling, 3rd person present singular strug·gles)

1.  try
to overcome a problem: to try very hard to deal
with a challenge, problem, or difficulty • he
was struggling with his math homework

2.  make
a great physical effort: to make a great physical
effort to achieve or obtain something • A
rescue party struggled to reach the stranded climbers.

3.  fight
by wrestling: to fight with somebody by grappling and
wrestling

4.  writhe
to escape:
to move and wriggle forcefully in an attempt to escape

5.  move
with difficulty: to move with great effort • so
weak I just managed to struggle out of bed
noun
(plural strug·gles)

1.  great
effort to overcome difficulties: a great effort made
over a period of time to overcome difficulties or achieve something

2.  fight:
a prolonged fight or conflict

3.  hard
task:
a strenuous physical or mental effort, or something requiring this
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—strug·gler, noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.








strugglefor existence

strugglefor existence
strug·gle
for ex·is·tence noun

continual effort to survive:
the ongoing effort to survive and reproduce in an environment of competing
organisms[1]



strum

strum
strum 
[strum] verb (past strummed,
past participle strummed, present participle strum·ming,
3rd person present singular strums)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb play
an instrument by brushing the strings: to
play a guitar or other stringed instrument by brushing the strings with the
fingers or a plectrum

2.  transitive
verb
play
tune:
to play a tune by strumming an instrument
noun

sound of strumming:
the sound of somebody strumming an instrument
[Late
18th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—strum·mer, noun[1]



struma

struma
stru·ma 
[strmə] (plural stru·mae [strmee] or stru·mas) noun

1.  BOTANY swelling
on moss:
a swelling at the base of a moss capsule

2.  MED See goiter

3.  MEDICINE scrofula:
scrofula (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Via modern Latin from Latin, “scrofulous tumor,” of unknown origin.]
—stru·mat·ic
[stroo máttik], adjective

—stru·mose
[str mss], adjective

—stru·mous [strməss], adjective[1]



strumpet

strumpet
strum·pet 
[strúmpət] (plural strum·pets)
noun

prostitute:
an offensive term for a prostitute or woman regarded as too sexually active (archaic
insult)
[14th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



strung

strung
strung


Past
tense of
string Past participle of string
adjective

overwrought:
very tired, tense, and overwrought[1]



strungout

strungout
strung
out
adjective

1.  DRUGS drugged:
under the influence of a drug, especially a narcotic drug (slang)

2.  DRUGS weakened:
debilitated by long-term drug use (slang)

3.  overwrought:
tired, tense, or overwrought (informal)

[1]



strut

strut
strut 
[strut] verb (past strut·ted,
past participle strut·ted, present participle strut·ting,
3rd person present singular struts)

1.  intransitive
verb
walk
in a stiff arrogant way: to walk in a conspicuously
stiff or proud way, suggesting arrogance or pomposity

2.  transitive
verb
show
something off: to show something off to other people in
an ostentatious way

3.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION support
with planks: to prop something up with supporting
planks or boards
noun
(plural struts)

1.  CONSTRUCTION supporting
member:
a long rigid plank, board, or other structural member used as a support in
building

2.  proud
walking:
a stiff, proud, pompous way of walking
[Old English strūtian
“to protrude stiffly.” Ultimately from Indo-European, meaning “stiff” (ancestor
also of English starch ). Senses
relating to “support” of uncertain origin: probably from, ultimately, the same
Indo-European source.][1]



struthious

struthious
stru·thi·ous 
[strúthee əss, strúee
əss] adjective

of
flightless birds: relating to flightless birds, especially
the ostrich
[Late 18th century. Formed
from late Latin struthio “ostrich,” via late Greek strouthiōn
from Greek strouthos .][1]



strychnine

strychnine
strych·nine 
[strík nn, strík
nn] noun

poisonous
plant product: a bitter white poisonous alkaloid
obtained from nux vomica and related plants, used as a poison for rodents and
medicinally as a stimulant for the central nervous system. C21H22N2O2
[Early
19th century. From French, formed from modern Latin Strychnos, genus
name, via Latin strychnon “nightshade” from Greek strukhnos, of
unknown origin.]
—strych·nic [stríknik], adjective[1]



StrzeleckiRange

StrzeleckiRange
Strze·leck·i
Range
[strez léki range]

range of hills in southern
Victoria, Australia. HP: 500 m/1,640 ft.[1]



St.Simons Island

St.Simons Island
Saint
Si·mons Is·land [saynt
smènz island]

island off southeastern
Georgia, United States, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to Fort Frederica, a
national monument. Area: 93 sq km/36 sq mi.[1]



St.Thomas

St.Thomas
Saint
Thomas
[saynt tómməss lənd]

island of the U.S. Virgin
Islands, situated in the West Indies. Population: 48,166 (1990) Area: 73 sq
km/28 sq mi.[1]



St-Tropez

St-Tropez
St-Tro·pez 
[saN trō páy]

resort town on the
Mediterranean coast, southern France. It is situated 155 km/60 mi east of
Marseille. Population: 5,790 (1990)[1]



Stuart,Charles Edward

Stuart,Charles Edward
Stu·art 
[st ərt, sty ərt],
Charles Edward (1720–1788)

British
prince and claimant to the British throne. The son of James Francis Edward
Stuart, he led the Jacobite uprising in Scotland in 1745 and after its failure
lived in exile in Europe.
Known as
Bonnie Prince Charlie Known as the Young Pretender[1]



Stuart,Gilbert

Stuart,Gilbert
Stu·art 
[sty ərt], Gilbert (1755–1828)

U.S.
artist. Of the many portraits he painted, the best known are of George
Washington.
Full name
Stuart, Gilbert Charles[1]



Stuart,James Francis Edward

Stuart,James Francis Edward
Stu·art 
[sty ərt], James Francis Edward (1688–1766)

British
prince and claimant to the British throne. The son of James II, he was
supported in his claim to the British throne by France and by the Jacobites in
their unsuccessful rising in Scotland (1715). After 1719 he lived in Rome.
Known as
the Old Pretender[1]



stub

stub
stub 
[stub] noun (plural stubs)

1.  short
remaining part: a short part of something that is left
after the main part has been removed or used

2.  small
section of a ticket or check: a small detachable section
of a ticket, check, or voucher, retained as a record of a transaction

3.  stump
of a tree or plant: the stump of a tree or plant

4.  small
projection:
a small projection from a surface
transitive
verb
(past stubbed, past participle stubbed, present
participle stub·bing, 3rd person present singular stubs)

1.  bang
the toe:
to bang your toe against something accidentally

2.  GARDENING dig
up by the roots: to dig up a plant or tree by the roots

3.  AGRICULTURE clear
land of stumps: to clear land of tree stumps
[Old English stubb
“tree stump,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



stubble

stubble
stub·ble 
[stúbb’l] noun

1.  short
beard growth: the short spiky growth of beard on a
man’s face when he has not shaved

2.  AGRICULTURE short
stalks in a field: short stalks left in the
ground after a grain crop has been harvested
[13th
century. Via Old French estuble from Latin stupula “straw,” an
alteration of stipula (see stipule
).]
—stub·bly, adjective[1]



stubborn

stubborn
stub·born 
[stúbbərn] (comparative stub·born·er,
superlative stub·born·est) adjective

1.  unreasonably
determined:
unreasonably and obstructively determined to persevere or prevail

2.  dogged:
carried out in a determined, persistent way • met
with stubborn resistance

3.  hard
to remove:
difficult to remove or deal with • a
stubborn stain
[14th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—stub·born·ly,
adverb

—stub·born·ness, noun[1]



stubby

stubby
stub·by 
[stúbbee] adjective (comparative
stub·bi·er, superlative stub·bi·est)

1.  short
and stout:
short and stout in build

2.  short
and thick:
short and thick, broad, or blunt • stubby
fingers

3.  with
many stubs:
with projecting stubs or short bristles
noun

Australia beer
bottle:
a small squat bottle of beer (informal)

[1]



stubnail

stubnail
stub
nail
(plural stub nails) noun

thick nail:
a short thick nail[1]



stubout

stubout
stub
out
transitive verb

extinguish smoking materials:
to put out a cigarette or cigar by pushing the burning end against something[1]



stucco

stucco
stuc·co 
[stúkō] noun

1.  wall
plaster:
plaster used for surfacing interior or exterior walls, often used in
association with classical moldings

2.  decorative
plaster work: decorative work molded from stucco.
Also
called
stuccowork
transitive
verb
(past stuc·coed, past participle stuc·coed, present
participle stuc·co·ing, 3rd person present singular stuc·coes
or stuc·cos)

cover with stucco:
to apply a coating of stucco to a wall
[Late
16th century. From Italian, of Germanic origin.]
—stuc·co·er, noun[1]



stuccowork

stuccowork
stuc·co·work 
[stúkō wùrk] noun

See
stucco  noun 2[1]



stuck

stuck
stuck 
[stuk]

Past tense of stick 2 Past participle of stick 2
adjective

1.  jammed
or caught:
jammed, caught, or held in a position from which it is impossible to move • the
drawer was stuck fast

2.  unable
to find a solution: not able to find a solution
or way out of a situation

3.  pierced:
pierced by a sharp object
stuck
on

infatuated with somebody or
something (informal)[1]



stuck-up

stuck-up
stuck-up 
adjective

snobbish:
snobbish and conceited (informal)[1]



stud

stud1
stud1 [stud]
(plural studs) noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN breeding
stallion:
a male animal, especially a stallion, used for breeding

2.  sexually
active man:
a man considered to be sexually active or good at sex (informal)

3.  CARD GAMES See stud poker

4.  EQUESTRIAN establishment
with stallions: a stable or farm where male animals,
especially stallions, are kept for breeding

5.  EQUESTRIAN group
of stallions: a group of male animals, especially
stallions, used for breeding
[Old
English stōd, literally “standing place”]
at
stud

available for breeding with
female animals, especially mares[1]



stud

stud2
stud2 [stud]
noun (plural studs)

1.  ACCESSORIES fastener
for a shirt: a fastener for dress shirts or collars
consisting of a small disk attached to a short rod

2.  AUTOMOBILES projection
on a tire:
a small metal point embedded in the surface of a tire for better traction on
snow and ice

3.  ACCESSORIES earring:
an earring for pierced ears that has a simple rounded head or is set with a
single gemstone

4.  BUILDING vertical
support:
a vertical post that is one of the uprights supporting a timber wall or
partition

5.  metal
knob:
a small metal knob or the head of a nail protruding slightly from a surface,
especially for decorative effect

6.  U.K.
SPORTS See cleat  noun 1

7.  headless
bolt:
a headless bolt with threads on both ends separated by a threadless section

8.  ENGINEERING projection
on a machine: a short rod or other projection on a
machine serving as support for something else
transitive
verb
(past stud·ded, past participle stud·ded, present
participle stud·ding, 3rd person present singular studs)

1.  occur
throughout something: to be present or visible in
all parts of something • a
star-studded cast

2.  supply
with studs:
to fit or decorate something with studs • a
studded leather jacket
[Old
English studu . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
stand,” which is also the ancestor of English stand,
stead, and static .]
studded
with

scattered or dotted with
something[1]



studbook

studbook
stud·book 
[stúd bk] (plural stud·books)
noun

record book of pedigrees:
a book containing a record of the parentage of purebred animals, especially
horses or dogs[1]



studdingsail

studdingsail
stud·ding·sail 
[stúnss’l, stúdding
sàyl] (plural stud·ding·sails) noun

sail
supplementing a square sail: an additional sail on an
extra yard and boom at either side of a square sail, for use in light winds.
Also
called
stunsail
[Mid-16th century. Studding
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch stōtinge
“thrusting,” from stōten “to thrust.”][1]



student

student
stu·dent 
[std’nt] noun (plural stu·dents)

1.  person
studying:
somebody who is studying at a school, college, or university

2.  knowledgeable
or interested person: somebody who has studied or
takes a great interest in a particular subject • a
student of human foibles
adjective

in training for a job:
studying as part of the training for a job or profession • student
pilots
[15th century. Alteration of
Old French estudiant, from Latin student-, the present participle
stem of studere (see study ).][1]



studentbody

studentbody
stu·dent
bod·y
noun

school’s students:
the students of a school collectively[1]



studentcouncil

studentcouncil
stu·dent
coun·cil
(plural stu·dent coun·cils) noun

elected student group:
an elected group of students with consultative powers in school administration,
especially in a high school[1]



studentgovernment

studentgovernment
stu·dent
gov·ern·ment noun

university students’
assembly: a representative assembly of
college or university students with consultative powers[1]



studentlamp

studentlamp
stu·dent
lamp
(plural stu·dent lamps) noun

desk lamp with a flexible
stalk: a desk lamp with a flexible
stalk allowing the light to be moved into different positions[1]



studentloan

studentloan
stu·dent
loan
(plural stu·dent loans) noun

loan for students:
a loan taken by a student to pay for educational expenses, usually at a
favorable rate of interest that is subsidized by the government[1]



studentship

studentship
stu·dent·ship
[std’nt ship] (plural stu·dent·ships)
noun

See
scholarship  noun 1[1]



students’union

students’union
stu·dents’
un·ion
(plural stu·dents’ un·ions) noun

U.K.
See student union[1]



studentteacher

studentteacher
stu·dent
teach·er
(plural stu·dent teach·ers) noun

practice teacher:
a student enrolled in a teacher preparation program who is doing practice
teaching under supervision[1]



studentunion

studentunion
stu·dent
un·ion
(plural stu·dent un·ions) noun

building with student
facilities: a building or area at a
college or university used primarily for the social or recreational activities
of students, with food and beverage services.
U.K. term
students’ union[1]



Student’st-test

Student’st-test
Stu·dent’s
t-test
noun

See
t-test
[Named for Student,
the pen name of W. S. Gosset (1876–1937), the British statistician who invented
it.][1]



studhorse

studhorse
stud·horse
[stúd hàwrss] (plural stud·hors·es)
noun

breeding
stallion:
a stallion used for breeding
[Old English stod hors][1]



studied

studied
stud·ied 
[stúddeed] adjective

not spontaneous:
thought about or planned in advance rather than being spontaneous • an
air of studied nonchalance[1]



studio

studio
stu·di·o 
[stdee ] noun (plural stu·di·os)

1.  recording
production room: a room or building equipped for making
movies, television or radio productions, or musical recordings

2.  small
apartment:
a one-room apartment.
Also
called
studio apartment
U.K.
term
studio flat

3.  CINEMA movie
company:
a commercial movie production company

4.  artist’s
workplace:
a place where an artist, photographer, or musician works

5.  DANCE dance
school:
a place where dance is taught or where dancers can practice
plural
noun
stu·di·os

CINEMA movie
production buildings: all the buildings connected
with a movie production company, used for shooting and producing movies
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from Latin studium (see study
).][1]



studioapartment

studioapartment
stu·di·o
a·part·ment
(plural stu·di·o a·part·ments) noun

See
studio  noun 2[1]



studiocouch

studiocouch
stu·di·o
couch
(plural stu·di·o couch·es) noun

sofa bed:
a usually backless sofa that can be converted into a double bed by sliding out
a frame from underneath[1]



studioflat

studioflat
stu·di·o
flat
(plural stu·di·o flats) noun

U.K.
See studio  noun 1[1]



studiosystem

studiosystem
stu·di·o
sys·tem
noun

movie- making system:
the process for making a large number of movies economically, efficiently, and
simultaneously, as used by the major Hollywood studios from the silent era into
the 1950s. Each studio was a self-contained factory with separate departments
for each aspect of production and had a number of actors under contract.[1]



studious

studious
stu·di·ous 
[stdee əss] adjective

1.  inclined
to study:
having a thoughtful nature and given to studying

2.  careful
and painstaking: careful and painstaking, with
considerable attention to detail • a
studious investigation
[14th
century. From Latin studiosus, from studium (see study ).]
—stu·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—stu·di·ous·ness, noun[1]



studmuffin

studmuffin
stud·muf·fin
[stúd mùfin] noun

physically attractive man:
a man regarded as being physically attractive (slang)[1]



studpoker

studpoker
stud
pok·er
or stud noun

poker
with cards face up: a variety of the card game
poker in which all but the first card are dealt face up, allowing players to
see one another’s hands. A round of betting follows each round of dealing.
[Mid-19th century. Probably a
shortening of earlier studhorse poker, of uncertain origin: perhaps in
reference to the exchange of money involved in horse breeding and horseracing.][1]



studwork

studwork
stud·work 
[stúd wùrk] noun

1.  BUILDING stud
arrangement: the arrangement of studs in a building
framework

2.  stud
decoration:
the decoration of something with studs

[1]



study

study
stud·y 
[stúddee] verb (past stud·ied,
past participle stud·ied, present participle stud·y·ing,
3rd person present singular stud·ies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb learn
about something: to learn about a particular subject by
reading and researching

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
an educational course: to take a course at a
college or university

3.  transitive
verb
investigate:
to discover facts about something by doing research or experiments • a
team of researchers studying the effects of sleep deprivation

4.  transitive
verb
look
at and consider: to look at or read something and think
about it carefully • He studied the map,
frowning.

5.  transitive
verb
THEATER learn
lines:
to learn the lines spoken by a character in a play
noun
(plural stud·ies)

1.  process
of learning: the process of learning about a subject
by reading, thought, intuition, or research • devoted
the afternoons to study

2.  investigation:
an investigation or research project designed to discover facts about something

3.  report
on research: a report or book describing an
investigation or piece of research

4.  room
for studying: a room used for work that involves
reading, thinking, or writing

5.  ARTS small preparatory
work of art: a small drawing or sculpture done as
preparation for a larger work

6.  MUSIC instrumental
work:
an instrumental work intended for teaching or practice.
Also
called
étude

7.  THEATER actor
learning lines: somebody who learns something,
especially a role in a play, considered in terms of the particular amount of
time this takes • she’s a quick study
plural
noun
stud·ies

EDUCATION subject
of study:
a particular subject of study, especially as an educational course or academic
specialization • social studies
[12th century. Via Old French
estudier (verb) and estudie (noun) from, ultimately, Latin studium
“zeal, care,” from studere “to be diligent.”][1]



studyhall

studyhall
stud·y
hall
(plural stud·y halls) noun

1.  study
time in school: a period during the school day assigned
for study rather than classroom instruction

2.  room
for study:
a schoolroom used for independent study rather than instruction

[1]



stuff

stuff
stuff 
[stuf] transitive verb (past stuffed,
past participle stuffed, present participle stuff·ing,
3rd person present singular stuffs)

1.  fill:
to fill something by pushing things into it • What
are you stuffing the cushions with?

2.  push
things into container: to push things into a
container, often hurriedly or forcefully

3.  put
hurriedly:
to put something somewhere in a quick careless way • stuffed
it under the pillow, out of sight

4.  eat
too much:
to eat or feed somebody a lot of food

5.  COOKING fill
food with stuffing: to put stuffing or filling
into food such as pasta, meat, or vegetables

6.  restore
the shape of a dead animal: to fill a dead animal’s skin
with material to make it look lifelike and suitable for display

7.  POLITICS submit
invalid votes: to put invalid ballots into a ballot box
to rig an election

8.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term used typically by men meaning to have sex with a woman
(slang taboo)

9.  INDUSTRY treat
leather:
to treat leather with chemicals that preserve and soften it
noun

1.  things:
material things generally, especially when unidentified, worthless, or unwanted
• What’s
all this stuff doing in my office?

2.  words
or action:
action, speech, or writing of a particular kind • all
that stuff in the news about changing weather patterns
• I
really like her stuff.

3.  possessions:
personal possessions • called
by to collect her stuff

4.  personal
qualities:
personal qualities of a particular kind • She’s
got the stuff heroes are made of.

5.  SPORTS spin:
spin given to a ball • Ryan
really had his stuff yesterday.

6.  specialty:
something that somebody does uniquely or very well

7.  drugs:
a drug, especially heroin (informal)

8.  foolish
words or action: foolish or blameworthy action, speech,
or writing

9.  money:
money (slang)

10. TEXTILES woolen
fabric:
woolen fabric, especially as distinguished from fabric made from other natural
fibers
interjection

used to dismiss something:
used, often with “it,” to dismiss something angrily or carelessly (slang)
[14th
century. From Old French estoffer “to equip,” of prehistoric Germanic
origin.]
—stuff·er,
noun
do
your stuff

to
do what is required or expected

strut
your stuff

to
do something impressively, suggesting talent for it or thorough preparation (slang)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Right Stuff, a book by Tom Wolfe ( 1979 ). This imaginative account of the
  early years of the U.S. space program contrasts the media’s manipulation of
  the story and the public’s hunger for heroes with the real-life experiences
  of the astronauts. It was made into a movie by Philip Kaufman in 1983.
  Subsequent to the novel, right stuff entered the general language,
  meaning “the complex of courage, self-worth, technical know-how, emotional
  stability, and dependability needed for a person to accomplish great things
  in any profession or field.” .

[1]



stuffed

stuffed
stuffed
[stuft] adjective

1.  FOOD with
filling:
filled with stuffing or some other filling

2.  completely
full:
completely full, especially after eating too much (informal)

[1]



stuffedshirt

stuffedshirt
stuffed
shirt
(plural stuffed shirts) noun

pompous
person:
somebody who behaves in a formal self-important way (informal)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from the image of a puffed-up man in a tight-fitting, starched shirt; perhaps
also from the implied absence of ideas][1]



stuffing

stuffing
stuff·ing 
[stúffing] (plural stuff·ings)
noun

1.  FOOD well-flavored
filling for food: a mixture of well-flavored or highly
seasoned ingredients used to stuff meat or vegetables. Stuffings often have a
breadcrumb or rice base and may include herbs, spices, fruit, or vegetables.

2.  INDUSTRY filling
for cushions: feathers, fabric, or artificial fiber
used to fill cushions or pillows
knock
the stuffing out of somebody

to have a sudden or immediate
weakening effect on somebody (informal)[1]



stuffingbox

stuffingbox
stuff·ing
box
(plural stuff·ing box·es) noun

device preventing leakage:
an enclosure containing compressed packing that is used to prevent leakage
around a moving part such as a piston rod[1]



stuffy

stuffy
stuff·y 
[stúffee] (comparative stuff·i·er,
superlative stuff·i·est) adjective

1.  airless:
without any fresh air, and often too warm

2.  strait-laced:
too old-fashioned, strict, or conventional

3.  blocked
with mucus:
blocked up with mucus, making breathing difficult • a
stuffy nose
—stuff·i·ly,
adverb

—stuff·i·ness, noun[1]



stull

stull
stull 
[stul, stl]
(plural stulls) noun

support
in a mine:
a supporting timber in a mine or mineshaft
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from German Stollen “support, prop” (source of
English stollen ).][1]



stultify

stultify
stul·ti·fy 
[stúlti f] (past stul·ti·fied,
past participle stul·ti·fied, present participle stul·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular stul·ti·fies) transitive verb

1.  diminish
interest:
to diminish somebody’s interest and liveliness of mind by being repetitive,
tedious, and boring

2.  make
somebody seem stupid: to cause somebody or
something to seem unintelligent or silly

3.  render
useless:
to render something useless or ineffectual

4.  LAW prove
somebody incapable of legal responsibility: to
show or allege somebody to be not legally responsible because of a psychiatric
disorder or instability
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin stultificare, literally “to make foolish,” from
Latin stultus “foolish,” literally “immovable.”]
—stul·ti·fi·ca·tion
[stùltəfə káysh’n], noun

—stul·ti·fi·er [stúlti f ər], noun[1]



stum

stum
stum 
[stum] noun

WINE See must 2
transitive
verb
(past stummed, past participle stummed, present
participle stum·ming, 3rd person present singular stums)

add
stum:
to ferment wine by adding stum to it while it is in a cask or vat
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
stom, literally “dumb,” a translation of French muet .][1]



stumble

stumble
stum·ble 
[stúmb’l] intransitive verb (past
stum·bled, past participle stum·bled, present
participle stum·bling, 3rd person present singular stum·bles)

1.  trip
over:
to trip when walking or running

2.  walk
unsteadily:
to walk unsteadily, as if intoxicated

3.  speak
or act hesitatingly: to speak or act
hesitatingly, confusedly, or incompetently • spoke
the verse without stumbling

4.  find
by chance:
to find or come across something by chance • I
stumbled across the note while I was cleaning the closet.
noun
(plural stum·bles)

1.  act
of tripping: an instance of tripping over something

2.  mistake:
a mistake or hesitation
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old Norse stumla, a
variant of stumra “to walk unsteadily,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English stammer
.]
—stum·bler,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hesitate

[1]



stumblebum

stumblebum
stum·ble·bum 
[stúmb’l bùm] (plural stum·ble·bums)
noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody who does things in a blundering unskillful way (slang
insult)

2.  losing
boxer:
a losing prizefighter

[1]



stumblingblock

stumblingblock
stum·bling
block 
(plural stum·bling blocks) noun

obstacle:
something that stands in the way of achieving a goal or of understanding
something
[Early 16th century.
Translation of Greek proskomma, literally “something you stumble against.”][1]



stump

stump
stump 
[stump] noun (plural stumps)

1.  base
of a tree:
the base of a tree trunk and its roots after the tree has been felled

2.  remaining
small part:
the part of something such as a limb that is left after the main part has been
cut off or removed

3.  DRAWING cylindrical
implement used in drawing: a short cylindrical piece of
rolled paper, cork, rubber, or leather with ends formed into a point, used in
drawing especially to soften lines and in representing shade and shadow.
Also
called
tortillon

4.  heavy
footstep:
the sound of a heavy footstep
plural
noun
stumps

legs:
somebody’s legs (slang)
verb
(past stumped, past participle stumped, present
participle stump·ing, 3rd person present singular stumps)

1.  transitive
verb
baffle
somebody:
to baffle somebody by presenting a problem that seems impossible to solve

2.  intransitive
verb
POLITICS campaign:
to campaign for elective office (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
walk
heavily:
to walk heavily and often angrily

4.  transitive
verb
lop:
to lop the top off a tree, leaving a stump

5.  transitive
verb
remove
stumps:
to clear an area of land of tree stumps

6.  transitive
verb
stub
the toe:
to stub your toe against something accidentally (regional)
[13th
century. From Middle Low German, of prehistoric Germanic origin.]
—stump·er,
noun
on
the stump

engaged in making political
speeches to win office[1]



stumpage

stumpage
stump·age 
[stúmpij] noun

standing timber:
standing timber, or the amount of money it would bring if felled[1]



stumpwork

stumpwork
stump·work
[stúmp wùrk] noun

raised
embroidery:
raised embroidery, with small decorative stitches made over pieces of padding
[Early 20th century. Because
the designs are raised upon stumps of wood.][1]



stumpy

stumpy
stump·y
[stúmpee] (comparative stump·i·er,
superlative stump·i·est) adjective

short
and thick:
short, thick, and unattractive
—stump·i·ness, noun[1]



stun

stun
stun 
[stun] (past stunned, past
participle stunned, present participle stun·ning, 3rd
person present singular stuns) transitive verb

1.  make
unconscious: to make a person or animal unconscious
for a short time with a blow or by using a drug

2.  shock:
to shock, upset, or amaze somebody • a
tragedy that left the nation stunned and bewildered

3.  overwhelm:
to overwhelm one of the senses, for example, with loud noise or very bright
light
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman estuner from assumed Vulgar Latin extonare, from
Latin tonare “to thunder” (source of English astonish,
detonate, and tornado ).][1]



stung

stung
stung


Past tense of
sting Past participle of sting[1]



stungun

stungun
stun
gun
(plural stun guns) noun

gun for stunning:
a gun used for stunning animals or people for a short while without causing
injury.
Also called
stunner[1]



stunk

stunk
stunk


Past tense of
stink Past participle of stink[1]



stunner

stunner
stun·ner 
[stúnnər] (plural stun·ners) noun

1.  impressive
person or thing: somebody who or something that is
extraordinarily impressive or beautiful (informal)

2.  ARMS See stun gun

[1]



stunning

stunning
stun·ning 
[stúnning] adjective

outstandingly
good:
strikingly impressive or attractive in appearance • They
looked stunning at the reception.
—stun·ning·ly, adverb[1]



stunsail

stunsail
stun·sail 
[stúnss’l] (plural stun·sails)
noun

NAUTICAL See studdingsail
[Mid-18th century.
Contraction of studdingsail .][1]



stunt

stunt2
stunt2 [stunt]
transitive verb (past stunt·ed, past participle stunt·ed,
present participle stunt·ing, 3rd person present singular stunts)

restrict the growth of:
to restrict the growth of something so that it does not develop to its normal
size
noun
(plural stunts)

1.  something
not fully developed: something that has not grown
to its normal size because its growth has been restricted

2.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a plant disease resulting in retarded growth
[Old English, “unintelligent,
dull,” from a prehistoric Germanic base that may also be the ancestor of
English stump . The meaning was
influenced by the related Old Norse stuttr “short, dwarf.”][1]



stunt

stunt1
stunt1 [stunt]
noun (plural stunts)

1.  dangerous
feat:
something dangerous that is done as a challenge or to entertain people

2.  something
underhanded done for attention: something underhanded,
silly, or unusual that is done to gain unfair advantage or to attract attention
• a
publicity stunt
intransitive
verb
(past stunt·ed, past participle stunt·ed, present
participle stunt·ing, 3rd person present singular stunts)

1.  FOOTBALL shift
defensive linemen: to shift the positions of
defensive linemen in football to improve their chances of avoiding offensive
linemen’s blocks

2.  perform
stunts:
to perform dangerous feats as a challenge or to entertain people
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown. Originally college athletics slang.][1]



stuntman

stuntman
stunt·man 
[stúnt màn] (plural stunt·men
[stúnt mèn]) noun

man doing stunts for actors:
a man whose job is to take the place of a movie actor in a scene involving
danger or requiring acrobatic skill[1]



stuntwoman

stuntwoman
stunt·wom·an 
[stúnt wmmən] (plural stunt·wom·en
[stúnt wìmmin]) noun

woman doing stunts for
actors: a woman whose job is to take
the place of a movie actor in a scene involving danger or requiring acrobatic
skill[1]



stupa

stupa
stu·pa 
[stpə] (plural stu·pas) noun

Buddhist
shrine:
a Buddhist shrine, temple, or pagoda that houses a relic or marks the location
of an auspicious event.
Also
called
tope
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit stūpah (source of English tope
).][1]



stupe

stupe2
stupe2 [stoop]
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as unintelligent (slang
insult)
[Mid-18th century. Shortening
of stupid .][1]



stupe

stupe1
stupe1 [stoop]
(plural stupes) noun

hot
compress:
a hot, damp, sometimes medicated, cloth or sponge applied in former times to
the skin as a compress or a counterirritant to relieve pain
[14th century. Via Latin stuppa
“tow” from Greek stuppē ; from the use of tow in making compresses.][1]



stupefacient

stupefacient
stu·pe·fa·cient 
[stpə fáysh’nt] adjective

stupefying:
causing stupor
noun
(plural stu·pe·fa·cients)

stupefying
drug:
a drug or other agent that causes stupor
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
stupefacient-, the present participle stem of stupefacere (see stupefy ).][1]



stupefaction

stupefaction
stu·pe·fac·tion 
[stpə fáksh’n] noun

1.  amazement:
great amazement or astonishment (literary)

2.  inability
to think clearly: the inability to think clearly because
of boredom, tiredness, or amazement
[15th century. Via French,
from, ultimately, Latin stupefacere (see stupefy
).][1]



stupefy

stupefy
stu·pe·fy 
[stpə f] (past stu·pe·fied, past
participle stu·pe·fied, present participle stu·pe·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular stu·pe·fies) transitive verb

1.  amaze:
to amaze or astonish somebody

2.  make
somebody unable to think clearly: to make somebody
unable to think clearly because of boredom, tiredness, or amazement
[15th
century. Via French stupéfier from Latin stupefacere, from stupere
“to be stunned” (see stupid ) + facere
“to make.”]
—stu·pe·fi·er,
noun

—stu·pe·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



stupendous

stupendous
stu·pen·dous 
[stoo péndəss] adjective

impressively
great:
impressively large, excellent, or great in extent or degree • a
stupendous achievement
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin stupendus, the gerundive of stupere
“to be stunned,” source of English stupor
.]
—stu·pen·dous·ly,
adverb

—stu·pen·dous·ness, noun[1]



stupid

stupid
stu·pid 
[stpəd] (comparative stu·pi·der,
superlative stu·pi·dest) adjective

1.  unintelligent:
thought to show a lack of intelligence, perception, or common sense • a
stupid mistake

2.  silly:
irritatingly silly or time-wasting • had us
playing stupid games

3.  expressing
irritation:
used to express anger, annoyance, or frustration (informal) • I
can’t get the stupid thing to work!

4.  dazed:
in a dazed state, for example, from shock, fatigue, or from the effects of
drugs or alcohol • almost stupid with
tiredness
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
stupidus, from stupere “to be stunned.”][1]



stupidity

stupidity
stu·pid·i·ty 
[stoo píddətee] (plural stu·pid·i·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of intelligence: lack of intelligence, perception, or
common sense

2.  rashness
or thoughtlessness: extremely rash or
thoughtless behavior

[1]



stupidly

stupidly
stu·pid·ly
[stpədlee] adverb

1.  in
unintelligent way: in a way that demonstrates
lack of intelligence, perception, or common sense • I
had stupidly forgotten to note down the date I mailed it.

2.  in
bewilderment: in a way that suggests diminished
ability to perceive or reason • He
gazed stupidly after her.

[1]



stupor

stupor
stu·por 
[stpər] noun

1.  dazed
state:
an acute lack of mental alertness brought on, for example, by shock or lack of
sleep

2.  unconsciousness:
a state of near-unconsciousness induced by, for example, drugs or alcohol
[14th
century. From Latin, formed from stupere “to be stunned.”]
—stu·por·ous, adjective[1]



sturdy

sturdy
stur·dy 
[stúrdee] (comparative stur·di·er,
superlative stur·di·est) adjective

1.  well
made:
solidly made and likely to withstand prolonged use

2.  with
a strong build: having a well-developed strong-looking
body and limbs

3.  resolute:
having or displaying decisiveness, resoluteness, or firmness of purpose • sturdy
defenders of the right to free speech
[13th
century. Via Old French estourdir “dazed” from, ultimately, Latin turdus
“thrush,” formerly associated with drunkenness. The earliest sense was
“recklessly violent.”]
—stur·di·ly,
adverb

—stur·di·ness, noun[1]



sturgeon

sturgeon
stur·geon 
[stúrj’n] (plural stur·geons or
stur·geon) noun

large
fish yielding caviar: a large bottom-feeding fish
with a long snout and tough bony-plated skin, found in northern rivers and
coastal waters. It is important as a source of caviar and isinglass. Family:
Acipenseridae
[13th century. From Old
French esturgeon, of Germanic origin.][1]



Sturmund Drang

Sturmund Drang
Sturm
und Drang 
[shtrm nd drng] noun

1.  LITERATURE German
literary movement: a movement in late
18th-century German literature whose works typically portray the tortured
emotions of a central character who violently rejects society

2.  emotional
turmoil:
a state of extreme emotional upheaval (literary) • movies
that explore his own personal Sturm und Drang
[Late 18th century. From
German, literally “storm and stress.”][1]



stutter

stutter
stut·ter 
[stúttər] verb (past stut·tered,
past participle stut·tered, present participle stut·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular stut·ters)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb say or
speak with stammer: to say something haltingly,
repeating sounds frequently when attempting to pronounce them, either from
nervousness or as the result of a speech disorder • managed
to stutter an apology

2.  intransitive
verb
make
short noises: to make repeated short noises that
suggest mechanical inefficiency or failure • The
motor stuttered briefly and then died again.
noun
(plural stut·ters)

1.  stammering
as a speech disorder: a speech disorder that makes
the speaker repeat certain speech sounds that are found difficult to pronounce
• has
a slight stutter

2.  burst
of repeated sounds: a burst of repeated short
sounds
[Early
16th century. Alteration of obsolete stut, of Germanic origin.]
—stut·ter·er,
noun

—stut·ter·ing,
adjective

—stut·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Stuttgart

Stuttgart
Stutt·gart 
[stt gaart]

capital of Baden-Württemberg
State, in southwestern Germany. Population: 592,000 (1994)[1]



Stuyvesant,Peter

Stuyvesant,Peter
Stuy·ve·sant
[stvisənt], Peter (1610?–1672)

Dutch colonial administrator.
He was the last Dutch governor of New Netherland in present-day New York
(1647–1664), which he was forced to surrender to English troops.[1]



STV

STV
STV

Abbreviation of
subscription television[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








St.Valentine’s Day

St.Valentine’s Day
Saint
Val·en·tine’s Day [saynt vállən
tnz dày] (plural St. Val·en·tine’s Days) noun

CALENDAR
See Valentine’s Day[1]



St.Vincent and the Grenadines

St.Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint
Vin·cent and the Gren·a·dines [saynt
vìnss’nt ənd ə grènnə dnz]

independent state in the West
Indies comprising the island of St. Vincent and 32 of the islands of the
Grenadine group. Language: English. Currency: East Caribbean dollar. Capital:
Kingstown. Population: 112,000 (1995) Area: 389 sq km/150 sq mi.[1]



St.Vincent, Cape

St.Vincent, Cape
Saint
Vin·cent, Cape [saynt
vínsènt cape]

cape at the southwesternmost
point of Portugal[1]



St.Vincent, Gulf of

St.Vincent, Gulf of
Saint
Vin·cent, Gulf of [sènt
vínsènt cape]

gulf in southern Australia,
located between the Yorke and Fleurieu peninsulas[1]



St.Vitus’s dance

St.Vitus’s dance
Saint
Vi·tus·’s dance [saynt vtəssəz
dànss] noun

Sydenham’s
chorea:
Sydenham’s chorea (no longer in technical use)
[Early 17th century. Named
for St. Vitus (3rd century), patron saint of those affected by this
condition.][1]



sty

sty1
sty1 [stī]
noun (plural sties)

AGRICULTURE hog’s
enclosure:
an enclosure in which hogs are kept
transitive
verb
(past stied, past participle stied, present
participle sty·ing, 3rd person present singular sties)

AGRICULTURE house
a hog:
to put or keep a hog in a sty
[Old English stī
“pen.” Variant of stig (see steward ).][1]



sty

sty2
sty2 [stī]
(plural sties) or stye [stī]
(plural styes) noun

MEDICINE eyelid
swelling:
a temporary swelling on an eyelid at the base of an eyelash
[Early 17th century. By folk
etymology from obsolete styanye, as if “sty-on-eye.” From Old English stîgend
“rising” + ye “eye.”][1]



Stygian

Stygian
Styg·i·an 
[stíjjee ən] adjective

1.  pitch-black:
unremittingly dark and frightening, as hell is imagined to be (literary)

2.  MYTHOLOGY of
the Styx:
relating to the Styx, the river in Greek mythology that the souls of the dead
were ferried across into Hades

3.  binding:
eternally binding, as were promises sworn on the banks of the river Styx in
Greek mythology (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin Stygius
from Greek Stugios, from Stux (see Styx
).][1]



styl-

styl-
styl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
stylo-[1]



stylar

stylar
sty·lar 
[stlər] adjective

of a stylus:
relating to or using a stylus[1]



style

style
style 
[stl] noun (plural styles)

1.  ARTS distinctive
form:
a distinctive and identifiable form in an artistic medium such as music,
architecture, or literature • a
facade in the neoclassical style • a
different style of jazz

2.  way
of doing something: a way of doing something,
especially a way regarded as expressing a particular attitude or typifying a
particular period (often used in combination) • a
hands-on management style • old-style
politics
• Confrontation
just isn’t his style.

3.  way
of writing or performing: the way in which something
is written or performed as distinct from the content of the writing or
performance

4.  flair:
impressive flair in the way something is done, especially a quality that
suggests a self-confident willingness to exhibit skill or good taste • furnished
with impeccable style

5.  fashionable
status:
fashionable status or quality • a look
that has gone out of style

6.  fashion:
an example of cut or shape of garment or way of wearing the hair • dressed
in all the latest styles • That
style really suits you.

7.  luxuriousness:
extravagance or lavishness • dining
in style

8.  PUBLISHING publishing
conventions: the ways in which written material is
presented, usually in a particular publication or by a particular publisher • editing
text into the publisher’s house style

9.  sundial
pointer:
the pointer on a sundial

10. BOTANY flower
part:
an extension of a flower’s ovary, shaped like a stalk, that supports the stigma

11. ZOOLOGY See stylet  noun 2

12. See
stylus  noun 3

13. title:
a name or title, especially one that is official or legally correct (formal)
transitive
verb
(past styled, past participle styled, present
participle styl·ing, 3rd person present singular styles)

1.  shape
something:
to give something a particular shape or design • hair
styled in the most up-to-date fashion

2.  cause
to conform:
to bring something into conformity with a particular style

3.  name
somebody:
to give somebody or something a name or title (formal)
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin stilus “writing instrument, style.”]
—styl·er,
noun
cramp
somebody’s style

to limit what somebody is
able to do, often by limiting the person’s capacity to impress others (informal)[1]



stylebook

stylebook
style·book 
[stl bk] (plural style·books)
noun

publishing guide:
a publishing company’s gathered conventions in presenting printed material,
used as a guide by writers and editors[1]



stylet

stylet
sty·let 
[stlət] (plural sty·lets) noun

1.  MEDICINE wire
preventing blockage in a needle: a fine wire inserted
into a catheter or hollow needle to prevent it from becoming blocked when not
in use

2.  ZOOLOGY part
shaped like a bristle: a thin long organ or
appendage shaped like a bristle, for example, any of the mouthparts of some
insects.
Also
called
style

3.  long
pointed instrument: any long thin pointed
instrument (formal)
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian stiletto (see stiletto
).][1]



styli

styli
sty·li


Plural of
stylus[1]



styli-

styli-
styli-
prefix

See
stylo-[1]



styliform

styliform
sty·li·form 
[stlə fàwrm] adjective

long
and thin:
long, thin, and pointed, like a bristle (formal)
[Late 16th century. From
modern Latin stiliformis, from Latin stilus “style” + forma
“form.”][1]



styling

styling
styling
[stlìng] (plural stylings) noun

1.  shaping
of the hair: the act or an instance of giving a
particular shape or design to somebody’s hair (often used before a noun)
• styling
mousse

2.  instance
of creating something: an instance of creating
something, especially something artistic, in a particular or idiosyncratic way
(informal) • the zany comedy
stylings of the country’s favorite stand-up

[1]



stylish

stylish
styl·ish 
[stlish] adjective

1.  sophisticated
and fashionable: having confident good taste and
appreciation of what is fashionable

2.  impressive:
having or showing impressive skill or accomplishment • the
most stylish player in the team
—styl·ish·ly,
adverb

—styl·ish·ness, noun[1]



stylist

stylist
styl·ist 
[stlist] (plural styl·ists) noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING hairdresser:
a hairdresser, especially a more senior hairdresser in a salon

2.  ARTS LITERATURE accomplished artist:
somebody whose creative work shows a distinctive and accomplished style

3.  COMMERCE designer:
a designer who is consulted on matters of style, especially somebody
responsible for creating a distinctive visual image for a product or company

[1]



stylistic

stylistic
sty·lis·tic 
[stī lístik] adjective

relating
to style:
relating to matters of style, especially in literature and the arts • stylistic
brilliance compromised by a certain thinness of content
—sty·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



stylistics

stylistics
stylis·tics 
[stī lístiks] noun

study of linguistic style:
the branch of linguistics that deals with determining which features of written
or spoken language characterize particular groups or contexts, especially
particular literary genres or works (takes a singular verb)[1]



stylite

stylite
sty·lite 
[st lt] (plural stylites) noun

Christian
recluse:
a Christian ascetic in ancient times who lived alone on top of a tall pillar
[Mid-17th
century. From late Greek stulitēs, from Greek stulos “pillar.”]
—sty·lit·ic [stī líttik], adjective[1]



stylize

stylize
styl·ize 
[st lz] (past styl·ized, past
participle styl·ized, present participle styl·iz·ing, 3rd
person present singular styl·iz·es) transitive verb

give
something artistic style: to give something a
distinctive, often artificial artistic style
—styl·i·za·tion
[stlə záysh’n], noun

—styl·iz·er [st lzər], noun[1]



stylized

stylized
styl·ized
[st lzd] adjective

done using established
styles: created or performed
according to distinctive established styles, usually in order to achieve a
particular artistic effect, often at the expense of naturalness or spontaneity
• a highly
stylized backhand stroke[1]



stylo-

stylo-
stylo-
prefix

style,
column • stylograph
• styloid
[From Latin stylus
(see stylus )][1]



stylobate

stylobate
sty·lo·bate 
[stlə bàyt] (plural sty·lo·bates)
noun

basement
supporting columns: a continuous raised platform
of masonry supporting a row of columns.
Also
called
stereobate
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin stylobata
from Greek stulobatēs, literally “column step.”][1]



stylograph

stylograph
sty·lo·graph
[stlə gràf] (plural sty·lo·graphs)
noun

fountain pen:
a fountain pen that has a thin hollow tube as its writing point instead of the
traditional nib[1]



stylography

stylography
sty·log·ra·phy
[stī lóggrəfee] noun

engraving:
the art of drawing or engraving using a stylus
—sty·lo·graph·ic
[stlə gráffik], adjective

—sty·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[stlə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



styloid

styloid
sty·loid 
[st lòyd] adjective

ANATOMY
long and thin:
used to describe a bony protuberance ( process
) that is long and thin[1]



stylolite

stylolite
sty·lo·lite 
[stlə lt] (plural sty·lo·lites)
noun

join
between rock layers: a join between two layers of
limestone that in cross section looks like a row of interlocking pegs
—sty·lo·lit·ic [stlə líttik], adjective[1]



stylopodium

stylopodium
sty·lo·po·di·um 
[stlə pṓdee əm] (plural sty·lo·po·di·a
[stlə pṓdee ə]) noun

flower part:
the typically broad base of the style of flowers in plants of the carrot family[1]



stylus

stylus
sty·lus 
[stləss] (plural sty·li [st l]) noun

1.  RECORDING phonograph
needle:
the jewel-tipped needle of a phonograph that rests in the grooves of a record
as it revolves. It transmits vibrations to the cartridge.

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING machine’s
tracing pen: the tracing pen on an electronic device
such as a seismograph or polygraph that converts an electrical signal into a
written record

3.  engraving
tool:
a pointed instrument used for engraving, especially one used in ancient times
for writing on clay or wax tablets.
Also
called
style
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, a spelling variant of stilus, “stake, pointed writing
instrument,” influenced by Greek stulos, “pillar.”][1]



stymie

stymie
sty·mie 
[stmee] or sty·my [stmee] transitive verb (past sty·mied,
past participle sty·mied, present participle sty·mie·ing,
3rd person present singular sty·mies) (past sty·mied,
past participle sty·mied, present participle sty·my·ing,
3rd person present singular sty·mies)

1.  hinder
the progress of: to prevent somebody or something from
making further progress

2.  GOLF block
an opponent’s line: to obstruct the line between
a golf opponent’s ball and the hole (dated)
noun
(plural sty·mies) (plural sty·mies)

1.  problem
situation:
a situation in which obstacles hinder progress

2.  GOLF obstruction
of an opponent’s ball: a situation in which one
golf player’s ball blocks another’s. In the modern game, the obstructing ball
is lifted and replaced by a marker. (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



stypsis

stypsis
styp·sis 
[stípsiss] noun

use
of a styptic: the use of a styptic substance, or its
antibleeding effect
[Late 19th century. Via late
Latin from Greek stupsis, from stuphein “to contract.”][1]



styptic

styptic
styp·tic 
[stíptik] adjective

able
to stop bleeding: slowing down the rate of bleeding or
stopping bleeding altogether, whether by causing the blood vessels to contract
or by accelerating clotting
noun
(plural styp·tics)

styptic
substance:
a styptic drug, cream, or lotion
[14th century. Via late Latin
stypticus from Greek stuptikos, from stuphein “to
contract.”][1]



stypticpencil

stypticpencil
styp·tic
pen·cil
(plural styp·tic pen·cils) noun

treatment for cuts:
an astringent substance in solid form in a small cylindrical container that is
applied to stop bleeding in small cuts, for example, after shaving[1]



styrax

styrax
sty·rax 
noun

See
storax  noun 3[1]



styrene

styrene
sty·rene 
[st rn] noun

chemical
used in plastics: a colorless flammable liquid hydrocarbon
used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber and plastic. C8H8
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin styrax (see storax ) + -ene .][1]



Styrofoam

Styrofoam
Sty·ro·foam
[strə fm] Trademark

a trademark for a light
plastic material used to make disposable items, insulation, and packing
materials[1]



Styron,William

Styron,William
Sty·ron 
[strən], William (1925– )

U.S.
writer. His novel The Confessions of Nat Turner ( 1967 ) won a Pulitzer
Prize.
Full name
Styron, William Clark, Jr.[1]



Styx

Styx
Styx 
[stiks] noun

river
of Hades:
in Greek mythology, the river across which the souls of the dead were ferried
into the underworld
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek Stux .][1]



St-Émilion

St-Émilion
St-É·mil·ion
[sàN te mlyən] (plural St-É·mil·ions)
noun

full-bodied red wine:
a red wine produced in the area around St-Émilion in the Bordeaux region of
France[1]



St-Étienne

St-Étienne
St-É·tienne 
[saN etee én]

city and administrative
center of Loire Department, Rhône-Alpes Region, east central France.
Population: 201,695 (1990)[1]



suable

suable
su·a·ble 
[s əb’l] adjective

able
to be pursued in court: able or liable to be made
the subject of a lawsuit
—su·a·bil·i·ty [s ə bíllətee], noun[1]



suasion

suasion
sua·sion 
[swáy’n] noun

persuasion:
the art of persuasion or an instance of persuading (formal)
[14th
century.Via Old French or directly from Latin suasion-, the stem of suasio,
from, ultimately, suadere, “to advise.”]
—sua·sive [swáyssiv, swáyziv],
adjective[1]



suave

suave
suave 
[swaav] (comparative suav·er, superlative
suav·est) adjective

1.  charming:
polite and charming, especially in a way that seems affected or insincere

2.  pleasingly
dressed:
well groomed and pleasingly dressed (dated)
[Early
16th century. Via French or directly from Latin suavis “sweet,
agreeable,” from, ultimately, an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor
of English sweet .]
—suave·ly,
adverb

—suave·ness,
noun

—suav·i·ty, noun[1]



sub-

sub-
sub-
prefix

1.  under,
below, beneath • subcutaneous
• subfloor

2.  subordinate,
secondary • subparagraph

3.  less
than completely • subliterate

4.  subdivision
• subkingdom
• subcontinent

5.  bordering
on • subequatorial

6.  smaller
or younger than • subcompact
• subteen

7.  nearly,
partly, somewhat • subfossil

8.  containing
less than the normal amount of an element • suboxide
[From Latin sub
“under”][1]



sub.

sub.
sub.

1.  Abbreviation
of
subito

2.  Abbreviation
of
suburb

3.  Abbreviation
of
suburban

[1]



sub

sub2
sub2  [sub]
noun (informal)

1.  NAVY submarine:
a submarine

2.  FOOD sandwich:
a sandwich made with a long roll cut horizontally

[1]



sub

sub1
sub1 [sub]
noun (plural subs) (informal)

1.  a
substitute:
a substitute, especially a substitute player in a game

2.  subtitle:
a subtitle to a document or printed matter
verb
(past subbed, past participle subbed, present
participle sub·bing, 3rd person present singular subs)
(informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
replace:
to take the place of somebody temporarily, usually in a work situation

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb subcontract:
to subcontract work, or work as a subcontractor

3.  transitive
verb
subtitle
something:
to add subtitles to something
[Late 17th century.
Shortening.][1]



subacid

subacid
sub·ac·id 
[sùb ássid] adjective

1.  slightly
sour:
moderately sour in flavor (archaic)

2.  somewhat
critical:
mildly unkind or critical in tone (literary)
—sub·a·cid·i·ty
[sùbbə síddətee], noun

—sub·ac·id·ly [sùb ássidlee], adverb[1]



subacute

subacute
sub·a·cute 
[sùbbə kyt] adjective

not
quite acute: used to describe a medical condition
that develops less rapidly and with less severity than an acute condition
—sub·a·cute·ly, adverb[1]



subacutesclerosing panencephalitis

subacutesclerosing panencephalitis
sub·a·cute
scle·ros·ing pan·en·ceph·a·li·tis  [súbbə kyoot sklə rzing pàn en sèffə ltəss] noun

brain disease:
a severe, usually fatal, inflammatory disease of the brain, chiefly affecting
children and linked to infection from measles[1]



subadar

subadar
sub·ad·ar 
[sbə dr] (plural sub·ad·ars)
or sub·ah·dar [sbə dr] (plural
sub·ah·dars) noun

Indian
military officer: the chief Indian officer in a company of
Indian soldiers in the former British Indian army.
Also
called
subah
[Late 17th century. From Urdu
and Persian ṣūbahdār, literally “subah holder” (see subah ).][1]



subaerial

subaerial
sub·aer·i·al 
[sub áiree əl] adjective

near the soil’s surface:
formed or situated on or just below the surface of the soil • a
plant with subaerial roots[1]



subah

subah
su·bah 
[sbə] (plural su·bahs) noun

1.  HISTORY Mogul
province:
any of the provinces of the Mogul empire

2.  MILITARY See subadar
[Mid-18th century. Via Urdu
and Persian ṣūbah from Arabic, “heap.”][1]



subahdar

subahdar
sub·ah·dar
noun

MILITARY
See subadar[1]



subalpine

subalpine
sub·al·pine 
[sub ál pn] adjective

of the lower mountain slopes:
relating to or growing naturally on the lower slopes of mountains, especially
the areas below the tree line[1]



subaltern

subaltern
sub·al·tern 
[sə báwltərn, súbbəl
tùrn] noun (plural sub·al·terns)

1.  MILITARY junior
officer:
a junior officer in some armies, for example, a commissioned officer below the
rank of captain in the British army

2.  subordinate
person:
somebody who holds a subordinate or inferior position

3.  LOGIC implied
proposition: a particular proposition that is implied
by a universal proposition
adjective

1.  subordinate:
in a subordinate or inferior position

2.  LOGIC implied:
implied as a particular proposition by a universal proposition
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin subalternus, from Latin alternus “alternate” (see alternate ).][1]



subalternate

subalternate
sub·al·ter·nate 
[sub áwltərnət] (plural sub·al·ter·nates)
adjective

1.  BOTANY with
leaflets not fully alternate: used to describe a leaf
whose leaflets are arranged in semistaggered rows, neither fully alternate nor
fully opposite

2.  subordinate:
in a subordinate or inferior position
—sub·al·ter·na·tion [sub àwltər náysh’n], noun[1]



subantarctic

subantarctic
sub·ant·arc·tic 
[sùb an trktik] adjective

bordering on the Antarctic
Circle: relating to the area between
the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole[1]



subapostolic

subapostolic
sub·ap·os·tol·ic 
[sùb appə stóllik] adjective

immediately after the
Apostles: belonging to the period in
the history of the Christian Church that immediately followed the time of the
Apostles[1]



subaqua

subaqua
sub·aq·ua
[sùb kwə] adjective

relating
to underwater sports: relating to or providing
facilities for underwater sports such as scuba diving
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sub- + Latin aqua “water.”][1]



subaquatic

subaquatic
sub·a·quat·ic
[sùbbə kwtik] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY in
water and on land: existing or able to exist
partly in water and partly on land

2.  relating
to underwater regions: relating or belonging to
underwater regions

[1]



subaqueous

subaqueous
sub·a·que·ous 
[sub áykwee əss, sub
ákwee əss] adjective

underwater:
living, found, or formed under water[1]



subarachnoid

subarachnoid
sub·a·rach·noid 
[sùbbə rák nòyd] adjective

under the brain’s middle
membrane: situated beneath the middle
of the three membranes ( arachnoids ) that
cover the brain and spinal cord[1]



subarctic

subarctic
sub·arc·tic 
[sùb rktik] adjective

1.  south
of the Arctic Circle: relating to the area
bordering the Arctic Circle to the south

2.  like
the borders of the Arctic: similar to the regions that
border the Arctic Circle, for example, in landscape or weather conditions

[1]



subarid

subarid
sub·ar·id 
[sùb érrid] adjective

fairly dry:
having a climate in which there is very little rainfall but not as little as in
arid regions[1]



subassembly

subassembly
sub·as·sem·bly 
[sùbbə sémblee] (plural sub·as·sem·blies)
noun

components assembled as a
group: a group of pieces assembled
separately and incorporated into a larger assembled structure[1]



subatomic

subatomic
sub·a·tom·ic 
[sùbbə tómmik] adjective

1.  PHYSICS part
of or smaller than an atom: occurring as part of an
atom, or smaller than an atom

2.  SCIENCE on a
smaller-than-atom scale: on a scale smaller than the
atom, or involving phenomena at this level

[1]



subaudition

subaudition
sub·au·di·tion 
[sùb aw dísh’n] (plural sub·au·di·tions)
noun

1.  implication:
the act of understanding a word or thought that is implied but not actually
expressed in speech or writing

2.  implied
word or idea: a word, idea, or thought understood by a
hearer or reader that is implied but not expressed
[Mid-17th century. From late
Latin subaudition-, the stem of subauditio, from, ultimately,
Latin audire “to hear.”][1]



subaxillary

subaxillary
sub·ax·il·lar·y 
[sùb áksə lèrree] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY ANATOMY below the armpit:
located beneath the armpit

2.  BOTANY below
the axil:
growing beneath the axil in plants

[1]



subbase

subbase
sub·base 
[súb bàyss] (plural sub·bas·es)
noun

1.  BUILDING bottom
structural layer: a deep layer of large stones that forms
the lowest level of a roadbed or of the foundation of a building

2.  bottom
of a base:
the lowest section of any base or foundation, for example, the bottom part of a
pedestal

[1]



subbasement

subbasement
sub·base·ment 
[súb bàyssmənt] (plural sub·base·ments)
noun

floor below a basement:
a story below the basement in a building[1]



subcaliber

subcaliber
sub·cal·i·ber 
[sub kállibər] adjective

smaller in caliber than a
gun: used to describe ammunition
whose caliber is smaller than that of the gun from which it is fired. Smaller
ammunition is often used for practice because it is cheaper.[1]



subcartilaginous

subcartilaginous
sub·car·ti·lag·i·nous 
[sùb kaart’l ájjənəss] adjective

1.  beneath
cartilage:
lying beneath cartilage or a body part composed of cartilage

2.  partly
of cartilage: made up partly of cartilage

[1]



subcategory

subcategory
sub·cat·e·go·ry 
[sùb káttə gàwree, súb
kàttə gàwree] (plural sub·cat·e·go·ries) noun

section of a section:
any one of the smaller sections into which a main category is divided[1]



subcelestial

subcelestial
sub·ce·les·tial 
[sùb sə léschəl] adjective

earthly:
belonging to the earth, not to the heavens or the stars (literary)[1]



subcellular

subcellular
sub·cel·lu·lar 
[sub séllyələr] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY inside
a cell:
existing inside a cell, or relating to the component parts of cells

2.  SCIENCE on a
smaller-than-cell scale: on a scale smaller than a
cell, or involving phenomena at this level

[1]



subcentral

subcentral
sub·cen·tral
[sub séntrəl] adjective

below
central level: at a level below the main or central one
• subcentral
governments
—sub·cen·tral·ly, adverb[1]



subchaser

subchaser
sub·chas·er 
[súb chàyssər] (plural sub·chas·ers)
noun

NAVY
submarine chaser:
a submarine chaser (informal)[1]



subclass

subclass
sub·class 
[súb klàss] (plural sub·class·es)
noun

1.  subordinate
class:
any of the smaller groups into which a main class is divided

2.  BIOLOGY biological
class:
a subdivision of a class in the classification of plants and animals

3.  MATHEMATICS See subset

[1]



subclavian

subclavian
sub·cla·vi·an 
[sub kláyvee ən] adjective

under
the collarbone: located under the collarbone ( clavicle )
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from modern Latin subclavius, from Latin clavis “key” (source of
English clavicle ).][1]



subclinical

subclinical
sub·clin·i·cal 
[sub klínnik’l] adjective

suspected
but not detected: used to describe an early stage or mild
form of a medical condition, no symptoms of which are detectable
—sub·clin·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



subcommittee

subcommittee
sub·com·mit·tee 
[súbkə mìttee] (plural sub·com·mit·tees)
noun

special-purpose group:
a committee set up by and consisting of members of an existing committee to
deal with a particular issue[1]



subcompact

subcompact
sub·com·pact 
[sub kóm pàkt] (plural sub·com·pacts)
noun

very small car:
a small car, usually the smallest and lightest model in a manufacturer’s range[1]



subconscious

subconscious
sub·con·scious 
[sub kónshəss] adjective

existing
unknown in the mind: present in your mind without
you being aware of it
noun

unconscious
part of the mind: mental activity not directly perceived
by your consciousness, from which memories, feelings, or thoughts can influence
your behavior without you realizing it
—sub·con·scious·ly,
adverb

—sub·con·scious·ness, noun[1]



subcontinent

subcontinent
sub·con·ti·nent 
[sub kónt’nənt] (plural sub·con·ti·nents)
or Sub·con·ti·nent [sub kónt’nənt]
noun

separate
part of a continent: a large area that is an
identifiably separate part of a continent, especially the area encompassing the
countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh regarded as a distinct part of
Asia
—sub·con·ti·nen·tal [sùb kont’n ént’l], adjective, noun[1]



subcontract

subcontract
sub·con·tract 
[sub kón tràkt, súb
kòn trakt] noun (plural sub·con·tracts)

secondary contract:
a secondary contract in which the person or company originally hired in turn
hires somebody else to do all or part of the work
verb
(past sub·con·tract·ed, past participle sub·con·tract·ed,
present participle sub·con·tract·ing, 3rd person present
singular sub·con·tracts)

1.  transitive
verb
give
work under a subcontract: to pass on work to a second
person or company under the terms of a subcontract

2.  intransitive
verb
take
on work from a contractor: to work on contract with a
person or company who is a contractor to somebody else
—sub·con·trac·tor, noun[1]



subcontrary

subcontrary
sub·con·trar·y 
[sub kóntrəree] adjective

not
false together: used to describe logical propositions
that are related to each other in such a way that both cannot be false at the
same time, although both may be true
noun
(plural sub·con·trar·ies)

subcontrary
proposition: a subcontrary logical proposition
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin subcontrarius, a translation of Greek hupenantios
“contrary.”][1]



subcortex

subcortex
sub·cor·tex 
[sub káwr tèks] (plural sub·cor·ti·ces
[sub káwrtə sz]) noun

part
of the brain: the parts of the brain that lie
immediately beneath the cerebral cortex
—sub·cor·ti·cal [sub káwrtik’l], adjective[1]



subcranial

subcranial
sub·cra·ni·al
[sub kráynee əl] adjective

under the skull:
located beneath the dome of the skull[1]



subculture

subculture
sub·cul·ture 
[súb kùlchər] (plural sub·cul·tures)
noun

1.  SOCIOLOGY separate
social group: an identifiably separate social group
within a larger culture, especially one regarded as existing outside mainstream
society

2.  BIOLOGY secondary
biological culture: a bacterial culture that is
grown from another culture
—sub·cul·tur·al [sùb kúlchərəl], adjective[1]



subcutaneous

subcutaneous
sub·cu·ta·ne·ous 
[sùbkyə táynee əss] adjective

under
the skin:
located, living, or made beneath the skin
—sub·cu·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb[1]



subdeacon

subdeacon
sub·dea·con 
[sub dkən] (plural sub·dea·cons)
noun

1.  deacon’s
assistant:
a member of the Roman Catholic clergy who acts as a deacon’s assistant, for
example, by preparing the vessels that are to be used in celebrating Mass

2.  cleric
above lector: a cleric ranking just above a lector in
an Eastern Church

[1]



subdiaconate

subdiaconate
sub·di·ac·o·nate 
[sùb dī ákənət] (plural sub·di·ac·o·nates)
noun

subdeacon’s
position:
the position or term of office of a subdeacon
—sub·di·ac·o·nal, adjective[1]



subdirectory

subdirectory
sub·di·rec·to·ry 
[sùbdi réktəree, sùb
dī réktəree] (plural sub·di·rec·to·ries) noun

division of a directory:
a division of a directory on a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk[1]



subdivide

subdivide
sub·di·vide 
[sùbdi vd] (past sub·di·vid·ed,
past participle sub·di·vid·ed, present participle sub·di·vid·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·di·vides) verb

1.  transitive
verb
divide
further:
to divide a section, or all the sections of something into sections that are
smaller still

2.  intransitive
verb
be
divided further: to be divided, or be able to be divided,
into sections that are smaller still
—sub·di·vid·er, noun[1]



subdivision

subdivision
sub·di·vi·sion 
[sùb di ví’n, súbdi
vì’n] (plural sub·di·vi·sions) noun

1.  subdividing
of something: the dividing of a divided part into
units that are smaller still

2.  subsidiary
section:
a section of something that is itself a division of a larger thing

3.  BUILDING development
site:
an area of land divided up into building lots
—sub·di·vi·sion·al [sùbdi ví’nəl], adjective[1]



subdominant

subdominant
sub·dom·i·nant 
[sub dómminənt] (plural sub·dom·i·nants)
noun

1.  fourth
note in a scale: the fourth note in a major or minor
scale

2.  subdominant
harmony:
a key, chord, or harmony based on a subdominant

[1]



subduct

subduct
sub·duct 
[səb dúkt] (past sub·duct·ed, past
participle sub·duct·ed, present participle sub·duct·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ducts) intransitive verb

slide
under an adjoining tectonic plate: to be carried under
the edge of an adjoining continental or oceanic plate, causing tensions in the
Earth’s crust that can produce earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
[Late
16th century. From Latin subduct-, the past participle stem of subducere
“to draw up,” from ducere “to lead.”]
—sub·duc·tion [səb dúksh’n], noun[1]



subdue

subdue
sub·due 
[səb d] (past sub·dued, past
participle sub·dued, present participle sub·du·ing, 3rd
person present singular sub·dues) transitive verb

1.  bring
under forcible control: to bring a person or group
of people under control using force

2.  soften:
to soften something or make it less intense • idealism
subdued by experience

3.  repress:
to repress or control feelings or emotions • worked
hard to subdue her irritation
[14th
century. Via Old French souduire “to seduce” from Latin subducere
“to draw up” (see subduct ).]
—sub·du·a·ble,
adjective

—sub·du·er, noun[1]



subdued

subdued
sub·dued
[səb dd] adjective

1.  not
harsh:
not bright, loud, or intense, or made less bright, loud, or intense • subdued
lighting

2.  very
quiet:
sad or in low spirits

3.  quiet:
quiet and restrained • speaking
in subdued tones

[1]



subdural

subdural
sub·dur·al 
[sùb drəl] adjective

under the dura mater:
beneath the dura mater that covers the brain and spinal cord[1]



subedit

subedit
sub·ed·it
[sub éddət] (past sub·ed·it·ed,
past participle sub·ed·it·ed, present participle sub·ed·it·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ed·its) transitive verb

U.K.
See copyedit
[Mid-19th century.
Back-formation from subeditor .][1]



subeditor

subeditor
sub·ed·i·tor
[sub éddətər] (plural sub·ed·i·tors)
noun

1.  assistant
editor:
an assistant editor helping to prepare material for publication

2.  U.K.
See copyreader

[1]



subequatorial

subequatorial
sub·e·qua·to·ri·al 
[sùb ekwə táwree əl] adjective

near the equator:
relating to or situated in the regions that lie just north and south of the
equator[1]



suberin

suberin
su·ber·in 
[sbərən] noun

fatty
substance in cells: a fatty substance found in
the cell walls of many plants, especially in cork tissue where it provides
resistance to water and decay
[Early 19th century. From
French subérine, from Latin suber “cork.”][1]



suberize

suberize
su·ber·ize 
[sbə rz] (past su·ber·ized, past
participle su·ber·ized, present participle su·ber·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular su·ber·iz·es) transitive verb

deposit
suberin in:
to deposit suberin in plant cell walls during their conversion to cork tissue
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Latin suber “cork” + -ize .][1]



suberose

suberose
su·ber·ose 
[sbə rss, sbə
rz] adjective

of
or like cork: relating to cork, or similar to cork in
appearance or texture
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin suberosus, from Latin suber “cork.”][1]



subfamily

subfamily
sub·fam·i·ly 
[súb fàmməlee] (plural sub·fam·i·lies)
noun

1.  BIOLOGY biological
classification: a subdivision of a family in the
classification of plants and animals

2.  LINGUISTICS linguistic
categorization: a smaller group of related languages
within a language family

[1]



subfield

subfield
sub·field 
[súb fld] (plural sub·fields)
noun

mathematical grouping:
a mathematical field that is a subset of another field[1]



subfloor

subfloor
sub·floor
[súb flàwr] (plural sub·floors)
noun

foundation
of a floor:
an underlying layer of rough or unfinished material supporting a finished floor
—sub·floor·ing, noun[1]



subfossil

subfossil
sub·fos·sil 
[súb fòss’l] adjective

partly
fossilized:
partially fossilized
noun
(plural sub·fos·sils)

subfossil organism:
a partially fossilized organism[1]



subfreezing

subfreezing
sub·freez·ing 
[sub frzing] adjective

below freezing:
lower than 0° Celsius or 32° Fahrenheit[1]



subgenus

subgenus
sub·ge·nus 
[súb jnəss] (plural sub·gen·e·ra
[súb jènnərə]) noun

biological classification:
a category in the classification of plants and animals that is larger than a
species but smaller than a genus[1]



subglacial

subglacial
sub·gla·cial 
[sub gláysh’l] adjective

at
the bottom of a glacier: formed below or at the
bottom of a glacier
—sub·gla·cial·ly, adverb[1]



subgrade

subgrade
sub·grade 
[súb gràyd] (plural sub·grades)
noun

surfaced ground for
construction: the bed of ground on
which the foundations of a road, railroad, or building are laid[1]



subgroup

subgroup
sub·group 
[súb grp] (plural sub·groups)
noun

1.  division
of group:
a smaller group distinguished in some way from the larger group of which it is
a part

2.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
group:
a mathematical group whose members are also members of a larger group

[1]



subgum

subgum
sub·gum 
[súb gùm] noun

Chinese-style
dish:
a Chinese dish with a base of mixed vegetables
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) shâp kám, literally “mixed brocade.”][1]



subhead

subhead
sub·head 
[súb hèd] (plural sub·heads) or
sub·head·ing [súb hèdding] (plural
sub·head·ings) noun

PRINTING
secondary heading:
a heading or title subordinate to the main one[1]



subhuman

subhuman
sub·hu·man 
[sub hymən, sub
ymən] adjective

1.  less
than human:
relating to or displaying behavior that is distastefully inferior in
sophistication, moral standards, or intelligence to what is regarded as normal
for human beings • a subhuman thug

2.  BIOLOGY nearly
human:
at the level of development that is considered just below humans

[1]



sub-imago

sub-imago
sub-i·ma·go
[sùbbi máygō, sùbbi
mgō] (plural sub-i·ma·goes or sub-i·mag·ines
[sùbbi máygə nz, sùbbi
mgə nz]) noun

undeveloped mayfly:
a mayfly or related insect in a metamorphic stage in which functional wings are
present but not all adult features have developed fully[1]



subindex

subindex
sub·in·dex 
[sub ín dèks] (plural sub·in·dex·es
or sub·in·di·ces [sub índi sz])
noun

1.  index
of subsection: an index to a section of a main
classification

2.  MATHEMATICS See subscript

[1]



subinfeudation

subinfeudation
sub·in·feu·da·tion 
[sùb ìnfyoo dáysh’n] (plural sub·in·feu·da·tions)
noun

1.  subdividing
of feudal land: in the feudal system, the leasing of a
portion of the land held by a feudal lord’s servant ( vassal
) to somebody else who became the servant’s servant in turn

2.  land
granted:
a portion of land granted to a feudal servant under the terms of subinfeudation
—sub·in·feu·date [sùbbin fy dàyt], transitive verb[1]



subirrigate

subirrigate
sub·ir·ri·gate 
[sub írri gàyt] (past sub·ir·ri·gat·ed,
past participle sub·ir·ri·gat·ed, present participle sub·ir·ri·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ir·ri·gates) transitive verb

irrigate
from below:
to irrigate land from below the surface of the ground, for example, with porous
pipes laid underground
—sub·ir·ri·ga·tion [sùb irri gáysh’n], noun[1]



subito

subito
su·bi·to 
[sbitō] adverb

suddenly:
suddenly or abruptly (used as a musical direction)
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin subire “to come over.”][1]



subj.

subj.
subj.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of subject

2.  Abbreviation
of
subjective

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of subjunctive

[1]



subjacent

subjacent
sub·ja·cent 
[sùb jáyss’nt] adjective (formal)

1.  underlying:
lying under or just below something

2.  lower:
next to something and at a lower level than it “in the damper tracts of
subjacent country and along the river-courses” Thomas Hardy Jude the Obscure
1895
[Late
16th century. From Latin subjacent-, the present participle stem of subjacere
“to lie under.”]
—sub·ja·cen·cy,
noun

—sub·ja·cent·ly, adverb[1]



subject

subject
sub·ject 
noun [súb jèkt] (plural sub·jects)

1.  topic:
a matter that is being discussed, examined, studied, or otherwise dealt with

2.  EDUCATION course
of study:
a branch of learning that forms a course of study (often used in the plural)

3.  somebody
treated or acted upon: somebody who undergoes
treatment or who is the focus of an activity • not
an appropriate subject for hypnosis

4.  ruled
person:
somebody who is under the rule of a king, queen, or other authority

5.  ARTS thing
represented by an artist: somebody who or something
that a painter, sculptor, or photographer represents in a piece of work

6.  LITERATURE somebody
featured in a biography: the main person written
about in a biography

7.  GRAMMAR grammatical
performer of a verb’s action: the part of a sentence or
utterance, a noun, noun phrase, or equivalent, that the rest of the sentence
asserts something about and that agrees with the verb. The subject typically
performs the action expressed by the verb. “She” and “The dog” are the subjects
of “She gave me the book” and “The dog was found asleep” respectively.

8.  MUSIC musical
theme:
the principal theme or melodic phrase that is developed in the course of a
musical composition
adjective

1.  prone
to:
likely to be affected by or with a tendency to be affected by a particular
thing • areas
subject to flooding • a
child subject to mood swings

2.  ruled:
under the control of somebody or something such as a ruler or a law, and
obliged to obey • a subject nation
• not
subject to the laws that apply in this country
adverb

depending:
depending on or conditional on somebody or something • The
plans have been drawn up, subject to your final approval.
transitive
verb
[səb jékt] (past sub·ject·ed, past
participle sub·ject·ed, present participle sub·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·jects)

1.  cause
to have an unpleasant experience: to cause somebody to
undergo something unpleasant • recruits
subjected to rigorous physical training

2.  submit
to treatment: to make something undergo treatment of a
particular kind • proposals subjected to
detailed scrutiny

3.  overpower:
to bring a person or group under the power or influence of another person or
group • a
nation subjected to rule from overseas
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin subjectus, from, ultimately, subicere
“to place under,” from jacere “to throw.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  subject, topic, subject
  matter, matter,
  theme, burden
  CORE
  MEANING: what
  is under discussion subject; a
  general word that describes what is under discussion or investigation; topic; an item selected for discussion; subject matter; a fairly formal term meaning
  the same as subject . It is sometimes used when drawing a distinction
  with the style or form of a piece of writing; matter;
  a formal word used in the same way as subject matter; theme; an important unifying idea in
  something such as a piece of writing, a painting, or a movie; burden; a formal or literary word used to
  mean the main argument or recurrent theme of something such as a piece of
  writing

[1]



subjection

subjection
sub·jec·tion
[səb jéksh’n] noun

1.  domination:
the bringing of a person or people under the control of another, usually by
force

2.  act
of subjecting: the subjecting of somebody to something

[1]



subjective

subjective
sub·jec·tive 
[səb jéktiv] adjective

1.  not
impartial:
based on somebody’s opinions or feelings rather than on facts or evidence • Of
course, that’s only my subjective impression.

2.  PHILOSOPHY existing
by perception: existing only in the mind and not
independently of it

3.  MEDICINE observed
only by the patient: used to describe a medical
condition that is perceived to exist only by the patient and is not
recognizable to anyone else

4.  GRAMMAR relating
to the subject of verb: relating to or forming the
subject of a verb
—subjectively,
adverb

—sub·jec·tive·ness, noun[1]



subjectiveidealism

subjectiveidealism
sub·jec·tive
i·de·al·ism
noun

theory that nothing really
exists: a philosophical theory
arguing that the external world only exists because it is perceived to exist,
and does not have existence of its own[1]



subjectivism

subjectivism
sub·jec·tiv·ism 
[səb jékti vìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of the validity of knowledge: a theory stating that people
can only have knowledge of what they experience directly

2.  PHILOSOPHY theory
of the validity of moral standards: a
theory stating that the only valid moral standard is the one imposed by
somebody’s own conscience, and therefore that society’s moral codes are invalid

3.  emphasis
on personal interpretation: emphasis on personal
feelings or responses as opposed to external facts or evidence
—sub·jec·tiv·ist,
adjective

—sub·jec·tiv·is·tic
[səb jèkti vístik], adjective

—sub·jec·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly
[səb jèkti vístikəlee], adverb[1]



subjectivity

subjectivity
sub·jec·tiv·i·ty
[sùb jek tívvətee] noun

1.  personal
interpretation: interpretation based on personal
opinions or feelings rather than on external facts or evidence

2.  ARTS personal
vision:
concentration on personal, individual responses in artistic expression

[1]



subjectmatter

subjectmatter
sub·ject
mat·ter
noun

subject:
the matter dealt with in a book, movie, discussion, or other pursuit • contains
subject matter unsuitable for children

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at subject

[1]



subjoin

subjoin
sub·join 
[sub jóyn] (past sub·joined, past
participle sub·joined, present participle sub·join·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·joins) transitive verb

attach:
to add something at the end of what has already been written or said (formal)[1]



subjudice

subjudice
sub
ju·di·ce 
[sub jdəssee, sub
ydə kày] adjective

being
examined in court: currently under
consideration by a judge or a court of law and therefore not to be commented
upon publicly
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “under a judge.”][1]



subjugate

subjugate
sub·ju·gate 
[súbjə gàyt] (past sub·ju·gat·ed,
past participle sub·ju·gat·ed, present participle sub·ju·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ju·gates) transitive verb

force
into submission: to bring somebody, especially a people
or nation, under the control of another, for example, by military conquest
[15th
century. From Latin subjugat-, the past participle stem of subjugare,
from, ultimately, jugum “yoke.”]
—sub·ju·ga·ble,
adjective

—sub·ju·ga·tor [súbjə gàytər], noun[1]



subjunctive

subjunctive
sub·junc·tive 
[səb júngktiv] noun (plural sub·junc·tives)

1.  grammatical
mood:
a grammatical mood that expresses doubts, wishes, and possibilities. The verb
“were” is in the subjunctive in the phrase “if I were you.”

2.  subjunctive
verb:
a verb or form in the subjunctive
adjective

relating to the subjunctive:
in or relating to the subjunctive
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin subjunctivus from, ultimately, Latin subjungere
“to subordinate,” from jungere “to join.”]
—sub·junc·tive·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Use
  of the subjunctive in English:
  Most
  people associate the subjunctive with
  Latin and Greek, and are sometimes surprised to realize that they are using
  it themselves as a regular (if now limited) feature of English grammar. The
  subjunctive is distinguishable from the regular form of verbs (called the indicative
  ) only in the third person singular present tense, which omits the final -s
  (as in make rather than makes ), and in the forms be and
  were of the verb to be . A typical use of the subjunctive is in
  clauses introduced by that expressing a wish or suggestion, of the
  type • I
  suggested to her that she drop by for a drink before the concert.
  • They
  demanded that he answer their questions. The
  form were is used in clauses introduced by if, as if, as
  though, or supposing, as in: • If
  you were to go, you might regret it. • It’s
  not as though he were an expert. • Supposing
  I were to meet you outside the theater. The
  subjunctive also occurs in fixed expressions such as as it were, be
  that as it may, come what may, and far be it from me.

[1]



subkingdom

subkingdom
sub·king·dom 
[súb kìngdəm] (plural sub·king·doms)
noun

biological classification:
a category in the classification of plants and animals that is smaller than a
kingdom and larger than a phylum[1]



sublease

sublease
sub·lease 
noun [súb lss] (plural sub·leas·es)

lease
to rent from a tenant: an arrangement to rent a
property from somebody who is already renting it from somebody else
transitive
verb
[sub lss] (past sub·leased, past
participle sub·leased, present participle sub·leas·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·leas·es)

See
sublet
—sub·les·see
[sùb le s], noun

—sub·les·sor [sub lé sàwr], noun[1]



sublet

sublet
sub·let 
[sùb lét] intransitive and transitive
verb (past sub·let, past participle sub·let, present
participle sub·let·ting, 3rd person present singular sub·lets)

rent
property under a sublease: to rent a property to or as
a subsidiary tenant
noun
(plural sub·lets)

property rented under a
sublease: a property, especially an
apartment, that is rented from somebody who is renting it from somebody else[1]



sublimate

sublimate
sub·li·mate 
[súbbli màyt] verb (past sub·li·mat·ed,
past participle sub·li·mat·ed, present participle sub·li·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·li·mates)

1.  transitive
verb
PSYCHOLOGY redirect:
to channel impulses or energies regarded as unacceptable, especially sexual
desires, toward an activity that is more socially acceptable, often a creative
activity

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY See sublime  verb
1
noun
(plural sub·li·mates)

CHEMISTRY substance
formed from sublimation: a chemical substance formed
as a result of sublimation
[15th century. From Latin sublimat-,
the past participle stem of sublimare “to elevate,” from sublimis
“elevated.”][1]



sublimation

sublimation
sub·li·ma·tion 
[sùbbli máysh’n] noun

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
conversion:
a chemical process in which a solid substance is converted into a gas directly,
without passing through an intermediate liquid phase

2.  PSYCHOLOGY redirecting
of unacceptable impulses: the channeling of impulses
or energies regarded as unacceptable, especially sexual desires, toward
activities regarded as more socially acceptable, often creative activities

[1]



sublime

sublime
sub·lime 
[sə blm] adjective (comparative
sub·lim·er, superlative sub·lim·est)

1.  beautiful:
so awe-inspiringly beautiful as to seem almost heavenly • Monteverdi
at his most sublime

2.  morally
worthy:
of the highest moral or spiritual value

3.  excellent:
excellent or particularly impressive (informal) • a
sublime pasta creation

4.  complete:
complete or utter • in sublime ignorance
noun

something sublime:
something that is sublime • going
from the sublime to the ridiculous
verb
(past sub·limed, past participle sub·limed, present
participle sub·lim·ing, 3rd person present singular sub·limes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY convert a solid substance to
gas:
to convert a solid substance directly into a gas without there being an
intermediate liquid phase, or to undergo this process

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMISTRY convert then reconvert:
to convert a solid directly into a gas and then back to a solid again without
an intermediate liquid phase, or to undergo this process

3.  transitive
verb
make
pure:
to make something such as an emotion finer or purer
[14th
century. From Latin sublimis “elevated.”]
—sub·lime·ly,
adverb

—sub·lime·ness,
noun

—sub·lim·i·ty [sə blímmətee], noun[1]



SublimePorte

SublimePorte
Sub·lime
Porte
noun

HISTORY See Porte
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “High Gate,” a translation of Turkish Babiâli,
referring to the palace gate where justice was administered.][1]



subliminal

subliminal
sub·lim·i·nal 
[sub límmin’l] adjective

without
awareness:
entering, existing in, or affecting the mind without conscious awareness • subliminal
messages
[Late 19th century. Coined
from sub- + Latin limin-, the stem of
limen “threshhold.”][1]



subliminaladvertising

subliminaladvertising
sub·lim·i·nal
ad·ver·tis·ing noun

advertising working on the
subconscious mind: advertising
in the form of images flashed onto the screen during a movie or television show
that are too brief to be noticed but long enough to be registered
subconsciously[1]



sublingual

sublingual
sub·lin·gual 
[sub líng gwəl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY under
the tongue:
situated under the tongue

2.  MEDICINE placed
under the tongue: used to describe medicines that are
administered by being placed under the tongue to dissolve
—sub·lin·gual·ly, adverb[1]



subliterate

subliterate
sub·lit·er·ate 
[sub líttərət] adjective

less than literate:
having or demonstrating a level of language competency that is below the level
regarded as literate[1]



subliterature

subliterature
sub·lit·er·a·ture 
[sub líttrəchər, sub
líttrə chr] noun

popular literature:
popular literature such as crime novels, and romances[1]



sublittoral

sublittoral
sub·lit·to·ral 
[sub líttərəl] adjective

relating
to shallow coastal waters: relating to, living near, or
located in the shallow water near a shoreline
noun

coastal part of a sea:
the area of a sea that lies between the shore and the continental shelf[1]



sublunary

sublunary
sub·lu·na·ry 
[sub lnəree] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY between
Moon and Earth: relating to or found in the area of
space that lies between the Moon and the Earth

2.  worldly
or mundane:
belonging to the material world rather than to the spiritual or intellectual
world (archaic or literary)

[1]



subluxation

subluxation
sub·lux·a·tion 
[sùb luk sáysh’n] (plural sub·lux·a·tions)
noun

partial dislocation:
a partial dislocation of bones that leaves them misaligned but still in some
contact with each other[1]



submachinegun

submachinegun
sub·ma·chine
gun 
[sùbmə shn gùn] (plural sub·ma·chine
guns) noun

hand-held machine gun:
a lightweight portable machine gun fired from the hip or the shoulder. It can
fire either in single rounds or continuous bursts.[1]



submandibular

submandibular
sub·man·dib·u·lar 
[sùb man díbbyələr] adjective

of the lower jaw:
relating to or located under the lower jaw[1]



submarginal

submarginal
sub·mar·gin·al 
[sub mrjin’l] adjective

below
a minimum:
falling below a necessary minimum, especially the minimum conditions necessary
for profitability
—sub·mar·gin·al·ly, adverb[1]



submarine

submarine

sub·ma·rine 
[súbmə rn] noun (plural sub·ma·rines)

1.  NAUTICAL underwater
boat:
a boat built to operate and travel for long periods underwater

2.  FOOD long
sandwich:
a sandwich made with a long roll cut horizontally
adjective

underwater:
taking place or growing underwater, especially in the sea • submarine
research
[Mid-17th century.
Originally, “underwater.”][1]



submarinechaser

submarinechaser
sub·ma·rine
chas·er
(plural sub·ma·rine chas·ers) noun

ship:
a small maneuverable ship designed for pursuing and attacking submarines (informal)[1]



submariner

submariner
sub·ma·rin·er 
[sùb mə rnər, sùb
mérrinər] (plural sub·ma·rin·ers) noun

submarine crew member:
a crew member on a submarine[1]



submaxillary

submaxillary
sub·max·il·lar·y 
[sub máksə lèrree] adjective

See
submandibular[1]



submediant

submediant
sub·me·di·ant 
[sub mdee ənt] (plural sub·me·di·ants)
noun

1.  sixth
note in a scale: the sixth note in a major or minor scale

2.  submediant
harmony:
a key, chord, or harmony based on a submediant

[1]



submerge

submerge
sub·merge 
[səb múrj] (past sub·merged, past
participle sub·merged, present participle sub·mer·ging,
3rd person present singular sub·mer·ges) verb

1.  transitive
verb
plunge
in liquid:
to put something into water or some other liquid so that all of it is under the
surface

2.  intransitive
verb
go
under water: to go under the surface of water or
another liquid

3.  transitive
verb
suppress:
to keep something such as feelings or a secret hidden from others
[Early
17th century. From Latin submergere, from mergere “to dip.”]
—sub·merged,
adjective

—sub·mer·gence [səb múrjənss], noun[1]



submerse

submerse
sub·merse 
[səb múrss] (past sub·mersed, past
participle sub·mersed, present participle sub·mers·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·mers·es) transitive verb

See
submerge
[Early 18th century. From
Latin submers-, the past participle stem of submergere (see submerge ).][1]



submersible

submersible
sub·mers·i·ble 
[səb múrssəb’l] adjective

1.  for
underwater use: designed for use under water

2.  not
damaged underwater: capable of being put
underwater without being damaged
noun
(plural sub·mers·i·bles)

underwater boat:
an underwater vessel, especially a small craft designed for use at deep levels

[1]



submicroscopic

submicroscopic
sub·mi·cro·scop·ic 
[sùb mìkrə skóppik] adjective

invisibly
small:
too small to be seen with an optical microscope
—sub·mi·cro·scop·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



subminiature

subminiature
sub·min·i·a·ture 
[sub mínnee əchər, sub
mínnee ə chr, sub mínnichər] adjective

smaller
than miniature: smaller in size than miniature
noun
sub·min·i·a·ture sub·min·i·a·ture cam·er·a

very small camera:
a camera substantially smaller than a compact camera, using film smaller than
the 35mm miniature format[1]



subminiaturize

subminiaturize
sub·min·i·a·tur·ize 
(past sub·min·i·a·tur·ized, past participle sub·min·i·a·tur·ized,
present participle sub·min·i·a·tur·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular sub·min·i·a·tur·iz·es) transitive verb

make
a very small version of: to manufacture something
that is very small in scale
—sub·min·i·a·tur·i·za·tion
[sùb mìnnee əchərə záysh’n, sùb mìnnəchərə záysh’n], noun[1]



submission

submission
sub·mis·sion 
[səb mísh’n] (plural sub·mis·sions)
noun

1.  yielding,
or readiness to yield: a willingness to yield or
surrender to somebody, or the act of doing so • demanded
nothing less than total submission to his authority

2.  idea
submitted:
something put forward for consideration or approval, for example, a suggestion,
proposal, or plan

3.  act
of submitting something: the act of submitting or
handing in something, for example, a proposal to be considered or written work
to be judged

4.  LAW agreement
to arbitrate: an agreement between parties in a
dispute to have a contested matter arbitrated

5.  WRESTLING withdrawal
from wrestling bout: an acknowledgment by a
wrestler that he or she cannot continue a bout because of pain

[1]



submissive

submissive
sub·mis·sive 
[səb míssiv] adjective

ready
to submit to others: giving in or tending to give
in to the demands or the authority of others
—sub·mis·sive·ly,
adverb

—sub·mis·sive·ness, noun[1]



submit

submit
sub·mit 
[səb mít] (past sub·mit·ted, past
participle sub·mit·ted, present participle sub·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular sub·mits) verb

1.  transitive
verb
propose
or hand in something: to hand something in or put
something forward for consideration, approval, or judgment • Applications
must be submitted in triplicate.

2.  intransitive
verb
yield
to somebody: to give in to somebody’s authority,
control, or demands

3.  intransitive
verb
agree
to:
to agree to undergo something • had to
submit to intensive questioning

4.  intransitive
verb
defer
to:
to defer to another’s knowledge, judgment, or experience

5.  transitive
verb
argue
a point:
to state or argue that something is the case (formal)
[14th
century. From Latin submittere, literally “to send under,” from mittere
“to send” (source of English mission
).]
—sub·mit·ta·ble,
adjective

—sub·mit·tal,
noun

—sub·mit·ter,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at yield

[1]



submolecular

submolecular
sub·mo·lec·u·lar
[sùbmə lékyələr] adjective

smaller than a molecule:
relating to, consisting of, or involving a particle smaller than a molecule[1]



submontane

submontane
sub·mon·tane 
[sùb món tàyn] adjective

1.  on
lower part of a mountain: relating to or found in the
foothills or on the lower slopes of a mountain

2.  passing
under a mountain: passing under or through a mountain
—sub·mon·tane·ly, adverb[1]



submucosa

submucosa
sub·mu·co·sa 
[sùb myoo kṓzə] noun

layer
of connective tissue: a layer of loosely meshed
microscopic fibers and associated cells occurring beneath a mucous membrane,
for example, in the small intestine
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin mucosa “mucous,” the feminine of mucosus,
from mucus .][1]



submultiple

submultiple
sub·mul·ti·ple 
[sub múltip’l] noun (plural sub·mul·ti·ples)

exactly
divisible number: a number that can be divided into
another an exact number of times and leave no remainder. For example, 7 is a
submultiple of 35.
adjective

exactly
divisible into another number: able to be divided
into another number an exact number of times without leaving a remainder
[Late 17th century. From late
Latin submultiplus, from multiplus (see multiple
).][1]



subnormal

subnormal
sub·nor·mal 
[sub náwrm’l] (plural sub·nor·mals)
adjective

lower
than normal: lower or less than normal or average
—sub·nor·mal·i·ty
[sùb nawr mállətee], noun

—sub·nor·mal·ly [sub náwrm’lee], adverb[1]



suboceanic

suboceanic
sub·o·ce·an·ic 
[sùb ōshee ánnik] adjective

located beneath the sea or
sea bottom: found, formed, or occurring
beneath the sea or the sea bed[1]



suborbital

suborbital
sub·or·bi·tal 
[sub áwrbət’l] adjective

1.  below
the eye socket: relating to the region below the eye
socket ( orbit )

2.  ASTRONOMY not
making a full orbit of a planet: not designed to make a
complete orbit of the Earth or another celestial body

[1]



suborder

suborder
sub·or·der 
[súb àwrdər] (plural sub·or·ders)
noun

taxonomic category:
a taxonomic category that is a subdivision of an order and usually contains
several similar families[1]



subordinary

subordinary
sub·or·di·nar·y
[sə báwrd’n èrree] (plural sub·or·di·nar·ies)
noun

minor design on a coat of
arms: a small shape or design such
as a lozenge that can appear on a coat of arms and is smaller than the most
prominent shape ( ordinary )[1]



subordinate

subordinate
sub·or·din·ate 
adjective [sə báwrd’nət]

1.  lower
in rank:
lower than somebody in rank or status

2.  of
secondary importance: secondary in importance

3.  GRAMMAR modifying:
acting as a modifying noun, adjective, or adverb within a sentence
noun
[sə báwrd’nət] (plural sub·or·din·ates)

somebody in a junior position:
somebody who is junior in rank or status
transitive
verb
[sə báwrd’n àyt] (past sub·or·din·at·ed,
past participle sub·or·din·at·ed, present participle sub·or·din·at·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·or·din·ates)

1.  make
something secondary: to treat something as less
important and allow something else to dominate or take priority • had
increasingly subordinated her research to the demands of her busy work schedule

2.  place
in a lower rank: to give or regard somebody as having a
more junior rank or status
[15th
century. From medieval Latin subordinare, literally “to place below,”
from Latin ordinare “to place” (source of English ordain ), from, ultimately, ordo (see order ).]
—sub·or·di·nate·ly
[sə báwd’nətlee], adverb

—sub·or·di·nate·ness [sə báwrd’nətnəss], noun[1]



subordinateclause

subordinateclause
sub·or·di·nate
clause
noun

clause dependent on a main
clause: a clause that cannot stand
alone as a separate sentence since its meaning depends on the meaning of the
main clause and simply gives additional information. In the sentence “We had to
run because we were late,” the clause “because we were late” is the subordinate
clause and “We had to run” is the main clause.
Also called
dependent clause[1]



subordinateconjunction

subordinateconjunction
sub·or·di·nate
con·junc·tion or sub·or·di·nat·ing
con·junc·tion noun

conjunction introducing a
subordinate clause: a
conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause, either one word such as
“although,” “because,” or “since,” or a group of words such as “in order that”
or “as long as.”
Also called
subordinator[1]



subordination

subordination
sub·or·di·na·tion
[sə bàwrd’n áysh’n] noun

1.  relegation
to a secondary position: the assignment of somebody
or something to a position of secondary importance, status, or rank

2.  status
of subordinate clause: the position of a
subordinate clause within a sentence

[1]



subordinationism

subordinationism
sub·or·di·na·tion·ism
[sə bàwrd’n áysh’n ìzzəm] noun

ranking
of persons in the Holy Trinity: the theological
doctrine that the first person of the Holy Trinity is superior to the second,
and the second to the third
—sub·or·di·na·tion·ist,
noun[1]



subordinator

subordinator
sub·or·di·na·tor
[sə báwrd’n àytər] (plural sub·or·di·na·tors)
noun

GRAMMAR
See subordinate conjunction[1]



suborn

suborn
sub·orn 
[sə báwrn] (past sub·orned, past
participle sub·orned, present participle sub·orn·ing, 3rd
person present singular sub·orns) transitive verb

persuade
another to do wrong: to persuade somebody to
commit a crime or other wrongdoing, for example, to bribe another party to tell
lies in court
[Early
16th century. From Latin subornare, literally “to equip secretly,” from ornare
(see ornate ).]
—sub·or·na·tion
[sù bawr náysh’n], noun

—sub·or·na·tive
[sə báwrnətiv], adjective

—sub·orn·er [sə báwrnər], noun[1]



suboxide

suboxide
sub·ox·ide 
[sub ók sd] (plural sub·ox·ides)
noun

oxide with less oxygen than
normal: an oxide that contains less
oxygen than the normal oxide formed by a particular element[1]



subparagraph

subparagraph
sub·par·a·graph
[súb pèrrə gràf, sub
pérrə gràf] (plural sub·par·a·graphs) noun

smaller section within a
paragraph: a section of a paragraph,
especially a numbered section of a paragraph in a legal document[1]



subpena

subpena
sub·pe·na
noun transitive verb

See
subpoena[1]



subperiosteal

subperiosteal
sub·per·i·os·te·al 
[sùb perree óstee əl] adjective

of the area near a bone:
relating to the region immediately underlying the connective tissue that
surrounds bones ( periosteum )[1]



subphylum

subphylum
sub·phy·lum 
[sub fləm] (plural sub·phy·la
[sub flə]) noun

subcategory
of phylum:
a subcategory of a phylum, used in the classification of animals and containing
one or more similar classes.
See
also
subdivision
[Mid-20th
century. From modern Latin, from phylum “phylum.”]
—sub·phy·lar, adjective[1]



subplot

subplot
sub·plot 
[súb plòt] (plural sub·plots) noun

1.  story
secondary to main story: a second and less prominent
story within a book, play, or movie

2.  smaller
section of plot of land: a division of a plot of
land, used especially for crop husbandry experiments

[1]



subpoena

subpoena
sub·poe·na 
[sə pnə] or sub·pena [sə pnə] noun (plural sub·poe·nas)
(plural subpenas)

legal
order demanding evidence: a written legal order
summoning a witness or requiring evidence to be submitted to a court or similar
deliberative body
transitive
verb
(past sub·poe·naed, past participle sub·poe·naed, present
participle sub·poe·na·ing, 3rd person present singular sub·poe·nas)
(past sub·pe·naed, past participle sub·pe·naed, present
participle sub·pe·na·ing, 3rd person present singular sub·pe·nas)

summon
to give evidence: to issue a written legal order summoning
a witness or requiring something to be submitted in evidence to a court or
other deliberative body
[15th
century. From Latin sub poena “under penalty” (the first words of the writ),
from sub “under” + poena “penalty.”]
—sub·poe·naed, adjective[1]



subpolar

subpolar
sub·po·lar
[sub pṓlər] adjective

1.  near
the polar regions: being near the Arctic or the
Antarctic polar region

2.  found
in areas near polar regions: relating to, belonging to,
or found in the areas that border the Arctic and Antarctic

[1]



subpopulation

subpopulation
sub·pop·u·la·tion 
[sùb poppyə láysh’n] (plural sub·pop·u·la·tions)
noun

section within a population:
a section of a statistical population that is identifiably separate or
distinctive[1]



subprincipal

subprincipal
sub·prin·ci·pal 
[sub prínssəp’l] (plural sub·prin·ci·pals)
noun

assistant principal:
an assistant principal of a school[1]



subregion

subregion
sub·re·gion 
[súb rjən] (plural sub·re·gions)
noun

part
of a region: a part of a region, especially an
ecological or zoogeographical division
—sub·re·gion·al, adjective[1]



subreption

subreption
sub·rep·tion 
[səb répsh’n] (plural sub·rep·tions)
noun

misrepresentation
of the truth: the deliberate concealment or distortion
of the truth in order to gain some benefit, or the benefit gained by doing this
(archaic)
[Early
17th century. Via the Latin stem subreption- from, ultimately, subripere
“to snatch secretly,” from rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—sub·rep·ti·tious [sùb rep tíshəss], adjective[1]



subring

subring
sub·ring 
[súb rìng] (plural sub·rings) noun

subset of larger ring:
a ring that is a subset of a larger ring[1]



subrogate

subrogate
sub·ro·gate 
[súbbrə gàyt] (past sub·ro·gat·ed,
past participle sub·ro·gat·ed, present participle sub·ro·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ro·gates) transitive verb

substitute
somebody for another: to substitute one person for
another, especially in transferring a right or claim
[15th century. From Latin subrogare
(see surrogate ).][1]



subrogation

subrogation
sub·ro·ga·tion 
[sùbbrə gáysh’n] noun

substitution of one claim for
another: the substitution of one
claim for another, especially the transfer of the right to receive payment of a
debt to somebody other than the original creditor[1]



subrosa

subrosa
sub
ro·sa 
[sub rṓzə] adverb

secretly
or privately: in a secret or private way (formal)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “under the rose,” because the rose was an emblem of
confidentiality hung above council tables to remind those present of the need
for secrecy.][1]



subroutine

subroutine
sub·rou·tine 
[súbroo tn] (plural sub·rou·tines)
noun

COMPUT
independent module of programming
instructions: a sequence of
programming statements that performs a single task and can be used repeatedly.
Also called
procedure[1]



subs.

subs.
subs.

Abbreviation of
subscription[1]



subscapular

subscapular
sub·scap·u·lar 
[sub skáppyələr] adjective

situated under the shoulder
blade: situated underneath, or on
the underside of, the shoulder blade ( scapula
)[1]



subscribe

subscribe
sub·scribe 
[səb skrb] (past sub·scribed,
past participle sub·scribed, present participle sub·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·scribes) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
make
advance payment for something: to agree to pay for
and receive something over a particular period of time, for example, a
periodical, series of books, or set of tickets to musical or dramatic
performances

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb promise
to give money regularly: to pledge to make regular
donations to something, especially a charity

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb guarantee
to invest in something: to promise to pay for
something when it will occur, for example, the financing of a new business or a
new issue of stock

4.  intransitive
verb
support
view:
to support or believe in a theory or view

5.  transitive
verb
LAW sign
name on legal document: to sign a legal document to
indicate agreement or approval of its terms (formal)
[15th
century. From Latin subscribere “to write underneath,” from scribere
(see scribe ).]
—sub·scrib·er, noun[1]



subscript

subscript
sub·script 
[súb skrìpt] noun (plural sub·scripts)

character
printed on lower level: a character that is printed
on a level lower than the rest of the characters on the line, for example, the
“2” in the chemical formula “H 2 O.”

See
also
superscript
adjective

printed
below character: printed below a character in a line of
type.
See
also
superscript
[Early 18th century. From
Latin subscript, the past participle stem of subscribere (see subscribe ). Originally, “writing at the end of a
document.”][1]



subscription

subscription
sub·scrip·tion 
[səb skrípsh’n] (plural sub·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  advance
payment for something: an agreement to pay for and
receive something over a particular period of time, for example a periodical,
series of books, or set of tickets to musical or dramatic performances • a
subscription movie channel

2.  pledge
to pay for something: a promise to pay for
something when it will occur, for example, the financing of a new business or a
new issue of stock

3.  LAW signing
of document or signature: the process of signing, or a
signature on, a legal document as an indication of approval of its terms (formal)

4.  total
agreement or approval: a full agreement with or
approval of something (literary)

5.  U.K.
membership
fee:
a fee paid for membership in a club or society
[15th century. Originally in
the sense “writing at the end of a document.”][1]



subsellium

subsellium
sub·sel·lium 
[səb séllee əm] (plural sub·sel·lia
[səb séllee ə]) noun

See
misericord
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “low seat,” from sella “seat.” Originally used for
“seat in an amphitheater.”][1]



subsequence

subsequence2
sub·se·quence2  [súb
skwənss] (plural sub·se·quences) noun

sequence within another
sequence: a sequence within another
mathematical sequence[1]



subsequence

subsequence1
sub·se·quence1  [súbsəkwənss]
(plural sub·se·quences) noun

later occurrence of
something: something that happens after
something else, or the occurrence of something after something else[1]



subsequent

subsequent
sub·se·quent 
[súbsəkwənt] adjective

later:
happening or existing after something
[15th century. Directly or
via French subséquent from Latin subsequent-, the present
participle stem of subsequi “to follow closely,” from sequi (see sequence ).][1]



subsequently

subsequently
sub·se·quent·ly
[súbsəkwəntlee] adverb

afterward:
occurring or happening after something else[1]



subsere

subsere
sub·sere 
[súb sr] (plural sub·seres) noun

secondary
ecological development after destruction: a
secondary development of natural plant and animal communities after these have
been destroyed by fire, flood, or human action
[Early 20th century. Coined
from sub- + sere 2 .][1]



subserve

subserve
sub·serve 
[səb súrv] (past sub·served, past
participle sub·served, present participle sub·serv·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·serves) transitive verb

help
to further something: to help to further, promote,
or bring something about
[Early 17th century. From
Latin subservire, literally “to serve under,” from servire (see serve ).][1]



subservient

subservient
sub·ser·vi·ent 
[səb súrvee ənt] adjective

1.  too
eager to obey: too eager to follow the wishes or orders
of others

2.  secondary
in importance: in a position of secondary importance

3.  instrumental
in something: helping to achieve or bring something
about
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin subservire, literally “to serve under,” from servire
(see serve ).]
—sub·ser·vi·ence,
noun

—sub·ser·vi·ent·ly, adverb[1]



subset

subset
sub·set 
[súb sèt] (plural sub·sets) noun

MATHEMATICS
set contained within another set:
a mathematical set whose elements are contained in another set.
Also called
subclass[1]



subshrub

subshrub
sub·shrub 
[súb shrùb] (plural sub·shrubs)
noun

woody
plant with nonwoody tips: a low-growing plant with
woody stems and main branches and nonwoody tips that die back each year.
Also
called
undershrub
[Mid-19th
century. Translation of modern Latin suffrutex, from Latin frutex
“shrub.”]
—sub·shrub·by, adjective[1]



subside

subside
sub·side 
[səb sd] (past sub·sid·ed, past
participle sub·sid·ed, present participle sub·sid·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·sides) intransitive verb

1.  diminish
in intensity: to become less active or intense

2.  drop
to lower level: to sink to a low or lower level

3.  sink
to bottom of liquid: to sink to the bottom of a
liquid

4.  gradually
sit or lie down: to sink into a sitting or lying
position, for example, out of exhaustion (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin subsidere, literally “to settle down,” from sidere
“to settle.”]
—sub·sid·er, noun[1]



subsidence

subsidence
sub·si·dence 
[səb sd’nss, súbsədənss]
noun

1.  sinking
of land level: the sinking down of land resulting from
natural shifts or human activity, frequently causing structural damage to
buildings

2.  decreasing
of something: the waning or lessening of something

[1]



subsidiarity

subsidiarity
sub·sid·i·ar·i·ty
[səb sìddee érrətee] noun

1.  assignment
of power to small units: the principle that political
power should be exercised by the smallest possible unit of government

2.  quality
of being subsidiary: the fact or quality of being
subsidiary
[Mid-20th century.
Translation of German Subsidiarität .][1]



subsidiary

subsidiary
sub·sid·i·ar·y 
[səb síddee èrree] adjective

1.  secondary
in importance: having secondary importance or occupying
a subordinate position

2.  helping
or supporting: serving to aid, supplement, or support

3.  as
subsidy:
in the form of a subsidy
noun
(plural sub·sid·i·a·ries)

1.  somebody
or something auxiliary: somebody or something that
occupies a secondary or subordinate position

2.  company
controlled by larger one: a company controlled or
owned by a larger one.
Also
called
subsidiary company
—sub·sid·i·ar·i·ly,
adverb

—sub·sid·i·ar·i·ness, noun[1]



subsidiarycompany

subsidiarycompany
sub·sid·i·ar·y
com·pa·ny
noun

See
subsidiary  noun 2[1]



subsidize

subsidize
sub·si·dize 
[súbssə dz] (past sub·si·dized,
past participle sub·si·dized, present participle sub·si·diz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·si·diz·es) transitive verb

give
money to:
to contribute money to somebody or something, especially in the form of a
government grant to a private company, organization, or charity to help it to
continue to function
—sub·si·diz·a·ble,
adjective

—sub·si·di·za·tion
[sùbssədə záysh’n], noun

—sub·si·diz·er [súbssə dzər], noun[1]



subsidy

subsidy
sub·si·dy 
[súbsədee] (plural sub·si·dies)
noun

1.  FINANCE ECONOMICS money given by government:
a grant or gift of money from a government to a private company, organization,
or charity to help it to continue to function

2.  FINANCE help
with expenses: a monetary gift or contribution to
somebody or something, especially to pay expenses
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin subsidium “reserve troops,” from, ultimately, sedere
(see sedentary ).][1]



subsist

subsist
sub·sist 
[səb síst] (past sub·sist·ed, past
participle sub·sist·ed, present participle sub·sist·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·sists) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
manage
to live:
to remain alive or viable, especially with the help of something

2.  transitive
verb
maintain
somebody or something: to support or maintain
somebody by providing something that is needed, for example, by supplying
troops with food or businesses with capital (formal)

3.  intransitive
verb
be
attributable to something: to have something as its
reason or origin (formal)

4.  intransitive
verb
inhere
in something: to reside in or consist of something (formal)

5.  intransitive
verb
PHILOSOPHY MATHEMATICS have abstract
existence:
to have a timeless conceptual existence (refers to numbers or mathematical
sets)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French subsister from Latin subsistere,
literally “to stand up to,” from sistere (see assist
).]
—sub·sis·tent,
adjective

—sub·sist·er, noun[1]



subsistence

subsistence
sub·sis·tence 
[səb sístənss] noun

1.  condition
of managing to stay alive: the condition of being or
managing to stay alive, especially when there is barely enough food or money
for survival

2.  continuing
to exist:
the condition of continuing to exist

3.  MATHEMATICS PHILOSOPHY quality
of abstract existence: the quality that something
possesses of existing independently, timelessly, or by virtue of its essence

[1]



subsistenceallowance

subsistenceallowance
sub·sis·tence
al·low·ance
noun

1.  money
covering special expenses: a sum of money given to an
employee to cover special expenses incurred in the performance of his or her
work

2.  advance
on somebody’s first wage: an advance paid to a new
employee or soldier to help to meet living costs until wages begin to be paid

[1]



subsistencefarming

subsistencefarming
sub·sis·tence
farm·ing
noun

farming
that feeds farmer’s family alone: farming that generates
only enough produce to feed the farmer’s family, with little or nothing left
over to sell
—sub·sis·tence farm·er,
noun[1]



subsistencewage

subsistencewage
sub·sis·tence
wage
noun

barely adequate wage:
a wage so low that it is barely enough to live on[1]



subsocial

subsocial
sub·so·cial
[sub sṓsh’l] adjective

associating
without organized social structure: used
to describe insects that associate with others but without any fixed or
organized social structure
—sub·so·cial·ly, adverb[1]



subsoil

subsoil
sub·soil 
[súb sòyl] noun (plural sub·soils)

soil
beneath topsoil: the compacted soil beneath the topsoil.
Also
called
substratum
Also
called
undersoil
transitive
verb
(past sub·soiled, past participle sub·soiled, present
participle sub·soil·ing, 3rd person present singular sub·soils)

turn lower layer of soil:
to turn, break, or stir the compacted soil beneath the topsoil[1]



subsoiler

subsoiler
sub·soil·er
[súb sòylər] (plural sub·soil·ers)
noun

1.  plow
for breaking up subsoil: a farm implement consisting
of a frame with long stout vertical tines. It is drawn through the soil to
break up compacted subsoil in order to improve drainage and aeration.

2.  somebody
operating subsoiler: somebody who operates a
subsoiler

[1]



subsolar

subsolar
sub·so·lar 
[sub sṓlər] adjective

1.  directly
beneath Sun: located directly below the Sun on the
Earth’s surface when the Sun is at its highest point

2.  located
between tropics: located in the equatorial region that
lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

[1]



subsong

subsong
sub·song
[súb sòng] noun

unstructured birdsong:
an unstructured birdsong that is quieter and lower-pitched than full birdsong
and is often performed by young adult birds[1]



subsonic

subsonic
sub·son·ic 
[sub sónnik] adjective

1.  slower
than speed of sound: slower than 1,220 kmph760
mph, the speed at which sound travels in air

2.  flying
slower than sound: flying at speeds slower than
the speed of sound, especially not designed to fly above the speed of sound

3.  PHONETICS See infrasonic
—sub·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



subspecialize

subspecialize
sub·spe·cial·ize 
[sub spéshə lz] (past sub·spe·cial·ized,
past participle sub·spe·cial·ized, present participle sub·spe·cial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·spe·cial·iz·es) intransitive
verb

work in narrow area within
specialty: to work in a very narrow
field or area of study within an existing specialty[1]



subspecialty

subspecialty
sub·spe·cial·ty 
[sub spésh’ltee] (plural sub·spe·cial·ties)
noun

narrow field of work within
specialty: a very narrow or specialized
field of study, within an existing specialty[1]



subspecies

subspecies
sub·spe·cies 
[súb spsheez, súb
spsseez] (plural sub·spe·cies) noun

plant
or animal category: a category used to classify
plants and animals whose populations are distinct, for example, in
distribution, appearance, or feeding habits, but can still interbreed
—sub·spe·cif·ic
[sùb spə síffik], adjective

—sub·spe·cif·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



subst.

subst.
subst.

1.  Abbreviation
of
substantive

2.  Abbreviation
of
substitute

[1]



substage

substage
sub·stage 
[súb stàyj] (plural sub·stages)
noun

part of microscope:
a component assembly in a microscope that contains the condenser, mirror, or
other accessories and is located below the stage[1]



substance

substance
sub·stance 
[súbstənss] (plural sub·stances)
noun

1.  material:
a particular kind of matter or material

2.  tangible
physical matter: physical reality that can be touched and
felt

3.  practical
value:
real or practical value or importance • There
was nothing of substance in the document.

4.  material
wealth:
wealth in the form of money and possessions

5.  gist
of meaning:
the actual meaning of something said or written • the
substance of their argument

6.  PHILOSOPHY unchanging
essence:
the unchanging essence of something

7.  PHILOSOPHY something
individual and caused: something that is individual
and caused
[13th century. Via French
from Latin substantia “essence” (a translation of Greek hupostasis
), from, ultimately, Latin substare, literally “to stand under,” from stare
(see stand ).][1]



substanceabuse

substanceabuse
sub·stance
a·buse
noun

excessive consumption or
misuse of substance: the
excessive consumption or misuse of any substance for the sake of its
nontherapeutic effects on the mind or body, especially drugs or alcohol[1]



substanceP

substanceP
sub·stance
P
noun

peptide in body tissues:
a peptide found in body tissues, especially nervous tissue, that is involved in
the transmission of pain and in inflammation[1]



substandard

substandard
sub·stan·dard 
[sub stándərd] adjective

below desired standard:
below the expected or required standard of quality[1]



substantial

substantial
sub·stan·tial 
[səb stánsh’l] adjective

1.  considerable:
considerable in amount, extent, value, or importance

2.  solid
or sturdy:
solidly built

3.  filling:
providing a lot of nourishment

4.  rich:
wealthy and prosperous

5.  real
and tangible: actual and real in a palpable way

6.  PHILOSOPHY consisting
of substance: consisting of or involving substance
noun
(plural sub·stan·tials)

important part:
an important or essential part
[14th
century. Directly or via French substantiel from Christian Latin substantialis
“having substance” (a translation of Greek hupostatikos ), from,
ultimately, substare, literally “to stand under,” formed from stare
(see stand ).]
—sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty
[səb stànshee állətee], noun

—sub·stan·tial·ness, noun[1]



substantialism

substantialism
sub·stan·tial·ism
[səb stánsh’l ìzzəm] noun

doctrine
of reality underlying phenomena: the philosophical
doctrine that beings or entities of substantial reality underlie all phenomena
—sub·stan·tial·ist, noun[1]



substantialize

substantialize
sub·stan·tial·ize
[səb stánsh’l z] (past sub·stan·tial·ized,
past participle sub·stan·tial·ized, present participle sub·stan·tial·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·stan·tial·izes) intransitive
and transitive verb

make or become actual:
to make something that is imaginary, theoretical, or spiritual become palpable,
or to become palpable[1]



substantially

substantially
sub·stan·tial·ly
[səb stánsh’lee] adverb

1.  considerably:
in an extensive, substantial, or ample way

2.  essentially:
generally or in essence

[1]



substantiate

substantiate
sub·stan·ti·ate 
[səb stánshee àyt] (past sub·stan·ti·at·ed,
past participle sub·stan·ti·at·ed, present participle sub·stan·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·stan·ti·ates) transitive verb

1.  prove
or support something: to confirm that something is
true or valid

2.  make
something actual: to give something an actual physical
existence
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin substantiare, literally “to give substance
to,” from Latin substantia “substance,” from, ultimately, stare
(see stand ).]
—sub·stan·ti·a·tive,
adjective

—sub·stan·ti·a·ble,
adjective

—sub·stan·ti·a·tion
[səb stànshee áysh’n], noun

—sub·stan·ti·a·tor, noun[1]



substantival

substantival
sub·stan·ti·val 
[sùbstən tv’l] adjective

See
substantive  adjective 3
—sub·stan·ti·val·ly, adverb[1]



substantive

substantive
sub·stan·tive 
noun [súbstəntiv, səb stántiv] (plural sub·stan·tives)

GRAMMAR noun:
a noun, or a word or group of words used like a noun.
Also
called
nominal
adjective
[súb stəntiv]

1.  with
practical importance: with practical importance,
value, or effect • a substantive agreement

2.  essential:
relating to the substance of something

3.  GRAMMAR used
like noun:
relating to or used like a noun

4.  GRAMMAR expressing
existence:
expressing existence, as for example, the verb “to be”

5.  independent:
continuing independently

6.  substantial:
substantial in amount or quantity • a
substantive meal

7.  LAW relating
to legal principles not procedure: relating to the
essential principles that a court applies in its work, not to the rules of
procedure and practice.
See
also
adjective

8.  directly
attaching as dye color: attaching as a color
directly to a material being dyed without the use of a fixing substance

9.  MILITARY permanent:
used to describe a rank or appointment that is permanent
—sub·stan·tive·ly, adverb[1]



substantiveright

substantiveright
sub·stan·tive
right
noun

indispensable human right:
a basic human right such as the right to life or liberty that is regarded as
existing naturally and indispensably[1]



substantivize

substantivize
sub·stan·ti·vize
[səb stánti vz] (past sub·stan·ti·vized,
past participle sub·stan·ti·vized, present participle sub·stan·ti·viz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·stan·ti·viz·es) transitive
verb

make
word behave like noun: to make a word or words
function like a noun
—sub·stan·ti·v·i·za·tion
[səb stàntəvə záysh’n], noun[1]



substation

substation
sub·sta·tion 
[súb stàysh’n] (plural sub·sta·tions)
noun

1.  ELECTRICITY branch
of power station: a branch of a main electrical power
station where electrical current is converted, redistributed, or modified in
strength

2.  MAIL subsidiary
post office or station: any office, building, or
installation that is a branch of something larger, especially a branch of a
post office

[1]



substituent

substituent
sub·stit·u·ent 
[səb stíchoo ənt] (plural sub·stit·u·ents)
noun

replacement
atom or atoms: an atom or group of atoms that replaces
another atom or group in a molecule
[Late 19th century. From
Latin substituere, literally “to set up under,” from statuere
(see statue ).][1]



substitutable

substitutable
sub·sti·tut·a·ble
[súbstə ttəb’l] adjective

able
to be substituted: capable of replacing or
taking the place of another
—sub·sti·tut·a·bil·it·y
[sùbstə tootə bíllətee], noun[1]



substitute

substitute
sub·sti·tute 
[súbstə tt] verb (past sub·sti·tut·ed,
past participle sub·sti·tut·ed, present participle sub·sti·tut·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·sti·tutes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb replace
or take place of: to put somebody or something in place of
another, or to take the place of another (often passive)

2.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY replace
atom or atoms in molecule: to replace an atom or group
of atoms in a molecule with another atom or group

3.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS replace
mathematical element with equivalent: to
replace one mathematical element with another of equal value
noun
(plural sub·sti·tutes)

1.  somebody
or something replacing another: somebody or something
that takes the place of another, for example, a team member in a game who is
ready to replace another on the field

2.  GRAMMAR grammatically
replaceable word: a word that can take the place of
another grammatically, such as “did” for “yelled” in the sentence “I yelled and
he did, too.”
Also
called
pro-form
[15th
century. From Latin substitutus, the past participle of substituere,
literally “to set up under,” from statuere (see statue
).]
—sub·sti·tu·ter,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  substitute
  or replace ?
  The
  constructions used by these two words are different, although the resulting
  meaning is usually the same. You substitute
  item A for item B, but replace item
  B with (or less often by ) item A.

[1]



substituteteacher

substituteteacher
sub·sti·tute
teach·er
noun

temporary replacement
teacher: a teacher who takes the
place of another temporarily.
U.K. term
supply teacher[1]



substitution

substitution
sub·sti·tu·tion 
[sùbstə tsh’n] (plural sub·sti·tu·tions)
noun

1.  act
of replacing: the replacement of somebody or something
with another, especially one team member with another

2.  somebody
or something that replaces: somebody or something that
replaces another, especially one team member who replaces another

3.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
element replacing equivalent: the replacement of one
mathematical element with another of equal value

4.  LOGIC replacement
of logical expression: the replacement of one
logical expression with another, or the expression so replaced
—sub·sti·tu·tion·al,
adjective

—sub·sti·tu·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



substitutive

substitutive
sub·sti·tu·tive 
[súbstə ttiv] adjective

acting
as substitute: acting or usable as a substitute
[Early
17th century. Partly formed from substitute,
partly from Latin substitutivus, from the past participle stem of substituere
(see substitute ).]
—sub·sti·tu·tive·ly,
adverb

—sub·sti·tu·tiv·i·ty [sùbstə too tívvətee], noun[1]



substrate

substrate
sub·strate 
[súb stràyt] (plural sub·strates)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY something
acted upon in biochemical reaction: a
substance that is acted upon, especially by an enzyme, in a biochemical
reaction

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING semiconductor
crystal used as base: a single crystal of a
semiconductor used as the basis for an integrated circuit or transistor

3.  BIOLOGY See substratum  noun 6

4.  SCIENCE See medium  noun 8
[Early 19th century.
Anglicization of substratum .][1]



substratosphere

substratosphere
sub·strat·o·sphere 
[sub stráttə sfr] noun

lowest region of Earth’s
atmosphere: the lowest layer of the
Earth’s atmosphere, at a height of about 20 km/12 mi above the Earth.
See also
exosphere
See also
ionosphere
See also
stratosphere[1]



substratum

substratum
sub·stra·tum 
[súb stràytəm, súb
stràttəm] (plural sub·stra·ta [súb
stràytə]) noun

1.  underlying
base:
an underlying base, layer, or element

2.  AGRICULTURE See subsoil

3.  GEOLOGY See bedrock

4.  PHOTOGRAPHY base
for emulsion: a layer of a substance placed on a film
or plate as a foundation for an emulsion

5.  LINGUISTICS set
of retained indigenous linguistic features: a set
of linguistic features retained from the speech of an indigenous culture,
especially one that influences the language of a colonizer.
See
also
superstratum

6.  BIOLOGY nonliving
foundation for growing organism: the nonliving material
or base on which an organism lives or grows.
Also
called
substrate

7.  PHILOSOPHY essential
substance:
the essential substance of something
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin, a noun use of the neuter past participle of Latin substernere
“to spread underneath,” from sternere (see stratum
).]
—sub·stra·tal,
adjective

—sub·stra·tive, adjective[1]



substructure

substructure
sub·struc·ture 
[súb strùkchər] (plural sub·struc·tures)
noun

1.  BUILDING foundation
of building: the foundation of an erected structure

2.  underlying
structure:
any underlying structure that supports or gives strength to something
—sub·struc·tur·al [sub strukchərəl], adjective[1]



subsume

subsume
sub·sume 
[səb sm] (past sub·sumed, past
participle sub·sumed, present participle sub·sum·ing, 3rd
person present singular sub·sumes) transitive verb

1.  include
something:
to include or incorporate something into a larger order, category, or
classification

2.  make
subject to rule: to show that a rule applies to something
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin subsumere, literally “to take up so as to
include,” from Latin sumere (see sumptuous
). Originally, “to make one point within another.”]
—sub·sum·a·ble, adjective[1]



subsumption

subsumption
sub·sump·tion 
[səb súmpsh’n] (plural sub·sump·tions)
noun

1.  act
of subsuming: the act of subsuming or the fact of
being subsumed

2.  something
subsumed:
something that is subsumed
[Mid-17th
century. From the medieval Latin stem subsumption-, from, ultimately, subsumere
(see subsume ).]
—sub·sump·tive, adjective[1]



subsurface

subsurface
sub·sur·face 
[súb sùrfəss] adjective

located
below surface of something: relating to or located in an
area that lies just below the surface of something, especially of the Earth or
a body of water
noun

material below surface:
material that is located just below the surface of something, especially of the
Earth or a body of water[1]



subsystem

subsystem
sub·sys·tem
[súb sìstəm] (plural sub·sys·tems)
noun

subdivision of system:
a system that forms part of a larger system[1]



subtangent

subtangent
sub·tan·gent
[súb tànjənt] (plural sub·tan·gents)
noun

point of curve and tangent:
the part of the x-axis included by the ordinate of a given point on a curve and
the tangent at that point[1]



subteen

subteen
sub·teen 
[súb tn] (plural sub·teens) noun

See
preteen
[Mid-20th century][1]



subtemperate

subtemperate
sub·tem·per·ate 
[sub témpərət] adjective

in colder part of Temperate
Zone: relating to or occurring in
the colder areas of the Temperate Zone[1]



subtenant

subtenant
sub·ten·ant 
[sub ténnənt] (plural sub·ten·ants)
noun

somebody
renting from tenant: somebody who rents property
from a tenant who in turn rents it from the owner
—sub·ten·an·cy, noun[1]



subtend

subtend
sub·tend 
[səb ténd] (past sub·tend·ed, past
participle sub·tend·ed, present participle sub·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·tends) transitive verb

1.  GEOMETRY extend
opposite:
to extend from one side to the other, opposite an angle or side of a geometric
figure

2.  BOTANY enclose
a part:
to lie underneath something so as to surround or enclose it
[Late 16th century. From
Latin subtendere “to stretch underneath,” from tendere (see tend 1 ).][1]



subterfuge

subterfuge
sub·ter·fuge 
[súbtər fyj] (plural sub·ter·fuges)
noun

something
designed to deceive: a plan, action, or device
designed to hide a real objective, or the process of hiding a real objective
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French from late Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugere
“to flee secretly,” from fugere (see fugitive
).][1]



subterminal

subterminal
sub·ter·mi·nal 
[sub túrmən’l] adjective

located near end:
positioned very near the end of something[1]



subterranean

subterranean
sub·ter·ra·ne·an 
[sùb tə ráynee ən] or sub·ter·ra·ne·ous
[sùb tə ráynee əss] adjective

1.  underground:
existing or situated below ground level

2.  secret:
existing or carried on in secret
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin subterraneus “underground,” from terra
(see terrace ).]
—sub·ter·ra·ne·an·ly, adverb[1]



subtext

subtext
sub·text 
[súb tèkst] (plural sub·texts)
noun

underlying
meaning:
an underlying meaning or message
—sub·tex·tu·al [sub tékschoo əl], adjective[1]



subthreshold

subthreshold
sub·thresh·old 
[sub thréshōld] (plural sub·thresh·olds)
adjective

insufficient to have effect:
used to describe a stimulus that is not strong or large enough to have an
effect[1]



subtile

subtile
sub·tile 
[sútt’l] adjective

subtle:
subtle (archaic)
[14th century. Via French subtil
from Latin subtilis (see subtle ).][1]



subtilisin

subtilisin
sub·til·i·sin 
[sub tílləssin] noun

enzyme
breaking down proteins and peptides: an
enzyme that breaks down proteins and peptides and is derived from a bacterium
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin subtilis “subtle,” from Latin (see subtle ).][1]



subtilize

subtilize
sub·til·ize 
[súlt’l z, súbtə
līz] (past sub·til·ized, past participle sub·til·ized,
present participle sub·til·iz·ing, 3rd person present singular
sub·til·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
subtle in discussing: to make or use subtle
distinctions in discussing something

2.  transitive
verb
refine
something:
to make something increasingly refined
—sub·til·i·za·tion
[sùtt’lə záysh’n, sùbtələ
záysh’n], noun

—sub·til·iz·er [sútt’l zər, súbtə lzər],
noun[1]



subtitle

subtitle
sub·ti·tle 
[súb tt’l] noun (plural sub·ti·tles)

1.  caption
for foreign-language movie: a printed translation of the
dialogue in a foreign-language film, usually appearing at the bottom of the
screen.
See
also
supertitle
See
also
surtitle

2.  caption
in silent movie: a caption for the action or dialogue of
a silent movie, appearing at intervals as a full-screen panel.
Also
called
insert title
Also
called
intertitle

3.
(often used in the plural) See closed caption

4.  lesser
title:
a second and subsidiary title for something such as a book
transitive
verb
(past sub·ti·tled, past participle sub·ti·tled, present
participle sub·ti·tling, 3rd person present singular sub·ti·tles)

1.  provide
subtitles for: to provide subtitles for a movie

2.  to
give a subtitle to something such as a book
—sub·tit·u·lar [sub tíchələr], adjective[1]



subtle

subtle
sub·tle 
[sútt’l] adjective

1.  slight:
slight and not obvious

2.  pleasantly
understated: pleasantly delicate and understated

3.  able
to make refined judgments: intelligent, experienced, or
sensitive enough to make refined judgments and distinctions

4.  ingenious:
cleverly indirect and ingenious
[14th
century. Via Old French sutil from Latin subtilis “fine, thin,”
from, ultimately, sub tela, literally “beneath the weaving,” from sub
“beneath” + tela “weaving.” The underlying idea is “finely woven.”]
—sub·tly,
adverb

—sub·tle·ness, noun[1]



subtlety

subtlety
sub·tle·ty 
[sútt’ltee] (plural sub·tle·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being subtle: the quality or state of being subtle

2.  fine
distinction: a distinction that is difficult to make
but is important (often used in the plural)

[1]



subtorrid

subtorrid
sub·tor·rid 
[sub táwrid] adjective

See
subtropical[1]



subtotal

subtotal
sub·to·tal 
[súb tt’l] noun (plural sub·to·tals)

total
of partial set of figures: a sum or total of part of a
set of figures
transitive
verb
(past sub·to·taled, past participle sub·to·taled, present
participle sub·to·tal·ing, 3rd person present singular sub·to·tals)

calculate subtotal of:
to calculate the total of part of a set of figures[1]



subtract

subtract
sub·tract 
[səb trákt] (past sub·tract·ed,
past participle sub·tract·ed, present participle sub·tract·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·tracts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARITHMETIC deduct arithmetically:
to perform the arithmetical calculation of deducting one number or quantity
from another

2.  transitive
verb
remove
something from something larger: to withdraw or take
away something from a larger unit
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin subtract-, the past participle stem of subtrahere
“to pull away,” from trahere (see tractor
).]
—sub·tract·er, noun[1]



subtraction

subtraction
sub·trac·tion 
[səb tráksh’n] (plural sub·trac·tions)
noun

1.  ARITHMETIC deduction
of number:
the act or process of deducting one number or quantity from another. Symbol
-

2.  removal
from something larger: a withdrawal or deduction of
something from a larger whole

3.  LAW withdrawal
of benefit:
the withdrawal or withholding of a benefit

[1]



subtractive

subtractive
sub·trac·tive 
[səb tráktiv] adjective

1.  ARITHMETIC able
to subtract: with the power to subtract something

2.  ARITHMETIC indicating
subtraction: indicating or needing subtraction

3.  PHYSICS remaining
after absorption by tinted filters: used
to describe the color that remains after all other components of the visible
spectrum have been absorbed by tinted filters

[1]



subtrahend

subtrahend
sub·tra·hend 
[súbtrə hènd] (plural sub·tra·hends)
noun

ARITHMETIC number
to be subtracted: a number that is to be deducted from
another number.
See
also
minuend
[Late 17th century. From
Latin subtrahendus, literally “to be subracted,” a form of subtrahere
“to pull away,” from trahere (see tractor
).][1]



subtribe

subtribe
sub·tribe 
[súb trb] (plural sub·tribes)
noun

subdivision of tribe:
a subdivision of a tribe[1]



subtropical

subtropical
sub·trop·i·cal 
[sub tróppik’l] adjective

located between tropics and
temperate areas: relating to or found in
areas between tropical and temperate regions, and experiencing tropical
conditions at some times of the year or nearly tropical conditions all year
round[1]



subtype

subtype
sub·type
[súb tp] (plural sub·types) noun

type
within type: a type that is a subdivision of a larger
type
—sub·typ·i·cal [sub típpik’l], adjective[1]



subulate

subulate
su·bu·late 
[súbbyə làyt, súbbyələt]
adjective

thin
and tapering: used to describe a plant part that is
long and thin and tapers to a point
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin subulatus, from Latin subula “awl.”][1]



subumbrella

subumbrella
sub·um·brel·la 
[súb um brèllə] (plural sub·um·brel·las)
noun

underbelly of jellyfish:
the inwardly curving underside of a jellyfish[1]



subunit

subunit
sub·u·nit 
[súb ynit] (plural sub·u·nits)
noun

1.  subsidiary
unit:
a unit that forms part of a larger unit

2.  CHEMISTRY separable
part of molecule: a part of a large molecule or complex
that can be dissociated from the whole without rupture of covalent chemical
bonds

[1]



subunitvaccine

subunitvaccine
sub·u·nit
vac·cine
noun

vaccine from virus or
bacterium: a vaccine that creates a
bodily immunity to a virus or bacterium from whose DNA the vaccine is made[1]



suburb

suburb
sub·urb 
[sú bùrb] (plural sub·urbs) noun

residential
area bordering city: a district, especially a
residential one, on the edge of a city or large town
[14th century. Directly or
via French suburbe from Latin suburbium, literally “near a city,”
from urbs (see urban ).][1]



suburban

suburban
sub·ur·ban 
[sə búrbən] adjective

1.  relating
to suburb:
relating to, belonging to, or located in a suburb

2.  resembling
suburb:
resembling a suburb or its residents

[1]



suburbanite

suburbanite
sub·ur·ban·ite 
[sə búrbə nt] (plural sub·ur·ban·ites)
noun

inhabitant of suburbs:
somebody who lives in the suburbs[1]



suburbanize

suburbanize
sub·ur·ban·ize 
[sə búrbə nz] (past sub·ur·ban·ized,
past participle sub·ur·ban·ized, present participle sub·ur·ban·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·ur·ban·izes) transitive verb

make
something seem suburban: to give something an
appearance or character relating to the suburbs
—sub·ur·ban·i·za·tion
[sə bùrbənə záysh’n], noun[1]



suburbia

suburbia
sub·ur·bi·a 
[sə búrbee ə] noun

suburbs in general:
suburbs collectively, or the people who live in them[1]



subvene

subvene
sub·vene 
[səb vn] (past sub·vened, past
participle sub·vened, present participle sub·ven·ing, 3rd
person present singular sub·venes) intransitive verb

occur
helpfully:
to happen or appear in a helpful way, especially in avoiding or preventing
something (formal)
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
subvenire, literally “to come from below,” from venire (see venue ).][1]



subvention

subvention
sub·ven·tion 
[səb vénsh’n] (plural sub·ven·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  grant
or subsidy:
a sum of money given by an official body such as a government, especially to an
institution of learning, study, or research

2.  aid
or support:
the giving of help or support, especially financial
—sub·ven·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



subversion

subversion
sub·ver·sion 
[səb vúr’n, səb
vúrsh’n] (plural sub·ver·sions) noun

1.  activity
undermining government: an action, plan, or activity
intended to undermine or overthrow a government or other institution

2.  overthrow
of something: the destruction or ruining of something
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the late Latin stem subversion-, from, ultimately, subvertere
(see subvert ).][1]



subversive

subversive
sub·ver·sive 
[səb vúrssiv] adjective

designed
to overthrow government: intended or likely to
undermine or overthrow a government or other institution
noun
(plural sub·ver·sives)

somebody
involved in subversive activities: somebody involved in
activities intended to undermine or overthrow a government or other institution
—sub·ver·sive·ly,
adverb

—sub·ver·sive·ness, noun[1]



subvert

subvert
sub·vert 
[səb vúrt] (past sub·vert·ed, past
participle sub·vert·ed, present participle sub·vert·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·verts) transitive verb

overthrow
something:
to undermine or overthrow a government or other institution
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French subvertir from Latin subvertere,
literally “to turn from below,” from vertere (see verse ).]
—sub·vert·er, noun[1]



subvirus

subvirus
sub·vi·rus 
[sub vrəss] (plural sub·vi·rus·es)
noun

primitive
source of infection: an infective agent such as a
prion that is structurally more primitive than a virus
—sub·vi·ral, adjective[1]



subvocal

subvocal
sub·vo·cal 
[sub vṓk’l] adjective

LINGUISTICS mouthed
but not spoken: mouthed or mentally pictured but not
sounded out loud
—sub·vo·cal·ly, adverb[1]



subvocalize

subvocalize
sub·vo·cal·ize 
[sub vkə lz] (past sub·vo·cal·ized,
past participle sub·vo·cal·ized, present participle sub·vo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sub·vo·cal·izes) intransitive and
transitive verb

LINGUISTICS mouth
words soundlessly: to mouth words or other
speech sounds without saying them out loud
—sub·vo·cal·i·za·tion
[sub vkələ záysh’n], noun[1]



subway

subway
sub·way 
[súb wày] (plural sub·ways) noun

1.  underground
railroad:
an underground railroad, especially one powered by electricity.
U.K.
term
underground

2.  U.K.
underground
passage:
a passage under a road or railroad for pedestrians to get to the other side

[1]



subzero

subzero
sub·ze·ro
[sùb zrō] adjective

below zero degrees:
being below zero degrees in temperature[1]



succah

succah
suc·cah 
noun

See
sukkah[1]



succeed

succeed
suc·ceed 
[sək sd] (past suc·ceed·ed, past
participle suc·ceed·ed, present participle suc·ceed·ing,
3rd person present singular suc·ceeds) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
achieve
intention:
to manage to do what is planned or attempted • We
succeeded in persuading them to change their decision.

2.  intransitive
verb
gain
fame, wealth, or power: to realize a goal,
especially to gain fame, wealth, or power

3.  intransitive
verb
make
significant progress: to do well in an activity,
making admirable progress or recording impressive achievements • She
was one of the first women to succeed in the sciences.

4.  intransitive
verb
prosper:
to thrive or prosper

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
next after somebody: to follow somebody occupying
a post or position • Mary succeeded him as
president over a year ago.

6.  transitive
verb
follow
in time:
to come after something in time (often passive)

7.  intransitive
verb
be
inherited by somebody: to pass to somebody as an inheritance
(formal)
[14th
century. Directly or via French succéder from Latin succedere,
literally “to go after,” from cedere (see cede
).]
—suc·ceed·a·ble,
adjective

—suc·ceed·er, noun[1]



succentor

succentor
suc·cen·tor 
[sək séntər] (plural suc·cen·tors)
noun

CHRISTIANITY precentor’s
deputy:
a deputy to a precentor
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin, from Latin succinere “to sing to,” from canere
(see cant 2 ).]
—suc·cen·tor·ship (plural
suc·cen·tor·ships), noun[1]



success

success
suc·cess 
[sək séss] (plural suc·cess·es)
noun

1.  achievement
of desired aim: the achievement of something planned or
attempted

2.  attainment
of fame, wealth, or power: impressive achievement,
especially the attainment of fame, wealth, or power

3.  something
that turns out well: something that turns out as
planned or intended

4.  somebody
who has significant achievements: somebody who has a
record of achievement, especially in gaining wealth, fame, or power
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
successus, from success-, the past participle stem of succedere
(see succeed ). The original English sense
was “result, outcome.”][1]



successful

successful
suc·cess·ful 
[sək séssf’l] adjective

1.  turning
out well:
having the intended result

2.  popular:
popular and making a lot of money

3.  with
record of significant achievements:
having achieved or gained much, especially wealth, fame, or power
—suc·cess·ful·ly,
adverb

—suc·cess·ful·ness, noun[1]



succession

succession
suc·ces·sion 
[sək sésh’n] (plural suc·ces·sions)
noun

1.  series
in time:
a sequence of people or things coming one after the other in time • rented
a succession of dingy apartments around town

2.  following:
the following of one thing after another • three
wins in succession.

3.  taking
up of title or position: the assumption of a position
or title, the right to take it up, or the order in which it is taken up

4.  development
of plant and animal community: the series of changes
that create a full-fledged plant and animal community, for example, from the
colonization of bare rock to the establishment of a forest
—suc·ces·sion·al,
adjective

—suc·ces·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



successioncrop

successioncrop
suc·ces·sion
crop
noun

crop planted in sequence:
a crop that follows another crop as a successive planting, or a crop of a
variety with a different rate of growth[1]



successive

successive
suc·ces·sive 
[sək séssiv] adjective

following
in sequence: following in an uninterrupted sequence
—suc·ces·sive·ly,
adverb

—suc·ces·sive·ness, noun[1]



successor

successor
suc·ces·sor 
[sək séssər] (plural suc·ces·sors)
noun

next
occupant of position: somebody or something that
follows another and takes up the same position
—suc·ces·so·ral, adjective[1]



successstory

successstory
suc·cess
sto·ry
noun

successful person or thing:
somebody or something that is very successful[1]



succinate

succinate
suc·ci·nate 
[súksə nàyt] (plural suc·ci·nates)
noun

succinic
acid salt or ester: a salt or ester of succinic
acid.
Also
called
butanedioate
[Late 18th century. Formed
from succinic .][1]



succinct

succinct
suc·cinct 
[sək síngkt, sək
síngt] adjective

1.  brief
and to the point: showing or expressed with brevity and
clarity, with no wasted words

2.  enclosed
or restricted: confined tightly by something such as a
belt or girdle (archaic)
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin succinctus, the past
participle of succingere, literally “to encompass from below,” from cingere
(see precinct ).]
—suc·cinct·ly,
adverb

—suc·cinct·ness, noun[1]



succinic

succinic
suc·cin·ic 
[sək sínnik] adjective

1.  relating
to succinic acid: relating to or containing succinic acid
or succinate

2.  relating
to amber:
relating to or obtained from amber
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin succinum “amber,” from succus (see succus ).][1]



succinicacid

succinicacid
suc·cin·ic
ac·id 
noun

naturally occurring acid:
a colorless odorless acid synthesized or derived from amber and the tissues of
plants and animals. It is used in making lacquers, perfumes, and
pharmaceuticals. C4H6O4[1]



succinylcholine

succinylcholine
suc·cin·yl·cho·line 
[sùksən’l kṓ ln, sùksənil
kṓ ln] noun

muscle-relaxant
drug:
a drug used to induce relaxation of muscles during surgery under general
anesthesia, electroconvulsive therapy, or other procedures.
U.K.
term
suxamethonium
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from succinic (acid) + -yl + choline .][1]



succor

succor
suc·cor 
[súkər] noun (literary)

1.  help
for somebody or something: help or relief for somebody
or something

2.  somebody
or something giving help: somebody or something that
provides help or relief
transitive
verb
(past suc·cored, past participle suc·cored, present
participle suc·cor·ing, 3rd person present singular suc·cors)

give help to: to
provide help or relief to somebody or something (literary)
[13th
century. Via Old French socorre from Latin succurrere, literally
“to run under,” formed from currere “to run” (source of English current ). The underlying idea is “running to
someone’s assistance.”]
—suc·cor·a·ble,
adjective

—suc·cor·er,
noun

—suc·cor·less, adjective[1]



succory

succory
suc·co·ry 
[súkəree] noun

See
chicory
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of obsolete French cicorée (see chicory
) on the model of Middle Low German suckerie and Middle Dutch sūkerie
.][1]



succotash

succotash
suc·co·tash 
[súkə tàsh] (plural suc·co·tash·es)
noun

bean
and corn dish: kernels of corn and lima beans cooked
together, often with tomatoes
[Mid-18th century. From
Narragansett msiquatash, literally “boiled corn or maize and beans.”][1]



Succoth

Succoth
Suc·coth 
or Suc·cot noun

See
Sukkoth[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








succour

succour
suc·cour 
[súkər] noun transitive verb

U.K. =
succor[1]



succubus

succubus
suc·cu·bus 
[súkyəbəss] (plural suc·cu·bi
[súkyə b] or suc·cu·bus·es) noun

woman
demon having sex with men: a woman demon that was
believed in medieval times to have sexual intercourse with men while they were
asleep.
See
also
incubus
[14th century. From medieval
Latin, an alteration (modeled on English incubus ) of late Latin succuba,
literally “one who lies under another,” from, ultimately, cubare “to
lie.”][1]



succulent

succulent

suc·cu·lent 
[súkyələnt] adjective

1.  juicy
and tasty:
juicy and pleasant to the taste

2.  with
fleshy water-storing parts: with thick fleshy leaves and
stems that can store water

3.  interesting:
exciting and interesting (informal)
noun (plural
suc·cu·lents)

succulent plant:
a plant with thick fleshy leaves and stems that can store water. Succulents
such as cacti and aloes typically grow in hot, arid conditions or in salty
soils.
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin succulentus, from succus
(see succus ).]
—suc·cu·lence,
noun

—suc·cu·lent·ly, adverb[1]



succumb

succumb
suc·cumb 
[sə kúm] (past suc·cumbed, past
participle suc·cumbed, present participle suc·cumb·ing,
3rd person present singular suc·cumbs) intransitive verb

1.  give
in:
to yield to somebody or something powerful

2.  die
from something: to die from an illness or injury
[15th
century. Directly or via French succomber from Latin succumbere,
literally “to lie under,” from cumbere “to lie” (source of English incumbent ).]
—suc·cum·ber,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at yield

[1]



succus

succus
suc·cus 
[súkəss] (plural suc·ci [sú k]) noun

fluid
produced by living tissue: a fluid, especially a
secretion, of plant or animal origin
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “juice, moisture, sap” (source of English succulent
).][1]



succuss

succuss
suc·cuss
[sə kúss] (past suc·cussed, past
participle suc·cussed, present participle suc·cus·sing,
3rd person present singular suc·cuss·es) transitive verb

MEDICINE shake
patient to detect abnormal fluids: to shake a patient in
order to detect the abnormal presence of air or fluid in a body cavity,
especially the space between the lungs and the chest wall
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from succussion .]
—suc·cus·sion,
noun

—suc·cus·sive, adjective[1]



succèsde scandale

succèsde scandale
suc·cès
de scan·dale  [sük sày də
skaaN dl] (plural suc·cès de scan·dale) noun

controversial
success:
something such as a book, movie, or play that is successful because it is
controversial, or the success that is gained as a result of controversy (literary)
[From French, literally
“success of scandal”][1]



succèsd’estime

succèsd’estime
suc·cès
d’es·time
[sük sày dəs tm] (plural suc·cès
d’es·time) noun

critical
but not popular success: something such as a book,
movie, or play that is successful with the critics but not with the public, or
the success that is gained through critical acclaim (literary)
[From French, literally
“success of esteem”][1]



succèsfou

succèsfou
suc·cès
fou
[sük sày f] (plural suc·cès fous)
noun

great
success:
an overwhelming success (literary)
[From French, literally “mad
success”][1]



such

such
such 
[such] adjective

1.  of
particular kind: of a particular kind • I’ve
never heard such nonsense.

2.  so
much:
to so great an extent or degree • Don’t
be such a fool.
adverb

very:
extremely or to a great degree • I had
never seen such lovely flowers.
noun

this: this,
or something of this kind • Such
was his fate.
[Old
English swilc, swelc, swylc . Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic compound word meaning literally “so formed,” from the
ancestors of so + like
.]
as
such

being
what has been specified

such
as

1.  for
example

2.  resembling
something

such
as it is

being
what it is and no more

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  We
  are such stuff as dreams are made on
  (Shakespeare, The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, modernized spelling)
  In
  sentences of this type such is followed by
  as and not by a relative pronoun that, who, etc.: • the
  new law affects only such people as ( not : that) are eligible for
  supplementary benefits. However, the construction such
  … that … is used to indicate the consequence of a stated circumstance: • The
  country faces such hardship that it will need a great deal of foreign aid.

[1]



suchand such

suchand such
such
and such
adjective

unspecified:
not specified or named
pronoun

something unspecified:
something that is not specified or named[1]



suchlike

suchlike
such·like 
[súch lk] pronoun

others
of the same kind: others of the same kind as those just
mentioned (informal)
adjective

similar to those just
mentioned: similar to the kind just
mentioned[1]



suchness

suchness
such·ness
[súchnəss] noun

PHILOSOPHY essential
quality:
an essential quality or condition
[Old English swilcnes][1]



suck

suck
suck 
[suk] verb (past sucked,
past participle sucked, present participle suck·ing,
3rd person present singular sucks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb draw
liquid out with mouth: to draw the liquid out of
something with the mouth • The
baby sucked on her bottle.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
pulling mouth movements on something: to
hold something in the mouth and make movements with the tongue and lips as if
drawing liquid out of it • sucked
his thumb

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something dissolve in mouth: to consume something by
making it slowly dissolve in the mouth, rolling the tongue around it and making
pulling movements with the cheeks and lips • sucking
lozenges for a sore throat

4.  transitive
verb
extract
something:
to draw something out of a container (often passive) • Fuel
is sucked into the cylinder.

5.  transitive
verb
pull
irresistibly: to pull or draw something somewhere with
a powerful or irresistible force • The
swirling currents suck swimmers under.

6.  intransitive
verb
be
very bad:
to be very bad or inferior (slang) • The
movie really sucked, so we walked out.
noun
(plural sucks)

act of sucking something:
an act of sucking something
[Old English sūcan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to take liquid” that is also the
ancestor of Latin sugere “to suck” (source of English suction ) and of English soak .][1]



suckback

suckback
suck
back
transitive verb

gulp something:
to drink something in gulps[1]



sucker

sucker
suck·er 
[súkər] noun (plural suck·ers)

1.  somebody
easily fooled: somebody who can be easily fooled or
tricked (informal)

2.  somebody
who gives in easily: somebody who finds it very
hard to resist, or who is easily influenced by, some particular thing (informal)
• He’s
a real sucker for flattery.

3.  any
person or thing: used to refer, usually with emphasis or
some degree of irritation, to any person or thing somebody happens to be
dealing with (slang) • Let’s
see if we can get this sucker to work.

4.  U.K.
See suction cup

5.  lollipop:
a lollipop (informal)

6.  ZOOLOGY organ
that clings by suction: a muscular organ, found, for
example, on the tentacles of octopuses and similar sea animals, used to cling
to or hold things such as prey

7.  ZOOLOGY organ
for sucking in food: the mouth of an animal such
as the leech or lamprey that is adapted for sucking in food

8.  BOTANY shoot
growing from root: a shoot that grows from the
underground root or stem of a plant, and that is often able to produce its own
roots and grow into a new plant

9.  ZOOLOGY animal
living on mother’s milk: a young animal such as a
young pig or whale that is still taking milk from its mother

10. suction
pump piston: the piston of a suction pump, or the
valve of the piston in a suction pump

11. suction
pipe:
a pipe that a liquid is drawn through by means of suction

12. ZOOLOGY freshwater
fish with a sucking mouth: a bony bottom-feeding
freshwater fish found mostly in North America that has a downward facing
sucking mouth without teeth and resembles the carp. Family: Catostomidae
verb
(past suck·ered, past participle suck·ered, present
participle suck·er·ing, 3rd person present singular suck·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
trick
somebody:
to take advantage of somebody’s ignorance, innocence, or foolishness to trick
him or her (informal) • got
suckered into the scheme

2.  intransitive
verb
BOTANY produce
suckers:
to produce or form suckers

3.  transitive
verb
BOTANY remove
suckers:
to remove the suckers from a plant

[1]



suckerfish

suckerfish
suck·er·fish 
[súkər fìsh] (plural suck·er·fish
or suck·er·fish·es) noun

See
remora[1]



sucker-punch

sucker-punch
suck·er-punch
(past suck·er-punched, past participle suck·er-punched,
present participle suck·er-punch·ing, 3rd person present
singular suck·er-punch·es) transitive verb

hit somebody with sucker
punch: to hit somebody with a
sucker punch[1]



suckerpunch

suckerpunch
suck·er
punch
(plural sucker punches) noun

unexpected blow:
a blow delivered when somebody is not expecting it[1]



suckin

suckin
suck
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breathe
in:
to breathe in sharply

2.  transitive
verb
involve
somebody in something: to make somebody become more
and more involved in something in a way that he or she is unable to prevent

3.  transitive
verb
deceive
somebody:
to trick or deceive somebody (slang)

[1]



sucking

sucking
suck·ing 
[súking] adjective

still
living on mother’s milk: still feeding on its
mother’s milk and not yet weaned • sucking
pig
[Old English sūcende][1]



suckinglouse

suckinglouse
suck·ing
louse
noun

insect with sucking mouth
parts: a wingless primitive
parasitic insect with mouth parts specially adapted for sucking body fluids,
for example, the head louse and pubic louse that infest human beings. Suborder:
Siphunculata[1]



suckle

suckle
suck·le 
[súk’l] (past suck·led, past
participle suck·led, present participle suck·ling, 3rd
person present singular suck·les) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb feed
from breast, teat, or udder: to take milk from a mother’s
breast, teat, or udder, or to allow a young child or animal to feed on milk
from the breast, teat, or udder

2.  transitive
verb
nourish:
to nourish somebody or something (literary)
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a back-formation from suckling .]
—suck·ler, noun[1]



suckling

suckling
suck·ling 
[súkling] (plural suck·lings) noun

baby
or young animal: a human baby or young animal such as a
calf or pig that is still feeding on its mother’s milk
[13th century. Formed from suck, probably on the model of Middle Dutch sūgeling
.][1]



suckoff

suckoff
suck
off
transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on somebody (offensive
taboo)[1]



suckup to

suckup to
suck
up to
transitive verb

try to win somebody’s favor:
to try to please or win the favor of somebody important by being extremely
flattering or helpful (informal)[1]



sucrase

sucrase
su·crase 
[s kràyss, s
kràyz] noun

See
invertase
[Early 20th century. Formed
from sucrose + -ase
.][1]



sucre

sucre
su·cre 
[s krày] (plural su·cres) noun

1.  Ecuadorean
unit of currency: the main unit of currency in Ecuador,
worth 100 centavos

2.  bill
worth one sucre: a bill worth one sucre
[Late 19th century. Named for
Antonio José de Sucre .][1]



Sucre,Antonio José de

Sucre,Antonio José de
Su·cre 
[sk ray], Antonio José de (1795–1830)

Venezuelan-born South
American soldier and statesman. After helping to liberate Ecuador and Bolivia
from Spain, he became the first president of Bolivia (1826–1829).[1]



sucrose

sucrose
su·crose 
[s krss, s
krz] noun

sugar
obtained from sugar cane: a white water-soluble
crystalline carbohydrate, found naturally in many plants and extracted from
sugar cane and sugar beets to make common sugar. C12H22O11 
Also
called
saccharose
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from French sucre “sugar,” from Old French sukere (see sugar ).][1]



suction

suction
suc·tion 
[súksh’n] noun

1.  sucking:
the act or process of sucking

2.  force
created by pressure difference: physical force created
by a difference in pressure such as that caused by sucking a liquid through a
straw
[Early
17th century. From the late Latin stem suction-, from Latin suct-,
the past participle stem of sugere “to suck.”]
—suc·tion·al, adjective[1]



suctioncup

suctioncup
suc·tion
cup
noun

something that adheres by
suction: a round, slightly cupped
piece of plastic or rubber that when pressed onto a flat surface sticks to it
by suction.
U.K. term
sucker[1]



suctionpump

suctionpump
suc·tion
pump
noun

pump that works by suction:
a pump that works by means of the suction created when a piston is moved up and
down inside a cylinder. One example of a suction pump is the type of pump used
to raise water from an underground source by moving a handle up and down.[1]



suctionstop

suctionstop
suc·tion
stop
noun

PHONETICS
click:
a click (technical)[1]



suctorial

suctorial
suc·to·ri·al 
[suk táwree əl] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY used
for adhering and sucking: specially adapted for
sucking or for clinging on by suction

2.  with
suckers:
having one or more suckers for feeding or for clinging on to something
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin suctorius, from Latin suct-, the past
participle stem of sugere (see suction
).][1]



Sudan

Sudan



Su·dan 
[soo dán]

1.  republic
in northeastern Africa, and the continent’s largest country. Language: Arabic.
Currency: dinar. Capital: Khartoum. Population: 31,065,000 (1996) Area:
2,505,813 sq km/967,500 sq mi. Official name Republic of the Sudan

2.  region
of savanna and dry grassland in western Africa, between the Sahara and the
tropical forest belt
—Su·da·nese, noun,
adjective[1]



Sudan




Back to definition

Sudan

[1]



Sudanic

Sudanic
Su·dan·ic
[soo dánnik] noun

group of languages spoken in Sudan:
a group of languages belonging to the Chari-Nile branch of the Nilo-Saharan
family of languages, spoken by peoples in some areas of Sudan
adjective

1.  relating
to Sudanic languages: relating to the Sudanic
group of languages

2.  relating
to Sudan:
relating to Sudan, its people, or culture

[1]



sudatorium

sudatorium
su·da·to·ri·um 
[sdə táwree əm] (plural su·da·to·ri·a
[sdə táwree ə]) noun

room
for sweating in: a room, especially in an ancient Roman
bathhouse, in which people are made to sweat by hot air or steam.
Also
called
sudatory
[Mid-18th century. From
Latin, a noun use of the neuter singular of sudatorius (see sudatory ).][1]



sudatory

sudatory
su·da·to·ry 
[sdə tàwree] noun (plural su·da·to·ries)

1.  See
sudorific  noun

2.  See
sudatorium
adjective

See sudorific  adjective
[Early 17th century. From
Latin sudatorius “for sweating,” from, ultimately, sudare “to
sweat” (source of English exude ).][1]



Sudbury

Sudbury
Sud·bur·y 
[súdbəree, súdbree]

city north of Georgian Bay in
east central Ontario, Canada. Population: 160,488 (1996)[1]



sudd

sudd
sudd 
[sud] noun

obstruction
made of vegetation: a floating mass of reeds and
weeds that obstructs some tropical rivers, especially the White Nile
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic, literally “obstruction,” from sadda “to obstruct.”][1]



sudden

sudden
sud·den 
[súdd’n] adjective

happening
quickly and unexpectedly: done or happening quickly,
unexpectedly, and often without warning
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sudein from, ultimately, Latin subitaneus,
itself from, ultimately, subire, literally “to go secretly” (hence
“taking by surprise”), from ire “to go.”]
—sud·den·ly,
adverb

—sud·den·ness,
noun
all
of a sudden

in a sudden and unexpected
way[1]



suddendeath

suddendeath
sud·den
death
noun

extra play until somebody
scores: the continuation of play in
a tied sports contest until one team or player scores, that team or player
being declared the winner[1]



suddeninfant death syndrome

suddeninfant death syndrome
sud·den
in·fant death syn·drome noun

crib death:
crib death (technical)[1]



Sudetenland

Sudetenland
Su·de·ten·land 
[soo dáyt’n land]

region in the northern Czech
Republic, in the Sudetes Mountains Range. It was annexed by Germany in 1938 and
returned to Czechoslovakia in 1945.[1]



sudoriferous

sudoriferous
su·dor·if·er·ous 
[sdə ríffərəss] adjective

sweat-producing:
producing sweat (formal)
[Late
16th century. Formed from late Latin sudorifer “sudorific” (the original
sense in English ), from Latin sudor “sweat.”]
—su·dor·if·er·ous·ness,
noun[1]



sudorific

sudorific
su·dor·if·ic 
[sdə ríffik] adjective

causing
production of sweat: causing the production of
sweat
noun
(plural su·dor·if·ics)

drug
causing sweating: a drug or other agent that causes
sweating.
Also
called
sudatory
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin sudorificus, from late Latin sudorifer (see sudoriferous ).][1]



Sudra

Sudra
Su·dra 
[sdrə] (plural Su·dras) noun

1.  lowest
Hindu caste: the lowest of the four main Hindu
castes, traditionally comprising artisans and laborers and their families.
There is a wide range of subgroups within the Sudra caste, however, some being
landowners.

2.  member
of Sudra:
a member of the Sudra caste
[Mid-17th century. From
Sanskrit śūdra .][1]



suds

suds
suds 
[sudz] plural noun

bubbles:
a froth of bubbles on the surface of soapy water.
Also
called
soapsuds
noun

beer:
beer (slang)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch sudse “marsh,
bog.” Originally used for “dregs, muck.”]
—suds·y, adjective[1]



sue

sue
sue 
[soo] (past sued, past
participle sued, present participle su·ing, 3rd
person present singular sues) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undertake
legal proceedings: to take legal action against
somebody in order to obtain something, usually compensation for a wrong

2.  intransitive
verb
beg
for something: to make a humble, earnest, or begging
request for something (formal) • After
three humiliating defeats, they were forced to sue for peace.
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman suer “to follow” (the original English sense),
from, ultimately, Latin sequi (source of English pursue ). The underlying idea is of “following
up” a matter.]
—su·er, noun[1]



suede

suede
suede 
[swayd] noun

1.  leather
with velvety surface: leather with the flesh side
outward and rubbed up to make a velvety nap

2.  fabric
like suede:
a woven fabric that looks like suede
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sued·ed,
past participle sued·ed, present participle sued·ing,
3rd person present singular suedes)

give leather a velvety nap:
to give leather a velvety nap
[Mid-17th century. From
French gants de Suède “gloves of Sweden,” from Suède “Sweden,”
where it originated.][1]



suet

suet
su·et 
[s ət] noun

hard
fat:
a hard white fat found on the kidneys and loins of sheep and cattle, used in
cooking and as a source of tallow
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Anglo-Norman, literally “small suet,”
from sue, seu “tallow, suet,” from Latin sebum (source of
English sebaceous ).]
—suety [s ətee], adjective[1]



Suetonius,Gaius Tranquillus

Suetonius,Gaius Tranquillus
Sue·to·ni·us 
[swee tónee əss], Gaius Tranquillus (69?-70?
AD– )

Roman biographer and
historian. His works include biographies of eleven Roman emperors.[1]



Suez

Suez
Su·ez 
[s əz]

city and port at the head of
the Gulf of Suez and at the southern end of the Suez Canal, northeastern Egypt.
Population: 388,000 (1992)[1]



SuezCanal

SuezCanal
Su·ez
Ca·nal

canal in Egypt, connecting
the Mediterranean and Red seas. It was opened in 1869. Length: 163 km/101 mi.[1]



suff.

suff.
suff.

1.  suff.
or suf. Abbreviation of suffix

2.  Abbreviation
of
sufficient

[1]



suffer

suffer
suf·fer 
[súffər] (past suf·fered, past
participle suf·fered, present participle suf·fer·ing, 3rd
person present singular suf·fers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb feel
pain:
to feel pain or great discomfort in body or mind

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb undergo
something unpleasant: to experience or undergo
something unpleasant or undesirable

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb endure:
to endure or put up with something painful or unpleasant • I
do not suffer fools gladly.

4.  intransitive
verb
have
an illness:
to have a disease or a physical or psychological condition

5.  intransitive
verb
have
as weakness: to have as a bad quality, weakness, or
flaw • Their
whole manifesto suffers from a lack of vision.

6.  intransitive
verb
appear
to be less good: to become or appear to be less good

7.  intransitive
verb
be
adversely affected: to be adversely affected by
something • The
business suffered when the partnership was dissolved.

8.  transitive
verb
allow:
to allow somebody to do something (archaic or literary)
[12th
century. Via Anglo-Norman suffrir from, ultimately, Latin sufferre,
literally “to carry up from underneath,” hence “to sustain,” from ferre
“to carry” (source of English fertile
).]
—suf·fer·er, noun[1]



sufferable

sufferable
suf·fer·a·ble 
[súffərəb’l] adjective

able to be endured:
able to be endured or tolerated[1]



sufferance

sufferance
suf·fer·ance 
[súffərənss] noun

1.  tolerance
of something prohibited: tacit permission for or
tolerance of something, because no action is taken to prevent it

2.  endurance
of difficulty or pain: the capacity to withstand
difficulty or pain

3.  patient
endurance:
the fact of enduring hardship patiently (archaic)
on
sufferance

as a result of permission or
consent given reluctantly and liable to be withdrawn[1]



suffering

suffering
suf·fer·ing 
[súffəring] (plural suf·fer·ings)
noun

pain:
physical or psychological pain and distress, or an experience of it[1]



suffice

suffice
suf·fice 
[sə fss] (past suf·ficed, past
participle suf·ficed, present participle suf·fic·ing, 3rd
person present singular suf·fic·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

be
enough:
to be enough for somebody or something (formal)
[14th century. From Old
French suffic-, from, ultimately, Latin sufficere, literally “to
make up to,” hence “to be enough,” which was formed from facere “to
make” (source of English fact ).][1]



sufficiency

sufficiency
suf·fi·cien·cy 
[sə físh’nsee] (plural suf·fi·cien·cies)
noun

1.  sufficient
amount:
an amount of something that is enough for somebody or something

2.  state
of being sufficient: the fact or state of being
enough

[1]



sufficient

sufficient
suf·fi·cient 
[sə físh’nt] adjective

enough:
as much as is needed
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin sufficient-, the present
participle stem of sufficere (see suffice
).]
—suf·fi·cient·ly, adverb[1]



sufficient

sufficient
suf·fi·cient 
[sə físh’nt] adjective

enough:
as much as is needed
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin sufficient-, the present
participle stem of sufficere (see suffice
).]
—suf·fi·cient·ly, adverb[1]



sufficientreason

sufficientreason
suf·fi·cient
rea·son
noun

PHILOSOPHY
principle that nothing happens by chance:
the philosophical principle that nothing happens by chance and that an
explanation must be available for everything[1]



suffix

suffix
suf·fix 
noun [súffiks] (plural suf·fix·es)

element
added at end of word: a letter or group of letters
added at the end of a word or word part to form another word, for example,
“-ly” in “quickly” or “-ing” in “talking”
transitive
verb
[súffiks, sə
fíks] (past suf·fixed, past participle suf·fixed,
present participle suf·fix·ing, 3rd person present singular
suf·fix·es)

add
as suffix:
to add something as a suffix
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin suffixum from, ultimately, Latin suffigere,
literally “to fasten underneath,” from figere (see fix ).]
—suf·fix·al
[súffiks’l, sə
fíks’l], adjective

—suf·fix·a·tion [suffik sáysh’n], noun[1]



suffocate

suffocate
suf·fo·cate 
[súffə kàyt] (past suf·fo·cat·ed,
past participle suf·fo·cat·ed, present participle suf·fo·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular suf·fo·cates) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  stop
breathing:
to deprive somebody of air or prevent somebody from breathing, or to be unable
to breathe

2.  die
from lack of air: to die from lack of air or kill somebody
by stopping him or her from breathing

3.  make
or feel too warm: to feel uncomfortable or make somebody
feel uncomfortable through excessive heat and lack of fresh air

4.  not
allow to develop: to confine and restrict somebody or
something with adverse effects, or be or feel confined and restricted in
development or self-expression
[15th
century. From Latin suffocat-, the past participle stem of suffocare,
literally “to narrow up,” from the stem fauc- “throat, narrow
entrance.”]
—suf·fo·cat·ing,
adjective

—suf·fo·cat·ing·ly,
adverb

—suf·fo·ca·tion
[sùffə káysh’n], noun

—suf·fo·ca·tive, adjective[1]



Suffolk

Suffolk2
Suf·folk2  [súffək]
(plural Suf·folks) noun

black-faced
sheep:
a large black-faced hornless sheep belonging to a breed originating in England
and bred for meat
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the county of Suffolk, England.][1]



Suffolk

Suffolk1
Suf·folk1  [súffək]

county in East Anglia,
eastern England. It is largely agricultural. Ipswich is the county town.
Population: 648,000 (1992) Area: 3,800 sq km/1,467 sq mi.[1]



Suffolkpunch

Suffolkpunch
Suf·folk
punch
noun

short
powerful horse: a powerful horse with short legs and a
chestnut brown coat, belonging to a breed originating in England, used for
pulling loads such as plows or carts
[Punch from English dialect,
“stocky draught horse” (originally “short overweight person”), a shortening of Punchinello][1]



suffragan

suffragan
suf·fra·gan 
[súffrəgən] (plural suf·fra·gans)
noun

1.  assistant
bishop:
a bishop appointed to assist the main bishop in a diocese

2.  bishop
as assistant to archbishop: the bishop of a diocese who
is an assistant to the archbishop of the province to which the diocese belongs
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman and Old French from medieval Latin suffraganeus
“assisting,” from Latin suffragium (see suffrage
).]
—suf·fra·gan,
adjective

—suf·fra·gan·ship, noun[1]



suffrage

suffrage
suf·frage 
[súffrij] (plural suf·frages) noun

1.  right
to vote:
the right to vote in public elections

2.  act
of voting:
a vote or the act of voting (literary)

3.  short
prayer:
a short prayer on behalf of somebody, especially a prayer said as part of a
litany
[14th century. Directly and
partly via French from Latin suffragium “support, vote.”][1]



suffragette

suffragette
suf·fra·gette 
[sùffrə jét] (plural suf·fra·gettes)
noun

woman
campaigning for right to vote: a woman campaigning
for the right of women to vote in elections, especially one who took part in
militant protests in the United Kingdom in the early 20th century. Among the
leaders of the suffragette movement in the United States was Susan B. Anthony.
—suf·fra·get·tism, noun[1]



suffragist

suffragist
suf·fra·gist 
[súffrəjist] (plural suf·fra·gists)
noun

somebody
advocating extending voting rights: a
supporter of the extension of the right to vote to a particular group,
especially to women, or to all people above a particular age
—suf·fra·gism, noun[1]



suffuse

suffuse
suf·fuse 
[sə fyz] (past suf·fused, past
participle suf·fused, present participle suf·fus·ing, 3rd
person present singular suf·fus·es) transitive verb

spread
over something: to spread over or through something (usually
passive) • A
blush suffused his face with color.
[Late
16th century. From Latin suffus-, the past participle stem of suffundere,
literally “to pour from below,” from fundere “to pour” (source of
English fuse ).]
—suf·fu·sion
[sə fyzh’n], noun

—suf·fu·sive [sə fyssiv, sə fyziv],
adjective[1]



Sufi

Sufi
Su·fi 
[sfee] (plural Su·fis) noun

Muslim
mystic:
a Muslim mystic
[Mid-17th
century. From Arabic ṣūfī, literally “woolen” (because of their woolen
garments).]
—Su·fi,
adjective

—Su·fic,
adjective

—Su·fism,
noun

—Su·fis·tic [soo fístik], adjective[1]



sugar

sugar
sug·ar 
[shggər] noun (plural sug·ars)

1.  sweet-tasting
substance:
a sweet-tasting substance, usually in the form of tiny hard white or brown
grains, obtained commercially from sugar cane and sugar beets, and used to
sweeten food and drinks. Different types of sugar, for example, granulated
sugar, brown sugar, or confectioner’s sugar, are made at different processing
levels.

2.  portion
of sugar:
a spoonful, lump, cube, or other portion of sugar • likes
his coffee black with two sugars

3.  sweet
carbohydrate: any of a group of simple carbohydrates
found in many plants that are sweet-tasting, crystalline, and soluble in water

4.  term
of endearment: used as a term of endearment (informal)

5.  way
of making something more agreeable:
something used as a means of persuasion or to make a difficult or unpleasant
thing seem less so

6.  strong
drug:
a strong drug such as heroin or LSD (dated slang)
verb
(past sug·ared, past participle sug·ared, present
participle sug·ar·ing, 3rd person present singular sug·ars)

1.  transitive
verb
add
sugar to something: to add sugar to food or a
drink

2.  transitive
verb
try
to make something more agreeable: to try to make
something more appealing or flattering or to make something unpleasant seem
less so

3.  intransitive
verb
make
sugar:
to make sugar or form sugar crystals
[13th century. Via Old French
çukre, sukere (source of English sucrose
) from medieval Latin succarum, which came via Arabic sukkar
from, ultimately, Sanskrit śarkarā “grit, ground sugar” (source of
English saccharin ).][1]



sugarapple

sugarapple
sug·ar
ap·ple
noun

See
sweetsop[1]



sugarbeans

sugarbeans
sug·ar
beans
plural noun

South Africa
dried beans:
dried beans that are reddish or brown speckled[1]



sugarbeet

sugarbeet

sug·ar beet
noun
beet grown for sugar:
a variety of beet with a large whitish conical root that is an important
commercial source of sugar. Latin name: Beta vulgaris[1]



sugarberry

sugarberry
sug·ar·ber·ry 
[shggər bèrree] (plural sug·ar·ber·ries)
noun

See
hackberry[1]



sugarbird

sugarbird
sug·ar·bird 
(plural sug·ar·birds) noun

African nectar-eating bird:
either of two African nectar-eating birds with dull brownish plumage, a long
curved bill, and a very long drooping tail. Genus: Promerops[1]



sugarbush

sugarbush
sug·ar
bush
(plural sug·ar bushes) noun

group of sugar maples:
a wood or group of trees consisting mainly of sugar maples[1]



sugarcane

sugarcane
sug·ar
cane
noun

plant grown as source of
sugar: a tall tough-stemmed species
of grass grown in warm regions throughout the world as a source of sugar, which
is obtained from its sweet sap. Latin name: Saccharum officinarum (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



sugarcoat

sugarcoat
sug·ar·coat 
[shggər kt] (past sug·ar·coat·ed,
past participle sug·ar·coat·ed, present participle sug·ar·coat·ing,
3rd person present singular sug·ar·coats) transitive verb

1.  make
something seem less unpleasant: to make something
unpleasant seem less so

2.  coat
with sugar:
to enclose something in a hard sugar shell or coat something with sugar

[1]



sugarcorn

sugarcorn
sug·ar
corn
noun

See
sweet corn[1]



sugar-cured

sugar-cured
sug·ar-cured 
adjective

cured with sugar and salt:
cured in a mixture of sugar, salt, and a nitrate or nitrite[1]



sugardaddy

sugardaddy
sug·ar
dad·dy
noun

man spending freely on
younger partner: a rich man who gives
money and gifts to a younger partner in a relationship (informal)[1]



sugared

sugared
sug·ared 
[shggərd] adjective

1.  coated
with sugar:
covered or coated in a layer of sugar

2.  sweetened:
sweetened with sugar

3.  made
more appealing: marked by an attempt to make somebody or
something seem more pleasant, appealing, or acceptable

[1]



sugargum

sugargum
sug·ar
gum
noun

tree with sweet leaves:
a small eucalyptus tree that has smooth bark, barrel-shaped fruit, and
sweet-tasting leaves that are often eaten by cattle. Latin name: Eucalyptus
cladocalyx[1]



sugarhouse

sugarhouse
sug·ar·house 
[shggər hòwss] (plural sug·ar·houses
[shggər hòwzəz]) noun

sugar refinery:
a refinery where sugar is processed, especially one in which maple sap is
boiled to produce maple syrup and maple sugar.
Also called
sugar shack[1]



sugarloaf

sugarloaf
sug·ar
loaf
noun

1.  cone-shaped
mass of sugar: a solid cone-shaped mass of refined
sugar

2.  something
shaped like sugar loaf: something that has a conical
shape like a cone of sugar, for example, a hill

[1]



SugarloafMountain

SugarloafMountain
Sug·ar·loaf
Moun·tain 
[shggər lōf mówntən]

peak on the edge of Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, that provides a panoramic view of the city. Height: 395
m./1,296 ft.[1]



sugarmaple

sugarmaple
sug·ar
ma·ple
noun

N American tree with sugary
sap: a North American maple that
produces a sweet sap from which maple sugar and maple syrup are made. Latin
name: Acer saccharum[1]



sugaroff

sugaroff
sugar
off
intransitive verb

make maple syrup:
to boil maple sap to make maple syrup and maple sugar[1]



sugarof lead

sugarof lead
sug·ar
of lead 
noun

See
lead acetate[1]



sugarpea

sugarpea
sug·ar
pea
noun

garden pea with flat pod:
a variety of garden pea that has an edible thin flat pod. Latin name: Pisum
sativum[1]



sugarpine

sugarpine
sug·ar
pine
noun

tall evergreen with sugary
resin: a tall pine tree native to
the West Coast of North America that has a sugary resin and large cones. Latin
name: Pinus lambertiana[1]



sugarplum

sugarplum
sug·ar·plum 
[shggər plùm] (plural sug·ar·plums)
noun

candy of boiled sugar:
a small round candy made of boiled and flavored sugar[1]



sugarshack

sugarshack
sug·ar
shack
noun

See
sugarhouse[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sugary

sugary
sug·ar·y 
[shggəree] adjective

1.  containing
sugar:
containing a great deal of sugar

2.  like
sugar:
looking or tasting like sugar

3.  exaggeratedly
pleasant:
exaggeratedly and often insincerely pleasant or amiable

4.  sentimental:
cloyingly sentimental
—sug·ar·i·ness, noun[1]



suggest

suggest
sug·gest 
[sə jést, səg
jést] (past sug·gest·ed, past participle sug·gest·ed,
present participle sug·gest·ing, 3rd person present singular
sug·gests) transitive verb

1.  propose
for consideration: to state or refer to
somebody or something as a possible choice, plan, or course of action for
somebody else to consider

2.  remind
somebody of something: to remind somebody of
something or make somebody think of something

3.  imply:
to imply or hint at something

4.  indicate
as likely:
to indicate that something is likely
[Early
16th century. Back-formation from suggestion
.]
—sug·gest·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recommend

[1]



suggestibility

suggestibility
sug·gest·i·bil·i·ty 
[sə jèstə bíllətee, səg
jèstə bíllətee] noun

1.  susceptibility
to suggestions: the condition of being easily influenced
by other people’s suggestions

2.  PSYCHOLOGY mental
state of heightened acceptance: a mental state in
which somebody accepts without question the ideas, attitudes, or instructions
of others, usually occurring under hypnosis

[1]



suggestible

suggestible
sug·gest·i·ble 
[sə jéstəb’l, səg
jéstəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
influenced:
easily influenced by other people

2.  able
to be suggested: capable of being suggested
—sug·gest·i·ble·ness,
noun

—sug·gest·i·bly, adverb[1]



suggestion

suggestion
sug·ges·tion 
[sə jéstshən, səg
jéstshən] (plural sug·ges·tions) noun

1.  idea
or proposal: an idea or proposal put forward for
consideration

2.  slight
trace:
a slight trace, indication, or hint of something

3.  act
of suggesting: the act or process of suggesting
something

4.  ability
to conjure up associations: the ability of words or
images to conjure up ideas or feelings, the process by which they do this, or a
particular idea or image conjured up by something

5.  putting
ideas into somebody’s mind: the deliberate introduction
into somebody’s mind of an opinion, belief, or instruction, for example,
through hypnosis or advertising, so that it is accepted or acted on as that
person’s own idea • The power of suggestion
is used in TV commercials to make us want a product.
[14th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem suggestion-, from, ultimately, suggerere,
literally “to bring up,” from gerere “to bring” (source of English digest ).][1]



suggestive

suggestive
sug·ges·tive 
[sə jéstiv, səg
jéstiv] adjective

1.  conjuring
up ideas or images: able to conjure up ideas or
images in the mind or start a train of thought

2.  improper:
implying or hinting at something rude or improper, especially something of a
sexual nature
—sug·ges·tive·ly,
adverb

—sug·ges·tive·ness, noun[1]



Suharto

Suharto
Su·har·to 
[sə hrtō, s
hrtō] (1921– )

Indonesian statesman. As
president of Indonesia (1967–1998), he developed a petroleum-based economy. He
was forced to resign as the economy declined and his regime was accused of
corruption.[1]



Sui

Sui
Sui 
[sway] noun

Chinese dynasty:
a Chinese dynasty lasting from AD
581 to AD 618 that succeeded the
Han dynasty, united all of northern China, and reconquered southern China[1]



suicidal

suicidal
su·i·cid·al 
[s i sd’l] adjective

1.  wanting
to commit suicide: intending or wishing to
commit suicide

2.  relating
to suicide:
produced by or involving a wish to commit suicide

3.  extremely
dangerous:
likely to lead to death, destruction, or ruin, or very much against somebody’s
own best interests

4.  very
unhappy:
deeply unhappy or frustrated (informal)
—su·i·cid·al·ly, adverb[1]



suicide

suicide
su·i·cide 
[s i sd] (plural su·i·cides)
noun

1.  killing
yourself:
the act of deliberately killing yourself.
See
also
parasuicide

2.  somebody
who commits suicide: somebody who deliberately
kills himself or herself.
See
also
parasuicide

3.  doing
something against own best interests: the
act of doing something that seems contrary to your own best interests and
likely to lead to a disaster such as financial ruin or loss of position or
reputation
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin suicidium “killing of yourself” and suicida
“somebody who kills himself or herself,” both formed from Latin sui “of
yourself.”][1]



suicidebombing

suicidebombing
su·i·cide
bomb·ing
noun

bomb
attack in which bomber dies: a bomb attack in which the
person carrying out the attack deliberately allows himself or herself to be
killed in the process of attempting to destroy something or kill somebody
—su·i·cide bomb·er, noun[1]



suicidepact

suicidepact
su·i·cide
pact
noun

agreement to die together:
an agreement between two or more people that they will kill themselves at the
same time[1]



suicidewatch

suicidewatch
su·i·cide
watch
noun

checking of possibly suicidal
prisoners: the regular checking by
prison guards of the cells of prisoners who are thought likely to commit
suicide[1]



suigeneris

suigeneris
su·i
ge·ne·ris 
[s ī jénnəriss, s
i jénnəriss] adjective

unique:
unique, or in a class of its own
[From Latin, literally “of
its own kind”][1]



suijuris

suijuris
sui
ju·ris 
[s ī jriss, s
i yriss] adjective

legally
competent:
competent to assume legal responsibility for his or her own affairs
[From Latin, literally “of
its own right”][1]



suint

suint
su·int 
[s int, swint]
noun

grease
in sheep’s wool: the grease found in sheep’s wool, formed
from dried perspiration
[Late 18th century. From
French, from suer “to sweat,” from Latin sudare (see sudatory ).][1]



suit

suit
suit 
[soot] noun (plural suits)

1.  CLOTHES clothes
made of same material: a set of clothes made from
the same material, consisting of a jacket and trousers or a skirt, sometimes
together with a vest

2.  CLOTHES clothes
for particular purpose: a piece of clothing or set
of clothes worn for a particular purpose (often used in combination) • a
diving suit

3.  CARD GAMES set
of playing cards: one of the four different sets of
playing cards in a pack

4.  LAW legal
proceedings: a case brought to a law court

5.  petition:
a petition, especially to somebody in authority (formal)

6.  business
executive:
a business executive, especially when seen as an anonymous bureaucrat (slang)

7.  set
of sails or tools: a set of sails or tools

8.  wooing
of woman:
a man’s wooing of a woman and attempts to persuade her to marry him (archaic)
verb
(past suit·ed, past participle suit·ed, present
participle suit·ing, 3rd person present singular suits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
right for something or somebody: to be appropriate to
or the right thing for somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
be
satisfying to somebody: to be something that a
person likes or enjoys

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb be
convenient to somebody: to be convenient or
acceptable to somebody

4.  transitive
verb
look
good on somebody: to look good on somebody or go well with
something • The
color suits you.

5.  transitive
verb
make
suitable:
to adapt something in order to meet requirements or circumstances

6.  reflexive
verb
please
yourself:
to do what you prefer
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman siute from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin sequere
“to follow,” alteration of Latin sequi (source of English persecute ). Originally, “body of followers,”
later “set of things generally.”]
be
somebody’s strong suit

to
be something at which somebody is particularly good

follow
suit

1.  to
do the same as somebody else has done

2.  to
play a card of the same suit as a card led to a trick or played before

[1]



suitable

suitable
suit·a·ble 
[stəb’l] adjective

right
for purpose: of the right type or quality for a
particular purpose or occasion
[Late
16th century. Originally in the sense “matching.”]
—suit·a·bil·i·ty
[stə bíllətee], noun

—suit·a·ble·ness [stəb’lnəss], noun[1]



suitably

suitably
suit·a·bly
[stəblee] adverb

1.  appropriately:
in a way that is right for a particular purpose or occasion

2.  to
an appropriate degree: to an appropriate or the
expected extent

[1]



suitcase

suitcase
suit·case 
[st kàyss] (plural suit·cases)
noun

container for belongings
during travel: a rectangular case used
for carrying clothes and other belongings during travel[1]



suite

suite
suite 
[sweet] (plural suites) noun

1.  set
of rooms:
a set of rooms, for example, in a hotel

2.  set
of matching furniture: a set of matching furniture
for a room, for example, a bed, end tables, and a dresser for a bedroom

3.  MUSIC set of
instrumental works performed together: a set
of instrumental pieces, especially dances, intended to be performed together.
This type of composition was especially popular in the Baroque period.

4.  people
with somebody important: a group of followers, servants,
or advisers accompanying somebody important

5.  COMPUTING collection
of integrated software: a collection of integrated
application programs functioning as a single program, each of which can
incorporate data from the others, eliminating the need for re-entry or transfer
of data. A typical suite includes word processing, spreadsheet, database
management, and electronic mail programs, and additionally such functions as
presentation graphics, address book, and appointment calendar.
[Late 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin sequere (see suit ).][1]



suiting

suiting
suit·ing 
[sting] noun

CLOTHES
material for suits:
material for making suits[1]



suitor

suitor
suit·or 
[stər] (plural suit·ors) noun

1.  man
wooing woman: a man who is trying to persuade a woman
to marry him (dated)

2.  BUSINESS somebody
taking over business: somebody who wants to buy or
tries to take over a business

3.  LAW somebody
who brings lawsuit: somebody on whose behalf a
case is brought to a law court
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman seutor, suitour from Latin secutor
“follower,” from, ultimately, sequi (see suit
).][1]



Sukarno

Sukarno

Su·kar·no 
[soo krnō] (1901–1970)
Indonesian statesman. He led the fight
for Indonesia’s independence from the Netherlands and became the country’s
first president (1949–1967), but his autocratic rule eventually led to his
forced resignation.[1]



sukiyaki

sukiyaki
su·ki·ya·ki 
[si ykee] noun

Japanese
meat and vegetable dish: a Japanese dish consisting
of thin slices of beef or other meat, vegetables, bean curd, and noodles,
cooked quickly in a sweet soy sauce, usually at the table
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “slice-grill.”][1]



sukkah

sukkah
suk·kah 
[skə, s k]
(plural suk·kahs) or suc·cah [skə, s k] (plural
suc·cahs) noun

shelter
built during Sukkoth: a temporary light shelter
with a roof of branches built in Jewish homes, yards, or temples for the
festival of Sukkoth. The shelters are built in memory of the huts or tents the
Israelites lived in during the time they were wandering in the desert after leaving
Egypt.
Also
called
tabernacle
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew sukkāh, literally “hut.”][1]



Sukkoth

Sukkoth
Suk·koth 
[s kt, s kth,
s kss, skəss]
or Suc·coth [s kt, s kth, s kss,
skəss] or Suk·kot [s kt, s kth,
s kss, skəss]
noun

CALENDAR Jewish
harvest festival: an eight-day Jewish autumn harvest
festival beginning on the eve of the 15th day of Tishri.
Also
called
Feast of Tabernacles
Also
called
Tabernacles
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew sukkō, the plural of sukkāh (see sukkah
).][1]



Sukkur

Sukkur
Suk·kur
[súkər]

city and district in Sind
Province, Pakistan, on the banks of the Indus. Population: 190,551 (1981)[1]



Sulawesi

Sulawesi
Su·la·we·si
[soo lə wáy see]

island in Indonesia, situated
in the Malay Archipelago east of Borneo. Population: 13,732,500 (1995) Area:
189,040 sq km/72,989 sq mi.
Also called
Celebes[1]



sulcus

sulcus
sul·cus 
[súlkəss] (plural sul·ci [súlkī]) noun

groove
in brain surface: a shallow groove or depression,
especially any of those separating the convolutions of the surface of the brain
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “furrow, trench.”][1]



SuleimanI (the Magnificent)

SuleimanI (the Magnificent)

Su·lei·man I (the Magnificent)
[slli mn, sli
mn, sl ay mn] or Su·lei·man
I [slli mn, sli
mn, sl ay mn] (1494–1566)
Ottoman sultan. He ruled from 1520 to
1566, extending the Ottoman Empire throughout the Balkans, the Middle East, and
northern Africa, and encouraging artistic and scientific endeavors.[1]



sulf-

sulf-
sulf-
prefix

sulfur
• sulfite
[From sulfur][1]



sulfadiazine

sulfadiazine
sul·fa·di·a·zine 
[sùlfə d ə zn, sùlfə
d əzin] noun

antibacterial
drug:
a sulfa drug used to fight bacterial infections, especially in patients
weakened by other conditions. C10H10N4O2S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sulfa- (see sulfa drug ) + diazine .][1]



sulfadimidine

sulfadimidine
sul·fa·di·mi·dine 
[sùlfə dímmə dn] noun

See
sulfamethazine[1]



sulfadrug

sulfadrug
sul·fa
drug
[súflə drùg] noun

antibacterial
drug:
a drug synthesized from sulfonamide, once used to treat a range of bacterial
infections. Sulfa drugs are now restricted because of their toxicity and
increased bacterial resistance to them.
[Sulfa shortening of sulfanilamide][1]



sulfamethazine

sulfamethazine
sul·fa·meth·a·zine
[sùlfə méthə zn] noun

antibacterial
drug used in combination: a sulfonamide used together
with other sulfonamides or with antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. C12H14N4O2S
Also
called
sulfadimidine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sulfa- (see sulfa drug ) + meth- + azine
.][1]



sulfanilamide

sulfanilamide
sul·fa·nil·a·mide 
[sùlfə níllə md] noun

early
sulfa drug:
the first of the sulfa drugs, once used to treat bacterial infections,
including gonorrhea and urinary tract infections. C6H8N2O2S
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sulf- + aniline
+ amide .][1]



sulfatase

sulfatase
sul·fa·tase 
[sùlfə tàyss, sùlfə
tàyz] noun

enzyme in animals and
bacteria: an enzyme found in animal
tissue and some microorganisms that accelerates the decomposition of sulfuric
esters[1]



sulfate

sulfate
sul·fate 
[súl fàyt] noun (plural sul·fates)

sulfuric acid salt or ester:
a salt or ester of sulfuric acid
verb
(past sul·fat·ed, past participle sul·fat·ed, present
participle sul·fat·ing, 3rd person present singular sul·fates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
layer of lead sulfate: to make a layer of lead
sulfate form on the plates of a battery, or become covered with lead sulfate

2.  transitive
verb
treat
something with sulfur: to treat something with
sulfur, sulfuric acid, or a sulfate

3.  transitive
verb
convert
to sulfate:
to convert something to a sulfate
—sul·fa·tion [sul fáysh’n], noun[1]



sulfide

sulfide
sul·fide 
[súl fd] noun

compound of sulfur:
a chemical compound containing sulfur and one or more other elements[1]



sulfite

sulfite
sul·fite 
[súl ft] (plural sul·fites) noun

sulfurous
acid salt or ester: a salt or ester of sulfurous
acid
—sul·fit·ic [sul fíttik], adjective[1]



sulfon-

sulfon-
sulfon-
prefix

sulfonic
• sulfonyl
[From sulfone][1]



sulfonamide

sulfonamide
sul·fon·a·mide 
[sul fónnə md] (plural sul·fon·a·mides)
noun

active
substance in sulfa drugs: a substance that is
responsible for the antibacterial action of sulfa drugs. Sulfonamides work by
depriving bacteria of the ability to synthesize the essential nutrient folic
acid.
[Late 19th century. From sulfone + amide
.][1]



sulfonate

sulfonate
sul·fo·nate 
[súlfə nàyt] noun

sulfonic
acid salt or ester: a salt or ester of sulfonic
acid
transitive
verb

treat
with sulfuric acid: to treat an organic
substance with sulfuric acid
[Late
19th century. Formed from sulfonic .]
—sul·fo·na·tion [sùlfə náysh’n], noun[1]



sulfone

sulfone
sul·fone 
[súl fn] (plural sul·fones) noun

compound
of sulfur:
a compound containing the sulfonyl group in which sulfur is attached to two
carbon atoms
[Late 19th century. From
German Sulfon, from Sulfur “sulfur.”][1]



sulfonic

sulfonic
sul·fon·ic 
[sul fónnik] adjective

of
acid group SO 2 OH:
relating to, containing, or derived from the acid group SO 2 OH
[Late 19th century. Formed
from German Sulfon (see sulfone ).][1]



sulfonicacid

sulfonicacid
sul·fon·ic
ac·id
noun

organic acid:
an organic acid used in the making of dyes and drugs[1]



sulfonium

sulfonium
sul·fo·ni·um 
[sul fṓnee əm] noun

sulfur-containing
ion or radical: an ion or radical containing sulfur with
a valence of three
[Late 19th century. Formed
from sulfur .][1]



sulfonmethane

sulfonmethane
sul·fon·meth·ane 
[sùl fōn mé thàyn] noun

hypnotic drug:
a hypnotic and potentially addictive drug used in medicine. C7H16O4S2[1]



sulfonyl

sulfonyl
sul·fo·nyl 
[súlfə nìl] noun

chemical
group:
the bivalent chemical group SO 2 .

Also
called
sulfuryl
[Early 20th century. Formed
from sulfonic .][1]



sulfonylurea

sulfonylurea
sul·fo·nyl·ur·e·a 
[sùlfənil yree ə] (plural sul·fo·nyl·ur·e·as)
noun

(plural sul·fony·lureas)
hypoglycemic drug:
a drug given orally to lower blood sugar in diabetic patients[1]



sulfur

sulfur

sul·fur 
[súlfər] or sul·phur [súlfər] noun

1.  yellow
nonmetallic element: a nonmetallic yellow
chemical element that occurs alone in nature or combined in sulfide and sulfate
minerals and is used to make sulfuric acid, matches, fungicides, and gunpowder.
Symbol S

2.  yellowish-green
color:
a yellowish-green color
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sulf(e)re, from, ultimately, Latin sulfur,
sulphur .]
—sul·fur,
adjective

—sul·fur·y, adjective[1]



sulfurate

sulfurate
sul·fu·rate 
[súlfə ràyt, súlfyə
ràyt] (past sul·fu·rat·ed, past participle sul·fu·rat·ed,
present participle sul·fu·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular
sul·fu·rates) transitive verb

treat
something with sulfur: to treat or combine
something with sulfur
—sul·fu·ra·tion [sùlfə ráysh’n, sùlfyə
ráysh’n], noun[1]



sulfurbacterium

sulfurbacterium
sul·fur
bac·te·ri·um noun

sulfur-metabolizing
bacterium: a bacterium that is capable
of metabolizing sulfur or inorganic sulfur compounds. Genus: Thiobacillus[1]



sulfurdioxide

sulfurdioxide
sul·fur
di·ox·ide
noun

strong-smelling toxic gas:
a colorless pungent toxic gas used in making sulfuric acid and as a
preservative, fumigant, and bleaching agent. It is formed by burning sulfur and
constitutes a major component of air pollution in industrial regions. SO2[1]



sulfureous

sulfureous
sul·fur·e·ous 
adjective

See
sulfurous  adjective 1
—sul·fur·e·ous·ly,
adverb

—sul·fure·ous·ness, noun[1]



sulfuric

sulfuric
sul·fu·ric 
[sul fyrik] adjective

containing sulfur:
relating to or containing sulfur, especially with a higher valence than in
sulfurous compounds[1]



sulfuricacid

sulfuricacid
sul·fu·ric
ac·id
noun

strong corrosive acid:
a strong colorless oily corrosive acid that is used in batteries and in the
manufacture of many products such as fertilizers, explosives, detergents, dyes,
and chemicals. H2SO4[1]



sulfurize

sulfurize
sul·fur·ize 
[súlfyə rz] (past sul·fur·ized,
past participle sul·fur·ized, present participle sul·fur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sul·fur·iz·es) transitive verb

treat
with sulfur: to treat or combine something with
sulfur or a sulfur compound
—sul·fur·i·za·tion [sùlfərə záysh’n], noun[1]



sulfurous

sulfurous
sul·fur·ous 
[súlfərəss, súlfyərəss]
or sul·fur·e·ous [sul fyree əss]
adjective

1.  containing
sulfur:
relating to or containing sulfur, especially with a valence of 4

2.  similar
to burning sulfur: with the color or acrid
smell of burning sulfur

3.  relating
to hell:
relating to hell or hellfire (literary)

4.  fiery:
fiery, especially in having or showing a violent temper or in being emotionally
charged and containing many swearwords or blasphemies (literary)
[15th
century. Formed from Latin sulphurosus, or from sulfur
.]
—sul·fur·ous·ly,
adverb

—sul·fur·ous·ness, noun[1]



sulfurousacid

sulfurousacid
sul·fur·ous
ac·id
noun

weak acid used as food
preservative: a weak colorless acid
that is a solution of sulfur dioxide in water and is used as a disinfectant,
food preservative, and bleaching agent. H2SO3[1]



sulfurpearl

sulfurpearl
sulfur
pearl
(plural sulfur pearls) noun

very large bacterium:
a very large bacterium, typically between 0.1 and 0.3 mm in size but sometimes
larger, found in sediments off the west coast of Namibia. It uses nitrates as
its source of oxygen in oxidizing and breaking down sulfur compounds. Latin
name: Thiomargarita nambibiensis[1]



sulfurspring

sulfurspring
sul·fur
spring
noun

spring containing sulfur:
a spring with significant amounts of sulfur compounds in the water[1]



sulfuryl

sulfuryl
sul·fur·yl 
[súlfə rìl, súlfyə
rìl] noun

See
sulfonyl
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from sulfur + -yl
.][1]



sulk

sulk
sulk 
[sulk] intransitive verb (past
sulked, past participle sulked, present participle sulk·ing,
3rd person present singular sulks)

be angrily silent:
to refuse to talk to or associate with others as a show of resentment for a
real or imagined grievance
noun
(plural sulks)

1.  bad-tempered
silence:
a period, state, or show of resentfulness and refusal to communicate

2.  somebody
who sulks:
somebody who tends to sulk
[Late
18th century. Back-formation from sulky .]
—sulk·er, noun[1]



sulky

sulky
sulk·y
[súlkee] adjective (comparative
sulk·i·er, superlative sulk·i·est)

angrily
silent:
in a bad mood and refusing to communicate because of resentment for a real or
imagined grievance
noun
(plural sulk·ies)

horse-drawn
vehicle for one person: a light open two-wheeled
vehicle for one person, pulled by one horse. Sulkies are today used mostly for
racing.
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of earlier sulke
“sluggish,” from, perhaps, Old English āsolcen, an adjectival use of the
past participle of āseolcan “to become sluggish.” In the noun sense,
perhaps from its having room for only one person.]
—sulk·i·ly,
adverb

—sulk·i·ness, noun[1]



sullage

sullage
sul·lage 
[súllij] noun

1.  waste
material:
sewage or any other form of waste or refuse

2.  silt:
solid material deposited by flowing water, for example, by a river
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Anglo-Norman suillage, from Old French soill(i)er
“to soil” (see soil ).][1]



sullen

sullen
sul·len 
[súllən] adjective

1.  hostilely
silent:
showing bad temper or hostility by a refusal to talk, behave sociably, or
cooperate cheerfully

2.  cloudy
and dull:
dull and gray because of clouds, fog, or haze (literary)

3.  slow-moving:
moving slowly (literary) • a
sullen stream
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman sulein “alone,” from sol “sole,
single” (the original English sense), from Latin solus (see sole ).]
—sul·len·ly,
adverb

—sul·len·ness, noun[1]



Sullivan,Arthur

Sullivan,Arthur
Sul·li·van
[súlləvən], Sir Arthur (1842–1900)

British
composer. He is best known for his 14 popular comic operas, containing much
musical parody, to librettos by Sir William S. Gilbert.
Full name
Sullivan, Sir Arthur Seymour[1]



Sullivan,Harry Stack

Sullivan,Harry Stack
Sul·li·van
[súlləvən], Harry Stack (1892–1949)

U.S. psychiatrist. He
developed the influential theory that personality and psychiatric disorders are
formed by the interaction of personal and social forces.[1]



Sullivan,John L.

Sullivan,John L.
Sul·li·van
[súlləvən], John L. (1858–1918)

U.S.
boxer. He was the last bare-knuckled heavyweight champion of the world
(1882–1892).
Full name
Sullivan, John Lawrence[1]



Sullivan,Louis

Sullivan,Louis
Sul·li·van
[súlləvən], Louis (1856–1924)

U.S.
architect. His tall steel-framed buildings, built mostly in Chicago, were the
world’s first skyscrapers.
Full name
Sullivan, Louis Henri[1]



sully

sully
sul·ly 
[súllee] (past sul·lied, past
participle sul·lied, present participle sul·ly·ing, 3rd
person present singular sul·lies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spoil:
to spoil or detract from something, especially somebody’s reputation, that has
previously been pure and honorable, or to become spoiled or tarnished

2.  transitive
verb
make
dirty:
to make something dirty (literary)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from French souiller “to soil,”
from Old French soill(i)er (see soil
).]
—sul·lied, adjective[1]



Sully,Thomas

Sully,Thomas
Sul·ly 
[súllee], Thomas (1783–1872)

British-born U.S. artist. He
is known for his colorful romantic portraits, including several of U.S.
presidents.[1]



sulphadimidine

sulphadimidine
sul·pha·di·mi·dine
[sùlfə dímmə dn] noun

U.K.
See sulfamethazine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sulph- + di- + pyrimidine .][1]



sulphur

sulphur
sul·phur
noun

See
sulfur[1]



Sulphur

Sulphur
Sul·phur 
[súlfər]

city in southwestern
Louisiana, northeast of Port Arthur, Texas, and northwest of Lake Charles.
Population: 20,883 (1996)[1]



sultan

sultan
sul·tan 
[súltən] (plural sul·tans) noun

1.  Muslim
ruler:
the sovereign ruler of a Muslim country, especially in the past and especially
the head of the Ottoman Empire. Only three countries now have sultans as their
head of state: Brunei, Oman, and Malaysia.

2.  powerful
and domineering man: a man who is powerful in
some sphere of activity, especially one who behaves in a domineering or
tyrannical fashion (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin sultanus, from
Arabic sulān “ruler, power” from Aramaic salia “to rule.”]
—sul·tan·ic
[sul tánnik], adjective

—sul·tan·ship [súltən shìp], noun[1]



sultana

sultana
sul·tan·a 
[sul tánnə] (plural sul·tan·as)
noun

1.  dried
grape:
a small dried seedless white grape

2.  sultan’s
woman relative: a wife, mother, sister, daughter, or
mistress of a sultan
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, the feminine of sultano “sultan,” from, ultimately, Arabic sulān
(see sultan ).][1]



sultanate

sultanate
sul·tan·ate 
[súltənət, súltə
nàyt] (plural sul·tan·ates) noun

1.  country
ruled by sultan: a country ruled by a sultan

2.  rank
of sultan:
the rank or position of sultan

3.  sultan’s
reign:
the period of a particular sultan’s reign

[1]



sultry

sultry
sul·try 
[súltree] adjective

1.  hot
and damp:
oppressively hot and damp

2.  sensual:
giving a suggestion of underlying passion and sensuality
[Late
16th century. Formed from earlier sulter “to swelter,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps an alteration of swelter .]
—sul·tri·ly,
adverb

—sul·tri·ness, noun[1]



sum

sum
sum 
[sum] noun (plural sums)

1.  total:
the total amount resulting when two or more numbers or quantities are added
together

2.  amount
of money:
an amount of money

3.  arithmetical
calculation: a mathematical problem involving adding,
subtracting, multiplying, or dividing numbers, especially one given to students
to solve

4.  combined
total:
the combined total amount of anything

5.  gist:
the essential point of something that somebody has said or written (literary)

6.  MATHEMATICS limit
of sum of series: the limit, as n increases indefinitely,
of the sum of the first n terms of an infinite series
transitive
verb
(past summed, past participle summed, present
participle sum·ming, 3rd person present singular sums)

add up: to
add together two or more amounts to find their total (formal)
[13th
century. Via Old French summe from Latin summa “sum, substance”
(literally “highest (thing)”), a noun use of the feminine of summus
“highest” (source of English consummate,
summary, and summit ), from, ultimately, super
“above” (source of English super )
from Latin summa “sum.”]
in
sum

in
short or as a summary





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  semantic development of sum from “highest”
  to “sum total” resulted from the Roman practice of counting columns of
  figures from the bottom upwards, the total being written at the top.

[1]



sumac

sumac

su·mac 
[s màk, sh màk]
(plural su·mac·es) or su·mach [s màk, sh màk]
(plural su·mach·es) noun

1.  tree
of cashew family: a tree or shrub of the cashew family
that has clusters of green flowers, red hairy fruit, and feathery leaves.
Genus: Rhus
See
also
poison sumach

2.  ground
and dried sumac leaves: the ground dried leaves of
one species of sumac, used in tanning and dyeing
[14th century. Directly or
via French sumac from medieval Latin sumac(h), from Arabic summā
.][1]



Sumatra

Sumatra
Su·ma·tra 
[s mtrə]

island
in western Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean, separated from the Malay Peninsula
by the Strait of Malacca. It is the westernmost of the Sundra Islands.
Population: 36,881 (1990) Area: 425,150 sq km/164,150 sq mi.
—Su·ma·tran, noun,
adjective[1]



Sumer

Sumer
Su·mer 
[smər]

ancient country of western
Asia in southern Mesopotamia, in present-day Iraq. Archaeological discoveries
reveal the area to have been first settled in the 5th millennium BC . It became prosperous and powerful
from about 3000 BC, and fell into
decline from about 1760 BC, when
it was absorbed into Babylonia and Assyria.[1]



Sumerian

Sumerian
Su·me·ri·an 
[s mérree ən, s
mree ən] (plural Su·me·ri·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Babylonian people: a member of an ancient
people that built the flourishing civilization of Sumer

2.  LANGUAGE Sumerian
language:
the language spoken in ancient Sumer. It is not related to any other known
language. Sumerian is the oldest language preserved in writing, its cuneiform
tablets dating from about 3000 BC.
—Su·me·ri·an, adjective[1]



summa

summa
sum·ma
[súmmə, smmə,
smə] (plural sum·mae [sú m, sú m]) noun

summary
of all knowledge on subject: a summary of what is known
of a subject, especially a medieval treatise on theology, philosophy, canon
law, or alchemy
[15th century. From Latin,
“main thing, substance, gist,” a noun use of the feminine of summus (see
sum ). The original English meaning was “sum
total.”][1]



summacum laude

summacum laude
sum·ma
cum lau·de 
[smmə km lów dày, smə
koom lów dày, smmə km lówdee, smə koom lówdee] adverb

with
highest academic honors: achieving the highest
academic honors at graduation, usually awarded on the basis of the candidates’
cumulative grade point average.
See
also
cum laude
See
also
magna cum laude
[From
Latin, literally “with highest praise”]
—sum·ma cum lau·de, adjective[1]



summae

summae
sum·mae


Plural of
summa[1]



summand

summand
sum·mand
[sú mànd, sə
mánd] (plural sum·mands) noun

number
in sum:
any of the numbers or quantities in a sum
[Mid-19th century. From
medieval Latin summandus, literally “for adding,” a form of summare
“to add,” from summa (see sum ).][1]



summarily

summarily
sum·mar·i·ly
[sə mérrəlee, súmmərəlee]
adverb

immediately:
immediately and without discussion or attention to formalities
[Early 16th century.
Originally in the sense “briefly.”][1]



summarize

summarize
sum·ma·rize 
[súmmə rz] (past sum·ma·rized,
past participle sum·ma·rized, present participle sum·ma·riz·ing,
3rd person present singular sum·ma·riz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
a summary:
to make or give a shortened version of something that has been said or written,
stating its main points
—sum·mar·ist,
noun

—sum·ma·riz·a·ble,
adjective

—sum·ma·ri·za·tion
[sùmmərə záysh’n], noun

—sum·ma·riz·er [súmmə rzər], noun[1]



summary

summary
sum·ma·ry 
[súmməree] noun (plural sum·ma·ries)

short version containing gist of
something:
a shortened version of something that has been said or written, containing only
the main points
adjective

1.  immediate:
done immediately and with little discussion or attention to formalities • summary
execution

2.  giving
only main points: shortened and giving only the main
points of something

3.  LAW relating
to lower courts: relating to, dealt with, or given by
lower courts operating without the formality of full proceedings
[15th
century. From Latin summarium, from summa (see sum ).]
—sum·ma·ri·ness, noun[1]



summate

summate
sum·mate 
[sú màyt] (past sum·mat·ed, past
participle sum·mat·ed, present participle sum·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular sum·mates) intransitive and
transitive verb

sum
up:
to summarize what has been said before, especially to make a final summary of a
case in a court of law (formal)
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from summation .][1]



summation

summation
sum·ma·tion 
[su máysh’n] (plural sum·ma·tions)
noun

1.  LAW final
argument in court: the final summing-up of an
argument in a court of law

2.  summary
of something said: a summary of something that
has been said or written

3.  total:
a total amount or aggregate

4.  addition:
the process of adding something up to find a total
[Mid-18th
century. From the modern Latin stem summation-, from medieval Latin summare
(see summand ).]
—sum·ma·tion·al,
adjective

—sum·ma·tive [súmmətiv], adjective[1]



summer

summer1
sum·mer1 [súmmər]
noun (plural sum·mers)

1.  warmest
season:
the warmest season of the year, falling between spring and autumn, and reckoned
astronomically from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox

2.  warm
weather:
the warm weather associated with the summer season

3.  period
of great happiness: a period of greatest
happiness, success, or fulfillment in the life of somebody or something

4.  year:
a year, especially of somebody’s age (literary)
verb
(past sum·mered, past participle sum·mered, present
participle sum·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular sum·mers)

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
summer:
to spend the summer • They
summer at the lake.

2.  transitive
verb
pasture
for summer:
to keep cattle or other animals on a particular pasture during the summer
[Old
English sumor, sumer . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word that is also the ancestor of Dutch zomer and German Sommer
.]
—sum·mer·y, adjective[1]



summer

summer2
sum·mer2 [súmmər]
(plural sum·mers) noun

1.  principal
floor beam:
a principal horizontal beam in a building used to support floor joists.
Also
called
summertree

2.  stone
supporting arch on column: a stone that lies atop a
pier, column, or wall and supports one or more arches

3.  See
lintel
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman sumer, Old French som(i)er “main beam” (originally
“pack horse”) from, ultimately, late Latin sagmarius “pack horse,” from sagma
“pack-saddle,” from Greek . The semantic development resulted from analogy
between a burdened pack horse and a main supporting beam in a structure.][1]



summercamp

summercamp
sum·mer
camp
noun

place of summer recreation
for children: a place, usually
residential, offering outdoor recreational activities and skill development for
children during the summer[1]



summercypress

summercypress
sum·mer
cy·press
noun

plant with red leaves in
fall: a plant of the goosefoot
family that has leaves that turn red in the fall. Latin name: Kochia
scoparia
U.K. term
kochia[1]



summerhouse

summerhouse
sum·mer·house 
[súmmər hòwss] (plural sum·mer·hous·es
[súmmər hòwzəz]) noun

1.  sum·mer
house
house
for summer vacation: a house, for example, in the
mountains or by the shore, used during summer vacations

2.  light
shelter in garden or park: a small building or
structure in a garden or park to give seating and shade during the summer
[Old English sumerhūs][1]



summersault

summersault
sum·mer·sault 
noun intransitive verb

See
somersault[1]



summersavory

summersavory
sum·mer
sa·vor·y
noun

See
savory 2[1]



summerschool

summerschool
sum·mer
school
noun

study course in summer:
a course of study held during the summer vacation, usually an extra course for
high school or college students, especially for those with fewer than the
standard number of credits for their standing[1]



summersquash

summersquash
sum·mer
squash
noun

squash eaten during summer:
a squash grown as a vegetable. It must be used shortly after picking. Latin
name: Cucurbita pepo melopepo[1]



summerstock

summerstock
sum·mer
stock
noun

summer play productions:
productions of plays and musicals by stock companies in the summer[1]



summertime

summertime
sum·mer·time 
[súmmər tm] noun

summer:
the season of summer[1]



summertree

summertree
sum·mer·tree
[súmmər tr] noun

See
summer 2 noun
1[1]



summerwood

summerwood
sum·mer·wood 
[súmmər wd] noun

late-season wood growth:
the part of a tree’s annual wood growth produced late in the growing season
that is harder and less porous than its earlier growth springwood[1]



summit

summit
sum·mit 
[súmmit] (plural sum·mits) noun

1.  highest
point of mountain: the highest point or top of
something, especially a mountain

2.  top-level
diplomatic conference: a meeting between heads of
government or other high-ranking officials to discuss a matter of great
importance

3.  highest
point of something: the highest point, level, or
degree of something such as a career
[14th
century. From Old French som(m)ete, sumet, literally “small top,”
from som, sum “top,” from Latin summum, the neuter of summus
(see sum ).]
—sum·mi·tal, adjective[1]



summitconference

summitconference
sum·mit
con·fer·ence noun

meeting of heads of
government: a meeting between heads of
government to discuss some important matter such as disarmament[1]



summiteer

summiteer
sum·mit·eer 
[sùmmi tr] (plural sum·mit·eers)
noun

participant in summit
conference: somebody who takes part in a
summit conference[1]



summitry

summitry
sum·mit·ry 
[súmmitree] noun

holding of summit
conferences: the practice of
holding, or deciding matters of international importance through, summit
conferences[1]



summon

summon
sum·mon 
[súmmən] (past sum·moned, past
participle sum·moned, present participle sum·mon·ing, 3rd
person present singular sum·mons) verb

1.  transitive
verb
call
into court:
to order somebody to appear in court by serving a summons

2.  transitive
verb
send
for somebody: to send or be a signal for somebody to
come • We
were summoned to his presence.

3.  transitive
verb
convene
group:
to call together a formal or official body • They
summoned a meeting to debate the issue.

4.  transitive
verb
call
upon somebody: to request or require somebody to do
something • She
summoned him to help her.

5.  intransitive
verb
manage
to get something: to gather the resources, especially
courage or strength, to cope with or do something • trying
to summon up the courage to tell him the news
[13th century. Via Old French
sumondre from, ultimately, Latin summonere, literally “to remind
secretly,” from sub- “under” + monere “to warn” (see monish ).][1]



summons

summons
sum·mons 
[súmmənz] noun (plural sum·mons·es)

1.  court
order to defendant: a written order to somebody
to appear in court to answer a complaint

2.  court
order to witness: a written order to a witness or juror to
appear in court

3.  order
by authority to appear: an authoritative demand to
appear at a particular place for a particular purpose
transitive
verb
(past sum·monsed, past participle sum·monsed, present
participle sum·mons·ing, 3rd person present singular sum·mons·es)

serve somebody with summons:
to serve somebody with a summons to appear in court
[13th century. From Old
French somonse, the feminine past participle of somondre (see summon ).][1]



sumo

sumo
su·mo 
[s mō] noun

Japanese
wrestling:
traditional Japanese wrestling in which each contestant tries to force the
other outside a circle or to touch the ground other than with the soles of his
feet
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese sumō .][1]



sump

sump
sump 
[sump] (plural sumps) noun

1.  reservoir
for liquid:
a low area such as a pit or reservoir into which a liquid drains

2.  See
cesspool

3.  U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE See oil pan

4.  MINING drainage
reservoir in mine: an area at the bottom of a
mineshaft into which water drains and is then pumped away

5.  CIVIL ENGINEERING advance
excavation:
an excavation ahead of the main excavation of a mineshaft or tunnel
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch somp or Middle Low German sump . Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “spongy” that is also the ancestor of English
swamp .][1]



sumppump

sumppump
sump
pump
noun

pump for accumulated water:
a pump used to remove liquid from a sump, especially water that has accumulated
in a basement[1]



sumpter

sumpter
sump·ter 
[súmptər] (plural sump·ters) noun

pack
animal:
a packhorse, mule, or other pack animal (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via Old
French sommetier “pack-horse driver” from assumed Vulgar Latin saumatarius,
from Latin sagma “packsaddle,” from Greek, from sattein “to
pack,” of unknown origin.][1]



sumptuary

sumptuary
sump·tu·ar·y 
[súmpchoo èrree] adjective

1.  regulating
expenditure: relating to or controlling personal
spending

2.  regulating
behavior:
intended to regulate personal behavior on moral or religious grounds
[Early 17th century. From
Latin sumptuarius, from sumptus “expense,” the past participle of
sumere “to spend,” literally “to take up,” from emere (see example ).][1]



sumptuous

sumptuous
sump·tu·ous 
[súmpchoo əss] adjective

1.  splendid:
magnificent or grand in appearance

2.  extravagant:
entailing great expense
[15th
century. Via Old French somptueux from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus
“expense” (see sumptuary ).]
—sump·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—sump·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



Sumter

Sumter
Sum·ter 
[súmptər]

city in South Carolina. It is
southwest of Florence and east of Columbia. Population: 38,565 (1996)[1]



sumtotal

sumtotal
sum
to·tal
noun

1.  everything
put together: a combined total of separate elements • The
sum total of his belongings is the clothes on his back.

2.  final
total:
a numerical amount obtained by adding sums

[1]



sum-up

sum-up
sum-up
(plural sum-ups) noun

summary:
a concise presentation of the main points or substance of something[1]



Sun.

Sun.
Sun.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Sunday[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sun

sun

sun 
[sun] noun (plural suns)

1.  Sun
or sun ASTRONOMY star
around which Earth revolves: the star at the center of
our solar system around which the Earth and the eight other planets orbit. It
provides us with heat and light.

2.  star:
any star or bright celestial body, especially one around which planets orbit

3.  ASTRONOMY Sun’s
radiation:
the light or heat emitted by the Sun

4.  somebody
like the Sun: somebody or something thought to
resemble the Sun in radiance, glory, or warmth, or in being the center of a
society (literary)

5.  day
or year:
a day or year (literary)

6.  sunrise
or sunset:
the rising or setting of the Sun (archaic) • working
from sun to sun
verb (past
sunned, past participle sunned, present participle sun·ning,
3rd person present singular suns)

1.  reflexive
verb
bask
in the sun:
to expose the body to the sun’s rays for warmth or for a suntan • The
cat lay sunning herself on the lawn.

2.  transitive
verb
warm
or dry in the sun: to expose something to the
sun’s rays for warmth or drying
[Old
English sunne . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English south, solar, and helium
.]
take the sun

to
go out in the sunshine, especially with the aim of gaining some benefit to your
health or wellbeing

under the sun

in the whole world[1]



sunbake

sunbake
sun·bake
[sún bàyk] intransitive verb (past
sun·baked, past participle sun·baked, present
participle sun·baked, 3rd person present singular sun·bakes)

Australia
sunbathe:
to sunbathe
noun
(plural sun·bakes)

Australia
sunbath:
a sunbath[1]



sunbaked

sunbaked
sun·baked 
[sún bàykt] adjective

1.  hardened
by the sun:
hard and dry from prolonged exposure to the sun

2.  baked
in the sun:
baked by a process of exposure to the sun

[1]



sunbath

sunbath
sun·bath 
[sún bàth] (plural sun·baths [sún bàz, sún bàs])
noun

act of sunbathing:
an act or period of exposing the body to the sun or a sun lamp, especially in
order to get a tan[1]



sunbathe

sunbathe
sun·bathe 
[sún bày] (past sun·bathed, past
participle sun·bathed, present participle sun·bath·ing,
3rd person present singular sun·bathes) intransitive verb

lie
in sun:
to expose the body to sun or a sun lamp, especially in order to get a tan
—sun·bath·er, noun[1]



sunbeam

sunbeam
sun·beam 
[sún bm] (plural sun·beams) noun

ray
of sunlight: a ray of light emitted by the sun
—sun·beam·y, adjective[1]



sunbear

sunbear
sun
bear
noun

small forest-dwelling bear:
a small bear of forests of southeastern Asia with sleek black fur, a
light-colored muzzle, and a yellowish breast marking. Latin name: Helarctos
malayanus[1]



sunbed

sunbed
sun·bed
[sún bèd] (plural sun·beds) noun

U.K.
See tanning bed[1]



sunbird

sunbird
sun·bird 
[sún bùrd] (plural sun·birds) noun

small brightly colored bird:
a small brightly colored singing bird native to southern and southeastern Asia,
Africa, and Australia. It has a long thin curved bill and feeds on insects and
nectar. Family: Nectariniidae[1]



sunbittern

sunbittern
sun
bit·tern
noun

bird with distinctive wing
markings: a semiarboreal solitary
wading bird of tropical Central and South America that has mottled brownish
plumage featuring a chestnut marking like a sunburst when its wings are spread.
Latin name: Eurypyga helius[1]



sunblock

sunblock
sun·block
[sún blòk] (plural sun·blocks)
noun

substance blocking
ultraviolet rays: a substance that is
applied to the skin as a cream or lotion to protect it from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet rays[1]



sunbonnet

sunbonnet
sun·bon·net 
[sún bònnət] (plural sun·bon·nets)
noun

bonnet giving protection from
sun: a bonnet with a wide brim
and a flap at the back, worn by babies and, in the past, by women to protect
the face and neck from sun[1]



sunbow

sunbow
sun·bow 
[sún b] (plural sun·bows) noun

rainbow
colors from sunlight: a spectrum of colors similar
to a rainbow produced by sunlight refracting through spray, mist, or water
vapor, for example, above a waterfall
[Modeled on “rainbow”][1]



sunburn

sunburn
sun·burn 
[sún bùrn] noun (plural sun·burns)

burned
skin from overexposure to sun: an inflammation and
sometimes blistering of the skin caused by overexposure to ultraviolet
radiation from the sun
intransitive
verb
(past sun·burned or sun·burnt [sún bùrnt], past participle sun·burned
or sun·burnt, present participle sun·burn·ing, 3rd
person present singular sun·burns)

burn skin in sun:
to cause the skin to become inflamed and sometimes blistered as a result of
overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun[1]



sunburned

sunburned
sun·burned
[sún bùrnd] or sun·burnt [sún bùrnt] adjective

burned by sun:
affected by sunburn[1]



sunburst

sunburst
sun·burst 
[sún bùrst] (plural sun·bursts)
noun

1.  sudden
burst of sunshine: a sudden appearance of the
sun from behind clouds

2.  sun-shaped
design:
a design meant to resemble the sun, consisting of a series of rays extending
outward from a central circle

3.  sun-shaped
brooch:
a brooch or other ornament designed as a sunburst

[1]



Sunbury

Sunbury
Sun·bur·y
[súnbree]

town in southern Victoria,
Australia, a residential and agricultural center. Population: 22,126 (1996)[1]



sunchoke

sunchoke
sun·choke
[sún chk] (plural sun·chokes)
noun

See
Jerusalem artichoke
[Late 20th century. Coined
from sunflower + artichoke .][1]



suncream

suncream
sun
cream
noun

U.K.
See suntan lotion[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sundae

sundae
sun·dae 
[sún dày] (plural sun·daes) noun

ice-cream
dessert with toppings: an ice-cream dessert served
with toppings such as whipped cream, fruit, nuts, and flavored syrup
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of Sunday .][1]



SundaIslands

SundaIslands
Sun·da
Is·lands 
[sùndə ləndz]

island group of the Malay
Archipelago between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. It consists of
two groups, the Greater Sunda Islands, which include Sumatra, Java and Borneo,
and the Lesser Sunda Islands, which include Bali and Timor.[1]



sundance

sundance
sun
dance
noun

ceremony held by Native N
Americans: an important ceremonial
dance of Native North American peoples living on prairies, held annually in
honor of the sun[1]



Sunday

Sunday
Sun·day 
[sún dày, súndee]
noun (plural Sun·days) CALENDAR

1.  1st
day of week: the day of the week after Saturday and
before Monday

2.  Christian
Sabbath day: in Christian tradition, the day set
aside for the Sabbath
adjective

1.  of
Sunday:
relating to or occupying a Sunday

2.  for
special occasions: worn or used for special
occasions

3.  only
at weekends or as hobby: lacking experience,
efficiency, or professional skill • These
Sunday drivers are a menace on the roads.
[Old English sunnandæg,
literally “day of the sun,” a translation of Latin dies solis][1]



Sunday-go-to-meeting

Sunday-go-to-meeting
Sun·day-go-to-meet·ing
adjective

suitable for church:
suitable for attending a church service (informal)[1]



Sundaypunch

Sundaypunch
Sun·day
punch
noun

1.  knockout
punch:
a boxer’s most powerful punch, especially a knockout blow

2.  effective
weapon:
a means of delivering a devastating blow to an opponent

[1]



Sundays

Sundays
Sun·days
[sún dàyz, súndeez]
adverb

on Sundays:
every Sunday[1]



Sundayschool

Sundayschool
Sun·day
school
noun

religious school:
a school or class offering children religious education or activities on
Sundays[1]



sundeck

sundeck
sun
deck
noun

1.  NAUTICAL ship’s
deck:
an open upper deck on a passenger ship

2.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand place to sunbathe:
a balcony, terrace, or platform attached to a building, used for sunbathing

[1]



sunder

sunder
sun·der 
[súndər] (past sun·dered, past
participle sun·dered, present participle sun·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular sun·ders) intransitive and transitive
verb

break
something apart: to separate or make something separate
into parts, especially with force (archaic or literary)
[Old
English sundrian, from sundor “apart.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of Latin sine “without.”]
—sun·der·er, noun[1]



sundew

sundew
sun·dew 
[sún d, sún dy]
(plural sun·dews) noun

insect-eating
plant:
a plant that produces a rosette of hairy sticky leaves that are used to trap
and digest insects. Sundews occur worldwide, but especially in Australia and
New Zealand. Family: Droseraceae
[Translation of Latin ros
solis ; so called because the drops of juice the plant secretes resemble
dew][1]



sundial

sundial

sun·di·al 
[sún d əl] (plural sun·di·als)
noun
time-telling instrument:
an instrument that shows the time of day by the position of a sun-generated
shadow cast by a fixed arm ( gnomon ) onto a
graduated plate or surface[1]



sundisk

sundisk
sun
disk
noun

symbol of Egyptian sun god:
an ancient Egyptian sun-god symbol, consisting of a disk with wings and two
serpents[1]



sundog

sundog
sun·dog 
[sún dòg] (plural sun·dogs) noun

1.  See
parhelion

2.  small
rainbow near sun: a small spectrum of light occasionally
visible in the sky at the same altitude as the sun, either to the left or right
of the sun and sometimes on both sides simultaneously

[1]



sundown

sundown
sun·down 
[sún dòwn] noun

sunset:
the time when the sun sets[1]



sundowner

sundowner
sun·down·er 
[sún dòwnər] (plural sun·down·ers)
noun

U.K.,
South Africa drink taken
at sunset: an alcoholic drink taken
early in the evening, around sunset (informal)[1]



sundress

sundress
sun·dress 
[sún drèss] (plural sun·dresses)
noun

dress for hot weather:
a light sleeveless summer dress with a low bodice that exposes the shoulders,
back, and arms to the sun[1]



sun-dried

sun-dried
sun-dried
adjective

dried in sun:
dried out naturally by the sun, not by applying artificial heat[1]



sundries

sundries
sun·dries 
[súndreez] plural noun

miscellaneous things:
small miscellaneous items, often of too little value to be enumerated[1]



sundrops

sundrops
sun·drops 
[sún dròps] (plural sun·drops)
noun

See
evening primrose[1]



sundry

sundry
sun·dry 
[súndree] adjective

various:
assorted but, perhaps for convenience, being considered as a single category or
group • and
other sundry items.
See
also
sundries
[Old
English syndrig “separate”]
all
and sundry

everyone without exception (takes
a plural verb)[1]



Sundsvall

Sundsvall
Sunds·vall 
[sndz vl]

town and port on the Gulf of
Bothnia, Sweden, situated about 400 km/250 mi north of Stockholm. Population:
94,531 (1995)[1]



sunfish

sunfish
sun·fish 
[sún fìsh] (plural sun·fish or
sun·fish·es) noun

1.  N
American freshwater fish: a small to medium sized
spiny-finned North American freshwater fish, often with iridescent colors. The
family includes several game fish. Examples are the smallmouth bass, the
largemouth bass, the black-and-white crappie, the bluegill, and the pumpkinseed.

2.  U.K.
See ocean sunfish

[1]



sunflower

sunflower

sun·flow·er 
[sún flòwr] (plural sun·flow·ers)
noun

1.  tall
plant with yellow-rayed flowers: a tall annual plant
with large yellow-rayed flowers and edible seeds that yield an oil. It is grown
for ornament and as a farm crop for sunflower oil. Latin name: Helianthus
annus

2.  plant
related to commercially grown sunflower: any
of several plants related to the seed- and oil-giving sunflower. Genus: Helianthus
[Mid-16th
century. Translation of modern Latin flos solis and Greek helianthos
. So called from its yellow-rayed flowers and because it turns to follow the
sun throughout the day.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Sunflowers,
  a series of paintings by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh ( 1888 ). These simple
  still lifes constitute one of Van Gogh’s most successful attempts to
  transform everyday objects into powerful poetic symbols. Their intense colors
  and ragged, writhing forms suggest the life forces inherent in nature as well
  as the energy of the artist, but also hint at an underlying sense of anxiety
  and despair.

[1]



sung

sung
sung


Past participle of
sing[1]



Sung

Sung
Sung 
[sng] or Song [sng] noun

Chinese
dynasty:
a Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from AD
960–1279, under which science, philosophy, and the arts thrived
[Late 17th century. From
Chinese Song .][1]



sungazer

sungazer
sun·gaz·er
[sún gàyzər] (plural sun·gaz·ers)
noun

southern African lizard:
a lizard of southern Africa that grows to about 355 cm14 in. and is known for
its habit of basking in the sun. Latin name: Cordylus giganteus[1]



sunglass

sunglass
sun·glass 
[sún glàss] noun (plural sun·glass·es)

lens
to focus sun’s rays: a convex lens used to focus
the sun’s rays to produce heat, especially in order to start a fire
plural
noun
sun·glass·es

glasses that shield eyes from
glare: eyeglasses with tinted or
darkened lenses to protect the eyes from sunlight or its glare[1]



sunglow

sunglow
sun·glow 
[sún gl] (plural sun·glows) noun

glow from sun below horizon:
a pale pink or yellow glow seen in the sky just before sunrise or just after
sunset[1]



sungod

sungod
sun
god
or sun-god noun

1.  sun
as god:
the sun worshiped as a god

2.  god
of the sun:
a god that personifies or is seen as controlling the sun

[1]



sun-grebe

sun-grebe
sun-grebe
(plural sun -grebes) noun

tropical water bird:
a diving bird that lives along rivers and lakes of tropical America, Africa,
and Asia. It has brownish plumage and lobed toes and feeds on aquatic
invertebrates. Family: Heliornithidae
Also called
finfoot[1]



sunhat

sunhat
sun·hat
[sún hàt] (plural sun·hats) noun

hat to shade face from sun:
a hat with a broad brim that is designed to keep the sun off the face and neck[1]



suni

suni
su·ni
[snee] (plural su·nis or
su·ni) noun

small
southern African antelope: a small southern African
antelope, growing to only about 355 cm14 in. long, that has small straight
horns and a strong musky odor from facial glands. Latin name: Neotragus
moschatus
[Late 19th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



sunk

sunk
sunk 
[sungk]

Past
participle of sink Past
tense of sink
adjective

doomed
to failure:
without hope of success (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sink.

[1]



sunken

sunken
sunk·en 
[súngkən] adjective

1.  submerged:
having sunk beneath the surface of something

2.  hollow-looking:
appearing hollow or concave • sunken
cheeks

3.  sunk
lower:
having settled to a lower level

4.  at
lower elevation: at a lower level than something
adjoining

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at sink.

[1]



sunkfence

sunkfence
sunk
fence
noun

ditch acting as fence:
a ditch containing a fence or wall that separates lands without marring the
appearance of the landscape[1]



sunlamp

sunlamp
sun·lamp
[sún làmp] (plural sun·lamps) noun

1.  lamp
used for tanning: a lamp that emits ultraviolet light,
used to get a suntan or for therapeutic purposes

2.  photographer’s
lamp:
a lamp with parabolic mirrors that are directed to focus light, used in cinema
photography

[1]



sunless

sunless
sun·less 
[súnnləss] adjective

1.  without
sunlight:
deprived of or lacking sunlight

2.  joyless:
without joy or happiness

[1]



sunlight

sunlight
sun·light 
[sún lt] noun

light
from sun:
light emitted by the sun
—sun·lit [sún lìt], adjective[1]



sunlotion

sunlotion
sun
lo·tion
noun

See
suntan lotion[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sunlounge

sunlounge
sun
lounge
noun

U.K.
See sunroom[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sunn

sunn
sunn 
[sun] (plural sunns) noun

1.  PLANTS tropical
Asian leguminous plant: a plant of the pea family
that has thin branches and clusters of yellow flowers and grows in tropical
Asia and Australia. Latin name: Crotalaria juncea

2.  INDUSTRY fiber from
sunn plant:
strong light fiber obtained from the inner bark of the sunn plant, used for
such things as rope and sacks
[Late 18th century. Via
Hindustani san from Sanskrit śāṇa- “hempen.”][1]



Sunna

Sunna
Sun·na
[snnə, súnnə]
or Sun·nah [snnə, súnnə] noun

part
of Islamic law: one of the basic sources of Islamic law
based on Muhammad’s words and deeds as recorded in the Hadith. The Sunna
complements and often explains the Koran.
[Early 18th century. From
Arabic, “rule, custom.”][1]



Sunni

Sunni
Sun·ni 
[snnee] (plural Sun·ni or
Sun·nis) noun

1.  branch
of Islam:
the largest branch of Islam, which believes in the traditions of the Sunna and
accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to Muhammad

2.  Sunni
Muslim:
a member of the Sunni branch of Islam.
Also
called
Sunnite
[Late 16th century. From
Arabic, “lawful,” from sunna “rule, custom.”][1]



sunnies

sunnies
sun·nies
[súnniz] plural noun

Australia, New Zealand
sunglasses:
sunglasses (informal)[1]



Sunnite

Sunnite
Sun·nite 
[s nt, sú nt]
(plural Sun·nites) noun

See
Sunni  noun 2[1]



sunny

sunny
sun·ny 
[súnnee] (comparative sun·ni·er,
superlative sun·ni·est) adjective

1.  full
of sunshine: with a lot of sunshine

2.  full
of sunlight: bright with or exposed to sunlight

3.  cheerful:
characterized by or showing happiness or cheerfulness
—sun·ni·ly,
adverb

—sun·ni·ness, noun[1]



sunny-sideup

sunny-sideup
sun·ny-side
up 
adjective

fried on one side only:
used to describe fried eggs that are not turned over in cooking and so have a
visible yellow yolk uppermost[1]



sunparlor

sunparlor
sun
par·lor
noun

See
sunroom[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sunprotection factor

sunprotection factor
sun
pro·tec·tion fac·tor noun

Full form of
SPF[1]



sunrise

sunrise
sun·rise 
[sún rz] (plural sun·rises) noun

1.  coming
up of sun:
the rising of the sun above the eastern horizon each morning

2.  glow
from rising sun: an atmospheric glow and coloring near
the horizon as the sun rises

3.  time
sun rises:
the time at which the sun rises above the horizon in the morning.
Also
called
sunup

[1]



sunroof

sunroof
sun·roof 
[sún rf] (plural sun·roofs) noun

opening in roof of car:
a small panel in the roof of a car that can be raised or slid back to let in
air and light[1]



sunroom

sunroom
sun·room 
[sún rm, sún
rm] (plural sun·rooms) noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand sunny room:
a room with large windows designed to receive the maximum sunlight.
Also called
sun parlor
U.K. term
sun lounge[1]



sunscreen

sunscreen
sun·screen 
[sún skrn] (plural sun·screens)
noun

substance to prevent sunburn:
a cosmetic cream, lotion, or oil, or an ingredient of one, intended to protect
the skin from burning without preventing tanning[1]



sunset

sunset
sun·set 
[sún sèt] (plural sun·sets) noun

1.  going
down of sun: the setting of the sun below the western
horizon in the evening

2.  glow
from setting sun: an atmospheric glow and coloring near
the horizon as the sun sets

3.  time
sun sets:
the time at which the sun sets below the horizon in the evening

4.  last
part:
the period during which something is declining or coming to an end





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Sunset
  Boulevard, a movie by Billy Wilder ( 1950 ). Wilder uses the story of the
  relationship between an out-of-favor screenwriter and a faded and eccentric
  silent-movie star to create one of the cinema’s most savage satires on the
  cynicism and ruthlessness of the Hollywood system. The performances,
  camerawork, and direction all reinforce the powerful atmosphere of corruption
  and decay.

[1]



sunshade

sunshade
sun·shade 
[sún shàyd] (plural sun·shades)
noun

something giving shade from
the sun: something, for example, an
awning or parasol, under which somebody is protected from the sun[1]



sunshine

sunshine
sun·shine 
[sún shn] noun

1.  direct
sunlight:
direct rays of the sun, producing heat and light • a
ray of sunshine

2.  sunny
place:
a place where the sun’s rays are falling • Let’s
sit in the sunshine.

3.  source
of good feelings: somebody or something producing joy,
happiness, or warmth • bringing
a little bit of sunshine into people’s lives
adjective

giving access to the public:
used to describe a law or legislation requiring that meetings and records of
some governmental bodies be open to the public
—sun·shin·y, adjective[1]



SunshineCoast

SunshineCoast
Sun·shine
Coast

region in southeastern
Queensland, Australia, consisting of the 45 km/28 mi stretch of coastline
between Noosa Heads and Caloundra. It is a popular tourist destination.[1]



sunspot

sunspot

sun·spot 
[sún spòt] (plural sun·spots) noun
dark patch on the Sun:
one of the relatively cool dark patches that appear in cycles on the Sun’s
surface and possess a powerful magnetic field. Technical name macula[1]



sunstone

sunstone
sun·stone 
[sún stn] (plural sun·stones)
noun

See
aventurine
[Translation of Latin gemma
solis][1]



sunstroke

sunstroke
sun·stroke 
[sún strk] noun

illness caused by too much
sun: a condition caused by
prolonged and excessive exposure to the sun and characterized by feverishness,
faintness, convulsions, and coma. It results when the temperature becomes too
extreme to be handled by the body’s heat-regulating mechanism. Technical name
insolation[1]



sunsuit

sunsuit
sun·suit
[sún st] (plural sun·suits) noun

child’s one-piece short
playsuit: a child’s one-piece garment
usually consisting of shorts and a bib top with shoulder straps, worn in hot
weather[1]



suntan

suntan
sun·tan 
[sún tàn] (plural sun·tans) noun

See
tan 1 noun 1
—sun·tanned, adjective[1]



suntanlotion

suntanlotion
sun·tan
lo·tion
noun

lotion for use in sun:
a cosmetic lotion used to protect the skin from the sun and usually also to
help somebody develop a suntan.
Also called
sun lotion[1]



suntrap

suntrap
sun·trap
[sún tràp] (plural sun·traps) noun

U.K.
sunny spot without wind:
a sheltered area with bright sunlight and little or no wind[1]



sunup

sunup
sun·up 
[sún ùp] (plural sun·ups) noun

See
sunrise  noun 3[1]



SunValley

SunValley
Sun
Val·ley


city in central Idaho, in the
Sawtooth Mountains, east of Boise. It is a popular ski resort. Population:
1,011 (1996)[1]



sunward

sunward
sun·ward 
[súnnwərd] adjective

facing
the sun:
turned toward or in the direction of the sun
adverb
sun·ward sun·wards

toward the sun:
in the direction of the sun[1]



SunYat-sen

SunYat-sen

Sun Yat-sen 
[sn yátsén] (1866–1925)
Chinese statesman. He developed his
democratic political philosophy during years of foreign travel, and returned to
China to lead the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty (1911). He founded the
nationalist Kuomintang Party (1923) and headed an opposition government in
Guangzhou (1917–1925), but failed to establish a national republican
government.[1]



sup.

sup.
sup.

1.  Abbreviation
of
supra

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of superlative

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of supine

4.  Abbreviation
of
supplement

5.  Abbreviation
of
supplementary

6.  Abbreviation
of
supply

7.  Abbreviation
of
superior

[1]



sup

sup1
sup1 [sup]
intransitive and transitive verb (past supped, past
participle supped, present participle sup·ping, 3rd
person present singular sups)

1.  sip
liquid:
to drink small amounts of liquid at one time

2.  eat
by the spoonful: to eat something that is swallowed
directly, for example, soup or oatmeal, with a spoon
noun
(plural sups)

sip of liquid:
a small amount or mouthful of liquid
[Old English sūpan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English sip, soup, and sup 2 .][1]



sup

sup2
sup2 [sup]
intransitive verb (past supped, past participle supped,
present participle sup·ping, 3rd person present singular sups)

have
supper:
to eat the evening meal (archaic)
noun
(plural sups)

supper:
the evening meal (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French souper, from soupe (see soup
).][1]



supari

supari
su·pa·ri 
[soo pree] noun

South
Asia
mixture
chewed as digestive: areca palm nuts chewed with
betel leaves, especially after meals as a digestive
[Mid-17th century. From Hindi
supārī .][1]



Sup.Ct.

Sup.Ct.
Sup.
Ct.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Supreme Court

2.  Abbreviation
of
Superior Court

[1]



Supdt.

Supdt.
Supdt.

PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION Abbreviation of
Superintendent[1]



super-

super-
super-
prefix

1.  something
larger, stronger, or faster than others of its kind • superstore

2.  over,
above, on • supernatant
• superstructure

3.  exceeding
the usual or normal limits • superheat

4.  a
more inclusive group or category • superclass

5.  in
addition to, over and above • superfetation

6.  greater
in size, quality, number, or degree, superior • superhuman
[From Latin super
“over, above” (source of English supreme
and sovereign ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of over
and hyper- .][1]



super

super
su·per 
[spər] adjective

1.  excellent:
with outstanding or excellent qualities (informal) • a
super idea

2.  very
great:
exceptionally large or powerful (informal)

3.  excessive:
greater than what is normal
adverb

especially: to or
in a high or extreme degree (informal) • Everyone
has been super helpful.
noun
(plural su·pers)

1.  building
superintendent: a superintendent, especially of an
apartment building (informal)

2.  supervisor:
a supervisor (informal)

3.  something
bigger or better: something superior in grade or quality
or large in size

4.  THEATER actor
employed as walk-on: a supernumerary, especially
an actor with a walk-on part (informal)

5.  high-octane
gasoline:
high-octane gasoline

6.  AGRICULTURE top
of beehive with honey: a removable upper part of a
beehive in which the bees store honey

7.  CRAFT open-weave
fabric for book bindings: a starched cotton gauze
fabric used for reinforcing book bindings
interjection

great!: used
to express enthusiasm, approval, or agreement (informal)
[Mid-19th century. From super-, or a shortening of various words beginning
with super- .][1]



super.

super.
super.

1.  Abbreviation
of
superfine

2.  Abbreviation
of
superior

[1]



superable

superable
su·per·a·ble 
[spərəb’l] adjective

able
to be overcome: capable of being overcome
[Early
17th century. From Latin superabilis, from superare “to
overcome,” from super (see super- ).]
—su·per·a·bil·i·ty
[spərə bíllətee], noun

—su·per·a·ble·ness
[spərəb’lnəss], noun

—su·per·a·bly, adverb[1]



superabound

superabound
su·per·a·bound 
[spərə bównd] (past su·per·a·bound·ed,
past participle su·per·a·bound·ed, present participle su·per·a·bound·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·a·bounds) intransitive verb

be
too numerous: to be too numerous or abundant
[14th century. From late
Latin superabundare, from abundare (see abound
).][1]



superabundant

superabundant
su·per·a·bun·dant 
[spərə búndənt] adjective

too
numerous:
present in excess of what is sufficient
[15th
century. From late Latin superabundant-, the present participle stem of superabundare
(see superabound ).]
—su·per·a·bun·dance,
noun

—su·per·a·bun·dant·ly,
adverb[1]



superadd

superadd
su·per·add
[spərə ád] (past su·per·add·ed,
past participle su·per·add·ed, present participle su·per·add·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·adds) transitive verb

add
something further: to add something onto what
has already been added
[15th
century. From Latin superaddere, from addere (see add ).]
—su·per·ad·di·tion
[spərə dísh’n], noun

—su·per·ad·di·tion·al
[spərə díshən’l], adjective[1]



superalloy

superalloy
su·per·al·loy 
[spər á lòy] (plural su·per·al·loys)
noun

heat-resistant alloy:
a heat-resistant alloy with superior mechanical properties, often having
aerospace applications[1]



superannuate

superannuate
su·per·an·nu·ate 
[spər ánnyoo àyt] (past su·per·an·nu·at·ed,
past participle su·per·an·nu·at·ed, present participle su·per·an·nu·at·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·an·nu·ates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb retire
with a pension: to become retired or retire somebody
with a pension

2.  transitive
verb
get
rid of something: to reject something or cause something
to be rejected because of obsolescence
[Mid-17th
century. Back-formation from superannuated
.]
—su·per·an·nu·a·tion [spər ànnyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



superannuated

superannuated
su·per·an·nu·at·ed 
[spər ánnyoo àytəd] adjective

1.  retired:
having been retired with a pension

2.  too
worn:
too much used for more useful service

3.  out-of-date:
no longer in fashion
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin superannuatus “more than a year old,” from annus
“year.”][1]



superb

superb
su·perb 
[soo púrb, sə
púrb] adjective

1.  excellent:
of the highest quality

2.  grand:
impressive in size or appearance

3.  sumptuous:
rich and sumptuous in appearance or detail
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from Latin superbus “proud, superior,” from super
(see super- ).]
—su·perb·ly,
adverb

—su·perb·ness, noun[1]



SuperBowl

SuperBowl
Su·per
Bowl

a service mark for the
championship game of the National Football League played each year between the
champions of the National Football Conference and the American Football
Conference[1]



superbug

superbug
su·per·bug
[spər bùg] (plural su·per·bugs)
or su·per·germ [spər jùrm] (plural
su·per·germs) noun

antibiotic-resistant
bacterium: a bacterium that has become
resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat it[1]



supercalender

supercalender
su·per·cal·en·der 
[spər kàlləndər] noun (plural
su·per·cal·en·ders)

machine
for finishing paper: a machine with an extra
large number of rollers to give a glossy finish to paper
transitive
verb
(past su·per·cal·en·dered, past participle su·per·cal·en·dered,
present participle su·per·cal·en·der·ing, 3rd person present
singular su·per·cal·en·ders)

give paper a sheen:
to produce a glossy finish on paper using a supercalender[1]



supercargo

supercargo
su·per·car·go 
[spər krgō] (plural su·per·car·gos)
noun

officer
in charge of cargo: an officer who is in charge
of the cargo and commercial matters aboard a merchant ship
[Late 17th century.
Alteration (influenced by super- ) of
earlier supracargo, an alteration (influenced by supra- ) of Spanish sobrecargo, from sobre-
“over” (from Latin super- ) + Spanish cargo (see cargo ).][1]



supercenter

supercenter
su·per·cen·ter
(plural su·per·cen·ters) noun

supermarket with other
departments: a supermarket with
other departments such as a pharmacy, banking center, or clothing department (often
used with retail trade names)[1]



supercharge

supercharge
su·per·charge 
[spər chrj] (past su·per·charged,
past participle su·per·charged, present participle su·per·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·charg·es) transitive verb

1.  AUTOMOTIVE increase
engine’s power: to increase the power of an
internal-combustion engine by means of a supercharger

2.  fill
something with too much feeling: to charge something,
for example, the atmosphere or a remark, with excessive emotion or energy

[1]



supercharger

supercharger
su·per·charg·er 
[spər chrjər] (plural su·per·charg·ers)
noun

device used to increase
engine’s power: a device that supplies
air to an internal-combustion engine at a pressure greater than the ambient
atmospheric pressure in order to increase its power. The blower or air pump on
an engine’s intake system could be a supercharger.[1]



superciliary

superciliary
su·per·cil·i·ar·y 
[spər síllee èrree] adjective

1.  of
the eyebrow: relating to or in the region of the
eyebrow

2.  above
the eye:
used to describe markings above an animal’s eye
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin supercilium “eyebrow” (see supercilious
).][1]



supercilious

supercilious
su·per·cil·i·ous 
[spər síllee əss] adjective

contemptuously
indifferent: full of contempt and arrogance
[Early 16th century. From
Latin superciliosus, from supercilium “eyebrow,” from super
“above” + cilium “eyelid,” referring to raised eyebrows as a sign of
haughty disdain.][1]



superclass

superclass
su·per·class 
[spər klàss] (plural su·per·class·es)
noun

taxonomic ranking between
phylum and class: a taxonomic category of
related organisms ranking below a phylum and above a class[1]



supercluster

supercluster
su·per·clus·ter 
[spər klùstər] (plural su·per·clus·ters)
noun

large cluster of galaxies:
an association of clusters of galaxies[1]



supercollider

supercollider
su·per·col·lid·er 
[spər kə ldər] (plural su·per·col·lid·ers)
noun

large particle accelerator:
a very large high-energy particle accelerator[1]



supercomputer

supercomputer
su·per·com·put·er 
[spər kəm pytər] (plural su·per·com·put·ers)
noun

high-speed computer:
a state-of-the-art computer with the highest processing speeds technologically
possible at a given time, used for solving complex scientific and engineering
problems[1]



superconductivity

superconductivity
su·per·con·duc·tiv·i·ty 
[spər kòndək tívvətee] noun

ability
to conduct electricity without resistance: the
ability of some metals, alloys, and ceramics to conduct electric current with
negligible internal resistance at temperatures near absolute zero and, in some
cases, at higher temperatures. Scientists have developed superconductors that
function at temperatures up to 100 degrees above absolute zero.
—su·per·con·duct·ing
[spər kən dúkting], adjective

—su·per·con·duc·tion
[spər kən dúksh’n], noun

—su·per·con·duc·tive
[spər kən dúktiv], adjective

—su·per·con·duc·tor [spər kən dúktər], noun[1]



supercontinent

supercontinent
su·per·con·ti·nent 
[spər kònt’nənt] (plural su·per·con·ti·nents)
noun

land mass from which
continents formed: one of the
large continental masses believed to have broken into several parts that
drifted apart to form the present continents. These land masses included
Pangaea, Gondwana, and Laurasia.
Also called
protocontinent[1]



supercool

supercool
su·per·cool 
[spər kl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past su·per·cooled, past participle su·per·cooled,
present participle su·per·cool·ing, 3rd person present
singular su·per·cools)

cool
below freezing point without solidifying: to
cool a liquid, or become cooled, to a temperature below freezing point without
change to a solid
adjective

totally modern:
extremely fashionable in attitude or image (informal)[1]



super-duper

super-duper
su·per-dup·er
[spər dpər] adjective

excellent:
of the greatest excellence, size, or efficiency (informal) (often
used ironically)
[Doubling of super][1]



superego

superego
su·per·e·go 
[spər gō, spər
gō] (plural su·per·e·gos) noun

Freudian
conscience:
according to Freudian theory, the part of the mind that acts as a conscience to
the ego, developing moral standards and rules through contact with parents and
society
[Early 20th century.
Translation of German Über-Ich, coined by Sigmund Freud.][1]



superelevation

superelevation
su·per·el·e·va·tion
[spər èllə váysh’n] noun

elevation measurement:
the distance in height between the inside and outside edges of the bed of a
banked road or track[1]



supereminent

supereminent
su·per·em·i·nent 
[spər émminənt] adjective

preeminent:
higher than others in distinction, estimation, or prominence
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin supereminent-, the present participle stem of supereminere
“to rise above,” from eminere (see eminent
).]
—su·per·em·i·nence,
noun

—su·per·em·i·nent·ly, adverb[1]



supererogate

supererogate
su·per·er·o·gate 
[spər érrə gàyt] (past su·per·er·o·ga·ted,
past participle su·per·er·o·ga·ted, present participle su·per·er·o·ga·ting,
3rd person present singular su·per·er·o·gates) intransitive
verb

act
beyond the call of duty: to do or perform something
beyond what is required or expected (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From late Latin supererogare “to pay over and above,” from
erogare “to spend,” from rogare (see rogation
).]
—su·per·er·o·ga·tor, noun[1]



supererogation

supererogation
su·per·er·o·ga·tion
[spər èrrə gáysh’n] noun

performance
beyond the call of duty: the performance of work
beyond what is required or expected
[Early 16th century. From the
medieval Latin stem of supererogatio, from supererogare (see supererogate ).][1]



supererogatory

supererogatory
su·per·e·rog·a·to·ry 
[spərə róggə tàwree] adjective

1.  beyond
the call of duty: performed to an extent beyond what is
required or expected

2.  superfluous:
beyond what is sufficient or necessary, and not wanted
—su·per·er·o·ga·to·ri·ly,
adverb[1]



superfamily

superfamily
su·per·fam·i·ly 
[spər fàmməlee] (plural su·per·fam·i·lies)
noun

taxonomic ranking between
order and family: a taxonomic category of
related organisms ranking below an order and above a family[1]



superfecta

superfecta
su·per·fec·ta 
[spər fèktə] (plural su·per·fec·tas)
noun

kind
of bet in racing: a type of bet, especially in
horseracing, in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four
finishers in the correct sequence
[Late 20th century. Blend of super and perfecta
.][1]



superfecundation

superfecundation
su·per·fe·cun·da·tion 
[spər fèkən dáysh’n] (plural su·per·fe·cun·da·tions)
noun

1.  separate
fertilization of ova: the fertilization of two or
more ova at different times during one menstrual cycle by sperm from the same
or different males

2.  fertilization
of many ova: the fertilization of an unusually large
number of ova at the same time

[1]



superfetation

superfetation
su·per·fe·ta·tion 
[spər fi táysh’n] (plural su·per·fe·ta·tions)
noun

fertilization
again after pregnancy: the fertilization of a
second ovum after the start of pregnancy, resulting in the presence of two
fetuses at different stages of development in the same uterus. It is a normal
occurrence in some animal species.
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, modern Latin superfetare “to conceive a second
time,” from Latin foetus (see fetus
).][1]



superficial

superficial
su·per·fi·cial 
[sopər físh’l] adjective

1.  not
profound:
concerned with or understanding only the obvious • a
superficial knowledge of the text

2.  relating
to the surface: on, near, relating to, or affecting the
surface of something • a superficial
wound

3.  without
depth of character: shallow in character or
attitude • I
find her quite superficial.

4.  cursory:
swift and not thorough • after
a superficial examination of the injury

5.  only
apparently so: only seeming to be real or the case • The
picture bears a superficial resemblance, nothing more.

6.  insignificant:
with little significance or substance • superficial
changes to the policy
[14th
century. Formed from Latin superficies (see superficies
).]
—su·per·fi·ci·al·i·ty
[spər fishee állətee], noun

—su·per·fi·cial·ly [spər físh’lee], adverb[1]



superficies

superficies
su·per·fi·cies 
[spər físhiz] (plural su·per·fi·cies)
noun

1.  outer
surface:
an outer surface or area of something

2.  outward
appearance:
the outward appearance or form of something
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, from super “above” + facies (see face
).][1]



superfine

superfine
su·per·fine 
[spər fn, spər
fn] adjective

1.  finest
in texture:
of extremely fine grain or texture

2.  finest
in quality:
of the highest quality or grade

3.  affectedly
refined:
excessively refined in manner
—su·per·fine·ness, noun[1]



superfluid

superfluid
su·per·flu·id 
[spər fl id] noun (plural su·per·flu·ids)

fluid
flowing freely at low temperatures: a
fluid characterized by the absence of viscosity at temperatures near absolute
zero. The only known example is liquid helium.
adjective

behaving
like superfluid: relating to or exhibiting the properties
of a superfluid
—su·per·flu·id·i·ty [spər floo íddətee], noun[1]



superfluity

superfluity
su·per·flu·i·ty 
[spər fl ətee] (plural su·per·flu·i·ties)
noun

1.  something
inessential: something beyond what is necessary

2.  excessive
quantity:
an excessive or overabundant supply of something

[1]



superfluous

superfluous
su·per·flu·ous 
[sə púrfloo əss] adjective

1.  more
than necessary: that is in excess of what is needed • a
lot of superfluous detail

2.  inessential:
not essential • superfluous to the
discussion

3.  extravagant:
extravagant in living or spending (archaic)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French superflueux from Latin superfluus,
from superfluere “to overflow,” from fluere (see fluent ).]
—su·per·flu·ous·ly,
adverb

—su·per·flu·ous·ness, noun[1]



supergene

supergene
su·per·gene 
[spər jn] (plural su·per·genes)
noun

group of closely linked
genes: a group of genes that lie
close together on a chromosome, function as a unit, and are rarely separated[1]



supergerm

supergerm
su·per·germ
(plural su·per·germs) noun

See
superbug[1]



supergiant

supergiant
su·per·gi·ant 
[spər j ənt] (plural su·per·gi·ants)
noun

extremely large bright star:
an extremely large brilliant star with a luminosity thousands of times greater
than that of the Sun. The stars Rigel and Betelgeuse are examples.[1]



superglue

superglue
su·per·glue
[spər gl] (plural su·per·glues)
noun

fast-acting strong glue:
a fast acting glue that forms a strong bond by polymerization[1]



supergraphics

supergraphics
su·per·graph·ics 
[spər gràffiks] noun

extra-large graphics:
simple brightly colored graphic designs of very large proportions (takes a
singular or plural verb)[1]



supergravity

supergravity
su·per·grav·i·ty
[spər grávvətee] noun

theory uniting forces in
physics: a theory in physics that
encompasses all known fundamental interactions, using hypothetical particles ( gravitons ) to carry the gravitational force. It
has largely been supplanted by superstring theory.[1]



supergroup

supergroup
su·per·group
[spər grp] (plural su·per·groups)
noun

rock group with famous
members: a rock music group whose
performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other
groups[1]



superheat

superheat
su·per·heat 
[spər ht] transitive verb (past
su·per·heat·ed, past participle su·per·heat·ed, present
participle su·per·heat·ing, 3rd person present singular su·per·heats)

1.  heat
liquid without vaporization: to heat a liquid above its
pressure-related boiling point without causing it to vaporize

2.  heat
vapor to saturation: to heat a vapor not in
contact with its liquid to the point at which a lowering of temperature or
increase in pressure will not change it to a liquid

3.  get
something very hot: to heat something to an
extremely high temperature
noun

heat for superheating:
the heat used to superheat a vapor
—su·per·heat·er, noun[1]



superheavyweight

superheavyweight
su·per·heav·y·weight
[spər hévvee wàyt] (plural su·per·heav·y·weights)
noun

somebody
in heaviest weight division: an athlete, especially a
boxer, wrestler, or weightlifter, who competes in the heaviest weight division
—su·per·heav·y·weight,
adjective[1]



superhelix

superhelix
su·per·he·lix 
[spər hliks] (plural su·per·hel·i·ces
[spər hèlli sz, spər
hli sz]) noun

helical molecule forming
helix: a molecule with a helical
structure formed by another helical molecule, for example, a nucleosome formed
of DNA[1]



superhero

superhero
su·per·he·ro 
[spər hrō] (plural su·per·he·roes)
noun

superhuman character:
a fictional character, for example, from a cartoon, who has superhuman powers
and uses them to fight crime or evil[1]



superheterodyne

superheterodyne
su·per·het·er·o·dyne 
[spər héttərə dn] adjective

with
mixing of radio frequencies: relating to a method of
receiving radio signals in which the incoming signal is mixed with a frequency
generated by the receiver. The resulting intermediate frequency is amplified
then decoded.
noun
(plural su·per·het·er·o·dynes)

superheterodyne
receiver:
a radio receiver that operates using the superheterodyne method of receiving
signals
[Early 20th century. Formed
from supersonic + heterodyne,
because the incoming signals are outside the range of sound.][1]



superhighfrequency

superhighfrequency
su·per·high
fre·quen·cy 
[spər hī frkwənsee] noun

frequency above 3,000
megahertz: a radio frequency between
3,000 and 30,000 megahertz[1]



superhighway

superhighway
su·per·high·way 
[spər h wày] (plural su·per·high·ways)
noun

1.  highway:
a highway or expressway designed for high-speed traffic, with several lanes in
each direction

2.  See
information superhighway

[1]



superhuman

superhuman
su·per·hu·man 
[spər hymən, spər
ymən] adjective

1.  beyond
human capability: beyond ordinary human capability

2.  supernatural:
with higher or greater powers than those within human experience • a
superhuman being
[Early
17th century. From late Latin superhumanus, from humanus (see human ).]
—su·per·hu·man·i·ty
[spər hyoo mánnətee, spər yoo mánnətee], noun

—su·per·hu·man·ly
[spər hymənlee, spər
ymənlee], adverb

—su·per·hu·man·ness [spər hymən nəss, spər
ymən nəss], noun[1]



superimpose

superimpose
su·per·im·pose 
[spərim pṓz] (past su·per·im·posed,
past participle su·per·im·posed, present participle su·per·im·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·im·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  lay
something over something: to place something, for
example, a transparent image, on or over something else, often with the result
that both things appear simultaneously, although one may partially obscure the
other

2.  add
onto something: to add a feature or element without
incorporating it • superimpose one culture
on another
—su·per·im·po·si·tion
[spərimpə zísh’n], noun[1]



superincumbent

superincumbent
su·per·in·cum·bent 
[spərin kúmbənt] adjective

lying
over something: lying or resting on or above something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin superincumbere “to lie on top of,” from incumbere
(see incumbent ).]
—su·per·in·cum·bence,
noun

—su·per·in·cum·ben·cy,
noun

—su·per·in·cum·bent·ly,
adverb[1]



superinduce

superinduce
su·per·in·duce 
[spərin dss] (past su·per·in·duced,
past participle su·per·in·duced, present participle su·per·in·duc·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·in·duc·es) transitive verb

add
something:
to introduce somebody or something additional
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin superinducere, literally “to bring in upon,” from inducere
(see induce ).]
—su·per·in·duc·tion [spərin dúksh’n], noun[1]



superinfection

superinfection
su·per·in·fec·tion 
[spərin féksh’n] (plural su·per·in·fec·tions)
noun

second
resistant infection: an infection that develops
during drug treatment for another infection, caused by a different
microorganism that is resistant to the treatment used for the first infection
—su·per·in·fect [spərin fékt], transitive verb[1]



superintend

superintend
su·per·in·tend 
[spərin ténd] (past su·per·in·tend·ed,
past participle su·per·in·tend·ed, present participle su·per·in·tend·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·in·tends) transitive verb

be
in charge of something: to be responsible for and
supervise something, for example, a project or job
[Early 17th century.
Back-formation from superintendent .][1]



superintendence

superintendence
su·per·in·ten·dence
[spərin téndənss] noun

See
superintendency  noun 2[1]



superintendency

superintendency
su·per·in·ten·den·cy
[spərin téndənssee] (plural su·per·in·ten·den·cies)
noun

1.  job
of superintendent: the office, position,
authority, or administrative district of a superintendent

2.  management:
supervision or administration by a superintendent.
Also
called
superintendence

[1]



superintendent

superintendent
su·per·in·ten·dent 
[spərin téndənt] noun (plural
su·per·in·ten·dents)

1.  somebody
in charge:
an administrator or manager of something, for example, an office or school
system

2.  janitor:
somebody in charge of the maintenance of a building.
U.K.
term
porter

3.  high-ranking
police officer: in the United Kingdom, a police officer
ranking higher than an inspector
adjective

in charge:
acting in an administrative or supervisory capacity
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from ecclesiastical Latin superintendere “to oversee,” from intendere
(see intend ), as a translation of Greek episkopos
“overseer.”][1]



superior

superior

su·pe·ri·or 
[sə pree ər] adjective

1.  higher
in quality:
above average or better than another in quality or grade

2.  better
than others: surpassing others in something, for
example, intellect, achievement, or ability

3.  higher
in rank:
higher in rank, position, or authority than another

4.  higher:
upper, or situated higher up

5.  condescending:
adopting or showing an attitude of condescension toward others • He
gave a superior smile.

6.  larger:
greater in number or amount • a
quantity superior to our needs

7.  unconcerned:
above being affected or influenced by something • She
considered herself superior to such taunts.

8.  ANATOMY nearer
the head:
nearer the head than another body part

9.  BOTANY above
other flower parts: used to describe an ovary of
a flower whose stamens, petals, and sepals arise either beside or below it

10. PRINTING See superscript  adjective
noun (plural
su·pe·ri·ors)

1.  somebody
or something higher or better: somebody or something
higher in rank, position, authority, or quality than another • Don’t
argue with your superiors.

2.  PRINTING See superscript  noun

3.  RELIGION somebody
in charge of religious order: a head of a religious order
or institution
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin, literally “higher,” from superus
“above,” from super (see super- ).]
—su·pe·ri·or·i·ty
[sə pree áwrətee], noun

—su·pe·ri·or·ly [sə pree ərlee], adverb[1]



superiorconjunction

superiorconjunction
su·pe·ri·or
con·junc·tion noun

position opposite Earth
behind Sun: a position of a celestial
body in which it is opposite the Earth on the far side of the Sun[1]



superiorcourt

superiorcourt
su·pe·ri·or
court
noun

court between inferior and
appellate: a court in some states of
the United States that is higher than an inferior court but lower than an
appellate court[1]



superioritycomplex

superioritycomplex
su·pe·ri·or·i·ty
com·plex
noun

belief in own superiority:
an exaggerated sense of being better than other people[1]



Superior,Lake

Superior,Lake

Su·pe·ri·or, Lake
lake in North America. The northernmost
and westernmost of the Great Lakes, it is also the world’s largest freshwater
lake. Area: 82,100 sq km/31,700 sq mi. Depth: 406 m/1,333 ft. Length: 563
km/350 mi.[1]



superiorplanet

superiorplanet
su·pe·ri·or
plan·et
noun

planet further from Sun than
Earth: a planet whose distance from
the Sun is greater than that of the Earth. The superior planets are Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.[1]



superjacent

superjacent
su·per·ja·cent 
[spər jáyss’nt] adjective

overlying:
lying on or above something
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin superjacere, literally “to lie above,” from jacere “to
lie, throw” (see jet 2 ).][1]



superjet

superjet
su·per·jet 
[spər jèt] (plural su·per·jets)
noun

large fast plane:
a large supersonic jet plane[1]



superlative

superlative
su·per·la·tive 
[soo púrlətiv] adjective

1.  excellent:
of the highest quality or degree

2.  GRAMMAR highest
in degree of comparison: expressing the highest
degree of grammatical comparison of an adjective or adverb • The
superlative form of an adjective or adverb typically has the ending “-est.”
noun
(plural su·per·la·tives)

1.  GRAMMAR grammatical
form:
the grammatical form expressing the highest degree of comparison • Put
“tiny” into the superlative and you get “tiniest.”

2.  GRAMMAR superlative
adjective or adverb: a superlative form of an
adjective or adverb • the
difference between a comparative and a superlative

3.  somebody
or something superlative: somebody or something of the
highest quality

4.  exaggerated
praise:
an exaggerated description or way of referring to somebody or something,
usually expressing admiration • heaping
superlatives on their performance
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin superlativus, from superlat-,
the past participle stem of superferre, literally “to carry above.”]
—su·per·la·tive·ly,
adverb

—su·per·la·tive·ness, noun[1]



superliner

superliner
su·per·lin·er 
[spər lnər] (plural su·per·lin·ers)
noun

large liner:
a large luxurious oceangoing passenger ship[1]



superlunary

superlunary
su·per·lu·na·ry 
[spər lnəree] or su·per·lu·nar
[spər lnər] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY beyond
the Moon:
located beyond the Moon

2.  RELIGION celestial:
belonging to a higher world or celestial plane
[Early 17th century. Modeled
on sublunary .][1]



superman

superman
su·per·man 
[spər màn] (plural su·per·men
[spər mèn]) noun

1.  exceptional
man:
a man possessing exceptional or superhuman strength, abilities, or powers

2.  Nietzsche’s
ideal man:
according to the philosophy of Nietzsche, an ideal man who through creativity
and integrity is able to transcend good and evil and is the goal of human
evolution
[Early
20th century. Coined by George Bernard Shaw as a translation of German Übermensch,
which was coined by Friedrich Nietzsche.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Superman, a comic strip created by
  U.S. writer Jerry Siegal and drawn by U.S. artist Joseph Shuster which first
  appeared in 1938. The alter ego of “mild-mannered reporter” Clark Kent, Superman
  is an almost invincible, crime-fighting superhero in a red cape who was
  originally sent to Earth as a child from the doomed planet Krypton. The story
  has been made into radio shows, musicals, television series, and feature
  movies.

[1]



supermarket

supermarket
su·per·mar·ket 
[spər mrkət] (plural su·per·mar·kets)
noun

big food store:
a large self-service retail store selling food and household goods[1]



supermax

supermax
sup·er·max
[sóopər màks] noun

with greatest possible
security arrangements: protected
or made secure by the most extensive and elaborate security arrangements that
are available or in current use • a
supermax penitentiary[1]



supermodel

supermodel
su·per·mod·el
[spər mòdd’l] (plural su·per·mod·els)
noun

highly paid popular fashion
model: one of an elite group of
fashion models who are very well paid and in high demand by fashion designers
and photographers[1]



supermom

supermom
su·per·mom 
[spər mòm] (plural su·per·moms)
noun

busy mother:
a woman who cares for a home and family, is involved in children’s and
community activities, and often also may be employed full-time (informal)[1]



supernal

supernal
su·per·nal 
[soo púrn’l] adjective (literary)

1.  in
the sky:
coming from or located in the heavens

2.  heavenly:
suited to or characteristic of the heavens
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin supernus “heavenly,”
from super (see super- ).]
—su·per·nal·ly, adverb[1]



supernatant

supernatant
su·per·na·tant 
[spər náyt’nt] noun (plural su·per·na·tants)

liquid
on the surface: a usually clear liquid above material
deposited by precipitation, centrifugation, or sedimentation
adjective

on
the surface: lying or floating on the surface of a
liquid after precipitation, centrifugation, or sedimentation
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
supernatant-, the present participle stem of supernatare,
literally “to float above,” from natare (see natant
).][1]



supernational

supernational
su·per·na·tion·al
[spər náshən’l] adjective

See
supranational[1]



supernatural

supernatural
su·per·nat·u·ral 
[spər náchərəl] adjective

1.  not
of natural world: relating or attributed to phenomena that
cannot be explained by natural laws

2.  relating
to a deity:
relating or attributed to a deity

3.  magical:
relating or attributed to magic or the occult
noun

1.  supernatural
things:
supernatural beings or phenomena

2.  world
of supernatural things: the realm of supernatural
beings or phenomena
—su·per·nat·u·ral·ly,
adverb

—su·per·nat·u·ral·ness,
noun[1]



supernaturalism

supernaturalism
su·per·nat·u·ral·ism 
[spər náchərə lìzzəm] noun

1.  state
of being supernatural: the quality or condition of
being supernatural

2.  belief
in supernatural: the belief that supernatural or divine
beings and phenomena intervene in human events
—su·per·nat·u·ral·ist,
noun, adjective

—su·per·nat·u·ral·is·tic
[spər nàchərə lístik], adjective[1]



supernormal

supernormal
su·per·nor·mal 
[spər náwrm’l] adjective

1.  beyond
what is normal: exceeding what is normal or usual

2.  See
paranormal
—su·per·nor·mal·i·ty
[spər nawr mállətee], noun

—su·per·nor·mal·ly [spər náwrməlee], adverb[1]



supernova

supernova
su·per·no·va 
[spər nvə, spər
nṓvə] (plural su·per·no·vae [spər
n v] or su·per·no·vas) noun

exploding star:
a catastrophic explosion of a large star in the latter stages of stellar
evolution, with a resulting short-lived luminosity from 10 to 100 million times
that of the Sun[1]



supernumerary

supernumerary
su·per·nu·mer·ar·y 
[spər nmə rèrree] adjective

1.  extra:
exceeding the usual number

2.  HUMAN RESOURCES substituting:
employed as a substitute or extra worker
noun
(plural su·per·nu·mer·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
or something extra: somebody or something in
addition to the usual number

2.  THEATER walk-on
actor:
an actor who appears on stage but has no lines to speak

3.  HUMAN RESOURCES substitute
employee:
somebody employed as a substitute or extra worker
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin supernumerarius, from Latin super “above” + numerus
“number.”][1]



superorder

superorder
su·per·or·der 
[spər àwrdər] (plural su·per·or·ders)
noun

taxonomic ranking between
class and order: a taxonomic category of
related organisms ranking below a class and above an order[1]



superordinate

superordinate
su·per·or·di·nate 
[spər áwrd’nət] (plural su·per·or·di·nates)
noun

1.  LINGUISTICS umbrella
term:
a word whose meaning encompasses the meaning of another more specific word.
“Animal” is a superordinate of “cat.”
Also
called
hypernym
See
also
hyponym

2.  somebody
or something superior: somebody or something of
superior rank, status, or class
[Early
17th century. Coined from super- + subordinate .]
—su·per·or·di·nate, adjective[1]



superorganism

superorganism
su·per·or·gan·ism 
[spər áwrgə nìzzəm] (plural su·per·or·gan·isms)
noun

colony of organisms:
a group of organisms functioning as a social unit. An insect colony is an
example of a superorganism .[1]



superovulation

superovulation
su·per·o·vu·la·tion
[spər òvvyə láysh’n] (plural su·per·o·vu·la·tions)
noun

production
of numerous ova: increased frequency of ovulation or
production of a large number of ova at one time. It is often caused by the
administration of gonadotropin hormones, which are prescribed to induce
ovulation in infertility.
—su·per·o·vu·late [spər óvvyə làyt], intransitive verb[1]



superplastic

superplastic
su·per·plas·tic
[spər plástik] adjective

capable
of deformation without fracturing: used to describe
alloys that are capable of being easily deformed and molded at high
temperatures without fracturing
—su·per·plas·tic·i·ty
[spər pla stíssətee], noun[1]



superpose

superpose
su·per·pose 
[spər pṓz] (past su·per·posed,
past participle su·per·posed, present participle su·per·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  place
on top of another: to place or lay one object
on top of or above another

2.  GEOMETRY make
geometric figures coincide: to move one geometric figure
so that it coincides exactly with another
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably from French superposer, a
back-formation from superposition “superposition,” from, ultimately,
Latin superponere “to place over,” from super- (see super- ) + ponere “to place.”]
—su·per·pos·a·ble,
adjective

—su·per·posed,
adjective

—su·per·po·si·tion [spərpə zísh’n], noun[1]



superpower

superpower
su·per·pow·er 
[spər pòwr] (plural su·per·pow·ers)
noun

1.  POLITICS powerful
nation:
an extremely powerful nation with greater political, economic, or military
power than most other nations, or with all three

2.  PHYSICS extremely
high power:
extremely high electrical or mechanical power
—su·per·pow·ered, adjective[1]



supersaturated

supersaturated
su·per·sat·u·rat·ed
[spər sáchə ràytəd] adjective

1.  containing
more solute than normal: used to describe a chemical
solution containing a greater amount of solute than normally possible at a
given temperature and pressure, often as a result of cooling

2.  containing
more gaseous material than normal: used to describe a
vapor containing more gaseous material than normally possible at a given
temperature and pressure
—su·per·sat·u·ra·tion
[spər sachə ráysh’n], noun[1]



supersaver

supersaver
su·per·sav·er
[spər sàyvər] (plural su·per·sav·ers)
noun

cheap
travel ticket bought in advance: an airline ticket that
is cheaper than the normal price and must usually be bought a certain amount of
time before the date of travel
[Late 20th century][1]



superscribe

superscribe
su·per·scribe 
[spər skrb] (past su·per·scribed,
past participle su·per·scribed, present participle su·per·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·scribes) transitive verb

write over or above:
to write or print something such as a name or address above, outside, or on the
surface of something else[1]



superscript

superscript
su·per·script 
[spər skrìpt] noun (plural su·per·scripts)

something
written above another character: a letter, character,
or symbol that is written above, or above and to the right or left of, another
character
adjective

written above another
character: written or printed as a
superscript.
Also called
superior[1]



superscription

superscription
su·per·scrip·tion 
[spər skrípsh’n] (plural su·per·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  something
written above something else: something that is written,
printed, or engraved above, outside, or on the surface of something else

2.  act
of superscribing something: the act of writing or
printing something above, outside, or on the surface of something else

[1]



supersede

supersede
su·per·sede 
[spər sd] (past su·per·sed·ed,
past participle su·per·sed·ed, present participle su·per·sed·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·sedes) transitive verb

1.  replace
something less efficient: to take the place or
position of something that is less efficient, less modern, or less appropriate,
or cause something to do this

2.  succeed
somebody or something: to succeed somebody or
something in a particular role, office, or function (formal)
[15th
century. Via Old French superceder “to refrain from,” from Latin supersedere
“to be superior to,” from super- (see super-
) + sedere “to sit.”]
—su·per·sed·a·ble,
adjective

—su·per·sed·ence,
noun

—su·per·sed·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Spelling
  trap:
  Note
  that supersede is correctly spelt -sede
  and not -cede . It is derived not from the Latin verb cedere
  “to go” (as intercede and precede are) but from sedere
  “to sit.”

[1]



supersensible

supersensible
su·per·sen·si·ble 
[spər sénssəb’l] or su·per·sen·so·ry
[spər sénssəree] adjective

imperceptible
to the senses: above or beyond the perception of the
senses
—su·per·sen·si·bly, adverb[1]



supersensitive

supersensitive
su·per·sen·si·tive
[spər sénssətiv] adjective

See
hypersensitive
—su·per·sen·si·tive·ly,
adverb

—su·per·sen·si·tiv·i·ty
[spər sènssə tívvətee], noun[1]



supersensory

supersensory
su·per·sen·so·ry
adjective

See
supersensible[1]



superserver

superserver
su·per·serv·er
[spər sùrvər] (plural su·per·serv·ers)
noun

computer controlling network:
an extremely powerful computer that controls a network or networks of other
computers[1]



supersonic

supersonic
su·per·son·ic 
[spər sónnik] adjective

capable
of exceeding speed of sound: produced by, capable of
reaching, or relating to a speed that is faster than the speed at which sound
travels through the air
[Early
20th century. Coined from super- + Latin sonus
“sound.”]
—su·per·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



supersonics

supersonics
su·per·son·ics 
[spər sónniks] noun

study of supersonic motion:
the science or study of supersonic motion or phenomena (takes a singular
verb)[1]



supersonictransport

supersonictransport
su·per·son·ic
trans·port
(plural su·per·son·ic trans·ports) noun

transport aircraft:
a transport aircraft that travels at supersonic speed[1]



superstar

superstar
su·per·star 
[spər str] (plural su·per·stars)
noun

famous
person in sports or entertainment: somebody who is
extremely famous or successful, especially in sports or entertainment, and who
has great public appeal
—su·per·star·dom, noun[1]



superstation

superstation
su·per·sta·tion 
[spər stàysh’n] (plural su·per·sta·tions)
noun

widely broadcast channel:
a television channel broadcast nationally or internationally through satellite
and cable[1]



superstition

superstition
su·per·sti·tion 
[spər stísh’n] (plural su·per·sti·tions)
noun

1.  irrational
belief:
an irrational but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a
particular action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck
will result from performing it

2.  irrational
beliefs:
irrational and often quasi-religious belief in and reverence for the magical
effects of certain actions and rituals or the magical powers of certain objects
[15th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem superstition-, from superstes “standing over”
(in awe), from stare “to stand” (see station
).][1]



superstitious

superstitious
su·per·sti·tious 
[spər stíshəss] adjective

1.  believing
in superstitions: convinced that performing or not
performing certain actions brings good or bad luck, that certain events or
phenomena are omens, and, generally, fearfully believing in a supernatural
dimension to events

2.  based
on irrational belief: based on a false or irrational
belief in, or fear of, the supernatural

[1]



superstore

superstore
su·per·store 
[spər stàwr] (plural su·per·stores)
noun

1.  very
large supermarket: a very large supermarket or
store offering a wider and more varied range of consumer goods than other
stores of the same type

2.  specialist
retailer:
a retail chain or single store that specializes in a range of related products
offered at discount prices • a
computer superstore

[1]



superstratum

superstratum
su·per·stra·tum 
[spər stràytəm, spər
stràttəm] (plural su·per·stra·ta [spər
stràytə, spər stràttə]) noun

1.  overlying
layer:
a layer, especially of rock or sedimentation, on top of another one

2.  LINGUISTICS elements
of conquering language: the language of an invading
or colonizing population in relation to the language of an indigenous
population that it changes or influences

[1]



superstring

superstring
su·per·string 
[spər strìng] (plural su·per·strings)
noun

postulated fundamental entity
in supersymmetry: a hypothetical
one-dimensional entity ( string ) of
extremely short length held to be a fundamental component of matter in some
theories of elementary particles involving supersymmetry[1]



superstructure

superstructure
su·per·struc·ture 
[spər strùkchər] (plural su·per·struc·tures)
noun

1.  NAUTICAL upper
part of ship: the part of a ship above the main deck

2.  CONSTRUCTION visible
part of building: the part of a building above its
foundations

3.  part
developed on base: any physical or intellectual
structure built on or developed from a fundamental form, base, or concept

4.  POLITICS institutions
associated with type of economy: in Marxist theory, the
complex of social, legal, and political institutions that are an extension and
reflection of the type of economy operating in a given society
—su·per·struc·tural [spər strúkchərəl], adjective[1]



supersymmetry

supersymmetry
su·per·sym·me·try 
[spər símmətree] noun

proposed symmetry including
all elementary particles: a theory in
physics proposing a type of symmetry that would apply to all elementary
particles, both bosons and fermions[1]



supertanker

supertanker
su·per·tank·er 
[spər tàngkər] (plural su·per·tank·ers)
noun

big tanker ship:
a very large tanker ship, usually with a capacity of 275,000 tonnes/300,000
tons or more[1]



supertax

supertax
su·per·tax
[spər tàks] (plural su·per·tax·es)
noun

See
surtax  noun 2[1]



supertitle

supertitle
su·per·ti·tle 
[spər tt’l] (plural su·per·ti·tles)
noun

translation
projected above a stage: a translation of words being
spoken or sung in a foreign language during the performance of a play or opera,
projected on a screen above the stage.
Also
called
surtitle
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on subtitle .][1]



supertonic

supertonic
su·per·ton·ic 
[spər tònnik] (plural su·per·ton·ics)
noun

second note:
the note one step above the tonic in a major or minor scale, or the harmony
built upon this note[1]



SuperTuesday

SuperTuesday
Su·per
Tues·day 
(plural Su·per Tues·days) noun

primary election day:
a Tuesday in a presidential election year on which many states hold primary
elections, the results of which provide the basis for choosing the parties’
presidential candidates[1]



supervene

supervene
su·per·vene 
[spər vn] (past su·per·vened,
past participle su·per·vened, present participle su·per·ven·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·venes) intransitive verb
(formal)

1.  follow
unexpectedly: to follow or come about unexpectedly,
usually interrupting or changing what is going on

2.  follow
immediately: to follow immediately after something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin supervenire, literally “to come above,” from venire
“to come” (see venue ).]
—su·per·ven·tion [spər vénsh’n], noun[1]



supervenient

supervenient
su·per·ven·ient
[spər vnee ənt] adjective

consequential
on other features: existing only as a result of
the presence or combination of other characteristics or qualities
[Late
16th century. From Latin supervenient-, the present participle stem of supervenire
(see supervene ).]
—su·per·ven·ience, noun[1]



supervise

supervise
su·per·vise 
[spər vz] (past su·per·vised,
past participle su·per·vised, present participle su·per·vis·ing,
3rd person present singular su·per·vis·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  oversee
activity:
to watch over a particular activity or task being carried out by other people
and ensure that it is carried out correctly

2.  oversee
people:
to be in charge of a group of people engaged in some activity and to keep order
or ensure that they carry out a task adequately
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin supervis-, the past participle stem of
supervidere “to look over, oversee,” from Latin videre “to see”
(see vision ).]
—su·per·vis·ion [spər ví’n], noun[1]



supervisor

supervisor
su·per·vi·sor 
[spər vzər] (plural su·per·vi·sors)
noun

1.  boss:
somebody whose job is to oversee and guide the work or activities of a group of
other people

2.  EDUCATION main
teacher of subject: a teacher or other school
official who oversees the teaching and teachers of a single subject area

3.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION elected
official:
an elected official in various local authorities such as townships and counties

4.  U.K.
EDUC tutor
for a graduate: in some British universities, a teacher
assigned to supervise the work of an individual student, especially research
done by a graduate student
—su·per·vi·sor·ship,
noun

—su·per·vi·so·ry [spər vzəree, spər
vzəree], adjective[1]



superwoman

superwoman
su·per·wom·an 
[spər wmmən] (plural su·per·wom·en
[spər wìmmən]) noun

1.  high
achiever:
a woman who succeeds triumphantly in combining several roles, for example, as
worker, wife, mother, and homemaker, and does it all with apparent ease (informal)

2.  superhuman
woman:
an imaginary or fictional woman with superhuman powers

[1]



supinate

supinate
su·pi·nate 
[spə nàyt] (past su·pi·nat·ed,
past participle su·pi·nat·ed, present participle su·pi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular su·pi·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
palm upward: to turn the hand so that the palm faces
upward, or be turned in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
sole upward: to turn the foot so that the sole is
facing upward, or be turned in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
lie
facing upward: to turn the face upward, or lie in a
supine position with the face upward
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin supinat-, the past participle stem of supinare
“to turn backward,” from supinus “backward” (see supine ).]
—su·pi·na·tion [spə náysh’n], noun[1]



supinator

supinator
su·pi·na·tor 
[spə nàytər] (plural su·pi·na·tors)
noun

muscle producing supination:
a muscle, especially of the forearm, that brings about supination[1]



supine

supine
su·pine 
[s pn] adjective

1.  lying
on the back: lying on the back and with the face
upward

2.  palm
upward:
with the palm of the hand facing upward or away from the body

3.  lethargic:
utterly passive or inactive, especially in a situation where a vigorous
reaction is called for
noun
(plural su·pines)

GRAMMAR type
of Latin noun: a Latin noun formed from a past
participle stem and having only accusative and ablative inflections
[15th century. From Latin supinus
“lying on the back.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “under, up,”
which is also the ancestor of English up,
above, and subterfuge .][1]



supp.

supp.
supp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
supplement

2.  Abbreviation
of
supplementary

[1]



supper

supper
sup·per 
[súppər] (plural sup·pers) noun

1.  evening
meal:
a light meal eaten in the evening

2.  main
evening meal: the main meal of the day when taken in
the evening

3.  social
event:
an evening social event that includes a meal
[13th
century. From Old French soper “to eat supper,” from soupe “sop,
broth” (see soup ).]
sing
for your supper

to
work or do something in exchange for your food and board, or for something that
you want

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at dinner.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Last Supper, a painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci ( 1495-1497 ).
  Painted directly onto a wall in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in
  Milan, it depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declares that one of his
  companions will betray him. It is noted for its magnificent composition and
  powerful depiction of the outrage of the disciples, the serenity of Jesus
  Christ, and the guilt of Judas.

[1]



supperclub

supperclub
sup·per
club
(plural sup·per clubs) noun

1.  restaurant:
a restaurant serving fancy evening meals and sometimes featuring entertainment

2.  group
that dines in restaurant: a group of people who get
together periodically to dine in restaurants

[1]



suppertime

suppertime
sup·per·time 
[súppər tm] noun

time to eat supper:
the time at which supper is served or eaten[1]



suppl.

suppl.
suppl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
supplement

2.  Abbreviation
of
supplementary

[1]



supplant

supplant
sup·plant 
[sə plánt] (past sup·plant·ed,
past participle sup·plant·ed, present participle sup·plant·ing,
3rd person present singular sup·plants) transitive verb

1.  oust
somebody:
to take somebody’s place or position by force or intrigue

2.  replace:
to take the place of something, especially something much used, inferior,
outmoded, or irrelevant
[13th
century. Directly or via French from Latin supplantare “to trip up,
overthrow,” from sub- “up from beneath” + planta “sole of the
foot” (see plant ).]
—sup·plan·ta·tion
[sùpplan táysh’n], noun

—sup·plant·er [sə plántər], noun[1]



supple

supple
sup·ple 
[súpp’l] (comparative sup·pler,
superlative sup·plest) adjective

1.  flexible:
flexible and elastic

2.  moving
easily:
capable of bending, stretching, and moving with ease, fluidity, and grace

3.  adaptable:
adaptable and responsive in grappling with problems or dealing with new
challenges

4.  compliant:
excessively compliant and agreeable (literary)
[13th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin supplex “submissive,”
literally “bending under,” from -plex “fold” (source of English duplex ).]
—sup·ple·ly,
adverb

—sup·ple·ness, noun[1]



supplejack

supplejack
sup·ple·jack 
[súpp’l jàk] (plural sup·ple·jacks
or sup·ple·jack) noun

1.  woody
vine:
a woody vine of the southeastern United States with tiny white flowers and
bluish fruits. Latin name: Berchemia scandens

2.  tropical
vine:
a tropical American vine whose wood is used for walking sticks. Latin name: Paullinia
curvassica
[Supple from its pliant stem][1]



supplement

supplement
sup·ple·ment 
noun [súppləmənt] (plural sup·ple·ments)

1.  addition:
an addition to something to increase its size or make up for a deficiency • a
useful supplement to the family income

2.  PUBLISHING publication:
a publication that amplifies or corrects one already published

3.  PRESS periodical
part:
an additional section included in or sold with a magazine or newspaper,
especially an additional section that appears regularly

4.  FOOD food:
a substance with a particular nutritional value taken to make up for a real or
supposed deficiency in diet

5.  COMMERCE extra
charge:
a charge payable in addition to the basic charge for a special service or under
certain conditions

6.  MATHEMATICS angle
or arc:
an angle or arc that, when added to another, makes 180° or a semicircle
transitive
verb
[sùpplə mént] (past sup·ple·ment·ed,
past participle sup·ple·ment·ed, present participle sup·ple·ment·ing,
3rd person present singular sup·ple·ments)

1.  make
addition to something: to increase, extend, or
improve something by adding something to it • supplemented
their meager diet with vitamins

2.  be
additional part: to be a supplement to something • Her
remarks supplemented the report.
[14th
century. From Latin supplementum, from supplere “to fill out,
complete” (see supply ).]
—sup·ple·men·tal
[sùpplə mént’l], adjective

—sup·ple·men·tal·ly
[sùpplə mént’lee], adverb

—sup·ple·men·ta·tion
[sùpplə men táysh’n], noun

—sup·ple·ment·er [súpplə mèntər], noun[1]



supplementary

supplementary
sup·ple·men·ta·ry
[sùpplə méntəree] adjective

1.  additional:
additional to an existing one, or to the normal number or amount

2.  completing:
making up for something that is lacking
noun
(plural sup·ple·men·ta·ries)

something additional:
an additional thing, person, or question
—sup·ple·men·tar·i·ly
[sùpplə men térrəlee], adverb[1]



supplementaryangle

supplementaryangle
sup·ple·men·ta·ry
an·gle
(plural sup·ple·men·ta·ry an·gles) noun

angle added to another:
an angle that when added to another angle makes up 180°[1]



suppletion

suppletion
sup·ple·tion 
[sə plsh’n] noun

unrelated
form among inflections of word: the use of an
unrelated word to fill the gap when some inflected or derived forms of a word
are missing, as “was” forms the past tense of “to be”
—sup·ple·tive [sə pltiv, súpplətiv],
adjective[1]



suppliant

suppliant
sup·pli·ant 
[súpplee ənt] adjective

entreating:
expressing a humble but heart-felt appeal to somebody who has the power to
grant a request (formal)
noun
(plural sup·pli·ants)

See
supplicant  noun
[15th
century. From French, present participle of supplier “to supplicate,”
from Latin supplicare, literally “to bend under,” from supplex
(see supple ).]
—sup·pli·ance,
noun

—sup·pli·ant·ly, adverb[1]



supplicant

supplicant
sup·pli·cant 
[súppləkənt] noun (plural sup·pli·cants)

humble
petitioner:
somebody who addresses a humble but heart-felt appeal to somebody who has the
power to grant his or her request (formal)
Also
called
suppliant
adjective

See
suppliant  adjective
[Late
16th century. From Latin supplicant-, present participle stem of supplicare
(see suppliant ).]
—sup·pli·ca·to·ry [súppləkə tàwree], adjective[1]



supplication

supplication
sup·pli·ca·tion 
[sùpplə káysh’n] (plural sup·pli·ca·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  appeal
made to somebody in authority: a humble appeal to
somebody who has the power to grant a request

2.  addressing
of requests: the addressing of humble requests and
prayers to somebody with the power to grant them
—sup·pli·cate [súpplə kàyt], intransitive and transitive verb[1]



supply

supply
sup·ply 
[sə pl] transitive verb (past
sup·plied, past participle sup·plied, present
participle sup·ply·ing, 3rd person present singular sup·plies)

1.  provide:
to give, sell, or make available something that is wanted or needed by somebody
or something • supplied
equipment for the expedition

2.  satisfy
a need:
to satisfy a need or requirement (formal)

3.  make
up for a lack: to make up for a deficiency, loss, or lack
(formal)

4.  serve
as a substitute: to act as a substitute for somebody,
especially in a church (formal)
noun
(plural sup·plies)

1.  available
amount:
an amount or quantity of something available for use • a
plentiful supply of food and drink

2.  provision:
the act or business of bringing something needed to the people or things that
need it, or the system that brings something needed • the
supply of electric power to villages in the mountains

3.  ECONOMICS quantity
available in a market: the quantity of a type of
goods or services available in a market at a given time

4.  substitute:
somebody who acts as a substitute, especially for a preacher (formal)
plural
noun
sup·plies

needed things:
the things, especially food and equipment, that a group of people need to
survive and operate, or that are needed to carry out a particular task or
activity • Our
supplies were running very low.
[14th
century. Via Old French supplier “to meet a deficiency” from Latin supplere,
literally “to fill up,” from plere “to fill” (source of English complete and deplete
).]
—sup·pli·a·ble,
adjective

—sup·pli·er,
noun
in
short supply

present or available only in
small or insufficient quantities[1]



supplyand demand

supplyand demand
sup·ply
and de·mand
noun

economic idea:
the relationship between the availability of a good or service and the need or
desire for it among consumers[1]



supply-sideeconomics

supply-sideeconomics
sup·ply-side
ec·o·nom·ics noun

economics of production:
economic policies that promote conditions favoring the producers of goods and
services (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



support

support
sup·port 
[sə páwrt] transitive verb (past
sup·port·ed, past participle sup·port·ed, present
participle sup·port·ing, 3rd person present singular sup·ports)

1.  keep
from falling: to keep something or somebody upright or
in place, or prevent something or somebody from falling • Those
pillars support the roof.

2.  bear
certain weight: to be strong enough to hold a particular
object or weight in place without breaking or giving way • Are
you sure the ice is thick enough to support the weight?

3.  sustain
financially: to provide somebody with money and the
other necessities of life over a period of time • She
succeeds in supporting her family on what she earns in a part-time job.

4.  give
active help and encouragement: to give active help,
encouragement, or money to somebody or something • We
support the charity through voluntary work.

5.  be
in favor of something: to be in favor of something
such as a cause, policy, or organization, and wish to see it succeed

6.  be
present and give encouragement: to give encouragement
to somebody or something by being present at an event

7.  give
assistance or comfort: to give assistance or
comfort to somebody in difficulty or distress • He
supported me throughout my crisis.

8.  provide
technical support: to provide technical support
for a computing system or package

9.  corroborate:
to give something greater credibility by being consistent with it or providing
further evidence for it • There
is further evidence that supports the defendant’s claim.

10. ARTS play
small role alongside somebody: to play a subsidiary
role in a play or movie alongside another actor with a leading part

11. tolerate
something:
to put up with something unpleasant (literary)
noun
(plural sup·ports)

1.  something
that supports: a means of holding something upright or
in place, or of preventing it from falling • If
you remove those supports the plank will fall down.

2.  reinforcement
to hold things in place: physical force or
reinforcement used to hold things steady or in place • Stakes
give the plant extra support.

3.  active
assistance or encouragement: active assistance and
encouragement to, or an approving and encouraging attitude toward, somebody or
something • Support
for the cause continues to rise.

4.  help
in crisis:
the encouragement and help somebody gets from others, for example, friends,
family, and charitable organizations, especially during times of crisis and
change. It may be emotional, moral, or practical.

5.  supportive
person:
somebody who provides assistance, money, encouragement, or comfort

6.  supporters:
the supporters of an organization such as a political party, or of an
individual, considered as a group • His
support is drawn mainly from the rural areas.

7.  ARTS supporting
bands or entertainers: the other band or bands, or
the other entertainers, appearing in a program along with the main attraction
[14th
century. Via French from Latin supportare, literally “to bear up,” from portare
“to carry” (see port 1 ).]
—sup·port·a·bil·i·ty
[sə pàwrtə bíllətee], noun

—sup·port·a·ble
[sə páwrtəb’l], adjective

—sup·port·a·bly,
adverb
in
support of

in order to support somebody
or something[1]



supportarea

supportarea
sup·port
ar·e·a
(plural sup·port ar·e·as) noun

stores:
an area with a supply of military material and personnel standing ready for use[1]



supporter

supporter
sup·port·er 
[sə páwrtər] (plural sup·port·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who supports something: somebody who supports a
cause, person, idea, course of action, or political party • greeted
by a crowd of supporters

2.  CLOTHES supporting
garment:
a garment that supports or protects a part of the body, especially one used by
male athletes to protect the genitals

3.  HERALDRY standing
figure:
either of a pair of standing figures on either side of a shield in a coat of
arms

[1]



supportgroup

supportgroup
sup·port
group 
(plural sup·port groups) noun

common interest group:
a group of people with a problem or concern in common who meet regularly to
discuss it and support one another[1]



supporthose

supporthose
sup·port
hose
plural noun

elasticized stockings:
elasticized stockings that support the veins in the lower legs, used by people
with varicose veins or bad circulation.
U.K. term
support stockings[1]



supporting

supporting
sup·port·ing
[sə páwrting] adjective

1.  secondary:
accompanying and assisting, but secondary to, the main action or the main
participants in something • a
supporting role

2.  ARTS appearing
or shown with main attraction: appearing in the same
movie, play, or program as the main star or attraction

[1]



supportive

supportive
sup·por·tive 
[sə páwrtiv] adjective

giving
support:
giving support, especially moral or emotional support
—sup·por·tive·ness, noun[1]



supportlevel

supportlevel
sup·port
lev·el
(plural sup·port lev·els) noun

threshold price:
the price at which a security whose price has been falling begins to attract
investors again because of its intrinsic worth[1]



supportsystem

supportsystem
sup·port
sys·tem
(plural sup·port sys·tems) noun

network of supporters:
the group of friends, colleagues, or professionals available to help a person
or organization when required[1]



supposable

supposable
sup·pos·a·ble 
[sə pṓzəb’l] adjective

imaginable:
considered to be possible • a
supposable scenario
—sup·pos·a·bly, adverb[1]



suppose

suppose
sup·pose 
[sə pṓz] (past sup·posed, past
participle sup·posed, present participle sup·pos·ing, 3rd
person present singular sup·pos·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb believe
to be true:
to believe or imagine something to be the case • I
suppose you haven’t heard the news.

2.  intransitive
verb
imagine
as possible: to consider or imagine something to be a
possibility • Suppose
that he doesn’t know about your plan.

3.  transitive
verb
take
as precondition: to require something as a precondition • Your
plan supposes that there are enough presents to go around.

4.  transitive
verb
be
required to do something: to be expected to do
something as the result of a previous agreement or arrangement or an obligation
(usually passive) • You’re
supposed to leave tomorrow.

5.  transitive
verb
be
expected to do something: to be expected to do
something as a consequence of a particular action or set of conditions (usually
passive) • The
light’s supposed to come on when the tank is almost empty.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb agree
to something reluctantly: used when agreeing to do
something or that something is the case, reluctantly, uncertainly, or
noncommittally • I suppose we’d better
get going.
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin supponere, literally “to
place under,” from ponere “to place” (see position
). The meaning was influenced by Greek hupothesis “supposition.”]
—sup·pos·er, noun[1]



supposed

supposed
sup·posed 
[sə pṓzd, sə pṓzəd]
adjective

accepted as true but
doubtful: accepted, at least by some,
as correct, real, or having a particular quality, but on slender or uncertain
evidence • Frankly,
I’m very dubious about this supposed brilliant idea of his.[1]



supposedly

supposedly
sup·pos·ed·ly
[sə pṓzədlee] adverb

as people believe:
as some people believe, or as people were led to believe • He
was supposedly going to pick us up after work.
• a
supposedly instant remedy[1]



supposing

supposing
sup·pos·ing 
[sə pṓzing] conjunction

assuming:
imagining or assuming something to be the case • Supposing
she comes, will you let her in?[1]



supposition

supposition
sup·po·si·tion 
[sùppə zísh’n] (plural sup·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  hypothesis:
something that it is suggested might be true, or that is accepted as true, on
the basis of some evidence but without proof

2.  mental
act of supposing: the mental act of supposing something to
be the case, or ideas that result from supposing, especially as opposed to
ideas based on firm evidence • All
this is mere supposition.
[Late
16th century. Directly and via French from the Latin stem supposition-,
from supposit-, the past participle stem of supponere (see suppose ). Translation of Greek hupothesis
.]
—sup·po·si·tion·al,
adjective

—sup·po·si·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



suppositious

suppositious
sup·po·si·tious 
[sùppə zíshəss] adjective

based on assumptions:
based on some evidence but without proof (formal)[1]



supposititious

supposititious
sup·pos·i·ti·tious 
[sə pòzzə tíshəss] adjective

fraudulently
substituted: substituted for something else in order
to deceive (formal)
[Early
17th century. From Latin supposititius, from suppositus, the past
participle of supponere (see suppose
).]
—sup·pos·i·ti·tious·ly,
adverb[1]



suppositive

suppositive
sup·pos·i·tive 
[sə pózzətiv] adjective

expressing
supposition: expressing or relating to supposition,
or introducing a clause expressing a supposition
noun

suppositive conjunction:
a conjunction such as “if,” “provided that,” or “supposing” that introduces a
clause expressing a supposition[1]



suppository

suppository
sup·pos·i·to·ry 
[sə pózzə tàwree] (plural sup·pos·i·to·ries)
noun

small
dissolvable medicated solid: a medicated solid
preparation, usually in the form of a cylinder or cone, that melts at body
temperature and is designed to be inserted into the rectum, vagina, or urethra.
The drug or active ingredient is incorporated in an inert base, commonly cocoa
butter, glycerinated gelatin, or polyethylene glycol.
[14th century. From medieval
Latin suppositorium, from Latin supposit-, the past participle
stem of supponere “to place under” (see suppose
).][1]



suppress

suppress
sup·press 
[sə préss] (past sup·pressed, past
participle sup·pressed, present participle sup·press·ing,
3rd person present singular sup·press·es) transitive verb

1.  put
an end to something: to put an end to something,
especially something perceived as a threat, by the use of force or a
prohibition • suppressed
all complaints with a gag order

2.  prevent
something:
to prevent something from happening, operating, or becoming apparent, or restrain
something and limit its effects

3.  stop
spread or publication of something: to
prevent information or evidence from becoming known, or written material from
being published • The report was
suppressed for political reasons.

4.  PSYCHOLOGY resist
something consciously: to resist particular
thoughts or feelings consciously as they arise, and try to banish them from the
mind • Try
to suppress your anger.

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING diminish
oscillation: to reduce unwanted noise or oscillation
in a circuit or unwanted frequencies in a signal

6.  BIOLOGY reduce
bodily function: to cause or undergo the reduction or
cessation of a normal bodily function, for example, menstruation or growth

7.  GENETICS inhibit
gene effect: to cancel or reverse the effects of a
gene
[14th
century. From Latin suppress-, the past participle stem of supprimere,
literally “to push down,” from premere “to press” (see press ).]
—sup·pres·ser,
noun

—sup·press·i·bil·i·ty
[sə prèssə bíllətee], noun

—sup·press·i·ble [sə préssəb’l], adjective[1]



suppressant

suppressant
sup·pres·sant
(plural sup·pres·sants) noun

substance that suppresses
something: a substance, medication, or
activity that restrains or limits the effects of something (often used in
combination) • an
appetite suppressant[1]



suppression

suppression
sup·pres·sion 
[sə présh’n] noun

1.  forceful
prevention:
conscious and forceful action to put an end to something, destroy it, or
prevent it from becoming known

2.  state
of constraint: the state of being forcefully restrained
or held back

3.  PSYCHOLOGY avoidance
of thoughts and feelings: conscious avoidance or
inhibition of particular memories, desires, or thoughts

4.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING diminishing
of oscillation: reduction of unwanted noise or
oscillation in a circuit or of unwanted frequencies in a signal

5.  BIOLOGY developmental
failure:
the failure of an organ, tissue, or part to develop

6.  PHYSIOLOGY cessation
of bodily function: the reduction or stoppage of
a normal bodily function, for example, secretion or excretion.
See
also
immunosuppression

7.  MEDICINE removal
of symptoms: the lessening or abolition of a symptom
or the outward signs of a disease

8.  GENETICS reversal
of mutation: the cancellation or reversal of the
effect of a gene, especially of one genetic mutation by another

[1]



suppressive

suppressive
sup·pres·sive 
[sə préssiv] adjective

suppressing:
having the effect of suppressing something
—sup·pres·sive·ly, adverb[1]



suppressor

suppressor
sup·pres·sor 
[sə préssər] (plural sup·pres·sors)
noun

1.  GENETICS suppressing
gene:
a gene that prevents the expression of another gene

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING suppressing
device:
a device that reduces unwanted interference or current in a circuit

[1]



suppressorT cell

suppressorT cell
sup·pres·sor
T cell
(plural sup·pres·sor T cells) or sup·pres·sor cell
(plural sup·pres·sor cells) noun

white blood cell limiting
immune response: a T cell that
diminishes or suppresses the immune response to an antigen of B cells and other
T cells[1]



suppurate

suppurate
sup·pu·rate 
[súppyə ràyt] (past sup·pu·rat·ed,
past participle sup·pu·rat·ed, present participle sup·pu·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular sup·pu·rates) intransitive verb

ooze
pus:
to produce or discharge pus as a result of an injury or infection
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin suppurat-, the past participle stem of suppurare,
from pus (see pus ).]
—sup·pu·ra·tion
[sùppyə ráysh’n], noun

—sup·pu·ra·tive [súppyə ràytiv], adjective[1]



supra

supra
su·pra
[sprə] adverb

above:
used in formal writing to refer the reader back to something at an earlier
point in the same text (formal)
[Early 16th century. From
Latin, “above.”][1]



supra-

supra-
supra-
prefix

1.  over,
on top of • suprarenal

2.  transcending
• supranational
[From Latin supra
“above, beyond” (source of English soprano
). Related to super “above, over”
(see super- ).][1]



supralapsarian

supralapsarian
su·pra·lap·sar·i·an 
[sprə lap sérree ən] (plural su·pra·lap·sar·i·ans)
noun

believer
in predestination: somebody who believes in or
expounds the Calvinist view that God preordained the Fall, and had preordained
the salvation of some souls in advance of it
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from supra- + Latin lapsus
“sin, fall” (see lapse ).]
—su·pra·lap·sar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



supraliminal

supraliminal
su·pra·lim·i·nal 
[sprə límmən’l] adjective

conscious:
at or above the threshold of consciousness
—sup·ra·lim·i·nal·ly, adverb[1]



supramolecular

supramolecular
su·pra·mo·lec·u·lar 
[sprə mə lékyələr] adjective

1.  more
complex than a molecule: more complex in form than a
molecule

2.  composed
of molecules: composed of more than one molecule

[1]



supranational

supranational
su·pra·na·tion·al 
[sprə násh’n’l] adjective

multinational:
not limited by the concerns or boundaries of a single nation
—su·pra·na·tion·al·ism,
noun

—su·pra·na·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



supraorbital

supraorbital
su·pra·or·bi·tal 
[sprə áwrbət’l] adjective

above the eye:
located above the bony socket ( orbit ) of
the eye[1]



suprarenal

suprarenal
su·pra·re·nal 
[sprə rn’l] adjective

above the kidney:
located above the kidneys[1]



suprasegmental

suprasegmental
su·pra·seg·men·tal 
[sprə seg mént’l] adjective

accompanying
pronunciation of speech sounds: connected with
features of speech such as pitch and stress that accompany rather than
constitute phonemes
—su·pra·seg·men·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



supremacist

supremacist
su·prem·a·cist 
[sə prémməssəst, soo
prémməssəst] (plural su·prem·a·cists) noun

believer in superiority of
particular group: somebody who holds the
view that a particular group is innately superior to others and therefore is
entitled to dominate them (usually used in combination)[1]



supremacy

supremacy
su·prem·a·cy 
[sə prémməssee, soo
prémməssee] noun

position
of superiority: a position of superiority or authority
over all others
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from supreme, on the model of primacy .][1]



suprematism

suprematism
su·prem·a·tism 
[sə prémmə tìzzəm, soo
prémmə tìzzəm] noun

school
of art:
a school of cubist painting from early 20th-century Russia
[Mid-20th
century. From Russian suprematizm, from French suprématie
“supremacy.”]
—su·prem·a·tist, noun[1]



supreme

supreme
su·preme 
[sə prm, soo
prm] adjective

1.  above
all others:
above all others in power, authority, rank, status, or skill • holding
supreme authority

2.  highest
in degree:
of the greatest or most admirable kind • a
supreme example of the architect’s skill

3.  ultimate:
greater than any that have gone before, or the greatest possible • the
supreme sacrifice

4.  in
the highest degree: in the highest degree or of
the most unmitigated kind • viewed
them with supreme contempt
[15th
century. From Latin supremus, literally “uppermost,” from superus
“upper,” from super “above” (see super-
).]
—su·preme·ly, adverb[1]



SupremeBeing

SupremeBeing
Su·preme
Be·ing 
noun

God:
God[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








supremecommander

supremecommander
su·preme
com·man·der
(plural su·preme com·mand·ers) noun

highest officer:
the highest ranking and controlling military officer in a theater of war[1]



SupremeCourt

SupremeCourt
Su·preme
Court
(plural Su·preme Courts) noun

1.  highest
court:
the highest federal court, consisting of nine justices appointed by the
president and making decisions solely on constitutional matters

2.  highest
state court: the highest appellate court in many
states of the United States

3.  highest
court in country: the highest court in a country, or in a
state or territory of a federation

[1]



SupremeSoviet

SupremeSoviet
Su·preme
So·vi·et
noun

national legislature in
U.S.S.R: the two-chamber national
legislature of the former Soviet Union, or a similar legislature in any of the
former Soviet republics[1]



suprême

suprême
su·prême
[sə prém, soo
prém] (plural su·prêmes) adjective

with
suprême sauce: served with a suprême sauce • chicken
suprême
[Early 19th century. From
French, “supreme.”][1]



suprêmesauce

suprêmesauce
su·prême
sauce
noun

creamy savory sauce:
a rich sauce made of chicken or veal stock with added cream and egg yolks.
Also called
sauce suprême[1]



supt.

supt.
supt.
or Supt.

Abbreviation of
superintendent[1]



supvr.

supvr.
supvr.

Abbreviation of
supervisor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








suq

suq
suq 
noun

See
souk[1]



Suquamish

Suquamish
Su·qua·mish 
[sə kwmish, skwmish]
(plural Su·qua·mish·es or Su·qua·mish) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally lived in lands along the Puget Sound in
Washington State and many of whom still live in that area

2.  LANGUAGE Suquamish
language:
the Salish language of the Suquamish people
[Mid-19th century. From a
Salish language.][1]



sur.

sur.
sur.

1.  Abbreviation
of
surplus

2.  Abbreviation
of
surface

[1]



sur-

sur-
sur-
prefix

1.  over,
above, on top of • surprint

2.  additional,
extra • surcharge
[Via French from Latin super
(see super- )][1]



Sur.

Sur.
Sur.

Abbreviation of
Suriname[1]



sura

sura
su·ra 
[srə] (plural su·ras) noun

Koranic
chapter:
a chapter of the Koran
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic sūra, of uncertain origin: probably from Syriac ṣūrā
“scripture.”][1]



Surabaya

Surabaya
Su·ra·ba·ya
[srə b ə]

city on northeastern Java
Island, Indonesia. Population: 2,473,272 (1990)[1]



surah

surah
su·rah 
[srə] noun

silk
or rayon fabric: a twilled silk or rayon fabric, used in
making women’s clothing
[Late 19th century.
Anglicization of French surat “Surat,” the town in India where it was
first produced.][1]



sural

sural
su·ral 
[srəl] adjective

of
calf of leg: relating to the calf of the leg (technical)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin sura “calf of the leg,” of unknown origin.][1]



surat

surat
su·rat
[s rat] noun

cotton fabric:
a coarse cotton fabric formerly produced in and around the town of Surat in
India[1]



surbase

surbase
sur·base 
[súr bàyss] (plural sur·bas·es)
noun

low
molding:
an architectural molding at the top of a base such as a pedestal or baseboard
—sur·base·ment [sur báyssmənt], noun[1]



surbased

surbased1
sur·based1 [súr
bàyst] adjective

having surbase:
featuring an architectural molding at the top of a base[1]



surbased

surbased2
sur·based2 [sùr
báyst] adjective

with
low rise:
used to describe an arch with a rise of less than half its span
[Mid-18th century. From
French surbaissé, the past participle of surbaisser “to flatten,”
from baisser “to lower,” ultimately from medieval Latin bassus
“low.”][1]



surcease

surcease
sur·cease 
[sər sss, súr
sss] intransitive and transitive verb (past sur·ceased,
past participle sur·ceased, present participle sur·ceas·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·ceas·es)

stop
doing something: to cease, or bring something to an end
or stop doing it (formal)
noun

stoppage:
a cessation, especially a temporary one (literary)
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman surseser (influenced by cease
) from, ultimately, Latin supersedere “to refrain” (see supersede ).][1]



surcharge

surcharge
sur·charge 
[súr chrj] verb (past sur·charged,
past participle sur·charged, present participle sur·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·charg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb charge
extra:
to add an additional charge to the amount somebody has to pay

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb overcharge:
to charge somebody too much for something

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody personally responsible for repayment: to
make somebody repay from personal funds any losses stemming from negligent or
intentional mismanagement of a fiduciary responsibility

4.  transitive
verb
STAMPS raise
stamp value by overprinting: to overprint an existing
postage stamp so as to increase its face value

5.  transitive
verb
overburden:
to overburden somebody or something, or overload something such as a ship (literary)
noun
(plural sur·charg·es)

1.  extra
charge:
an excess or extra charge

2.  STAMPS mark
on stamp:
a mark on a postage stamp increasing its face value
[15th
century. From Old French surcharger, from chargier “to charge”
(see charge ).]
—sur·charg·er, noun[1]



surcingle

surcingle
sur·cin·gle 
[súr sìng g’l] (plural sur·cin·gles)
noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN strap
around horse: a broad band fastened around the body of
a horse to hold a rug or pack in place

2.  CLOTHES belt
for cassock: a belt worn around a priest’s cassock (archaic)
[14th century. From Old
French surcengle, literally “belt over,” from cengle “belt,
girdle,” from Latin cingulum (see cingulum
).][1]



surcoat

surcoat
sur·coat 
[súr kt] (plural sur·coats) noun

1.  tunic
worn over armor: a short tunic worn over armor in
medieval times

2.  sleeveless
ceremonial garment: a short sleeveless garment
worn as part of the ceremonial costume of an order of knighthood
[14th century. From Old
French surcote, literally “overcoat,” from cote “coat” (see coat ).][1]



surd

surd
surd 
[surd] (plural surds) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS irrational
root or number: an irrational root or irrational number,
or an expression containing one or the other

2.  PHONETICS voiceless
sound:
a consonant pronounced without vibration of the vocal cords
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
surdus “unable to hear or speak.”][1]



sure

sure
sure 
[shoor] adjective

1.  definitely
true:
unquestionably true or real and not in doubt • One
thing is sure, we’ll never make the same mistake again!

2.  firmly
believing:
believing strongly and for a good reason, or knowing for a fact that something
is true or the case • Are
you sure that she understood you?

3.  bound
to:
inevitably going to do something or to happen, or confidently expected to be
going to do something or to happen • He’s
sure to notice something’s missing.

4.  certain
to obtain something: definitely able to or
definitely going to obtain or achieve something • Many
people book early in order to be sure of getting the best seats.

5.  very
confident:
very confident about something, especially personal beliefs or abilities • It
was her self-confidence that made her so sure of her answer.

6.  always
effective:
effective, accurate, and reliable at all times • His
aggressive manner is a sure sign that he is frightened.

7.  firm
and secure:
firm, secure, and steady • The
fashion had gained a sure hold on every boy.

8.  unerring:
showing both confidence and competence • a
sure grasp of the complexities of the situation

9.  dependable:
able to be safely relied on • a sure
friend in time of trouble
adverb
(informal)

1.  undoubtedly:
used to give emphasis to something that somebody is saying and to indicate that
somebody does not expect anyone to disagree with it • This
sure tastes good.

2.  yes:
used to indicate emphatic or enthusiastic assent • I
asked him if he’d like to come and he said, “Sure!”
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin securus (see secure
).]
—sure·ness,
noun
be
sure and or to do something

used
to tell somebody to remember to do something • Be
sure and remember to introduce us.

for
sure

1.  without
a doubt, or inevitably (informal)

2.  definitely
and precisely

make
sure (that)

1.  to
take the necessary action to have something done or make something happen

2.  to
check that something is the case, or that something has been done as instructed
or requested

sure
enough

as
was expected

to
be sure

used
when admitting or agreeing that something is true, even though it may not agree
with most of what you are saying

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  We
  sure are glad to see you!
  The
  use of sure as an intensifying adverb is
  characteristic of informal American usage. Note that it does not mean the
  same as surely, which is more judgmental in tone: • They
  surely don’t want us to pay for this?

[1]



sure-fire

sure-fire
sure-fire 
adjective

sure to succeed:
always successful or effective (informal)[1]



sure-footed

sure-footed
sure-foot·ed
adjective

1.  unlikely
to stumble or fall: skilled and confident in
moving or climbing, and so unlikely to stumble or fall

2.  confident:
confident and competent, and so unlikely to err
—sure·foot·ed·ly,
adverb

—sure·foot·ed·ness, noun[1]



surely

surely
sure·ly 
[shrlee] adverb

1.  used
to invite a response: used as a means of getting
somebody to confirm, deny, agree, or disagree with something being said, by
adding in an element of challenging self-assurance or considerable hesitancy • Surely
you’ve met before.

2.  without
fail:
definitely or unavoidably • slowly
but surely

3.  without
doubt:
without a doubt or without fail • Did he
get his message across? He surely did.

4.  Southern
U.S.
yes:
used to show ready agreement

[1]



surething

surething
sure
thing
noun (plural sure things)

something
certain:
something that can be relied on to happen or to be successful (informal)
adverb

yes of course:
used to express assent, agreement, or willingness to do something (informal)[1]



surety

surety
sur·e·ty 
[shrətee] (plural sur·e·ties)
noun

1.  guarantor:
somebody who assumes responsibility for another’s obligations in case of
default, particularly by giving a guarantee

2.  certainty:
the condition or quality of being sure (formal)
[14th
century. Via Old French surete from Latin securitas, from securus
“secure” (see secure ).]
—sur·e·ty·ship, noun[1]



surf

surf
surf 
[surf] noun

foamy waves: the
lines of foamy waves that break on a seashore or reef • play
in the surf
verb
(past surfed, past participle surfed, present
participle surf·ing, 3rd person present singular surfs)

1.  intransitive
verb
use
a surfboard: to ride waves on a surfboard

2.  transitive
verb
ride
waves in a particular area: to go surf ing in a
particular place • Have you surfed
Waikiki?

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUT search medium for
entertainment: to go on the Internet or watch
television for recreation, frequently changing the site or channel
[Late
17th century. Origin unknown.]
—surf·a·ble,
adjective

—surf·er,
noun

—surf·ing,
noun

—surf·y, adjective[1]



surface

surface
sur·face 
[súrfəss] noun (plural sur·fac·es)

1.  outer
part:
the outermost or uppermost part of a thing, the one that is usually presented
to the outside world, and can be seen and touched

2.  upper
part of Earth, sea, water: the part of the Earth, the
sea, or any water that meets the atmosphere

3.  solid
flat area:
a solid flat area, for example, on top of a fitment or piece of furniture,
especially an area on which it is suitable to work

4.  thin
applied outer layer: a relatively thin outer
layer or coating applied to something, usually to give it a smooth finish • a
nonstick surface

5.  superficial
part:
the superficial parts or aspects of something, especially when contrasted with
the essence of the thing

6.  GEOMETRY two-dimensional
extent:
a flat or curved continuous area definable in two dimensions • the
surface of a sphere
adjective

1.  used
on surface:
occurring or used on, or relating to, the surface of something • surface
lubricants

2.  superficial:
applying only to the outermost or uppermost part

3.  apparent:
put on for effect and not natural, deep-seated, or deeply felt

4.  on
land or sea: operating or transported over land or
sea but not in the air
verb
(past sur·faced, past participle sur·faced, present
participle sur·fac·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·fac·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
come
to the top:
to come to or appear at the surface, especially of water • She
surfaced after a dive of 20 minutes.

2.  intransitive
verb
appear:
to reappear after being hidden or out of reach for a time • She
surfaced in Berlin after the war.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
known:
to become apparent or known • The
information surfaced during a routine investigation.

4.  transitive
verb
give
a surface to something: to provide something with a
surface, especially with a smooth outer layer • surfacing
the road

5.  transitive
verb
treat
a surface:
to treat a surface, especially in order to smooth or perfect it

6.  intransitive
verb
MINING work
near the top: to mine at or near the Earth’s surface
[Early
17th century. From French, formed from sur- “upon” and face (see face ), on the model of Latin superficies
“surface” (see superficies ).]
—sur·face·less,
adjective

—sur·fac·er,
noun
on
the surface

to
outward appearances or when examined superficially • appears
cool and collected on the surface

scratch
the surface

to deal with only a very
small or relatively unimportant part of something[1]



surface-active

surface-active
sur·face-ac·tive 
adjective

lowering surface tension:
having the property of reducing the surface tension of a liquid so that the
liquid spreads out, rather than collecting in droplets[1]



surfacelift

surfacelift
sur·face
lift
(plural sur·face lifts) noun

ski lift type:
a type of ski lift that carries skiers uphill while they are standing on their
skis[1]



surfacemail

surfacemail
sur·face
mail
noun

slower mail:
mail that is transported by sea or land, as opposed to by air[1]



surfacenoise

surfacenoise
sur·face
noise
noun

record noise:
noise produced as a phonograph stylus travels over a revolving record, caused
by friction, dust, scratches, or static electricity on the record[1]



surfacerunoff

surfacerunoff
sur·face
run·off
noun

flow of surplus rainwater
over ground: the flow of water over
the surface of the ground occurring when rainfall is not absorbed into the soil
or evaporated[1]



surfacestructure

surfacestructure
sur·face
struc·ture
(plural sur·face struc·tures) noun

grammatical structure that
actually occurs: in certain types of
grammar, a representation of the sequence of syntactic elements that constitute
an actual phrase or sentence.
See also
deep structure[1]



surfacetension

surfacetension
sur·face
ten·sion
noun

cohesive quality of surface
of liquid: the property of liquids that
gives their surfaces a slightly elastic quality and enables them to form into
separate drops. It is caused by the interaction of molecules at or near the
surface that tend to cohere and contract the surface into the smallest possible
area. Symbol γ Symbol σ[1]



surface-to-air

surface-to-air
sur·face-to-air
adjective

launched from surface against
air target: launched from a ship or from
the ground against a target in the air • surface-to-air
missiles[1]



surface-to-surface

surface-to-surface
sur·face-to-sur·face
adjective

launched from surface against
ground target: launched from a ship or
from the ground against another ship or a target on the ground • a
surface-to-surface missile[1]



surfactant

surfactant
sur·fac·tant 
[sur fáktənt] (plural sur·fac·tants)
noun

1.  substance
reducing surface tension of liquids: an
agent, for example, a detergent or a drug, that reduces the surface tension of
liquids so that the liquid spreads out, rather than collecting in droplets

2.  PHYSIOLOGY substance
secreted in lungs: a surface-active lipoprotein
substance secreted naturally in the lungs, lack of which causes respiratory
problems especially in premature babies
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from surface + active
+ -ant .][1]



surfand turf

surfand turf
surf
and turf
noun

U.S.,
Australia seafood and beef:
a meal, menu, or dish including both seafood and meat, especially steak and
lobster
[Surf in reference to the
seafood; turf in reference to the beef, cattle being land-dwelling animals][1]



surfbird

surfbird
surf·bird 
[súrf bùrd] (plural surf·birds)
noun

shore
bird:
a winter shore bird of the American Pacific coast that has dark spotted plumage
and a black-and-white tail. It breeds in Alaska and the Yukon. Latin name: Aphriza
virgata
[Surf from its being found
among wave-washed rocks along the shoreline][1]



surfboard

surfboard
surf·board 
[súrf bàwrd] (plural surf·boards)
noun

board
for surfing: a long narrow board, with a rounded or
pointed front end, on which a surfer stands while riding waves
—surf·board·er,
noun

—surf·board·ing, noun[1]



surfboat

surfboat
surf·boat 
[súrf bt] (plural surf·boats)
noun

boat for use in surf:
a light sturdy boat, often with a raised prow and stern and buoyancy chambers,
suitable for use in high surf[1]



surfcasting

surfcasting
surf·cast·ing 
[súrf kàsting] noun

fishing
method:
a method of fishing in which a baited line is tossed into the surf from the
shore or a boat
—surf·cast·er, noun[1]



surfclam

surfclam
surf
clam
(plural surf clams) noun

surf-dwelling edible clam:
a large edible clam inhabiting the surf of coastal waters. Family: Mactridae[1]



surfduck

surfduck
surf
duck
(plural surf ducks) noun

See
surf scoter[1]



surfeit

surfeit
sur·feit 
[súrfət] noun

1.  excessive
number:
an excessive number or quantity of something, especially so much of it that
people become sickened, repelled, or bored by it

2.  overindulgence:
overindulgence, or a bout of overindulgence, in something, especially food or
drink

3.  disgust
or revulsion: disgust or revulsion resulting from
overindulgence (literary)
transitive
verb
(past sur·feit·ed, past participle sur·feit·ed, present
participle sur·feit·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·feits)

give somebody surfeit:
to give somebody a surfeit of something
[13th
century. From Old French, the past participle of surfaire, literally “to
overdo,” from faire “to do” (see affair
).]
—sur·feit·er, noun[1]



SurfersParadise

SurfersParadise
Surf·ers
Par·a·dise
[sùrferz párrə dss]

coastal town in southeastern
Queensland, Australia. It is a major tourist resort, and the center of the Gold
Coast region. Population: 24,033 (1996)[1]



surffish

surffish
surf
fish
noun

See
surfperch[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








surficial

surficial
sur·fi·cial 
[sur físh’l] adjective

relating
to surface:
relating to or occurring on a surface, especially the surface of the Earth
[Late 19th century. Blend of surface and superficial
.][1]



surfie

surfie
sur·fie
[súrfee] (plural sur·fies) noun

Australia, New Zealand
avid surfer:
somebody whose main interest is surfing (informal)[1]



surf-lifesaver

surf-lifesaver
surf-life·sav·er
(plural surf-life·sav·ers) noun

Australia
Australian lifeguard:
somebody, usually a volunteer, who patrols a beach and assists swimmers or
surfers who get into difficulties in the water[1]



surfperch

surfperch
surf·perch 
[súrf pùrch] (plural surf·perch·es
or surf·perch) noun

coastal fish:
a bony fish living in shallow Pacific waters off North America and resembling a
perch. Family: Embiotocidae
Also called
sea perch
Also called
surf fish[1]



surfscoter

surfscoter
surf
sco·ter
(plural surf sco·ters) noun

marine duck:
a large marine duck of North America, the male of which is mostly black with
white patches on its head. Latin name: Melanitta perspicillata
Also called
surf duck[1]



surg.

surg.
surg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
surgical

2.  Abbreviation
of
surgery

3.  Abbreviation
of
surgeon

[1]



surge

surge
surge 
[surj] intransitive verb (past
surged, past participle surged, present participle surg·ing,
3rd person present singular surg·es)

1.  move
like waves:
to move in or like a wave, rising up and subsiding and sweeping forward or back
• The
boat surged in the rising swell.

2.  make
concerted rush: to move in a body with a sudden rush in
a particular direction

3.  increase
suddenly:
to increase strongly and suddenly

4.  NAUTICAL slip:
to slip while being turned on a capstan or windlass (refers to ropes and
cables)
noun
(plural surg·es)

1.  large
motion:
a powerful rising and falling, or forward rushing movement, like that of the
sea

2.  sudden
increase:
a sudden increase in something, especially one that seems to rush through
somebody or something like a wave

3.  ELECTRICITY power
increase:
a sudden and temporary increase in electrical current or voltage

4.  ASTRONOMY energetic
solar prominence: an energetic solar prominence lasting
for several minutes, which accompanies a solar flare

5.  NAUTICAL slip of
rope:
a sudden slipping or slackening of a rope or cable on a boat or ship
[Early
16th century. From French surgir “to rise up” and sourge-, the
stem of sourdre “to spring up,” both ultimately from Latin surgere,
literally “to rise up from below.”]
—surg·er, noun[1]



surgeon

surgeon
sur·geon 
[súrjən] (plural sur·geons) noun

1.  MEDICINE doctor
specializing in surgery: a doctor specializing in
operations that involve gaining access to the patient’s body, for example, by
making incisions into it, in order to correct defects, repair injuries, or
treat diseases

2.  MILITARY forces’
medical officer: a medical officer in the armed services
or on board a ship
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French cirurgien, from cirurgie (see surgery ).][1]



surgeoncy

surgeoncy
sur·geon·cy 
[súrjənssee] noun

position as surgeon:
the position, profession, or office of a surgeon[1]



surgeonfish

surgeonfish
sur·geon·fish 
[súrjən fìsh] (plural sur·geon·fish
or sur·geon·fish·es) noun

tropical
fish:
a tropical fish that is often brightly colored and has spines at the base of
its tail that it uses to inflict wounds. Family: Acanthuridae
[Surgeon from an imagined
resemblance of its spines to a surgeon’s needle][1]



surgeongeneral

surgeongeneral
sur·geon
gen·er·al
(plural sur·geons gen·er·al) noun

1.  MILITARY military
doctor:
the chief medical officer in many branches of the military service

2.  POLITICS public
health chief: the cabinet-level chief public health
officer of the United States, or the chief public health officer of some
individual states

[1]



surgeon’sknot

surgeon’sknot
sur·geon’s
knot 
(plural sur·geon’s knots) noun

knot used by surgeons:
a surgical knot of a type that can be relied on to remain tight[1]



surgery

surgery
sur·ger·y 
[súrjəree] (plural sur·ger·ies)
noun

1.  medical
procedures involving operations: medical treatment that
involves operations or manipulations on the patient’s body and, usually,
cutting the body open to perform these

2.  branch
of medicine: the branch of medicine that deals with
diseases and conditions treated by operation or manipulation, or the range of
diseases treated in this way

3.  surgeon’s
art or activity: the art or activity of performing
surgery

4.  operating
room:
a hospital or clinic room where surgery is performed

5.  U.K.
doctor’s
office:
a doctor’s, dentist’s, or veterinarian’s office
[14th century. Via Old French
cirurgerie from, ultimately, Greek kheirourgia, literally
“working with the hands,” from kheir “hand” + ergon “work.”][1]



surgical

surgical
sur·gi·cal 
[súrjik’l] adjective

1.  of
surgery:
relating to or accomplished by surgery

2.  resulting
from surgery: due to or as a consequence of surgery

3.  precise:
like surgery in requiring or being characterized by great skill or great
precision
[Late
18th century. Alteration (under the influence of surgeon
) of French cirurgical, from cirurgien “surgeon” (see surgery ).]
—sur·gi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Suriname

Suriname



Suriname 
[srə nm, srə
nàm]
republic
in northeastern South America, north of Brazil, on the Atlantic Ocean.
Language: Dutch. Currency: Suriname guilder. Capital: Paramaribo. Population:
436,418 (1996) Area: 163,265 sq km/63,037 sq mi. Official name Republic
of Suriname Former name Netherlands Guiana
—Su·ri·na·mese [srəna mz, srəna
mss], noun, adjective[1]



Suriname




Back to definition

Suriname

[1]



Surinametoad

Surinametoad
Su·ri·name
toad
(plural Su·ri·name toads) noun

ZOOLOGY
See pipa[1]



surjection

surjection
sur·jec·tion 
[sur jéksh’n] (plural sur·jec·tions)
noun

mathematical
function:
a mathematical function for which each element of a set is the image of at
least one element of another set
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from sur-, on the model of injection .]
—sur·jec·tive, adjective[1]



surly

surly
sur·ly 
[súrlee] (comparative sur·li·er,
superlative sur·li·est) adjective

bad-tempered:
bad-tempered, unfriendly, rude, and somewhat threatening • a
person with a surly manner
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of obsolete sirly “lordly, imperious,” from sir .][1]



surmise

surmise
sur·mise 
[sur mz] intransitive and transitive
verb (past sur·mised, past participle sur·mised,
present participle sur·mis·ing, 3rd person present singular
sur·mis·es)

make
guess about something: to conclude that something
is the case on the basis of only limited evidence or intuitive feeling
noun
(plural sur·mis·es)

guesswork:
a conclusion drawn on only limited evidence or intuitive feeling
[Early
16th century. From Anglo-Norman surmis, past participle of surmettre
“to accuse,” literally “to put over,” ultimately from Latin mittere “to
send” (source of English mission ).]
—sur·mis·a·ble,
adjective

—sur·mis·er, noun[1]



surmount

surmount
sur·mount 
[sur mównt] (past sur·mount·ed,
past participle sur·mount·ed, present participle sur·mount·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·mounts) transitive verb

1.  overcome
difficulty:
to deal with a difficulty successfully

2.  get
to top of something: to get over the top of a
physical obstacle (formal)

3.  be
placed on top of something: to be positioned on top of
something or rise above it (formal) • the
statues surmounting the parapet

4.  put
something on top of something: to place something on
top of or above something (formal) • surmount
the parapet with a row of statues
[14th
century. From French surmonter, literally “to climb over,” from monter
“to mount” (see mount 1 ).]
—sur·mount·a·bil·i·ty
[sur mòwntə bíllətee], noun

—sur·mount·a·ble
[sur mówntəb’l], adjective

—sur·mount·er [sur mówntər], noun[1]



surmullet

surmullet
sur·mul·let 
[sur múllət] (plural sur·mul·lets
or sur·mul·let) noun

See
goatfish
[Late 17th century. From
French surmulet, from Old French sor “red, brown” + mulet
“mullet” (see mullet ).][1]



surname

surname
sur·name 
[súr nàym] noun (plural sur·names)

1.  somebody’s
family name: the name that identifies somebody as
belonging to a particular family and that he or she has in common with other
members of the family

2.  descriptive
addition to name: a descriptive addition to somebody’s
name for example, “the Great” in “Catherine the Great” (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past sur·named, past participle sur·named, present
participle sur·nam·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·names)

give somebody a surname:
to give or transmit a surname to somebody (usually passive)
[14th
century. Translation of Old French surnom, literally “name above,” from nom
“name.”]
—sur·nam·er, noun[1]



surpass

surpass
sur·pass 
[sur páss] (past sur·passed, past
participle sur·passed, present participle sur·pass·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·pass·es) transitive verb

1.  exceed
expectations: to go beyond what was expected or hoped
for, usually by being bigger, better, or greater

2.  do
better than somebody or something: to be bigger, greater,
better, or worse than somebody or something else

3.  be
beyond somebody’s ability: to be beyond somebody’s
ability to deal with or understand (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. From French surpasser “to transgress,” literally “to pass
beyond,” from passer “to pass” (see pass
).]
—sur·pass·a·ble, adjective[1]



surpassing

surpassing
sur·pass·ing 
[sur pássing] adjective

outstanding:
of a quality far superior to others (literary) • a
view of surpassing beauty
—sur·pass·ing·ly, adverb[1]



surplice

surplice
sur·plice 
[súrpləss] (plural sur·plic·es)
noun

ecclesiastical
garment:
a white ecclesiastical outer garment like a smock, with wide, often flared
sleeves, and varying in length
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman surpliz from medieval Latin superpellicium,
literally “(vestment worn) over a fur garment,” from pellicium “fur
coat.”][1]



surplus

surplus
sur·plus 
[súrpləss] noun (plural sur·plus·es)

1.  excess
amount:
an amount remaining after the original purpose has been served or the original
requirement met

2.  FINANCE excess
money:
an amount of money remaining after all liabilities have been met • The
government is predicting a trade surplus this year.

3.  ACCOUNTING extra
worth:
the amount by which the net worth of a company’s assets exceed the value of its
owned stock
adjective

additional to requirements:
not required to meet existing needs, or left over after these have been met • be
surplus to requirements
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from medieval Latin superplus, literally “more beyond,”
from Latin plus “more” (source of English plus
).][1]



surplusage

surplusage
sur·plus·age 
[súrpləssij] (plural sur·plus·ag·es)
noun

1.  LAW irrelevant
matter:
an irrelevant matter introduced into legal proceedings

2.  verbiage:
redundant words or arguments (formal)

3.  surplus:
an excess of something (formal)

[1]



surplusvalue

surplusvalue
sur·plus
val·ue
noun

price of product minus labor
costs: in Marxist economic theory,
the difference between the price of a product produced by labor and the value
of labor itself in terms of the wages paid to workers[1]



surprint

surprint
sur·print 
[súr prìnt] transitive verb (past
sur·print·ed, past participle sur·print·ed, present
participle sur·print·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·prints)

See
overprint  verb
noun
(plural sur·prints)

See
overprint  noun 1[1]



surprise

surprise
sur·prise 
[sər prz] transitive verb (past
sur·prised, past participle sur·prised, present
participle sur·pris·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·pris·es)

1.  make
somebody amazed: to cause somebody to feel sudden wonder
or amazement, especially because of something unexpected

2.  take
somebody or something unaware: to attack, come upon,
or catch somebody or something unexpectedly

3.  give
somebody something unexpectedly: to make an unexpected
gift to somebody • surprised me with
flowers

4.  trick
somebody:
to cause somebody to do something unexpected by trickery or deceit

5.  elicit
something from somebody: to cause somebody to admit
something unexpectedly by trickery or deceit
noun

1.  amazing
event:
the act or an instance of causing somebody to feel unexpected wonder or delight

2.  something
unexpected:
an unexpected gift or event

3.  amazement:
a feeling of unexpected amazement or delight
[15th
century. From French, the feminine past participle of surprendre,
literally “to overtake,” from sur- “over” + Latin prehendere (see
prehension ).]
—sur·pris·er,
noun

—sur·pris·ing,
adjective

—sur·pris·ing·ly,
adverb
take
somebody by surprise

to happen unexpectedly to
somebody • Their
arrival took everybody by surprise.[1]



surr.

surr.
surr.

Abbreviation of
surrender[1]



surra

surra
sur·ra
[srə, súrrə]
noun

tropical
animal disease: a tropical disease similar to sleeping
sickness that affects camels and horses, and occasionally cattle and dogs. It
is caused by a protozoan but transmitted by biting flies.
[Late 19th century. From
Marathi sūra, literally “air breathed through the nostrils.”][1]



surreal

surreal
sur·re·al 
[sə r əl] adjective

dreamlike:
suggesting or having qualities associated with surrealism, for example, bizarre
landscapes and distorted objects
noun

dreamlike
qualities or character: the bizarre or unreal
qualities associated with surrealism
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from surrealism .][1]



surrealism

surrealism
sur·re·al·ism 
[sə r ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  art
movement:
an early 20th-century movement in art and literature that tried to represent
the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery and juxtaposing elements
that seem to contradict each other

2.  type
of art:
surreal art or literature
[Early
20th century. From French surréalisme, literally “beyond realism.”]
—sur·re·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—sur·re·al·is·tic
[sə r ə lístik], adjective

—sur·re·al·is·ti·cal·ly
[sə r ə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



surrejoinder

surrejoinder
sur·re·join·der 
[sùrri jóyndər] noun

second reply in court:
in a civil court action, the second reply of the person bringing the action ( plaintiff ), in response to the defendant’s second
statement ( rejoinder )[1]



surrender

surrender
sur·ren·der 
[sə réndər] verb (past sur·ren·dered,
past participle sur·ren·dered, present participle sur·ren·der·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·ren·ders)

1.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY stop
fighting because unable to win: to declare to an
opponent that he or she has won and that fighting can cease

2.  transitive
verb
give
up possession of something: to relinquish possession or
control of something because of coercion or force

3.  transitive
verb
give
something out of courtesy: to give somebody a seat,
position, or office as a courtesy or as a gesture of goodwill

4.  transitive
verb
give
something up: to give up or abandon something such as
an idea or intention

5.  intransitive
verb
give
self up to something: to yield to a strong
emotion, influence, or temptation

6.  transitive
verb
LAW abandon
rights to something: to give up or abandon rights
to something, especially to give up a lease before it has expired
noun

1.  MILITARY giving
up a fight:
an act of declaring defeat at the hands of an opponent • The
French demanded an unconditional surrender.

2.  giving
up control:
a relinquishment of control to somebody or something

3.  delivery
into legal custody: the delivery of a prisoner
or fugitive into legal custody

4.  LAW abandonment
of legal rights: the abandonment of legal rights,
especially the giving up of a lease or an insurance policy before it has
expired

5.  giving
self up to authorities: an act of willing submission
to authorities
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman, literally “to give over,” from render “to
give (back),” a variant of Old French rendre (see render ).]
—sur·ren·der·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at yield

[1]



surreptitious

surreptitious
sur·rep·ti·tious 
[sùrrəp tíshəss] adjective

1.  secret:
done, made, or acquired by secret or sneaky methods

2.  stealthy:
operating with or characterized by stealth
[15th
century. Via Latin surreptitius from, ultimately, surripere “to
seize secretly,” literally “to seize from beneath,” from rapere (see rape 1 ).]
—sur·rep·ti·tious·ly,
adverb

—sur·rep·ti·tious·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at secret

[1]



surrey

surrey
sur·rey 
[súrree] (plural sur·reys) noun

carriage:
a late 19th-century horse-drawn four-wheeled carriage with two or four seats,
used for short pleasure trips
[Late 19th century. Named for
Surrey, a county in SE England, where it was originally manufactured.][1]



surrogacy

surrogacy
sur·ro·ga·cy 
[súrrəgəssee] (plural sur·ro·ga·cies)
noun

1.  condition
or act of being substitute: the condition or act of
being a substitute, especially a surrogate mother

2.  LAW type
of judgeship: in some jurisdictions, the position or
office of a judge who probates wills and settles estates ( surrogate )

[1]



surrogate

surrogate
sur·ro·gate 
adjective [súrrəgət]

taking place of somebody or something:
taking the place of somebody or something else
noun
[súrrəgət]

1.  substitute:
somebody who takes the place or fills the role of somebody else

2.  MEDICINE woman
who gives birth for another: a woman who bears a child
for a couple, with the intention of handing it over at birth. She usually
either is artificially inseminated by the man or implanted with a fertilized
egg from the woman.

3.  LAW kind
of judge:
a judge in some states, for example, New York, who probates wills and settles
estates

4.  PSYCHOLOGY substitute
authority figure: a respected person, for example, a
teacher or older sibling, who replaces a lost or nonexistent parent in
somebody’s unconscious
transitive
verb
[súrrə gàyt] (past sur·ro·gat·ed,
past participle sur·ro·gat·ed, present participle sur·ro·gat·ing,
3rd person present singular sur·ro·gates)

appoint as a stand-in:
to put somebody in somebody else’s place
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin surrogatus, the past participle of surrogare,
literally “to ask for in place of,” from rogare (see rogation ).]
—sur·ro·gate·ship
[súrrəgət shìp], noun

—sur·ro·ga·tion [sùrrə gáysh’n], noun[1]



surround

surround
sur·round 
[sə równd] transitive verb (past
sur·round·ed, past participle sur·round·ed, present
participle sur·round·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·rounds)

1.  enclose:
to occupy the space all around something

2.  close
off means of escape: to encircle something
completely, especially an enemy’s military position

3.  be
around somebody: to associate closely with somebody
noun

1.  area
around:
an area or border around a particular thing or place

2.  surroundings:
the immediate environment of something or somebody (often plural)

3.  method
of hunting:
a method of hunting in which animals are driven into a place from which they
cannot escape
[Early
17th century. Via Old French suronder “to overflow” from late Latin superundare,
from Latin unda “wave” (see undulate
).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Risk
  of redundancy:
  Surround and its synonyms such as encircle
  and enclose do not occur by degrees. Thus a spit of land, for example,
  should not be said to be • partly
  surrounded (or • partly
  encircled
  or • partly
  enclosed
  ) by water; it is • almost
  surrounded (etc.). By the same token, • completely
  surrounded may be excusable as emphatic, but it
  is redundant.

[1]



surroundings

surroundings
sur·round·ings 
[sə równdingz] plural noun

environment:
the immediate environment of somebody or something, including events,
circumstances, scenery, conditions, people, and objects[1]



surroundsound

surroundsound
sur·round
sound
noun

multi-channel sound
reproduction: a system of recording
and reproducing sound that uses three or more channels and speakers in order to
create the effect of the listener being surrounded by sound sources[1]



sursumcorda

sursumcorda
sur·sum
cor·da 
[sùrssəm káwrdə, srsəm
káwrdə] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY part
of Mass:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a short sentence ( versicle
) spoken by a priest during Mass, just before the preface

2.  exhortation:
a cry or exhortation, especially of hope (literary)
[From late Latin, literally
“(lift) up (your) hearts,” the versicle’s opening words][1]



surtax

surtax
sur·tax 
[súr tàks] noun

1.  another
tax:
a tax that is charged in addition to other taxes

2.  higher
tax:
a higher level or levels of tax imposed on individuals and corporations when
income or profits exceed a certain amount.
Also
called
supertax
transitive
verb
(past sur·taxed, past participle sur·taxed, present
participle sur·tax·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·tax·es)

charge somebody surtax:
to charge somebody with an additional or higher tax
[Late 19th century. From
French surtaxe, literally “over tax,” from taxe “tax,” from taxer
(see tax ).][1]



surtitle

surtitle
sur·ti·tle 
[súr tt’l] noun

(often used in the plural)See
supertitle[1]



surveillance

surveillance
sur·veil·lance 
[sər váylənss] noun

close
watch:
continual observation of a person or group, especially one suspected of doing
something illegal
[Early
19th century. From French, formed from surveiller “to watch over,” from veiller
“to keep watch,” from Latin vigilare (see vigilant
).]
—sur·veil·lant, adjective,
noun[1]



survey

survey
sur·vey 
transitive verb [sər váy] (past
sur·veyed, past participle sur·veyed, present
participle sur·vey·ing, 3rd person present singular sur·veys)

1.  consider
something generally: to look at or consider
something in a general or very broad way

2.  look
at something carefully: to look at or consider
somebody or something closely, especially in order to form an opinion

3.  GEOGRAPHY plot
a map of somewhere: to make a detailed map of an
area of land, including its boundaries, area, and elevation, using geometry and
trigonometry to measure angles and distances

4.  STATISTICS question
people in a poll: to do a statistical study of a sample
population by asking questions about age, income, opinions, buying preferences,
and other aspects of people’s lives

5.  gaze
at something: to look at or over something in a casual
or leisurely way

6.  U.K.
BUILDING inspect
a building:
to inspect a building in order to determine its structural soundness or assess
its value
noun
[súr vày] (plural sur·veys)

1.  general
view:
a very broad or general view of a subject or situation

2.  critical
inspection:
a very detailed, critical examination of something such as a situation or event

3.  act
of measuring land: an act of taking detailed
measurements of an area of land

4.  group
doing a survey: a team of surveyors working together

5.  report
on land measurement: a report that shows the
results of a survey

6.  GEOGRAPHY area
surveyed:
an area of land that is being or has been surveyed

7.  STATISTICS analysis
of poll sample: a statistical analysis of answers to a
poll of a sample of a population, for example, to determine opinions,
preferences, or knowledge
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman surveier from medieval Latin supervidere
“to oversee” (source of English supervise
), from Latin videre (see vision ).]
—sur·vey·a·ble [sər váyəb’l], adjective[1]



surveyor

surveyor
sur·vey·or
[sər váyər] noun

somebody who surveys land:
somebody whose occupation is taking accurate measurements of land areas in
order to determine boundaries, elevations, and dimensions[1]



surveyor’schain

surveyor’schain
sur·vey·or’s
chain
(plural sur·vey·or’s chains) noun

See
chain  noun 9[1]



surveyor’slevel

surveyor’slevel
sur·vey·or’s
lev·el 
noun

measuring instrument for land
elevations: an instrument with a
telescope and a level attached, mounted on a tripod and rotating around the
vertical axis, used for measuring elevations of land[1]



surveyor’smeasure

surveyor’smeasure
sur·vey·or’s
meas·ure
noun

system of measurement:
a system of measurement based on the unit the surveyor’s chain, 22 yd (about 20
m)[1]



survival

survival
sur·viv·al 
[sər vv’l] noun

1.  staying
alive:
continuation in life or existence

2.  fact
of living through something: the fact of having managed
to live through something

3.  something
from the past: a custom, idea, or belief that remains
when other similar things have been lost or forgotten

[1]



survivalist

survivalist
sur·vi·val·ist 
[sər vvəlist] noun

somebody
determined to survive: somebody who is determined
to survive a perceived coming disaster by hoarding weapons and food, and often
going off to live alone or with a like-minded group
—sur·viv·al·ism, noun[1]



survive

survive
sur·vive 
[sər vv] (past sur·vived, past
participle sur·vived, present participle sur·viv·ing, 3rd
person present singular sur·vives) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
remain
alive or in existence: to manage to stay alive or
continue to exist, especially in difficult situations

2.  transitive
verb
stay
alive longer than somebody: to remain alive after the
death of somebody else

3.  transitive
verb
live
through something: to remain alive or in
existence after something such as an accident or war that threatens life
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman survivre from Latin supervivere,
literally “to live beyond,” from vivere (see vivid
).]
—sur·viv·a·bil·i·ty
[sər vvə bíllətee], noun

—sur·viv·a·ble [sər vvəb’l], adjective[1]



Susanna

Susanna
Su·san·na 
[soo zánnə] noun

Babylonian woman saved by
Daniel: in the Apocrypha, a woman of
Babylon who was saved by the prophet Daniel after being falsely accused of
adultery[1]



Susann,Jacqueline

Susann,Jacqueline
Su·sann 
[soo zán], Jacqueline (1926–1974)

U.S. writer. Her first novel,
Valley of the Dolls ( 1968 ), was a best seller.[1]



susceptibility

susceptibility
sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty 
[sə sèptə bíllətee] (plural sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ties)
noun

1.  likelihood
of being affected: the likelihood of being
affected by something

2.  sensitivity:
the ability to be affected by strong feelings and emotions

3.  feelings:
somebody’s feelings, especially those of somebody who easily becomes upset

4.  PHYSICS See magnetic susceptibility

5.  ELECTRICITY See electric
susceptibility

[1]



susceptible

susceptible
sus·cep·ti·ble 
[sə séptəb’l] adjective

1.  easily
affected:
easily influenced or affected by something

2.  likely
to be affected: liable to being affected by something • susceptible
to hay fever and other allergies

3.  emotional:
easily affected emotionally

4.  capable
of something: capable or permitting of something
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from, ultimately, Latin suscipere,
literally “to take up,” from capere (see capture
).]
—sus·cep·ti·ble·ness,
noun

—sus·cep·ti·bly, adverb[1]



susceptive

susceptive
sus·cep·tive 
[sə séptiv] adjective

1.  susceptible:
easily affected by something

2.  receptive:
open to new ideas and suggestions
[Mid-15th
century. Formed from Latin suscept-, the past participle stem of suscipere
(see susceptible ).]
—sus·cep·tive·ness,
noun

—sus·cep·tiv·i·ty [sə sèp tívvətee], noun[1]



sushi

sushi
su·shi 
[sshee, sshee]
noun

Japanese
rice dish:
small cakes of cold boiled rice, shaped by hand or wrapped in seaweed and
topped with pieces of raw or cooked fish, vegetables, or egg
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Susian

Susian
Su·si·an
[szee ən] noun

LANGUAGE See Elamite  noun 2
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin Susianus from, ultimately, Greek Sousa “Susa,”
where Elamite was spoken.]
—Su·si·an, adjective[1]



Susitna

Susitna
Su·sit·na
[soo sítnə]

river in Alaska, flowing from
the Alaska Range into the Pacific Ocean at Cook Inlet. Length: 483 km/300 mi.[1]



suslik

suslik
sus·lik 
[sússlik] (plural sus·liks or
sus·lik) or sous·lik [ssslik]
(plural sous·liks or sous·lik) noun

squirrel:
a ground squirrel of Europe and Asia with large eyes and small ears that lives
in dry open areas. Latin name: Citellus citellus
[Late 18th century. From
Russian .][1]



suspect

suspect
sus·pect 
verb [sə spékt] (past sus·pect·ed,
past participle sus·pect·ed, present participle sus·pect·ing,
3rd person present singular sus·pects)

1.  transitive
verb
believe
somebody is guilty: to believe that somebody may
have committed a crime or wrongdoing without having any proof

2.  transitive
verb
doubt
something:
to doubt the truth or validity of something

3.  transitive
verb
believe
something to be so: to think that something is
probable or likely

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
suspicions:
to be suspicious about something
noun
[súss pèkt]

somebody who might be guilty:
somebody who is thought to be possibly guilty of wrongdoing or doing something
illegal
adjective

1.  suspicious:
thought or likely to be false or untrustworthy • All
his claims about the wealth of his family are rather suspect.

2.  likely
to contain something illegal: looking likely to contain
something dangerous or illegal
[14th
century. From Latin suspect-, the past participle stem of suspicere,
literally “to look up at,” from specere (see spectacle
).]
the
usual suspects

people,
businesses, or organizations frequently mentioned in the context of a
particular activity

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Suspect as it is used in criminal
  contexts denotes somebody who has been or may be charged with a crime, and
  who is entitled to seek to prove his or her innocence, as opposed to someone
  who has been already found guilty. But unless the word is referring to a specific
  individual, its refusal to affirm guilt may be beside the point, as it is in
  • The
  day after the burglary the police began searching for suspects.
  And when guilt is evident, even though suspect
  serves to acknowledge that a legal defense may yet be possible, it may seem
  foolish: • After
  the jewels were found in his house and he confessed to the burglary, the
  suspect was remanded for trial.

[1]



suspend

suspend
sus·pend 
[sə spénd] (past sus·pend·ed, past
participle sus·pend·ed, present participle sus·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular sus·pends) verb

1.  transitive
verb
hang
something from above: to hang something from
above, especially so that it can swing freely

2.  transitive
verb
stop
something for a period: to stop something or make
something ineffective, usually for a short time

3.  transitive
verb
bar
somebody for a period: to bar somebody from a
privilege, a position, or an organization, usually when under suspicion of
wrongdoing

4.  transitive
verb
postpone
something:
to delay or defer action on a decision or a judgment until more of the facts
are known

5.  transitive
verb
hang
above:
to hang over or above something

6.  transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY disperse
something in liquid: to cause particles to be
dispersed in a liquid

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC sustain
a note:
to hold a note until the next note or chord is sounded, so that they are heard
together

8.  intransitive
verb
FINANCE stop
making payments: to cease payment on something,
especially because of an inability to meet financial obligations
[13th
century. Directly or via French suspendre from Latin suspendere,
literally “to hang up,” from pendere (see pendant
).]
—sus·pend·i·bil·i·ty
[sə spèndə bíllətee], noun

—sus·pend·i·ble [sə spéndəb’l], adjective[1]



suspendedanimation

suspendedanimation
sus·pend·ed
an·i·ma·tion  noun

1.  BIOLOGY temporary
slowing of life functions: the stopping or slowing of
the vital functions of an organism for some period of time, especially by
freezing

2.  PHYSIOLOGY state
like death:
a state, often caused by asphyxia, in which an organism loses consciousness and
stops breathing so that it appears to be dead

[1]



suspendedsentence

suspendedsentence
sus·pend·ed
sen·tence
noun

sentence that need not be
served: a sentence imposed on
somebody found guilty of a crime that need not be served as long as the
individual commits no other crime during the term of the sentence[1]



suspender

suspender
sus·pend·er 
[sə spéndər] noun

1.  strap
for holding up pants: a strap, usually made of
elastic, worn over the shoulders and with a clip at either end to attach to
pants so that they do not fall down (usually plural)

2.  something
that lets something hang: something that allows
something else to hang, for example, one of the cables on a suspension bridge

3.  U.K.
See garter

[1]



suspenderbelt

suspenderbelt
sus·pend·er
belt
noun

U.K.
See garter belt[1]



suspense

suspense
sus·pense 
[sə spénss] noun

1.  uncertainty:
the state or condition of being unsure or in doubt about something

2.  enjoyable
tension:
a feeling of tense excitement about how something such as a mystery novel or
movie will end

3.  anxiety:
a state of anxiety or intense worry about something
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin suspensus, the past participle of suspendere
(see suspend ).]
—sus·pense·ful, adjective[1]



suspenseaccount

suspenseaccount
sus·pense
ac·count
noun

temporary account:
an account in which entries are made temporarily, until it is determined where
they belong[1]



suspension

suspension
sus·pen·sion 
[sə spénsh’n] noun

1.  temporary
stop of something: an interruption of something
for a period of time

2.  LAW postponement
of a sentence: a delay in the carrying out of a
sentence or the making of a decision or judgment

3.  temporary
removal of somebody: the temporary removal of
somebody from a team, position, school, or organization, especially as
punishment

4.  TRANSPORT system
reducing vehicle’s vibration: a system of springs and
shock absorbers on a wheeled vehicle that reduces the impact of bumps and
uneven running surfaces on the occupants and gives the wheels better contact

5.  FINANCE end to
repaying debts: an end to the repayment of financial
obligations because of a lack of money

6.  CHEMISTRY dispersion
of particles: a dispersion of fine solid particles in
a liquid

7.  MUSIC technique
for creating dissonance: a technique in which a note
of the first chord is held into the second chord, the dissonance created being
resolved by moving a step lower in the third chord

[1]



suspensionbridge

suspensionbridge

sus·pen·sion bridge
noun
bridge suspended from cables:
a bridge that has the roadway suspended from cables that are anchored by towers
at either end and, sometimes, with supporting structures for the cables placed
at regular intervals[1]



suspensionpoint

suspensionpoint
sus·pen·sion
point
noun

ellipsis unit:
one of a series of dots, usually three, used in printed and written material to
indicate an omission from text being reproduced or an incomplete phrase (often
used in the plural)[1]



suspensive

suspensive
sus·pen·sive 
[sə spénssiv] adjective

1.  stopping
something:
causing or tending to cause something to stop or be deferred

2.  causing
tension:
causing, arousing, or relating to a feeling of doubt or anxious excitement

3.  undecided
about something: inclined to delay making a decision or
judgment
—sus·pen·sive·ly,
adverb

—sus·pen·sive·ness, noun[1]



suspensoid

suspensoid
sus·pen·soid
[sə spén sòyd] noun

solution
of suspended particles: a solution made up of solid
particles dispersed throughout a liquid
[Early 20th century. Formed
from suspension .][1]



suspensory

suspensory
sus·pen·so·ry 
[sə spénssəree] noun (plural sus·pen·so·ries)

1.  ANATOMY ligament
or muscle:
a ligament or muscle from which a structure or part is suspended

2.  MEDICINE bandage
or sling:
something such as a bandage or a sling that holds part of the body in position
while it heals
adjective

temporarily stopping something:
temporarily interrupting or delaying the completion of something

[1]



suspensoryligament

suspensoryligament
sus·pen·so·ry
lig·a·ment
noun

supporting ligament:
a ligament that provides support for an organ or another body part, especially
a fibrous membrane that holds the lens of the eye in place[1]



suspicion

suspicion
sus·pi·cion 
[sə spísh’n] noun

1.  feeling
of something wrong: an unsubstantiated belief
that something is the case, especially a belief that something wrong has
happened or that somebody may have committed a crime • a
sneaking suspicion that she was the one who ate the last cookie

2.  mistrust:
a feeling of mistrust or doubt, especially because something wrong has happened
and has not been explained • an
atmosphere of suspicion

3.  condition
of being suspected: the condition of being
suspected of something, especially wrongdoing • under
suspicion

4.  small
amount of something: a tiny amount of something,
for example, a color or flavor
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman suspeciun from, ultimately, Latin suspicere
(see suspect ).]
—sus·pi·cion·al, adjective[1]



suspicious

suspicious
sus·pi·cious 
[sə spíshəss] adjective

1.  arousing
suspicion:
creating or liable to create suspicion

2.  tending
to suspect:
inclined or tending to believe that something is wrong • a
suspicious nature

3.  suggesting
doubt:
showing or indicating suspicion
—sus·pi·cious·ly,
adverb

—sus·pi·cious·ness, noun[1]



suspire

suspire
sus·pire 
[sə spr] (past sus·pired, past
participle sus·pired, present participle sus·pir·ing, 3rd
person present singular sus·pires) intransitive verb (dated
literary)

1.  breathe
in:
to draw in breath

2.  sigh:
to give a sigh
[15th
century. From Latin suspirare, literally “to breathe up,” from spirare
(see spirit ).]
—sus·pi·ra·tion [sùspi ráysh’n], noun[1]



Susquehanna

Susquehanna1
Sus·que·han·na1  noun

See
Susquehannock[1]



Susquehanna

Susquehanna2
Sus·que·han·na2  [sùskwə
hánnə]

river that rises in central
New York, flowing across Pennsylvania before emptying into Chesapeake Bay in
Maryland. Length: 715 km/444 mi.[1]



Susquehannock

Susquehannock
Sus·que·han·nock 
[sùskwə hánnək] (plural Sus·que·han·nock
or Sus·que·han·nocks) or Sus·que·han·na [sùskwə hánnə] (plural Sus·que·han·na
or Sus·que·han·nas) noun

member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who occupied lands along the Susquehanna River in New York,
Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Susquehannock were extinct by around 1768.
[Early 17th century. Of
Algonquian origin.][1]



SussexDrive

SussexDrive
Sus·sex
Drive
or 24 Sus·sex Drive noun

official residence of
Canadian Prime Minister: the address
of the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada[1]



Sussexspaniel

Sussexspaniel
Sus·sex
span·iel
[Sùssəks spánny əl] noun

short-legged
spaniel:
a breed of short-legged spaniel with long ears and a golden silky coat, or a
dog of this breed
[Mid-19th century. Named for Sussex,
the county in SE England where it was developed.][1]



sustain

sustain
sus·tain 
[sə stáyn] transitive verb (past
sus·tained, past participle sus·tained, present
participle sus·tain·ing, 3rd person present singular sus·tains)

1.  withstand
something:
to manage to withstand something and continue doing something in spite of it

2.  be
affected by something: to experience a setback,
injury, damage, loss, or defeat • The
child who fell sustained no more than several broken bones.

3.  maintain:
to make something continue to exist

4.  nourish:
to provide somebody with nourishment or the necessities of life

5.  support
from below:
to keep something in position by holding it from below • The
floor will not sustain the weight of a grand piano.

6.  provide
with moral support: to keep somebody going with
emotional or moral support

7.  LAW validate
something:
to decide that a statement or objection is valid or justified

8.  confirm
something:
to confirm that something is true or valid

9.  keep
a pretense going: to maintain a pretense successfully
noun

MUSIC prolonged
note:
a note that is prolonged
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman sustein-, the stem of sustenir, from
Latin sustinere, literally “to hold up,” from tenere (see tenant ).]
—sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty
[sə stàynə bíllətee], noun

—sus·tain·ment [sə stáynmənt], noun[1]



sustainable

sustainable
sus·tain·a·ble
adjective

1.  able
to be maintained: able to be maintained

2.  ENVIRONMENT maintaining
an ecological balance: exploiting natural resources
without destroying the ecological balance of a particular area “Sustainable
development is the principle which should guide politicians in planning the
future…” BBC Web site April 1999

[1]



sustainabledevelopment

sustainabledevelopment
sus·tain·a·ble
de·vel·op·ment noun

economic development without
polluting the environment: economic
development maintained within acceptable levels of global resource depletion
and environmental pollution[1]



sustainedyield

sustainedyield
sus·tained
yield 
noun

1.  consistent
resource:
the ongoing supply of a natural resource, for example, timber, by scheduled
harvesting

2.  amount
harvested:
the amount of a natural resource obtained by scheduled harvesting

[1]



sustainingpedal

sustainingpedal
sus·tain·ing
ped·al 
noun

right pedal of piano:
the right pedal of a piano, which is used to keep the dampers off the strings
so that they can vibrate freely.
Also called
loud pedal[1]



sustainingprogram

sustainingprogram
sus·tain·ing
pro·gram
noun

radio or television program:
a radio or television program that does not have commercials because the
station or network on which it is broadcast supports it[1]



sustenance

sustenance
sus·te·nance 
[sústənənss] noun

1.  nourishment:
something, especially food, that supports life • There
isn’t much sustenance in a small chocolate bar.

2.  livelihood:
a means of supporting somebody financially

3.  condition
of being sustained: the condition of being
supported “I have hardly a penny in the world –I am staying with my aunt for my
bare sustenance.” Thomas Hardy Far from the Madding Crowd 1874
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman sustenaunce, from sustenir (see sustain ).][1]



sustentacular

sustentacular
sus·ten·tac·u·lar 
[sùstən tákyələr] adjective

serving
as a support: used to describe cells or fibers that
serve as a support and have no other function
[Late 19th century. Formed
from modern Latin sustentaculum “support,” from Latin sustentare
(see sustentation ).][1]



sustentation

sustentation
sus·ten·ta·tion 
[sùstən táysh’n] noun (formal)

1.  support:
something that supports or sustains something

2.  means
of support:
a means of support
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin sustentare, literally “to
keep holding up,” from sustinere (see sustain
).]
—sus·ten·ta·tive [sústən tàytiv, sə stén
tətiv], adjective[1]



susu

susu
su·su
noun

See
sou-sou[1]



Susu

Susu
Su·su 
[s s] (plural Su·su or
Su·sus) noun

1.  PEOPLES W
African people: a member of a people who live in West
Africa, mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Sudan

2.  LANGUAGE W
African language: the language of the Susu people,
belonging to the Mande group of Niger-Congo languages. Susu is spoken by about
700,000 people.
[Late
18th century. From Susu .]
—Su·su, adjective[1]



susurrate

susurrate
su·sur·rate 
[sssə ràyt] (past su·sur·rat·ed,
past participle su·sur·rat·ed, present participle su·sur·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular su·sur·rates) intransitive verb

murmur:
to whisper or rustle softly
[Early
17th century. Back-formation from susurration, from Latin susurrare,
from susurrus “whisper,” ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—su·sur·rant,
adjective

—su·sur·ra·tion [sssə ráysh’n], noun[1]



susurrus

susurrus
su·sur·rus
[sə súrrəss] noun

whisper
or murmur:
a whispering or murmuring sound (literary)
[15th century. From Latin
(see susurrate ).][1]



Sutherland,Dame Joan

Sutherland,Dame Joan
Suth·er·land
[súərlənd], Dame Joan (1926– )

Australian singer. In a
career stretching from 1947 to 1990, she became an opera singer of
international renown, noted especially for her coloratura roles in Italian
opera.[1]



Sutherland,Donald

Sutherland,Donald
Suth·er·land
[súərlənd], Donald (1934– )

Canadian-born U.S. actor. His
many movies include M.A.S.H. ( 1970 ) and Ordinary People ( 1980
).[1]



SutherlandFalls

SutherlandFalls
Su·ther·land
Falls

falls on the South Island,
New Zealand. It is one of the highest in the world. Height: 580 m/1,904 ft.[1]



Sutlej

Sutlej
Sut·lej 
[súttlij]

river in southern Asia,
flowing through Tibet, India, and Pakistan. Length: 933 km/850 mi.[1]



sutler

sutler
sut·ler 
[súttlər] noun

merchant:
somebody who follows an army and sells merchandise to the soldiers (archaic)
[Late
16th century. From obsolete Dutch soeteler, from soetelen “to
befoul, do menial work.”]
—sut·ler·ship, noun[1]



sutra

sutra
su·tra 
[strə] (plural su·tras) noun

1.  INDIAN RELIGION summary
of Hindu teaching: a short aphoristic summary
of the teachings of Hinduism, created to be memorized and later incorporated
into Hindu literature

2.  sutra
or sutta BUDDHISM Buddhist
text:
a classic religious text of Buddhism, especially one regarded as a discourse of
the Buddha
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit sūtram “aphorism,” literally “thread.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to sew,” which is also the ancestor of English sew, seam,
and suture .][1]



suttee

suttee
sut·tee 
[sə t, sú t]
or sa·ti [sə t, sú t] (plural sa·tis) noun

1.  suicide
on husband’s funeral pyre: in the Indian subcontinent,
the practice, now illegal, of a widow throwing herself on her husband’s funeral
pyre

2.  widow
committing suicide on funeral pyre: a
Hindu widow who throws herself on her husband’s funeral pyre
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit satī, literally “good woman,” the feminine
present participle of as- “to be.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
that is ancestor also of English is
and sooth .]
—sut·tee·ism, noun[1]



Sutter,John Augustus

Sutter,John Augustus
Sut·ter
[súttər], John Augustus (1803–1880)

German-born U.S. pioneer. He
founded a colony in Mexican California (1839), and discovered gold there
(1848), initiating the Gold Rush. Sutter lost everything and spent the rest of
his life vainly seeking compensation for his discovery.[1]



Sutton,Henry

Sutton,Henry
Sut·ton
[sútt’n], Henry (1856–1912)

Australian inventor. He was a
pioneer of aviation, telecommunications, and color photography, and in 1885
designed a prototype television.[1]



suture

suture
su·ture 
[schər] noun

1.  SURGERY material
for surgical stitching: a piece of material, for
example, catgut, thread, or wire, used to close a wound or connect tissues

2.  SURGERY surgical
seam:
the line formed where a wound has been closed or tissues have been joined

3.  seam:
any seam or line at which two edges have been joined

4.  ANATOMY immovable
joint:
a type of joint, found especially in the skull, in which the bones are tightly
bound together by fibrous connective tissue, permitting no movement between
them

5.  ZOOLOGY line
at point of juncture: a distinguishable line at
the junction of adjacent structures, for example, between the chambers of a
mollusk shell or between the exoskeletal plates of an insect

6.  BOTANY line
on seed pod or fruit: a line along which a seed
pod or fruit will split to release its seeds
transitive
verb
(past su·tured, past participle su·tured, present
participle su·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular su·tures)

SURGERY close
a wound:
to close a wound by joining the edges
[15th
century. From Latin sutura, from sut-, the past participle stem
of suere “to sew.”]
—su·tur·al,
adjective

—su·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



SUV

SUV
SUV

Abbreviation of
sport-utility vehicle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Suva

Suva
Su·va 
[svə]

capital and largest city of
Fiji. Situated on the southeastern coast of Viti Levu Island, it is Fiji’s main
seaport. Population: 69,665 (1986)[1]



Suwannee

Suwannee
Su·wan·nee 
[s wónnee]

river in the southeastern
United States. It rises in southern Georgia and flows 306 km/190 mi through
Florida into the Gulf of Mexico.[1]



suzerain

suzerain
su·ze·rain 
[szərən, syzə
ràyn] noun

controlling
nation:
a nation that controls a dependent nation’s international affairs but otherwise
allows it to control its internal affairs
[Early
19th century. From Old French suserain, of uncertain origin: probably
formed from sus “up” (from Latin su(r)sum ) on the model of
souverain (see sovereign ).]
—su·ze·rain·ty, noun[1]



Suzhou

Suzhou
Su·zhou 
[s jṓ]

city on the Grand Canal in
southern Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Population: 706,459 (1990)[1]



Suzuki,Harunobu

Suzuki,Harunobu
Su·zu·ki
[soo zki], Harunobu (1725–1770)

Japanese artist. He is noted
for his color prints and woodcuts, many of which were used to illustrate books.[1]



s.v.

s.v.
s.v.

Abbreviation of
under the word or term[1]



SV

SV
SV

1.  RELIGION Abbreviation of Holy
Virgin

2.  RELIGION Abbreviation of Your
Holiness

3.  SAILING Abbreviation of
sailing vessel

[1]



Sv

Sv
Sv

Symbol for
sievert[1]



SV40

SV40
SV40 
noun

monkey
virus:
a virus that causes cancer in monkeys and is widely used in genetic and medical
research
[SV from simian virus][1]



Svalbard

Svalbard
Sval·bard 
[svál baard]

Norwegian archipelago in the
Arctic Ocean. Population: 2,864 (1996) Area: 62,050 sq km/23,958 sq mi.[1]



svc

svc
svc
or svc.

Abbreviation of
service[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








svelte

svelte
svelte 
[svelt, sfelt]
adjective

slim:
graceful and slender in figure or contour
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Italian svelto “stretched,” the past participle of svellere
“to pluck out,” from assumed Vulgar Latin exvellere, from Latin vellere
“to pull” (source of English convulse
).][1]



Svengali

Svengali
Sven·ga·li 
[sven glee, sfen
glee] noun

evil
manipulator: somebody who controls and manipulates
somebody else, usually for evil purposes
[Early 20th century. From the
name of a villainous hypnotist in the novel Trilby ( 1894 ), by George
du Maurier .][1]



SverdrupIslands

SverdrupIslands
Sver·drup
Is·lands 
[sfáirdrəp ləndz]

island group in Nunavut,
Canada, within the Queen Elizabeth Islands, comprising Axel Heiberg, Ellef
Ringnes, and Amund Ringnes[1]



SW

SW
SW

1.  COMPASS Abbreviation of southwest

2.  COMPASS Abbreviation of southwestern

3.  RADIO Abbreviation of short
wave

[1]



Sw.

Sw.
Sw.

1.  GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
Sweden

2.  LANGUAGE Abbreviation of Swedish

[1]



SWA

SWA
SWA

(international vehicle
registration)Abbreviation of Namibia[1]



swab

swab
swab 
[swob] noun

1.  SURGERY soft
material for mopping up blood: a small piece of
gauze, cotton, or other soft material, used to mop up blood during surgery

2.  MEDICINE small
stick with cotton: a small stick, wire, or
plastic wand with cotton attached to one or both ends, often used to clean
wounds, apply medicine, or obtain a specimen of something

3.  MEDICINE specimen:
a specimen of mucus or another secretion obtained by using a swab

4.  ARMS piece
of material for cleaning gun: a small piece of absorbent
material that is used to clean the bore of a firearm

5.  mop:
a mop used to clean decks or floors

6.  somebody
who mops:
somebody who uses a mop to clean, especially on a ship

7.  sailor:
a sailor (slang)
Also
called
swabbie

8.  worthless
person:
somebody who is regarded as uncouth or worthless (archaic slang)
transitive
verb
(past swabbed, past participle swabbed, present
participle swab·bing, 3rd person present singular swabs)

1.  MEDICINE clean with
a swab:
to clean out or apply medicine to a wound with a soft piece of material

2.  mop
something:
to clean something such as a floor or a deck with a mop

3.  clean
something up: to clean up something such as a spill
[Mid-17th century.
Back-formation from obsolete swabber “deck mop,” from assumed Dutch zwabber,
from obsolete Dutch zwabben “to mop.”][1]



swabbie

swabbie
swab·bie
[swóbbee] noun

(slang) See swab  noun 7[1]



swaddle

swaddle
swad·dle 
[swódd’l] (past swad·dled, past
participle swad·dled, present participle swad·dling, 3rd
person present singular swad·dles) transitive verb

1.  wrap
somebody in something: to wrap or bandage somebody
or something with something

2.  wrap
baby up tightly: to wrap a baby tightly in soft material

3.  smother:
to restrain somebody or something with a complete wrapping
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from Middle English swadling band,
ultimately from an earlier form of swathe .][1]



swaddlingclothes

swaddlingclothes
swad·dling
clothes 
plural noun

1.  wrapping
for a baby:
long strips of linen or some other soft material, used in some cultures to wrap
babies in order to keep them still and calm

2.  limitations:
restrictions or limitations placed on those who are not adults

[1]



Swadeshi

Swadeshi
Swa·de·shi
[swaa dáyshee, swaa
déshee] adjective

South
Asia
produced
within India: used in India to describe goods produced
within the country of India
noun

South
Asia
HISTORY favoring
of Indian products: the practice of favoring
domestic products and refusing to buy imported goods as part of the struggle
for independence in India
[Early 20th century. Via
Hindi svadeśī from, ultimately, Sanskrit svadeśaḥ “your own
country.”][1]



swag

swag
swag 
[swag] noun

1.  DOMESTIC curtain:
an ornamental drapery or curtain that hangs in a curve between two points

2.  festoon:
an ornamental draping of fruit or flowers

3.  loot:
stolen property (slang)

4.  Australia
pack:
a pack or rolled-up blanket containing the personal belongings of a wanderer

5.  lurching
movement:
a lurching or swaying movement
intransitive
verb
(past swagged, past participle swagged, present
participle swag·ging, 3rd person present singular swags)

move with lurch:
to move with a lurching or swaying movement
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.][1]



swagbelly

swagbelly
swag·bel·ly
[swág bèllee] (plural swag·bel·lies)
noun

overhanging
stomach:
a large overhanging stomach (informal)
—swag·bel·lied [swág bèllid, swàg
béllid], adjective[1]



swage

swage
swage 
[swayj] noun

1.  tool
used to shape cold metal: a tool or die used to shape
cold metal by hammering or applying pressure

2.  See
swage block
transitive
verb
(past swaged, past participle swaged, present
participle swag·ing, 3rd person present singular swag·es)

shape metal: to
bend or shape metal with a swage
[14th
century. From Old French souage “decorative molding,” of unknown
origin.]
—swag·er, noun[1]



swageblock

swageblock
swage
block
noun

holed metal block for shaping
metal: a metal block with holes or
grooves used to work cold metal.
Also called
swage[1]



swagger

swagger
swag·ger 
[swággər] intransitive verb (past
swag·gered, past participle swag·gered, present
participle swag·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular swag·gers)

1.  strut
around:
to walk in an arrogant or proud way

2.  brag:
to talk boastfully about personal accomplishments
noun

arrogant walk:
an arrogant way of walking or behaving
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from swag .][1]



swaggerstick

swaggerstick
swag·ger
stick
noun

short stick:
a short stick often carried by army officers[1]



swagman

swagman
swag·man 
[swág màn] (plural swag·men [swág mèn]) noun

Australia
traveling worker:
a tramp or itinerant worker who carries his belongings in a pack or rolled-up
blanket (informal)[1]



Swahili

Swahili
Swa·hi·li 
[swaa hlee, swə
hlee] (plural Swa·hi·li or Swa·hi·lis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of E African people: a member of a people who
live mainly along the eastern coasts of Central and Southern Africa, and on the
islands lying off these regions

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Swahili people: the national language of
Tanzania and Kenya, widely used in Uganda, Congo, and neighboring countries.
Swahili belongs to the Bantu group of Benue-Congo languages, spoken as a native
language by around 2 million speakers, but used as a lingua franca by over 20
million people.
Also
called
Kiswahili
[Early
19th century. Via Kiswahili from Arabic sawāḥilīy “of the coasts,” from sāḥil
“coast.”]
—Swa·hi·li, adjective[1]



swain

swain
swain 
[swayn] noun (archaic or literary)

1.  young
countryman:
a young man who lives in the country

2.  woman’s
admirer:
a woman’s male admirer or lover
[Late 16th century. From Old
Norse sveinn “boy, servant,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “your own.”][1]



SWAK

SWAK
SWAK
[swak]

Abbreviation of
sealed with a kiss[1]



swale

swale
swale 
[swayl] noun

1.  small
valley:
a depression between slopes that provides for drainage

2.  low
area of moist land: a low area of land,
especially one that is moist or marshy
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



swallow

swallow2
swal·low2 [swólō]
noun

small
songbird:
a small graceful swift-flying migratory songbird, with long pointed wings and a
notched or forked tail. It eats insects that it catches in flight. Family:
Hirundinida
[Old English swealwe,
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



swallow

swallow1
swal·low1 [swóllō]
verb (past swal·lowed, past participle swal·lowed,
present participle swal·low·ing, 3rd person present singular
swal·lows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
in food:
to take in food or liquid through the mouth and pass it down the throat into
the stomach

2.  intransitive
verb
gulp:
to perform the act of swallowing, usually as an emotional response to something
• swallowing
hard to hold back the tears

3.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to engulf or destroy something

4.  transitive
verb
suppress
feelings:
to refrain from expressing thoughts or feelings • Swallow
your pride and apologize.

5.  transitive
verb
believe
something:
to accept something as true without questioning it (informal) • They’ll
never swallow anything so far-fetched.

6.  transitive
verb
endure
something:
to put up with something unpleasant without saying or doing anything to stop it

7.  transitive
verb
retract
a remark:
to withdraw a statement or remark as false or unjustified
noun

1.  act
of taking something down throat: the act of taking
something in through the mouth and down the throat

2.  amount
passed down throat: an amount taken into the
mouth and passed down the throat
[Old English swelgan ;
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



swallowdive

swallowdive
swal·low
dive
noun

U.K.
See swan dive
[From the resemblance of the
diving position to the shape of a swallow in flight][1]



swallowtail

swallowtail
swal·low·tail 
[swólōtàyl] (plural swal·low·tails
or swal·low·tail) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY butterfly:
a colorful butterfly distinguished by the small tails that extend from the ends
of its hind wings. Family: Papilionidae

2.  BIOLOGY tail
of a swallow: the tail of a swallow or similar bird
—swal·low-tailed, adjective[1]



swallow-tailedcoat

swallow-tailedcoat
swal·low-tailed
coat
noun

man’s tailcoat:
a man’s evening tailcoat with a split rounded tail[1]



swam

swam
swam


Past tense of
swim[1]



swami

swami
swa·mi 
[swmee] noun

Hindu
title of respect: a title of respect for a Hindu saint or
religious teacher
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
from Sanskrit svāmin- “being your own master.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “self,” which is also the ancestor of English suicide .][1]



swamp

swamp
swamp 
[swomp] noun

wetland: an
area of land, usually fairly large that is always wet and is overgrown with
various shrubs and trees
verb
(past swamped, past participle swamped, present
participle swamp·ing, 3rd person present singular swamps)

1.  transitive
verb
overburden
somebody:
to overwhelm somebody by being too much or too many to cope with (usually
passive)

2.  transitive
verb
inundate
an area:
to submerge an area in water

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUT sink a boat:
to cause a boat to fill with water and sink, or become full of water and sink
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain.]
—swamp·y, adjective[1]



swampboat

swampboat
swamp
boat
noun

flat-bottomed boat used in
swamps: a flat-bottomed boat used to
travel in swamps and shallow water. It is powered by an airplane propeller.
Also called
airboat[1]



swampbuggy

swampbuggy
swamp
bug·gy
noun

vehicle for traveling in
swamps: a light vehicle used to
travel in areas with swamps and shallow lakes[1]



swampcypress

swampcypress
swamp
cy·press
noun

TREES
See bald cypress[1]



swamper

swamper
swamp·er 
[swómpər] noun

1.  swamp
dweller or worker: somebody who works or lives
in a swamp, especially in the South

2.  somebody
who clears swamp: somebody who works clearing a swamp of
trees and undergrowth or who clears a path through a forest so that logs can be
moved

3.  truck
driver’s assistant: an assistant to a truck
driver

4.  helper
in restaurant: a helper in a restaurant

[1]



swampfever

swampfever
swamp
fe·ver
noun

1.  MED disease
prevalent in swamps: any disease such as malaria
or leptospirosis that is liable to be contracted by people in swampy areas

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE horse
disease:
equine infectious anemia (dated)

[1]



swampland

swampland
swamp·land 
[swómp lànd] noun

wetland:
an area of land that is always moist or that has many swamps in it[1]



swamppink

swamppink
swamp
pink
noun

N American orchid:
an orchid found in the northeastern United States, with rose-colored flowers
marked with purple. Genus: Arethusa
Also called
arethusa[1]



Swan

Swan
Swan 
[swon]

river in southwestern Western
Australia, flowing through the city of Perth. Length: 386 km/240 mi.[1]



swan

swan


swan 
[swon] noun
large
long-necked aquatic bird: a large graceful aquatic
bird with webbed feet and a long slender neck and usually with white plumage.
Family: Anatidae
intransitive
verb
(past swanned, past participle swanned, present participle
swan·ning, 3rd person present singular swans)
U.K.
wander
about idly:
to wander around in a relaxed way, especially one regarded as irresponsible or
selfish (informal)
[Old
English, literally “singer.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
make a sound,” which is also the ancestor of English sound .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Swan
  Lake, a ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( 1876 ).
  Tchaikovsky’s first ballet is the romantic tale of Prince Siegfried, who
  falls in love with Odette, one of a group of swans he has seen metamorphose
  into beautiful maidens. When he is tricked into declaring his love for
  another swan-maiden, Siegfried rushes to Odette and the two drown themselves
  in the Lake of Tears.

[1]



swandive

swandive
swan
dive
noun

dive suggesting swan:
a dive performed with the back arched, the legs held together straight, and the
arms outstretched.
U.K. term
swallow dive[1]



swank

swank
swank 
[swangk] adjective (comparative
swank·er, superlative swank·est)

1.  grand:
extremely elegant or fashionable (informal)

2.  very
showy:
extremely pretentious and ornate
noun

elegance: the
quality of being very chic or smart in style or appearance
intransitive
verb
(past swanked, past participle swanked, present
participle swank·ing, 3rd person present singular swanks)

show off: to
behave or swagger in a pretentious way (dated slang)
[Early 19th century; of
uncertain origin; originally a dialect word][1]



swanky

swanky
swank·y 
[swángkee] (comparative swank·i·er,
superlative swank·i·est) adjective

high-class:
very stylish and expensive (informal)
—swank·i·ly,
adverb

—swank·i·ness, noun[1]



swannery

swannery
swan·ner·y
[swónnəree] (plural swan·ner·ies)
noun

place where swans are bred:
a place where swans are bred and raised[1]



swanny

swanny
swan·ny 
[swónee] interjection

Southern
U.S.
expressing
pleasant surprise: used to express pleasant
surprise (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an English dialect pronunciation of (I) shall
warrant ye .][1]



swansdown

swansdown
swans·down
[swónz dòwn] or swan’s-down [swónz dòwn] noun

1.  swan
feathers:
the soft down feathers of a swan

2.  soft
fabric:
a soft woolen fabric often used to make baby clothes

3.  See
flannelette

[1]



swanskin

swanskin
swan·skin 
[swón skìn] noun

soft fabric:
any of several cotton or woolen fabrics that are very soft to the touch[1]



swansong

swansong
swan
song
noun

1.  final
public act:
a final appearance, performance, or work, as a farewell to a career or
profession

2.  dying
song:
a song of legendary beauty said to be sung only once by a swan during its
lifetime, when it is dying

[1]



swap

swap
swap 
or swop intransitive and transitive verb (past swapped,
past participle swapped, present participle swap·ping,
3rd person present singular swaps) (past swopped, past
participle swopped, present participle swop·ping, 3rd
person present singular swops)

trade something:
to trade or exchange one thing or person for another (informal)
noun

1.  an
exchange:
a trade or exchange (informal)

2.  something
exchanged:
somebody or something that is traded or exchanged (informal)

3.  FINANCE contract:
a contract in which the parties exchange liabilities on outstanding debts,
often exchanging fixed-rate interest for debts with floating-rate interest,
either as a means of managing debt or in the business of trading
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from an earlier meaning “to strike” (ultimately an
imitation of the sound), from the practice of striking hands together to seal
an agreement.][1]



swapmeet

swapmeet
swap
meet
noun

1.  flea
market:
a flea market where new, used, and sometimes rare or specialty items are sold

2.  gathering:
a gathering that people, especially hobbyists, attend for the purpose of
exchanging things

[1]



swaption

swaption
swap·tion
[swópsh’n] noun

option
on a contract: an option giving the holder the right to
enter into a swap
[Contraction of swap
option][1]



sward

sward
sward 
[swawrd] noun

area
of grass:
an area of turf or grass
intransitive
and transitive verb (past sward·ed,
past participle sward·ed, present participle sward·ing,
3rd person present singular swards)

cover
or become covered with grass: to cover or become covered
with turf or grass
[Old English sweard
“hairy skin, rind,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



swarf

swarf
swarf 
[swawrf] noun

1.  orbiting
debris:
debris, especially from disintegrating satellites, orbiting the Earth (informal)

2.  grindings:
the fine metallic shavings removed by grinding or cutting tools
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from a Scandinavian source.][1]



swarm

swarm1
swarm1 [swawrm]
noun

1.  group
of insects:
a large group of insects, especially bees or gnats, in flight

2.  large
mass:
a large crowd or group of people or animals moving in a confused or disorderly
way
verb
(past swarmed, past participle swarmed, present
participle swarm·ing, 3rd person present singular swarms)

1.  intransitive
verb
form
a flying group: to form a flying group, especially to
found a new colony • Do bees swarm often?

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in a mass:
to move or gather in a large crowd • people
swarmed all over the road

3.  intransitive
verb
be
overrun:
to be overrun with a large mass or group • swarming
with people

4.  transitive
verb
cause
something to swarm: to cause something to swarm,
or produce a swarm
[Old English swearm .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that was an imitation of the sound
of buzzing.][1]



swarm

swarm2
swarm2 [swawrm]
(past swarmed, past participle swarmed, present
participle swarm·ing, 3rd person present singular swarms)
intransitive verb

climb
using arms and legs: to climb up somewhere using
the arms and legs
[Mid-16th century. Origin unknown.][1]



swarmcell

swarmcell
swarm
cell
or swarm spore noun

See
zoospore[1]



swart

swart
swart 
[swawrt] (comparative swart·er,
superlative swart·est) adjective

swarthy:
swarthy (archaic or literary)
[Old English sweart .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “dirty, black,” which is also the
ancestor of English sordid .][1]



swarthy

swarthy
swarth·y 
[swáwree] (comparative swarth·i·er,
superlative swarth·i·est) adjective

with
dark complexion: with a dark and often weather-beaten
complexion
[Late
16th century. Alteration of obsolete swarty, from swart .]
—swar·thi·ly,
adverb

—swar·thi·ness, noun[1]



swash

swash
swash 
[swosh] noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY channel:
a narrow channel through which tides flow

2.  GEOGRAPHY sandbar:
a sandbar that is washed over by waves

3.  splash:
the motion or sound of the motion of water splashing or washing over something

4.  arrogance:
boastful or arrogant behavior (archaic)

5.  See
swashbuckler
verb
(past swashed, past participle swashed, present
participle swash·ing, 3rd person present singular swash·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
wash
over:
to strike or move with a splashing sound

2.  transitive
verb
splash
something:
to throw a liquid at or on something, especially with a splashing sound

3.  intransitive
verb
strut:
to move in a swaggering, pretentious way (dated)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of splashing liquid or of a
blow.][1]



swashbuckler

swashbuckler
swash·buck·ler 
[swósh bùklər] noun

1.  adventurer:
a bold and swaggering swordsman or adventurer.
Also
called
swash

2.  LITERATURE CINEMA novel
or movie about adventurer: a play, novel, or movie
about an adventurer
[Mid-16th
century. From swash + buckler, from the sound of swords striking
shields.]
—swash·buck·ling, adjective[1]



swashletter

swashletter
swash
let·ter
noun

fancy
letter:
an ornate italic letter with elaborate flourishes and tails
[Origin unknown][1]



swastika

swastika

swas·ti·ka 
[swóstikə] noun

1.  POLITICS Nazi
symbol:
a Nazi and fascist symbol formed by a Greek cross with the four ends of the
arms bent in a clockwise direction. It became the official symbol of Nazi
Germany in 1935.

2.  RELIGION religious
symbol:
an ancient religious symbol formed by a Greek cross, usually with the four ends
of the arms bent at right angles in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction
[Late 19th century. From
Sanskrit svastikaḥ “good-luck sign,” from svasti “good luck,” literally
“well-being.”][1]



swat

swat
swat 
[swot] intransitive and transitive verb
(past swat·ted, past participle swat·ted, present
participle swat·ting, 3rd person present singular swats)

strike or slap something:
to strike or slap somebody or something sharply
noun

1.  sharp
blow:
a sharp blow or slap

2.  attempt:
a try at doing something
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of squat, in the obsolete meaning
“to crush, flatten.”][1]



SWAT

SWAT
SWAT 
[swot] noun

special police unit:
a police unit that is trained in the use of military weapons and tactics. Abbreviation
of Special Weapons and Tactics[1]



swatch

swatch
swatch 
[swoch] noun

piece
of fabric:
a piece cut from a material, for example, fabric or carpeting, used as a sample
[Early 16th century.
Originally a northern English dialect word meaning “counterfoil,” later “tally
attached to cloth sent for dyeing,” of unknown origin.][1]



swath

swath
swath 
[swoth] or swathe [sway] noun

1.  width
cut:
the width cut by a single passage of a scythe or mowing machine

2.  path
cut:
the path through a crop made during a single passage of a scythe or mowing
machine

3.  amount
cut:
the amount of grass or grain left in the path made by a single passage of a
scythe or mowing machine
[Old
English swæþ “track,” of prehistoric Germanic origin]
cut
a swath through something

to destroy or use up a large
part of something[1]



swathe

swathe2
swathe2  noun

See
swath[1]



swathe

swathe1
swathe1 [sway]
transitive verb (past swathed, past participle swathed,
present participle swath·ing, 3rd person present singular swathes)

1.  wrap
completely:
to wrap or cover somebody or something completely with bandages or as if with
bandages

2.  enfold:
to envelop somebody or something
noun

wrapping: a
bandage, wrapping, or other binding
[Old English swaþian
“to wrap up”: of uncertain origin][1]



swatter

swatter
swat·ter 
[swóttər] noun

1.  flat
tool for killing insects: a flat meshed flexible piece
of metal or plastic attached to a long handle, used to kill insects, especially
flies

2.  BASEBALL good
batter:
a baseball player who frequently makes extra-base hits, especially home runs

[1]



sway

sway
sway 
[sway] verb (past swayed,
past participle swayed, present participle sway·ing,
3rd person present singular sways)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb swing:
to swing or cause something to swing back and forth

2.  intransitive
verb
lean
over:
to lean or bend to one side or in different directions in turn

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb waver
between opinions: to go back and forth or cause somebody
to go back and forth between two or more opinions

4.  transitive
verb
influence:
to persuade or influence somebody to believe or do something (usually
passive) • Don’t
let yourself be swayed.

5.  intransitive
verb
move
gracefully:
to move back and froth in a graceful way

6.  intransitive
verb
stagger:
to move from side to side in a clumsy and unsteady way

7.  transitive
verb
SAILING hoist
something:
to hoist a yard, mast, or other spar (technical)
noun

1.  swinging
motion:
the act of swinging back and forth

2.  control
over somebody: influence or control over a person,
groups or country
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.]
—sway·a·ble,
adjective

—sway·er, noun[1]



swayback

swayback
sway·back 
[swáy bàk] noun

curving of spine:
an extreme inward or downward curving of the spine in horses and human beings. Technical
name lordosis[1]



swaybar

swaybar
sway
bar
noun

See
anti-roll bar[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Swazi

Swazi
Swa·zi 
[swzee] (plural Swa·zi or
Swa·zis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of African people: a member of an African
people who live in Swaziland and parts of Transvaal in South Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Swazi
language:
an official language of Swaziland, along with English. It belongs to the
Benue-Congo family of languages. Swazi is spoken by around two million people.
[Late
19th century. Alteration of Nguni Mswati, the name of a former Swazi
king.]
—swazi, adjective[1]



Swaziland




Back to definition

Swaziland

[1]



Swaziland

Swaziland



Swa·zi·land 
[swzi lànd]
landlocked monarchy in southern Africa.
It became independent from Britain in 1968. Language: Swazi. Language: English.
Currency: lilangeni. Capital: Mbabane. Population: 934,000 (1996) Area: 17,363
sq km/6704 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Swaziland[1]



swbd

swbd
swbd
or swbd.

Abbreviation of
switchboard[1]



SWbS

SWbS
SWbS

Abbreviation of
southwest by south[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








SWbW

SWbW
SWbW

Abbreviation of
southwest by west[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








swear

swear
swear 
[swair] (past swore [swawr], past participle sworn [swawrn], present participle swear·ing,
3rd person present singular swears) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb affirm
truth of something: to declare solemnly or
forcefully that what is said is true, sometimes calling somebody or something
thought to be sacred as a witness • She
swore on her mother’s grave that she had done as she had been asked.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb solemnly
promise:
to promise something very solemnly • He
swore that he would serve humanity.

3.  intransitive
verb
say
something offensive: to use blasphemous or
obscene language, usually as an expression of strong feelings or with the
intention of giving offense

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
an oath:
to make a formal promise in a court of law or when taking up an official
position

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb declare
something on oath: to make a solemn statement
under oath, especially in a court of law, or cause somebody to make such a
statement

6.  transitive
verb
make
somebody promise solemnly: to cause somebody to take an
oath or make a promise
[Old
English swerian . Ultimately, from an Indo-European base that is also
the ancestor of English sermon and answer .]
—swear·er, noun[1]



swearby

swearby
swear
by
transitive verb

1.  trust
something or somebody: to have great faith or
complete confidence in the effectiveness of something or the ability of
somebody for a particular purpose or task

2.  call
on somebody as witness: to use the name of a person
or thing thought to be sacred to reinforce a solemn declaration or promise

[1]



swearin

swearin
swear
in
transitive verb

make somebody take oath:
to cause somebody to make a formal promise in a court of law or when taking up
an official position[1]



swearoff

swearoff
swear
off
transitive verb

renounce bad habit:
to make a solemn promise to give something up, especially a bad habit[1]



swearout

swearout
swear
out
transitive verb

LAW
issue warrant from sworn accusation:
to issue a warrant for arrest by making a charge or accusation under a formal
oath[1]



swearword

swearword
swear·word 
[swáir wùrd] (plural swear·words)
noun

offensive or taboo word:
a word or phrase that is considered unacceptable in polite language, especially
one that is blasphemous or obscene, used to express strong feelings or give
offense[1]



sweat

sweat
sweat 
[swet] noun (plural sweats)

1.  moisture
on skin:
the clear salty liquid that passes to the surface of the skin when somebody is
hot or as a result of strenuous activity, fear, anxiety, or illness

2.  state
of having sweat on skin: the production or secretion
of sweat, for example, during strenuous activity or illness, or a state of fear
or anxiety that causes this

3.  SCIENCE moisture
condensed on surface: drops of liquid that appear
on the surface of something, usually by condensation of water vapor from the
surrounding warmer air

4.  SCIENCE liquid
exuded to the surface: drops of liquid that ooze
through and collect on the surface of something, for example, sap on a tree

5.  hard
or boring work: hard, unpleasant, or tedious work

6.  HORSERACING run
before race: a run that a horse has before a race, as
exercise
plural
noun
sweats

CLOTHES two-piece
sports outfit: a sweatshirt and sweatpants made of
matching fabric and worn together for sport or casual activities
verb
(past sweat·ed, past participle sweat·ed, present
participle sweat·ing, 3rd person present singular sweats)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody sweat: to make somebody sweat, for example, as
a medical treatment,

2.  transitive
verb
wet
or mark with sweat: to make something damp or
stained with sweat

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SCIENCE form or appear as moisture:
to produce or form as moisture on the surface of something, usually by
condensation of water vapor from the surrounding warmer air

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb SCIENCE exude liquid at the surface:
to produce or form as liquid beads by oozing through the surface of something
and collecting there

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE remove moisture:
to remove moisture, for example, when fermenting fruits or tobacco or when
curing animal hides

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb COOKING cook something in own juices:
to cook something in a covered pan in its own juices until tender

7.  transitive
verb
heat
solder until it melts: to heat solder until it
melts and runs between surfaces to bond them

8.  intransitive
verb
work
hard:
to work very hard or overwork (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
overwork
or underpay employees: to make somebody work very
hard, often in poor conditions or for low wages (informal)

10. transitive
verb
extort
information from somebody: to force somebody to give up
information, especially by relentless interrogation or physical violence (informal)

11. intransitive
verb
be
under stress: to be very anxious, impatient, or afraid
(informal) • He left them sweating
in the corridor while he made up his mind.

12. intransitive
verb
suffer
for wrongdoing: to suffer physically or mentally,
especially as a punishment (informal)
[Old
English swāt . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of Latin sudor (source of English exude
).]
—sweat·less,
adjective
no
sweat

used to say that something
can be done with ease and without foreseeable problems (slang)[1]



sweatband

sweatband
sweat·band 
[swét bànd] (plural sweat·bands)
noun

1.  SPORTS band
worn to absorb sweat: a strip of terry cloth or
other fabric worn around the head or wrists to stop sweat running into the eyes
or onto the hands while playing sports

2.  CLOTHES band
protecting hat from sweat: a strip of fabric or leather
sewn inside a hat to protect it from damage by sweat

[1]



sweatbox

sweatbox
sweat·box 
[swét bòks] (plural sweat·box·es)
noun

1.  device
for removing water from hides: a device in which
hides or some fruits are placed to remove water

2.  confined
place:
a very small room, especially a narrow cell where a prisoner is confined for
punishment (informal)

3.  place
where somebody sweats: a place where somebody is
made to sweat through heat or fear (informal)

[1]



sweatequity

sweatequity
sweat
eq·ui·ty
noun

1.  equity
from contributed labor: equity in property earned by
virtue of carrying out manual work to improve the property or make it habitable

2.  labor
for equity:
manual labor contributed in restoring a property with a view to gaining some
equity in it

[1]



sweater

sweater
sweat·er 
[swéttər] (plural sweat·ers) noun

1.  CLOTHES knitted
garment:
a warm knitted piece of clothing, usually with long sleeves, worn on the upper
part of the body

2.  somebody
who is sweating: somebody who is sweating visibly, or who
sweats to a particular degree
[The meaning “knitted
garment” developed from “clothes worn to produce sweat and reduce weight”][1]



sweatgland

sweatgland
sweat
gland
(plural sweat glands) noun

small tubular organ in skin:
any of numerous small tube-shaped glands in the skin of most parts of the body
from which sweat is released[1]



sweatlodge

sweatlodge
sweat
lodge
(plural sweat lodg·es) noun

heated building for ritual
sweating: a hut, cavern, or building
heated by steam from water poured over hot rocks and used, especially by Native
Americans, for therapeutic or ritual sweating.
Also called
sweathouse[1]



sweatoff

sweatoff
sweat
off
transitive verb

lose weight by sweating:
to get rid of excess weight by sweating, for example, in a sauna or through
strenuous activity[1]



sweatout

sweatout
sweat
out
transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE get
rid of illness by sweating: to relieve the symptoms of
an illness by maintaining a raised body temperature, and hence cause profuse
sweating

2.  endure
something to the end: to carry on doing something
difficult or put up with something unpleasant until it is over (informal)

3.  wait
for something anxiously: to wait for something in a
state of anxiety (informal)

[1]



sweatpants

sweatpants
sweat·pants 
[swét pànts] plural noun

warm trousers for sport:
long pants made of a soft knitted fabric that has fleece on the inside, often
with elastic at the waist and ankles, worn casually or for exercising[1]



sweatshirt

sweatshirt
sweat·shirt 
[swét shùrt] (plural sweat·shirts)
noun

warm cotton pullover or
jacket: a long-sleeved pullover or
zipped jacket made of soft knitted fabric with fleece on the inside, worn
casually or for sport[1]



sweatshop

sweatshop
sweat·shop 
[swét shòp] (plural sweat·shops)
noun

workplace with overworked,
underpaid employees: a small
factory or other establishment where employees are made to work very hard in
poor conditions for low wages[1]



sweatsuit

sweatsuit
sweat
suit
(plural sweat suits) noun

two-piece sports outfit:
a sweatshirt and sweatpants made of matching fabric and worn together for sport
or casual activities[1]



sweaty

sweaty
sweat·y 
[swéttee] (comparative sweat·i·er,
superlative sweat·i·est) adjective

1.  damp
with sweat:
damp with or smelling of sweat

2.  causing
sweat:
making somebody sweat

3.  SCIENCE with
moisture on surface: with drops of exuded or
condensed liquid on the surface
—sweat·i·ly,
adverb

—sweat·i·ness, noun[1]



Swed

Swed
Swed
or Swed.

Abbreviation of
Sweden[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Swede

Swede
Swede 
[sweed] (plural Swedes) noun

somebody
from Sweden: somebody who was born or raised in
Sweden, or who has Swedish citizenship
[Early 17th century. From
Middle Low German or Middle Dutch Swēde, of uncertain origin: probably,
ultimately, from Old Norse Svíar (plural) “Swedes” + þjóð
“people.”][1]



swede

swede
swede 
[sweed] (plural swedes) noun

U.K.
PLANTS See rutabaga
[Early 19th century. From Swede, from its introduction (into Scotland) from
Sweden.][1]



Sweden

Sweden



Swe·den 
[swd’n]
kingdom in Scandinavia, in northwestern
Europe. Language: Swedish. Currency: krona. Capital: Stockholm. Population:
8,858,000 (1996) Area: 449,964 sq km/173,732 sq mi. Official name
Kingdom of Sweden[1]



Sweden




Back to definition

Sweden

[1]



Swedish

Swedish
Swed·ish 
[swdish] noun

official language of Sweden:
the official language of Sweden and one of the two official languages of
Finland. Swedish belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European
family of languages. It is spoken by about 8.5 million people.
adjective

1.  of
Sweden:
relating to Sweden, or its people or culture

2.  of
Swedish:
relating to the Swedish language
[Early 17th century. Formed
from either Sweden or Swede .][1]



Swedishmassage

Swedishmassage
Swed·ish
mas·sage
(plural Swed·ish mas·sag·es) noun

massage
therapy:
a system of massage employing both active and passive exercising of the muscles
and joints
[Swedish from the system of
massage having originated in Sweden][1]



Swedishmile

Swedishmile
Swed·ish
mile
(plural Swed·ish miles) noun

unit of measure equaling 10
km: a unit of measure used in
Sweden equal to 10 km/6.2 mi[1]



sweep

sweep
sweep 
[sweep] verb (past swept
[swept], past participle swept,
present participle sweep·ing, 3rd person present singular sweeps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb clean
a place with a broom: to remove something such as
dust, dirt, debris, or snow from the floor or ground with a broom, brush, or
similar implement

2.  transitive
verb
clear
a chimney:
to remove soot from the inside of a chimney with a long-handled brush

3.  transitive
verb
move
something with a horizontal stroke: to
move something with a long smooth stroke or a quick brushing stroke • I
swept the papers off the desk.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb brush
against the ground: to brush against a
horizontal surface such as the floor or the ground

5.  intransitive
verb
move
with speed and force: to move quickly, smoothly,
and forcefully, often in a large body or group • the
crowd swept across the bridge

6.  intransitive
verb
move
with dignity: to move quickly and smoothly with a
proud, majestic, or self-important air • swept
angrily out of the room

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
across a place: to move quickly and forcefully across an
area • the
gales that are sweeping the country

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb spread
through a place: to pass or spread quickly through a
place • the
news swept through the city

9.  transitive
verb
carry
somebody or something along: to carry somebody or
something quickly and forcefully in the same direction • swept
along by the current

10. transitive
verb
get
rid of something: to remove, dismiss, or destroy something
quickly, forcefully, and completely • All
her illusions were swept away.

11. transitive
verb
strongly
influence somebody: to strongly influence or
overwhelm somebody (often passive) • We
were swept along by their enthusiasm.

12. intransitive
and transitive verb win
something overwhelmingly: to win something easily and
overwhelmingly, or win all the games in a series or set of games for a
championship • watched
them sweep to victory

13. intransitive
verb
stretch
out in an arc: to extend in a long smooth graceful
curve or a wide circle • plains
sweeping down to the coast

14. intransitive
and transitive verb extend
over a wide area: to be directed over a wide range or the
entire area of something • Her
eyes swept around the room.

15. intransitive
and transitive verb search
a place for something: to search a place for
something, for example, an area of water for mines or a room for hidden
recording devices
noun
(plural sweeps)

1.  bout
of cleaning with a brush: a cleaning of something with
a brush, broom, or similar implement

2.  brushing
stroke:
a quick brushing stroke

3.  long
smooth movement: a long smooth curved movement • with
a sweep of her arm

4.  long
smooth curve: a long smooth graceful curve • the
sweep of the coastline

5.  wide
expanse:
a wide expanse or extent • the
sweep of the horizon

6.  curved
range:
the range over which something is directed, usually a wide arc or circle • stay
out of the sweep of the searchlights

7.  broad
range:
the broad range or comprehensive nature of something • the
sweep of history

8.  search:
a thorough search • a sweep of the
neighborhood

9.  overwhelming
victory:
an overwhelming or absolute victory • their
sweep to power

10. See
chimney sweep

11. ROWING oar
for propelling a boat: a long oar that is used to
propel small boats or sometimes act as a rudder

12. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING electron
beam motion in cathode-ray tube: the steady movement of
the electron beam across the fluorescent surface of a cathode-ray tube. The
motion may be straight, as with television screens, or circular, as with radar
screens.

13. windmill
sail:
a sail of a windmill

14. pole
for lifting a bucket in a well: a long pole used as a
lever to raise or lower a bucket in a well

15. sweeps
sweepstakes:
sweepstakes (informal) (takes a singular or plural verb)
plural
noun
sweeps

television ratings in a particular
period:
a periodic survey of television ratings that is used to determine advertising
rates, or the period when these ratings are done
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from the past tense of Old English swāpan
“to sweep,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to swing” (see swift ).]
—sweep·y,
adjective
make
a clean sweep (of something)

1.  to
have a complete change by getting rid of everything or everyone unwanted or
unnecessary

2.  to
win everything

sweep
somebody off his or her feet

to
attract somebody with a sudden and intense romantic passion • I
wanted to be swept off my feet by a mysterious lover.

[1]



sweepback

sweepback
sweep·back 
[swp bàk] (plural sweep·backs)
noun

backward-slanting aircraft
wing: an aircraft wing that slants
backward toward the tail assembly, forming an acute angle with the fuselage[1]



sweeper

sweeper
sweep·er
[swpər] (plural sweep·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who sweeps:
somebody whose job involves sweeping something, usually floors or roads

2.  something
that sweeps: a device or machine, usually fitted with
brushes, that sweeps something such as a floor or a road

3.  SOCCER roving
defensive player: in soccer, a defensive player who is not
assigned to cover an attacking player but plays across the field in the space
between other defenders and the goalkeeper

[1]



sweeping

sweeping
sweep·ing 
[swping] adjective

1.  on
a large scale: wide-ranging and comprehensive, and
usually affecting a large number of things or people • sweeping
reforms

2.  too
general:
failing to take specific exceptions or details into consideration • a
sweeping condemnation of modern youth

3.  overwhelming:
complete, overwhelming, or decisive • a
sweeping victory

4.  with
broad extent: covering a large area, usually a wide
arc or circle • included in her
sweeping glance
noun

act of using a broom:
the action of somebody who sweeps with a broom or brush
—sweep·ing·ly,
adverb

—sweep·ing·ness, noun[1]



sweepings

sweepings
sweep·ings
[swpingz] plural noun

things swept up:
dirt and refuse swept up[1]



sweepstakes

sweepstakes
sweep·stakes 
[swp stàyks] (plural sweep·stakes)
noun

lottery
in which contributions are prize: a lottery in which the
payout is determined by the amount paid in and the winner determined by the
outcome of a horserace, or the prize itself
[Formed from the obsolete
meaning “person who takes (sweeps) all the stakes in a game”][1]



sweepup

sweepup
sweep
up
intransitive and transitive verb

clean the floor with a broom:
to remove dust, dirt, or debris from the floor or ground with a brush or
similar implement[1]



sweet

sweet
sweet 
[sweet] adjective (comparative
sweet·er, superlative sweet·est)

1.  tasting
or smelling of sugar: tasting or smelling of sugar
or a similar substance

2.  containing
or retaining sugar: containing a relatively
large amount of sugar, or retaining some natural sugars • sweet
cider

3.  PHYSIOLOGY not
salt, bitter, or sour: associated with the basic
taste sensation that is not bitter, salt, or sour

4.  fresh:
not stale, rancid, or soured • sweet
water

5.  not
salty:
not salty or saline • sweet
butter

6.  pleasing
to the senses: pleasing to any of the senses • the
sweet strains of the violin

7.  satisfying:
desirable, gratifying, or satisfying • Revenge
turned out not to be sweet after all.

8.  kind:
kind, thoughtful, or generous • He’s
so sweet, he never forgets my birthday.

9.  very
pleasing to look at: having an appearance that is
charming or endearing • a
sweet little cottage by the lake

10. AGRICULTURE not
acidic:
used to describe land that contains no acid or corrosive substances

11. ENERGY containing
little or no sulfur: used to describe gasoline or
oil that contains little or no sulfur

12. respected:
dear, respected, or beloved (archaic) • Indeed,
my sweet lord.
adverb

pleasantly: in a
pleasant manner • sing sweet
noun
(plural sweets)

1.  FOOD See candy

2.  U.K.
FOOD dessert:
a course or dish of sweet food served at or near the end of a meal

3.  sweet
food:
any item of sweet food

4.  sweet
potato:
a sweet potato (informal)

5.  sensation
of sweetness: a sweet taste or smell

6.  something
pleasant:
a pleasant thing or experience (literary) • squander
the sweets of life

7.  dear:
used as a term of endearment • Come
to me, my sweet.

8.  INDUSTRY sulfur-free
natural gas or oil: a natural gas or crude oil
that is essentially free from acidic or odorous sulfur compounds
[Old
English swēte . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English assuage and suave .]
—sweet·ly,
adverb

—sweet·ness,
noun
be
sweet on somebody

to be in love with somebody (dated)[1]



sweetacacia

sweetacacia
sweet
a·ca·cia
noun

See
huisache[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sweetalyssum

sweetalyssum
sweet
a·lys·sum
noun

plant with small fragrant
flowers: a perennial European plant
widely cultivated for its clusters of low-growing fragrant white, pink, or
purple flowers. Latin name: Lobularia maritima
Also called
alyssum[1]



sweet-and-sour

sweet-and-sour
sweet-and-sour 
adjective

containing sugar and vinegar
flavorings: cooked in or served with a
sauce that has sugar and vinegar among the ingredients[1]



sweetbasil

sweetbasil
sweet
bas·il
noun

herb used in cooking:
an herb with aromatic leaves used for seasoning. Latin name: Ocimum
basilicum[1]



sweetbay

sweetbay
sweet
bay
noun

1.  N
American magnolia: a small magnolia bush or
tree of the eastern United States that has large fragrant white flowers,
yellow-green leaves, and red fruit. Latin name: Magnolia virginia

2.  See
laurel  noun 1

[1]



sweetbirch

sweetbirch
sweet
birch
noun

1.  TREES N
American birch tree: a birch of the eastern
United States with smooth blackish-brown bark, hard dark wood, and aromatic
stems that are a source of methyl salicylate. Latin name: Betula lenta
Also
called
cherry birch
Also
called
black birch

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of the sweet birch: the wood from the sweet
birch tree

[1]



sweetbread

sweetbread
sweet·bread 
[swt brèd] (plural sweet·breads)
noun

animal
gland used as food: the pancreas or thymus of a
calf, lamb, or other young animal soaked, fried, and eaten as food
[Bread probably from Old
English br&oemacr;d “flesh”][1]



sweetbriar

sweetbriar
sweet·bri·ar
[swt brr] (plural sweet·bri·ars
or sweet·bri·ar) or sweet·bri·er [swt brr] (plural sweet·bri·ers or
sweet·bri·er) noun

rose with single flowers:
a rose of Europe and Asia that has a long stem with prickles, fragrant leaves,
and rosy pink or white single flowers. Latin name: Rosa rubiginosa
Also called
eglantine[1]



sweetcherry

sweetcherry
sweet
cher·ry
noun

1.  TREES cherry
tree:
a large cherry tree of Europe and Asia that has reddish bark and white flowers
and is widely grown for its sweet edible fruit. Latin name: Prunius avium

2.  FOOD fruit
of the sweet cherry: the fruit of the sweet
cherry tree

[1]



sweetcicely

sweetcicely
sweet
cic·e·ly
[sweet síss’lee] (plural sweet
cic·e·ly) noun

1.  herb
with aromatic roots: an herb of the carrot family
that is native to America and Asia, with aromatic fleshy roots and clusters of
small white flowers. Genus: Osmorhiza

2.  European
herb:
a perennial European herb that has umbels of small white flowers and aromatic
compound leaves. Latin name: Myrrhis odorata
Also
called
myrrh

[1]



sweetcider

sweetcider
sweet
ci·der
(plural sweet ci·ders) noun

See
cider[1]



sweetclover

sweetclover
sweet
clo·ver
noun

See
melilot[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sweetcorn

sweetcorn
sweet
corn
noun
Also
called
sugar corn

1.  PLANTS edible
corn:
a variety of corn with kernels that contain a high concentration of sugar and
are yellowish in color. Latin name: Zea mays rugosa

2.  FOOD corn
kernels as food: the sweet yellowish kernels of some
varieties of corn plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable

[1]



sweeten

sweeten
sweet·en 
[swt’n] (past sweet·ened, past
participle sweet·ened, present participle sweet·en·ing,
3rd person present singular sweet·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in sweetness: to make something taste sweet or sweeter
by adding sugar or some other natural or artificial substance, or to become
sweet or sweeter in flavor

2.  transitive
verb
improve
the taste or smell of something: to make something
taste or smell more pleasant

3.  transitive
verb
make
something more desirable: to make something more
attractive, agreeable, or acceptable • sweeten
the offer

4.  transitive
verb
soften
or persuade somebody: to make somebody kinder,
gentler, friendlier, or calmer, or persuade somebody by flattery, cajolery, or
bribery to accept or agree to something • might
sweeten his temper

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CHEMICAL ENGINEERING improve
the properties of something: to improve a product by
making it less corrosive, its odor less offensive, or its color more
acceptable. Petroleum products are sweetened during refining by the removal of
sulfides or the conversion of them into disulfides.

6.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE GARDENING lessen
the acidity of: to make something less acidic by adding
a chemical preparation to it • He
spread some lime in the garden to sweeten the soil.

7.  transitive
verb
FINANCE increase
the value of collateral: to add securities to collateral
so that its value is increased

8.  transitive
verb
CARD GAMES increase
value of a pot: in poker, to add stakes to a pot
remaining from a previous deal (informal)

[1]



sweetener

sweetener
sweet·en·er 
[swt’nər] (plural sweet·en·ers)
noun

1.  FOOD substance
making something sweeter: a natural or artificial
substance that is added to food or drink to make it sweet or sweeter,
especially a synthetic substance used in place of sugar

2.  extra
payment or gift: something given as a bribe, incentive,
or means of persuading somebody to accept or agree to something (informal)

[1]



sweetening

sweetening
sweet·en·ing 
[swt’ning] (plural sweet·en·ings)
noun

1.  FOOD substance
making something sweeter: a substance that makes food
or drink sweet or sweeter, especially an artificial additive

2.  act
of making something sweet: the act of making something
sweet or sweeter

[1]



sweetFA

sweetFA
sweet
FA
or sweet Fanny Adams noun

nothing:
nothing at all (slang)[1]



sweetfern

sweetfern
sweet
fern
noun

N American shrub with scented
leaves: an eastern North American
shrub of the wax myrtle family that has heads of small brownish flowers and
aromatic leaves similar to those of a fern. Latin name: Comptonia peregrina[1]



sweetflag

sweetflag
sweet
flag
noun

herb with aromatic roots:
a perennial marsh herb that has narrow sword-shaped leaves, tiny greenish
flowers, and an aromatic rootstock. Latin name: Acorus calamus
Also called
calamus[1]



sweetgale

sweetgale
sweet
gale
noun

marsh shrub with aromatic
leaves: a shrub of the bayberry
family that is native to marshy regions of North America, Asia, and Europe and
has aromatic lance-shaped leaves. Latin name: Myrica gale
Also called
meadow fern[1]



sweetgum

sweetgum
sweet
gum
noun

1.  N
American tree with hard wood: a North American tree of the
witch hazel family that has lobed leaves, hard wood, and round prickly fruit
clusters. Latin name: Liquidambar styraciflua
Also
called
red gum

2.  aromatic
resin:
the amber aromatic resin of the sweet gum tree

[1]



sweetheart

sweetheart
sweet·heart 
[swt hrt] (plural sweet·hearts)
noun

1.  boyfriend
or girlfriend: somebody who is a boyfriend, girlfriend,
or lover (dated)

2.  affectionate
term of address: used as a term of endearment, usually
addressed to a lover or child

3.  kind
person:
a kind or obliging person • Be a
sweetheart and make me a cup of coffee, will you?

4.  something
cherished:
something cherished for its fine qualities and often considered one of a kind

[1]



sweetheartagreement

sweetheartagreement
sweet·heart
a·gree·ment
(plural sweet·heart a·gree·ments) noun

agreement
suiting some but not others: an arrangement arrived at
secretly to benefit some at the expense of the rest, especially an industrial
agreement between union and management representatives that is not in the
workers’ best interest
[Sweetheart from the
privileged treatment of one party][1]



sweetheartneckline

sweetheartneckline
sweet·heart
neck·line
(plural sweet·heart neck·lines) noun

neckline shaped like the top
of a heart: on women’s clothing, a
low-cut neckline with two curves over the bust, making the bodice look
heart-shaped[1]



sweetie

sweetie
sweet·ie 
[swtee] (plural sweet·ies) noun
(informal)

1.  term
of endearment: used as a term of endearment

2.  endearing
person or animal: a likable or lovable person or animal

[1]



sweetiepie

sweetiepie
sweet·ie
pie
noun

nice person:
a lovable or likable person (informal)[1]



sweeting

sweeting
sweet·ing 
[swting] (plural sweet·ings) noun

sweet apple:
an eating apple with sweet flesh[1]



sweetmarjoram

sweetmarjoram
sweet
mar·jo·ram
noun

herb used in cooking:
a Mediterranean herb that has small purple flowers and aromatic leaves used as
a seasoning in cookery and salads. Latin name: Origanum majorana[1]



sweetmeat

sweetmeat
sweet·meat 
[swt mt] (plural sweet·meats)
noun

sweet delicacy:
a superior type of candy or confectionery served at the end of a meal or with
tea (archaic)[1]



sweetnessand light

sweetnessand light
sweet·ness
and light
noun

friendliness and harmony:
pleasantness and friendliness or peace and harmony, especially in contrast to
normal behavior or circumstances • He
has a vile temper, but when he gets his way, he’s all sweetness and light.[1]



sweetnothings

sweetnothings
sweet
noth·ings
plural noun

romantic words:
romantic words and phrases[1]



sweetpea

sweetpea

sweet pea
(plural sweet peas) noun
climbing plant with pastel-colored
flowers: a climbing plant of the
legume family, native to Italy and widely cultivated for its sweet-scented
butterfly-shaped flowers. Latin name: Lathyrus odoratus[1]



sweetpepper

sweetpepper
sweet
pep·per
noun

1.  PLANTS pepper
plant:
a variety of pepper plant with large bell-shaped fruits. Latin name: Capsicum
frutescens grossum
Also
called
bell pepper

2.  FOOD pepper
used as a vegetable: the fruit of the sweet
pepper plant, eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable

[1]



sweetpotato

sweetpotato

sweet
po·ta·to
noun

1.  PLANTS plant
producing fleshy edible tubers: a tropical American
vine with funnel-shaped purplish flowers, cultivated for its fleshy yellow
tuberous root. The tuber is similar to that of the yam, but the plants are
unrelated. Latin name: Ipomoea batatas
Also
called
yam

2.  FOOD sweet
potato root used as a vegetable: the fleshy orange root
of the sweet potato plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Also
called
yam

3.        MUSIC ocarina:
an ocarina (informal)[1]



sweetshop

sweetshop
sweet·shop 
[swt shòp] (plural sweet·shops)
noun

U.K.
See candy store[1]



sweetsop

sweetsop

sweet·sop 
[swt sòp] (plural sweet·sops or
sweet·sop) noun
Also
called
sugar apple

1.  PLANTS tropical
American evergreen shrub: a tropical evergreen shrub
that is native to America and is grown for its edible fruit. Latin name: Annona
squamosa

2.  FOOD fruit
of the sweetsop: the fruit of the sweetsop, which has a
hard green rind and a sweet edible pulp
[From the sweet pulp of its
fruit][1]



sweetsorghum

sweetsorghum
sweet
sor·ghum
noun

See
sorgo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








sweetspot

sweetspot
sweet
spot
(plural sweet spots) noun

best
place for hitting a ball: the most effective place to
hit the ball on a racket, bat, club, or other piece of sports equipment
[Sweet in the sense of
“desirable”][1]



sweetsultan

sweetsultan
sweet
sul·tan
(plural sweet sul·tans or sweet sul·tan) noun

shrub
with large varicolored flowers: a shrub native to the
countries of the eastern Mediterranean that is noted for its large varicolored
flowers. Latin name: Centaurea moschata
[Ultimately from sultan’s
flower][1]



sweettalk

sweettalk
sweet
talk
noun

persuasive language:
flattering or pleasing words used to persuade somebody (informal)[1]



sweet-talk

sweet-talk
sweet-talk 
intransitive and transitive verb

use persuasive language to:
to use flattering or pleasing words to persuade somebody to do something (informal)[1]



sweettooth

sweettooth
sweet
tooth
noun

fondness for sweet food:
a particular fondness for sweet food[1]



sweetwilliam

sweetwilliam

sweet
wil·liam
[swt wíllyəm] (plural sweet
wil·liams or sweet wil·liam) noun
plant
with variously colored flowers: a plant of Europe and
Asia widely grown for its flat clusters of white, pink, red, or purple flowers
with banded or mottled patterns. Latin name: Dianthus barbatus
[William from the first name William][1]



sweetwoodruff

sweetwoodruff
sweet
wood·ruff
noun

See
woodruff[1]



swell

swell
swell 
[swel] verb (past swelled,
past participle swelled or swol·len [swṓlən], present participle swell·ing,
3rd person present singular swells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in size:
to make something larger, fuller, or rounder, or to expand in size or shape,
usually as a result of pressure from within • the
wind swelled the sails

2.  intransitive
verb
MEDICINE become
larger than normal: to increase in size
temporarily, typically as a result of injury, infection, or other medical
condition • my
ankles had swelled in the heat

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in quantity: to increase something in number or
amount, usually by adding to it, or to increase in this way • new
members to swell the ranks of the Party

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb increase
in degree:
to make something stronger or more intense, or become stronger or more intense
• could
feel indignation swelling inside her

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC increase and decrease in
loudness:
in music, to alternate in growing gradually louder and softer, or alternately
increase and decrease in volume

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb fill
with emotion: to be filled, or cause somebody’s heart
or soul to be filled, with a strong feeling or emotion • His
heart swelled with pride.

7.  intransitive
verb
undulate
on a surface: to rise and fall in long large waves
noun
(plural swells)

1.  undulation
of the sea surface: the rising and falling
movement of a large area of the sea as a long wave travels through it without
breaking • There’s
quite a swell out there today.

2.  round
shape:
the full, round shape of something

3.  bulge:
a bulge or protuberance

4.  increasing
of size:
an increase in size, fullness, or roundness

5.  increasing
of number:
an increase in number, amount, or degree

6.  MUSIC crescendo
then diminuendo: a gradual increase in the loudness of
music followed by a gradual decrease, or the sign indicating this

7.  MUSIC See swell box

8.  gentle
slope:
a low hill or gentle slope

9.  fashionable
person:
a fashionably and expensively dressed person (dated informal)

10. somebody
of high status: a very important person, especially in
society or politics (dated informal)
adjective
(dated informal)

1.  good:
very good

2.  grand:
grand, stylish, or fashionable
[Old English swellan,
from prehistoric Germanic. The meaning “fashionable person,” which gave rise to
the adjective, probably evolved from “(showing) swollen, pompous behavior.”][1]



swellbox

swellbox
swell
box
(plural swell box·es) noun

organ
device for crescendo and diminuendo: a
device on an organ, usually an enclosed box with pipes, that permits crescendo
and diminuendo, a characteristic otherwise lacking on this instrument.
Also
called
swell
[Swell from the part of the
organ housed in the box][1]



swelledhead

swelledhead
swelled
head 
noun

excessive pride:
a feeling of exaggerated self-importance, usually stimulated by personal
success or by praise received from others.
U.K. term
swollen head[1]



swellfish

swellfish
swell·fish 
[swél fìsh] (plural swell·fish
or swell·fish·es) noun

ZOOLOGY puffer:
a puffer fish
[Swell from its ability to
inflate by swallowing air][1]



swellhead

swellhead
swell·head 
[swél hèd] (plural swell·heads)
noun

conceited
person:
somebody who is conceited and arrogant (informal)
—swell·head·ed
[swél hèddəd], adjective

—swell·head·ed·ness [swél hèddədnəss], noun[1]



swelling

swelling
swell·ing 
[swélling] (plural swell·ings)
noun

1.  MEDICINE enlargement:
an increase in size of part of the body, typically as a result of injury,
infection, or other medical condition • The
swelling should go down in a couple of days.

2.  lump
or protuberance: a bulge or protuberance caused by
swelling

[1]



swelter

swelter
swel·ter 
[swéltər] verb (past swel·tered,
past participle swel·tered, present participle swel·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular swel·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
be
oppressed by heat: to feel uncomfortably hot • We
had been sweltering in a hot car all afternoon.

2.  transitive
verb
exude
something:
to exude something such as venom (archaic) “Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter’d venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i’
the charmed pot.” William Shakespeare Macbeth 1623
noun

unpleasant heat or sensation of hotness:
excessive or oppressive heat, or the uncomfortable feeling it produces
[15th century. Literally “to
faint repeatedly,” formed from swelten “to faint,” from Old English sweltan
“to die,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to burn.”][1]



sweltering

sweltering
swel·ter·ing 
[swéltəring] adjective

1.  oppressively
hot:
oppressively hot

2.  feeling
very hot:
feeling uncomfortably hot
—swel·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



swept

swept
swept


Past tense of
sweep Past participle of sweep[1]



sweptback

sweptback
swept·back 
[swépt bàk, swèpt
bák] (plural swept·backs) adjective

indicating sweepback:
used to describe a wing that is angled backward toward the aircraft’s tail[1]



sweptwing

sweptwing
swept·wing 
[swépt wìng] adjective

with a sweptback wing:
used to describe an aircraft or missile that has sweptback wings[1]



swerve

swerve
swerve 
[swurv] intransitive and transitive verb
(past swerved, past participle swerved, present
participle swerv·ing, 3rd person present singular swerves)

turn
away from a direct course: to make a sudden change in
direction, often to avoid a collision, or make something change direction
suddenly • had
to swerve to avoid a pedestrian
noun
(plural swerves)

abrupt
change in direction: a sudden change in direction
[Old
English sweorfan “to file, scour, turn aside.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to turn.”]
—swerv·er, noun[1]



swidden

swidden
swid·den 
[swídd’n] (plural swid·dens) noun

temporary
agricultural plot: a place temporarily cleared
for agriculture by cutting back and burning off previous growth
[Late 18th century. Variant
of swithen “to burn,” from Old Norse sviðna “to be singed.”][1]



swift

swift

swift 
[swift] adjective (comparative
swift·er, superlative swift·est)

1.  happening
fast:
happening or done very quickly or suddenly • issued
a swift denial

2.  acting
fast:
acting very quickly or promptly • they
were swift to respond

3.  moving
fast:
moving or able to move very quickly
adverb

quickly: very
quickly • a
swift-flowing river
noun (plural
swifts)

1.  (plural
swift or swifts) BIRDS
small
bird resembling swallow: a small dark bird related to
the hummingbirds and resembling a swallow, that has long narrow wings. Swifts
are noted for their rapid flight. Family: Apodidae

2.  ZOOLOGY small
fast lizard: a small fast-running North American
lizard. Genera: Sceloporus Uta

3.  TEXTILES reel
or cylinder on a machine: the reel on which yarn is
placed while it is wound off, or the cylinder on a machine that cards flax
[Old
English, “quick, moving along a course,” from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “to swing, bend,” which is also the ancestor of English sweep, swivel,
and swoop]
—swift·ly,
adverb

—swift·ness, noun[1]



SwiftCurrent

SwiftCurrent
Swift
Cur·rent
[swìft kúr ənt]

town and railroad hub 245
km/152 mi west of Regina in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. Population:
16,437 (1996)[1]



swiftfox

swiftfox
swift
fox
noun

N American fox:
a small western North American fox with large ears. Latin name: Vulpes velox[1]



Swift,Jonathan

Swift,Jonathan

Swift 
[swift], Jonathan, Dean (1667–1745)
Irish
author and clergyman. The dean of St Patrick’s, Dublin, he was the leading
satirist of his age. He wrote Gulliver’s Travels (1726) and A Tale of
a Tub (1704).

—Swift·ian, adjective[1]



swiftlet

swiftlet
swift·let
[swíftlət] (plural swiftlets) noun

small Asian swift:
a small cave-dwelling Asian swift whose nest is used in making birds’ nest
soup. Genus: Collocalia[1]



swig

swig
swig 
[swig] intransitive and transitive verb
(past swigged, past participle swigged, present
participle swig·ging, 3rd person present singular swigs)

drink
in large gulps: to drink something in large gulps (informal)
noun
(plural swigs)

large
gulp of drink: a large gulp of drink (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—swig·ger, noun[1]



swill

swill
swill 
[swil] verb (past swilled,
past participle swilled, present participle swill·ing,
3rd person present singular swills)

1.  transitive
verb
wash
something with water: to wash or rinse something
by flooding or filling it with water

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
liquid around in something: to make liquid move around
or over something, or move in this way • He
swilled the water around in the bucket.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb drink
a lot of something: to drink large amounts of
something (disapproving)

4.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE feed
hogs with watery feed: to feed animals, especially
hogs, with a watery feed typically containing kitchen waste or food byproducts
noun
(plural swills)

1.  AGRICULTURE hog
feed:
a watery feed for livestock, especially hogs, typically containing kitchen
waste or food byproducts

2.  kitchen
waste:
kitchen waste or general refuse

3.  large
drink:
a large drink or mouthful of drink

4.  inferior
food or drink: inferior or unpleasant food or drink

5.  sloppy
liquid mixture: a sloppy liquid mixture or mess

6.  nonsense:
talk or writing that is utter nonsense (informal)
[Old
English swillan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English swallow .
Originally in the meaning “to wash, gargle.”]
—swill·er, noun[1]



swim

swim
swim 
[swim] verb (past swam
[swam], past participle swum [swum], present participle swim·ming,
3rd person present singular swims)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
through water: to move or propel yourself unsupported
through water using natural means of propulsion such as legs, tails, or fins

2.  transitive
verb
travel
a distance by swimming: to cross a particular
stretch of water or travel a particular distance by swimming

3.  transitive
verb
compete
in a swimming race: to take part as a competitor
in a swimming race

4.  transitive
verb
swim
with a particular stroke: to swim using a particular
stroke

5.  intransitive
verb
be
dizzy:
to be dizzy or confused • The
noise made my head swim.

6.  intransitive
verb
seem
to move or spin: to appear to move, whirl, or sway • words
swimming on the page

7.  intransitive
verb
float
on the surface: to float on the surface of a liquid • oil
swimming on the water

8.  intransitive
verb
be
covered in liquid: to be surrounded or covered
with a large quantity of liquid • mushrooms
swimming with garlic butter

9.  intransitive
verb
have
plenty:
to have a large amount of something • not
exactly swimming in offers
noun
(plural swims)

1.  spell
of swimming: a period of time spent swimming, usually
for pleasure or exercise (often used beofre a noun) • went
for her morning swim • a
swim club

2.  smooth
movement:
a smooth gliding movement

3.  dizziness:
dizziness or confusion • with
my head in a swim

4.  ANGLING place
with many fish: a place where fish are found in
abundance
[Old
English swimman, from a prehistoric Germanic base that also produced Old
Norse sund “swimming” (source of English sound
“channel”)]
—swim·ma·ble,
adjective

—swim·mer,
noun
be
in the swim

to be involved with the
latest fashions or trends (informal)[1]



swimbladder

swimbladder
swim
blad·der
(plural swim blad·ders) noun

ZOOLOGY
See air bladder[1]



swimmeret

swimmeret
swim·mer·et 
[swìmmə rét, swímmə
rèt] (plural swim·mer·ets) noun

small appendage of lobster or
shrimp: an abdominal appendage of
shrimp, lobsters, and some other crustaceans that is adapted for swimming and,
in females, for carrying eggs.
Also called
pleopod[1]



swimmer’sitch

swimmer’sitch
swim·mer’s
itch 
noun

skin inflammation with severe
itching: an inflammation of the skin
caused by the larvae of some schistosomes that penetrate the skin and cause
itching. It often occurs after swimming in infested waters.[1]



swimming

swimming
swim·ming 
[swímming] noun

moving through water for fun:
the action or activity of making progress unsupported through water using the
arms and legs, usually for pleasure, exercise, or sport[1]



swimmingly

swimmingly
swim·ming·ly 
[swímminglee] adverb

smoothly and successfully:
very smoothly, easily, and successfully • The
whole evening went swimmingly.[1]



swimmingpool

swimmingpool
swim·ming
pool
(plural swim·ming pools) noun

artificial body of water:
a water-filled structure in which people can swim, usually set into the ground
outdoors or the floor indoors, or a building that houses such a structure[1]



swimmingtrunks

swimmingtrunks
swim·ming
trunks
plural noun

men’s swimming clothing:
a piece of clothing worn by men and boys for swimming. Swimming trunks may be
brief, like close-fitting underpants, or larger and looser, like shorts.[1]



swimsuit

swimsuit
swim·suit 
[swím st] (plural swim·suits)
noun

clothing worn for swimming:
a piece of clothing worn for swimming[1]



swimwear

swimwear
swim·wear 
[swím wàir] noun

clothing for swimming:
any type of clothing worn for swimming[1]



swindle

swindle
swin·dle 
[swínd’l] transitive verb (past
swin·dled, past participle swin·dled, present
participle swin·dling, 3rd person present singular swin·dles)

cheat
somebody of something: to obtain something from
somebody, especially money, by deception or fraud • I’ve
been swindled!
noun
(plural swin·dles)

fraudulent
transaction: a transaction in which one person or
organization obtains something from another by deception or fraud
[Late
18th century. Back-formation from swindler, from German Schwindler
“cheat,” from schwindeln “to be dizzy,” literally “to vanish
repeatedly,” ultimately, from Old High German swintan “to vanish.”]
—swin·dler, noun[1]



swine

swine
swine 
[swīn] (plural swine) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE hog:
a hog, boar, or similar animal

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s manners or behavior (insult)
[Old
English swīn . Ultimately, from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English hyena and sow “female hog.”]
—swin·ish,
adjective

—swin·ishly, adverb[1]



swinefever

swinefever
swine
fe·ver
noun

U.K.
See hog cholera[1]



swineherd

swineherd
swine·herd 
[swn hùrd] (plural swine·herds)
noun

somebody who tends hogs:
somebody who looks after hogs (archaic or literary)[1]



swinepox

swinepox
swine·pox 
[swn pòks] noun

viral disease of hogs:
an infectious viral disease of hogs marked by lesions of the skin[1]



swing

swing
swing 
[swing] verb (past swung,
past participle swung [swung],
present participle swing·ing, 3rd person present singular swings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
to and fro:
to move freely from side to side or backward and forward, usually hanging from
a fixed point, or make something move in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb pivot
or rotate:
to move or turn in a circle or an arc, usually pivoting around a fixed point,
or make something move or turn in this way • The
door door swung open.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb suspend
or hang something: to fix something so that it
can swing, or be fixed in this way

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in a curve:
to move in a smooth curve, or make something move in this way • The
limousine swung into the drive.

5.  intransitive
verb
walk
with a swaying motion: to walk with a swaying
motion in a relaxed or easy manner

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
with a sweeping blow: to hit or attempt to hit
somebody or something with a sweeping blow or stroke • swing
at the ball wildly

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb ride
on a swinging seat: to move backward and forward
on a swinging seat, or make somebody move in such a way by pushing the person
or the seat

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb fluctuate
or vacillate: to change from one feeling or condition
to another, sometimes quickly or suddenly, or make something or somebody change
in this way • Their
mood swung between elation and gloom.

9.  transitive
verb
arrange
or manipulate something: to achieve a desired change
or result by using influence, persuasion, or other means (informal) • You
want the job? I can swing it for you.

10. intransitive
verb
be
hanged for something: to be hanged as punishment
for something (informal)

11. intransitive
verb
swap
sexual partners: to have a number of sexual partners,
especially by exchanging them within a group (slang)

12. intransitive
verb
be
lively:
to be lively or animated (informal) • The
party was really swinging by the time we arrived.

13. intransitive
verb
be
modern and fashionable: to be interested in and
involved in modern or fashionable trends (informal)

14. intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC play jazz:
to play in a style of big-band jazz music suitable for dancing
noun
(plural swings)

1.  hanging
seat:
a seat hung from a frame or branch for somebody to sit on and move backward and
forward, especially one on which children play

2.  swinging
movement:
the process of swinging, or a swinging movement

3.  range
of movement: the curve or distance covered by
something as it swings

4.  sweeping
stroke or blow: a sweeping stroke, blow, or punch • took
a swing at the ball

5.  relaxed
swinging motion: a relaxed or graceful swaying motion

6.  SPORTS way
somebody swings something: the manner of movement used
to swing a bat or club or bowl a ball • practicing
her golf swing

7.  shift
or fluctuation: a sudden or significant change,
especially in the way people think or act • frequent
mood swings
• a
massive swing in popularity toward the younger candidate

8.  up-and-down
cyclical changes: the up-and-down cycles of something, for
example, business profits, economic growth, or stock prices

9.  steady
progression: a steady progression or advance across
territory, or through a process, activity, or phase

10. MUSIC style
of jazz music: a style of jazz music suitable for
dancing, popular especially in the 1930s and 1940s and generally played by big
bands (often used before a noun) • swing
dance

11. a
circular tour: a tour or course that finishes where it
began, for example, as part of a political campaign

12. freedom
of action:
complete freedom to act or take decisions
[Old
English swingan “to flog, rush,” from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “violent circulatory movement,” which also produced English swinge and swink]
—swing·y,
adjective
be
in full swing

to
be in vigorous progress

get
into the swing of things

to
get back into your normal rhythm or routine

go
with a swing

to be lively and animated • The
evening really went with a swing.[1]



swingaround

swingaround
swing
around
intransitive verb

1.  turn
around quickly: to turn around quickly or suddenly

2.  change
direction quickly: to change direction quickly
or suddenly

[1]



swingbridge

swingbridge
swing
bridge
(plural swing bridges) noun

movable bridge that pivots
horizontally: a low movable bridge
that pivots horizontally on a pier in midstream and is swung parallel to the
stream to allow a ship to pass[1]



swing-by

swing-by
swing-by 
(plural swing-bys) noun

interplanetary course:
a deliberate change in the course of an interplanetary vehicle brought about by
moving through the gravitational field of a celestial body, especially that of
a planet[1]



swingdoor

swingdoor
swing
door
(plural swing doors) noun

U.K.
See swinging door[1]



swinge

swinge
swinge 
[swinj] (past swinged, past
participle swinged, present participle swinge·ing, 3rd
person present singular swing·es) transitive verb

give
somebody harsh punishment: to punish somebody severely,
especially by beating or flogging (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English swing .][1]



swingeing

swingeing
swinge·ing 
[swínjing] adjective

U.K.
severe:
causing great harm or hardship • swingeing
cuts in spending[1]



swinger

swinger
swing·er 
[swíngər] (plural swing·ers) noun

somebody with an
unconventional lifestyle: somebody
who lives a somewhat unconventional and hedonistic life, especially somebody
who exchanges sexual partners with others (slang)[1]



swinging

swinging
swing·ing 
[swínging] adjective

1.  fashionable:
lively and fashionable (dated)

2.  lively:
lively and animated

3.  often
changing sexual partners: frequently changing or
exchanging sexual partners (slang)

[1]



swingingdoor

swingingdoor
swing·ing
door
(plural swing·ing doors) noun

door opening both ways:
a door that can be opened by pushing from either side, especially one that
swings shut automatically.
U.K. term
swing door[1]



swingingvoter

swingingvoter
swing·ing
vot·er
(plural swing·ing vot·ers) noun

Australia, New Zealand
swing voter:
somebody who does not consistently vote for the same political party in
elections[1]



swingletree

swingletree
swin·gle·tree 
[swíng g’l tr] (plural swin·gle·trees)
noun

U.K.
See whiffletree[1]



swingman

swingman
swing·man 
[swíngmən] (plural swing·men [swíngmən]) noun

player
capable of performing different positions: a
player who is able to play in two different positions, especially a basketball
player who can play both forward and guard
[Mid-20th century. Swing from
the player’s shifting positions.][1]



swingshift

swingshift
swing
shift
(plural swing shifts) noun
U.K.
term
back shift

1.  shift
between day and night shifts: a period of work beginning
in the afternoon and ending at night. It overlaps between the day shift and the
night shift.

2.  workers
on a swing shift: a group of employees working on a swing
shift

[1]



swingvoter

swingvoter
swing
vot·er
(plural swing vot·ers) noun

voter without a fixed
political allegiance: somebody
who does not consistently vote for the same political party in elections.
U.K. term
floating voter[1]



swing-wing

swing-wing
swing-wing 
adjective

with
movable wings: used to describe an aircraft whose wings
are constructed to allow them to move backward and forward relative to the
fuselage during flight. The rearward configuration improves streamlining at
high speeds, while the forward configuration improves lifting qualities during
takeoff and landing.
noun
(plural swing-wings)

airplane with movable wings:
an airplane with variable-sweep wings[1]



swipe

swipe
swipe 
[swīp] verb (past swiped,
past participle swiped, present participle swip·ing,
3rd person present singular swipes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
somebody or something hard: to strike or attempt to
strike somebody or something with a forceful swinging or sweeping blow

2.  transitive
verb
steal
something:
to steal something, often with a snatching movement (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
put
a card through machine: to pass a card on which data
has been stored magnetically through an electronic reading device, for example,
to gain access to a building or to initiate a banking transaction, or to be
read successfully by such a device • the
card won’t swipe through the machine
noun
(plural swipes)

1.  swinging
blow:
a forceful swinging or sweeping blow • took a
swipe at me but missed

2.  critical
attack:
a critical remark or attack (informal)

3.  pivoted
pole:
a long pole used as a lever to raise or lower a bucket in a well
[Early
19th century. Partly from a Scottish variant of sweep
and partly from obsolete English swip “stroke, blow,” from sweep .]
—swip·er, noun[1]



swipecard

swipecard
swipe
card
noun

electronically decodable
card: a plastic card such as a
credit card on which data have been stored magnetically and that can be passed
through and read by an electronic reading device and decoded[1]



swirl

swirl
swirl 
[swurl] verb (past swirled,
past participle swirled, present participle swirl·ing,
3rd person present singular swirls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
with a circular motion: to turn around and around
with a twisting or spiraling movement, or to make something move in this way • caught
up in a swirling throng of dancers and musicians

2.  intransitive
verb
be
dizzy:
to be dizzy or confused
noun
(plural swirls)

1.  circular
motion:
a turning, twisting, spiraling movement, or something that moves in this way

2.  spiral:
a curl, twist, or spiral • the
water swirled and eddied around us • a
carpet with black swirls on a red background

3.  confusion:
dizziness or confusion
[15th
century. Originally “whirlpool,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from a Low German
or Scandinavian word, thought to be an imitation of the sound of whirling
water.]
—swirl·y, adjective[1]



swish

swish
swish 
[swish] verb (past swished,
past participle swished, present participle swish·ing,
3rd person present singular swish·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
or move with a whistling sound: to make the soft
smooth whistling or rustling sound of something moving quickly through the air,
or to move with such a sound

2.  transitive
verb
move
something with a whistling sound: to cause something to
make or move with a swishing sound • swishing
a sword

3.  transitive
verb
cut
with a swift sharp blow: to cut or strike something
or somebody with a swift sharp swishing blow
noun
(plural swish·es)

1.  swishing
sound or movement: a soft smooth whistling or
rustling sound, or a movement that makes such a sound • the
angry swish swish of its tail

2.  stick
or stroke:
a rod used to beat or flog a person or animal, or a blow from such a rod

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a homosexual man that deliberately insults his manner or
behavior as being more characteristic of a woman (insult)
adjective

1.  U.K.
elegant:
elegant and fashionable (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a homosexual man whose manner or
behavior is regarded as more characteristic of a woman (offensive)
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound made when moving
through or brushing against something.]
—swish·er,
noun

—swish·y, adjective[1]



Swiss

Swiss
Swiss 
[swiss] noun (plural Swiss)

1.  somebody
from Switzerland: somebody who was born or raised in
Switzerland, or who has Swiss citizenship

2.  dialect
spoken in Switzerland: any of the dialects of
German, French, and Italian spoken in Switzerland
adjective

of Switzerland:
relating to Switzerland, or its people or culture
[Early 16th century. From
French Suisse, ultimately, from Middle High German Swīz
“Switzerland.”][1]



Swissarmy knife

Swissarmy knife
Swiss
ar·my knife
noun

pocketknife with multiple
blades: a pocketknife with a number
of additional items that fold into the handle, for example, a corkscrew, nail
file, bottle opener, and scissors[1]



Swisschard

Swisschard
Swiss
chard
or chard noun

leafy vegetable:
a variety of beet with large edible leaves and stems that are similar to
spinach, cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Latin name: Beta vulgaris cicla[1]



SwissGuard

SwissGuard
Swiss
Guard
(plural Swiss Guards) noun

pope’s bodyguard:
a group of Swiss-born soldiers employed to protect the pope at the Vatican, or
a member of this group[1]



swissmuslin

swissmuslin
swiss
mus·lin
noun

light cotton fabric:
a fine cotton fabric, often with a raised pattern, used to make light clothes
or curtains[1]



swissroll

swissroll
swiss
roll
(plural swiss rolls) or Swiss roll (plural Swiss
rolls) noun

U.K.
See jelly roll[1]



Swisssteak

Swisssteak
Swiss
steak
(plural Swiss steaks) or swiss steak (plural
swiss steaks) noun

braised meat:
a piece of meat, usually a cut of beef such as round steak, braised with
vegetables[1]



switch

switch
switch 
[swich] noun (plural switch·es)

1.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING button
or lever controlling an electrical circuit: a
mechanical or electronic device that opens, closes, or changes the connections
in an electrical circuit, for example, one used to turn a light or machine on
or off

2.  sudden
change:
a quick or sudden change

3.  substitution:
an exchange or substitution

4.  thin
rod or cane: a thin flexible stick, especially one
used for punishment, or a blow or beating with such a stick

5.  HAIRDRESSING ponytail
hairpiece:
a hairpiece in the form of a false ponytail

6.  ZOOLOGY tip of
an animal’s tail: a tuft of hair at the end of the tail of
a cow or other animal

7.  CARD GAMES card
game:
any card game in which the suit can be changed during play

8.  RAIL device
for shifting trains between tracks: a
device enabling trains to transfer from one track to another, usually including
movable rails

9.  RAIL railroad
siding:
a railroad siding onto which trains can be detoured

10. UTILITIES routing
device used within telephone exchanges: a
device used within a telephone exchange to route transmissions between network
nodes

11. COMPUTING technique
for controlling a program’s logic: a programmed technique
for indicating which alternative path to take at a decision point in a
program’s logic
verb
(past switched, past participle switched, present
participle switch·ing, 3rd person present singular switch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change,
shift, or transfer: to change from one time,
activity, or situation to another, often quickly or suddenly, or to cause
somebody or something to make such a change • The
dancing class has been switched from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
an exchange or substitution: to exchange two similar or
related things, or put one in the place of the other, sometimes secretly or
surreptitiously

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ELECTRICITY change an electrical
function:
to make an electrical device do something different by operating a switch to
cause current to stop or start flowing or change its path • He
switched the radio to a different station.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb RAIL move a train between tracks:
to move a locomotive or train from one track to another

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb flick
or swing to and fro: to move quickly from side to
side or backward and forward, or make something move in this way

6.  transitive
verb
beat
somebody with switch: to beat somebody with a
switch, especially as a punishment
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch swijch
“twig.” The verb originally meant “to beat with a switch,” hence “to bend like
a flexible stick, divert, exchange.”]
—switch·a·ble,
adjective

—switch·er, noun[1]



switchback

switchback
switch·back 
[swích bàk] (plural switch·backs)
noun

1.  twisty
road with many hills: a road or track with many
steep uphill and downhill slopes and sharp bends

2.  sharp
bend on a steep slope: a sharp bend on a road or
track going steeply uphill or downhill

3.  U.K.
LEISURE See roller coaster
[Mid-19th century. Originally
a zigzag railroad track used on steep slopes, where the individual tracks were
connected by switches at each of which the train was reversed in direction.][1]



switchblade

switchblade
switch·blade 
[swích blàyd] (plural switch·blades)
or switch·blade knife [swích blàyd]
noun

knife with a spring-operated
blade: a pocketknife with a blade
that springs out of the handle automatically when a button is pressed.
U.K. term
flick knife[1]



switchboard

switchboard
switch·board 
[swích bàwrd] (plural switch·boards)
noun

1.  UTILITIES manual
device for connecting telephone lines: a
manually operated device for interconnecting telephone lines and routing
telephone calls, usually within a telephone exchange or in a workplace, hotel,
or other large building

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING control
panel containing electrical devices: one
or more insulating panels containing the electrical devices and instruments,
for example, switches, circuit breakers, fuses, and meters, required to operate
electrical equipment

[1]



switcheroo

switcheroo
switch·er·oo 
[swìchə r] (plural switch·er·oos
(informal)) noun

unexpected
reversal or change: a sudden unexpected change,
reversal, or switching of something (slang)
[Mid-20th century.
Imaginative formation from switch .][1]



switch-hitter

switch-hitter
switch-hit·ter
(plural switch-hit·ters) noun

1.  BASEBALL right-handed
and left-handed baseball batter: in baseball, a batter
who hits both left-handed and right-handed with equal skill

2.  bisexual
person:
somebody who is bisexual (slang)
[Switch from switching the
batting arm][1]



switchman

switchman
switch·man 
[swíchmən] (plural switch·men
[swíchmən]) noun

somebody who controls the
switching of trains: somebody
who operates a rail junction and is responsible for the switching of trains to
the proper track[1]



switchoff

switchoff
switch
off
intransitive and transitive verb

stop paying attention:
to stop paying attention, lose interest, or stop thinking about something, or
make somebody do this (informal)[1]



switchyard

switchyard
switch·yard 
[swích yrd] (plural switch·yards)
noun

place where trains are
assembled: a railroad yard or terminal
in which railroad cars are moved between tracks and trains are assembled and
disassembled[1]



swither

swither
swith·er
[swíər] (past swith·ered, past
participle swith·ered, present participle swith·er·ing,
3rd person present singular swith·ers) intransitive verb

Scotland
hesitate:
to hesitate or be indecisive
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Switz.

Switz.
Switz.

Abbreviation of
Switzerland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Switzer

Switzer
Swit·zer 
[swítsər] (plural Swit·zers) noun

1.  Swiss
person:
a Swiss person (archaic)

2.  Swiss
Guard:
a member of the Swiss Guard
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle High German Swītzer, from Swīz “Switzerland.”][1]



Switzerland




Back to definition

Switzerland

[1]



Switzerland

Switzerland



Swit·zer·land 
[swítsər lànd]
federal republic consisting of 23 cantons
in west central Europe. It has been neutral since 1515. Language: French,
German, Italian. Currency: Swiss Franc. Capital: Bern. Population: 7,207,060
(1996) Area: 41,284 sq km/15,940 sq mi. Official name Swiss Confederation[1]



swivel

swivel
swiv·el 
[swívv’l] verb (past swiv·eled,
past participle swiv·eled, present participle swiv·el·ing,
3rd person present singular swiv·els)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pivot
or rotate:
to turn freely or horizontally in a circle, or make something turn in this way

2.  transitive
verb
provide
something with a pivoting joint: to fit, attach, or
support something with a joint that allows complete freedom of movement
noun
(plural swiv·els)

1.  device
allowing parts to turn: a joint or fastening that
allows something attached to it to turn freely

2.  support
allowing something to pivot: a pivoting support that
allows something such as a gun, chair, or camera to turn from side to side or
up and down, sometimes in a full circle

3.  ARMS pivoting
gun:
a gun that can be turned from side to side horizontally because of the pivoting
mount supporting it
[14th century. From Old
English swīfan “to sweep.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
that is also the ancestor of English swift
.][1]



swivelchair

swivelchair
swiv·el
chair
(plural swiv·el chairs) noun

chair that can rotate:
a chair, generally an office chair, mounted on a central support with a device
that enables it to turn horizontally in a circle[1]



swivel-hipped

swivel-hipped
swiv·el-hipped 
adjective

moving with swinging hips:
moving with loosely swinging hips, usually in an exaggerated manner[1]



swivet

swivet
swiv·et 
[swívvət] noun

agitated
state:
a flustered or agitated state (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



swizzle

swizzle
swiz·zle 
[swízz’l] noun (plural swiz·zles)

mixed
alcoholic drink: an iced cocktail, usually containing
rum, that is stirred to make it frothy or to frost the glass
transitive
verb
(past swiz·zled, past participle swiz·zled, present
participle swiz·zling, 3rd person present singular swiz·zles)

stir
drink with a swizzle stick: to stir a drink with a
swizzle stick to mix the ingredients, make it frothy, or reduce its
effervescence
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of earlier switchel “drink of molasses
and water,” of unknown origin.][1]



swizzlestick

swizzlestick
swiz·zle
stick
(plural swiz·zle sticks) noun

rod for stirring a drink:
a small thin plastic rod used for stirring a drink to mix the ingredients, make
it frothy, or reduce its effervescence[1]



swob

swob
swob 
[swob] noun (plural swobs)

swab:
a swab (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past swob, past participle swobbed, present
participle swob·bing, 3rd person present singular swobs)

swab something:
to swab somebody or something (archaic)[1]



swollen

swollen
swol·len


Past participle of
swell[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








swollenhead

swollenhead
swol·len
head
noun

U.K.
See swelled head
—swol·len-head·ed·ness,
noun[1]



swoon

swoon
swoon 
[swoon] intransitive verb (past
swooned, past participle swooned, present participle
swoon·ing, 3rd person present singular swoons)

1.  feel
faint with joy: to be overwhelmed by happiness,
excitement, adoration, or infatuation

2.  fall
in a faint:
to experience a sudden and usually brief loss of consciousness
noun
(plural swoons)

loss of consciousness:
a sudden and usually brief loss of consciousness
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old English iswowen “in a swoon,” from geswōgen,
past participle of assumed swōgan “to suffocate,” of unknown origin.][1]



swoop

swoop
swoop 
[swoop] verb (past swooped,
past participle swooped, present participle swoop·ing,
3rd person present singular swoops)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
sweeping descent: to descend quickly and suddenly with a
sweeping movement, usually from the air

2.  intransitive
verb
pounce:
to make a sudden swift attack or raid on something or somebody • The
police swooped in on the terrorists.

3.  transitive
verb
seize
quickly or suddenly: to seize or snatch something
in a sudden swift attack
noun
(plural swoops)

1.  sudden
descent:
a quick sudden sweeping descent

2.  sudden
attack:
a sudden swift attack or raid
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a variant of Old English swāpan, an earlier
form of sweep .][1]



swoosh

swoosh

swoosh 
[swoosh, swsh]
verb (past swooshed, past participle swooshed,
present participle swoosh·ing, 3rd person present singular
swoosh·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
or move with rushing sound: to make the rushing or
swirling sound of fast-moving water or air, or move with such a sound

2.  transitive
verb
move
something with rushing sound: to cause something to make
or move with a swooshing sound
noun (plural
swoosh·es)

swooshing sound:
a swooshing sound or movement
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



swop

swop
swop
intransitive and transitive verb noun

See
swap[1]



sword

sword
sword 
[sawrd] (plural swords) noun

1.  long-bladed
weapon:
a hand-held weapon with a long blade that is sharp on one or both edges and
sometimes slightly curved. It is used for cutting and thrusting.

2.  use
of force:
the use of force, violence, or military power • The
pen is mightier than the sword.
[Old
English sweord . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also
produced German Schwert “sword.”]
—sword·less,
adjective
cross
swords (with somebody)

to
argue or come into conflict with somebody

put
somebody to the sword

to kill somebody violently,
especially in war (literary)[1]



swordand sorcery

swordand sorcery
sword
and sor·cer·y adjective

with fantasy setting:
set in a fantasy place or time with a technology that has not advanced beyond
bladed weapons and in which magic is important (informal)[1]



swordbayonet

swordbayonet
sword
bay·o·net
(plural sword bay·o·nets) noun

bayonet with long blade:
a type of bayonet with a very long blade[1]



swordbearer

swordbearer
sword·bear·er
[sáwrd bàirər] (plural sword·bear·ers)
noun

official carrying ceremonial
sword: an official who carries a
sword that is a symbol of somebody’s authority, for example, a sovereign’s
sword[1]



swordbill

swordbill
sword·bill 
[sáwrd bìl] (plural sword·bills)
noun

S American hummingbird with
long bill: a South American hummingbird
that has a bill longer than its body. Latin name: Ensifera ensifera[1]



swordcane

swordcane
sword
cane
(plural sword canes) noun

cane with sword inside:
a hollow cane or walking stick whose handle is also the handle of a narrow
sword hidden inside the cane[1]



swordcraft

swordcraft
sword·craft
[sáwrd kràft] noun

See
swordsmanship[1]



sworddance

sworddance
sword
dance
(plural sword danc·es) noun

dance with swords:
a dance in which swords are used, especially a traditional Scottish Highland
dance in which somebody dances over swords crossed on the ground[1]



swordfern

swordfern
sword
fern
(plural sword ferns) noun

fern with sword-shaped
leaves: a fern with long fronds
shaped like swords, for example, the variety from which the Boston fern was
developed. Latin name: Nephrolepis exaltata[1]



swordfish

swordfish

sword·fish 
[sáwrd fìsh] (plural sword·fish
or sword·fish·es) noun
large ocean fish with sword-shaped jaw:
a large ocean fish with an upper jaw that extends into a long point. It is
caught for food and sport. Latin name: Xiphias gladius[1]



swordgrass

swordgrass
sword
grass
(plural sword grass·es) noun

grass with sharp edges:
a type of grass with leaves that have very sharp edges[1]



swordknot

swordknot

sword knot
(plural sword knots) noun
decorative sword tassel:
a decorative ribbon or tassel on the hilt of a sword[1]



swordlily

swordlily
sword
lil·y
noun

See
gladiolus
[From its sword-shaped
leaves][1]



Swordof Damocles

Swordof Damocles
Sword
of Dam·o·cles noun

something
threatening disaster: something that threatens to
bring imminent disaster
[(See Damocles )][1]



swordplay

swordplay
sword·play 
[sáwrd plày] noun

sword fighting:
fighting with a sword, especially when done with skill[1]



swordsman

swordsman
swords·man 
[sáwrdzmən] (plural swords·men
[sáwrdzmən]) noun

fighter with sword:
somebody who fights with a sword with a particular degree of skill[1]



swordsmanship

swordsmanship
swords·man·ship
[sáwrdzmən shìp] noun

skill with sword:
the skill of fighting with a sword.
Also called
swordcraft[1]



sword-swallower

sword-swallower
sword-swal·low·er
(plural sword-swal·low·ers) noun

performer who appears to
swallow sword: a performer who passes
or creates an illusion of passing a sword down his or her throat to its hilt[1]



swordswoman

swordswoman
swords·wom·an
[sáwrdz wmmən] (plural swords·wom·en
[sáwrdz wìmmin]) noun

woman fighter with sword:
a woman who fights with a sword with a particular degree of skill[1]



swordtail

swordtail
sword·tail 
[sáwrd tàyl] (plural sword·tails)
noun

small aquarium fish with long
tail: a small brightly colored
freshwater fish of Central America that has a long sword-shaped tail and is
popular as an aquarium fish. Latin name: Xiphophorus helleri[1]



swore

swore
swore


Past tense of
swear[1]



sworn

sworn
sworn


Past participle of
swear[1]



swot

swot
swot
intransitive and transitive verb

See
swat[1]



swotter

swotter
swotter
noun

See
swatter[1]



swum

swum
swum


Past participle of
swim[1]



swung

swung
swung


Past participle of
swing Past tense of swing[1]



swungdash

swungdash
swung
dash
(plural swung dash·es) noun

character like dash with
double curve: a character (~) used in
printing to represent all or part of a word previously spelled out[1]



sybarite

sybarite
syb·a·rite
[síbbə rt] (plural syb·a·rites)
noun

somebody
seeking sensual gratification: somebody devoted to
luxury and the gratification of sensual desires
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin Sybarita from, ultimately, Greek Subaris
“Sybaris,” an ancient Greek city in southern Italy known as a place of luxury
and indulgence.]
—syb·a·rit·ic
[sìbbə ríttik], adjective

—syb·a·rit·i·cal
[sìbbə ríttik’l], adjective

—syb·a·rit·i·cal·ly
[sìbbə ríttikəlee], adverb

—syb·a·rit·ism [síbbə rt ìzzəm], noun[1]



Sybarite

Sybarite
Syb·a·rite 
[síbbə rt] (plural Syb·a·rites)
noun

somebody
from Sybaris: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of Sybaris, an ancient Greek city in southern Italy
—Syb·a·rit·ic [sìbbə ríttik], adjective[1]



sycamine

sycamine
syc·a·mine 
[síkə mn, síkəmin]
(plural syc·a·mines) noun

tree
in Bible:
a tree that is mentioned in the Bible and is thought to be the black mulberry
[Early 16th century. Via
Greek sukaminon from Hebrew šimāh .][1]



sycamore

sycamore
syc·a·more 
[síkə màwr] (plural syc·a·mores
or syc·a·more) noun

1.  type
of maple tree: a maple tree with five-lobed leaves,
hanging clusters of greenish-yellow flowers, and two-winged fruits. Originally
grown in central and southern Europe and Asia, it has been naturalized in North
America. Latin name: Acer pseudoplatanus

2.  large
spreading plane tree: a large spreading plane tree
that grows in eastern and central North America and has lobed leaves, round
spiked fruit clusters, and flaking bark. Latin name: Platanus occidentalis

Also
called
buttonball
Also
called
buttonwood

3.  fig
tree:
a fig tree that grows in Africa and southwestern Asia and has edible fruit.
Latin name: Ficus sycomorus
[14th century. Via Old French
sicamor from, ultimately, Greek sukomoros, literally
“fig-mulberry.”][1]



syce

syce
syce 
[sīss] (plural syces) or
saice [sīss] (plural saices)
or sice [sīss] (plural sices)
noun

groom:
formerly in India, a groom, stable hand, or other attendant
[Mid-17th century. Via
Persian and Urdu sā’is from Arabic, formed from sūs “to tend a
horse.”][1]



syconium

syconium
sy·co·ni·um 
[sī kṓnee əm] (plural sy·co·ni·a
[sī kṓnee ə]) noun

fleshy
fruit with many seeds: a type of fleshy fruit, for
example, a fig, in which numerous seeds are borne inside the enlarged hollow
tip of the flower stalk
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek sukon “fig.”][1]



sycophancy

sycophancy
syc·o·phan·cy 
[síkəfənsee, síkə
fànssee, skəfənsee, skəfànssee] noun

fawning flattery:
servility, obsequious flattery, and other fawning behavior[1]



sycophant

sycophant
syc·o·phant 
[síkəfənt, síkə
fànt, skəfənt, skəfànt] (plural syc·o·phants) noun

fawning
flatterer:
somebody who servilely or obsequiously flatters a powerful person for personal
gain
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin sycophanta from Greek sukophantēs “informer,”
from sukon “fig, obscene gesture” + -phantes “shower” (formed
from phanein “to show”).]
—syc·o·phan·tic
[sìkə fántik, skə
fántik], adjective

—syc·o·phan·ti·cal·ly
[skə fántikəlee], adverb[1]



sycosis

sycosis
sy·co·sis 
[sī kṓssiss] noun

hair
follicle infection: inflammation of hair
follicles, especially of the beard, caused by bacterial infection and marked by
pustules and encrustations
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek sukōsis, from sukon “fig.” From the
pustule’s resemblance to a fig.][1]



Sydenham’schorea

Sydenham’schorea
Syd·en·ham’s
cho·re·a 
[sídd’nəmz kə r ə, sd’n
hàmz kə r ə] noun

neurological
disease:
a neurological disease of children and pregnant women, sometimes following
rheumatic fever, in which those affected experience involuntary jerking
movements of the body. Former name Saint Vitus’s dance
[Late 19th century. Named for
the English physician Thomas Sydenham (1624–1689), who first described
it.][1]



Sydney

Sydney


Syd·ney
[sídnee]
city on the southeastern coast of
Australia. Founded in 1788, it is the capital of the state of New South Wales.
Population: 3,276,207 (1996)[1]



Sydney




Back to definition

Sydney

[1]



SydneyOpera House

SydneyOpera House
Syd·ney
O·pera House noun

Australian arts center:
an arts center in Sydney Harbor, Australia, that was designed by Jörn Utzon and
completed in 1973. Its unusual sail-shaped towers make it Australia’s
best-known building.[1]



syenite

syenite
sy·e·nite 
[s ə nt] noun

igneous
rock:
a light-colored coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mainly of feldspar
[Late 18th century. From
Latin syenites (lapis), literally “(stone of) Syene.” Named for Syene
(Aswan), where it was mined.][1]



syl.

syl.
syl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
syllable

2.  Abbreviation
of
syllabus

[1]



Sylhet

Sylhet
Syl·het
[sil hét]

city and administrative
headquarters of Sylhet District, Chittagong Division, in northeastern
Bangladesh. Population: 114,284 (1991)[1]



syll.

syll.
syll.

1.  Abbreviation
of
syllable

2.  Abbreviation
of
syllabus

[1]



syllabary

syllabary
syl·la·bar·y 
[síllə bàiree] (plural syl·la·bar·ies)
noun

list of characters
representing syllables: a list or
set of written characters in which each character represents a single syllable
for example, the Japanese kana[1]



syllabi

syllabi
syl·la·bi


Plural of
syllabus[1]



syllabic

syllabic
syl·lab·ic 
[si lábbik] adjective

1.  involving
syllables:
relating to, involving, or typical of a syllable or syllables

2.  being
a syllable without a vowel: used to describe a consonant
that acts as a syllable without a vowel, as does the “l” in “bottle”

3.  marked
by clear enunciation: clearly enunciated with
every syllable distinct

4.  POETRY based
on the number of syllables: used to describe verse in
which the rhythm is set by the number of syllables rather than accents,
stresses, or vowel strengths
noun
(plural syl·lab·ics)

syllabic consonant or sound:
a syllabic consonant, character, or sound

[1]



syllabify

syllabify
syl·lab·i·fy 
[si lábbə f] (past syl·lab·i·fied,
past participle syl·lab·i·fied, present participle syl·lab·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular syl·lab·i·fies) or syl·lab·i·cate
[si lábbə kàyt] (past syl·lab·i·cat·ed,
past participle syl·lab·i·cat·ed, present participle syl·lab·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular syl·lab·i·cates) transitive verb

divide
word into syllables: to break a word down into
syllables, in speech or writing
[Early
20th century. Back-formation from syllabification, from Latin syllaba
“syllable.”]
—syl·lab·i·ca·tion
[si làbbə káysh’n], noun

—syl·lab·i·fi·ca·tion
[si làbbəfə káysh’n], noun[1]



syllabism

syllabism
syl·la·bism 
[síllə bìzzəm] noun

1.  use
of syllabic characters: the use of characters that
stand for individual syllables in writing

2.  division
into syllables: the breaking down of words into
syllables, in speech or writing

[1]



syllable

syllable
syl·la·ble 
[sílləb’l] noun (plural syl·la·bles)

1.  unit
of spoken language: a unit of spoken language
that consists of one or more vowel sounds alone, a syllabic consonant alone, or
any of these with one or more consonant sounds

2.  letters
corresponding to spoken syllable: one or more letters in
a word that roughly correspond to a syllable of spoken language

3.  mention:
the slightest mention of something (usually used in negative statements)
transitive
verb
(past syl·la·bled, past participle syl·la·bled, present
participle syl·la·bling, 3rd person present singular syl·la·bles)

pronounce something clearly:
to pronounce something in distinct or separate syllables
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman sillable and Old French sillabe from, ultimately,
Greek sullabē, from sullambanein “to bring together,” from lambanein
“to take.”][1]



syllabub

syllabub
syl·la·bub 
[síllə bùb] (plural syl·la·bubs)
or sil·la·bub [síllə bùb] (plural
sil·la·bubs) noun

1.  FOOD dessert
of cream whipped with brandy: a light soft cold dessert
made from cream whipped with brandy, wine or sherry, lemon juice, and a little
sugar

2.  BEVERAGES drink
of milk and wine: a drink made of sweetened milk or cream
curdled with wine or cider
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Syllabus

Syllabus
Syl·la·bus
or Syl·la·bus of Er·rors noun

list of erroneous doctrines:
a list of religious doctrines condemned by the Roman Catholic Church as
erroneous[1]



syllabus

syllabus
syl·la·bus 
[sílləbəss] (plural syl·la·bi
[síllə b] or syl·la·bus·es) noun

1.  outline
of course of study: a summary or list of the
main topics of a course of study, text, or lecture

2.  LAW summary
of ruling in legal report: a short note that precedes
the report of a decided legal case and summarizes the ruling
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin, originally a misprint of Latin sittybas “indexes,” from,
ultimately, Greek sittuba “index, label.”][1]



syllepsis

syllepsis
syl·lep·sis 
[si lépsiss] (plural syl·lep·ses
[si lép sz]) noun

1.  grammatical
agreement with only one element: the use of a word that
relates to, qualifies, or governs two or more other words but agrees in number,
gender, or case with only one of them. “Neither Fred nor I want to,” is an
example of syllepsis where “want” agrees with “I” but not “Fred.”

2.  different
semantic relationship: the use of a word that
relates to, qualifies, or governs two or more other words but has a different
meaning in relation to each, as in the example “He picked up his hat and a
taxi”
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin and Greek sullēpsis, literally “a taking together,” from,
ultimately, lambanein (see syllable
).][1]



syllogism

syllogism
syl·lo·gism 
[síllə jìzzəm] (plural syl·lo·gisms)
noun

1.  argument
involving three propositions: a formal deductive argument
made up of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. An example is
“all birds have feathers, penguins are birds, therefore penguins have
feathers.”

2.  deductive
reasoning:
reasoning from the general to the specific, or an example of this

3.  specious
argument:
a subtle piece of reasoning, or one that seems true but is actually false or
deceptive
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek sullogismos, from sullogizesthai “to infer,” from,
ultimately, logos “reason” (source of English logic ).][1]



syllogistic

syllogistic
syl·lo·gis·tic 
[sìllə jístik] adjective

of
syllogisms:
relating to, using, or typical of syllogisms
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek sullogistikos, from sullogizesthai
(see syllogism ).]
—syl·lo·gis·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



syllogize

syllogize
syl·lo·gize 
[síllə jz] (past syl·lo·gized,
past participle syl·lo·gized, present participle syl·lo·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular syl·lo·giz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

reason
by syllogisms: to reason or infer something by means of
syllogisms
[15th
century. Via late Latin syllogizare from Greek sullogizesthai
(see syllogism ).]
—syl·lo·gi·za·tion
[sìlləjə záysh’n], noun

—syl·lo·giz·er [síllə jzər], noun[1]



sylph

sylph
sylph 
[silf] (plural sylphs) noun

1.  slim
and graceful girl: a woman or girl who is
slight and graceful

2.  MYTHOLOGY female
creature that inhabits the air: an elemental soulless
female being imagined to inhabit the air
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin sylpha, of uncertain origin: perhaps a blend
of Latin sylvestris “of the forest” and nympha “nymph.”]
—sylph·ic,
adjective

—sylph·ish, adjective[1]



sylphlike

sylphlike
sylph·like
[sílf lk] adjective

attractively slender:
slight and graceful as a female figure[1]



sylva

sylva
syl·va 
noun

See
silva[1]



sylvan

sylvan
syl·van 
[sílvən] adjective

1.  of
a forest:
relating to, typical of, or found in a forest (literary)

2.  wooded:
covered in or full of trees (literary)

3.  rural:
typical of the countryside, especially in an idyllic way
noun
(plural syl·vans)

inhabitant of a forest:
a person, animal, or spirit that lives in a forest.
Also
called
silvan

[1]



sylvanite

sylvanite
syl·van·ite 
[sílvə nt] noun

ore
of gold and silver: a mixed telluride mineral
containing gold and silver, occurring in long striated crystals. (Au, Ag)Te2
[Late 18th century. Named for
Transylvania, where tellurium, to which the
word was originally applied, was found.][1]



sylvatic

sylvatic
syl·vat·ic 
[sil váttik] adjective

1.  of
wild animals: affecting wild animals • sylvatic
plague

2.  wooded:
covered in or full of trees

[1]



sylviculture

sylviculture
syl·vi·cul·ture
noun

See
silviculture[1]



sylvite

sylvite
syl·vite 
[síl vt] or syl·vine [síl vn, sílvin]
noun

potassium
ore:
a colorless transparent mineral form of potassium chloride, used as a source of
potassium
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin (sal digestivus) Silvii “(digestive salt) of Silvius.”
Named for François de la Boë Sylvius (1614–1672), Flemish physician who
first discovered its medicinal use.][1]



sym-

sym-
sym-
prefix

(used before b, m, and p)See
syn-[1]



sym.

sym.
sym.

1.  Abbreviation
of
symbol

2.  Abbreviation
of
symptom

3.  Abbreviation
of
symphony

4.  CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
symmetrical

[1]



symbiont

symbiont
sym·bi·ont 
[sím bi ònt, sím
bī ònt] (plural sym·bi·onts) noun

organism
in symbiotic relationship: an animal or plant living in
close and often mutually beneficial association with another of a different
species
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek bioun “to live,” from bios (see symbiosis ).]
—sym·bi·on·tic
[sím bi òntik, sím
bī óntik], adjective

—sym·bi·on·ti·cal·ly [sìm bī óntikəlee], adverb[1]



symbiosis

symbiosis
sym·bi·o·sis 
[sìm bī ṓssiss, sìmbee
ṓssiss] (plural sym·bi·o·ses [sìm
bī ṓ sz]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY close
association of animals or plants: a close association of
animals or plants of different species that is often, but not always, of mutual
benefit. The relationship between a small fish and a larger fish on which it
eats parasites is an example of symbiosis.

2.  mutually
beneficial relationship: a cooperative, mutually
beneficial relationship between two people or groups
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin and Greek sumbiōsis, literally “a living
together,” from, ultimately, bios “life.”]
—sym·bi·ot·ic
[sìmm bī óttik, sìmbee
óttik], adjective

—sym·bi·ot·i·cal
[sìmbee óttik’l], adjective

—sym·bi·ot·i·cal·ly [sìmbee óttikəlee], adverb[1]



symbol

symbol
sym·bol 
[símb’l] (plural sym·bols) noun

1.  something
that represents something else: something that stands
for or represents something else, especially an object representing an
abstraction

2.  sign
with specific meaning: a written or printed sign or
character that represents something in a particular context, for example, an
operation or quantity in mathematics or music

3.  PSYCHOANALYSIS object
representing something repressed in unconscious: an
object or act that represents an impulse or wish in the unconscious mind that
has been repressed
[15th century. Via Latin from
Greek sumbolon “mark,” from sumballein “to compare,” from ballein
“to throw” (source of English problem
).][1]



symbolic

symbolic
sym·bol·ic 
[sim bóllik] or sym·bol·i·cal
[sim bóllik’l] adjective

1.  of
symbols:
relating to or typical of symbols

2.  using
symbols:
using a symbol or symbols to represent something else

3.  representing
something else: acting as a symbol • a
gesture symbolic of repentance

4.  involving
use of symbols: characterized by or involving the use of
symbols or symbolism • symbolic
art
—sym·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



symboliclanguage

symboliclanguage
sym·bol·ic
lan·guage
(plural sym·bol·ic lan·guages) noun

1.  artificial
language using symbols extensively: an
artificially constructed language with many symbols, used for precise
formulations, for example, in symbolic logic or mathematics

2.  COMPUTING programming
language:
a computer programming language that expresses memory addresses and operation
codes in symbols recognizable to the programmer rather than in machine language

[1]



symboliclogic

symboliclogic
sym·bol·ic
log·ic
(plural sym·bol·ic log·ics) noun

formal logic using symbols:
the branch of formal logic that studies the meaning and relationships of
statements through precise mathematical methods and a standardized system of
symbols and rules of inference[1]



symbolism

symbolism
sym·bol·ism 
[símbə lìzzəm] noun

1.  use
of symbols:
the use of symbols to invest things with a representative meaning or to
represent something abstract by something concrete

2.  system
of symbols:
a set or system of symbols

3.  symbolic
meaning:
symbolic meaning or quality

4.  ARTS artistic
use of symbols: the artistic method of revealing ideas
or truths through the use of symbols

5.  sym·bol·ism
or Sym·bol·ism ARTS 19thC
literary and artistic movement: a 19th century
literary and artistic movement that sought to evoke, rather than describe,
ideas or feelings through the use of symbolic images

6.  CHRISTIANITY belief
in symbolic nature of Eucharist: the belief that the
bread and wine used in the Eucharist are symbols and not literally the flesh
and blood of Jesus Christ

[1]



symbolist

symbolist
sym·bol·ist 
[símbəlist] noun (plural sym·bol·ists)

1.  somebody
using symbols: somebody who uses symbols or symbolism

2.  somebody
skilled at interpreting symbols: somebody skilled in
the study or interpretation of symbols

3.  sym·bol·ist
or Sym·bol·ist ARTS somebody
involved in 19C artistic symbolism: a
writer or artist involved in or associated with the 19th century movement of
symbolism

4.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
believing Eucharist uses symbols: somebody who believes
that the bread and wine used in the Eucharist are symbols and not literally the
flesh and blood of Jesus Christ
adjective

1.  of
or using symbols: relating to, involving, or using symbols

2.  sym·bol·ist
or Sym·bol·ist ARTS associated
with 19C artistic symbolism: involved in, associated
with, or typical of the 19th century movement of symbolism
—sym·bol·is·tic
[sìmbə lístik], adjective

—sym·bol·is·ti·cal·ly
[sìmbə lístikəlee], adverb[1]



symbolize

symbolize
sym·bol·ize 
[símbə lz] (past sym·bol·ized,
past participle sym·bol·ized, present participle sym·bol·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sym·bol·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
be
symbol of something: to serve as a symbol of
something

2.  transitive
verb
represent
something:
to represent something by means of a symbol

3.  intransitive
verb
use
symbols:
to use symbols or symbolism
—sym·bol·i·za·tion [sìmbələ záysh’n], noun[1]



symbology

symbology
sym·bol·o·gy 
[sim bólləjee] noun

1.  study
of symbols:
the study or interpretation of symbols

2.  use
of symbols:
the use of symbols to represent things
—sym·bo·log·i·cal
[sìmbə lójjik’l], adjective

—sym·bol·o·gist [sim bólləjist], noun[1]



symmetallism

symmetallism
sym·met·al·lism 
[sim métt’l ìzzəm] noun

system of coinage:
a system of coinage in which the unit of currency consists of a combination of
two or more metals in fixed relative proportions[1]



symmetrical

symmetrical
sym·met·ri·cal 
[si méttrik’l] or sym·met·ric
[si méttrik] adjective

1.  exhibiting
symmetry:
having both sides of a central dividing line correspond or be identical to each
other

2.  balanced:
relating to or having balanced proportions, especially in two halves of a whole

3.  MATHEMATICS with
particular pairs of points: used to describe two points
that can be joined by a line bisected by a given point or perpendicular, or a
shape that has such pairs of points

4.  MATHEMATICS with
interchangeable terms: used to describe an equation
or function in which terms or variables may be interchanged without altering
its value or form

5.  CHEMISTRY with
symmetrical molecular structure: with atoms or groups
that display symmetry about a plane in a chemical structure

6.  ANATOMY on
opposite sides: used to describe body parts that have
the same function but are situated on opposite sides, either of the same organ
or the same body
—sym·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



symmetricmatrix

symmetricmatrix
sym·met·ric
ma·trix
noun

matrix symmetrical about
diagonal: a square matrix that is
identical to the matrix formed by transposing its rows and columns[1]



symmetrize

symmetrize
sym·me·trize 
[símmə trz] (past sym·me·trized,
past participle sym·me·trized, present participle sym·me·triz·ing,
3rd person present singular sym·me·triz·es) transitive verb

make
something symmetrical: to give symmetry to
something
—sym·me·tri·za·tion [sìmmətrə záysh’n], noun[1]



symmetry

symmetry
sym·me·try 
[símmətree] (plural sym·me·tries)
noun

1.  property
of sameness: the property of being the same or
corresponding on both sides of a central dividing line

2.  balanced
proportions: harmony or beauty of form that results
from balanced proportions

3.  MATHEMATICS exact
correspondence in position: a correspondence in the
position of pairs of points of a geometric object that are equally positioned
about a point, line, or plane that bisects the object

4.  PHYSICS state
of invariance: a state of invariance shown by some
phenomena when changes of orientation, charge, or parity are made
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
and Greek summetria, literally “similar measure,” from, ultimately, metron
“measure” (source of English meter
).][1]



sympathectomy

sympathectomy
sym·pa·thec·to·my 
[sìmpə théktəmee] (plural sym·pa·thec·to·mies)
noun

cutting
into nervous system: the surgical interruption of
a pathway in the sympathetic nervous system, for example, by cutting out a
nerve segment. The operation was formerly common, especially to improve the
blood supply to a limb, but is now rarely if ever performed.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from sympathetic + -ectomy
.][1]



sympathetic

sympathetic
sym·pa·thet·ic 
[sìmpə théttik] adjective

1.  feeling
or showing sympathy: showing, having, or
resulting from shared feelings, pity, or compassion

2.  approving:
showing favor, agreement, or approval

3.  provoking
sympathy:
provoking sympathy, interest, or compassion

4.  suited:
agreeably suited to somebody’s tastes or mood

5.  ACOUSTICS produced
by other sounds: used to describe vibrations such as
musical tones that are produced in something as a result of similar vibrations at
the same frequency from something else

6.  ANATOMY of
sympathetic nervous system: relating or belonging to the
sympathetic nervous system or one of its components
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from sympathy on the model
of pathetic .]
—sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



sympatheticmagic

sympatheticmagic
sym·pa·thet·ic
mag·ic
noun

magic based on connections
between things: magic based on the
belief that somebody or something can be supernaturally affected by something
done to an object representing the person or thing[1]



sympatheticnervous system

sympatheticnervous system
sym·pa·thet·ic
nerv·ous sys·tem (plural sym·pa·thet·ic
nerv·ous sys·tems) noun

nerve cells involved in
stress response: the part of the
autonomic nervous system that is active during stress or danger and is involved
in regulating pulse and blood pressure, dilating pupils, and changing muscle
tone[1]



sympatheticstring

sympatheticstring
sym·pa·thet·ic
string
(plural sym·pa·thet·ic strings) noun

string made to vibrate by
others: a string on some musical
instruments that is not played but is made to vibrate by the vibrations of the
bowed or plucked strings[1]



sympathize

sympathize
sym·pa·thize 
[símpə thz] (past sym·pa·thized,
past participle sym·pa·thized, present participle sym·pa·thiz·ing,
3rd person present singular sym·pa·thiz·es) intransitive verb

1.  feel
or show sympathy: to share the feelings of somebody else
or show pity or compassion for another • I
can sympathize; the same thing happened to me.

2.  be
of same opinion: to share the ideas or ideals of another
person or group
—sym·pa·thiz·er, noun[1]



sympatholytic

sympatholytic
sym·pa·tho·lyt·ic 
[sìmpəthō líttik] adjective

acting
against nerve impulses: used to describe a drug that
opposes or blocks the effects of the sympathetic nervous system
noun
(plural sym·pa·tho·lyt·ics)

sympatholytic
drug:
a drug or agent that acts against the sympathetic nervous system
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from sympathetic + -lyte
.][1]



sympathomimetic

sympathomimetic
sym·pa·tho·mi·met·ic 
[sìmpəthō mi méttik] adjective

stimulating
sympathetic nervous system: used to describe a drug that
stimulates the sympathetic nervous system or produces similar effects
noun
(plural sym·pa·tho·mi·met·ics)

sympathomimetic
drug:
a drug or agent that stimulates or initiates the sympathetic nervous system
[Early 20th century. Coined
from sympathetic + mimetic
.][1]



sympathy

sympathy
sym·pa·thy 
[símpəthee] (plural sym·pa·thies)
noun

1.  capacity
to share feelings: the ability to enter into,
understand, or share somebody else’s feelings

2.  feelings
caused by sympathy: the feelings of somebody who
enters into or shares another’s feelings

3.  sorrow
for another’s pain: the feeling or expression of
pity or sorrow for the pain or distress of somebody else • We
extended our sympathies to the widow.

4.  inclination
to feel alike: the inclination to think or feel the
same as somebody else

5.  agreement:
agreement or harmony with something or somebody else

6.  allegiance
or loyalty:
allegiance or loyalty to a group or cause (often used in the plural) • nationalist
sympathies
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek sumpatheia, from sumpathēs, literally “feeling with,”
from pathos “feeling” (source of English pathetic
and pathology ).][1]



sympathystrike

sympathystrike
sym·pa·thy
strike
(plural sym·pa·thy strikes) noun

strike to support other
strikers: a strike by workers
demonstrating their support for another group of strikers rather than against
their own employer[1]



sympathyvote

sympathyvote
sym·pa·thy
vote
(plural sym·pa·thy votes) noun

vote given through pity or
affection: a vote that people give to
somebody for whom they feel pity or affection[1]



sympatric

sympatric
sym·pat·ric 
[sim páttrik] adjective

living
nearby without interbreeding: used to describe species
that occupy roughly the same area of land but do not interbreed
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek patra “fatherland,” from patēr
“father.”]
—sym·pat·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



symphonic

symphonic
sym·phon·ic 
[sim fónnik] adjective

1.  of
or like musical symphony: relating to, involving, or
typical of a musical symphony, or resembling one in form or content

2.  harmonious:
harmonious in sound, color, or composition

[1]



symphonicpoem

symphonicpoem
sym·phon·ic
po·em
(plural sym·phon·ic po·ems) noun

descriptive music for
symphony orchestra: an extended
piece of music for a symphony orchestra that is based on a literary, artistic,
or ideological theme, for example, a folktale or landscape.
Also called
tone poem[1]



symphonious

symphonious
sym·pho·ni·ous 
[sim fṓnee əss] adjective

harmonious:
in agreement or harmony, especially in sound (literary)
—sym·pho·ni·ous·ly, adverb[1]



symphonist

symphonist
sym·pho·nist 
[símfənist] (plural sym·pho·nists)
noun

symphony composer:
somebody who composes symphonies or other musical works for symphony orchestra[1]



symphony

symphony
sym·pho·ny 
[símfənee] (plural sym·pho·nies)
noun

1.  complex
musical composition: a major work for an
orchestra, including wind, string, and percussion instruments, usually composed
in four movements, at least one of which is in sonata form

2.  See
symphony orchestra

3.  concert
by symphony orchestra: a concert performed by a
symphony orchestra

4.  harmonious
composition or arrangement: something that is
harmoniously composed of various elements • The
color scheme was a symphony of blues, greens, and yellows.

5.  harmony
of sounds or colors: harmony or agreement of
sounds or colors (archaic)
[13th century. Via Latin and
Greek sumphōnia “harmony,” literally “sounding together,” from,
ultimately, phōnē “sound.” Originally used for any of several medieval
musical instruments.][1]



symphonyorchestra

symphonyorchestra
sym·pho·ny
or·ches·tra
(plural sym·pho·ny or·ches·tras) noun

large orchestra performing
symphonies: a large orchestra that
includes wind, string, and percussion instruments and plays symphonies and
other works scored for these instruments.
Also called
symphony[1]



symphysis

symphysis
sym·phy·sis 
[símfəssiss] (plural sym·phy·ses
[símfə sz]) noun

1.  ANATOMY growing
together of bones or parts: the natural merging of two
or more separate bones or parts of the body, or a point where this occurs

2.  MEDICINE abnormal
condition:
an abnormal condition in which two or more separate bones or parts of the body
have merged

3.  ANATOMY joint
with little movement: a joint in which the bones
are connected by tough cartilage ( fibrocartilage
) and there is very little movement between them, for example, between adjacent
vertebrae in the spinal column

4.  BOTANY fusion
of plant parts: a fusion of two similar organs or parts
of a plant, or a line marking such a fusion
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek sumphusis “growing together,”
from phusis “growth.”]
—sym·phy·se·al
[sim fízzee əl], adjective

—sym·phys·tic
[sim fístik], adjective

—sym·phy·tic [sim fíttik], adjective[1]



sympodium

sympodium
sym·po·di·um 
[sim pṓdee əm] (plural sym·po·di·a
[sim pṓdee ə]) noun

zigzag
plant stem:
a main plant stem, for example, the stem of a grapevine, that develops from a
series of lateral branches, often in a zigzag pattern.
Also
called
pseudaxis
[Mid-19th
century. From modern Latin, formed from the Greek stem pod- “foot.”]
—sym·po·di·al,
adjective

—sym·po·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



symposia

symposia
sym·po·si·a


Plural of
symposium[1]



symposiarch

symposiarch
sym·po·si·arch 
[sim pṓzee rk] (plural sym·po·si·archs)
noun

somebody
in charge of symposium: somebody who is in overall
charge of a symposium
[Early 17th century. From
Greek sumposiarkhos, from sumposion (see symposium
).][1]



symposiast

symposiast
sym·po·si·ast 
[sim pṓzee àst] (plural sym·po·si·asts)
noun

participant
in symposium: somebody who takes part in a symposium (formal)
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Greek sumposiazein “to drink together,” from sumposion (see symposium ).][1]



symposium

symposium
sym·po·si·um 
[sim pṓzee əm] (plural sym·po·si·ums
or sym·po·si·a [sim pṓzee ə]) noun

1.  formal
meeting for discussion of subject: a formal meeting held
for the discussion of a particular subject and during which individuals may
make presentations

2.  PUBLISHING published
collection of opinions: a published collection of
opinions or writings on a subject, often in a periodical

3.  HISTORY drinking
party in ancient Greece: a drinking party in ancient
Greece, usually with music and philosophical conversation
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek sumposion “drinking party,” from sumpotēs
“fellow drinker,” from potēs “drinker.”]
—sym·po·si·ac, adjective[1]



symptom

symptom
symp·tom 
[símptəm] (plural symp·toms) noun

1.  MEDICINE indication
of illness felt by patient: an indication of some
disease or other disorder, especially one experienced by the patient, for
example, pain, dizziness, or itching, as opposed to one observed by the doctor
( sign )

2.  sign
of something else: a sign or indication of the
existence of something, especially something undesirable
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek sumptōma “occurrence,” from sumpiptein,
literally “to fall together,” from piptein “to fall.”]
—symp·tom·less, adjective[1]



symptomatic

symptomatic
symp·to·mat·ic 
[sìmptə máttik] adjective

1.  MEDICINE indicating
illness:
indicating or typical of a specific illness

2.  characteristic:
typical or indicative of something, especially something undesirable • symptomatic
of the breakdown in communication between children and parents

3.  MEDICINE of
symptoms:
relating to, affecting, or based on a symptom or symptoms of bodily disorder • Only
symptomatic relief is available for the common cold.
[Late
17th century. From late Latin symptomaticus, ultimately from Greek sumptoma
(see symptom ).]
—symp·to·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



symptomatology

symptomatology
symp·to·ma·tol·o·gy 
[sìmptəmə tólləjee] (plural symp·to·ma·tol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of symptoms: the study of the relationships between
symptoms and diseases

2.  set
of symptoms: the set of symptoms that are associated
with a particular disease or that affect a patient
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Greek sumptōmat- stem of sumptōma (see symptom ) + -logy
.][1]



symptomize

symptomize
symp·tom·ize 
[símptəmz] (past symp·tom·ized,
past participle symp·tom·ized, present participle symp·tom·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular symp·tom·iz·es) transitive verb

be symptom of something:
to be an indication of the existence of something[1]



syn.

syn.
syn.

1.  Abbreviation
of
synonym

2.  Abbreviation
of
synonymous

[1]



syn-

syn-
syn-
prefix

together,
together with, united • syncarpous
[From Greek sun
“together”][1]



synaeresis

synaeresis
syn·aer·e·sis 
noun

See
syneresis[1]



synaesthesia

synaesthesia
syn·aes·the·sia 
noun

See
synesthesia[1]



synagogue

synagogue
syn·a·gogue 
[sínnə gòg] (plural syn·a·gogues)
noun

1.  house
of worship for Jewish congregation: the
place of worship and communal center of a Jewish congregation

2.  Jewish
congregation: a body of followers of Judaism who
worship together
[12th
century. Via French and late Latin synagoga from Greek sunagōgē
“assembly,” from sunagein “to bring together,” from agein “to
lead.”]
—syn·a·gog·al
[sìnnə gógg’l], adjective

—syn·a·gog·i·cal [sìnnə gójjik’l], adjective[1]



synalepha

synalepha
syn·a·le·pha 
[sìnnə lfə] or syn·a·loe·pha
[sìnnə lfə] noun

reduction
to one syllable: the blending of two adjacent vowels into
one, for example, when a word ending in a vowel is immediately followed by a
word beginning with a vowel
[Mid-16th century. Via late
Latin from Greek sunaloiphē, from sunaleiphein “to smear
together,” from aleiphein “to smear.”][1]



synapse

synapse
syn·apse 
[sí nàps, sə
náps] noun (plural syn·aps·es)

gap
between nerve ends: a junction between two nerve
cells, where the club-shaped tip of a nerve fiber almost touches another cell
in order to transmit signals
intransitive
verb
(past syn·apsed, past participle syn·apsed, present
participle syn·aps·ing, 3rd person present singular syn·aps·es)

form
synapse:
to form a synapse between nerve cells
[Late 19th century.
Anglicization of synapsis .][1]



synapsis

synapsis
syn·ap·sis 
[sə nápsiss] (plural syn·ap·ses
[sə náp sz]) noun

pairing
of chromosomes: the pairing of homologous chromosomes
from each parent during the initial phase prophase of cell division
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin and Greek sunapsis “connection” from, ultimately, haptein
“to join.”][1]



synaptic

synaptic
syn·ap·tic 
[sə náptik] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of
synapse:
relating to or involving a junction between nerve cells

2.  BIOLOGY of
synapsis:
relating to, involving, or typical of synapsis
[Late 19th century. Formed
from synapsis or synapse
on the model of Greek sunaptikos “connective.”][1]



synarchy

synarchy
syn·ar·chy 
[sínnərkee, sí
nrkee] (plural syn·ar·chies) noun

joint
rule:
joint rule over something
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
sunarkhia .][1]



synarthrosis

synarthrosis
syn·ar·thro·sis 
[sìn aar thrṓssiss] (plural syn·ar·thro·ses
[sìnn aar thrṓ sz]) noun

rigid
joint:
a rigid joint formed by the union of two bones and connected by fibrous tissue
—syn·ar·thro·di·al
[sìnn aar thrṓdee əl], adjective

—syn·ar·thro·di·al·ly
[sìnn aar thrṓdee əlee], adverb[1]



sync

sync
sync
[singk] or synch [singk] noun (informal)

1.  synchronization:
the relationship between things that are happening or working at the same time,
especially the correspondence of sound and image in a film

2.  harmony:
harmony or agreement
intransitive
and transitive verb synced synched
sync·ing synch·ing syncs synchs

synchronize: to
synchronize something, or be synchronized (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



syncarpous

syncarpous
syn·car·pous 
[sin krpəss] adjective

with
united carpels: used to describe the female reproductive
parts ( gynoecium ) of a flower in which the
carpels are fused
—syn·car·py [sín krpee], noun[1]



syncategorematic

syncategorematic
syn·cat·e·gor·e·mat·ic
[sìn kattə gàwrə máttik] adjective

only
meaningful with another expression: used
to describe an expression that has meaning only in conjunction with another
expression
[Early 19th century. Via
medieval Latin syncategorematicus and Greek sugkatēgorēmatikos,
literally “predicating jointly,” from, ultimately, katēgorein “to
predicate” (source of English category
).][1]



synch

synch
synch 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

(informal) See sync[1]



synchondrosis

synchondrosis
syn·chon·dro·sis 
[sìngkən drṓssiss] (plural syn·chon·dro·ses
[sìngkən drṓ sz]) noun

1.  joint
with bones linked by cartilage: a type of joint in
which there is slight movement between bones that are held together by
cartilage, for example, between the ribs and the breastbone

2.  joint
with cartilage converting to bone: a type of joint in
which the cartilage linking two bones in childhood is replaced by bone as
development progresses
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from late Greek sugkhondrōsis, from khondros
“cartilage.”][1]



synchro-

synchro-
synchro-
prefix

synchronous,
synchronized • synchroscope
[From synchronous][1]



synchro

synchro
syn·chro 
[síngkrō] (plural syn·chros) noun

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
selsyn
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of synchronizing (see selsyn ).][1]



synchrocyclotron

synchrocyclotron
syn·chro·cy·clo·tron 
[sìngkrō sklə tròn] (plural syn·chro·cy·clo·trons)
noun

type of particle accelerator:
a particle accelerator that compensates for increases in the relativistic mass
of accelerated particles, and so achieves greater energies, by using the
synchronizing effects of a frequency-modulated electric field[1]



synchroflash

synchroflash
syn·chro·flash 
[síngkrō flàsh] (plural syn·chro·flash·es)
noun

mechanism synchronizing
shutter and flash: a mechanism
in a camera that opens the shutter at the moment when the light from the
flashbulb or electronic flash is brightest[1]



synchromesh

synchromesh
syn·chro·mesh 
[síngkrō mèsh] noun

gear
system with synchronized parts: a gear system in which
the speeds of the driving and driven parts are synchronized before they engage,
making gear changes smoother
—syn·chro·mesh, adjective[1]



synchronal

synchronal
syn·chro·nal 
[síngkrən’l] adjective

synchronous:
happening at the same time
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from late Latin synchronus (see synchronous
).][1]



synchronic

synchronic
syn·chron·ic 
[sin krónnik] adjective

studying
something at point in time: relating to or studying
something, especially a language, as it exists at a certain point in time,
without considering its historical development.
See
also
diachronic
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from late Latin synchronus (see synchronous
).]
—syn·chron·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



synchronicity

synchronicity
syn·chro·nic·i·ty 
[sìngkrə níssətee] noun

1.  See
synchronism  noun 1

2.  coincidence
of events that seem related: the coincidence of events
that seem related but are not obviously caused one by the other. The term was
first used in this sense in the work of the psychologist Carl Jung.

[1]



synchronism

synchronism
syn·chro·nism 
[síngkrə nìzzəm] (plural syn·chro·nisms)
noun

1.  occurrence
at same time: the simultaneous occurrence of two or
more things.
Also
called
synchronicity

2.  arrangement
of contemporary events and people: an arrangement in
chronological order showing historical events that happened or people who were
alive around the same time
[Late
16th century. From Greek sugkhronismos, from sugkhronos (see synchronous ).]
—syn·chro·nis·tic
[sìngkrə nístik], adjective

—syn·chro·nis·ti·cal·ly
[sìngkrə nístikəlee], adverb[1]



synchronize

synchronize
syn·chro·nize 
[síngkrə nz] (past syn·chro·nized,
past participle syn·chro·nized, present participle syn·chro·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·chro·niz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
happen
together:
to happen at the same time

2.  intransitive
verb
go
together:
to go or work together or in unison

3.  transitive
verb
make
things work at same time: to make something work at
the same time or the same rate as something else

4.  transitive
verb
CINEMA align
sound and image of movie: to make the soundtrack of a
movie match up with the action

5.  transitive
verb
represent
contemporary historical events and people: to
represent historical events or people in an arrangement that shows which of
them happened or lived around the same time
[Early
17th century. Formed from synchronism .]
—syn·chro·ni·za·tion [sìngkrənə záyshən], noun[1]



synchronizedswimming

synchronizedswimming
syn·chro·nized
swim·ming 
noun

swimming with synchronized
movements: a sport in which swimmers
perform coordinated movements in time to music in the manner of a dance[1]



synchronoscope

synchronoscope
syn·chron·o·scope
(plural syn·chron·o·scopes) noun

See
synchroscope[1]



synchronous

synchronous
syn·chro·nous 
[síngkrənəss] adjective

1.  occurring
simultaneously: happening at the same time

2.  working
at same rate: working or moving at the same rate

3.  PHYSICS with
same period and phase: with the same period and
phase of oscillation or cyclical movement
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from late Latin synchronus, from Greek sugkhronos,
from khronos “time.”]
—syn·chro·nous·ly,
adverb

—syn·chro·nous·ness, noun[1]



synchronousmotor

synchronousmotor
syn·chro·nous
mo·tor
(plural syn·chro·nous mo·tors) noun

motor with speed dependent on
current: a type of electric motor
that operates at a speed directly proportional to the frequency of the applied
voltage source[1]



synchronousorbit

synchronousorbit
syn·chro·nous
or·bit
(plural syn·chro·nous or·bits) noun

orbit in time with orbited
object: an orbit that keeps time
with the rotation of the orbited object, so that the orbiting body is always
directly over the same point on the surface of the orbiting body[1]



synchrony

synchrony
syn·chro·ny 
[síngkrənee] (plural syn·chro·nies)
noun

simultaneous occurrence or
motion: occurrence at the same time
or movement at the same rate, or an example of this phenomenon[1]



synchroscope

synchroscope
syn·chro·scope
[síngkrə skp] (plural syn·chro·scopes)
or syn·chro·no·scope [síngkronə skp]
(plural syn·chro·no·scopes) noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING device
for determining synchronicity: an instrument used to
find whether or not two things such as moving machine parts are synchronous

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING instrument
indicating frequency difference: an instrument used to
indicate the difference in frequency between two alternating current supplies

[1]



synchrotron

synchrotron
syn·chro·tron 
[síngkrə tròn] (plural syn·chro·trons)
noun

type of particle accelerator:
a very high-energy circular particle accelerator that operates by using a
high-frequency electric field and a magnetic field in synchrony with the
movement of the particles. The particles are guided around inside a large
hollow ring by strategically placed electromagnets while being accelerated by
the electric field.[1]



synchrotronradiation

synchrotronradiation
syn·chro·tron
ra·di·a·tion noun

radiation from fast-moving
charged particles: the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by charged particles, usually electrons,
moving in curved paths in a magnetic field at speeds approaching that of light.
Such radiation is emitted from synchrotrons, supernova remnants, and radio
galaxies.[1]



syncline

syncline
syn·cline 
[sín kln] (plural syn·clines)
noun

fold
in rock formation: a fold in a rock formation
that is shaped like a basin or trough and contains younger rocks in its core
—syn·cli·nal [sin kln’l], adjective[1]



Syncom

Syncom
Syn·com
[sín kòm] noun

communications
satellite in stationary orbit: a communications
satellite that is in synchronous orbit over Earth
[Late 20th century.
Contraction of synchronous communications .][1]



syncopate

syncopate
syn·co·pate 
[síngkə pàyt] (past syn·co·pat·ed,
past participle syn·co·pat·ed, present participle syn·co·pat·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·co·pates) transitive verb

1.  MUSIC modify
rhythm by accenting weak beat: to modify a musical
rhythm by shifting the accent to a weak beat of the bar

2.  PHONETICS shorten
word by loss of sounds: to shorten a word by the
loss of one or more sounds or letters from the middle
—syn·co·pa·tor, noun[1]



syncopation

syncopation
syn·co·pa·tion 
[sìngkə páysh’n] noun

1.  MUSIC placing
of accent on weak beat: a rhythmic technique in
music in which the accent is shifted to a weak beat of the bar

2.  PHONETICS See syncope  noun 2

[1]



syncope

syncope
syn·co·pe 
[síngkəpee] (plural syn·co·pes)
noun

1.  MEDICINE fainting
episode:
a loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen to the brain (technical)

2.  PHONETICS loss
of sounds from word: the shortening of a word by
the loss of sounds or letters from its middle.
Also
called
syncopation
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek sugkopē, from sugkoptein “to
cut short,” from koptein “to cut.”]
—syn·co·pal,
adjective

—syn·cop·ic [sing kóppik], adjective[1]



syncretism

syncretism
syn·cre·tism 
[síngkrə tìzzəm] (plural syn·cre·tisms)
noun

1.  RELIGION PHILOSOPHY combination of different
beliefs:
the attempted combination of different systems of philosophical or religious
belief or practice

2.  GRAMMAR merging
of different inflectional forms: the use of a single
inflectional form of a word to cover functions previously covered by two
separate forms, for example, “spun” in English, now used for both the past
tense and the past participle although the past tense used to be “span”
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin syncretismus from Greek sugkrētismos
“union,” from sugkrētizein (see syncretize
).]
—syn·cretic
[sing kréttik], adjective

—syn·cre·tist
[síngkrətist], noun

—syn·cre·tis·tic [sìngkrə tístik], adjective[1]



syncretize

syncretize
syn·cre·tize 
[síngkrə tz] (past syn·cre·tized,
past participle syn·cre·tized, present participle syn·cre·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·cre·tiz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

combine
different philosophical beliefs: to combine, or try to
combine, elements from different systems of philosophical or religious belief
or practice
[Late
17th century. From Greek sugkrētizein “to unite (against a common
enemy),” of unknown origin.]
—syn·cre·ti·za·tion [sìngkrətə záyshən], noun[1]



syncytium

syncytium
syn·cy·ti·um 
[sin síshəm, sin
síshee əm] (plural syn·cy·ti·a [sin
síshə, sin síshee ə]) noun

mass
of cytoplasm: a mass of cytoplasm within a cell
membrane that contains multiple nuclei and is often the result of cellular
fusion, for example, in certain slime molds
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek kutos (see -cyte
).]
—syn·cy·ti·al [sin sísh’l], adjective[1]



synd.

synd.
synd.

Abbreviation of
syndicate[1]



syndactyl

syndactyl
syn·dac·tyl 
[sin dákt’l] adjective

with
fused digits: having two or more fingers or toes
joined together. This may be a natural condition, as in certain animals, or a
congenital abnormality, as in people with webbed toes.
—syn·dac·tyl,
noun

—syn·dac·tyl·ism,
noun

—syn·dac·ty·ly, noun[1]



syndesis

syndesis
syn·de·sis 
[síndəssiss] noun

use
of constructions with conjunctions: the
use in grammar of constructions in which clauses are joined by conjunctions
[Early 20th century. From
German, formed from Greek desis “binding,” from, ultimately, dein
(see syndetic ).][1]



syndesmosis

syndesmosis
syn·des·mo·sis 
[sìndəss mṓssiss] (plural syn·des·mo·ses
[sìndəss mṓ sz]) noun

joint
of fibrous connective tissue: a type of immovable joint in
which the bones are held firmly by fibrous tissue but are not very close
together, for example, at the lower ends of the tibia and fibula
[Late
16th century. Formed from Greek sundesmos “ligament,” from sundein
(see syndetic ).]
—syn·des·mot·ic [sìndəs móttik], adjective[1]



syndetic

syndetic
syn·det·ic 
[sin déttik] adjective

joined
by conjunction: used to describe a construction in
grammar in which two clauses are joined by a conjunction
[Early
17th century. From Greek sundetikos, from sundein “to bind
together,” from dein “to bind.”]
—syn·det·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



syndeton

syndeton
syn·det·on
[síndə tòn, síndətən]
(plural syn·det·ons) noun

construction
with conjunctions: a grammatical construction
in which two clauses are joined by a conjunction
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from asyndeton and polysyndeton .][1]



syndic

syndic
syn·dic 
[síndik] (plural syn·dics) noun

1.  BUSINESS business
agent:
somebody appointed to represent an organization, for example, a corporation or
a university, in business transactions

2.  POLITICS European
official:
a government official, especially a civil magistrate, in some European
countries
[Early
17th century. Via French, “delegate,” from, ultimately, Greek sundikos
“defendant’s advocate,” from dikē “judgment.”]
—syn·di·cal,
adjective

—syn·dic·ship, noun[1]



syndicalism

syndicalism
syn·di·cal·ism 
[síndikə lìzzəm] noun

1.  revolutionary
political doctrine: a revolutionary political
doctrine that advocates the seizure of the means of production by workers
organized in trade unions

2.  workers’
control of means of production: a system of government
in which workers organized in trade unions control the means of production
[Early
20th century. Via French syndicalisme from, ultimately, syndic
(see syndic ).]
—syn·di·cal,
adjective

—syn·di·cal·ist,
noun

—syn·di·cal·is·tic [sìndikə lístik], adjective[1]



syndicate

syndicate
syn·di·cate 
noun [síndəkət] (plural syn·di·cates)

1.  BUSINESS group
of businesses: an association of businesses jointly
contributing capital to a major project

2.  COMMUNICATION business
that sells news materials: a business or agency that
sells news stories or photographs to the media

3.  PRESS group
of newspapers under same owner: a group of newspapers
that have the same owner

4.  group
of people:
a group of people who combine to carry out a business, enterprise, or some
other common purpose

5.  CRIMINOLOGY association
of gangsters: an association of gangsters that
controls a particular area of organized crime

6.  POLITICS council
or jurisdiction of civil magistrate: a
council or body of syndics, or the office or jurisdiction of a government
official, especially a civil magistrate, in some European countries
verb
[síndə kàyt] (past syn·di·cat·ed,
past participle syn·di·cat·ed, present participle syn·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·di·cates)

1.  transitive
verb
PUBLISHING sell
something for multiple publication: to
sell something, for example, an article or a cartoon strip, for publication in
a number of newspapers or magazines simultaneously

2.  transitive
verb
TV sell
TV programs to independent stations: to
sell television or radio programs directly to independent stations

3.  transitive
verb
control
something as syndicate: to control or manage
something as a syndicate

4.  intransitive
verb
come
together as syndicate: to come together to form a
syndicate

[1]



syndrome

syndrome
syn·drome 
[sín drm] (plural syn·dromes)
noun

1.  MEDICINE group
of identifying signs and symptoms: a group of signs and
symptoms that together are characteristic or indicative of a specific disease
or other disorder

2.  things
that form pattern: a group of things or events
that form a recognizable pattern, especially of something undesirable
[Mid-16th century. Via modern
Latin and Greek sundromē, literally “running together,” from,
ultimately, dramein “to run.”][1]



syne

syne
syne 
[sīn] adverb

Scotland
ago:
since then
[14th century. Contraction of
sithen (see since ).][1]



synecdoche

synecdoche
syn·ec·do·che 
[si nékdəkee] noun

figure
of speech:
a figure of speech in which the word for part of something is used to mean the
whole, for example, “sail” for “boat,” or vice versa
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek sunekdokhē, from sunekdekhesthai
“to take on a share of,” from ekdekhesthai “to take.”]
—syn·ec·doch·ic
[si nèk dókik, sìnnək
dókik], adjective

—syn·ec·doch·i·cal
[si nèk dókik’l, sìnnək
dókik’l], adjective

—syn·ec·doch·i·cal·ly
[si nèk dókikəlee, sìnnək
dókikəlee], adverb[1]



synecious

synecious
syn·e·cious
or syn·oe·cious adjective

with
male and female organs together: with male and female
organs on the same flower or other structure
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek oikos “house.”][1]



synecology

synecology
syn·e·col·o·gy 
[sìnni kólləjee] noun

ecology
of interrelationships: a branch of ecology dealing
with the structure and development of entire ecological communities and the
interrelationships of the plants and animals within them
—syn·e·co·log·ic
[sìnnikə lójjik], adjective

—syn·e·co·log·i·cal
[sìnnikə lójjik’l], adjective

—syn·e·co·log·i·cal·ly
[sìnnikə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



synectics

synectics
sy·nec·tics
[si néktiks] noun

method
of solving problems: an approach to solving
problems based on the creative thinking of a group of people from different
areas of experience and knowledge (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from late Latin synecticus “producing an effect immediately,” via Greek sunektikos
from, ultimately, ekhein “to hold.”][1]



syneresis

syneresis
syn·er·e·sis 
[si nérrəssiss, si
nrəssiss] or syn·aer·e·sis [si
nérrəssiss, si nrəssiss] noun

1.  liquid
separation in gel: the process by which a
liquid is separated from a gel owing to further coagulation

2.  merging
of vowels into diphthong: the merging of two vowels
into a diphthong

3.  merging
of vowels into one syllable: the merging of two vowels
into one syllable without making it into a diphthong
[Late 16th century. Via late
Latin and Greek sunairesis, literally “contraction,” from, ultimately, hairein
“to take.”][1]



synergism

synergism
syn·er·gism 
[sínnər jìzzəm] noun

1.  See
synergy

2.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
theological doctrine: the doctrine in Christian
theology that the human will and the Holy Spirit work together to bring about
spiritual regeneration or salvation
[Mid-18th
century (see synergy )]
—syn·er·gis·tic
[sìnnər jístik], adjective

—syn·er·gis·ti·cal·ly
[sìnnər jístikəlee], adverb[1]



synergist

synergist
syn·er·gist 
[sínnərjist] (plural syn·er·gists)
noun

something increasing effect
of something else: something
that works in combination with something else to increase its effect, for
example, a drug that increases the effect of another drug[1]



synergy

synergy
syn·er·gy 
[sínnərjee] (plural syn·er·gies)
noun
Also
called
synergism

1.  combined
effort being greater than parts: the working together
of two or more things, people, or organizations, especially when the result is
greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities

2.  MEDICINE combined
action of drugs or muscles: the phenomenon in which the
combined action of two things, for example, drugs or muscles, is greater than
the sum of their effects individually. In the case of drugs, the result may be
dangerous to the patient.
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from Greek sunergia, from sunergein “to work
together,” from, ultimately, ergos “work.”]
—syn·er·get·ic
[sìnnər jéttik], adjective

—syn·er·get·i·cal·ly
[sìnnər jéttikəlee], adverb

—syn·er·gic [si núrjik], adjective[1]



synesis

synesis
syn·e·sis 
[sínnississ] noun

type
of grammatical agreement: grammatical agreement
according to meaning rather than strict syntax, for example, the use of a
plural form of a verb or a plural pronoun with a collective noun. Synesis is
shown, for example, in “The team are playing badly so we have stopped
supporting them,” with “are” and “them” rather than “is” and “it.”
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek sunesis “union,” from sunienai “to bring
together,” from hienai “to send.”][1]



synesthesia

synesthesia
syn·es·the·sia
[sìnnəss thə] or synaesthesia
[sìnnəss thə] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY sensation
felt elsewhere in body: the feeling of sensation in
one part of the body when another part is stimulated

2.  PSYCHOLOGY stimulation
of one sense alongside another: the evocation of one
kind of sense impression when another sense is stimulated, for example, the
sensation of color when a sound is heard

3.  LITERATURE rhetorical
device:
in literature, the description of one kind of sense perception using words that
describe another kind of sense perception, as in the phrase “shining metallic
words” (literary)
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, which was coined from syn- (see syn- ) + the stem of Greek aisthēsis
“sensation,” modeled on anesthesia.]
—syn·es·thet·ic [sìnnəss théttik], adjective[1]



synfuel

synfuel
syn·fu·el 
[sín fy əl] (plural syn·fu·els)
noun

synthetic
fuel:
a liquid fuel synthesized from a nonpetroleum source such as coal, oil shale,
or waste plastics, and used as a substitute for a petroleum product
[Late 20th century. A blend
of synthetic and fuel
.][1]



syngamy

syngamy
syn·ga·my 
[síng gəmee] noun

gametic
fusion:
sexual reproduction through the fusion of gametes
[Early
20th century. Coined from syn- + Greek gamos
“marriage.”]
—syn·gam·ic
[sing gámmik], adjective

—syn·ga·mous [síng gəməss], adjective[1]



Synge,J. M.

Synge,J. M.
Synge
[sing], J. M. (1871–1909)

Irish
dramatist. A dominant figure of the Irish Renaissance, he wrote the
controversial masterpiece, The Playboy of the Western World ( 1907 ).
Full name
Synge, John Millington[1]



syngeneic

syngeneic
syn·ge·ne·ic 
[sìnjə n ik] adjective

genetically
compatible for transplant purposes:
having an identical or closely similar genetic makeup, especially one that will
allow the transplantation of tissue without provoking an immune response
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek sungeneia “kinship,” from genos
“kind.”]
—syn·ge·ne·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



syngenesis

syngenesis
syn·gen·e·sis 
[sin jénnəssiss] noun

sexual
reproduction involving fusion: reproduction involving
fusion of male and female genetic material
—syn·ge·net·ic [sìnjə néttik], adjective[1]



synkaryon

synkaryon
syn·kar·y·on 
[sin kárree on] (plural syn·kar·y·ons)
noun

nucleus
of fertilized egg: a cell nucleus formed
through the fusion of male and female nuclei
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek karuon “seed.”]
—syn·kar·y·on·ic [sìn karree ónnik], adjective[1]



synkinesis

synkinesis
syn·ki·ne·sis 
[sìngkə nssiss] or syn·ki·ne·sia
[sìngkə nə] noun

involuntary
movement:
the performing of an unintended movement when making a voluntary one
—syn·ki·net·ic [sìngkə néttik], adjective[1]



synod

synod
syn·od 
[sínnəd] (plural syn·ods) noun

1.  church
council:
a special council of church members that holds regular meetings to discuss
religious issues

2.  assembly
or council:
an assembly or council held for the discussion of issues (formal)
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek sunodos “meeting,” from hodos
“way.”]
—syn·od·al [sínnəd’l, si nódd’l],
adjective[1]



synodic

synodic
syn·od·ic 
[si nóddik] or syn·od·i·cal [si nóddik’l] adjective

1.  ASTRONOMY of
alignment of same celestial bodies:
relating to the alignment of celestial bodies, or the interval between
occasions when the same celestial bodies are aligned

2.  CHRISTIANITY of
church synod: relating to or having the character of a
church synod
—syn·od·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



synodicmonth

synodicmonth
syn·od·ic
month
(plural syn·od·ic months) noun

See
lunar month[1]



synoecious

synoecious
syn·oe·cious
adjective

See
synecious[1]



synonym

synonym
syn·o·nym 
[sínnə nìm] (plural syn·o·nyms)
noun

1.  word
meaning same as another: a word that means the same,
or almost the same, as another word in the same language, either in all of its
uses or in a particular context. Examples of synonyms in this sense are
“environment” and “surroundings” and the verbs “tear” and “rip.”

2.  alternative
name:
a word or expression that is used as another name for something in certain
styles of speaking or writing or to emphasize a particular aspect or
association. Examples of synonyms in this sense are “Gotham” and “New York.”

3.  BIOLOGY rejected
duplicate taxonomic name: a duplicate taxonomic name
that has been rejected or replaced
[15th
century. Via Latin synonymum from, ultimately, Greek sunōnumos
“synonymous,” from onuma “name.”]
—syn·o·nym·ic
[sìnnə nímmik], adjective

—syn·o·nym·i·ty [sìnnə nímmətee], noun[1]



synonymize

synonymize
syn·on·y·mize 
[si nónnə mz] (past syn·on·y·mized,
past participle syn·on·y·mized, present participle syn·on·y·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·on·y·miz·es) transitive verb

give synonyms of word:
to provide an analysis or listing of the synonyms of a word or expression[1]



synonymous

synonymous
syn·on·y·mous 
[si nónnəməss] adjective

1.  having
same meaning: meaning the same, or almost the same, as
another word in the same language, or being an alternative name for somebody or
something

2.  having
similar connotation: having an implication
similar to the idea expressed by another word • Andy
Warhol is synonymous with pop art.
—syn·on·y·mous·ly,
adverb

—syn·on·y·mous·ness, noun[1]



synonymy

synonymy
syn·on·y·my 
[si nónnəmee] (plural syn·on·y·mies)
noun

1.  equivalence
of meaning:
the state or quality of being synonymous

2.  study
of synonyms: the study, classification, and
distinguishing of synonyms

3.  annotated
list of synonyms: a list or book of synonyms, with
emphasis on the discrimination of meanings

4.  BIOLOGY list
of taxonomic names: a record of scientific
names, often chronological, that have been applied to a particular taxonomic
group

[1]



synopsis

synopsis
syn·op·sis 
[si nópsiss] (plural syn·op·ses
[si nópsz]) noun

1.  summary
of text:
a condensed version of a text, for example, a summary of the plot of a book,
movie, or television show

2.  summary
of subject:
a concise outline or survey of a subject
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek sunopsis “general view,” from opsis “view.”][1]



synopsize

synopsize
syn·op·size 
[si nóp sz] (past syn·op·sized,
past participle syn·op·sized, present participle syn·op·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·op·siz·es) transitive verb

summarize something:
to summarize or make a synopsis of something[1]



synoptic

synoptic
syn·op·tic 
[si nóptik] adjective

1.  pertaining
to synopsis: constituting a general view of the whole
of a subject

2.  METEOROLOGY displaying
widespread weather: pertaining to or showing
simultaneous weather conditions over a large area

3.  Syn·op·tic
or syn·op·tic BIBLE sharing
views of Jesus Christ’s life: used to describe the gospels
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke that tell the story of Jesus Christ’s life and
ministry from a similar point of view and are similar in structure
noun
(plural synoptics)

1.  Syn·op·tic
(plural Syn·op·tics) or syn·op·tic Synoptic
gospel:
any one of the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, or Luke

2.  Syn·op·tic
(plural Syn·op·tics) See synoptist
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek sunoptikos, from sunopsis
(see synopsis ).]
—syn·op·ti·cal,
adjective

—syn·op·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



synoptist

synoptist
syn·op·tist
[si nóptist] (plural synoptists)
or synoptic [si nóptik] (plural
synoptics) noun

Matthew, Mark, or Luke:
an author of one of the Synoptic gospels[1]



synostosis

synostosis
syn·os·to·sis 
[sìn oss tṓssiss] (plural syn·os·to·ses
[sìn oss tṓsz]) noun

fusion
of adjacent bones: the formation of a single
bone from the fusion of two adjacent bones
—syn·os·tot·ic [sìn oss tóttik], adjective[1]



synovia

synovia
syn·o·vi·a 
[sī nṓvee ə] noun

fluid
lubricating joints: a clear viscous fluid that
lubricates the linings of joints and the sheaths of tendons
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin sinovia, of uncertain origin: probably coined
by Philippus Paracelsus .]
—syn·o·vi·al [sī n’vee əl], adjective[1]



synovitis

synovitis
sy·no·vi·tis 
[snō vtəss] noun

inflammation
of membrane lining joint: inflammation of the sinovial
membrane of a joint
—syn·o·vit·ic [snō víttik], adjective[1]



synsepalous

synsepalous
syn·sep·al·ous 
[sin séppələss] adjective

BOTANY See gamosepalous
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from synthetic + sepal
+ -ous .][1]



syntactic

syntactic
syn·tac·tic 
[sin táktik] or syn·tac·ti·cal
[sin táktik’l] adjective

1.  of
syntax:
relating to the rules or patterns of syntax

2.  conforming
to rules of syntax: correctly formed according
to the rules or accepted structures of syntax
[Early
19th century. Via Latin from Greek suntaktikos, from suntassein
(see syntax ).]
—syn·tac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



syntagma

syntagma
syn·tag·ma 
[sin tágmə] (plural syn·tag·ma·ta
[sin tágmətə] or syn·tag·mas) or
syn·tagm [sín tam] (plural syn·tagms)
noun

linguistic
units:
linguistic units made up of sets of phonemes, words, or phrases that are
arranged sequentially
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek suntagma, from suntassein (see
syntax ).]
—syn·tag·mat·ic [sìn tag máttik], adjective[1]



syntax

syntax
syn·tax 
[sín tàks] (plural syn·tax·es)
noun

1.  organization
of words in sentences: the ordering of and
relationship between the words and other structural elements in phrases and
sentences. The syntax may be of a whole language, a particular phrase or
sentence, or of a particular speaker.

2.  branch
of grammar:
the branch of grammar that studies syntax

3.  rules
of syntax:
an exposition of or set of rules for producing grammatical structures according
to the syntax of a language

4.  LOGIC rules
for deriving logical formulas: the part of logic that
gives the rules that define which combinations of expressions in the logical
system yield well-formed formulas

5.  COMPUTING rules
governing program structure: the rules governing which
statements and combinations of statements in a programming language will be
acceptable to a compiler for that language

6.  rule-based
arrangement: the arrangement of any group of elements
in a systematic or rule-based manner
[Late 16th century. Via
French or late Latin from Greek suntaxis, from suntassein “to put
in order,” from tassein “to arrange.”][1]



synth

synth
synth 
[sinth] (plural synths) noun

synthesizer:
a synthesizer (informal)[1]



synthesis

synthesis
syn·the·sis 
[sínthəssiss] (plural syn·the·ses
[sínthəsz]) noun

1.  result
of combining different elements: a new unified whole
resulting from the combination of different ideas, influences, or objects

2.  combining
of different elements into whole: the process of
combining different ideas, influences, or objects into a new whole (formal)

3.  CHEMISTRY formation
of chemical compounds: the process of forming a
complex compound through a series of one or more chemical reactions involving
simpler substances

4.  MUSIC producing
of sound with synthesizer: the production of music or
speech using an electronic synthesizer

5.  LINGUISTICS use
of inflections: the expression of syntactic
relationships by means of inflections rather than word order or prepositions
and other function words

6.  PHILOSOPHY idea
resolving contradictions: in Hegelian philosophy, the
new idea that resolves the conflict between the initial proposition ( thesis ) and its negation ( antithesis )

7.  PHILOSOPHY deductive
reasoning:
the process of deductive reasoning from first principles to a conclusion
[15th
century. Via Latin, literally “collection,” from Greek sunthesis, from suntithenai
“to put together,” from tithenai “to put.”]
—syn·the·sist, noun[1]



synthesisgas

synthesisgas
syn·the·sis
gas
noun

mixture of carbon monoxide
and hydrogen: a mixture of carbon
monoxide and hydrogen, derived from the breakdown of carbon- and
hydrogen-containing materials, used as a raw material for many chemical
products. It is used as a source of hydrogen for the manufacture of ammonia and
other products.[1]



synthesize

synthesize
syn·the·size 
[sínthə sz] (past syn·the·sized,
past participle syn·the·sized, present participle syn·the·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular syn·the·siz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb combine
different elements into new whole: to combine different
ideas, influences, or objects into a new whole, or be combined in this way

2.  transitive
verb
SCIENCE produce
substance by chemical process: to produce a substance
or material by chemical or biological synthesis
—syn·the·si·za·tion [sìnthəssə záysh’n], noun[1]



synthesizer

synthesizer
syn·the·siz·er 
[sínthə szər] (plural syn·the·siz·ers)
noun

1.  MUSIC electronic
musical instrument: an electronic device capable
of generating and modifying sounds electronically, often one designed as a
musical instrument

2.  SCIENCE manufacturer
of synthetic substances: somebody or something
involved in the synthesis of substances or materials

3.  somebody
who combines different elements: somebody who combines
different ideas, influences, or objects into a new whole

[1]



synthetic

synthetic
syn·thet·ic 
[sin théttik] adjective

1.  CHEMISTRY made
by a chemical process: made artificially by a
chemical process of synthesis, especially so as to resemble a natural product

2.  insincere:
not genuine, especially expressed but not genuinely felt • synthetic
expressions of sympathy

3.  PHILOSOPHY with
truth depending on facts: used to describe a
proposition whose truth or falsity is a matter of facts and not merely a matter
of the meaning of the words in the sentence

4.  LINGUISTICS using
inflections to express syntax: used to describe a
language that expresses syntactic relationships by means of inflections rather
than word order or prepositions and other function words
noun
(plural syn·thet·ics)

CHEMISTRY chemically
produced substance or material: a substance or
material produced by chemical processes rather than occurring naturally
[Late
17th century. Via French or modern Latin from Greek sunthetikos
“component,” from sunthetos “combined,” from suntithenai (see synthesis ).]
—syn·thet·i·cal,
adjective

—syn·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



syntheticresin

syntheticresin
syn·thet·ic
res·in
(plural syn·thet·ic res·ins) noun

manufactured resin:
a resin produced by polymerization of simple molecules rather than obtained
directly from plant substances[1]



syntheticrubber

syntheticrubber
syn·thet·ic
rub·ber
(plural syn·thet·ic rub·bers) noun

compound that resembles
rubber: a compound synthesized from
unsaturated hydrocarbons that resembles rubber[1]



syntonic

syntonic
syn·ton·ic 
[sin tónnik] adjective

1.  emotionally
responsive to surroundings: used to describe somebody
who is normally attuned to the environment

2.  according
with beliefs: in ego psychology, used to describe
behavior that does not conflict with somebody’s basic attitudes and beliefs
and, therefore, is not anxiety-provoking (used in combination) • ego-syntonic
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek suntonos “attuned,” from suntenein
“to draw tight.”]
—syn·ton·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



sypher

sypher
sy·pher
[sfər] (past sy·phered, past
participle sy·phered, present participle sy·pher·ing, 3rd
person present singular sy·phers) transitive verb

join
planks to make flush surface: to join planks with
chamfered edges so as to form a flush surface
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
cipher .][1]



syphilis

syphilis
syph·i·lis 
[síffəliss] noun

sexually
transmitted disease: a serious sexually
transmitted disease caused by the spirally twisted bacterium Treponema
pallidum that affects many body organs and parts, including the genitals,
brain, skin, and nervous tissue.
Also
called
lues
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin the name of the person allegedly first affected according to a
poem Syphilis sive morbus Gallicus (Syphilis or the French Disease) (
1530 ) by Girolamo Fracastoro, 1483–1553, a physician from Verona.][1]



syphilitic

syphilitic
syph·i·lit·ic 
[sìffə líttik] adjective

of
syphilis:
relating to, caused by, or affected by syphilis
noun
(plural syph·i·lit·ics)

somebody
with syphilis: somebody who has been infected with the
spirochete that causes syphilis (offensive)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin syphiliticus, from syphilis .]
—syph·i·lit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



syphiloid

syphiloid
syph·i·loid 
[síffə lòyd] adjective

similar to syphilis:
resembling syphilis or having similar characteristics[1]



syphon

syphon
sy·phon 
noun transitive verb

See
siphon[1]



Syracuse

Syracuse
Syr·a·cuse 
[sírrè kyooz]

1.  capital
city and port of Syracuse Province, Sicily, situated about 56 km/35 mi south of
Catania. Population: 126,800 (1992)

2.  city
in New York beside Onondaga Lake, west of Utica, and east of Rochester.
Population: 155,865 (1996)

[1]



syrah

syrah
syr·ah
[sírrə] noun

1.  black
grape grown for wine: a black grape grown mainly
in the Rhône valley of France but also in California and Australia, and used to
make wine

2.  syrah
wine:
a typically strong full-bodied wine made from the syrah grape variety
[Early 19th century.
Alteration of Shiraz, where the grape is
supposed to have originated.][1]



Syria




Back to definition

Syria

[1]



Syria

Syria



Sy·ria 
[sírree ə]
republic
in the Middle East, bordered by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and the
Mediterranean Sea. Language: Arabic. Currency: Syrian pound. Capital: Damascus.
Population: 14,798,000 (1996) Area: 185,050 sq km/71,498 sq mi. Official
name Syrian Arab Republic
—Syr·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Syriac

Syriac
Syr·i·ac 
[sírree àk] noun

ancient
Syrian language: a form of Aramaic used in the 3rd to
13th centuries that survives in some Eastern Orthodox churches
—Syr·i·ac, adjective[1]



syringa

syringa
sy·rin·ga 
[si ríng gə] (plural sy·rin·gas)
noun

1.  See
mock orange  noun 1

2.  lilac
flower or tree: a lilac flower or shrub. Genus: Syringa
[Mid-17th century. Modern
Latin from Greek surigx “panpipe.” From the former use of lilac stems
for making pipes.][1]



syringe

syringe
sy·ringe 
[si rínj] noun (plural sy·rin·ges)

1.  MEDICINE instrument
for withdrawing and ejecting fluids: an
instrument consisting of a piston in a small tube, used in conjunction with a
hollow needle or tube for the withdrawal and ejection of fluids and for
cleaning wounds.
See
also
hypodermic syringe

2.  device
for pumping and spraying liquids: a device similar to a
medical syringe that is used for spraying or extracting fluids by means of
pressure or suction
transitive
verb
(past sy·ringed, past participle sy·ringed, present
participle sy·ring·ing, 3rd person present singular sy·rin·ges)

use syringe on something:
to clean, spray, or inject something using a syringe
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin syringa from, ultimately, Greek surigx “panpipe.” From its
shape.][1]



syringes

syringes
sy·rin·ges


Plural of
syrinx[1]



syringomyelia

syringomyelia
sy·rin·go·my·e·li·a 
[si rìng gō mī lee ə] noun

spinal
disease that causes paralysis: a chronic progressive
disease of the spinal cord in which tubular fluid-filled cavities form in the
nerve tissue, causing sensory disturbances and, eventually, paralysis
[Late
19th century. Coined from syringe + myel- + -ia .]
—sy·rin·go·my·el·ic, adjective[1]



syrinx

syrinx
syr·inx 
[sírringks] (plural syr·inx·es
or sy·rin·ges [sə ríng gz, sə rín jz]) noun

1.  MUSIC panpipes:
a set of panpipes

2.  BIRDS vocal
organ of birds: the vocal organ of a bird, usually
situated near the junction between the trachea and bronchi

3.  ARCHAEOLOGY corridor
in Egyptian tomb: a narrow corridor or gallery in an
ancient Egyptian tomb

4.  MEDICINE cavity
in spinal cord: one of the tubular fluid-filled cavities
formed in the nerve tissue of the spinal cord in cases of syringomyelia
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek surigx (see syringe
).]
—sy·rin·ge·al [sə ríng gee əl, sə
rínjee əl], adjective[1]



syrphid

syrphid
syr·phid 
[súrfid] (plural syr·phids) noun

fly
that looks like wasp: a dipteran fly that hovers
and darts, feeds on nectar and pollen, and has coloration mimicking that of a
bee or wasp. Family: Syrphidae
Also
called
syrphus fly
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Syrphidae, family name, from Syrphus
(see syrphus fly ).]
—syr·phid, adjective[1]



SyrtisMajor

SyrtisMajor
Syr·tis
Ma·jor
[sùrtiss máyjər] noun

dark area on Mars:
a highly conspicuous wedge-shaped dark area on the surface of Mars in the
equatorial region, first observed in 1659[1]



syrup

syrup
syr·up 
[sírrəp] (plural syr·ups) or
sir·up [sírrəp] (plural sir·ups)
noun

1.  sweet
liquid:
a liquid made of sugar dissolved in water by heating, widely used in sweet
cookery. Syrups vary in density and strength, and can be boiled down to form
caramel.

2.  flavored
sweet liquid: a flavored thick sweet liquid

3.  PHARMACOLOGY pharmaceutical
liquid:
a thick sweet liquid used as vehicle for various medicinal substances

4.  maple
syrup:
maple syrup

5.  corn
syrup:
corn syrup
[14th century. Via French sirop
or medieval Latin siropus from Arabic šarāb “drink.”][1]



syrupy

syrupy
syr·up·y 
[sírrəpee] (comparative syr·up·i·er,
superlative syr·up·i·est) adjective

1.  resembling
syrup:
resembling syrup in taste, quality, or consistency

2.  mawkish:
excessively sentimental in a cloying saccharine fashion

[1]



sysop

sysop
sys·op
[síss op] (plural sys·ops) noun

system
operator:
a system operator (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Contraction.][1]



syst.

syst.
syst.

Abbreviation of
system[1]



systaltic

systaltic
sys·tal·tic 
[si stáltik] adjective

rhythmically
pulsating:
used to describe an organ such as the heart that undergoes alternating rhythmic
contraction and dilation
[Late 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek sustaltikos, from sustellein (see systole ).][1]



system

system
sys·tem 
[sístəm] (plural sys·tems) noun

1.  complex
body:
a combination of related elements organized into a complex whole

2.  set
of principles: a scheme of ideas or principles, for
example, for classification or for forms of government or religion

3.  way
of proceeding: a method or set of procedures for
achieving something

4.  TRANSPORT transport
network:
a physical network of roads, railways, and other routes for travel, transport,
or communication

5.  PHYSIOLOGY group
of related body parts: a set of organs or
structures in the body that have a common function • the
nervous system

6.  PHYSIOLOGY whole
body:
the human or animal body as a unit • My grandmother
used to insist that licorice was good for the system.

7.  ENGINEERING assembly
of components: an assembly of mechanical or electronic
components that function together as a unit

8.  COMPUTING set
of computer components: an assembly of computer hardware,
software, and peripherals functioning together • A
turnkey system has all the hardware and software installed and is ready to run.

9.  orderliness:
the use or result of careful planning and organization of elements

10. ASTRONOMY group
of celestial bodies: a group of celestial bodies
or other gravitationally linked objects

11. MINERALS mineral
classification: any of various divisions used to
classify minerals according to their crystal structures

12. GEOLOGY stratigraphic
unit of rock: a stratigraphic division of rocks larger
than a series but smaller than a stage, used to distinguish formations of a
specific era or period

13. SCIENCE assembly
of substances in equilibrium: an assembly of substances in
chemical or physical equilibrium

14. MUSIC group
of musical staves: a number of musical staves
that are grouped together by a line or brace in a score and are played
simultaneously

15. sys·tem
or Sys·tem the way things are:
the established order, especially regarded as thwarting the individual
[Early
17th century. Via French or late Latin from Greek sustēma, from sunistanai
“to combine,” from histanai “to set up.”]
—sys·tem·less,
adjective
all
systems go

used to indicate that
everything is functioning and an operation or activity can start[1]



systematic

systematic
sys·tem·at·ic 
[sìstə máttik] or sys·tem·at·ic·al
[sìstə máttik’l] adjective

1.  done
methodically: carried out in a methodical and
organized manner

2.  well
organized:
habitually using a method or system for organization

3.  methodical:
deliberate and regular in a methodical manner

4.  based
on system:
constituting, based on, or resembling a system

5.  BIOLOGY pertaining
to taxonomic classification: in accordance with a system
of taxonomic classification ( systematics )
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek sustēmatikos, from sustēma
(see system ).]
—sys·tem·at·i·cal·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  systematic
  or systemic
  These
  two words are distinct. The former means, essentially, “according to a system
  or plan.” The latter means “within or throughout a system,” the system in
  question here often being a biological one. Thus, • a
  systematic effort to defraud ; • systemic
  poison.

[1]



systematicdesensitization

systematicdesensitization
sys·tem·at·ic
de·sen·si·ti·za·tion noun

therapy for phobias:
a therapy for phobias and other anxiety disorders in which patients are
gradually given longer and longer exposures to the object of their fears[1]



systematics

systematics
sys·tem·at·ics 
[sìstə máttiks] noun

study of taxonomy:
the study of systems and classification, especially the science of classifying
organisms[1]



systematism

systematism
sys·tem·a·tism 
[sístəmə tìzzəm] noun

practice of classifying:
the practice of classifying information in a systematic manner[1]



systematist

systematist
sys·tem·a·tist 
[sístəmətist] (plural sys·tem·a·tists)
noun

1.  somebody
who constructs systems: somebody engaged in
constructing a system or systems

2.  BIOLOGY somebody
who classifies organisms: somebody engaged in
classifying organisms according to a taxonomic system

3.  somebody
adhering to system: somebody who conforms to a
method or system

[1]



systematize

systematize
sys·tem·a·tize 
[sístəmə tīz] (past sys·tem·a·tized,
past participle sys·tem·a·tized, present participle sys·tem·a·tiz·ing,
3rd person present singular sys·tem·a·tiz·es) or sys·tem·ize
[sístə mz] (past sys·tem·ized,
past participle sys·tem·ized, present participle sys·tem·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular sys·tem·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

make
or become systematic: to arrange something, or be
arranged, according to a system
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from the Greek stem sustēmat- (see system ).]
—sys·tem·a·ti·za·tion
[sìstəmətə záysh’n], noun

—sys·tem·a·tiz·er [sístəmə tzər], noun[1]



systemic

systemic
sys·tem·ic 
[si stémmik] adjective

1.  of
a system:
affecting or relating to a system as a whole

2.  PHYSIOLOGY affecting
whole body:
affecting the whole body as distinct from having a local effect • a
systemic infection

3.  AGRICULTURE affecting
whole plant: used to describe an herbicide or other
chemical that works by spreading through all the tissues of a plant rather than
just staying on the surface
noun
(plural sys·tem·ics)

AGRICULTURE systemic
chemical:
a systemic herbicide, pesticide, or other chemical
—sys·tem·i·cal·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at systematic.

[1]



systemiccirculation

systemiccirculation
sys·tem·ic
cir·cu·la·tion noun

main blood circulation:
the main part of the blood circulation as distinct from the pulmonary
circulation[1]



systemiclupus erythematosus

systemiclupus erythematosus
sys·tem·ic
lu·pus er·y·the·ma·to·sus  [si
stèmmik lpəss èrr thèemə tṓssiss] noun

chronic inflammatory
autoimmune disease: a chronic
inflammatory autoimmune disease of connective tissue that occurs especially in
women, marked by fever, muscle pain, arthritis, anemia, skin eruptions,
pleurisy, and kidney disease[1]



systemize

systemize
sys·tem·ize 
transitive verb

See
systematize
—sys·tem·i·za·tion,
noun

—sys·tem·iz·er, noun[1]



systemoperator

systemoperator
sys·tem
op·er·a·tor
(plural sys·tem op·er·a·tors) noun

operator of electronic
bulletin board: somebody who manages an
online bulletin board or maintains a small computer network[1]



systemsanalysis

systemsanalysis
sys·tems
a·nal·y·sis 
noun

analysis
of data-processing requirements: the determination of
the data-processing requirements of a company, project, procedure, or task, and
the designing of computer systems to fulfill them
—sys·tems an·a·lyst, noun[1]



systemsengineering

systemsengineering
sys·tems
en·gi·neer·ing noun

design
of complex production systems: the design and
implementation of production systems that require the integration of diverse
and complex tasks, for example, automobile assembly lines
—sys·tems en·gi·neer, noun[1]



systemsoftware

systemsoftware
sys·tem
soft·ware
noun

computer operating system:
the operating system and utility programs used to operate and maintain a
computer system and provide resources for application programs such as word
processors and spreadsheets[1]



systole

systole
sys·to·le 
[sístəlee] (plural sys·to·les)
noun

heart
contraction: the contraction of the heart, during
which blood is pumped into the arteries
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek sustolē, from sustellein “to
contract,” from stellein “to put.”]
—sys·tol·ic [si stóllik], adjective[1]



syzygy

syzygy
syz·y·gy 
[sízzəjee] (plural syz·y·gies)
noun

1.  ASTRONOMY conjunction
of three celestial bodies: the straight-line
conjunction or opposition of three celestial bodies, for example, the Sun,
Earth, and Moon

2.  two
connected things: a pair of related things that are either
similar or opposite (formal)

3.  POETRY two
metrical feet: a metrical unit of two feet in classical
Greek and Latin verse
[Early
17th century. Via late Latin from Greek suzugia, from suzugos
“paired,” from zugon “yoke.”]
—syz·y·get·ic
[sìzzə jéttik], adjective

—syz·y·get·i·cal·ly
[sìzzə jéttikəlee], adverb

—sy·zyg·i·al [si zíjjee əl], adjective[1]



Szczecin

Szczecin
Szcze·cin 
[shtét shin]

capital city and port of
Szczecin Province, in northwestern Poland. Population: 419,300 (1995)[1]



Szechuanpepper

Szechuanpepper
Sze·chuan
pep·per
[sèch wn péppər] (plural Sze·chuan
pep·pers) or Sze·chwan pep·per [sèch
wn péppər] (plural Sze·chwan pep·pers) noun

hot
pepper used as spice: a pepper with a hot aniseed
flavor, one of the spices used in Chinese five spice powder
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Szechuan (now Sichuan).][1]



Szeged

Szeged
Sze·ged 
[sé ged]

city and river port in
southeastern Hungary. Population: 178,878 (1994)[1]



Szell,George

Szell,George
Szell
[sel, zel],
George (1897–1970)

Hungarian-born U.S.
conductor. As the musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra from 1946 to
1970, he established the orchestra as one of the finest in the world.[1]



Szilard,Leo

Szilard,Leo
Szi·lard
[zíllərd, zə
lrd], Leo (1898–1964)

Hungarian-born U.S.
biophysicist. He worked on uranium fission and contributed to the development
of the atomic bomb, but later advocated only peaceful uses of atomic energy.[1]



SãoMiguel

SãoMiguel
São
Mi·guel 
[sow mi gél]

the largest island of the
Azores, located in the North Atlantic Ocean 1,200 km/740 mi from the western
coast of Portugal. Population: 126,388 (1991) Area: 746 sq km/288 sq mi.[1]



SãoPaulo




Back to definition

SãoPaulo

[1]



SãoPaulo

SãoPaulo

São Pau·lo
[sow pówlō]
capital of São Paulo State in
southeastern Brazil. It is the largest city in South America, and an industrial
and commercial metropolis. Population: 9,811,776 (1996)[1]



SãoTomé and Príncipe

SãoTomé and Príncipe



São Tomé and Príncipe
[sow tō mày ènd prínchè pay]
island republic in the Gulf of Guinea,
approximately 290 km/180 mi west of Gabon, western Africa. Formerly Portuguese,
the territory became an independent republic in 1975. Language: Portuguese.
Currency: dobra. Capital: São Tomé. Population: 134,000 (1996) Area: 964 sq
km/372 sq mi. Official name Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe[1]



SãoTomé and Príncipe




Back to definition

SãoTomé and Príncipe

[1]



Sèvres

Sèvres
Sè·vres
[sévvrə] noun

French porcelain:
a highly decorated French porcelain[1]



Ségou

Ségou
Sé·gou
[sáy goo]

capital city of Ségou Region,
in southwestern Mali. Population: 88,877 (1987)[1]



Sémillon

Sémillon
Sé·mil·lon
[sáy meel yòN] or Se·mil·lon [sáy meel yòN] noun

French
grape used for white wine: a late-maturing French grape
variety used to produce white wine
[Mid-19th century. Via French
Sémillon from, ultimately, Latin semen “seed”; probably from the
grape’s high productivity.][1]



t.

t.
t.

1.  Abbreviation
of
tare

2.  Abbreviation
of
teaspoon

3.  Abbreviation
of
teaspoonful

4.  Abbreviation
of
tempo

5.  Abbreviation
of
tempore

6.  Abbreviation
of
tenor

7.  Abbreviation
of
tense

8.  Abbreviation
of
ton

9.  Abbreviation
of
tons

10. Abbreviation
of
transitive

[1]



T.

T.
T.

1.  Abbreviation
of
tablespoon

2.  Abbreviation
of
tablespoonful

3.  Abbreviation
of
Tuesday

[1]



T

T2
T2

Abbreviation of
tera-[1]



T

T1
T1

1.  Symbol
for
absolute temperature

2.  Symbol
for
kinetic energy

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for period

4.  Symbol
for
surface tension

5.  Symbol
for
temperature

6.  Symbol
for
tesla

7.  Symbol
for
tritium

[1]



t

t1

t1 [tee]
(plural t’s) or T [tee]
(plural T’s or Ts) noun

1.  20th
letter of English alphabet: the 20th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “T”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “T”

3.  letter
“T” written: a written representation of the letter
“T”

4.  something
“T”-shaped:
something shaped like a “T”
to a T

exactly[1]



t

t2
t2

1.  Symbol
for
time

2.  Symbol
for
troy

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TA

TA
TA
(plural TAs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
teaching assistant

2.  Abbreviation
of
transactional analysis

[1]



Ta

Ta
Ta

Symbol for
tantalum[1]



Taal

Taal
Taal 
[taal] noun

South
Africa
LANGUAGE Africaans:
the Afrikaans language
[Late 19th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch taal “language.”][1]



tab

tab4
tab4 [tab]
(plural tabs) noun

See
tableau curtain
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



tab

tab3
tab3 [tab]
(plural tabs) noun

drug
tablet:
a tablet or piece of paper containing a drug, especially one that is illegal
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of tablet .][1]



tab.

tab.
tab.

Abbreviation of
table[1]



tab

tab2
tab2 [tab]
(plural tabs) noun

particular
key on keyboard: a key on a computer keyboard, or a
device or key on a typewriter, that advances the next character to a
predetermined position, used to align lines or columns. Full form tabulator
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of tabulator .][1]



tab

tab1
tab1 [tab]
noun (plural tabs)

1.  flap
for holding: a small strip, loop, or other attachment
to something, used for lifting, moving, hanging, opening, or closing

2.  CLOTHES flap
on garment:
a small strip or square of fabric attached to a garment for decoration

3.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia restaurant check:
the check for a meal or drinks in a restaurant or bar (informal)

4.  tag
or label:
a small piece of paper, cloth, or plastic attached to something and containing
information about the object

5.  AEROSPACE auxiliary
airfoil:
a small auxiliary airfoil on a control surface such as an aileron or rudder,
used to stabilize an aircraft

6.  See
pull-tab
transitive
verb
(past tabbed, past participle tabbed, present
participle tab·bing, 3rd person present singular tabs)

attach tab to:
to attach a tab to something
[Early
17th century. Origin unknown.]
keep
tabs on somebody or something

to
watch somebody or something closely (informal)

pick
up the tab

U.S.
Canada Australia to pay the bill (informal)[1]



TAB

TAB
TAB
[tab]

1.  Abbreviation
of
paratyphoid A

2.  Abbreviation
of
paratyphoid B (vaccine)

3.  Abbreviation
of
typhoid

[1]



tabanca

tabanca
ta·ban·ca
[tə bángkə] noun

Caribbean
lovesickness:
a state of sadness resulting from unrequited or lost love (slang)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Cariban language, possibly Macusi tabangke
“wonder.”][1]



tabanid

tabanid
ta·ba·nid 
[tə báynid, tə
bánnid, tábbənid] (plural ta·ba·nids)
noun

bloodsucking
fly:
a stout-bodied bloodsucking fly such as a horsefly. Family: Tabanidae
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin tabanus “horsefly.”][1]



tabard

tabard
tab·ard 
[tábbərd] (plural tab·ards) noun

1.  sleeveless
overgarment: a sleeveless tunic with slits at the
sides, worn by women and girls

2.  herald’s
coat:
an official coat worn by a herald, bearing the sovereign’s coat of arms

3.  HISTORY knight’s
jacket:
a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment worn by a knight over his armor
[13th century. From Old
French tabart, of unknown origin.][1]



tabaret

tabaret
tab·a·ret 
[tábbə rèt] noun

striped
upholstery fabric: a hard-wearing fabric with
alternate satin and watered-silk stripes, used for upholstery
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from tabby .][1]



Tabasco

Tabasco
Ta·bas·co
[tə báskō] Trademark

a trademark for a hot-tasting
sauce made from peppers, vinegar, and spices[1]



tabbouleh

tabbouleh
tab·bou·leh
[tə blee] or ta·boo·li [tə blee] noun

bulgur
wheat salad: a Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur
wheat, tomatoes, mint, olive oil, and parsley, served finely ground with
lettuce leaves for scooping it up
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic tabbūla .][1]



tabby

tabby
tab·by 
[tábbee] noun (plural tab·bies)

1.  tabby
or tabby cat striped cat:
a brown or gray cat with a striped or mottled coat

2.  pet
female cat:
a domestic cat, especially a female one

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman who is thought to be
gossiping, spiteful, and interfering (informal insult)

4.  TEXTILES silk
with striped pattern: watered silk or taffeta with
a striped or wavy pattern

5.  TEXTILES plain
weave fabric: a plain-woven fabric
adjective

1.  having
striped coat: having a brown or gray coat with a
striped or mottled pattern

2.  striped
or brindled: having a striped or wavy pattern

3.  TEXTILES resembling
tabby:
resembling or made of tabby
[Late
16th century. Via French tabis from Arabic ’attābī . Named for al-’Attābiyya,
a quarter in Baghdad, Iraq, where the (originally striped) fabric was made.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  It
  was the stripes on the fabric called tabby
  that led to the application of the word to brindled cats. The usage is first
  recorded in the 1660s.

[1]



tabernacle

tabernacle
tab·er·na·cle 
[tábbər nàk’l] (plural tab·er·na·cles)
noun

1.  tab·er·na·cle
or Tab·er·na·cle RELIGION
tent
for carrying Ark of Covenant: a portable tent used as a
sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus

2.  tab·er·na·cle
or Tab·er·na·cle JUDAISM
Jewish
Temple:
the Jewish Temple, regarded as representing the presence of God

3.  JUDAISM See sukkah

4.  RELIGION evangelical
place of worship: a place of worship, especially in some
evangelical Christian denominations

5.  CHRISTIANITY container
for holy bread and wine: a box or case in which the
consecrated elements of Communion are kept

6.  ARCHITECTURE niche
for icon:
a canopied recess or niche for an icon

7.  human
body:
the human body considered as a place temporarily housing the soul or principle
of life (literary)

8.  NAUTICAL socket
for mast:
a support for the foot of a mast
[13th
century. Directly or via French from Latin tabernaculum “tent,” from taberna
“hut” (source of English tavern ).]
—tab·er·nac·u·lar [tàbbər nákyələr], adjective[1]



Tabernacles

Tabernacles
Tab·er·na·cles
[tábbər nak’lz] noun

CALENDAR
See Sukkoth[1]



tabes

tabes
ta·bes 
[táybeez] (plural ta·bes) noun

1.  progressive
emaciation:
progressive wasting of the body, usually as a result of a chronic disease

2.  MED See tabes dorsalis
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “wasting away.”]
—ta·bet·ic [tə béttik], adjective[1]



tabesdorsalis

tabesdorsalis
ta·bes
dor·sa·lis 
[tàybeez dawr sáyliss] or ta·bes
[tàybeez dawr sáyliss] noun

wasting
disorder caused by syphilis: a disorder of the nervous
system characteristic of late-stage syphilis and marked by degeneration of
nerve fibers, wasting, pain, and inability to move the leg muscles. Tabes
dorsalis is now rare because syphilis can be effectively treated at a much earlier
stage.
Also
called
locomotor ataxia
[From late Latin, literally
“dorsal tabes”][1]



tabla

tabla

tab·la 
[tblə, túbblə]
(plural tablas) noun
Indian
percussion instrument: an Indian musical instrument
consisting of a pair of small drums played with the hands
[Mid-19th century. Via
Persian and Hindi from Arabic abl “drum.”][1]



tablature

tablature
tab·la·ture 
[tábblə chr] (plural tab·la·tures)
noun

1.  MUSIC special
musical notation: a special kind of musical notation in
which the notes themselves are not represented but rather the hand positions
required to play them. It is used especially in early lute and modern popular
guitar music.

2.  ARTS engraved
tablet:
a tablet or other flat surface that has been engraved or painted
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, tavolare “to set to music,” from tavola
“table.”][1]



table

table
ta·ble 
[táyb’l] noun (plural ta·bles)

1.  item
of furniture with flat top: a piece of furniture with a
flat top and one or more legs, used for placing things on or doing things at

2.  table
for food:
a table at which people sit to eat meals, or a similar structure provided
outdoors at which birds may feed

3.  flat
surface for particular purpose: a raised flat surface
with a nondomestic or office use, for example, one at which a surgeon operates
or one on which a piece of machinery rests

4.  food
served:
the food provided in a household or restaurant in terms of its quality or
quantity

5.  people
sitting at table: a group of people sitting at a table,
especially for a meal • The
whole table erupted in laughter.

6.  arrangement
of information in columns: an arrangement of
information or data into columns and rows or a condensed list

7.  GEOGRAPHY See tableland

8.  ARCHITECTURE band
or panel on wall: a band of masonry or a rectangular panel
on a wall either raised or depressed and with ornamentation or inscriptions.
Also
called
tablet

9.  flat
surface of gem: the upper horizontal surface of a cut
gem

10. slab
for inscription: a slab of wood, stone, or metal for
inscription

11. BACKGAMMON part
of backgammon board: either one of the two hinged
halves of a backgammon board

12. MUSIC front
part of stringed instrument: the part of the body of a
stringed instrument that acts as a sounding board

13. ANATOMY plate
of bone:
a flat layer of bone, especially either one of the inner or outer surfaces of
the skull that are separated by a more spongy bone ( diploë
)

14. area
on palm:
an area on the palm defined by four lines, regarded as significant in palmistry
plural
noun
ta·bles

HISTORY ancient
tablets with laws inscribed: tablets on which certain
ancient Greek, Roman, and Hebrew laws were inscribed, or the laws themselves
transitive
verb
(past ta·bled, past participle ta·bled, present participle
ta·bling, 3rd person present singular ta·bles)

1.  postpone
discussion of something: to postpone discussion of a
bill or motion for a later time

2.  enter
information into table: to enter information in a
tabular form

3.  put
something on table: to place or lay something on
a table

4.  U.K.
propose
something:
to put forward a bill or proposal for discussion at a meeting
[Pre-12th
century. Directly or via French from Latin tabula “board, slab.”]
—table·ful,
noun
on
the table

1.  put
forward for discussion at a meeting

2.  postponed
for discussion at a later time

turn
the tables (on somebody)

to
reverse a situation and gain the advantage from somebody who had previously
held it

under
the table

secretly
and often illegally, in the form of a bribe • He
paid under the table for his rent-stabilized apartment.

[1]



tableau

tableau
tab·leau 
[tá bl, ta blṓ]
(plural tab·leaux [tá blz, ta blṓz] or tab·leaus) noun

1.  picturesque
display:
a vivid and wide-ranging description or display

2.  striking
visual scene: a visually dramatic scene or situation
that suddenly arises

3.  THEATER See tableau vivant
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Old French tablel, literally “a small table” (see table ).][1]



tableaucurtain

tableaucurtain
tab·leau
cur·tain
(plural tab·leau cur·tains) noun

curtain drawing sideways and
upward: either one of a pair of
stage curtains that are drawn to each side and upward by a cord.
Also called
tab[1]



tableauvivant

tableauvivant
tab·leau
vi·vant 
(plural tab·leaux vi·vants) noun

people
imitating picture: a representation of a scene
by a group in appropriate costume posing silent and motionless.
Also
called
tableau
[From French, literally
“living picture”][1]



TableBay

TableBay
Ta·ble
Bay 
[tàyb’l báy]

inlet of the Atlantic Ocean,
overlooked by Table Mountain, southwestern South Africa. Length: 19 km/12 mi.[1]



tablecloth

tablecloth
ta·ble·cloth 
[táyb’l klàwth] (plural ta·ble·cloths)
noun

cloth cover for table:
a cloth for covering a table, especially before it is set for a meal[1]



tabled’hôte

tabled’hôte
ta·ble
d’hôte
[tb’l dṓt, tblə
dṓt] noun

set
meal:
a restaurant meal or menu offering a series of courses at a fixed price
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “host’s table.”][1]



table-hop

table-hop
ta·ble-hop 
(past ta·ble-hopped, past participle ta·ble-hopped,
present participle ta·ble-hop·ping, 3rd person present
singular ta·ble-hops) intransitive verb

circulate
in restaurant or nightclub: to circulate among tables in
a restaurant or nightclub in a sociable way (informal)
—ta·ble-hop·per, noun[1]



tableland

tableland
ta·ble·land 
[táyb’l lànd] (plural ta·ble·lands)
noun

elevated flat region:
an extensive elevated region of flat land.
Also called
table[1]



tablemate

tablemate
ta·ble·mate 
[táyb’l màyt] (plural ta·ble·mates)
noun

somebody at same table:
somebody sitting at the same table as another, especially for a meal[1]



TableMountain

TableMountain
Ta·ble
Moun·tain
[tàyb’l mówntin]

flat-topped mountain
overlooking Cape Town, southwestern South Africa. Height: 1,086 m/3,563 ft.[1]



tablespoon

tablespoon
ta·ble·spoon 
[táyb’l spn] (plural ta·ble·spoons)
noun

1.  serving
spoon:
a large serving spoon a size larger than a dessertspoon

2.  tablespoon
or tablespoonful (plural tablespoonfuls) MEASUREMENTS measure
based on capacity of tablespoon: a unit of capacity
used in recipes, equal to 15 mlhalf a fluid ounce or three teaspoons

3.  ta·ble·spoon
or ta·ble·spoon·ful (plural ta·ble·spoon·fuls) amount
held by tablespoon: the amount of food or liquid
that a tablespoon can hold

[1]



tablet

tablet
tab·let 
[tábblət] (plural tab·lets) noun

1.  compressed
powdered drug for swallowing: a small shaped cake of a
fixed amount of a compressed powdered drug, usually intended to be swallowed
whole

2.  small
flat cake of something: a small compressed cake of a
substance such as soap

3.  inscribed
stone or wooden slab: a slab of stone, wood, or
metal used for inscription or engraving

4.  sheets
of paper fastened together: a number of sheets of paper
for writing or drawing, fastened together along one edge

5.  sheet
of material to write on: a thin stiff sheet of wood,
slate, or ivory on which somebody writes

6.  ARCHITECTURE See table  noun 8
[14th century. From Old
French, literally “little table,” from table (see table ). Sense 1 evolved via the idea of something
“flat,” hence “compressed.”][1]



tabletalk

tabletalk
ta·ble
talk
noun

1.  informal
conversation: informal conversation on subjects
considered suitable during a meal

2.  BRIDGE improper
discussion of strategy in bridge: in bridge, the
discussion of bidding and strategy across the table with a partner, which is
not permitted

[1]



tabletennis

tabletennis
ta·ble
ten·nis
noun

tennis played on table:
a game that resembles tennis and is played with small paddles and a light
hollow ball on a table divided by a net[1]



tableware

tableware
ta·ble·ware 
[táyb’l wàir] noun

items used at meals:
dishes, plates, glasses, flatware, and other articles used at meals[1]



tablewine

tablewine
ta·ble
wine
(plural ta·ble wines) noun

wine served with meals:
an unfortified wine for drinking with meals[1]



tabloid

tabloid
tab·loid 
[táb lòyd] noun (plural tab·loids)

1.  tabloid
or tabloid newspaper (plural tabloid newspapers) small
newspaper with short articles: a small-format popular
newspaper with a simple style, many photographs, and sometimes an emphasis on
sensational stories

2.  condensed
piece of writing: a piece of writing, especially a news
story, in a condensed form
adjective

sensationalist:
relating to or characteristic of tabloid newspapers, especially in having a
popular sensationalist style
[Late
19th century. Originally a proprietary name for tablets of condensed medicine;
the underlying idea is of condensed writing.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Tabloid was registered as a
  proprietary name for a brand of tablet in 1884 by Burroughs, Wellcome, and
  Company. It was the underlying notion of “compression” or “condensation” that
  led to its application to newspapers of small page size and “condensed” versions
  of news stories, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century.

[1]



taboo

taboo
ta·boo 
[tə b] or ta·bu [tə b] adjective

1.  socially
or culturally proscribed: forbidden to be used,
mentioned, or approached because of social or cultural rather than legal
prohibitions

2.  RELIGION sacred
and prohibited: set apart as sacred and at the same time
forbidden to be used
noun
(plural ta·bus)

1.  prohibition:
a prohibition or rejection of particular types of behavior or language because
they are considered socially unacceptable

2.  forbidden
behavior:
a type of behavior or a subject that is forbidden or disapproved of because it
is considered socially unacceptable

3.  RELIGION prohibition
on grounds of being sacred: the practice, especially in
some Polynesian societies, of regarding particular things, people, or types of
behavior as sacred and therefore forbidden to be used, made contact with, or
engaged in
transitive
verb
(past ta·booed, past participle ta·booed, present
participle ta·boo·ing, 3rd person present singular ta·boos)
(past ta·bued, past participle ta·bued, present
participle ta·bu·ing, 3rd person present singular ta·bus)

1.  forbid
or discourage something: to prohibit or disapprove of
particular types of behavior or language because they are considered socially
unacceptable

2.  RELIGION prohibit
something because sacred: to regard particular things,
people, or types of behavior as sacred and therefore forbidden to be used, made
contact with, or engaged in
[Late 18th century. From
Tongan tabu, allegedly introduced into English by Captain James Cook .][1]



tabooli

tabooli
ta·boo·li 
noun

See
tabbouleh[1]



tabor

tabor

ta·bor 
[táybər] (plural ta·bors) or
ta·bour [táybər] (plural ta·bours)
noun
small
drum:
a small drum played with one hand while the other hand plays a pipe. Tabors
were used especially in the Middle Ages.
[13th
century. From Old French tabour, of uncertain origin: probably from
Persian tabīr “drum” (source of English tambourine
).]
—ta·bor·er, noun[1]



Tabora

Tabora
Ta·bo·ra
[ta báwrə]

capital city of Tabora
Region, west-central Tanzania, situated about 354 km/220 mi northwest of
Dodoma. Population: 214,000 (1986)[1]



taboret

taboret
tab·o·ret 
[tàbbə rét, tàbbə
ráy] (plural tab·o·rets) or tab·ou·ret [tàbbə rét, tàbbə ráy]
(plural tab·ou·rets) noun

1.  FURNITURE low
cylindrical stool: a low solid seat without
arms or a back

2.  SEWING See tambour  noun 1

3.  MUSIC small
tabor:
a small tabor or tambourine
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “small tabor” (see tabor
).][1]



Tabor,Mount

Tabor,Mount
Ta·bor,
Mount
[táyb ər]

peak in northern Israel, east
of Nazareth. In the Bible, it is the site of the transfiguration of Jesus
Christ. Height: 588 m/1,929 ft.[1]



tabour

tabour
ta·bour 
noun

See
tabor[1]



tabouret

tabouret
tab·ou·ret 
noun

See
taboret[1]



tabu

tabu
ta·bu 
adjective noun transitive verb

See
taboo[1]



tabular

tabular
tab·u·lar 
[tábbyələr] adjective

1.  arranged
in table:
arranged in a table or in columns and rows

2.  having
flat surface: having a flat surface that resembles a
table

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY broad
and flat:
used to describe crystals that are broad and flat

4.  GEOLOGY splitting
into thin plates: made up of and splitting into thin
horizontal plates

5.  MATHEMATICS computed
using table: calculated with or making use of a
table, for example, of logarithms
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin tabularis, from tabula (see table ).]
—tab·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



tabularasa

tabularasa
tab·u·la
ra·sa 
[tàbbyələ rssə, tàbbyələ
rzə] (plural tab·u·lae ra·sae [tàbbyələ
rssee, tàbbyələ rzee]) noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY mind
prior to experiences: the mind at birth, regarded
as having no innate conceptions

2.  chance
to start afresh: an opportunity to make a clean break or
a fresh start
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “scraped table.”][1]



tabularize

tabularize
tab·u·lar·ize 
[tábbyələ rīz] (past tab·u·lar·ized,
past participle tab·u·lar·ized, present participle tab·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular tab·u·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

See
tabulate  verb 1
—tab·u·lar·i·za·tion [tàbbyələ rə záysh’n], noun[1]



tabulate

tabulate
tab·u·late 
transitive verb [tábbyoo làyt] (past
tab·u·lat·ed, past participle tab·u·lat·ed, present
participle tab·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular tab·u·lates)

1.  arrange
information in table: to arrange information
systematically in a table or in columns and rows

2.  make
something flat: to give a flat top or upper surface to
something (usually passive)
adjective
[tábbyə lit, tábbyə
làyt]

flat: with
a flat surface that resembles a table
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin tabulatus from, ultimately, Latin tabula
(see table ).]
—tab·u·la·ble,
adjective

—tab·u·la·tion [tàbbyə láysh’n], noun[1]



tabulator

tabulator
tab·u·la·tor 
[tàbbyə láytər] (plural tab·u·la·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
or something tabulating data: a person or device that
tabulates information

2.  COMMERCE COMPUTING Full form of tab 2 noun

[1]



tabun

tabun
tab·un
[t bn] noun

nerve
gas:
an organic phosphorus compound used in chemical warfare. C5H11N2O2P
[Mid-20th century. From
German, of unknown origin.][1]



TAC

TAC
TAC

Abbreviation of
Tactical Air Command[1]



tacamahac

tacamahac
tac·a·ma·hac 
[tákəmə hàk] (plural tac·a·ma·hacs)
or tac·ma·hack [tákmə hàk] (plural
tac·ma·hacks) noun

1.  strong-smelling
resinous substance: a resinous gum obtained from
particular trees and used to make ointments and incense

2.  tree
yielding tacamahac resin: a tree from which tacamahac
resin is obtained, especially the balsam poplar
[Late 16th century. Via
obsolete Spanish tacamahaca from Aztec tecomahiyac .][1]



Tacan

Tacan
Tac·an
[tá kàn] noun

aircraft
navigation system: an aircraft navigation
system using ultrahigh-frequency signals emitted from a transmitting station to
determine distance and bearing
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from tactical + air + navigation
.][1]



tacet

tacet
ta·cet 
[tássət, táyssət,
t kèt] noun

musical
instruction to be silent: a musical direction
instructing a musician not to play or sing a certain passage
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “(it) is silent,” formed from tacere (see tacit ).][1]



tach

tach
tach 
[tak] (plural tachs) noun

tachometer:
a tachometer (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



tacheometer

tacheometer
tach·e·om·e·ter 
(plural tach·e·om·e·ters) noun

See
tachymeter[1]



tacheometry

tacheometry
tach·e·om·e·try
[tàkee ómmətree] noun

See
tachymetry
—tach·e·o·met·ric
[tàkee ə métrik], adjective

—tach·e·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[tàkee ə métrik’lee], adverb[1]



tachinafly

tachinafly
tach·i·na
fly 
[tákənə fl] noun

fly
with parasitic larvae: a bristly fly whose larvae
live as parasites on other insects. They are sometimes used to control harmful
insect species. Family: Tachinidae
Also
called
tachinid
[Tachina via modern Latin,
genus name, from, ultimately, Greek takhinos “swift”][1]



tachinid

tachinid
tach·i·nid 
[tákənid] noun (plural tach·i·nids)

See
tachina fly
adjective

relating
to tachina fly: relating to the family of insects that
the tachina fly belongs to
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Takhinidae, family name, from Takhina (see tachina fly ).][1]



tachism

tachism
tach·ism 
[tá shìzzəm] or tach·isme [tá shìzzəm] noun

action
painting featuring patches of color: a
type of action painting in which random blotches of color are used as a method
of instinctive expression
[Mid-20th
century. From French tachisme, from tache “spot.”]
—tach·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



tachistoscope

tachistoscope
ta·chis·to·scope 
[tə kístə skp] (plural ta·chis·to·scopes)
noun

apparatus
for perception and memory tests: an instrument for
displaying visual images very briefly, used to test perception and memory
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek takhistos “swiftest” (formed from takhus
“swift”) + -scope .]
—ta·chis·to·scop·ic
[tə kìstə skóppik], adjective

—ta·chis·to·scop·i·cal·ly
[tə kìstə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



tachogram

tachogram
tach·o·gram
[tákə gràm] (plural tach·o·grams)
noun

graph produced by tachograph:
a record in graph form produced by a tachograph[1]



tachograph

tachograph
tach·o·graph 
[tákə gràf] (plural tach·o·graphs)
noun

instrument producing record
of tachometer use: an
instrument that produces a record of the use and readings of a tachometer,
especially one in a commercial vehicle or bus recording speeds and distances
traveled. In effect, a tachograph records the hours worked by a driver.[1]



tachometer

tachometer
ta·chom·e·ter 
[ta kómmətər] (plural ta·chom·e·ters)
noun

device
for measuring rotation speed: a device used to determine
speed of rotation, typically of a vehicle’s crankshaft and usually in
revolutions per minute
—tach·o·met·ric
[tàkə méttrik], adjective

—tach·o·met·ri·cal·ly
[tàkə méttrikəlee], adverb

—ta·chom·e·try [ta kómmətree], noun[1]



tachy-

tachy-
tachy-
prefix

accelerated,
rapid • tachygraphy
[From Greek takhus
“swift”][1]



tachyarrhythmia

tachyarrhythmia
tach·y·ar·rhyth·mi·a 
[tàkee ə rímee ə] noun

fast and irregular heartbeat:
a medical condition in which the heartbeat is fast and irregular[1]



tachycardia

tachycardia
tach·y·car·di·a 
[tàki krdee ə] noun

rapid
heart rate:
an excessively rapid heartbeat, typically regarded as a heart rate exceeding
100 beats per minute in a resting adult
[Late
19th century. Coined from tachy- + Greek kardia
“heart” (see cardia ).]
—tach·y·car·di·ac, adjective[1]



tachygraphy

tachygraphy
ta·chyg·ra·phy 
[ta kíggrəfee] noun

1.  ancient
shorthand:
the shorthand system used by the ancient Greeks and Romans

2.  abbreviated
medieval writing: the abbreviated cursive writing used in
medieval times for Latin and Greek
—ta·chyg·ra·pher,
noun

—tach·y·graph·ic
[tàki gráffik], adjective

—tach·y·graph·i·cal·ly
[tàki gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



tachylite

tachylite
tach·y·lite
[tákə lt] or tach·y·lyte [tákə lt] noun

volcanic
glass:
black volcanic glass formed by the chilling of basaltic magma
[Mid-19th
century. Via German Tachylyt, which was coined from Greek takhu-
“quickly” (see tachy- ), from its rapid
decomposition in acids, + lutos “soluble.”]
—tach·y·lit·ic [tàki líttik], adjective[1]



tachymeter

tachymeter
ta·chym·e·ter 
[ta kímmətər] (plural ta·chym·e·ters)
or tach·e·om·e·ter [tàkee ómmətər]
(plural tacheometers) noun

surveying instrument:
an instrument used in surveying to work out distances, elevations, and
directions at speed[1]



tachymetry

tachymetry
ta·chym·e·try 
[ta kímmətree] or tach·e·om·e·try
[tàkee ómmətree] noun

measurement
using tachymeter: the measurement of distances,
elevations, and directions using a tachymeter
—tach·y·met·ric
[tàki méttrik], adjective

—tach·y·met·ri·cal·ly
[tàki méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



tachyon

tachyon
tach·y·on 
[tákee òn] (plural tach·y·ons)
noun

hypothetical subatomic
particle: a hypothetical elementary
particle that always travels faster than the speed of light[1]



Taché,Etienne-Paschal

Taché,Etienne-Paschal
Ta·ché 
[taa sháy], Sir Etienne-Paschal (1795–1865)

Canadian politician. A local
and federal office holder, he chaired the conference (1864) that paved the way
for the unification of Canada.[1]



tacit

tacit
tac·it 
[tássit] adjective

1.  implied
but not expressed: understood or implied
without being stated openly

2.  silent:
not spoken (archaic)
[Early
17th century. From Latin tacitus, the past participle of tacere
“to be silent.”]
—tac·it·ly,
adverb

—tac·it·ness, noun[1]



taciturn

taciturn
tac·i·turn 
[tássi tùrn] adjective

silent
by nature:
habitually uncommunicative or reserved in speech and manner
[Late
18th century. Via French taciturne from Latin taciturnus, from tacitus
(see tacit ).]
—tac·i·tur·ni·ty
[tàssi túrnətee], noun

—tac·i·turn·ly
[tássi tùrnlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at silent

[1]



tack

tack2
tack2 [tak]
noun

saddles
and bridles: saddles, bridles, and other parts of a
horse’s harness
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of tackle .][1]



tack

tack1
tack1 [tak]
noun (plural tacks)

1.  JOINERY HOME MAINTENANCE small
nail:
a small sharp nail with a broad head

2.  See
thumbtack

3.  course
of action:
a course of action or method of approach intended to achieve something,
especially one adopted after another has failed

4.  SAILING change
in direction of sailing: a change in the direction of
movement of a sailing ship or sailboat made in order to maximize the benefit
from the wind

5.  SAILING part
of zigzag sailing course: a stage or series of stages
in the zigzag movement of a sailing ship or sailboat that is changing direction
in order to maximize the benefit from the wind

6.  SAILING direction
of sailing:
the direction of movement of a sailing ship or sailboat in relation to the side
from which the wind is blowing, effected by the position of its sails

7.  slight
stickiness:
slight stickiness, for example, of glue or paint that has not yet dried

8.  SAILING rope
holding down sail: a rope holding down the
corner of some sails, or the corner that is held down

9.  SEWING temporary
stitch:
a long loose temporary stitch, often used to align seams in preparation for
final sewing
verb
(past tacked, past participle tacked, present
participle tack·ing, 3rd person present singular tacks)

1.  transitive
verb
JOINERY HOME MAINTENANCE fasten
something with tacks: to attach something with
small sharp broad-headed nails

2.  transitive
verb
attach
something with thumbtack: to attach something light to
a board or wall with a thumbtack

3.  transitive
verb
put
things together arbitrarily: to bring different things
together to form an arbitrary or illusory whole

4.  intransitive
verb
change
approach:
to take a different course of action or use a different method

5.  transitive
verb
SEWING sew
something temporarily: to sew something with long
loose temporary stitches

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING change direction of sailing
ship:
to change the direction or course of a sailing ship or sailboat, or to steer it
on alternate tacks
[14th
century. From Old Northern French taque “fastening,” of Germanic
origin.]
tack
on

transitive verb
add something to something else either as a supplement or an afterthought[1]



tack

tack3
tack3 [tak]
noun

something
inferior:
goods that are tasteless and vulgar or cheap and shoddy (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Back-formation from tacky .][1]



tack

tack4
tack4 [tak]
noun

poor
fare:
foodstuff, especially of the poor quality fed to a ship’s crew in the days of
sailing ships (slang)
See
also
hardtack
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tackboard

tackboard
tack·board
[ták bàwrd] (plural tack·boards)
noun

bulletin board:
a bulletin board (informal)[1]



tackle

tackle
tack·le 
[ták’l] noun (plural tack·les)

1.  SPORTS attempt
to stop opponent’s progress: a physical challenge against
an opposing player who has the ball, puck, or other object of possession in
football, hockey, and some other games. A tackle is made by seizing and forcing
the opponent to the ground in football, by using the foot in soccer, and with
the stick in hockey.

2.  sports
equipment:
the equipment used for a particular activity such as fishing, angling, or rock
climbing

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ropes
and pulleys: equipment consisting of ropes and
pulleys used for lifting heavy weights through increased mechanical advantage

4.  NAUTICAL ship’s
rigging:
the gear and rigging of a ship

5.  FOOTBALL lineman
next to end: a lineman positioned between a guard and
an end, or the position of such a player
transitive
verb
(past tack·led, past participle tack·led, present
participle tack·ling, 3rd person present singular tack·les)

1.  embark
on doing something: to undertake or deal with
something that requires effort

2.  confront
somebody:
to open a conversation or discussion on a difficult issue with somebody who
would prefer to avoid it

3.  SPORTS make
tackle on somebody: to make a physical challenge
on an opposing player

4.  harness
an animal:
to put a harness on an animal, especially a horse
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German takel “ship’s
rigging,” from taken “to seize.”]
—tack·ler, noun[1]



tackwelding

tackwelding
tack
weld·ing
noun

welding with small separated
welds: the welding of two metals by
individual welds at isolated points[1]



tacky

tacky2
tack·y2 [tákee]
(comparative tack·i·er, superlative tack·i·est) adjective
(informal)

1.  in
bad taste:
perceived of as vulgar, lacking in taste, or no longer fashionable

2.  shabby:
appearing to be cheaply made or in need of repair
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown. Originally in the meaning “inferior horse.”]
—tack·i·ly,
adverb

—tack·i·ness, noun[1]



tacky

tacky1
tack·y1 [tákee]
(comparative tack·i·er, superlative tack·i·est) adjective

slightly
sticky:
slightly sticky to the touch
[Late
18th century. Formed from tack 1 .]
—tack·i·ly,
adverb

—tack·i·ness, noun[1]



tacmahack

tacmahack
tac·ma·hack
noun

See
tacamahac[1]



taco

taco
ta·co 
[t kō] (plural ta·cos) noun

filled
crisp tortilla shell: a crisp fried corn tortilla
usually filled with meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and hot sauce
[Mid-20th century. Via
American Spanish from Spanish, “wad.”][1]



Tacoma

Tacoma
Ta·co·ma 
[tə kṓmə]

city in western Washington
State, a deep-water port on Commencement Bay, an arm of Puget Sound.
Population: 183,060 (1994)[1]



taconite

taconite
tac·o·nite 
[tákə nt] noun

low-grade
iron ore:
a banded iron formation consisting of layers of the iron oxides magnetite and
hematite that may be extracted from ground-up rock using a magnet
[Early 20th century. Named
for Taconic, a mountain range in New York State, where it was first
found.][1]



tact

tact
tact 
[takt] noun

1.  ability
to avoid giving offense: skill in situations in which
other people’s feelings have to be considered

2.  discretion:
an intuitive sense of what is right or appropriate
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin tactus “(sense of) touch,” from tangere “to
touch.”][1]



tactful

tactful
tact·ful 
[táktfəl] adjective

characterized
by tact:
having or showing concern about upsetting or offending people
—tact·ful·ly,
adverb

—tact·ful·ness, noun[1]



tactic

tactic
tac·tic 
[táktik] (plural tac·tics) noun

means
to goal:
a method used or a course of action followed in order to achieve an immediate
or short-term aim
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek taktikos “of arrangement,” from taktos
“arranged,” from tassein “to arrange.”][1]



tactical

tactical
tac·ti·cal 
[táktik’l] adjective

1.  of
tactics:
relating to or involving tactics

2.  as
means to end: done or made for the purpose of trying
to achieve an immediate or short-term aim

3.  showing
skillful planning: showing skillful planning in
order to accomplish something

4.  MILITARY with
limited military objective: used or made to support
limited military operations

5.  MILITARY supporting
other military objective: undertaken or for use in
support of other military and naval operations
—tac·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



tactician

tactician
tac·ti·cian 
[tak tísh’n] (plural tac·ti·cians)
noun

somebody using tactics:
somebody who is skilled at using tactics or responsible for tactics, or
somebody with a particular kind of tactical ability[1]



tactics

tactics
tac·tics 
[táktiks] noun (takes a singular
verb)

1.  MILITARY direction
of forces in battle: the science of organizing
and maneuvering forces in battle to achieve a limited or immediate aim

2.  finding
means to end: the art of finding and implementing
means to achieve particular immediate or short-term aims

[1]



tactile

tactile
tac·tile 
[tákt’l] adjective

1.  of
touch:
relating to or used for the sense of touch

2.  tangible:
capable of perception by the sense of touch

3.  habitually
touching people: inclined to touch people a lot, for
example, while talking to them

4.  ARTS apparently
three-dimensional: giving an illusion of
physical solidity and tangibility

5.  pleasant
to touch:
pleasing or interesting to the sense of touch
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin tactilis, from tactus
(see tact ).]
—tac·tile·ly,
adverb

—tac·til·i·ty [tak tíllətee], noun[1]



tactilecorpuscle

tactilecorpuscle
tac·tile
cor·pus·cle
(plural tac·tile cor·pus·cles) or tac·tile bud (plural
tac·tile buds) noun

touch receptor:
a tiny egg-shaped touch receptor that responds to light pressure and is found
in the skin of the palms, lips, soles, and other hairless sensitive areas.
Also called
Meissner’s corpuscle[1]



tactless

tactless
tact·less 
[táktləss] adjective

lacking
tact:
lacking or showing a lack of concern about upsetting or offending people
—tact·less·ly,
adverb

—tact·less·ness, noun[1]



tactual

tactual
tac·tu·al 
[tákchoo əl] adjective

tactile:
relating to the sense of touch or imparting the sensation of contact
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin tactus (see tact
).]
—tac·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



tad

tad
tad 
[tad] (plural tads) noun
(informal)

1.  small
amount:
a very slight amount or degree of something

2.  small
boy:
a small child, especially a boy
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of tadpole
.][1]



tadpole

tadpole
tad·pole 
[tád pl] (plural tad·poles) noun

frog
or toad larva: the aquatic larva of a frog, toad, or
salamander that has a limbless round body, gills, and a tail
[15th century. From earlier
forms of toad + poll
.][1]



Tadzhik

Tadzhik
Ta·dzhik 
or Ta·dzhik·i noun

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Tajik[1]



Tadzhikistan

Tadzhikistan
Ta·dzhik·i·stan


See
Tajikistan[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








taekwon do

taekwon do
tae
kwon do 
[t kwon dṓ] noun

Korean
martial art: a Korean martial art resembling karate
but also employing a wide range of kicking moves
[Mid-20th century. From
Korean, literally “art of hand and foot fighting.”][1]



tael

tael
tael 
[tayl] (plural taels) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS E
Asian unit of weight: a varying unit of weight
used in East Asia, usually around 38 g/1.75 oz

2.  MONEY old
unit of Chinese currency: a silver coin that was a
unit of currency in China between 1889 and 1912, equivalent to a tael of silver
[Late 16th century. Via
Portuguese from Malay tahil, unit of weight.][1]



taenia

taenia
tae·ni·a 
[tnee ə] (plural tae·ni·ae or
tae·ni·as) or te·ni·a [tnee ə]
(plural te·ni·ae [tnee ] or
te·ni·as) noun

1.  ANATOMY part
shaped like ribbon: a body part that resembles a
ribbon, especially muscle or nervous tissue

2.  ARCHITECTURE horizontal
band in Doric architecture: in the Doric order of
ancient Greek architecture, a narrow band ( fillet
) between the main beam ( architrave )
across the top of the columns and the frieze above

3.  ZOOLOGY parasitic
tapeworm:
a large parasitic tapeworm. Genus: Taenia

4.  CLOTHES HISTORY narrow headband:
a fillet or headband worn in ancient Greece
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek tainia “band.”][1]



taeniacide

taeniacide
tae·ni·a·cide 
[tnee ə sd] (plural tae·ni·a·cides)
or te·ni·a·cide [tnee ə sd]
(plural te·ni·a·cides) noun

substance destroying
tapeworms: a substance for killing
tapeworms[1]



taeniafuge

taeniafuge
tae·ni·a·fuge 
[tnee ə fyj] (plural tae·ni·a·fug·es)
or te·ni·a·fuge [tnee ə fyj]
(plural te·ni·a·fug·es) noun

substance for expelling
tapeworms: a drug or other agent that
expels tapeworms from the body[1]



taeniasis

taeniasis
tae·ni·a·sis 
[tee n əssis] or te·ni·a·sis
[tee n əssis] noun

infestation with tapeworms:
infestation with adult tapeworms, usually following the eating of raw or
undercooked meat containing tapeworm larvae[1]



taffeta

taffeta
taf·fe·ta 
[táffətə] (plural taf·fe·tas) noun

stiff
shiny silk:
a stiff lustrous silk or a silky fabric with a slight rib, usually used for
women’s clothes
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin or Old French taffetas from, ultimately, Persian tāftah,
from tāftan “to shine.”][1]



taffrail

taffrail
taff·rail 
[táf ràyl] (plural taff·rails)
noun NAUTICAL

1.  stern
rail:
the rail around the stern of a ship

2.  top
part of stern: the upper flat and often carved part of
a ship’s stern
[Early 19th century. From
Dutch taffereel, literally “a small table,” from tafel (see table ).][1]



taffy

taffy
taf·fy 
[táffee] (plural taf·fies) noun

1.  chewy
candy:
a chewy candy made of sugar or molasses boiled down and pulled until glossy and
light in color

2.  insincere
flattery:
flattery of an insincere kind (informal dated)
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably originally a dialect form of toffee
.][1]



Taft,Robert A.

Taft,Robert A.
Taft
[taft], Robert A. (1889–1953)

U.S.
statesman. A conservative Republican senator from Ohio (1938–1953), he led the
opposition to the Democratic administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry
S. Truman. He was cosponsor of the Taft-Hartley Act (1947), which tightened
restrictions on labor unions.
Full name
Taft, Robert Alphonso Known as Mr. Republican[1]



Taft,William Howard

Taft,William Howard

Taft
[taft], William Howard (1857–1930)
U.S. statesman and 27th president of the
United States. A Republican, he was president from 1909 to 1913 and chief
justice of the Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930.[1]



tag

tag2
tag2  [tag]
noun (plural tags)

1.  GAME children’s
chasing and touching game: a children’s game in which
one player is chosen to chase the others and try to touch one of them. Anyone
touched then becomes “it” and is then the player who does the chasing.

2.  BASEBALL instance
of tagging runner out: an instance of tagging a
runner out in baseball

3.  WRESTLING See tag wrestling

4.  WRESTLING instance
of tagging in wrestling: an instance of tagging a
partner in wrestling
transitive
verb
(past tagged, past participle tagged, present
participle tag·ging, 3rd person present singular tags)

1.  catch
player in game of tag: to touch a player in the
children’s game of tag, making that player “it”

2.  BASEBALL touch
runner with ball: to get a runner out in baseball by
touching him or her with the ball before he or she reaches the base

3.  WRESTLING touch
partner’s hand in wrestling: to touch the hand of a
partner in tag-team wrestling in order to switch places
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of Scots tig “touch,”
ultimately from tick in the obsolete sense
“to touch lightly.”]
tag
up

intransitive verb
in baseball, to touch a base before running to the next one after a fly ball is
caught[1]



tag

tag1
tag1  [tag]
noun (plural tags)

1.  label:
a small piece or strip of cloth, paper, plastic, or other material attached to
something, especially by one end, or hung on it as a label or means of
identification

2.  CRIMINOLOGY electronic
device worn by offender: an electronic device worn,
usually on the ankle or wrist, by a convicted offender serving a sentence in
the community to allow his or her movements to be monitored

3.  COMPUTING classifying
label for data: a label that classifies a piece of data,
for example, by its type, to facilitate later retrieval

4.  tip
at end of shoelace: a plastic or metal tip
attached to the end of shoelace or cord to prevent it from fraying

5.  ZOOLOGY tip of
animal’s tail: the tip of an animal’s tail, especially
if in a contrasting color with the rest of the tail

6.  small
loose or ragged piece: a small piece of a material
hanging loosely or raggedly from the main piece

7.  AGRICULTURE ZOOLOGY matted
lock of wool: a dirty matted lock of wool or hair in
an animal’s fleece or coat

8.  ANGLING attachment
to artificial fly: a piece of usually brightly
colored material tied around the shank of the hook in the body of an artificial
fly

9.  LANGUAGE well-known
quotation:
a well-known or hackneyed quotation, often in Latin, usually intended to add
dignity or weight to a speech or piece of writing

10. LANGUAGE epithet:
a descriptive word or phrase used, especially frequently, about somebody or
something

11. LANGUAGE ending
for piece of writing: an ending or added endpiece
for a piece of writing, for example, a refrain, the cue line ending an actor’s
speech, or a final speech addressed to the audience

12. LINGUISTICS See tag question

13. graffiti
artist’s signature: a signature or identifying
symbol used by a graffiti artist
verb
(past tagged, past participle tagged, present
participle tag·ging, 3rd person present singular tags)

1.  transitive
verb
label
with tag:
to attach a tag to something or label something with a tag

2.  transitive
verb
add
something at end: to add an additional piece or section to
the end of something, especially a piece of writing • tagged
on a couple of extra lines at the end

3.  transitive
verb
LANGUAGE attach
epithet to:
to give somebody a nickname or assign a verbal label to somebody

4.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY attach
electronic tag to offender: to make an offender wear an
electronic tag

5.  transitive
verb
LAW ticket
car:
to attach a ticket to a vehicle to notify the driver that a traffic or parking
offense has been committed

6.  transitive
verb
LAW charge
somebody with crime: to charge somebody with a
crime (often passive) • tagged
for theft

7.  transitive
verb
LANGUAGE attach
rhymes to something: to put unrhymed verse or
prose into rhyme

8.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE remove
tags from wool: to remove tags from an animal’s fleece
or hair

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb follow
closely:
to follow along close behind somebody
[From Middle English tagge
“dangling section of garment,” of unknown origin][1]



Tagalog

Tagalog
Ta·ga·log 
[tə gləg, tə g
lòg] (plural Ta·ga·log or Ta·ga·logs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Filipino people: a member of a people who
originally lived in the Manila area of the Philippines

2.  LANGUAGE Tagalog
language:
the Austronesian language of the Tagalog people. Tagalog is the basis of
Filipino, the national language of the Philippines. It is spoken by about 17
million people.
[Early
19th century. From Tagalog tagá “native” + ilog “river.”]
—Tagalog, adjective[1]



tagalong

tagalong
tag·a·long
[tággə lòng] (plural tag·a·longs)
noun

follower:
somebody or something that persistently follows another, especially somebody
whose attentions are unwelcome[1]



tagalong

tagalong
tag
along
intransitive verb

accompany somebody:
to accompany or follow somebody, often when your presence is unwanted[1]



tagday

tagday
tag
day
noun

day for charitable
collection: a day when people collect
money for charity and give donors a tag to wear.
U.K. term
flag day[1]



tagend

tagend
tag
end
noun

1.  last
bit:
the very last or last remaining part of something

2.  loose
piece:
a loose or detached piece of something

[1]



tagetes

tagetes
tag·et·es 
[tàjjə tz, tə
jétteez] (plural tag·et·es·es) noun

marigold:
a marigold, especially an African or French marigold. Latin name: Tagetes
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin Tagetes, genus name, from Latin Tages, name of an
Etruscan god.][1]



tagger

tagger
tag·ger 
[tággər] (plural taggers) noun

somebody
who spray-paints name on something: a
graffiti artist who spray-paints his or her name or symbol on a public
structure (slang)
[Mid-20th century][1]



taggers

taggers
tag·gers
[tággərz] plural noun

sheet
iron:
iron or steel in thin sheets coated with tin
[Mid-19th century. Perhaps
because such sheets were used to make shoelace tags.][1]



tagliatelle

tagliatelle
tag·li·a·tel·le 
[tàllyə tél] noun

pasta
in long narrow ribbons: pasta in the form of long
narrow ribbons
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, formed from tagliare “to cut into strips.”][1]



tagline

tagline
tag
line
noun

1.  punch
line:
the final line of a joke, story, or drama, delivering a humorous or dramatic
point

2.  slogan:
a phrase repeatedly used in connection with a person, organization, or product,
especially in publicity

[1]



tagma

tagma
tag·ma 
[tágmə] (plural tag·ma·ta [tágmətə]) noun

part
of insect body: a distinct functional region of the body
of an arthropod, for example, the thorax
[Early 20th century. From
Greek, “something arranged,” from tag-, the stem of tassein “to
arrange” (see taxis ).][1]



tagmeme

tagmeme
tag·meme 
[tág mm] (plural tag·memes) noun

sentence
slot:
any one of the various positions in the structure of a sentence into which a
word or phrase of a particular grammatical type can fit
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek tagma “something arranged.”]
—tag·mem·ic [tag mmik], adjective[1]



tagmemics

tagmemics
tag·mem·ics 
[tag mmiks] noun

grammatical analysis:
a grammatical analysis of language based on the way in which the different
elements that make up a sentence are arranged within it (takes a singular
verb)[1]



Tagore,Rabindranath

Tagore,Rabindranath

Ta·gore
[tə gáwr], Rabindranath (1861–1941)
Indian writer. A prolific author of
poetry, plays, short stories, and novels, he revolutionized Bengali poetry by
using colloquial language and new verse forms, and translated his own works
into English. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913.[1]



tagquestion

tagquestion
tag
ques·tion
(plural tag ques·tions) noun

interrogative clause at end
of statement: a short clause added on
to a statement to turn it into a question, for example, “don’t you?” or “isn’t
it?”, or a statement with a question clause attached. The main function of a
tag question is to cue a response from the listener or obtain his or her agreement
to the original statement.
Also called
tag[1]



tagteam

tagteam
tag
team
noun

wrestling team:
a team of two wrestlers, only one of whom may wrestle at a time. Wrestlers
change places only after touching hands.[1]



taguan

taguan
tag·uan
[t gwn] (plural tag·uans) noun

flying
squirrel:
a large nocturnal East Indian flying squirrel that leaps from tree to tree with
the help of skin flaps that stretch between its limbs. Latin name: Petaurista
petaurista
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a local name in the Philippines.][1]



tagwrestling

tagwrestling
tag
wrestling
noun

team wrestling:
a form of wrestling in which wrestlers compete in teams of two or more, taking
it in turns to enter the ring, a touch of hands being required for a
changeover.
Also called
tag[1]



tahini

tahini
ta·hi·ni 
[tə hnee] or tahina [tə hnə] noun

sesame
paste:
an oily paste made from crushed sesame seeds, used as seasoning
[Mid-20th century. From
Arabic aḥīnā, from aḥana “to grind.”][1]



Tahiti

Tahiti
Ta·hi·ti 
[tə htee]

island
of French Polynesia, the largest of the Society Islands, in the southern
Pacific Ocean. Population: 115,820 (1998) Area: 1,036 sq km/400 sq mi.
—Ta·hi·tian, noun,
adjective[1]



Tahoe,Lake

Tahoe,Lake

Ta·hoe, Lake
[táahō]
lake in the western United States, lying
on the border between Nevada and California. Area: 500 sq km/193 sq mi.[1]



tahr

tahr
tahr 
[taar] (plural tahrs) noun

mammal
resembling goat: a ruminant mammal similar to a goat,
with a shaggy coat and curved horns, that is native to mountainous regions in
southern Asia. Genus: Hemitragus
[Mid-19th century. From
Nepalese thār .][1]



tahsil

tahsil
tah·sil 
[taa sl] (plural tah·sils) noun

Indian
territorial division: an administrative district
in some states of India
[Mid-19th century. Via Urdu
and Persian from taḥṣīl “revenue,” from Arabic ḥaṣala “to
collect.”][1]



tahsildar

tahsildar
tah·sil·dar 
[t seel dr] (plural tah·sil·dars)
noun

Indian
civil servant: in India, a government official in
charge of collecting taxes and other revenues in a tahsil
[Late 18th century. Via Urdu taḥsīldār
from Persian, literally “revenue-holder,” from taḥṣīl (see tahsil ).][1]



Tai

Tai
Tai 
[tī] (plural Tai or Tais)
noun

LANGUAGE SE
Asian language family: a group of tonal languages
spoken in Southeast Asia, including Thai and Lao. Tai is sometimes considered
to be related to the Sino-Tibetan language family.
—Tai, adjective[1]



taiaha

taiaha
ta·ia·ha
[t ə h, t ee ə
h] (plural ta·ia·has) noun

New
Zealand
Maori
staff:
a carved Maori staff, formerly used as a weapon, now carried by speakers at
public ceremonies
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



taichi

taichi
tai
chi 
[t ch] or Tai Chi [t ch] or T’ai Chi [t ch] or tai chi chuan [t chee chwn] or Tai Chi Chuan [t chee chwn] or T’ai Chi Ch’uan [t chee chwn] noun

Chinese system of exercise:
a Chinese form of physical exercise characterized by a series of very slow and
deliberate balletic body movements[1]



taiga

taiga
tai·ga 
[tgə] noun

subarctic
forests:
the subarctic coniferous forests of North America, northern Europe, and Asia
located south of tundra
[Late 19th century. From
Russian, of Altaic origin.][1]



tail

tail
tail
[tayl] noun (plural tails)

1.  ZOOLOGY rear
part of animal’s body: the flexible rear part, or a
movable extension to the rear part, of a vertebrate animal’s body, that begins
above the anus and often contains the terminal vertebrae

2.  rear
part of something: the rear, last, or lowest
part of something • the tail of the
procession

3.  AIR rear
of aircraft: the rear part of an aircraft together
with horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces attached to it

4.  buttocks:
the buttocks (informal)

5.  ASTRONOMY stream
of gas from comet: the luminous stream of gas
and dust particles driven by the solar wind from a comet as it approaches and
then recedes from the Sun

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used by some men to refer to sexual intercourse with a woman
(taboo offensive)

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used by some men to refer to a woman perceived only as a
potential partner for sexual intercourse (taboo offensive)

8.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a woman’s genitals (taboo offensive)

9.  somebody
following another: somebody who secretly
follows or observes another (informal) • The
police put a round-the-clock tail on the suspect.

10. trail:
somebody’s trail, especially when he or she is being followed or pursued (informal)

11. HAIRDRESSING long
lock or braid of hair: a long lock or braid of hair

12. ARMS rear
of missile:
the rear part of a missile or bomb, including structures for controlling the
angle of the trajectory

13. PRINTING bottom
of page:
the bottom of a printed page, or the margin between the bottom of the page and
the lowest line of type

14. people
in a line:
a line of people or things

15. HISTORY See horsetail  noun 2
plural
noun
tails

1.  CLOTHES man’s
formal coat with tails: a formal, usually black coat
for a man, cut short at the front and with two long tails at the back

2.  CLOTHES man’s
evening clothes: full evening clothes for a man

3.  reverse
of coin:
the reverse side of a coin
verb
(past tailed, past participle tailed, present participle
tail·ing, 3rd person present singular tails)

1.  transitive
verb
follow
somebody secretly: to follow somebody secretly
in order to keep watch on him or her (informal) • Someone
must have tailed you back to the house.

2.  intransitive
verb
follow:
to follow behind somebody or something • She
strode out purposefully, leaving the rest of the party to tail along behind.

3.  intransitive
verb
form
line:
to form a long line when moving, especially a long spread-out line

4.  transitive
verb
remove
stalk from fruit: to remove the stalk from something such
as a piece of fruit

5.  transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE AGRICULTURE remove
tail of animal: to remove or cut short the tail of an
animal

6.  transitive
verb
join
things end to end: to join two or more things
end to end

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb CONSTRUCTION build something into
wall:
to build one end of something such as a joist, beam, or brick, into a wall, or
to be fixed into a wall at one end

8.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL lie
with stern in particular direction: to
lie with the stern pointing in a particular direction when moored
[Old
English tægel, from prehistoric Germanic]
—tail·less,
adjective

—tail·less·ness,
noun
turn
tail

turn
and walk or run away

with
your tail between your legs

in
an abject, ashamed manner

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



tailback

tailback
tail·back 
[táyl bàk] (plural tail·backs)
noun

offensive back:
the offensive back positioned farthest behind the line of scrimmage in a
football game[1]



tailbeam

tailbeam
tail
beam
(plural tail beams) noun

See
tailpiece[1]



tailbone

tailbone
tail·bone 
[táyl bn] (plural tail·bones)
noun

See
coccyx[1]



tailcoat

tailcoat
tail·coat 
[táyl kt] (plural tail·coats)
noun

man’s formal coat with tails:
a formal, usually black coat for a man, cut short at the front and with two
long tails at the back[1]



tailcovert

tailcovert
tail
cov·ert
(plural tail cov·erts) noun

tail feather:
any one of the small feathers on a bird’s tail that cover the bases of the tail
feathers[1]



tailend

tailend
tail
end
(plural tail ends) noun

1.  last
part:
the last or hindmost part of something

2.  buttocks:
the buttocks (informal)

[1]



tailender

tailender
tail·en·der
[tayl éndər] (plural tail·en·ders)
noun

somebody or something at end:
somebody or something that comes at or toward the end of something or in last
place (informal)[1]



tailfan

tailfan
tail
fan
(plural tail fans) noun

fan-shaped structure on rear
of crustacean: a fan-shaped structure
at the rear end of some crustaceans such as the lobster[1]



tailgate

tailgate
tail·gate 
[táyl gàyt] noun (plural tail·gates)

1.  gate
at back of vehicle: a gate at the back of a
truck or utility vehicle that can be laid flat or dropped down during loading
or unloading

2.  gate
in waterway: a gate controlling the flow of water at
the lower end of a lock in a waterway
verb
(past tail·gat·ed, past participle tail·gat·ed, present
participle tail·gat·ing, 3rd person present singular tail·gates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb drive
close behind: to drive very close behind another
vehicle

2.  intransitive
verb
have
tailgate party: to have a tailgate party
—tail·gat·er, noun[1]



tailgateparty

tailgateparty
tail·gate
party
noun

social gathering in parking
lot: a social gathering before a
sports event game held in a parking lot outside the stadium. Spectators park
close together and use their vehicles and the adjoining space for picnicking,
barbecuing, and other activities.[1]



tailgrab

tailgrab
tail
grab
(plural tail grabs) noun

snowboarding maneuver:
in snowboarding, a move in which the back of the board is maneuvered upward and
grabbed with the hand[1]



tailing

tailing
tail·ing 
[táyling] noun (plural tail·ings)

built-in
end:
the end of something such as a beam that is built into a wall during
construction
plural
noun
tail·ings

waste left after ore
processing: the waste left after ore has
been extracted from rock[1]



taillamp

taillamp
tail
lamp
(plural tail lamps) noun

See
taillight[1]



taille

taille
taille 
[tī, tayl]
(plural tailles) noun

old
French tax:
a tax levied by the French monarch on his subjects before the French Revolution
[Mid-16th century. From
French, “tax,” literally “a cut.”][1]



taillight

taillight
tail·light 
[táyl lt] (plural tail·lights)
noun

light at rear of vehicle:
a red light, usually one of two, mounted at the rear of a vehicle.
Also called
tail lamp
U.K. term
rear light[1]



tailoff

tailoff
tail
off
intransitive verb

decrease:
to grow less, smaller, or fainter, usually gradually[1]



tailor

tailor
tai·lor 
[táylər] noun (plural tai·lors)

clothes maker:
somebody who makes, alters, or repairs clothes
verb
(past tai·lored, past participle tai·lored, present
participle tai·lor·ing, 3rd person present singular tai·lors)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
clothes for particular need: to make clothes to meet a
particular need or for a particular person

2.  transitive
verb
adapt
something:
to adapt something to make it suitable for a particular purpose

3.  intransitive
verb
work
as tailor:
to work as a tailor
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman taillour from Old French tailleur “cutter,” from taillier
“to cut,” from late Latin taliare, from Latin talea “twig,
cutting.”][1]



tailorbird

tailorbird
tai·lor·bird 
[táylər bùrd] (plural tai·lor·birds)
noun

bird that sews nest:
a tropical Asian warbler that makes a nest by sewing leaves together with plant
fibers. Genus: Orthotomus[1]



tailored

tailored
tai·lored 
[táylərd] adjective

1.  CLOTHES made
to fit neatly: marked by a neat fit with trim lines and
a clean and formal or severe look

2.  CLOTHES made
by tailor:
made by a tailor

3.  made
for particular purpose: made or adapted for a
particular purpose

[1]



tailor-made

tailor-made
tai·lor-made 
adjective

1.  ideal
for somebody or something: perfectly suited to somebody
or for a particular purpose

2.  made
by tailor:
made by a tailor rather than in a factory
noun
(plural tai·lor-mades)

something made by tailor:
a garment made by a tailor

[1]



tailor’schalk

tailor’schalk
tai·lor’s
chalk 
noun

chalk for marking material:
a chalk used by tailors to mark out the positions of cuts or alterations on
material[1]



tailpiece

tailpiece
tail·piece 
[táyl pss] (plural tail·pieces)
noun

1.  end:
something that forms an end or is added at the end of something

2.  PRINTING decoration
at bottom of page: a decoration at the bottom
of a page, for example, at the end of a chapter

3.  MUSIC part
of stringed instrument: a piece of wood or metal at
the lower end of a stringed instrument such as a violin, to which the strings
are attached

4.  beam
embedded in wall: a beam that has one end embedded in a
wall.
Also
called
tail beam

[1]



tailpipe

tailpipe
tail·pipe
[táyl pp] (plural tail·pipes)
noun

pipe letting out engine’s
gases: a pipe through which exhaust
gases are expelled from an internal-combustion engine, for example, in a motor
vehicle or aircraft.
Also called
exhaust pipe
U.K. term
exhaust pipe[1]



tailplane

tailplane
tail·plane
[táyl plàyn] (plural tail·planes)
noun

horizontal part of aircraft
tail: the horizontal part of the
tail of an aircraft, designed to give stability[1]



tailrace

tailrace
tail·race 
[táyl ràyss] (plural tail·races)
noun

1.  channel
carrying water away from mill: a channel that carries
away water that has passed through a mill wheel or turbine

2.  channel
carrying away mine tailings: a channel that carries away
mine tailings in water

[1]



tailrotor

tailrotor
tail
rotor
(plural tail ro·tors) noun

rear rotor on helicopter:
a small propeller on the tail of a helicopter that counteracts the main rotor,
preventing the body of the helicopter from rotating in the opposite direction
to it[1]



tailskid

tailskid
tail·skid 
[táyl skìd] (plural tail·skids)
noun

1.  support
under aircraft tail: a support or runner on the
underside of the tail of an aircraft

2.  rear
wheel skid:
a skidding of the rear wheels of a motor vehicle

[1]



tailspin

tailspin
tail·spin 
[táyl spìn] (plural tail·spins)
noun

1.  spiral
descent:
a rapid spiral descent of an aircraft

2.  state
of panic:
a state of great confusion or distress (informal)

[1]



tailstock

tailstock
tail·stock 
[táyl stòk] (plural tail·stocks)
noun

part of lathe:
a movable part of a lathe, used to support the free end of the workpiece and
permitting it to rotate freely[1]



tailwind

tailwind
tail·wind
[táyl wìnd] (plural tail·winds)
noun

wind blowing in direction of
travel: a wind that is blowing in
the same direction that a ship or aircraft is traveling. A tailwind adds to an
aircraft’s effective speed.[1]



Taino

Taino
Tai·no 
[t nō] (plural Tai·no or
Tai·nos) noun

PEOPLES member
of extinct Caribbean people: a member of a Native Central
American people that formerly lived on the Caribbean islands of the Greater
Antilles and the Bahamas and died out during the 16th century
[Mid-19th century. From Taino
.][1]



taint

taint
taint 
[taynt] verb (past taint·ed,
past participle taint·ed, present participle taint·ing,
3rd person present singular taints)

1.  transitive
verb
pollute
something:
to pollute or contaminate something with something undesirable or dangerous

2.  transitive
verb
corrupt
somebody morally: to corrupt somebody morally or detract
from somebody’s reputation by associating him or her with something
reprehensible

3.  transitive
verb
flavor
something:
to give a scent or flavor of one thing to another

4.  intransitive
verb
spoil:
to spoil or become rotten
noun
(plural taints)

1.  imperfection
detracting from quality: an imperfection that
detracts from the quality of somebody or something • a
taint on her reputation

2.  something
detracting from purity of something:
something that detracts from the purity or cleanliness of something
[Late
16th century. Partly via Anglo-Norman teint, literally “colored, dyed,”
from Latin tingere (see tinge ), and
partly from Old French ataint “convicted,” the past participle of ateindre
(see attain ).]
—taint·less, adjective[1]



taipan

taipan2
tai·pan2 [t
pàn] (plural tai·pans) noun

Australian
snake:
a large, rare, and highly venomous snake found in northern Australia, brown in
color with a lighter brown belly, that can grow to 3.3 m/11 ft in length. Latin
name: Oxyuranus scutellatus
[Mid-20th century. Of
Australian Aboriginal origin.][1]



taipan

taipan1
tai·pan1 [t
pàn] (plural tai·pans) noun

foreign
head of business in China: a foreigner in charge of a
business or trading operation in China, especially a powerful business tycoon
[Mid-19th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) daaihbāan .][1]



Taipei

Taipei
Tai·pei
[t páy, t báy]
or T’ai·pei [t páy, t báy]

government seat of Taiwan.
The largest city on the island, it is regarded by the Taiwanese government as
its temporary capital. Population: 2,702,678 (1994)[1]



Taiping

Taiping
Tai·ping
[t píng] (plural Tai·pings) noun

19C
Chinese rebel: somebody who supported or took part in
the Taiping rebellion against the Manchu dynasty in China between 1850 and 1864
[Mid-19th century. From
Chinese tài píng, literally “great peace.”][1]



Taiwan




Back to definition

Taiwan

[1]



Taiwan

Taiwan



Tai·wan 
[t wn]
government
occupying the island of Taiwan and neighboring small islands, administered
separately since 1949 by a Chinese Nationalist government after its retreat
from mainland China. It is claimed as a province by the People’s Republic of
China. The seat of government is Taipei. Language: Mandarin Chinese. Currency:
New Taiwan dollar. Population: 21,703,304 (1997) Area: 36,000 sq km/13,900 sq
mi.
—Tai·wan·ese, noun,
adjective[1]



Taiyuan

Taiyuan
Tai·yu·an 
[tī ywán, tī yoo
án]

capital city of Shanxi
Province in northern China, southwest of Beijing. Population: 1,960,000 (1990)[1]



taj

taj
taj 
[taaj] (plural tajs) noun

Muslim’s
cap:
a tall brimless conical cap, often richly decorated, worn by Muslims as a mark
of distinction
[Late 19th century. Via
Arabic from Persian tāj “crown.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to cover” that is also the ancestor of English tegument and tile
.][1]



Tajik

Tajik
Ta·jik
[taa jík] (plural Ta·jiks or
Ta·jik) or Ta·dzhik [taà jk]
(plural Ta·dzhiks or Ta·dzhik) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Tajikistan: somebody who was born and raised in
Tajikistan, or who has Tajik citizenship

2.  Ta·jik
or Ta·dzhik or Ta·jik·i or Ta·dzhik·i
LANGUAGE official
language of Tajikistan: the official language of
Tajikistan. It belongs to the Iranian group of Indo-European languages. Tajik
is spoken by about 4.5 million people.
[Early
19th century. From Persian .]
—Ta·jik, adjective[1]



Tajiki

Tajiki
Ta·jik·i 
[taa jíkee] or Ta·dzhik·i [taa jíkee] noun

LANGUAGE See Tajik  noun 2
adjective

PEOPLES
relating to Tajiks:
relating to the Tajiks or their culture[1]



Tajikistan

Tajikistan



Ta·jik·i·stan 
[taa jíkee stàn, taa
jíkee staàn] or Ta·dzhik·i·stan [taa
jíkee stàn, taa jíkee staàn]
republic in southeastern Central Asia,
bordered by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, and Afghanistan. It was part of the
Soviet Union until 1991. Language: Tajik. Currency: Tajik ruble. Capital:
Dushanbe. Population: 5,945,903 (1997) Area: 143,100 sq km/55,250 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Tajikistan[1]



Tajikistan




Back to definition

Tajikistan

[1]



TajMahal

TajMahal

Taj Ma·hal
[tj mə hl] noun
great Mughal monument:
a white marble mausoleum in Agra, northern India, completed in 1643 in memory
of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is considered the
greatest example of Mughal architecture.[1]



Tajo

Tajo
Ta·jo
[thō]

the longest river of the
Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It enters the Atlantic Ocean at
Lisbon, Portugal. Length: 1,007 km/626 mi. Former name Tagus[1]



taka

taka
ta·ka 
[tkə] (plural ta·kas) noun

1.  unit
of Bangladeshi currency: the main unit of currency in
Bangladesh, worth 100 paisas

2.  coin
or bill worth one taka: a coin or bill worth one
taka
[Late 20th century. Via
Bengali ākā from Sanskrit aṅkaḥ “stamped coin.”][1]



TakakkawFalls

TakakkawFalls
Takakkaw
Falls
[tá kək aw fawlz]

Canada’s highest falls,
located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Height: 503 m/1,650 ft.[1]



take

take
take 
[tayk] verb (past took
[tk], past participle tak·en
[táykən], present participle tak·ing,
3rd person present singular takes)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove or steal something belonging to somebody else • I
wish you wouldn’t take things without asking.

2.  transitive
verb
get
a hold of somebody: to get a hold of something
or somebody using a hand, or receive something into your hand • She
took him by the arm and steered him out of the room.

3.  transitive
verb
carry
something:
to carry, bring, or transport something or somebody from one place to another • We’ll
need to take plenty of warm clothing.

4.  transitive
verb
win
something:
to capture or gain possession of a place, area, or object, or win something in
a contest or competition • took
the town after a long siege • took
first prize in the competition.

5.  transitive
verb
select
something or somebody: to choose an individual
object or person from a number available • Here,
take a chocolate.

6.  transitive
verb
get
into or onto something: to place yourself in
something, or start to occupy something • Please
take a seat.

7.  transitive
verb
claim
or assume something: to obtain something,
especially credit, glory, or blame, or accept or maintain that this is deserved
• He
doesn’t mind taking the credit for the party’s recent successes.

8.  transitive
verb
regularly
receive something: to buy, consume, or perform
something as a regular habit • We
take the Sunday paper. • I’ve
stopped taking lunch breaks.

9.  transitive
verb
lead
somebody somewhere: to enable somebody to go
toward a particular place or in a specified direction, or go along something
that leads to a particular place • Will
this road take us to the beach? • Take
the first road on the left.

10. transitive
verb
agree
to perform something: to agree to perform or
assume the duties associated with something • I
decided to take the job.

11. transitive
verb
be
willing to accept something: to be prepared to accept
something as valid, true, or satisfactory • The
machine refused to take my card.

12. transitive
verb
be
able to bear something: to endure, deal with,
accept, or put up with something, especially when it is unpleasant or
unavoidable • She
cannot take criticism.

13. transitive
verb
react
to something: to behave, feel, or act in response to
being told or finding out about something • I
don’t know how they will take the news.

14. transitive
verb
have
strength to hold up something: to be capable of
supporting something physically, without collapsing or breaking • Will
the shelf take the weight of all those books?

15. transitive
verb
travel
by means of something: to use a particular means of
transport to make a journey • Let’s
take a taxi.

16. transitive
verb
have
room for something: to be capable of containing
a specified amount or quantity of something • The
tank takes 20 gallons.

17. transitive
verb
write
something:
to record something in a written form • Do
you mind if I take notes?

18. transitive
verb
PHOTOGRAPHY capture
something on camera: to use a camera to make a
photograph • Let’s
take a few photos to record the event.

19. transitive
verb
EDUCATION study
something:
to study something on a formal basis • I took
physics in my senior year.

20. transitive
verb
start
to do something: to start to perform or occupy something
• The
new treasurer takes office next month.

21. transitive
verb
carry
out something: to perform or carry out something • I’ll
take action on this immediately.

22. transitive
verb
travel
over or around something: to travel over or around
something, especially in a vehicle or on a motorcycle or horse and in a
particular way • He took the bend too
fast.

23. transitive
verb
derive
from something or somebody: to copy or derive something
from a particular text or author (often passive) • That
quote is taken from Shakespeare.

24. transitive
verb
consider
something:
to use somebody or something as an example or as a subject for consideration or
discussion • Let’s
take your last point first.

25. transitive
verb
require
particular length of time: to need a particular amount
of time to be completed or performed • The
trip usually takes about three hours.

26. transitive
verb
need
something in order to function: to need a particular
thing in order to operate • This
cassette recorder takes four size C batteries.

27. transitive
verb
require
something:
to require something, especially a particular quality or characteristic, for
something to be achieved • It
took a lot of courage to admit that you were wrong.

28. transitive
verb
experience
emotion or have view: to experience a particular
emotion, have a particular reaction, or adopt a particular opinion with regard
to something • They
looked so pathetic I took pity on them.

29. transitive
verb
interpret
something in particular way: to interpret, recognize, or
understand something, especially somebody’s words or actions, in a particular
way • I
took her silence as a rejection.

30. transitive
verb
assume
something:
to make an assumption, usually a mistaken one, about somebody’s identity or
about the nature of a thing or a situation • I
took you for her sister.

31. transitive
verb
consume
something:
to swallow or receive something into the body or system • He
refuses to take his medicine.

32. transitive
verb
expose
body to elements: to go or sit out in the sun, or expose
the body to other elements • She
was lying on the beach, taking the sun.

33. intransitive
verb
work
or be successful: to work or have an effect in the
intended way • The
flu shot didn’t take.

34. intransitive
verb
BOTANY start
to grow:
to start to grow by producing roots • The
cutting has taken nicely.

35. transitive
verb
measure
something:
to measure something in an accurate way using a special instrument or procedure
• His
temperature was normal when I took it this morning.

36. intransitive
verb
become
ill:
to become noticeably or suddenly unwell or more unwell • The
whole family took sick.

37. transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS subtract
number:
to subtract a number or quantity from something • Take
19 from 36 and you get 17.

38. transitive
verb
assume
charge of something: to assume control of
something as a person who holds authority or has the attention of others • She
took the chair at the meeting.

39. transitive
verb
have
sex with somebody: to penetrate somebody in an
act of sexual intercourse, especially perfunctorily or without the person’s
consent

40. intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING bite:
to bite the hook or fly at the end of an angler’s line or the bait containing
the hook • The
fish just weren’t taking that morning.

41. transitive
verb
cheat
somebody:
to cheat or swindle somebody, especially out of a particular amount of money
noun
(plural takes)

1.  COMMERCE money
obtained in business transactions: the amount of money
received from customers or clients during a specified period of time • What
was the take last week?

2.  CINEMA camera
shot:
a single uninterrupted recording of a piece of the action in a movie by a
camera • This
is the 15th take of this scene.

3.  MUSIC single
uninterrupted sound recording: a single uninterrupted
session in which a work or section of a work is recorded by audio recording
equipment

4.  ANGLING grabbing
of bait:
the action of a fish in picking up or grabbing a bait or lure

5.  impression:
a personal impression or opinion of something • What’s
your take on his presentation?
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse taka .]
—tak·a·ble,
adjective
be
taken aback

to
be startled or disconcerted

be
taken with somebody or something

to
find somebody or something pleasing or attractive

on
the take

taking
or willing to take bribes (informal)

take
it

1.  to
be able to tolerate a situation, usually one involving hardship, punishment, or
criticism

2.  to
assume that something is true • I take
it that you want some breakfast.

take
it or leave it

1.  used
to indicate that somebody can either accept or refuse something, but cannot
alter the conditions

2.  to
be able either to accept or do something, or decline or not do something

take
part

to
be actively involved in something, usually as a member of a group

[1]



takeafter

takeafter
take
after
transitive verb

1.  resemble
somebody:
to look or behave like somebody else, especially within the same family

2.  begin
chasing somebody: to begin to pursue somebody

[1]



takeapart

takeapart
take
apart
transitive verb

1.  dismantle
something:
to reduce something whole to its individual parts or pieces

2.  criticize
something:
to criticize somebody or something in a severe and detailed way (informal)

3.  beat
somebody severely: to give somebody a severe
beating or inflict a heavy defeat on somebody (informal)

[1]



takeaway

takeaway
take
away
transitive verb

1.  remove
something:
to remove or take something or somebody elsewhere

2.  subtract
a number:
to subtract a number or quantity

[1]



takeaway

takeaway2
take·a·way2  [táyk
ə wày] adjective

U.K.
See takeout
noun
(plural take·a·ways)

U.K.
See takeout[1]



takeaway

takeaway1
take·a·way1 [táyk
ə wày] or take-a·way [táyk ə
wày] noun adjective

U.K.
fumble recovery or pass interception:
a football play in which the defensive team gains control of the ball from the
offensive team by recovering a fumble or intercepting a pass. See takeout[1]



takeback

takeback
take
back
transitive verb

1.  withdraw
something:
to withdraw something said or written

2.  regain
possession of something: to gain possession of
something previously held but lost or given up

3.  COMMERCE return
something bought as unacceptable: to return an unwanted
or unsatisfactory article to the place where it was bought for a refund or
exchange

4.  COMMERCE accept
goods back:
to accept an article returned as unwanted or unsatisfactory and offer a refund
or exchange

5.  reaccept
somebody:
to reaccept somebody into a relationship or home

6.  remind
somebody of past: to remind somebody of an earlier time

[1]



takedown

takedown
take·down 
[táyk dòwn] noun (plural take·downs)

1.  SPORTS wrestling
move forcing opponent to ground: a move in wrestling or
martial arts that forces an opponent to the ground

2.  instance
of humiliation: an instance of making somebody less
arrogant or powerful

3.  ARMS easily
disassembled firearm: a firearm designed to be
disassembled easily and quickly
adjective

easily disassembled:
capable of being disassembled quickly

[1]



takedown

takedown
take
down
transitive verb

1.  lower
in position: to move something from a higher position
to a lower one

2.  dismantle
something:
to dismantle or demolish something

3.  humiliate
somebody:
to make somebody less arrogant or powerful • That
public criticism sure took him down a peg or two!

4.  write
something down: to make a note of something in writing • take
down the names and addresses of the witnesses

5.  WRESTLING force
opponent to fall: to force an opponent to the mat during a
wrestling match

[1]



takefor

takefor
take
for
transitive verb

consider somebody as
something: to think of somebody or
something as being of a particular description, often mistakenly • Do
you take me for a fool?[1]



take-homepay

take-homepay
take-home
pay 
noun

pay after deductions:
the amount of pay left to an employee after all deductions, for example, for
tax, have been made[1]



takein

takein
take
in
transitive verb

1.  deceive
somebody:
to deceive somebody by presenting a false appearance • We
were all taken in by her plausible manner.

2.  include
something:
to include something within its scope • The
study takes in the whole postwar period.

3.  accept
people as paying guests: to accept people as paying
guests into a home

4.  give
somebody shelter: to give somebody shelter in your home

5.  SEWING make
garment narrower: to alter a garment to make it narrower

6.  go
and see:
to go and see some kind of entertainment or sport • take
in a movie

7.  understand
something:
to understand and remember something • Children
can’t be expected to take in so much new information in one lesson.

8.  bring
somebody to police station: to bring somebody as a
prisoner or witness to a police station

9.  BUSINESS work
on something at home: to do paid work on something
at home • takes
in ironing twice a week

10. accept
something as real: to accept something as real
or true • The
news was such a shock that we still haven’t taken it in.

[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








taken

taken
tak·en


Past participle of
take[1]



take-no-prisoners

take-no-prisoners
take-no-pris·on·ers
adjective

forceful:
persistent in an assertive way[1]



takeoff

takeoff
take
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
begin
flying:
to leave the ground and begin flying

2.  transitive
verb
have
as a break from work: to spend a particular amount
of time not working • I took
a day off for the wedding.

3.  transitive
verb
remove
a garment:
to remove something you are wearing

4.  transitive
verb
deduct
an amount:
to deduct an amount from a price or sum

5.  intransitive
verb
succeed:
to begin suddenly to be very successful or popular (informal)

6.  intransitive
verb
jump:
to leave the ground at the beginning of a jump

7.  intransitive
verb
depart:
to leave, especially in a hurry or on short notice (informal)

8.  transitive
verb
imitate
somebody:
to imitate somebody or something, especially for comic effect (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
release
something:
to remove the restraining effect of something • Take
the brake off.

10. transitive
verb
stop
something operating: to end the operation of
something • took
off regular flights to the island

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at imitate

[1]



takeoff

takeoff
take·off 
[táyk àwf, táyk
òf] (plural take·offs) noun

1.  beginning
of flight:
the process of leaving the ground and beginning to fly

2.  imitation:
an imitation of somebody or something, especially for comic effect (informal)

3.  point
of rapid growth: a point at which substantial success or
economic expansion is achieved and the prospect of further success or growth
seems assured

4.  beginning
of jump:
the act or point of leaving the ground at the beginning of a jump

[1]



takeon

takeon
take
on
verb

1.  transitive
verb
undertake:
to begin doing something or accept responsibility for something • I
can’t take on any more projects at the moment.

2.  transitive
verb
oppose
somebody or something: to oppose somebody or
something in a competition or fight • took
on the city council

3.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT take
people or things on board: to have people or things
loaded on board a vessel or vehicle

4.  transitive
verb
adopt
something:
to acquire or display a different character • Her
voice took on a kindlier tone.

5.  transitive
verb
hire
somebody:
to hire additional people to do work

6.  intransitive
verb
be
upset:
to show extreme feelings, especially grief (dated informal)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb Caribbean worry
about something: to pay attention to or worry about
somebody or something (slang)

[1]



takeout

takeout
take
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
have
somebody as companion at something: to
take somebody as a companion or guest to a social event or function

2.  transitive
verb
obtain
something:
to obtain something such as a permit, mortgage, or insurance by applying for it

3.  transitive
verb
direct
anger at somebody or something: to express or relieve
a strong feeling such as anger or frustration by directing it against somebody
or something that is not the actual cause of it • Don’t
take it out on me because you didn’t get the job.

4.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to destroy, kill, or neutralize somebody or something (slang) • took
out enemy artillery

5.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove or extract something from another substance

6.  transitive
verb
bring
something into open: to bring something into the
open from a place where it was contained or concealed

7.  transitive
verb
Australia win: to
win something, especially a sports event (informal) • They
took out this year’s premiership.

8.  intransitive
verb
begin
journey:
to start out on a journey • took
out for the frontier

[1]



takeout

takeout
take·out
[táyk òwt] adjective
U.K.
term
takeaway

1.  for
eating elsewhere: bought ready-made and taken away to be
eaten elsewhere • selling takeout food

2.  selling
ready-made food for eating elsewhere
noun
(plural take·outs)

1.  prepared
food bought for eating elsewhere: a meal bought
ready-made for eating elsewhere. U.K. = takeaway

2.  shop
selling food for eating elsewhere: a restaurant or shop
that sells ready-made food for eating elsewhere.
U.K.
term
takeaway

[1]



takeover

takeover
take
over
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  take
control:
to obtain or assume control of something, or gain control of something from
somebody else • taken over by a larger
company

2.  take
somebody’s place: to begin to do something or operate
something in place of somebody else • She
takes over when I finish my shift.

[1]



takeover

takeover
take·o·ver
[táyk vər] (plural take·o·vers)
noun

assumption of control:
an assumption or seizure of control of something, especially of a corporation,
political entity, or organization • The
conglomerate’s takeover of the small manufacturer stunned investors.[1]



taker

taker
tak·er 
[táykər] (plural tak·ers) noun

somebody who accepts
something: somebody who accepts
something, especially a wager or an offer (often plural) • He
offered the painting at auction, but there were no takers.[1]



taketo

taketo
take
to
transitive verb

1.  form
liking for somebody: to develop a liking for
somebody or something, especially quickly

2.  start
doing or using something: to start doing or using
something as a habit, especially for help or consolation • I’ve
taken to checking that all the windows are locked before I leave the house.

3.  adapt
yourself:
to adapt yourself to something or become comfortable with something new • quickly
took to the new procedure

4.  go
to a place:
to go to a place, especially for safety • The
slightest cough or sneeze would make him take to his bed.
• took
to their cars and fled

[1]



takeup

takeup
take
up
transitive verb

1.  begin
doing something regularly: to begin doing something
regularly either as an occupation or a hobby

2.  begin
doing something again: to begin doing something
again after a break • take
up where you left off

3.  use
something wastefully: to make use of or occupy
something, especially in a wasteful or unwelcome way • I
don’t want to take up too much of your time.

4.  absorb
something:
to absorb a liquid

5.  SEWING shorten
garment:
to raise the hem of a garment such as a skirt to make the garment shorter

6.  lift
somebody or something: to lift or raise something
or somebody

7.  accept:
to accept something offered • took
up his offer to stay for another year

8.  pay
off:
to pay off a debt, for example, a mortgage

[1]



take-up

take-up
take-up 
(plural take-ups) noun

1.  winding
part of mechanism: a part of a mechanism onto
which something passing through it, for example, tape, is wound

2.  level
of acceptance: the degree to which something offered or
made available is accepted or made use of by people

[1]



takeup on

takeup on
take
up on
transitive verb

accept something from
somebody: to accept somebody’s offer
or wager • I’ll
take you up on that sometime.[1]



takeup with

takeup with
take
up with
transitive verb

1.  raise
something for discussion with somebody: to
raise a matter for discussion with somebody

2.  begin
associating with somebody: to begin associating with a
particular person or people

[1]



takin

takin
ta·kin 
[t kn] (plural ta·kins) noun

Asian
ruminant mountain mammal: a large ruminant mammal of
mountainous regions of southern Asia with a heavy build, shaggy coat, and heavy
horns that curve back. Latin name: Budorcas taxicolor
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a local Tibeto-Burman name.][1]



taking

taking
tak·ing 
[táyking] (plural tak·ings) adjective

1.  charming:
displaying a charming or fascinating appeal

2.  catching:
infectious (informal)

[1]



takings

takings
tak·ings
[táykingz] plural noun

U.K.
money received through sales:
money received through sales by a business[1]



taki-taki

taki-taki
taki-taki 
[taàkee tkee] noun

LANGUAGE See Sranantongo
[Alteration of talk][1]



TakomaPark

TakomaPark
Ta·ko·ma
Park 
[tə kṓmə paark]

city in central Maryland, a
northeastern suburb of Washington, D.C. Population: 17,792 (1996)[1]



tala

tala
ta·la 
[taálə] (plural ta·la or
ta·las) noun

1.  unit
of Samoan currency: the main unit of currency in
Samoa, worth 100 sene

2.  coin
or bill worth a tala: a coin or bill worth one
tala

[1]



talapoin

talapoin
tal·a·poin 
[tállə pòyn, tállə
pwàn] (plural tal·a·poins) noun

1.  guenon
monkey:
a small olive-green guenon monkey that lives in swampy forests, often near
villages, in western equatorial Africa. Latin name: Cercopithecus talapoin
Miopithecus talapoin

2.  Buddhist
monk:
in Myanmar and Thailand, a Buddhist monk
[Late 16th century. Via
French and Portuguese from, ultimately, Mon tala pói, literally “lord of
merit.” “Guenon monkey” from the imagined resemblance of its fur to a Buddhist
monk’s robes.][1]



talaria

talaria
ta·lar·i·a 
[tə láiree ə] plural noun

winged
sandals:
winged sandals worn by characters in Greek myth, especially by Hermes
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, the plural of talaris “of the ankles,” from talus “ankle”
(source of English talon ).][1]



Talbot

Talbot
Tal·bot 
[tálbət, táwlbət]
(plural Tal·bots) noun

extinct
breed of dog: a dog belonging to an extinct breed of
large hounds with long ears and a white or pale coat
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the English name Talbot, because hounds of this
type are one of the family’s traditional heraldic emblems.][1]



talc

talc
talc 
[talk] noun (plural talcs)

1.  soft
hydrated mineral: a soft mineral consisting of hydrated
magnesium silicate, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks and used especially
in making talcum powder

2.  talcum
powder:
talcum powder (informal)
transitive
verb
(past talcked or talced, past participle talcked
or talced, present participle talck·ing or talc·ing,
3rd person present singular talcs)

apply talc: to
put talc onto something
[Late
16th century. Via French talc and medieval Latin talcum from,
ultimately, Persian al .]
—talc·ose [tál kss], adjective[1]



talcarie

talcarie
tal·ca·rie
noun

Caribbean
curried dish:
a dish of curried meat or vegetables served with roti, popular in Trinidad,
Guyana, and Suriname[1]



talcumpowder

talcumpowder
tal·cum
pow·der
[tálkəm pòwdər] noun

powder made from talc:
a powder made from purified talc, often scented, that is put onto the skin to
perfume it and absorb moisture[1]



tale

tale
tale 
[tayl] (plural ta·les) noun

1.  narrative:
a narrative or account of events

2.  short
piece of fiction: a short piece of fiction, often one of a
connected series

3.  piece
of gossip:
an item of gossip or a malicious rumor

4.  falsehood:
a story or report that is untrue
[Old
English talu, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to count or
recount,” which is also the ancestor of English tell
and talk]
tell
tales

or
tell tales out of schoolto report acts of wrongdoing to somebody in authority[1]



talebearer

talebearer
tale·bear·er 
[táyl bàirər] (plural tale·bear·ers)
noun

somebody
who informs against other people: somebody who informs
against other people or spreads malicious rumors
—tale·bear·ing, noun[1]



talent

talent
tal·ent 
[tállənt] (plural tal·ents) noun

1.  ability:
a natural ability to do something well

2.  somebody
with an exceptional ability: a person or people with an
exceptional ability

3.  U.K.
possible
romantic partners: people considered
collectively as possible romantic or sexual partners (slang)

4.  ancient
unit:
any of various ancient units of weight and money
[14th
century. Via Old French “mental inclination” (the original sense in English),
from Latin talentum “balance, sum of money” (from the idea of desiring
things), from Greek talanton .]
—tal·ent·ed,
adjective

—tal·ent·less,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  talent, gift, aptitude, flair, bent, knack, genius
  CORE
  MEANING: the
  ability to do something well talent;
  a great natural ability to do something well that can be developed into an
  even greater skill; gift; a more informal word meaning the same as talent
  . It is used especially to talk about creative or artistic abilities; aptitude; a natural ability to do something
  or to learn something; flair; a natural ability to do something,
  especially something creative or artistic; bent;
  an inclination toward or liking for doing something, especially when this is
  accompanied by ability; knack; a fairly informal word for an intuitive
  ability to do something well; genius; truly exceptional talent and
  skill, especially when this is accompanied by original thinking

[1]



talentcontest

talentcontest
tal·ent
con·test
(plural tal·ent con·tests) noun

See
talent show[1]



talentscout

talentscout
tal·ent
scout
noun

discoverer of talented
people: somebody whose job is to
search for people who have exceptional abilities in some field, for example,
entertainment or sports, and recruit them for professional work.
Also called
scout[1]



talentshow

talentshow
tal·ent
show
noun

performance by amateur
entertainers: a public performance
made up of acts by amateur entertainers who compete for a prize and are
sometimes given professional opportunities.
Also called
talent contest[1]



tales

tales
tales 
[taylz, táy lz]
or ta·les [taylz, táy lz] noun (plural tales)
(plural ta·les)

summons
to jury duty: a writ used to summon people to court to
fill vacancies on a jury (takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

people
filling jury vacancies: a group of people summoned
to court to fill vacancies on a jury
[15th century. From Latin tales
de circumstantibus “such of the bystanders,” a phrase in the writ.][1]



talesman

talesman
tales·man 
[táylzmən, táy
lzmən] (plural tales·men [táylzmən,
táy lzmən]) noun

jury fill-in:
somebody selected from a group to fill a vacant seat in a jury[1]



taleteller

taleteller
tale·tell·er 
[táyl tèllər] (plural tale·tell·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who informs against other people: somebody who informs
against other people or spreads malicious rumors

2.  storyteller:
somebody who tells stories
—tale·tell·ing, noun[1]



tali

tali
ta·li


Plural of
talus 1[1]



talion

talion
tal·i·on 
[tállee ən] noun

punishment
the same as the crime: a punishment that has the
same nature as the crime, for example, the death penalty for murder
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from the Latin stem talion- (source of English retaliate ).][1]



talipes

talipes
tal·i·pes 
[tállə pz] noun

clubfoot:
clubfoot (technical)
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin talus “ankle” + pes “foot.”][1]



talipot

talipot
tal·i·pot 
[tállə pòt] (plural tal·i·pots)
noun

palm
tree with fan-shaped leaves: a palm tree of Southeast
Asia with large fan-shaped leaves. Latin name: Corypha umbraculifera
[Late 17th century. Via
Malayalam from, ultimately, Sanskrit tālī “fan palm” + patra
“leaf.”][1]



talisman

talisman

tal·is·man 
[tállissmən, tállizmən]
(plural tal·is·mans) noun

1.  magical
object:
an object, for example, a stone or jewel, believed to give magical powers to
somebody who carries or wears it

2.  something
with magic power: anything believed to have magical
properties
[Mid-17th
century. Via French or Spanish from, ultimately, Greek telesma
“something consecrated,” from telein “to complete, consecrate,” from telos
“result.”]
—tal·is·man·ic [tàlliss mánnik, tàlliz
mánnik], adjective[1]



talk

talk
talk 
[tawk] verb (past talked,
past participle talked, present participle talk·ing,
3rd person present singular talks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
something by speaking: to speak, or to express
something using speech

2.  intransitive
verb
have
conversation about something: to address spoken words to
somebody or have a conversation with somebody

3.  transitive
verb
discuss
subject:
to discuss a particular subject • talk
business

4.  intransitive
verb
communicate:
to communicate in a way other than by speaking • talk
in sign language

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
in specified language: to use, or be able to use, a
particular language to communicate with people • talks
Italian with his grandmother

6.  intransitive
verb
reveal
information: to reveal information, especially when
being pressured to do so • They
interrogated her for hours but she wouldn’t talk.

7.  intransitive
verb
gossip:
to discuss the affairs of others, or to spread rumors • People
are starting to talk.

8.  intransitive
verb
make
sounds like speech: to imitate the sounds of
speech • The
baby is beginning to talk.

9.  intransitive
verb
be
persuasive:
to have the power to influence or persuade people (informal) • Money
talks!

10. intransitive
verb
lecture:
to give a speech or lecture on a subject

11. transitive
verb
speak
in terms of something particular: to have to do or deal
with something when discussing a particular topic (informal) • You’re
talking big money for a job like that.

12. intransitive
verb
be
friendly with somebody: to be on sufficiently
friendly terms with somebody to be able to have a conversation (informal)
• Don’t
bother asking me how she is, because we’re not talking.
noun
(plural talks)

1.  conversation:
a conversation or exchange of ideas or information between two or more people

2.  things
said:
the things said by somebody or by a group of people in conversation • The
talk after dinner was mostly about politics.

3.  speech
on particular subject: a speech or lecture on a
particular subject, given before an audience

4.  gossip
about affairs of others: idle or malicious
conversation about the affairs of others

5.  empty
speech:
speech about something without any intention of taking action • He’s
all talk; he won’t do anything!

6.  thing
talked about: a subject of discussion or gossip among
a group of people • the talk of the town

7.  way
of speaking: a particular way of speaking • baby
talk
plural
noun
talks

negotiations:
formal discussions among parties to bring about a resolution to a problem
adjective

BROADCASTING using
informal interviews: made up mainly of informal
interviews with guests or telephone calls from viewers or listeners • talk
radio
[13th
century. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base.]
—talk·er, noun[1]



talkat

talkat
talk
at
transitive verb

speak without interest in
reply: to speak to somebody without
showing any interest in listening to the person’s reply[1]



talkathon

talkathon
talk·a·thon 
[táwkə thòn] (plural talk·a·thons)
noun

long
discussion:
a long period of discussion
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from talk + marathon
.][1]



talkative

talkative
talk·a·tive 
[táwkətiv] adjective

inclined
to excessive talking: tending to talk readily and
at length
—talk·a·tive·ly,
adverb

—talk·a·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  talkative, chatty, gossipy, loquacious
  CORE
  MEANING: for
  somebody who talks a lot talkative;
  a general and fairly neutral word for somebody who talks a lot, especially as
  a matter of disposition; chatty; a
  fairly informal word for somebody who talks a lot in a friendly way,
  especially on a particular occasion; gossipy; a fairly informal word
  used disapprovingly of somebody who talks a lot about other people and their
  lives; garrulous; a formal word
  used disapprovingly of somebody who talks too much or at great length,
  especially as a matter of disposition; loquacious;
  a formal word for somebody who talks a great deal but who is exceptionally
  articulate

[1]



talkback

talkback
talk
back
intransitive verb

reply impudently:
to make an impudent reply[1]



talkback

talkback
talk·back 
[táwk bàk] noun

studio communications:
a system of communication in a broadcasting studio that enables the staff to
speak to each other without the speech being broadcast[1]



talkdown

talkdown
talk
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
speak
patronizingly: to speak to somebody in a superior or
condescending way

2.  transitive
verb
prevent
somebody from speaking: to prevent somebody from
speaking by speaking loudly and ignoring attempts to interrupt

3.  transitive
verb
tell
somebody how to land aircraft: to give radio guidance
to somebody on how to land an aircraft

[1]



talkfest

talkfest
talk·fest 
[táwk fèst] (plural talk·fests)
noun

long period of talking:
a long period of discussion or conversation[1]



talkie

talkie
talk·ie 
[táwkee] (plural talk·ies) noun

sound
film:
an early film with a soundtrack (dated)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of talking picture, on the model of “movie.”][1]



talkingbook

talkingbook
talk·ing
book
[táwking bk] (plural talk·ing
books) noun

recorded book:
a book that has been recorded onto an audio cassette, originally designed for
people who cannot see[1]



talkinghead

talkinghead
talk·ing
head
noun

somebody speaking on
television: somebody such as a
newscaster who talks at length into a camera in a television broadcast, usually
shown only from the shoulders up[1]



talkingpoint

talkingpoint
talk·ing
point
noun

1.  interesting
item for discussion: a topic, or aspect of
something, that provokes a lot of discussion

2.  something
supporting an argument: something that supports an
argument, for example, a particularly convincing point

3.  publicity
point:
a claim made about a product in publicity material that is considered
particularly interesting or persuasive to potential customers

[1]



talking-to

talking-to
talk·ing-to 
noun

scolding:
a scolding given to somebody, especially by somebody in authority (informal)[1]



talkinto

talkinto
talk
into
transitive verb

persuade somebody:
to persuade somebody to do something by talking to him or her • We
talked her into staying for dinner.[1]



talkout

talkout
talk
out
transitive verb

1.  resolve
something by talking: to settle a difference of
opinion through discussion

2.  U.K.
block
legislation by discussion: to prevent the passage of a
piece of legislation, especially a bill in Parliament, by prolonging the
discussion of it until it is too late to vote on it

[1]



talkout of

talkout of
talk
out of
transitive verb

1.  dissuade
somebody:
to dissuade somebody from doing something by talking to him or her • talked
him out of buying a car

2.  gain
something by deceit: to use words to convince
somebody to give you something

[1]



talkover

talkover
talk
over
transitive verb

1.  discuss
something:
to discuss something at length or thoroughly

2.  persuade
somebody to agree: to persuade somebody to
agree with an opinion or point of view • talked
them over to our side

[1]



talkshow

talkshow
talk
show
noun

1.  program
with interviews: a television or radio program made up
mainly of interviews with guests, especially famous people.
U.K.
term
chat show

2.  discussion
program:
a television or radio program in which ordinary people discuss aspects of their
lives or current social issues

[1]



talkup

talkup
talk
up
transitive verb

praise something:
to praise something in the hope of making it popular or successful[1]



talky

talky
talk·y 
[táwkee] (comparative talk·i·er,
superlative talk·i·est) adjective

1.  talkative:
tending to talk a great deal

2.  containing
too much dialogue: containing too much dialogue
and not enough action • a
talky and dull movie

[1]



tall

tall
tall 
[tawl] adjective (comparative taller,
superlative tallest)

1.  very
high:
reaching or having grown to a considerable or above-average height • tall
trees

2.  certain
height:
having reached a particular height • five
feet tall

3.  large:
substantial, demanding, or difficult to deal with • a
tall order

4.  incredible:
exaggerating the events of something beyond the bounds of probability • a
tall tale

5.  pompous:
having an excessively grand or boastful style

6.  good:
fine or admirable, especially by being brave and good (archaic)
adverb

proudly: in a
proud or courageous way • There
are times when you must stand tall and defend your beliefs.
noun

CLOTHES size
for tall people: a clothing size for tall people, or a
garment in this size
[Old
English getæl “quick, ready,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“to count,” which is also the ancestor of English tell
and talk]
—tall·ish,
adjective

—tall·ness, noun[1]



Talladega

Talladega
Tal·la·de·ga 
[tàllə dáygə, tàllə
dgə]

city in eastern Alabama, west
of Talladega National Forest and east of Birmingham. Population: 18,246 (1996)[1]



tallage

tallage
tal·lage 
[tállij] noun

1.  royal
tax:
a tax levied by the Norman and Angevin kings of England on royal lands and
towns

2.  tax
levied by lord: in feudal times, a tax levied by a lord
on his vassals or tenants
transitive
verb
(past tal·laged, past participle tal·laged, present
participle tal·lag·ing, 3rd person present singular tal·lag·es)

levy tax on somebody or something:
to levy a tax, especially a tallage, on somebody or something
[13th century. From Old
French taillage, from taillier “to cut.”][1]



Tallahassee

Tallahassee
Tal·la·has·see 
[tàllə hássee]

capital city of Florida,
situated in the northern part of the state. Population: 133,718 (1994)[1]



tallboy

tallboy
tall·boy 
[táwl bòy] (plural tall·boys) noun
U.K.

1.  See
highboy

2.  part
of chimney:
a narrow fitting at the top of a chimney to prevent smoke being carried back
down

[1]



Tallchief,Maria

Tallchief,Maria
Tall·chief
[táwl chf], Maria (1925– )

U.S.
ballerina. She was the prima ballerina with the New York City Ballet
(1948–1965).
Born
Betty Marie Tallchief[1]



Talleyrand,Charles Maurice de

Talleyrand,Charles Maurice de

Tal·ley·rand
[tle rN], Charles Maurice de (1754–1838)
French
statesman. His long career spanned the French Revolution and the Napoleonic
period. As foreign minister, he represented France at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815).
Full name
Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de[1]



Tallinn

Tallinn
Tal·linn
[tállin, ta lín,
ta ln]

capital city of Estonia. A
major port, it is situated on the Bay of Tallinn, an inlet of the Gulf of
Finland, opposite Helsinki, Finland. Population: 490,000 (1994)[1]



tallis

tallis
tal·lis 
noun

See
tallith[1]



Tallis,Thomas

Tallis,Thomas
Tal·lis 
[tálləss], Thomas (1510?–1585)

English composer. He was a
major composer of religious choral works.[1]



tallith

tallith

tal·lith 
[tliss, tlith,
taa lt] (plural tal·lith·im [tlə sm, tlə thm]
or tal·liths) or tal·lis [tliss]
(plural tal·li·sim) noun
Jewish
prayer shawl: a Jewish four-cornered fringed prayer
shawl of white material with a black, blue, or purple stripe, worn at morning
prayers.
Also
called
prayer shawl
[Early 17th century. From
Rabbinical Hebrew allīt, from biblical Hebrew illel “to
cover.”][1]



talloil

talloil
tall
oil 
noun

oily
by-product of wood pulp: an oily liquid produced as a
by-product of a chemical process in the manufacture of wood pulp and used in
making soaps and emulsions
[Early 20th century. Partial
translation of German Tallöl, from Swedish tallolja, from tall
“pine” + olja “oil.”][1]



tallow

tallow
tal·low 
[tállō] noun

1.  fatty
substance used to make candles: a hard fatty substance
extracted from the fat of sheep and cattle and used to make candles and soap

2.  substance
made from vegetable matter: a substance similar to
tallow, made from vegetable matter
transitive
verb
(past tal·lowed, past participle tal·lowed, present
participle tal·low·ing, 3rd person present singular tal·lows)

cover something with tallow:
to cover or grease something with tallow
[13th
century. From Low German .]
—tal·low·y, adjective[1]



tallpoppy

tallpoppy
tall
pop·py
(plural tall pop·pies) noun

Australia
prominent member of society:
somebody who, through achievements or wealth, has become a prominent member of
society (informal)[1]



tallpoppy syndrome

tallpoppy syndrome
tall
pop·py syn·drome noun

Australia
tendency to cut down somebody prominent:
a tendency among the media and the public to denigrate the achievements of
prominent members of society[1]



tallship

tallship
tall
ship
noun

sailing
ship:
a square-rigged sailing ship
[Tall from the lofty masts
carried on full-rigged ships][1]



tally

tally
tal·ly 
[tállee] verb (past tal·lied,
past participle tal·lied, present participle tal·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular tal·lies)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb agree
or cause things to agree: to agree, correspond, or
come to the same amount, or to cause two or more things to agree

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS GAME make
a score:
to gain a point, run, goal, or other score in a contest

3.  intransitive
verb
keep
score:
to keep a record of a score or account

4.  transitive
verb
count
something:
to count or reckon something

5.  transitive
verb
register
something in an account: to register something in an
account of items

6.  transitive
verb
put
label or tag on something: to put an identifying label
or tag on something
noun
(plural tal·lies)

1.  record:
a record or account of items, for example, things bought or points scored • keep
a tally

2.  SPORTS GAME single score:
a single score, for example, a run or a touchdown, in a contest

3.  identifying
label or mark: something, for example, a label or mark,
that identifies something

4.  counterpart:
something that corresponds to or is the counterpart of something else

5.  notched
stick:
a stick with notches cut into it as a record of something, for example, loans
made or items bought on credit

6.  notch
cut into stick as record: any of the notches cut into
a tally as a record

7.  mark
representing number: a mark or marks representing
a number, especially a set of four short vertical lines crossed by a diagonal
fifth line used for numbering things in fives
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin talea “twig,
cutting.”]
—tal·li·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word talea, from which tally
  is derived, is also the source of English detail,
  entail, retail,
  and tailor.

[1]



tallyho

tallyho
tal·ly·ho 
[tállee h] interjection

exclamation that fox has been sighted:
used by a participant in a fox hunt to let others know that a fox has been
sighted
noun
(plural tal·ly·hos)

1.  fox
hunter’s cry: a cry by a participant in a fox hunt to
let others know that a fox has been sighted

2.  See
four-in-hand  noun 1
intransitive
verb
(past tal·ly·hoed, past participle tal·ly·hoed, present
participle tal·ly·ho·ing, 3rd person present singular tal·ly·hos)

shout “tallyho”:
to give a shout of “ tallyho ”
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of French taïaut .][1]



tallyman

tallyman
tal·ly·man
[tálleemən] (plural tal·ly·men)
noun

1.  record
keeper:
somebody who keeps a record or account of something, for example, items bought
on credit or points scored

2.  U.K.
traveling
sales representative: a traveling sales
representative who sells goods to be paid for in installments

[1]



Talmud

Talmud
Tal·mud 
[tl md, tálməd]
noun

book
of Jewish law: the collection of ancient Jewish
writings that makes up the basis of Jewish religious law, consisting of the
early scriptural interpretations ( Mishnah )
and the later commentaries on them ( Gemara
)
[Mid-16th
century. From post-biblical Hebrew talmūḏ, literally “instruction,” from
Hebrew lāmaḏ “to learn.”]
—Tal·mu·dic
[taal mdik, tal
mdik], adjective

—Tal·mu·di·cal
[taal mdik’l], adjective

—Tal·mud·ism
[tl m dìzzəm, tálmə
dìzzəm], noun

—Tal·mud·ist [tl mdist, tálmədist],
noun[1]



talon

talon
tal·on 
[tállən] (plural tal·ons) noun

1.  hooked
claw:
a hooked claw, especially of a bird of prey

2.  something
like a claw: something that looks like a claw, for
example, a curled human finger

3.  part
of a lock:
the part of a lock that the key is pressed against when turned and that causes
the bolt to slide out

4.  ARCHITECTURE See ogee  noun 1

5.  CARD GAMES undealt
cards:
the remainder of the deck of cards after a deal in particular games, for
example, in solitaire
[14th
century. Via French from the assumed Vulgar Latin stem talon- “heel,
spur,” from Latin talus “ankle.”]
—tal·oned, adjective[1]



Talon,Jean Baptiste

Talon,Jean Baptiste
Tal·on 
[ta lṓN], Jean Baptiste, Comte d’Orsainville
(1625?–1694)

French colonial
administrator. As the second-in-command of New France (now Canada) (1665–1668
and 1669–1672), he promoted agriculture and industry and the immigration to
maintain them.[1]



taluk

taluk
ta·luk 
[taa lk] (plural ta·lu·ka or
ta·loo·ka [taa lkə]) noun South
Asia

1.  subdivision
of district: a subdivision of a district in India

2.  piece
of hereditary land: a piece of hereditary land
in India
[Late 18th century. Via Urdu
and Persian ta’allu “estate” from, ultimately, Arabic ta’allaa
“to be attached.”][1]



talus

talus2
ta·lus2 [táyləss]
(plural ta·lus·es) noun

1.  MILITARY area
of rubble:
a sloping area of rock rubble

2.  rock
rubble:
rock rubble, for example, at the base of a cliff

3.  MILITARY base
of fortification: the sloping base of a fortification
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



talus

talus1
ta·lus1 [táyləss]
(plural ta·li [táy l]) noun

bone
in ankle:
the bone in the ankle that connects with the lower leg bones to form the ankle
joint.
Also
called
anklebone
Also
called
astragalus
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “ankle,” of uncertain origin: possibly from Celtic .][1]



talweg

talweg
tal·weg 
(plural tal·wegs) noun

See
thalweg[1]



tam

tam
tam 
[tam] (plural tams) noun

tam-o’-shanter:
a tam-o’-shanter (informal)
[Shortening][1]



tamale

tamale
ta·ma·le 
[tə mlee] (plural ta·ma·les) noun

Mexican
dish:
a Mexican dish made by mixing fried chopped meat with peppers and seasonings,
rolling the mixture in cornmeal dough, wrapping it in corn husks, and then
steaming it
[Late 17th century.
Back-formation from American Spanish tamales, the plural of tamal,
from Nahuatl tamalli .][1]



tamandua

tamandua
ta·man·du·a 
[tə mándoo ə] (plural ta·man·du·as)
or ta·man·du [tə mándoo] (plural
ta·man·dus) noun

small
anteater:
a small tree-living toothless anteater of Central and South America with a long
prehensile tail. Latin name: Tamandua tetradactyla Tamandua mexicana
[Early 17th century. Via
Portuguese from Tupi tamanduá, literally “ant hunter.”][1]



Tamar

Tamar
Ta·mar
[táym ər]

river in northern Tasmania,
Australia, formed by the confluence of the North and South Esk rivers. Length:
65 km/40 mi.[1]



tamarack

tamarack
tam·a·rack 
[támmə ràk] (plural tam·a·racks)
noun

1.  TREES N
American larch: a deciduous North American larch with
bluish-green needles and oval cones. Latin name: Larix laricina

2.  INDUSTRY wood
of tamarack: the wood of the tamarack tree
[Early 19th century. From
Canadian French tamarac, of uncertain origin: probably of Algonquian
origin.][1]



tamarau

tamarau
tam·a·rau 
[tàmmə rów] (plural tam·a·raus)
or tam·a·rao [tàmmə rów] (plural
tam·a·raos) noun

rare
Philippine buffalo: a small rare buffalo that
lives in swamps of the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Latin name: Bubalus
mindorensis
[Late 19th century. From
Tagalog .][1]



tamari

tamari
ta·ma·ri 
[tə mree] noun

soy
sauce:
a rich Japanese soy sauce
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



tamarillo

tamarillo
ta·ma·ril·lo 
[tàmmə ríllō] (plural ta·ma·ril·los)
noun
U.K.
term
tree tomato

1.  TREES Peruvian
tree:
a tree or shrub originally from the Peruvian Andes but cultivated elsewhere for
its edible fruit. Latin name: Cyphomandra betacea

2.  FOOD fruit
of Peruvian tree: the edible fruit of the tamarillo tree,
similar to the plum
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of tomatillo .][1]



tamarin

tamarin
tam·a·rin 
[támmərin] (plural tam·a·rins)
noun

S
American monkey: a small South American monkey that has a
long tail and is highly vocal. Genus: Saguinus
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Galibi .][1]



tamarind

tamarind

tam·a·rind 
[támmərind] (plural tam·a·rinds)
noun

1.  TREES tropical
tree:
a tropical evergreen tree that has yellow flowers with red streaks and pods
containing an edible acid pulp. Latin name: Tamarindus indica

2.  FOOD fruit
of tamarind tree: the edible acid fruit of the tamarind
tree, used in making preserves, drinks, and medicines

3.  INDUSTRY wood
from tamarind: the wood of the tamarind tree
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from Arabic tamr hindī, literally “Indian date.”][1]



tamarisk

tamarisk
tam·a·risk 
[támmərisk] (plural tam·a·risks)
noun

tree
with leaves similar to scales: a tree or shrub with
leaves resembling scales and masses of small flowers that grows in Europe,
Asia, and Africa. Genus: Tamarix
[14th century. From late
Latin tamariscus, a variant of Latin tamarix, of unknown origin.][1]



Tamatave

Tamatave
Ta·ma·tave
[tmaa tv]

Former name for
Toamasina[1]



Tamayo,Rufino

Tamayo,Rufino
Ta·ma·yo
[taa m yō], Rufino (1899–1991)

Mexican artist. His abstract
paintings are influenced by folk themes, pre-Columbian art, and European styles
such as cubism and fauvism.[1]



tambac

tambac
tam·bac 
(plural tam·bacs) noun

See
tombac[1]



tambala

tambala
tam·ba·la 
[taàm baálə] (plural tam·ba·la
or tam·ba·las) noun

1.  subunit
of Malawian currency: a subunit of currency in
Malawi, 100 of which are worth one kwacha

2.  coin
worth a tambala: a coin worth one tambala

[1]



tambour

tambour
tam·bour 
[tám br] noun (plural tam·bours)

1.  SEWING embroidery
frame:
a round frame on which material is stretched while it is being embroidered.
Also
called
taboret

2.  SEWING FURNITURE embroidery:
embroidery done on a tambour

3.  flexible
rolling top of desk: a flexible rolling top of a
desk or sliding front of a cabinet made of thin strips of wood attached to
canvas

4.  MUSIC MILITARY drum:
a drum, especially a snare drum

5.  ARCHITECTURE circular
wall:
a circular wall, especially one supporting a dome
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tam·boured,
past participle tam·boured, present participle tam·bour·ing,
3rd person present singular tam·bours)

SEWING embroider
design using tambour: to embroider using a
tambour, or embroider a design onto material using a tambour
[15th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Persian tabīra “drum,” perhaps influenced by Arabic unbūr
“lute.”][1]



tamboura

tamboura
tam·bou·ra
[tam brə] (plural tam·bou·ras)
noun

stringed
Asian instrument: a fretless stringed Asian instrument
resembling a lute, played to produce a harmonic drone
[Late 16th century. Via
Arabic and Persian from Persian dunbara, literally “lamb’s tail.”][1]



tambourin

tambourin
tam·bou·rin 
[támbərin] (plural tam·bou·rins)
noun

1.  DANCE dance:
an 18th-century Provençal dance in a two-beat rhythm, usually accompanied by a
drum

2.  MUSIC music
for tambourin: a piece of music composed for or in the
rhythm of a tambourin

3.  MUSIC drum:
a small Provençal drum
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “small drum,” from tambour (see tambour ).][1]



tambourine

tambourine


tam·bou·rine 
[tàmbə rn] (plural tam·bou·rines)
noun
percussion
instrument with jingling metallic disks: a
shallow single-headed drum with jingling metallic disks in its frame, held in
one hand and played by shaking it or striking it with the free hand
[Late
16th century. From French, literally “small drum,” from tambour (see tambour ).]
—tam·bou·rin·ist, noun[1]



tambu-bambuband

tambu-bambuband
tam·bu-bam·bu
band
[tàmboo bámboo bánd] (plural tam·bu-tam·bu
bands) noun

Caribbean
band using bamboo sticks:
a small band of musicians using bamboo sticks as instruments and parading
through the streets during Carnival, especially in Trinidad. The forerunners of
the modern steel bands, they are rarely seen nowadays. (dated)[1]



Tamburlaine

Tamburlaine
Tam·bur·laine 
[támbə layn]

See
Tamerlane[1]



tame

tame
tame 
[taym] adjective (comparative tam·er,
superlative tam·est)

1.  no
longer wild: changed from a wild or uncultivated
state to one suitable for domestic use or life

2.  friendly
toward people: unafraid of human contact

3.  without
spirit:
lacking in spirit or vigor

4.  bland:
showing little of the qualities that make something interesting, for example,
imagination, adventurousness, or inspiration • Considering
the controversial nature of his other movies, this latest one is very tame.

5.  slow-moving:
with very little current • a tame
stretch of river
transitive
verb
(past tamed, past participle tamed, present
participle tam·ing, 3rd person present singular tames)

1.  domesticate
something:
to make a wild animal or uncultivated land suitable for domestic life or use

2.  subdue
somebody:
to remove the wildness, spirit, or energy from somebody or something

3.  moderate
something:
to make something much less harsh or extreme

4.  bring
something under human control: to bring a natural
force under human control • a
series of dams to tame the raging river
[Old
English tam . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
constrain,” which is also the ancestor of English daunt,
indomitable, and diamond .]
—tam·a·ble,
adjective

—tam·a·ble·ness,
noun

—tame·ly,
adverb

—tame·ness,
noun

—tam·er, noun[1]



Tamerlane

Tamerlane
Tam·er·lane 
[támmər làyn] or Tam·bur·laine
[támbər làyn] (1336–1405)

Turkic
ruler and conqueror. His conquests established an empire that extended from
India to the Mediterranean Sea. He died while trying to invade China, and was
buried in his capital, Samarkand.
Born
Timur[1]



Tamil

Tamil
Tam·il 
[támm’l, tm’l]
(plural Tam·ils or Tam·il) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of S Asian people: a member of a people who
live in southern India and northern Sri Lanka

2.  LANGUAGE Tamil
language:
the Dravidian language of the Tamil people. Tamil has an ancient literary
tradition and is spoken by over 50 million people.
[Mid-18th
century. From Tamil Tami&llineunder; .]
—Tam·il, adjective[1]



TamilNadu

TamilNadu
Tam·il
Na·du
[tàmmil naa d]

state in southern India.
Capital: Chennai. Population: 58,840,000 (1994) Area: 130,058 sq km/50,215 sq
mi.[1]



tamis

tamis
tam·is
[támmee] (plural tam·is [tamis]) noun

See
tammy 2
[Early 17th century. Via
French from medieval Latin tamisium, ultimately from prehistoric
Germanic.][1]



TammanyHall

TammanyHall
Tam·man·y
Hall
[támmənee hàwl] noun

corrupt
political organization: a political organization
formed as a fraternal society in New York in 1789 but mainly known for
political corruption in the early 20th century
[Mid-19th
century. Named for the headquarters of the Tammany Society.]
—Tam·man·y·ism,
noun

—Tam·man·y·ite, noun[1]



Tammuz

Tammuz
Tam·muz
[t mz, taa mz]
noun

CALENDAR 10th
month of Jewish calendar: in the Jewish calendar, the
tenth month of the civil year and the fourth month of the religious year. It is
29 days long.
[Mid-16th century. Via Hebrew
Tammūz from Babylonian Du’uzu, the name of a deity.][1]



tammy

tammy1
tam·my1 [támmee]
noun

tam-o’-shanter:
a tam-o’-shanter (informal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from tam .][1]



tammy

tammy2
tam·my2 [támmee]
noun (plural tam·mies) tam·my tam·my cloth (plural
tam·my cloths)

straining
cloth:
a fine strainer made of woolen cloth.
Also
called
tamis
transitive
verb
(past tam·mied, past participle tam·mied, present
participle tam·my·ing, 3rd person present singular tam·mies)

strain
something:
to strain something such as a sauce using a tammy
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French tamis (source of English tamis ).][1]



tamoxifen

tamoxifen
ta·mox·i·fen 
[tə móksəfin] noun

estrogen
inhibiting drug: a drug used to treat breast cancer by
inhibiting the actions of estrogen. It is also used in treating some types of
infertility. C26H29NO
[Late 20th century.
Alteration of form coined from trans- + amine + oxy- + phenol .][1]



tam-o’-shanter

tam-o’-shanter
tam-o’-shan·ter 
[tàmmə shántər] (plural tam-o’-shan·ters)
noun

Scottish
hat:
a brimless Scottish wool hat, usually with a bobble at the center of the crown
[Mid-19th century. From Tam
O’ Shanter, the eponymous hero of a poem by Robert Burns .][1]



tamp

tamp
tamp 
[tamp] transitive verb (past tamped,
past participle tamped, present participle tamp·ing,
3rd person present singular tamps)

1.  pack
something down: to pack or push something down,
especially by tapping it repeatedly

2.  fill
drill hole with substance: to pack a substance such as
sand or dirt into a drill hole above an explosive
noun
(plural tamps)

tamping device:
a device for pushing tobacco down into the bowl of a pipe.
U.K.
term
tamper 2 noun 2
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a back-formation from tampin, variant of tampion, taken as “tamping”; perhaps influenced by
stamp .][1]



Tampa

Tampa
Tam·pa 
[támpə]

industrial city, seaport, and
tourist resort on the western coast of Florida, at the mouth of the
Hillsborough River. Population: 285,523 (1994)[1]



Tampax

Tampax
Tam·pax
[tám pàks] Trademark

a trademark for a tampon for
use during menstruation[1]



tamper

tamper1
tam·per1 [támpər]
(past tam·pered, past participle tam·pered, present
participle tam·per·ing, 3rd person present singular tam·pers)
intransitive verb

1.  interfere
with and damage something: to interfere with something
in a way that damages it or has harmful results

2.  influence
something corruptly: to try to corrupt or
influence somebody or affect the outcome of something
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of temper
; the current meaning “interfere” developed from the earlier “work in, mix
thoroughly,” used of clay.]
—tam·per·er, noun[1]



tamper

tamper2
tam·per2 [támpər]
(plural tam·pers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that tamps something: somebody or something
that packs something down with repeated blows

2.  U.K.
See tamp  noun

3.  MILITARY casing
on nuclear weapon: the casing around the core
of a nuclear weapon that reflects neutrons back into the core, slowing the
expansion of the nuclear reaction and increasing the weapon’s power

[1]



Tampere

Tampere
Tam·pe·re 
[támpərə, támp e
ray]

city in Häma Province,
southwestern Finland, situated about 169 km/105 mi northwest of Helsinki.
Population: 182,742 (1995)[1]



Tampico

Tampico
Tam·pi·co 
[tam pkō]

seaport in eastern Mexico,
situated on the Pánuco River close to the Gulf of Mexico. Population: 262,690
(1990)[1]



tampion

tampion
tam·pi·on 
[támpee ən] (plural tam·pi·ons)
or tom·pi·on [támpee ən] (plural
tom·pi·ons) noun

gun
protector:
a plug or cover for the muzzle of a gun to keep out moisture and dust when it
is not in use
[15th century. From French tampon
(see tampon ).][1]



tampon

tampon
tam·pon 
[tám pòn] noun (plural tam·pons)

1.  plug
of material used during menstruation: a
cylindrical plug of soft material inserted in the vagina during menstruation to
absorb blood

2.  pad
to check bleeding: a pad of cotton or other
absorbent fabric that is used for plugging wounds or for controlling blood flow
in body cavities, especially during surgery
transitive
verb
(past tam·poned, past participle tam·poned, present
participle tam·pon·ing, 3rd person present singular tam·pons)

control blood flow:
to use a tampon to plug a wound or to control blood flow in a body cavity,
especially during surgery
[Mid-19th century. From
French tampon “plug, bung,” variant of tapon “piece of cloth to
stop a hole,” from assumed Frankish tappo “stopper.”][1]



tamponade

tamponade
tam·pon·ade
[tàmpə náyd] noun

use of surgical tampon:
the insertion of a tampon during surgery to check bleeding[1]



tam-tam

tam-tam

tam-tam
[túm tùm, tám
tàm] (plural tam-tams) noun

1.  large
gong:
a large gong

2.  See
tom-tom
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Hindi am-am “tom-tom.”][1]



Tamworth

Tamworth2
Tam·worth2  [tám
wùrth, támmwərth]

city in northeastern New
South Wales, Australia, an agricultural center and site of an annual country
music festival. Population: 31,865 (1996)[1]



Tamworth

Tamworth1
Tam·worth1  [tám
wùrth] (plural Tam·worths) noun

reddish-gold
pig:
a reddish-gold pig with a long snout belonging to a hardy breed developed in
the British Midlands and traditionally reared for pork. It is now regarded as a
rare breed in its native region, but herds have been created in North America,
Australia, and elsewhere.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire, England.][1]



tan

tan2
tan2 [tan]
(plural tans)

Abbreviation of
tangent[1]



tan

tan1
tan1 [tan]
noun (plural tans)

1.  suntan:
the brownish color that the skin takes on after being exposed to ultraviolet
light, especially from the Sun or a sunlamp.
Also
called
suntan

2.  COLORS light
brown color: a light brown color tinged with orange

3.  See
tanbark  noun 1

4.  See
tannin
verb
(past tanned, past participle tanned, present
participle tan·ning, 3rd person present singular tans)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get or
give somebody a suntan: to give somebody’s skin a
brownish color, or take on such a color

2.  transitive
verb
MANUFACTURING convert
hide to leather: to convert an animal skin or hide into
leather by treating it with something such as tannin

3.  transitive
verb
beat
somebody:
to give a beating to somebody (informal)
adjective
(comparative tan·ner, superlative tan·nest)

1.  of
light brown color: of a light brown color
tinged with orange

2.  sun-bronzed:
bronzed by the sun or some other source of ultraviolet light.
U.K.
term
tanned

3.  MANUFACTURING of
process of tanning hides: relating to or used in the
process of tanning animal skins and hides
[Pre-12th
century. From medieval Latin tannare “to tan, dye a tawny color,” from tannum
“tanbark” (source of English tannin
), of uncertain origin: probably from Celtic .]
—tan·na·ble,
adjective

—tan·nish, adjective[1]



tana

tana
tan·a
[tnə] (plural tan·as) noun

1.  small
Madagascan lemur: a small Madagascan lemur with a
gray-brown back, whitish underparts, and a dark stripe that runs along the back
and encircles each eye. Latin name: Phaner furcifer

2.  Asian
tree shrew:
a mainly ground-dwelling tree shrew that is native to Borneo and Sumatra and
has a brownish coat with a black stripe along the back. Genus: Lyongale
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Malay tūpai tāna “ground squirrel” (source of English tupaia
).][1]



Tanabata

Tanabata
Tan·a·ba·ta
[t naa b taa] (plural Tan·a·ba·tas)
noun

CALENDAR Japanese
festival:
an annual festival celebrated in Japan on or around July 7. It originated in a
Chinese legend about two lovers who were allowed to meet only once a year, on
the seventh night of the seventh month.
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Tanach

Tanach
Tan·ach
[taa nkh] or Tan·akh [taa nkh] noun

sacred
book of Judaism: the sacred book of Judaism consisting of
the Torah, Prophets, and Hagiographa
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew tĕna, an acronym formed from tōrāh “law” + nĕī’īm
“prophets” + kĕūīm “hagiographa.”][1]



tanager

tanager
tan·a·ger 
[tánnəjər] (plural tan·a·gers)
noun

N
and S American songbird: a songbird found in the
forests of North and South America that is usually fairly small and brightly
colored in bold patterns with a conical bill. Tanagers feed on insects and
fruit, and some are popular as cage birds. Family: Thraupidae
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin Tanagra, genus name, ultimately an alteration of Tupi tangará
.][1]



Tanakh

Tanakh
Tan·akh
noun

See
Tanach[1]



Tana,Lake

Tana,Lake
Ta·na,
Lake
[tnə]

the largest lake in Ethiopia,
situated on the northern central plateau of the Ethiopian highlands. Area:
2,156 sq km/1,219 sq mi.[1]



Tan,Amy

Tan,Amy
Tan 
[tann], Amy (1952– )

U.S. writer. She came to
prominence with her first novel, The Joy Luck Club ( 1989 ), which deals
with the relationships between Chinese-born women and their U.S.-born
daughters.[1]



tanbark

tanbark
tan·bark 
[tán brk] (plural tan·barks) noun

1.  MANUFACTURING tree
bark used as tannin: the bark of some kinds of
tree, especially oak and hemlock, used as a source of tannin.
Also
called
tan

2.  INDUSTRY bark
for ground coverage: tree bark with the tannin
removed, used as a ground covering, especially in circus arenas, racetracks,
and other places where animals are kept

3.  ARTS circus
ring:
the part of a circus arena that is covered with tanbark

4.  TREES See tan oak

[1]



tandem

tandem
tan·dem 
[tándəm] noun (plural tan·dems)

1.  See
tandem bicycle

2.  horse-drawn
carriage:
a two-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses harnessed one behind the other

3.  horse
team harnessed in single file: a team of two horses
harnessed one behind the other

4.  arrangement
in single file: a setup in which two things are arranged
one behind the other

5.  vehicle
with axles close together: a vehicle with two axles
close together
adverb

one behind another:
with one behind the other • We’ll
ride tandem.
[Late 18th century. From
Latin tandem “at length” (from tam “so” + demonstrative suffix -dem
), humorously interpreted as “in a straight line”; originally “carriage drawn
by two horses one behind the other.”][1]



tandembicycle

tandembicycle
tan·dem
bi·cy·cle
noun

bicycle for two riders:
a bicycle that has two seats and two sets of handlebars and pedals, one behind
the other, so that it can be ridden by two people at the same time.
Also called
tandem[1]



tandoor

tandoor
tan·door 
[tan dr] (plural tan·doors) noun

clay
oven:
a clay oven used especially in the cuisine of or derived from the north of the
Indian subcontinent for cooking food quickly at high temperature. It is
traditionally fueled by charcoal or wood, which gives the food a distinctive
smoky flavor, although it can also now be fueled by gas.
[Mid-19th century. Via Urdu tandūr,
Persian tanūr from, ultimately, Arabic tannūr “oven, furnace.”][1]



tandoori

tandoori
tan·door·i 
[tan dree] adjective

cooked
in clay oven: baked or cooked in a tandoor. In the
cuisine of or derived from the north of the Indian subcontinent, meat or
seafood is generally cooked in this way after being marinated in a mixture of
yogurt and spices.
[Mid-20th century. From
Persian and Urdu, formed from Urdu tandūr and Persian tanūr (see tandoor ).][1]



Tandy,Jessica

Tandy,Jessica
Tan·dy
[tándee], Jessica (1909–1994)

British-born U.S. actress.
She acted in the first production of A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1947 )
and won an Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy ( 1989 ).[1]



Taney,Roger

Taney,Roger
Ta·ney
[táwnee], Roger (1777–1864)

U.S.
jurist. He was chief justice of the Supreme Court (1836–1864), and is best
known for a legal decision that asserted the legitimacy of slavery.
Full name
Taney, Roger Brooke[1]



Tang

Tang
Tang 
[taang] or T’ang [taang] noun

Chinese
dynasty:
a wealthy Chinese dynasty that lasted from AD
618–907 and was renowned for its encouragement and patronage of the arts,
especially poetry and ceramics, and the development of printing
adjective

of
Tang dynasty: relating to or characteristic of the
Tang dynasty or the literature, pottery, and other arts and crafts that
flourished in China during this period
[Mid-17th century. From
Chinese táng .][1]



tang

tang2
tang2  [tang]
noun (plural tangs)

ringing
sound:
a loud, often harsh, ringing noise
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tanged, past
participle tanged, present participle tang·ing, 3rd
person present singular tangs)

make
ringing sound: to make or cause something to make a
loud, often harsh, ringing noise
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



tang

tang1
tang1  [tang]
noun (plural tangs)

1.  strong
taste:
a distinctively sharp strong taste

2.  pungent
smell:
a smell that has a sharp biting quality

3.  suggestion:
a slight hint or flavor of a particular thing • a
cake with a tang of lemon

4.  sharp
end going into handle: the sharp part at one end of
a chisel, knife blade, or other similar tool that secures it to the handle or
shaft
transitive
verb
(past tanged, past participle tanged, present
participle tang·ing, 3rd person present singular tangs)

1.  supply
with tang:
to put a tang on something such as a knife or chisel

2.  give
tang to something: to mark something with a
sharp distinctive smell or taste • mountain
breezes tanged with the scent of pine
[14th century. From a
Scandinavian word.][1]



Tanga

Tanga
Tan·ga
[táng gə, tng gə]

town in northeastern
Tanzania, on the Indian Ocean. Population: 188,000 (1994)[1]



tanga

tanga
tan·ga
[təng g] (plural tan·gas) noun

underwear
or swimwear fastened with ties: an undergarment or the
lower part of a bikini made of two small triangles of fabric fastened with ties
[Early 20th century. Via
Portuguese, in which the word denoted a triangular loincloth worn in tropical
America, from Bantu .][1]



Tanganyika

Tanganyika
Tan·gan·yi·ka 
[tàng gən ykə]

former
country in East Africa constituting the mainland part of what is now Tanzania
—Tan·gan·yi·kan, noun,
adjective[1]



Tanganyika,Lake

Tanganyika,Lake
Tan·gan·yi·ka,
Lake
[tng gən ykə]

the second largest lake in
Africa, located in the eastern central part of the continent, with shorelines
in Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Area:
32,900 sq km/12,700 sq mi. Length: 680 km/420 mi.[1]



tangatawhenua

tangatawhenua
tan·ga·ta
whe·nu·a
[tànguttə fénnoo ə] plural noun

New Zealand
Maori people:
the Maori people of a particular area[1]



TangeKenzo

TangeKenzo
Tan·ge
Ken·zo
[tng gay kénnzō] (1913– )

Japanese architect. He is
often considered Japan’s greatest modern architect. His works include the Peace
Center at Hiroshima ( 1955 ).[1]



tangelo

tangelo
tan·ge·lo 
[tánjə l] (plural tan·ge·los)
noun

1.  TREES hybrid
citrus tree: a hybrid citrus tree produced by
crossing a tangerine tree with a grapefruit tree

2.  FOOD fruit
of tangelo tree: the fruit of the tangelo, bigger than an
orange and with smooth easily peeled skin and sharp-tasting orange flesh
[Early 20th century. Blend of
tangerine and pomelo,
sometimes used to refer to grapefruit.][1]



tangent

tangent

tan·gent 
[tánjənt] noun (plural tan·gents)

1.  line
or surface that touches another: a line, curve, or
surface that touches another curve or surface but does not cross or intersect
it

2.  MATHEMATICS trigonometric
function:
for a given angle in a right-angled triangle, a trigonometric function equal to
the length of the side opposite the angle divided by the length of the adjacent
side.
See
also
cosine
See
also
sine

3.  part
of survey line: the part of a survey line that is
straight

4.  MUSIC part
of clavichord: a part of the clavichord that resembles
a small hammer and strikes the strings
adjective

1.  See
tangential  adjective 2

2.  away
from the point: not relevant to the subject currently under
consideration

3.  touching
at a single point: touching only at a single
point

4.  touching
but not crossing: in contact, but not crossing or
intersecting
[Late
16th century. From Latin tangent-, present participle stem of tangere
“to touch.” Originally “line touching a circle.”]
—tan·gen·cy,
noun
go off at or on a tangent

to
change quickly and suddenly to a different subject or line of thought





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word tangere, from which tangent
  is derived, is also the source of English contact,
  intact, tact,
  taste, and tax.

[1]



tangentgalvanometer

tangentgalvanometer
tan·gent
gal·va·nom·e·ter noun

instrument for measuring
Earth’s magnetic field: a device
with a compass needle suspended horizontally in a vertical coil through which a
direct current is passed, causing deflection of the needle proportional to the
current size. It can be used to calculate the strength of the Earth’s magnetic
field.[1]



tangential

tangential
tan·gen·tial 
[tan jénshəl] adjective

1.  almost
irrelevant:
with only slight relevance to the current subject

2.  of
tangent:
relating to or involving a tangent
—tan·gen·ti·al·i·ty
[tan jènshee állətee], noun

—tan·gen·tial·ly [tan jénshəlee], adverb[1]



Tangerine

Tangerine
Tan·ger·ine
[tànjə rn, tánjə
rn] adjective

of Tangier:
relating to the Moroccan port of Tangier, or its people or culture[1]



tangerine

tangerine
tan·ger·ine 
[tànjə rn, tánjə
rn] noun (plural tan·ger·ines)

1.  FOOD citrus
fruit:
an edible citrus fruit with an orange skin that is easily peeled and
sweet-tasting flesh

2.  TREES widely
cultivated citrus tree: a citrus tree native to
Southeast Asia but widely cultivated in tropical and warm regions for its
fruit. Many varieties and hybrids have been produced, including the clementine,
satsuma, and tangelo. Latin name: Citrus reticulata

3.  COLORS bright
orange color: a bright orange color like that of a
tangerine
adjective

COLORS of
bright orange color: of a bright orange color
like a tangerine
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably modeled on Spanish Tangerino “of or from Tangier,”
the current senses via Tangerine orange .][1]



tangi

tangi
tan·gi
[táng gee, tng
gee] (plural tan·gis) noun

New
Zealand
Maori
funeral ceremony: a Maori funeral ceremony and the feast
that accompanies it
[Mid-19th century. From
Maori, “lament, action of crying.”][1]



tangible

tangible
tan·gi·ble 
[tánjəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be touched: able to be touched or perceived through
the sense of touch • a tangible coldness

2.  actual:
capable of being understood and evaluated, and therefore regarded as real • There
is no tangible evidence to support this claim.

3.  able
to be realized: capable of being given a physical
existence • some
very tangible financial benefits
noun
(plural tan·gi·bles)

something tangible:
something that has a physical form, especially a financial asset (often used
in the plural)
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from late Latin tangibilis “that
may be touched,” from Latin tangere (see tangent
).]
—tan·gi·bil·i·ty
[tànjə bíllətee], noun

—tan·gi·ble·ness
[tánjəb’lnəss], noun

—tan·gi·bly [tánjəblee], adverb[1]



Tangier

Tangier
Tan·gier 
[tàn jr]

port city in northern
Morocco. Population: 307,000 (1993)[1]



tangle

tangle1
tan·gle1 [táng
g’l] verb (past tan·gled, past participle tan·gled,
present participle tan·gling, 3rd person present singular tan·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb become
twisted:
to become or make something become twisted together into a jumbled mass

2.  transitive
verb
catch
and hold something: to catch and entwine
somebody or something in something that is difficult to get out of, for
example, a net or trap • I got
my jacket tangled in the branches.

3.  transitive
verb
trap
somebody in difficult situation: to trap somebody in a
complicated, awkward, or dangerous situation • tangled
in a web of controversy

4.  intransitive
verb
come
into conflict: to become involved in a confrontation or
disagreement with somebody, especially somebody powerful or important • You’ll
regret it if you tangle with them.
noun
(plural tan·gles)

1.  jumbled
mass:
a mass of fibers, lines, or other things twisted together

2.  difficulty:
a complicated situation or problem

3.  state
of mental upset: a state of mental or emotional confusion
or upset
[14th
century. Earlier tangilen, variant of tagilen “to involve in an
embarrassing situation,” of uncertain origin: probably from Scandinavian.]
—tan·gle·ment,
noun

—tan·gler,
noun

—tan·gly, adjective[1]



tangle

tangle2
tan·gle2 [táng
g’l] (plural tan·gles) or tan·gle weed [táng g’l] (plural tan·gle weeds) noun

seaweed:
a large brown seaweed, various kinds of which grow on shores at or below the
level of low tide.
Also
called
oar weed
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Norwegian tångel, from Old Norse þongull,
from þang “bladderwrack.”][1]



Tango

Tango
Tan·go
noun

the letter T:
a word used to represent the letter “T” in radio communications[1]



tango

tango
tan·go 
[táng gō] noun (plural tan·gos)

1.  DANCE dance
of Latin American origin: a highly stylized ballroom
dance of Latin American origin in 2/4 time in which the steps are punctuated by
glides and sudden pauses

2.  MUSIC music
for tango:
a piece of music that is suitable for a tango
intransitive
verb
(past tan·goed, past participle tan·goed, present
participle tan·go·ing, 3rd person present singular tan·gos)

DANCE dance
tango:
to dance a tango
[Late
19th century. From Argentine Spanish tango, originally a dance to the
sound of drums, of uncertain origin: probably from a Niger-Congo language.]
—tan·go·ist, noun[1]



tangram

tangram

tan·gram 
[tán gràm] (plural tan·grams) noun
Chinese
shape puzzle: a puzzle of Chinese origin that involves
putting together seven pieces, usually a square, a parallelogram, and five
triangles, to form different shapes. The seven pieces can also be put together
to form a square.
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps coined from Chinese t’ang “Chinese” + -gram .][1]



Tangshan

Tangshan
Tang·shan 
[tàng shán]

city in Hebei Province,
northern China, southeast of Beijing. Population: 1,500,000 (1991)[1]



Tanguy,Yves

Tanguy,Yves
Tan·guy
[taang g, tangg],
Yves (1900–1955)

French-born U.S. artist. He
is known for his surrealist paintings of organic forms in dreamlike landscapes.[1]



tangy

tangy
tang·y
[tángee] (comparative tang·ier,
superlative tang·i·est) adjective

with strong taste:
with a strong sharp taste or smell[1]



TangYin

TangYin
Tang
Yin
[tng yínn] (1470–1523)

Chinese painter and poet. He
is noted for his paintings of beautiful and elegant women.[1]



Tani,Buncho

Tani,Buncho
Ta·ni
[tnee], Buncho (1763–1840)

Japanese artist. A noted book
illustrator, he was responsible for introducing Western style to Japanese
painting.[1]



tanistry

tanistry
tan·ist·ry
[tánnistree] noun

selection process for
chieftain’s heir: the process of
selecting an heir apparent to a Celtic chieftain while the current chieftain is
still alive[1]



taniwha

taniwha
tani·wha
[tún ee f] (plural tani·whas)
noun

New
Zealand
Maori
monster:
a Maori water spirit that inspires fear
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



TanizakiJunichiro

TanizakiJunichiro
Tan·i·za·ki
Jun·i·chi·ro [tni zki
jni chrō] (1886–1965)

Japanese writer. His novels
present the conflict between modern Western-influenced realities and
traditional values.[1]



tank

tank
tank 
[tangk] noun (plural tanks)

1.  large
container for liquids or gases: a large container for
storing liquids or gases

2.  amount
held by tank: the amount of liquid or gas that a
particular tank holds • We
should get there and back on a couple of tanks of gas.

3.  MILITARY armored
vehicle:
a large armored combat vehicle with Caterpillar™ treads and a rotating turret

4.  jail:
prison or a prison cell (informal)

5.  pond
or reservoir: a fairly small body of water, especially
one used for water storage (regional)

6.  PHOTOGRAPHY container
for developing film: a lightproof container for
developing film, designed so that processing chemicals can be poured in and out
without light entering

7.  PHOTOGRAPHY tray
for processing sheets of film: a large tray or
container for processing a number of sheets of film together

8.  CLOTHES See tank top
transitive
verb
(past tanked, past participle tanked, present
participle tank·ing, 3rd person present singular tanks)

1.  put
something in a tank: to put or keep something in
a tank

2.  stop
trying to win a competition: to make no effort to win,
especially in a sports competition (informal) • He
tanked the second set.
[Early 17th century. From
Gujarati tākũ and Marathi ākẽ “pond, cistern,” perhaps with
influence from Portuguese tangue (from Latin stagnum “pond”).][1]



tanka

tanka
tan·ka
[tng k] (plural tan·kas or
tan·ka) noun

1.  Japanese
verse form:
a five-line Japanese verse form in which the first and third lines have five
syllables each and the other lines have seven syllables each.
See
also
haiku

2.  Japanese
poem:
a poem with a tanka verse structure
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, from tan “short” + ka “song.”][1]



tankage

tankage
tank·age 
[tángkij] (plural tank·ages) noun

1.  tank
capacity:
the amount that can be held by a tank or tanks

2.  storage
in tank:
the storage of something in a tank, or the cost of this

3.  AGRICULTURE fertilizer:
a by-product of the slaughter of livestock consisting of carcass trimmings
cooked to reduce moisture and drained of surplus fat, used as a feed supplement
or fertilizer

[1]



tankard

tankard
tank·ard 
[tángkərd] (plural tank·ards) noun

1.  big
beer mug:
a large mug with a handle and sometimes a hinged lid, made of glass, pewter, or
silver plate, typically used for drinking beer

2.  amount
held in tankard: the amount of liquid that a tankard
holds

[1]



tankcar

tankcar
tank
car
noun

bulk liquid carrier on train:
a railroad car that has a large tank for transporting liquids, semiliquids, or
gases in bulk.
U.K. term
tank wagon[1]



tankdestroyer

tankdestroyer
tank
de·stroy·er
noun

antitank vehicle:
an armored military vehicle or aircraft mounted with antitank guns and designed
to destroy tanks[1]



tanked

tanked
tanked 
[tangkt] or tanked-up [tangkt] adjective

very drunk:
extremely drunk (slang)[1]



tankengine

tankengine
tank
en·gine
or tank lo·co·mo·tive noun

steam locomotive storing
water near boiler: a steam
engine that carries its water supply in tanks at the sides of the boiler
instead of carrying it in a tender[1]



tanker

tanker
tank·er 
[tángkər] (plural tank·ers) noun

bulk liquid carrier:
a ship, truck, or airplane designed to carry large quantities of liquid or gas[1]



tankfarm

tankfarm
tank
farm
noun

oil storage area:
a site with several large storage tanks, especially ones containing oil[1]



tankfarming

tankfarming
tank
farm·ing
noun

See
hydroponics[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tankful

tankful
tank·ful
[tángk fl] (plural tank·fuls)
noun

amount held by tank:
the amount a tank can hold[1]



tanklocomotive

tanklocomotive
tank
lo·co·mo·tive noun

See
tank engine[1]



tanksuit

tanksuit
tank
suit
noun

swimsuit:
a one-piece swimsuit with a scoop neck and wide shoulder straps
[So called because they were
worn in swimming pools, which were also called “swimming tanks”][1]



tanktop

tanktop
tank
top
noun

sleeveless
shirt:
a sleeveless garment with a scoop- or V-neck.
Also
called
tank
[Because it resembles either
the top half of a tank suit, or a garment worn by the crews of armored tanks][1]



tanktown

tanktown
tank
town
noun

small
town:
a small town
[Tank from the fact that
originally trains stopped at such towns only to take on water][1]



tanktrap

tanktrap
tank
trap
noun

obstacle for tanks:
something such as a concrete block designed to stop or slow the movement of
military tanks[1]



tankup

tankup
tank
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fill
up with fuel: to fill the fuel tank of a motor vehicle
(informal)

2.  intransitive
verb
get
drunk:
to drink enough alcohol to become drunk (slang)

[1]



tankwagon

tankwagon
tank
wag·on
noun

U.K.
See tank car[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tannage

tannage
tan·nage
[tánnij] (plural tan·nages) noun

1.  hide
tanning:
the tanning of animal hides or skins

2.  tanned
hide:
an animal skin or hide that has been tanned
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from tan 1 ; perhaps
also from French tannage .][1]



tannate

tannate
tan·nate 
[tá nàyt] (plural tan·nates) noun

salt
of tannic acid: a salt or ester of tannic acid
[Early 19th century. Formed
from tannic .][1]



tanned

tanned
tanned
[tand] adjective

U.K.
See tan 1 adjective
2[1]



tanner

tanner
tan·ner
[tánnər] (plural tan·ners) noun

somebody
who tans hides: somebody who tans animal skins or hides
[Pre-12th century. Both
formed from tan 1 and via Old
French tanere from medieval Latin tannator .][1]



tannery

tannery
tan·ner·y 
[tánnəree] (plural tan·ner·ies)
noun

place for tanning hides:
a building or factory where animal skins and hides are tanned[1]



tannic

tannic
tan·nic 
[tánnik] adjective

of
tannin:
relating to, containing, or derived from tannin
[Mid-19th century. From
French tannique, from tanin (see tannin
).][1]



tannicacid

tannicacid
tan·nic
ac·id
noun

See
tannin[1]



tannin

tannin
tan·nin 
[tánnin] (plural tan·nins) noun

plant
chemical used in tanning: a brownish or yellowish
substance found in plants and used in tanning, dyeing, and as an astringent.
Also
called
tannic acid
Also
called
tan
[Early 19th century. From
French tanin, from tan “tanbark,” from medieval Latin tannum
(see tan 1 ).][1]



tanning

tanning
tan·ning 
[tánning] (plural tan·nings) noun

1.  conversion
of animal skin into leather: the conversion of animal
skins and hides into leather

2.  browning
of skin:
the browning of skin when it is exposed to the sun or some other ultraviolet
light source

3.  sound
beating:
a sound beating or whipping

[1]



tanningbed

tanningbed
tanning
bed
(plural tanning beds) noun

tanning apparatus:
an apparatus resembling a bed with a special canopy that emits rays of
ultraviolet light so that the person lying on it develops a tan.
U.K. term
sunbed[1]



tanoak

tanoak
tan
oak
noun

evergreen tree:
a large evergreen hardwood tree native to California and Oregon and belonging
to the beech family, the bark of which is used for tanning. Latin name: Lithocarpus
densiflora
Also called
tanbark[1]



Tanoan

Tanoan
Ta·no·an 
[tnō ən] noun

Native
N American language family: a group of languages spoken
mainly in New Mexico and Arizona. Tanoan languages are spoken by about 3,000
people.
[From Spanish Tano
“Tewa”][1]



tanrec

tanrec
tan·rec 
(plural tan·recs) noun

See
tenrec[1]



tansy

tansy

tan·sy 
[tánzee] (plural tan·sies) noun

1.  plant
with yellow flowers: an aromatic perennial
European and Asian plant of the daisy family with leaves divided into toothed
leaflets and flat-topped clusters of yellow flower heads. The leaves were
traditionally used as a piquant culinary flavoring, as a rodent repellent, and as
a medicine. Latin name: Tanacetum vulgare

2.  plant
resembling tansy: any plant similar to the tansy, for
example, the ragwort
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French tanesie, ultimately from late Latin tanacetum
“wormwood”; or from medieval Latin athanasia, from Greek,
“immortality.”][1]



tansyragwort

tansyragwort
tan·sy
rag·wort
noun

plant with flowers resembling
daisies: a plant native to Europe,
Asia, and Africa with yellow flowers resembling daisies. It is poisonous to
livestock. Latin name: Senecio jacobaea[1]



Tanta

Tanta
Tan·ta 
[tóntə]

city in the Nile delta,
northeastern Egypt, capital of Gharbiyah Governorate. Population: 380,000
(1992)[1]



tantalic

tantalic
tan·tal·ic 
[tan tállik] adjective

relating to tantalum:
relating to tantalum, especially when it has a valence of five[1]



tantalite

tantalite
tan·ta·lite 
[tánt’l t] noun

tantalum ore:
a reddish-black mineral that is an ore of tantalum and also contains iron and
manganese. It occurs in granites and pegmatite. (Fe,Mn)Ta2O6[1]



tantalize

tantalize
tan·ta·lize 
[tánt’l z] (past tan·ta·lized,
past participle tan·ta·lized, present participle tan·ta·liz·ing,
3rd person present singular tan·ta·liz·es) transitive verb

tease
somebody:
to tease or torment people by letting them see, but not have, something they
desire
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin Tantalus (see Tantalus
).]
—tan·ta·li·za·tion
[tànt’li záysh’n], noun

—tan·ta·liz·er [tánt’l zər], noun[1]



tantalizing

tantalizing
tan·ta·liz·ing
[tánt’l zing] adjective

attractive
but unattainable: tempting but unavailable or unattainable
• a
really tantalizing offer
—tan·ta·liz·ing·ly, adverb[1]



tantalum

tantalum

tan·ta·lum 
[tánt’ləm] noun
blue-gray
metallic element: a dense blue-gray metallic chemical
element used in making electronic components, alloys, and in plates and pins
for orthopedic surgery. Symbol Ta
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin Tantalus (see Tantalus
), because of its inability to absorb acid even when it is immersed in it.][1]



tantalus

tantalus
tan·ta·lus
[tánt’ləss] (plural tan·ta·lus·es)
noun

locked
holder for spirit decanters: a lockable stand or case for
decanters of alcoholic drinks, especially spirits. The decanters are visible
but without the key the contents cannot be reached.
[Late 19th century.
Ultimately from Latin Tantalus (see Tantalus
).][1]



Tantalus

Tantalus
Tan·ta·lus 
[tánt’ləss] noun

eternally
hungry mythological king: in Greek mythology, a king
who was condemned to stand in water under a fruit tree. Whenever he tried to
drink or eat, the water or fruit receded beyond his reach.
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin
from Greek .][1]



tantamount

tantamount
tan·ta·mount 
[tántə mòwnt] adjective

the
same as:
equivalent to a particular thing in effect, outcome, or value, especially
something unpleasant • an
answer that was tantamount to a refusal
[Mid-17th century. Ultimately
from Anglo-French tant amunter “to amount to as much,” from Old French tant
“as much” + amonter “to amount” (source of English amount ).][1]



tantara

tantara
tan·ta·ra 
[tan térrə, tan
trə, tántərə] (plural tan·ta·ras)
noun

trumpet
noise:
a fanfare or blast on a horn, or a sound that resembles this, especially when
used to announce something important
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



tantie

tantie
tant·ie
[tántee] or Tant·ie [tántee] noun

Caribbean
older
aunt:
an older aunt, or any older woman
[Late 19th century. From
French Creole, a blend of French tante and auntie
.][1]



tantivy

tantivy
tan·tiv·y 
[tan tívvee] noun (plural tan·tiv·ies)
interjection

hunter’s
shout:
a hunting cry, especially one given by a hunter riding a horse at full gallop
noun
(plural tan·tiv·ies)

fast
movement:
a fast ride, especially on a horse going at full gallop
adjective

speedy:
moving very fast, especially when on a horse going at full gallop
adverb

speedily:
in a very fast way, especially at full gallop
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound of galloping horses, with
influence from tantara .][1]



Tantra

Tantra
Tan·tra
[túntrə, tántrə]
noun

sacred
writings of Tantrism: the sacred books of
Tantrism. They were written between the 7th and 17th centuries AD and mostly consist of a dialogue
between Shiva and his wife Shakti.
[Late 18th century. From Sanskrit,
“loom, warp, groundwork, system, doctrine.”][1]



Tantrism

Tantrism
Tan·trism
[tún trìzzəm, tán
trìzzəm] noun

sexual
yoga and meditation: a movement in Hinduism and
Buddhism, especially a variety based on yoga and intended to release energy
through sexual intercourse in which the orgasm is withheld or delayed
—Tan·tric,
adjective

—Tan·trist, noun[1]



tantrum

tantrum
tan·trum 
[tántrəm] (plural tan·trums) noun

fit
of temper:
an outburst of anger, especially a childish display of rage or bad temper
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Tanzania

Tanzania



Tan·za·ni·a 
[tànzə n ə]
republic
in southeastern Africa, including the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. Language:
Swahili. Language: English. Currency: Tanzanian shilling. Capital: Dodoma.
Population: 29,898,774 (1997) Area: 945,100 sq km/364,900 sq mi. Official
name United Republic of Tanzania
—Tan·za·ni·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Tanzania




Back to definition

Tanzania

[1]



Tao

Tao
Tao
[tow, dow]
noun

1.  ultimate
reality:
in Taoist philosophy, the ultimate reality in which all things are located or
happen

2.  Tao
or tao universal energy:
the universal energy that makes and maintains everything that exists

3.  relationship
between individual and universe: the order and wisdom
of individual life, and the way that this harmonizes with the universe as a
whole
[Mid-18th century. From
Chinese dào “way, path, right way (of life), reason.”][1]



Taoiseach

Taoiseach
Taoi·seach 
[thshək] noun

Irish
prime minister: the prime minister of the Republic of
Ireland
[Mid-20th century. From
Irish, literally “chief, leader.”][1]



Taoism

Taoism
Tao·ism 
[tów ìzzəm, dów
ìzzəm] noun

1.  philosophy
of simplicity and noninterference: a Chinese philosophy
that advocates a simple life and a policy of noninterference with the natural
course of things. It was founded in the 6th century BC by the mystic and philosopher Lao-tzu.

2.  religion
based on Taoism: a popular Chinese religion that seeks
harmony and long life through the philosophy of Taoism combined with pantheism
and magical practices
—Tao·ist,
noun, adjective

—Tao·is·tic [tow ístik, dow ístik],
adjective[1]



taonga

taonga
ta·on·ga
[taa áwng gə] (plural ta·on·gas)
noun

New Zealand
something valuable:
something that should be cherished and is considered very valuable[1]



Taormina

Taormina
Ta·or·mi·na 
[towr mnə]

winter resort town in Messina
Province, eastern Sicily, situated about 45 km/28 mi north of Catania.
Population: 9,979 (1991)[1]



TaoTe Ching

TaoTe Ching
Tao
Te Ching
[tòw tə chíng, dòw
tə chíng] noun

Taoist
scripture:
the most important Taoist text, a collection of 81 poems by the mystic and
philosopher Lao-tzu, the founder of Taoism
[Literally, “the Book of the
Way”][1]



tap

tap1

tap1 [tap]
verb (past tapped, past participle tapped, present
participle tap·ping, 3rd person present singular taps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hit
something lightly: to hit something or somebody
lightly, especially more than once

2.  transitive
verb
hit
object against something else: to hit an object
lightly against something else

3.  transitive
verb
make
sound:
to produce something such as a noise or rhythm by tapping

4.  intransitive
verb
move
making light sounds: to move making a series of
light noises

5.  intransitive
verb
tap-dance:
to tap-dance

6.  transitive
verb
reinforce
shoe:
to attach a small piece of leather or metal to the toe or heel of a shoe to
cover worn parts or to protect against wear

7.  transitive
verb
give
position to somebody: to select and appoint
somebody for a particular role or office (usually passive) “The coal
industry was tapped to lead the way for reform” U.S. News & World Report
December 1998
noun (plural
taps)

1.  light
blow:
a light blow, especially one that produces a noise

2.  sound
of blow:
the sound made by a light blow

3.  reinforcement
for shoe:
a small piece of leather or metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe to
cover a worn part or to protect against wear

4.  metal
part on tap-dancing shoe: a metal tip attached to the
toe or heel of a tap-dancing shoe so that it can produce a noise

5.  tap-dancing:
tap-dancing (informal)

6.  PHONETICS touch
of tongue to mouth top: the production of a speech
sound made when any flexible speech organ hits any hard part of the mouth, such
as when the tongue is brought into contact with the hard palate
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound, or via French taper
“tap, strike,” from Gallo-Romance, Germanic, or Scandinavian.]
—tap·pa·ble,
adjective

—tap·per, noun[1]



tap

tap2
tap2 [tap]
noun (plural taps)

1.  See
faucet

2.  barrel
plug:
a stopper in a cask or barrel, used to seal in the contents and also to allow
liquid to be drawn off at a controlled rate

3.  beer
from cask:
liquid, especially beer, that has been drawn from a tap in a cask or barrel and
is regarded as having particular qualities because of this

4.  See
taproom

5.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS listening
device:
a device put into a telephone or other telecommunication equipment in order to
secretly listen to or record other people’s conversations

6.  SURGERY surgical
fluid extraction: a surgical procedure that involves
drawing off a body fluid using a hollow needle or tube

7.  TECHNOLOGY tool
for making internal screw threads: a tool used to make an
internal screw thread.
See
also
die

8.  ELECTRICITY temporary
connection in circuit: a point in a circuit where a
temporary connection may be made.
U.K.
term
tapping

9.  STOCK EXCHANGE security
on market at predetermined price: a government security
made available gradually on the stock market when its price reaches a
predetermined level
verb
(past tapped, past participle tapped, present
participle tap·ping, 3rd person present singular taps)

1.  transitive
verb
TELECOMMUNICATIONS place
listening device on phone line: to fit a device into a
telephone or other telecommunication equipment in order to secretly listen to
or record other people’s conversations

2.  transitive
verb
attach
tap:
to attach a tap to something in order to draw off or control the flow of liquid

3.  transitive
verb
draw
liquid from barrel: to draw off liquid, for
example, wine or beer, from a barrel by means of a tap

4.  transitive
verb
SURGERY draw
fluid from body: to surgically draw off fluid from a part
of the body

5.  transitive
verb
FORESTRY obtain
sap:
to cut into a tree in order to draw off sap or resin

6.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING get
into power supply: to connect to a power supply
and divert energy from it, usually illegally

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
resource to use: to make use of a resource or supply of
something (informal) • tapping
into the reserves of goodwill that exist in the community

8.  transitive
verb
borrow
money:
to borrow a sum of money from somebody (informal) • She
tapped me for 20 bucks.

9.  transitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY make
internal screw thread: to cut an internal screw
thread into something
[Old
English tæppa (noun) and tæppian (verb), from prehistoric Germanic]
—tap·pa·ble,
adjective

—tap·per,
noun
on
tap

1.  available
for immediate use (informal)

2.  available
to be drawn from a container (informal)

[1]



tapa

tapa
ta·pa 
[tpə, táppə]
noun

1.  tree
bark:
the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree

2.  fabric
made from tapa: a strong fabric made from the inner bark
of the paper mulberry tree
[Early 19th century. From
Polynesian .][1]



tapas

tapas
ta·pas 
[t ps] plural noun

Spanish
snacks:
small savory snacks that are often served as an appetizer along with alcoholic
drinks, originally in Spain
[Mid-20th century. Plural of
Spanish tapa “cover, lid.”][1]



tap-dance

tap-dance
tap-dance 
intransitive verb

perform
tap dance:
to perform a dance or dances wearing shoes with metal tips at the toes and
heels to make a rhythmic sound
—tap-danc·ing, noun[1]



tapdance

tapdance
tap
dance
noun

dance
with tapping sounds: a step dance performed by a
dancer wearing shoes with metal tips at the toes and heels to make a rhythmic
sound as they hit the floor.
Also
called
tap
—tap danc·er, noun[1]



tape

tape
tape 
[tayp] noun (plural tapes)

1.  strip
of sticky material: a long strip of plastic or
cloth with adhesive on one or both sides, usually on a roll

2.  video
or audio cassette: a cassette used for audio or
video recording or playback • Put
the tape in the player.

3.  long
narrow strip of material: a long narrow strip of
material such as paper, fabric, or plastic used to secure or tie something

4.  See
tape recording

5.  magnetic
tape:
magnetic tape used in cassettes and some computers

6.  SPORTS finish
line marker: a long strip of material that marks the
finish line in a race

7.  tape
measure:
a tape measure
verb
(past taped, past participle taped, present
participle tap·ing, 3rd person present singular tapes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb record
something:
to record something, especially music or a television program on magnetic tape

2.  transitive
verb
fix
something using tape: to secure, fasten, or
strengthen something using tape

3.  transitive
verb
measure
something using tape measure: to measure something using a
tape measure
[Old English tæppe
“narrow strip of cloth,” of uncertain origin][1]



tapedeck

tapedeck
tape
deck
noun

device for playing tapes:
an electrical device that plays and records tapes, especially audio cassettes[1]



tapegrass

tapegrass
tape
grass
noun

aquatic grass with long
narrow leaves: a perennial grass that
grows largely submerged in fresh water, forming tufts of long narrow leaves and
bearing inconspicuous pinkish-white flowers. Latin name: Vallisneria
spiralis
Also called
eelgrass
Also called
wild celery[1]



tapeline

tapeline
tape·line 
[táyp līn] (plural tape·lines)
noun

See
tape measure[1]



tapemachine

tapemachine
tape
ma·chine
noun

U.K.
STOCK EXCHANGE See ticker[1]



tapemeasure

tapemeasure
tape
meas·ure
noun

length measurer:
a long roll or strip of fabric, plastic, paper, or thin metal that is marked
off in inches or centimeters and used for measuring.
Also called
tapeline[1]



tapenade

tapenade
ta·pe·nade 
[tpə nd] noun

olive
paste:
a paste, originally from Provence in France, made from puréed black olives,
capers, and anchovies
[From French Provençal tapeno
“caper”][1]



taper

taper
ta·per 
[táypər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past ta·pered, past participle ta·pered, present
participle ta·per·ing, 3rd person present singular ta·pers)

1.  get
or make narrower: to become or make something narrower at
one end, especially gradually

2.  reduce
gradually:
to become or make something smaller in size or amount, or less important,
especially gradually • Sales
of the first album are beginning to taper off.
noun
(plural ta·pers)

1.  slim
candle:
a slim candle that is narrower at the top than at the bottom

2.  strip
for transferring flame: a strip of wood or waxed
paper used for taking a flame to light something else

3.  narrowing
of shape:
a gradual narrowing in the shape of something • a
spire with a pronounced taper

4.  dim
light:
a faint source of light, for example, from a small candle
[Pre-12th
century. Originally “candle” (hence “get narrower”); alteration of Latin papyrus
“papyrus” (source of English paper ),
whose pith was used for candle wicks.]
—ta·per·ing,
adjective

—ta·per·ing·ly, adverb[1]



tape-record

tape-record
tape-re·cord 
(past tape-re·cord·ed, past participle tape-re·cord·ed,
present participle tape-re·cord·ing, 3rd person present
singular tape-re·cords) transitive verb

record something on tape:
to record something, especially sound, on a magnetic tape[1]



taperecorder

taperecorder
tape
re·cord·er
noun

machine for recording or
playing tapes: a machine that can
record and play cassette or reel-to-reel tapes, especially one with its own
speaker[1]



taperecording

taperecording
tape
re·cord·ing
noun

recording on magnetic tape:
a recording made on magnetic tape, especially an audio recording.
Also called
tape[1]



tapestried

tapestried
tap·es·tried
[táppəstreed] adjective

1.  covered
with tapestry: covered with tapestry or tapestries

2.  shown
in tapestry: depicted in tapestry (archaic or
literary)

[1]



tapestry

tapestry
tap·es·try 
[táppəstree] (plural tap·es·tries)
noun

1.  fabric
with woven design: a heavy fabric with a woven
pattern or picture, used as a wall hanging or for upholstery

2.  embroidery
resembling tapestry: embroidery stitched on
canvas to resemble tapestry.
U.K.
term
needlepoint

3.  something
varied and intricate: something that is considered
to be rich, varied, or intricately interwoven • the
rich tapestry of life
[14th
century. Via French tapisserie from, ultimately, tapis “carpet,”
ultimately from Greek tapēt-, of uncertain origin: probably from Iranian
.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Bayeux Tapestry, a large embroidery found at Bayeux in northern France ( 1092
  ). A remarkable work of art and an important historical document, it consists
  of a band of linen measuring 231 ft./70 m by 20 in./50 cm, embroidered with
  vivid scenes that depict the Norman conquest of England. Its existence was
  first recorded in 1476 at Bayeux, where it was used to decorate the nave of
  the cathedral.

[1]



tapestrymoth

tapestrymoth
tap·es·try
moth
noun

moth whose caterpillars eat
wool: a moth whose caterpillars
eat fabrics made from wool and other natural fibers. The adults are brown with
white-tipped forewings and prefer damp conditions. Latin name: Trichophaga tapetzella[1]



tapetum

tapetum
ta·pe·tum 
[tə ptəm] (plural ta·pe·ta [tə ptə]) noun

1.  BIOLOGY layer
of cells:
a specialized membrane or layer of cells

2.  ANATOMY reflective
layer in eye: a layer of cells in the wall of the eye
that reflects light back onto the retina, enhancing visual sensitivity in dim
light. It occurs in nocturnal and deep-sea animals. Light reflected by this
layer is responsible for the shining eyes of cats seen when they are
illuminated at night.
[Early
18th century. Via late Latin from Latin tapete, and, ultimately, from
Greek tapēt- (see tapestry ).]
—ta·pe·tal, adjective[1]



tapeworm

tapeworm
tape·worm 
[táyp wùrm] (plural tape·worms)
noun

parasitic worm:
a flatworm with a long ribbon-shaped segmented body that exists in many
varieties and lives mainly as a parasite in the gut of vertebrate animals.
Infestation is common among domestic animals, and humans can also become
infested, especially by eating undercooked meat containing tapeworm larvae.
Class: Cestoda Technical name cestode[1]



taphole

taphole
tap·hole
[táyp hl] (plural tap·holes) noun

opening in furnace:
a hole at the bottom of a furnace for drawing off molten metal or slag[1]



taphonomy

taphonomy
ta·phon·o·my 
[tə fónnəmee] noun

study
of fossilization: the scientific study of fossilization
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek taphos “grave.”]
—taph·o·nom·ic
[tàffə nómmik], adjective

—ta·phon·o·mist [tə fónnəmist], noun[1]



taphouse

taphouse
tap·house
[táp hòwss] (plural tap·houses
[táp hòwzəz]) noun

place where alcohol is
served: an inn, bar, or other place
where alcohol is served (archaic)[1]



tap-in

tap-in
tap-in
(plural tap-ins) noun

1.  See
tip-in  noun 1

2.  short
putt:
in golf, a short putt to put the ball in the hole

[1]



tapioca

tapioca
tap·i·o·ca 
[tàpee ṓkə] noun

starch
from cassava plant: a starch obtained from the
roots of the cassava plant. It comes in the form of small hard beads and is
used in making puddings and for thickening sauces.
[Mid-17th century. Via
Portuguese or Spanish from Tupi tipioca, from tipi “residue,
dregs” + ok “to squeeze out.”][1]



tapir

tapir
ta·pir 
[táypər] (plural ta·pirs or
ta·pir) noun

hoofed
mammal:
a nocturnal hoofed forest-dwelling mammal of Central and South America and
Southeast Asia. Tapirs have short limbs and a fleshy snout and feed on fruit
and vegetation. They are related to rhinoceroses and horses. Family: Tapiridae
[Late 18th century. Ultimately
from Tupi tapira .][1]



tapis

tapis
tap·is 
[táppee, táppiss,
ta p] (plural tap·is) noun

upholstery
fabric:
a heavy tapestry used as a wall covering, curtain, carpet, or tablecloth (archaic)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek tapēt- (see tapestry ).]
on
the tapis

currently being considered or
discussed[1]



tap-off

tap-off
tap-off 
noun

See
tip-off 2 noun[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Tappan,Arthur

Tappan,Arthur
Tap·pan
[táppən], Arthur (1786–1865)

U.S. philanthropist. He
cofounded the American Anti-Slavery Society (1833) and the American and Foreign
Anti-Slavery Society (1840).[1]



Tappan,Lewis

Tappan,Lewis
Tap·pan
[táppən], Lewis (1788–1873)

U.S. philanthropist. The
brother of Arthur Tappan, he founded the first U.S. credit-rating service
(1841), and shared his brother’s abolitionist commitment and activities.[1]



tappet

tappet
tap·pet 
[táppit] (plural tap·pets) noun

engine
part:
a lever, arm, or other machine part that transfers motion from a cam to a part
such as a valve or push rod
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from tap 1 .][1]



tapping

tapping
tap·ping 
[tápping] (plural tap·pings) noun

U.K.
ELECTRICITY See tap 2 noun
8[1]



taproom

taproom
tap·room 
[táp rm, táp
rm] (plural tap·rooms) noun

U.K.
bar in hotel:
a bar in a place such as a hotel.
Also called
tap[1]



taproot

taproot
tap·root 
[táp rt] (plural tap·roots) noun

large
main root:
a prominent and often bulky root that extends downward below the stem of some
plants and has fine lateral roots. It often serves as a food storage organ, for
example, in the carrot.
[Early 17th century. Tap from
tap 2 .][1]



taps

taps

taps 
[taps] noun (takes a singular or
plural verb)

1.  signal
at funeral:
a bugle call or other signal given at a funeral or memorial service, especially
a military one

2.  signal
for lights out: a bugle call or other signal given at
the end of the day, especially in a military camp, as an order that lights
should be put out
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: either formed from tap 1 or an
alteration of taptoo, variant of tattoo
.][1]



tapster

tapster
tap·ster 
[tápstər] (plural tap·sters) noun

bartender:
somebody who serves drinks in a bar (archaic)
[Old English tæpestre,
originally feminine of tapper, from tap 2][1]



tapstress

tapstress
tap·stress
[tápstrəss] (plural tap·stresses)
noun

woman who tends bar:
a woman who serves drinks in a bar (archaic)[1]



tapu

tapu
tap·u
[t p] adjective

New
Zealand
taboo:
taboo
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
taboo .][1]



tapwater

tapwater
tap
wa·ter
noun

water from the faucet:
water that comes out of the faucet, as opposed to water from some other source,
for example, mineral water or rainwater[1]



tar

tar2
tar2 [taar]
(plural tars) noun

sailor:
a sailor (archaic informal)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from tar 1, or a
shortening of tarpaulin, used to refer to
sailors in the mid-17th century.][1]



tar

tar1
tar1 [taar]
noun (plural tars)

1.  thick
black liquid: a thick black liquid obtained through
the destructive distillation of an organic substance such as wood or coal

2.  residue
from tobacco smoke: the residue from tobacco
smoke
transitive
verb
(past tarred, past participle tarred, present
participle tar·ring, 3rd person present singular tars)

cover with tar:
to coat or cover something, especially a road surface, with tar
[Old English teoru .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English tree . The original application was probably
to trees’ tarry resins.][1]



taradiddle

taradiddle
tar·a·did·dle 
noun

See
tarradiddle[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Tarahumara

Tarahumara
Ta·ra·hu·ma·ra 
[trə hoo mrə, tèrrə
hoo mrə] (plural Ta·ra·hu·ma·ra or Ta·ra·hu·ma·ras)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who live in northern Mexico

2.  LANGUAGE Tarahumara
language:
the Uto-Aztecan language of the Tarahumara people
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, with ultimate origin unknown.][1]



taramasalata

taramasalata
ta·ra·ma·sa·la·ta 
[t raa maa sə ltə] noun

Greek
fish roe paste: a light creamy pink or beige paste of
Greek origin, made from smoked fish roe, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It
is usually served in the form of a pâté or dip as an appetizer or snack.
[Early 20th century. From
modern Greek, from taramas “preserved roe” (from Turkish tarama
“preparation of soft roe or red caviar”) + salata “salad.”][1]



Taranaki

Taranaki
Ta·ra·na·ki
[tàrrə nákee]

administrative region of New
Zealand, located in the southwestern part of the North Island and including the
city of New Plymouth. Population: 106,570 (1996) Area: 12,640 sq km/4,880 sq
mi.[1]



Taranaki,Mount

Taranaki,Mount
Ta·ra·na·ki,
Mount
[tàrrə nákee]

dormant volcano near the
western coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Height: 2,518 m/8,260 ft.[1]



tarantass

tarantass
tar·an·tass 
[trən tss] (plural tar·an·tass·es)
noun

Russian
horse-drawn carriage: a large Russian horse-drawn
carriage with four wheels and no springs
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian tarantas .][1]



tarantella

tarantella
tar·an·tel·la 
[tèrrən téllə] (plural tar·an·tel·las)
noun

1.  Italian
rural dance: a fast whirling dance from southern
Italy in 6/8 time

2.  music
for tarantella: music in 6/8 time that is suitable for a
tarantella
[Late 18th century. From
Italian, from Taranto, a town in southern Italy (source of English tarantism and tarantula
).][1]



Tarantino,Quentin

Tarantino,Quentin
Ta·ran·ti·no
[tàrrən tnō], Quentin (1963– )

U.S. movie director and
screenwriter. His first movie, Reservoir Dogs ( 1992 ), was followed by Pulp
Fiction ( 1994 ), establishing him as an important but controversial
moviemaker. He has often been accused of glamorizing violence.[1]



tarantism

tarantism
tar·an·tism 
[térrən tìzzəm] noun

nervous
condition:
a nervous condition characterized by uncontrollable body movements, common
during the 15th through 17th centuries in southern Italy and believed to be
caused by the bite of the tarantula
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian tarantismo, from Taranto (see tarantella
).][1]



Taranto

Taranto
Ta·ran·to 
[t rəntō]

city, port, and
administrative center of Taranto Province, Apulia Region, southern Italy.
Population: 230,207 (1992)[1]



tarantula

tarantula

ta·ran·tu·la 
[tə ránchələ] (plural ta·ran·tu·las
or ta·ran·tu·lae [tə ránchəlee])
noun

1.  large
hairy American spider: a large tropical or
subtropical American spider that has a hairy body and legs. Tarantulas are
typically nocturnal and feed on invertebrates, toads, small reptiles, and young
birds. Some can inflict a painful bite if handled. Family: Theraphosidae

2.  wolf
spider:
a European wolf spider formerly believed to cause tarantism with its bite.
Latin name: Lycosa tarentula
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin from Italian tarantola, from Taranto (see tarantella ), near where such spiders are found.][1]



TararuaRange

TararuaRange
Tararua
Range
[tàrrə r ə raynj]

mountain range in the
southern part of the North Island, New Zealand, north of Wellington. Its
highest point is Mitre Peak, 1,571 m/5,154 ft .[1]



taraxacum

taraxacum
tar·ax·a·cum
[trəksəkəm] (plural tar·ax·a·cums)
noun

1.  plant
such as the dandelion: a plant such as the
dandelion that produces flower heads made up of numerous florets and with seeds
attached to whitish hairs. Genus: Taraxacum

2.  preparation
of dandelion roots or leaves: an herbal remedy extracted
from dandelion roots or leaves, used as a mild laxative, liver tonic, and
diuretic
[Early 18th century. Via
medieval Latin altaraxacon from Arabic and Persian arašaūn
“dandelion, wild endive,” ultimately from Persian tal “bitter” + čaū
“purslane.”][1]



tarbaby

tarbaby
tar
ba·by
noun

tricky
situation:
a very troublesome situation, especially one that is difficult or impossible to
get out of (dated)
[Early 20th century. From the
Uncle Remus story Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby by J. C. Harris, after
the doll smeared in tar used by Brer Fox to catch Brer Rabbit.][1]



Tarbell,Ida

Tarbell,Ida
Tar·bell
[tr bel], Ida (1857–1944)

U.S.
journalist. One of the “muckrakers,” she is known for The History of the
Standard Oil Company ( 1904 ).
Full name
Ida Minerva Tarbell[1]



tarboosh

tarboosh
tar·boosh 
[taar bsh] (plural tar·boosh·es)
or tar·bush [taar bsh] (plural
tar·bush·es) noun

hat
worn by Muslim men: a brimless usually red felt
hat, similar to a fez, that has a silk tassel and is worn by Muslim men by
itself or with a turban
[Early 18th century. Via
Egyptian Arabic arbūš from Ottoman Turkish terpǒş and Turkish tarbuṣ,
from Persian sarpūš, from sar “head” + pūš “cover.”][1]



tarcamphor

tarcamphor
tar
cam·phor
noun

See
naphthalene[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tardigrade

tardigrade
tar·di·grade 
[trdi gràyd] noun (plural tar·di·grades)

tiny water creature:
a tiny aquatic invertebrate animal with a short body and four pairs of stubby
legs. Phylum: Tardigrada
Also
called
water bear
adjective

1.  relating
to tardigrades: relating or belonging to the tardigrades

2.  sluggish:
sluggish or slow moving
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin tardigradus, literally “walking slowly,” from tardus
“slow” (source of English tardy ).][1]



tardivedyskinesia

tardivedyskinesia
tar·dive
dys·ki·ne·sia [trdiv
disskə nzhə] noun

muscular
condition:
a condition marked by involuntary movements of the tongue and facial muscles,
especially after prolonged treatment with phenothiazine tranquilizers and
similar drugs
[Tardive from French tardif
(see tardy )][1]



tardy

tardy
tar·dy 
[trdee] adjective (comparative
tar·di·er, superlative tar·di·est)

1.  late:
later than the expected or usual time

2.  sluggish:
slow to move or react (archaic or literary)
noun

(plural
tar·dies) instance of lateness:
an instance of being late, especially for school or work, that is noted down as
a misdemeanor • Just one more tardy and
you’ll be staying after school.
[Mid-16th
century. Alteration of tardyve, from French tardif, from,
ultimately, Latin tardus “slow, sluggish” (source of English bustard ).]
—tar·di·ly,
adverb

—tar·di·ness, noun[1]



tare

tare2
tare2 [tair]
noun (plural tares)

1.  weight
of packaging: the weight of a container or packaging
used to wrap goods

2.  allowance
for weight of packaging: an allowance for the
packaging around goods, deducted from the total weight and not included in
transportation costs

3.  vehicle’s
unladen weight: the weight of a motor vehicle without
fuel, cargo, passengers, or equipment

4.  container
of known weight: a container of known weight that is used
as a counterbalance when calculating the net weight of a cargo
transitive
verb
(past tared, past participle tared, present
participle tar·ing, 3rd person present singular tares)

weigh packaging:
to weigh packaging in order to calculate the amount of tare to be deducted from
a particular cargo
[15th century. Via French tāre
“waste in goods, deficiency” from, ultimately, Arabic arḥ “that which
is deducted,” from araḥa “to reject, subtract.”][1]



tare

tare1
tare1 [tair]
(plural tares) noun

1.  vetch
plant:
a trailing or scrambling vetch plant of Europe and North Africa that has
compound leaves with paired leaflets and tendrils, and spikes of bluish or
purplish flowers. Genus: Vicia

2.  vetch
seed:
the seed of a vetch or tare

3.  problematic
weed:
in the Bible, a weed found growing among crops, usually considered to be the
darnel
[13th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



targe

targe
targe 
[taarj] noun

shield:
a round shield, especially used by Scottish Highlanders (archaic)
[Pre-12th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old Norse targa “shield”; later reinforced by
Old French targe “light shield.”][1]



target

target
tar·get 
[trgət] noun (plural tar·gets)

1.  object
aimed at in shooting: a round object or surface
marked with concentric circles that is aimed at in archery, rifle shooting, and
similar sports

2.  something
aimed at:
an area, surface, object, or person aimed at • The
bird’s bright plumage makes it an easy target.

3.  goal:
a goal or objective toward which effort is directed • Our
target is to raise $20,000 for cancer research.

4.  somebody
or something on receiving end: somebody or something
that is the focus or object of the behavior or actions of others • the
target of her anger

5.  CIVIL ENGINEERING marker
for taking levels: a sliding weight on a
surveyor’s leveling rod that is used to help determine proper levels

6.  PHYSICS something
hit by particle accelerator beam: a substance that is
hit by a beam of electrons or other elementary particles or ions from a
particle accelerator in order to start a nuclear reaction

7.  PHYSICS surface
hit by electrons: a surface or electrode, often
luminescent, that is hit by an electron beam to produce an output signal, for
example, in an X-ray tube or a television camera tube

8.  small
shield:
a small round shield (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past tar·get·ed, past participle tar·get·ed, present
participle tar·get·ing, 3rd person present singular tar·gets)

1.  make
somebody or something target: to make a particular person
or thing the focus or object of something • A
campaign that targets under-35s.

2.  aim
something:
to aim something at or direct something toward a particular person, group, or
thing • The
missiles were targeted on the enemy capital.
[13th century. Formed from targe, and originally meaning “small targe.”][1]



targetcast

targetcast
tar·get·cast
[trgət kàst] (past tar·get·cast
or tar·get·cast·ed, past participle tar·get·cast or
tar·get·cast·ed, present participle tar·get·cast·ing, 3rd
person present singular tar·get·casts) intransitive verb

broadcast
Web site to selected audience: to advertize a Web
site to a particular group of people who are known to be potentially interested
in its contents, rather than to everyone on the Internet
[Late 20th century. Blend of target + broadcast
.][1]



targetdate

targetdate
tar·get
date
noun

projected finishing time:
a date by which it is expected that something such as a project or piece of
work will be completed[1]



targetlanguage

targetlanguage
tar·get
lan·guage
noun

1.  translation
language:
the language into which a particular text is to be translated

2.  language
being learned: a foreign language that is being learned

3.  COMPUTING language
into which source code compiled: the computer language
into which a source code is to be compiled.
Also
called
object language

[1]



targetman

targetman
tar·get
man
noun

attacking soccer player:
a soccer forward whose role is to receive high passes and crosses, especially
in front of the goal[1]



Targum

Targum
Tar·gum 
[tr gm, tr
gm] noun

Aramaic
translation of part of the Bible: a translation of part
of the Bible in Aramaic
[Late
16th century. Via Hebrew from Aramaic targūm “interpretation,” from targēm
“to interpret.”]
—Tar·gu·mic
[taar gmik], adjective

—Tar·gu·mist [taar gmist], noun[1]



TarHeel

TarHeel
Tar
Heel
(plural Tar Heels) or Tar·heel (plural Tarheels)
noun

somebody
from North Carolina: somebody who comes from or
lives in North Carolina
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain; perhaps from the resin, turpentine, and tar that were once major
products of the state.][1]



tariff

tariff
tar·iff 
[térrif] noun (plural tar·iffs)

1.  duty
levied on goods: a duty or duties levied by a government
on imported or sometimes exported goods

2.  list
of tariffs:
a list or system of tariffs

3.  list
of costs:
a list of fees, fares, or other prices charged by a business
transitive
verb
(past tar·iffed, past participle tar·iffed, present
participle tar·iff·ing, 3rd person present singular tar·iffs)

set cost: to
fix a specified tariff or price on something
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian tariffa from Arabic ta’rif “notification, inventory of
fees to be paid,” from ’arrafa “to notify.”][1]



Tarkington,Booth

Tarkington,Booth
Tar·king·ton
[trkingtən], Booth (1869–1946)

U.S.
writer. His novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Magnificent
Ambersons ( 1918 ).
Full name
Tarkington, Newton Booth[1]



tarlatan

tarlatan
tar·la·tan
[trlət’n] noun

stiffening
fabric:
an open-weave transparent highly starched cotton muslin, used for stiffening
collars and other parts of clothes
[Early 18th century. From
French tarlatane, an alteration of tarnatane, of uncertain origin:
probably of Indian origin.][1]



tarmac

tarmac
tar·mac
[tr màk] noun

road surfacing material:
a material used for surfacing roads[1]



tarn

tarn
tarn 
[taarn] (plural tarns) noun

mountain
lake:
a small mountain lake, especially one formed by the action of glaciers
[14th century. From
Scandinavian.][1]



tarnation

tarnation
tar·na·tion 
[taar náysh’n] interjection

damnation:
used to express anger and annoyance (regional)
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of darnation (formed from darn
) or damnation .][1]



tarnish

tarnish
tar·nish 
[trnish] intransitive and transitive
verb (past tar·nished, past participle tar·nished,
present participle tar·nish·ing, 3rd person present singular
tar·nish·es)

1.  become
dull and discolored: to lose or make something
lose its shine and become dull because of oxidation or rust

2.  damage
somebody’s reputation: to damage somebody’s
reputation or good name, or to become damaged
noun

1.  discoloration:
the dullness or discoloration of metal affected by oxidation or rust

2.  film
of discoloration on metal: the film of discoloration
that forms on metal

3.  sullied
condition:
the damaged condition of somebody’s reputation or good name
[15th
century. From French terniss-, stem of ternir “make dull,” of
uncertain origin: probably formed from terne “dull, dark,” ultimately
from Frankish .]
—tar·nish·a·ble, adjective[1]



taro

taro
ta·ro 
[trō, térrō]
(plural ta·ros) noun

plant
with edible roots: a perennial plant of
Southeast Asia that is cultivated in tropical regions for its edible starchy
tubers and is also widely grown as an ornamental plant. Latin name: Colocasia
esculenta
Also
called
dasheen
Also
called
eddo
[Mid-18th century. From
Polynesian .][1]



tarok

tarok
tar·ok 
[térrək] noun

old
card game:
a card game developed in medieval times that uses a pack of cards consisting of
56 cards equivalent to modern cards, plus 22 tarot cards
[Early 17th century. From
Italian tarocchi, plural of tarocco, which is of unknown origin.][1]



tarot

tarot
tar·ot 
[térrō, tə rṓ]
(plural tar·ots) noun

1.  fortune-telling
with cards:
a system of fortune-telling using a special pack of 78 cards that consists of 4
suits of 14 cards together with 22 picture cards

2.  tar·ot
or tar·ot card card used for fortune-telling:
any of the cards used in tarot
[Late 19th century. From
French, from Italian tarocchi, plural of tarocco, of unknown
origin.][1]



tarp

tarp
tarp 
[taarp] (plural tarps) noun

tarpaulin:
a tarpaulin (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



tarpan

tarpan
tar·pan
[taar pán] (plural tar·pans) noun

small
horse:
a small gray-brown horse with a short thick neck, erect mane, and a stripe
along the back. It lived wild in southern Russia and Poland until the mid-19th
century. Animals similar to the tarpan have been bred from related horses such
as Przewalski’s horse and reintroduced to parts of their ancestral habitat.
[Mid-19th century. From
Turkic .][1]



tarpaper

tarpaper
tar·pa·per 
[tr pàypər] noun

paper coated with tar:
a heavy paper coated with tar and used in building for waterproofing[1]



tarpaulin

tarpaulin
tar·pau·lin 
[taar páwlin, trpəlin]
(plural tar·pau·lins) noun

1.  waterproof
material:
a heavy waterproof material, especially treated canvas, used as a covering and
to protect things from moisture

2.  sheet
of tarpaulin: a sheet of tarpaulin
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from tar 1 + pall 2 + -ing 2, from the
fact that the canvas is sometimes made waterproof with a coating of tar.][1]



TarpeianRock

TarpeianRock
Tar·pei·an
Rock
[taar p yən ròk] noun

rock
on Capitoline Hill: a rock on the Capitoline
Hill in ancient Rome, from which traitors were hurled to their deaths
[Early 17th century. Named
for Tarpeia, legendary daughter of the commander of the citadel, which
she betrayed to the Sabines; she was reputedly buried at the foot of the rock.][1]



tarpit

tarpit
tar
pit
noun

area of natural tar:
an area where tar or asphalt naturally accumulates, trapping animals and
preserving their bones[1]



tarpon

tarpon
tar·pon 
[trpən] (plural tar·pon or
tar·pons) noun

tropical
marine fish: a tropical or subtropical marine fish
with a streamlined body and thick silvery scales. Genus: Megalops
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Dutch tarpoen, perhaps ultimately from a
Central American language.][1]



tarradiddle

tarradiddle
tar·ra·did·dle 
[tèrrə dídd’l] (plural tar·ra·did·dles)
or tar·a·did·dle [tèrrə dídd’l]
(plural tara·did·dles) noun (informal)

1.  idle
talk:
nonsense or idle talk

2.  lie:
a small lie
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably thought to suggest unintelligible speech; the second part
is perhaps from diddle 1 .][1]



tarragon

tarragon

tar·ra·gon 
[térrəgən] noun
herb
used in cooking: an aromatic perennial herb native to
temperate Asia that is widely cultivated for its leaves, that are used in
cooking. It bears clusters of small greenish-white flower heads. Latin name: Artemisia
dracunculus
Also
called
estragon
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin tragonia and tarchon, of uncertain origin: perhaps
via Arabic arkūn from, ultimately, Greek drakont- “dragon,”
associated with drakontion “dragonwort.”][1]



Tarragona

Tarragona
Tar·ra·go·na 
[tàrrə gṓnə]

city, port, and
administrative center of Tarragona Province, northeastern Spain. It has
extensive Roman remains. Population: 114,931 (1995)[1]



tarriance

tarriance
tar·ri·ance 
[térree əns] (plural tar·ri·ances)
noun

short stay:
a short stay or visit (archaic)[1]



tarry

tarry1
tar·ry1 [térree]
intransitive verb (past tar·ried, past participle tar·ried,
present participle tar·ry·ing, 3rd person present singular
tar·ries)

1.  remain:
to stay temporarily at a place

2.  linger:
to delay a departure or arrival, especially in an idle way

3.  wait:
to wait
noun
(plural tar·ries)

short stay: a
short stay or visit (archaic or literary)
[13th
century. Origin unknown.]
—tar·ri·er, noun[1]



tarry

tarry2
tar·ry2 [tree]
(comparative tar·ri·er, superlative tar·ri·est) adjective

covered
with tar:
similar to or covered with tar
[Mid-16th
century]
—tar·ri·ness, noun[1]



tarsier

tarsier
tar·si·er 
[trsee ər, trsee
ày] (plural tar·si·ers) noun

nocturnal
primate:
a small tree-living nocturnal animal that has large eyes and delicate grasping
fingers and toes ending in pads. It is found in the Philippines, Indonesia, and
neighboring islands. It is able to swivel its head around almost 360 degrees.
Genus: Tarsius
[Late 18th century. From
French, from tarse “tarsus”; from the animal’s long tarsal bones.][1]



tarsometatarsus

tarsometatarsus
tar·so·met·a·tar·sus 
[trsō mettə trsəss] (plural tar·so·met·a·tar·si
[trsō mettə tr s, trsō mettə tr s]) noun

bird’s
leg bone:
the bone in the lower leg of birds that connects to the toes.
Also
called
tarsus
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tarsus + metatarsus
.][1]



Tarsus

Tarsus
Tar·sus 
[trsəss]

city in southern Turkey, near
the Mediterranean Sea. During Roman rule in the 1st century BC it was one of the most prominent
cities of Asia Minor. Population: 146,502 (1985)[1]



tarsus

tarsus
tar·sus 
[trsəss] (plural tar·si [tr s, tr s])
noun

1.  ankle
bones:
the group of bones that forms the ankle joint in vertebrates, located between
the inner bone of the lower leg ( tibia )
and the main skeleton of the foot ( metatarsus
)

2.  part
of eyelid:
the small section of connective tissue along the edge of the eyelid

3.  See
tarsometatarsus

4.  part
of arthropod leg: the part of the leg of an arthropod that
is furthest from the tibia
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek tarsos “eyelid, flat part of the foot.”][1]



tarsus

tarsus
tar·sus 
[trsəss] (plural tar·si [tr s, tr s])
noun

1.  ankle
bones:
the group of bones that forms the ankle joint in vertebrates, located between
the inner bone of the lower leg ( tibia )
and the main skeleton of the foot ( metatarsus
)

2.  part
of eyelid:
the small section of connective tissue along the edge of the eyelid

3.  See
tarsometatarsus

4.  part
of arthropod leg: the part of the leg of an arthropod that
is furthest from the tibia
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek tarsos “eyelid, flat part of the foot.”][1]



tart

tart1
tart1 [taart]
(comparative tart·er, superlative tart·est) adjective

1.  sharp-tasting:
with a sharp and sour but usually pleasant flavor

2.  sharply
critical:
sharp, cutting, or critical
[14th
century. From Old English teart “painful, severe,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps literally “tearing.”]
—tart·ness, noun[1]



tart

tart3
tart3 [taart]
(plural tarts) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman thought to be a prostitute or to behave
like one (slang insult)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of sweetheart
. Originally a term of endearment for a girl or woman.][1]



tartan

tartan1
tar·tan1 [trt’n]
(plural tar·tans) noun

1.  wool
fabric:
a Scottish wool or worsted fabric woven in a wide range of checked or plaid
patterns, many of which are associated with particular Scottish clans. The
association between clans and tartan has no historical basis and arose in the
19th century.

2.  pattern
of tartan:
a particular pattern of tartan, officially registered and associated with a
particular clan, regiment, or other organization

3.  fabric
with tartan design: fabric, especially wool
fabric, with a tartan design

4.  tartan
garment:
a piece of clothing made of tartan

5.  Scotland
traditional
Highland dress: the traditional dress of the Scottish
Highlands • wearing
the tartan with pride
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from French tiretaine “linen and wool fabric,” from tiret,
a kind of cloth, ultimately from medieval Latin tyrius “cloth from
Tyre,” named for Tyre, Phoenician capital.][1]



tartan

tartan2
tar·tan2 [trt’n]
noun

Mediterranean
sailing vessel: a Mediterranean sailing ship with a
single mast and a lateen sail
[Early 17th century. Via
French tartane from, ultimately, Old Provençal tartana “buzzard,”
thought to imitate the sound of a buzzard.][1]



Tartar

Tartar
Tar·tar 
[trtər] noun

1.  PEOPLES LANGUAGE See Tatar

2.  tar·tar
or Tar·tar fearsome person:
a fearsome or ferocious person (offensive in some contexts)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin Tartarus (influenced
by Tartarus in Latin ), an alteration of a
Turkish word.]
—Tar·tar·ian
[taar térree ən], adjective

—Tar·tar·ic [taar térrik], adjective[1]



tartar

tartar
tar·tar 
[trtər] noun

1.  DENTISTRY hard
deposit on teeth: a hard deposit consisting mostly of
organic material that forms on the teeth at the gum line. Failure to remove it
regularly contributes to dental decay.
Also
called
scale
Also
called
calculus

2.  BEVERAGES substance
deposited in wine casks: a substance found on the
inner surface of wine casks and consisting mostly of potassium bitartrate. It
is deposited during the fermentation process.
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin tartarum from medieval Greek tartaron, of unknown origin.][1]



tartaresauce

tartaresauce
tar·tare
sauce
noun

See
tartar sauce[1]



tartaricacid

tartaricacid
tar·tar·ic
ac·id
[taar tàrrik ássid] noun

organic compound used in food
industry: a white crystalline organic
acid obtained from tartar in wine vats and used in the food industry. (CHOH)2(COOH)2[1]



tartarous

tartarous
tar·tar·ous 
[trtərəss] adjective

containing tartar:
containing or resembling tartar[1]



tartarsauce

tartarsauce
tar·tar
sauce
or tar·tare sauce noun

mayonnaise-based
sauce for fish: mayonnaise mixed with capers, chopped
pickles, olives, onion, and herbs, often served as an accompaniment to fish
[Tartare from French (see Tartar )][1]



tartarsteak

tartarsteak
tar·tar
steak
(plural tar·tar steaks) noun

See
steak tartare[1]



Tartarus

Tartarus
Tar·ta·rus 
[trtərəss] noun MYTHOLOGY

1.  lowest
part of underworld: in Greek mythology, the
lowest part of the underworld where the worst evildoers were imprisoned

2.  the
underworld:
in Greek mythology, Hades or the underworld in general
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Tartaros .][1]



tartlet

tartlet
tart·let 
[trtlət] (plural tartlets) noun

small
tart:
a miniature tart, usually intended to serve one person
[15th century. From French tartelette,
a diminutive of tarte (see tart ).][1]



tartly

tartly
tart·ly
[trtlee] adverb

with curt disapproval or
annoyance: in a tone of voice or with
words conveying strong but tight-lipped disapproval or annoyance[1]



tartrate

tartrate
tar·trate 
[tr tràyt] (plural tar·trates)
noun

salt
of tartaric acid: a salt or ester of tartaric acid
[Late 18th century. From
French, from tartre (see tartar ).][1]



tartrated

tartrated
tar·trat·ed 
[tr tràytəd] adjective

in tartrate form:
in the form of a tartrate[1]



Tartu

Tartu
Tar·tu 
[trtoo]

city in eastern Estonia, on
the Emajogi River. Population: 101,901 (1997)[1]



Tartuffe

Tartuffe
Tar·tuffe
[taar tf, taar
tf] (plural Tar·tuffes) or Tar·tufe [taar tf, taar tf]
(plural Tar·tufes) noun

person
faking piety: somebody who hypocritically affects
religious piety
—Tar·tuf·fi·an, adjective[1]



tarty

tarty
tart·y 
[trtee] (comparative tart·i·er,
superlative tart·i·est) adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s appearance (slang
insult)
[Old English][1]



tarweed

tarweed
tar·weed 
[tr wd] (plural tar·weeds) noun

resinous plant:
a resinous strong-smelling plant of western North America and Chile with yellow
flower heads resembling daisies. Genus: Madia[1]



TAS

TAS
TAS

1.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS Abbreviation
of telephone answering system

2.  AEROSPACE Abbreviation of
true air speed

[1]



Tas.

Tas.
Tas.

Abbreviation of
Tasmania[1]



Tashkent

Tashkent
Tash·kent 
[tsh ként]

capital city of Uzbekistan,
situated in the eastern part of the country. Population: 2,100,000 (1994)[1]



task

task
task 
[task] noun (plural tasks)

1.  job
assigned:
a particular piece of work that is assigned, especially one that is unpleasant
or difficult

2.  difficult
job:
an unpleasant or difficult job or mission

3.  any
assignment:
a piece of work or assignment, especially one that is important
transitive
verb
(past tasked, past participle tasked, present
participle task·ing, 3rd person present singular tasks)

1.  burden
somebody:
to burden somebody excessively with work or duties

2.  assign
work:
to assign a task to somebody
[13th
century. Via Old North French tasque “duty, tax,” from medieval Latin tasca,
from, ultimately, Latin taxare “to censure, assess” (see tax ).]
take
somebody to task

to scold or criticize
somebody[1]



taskforce

taskforce
task
force
(plural task forc·es) noun

1.  MILITARY temporary
military group: a formation of military units put
together on a temporary basis to accomplish a particular mission

2.  temporary
group for performing task: a group of people and
resources temporarily brought together for a particular purpose

[1]



taskmaster

taskmaster
task·mas·ter 
[tásk màstər] (plural task·mas·ters)
noun

1.  person
who supervises work demandingly: a person who assigns
and supervises work, especially in a demanding way

2.  a
demanding responsibility: a responsibility or
discipline that is very demanding or requires a lot of hard work

[1]



taskmistress

taskmistress
task·mis·tress 
[tásk mìstrəss] (plural task·mis·tress·es)
noun

woman who assigns and
supervises work: a woman who assigns and
supervises work, especially in a demanding way[1]



taskwork

taskwork
task·work
[tásk wùrk] noun

unpleasant work:
unpleasant, hard, or difficult work[1]



Tasmania

Tasmania


Tas·ma·ni·a 
[taz máynee ə]

1.  island
in the Tasman Sea, separated from the southeastern coast of Australia by the
Bass Strait. Area: 68,331 sq km/26,383 sq mi.

2.  state
of southeastern Australia, occupying the island of Tasmania. First settled by
the British in 1803, it became a separate colony in 1825. Capital: Hobart.
Population: 475,000 (1996) Former name Van
Diemen’s Land
—Tas·ma·ni·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Tasmania




Back to definition

Tasmania

[1]



Tasmaniandevil

Tasmaniandevil
Tas·ma·ni·an
dev·il
(plural Tas·ma·ni·an dev·ils) noun

Tasmanian carnivorous
marsupial: a burrowing carnivorous
marsupial characterized by a black coat with white markings and large powerful
jaws, once ranging all over Australia but now confined to remote regions of
Tasmania. Latin name: Sarcophilus harrisii[1]



Tasmanianwolf

Tasmanianwolf
Tas·ma·ni·an
wolf
noun

See
thylacine[1]



tasse

tasse
tasse 
[tass] (plural tasses) noun

metal
plate in armor: any of the overlapping metal plates
attached to and hanging below an armored breastplate in a suit of armor to
protect the lower part of the trunk and the thighs.
Also
called
tasset
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French, “purse,” via Middle High German tasche
“pouch, pocket” from, ultimately, medieval Latin tasca “assessment.”][1]



tassel

tassel
tas·sel 
[táss’l] noun (plural tas·sels)

1.  decoration
made of bunched loose threads: a bunch of loose
parallel threads that are tied together at one end and used as a decoration,
for example, on curtains, cushions, or clothes

2.  AGRICULTURE tuft
at end of corn: something resembling a tassel,
especially the tuft of male flowers at the top of the main stem of a corn plant
verb
(past tas·seled or tas·selled, past participle
tas·seled or tas·selled, present participle tas·sel·ing
or tas·sel·ling, 3rd person present singular tas·sels)

1.  transitive
verb
decorate
something with tassels: to decorate or fringe
something with tassels

2.  intransitive
verb
AGRICULTURE produce
a tuft on corn: to produce a tuft of stamens at the end
of a flower cluster, especially as seen on an ear of corn

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE remove
tassel from corn: to remove the tassel from an ear of corn
[14th
century. From Old French “clasp,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from,
ultimately, Latin talus “knuckle-bone.”]
—tas·sel·ly, adjective[1]



tasset

tasset
tas·set 
[tássət] (plural tas·sets) noun

See
tasse
[Mid-19th century. From
French tassette, from tasse “pouch,” of uncertain origin: perhaps
ultimately from Latin tasca (see task
).][1]



taste

taste
taste 
[tayst] noun (plural tastes)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY sense
that identifies flavors: the sense that perceives the
particular qualities of something such as a food by means of the sensory organs
in the tongue ( taste buds )

2.  PHYSIOLOGY sensation
stimulated in taste buds: the sensation stimulated in
the taste buds when food, drink, or other substances are in contact with them.
Sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, and sourness are considered the four basic
taste sensations, and all flavors combine these in various ways with the sense
of smell.

3.  act
of tasting:
an act of tasting something

4.  small
quantity tasted: a very small quantity of something
eaten, drunk, or tasted • Can I
have a taste of that?

5.  first
experience:
a brief sample, preview, or first experience of something • a
taste of freedom

6.  liking
for something: a tendency to like or enjoy a particular
thing or type of thing • She
has a taste for modern art.

7.  quality:
the distinctive quality of something

8.  ability
to judge aesthetically: the faculty of making
discerning judgments in aesthetic matters • He
has good taste.

9.  sense
of the socially acceptable: a sense of what is proper or
acceptable socially • The
remark was in bad taste.
verb
(past tast·ed, past participle tast·ed, present
participle tast·ing, 3rd person present singular tastes)

1.  transitive
verb
PHYSIOLOGY discern
flavor:
to discern the flavor of a substance by means of the taste buds

2.  transitive
verb
test
something for flavor: to put a small amount of
food or drink into the mouth in order to try it or to test its flavor • Taste
this for salt.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb experience
something:
to experience something, especially for the first time or only briefly • He
had tasted success.

4.  transitive
verb
have
particular flavor: to have a particular flavor
• This
tastes horrible.

5.  transitive
verb
enjoy
something:
to enjoy something very much (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old French taster “to touch,” of uncertain origin:
possibly from, ultimately, Latin tangere (see tax
). Originally also in the meaning of “touch.”]
—tast·a·ble, adjective[1]



tastebud

tastebud
taste
bud
(plural taste buds) noun

nerve ending on the tongue:
a sensory receptor on the surface of the tongue or in the mouth that sends
signals to the brain when stimulated by certain chemicals, producing the sense
of taste. Taste buds are classified according to the type of substance they
respond to: sweet, salty, bitter, or sour.[1]



tasteful

tasteful
taste·ful 
[táystfəl] adjective

1.  showing
good taste:
having or exhibiting good aesthetic taste

2.  nice
tasting:
having a pleasant flavor
—taste·ful·ly,
adverb

—taste·ful·ness, noun[1]



tasteless

tasteless
taste·less 
[táystləss] adjective

1.  without
flavor:
having little or no flavor

2.  showing
lack of good taste: showing a lack of taste or
judgment in aesthetic or social matters
—taste·less·ly,
adverb

—taste·less·ness, noun[1]



tastemaker

tastemaker
taste·mak·er 
[táyst màykər] (plural taste·mak·ers)
noun

somebody who determines
tastefulness and style: somebody
who is influential in deciding what is tasteful, stylish, or worthwhile, for
example, in fashion or the arts[1]



taster

taster
tast·er 
[táystər] (plural tast·ers) noun

1.  judge
of food or drink quality: a specialist who tastes food
or drink to judge its quality

2.  device
used for tasting: a device or container used for tasting,
for example, a small cup for tasting wine

3.  person
testing for poison: somebody engaged, especially
in the past, to test an important person’s food or drink by sampling it first
in case it contains poison

[1]



tasty

tasty
tast·y 
[táystee] (comparative tast·i·er,
superlative tast·i·est) adjective

1.  having
pleasant flavor: having a pleasant or full flavor

2.  tasteful:
in good taste
—tast·i·ly,
adverb

—tast·i·ness, noun[1]



tat

tat
tat
[tat] (past tat·ted, past
participle tat·ted, present participle tat·ting, 3rd
person present singular tats) intransitive and transitive verb

produce
tatting:
to work at or produce tatting
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from tatting .][1]



TAT

TAT
TAT
noun

Abbreviation of
thematic apperception test[1]



ta-ta

ta-ta
ta-ta
interjection

goodbye:
used as a childish or familiar way of saying goodbye (informal)
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tatami

tatami
ta·ta·mi 
[tə tmee, taa
tmee] (plural ta·ta·mi or ta·ta·mis) noun

Japanese
straw mat:
a straw mat, used especially in Japanese homes as a floor covering
[Early 17th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Tatar

Tatar
Ta·tar 
[ttər] or Tar·tar [trtər] noun (plural Ta·tars)
(plural Tar·tars)

1.  PEOPLES member
of historical Central Asian people: a
member of a people that originally came from eastern Central Asia and who
established a huge empire stretching into Serbia, Russia, and Ukraine. The
Tatars joined with the Mongols and their combined empire flourished until the
16th century, when they were defeated by the Russians and the Ottoman Turks.

2.  PEOPLES descendant
of Tatars:
a descendant of the Tatar people. Most now live in an area of European Russia
between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, with communities in Crimea and
Siberia.

3.  LANGUAGE Tatar
language:
The Turkic language of the Tatar people. Tatar is spoken by about 6 million
people.
adjective

of Tatar people:
relating to the Tatar people, their empire, or their culture
[Early
17th century. From Turkish .]
—Ta·tar·i·an
[taa táiree ən], adjective

—Ta·tar·ic [taa térrik], adjective[1]



Tate,Allen

Tate,Allen
Tate
[tayt], Allen (1899–1979)

U.S.
writer. His poems include “Ode to the Confederate Dead” ( 1928 ).
Full name
Tate, John Orley Allen[1]



tater

tater
ta·ter 
[táytər] (plural ta·ters) noun

potato:
a potato (regional)
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of potato .][1]



Tatlin,Vladimir

Tatlin,Vladimir
Tat·lin
[tátlin], Vladimir (1885–1953)

Russian sculptor and painter.
He founded constructivism in the early 20th century with his abstract
sculptures made from different industrial materials.[1]



TatraMountains

TatraMountains
Ta·tra
Moun·tains 
[ttrə, táttrə]

the highest range of the
Carpathian Mountains of central Europe, extending along the border between
Poland and Slovakia. The highest peak is Gerlachovka, 2,655 m/8,711 ft .[1]



tatter

tatter
tat·ter
[táttər] noun (plural tat·ters)

1.  torn
or ragged piece of cloth: a torn or ragged piece of
cloth

2.  ruined
state:
a ruined or damaged state (usually used in the plural) • The
policy was in tatters.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tat·tered,
past participle tat·tered, present participle tat·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular tat·ters)

become ragged or make something ragged:
to become ragged or make something ragged or torn to shreds
[15th century. From Old Norse
totrar (plural) “rags.”][1]



tatterdemalion

tatterdemalion
tat·ter·de·mal·ion 
[tàttərdə máylyən, tàttərdə
máylee ən] adjective

dressed
in rags:
raggedly dressed and unkempt
noun
(plural tat·ter·de·mal·ions)

raggedly
clothed person: somebody wearing ragged clothes
[Early 17th century. Tatter
from tattered ; -demalion of unknown
origin.][1]



tattered

tattered
tat·tered 
[táttərd] adjective

1.  ragged:
ragged or torn to shreds

2.  dressed
in rags:
dressed in ragged clothes

3.  shabby:
shabby and rundown
[15th century. Formed from tatter .][1]



tattersall

tattersall
tat·ter·sall
[táttər sàwl, táttərssəl]
noun

1.  DESIGN pattern
of squares or checks: a pattern of squares or
checks formed by dark lines on a light or brightly colored background

2.  TEXTILES tattersall
-patterned cloth: cloth with a tattersall pattern
[Late 19th century. Named for
Tattersall’s horse market, London, England, named for Richard Tattersall
(1724–1795), English auctioneer; referring to the traditional design of horse
blankets.][1]



tatting

tatting
tat·ting 
[tátting] noun

1.  type
of lace:
a form of lace made with a shuttle

2.  process
of making tatting: the process or craft of
making tatting
[Mid-19th
century. Origin unknown.]
—tat·ter, noun[1]



tattle

tattle
tat·tle 
[tátt’l] verb (past tat·tled,
past participle tat·tled, present participle tat·tling,
3rd person present singular tat·tles)

1.  intransitive
verb
gossip:
to gossip about the personal secrets or plans of others

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb disclose
secret:
to disclose somebody’s personal or private information

3.  intransitive
verb
talk
idly:
to talk or chatter idly
noun
(plural tat·tles)

1.  somebody
who gossips: a gossip or informer

2.  idle
gossip:
idle talk, chatter, or gossip
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Flemish tatelen, an imitation of the
sound.][1]



tattler

tattler
tat·tler 
[táttlər] (plural tat·tlers) noun

1.  person
who tattles: somebody who gossips, reveals secrets,
or talks idly

2.  shore
bird with loud cry: a long-legged shore bird
that is related to the sandpipers and is noted for its loud cries. Genus: Heteroscelus

[1]



tattletale

tattletale
tat·tle·tale 
[tátt’l tàyl] noun (plural tat·tle·tales)

somebody
revealing secret: somebody who reveals the secrets or
misdeeds of others (often used by or to children)
U.K.
term
telltale
adjective

revealing:
inadvertently revealing • a
tattletale sign of the times.
U.K. term
telltale[1]



tattletalegray

tattletalegray
tat·tle·tale
gray
adjective

off-white:
of a white color with a gray tinge
—tattle·tale gray, noun[1]



tattoo

tattoo1
tat·too1 [ta
t, tə t] noun (plural
tat·toos)

permanent
picture or design on skin: a permanent picture, design,
or other markings made on the skin by pricking it and staining it with an
indelible dye
transitive
verb
(past tat·tooed, past participle tat·tooed, present
participle tat·too·ing, 3rd person present singular tat·toos)

make
tattoo:
to mark the skin with a tattoo, or to form a tattoo on the skin
[Mid-18th
century. Of Polynesian origin.]
—tat·too·er,
noun

—tat·too·ist, noun[1]



tattoo

tattoo2
tat·too2 [ta
t, tə t] noun (plural
tat·toos)

1.  call
to return to quarters: a bugle or drum call that
tells soldiers to return to their quarters in the evening

2.  MILITARY evening
military display for entertainment: a
military display, often with a variety of items, performed as an entertainment,
usually in the evening

3.  regular
beating on surface: a steady rhythmic beating
made on a surface such as a drum
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tat·tooed,
past participle tat·tooed, present participle tat·too·ing,
3rd person present singular tat·toos)

beat on something with steady rhythm:
to beat a steady rhythm, or to beat rhythmically on something such as a drum
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
taptoe, literally “shut the tap (of the beer barrel),” a signal at
closing time in the taverns. Originally “signal for soldiers to return to
quarters.”][1]



tatty

tatty
tat·ty 
[táttee] (comparative tat·ti·er,
superlative tat·ti·est) adjective

in
poor condition: shabby, rundown, or in poor condition
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from tat “rag,” of uncertain origin.]
—tat·ti·ly,
adverb

—tat·ti·ness, noun[1]



Tatum,Edward Lawrie

Tatum,Edward Lawrie
Ta·tum
[táytəm], Edward Lawrie (1909–1975)

U.S. geneticist. His work
with Joshua Lederberg and George W. Beadle on genetic mutations earned them a
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1958).[1]



tau

tau
tau 
[tow, taw]
noun

19th
letter of Greek alphabet: the 19th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “t”
[14th century. From Greek .][1]



Taube,Henry

Taube,Henry
Taube
[tawb, towb],
Henry (1915– )

Canadian-born U.S. inorganic
chemist. His study of electron transfer reactions won him a Nobel Prize (1983).[1]



taucross

taucross

tau cross
(plural tau cross·es) noun
cross shaped like T:
a cross shaped like a T.
Also called
Saint Anthony’s cross[1]



taught

taught
taught


Past tense of
teach Past participle of teach[1]



tauneutrino

tauneutrino
tau
neu·tri·no
noun

uncharged subatomic particle
of lepton family: a subatomic particle of
the lepton family with no electric charge and a mass less than 69 times that of
an electron, created during the decay of a tauon[1]



taunt

taunt2
taunt2 [tawnt]
adjective

very
tall:
used to describe a mast that is taller than normal
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



taunt

taunt1
taunt1 [tawnt]
transitive verb (past taunt·ed, past participle taunt·ed,
present participle taunt·ing, 3rd person present singular taunts)

1.  provoke
or ridicule somebody: to provoke, ridicule, or
tease somebody in a hurtful or mocking way

2.  to
tantalize somebody: to tantalize somebody, for
example, by refusing to disclose a secret
noun
(plural taunts)

1.  hurtful
remark:
a hurtfully mocking or provocative remark

2.  object
of taunts:
somebody at whom a taunt is directed (archaic)
[Early
16th century. From French tant (pour tant) “so much (for so much),” from
Latin tantus “so great.” In English, anglicized as “taunt for taunt” and
used for “sarcastic rejoinder.”]
—taunt·er,
noun

—taunt·ing,
adjective

—taunt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Taunton

Taunton
Taun·ton 
[táwntən]

1.  town
and administrative center of Somerset, southwestern England. Population: 60,300
(1993)

2.  city
in southeastern Massachusetts, on the Taunton River, southeast of Attleboro and
north of Fall River. Population: 51,937 (1996)

[1]



Taunus

Taunus
Tau·nus
[táwnəss, tównəss]

mountain range in west
central Germany, extending northeastward from the eastern bank of the Rhine
River. Height: 880 m/2,887 ft.[1]



tauon

tauon
tau·on 
[táw òn] (plural tau·ons) noun

charged
subatomic particle of lepton family: an
unusually massive subatomic particle of the lepton family with the same charge
as an electron but nearly 3,500 times its mass
[Late 20th century. Formed
from tau .][1]



taupe

taupe
taupe 
[tōp] noun

a
dark gray color tinged with brown
adjective

dark
brownish-gray: of a dark gray color tinged with brown,
like moleskin
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Latin talpa “mole.”][1]



Taurean

Taurean
Tau·re·an 
(plural Tau·re·ans) noun

See
Taurus  noun 3
—Tau·re·an, adjective[1]



taurine

taurine2
tau·rine2 [táw
rn, táwrin] noun

cysteine
derivative:
a crystalline derivative of cysteine found in the bile, nervous tissue, and
muscle juices of many animals. C2H7NO3S
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from taurocholic acid .][1]



taurine

taurine1
tau·rine1 [táw
rn] adjective

resembling
a bull:
relating to or resembling a bull
[Early 17th century. From
Latin taurinus, from taurus (see Taurus
).][1]



taurocholicacid

taurocholicacid
tau·ro·chol·ic
ac·id 
[tawrə kòllik ássid] noun

bile
acid:
a crystalline bile acid that is found as a sodium salt in humans and other
carnivores and in certain herbivores. C26H45NO7
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tauro- + chole- .][1]



Taurus

Taurus

Tau·rus 
[táwrəss] (plural Tau·rus·es or
Tau·ri [táw r]) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY constellation
in the northern hemisphere: a constellation in the
northern hemisphere located between Aries and Gemini and containing the bright
star Aldebaran, the Pleiades and Hyades, and the Crab Nebula

2.  ZODIAC sign
of the zodiac: the second sign of the zodiac,
represented by a bull and lasting from approximately April 20 to May 20. Taurus
is classified as an earth sign, and its ruling planet is Venus.
Also
called
Bull the

3.  ZODIAC somebody
born under Taurus: somebody whose birthday
falls between April 20 and May 20.
Also
called
Taurean
[14th
century. From Latin taurus “bull.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “bull,” which is also the ancestor of English toreador .]
—Tau·rus, adjective[1]



TaurusMountains

TaurusMountains
Tau·rus
Moun·tains
[tàwrəss mówntinz]

mountain range in southern
Turkey, parallel to the Mediterranean coast. Its highest point is Aladag, 3,734
m/12,251 ft .[1]



Taussig,Helen

Taussig,Helen
Taus·sig
[tówsig], Helen (1898–1986)

U.S.
pediatrician. She studied and treated blue babies and played a major role in
exposing the dangers of thalidomide to the developing fetus.
Born
Helen Brooke[1]



taut

taut
taut 
[tawt] (comparative taut·er, superlative
taut·est) adjective

1.  stretched
tightly:
pulled or stretched tightly

2.  PHYSIOLOGY firm
and flexed:
flexed and working, as opposed to being in a relaxed state • taut
muscles

3.  stressed:
stressed, tense, or anxious

4.  concise:
concise and efficient in its use of language or reasoning

5.  kept
in good order: trim, tidy, and well-run • a
taut ship
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—taut·ly,
adverb

—taut·ness, noun[1]



taut-

taut-
taut-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
tauto-[1]



tauten

tauten
taut·en 
[táwt’n] (past taut·ened, past
participle taut·ened, present participle taut·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular taut·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

become
or make taut: to become tightly stretched, or to pull
something, such as a rope, tight
[Early 19th century][1]



tautog

tautog
tau·tog 
[táw tàwg, taw
táwg] (plural tau·togs) noun

large
edible marine fish: a large dark-colored edible
fish of the wrasse family, found along the Atlantic coast of North America,
growing to 1 m/3 ft in length. Latin name: Tautoga onitis
Also
called
blackfish
[Mid-17th century. From
Narragansett tautauog .][1]



tautologize

tautologize
tau·tol·o·gize 
[taw tóllə jz] (past tau·tol·o·gized,
past participle tau·tol·o·gized, present participle tau·tol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular tau·tol·o·giz·es) intransitive
verb

use
tautology:
to use tautology
—tau·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



tautology

tautology
tau·tol·o·gy 
[taw tólləjee] (plural tau·tol·o·gies)
noun

1.  LINGUISTICS redundancy:
a redundant repetition of a meaning in a sentence or idea using different words

2.  instance
of tautology: an instance of redundant repetition

3.  LOGIC logical
true proposition: a proposition or statement that, in
itself, is logically true
—tau·tol·o·gize,
intransitive verb

—tau·to·log·i·cal
[tàwtə lójjik’l], adjective

—tau·to·log·i·cal·ly [tàwtə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



tautomer

tautomer
tau·to·mer
[táwtəmər] (plural tau·to·mers)
noun

compound
exhibiting tautomerism: a compound exhibiting
tautomerism
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tauto- + isomer .][1]



tautomerism

tautomerism
tau·tom·er·ism 
[taw tómmə rìzzəm] noun

mixture
of isomers:
the property of a compound that permits it to exist as a mixture of two isomers
that are interconvertible and thus exist in equilibrium
—tau·to·mer·ic [tàwtə mérrik], adjective[1]



tautonym

tautonym
tau·to·nym 
[táwtə nìm] (plural tau·to·nyms)
noun

species
name:
a species name in which the epithet for the species is the same as that of the
genus, for example, the name of the filarial worm Loa loa. This kind of
name is used for animal but not plant species.
—tau·to·nym·ic
[tàwtə nímmik], adjective

—tau·ton·y·my [taw tónnəmee], noun[1]



tav

tav
tav
[taaf, tawf]
noun

23rd
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the 23rd and final letter of
the Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “t”
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew tāw .][1]



Tavel

Tavel
Tav·el
[taa vél] (plural Tav·els) noun

French
rosé wine:
a dry rosé wine produced in the Rhône region of France
[Late 19th century. Named for
the locale in France where the wine is produced.][1]



tavern

tavern
tav·ern 
[távvərn] (plural tav·erns) noun

1.  establishment
where alcohol is sold and drunk: a place where alcohol
is sold to be consumed on the premises

2.  café:
a café, bar, or inn (dated)
[13th
century. Via French taverne from Latin taberna “hut, inn.”]
—tav·ern·er, noun[1]



taverna

taverna
ta·ver·na 
[tə vúrnə, taa
váirnə] (plural ta·ver·nas) noun

1.  restaurant
in Greece:
a small restaurant or café in Greece

2.  Greek
guesthouse with bar: a guesthouse in Greece that
has a bar
[Early 20th century. Via
modern Greek from Latin taberna “hut, inn.”][1]



taw

taw2
taw2 [taw]
(plural taws) noun

1.  marble
used as a shooter: a fancy marble used as a
shooter

2.  line
from which player shoots marbles: in a game of marbles,
the line from which a player must shoot

3.  game
played with marbles: a game of marbles in which
the object is to shoot as many marbles as possible out of a circular area where
they have been placed
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



taw

taw1
taw1 [taw]
(past tawed, past participle tawed, present
participle taw·ing, 3rd person present singular taws) transitive
verb

turn
skins into white leather: to whiten animal skins by
applying alum or other mineral salts
[Old
English tawian, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to make,”
which is also the ancestor of English tool
and heriot]
—taw·er, noun[1]



tawa

tawa
ta·wa
[twə] (plural ta·was) noun

tall
New Zealand tree: a tall tree of the laurel family that
grows in New Zealand and has edible purple fruit. Latin name: Beilschmiedia
tawa
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



tawdry

tawdry
taw·dry 
[táwdree] adjective (comparative
taw·dri·er, superlative taw·dri·est)

1.  gaudy
and poor quality: gaudy, cheap in appearance, and of
inferior quality

2.  mean-spirited:
mean-spirited and lacking in human decency
noun

cheap gaudy finery:
gaudy finery of inferior quality
[Early
17th century. Shortening of tawdry lace, an alteration of St.
Audrey’s lace .]
—taw·dri·ly,
adverb

—taw·dri·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Anna,
  Anglo-Saxon king of East Anglia, had a daughter called Etheldreda, who became
  queen of Northumbria. She had an inordinate fondness in her youth for fine
  lace neckerchiefs, and when she later developed a fatal tumor of the neck,
  she regarded it as divine retribution for her former extravagance. After her
  death in 679 she was canonized and made patron saint of Ely. In the Middle
  Ages fairs were held in her memory, known as “St. Audrey’s fairs” ( Audrey
  is a conflated form of Etheldreda ), at which lace neckties were sold.
  These were often made from cheap gaudy material, and by the 17th century the
  eroded form tawdry was being used
  generally for “cheap and gaudy.”

[1]



tawny

tawny
taw·ny 
[táwnee] (comparative taw·ni·er,
superlative taw·ni·est) adjective

1.  orangey
brown:
of an orange-brown color tinged with gold

2.  BEVERAGES matured
for ten years plus: used to describe port wine
that has matured for at least ten years in the barrel before bottling, and is
therefore paler than ruby port
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman tauné from Old French tané “tan” (see tan ).]
—taw·ni·ness, noun[1]



tawnyowl

tawnyowl
taw·ny
owl
(plural taw·ny owls) noun

woodland owl:
a common round headed owl with brown or gray plumage, black eyes, and tawny
markings found in woodlands from Europe to China. Latin name: Strix aluco

Also called
brown owl
Also called
wood owl[1]



tax-

tax-
tax-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
taxo-[1]



tax

tax
tax 
[taks] noun (plural tax·es)

1.  ECONOMICS money
paid to a government: an amount of money levied by
a government on its citizens and used to run the government and the country or
state

2.  FINANCE charge
paid by members: an amount charged to members of a club
or organization to be used for expenses

3.  strain:
a strain or heavy demand
transitive
verb
(past taxed, past participle taxed, present
participle tax·ing, 3rd person present singular tax·es)

1.  ECONOMICS charge
tax:
to charge a tax on something such as a company’s or individual’s income

2.  strain
or make heavy demands on: to strain or make heavy
demands on something or somebody • You’re
starting to tax my patience.

3.  accuse
or charge:
to accuse or charge somebody

4.  LAW determine
costs of litigation: to determine the costs of
litigation and the total amount of costs payable at the end of a trial
[13th
century. Via French taxer from Latin taxare “to censure, assess,”
literally “to touch repeatedly,” from tangere “to touch” (source of
English tact and attain ).]
—tax·er,
noun

—tax·less, adjective[1]



taxa

taxa
ta·xa

Plural of
taxon[1]



taxable

taxable
tax·a·ble 
[táksəb’l] adjective

subject
to a tax:
subject to a tax • taxable income
noun
(plural tax·ables)

somebody
or something subject to tax: somebody or something that
is subject to taxation
—tax·a·bil·i·ty
[tàksə bíllətee], noun

—tax·a·ble·ness,
noun

—tax·a·bly [táksəblee], adverb[1]



taxation

taxation
tax·a·tion 
[tak sáysh’n] noun

1.  system
of levying taxes: the system whereby taxes are levied upon
certain types of income, earnings, or purchases

2.  money
collected in taxes: the amount of money raised
by collecting taxes

3.  tax
on something: an amount levied as a tax on something
—tax·a·tion·al, adjective[1]



tax-deductible

tax-deductible
tax-de·duct·i·ble 
adjective

reducing tax:
used to describe an expenditure that can be deducted from taxable income to
lower the amount of tax owed by an individual or business[1]



tax-deferred

tax-deferred
tax-deferred
adjective

not taxable as yet:
not taxable until a later time, often after retirement[1]



taxeme

taxeme
tax·eme 
[ták sm] (plural tax·emes) noun

small
linguistic feature: a small linguistic feature
such as selection, order, or phonetic modification
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from taxis + -eme .]
—tax·e·mic [tak smik], adjective[1]



taxevasion

taxevasion
tax
e·va·sion
noun

illegal avoidance of taxes:
an illegal activity in which a taxpayer seeks to hide taxable income or claim
unauthorized tax deductions[1]



tax-exempt

tax-exempt
tax-ex·empt 
adjective

exempt from tax:
legally exempt from taxation[1]



tax-free

tax-free
tax-free 
adjective

not taxed:
not subject to taxation[1]



taxhaven

taxhaven
tax
ha·ven
(plural tax ha·vens) noun

country with favorable tax
rates: a country with favorable tax
rates[1]



taxholiday

taxholiday
tax
hol·i·day
(plural tax hol·i·days) noun

period of no taxation:
a period during which a company is exempt from state taxation, for example,
when just starting out in business[1]



taxi-

taxi-
taxi-
prefix

See
taxo-[1]



taxi

taxi
tax·i 
[táksee] noun (plural tax·is
or tax·ies)

TRANSPORT car
taking paying passengers: a car, usually with a
taximeter, whose driver is paid to transport passengers, typically for short
distances.
Also
called
taxicab
Also
called
cab
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tax·ied,
past participle tax·ied, present participle tax·i·ing
or tax·y·ing, 3rd person present singular tax·is or
tax·ies)

1.  AIR move
aircraft on ground: to make an aircraft move
under its own power on the ground, typically before takeoff or after landing,
or to move on the ground in this way

2.  TRANSPORT travel
in taxi:
to transport somebody or something in a taxi, or to travel in a taxi

3.  transport
somebody or be transported: to transport somebody or
something or be transported, especially in a car (informal) • taxi
the children to school
[Early 20th century.
Shortening of taximeter cab (see taximeter ).][1]



taxidancer

taxidancer
tax·i
danc·er
(plural tax·i danc·ers) noun

paid
dance partner: somebody who is paid, dance by dance, to
dance with patrons of a nightclub or dance hall
—tax·i danc·ing, noun[1]



taxidermy

taxidermy
tax·i·der·my 
[táksi dùrmee] noun

stuffing
dead animals: the art or skill of preparing, stuffing,
and presenting dead animal skins so that they appear lifelike
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek taxis “arrangement” (see taxis ) + -derm
.]
—tax·i·der·mal
[tàksi dúrm’l], adjective

—tax·i·der·mist [táksi dùrmist], noun[1]



taximeter

taximeter
tax·i·me·ter 
[táksee mtər] (plural tax·i·me·ters)
noun

fare
machine in taxicab: a device installed in a taxi
that automatically computes the fare, which is usually based on time, distance
traveled, or a combination of both
[Late 19th century. From
French taximètre, from taxe “charge, tariff.”][1]



taximetrics

taximetrics
tax·i·met·rics 
[tàksə méttriks] noun

See
numerical taxonomy[1]



taxing

taxing
tax·ing 
[táksing] adjective

demanding:
placing numerous or severe demands on somebody
—tax·ing·ly, adverb[1]



taxis

taxis
tax·is 
[táksiss] noun

1.  BIOLOGY movement
of cell:
movement of a cell or microorganism toward or away from the source of a
stimulus

2.  SURGERY repositioning
of organ:
the manipulating of a displaced body part to return it to its normal position,
such as in a case of hernia
[Late 16th century. From
Greek, “arrangement,” formed from the stem of tassein “to arrange”
(source of English tactics ).][1]



-taxis

-taxis
-taxis
suffix

1.  movement
in response to a stimulus • hydrotaxis

2.  arrangement,
order of parts • phyllotaxis
[From Greek taxis
“order, arrangement” (see taxis )][1]



taxisquad

taxisquad
tax·i
squad
(plural tax·i squads) noun

FOOTBALL unofficial
football players: in professional football, a group of
players who practice with the team but are not allowed to play in official
games
[Mid-20th century. From the
use by a football team owner of his reserve players as taxi drivers when their
services were not required on the football field.][1]



taxistand

taxistand
tax·i
stand
(plural tax·i stands) noun

area for parked taxicabs:
an area reserved for parked taxicabs awaiting customers.
Also called
cabstand
U.K. term
taxi rank[1]



taxitruck

taxitruck
tax·i
truck
(plural tax·i trucks) noun

Australia
rental truck:
a truck and driver for rental, often used for moving house[1]



taxiway

taxiway
tax·i·way 
[táksee wày] (plural tax·i·ways)
noun

path used by taxiing
aircraft: a path used by aircraft when
taxiing to and from a runway or other ground facility.
Also called
peritrack[1]



taxloss

taxloss
tax
loss
(plural tax loss·es) noun

transaction resulting in
reduced tax liability: a
transaction that results in a reduced tax liability, even though it may not be
associated with an actual cash loss, the loss associated with depreciation
expenses[1]



taxo-

taxo-
taxo-
prefix

order,
arrangement • taxonomy
[From Greek taxis (see
taxis )][1]



taxon

taxon
tax·on 
[ták sòn] (plural ta·xa [táksə] or tax·ons) noun

category
of organisms: any of the groups to which organisms are
assigned according to the principles of taxonomy, including species, genus,
family, order, class, and phylum
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from taxonomy .][1]



taxonomy

taxonomy
tax·on·o·my 
[tak sónnəmee] (plural tax·on·o·mies)
noun

1.  grouping
of organisms: the science of classifying plants,
animals, and microorganisms into increasingly broader categories based on
shared features. Traditionally, organisms were grouped by physical
resemblances, but in recent times other criteria such as genetic matching have also
been used.

2.  principles
of classification: the practice or principles
of classification

3.  study
of classification: the study of the rules and
practice of classifying living organisms
[Early
19th century. From French taxonomie, from Greek taxis “arrangement”
(see taxis ).]
—tax·o·nom·ic
[tàksə nómmik], adjective

—tax·o·nom·i·cal·ly
[tàksə nómmikəlee], adverb

—tax·on·o·mist [tak sónnəmist], noun[1]



taxpayer

taxpayer
tax·pay·er 
[táks pày ər] (plural tax·pay·ers)
noun

somebody
who pays taxes: somebody who pays tax, especially income
tax
—tax·pay·ing, adjective[1]



taxrate

taxrate
tax
rate
(plural tax rates) noun

percentage of income paid in
taxes: the percentage of income
paid in income taxes[1]



taxreturn

taxreturn
tax
re·turn
(plural tax re·turns) noun

forms for calculating tax
liability: the collection of government
forms on which earnings and expenses are recorded in order to calculate the tax
liability of an individual or business[1]



taxshelter

taxshelter
tax
shel·ter
(plural tax shel·ters) noun

investment
intended to reduce tax: an investment activity that
tends to reduce income tax liability
—tax-shel·tered, adjective[1]



-taxy

-taxy
-taxy
suffix

order,
arrangement • epitaxy
[From Greek -taxia,
from tag-, the stem of tassein (see taxis
)][1]



Taylor,Elizabeth

Taylor,Elizabeth
Tay·lor
[táylər], Elizabeth (1932– )

British-born
U.S. actor. She became a star in her early film National Velvet ( 1944
). She continued in the public eye both as an actor and as a celebrity.
Full name
Taylor, Elizabeth Rosemond[1]



Taylor,Frederick Winslow

Taylor,Frederick Winslow
Tay·lor
[táylər], Frederick Winslow (1856–1915)

U.S. industrial engineer. He
contributed to industrial efficiency by applying “scientific management,” based
upon time-and-motion studies.[1]



Taylor,George

Taylor,George
Tay·lor
[táylər], George (1716–1781)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) as Pennsylvania delegate to the
Continental Congress (1776–1777).[1]



Taylor,Joseph, Jr.

Taylor,Joseph, Jr.
Tay·lor
[táylər], Joseph, Jr. (1941– )

U.S.
physicist. He shared a Nobel Prize with Russell A. Hulse (1993) for researching
binary pulsars.
Full name
Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr.[1]



Taylor,Maxwell D.

Taylor,Maxwell D.
Tay·lor
[táylər], Maxwell D. (1901–1987)

U.S.
soldier. A hero of World War II and the Korean War, he chaired the U.S. Joint
Chiefs of Staff (1962–1964) and contributed to the U.S. escalation of the war
in Vietnam.
Full name
Taylor, Maxwell Davenport[1]



Taylor,Zachary

Taylor,Zachary

Tay·lor
[táylər], Zachary (1785–1850)
U.S.
soldier and 12th president of the United States. He was a hero of the Mexican
War (1846–1847) prior to becoming president (1849–1850).
Known as
Old Rough and Ready[1]



Taylor’sseries

Taylor’sseries
Tay·lor’s
se·ries
noun

basic
theorem of calculus: a basic theorem of calculus
relating an approximation of the value of a continuous function at a point to
the successive derivatives of the function evaluated at the point
[Early 19th century. Named
for the English mathematician Brook Taylor (1685–1731).][1]



Taymyria

Taymyria
Tay·my·ri·a
[tày mree ə]

autonomous region in north
central Siberia, Russia. Area: 862,100 sq km/332,850 sq mi.[1]



tayra

tayra
tay·ra 
[trə] (plural tay·ras) noun

S
American weasel: an agile South American weasel similar
to the marten, with a brown coat and a buff patch on the throat. Latin name: Eira
barbara
[Mid-19th century. Via
Portuguese or Spanish taira from Tupi .][1]



Tay-Sachsdisease

Tay-Sachsdisease
Tay-Sachs
dis·ease 
noun

genetic
disease:
a genetic disease that principally affects Jewish people of eastern European
ancestry. Marked by accumulation of lipids in the brain and nerves, it results
in loss of sight and brain functions.
[Early 20th century. Named
for Warren Tay (1843–1927), an English ophthalmologist, and Bernard Sachs
(1858–1944), a U.S. neurologist.][1]



tazza

tazza
taz·za 
[ttsə] (plural taz·zas) noun

ornamental
shallow bowl: an ornamental vessel that has a shallow
bowl, usually mounted on a pedestal
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from Arabic asa (see tass ).][1]



ta’en

ta’en
ta’en
verb

taken:
taken (archaic or literary)[1]



Tb

Tb
Tb

Symbol for
terbium[1]



TB

TB
TB

1.  Abbreviation
of
torpedo boat

2.  TB
or T.B. Abbreviation of tuberculosis

3.  TB
or t.b. ACCOUNTING Abbreviation
of trial balance

[1]



TBA

TBA
TBA
or tba

Abbreviation of
to be announced[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








T-ball

T-ball
T-ball 
noun

children’s baseball game:
a children’s version of baseball without pitching in which the batter hits a
ball placed on a tee[1]



T-bar

T-bar
T-bar 
(plural T-bars) noun

1.  metal
bar T-shaped in cross section: a metal bar that is
T-shaped in cross section

2.  SKIING ski
tow for two people: a ski tow for two people,
shaped like an inverted T. Skiers rest against a horizontal bar on either side
of a central shaft that pulls them along with their skis on the ground.

[1]



TBD

TBD
TBD

(used in e-mail
communications)Abbreviation of to be discussed[1]



Tbilisi

Tbilisi
Tbi·li·si
[təbə l see]

capital city of Georgia, in
the east central part of the country, on the Kura River. Population: 1,268,000
(1990)[1]



T-bill

T-bill
T-bill 
(plural T-bills) noun

See
Treasury bill[1]



T-bonesteak

T-bonesteak
T-bone
steak
(plural T-bone steaks) noun

large beef steak containing
T-shaped bone: a large thick steak
containing a T-shaped bone[1]



tbs.

tbs.
tbs.
or tbsp.

Abbreviation of
tablespoon[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Tc

Tc
Tc

Symbol for
technetium[1]



Tcell

Tcell
T
cell
(plural T cells) noun

lymphocyte
from thymus: a type of white blood cell ( lymphocyte ) that matures in the thymus and is
essential for various aspects of immunity, especially in combating virus
infections and cancers.
Also
called
T lymphocyte
See
also
cytotoxic T cell
See
also
helper T cell
See
also
suppressor T cell
[T is a shortening of thymus-derived][1]



Tchaikovsky,Peter Ilich

Tchaikovsky,Peter Ilich


Tchai·kov·sky
[chī káwfskee], Peter Ilich (1840–1893)
Russian composer. A major composer of the
romantic era, his works include symphonies, piano concertos, and ballet scores
such as Swan Lake ( 1876 ).[1]



tchotchke

tchotchke
tchotch·ke
[chóchkə] noun

trinket:
a trinket or piece of bric-a-brac[1]



TCP/IP

TCP/IP
TCP/IP


Abbreviation of
transmission control protocol/Internet protocol[1]



TD

TD
TD

1.  Abbreviation
of
tank destroyer

2.  FOOTBALL Abbreviation of touchdown

3.  TD
or T.D. Abbreviation of treasury department

[1]



TDD

TDD
TDD

Abbreviation of
telecommunications device for the deaf[1]



TDM

TDM
TDM

Abbreviation of
time-division multiplexing[1]



TDY

TDY
TDY

MILITARY
Abbreviation of temporary duty[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Te

Te
Te

Symbol for
tellurium[1]



te

te
te
noun

See
ti[1]



tea

tea
tea 
[tee] (plural teas) noun

1.  PLANTS Asian
evergreen shrub: an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae
family, native to Asia, with toothed leathery leaves and fragrant cup-shaped
flowers. Latin name: Camellia sinensis

2.  BEVERAGES plant’s
dried leaves for making drink: the dried leaves of
the tea plant, often shredded, used to make a drink by adding boiling water

3.  tea
drink:
a tea drink, usually served hot but sometimes with ice

4.  BEVERAGES drink
made by infusion: any drink made by infusion of particular
plant leaves, or the dried leaves used as the basis of a drink

5.  PLANTS plant
used for infused drink: a plant other than the tea
plant used to make an infused beverage

6.  FOOD afternoon
meal of cakes and tea: a light meal taken in the
afternoon, usually consisting of cake, sandwiches, and tea or other
nonalcoholic drinks, or an afternoon social event at which this meal is eaten.
Also
called
high tea

7.  U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand, Scotland FOOD main meal of day:
the main meal of the day when it is eaten early in the evening

8.  breakfast
in Guyana:
in Guyana, the first meal of the day

9.  DRUGS marijuana:
marijuana (dated slang)
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably via earlier Dutch tee from,
ultimately, Chinese (Amoy dialect) te .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at dinner.

[1]



teabag

teabag
tea
bag
(plural tea bags) noun

small bag containing tea
leaves: a small bag made of
permeable paper or cloth containing tea leaves that is placed in boiling water
to make one serving of tea[1]



teaball

teaball
tea
ball
(plural tea balls) noun

perforated ball for infusing
tea leaves: a small perforated metal
ball for holding tea leaves that is placed in boiling water to make tea[1]



teaberry

teaberry
tea·ber·ry 
[t bèree] (plural tea·ber·ries)
noun

1.  See
wintergreen

2.  See
withe rod
[Late 18th century. Tea from
the fact that its leaves can be used as a substitute for tea.][1]



teacaddy

teacaddy
tea
cad·dy
noun

container for tea:
a small container, usually with a tight-fitting lid, for holding tea leaves[1]



teacake

teacake
tea·cake 
[t kàyk] (plural tea·cakes) noun

plain cookie served with tea:
a plain cookie, cake, or biscuit served with tea[1]



teacart

teacart
tea
cart
(plural tea carts) noun

See
tea wagon[1]



teaceremony

teaceremony
tea
cer·e·mo·ny
noun

Japanese ritual tea drinking:
a Japanese ritual in which tea is prepared, served, and drunk in a prescribed
manner[1]



teach

teach
teach 
[teech] (past taught [tawt], past participle taught, present
participle teach·ing, 3rd person present singular teach·es)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
impart
knowledge or skill: to impart knowledge or skill
to somebody by instruction or example

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
lessons:
to give lessons in a subject, or to give lessons to a person or animal

3.  transitive
verb
make
understand by experience: to bring understanding to
somebody, especially through an experience • The
episode taught me a lesson I’ll never forget.

4.  transitive
verb
teach
regularly:
to engage in imparting knowledge or instruction for a period of time in a
particular place • teaches college

5.  transitive
verb
advocate
or preach something: to advocate or preach
something
[Old
English tcan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to show,”
which is also the ancestor of English token,
digit, and deictic .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  teach, educate, train,
  instruct, coach, tutor,
  school, drill
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  cause to acquire knowledge or skill in something teach;
  to impart information to somebody or show somebody how to do something; educate; to teach somebody generally, e.g.,
  in a school or college, especially when taking into account all that a person
  learns over a period of time; train;
  to teach somebody how to do something by means of instruction, observation,
  and practice. Used especially in relation to jobs; instruct; a formal word meaning the same as teach; coach;
  to teach a specific subject or skill to one person or a very small group of
  people, especially in preparation for an exam. It is used especially to talk
  about specialized sports instruction; tutor;
  to give somebody individual tuition on a particular subject or in a
  particular skill; school; a fairly
  formal word used to talk about teaching somebody a particular skill or area
  of expertise in a thorough and detailed way; drill;
  to teach something by means of repeated exercises and practice. Used
  especially when this seems rigorous or severe

[1]



teachable

teachable
teach·a·ble 
[tchəb’l] adjective

1.  willing
to learn:
willing and able to learn

2.  able
to be taught: relating to something such as a skill or
subject that can be taught
—teach·a·bly, adverb[1]



teacher

teacher
teach·er 
[tchər] (plural teach·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who teaches: somebody who teaches, especially as a
profession

2.  anything
that teaches: anything from which something may be
learned • Experience
is a great teacher.
—teach·er·less,
adjective

—teach·er·ly, adjective[1]



teacherbird

teacherbird
teach·er
bird
(plural teach·er birds) noun

See
ovenbird
[Teacher is an imitation of
the sound made by the bird][1]



teacherscollege

teacherscollege
teach·ers
col·lege
(plural teach·ers col·leg·es) or teach·ers’ col·lege
(plural teach·ers’ col·leg·es) noun

college that trains teachers:
a college for the training of teachers[1]



teacher’spet

teacher’spet
teach·er’s
pet 
(plural teach·er’s pets) noun

1.  teacher’s
favorite student: a student who is especially favored by a
teacher (insult)

2.  somebody
favored by authority figure: somebody who is in special
favor with a figure in authority

[1]



teach-in

teach-in
teach-in 
(plural teach-ins) noun

extended period of speeches
and lectures: an extended period of
speeches, lectures, and discussions, usually held at a college or university as
part of a political or social protest[1]



teaching

teaching
teach·ing 
[tching] noun (plural teach·ings)

1.  practice
or profession of a teacher: the profession or practice
of being a teacher

2.  something
taught:
something that is taught, for example, a point of doctrine (often used in
the plural)
adjective

1.  used
for teaching: used for or in teaching

2.  that
teaches:
being a person or establishment that teaches

[1]



teachingassistant

teachingassistant
teach·ing
a·ssis·tant
or teach·ing fel·low noun

graduate
student with teaching responsibilities: a
graduate student in a college or university who teaches, especially
undergraduates, in return for tuition and usually a small stipend
—teach·ing
a·ssis·tant·ship, noun[1]



teachingfellow

teachingfellow
teach·ing
fel·low
(plural teach·ing fel·lows) noun

See
teaching assistant
—teach·ing fel·low·ship,
noun[1]



teachinghospital

teachinghospital
teach·ing
hos·pi·tal
(plural teach·ing hos·pi·tals) noun

hospital that trains medical
students: a hospital that provides
supervised practical training for medical students, student nurses, or other
health-care professionals, often in conjunction with a medical school[1]



teacozy

teacozy
tea
co·zy
noun

warm cover for teapot:
a soft, padded cover for keeping a teapot warm[1]



teacup

teacup
tea·cup 
[t kùp] (plural tea·cups) noun

1.  cup
for tea:
a small to medium-sized cup, usually used with a saucer, especially for serving
tea

2.  tea·cup
or tea·cup·ful (plural tea·cup·fuls) amount
in teacup:
the amount a teacup holds

[1]



teadance

teadance
tea
dance
(plural tea danc·es) noun

afternoon event for tea and
dancing: an afternoon social event at
which tea is often served and people do ballroom or other partner dancing[1]



teagarden

teagarden
tea
gar·den
(plural tea gar·dens) noun

1.  garden
where tea is served: a garden or outdoor
restaurant where tea and light refreshments are served to the public

2.  AGRICULTURE tea
plantation:
a plantation where tea is grown

[1]



teagown

teagown
tea
gown
(plural tea gowns) noun

light dress worn in
afternoon: a loose, usually waistless,
dress of light thin fabric trimmed with lace, worn by women in the late 19th
century for afternoon social occasions at which men would not be present[1]



teahouse

teahouse
tea·house 
[t hòwss] (plural tea·hous·es
[t hòwzəz]) noun

Chinese or Japanese
restaurant serving tea: a
restaurant, especially in China or Japan, that serves tea and light
refreshments[1]



teak

teak
teak 
[teek] noun (plural teaks)

1.  TREES tall E
Indian tree: a tall East Indian tree of the vervain
family, valued for its wood. Latin name: Tectona grandis

2.  teak
or teak·wood INDUSTRY
wood
of the teak tree: the wood of the teak tree, used for
making furniture and in shipbuilding

3.  TREES tree
or wood similar to teak: a tree or wood that is
similar to teak

4.  COLORS yellowish-brown
color:
a yellowish-brown color
adjective

COLORS yellowish-brown:
of a yellowish-brown color like teak
[Late 17th century. Via
Portuguese teca from Tamil or Malayalam tēkku .][1]



teakettle

teakettle
tea·ket·tle 
[t kètt’l] (plural tea·ket·tles)
noun

kettle:
a kettle used for boiling water for making tea[1]



teal

teal
teal 
[teel] noun (plural teal
or teals)

1.  BIRDS small
duck:
a small freshwater surface-feeding duck with bright iridescent blue or green
patches on the wings. Genus: Anas

2.  COLORS greenish-blue
color:
a greenish-blue color
adjective

COLORS of a
greenish-blue color: of a greenish-blue color
[13th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tealeaf

tealeaf
tea
leaf
noun

1.  PLANTS dried
leaf of tea plant: a dried leaf or shredded
part of the dried leaf of the tea plant, used to make tea

2.  BEVERAGES tea
leaf after infusion: a tea leaf, or part of a
leaf, after it has been infused (often used in the plural)

[1]



team

team
team 
[teem] noun (plural teams)

1.  SPORTS group
forming side in sports competition: a
group of people forming one side in a sports competition

2.  cooperatively
functioning group: a number of people organized
to function cooperatively as a group

3.  animals
worked together: two or more animals worked together,
especially to pull a vehicle or agricultural equipment

4.  team
of animals with vehicle: a team of animals and the
vehicle harnessed to them

5.  animals
performing together: a group of animals that
perform or are shown together

6.  grouping
of animals:
a grouping of animals such as a flock, brood, or herd (regional)
verb
(past teamed, past participle teamed, present
participle team·ing, 3rd person present singular teams)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
or form into a team: to form a team, or to form
people or animals into a team

2.  transitive
verb
transport
by a team:
to transport something using a team of animals

3.  intransitive
verb
drive
a team:
to drive a team of farm animals or a truck
[Old English tēam .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to lead,” which is also the
ancestor of English tug and duct .][1]



teammate

teammate
team·mate 
[teém màyt] (plural team·mates)
noun

member of the same team:
a player on the same team[1]



teamplayer

teamplayer
team
play·er
(plural team play·ers) noun

somebody who works
cooperatively: somebody who is willing
to work cooperatively with others and to subordinate personal interests in
order to achieve a common goal[1]



teamspirit

teamspirit
team
spir·it
noun

enthusiasm about working in a
team: an enthusiastic attitude
toward working productively with a team or work group[1]



teamster

teamster
team·ster 
[tmstər] (plural team·sters) noun

1.  truck
driver:
somebody who drives a truck that is used commercially for hauling loads,
especially as an occupation

2.  somebody
who drives a team of animals: somebody who drives a team
of animals used for hauling

3.  member
of the Teamsters Union: a member of the Teamsters
Union

[1]



TeamstersUnion

TeamstersUnion
Team·sters
Un·ion
noun

union of truck drivers:
a labor union whose members are mainly truck drivers. Full form
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers
of America[1]



teamteaching

teamteaching
team
teach·ing
noun

classes taught by a group of
teachers: an instructional program
involving two or more subjects that are taught in a coordinated way by
specialist teachers[1]



teamwork

teamwork
team·work 
[tm wùrk] noun

1.  cooperative
work by a group: a cooperative effort by a group or team

2.  work
produced by a group: work produced by a group or
team

[1]



teaparty

teaparty
tea
par·ty
noun

afternoon social event:
an afternoon social event at which tea is served[1]



teapot

teapot
tea·pot 
[t pòt] (plural tea·pots) noun

container for serving tea:
a covered container with a spout and handle, used for making and serving tea[1]



teapoy

teapoy
tea·poy 
[t pòy] (plural tea·poys) noun

1.  small
table:
a small three-legged ornamental table or stand

2.  small
table used for tea: a small table used to hold a
tea caddy and tea service
[Early 19th century. By folk
etymology (from tea ) from Hindi tipāī,
an alteration of Persian si-pāya, literally “three-footed.”][1]



tear

tear2
tear2 [teer]
noun (plural tears)

1.  PHYSIOLOGY single
drop of fluid from the eye: a single drop of salty fluid
secreted by the lacrimal gland of the eye.
Also
called
teardrop

2.  drop
of liquid:
a drop of liquid or hardened fluid, especially one with a round base and
narrower top
plural
noun
tears

1.  crying:
weeping accompanied by intense emotion

2.  PHYSIOLOGY liquid
bathing the eye: the salty liquid secreted by the
lacrimal gland that moistens and protects the surface of the eye and its
surrounding tissue

3.  excess
of liquid in the eyes: a greater than usual amount
of liquid produced by the eye or eyes, often accompanying intense emotions, or
caused by irritation of the eye
intransitive
verb
(past teared, past participle teared, present
participle tear·ing, 3rd person present singular tears)

produce tears:
to produce tears, especially in excessive amounts • My
eyes tear a lot during the allergy season.
[Old
English tēar . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “tear,”
which is also the ancestor of English lachrymose
.]
—tear·less, adjective[1]



tear

tear1
tear1 [tair]
verb (past tore [tawr],
past participle torn [tawrn], present
participle tear·ing, 3rd person present singular tears)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pull
or come apart: to pull something such as paper or cloth
into pieces, or to come apart or rip • She
tore open the package.

2.  transitive
verb
separate
something using force: to remove or separate
something using force

3.  intransitive
verb
move
or act quickly or carelessly: to move or act with great or
careless speed • He went tearing off
down the road.

4.  transitive
verb
divide
something:
to divide or fragment something • an
organization torn by internal conflict

5.  transitive
verb
make
a hole in something: to make a hole or opening in
something such as a garment • tore
her skirt on a nail

6.  transitive
verb
cut
something leaving jagged edges: to cut something,
especially flesh, leaving jagged edges

7.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE sprain:
to injure a muscle or ligament so that some of the tissue is pulled apart and
separated

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb upset
or distress: to upset or distress somebody • the
memory tore at his heart
noun
(plural tears)

1.  act
of tearing:
an act of tearing

2.  split
caused by tearing: a hole or split caused by
tearing

3.  a
hurry:
a hurry or rush

4.  spree:
an unrestrained activity or indulgence
[Old
English teran . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
split,” which is also the ancestor of English turd
and probably tart .]
—tear·a·ble,
adjective

—tear·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  tear, rend, rip,
  slit
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  pull apart forcibly tear; a general
  word for pulling something apart forcibly, either by accident or on purpose; rend; a formal or literary word suggesting
  tearing with extreme strength or violence, most often now used figuratively; rip; to tear something with one rapid
  uninterrupted movement, either by accident or on purpose; split; to divide something into two parts with
  a single movement usually with the blade of a tool or weapon

[1]



tearapart

tearapart
tear
apart
transitive verb

1.  fragment:
to cause division, separation, or conflict in a group or organization • a
family torn apart by war

2.  distress
somebody:
to cause somebody distress or emotional conflict • the
strain of separation was tearing us apart

3.  search:
to search a place thoroughly, often causing disruptions and mess • The
police tore apart the house looking for the weapon.

[1]



tearaway

tearaway
tear
away
transitive verb

force to leave:
to force or persuade yourself or somebody else to leave a place or object[1]



teardown

teardown
tear
down
transitive verb

demolish or dismantle
something: to demolish, destroy, or
dismantle something such as a building[1]



teardrop

teardrop
tear·drop 
[tr dròp] (plural tear·drops)
noun

1.  See
tear 2 noun 1

2.  shape
resembling a tear: a shape that resembles a
tear, or something having this shape

[1]



tearduct

tearduct
tear
duct
[tr dùkt] (plural tear ducts)
noun

passage carrying tears:
a passage that conveys tears, especially the duct that drains tears from the
inner corner of the eye into the nasal cavity[1]



tearful

tearful
tear·ful 
[trfəl] adjective

1.  crying:
crying, about to cry, or feeling like crying, usually because of an emotion
such as great sadness

2.  likely
to cause tears: sad enough to cause weeping • a
tearful occasion
—tear·ful·ly,
adverb

—tear·ful·ness, noun[1]



tear-gas

tear-gas
tear-gas
[tr gàss] (past tear·gassed, past
participle tear·gassed, present participle tear·gas·sing,
3rd person present singular tear·gas·es) transitive verb

spray with tear gas:
to spray somebody with tear gas[1]



teargas

teargas
tear
gas 
[tr gas] noun

chemical agent that irritates
eyes: a chemical agent, delivered
by a grenade or other means, that incapacitates a person by irritating the eyes[1]



tearing

tearing
tear·ing 
[táiring] adjective

frantic:
violent or frenzied • in
a tearing hurry[1]



tearinto

tearinto
tear
into
transitive verb

attack physically or
verbally: to attack somebody or
something vigorously, either physically or verbally[1]



tearjerker

tearjerker
tear·jerk·er 
[tr jùrkər] (plural tear·jerk·ers)
noun

sentimental
artistic work: a story or artistic work that is
excessively sentimental (informal)
—tear-jerk·ing, adjective[1]



tearoff

tearoff
tear
off
transitive verb

1.  remove
quickly:
to remove quickly and carelessly

2.  produce
something quickly: to produce something quickly
and carelessly

[1]



tear-off

tear-off
tear-off
[táir àwf] adjective

enabling the removal of
individual sheets: produced in
a block of paper in sheet form, or perforated, so that individual pieces can be
removed easily[1]



tearoom

tearoom
tea·room 
[t rm, t rm]
(plural tea·rooms) noun

1.  restaurant
serving tea: a restaurant or café serving tea and
other beverages, as well as light refreshments (often used in the plural)

Also
called
teashop

2.  South
Africa
small
shop selling variety of goods: a small shop in which
some staple groceries, newspapers, and small consumer goods are sold

[1]



tearose

tearose
tea
rose
(plural tea ros·es) noun

rose with tea-scented
flowers: any of one several varieties
of a bush rose native to China that grows large tea-scented pink or yellow
flowers. Latin name: Rosa odorata[1]



tearsheet

tearsheet
tear
sheet 
[táir sheet] (plural tear sheets)
noun

single page from a magazine:
a single page taken from a magazine or other periodical, often used to prove to
an advertiser that an advertisement has been published[1]



tearstain

tearstain
tear·stain 
[tr stàyn] (plural tear·stains)
noun

mark
left by tears: a mark or track left by tears
—tear-stained, adjective[1]



tearup

tearup
tear
up
transitive verb

tear something into small
pieces: to tear something into small
pieces, for example, in order to destroy it[1]



teary

teary
tear·y 
[tree] (comparative tear·i·er,
superlative tear·i·est) adjective

1.  wet
with tears:
wet with or full of tears

2.  about
to cry:
seeming to be about to cry

3.  causing
weeping:
causing or sad enough to cause weeping

4.  like
tears:
resembling tears
—tear·i·ly,
adverb

—tear·i·ness, noun[1]



teary-eyed

teary-eyed
tear·y-eyed 
adjective

1.  with
tears in the eyes: with tears in the eyes,
especially if caused by emotion

2.  characterized
by weeping:
characterized by weeping, especially when caused by sadness

[1]



tease

tease
tease 
[teez] verb (past teased,
past participle teased, present participle teas·ing,
3rd person present singular teas·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb deliberately
annoy or irritate: to deliberately annoy or
irritate a person or an animal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
fun of somebody: to make fun of somebody, either
playfully or maliciously

3.  transitive
verb
persuade
by coaxing:
to urge somebody, especially to do something, by continual coaxing

4.  transitive
verb
arouse
physical desire without giving satisfaction: to
arouse hope, curiosity, or especially physical desire in somebody with no
intention of giving satisfaction

5.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING make
hair look thicker: to comb the hair with quick
short movements toward the roots so that it stands up away from the head.
U.K.
term
backcomb

6.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES pull
fibers apart: to pull fibers apart by combing or
carding

7.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES raise
a nap by combing: to raise the nap on cloth by combing it
with a wire brush

8.  transitive
verb
BIOLOGY separate
tissue:
to separate the parts of a tissue specimen gently with a needle in preparation
for examination under a microscope
noun
(plural teas·es)

1.  somebody
who teases:
a person who has a tendency to tease others.
Also
called
teaser

2.  person
who teases sexually: a person who teases somebody
else sexually

3.  provocative
opening remark: an opening remark or action intended to
stimulate curiosity or interest

4.  act
of teasing:
an act of teasing
[Old
English tsan . Originally “to separate the fibers of wool” (with the
prickly “teasel” flower), hence “irritate,” later “make fun of.”]
—teas·ing,
adjective

—teas·ing·ly, adverb[1]



teasel

teasel
tea·sel 
[tz’l] (plural tea·sels) or
tea·zel [tz’l] (plural tea·zels)
noun

1.  PLANTS prickly
plant of Europe and Asia: a prickly plant native to
Europe and Asia with flowers covered with hooked leaves ( bracts ). Genus: Dipsacus

2.  TEXTILES teasel
flower heads: the flower heads of the teasel, used in
the textile industry to raise the nap on fabric

3.  implement
used to raise nap: an industrial implement or
device used to raise the nap on fabric
[Old
English tsel]
—tea·sel·ler, noun[1]



teaseout

teaseout
tease
out
transitive verb

1.  gradually
separate something: to gradually separate things
that are tangled up, or gradually separate something from an object with which
it is entangled

2.  extract
the truth:
to extract something gradually, for example, the truth or information

[1]



teaser

teaser
teas·er 
[tzər] (plural teas·ers) noun

1.  See
tease  noun 1

2.  tricky
problem:
a tricky or difficult problem or question

3.  MARKETING advertisement
offering a gift: an advertisement offering something for
free such as a bonus or gift

4.  TV preview
of a TV show, book, or movie: a preview intended to arouse
curiosity and interest in a forthcoming broadcast or publication (informal)

5.  TEXTILES implement
for teasing wool: an implement for teasing fibers,
especially wool

[1]



teaservice

teaservice
tea
ser·vice
(plural tea serv·ic·es) or tea set (plural tea
sets) noun

set of articles for serving
tea: a set of matching articles
such as cups, saucers, and a teapot, used for serving tea[1]



teashop

teashop
tea·shop 
[t shop] (plural tea·shops) noun

See
tearoom  noun 1
[Mid-19th century][1]



teaspoon

teaspoon
tea·spoon 
[t spn] (plural tea·spoons) noun

1.  small
spoon:
a small spoon, used especially for stirring tea and other beverages and for
eating desserts

2.  tea·spoon
or tea·spoon·ful (plural tea·spoon·fuls) amount
held by a teaspoon: the amount held by a
teaspoon

3.  one
third of a tablespoon: a standard household measure
equal to one-third of a tablespoon or 5 ml

[1]



teat

teat
teat 
[teet, tit]
(plural teats) noun

1.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY body part for producing milk:
a protuberance on the breast or udder of a female mammal through which milk is
excreted for the nourishment of young

2.  U.K.
See nipple  noun 2
[12th
century. From Old French tete, of Germanic origin.]
—teat·ed, adjective[1]



teatable

teatable
tea
ta·ble
(plural tea ta·bles) noun

small table for serving tea:
a small table at which tea is served[1]



teatime

teatime
tea·time
[t tm] noun

usual time for tea:
the usual time at which tea is served, typically mid- or late afternoon[1]



teatowel

teatowel
tea
tow·el
(plural tea tow·els) or tea cloth (plural tea
cloths) noun

See
dishtowel[1]



teatray

teatray
tea
tray
(plural tea trays) noun

tray for tea service:
a tray intended for carrying a tea service[1]



teatrolley

teatrolley
tea
trol·ley
noun

U.K.
See tea wagon[1]



teawagon

teawagon
tea
wag·on
(plural tea wag·ons) noun

cart for tea:
a small household cart from which tea can be served.
Also called
tea cart
U.K. term
tea trolley[1]



teazel

teazel
tea·zel 
(plural tea·zels) or tea·zle (plural tea·zles)
noun

See
teasel[1]



Tebet

Tebet
Te·bet
[táy vàyss, te
vét] or Te·vet [táy vàyss,
te vét] noun

CALENDAR
4th month of Jewish year:
in the Jewish calendar, the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month
of the religious year. It is 29 days long.[1]



tec.

tec.
tec.

1.  Abbreviation
of
technical

2.  Abbreviation
of
technician

[1]



tech.

tech.
tech.

1.  Abbreviation
of
technician

2.  Abbreviation
of
technology

3.  Abbreviation
of
technical

[1]



tech

tech
tech
[tek] (plural techs) noun
(informal)

1.  EDUCATION technical
college:
a technical college or institute

2.  THEATER technical
rehearsal:
a theater technical rehearsal
[Early 20th century][1]



techcity

techcity
tech
cit·y
(plural tech cit·ies) noun

high-tech town:
a town or city where a large number of people are employed in advanced
technology industries, especially those connected with computing and electronic
engineering[1]



teched

teched
teched 
[techt] adjective

See
tetched[1]



techie

techie
tech·ie
[tékee] (plural tech·ies) or
tek·kie [tékee] (plural tek·kies)
noun

somebody
competent in technology: somebody who is interested
in, adept at, or studying a technical discipline, especially one that is based
on computing or electronics (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from tech .][1]



technetium

technetium

tech·ne·ti·um 
[tek nshee əm] noun
radioactive
element:
a silvery-gray radioactive metallic element found only in the fission products
of uranium or made artificially by the particle bombardment of molybdenum. Symbol
Tc
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek tekhnētos “artificial,” from tekhnē
(see technical ).][1]



technetronic

technetronic
tech·ne·tron·ic 
[tèknə trónnik] adjective

marked
by changes in technology: associated with or marked by
the changes brought about by modern technology and electronics
[Mid-20th century. Blend of
Greek tekhnē “art, skill” (see technical
) and electronic .][1]



technic

technic
tech·nic 
[téknik] (plural tech·nics) noun

1.  INDUSTRY (takes a singular or
plural verb) See technics

2.  technique:
the way in which the basics of something are treated or skill in handling a
technique (dated)
[Early 17th century. From
Greek tekhnikos “of art” (see technical
).][1]



technical

technical
tech·ni·cal 
[téknik’l] adjective

1.  relating
to industry or applied science: relating to or
specializing in industrial techniques or subjects or applied science

2.  skilled
in practical subjects: skilled in practical or
scientific subjects

3.  belonging
to particular subject or profession:
belonging to or involving a particular subject, field, or profession • technical
glossaries

4.  exhibiting
technique:
exhibiting or deriving from technique or the use of technique • a
high level of technical expertise

5.  strictly
interpreted: according to a strict interpretation of
rules or words

6.  FINANCE analyzing
prices and market indicators: used to describe a type of
security analysis based on past prices and volume levels as well as other
market indicators

7.  CLOTHES high-tech:
used to describe outdoor clothing that has been made using state-of-the-art
materials and techniques • Our
technical fleece jacket has advanced dual construction.
noun
(plural tech·ni·cals)

BASKETBALL See technical foul
[Early
17th century. Formed from Greek tekhnikos “of art,” from tekhnē
“art, skill.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to weave,” which
is also the ancestor of English text
and tectonic .]
—tech·ni·cal·ly,
adverb

—tech·ni·cal·ness, noun[1]



technicaldrawing

technicaldrawing
tech·ni·cal
draw·ing
(plural tech·ni·cal draw·ings) noun

precise drawing showing
quantities or measurements: a precise
scale drawing of something, usually prepared by a draftsman for architectural,
engineering, or industrial purposes, showing dimensions or quantities.
Computer-assisted design programs have automated many of the drafting functions
and made it possible to reduce significantly the time from concept to finished
product.[1]



technicalfoul

technicalfoul
tech·ni·cal
foul
(plural tech·ni·cal fouls) noun

basketball foul for
unsporting behavior: in
basketball, a foul against a player or coach for unsporting behavior or
language rather than for physical contact with an opponent.
Also called
technical[1]



technicality

technicality
tech·ni·cal·i·ty 
[tèkni kállətee] (plural tech·ni·cal·i·ties)
noun

1.  information
understood only by specialists: information such as a
detail or a term that is understood by or relevant only to a specialist

2.  trivial
point from strictly applying rules: a
minor point arising from a rigorous interpretation of laws or rules • the
case was dismissed on a legal technicality

3.  quality
or state of being technical: the quality or state of
being technical

[1]



technicalknockout

technicalknockout
tech·ni·cal
knock·out
(plural tech·ni·cal knock·outs) noun

termination of a match
because of injury: a decision
in boxing that ends a match because one of the participants is too badly
injured to continue fighting[1]



technicalrehearsal

technicalrehearsal
tech·ni·cal
re·hears·al
(plural tech·ni·cal re·hears·als) noun

rehearsal to check lights and
sound: a rehearsal of a play or
other theatrical presentation for the purpose of making sure that lights,
sound, and any other technical effects are cued correctly and in working order[1]



technicalsergeant

technicalsergeant
tech·ni·cal
ser·geant
(plural tech·ni·cal ser·geants) noun

noncommissioned rank in U.S.
Air Force: a noncommissioned rank in
the U.S. Air Force higher than staff sergeant and lower than master sergeant[1]



technicalsupport

technicalsupport
tech·ni·cal
sup·port
noun

service offered by computer
manufacturers: a repair or advice
service offered to customers by some computer hardware and software
manufacturers, usually by telephone, fax, or e-mail[1]



technician

technician
tech·ni·cian 
[tek nísh’n] (plural tech·ni·cians)
noun

1.  specialist
in industrial techniques: a person who is skilled in
specific industrial techniques

2.  laboratory
employee:
somebody employed to do practical work in a laboratory

3.  somebody
skilled rather than expert: somebody who has skills but
lacks originality or flair

[1]



Technicolor

Technicolor
Tech·ni·col·or
[tékni kùllər] Trademark

a trademark for an early
color process for making motion pictures that used three-color separation
negatives and a dye transfer process with three matrices made from the
negatives[1]



technics

technics
tech·nics
[tékniks] or tech·nic [tékniks] noun

rules
of a field of knowledge: the science or rules of a
particular field of knowledge, especially a technical one (takes a singular
or plural verb)
[Mid-19th century. Plural of technic .][1]



technique

technique
tech·nique 
[tek nk] (plural tech·niques)
noun

1.  procedure
or skill used in a task: the procedure, skill, or art
used in a particular task

2.  way
in which the basics are treated: the way in which the
basics of something, for example, an artistic work or a sport, are treated

3.  skill
in handling the technique of something: skill
or expertise in handling the technique of something • a
pianist with superb technique

4.  special
ability:
a special ability or knack
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Greek tekhnikos “of art” (see technical
).][1]



techno-

techno-
techno-
prefix

technology,
technological • technophobia
[From technology][1]



technobabble

technobabble
tech·no·bab·ble
[téknō bàbb’l] noun

language that overuses
technical jargon: language in which
technical jargon or terms are overused, with the effect of making
straightforward information difficult or impossible to understand[1]



technocracy

technocracy
tech·noc·ra·cy 
[tek nókrəssee] (plural tech·noc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  government
by technicians: a social system in which scientists,
engineers, and technicians have high social standing and political power

2.  philosophy
promoting technocracy: a philosophy that advocates
the enlistment of a bureaucracy of highly trained engineers, scientists, or
technicians to run the government and society

[1]



technocrat

technocrat
tech·no·crat 
[téknə kràt] (plural tech·nocrats)
noun

1.  engineer
or economist as bureaucrat: a bureaucrat who is
intensively trained in engineering, economics, or some form of technology

2.  adherent
of technocracy: a proponent of government by technicians
—tech·no·crat·ic [tèknə kráttik], adjective[1]



technofreak

technofreak
tech·no·freak
[téknə frk] (plural tech·no·freaks)
noun

technology
expert:
somebody who is a technical expert in, or obsessively enthusiastic about,
information systems (informal)
[Late 20th century][1]



technol.

technol.
technol.

Abbreviation of
technology[1]



technologize

technologize
tech·nol·o·gize 
[tek nóllə jz] (past tech·nol·o·gized,
past participle tech·nol·o·gized, present participle tech·nol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular tech·nol·o·giz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

modify
by technology: to modify or modernize something by
introducing technology
—tech·nol·o·gi·za·tion
[tek nòlləji záysh’n], noun[1]



technology

technology
tech·nol·o·gy 
[tek nólləjee] (plural tech·nol·o·gies)
noun

1.  application
of tools and methods: the study, development, and
application of devices, machines, and techniques for manufacturing and
productive processes • recent
developments in seismographic technology

2.  method
of applying technical knowledge: a method or
methodology that applies technical knowledge or tools • a
new technology for accelerating incubation
“…Maryland-based firm uses database and Internet technology to track a company’s
consumption of printed goods…” Forbes Global Business and Finance November 1998

3.  ANTHROPOLOGY sum
of a society’s or culture’s knowledge: the
sum of a society’s or culture’s practical knowledge, especially with reference
to its material culture
[Early
17th century. From Greek tekhnologia, literally “systematic treatment,”
literally “science of craft,” from tekhnē “art, craft.”]
—tech·no·log·ic
[tèknə lójjik], adjective

—tech·no·log·i·cal
[tèknə lójjik’l], adjective

—tech·nol·o·gist
[tek nólləjist], noun

—tech·no·log·i·cal·ly
[tèknə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



technophile

technophile
tech·no·phile
[téknə fl] (plural tech·no·philes)
noun

technology fan:
somebody who is comfortable with and adapts readily to new technology or
computerization[1]



technophobe

technophobe
tech·no·phobe
[téknə fb] (plural tech·no·phobes)
noun

somebody who does not like
computers: somebody who is intimidated
and confused by new technology and computerization[1]



technophobia

technophobia
tech·no·pho·bi·a
[tèknə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of new technology: fear of or resistance to new
technology and computerization
—tech·no·phobe [téknə fb] (plural tech·no·phobes), noun[1]



technostructure

technostructure
tech·no·struc·ture 
[téknə strùkchər] noun

bureaucrats trained in
engineering or economics: a network
of controlling technocrats in an organization or society[1]



technothriller

technothriller
tech·no·thril·ler
[téknə thrìllər] (plural tech·no·thril·lers)
noun

suspenseful book or movie
involving technology: a
suspenseful book or movie in which the plot turns on seemingly plausible
technological wonders[1]



techy

techy
tech·y 
adjective

See
tetchy
—tech·i·ly,
adverb

—tech·i·ness, noun[1]



tecta

tecta
tec·ta


Plural of
tectum[1]



tectonic

tectonic
tec·ton·ic 
[tek tónnik] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY of the
deformation of rocks: relating to the forces that
produce movement and deformation of the Earth’s crust

2.  CONSTRUCTION of
construction: relating to construction and
architecture
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek tektonikos, from tekton
“builder, carpenter” (source of English architect
).]
—tec·ton·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



tectonicplate

tectonicplate
tec·ton·ic
plate
(plural tec·ton·ic plates) noun

segment of the Earth’s crust:
a segment of the Earth’s crust that moves relative to other plates and is
characterized by volcanic and seismic activity around its margins[1]



tectonics

tectonics
tec·ton·ics 
[tek tónniks] noun

1.  GEOLOGY study
of the Earth’s crust: the study of the mechanisms
and results of large-scale movement of the Earth’s crust, such as that
producing mountain ranges and extensive fault systems (takes a singular verb)

See
also
plate tectonics

2.  BUILDING science
of building: the science or practice of building
construction

[1]



tectrix

tectrix
tec·trix 
[téktriks] (plural tec·tri·ces
[téktrə sz]) noun

ZOOLOGY See covert  noun 3
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin, from Latin tect-, past participle stem
of tegere (see tectum ).]
—tec·tri·cial [tek trísh’l], adjective[1]



tectum

tectum
tec·tum 
[téktəm] (plural tec·ta [téktə]) noun

rooflike
covering in the body: a part in the body that
forms a covering or is arranged like a roof
[Early
20th century. From Latin, “roof,” from tegere “to cover” (source of
English detect and protect ).]
—tec·tal, adjective[1]



Tecumseh

Tecumseh
Te·cum·seh 
[tə kúmssə] (1768?–1813)

Native North American leader.
As leader of the Shawnee people he attempted to form an alliance of Native
American nations to fight against U.S. expansion into the Midwest. He was
killed in battle fighting on the British side in the War of 1812.[1]



ted

ted
ted 
[ted] (past ted·ded, present
participle ted·ding, 3rd person present singular teds)
transitive verb

dry
hay:
to spread or shake up mown grass in order to dry it when making hay
[15th
century. From Old Norse teðja “to spread (manure).”]
—ted·der, noun[1]



tedder

tedder
ted·der 
[téddər] (plural ted·ders) noun

hay-spreading person or
machine: a machine or person that
spreads or shakes mown grass so that it can dry during hay making[1]



teddy

teddy
ted·dy 
[téddee] (plural ted·dies) noun

1.  See
teddy bear

2.  CLOTHES woman’s
underwear:
a woman’s one-piece undergarment serving as both bra and panties
[Early 20th century. Origin
of sense 2 uncertain: probably from sense 1, perhaps because the loose-fitting,
all-in-one shape was thought to resemble a teddy bear.][1]



teddybear

teddybear
ted·dy
bear
or ted·dy (plural ted·dies) noun

toy
bear:
a furry stuffed toy in the shape of a stylized bear cub.
Also
called
bear
[Early
20th century. Named for Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt,
who was fond of bear-hunting.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  President
  Theodore Roosevelt was fond of bear-hunting. His nickname “Teddy,” was used
  in a humorous poem in the New York Times about the adventures of two
  bears. Their names (Teddy B and Teddy G) were then appropriated to two bears
  in the Bronx Zoo whose popularity caused toy manufacturers to market toy
  bears as teddy bears.

[1]



teddyboy

teddyboy
ted·dy
boy
(plural ted·dy boys) or Teddy boy (plural Teddy
boys) noun

50s
youth:
a young man in Britain in the 1950s and early 1960s who followed the fashion of
dressing in neo-Edwardian style with tight narrow trousers, pointed shoes, and
long sideburns
[Mid-20th century. Teddy from
the nickname for Edward, alluding to Edward
VII .][1]



TeDeum

TeDeum
Te
De·um 
[tay dáy əm, tee
d əm] (plural Te De·ums) noun

1.  Christian
hymn:
an ancient Christian hymn praising God that is sung or recited at matins in the
Roman Catholic Church or at morning prayers in the Church of England

2.  Christian
service of thanksgiving: a Christian service of
thanksgiving that uses the Te Deum
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
Te Deum laudamus “Thee God, we praise,” the first words of the hymn.][1]



tedious

tedious
te·di·ous 
[tdee əss] adjective

boring:
boring because of being long, monotonous, or repetitive
—te·di·ous·ly,
adverb

—te·di·ous·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boring

[1]



tedium

tedium
te·di·um 
[tdee əm] noun

boring
quality:
the quality of being boring, monotonous, too long, or repetitive
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
taedium “weariness, disgust,” from taedere “to be wearisome.”][1]



tee

tee1
tee1 [tee]
(plural tees) noun

1.  letter
T:
the letter T

2.  CLOTHES T-shirt:
a T-shirt (informal)

3.  T-shaped
thing:
something with the shape or form of a capital T, for example, two pipes joined
to form this shape

4.  SPORTS target:
the mark aimed at in curling, quoits, and some other games
[15th century. The sense
“target” is of uncertain origin: perhaps from the meaning “T-shaped thing,”
from the shape of the marks that were originally used.][1]



tee

tee2
tee2 [tee]
noun (plural tees)

1.  GOLF peg:
a small wooden or plastic peg with one pointed and one cupped end, inserted in
the ground to hold a golf ball

2.  GOLF starting
area:
an area on a golf course where play for a new hole begins

3.  FOOTBALL RUGBY ball stand:
a plastic device that supports a football or Rugby ball on the ground in
kicking position
intransitive
and transitive verb (past teed, past
participle teed, present participle tee·ing, 3rd
person present singular tees)

GOLF position
the ball:
to place a ball on a tee ready for striking
[Late 17th century.
Originally Scottish dialect, of uncertain origin: perhaps a back-formation from
earlier teaz (taken as plural), of unknown origin.][1]



teedoff

teedoff
teed
off
adjective

annoyed
with somebody: angry, especially because of something
that somebody has done (informal)
[Origin uncertain: probably
an alteration of peed (pissed) off][1]



tee-hee

tee-hee
tee-hee
or te-hee interjection

expressing
laughter:
used to indicate brief, especially mocking or gloating laughter
intransitive
verb
(past tee-heed, past participle tee-heed, present
participle tee-hee·ing, 3rd person present singular tee-hees)
(past te-heed, present participle te-hee·ing, 3rd
person present singular te-hees)

laugh:
to laugh or chuckle
[14th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



teem

teem1
teem1 [teem]
(past teemed, past participle teemed, present
participle teem·ing, 3rd person present singular teems)
intransitive verb

be
full of:
to have an extremely large number of people or animals in a place • streets
teeming with people
[Old English tēman,
from a prehistoric Germanic word, which is also the ancestor of English team . The meaning “abound” evolved from “give
birth” via “produce offspring prolifically.”][1]



teem

teem2
teem2 [teem]
(past teemed, past participle teemed, present
participle teem·ing, 3rd person present singular teems)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
discharge
something:
to pour out or empty something

2.  intransitive
verb
rain
heavily:
to rain very hard
[14th century. From Old Norse
tœma “to empty,” from tómr “empty.”][1]



teen

teen2
teen2 [teen]
noun

misery:
a feeling of misery or pain (archaic)
[Old English tēona .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “misfortune, suffering.”][1]



teen

teen1
teen1 [teen]
adjective

teenage:
teenage (informal)
noun

teenager:
a teenager (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



teenage

teenage
teen·age
[t nàyj] or teen-age [t nàyj] or teen·aged [teén àyjd] or teen-aged [teén àyjd] adjective

1.  between
13 and 19:
aged between 13 and 19 • teenage
girls

2.  of
teenagers:
relating to teenagers • teenage
styles

[1]



teenager

teenager
teen·ag·er
[t nàyjər] (plural teen·ag·ers)
noun

young
person aged 13 to 19: a boy or girl between the
ages of 13 and 19

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at youth

[1]



teens

teens
teens
[teenz] plural noun

1.  13
to 19:
the numbers ending in “-teen”

2.  years
between 13 and 19: the years in somebody’s life
between the ages of 13 and 19, or the years between 13 and 19 in a century
[Late 16th century. Formed
from -teen .][1]



teensy

teensy
teen·sy 
[tnsee] (comparative teen·si·er,
superlative teen·si·est) adjective

(informal)
See teeny
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from teeny .][1]



teensy-weensy

teensy-weensy
teen·sy-ween·sy 
adjective

(informal)
See teeny-weeny
[Modeled on teeny-weeny][1]



teeny

teeny
tee·ny 
[tnee] (comparative tee·ni·er,
superlative tee·ni·est) adjective

tiny:
very small (informal)
[Early 19th century. Variant
of tiny, modeled on weeny
.][1]



teenybopper

teenybopper
teen·y·bop·per 
[tnee bòppər] (plural teen·y·bop·pers)
noun

young
teenager:
a young teenager, usually a young girl, who follows the latest fads in fashion
and music (informal insult)
Also
called
bopper
[Mid-20th century. An
allusion to the teenager’s preoccupation with dancing and pop music.][1]



teeny-weeny

teeny-weeny
tee·ny-wee·ny
adjective

tiny:
very small (informal)[1]



teeoff

teeoff
tee
off
intransitive verb

1.  GOLF start
play:
to hit the ball from a tee at the start of a hole of golf

2.  start
something new: to start a new activity (informal)

[1]



teepee

teepee
tee·pee 
(plural tee·pees) noun

See
tepee[1]



tee-piece

tee-piece
tee-piece
(plural tee-piec·es) noun

See
T-piece[1]



Tees

Tees
Tees
[teez]

river of northeastern
England, flowing into the North Sea at Teesmouth. Length: 128 km/80 mi.[1]



teeshirt

teeshirt
tee
shirt
(plural tee shirts) noun

See
T-shirt[1]



teeter

teeter
tee·ter 
[ttər] (past tee·tered, past
participle tee·tered, present participle tee·ter·ing, 3rd
person present singular tee·ters, plural tee·ters) intransitive
verb

1.  totter:
to walk or move unsteadily and as if about to fall • teetering
along in her high heels

2.  be
in precarious position: to be in a precarious
position in which things could imminently go badly wrong • For
24 hours the country teetered on the brink of war.

3.  vacillate:
to vacillate or fluctuate between different attitudes or positions • teetered
between wanting to go and not wanting to go
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
titter .][1]



teeterboard

teeterboard
tee·ter·board 
[ttər bàwrd] (plural tee·ter·boards)
noun

1.  acrobat’s
device:
an acrobat’s device consisting of a board on a fulcrum used to propel somebody
into the air standing on the low end when another person jumps onto the high
end

2.  Northeastern
U.S.
seesaw:
a seesaw

[1]



teeth

teeth
teeth


Plural of
tooth[1]



teethe

teethe
teethe 
[tee] (past teethed, past
participle teethed, present participle teeth·ing, 3rd
person present singular teethes) intransitive verb

grow
first teeth: to grow baby teeth
[15th century. Formed from teeth .][1]



teethingring

teethingring
teeth·ing
ring
(plural teeth·ing rings) noun

something for a baby to bite
on: a ring of hard rubber or
plastic on which a baby can bite when teething[1]



teetotal

teetotal
tee·to·tal 
[t tt’l] adjective

1.  resolved
to abstain:
completely abstaining from alcoholic beverages

2.  total:
complete and absolute
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from the initial letter of total
+ total . Allegedly coined by the Englishman
Richard Turner in a speech calling for abstinence from all alcohol, including
beer.]
—tee·to·tal·ism,
noun

—tee·to·tal·er,
noun

—tee·to·tal·ly, adverb[1]



teetotum

teetotum
tee·to·tum 
[tee tṓtəm] (plural tee·to·tums)
noun

spinning
top:
a top spun with the fingers, once used in a game of chance
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin totum “all” + its initial letter “T,” which is inscribed on
one side of the toy.][1]



teff

teff
teff
[tef] or tef [tef] noun

N
African grass: an annual North African grass cultivated
for its seed, which is used as a grain. Latin name: Eragrostis tef
[Late 18th century. From
Amharic êf .][1]



tefillin

tefillin
te·fil·lin 
[tə fíllin] plural noun

phylacteries:
the small leather boxes containing Hebrew texts ritually worn by orthodox
Jewish men.
See
also
phylactery
[Early 17th century. From
Aramaic tĕpillīn “prayers.”][1]



TEFL

TEFL
TEFL
[téff’l]

Abbreviation of
Teaching (of) English as a Foreign Language[1]



Teflon

Teflon
Tef·lon
[téf lòn] Trademark

a trademark for a plastic
material with nonstick properties that is used as a coating, for example, for
cookware[1]



tegmen

tegmen
teg·men 
[tégmən] (plural teg·mi·na [tégmənə]) or teg·men·tum [tégmən] (plural teg·men·ta [teg méntə]) noun

1.  BOTANY inner
layer in a seed: the inner layer of a seed’s coat

2.  INSECTS insect
forewing:
the forewing of a primitive insect such as the cockroach

3.  BIOLOGY covering
part:
a covering part in a plant or animal
[Early
19th century. Ultimately from Latin tegere (see tectum
).]
—teg·mi·nal, adjective[1]



tegu

tegu
te·gu 
[tə g] (plural te·gus or
te·gu) noun

S
American lizard: a fast-running lizard of Central and
South America that grows up to 4 feet long. Genus: Tupinambis
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of teguexin, from Aztec tecoixin “lizard.”][1]



Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa
Te·gu·ci·gal·pa 
[te gssee gálpə]

capital city of Honduras, in
the Central District in the south central section of the country. It is the
nation’s largest city. Population: 738,500 (1993)[1]



tegular

tegular
teg·u·lar 
[téggyələr] or teg·u·lat·ed [tèggyə láytəd] adjective

like
tiles:
relating to or resembling tiles
[Early
19th century. Ultimately from Latin tegula “tile” (source of English tile ), from Latin tegere (see tectum ).]
—teg·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



tegument

tegument
teg·u·ment 
[téggyəmənt] (plural teg·u·ments)
noun

integument:
an integument
[15th
century. From Latin tegumentum “covering,” from tegere (see tectum ).]
—teg·u·men·tal
[tèggyə mént’l], adjective

—teg·u·men·ta·ry [tèggyə méntəree, tèggyə
méntree], adjective[1]



te-hee

te-hee
te-hee
interjection intransitive verb

See
tee-hee[1]



Tehran

Tehran

Teh·ran
[te rán, te rn]
or Teh·rān [te rán, te rn]
capital city of Iran, located in the
northern part of the country. Population: 6,475,527 (1991)[1]



Tehran




Back to definition

Tehran

[1]



Teide,Pico de

Teide,Pico de
Teide,
Pico de
[táydə, táythə]

the highest mountain in
Spain, on the island of Tenerife. Height: 3,715 m/12,188 ft.[1]



teigitur

teigitur
te
ig·i·tur
[tay íggi tr, tay
íjji tr] noun

Catholic
prayer:
the first prayer of the Roman Catholic mass, beginning “te igitur clementissime
Pater”
[Early 19th century. From
Latin, “thee, therefore.”][1]



teiglach

teiglach
teig·lach 
[táygləkh, tgləkh]
(plural tei·glachs) noun

Jewish
confection:
a Jewish or German confection made from spiced dough shaped into small balls
and simmered in honey, nuts, and spices. When cold, the cooked balls can be
packed in a syrup made from the remains of cooking honey. (takes singular or
plural verb)
[Early 20th century. From
Yiddish teyglekh, from teyg “dough,” ultimately from Old High
German teic .][1]



teiid

teiid
tei·id 
[t id] adjective

of
the Teiidae: relating to or used to describe a member
of an American reptile family of large tropical carnivorous lizards with forked
tongues. Family: Teiidae
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Teiidae, family name, ultimately via Portuguese teiu
“lizard” from Tupi tejú .][1]



Teilhardde Chardin, Pierre

Teilhardde Chardin, Pierre
Teil·hard
de Char·din
[te jrd də shr dén], Pierre (1881–1955)

French priest,
paleontologist, and theologian. He was one of the discoverers of Peking Man,
and in his major work, The Phenomenon of Man ( 1955 ), he argued that
scientific evolutionary theory is compatible with Christian doctrine.[1]



TeKanawa, Dame Kiri

TeKanawa, Dame Kiri
Te
Ka·na·wa
[tə knəwə, tay
knəwə], Dame Kiri (1944– )

New
Zealand opera singer. She made her debut as a soprano at Covent Garden in 1970
and went on to perform at major opera houses worldwide.
Full name
Kiri Janette Te Kanawa[1]



Tekapo,Lake

Tekapo,Lake
Te·ka·po,
Lake
[tékəpō]

lake in the center of the
South Island, New Zealand. Area: 83 sq km/32 sq mi.[1]



tekkie

tekkie
tek·kie 
noun

(informal) See techie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tektite

tektite
tek·tite 
[ték tt] (plural tek·tites) noun

small
dark glassy rock: a small dark-colored glassy object,
possibly resulting from meteoric impact, found in groups at various locations
throughout the world
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Greek tēktos “molten,” from tēkein “to melt.”][1]



tel.

tel.
tel.

1.  Abbreviation
of
telegram

2.  Abbreviation
of
telegraph

3.  Abbreviation
of
telegraphic

4.  Abbreviation
of
telephone

[1]



tela

tela
tel·a
[tlə] (plural tel·ae [t l]) noun

tissue
or structure like web: a delicate part or tissue in
the body with a fine or intricate pattern like a web
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, “web.”][1]



telaesthesia

telaesthesia
tel·aes·the·sia 
noun

See
telesthesia[1]



telamon

telamon
tel·a·mon 
[téllə mòn, télləmən]
(plural tel·a·mon·es [tèllə mṓ nz])
noun

ARCHITECTURE See atlas  noun 3
[Early 17th century.
Ultimately from Greek Telamon, the name of a Greek mythical hero.][1]



telangiectasia

telangiectasia
tel·an·gi·ec·ta·sia 
[te lànjee ek táyzhə] or tel·an·gi·ec·ta·sis
[te lànjee ek táyssiss] noun

capillary
dilation:
permanent dilation of the capillaries and small blood vessels, especially in
the face and thighs, producing dark red blotches
[Mid-19th
century. Ultimately from Greek telos “end” + aggeion “vessel” + ektasis
“extension.”]
—tel·an·gi·ec·tat·ic [te lànjee ek táttik], adjective[1]



TelAviv

TelAviv
Tel
A·viv
[tèl ə vv] or Tel A·viv-Jaf·fa
[tèl ə vv jáffə]

city in Israel on the
Mediterranean Sea. It comprises the historic Arab town of Jaffa and modern Tel
Aviv. Population: 353,100 (1997)[1]



tele-

tele-
tele-
prefix

1.  distant,
operating at a distance • telepathy

2.  television
• telecourse

3.  telegraph,
telephone • teleprinter
[From Greek tēle “far
away”][1]



telebanking

telebanking
tel·e·bank·ing
[téllə bàngking] noun

system of banking by
telephone: a system of transacting
business with a bank by telephone[1]



telebridge

telebridge
tel·e·bridge
[téllə brìj] (plural tel·e·bridge)
noun

facility enabling group phone
conversation: a telephone system that
enables three or more people to be connected simultaneously “Group classes are
limited to 15 participants and are held on a telebridge.” The Washington Post
July 1998[1]



telecamera

telecamera
tel·e·cam·er·a 
[téllə kàmmərə, téllə
kàmmrə] (plural tel·e·cam·er·as) noun

TV camera:
a television camera[1]



telecast

telecast
tel·e·cast 
[téllə kàst] noun (plural tel·e·casts)

TV
broadcast:
a television broadcast
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tel·e·cast
or tel·e·cast·ed, past participle tel·e·cast or
tel·e·cast·ed, present participle tel·e·cast·ing, 3rd person
present singular tel·e·casts)

broadcast
a TV program: to broadcast a program on television
—tel·e·cast·er, noun[1]



telecom

telecom
tel·e·com 
[téllə kòm] noun

telecommunication:
telecommunication (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



telecommunication

telecommunication
tel·e·com·mu·ni·ca·tion 
[tèllə kə myooni káysh’n] noun

electronic communication:
the transmission of encoded sound, pictures, or data over significant
distances, using radio signals or electrical or optical lines[1]



telecommunications

telecommunications
tel·e·com·mu·ni·ca·tions
[tèllə kə myooni káysh’nz] noun

electronic communication:
the science and technology of transmitting information electronically by means
of wires or radio signals with integrated encoding and decoding equipment (takes
a singular or plural verb)[1]



telecommute

telecommute
tel·e·com·mute 
[tèllə kə myt] (past tel·e·c·om·mut·ed,
past participle tel·e·com·mut·ed, present participle tel·e·com·mut·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·e·com·mutes) intransitive verb

work
from home with computer link: to work from home on a
computer linked to the workplace via modem
—tel·e·com·mut·er, noun[1]



telecommuting

telecommuting
tel·e·com·mut·ing 
[tèllə kə myting] noun

working from home:
the process of working at home while transmitting data and documents to and
from a nominal workplace over telephone lines using a telephone, fax machine,
and modem-equipped computer[1]



telecoms

telecoms
tel·e·coms
[téllə kòmz] noun

telecommunications:
telecommunications (informal) (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Contraction of telecommunications][1]



teleconference

teleconference
tel·e·con·fer·ence 
[téllə kònfərəns, téllə
kònfrəns] noun (plural tel·e·con·fer·enc·es)

meeting
via telecommunications equipment: a meeting held among
people in different places by means of telecommunications equipment
intransitive
verb
(past tel·e·con·fer·enced, past participle tel·e·con·fer·enced,
present participle tel·e·con·fer·enc·ing, 3rd person present
singular tel·e·con·fer·enc·es)

take part in a
teleconference: to hold a
teleconference, or take part in one[1]



teleconferencing

teleconferencing
tel·e·con·fer·enc·ing
[téllə kònfərənsing, téllə kònfrənsing] noun

video-conferencing using
telephone lines: a system of
video-conferencing that uses a restricted band of frequencies and allows
participants to be connected by telephone lines[1]



Telecopier

Telecopier
Tel·e·cop·i·er
[téllə kòppee ər] Trademark

a trademark for a device used
for sending copies of documents electronically over a telephone line[1]



telecourse

telecourse
tel·e·course 
[téllə kàwrs] (plural tel·e·courses)
noun

educational course on TV:
a course of televised lectures offered by an educational institution[1]



teledrama

teledrama
tel·e·dra·ma 
[téllə drmə, téllə
dràmmə] (plural tel·e·dra·mas) noun

TV drama:
a drama filmed to be broadcast on television[1]



teledu

teledu
tel·e·du 
[téllə d] (plural tel·e·dus or
tel·e·du) noun

SE
Asian mammal: a Southeast Asian carnivorous mammal of
the weasel family with a dark coat and a white stripe down its back. It emits a
foul-smelling secretion from anal glands when provoked. Latin name: Mydaus
javanensis
[Early 19th century. From
Javanese .][1]



telefilm

telefilm
tel·e·film 
[téllə fìlm] (plural tel·e·films)
noun

movie made for TV:
a movie made for television[1]



teleg.

teleg.
teleg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
telegraph

2.  Abbreviation
of
telegraphic

3.  Abbreviation
of
telegraphy

4.  Abbreviation
of
telegram

[1]



telegenic

telegenic
tel·e·gen·ic 
[tèllə jénnik] adjective

looking
good on TV:
pleasant and attractive when viewed on television
—tel·e·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



telegony

telegony
te·leg·o·ny 
[tə léggənee] noun

alleged
inheritance: the now discredited idea that
characteristics from the sire of a female’s earlier pregnancy can be inherited
by offspring from a subsequent sire
—tel·e·gon·ic
[tèllə gónnik], adjective

—te·leg·o·nous [tə léggənəss], adjective[1]



telegram

telegram
tel·e·gram 
[téllə gràm] (plural tel·e·grams)
noun

telegraph
message:
a message sent by telegraph.
Also
called
telegraph
[Mid-19th
century. Coined on the model of telegraph .]
—tel·e·gram·mat·ic
[tèlləgrə máttik], adjective

—tel·e·gram·mic [tèllə grámmik], adjective[1]



telegraph

telegraph
tel·e·graph 
[téllə gràf] noun (plural tel·e·graphs)

1.  long-distance
communication method through wires: a
method of long-distance communicating by coded electric impulses transmitted
through wires

2.  See
telegram
verb
(past tel·e·graphed, past participle tel·e·graphed,
present participle tel·e·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular tel·e·graphs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb send
by wire:
to send a message to somebody by telegraph

2.  transitive
verb
indicate:
to communicate a thought or feeling indirectly or nonverbally

3.  transitive
verb
show
intention:
to give advance notice of intentions, especially unwittingly, to an audience or
opponent
[Early
18th century. From French télégraphe, literally “something that writes
far,” from -graphe (see -graph ).]
—te·leg·ra·pher
[tə léggrəfər], noun

—te·leg·ra·phist [tə léggrəfist], noun[1]



telegraphese

telegraphese
tel·e·graph·ese
[tèllə gra fz, tèllə
gra fss] noun

language reduced to essential
words: language reduced to its
essential elements without regard to elegance or grammar, as typically found in
telegrams[1]



telegraphic

telegraphic
tel·e·graph·ic 
[tèllə gráffik] adjective

1.  relating
to telegrams: relating to telegraphy or telegrams

2.  concise:
concise or elliptical in spoken or written expression
—tel·e·graph·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



telegraphplant

telegraphplant
tel·e·graph
plant
(plural tel·e·graph plants) noun

Asian
shrub:
a tropical Asian shrub of the legume family, with small leaflets that jerk
spasmodically under solar radiation. Latin name: Desmodium gyrans
[Telegraph from the movement
of its leaves, suggesting the movement of semaphore signals][1]



telegraphy

telegraphy
te·leg·ra·phy 
[tə léggrəfee] noun

telegraph communication:
the system, study, or operation of telegraph communications[1]



Telegu

Telegu
Tel·e·gu 
noun adjective

See
Telugu[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








telekinesis

telekinesis
tel·e·ki·ne·sis 
[tèllə ki nssiss, tèllə
kī nssiss] noun

power
to move things: the supposed psychic power to move or
deform inanimate objects without the use of physical force
—tel·e·ki·net·ic
[tèllə ki néttik, tèllə
kī néttik], adjective

—tel·e·ki·net·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



Telemachus

Telemachus
Te·lem·a·chus 
[tə lémməkəss] noun

son of Odysseus:
in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus, who waited with his mother, Penelope,
for his father’s return after the Trojan War[1]



Telemann,Georg Philipp

Telemann,Georg Philipp
Te·le·mann
[táylə mn], Georg Philipp (1681–1767)

German composer. A prolific
composer, he bridged the baroque and early classical periods in works that
include 40 operas and numerous orchestral suites and chamber pieces.[1]



telemark

telemark
tel·e·mark 
[téllə mrk] (plural tel·e·marks)
noun

skiing
turn:
a turn in cross-country skiing accomplished by putting the outside ski forward
and turning it slowly inward
[Early 20th century. Named
for Telemark, a region in Norway where it originated.][1]



telemarketing

telemarketing
tel·e·mar·ket·ing 
[téllə mrkəting] noun

selling
by telephone: selling or promoting goods and services
by telephone
—tel·e·mar·ket·er, noun[1]



telemedicine

telemedicine
tel·e·med·i·cine
[téllə mèddissin] noun

treatment via television:
the use of video links, e-mail, telephone, or another telecommunications system
to transmit medical information, for example, in consultations between a doctor
and patient or supervision of medical staff[1]



telemeter

telemeter
tel·e·me·ter 
[téllə mtər, tə
lémmətər] noun (plural tel·e·me·ters)

1.  remote
measuring device: a device used to record information
about a remote object or event and transmit it to an observer

2.  device
for measuring distances directly: a device used for
measuring distances directly that does not use rods or chains across the
distance to be measured
transitive
verb
(past tel·e·me·tered, past participle tel·e·me·tered,
present participle tel·e·me·ter·ing, 3rd person present
singular tel·e·me·ters)

transmit data:
to collect and transmit data about a remote object, especially using a
satellite
—tel·e·met·ric
[tèllə méttrik], adjective

—tel·e·met·ri·cal
[tèllə méttrik’l], adjective

—tel·e·met·ri·cal·ly [tèllə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



telemetry

telemetry
te·lem·e·try 
[tə lémmətree] noun

1.  science
of remote measurement: the science or activity of
gathering data about remote objects and transmitting the data electronically

2.  measurement
of distances: measurement of distances using a
tellurometer

[1]



telencephalon

telencephalon
tel·en·ceph·a·lon 
[tèll en séffələn, tèll
en séffə lòn] (plural tel·en·ceph·a·lons) noun

brain
area:
the frontmost part of the brain, consisting of the cerebral hemispheres
—tel·en·ce·phal·ic [tèl ensə fállik], adjective[1]



teleological

teleological
te·le·o·log·i·cal
[tèllə ə lójjik’l, tlee
ə lójjik’l] or te·le·o·log·ic [tèllə
ə lójjik] adjective

of
teleology:
relating to the study of ultimate causes in nature or of actions in relation to
their ends or utility
—te·le·o·log·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



teleologicalargument

teleologicalargument
tel·e·o·log·i·cal
ar·gu·ment
noun

argument for existence of
God: an argument for God’s
existence from the existence of order and design in the universe[1]



teleology

teleology
tel·e·ol·o·gy 
[tèllee ólləjee] noun

1.  study
of causes:
the study of ultimate causes in nature

2.  approach
to ethics:
an approach to ethics that studies actions in relations to their ends or
utility

3.  goal-directed
activity:
any activity that tends towards the achievement of a goal
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin teleologia, literally “science of ends,” from
Greek telos “end.”]
—tele·ol·o·gism,
noun

—tel·e·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



teleost

teleost
tel·e·ost 
[téllee òst] (plural tel·e·osts
[téllee òstee ən]) or tel·e·os·te·an
[téllee òst] (plural tel·e·os·te·ans)
noun

bony
fish:
any bony fish with rayed fins in a suborder that includes most living species,
numbering around 20,000, but excluding sturgeons, gars, sharks, rays, and
related fish. Subclass: Teleostei
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek telos “end” + osteon “bone.”][1]



telepath

telepath
tel·e·path
[téllə pàth] noun

somebody supposedly capable
of telepathy: somebody who is
believed or who claims to communicate by telepathy[1]



telepathize

telepathize
tel·e·pa·thize 
[tə léppə thz] (past tel·e·pa·thized,
past participle tel·e·pa·thized, present participle tel·e·pa·thiz·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·e·pa·thiz·es) intransitive
verb

supposedly practice
telepathy: to claim or be believed to
communicate by telepathy[1]



telepathy

telepathy
te·lep·a·thy 
[tə léppəthee] noun

supposed
extrasensory psychic communication:
supposed communication directly from one person’s mind to another’s without
speech, writing, or other signs or symbols
—tel·e·path·ic
[tèllə páthik], adjective

—tel·e·path·ical·ly, adverb[1]



telephone

telephone
tel·e·phone 
[téllə fn] noun (plural tel·e·phones)

1.  electronic
communications device: an electronic apparatus
containing a receiver and transmitter that is connected to a telecommunications
system, enabling the user to speak to and hear others with similar equipment.
Also
called
phone

2.  communication
using telephones: a system of communications using
telephones • a
telephone company
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tel·e·phoned,
past participle tel·e·phoned, present participle tel·e·phon·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·e·phones)

1.  use
telephone:
to contact and speak to somebody using the telephone

2.  convey
something by telephone: to send a message by
telephone • Bob
couldn’t come to the party and telephoned his regrets.
—tel·e·phon·er,
noun

—tel·e·phon·ic
[tèllə fónnik], adjective

—tel·e·phon·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



telephoneanswering machine

telephoneanswering machine
tel·e·phone
an·swer·ing ma·chine (plural tel·e·phone
an·swer·ing ma·chines) noun

answering machine:
an answering machine[1]



telephonebook

telephonebook
tel·e·phone
book
(plural tel·e·phone books) noun

directory of names:
an alphabetical listing of individuals or businesses who have telephones, along
with their addresses and telephone numbers.
U.K. term
telephone directory[1]



telephonebooth

telephonebooth
tel·e·phone
booth
(plural tel·e·phone booths) noun

space with phone:
an enclosed or partly enclosed space with a pay telephone in it.
U.K. term
telephone box[1]



telephoneexchange

telephoneexchange
tel·e·phone
ex·change
(plural tel·e·phone ex·chang·es) noun

center where phone lines
interconnect: a center that houses
equipment used for interconnecting telephone lines.
Also called
exchange[1]



telephonepole

telephonepole
tel·e·phone
pole
(plural tel·e·phone poles) noun

pole for telephone wires:
a high wooden pole for supporting telephone wires.
U.K. term
telegraph pole[1]



telephonetag

telephonetag
tel·e·phone
tag
noun

series of unsuccessful
telephone calls: a situation in which
two people repeatedly return each other’s telephone calls and leave recorded
messages without succeeding in speaking directly to each other (informal)[1]



telephony

telephony
te·leph·o·ny 
[tə léffənee] noun

telephone system:
the science, technology, or system of communication by telephone[1]



telephoto

telephoto
tel·e·pho·to 
[téllə f tō] adjective

magnifying a distant object:
producing a large image of a distant object
noun
(plural tel·e·pho·tos)

1.  See
telephoto lens

2.  photo
taken with telephoto lens: a photograph taken using a
telephoto lens
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



telephotography

telephotography
tel·e·pho·tog·ra·phy 
[tèllə fə tóggrəfee] noun

distance
photography: the photographing of distant objects
with the use of special lenses or electronic equipment
—tel·e·pho·to·graph·ic
[tèllə fōtə gráffik], adjective[1]



telephotolens

telephotolens
tel·e·pho·to
lens
(plural tel·e·pho·to lens·es) noun

telescopic camera lens:
a camera lens that integrates a telescope.
Also called
telephoto[1]



teleplay

teleplay
tel·e·play 
[téllə plày] (plural tel·e·plays)
noun

TV play:
a treatment or script for a play written for presentation on television[1]



teleport

teleport
tel·e·port
[téllə pàwrt] (past tel·e·port·ed,
past participle tel·e·port·ed, present participle tel·e·port·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·e·ports) verb

1.  transitive
verb
move
something using mental power: to move an object supposedly
using telekinesis

2.  intransitive
verb
move
somewhere without traveling: in science fiction and
fantasy, to move instantly from one place to another by some paranormal or
magical means
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from tele- + Latin portare
“to carry.”]
—tel·e·por·ta·tion [tèllə pawr táysh’n], noun[1]



teleprinter

teleprinter
tel·e·print·er 
[téllə prìntər] (plural tel·e·print·ers)
noun

See
teletypewriter[1]



teleprocessing

teleprocessing
tel·e·proc·ess·ing 
[tèllə pró sèssing] noun

using remote terminals to
process data: the use of computer
terminals in different locations, connected to a main computer, to process data[1]



TelePrompTer

TelePrompTer
Tel·e·PrompT·er
[téllə pròmptər] Trademark

a trademark for a device
showing text for somebody speaking on television to read[1]



Teleran

Teleran
Tel·e·ran
[téllə ràn] Trademark

trademark for a radar system
that gathers information about the airspace surrounding an airport and relays
it to local air traffic via television[1]



telescope

telescope
tel·e·scope 
[téllə skp] noun (plural tel·e·scopes)

1.  device
for looking at distant objects: a device for making
distant objects appear nearer and larger by means of compound lenses or concave
mirrors

2.  See
radio telescope
verb
(past tel·e·scoped, past participle tel·e·scoped, present
participle tel·e·scop·ing, 3rd person present singular tel·e·scopes)

1.  intransitive
verb
collapse
neatly:
to slide neatly one inside another like the sections of a telescope

2.  transitive
verb
condense
something:
to make something shorter in time or length • telescoped
his adventure into a one-hour talk
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian telescopio or modern Latin telescopium, both literally
“looking far,” from, ultimately, Greek skopein “to look” (source of
English scope and bishop ).][1]



telescopic

telescopic
tel·e·scop·ic 
[tèllə skóppik] adjective

1.  of
telescopes:
relating to or visible only by using a telescope

2.  enlarging:
with the ability to make something distant seem nearer or larger • a
telescopic lens

3.  able
to see far:
able to see great distances • telescopic
vision

4.  collapsible:
consisting of parts that slide one inside another • a
tripod with telescopic legs
—tel·e·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



telescopicsight

telescopicsight
tel·e·scop·ic
sight
(plural tel·e·scop·ic sights) noun

shooting aid:
a telescope mounted on a rifle and used for sighting, especially on distant
targets[1]



Telescopium

Telescopium
Tel·e·sco·pi·um 
[tèllə skṓpee əm] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the southern hemisphere between Sagittarius and Pavo[1]



telescopy

telescopy
te·les·co·py 
[tə léskəpee] noun

science of telescopes:
the science and technology of making and using telescopes[1]



teleshopping

teleshopping
tel·e·shop·ping 
[téllə shòpping] noun

shopping by TV and phone or
computer: the practise or activity of
ordering goods advertised on television by phone or computer[1]



telestereoscope

telestereoscope
tel·e·ster·e·o·scope 
[tèllə stérree ə skp] (plural tel·e·ster·e·o·scopes)
noun

binocular telescope:
a binocular telescope or telescopic stereoscope adapted to provide a
three-dimensional view of distant objects or landscapes[1]



telesthesia

telesthesia
tel·es·the·sia
[tèlləs thzhə] or tel·aes·the·sia
[tèlləs thzhə] noun

extrasensory
perception:
the supposed perception of phenomena or events considered beyond the range of
normal senses
[Late
19th century. Literally “perception from afar,” formed from Greek aisthēsis
“perception.”]
—tel·es·thet·ic [tèlləs théttik], adjective[1]



telestich

telestich
tel·e·stich
[tə léstik, téllə
stìk] (plural tel·e·stich·es) noun

word
puzzle:
an acrostic or poem in which the last letters in each line spell a word
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
telos “end” + stikhos “row, line of verse” (see acrostic ).][1]



Telesto

Telesto
Te·les·to 
[tə lèstó] noun

satellite of Saturn:
a very small natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980. It is irregular
in shape with a maximum dimension of 30 km/19 mi, and occupies an intermediate
orbit.[1]



teletext

teletext
tel·e·text 
[téllə tèkst] noun

written information on TV:
a system of broadcasting news and other information in written form that can be
viewed on specially equipped television sets, superimposed on, or in place of,
the picture[1]



teletheater

teletheater
tel·e·the·a·ter 
[téllə th ətər] (plural tel·e·the·a·ters)
noun

race viewing area:
a viewing area, for example, in an off-track betting parlor, where horseraces
are broadcast live on video screens[1]



telethon

telethon
tel·e·thon 
[téllə thòn] (plural tel·e·thons)
noun

charity
broadcast:
a lengthy television broadcast that combines entertainment with appeals to
donate to a particular charity
[Mid-20th century. Blend of tele- and marathon
.][1]



teletranscription

teletranscription
tel·e·tran·scrip·tion 
[tèllə tran skrípshən] noun

videotaping of TV:
the transcription of a television program by the use of videotape[1]



Teletype

Teletype
Tel·e·type
[téllə tp] Trademark

a trademark for a
teletypewriter[1]



teletypewriter

teletypewriter
tel·e·type·writ·er 
[tèllə tp rtər] (plural tel·e·type·writ·ers)
noun

telegraphic typewriter:
a telegraphic communication device similar to a typewriter used for data input
and output.
Also called
teleprinter[1]



teleutospore

teleutospore
te·leu·to·spore 
[tə ltə spàwr] (plural te·leu·to·spores)
noun

BIOLOGY See teliospore
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek teleutē “completion” (from telos
“end”) + spore .]
—te·leu·to·spor·ic [tə ltə spáwrik], adjective[1]



televangelist

televangelist
tel·e·van·ge·list 
[tèllə vánjəlist] (plural tel·e·van·ge·lists)
noun

TV
preacher:
a Christian evangelist whose services and revivals are broadcast on television
[Late
20th century. Blend of television and evangelist .]
—tel·e·van·gel·ism, noun[1]



televise

televise
tel·e·vise 
[téllə vz] (past tel·e·vised,
past participle tel·e·vised, present participle tel·e·vis·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·e·vis·es) transitive verb

broadcast
on TV:
to broadcast something on television
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from television .][1]



television

television
tel·e·vi·sion 
[téllə vìzh’n] (plural tel·e·vi·sions)
noun

1.  video
broadcasting system: a system of capturing images
and sounds, broadcasting these via a combined electronic audio and video
signal, and reproducing them to be viewed and listened to.
Also
called
TV

2.  TV
set:
an electronic device for receiving and reproducing the images and sounds of a
television signal.
Also
called
TV
Also
called
television set

3.  TV
industry:
the television industry • works
in television.
Also
called
TV

4.  broadcast
content:
the image, sound, or content of a television broadcast • appearing
on television for the first time.
Also
called
TV
—tel·e·vi·sion·al,
adjective

—tel·e·vi·sion·al·ly,
adverb

—tel·e·vi·sion·a·ry, adjective[1]



televisionset

televisionset
tel·e·vi·sion
set
(plural tel·e·vi·sion sets) noun

See
television  noun 2[1]



televisiontube

televisiontube
tel·e·vi·sion
tube
(plural tel·e·vi·sion tubes) noun

See
tube  noun 7[1]



telex

telex
tel·ex 
[té lèks] noun (plural tel·ex·es)

1.  communications
system:
a communications system using teletypewriters that communicate via telephone
lines

2.  message:
a message sent or received by telex
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tel·exed,
past participle tel·exed, present participle tel·ex·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·ex·es)

send by telex:
to send a message to somebody by telex
[Mid-20th century. Blend of teleprinter and exchange
.][1]



telfer

telfer
tel·fer
noun

See
telpher[1]



telferage

telferage
tel·fer·age
noun

See
telpherage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








telia

telia
te·li·a


Plural of
telium[1]



telic

telic
tel·ic 
[téllik, tlik]
adjective

with
a purpose:
directed toward a definite end or purpose
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
telikos “final,” from telos “end.”][1]



Telidon

Telidon
Tel·i·don
[téllə dòn] Trademark

a trademark for a Canadian
system that sends information by computer and telephone, allowing people to buy
tickets or shop from home[1]



teliospore

teliospore
te·li·o·spore 
[tlee ə spàwr] (plural te·li·o·spores)
noun

fungal
spore:
a resting spore that develops in rust and smut fungi in the fall and germinates
in the spring.
Also
called
teleutospore
[Early
20th century. Formed from telium + spore .]
—te·le·o·spor·ic [tlee ə spáwrik], adjective[1]



telium

telium
te·li·um 
[tlee əm] (plural te·li·a [tlee ə]) noun

spore
case:
the spore case of a rust or smut fungus that bears teliospores
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek telos “end.”]
—te·li·al, adjective[1]



tell

tell
tell 
[tel] verb (past participle told,
present participle tell·ing, 3rd person present singular tells)

1.  transitive
verb
relate
events or facts: to give an account in speech or writing
of events or facts • tell a story

2.  transitive
verb
express
something:
to speak, expressing a particular thing • tell
a lie

3.  transitive
verb
inform
somebody:
to inform somebody, or inform somebody of something • Who
told you?
• Jim
told us the news.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
in words:
to express thoughts or feelings to somebody in words

5.  transitive
verb
order
somebody:
to command or order somebody to do something

6.  distinguish:
to be able to distinguish things • couldn’t
tell one from the other

7.  transitive
verb
reveal
the future:
to purport to reveal future events • tell
your fortune

8.  transitive
verb
count
things:
to count things, for example, votes cast or beads as part of a prayer • tell
a rosary

9.  intransitive
verb
reveal
a secret:
to reveal secret or damaging information, especially to an authority
noun

revealing action:
an action that unconsciously reveals secret information
[Old
English tellan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “put in order”
(both in narration and counting), which is also the ancestor of English tale and talk]
—tell·a·ble,
adjective
all
told

altogether,
or when everything else is taken into consideration

tell
it like it is

to
give a complete and accurate account of something (informal)

tell
me about it!

1.  used
to indicate heartfelt agreement (informal)

2.  used
to indicate that you have experienced what somebody is talking about (informal)

you’re
telling me!

used
to indicate agreement with an observation (informal)

[1]



tell-all

tell-all
tell-all
adjective

revealing:
not withholding any information, even what may be considered secret, private,
or unsuitable[1]



tellapart

tellapart
tell
apart
transitive verb

distinguish:
to distinguish two or more similar things or people[1]



teller

teller
tel·ler 
[téllər] (plural tel·lers) noun

1.  somebody
who tells:
somebody who tells something • a
teller of tales

2.  BANKING bank
employee:
an employee in a bank or savings institution who receives and pays out money

3.  counter
of votes:
somebody who counts votes in an election or legislature

[1]



Teller,Edward

Teller,Edward

Tel·ler 
[téllər], Edward (1908– )
Hungarian-born U.S. physicist. He helped
construct the first atomic bomb (1945) and was the principal architect of the
hydrogen bomb, first tested in 1952.[1]



tellin

tellin
tel·lin
[téllin] (plural tel·lins or
tel·lin) noun

mollusk:
a marine bivalve mollusk that lives in intertidal sand. Genus: Tellina
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek tellinē “type of shellfish.”][1]



telling

telling
tell·ing 
[télling] adjective

1.  revealing:
revealing information inadvertently or indirectly • a
telling glance

2.  effective:
very effective or expressive • a
telling indictment
—tell·ing·ly, adverb[1]



telloff

telloff
tell
off
transitive verb

scold:
to scold or rebuke somebody, especially in anger (informal)[1]



tellon

tellon
tell
on
transitive verb

1.  affect
adversely:
to have an adverse effect on somebody or something

2.  report
to authority: to report damaging or incriminating
information to an authority

[1]



telltale

telltale
tell·tale 
[tél tàyl] adjective

clearly showing something:
clearly showing or indicating something that is secret or hidden • telltale
signs
noun
(plural tell·tales)

1.  device:
a device or signal intended to monitor a machine or system

2.  RAIL sign
of a hazard: vertical strips suspended above a
railroad track to warn of an imminent low bridge or tunnel

3.  SAILING wind
strips:
strips of ribbon hung aloft on a sailboat to show apparent wind direction

4.  U.K.
(informal) See tattletale

5.  RACKET GAMES metal
strip:
a horizontal metal strip across the front wall of a squash or racquetball
court, above which the ball must be bounced

[1]



tellurate

tellurate
tel·lu·rate 
[téllyə ràyt] (plural tel·lu·rates)
noun

telluric
acid compound: a salt or ester of telluric acid
[Early 19th century. Formed
from tellurium .][1]



tellurian

tellurian
tel·lu·ri·an 
[tə lree ən, te
lree ən] adjective

relating
to Earth:
relating to the Earth or life on Earth
noun
(plural tel·lu·ri·ans)

earthling:
an inhabitant of the Earth, as described in science fiction
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin tellus “earth.”][1]



telluric

telluric1
tel·lu·ric1  [tə
lrik, te lrik] adjective

1.  from
Earth:
originating or proceeding from the Earth or its atmosphere

2.  See
tellurian  adjective
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin tellus “earth.”][1]



telluric

telluric2
tel·lu·ric2  [tə
lrik, te lrik] adjective

containing
tellurium:
containing or relating to tellurium, especially in a high valence
[Early 19th century. Formed
from tellurium .][1]



telluricacid

telluricacid
tel·lu·ric
ac·id
noun

white
acid:
a white crystalline inorganic acid produced by the action of hydrogen peroxide
on tellurium. H6TeO6
[From telluric 2][1]



telluride

telluride
tel·lu·ride 
[téllyə rd] (plural tel·lu·rides)
noun

binary
tellurium compound: a binary compound of
tellurium with an electropositive element or group
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tellurium .][1]



tellurion

tellurion
tel·lu·ri·on 
[tə lree ən, te
lree ən] (plural tel·lu·ri·ons) noun

model
showing Earth’s motion: a model that shows how day
and night and the seasons result from the Earth’s orbit and its tilted axis in
relation to the Sun
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin tellus “earth.”][1]



tellurium

tellurium

tel·lu·ri·um 
[tə lree əm, te
lree əm] noun
semimetallic
element:
a semimetallic element that occurs naturally, both in a native state and in
mineral ores, and is used in alloys and various manufacturing processes. Symbol
Te
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin tellus “earth,” on the model of uranium
.][1]



tellurize

tellurize
tel·lur·ize
[téllyə rz] (past tel·lur·ized,
past participle tel·lur·ized, present participle tel·lur·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular tel·lur·iz·es) transitive verb

combine with tellurium:
to cause something to combine with tellurium[1]



tellurometer

tellurometer
tel·lu·rom·e·ter 
[tèllyə rómmətər] (plural tel·lu·rom·e·ters)
noun

device
for measuring distances: a device that measures
distances from the travel time of microwaves or radio waves transmitted across
the distance to be measured
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin tellus “earth.”][1]



tellurous

tellurous
tel·lu·rous 
[téllyərəss, tə
lrəss, te lrəss] adjective

containing
tellurium:
containing or relating to tellurium, especially in a low valence
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tellurium, on the model of ferrous .][1]



Tellus

Tellus
Tel·lus
[télləss] noun

Roman
earth goddess: in Roman mythology, the goddess of the
earth and of fertility
[From Latin, literally
“earth”][1]



Tell,William

Tell,William
Tell,
William
[tel] noun

legendary Swiss patriot:
in Swiss legend, a patriot who liberated Switzerland from Austrian rule in the
14th century. He was forced by an Austrian governor to shoot an arrow through
an apple on his son’s head, and later killed the governor.[1]



telly

telly
tel·ly
[téllee] (plural tel·lies) noun

U.K.
television:
television, or a television set (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



TELNET

TELNET
TELNET 
[tél nèt] or Telnet [tél nèt] noun

connection
to remote computer sites: a terminal emulation program
that allows computer users to connect interactively to a server and access
remote sites, for example, on the Internet
[Late 20th century. Coined
from TELETYPE™ + network .][1]



telo-

telo-
telo-
prefix

end,
terminal • telophase
[Formed from Greek telos
“end”][1]



telocentric

telocentric
tel·o·cen·tric 
[tlə séntrik, tèllə
séntrik] adjective

having centromere at one end:
used to describe a chromosome whose centromere is located at or near one end.
See also
acentric
See also
acrocentric[1]



telolecithal

telolecithal
tel·o·lec·i·thal 
[tlə léssithəl, tèllə
léssithəl] adjective

with
yolk at one end: used to describe reptile, shark, or
bird’s eggs in which the yolk is concentrated at one end
[Late 19th century. Coined
from telo- + Greek lekithos “egg
yolk.”][1]



telomere

telomere
tel·o·mere 
[tlə mr, téllə
mr] (plural tel·o·meres) noun

end of chromosome:
a region of DNA at the end of a chromosome that protects the start of the
genetic coding sequence against shortening during successive replications[1]



telophase

telophase
tel·o·phase 
[tlə fàyz, téllə
fàyz] (plural tel·o·phases) noun

final
stage of cell division: the final stage of cell
division, in which daughter cell nuclei form around chromosomes at opposite
ends of the dividing mother cell.
See
also
anaphase
See
also
metaphase
See
also
prophase
—tel·o·phas·ic [tlə fáyzik, tèllə
fáyzik], adjective[1]



telotaxis

telotaxis
tel·o·tax·is 
[tlō táksiss, tèllō
táksiss] noun

reactive movement:
an organism’s movement toward or away from a particular stimulus while
maintaining a constant angle to that stimulus. This behavior is seen in some
insects.[1]



telpher

telpher
tel·pher 
[télfər] or tel·fer [télfər] noun (plural tel·phers)
(plural tel·fers)

cable
car:
a car or other carrying unit suspended from a cable in a telpherage
transitive
verb
(past tel·phered, past participle tel·phered, present
participle tel·pher·ing, 3rd person present singular tel·phers)
(past tel·fered, past participle tel·fered, present
participle tel·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular tel·fers)

take
by telpher:
to transport something in a container suspended from cables
[Late
19th century. Contraction of telephore, from tele-
+ -phore .]
—tel·pher·ic, adjective[1]



telpherage

telpherage
tel·pher·age 
[télfərij] (plural tel·pher·ag·es)
or tel·fer·age [télfərij] (plural
tel·fer·ag·es) noun

cable car system:
a transportation system in which cargoes or passengers are carried in
containers suspended from cables[1]



telson

telson
tel·son 
[télsən] (plural tel·sons) noun

terminal
part:
the terminal segment of an arthropod or arachnid body, for example, the stinger
of a scorpion
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek, literally “limit.”]
—tel·son·ic [tel sónnik], adjective[1]



Telstar

Telstar
Tel·star
[tél str] (plural Tel·stars) noun

communications
satellite:
a communications satellite used for transmitting television programs and
telephone messages. Two of these were launched by the United States in 1962 and
1963.
[Mid-20th century. Blend of tele- and star
.][1]



Telugu

Telugu
Tel·u·gu
[téllə g] (plural Tel·u·gu or
Tel·u·gus) or Tel·e·gu [téllə
g] (plural Tel·e·gu or Tel·e·gus) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Indian
language:
a language spoken in southeastern and central India. Telugu is a member of the
Dravidian family of languages.

2.  PEOPLES somebody
who speaks Telugu: a member of the Dravidian
people who speak Telugu
[Late
18th century. From Kannada and Tamil .]
—Te·lu·gu, adjective[1]



Tema

Tema
Te·ma
[tmə]

city in southeastern Ghana,
on the Gulf of Guinea, near Accra. Population: 180,600 (1990)[1]



temblor

temblor
tem·blor 
[témblər, tém
blàwr] (plural tem·blors) noun

earth
tremor:
an earthquake or tremor
[Late 19th century. From
American Spanish, literally “trembling,” from, ultimately, Vulgar Latin tremulare
“to tremble” (source of English tremble
).][1]



temerity

temerity
te·mer·i·ty 
[tə mérrətee] noun

boldness:
reckless confidence that might be offensive
[15th
century. From Latin temeritas “rashness,” ultimately from assumed temus
“darkness.” The underlying idea is of “acting in the dark.”]
—tem·er·ar·i·ous [tèmmə ráiree əss], adjective[1]



temmoku

temmoku
tem·mok·u
[témmō k] noun

Japanese
iron glaze:
a Japanese iron glaze that is black in color but breaks into rust where the
glaze coat is thin
[Late 19th century. Via
Japanese from Chinese tiān mù “eye of heaven.”][1]



Temne

Temne
Tem·ne 
[témnee] (plural Tem·nes or
Tem·ne) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people of Sierra Leone: a member of a people who
live in Sierra Leone, where they are one of the dominant ethnic groups

2.  LANGUAGE Temne
language:
the language of the Temne people, belonging to the Niger-Congo family of
languages. About one million people speak Temne.
[Late
18th century. From Temne .]
—Tem·ne, adjective[1]



temp.

temp.
temp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
temperance

2.  Abbreviation
of
temperature

3.  Abbreviation
of
template

4.  Abbreviation
of
temporal

5.  Abbreviation
of
temporary

6.  Abbreviation
of
temperate

[1]



temp

temp
temp 
[temp] noun (plural temps)

temporary
worker:
a temporary worker, especially one hired from an agency
intransitive
verb
(past temped, past participle temped, present
participle temp·ing, 3rd person present singular temps)

work
temporarily: to do temporary work, especially through
an agency
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Tempe

Tempe
Tem·pe 
[témpee]

city in central Arizona, on
the Salt River. Population: 162,701 (1996)[1]



tempe

tempe
tem·pe 
noun

See
tempeh[1]



tempeh

tempeh
tem·peh 
[tém pày] or tem·pe [tém pày] noun

fermented
soy beans:
fermented soy beans popular as a health food and in some Asian cuisines
[Mid-20th century. From
Indonesian tempe .][1]



temper

temper
tem·per 
[témpər] noun (plural tem·pers)

1.  emotional
condition:
an emotional condition or predisposition of a particular kind • an
even temper

2.  (plural
tem·pers or tem·per) tendency
to anger:
a tendency to get angry easily and suddenly • has
quite a temper

3.  angry
state:
a state of anger or ill temper • got
himself into a terrible temper

4.  calm
state:
a state of calm and balance • lost
your temper

5.  METALLURGY hardness
of metal:
the degree of hardness of a metal

6.  additive:
something added to improve the consistency or strength of something
transitive
verb
(past tem·pered, past participle tem·pered, present
participle tem·per·ing, 3rd person present singular tem·pers)

1.  soften:
to make something less harsh or unacceptable, especially by adding something to
it • temper
criticism with kindness

2.  make
somebody stronger: to make somebody stronger
through exposure to hardship • tempered
by combat duty

3.  METALLURGY harden
metal:
to harden metal by heating it to very high temperatures and then cooling it • temper
steel

4.  MUSIC tune
early keyboard instrument: to tune a baroque keyboard
instrument so that consistent harmonic intervals are achieved throughout its
range
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin temperare “to mix, restrain yourself,” from tempus
“time” (see temporal 1 ). Originally “mixture,”
which led to “emotional condition,” and finally “angry state.”]
—tem·per·a·bil·i·ty
[tèmpərə bíllətee, tèmprə
bíllətee], noun

—tem·per·a·ble
[témpərəb’l, témprəb’l],
adjective

—tem·per·er [témpərər], noun[1]



tempera

tempera
tem·per·a 
[témpərə] (plural tem·per·as) noun

1.  painting
technique:
a technique of painting with colors made from powdered pigments mixed with
water and egg yolk, size, or casein

2.  tempera
painting:
a painting done in tempera
[Mid-19th century. Via
Italian, from, ultimately, Latin temperare (see temper
).][1]



temperament

temperament
tem·per·a·ment 
[témprəmənt, témpərəmənt]
(plural tem·per·a·ments) noun

1.  quality
of mind:
a prevailing or dominant quality of mind that characterizes somebody

2.  moodiness:
excessive moodiness, irritability, or sensitivity

3.  HISTORY medieval
physiological classification: in medieval physiology, the
quality of mind resulting from various proportions of the four cardinal humors
in an individual

4.  MUSIC note
interval setting: the subtle relationship of the pitches
of notes of keyboard instruments, and the consequences this has on harmony

[1]



temperamental

temperamental
tem·per·a·men·tal 
[tèmprə mént’l, tèmpərə
mént’l] adjective

1.  easily
upset:
easily upset or irritated

2.  unpredictable:
unpredictable and erratic in behavior

3.  of
temperament: relating to temperament
—tem·per·a·men·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



temperance

temperance
tem·per·ance 
[témprəns, témpərəns]
noun

1.  abstinence
from alcohol: total abstinence from alcoholic drink

2.  restraint:
self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire

[1]



temperate

temperate
tem·per·ate 
[témprət, témpərət]
adjective

1.  mild:
mild or restrained in behavior or attitude

2.  METEOROLOGY without
extremes:
used to describe a climate that has a range of temperatures within moderate
limits

3.  MICROBIOLOGY not
spreading:
used to describe viruses that exist in host cells but do not cause lysis
—tem·per·ate·ly,
adverb

—tem·per·ate·ness, noun[1]



TemperateZone

TemperateZone
Tem·per·ate
Zone 
(plural Tem·per·ate Zones) noun

area of Earth:
the parts of the Earth that lie between the tropics and the polar circles and
have generally hot summers, cold winters, and intermediate autumns and springs[1]



temperature

temperature
tem·per·a·ture 
[témpərə chr, témpərəchər,
témprə chr] (plural tem·per·a·tures)
noun

1.  degree
of heat:
the degree of heat as an inherent quality of objects expressed as hotness or
coldness relative to something else

2.  relative
degree of heat: the heat of something measured on a
particular scale such as the Fahrenheit or Celsius scale. Symbol T Symbol
t

3.  body
heat:
the degree of heat in a living organism

4.  fever:
human body heat in excess of 37.0° C98.6° F or somebody’s normal body heat • running
a temperature
[15th century. The meaning
evolved from “mixture” via “mild (well balanced) weather.”][1]



temperaturegradient

temperaturegradient
tem·per·a·ture
gra·di·ent
(plural tem·per·a·ture gra·di·ents) noun

air temperature change:
the rate of change in air temperature over distance, especially elevation[1]



temperature-humidityindex

temperature-humidityindex
tem·per·a·ture-hu·mid·i·ty
in·dex
(plural tem·per·a·ture-hu·mid·i·ty in·dex·es) noun

measure of humidity:
a measure of ambient humidity relative to heat as it affects human comfort[1]



temperatureinversion

temperatureinversion
tem·per·a·ture
in·ver·sion
(plural tem·per·a·ture in·ver·sions) noun

METEOROLOGY
See inversion  noun 4[1]



tempered

tempered
tem·pered 
[témpərd] adjective

1.  with
a particular temper: with a temper or temperament
of a particular quality (usually used in combination) • even-tempered

2.  well
proportioned: with elements combined in balanced and
suitable proportion

3.  INDUSTRY hardened:
hardened through a tempering process • tempered
steel

4.  MUSIC tuned
to a temperament: tuned to a particular temperament,
especially equal temperament

[1]



tempest

tempest
tem·pest 
[témpəst] (plural tem·pests) noun

1.  storm:
a severe storm with very high winds and often rain, hail, or snow (literary)

2.  emotional
upheaval:
a severe commotion or disturbance, especially an emotional upheaval
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin tempestas, from tempus
“time.” The Latin word originally meant “period of time,” which evolved into
“weather” and, finally, “storm.”]
tempest
in a teapot

commotion
raised about an unimportant matter.
U.K.
term
storm in a teacup





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Tempest, a play by English dramatist William Shakespeare ( 1611 ). An
  elaborate blend of comedy, drama, and fantasy, it is set on an enchanted
  island where Prospero, rightful duke of Milan, has lived since being usurped
  by his brother Antonio. Using his magical powers, Prospero conjures up a
  storm that forces Antonio and his companions onto the island, paving the way
  for an ingenious reconciliation. The word sea-change, meaning a change
  caused by the sea, and figuratively, a major transformation, comes from Act
  I, scene ii of this play: “Nothing of him that doth fade,/ But doth suffer a
  sea-change/ Into something rich and strange.” .

[1]



tempestuous

tempestuous
tem·pes·tu·ous 
[tem péschoo əss] adjective

1.  with
storms:
having or affected by frequent or violent storms • tempestuous
seas

2.  emotionally
turbulent:
frequently turbulent and giving rise to many emotions • a
tempestuous relationship
—tem·pes·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—tem·pes·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



tempi

tempi
tem·pi


Plural of
tempo[1]



Templar

Templar
Tem·plar 
[témplər] (plural Tem·plars) noun

See
Knight Templar
[13th century. From the place
in Jerusalem ( Temple of Solomon ), where the medieval order had its
headquarters.][1]



template

template
tem·plate
[témplət] (plural tem·plates) noun

1.  master:
something that serves as a master or pattern from which other similar things
can be made

2.  ENGINEERING pattern:
a mechanical pattern or mold with one or more shapes used to guide the
manufacture or drawing of objects with a similar shape

3.  BUILDING short
beam:
a short beam of metal, wood, or stone, used to distribute weight or pressure in
a structure

4.  BIOCHEMISTRY master
molecule:
a molecule that provides a pattern for the synthesis of other molecules in
biochemical reactions
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of earlier templet, on the model
of plate .][1]



temple

temple2
tem·ple2 [témp’l]
(plural tem·ples) noun

1.  ANATOMY part
of the head: the part of either side of the head
between the eye and the ear

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY glasses
part:
either of the stemlike pieces on a pair of glasses that are connected to the
frame and rest on the ears
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin tempora, plural of tempus “temple, time”
(see temporal ). The meaning evolved via
“right time” and “right place (for dealing a fatal blow).”][1]



temple

temple3
tem·ple3 [témp’l]
(plural tem·ples) noun

loom
part:
the part of a loom that keeps the cloth being woven stretched to the proper
width
[15th century. From French,
of uncertain origin: probably from Latin templum (see temple 1 ) in its
secondary meaning “plank, raft.”][1]



temple

temple1

tem·ple1 [témp’l]
(plural tem·ples) noun

1.  RELIGION building
for worship: a building used as a place of worship

2.  special
place:
an institution or building considered as a guardian of, or reservation for, a
particular activity • a
temple of learning

3.  meeting
place:
a building where a fraternal order holds meetings and rites

4.  RELIGION holy
dwelling:
a place where something holy or divine is thought to dwell, for example, the
body of a holy person

5.  JUDAISM synagogue:
a synagogue

6.  JUDAISM biblical
place of worship in Jerusalem: either of the two
places of worship in Jerusalem, Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple, built in
biblical times

7.  CHRISTIANITY Mormon
church:
a place of worship for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where
sacred ordinances such as marriage are executed
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
templum “sacred place, place marked out for worship,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “cut” (source of
English -tomy ).][1]



Temple

Temple2
Tem·ple2  noun

temple in Jerusalem:
either of two successive temples in Jerusalem. The First Temple, built by
Solomon in 957 BC, was destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 BC .
The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.[1]



Temple

Temple1
Tem·ple1  noun

Templar building:
either of two groups of buildings in Paris and London built on sites that once
belonged to the Knights Templar. The London site is now the home of two of the
Inns of Court.[1]



templet

templet
tem·plet 
[témplət] (plural tem·plets) noun

template:
a template (archaic)
[Formed from temple 3][1]



templetree

templetree
tem·ple
tree
(plural tem·ple trees) noun

frangipani
tree:
a frangipani tree
[Temple from the fact that
the tree is commonly planted on graves][1]



tempo

tempo
tem·po 
[témpō] (plural tem·pi [témpee] or tem·pos) noun

1.  MUSIC music’s
speed:
the speed at which a musical composition or passage is performed

2.  pace:
the pace or rate of something • the
tempo of urban life
[Mid-17th century. Via
Italian from Latin tempus (see temporal 1 ).][1]



tempolabile

tempolabile
tem·po·la·bile 
[tèmpō láy bl, tèmpō
láyb’l] adjective

changing
unevenly:
changing at an uneven rate
[Mid-20th century. From Latin
tempus “time” + labilis, from labi “to slip.”][1]



temporal

temporal2
tem·po·ral2 [témprəl,
témpərəl] adjective

of
somebody’s temples: relating to or in the region
of the temples on the head
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin temporalis, ultimately from Latin tempus (see temple 2 ).][1]



temporal

temporal1
tem·po·ral1 [témprəl,
témpərəl] adjective

1.  relating
to time:
relating to measured time

2.  CHRISTIANITY relating
to laity:
relating to the laity rather than the clergy in the Christian Church

3.  RELIGION of
this world:
connected with life in the world, rather than spiritual life

4.  brief:
lasting only a short time

5.  GRAMMAR relating
to tenses:
relating to grammatical tenses or the expression of time in a language
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin temporalis, from tempus
“time,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “stretch” (ancestor of English thin
).]
—tem·po·ral·ly, adverb[1]



temporalbone

temporalbone
tem·po·ral
bone
(plural tem·po·ral bones) noun

skull bone:
either of a pair of bones that form part of the sides and base of the skull and
contain the middle and inner ears[1]



temporality

temporality
tem·po·ral·i·ty 
[tèmpə rállətee] noun

being
temporal:
the quality or state of being connected with time or the world
plural
noun
tem·po·ral·i·ties

CHRISTIANITY
church assets:
the secular property and assets of a church[1]



temporalize

temporalize
tem·por·al·ize
[témprə lz, témpərə
lz] (past tem·por·al·ized, past participle tem·por·al·ized,
present participle tem·por·al·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular tem·por·al·iz·es) transitive verb

make temporal:
to make something temporal or secular[1]



temporallobe

temporallobe

tem·po·ral lobe
(plural tem·po·ral lobes) noun
brain part:
either of two lobes of the brain, located on the side of each cerebral
hemisphere, that contain the auditory centers responsible for hearing[1]



temporary

temporary
tem·po·rar·y
[témpə rèrree] adjective

having
a limited duration: lasting for or relating to a
limited time
noun
(plural tem·po·rar·ies)

worker
hired for limited time: somebody who is hired to
work in an office or other workplace for a limited time only
—tem·po·rar·i·ly
[tèmpə rérrəlee], adverb

—tem·po·rar·i·ness
[témpə rèrreenəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  temporary, fleeting, passing,
  transitory, ephemeral, evanescent
  CORE
  MEANING: lasting
  only a short time temporary;
  lasting for a short time, usually because this is what is intended. It is
  often used to suggest that something is makeshift or not ideal; fleeting; very short-lived or brief in
  duration, especially when it does not seem long enough; passing; describes something such as an
  interest, feeling, or fashion that is not permanent; transitory; a fairly formal word used to
  suggest that something, by its very nature, is bound to come to an end; ephemeral; a formal or literary word used to
  describe something that lasts for only a very short time, especially when it
  is something that also seems unimportant; evanescent;
  a literary word used to describe something that lasts for only a very short
  time or is soon forgotten

[1]



temporomandibularjoint

temporomandibularjoint
tem·po·ro·man·dib·u·lar
joint
[tempərō man dìbbyələr jóynt] noun

jaw
joint:
either of the joints connecting the lower part of the jaw ( mandible ) with the temporal bone on each side of
the head. Both joints act together when the jaw is moved.
[Temporomandibular formed
from temporal 2 + mandible][1]



temporomandibularsyndrome

temporomandibularsyndrome
tem·po·ro·man·dib·u·lar
syn·drome
noun

pain or click in moving jaw:
a painful condition involving the temporomandibular joint and the muscles used
for chewing, sometimes causing clicking sounds and restricted jaw movement. It
is usually associated with a faulty dental bite.[1]



tempt

tempt
tempt 
[tempt] transitive verb

1.  incite
desire:
to cause desire or craving to arise in somebody • tempted
by that chocolate cake

2.  incite
to transgression: to persuade or attempt to persuade
somebody to do something considered wrong

3.  invite:
to invite or attract somebody • The
sightseeing tour tempted us.

4.  risk:
to risk the possible destructive powers of something • tempt
the gods
—temp·table,
adjective

—tempt·er, noun[1]



temptation

temptation
temp·ta·tion 
[tèmp táyshən] noun

1.  feeling:
a craving or desire for something, especially something thought wrong • yield
to temptation

2.  enticing
act:
the enticing of desire or craving in somebody

3.  enticing
thing:
something that or somebody who tempts somebody • too
many temptations for me here

[1]



Tempter

Tempter
Tempt·er
[témp tər] noun

RELIGION
the devil:
Satan[1]



tempting

tempting
tempt·ing 
[témp ting] adjective

inviting:
causing craving or desire to arise • a
tempting offer
—tempt·ing·ly,
adverb

—tempt·ing·ness, noun[1]



temptress

temptress
temp·tress 
[tèmp tríss] noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a woman that deliberately insults her sexuality and
public behavior[1]



tempura

tempura
tem·pu·ra 
noun

Japanese dish:
a Japanese dish of vegetables or seafood coated in light batter and deep-fried[1]



tempusfugit

tempusfugit
tempus
fugit
[tèmps fyjit]

time flies:
time flies[1]



ten

ten
ten 
[ten] noun

1.  number
10:
the number 10

2.  something
with value of 10: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of ten • the
ten of clubs • to
play the ten

3.  group
of ten:
a group of ten objects or people

[1]



tenable

tenable
ten·a·ble 
[ténnəb’l] adjective

1.  with
reasonable arguments to support it:
justified in a fair or rational way and able to be defended because there is
sufficient evidence or reason behind it

2.  able
to be occupied: capable of being occupied or held,
usually by a particular person or for a particular period of time (formal)

3.  MILITARY capable
of being defended in battle: able to be held successfully
against an enemy attack
[Late
16th century. From French tenir “to hold.”]
—ten·a·bil·i·ty
[tènnə bíllətee], noun

—ten·a·ble·ness
[ténnəb’lnəss], noun

—ten·a·bly, adverb[1]



tenace

tenace
ten·ace 
[té nàyss, ténnəss]
(plural ten·aces) noun

card
combination: a combination of two high cards in the
same suit that do not form a sequence, for example, a jack and king
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Spanish tenaza, literally “pincers, tongs,” the underlying idea
being “holding.”][1]



tenacious

tenacious
te·na·cious 
[tə náyshəss] adjective

1.  very
determined or stubborn: tending to stick firmly to
any decision, plan, or opinion without changing or doubting it

2.  tightly
held:
difficult to loosen, shake off, or pull away from

3.  able
to remember many things: capable of absorbing and
retaining a large store of information and of recalling details accurately

4.  sticky
or clinging: sticking or clinging to something else,
especially a surface

5.  not
easily disconnected: holding together tightly or
fused solidly
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin tenax “holding fast,” from tenere
“to hold.”]
—te·na·cious·ly,
adverb

—te·na·cious·ness, noun[1]



tenaculum

tenaculum
te·nac·u·lum 
[tə nákyələm] (plural te·nac·u·la
[tə nákyələ] or te·nac·u·lums)
noun

medical
instrument with a sharp hook: a long-handled instrument
with a slender sharp hook, used especially in surgery to grasp and hold
arteries or other bodily parts
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “holder,” from tenere “to hold.”][1]



tenancy

tenancy
ten·an·cy 
[ténnənsee] (plural ten·an·cies)
noun

1.  occupation
of property for rent: exclusive possession of
property or land owned by somebody else for a fixed period, in return for an
agreed rent. This is usually under the terms of a lease or some similar legal
entitlement or agreement.

2.  time
of somebody’s tenancy: a period of time when a
piece of property, for example, a house or farm, is legally occupied and used
by somebody paying an agreed rent

3.  place
lived in by a tenant: a piece of property that
somebody is entitled to use or occupy on condition that an agreed rent is paid
to the owner
[15th century. Formed from tenant .][1]



tenant

tenant
ten·ant 
[ténnənt] noun (plural ten·ants)

1.  renter
of property: somebody who rents a building, house,
apartment, plot of land, or some other piece of property for a fixed period of
time. This arrangement is usually under the terms of a lease or some similar
legal entitlement or agreement.

2.  occupier
of a place:
somebody living in or on a particular piece of property
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ten·ant·ed,
past participle ten·ant·ed, present participle ten·ant·ing,
3rd person present singular ten·ants)

pay rent to occupy property:
to live in or on another person’s property as a tenant
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman tenaunt from Old French tenant, from tenir
“to hold,” from Latin tenere “to hold, keep.”]
—ten·ant·a·ble,
adjective

—ten·ant·ed,
adjective

—ten·ant·less,
adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word tenere, from which tenant
  is derived, is also the source of English abstain,
  contain, continent, continue,
  countenance, detain, maintain,
  obtain, retain,
  sustain, tenacious, tenement,
  tenet, tennis,
  tenon, tenor,
  and tenure.

[1]



tenantfarmer

tenantfarmer
ten·ant
far·mer
(plural ten·ant far·mers) noun

somebody who farms rented
land: a farmer who rents a farm,
plot, or agricultural land, and pays the owner in cash or with produce[1]



tenantry

tenantry
ten·ant·ry 
[ténnəntree] noun

1.  people
occupying rented property: all tenants or tenant
farmers, especially all those renting property from a particular landowner (formal)

2.  tenancy:
tenancy (dated)

[1]



ten-centstore

ten-centstore
ten-cent
store 
noun

COMMERCE
See five-and-dime[1]



tench

tench
tench 
[tench] (plural tench or
tench·es) noun

freshwater
food and game fish: a European freshwater food
and game fish related to the carp, with a heavy greenish body, small scales,
and a barbel on each side of its mouth. Latin name: Tinca tinca
[14th century. Via Old French
tenche from late Latin tinca .][1]



TenCommandments

TenCommandments
Ten
Com·mand·ments  plural noun

biblical rules:
the ten laws given by God to Moses, according to the Bible. They summarize
human obligations to each other and to God.
Also called
Decalogue[1]



tend

tend2
tend2 [tend]
(past tend·ed, past participle tend·ed, present
participle tend·ing, 3rd person present singular tends)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
care of something or somebody: to do or provide the
things that a person, animal, or plant needs, or a group of them need, for
their health, comfort, and welfare

2.  transitive
verb
be
in charge of something: to manage something,
especially something that needs constant supervision

3.  intransitive
verb
give
attention to somebody or something: to
give your attention to a particular person or task

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb serve
somebody:
to be somebody’s attendant, waiter, or servant (archaic)
[12th century. Shortening of attend .][1]



tend

tend1
tend1 [tend]
(past tend·ed, past participle tend·ed, present
participle tend·ing, 3rd person present singular tends)
intransitive verb

1.  be
generally inclined or likely: to be generally inclined or
likely to react or behave in a particular way, or be in the habit of doing
something

2.  move
gradually or slightly toward something: to
make a gentle steady movement in a particular direction
[14th
century. Via Old French tendre “to move toward,” from Latin tendere
“to stretch, extend.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word tendere, from which tend
  is derived, is also the source of English attend,
  contend, détente, distend,
  extend, intend,
  ostensible, portend, pretend,
  standard, tense, and tent.

[1]



tendance

tendance
ten·dance
[téndəns] noun

attention:
the act of looking after or attending to something (archaic or formal)
[Late 16th century. Either a
shortening of attendance, or formed from tend 2 “to take
care of.”][1]



tendencious

tendencious
ten·den·cious 
adjective

See
tendentious[1]



tendency

tendency
ten·den·cy 
[téndənsee] (plural ten·den·cies)
noun

1.  general
inclination or likelihood: a way that somebody or
something typically behaves or is likely to react or behave

2.  predisposition
toward something: a character or quality that makes it
likely that something will happen • My
ankle has a tendency to twist.

3.  movement
toward something: a gradual but steady progress,
development, or shift of opinion in a particular direction • a
tendency toward greater assertiveness
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin tendentia, from, ultimately, Latin tendere “to
tend, be inclined to.”][1]



tendentious

tendentious
ten·den·tious 
[ten dénshəss] or ten·den·cious
[ten dénshəss] adjective

trying
to influence opinion: written or spoken by
somebody who obviously wants to promote a particular cause or who supports a
particular viewpoint
[Early
20th century. Formed from tendency .]
—ten·den·tious·ly,
adverb

—ten·den·tious·ness, noun[1]



tender

tender3
tend·er3 [téndər]
(plural tend·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who tends:
somebody who tends something or somebody

2.  SHIPPING small
boat ferrying to large boat: a small boat used to go to
and from a larger one such as a yacht

3.  RAIL vehicle
carrying steam engine’s supplies: the permanently
coupled rear part of a large steam locomotive, which carries its coal and water
[15th century. Either a
shortening of attender (from attend ), or
formed from tend 2 .][1]



tender

tender2
ten·der2 [téndər]
verb (past ten·dered, past participle ten·dered,
present participle ten·der·ing, 3rd person present singular
ten·ders)

1.  transitive
verb
offer
something formally in writing: to present something
formal or official, in the form of a document • tender
a resignation

2.  intransitive
verb
COMMERCE offer
to supply something: to offer to undertake a job
or supply particular goods • tender
for a contract

3.  transitive
verb
LAW offer a
sum in settlement: to offer to pay money or
goods as a way of settling a debt or claim
noun

1.  COMMERCE offer
to undertake a job: a formal offer to undertake
a job or supply particular goods • Their
tender was accepted because it was the lowest.

2.  COMMERCE act of
tendering:
the act of tendering for a contract

3.  LAW offer
made to settle something: a formal offer to settle
legal proceedings on payment of an amount of damages
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French tendre from Latin tendere “to hold out,
stretch” (source also of English tendency
).]
—ten·der·a·ble,
adjective

—ten·der·er, noun[1]



tender

tender1
ten·der1 [téndər]
adjective

1.  physically
painful:
hurting or unusually sensitive when touched or pressed

2.  with
gentle feeling: showing care, gentleness, and feeling

3.  kind
and sympathetic: sensitive and caring toward others and
often feeling emotions intensely

4.  FOOD pleasantly
soft for eating: soft enough for the teeth to go through
easily without much chewing

5.  BOTANY AGRICULTURE needing protection from
harsh weather: easily damaged or killed by unsuitable
weather or conditions, especially frost and cold

6.  young
and defenseless: vulnerably or pitifully young, weak, and
inexperienced

7.  fragile:
so delicate, soft, or weak as to be hurt, crushed, or broken easily
[13th
century. Via French tendre from Latin tener “delicate, tender”
(source also of English tendril ).]
—ten·der·ly,
adverb

—ten·der·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Tender
  is the Night, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald ( 1934 ). Set on the French Riviera
  in the 1930s, it focuses on a group of glamorous American expatriates.
  Psychologist Richard Diver’s attempts to nurse his wife and former patient,
  Nicole, and his involvement with a visiting woman actor lead to his mental
  collapse. A powerful depiction of human frailty, it is also admired for the
  elegance of its prose.

[1]



tenderfoot

tenderfoot
ten·der·foot 
[téndər ft] (plural ten·der·feet
[téndər ft] or ten·der·foots)
noun

1.  beginner
at something: somebody just starting to do or try
something, with little or no previous experience of it (informal)

2.  somebody
unused to tough outdoor life: a new arrival at a place
where the work and conditions are rough, for example, on a ranch or mine

3.  lowest
rank in the Scouts: a member of the lowest rank
of a Boy or Girl Scout troop (dated)

[1]



tenderhearted

tenderhearted
ten·der·heart·ed 
[tèndər hrtəd] adjective

kind
and caring:
quick to show compassion and sympathy to other people
—ten·der·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—ten·der·heart·ed·ness,
noun[1]



tenderize

tenderize
ten·der·ize 
[téndə rz] (past ten·der·ized,
past participle ten·der·ized, present participle ten·der·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ten·der·iz·es) transitive verb

make
meat less chewy: to make meat tender, usually by beating
it, soaking it in a marinade, or sprinkling it with a special substance ( tenderizer ) that breaks down the fibers in the
meat
—ten·der·i·za·tion [tèndəri záysh’n], noun[1]



tenderizer

tenderizer
ten·der·iz·er 
[téndə rzər] (plural ten·der·iz·ers)
noun

1.  substance
for making meat tender: a commercial preparation
containing enzymes that break down fibrous tissue in meat

2.  hammer
for pounding meat: a wooden or metal mallet
used to tenderize meat. It has a short handle and a fairly broad head with a
hammering surface covered in shallow bumps.

[1]



tenderloin

tenderloin
ten·der·loin 
[téndər lòyn] (plural ten·der·loins)
noun

1.  fillet
steak:
a prime cut of lean tender beef, pork or lamb taken from the curve of the ribs
at the backbone

2.  red-light
or criminal district of town: a part of a city where
prostitution, vice, and extortion are common (informal)

[1]



tendinitis

tendinitis
ten·di·ni·tis
[tèndə ntiss] or ten·do·ni·tis
[tèndə ntiss] noun

inflammation
of tendon:
inflammation of a tendon. It is often painful, usually occurs after excessive
use, as in a sports injury, and is generally cured by rest.
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin tendin-, the stem of tendo “tendon.”][1]



tendinous

tendinous
ten·di·nous 
[téndənəss] adjective

relating
to tendons:
relating to, consisting of, or resembling a tendon or tendons
[Mid-17th century. Via French
tendineux, from, ultimately, the medieval Latin stem tendon- (see
tendon ).][1]



tendon

tendon
ten·don 
[téndən] (plural ten·dons) noun

tough
band connecting muscle to bone: an inelastic cord or
band of tough white fibrous connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone
or other part.
Also
called
sinew
[Mid-16th century. Directly
and via French from medieval Latin tendon-, stem of tendo, a
translation of Greek tenōn “sinew,” from, ultimately, teinein “to
stretch.”][1]



tendonhammer

tendonhammer
ten·don
ham·mer
noun

See
plexor[1]



tendonitis

tendonitis
ten·do·ni·tis 
noun

See
tendinitis[1]



tendril

tendril
ten·dril 
[téndril] (plural ten·drils) noun

1.  BOTANY threadlike
plant part attached to support: a modified stem, leaf,
or other part of a climbing plant, usually in the form of a thread, that coils
around and attaches the plant to supporting objects

2.  delicate
twist or coil: a slim, wispy, curling, or winding piece
of something, especially hair (literary)
[Mid-16th century. Via Middle
French tendrillon, literally “little shoot, little cartilage,” from tendron,
“shoot, cartilage,” from Old French tendre (see tender 1 ).][1]



Tenebrae

Tenebrae
Ten·e·brae 
[ténnə brày, ténnəbree]
noun

offices
in Roman Catholic Church: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the office of matins and lauds for the last three days of Holy Week (takes
a singular or plural verb)
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “darkness,” because candles are extinguished during the
service in memory of the darkness at the crucifixion.][1]



tenebrionid

tenebrionid
te·neb·ri·o·nid 
[tə nébbree ə nìd, ténnə
br ə nìd] (plural te·neb·ri·o·nids or te·neb·ri·o·nid)
noun

See
darkling beetle
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin .][1]



tenebrious

tenebrious
te·neb·ri·ous 
adjective

See
tenebrous[1]



tenebrism

tenebrism
ten·e·brism 
[ténnə brìzzəm] or Ten·e·brism
[ténnə brìzzəm] noun

style
of painting: a style of painting, popular in
17th-century Naples and Spain and largely associated with Caravaggio, that uses
large areas of shadow and dark colors, sometimes with a shaft of light
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Italian tenebroso, literally “dark,” a term for one
of a group of 17th century Italian painters.]
—tene·brist, noun[1]



tenebrous

tenebrous
ten·e·brous 
[ténnəbrəss] or te·neb·ri·ous
[tə nébbree əss] adjective

dark:
dark, murky, or obscured by shadows (literary)
[15th
century. Via Old French tenebrus from, ultimately, Latin tenebrae
“darkness.”]
—ten·e·bros·i·ty
[tènnə bróssətee], noun

—ten·e·brous·ness [ténnəbrəssnəss], noun[1]



ten-eighty

ten-eighty
ten-eight·y
or 1080 noun

pesticide
and rat poison: a poisonous preparation of sodium
fluoroacetate, used as a pesticide and for killing rodents
[From its laboratory serial
number][1]



tenement

tenement
ten·e·ment 
[ténnəmənt] (plural ten·e·ments)
noun

1.  urban
apartment building: a large residential building
in a city, usually of three or more stories and with only basic amenities,
where a large number of people live in self-contained rented apartments

2.  LAW item
of rented property: a piece of property such as
land or houses held by one person but owned by another
[14th century. Via Old
French, “tenure,” the original sense in English, from, ultimately, Latin tenere
“to hold.”][1]



Tenerife

Tenerife
Ten·er·ife 
[tènnə rf] or Ten·er·iffe [tènnə rf]

the largest of the Canary
Islands, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Province, Spain. Population: 759,388 (1986)
Area: 2,059 sq km/795 sq mi.[1]



tenesmus

tenesmus
te·nes·mus 
[tə nézməss] noun

painful
attempt to defecate or urinate: an urgent, painful,
and unsuccessful attempt to defecate or urinate
[Early 16th century. Via
medieval Latin from, ultimately, Greek tēnesmos, from teinein “to
stretch, strain.”][1]



tenet

tenet
ten·et 
[ténnət] (plural ten·ets) noun

something
accepted as an important truth: any of a set of
established and fundamental beliefs, especially one relating to religion or
politics (formal) • a
tenet of Christianity
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “he or she holds,” the 3rd person present singular form of tenere
“to hold.”][1]



tenfold

tenfold
ten·fold
[tén fld] adjective

1.  with
ten parts:
made up of ten parts

2.  times
ten:
multiplied by ten
adverb

ten times over:
to ten times the amount or number, or multiplied by or up to that amount or
number

[1]



ten-four

ten-four
ten-four
or 10–4 interjection

expressing
confirmation: used to express affirmation or
confirmation
[From a code originally used
by police in the sense “message received”][1]



ten-gallonhat

ten-gallonhat
ten-gal·lon
hat 
noun

large cowboy hat:
a cowboy hat with a high round uncreased crown and a wide brim[1]



tenge

tenge
ten·ge
[téngày] (plural ten·ge, unmarked
inflection ten·ges) noun

1.  unit
of Kazakh currency: the main unit of currency in
Kazakhstan

2.  bill
worth one tenge: a bill worth one tenge

3.  ten·ge
(plural ten·ga) minor unit of Turkmen
currency:
a minor unit of currency in Turkmenistan, 100 of which are worth one manat

[1]



tenia

tenia
te·ni·a 
noun

See
taenia[1]



teniacide

teniacide
te·ni·a·cide 
noun

See
taeniacide[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








teniafuge

teniafuge
te·ni·a·fuge 
noun

See
taeniafuge[1]



teniasis

teniasis
te·ni·a·sis 
noun

See
taeniasis[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Tenn.

Tenn.
Tenn.

Abbreviation of
Tennessee[1]



Tennent,Gilbert

Tennent,Gilbert
Ten·nent
[ténnənt], Gilbert (1703–1764)

Irish-born American
clergyman. His fiery preaching helped to create the religious revival known as
the Great Awakening in the North American Middle Colonies in the 1730s.[1]



Tennent,William

Tennent,William
Ten·nent
[ténnənt], William (1673–1745)

Irish-born American
clergyman. Many of the students at his “Log College” in Pennsylvania, including
his son Gilbert, became important figures in the Great Awakening of the 1730s.[1]



tenner

tenner
ten·ner
[ténnər] (plural ten·ners) noun
(informal)

1.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand, Canada ten
dollars:
ten dollars, either as cash or as a sum

2.  U.K.
ten
pounds:
ten pounds sterling, either as cash or as a sum

[1]



Tennessee




Back to definition

Tennessee

[1]



Tennessee

Tennessee


Ten·nes·see 
[tènnə s]

1.  state
in the eastern central United States, bordered by Kentucky, Virginia, North
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. Capital:
Nashville. Population: 5,368,198 (1997) Area: 109,158 sq km/42,146 sq mi.

2.  river
of the southeastern United States, formed by the confluence of the Holston and
French Broad rivers and flowing into the Ohio River. Length: 1,050 km/652 mi.
—Ten·nes·se·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Tenniel,John

Tenniel,John
Ten·niel
[ténnyəl], Sir John (1820–1914)

British illustrator. He
contributed more than 2,300 cartoons to the British satirical magazine Punch
from 1851 to 1901. His illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
( 1865 ) and Through the Looking-Glass ( 1871 ) fixed the images of
Lewis Carroll’s characters for generations of children.[1]



tennis

tennis
ten·nis 
[ténniss] noun

game
with ball, rackets, and net: a game played on a
rectangular court by two, or two pairs of, players with rackets who hit a ball
back and forth over a net.
See
also
lawn tennis
See
also
court tennis
See
also
paddle tennis
See
also
table tennis
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French tenez “hold!”, a plural form of tenir
“to hold,” hence, “to receive,” presumably shouted by the serving player to the
opponent.][1]



tennisball

tennisball
ten·nis
ball
noun

small ball used in tennis:
a white or yellow fuzzy cloth-surfaced hollow rubber ball about 7.5 cm3 in. in
diameter, used in tennis. In lawn tennis the ball is pressurized, and in paddle
tennis it is punctured.[1]



tennisbracelet

tennisbracelet
ten·nis
brace·let
noun

bracelet of linking
gemstones: a slim chain-style bracelet
made with small diamonds or other precious stones[1]



tenniselbow

tenniselbow
ten·nis
el·bow
noun

painful inflammation of the
outer elbow: painful inflammation of
the tendon in the outer elbow region caused by excessive and repetitive strain
from overuse, for example, as a result of playing tennis and similar sports. It
may be treated with rest, massage, and steroid drugs.[1]



tennisshoe

tennisshoe
ten·nis
shoe
noun

CLOTHES
See sneaker[1]



tennisskirt

tennisskirt
ten·nis
skirt
noun

short white skirt worn for
tennis: a short skirt, traditionally
white, worn by some women tennis players[1]



Tennyson,Alfred

Tennyson,Alfred

Ten·ny·son
[ténniss’n], Alfred, 1st Baron Tennyson of
Freshwater and Aldworth (1809–1892)
British
poet. His many works include The Lady of Shalott (1832), In Memoriam
(1850), and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854). He was poet laureate
from 1850.

—Ten·ny·so·ni·an [ténn is ōn ee ən], noun, adjective[1]



tenon

tenon
ten·on 
[ténnən] noun (plural ten·ons)

projection on wood for making joint:
a projection made on the end of one piece of wood that fits into a mortise on
another piece, making a joint
transitive
verb
(past ten·oned, past participle ten·oned, present
participle ten·on·ing, 3rd person present singular ten·ons)

1.  make
a tenon:
to make a tenon on a piece of wood

2.  join
pieces of wood using tenon: to join two pieces of wood
using a tenon
[Early
17th century. From Old French, from tenir “to hold.”]
—ten·on·er, noun[1]



tenonsaw

tenonsaw
ten·on
saw
noun

small saw:
a small thin saw with a strong back, used especially for cutting tenons[1]



tenor

tenor
ten·or 
[ténnər] (plural ten·ors) noun

1.  MUSIC high
male voice:
the highest natural male singing voice, or an adult whose voice is in this
register

2.  MUSIC high
or fairly high instrument: an instrument with a range
similar to a tenor voice (often used before a noun)

3.  way
something is progressing: the direction in which
something is steadily moving (formal)

4.  what
something is mainly about: the overall nature, pattern,
or meaning of something, especially a written or spoken statement (formal)

5.  LAW exact
words of deed: the exact wording of a document, rather
than its effect

6.  LAW exact
copy:
an exact copy or transcript of a document
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman tenur and Old French tenour, from Latin tenor
“continuous course,” from tenere “to hold,” the underlying idea being
“something that is held to.”][1]



tenorclef

tenorclef
ten·or
clef
noun

C clef:
one of the C clefs, in which middle C is represented by the second highest line
on the staff, used in the past to notate the tenor voice[1]



tenorite

tenorite
ten·or·ite 
[ténnə rt] noun

black
mineral:
a black mineral form of copper oxide, occurring with copper ores or near
volcanoes
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Michelo Tenore (1781–1861), president of the Naples Academy of Sciences
in Italy.][1]



tenosynovitis

tenosynovitis
ten·o·syn·o·vi·tis 
[tènnō sīnə vtiss, tènnō
sinnə vtiss] noun

inflammation
of tendon sheath: inflammation of a tendon sheath, usually
in the wrist, with swelling and audible creaking on movement. It often results
from repetitive movements as in typing or some sports.
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek tenōn, “tendon,” and synovitis
.][1]



tenotomy

tenotomy
te·not·o·my 
[tə nóttəmee] (plural te·not·o·mies)
noun

tendon surgery:
the surgical cutting of a tendon[1]



tenpenny

tenpenny
ten·pen·ny
[tén pènnee] adjective

worth ten cents:
costing or worth ten cents (dated)[1]



tenpennynail

tenpennynail
ten·pen·ny
nail 
noun

a 3-inch nail:
a nail 7.6 cm3 in. long (dated)[1]



tenpin

tenpin
ten·pin 
[tén pìn] (plural ten·pins) noun

bottle-shaped bowling pin:
one of the ten pins used in tenpin bowling[1]



tenpinbowling

tenpinbowling
ten·pin
bowl·ing
[tén pìnz] or ten·pins [tén pìnz] noun

See
bowling  noun 1[1]



tenpounder

tenpounder
ten·pound·er 
[tèn pówndər] (plural ten·pound·ers)
noun

See
ladyfish  noun 1[1]



tenrec

tenrec
ten·rec 
[tén rèk] (plural ten·recs or
ten·rec) or tan·rec [tán rèk]
(plural tan·recs or tan·rec) noun

insect-eating
mammal of Madagascar: a small to medium-sized
insect-eating mammal with a long pointed snout, native to Madagascar and the
Comoro Islands. Some have spines and some fur. Family: Tenrecidae
[Late 18th century. Via
French tanrec from Malagasay tàndraka, tràndraka .][1]



TENS

TENS
TENS 
[tenz] noun

method of pain treatment:
a method of treating chronic pain by applying electrodes to the skin and
passing small electric currents through sensory nerves and the spinal cord,
thus suppressing the transmission of pain signals. Full form transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation[1]



tense

tense1
tense1 [tens]
adjective (comparative tens·er, superlative tens·est)

1.  worried
and nervous: affected by anxious feelings or mental
strain, so that it is impossible to behave in a natural relaxed way

2.  restrained
and unnatural: making people feel unusually anxious,
nervous, and uncertain, so that they do not talk or behave in a natural relaxed
way

3.  tight
and stiff:
stretched or held tight and stiff

4.  PHONETICS pronounced
with taut muscles: used to describe a speech
sound that is pronounced with muscular effort, is relatively long in duration,
and is accurate in articulation
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tensed, past
participle tensed, present participle tens·ing, 3rd
person present singular tens·es)

become or make tense:
to become tense or make something tense
[Late
17th century. From Latin tensus “stretched,” the past participle of tendere
“to stretch” (source also of English tent
).]
—tense·ly,
adverb

—tense·ness, noun[1]



tense

tense2
tense2 [tens]
(plural tens·es) noun

facet
of verb expressing time: the facet of a verb that
expresses the different times at which action takes place relative to the
speaker or writer, for example, the present, past, or future
[14th
century. Via Old French tens, “time,” from Latin tempus .]
—tense·less, adjective[1]



tenseup

tenseup
tense
up
intransitive and transitive verb

See
tense 1 verb[1]



tensile

tensile
ten·sile 
[téns’l, tén sl]
adjective

1.  relating
to tension:
relating to or involving tension

2.  stretchable:
capable of being stretched or pulled out of shape
[Early
17th century. From medieval Latin tensilis from, ultimately, Latin tendere
(see tense 1 ).]
—ten·sile·ly,
adverb

—ten·sile·ness,
noun

—ten·sil·i·ty [ten síllətee], noun[1]



tensilestrength

tensilestrength
ten·sile
strength
noun

maximum stretching force:
the maximum stretching force that a material, for example, wire, can withstand
before breaking[1]



tensimeter

tensimeter
ten·sim·e·ter 
[ten símmətər] (plural ten·sim·e·ters)
noun

instrument
for measuring vapor pressure differences: an
instrument used to measure differences in vapor pressure
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tension + -meter
.][1]



tensiometer

tensiometer
ten·si·om·e·ter 
[tènsee ómmətər] (plural ten·si·om·e·ters)
noun

1.  instrument
for measuring tensile stress: an instrument used to
measure tensile stress.
Also
called
tensometer

2.  instrument
for measuring surface tension: an instrument used to
measure the surface tension of liquids.
Also
called
tensometer

3.  GEOLOGY instrument
for measuring soil moisture: an instrument used to
measure the moisture content of soils
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tension + -meter
.][1]



tension

tension
ten·sion 
[ténshən] (plural ten·sions) noun

1.  anxious
feelings:
mental worry or emotional strain that makes natural relaxed behavior impossible

2.  uneasy
feeling in relationship: a state of wariness,
mistrust, controlled hostility, or fear of hostility felt by countries, groups,
or individuals in their dealings with one another (often used in the plural)

3.  LITERATURE sense
of different elements conflicting: the way that opposing elements
or characters clash or interact interestingly with each other in a literary
work

4.  LITERATURE buildup
of suspense: the buildup of suspense in a fictional
work, leading to the denouement

5.  tautness:
how tightly something such as wire, string, thread, or a muscle is stretched

6.  SEWING device
controlling tightness of thread: a device on a sewing
machine or a loom that regulates how tight the thread is

7.  PHYSICS pulling
force:
a force that pulls or stretches something

8.  PHYSICS stress
from tension: the stress resulting from a force of
tension, or a measure of it

9.  ELECTRICITY voltage:
voltage or electromotive force (often used in combination)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin tension- “stretching,” from,
ultimately, tendere, “to stretch” (source also of English tent ).]
—ten·sion·al, adjective[1]



tensity

tensity
ten·si·ty 
[ténsətee] noun

tenseness:
the state or quality of being tense[1]



tensive

tensive
ten·sive 
[ténsiv] adjective

relating
to tension:
causing or relating to tension
[Early 18th century. Via
French tensif from, ultimately, Latin tendere (see tense 1 ).][1]



tensometer

tensometer
ten·som·e·ter
noun

See
tensiometer  noun 1
See tensiometer  noun 2[1]



tensor

tensor
ten·sor 
[ténsər, tén
sàwr] (plural ten·sors) noun

1.  ANATOMY stretching
muscle:
a muscle that tenses or stretches a part of the body

2.  MATHEMATICS generalization
of a vector: the generalization of a vector, a
mathematical entity specified with respect to a given coordinate system and
able to undergo transformation to other coordinate systems
[Early
18th century. From modern Latin, from Latin tendere (see tense 1 ).]
—ten·so·ri·al [ten sáwree əl], adjective[1]



ten-speed

ten-speed
ten-speed 
adjective

with
ten different gears: with ten different gears
controlling the speed
noun
(plural ten-speeds)

bicycle:
a ten-speed bicycle[1]



ten-strike

ten-strike
ten-strike 
(plural ten-strikes) noun

1.  BOWLING bowling
strike:
a strike in tenpin bowling

2.  something
really successful: a great achievement, result,
or action (informal)

[1]



tent

tent2
tent2 [tent]
noun (plural tents)

plug
for wound:
a cone-shaped expandable plug of soft material, for example, gauze, used to
keep a wound or orifice open
transitive
verb
(past tent·ed, past participle tent·ed, present
participle tent·ing, 3rd person present singular tents)

insert
a tent:
to open or expand a wound or orifice with a tent
[14th century. Via French tente
from, ultimately, Latin temptare, “to feel, try.”][1]



tent

tent1
tent1 [tent]
noun (plural tents)

1.  collapsible
shelter:
a collapsible movable shelter consisting of a tough fabric or plastic cover
held up by poles and kept in place by ropes and pegs

2.  tent-shaped
object:
something that looks like a tent, is constructed in a similar way, or serves a
similar purpose • an oxygen tent
verb
(past tent·ed, past participle tent·ed, present
participle tent·ing, 3rd person present singular tents)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something as a tent does: to form a raised nonrigid
cover over something • Tent
the roast with aluminum foil.

2.  intransitive
verb
camp:
to live or camp in a tent

3.  transitive
verb
supply
a tent for somebody: to accommodate a person or
group of people in tents, or provide somebody or something with tents
[13th century. Via Old French
tente, from Latin tenta, “tent,” from tendere, “to
stretch.” Because a tent consists of a cover stretched over a framework.][1]



tentacle

tentacle

ten·ta·cle 
[téntək’l] (plural ten·ta·cles)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY long
flexible organ: a long flexible organ around the mouth
or on the head of some animals, especially invertebrates such as squid, and
used in holding, grasping, feeling, or moving

2.  PLANTS hair
on a plant leaf: a sticky glandular hairy projection from
the leaf of an insect-eating plant such as the sundew, whose secretions trap
and digest prey

3.  something
far-reaching: something that gradually or unnoticeably
insinuates its way into and around things and takes hold of them firmly or has
a definite presence or effect (literary)
[Mid-18th
century. Anglicization of modern Latin tentaculum from, ultimately,
Latin temptare, “to feel, try” (source also of English tempt ).]
—ten·ta·cled,
adjective

—ten·tac·u·lar [ten tákyələr], adjective[1]



tentage

tentage
tent·age 
[téntij] noun

tents:
tents in general or as a group[1]



tentative

tentative
ten·ta·tive 
[téntətiv] adjective

1.  uncertain:
said or done in a slow, hesitant, and careful way, revealing a lack of
confidence

2.  rough
or provisional: likely to have many later changes before
it becomes final and complete
[Late
16th century. From medieval Latin tentativus, from, ultimately, Latin tentare,
a variant of temptare, “to feel, try” (source of English tempt ).]
—ten·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—ten·ta·tive·ness, noun[1]



tentcaterpillar

tentcaterpillar
tent
cat·er·pil·lar noun

caterpillar with tented web:
a destructive caterpillar that builds large tent-shaped communal webs in the
branches of trees. Genus: Malacosoma[1]



tentdress

tentdress
tent
dress
noun

waistless dress:
a dress made so that the fabric hangs in a full loose shape from the shoulders[1]



tented

tented
tent·ed 
[téntəd] adjective

1.  with
tent shape:
constructed or shaped like a tent

2.  with
tents:
covered in tents (literary)

3.  camped
in tents:
staying in tents, or supplied with tents as shelter

[1]



tenter

tenter
ten·ter 
[téntər] noun (plural ten·ters)

frame
for cloth:
a frame on which cloth is held taut during various phases of its manufacture,
especially while it dries
transitive
verb
(past ten·tered, past participle ten·tered, present
participle ten·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular ten·ters)

stretch
on tenter:
to stretch cloth on a tenter
[13th century. From medieval
Latin tentorium from, ultimately, Latin tendere “to stretch.”][1]



tenterhook

tenterhook
ten·ter·hook 
[téntər hk] (plural ten·ter·hooks)
noun

hook
for holding cloth taut: any one of the hooks used to
hold cloth taut on a frame during manufacture, especially while it dries
be
on tenterhooks

to be anxious or in suspense[1]



tenth

tenth
tenth 
[tenth] (plural tenths) noun

1.  one
of ten parts of something: one of ten equal parts of
something

2.  ordinal
number corresponding to 10: the ordinal number assigned
to item number 10 in a series

3.  MUSIC musical
interval:
an interval equal to an octave plus a third
[Old
English teogoþa, tēoþa, from an earlier form of ten]
—tenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



tentstitch

tentstitch
tent
stitch
noun

type of needlepoint stitch:
a type of short parallel diagonal stitch used to fill in an area in needlepoint
or embroidery, or a single stitch of this kind[1]



tenuis

tenuis
ten·u·is 
[ténnyoo iss] (plural ten·u·es
[ténnyoo z]) noun

LINGUISTICS voiceless
consonant:
a voiceless stop consonant in classical Greek grammar
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin, “thin, fine,” a translation of Greek psilon “bare, smooth.”][1]



tenuous

tenuous
ten·u·ous 
[ténnyoo əss] adjective

1.  weak
and unconvincing: not based on anything significant or
substantial, and so liable to break down easily when challenged • That’s
an extremely tenuous argument.

2.  extremely
delicate and fine: thin and fine and so easily
broken (literary)

3.  SCIENCE diluted:
thin or diluted in consistency
[Late
16th century. Formed by alteration from Latin tenuis (see tenuis ).]
—te·nu·i·ty
[te n itee], noun

—ten·u·ous·ly
[ténnyoo əsslee], adverb

—ten·u·ous·ness [ténnyoo əssnəss], noun[1]



tenure

tenure
ten·ure 
[ténnyər] noun

1.  appointment
or period of appointment: the occupation of an
official position, or the length of time a position is occupied (formal)
• her
tenure as president

2.  property-holding:
the rights of a tenant to hold property, or the holding of property as a tenant

3.  EDUCATION HUMAN RESOURCES permanent
status:
the position of having a formal secure appointment until retirement, especially
at an educational institution after working on a temporary or provisional basis
[15th century. Via Old French
“tenure, estate,” from, ultimately, Latin tenere “to hold.”][1]



tenured

tenured
ten·ured 
[ténnyərd] adjective

1.  HUMAN RESOURCES permanently
held:
formally granted to somebody to possess or occupy until retirement, especially
in an educational institution • a
tenured position at a good university

2.  EDUCATION having
permanent status: formally granted the right to hold an
academic job until retirement • She’s
a tenured professor.

3.  LAW having
tenure:
subject to a guaranteed period of time during which rights cannot be withdrawn

[1]



tenure-track

tenure-track
ten·ure-track
adjective

possibly leading to tenure:
guaranteed consideration for tenure in the U.S. and Canadian system of academic
employment • offered
a tenure-track position at the university[1]



tenuto

tenuto
te·nu·to 
[tay ntō, tə
ntō] adverb adjective

held:
indicating that a musical note should be held for its full value (used as a
musical direction)
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian, the past participle of tenere, “to hold,” from Latin, “to
hold.”][1]



teocalli

teocalli
te·o·cal·li 
[t ə kállee, tày
ə klee] (plural te·o·cal·lis) noun

Mexican
temple or mound: a temple in ancient Mexico or Central
America, or the pyramidal mound on which one was built
[Early 17th century. Via
American Spanish from Nahuatl teokalli, literally “deity’s house.”][1]



teosinte

teosinte
te·o·sin·te 
[tày ō síntee, t
ə síntee] noun

tall
Central American annual grass: a tall annual grass of
Mexico and Central America, related to, and perhaps the ancestor of, corn, and
grown as forage. Latin name: Zea mexicana
[Late 19th century. Via
French téosinté from Nahuatl teocintli, perhaps literally “dried
corn ear of a deity.”][1]



tepa

tepa
te·pa 
[tpə] noun

crystalline
chemical:
a crystalline compound used in the sterilization of insects, treatment of some
cancers, and fireproofing of textiles. C6H12N3OP
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from tri- + ethylene
+ phosph- + amide
.][1]



tepal

tepal
te·pal 
[tp’l, tépp’l]
(plural te·pals) noun

flower
part:
any of the parts that form the outer whorl ( perianth
) of flowers such as in the tulip, in which there is no differentiation into
petals and sepals
[Mid-19th century. From
French, a blend of sépale “sepal,” and pétale “petal.”][1]



teparybean

teparybean
tep·a·ry
bean 
[téppəree bn] (plural tep·a·ry
beans) noun

annual
bean of southwestern U.S.: an annual twining bean of
the southwestern United States and Mexico, grown for its round edible seeds.
Latin name: Phaseolus acutifolius latifolius
[Tepary of unknown origin][1]



tepee

tepee

te·pee
[t p] (plural te·pees) or
tee·pee [t p] (plural tee·pees)
or ti·pi [t p] (plural
ti·pees) noun
Native
N American tent dwelling: a conical tent built around
several long branches or wooden poles that meet and cross at the top. A tepee
is traditionally made of animal hide and used as a dwelling by Plains Indians
and some other Native North American people.
[Mid-18th century. From Sioux
típi “dwelling.”][1]



tephra

tephra
teph·ra 
[téffrə] noun

volcanic
fragments:
solid material ejected explosively from a volcano, for example, ash, dust, and
boulders
[Mid-20th century. From
Greek, “ashes.”][1]



tepid

tepid
tep·id 
[téppid] adjective

1.  lukewarm:
slightly warm

2.  unenthusiastic:
showing little enthusiasm or warmth • tepid
applause
[14th
century. From Latin tepidus, from tepere, “to be warm.”]
—te·pid·i·ty
[tə píddətee], noun

—tep·id·ly
[téppidlee], adverb

—tep·id·ness [téppidnəss], noun[1]



TEPP

TEPP
TEPP 
[tep] noun

compound used as insecticide
and medically: a crystalline compound
used as an insecticide and in medicine as a stimulant of the parasympathetic
nervous system. C8H20O7P2 Full
form tetraethyl pyrophosphate[1]



tequila

tequila
te·qui·la 
[tə klə] (plural te·qui·las) noun

Mexican
alcoholic drink: a strong Mexican liquor made by
redistilling the fermented juice of the agave plant ( mescal
). It is drunk neat or used as a base for cocktails.
[Mid-19th century. From
Mexican Spanish, named for Tequila, a town in Central Mexico where the
drink is produced.][1]



tequilasunrise

tequilasunrise
te·qui·la
sun·rise
noun

alcoholic mixed drink:
a cocktail based on tequila that also contains orange juice and grenadine[1]



ter-

ter-
ter-
prefix

three,
threefold • terpolymer
[From Latin ter “three
times.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “three.”][1]



Ter.

Ter.
Ter.

(used in street names and
addresses)Abbreviation of Terrace[1]



ter.

ter.
ter.

1.  Abbreviation
of
territory

2.  Abbreviation
of
territorial

3.  Abbreviation
of
terrace

[1]



tera-

tera-
tera-
prefix

1.  one
trillion:
one trillion (10 12 ).
Symbol T

2.  a
binary trillion • terabyte
[Formed from Greek teras
“monster”][1]



terabyte

terabyte
ter·a·byte 
[térrə bt] (plural ter·a·bytes)
noun

one trillion bytes:
an information unit of one trillion bytes[1]



teraflop

teraflop
ter·a·flop
[térrə flòp] (plural ter·a·flops)
noun

measure
of computer speed: one trillion floating-point
operations per second, a measure of computer speed
[Late 20th century. Coined
from tera- and an acronym formed from
floating-point operations per second .][1]



terahertz

terahertz
ter·a·hertz 
[térrə hùrts] (plural ter·a·hertz)
noun

one trillion hertz:
a unit of frequency equal to one trillion hertz[1]



terai

terai
te·rai 
[tə r] (plural t·rais) or
te·rai hat [tə r] (plural te·rai
hats) noun

subtropical
sunhat:
a wide-brimmed felt hat with a double crown, once widely worn in the subtropics
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Tarāi region of the Himalayas, where such a hat would have been
worn.][1]



teraph

teraph
ter·aph 
[térrəf] (plural ter·a·phim [térrəfìm]) noun

ancient
household god: an image or idol worshiped by ancient
Semitic peoples
[Early 19th century.
Back-formation from 14th century teraphim, via late Latin theraphim and
Greek theraphin from Hebrew térāpīm .][1]



terato-

terato-
terato-
prefix

1.  malformed,
grotesque • teratogen

2.  tumor
• teratoma
[From Greek terat-,
the stem of teras “monster”][1]



teratocarcinoma

teratocarcinoma
ter·a·to·car·ci·no·ma 
[tèrrə tō krs’n ṓmə] (plural ter·a·to·car·ci·no·mas
or ter·a·to·car·ci·no·ma·ta [tèrrə tō
krs’n ṓmətə]) noun

malignant tumor:
a malignant teratoma, most often occurring in the testes[1]



teratogen

teratogen
te·rat·o·gen 
[tə ráttəjən, térrətəjən]
(plural te·rat·o·gens) noun

agent
affecting embryo or fetus: an agent, for example, a
chemical, virus, or ionizing radiation, that interrupts or alters the normal
development of a fetus, with results that are evident at birth
—ter·a·to·gen·ic [tèrrətə jénnik], adjective[1]



teratogenesis

teratogenesis
ter·a·to·gen·e·sis 
[tèrrətə jénnəssiss] noun

production of adverse effects
on fetus: the process of interrupting
or altering normal development, especially of a fetus, with results that are
evident at birth[1]



teratoid

teratoid
ter·a·toid 
[térrə tòyd] adjective

affected by developmental
condition: affected by a visible
condition caused by the interruption or alteration of normal development[1]



teratology

teratology
ter·a·tol·o·gy 
[tèrrə tólləjee] noun

scientific
study of physical conditions: the scientific study of
visible conditions caused by the interruption or alteration of normal
development
—ter·a·to·log·ic
[tèrrətə lójjik], adjective

—ter·a·tol·o·gist [tèrrə tólləjist], noun[1]



teratoma

teratoma
ter·a·to·ma 
[tèrrə tṓmə] (plural ter·a·to·mas)
noun

tumor:
a tumor composed of various tissues, for example, bone, hair, and teeth, not
normally found together at the site of origin, and probably derived from
embryonic remnants. They most often occur in the ovary, where they are benign,
and in the testis, where they are malignant.
—ter·a·to·ma·tous [tèrrə tṓmətəss], adjective[1]



terbium

terbium

ter·bi·um 
[túrbee əm] noun
silvery
gray metallic element: a silvery gray metallic
chemical element of the rare-earth group that is used in lasers and X-ray and
television tubes. Symbol Tb
[Mid-19th
century. Named for Ytterby, the village in Sweden where it was
discovered.]
—ter·bic, adjective[1]



terce

terce
terce 
[turs] noun

third
time for prayer: in the Roman Catholic Church, the third
of the seven prayer times ( canonical hours
) when specific prayers are said.
Also
called
tierce
[14th century. Via Old
French, a variant of tierce (see tierce
).][1]



Terceira

Terceira
Ter·cei·ra 
[tər sáyrə, tər
srə]

the second largest island in
the Azores archipelago, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Population: 55,800 (1987)
Area: 397 sq km/153 sq mi.[1]



tercel

tercel
ter·cel 
[túrs’l] (plural ter·cels or
ter·cel) or tier·cel [trs’l]
(plural tier·cels or tier·cel) noun

male
falcon:
a male falcon or hawk used in falconry
[14th century. Via Old French
terçuel from, ultimately, Latin tertius “third,” because it is
about a third smaller than the female, or from the belief that the third egg
hatched was male.][1]



tercentenary

tercentenary
ter·cen·ten·a·ry 
[tùrs’n ténnəree, tùr
séntə nèrree] or ter·cen·ten·ni·al [tùrs’n ténnee əl] noun (plural ter·cen·ten·a·ries)
(plural ter·cen·ten·ni·als)

300th
anniversary: a year, or an exact day, 300 years after
a specific thing happened, usually something of special historic significance.
Also
called
tricentary
Also
called
tricentennial
adjective

marking
300 years since something happened:
coinciding with the 300th anniversary of a particular event, and often
celebrating or commemorating this
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin ter “three times”+ centenary
or centennial .][1]



tercet

tercet
ter·cet 
[túrsət] (plural ter·cets) noun

group
of three lines of verse: a group of three lines of
verse that rhyme with each other or with another group of three
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian terzetto, from, ultimately, Latin tertius
“third.”][1]



terebinth

terebinth
ter·e·binth 
[térrə bìnth] (plural ter·e·binths
or ter·e·binth) noun

small
Mediterranean tree: a small Mediterranean tree
of the cashew family that has clusters of small flowers and yields a
turpentine. Latin name: Pistacia terebinthus
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French t(h)erebinte from Latin terebinthus, from Greek terebinthos
.][1]



terebinthine

terebinthine
ter·e·bin·thine 
[tèrrə bínthin, tèrrə
bín thn] adjective

1.  BOTANY of
terebinth tree: relating to the terebinth tree

2.  CHEMISTRY like
turpentine:
like or consisting of turpentine
[Early 16th century. From
Latin terebinthinus, from terebinthus (see terebinth ).][1]



teredo

teredo
te·re·do 
[tə r dō, tə
ráy dō] (plural te·re·dos or te·re·do) noun

MARINE BIOLOGY See
shipworm
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek terēdōn, from the base of teirein “to rub hard, wear away,
bore.”][1]



Terence

Terence
Ter·ence 
[térrənss] (185 BC–159 BC)

Roman
playwright. His six surviving comedies, based on Greek originals, are
forerunners of the modern comedy of manners.
Full name
Publius Terentius Afer[1]



Teresa(of Calcutta), Mother

Teresa(of Calcutta), Mother

Te·re·sa
(of Calcutta) [tə rssə əv
kal kúttər], Mother (1910–1997)
Albanian-born
nun. From 1948 she devoted her life to helping the poor and the sick of
Calcutta. She founded the Missionaries of Charity (1950) and opened a shelter
for dying people (1952).
Real name
Bojaxhiu, Agnes Gonxha[1]



Tereshkova,Valentina

Tereshkova,Valentina

Te·resh·ko·va
[tə resh kṓvə], Valentina (1937– )
Soviet cosmonaut. She was the first woman
to fly in space (June 16–19, 1963).[1]



terete

terete
te·rete 
[tə rt] adjective

smooth,
cylindrical, and tapering: used to describe a plant
part that is smooth, cylindrical, and tapering, for example, a grass stem
[Early 17th century. From
Latin teret-, the stem of teres “rounded.”][1]



terga

terga
ter·ga


Plural of
tergum[1]



tergiversate

tergiversate
ter·giv·er·sate 
[tər jívvər sàyt, túrjivər
sàyt, tùrji vúr sàyt] (past ter·giv·er·sat·ed,
past participle ter·giv·er·sat·ed, present participle ter·giv·er·sat·ing,
3rd person present singular ter·giv·er·sates) intransitive
verb (formal)

1.  change
sides:
to change sides or opinions

2.  be
evasive:
to use evasions or subterfuges
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin tergiversare “to turn your back,” from tergum
“back” + vertere “to turn.”]
—ter·gi·ver·sant
[tùrji vúrs’nt, tər
jívvərs’nt], noun

—ter·gi·ver·sa·tor
[tər jívvər sàytər, túrjivər
sàytər, tùrji vúr sàytər], noun

—ter·gi·ver·sa·tor·y [tùr ji vúrsə tàwree, tər
jívvərsə tàwree], adjective[1]



tergum

tergum
ter·gum 
[túrgəm] (plural ter·ga [túrgə]) noun

plate
covering arthropod body segment: a thick plate covering
the dorsal surface of a body segment of an arthropod, or the movable segments
of a barnacle’s shell
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “back.”]
—ter·gal, adjective[1]



teriyaki

teriyaki
ter·i·ya·ki 
[tèrree ykee] noun

Japanese
food:
a Japanese dish consisting of broiled shellfish or meat brushed with a marinade
of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “glaze grill.”][1]



term

term
term 
[turm] noun (plural terms)

1.  name
or word for something: a particular word or
combination of words, especially one used to mean something very specific or
one used in a specialized area of knowledge or work • The
correct legal term is “easement.”

2.  period
of time something lasts: the length of time that
something lasts, with a fixed or specified beginning and end, often a period
during which somebody holds a specific appointment or office (formal)

3.  period
of time body continues meeting: a length of time over
which a political or legal body, for example, a legislature or court of law,
regularly assembles and carries out its formal duties

4.  EDUCATION division
of academic year: one of the sections of the academic year
during which students attend a school, college, or university and receive
regular instruction

5.  GYNECOLOGY expected
time for birth of child: the time at the end of a
woman’s pregnancy when the baby is expected to be born • came
to term

6.  LOGIC subject
or predicate of proposition: in traditional Aristotelian
logic, the subject or the predicate of a categorical proposition

7.  LOGIC name
or individual variable: in modern logic, a name or
individual variable

8.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
expression:
a mathematical expression that forms part of a fraction or proportion, is part
of a series, or is associated with another by a plus or minus sign

9.  SCULPTURE sculptured
pillar:
a sculptured pillar, especially one with an armless bust, or an animal
portrait, on top of a square post.
Also
called
terminus

10. LAW estate
running for limited period: an estate limited to a
prescribed period
plural
noun
terms

1.  way
people get along together: the treatment given by one
person, nation, or power to another, or the opinions or attitudes they have or
express toward each other • on
good terms with the neighbors

2.  parts
that make up an agreement: the particular requirements
laid down formally in an agreement or contract, or proposed by one side when
negotiating an agreement.
Also
called
conditions

3.  language:
the words that somebody uses, or specifically chooses to use, when speaking or
writing
transitive
verb
(past termed, past participle termed, present
participle term·ing, 3rd person present singular terms)

use a particular word for something:
to describe or refer to something using a particular name or expression • His
followers were termed “Roundheads.”
[13th
century. Via French terme “limit of time or space” (the original sense
in English ), from Latin terminus (see terminus
).]
come
to terms (with something)

to
reach a state of acceptance or agreement about something

in
terms of something

in
relation to something

not
be on speaking terms (with somebody)

to have had a quarrel or
disagreement with somebody, so that neither will speak to the other[1]



term.

term.
term.

1.  Abbreviation
of
termination

2.  Abbreviation
of
terminal

[1]



termagant

termagant
ter·ma·gant 
[túrməgənt] (plural ter·ma·gants)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s temperament and supposed
propensity for arguing, criticizing, and quarreling (literary)
[13th
century. Via Old French Tervagant, the name of an overbearing
non-Christian deity in medieval mystery plays (the original sense in English ),
from Italian Trivigante .]
—ter·ma·gan·cy, noun[1]



-termer

-termer
-termer
[túrmər] (plural -termers) suffix

somebody who is serving a
particular term as a political appointee or in a prison • a
second-termer[1]



terminable

terminable
ter·mi·na·ble 
[túrmənəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of termination: able to be terminated (formal) • The
contract is terminable at any time.

2.  INSURANCE with
a fixed end point: ending or capable of being
ended after a certain period or on a particular date • a
terminable annuity
[15th
century. Formed from earlier termine “to terminate,” via French terminer
from Latin terminare .]
—ter·mi·na·bil·i·ty
[tùrmənə bíllətee], noun

—ter·mi·na·bly [túrmənəblee], adverb[1]



terminal

terminal
ter·mi·nal 
[túrmən’l] adjective

1.  causing
death:
inevitably, but often gradually, leading to the death of the person affected by
the condition • a terminal illness

2.  dying:
affected by a fatal illness or condition that is approaching its final stages

3.  relating
to dying patients: for or concerned with
patients with a terminal condition • terminal
care

4.  at
the very end: forming or found at the extreme point or
limit of something, or relating to the very end of something • the
terminal moraine of the glacier

5.  ending
a series:
constituting the end of a series of things • the
terminal performance of the Mostly Mozart concerts

6.  of
fixed duration: lasting for a certain period or term (formal)

7.  BOTANY at end
of stem:
at the end of a stem, stalk, or branch
noun
(plural ter·mi·nals)

1.  end
part:
a section or point that forms the end of something

2.  TRANSPORT station
at end of transportation route: a building or complex
containing facilities needed by transportation operators and passengers at
either end of a travel or shipping route by air, rail, road, or sea

3.  ELECTRICITY electrical
conductor:
a conductor attached at the point where electricity enters or leaves a circuit,
for example, on a battery

4.  COMPUTING device
linked to computer: a remote input or output
device linked to a computer, or a combination of such devices, for example, a
keyboard and video display

5.  TRANSPORT See terminus  noun 1

6.  ARCHITECTURE ornamental
carving:
an ornamental carving or figure at the end of a larger structure
[15th
century. From Latin terminalis, from terminus “end, boundary,
limit.”]
—ter·mi·nal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deadly

[1]



terminalvelocity

terminalvelocity
ter·mi·nal
ve·loc·i·ty
noun

final constant speed of
falling object: the constant speed that
a falling object reaches when the downward gravitational force equals the
frictional resistance of the medium through which it is falling, usually air.
This is the maximum speed that a freely falling body can reach under particular
conditions.[1]



terminate

terminate
ter·mi·nate 
[túrmə nàyt] (past ter·mi·nat·ed,
past participle ter·mi·nat·ed, present participle ter·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular ter·mi·nates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb finish:
to come to an end, or bring something to an end (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
fire
somebody:
to discontinue somebody’s or a group’s employment • He
was terminated after 20 years on the job.
[Late
16th century. From Latin terminare, from terminus “end, boundary,
limit.”]
—ter·mi·na·tive,
adjective

—ter·mi·na·tor·y [túrmənə tàwree], adjective[1]



terminatingdecimal

terminatingdecimal
ter·mi·nat·ing
dec·i·mal
noun

decimal fraction:
a decimal fraction with a finite number of digits[1]



termination

termination
ter·mi·na·tion 
[tùrmə náysh’n] (plural ter·mi·na·tions)
noun

1.  ending
of something: the process of bringing something to an
end or of being brought to an end, or an individual example of this (formal)

2.  LINGUISTICS word
ending:
a word ending such as a suffix or an inflection

3.  tip
or edge:
something that forms the end or final limit of something (formal)

4.  final
outcome:
something that happens or is produced as a result of something else (formal)
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin, from terminare (see terminate ).]
—ter·mi·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



terminator

terminator
ter·mi·na·tor 
[túrmə nàytər] (plural ter·mi·na·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
who or something that terminates something:
somebody who or something that puts an end to something (formal)

2.  ASTRONOMY line
between moon’s light and dark: the boundary between
the part of the moon or a planet that is illuminated and that which is dark

[1]



terminatorgene

terminatorgene
ter·min·a·tor
gene
(plural ter·min·a·tor genes) noun

gene preventing seed
production: a gene inserted into
genetically modified plants that makes them unable to produce seed after one
season[1]



terminology

terminology
ter·mi·nol·o·gy 
[tùrmə nólləjee] (plural ter·mi·nol·o·gies)
noun

1.  specialized
vocabulary:
the expressions and words, or a set of expressions and words, used by people
involved in a specialized activity or field of work

2.  LINGUISTICS study
of names and terms: the systematic study of
names and terms
[Early
19th century. Via German Terminologie, from medieval Latin terminus
“term.”]
—ter·mi·no·log·i·cal
[tùrminə lójjək’l], adjective

—ter·mi·no·log·i·cal·ly
[tùrmənə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ter·mi·nol·o·gist [tùrmə nólləjist], noun[1]



terminsurance

terminsurance
term
in·sur·ance
noun

type of life insurance:
life insurance that pays a sum of money only if the person who is covered has a
loss within a particular period of time[1]



terminus

terminus
ter·mi·nus 
[túrmənəss] (plural ter·mi·ni
[túrmə n] or ter·mi·nus·es) noun

1.  TRANSPORT place
where transportation route ends: a town, city, or
location at the end or beginning of a fixed transport route such as a railroad
or bus route.
Also
called
terminal

2.  very
last point:
a point where something stops or reaches its end

3.  SCULPTURE See term
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
“end, boundary, limit.”][1]



terminusad quem

terminusad quem
ter·mi·nus
ad quem
[tùrmənəss ad kwém] noun

aim:
the aim or finishing point of something
[From Latin, literally “end
to which”][1]



terminusa quo

terminusa quo
ter·mi·nus
a quo
[tùrmənəss aa kwṓ] noun

beginning:
the starting point of something
[From Latin, literally “end
from which”][1]



termitarium

termitarium
ter·mi·tar·i·um 
[tùrmə térree əm] (plural ter·mi·tar·i·a
[tùrmə térree ə]) noun

termites’
nest:
a nest, sometimes extremely large, made by a group of termites
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from termite + -arium
.][1]



termite

termite
ter·mite 
[túr mt] (plural ter·mites) noun

light-colored
social insect: a light-colored social insect that forms
large colonies. Many species live in warm or tropical regions, feed on wood,
and are highly destructive to trees and wooden structures. Order: Isoptera
Also
called
white ant
[Late
18th century. From Latin termit-, the stem of termes “woodworm,”
an alteration of tarmes, perhaps influenced by terere “to rub.”]
—ter·mit·ic [tər míttik], adjective[1]



termless

termless
term·less 
[túrmləss] adjective

1.  endless:
having no end or limit (literary)

2.  unconditional:
not depending on any particular terms and conditions (formal)

[1]



termpaper

termpaper
term
pa·per
noun

essay:
a long essay required of a student during an academic term[1]



tern

tern2
tern2 [túrn]
(plural terns) noun

1.  GAMBLING group
of three:
a set of three things, especially three numbers that together form a winning
combination in a lottery or other gambling game

2.  NAUTICAL three-masted
schooner:
a schooner with three masts
[14th century. Via French terne
from Latin terni “three each.”][1]



tern

tern1


tern1 [túrn]
(plural terns or tern) noun
seabird
related to gull: a seabird, typically black and white,
related to the gulls but with a more slender body and wings, a pointed bill,
and a forked tail. Subfamily: Sterninae
[Late 17th century. From
Scandinavian .][1]



ternary

ternary
ter·na·ry 
[túrnəree] (plural ter·na·ries)
adjective

1.  threefold:
consisting of three things or parts, or arranged in groups of three (formal)
• ternary
form

2.  MATHEMATICS with
a base of three: used to describe a number system, or a
number belonging to it, that has three as its base • a
ternary logarithm

3.  MATHEMATICS with
three variables: involving or having three variables

4.  METALLURGY with
three components: used to describe an alloy that consists
of three components

5.  CHEMISTRY with
three atoms or molecules: used to describe a chemical
compound that consists of three active elements, for example, three atoms,
molecules, or radicals
[15th century. From Latin ternarius,
from terni, “three at a time,” from ter “three times.”][1]



ternarysystem

ternarysystem
ter·na·ry
sys·tem
or ternary number system noun

number system to base 3:
the number system that has 3 as its base. Decimal numbers are expressed as
sequences of the digits 0, 1, and 2.[1]



ternate

ternate
ter·nate 
[túr nàyt, túrnət]
adjective

divided
in three:
used to describe a compound leaf that is divided into three more or less equal
parts
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin ternatus, from medieval Latin, the past
participle of ternare “to make threefold.”]
—ter·nate·ly, adverb[1]



terne

terne
terne 
[turn] noun

1.  metal
alloy:
an alloy of lead and tin with antimony, used as a coating

2.  See
terneplate
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from French, “dull, tarnished.”][1]



terneplate

terneplate
terne·plate 
[túrn plàyt] noun

metal plate coated with
terne: a steel or iron plate coated
with terne.
Also called
terne[1]



Terni

Terni
Ter·ni 
[túrnee]

capital of Terni Province,
Umbria Region, central Italy. Population: 108,150 (1992)[1]



terpene

terpene
ter·pene 
[túr pn] (plural ter·penes) noun

chemical
from essential oils: any of a class of
hydrocarbons obtained from the essential oils of plants such as conifers and
used in organic synthesis. C10H16
[Late
19th century. Formed from German Terpentin “turpentine.”]
—ter·pe·nic [tur pnik], adjective[1]



terpineol

terpineol
ter·pin·e·ol 
[tur pínnee àwl] (plural ter·pin·e·ols)
noun

type
of alcohol:
a combustible colorless derivative of pine oil, usually found as one of three
isomers with a lilac or hyacinth aroma, used in flavorings and perfumes, and as
a solvent. C10H17OH
[Late 19th century. Coined
from earlier terpin, from terpene .][1]



terpolymer

terpolymer
ter·pol·y·mer 
[tur pólləmər] (plural ter·pol·y·mers)
noun

type
of polymer:
a polymer consisting of three monomers
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Latin ter “three times” + polymer
.][1]



Terpsichore

Terpsichore
Terp·sich·o·re 
[turp síkəree] noun

Greek muse:
the Muse of choral songs and dance in Greek mythology[1]



terpsichoreal

terpsichoreal
terp·si·cho·real
[tùrp sìkə r əl, tùrpsəkə
r əl] adjective

(formal humorous) See
terpsichorean  adjective[1]



terpsichorean

terpsichorean
terp·si·cho·re·an 
[tùrp sìkə r ən, tùrpsəkə
r ən] adjective

relating
to dance:
relating to or like dance (formal humorous)
noun
(plural terp·si·cho·re·ans)

dancer:
a dancer (formal humorous)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek Terpsikhorē, literally “delighting in dance,” from terpein
“delight” + khoros “dance.”][1]



terr.

terr.
terr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
territory

2.  Abbreviation
of
territorial

3.  Abbreviation
of
terrace

[1]



terra

terra
ter·ra 
[térrə] (plural ter·rae [térree]) noun

highland
area of moon or planet: any of the light-colored
highland or mountainous areas of the moon or of a planet
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Italian from Latin, “earth, land.”][1]



terraalba

terraalba
ter·ra
al·ba 
[tèrrə álbə] noun

white
substance:
a white substance such as kaolin or gypsum, used in the making of paints and
paper
[From Latin, literally “white
earth”][1]



terrace

terrace
ter·race 
[térrəss] noun (plural ter·rac·es)

1.  balcony:
a level outdoor surface that extends from one of the upper floors of an
apartment or house

2.  ARCHITECTURE porch
or walkway with pillars: a promenade or portico,
usually with columns or a balustrade along the side or sides

3.  AGRICULTURE strip
of agricultural land on hillside: a flat, fairly narrow,
level strip of ground, bounded by a vertical or steep slope and constructed on
a hillside so that the land can be cultivated

4.  GEOGRAPHY area
of natural ground along coast: a flat raised strip of
beach or ground that has been formed naturally along the coast, beside a river
or lake, or along the side of a valley by erosion or the changing sea level

5.  row
of identical houses joined together: a
long row of houses built together in the same style, separated only by shared
dividing side walls

6.  CIVIL ENGINEERING constructed
bank of ground: a raised bank of ground, artificially
constructed

7.  rooftop
patio:
a flat roof used as living space

8.  flat
area beside a building: a paved or grassy area
immediately outside and on a level with a building, used for sitting or eating
outdoors

9.  buildings
set on raised ground: a row of houses facing down
from a raised position on or along the top of a piece of sloping ground, or
built on a raised bank of ground

10. street
set on a hill: a street constructed along a piece of
raised or sloping ground
transitive
verb
(past ter·raced, past participle ter·raced, present
participle ter·rac·ing, 3rd person present singular ter·rac·es)

form terrace on land:
to convert land into a terrace or terraces
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French, “rubble, platform” from, ultimately, Latin terra (see terra ).][1]



terracedhouse

terracedhouse
ter·raced
house
or ter·race house noun

U.K.
See row house[1]



terracing

terracing
ter·rac·ing
[térrəssing] noun

1.  strips
of agricultural land in steps: a series of level,
fairly narrow strips of ground constructed on a hillside that would otherwise
be too steep for cultivation

2.  making
of terraces: the act or process of creating a terrace
or terraces

[1]



terracotta

terracotta

ter·ra
cot·ta 
[tèrrə kóttə] (plural ter·ra
cot·tas) noun

1.  CERAMICS reddish-brown
pottery clay: unglazed reddish-brown hard-baked clay,
often used to make pottery objects

2.  CRAFT something
made of terra cotta: a work of art or craft
modeled in terra cotta, or terra cotta items generally

3.  COLORS brownish-red
color:
a brownish-red color, like that of terra cotta
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “baked earth.”][1]



terra-cotta

terra-cotta
ter·ra-cot·ta
adjective

of a brownish-red color:
of a brownish-red color, like terra cotta[1]



terrae

terrae
ter·rae 
or ter·rae in·cog·ni·tae

Plural of
terra Plural of terra incognita[1]



terrafirma

terrafirma
ter·ra
fir·ma 
[tèrrə fúrmə] noun

dry
land:
solid ground, in contrast to water or air
[From Latin, literally “firm
land”][1]



terrain

terrain
ter·rain 
[tə ráyn] (plural ter·rains or
ter·rain) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY MILITARY land
or countryside: ground or a piece of land seen in terms
of its surface features or general physical character, especially when crossing
it or using it for military purposes

2.  GEOLOGY See terrane
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin terrenum “land, ground,” from terrenus
“of the earth,” from terra (see terra
).][1]



terraincognita

terraincognita
ter·ra
in·cog·ni·ta  [tèrrə in
kog ntə, tèrrə in kógnitə] (plural
ter·rae in·cog·ni·tae [tèrree in kog ntee,
tèrree in kógnitee]) noun

1.  unexplored
region:
a country or region that is unknown or has not been explored

2.  unexplored
subject:
a subject or area of knowledge that has not been explored and about which
nothing is known
[From Latin, “unknown land”][1]



Terramycin

Terramycin
Ter·ra·my·cin 
[tèrrə mss’n] Trademark

a trademark for
oxytetracycline[1]



terrane

terrane
ter·rane
[tə ráyn, té
ràyn] (plural ter·ranes) noun

distinct
section of Earth’s crust: a section of the Earth’s
crust that is defined by clear fault boundaries, with stratigraphic and
structural properties that distinguish it from adjacent rocks.
Also
called
terrain
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin terrenus, from terra “earth.”][1]



TerraNova National Park

TerraNova National Park
Ter·ra
No·va Na·tion·al Park [tèrrə
nṓvə nash’nəl paark]

national park and wildlife
preserve on eastern Newfoundland Island, Canada. Area: 400 sq km/154 sq mi.[1]



terranullius

terranullius
ter·ra
nul·li·us 
[tèrrə nə l əss, tèrrə
nlee əss] noun

concept of unowned land:
in Australia, the idea and legal concept that when the first Europeans arrived
in Australia the land was owned by no one and therefore open to settlement. It
has been judged not to be legally valid.[1]



terrapin

terrapin
ter·ra·pin 
[térrəpin] (plural ter·ra·pins
or ter·ra·pin) noun

1.  N
American turtle: a moderate-sized turtle found in
brackish water in eastern North America. Numbers have been severely reduced by
overharvesting. Latin name: Malaclemys terrapin

2.  small
freshwater turtle: a turtle with four webbed
feet, a shell like that of a tortoise, and a retractable head. They are usually
smaller than tortoises, live in fresh water and on land, and are carnivorous.
Family: Emydidae

3.  tortoise:
a tortoise (regional)
[Early
17th century. Formed from an alteration of an Algonquian word, perhaps torope,
+ -in, of unknown origin.]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Terrapin
  in the sense “tortoise” is a common term throughout the Middle Atlantic and
  Southern states. A variant is dry-land terrapin.

[1]



terraqueous

terraqueous
ter·ra·que·ous 
[te ráykwee əss, te
rákwee əss] adjective

made
up of land and water: consisting of areas of water
and areas of dry land (archaic or literary)
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from Latin terra “earth” + aqueous .][1]



terrarium

terrarium
ter·rar·i·um 
[tə ráiree əm] (plural ter·rar·i·ums
or ter·rar·i·a [tə ráiree ə]) noun

1.  enclosure
for small animals: an enclosure that is used
for keeping or observing small land animals such as lizards in a simulated
natural environment

2.  container
for plants:
a sealed glass container often in the shape of a globe that is used for growing
ornamental plants that require a high level of humidity
[Late 19th century. From
medieval Latin, from Latin terra “earth” (modeled on aquarium ), because it was designed for land
animals.][1]



terrazzo

terrazzo
ter·raz·zo 
[tə rázzō, te
rtsō] noun

mosaic-effect
floor covering: a type of mosaic used as a floor or wall
covering that is made by laying marble or stone chips in mortar and grinding
them to a polished level surface
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, “terrace,” of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old Provençal terrassa
.][1]



TerreHaute

TerreHaute
Ter·re
Haute 
[tèrrə hṓt]

city in western Indiana, on
the eastern bank of the Wabash River, northwest of Bloomington and southwest of
Indianapolis. Population: 54,585 (1996)[1]



terrene

terrene
ter·rene 
[te rn, tə rn]
adjective (archaic or literary)

1.  worldly
or earthly:
worldly or earthly as opposed to heavenly or spiritual

2.  earthy:
consisting of or like earth
noun

land: a
land or territory, or the entire earth (archaic or literary)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, Latin terra “earth.”]
—ter·rene·ly, adverb[1]



terreplein

terreplein
ter·re·plein 
[térrə plàyn] (plural ter·re·pleins)
noun

embankment
on which guns are positioned: a raised embankment or
platform behind a parapet where heavy guns are positioned
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Italian terrapienare “to fill with earth,” from
terra “earth” + pieno “full” (from Latin plenus ).][1]



terrestrial

terrestrial
ter·res·tri·al 
[tə réstree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to Earth:
relating to Earth rather than other planets

2.  belonging
to the land: belonging to the land rather than the
sea or air

3.  BIOLOGY living
or growing on land: living or growing on land
rather than in the sea or the air

4.  BROADCASTING broadcast
by a land-based transmitter: broadcast by a land-based
transmitter rather than by satellite

5.  worldly
or mundane:
worldly or mundane as opposed to heavenly
noun
(plural ter·res·tri·als)

dweller on planet Earth:
a person or creature who lives on the Earth, especially in science fiction
[14th
century. Formed from Latin terrestris, from terra “earth” (source
of English terrier ).]
—ter·res·tri·al·ly,
adverb

—ter·res·tri·al·ness, noun[1]



terrestrialguidance

terrestrialguidance
ter·res·tri·al
guid·ance
noun

missile guidance system:
a missile or rocket guidance system in which the missile is given precise
details of its flight path, enabling it to follow a predetermined route. Data
given include gravitational field, magnetic field, and atmospheric pressure.
See also
inertial guidance
Also called
terrestrial reference guidance[1]



terrestrialplanet

terrestrialplanet
ter·res·tri·al
plan·et
(plural ter·res·tri·al plan·ets) noun

any of four planets nearest
Sun: any of the four planets,
Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Earth, that are nearest the Sun and are similar in
density and composition[1]



terrestrialradiation

terrestrialradiation
ter·res·tri·al
ra·di·a·tion noun

radiation originating from
earth at night: electromagnetic
radiation in the form of heat emitted by the earth as it cools down at night,
especially when the air is dry and there are no clouds[1]



terrestrialtelescope

terrestrialtelescope
ter·res·tri·al
tel·e·scope
(plural ter·res·tri·al tel·e·scopes) noun

telescope for viewing objects
on Earth: a telescope used for viewing
objects on Earth rather than in space. It has an objective and a four-lens
eyepiece that give an upright image.[1]



terret

terret
ter·ret 
[térrət] (plural ter·rets) noun

1.  metal
ring attached to harness pad: either of two metal rings
attached to the driving harness of a horse, through which the reins are passed
to prevent them from slipping around the horse’s flanks

2.  metal
ring on dog’s collar: a metal ring on a dog’s
collar to which a leash can be attached
[Late 15th century. From Old
French toret “little ring,” from tour (see tour ).][1]



terreverte

terreverte
terre
verte
[tair vúrt] noun

grayish
green pigment: a grayish green pigment of powdered
glauconite that is used in paints.
Also
called
green earth
[From French, “green earth”][1]



terrible

terrible
ter·ri·ble 
[térrəb’l] adjective

1.  extreme:
very serious or severe • a
terrible cold

2.  very
unpleasant:
very unpleasant or harrowing • The
past few days have been a terrible time.

3.  extremely
low in quality: of a very low standard or quality • My
cooking isn’t that great, but it’s not terrible.

4.  ill
or unhappy:
unwell, or extremely unhappy • You
look terrible. Are you ill?

5.  troubling:
causing considerable fear or anxiety • a
terrible shock • a
terrible sight

6.  formidable:
causing awe or dread • a
terrible responsibility
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin terribilis, from terrere “to
frighten” (source also of English terror
).]
—ter·ri·ble·ness, noun[1]



terribly

terribly
ter·ri·bly
[térrəblee] adverb

1.  extremely:
to an extreme degree • I’m
terribly pleased that you can come.

2.  in
painful way: in a way that is extremely difficult or
painful • affected
terribly by the news

[1]



terricolous

terricolous
ter·ric·o·lous 
[te ríkələss, tə
ríkələss] adjective

soil-dwelling:
living in or on the soil
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin terricola, literally “earth-dweller,” from terra
“earth.”][1]



terrier

terrier
ter·ri·er
[térree ər] (plural ter·ri·ers)
noun

breed
of small dog: any of several types of small lively
dogs that were initially bred to hunt animals living in underground burrows,
but are now common as pets. They include the Airedale, cairn, fox, Scottish,
and West Highland terriers, and the schnauzer.
[15th century. From Old
French (chien) terrier “terrier (dog),” from, ultimately, Latin terra
“earth,” because it pursues animals into their burrows.][1]



terrific

terrific
ter·ri·fic 
[tə ríffik] adjective

1.  very
good:
exceptionally good in a way that inspires enthusiasm (informal)

2.  very
great:
very great in size, force, or degree • terrific
speed

3.  very
frightening: inspiring a sense of terror (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
terrificus “frightening,” from terrere “to frighten.” “Very good”
evolved from “frightening” via “very great” in a way similar to, for example, awful .][1]



terrifically

terrifically
ter·rif·i·cal·ly
[tə ríffikəlee] adverb

extremely:
to a very high degree or very great extent[1]



terrify

terrify
ter·ri·fy 
[térrə f] (past ter·ri·fied, past
participle ter·ri·fied, present participle ter·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ter·ri·fies) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody very frightened: to make somebody feel very
frightened or alarmed

2.  intimidate
somebody:
to coerce somebody to do something by using threats • terrified
into naming the members
[Late
16th century. From Latin terrificare, from terrificus (see terrific ).]
—ter·ri·fi·er,
noun

—ter·ri·fy·ing,
adjective

—ter·ri·fy·ing·ly, adverb[1]



terrigenous

terrigenous
ter·rig·e·nous 
[te ríjjənəss, tə
ríjjənəss] adjective

derived
from land erosion: relating to a sediment
derived from land erosion that may be formed or deposited on the land or found
underwater in shallow ocean areas
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin terrigenus “earth-born,” from terra “earth.”][1]



terrine

terrine
ter·rine 
[te rn, tə rn]
(plural ter·rines) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD cooking
dish:
a small dish with a tight-fitting lid that is used for cooking and serving
food, especially cooked pâtés

2.  FOOD food
cooked in terrine: the food that is cooked and
served in a terrine dish, often a coarse pâté

3.  HOUSEHOLD See tureen
[Early 18th century. From
French, the feminine of Old French terrin “earthen,” from Latin terra
“earth.”][1]



Territorial

Territorial
Ter·ri·to·ri·al 
(plural Ter·ri·to·ri·als) noun

member of reserve army:
a member of a reserve army that has been trained for use in emergencies[1]



territorial

territorial
ter·ri·to·ri·al 
[tèrrə táwree əl] adjective

1.  relating
to owned land: relating to land or water owned or
claimed by an entity, especially a government

2.  ZOOLOGY asserting
ownership of an area: having a tendency to
appropriate an area or territory and to protect that area or territory against
intruders of the same species, particularly other males

3.  MILITARY relating
to reserve army: relating to a reserve army that has been
trained for use in emergencies
—ter·ri·to·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



territorialcourt

territorialcourt
ter·ri·to·ri·al
court
(plural ter·ri·to·ri·al courts) noun

court in U.S. administrative
territory: a court in an administrative
territory of the United States that has local and federal jurisdiction[1]



territorialism

territorialism
ter·ri·to·ri·al·ism 
[tèrrə táwree ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  system
with landowners holding power: a social system in
which the landowners hold or control most of the positions of power and
authority

2.  state
regulation of religious practices: a system of civil
government in which the citizens of a territory are penalized unless they adopt
the same religion as their civil ruler. Historically it is associated
particularly with the Lutheran Church in Germany.
—ter·ri·to·ri·al·ist, noun[1]



territoriality

territoriality
ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·ty 
[tèrrə tawree állətee] noun

1.  POLITICS ranking
of region as territory: the ranking of a region as a
territory

2.  ZOOLOGY animal
defense of territory: a pattern of animal behavior
marked by the establishment, demarcation, and defense of an area that can
support the growth and activity of an animal or group of animals

[1]



territorialize

territorialize
ter·ri·to·ri·al·ize 
[tèrrə táwree ə lz] (past ter·ri·to·ri·al·ized,
past participle ter·ri·to·ri·al·ized, present participle ter·ri·to·ri·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ter·ri·to·ri·al·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  organize
into territories: to organize something on a territorial
basis

2.  POLITICS enlarge
a country by adding territory: to enlarge a country
by adding more territory or territories to it
—ter·ri·to·ri·al·i·za·tion
[tèrrə tawree əli záysh’n], noun[1]



territorialwaters

territorialwaters
ter·ri·to·ri·al
wa·ters
plural noun

area of sea under country’s
jurisdiction: the area of sea around
a country’s coast recognized as being under that country’s jurisdiction[1]



territory

territory
ter·ri·to·ry 
[térrə tàwree] (plural ter·ri·to·ries)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY land:
land, or an area of land

2.  POLITICS governed
geographic area: a geographic area that is owned and
controlled by a particular government or country

3.  ter·ri·to·ry
or Ter·ri·to·ry (plural Ter·ri·to·ries) POLITICS area
of country with separate government: an
area of a country or empire such as the United States, Canada, or Australia
that is not a state or province but has a separate organized government

4.  field
of inquiry:
a field of knowledge, investigation, or experience

5.  ZOOLOGY area
that animal considers its own: an area that an animal
considers as its own and that it defends against intruders of the same species

6.  COMMERCE district
that agent covers: the district that an agent,
especially a sales representative, is responsible for

7.  SPORTS area
defended by team: the area of a playing field defended by
a team
[14th
century. From Latin territorium, from terra “earth”), modeled on,
for example, dormitory from Latin dormitorium
.]
come
or go with the territory

to be an inseparable part of
or accompaniment to something else[1]



Terror

Terror
Ter·ror 
noun

HISTORY
See Reign of Terror[1]



terror

terror
ter·ror 
[térrər] (plural ter·rors) noun

1.  intense
fear:
intense or overwhelming fear

2.  terrorism:
violence or the threat of violence carried out for political purposes

3.  something
causing fear: something such as an event or situation
that causes intense fear • In the
latest science-fiction film, a swarm of giant killer bees becomes the terror of
New York City.

4.  annoying
person:
an annoying, difficult, or unpleasant person, particularly a naughty child (informal)
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin, from terrere “to frighten” (source also of English deter ).][1]



terrorism

terrorism
ter·ror·ism 
[térrə rìzzəm] noun

political violence:
violence or the threat of violence, especially bombing, kidnapping, and
assassination, carried out for political purposes[1]



terrorist

terrorist
ter·ror·ist 
[térrərist] (plural ter·ror·ists)
noun

somebody
using violence for political purposes:
somebody who uses violence or the threat of violence, especially bombing,
kidnapping, and assassination, to intimidate, often for political purposes
—ter·ror·is·tic [tèrrə rístik], adjective[1]



terrorize

terrorize
ter·ror·ize 
[térrə rz] (past ter·ror·ized,
past participle ter·ror·ized, present participle ter·ror·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ter·ror·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  motivate
somebody by violence: to intimidate or coerce
somebody with violence or the threat of violence

2.  make
somebody very fearful: to fill somebody with
feelings of intense fear over a period of time
—ter·ror·i·za·tion
[tèrrəri záysh’n], noun

—ter·ror·iz·er [térrə rzər], noun[1]



terror-stricken

terror-stricken
ter·ror-strick·en
or ter·ror-struck adjective

terrified:
filled with a feeling of intense fear[1]



terry

terry
ter·ry 
[térree] (plural ter·ries) noun

1.  uncut
loop of thread: an uncut loop of thread in the pile of a
fabric that consists of such loops

2.  type
of fabric:
a type of fabric used for towels, bath mats, and bathrobes that has uncut loops
of thread on both sides.
Also
called
terry cloth
U.K.
term
terry towelling
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of French tiré “drawn,” ultimately from
tirer “to draw out.”][1]



terrycloth

terrycloth
ter·ry
cloth
noun

See
terry  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Terry,Dame Ellen

Terry,Dame Ellen
Ter·ry
[térree], Dame Ellen (1847–1928)

English
actor. A noted Shakespearean actor, she maintained a stage partnership with Sir
Henry Irving that lasted 24 years.
Full name
Terry, Dame Ellen Alicia[1]



terse

terse
terse 
[turs] (comparative ters·er, superlative
ters·est) adjective

1.  abrupt:
brief and unfriendly, often conveying annoyance • a
terse exchange between the two delegates

2.  concise:
concise and economically phrased
[Early
17th century. From Latin tersus “wiped off, clean,” the past participle
of tergere “to wipe.” The modern meanings evolved via the sense
“polished, smooth.”]
—terse·ly,
adverb

—terse·ness, noun[1]



tertial

tertial
ter·tial 
[túrsh’l] adjective noun (plural
ter·tials)

BIRDS See tertiary  adjective 3
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin tertius (see tertiary ).][1]



tertian

tertian
ter·tian 
[túrsh’n] adjective

appearing
every other day: used to describe a fever, especially a
malarial fever, with symptoms that appear every other day
noun
(plural ter·tians)

tertian
fever:
a tertian fever or set of symptoms
[14th century. From Latin (febris)
tertiana “(fever) of the third (day),” from tertius (see tertiary ).][1]



tertiary

tertiary
ter·ti·ar·y 
[túrshee èrree, túrshəree]
adjective

1.  third:
third in degree, order, place, or importance (formal)

2.  BIRDS relating
to bird’s short flight feathers: relating to the short
flight feathers nearest the body on the rear edge of a bird’s wing, so named
because they make up the third row of feathers

3.  from
early Cenozoic era: formed in, occurring in, or
relating to the first period of the Cenozoic era, during which mammals became
dominant and modern plants evolved

4.  CHEMISTRY characterized
by replacement in third degree: characterized by
replacement in the third degree, particularly replacement of three of the
hydrogens present in a methyl group or ammonia by three organic groups
noun
(plural ter·ti·ar·ies)

1.  BIRDS bird’s
short flight feather: a bird’s tertiary feather,
on the rear edge of its wing.
Also
called
tertial

2.  first
period of Cenozoic era: the first period of the
Cenozoic era during which mammals became dominant and modern plants evolved, 65
million to 1.6 million years ago. It is divided into the Paleocene, Eocene,
Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene epochs.

3.  ter·ti·ar·y
(plural ter·ti·ar·ies) or Ter·ti·a·ry (plural
Ter·ti·a·ries) CHRISTIANITY
member
of lay group: in the Roman Catholic Church, a member
of a group of the laity associated with a religious order
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
tertiarius “of the third part or rank,” from tertius “third.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English third .][1]



tertiarycolor

tertiarycolor
ter·ti·ar·y
col·or
(plural ter·ti·ar·y col·ors) noun

color made from two secondary
colors: a color made by mixing two
secondary colors together or by mixing a primary color with the secondary color
closest to it[1]



tertiaryindustry

tertiaryindustry
ter·ti·ar·y
in·dus·try
noun

industry providing services:
the field of industry that provides services, for example, transportation or
finance, rather than manufacturing or extracting raw materials[1]



tertiarysyphilis

tertiarysyphilis
ter·ti·ar·y
syph·i·lis
noun

last stage of syphilis:
the final stage of syphilis in which the disease spreads throughout the body,
affecting the brain, spinal cord, heart, skin, bones, and joints[1]



tertiumquid

tertiumquid
ter·ti·um
quid 
[tùrshəm kwíd, tùrshee
əm kwíd] noun

gray
area:
an unknown or indefinite thing or factor that is related to but cannot be
classified as belonging to either of two other areas or categories (formal)
[From late Latin, literally
“some third thing”][1]



Tertullian

Tertullian
Ter·tul·lian 
[tər túllyən] (160?–225?)

Roman theologian. The first
important theological writer in Latin, his often impassioned works greatly
influenced his successors.[1]



tervalent

tervalent
ter·va·lent 
[tùr váylənt] adjective

See
trivalent
—ter·va·len·cy, noun[1]



terzarima

terzarima
ter·za
ri·ma 
[tèrtsə rmə] (plural ter·ze rime
[tèrtse rme]) noun

Italian
verse form:
a rhyming verse form of Italian origin, consisting of three-line, 11-syllable
verses ( tercets ), with the middle line of
one verse rhyming with the first and third lines of the next
[From Italian, “third rhyme”][1]



terzetto

terzetto
ter·zet·to 
[turt séttō] (plural ter·zet·tos
or ter·zet·ti [turt séttee]) noun

musical
trio:
a musical trio for instruments or voices
[Early 18th century. From
Italian (see tercet ).][1]



TESL

TESL
TESL
[téss’l]

Abbreviation of
Teaching (of) English as a Second Language[1]



tesla

tesla
tes·la 
[tésslə] (plural tes·las) noun

unit
of magnetic flux density: the derived unit of magnetic
flux density in the SI system, equal to a flux of one weber in an area of one
square meter. Symbol T
[Late 19th century. Named for
Nikola Tesla .][1]



teslacoil

teslacoil
tes·la
coil
(plural tes·la coils) noun

air-core
transformer: an air-core transformer that is used to
produce high voltages at high frequencies, for example, in X-ray tubes
[Named for Nikola Tesla, its inventor][1]



Tesla,Nikola

Tesla,Nikola
Tes·la 
[tésslə], Nikola (1856–1943)

Croatian-born U.S. electrical
engineer. He is credited with many inventions, and was a pioneer of
alternating-current systems.[1]



TESOL

TESOL
TESOL
[té sòl, t sòl]

1.  Abbreviation
of
Teaching (of) English to Speakers of Other Languages

2.  Abbreviation
of
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

[1]



tessellate

tessellate
tes·sel·late 
[téssə làyt] (past tes·sel·lat·ed,
past participle tes·sel·lat·ed, present participle tes·sel·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular tes·sel·lates) verb

1.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE decorate
something with mosaic effect: to construct, pave, or
decorate something with small pieces of stone or glass to give a mosaic effect

2.  intransitive
verb
GEOMETRY fit
together exactly: to fit together without leaving any
spaces (refers to geometric shapes)
[Late
18th century. From Latin tessellatus “made of small square stones,”
ultimately from tessera (see tessera
).]
—tes·sel·la·tion [tèssə láysh’n], noun[1]



tessera

tessera
tes·ser·a 
[téssərə] (plural tes·ser·ae [téssə r]) noun

1.  mosaic
piece:
a small square of stone, tile, or glass used to make a mosaic

2.  die:
a piece of bone or wood that was used in ancient Greece and Rome as a die,
tally, or ticket
[Mid-17th
century. Via Latin from, ultimately, Greek tesseres, a variant of tessares
“four,” from the sides of the square.]
—tes·ser·al, adjective[1]



tesseract

tesseract
tes·ser·act 
[téssə ràkt] (plural tes·ser·acts)
noun

four-dimensional
extension of cube: the four-dimensional
extension of a cube
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek tessera-, from tesseres (see tessera
) + Greek aktis “ray.”][1]



tessitura

tessitura
tes·si·tu·ra 
[tèssi trə] (plural tes·si·tu·ras
or tes·si·ture [tèssi tr ày])
noun

pitch
range:
the pitch range that predominates in a particular piece of music
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian from Latin textura “web, structure” (source also of English texture ).][1]



test.

test.
test.

1.  LAW Abbreviation of testator

2.  LAW Abbreviation of testatrix

3.  BIBLE Abbreviation of testimony

[1]



Test.

Test.
Test.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Testament[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








test

test1
test1  [test]
noun (plural tests)

1.  EDUCATION examination:
a series of questions, problems, or practical tasks to gauge somebody’s
knowledge, ability, or experience

2.  trial
run-through of a process: a trial run-through of a
process or on equipment to find out if it works

3.  basis
for evaluation: a basis for evaluating or judging
something or somebody

4.  difficult
situation:
an often difficult situation or event that will provide information about somebody
or something

5.  MEDICINE examination
of part of the body: an examination of part of
the body or of a bodily fluid or specimen in order to find something out, for
example, whether it is functioning properly or is infected • a
pregnancy test

6.  CHEMISTRY procedure
to detect presence of something: a procedure to
ascertain the presence of or the properties of a particular substance • a
test for nitrates in drinking water

7.  CHEMISTRY reactive
substance:
a substance or a reagent that reacts in a particular way to show the presence
of a particular substance

8.  CHEMISTRY result
of a procedure: a result of a procedure to ascertain the
presence of a specific substance • Your
test hasn’t come back yet.

9.  oath:
a declaration, demonstration, or oath of conformity or loyalty, especially to
the Anglican Church (archaic)
verb
(past test·ed, past participle test·ed, present
participle test·ing, 3rd person present singular tests)

1.  transitive
verb
try
something out: to try something out, for example, by
touching, operating, or experiencing it, in order to find out what it is like,
how well it works, or what it feels like

2.  transitive
verb
evaluate
something:
to use something on a trial basis in order to evaluate it

3.  transitive
verb
ask
somebody questions: to ask somebody questions or
make somebody do a practical activity in order to gauge knowledge, skill, or
experience

4.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE carry
out a medical test: to carry out a test on part
of the body or on a bodily specimen

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb examine
something to detect a presence: to examine something
in order to ascertain the presence of or the properties of a particular
substance • test
for bacteria

6.  intransitive
verb
achieve
particular test result: to achieve a particular
result on a test • She tested positive for
rubella immunity.

7.  intransitive
verb
EDUCATION achieve
academic rating: to achieve a rating in academic
examination • tested
poorly in math skills

8.  transitive
verb
make
demands on somebody: to make considerable demands
on somebody, particularly somebody’s skills or abilities
[14th
century. Via Old French, “pot,” from Latin testum “earthenware pot.” The
main modern meaning evolved from “pot in which metals are heated” via
“examination of properties or qualities.”]
—test·a·bil·i·ty
[tèstə bíllətee], noun

—test·a·ble, adjective[1]



test

test2
test2  [test]
(plural tests) noun

outer
covering:
the hard outer covering or shell of some invertebrates such as mollusks and
crustaceans
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
testa “tile, shell.”][1]



testa

testa
tes·ta 
[téstə] (plural tes·tae [té st]) noun

seed
covering:
the protective covering of a seed from a flowering plant.
Also
called
seed coat
[Late 18th century. From
Latin (see test 2 ).][1]



testaceous

testaceous
tes·ta·ceous 
[te stáyshəss] adjective

1.  of
shell or having a shell: made of shell, or having a
shell or other hard covering

2.  brownish-red:
of a brownish-red color like a brick or a terracotta tile (technical)

[1]



testacy

testacy
tes·ta·cy 
[téstəssee] noun

possession
of a legal will: the condition of having made a legally
valid will
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from testate on the model of intestacy
.][1]



testae

testae
tes·tae


Plural of
testa[1]



testament

testament
tes·ta·ment 
(plural tes·ta·ments) noun

1.  proof:
something that shows that something else exists or is true • His
remarkable recovery is a testament to the doctor’s skill.

2.  formal
statement of beliefs: a formal statement or speech
outlining beliefs (formal)

3.  LAW a
will:
an old word for a legal will, used most often in the phrase “last will and
testament” (archaic)

4.  JUDEO-CHRISTIAN covenant
between God and humankind: a covenant made between God
and humankind (archaic or formal)
[13th
century. From Latin testamentum “will,” from, ultimately, testis
“witness,” the underlying idea being of a “witnessed” document.]
—tes·ta·men·tal
[tèstə mént’l], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word testis, from which testament
  is derived, is also the source of English attest,
  contest, detest, intestate,
  protest, testicle, testify,
  and testimony.

[1]



Testament

Testament
Tes·ta·ment 
(plural Tes·ta·ments) noun

1.  either
half of Bible: either of the two major divisions of the
Bible, known as the Old Testament and the New Testament

2.  copy
of New Testament: a printed copy of the New Testament
[13th century. Mistranslation
of Greek diathēkē “covenant,” as well as “will, testament.” Originally
intended to apply to the “covenant” between God and human beings.][1]



testamentary

testamentary
tes·ta·men·tar·y
[tèstə méntəree, tèstə
méntree] adjective

1.  relating
to wills:
relating to a will (formal)

2.  stated
in a will:
bequeathed or set out in a will

[1]



testate

testate
tes·tate 
[té stàyt, téstət]
adjective

having
made a will: having made a legally valid will
noun
(plural tes·tates)

somebody
having made a will: somebody who has made a
legally valid will.
Also
called
testator
Also
called
testatrix
[15th century. From Latin testatus,
the past participle of testari “to bear witness, make your will,” from testis
(see testament ).][1]



testator

testator
tes·ta·tor 
[té stàytər, te
stáytər] (plural tes·ta·tors) noun

man
with valid will: somebody, especially a man, who has made
a legally valid will.
Also
called
testate
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin, from testari (see testate
).][1]



testatrix

testatrix
tes·ta·trix 
[té stày triks, te
stáy trìks] (plural tes·ta·tri·ces [te stáytrə sz, tèstə
tr sz]) noun

woman
with valid will: a woman who has made a legally valid
will.
Also
called
testate
[Late 16th century. From late
Latin, the feminine of testator (see testator
).][1]



testban

testban
test
ban
(plural test bans) noun

agreement banning nuclear
testing: an agreement between nations
to suspend testing of some or all nuclear weapons[1]



testbed

testbed
test
bed
(plural test beds) noun

area equipped for testing
machinery: a facility designed and
equipped to test engines and machinery under circumstances as close to actual
operating conditions as possible[1]



testcase

testcase
test
case
(plural test cas·es) noun

1.  ground-breaking
legal case:
an important legal case that establishes a precedent referred to in future
cases

2.  LAW case
intended to test constitutionality: a
case brought with the intention of challenging the constitutionality of a
statute

3.  telling
event:
an event that provides an opportunity to prove or disprove a hypothesis

[1]



testcross

testcross
test·cross 
[tést kràwss] noun (plural test·cross·es)

1.  genetic
cross technique: a procedure used especially in plant
breeding whereby an individual’s genetic constitution is inferred by examining
the progeny resulting from crossing it with another individual of known genetic
makeup

2.  result
of testcross: an organism produced by a testcross
transitive
verb
(past test·crossed, past participle test·crossed, present
participle test·cross·ing, 3rd person present singular test·cross·es)

subject organism to testcross:
to subject an organism to a testcross

[1]



test-drive

test-drive
test-drive 
transitive verb

drive car to try it out:
to drive a car or other motor vehicle for a short period in order to see what
it is like, usually with a view to buying it[1]



testdrive

testdrive
test
drive
(plural test drives) noun

short drive to try a car:
a short drive in a car or other motor vehicle in order to see what it is like,
usually with a view to buying it[1]



tester

tester2
tes·ter2  [téstər]
(plural test·ers) noun

canopy:
a canopy, especially one over a four-poster bed or a pulpit
[14th century. Via medieval
Latin testerium from late Latin testa “head,” from Latin, “tile,
shell.”][1]



tester

tester1
test·er1  [téstər]
(plural test·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who tests new products: somebody whose job it is to
try out new products

2.  sample
of product:
a sample of a product, especially a cosmetic

3.  equipment
to check proper functioning: a piece of equipment that
tests if a machine or device is working properly

4.  small
stick:
a small stick inserted into something that is baking to determine if it is done

5.  somebody
who tests:
somebody who administers or carries out tests • a
water tester

[1]



testes

testes
tes·tes


Plural of
testis[1]



testicle

testicle
tes·ti·cle 
[téstik’l] (plural tes·ti·cles)
noun

male
sex gland:
the male gonad or sperm-producing gland ( testis
) usually with its surrounding membranes, particularly in humans or other
higher vertebrates
[15th
century. From Latin testiculus, literally “small testis,” from testis
(see testis ).]
—tes·tic·u·lar [te stíkyələr], adjective[1]



testify

testify
tes·ti·fy 
[téstə f] (past tes·ti·fied, past
participle tes·ti·fied, present participle tes·ti·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular tes·ti·fies) intransitive verb

1.  make
factual statement based on experience: to
make a factual statement based on personal experience or to declare something
to be true from personal experience

2.  declare
something under oath in court: to declare something
that can be taken as evidence under oath in a court of law

3.  prove
or demonstrate: to be clear evidence of something (formal)

4.  CHRISTIANITY talk
about experience as a Christian: to talk to an audience
or group of listeners about personal experience as a Christian
[14th
century. From Latin testificari, literally “to make yourself a witness,”
from testis “witness” (source also of English testament ).]
—tes·ti·fi·ca·tion
[tèstəfi káysh’n], noun

—tes·ti·fi·er [téstə fr], noun[1]



testimonial

testimonial
tes·ti·mo·ni·al 
[tèstə mṓnee əl] noun (plural tes·ti·mo·ni·als)

1.  recommendation:
a favorable report on the qualities and virtues of somebody or something

2.  statement
backing up claim: a statement backing up a claim or
supporting a fact

3.  tribute:
something given, held, or done in order to honor or thank somebody
adjective

relating to testimony or testimonial:
relating to or consisting of testimony or a testimonial

[1]



testimony

testimony
tes·ti·mo·ny 
[téstə mnee] (plural tes·ti·mo·nies)
noun

1.  evidence
given by witness in court: evidence that a witness
gives to a court of law. It may take the form of a written or oral statement
detailing what the witness has seen or knows about a particular case.

2.  proof:
something that supports a fact or a claim • This
win is testimony to the tactical skill of the coach.

3.  BIBLE Ten
Commandments: the Ten Commandments inscribed on two
stone tablets, or the Ark of the Covenant in which the tablets were stored

4.  CHRISTIANITY public
avowal:
a public profession of Christian faith or religious experience
[14th century. From Latin testimonium,
from testis “a witness” (source also of English testament ).][1]



testing

testing
test·ing
[tésting] adjective

difficult:
subjecting somebody or something to challenging difficulties • A
testing time lies ahead for the new administration.[1]



testis

testis

tes·tis 
[téstiss] (plural tes·tes [té stz]) noun
male
reproductive gland: either of the paired male
reproductive glands, roundish in shape, that produce sperm and male sex
hormones, and hang in a small sac ( scrotum
)
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “a witness,” because it “bears witness” to a man’s virility.][1]



testmarketing

testmarketing
test
mar·ket·ing
noun

using market sample:
the use of a sample of a larger market to try out a particular marketing
strategy or product[1]



testosterone

testosterone
tes·tos·ter·one 
[te stóstə rn] noun

male
hormone:
a male steroid hormone produced in the testicles and responsible for the
development of secondary sex characteristics. It can also be made synthetically
and used to treat androgen deficiency. C19H28O2
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from testis + -sterone (a blend of sterol and ketone
).][1]



testpaper

testpaper
test
pa·per
(plural test pa·pers) noun

paper for tests:
a small piece of paper soaked in a particular chemical or reagent, for example,
litmus, that is used to show the presence or properties of a particular
substance[1]



testpattern

testpattern
test
pat·tern
(plural test pat·terns) noun

TV
transmitted pattern to help television
tuning: a geometric pattern
transmitted by a television broadcaster to help viewers to tune in their
television sets and obtain optimum reception.
U.K. term
test card[1]



testpilot

testpilot
test
pi·lot
(plural test pi·lots) noun

aircraft tester:
a pilot who flies new aircraft in order to assess their performance[1]



test-screening

test-screening
test-screen·ing
(plural test-screen·ings) noun

trial screening:
a screening of a provisional version of a movie to test audience reaction[1]



testtube

testtube
test
tube
noun (plural test tubes)

glass
tube:
a small glass tube-shaped container that is closed and rounded at one end and
open at the other, used to mix, heat, and store chemicals in laboratories
adjective
test-tube

artificial:
made in a test tube or by other artificial means, rather than occurring or
arising naturally[1]



test-tubebaby

test-tubebaby
test-tube
ba·by
noun

baby conceived from
laboratory-fertilized egg: a baby that
has been conceived by fertilizing a woman’s egg in a laboratory ( in vitro fertilization ) and then inserting it in
her womb to develop normally for the remainder of the pregnancy (informal)[1]



testudinal

testudinal
tes·tu·di·nal 
[te std’nəl] or tes·tu·di·nar·y
[te std’n èrree] adjective

relating to tortoise or
shell: resembling a tortoise or the
shell of a tortoise[1]



testudo

testudo
tes·tu·do 
[te stdō] (plural tes·tu·dines
[te std’n z]) noun

mobile
siege shelter: a type of shelter against missiles from
above, used by the ancient Roman army in siege warfare. It was either a single
structure that could be carried or was made by soldiers holding their shields
above their heads to form a protective roof.
Also
called
tortoise
[14th century. From Latin,
“tortoise-shell, shelter,” from testa “pot, shell.”][1]



testy

testy
tes·ty 
[téstee] (comparative tes·ti·er,
superlative tes·ti·est) adjective

impatient
or irritable: impatient and easily upset or annoyed (informal)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman testif, ultimately from Latin testa
“tile, pot,” and later used humorously in the sense “head.” The modern meaning
evolved from the sense “headstrong, impetuous.”]
—tes·ti·ly,
adverb

—tes·ti·ness, noun[1]



Tet

Tet
Tet 
[tet] noun

CALENDAR Vietnamese
New Year festival: a festival held in Vietnam
over three days to celebrate the lunar New Year
[Late 19th century. From
Vietnamese .][1]



tetanic

tetanic
te·tan·ic 
[te tánnik] (plural tetan·ics)
adjective

1.  relating
to tetanus:
relating to tetanus or to the sustained contraction of the muscles that is
characteristic of tetanus

2.  spasm-producing:
capable of producing muscle spasms such as are seen in tetanus
[Early
18th century. Via Latin tetanicus from, ultimately, Greek tetanos
(see tetanus ).]
—te·tan·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



tetanize

tetanize
tet·a·nize 
[tétt’n z] (past tet·a·nized,
past participle tet·a·nized, present participle tet·a·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular tet·a·niz·es) transitive verb

cause
spasms:
to cause tetanic spasms in a muscle
—tet·a·ni·za·tion [tètt’ni záysh’n], noun[1]



tetanus

tetanus
tet·a·nus 
[tétt’nəss] noun

1.  infectious
disease:
an acute infectious disease, usually contracted through a penetrating wound,
that causes severe muscular spasms and contractions, especially around the neck
and jaw. The spasms are caused by a toxin released by the bacterium Clostridium
tetani.
Also
called
lockjaw

2.  muscle
contraction: sustained muscle contraction, for
example, induced by electrical stimulation
[14th
century. Via Latin from Greek tetanos “muscular spasm,” from teinein
“to stretch” (source also of English hypotenuse
).]
—tet·a·nal,
adjective

—tet·a·noid, adjective[1]



tetany

tetany
tet·a·ny 
[tétt’nee] noun

muscle
spasms:
repeated prolonged contraction of muscles, especially of the face and limbs,
caused by low blood calcium arising from, for example, an underactive
parathyroid gland or vitamin D deficiency
[Late 19th century. Via
French, “intermittent tetanus,” from Latin tetanus (see tetanus ).][1]



tetched

tetched
tetched
[techt] or teched [techt] adjective

not
functioning competently: unable to function in a
logical or reasonable way (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of touched .][1]



tetchy

tetchy
tetch·y 
[téchee] (comparative tetch·i·er,
superlative tetch·i·est) or tech·y [téchee] (comparative tech·i·er, superlative
tech·i·est) adjective

snappy:
oversensitive and easily upset or annoyed (informal)
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from tache in the obsolete
sense of “blemish, defect.”]
—tetch·i·ly,
adverb

—tetch·i·ness, noun[1]



teth

teth
teth 
[tayt, tayth,
tet, teth]
(plural teths) noun

Hebrew
letter:
the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew .][1]



tether

tether
teth·er 
[téər] noun (plural teth·ers)

rope
attached to an animal: a rope or chain attached to
an animal and attached to something at the other end, thus restricting the
animal’s movement
transitive
verb
(past teth·ered, past participle teth·ered, present
participle teth·er·ing, 3rd person present singular teth·ers)

tie
animal with tether: to tie something, especially
an animal, with a rope or chain in order to restrict its movement
[14th
century. From Old Norse tjóðr, from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“to fasten.”]
at
the end of your tether

having reached the limit of
your patience, strength, or endurance[1]



tetherball

tetherball
teth·er·ball 
[téər bàwl] noun

game using a suspended ball:
a game for two players who use their hands to hit in opposite directions a ball
that is on a length of rope attached to the top of a pole. The object of the
game is to wind the rope completely around the pole.[1]



Tethys

Tethys
Te·thys 
[tthiss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Titan:
a Titan in Greek mythology who was the wife of Oceanus and the mother of
thousands of sea and river gods and nymphs

2.  ASTRONOMY satellite
of Saturn:
the third moon of the planet Saturn to be discovered. It has a diameter of
1,050 km/651 mi and is Saturn’s ninth most distant satellite, orbiting at a
distance of 295,000 km/182,900 mi .

3.  GEOLOGY ancient
sea:
an ancient sea that is thought to have separated Laurasia and Gondwanaland,
surviving vestigially today as the Mediterranean
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
from Greek Tēthus .][1]



Tetley,Glen

Tetley,Glen
Tet·ley
[tétlee], Glen (1926– )

U.S.-born Canadian dancer and
choreographer. He danced with internationally known companies including those
of Robert Joffrey, Martha Graham, and the American Ballet Theatre, and was
associated with the National Ballet of Canada from 1987. He created works
including Tagore ( 1989 ).[1]



Teton

Teton1
Te·ton1  [t
tòn, tt’n] (plural Te·ton
or Te·tons) or Te·ton Da·ko·ta [t tòn, tt’n] noun

Also
called
Lakota

1.  PEOPLES Native
N American:
a member of a group of Native North American peoples that originally occupied
western parts of the Great Plains, and whose members now live mainly in North
and South Dakota. Included in this group are the Oglala, Hunkpapa, Brulé, and
Miniconjou peoples.

2.  LANGUAGE Teton
language:
the Siouan language of the Teton people. Teton is spoken by about 6,000 people.
[Early 19th century. From
Dakota thíthuwa, literally “dwellers on the prairie.”][1]



Teton

Teton2
Te·ton2  [ttòn]

range of the Rocky Mountains
in northwestern Wyoming and southwestern Idaho. The highest peak is Grand
Teton, 4,197 m/13,770 ft .[1]



tetr-

tetr-
tetr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
tetra-[1]



tetra-

tetra-
tetra-
prefix

four
• tetrastich
[From Greek tetra- .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “four.”][1]



tetra

tetra
tet·ra 
[téttrə] (plural tet·ras or
tet·ra) noun

popular
aquarium fish: a brightly-colored freshwater fish that
lives in tropical regions and is a popular aquarium fish. Family: Characidae
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of modern Latin Tetragonopterus, the former name of the genus, from late
Latin tetragonum (see tetragon ) +
Greek pteron “wing.”][1]



tetrabasic

tetrabasic
tet·ra·ba·sic 
[tèttrə báyssik] adjective

containing
four hydrogen atoms: containing four atoms of
replaceable hydrogen in a molecule (refers to acids)
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from tetra- + basic .]
—tet·ra·ba·sic·i·ty [tèttrə bay síssətee], noun[1]



tetrabrach

tetrabrach
tet·ra·brach
[téttrə bràk] (plural tet·ra·braches)
noun

word
consisting of four short syllables: a
word consisting of four short syllables in Latin or classical Greek literature
[From Greek tetrabrakhus,
literally “four short,” from brakhus “short”][1]



tetracaine

tetracaine
tet·ra·caine 
[téttrə kàyn] noun

crystalline
compound:
a crystalline compound related chemically to procaine and used in the form of
its hydrochloride as a local anesthetic. C15H24N202
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tetra- + -caine
.][1]



tetrachloride

tetrachloride
tet·ra·chlo·ride 
[tèttrə kláw rd] (plural tet·ra·chlo·rides)
noun

compound with four chlorine
atoms: a compound that has four
chlorine atoms in each molecule[1]



tetrachloromethane

tetrachloromethane
tet·ra·chlo·ro·me·thane
[tèttrə kláwrə mé thàyn] noun

See
carbon tetrachloride
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tetra- + chloromethane
.][1]



tetrachord

tetrachord
tet·ra·chord 
[téttrə kàwrd] (plural tet·ra·chords)
noun

group
of four notes: a group of four notes, the first and
last of which form a perfect fourth, used principally in ancient Greek music
[Early
17th century. Coined from tetra- + chord .]
—tet·ra·chor·dal [tèttrə káwrd’l], adjective[1]



tetracid

tetracid
te·trac·id 
[te trássid] (plural te·trac·ids)
noun

1.  base
needing four molecules to react: a base that can react
with four molecules of a monobasic acid to form a salt

2.  alcohol
with four OH groups: an alcohol with four OH
groups per molecule
[Coined from tetra- + acid][1]



tetracyclic

tetracyclic
tet·ra·cy·clic
[tèttrə sklik] adjective

with
four rings in molecular structure: containing four rings
in its molecular structure
[Late 19th century. Coined
from tetra- + cyclic
.][1]



tetracycline

tetracycline
tet·ra·cy·cline 
[tèttrə s kln] noun

antibiotic:
a broad-spectrum antibiotic made from chlortetracycline or derived from some
microorganisms of the genus Streptomyces. Tetracycline is used in the
treatment of acne and for treating general infections. C22H24N2O8
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tetracyclic + -ine
.][1]



tetrad

tetrad
tet·rad 
[té tràd] (plural tet·rads) noun

1.  series
of four:
a group or series of four things or people

2.  GENETICS group
of four chromosomes: a group of four chromosomes
in a diploid cell that is about to undergo the cell division ( meiosis ) that produces sex cells

3.  BIOLOGY group
of four cells: a group of four cells produced by the
division ( meiosis ) of a single parent
cell, for example, as it occurs in the formation of pollen and spores

4.  CHEMISTRY atom
with valence of four: an atom or chemical group
with a valence of four
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
tetrad-, the stem of tetras “a group of four, the number four.”][1]



tetradactyl

tetradactyl
tet·ra·dac·tyl
[tèttrə dákt’l] (plural tet·ra·dac·tyls)
adjective

U.K.
See tetradactylous
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tetra- + dactyl
.][1]



tetradymite

tetradymite
te·trad·y·mite 
[te tráddi mt] noun

gray
metallic ore: a gray metallic ore of tellurium, found
in veins with quartz and gold. Bi2Te2S
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Greek tetradumos “fourfold,” from the double twin crystals in which
it is usually found.][1]



tetradynamous

tetradynamous
tet·ra·dy·na·mous 
[tèttrə dnəməss] adjective

with
six stamens: with four long stamens and two short
stamens, for example, in flowers of the mustard family
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tetra- + Greek dynamis
“strength” (see dynamic ) + -ous .][1]



tetraethyllead

tetraethyllead
tet·ra·eth·yl
lead
[tèttrə th’l lèd] noun

antiknock
agent:
a colorless extremely poisonous oily liquid that used to be added to gasoline
as an antiknock agent. Use of tetraethyl lead has declined because it poisons
the catalysts in catalytic converters. Pb(C2H5)4
[Tetraethyl coined from tetra- + ethyl][1]



tetragon

tetragon
tet·ra·gon 
[téttrə gòn] (plural tet·ra·gons)
noun

quadrilateral:
a geometric figure with four sides and four angles
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin tetragonum from, ultimately, Greek tetragōnos, literally
“four-angled,” from gōnos “angled.”][1]



tetragonal

tetragonal
te·trag·o·nal
[te trággən’l] adjective

relating
to particular type of crystal: relating to the
crystal system characterized by three axes at right angles to each other of
which only the two horizontal axes are usually equal. Zircon crystals are
tetragonal.
—te·trag·o·nal·ly, adverb[1]



tetragram

tetragram
tet·ra·gram
[téttrə gràm] (plural tet·ra·grams)
noun

four-letter word:
a word that has four letters[1]



Tetragrammaton

Tetragrammaton
Tet·ra·gram·ma·ton 
[tèttrə grámmə tòn] noun

Hebrew
name for God: a four-letter Hebrew name for God,
usually written YHVH or YHWH, and revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:13–14). Orthodox
Jews regard this name as too sacred to be pronounced.
[14th century. From Greek Tetragrammaton,
the neuter of tetragrammatos, literally “having four letters,” from gramma
“letter.”][1]



tetrahedrite

tetrahedrite
tet·ra·he·drite 
[tèttrə h drt] noun

gray
mineral:
a gray to black metallic sulfide of copper, iron, and antimony. It is often
found as tetrahedral crystals and is an important ore of copper and other
metals.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
either from tetrahedron or from Greek tetraedron (see tetrahedron ).][1]



tetrahedron

tetrahedron
tet·ra·he·dron 
[tèttrə hdrən] (plural tet·ra·he·drons
or tet·ra·he·dra [tèttrə hdrə])
noun

solid
with four faces: a solid figure that has four faces
[Late
16th century. From Greek tetraedron, the neuter of tetraedros
“four-sided,” from hedra “face.”]
—tet·ra·he·dral,
adjective

—tet·ra·he·dral·ly, adverb[1]



tetrahydrocannabinol

tetrahydrocannabinol
tet·ra·hy·dro·can·nab·i·nol 
[tèttrə h drō kə nábbə nòl] noun

Full
form of
THC
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tetra- + hydro-
+ cannabinol .][1]



tetrahydroxy

tetrahydroxy
tet·ra·hy·drox·y 
[tèttrə hī dróksee] adjective

with four hydroxyl groups:
with four hydroxyl groups in a molecule[1]



tetralogy

tetralogy
te·tral·o·gy 
[te trálləjee, te
trólləjee] (plural te·tral·o·gies) noun

four
related works: a series of four related literary,
dramatic, artistic, or musical works
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
tetralogia, literally “four dramas,” from -logia “discourse.”][1]



tetramer

tetramer
tet·ra·mer 
[téttrəmər] (plural tet·ra·mers)
noun

type
of polymer:
a polymer that is formed from four identical monomers
—tet·ra·mer·ic [tèttrə mérrik], adjective[1]



tetramerous

tetramerous
te·tram·er·ous 
[te trámmərəss] adjective

with
four parts:
with four parts, or with parts arranged in multiples of four
—te·tram·er·ism, noun[1]



tetrameter

tetrameter
te·tram·e·ter 
[te trámmətər] (plural te·tram·e·ters)
noun POETRY

1.  verse
line with four feet: a line of verse that has
four metrical feet

2.  line
with four pairs of feet: in classical poetry, a line
of verse made up of four pairs of feet

3.  verse
in tetrameter: verse written in tetrameters
[Early 17th century. Via late
Latin from Greek tetrametron, a form of tetrametros, literally
“having four measures,” from metron “measure.”][1]



tetraploid

tetraploid
tet·ra·ploid 
[téttrə plòyd] adjective

with
four sets of chromosomes: possessing four matched sets
of chromosomes in the cell nucleus
noun
(plural tet·ra·ploids)

tetraploid
cell or organism: a tetraploid cell, nucleus, or organism
—tet·ra·ploi·dy, noun[1]



tetrapod

tetrapod
tet·ra·pod 
[téttrə pòd] (plural tet·ra·pods)
noun

1.  vertebrate
with four legs: a vertebrate animal that has four limbs
or legs

2.  device
forming tripod: a device comprising four arms projecting
from a central point at 120° to each other, making a tripod with the fourth arm
projecting vertically upward
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin tetrapodus from, ultimately, the Greek stem tetrapod-,
literally “four-footed,” from pous “foot.”][1]



tetrapody

tetrapody
tet·ra·po·dy 
[te tráppədee] (plural tet·ra·po·dies)
noun

poetic
measure:
a poetic measure of four feet
—tet·ra·po·dic [tèttrə póddik], adjective[1]



tetrapterous

tetrapterous
te·trap·ter·ous 
[te tráptərəss] adjective

with four wings:
used to describe insects that have four wings[1]



tetrarch

tetrarch
tet·rarch 
[té trrk] (plural tet·rarchs)
noun

1.  ruler
of quarter of country: the ruler of a quarter of a
country or province

2.  joint
ruler:
one of four joint rulers

3.  subordinate
prince:
a ruler of a subordinate principality, especially in the eastern provinces of
the Roman Empire

4.  phalanx
commander:
the commander of a subdivision of a Macedonian phalanx in ancient Greece
[Pre-12th
century. Via late Latin tetrarcha from, ultimately, Greek tetrarkhēs,
literally “four ruling,” from arkhēs “ruler.”]
—te·trar·chic [te trrkik], adjective[1]



tetrarchy

tetrarchy
tet·rar·chy 
[té trrkee] (plural tet·rar·chies)
or tet·rar·chate [té trr kayt,
té trrkət] (plural tet·rar·chates)
noun

1.  government
of tetrarchs: government by four rulers

2.  domain
of tetrarch: the rule or domain of one of four joint
rulers

[1]



tetraspore

tetraspore
tet·ra·spore 
[téttrə spàwr] (plural tet·ra·spores)
noun

asexual
spore of red algae: an asexual spore that occurs
after cell division ( meiosis ), usually in
groups of four, in red algae
—tet·ra·spor·ic [tèttrə spáwrik], adjective[1]



tetrastich

tetrastich
tet·ra·stich
[téttrə stìk] (plural tet·ra·stiches)
noun

four-line
poem:
a poem, verse, or strophe that has four lines
[Late
16th century. Via Latin tetrastichon from, ultimately, Greek tetrastikhos,
literally “containing four rows,” from stikhos “row, line of verse.”]
—tet·ra·stich·ic [tèttrə stíkik], adjective[1]



tetrasyllable

tetrasyllable
tet·ra·syl·la·ble
[tèttrə sílləb’l] (plural tet·ra·syl·la·bles)
noun

four-syllable
word:
a word with four syllables
—tet·ra·syl·lab·ic [tèttrə si lábbik], adjective[1]



tetratomic

tetratomic
tet·ra·tom·ic 
[tèttrə tómmik] adjective

1.  with
four atoms:
with four atoms per molecule

2.  with
four replaceable atoms: with four replaceable atoms
or radicals

[1]



tetravalent

tetravalent
tet·ra·va·lent 
[tèttrə váylənt] adjective

with
valence of four: with a valence of four
—tet·ra·va·lence, noun[1]



tetrazzini

tetrazzini
tet·raz·zi·ni 
[tèttrə znee] or Tet·raz·zi·ni
[tèttrə znee] adjective

with
noodles in cream sauce: made with noodles,
mushrooms, and almonds in a cream sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese and
oven-browned
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Luisa Tetrazzini (1874–1940), Italian opera singer, for whom it was first
made.][1]



tetrode

tetrode
tet·rode 
[té trd] (plural tet·rodes) noun

electron tube:
a four-element electron tube containing an anode, a cathode, a control grid,
and an additional electrode or screen grid[1]



tetrodotoxin

tetrodotoxin
tet·ro·do·tox·in 
[tèttrədō tóksin] noun

potent neurotoxin:
a potent neurotoxin that is found in puffer fish and some newts and causes a
general loss of the ability to move in humans who ingest it. C11H17N3O8[1]



tetroxide

tetroxide
te·trox·ide 
[te trók sd] (plural te·trox·ides)
or te·trox·id [te trók sìd] (plural
te·trox·ids) noun

chemical
compound:
a chemical compound that has four oxygen atoms per molecule
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tetra- + oxide
.][1]



tetryl

tetryl
tet·ryl 
[téttril] noun

yellow crystalline compound:
a yellow crystalline compound that is used as a detonator in explosives. C7H5N5O8[1]



Teut.

Teut.
Teut.

Abbreviation of
Teutonic[1]



TeutoburgForest

TeutoburgForest
Teu·to·burg
For·est
[tòytə burgforist] or Teu·to·bur·ger
Wald [tòytə burgər váwld]

ridge of wooded hills in
northwestern Germany, scene of a major Roman defeat by Germans in AD 9[1]



Teuton

Teuton
Teu·ton 
[tt’n] (plural Teu·tons) noun

1.  PEOPLES ancient
German:
a member of an ancient Germanic people that originally came from Jutland.
During the second century BC they
invaded Gaul but were wiped out by the Romans in 102 BC.

2.  German
speaker:
somebody from a German-speaking culture, especially from Germany, Switzerland,
or Austria
[Early 18th century. From
Latin Teutoni or Teutones (plural) “the Teutons.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European word meaning “tribe,” which is also the ancestor of English Dutch .][1]



Teutonic

Teutonic
Teu·ton·ic 
[too tónnik] adjective

1.  relating
to Germanic peoples: relating to German-speaking
cultures or people

2.  relating
to Teutons:
relating to the ancient Teuton people, or their culture
—Teu·ton·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



TeutonicKnights

TeutonicKnights
Teu·ton·ic
Knights
plural noun

German religious and military
order: a German religious and
military order that was founded as a charitable order in Palestine in 1190
during the Third Crusade, but became a military organization operating in
Eastern Europe. In the 13th century it conquered Prussia where it introduced
Christianity through killing many of the native inhabitants and colonizing it
with Germans.
Also called
Teutonic Order[1]



Teutonism

Teutonism
Teu·ton·ism 
[tt’n ìzzəm] (plural Teu·ton·isms)
noun

1.  something
typically German: a German characteristic, custom, or
idiom

2.  German
way of life: German society or civilization

3.  See
Germanism
—Teu·ton·ist, noun[1]



Teutonize

Teutonize
Teu·ton·ize 
[tt’n z] (past Teu·ton·ized,
past participle Teu·ton·ized, present participle Teu·ton·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular Teu·ton·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make something German: to become German or to make
something German
—Teu·ton·i·za·tion [tt’ni záysh’n], noun[1]



Tevet

Tevet
Te·vet
[táy vàyss, te
vét] noun

CALENDAR
See Tebet[1]



Tewa

Tewa
Te·wa 
[táywə] (plural Te·was or
Te·wa) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a group of
Native North American Pueblo peoples that originally occupied lands in New
Mexico, and whose members now live mainly in the north of the state

2.  LANGUAGE Tewa
language:
the Tanoan language of the Tewa people
[Mid-19th century. From Tewa téwa
“moccasins.”][1]



Tewksbury

Tewksbury
Tewks·bur·y
[tksbəree]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, northeast of Billerica and southeast of Lowell. Population:
28,644 (1996)[1]



Tex.

Tex.
Tex.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Texas

2.  Abbreviation
of
Texan

[1]



Texarkana

Texarkana
Tex·ar·kan·a 
[tèks aar kánə, tèks
rkənə]

two cities forming a single
community on either side of the Texas-Arkansas border, one in southwestern
Arkansas, the other in northeastern Texas. Population: 54,287 (1990)[1]



Texas




Back to definition

Texas

[1]



Texas

Texas


Tex·as 
[téks iss]
state
of the southwestern United States, bordered by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana,
the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and New Mexico. Capital: Austin. Population:
19,439,337 (1997) Area: 691,201 sq km/266,873 sq mi.
—Tex·an [téksən], noun, adjective[1]



Texasfever

Texasfever
Tex·as
fe·ver
noun

cattle
disease:
an infectious disease of cattle characterized by high fever, anemia, and severe
weight loss, that is transmitted by tick bites and caused by a protozoan
[Mid-19th century. Named for Texas, because it was first identified there.][1]



Texasleaguer

Texasleaguer
Tex·as
leagu·er 
(plural Tex·as leagu·ers) noun

short
fly not caught: in baseball, a fly ball that drops
between infielders and outfielders, resulting in a base hit
[Formed from Texas League, a
minor league in baseball][1]



TexasRanger

TexasRanger
Tex·as
Rang·er
(plural Tex·as Rangers) noun

Texas state trooper:
a member of the Texas state police[1]



Texastower

Texastower
Tex·as
tow·er
(plural Tex·as tow·ers) noun

offshore
radar tower: an offshore radar tower that is built on
a base that resembles an offshore oil platform
[Mid-20th century. Named for Texas, from its resemblance to a Texan oil rig.][1]



Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex 
[téks mèks] adjective

with
Texan-Mexican cultural blend: showing a blend of Texan and
Mexican cultures or cuisines
[Shortening][1]



text

text
text 
[tekst] noun (plural texts)

1.  main
body of book: the main body of a book or other printed
material as distinct from the introduction, index, illustrations, and headings

2.  written
material:
words that have been written down, typed, or printed

3.  written
version of something: a complete written, typed,
or printed version of something such as a speech or a statement • the
full text of the president’s speech

4.  edition:
one among the extant forms or versions of a written work • compared
various texts to arrive at this reading

5.  EDUCATION book
for study:
a book or piece of writing that is used for academic study or discussion

6.  EDUCATION See textbook

7.  BIBLE Bible
passage:
a short passage from the Bible that is read aloud and on which a sermon is
based

8.  original
wording:
the original wording of a piece of writing, especially the Bible, as opposed to
a translation, summary, or revision

9.  PRINTING typeface
for text:
a style of type that is suitable for printing running text

10. COMPUTING words
appearing on computer screen: computer data that
represents words, numbers, and other typographic characters, typically stored
in ASCII format
adjective

COMPUTING using
words:
associated with or designed for use with words in written form
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin textus “woven material,” hence
“literary composition,” from the past participle stem of texere “to
weave” (source also of English tissue
).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word texere, from which text
  is derived, is also the source of English context,
  pretext, texture, and tissue.

[1]



textbook

textbook
text·book 
[tékst bk] noun (plural text·books)

EDUCATION book
for study:
a book that treats a subject comprehensively and is used by students as a basis
for study.
Also
called
text
adjective

typical:
typical overall and in detail, and thus a suitable example for study • a
textbook case of superpower aggression[1]



textedition

textedition
text
e·di·tion
(plural text e·di·tions) noun

1.  PUBLISHING printed
version:
the printed version of something that is published in some other form such as
CD-ROM or on the Internet

2.  EDUCATION school
book:
an edition of a book designed for use in education

[1]



texteditor

texteditor
text
ed·i·tor 
(plural text ed·i·tors) noun

COMPUTING
software allowing creation of text:
a program that permits the creation and editing of stored text[1]



textfile

textfile
text
file
(plural text files) noun

COMPUTING
file of alphanumeric characters:
a file consisting of alphanumeric characters exclusive of transmission
characters[1]



textile

textile
tex·tile 
[ték stl] (plural tex·tiles) noun

1.  fabric:
cloth or fabric that is woven, knitted, or otherwise manufactured

2.  raw
material used for making fabrics: raw material such as
fiber or yarn that is used for making fabrics
[Early 17th century. From
Latin textilis, from the past participle stem of texere “to
weave” (source also of English text
).][1]



textprocessing

textprocessing
text
proc·ess·ing noun

use of computer to handle
text: the use of a computer to
create, store, edit, and print or display text[1]



textual

textual
tex·tu·al 
[tékschoo əl] adjective

1.  concerning
the way something is written: relating to the way a book
or piece of writing is written

2.  consisting
of words:
consisting of words or text
[14th
century. From medieval Latin textualis, from textus (see text ).]
—tex·tu·al·ly, adverb[1]



textualcriticism

textualcriticism
tex·tu·al
crit·i·cism
noun

1.  study
of manuscripts: the study of a group of manuscripts,
especially of the Bible or works of literature, in order to determine which is
the original or most authentic one

2.  literary
analysis:
the critical study of a work of literature involving a detailed analysis of the
way in which it was written, for example, its context, use of language, and
principal themes
—tex·tu·al crit·ic, noun[1]



textualism

textualism
tex·tu·al·ism 
[tékschoo ə lìzzəm] noun

1.  strict
adherence to text: unswerving adherence to a
text, especially a text from the Bible

2.  detailed
analysis of text: detailed and critical analysis of a text
—tex·tu·al·ist, noun[1]



textuary

textuary
tex·tu·ar·y 
[tékschoo èrree] adjective

textual:
textual (formal)
noun
(plural tex·tu·ar·ies)

Bible
student:
somebody who has studied the Bible extensively and systematically (archaic)
[Early 17th century. From
medieval Latin textuarius, from textus (see text ).][1]



texture

texture
tex·ture 
[tékschər] noun (plural tex·tures)

1.  feel
of a surface: the feel and appearance of a surface,
especially how rough or smooth it is

2.  structure
of something: the structure of a substance or material
such as soil or food, especially how it feels when touched or chewed

3.  rough
quality:
the rough quality of a surface or fabric • a
fabric that has a lot of texture

4.  distinctive
character:
the typical and distinctive character of something complex • The
book captures the texture of 1950s provincial England.

5.  way
an artist depicts a surface: the way in which an artist
depicts the quality or appearance of a surface

6.  effect
of different components of music: the effect of the
different components of a piece of music, for example, melody, harmony, rhythm,
or the use of different instruments
transitive
verb
(past tex·tured, past participle tex·tured, present
participle tex·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular tex·tures)

give a surface a particular feel:
to give a surface a particular feel, usually one that is rough and grainy
[15th
century. Via Old French from Latin textura “a weaving,” from the past
participle stem of texere “to weave” (source also of English text ).]
—tex·tur·al,
adjective

—tex·tur·al·ly, adverb[1]



textured

textured
tex·tured
[tékschərd] adjective

distinctive in texture:
with a distinctive texture or surface • textured
rice paper[1]



texturedvegetable protein

texturedvegetable protein
tex·tured
veg·e·ta·ble pro·tein noun

Full form of
TVP[1]



T-formation

T-formation
T-for·ma·tion
noun

football offensive lineup:
in football, an offensive formation in which the center, quarterback, and
fullback are in a straight line with the halfbacks on either side of and
sometimes slightly behind the fullback, roughly forming a T[1]



TG

TG
TG

Abbreviation of
transformational grammar[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TGIF

TGIF
TGIF
or T.G.I.F.

(informal) Abbreviation
of Thank God It’s Friday Abbreviation of Thank Goodness It’s Friday[1]



T-group

T-group
T-group 
(plural T-groups) noun

therapy
group:
a therapy group that meets to discuss the way members of the group communicate
with each other in order to increase sensitivity toward others and improve
leadership skills (dated)
[From “training group”][1]



TGV

TGV
TGV
noun

fast
French train: in France and some other countries, a
very high-speed train
[From French, from t(rain)
(à) g(rande) v(itesse) “high-speed train”][1]



Th

Th
Th

Symbol for
thorium[1]



Th.

Th.
Th.

1.  BIBLE Abbreviation of
Thessalonians

2.  CALENDAR Abbreviation of Thursday

[1]



Thackeray,William Makepeace

Thackeray,William Makepeace
Thack·er·ay
[thákə rày], William Makepeace (1811–1863)

British novelist.
Serialization of his novel Vanity Fair ( 1847–1848 ) established him as
a major literary figure. He is remembered for his humorous and moralizing
portraits of middle- and upper-class life in Britain.[1]



Thaddaeus

Thaddaeus
Thad·dae·us
[tháddee əss, thə
d əss] noun

apostle of Jesus Christ:
in the New Testament, one of the 12 apostles. He is traditionally identified
with St. Jude (Mark 3:16–19) (Matthew 10:2–4) .[1]



Thai

Thai
Thai 
[tī] noun (plural Thais
or Thai)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Thailand: somebody who was born or raised in
Thailand, or who has Thai citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Thailand: the official language of
Thailand. It belongs to the Thai language group. Thai is spoken by about 25
million people.
adjective

PEOPLES relating
to Thailand: relating to Thailand, or its people or
culture
[Early 19th century. From
Thai, “free.”][1]



Thailand

Thailand



Thai·land 
[gulf əv t land, gulf
əvtlənd]
kingdom in Southeast Asia bordered by
Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, and the Andaman Sea.
Language: Thai. Currency: baht. Capital: Bangkok. Population: 59,450,818 (1997)
Area: 513,115 sq km/198,115 sq mi. Official name Kingdom of Thailand Former
name Siam[1]



Thailand




Back to definition

Thailand

[1]



Thailand,Gulf of

Thailand,Gulf of
Thai·land,
Gulf of
[gulf əv t land, gulf
əvtlənd]

wide inlet of the South China
Sea separating Vietnam, Cambodia, and eastern Thailand from the Malay
Peninsula. Length: 800 km/500 mi. Former name Gulf of Siam[1]



thalamus

thalamus
thal·a·mus 
[thálləməss] (plural thal·a·mi
[thállə m]) noun

1.  brain
part:
either of a pair of egg-shaped masses of gray matter lying beneath each
cerebral hemisphere in the brain. They relay sensory information to the
cerebral cortex and are concerned with awareness of all the main senses except
for smell.

2.  BOTANY See receptacle  noun 2
[Late
17th century. Via Latin, “inner chamber,” from Greek thalamos .]
—tha·lam·ic
[thə lámmik], adjective

—tha·lam·i·cal·ly [thə lámmikəlee], adverb[1]



Thalassa

Thalassa
Tha·las·sa
[thə lássə] noun

satellite of Neptune:
a small inner natural satellite of Neptune, discovered in 1989 by the space
probe Voyager 2. It is approximately 80 km/50 mi in diameter.[1]



thalassemia

thalassemia
thal·as·se·mi·a 
[thàllə smee ə] noun

type
of anemia:
a hereditary form of anemia, particularly prevalent around the Mediterranean,
that is caused by a dysfunction in the synthesis of the red blood pigment
hemoglobin
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Greek thalassa “sea” (from its discovery in
Mediterannean countries) + haima “blood.”]
—thal·as·se·mic, adjective[1]



thalassic

thalassic
tha·las·sic 
[thə lássik] adjective

1.  living
in the sea:
living in or growing in the sea

2.  relating
to the sea:
relating to a sea or ocean, especially a smaller inland sea
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Greek thalassa “sea.”][1]



thalassocracy

thalassocracy
thal·as·soc·ra·cy 
[thàllə sókrəssee] (plural thal·as·soc·ra·cies)
or tha·lat·toc·ra·cy [thàllə tókrəssee]
(plural tha·lat·toc·ra·cies) noun

supremacy
over sea or ocean: naval or commercial
supremacy over a large area of sea or ocean
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek thalassokratia, literally “authority over the sea,”
from thalassa “sea.”]
—tha·las·so·crat [thə lássə kràt], noun[1]



thalassotherapy

thalassotherapy
tha·las·so·ther·a·py
[thàlləssō thérrəpee] noun

sea-water
therapy:
a therapeutic treatment that involves bathing in sea water
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek thalassa “sea” + therapy
.][1]



thaler

thaler
tha·ler 
[tlər] (plural tha·ler or
tha·lers) or ta·ler [tlər]
(plural ta·ler or ta·lers) noun

old
unit of German currency: any of several silver coins
that were used as currency in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland between the
15th and 19th centuries
[Late 18th century. From
archaic German (now Taler ).][1]



Thalia

Thalia
Tha·li·a 
[thə l ə, tháylee
ə, tháylyə] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
muse:
the muse of comedy in Greek mythology.
See
also
Muse

2.  one
of the three Graces: one of the three Graces in
Greek mythology who lived on Mount Olympus and tended the goddess Aphrodite.
See
also
Grace

[1]



thalidomide

thalidomide
tha·lid·o·mide 
[thə líddə md] noun

sedative
causing physical defects: a synthetic sedative and
hypnotic drug that has caused physical defects, including limb malformation, in
fetuses when taken by women in the first three months of pregnancy
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from an alteration of phthalic acid (shortening of naphthalic, from naphthalene ) + (im)id(e) + (im)ide, elements of
its chemical name.][1]



thallic

thallic
thal·lic 
[thállik] adjective

made of or containing
thallium: made of or containing
thallium, especially with a valence of three[1]



thallium

thallium

thal·li·um 
[thállee əm] noun
toxic
element:
a soft highly toxic white metallic element that in the past was used in
pesticides and insecticides. It is used in the manufacture of low-melting
glass, photocells, and infrared detectors, and several of its isotopes are
members of the uranium, actinium, neptunium, and thorium radioactive series. Symbol
Tl
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek thallos “green shoot” (because its spectrum is marked by a
green band).][1]



thallophyte

thallophyte
thal·lo·phyte 
[thállə ft] (plural thal·lo·phytes)
noun

plant
type:
a plant that has no stem, roots, or leaves, for example, algae, lichens, and
fungi
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Thallophyta, group name, from Greek thallos
(see thallium ) + phuton “plant.”]
—thal·lo·phyt·ic [thàllə fíttik], adjective[1]



thallous

thallous
thal·lous 
[thálləss] adjective

made of or containing
thallium: made of or containing
thallium, especially with a valence of one[1]



thallus

thallus
thal·lus 
[thálləss] (plural thal·li [thá l] or thal·lus·es) noun

plant
body:
the body of a plant such as an alga or liverwort that is not differentiated
into leaves, stems, and roots
[Early
19th century. From Greek thallos “a green shoot,” from thallein
“to bloom.”]
—thal·loid [thá lòyd], adjective[1]



thalweg

thalweg
thal·weg 
[tól vèg] (plural thal·wegs) or
tal·weg [tól vèg] (plural tal·wegs)
noun

GEOGRAPHY line
connecting lowest points: a line connecting the lowest
points of successive cross sections through a river channel or valley
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from obsolete thal “valley” (now Tal ) + weg
“path.”][1]



than

than
than
[an, ən]
CORE
MEANING:
used after a comparative adjective or adverb in order to introduce the second
element of a comparison • (preposition)
paying more than $490 a year in fees • (preposition)
The hole was no deeper than 12 ft . • (conjunction)
The risk may be higher than the figures indicate. conjunction

1.  stating
a preference: used to introduce a rejected alternative
in a contrast between two alternatives, in order to state a preference • more
a state of mind than a physical condition

2.  when:
used especially after inverted constructions to say when something happened • Barely
had she opened the door than the phone started to ring.
[Old
English þanne, þonne, þænne, and þan ; ultimately
the same word as English then]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  older
  than he
  or older than him ?
  Because
  than is a preposition as well as a
  conjunction, either construction is possible, as is the fuller form older
  than he is . The form older than him is generally considered to be
  more informal, although it is usually more natural in any context.

[1]



thanatology

thanatology
than·a·tol·o·gy 
[thànnə tólləjee] noun

study
of death:
the study of the medical, psychological, and sociological aspects of death and
the ways in which people deal with it
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek thanatos “death” + -logy
.]
—than·a·to·log·i·cal
[thànnət’l ójjik’l], adjective

—than·a·tol·o·gist [thànnə tólləjist], noun[1]



thanatopsis

thanatopsis
than·a·top·sis 
[thànnə tópsiss] (plural than·a·top·ses
[thànnə tóp sz]) noun

thoughts
about death: an expression of somebody’s thoughts
about death, for example, in a poem (literary)
[Early 19th century. Coined
from Greek thanatos “death” + -opsis “sight” (see -opsy ).][1]



Thanatos

Thanatos
Than·a·tos
[thánnə tòss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY personification
of death:
in Greek mythology, the personification of death and the son of Nyx, goddess of
the night. Roman equivalent Mors

2.  PSYCHOLOGY death
instinct:
the universal death instinct theorized by Sigmund Freud
[Mid-20th century. From
Greek, “death.”][1]



thane

thane
thane 
[thayn] (plural thanes) noun

1.  retainer
of Anglo-Saxon lord: an Anglo-Saxon nobleman of
low rank who held lands in return for military service to a lord

2.  feudal
baron in Scotland: a baron in feudal Scotland,
or a hereditary tenant of the Scottish crown
[Old
English þegn . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “boy,
man.”]
—than·age,
noun

—thane·ship, noun[1]



thank

thank
thank 
[thangk] (past thanked, past
participle thanked, present participle thank·ing, 3rd
person present singular thanks) transitive verb

1.  express
gratitude:
express feelings of gratitude to somebody

2.  blame
somebody for something: to blame somebody or hold
somebody responsible for something • You
have only yourself to thank for this situation.

3.  be
grateful:
to be grateful to somebody or something because of something that has happened
• Thank
goodness you got here in time.
[Old
English þancian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English think and thought .]
I’ll
thank you (not) to

used in an ironic or angry
way to ask somebody to do or not do something • I’ll
thank you not to mention that again.[1]



thankful

thankful
thank·ful 
[thángkfəl] adjective

1.  feeling
gratitude:
feeling or expressing gratitude • We
must be thankful for small mercies.

2.  glad
about something: glad or relieved about something
—thank·ful·ness, noun[1]



thankfully

thankfully
thank·ful·ly
[thángkfəlee] adverb

1.  with
gratitude:
with feelings or expressions of gratitude • They
thankfully accepted her offer of a room for the night.

2.  used
to express relief: used to express approval or
relief about a situation (informal) • Thankfully,
it didn’t rain until the game was over.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Sentence
  adverb
  The
  adverb thankfully is used in two ways: as
  a conventional adverb of manner ( • They
  received the good news thankfully ),
  and as a sentence adverb ( • Thankfully,
  the news was good ). Some people dislike the
  second use, although the objection is not as strong as that to hopefully
  used in a corresponding way.

[1]



thankless

thankless
thank·less 
[thángkləss] adjective

1.  unappreciated:
not likely to be appreciated or rewarded • a
thankless task

2.  ungrateful:
not showing or feeling gratitude
—thank·less·ly,
adverb

—thank·less·ness, noun[1]



thanks

thanks
thanks 
[thangks] plural noun

1.  gratitude
for something: gratitude or appreciation for something

2.  expression
of gratitude: an expression of gratitude for something
• Many
thanks for your help yesterday.
interjection

used to express gratitude:
used to express gratitude to somebody • Goodbye,
and thanks!
no
thanks to somebody or something

despite
somebody or something or without somebody’s assistance

thanks
a lot

used
to express great gratitude, sometimes ironically (informal) • Thanks
a lot for coming over. • You
took my glass? Thanks a lot!

thanks
to somebody or something

because
of somebody or something

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Thanks
  much
  This
  expression is not standard English but is, rather, a jocular formation,
  somewhat like • Who’d of thunk?
  It is unclear whether the thanks in thanks
  much is a plural noun (as in • I
  offer you my thanks ) or whether the
  expression is a shortened form of • I
  thank you very much. Regardless, • Many
  thanks
  or • Thanks
  very much
  are the proper expressions.

[1]



thanksgiving

thanksgiving
thanks·giv·ing 
[thàngks gívving, thángks
gìvving] (plural thanks·giv·ings) noun

1.  RELIGION prayer
of thanks:
a prayer that offers thanks to God

2.  giving
of thanks:
an expression or an act of giving thanks

3.  RELIGION public
acknowledgment of divine goodness: a public
acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness

[1]



ThanksgivingDay

ThanksgivingDay
Thanks·giv·ing
Day
(plural Thanks·giv·ing Days) or Thanks·giv·ing noun
CALENDAR

1.  legal
holiday in United States: the fourth Thursday in
November, observed as a legal holiday in the United States to commemorate the
feast given in thanks for the harvest by the Pilgrim colonists in 1621

2.  Canada
legal
holiday in Canada: the second Monday in
October, observed in Canada as a legal holiday and day of giving thanks for the
harvest and other good things received

[1]



thank-you

thank-you
thank-you 
noun (plural thank-yous)

expression
of gratitude: an expression of gratitude to somebody • a
big thank-you to all our readers
adjective

expressing gratitude:
expressing gratitude to somebody for something • Send
a thank-you note promptly.[1]



Thant,U

Thant,U
Thant
[thaant, thant],
U (1909–1974)

Burmese statesman. Following
a series of senior government posts, he became secretary general of the United
Nations (1961–1971).[1]



thar

thar
thar
[aar] adverb

there:
there (nonstandard) (regional)[1]



TharDesert

TharDesert
Thar
Des·ert 
[taar dézzərt]

desert in northwestern India,
in the state of Rajasthan, extending across the border into Pakistan. Area:
199,429 sq km/77,000 sq mi.[1]



Tharp,Twyla

Tharp,Twyla

Tharp
[thaarp], Twyla (1941– )
U.S. dancer and choreographer. Her
individual dance style combines ballet, tap, and jazz.[1]



Tharsis

Tharsis
Thar·sis
[thrsiss] noun

bulge on surface of Mars:
an extensive shallow bulge on the surface of Mars in the northern hemisphere
about 2000 km/1200 mi across and 8 km/5 mi high, supporting several volcanoes[1]



that

that
that 
[at, unstressed ət] CORE MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate somebody or something that has already been
mentioned or identified, or something that is understood by both the speaker
and hearer • (adjective)
Do you remember that discussion we had? • (adjective)
Later that week I saw her again. • (pronoun)
Is that why you’re here? • (pronoun)
Don’t touch that!

1.
adjective pronoun indicating distance
from the speaker: indicating somebody or something a
distance away from you, or further away from another, referred to as “this” • (adjective)
You see that girl over there? • (adjective)
That bag looks more spacious than this one. • (pronoun)
What’s that you’re doing? • (pronoun)
That looks much nicer than this.

2.
adjective pronoun indicating a familiar
person or thing: used to refer to somebody or something
not described, but familiar to the speaker and hearer and not requiring
identification • (adjective) Did you
read that e-mail I sent? • (adjective)
that woman we met yesterday • (pronoun)
That was a great year.

3.
adjective indicating a type:
used to characterize a particular type, person, or thing • I
really want a sleep that goes on forever.

4.
pronoun identifying somebody or something:
used to introduce a clause giving more information to identify the person or
thing mentioned • the committee that
deals with such matters • Take
the road that forks to the left. • on
the day that he left

5.
conjunction expressing a comment or fact:
used to introduce a noun clause expressing a comment on a situation or a
supposed or real fact • It was
clear that she wanted to see the concert. • The
report stated that sales were improving.

6.
conjunction expressing a result:
used to introduce a clause expressing result or effect • It
made such a noise that we had to cover our ears.

7.
conjunction expressing a cause:
used to introduce a clause expressing the cause of a feeling • I
feel hurt that you should think such a thing. • He’s
sorry that he told her now.

8.
conjunction expressing purpose:
used to introduce a clause expressing purpose • We
continue to give, that others will receive and live.

9.
conjunction expressing desire or
amazement:
used after an understood but unspoken statement such as “I wish” or “If only”
to introduce a clause expressing desire, amazement, or indignation • Oh
that I had never set eyes on her! • That
you could think such a thing!

10.
adverb to the stated degree:
used to specify the extent of something • I
came that close to hitting the car in front.

11.
adverb so very: used
before adjectives to emphasize the quality they are describing (informal)
• I
didn’t think she’d be that upset.
[Old
English þæt . Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative base (see the ).]
and
(all) that

and
everything else that is similar or included (informal) • I’ve
painted the doors and window frames and all that.

at
that

1.  in
addition • It
was a coincidence, and a happy one at that.

2.  nevertheless,
or in spite of something else • It
just might work at that.

3.  at
a specific point or place • I
think we’ll leave it at that for today.

just
like that

without
great effort, trouble, or inconvenience • I
can’t move to another country just like that.

that
is

in
other words, or to be specific • You
need a further qualification, that is, a Ph.D.

that’s
that

1.  used
to say that something is finished or dealt with

2.  used
to say that something has been settled and there will be no more discussion on
it

with
that

immediately
after saying or doing something specified • With
that, she turned to go.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  that
  or which ?
  As
  relative pronouns the two words are often interchangeable: • The
  house that/which stands on the corner is up for sale.
  • The
  school that/which they go to is several miles away.
  (When that or which
  is the object of a following verb, it can be omitted altogether, as in • The
  school they go to … .) When the relative
  clause adds incidental information rather than identifying the noun it
  follows, which is used and is preceded by
  a comma: • The
  house, which stands on the corner, is up for sale.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  That
  in reference to people
  For
  centuries that has been used to refer to
  people as well as things. Sometimes this usage can be clumsy: • He’s
  the one that did it. But it is not incorrect,
  and occasionally that is the most artful
  choice possible of relative pronoun: • Anything
  or anyone that helps me is my friend.

[1]



thataway

thataway
that·a·way 
[áttə wày] adverb

in
that direction: in that direction, or over there (humorous)
(regional) • The masked man went
thataway, Sheriff.
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of that way .][1]



thatch

thatch
thatch 
[thach] noun (plural thatch·es)

1.  BUILDING plant
material used for a roof: a plant material such as
straw or rushes used as roofing on a house.
Also
called
thatching

2.  BUILDING roof
of thatch:
a roof made of thatch

3.  hair
on somebody’s head: the hair on somebody’s head,
especially when it is thick • The
child had an unmistakable thatch of red hair.

4.  GARDENING layer
of dead material in grass: a matted layer of dead plant
material that builds up next to the soil at the base of lawn grasses
intransitive
and transitive verb (past thatched,
past participle thatched, present participle thatch·ing,
3rd person present singular thatch·es)

BUILDING roof
building with thatch: to put a roof of thatch on a
building, or to work at doing this
[Old
English þeccan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
cover,” which is also the ancestor of English deck,
protect, and tile .]
—thatch·er, noun[1]



thatched

thatched
thatched
[thacht] adjective

roofed with thatch:
made of thatch, or with a roof made of thatch • an
old-fashioned thatched cottage[1]



Thatcher,Margaret

Thatcher,Margaret

Thatch·er
[tháchər], Margaret, Baroness Thatcher of
Kesteven (1925– )
British
political leader. Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975, and first woman
prime minister (1979–1990), she pursued policies of privatization and economic
deregulation.
Born
Roberts, Margaret Hilda[1]



thatching

thatching
thatch·ing
[tháching] noun

1.  craft
of making thatched roofs: the craft or process of
constructing or repairing thatched roofs

2.  See
thatch  noun 1

[1]



thaumato-

thaumato-
thaumato-
prefix

miracle
• thaumatology
[From Greek thaumat-,
the stem of thauma “marvel, wonder,” of unknown origin][1]



thaumatology

thaumatology
thau·ma·tol·o·gy 
[thàwmə tólləjee] noun

study
of miracles: the study or description of miracles
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek thauma “wonder” + -logy .][1]



thaumatrope

thaumatrope
thau·ma·trope 
[tháwmə trp] (plural thau·ma·tropes)
noun

card
with pictures on either side: a card with different
pictures on either side so that when the card is rapidly twirled, the images
appear to combine
[Early
19th century. Coined from Greek thauma “wonder” + tropos
“turning.”]
—thau·ma·trop·i·cal [thàwmə tróppik’l], adjective[1]



thaumaturge

thaumaturge
thau·ma·turge 
[tháwmə tùrj] (plural thau·ma·turg·es)
or thau·ma·tur·gist [tháwmə tùrj]
(plural thau·ma·tur·gists) noun

magician:
somebody who performs magic or miracles
[Early 18th century. Via
medieval Latin from Greek thaumatourgos, from thauma “wonder” + -ergos
“working.”][1]



thaumaturgy

thaumaturgy
thau·ma·tur·gy 
[tháwmə tùrjee] noun

performance
of miracles: the performance of miracles or magic
—thau·ma·tur·gic, adjective[1]



thaw

thaw
thaw 
[thaw] verb (past thawed,
past participle thawed, present participle thaw·ing,
3rd person present singular thaws)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb melt:
to melt or make something melt

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOD defrost:
to defrost frozen food or become defrosted • Leave
the cake out to thaw.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
less cold:
to become less cold or numb through exposure to heat • Come
thaw out by the fire.

4.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY be
warm enough to melt ice: to be warm enough that snow
and ice will melt

5.  intransitive
verb
become
less hostile: to become less hostile, tense, or aloof
• The
atmosphere thawed.
noun
(plural thaws)

1.  process
of thawing:
the action or process of thawing

2.  METEOROLOGY warmer
weather:
a period of weather warm enough to melt snow and ice

3.  lessening
of hostility: a lessening of hostility, tension, or
aloofness
[Old English þawian .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that also produced German tauen
“to thaw.”][1]



Thayer,Sylvanus

Thayer,Sylvanus
Thay·er
[tháy ər, thair],
Sylvanus (1785–1872)

U.S.
soldier and educator. As the long-term superintendent (1817–1833) of the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, he is credited with transforming it into a
fully effective institution.
Known as
Father of West Point[1]



Th.B.

Th.B.
Th.B.

Abbreviation
of
Bachelor of Theology
[Latin, Theologiae
Baccalaureus][1]



THC

THC
THC 
noun

main active chemical compound
in cannabis: the main active
chemical constituent of cannabis. Full form tetrahydrocannabinol[1]



Th.D.

Th.D.
Th.D.

Abbreviation
of
Doctor of Theology
[Latin, Theologiae Doctor][1]



the

the
the 
[(stressed/emphatic) ee, (unstressed)(before
a vowel) ee, (unstressed)(before a
consonant) ə] CORE
MEANING:
an adjective, the definite article, used before somebody or something that has
already been mentioned or identified, or something that is understood by both
the speaker and hearer, as distinct from “a” or “an” • The
movie ended with the hero riding off into the desert.
• The
food was excellent but the service was poor.

1.  indicating
one as distinct from another: used to refer to a
particular one of a number of things or people, identified as distinct from all
others by the use of some kind of modifier • Put
them in the small bag. • the
door on the left • the
girl who answered the phone • the
right to vote • the
points made earlier.
See
also
a, an

2.  indicating
generic class: used to refer to a person or thing
considered generically or universally • Exercise
is good for the heart. • she
played the violin • The
dog is a loyal pet.

3.  indicating
shared experience: used to refer to objects and
concepts associated with the shared experience of a culture, society, or
community • go
to the hospital • thinking
about the future • lying
in the sun

4.  all
people of a particular type: used before adjectives to
refer generically to people of a particular type or class • new
measures to help the unemployed • They
say the good always die young.

5.  titles
and names:
used before titles and some names, for example, place names • the
King of Spain • the
Times newspaper • the
President of the United States

6.  qualifying
names and titles: used in names and titles before
adjectives and nouns that distinguish somebody from others of the same name or
title • Ivan
the Terrible • Henry
the Fifth

7.  indicating
parts of the body: used instead of “my,”“your,”
etc., to refer to a part of somebody’s body • patted
him on the head • took
her by the hand

8.  indicating
most famous or important: the best, only, or most
outstanding • It’s
the place to be.

9.  expressing
rates and ratios: used to indicate how many units apply to
the particular items being measured • ordered
in at $60 the ton

10. indicating
a family relationship: used instead of “your,”
“my,” etc. to refer to somebody having a particular family relationship. (informal)
• Give
my regards to the family. • How’s
the wife?

11. period
of time:
used to refer to a specified period of time, especially a decade or an era • living
in the sixties

12.
adjective to that extent:
used adverbially to emphasize that somebody or something is true to a
particular extent (used before comparatives) • She
looks the better for her holiday. • the
worse for wear

13.
adverb by how much or by that much:
used adverbially to indicate how one amount or quality changes in relation to
another (used before each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs) • the
cheaper the better • The
more you exercise, the fitter you’ll feel.
[Old
English þe, alteration of earlier se . Ultimately from an
Indo-European demonstrative base that is also the ancestor of English that, then,
there, they,
and this .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Pronunciation:
  It
  is a curious fact that one of the English words used most often, consisting
  of one syllable and spelled with three letters, has two distinct
  pronunciations, according to context. Before a word beginning with a
  consonant sound the vowel in the is
  pronounced as a schwa, as in • thuh
  mare,
  • thuh
  gray mare,
  but before a word beginning with a vowel sound it is pronounced with a long e,
  as in • thee
  old gray mare.

[1]



the-

the-
the-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
theo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








theanthropism

theanthropism
the·an·thro·pism 
[thee ánthrə pìzzəm] noun

1.  assignment
of human characteristics to god: the assigning of human
characteristics to a god or gods

2.  Christian
doctrine:
the Christian doctrine that the human and the divine are united in Jesus Christ
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek theanthrōpos “god-man,” from theos
“god” + anthrōpos “man.”]
—the·an·throp·ic
[th ən thróppik], adjective

—the·an·thro·pist [thee ánthrəpist], noun[1]



thearchy

thearchy
the·ar·chy 
[th rkee] (plural the·ar·chies)
noun

1.  rule
by god:
rule by God, by a god, or by priests

2.  community
under divine rule: a community that is ruled by
God, by a god, or by priests

3.  hierarchy
of gods:
a hierarchy or system of gods
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek thearkhia, from theos “god.”]
—the·arch·ic, adjective[1]



theat.

theat.
theat.

1.  Abbreviation
of
theater

2.  Abbreviation
of
theatrical

[1]



theater

theater
the·a·ter 
[th ətər] or the·a·tre [th ətər] noun (plural the·a·ters)

1.  THEATER place
for plays:
a building, room, or other setting where plays or other dramatic presentations
are performed

2.  CINEMA place
where movies are shown: a building, room, or other
setting where movies are shown

3.  MEDICINE operating
theater:
an operating theater (informal)

4.  room
with tiers of seats: a room with rising tiers of
seats, used for lectures, demonstrations, or assemblies

5.  THEATER plays:
plays or other dramatic literature

6.  THEATER drama
as art or profession: dramatic performance as an
art, profession, or way of life • She
decided to make the theater her life.

7.  THEATER dramatic
quality:
dramatic or theatrical quality or effectiveness • As
a public speaker he has a great sense of theater.

8.  place
of significant events: the place or realm where
significant actions or events take place • the
political theater

9.  GEOGRAPHY land
that rises in steps: a natural land formation
that rises by steps or gradations
adjective

for use in theater of operations:
relating to or for use in a military theater of operations
[14th century. Via Old French
and Latin from Greek theatron, from theasthai “to watch.”][1]



theatergoing

theatergoing
the·a·ter·go·ing
noun

practice
of going to theater: the practice of going to the
theater, especially regularly
adjective

attending
the theater: attending the theater, especially
regularly • The
theatergoing public is being shortchanged by plays of this standard.
—the·a·ter·go·er, noun[1]



theater-in-the-round

theater-in-the-round
the·a·ter-in-the-round 
(plural the·a·ters-in-the-round) noun

1.  theater
with stage in the center: a theater in which the stage
is in the center with the seats surrounding on all sides.
Also
called
arena theater

2.  drama
for theater-in-the-round: drama or the style of drama
written for performance in a theater-in-the-round

[1]



theaterof cruelty

theaterof cruelty
the·a·ter
of cru·el·ty noun

drama emphasizing cruelty of
human existence: a form of surrealist
drama emphasizing that human beings live in a threatening world with precarious
moral values. It was originated by Antonin Artaud in the early 1930s.[1]



theaterof operations

theaterof operations
the·a·ter
of op·er·a·tions (plural the·a·ters of
op·er·a·tions) noun

area where combat occurs:
an area where fighting takes place during a war[1]



theaterof the absurd

theaterof the absurd
the·a·ter
of the ab·surd noun

drama emphasizing absurdity
of human life: a form of drama that
represents the absurdity of human life in a meaningless universe by
deliberately unrealistic means and by ignoring or distorting conventions of
plot and characterization[1]



theaterof war

theaterof war
the·a·ter
of war
(plural the·a·ters of war) noun

large area involved in war:
a large area of land, sea, and air in which warfare may take place.
See also
theater of operations[1]



theatre

theatre
the·a·tre 
(plural the·a·tres) noun

See
theater[1]



theatrical

theatrical
the·at·ri·cal 
[thee áttrik’l] adjective

1.  THEATER relating
to theater:
relating to or typical of the theater or dramatic performance

2.  marked
by artificial emotion: full of exaggerated or false
emotion
noun
(plural the·at·ri·cals)

THEATER actor:
a professional actor
—the·at·ri·cal·ism,
noun

—the·at·ri·cal·i·ty
[thee àttri kállətee], noun

—the·at·ri·cal·ly
[thee áttrikəlee], adverb

—the·at·ri·cal·ness [thee áttrik’lnəss], noun[1]



theatricals

theatricals
the·at·ri·cals
[thee áttrək’lz] or the·at·rics
[thee áttriks] plural noun

1.  performance
of plays:
the performance of plays, often by amateurs

2.  dramatic
behavior:
showy dramatic gestures and actions

[1]



thebaine

thebaine
the·ba·ine 
[thbə n, thi
báy in] noun

poisonous
opium alkaloid: a poisonous alkaloid component of opium
that causes convulsions similar to those caused by strychnine and that was once
used medicinally. C19H21NO3 
Also
called
paramorphine
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek Thēbai “Thebes” (in Egypt) because Upper Egypt was an
important source of opium.][1]



thebe

thebe
the·be 
[tébbe] (plural the·be) noun

1.  subunit
of Botswanan currency: a subunit of currency in
Botswana, 100 of which are worth one pula

2.  coin
worth a thebe: a coin worth one thebe

[1]



Thebe

Thebe
The·be 
[th_’e b_e] noun

moon
of Jupiter:
the fourteenth moon of the planet Jupiter to be discovered, with a diameter of
100 km/60 mi . It is Jupiter’s fourth most distant satellite, orbiting at a
distance of 222,000 km/138,000 mi .
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin,
name of the nymph who was daughter of the river god Asopus, from Greek .][1]



Thebes

Thebes
Thebes 
[theebz]

1.  city
of ancient Greece, in Boeotia, northwest of present-day Athens. A celebrated
city in Greek myth, it was the most important city in Boeotia from the
beginning of the 6th century BC,
and was destroyed by Alexander the Great in 335 BC
.

2.  capital
city of ancient Egypt, situated on both sides of the Nile River, south of
present-day Cairo. It first appeared in Egyptian records in the middle of the
3rd millennium BC, and served as
the capital of Egypt until 1085 BC
. It is the site of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.
—The·ban, noun,
adjective[1]



theca

theca
the·ca 
[thkə] (plural the·cae [th s, th k])
noun

enclosing
organ or part: an enclosing organ, capsule, or sheath,
for example, the spore case of a moss or the horny covering of the pupa of an
insect
[Early
17th century. Via Latin from Greek thēkē “case.”]
—the·cal,
adjective

—the·cate [th kàyt], adjective[1]



thecodont

thecodont
the·co·dont 
[thkə dònt] adjective

with teeth in sockets:
used to describe animals whose teeth are set in sockets
noun
(plural the·co·donts)

1.  extinct
prehistoric reptile: any of an order of extinct
reptiles that lived in the Triassic period, had teeth set in sockets, and were
the ancestors of the dinosaurs. Order: Thecodontia

2.  thecodont
reptile:
a thecodont reptile
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin theca (see theca ) + -odont .][1]



thee

thee
thee 
[ee] pronoun

1.  objective
of “thou”:
the objective form of “thou” used as the object of a verb or preposition to
mean “you” (archaic)

2.  “thou”
as used by Quakers: a subjective form of “thou”
as used by members of the Christian denomination, the Society of Friends • See
that thee keepest silence.
[Old English þē, the
objective form of þū (see thou )][1]



theft

theft
theft 
[theft] (plural thefts) noun

1.  stealing
of property: the stealing of somebody else’s property

2.  something
stolen:
something that has been stolen (archaic)
[Old
English þēoft . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also
the ancestor of English thief .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  theft, robbery, burglary,
  hold-up, mugging,
  shoplifting, embezzlement, larceny
  CORE
  MEANING: taking
  property unlawfully theft; a
  general word used to talk about the unlawful taking of somebody else’s
  property or money; robbery; theft
  that involves force or violence, or the threat of it; burglary; the act of illegally entering a
  building in order to commit a felony, usually in order to steal; hold-up;
  a robbery involving the threat or use of guns; mugging;
  an informal word used to describe an attack on somebody when the attacker’s
  motive is to steal from that person; shoplifting; stealing goods from
  stores; embezzlement; the unlawful taking of money by somebody who has
  been placed in a position of trust, especially taking money from an employer;
  larceny; a formal or legal word
  meaning the same as theft

[1]



theine

theine
theine 
[th n, th in]
noun

caffeine
in tea:
caffeine, particularly as found in tea
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Thea, former genus name of the tea plant, from Dutch thee
(see tea ).][1]



their

their
their 
[air] adjective

belonging
to them:
belonging to or relating to a particular group of people or things • They
have sold their house and moved to Arizona.


belonging
to an individual: belonging to an individual person (informal)
• Everyone
should make their own way home.
[12th
century. From Old Norse þeirra “theirs.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at they.

[1]



theirs

theirs
theirs 
[airz] pronoun

1.  belonging
to them:
belonging to a particular group of people or things • Theirs
was the biggest house in the town.

2.  belonging
to an individual: belonging to an individual person (informal)
• I
have spare copies of the agenda if anyone has forgotten theirs.

[1]



theism

theism
the·ism 
[th ìzzəm] (plural the·isms) noun

1.  belief
in God:
belief that one God created and rules humans and the world, not necessarily
accompanied by belief in divine revelation such as through the Bible

2.  belief
in god or gods: belief in the existence of a god or gods
[Late
17th century. Formed from Greek theos (see theo-
).]
—the·ist,
noun

—the·is·tic
[thee ístik], adjective

—the·is·ti·cal,
adjective

—the·is·ti·cal·ly [thee ístikəlee], adverb[1]



thematic

thematic
the·mat·ic 
[thə máttik] adjective

1.  relating
to theme:
relating to or being a theme

2.  LINGUISTICS relating
to word stem: relating to the stem of a word

3.  LINGUISTICS last
before inflection: being the last part of a
word stem before the inflectional ending
[Late
17th century. From Greek thematikos, from thema (see theme ).]
—the·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



thematicapperception test

thematicapperception test
the·mat·ic
ap·per·cep·tion test (plural the·mat·ic
ap·per·cep·tion tests) noun

psychological test:
a test for exploring aspects of personality in which somebody is shown pictures
of people in various situations and asked to describe what is happening. The
presumption is that emotions, prejudices, and other psychological states of the
subject will be projected onto the figures in the picture.[1]



theme

theme
theme 
[theem] noun (plural themes)

1.  subject
of discussion or composition: a subject of a discourse,
discussion, piece of writing, or artistic composition

2.  distinct
and unifying idea: a distinct, recurring, and
unifying quality or idea • Efficiency
will be the theme of this organization.

3.  MUSIC repeated
melody:
a melody that is repeated, often with variations, throughout a piece of music • one
of the themes of the concerto

4.  music
in film:
a song or tune that is played at the beginning or end of, or during, a film or
television program, and is identified with it • the
theme from “The Magnificent Seven”

5.  essay
or written exercise: a short essay or written
exercise for a student

6.  GRAMMAR See stem 1 noun 6
adjective

with distinct subject:
with one distinct and recurring subject, organizational principle, or idea • We
ate at a Wild West theme restaurant.
transitive
verb
(past themed, past participle themed, present
participle them·ing, 3rd person present singular themes)

give something distinct character:
to give something a single distinct character or subject • The
local bar has been themed as an Irish pub.
[13th
century. Via Old French and Latin from Greek thema “proposition.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at subject

[1]



themepark

themepark
theme
park
(plural theme parks) noun

amusement park with theme:
an amusement park in which all of the entertainments and facilities are
designed around a particular subject or idea[1]



Themistocles

Themistocles
The·mis·toc·les 
[thə místə klz] (527? BC–460? BC)

Greek general and statesman.
He built up the Athenian navy and led it to victory over the Persians at the
battle of Salamis (480 BC ),
laying the foundations for Athenian domination of Greece.[1]



themselves

themselves
them·selves 
[əm sélvz, em
sélvz] pronoun

1.  reflexive
of “they” or “them”: used to refer to a group of
people or things when the object of a verb is the same as the subject • They
all made themselves at home.

2.  their
normal selves: their real or normal selves (usually
used in negative constructions) • They
haven’t been themselves since the accident.

3.  emphasizing:
used to emphasize the people or things being referred to • They
themselves would rather have gone to a movie.

4.  himself
or herself:
used to refer to an individual person without using “himself” or “herself” (informal)
• Everyone
needs to take care of themselves.

[1]



then

then
then 
[en] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb used to indicate a particular time in the past or future • We
were much happier then. • Until
then, he’ll be staying with me.

1.
adverb after that: after
that or subsequently in time, order, or position • Fry
the onions and garlic, then the vegetables. • We
went for a walk, then came home.

2.
adverb therefore: that
being the case, or in that case • Then
why don’t you go back?

3.
adverb in addition: in
addition to something else, or besides what has been mentioned • I
have to pay the money, then a penalty on top of that!

4.
adjective being at that time:
being at that time, or existing or belonging to the time mentioned • the
then governor
[Old
English þænne . Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative base (see
the ).]
but
then again

used
to introduce a contrasting and additional fact that has to be taken into
account • It
was a brave thing to do, but then again I would have expected no less of her.

then
and there

immediately and in that very
place (informal) • Did
you expect me to hand over the money then and there?[1]



thenar

thenar
the·nar 
[th nr] noun (plural the·nars)

1.  palm
of hand:
the palm of the hand (technical)

2.  base
of thumb:
the fleshy area at the base of the thumb
adjective

in palm or ball of thumb:
relating to or in the palm of the hand or the fleshy area at the base of the
thumb
[Mid-17th century. From
Greek, “palm of the hand.”][1]



thence

thence
thence 
[enss] adverb (formal or literary)

1.  from
there:
from that place • We went by boat to
Rotterdam and thence to Amsterdam.

2.  therefore:
from that fact, or therefore

3.  thereafter:
from that time, or thereafter
[13th century. Formed from
earlier thenne . Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative base
(see the ).][1]



thenceforth

thenceforth
thence·forth 
[enss fáwrth] adverb

from then on:
from that time on[1]



thenceforward

thenceforward
thence·for·ward 
[ens fáwrwərd] adverb

from there or then:
from that place or time on or forward[1]



theo-

theo-
theo-
prefix

god
• theocentric
[From Greek theos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to shine, sky, heaven,” which is
also the ancestor of English deity, jovial, and Tuesday
.][1]



theobromine

theobromine
the·o·bro·mine 
[th ō brṓ mn] noun

white
powder similar to caffeine: a white powder derived from
the cacao bean that has effects similar to caffeine and has been used as a
diuretic and in treating cardiovascular disorders. C7H8N4O2
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Theobroma, genus name of the cacao tree, literally
“food of the gods,” from Greek brōma “food.”][1]



theocentric

theocentric
the·o·cen·tric 
[th ə séntrik] adjective

with
god as main focus: with God, a god, or gods as
the focal point
—the·o·cen·tri·cism,
noun

—the·o·cen·tric·i·ty
[th ə sen tríssətee], noun

—the·o·cen·trism [th ə sén trìzzəm], noun[1]



theocracy

theocracy
the·oc·ra·cy 
[thee ókrəssee] (plural the·oc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  government
by god:
government by a god or by priests

2.  community
governed by god: a community governed by a god or priests
[Early
17th century. From Greek theokratia, literally “rule of the gods.”]
—the·o·crat
[th ə kràt], noun

—the·o·crat·ic
[th ə kráttik], adjective

—the·o·crat·i·cal
[th ə kráttik’l], adjective

—the·o·crat·i·cal·ly [th ə kráttikəly], adverb[1]



Theocritus

Theocritus
The·oc·ri·tus 
[thee ókrətəss] (310? BC–250? BC)

Greek poet. His graceful
lyrics were the foundation of European pastoral poetry.[1]



theodicy

theodicy
the·od·i·cy 
[thee óddissee] (plural the·od·i·cies)
noun

defense
of God’s goodness: argument in defense of God’s
goodness despite the existence of evil
[Late
18th century. Anglicization of French Théodicée, the title of a book by
Gottfried Leibniz, literally “justice of the gods,” from Greek dikē
“justice.”]
—the·od·i·ce·an [thee òddi s ən], adjective[1]



theodolite

theodolite
the·od·o·lite 
[thee óddə lt] (plural the·od·o·lites)
noun

surveyor’s
instrument for measuring angles: an optical instrument
consisting of a rotating telescopic sight, used by a surveyor to measure
horizontal and vertical angles
[Late
16th century. From modern Latin theodelitus, of unknown origin.]
—the·od·o·lit·ic [thee òddə líttik], adjective[1]



Theodora

Theodora
The·o·do·ra 
[thèe ə dáwrə] (508?–548)

Byzantium empress. She was
the wife of Justinian I, with whom she shared power. She acted to save the
throne during the Nika riots (532).[1]



TheodoreRoosevelt National Park

TheodoreRoosevelt National Park
The·o·dore
Roo·se·velt Na·tion·al Park [th
ə dawr rṓzə velt nash’nəl paark]

national park in western
North Dakota, established in 1978 near the Little Missouri River. Area: 28,509
hectares/70,447 acres.[1]



Theodoric

Theodoric
The·o·dor·ic 
[thee óddə rìk], King of the Ostrogoths

King
from 474, he invaded Italy in 488 and became its leader in 493, making Ravenna
the capital and bringing a period of peace to Italy.
Known as
Theodoric the Great[1]



theogony

theogony
the·og·o·ny 
[thee óggənee] (plural the·og·o·nies)
noun

origin
of the gods: the origin and descent of the gods, or
an account of this
[Early
17th century. From Greek theogonia, literally “birth of the gods.”]
—the·o·gon·ic
[th ə gónnik], adjective

—the·og·o·nist [thee óggənist], noun[1]



theol.

theol.
theol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
theologian

2.  Abbreviation
of
theological

3.  Abbreviation
of
theology

[1]



theologian

theologian
the·o·lo·gi·an 
[th ə lṓjən] (plural the·o·lo·gi·ans)
noun

specialist in theology:
somebody who is an expert in or a student of theology[1]



theological

theological
the·o·log·i·cal 
[th ə lójjik’l] or the·o·log·ic
[th ə lójjik] adjective

about
theology:
about, using, engaged in, or typical of theology
—the·o·log·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



theologicalvirtues

theologicalvirtues
the·o·log·i·cal
vir·tues
plural noun

faith, hope, and charity:
faith, hope, and charity, the three spiritual graces that, according to
Christian theology, are given directly by God[1]



theologize

theologize
the·ol·o·gize 
[thee óllə jz] (past the·ol·o·gized,
past participle the·ol·o·gized, present participle the·ol·o·giz·ing,
3rd person present singular the·ol·o·giz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
treat
theologically: to give a theological or religious
significance to something

2.  intransitive
verb
speculate
on religious topics: to theorize, speculate, or
discourse on religious topics
—the·ol·o·giz·er, noun[1]



theology

theology
the·ol·o·gy 
[thee ólləjee] (plural the·ol·o·gies)
noun

1.  study
of religion: the study of religion, especially the
Christian faith and God’s relation to the world

2.  religious
theory:
a religious theory, school of thought, or system of belief

3.  course
of religious training: a course of specialized
religious training, especially one intended to lead students to a vocation in
the Christian Church
[14th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek theologia, literally “study of
divine things.”]
—the·ol·o·gist, noun[1]



theomorphic

theomorphic
the·o·mor·phic
[th ə máwrfik] adjective

in
the form of deity: in the form or likeness of a
deity
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek theomorphos, literally “of divine
form.”]
—the·o·mor·phism, noun[1]



theonomy

theonomy
the·on·o·my
[thee ónnəmee] noun

governed
by god:
the state of being governed by God, a god, or priests
[Late
19th century. Coined from theo- + -nomy on the model of German Theonomie .]
—the·on·o·mous, adjective[1]



theophany

theophany
the·oph·a·ny 
[thee óffənee] (plural the·oph·a·nies)
noun

appearance
of deity to person: the appearance of a god in a
visible form to a human being
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from Greek theophaneia, literally
“appearance of the gods.”]
—the·o·phan·ic [th ə fánnik], adjective[1]



Theophilus

Theophilus
The·oph·i·lus
[thee óffələss] noun

ASTRONOMY
crater on Moon:
a crater on the Moon northwest of Mare Nectaris. It is approximately 100 km/60
mi in diameter and has a central mountain 2200 m/7200 ft in height.[1]



theophylline

theophylline
the·oph·yl·line 
[thee óffəlin, th
ō fí ln] noun

chemical
used medicinally: an alkaloid substance extracted from tea
leaves or made synthetically, used medicinally as a vasodilator, smooth muscle
relaxant, and diuretic, and in treating bronchial asthma. C7H8N7O2.H2O
[Late 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin Thea (see theine )
+ phyllo- + -ine
.][1]



theorbo

theorbo
the·or·bo 
[thee áwr bō] (plural the·or·bos)
noun

stringed
instrument like lute: a stringed instrument from
the 17th century similar to the lute except larger and with an extra set of
bass strings longer than the main set
[Early
17th century. Via Italian tiorba from, ultimately, Turkish torba
“bag.”]
—the·or·bist, noun[1]



theorem

theorem
the·o·rem 
[th ərəm, thrəm]
(plural the·o·rems) noun

1.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS provable proposition or
formula:
a proposition or formula in mathematics or logic that is provable from a set of
axioms and basic assumptions

2.  idea
accepted as true: an idea accepted or proposed as true
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek theōrēma “speculation,” from theōrein
“to look at,” from theōros (see theory
).]
—the·o·re·mat·ic
[th ərə máttik, thrə
máttik], adjective

—the·o·re·mat·i·cal·ly
[th ərə máttikəlee, thrə máttikəlee], adverb[1]



theoretical

theoretical
the·o·ret·i·cal 
[th ə réttik’l] or the·o·ret·ic
[th ə réttik] adjective

1.  based
on theory:
about, involving, or based on theory

2.  dealing
with theory: dealing with theory or speculation
rather than practical applications

3.  speculative:
inclined to or skilled in speculative contemplation or theorizing

4.  hypothetical:
existing only in theory
[Early
17th century. Formed from late Latin theoreticus, from Greek theoretikos,
from theōrētos “observable,” from theorein “to look at.”]
—the·o·ret·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



theoretician

theoretician
the·o·re·ti·cian 
[th ərə tísh’n, thrə
tísh’n] (plural the·o·re·ti·cians) noun

somebody who theorizes:
somebody who is inclined to or skilled in speculative contemplation or
theorizing, or is learned in the theoretical aspect of a subject[1]



theoretics

theoretics
the·o·ret·ics 
[th ə réttiks] noun

speculative aspect of
subject: the theoretical or
speculative aspect of a subject (takes a singular verb)[1]



theorist

theorist
the·o·rist 
noun

theoretician:
somebody who holds or expounds a theory[1]



theorize

theorize
the·o·rize 
[th ə rz, thír
z] (past the·o·rized, past participle the·o·rized,
present participle the·o·riz·ing, 3rd person present singular
the·o·riz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
speculate:
to speculate or form a theory about something

2.  transitive
verb
conceive
of theoretically: to conceive of something in a
theoretical way • Research scientists
were able to theorize the existence of the particle before it was actually
discovered.
—the·o·ri·za·tion
[th əri záysh’n, thri
záysh’n], noun

—the·o·riz·er [th ə rzər, thí rzər],
noun[1]



theory

theory
the·o·ry 
[th əree, three]
(plural the·o·ries) noun

1.  rules
and techniques: the body of rules, ideas, principles,
and techniques that applies to a particular subject, especially when seen as
distinct from actual practice • economic
theories

2.  speculation:
abstract thought or contemplation

3.  idea
formed by speculation: an idea of or belief about
something arrived at through speculation or conjecture • She
believed in the theory that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

4.  hypothetical
circumstances: a set of circumstances or principles
that is hypothetical • That’s
the theory, but it may not work out in practice.

5.  scientific
principle to explain phenomena: a set of facts,
propositions, or principles analyzed in their relation to one another and used,
especially in science, to explain phenomena
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin from Greek theōria “contemplation, theory,”
from theōros “spectator.”]
in
theory

under hypothetical or ideal
circumstances but perhaps not in reality[1]



theoryof games

theoryof games
the·o·ry
of games
noun

See
game theory[1]



theoryof mind

theoryof mind
the·o·ry
of mind
noun

concepts of mental activity:
the way somebody conceives of mental activity in others, including how children
conceptualize mental activity in others and how they attribute intention to and
predict the behavior of others[1]



theos.

theos.
theos.

1.  Abbreviation
of
theosophical

2.  Abbreviation
of
theosophy

[1]



Theosophy

Theosophy
The·os·o·phy
[thee óssəfee] noun

teachings
of Theosophical Society: the teachings of the
Theosophical Society, a religious movement founded in New York in 1875,
incorporating chiefly Buddhist and Brahmanic theories such as reincarnation and
karma
—The·o·soph·i·cal
[th ə sóffik’l], adjective

—The·o·so·phist [thee óssəfist], noun[1]



theosophy

theosophy

the·os·o·phy 
[thee óssəfee] (plural the·os·o·phies)
noun
religious
system based on intuitive insight: any religious
philosophy based on intuitive insight into the nature of God
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin from late Greek theosophia, literally
“knowledge of the gods.”]
—the·o·soph·ic
[th ə sóffik], adjective

—the·o·soph·i·cal
[th ə sóffik’l], adjective

—the·o·soph·i·cal·ly
[th ə sóffikəlee], adverb

—the·os·o·phism
[thee óssə fìzzəm], noun

—the·os·o·phist [thee óssəfist], noun[1]



Thera

Thera
The·ra
[thrə]

island and tourist center in
the Cyclades group, Greece, north of Crete. Destroyed by a volcanic eruption in
1500 BC, it is sometimes claimed
as the origin of the Atlantis legend. Population: 10,000 (1994) Area: 76 sq
km/29 sq mi.[1]



therap.

therap.
therap.

1.  Abbreviation
of
therapeutic

2.  Abbreviation
of
therapeutics

[1]



therapeutic

therapeutic
ther·a·peu·tic 
[thèrrə pytik] adjective

1.  used
in treating disease: about, involving, or used in
the treatment of disease or disorders

2.  restoring
or maintaining health: working or done to restore
or maintain somebody’s health
[Mid-16th
century. Via French therapeutique or late Latin therapeutica
from, ultimately, Greek therapeutēs “one who treats,” from therapeuein
(see therapy ).]
—ther·a·peu·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



therapeuticindex

therapeuticindex
ther·a·peu·tic
in·dex
(plural ther·a·peu·tic in·dex·es) noun

ratio of efficiency of drug:
a ratio that indicates the relative efficiency of a drug, calculated by
dividing the dose of the drug that causes cell damage by the dose needed to
produce results[1]



therapeutics

therapeutics
ther·a·peu·tics 
[thèrrə pytiks] noun

medicine dealing with methods
of treatment: the branch of medicine
that deals with methods of treatment and healing, especially the use of drugs
to treat diseases (takes a singular verb)[1]



therapist

therapist
ther·a·pist 
[thérrəpist] (plural ther·a·pists)
noun

1.  somebody
trained in therapy: somebody trained to treat
disease, disorders, or injuries, especially somebody who uses methods other
than drugs and surgery

2.  PSYCHOLOGY psychotherapist:
a psychoanalyst or a professional from another school of psychotherapy who is
trained to treat mental and emotional problems with psychological methods

[1]



therapsid

therapsid
the·rap·sid 
[thə rápsid] (plural the·rap·sids)
noun

extinct
reptile:
any extinct reptile of an order that lived during the Permian and Triassic
periods. Many of them are thought to be ancestors of the mammals. Order:
Therapsida
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Therapsida, order name, from Greek thēr “wild
animal” + hapsis “vault.” From the opening at the base of its skull.][1]



therapy

therapy
ther·a·py 
[thérrəpee] (plural ther·a·pies)
noun

1.  treatment
to cure:
treatment of physical, mental, or behavioral problems that is meant to cure or
rehabilitate somebody (often used in combination) • radiation
therapy

2.  PSYCHOLOGY psychotherapy:
psychoanalysis or techniques from another school of psychotherapy, intended to
treat mental and emotional problems with psychological methods
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek therapeia, from therapeuein “to treat
medically,” from theraps “attendant.”][1]



Theravada

Theravada
Ther·a·va·da 
[thèrrə vdə] noun

Buddhist
doctrines:
the doctrines of the Hinayana Buddhists
[Late 19th century. From
Pali, literally “doctrine of the elders.”][1]



there

there
there 
[air, unstressed ər] CORE MEANING:
an adverb used to indicate a place, either one that has already been mentioned
or is understood, or one indicated by pointing or looking • I
don’t know how to get there by car. • May
I sit there?

1.
adverb at that point:
used to refer to a point reached in an activity or process • I
suggest we pause there and have coffee. • And
there we end our news bulletin.

2.
adverb on that matter:
on that matter, or with respect to that • I
can’t agree with you there.

3.
adverb at a successful point:
used to indicate that something has reached a final or successful point or
stage • We’re
not the best yet, but we’re getting there.

4.  used
to identify: used to identify somebody or something
emphatically • They
ran into that house there.

5.
pronoun introducing a sentence:
used to introduce a sentence stating that something exists, develops, or can be
seen • There’s
a stain on this sweater. • There
remain several important issues to be discussed.

6.
interjection used to express feelings:
used to express strong feelings such as anger, satisfaction, relief, finality,
or reassurance • There! I told you she
would make it.
[Old
English þr . Ultimately from an Indo-European demonstrative base (see the ).]
be
there for somebody

to
be ready to give your support, sympathy, or friendship to somebody

not
all there

not
fully conscious, rational, or aware of something

so
there

used
to express defiance, triumph, or finality

there
and then

immediately
and in that very place

there,
there

used
to console, soothe, or comfort somebody • There,
there. Don’t cry.

there
you are

1.  used
when giving somebody something

2.  used
to express triumph at having been seen to be right

3.  used
to express resignation or sorrow at something that has happened

[1]



thereabouts

thereabouts
there·a·bouts 
[àirə bówts] or there·a·bout
[àirə bówt] adverb

near that place or number:
near that place, amount, number, or time • We’re
expecting twenty guests or thereabouts.[1]



thereafter

thereafter
there·af·ter 
[air áftər] adverb

after that time:
after that time or from that time on • She
graduated from college, and shortly thereafter found a good job.[1]



thereat

thereat
there·at 
[air át] adverb (archaic)

1.  at
that time:
at that time or place

2.  for
that reason: because of that

[1]



thereby

thereby
there·by 
[air b] adverb

1.  by
means of that: by means of or because of that • Interest
rates may fall, thereby discouraging investment.

2.  in
connection with that: in connection with or with
reference to that • Thereby hangs a tale.

[1]



therefor

therefor
there·for 
[air fáwr] adverb

for that:
for this, that, or it (archaic)[1]



therefore

therefore
there·fore 
[air fáwr] adverb

1.  and
so:
and so, or because of that • This
statement is true; therefore that statement must be false.

2.  accordingly:
accordingly, or to that purpose • We
were forbidden to attend and therefore stayed at home.

[1]



therefrom

therefrom
there·from 
[air fróm] adverb

from there:
from that place or thing (archaic or formal)[1]



therein

therein
there·in 
[air ín] adverb

in that matter:
in that matter, respect, or detail • Therein
lies the problem.[1]



thereinafter

thereinafter
there·in·af·ter 
[àir in áftər] adverb

from then on:
from then on in something, especially a legal document (formal)[1]



thereinto

thereinto
there·in·to
[àir ín t] adverb

into that place:
into that place or thing (archaic)[1]



theremin

theremin
ther·e·min 
[thérrəmin] (plural ther·e·mins)
noun

electronic
musical instrument: an early electronic musical
instrument producing a tremulous sound whose pitch and volume is controlled by
the distance between two antennae and the player’s hands
[Early 20th century. Named
for its inventor, the Russian engineer Leo Theremin (1896–1993).][1]



thereof

thereof
there·of 
[air úv, air
óv] adverb (formal)

1.  of
that:
of or about that • a levy of $50 per annum
or part thereof

2.  from
that cause:
from that as a reason or cause

[1]



thereon

thereon
there·on 
[air ón] adverb

1.  on
that:
on the place or surface just mentioned (formal) • a
metal plate with an inscription thereon

2.  on
that point:
regarding the point just mentioned (archaic) • income
and capital expense, including tax thereon

[1]



Theresaof Lisieux

Theresaof Lisieux
The·re·sa
of Li·sieux
[tə rssə əv lee zy] (1873–1897)

French nun. She is the author
of The Story of a Soul ( 1898 ), in which she described the “little
way,” the simple path to Christianity. With Joan of Arc, she is a patron saint
of France.[1]



thereto

thereto
there·to 
[air t] adverb

to that:
to that thing just mentioned (formal)[1]



theretofore

theretofore
there·to·fore 
[àirtə fáwr] adverb

before then:
before or up to that time (formal)[1]



thereunder

thereunder
there·un·der 
[air úndər] adverb

1.  below
that:
below that, or after that, especially in a legal document (formal)

2.  under
that:
under that place or thing mentioned (archaic)

[1]



thereupon

thereupon
there·up·on 
[àirə pón] adverb

1.  at
that point:
at that point in time (archaic) • She
was found to have leaked information to a rival firm, and he thereupon insisted
on her dismissal.

2.  upon
that point:
upon or concerning that point (formal)

[1]



therewith

therewith
there·with 
[air wí, air
wíth] or there·with·al [àir
wi áwl, àir with áwl] adverb

1.  with
that:
with that, or as well as that (formal)

2.  at
that point:
at that point, or immediately

[1]



therianthropic

therianthropic
the·ri·an·throp·ic
[three ən thróppik, three an thróppik] adjective

MYTHOLOGY part
human and part animal: used to describe a
mythological creature such as a centaur that is partly human and partly animal
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek thērion “small wild animal” + anthrōpos
(see anthropo- ) + -ic .]
—the·ri·an·throp·ism [three ánthrə pìzzəm], noun[1]



theriomorphic

theriomorphic
the·ri·o·mor·phic 
[three ə máwrfik] adjective

having
animal form: in the form of an animal, or thought of
as being in animal form
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek thērion (see therianthropic
) + -morphic .][1]



therm-

therm-
therm-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
thermo-[1]



therm.

therm.
therm.

Abbreviation of
thermometer[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








therm

therm
therm 
[thurm] (plural therms) noun

unit
of heat:
a unit of heat equal to 100,000 British thermal units or 1.055 x 10 8 joules
[Early 20th century. From
Greek thermē “heat.”][1]



thermae

thermae
ther·mae
[thúrmee] plural noun

hot
springs:
hot springs or baths, especially the public baths of ancient Rome
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin
from Greek thermai, from thermē “heat.”][1]



thermal

thermal
ther·mal 
[thúrm’l] or ther·mic [thúrmik] adjective

1.  involving
heat:
about, involving, affected by, or producing heat • thermal
energy

2.  hot
or warm:
hot or warm, especially because of the presence of hot springs • thermal
baths

3.  MANUFACTURING using
heat for production: using heat to produce
something

4.  CLOTHES for
retention of body heat: designed to retain body heat
• thermal
underwear
noun
(plural ther·mals)

METEOROLOGY air
column:
a current of warm air rising through cooler surrounding air • watching
hawks ride thermals
plural
noun
ther·mals

U.K. thermal
clothing:
thermal clothing, especially underwear (informal)
[Mid-18th
century. From French, formed from Greek thermē “heat.”]
—ther·mal·ly, adverb[1]



thermalbarrier

thermalbarrier
ther·mal
bar·ri·er
(plural ther·mal bar·ri·ers) noun

heating effect on aircraft:
the problematic heating effect caused by air friction on an aircraft flying at
high speed.
Also called
heat barrier[1]



thermalconductivity

thermalconductivity
ther·mal
con·duc·tiv·i·ty noun

measure of heat flow:
the rate at which heat flows through a material between points at different
temperatures, measured in watts per meter per degree. Symbol
&lambda; Symbol k[1]



thermalefficiency

thermalefficiency
ther·mal
ef·fi·cien·cy noun

ratio of work to energy
supplied: the work done by a heat
engine divided by the thermal energy required to operate it[1]



thermalimaging

thermalimaging
ther·mal
im·ag·ing
(plural ther·mal im·ag·ings) noun

use of infrared device:
the use of a device that detects the different levels of infrared energy given
off by areas of different temperatures and displays these as a pattern on a
screen[1]



thermalize

thermalize
ther·mal·ize
[thúrm’l z] (past ther·mal·ized,
past participle ther·mal·ized, present participle ther·mal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ther·mal·iz·es) transitive verb

slow
neutrons to produce fission: to slow neutrons in a
nuclear reactor to give them thermal energy and thus produce fission
—ther·mal·i·za·tion [thùrm’li záysh’n], noun[1]



thermalneutron

thermalneutron
ther·mal
neu·tron
(plural ther·mal neu·trons) noun

See
slow neutron[1]



thermalnoise

thermalnoise
ther·mal
noise
noun

electrical noise caused by
heat: noise in an electronic
circuit, for example, an amplifier, caused by electrons in conducting elements
that are agitated by the absorption of heat[1]



thermalpollution

thermalpollution
ther·mal
pol·lu·tion
noun

discharge of heated liquid
into water: the discharge into a natural
body of water of heated water or other liquid that is hot enough to harm
aquatic life[1]



thermalprinter

thermalprinter
ther·mal
print·er
(plural ther·mal print·ers) noun

1.  printing
device using heat: a printing device that uses
heat to print characters onto specially coated paper

2.  COMPUTING computer
output device: an output device that produces visible
characters by moving heated wires over specially treated heat-sensitive paper

[1]



thermic

thermic
ther·mic 
adjective

See
thermal
—ther·mi·cal·ly, adverb[1]



-thermic

-thermic
-thermic
suffix

having
to do with heat • exothermic
[Formed from Greek thermē
(see therm )][1]



Thermidor

Thermidor
Ther·mi·dor 
[thúrmə dàwr] (plural Ther·mi·dors)
noun

CALENDAR 11th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
11th month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
July 20 to August 18 in the Gregorian calendar
[Early 19th century. From
French, formed from Greek thermē “heat” + dōron “gift.” From the
fact that it is the hottest time of year.][1]



thermion

thermion
therm·i·on 
[thúr m ən] (plural therm·i·ons)
noun

positive
ion or electron: a positive ion or electron given off by
a very hot material such as a hot cathode
—therm·i·on·ic [thùrmee ónnik], adjective[1]



thermioniccurrent

thermioniccurrent
therm·i·on·ic
cur·rent
(plural therm·i·on·ic cur·rents) noun

electric current from flow of
electrons: an electric current
generated by the flow of electrons leaving a heated cathode and flowing to
other electrodes[1]



thermionics

thermionics
therm·i·on·ics 
[thùrmee ónniks] noun

electronics of emission from
hot bodies: a branch of electronics that
deals with the emission of electrons from hot bodies (takes a singular verb)[1]



thermionictube

thermionictube
therm·i·on·ic
tube
(plural therm·i·on·ic tubes) noun

electronic component:
an electronic component that consists of an evacuated glass tube containing a
heated cathode that emits electrons, an anode that collects the electrons, and
other electrodes.
U.K. term
thermionic valve[1]



thermionicvalve

thermionicvalve
therm·i·on·ic
valve
(plural therm·i·on·ic valves) noun

U.K.
See thermionic tube[1]



thermistor

thermistor
therm·is·tor 
[thúr mìstər] (plural therm·is·tors)
noun

temperature-dependent
semiconductor: a semiconductor device with a resistance
that is very sensitive to temperature, resistance decreasing as the temperature
increases
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of thermal resistor .][1]



Thermit

Thermit
Ther·mit
[thúrmit] or Ther·mite [thúr mt] Trademark

a trademark for a mixture of
aluminum powder and metal oxide, usually of iron, that gives off great heat
when ignited. It is used in welding and in incendiary bombs.[1]



thermo-

thermo-
thermo-
prefix

1.  heat
• thermochemistry

2.  thermoelectricity
• thermocouple
[Formed from Greek thermē
“heat” (see therm )][1]



thermobarometer

thermobarometer
ther·mo·ba·rom·e·ter
[thùr mō bə rómmətər] (plural ther·mo·ba·rom·e·ters)
noun

instrument to measure
temperature and pressure: an
instrument that measures both air temperature and pressure[1]



thermocautery

thermocautery
ther·mo·cau·ter·y 
[thùr mō káwtəree] noun

use of heated instrument to
cauterize: the use of a heated
instrument, for example, a hot wire, to destroy tissue, especially in
cauterizing wounds[1]



thermocline

thermocline
ther·mo·cline 
[thúr mō kln] (plural ther·mo·clines)
noun

layer of water with
temperature change: a layer of
water, for example, in a lake, where there is an abrupt change in temperature
that separates the warmer surface water from the colder deep water[1]



thermocouple

thermocouple
ther·mo·cou·ple 
[thúr mō kùpp’l] (plural ther·mo·cou·ples)
noun

temperature-measuring device:
a device for measuring temperature in which two wires of different metals are
joined. The potential difference between the wires is a measure of the
temperature of something they touch.[1]



thermoduric

thermoduric
ther·mo·dur·ic 
[thùr mō drik] adjective

able
to survive high temperatures: used to describe a
microorganism that is capable of surviving high temperatures or pasteurization
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thermo- + Latin durare “to
endure” + -ic .][1]



thermodynamic

thermodynamic
ther·mo·dy·nam·ic 
[thùr mō dī námmik] or ther·mo·dy·nam·i·cal
[thùr mō dī námmik’l] adjective

1.  of
thermodynamics: about or involving thermodynamics

2.  obeying
the laws of thermodynamics: obeying or affected by the
laws of thermodynamics
—ther·mo·dy·nam·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



thermodynamics

thermodynamics
ther·mo·dy·nam·ics 
[thùr mō dī námmiks] noun

physics
of energy and mechanical actions: the branch of physics
that deals with the conversions from one to another of various forms of energy
and how these affect temperature, pressure, volume, mechanical action, and work
(takes a singular verb)
plural
noun

processes
of thermodynamics: thermodynamic processes or
phenomena
—ther·mo·dy·nam·i·cist,
noun[1]



thermoelectric

thermoelectric
ther·mo·e·lec·tric 
[thùrmō i léktrik] or ther·mo·e·lec·tri·cal
[thùrmō i léktrik’l] adjective

relating
to temperature and electricity: involving a direct
relationship between temperature of materials and electricity
—ther·mo·e·lec·tri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



thermoelectricity

thermoelectricity
ther·mo·e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[thùrmō i lek tríssətee] noun

electricity produced with
heat: electricity produced by
maintaining a temperature difference at the point where two different materials
come into contact, for example, in a thermocouple[1]



thermoelectron

thermoelectron
ther·mo·e·lec·tron 
[thùrmō i lék tròn] (plural ther·mo·e·lec·trons)
noun

emitted particle:
an electron emitted by a material that is at high temperature[1]



thermoform

thermoform
ther·mo·form
[thúrmə fàwrm] (past ther·mo·formed,
past participle ther·mo·formed, present participle ther·mo·form·ing,
3rd person present singular ther·mo·forms) transitive verb

to
shape plastic using heat and pressure
—ther·mo·form·a·ble [thùrmə fáwrməb’l], adjective[1]



thermogenesis

thermogenesis
ther·mo·gen·e·sis 
[thùrmō jénnəssiss] noun

heat
production in bodies: the production of heat in a
person’s or animal’s body by physiological processes, especially metabolic
processes
—ther·mo·ge·net·ic [thùrmō jə néttik], adjective[1]



thermogram

thermogram
ther·mo·gram 
[thúrmə gràm] (plural ther·mo·grams)
noun

1.  MEDICINE image
from thermography: an image or record of the
heat radiating from the body, made by thermography

2.  PHYSICS temperature
record:
a record of temperatures made by a thermograph

[1]



thermograph

thermograph
ther·mo·graph 
[thúrmə gràf] (plural ther·mo·graphs)
noun

1.  recording
thermometer: an instrument that continuously records
temperature readings

2.  MEDICINE device
showing body heat: a device that shows patterns
of heat radiated from a person’s or an animal’s body, used in diagnostic
thermography

[1]



thermography

thermography
ther·mog·ra·phy 
[thər móggrəfee] (plural ther·mog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  MEDICINE recording
image of body heat: the recording of a visual
image of the heat that bodies emit as infrared radiation. The technique is used
to diagnose disease and tumors, especially breast tumors.

2.  PRINTING printing
process using heat: the process of producing a
raised image on a printed surface by using heat to fuse a resinous powder and
wet ink to the surface
—ther·mog·ra·pher,
noun

—ther·mo·graph·ic
[thùrmə gráffik], adjective

—ther·mo·graph·i·cal·ly
[thùrmə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



thermojunction

thermojunction
ther·mo·junc·tion 
[thùrmō júngkshən] (plural ther·mo·junc·tions)
noun

junction of metals in a
thermocouple: a point at which two
dissimilar metals of differing temperatures come into contact, producing a
thermoelectric current[1]



thermolabile

thermolabile
ther·mo·la·bile 
[thùrmə láyb’l, thùrmə
láy bl] adjective

changed by heat:
used to describe substances such as some enzymes that are easily destroyed or
altered by heat[1]



thermoluminescence

thermoluminescence
ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cence 
[thùrmō loomi néss’ns] noun

glow
from old irradiated substances: phosphorescence
released by certain previously irradiated substances when they are heated. The
process is used by geologists and archaeologists to date rocks and pottery.
—ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cent,
adjective[1]



thermolysis

thermolysis
ther·mol·y·sis 
[thər mólləssiss] noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY heat
loss:
loss of heat from the body, for example, by sweating

2.  CHEMISTRY decomposition
by heat:
the breaking down of a substance by heat
—ther·mo·lyt·ic [thùrmə líttik], adjective[1]



thermomagnetic

thermomagnetic
ther·mo·mag·net·ic
[thùrmō mag néttik] adjective

relating to heat and
magnetism: relating to the relationship
between heat and magnetism, and especially the effects of heat upon the
magnetic properties of a substance[1]



thermometer

thermometer
ther·mom·e·ter 
[thər mómmətər] (plural ther·mom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
to measure temperature: an instrument for measuring
temperature, for example, an instrument with a graduated glass tube and a bulb
containing mercury or alcohol that rises in the tube when the temperature
increases
[Mid-17th century. From
French thermomètre, from Greek thermos “warm” (see therm ) + -mètre “-meter.”][1]



thermometry

thermometry
ther·mom·e·try 
[thər mómmətree] noun

measuring
temperatures: temperature measurement and the branch
of physics concerned with measuring temperature
—ther·mo·met·ric
[thùrmə méttrik], adjective

—ther·mo·met·ri·cal
[thùrmə méttrik’l], adjective

—ther·mo·met·ri·cal·ly
[thùrmə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



thermonuclear

thermonuclear
ther·mo·nu·cle·ar 
[thùrmō nklee ər] adjective

1.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS INDUSTRY of
nuclear fusion: relating to nuclear fusion or making use
of nuclear fusion • thermonuclear energy

2.  ARMS based
on fusion:
making use of nuclear fusion • thermonuclear
war

[1]



thermoperiodism

thermoperiodism
ther·mo·pe·ri·od·ism 
[thùrmō pree ə dìzzəm] or ther·mo·pe·ri·o·dic·i·ty
[thùrmō peeree ə díssətee] noun

plant
response to temperature changes: the response of a
plant to cycles of temperature, for example, the regular cycles of day and
night
—ther·mo·pe·ri·od·ic [thùrmō peeree óddik], adjective[1]



thermophile

thermophile
ther·mo·phile
[thúrmə fl] (plural ther·mo·philes)
noun

organism
growing in warmth: an organism that thrives in
a warm environment, for example, a bacterium
—ther·mo·phile,
adjective

—ther·mo·phil·ic
[thùrmə fíllik], adjective

—ther·mo·phil·ous [thər móffələss], adjective[1]



thermopile

thermopile
ther·mo·pile 
[thúrmə pl] (plural ther·mo·piles)
noun

joined thermocouples:
a set of thermocouples, either joined in series for increased voltage or in
parallel for increased current, used to measure radiant energy or to convert
radiant energy into electric current[1]



thermoplastic

thermoplastic
ther·mo·plas·tic 
[thùrmə plástik] (plural ther·mo·plas·tics)
noun

material
that softens when heated: a substance that becomes
soft and pliable when heated, without a change in its intrinsic properties.
Polystyrene and polyethylene are thermoplastics .
—ther·mo·plas·tic,
adjective

—ther·mo·plas·tic·i·ty
[thùrmō pla stíssətee], noun[1]



Thermopylae

Thermopylae
Ther·mop·y·lae 
[thər móppəl_e]

pass in ancient Greece,
northwest of Athens, that controlled entry to central Greece. It was the site
of the battle of 480 BC fought by
Leonidas I and thousands of his troops, all of whom were killed by the Persian
army, led by Xerxes I.[1]



thermoreceptor

thermoreceptor
ther·mo·re·cep·tor 
[thùrmō ri séptər] (plural ther·mo·re·cep·tors)
noun

sensory receptor:
a sensory receptor, usually a nerve ending in the skin, that is stimulated by
heat or cold[1]



thermoregulation

thermoregulation
ther·mo·reg·u·la·tion
[thùrmō reggyə láysh’n] noun

keeping
steady temperature: the maintenance of a
particular body temperature regardless of changes in the environment
—ther·mo·reg·u·late
[thùrmō réggyə làyt], intransitive verb

—ther·mo·reg·u·la·tor
[thùrmō réggyə làytər], noun[1]



Thermos

Thermos
Ther·mos
[thúrməss] Trademark

a trademark for an insulated
or vacuum container used to hold a liquid and maintain it at a constant
temperature[1]



thermoscope

thermoscope
ther·mo·scope
[thúrmə skp] (plural ther·mo·scopes)
noun

instrument
measuring temperature: an instrument that measures
changes in temperature by their effects on a substance, for example, the change
in volume of a gas
—ther·mo·scop·ic
[thùrmə skóppik], adjective

—ther·mo·scop·i·cal
[thùrmə skóppik’l], adjective

—ther·mo·scop·i·cal·ly
[thùrmə skóppikəlee], adverb[1]



thermosetting

thermosetting
ther·mo·set·ting 
[thúrmō sètting] adjective

setting when heated:
used to describe a plastic that sets permanently when heated[1]



thermosphere

thermosphere
ther·mo·sphere 
[thúrmə sfr] noun

atmospheric region:
the region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere in which temperature steadily
increases with height, beginning at about 85 km/53 mi above the earth’s surface[1]



thermostable

thermostable
ther·mo·sta·ble 
[thùrmō stáyb’l] adjective

unchanged
by heat:
used to describe substances such as some toxins that are able to withstand heat
without being destroyed or altered
—ther·mo·sta·bil·i·ty
[thùrmō stə bíllətee], noun[1]



thermostat

thermostat
ther·mo·stat 
[thúrmə stàt] (plural ther·mo·stats)
noun

1.  temperature
regulator:
a device that regulates temperature by means of a temperature sensor, for
example, a bimetallic strip. Thermostats are used in vehicle engines and
domestic heating systems.

2.  device
triggered by temperature change: a device that
activates a mechanism or system, for example, a fire alarm or a sprinkler
system, in response to a change in temperature
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from thermo- + -stat “instrument holding constant value,” from,
ultimately, Greek statikos “causing to stand.”]
—ther·mo·stat·ic
[thùrmə státtik], adjective

—ther·mo·stat·i·cal·ly
[thùrmə státtikəlee], adverb[1]



thermotaxis

thermotaxis
ther·mo·tax·is 
[thùrmə táksiss] noun

movement
in relation to heat: movement of a living
organism toward or away from a heat source
—ther·mo·tac·tic
[thùrmə táktik], adjective

—ther·mo·tax·ic [thùrmə táksik], adjective[1]



thermotherapy

thermotherapy
ther·mo·ther·a·py 
[thùrmō thérrəpee] (plural ther·mo·ther·a·pies)
noun

treatment with heat:
the use of heat to alleviate pain and stiffness, especially in joints and
muscles, and to increase circulation[1]



thermotropism

thermotropism
ther·mot·ro·pism 
[thər móttrə pìzzəm] noun

growth
in relation to heat: the movement of a plant part
toward or away from a source of heat
—ther·mo·trop·ic [thùrmə tróppik], adjective[1]



-thermy

-thermy
-thermy
suffix

heat
• diathermy
[Via modern Latin -thermia
from, ultimately, Greek thermē “heat” (see therm
)][1]



theropod

theropod
the·ro·pod 
[thrə pòd] (plural the·ro·pods)
noun

large
carnivorous dinosaur: any carnivorous dinosaur
with strong hind legs and short front limbs. Tyrannosaurs and megalosaurs are
theropods . Suborder: Theropoda
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin Theropoda, suborder name, from Greek thēr
“wild animal” (see treacle ) + pod- “foot.”]
—the·rop·o·dan [thi róppədən], adjective[1]



Theroux,Paul

Theroux,Paul
The·roux
[thə r], Paul (1941– )

U.S.
writer. He is known for his travel books such as The Great Railway Bazaar
( 1975 ) and his novels such as The Mosquito Coast ( 1981 ).
Full name
Theroux, Paul Edward[1]



thesaurus

thesaurus
the·sau·rus 
[thə sáwrəss] (plural the·sau·ri
[thə sáw r] or the·sau·rus·es)
noun

1.  book
of word groups: a book that lists words related to each
other in meaning, usually giving synonyms and antonyms

2.  book
of specialist vocabulary: a dictionary of words
relating to a particular subject

3.  treasury:
a place in which valuable things are stored
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin, “treasury,” from Greek thēsauros “storehouse” (source also of
English treasure ).][1]



these

these
these 
[eez] pronoun adjective

plural
of “this”:
the form of “this” used before a plural noun or with a multiple referent • (pronoun)
These are the people I was telling you about. • (adjective)
These delays, along with the paperwork demanded by government, can be costly
for banks.
[Old English þæs, þās,
plural of þes (see this )][1]



Theseus

Theseus
The·se·us 
[thssee əss, thss
yss] noun

legendary hero of ancient
Greece: in Greek mythology, a great
hero who performed many brave deeds, including slaying the Minotaur, defeating
the Amazons, and descending into Hades to rescue Persephone[1]



thesis

thesis
the·sis 
[thssiss] (plural the·ses [th sz]) noun

1.  proposition:
a proposition advanced as an argument

2.  essay
subject:
a subject for an essay

3.  lengthy
academic paper: a dissertation based on original
research, especially as work toward an academic degree

4.  statement:
an unproved statement, especially one serving as a premise in an argument

5.  MUSIC downbeat:
the downbeat of a bar of music

6.  POETRY stressed
syllable:
a long syllable, on which the stress naturally falls, in classical Greek and
Latin poetry.
See
also
arsis  noun 1

7.  POETRY unstressed
syllable:
a short unstressed syllable in modern accentual poetry.
See
also
arsis  noun 2

8.  PHILOSOPHY first
stage of dialectic: the first of three stages in
Hegelian dialectic
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek, “proposition, stressed beat.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that
is also the ancestor of English do
and fact .][1]



thespian

thespian
thes·pi·an 
[théspee ən] noun

actor: an
actor or actress
adjective

1.  thes·pi·an
or Thes·pi·an of the theater:
relating to the theater or the profession of acting (literary)

2.  of
Thespis:
relating to the ancient Greek poet Thespis
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Thespis, the name of the Greek poet (6th century BC ) who was the father of Greek
tragedy.][1]



Thess.

Thess.
Thess.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Thessalonians[1]



Thessalonian

Thessalonian
Thes·sa·lo·ni·an
[thèssə lṓnee ən] noun (plural
Thes·sa·lo·ni·ans)

PEOPLES somebody
from Thessaloníki: somebody who was born in or
lived in the ancient Greek city of Thessaloniki
plural
noun
Thes·sa·lo·ni·ans

BIBLE book
of Bible:
either of two letters written to the Christians of Thessaloníki by the Apostle
Paul, included as books of the Christian Bible (takes a singular verb)
—Thes·sa·lo·ni·an, adjective[1]



Thessaloníki

Thessaloníki
Thes·sa·lo·ní·ki
[thè saa law nkee]

capital city of the
department of Thessaloníki, northeastern Greece. Population: 377,951 (1991)[1]



Thessaly

Thessaly
Thes·sa·ly 
[théssəlee]

region
in north central Greece, consisting mainly of a broad plain. Area: 13,000 sq
km/5,000 sq mi.
—Thes·sa·li·an, noun,
adjective[1]



theta

theta
the·ta 
[tháytə, thtə]
(plural the·tas) noun

eighth
letter of Greek alphabet: the eighth letter of the
Greek alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “th”
[Early 17th century. From
Greek, of Phoenician origin.][1]



thetarhythm

thetarhythm
the·ta
rhythm
or the·ta wave noun

brain wave:
a pattern of brain waves with a frequency between 4 and 7 Hz seen on an
electroencephalogram. The pattern is normal in children under the age of 12 but
in adults may be a sign of stress or mental disorder.[1]



thetic

thetic
thet·ic 
[théttik] or thet·i·cal [théttik] adjective

1.  of
stress in poetry: relating to or having stress in
classical poetry

2.  arbitrary:
imposed arbitrarily
[Late
17th century. From Greek thetikos, from thetos “placed,
stressed,” from tithenai “to place.”]
—thet·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



theurgy

theurgy
the·ur·gy 
[th ərjee] noun

1.  supernatural
or divine intervention: intervention of supernatural
or divine powers in human affairs

2.  persuading
the supernatural to intervene: the art of securing
the intervention of supernatural or divine powers in human affairs

3.  magic
performed for good: magic with the help of
benevolent spirits, as practiced by neo-Platonists
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin theurgia from Greek theourgia “ritual,
mystery,” from theos “god” + ergon “work.”]
—the·ur·gic
[thee úrjik], adjective

—the·ur·gi·cal·ly
[thee úrjikəlee], adverb

—the·ur·gist [th ərjist], noun[1]



thew

thew
thew 
[thyoo] (plural thews) noun

muscle:
muscle or muscular strength (literary) (often used in the plural)
[Old
English þēaw “custom, habit,” literally “observance.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to watch,” (ancestor also of English tutor ). The underlying meaning is “good
habit, virtue, strength.”]
—thew·y, adjective[1]



they

they
they 
[ay] pronoun

1.  people
in general:
used to refer to people in general when making statements about the things
people do, think, or say • As
people and businesses move out of inner cities, bank branches follow, they say.

2.  he
or she:
used instead of “he” or “she” to refer to a person without specifying gender (informal)
• A
friend phoned the other day and they told me what you had said.

3.  those:
an archaic word for “those” (archaic)
[12th
century. Old Norse þeir . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“the, that,” which is also the ancestor of English the,
this, that,
and there .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Everyone
  taking the test should do the best they can.
  Because
  English is deficient in that it lacks a gender-neutral third person singular
  pronoun, they, together with associated
  words such as their, is often used in this role and is a revival of an
  older use that was once well established in English. In more formal contexts,
  and when the individuality of the subject is significant, it is necessary to
  use he or she, but this phrase is too cumbersome to provide a solution
  in informal conversational usage such as that given in the example.

[1]



they’d

they’d
they’d 
[ayd] contraction

1.  they
had:
a short form of “they had”

2.  they
would:
a short form of “they would”

[1]



they’ll

they’ll
they’ll 
[ayl] contraction

1.  they
will:
a short form of “they will”

2.  they
shall:
a short form of “they shall”

[1]



they’re

they’re
they’re 
[air] contraction

they are:
a short form of “they are”[1]



they’ve

they’ve
they’ve 
[ayv] contraction

they have:
a short form of “they have”[1]



THI

THI
THI

Abbreviation of
temperature-humidity index[1]



thi-

thi-
thi-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
thio-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








thiabendazole

thiabendazole
thi·a·ben·da·zole 
[th ə béndə zl] noun

drug
that kills parasitic worms: a white compound used as a
drug to destroy a wide variety of parasitic worms and as an antifungal agent. C10H7N3S
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of thiazole + benzene + imidazole
.][1]



thiamine

thiamine
thi·a·mine 
[thī ámmin, th ə
mn, th əmin] or thi·a·min
[th əmin] noun

vitamin
of B complex: one of the group of B vitamins, found in
grains, meat, and yeast. It metabolizes carbohydrates and has been found to
prevent beriberi and diseases of the nervous system. C12H17ClN4OS
Also
called
vitamin B
Also
called
vitamin B 1
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from thio- + amine
.][1]



thiazide

thiazide
thi·a·zide 
[th ə zd, th əzid]
(plural thi·a·zides) noun

diuretic
compound:
one of a group of compounds used to treat high blood pressure and as a
diuretic. These compounds work by inhibiting the reabsorption of sodium and
increasing the release of calcium by the kidneys, causing greater excretion of
water.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from thio- + azine
+ oxide .][1]



thiazine

thiazine
thi·a·zine 
[th ə zn] (plural thi·a·zines)
noun

organic
chemical used as a tranquilizer: one of a group of
organic compounds containing a ring of four carbon atoms, a sulfur atom, and a
nitrogen atom. Some are used as dyes and others as tranquilizers.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thio- + azine
.][1]



thiazole

thiazole
thi·a·zole 
[th ə zl] (plural thi·a·zoles)
or thi·a·zol [th ə zàwl] (plural
thi·a·zols) noun

1.  liquid
chemical compound: a volatile colorless liquid
with a sharp odor. C3H3NS

2.  derivative
of thiazole: one of a group of compounds derived from
thiazole . Some are used as dyes, others as fungicides or in chemical reactions
as accelerators.
[Late 19th century. Coined
from thio- + azole
.][1]



thick

thick
thick 
[thik] adjective (comparative thick·er,
superlative thick·est)

1.  deep
or broad:
of relatively large extent from surface to surface or side to side • a
thick carpet • The
child wrote her name in thick capital letters.

2.  large
in diameter: having a large diameter • a
thick cable

3.  of
stated depth or breadth: having a specified depth or
breadth • a
wall two feet thick

4.  filled:
densely covered or filled • The
air was thick with mosquitoes.

5.  hard
to see through: permitting little or no light to enter • a
thick mist

6.  not
clear:
not articulating words clearly • a
voice thick with emotion

7.  dense:
composed of many densely packed objects • a
thick forest • thick
hair

8.  viscous:
having a liquid consistency that is not free-flowing • thick
paint

9.  pronounced:
readily noticeable or distinct • I
found her thick southern accent charming.

10. unintelligent:
slow to learn or understand (insult)

11. of
heavy fabric: made of thick material • thick
socks

12. friendly:
allied in a close relationship (informal) • They
seem very thick with each other.
adverb

making deep layer:
in a way that produces something deep, broad, or dense
noun

1.  most
active part: the most intense, crowded, or busiest
part of something • in the thick of the
battle

2.  densest
part:
the part of something with the greatest depth, density, or breadth • in
the thick of the jungle
[Old
English þicce]
—thick·ly,
adverb
thick
and fast

in
large numbers and with great frequency

through
thick and thin

no matter what might happen[1]



thicken

thicken
thick·en 
[thíkən] (past thick·ened, past
participle thick·ened, present participle thick·en·ing,
3rd person present singular thick·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become thicker: to become thick or thicker
or to make something thick or thicker

2.  intransitive
verb
become
more complex: to become more complicated or puzzling
—thick·en·er,
noun

—thick·en·ing, noun[1]



thicket

thicket
thick·et 
[thíkit] (plural thick·ets) noun

thick
growth of shrubs: a dense or tangled growth of small trees
or bushes
[Old English þiccet,
from þicce “thick”][1]



thickfilmtechnology

thickfilmtechnology
thick·film
tech·nol·o·gy noun

electronic circuit
fabrication method: a method of
fabricating electronic circuitry in which a glaze is printed onto a glass or
ceramic support. Wiring and components such as microchips are then added.
See also
thinfilm technology[1]



thickhead

thickhead
thick·head 
[thík hèd] (plural thick·heads)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence (offensive
insult)
—thick·head·ed,
adjective

—thick·head·ed·ness, noun[1]



thickness

thickness
thick·ness 
[thíknəss] (plural thick·ness·es)
noun

1.  thick
quality:
the quality or state of being thick

2.  dimension:
the dimension between two surfaces of an object, especially the shortest
dimension as opposed to the width or the length

3.  layer:
an individual layer

4.  thick
part:
a part of something that is thick

[1]



thickset

thickset
thick·set 
[thík sèt] (plural thick·sets)
adjective

1.  of
stocky build: with a stocky physique

2.  dense:
growing closely together

[1]



thick-skinned

thick-skinned
thick-skinned 
adjective

1.  unsympathetic:
insensitive to other people’s feelings or circumstances

2.  impervious
to criticism: not easily offended by criticism or
insults

[1]



thick-witted

thick-witted
thick-wit·ted 
adjective

unintelligent:
lacking intelligence (insult)
—thick-wit·ted·ly,
adverb

—thick-wit·ted·ness, noun[1]



thief

thief
thief 
[theef] (plural thieves [theevz]) noun

somebody
who steals:
somebody who steals something, especially with the intention of escaping notice
[Old
English þēof]
—thiev·ish
[thvish], adjective

—thiev·ish·ly
[thvishlee], adverb

—thiev·ish·ness [thvishnəss], noun[1]



thiefant

thiefant
thief
ant
noun

ant that steals from other
ants: any small ant that pillages
the colonies of other ants, taking food stores and even the young of the colony[1]



thieve

thieve
thieve 
[theev] (past thieved, past
participle thieved, present participle thiev·ing, 3rd
person present singular thieves) intransitive and transitive verb

steal:
to steal things
[Old
English þēofian, from þēof “thief”]
—thiev·e·ry (plural
thiev·e·ries), noun[1]



thigh

thigh
thigh 
[thī] (plural thighs) noun

1.  top
part of leg: the top of the leg between the knee and
the hip

2.  upper
part of animal’s leg: the part of an animal’s leg
that corresponds to a human thigh
[Old English þēoh .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to swell,” which is also the
ancestor of English thumb, tumor, and thousand
.][1]



thighbone

thighbone
thigh·bone 
[th bn] (plural thigh·bones)
noun

See
femur  noun 1[1]



thigmotaxis

thigmotaxis
thig·mo·tax·is 
[thìgmə táksiss] noun

BIOLOGY See stereotaxis
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek thigma “touch” + -taxis .]
—thig·mo·tac·tic,
adjective

—thig·mo·tac·ti·cal·ly
[thìgmə táktikəlee], adverb[1]



thigmotropism

thigmotropism
thig·mot·ro·pism 
[thig móttrə pìzzəm] noun

tactile
response of plants: a directional growth
movement ( tropism ) of a plant part,
especially a tendril, in response to physical contact with a surface.
Also
called
haptotropism
Also
called
stereotropism
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek thigma “touch” + tropism .]
—thig·mo·trop·ic, adjective[1]



thill

thill
thill 
[thil] (plural thills) noun

wagon
shaft:
one of the two shafts of a carriage or wagon
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old English þille “plank.”][1]



thimble

thimble
thim·ble 
[thímb’l] (plural thim·bles) noun

1.  cover
for finger when sewing: a small protective cap for a
finger, used to push a needle through fabric

2.  NAUTICAL ring
protecting loop from wear: a metal ring, concave on the
outside, that fits into a loop in a rope or an eye in a sail

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING metal
sleeve:
any small metal tube or sleeve used in machinery
[Old English þmel
“leather thumb protector,” from þūma (see thumb
)][1]



thimbleberry

thimbleberry
thim·ble·ber·ry 
[thímb’l bèrree] (plural thim·ble·ber·ries)
noun

raspberry with thimble-shaped
fruit: a North American raspberry
with red or dark-purple thimble-shaped fruit. Latin name: Rubus parviflorus
Rubus occidentalis Rubus odoratus[1]



thimbleful

thimbleful
thim·ble·ful 
[thímb’l fl] (plural thim·ble·fuls)
noun

tiny amount:
a very small amount of liquid[1]



thimblerig

thimblerig
thim·ble·rig 
[thímb’l rìg] noun

1.  guessing
game using trickery: a trick in which a
participant guesses which of three cups covers an object after somebody has
moved them about, using sleight of hand to change the object’s location

2.  somebody
moving cup:
somebody moving the cup in thimblerig
transitive
verb
(past thim·ble·rigged, past participle thim·ble·rigged,
present participle thim·ble·rig·ging, 3rd person present
singular thim·ble·rigs)

swindle: to
cheat or swindle somebody
[Early
19th century. From thimble + rig 2 .]
—thim·ble·rig·ger, noun[1]



thimbleweed

thimbleweed
thim·ble·weed 
[thímb’l wd] (plural thim·ble·weeds)
noun

plant with thimble-shaped
fruit: a North American plant of
the buttercup family with white flowers and a thimble-shaped fruiting head.
Latin name: Anemone virginiana Anemone cylindrica[1]



thimerosal

thimerosal
thi·mer·o·sal 
[thī mérrə sàl] noun

antiseptic
compound:
a cream-colored mercury compound used as a local antiseptic. C9H9HgNaO2S
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a contraction of thio- +
mercury + salicylate
.][1]



Thimphu

Thimphu
Thim·phu 
[thímfoo] or Thim·bu [thímboo]

capital city of Bhutan,
situated in the western part of the country at an altitude of 2,368 m/7,770 ft.
Population: 30,340 (1993)[1]



thin

thin
thin 
[thin] adjective (comparative thin·ner,
superlative thin·nest)

1.  shallow
or narrow:
of relatively small extent from surface to surface or side to side • A
thin layer of snow covered the path. • Draw
a thin line.

2.  of
small diameter: having a small diameter • thin
wire

3.  slim:
with little body fat

4.  sparse:
composed of few things widely spaced • thin
hair
• a
thin forest

5.  watery:
with a free-flowing consistency similar to that of water • a
thin soup
• thin
paint

6.  lightweight:
made of light or flimsy material • a thin
summer dress • thin
cotton socks

7.  easy
to see through: permitting light to enter or pass
through • thin
mist

8.  quiet:
lacking volume or resonance • a thin
sound

9.  weak:
lacking intensity or color

10. unconvincing:
lacking credibility or adequacy • a thin
excuse

11. PHOTOGRAPHY lacking
contrast:
of a photographic negative, lacking density or contrast
adverb

making thin layer:
in a way that produces something shallow, narrow, or sparse • Spread
the paint thin.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past thinned,
past participle thinned, present participle thin·ning,
3rd person present singular thins)

make or become thinner:
to reduce something in thickness or number or to become reduced in thickness or
number • You
can thin down the paint before you use it. • The
crowd started to thin out in the evening.
[Old
English þynne . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
stretch,” which is also the ancestor of English tense,
tenuous, and tone .]
—thin·ly,
adverb

—thin·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  thin, lean, slim,
  slender, emaciated, scrawny, skinny,
  scraggy
  CORE
  MEANING: without
  much flesh, the opposite of fat thin;
  a general word used to describe somebody with little or no spare flesh on his
  or her body. It can also be used to describe animals. It can be used fairly
  neutrally, but is often seen as implying disapproval; lean; used showing approval to describe a
  person or animal that is muscular and fit-looking without excess fat; slim; used showing approval to describe
  somebody who is not at all fat; slender;
  used showing approval to describe somebody who is not at all fat, especially
  somebody who appears graceful and fragile as a result; emaciated; a fairly formal word used to
  describe a person or animal who is unhealthily thin, usually because of
  illness or starvation; scrawny;
  describes a person or animal who is so thin as to appear undernourished; skinny; an informal word meaning extremely
  thin; scraggy; used with the same
  meaning as “scrawny”

[1]



thine

thine
thine 
[īn] pronoun adjective

yours
or your:
belonging to or associated with you, when “you” is singular (archaic) (used
before a vowel) • (pronoun)
Thine is the womb where our riches have birth. • (adjective)
Know thine enemy.
[Old English þīn, a
possessive form of þū (see thou )][1]



thinfilmtechnology

thinfilmtechnology
thin·film
tech·nol·o·gy noun

electronic wiring
fabrication: a method of fabricating
electronic circuitry in which a thin layer of semiconductor is applied to a
glass or ceramic support. Wiring and passive components, for example,
resistors, are then added.
See also
thickfilm technology[1]



thing

thing
thing 
[thing] noun (plural things)

1.  object:
an inanimate object • What’s
that thing over there?

2.  unspecified
item:
an unnamed or unspecified object • I need
a few things in town.

3.  occurrence:
something that occurs or something that is done • The
fire was a terrible thing.

4.  word
or thought:
a thought or an utterance • Don’t
say another thing!

5.  detail:
a piece of information • You
forgot one important thing.

6.  aim:
the objective of an action • The
thing is to win.

7.  concern:
a matter of responsibility or concern • I
have several things to do.

8.  deed:
an act or deed • She promises to do
great things.

9.  living
creature:
a person or animal, often spoken of affectionately • The
poor thing was soaked to the bone.

10. garment:
an article of clothing • This
old thing?

11. preferred
activity:
a favorite activity or special interest (informal) • Golf’s
not really my thing.

12. what
can be possessed: an object or right that can be possessed
or owned

13. fashion:
the fashion (informal) • When
we were young, we considered it the latest thing.

14. strong
like or dislike: a particularly strong feeling of
attraction or repulsion (informal) • He’s
got a thing about spiders.

15. ideal:
what is needed or desirable (informal) • Iced
tea would be just the thing.
plural
noun
things

1.  belongings:
personal items owned or carried • You
can leave your things in my room.

2.  apparatus:
equipment for a particular activity • a
drawer for all my writing things

3.  affairs:
general matters or circumstances • How
are things today?
[Old
English þing “assembly.” From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “time”
(from the idea of an “appointed time”). The sense “unspecified object” evolved
via “matter for discussion” and “matter.”]
be
on to a good thing

to
know something advantageous, or know about something that will give you an
advantage

first
thing

1.  very
early in the morning

2.  before
doing anything else

it
comes to the same thing

it
has the same result

make
a (big) thing of something

to
exaggerate the importance of something and make a fuss about it





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  long-lost ancestral meaning of thing is
  “time” (the related Gothic theihs, for example, meant “time”). Its
  prehistoric Germanic precursor evolved semantically via “appointed time” to
  “judicial or legislative assembly.” This was the meaning it originally had in
  English, and it survives in other Germanic languages (the Icelandic parliament
  is known as the Althing, literally “general assembly”). In English,
  however, the word moved on through “subject for discussion in such an
  assembly” to “subject in general, affair, matter” and finally “entity,
  object.”

[1]



thingamajig

thingamajig
thing·a·ma·jig 
[thíngəmə jìg] (plural thing·a·ma·jigs)
or thing·um·a·jig [thíngəmə jìg]
(plural thingu·ma·jigs) or thing·a·ma·bob [thíngəmə bòb] (plural thing·a·ma·bobs)
or thingumabob [thíngəmee] or
thing·um·my [thíngəmee] (plural
thing·um·mies) noun

thing
unnamed:
a word used when the proper word for something is not known or does not come to
mind (informal)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from obsolete thingum (see thingummy
) + jig .][1]



thing-in-itself

thing-in-itself
thing-in-it·self 
(plural things-in-them·selves) noun

something
beyond experience: an object that exists even
though we have no experience or perception of it
[Translation of German Ding
an sich][1]



thingness

thingness
thing·ness
[thíngnəss] noun

material existence:
status as a material thing, as distinct from something that is abstract[1]



thingumabob

thingumabob
thing·um·a·bob 
noun

(informal) See thingamajig[1]



thingumajig

thingumajig
thing·um·a·jig 
noun

(informal) See thingamajig[1]



thingummy

thingummy
thing·um·my
noun

(informal)
See thingamajig
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of obsolete thingum, from thing
.][1]



think

think
think
(regional) [thingk] verb (past
thought or thunk, past participle thought [thawt] or thunk [thungk], present participle think·ing,
3rd person present singular thinks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
thoughts:
to use the mind to consider ideas and make judgments • Think
carefully before you start writing.

2.  transitive
verb
have
as an opinion: to believe something or have something
as an opinion • I don’t think it will
rain today.
• She
seems to think she’s a good dancer.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb comprehend
something:
to imagine or understand something or the possibility of something • I
can’t think of letting you leave so soon.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb have
in mind:
to bring something to mind • I
can’t think what the date is today. • I
hadn’t thought about him for months.

5.  transitive
verb
concentrate
on:
to focus the attention on something • He
thinks golf day and night.

6.  intransitive
verb
have
regard:
to regard somebody with care or concern • You
need to think of your family.

7.  transitive
verb
view
in certain way: to regard somebody or something in a
specified way • Don’t think me unkind.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb intend:
to have something as a plan • She
thought she’d go out after dinner.

9.  transitive
verb
foresee:
to anticipate something happening • I
didn’t think he’d actually do it.

10. transitive
verb
be
heedful of:
to be attentive or considerate enough to do something • Didn’t
you think to ask about her mother?

11. intransitive
verb
choose:
to make a mental choice • Think
of a card and I’ll try to guess what it is.

12. transitive
verb
influence
with the mind: to bring something to a particular
condition using the mind • Try to
think the pain away.
noun

spell of thinking:
an act of thinking or a period of time spent thinking (informal) • She
sat down to have a think.
[Old
English þencan]
—think·er,
noun
have
got another think coming

used
to say that somebody is mistaken (informal) • If
he thinks I’m going to help him he’s got another think coming.

not
think much of somebody or something

to
regard somebody or something as not being very good

think
better of something

to
change an opinion about something after consideration • She
was about to speak her mind, but then thought better of it.

think
nothing of something

to
regard something as not being unusual • She
thinks nothing of working all night to finish a project.

think
twice

to consider something very
carefully • You
should think twice about lending them so much money.[1]



thinkable

thinkable
think·a·ble 
[thíngkəb’l] adjective

1.  understandable:
capable of being understood

2.  feasible:
capable of happening
—think·a·bly, adverb[1]



thinking

thinking
think·ing 
[thíngking] adjective

rational:
capable of using the mind to reason or reflect • the
thinking person’s choice
noun

1.  forming
of thoughts: use of the mind to form thoughts • There’s
a lot of thinking to do before we make that decision.

2.  judgment:
opinions or conclusions arrived at • What’s
your thinking on the political situation?

[1]



thinkingcap

thinkingcap
think·ing
capput your thinking cap on

to think carefully about
something, especially to find a solution to a problem[1]



thinkover

thinkover
think
over
transitive verb

ponder:
to reflect on something • Maybe
you’d like to think it over before you sign.[1]



thinkpiece

thinkpiece
think
piece
noun

thought-provoking writing:
an article giving somebody’s analysis or opinion of a situation or event,
written to provoke thought[1]



thinktank

thinktank
think
tank
(plural think tanks) noun

consultative committee:
a committee of experts that undertakes research or gives advice, especially to
a government[1]



thinkthrough

thinkthrough
think
through
transitive verb

consider all aspects of:
to consider or reflect on something carefully, especially in order to reach a
decision • I
needed some time to think it through.[1]



thinkup

thinkup
think
up
transitive verb

conceive:
to invent or devise something • I’ve
thought up an easy way to do it.[1]



thinner

thinner
thin·ner 
[thínnər] (plural thin·ners) noun

liquid diluting paint:
a liquid used to dilute paint or varnish. Turpentine is a thinner .[1]



thin-skinned

thin-skinned
thin-skinned 
adjective

1.  sensitive
to criticism: easily offended by criticism or insults

2.  with
thin peel:
covered in a thin peel or rind

[1]



thio-

thio-
thio-
prefix

containing
sulfur • thiophene
[From Greek theion
“sulfur”][1]



thiocarbamide

thiocarbamide
thi·o·car·ba·mide 
[th ō krbə md] noun

CHEMISTRY
See thiourea[1]



thiocyanate

thiocyanate
thi·o·cy·a·nate 
[th ō s ə nàyt] (plural thi·o·cy·a·nates)
noun

derivative of thiocyanic
acid: a salt or ester of
thiocyanic acid[1]



thiocyanicacid

thiocyanicacid
thi·o·cy·an·ic
ac·id 
[thī ō sī ànnik ássid] noun

liquid used in insecticides:
a colorless liquid used in the form of salts or esters in insecticides. HSCN[1]



Thiokol

Thiokol
Thi·o·kol
[th ə kàwl] Trademark

a trademark for a polysulfide
polymer available in various formulations and used in coatings, sealants, hoses
for gasoline and oil, and in other industrial applications[1]



thiol

thiol
thi·ol 
[th àwl] (plural thi·ols) noun

sulphur
compound:
an organic compound similar to an alcohol but in which the oxygen atom has been
replaced by a sulfur atom. Thiols are liquids with penetrating unpleasant
smells.
Also
called
mercaptan
[Late 19th century. Coined
from thio- + -ol
.][1]



thionic

thionic
thi·on·ic 
[thī ónnik] adjective

containing
sulfur:
relating to, derived from, or containing sulfur
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek theion “sulfur.”][1]



thionyl

thionyl
thi·o·nyl 
[th ə nìl] noun

chemical
group:
containing the chemical group SO
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from thio- + -in
+ -yl .][1]



thiopentalsodium

thiopentalsodium
thi·o·pen·tal
so·di·um 
[th ə pent’l sṓdee əm] noun

anesthetic compound:
a substance used intravenously as a general anesthetic and in psychotherapy as
a hypnotic. C11H17N2O2SNa[1]



thiopentonesodium

thiopentonesodium
thi·o·pen·tone
so·di·um
[th ō pèn tōn sṓdee əm] noun

U.K. =
thiopental sodium[1]



thiophen

thiophen
thi·o·phen 
[th əfən, th ə
fèn] or thi·o·phene [th ə fn]
noun

solvent:
a colorless liquid used as a solvent and to make dyes, pharmaceuticals, and
resins. C4H4S
[Late 19th century. Coined
from thio- + pheno-
.][1]



thiosulfate

thiosulfate
thi·o·sul·fate 
[th ō súl fàyt] (plural thi·o·sul·fates)
noun

derivative of thiosulfuric
acid: a salt or ester of
thiosulfuric acid[1]



thiosulfuricacid

thiosulfuricacid
thi·o·sul·fu·ric
ac·id 
[thī ō sul fyrik ássid] noun

unstable acid:
an acid known in the form of salts or esters or in solution. H2S2O3[1]



thiotepa

thiotepa
thi·o·te·pa 
[th ō tpə] noun

treatment
for tumors:
a compound used in the treatment of malignant tumors. C6H12N3PS
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from thio- + tepa, name of a compound, an
acronym formed from tri-, ethylene, phosphorus
and amide .][1]



thiouracil

thiouracil
thi·o·ur·a·cil 
[th ō yrə sìl] noun

treatment for
hyperthyroidism: a white bitter-tasting
substance used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. C4H4N2OS[1]



thiourea

thiourea
thi·o·u·re·a 
[th ō yree ə] noun

substance used in
photography: a crystalline substance
used to make resins and in photographic fixing. CS(NH2)2 
Also called
thiocarbamide[1]



third

third
third 
[thurd] (plural thirds) noun

1.  one
of three parts: one of three equal parts of something

2.  ordinal
number corresponding to 3: the ordinal number assigned
to item number three in a series

3.  one
after second in importance: somebody or something
ranking next after second in authority or precedence

4.  vehicle
gear:
in a motor vehicle, the forward gear between second and fourth

5.  See
third base

6.  MUSIC musical
interval:
in a standard musical scale, the interval between one note and another that
lies two notes above or below it. In the scale of C major, C and E form a
third.

7.  MUSIC note a
third away from another: in a standard musical scale,
a note that is a third away from another note

8.  MUSIC harmonic:
a harmonic of a combination of two tones a third apart

9.  EDUCATION university
degree:
the lowest class of honors degree awarded by a British university

10. BALLET See third position
[Old
English thirdda, thridda . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “three,” which is also the ancestor of English three .]
—third,
adjective, adverb





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Third Man, a movie by British director Sir Carol Reed ( 1949 ). Set in Vienna
  immediately after World War II, this stylish and gripping movie noir recounts
  American writer Holly Martins’ attempts to discover the truth behind the
  mysterious death of his old friend Harry Lime. It is made particularly
  memorable by its dramatic war-ravaged setting, innovative lighting and
  editing, and haunting zither theme.

[1]



thirdbase

thirdbase
third
base
noun
Also
called
third

1.  third
of four bases in baseball: the base to the batter’s
left that is the third of four bases on the baseball diamond and that must be
touched safely to score a run

2.  fielder’s
position:
the position played by the fielder playing nearest to third base
—third base·man, noun[1]



thirdclass

thirdclass
third
class
noun

1.  third
in a classification system: the next below second in
grade or category

2.  cheapest
accommodation: the least expensive and least luxurious
accommodation on a ship or train

3.  mail
class:
a class of mail in the United States and Canada for unsealed printed matter
—third-class, adjective,
adverb[1]



thirddegree

thirddegree
third
de·gree
noun

exhaustive
interrogation: intensive interrogation, often also
implying rough treatment (informal) • The
interrogators gave the suspects the third degree.
[From
the interrogation required to reach the “third degree,” the highest rank in
Freemasonry]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at question

[1]



third-degreeburn

third-degreeburn
third-de·gree
burn 
noun

severest burn:
a burn of the most serious kind, in which the skin and the tissues beneath it
are severely damaged[1]



thirddimension

thirddimension
third
di·men·sion
noun

1.  depth:
the added dimension of depth that distinguishes a solid object from one that is
two-dimensional or planar

2.  enhancing
quality:
a quality that makes something more vivid
—third-di·men·sion·al,
adjective[1]



thirdestate

thirdestate
third
es·tate
noun

commons:
the third social class, traditionally the commons, in a society divided into
estates[1]



thirdeyelid

thirdeyelid
third
eye·lid
(plural third eye·lids) noun

See
nictitating membrane[1]



thirdforce

thirdforce
third
force
(plural third forc·es) noun

mediator:
a group that mediates between two opposing political groups or parties[1]



thirdhand

thirdhand
third·hand 
[thurd hánd] adjective adverb

1.  twice
previously owned: used by, or after having been used by,
two previous owners

2.  twice
previously communicated: from or through two
intermediate sources
[Mid-16th century. Modeled on
secondhand .][1]



thirdly

thirdly
third·ly 
[thúrdlee] adverb

introducing third point:
used to introduce the third point in an argument or discussion[1]



thirdmarket

thirdmarket
third
mar·ket
noun

stock trading:
the over-the-counter trading of securities listed on a stock exchange[1]



thirdparty

thirdparty
third
par·ty
noun

1.  somebody
involved by chance: somebody who is involved in
a legal matter incidentally, as distinct from the principal parties • The
signatures need to be witnessed by a third party.

2.  third
major political party: a major political party that
operates for a limited time in opposition to the two parties usually operating
in a state or nation with a two-party system

[1]



thirdperson

thirdperson
third
per·son
noun

1.  GRAMMAR verb
or pronoun form: the form of a verb or a pronoun
indicating somebody or something being spoken about. In English, the
third-person subject pronouns are “he,” “she,” “it,” “one,” and “they.”

2.  GRAMMAR set of
grammatical forms: the grammatical set
containing the forms indicating the third person

3.  writing
in third-person: a style of writing using third-person
forms • Write
your account in the third person.

[1]



thirdposition

thirdposition
third
po·si·tion
noun

ballet position with heel
touching instep: a position in ballet in
which the feet are turned outward with the heel of the front foot touching the
instep of the back foot.
Also called
third[1]



thirdrail

thirdrail
third
rail
noun

rail for electric train:
a rail from which some electrically powered trains pick up current[1]



third-rate

third-rate
third-rate 
adjective

poor-quality:
of a low or the lowest quality[1]



thirdreading

thirdreading
third
read·ing
noun

reading of legislative bill:
the third presentation of a bill to a legislative assembly. In the U.K.
Parliament, it is to discuss a committee’s report. In the U.S. Congress, it is
the final presentation before a vote.[1]



ThirdReich

ThirdReich
Third
Reich
noun

Nazi regime:
the Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 and 1945[1]



ThirdRepublic

ThirdRepublic
Third
Re·pub·lic
noun

French system of government:
the French system of government set up after Napoleon III’s reign. It lasted
until 1940.[1]



third-stream

third-stream
third-stream
noun

combined
jazz and classical music: music that draws from both
classical music and jazz
[Mid-20th
century. Modeled on mainstream .]
—third-stream, adjective[1]



ThirdWorld

ThirdWorld
Third
World
or third world noun

less
developed nations: the nations outside the
capitalist industrial nations of the First World and the industrialized
Communist nations of the Second World, generally less economically advanced but
with varied economies (hyphenated when used before a noun)
[Translation
of French tiers monde]
—Third World·er, noun[1]



Thirlmere,Lake

Thirlmere,Lake
Thirl·mere,
Lake
[thúrl meer]

lake in Cumbria, in
northwestern England, that serves as a main reservoir for Manchester. Length: 5
km/3.25 mi.[1]



thirst

thirst
thirst 
[thurst] noun

need
for liquid:
a desire or need to drink a liquid, or the feeling of dryness in the mouth and
throat caused by a need for a liquid
intransitive
verb
(past thirst·ed, past participle thirst·ed, present
participle thirst·ing, 3rd person present singular thirsts)

experience
thirst:
to feel a thirst for a liquid
noun

craving:
a strong desire for something • a
thirst for knowledge
intransitive
verb
(past thirst·ed, past participle thirst·ed, present
participle thirst·ing, 3rd person present singular thirsts)

to
desire:
to desire something strongly • thirsted
for news of home
[Old
English þurst . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be
dry,” which is also the ancestor of English terrain
and toast .]
—thirst·er, noun[1]



thirsty

thirsty
thirst·y 
[thúrstee] (comparative thirst·i·er,
superlative thirst·i·est) adjective

1.  needing
liquid:
feeling the need to drink a liquid • Gardening
always makes me thirsty.

2.  lacking
water:
having insufficient water, especially in the form of irrigation • The
land was thirsty for rain.

3.  desiring:
having a strong desire or craving • thirsty
for companionship

4.  causing
thirst:
causing the need to drink a liquid (informal) • thirsty
work
—thirst·i·ly,
adverb

—thirst·i·ness, noun[1]



thirteen

thirteen
thir·teen 
[thər tn] (plural thir·teens)
noun

1.  number
13:
the number 13

2.  something
with value of thirteen: something in a numbered
series with a value of thirteen

3.  group
of thirteen: a group of thirteen objects or people
[Old English þrēotīne,
from þrēo “three” (see three ) + -tīne
“ten”][1]



thirteenth

thirteenth
thir·teenth 
[thər tnth] (plural thir·teenths)
noun

1.  one
of 13 parts: one of thirteen equal parts of something

2.  ordinal
number corresponding to 13: the ordinal number assigned
to item number thirteen in a series

3.  MUSIC musical
note:
the note an octave and a sixth above the principal note in a musical scale
—thir·teenth, adjective,
adverb[1]



thirtieth

thirtieth
thir·ti·eth 
[thúrtee ith] (plural thir·ti·eths)
noun

1.  one
of 30 parts of something: one of thirty equal parts of
something

2.  ordinal
number corresponding to 30: the ordinal number assigned
to item number thirty in a series
—thir·ti·eth, adjective,
adverb[1]



thirty

thirty
thir·ty 
[thúrtee] noun (plural thir·ties)

1.  number
30:
the number 30

2.  group
of 30:
a group of thirty objects or people

3.  TENNIS score
in tennis:
in a game of tennis, the score awarded to a player with a score of fifteen on
winning a further point
plural
noun
thir·ties

1.  numbers
30 to 39:
the numbers 30 to 39, particularly as a range of temperature • in
the low thirties

2.  years
1930 to 1939: the years 1930 to 1939

3.  period
from age 30 to 39: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 30 to 39
[Old English þrītig .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “three.”][1]



thirty-eight

thirty-eight
thir·ty-eight
noun

handgun:
a handgun with a .38 caliber.[1]



thirty-secondnote

thirty-secondnote
thir·ty-sec·ond
note 
noun

MUSIC
musical note:
a note with the time value of one thirty-second of a whole note.
U.K. term
demisemiquaver[1]



thirty-thirty

thirty-thirty
thir·ty-thir·ty
noun

rifle:
a rifle that fires a .30 caliber cartridge with a 30-grain powder charge,
usually written .30-.30.[1]



thirty-three

thirty-three
thir·ty-three
(plural thir·ty-threes) noun

MUSIC an LP:
a long-playing record (dated)
[From its playing speed of 33
⅓ rpm][1]



thirty-twomo

thirty-twomo
thir·ty-two·mo 
[thùrtee t m] (plural thir·ty-two·mos)
noun PRINTING

1.  paper
size:
a size of page that is formed when a standard printing sheet is cut or folded
into 32 leaves or 64 pages

2.  book
with thirty-twomo pages: a book made with
thirty-twomo pages
[Late 18th century.
Pronunciation of the printer’s abbreviation 32mo .][1]



this

this
this 
[iss] (plural these) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate somebody or something that has already been
mentioned or identified or something that is understood by both the speaker and
hearer • (adjective)
This book is brilliant. • (adjective)
This holiday –how much is it going to cost? • (pronoun)
Is this why you’ve been so happy lately? • (pronoun)
I first encountered this while traveling abroad.

1.
adjective pronoun close by:
indicating somebody or something present or close by, especially as distinct
from somebody or something further away, referred to as “that” • (adjective)
I much prefer this painting to that one. • (pronoun)
What’s this?

2.
adjective pronoun indicating words to
follow:
used to indicate a phrase or statement about to be said • (adjective)
All I can say is this –he hadn’t called by the time I left.
• (pronoun)
Hey, listen to this!

3.
pronoun adjective a stated time:
used to refer to a particular time in the past or present • (pronoun)
I expected him back before this. • (adjective)
At this particular moment she felt she’d never experience such happiness again.

4.
adjective not previously mentioned:
used to indicate somebody or something not previously mentioned, especially
when telling a story to give a sense of immediacy (informal) • (adjective)
Then this woman came running up to me, shouting at the top of her voice.

5.
adverb to this degree:
used to emphasize the degree of a feeling or quality • I
was this close to quitting.
[Old
English þis, þes]
this
and that

miscellaneous unimportant
things[1]



thisaway

thisaway
this·a·way 
[íssə wày] adverb

this way:
this way (regional)[1]



Thisbe

Thisbe
This·be 
noun

MYTHOLOGY
See Pyramus and Thisbe[1]



thistle

thistle

this·tle 
[thíss’l] (plural this·tles) noun

1.  prickly
weed:
a prickly composite plant with dense, usually purple, flower heads surrounded
by thorny bracts. Genera: Carduus Cirsium Onopordum

2.  plant
resembling thistle: any of various prickly
plants similar to a thistle
[Old English þistel][1]



thistlebutterfly

thistlebutterfly
this·tle
but·ter·fly
noun

See
painted lady
[So called because its larvae
live on thistles][1]



thistledown

thistledown
this·tle·down 
[thíss’l dòwn] noun

1.  fluffy
seed mass:
the fluffy mass of hairs attached to the seeds of the mature flower head of a
thistle

2.  light
fine silky substance: anything fine and silky that
resembles thistledown, for example, a baby’s hair or a delicate fabric

[1]



thistly

thistly
thist·ly
[thíss’lee] (comparative thist·li·er,
superlative thist·li·est) adjective

1.  full
of thistles: full or consisting of thistles

2.  awkward:
difficult to deal with

[1]



thither

thither
thith·er 
[íər] adverb

in
that direction: to or in the direction of that place (archaic
formal) “I will set thee on thy way to Benares, if thou goest thither, and
tell thee what must be known by us.” Rudyard Kipling Kim 1901
adjective

more
distant:
farther or on the more distant side (archaic formal)
[Old English þider, an
alteration (under the influence of hider “hither”) of þæder,
literally “to that place”][1]



thitherto

thitherto
thith·er·to 
[ìər t, íər
t] adverb

until
then:
until that time (archaic formal)
[15th century. Modeled on hitherto .][1]



thitherward

thitherward
thith·er·ward 
[íərwərd] adverb

See
thither[1]



thixotropic

thixotropic
thix·o·trop·ic 
[thìksə tróppik] adjective

sometimes
fluid and sometimes a gel: becoming fluid when shaken
or stirred and returning to a gel state when allowed to stand
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek thixis “touch” + -tropic, literally “changing at a touch.”]
—thix·o·trope
[thíksə trp], noun

—thix·ot·ro·py [thik sóttrəpee], noun[1]



Th.M.

Th.M.
Th.M.

Abbreviation
of
Master of Theology
[Latin, Theologiae Magister][1]



tho

tho
tho
[ō] adverb conjunction

though:
though (informal)[1]



thole

thole2
thole2  [thōl]
transitive verb

Scotland,
Northern England endure:
to experience or bear something such as pain or grief patiently or
uncomplainingly
[Old English þolian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to support, lift up,” which is
also the ancestor of English tolerate
and extol .][1]



thole

thole1
thole1  [thōl]
(plural tholes) noun

See
tholepin
[Old English þol .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to stick out,” which is also the
ancestor of English tumor and tuber .][1]



tholepin

tholepin
thole·pin 
[thṓl pìn] (plural thole·pins)
noun

wooden peg in gunwale:
a small upright wooden peg in the gunwale of a boat, usually provided in pairs
to support an oar and act as a pivot when the oar is used.
Also called
pin
Also called
thole[1]



tholos

tholos
tho·los
[thṓ lòss] (plural tho·loi [thṓ lòy]) noun

circular
domed building: an ancient Greek circular domed
building, especially a Mycenaean drystone tomb
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
.][1]



Thomas

Thomas
Thom·as 
[tómməss] noun

apostle of Jesus Christ:
in the New Testament, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. His reluctance to
recognize Jesus Christ’s resurrection until he had seen and touched his wounds
gave rise to the phrase “doubting Thomas” (John 14:1–7, John 20:19–29) .[1]



Thomas,Clarence

Thomas,Clarence
Thom·as 
[tómməss], Clarence (1948– )

U.S. Supreme Court justice. A
prominent African American conservative who opposed minority preference
programs, he became associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1991).[1]



Thomas,Dylan

Thomas,Dylan
Thom·as 
[tómməss], Dylan (1914–1953)

Welsh poet. His best known
work includes the poem “Fern Hill” and the radio play Under Milk Wood (
1954 ).[1]



Thomism

Thomism
Tho·mism 
[tṓ mìzzəm] noun

doctrines
of Thomas Aquinas: the philosophical and
theological doctrines of Thomas Aquinas, which formed the basis of medieval
scholasticism
[Early
18th century. Formed from the name of St. Thomas
.]
—Tho·mist,
noun, adjective

—Tho·mis·tic [tō místik], adjective[1]



Thompson

Thompson
Thomp·son
[tómps’n]

1.  the
main tributary of the Fraser River in southern British Columbia, Canada.
Length: 489 km/304 mi.

2.  city
in central Manitoba, Canada, on the Burntwood River. Population: 14,385 (1996)

[1]



Thompson,Daley

Thompson,Daley
Thomp·son
[tómps’n], Daley (1958– )

British
athlete. In the decathlon he was Olympic gold medalist (1980 and 1984) and
world champion (1983).
Real name
Thompson, Francis Morgan[1]



Thompson,David

Thompson,David
Thomp·son
[tómps’n], David (1770–1857)

British-born Canadian
explorer. He was the first to map comprehensively Canada’s western territories.[1]



Thompson,Hunter S.

Thompson,Hunter S.
Thomp·son
[tómps’n], Hunter S. (1939– )

U.S.
journalist. An iconoclastic commentator of American culture, his Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas ( 1972 ) exemplifies the style of writing dubbed New
Journalism.
Full name
Thompson, Hunter Stockton[1]



Thompson,John Sparrow David

Thompson,John Sparrow David
Thomp·son
[tómps’n], Sir John Sparrow David
(1845–1894)

Canadian lawyer and
statesman. He was prime minister of Canada from 1892 to 1894.[1]



Thompsonsubmachine-gun

Thompsonsubmachine-gun
Thomp·son
sub·ma·chine-gun [tòmsən submə
shn gùn] (plural Thomp·son sub·ma·chine-guns) noun

type
of submachine gun: a relatively lightweight
submachine gun introduced in 1915. It was intended as an infantry weapon.
[Early 20th century. Named
for U.S. army officer John T. Thompson (1860–1940), whose company
manufactured it.][1]



Thomson,Charles Edward Poulett

Thomson,Charles Edward Poulett
Thom·son
[tómsən], Charles Edward Poulett, 1st Baron
of Sydenham (1799–1841)

British colonial
administrator. He was governor general of Canada (1839–1841) and worked to
unite Upper and Lower Canada (1840).[1]



Thomsoneffect

Thomsoneffect
Thom·son
ef·fect
[tómsən i fèkt] noun

heat-caused
electric effect in conductor: the phenomenon of
temperature differences within a conductor or semiconductor causing an electric
potential gradient
[Late 19th century. Named for
William Thomson (William Kelvin ),
who described the phenomenon.][1]



Thomson,Virgil

Thomson,Virgil
Thom·son
[tómsən], Virgil (1896–1989)

U.S.
composer and critic. His symphonies, ballets, and musical “portraits” draw on
American folk tunes, and include the Pulitzer Prize-winning score for the
documentary movie Louisiana Story ( 1948 ).
Full name
Thomson, Virgil Garnett[1]



Thomson’sgazelle

Thomson’sgazelle
Thom·son’s
ga·zelle 
noun

small
African gazelle: a small gazelle that has a broad black
stripe on its side and is found in the grasslands and dry woodlands of Africa.
Latin name: Gazella thomsoni
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson (1858–1894).][1]



-thon

-thon
-thon
suffix

a
long session devoted to a single activity • talkathon
[From marathon][1]



thong

thong
thong 
[thong] (plural thongs) noun

1.  long
thin piece of leather: a thin strip of something,
especially leather, used for fastening or supporting things

2.  whip:
a whip made of braided leather, cord, or some other material

3.  CLOTHES light sandal:
a light sandal held on by strips of material that join the sole of the sandal
at either side of the foot and between the first and second toes

4.  bikini
or underwear bottom: a narrow piece of cloth or
leather that goes between the legs and is attached to a band around the hips,
worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear
[Old English þwong][1]



Thor

Thor
Thor 
[thawr] noun

Norse god of thunder:
in Norse mythology, the god of thunder and eldest son of Odin. Thursday is
named for him.[1]



thoracentesis

thoracentesis
tho·ra·cen·te·sis 
[thàwrə sen tssiss] (plural tho·ra·cen·te·ses
[thàwrə sen t sz]) noun

surgical
procedure for withdrawing fluid: a surgical procedure
in which a needle is inserted through the chest wall in order to withdraw
fluid, blood, or air.
Also
called
pleurocentesis
Also
called
paracentesis
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from thoraco- + Greek kentēsis
“pricking” (from kentein “to prick”; source of English center ).][1]



thoraces

thoraces
tho·ra·ces


Plural of
thorax[1]



thoracic

thoracic
tho·rac·ic 
[thə rássik] adjective

of
the chest:
involving or located in the chest
—tho·rac·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



thoracicduct

thoracicduct
tho·rac·ic
duct
(plural tho·rac·ic ducts) noun

main lymphatic vessel:
the main duct of the lymphatic system that drains lymph from smaller lymph
vessels in the trunk and returns it to the bloodstream by emptying into a major
vein. In human beings, it ascends in front of the spinal column and discharges
into the left subclavian vein at the base of the neck.[1]



thoraco-

thoraco-
thoraco-
prefix

chest,
thorax • thoracolumbar
[From Greek thōrak-,
the stem of thōrax (see thorax )][1]



thoracolumbar

thoracolumbar
tho·ra·co·lum·bar 
[thàwrəkō lúmbər] adjective

of thoracic and lumbar areas:
used to describe the thoracic and lumbar areas of the body[1]



thoracotomy

thoracotomy
tho·ra·cot·o·my 
[thàwrə kóttəmee] (plural tho·ra·cot·o·mies)
noun

incision in chest wall:
a surgical incision made in the chest wall[1]



thorax

thorax
tho·rax 
[tháw ràks] (plural tho·rax·es
or tho·ra·ces [thə ráy sz, tháwrə sz]) noun

1.  ANATOMY upper
part of torso: the part of the human body between the
neck and abdomen, enclosed by the ribs and containing the heart and lungs

2.  ZOOLOGY upper
part of animal’s body: the area corresponding to
the human thorax in other vertebrates

3.  ZOOLOGY part
between head and abdomen: the middle division of the
body of an insect, crustacean, or arachnid
[14th century. Via Latin from
Greek thōrax “chest, breastplate,” of unknown origin.][1]



Thorazine

Thorazine
Tho·ra·zine 
[tháwrə zn] Trademark

a trademark for
chlorpromazine[1]



Thoreau,Henry David

Thoreau,Henry David

Tho·reau
[thə rṓ, thawrṓ,
tháw rō], Henry David (1817–1862)
U.S.
essayist and philosopher. He was a leading transcendentalist and libertarian.
His works include “Civil Disobedience” (1849) and Walden ( 1854 ), in
which he describes a life lived simply and close to nature.
Born
David Henry Thoreau[1]



thoria

thoria
tho·ri·a 
[tháwree ə] noun

CHEMISTRY See thorium dioxide
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from thorium, on the model of magnesia .][1]



thorianite

thorianite
tho·ri·an·ite
[tháwree ə nt] noun

black
radioactive mineral: a rare black radioactive
mineral that is an oxide of thorium mixed with rare-earth metals. It is used as
a source of thorium and uranium. ThO2U3O8
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thoria + -ite
.][1]



thorite

thorite
tho·rite 
[tháw rt] noun

radioactive
mineral:
a rare brown, black, or yellow radioactive mineral that is a silicate of
thorium. It is used as a source of thorium. ThSiO4
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Thor + -ite
.][1]



thorium

thorium

tho·ri·um 
[tháwree əm] noun
soft
radioactive element: a soft silvery-white
radioactive metallic chemical element that is found in thorite and thorianite.
It is used in alloys and as a source of nuclear energy. Symbol Th
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Thor + -ium .]
—tho·ric, adjective[1]



thoriumdioxide

thoriumdioxide
tho·ri·um
di·ox·ide
noun

white powder containing
thorium: a white powder that is an
oxide of thorium, used in incandescent mantles, refractories, ceramics, and
optical glass and as a catalyst. ThO2 
Also called
thoria[1]



thoriumseries

thoriumseries
tho·ri·um
se·ries
noun

radioactive decay series:
one of the natural radioactive decay series that shows how the unstable isotope
thorium-232 changes by stages into the stable isotope lead-208[1]



thorn

thorn

thorn 
[thawrn] (plural thorns) noun

1.  sharp
point on a plant stem: a sharply pointed woody
growth projecting from the stem of some trees, shrubs, and woody plants

2.  plant
with thorns: a tree, shrub, or woody plant that has
thorns

3.  wood
of tree with thorns: the wood of a tree or shrub
with thorns

4.  runic
letter:
a runic letter used to represent both of the “th” sounds, as in “this” and
“thick,” in Old English and Middle English. It also represents the voiceless
sound, as in “thick,” in Old Norse and Icelandic and was formerly used as a
phonetic symbol.
[Old
English þorn . From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of Dutch doorn and German Dorn .]
—thorned,
adjective

—thorn·less,
adjective

—thorn·like,
adjective
be a thorn in somebody’s flesh or side

to be a source of constant
irritation to somebody[1]



thornapple

thornapple
thorn
ap·ple
(plural thorn ap·ples) noun

1.  U.K.
See jimsonweed

2.  fruit
of hawthorn: the fruit of a hawthorn

[1]



thornback

thornback
thorn·back 
[tháwrn bàk] (plural thorn·backs
or thorn·back) noun

fish with spines on its back:
a ray with one to three rows of large hooked spines on its back. Latin name: Raja
clavata Platyrhinoidis triseriatis[1]



thornbill

thornbill
thorn·bill
[tháwrn bìl] (plural thorn·bills
or thorn·bill) noun

1.  Australian
warbler:
a small Australian bird of the warbler family that has a short sharp bill.
Genus: Acanthiza

2.  S
American hummingbird: a South American hummingbird
with a bill that resembles a thorn. Latin name: Ramphomicron microrhynchum

[1]



Thorndike,Dame Sybil

Thorndike,Dame Sybil
Thorn·dike
[tháwrn dk], Dame Sybil (1882–1976)

British
actor. A member of the Old Vic Theater, London, she played the title role in
George Bernard Shaw’s St. Joan more than 2,000 times after he wrote the
part for her in 1924.
Full name
Thorndike, Dame Agnes Sybil[1]



Thornton,Matthew

Thornton,Matthew
Thorn·ton 
[tháwrnt’n], Matthew (1714–1803)

American patriot. He signed
the Declaration of Independence (1776) as a delegate from New Hampshire.[1]



thorny

thorny
thorn·y 
[tháwrnee] (comparative thorn·i·er,
superlative thorn·i·est) adjective

1.  problematic:
complicated and difficult to resolve

2.  prickly
with thorns: covered in or full of thorns
—thorn·i·ly,
adverb

—thorn·i·ness, noun[1]



thoron

thoron
tho·ron 
[tháw ròn] noun

radioactive
isotope of radon: a radioactive isotope of radon with a
half-life of 55 seconds, formed by the radioactive decay of thorium
[Early 20th century. Formed
from thorium, on the model of radon .][1]



thorough

thorough
thor·ough 
[thúrrō] adjective

1.  extremely
careful:
extremely careful and accurate in doing something • She’s
very thorough in her research methods.

2.  done
fully:
complete in every detail and carried out with care • The
doctor gave me a thorough examination.

3.  absolute:
that is so to the fullest extent or in the truest sense of the word • a
thorough bore
preposition

through:
through (archaic)
[Old
English þuruh “from end to end,” a variant of þurh (see through )]
—thor·ough·ly,
adverb

—thor·ough·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at careful

[1]



thoroughbass

thoroughbass
thor·ough·bass
[thúrrō bàyss, thúrrə
bàyss] (plural thor·ough·bass·es) noun

MUSIC See continuo
[Mid-17th century. From thorough in the obsolete sense “all the way
through.”][1]



thoroughbrace

thoroughbrace
thor·ough
brace
(plural thor·ough brac·es) noun

leather
band that supports carriage: a strong leather strap
running underneath a carriage from front to back, forming, with several other
such straps, the carriage’s support and springs
[From
thorough in the obsolete meaning “from end
to end”]
—thor·ough-braced [thúrrə bràyst], adjective[1]



thoroughbred

thoroughbred
thor·ough·bred 
[thúrrə brèd] noun (plural thor·ough·breds)

1.  purebred
animal:
a purebred animal, especially a horse

2.  well-bred
person:
somebody who is has been brought up to be refined and well-mannered
adjective

1.  purebred:
bred from pure stock

2.  well-bred:
brought up to be refined and well-mannered
[Early 18th century. From thorough in the obsolete meaning “all the way
through.”][1]



Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred
Thor·ough·bred
noun (plural Thor·ough·breds)

breed
of racehorse: a pure breed of horse descended from
English mares and Arabian stallions, originally bred in Britain and most often
used for racing
adjective

bred
from Thoroughbred stock: bred from Thoroughbred stock
or characteristic of it
—Thor·ough·bred, adjective[1]



thoroughfare

thoroughfare
thor·ough·fare 
[thúrrə fàir] (plural thor·ough·fares)
noun

1.  public
road:
a public highway that passes through a place • a
truck blocking a busy thoroughfare

2.  means
of access:
a way or passage from one place to another

3.  right
of passage:
the right to go from one place to another along a certain route

4.  heavily
used route:
a stretch of road or water, or a pathway between two places, that is used by
many people
[14th century. From thorough in the obsolete meaning “from end to end”
+ obsolete fare “way, journey.”][1]



thoroughgoing

thoroughgoing
thor·ough·go·ing 
[thùrrō gṓ ing, thùrrə
gṓ ing] adjective

1.  thoroughly
done:
carried out in an extremely careful and thorough way • not
very thoroughgoing when it comes to housework

2.  absolute:
that is so to the fullest extent or in the truest sense of the word • a
thoroughgoing pragmatist
[Early 19th century. From thorough in the obsolete meaning “all the way
through.”][1]



thoroughpaced

thoroughpaced
thor·ough·paced 
[thùrrō páyst, thùrrə
páyst] adjective

1.  trained
to perform all paces: thoroughly trained so as to
be able to perform all paces well (refers to horses)

2.  thoroughgoing:
thoroughgoing (archaic)

[1]



thoroughpin

thoroughpin
thor·ough·pin 
[thúrrō pin, thúrrə
pin] noun

swelling
of horse’s leg: inflammation and swelling above the hock
joint on both sides of a horse’s leg, affecting the flexor tendon and causing
lameness
[Late 18th century. From thorough in the obsolete meaning “all the way
through”; from the appearance of the swelling, like a pin passing through the
tendon.][1]



thoroughwort

thoroughwort
thor·ough·wort 
[thúrrō wùrt, thúrrō
wàwrt, thúrrə wùrt] (plural thor·ough·worts
or thor·ough·wort) noun

PLANTS See boneset
[Late 16th century. From thorough in the obsolete meaning “through,”
because the plant’s stem appears to grow through its leaves.][1]



thorp

thorp
thorp 
[thawrp] (plural thorps) or
thorpe [thawrp] (plural thor·pes)
noun

hamlet:
a small village (archaic) (often used in place names)
[Old English þorp
(related to Dutch dorp and German Dorf )][1]



Thorpe,Jim

Thorpe,Jim
Thorpe
[thawrp], Jim (1888–1953)

U.S.
athlete. One of the outstanding athletes of the 20th century, he won Olympic
gold medals for the pentathlon and decathlon (1912) and played professional
baseball (1913–1919) and football (1917–1929).
Full name
Thorpe, James Francis[1]



those

those
those 
[ōz] pronoun adjective

plural
of “that”:
the form of “that” used before a plural noun or with a multiple referent • Those
are the ones I prefer. • Do
you remember those outings to the seaside?
[Old English þās (see these )][1]



Thoth

Thoth
Thoth 
[thōth, tōt]
or Thot [thōth, tōt] noun

Egyptian moon god:
in ancient Egyptian mythology, the god of the moon, associated with writing and
wisdom. He is usually depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, or as a
baboon. See Hermes Trismegistus[1]



thou

thou1
thou1 [thow]
(plural thous or thou) noun

thousand:
a thousand, especially when referring to money (slang)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of thousand .][1]



thou

thou2
thou2 [ow]
pronoun

1.  you:
you (archaic or regional) (used in familiar address)

2.  thou
or Thou you, God:
used to address God, for example, in prayers and hymns
transitive
verb

address somebody as “thou”:
to address as “thou” (archaic or regional)
[Old English þū .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Latin tu
.][1]



though

though
though 
[ō] conjunction

although: in
spite of the fact that • He
didn’t receive any special treatment, even though he is a close friend of the
chairman.
• Though
she served as president of the student government in her senior year, she was attracted
to journalism rather than politics.
adverb

1.  and
yet:
indicating a statement that modifies a statement just made • The
weather has improved a lot, though it still doesn’t feel like spring.

2.  nevertheless:
follows a statement modifying the statement that preceded it
[13th
century. Partly from Old English þeah and partly Old Norse þó .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “that,” which is also the
ancestor of English the, this, and thus
.]
as
though

as
if • It
seems as though every week we hear about some incredible new development.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at although.

[1]



thought

thought1
thought1  [thawt]
(plural thoughts) noun

1.  thinking:
the activity or process of thinking • deep
in thought

2.  idea
produced by mental activity: an idea, plan, conception,
or opinion produced by mental activity • The
thought had crossed my mind.

3.  set
of ideas:
the intellectual, scientific, and philosophical ideas associated with a
particular place, time, or group • medieval
religious thought

4.  reasoning
power:
the ability to think and reason • felt
incapable of rational thought

5.  process
of considering: the process of applying the mind to
thinking about a particular person or subject • I
didn’t give it another thought.

6.  intention:
an intention of doing something • I had
no thought of offending anybody.

7.  expectation:
an expectation or hope that something will happen • entertained
no thoughts of failure

8.  compassionate
consideration: a feeling of respect, affection, or
consideration for somebody or something • no
thought for other people

9.  small
amount:
a small amount on a comparative scale • Could
you be a thought quieter, please?
[Old
English þōht . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English think and thank .]
perish
the thought!

used to indicate, often
humorously, that something is too terrible to be thought of[1]



thought

thought2
thought2 

Past participle of
think Past tense of think[1]



thoughtful

thoughtful
thought·ful 
[tháwtfəl] adjective

1.  considerate:
treating people in a kind and considerate way, especially by anticipating their
wants or needs

2.  pensive:
appearing to be deep in thought

3.  carefully
thought out: showing the application of careful
thought
—thought·ful·ly,
adverb

—thought·ful·ness, noun[1]



thoughtless

thoughtless
thought·less 
[tháwtləss] adjective

1.  inconsiderate:
showing a lack of consideration for other people or for consequences

2.  done
without thought: showing a lack of planning or
forethought

3.  unable
to think:
not having or using the faculty of thought
—thought·less·ly,
adverb

—thought·less·ness, noun[1]



thought-out

thought-out
thought-out
adjective

planned:
showing evidence of careful planning (usually used in combination)[1]



thousand

thousand
thou·sand 
[thówz’nd] noun (plural thou·sand
or thou·sands)

1.  number
1,000:
the number 1,000

2.  fourth
digit from right: the fourth digit to the left of the
decimal point in the decimal number system

3.  large
number:
a very large number or amount (informal) • must
have told him a thousand times
plural
noun
thou·sands

very many: a
very large but unspecified number • sold
thousands of copies
[Old English þūsend .
From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “swollen hundred”; ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to swell,” which is also the ancestor of English thigh, thumb,
and tumor .][1]



ThousandIsland dressing

ThousandIsland dressing
Thou·sand
Is·land dress·ing  noun

salad
dressing:
a salmon-pink salad dressing containing mayonnaise, tomato sauce, chopped
gherkins, onions, and spices
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for the Thousand Islands
.][1]



ThousandIslands

ThousandIslands
Thou·sand
Is·lands

group of more than 1,000
small islands in southeastern Ontario and northern New York, in the St.
Lawrence River.[1]



thousandth

thousandth
thou·sandth 
[thówz’nth] (plural thou·sandths)
noun

one of 1,000 parts of
something: one of a thousand equal
parts of something[1]



thp

thp
thp
or t.hp.

Abbreviation of
thrust horsepower[1]



Thrace

Thrace
Thrace 
[thráyss]

region in southeastern
Europe, forming part of present-day Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Area: 8578 sq
km/3,312 sq mi.[1]



Thracian

Thracian
Thra·cian 
[thráysh’n] noun (plural Thra·cians)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Thrace: a member of an ancient people who
inhabited Thrace

2.  LANGUAGE ancient
Thracian language: the language of the ancient
Thracians, which belonged to the Indo-European family
adjective

PEOPLES of
Thrace:
relating to Thrace, its ancient people or culture, or their extinct language

[1]



Thraco-Phrygian

Thraco-Phrygian
Thra·co-Phryg·i·an
[thràykō fríjjee ən] noun

LANGUAGE
group of mostly extinct languages:
a branch of the Indo-European family of languages of which all members are now
extinct with the exception of Armenian[1]



thraldom

thraldom
thral·dom
noun

See
thralldom[1]



thrall

thrall
thrall 
[thrawl] noun (plural thralls)

1.  somebody
whose life is controlled: somebody whose life is
completely controlled by a more powerful person or a moral or intellectual
force

2.  somebody
controlled by something: somebody who is completely
controlled by a particular physical or mental need

3.  domination:
a condition of being controlled by a more powerful person or force (literary)

Also
called
thralldom
transitive
verb
(past thralled, past participle thralled, present
participle thrall·ing, 3rd person present singular thralls)

dominate somebody:
to control somebody completely (archaic)
[Old English þrl,
from Old Norse þrǽll . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “to run.”][1]



thralldom

thralldom
thrall·dom
[thráwldəm] or thral·dom [thráwldəm] noun

See
thrall  noun 3[1]



thrash

thrash
thrash 
[thrash] verb (past thrashed,
past participle thrashed, present participle thrash·ing,
3rd person present singular thrash·es)

1.  transitive
verb
beat
person or animal: to beat a person or animal with a whip
or stick

2.  transitive
verb
SPORTS defeat
person or team decisively: to defeat a person or team
decisively, especially in a sporting competition • The
home team was thrashed in the playoffs.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb toss
about:
to toss or move the body and limbs about in an uncontrolled or restless way • thrashed
around unable to sleep

4.  intransitive
verb
paddle
with legs:
to move the legs up and down in the water while performing a swimming stroke

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb See thresh  verb 1

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING sail boat against tide or
wind:
to sail a boat so that it is forcing its way against the direction of the tide
or wind
noun
(plural thrash·es)

1.  beating:
a blow or beating with a whip or stick

2.  social
party:
a party or celebration (dated informal)

3.  MUSIC See thrash metal
[Late
16th century. Variant of thresh .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



thrasher

thrasher
thrash·er 
[thráshər] (plural thrash·ers)
noun

1.  bird
with downward-curved bill: a long-tailed brownish North
American bird that has a downward-curved bill and a speckled breast. It is
related to the mockingbird. Genus: Toxostoma

2.  See
thresher  noun 3

3.  AGRICULTURE thresher
of crops:
a person or machine that threshes crops

[1]



thrashing

thrashing
thrash·ing 
[thráshing] (plural thrash·ings)
noun

1.  physical
beating:
a physical beating, for example, with a whip or stick

2.  sporting
defeat:
a decisive defeat in a sporting competition

[1]



thrashmetal

thrashmetal
thrash
met·al
noun

fast discordant rock music:
a very fast, often discordant, type of heavy metal music, strongly influenced
by punk.
Also called
thrash[1]



thrashout

thrashout
thrash
out
transitive verb

U.K.
See hash out[1]



thrasonical

thrasonical
thra·son·i·cal 
[thray sónnik’l] adjective

boastful:
boastful (literary)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Greek Thrasō, name of an arrogant character in
Terence’s play Eunuchus .]
—thra·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



thread

thread
thread 
[thred] noun (plural threads)

1.  fine
twisted cord: fine cord made of two or more twisted
fibers, used in sewing and weaving

2.  piece
of thread:
a length of thread

3.  very
thin line of something: a fine strand of solid
material, trickle of liquid, or wisp of gas

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ridge
on screw:
the continuous helical ridge on a screw or pipe

5.  ZOOLOGY filament
of spider’s web: one of the filaments of a spider’s web

6.  something
connecting elements: a continuous unifying
element running through a story, argument, discussion, or series of events

7.  COMPUTING element
of discussion on Internet: one of a series of messages
in an Internet discussion group ( forum ),
commenting on or replying to a previous message

8.  human
life:
the course of human life, believed by the ancient Greeks to be spun, measured
out, and cut by the Fates

9.  MINING vein
of ore:
a thin seam of ore or coal
plural
noun
threads

CLOTHES clothing:
what somebody wears (slang)
verb
(past thread·ed, past participle thread·ed, present
participle thread·ing, 3rd person present singular threads)

1.  transitive
verb
pass
through something: to pass something such as
thread, photographic film, magnetic tape, or ribbon through a hole or gap in
something else

2.  transitive
verb
string
on thread:
to string beads or pearls on a thread

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
carefully:
to move along carefully, following a winding route

4.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING produce
screw thread: to produce a thread on a screw or bolt,
or within a material into which a bolt or screw may be inserted

5.  transitive
verb
intersperse
with something: to distribute something at intervals in
something else • hair threaded with gray

6.  intransitive
verb
COOKING form
thread:
to form a fine thread when dropped from a spoon (refers to sugar syrup)
[Old English þrd
“twisted cord.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn, twist,”
which is also the ancestor of English throw
.][1]



threadbare

threadbare
thread·bare 
[thréd bàir] adjective

1.  worn
away to reveal threads: so heavily used that the
soft part of the fabric has been worn away to reveal the threads beneath

2.  overused
so no longer convincing: having been used so often as
to be no longer convincing • the
same old threadbare excuses

3.  meager:
not large, varied, or substantial enough to be satisfactory • eked
out a threadbare existence

4.  shabbily
dressed:
wearing worn-out shabby clothes
—thread·bare·ness, noun[1]



threader

threader
thread·er
[thréddər] (plural thread·ers)
noun

device for threading needle:
a device for threading a needle, consisting of a loop of extremely fine wire
attached to a flat metal disk that is held between the thumb and forefinger.
The loop is passed through the eye of the needle, the thread is passed through
the loop, and the loop is withdrawn through the eye, taking the thread with it.[1]



threadfin

threadfin
thread·fin 
[thréd fìn] (plural thread·fins
or thread·fin) noun

tropical fish:
a tropical marine fish with long rays resembling threads on the lower part of
its pectoral fin and a small mouth on the underside of its head. Family:
Polynemidae[1]



threadworm

threadworm
thread·worm 
[thréd wùrm] (plural thread·worms)
noun

long nematode worm:
a long nematode worm, such as a pinworm[1]



thready

thready
thread·y 
[thréddee] (comparative thread·i·er,
superlative thread·i·est) adjective

1.  MEDICINE only
just perceptible: used to describe a weak and barely
perceptible pulse

2.  sounding
weak:
sounding thin and lacking in power and tone

3.  threadlike:
resembling thread

4.  having
many threads: consisting of or containing many
threads, especially loose or visible ones

5.  COOKING forming
threads:
thick and sticky enough to form threads when dropped from a spoon or other
utensil
—thread·i·ness, noun[1]



threat

threat
threat 
[thret] noun (plural threats)

1.  declaration
of intent to cause harm: the expression of a
deliberate intention to cause harm or pain

2.  indication
of something bad: a sign or danger that something
undesirable is going to happen • a
threat of severe thunderstorms

3.  somebody
or something likely to cause harm: a person, animal, or
thing likely to cause harm or pain • The
dog is no threat.
transitive
verb
(past threat·ed, past participle threat·ed, present
participle threat·ing, 3rd person present singular threats)

threaten: to
threaten somebody or something (archaic)
[Old English þrēat
“crowd, menace.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to press in,”
which is also the ancestor of English thrust
and protrude .][1]



threaten

threaten
threat·en 
[thrétt’n] (past threat·ened, past
participle threat·ened, present participle threat·en·ing,
3rd person present singular threat·ens) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
a threat to somebody: to express a deliberate
intention to harm or hurt somebody unless the person does what is demanded

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb endanger
well-being:
to be a threat to the well-being, safety, or happiness of somebody or something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb signify
something bad happening: to signify that something
bad is going to happen, especially that bad weather is going to arrive

4.  transitive
verb
suggest
in a threat: to suggest or announce something by
means of a threat
[Old
English þrēatnian, literally “to press in on,” from þrēat (see threat )]
—threat·en·er, noun[1]



threatened

threatened
threat·ened 
[thrétt’nd] adjective

likely to become extinct:
used to describe an organism or species that is in danger of becoming extinct[1]



threatening

threatening
threat·en·ing
[thrétt’ning] adjective

1.  expressing
a threat:
expressing an intention to cause somebody deliberate harm or pain

2.  likely
to bring rain or severe weather • a
threatening sky

3.  making
somebody feel anxious or fearful: causing somebody to
feel anxious, fearful, and unconfident
—threat·en·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Thredbo

Thredbo
Thred·bo
[thrédbō]

ski resort in the Australian
Alps, New South Wales, Australia. Population: 2,100 (1996)[1]



three

three
three 
[three] (plural threes) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS number
3:
the number 3

2.  something
with value of 3: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 3 • the
three of clubs • to
throw a three

3.  group
of three:
a group of three objects or people
[Old English þrēotīne
. Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “three,” which is also the
ancestor of English triple, triad, troika,
and testament .][1]



three-bagger

three-bagger
three-bag·ger 
(plural three-bag·gers) noun

BASEBALL
triple:
a triple (slang)[1]



three-basehit

three-basehit
three-base
hit 
(plural three-base hits) noun

BASEBALL
See triple[1]



three-cardmonte

three-cardmonte
three-card
mon·te 
noun

gambling game:
a game in which three cards are dealt face up and then turned face down and
moved around. The bettor must then guess the position of a particular card.[1]



three-color

three-color
three-col·or 
adjective

printing with yellow,
magenta, and cyan: using,
produced by, or relating to a color printing process in which the print is
produced by superimposing separate plates for the colors yellow, magenta, and
cyan[1]



three-D

three-D
three-D
or 3-D noun

three
dimensions:
a three-dimensional effect
adjective

(informal) See three-dimensional  adjective 1
See three-dimensional  adjective
2[1]



three-decker

three-decker
three-deck·er 
(plural three-deck·ers) noun

1.  something
with three levels: a vehicle, building, or
other construction with three levels or floors

2.  ship
with three decks: a warship with three decks set with
guns, or any ship with three decks

3.  sandwich
with three slices of bread: a sandwich consisting of two
layers of filling between three slices of bread

[1]



three-dimensional

three-dimensional
three-di·men·sion·al 
adjective

1.  with
three dimensions: possessing or appearing to possess the
dimensions of height, width, and depth

2.  appearing
to have depth: creating the illusion of depth behind a
flat surface

3.  believable:
represented with sufficient complexity to be convincing

[1]



three-fieldsystem

three-fieldsystem
three-field
sys·tem
noun

European system of
agricultural cultivation: a system of
crop rotation that was in operation in western Europe by the 9th century.
One-third of land was left fallow, one-third planted in spring grains, and
one-third in the season’s crops such as barley and vegetables.[1]



threefold

threefold
three·fold
[thr fld] adjective

1.  consisting
of three:
made up of three parts or elements

2.  three
times as many or much: being or having three times
as many or as much
adverb

by three times:
by three times as many or as much

[1]



three-gaited

three-gaited
three-gait·ed 
adjective

able to perform three paces:
able to perform the standard three paces, the walk, the trot, and the canter (refers
to horses)[1]



ThreeKings Islands

ThreeKings Islands
Three
Kings Is·lands

group of uninhabited islands
50 km/31 mi northwest of the North Island, New Zealand. The islands are a
wildlife refuge. Area: 8 sq km/3 sq mi.[1]



three-leggedrace

three-leggedrace
three-leg·ged
race 
(plural three-leg·ged rac·es) noun

race with runners’ legs tied
together: a race in which pairs of
runners compete with their adjacent legs bound together[1]



ThreeMile Island

ThreeMile Island
Three
Mile Is·land

island in the Susquehanna
River, near Harrisburg, southeastern Pennsylvania. An accidental release of
radioactivity at the nuclear plant on the island in 1979 led to stricter
regulation of the U.S. nuclear industry.[1]



three-milelimit

three-milelimit
three-mile
lim·it 
noun

limit of territorial waters:
the outer limit of a country’s territorial waters, three nautical miles from
shore[1]



threepence

threepence
three·pence 
[thréppəns, thrúppəns]
(plural three·penc·es) or thrup·pence [thrúppəns] (plural thrup·pences) noun

1.  former
British coin: a coin used in the U.K. from the
sixteenth century until 1971, worth three old pennies

2.  three
pennies:
a sum of three pennies, especially old pence (dated) (takes a
singular verb)

[1]



threepenny

threepenny
three·pen·ny 
[thréppənee, thrúppənee]
or thrup·pen·ny [thrúppənee] adjective
(dated)

1.  worth
three pennies: worth or costing three pennies,
especially old pence

2.  of
little value: worth or costing very little

[1]



three-phase

three-phase
three-phase
adjective

1.  in
three phases: consisting of three separate phases

2.  ELECTRICITY using
three alternating voltages: used to describe an
electrical system or circuit of three alternating voltages that have the same
frequency but are separated by one third of a cycle

[1]



three-piece

three-piece
three-piece 
adjective

in
three matching pieces: consisting of three matching
or coordinated pieces
noun
(plural three-piec·es)

suit of three matching
garments: a suit consisting of
matching trousers or skirt, vest or blouse, and jacket[1]



three-ply

three-ply
three-ply 
adjective

1.  with
three layers: consisting of three layers or
laminations

2.  with
three strands: made up of three twisted strands
noun

three-ply knitting yarn:
knitting yarn made up of three twisted strands

[1]



three-pointlanding

three-pointlanding
three-point
land·ing 
(plural three-point land·ings) noun

aircraft landing:
an aircraft landing in which the two main wheels of the landing gear and the
nose or tail wheel touch the ground at the same time[1]



three-quarter

three-quarter
three-quar·ter 
(plural three-quar·ters) adjective

1.  being
three-fourths of something: being three-fourths of
something measurable or countable, for example, length, an area, or a time
interval

2.  being
three quarters of full length: being three quarters
of the full or usual length

3.  ARTS with
face slightly turned: showing the subject’s face
turned slightly to one side (refers to a portrait)

[1]



three-quarterbinding

three-quarterbinding
three-quar·ter
bind·ing
noun

type of bookbinding:
a type of binding in which the spine and most of the sides of a book are
covered in the same material[1]



three-ringcircus

three-ringcircus
three-ring
cir·cus 
(plural three-ring cir·cus·es) noun

1.  circus
with three rings: a circus in which performances take
place simultaneously in three separate rings

2.  hectic
situation:
a situation full of activity and confusion (informal)

[1]



threeRs

threeRs
three
Rs
or 3 Rs plural noun

reading,
writing, and arithmetic: the skills of reading,
writing, and arithmetic, considered as the basis of elementary education
[Presumed to have originated
with a toast proposed by Sir William Curtis (1752–1829), illiterate Lord Mayor
of London][1]



threescore

threescore
three·score 
[thr skáwr] adjective noun

sixty:
sixty (archaic) • threescore
years and ten[1]



threesome

threesome
three·some 
[thrssəm] (plural three·somes)
noun

1.  group
of three:
a group of three people

2.  activity
for three:
a game or activity for three people

3.  sexual
experience:
a sexual experience involving three people

4.  type
of golf game: a golf game involving three players, one
playing one ball and the other two taking alternate shots to play another ball

[1]



three-spinestickleback

three-spinestickleback
three-spine
stick·le·back  or three-spined stick·le·back
noun

fish with three spines:
a small stickleback of temperate fresh and salt water that has three dorsal
spines and is found throughout the northern hemisphere. Latin name: Gasterosteus
aculeatus[1]



three-square

three-square
three-square 
adjective

with triangular cross
section: shaped like an equilateral
triangle when viewed in cross section[1]



threestrikes and you’re out

threestrikes and you’re out
three
strikes and you’re out noun

sentencing policy for repeat
offenders: a law that requires
mandatory life sentences for criminals convicted three times for major capital
offenses[1]



three-toedsloth

three-toedsloth
three-toed
sloth 
(plural three-toed sloths) noun

mammal with three toes on
forefoot: a slow tree-dwelling mammal
of the sloth family that has three long-clawed toes on each forefoot. Genus: Bradypus[1]



three-toedwoodpecker

three-toedwoodpecker
three-toed
wood·peck·er noun

type of N American
woodpecker: either of two kinds of North
American woodpeckers with three toes on each foot. Latin name: Picoides
tridactylus Picoides arcticus[1]



three-way

three-way
three-way
adjective

1.  with
three participants: involving three
participating people or things

2.  with
three routes: providing routes to three different
places from one point • a
three-way junction

[1]



three-wheeler

three-wheeler
three-wheel·er 
(plural three-wheel·ers) noun

vehicle with three wheels:
a vehicle with three wheels such as a small car or a tricycle[1]



ThreeWise Men

ThreeWise Men
Three
Wise Men
noun

See
Magi[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








thremmatology

thremmatology
threm·ma·tol·o·gy 
[thrèmmə tólləjee] noun

breeding
of plants and animals: the science of breeding
domesticated plants and animals
[Late 19th century. Coined
from the Greek stem thremmat- “nursling” + -logy
.][1]



threnody

threnody
thren·o·dy 
[thrénnədee] (plural thren·o·dies)
or thren·ode [thr nd, thré nd] (plural thren·odes) noun

lament
for dead:
a song, poem, or speech of lament for the dead
[Mid-17th
century. From Greek thrēnōidia, from thrēnos “lament” + ōidē
“song” (see ode ).]
—thre·no·di·al
[thrə nṓdee əl], adjective

—thre·nod·ic
[thrə nóddik], adjective

—thren·o·dist [thrénnədist], noun[1]



threonine

threonine
thre·o·nine 
[thr ə nn, thr
ənin] noun

essential
amino acid:
a colorless crystalline essential amino acid obtained from the hydrolysis of
some proteins. C4H9NO3
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from threose, a kind of sugar + -ine
.][1]



thresh

thresh
thresh 
[thresh] verb (past threshed,
past participle threshed, present participle thresh·ing,
3rd person present singular thresh·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE separate seeds from
plant:
to use a machine, flail, or other implement to separate the seeds of a
harvested plant from the straw and chaff, husks, or other residue

2.  transitive
verb
beat:
to beat a person, animal, or object

3.  transitive
verb
examine
exhaustively: to examine something such as an issue or
a proposal, exhaustively

4.  intransitive
verb
flail
about:
move the body and limbs about in an uncontrolled or restless way
noun
(plural thresh·es)

AGRICULTURE threshing:
an act of threshing a harvested crop
[Old English þerscan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to rub,” which is also the
ancestor of English attrition and threshold .][1]



thresher

thresher
thresh·er 
[thréshər] (plural thresh·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who threshes plants: somebody who threshes a
harvested crop with a machine, flail, or other implement

2.  See
threshing machine

3.  thresh·er
or thresh·er shark (plural thresh·er sharks) shark
with long tail: a large, widely distributed shark that
has a curved elongated upper lobe on the tail with which it agitates or
threshes the water. Family: Alopiidae
Also
called
thrasher

[1]



threshingmachine

threshingmachine
thresh·ing
ma·chine 
(plural thresh·ing ma·chines) noun

farm machine for threshing
plants: a static power-driven
agricultural machine formerly widely used to beat or rub harvested plants in
order to separate the seeds from the rest of the plant.
Also called
thresher[1]



threshold

threshold
thresh·old 
[thré shld] (plural thresh·olds)
noun

1.  wood
or stone below door: a piece of stone or hardwood
that forms the bottom of a doorway.
Also
called
doorsill

2.  doorway:
a doorway or entrance

3.  starting
point:
the point where a new era or experience begins • on
the threshold of maturity

4.  level
at which an effect starts: the level at which a
psychological or physiological effect or state starts • the
threshold of consciousness
[Old English þerscold
. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word whose first element (related to
English thresh ) meant “tread.”][1]



threw

threw
threw


Past tense of
throw[1]



thrice

thrice
thrice 
[thrīss] adverb

1.  three
times:
three times over (archaic or literary)

2.  threefold:
by three times as many or as much (archaic or literary)

3.  greatly:
to a high degree (archaic)
[12th century. Alteration of thries,
from obsolete thrie “three times,” from Old English þriga, from þrī
(see three ).][1]



thrift

thrift
thrift 
[thrift] (plural thrifts) noun

1.  prudent
use of money and goods: the sensible and cautious
management of money and goods in order to waste as little as possible and
obtain maximum value

2.  BANKING savings
and loan association: a savings and loan
association or sometimes a savings bank.
Also
called
thrift institution

3.  PLANTS plant
with pink or white flowers: a perennial evergreen plant
of the plumbago family with pointed leaves and dense round pink or white flower
heads. Genus: Armeria
Also
called
sea pink

4.  ZOOLOGY strong
growth:
vigorous and healthy growth of living things such as plants

5.  prosperity:
the enjoyment of wealth and a good standard of living (archaic)
[13th century. From Old Norse
þrift “prosperity,” from þrífask (see thrive
).][1]



thriftinstitution

thriftinstitution
thrift
in·sti·tu·tion (plural thrift in·sti·tu·tions)
noun

See
thrift  noun 2[1]



thriftless

thriftless
thrift·less 
[thríftləss] adjective

1.  wasting
money and resources: showing carelessness and
wastefulness in the handling of money and other resources

2.  having
little value or usefulness (archaic)
—thrift·less·ly,
adverb

—thrift·less·ness, noun[1]



thriftshop

thriftshop
thrift
shop
(plural thrift shops) noun

store selling goods for
charity: a store that sells used
goods, particularly clothing, usually for charity[1]



thrifty

thrifty
thrift·y 
[thríftee] (comparative thrift·i·er,
superlative thrift·i·est) adjective

1.  careful
with money and resources: managing money and resources
in a cautious and sensible way so as to waste as little as possible

2.  prosperous:
prosperous and thriving (archaic)

3.  growing
well:
growing healthily and vigorously
—thrift·i·ly,
adverb

—thrift·i·ness, noun[1]



thrill

thrill
thrill 
[thril] intransitive and transitive verb
(past thrilled, past participle thrilled, present
participle thrill·ing, 3rd person present singular thrills)

1.  be
or make somebody very excited: to feel or make
somebody experience intense excitement • The
children were thrilled by the amusement park.

2.  be
pleasurable: to feel or make somebody feel great
pleasure • It
thrilled me to see my old friends.

3.  vibrate
or cause to vibrate: to vibrate or make something
or somebody quiver or vibrate
noun
(plural thrills)

1.  cause
of great excitement: a source or cause of great
excitement, and often pleasure

2.  feeling
of excitement: a feeling of great excitement, which may
be experienced as a quivering or trembling sensation

3.  tremor
associated with heart-valve defects: a
slight vibration of the chest wall often associated with some types of
heart-valve defects
[Old English þrlian
“to go through,” from þrel “hole” (source of English nostril )][1]



thriller

thriller
thrill·er 
[thríllər] (plural thrill·ers)
noun

1.  something
with exciting plot: a book, play, or movie that
has an exciting plot involving crime, mystery, or espionage

2.  provider
of thrills:
somebody or something that thrills people

[1]



thrilling

thrilling
thrill·ing
[thrílling] adjective

1.  very
exciting:
causing intense excitement

2.  vibrating:
characterized by trembling or vibrating
—thrill·ing·ly, adverb[1]



thrips

thrips
thrips 
[thrips] (plural thrips) noun

tiny
sucking insect: a tiny sucking insect with four long
thin wings fringed with hairs. It feeds on the sap of plants. Order:
Thysanoptera
[Late 18th century. Via Latin
from Greek, “woodworm,” of unknown origin.][1]



thrive

thrive
thrive 
[thrīv] (past thrived or
throve [thrōv], past participle
thrived or thriv·en [thrívv’n],
present participle thriv·ing, 3rd person present singular thrives)
intransitive verb

1.  grow
well:
to grow vigorously and healthily

2.  do
well:
to be successful and often profitable
[13th
century. From Old Norse þrífask, literally “to grasp for oneself,” from þrífa
“to seize,” of unknown origin.]
—thriv·er, noun[1]



thriveon

thriveon
thrive
on
transitive verb

enjoy something difficult:
to enjoy and be stimulated by something generally considered difficult or
undesirable[1]



throat

throat
throat 
[thrōt] noun (plural throats)

1.  ANATOMY digestive
and breathing passage: the part of the airway and
digestive tract between the mouth and both the esophagus and the windpipe

2.  ANATOMY front
of neck:
the front part of the neck of an animal or human being

3.  narrow
part:
a narrow part or passage that resembles a human’s or animal’s throat in shape
or function

4.  BOTANY opening
of tubular organ of flower: the opening of a tubular
organ of a flower, for example, of a corolla
transitive
verb
(past throat·ed, past participle throat·ed, present
participle throat·ing, 3rd person present singular throats)

utter something in deep tones:
to speak or sing in a deep or hoarse voice
[Old
English þrote (source also of English throttle
)]
jump
down somebody’s throat

to
speak angrily and impatiently to somebody

ram
or force something down somebody’s throat

to
make repeated and emphatic attempts to get somebody to listen to or accept a
view or belief

stick
in your throat

to be extremely difficult to
accept[1]



throatlatch

throatlatch
throat·latch 
[thrṓt làch] (plural throat·latch·es)
noun

strap securing horse’s
bridle: the strap that passes under
a horse’s jaw to hold its bridle in place[1]



throatmicrophone

throatmicrophone
throat
mi·cro·phone (plural throat mi·cro·phones)
or throat mike (informal) (plural throat mikes)
noun

microphone placed against
throat: a microphone that is placed
in contact with the throat to pick up the vibrations produced by speech[1]



throaty

throaty
throat·y 
[thrṓtee] (comparative throat·i·er,
superlative throat·i·est) adjective

1.  husky-sounding:
sounding deep and husky

2.  deep
or rough in tone: deep or rough in tone, as though having
been produced in the throat
—throat·i·ly,
adverb

—throat·i·ness, noun[1]



throb

throb
throb 
[throb] intransitive verb (past
throbbed, past participle throbbed, present participle
throb·bing, 3rd person present singular throbs)

1.  beat
rapidly and forcefully: to beat or pulsate in a
rapid forceful way • My head is throbbing.

2.  beat
regularly:
to have a regular rhythmic beat
noun
(plural throbs)

1.  single
beat:
a single beat or pulsation

2.  regular
beat:
a regular beat or pulsation • a
heart throb
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of pulsating.]
—throb·bing,
adjective

—throb·bing·ly, adverb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








throe

throe
throe 
[thrō] noun (plural throes)

pang: a
spasm of pain
plural
noun
throes

1.  effects
of pangs:
the effects of severe physical pain

2.  effects
of upheaval: the effects of an upheaval or struggle
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of Old English þrawu,
from þrēah “pain,” of unknown origin.]
in
the throes of something

in the process of doing
something, usually something difficult or unpleasant[1]



thromb-

thromb-
thromb-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
thrombo-[1]



thrombi

thrombi
throm·bi


Plural of
thrombus[1]



thrombin

thrombin
throm·bin 
[thrómbin] noun

blood
enzyme:
an enzyme in blood that causes clotting by catalyzing the conversion of
fibrinogen to fibrin
[Late 19th century. Coined
from thrombo- + -in
.][1]



thrombo-

thrombo-
thrombo-
prefix

blood
clot • thromboplastic
[From Greek thrombos
“clot,” of unknown origin][1]



thrombocyte

thrombocyte
throm·bo·cyte 
[thrómbə st] (plural throm·bo·cytes)
noun

See
platelet
—throm·bo·cyt·ic [thròmbə síttik], adjective[1]



thrombocytopenia

thrombocytopenia
throm·bo·cy·to·pe·ni·a 
[thròmbə sītə pnee ə] noun

low
blood-platelet level: the state of having fewer
than the normal number of blood platelets per unit volume of blood, often
associated with hemorrhaging
[Early
20th century. Coined from thrombocyte +
Greek penia “poverty.”]
—throm·bo·cy·to·pe·nic,
adjective[1]



thromboembolism

thromboembolism
throm·bo·em·bo·lism 
[thròmbō émbə lìzzəm] (plural throm·bo·em·bo·lisms)
noun

blockage
of blood vessel: the blockage of a blood vessel by a
blood clot ( thrombus ) that has broken away
from its site of origin
—throm·bo·em·bol·ic
[thròmbō em bóllik], adjective

—throm·bo·em·bo·lit·ic
[thròmbō embə líttik], adjective[1]



thrombokinase

thrombokinase
throm·bo·ki·nase 
[thrómbō k nàyss, thrómbō
k nàyz] noun

See
thromboplastin[1]



thrombolysis

thrombolysis
throm·bol·y·sis 
[throm bólləssiss] noun

breaking
down of blood clot: the breaking down of a blood
clot by infusion of a specific enzyme into the blood
—throm·bo·lyt·ic [thròmbə líttik], adjective[1]



thrombophlebitis

thrombophlebitis
throm·bo·phle·bi·tis 
[thròmbō flə btiss] noun

inflammation of vein:
inflammation of a vein with the formation of a blood clot[1]



thromboplastic

thromboplastic
throm·bo·plas·tic 
[thròmbō plástik] adjective

causing
clots:
causing or increasing blood clot formation
—throm·bo·plas·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



thromboplastin

thromboplastin
throm·bo·plas·tin 
[thròmbō plástin] noun

enzyme in blood platelets:
an enzyme found in blood platelets that converts prothrombin to thrombin during
the process of blood clotting.
Also called
thrombokinase[1]



thrombose

thrombose
throm·bose
[thróm bz] (past throm·bosed,
past participle throm·bosed, present participle throm·bos·ing,
3rd person present singular throm·bos·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

to affect something such as a
coronary artery, with thrombosis or to be affected by thrombosis[1]



thrombosis

thrombosis
throm·bo·sis 
[throm bṓssiss] (plural throm·bo·ses
[throm bṓ sz]) noun

formation
of blood clots: the formation or presence of one or more
blood clots that may partially or completely block an artery, for example,
flowing to the heart or brain, or a vein
[Early
18th century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek thrombos “clot.”]
—throm·bot·ic [throm bóttik], adjective[1]



thromboxane

thromboxane
throm·box·ane 
[throm bók sàyn] noun

substance in platelets
causing blood clotting: a substance
that is formed in platelets and that causes blood clotting and constriction of
blood vessels[1]



thrombus

thrombus
throm·bus 
[thrómbəss] (plural throm·bi [thróm b]) noun

blood
clot:
a blood clot that forms in a blood vessel and remains at the site of formation.

See
also
embolism
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek thrombos “clot.”][1]



throne

throne
throne 
[thrōn] noun (plural thrones)

1.  chair
of monarch or bishop: an ornate chair, often
raised on a platform and covered by a canopy, occupied by a monarch or bishop
on ceremonial occasions

2.  person
on throne:
somebody who has the status to occupy a throne

3.  power
of royal person: the power, rank, and privileges of a
monarch
plural
noun
thrones

CHRISTIANITY order
of angels:
the third group of angels, ranking after the Seraphim and Cherubim, in the
first circle of the traditional Christian hierarchy (literary)
verb
(past throned, past participle throned, present
participle thron·ing, 3rd person present singular thrones)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
somebody on throne: to place somebody or be
placed on a throne

2.  intransitive
verb
sit
on a throne: to be seated on a throne
[12th
century. Via Old French trone from, ultimately, Greek thronos .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to support,” which is also the
ancestor of English firm .]
—throne·less, adjective[1]



throng

throng
throng 
[thrawng] noun (plural throngs)

crowd: a
large crowd of people or objects
verb
(past thronged, past participle thronged, present
participle throng·ing, 3rd person present singular throngs)

1.  transitive
verb
crowd
into place:
to crowd into or fill a place

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in crowd:
to move or gather in a throng

3.  transitive
verb
crowd
around somebody: to surround and push against somebody
[Old English geþrang .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to press, crowd.”][1]



throstle

throstle
thros·tle 
[thróss’l] (plural thros·tles)
noun

1.  song
thrush:
a thrush, especially a song thrush (literary)

2.  old
spinning machine: a machine formerly used for the
continuous spinning of cotton or wool fibers
[Old English þrostle .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English thrush, ostrich,
and sturdy .][1]



throttle

throttle
throt·tle 
[thrótt’l] noun (plural throt·tles)
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

1.  valve
controlling fluid flow: a valve used to control the
flow of a fluid, especially the amount of fuel and air entering the cylinders
of an internal-combustion engine

2.  control
for throttle: a pedal or lever for controlling a
throttle valve
transitive
verb
(past throt·tled, past participle throt·tled, present
participle throt·tling, 3rd person present singular throt·tles)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING regulate
fuel flow using throttle: to regulate the amount of
fuel entering an engine using a throttle

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING regulate
engine speed: to regulate the speed of an engine by
using a throttle

3.  kill
person or animal by choking: to kill or injure a person
or animal by squeezing the throat

4.  silence
or suppress somebody or something: to prevent somebody or
something from expressing an opinion freely or from engaging in an activity
[14th
century. Formed from throat .]
—throt·tler, noun[1]



throttlehold

throttlehold
throt·tle·hold 
[thrótt’l hld] (plural throt·tle·holds)
noun

See
stranglehold[1]



through

through
through 
[throo] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to indicate movement from one side or end of something
to or past the other side or end

1.
preposition adverb traveling across:
traveling across or to various places in a town, country, or area • He
spent the summer traveling through Europe. • We’re
not stopping long; we’re just passing through.

2.
preposition adverb among:
in the midst of, or having things or people all around or on either side of • She
wandered through the crowds milling around outside the cathedral.
• Massage
the conditioner through to the ends of the hair.

3.
preposition adverb past a barrier:
past the limitations or difficulties of something such as a barrier or a
problem • the
problems involved in wading through acres of bureaucracy
• The
road has been narrowed to prevent larger vehicles getting through.

4.
preposition adverb from beginning to end:
from the beginning until the end or conclusion of • Martin
and Johanson’s works will be on view through June. • I
can’t come I’m afraid; I’m working through.

5.
adverb preposition to conclusion:
to a successful conclusion • We’ve
been trying to get through all morning but the lines are busy.
• The
bill will never get through Congress.

6.
preposition via:
by way or means of • How the marketing is
done, through a branch or telemarketing or a future service, is up to each
bank.

7.
preposition over the extent of:
happening or existing over the entire extent of or affecting all of • A
flu of epidemic proportions swept through the town.

8.
preposition because of:
as a result of • Through his mishandling
of our affairs, we’ll be lucky to have any credit at all this year.

9.
preposition up to and including:
up to and including that time • Museum
hours are 2–4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

10.
adverb thoroughly:
completely and in every part

11.
preposition by means of • Through
joint ventures, bankers have lent hundreds of millions of dollars to inner-city
projects.

12.
adjective going directly:
going directly without stopping or requiring a change • The
through train leaves on the hour.
[Old
English þurh . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to pass
through,” which is also the ancestor of English thrill,
trans-, and nectar .]
be
through with somebody

to
want to have nothing else to do with somebody (informal)

be
through with something

to
have finished with something (informal)

through
and through

completely[1]



through-composed

through-composed
through-com·posed
adjective

with different music for each
verse: used to describe a song with
different music for each verse, especially without pauses between the verses,
or an opera that is not clearly divided into arias and recitatives[1]



throughly

throughly
through·ly 
[thrlee] adverb

completely:
thoroughly (archaic)[1]



throughout

throughout
through·out 
[throo ówt] preposition adverb

1.  through
the whole of: through or during the whole of • Societies
throughout history believed they had reached the frontiers of human
accomplishment. • Throughout,
they maintained their dignity.

2.  in
all parts of: happening or existing in all parts of • The
group is seeking out experts of any age throughout the area.
• The
house is carpeted throughout.

[1]



throughput

throughput
through·put 
[thr pt] noun

volume
of data or material handled: the amount of something such
as data or raw material that is processed over a given period
[Modeled on input and output][1]



throughway

throughway
through·way 
[thr wày] (plural through·ways)
or thru·way [thr wày] (plural
thru·ways) noun

See
expressway[1]



throve

throve
throve


Past tense of
thrive[1]



throw

throw
throw 
[thrō] transitive verb (past threw
[throo], past participle thrown
[thrōn], present participle throw·ing,
3rd person present singular throws)

1.  propel
something from the hand: to make something move
relatively quickly from the hand and through the air

2.  drop
something carelessly: to put or drop something
somewhere without paying proper attention to where it is left • throws
magazines all over the place

3.  force
somebody or something somewhere: to move somebody or
something forcefully or suddenly into a particular position or in a particular
direction

4.  put
somebody or something in different circumstances: to
bring somebody or something suddenly or unexpectedly into a particular state,
especially an undesirable one • thrown
out of a job

5.  hurl
somebody to the ground: to make a movement that
causes somebody, for example, an opponent in wrestling or judo or a horseback
rider, to fall to the ground

6.  project
light:
to send out light to illuminate a particular place, or create a shadow by
blocking light

7.  cast
doubt or suspicion: to cause doubt or suspicion
in people’s minds by saying or doing something

8.  direct
the eyes:
to direct a look or glance quickly or suddenly in a particular direction • She
threw me a warning look.

9.  disconcert
somebody:
to take somebody by surprise to the extent that he or she does not know how to
react (informal) • His
unexpected arrival threw me.

10. move
an operating switch or lever: to move something, usually a
switch or lever, to make a machine or system operate or to connect up a system

11. have
an extreme reaction: to be affected by a sudden
outburst of strong emotion such as anger or ill-temper • throw
a tantrum

12. send
something across: to make something that extends from one
point to another, especially hastily • The
enemy threw a bridge across the moat.

13. deliver
a punch:
to deliver a punch or blow with a movement of the arm

14. ARTS make
an object on potter’s wheel: to produce a ceramic object
by turning clay on a potter’s wheel

15. turn
material on lathe: to turn wood or metal on a
lathe

16. host
a party:
to organize and be the host at a party

17. lose
something intentionally: to lose a fight, race, or
contest deliberately, for example, by not trying or by committing a foul

18. make
material into yarn: to make silk or filaments
into thread by twisting or spinning

19. project
voice:
project a vocal sound so that it seems to be coming from elsewhere

20. roll
dice:
to tip or roll dice onto a flat surface to obtain a score, or score a
particular number in this way

21. give
birth to young: to give birth to young (refers
especially to cows)

22. Malaysia,
Singapore throw away: to
throw something away • Once
you get your new card you can throw the old one.
noun
(plural throws)

1.  act
of throwing: an act of throwing something, for
example, a ball or missile, or dice in a game

2.  distance
thrown:
the distance that something is thrown or can be thrown

3.  way
of throwing: an act of being thrown, or a way of
throwing an opponent, in wrestling or judo

4.  score
thrown:
the score obtained by throwing something, for example, dice or darts, in a game

5.  each:
each item or attempt (informal) • I
didn’t buy any; they were ten dollars a throw.

6.  HOUSEHOLD cover
for furniture: a light cover or rug that covers and
protects furniture

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING movement
of machine part: the maximum movement in a single
direction of a machine part driven by a crank, cam, or eccentric

8.  PHYSICS deflection
of measuring instrument: the distance moved by the
tip of the needle of a measuring instrument

9.  GEOLOGY vertical
displacement along geological fault: the
vertical displacement up or down produced by movement along a geological fault
[Old
English þrāwan “to twist, hurl.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to twist,” which is also the ancestor of English thread .]
—throw·er,
noun
throw
yourself into something

to
start doing something with great energy and commitment

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  throw, chuck, fling,
  heave, hurl, toss,
  cast
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  send something through the air throw;
  to cause something to go through the air using a physical movement; chuck; to throw something with force and
  often in a reckless or aimless way; fling;
  an informal word that means to throw something in a casual or careless way; heave; to throw something with effort, for
  example, because it is large or heavy; hurl;
  to throw something with great force; toss;
  to throw something small or light in a casual or careless way; cast; a literary word that means to throw
  something to a particular place or into a particular thing. It is also used
  with the meaning to throw a fishing line or net

[1]



throwaround

throwaround
throw
around
transitive verb

spend money recklessly:
to spend money in an extravagant, ostentatious way[1]



throwaway

throwaway
throw·a·way 
[thrṓ ə wày] noun (plural throw·a·ways)

1.  something
to be discarded: an object designed to be thrown away
after use

2.  advertising
leaflet or handbill: an advertising leaflet or
handbill that is discarded after being read

3.  abandoned
child or young person: a child or young person
thrown out by parents or guardians and living on the streets
adjective

1.  offhand:
said or written in an apparently offhand manner

2.  disposable:
designed to be thrown away after use

3.  abandoned
by parents or guardians: having been thrown out by
parents or guardians and living on the streets

4.  wasteful:
tending to discard things too readily • a
throwaway society

[1]



throwaway

throwaway
throw
away
transitive verb

1.  discard
something:
to get rid of something no longer wanted

2.  waste
something:
to fail to take advantage of an opportunity to do something

3.  say
something in offhand manner: to say a line in a play in a
way that makes it seem unimportant, even though it may be crucial to the plot

4.  in
a card game, to discard a card

[1]



throwback

throwback
throw·back 
[thrṓ bàk] (plural throw·backs)
noun

1.  organism
representing reversion to earlier type: an
organism with the characteristics of an earlier type

2.  reversion
to earlier type: reversion to an earlier ancestral type.
Also
called
atavism

3.  animal
or person resembling ancestor: an animal or person
bearing a striking resemblance to an ancestor.
Also
called
atavism

4.  something
belonging to the past: something contemporary that
seems to belong to the past

[1]



throwin

throwin
throw
in
transitive verb

1.  add
something to discussion: to contribute a comment to a
conversation or discussion

2.  add
something as extra: to add something as an
extra, especially another item at no extra cost when selling something
throw
in the towel

or throw
in the spongeto admit or accept defeat (informal)

throw
in your hand

1.  to
admit defeat in a card game by laying your cards down

2.  to
admit or accept defeat

throw
in the sponge or towel

to
give up or admit defeat

[1]



throw-in

throw-in
throw-in
(plural throw-ins) noun

1.  SOCCER return
of soccer ball to play: an act of returning a soccer
ball to play from the sideline by propelling it from behind the head with both
hands

2.  BASEBALL return
of ball from outfield: an act of returning a
baseball after it has been hit to the outfield

3.  BASKETBALL return
of basketball to play: an act of returning a
basketball to play by passing it onto the court

4.  BRIDGE stratagem
at bridge:
a surrender of a trick at bridge to an opponent who must then make a lead that
will cost one or more tricks

[1]



throwingstick

throwingstick
throw·ing
stick
(plural throw·ing sticks) noun

1.  device
for throwing a spear: a grooved rod used for
throwing a spear with greater leverage

2.  stick
used as hunting weapon: a stick, often with a
handgrip, used by hunters in preliterate societies as a weapon to hurl at birds
or small game

[1]



thrown

thrown
thrown


Past participle of
throw[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








throwoff

throwoff
throw
off
transitive verb

1.  stymie
a pursuer:
to make a pursuer lose something such as a scent or a trail

2.  make
somebody flustered: to confuse or unsettle
somebody by doing something unexpected

3.  give
off something: to emit a substance into the air

4.  free
yourself from something: to get rid of something
troublesome or oppressive

5.  take
clothes off hastily: to remove an item of
clothing in a hurried or careless way

6.  say
something in offhand way: to say or write something in
a casual manner

[1]



throwon

throwon
throw
on
transitive verb

put clothes on hastily:
to put an item of clothing on in a hurried or careless way[1]



throwout

throwout
throw
out
transitive verb

1.  discard
something:
to get rid of something no longer wanted, especially something that has been
kept for a while

2.  eject
somebody:
to eject somebody forcibly from a place

3.  dismiss
somebody:
to expel somebody from membership of an organization

4.  suggest
something:
to make a suggestion, proposal, or hint, especially in an informal way

5.  BASEBALL put
baseball player out: in baseball, to throw the
ball to a teammate who puts the runner out

6.  reject
lawsuit:
to reject a lawsuit so that the defendant does not have to stand trial

7.  give
off something: to emit a substance into the air

8.  disconcert
somebody:
to confuse or unsettle somebody by doing something unexpected

[1]



throwover

throwover
throw
over
transitive verb

break off relationship with
somebody: to end a romantic or sexual
relationship with somebody (informal)[1]



throwpillow

throwpillow
throw
pil·low
(plural throw pil·lows) noun

small pillow for decoration:
a small decorative pillow placed on a couch or an armchair.
U.K. term
scatter cushion[1]



throwrug

throwrug
throw
rug
(plural throw rugs) noun

See
scatter rug[1]



throwster

throwster
throw·ster 
[thrṓstər] (plural throw·sters)
noun

thread maker:
somebody who twists filaments into thread[1]



throwtogether

throwtogether
throw
together
transitive verb (informal)

1.  make
something hastily: to make something in a hurry
or carelessly

2.  bring
people into contact: to cause people to meet and
become acquainted with each other in a casual or unplanned way

[1]



throwup

throwup
throw
up
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb vomit:
to vomit the contents of the stomach (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
build
something hastily: to erect a building or
structure quickly

3.  transitive
verb
abandon
something:
to give something up, especially something important or valuable (informal)

[1]



throwweight

throwweight
throw
weight
noun

total payload of missile:
the total weight of a missile’s payload, including the warhead and guidance
system but not the rocket[1]



thro’

thro’
thro’
[throo] or thro [throo] preposition adverb

through:
through (informal or literary)
[15th century. From an
earlier form of through .][1]



thru

thru
thru 
[throo] preposition adverb adjective

through:
through (informal)[1]



thrum

thrum1
thrum1 [thrum]
verb (past thrummed, past participle thrummed,
present participle thrum·ming, 3rd person present singular
thrums)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strum:
to strum on a stringed instrument

2.  intransitive
verb
tap
steadily:
to drum on something, especially with the fingers

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb say or
speak monotonously: to say something or talk
monotonously
noun
(plural thrums)

monotonous beat:
a low monotonous beating sound
[Late
16th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—thrum·mer, noun[1]



thrum

thrum2
thrum2 [thrum]
noun (plural thrums)

1.  thread
end left on loom: an unwoven end or row of ends from warp
threads that are left on a loom after the web has been cut off

2.  fringe:
a short fringe or thread end
plural
noun
thrums

yarn pieces added to canvas:
short pieces of yarn inserted in canvas in order to create a rough surface and
prevent chafing or leaks
transitive
verb
(past thrummed, past participle thrummed, present
participle thrum·ming, 3rd person present singular thrums)

1.  add
fringes to something: to put fringes on something

2.  insert
yarn pieces in canvas: to insert pieces of yarn in
canvas in order to create a rough surface and prevent chafing or leaks
[Old English][1]



thruppence

thruppence
thrup·pence
plural noun

See
threepence[1]



thruppenny

thruppenny
thrup·pen·ny
adjective

See
threepenny[1]



thrush

thrush1

thrush1 [thrush]
(plural thrush·es or thrush) noun

1.  slender-billed
songbird:
a small to medium-sized songbird with a slender bill and often melodious song.
The robin, wood thrush, and hermit thrush are thrushes. Family: Turdidae

2.  bird
resembling true thrush: a bird that resembles a
thrush, for example, the North American water thrush
[Old English þrysce][1]



thrush

thrush2
thrush2 [thrush]
noun

1.  fungal
disease of mouth: a fungal infection of the mouth
characterized by white patches.
Also
called
candida

2.  fungal
infection of vagina: a fungal infection of the
vagina characterized by a white discharge and itching

3.  disease
of horse’s hoof: infection of the fleshy part of a
horse’s foot ( frog ), causing softening of
the horn and a foul-smelling discharge
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



thrust

thrust
thrust 
[thrust] verb (past thrust,
past participle thrust, present participle thrust·ing,
3rd person present singular thrusts)

1.  transitive
verb
push
somebody or something forcefully: to push somebody or
something with great force

2.  transitive
verb
force
somebody into something: to force somebody to accept
or deal with something • He was
thrust into the limelight.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb stretch
or extend:
to stretch or extend something, or be stretched or extended • towers
thrusting skyward

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb attack
by stabbing: to attack somebody with a piercing or
stabbing movement with a weapon

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb force
way:
to force a way

6.  transitive
verb
insert
something:
to add or insert material, usually inappropriately, into a context
noun
(plural thrusts)

1.  forceful
push:
a forceful push or shove

2.  forward
movement:
a forward movement or impetus

3.  stabbing
action:
a piercing or stabbing action

4.  AIR reactive
force of expelled gases: the reactive force of
expelled gases, for example, those generated by a rocket ship or jet engine

5.  military
attack:
a military assault or offensive

6.  ENGINEERING force
of propeller: a propulsive force produced by a
rotating propeller, for example, on a ship or aircraft

7.  gist
or aim of something: the chief meaning,
direction, or purpose of something

8.  GEOLOGY force
in earth’s crust: a force in the earth’s crust that
results in recumbent folding of rock strata

9.  GEOLOGY See thrust fault

10. CIVIL ENGINEERING force
exerted by structure: the continuous force exerted
sideways or downward by one structure on another, for example, by an arch on an
abutment or a rafter against a wall
[12th
century. From Old Norse .]
—thrust·ful, adjective[1]



thrustbearing

thrustbearing
thrust
bear·ing
(plural thrust bear·ings) noun

bearing that withstands axial
loading: a bearing designed to
withstand axial loading and to prevent movement along the axis of a loaded
shaft[1]



thruster

thruster
thrust·er
[thrústər] (plural thrust·ers)
noun

1.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY rocket
that controls altitude: a rocket on a spacecraft or
high-altitude aircraft that controls an altitude or flight path.
Also
called
vernier rocket

2.  INDUSTRY maneuvering
device on oil-drilling vessel: a jet or propeller on
an oil-drilling ship or offshore rig, used to maneuver it into position

3.  SPORTS surfboard
or sailboard with extra fin: a surfboard or sailboard
equipped with one or more extra fins designed to give it greater speed or
maneuverability

[1]



thrustfault

thrustfault
thrust
fault
(plural thrust faults) noun

fault with downwardly
displaced rocks: an inclined fault in
which rocks on the lower side of the slope are displaced downward.
Also called
thrust[1]



thruststage

thruststage
thrust
stage
(plural thrust stag·es) noun

stage that extends into
audience: a stage surrounded on three
sides by the audience[1]



thruway

thruway
thru·way 
[thr wày] (plural thru·ways) noun

See
throughway[1]



Thu

Thu
Thu
or Thu.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Thursday[1]



Thucydides

Thucydides
Thu·cyd·i·des 
[thoo síddi dz] (460? BC–400? BC)

Athenian historian. A major
figure in the development of historical writing, he is known for his History
of the Peloponnesian War, a conflict in which he himself had fought.[1]



thud

thud

thud 
[thud] noun (plural thuds)

1.  dull
heavy sound: a loud dull sound made by a heavy object
impacting with a surface

2.  dull
heavy blow:
a blow that makes a dull heavy sound
intransitive verb
(past thud·ded, past participle thud·ded, present
participle thud·ding, 3rd person present singular thuds)

make a thud: to
make a dull heavy sound
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old English þyddan “to thrust.”][1]



thug

thug
thug 
[thug] (plural thugs) noun

1.  brutal
person:
somebody, especially a criminal, who is brutal and violent

2.  thug
or Thug (plural Thugs) HISTORY Indian robber:
a member of a former secret organization of robbers in India, worshipers of the
goddess Kali, who strangled their victims
[Early
19th century. Via Hindi hag, literally “swindler, cheat, robber,” from,
ultimately, Sanskrit sthagayati “covers, conceals.”]
—thug·ger·y,
noun

—thug·gish, adjective[1]



thuggee

thuggee
thug·gee
[thúggee] noun

criminal
method of Indian thugs: the method of robbery and
murder by strangulation, characteristic of the former thugs of India
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
hagī, from hag (see thug ).][1]



thuja

thuja
thu·ja 
[thjə, thyə]
(plural thu·jas or thu·ja) or thu·ya
[thyə] (plural thu·yas or
thu·ya) noun

TREES See arborvitae
[Mid-18th century. Via modern
Latin Thuja, genus name, from medieval Latin thuia “cedar,” from
Greek .][1]



thulium

thulium

thu·li·um 
[thlee əm] noun
gray
metallic element: a very rare soft bright silvery-gray
metallic element belonging to the lanthanide series. Symbol Tm
[Late 19th century. Named for
Thul ; from the fact that it was first found in Norway.][1]



thumb

thumb
thumb 
[thum] noun (plural thumbs)

1.  ANATOMY thickest
digit on human hand: the shortest thickest digit
of the human hand, located next to the forefinger. Since it is opposable, it
can be moved to face and touch the other fingers so that objects can be
grasped.

2.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
digit resembling human thumb: a short thick digit in some
animals, for example, many primates, that is adapted for grasping and
corresponds to the human thumb

3.  CLOTHES section
of glove for thumb: the part of a glove or
mitten that covers the thumb

4.  ARCHITECTURE See ovolo
verb
(past thumbed, past participle thumbed, present
participle thumb·ing, 3rd person present singular thumbs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hitch
ride:
to obtain or try to obtain a ride by signaling with the thumb to passing
drivers

2.  transitive
verb
make
something dirty by use: to soil or cause wear on
something, especially a book, by repeated handling (often passive) • a
well-thumbed book

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb flip
through printed matter: to glance through pages of a
book or magazine
[Old
English þúma]
—thumb·less,
adjective
all
thumbs

extremely
awkward or clumsy

stick
out like a sore thumb

to
be completely obvious, or conspicuously out of place

thumb
your nose at somebody or something

to
express defiance or contempt, especially by putting the thumb to the nose and
extending the fingers

twiddle
your thumbs

to
be idle or unoccupied, especially involuntarily

under
somebody’s thumb

under the influence and
control of somebody[1]



thumbhole

thumbhole
thumb·hole 
[thúm hl] (plural thumb·holes)
noun

1.  hole
to allow thumb to grip: a hole in something such as
a bowling ball into which a thumb can be inserted in order to provide a grip

2.  hole
for thumb in wind instrument: a hole in a wind instrument
that is covered and uncovered by the thumb to produce notes

[1]



thumbindex

thumbindex
thumb
in·dex
noun

grooves
in edge of book: a series of labeled indentations cut
into the pages of a book down the edge opposite the binding to facilitate quick
location of divisions or sections.
Also
called
index noun 7
—thumb-in·dex, transitive
verb[1]



thumbknot

thumbknot
thumb
knot
(plural thumb knots) noun

See
overhand knot[1]



thumbnail

thumbnail
thumb·nail 
[thúm nàyl] noun (plural thumb·nails)

nail
of thumb:
the hard growing plate of keratin on the back surface of the tip of the thumb
adjective

concise:
covering the salient points concisely • a
thumbnail sketch[1]



thumbnut

thumbnut
thumb·nut 
[thúm nùt] (plural thumb·nuts)
noun

See
wing nut[1]



thumbpiano

thumbpiano
thumb
pi·an·o
noun

African musical instrument:
a box-shaped African musical instrument consisting of a row of tuned metal or
wooden strips that vibrate when plucked by the thumb[1]



thumbprint

thumbprint
thumb·print 
[thúm prìnt] (plural thumb·prints)
noun

impression of thumb:
an impression of the fleshy pad near the tip of the thumb, often used to
identify people[1]



thumbscrew

thumbscrew
thumb·screw 
[thúm skr] (plural thumb·screws)
noun

1.  torture
device for crushing thumbs: an instrument of torture
used to crush the thumbs

2.  flat-headed
screw:
a screw with a flat head to be turned with the thumb and forefinger

[1]



thumbsdown

thumbsdown
thumbs
down
noun

rejection:
an indication of disapproval or rejection (informal)
[From the custom of pointing
the thumbs downwards to signify rejection, perhaps originating in the arenas of
ancient Rome, where it indicated that a gladiator should be put to death][1]



thumbstall

thumbstall
thumb·stall
[thúm stàwl] (plural thumb·stalls)
noun

protective covering for
thumb: a sheath of rubber, leather,
or fabric used to protect the thumb, for example, by covering a dressing on an
injured thumb[1]



thumbsup

thumbsup
thumbs
up
noun

acceptance:
an indication of approval or acceptance (informal)
[From the custom of pointing
the thumbs upwards to signify acceptance, perhaps originating in the arenas of
ancient Rome, where it indicated that a gladiator should be permitted to live][1]



thumbtack

thumbtack
thumb·tack 
[thúm tàk] noun (plural thumb·tacks)

tack
for pinning up papers: a short pin with a large
flat head used for attaching papers or cards to a board by pressing into the
board with the thumb.
U.K.
term
drawing pin
Also
called
tack
transitive
verb
(past thumb·tacked, past participle thumb·tacked, present
participle thumb·tack·ing, 3rd person present singular thumb·tacks)

affix something with
thumbtack: to affix papers or cards
with one or more thumbtacks[1]



Thumb,“General” Tom

Thumb,“General” Tom
Thumb 
[thum], “General” Tom (1838–1883)

U.S.
entertainer. Three feet four inches tall, he starred in various exhibitions and
circuses (1842–1882).
Real name
Stratton, Charles Sherwood[1]



Thummim

Thummim
Thum·mim
noun

See
Urim and Thummim
[Mid-16th century. From
Hebrew tummīm, plural of tōm “completeness.”][1]



thump

thump
thump 
[thump] verb (past thumped,
past participle thumped, present participle thump·ing,
3rd person present singular thumps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
heavily:
to strike somebody or something heavily with the fist or an object

2.  intransitive
verb
palpitate
or pound:
to beat very fast or loudly because of fear or excitement (refers to the
heart)

3.  intransitive
verb
make
dull heavy sound: to make the loud dull sound that a heavy
object makes when it impacts with a surface

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb defeat
convincingly: to inflict a humiliating defeat upon
somebody (informal) (often passive) • Our
team was thumped 9–0.
noun
(plural thumps)

1.  heavy
blow:
a heavy blow struck with the fist or an object

2.  dull
heavy sound: the loud dull sound made by a heavy
object impacting with a surface • I
heard a loud thump from next door.
[Mid-16th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—thump·er, noun[1]



thumping

thumping
thump·ing 
[thúmping] adjective

large:
huge, resounding, or impressive (informal) • won
by a thumping majority
adverb

very:
extremely or exceptionally (informal) • a
thumping good read
—thump·ing·ly, adverb[1]



Thun

Thun
Thun
[toon]

town in the canton of Bern,
central Switzerland. Population: 39,253 (1996)[1]



thunbergia

thunbergia
thun·ber·gia 
[thùn búrjə, thùn
búrjee ə] (plural thun·ber·gias) noun

tropical
plant with tube-shaped flowers: an African and
southern Asian plant of the acanthus family with opposite pairs of simple
leaves and five-lobed tubular flowers. It is widely cultivated as an
ornamental. Genus: Thunbergia
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin Thunbergia, genus name, named for C. P. Thunberg (
1743–1822 ), a Swedish botanist.][1]



thunder

thunder

thun·der 
[thúndər] noun (plural thun·ders)

1.  loud
noise following lightning: a loud rumbling noise caused
by the rapid expansion of air suddenly heated by lightning

2.  noise
resembling thunder: a loud deep rumbling noise
resembling thunder

3.  threatening
or vehement utterance: a manifestation of
somebody’s anger in an explosion of strong words
verb (past
thun·dered, past participle thun·dered, present
participle thun·der·ing, 3rd person present singular thun·ders)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
loud noise following lightning: to make a loud
rumbling noise caused by the rapid expansion of air suddenly heated by
lightning

2.  intransitive
verb
rumble
loudly like thunder: to make a loud deep rumbling
noise resembling thunder

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb shout
vehemently:
to shout something loudly and angrily
[Old
English þunor and þunrian]
steal somebody’s thunder

to prevent somebody from
receiving acclaim for doing something by doing it or something similar first[1]



thunderation

thunderation
thun·der·a·tion
[thùndə ráysh’n] noun

exclamation of annoyance or
surprise: used as an expression of
annoyance or surprise (humorous)[1]



ThunderBay

ThunderBay
Thun·der
Bay


city in northwestern Ontario,
Canada, on Thunder Bay, an arm of Lake Superior. Population: 125,562 (1996)[1]



thunderbird

thunderbird
thun·der·bird 
[thúndər bùrd] (plural thun·der·birds)
noun

legendary bird that brings
thunder: in Native North American
mythology, a bird that produces thunder[1]



thunderbolt

thunderbolt
thun·der·bolt 
[thúndər blt] (plural thun·der·bolts)
noun

1.  flash
of lightning with thunder: a flash of lightning
accompanied by a crash of thunder

2.  startling
occurrence:
a sudden shocking action, occurrence, pronouncement, or piece of news

3.  mythological
weapon wielded by gods: in mythology, a destructive
missile hurled to earth by a god in a flash of lightning

4.  somebody
or something formidable: somebody who or something
that seems to resemble a thunderbolt, especially in energy and destructive
power

[1]



thunderclap

thunderclap
thun·der·clap 
[thúndər klàp] (plural thun·der·claps)
noun

1.  crash
of thunder:
a loud crashing noise produced by thunder

2.  startling
occurrence:
a sudden shocking occurrence or piece of news

3.  noise
resembling thunder: a sudden loud sound
resembling thunder

[1]



thundercloud

thundercloud
thun·der·cloud 
[thúndər klòwd] (plural thun·der·clouds)
noun

heavy dark cloud bearing
thunder: a large dark cumulonimbus
cloud that produces thunder and lightning[1]



thunderhead

thunderhead
thun·der·head 
[thúndər hèd] (plural thun·der·heads)
noun

upper mass of cloud
predicting thunderstorm: the upper
rounded mass of a cumulonimbus cloud associated with the development of a
thunderstorm.
Also called
incus[1]



thundering

thundering
thun·der·ing
[thúndəring] adjective

U.K.
great:
very great (dated informal)
adverb

U.K.
very:
extremely or exceptionally (dated informal)
—thun·der·ing·ly, adverb[1]



thunderous

thunderous
thun·der·ous 
[thúndərəss, thúndrəss]
adjective

1.  very
loud:
resembling thunder in its loudness • thunderous
applause

2.  threatening:
angry and threatening
—thun·der·ous·ly, adverb[1]



thunderrun

thunderrun
thun·der
run
(plural thun·der runs) noun

trough for rolling iron
balls: formerly, either of two
inclined wooden troughs down which iron balls were rolled offstage to simulate
thunder as a theatrical sound effect[1]



thundersheet

thundersheet
thun·der
sheet
(plural thun·der sheets) noun

metal sheet shaken to
simulate thunder: a large sheet of metal
shaken to simulate thunder as a theatrical sound effect[1]



thundershower

thundershower
thun·der·show·er 
[thúndər shòwər] (plural thun·der·show·ers)
noun

shower with thunder:
a shower of rain during a thunderstorm[1]



thunderstone

thunderstone
thun·der·stone 
[thúndər stn] (plural thun·der·stones)
noun

1.  long
tapering rock: a naturally occurring long tapering
piece of rock, formerly believed to be a thunderbolt

2.  thunderbolt:
a thunderbolt (archaic)

[1]



thunderstorm

thunderstorm
thun·der·storm 
[thúndər stàwrm] (plural thun·der·storms)
noun

storm with thunder and
lightning: a storm with thunder,
lightning, heavy rain, and sometimes hail[1]



thunderstricken

thunderstricken
thun·der·strick·en
[thúndər strìkən] adjective

thunderstruck:
thunderstruck (literary)[1]



thunderstruck

thunderstruck
thun·der·struck 
[thúndər strùk] adjective

1.  extremely
surprised or incredulous: so surprised, incredulous,
or startled as to be in a state of shock

2.  hit
by lightning: struck by lightning (archaic)

[1]



thundery

thundery
thun·der·y
[thúndəree] adjective

1.  causing
or heralding thunder: causing or indicating the
onset of thunder or a thunderstorm

2.  sounding
like thunder: resembling thunder in sound

[1]



thunk

thunk2
thunk2 verb

(regional) Past
tense of think Past participle of
think[1]



thunk

thunk1

thunk1 [thungk]
noun (plural thunks)
thud:
a thud (informal)
intransitive
verb
make
a thud:
to make a thud (informal)
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Thur.

Thur.
Thur.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Thursday[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Thurber,James

Thurber,James
Thur·ber
[thúrbər], James (1894–1961)

U.S.
writer and cartoonist. He is known for his humorous and poignant portrayals of
the frustrations and absurd situations of modern life.
Full name
Thurber, James Grover[1]



thurible

thurible
thu·ri·ble 
[thrəb’l] (plural thu·ri·bles)
noun

See
censer
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin t(h)uribulum, from, ultimately, Greek thuos
“sacrifice, incense.”][1]



thurifer

thurifer
thu·ri·fer 
[thrəfər] (plural thu·ri·fers)
noun

somebody
carrying censer: somebody who carries the censer in
religious ceremonies
[Mid-19th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek thuos “sacrifice, incense.”][1]



Thurs.

Thurs.
Thurs.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Thursday[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Thursday

Thursday
Thurs·day 
[thúrz dày, thúrzdee]
(plural Thurs·days) noun

CALENDAR 4th
day of week: the fourth day of the week, coming after
Wednesday and before Friday
[Old English Þu(n)resdæg,
literally “day of thunder,” translation of late Latin Jovis dies “day of
Jupiter (the god of thunder)”][1]



ThursdayIsland

ThursdayIsland
Thurs·day
Is·land
[th]

island in the Torres Strait,
off the northeastern coast of Australia. Area: 3.6 sq km/1.4 sq mi.[1]



Thursdays

Thursdays
Thurs·days
[thúrz dàyz, thúrzdeez]
adverb

CALENDAR
every Thursday:
every Thursday[1]



Thurso

Thurso
Thur·so
[thúrssō]

town and seaport on the
northern coast of Scotland. It is the northernmost town on the mainland of
Great Britain. Population: 8,488 (1991)[1]



thus

thus
thus 
[uss] adverb

1.  consequently:
as a result (formal)

2.  like
this:
in this way (formal)

3.  to
this degree: to this degree or extent
[Old English][1]



thusly

thusly
thus·ly 
[ússlee] adverb

thus:
thus (humorous)[1]



ThutmoseIII

ThutmoseIII
Thut·mo·se
III 
[thoot mṓsə]

Egyptian pharaoh. He became
pharaoh in 1504 BC . Through
military conquest, he extended the Egyptian empire eastward as far as the
Euphrates River, and with the vast wealth of his Asian territories erected
great temples and other imperial buildings in Egypt.[1]



thuya

thuya
thu·ya 
noun

See
thuja[1]



thwack

thwack
thwack 
[thwak] transitive verb (past thwacked,
past participle thwacked, present participle thwack·ing,
3rd person present singular thwacks)

smack
somebody or something: to strike somebody or
something with a flat object such as the flat of the hand
noun
(plural thwacks)

sharp
blow with flat object: a sharp smacking blow with a
flat object
[Early
16th century. An imitation of the sound of the blow.]
—thwack·er, noun[1]



thwart

thwart
thwart 
[thwawrt] verb (past thwart·ed,
past participle thwart·ed, present participle thwart·ing,
3rd person present singular thwarts)

1.  transitive
verb
frustrate
something:
to prevent somebody or somebody’s plan from being successful

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cross:
to place one thing across another or be placed across something (archaic)
adjective

extending across:
situated or extending across something
noun
(plural thwarts)

crosswise seat in boat:
a crosswise seat or transverse member on a rowboat, canoe or similar small boat
preposition

athwart:
athwart (archaic)
adverb

athwart:
athwart (archaic)
[13th
century. From Old Norse .]
—thwart·ed·ly
[thwáwrtədlee], adverb

—thwart·er, noun[1]



thy

thy
thy 
[ī] adjective

your:
belonging or relating to you, the second person singular possessive
corresponding to “thou” (archaic)
[12th century. Shortening of
an earlier form of thine .][1]



Thyestes

Thyestes
Thy·es·tes 
[thī ésteez] noun

king
of Mycenae:
in Greek mythology, the brother of Atreus and king of Mycenae. After usurping
the throne from his brother, he was tricked into eating the flesh of his own
sons.
—Thy·es·te·an, adjective[1]



thylacine

thylacine
thy·la·cine 
[thlə sn, thləssin]
(plural thy·la·cines) noun

Tasmanian
marsupial resembling dog: a large carnivorous
marsupial of Tasmania that resembles a dog and has brownish fur and black
stripes across the back. It was once widespread through Australia but is
thought to be extinct. Latin name: Thylacinus cynocephalus
Also
called
Tasmanian wolf
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Thylacinus, genus name, from Greek thulakos
“pouch.”][1]



thyme

thyme

thyme 
[tīm] noun

1.  FOOD culinary
herb:
the tiny leaves of an aromatic shrub, used fresh or dried as a flavoring in
cooking

2.  PLANTS aromatic
shrub:
a small low shrub of the mint family with narrow leaves yielding thyme and
white, pink, or red flowers. It also yields an aromatic essential oil
containing thymol. Genus: Thymus
[15th
century. Via Old French thym from, ultimately, Greek thumon, from
thuein “to burn, sacrifice,” from its use as incense.]
—thym·y, adjective[1]



thymectomy

thymectomy
thy·mec·to·my 
[thī méktəmee] (plural thy·mec·to·mies)
noun

removal
of thymus:
surgical removal of the thymus gland
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thymus + -ectomy
.][1]



thymi

thymi
thy·mi

Plural of
thymus[1]



-thymia

-thymia
-thymia
suffix

condition
or state of mind • dysthymia
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek thumos “mind”][1]



thymic

thymic1
thy·mic1 [thmik]
adjective

of thymus:
relating to the thymus[1]



thymic

thymic2
thy·mic2 [tmik,
thmik] adjective

of thyme:
relating to thyme[1]



thymidine

thymidine
thy·mi·dine 
[thmə dn] noun

component
of DNA:
a nucleoside that is one of the principal components of DNA, consisting of one
molecule of thymine linked to one molecule of the sugar, deoxyribose. C10H14N2O5
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thymine + -idine
.][1]



thymine

thymine
thy·mine 
[th mn, thmin]
noun

DNA
component:
a component of nucleic acid that pairs with adenine to carry hereditary
information in DNA in cells. Chemically, it is a pyrimidine derivative. C5H6N2O2 Symbol T
[Late 19th century. Coined
from thymic 1 + -ine .][1]



thymocyte

thymocyte
thy·mo·cyte 
[thmə st] (plural thy·mo·cytes)
noun

T-cell precursor:
a type of small white blood cell ( lymphocyte
) occurring in the thymus that is a precursor of a T-cell[1]



thymol

thymol
thy·mol 
[th màwl] noun

aromatic
chemical:
a colorless crystalline phenol with an aromatic odor, obtained from thyme oil
or made synthetically. It is used as a fungicide and preservative, and in
making perfumes. C10H14O
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek thumon (see thyme ) + -ol .][1]



thymoma

thymoma
thy·mo·ma 
[thī mṓmə] (plural thy·mo·mas or
thy·mo·ma·ta [thī mṓmətə]) noun

tumor
of thymus:
a tumor of the thymus
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thymo- + -oma .][1]



thymosin

thymosin
thy·mo·sin 
[thməssin] (plural thy·mo·sins)
noun

hormone
promoting T-cells: a hormone that influences
the development and differentiation of T-cells in the thymus
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek thumos (see thymus ) + -in .][1]



thymus

thymus
thy·mus 
[thməss] (plural thy·mus·es or
thy·mi [th m]) or thy·mus
gland [thməss] (plural thy·mus
glands) noun

organ
of immune system: an organ, located at the base of the
neck, that is involved in development of cells of the immune system,
particularly T-cells. It is prominent in the young but shrinks after puberty.
[Late 16th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek thumos “warty growth resembling a bunch of
thyme.”][1]



thyratron

thyratron
thy·ra·tron 
[thrə tròn] (plural thy·ra·trons)
noun

electronic
tube:
a gas-filled hot-cathode tube that acts as an electronic switch or relay in
which a signal applied to the control grid initiates anode current but does not
limit it
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek thura (see thyroid ) + -tron .][1]



thyristor

thyristor
thy·ris·tor 
[thī rístər] (plural thy·ris·tors)
noun

semiconductor
with two switches: a semiconductor device that
has two stable switches used for conductive and nonconductive modes
[Mid-20th century. Blend of thyratron and transistor
.][1]



thyro-

thyro-
thyro-
prefix

thyroid
• thyrotropin
[From thyroid][1]



thyrocalcitonin

thyrocalcitonin
thy·ro·cal·ci·to·nin 
[thrō kàlsə tṓnin] noun

See
calcitonin[1]



thyroid

thyroid
thy·roid 
[th ròyd] noun (plural thy·roids)

1.  See
thyroid gland

2.  See
thyroid cartilage

3.  medicine
obtained from animal thyroid gland: a
preparation obtained from the thyroid gland of certain animals that is used in
treating conditions of the thyroid gland
adjective

1.  thy·roid
or thy·roi·dal of thyroid gland:
relating to, situated in, supplying, or secreted by the thyroid gland

2.  thy·roid
or thy·roid·al of thyroid cartilage:
relating to the thyroid cartilage
[Early 18th century. Via
obsolete French from, ultimately, Greek thura “door,” from the oblong
shape of the cartilage in front of the throat.][1]



thyroidcartilage

thyroidcartilage
thy·roid
car·ti·lage
(plural thy·roid car·ti·lag·es) noun

large cartilage in larynx:
the largest cartilage of the larynx, forming the projection called the Adam’s
apple.
Also called
thyroid[1]



thyroidectomy

thyroidectomy
thy·roid·ec·to·my 
[th roy déktəmee] (plural thy·roid·ec·to·mies)
noun

removal of thyroid gland:
surgical removal of the thyroid gland or part of it[1]



thyroidgland

thyroidgland
thy·roid
gland
(plural thy·roid glands) noun

ductless gland in base of
neck: an endocrine gland located
in the neck of human beings and other vertebrate animals that secretes the
hormones responsible for controlling metabolism and growth. Excessive action of
the thyroid gland can cause Graves’ disease, while underactivity can cause
myxedema.
Also called
thyroid[1]



thyroidhormone

thyroidhormone
thy·roid
hor·mone
(plural thy·roid hor·mones) noun

hormone secreted by thyroid
gland: either of the two hormones,
thyroxine and triiodothyronine, that are secreted by the thyroid gland and
regulate body metabolism and growth[1]



thyroiditis

thyroiditis
thy·roid·i·tis 
[th roy dtiss] noun

inflammation of thyroid
gland: inflammation of the thyroid
gland. This may be acute, as a result of bacterial infection, or chronic, as a
result of an autoimmune response in which lymphocytes invade the gland.[1]



thyroid-stimulatinghormone

thyroid-stimulatinghormone
thy·roid-stim·u·lat·ing
hor·mone 
noun

See
thyrotropin[1]



thyrotoxicosis

thyrotoxicosis
thy·ro·tox·i·co·sis 
[thrō tòksə kṓssiss] noun

See
hyperthyroidism[1]



thyrotropin

thyrotropin
thy·ro·tro·pin 
[thrə trṓpin] or thy·ro·tro·phin
[thrə trṓfin] noun

pituitary
hormone:
a hormone that is secreted by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and
stimulates release of hormones by the thyroid gland.
Also
called
thyroid-stimulating hormone
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from thyro- + -tropic
+ -in .][1]



thyrotropin-releasinghormone

thyrotropin-releasinghormone
thy·ro·tro·pin-re·leas·ing
hor·mone 
noun

hormone released by
hypothalamus: a peptide hormone that
is produced by the hypothalamus and controls the release of thyrotropin by the
pituitary gland[1]



thyroxine

thyroxine
thy·rox·ine 
[thī rók sn] or thy·rox·in [thī róksin] noun

chief
thyroid hormone: the principal hormone secreted by the
thyroid gland. It stimulates metabolism and is essential for normal growth and
development. A synthetic form is used to treat hypothyroidism.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from thyro- + oxy-
+ indole (from a misunderstanding of its
chemical structure), altered on the model of -ine
.][1]



thyrse

thyrse
thyrse 
[thurs] (plural thyrs·es [thúrsəss]) noun

branching
flower head: a flower head, for example, in lilacs,
that consists of numerous branching clusters of individual flowers arising from
a single main stem.
Also
called
thyrsus
[Early
17th century. Via French from Latin thyrsus (see thyrsus ).]
—thyr·soid, adjective[1]



thyrsus

thyrsus
thyr·sus 
[thúrsəss] (plural thyr·si [thúr s]) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY staff
carried by Dionysus: in Greek mythology and art,
a staff tipped with a pine cone, carried by the Greek god Dionysus and his
followers

2.  BOTANY See thyrse
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek thursos “stalk of a plant, staff carried by Dionysus,” of
unknown origin.][1]



thysanuran

thysanuran
thy·sa·nu·ran 
[thssə nrən] (plural thy·sa·nu·rans)
noun

See
bristletail
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin Thysanura, order name, from Greek thusanos
“tassel, fringe” + oura “tail.”]
—thy·sa·nu·rous, adjective[1]



thyself

thyself
thy·self 
[ī sélf] pronoun (archaic)

1.  form
of “thy”:
the form of “thy” used to refer to the same individual who is being addressed
and is the subject of the verb

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize that the individual
being addressed is also being referred to
[Old English . Originally
from thee + self
(as an adjective), but interpreted as being from thy
+ self (as a noun).][1]



Thásos

Thásos
Thá·sos
[táss oss]

island in northeastern
Greece, in the Aegean Sea, about 8 km/5 mi from the mainland. Population:
13,111 (1981) Area: 378 sq km/146 sq mi.[1]



thédansant

thédansant
thé
dan·sant
[tày daaN sN] (plural thés
dan·sants [tày daaN sN]) noun

tea
dance:
a tea dance (dated)
[From French, literally
“dancing tea”][1]



Thénard,Louis Jacques

Thénard,Louis Jacques
Thé·nard
[tay nr], Louis Jacques, Baron (1777–1857)

French chemist. He discovered
sodium peroxide and potassium peroxide, as well as a pigment used to color
porcelain and known as Thénard’s blue. He wrote a once-standard treatise on
chemistry.[1]



ti

ti1
ti1 [tee]
noun

syllable
used in singing: a syllable that represents the seventh
note in a scale, used for singing solfeggio. In fixed solfeggio it represents
the note B, the seventh note in the scale of C, while in solfeggio with movable
do it is used to represent the seventh note of the key being sung.
Also
called
si
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of si .][1]



ti

ti2
ti2 [tee]
(plural tis) noun

versatile
woody plant: a woody Polynesian and Australian plant
of the agave family with leaves used for thatching, garments, and fodder, and
with roots used as food and for making beverages. Genus: Cordyline
[Mid-19th century. From
Tahitian and Maori .][1]



Ti

Ti
Ti

Symbol for
titanium[1]



TiananmenSquare

TiananmenSquare
Tian·an·men
Square 
[tyn n mèn skwáir] noun

square in central Beijing:
a large square in central Beijing, China, that is a traditional site for
festivals, rallies, and demonstrations. In 1989 it was the scene of a
pro-democracy demonstration led by students in which hundreds were killed when
troops were ordered to clear the square.[1]



TianShan

TianShan
Tian
Shan 
[tyèn shán]

See
Tien Shan[1]



tiara

tiara

ti·ar·a 
[tee rə, tee
érrə] (plural ti·ar·as) noun

1.  woman’s
jeweled coronet: a small jeweled semicircular headdress
worn by a woman on formal occasions

2.  pope’s
crown:
a headdress consisting of three coronets with an orb and a cross on top, worn
by the pope or carried before him on ceremonial occasions

3.  Persian
king’s crown: a high headdress worn by an ancient
Persian king
[Mid-16th
century. Directly and via Italian from Latin, from Greek tiara(s),
probably from a language of southwestern Asia.]
—ti·ar·aed, adjective[1]



Tiber

Tiber
Ti·ber 
[tbər]

river of central Italy.
Rising in the Apennines, it flows through Rome and empties into the Tyrrhenian
Sea. Length: 405 km/252 mi.[1]



Tiberius

Tiberius
Ti·be·ri·us
[tī bree əss] (42 BC–AD 37)

Roman
emperor. His reign ( AD 14–37) was
marked by revolts and conspiracies.
Full name
Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus[1]



Tibet

Tibet
Ti·bet 
[tə bét]

country north of the
Himalayas, since 1965 a province-level administrative region of China. With an
average elevation of more than 4,000 m/12,000 ft, it is the highest region on
earth. Capital: Lhasa. Population: 2,196,010 (1990) Area: 1,222,000 sq km/472,000
sq mi. Official name Tibet Autonomous Region[1]



Tibetan

Tibetan
Ti·bet·an 
[ti bétt’n] (plural Ti·bet·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Tibet:
somebody who was born or raised in Tibet, or who is of Tibetan descent

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Tibet:
the language of Tibet, spoken also in neighboring parts of China, Nepal, and
India. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of
languages. Tibetan is spoken by about six million people.
—Ti·bet·an, adjective[1]



TibetanBuddhism

TibetanBuddhism

Ti·bet·an Bud·dhism
noun
See
Lamaism[1]



Tibetanspaniel

Tibetanspaniel
Ti·bet·an
span·iel
(plural Ti·bet·an span·iels) noun

small Tibetan dog:
a small dog with a long thick coat, a plumed tail curled over the back, and
drooping ears, belonging to a breed that originated in Tibet. It was
traditionally a sacred breed, confined to monasteries and palaces.[1]



Tibetanterrier

Tibetanterrier
Ti·bet·an
ter·ri·er
(plural Ti·bet·an ter·ri·ers) noun

long-haired Tibetan dog:
a small terrier with a long shaggy coat that falls over its eyes and a
back-curling tail, belonging to a breed that originated in Tibet[1]



Tibeto-Burman

Tibeto-Burman
Ti·bet·o-Bur·man 
[tə bèttō búrmən] noun

LANGUAGE Sino-Tibetan
language group: a branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of
languages that comprises Tibetan, Burmese, and many other languages of Southern
and Southeast Asia
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from Tibeto- (from Tibetan )
+ Burman .]
—Ti·bet·o-Bur·man, adjective[1]



tibia

tibia

tib·i·a 
[tíbbee ə] (plural tib·i·ae [tíbbee ] or tib·i·as) noun

1.  ANATOMY inner
bone of lower leg: the inner and larger of the
two bones in the lower leg, extending from the knee to the ankle bone alongside
the fibula

2.  ZOOLOGY bone
in animal’s leg: a bone in the lower leg of vertebrates
corresponding to the human tibia

3.  INSECTS part
of insect’s leg: the fourth segment of an insect’s leg,
between the femur and the tarsus

4.  BIRDS part
of bird’s leg: the lower feathered segment or drumstick
of a bird’s leg

5.  MUSIC ancient
wind instrument: an ancient flute, originally made from
an animal’s tibia
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “shinbone,” earlier “pipe,” of unknown origin.]
—tib·i·al, adjective[1]



tibiofibular

tibiofibular
tib·i·o·fib·u·lar 
[tìbbee ō fíbbyələr] adjective

of tibia and fibula:
relating to the tibia and fibula, the bones of the lower leg[1]



tibiotarsus

tibiotarsus
tib·i·o·tar·sus 
[tìbbee ō trsəss] (plural tib·i·o·tar·si
[tìbbee ō tr s]) noun

bone in bird’s leg:
the main bone of a bird’s lower leg, formed by a fusion of the tibia and some
of the bones of the tarsus[1]



tic

tic
tic 
[tik] (plural tics) noun

1.  muscle
twitch:
a sudden involuntary spasmodic muscular contraction, especially of facial,
neck, or shoulder muscles, which may become more pronounced when somebody is
stressed

2.  quirk
of behavior: a distinctive behavioral trait or quirk
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Italian ticchio .][1]



tical

tical
tic·al 
[ti kl, tík’l]
(plural tic·als or tic·al) noun

1.  old
unit of Thai currency: a silver coin that was a
unit of currency in Thailand between 1909 and 1950

2.  old
unit of weight in Thailand: a former unit of weight in
Thailand, equal to about 14 gramshalf an ounce
[Mid-17th century. From
Portuguese, of uncertain origin: probably from Marathi akā or Bengali ākā
“coin.”][1]



ticdouloureux

ticdouloureux
tic
dou·lou·reux  [tìk dlə
r, tìk dlə rú] noun

See
trigeminal neuralgia
[From French, literally
“painful tic”][1]



Ticino

Ticino
Ti·ci·no 
[ti chnō]

river in western Europe, a
tributary of the Po River. Length: 248 km/154 mi.[1]



tick

tick3
tick3 [tik]
noun

cloth
covering:
the cloth case or covering that is filled with cotton, feathers, or other
materials to form a pillow or mattress
[15th century. Via Middle
Dutch tēke from, ultimately, Greek thēkē “cover, case.”][1]



tick

tick2
tick2 [tik]
(plural ticks) noun

1.  tiny
parasitic insect: a small wingless bloodsucking insect
that lives on the skin of humans and warm-blooded animals and may transmit
diseases. Families: Argasidae Ioxidae

2.  bloodsucking
fly:
a parasitic fly that lives on the skin of sheep, cattle, horses, and other
animals
[Old English ticia .
Ultimately of prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



tick

tick1

tick1 [tik]
noun (plural ticks)

1.  recurring
click:
a slight quiet recurring clicking sound, especially one made by a clock or
watch.
See
also
tock

2.  degree
on scale:
an increment on a scale, especially the smallest amount by which a security may
rise or fall in a stock or bond market

3.  U.K.
very
short time:
a very short time (informal) • I’ll
be back in a tick.

4.  U.K.
See check  noun 8
verb (past
ticked, past participle ticked, present participle tick·ing,
3rd person present singular ticks)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
recurring clicking sound: to make a slight quiet
recurring clicking sound

2.  intransitive
verb
register
taxi fare by clicking: to make a clicking sound
while registering the progressive increase of a taxi fare

3.  transitive
verb
check
off something: to put a mark, check, or electronic
signal beside an item as a record or reminder

4.  intransitive
verb
function
properly:
to function well or in the specified way (informal)
[13th
century. Origin uncertain.]
what makes somebody tick

what causes somebody to
behave and think in a particular way (informal)[1]



tick

tick4
tick4 [tik]
noun

U.K.
credit:
the system of owing somebody money for goods that are acquired (dated
informal) • bought it on tick
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of ticket in the obsolete sense “note of
goods received on credit.”][1]



tickaway

tickaway
tick
away
or tick by intransitive verb

elapse steadily:
to pass or elapse at a steady pace (refers to time)[1]



tickbird

tickbird
tick·bird 
[tík bùrd] (plural tick·birds)
noun

bird feeding on ticks:
a bird that feeds on ticks, for example, the oxpecker[1]



tick-borne

tick-borne
tick-borne 
adjective

transmitted by tick bites:
used to describe a disease in which the causative microorganism is transmitted
by the bite of a tick, for example, Lyme disease or many forms of encephalitis[1]



ticker

ticker
tick·er 
[tíkər] (plural tick·ers) noun

1.  heart:
somebody’s heart (informal)

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE machine
displaying stock prices: an electronic device that
displays the prices of securities, formerly a telegraphic receiving instrument
that automatically printed stock quotations on ticker tape.
Also
called
ticker-tape machine
U.K.
term
tape machine

3.  watch:
a small portable timepiece (dated informal)

[1]



tickertape

tickertape
tick·er
tape
noun

paper tape from ticker:
formerly, a continuous paper ribbon on which a ticker automatically printed
stock quotations[1]



ticker-tapemachine

ticker-tapemachine
tick·er-tape
ma·chine
(plural tick·er-tape ma·chines) noun

STOCK
EXCHANGE See ticker  noun 1[1]



ticker-tapeparade

ticker-tapeparade
tick·er-tape
pa·rade
(plural tick·er-tape pa·rades) noun

welcoming parade:
a parade honoring a visiting celebrity who is showered with shredded paper or
confetti, formerly ticker tape, from buildings while being driven through the
streets[1]



ticket

ticket
tick·et 
[tíkit] noun (plural tick·ets)

1.  TRANSPORT travel
pass:
a printed piece of cardboard or paper showing that the holder is entitled to be
traveling on a means of transport

2.  LEISURE pass
for entertainment: a printed piece of cardboard
or paper showing that the holder is entitled to admission to a place of public
entertainment or a sports facility

3.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION notification
of traffic offense: a printed notice that a
traffic or parking offense has been committed and a fine must be paid

4.  COMMERCE label
or tag:
a small piece of card attached to an article, showing the price or other
details

5.  POLITICS group
of candidates running together: a list of candidates
put forward by one party or group in an election

6.  precisely
what is needed: the right, just, desired, or appropriate
thing (informal) • A
month in Europe would be just the ticket.

7.  TRANSPORT qualification
of pilot or ship’s officer: a certificate of
qualification as a ship’s captain or an aircraft pilot
transitive
verb
(past tick·et·ed, past participle tick·et·ed, present
participle tick·et·ing, 3rd person present singular tick·ets)

1.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION give
somebody a parking ticket: to issue a motor vehicle or
its driver with a ticket for a traffic or parking violation

2.  COMMERCE attach
a ticket to an article: to attach a ticket to an
article, showing the price or other details

3.  LEISURE issue
a pass to something: to issue a ticket for
admission to something

4.  categorize
somebody or something: to assign somebody to a
particular category, or designate something for a particular purpose
[Early
16th century. Via obsolete French étiquet “ticket, label” (source of
English etiquette ), from,
ultimately, Old French estiquier “to stick”; from the idea of sticking
on a label.]
have
tickets on yourself

Australia
to have an inflated opinion of yourself (informal)[1]



tickety-boo

tickety-boo
tick·et·y-boo
adjective

U.K.,
Canada perfect:
perfectly fine (dated informal)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from Hindi hīk hai “all right”][1]



tickfever

tickfever
tick
fe·ver
noun

disease caused by a tick
bite: an acute infectious disease
transmitted by the bite of a tick, for example, Rocky Mountain spotted fever or
Texas fever[1]



ticking

ticking
tick·ing 
[tíking] noun

fabric
for coverings: a strong cotton fabric, often twilled,
that is used to cover mattresses and pillows
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from tick 4 .][1]



tickle

tickle
tick·le 
[tík’l] verb (past tick·led,
past participle tick·led, present participle tick·ling,
3rd person present singular tick·les)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody laugh and twitch: to touch, prod, stroke, or
caress lightly a sensitive part of somebody’s body, usually so as to produce
involuntary laughter and wriggling

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb cause
itchiness:
to cause an itchy or scratchy feeling by lightly touching a sensitive part of
the body • This
feather boa tickles.

3.  transitive
verb
please
or amuse somebody: to make somebody pleased, or
appeal to somebody’s sense of humor (often passive)
noun
(plural tick·les)

1.  touch
that makes somebody laugh: a light touch, prod, stroke,
or caress applied to a sensitive part of somebody’s body, usually so as to
produce involuntary laughter and wriggling

2.  itchy
feeling:
an itchy or scratchy feeling caused when a sensitive part of the body is
touched lightly by something, especially material
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from tick 1 in the obsolete sense “to
touch lightly,” in which case its original literal sense would have been “to
keep on touching lightly.”]
tickled
pink

or
tickled silly or tickled to deathextremely pleased (informal)

tickle
somebody’s fancy

to please or entertain
somebody (informal)[1]



tickler

tickler
tick·ler 
[tíklər] (plural tick·lers) noun

1.  See
tickler file

2.  ACCOUNTING accounting
journal:
a single-entry journal in which obligations are entered chronologically

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING See
tickler coil

[1]



ticklercoil

ticklercoil
tick·ler
coil
(plural tick·ler coils) noun

coil in vacuum tube:
a small coil connected in series with a radio vacuum tube’s plate circuit and
inductively coupled to a coil located in a grid circuit to provide regenerative
feedback.
Also called
tickler[1]



ticklerfile

ticklerfile
tick·ler
file
(plural tick·ler files) noun

file of reminders:
a file consisting of reminders of matters that must be dealt with.
Also called
tickler[1]



ticklish

ticklish
tick·lish 
[tíklish] adjective

1.  sensitive
to tickling: sensitive to being tickled

2.  problematic:
requiring careful or delicate handling because of its risk or difficulty

3.  touchy:
easily irritated, angered, or upset
—tick·lish·ly,
adverb

—tick·lish·ness, noun[1]



tickly

tickly
tick·ly
[tíklee] (comparative tick·li·er,
superlative tick·li·est) adjective

producing tickling sensation:
producing a tickling or itching sensation on the surface of the skin[1]



tickoff

tickoff
tick
off
transitive verb

1.  annoy
somebody:
to make somebody angry (informal)

2.  U.K.
See check off

[1]



tickseed

tickseed
tick·seed 
[tík sd] noun

N
American flower resembling daisy: an annual or perennial
North American plant with opposite-lobed leaves and flowers resembling daisies.
It is sometimes grown as an ornamental. Genus: Coreopsis
[Because their seeds resemble
the insects][1]



ticktack

ticktack
tick·tack
[tík tàk] (plural tick·tacks) or
tic·tac [tík tàk] (plural tic·tacs)
noun

1.  clicking
sound:
a clicking or tapping sound

2.  something
that taps as a prank: a device operated from a
distance to make a tapping sound on a window or door as a practical joke
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



tick-tack-toe

tick-tack-toe
tick-tack-toe
or tic-tac-toe noun

game
played with grid: a game played by two players who
alternately mark squares in a grid with O’s or X’s, the winner being the first
to get three marks in a row.
U.K.
term
noughts and crosses
[Origin uncertain: probably
imitative of the sound of an earlier game in which players brought pencils down
on slates with their eyes closed][1]



ticktock

ticktock
tick·tock 
[tík tòk] noun

ticking
of timepiece: the clicking sound made by a clock or
watch
intransitive
verb
(past tick·tocked, past participle tick·tocked, present
participle tick·tock·ing, 3rd person present singular tick·tocks)

make
ticking noise: to make a quiet recurring clicking sound
(refers to a timepiece)
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ticktrefoil

ticktrefoil
tick
tre·foil
noun

tropical
plant with jointed pods: a leguminous tropical or
subtropical plant with trifoliate leaves and jointed seed pods that cling to
fur or clothing. Some varieties are cultivated as livestock forage. Genus: Desmodium
[Because the joints of the
pods stick to things as ticks cling to the fur of animals][1]



ticky-tacky

ticky-tacky
tick·y-tack·y 
[tìki tákee] or tick·y-tack [tìki ták] adjective

dull
and shoddy:
dull, unimaginative, and often of uniform quality or design (informal)
noun

something
dull and shoddy: dull, unimaginative, or inferior
materials, or something made from them (informal)
[Ticky, alteration of tacky “shoddy”][1]



Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga
Ti·con·de·ro·ga 
[t kondə rṓgə]

village in northeastern New
York, on the La Chute River. It is the site of Fort Ticonderoga, an important
strategic fortification in the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and the
Revolution (1775–1783). Population: 2,770 (1990)[1]



tictac

tictac
tic·tac
noun

See
ticktack[1]



tic-tac-toe

tic-tac-toe
tic-tac-toe
noun

See
tick-tack-toe[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








t.i.d.

t.i.d.
t.i.d.

(used
in doctors’ prescriptions)Abbreviation of three times a day
[Latin ter in die][1]



tidal

tidal
tid·al 
[td’l] adjective

1.  of
tides:
relating to or affected by tides

2.  dependent
on tide:
having a time of departure dependent on the phase of a tide • a
tidal ferry

3.  defined
by tide level: changing in character or accessibility
according to the level of the tide

4.  fluctuating:
not constant but fluctuating between periods of intense activity and periods of
little activity
—tid·al·ly, adverb[1]



tidalair

tidalair
tid·al
air
noun

volume
of air in normal breathing: the volume of air that
passes in and out of the body during normal breathing.
Also
called
tidal volume
[Tidal from its obsolete
sense “periodic, intermittent”][1]



tidalbasin

tidalbasin
tid·al
ba·sin
(plural tid·al ba·sins) noun

artificial basin subject to
tides: an artificial basin cut in
rock that fills up at high tide[1]



tidalpower

tidalpower
tid·al
pow·er
or tid·al en·er·gy noun

electricity generation using
tides: the generation of
electricity using the force created by the rise and fall of ocean tides[1]



tidalwave

tidalwave
tid·al
wave
(plural tid·al waves) noun

1.  huge
ocean wave:
an enormous and destructive ocean wave caused by extremely strong winds or
seaquakes.
See
also
tsunami

2.  overwhelming
surge:
a powerful widespread expression or surge of something • a
tidal wave of public emotion

[1]



tidbit

tidbit
tid·bit 
[tíd bìt] (plural tid·bits [tít bìt]) noun
Also
called
titbit

1.  small
morsel:
a small, usually bite-sized, piece of delicious food

2.  piece
of gossip:
a small piece of interesting information or gossip
[Mid-17th century. Tid
perhaps from obsolete English dialect, “tender.”][1]



tiddlywink

tiddlywink
tid·dly·wink
[tíddlee wìngk] (plural tid·dly·winks)
or tid·dle·dy·wink [tíddlee wìngk,
tídd’ldee wìngk] (plural tid·dle·dy·winks)
noun

plastic
disk used in a game: a plastic disk used in the
game of tiddlywinks
[Mid-19th century. Origin uncertain.][1]



tiddlywinks

tiddlywinks
tid·dly·winks 
[tíddlee wìngks] or tid·dle·dy·winks
[tíddlee wìngks, tídd’ldee
wìngks] noun

game with plastic disks:
a game in which players try to flip plastic disks into a cup by pressing them
on the side with a larger disk[1]



tide

tide
tide
[tīd] noun (plural tides)

1.  rise
and fall of ocean: the cyclic rise and fall of
the ocean or another body of water produced by the attraction of the Moon and
Sun, occurring about every twelve hours

2.  inflow
or outflow of water: the ebb or flow of water at
a particular place resulting from the cyclic rise and fall of the ocean

3.  See
flood tide

4.  general
trend:
something that rises and falls, especially a tendency or trend

5.  period
of time:
a period of time or a season (archaic) (usually used in combination)
• Yuletide

6.  PHYSICS gravitational
stress on something: a stress on something caused
by a gravitational attraction, for example, in the atmosphere or on a celestial
body

7.  crucial
point:
an extreme or critical point or position

8.  appropriate
time:
an appropriate time for something (archaic)
verb
(past tid·ed, past participle tid·ed, present
participle tid·ing, 3rd person present singular tides)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb carry along
on tide:
to carry somebody or something along on the tide, or be carried along in this
way

2.  intransitive
verb
ebb
and flow:
to ebb and flow like the tide
[Old
English tīd “time.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
divide,” the underlying idea being of a “portion of time.”]
—tide·less,
adjective
swim
against the tide

to
have an opinion or take a stance that is different from or opposite to that
taken by others

swim
with the tide

to
follow the opinions and attitudes of other people

turn
the tide

to reverse the way things
happen[1]



tidegauge

tidegauge
tide
gauge
(plural tide gaug·es) noun

gauge for measuring tidal
level: a gauge used to measure the
level of tidal movement[1]



tideland

tideland
tide·land 
[td lànd, tdlənd]
(plural tide·lands) noun

1.  land
submerged at high tide: land that is covered by
water at high tide

2.  territorial
land:
land submerged beneath territorial waters (often used in the plural)

[1]



tidemark

tidemark
tide·mark 
[td mrk] (plural tide·marks)
noun

1.  mark
left by tide: a mark made by the highest or lowest
point of a tide

2.  marker
indicating levels of tides: a marker indicating the
highest or lowest point of a tide

3.  point
marking rise or fall: a point that somebody or
something has reached, risen above, or fallen below

[1]



tideover

tideover
tide
over
transitive verb

help somebody through
difficulty: to help somebody through a
difficult time, especially with a loan or gift of money[1]



tiderace

tiderace
tide
race
(plural tide rac·es) noun

fast current:
a fast tidal current[1]



tide-rip

tide-rip
tide-rip
(plural tide-rips) noun

See
rip tide[1]



tidetable

tidetable
tide
ta·ble
(plural tide ta·bles) noun

table giving details about
tides: a table showing the expected
times and levels of tides at a particular place[1]



tidewater

tidewater
tide·wa·ter 
[td wàwttər, td
wòttər] (plural tide·wa·ters) noun

1.  water
affected by tides: water whose movement or
level is affected by tides

2.  water
covering land at high tide: water at high tide covering
land that is dry at low tide

3.  seacoast:
a coastal region, especially that of eastern Virginia

[1]



Tidewater

Tidewater
Tide·wa·ter
noun

eastern Virginian dialect:
an English dialect spoken in eastern Virginia[1]



tideway

tideway
tide·way 
[td wày] (plural tide·ways) noun

1.  tidal
channel:
a channel in which a tide runs

2.  tidal
current:
a current in a tidal channel

[1]



tidings

tidings
tid·ings
[tdingz] plural noun

news:
news or information (literary) • I
bring you glad tidings.
[Old English tīdung,
an alteration of Old Norse tíðendi “events”][1]



tidy

tidy
ti·dy 
[tdee] adjective (comparative
ti·di·er, superlative ti·di·est)

1.  neat
in appearance: having a neat orderly appearance

2.  methodical:
tending to perform tasks in a systematic way

3.  considerable:
considerable and significant (informal) • cost
a tidy sum

4.  New
Zealand,
U.S. satisfactory:
adequate or satisfactory, especially when circumstances are taken into account
(informal) • negotiated a tidy
redundancy package
intransitive
and transitive verb (past ti·died,
past participle ti·died, present participle ti·dy·ing,
3rd person present singular ti·dies)

make somebody or something tidy:
to make somebody or something neat and orderly
noun
(plural ti·dies)

1.  HOUSEHOLD covering
for back of chair: an ornamental protective
covering for the back of a chair or sofa

2.  box
for holding small objects: a box for holding small
objects that would otherwise be messily unsorted • a
desk tidy
[13th
century. Formed from tide in the obsolete
sense “time.” The main modern meaning evolved via the senses “timely, at an
appropriate time” and “good.”]
—ti·di·ly,
adverb

—ti·di·ness, noun[1]



tidytips

tidytips
ti·dy·tips 
[tdi tìps] (plural ti·dy·tips)
noun

plant resembling a daisy:
an annual plant with yellow white-tipped flowers resembling daisies, native to
the western United States and cultivated as an ornamental. Latin name: Layia
platyglossa[1]



tie

tie
tie 
[t] verb (past tied, past
participle tied, present participle ty·ing, 3rd
person present singular ties)

1.  transitive
verb
fasten
things with rope: to fasten things together with a rope,
string, or cord

2.  transitive
verb
fasten
something by knotting: to fasten something with a
knot or bow

3.  transitive
verb
make
a knot:
to make a knot or bow with rope, string, or cord

4.  transitive
verb
connect
things:
to make a connection or link between people or things

5.  transitive
verb
restrict:
to restrict somebody to certain conditions

6.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS LEISURE have an equal score:
to achieve the same score or place as somebody else in a game, race, or
competition

7.  transitive
verb
MUSIC sustain
a musical note: to hold a note from one bar to the next,
thereby extending its value

8.  transitive
verb
MUSIC connect
notes with a curved line: in musical notation, to
connect two notes with a curved line
noun
(plural ties)

1.  ACCESSORIES strip
of fabric worn around neck: a long tapering piece of
fabric worn around the neck, under a shirt collar, and tied at the front so
that the ends hang down the front of the shirt.
See
also
bow tie
See
also
bolo tie

2.  something
used for attaching: a long thin piece of
something such as rope or wire used to fasten or close something else • Where
are the twist ties for the garbage bags?

3.  something
that forms a connection: something that links or
unites people or things

4.  SPORTS LEISURE equal outcome of a contest:
an equal score or result in a game, race, or competition

5.  RAIL wooden
beam supporting a rail: a wooden beam laid across a
railroad track to support the rails.
U.K.
term
sleeper

6.  something
that restricts: something that restricts or confines
somebody or something

7.  CONSTRUCTION strengthening
beam:
a connecting, strengthening, or supporting beam or rod

8.  MUSIC curved
line indicating extension of notes: a
curved line shown above or below two notes of the same pitch, indicating that
they are to be sounded without a break for their combined duration.
Also
called
ligature

9.  CIVIL ENGINEERING surveying
measurement: either of two measurements on a survey
line used to fix the position of a reference point
adjective

SPORTS made
equal:
having an equal outcome
[Old
English tīgan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
pull” (also the ancestor of English tug
).]
fit
to be tied

extremely angry or
exasperated (informal)[1]



tieback

tieback
tie·back 
[t bàk] (plural tie·backs) noun

cord for holding back a
curtain: a length of cord or fabric
used to hold a curtain to one side[1]



tiebeam

tiebeam
tie
beam 
(plural tie beams) noun

beam that prevents a
structure spreading: a beam such
as the bottom horizontal member of a roof truss that pulls together a structure
and stops it spreading outward[1]



tiebreaker

tiebreaker
tie·break·er 
[t bràykər] (plural tie·break·ers)
or tie-break [t bràykər] (plural
tie-breaks) noun

method of deciding the winner
in a tie: a means of deciding the
winner of a game or competition when there is a tie[1]



tiebreaking

tiebreaking
tie·break·ing
[t bràyking] adjective

deciding the winner:
deciding the winner of a game or competition when there is a tie • the
tiebreaking question[1]



tieclip

tieclip
tie
clip
(plural tie clips) or tie clasp (plural tie
clasps) noun

clip for holding a necktie in
place: an ornamental clip that
holds a necktie in place[1]



tied

tied
tied
[td] adjective

loaned for the purchase of
the lender’s goods: loaned on
condition of being spent only on goods or services supplied by the lender[1]



tiedown

tiedown
tie
down
transitive verb

restrict somebody:
prevent somebody from acting freely[1]



tie-dye

tie-dye
tie-dye 
transitive verb

dye designs using bunched cloth:
to dye designs on cloth by tightly tying portions of it with waxed thread so
that the dye only affects the exposed areas
noun

1.  fabric
with tie-dyed designs: a piece of fabric whose
designs are made by tie-dyeing (informal)

2.  See
tie-dyeing

[1]



tie-dyeing

tie-dyeing
tie-dye·ing
noun

production of variegated dye
patterns: a method of dyeing textiles
to produce patterns by tightly tying waxed thread around sections of the fabric
so that they will not become impregnated with the dye.
Also called
tie-dye[1]



tie-in

tie-in
tie-in 
(plural tie-ins) noun

1.  link:
a link or relationship with something

2.  joint
promotion of products: an arrangement by which
related products are sold, promoted, or marketed together, for example, a book
or toy along with a movie

3.  related
product:
a product that is sold, promoted, or marketed in close connection with another

4.  sale
requiring dual purchases: a sale in which items are
advertised or sold with the stipulation that they must be purchased together,
or a product sold in this way

[1]



tieline

tieline
tie
line
(plural tie lines) noun

line connecting private
exchanges: a telephone line that
connects two private exchanges[1]



tiemannite

tiemannite
tie·man·nite 
[tmə nt] noun

compound
of mercury and selenium: a dark gray mineral form of
mercury selenide
[Mid-19th century. From
German Tiemannit, named for the German scientist J. C. W. F. Tiemann
( 1848–1899 ).][1]



TienShan

TienShan
Tien
Shan 
[tyèn shn]

mountain range in Central
Asia, stretching about 2,400 km/1,500 mi from Kyrgyzstan in the west through
northwestern China to Mongolia in the east. The highest point is Victory Peak,
7,439 m/24,406 ft .[1]



tiepin

tiepin
tie·pin
[t pìn] (plural tie·pins) noun

See
tie tack[1]



tier

tier
tier
[teer] noun (plural tiers)

1.  row
of seats in rising series: any of a series of rows
placed one above and behind another, for example, seats in a theater

2.  layer:
any of a series of layers or levels placed one above the other (often used
in combination) • a
three-tier cake

3.  level
in hierarchy: a hierarchical level in an organization
(often used in combination)
transitive
verb
(past tiered, past participle tiered, present
participle tier·ing, 3rd person present singular tiers)

arrange something in rising rows:
to arrange something in rows rising one above the other
[15th century. From French tire
“rank, sequence, order,” from tirer “to draw out, elongate.”][1]



tierce

tierce
tierce 
[teers] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY See terce

2.  CARD GAMES three
cards of the same suit: a sequence of three cards of
the same suit

3.  third
part:
a third or third part (archaic)

4.  FENCING parrying
position:
the third of eight positions from which a fencing parry can be made

5.  MEASUREMENTS former
measure of capacity: a former measure of capacity
equal to 42 wine gallons
[15th century. Via Old French
from Latin tertia, a form of tertius “third.”][1]



tiercel

tiercel
tier·cel 
noun

See
tercel[1]



tiered

tiered
tiered
[teerd] adjective

layered:
arranged in layers or levels placed one above the other (often used in
combination)[1]



tierod

tierod
tie
rod
noun

rod connecting two things:
a metal rod that joins or supports two parts such as one used as a linkage in
the steering mechanism of a motor vehicle. Tie rods are also used to keep
trusses and arches from spreading.[1]



Tierradel Fuego

Tierradel Fuego
Ti·er·ra
del Fue·go 
[tee èrrə del fwáygō]

archipelago off the southern
tip of South America. Separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan,
and bounded by the Atlantic, the Antarctic, and the Pacific oceans, the islands
belong partly to Argentina and partly to Chile.[1]



tietack

tietack
tie
tack
or tie tac noun

decorative pin for a necktie:
an ornamental pin used to fasten a necktie to the front of a shirt.
Also called
tiepin
Also called
stick pin
U.K. term
tiepin[1]



tie-up

tie-up
tie-up 
noun

1.  connection:
something that connects one thing with another

2.  delay:
a temporary delay or obstruction, for example, in the flow of traffic

3.  NAUTICAL docking
place:
a mooring place for a boat or ship

[1]



tieup

tieup
tie
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
bind:
to fasten or bind something using rope or string

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL dock a boat:
to moor a boat or ship by securing lines, or be moored in this way

3.  transitive
verb
occupy
somebody or something: to keep somebody or
something busy

4.  transitive
verb
complete
something:
to complete the work needed for something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop:
to bring something to a halt, or come to a halt

6.  transitive
verb
FINANCE invest
money with restrictions: to invest money in such a
way that it cannot be used for other purposes

7.  transitive
verb
LAW place
restrictions on property: to place legal restrictions
on the selling or alienation of property

[1]



tiff

tiff
tiff 
[tif] noun

1.  quarrel:
a minor quarrel

2.  ill
humor:
a brief period of bad temper
intransitive
verb
(past tiffed, past participle tiffed, present
participle tiff·ing, 3rd person present singular tiffs)

argue: to
have a minor quarrel with somebody
[Early 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably originally a dialect word; thought to suggest the sound of
a “burst” of escaping gas.][1]



TIFF

TIFF
TIFF

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of tagged image file format[1]



tiffany

tiffany
tif·fa·ny 
[tíffənee] (plural tif·fa·nies)
noun

gauzy
fabric:
a fine gauzy fabric
[Early 17th century. Via Old
French tifanie from, ultimately, Greek theophaneia, literally
“vision of God,” perhaps because the body is visible through the material.][1]



Tiffany,Charles Lewis

Tiffany,Charles Lewis
Tif·fa·ny 
[tíffənee], Charles Lewis (1812–1902)

U.S. jeweler and retailer. He
introduced the British standard of sterling silver in the United States, and
founded Tiffany and Company (1853).[1]



Tiffany,Louis Comfort

Tiffany,Louis Comfort
Tif·fa·ny 
[tíffənee], Louis Comfort (1848–1933)

U.S. glassmaker and interior
designer. He is known for the stained glass, vases, and lamps produced by his
Tiffany Studios (1902–1932). He patented the iridescent glass used in his flowing
art nouveau pieces.[1]



TIFFfile

TIFFfile
TIFF
file
or TIF file noun

image file:
a graphic file in a format often used for storing bit-mapped images[1]



tiffin

tiffin
tif·fin 
[tíffin] noun

1.  South
Asia
light
meal:
a light midday meal or snack

2.  See
tiffin carrier
[Early 19th century. Variant
of tiffing, literally “drinking,” from obsolete tiff “to drink,” of
unknown origin.][1]



tiffincarrier

tiffincarrier
tif·fin
car·ri·er
noun

South Asia
snack container:
a carrier consisting of several metal containers stacked one on top of another,
used to carry prepared food.
Also called
tiffin[1]



tiger

tiger


ti·ger 
[tgər] (plural ti·gers or
ti·ger) noun

1.  large
striped feline: a carnivorous Asian cat, the largest
member of the cat family, that has a tawny coat and black stripes. Latin name: Panthera
tigris

2.  somebody
fierce:
somebody who is fierce, brave, or forceful
[13th century. Via Old French
tigre from, ultimately, Greek tigris, of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Iranian .][1]



tigerbeetle

tigerbeetle
ti·ger
bee·tle
noun

brightly
colored predatory beetle: a fast-running predatory
beetle that lives in warm regions. It has strong sharp jaws for digging and
brightly colored patterned wing covers. Family: Cicindelidae
[Tiger from its predatory
habits][1]



tigercat

tigercat
ti·ger
cat
noun

1.  small
cat with markings resembling a tiger’s: a
small striped or spotted cat such as the margay, serval, or ocelot

2.  tabby
cat:
a domestic cat with blotched or striped markings resembling those of a tiger

[1]



tigereye

tigereye
ti·ger·eye
[tgər ] noun

See
tiger’s-eye[1]



tigerlily

tigerlily

ti·ger
lil·y
noun

1.  Asian
plant:
an Asian lily that has red or orange flowers with dark purple or brown spots.
Latin name: Lilium lancifolium Lilium tigrinium

2.  lily
resembling the Asian tiger lily: any lily that
resembles the Asian tiger lily
[Tiger from its coloring][1]



tigermoth

tigermoth
ti·ger
moth
noun

spotted or striped moth:
a moth that has bold black and yellow or orange markings, especially on its
wings. Family: Arctiidae[1]



tigersalamander

tigersalamander

ti·ger
sal·a·man·der noun
large
N American salamander: a black North American
salamander with yellow or green stripes. It is among the largest of the
terrestrial salamanders, growing to 33 cm13 in. Latin name: Ambystoma
tigrinum
[Tiger from its stripes][1]



tigershark

tigershark
ti·ger
shark
noun

tropical shark:
a large striped or spotted shark that lives mainly in tropical seas and has a
voracious and indiscriminate appetite. Latin name: Galeocerdo cuvieri[1]



tigerswallowtail

tigerswallowtail
ti·ger
swal·low·tail noun

N American butterfly:
a large North American butterfly with a deeply forked tail and yellow wings
with black stripes. Latin name: Palilio glaucus Palilio rutilus[1]



tiger’s-eye

tiger’s-eye

ti·ger’s-eye 
noun
ornamental stone:
a striped yellow-brown rock composed of bands of quartz and fibrous silicate
crocidolite, used as a gemstone.
Also called
tigereye[1]



tight

tight
tight 
[tīt] adjective (comparative tight·er,
superlative tight·est)

1.  snug:
fitting the body very closely • a
tight sweater

2.  taut:
stretched so that there is no slack • pulled
the rope tight

3.  fixed:
firmly secured or held • a
tight knot

4.  sealed:
sealed against gas or liquid leaks • An air
lock must have a tight seal.

5.  strict:
strictly controlled or administered • security
was tight for the conference

6.  cramped:
lacking sufficient space to move freely • It’s
going to be tight in the back seat.

7.  having
no extra time: allowing no time beyond what is needed
to do something • a tight schedule

8.  having
no extra money: allowing no money beyond what is
required • working
to a tight budget

9.  miserly:
excessively frugal with money

10. hard
to get out of: difficult or dangerous to handle • We’re
in a tight fix now.

11. with
close rivals: characterized by well-matched
competitors or teams • a
tight race

12. drunk:
intoxicated with alcohol (slang)

13. well
done:
arranged or performed with style and precision • a
tight performance by the whole team

14. succinct:
characterized by clear concise expression • tight
prose

15. intimate:
having a very close relationship with somebody (informal) • He’s
tight with his boss.

16. hard
to get:
characterized by conditions in which demand exceeds supply, often with
concomitant rising prices • a
tight economy
adverb

firmly: in a
firm, close, snug, or secure way • hold
on tight
[14th
century. Alteration of obsolete thight “dense, thick,” from Old Norse théttr
“watertight, dense.”]
—tight·ly,
adverb

—tight·ness,
noun
be
in a tight corner or spot

be in a difficult or
dangerous situation[1]



tighten

tighten
tight·en 
[tt’n] (past tight·ened, past
participle tight·ened, present participle tight·en·ing,
3rd person present singular tight·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

become
or make tighter: to become or cause something to become
tight or tighter
—tight·en·er, noun[1]



tightend

tightend
tight
end
noun

football player:
in football, an offensive end who lines up near to the tackle[1]



tightend

tightend
tight
end
noun

football player:
in football, an offensive end who lines up near to the tackle[1]



tightfisted

tightfisted
tight·fist·ed 
[tt fístəd] adjective

stingy:
disinclined to spend money[1]



tightknit

tightknit
tight·knit 
[tt nìt] adjective

1.  closely
connected:
closely united by love, friendship, or common interests • a
tightknit community

2.  well-organized:
arranged or functioning as a well-structured whole

[1]



tight-lipped

tight-lipped
tight-lipped
adjective

1.  reluctant
to talk:
unwilling to communicate • He is
remaining tight-lipped in the face of intense press speculation.

2.  having
the lips together: having the lips firmly
closed, for example, in anger or pain

[1]



tightrope

tightrope
tight·rope 
[tt rp] noun

rope
for a balancing act: a rope or wire stretched
taut and suspended above the ground, on which somebody walks or performs a
balancing act
walk
a tightrope

to have to deal cautiously
with a precarious situation, often one involving a choice or compromise[1]



tights

tights
tights 
[tīts] plural noun

1.  thick
one-piece garment: a one-piece close-fitting
garment made of opaque colored wool or cotton, covering the body from the waist
to the feet and worn by women and girls for warmth and casual wear

2.  dancer’s
one-piece garment: a one-piece close-fitting
garment covering the body from the neck or waist to the feet, worn by men and
women dancers and acrobats

3.  U.K.
See pantyhose

[1]



tightwad

tightwad
tight·wad 
[tt wòd] noun

miser:
somebody who dislikes spending money (informal insult)[1]



Tiglath-pileserI

Tiglath-pileserI
Tig·lath-pi·le·ser
I
[tìglath pī lzər] (1115?-1077? BC– )

Assyrian king. He expanded
his kingdom by conquering Babylonia and recovering Armenia from invaders.[1]



tiglicacid

tiglicacid
tig·lic
ac·id 
[tìgglik ássid] noun

thick
poisonous acid: a viscous poisonous colorless liquid
derived from croton oil, used in the pharmaceutical industry and perfumery. C5H8O2
[Tiglic formed from modern
Latin (Croton) tiglium, scientific name of the tree from whose seeds
croton oil is obtained, from medieval Latin][1]



tiglon

tiglon
ti·glon 
[tglən] (plural ti·glons) or
ti·gon [tgən] (plural ti·gons)
noun

cross
between a tiger and a lion: the offspring of a male
tiger and a female lion
[Mid-20th century. Blend of tiger and lion
.][1]



tigress

tigress
ti·gress 
[tgrəss] (plural ti·gress·es)
noun

1.  female
tiger:
a female tiger

2.  fierce
woman:
a fierce, brave, or passionate woman
[Late 16th century. Formed
from tiger on the model of French tigresse
“tigress.”][1]



Tigrinya

Tigrinya
Ti·gri·nya 
[tə grnyə] noun

LANGUAGE Ethiopian
language:
a Semitic language of northern Ethiopia that belongs to the Afro-Asiatic family
of languages
[Mid-19th century. From
Tigrinya .][1]



Tigris

Tigris
Tig·ris
[tígriss]

river in southwestern Asia.
It rises in southeastern Turkey, flows through Iraq, and joins the Euphrates to
form the Shatt Al-Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf. Length: 1,850
km/1,150 mi.[1]



Tijuana

Tijuana
Ti·jua·na 
[ti wnə, ti
hwnə]

city in northwestern Mexico,
just south of the United States border. It is an industrial and tourist center.
Population: 747,381 (1990)[1]



tike

tike
tike 
noun

See
tyke[1]



tiki

tiki
ti·ki 
[tkee] noun

1.  Maori
amulet:
a small carved human fetal figure, especially in greenstone, representing an
ancestor and worn as an amulet by some Maori and Polynesian peoples

2.  image
of a Polynesian god: a stone or wooden
representation of a Polynesian god
[Late 18th century. From
Maori .][1]



tikka

tikka
tik·ka 
[tíkə] adjective

marinated
roasted kabob: an Indian dish of skewered meat that is
marinated and then roasted in an oven
[Mid-20th century. From
Punjabi ikkā .][1]



til

til
til
[til] noun

PLANTS See sesame  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit tila .][1]



tilapia

tilapia
ti·la·pi·a 
[tə lpee ə, tə
láypee ə] (plural ti·la·pi·as or ti·la·pi·a)
noun

African
food fish:
a tropical African freshwater fish of the cichlid family, some species of which
are important food fish and have been introduced and cultivated worldwide.
Genus: Tilapia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, the genus name.][1]



Tilburg

Tilburg
Til·burg 
[tíl bùrg]

industrial city in North
Brabant Province, southern Netherlands. Population: 163,383 (1994)[1]



tilde

tilde
til·de 
[tíldə] (plural til·des) noun

mark
written over a letter: a mark (~) placed over a
letter to show that the pronunciation is nasalized, for example, over “n” in
Spanish, and over “a” or “o” in Portuguese
[Mid-19th century. Via
Spanish from Latin titulus “heading,” with the sounds in the middle
transposed.][1]



Tilden,Bill

Tilden,Bill
Til·den
[tíldən], Bill (1893–1953)

U.S.
tennis player. He won many singles and doubles titles, including seven in the
U.S. Open and three at Wimbledon.
Full name
Tilden II, William Tatem[1]



Tilden,Samuel Jones

Tilden,Samuel Jones
Til·den
[tíldən], Samuel Jones (1814–1886)

U.S. politician. He was
governor of New York (1875–1877). He ran for U.S. president and won the popular
vote but lost in the electoral college to Rutherford B. Hayes (1876).[1]



tile

tile
tile 
[tīl] noun

1.  BUILDING covering
for floors, roofs, or walls: a thin flat or curved piece
of baked, sometimes glazed, clay or synthetic material used to cover roofs,
floors, and walls, or for decoration

2.  BUILDING short
pipe in a drain: a short pipe of baked clay, concrete, or
plastic used in making a drain

3.  BUILDING hollow
block:
a hollow block of baked clay, concrete, or gypsum used as a building material
for walls or floors

4.  BUILDING tiles
collectively: tiles considered collectively

5.  GAME playing
piece:
a rectangular playing piece in various games such as mahjongg

6.  CLOTHES hat:
a hat (dated informal)
verb
(past tiled, past participle tiled, present
participle til·ing, 3rd person present singular tiles)

1.  transitive
verb
lay
tiles on something: to cover a surface with
tiles

2.  transitive
verb
fit
something with drainage tiles: to put drainage tiles
in something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING arrange windows:
to arrange the windows on a computer screen side by side so that all are
visible
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin tegula . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to cover” that is also the ancestor of English thatch .]
—til·er, noun[1]



tilefish

tilefish
tile·fish 
[tl fìsh] (plural tile·fish or
tile·fish·es) noun

deep-sea
fish:
a long blue fish with yellow spots on its upper body, found in deep waters of
the Atlantic off the coast of North America. Latin name: Lopholatilus
chamaeleonticeps
[Late 19th century. Tile from
the genus Lopholatilus, and perhaps also from the bright coloring resembling
ornamental tiles.][1]



tiling

tiling
til·ing 
[tling] noun

1.  laid
tiles:
tiles that have been laid

2.  laying
of tiles:
the laying of tiles on a wall or floor

3.  tiles:
tiles collectively

[1]



till

till3
till3 [til]
(past tilled, past participle tilled, present
participle till·ing, 3rd person present singular tills)
transitive verb

prepare
land for crops: to prepare land for the growing of crops
by plowing or harrowing
[Old
English tilian “to cultivate,” earlier “to strive to obtain something.”
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “an aim, purpose.”]
—till·a·ble,
adjective

—til·ler, noun[1]



till

till2
till2 [til]
noun

1.  container
for money:
a box, drawer, or tray, for example, in a cash register, in which money is kept

2.  money:
available cash
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps via Anglo-Norman tylle from Old French tille
“compartment, shelter on a ship,” from Scandinavian .][1]



till

till1
till1 [til]
conjunction preposition

until:
until
[Old
English til “up to a particular point,” from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “aim, goal”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  till
  or until ?
  Both
  words have the same meaning and function (preposition and conjunction), and
  are largely interchangeable. In practice, however, till
  is more informal than until and is more
  likely to be heard in speech: • Just
  wait till we get home! Until
  is more usual at the beginning of a sentence: • Until
  last week there was no one here that we knew. The
  spellings ’til and ’till reflect the commonly held belief that till is a shortened form of until, but till
  is in fact the older form.

[1]



till

till4
till4 [til]
noun

GEOGRAPHY glacial
deposit:
sediment of various particle sizes deposited by the direct action of ice.
Also
called
boulder clay
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tillage

tillage
till·age 
[tíllij] noun

1.  tilling
of land:
the plowing or harrowing of land in preparation for growing crops

2.  tilled
land:
land that has been tilled

[1]



tillandsia

tillandsia
til·land·si·a 
[ti lándzee ə] noun

tropical
plant of the pineapple family: an epiphytic plant of
the pineapple family such as Spanish moss that grows in tropical or subtropical
America. Genus: Tillandsia
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, the genus name, from the name of Elias Tillands (1640–1693), a
Swedish botanist.][1]



tiller

tiller2
til·ler2  [tíllər]
noun

AGRICULTURE
digger of soil:
a person or machine that plows or cultivates the soil[1]



tiller

tiller3
til·ler3 [tíllər]
noun

BOTANY plant
shoot:
a shoot growing from the base of a stem, especially the stem of a grass
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old English telgor “extended,” from telga
“branch.”][1]



tiller

tiller1
til·ler1 [tíllər]
noun

NAUTICAL handle
for steering a boat: the means by which a small
boat is steered, consisting of a handle attached to the rudder
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman telier “weaver’s beam,” from, ultimately, Latin tela
“web.” The modern meaning evolved via “the beam of a crossbow.”][1]



tillerman

tillerman
til·ler·man
[tíllərman] (plural til·ler·men
[tíllərmən]) noun

somebody steering boat:
somebody who handles the tiller and steers a boat[1]



Tilley,Samuel Leonard

Tilley,Samuel Leonard
Til·ley
[tíllee], Sir Samuel Leonard (1818–1896)

Canadian statesman. He was a
provincial and federal official who advocated confederation and the development
of Canadian railroads.[1]



Tillich,Paul

Tillich,Paul
Til·lich
[tíllik, tíllikh],
Paul (1886–1965)

German-born
U.S. philosopher and theologian. He emigrated to the United States in 1933. His
scholarly and popular books sought to reconcile existential philosophy and
contemporary secular culture with Christian faith, and included The Courage
to Be ( 1952 ) and Systematic Theology ( 1951–1963 ).
Full name
Tillich, Paul Johannes[1]



tilt

tilt1
tilt1 [tilt]
verb (past tilt·ed, past participle tilt·ed,
present participle tilt·ing, 3rd person present singular tilts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb slope:
to slant or cause something to slant • She
tilted her head as she listened.

2.  intransitive
verb
have
as a preference: to tend toward favoring a particular
opinion, course of action, or side in a dispute

3.  intransitive
verb
criticize:
to make a spoken or written attack on somebody or something

4.  intransitive
verb
combat:
to combat or struggle against somebody or something

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb HISTORY charge with a lance:
to attack an opponent using a lance

6.  intransitive
verb
HISTORY joust
with somebody: to take part in a joust against somebody

7.  intransitive
verb
HISTORY point
a lance:
to hold a lance ready for combat in a joust

8.  transitive
verb
use
a tilt hammer on something: to work on something using a
tilt hammer
noun

1.  act
of tilting:
an act of tilting or of causing something to tilt

2.  incline:
a slanted surface or position • his
hat was at a rakish tilt

3.  criticism:
a spoken or written attack on somebody or something

4.  preference:
a tendency to favor a particular opinion, course of action, or side in a
dispute

5.  HISTORY joust:
a jousting contest

6.  HISTORY lance
thrust:
a thrust made with a lance in a jousting contest

7.  See
tilt hammer
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from assumed Old English tyltan “to
fall over,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “unsteady.”]
—tilt·er,
noun
(at)
full tilt

at full speed[1]



tilt

tilt2
tilt2 [tilt]
noun

canvas
cover:
a canvas cover or canopy used to cover an otherwise open boat, booth, or
trailer of a truck
[15th century. From Old
English teld, perhaps influenced by tent
.][1]



tilth

tilth
tilth 
[tilth] noun

1.  tilling
of land:
the plowing of land in preparation for growing crops

2.  tilled
land:
land under cultivation

3.  condition
of land:
the condition of a piece of tilled land, in terms of its cultivation history
and suitability for crops

4.  degree
of fineness of soil: the degree of fineness of
soil particles in the topmost soil layer
[Old English tilþ(e),
from tilian, an earlier form of till 3][1]



tilthammer

tilthammer
tilt
ham·mer
noun

forging
tool:
a heavy drop hammer used to forge metal, pivoted by a lever.
Also
called
tilt
[Tilt because it can
be tilted][1]



tiltyard

tiltyard
tilt·yard 
[tílt yrd] noun

place for jousting:
a place, usually enclosed, where a jousting contest was held[1]



Tim.

Tim.
Tim.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Timothy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Timaru

Timaru
Ti·ma·ru
[tímməroo]

city on the east central
coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Population: 27,521 (1996)[1]



timbal

timbal

tim·bal 
[tímb’l] (plural tim·bals) or
tym·bal [tímb’l] (plural tym·bals)
noun
kettledrum:
a kettledrum (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From
French timbal, alteration (modeled on cymbale “cymbal”) of
obsolete tamballe, from (influenced by tambour “drum”) Spanish atabal,
from Arabic a -abl, literally “the drum.”][1]



timbale

timbale
tim·bale 
[tímb’l, tim bl]
noun

1.  dish
made in a mold: a dish consisting of a mixture of
ingredients, often set with eggs, made in a mold and served hot or cold

2.  cooking
mold:
a small deep or tall mold in which a timbale dish is made
[Early 19th century. From
French (see timbal ), from its shape.][1]



timber

timber
tim·ber 
[tímbər] noun

1.  growing
trees:
standing trees or their wood, especially when suitable for sawing into building
materials

2.  wooded
land:
land covered with trees

3.  U.K.
See lumber

4.  BUILDING large
wooden building support: a large piece of wood,
usually squared, used in a building, for example, as a beam

5.  part
of the framework of a ship: a large piece of wood used
in the framework of a wooden ship

6.  somebody
as suitable material for position: somebody who is
characterized as being suitable material for a position • She’s
definitely of congressional timber.
adjective

made of timbers:
constructed of timbers
interjection

warning of a falling tree:
used by a lumberjack to warn others that a tree has been cut and is about to
fall
transitive
verb
(past tim·bered, past participle tim·bered, present
participle tim·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular tim·bers)

provide something with timbers:
to build, cover, or support something with timbers
[Old English, “a building.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to build” that is also the
ancestor of English domestic . The
modern meaning evolved via the sense “building material.”][1]



timbered

timbered
tim·bered 
[tímbərd] adjective

1.  BUILDING constructed
of timbers:
made of timber or having exposed timbers (often used in combination) • a
half-timbered house

2.  wooded:
covered with growing trees

[1]



timberhead

timberhead
tim·ber·head 
[tímbər hèd] noun

top of a ship’s timber:
the top of a timber of a ship that projects above the deck and is used as a
tall post ( bollard ) for securing the ship
to a wharf or dock[1]



timberhitch

timberhitch
tim·ber
hitch
noun

knot:
a knot used to tie a rope around a spar or log that is to be hoisted or hauled[1]



timbering

timbering
tim·ber·ing 
[tímbəring] noun

timber:
timber or objects made of timber[1]



timberland

timberland
tim·ber·land 
[tímbər lànd] noun

forest:
an area of wooded land, especially one with trees that have commercial value as
lumber[1]



timberline

timberline
tim·ber·line 
[tímbər ln] noun

limit of tree growth:
the altitude or latitude above which trees will not grow.
Also called
tree line
U.K. term
tree line[1]



timberrattlesnake

timberrattlesnake
tim·ber
rat·tle·snake noun

poisonous yellow-brown
rattlesnake: a poisonous rattlesnake
of the eastern United States that is yellow-brown with wide dark bands and
feeds on small mammals. Latin name: Crotalus horridus[1]



timberwolf

timberwolf
tim·ber
wolf
noun

See
gray wolf[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








timberwork

timberwork
tim·ber·work 
[tímbər wùrk] noun

timber construction:
something constructed of timbers, or the timber parts of something[1]



timbre

timbre
tim·bre 
[támbər, tNbrə]
noun

1.  PHONETICS speech
sound quality: the quality of a speech sound that comes
from its tone rather than its pitch or volume

2.  MUSIC musical
tone quality: the quality or color of tone of an
instrument or voice.
Also
called
tone color
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, originally “drum, bell hit with a hammer,” from, ultimately, Greek tumpanon
“drum” (source of English timpani ).][1]



timbrel

timbrel
tim·brel 
[tímbrəl] noun

biblical
tambourine:
in the Bible, a tambourine or small hand drum
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps literally “little drum,” formed from obsolete timbre
“drum,” from French (see timbre ).][1]



Timbuktu

Timbuktu1
Tim·buk·tu1  [tìm
buk t, tim búk t] noun

remote place:
a place that is far away or extremely remote (informal)[1]



time

time
time 
[tīm] noun

1.  system
of distinguishing events: a dimension that enables two
identical events occurring at the same point in space to be distinguished,
measured by the interval between the events. Symbol t

2.  period
with limits: a limited period during which an action,
process, or condition exists or takes place • elapsed
time

3.  method
of measuring intervals: a system for measuring
intervals of time • sidereal time
• Central
Daylight Time

4.  minute
or hour:
the minute or hour as indicated by a clock • What
time is it?

5.  time
as a causative force: time conceived as a force
capable of acting on people and objects • time’s
ravages

6.  moment
something occurs: a moment or period at which something
takes place • at
the time of her 90th birthday

7.  suitable
moment:
a moment or period chosen as appropriate for something to be done or to take
place • The
times for the games will be announced.

8.  unallocated
period:
a period that is not allocated for a particular purpose • I
had time on my hands

9.  period
needed:
a period required, allocated, or taken to complete an activity • How
much time?

10. period
with a particular quality: a period, activity, or
occasion that has a particular quality or characteristic (often used in the
plural) • They’ve
been through some rough times. • We
had an interesting time there.

11. appointed
moment:
a designated or customary moment or period at which something is done or takes
place • It’s
time to get up.

12. U.K.
closing
time:
the time at which a pub or bar is legally required to close

13. certain
interval:
a limited but unspecified period • We
stayed for a time.

14. historical
period:
a period in history, often characterized by a particular event or person (often
used in the plural) • in
Shakespeare’s time • ancient
times

15. now:
the present as distinguished from the past or future (often used in the
plural) • technology
that is ahead of the times

16. GEOLOGY geologic
division:
a chronological division of geologic history

17. anticipated
moment:
a moment in which some important event such as a birth or death is expected to
happen • He
knew his time had come.

18. somebody’s
lifetime:
a period during which somebody is alive, especially the most active or
productive period in somebody’s life • She’d
been a well-known athlete in her time. • We
didn’t worry about such trifles in my time.

19. apprenticeship
period:
a period during which somebody is an apprentice • had
served his time

20. prison
term:
a term in prison (informal) • serve
time for robbery

21. military
service:
a term of military service

22. season:
a period during which particular climatic conditions prevail • the
rainy times of the year

23. instance:
a separate occasion of a recurring event • I
told you three times.

24. MUSIC tempo
of music:
the relative speed at which a musical composition is played

25. MUSIC musical
beat:
the number of beats per measure of a musical composition

26. period
worked:
the period during a day or week that somebody works • working
half time

27. pay:
a rate of pay • paid double time

28. SPORTS playing
period:
a period of play in a game

29. SPORTS See timeout  noun 1
verb
(past timed, past participle timed, present
participle tim·ing, 3rd person present singular times)

1.  transitive
verb
measure
how long something takes: to measure or record the
duration, speed, or rate of something

2.  transitive
verb
schedule
something:
to plan the moment or occasion for something, especially in order to achieve
the best result or effect • time
an entrance

3.  transitive
verb
set
the time of something: to regulate or set the time
of something such as a clock or a train’s schedule

4.  intransitive
verb
stay
in rhythm:
to keep time to a rhythmic or musical beat
[Old
English tīma “period of time,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning
“to extend,” which is also the ancestor of English tide]
all
in good time

no
sooner than is appropriate

all
the time

continuously

at
one time

1.  at
a time in the past

2.  simultaneously

at
the same time

1.  simultaneously

2.  nevertheless

at
times

sometimes

behind
the times

out
of touch with modern fashions, methods, or attitudes

for
the time being

for
a short period of time starting from now

from
time to time

occasionally

have
no time for somebody or something

to
regard somebody or something with dislike or contempt

have
the time of your life

to
have a very enjoyable experience

in
good time

1.  early
enough • got
there in good time so we could find a parking space

2.  quickly

in
(less than) no time

in
a very short period of time

in
time

1.  early
enough • we
were in time for the concert

2.  after
some time has passed • He’ll
understand in time that you were trying to help him.

3.  in
the correct rhythm • clapping in time to the
music

in
your own time

at
a speed or pace that feels natural and comfortable

keep
time

1.  to
show the time accurately

2.  to
do something in the correct rhythm, or in the same rhythm as somebody or
something else

live
on borrowed time

to
enjoy an unexpected extension of life

make
time with somebody

to
pursue somebody as a sexual partner (informal)

on
time

at
the scheduled time

on
your own time

not
during working hours

pass
the time of day (with somebody)

to
engage in casual conversation with somebody

take
your time

1.  to
take whatever time is necessary

2.  to
do something unacceptably slowly

time
after time

or time
and (time) againrepeatedly

time
out of mind

for
an extremely long time

time
was

there
was a time in the past

[1]



timeand a half

timeand a half
time
and a half
noun

higher pay rate:
a rate of pay equal to one and a half times the normal rate, usually paid for
overtime work[1]



timeand motion study

timeand motion study
time
and mo·tion stud·y noun

efficiency analysis:
an analysis of the working practices of, for example, a person, department, or
factory, done with the aim of finding ways to increase efficiency.
Also called
time study
Also called
motion study[1]



timebomb

timebomb
time
bomb
noun

1.  bomb
exploding at a fixed time: a bomb with a timing
mechanism that allows it to explode at a specified time

2.  future
danger:
something that is not dangerous or harmful at the moment but is likely to
become so

[1]



timecapsule

timecapsule
time
cap·sule
noun

container with items buried
for the future: a container of articles
representative of the present, placed in a building’s foundation or buried for
a future generation to find and learn about the period it represents[1]



timecard

timecard
time·card 
[tm krd] noun

employee’s time record:
a card that an employee has stamped by a time clock when starting and finishing
work[1]



timeclock

timeclock
time
clock
noun

clock recording working
times: a clock with a mechanism for
stamping employees’ timecards when they start and finish work.
Also called
clock[1]



time-consuming

time-consuming
time-con·sum·ing 
adjective

taking up much time:
taking up or wasting a great deal of time[1]



timedeposit

timedeposit
time
de·pos·it
noun

deposit without instant
access: a bank deposit from which a
withdrawal can be made only after a specified period of time or after giving
notice[1]



timedilation

timedilation
time
di·la·tion
or time dil·a·ta·tion noun

theory of time relative to
motion: the principle that time
elapsed is relative to motion, such that time passes more slowly for a system
in motion than for one at rest relative to an outside observer. Further, as
predicted by Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, time passes increasingly
slowly as the motion relative to the observer approaches the speed of light.[1]



timed-release

timed-release
timed-re·lease 
or time-re·lease adjective

releasing ingredients slowly:
formulated with a drug that releases its active ingredient gradually to prolong
its effect[1]



timeexposure

timeexposure
time
ex·po·sure 
noun

1.  relatively
long exposure: the exposure of photographic film for an
unusually long time to achieve a desired effect

2.  photograph
with a relatively long exposure: a photograph taken by
time exposure

[1]



timeframe

timeframe
time
frame
noun

period:
a period of time during which something takes place or is planned to take place
• What’s
the time frame for the project?[1]



time-honored

time-honored
time-hon·ored 
adjective

traditional:
respected or continued because of having been the custom for a long time[1]



timeimmemorial

timeimmemorial
time
im·me·mo·ri·al noun

1.  distant
past:
time so distant in the past as to be beyond memory or record

2.  LAW time
before legal records: the time prior to a date
fixed as the start of the keeping of official legal records, before which no
claims or rights are valid

[1]



timekeeper

timekeeper
time·keep·er 
[tm kpər] noun

1.  SPORTS somebody
recording the time elapsed: somebody who keeps a record
of the time elapsed during a sporting event

2.  somebody
recording the time worked: somebody who keeps a record
of the time worked by employees

3.  watch
or clock:
an instrument for recording or showing the time such as a watch or clock
—time·keep·ing, noun[1]



timelag

timelag
time
lag
noun

delay:
an amount of time that passes between two connected events[1]



time-lapsephotography

time-lapsephotography
time-lapse
pho·tog·ra·phy noun

motion picture of slow
process: a method of filming a slow
process such as the opening of a flower by taking a series of single exposures,
then showing them at higher speed to simulate continuous action[1]



timeless

timeless
time·less 
[tmləss] adjective

1.  unchanged:
remaining invariable throughout time • fiction
that has a timeless appeal

2.  eternal:
having no beginning or end
—time·less·ly,
adverb

—time·less·ness, noun[1]



timelimit

timelimit
time
lim·it
noun

time allowed for something:
a period of time within which something must be done or is effective[1]



timeline

timeline
time
line
(plural time lines) noun

chronology shown pictorially:
a linear representation of significant events in a subject area shown in
chronological order, for example, the history of art[1]



timeloan

timeloan
time
loan
noun

loan repayable by a given
date: a loan that has to be repaid
by or on a given date.
See also
call loan[1]



timelock

timelock
time
lock
noun

lock opening only at set
time: a lock on a device such as a
safe or bank vault with a timing mechanism that sets it to open only at set
times[1]



timely

timely
time·ly 
[tmlee] (comparative time·li·er,
superlative time·li·est) adjective

1.  occurring
at a good time: happening or done at the right time or
an appropriate time • a
timely invention

2.  early:
early (archaic)
—time·ly,
adverb

—time·li·ness, noun[1]



timemachine

timemachine
time
ma·chine
noun

machine for traveling through
time: a fictional or hypothetical
machine that can be used to travel backward or forward in time[1]



timenote

timenote
time
note
noun

document specifying date for
repayment: a legal document such as a
promissory note that specifies a date for repayment[1]



Timeof Troubles

Timeof Troubles
Time
of Trou·bles noun

period without a tsar in
Russia: the period between the death
of Tsar Ivan IV, when the Boyars attempted to regain control of Russia, and the
selection of Michael Romanov as tsar in 1613[1]



timeout

timeout
time
out 
noun

short break:
a short break or rest from work or other activities • took
time out from her studies to travel for a year[1]



timeout

timeout
time·out
[tm òwt] noun (plural time-outs)

1.  SPORTS time
during which game stops: a break taken to allow
players to rest, receive medical treatment, confer, or be substituted.
Also
called
time

2.  COMPUTING lack
of response from a computer device: an
interruption in the operation of a computer when a device such as a printer or
disk drive does not respond to a command in a predetermined amount of time. A
timeout usually results in a message to the user giving the option of retrying
or canceling the command.
interjection

request for a break:
used to ask for or suggest a break in a game or an activity

[1]



timepiece

timepiece
time·piece 
[tm pss] noun

watch or clock:
an instrument for recording or showing the time such as a watch or clock,
especially one that does not strike or chime[1]



timer

timer
tim·er 
[tmər] noun

1.  time-setting
device:
a device that can be preset to start or stop something at a given time or that
sounds after a set period of time

2.  time-recording
device:
a device for recording, showing, or measuring time such as a stopwatch

3.  somebody
tracking time: somebody who measures or records elapsed
time

4.  AUTOMOTIVE device
controlling ignition: a device in an
internal-combustion engine that controls the timing of the spark in the
cylinders

[1]



time-release

time-release
time-re·lease 
adjective

See
timed-release[1]



times

times
times 
[tīmz] preposition

multiplied by:
used to indicate that a number is to be multiplied by another • Three
times two is six.[1]



timesaving

timesaving
time·sav·ing 
[tm sàyving] adjective

reducing
the time taken: designed to reduce the length of time
taken to do something
—time·sav·er, noun[1]



timescale

timescale
time·scale
[tm skàyl] noun

1.  period
of time:
a period of time scheduled for something to be completed

2.  time
measured relative to major events: a measurement of time
relative to the time in which a typical event occurs, for example, in geologic
or cosmic time

[1]



timeseries

timeseries
time
se·ries
noun

data collected over time:
a sequence of data gathered at uniformly spaced intervals of time[1]



timeserver

timeserver
time·serv·er
[tm sùrvər] or time-server [tm sùrvər] noun

opportunist:
somebody whose opinions and behavior change to suit the times and circumstances
without regard for principle
—time·serv·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



time-share

time-share
time-share 
[tm shàir] (past time-shared,
past participle time-shared, present participle time-shar·ing,
3rd person present singular time-shares) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  COMPUTING use
a computer simultaneously: to use a main computer
according to a system in which a number of individuals work from remote work
stations

2.  jointly
own property: to own a property jointly with others
who share its use
—time-shar·er, noun[1]



timeshare

timeshare
time·share
[tm shàir] (past time·shared,
past participle time·shared, present participle time·shar·ing,
3rd person present singular time·shares) noun

1.  See
time-sharing  noun 1

2.  LEISURE jointly
owned property: a property, usually an apartment in a
resort area, that is jointly owned by people who use it at different times

[1]



time-sharing

time-sharing
time-shar·ing 
noun

1.  LEISURE joint
ownership:
the joint ownership of a property such as an apartment in a resort area in
which each owner may occupy the property for a specific time during the year.
Also
called
timeshare

2.  COMPUTING simultaneous
computer use: a technique for the concurrent use of a
computer by many people working at remote terminals, each apparently operating
as the only user of the computer’s resources. The apparent simultaneous use is
possible because the computer’s processing speed is extremely fast in
comparison with any individual’s typing speed at a keyboard.

[1]



timesheet

timesheet
time
sheet
noun

record of working hours:
a sheet or card on which the hours worked by an employee are recorded[1]



timesignature

timesignature
time
sig·na·ture
noun

symbol showing musical meter:
a sign used in music to show meter, represented by a fraction in which the
upper figure shows beats per measure and the lower figure shows each beat’s
time value.
Also called
signature[1]



timessign

timessign
times
sign
noun

multiplication sign:
a multiplication sign[1]



timestable

timestable
times
ta·ble
noun

multiplication table:
a multiplication table (informal) (often used in combination)[1]



timestudy

timestudy
time
stud·y
noun

See
time and motion study[1]



timetable

timetable
time·ta·ble 
[tm tàyb’l] noun

See
schedule  noun 4[1]



time-tested

time-tested
time-test·ed 
adjective

proven effective over time:
proven to be effective over a long period[1]



timetrial

timetrial
time
tri·al
noun

race against the clock:
a race in which competitors compete individually for the fastest time[1]



timewarp

timewarp
time
warp
noun

distortion in time:
a hypothetical distortion in the continuum of space-time, popular in science
fiction, allowing time to stand still or people to travel from one time to
another[1]



timework

timework
time·work 
[tm wùrk] noun

work
paid by the hour: work paid according to the time it
takes, especially by the hour or the day
—time·work·er, noun[1]



timeworn

timeworn
time·worn 
[tm wàwrn] adjective

1.  having
deteriorated through long use: showing the effects of
having been used for a long period of time

2.  hackneyed:
having lost effectiveness through overuse • a
timeworn phrase

[1]



timezone

timezone

time zone
noun
area with the same standard time:
any of the 24 longitudinal areas into which the world is divided and within
which the same standard time is used[1]



timid

timid
tim·id 
[tímmid] adjective

unassertive:
demonstrating a lack of courage or self-assurance
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin timidus “fearful,” from timere
“to fear.”]
—ti·mid·i·ty
[ti míddətee], noun

—tim·id·ly [tímmidlee], adverb[1]



timing

timing
tim·ing 
[tming] noun

1.  judgment
of when to act: the ability to choose or the choice of
the best moment to do or say something, for example, in performing music or
comedy or in sports • a
comedian with an immaculate sense of timing • split-second
timing

2.  recording
of time:
the measurement and recording of the time taken to do something

3.  AUTOMOTIVE adjustment
of valves of engine: the adjustment of the
sequence and relative position of the valves and crankshaft of an automobile
engine such that maximum output power is achieved

[1]



Timişoara

Timişoara
Ti·mi·şoa·ra
[tmmee shwrə]

capital city of Timiş County,
western Romania. Population: 327,830 (1994)[1]



Timmins

Timmins
Tim·mins 
[tímminz]

mining city in eastern
Ontario, Canada. Population: 47,499 (1996)[1]



timocracy

timocracy
ti·moc·ra·cy 
[ti mókrəssee] (plural ti·moc·ra·cies)
noun

1.  government
by the propertied class: government in which the
possession of property is a qualification for holding office

2.  government
by people of honor: a form of government in
which honor is the guiding principle
[15th
century. Via French timocratie from, ultimately, Greek timokratia,
from timē “honor, value.”]
—ti·mo·crat·ic [tìmmə kráttik], adjective[1]



Timor

Timor
Ti·mor 
[t mawr, tee
máwr]

island in the Malay
Archipelago. It is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands,
bordered on the north by the Savu and Banda seas and on the south by the Timor
Sea. Population: 1,382,207 (1980) Area: 30,820 sq km/11,900 sq mi.[1]



timorous

timorous
tim·or·ous 
[tímmərəss] adjective

timid:
showing fear or hesitancy
[15th
century. Via Old French temoreus from medieval Latin timorosus,
from, ultimately, Latin timere “to fear” (source of English timid ).]
—tim·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—tim·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



TimorSea

TimorSea
Ti·mor
Sea

arm of the Indian Ocean
separating the island of Timor from northern Australia. Area: 450,000 sq
km/175,000 sq mi.[1]



timothy

timothy

tim·o·thy 
[tímməthee] or tim·o·thy grass
[tímməthee] noun
perennial
grass:
a perennial grass that grows in temperate regions, has a cylindrical flower
spike, and is widely cultivated for hay and pasture. Latin name: Phleum
pratense
[Mid-18th century. Named for Timothy
Hanson, an American farmer who introduced the grass from New York to the
Carolinas around 1720.][1]



Timothy

Timothy
Tim·o·thy 
noun

books in the Bible:
two books in the Bible, in the form of epistles addressed to Timothy,
traditionally believed to be from St. Paul. They are concerned with the
organization of Christian doctrine and codes of Christian behavior.[1]



Timothy,St.

Timothy,St.
Timothy,
Saint
[tímməthee] noun

disciple of St. Paul:
in the Bible, an early Christian missionary, and friend and disciple of St.
Paul.[1]



timpani

timpani


tim·pa·ni 
[tímpənee] or tym·pa·ni [tímpənee] plural noun
drums
in an orchestra: a set of two or more kettledrums,
usually played as part of an orchestra (takes a singular or plural verb)
[Late
19th century. From Italian, plural of timpano “kettledrum,” ultimately
from Greek tumpanon “drum” (source of English timbre ).]
—tim·pa·nist, noun[1]



tin

tin

tin 
[tin] noun

metallic element:
a silvery, easily shaped metallic element extracted from its oxide ore. It is
used extensively in alloys such as solder, bronze, and pewter and as a
protective coating for steel. Symbol Sn
transitive verb
(past tinned, past participle tinned, present
participle tin·ning, 3rd person present singular tins)

coat something with tin:
to coat or plate something with tin
noun

1.  U.K.
See can

2.  sheet-metal
container:
a lidded container made of thin sheet metal and often decorated

3.  corrugated
iron:
corrugated or galvanized iron
adjective

1.  made
of tin:
made from thin sheet metal coated with tin

2.  made
of corrugated iron: made of corrugated or
galvanized iron
transitive verb
(past tinned, past participle tinned, present
participle tin·ning, 3rd person present singular tins)

U.K. See
can
[Old English . Ultimately of
prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



tinamou

tinamou

tin·a·mou 
[tínnə m] (plural tin·a·mous or
tin·a·mou) noun
S
and Central American bird: a short round-bodied
ground-dwelling bird of grassy and jungle areas of Central and South America.
Family: Tinamidae
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Carib tinamu .][1]



tincal

tincal
tin·cal 
[tíngk’l] noun

sodium
borate:
a sodium borate mineral formed by the weathering of borax
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Portugese tincal, from Persian and Urdu tinkār,
ultimately from Sanskrit aṅkaṇa .][1]



tincan

tincan
tin
can
noun

1.  container:
a container made of tin or aluminum, especially one used for food

2.  naval
destroyer:
a naval destroyer (informal)

[1]



tinct

tinct
tinct 
[tingkt] noun

tint:
a tint (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tinct·ed,
past participle tinct·ed, present participle tinct·ing,
3rd person present singular tincts)

tint:
to tint (archaic)
adjective

tinted:
tinted or colored (literary)
[15th century. From Latin tinctus
“a dyeing” (see tint ).][1]



tinct.

tinct.
tinct.

Abbreviation of
tincture[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tincture

tincture
tinc·ture 
[tíngkchər] noun

1.  alcohol
solution:
a solution of a plant product or chemical substance in alcohol • tincture
of iodine

2.  tinge
or color:
a tint or slight coloration

3.  tiny
amount of something: a hint or small amount of
something

4.  HERALDRY heraldic
color:
a color, metal, or fur used in heraldry

5.  dye:
a dye or stain (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past tinc·tured, past participle tinc·tured, present
participle tinc·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular tinc·tures)

1.  add
a tint to:
to give something a hint of color

2.  imbue
with:
to suffuse something with a quality or property • praise
tinctured with criticism
[14th century. From Latin tinctura
“dyeing,” from the past participle stem of tingere “to dye” (source of
English tinge ).][1]



tinder

tinder
tin·der 
[tíndər] noun

material
for starting a fire: material such as dry sticks
that is easily combustible and can be used for lighting a fire
[Old English tynder,
from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to ignite, kindle”][1]



tinderbox

tinderbox

tin·der·box 
[tíndər bòks] noun

1.  HISTORY box
containing tinder: a metal box containing
tinder, often fitted with a flint and steel, formerly used for lighting fires

2.        somebody
or something potentially violent: a
person, place, or situation that is likely to become violent[1]



tine

tine
tine 
[tīn] noun

1.  prong:
a thin pointed projection of a utensil or implement such as a fork or pitchfork

2.  ZOOLOGY antler’s
branch:
a pointed branch of a deer’s antler
[Old
English tind]
—tined, adjective[1]



tinea

tinea
tin·e·a 
[tínnee ə] noun

fungal
skin infection: an infection of the skin caused by any
of several species of fungi that live as parasites on the outer layer of the
skin, nails, or hair
[14th
century. From Latin, “gnawing worm, moth.”]
—tin·e·al, adjective[1]



tineabarbae

tineabarbae
tin·e·a
bar·bae 
[tìnnee ə brbee] noun

barber’s
itch:
barber’s itch (technical)
[From Latin, literally “tinea
of the beard”][1]



tineacruris

tineacruris
tin·e·a
cru·ris 
[tìnnee ə krriss] noun

jock
itch:
jock itch (technical)
[From Latin, literally “tinea
of the leg”][1]



tineapedis

tineapedis
tin·e·a
ped·is
[tìnnee ə péddiss] noun

athlete’s
foot:
athlete’s foot (technical)
[From Latin, literally “tinea
of the foot”][1]



tinear

tinear
tin
ear
noun

insensitivity
to musical or speech sounds: an inability to perceive
differences in musical sounds or subtleties in speech (informal)
[From the idea of metal as
incapable of sensation][1]



tineid

tineid
tin·e·id 
[tínnee id] noun

tiny
moth:
a very small moth found throughout the world whose larvae either eat fabrics of
animal origin or are scavengers. Family: Tineidae
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Tineidae (plural), family name, ultimately from Latin tinea
“moth.”][1]



tinfoil

tinfoil
tin·foil
[tín fòyl] noun

1.  thin
aluminum sheet: aluminum in a very thin sheet, used to
wrap food

2.  thin
tin sheet:
tin, or an alloy of tin and lead, in a very thin sheet

[1]



ting

ting

ting 
[ting] noun
light
ringing sound: a light high-pitched ringing sound, like
that of a small bell
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tinged, past
participle tinged, present participle ting·ing, 3rd
person present singular tings)
ring
lightly:
to produce or cause something to produce a light high-pitched ringing sound
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ting-a-ling

ting-a-ling
ting-a-ling
[tíngə lìng] noun

tinkling
sound:
a tinkling sound resembling that made by a small bell
[An imitation of the sound][1]



tinge

tinge
tinge 
[tinj] noun

1.  slight
added color: a slight amount of a color added to
something

2.  slight
added element: a slight amount of something, for
example, an emotion or a flavor • with a
tinge of regret in her voice
transitive
verb
(past tinged, past participle tinged, present
participle tinge·ing or ting·ing, 3rd person
present singular ting·es)

1.  add
color to something: to add a slight amount of
color to something

2.  mix
in an element of something: to mix a slight amount of
something with something else • celebrations
tinged with sadness
[15th century. From Latin tingere
“to moisten,” hence “to dye” (via the sense “to dip into liquid dye”) (source
of English taint and tint ).][1]



tingle

tingle
tin·gle 
[tíng g’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past tin·gled, past participle tin·gled, present
participle tin·gling, 3rd person present singular tin·gles)

sting
or prickle somebody: to feel or to cause somebody
to feel a sensation of stinging, pricking, or vibration, for example, from cold
or a slight electric shock • The
frost made our faces tingle
noun

stinging
or prickly feeling: a sensation of stinging,
pricking, or vibration
[14th
century. Variant of an earlier form of tinkle
.]
—tin·gler,
noun

—tin·gling·ly,
adverb

—tin·gly, adjective[1]



tingod

tingod
tin
god
noun

somebody
self-important: somebody, often in a position of minor
authority, who behaves in a self-important, overbearing way
[In reference to tin as a
base metal][1]



tinhat

tinhat
tin
hat
noun

steel helmet:
a steel helmet (informal)[1]



tinhorn

tinhorn
tin·horn 
[tín hàwrn] noun

somebody
pretending to be important: somebody relatively
insignificant who pretends to be wealthy, influential or important, especially
a gambler (informal)
[Late 19th century. From the
horn-shaped metal can used to shake the dice in the game of chuck-a-luck.][1]



tinker

tinker
tin·ker 
[tíngkər] noun

1.  traveling
pot mender:
formerly, somebody who traveled from place to place mending metal household
items such as pots and pans

2.  unskillful
worker:
somebody who works clumsily or unskillfully, especially at repair work

3.  act
of fiddling with something: an act of fiddling with
something in an attempt to repair it

4.  somebody
good at many tasks: somebody able to do many
different kinds of work successfully

5.  ZOOLOGY young
mackerel:
a mackerel that is not fully grown
intransitive
verb
(past tin·kered, past participle tin·kered, present
participle tin·ker·ing, 3rd person present singular tin·kers)

1.  fiddle
with:
to fiddle with something in an attempt to repair it • had
been tinkering with the car all morning

2.  handle
something unskillfully: to handle something clumsily
or unskillfully

3.  be
traveling pot mender: to work as a traveling pot
mender
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from obsolete English tink “to
tinkle,” an imitation of the sounds made by tinkers repairing pots.]
—tin·ker·er, noun[1]



Tinkertoy

Tinkertoy
Tin·ker·toy 
[tíngkər tòy] Trademark

a trademark for a
construction toy consisting of pieces such as rods and wheels that can be
fitted together[1]



tinker’sdamn

tinker’sdamn
tin·ker’s
damn
or tin·ker’s dam noun

slightest
care:
the slightest possible amount of care, heed, or value (informal) (used
in negative statements) • This
car isn’t worth a tinker’s damn.
[Origin uncertain: probably
from the reputation of tinkers for cursing][1]



tinkle

tinkle

tin·kle 
[tíngk’l] verb (past tin·kled,
past participle tin·kled, present participle tin·kling,
3rd person present singular tin·kles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb jingle:
to make or cause something to make light metallic ringing sounds

2.  intransitive
verb
urinate:
to urinate (informal)
noun

1.  jingling
sound:
a series of light metallic ringing sounds

2.  act
of urinating: an act of urinating (informal)
[14th
century. Literally “to keep on making a faint metallic sound,” formed from
obsolete English tink “to make a faint metallic sound,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps an imitation of the sound.]
—tin·kly, adjective[1]



TinleyPark

TinleyPark
Tin·ley
Park 
[tínnlee paark]

village in northeastern
Illinois, northeast of Joliet, a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Population:
43,310 (1996)[1]



tinlizzie

tinlizzie
tin
liz·zie 
[tìn lízzee] noun

old
car:
a cheap, old, or dilapidated car (informal)
[From Tin Lizzie,
nickname for the Model T Ford automobile][1]



tinned

tinned
tinned
[tind] adjective

U.K.
See canned  adjective 1[1]



tinner

tinner
tin·ner 
[tínnər] noun

1.  tin
miner:
somebody who works in a tin mine

2.  See
tinsmith

[1]



tinnie

tinnie
tin·nie
[tínnee] or tin·ny [tínnee] (plural tin·nies) noun

Australia
can of beer:
a can of beer (informal)[1]



tinnitus

tinnitus
tin·ni·tus 
[ti ntəss, tínnitəss]
noun

persistent
noise in the ear: a continual noise in the ear such as a
ringing or roaring, usually caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, from tinnire “to ring, tinkle,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



tinny

tinny
tin·ny 
[tínnee] adjective (comparative
tin·ni·er, superlative tin·ni·est)

1.  having
a thin metallic sound: lacking a full resonant
sound • banging
out tunes on a tinny old piano

2.  consisting
of tin:
yielding, containing, or having the characteristics of tin

3.  tasting
of metal:
having a metallic taste

4.  inferior
in quality:
cheaply or shoddily made

5.  Australia,
New Zealand
lucky:
lucky (informal)
noun

Australia (informal)
See tinnie
—tin·ni·ly,
adverb

—tin·ni·ness, noun[1]



tin-opener

tin-opener
tin-o·pen·er
noun

U.K.
See can opener[1]



TinPan Alley

TinPan Alley
Tin
Pan Al·ley 
noun (dated)

1.  popular
music district: a city district in which the business of
composing and publishing popular music is carried on

2.  composers
and publishers: popular music composers and publishers
considered collectively
[Tin pan in the sense of
“tinny piano,” from the cheap pianos associated with music publishers’ offices][1]



tin-plate

tin-plate
tin-plate 
(past tin-plat·ed, past participle tin-plat·ed, present
participle tin-plat·ing, 3rd person present singular tin-plates)
transitive verb

coat
metal with tin: to coat sheet iron or steel with tin
—tin-plat·er, noun[1]



tinplate

tinplate
tin
plate
noun

tin-coated steel:
steel or iron in thin sheets coated with tin[1]



tin-pot

tin-pot
tin-pot
adjective

inferior:
inferior in quality or importance (informal insult)
[In reference to tin as a
base metal][1]



tinsel

tinsel
tin·sel 
[tínsəl] noun

1.  glittering
material:
a thin strip of glittering metal foil, paper, or plastic, used for decoration

2.  something
showy:
something worthless that appears glamorous
transitive
verb
(past tin·seled or tin·selled, past participle
tin·seled or tin·selled, present participle tin·sel·ing
or tin·sel·ling, 3rd person present singular tin·sels)

1.  decorate
with tinsel: to decorate something with tinsel or
other glittering material

2.  make
showy:
to give something a gaudy, flashy quality
adjective

1.  made
of tinsel:
made of or decorated with tinsel

2.  gaudy:
appearing glamorous but in fact worthless
[15th
century. Via French étincelé “sparkling” (particularly used of fabric
with metallic thread woven through it), from Old French estincele
“spark,” from Latin scintilla (source of English scintillate ).]
—tin·sel·ly, adjective[1]



Tinseltown

Tinseltown
Tin·sel·town
[tínsəl tn] noun

a
disapproving nickname for Hollywood and the U.S. movie industry as a place of
substantial glamour (informal)
[From its perception as
superficially glamourous][1]



tinsmith

tinsmith
tin·smith 
[tín smìth] noun

worker with tin:
somebody who makes or repairs objects made of tin or other easily worked
metals.
Also called
tinner[1]



tinsnips

tinsnips
tin
snips
plural noun

shears:
shears used for cutting sheet metal[1]



tinstone

tinstone
tin·stone 
[tín stn] noun

MINERALS
See cassiterite[1]



tint

tint
tint 
[tint] noun

1.  pale
shade:
a shade of a color, especially a pale one

2.  color
with white added: a color mixed with white to give low
saturation and high lightness

3.  trace
of color:
a slight amount of a color

4.  hair
dye:
a dye for the hair

5.  hint
of something: a barely noticeable addition of
something

6.  PRINTING background
color:
a pale color printed as a background onto which another color is printed

7.  ARTS shading
in engraving: a shading effect in engraving, produced
by a series of parallel lines
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tint·ed,
past participle tint·ed, present participle tint·ing,
3rd person present singular tints)

give a tint to something:
to color or shade something with a tint, or to acquire a tint
[Early
18th century. Variant of tinct, from the
past participle of Latin tingere “to soak,” later “to dye” (source of
English tinge ), from the idea of
“dipping into liquid dye.”]
—tint·er, noun[1]



Tintagel

Tintagel
Tin·tag·el
[tin tájjəl]

coastal village in Cornwall,
southwestern England, said to be the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur[1]



tintinnabulation

tintinnabulation
tin·tin·nab·u·la·tion 
[tìntə nabbyə láysh’n] noun

pealing:
the ringing of bells
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin tintinnabulum (see tintinnabulum
).]
—tin·tin·nab·u·lar [tìntə nábbyələr], adjective[1]



tintinnabulum

tintinnabulum
tin·tin·nab·u·lum 
[tìntə nábbyələm] (plural tin·tin·nab·u·la
[tìntə nábbyələ]) noun

small
bell:
a small bell with a high clear ring
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “bell,” from tintinnare, literally “to ring repeatedly,” from tinnire
“to ring,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



Tintoretto

Tintoretto
Tin·to·ret·to 
[tìntə réttō] (1518?–1594)

Italian
painter. Based in Venice, he painted large murals in the mannerist style, using
free brush strokes and dramatic foreshortened perspectives.
Real name
Robusti, Jacopo[1]



tintype

tintype
tin·type 
[tín tp] noun

PHOTOGRAPHY
See ferrotype[1]



tinware

tinware
tin·ware
[tín wàir] noun

utensils of tin plate:
objects made of tin plate, especially utensils[1]



tinwork

tinwork
tin·work 
[tín wùrk] noun

tin objects:
things made of tin[1]



tinworks

tinworks
tin·works
[tín wùrks] (plural tin·works)
noun

place for smelting tin:
a place where tin is smelted and rolled (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



tiny

tiny
ti·ny 
[tnee] adjective (comparative
ti·ni·er, superlative ti·ni·est)

small:
extremely small
noun
(plural ti·nies)

young
child:
a very young child (informal)
[Late
16th century. Formed from obsolete English tine “very small,” of unknown
origin.]
—ti·ni·ly,
adverb

—ti·ni·ness, noun[1]



-tion

-tion
-tion
suffix

an action or process, or the
result of it • pollution[1]



tip

tip2
tip2 [tip]
verb (past tipped, past participle tipped, present
participle tip·ping, 3rd person present singular tips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tilt
something:
to cause something to slant or to become slanted • sitting
with his chair tipped back

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb knock
something over: to turn something on its side or upside
down or become turned on the side or upside down • high
winds caused the truck to tip over on its side

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. dump
garbage:
to dispose of refuse

4.  transitive
verb
take
off your hat: to touch or lift a hat as a greeting
noun

1.  act
of tipping:
an act of tipping something

2.  tilt:
an incline from vertical or horizontal

3.  U.K.
garbage
dump:
a place to dump refuse
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .]
—tip·pa·ble, adjective[1]



tip

tip1
tip1 [tip]
noun

1.  pointed
end:
the end of an object, especially a narrow or pointed end • a
pencil with a sharp tip

2.  part
fitted on an end: a piece fitted to the end of something
else
transitive
verb
(past tipped, past participle tipped, present
participle tip·ping, 3rd person present singular tips)

1.  provide
or be end:
to provide something with an end or form the end of something

2.  cover
the end of something: to cover or decorate the end
of something • shoes
with steel-tipped toes

3.  take
the end off something: to remove the end from
something
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse typpi, from a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “upper extremity” that is also the ancestor
of English top and toupee .]
the
tip of the iceberg

the
small visible or obvious part of a largely unseen problem or difficulty

on
the tip of somebody’s tongue

1.  nearly,
but not quite, brought to mind

2.  on
the verge of being said but remaining unsaid

[1]



tip

tip3
tip3 [tip]
noun

1.  gratuity:
a gift of money for a service, especially as an amount above what is owed

2.  warning
or information: an item of advance, inside, or
confidential information given, for example, to warn of something about to
occur or to help in solving a crime

3.  helpful
hint:
a useful suggestion or idea for doing something • cooking
tips
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tipped, past
participle tipped, present participle tip·ping, 3rd
person present singular tips)

1.  give
a gratuity:
to give somebody a gift of money in return for a service, especially in
addition to what is owed

2.  inform
somebody:
to give somebody advance, inside, or confidential information
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from tip 4 .]
—tip·pa·ble, adjective[1]



tip

tip4
tip4 [tip]
noun

1.  light
hit:
a light glancing blow

2.  BASEBALL deflected
baseball:
a baseball struck so that it glances off the bat
verb
(past tipped, past participle tipped, present
participle tip·ping, 3rd person present singular tips)

1.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody lightly: to strike somebody or something with a
light glancing blow

2.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL deflect
baseball with bat: to strike a baseball so that
it glances off the bat

3.  intransitive
verb
Southern U.S. tiptoe:
to walk quietly on tiptoe
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Low German tippen, or from tip 1, from the
idea of touching something with the “tip” of something else.][1]



tipcart

tipcart
tip·cart 
[típ krt] noun

cart that tilts for emptying:
a type of cart whose load is emptied by tilting its body[1]



tipi

tipi
ti·pi 
noun

See
tepee[1]



tip-in

tip-in
tip-in 
noun

1.  BASKETBALL basketball
goal:
in basketball, a goal scored by lightly pushing a rebound into the basket with
the fingertips.
Also
called
tap-in

2.  HOCKEY hockey
goal:
in hockey, a goal scored at very close range by giving a short stroke with the
stick

[1]



tipoff

tipoff
tip
off
transitive verb

give somebody a warning:
to give somebody a warning or some useful advance information • the
police had been tipped off about their whereabouts[1]



tip-off

tip-off1
tip-off1 (plural tip-offs)
noun (informal)

1.  warning:
advance information or a warning given in an effort to help

2.  sign
of something: a sign or indication of something, or
that something is likely to happen

[1]



tip-off

tip-off2
tip-off2  noun

BASKETBALL
start of a game or period:
in basketball, the start of a period of play in which two players try to tap a
jump ball to one of their teammates.
Also called
tap-off[1]



tipper

tipper
tip·per
[típpər] (plural tip·pers) noun

somebody who tips:
somebody who leaves a tip or gratuity[1]



Tipperary

Tipperary
Tip·per·ar·y 
[tìppə ráiree]

former county in Munster
Province, southern Republic of Ireland. It now comprises the counties of
Tipperary North Riding and Tipperary South Riding.[1]



tippertruck

tippertruck
tip·per
truck
or tip·per lor·ry noun

U.K.
See dump truck[1]



tippet

tippet
tip·pet 
[típpit] (plural tip·pets) noun

1.  CLOTHES stole
with hanging ends: a stole or cape, often made
of fur, with long ends that hang down the front

2.  CHRISTIANITY stole
of Anglican clergy: the long stole worn around
the shoulders and over the robes of Anglican clergy during services

3.  CLOTHES hanging
end of a garment: a long hanging end worn attached to a
sleeve, hood, or cape up to the 16th century

4.  BIRDS bird’s
ruff:
the ruff of a bird

5.  ANGLING part
to which a fly is tied: in angling, the thin end
section of a leader to which a fly is tied
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from tip 1 .][1]



tipple

tipple2
tip·ple2 [típp’l]
(past tip·pled, past participle tip·pled, present
participle tip·pling, 3rd person present singular tip·ples,
plural tip·ples) noun

1.  device
for unloading ore cars: a device for tipping coal or
ore cars to unload them

2.  place
for unloading ore: a place where ore or coal
cars are unloaded

3.  place
for screening coal: a place where coal is
screened and loaded into trucks or railroad cars
[Mid-19th century. Literally
“to keep on unloading,” formed from tip 2 .][1]



tipple

tipple1
tip·ple1 [típp’l]
verb (past tip·pled, past participle tip·pled,
present participle tip·pling, 3rd person present singular tip·ples)

1.  intransitive
verb
drink
alcohol habitually: to drink alcoholic liquor
habitually or excessively

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb drink
alcohol repeatedly: to drink alcoholic liquor
repeatedly a little at a time
noun
(plural tip·ples)

alcoholic drink:
an alcoholic drink (informal)
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a back-formation from tippler “ale seller,” of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



tippler

tippler1
tippler1 noun

habitual drinker:
somebody who is a habitual drinker of alcohol[1]



tippler

tippler2
tip·pler2 [típplər]
(plural tip·plers) noun

domestic
pigeon:
a breed of domestic pigeon bred for flight or show
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tipple 2, so called
because it often turns over backward in flight.][1]



tippy

tippy
tip·py 
[típpee] (comparative tip·pi·er,
superlative tip·pi·est) adjective

likely to fall or tip:
not stable and likely to tilt or tip over[1]



tipstaff

tipstaff
tip·staff 
[típ stàf] (plural tip·staves
[típ stàyvz] or tip·staffs) noun

1.  metal-tipped
staff:
a metal-tipped staff carried as a sign of official authority

2.  LAW court
official:
a court official who once carried a staff, for example, a bailiff or constable

[1]



tipster

tipster
tip·ster 
[típstər] (plural tip·sters) noun

somebody
who sells information: somebody who provides or
sells information to people who bet on horseraces or to speculators in
financial markets
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tip 3 .][1]



tipsy

tipsy
tip·sy 
[típsee] (comparative tip·si·er,
superlative tip·si·est) adjective

1.  drunk:
slightly drunk

2.  likely
to tip:
inclined to tilt or tip
—tip·si·ly,
adverb

—tip·si·ness, noun[1]



tiptoe

tiptoe
tip·toe 
[típ t] intransitive verb (past
tip·toed, past participle tip·toed, present participle
tip·toe·ing, 3rd person present singular tip·toes)

1.  walk
with heels raised: to walk on the toes and the
balls of the feet with the heels off the ground

2.  move
cautiously:
to move or proceed quietly or cautiously
noun

position with heels raised:
a standing position in which the heels are raised off the ground and the weight
is on the front part of the feet, with the body often also stretched up to gain
extra height • walking
on tiptoe
adjective

1.  walking
on the toes: walking or standing on the toes or balls
of the feet

2.  cautious:
proceeding with caution or stealth
adverb

on the tips of toes:
on the toes or the balls of the feet
[14th century. Formed from tip 1 + toe .][1]



tiptop

tiptop
tip·top 
[típ tòp] adjective

top quality: of
the highest quality or rank (informal)
adverb

well:
exceptionally well (informal)
noun
(informal)

1.  highest
point:
the highest point

2.  highest
in quality:
the highest degree of quality or excellence
[Early 18th century. Doubling
of top, under the influence of tip 1 .][1]



tip-up

tip-up
tip-up
adjective

made to fold or tilt:
designed to tilt upward or fold up (dated)[1]



tirade

tirade
ti·rade 
[t ràyd, tī
ráyd] (plural ti·rades) noun

long
angry speech: a long angry speech, usually of
criticism or denunciation
[Early 19th century. From
French, “volley,” from tirer “to draw,” from assumed Vulgar Latin tirare
.][1]



tiramisu

tiramisu
ti·ra·mi·su
[trə m s, trə
mi s] noun

Italian
dessert:
an Italian dessert made with layers of sponge cake soaked in coffee, especially
espresso, Marsala or other alcohol, mascarpone cheese, and chocolate
[Late 20th century. From
Italian tira mi sù “pick me up.”][1]



Tirana

Tirana
Ti·ra·na
[ti rnə]

capital city of Albania, in
the central part of the country, situated 27 km/17 mi from the Adriatic coast.
Population: 251,000 (1991)[1]



tire

tire2
tire2 [tīr]
transitive verb (past tired, past participle tired,
present participle tir·ing, 3rd person present singular tires)

clothe somebody:
to attire or adorn somebody or something (archaic or literary)
noun
(plural tires) (archaic)

1.  attire:
clothing or attire

2.  head
covering:
a woman’s head covering or ornament
[14th century. Shortening of attire .][1]



tire

tire1
tire1  [tīr]
(plural tires) noun

1.  hollow
rubber edging: a circular hollow band of rubber fitted
around the edge of a vehicle’s wheel to ease movement and help absorb bumps in
road surfaces. It is filled with compressed air.

2.  solid
rubber edging: a circular solid band of rubber fitted
to a wheel’s edge, for example, on baby carrieages and children’s bicycles

3.  metal
edging:
a band of metal fitted for reinforcement to the rims of wheels on various
vehicles, for example, handcarts and railroad cars

[1]



tire

tire1
tire1 [tīr]
(past tired, past participle tired, present
participle tir·ing, 3rd person present singular tires,
plural tires) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  grow
or make somebody tired: to make somebody feel in
need of rest or sleep, or to grow weaker and less energetic and feel a need for
rest or sleep

2.  exhaust
somebody’s interest: to lose interest in and
become bored and impatient with somebody or something, or to cause somebody to
do this
[Old English tyrian,
of uncertain origin][1]



tired

tired
tired 
[tīrd] adjective

1.  needing
rest:
in need of rest or sleep, or weakened and made less active by exertion

2.  no
longer interested: having lost patience or
interest • grew
tired of hearing the same complaints

3.  overused:
no longer new or fresh because of overuse • a
tired old slogan
—tired·ly,
adverb

—tired·ness, noun[1]



tiredout

tiredout
tired
out
adjective

exhausted:
thoroughly tired[1]



Tiree

Tiree
Ti·ree
[tī r]

island of the Inner Hebrides,
western Scotland. Population: 950 (1991) Area: 76 sq km/29 sq mi.[1]



tireless

tireless
tire·less 
[trləss] adjective

indefatigable:
never slackening or stopping, and apparently immune to tiredness or fatigue
—tire·less·ly,
adverb

—tire·less·ness, noun[1]



Tiresias

Tiresias
Ti·re·si·as
[tī rsee əss] noun

mythological Theban seer:
in Greek mythology, a seer from Thebes who often delivered prophecies to
Oedipus. In the most common version of the myth, Athena struck him sightless
after he saw her bathing, but gave him the power of prophecy.[1]



tiresome

tiresome
tire·some 
[trsəm] adjective

annoying
or causing fatigue: causing weariness,
annoyance, or boredom
—tire·some·ly,
adverb

—tire·some·ness, noun[1]



TirguMures

TirguMures
Tir·gu
Mu·res
[tùrgoo mr esh]

capital city of Mures County
in central Romania. Population: 166,315 (1994)[1]



tiring

tiring
tir·ing
[tring] adjective

causing fatigue:
causing somebody to feel tired, usually because requiring great physical or
mental exertion[1]



tiro

tiro
ti·ro 
(plural ti·ros) noun

See
tyro[1]



Tiros

Tiros
Ti·ros
[t ròss] (plural Ti·ros) noun

weather
satellite:
a satellite with infrared and television equipment for transmitting weather
data to Earth
[Late 20th century. An
acronym formed from television infrared observational satellite .][1]



Tirsode Molina

Tirsode Molina
Tir·so
de Mo·li·na 
[trsō e mō lnaa] (1571?–1648)

Spanish
playwright and theologian. He is the author of several hundred plays, including
the comedy The Trickster of Seville ( 1630 ), which has the first
literary presentation of Don Juan.
Pseudonym of
Téllez, Gabriel[1]



Tirthankara

Tirthankara
Tir·than·ka·ra
[teer thúngkərə] noun

traditional
Jain holy man: a traditional holy man of Jainism,
belonging to a group who have attained personal immortality through
enlightenment and by their teaching have made a path for others to follow
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit tīrthaṁkaraḥ, literally “ford maker,” from tīrtham
“ford, passage” + kṛ- “to make” (source of English karma ).][1]



Tiruchchirappalli

Tiruchchirappalli
Ti·ruch·chi·rap·pal·li 
[tìrrə chirə púllee, ti rchi rpəlee]

city in southern India, Tamil
Nadu State, capital of the Tiruchchirappalli District. Population: 387,223
(1991) Former name Trichinopoly[1]



Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli
Ti·ru·nel·ve·li
[tìrr nélvəlee]

town in Tirunelveli District,
Tamil Nadu State, southern India. Population: 135,762 (1991)[1]



Tiryns

Tiryns
Tir·yns 
[tírrinz]

ancient city in Argolis
Department in the Peloponnesus, southern Greece, situated between Naplion and
Mycenae[1]



tisane

tisane
ti·sane 
[ti zán] (plural ti·sanes) or
ptis·an [ti zán] noun

herbal
beverage:
an infusion of leaves or flowers used as a beverage, for example, an herbal tea
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek ptisanē “barley water”.][1]



Tishab’Av

Tishab’Av
Tish·a
b’Av
[tìshə bv] noun

Jewish
fast day:
in Judaism, a fast on the ninth day of the month of Av to commemorate the
destruction of the First and Second Temples
[From Hebrew tišāh bĕā
“ninth of Av”][1]



Tishri

Tishri
Tish·ri 
[tíshree] noun

month
in the Jewish year: in the Jewish calendar, the
first month of the religious year and the seventh month of the civil year, 30
days long and falling in September and October
[Mid-17th century. From
Hebrew tišrî, of uncertain origin.][1]



Tisiphone

Tisiphone
Ti·siph·o·ne 
[ti síffənee] noun

one of the Furies:
in Greek mythology, one of the three Furies. The others were Alecto and
Megaera.[1]



tissue

tissue
tis·sue 
[tíshoo] (plural tis·sues) noun

1.  piece
of absorbent paper: a piece of soft absorbent
paper that can be used as a handkerchief or a towel

2.  See
tissue paper

3.  CELL BIOLOGY group
of cells in an organism: organic body material in
animals and plants made up of large numbers of cells that are similar in form
and function and their related intercellular substances. The four basic types
of tissue are nerve, muscle, epidermal, and connective.

4.  intricate
series:
an intricate interrelated series of things • a
tissue of lies

5.  TEXTILES gauzy
fabric:
a thin, finely woven fabric with a gauzy texture
[14th century. From Old
French tissu, from the past participle of tistre “to weave,” from
Latin texere (see text ).][1]



tissueculture

tissueculture
tis·sue
cul·ture
(plural tis·sue cul·tures) noun

1.  growth
of tissue:
the growth of tissue outside an organism in a nutrient medium, or the
techniques involved in the process

2.  tissue:
the tissue grown in a culture medium

[1]



tissuepaper

tissuepaper
tis·sue
pa·per
(plural tis·sue pa·pers) noun

thin wrapping paper:
a thin soft paper used for wrapping and protecting delicate items.
Also called
tissue[1]



tissuetype

tissuetype
tis·sue
type
(plural tis·sue types) noun

characteristic
of body tissue: the chemical characteristics of the body
tissue of an individual that determine whether or not the tissue is
immunologically compatible with the tissue of another individual
—tis·sue type, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



Tisza

Tisza
Ti·sza 
[tíss aw]

major tributary of the Danube
River in eastern Europe. Length: 970 km/600 mi.[1]



Tit.

Tit.
Tit.

Abbreviation of
Titus[1]



tit

tit2
tit2 [tit]
(plural tits) noun

small
songbird:
a small active songbird of the northern hemisphere with a short bill and strong
feet, for example, the bluetit, crested tit, or great tit
[Early 18th century.
Shortening of titmouse .][1]



tit

tit1
tit1 [tit]
(plural tits) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman’s breast (slang offensive)

2.  teat:
a teat
[Old English titt ;
ultimately from prehistoric Germanic][1]



titan

titan
ti·tan
[tt’n] (plural ti·tans) noun

powerful
person:
somebody whose power, achievement, intellect, or physical size is
extraordinarily impressive
[Early 19th century. Via
Latin from Greek, “Titan.”][1]



Titan

Titan2
Ti·tan2  noun

ASTRONOMY largest
moon of Saturn: the largest natural satellite of Saturn,
discovered in 1655. It is 5,150 km/3,198 mi in diameter and has a significant
atmosphere that is composed mainly of nitrogen.
[15th century. From Latin, used
for the sun god Helios (the original sense in English), from Greek .][1]



Titan

Titan1
Ti·tan1  (plural Ti·tans)
noun

MYTHOLOGY pre-Olympian
god:
in Greek mythology, one of the twelve children of Uranus and Gaea, supreme
rulers of the universe until they were overthrown by Zeus
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek .][1]



titanate

titanate
ti·tan·ate 
[tt’n àyt] (plural ti·tan·ates)
noun

salt of titanic acid:
a chemical compound that is a salt or an ester of titanic acid[1]



Titania

Titania
Ti·ta·ni·a 
[tī táynee ə, ti
táynee ə] noun

1.  queen
of fairies:
in medieval folklore, the wife of Oberon and queen of the fairies

2.  ASTRONOMY satellite
of Uranus:
the largest moon of the planet Uranus, the fourth most distant satellite
observable from the Earth, orbiting at a distance of 436,000 km/262,000 mi with
a diameter of 1578 km/947 mi. Although it was one of the first two satellites
of Uranus to be discovered in 1787, Oberon being the other, Titania is
officially designated as Uranus III.

[1]



Titanic

Titanic
Ti·tan·ic 
adjective

MYTHOLOGY
of Titans:
relating to or like the Titans of mythology[1]



titanic

titanic
ti·tan·ic
[tī tánnik] adjective

1.  very
large or strong: having extraordinary physical strength
or size

2.  powerful:
of extraordinary power, scope, or impressiveness

3.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS of
titanium:
relating to or containing titanium
—ti·tan·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



titanicoxide

titanicoxide
ti·tan·ic
ox·ide
noun

See
titanium dioxide[1]



titaniferous

titaniferous
ti·tan·if·er·ous 
[tt’n íffərəss] adjective

containing
titanium:
yielding or containing titanium
[Early 19th century. Coined
from titanium + -ferous
.][1]



Titanism

Titanism
Ti·tan·ism 
[tt’n ìzzəm] noun

spirit of defiance:
the spirit of defiance of authority, conventional society, and the established
order[1]



titanite

titanite
ti·tan·ite 
[tt’n t] noun

MINERALS See sphene
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from titanium .][1]



titanium

titanium

ti·ta·ni·um 
[tī táynee əm] noun
silvery
metallic chemical element: a corrosion-resistant
silvery metallic chemical element that occurs in rutile and ilmenite and whose
strength and light weight make it useful in the manufacture of alloys for the
aerospace industry. Symbol Ti
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Titan, on the model of uranium .][1]



titaniumdioxide

titaniumdioxide
ti·ta·ni·um
di·ox·ide
noun

white oxide of titanium:
a white crystalline compound that occurs naturally in rutile and other minerals
and is used as a pigment in paint for its durability and its ability to cover
surfaces. TiO2 
Also called
titania
Also called
titanic oxide
Also called
titanium white[1]



titaniumwhite

titaniumwhite
ti·ta·ni·um
white
noun

1.  See
titanium dioxide

2.  white
paint pigment: a brilliant white paint pigment
consisting primarily of titanium dioxide

[1]



titanosaur

titanosaur
ti·tan·o·saur 
[tī tánnə sàwr, tt’nə
sàwr] (plural ti·tan·o·saurs) noun

huge
dinosaur:
a huge herbivorous sauropod dinosaur of the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods,
found especially in South America. Genus: Titanosaurus
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Titanosaurus, genus name, from Greek Titan “Titan” +
sauros “lizard.”][1]



titanothere

titanothere
ti·tan·o·there 
[tī tánnə thr, tt’nə
thr] (plural ti·tan·o·theres) noun

prehistoric
N American mammal: a large mammal similar to a
rhinoceros that lived in North America during the Tertiary Period
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin Titanotherium, genus name, from Greek Titan “Titan”
+ therion “wild beast.”][1]



titanous

titanous
ti·tan·ous 
[tt’nəss] adjective

of or containing titanium:
relating to or containing titanium with a valence of three[1]



titer

titer
ti·ter
[ttər] (plural ti·ters) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY substance
concentration: the concentration of a substance in
solution as determined by titration

2.  BIOCHEMISTRY antibody
concentration: the concentration of an antibody
determined by how much it is diluted before it no longer reacts positively to
an antigen
[Mid-19th century. From
French titre “qualification, quality (of gold or silver alloy),” a
variant of title (see title ).][1]



titfor tat

titfor tat
tit
for tat
noun

repaying
of wrong done: the process or act of repaying a wrong
or injury suffered by inflicting equivalent harm on the doer (hyphenated
before a noun) • tit-for-tat strikes
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of tip for tap .][1]



tithable

tithable
tith·a·ble 
[təb’l] adjective

subject to payment of tithes:
required to pay or subject to the payment of tithes[1]



tithe

tithe
tithe 
[tī] noun (plural tithes)

1.  CHRISTIANITY individual’s
financial support for a church: one tenth of
somebody’s income or produce paid voluntarily or as a tax for the support of a
church or its clergy

2.  CHRISTIANITY obligation
of supporting a church financially: the
obligation to pay a tithe to a church or its clergy

3.  assessment
or contribution: any voluntary contribution or tax
payment, especially when it constitutes one tenth of somebody’s income

4.  small
part of something: one tenth or a small part of
anything
verb
(past tithed, past participle tithed, present
participle tith·ing, 3rd person present singular tithes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pay
one tenth of income: to contribute or pay one
tenth of your income or produce, especially to support a church

2.  transitive
verb
collect
one tenth of somebody’s income: to assess or collect
the payment of one tenth of somebody’s income
[Old
English tēoþa “tenth”]
—tith·er, noun[1]



tithing

tithing
tith·ing 
[ting] (plural tith·ings) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY paying
of tithes:
the assessing or paying of tithes

2.  one
tenth:
one tenth part of anything
[Old English tēoþung][1]



titi

titi1
ti·ti1 [tee
t, t t] (plural ti·tis)
noun

ZOOLOGY monkey
of S American forests: a tropical South American
arboreal monkey with a round face, thick soft fur, and a long tail. Genus: Callicebus
[Mid-18th century. Via
Spanish tití from Aymara .][1]



titi

titi2
ti·ti2 [t
t, t t] (plural ti·tis)
noun BOTANY

1.  evergreen
shrub with fragrant flowers: an evergreen shrub or small
tree of the southeastern United States that has glossy leathery leaves and
fragrant white or pinkish flowers. Latin name: Cliftonia monophylla

2.  evergreen
tree:
a small American evergreen tree or shrub with leathery leaves and yellow fruit.
Latin name: Cyrilla racemiflora
Also
called
leatherwood
[Early 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Titian

Titian

Ti·tian 
[tíshən] (1477?–1576)
Italian
painter. The foremost Venetian painter of the Renaissance, he painted portraits
and religious and mythological scenes that are noted for their rich coloration.
Real name
Vecellio, Tiziano[1]



titian

titian
ti·tian 
[tísh’n] or Ti·tian [tísh’n] adjective

auburn:
of a bright auburn color tinged with gold • titian
hair
[Late 19th century. Named for
Titian, who used the color frequently.][1]



Titicaca,Lake

Titicaca,Lake
Ti·ti·ca·ca,
Lake
[tìtti kkə]

lake in east central South
America, extending from southeastern Peru to western Bolivia. It is the largest
lake on the continent and the highest navigable lake in the world, about 3,810
m/12,500 ft above sea level. Area: 8,288 sq km//3,200 sq mi.[1]



titillate

titillate
tit·il·late 
[títti làyt] (past tit·il·lat·ed,
past participle tit·il·lat·ed, present participle tit·il·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular tit·il·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb excite
somebody:
to excite or stimulate somebody pleasurably, usually in a mildly sexual way

2.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to tingle: to cause a tingling
sensation in somebody by touching him or her lightly
[Early
17th century. From Latin titillare “to tickle.”]
—tit·il·lat·ing,
adjective

—tit·il·lat·ing·ly,
adverb

—tit·il·la·tion
[tìtti láysh’n], noun

—tit·il·la·tive [títti làytiv], adjective[1]



titlark

titlark
tit·lark 
[tít lrk] (plural tit·larks) noun

BIRDS See pipit
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from tit 2 + lark 1 .][1]



title

title
ti·tle 
[tt’l] noun (plural ti·tles)

1.  name:
a name that identifies a book, movie, play, painting, musical composition, or
other literary or artistic work

2.  descriptive
heading:
a descriptive heading for something such as a book chapter, a magazine article,
or a speech

3.  designation
added to a name: a word such as “Mr.”, “Ms.”, “Dr.”, or
“Lord” added to and usually preceding somebody’s name to indicate his or her
rank, social status, or profession, or as a courtesy.

4.  name
describing a position: a name that describes
somebody’s job or position in a company or organization • a
job title

5.  SPORTS championship:
the status of champion in a sport or competition • a
title fight

6.  LAW right
or proof of it: any legitimate right or anything
providing proof or justification for that claim

7.  PUBLISHING published
work:
a work published or recorded by a company • this
spring’s new titles

8.  LAW document:
a document giving the legal right to property

9.  LAW evidence
of property rights: the evidence of legal right
to property

10. PUBLISHING See title page

11. LAW claim
based on a right: a claim based on a legitimate right

12. LAW right
to possess property: a legal right to possess and
dispose of property

13. LAW division:
a division of a law, statute, or law book

14. LAW law
heading:
a heading for a lawsuit or legal action, or one that names a document or
statute

15. CHRISTIANITY requirement
of ordination: a source of income or office in the
church required of a candidate by the Church of England before ordination

16. CHRISTIANITY Roman
Catholic church in Rome: a Roman Catholic church in
or near Rome that has a bishop or cardinal as its nominal head
plural
noun
ti·tles

CINEMA TV credits or subtitles on
screen:
the written presentation on the screen of credits, narration, or subtitles in a
movie or television program
transitive
verb
(past ti·tled, past participle ti·tled, present
participle ti·tling, 3rd person present singular ti·tles)

1.  name
something:
to give a name or title to somebody or something

2.  call
somebody by a title: to call somebody by a title
[14th century. From Old
English titul and Old French title, both from Latin titulus
“inscription.”][1]



titled

titled
ti·tled 
[tt’ld] adjective

having a designation:
having a title, especially of nobility[1]



titledeed

titledeed
ti·tle
deed
(plural ti·tle deeds) noun

LAW
deed to property:
a deed or document that is evidence of somebody’s legal right to property[1]



titleholder

titleholder
ti·tle·hold·er 
[tt’l hldər] (plural ti·tle·hold·ers)
noun

1.  SPORTS holder
of a championship title: somebody who holds a sports
championship title.
Also
called
titlist

2.  LAW somebody
with title to property: somebody who holds legal
title to property
—ti·tle·hold·ing, noun[1]



titlepage

titlepage
ti·tle
page
(plural ti·tle pa·ges) noun

PUBLISHING
page showing the title:
a page at the beginning of a book that gives its title and the name of the
author and publisher[1]



titlerole

titlerole
ti·tle
role
(plural ti·tle roles) noun

CINEMA
THEATER mentioned
in the title: the role in a play or
movie that gives the work its name[1]



titlist

titlist
ti·tlist 
[tt’list] (plural ti·tlists) noun

SPORTS
See titleholder  noun 1[1]



titman

titman
tit·man 
[títmən] (plural tit·men [títmən]) noun Northeastern U.S.

1.  runt:
the runt of a litter, especially of hogs

2.  offensive
term:
a very small person (offensive)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from obsolete tit “something small, runt” (of uncertain origin: probably
from Scandinavian) + man .][1]



titmouse

titmouse
tit·mouse 
[tít mòwss] (plural tit·mice [tít mss]) noun

small
common bird: a small bird widespread in North
America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Genus: Parus
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by mouse ) of titmose, from obsolete tit “something
small, runt” (of uncertain origin: probably from Scandinavian) + mose
“titmouse” (from Old English māse ).][1]



Tito

Tito

Ti·to 
[ttō] (1892–1980)
Yugoslavian
statesman. After leading partisan forces against the Germans in World War II,
as president of Yugoslavia (1942–1977) he established a Communist state
independent of the Soviet Union.
Known as
Marshal Tito Real name Broz, Josip[1]



Titoism

Titoism
Ti·to·ism 
[t tō ìzzəm] noun

Tito’s
form of Communism: the form of Communism
associated with Tito and practiced by him in Yugoslavia, especially involving
the pursuit of national interests independent of the then Soviet Union and its
satellites
—Ti·to·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



titrant

titrant
ti·trant 
[ttrənt] (plural ti·trants) noun

reagent
added in titration: a reagent, for example, a
solution of known concentration, that is added in titration
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from titrate .][1]



titrate

titrate
ti·trate 
[t tràyt] (past ti·trat·ed, past
participle ti·trat·ed, present participle ti·trat·ing,
3rd person present singular ti·trates) transitive verb

measure
the concentration of a solution: to measure the
concentration of a solution by titration
[Late
19th century. From French titrer, from titre (see titer ).]
—ti·trat·a·ble [t tràytəb’l], adjective[1]



titration

titration
ti·tra·tion 
[tī tráysh’n] noun

way of determining the
concentration of a solution: a method of
calculating the concentration of a dissolved substance by adding quantities of
a reagent of known concentration to a known volume of test solution until a
reaction occurs[1]



titre

titre
ti·tre 
[ttər] noun

U.K. =
titer[1]



titrimetric

titrimetric
ti·tri·met·ric 
[ttrə méttrik] adjective

using
titration:
using or calculated by titration
[Late
19th century. Coined from titration +
-metric .]
—ti·tri·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



titter

titter
tit·ter 
[títtər] intransitive verb (past
tit·tered, past participle tit·tered, present
participle tit·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular tit·ters)

laugh
nervously:
to laugh in a nervous self-conscious way
noun
(plural tit·ters)

nervous
giggle:
a short high-pitched nervous laugh or giggle
[Early
17th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—tit·ter·er,
noun

—tit·ter·ing,
noun

—tit·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



tittle

tittle
tit·tle 
[títt’l] (plural tit·tles) noun

1.  tiny
bit:
the tiniest bit

2.  PRINTING mark
used in printing: a small mark used in printing and
writing such as an accent, punctuation, or diacritical mark
[14th century. From medieval
Latin titulus, literally “small superscript mark,” from Latin, “title.”][1]



tittle-tattle

tittle-tattle
tit·tle-tat·tle 
noun

gossip:
idle gossip
intransitive
verb
(past tit·tle-tat·tled, past participle tit·tle-tat·tled,
present participle tit·tle-tat·tling, 3rd person present
singular tit·tle-tat·tles)

to
gossip:
to gossip or chatter idly
[Early
16th century. Doubling of tattle .]
—tit·tle-tat·tler, noun[1]



tittup

tittup
tit·tup 
[títtəp] intransitive verb (past
tit·tuped or tit·tupped, past participle tit·tuped
or tit·tupped, present participle tit·tup·ing or
tit·tup·ping, 3rd person present singular tit·tups)

prance:
to move in a lively prancing way
noun
(plural tit·tups)

prancing
movement:
a sometimes exaggerated lively prancing movement
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound of horse’s hoofs.][1]



titubation

titubation
tit·u·ba·tion 
[tìchə báysh’n] (plural tit·u·ba·tions)
noun

stumbling
gait:
an unsteady or stumbling gait or a head tremor, often caused by a disorder of
the cerebellum
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
titubare “to stagger,” of unknown origin.][1]



titular

titular
tit·u·lar 
[tíchələr] adjective

1.  in
name only:
having a particular title, rank, or position but not possessing the power or
exercising the functions usually associated with it

2.  with
a title of rank: holding a title of rank

3.  from
a title:
derived from or figuring in the title of a work such as a book or movie

4.  CHRISTIANITY from
an inactive see: bearing the title of a see or monastery
that is no longer active
noun
(plural tit·u·lars)

1.  somebody
with a title of rank: somebody who holds a title
of rank

2.  holder
of a nominal title: somebody who holds a title
in name only
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin titulus “title.”]
—tit·u·lar·ly,
adverb

—tit·u·lar·y, noun[1]



Titus

Titus2
Ti·tus2  noun

book of the Bible:
in the Bible, a letter addressed to Titus, traditionally believed to be from
St. Paul. It contains advice on the organization of the Christian Church.[1]



Titus

Titus
Ti·tus 
[ttəss] (39–81)

Roman
general and emperor. He captured and destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. As emperor (79–81) he was noted
for his leniency and generosity, and he also completed the Colosseum in Rome.
Full name
Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus[1]



Titus

Titus1
Ti·tus1  [ttəss]
noun

disciple of St. Paul:
in the Bible, an early Christian leader, and a disciple of St. Paul.[1]



Tiv

Tiv
Tiv
[tiv] (plural Tivs or Tiv)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a W African people: a member of a people living
in West Africa, mainly in southern Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon

2.  LANGUAGE Tiv
language:
the language of the Tiv people, belonging to the Benne-Congo family of
languages. It is spoken by around 1.5 million people.
[Mid-20th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



Tivoli

Tivoli
Ti·vo·li 
[tívvəlee]

town in central Italy, near
Rome, location of the Renaissance-period Tivoli Gardens and the ruined villa of
the emperor Hadrian. Population: 54,352 (1990)[1]



Tiwa

Tiwa
Ti·wa 
[twə] (plural Ti·was or
Ti·wa) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a group of
Native North American Pueblo peoples who originally occupied lands in New
Mexico, and whose members now live mainly in Texas and northern New Mexico

2.  Tiwa
language:
the language of the Tiwa people. It belongs to the Tanoan family of languages
and is spoken by fewer than 5,000 people.
[Early 18th century. From
Tiwa .][1]



Tizard,Dame Cath

Tizard,Dame Cath
Tiz·ard
[tíz aard], Dame Cath (1931– )

New
Zealand politician. She was the first woman to become governor-general of New
Zealand (1990–1996).
Full name
Tizard, Dame Catherine Anne[1]



tizzy

tizzy
tiz·zy 
[tízzee] noun

state
of anxiety:
a nervous agitated state (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



T-joint

T-joint
T-joint
(plural T-joints) or tee-joint (plural tee-joints)
noun

T-shaped joint:
a joint in wood or other material forming the letter T[1]



tk.

tk.
tk.

Abbreviation of
truck[1]



TKO

TKO
TKO


BOXING
Abbreviation of technical knockout[1]



tkt.

tkt.
tkt.

Abbreviation of
ticket[1]



Tl

Tl
Tl

Symbol for
thallium[1]



t.l.

t.l.
t.l.

INSURANCE
Abbreviation of total loss[1]



Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala
Tlax·cala
[tlaaks klə, tlass
kállə]

capital city of Tlaxcala
State in east central Mexico. It is the site of the Church of San Francisco,
the oldest church in North America (1521). Population: 50,631 (1990)[1]



TLC

TLC
TLC

(informal) Abbreviation
of tender loving care[1]



Tlemcen

Tlemcen
Tlem·cen
[tlem sén]

town in northwestern Algeria.
Population: 126,882 (1987)[1]



Tlingit

Tlingit
Tlin·git 
[tlíng git, tlíngit]
(plural Tlin·gits or Tlin·git) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a group of
Native North American peoples that originally occupied coastal lands in
southeastern Alaska, and whose members continue to live mainly there and in
British Columbia

2.  LANGUAGE Tlingit
language:
the Na-Dene language of the Tlingit people. It is spoken by about 2,000 people.
[Mid-19th century. From
Tlingit, “person.”][1]



t.l.o.

t.l.o.
t.l.o.

INSURANCE
Abbreviation of total loss only[1]



Tlymphocyte

Tlymphocyte
T
lym·pho·cyte noun

See
T cell[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Tm

Tm
Tm

Symbol for
thulium[1]



TM

TM
TM

Abbreviation of
trademark[1]



T.M.

T.M.
T.M.

Abbreviation of
transcendental meditation[1]



T-man

T-man
T-man
(plural T-men) noun

Treasury special
investigator: a special investigator
of the Department of the Treasury (informal)[1]



tmesis

tmesis
tme·sis 
[tms is, mssiss,
tə mssiss] noun

separation
of word:
the separation of the parts of a word by inserting a word or words between them
[Mid-16th century. From Greek
tmēsis “cutting,” from temnein “to cut.”][1]



TMJsyndrome

TMJsyndrome
TMJ
syn·drome
noun

Abbreviation of
temporomandibular joint syndrome[1]



TMOT

TMOT
TMOT

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of trust me on this[1]



TN

TN
TN

Abbreviation of
Tennessee[1]



tng.

tng.
tng.

Abbreviation of
training[1]



tnpk.

tnpk.
tnpk.
or Tnpk.

Abbreviation of
turnpike[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TNT

TNT
TNT 
noun

yellow crystalline explosive
compound: a yellow flammable
crystalline compound used as an explosive and in making dyestuffs. C7H5N3O6 Full
form trinitrotoluene[1]



TO

TO
TO
or T/O

Abbreviation of
turnover[1]



to

to
to 
[(strong) too, (weak) t, tə] CORE
MEANING:
a preposition or adverb indicating the direction, destination, or position of
somebody or something • I met
him on his way to school. • She
climbed all the way to the top. • You’ll
see a supermarket to your left.

1.  indicates
direction:
indicates the direction or destination of somebody or something • He
was on his way to the party.

2.  indicates
position:
indicates the position of somebody or something • To
the right of the door is a bulletin board.

3.  forms
infinitive:
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive of that verb • I
want to leave now.

4.  indicates
purpose:
used with the base form of a verb to indicate the intention or purpose of an
action • The
news agency is used to distribute information.

5.  indicates
recipient:
indicates the recipient of something (used with a noun phrase to form the
indirect object) • Give
it to me.
• mail
sent to another user on the same computer

6.  indicates
direction of feeling or action: indicates who or what
a particular feeling or action is directed toward • I
was very grateful to her for everything she did for me.

7.  indicates
attachment:
indicates that two things are joined together • Each
triangle consists of three square faces joined to one another along two edges.

8.  until:
indicates that something goes on until a certain time or until it reaches a
certain amount • He closes the store on
Mondays and opens from Tuesday to Saturday.

9.  indicates
range:
indicates a range of things or topics • Medical
studies have explored everything from pollution to pesticides to genetics to
parental occupations to electromagnetic fields.

10. indicates
result of change: indicates what somebody or something is
changing into or becoming • Their
excitement soon turned to gloom when they saw what the climb entailed.

11. indicates
simultaneity: indicates that two things are happening
at the same time, especially that a particular sound or music accompanies
another action • I woke up to the sound
of the telephone ringing.

12. indicates
equality:
indicates equality, for example, of two weights, amounts, or measurements • There
are 12 inches to the foot.

13. as
compared with: indicates comparison between two things,
for example, scores in a game • The
score was 5 to 3 in favor of our team.

14. before
hour:
indicates the number of minutes before the hour • It
was five to seven before they arrived home.

15. at:
at (regional) • He’s
over to the doctor’s.
adverb

1.  shut
or almost shut: indicates that a door is shut or across
the opening but not completely or firmly shut • He
pulled the door to after him.

2.  conscious
again:
into a state of lucidity and consciousness • came
to in the recovery room • brought
the patient to

3.  NAUTICAL into
wind:
into the direction from which the wind is blowing • turned
the yacht to
[Old English tō . From
a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English too and tattoo
.][1]



toad

toad
toad 
[tōd] (plural toads) noun

1.  terrestrial
amphibian similar to frog: a small squat tailless
amphibian distributed nearly worldwide. It is similar to a frog but has dry
warty skin and, except for breeding in water, lives mostly on land. Family:
Bufonidae

2.  amphibian
that resembles toad: an amphibian similar to a
toad such as the horned toad but belonging to a different taxonomic family

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody considered loathsome or disgusting
(offensive insult)
[Old
English tādige, of unknown origin]
—toad·ish, adjective[1]



toadeater

toadeater
toad·eat·er 
[tṓd tər] (plural toad·eat·ers)
noun

toady:
a toady (archaic)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  term toadeater originated in the dubious
  selling methods of itinerant doctors. They employed an assistant who
  pretended to eat a toad (toads were thought to be poisonous), so that the
  doctor could appear to effect a miraculous cure.

[1]



toadfish

toadfish

toad·fish 
[tṓd fìsh] (plural toad·fish or
toad·fish·es) noun
bottom-feeding fish of warm seas:
a scaleless spiny bottom-feeding fish that lives in tropical and temperate seas
and has a broad flattened head and wide mouth. Family: Batrachoididae[1]



toadflax

toadflax
toad·flax 
[tṓd flàks] (plural toad·flax·es
or toad·flax) noun

1.  plant
with orange-and-yellow flowers: a plant native to
Europe but widespread in North America, with narrow leaves and spurred
two-lipped orange-and-yellow flowers similar to those of a snapdragon. Latin
name: Linaria vulgaris
Also
called
butter-and-eggs

2.  plant
related to common toadflax: a plant related to the
common toadflax and similar to it, but usually with lilac-colored flowers.
Genus: Linaria

[1]



toadspit

toadspit
toad
spit
or toad spit·tle noun

See
cuckoo spit[1]



toadstone

toadstone
toad·stone 
[tṓd stn] (plural toad·stones)
noun

charm against evil and
disease: a stone or similar object
believed to have formed in the head or body of a toad, formerly worn around the
neck as a charm against evil and disease[1]



toadstool

toadstool
toad·stool 
[tṓd stl] (plural toad·stools)
noun

poisonous
fungus:
a poisonous umbrella-shaped fungus with a spore-producing round flat cap on a
stalk
[14th century. So called
because it resembles a small stool and grows in environments where toads are
found.][1]



toady

toady
toad·y 
[tṓdee] noun (plural toad·ies)

somebody
servile and ingratiating: a self-serving person who
behaves in a servile sycophantic manner, flattering and fawning on people with
power or influence.
Also
called
toadeater
intransitive
verb
(past toad·ied, past participle toad·ied, present
participle toad·y·ing, 3rd person present singular toad·ies)

behave
ingratiatingly: to behave in an obsequious and
ingratiating manner
[Early
19th century. Shortening of toadeater .]
—toad·y·ish,
adjective

—toad·y·ism, noun[1]



Toamasina

Toamasina
Toa·ma·si·na
[twmə snə]

city and major port on the
Indian Ocean, in eastern Madagascar, situated about 209 km/130 mi northeast of
Antananarivo. Population: 127,441 (1993) Former name Tamatave[1]



toand fro

toand fro
to
and fro
adverb

1.  back
and forth:
moving backward and forward

2.  here
and there:
moving about here and there
—to-and-fro,
adjective

—to-and-fro,
noun

—to·ing and fro·ing, noun[1]



toast

toast
toast
[tōst] noun (plural toasts)

1.  FOOD bread
browned with heat: sliced bread that has been
browned on both sides with heat, under a grill, in a toaster, or in front of an
open fire

2.  call
to honor somebody or something: a call to a gathering
to honor somebody or something by raising glasses and drinking

3.  raising
of glasses to honor somebody: an act of raising a glass
and drinking in honor of somebody or something

4.  somebody
or something honored: somebody or something honored
by a toast

5.  admired
person:
somebody who is the object of much attention or admiration • the
toast of Hollywood
verb
(past toast·ed, past participle toast·ed, present
participle toast·ing, 3rd person present singular toasts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb FOOD heat and brown food:
to heat and brown bread or other food, or to become browned, on a grill, over
an open fire, or in a toaster

2.  transitive
verb
warm
body:
to warm the body or a part of the body near a source of heat

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb drink
in somebody’s honor: to drink or propose a drink
in honor of somebody or something
[14th
century. Via Old French toster “to roast” from, ultimately, Latin tost-,
the past participle stem of torrere “to scorch.”]
be
toast

to be in serious trouble (informal)
• Do
that again and you’re toast![1]



toaster

toaster
toast·er 
[tṓstər] (plural toast·ers) noun

appliance
for making toast: a small electrical appliance for making
toast that works by exposing the bread to heated electrical coils
[Late 16th century.
Originally used for “someone that toasts things.”][1]



toasteroven

toasteroven
toast·er
ov·en
noun

combined oven and toaster:
an electrical device that is portable and can work both as a toaster and as a
small oven[1]



toastmaster

toastmaster
toast·mas·ter 
[tṓst màstər] (plural toast·mas·ters)
noun

somebody presiding at
banquet: somebody who proposes toasts
and introduces speakers at a banquet or reception[1]



toastmistress

toastmistress
toast·mis·tress 
[tṓst mìstrəss] (plural toast·mis·tress·es)
noun

woman presiding at banquet:
a woman who proposes toasts and introduces speakers at a banquet or reception[1]



toastrack

toastrack
toast
rack
(plural toast racks) noun

stand for toast:
a stand that holds slices of toast on end and separate from each other[1]



Tob.

Tob.
Tob.

BIBLE
Abbreviation of Tobit[1]



tobacco

tobacco
to·bac·co 
[tə bákō] (plural to·bac·cos or
to·bac·co) noun

1.  dried
processed leaves: the dried leaves of a plant of the
nightshade family, processed primarily for smoking

2.  plant
whose leaves are smoked: a plant native to tropical
America and cultivated for tobacco. Genus: Nicotiana

3.  product
made from tobacco leaves: any of the products made
from tobacco leaves, for example, cigarettes

4.  habit
of using tobacco: the habit of using tobacco products

5.  crop
of tobacco:
a crop of tobacco referred to collectively
[Late 16th century. From
Spanish tabaco, of uncertain origin: possibly from Taino “roll of
tobacco, or pipe, for smoking” or perhaps from Arabic abbā “herbs.”][1]



tobaccobudworm

tobaccobudworm
to·bac·co
bud·worm
(plural to·bac·co bud·worms) noun

moth larva destructive to
tobacco: a destructive rust-colored
moth caterpillar that feeds on the leaves and buds of tobacco plants. Latin
name: Heliothis virescens[1]



tobaccohornworm

tobaccohornworm
to·bac·co
horn·worm
(plural to·bac·co horn·worms) noun

hawk moth larva destructive
to tobacco: the larva of a large hawk
moth of North America and the West Indies that feeds on the leaves of tobacco
plants. Latin name: Manduca sexta
Also called
tobacco worm[1]



tobaccomosaic

tobaccomosaic
to·bac·co
mo·sa·ic
noun

viral disease of tobacco:
a viral disease that affects tobacco and nightshade and is caused by the
tobacco mosaic virus[1]



tobaccomosaic virus

tobaccomosaic virus
to·bac·co
mo·sa·ic vi·rus noun

virus of tobacco and
nightshades: a retrovirus that
causes mosaic disease in tobacco and other plants belonging to the nightshade
family[1]



tobaccomoth

tobaccomoth
to·bac·co
moth
(plural to·bac·co moths) noun

moth that infests stored
tobacco: a drab gray scavenger moth
that infests tobacco and is a pest in tobacco storage facilities. Latin name: Ephestia
elutella[1]



tobacconist

tobacconist
to·bac·co·nist 
[tə bákənist] (plural to·bac·co·nists)
noun

seller
of tobacco products and supplies: a person or shop that
specializes in selling tobacco products and supplies such as cigarettes,
tobacco, and pipes
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from tobacco + -ist
.][1]



tobaccoroad

tobaccoroad
to·bac·co
road
noun

poor
rural community: a shabby poverty-stricken rural
community
[Mid-20th century. From the
title of a novel by Erskine Caldwell .][1]



tobaccoworm

tobaccoworm
to·bac·co
worm
(plural to·bac·co worms) noun

See
tobacco hornworm[1]



Tobago

Tobago
To·ba·go 
[tə báygō]

island in the West Indies, a
constituent part of Trinidad and Tobago. Population: 50,282 (1990) Area: 300 sq
km/116 sq mi.[1]



TobaSojo

TobaSojo
To·ba
So·jo
[tbaa sṓjō] (1053–1140)

Japanese artist and Buddhist
high priest. He is noted for his Buddhist icons and humorous paintings.[1]



Tobey,Mark

Tobey,Mark
To·bey
[tṓbee], Mark (1890–1976)

U.S. artist. He is noted for
the “white writing” calligraphic technique used in his abstract paintings.[1]



Tobit

Tobit
To·bit 
[tṓbit] noun

1.  biblical
character:
in the Bible, a pious Israelite living in Nineveh at the end of the 8th century
BC

2.  book
in Bible:
book in the Roman Catholic Bible and the Protestant Apocrypha. It tells the
story of Tobit.

[1]



toboggan

toboggan
to·bog·gan 
[tə bóggən] noun (plural to·bog·gans)

long narrow runnerless sled:
a long narrow sled without runners, made of strips of wood running lengthwise
and curled up at the front, used for coasting downhill on snow
intransitive
verb
(past to·bog·ganed, past participle to·bog·ganed, present
participle to·bog·gan·ing, 3rd person present singular to·bog·gans)

1.  ride
a toboggan:
to ride on a toboggan

2.  fall
rapidly:
to fall or decline rapidly (informal)
[Early
19th century. Via Canadian French tabagane from Micmac topaĝan
“sled.”]
—to·bog·gan·er,
noun

—to·bog·gan·ist, noun[1]



Tobruk

Tobruk
To·bruk
[tə brk]

city and port in northeastern
Libya, on the Mediterranean Sea. British forces were besieged there during
World War II. Population: 94,006 (1984)[1]



tobyjug

tobyjug
to·by
jug
[tōbee] (plural to·by jugs) or
to·by [tōbee] (plural to·bies)
or To·by [tōbee] (plural
To·bies) noun

mug
shaped like man: a beer mug or jug in the shape of a
stout man wearing a three-cornered hat.
Also
called
toby
[Mid-19th century. From Toby
(nickname for Tobias ), a common 19th-century name for a man or boy.][1]



toccata

toccata
toc·ca·ta 
[tə ktə] (plural toc·ca·tas) noun

keyboard
composition: a composition for a keyboard instrument
written in a free style that includes full chords and elaborate runs and is
intended to show off the player’s technique
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, from the feminine past participle of toccare “to touch,” from
assumed Vulgar Latin toccare .][1]



Tocharian

Tocharian
To·char·i·an 
[tō kérree ən] (plural To·char·i·ans)
or To·khar·i·an [tō kérree ən]
(plural To·khar·i·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of early Chinese people: a member of a people that
lived in the Tarim Pendi in western China before being defeated by the Uigurs
during the 9th century AD. They
are believed to have spread into China from Eastern Europe.

2.  LANGUAGE Tocharian
language:
the extinct Indo-European language of the Tocharian people. It forms a separate
branch of the Indo-European family and shows close resemblances to some western
branches of the family.
[Early
20th century. Formed from Latin Tochari, from Greek Tokharoi “the
Tocharians.”]
—Tocharian, adjective[1]



tocopherol

tocopherol
to·coph·er·ol 
[tō kóffə ràwl] (plural to·coph·er·ols)
noun

antioxidant
compound:
a fat-soluble oily compound with vitamin-E properties, present in vegetable
oils, leafy greens, and milk, and required for normal growth in most
vertebrates
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek tokos “childbirth” + pherein “to bear” + -ol .][1]



Tocqueville,Alexis de

Tocqueville,Alexis de

Tocque·ville
[tṓk vìl], Alexis de (1805–1859)
French
historian and political writer. After visiting the United States, he wrote the
influential Democracy in America ( 1833 ), his most famous work.
Full name
de Tocqueville, Alexis Charles Henri Maurice Clérel[1]



tocsin

tocsin
toc·sin 
[tóksin] (plural toc·sins) noun

1.  alarm:
an alarm sounded by means of a bell

2.  bell:
a bell that sounds an alarm

3.  warning:
any warning signal
[Late 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Old Provençal tocasenh, from tocar “to
strike” (from assumed Vulgar Latin toccare ) + senh “bell” (from
Latin signum “signal”).][1]



today

today
to·day 
[tə dáy] noun

1.  this
day:
this day, as distinct from yesterday or tomorrow

2.  present
age:
the present time or age • the
fashions of today
adjective

modern:
modern or of the present day • a
today look
adverb

1.  on
this day:
on or during this day • She is
working today.

2.  in
present time: during the present time or age • Children
today have far more sophisticated toys than we ever had.
[Old English tō dæge,
literally “to (this) day”][1]



toddle

toddle
tod·dle 
[tódd’l] intransitive verb (past
tod·dled, past participle tod·dled, present participle
tod·dling, 3rd person present singular tod·dles)

1.  take
short unsteady steps: to walk with short unsteady
steps, as a child does when learning to walk

2.  walk
unhurriedly: to walk at a leisurely pace (informal)
noun
(plural tod·dles)

1.  unsteady
steps:
an unsteady, tottering gait

2.  unhurried
walk:
a leisurely walk (informal)
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



toddler

toddler
tod·dler 
[tóddlər] (plural tod·dlers) noun

1.  young
child:
a young child who is learning to walk

2.  standard
sizes of children’s clothing: any of the standard sizes of
clothing for children between the ages of one and three

[1]



toddy

toddy
tod·dy 
[tóddee] (plural tod·dies) noun

1.  hot
alcoholic drink: a drink made with alcoholic liquor, hot
water, sugar, and sometimes spices.
Also
called
hot toddy

2.  palm
tree sap:
the sweet sap of a variety of Asian palm tree used as a beverage, either fresh
or fermented
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
tāṛī “palm sap” from, ultimately, Sanskrit tālaḥ “palm,” probably
of Dravidian origin.][1]



toddycat

toddycat
tod·dy
cat
(plural tod·dy cats) noun

See
palm civet[1]



to-do

to-do
to-do 
(plural to-dos) noun

commotion:
a fuss, especially an angry complaint or protest (informal)[1]



tody

tody

to·dy 
[tṓdee] (plural to·dies) noun
green
and red Caribbean bird: a small Caribbean bird
similar to a kingfisher with a short tail and round wings, a bright green back,
red throat, and a long straight beak. Family: Todidae
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via French todier from, ultimately, Latin todus,
a small bird.][1]



toe

toe
toe 
[tō] noun (plural toes)

1.  ANATOMY foot
part:
any one of the digits of the foot, equivalent to the fingers and thumb of the
hand

2.  ZOOLOGY vertebrate’s
foot part:
a part corresponding to the human toe in other vertebrates

3.  ZOOLOGY part
of hoof:
the forepart of an animal’s hoof

4.  CLOTHES part
of shoe or sock: the part of a shoe, boot, sock, or
stocking that covers the toes and the front part of the foot

5.  GOLF part
of golf club: the end of the head of a golf club

6.  part
resembling toe: a part that resembles the front part of
a foot in form or position • the
toe of Italy

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING lower
end of shaft: the lower end of a vertical shaft that
turns in a bearing

8.  GEOGRAPHY base
of embankment: the base of an embankment, cliff, wall,
or dam
verb
(past toed, past participle toed, present
participle toe·ing, 3rd person present singular toes)

1.  intransitive
verb
stand
with toes pointed: to stand or move with the
toes pointed in a particular direction

2.  transitive
verb
touch
something with toes: to touch, kick, reach, or
mark something with the toes or the front part of the foot

3.  transitive
verb
GOLF strike
golf ball:
to strike a golf ball with the front part of the head of the club

4.  transitive
verb
BUILDING drive
nail at angle: to drive in a nail or spike at an angle

5.  transitive
verb
BUILDING fasten
something with angled nail: to fasten something with a
nail or spike driven in at an angle
[Old
English tā . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to point”
that is also the ancestor of English digit
and index .]
on
your toes

alert
and ready for action

step

or
tread on somebody’s toesto offend or upset somebody by interfering with
something considered to be that person’s own responsibility

turn
up your toes

to die (informal)[1]



toea

toea
toe·a 
[tóy ə] (plural toe·a or
toe·as) noun

1.  subunit
of Papua New Guinean currency: a subunit of currency
in Papua New Guinea, 100 of which are worth one kina

2.  coin
worth a toea: a coin worth a toea
[Late 20th century. From
Motu, literally “conical shell,” used as currency.][1]



toeand heel

toeand heel
toe
and heel
noun

MOTOR
SPORTS racing
technique: a technique used by race
drivers for operating the brake and accelerator simultaneously with the right
foot, using the heel for one pedal and the toe for the other[1]



toecap

toecap
toe·cap 
[tṓ kàp] (plural toe·caps) noun

reinforcement for shoe’s toe:
a metal or leather covering reinforcing the toe of a shoe or boot[1]



toed

toed
toed 
[tōd] adjective

1.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY having toes:
having toes of a particular kind or number (usually used in combination)
• three-toed

2.  BUILDING driven
in at an angle: used to describe nails driven in at an
angle, or something fastened by nails or spikes driven in at an angle

[1]



toedance

toedance
toe
dance
noun (plural toe danc·es)

dance
on toes:
a dance performed on the toes
intransitive
verb

do
toe dance:
to perform a toe dance
—toe danc·er, noun[1]



TOEFL

TOEFL
TOEFL
[tṓf’l] noun

English test:
a test of English for speakers of other languages that is an entrance
requirement for study at a U.S. university. Full form Test of English as
a Foreign Language[1]



toehold

toehold
toe·hold 
[tṓ hld] (plural toe·holds) noun

1.  CLIMBING small
recess in rock: a small recess or ledge in a rock giving
support for the toes

2.  small
advantage:
a small advantage or gain that can be used to get a larger one later

3.  WRESTLING hold
on foot:
a wrestling hold in which one competitor holds the foot and twists the leg of
the other

[1]



toe-in

toe-in
toe-in
(plural toe-ins) noun

convergence of front wheels:
the alignment of a motor vehicle’s front wheels so that the front edges are
slightly closer together than the rear edges to improve its steering
capabilities and reduce tire wear[1]



toeloop

toeloop
toe
loop
(plural toe loops) noun

jump in figure skating:
a jump in which an ice skater, skating backward, takes off from one skate,
makes one rotation in the air, and lands on the outer edge of the same skate[1]



toenadering

toenadering
toe·na·der·ing
[tṓ nàddəring] (plural toe·na·der·ings)
noun

South
Africa
getting
together of political parties: a getting together or
rapprochement between political parties (informal)
[Early 20th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, from toe “to” + nadering “approach”
(translation of French rapprochement ).][1]



toenail

toenail
toe·nail 
[tṓ nàyl] noun (plural toe·nails)

1.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY nail on toe:
the nail of a toe

2.  BUILDING nail
driven in at angle: a nail driven in at an
angle, for example, to join intersecting structural parts
transitive
verb
(past toe·nailed, past participle toe·nailed, present
participle toe·nail·ing, 3rd person present singular toe·nails)

BUILDING join
with angled nails: to join parts of a structure
with nails driven in at an angle

[1]



toering

toering
toe
ring
(plural toe rings) noun

ring worn on toe:
a ring worn on the toe, particularly a silver ring worn by married Hindu women[1]



toe-to-toe

toe-to-toe
toe-to-toe
adjective

opposing:
being in direct opposition
adverb

in direct opposition:
in direct opposition as if in close combat[1]



toff

toff
toff 
[tof] (plural toffs) noun

U.K.
upper-class
person:
somebody who is rich or upper-class, especially somebody who is also smartly
dressed (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably a variant of tuft, a golden plume worn by titled
students at Oxford and Cambridge.][1]



toffee

toffee
tof·fee 
[tóffee] (plural tof·fees) noun

boiled
sugar candy: a candy that can be soft and chewy or
hard and brittle, made by boiling brown sugar or molasses with butter and
sometimes flavorings or nuts
[Early 19th century. Variant
of taffy .][1]



toffeeapple

toffeeapple
tof·fee
ap·ple
(plural tof·fee ap·ples) noun

U.K.
See candy apple[1]



toft

toft
toft 
[toft] (plural tofts) noun
U.K. (archaic)

1.  house
and buildings: a house with its adjoining buildings and
land

2.  entire
holding:
an entire holding including a homestead and all additional land
[Old English . From Old Norse
topt .][1]



tofu

tofu
to·fu 
[tṓ f] noun

bean
curd:
a soft food with no particular flavor made from coagulated soybean extract
pressed into a cake
[Late 18th century. Via
Japanese from Chinese dòufŭ, literally “fermented beans.”][1]



tog

tog
tog 
[tog] plural noun togs

clothes:
clothes of any kind (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past togged, past
participle togged, present participle tog·ging, 3rd
person present singular togs)

dress
up:
to dress up, or dress somebody up, usually in smart clothing (informal)
[Late 18th century.
Shortening of obsolete slang togeman, from obsolete French togue
“cloak,” from Latin toga (see toga
).][1]



toga

toga

to·ga 
[tṓgə] (plural to·gas) noun

1.  garment
worn by Roman citizens: an outer garment worn by the
citizens of ancient Rome, consisting of a semicircular piece of cloth draped
around the body

2.  robe
of office:
a robe of office
[Early
17th century. From Latin . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
cover” that is also the ancestor of English deck,
thatch, and tile .]
—to·gaed, adjective[1]



togapraetexta

togapraetexta
to·ga
prae·tex·ta
[tgə pri tékstə] (plural to·gae
prae·tex·tae [tgee pri tékstee]) noun

toga
with purple border: a toga with a purple border
worn in ancient Rome by some magistrates and priests and by boys before the age
of puberty
[From Latin, “bordered toga”][1]



togavirilis

togavirilis
to·ga
vi·ri·lis 
[tgə vriləss] (plural to·gae
vi·ri·les) noun

toga
worn by adolescent boys: a white toga worn by boys in
ancient Rome from the age of 14 or 15 as a sign of manhood and citizenship
[From Latin, “men’s toga”][1]



together

together
to·geth·er 
[tə géər] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb indicating that people are with each other, or that something is done
with another person or other people, or by joint effort • My
brother and I always walked to school together.

1.  with
others:
in company with others in a group or in a place • Spawning
cod come together near the sea floor in huge schools.

2.  interacting
with one another: interacting, communicating, or in a
relationship with one another • They
spend all their time together talking in low voices.
• They
get on well together.

3.  by
joint effort: cooperating with one another or by joint
or combined effort • The only way we’ll get
anywhere is if we work together on this one.

4.  into
contact:
indicates that two or more things are put into contact with one another, or
unite to form a single whole • The
mummy wore moccasins made of three kinds of animal skin, sewn together with two
types of stitching. • Mix
together mustard, lime, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and jalapeño.

5.  collectively:
considered collectively or as a whole • Taken
together, these developments add up to a significant change in policy.
• He
earns more than all the others together.

6.  in
integrated coherent structure: in or into a unified
structure or a coherent integrated whole • If
you understand how something is put together, you will use it better.

7.  into
orderly condition or state: into an orderly condition or
a stable and effective emotional state (informal) • "I’m
just trying to get my life together," he said quietly.

8.  in
agreement:
in or into agreement or harmony • They
can’t seem to get together on anything.

9.  uninterruptedly:
without interruption • It has
been raining four days together.

10. in
a couple:
indicates that two people are married, having a sexual relationship, or form an
established and recognized couple (informal) • got
back together again after a trial separation
adjective

stable and self-confident:
emotionally stable, self-confident, and well-organized (informal) • She’s
a very together person.
[Old
English tōgædere, from to “to” + a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “joined together”]
get
it together

reflexive
verb
to become organized and calm so as to perform efficiently (slang)

together
with

as
well as or in addition to

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  This
  remark, together with earlier comments of the same kind, was not well
  received
  When
  together with forms an addition to the grammatical subject of a verb,
  the verb agrees with the subject proper, in this case remark.

[1]



togetherness

togetherness
to·geth·er·ness
[tə géərnəss] noun

close feeling:
a feeling of closeness in being with others[1]



toggery

toggery
tog·ger·y 
[tóggəree] noun (informal)

1.  clothes:
clothes

2.  clothing
store:
a place to buy clothes, such as a clothing or specialty shop
[Early 19th century. Formed
from tog .][1]



toggle

toggle
tog·gle 
[tógg’l] verb (past tog·gled,
past participle tog·gled, present participle tog·gling,
3rd person present singular tog·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING switch between operations
with one key: to switch back and forth between two
computer operations using the same key or command

2.  transitive
verb
supply
or fasten something with toggles: to supply or fasten
something with a toggle or toggles
noun
(plural tog·gles)

1.  COMPUTING key
for switching between operations: a key or command that
switches back and forth between computer operations each time it is used.
Also
called
toggle switch

2.  peg
inserted in loop: a peg or rod that is inserted crosswise
into a loop at the end of a rope, chain, or strap to hold or fasten something

3.  CLOTHES fastener
on clothes:
a small peg sewn on clothes or on a bag, inserted crosswise into a loop or
buttonhole and used as a fastener

4.  NAUTICAL pin
inserted into knot: a pin inserted into a
nautical knot to keep it from coming undone

5.  something
with toggle joint: a toggle joint or a device
with a toggle joint
[Late
18th century. Origin unknown.]
—tog·gler, noun[1]



togglebolt

togglebolt
tog·gle
bolt
(plural tog·gle bolts) noun

bolt with spring-loaded
hinged wings: a threaded bolt that
has a nut with spring-loaded hinged wings attached and is used especially for
securing things to hollow walls. When the bolt is inserted into a hole in the
wall, the wings spread open inside, pressing back against the wall’s inner surface
and allowing the bolt to be tightened.[1]



toggleiron

toggleiron
tog·gle
iron
(plural tog·gle i·rons) or tog·gle har·poon (plural
tog·gle har·poons) noun

whaling harpoon with pivoting
barb: a whaling harpoon with a
pivoting barb that keeps the whale from freeing itself[1]



togglejoint

togglejoint
tog·gle
joint
(plural tog·gle joints) noun

joint with two arms pivoted
together: a device with two arms
hinged together so that pressure applied at the pivot point to straighten the
device exerts force along the two arms[1]



toggleswitch

toggleswitch
tog·gle
switch
noun

1.  ENGINEERING switch
for electrical circuits: a small spring-loaded
mechanical switch that opens and closes an electric circuit by manual operation

2.  COMPUTING See toggle  noun 1

[1]



Togliatti

Togliatti
To·gliat·ti
[tōl ytee]

industrial city on the Volga
River in southern European Russia. Population: 642,000 (1990)[1]



Togo




Back to definition

Togo

[1]



Togo

Togo



To·go 
[tṓgō]
republic
in West Africa, bordered by Burkina Faso, Benin, the Gulf of Guinea, and Ghana.
Language: French. Currency: franc. Capital: Lomé. Population: 4,735,610 (1997)
Area: 56,785 sq km/21,925 sq mi. Official name Togolese Republic
—To·go·lese [tgə lz], noun, adjective[1]



Togoland

Togoland
To·go·land
[tṓgō land]

former German protectorate in
western Africa, divided between British and French administration in 1922.
British Togoland was incorporated into Ghana (1956), and French Togoland became
independent as Togo (1960).[1]



togue

togue
togue 
[tōg] (plural togue or togues)
noun

See
lake trout
[Late 19th century. Via
Canadian French from Micmac atoǧwa:su .][1]



toheroa

toheroa
to·he·ro·a 
[t ə rṓ ə] (plural to·he·ro·a
or to·he·ro·as) noun

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY large
edible mollusk of New Zealand: a large edible mollusk
with a hinged shell found along the coasts of New Zealand. Latin name: Amphidesma
ventricosum

2.  toheroa
soup:
a greenish soup made from the toheroa
[Late 19th century. From
Maori .][1]



TohonoO’Odham

TohonoO’Odham
To·ho·no
O’O·dham 
[tōhṓ nō ədaam] noun

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Papago[1]



toil

toil1
toil1 [toyl]
noun

1.  hard
work:
hard exhausting work or effort

2.  strife:
strife or struggle (archaic)
verb
(past toiled, past participle toiled, present
participle toil·ing, 3rd person present singular toils)

1.  intransitive
verb
work
hard:
to work long and hard

2.  intransitive
verb
progress
slowly:
to progress slowly and with difficulty

3.  transitive
verb
achieve
something by effort: to achieve something by hard
work (archaic)
[13th
century. Via Anglo-Norman toiler “to drag around” from, ultimately,
Latin tudicula “machine for bruising olives,” from tudes
“hammer.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at work

[1]



toil

toil2
toil2  [toyl]
(plural toils) noun

something that entraps:
a net, snare, or other thing that entraps or entangles (archaic or literary)
(often used in the plural)[1]



toile

toile
toile 
[twaal] (plural toiles) noun

1.  sheer
fabric:
a sheer cotton or linen fabric

2.  prototype
of designer garment: a prototype of a designer
garment made up in a cheap fabric so that alterations can be made
[Late 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin tela “web.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to weave” that is also the ancestor of English subtle and text
.][1]



toilede Jouy

toilede Jouy
toile
de Jouy 
[twl də zhw] noun

printed
upholstery fabric: a fabric with a white or
light-colored background and a floral or pastoral print usually in one color
only, used for curtains and upholstery
[Mid-18th century. From
French, named for Jouy -en-Josas, the French town near Paris where the
fabric was made.][1]



toilet

toilet
toi·let 
[tóylət] (plural toi·lets) noun

1.  fixture
for disposing of bodily waste: a bowl-shaped fixture
with a waste drain and a flushing device connected to a water supply, used for
defecating and urinating

2.  room
with toilet: a room with a toilet and usually a sink

3.  outdoor
toilet:
an outdoor room or building with facilities for defecation and urination

4.  washing
and dressing: the process of attending to your
personal appearance and making it presentable, for example by washing,
dressing, shaving, and fixing your hair (formal)

5.  MEDICINE cleansing
associated with a surgical procedure: a
cleansing of part of the body after a medical or surgical procedure, often in
preparation for applying dressings or bandages

6.  dressing
table:
a dressing table (archaic)
[Late 17th century. From
French toilette “bag for clothing,” from Old French tellette,
from teile “cloth,” from Latin tela “web.”][1]



toiletpaper

toiletpaper
toi·let
pa·per
noun

paper for cleaning after
using toilet: a usually soft
absorbent paper, especially in a roll, used for cleaning the body after
defecating or urinating.
Also called
toilet tissue[1]



toiletroll

toiletroll
toi·let
roll
(plural toi·let rolls) noun

roll of toilet paper:
a length of toilet paper wound around a cardboard cylinder, or the cardboard
cylinder on which the paper is wound[1]



toiletry

toiletry
toi·let·ry 
[tóylətree] (plural toi·let·ries)
noun

article used in grooming:
an article such as shampoo, deodorant, or soap, used in washing or caring for
the appearance (usually used in the plural)[1]



toilette

toilette
toi·lette 
[twaa lét] noun

toilet:
the process of attending to your personal appearance and making it presentable
(literary)
[Mid-16th century. From
French (see toilet ).][1]



toilettissue

toilettissue
toi·let
tis·sue
noun

See
toilet paper[1]



toilettraining

toilettraining
toi·let
train·ing
noun

teaching child to use toilet:
the process of teaching a young child to control bladder and bowel movements
and to use the toilet[1]



toiletwater

toiletwater
toi·let
wa·ter
(plural toi·let wa·ters) noun

light perfume:
a lightly perfumed liquid used to freshen or scent the skin.
Also called
eau de toilette[1]



toilsome

toilsome
toil·some 
[tóylsəm] adjective

needing
hard work:
requiring long hard work (literary)
—toil·some·ly,
adverb

—toil·some·ness, noun[1]



toilworn

toilworn
toil·worn
[tóyl wàwrn] adjective

worn from hard work:
worn, damaged, or exhausted from hard work[1]



toitoi

toitoi
toi·toi
[tóy tòy] (plural toi·tois) noun

tall
grass of New Zealand: a tall grass with feathery
fronds that grows in New Zealand. Genus: Cortederia
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



TojoHideki

TojoHideki
To·jo
Hi·de·ki 
[tjō hdekì] (1884–1948)

Japanese general and
statesman. During World War II, he was minister of war (1940–1941) and then
premier (1941–1944). He was tried and hanged for war crimes (1948).[1]



Tokaj

Tokaj
To·kaj
[tō káy, to káy,
to k]

town in northeastern Hungary.
Tokay wines are produced in the surrounding region. Population: 5,371 (1990)[1]



tokamak

tokamak
to·ka·mak 
[tókə màk] (plural to·ka·maks)
noun

experimental
fusion reactor: an experimental doughnut-shaped nuclear
reactor for producing fusion using an electric current and a magnetic field to
heat and contain a gaseous plasma
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian, a contraction of toroidal’naya kamera s aksial’nym magnitnym polem
“toroidal chamber with axial magnetic field.”][1]



tokay

tokay
to·kay
[tō káy] (plural to·kays) noun

lizard
of southern Asia: a small lizard of southern and Southeast
Asia that has a retractile claw at the tip of each digit. Latin name: Gekko
gecko
[Mid-18th century. Via Malay
dialect toke’ from Javanese tekèk, ultimately an imitation of the
animal’s call.][1]



Tokay

Tokay
To·kay 
(plural To·kays) noun

1.  WINE sweet
wine:
a sweet wine made near Tokaj, Hungary, or a similar sweet wine produced
elsewhere

2.  PLANTS large
sweet grape of Hungary: a large sweet variety of
grape originally grown near Tokaj, Hungary that is the source of Tokay
[Early 18th century. Named
for Tokaj (Tokay), where the wine is made.][1]



toke

toke
toke 
[tōk] noun (plural tokes)

puff
of marijuana: a puff on a cigarette or pipe containing
marijuana (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past toked, past
participle toked, present participle tok·ing, 3rd
person present singular tokes)

puff
marijuana:
to puff on a cigarette or pipe containing marijuana (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Spanish toque “a hit,” from tocar “to
touch.”][1]



token

token
to·ken 
[tṓkən] noun (plural to·kens)

1.  something
representing something else: something that represents,
expresses, or is a symbol of something else • Please
accept this gift as a token of our appreciation.

2.  disk
used like money: a disk of metal or plastic used instead
of money, for example, in slot machines

3.  keepsake:
an object kept in memory of something

4.  LINGUISTICS instance
of expression: a particular instance of a word or
expression

5.  LINGUISTICS concrete
example:
a written or spoken expression considered as a concrete example
adjective

existing as gesture only:
made, given, or existing merely because expected or required, not because
sincere or serving a real purpose • the
token student on the committee
[Old English tācen .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to point, show” that is also the
ancestor of English teach and digit .][1]



tokenism

tokenism
to·ken·ism
[tṓkə nìzzəm] noun

symbolic
effort only: the practice of making only a symbolic
effort at something, especially in order to meet the minimum requirements of
the law
—to·ken·is·tic [tkə nístik], adjective[1]



Tokharian

Tokharian
To·khar·i·an 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Tocharian[1]



tokoloshe

tokoloshe
tok·o·loshe
[tòko lósh, tòko
lóshee] (plural tok·o·losh·es) noun

African
evil spirit: a small mischievous evil spirit or water
sprite in African folklore that takes on human or animal appearance
[Mid-19th century. Of Nguni
origin.][1]



tokonoma

tokonoma
to·ko·no·ma 
[tkə nṓmə] (plural to·ko·no·mas)
noun

Japanese
alcove for displaying a decoration: an
alcove in the living room of a Japanese house where a decoration such as
flowers or an ornament is displayed
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Tokoroa

Tokoroa
To·ko·ro·a
[tkō rṓ ə]

town in the northwestern part
of the North Island, New Zealand, that services the paper and timber mills at
nearby Kinleith. Population: 15,528 (1996)[1]



TokPisin

TokPisin
Tok
Pis·in 
[tòk píssin] noun

LANGUAGE language
of Papua New Guinea: a creole, originating as a
Pidgin based on English, that is widely spoken in Papua New Guinea. Tok Pisin
is spoken by over 2 million people.
[Mid-20th century. From
Pidgin English, “to talk pidgin.”][1]



Tokyo




Back to definition

Tokyo

[1]



Tokyo

Tokyo

To·ky·o 
[tṓkee ō]
capital city of Japan, located on Tokyo
Bay on the eastern coast of Honshu Island. Population: 8,019,938 (1995)[1]



tola

tola
to·la 
[tṓlə] (plural to·las) noun

Indian
unit of weight: an Indian unit of weight equal to 180
grains troy weight or 11.7 grams
[Early 17th century. Via
Hindi tolā from Sanskrit tulā “weight.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to lift up, weigh,” which is also the ancestor of
English toll 1 and tolerate .][1]



tolar

tolar
to·lar
[tólaar] (plural to·lars) noun

1.  unit
of Slovenian currency: a unit of currency in
Slovenia, worth 100 stotins

2.  coin
or bill worth a tolar: a coin or bill worth one
tolar
[From Slovene, from German Taler
(see thaler )][1]



tolbooth

tolbooth
tol·booth
[tṓl bth] (plural tol·booths)
noun

1.  Scotland
town
hall or prison: a town hall or a prison, or a building
that performed both functions (archaic)

2.  U.K.
See tollbooth

[1]



tolbutamide

tolbutamide
tol·bu·ta·mide 
[tol bytə md] noun

drug
for diabetes: a drug used in the treatment of
adult-onset diabetes to lower blood-glucose levels by stimulating the islets in
the pancreas to produce more insulin. C12H18N2O3S
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of toluene + butyl + amide
.][1]



told

told
told


Past tense of
tell Past participle of tell[1]



tole

tole2
tole2 transitive verb

See
toll 2 verb
3[1]



tole

tole1
tole1 [tōl]
noun

lacquered
or enameled metal used decoratively:
lacquered or enameled metal used to make decorative objects, usually brightly
painted or gilded or both, or objects made of this kind of decorated metal
[Mid-20th century. Via French
tôle “sheet iron” from, ultimately, Latin tabula “board” (source
of English table ).][1]



Toledo

Toledo2
To·le·do2  [to
ldō]

1.  city
and major river port in northwestern Ohio, located close to Lake Erie.
Population: 613,000 (1995)

2.  historic
city in central Spain, the administrative center of Toledo Province.
Population: 63,561 (1991)

[1]



Toledo

Toledo1
To·le·do1  [tə
ldō] (plural To·le·dos) noun

fine Spanish sword:
a sword or sword blade of highly tempered steel, made in Toledo, Spain[1]



tolerable

tolerable
tol·er·a·ble 
[tóllərəb’l] adjective

1.  capable
of being tolerated: not too unpleasant or severe
to put up with

2.  fairly
good:
moderately good, but not outstanding
—tol·er·a·bil·i·ty
[tòllərə bíllətee], noun

—tol·er·a·ble·ness
[tóllərəb’lnəss], noun

—tol·er·a·bly [tóllərəblee], adverb[1]



tolerance

tolerance
tol·er·ance 
[tóllərənss] (plural tol·er·ances)
noun

1.  acceptance
of different views: the acceptance of the
differing views of other people, for example, in religious or political
matters, and fairness toward the people who hold these different views

2.  tolerating
of something: the act of putting up with something or
somebody irritating or otherwise unpleasant

3.  ability
to endure hardship: the ability to put up with
harsh or difficult conditions

4.  MEDICINE ability
to remain unaffected: the loss of or reduction in
the normal response to a drug or other agent, following use or exposure over a
prolonged period

5.  ENGINEERING allowance
made for deviation: allowance made for something
to deviate in size from a standard, or the limit within which it is allowed to
deviate

6.  BIOLOGY ability
to withstand extremes: the ability of an organism
to survive in extreme conditions

[1]



tolerant

tolerant
tol·er·ant 
[tóllərənt] adjective

1.  accepting
different views: accepting the differing views of others,
for example, different religious or political beliefs

2.  withstanding
harsh treatment: able to put up with harsh conditions or
treatment

3.  MEDICINE not
affected by a drug: no longer responding to a
drug that has been taken over a prolonged period, or suffering no ill effects
from exposure to a harmful substance
—tol·er·ant·ly, adverb[1]



tolerate

tolerate
tol·er·ate 
[tóllə ràyt] (past tol·er·at·ed,
past participle tol·er·at·ed, present participle tol·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular tol·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  permit
something:
to be willing to allow something to happen or exist

2.  endure
something:
to withstand the unpleasant effects of something

3.  accept
existence of different views: to recognize other people’s
right to have different beliefs or practices without an attempt to suppress
them

4.  MEDICINE be
unaffected by a drug: to fail to respond to a drug
because the body has built up a resistance to it, or suffer no ill effects from
being exposed to a harmful substance
[Early
16th century. From Latin tolerare . Ultimately from an Indo-European
base meaning “to support,” which is also the ancestor of English toll 1 and talent .]
—tol·er·a·tive,
adjective

—tol·er·a·tor, noun[1]



toleration

toleration
tol·er·a·tion 
[tòllə ráysh’n] noun

1.  official
acceptance of different religions: official acceptance by
a government of religious beliefs and practices that are different from those
it upholds

2.  tolerating
of something: the act of tolerating something
—tol·er·a·tion·ism,
noun

—tol·er·a·tion·ist, noun,
adjective[1]



tolidine

tolidine
tol·i·dine 
[tóllə dn] noun

chemical
used in dyemaking: an isomeric derivative of
toluene used in making dyes. C14H16N2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from tolyl + benzidine .][1]



Tolkien,J. R. R.

Tolkien,J. R. R.
Tol·kien
[tṓl kn, tól
kn], J. R. R. (1892–1973)

South
African-born British scholar and writer. A philologist at Oxford University, he
wrote The Hobbit (1937) and its large-scale sequel The Lord of the
Rings (1954–1955).
Full name
Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel[1]



toll

toll2
toll2 [tōl]
verb (past tolled, past participle tolled, present
participle toll·ing, 3rd person present singular tolls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ring
slowly and repeatedly: to ring a bell, repeatedly
and with long pauses between each ring, especially to announce a death, or be
rung in this way “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for
thee” John Donne Devotions 1624

2.  transitive
verb
announce
something with a bell: to announce something or
call somebody with the repeated slow ringing of a bell • bells
tolling the death of the king

3.  toll
or tole (past toled, past participle toled,
present participle tol·ing, 3rd person present singular toles)
transitive verb lure fish or game:
to lure fish or game into being caught
noun
(plural tolls)

act or sound of bell tolling:
the act of ringing a bell slowly and repeatedly, or the sound so made
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old English -tyllan “to pull”;
the underlying meaning is “to pull on a bell rope.”]
—toll·er, noun[1]



toll

toll1
toll1 [tōl]
noun (plural tolls)

1.  TRANSPORT fee
for using a road: a fee charged for a privilege, usually
crossing a bridge or using a road

2.  TRANSPORT booth:
a tollbooth, where tolls are paid (often used in the plural)

3.  damage
sustained:
the damage done by an accident or disaster in terms of, for example, people
killed, property destroyed, or financial loss • The
toll on the environment was significant.

4.  FINANCE fee
for services: a fee charged for services, for example,
transportation

5.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS charge
for a telephone call: a charge for a long-distance
telephone call
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tolled, past
participle tolled, present participle toll·ing, 3rd
person present singular tolls)

TRANSPORT charge
a toll on a road: to charge a toll for the use of a road
or bridge
[Old English toll, toln
. Via medieval Latin toloneum, from, ultimately, Greek telōnion
“toll house,” from telos “tax” (source of English philately ).][1]



tollbooth

tollbooth
toll·booth
[tṓl bth] (plural toll·booths)
noun

booth for collecting tolls:
a booth on a road or bridge where tolls for use of the road or bridge are
collected[1]



tollbridge

tollbridge
toll
bridge
noun

bridge with a toll:
a bridge where a toll is charged for crossing[1]



tollcall

tollcall
toll
call
noun

U.S.,
New Zealand long-distance
call: a long-distance telephone
call charged at a higher rate than a local call[1]



tollgate

tollgate
toll·gate 
[tṓl gàyt] (plural toll·gates)
noun

barrier at a toll road:
a gate barring the way on a road or bridge where a toll must be paid to proceed[1]



Toll-House

Toll-House
Toll-House
Trademark

a trademark for a cookie made
with flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and often chopped nuts[1]



tollhouse

tollhouse
toll·house 
[tṓl hòwss] (plural toll·hous·es
[tṓl hòwzəz]) noun

toll collector’s shelter:
a shelter or kiosk for a toll collector at a tollgate[1]



tollhousecookie

tollhousecookie
toll·house
cookie
(plural toll·house cookies) noun

chocolate-chip cookie:
a cookie made with flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and often chopped nuts[1]



Tolstoy,Count Leo Nikolayevich

Tolstoy,Count Leo Nikolayevich

Tol·stoy
[táwl stòy], Count Leo Nikolayevich
(1828–1910)
Russian writer. He wrote the epic novels War
and Peace ( 1865–1869 ) and Anna Karenina ( 1875–1877 ). A profound
social thinker and moralist, he was excommunicated from the Russian Orthodox
Church for his radical views on Church authority.[1]



Toltec

Toltec
Tol·tec 
[tṓl tèk, tól
tèk] (plural Toltec or Toltecs) noun

PEOPLES member
of Native Central American people: a member of a Native
Central American people who formerly occupied lands in central Mexico. They
dominated the area from around the 10th to the 12th centuries AD, when they were defeated by the
Chichimecs and their lands were later taken over by the Aztecs.
[Late
18th century. Via Spanish tolteca from Nahuatl toltecatl,
literally “someone from Tula,” an ancient Toltec city.]
—Tol·tec, adjective[1]



tolu

tolu
to·lu 
[tə l, tō l]
noun

resin
from S American tree: an aromatic resin obtained
from a South American tree, used in cough medicine
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish tolú, named for the town of Santiago de Tolú in Colombia,
from which it was exported.][1]



toluene

toluene
tol·u·ene 
[tóllyoo n] noun

flammable
colorless liquid: a colorless liquid aromatic hydrocarbon
resembling benzene but less flammable, used in high-octane fuels and organic
synthesis. C7H8 
Also
called
methylbenzene
Also
called
toluol
[Late 19th century. Formed
from tolu, from which it was originally
obtained.][1]



toluidine

toluidine
to·lu·i·dine 
[tə l i dn] noun

chemical used in dyemaking:
any of three isomeric derivatives of toluene used in making dyes. C7H9N[1]



toluol

toluol
tol·u·ol 
[tóllyoo òl] noun

See
toluene[1]



tolyl

tolyl
tol·yl 
[tó lìl] noun

chemical group:
any of three chemical groups derived from toluene. C7H7[1]



tom

tom
tom 
[tom] (plural toms) noun

male
animal:
the male of various animals, especially the domestic cat
[14th century. From the name Tom
.][1]



Tom

Tom
Tom 
(past Tommed, past participle Tommed, present
participle Tom·ming, 3rd person present singular Toms,
plural Toms) noun

(slang offensive) See
Uncle Tom[1]



tomahawk

tomahawk

tom·a·hawk 
[tómmə hàwk] noun (plural tom·a·hawks)

1.  Native
N American weapon: a small ax, formerly used as
a weapon by some Native North American peoples. It could be thrown like a knife
and used as a hand weapon in close combat.

2.  Australia,
New Zealand
small
ax:
a small short-handled ax
transitive verb
(past tom·a·hawked, past participle tom·a·hawked, present
participle tom·a·hawk·ing, 3rd person present singular tom·a·hawks)

attack somebody with tomahawk:
to attack or kill somebody with a tomahawk
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian tamahaac .][1]



tomalley

tomalley
to·mal·ley 
[tə mállee, tó
màllee] noun

part
of lobster eaten as delicacy: a soft green part of the
insides of a cooked lobster, often called the liver but technically another
organ, eaten as a delicacy
[Mid-17th century. Via French
taumalin from Carib taumali .][1]



toman

toman
to·man 
[tə mn] (plural to·mans) noun

1.  Iranian
coin:
an Iranian coin worth ten rials

2.  old
unit of Persian currency: a gold coin that was a unit
of currency in Persia between 1600 and 1912
[Mid-16th century. Via
Persian tūmān from, ultimately, western Tocharian tmān, of
uncertain origin.][1]



Tomand Jerry

Tomand Jerry
Tom
and Jer·ry 
(plural Tom and Jer·ries) noun

hot
mixed alcoholic drink: a hot drink containing rum,
brandy, nutmeg, and egg, to which milk is sometimes added
[Named for Corinthian Tom
and Jerry Hawthorne, two characters in the novel Life in London
(1821) by Pierce Egan][1]



tomatillo

tomatillo
to·ma·til·lo 
[tmə t y] (plural to·ma·til·los)
noun

1.  FOOD Mexican
fruit:
a purplish sticky edible fruit that grows on a Mexican ground cherry

2.  PLANTS plant
bearing tomatillos: the ground cherry plant that
bears tomatillos. Latin name: Physalis ixocarpa
[Early 20th century. From
Spanish, literally “small tomato,” from tomate (see tomato ).][1]



tomato

tomato

to·ma·to 
[tə máytō, tə
mtō] (plural to·ma·toes) noun

1.  FOOD red
vegetable:
a round vegetable with bright-red, occasionally yellow, skin and pulpy seedy
flesh. It grows like fruit on climbing plants and is widely eaten cooked or
raw.

2.  PLANTS tomato
plant:
a climbing plant that yields tomatoes and is native to South America but is
grown as an annual throughout the world, in northern regions usually in
greenhouses. Genus: Lycopersicon

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a woman who is considered sexually desirable (slang
offensive)
[Early 17th century.
Alteration of Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl tomatl .][1]



tomatofruitworm

tomatofruitworm
to·ma·to
fruit·worm 
noun

moth larva:
the larva of a moth native to the United States that is destructive to corn,
cotton, tomatoes, and other crops. Latin name: Heliothis zea[1]



tomatohornworm

tomatohornworm
to·ma·to
horn·worm
noun

hawk moth larva:
the larva of a North American hawk moth that feeds on the leaves of tomato
plants. Latin name: Manduca quinquemaculata[1]



tomatosphinx

tomatosphinx
to·ma·to
sphinx
noun

adult tomato hornworm:
the adult form of a tomato hornworm[1]



tomb

tomb
tomb 
[toom] (plural tombs) noun

1.  grave:
a grave or other place for burying a dead person

2.  burial
chamber:
a cave or chamber used for burial of a dead person

3.  monument:
a monument to a dead person, often built over the place where he or she is
buried

4.  death:
death (literary) • go to
the tomb unrepentant

5.  hardened
enclosure:
a hardened enclosure for a closed nuclear reactor, designed to contain
radioactive emissions
[12th
century. Via French tombe from, ultimately, Greek tumbos “mound,
tomb.”]
—tomb·less, adjective[1]



Tomba,Alberto

Tomba,Alberto
Tom·ba
[táwmbaa], Alberto (1966– )

Italian skier. In 1988 he won
the first of many medals, including Olympic gold medals and World Cups in
slalom and giant slalom events.[1]



tombac

tombac
tom·bac 
[tóm bàk] or tam·bac [tám bàk] noun

copper
and zinc alloy: an alloy of copper and zinc, often with
tin and arsenic, originally used in Eastern countries to make gongs and bells
and now used worldwide to make inexpensive jewelry
[Early 17th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Malay tembaga “copper, brass.”][1]



tombolo

tombolo
tom·bo·lo 
[tómbəlō] (plural tom·bo·los) noun

sand
linking islands: a narrow strip of sand or shingle that
links one island to another or to the mainland
[Late 19th century. Via
Italian, literally “sand dune,” from Latin tumulus (see tumulus .][1]



Tombouctou

Tombouctou
Tom·bouc·tou
[tòmb ok t]

city in central Mali, on the
southern edge of the Sahara Desert Population: 19,165 (1976)
Also called
Timbuktu[1]



tomboy

tomboy
tom·boy 
[tóm bòy] (plural tom·boys) noun

boyish
girl:
a girl who dresses or behaves in a way regarded as boyish, especially a girl
who enjoys rough boisterous play
[Mid-16th
century. From the name Tom (short for Thomas ). The word
originally referred to a boisterous or unruly boy.]
—tom·boy·ish,
adjective

—tom·boy·ish·ly,
adverb

—tom·boy·ish·ness, noun[1]



Tombstone

Tombstone
Tomb·stone 
[tmstōn]

city in southeastern Arizona.
Its history as a lawless mining town has made it a popular tourist center.
Population: 1,414 (1996)[1]



tombstone

tombstone
tomb·stone 
[tm stn] (plural tomb·stones)
noun

ornamental stone marking
grave: an ornamental stone on or at
the site of a grave, often with the dead person’s name and dates of birth and
death engraved on it[1]



tomcat

tomcat
tom·cat 
[tóm kàt] noun (plural tom·cats)

1.  male
cat:
a male domestic cat

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man who seeks many sexual partners, or who has casual
sex with many partners (slang offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past tom·cat·ted, past participle tom·cat·ted, present
participle tom·cat·ting, 3rd person present singular tom·cats)

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to seek many sexual partners, or have casual sex with
many partners (offensive) (refers to a man)

[1]



tomcod

tomcod
tom·cod 
[tóm kòd] (plural tom·cods) noun

small sea fish of cod family:
either one of two small sea fishes of the cod family, one of North American
Atlantic waters and the other of northern Pacific waters. Both are valued as
food fish. Latin name: Microgradus tomcod Microgradus proximus[1]



TomCollins

TomCollins
Tom
Col·lins 
[tòm kóllinz] (plural Tom
Col·lins·es) noun

gin-based
cocktail:
an alcoholic cocktail consisting of gin, lemon or lime juice, soda water, and
sugar
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: said to have been named for a London bartender.][1]



Tom,Dick, and Harry

Tom,Dick, and Harry
Tom,
Dick, and Harry [tòm dík ənd
hérree] noun

any and all:
anyone at all[1]



tome

tome
tome 
[tōm] (plural tomes) noun

1.  large
book:
a book, especially a large heavy book on a serious subject (formal or
humorous)

2.  single
volume:
a single volume of a book made up of several volumes
[Early 16th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Greek tomos “section, volume.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European base meaning “to cut,” which is also the ancestor of English atom and anatomy
.][1]



-tome

-tome
-tome
suffix

1.  segment,
part • myotome

2.  cutting
instrument • microtome
[Via modern Latin -tomus
from, ultimately, Greek tomos “cutting” (see tome
)][1]



tomentum

tomentum
to·men·tum 
[tə méntəm] (plural to·men·ta
[tə méntə]) noun

downy
hairs on plants: a downy covering of tiny hairs on leaves
and other plant parts
[Late
17th century. From Latin, literally “stuffing for a cushion,” of unknown
origin.]
—to·men·tose [tə mén tss, tṓ men
tss], adjective[1]



tomfool

tomfool
tom·fool 
[tòm fl] noun (plural tom·fools)

fool:
a very foolish person (dated informal)
adjective

foolish:
remarkably foolish (dated informal)
[14th
century. From the name Tom (short for Thomas ).]
—tom·fool·ish
[tom flish], adjective

—tom·fool·ish·ness [tom flishnəss], noun[1]



tomfoolery

tomfoolery
tom·fool·er·y 
[tom fləree] (plural tom·fool·er·ies)
noun

1.  silliness:
silly behavior (informal)

2.  something
foolish:
a foolish action or statement (dated informal)

[1]



tommy

tommy
tom·my
[tómmee] (plural tom·mies) or
Tom·my At·kins [tòmmee átkinz] noun

U.K.
British
soldier:
a private in the British army (dated slang)
[Late 19th century. From
Thomas Atkins, a fictitious name used on sample forms in the British army.][1]



Tommygun

Tommygun
Tom·my
gun
noun

hand-held machine gun:
a hand-held machine gun, especially a Thompson submachine gun (informal)[1]



tommyrot

tommyrot
tom·my·rot 
[tómmee ròt] noun

nonsense:
complete nonsense (dated informal)
[Late 19th century. Tommy
from the use of Tommy (short for Thomas ) as a name for somebody
foolish.][1]



tommyto

tommyto
tom·my·to
(plural tom·my·toes) noun

Southern
U.S.
cherry
tomato:
a cherry tomato





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is a term with high incidence in the middle, interior South, from the western
  Carolinas to Arkansas and occurring in diminishing numbers in every section
  of the Gulf states except lower Texas, where it is absent.

[1]



tomogram

tomogram
to·mo·gram
[tṓmə gràm] (plural to·mo·grams)
noun

image of bodily structures:
an image, especially one of the body, made using tomography[1]



tomography

tomography
to·mog·ra·phy 
[to móggrəfee] noun

production
of body image: the technique of using ultrasound, gamma
rays, or X-rays to produce a focused image of the structures across a certain
depth within the body, while blurring details at other depths. A series of such
images can be combined, for example, by computer, to give a high-definition
three-dimensional image.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek tomos (see tome ) + -graph + -y .][1]



tomorrow

tomorrow
to·mor·row 
[tə máwrō] noun (plural to·mor·rows)

1.  the
next day:
the day after today

2.  the
future:
a future time, or the future in general • the
leaders of tomorrow
adverb

1.  on
the next day: on the day after today

2.  in
future:
in the future, or at some time in the future
[Old
English tō morgenne, literally “in the morning”]
like
or as if there was or were no tomorrow

used to emphasize the degree
of speed, intensity, or carelessness with which somebody is doing something (informal)
• ran
from the fire like there was no tomorrow[1]



tompion

tompion
tom·pi·on 
(plural tom·pi·ons) noun

See
tampion[1]



toms

toms
toms
[tomz] plural noun

See
tom-tom  noun 2
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



Tomsk

Tomsk
Tomsk 
[tomsk]

city and port on the Tom
River in southern Siberian Russia. Population: 502,000 (1990)[1]



TomThumb

TomThumb
Tom
Thumb
noun

English folklore character:
a character in English folklore who was no taller than his father’s thumb[1]



tomtit

tomtit
tom·tit 
[tóm tìt] (plural tom·tits) noun

small
bird:
a bird of the tit family, especially the blue tit (informal)
[Early 18th century. Tom from
the name Tom (short for Thomas ).][1]



tom-tom

tom-tom


tom-tom 
[tóm tòm] (plural tom-toms) or
tam-tam [tám tàm] (plural tam-tams)
noun

1.  drum
hit with the hands: a drum hit with the hands,
especially a drum with a long narrow shell and a small head, first used by
Native North Americans and other peoples as a signaling instrument

2.  deep-sided
drum in modern drum kit: a deep-sided drum that forms
part of a modern drum kit, deeper in tone than a snare drum but not as deep as
a bass drum.
Also
called
toms

3.  sound
of beating drum: the sound of a drum being repeatedly
beaten, especially slowly and monotonously
[Late 17th century. From
Telugu amaama or Hindi am am, ultimately an imitation of the
drum’s sound.][1]



-tomy

-tomy
-tomy
suffix

cutting,
incision • lobotomy
[Via modern Latin -tomia
from, ultimately, Greek tomos “cutting” (see tome
)][1]



ton

ton1
ton1  [tun]
noun (plural tons)

1.  U.S.
unit of weight: an imperial unit of weight, equal to
2,000 lb in the United States.
Also
called
short ton
Also
called
net ton

2.  U.K.
unit of weight: an imperial unit of weight, equal to
1016 kg/2,240 lb in the United Kingdom.
Also
called
long ton

3.  See
metric ton

4.  See
displacement ton

5.  unit
measuring ship’s internal capacity: a
unit used to measure the capacity of the inside of a ship, equal to 28.3 c.
m/100 cu. ft.
Also
called
register ton

6.  See
freight ton

7.  large
amount:
a very great number of things or of something (informal) (often used
in the plural) • tons of things to do
adverb
tons

a great deal: to a
great degree or extent
[13th
century. Variant of tun .]
come
down on somebody like a ton of bricks

to scold or punish somebody
severely (informal)[1]



ton

ton2
ton2  [toN]
noun

latest
fashion, or fashionable people: the current trend in
fashion, or the group of people who like to stay at the cutting edge of fashion
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “tone.”][1]



tonal

tonal
to·nal 
[tṓn’l] adjective

1.  relating
to tone:
relating to tone or tonality

2.  relating
to harmonic music: relating to music written in
a harmonic system in which there is a key.
See
also
atonal
—to·nal·ly, adverb[1]



tonality

tonality

to·nal·i·ty 
[tō nállətee] noun

1.  quality
of tone:
the quality of tone, especially that of an instrument or voice

2.  MUSIC system
of musical tones: the relationship between the notes and
chords of a passage or work that tends to establish a central note or harmony
as its focal point.
See
also
atonality

3.        ARTS arrangement
of colors: the scheme connecting the
color tones in a work of art such as a painting[1]



tondo

tondo
ton·do 
[tóndō] (plural ton·dos) noun

circular
painting:
a circular painting or relief carving
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, a shortening of rotondo “round,” from Latin rotundus
(see rotund ).][1]



tone

tone
tone 
[tōn] noun (plural tones)

1.  particular
kind of sound: a sound with a particular quality • The
first bell has a clearer tone.

2.  way
of speaking: the way somebody says something as an
indicator of what that person is feeling or thinking • a
defiant tone in her voice

3.  general
quality:
the general quality or character of something as an indicator of the attitude
or view of the person who produced it • the
optimistic tone of the report

4.  machine
sound:
a sound, especially one produced by a machine

5.  prevailing
character:
the characteristic style that something has, particularly in relation to
elegance or standing • neon
signs that lower the tone of the place

6.  COLORS shade
of color:
any of the possible shades of a particular color • a
green with a more vibrant tone

7.  ARTS combinations
of color and shading: the overall blend of color
and light and shade in a painting or photograph

8.  PHYSIOLOGY firmness
of muscles:
the natural firmness of muscles when they are not being flexed, or of the body
generally

9.  PHONETICS intonation:
the way a syllable of a word is spoken in terms of pitch • the
rising tone signifying a question

10. MUSIC timbre:
the quality of a sound that makes it distinctive to a particular source, for
example, a voice or musical instrument

11. MUSIC See whole tone

12. MUSIC plainsong:
a melody used in singing plainsong, for example, in singing psalms

13. MUSIC See note  noun 3
verb
(past toned, past participle toned, present
participle ton·ing, 3rd person present singular tones)

1.  intransitive
verb
blend
in with something: to be similar to something
else, especially in color or brightness, and fit well with it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHOTOGRAPHY change color of
photograph:
to develop the color image of a silver negative in making a photograph

3.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS say
something with particular pitch: to say a syllable or
word with a particular pitch
[13th century. Via French ton
from, ultimately, Greek tonos “tension, tone.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to stretch” that is also the ancestor of English thin, tenuous,
and tendon .][1]



tonearm

tonearm
tone
arm
or tone·arm noun

record player’s pivoting arm:
a record player’s pivoting, or sometimes sliding, arm with a stylus on its end[1]



tonecluster

tonecluster
tone
clus·ter
noun

dissonant chord:
a group of adjacent notes played together and forming a chord, usually
resulting in a dissonant sound[1]



tonecolor

tonecolor
tone
col·or
noun

See
timbre  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tonecontrol

tonecontrol
tone
con·trol
noun

control on audio equipment:
a control on a radio, record player, or other piece of audio equipment that
adjusts the tone it produces, accentuating the higher or lower sound
frequencies[1]



tone-deaf

tone-deaf
tone-deaf 
adjective

unable
to differentiate between musical notes:
unable to hear the differences between musical notes
—tone-deaf·ness, noun[1]



tonedown

tonedown
tone
down
transitive verb

1.  make
something less intense: to make something less
intense or extreme, usually in order to make it less offensive or controversial

2.  make
something less bright: to make something less
intense, bright, or loud

[1]



tonelanguage

tonelanguage
tone
lan·guage
noun

language in which tone
affects meaning: a language in which the
meaning of a fixed sequence of sounds depends on the pitch in which it is
pronounced, different tones identifying different words. Tone languages include
the Bantu languages of Africa and Mandarin Chinese.[1]



toneless

toneless
tone·less 
[tṓnləss] adjective

1.  expressionless:
lacking expression in speech

2.  lifeless:
lacking brightness or vitality
—tone·less·ly,
adverb

—tone·less·ness, noun[1]



toneme

toneme
ton·eme 
[tṓ nm] (plural ton·emes) noun

phoneme
in a tone language: a phoneme in a tone language
in which the distinctive feature is a tone
[Early
20th century. Modeled on phoneme .]
—to·ne·mic [tō nmik], adjective[1]



tonepoem

tonepoem
tone
po·em
noun

MUSIC
See symphonic poem[1]



toner

toner
ton·er 
[tṓnər] (plural ton·ers) noun

1.  COSMETICS skin
cosmetic:
a lotion or light astringent used to improve the look or feel of the skin,
especially of the face

2.  PRINTING ink:
ink in powder or liquid form for a photocopier or computer printer

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY photographic
chemical:
a chemical solution used in photograph development

[1]



tonerow

tonerow
tone
row 
or tone se·ries noun

sequence of 12 notes:
a sequence of notes that is the basis of a piece of serial music, especially a
series of 12 notes.
Also called
note row
Also called
row
Also called
twelve-tone row[1]



tonetic

tonetic
to·net·ic
[tō néttik] adjective

of
a tone language: relating to a language in which changes
in pitch distinguish meaning
[Early
20th century. Modeled on phonetic .]
—to·net·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



toneup

toneup
tone
up
transitive verb

firm up muscles:
to make muscles, or the body in general, firmer and stronger[1]



tong

tong1
tong1 [tong]
(past tonged, past participle tonged, present
participle tong·ing, 3rd person present singular tongs)
transitive verb

handle something with tongs:
to lift or move something with tongs[1]



tong

tong2
tong2 [tong]
noun

Chinese
secret society: a Chinese secret society thought to be
involved in criminal activity
[Late 19th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) t’ōng “hall, meeting place.”][1]



tonga

tonga
ton·ga 
[tóng gə] (plural ton·gas) noun

horse-drawn
carriage:
a light horse-drawn carriage in southern and central India
[Late 19th century. From
Hindi tgā .][1]



Tonga

Tonga2


Ton·ga2  [tóng
gə]
independent
island nation consisting of more than 150 islands in the southern Pacific
Ocean. Language: English. Language: Tongan. Currency: pa’anga. Capital:
Nukualofa. Population: 107,335 (1997) Area: 750 sq km/290 sq mi. Official
name Kingdom of Tonga
—Ton·gan, noun,
adjective[1]



Tonga

Tonga1
Ton·ga1  [tóng
gə] (plural Ton·gas or Ton·ga) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of central African people: a member of a people living
in southern central Africa, mainly in southwestern Zambia and northwestern
Zimbabwe

2.  LANGUAGE Tonga
language:
the language of the Tonga people. It belongs to the Bantu group of Benue-Congo
languages.
[Mid-19th century. From Tonga
.][1]



Tongariro,Mount

Tongariro,Mount
Ton·ga·ri·ro,
Mount
[tòngə rrō]

active volcano in New
Zealand, in the central part of the North Island. It last erupted in 1926.
Height: 1,967 m/6,453 ft.[1]



tongs

tongs
tongs 
[tongz] plural noun

utensil
with two arms: a utensil for handling things that
consists of two hinged or sprung arms that press together in a pinching
movement around the object to be lifted
[Old English tang .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to bite” that is also the
ancestor of English tang 1 and tough .][1]



tongue

tongue

tongue 
[tung] noun (plural tongues)

1.  fleshy
organ inside mouth: the movable fleshy organ
attached to the bottom of the inside of the mouth of humans and most animals,
used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and, in humans, speech. Technical name
glossa

2.  FOOD animal’s
tongue used as food: the tongue of an animal,
especially a cow, used as food

3.  language:
a language or dialect

4.  way
of speaking: somebody’s manner of speaking (formal)

5.  ability
to speak:
the power of speech • She
found that her tongue had deserted her.

6.  CLOTHES flap
in shoe:
the middle flap in the opening of a shoe or boot

7.  pin
in buckle:
the pivoting pin in a buckle

8.  clapper
in bell:
the small swinging hammer inside a bell that hits against the inside of the
bell to make the sound

9.  GEOGRAPHY strip
of land:
a narrow strip of land sticking out into a sea, lake, or river

10. MUSIC vibrating
end of musical reed: the vibrating end of a reed
in a wind instrument

11. TRANSPORT pole
on carriage: the pole at the front of a coach or
carriage to which the horses’ harnesses are fastened

12. CONSTRUCTION projecting
strip fitting into groove: a strip that sticks out
along the edge of a wooden board and is designed to fit into a corresponding
groove along the edge of another board

13. something
like tongue: something shaped or moving like a tongue
plural noun tongues

RELIGION speech
resulting from religious ecstasy: speech in no known
language that results from religious ecstasy.
Also
called
gift of tongues
Also
called
glossolalia
Also
called
speaking in tongues
verb (past
tongued, past participle tongued, present participle
tongue·ing, 3rd person present singular tongues)

1.  transitive
verb
touch
something with tongue: to touch or lick something
with the tongue

2.  transitive
verb
kiss
somebody using tongue: to kiss somebody with the
lips open and the tongue touching the inside of the other person’s mouth (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC use tongue to articulate
instrument’s notes: to use the tongue to block
the flow of air on a wind or brass instrument, thereby separating one note from
another

4.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION cut
tongue along board’s edge: to cut a tongue along the
edge of a wooden board, to make one half of a tongue-and-groove joint
[Old
English tunge . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “tongue” that
is also the ancestor of English lingual
and language .]
—tongue·less,
adjective
hold your tongue

to
keep silent

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at language

[1]



tongue-and-groovejoint

tongue-and-groovejoint

tongue-and-groove joint
noun
joint fitting boards edge to edge:
a joint made between two wooden boards consisting of a projecting strip or
tongue along the edge of one board and a groove along the edge of the other[1]



tongued

tongued
tongued
[tungd] adjective

having particular way of
speaking: having a particular kind of
tongue, especially a particular way of speaking (usually used in combination)
• sharp-tongued[1]



tonguedepressor

tonguedepressor
tongue
de·pres·sor
noun

doctor’s stick for holding
down tongue: a wide flat plastic or
wooden stick that a doctor uses to hold down the tongue in order to examine the
mouth and throat.
U.K. term
spatula[1]



tongue-in-cheek

tongue-in-cheek
tongue-in-cheek 
adjective

joking:
spoken with gentle irony and meant as a joke[1]



tongue-lashing

tongue-lashing
tongue-lash·ing 
(plural tongue-lash·ings) noun

reprimand:
a severe scolding[1]



tongue-tie

tongue-tie
tongue-tie 
transitive verb

make
somebody too nervous to speak: to make somebody
unable to speak, especially because of awe, shyness, or embarrassment
noun

MEDICINE
inability to move tongue freely:
the inability to move the tongue with the normal amount of freedom, because the
small membrane ( frenulum ) that attaches
the tongue to the floor of the mouth is unusually short[1]



tongue-tied

tongue-tied
tongue-tied 
adjective

1.  speechless
through nervousness: unable to speak because of
awe, shyness, or embarrassment

2.  MEDICINE affected
by tongue-tie: unable to move the tongue freely because
of tongue-tie

[1]



tonguetwister

tonguetwister
tongue
twist·er
noun

word or phrase difficult to
say: a word, phrase, or sentence
that is difficult to say because of its unusual sequence of sounds, especially
an invented sentence such as “She sells seashells by the seashore”[1]



tongueworm

tongueworm
tongue
worm
noun

parasite infecting lungs of
vertebrates: a tongue-shaped
parasite with a hooked mouth that infests the lungs or nostrils of mammals,
reptiles, and birds. Phylum: Arthropoda
Also called
pentastome[1]



tonic

tonic
ton·ic 
[tónnik] noun (plural ton·ics)

1.  something
that lifts the spirits: something that lifts the
spirits or makes somebody feel better generally

2.  MEDICINE medicine
producing sense of well-being: a medicine that
purports to make patients feel stronger, more energetic, and generally
healthier

3.  BEVERAGES quinine
water:
quinine water (informal)

4.  New
England
BEVERAGES soft
drink:
a flavored and carbonated drink, served cold.
See
also
soda

5.  MUSIC first
note of scale: the first note in a scale and the
harmony built on this note.
Also
called
keynote

6.  PHONETICS stressed
syllable:
the syllable that has the main stress in a word
adjective

1.  lifting
the spirits: lifting the spirits and generally
creating a feeling of well-being

2.  boosting
energy:
designed or serving to boost energy and generally create a feeling of strength
and health

3.  PHYSIOLOGY relating
to muscle tone: relating to or affecting muscular tone
or contraction

4.  MUSIC relating
to first note: based on the first note of a scale

5.  PHONETICS of
a stressed syllable: constituting or relating to
the main stressed syllable in a word

6.  LINGUISTICS See tonetic
[Mid-17th
century. Via French tonique from Greek tonikos “of stretching,”
from tonos .]
—ton·i·cal·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Tonic
  in the sense “soft drink” is an old Boston word that extended north, west,
  and south into New England according to the Boston truck routes. Other
  regional synonyms include pop (Inland North and West), soda
  (Northeast), and cold drink (Lower South).

[1]



tonicaccent

tonicaccent
ton·ic
ac·cent
noun

1.  MUSIC musical
accent produced by higher pitch: a musical accent
produced by higher pitch rather than by stress

2.  PHONETICS syllable
stress created by higher pitch: stress on a syllable
created through a change in pitch

[1]



tonicity

tonicity
to·nic·i·ty 
[tō níssətee] noun

1.  being
tonic:
the state or quality of being tonic

2.  PHYSIOLOGY state
of slight muscle contraction: the state or quality of
muscles being slightly contracted or ready to contract

[1]



tonicsol-fa

tonicsol-fa
ton·ic
sol-fa
noun

musical scale system:
a system of using syllables to denote degrees of a musical scale, and in which
the syllables are movable depending on the key of the piece.
Also called
sol-fa[1]



tonicwater

tonicwater
ton·ic
wa·ter
noun

See
quinine water
[So called because it was
originally drunk to stimulate the appetite or digestion][1]



tonight

tonight
to·night 
[tə nt] noun

night
of present day: the night or evening of the present day
adverb

on
present day’s night: on or during the night or
evening of the present day
[Old English tō niht,
literally “at night”][1]



tonkabean

tonkabean
ton·ka
bean 
[tóngkə bn] noun

1.  fragrant
black seed used in perfume: the fragrant black
almond-shaped seed of a tropical American tree used to make perfumes and to
perfume tobacco and snuff

2.  tropical
American tree: a tall tropical American tree that
produces tonka beans. Latin name: Dipteryx odorata
[Origin uncertain: possibly
from Tupi or Galibi tonka][1]



Tonkin,Gulf of

Tonkin,Gulf of
Ton·kin,
Gulf of
[tón kìn, tóng
kìn]

northwestern arm of the South
China Sea, bounded by Vietnam, mainland China, and the Chinese island of Hainan[1]



TonleSap

TonleSap
Ton·le
Sap 
[tòn lay sáp]

the largest lake in Southeast
Asia, in western Cambodia, linked to the Mekong River by the Tonle Sap River. A
shallow lake, it swells from 2,600 sq km/1,000 sq mi in the dry season to
10,400 sq km/4,020 sq mi in the monsoon season.[1]



tonnage

tonnage
ton·nage 
[túnnij] (plural ton·nages) noun

1.  MEASUREMENTS weight
in tons:
weight measured in imperial or metric tons

2.  ship’s
size or capacity: the size of a ship measured in tons or
cubic feet or meters of seawater displaced, or the capacity of a ship measured
in cubic feet or meters

3.  SHIPPING weight
of ship’s cargo: the weight of a ship’s cargo, measured
in tons

4.  SHIPPING duty
charged on ship’s cargo: the duty charged at a rate
per ton on a ship’s cargo

5.  SHIPPING size
of fleet of ships: the size of a fleet of
ships, for example, a merchant company’s fleet or a nation’s warships,
calculated as the combined weights or carrying capacities of all ships
[15th century. Formed from ton 1 .][1]



tonne

tonne
tonne 
[tun] (plural tonnes) noun

See
metric ton
[Late
19th century. Via French from medieval Latin tunna, of uncertain origin:
probably from Celtic.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  tonne,
  ton, or tun ?
  All
  three words are pronounced the same way (tun), although tonne is sometimes pronounced ton to
  distinguish it from ton . A ton is a nonmetric unit and differs in value in
  British and American usage (see ton ). A tonne is a metric unit equal to 1000 kilograms.
  A tun is a large beer cask or a unit of
  liquid capacity equal to 252 gallons.

[1]



tonneau

tonneau
ton·neau 
[tə nṓ, tónnō]
(plural ton·neaus) noun

back
seat of vintage car: the back-seat compartment of
an open-top vintage car, or a flexible cloth cover protecting it when it is not
being used
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “barrel” (so called because of its shape), from tonne
(see tonne ).][1]



tonometer

tonometer
to·nom·e·ter 
[tō nómmətər] (plural to·nom·e·ters)
noun

1.  PHYSICS instrument
measuring sound’s pitch: an instrument, often one
fitted with a range of tuning forks, that measures the exact pitch of a sound

2.  MEDICINE instrument
measuring pressure in body part: an instrument that
measures pressure in a part of the body such as the blood vessels, or the
eyeball as a test for glaucoma
[Early
18th century. Coined from Greek tonos (see tone
) + -meter .]
—to·no·met·ric
[tnə méttrik], adjective

—to·nom·e·try [tō nómmətree], noun[1]



tonoplast

tonoplast
to·no·plast 
[tṓnə plàst] (plural to·no·plasts)
noun

separating
membrane in plant cell: the semipermeable membrane
separating a fluid-filled internal cavity ( vacuole
) from the surrounding cytoplasm inside a plant cell
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek tonos (see tone ) + -plast .][1]



tonsil

tonsil

ton·sil 
[tónsəl] (plural ton·sils) noun

1.  oval
tissue mass in the mouth: either of two small oval
masses of tissue, one on each side of the back of the mouth, that are important
for the body’s immune system

2.  tonsil-shaped
lump of tissue elsewhere: any of various lumps of
tissue shaped like the tonsils of the mouth, for example, either of two small
lumps in the brain tonsils of the cerebellum
[Late
16th century. From Latin tonsillae “tonsils,” of uncertain origin.]
—ton·sil·lar,
adjective

—ton·sil·lar·y, adjective[1]



tonsillectomy

tonsillectomy
ton·sil·lec·to·my 
[tònsə léktəmee] (plural ton·sil·lec·to·mies)
noun

surgical removal of tonsils:
a surgical procedure to remove the tonsils of the mouth[1]



tonsillitis

tonsillitis
ton·sil·li·tis 
[tònsə ltiss] noun

inflammation
of tonsils:
inflammation of the tonsils of the mouth, caused either by bacteria or a virus,
which makes the throat very sore and can lead to fever and earache
—ton·sil·lit·ic [tònsə líttik], adjective[1]



tonsorial

tonsorial
ton·so·ri·al 
[ton sáwree əl] adjective

of
barbers:
relating to barbers or their work (formal or humorous)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin tonsorius, from tonsor “barber,” from tondere
“to clip” (source of English tonsure
).][1]



tonsure

tonsure
ton·sure 
[tónshər] noun (plural ton·sures)

partially
shaved head: a shaved patch on the crown of the heads
of priests and monks in some religious orders, or the shaving of the head in
this way
transitive
verb
(past ton·sured, past participle ton·sured, present
participle ton·sur·ing, 3rd person present singular ton·sures)

partially
shave the head: to shave the crown of the head
[14th century. Directly or
via French from, ultimately, Latin tondere “to clip.”][1]



tontine

tontine
ton·tine 
[tón tn, ton
tn] (plural ton·tines) noun

group
investment scheme: an investment or insurance
scheme in which contributors pay equal amounts into a common fund and receive
equal dividends and benefits from it, with the final surviving contributor
receiving everything
[Mid-18th century. From
French, named for a Neapolitan banker, Lorenzo Tonti (1630–1695), who
started such a scheme.][1]



tonto

tonto
ton·to
[tón tō] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody who is thought to be mentally ill (offensive
insult)
[Late 20th century. From
Spanish .][1]



tonus

tonus
to·nus 
[tṓnəss] noun

normal
state of muscle: the normal state of a healthy muscle
when resting in a state of slight contraction
[Late 19th century. Via Latin
from Greek tonos (see tone ).][1]



tony

tony
ton·y
[tṓnee] adjective

stylish:
having an aristocratic, expensive, or stylish presentation (informal)[1]



Tony

Tony
To·ny
[tṓnee] (plural To·nys) noun

award
for theatrical achievement: an award made annually in
the United States for achievement in the theater
[Mid-20th century. From Tony,
nickname of the U.S. actor and producer Antoinette Perry (1888–1946).][1]



too

too
too 
[too] adverb

1.  as
well:
used to indicate that a person, thing, or aspect of a situation applies in
addition to the one just mentioned • Can
cats be affected by it too? • You
ought to see a doctor, and quickly too!
See
also
also

2.  more
than is desirable: more of an amount or degree
of something than is desirable, necessary, or fitting • He’s
a little too conservative for me.

3.  extremely:
used to emphasize a quality • She’s
only too aware of how this will affect her career.

4.  very:
used to modify the force of a negative statement in order to sound polite or
cautious • It
didn’t look too good.

5.  indeed:
used to emphasize the force of a statement or command • “I
didn’t touch it.” –“You did too!”
[Old
English tō (see to ), in the sense
“in addition, furthermore”]
only
too right

used to express emphatic
agreement with a statement that has just been made • You
are only too right in saying that[1]



toodle-oo

toodle-oo
too·dle-oo
[td’l ] interjection

goodbye:
farewell (dated informal or humorous)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration of French à tout à l’heure “see you
later.”][1]



took

took
took


Past tense of
take[1]



tool

tool
tool 
[tool] noun (plural tools)

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING device
for doing work: an object designed to do a particular
kind of work, for example, cutting or chopping, by directing manually applied
force or by means of a motor

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING cutting
part of machine: the cutting or shaping part of a
power-driven device, for example, the blade on a lathe

3.  CRAFT bookbinder’s
implement:
any of the implements that a bookbinder uses to make a design on leather, or
the design made by such an implement

4.  means
to an end:
something used as a means of achieving something

5.  something
used for a job: an item people use in the course of
their everyday work • Words
are the poet’s tool.

6.  somebody
manipulated by another: somebody who is manipulated
by somebody else, especially one person who carries out the unsavory or
dishonest tasks the other person does not want to do

7.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a human penis (slang offensive)
verb
(past tooled, past participle tooled, present
participle tool·ing, 3rd person present singular tools)

1.  transitive
verb
CRAFT work
something using hand tools: to cut, shape, or form
something, especially to press a design into the leather cover of a book, using
hand tools

2.  transitive
verb
INDUSTRY give
somebody or something tools: to equip somebody or
something with tools

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOBILES drive a car:
to drive a car in a particular way, especially at high speeds (slang) • tooling
along at a cool 65
[Old
English tōl . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to
manufacture.”]
—tool·er,
noun

—tool·less, adjective[1]



toolbar

toolbar
tool·bar 
[tl br] (unmarked inflection tool·bars)
noun

row of icons:
a row of icons on a computer screen that are clicked on to perform certain
frequently used functions[1]



tooling

tooling
tool·ing 
[tling] noun

decorative work done with
hand tools: any kind of decorative work
done with hand tools, especially the carving of stone or the pressing or
stamping of designs onto leather[1]



toolmaker

toolmaker
tool·mak·er 
[tl màykər] (plural tool·mak·ers)
noun

maker
or repairer of tools: somebody who makes or
repairs precision tools, especially the cutting or shaping parts of industrial
machines
—tool·mak·ing, noun[1]



toolpusher

toolpusher
tool
push·er
noun

drilling rig supervisor:
somebody who supervises drilling operations on a drill rig (informal)[1]



toolroom

toolroom
tool·room
[tl rm, tl
rm] (plural tool·rooms) noun

room for storing tools:
a room in a machine shop where tools are stored, maintained, or made[1]



toolshed

toolshed
tool·shed
[tl shèd] (plural tool·sheds)
noun

shed for storing tools:
a small outbuilding where tools are kept, especially one in a yard used for
storing gardening tools[1]



toolsteel

toolsteel
tool
steel
noun

hard steel for cutting tools:
hard steel used to make the cutting or shaping parts of hand tools and power
tools[1]



toolup

toolup
tool
up
intransitive and transitive verb

INDUSTRY
provide with tools:
on a large scale, to provide a factory or an industry with the equipment needed
to manufacture many things • tooled
up the automotive industry for the war effort[1]



toon

toon1
toon1 [toon]
(plural toons) noun

1.  TREES red-flowered
tree:
a tree of the mahogany family native to Australia and tropical Asia. It has
fragrant hard wood and red flowers that are used to make dye. Latin name: Cedrela
toona

2.  INDUSTRY reddish
hardwood:
the fragrant reddish wood of the toon tree, whose exceptional hardness makes it
a highly prized wood for furniture and top-quality joinery
[Early 19th century. Via
Hindi tūn from Sanskrit tunnaḥ .][1]



toon

toon2
toon2 noun

cartoon:
any kind of cartoon or cartoon character, or the whole of the cartoon-making
industry[1]



toonie

toonie
too·nie
[tnee] noun

Canada
Canadian
$2 coin:
a coin worth two Canadian dollars
[Blend of two and loonie][1]



toorie

toorie
too·rie
[tree] (plural too·ries) noun

Scotland
pompon,
or hat with one: a soft flat cap, with or without a brim,
that has a pompon on its top, or a pompon on such a hat (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Originally in the sense “little tower,” formed from tour, a variant of tower .][1]



toot

toot2
toot2  [toot]
noun (plural toots) (slang)

1.  drinking
bout:
a bout of heavy drinking

2.  inhaled
illegal substance: a quantity of an illegal
drug, especially cocaine, taken by inhaling through the nose
intransitive
and transitive verb (past toot·ed,
past participle toot·ed, present participle toot·ing,
3rd person present singular toots)

inhale illegal substance:
to inhale an illegal drug, especially cocaine (slang)
[Late 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



toot

toot1

toot1  [toot]
noun (plural toots)

sound of vehicle horn:
the high-pitched hooting sound that a vehicle’s horn makes, or a similar sound
verb (past
toot·ed, past participle toot·ed, present participle
toot·ing, 3rd person present singular toots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
short hooting sound: to make, or cause the horn
of a vehicle to make, a short high-pitched hooting sound

2.  intransitive
verb
pass
gas:
to pass gas noisily (slang)
[Early
16th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—toot·er, noun[1]



tooth

tooth

tooth 
[tooth] noun (plural teeth
[teeth])

1.  PHYSIOLOGY whitish
bony object in the mouth: any of the hard whitish bony
objects arranged in two arched rows inside a human or vertebrate animal’s mouth
and used for biting and chewing food

2.  ZOOLOGY invertebrate
part resembling a tooth: a sharp part on an
invertebrate made of horny, calcareous, or chitinous material and functioning
like or resembling a vertebrate tooth

3.  indentation:
an object resembling the shape of or performing the function of a tooth, for
example, one of the jagged indentations along the edge of a saw or a leaf

4.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING part
sticking out on gear wheel: any of a set of parts that
stick out from the edge of a gear wheel or sprocket, designed to interlock with
another set

5.  surface
roughness allowing substance to adhere: the
roughness of a surface, especially the surface of paper, which allows paints,
glues, and other substances to stick to it

6.  something
destructive: something that has the power to destroy
(usually used in the plural) • the
teeth of the gale

7.  taste
for something: a liking for the taste of something • a
sweet tooth
plural noun teeth

effective power:
the power or ability to accomplish something • Sanctions
without teeth won’t do any good.
verb (past
toothed, past participle toothed, present participle
tooth·ing, 3rd person present singular tooths)

1.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING put
teeth on something: to give something teeth,
especially to cut teeth into a saw blade or around the edge of a gear wheel or
sprocket

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fit
together with interlocking teeth: to interlock by means
of teeth that fit one set inside the other
[Old
English tōþ . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “tooth,” which
is also the ancestor of English tusk,
dental, and mastodon .]
armed to the teeth (with something)

extremely
well armed or equipped with something (informal)

cut your teeth (on something)

to
learn how to do something and gain experience from it

get your teeth into something

to
start doing something that will be challenging and satisfying

in the teeth of

against
opposition or contradiction from

set your teeth on edge

to
irritate

show your teeth

to indicate that you have
power and intend to use it[1]



toothache

toothache
tooth·ache 
[tth àyk] (plural tooth·aches)
noun

pain in tooth:
pain in or around a tooth, especially because the tooth is decaying[1]



toothachetree

toothachetree
tooth·ache
tree
noun

N American ash tree:
either of two prickly-branched North American varieties of ash that have a
fragrant bark that was formerly chewed as a cure for toothache. Latin name: Zanthoxylum
americanum Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
See also
prickly ash[1]



toothand nail

toothand nail
tooth
and nail
adverb

very aggressively:
very aggressively or with every available means[1]



toothbrush

toothbrush
tooth·brush 
[tth brùsh] (plural tooth·brush·es)
noun

brush
for cleaning teeth: a small brush for cleaning
the teeth, with a long handle and a comparatively small head
—tooth·brush·ing, noun[1]



toothed

toothed
toothed 
[tootht] adjective

having teeth:
having a particular number or kind of teeth (often used in combination)[1]



toothedwhale

toothedwhale
toothed
whale
noun

smallish whale with teeth:
a smallish whale that has teeth and feeds on fish and mollusks. Suborder:
Odontoceti[1]



toothfairy

toothfairy
tooth
fair·y
noun

fairy replacing tooth with
money: a fairy who, in children’s
folklore, takes away the baby tooth that a child leaves under the pillow and
replaces it with a coin or small gift[1]



toothless

toothless
tooth·less 
[tthləss] adjective

1.  lacking
teeth:
lacking teeth, especially because the teeth have decayed and fallen out

2.  lacking
power:
lacking power, authority, or a forceful manner

[1]



toothlesswhale

toothlesswhale
tooth·less
whale
(plural tooth·less whales) noun

large whale without teeth:
a whale without teeth but with thin horny plates hanging from the upper jaw
through which it filters plankton. Toothless whales are larger than toothed
ones.
See also
toothed whale[1]



toothpaste

toothpaste
tooth·paste 
[tth pàyst] noun

paste for cleaning teeth:
paste brushed onto the teeth to clean them and protect them from decay[1]



toothpick

toothpick
tooth·pick 
[tth pìk] (plural tooth·picks)
noun

stick removing food from
between teeth: a thin pointed stick of
wood or plastic used to remove pieces of food from between the teeth[1]



toothpowder

toothpowder
tooth
pow·der
noun

tooth-cleansing powder:
powder that is mixed to a lather with a damp toothbrush and used to clean the
teeth and protect them from decay[1]



toothshell

toothshell
tooth
shell
noun

mollusk with tapering shell:
a mollusk with a tapering shell, or the shell of such a mollusk. Class:
Scaphopoda
Also called
tusk shell[1]



toothsome

toothsome
tooth·some 
[tthsəm] adjective

1.  delicious:
having a pleasing smell, taste, and appearance

2.  attractive:
attractive, especially sexually (dated informal) (offensive in some
contexts)
—tooth·some·ly,
adverb

—tooth·some·ness, noun[1]



toothwort

toothwort
tooth·wort 
[tth wùrt, tth
wàwrt] (plural tooth·worts or tooth·wort) noun

1.  N
American plant with scaly roots: a North American
flowering plant with scaly rhizomes and often showy pink or purple flowers.
Latin name: Cardamine bulbifera

2.  European
plant with scaly roots: a leafless European plant
that grows on tree roots and has pinkish flowers and horizontal underground
stems ( rhizomes ) that are covered with
scales resembling teeth. Latin name: Lathraea squamaria

[1]



toothy

toothy
tooth·y 
[tthee] (comparative tooth·i·er,
superlative tooth·i·est) adjective

having
many or large teeth: having or showing a lot of
teeth, large teeth, or protruding teeth
—tooth·i·ly,
adverb

—tooth·i·ness, noun[1]



tootle

tootle
too·tle 
[tt’l] verb (past too·tled,
past participle too·tled, present participle too·tling,
3rd person present singular too·tles) (informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
drive
slowly:
to proceed slowly or aimlessly, especially in a car

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
hooting sound: to make or cause something to make
repeated high-pitched tooting sounds
noun
(plural too·tles)

repeated sound:
a gentle repeated tooting sound (informal)
[Early
19th century. Formed from toot 1 .]
—too·tler, noun[1]



too-too

too-too
too-too
adjective

beyond bounds of good taste:
exaggeratedly and artificially refined or elegant (informal humorous)[1]



toots

toots
toots 
[tts] (plural toots·es) noun

form
of address:
an affectionate or patronizing way of addressing somebody, especially a woman (dated
informal) (offensive in some contexts)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tootsie

tootsie
toot·sie 
(plural toot·sies) noun

1.  prostitute:
a prostitute (slang)

2.  (slang)
See tootsy  noun 1

3.  (dated
informal) (offensive in some contexts) See toots
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tootsy

tootsy
toot·sy 
(plural toot·sies) noun

1.  foot
or toe:
a child’s word for foot or toe (slang)

2.  (dated
informal) (offensive in some contexts) See toots
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of footsie .][1]



top

top2
top2 [top]
(plural tops) noun

spinning
toy:
a toy that spins around on a rounded or pointed base, traditionally a conical
wooden toy that is set spinning by pulling a string wrapped around it.
Also
called
spinning top
[Pre-12th century. Origin unknown.][1]



top

top1
top1 [top]
noun (plural tops)

1.  highest
part:
the highest part or point (often used in combination) • snow
on the mountain tops

2.  upper
surface:
the upper side or surface • dust
on the top of the cupboard

3.  lid
or cover:
the part covering and sealing the open upper side of an object or an opening on
the upper side (often used in combination) • bottle
tops

4.  CLOTHES garment
covering upper body: a piece of clothing,
especially women’s clothing, covering the upper body

5.  most
important position or person: the most important position
or most senior rank, or the person occupying it • at
the top of her profession

6.  best
part:
the best part or section • They
only take the top of the group.

7.  most
excellent level: the level of highest excellence • not
at the top of his game

8.  most
intense level: the level of greatest intensity, power,
or force • at
the top of her voice

9.  beginning
or earliest part: the beginning or the first or earliest
section • Take
it from the top.

10. crown
of head:
the crown of the head • from
top to toe

11. AUTOMOTIVE car
roof:
the roof of a car, especially a convertible

12. U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE (informal) See
high  noun 7

13. SPORTS topspin:
topspin (informal)

14. SPORTS stroke
hitting ball above center: a stroke that puts topspin
on a ball by hitting the ball above its center

15. BASEBALL first
half of baseball inning: the first half of an inning
in a baseball game

16. CARD GAMES player’s
best card or cards: the best card or group of
cards in a player’s hand

17. ACOUSTICS high-frequency
part of sound: the high-frequency element of any sound

18. CHEMISTRY volatile
part of a solution: the part of a distilled
solution that volatilizes first

19. SAILING platform
on a mast:
a platform around the head of a lower mast on a sailing ship, used to stand on
or to support rigging
plural
noun
tops

root vegetable’s visible parts:
the parts of a root vegetable that are visible above the ground when it is
growing (often used in combination)
adjective

1.  uppermost
or highest:
situated at the top, or higher than all others • the
top shirt on the pile

2.  leading
or most successful: most important, senior,
successful, or respected • a
convention of top academics

3.  of
best quality: of the finest quality available • one
of the city’s top hotels

4.  maximum:
being at the highest level or degree • at top
speed
transitive
verb
(past topped, past participle topped, present
participle top·ping, 3rd person present singular tops)

1.  add
topping to something: to put a topping on
something (often passive) • topped
with a layer of melted cheese

2.  cut
top off something: to cut the top off
something, especially a vegetable prior to cooking • First
top the carrots.

3.  outrank
all others in something: to be at the head of
something such as a list or hierarchy • They’ve
topped the music charts for the fifth week in a row.

4.  exceed
or better something: to do better than something,
or be greater than something • profits
topping $500 million

5.  reach
apex of something: to reach or go over the top
of something, for example, a mountain

6.  SPORTS put
topspin on ball: to hit a ball above its center, putting
topspin on it

7.  GOLF hit
golf ball above center: to hit a golf ball too far
above its center, so that it runs along the ground instead of rising into the
air

8.  CHEMISTRY distill
volatile part of solution: to take the most volatile
part of a solution through distillation
[Old
English topp . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“tuft, crest,” which is also the ancestor of English tip 1, tuft, and toupee
.]
blow
your top

to
lose your temper and fly into a rage (informal)

off
the top of your head

without thinking deeply,
checking, or planning something[1]



top-

top-
top-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
topo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








topaz

topaz
to·paz 
[tṓ pàz] noun (plural to·paz·es)

1.  MINERALS transparent
brown gemstone: a mineral found in granites and
pegmatite that occasionally occurs as well-formed crystals in a variety of
colors including brown and pink that are valued as gemstones

2.  MINERALS yellowish
gemstone:
a yellowish gemstone, especially yellow sapphire or a yellow variety of quartz

3.  BIRDS hummingbird
with yellowish throat: either of two
vividly-colored yellowish-throated hummingbirds of the South American rain
forest. Latin name: Topaza pyra Topaza pella

4.  COLORS yellowish-brown
color:
a light-brown color tinged with yellow
adjective

COLORS of
yellowish-brown color: of a light brown color
tinged with yellow
[13th century. Via Old French
topace from, ultimately, Greek topazos, of unknown origin.][1]



topazolite

topazolite
to·paz·o·lite 
[tō pázzə lt] noun

yellowish
garnet:
a yellowish-green variety of garnet used as a gemstone
[Early 19th century. Coined
from topaz + -lite
.][1]



topbanana

topbanana
top
ba·nan·a
noun (slang)

1.  leader:
the main person in a group

2.  ARTS leading
comedian:
the leading comedian in a comedy show, especially a vaudeville show

[1]



topbilling

topbilling
top
bil·ling
noun

1.  ARTS status
as star performer: a performer’s status as the
star attraction in a show with his or her name appearing first in any list of
performers or promotional material

2.  prominence:
the position of greatest prominence in something

[1]



topboot

topboot
top
boot
noun

high boot with colored top:
a knee-length boot with a band of differently colored leather around the top[1]



topbrass

topbrass
top
brass
noun

highest-ranking officers:
the highest-ranking officers or officials (informal)[1]



topcoat

topcoat
top·coat 
[tóp kt] (plural top·coats) noun

1.  final
coat of paint: a finishing coat of paint, applied over
an undercoat

2.  CLOTHES overcoat:
a lightweight coat for outdoor wear

[1]



topdead-center

topdead-center
top
dead-cen·ter noun

top position of piston:
the position of a piston in an engine or pump when it is at the top of its
stroke[1]



topdog

topdog
top
dog
noun

most powerful person:
the most important or powerful person, often somebody who has beaten all other
competitors (informal)[1]



topdollar

topdollar
top
dol·lar
noun

high price:
a high price, or the highest price (informal)[1]



top-down

top-down
top-down
adjective

1.  controlled
by the most senior people: having all control in the
hands of the people at the most senior levels

2.  working
from general to specific: starting at the most general
level and working toward details or specifics • a
top-down approach

[1]



topdrawer

topdrawer
top
draw·er
noun

1.  the
best:
the highest level of excellence, or the people at this level

2.  upper
class:
the upper class or highest class in society
—top-draw·er, adjective[1]



top-dress

top-dress
top-dress 
transitive verb

spread something thinly over
ground: to spread a thin layer of
something on the ground, especially fertilizer on the surface of soil, a
growing crop, or a lawn[1]



topdressing

topdressing
top
dress·ing
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE surface
fertilizer:
fertilizer spread thinly on the surface of soil, a growing crop, or on a lawn

2.  TRANSPORT loose
gravel as a road surface: loose gravel spread thinly
on the surface of a road or path

3.  superficial
covering:
a thin or superficial covering, especially a deceptively pleasant façade hiding
an unpleasant reality

[1]



tope

tope3
tope3 [tōp]
(plural topes) noun

RELIGION See stupa
[Early 19th century. From
Hindi top, of uncertain origin: probably from Prakrit thūpo .][1]



tope

tope2
tope2 [tōp]
(plural topes or tope) noun

small
gray European shark: a small gray European shark
with a long snout. Its liver is used as a source of vitamin A. Latin name: Galeorhinus
galeus
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Cornish .][1]



tope

tope1
tope1 [tōp]
(past toped, past participle toped, present
participle top·ing, 3rd person present singular topes)
intransitive and transitive verb

drink
heavily:
to drink liquor heavily and habitually (archaic or literary)
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from top 1 .][1]



topee

topee
to·pee 
[tṓpee] (plural to·pees) or
to·pi [tṓpee] (plural to·pis)
noun

See
pith helmet
[Mid-19th century. From Hindi
opī “hat.”][1]



Topeka

Topeka
To·pe·ka 
[tō pkə]

capital city of Kansas, in
the northeastern part of the state, on the Kansas River, east of Manhattan and
west of Kansas City. Population: 119,658 (1996)[1]



toper

toper
top·er 
[tṓpər] (plural top·ers) noun

heavy
drinker:
somebody who drinks liquor heavily and habitually (archaic literary or
informal)
[From tope 1][1]



topflight

topflight
top·flight 
[tóp flt] adjective

outstanding:
of the highest quality or status[1]



topgallant

topgallant
top·gal·lant 
[top gállənt, tóp
gàllənt, (nautical use) tə gállənt]
(plural top·gal·lants) noun

1.  topgallant
mast
or topgallant ship’s mast:
a ship’s mast that is taller than a topmast or is an extension of a topmast

2.  topgallant
sail
or topgallant sail set on topgallant:
a sail set on a topgallant mast
[Early 16th century. The
underlying idea is that the extension of the top mast presents a gallant
display above the other masts.][1]



topgear

topgear
top
gear
noun

U.K.
See high gear[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








topgun

topgun
top
gun
noun

preeminent
person:
somebody who is the very best in his or her field (informal)





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Top Gun, a movie by English
  director Tony Scott ( 1986 ). A drama about U.S. Navy fighter pilots in
  training, it centers on two outstanding pilots in the class competing for the
  much coveted title of “Top Gun.” An encounter with enemy aircraft provides
  them with an opportunity to prove their worth. The movie is memorable for its
  spectacular, high-speed dog-fights. The term “top gun” promptly moved into
  the general language, meaning “somebody who is the very best in his or her
  field.”

[1]



top-hamper

top-hamper
top-ham·per
noun

ship’s
sails or rigging: the uppermost sails, spars, and other
equipment on a sailing ship, especially when regarded as weight to be minimized
or monitored because of the destabilizing effect it can have
[From hamper 1][1]



tophat

tophat
top
hat
noun

man’s tall hat:
a man’s tall cylindrical hat with a flat top and a narrow brim. It is usually
black, is often made of silk, and is worn as part of formal dress.[1]



top-heavy

top-heavy
top-heav·y 
adjective

1.  unbalanced
because too heavy at top: unbalanced or unstable owing
to excessive weight at the top

2.  BUSINESS overburdened
with executives: with too many executives or managers in
proportion to the numbers of staff at junior levels
—top-heav·i·ly,
adverb

—top-heav·i·ness, noun[1]



Tophet

Tophet
To·phet 
[tṓfət, tṓ fèt]
or To·pheth [tṓfət, tṓ fèt] noun

1.  BIBLE place
of punishment after death: according to the Bible, a
place of torment and punishment where the wicked are sent after death

2.  terrible
situation:
an extremely unpleasant situation or condition (archaic or literary)
[14th century. From Hebrew Tōpe,
an area near Jerusalem associated first with primitive religious worship and
later with the burning of trash and, by extension, Hell.][1]



tophus

tophus
to·phus 
[tṓfəss] (plural to·phi [tṓ f]) noun

acid
deposit in the body: a hard deposit of
crystalline uric acid and its salts in cartilage, joints, or skin. It is a
characteristic of gout.
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “tufa.”]
—to·pha·ceous [tə fáyshəss], adjective[1]



topi

topi2
to·pi2 (plural to·pis)
noun

See
pith helmet[1]



topi

topi1
to·pi1 [tṓpee]
(plural to·pis or to·pi) noun

antelope
with curved horns: an African antelope that has
curved horns, a long muzzle, and bluish-black and yellow markings. It is said
to be the fastest of all the antelopes. Latin name: Damaliscus lunatus
Also
called
sassaby
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



topiary

topiary
to·pi·ar·y 
[tṓpee èrree] (plural to·pi·ar·ies)
noun

1.  art
of shaping bushes: the art of trimming bushes,
hedges, and trees into decorative shapes

2.  shaped
bush:
a bush, hedge, or tree trimmed into a decorative shape

3.  topiary
garden:
a garden in which topiaries feature prominently
[Late
16th century. Via French from Latin topiarius from, ultimately, Greek topos
“place.”]
—to·pi·ar·ist [tṓpee ərist], noun[1]



topic

topic
top·ic 
[tóppik] (plural top·ics) noun

1.  subject:
a subject written or spoken about

2.  LOGIC arguments
used in reasoning: a class of arguments used as
a source of proofs in formal reasoning
[15th
century. Formed from Topics, title of Aristotle’s treatise on rhetorical
commonplaces, from Latin Topica, from, ultimately, Greek topos
“place.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at subject

[1]



topical

topical
top·i·cal 
[tóppik’l] adjective

1.  of
current interest: relating to something that is of
particular interest at the moment

2.  of
topics:
relating to topics or in the form of topics

3.  local:
relating to, or situated in, a particular place or part

4.  MEDICINE applied
externally:
used to describe drugs or medications that are applied directly to the surface
of the part of the body being treated
—top·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



topicality

topicality
top·i·cal·i·ty
[tòppi kállətee] noun

relevance to current
interests: relevance to matters that
are of interest at the moment[1]



topicsentence

topicsentence
top·ic
sen·tence
noun

sentence presenting a main
idea: a sentence that states the
main idea of a paragraph or larger section of writing, usually placed at or
near the beginning[1]



topknot

topknot
top·knot 
[tóp nòt] (plural top·knots) noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING hair
decoration:
a decorative arrangement of hair, or of hairbands or bows, worn on top of the
head

2.  BIRDS bird’s
crest:
a small tuft of feathers on the head of some birds, for example, the quail

[1]



topless

topless
top·less 
[tópləss] adjective

1.  missing
a top:
without or missing a top

2.  elevated:
very high, either physically or in rank or importance (archaic or literary)

3.  with
no top part: with no covering for the upper torso

4.  with
nothing covering breasts: wearing no covering over the
breasts or upper torso

5.  where
women show breasts: where women can or do expose
their breasts in public on a topless beach (archaic or literary)
—top·less·ness, noun[1]



top-level

top-level
top-lev·el 
adjective

1.  involving
important people: involving the most senior or influential
people

2.  at
most senior level: at the highest level of
influence or authority

[1]



toplofty

toplofty
top·loft·y 
[tóp lòftee] (comparative top·loft·i·er,
superlative top·loft·i·est) adjective

haughty:
haughty, pretentious, or condescending (informal)
—top·loft·i·ly,
adverb

—top·loft·i·ness, noun[1]



topmast

topmast
top·mast 
[tóp màst] (plural top·masts) noun

tall mast on a ship:
a mast that is taller than the lowest mast and is usually the tallest mast on a
ship whose sails run fore-and-aft. It is the next tallest after the topgallant
mast on a ship whose sails are square-rigged.[1]



topminnow

topminnow
top·min·now 
[tóp mìnnō] (plural top·min·nows
or top·min·now) noun

small freshwater fish:
a small freshwater fish that swims near the surface in warmer waters and has an
upturned mouth for catching prey. Guppies and mollies are topminnows .
Families: Cyprinodontidae Poeciliidae Goodeidae[1]



topmost

topmost
top·most 
[tóp mst] adjective

highest:
highest or uppermost[1]



topnotch

topnotch
top·notch 
[tóp nòch, top
nóch] adjective

excellent:
meeting the highest standards of excellence and quality (informal)
—top·notch·er, noun[1]



topo-

topo-
topo-
prefix

place,
region • topotype
[From Greek topos
“place”][1]



topog.

topog.
topog.

Abbreviation of
topography[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








topography

topography
to·pog·ra·phy 
[tə póggrəfee] (plural to·pog·ra·phies)
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY mapping
of surface features: the study and mapping of the
features on the surface of land, including natural features such as mountains
and rivers and constructed features such as highways and railroads

2.  area’s
features:
the features on the surface of a particular area of land

3.  description
of structure: a study or detailed description of the
various features of any object or entity and the relationships between them
—to·pog·ra·pher,
noun

—top·o·graph·ic
[tòppə gráffik], adjective

—top·o·graph·i·cal
[tòppə gráffik’l], adjective

—top·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[tòppə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



topoi

topoi
to·poi


Plural of
topos[1]



topology

topology
to·pol·o·gy 
[tə pólləjee] noun

1.  GEOMETRY study
of geometric properties: the study of the properties
of figures that are independent of size or shape and are not changed by
stretching, bending, knotting, or twisting

2.  MATHEMATICS family
of subsets:
the family of all open subsets of a mathematical set, including the set itself
and the empty set, which is closed under set union and finite intersection

3.  ANATOMY anatomy
of body part: the anatomy of a specific part of the
body

4.  study
linking topography and time: the study of changes in
topography that occur over time and, in particular, of how such changes taking
place in a particular area affect the history of that area

5.  relationships
between linked elements: the relationships between
elements linked together in a system, for example, a computer network (formal)
—top·o·log·ic
[tòppə lójjik], adjective

—top·o·log·i·cal
[tòppə lójjik’l], adjective

—top·o·log·i·cal·ly
[tòppə lójjikəlee], adverb

—to·pol·o·gist [tə pólləjist], noun[1]



toponym

toponym
top·o·nym 
[tóppə nìm] (plural top·o·nyms)
noun (formal)

1.  place
name:
a name given to a place

2.  name
derived from a place name: a name, for example, a
personal name, that is derived from the name of a place
[Late 19th century. Coined
from topo- on the model of synonym .][1]



toponymy

toponymy
to·pon·y·my 
[tə pónnəmee] noun

study
of place names: the study of the place names of a
particular region or language
—top·o·nym·ic
[tòppə nímmik], adjective

—top·o·nym·i·cal [tòppə nímmik’l], adjective[1]



topos

topos
to·pos 
[tṓ pss, tṓ
pòss] (plural to·poi [tṓ pòy])
noun

traditional
theme:
a traditional theme, especially one developed in literature or rhetoric
[Mid-20th century. From
Greek, “place, rhetorical commonplace.”][1]



topotype

topotype
top·o·type 
[tóppə tp] (plural top·o·types)
noun

biological specimen:
a biological specimen taken from its typical habitat[1]



topper

topper
top·per 
[tóppər] (plural top·pers) noun

1.  CLOTHES top
hat:
a top hat (informal)

2.  CLOTHES woman’s
coat:
a woman’s short, loose-fitting coat or jacket

3.  somebody
or something dealing with tops: a person or machine
that removes or adds tops

4.  crowning
comment:
a remark or joke that improves on or triumphs over a preceding one (informal)

5.  U.K.
best
of its kind: something that surpasses all others of
its kind (dated slang)

[1]



topping

topping
top·ping 
[tópping] (plural top·pings) noun

garnish for food:
something put on top of food, especially a sauce or garnish[1]



topple

topple
top·ple 
[tópp’l] (past top·pled, past
participle top·pled, present participle top·pling, 3rd
person present singular top·ples) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
or make something fall over: to fall forward or tip over,
or make something fall forward or tip over

2.  intransitive
verb
totter:
to lean or sway precariously, as if about to fall over

3.  transitive
verb
overthrow
somebody or something: to overthrow somebody or
something from a position of authority
[Mid-16th century. Literally
in the sense “to keep on falling over” (as if top-heavy), from top 1 .][1]



top-ranking

top-ranking
top-rank·ing
adjective

in a senior position:
of a senior rank or the highest rank[1]



topround

topround
top
round
noun

cut of beef:
a lean boneless cut of beef from the outer thigh[1]



tops

tops
tops 
[tops] adjective

ranked
highest:
ranked highest in quality, degree, or esteem (informal) • She’s
tops in her field.
adverb

at
most:
at the most (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From
plural of top 1 .][1]



topsail

topsail
top·sail 
[tóps’l, tóp
sàyl] (plural top·sails) noun

upper sail:
a sail set above the lowermost sail on a mast on a square-rigged sailing
vessel, or above the gaff on a fore-and-aft-rigged vessel[1]



top-secret

top-secret
top-se·cret 
adjective

highly secret:
requiring complete secrecy or containing information that must be kept
completely secret, especially because its disclosure would pose the gravest
danger to national security[1]



topsergeant

topsergeant
top
ser·geant
noun

first sergeant:
a first sergeant in the United States Army[1]



topside

topside
top·side 
[tóp sd] noun (plural top·sides)

1.  upper
side:
the uppermost side of something

2.  NAUTICAL upper
hull:
the part of a ship’s hull that lies above the water

3.  highest
rank:
the highest office or position

4.  U.K.,
New Zealand FOOD See
top round
adjective

1.  NAUTICAL on the
topside of a ship: relating to or situated on
the topside of a ship

2.  high
in rank:
of the highest position or rank
adverb
top·side top·sides

SAILING to a
ship’s deck: up on or to the deck of a ship

[1]



TopSider

TopSider
Top·Sid·er
[tóp sdər] Trademark

a trademark for soft leather
or canvas deck shoes[1]



topsoil

topsoil
top·soil 
[tóp sòyl] noun

soil’s top layer:
the upper fertile layer of soil, from which plant roots take nutrients
transitive
verb
(past top·soiled, past participle top·soiled, present
participle top·soil·ing, 3rd person present singular top·soils)

1.  spread
land with topsoil: to spread topsoil onto
farming or gardening land to improve fertility

2.  remove
topsoil from land: to remove the top layer of
soil from farming or gardening land

[1]



topspin

topspin
top·spin 
[tóp spìn] noun

forward spin given to a ball:
forward spin given to a ball by hitting it on its upper half, making it arc
more sharply in the air or bounce higher on impact.
Also called
top[1]



topstitch

topstitch
top·stitch 
[tóp stìch] noun (plural top·stitch·es)

row
of stitching on outside: a row of stitching on the
outer or upper side of a garment, near the seam
transitive
verb
(past top·stitched, past participle top·stitched, present
participle top·stitch·ing, 3rd person present singular top·stitch·es)

sew
topstitch on something: to sew a topstitch on a
garment
—top·stitch·ing, noun[1]



topsy-turvy

topsy-turvy
top·sy-tur·vy 
[tòpsee túrvee] adjective adverb

1.  upside
down:
with the bottom at the top and the top at the bottom

2.  in
or into confusion: in or into a confused or
chaotic state, especially one in which the natural order or arrangement of
things is inverted
noun

disorder or confusion:
a state of complete disorder or confusion
[Early
16th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps formed from top 1 + obsolete English terve
“to turn over.”]
—top·sy-tur·vi·ly,
adverb

—top·sy-tur·vi·ness, noun[1]



topup

topup
top
up
transitive verb

1.  fill
container:
to fill or refill a container that is partly empty

2.  FINANCE increase
sum by adding money: to give extra money to
augment a sum or fund of money, especially in order to bring it up to a
required or desirable level

[1]



toque

toque
toque 
[tōk] (plural toques) noun

1.  brimless
hat:
a close-fitting, brimless hat worn by women

2.  chef’s
hat:
a tall white hat worn by chefs

3.  hat
worn in the past: a velvet hat with a narrow brim and
pouched crown, popular in the 16th century with men and women

4.  Canada
ACCESSORIES See tuque
[Early 16th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Spanish toca, which in turn
may be of Arabic origin.][1]



tor

tor
tor 
[tawr] (plural tors) noun

rocky
peak:
a rocky peak of a hill or mountain, specifically one exposed by the weathering
of surrounding rock (often used in place names)
[Old English torr .
Origin uncertain: perhaps from Celtic.][1]



Torah

Torah
To·rah 
[táwrə] noun

1.  five
books of Moses: the Jewish Pentateuch, or a parchment
scroll on which the Pentateuch is written for use in services in synagogues

2.  Jewish
scripture:
the collective body of Jewish teaching embodied in the Hebrew Bible and the
Talmud.
Also
called
Written Law
[Late 16th century. From
Hebrew tôrāh “law.”][1]



torbernite

torbernite
tor·bern·ite 
[táwrbər nt] noun

uranium
ore:
a green mineral that is an ore of uranium. It occurs in platelike crystals in
places where uranium and copper minerals have been altered.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Swedish chemist Torbern Olof Bergman (1735–1784).][1]



torch

torch
torch 
[tawrch] noun (plural torch·es)

1.  burning
stick:
a stick of wood dipped in wax or with one end wrapped in combustible material,
set on fire and carried, especially in the past, as a source of light

2.  U.K.
See flashlight

3.  device
emitting flame: a portable device that emits an
extremely hot flame, for example, one used in welding or for stripping paint

4.  source
of enlightenment: a source of guidance or enlightenment (literary)
transitive
verb
(past torched, past participle torched, present
participle torch·ing, 3rd person present singular torch·es)

set something on fire:
to set fire to something, especially as an act of arson or terrorism (slang)
[13th
century. Via French torche from, ultimately, Latin torques
“torque,” from torquere “to twist.” The French word earlier denoted a
twist for burning.]
carry
a torch for somebody

to be in love with somebody,
especially when this feeling is secret or unrequited (informal)[1]



torchbearer

torchbearer
torch·bear·er 
[táwrch bàirər] (plural torch·bear·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who carries a torch: somebody who carries a
torch, usually in a procession or ceremony

2.  somebody
who leads or inspires: somebody who provides
leadership or inspiration (literary)

[1]



torchier

torchier
tor·chier
[tawr sháir] (plural tor·chiers)
or tor·chiere [tawr shr] (plural
tor·chieres) noun

tall
floor lamp:
a tall floor lamp that gives indirect upward lighting
[Early 20th century. Variant
of torchère .][1]



torchlight

torchlight
torch·light
[táwrch lt] (plural torch·lights)
noun

1.  light
of torch:
the light from a torch or torches

2.  See
torch  noun 1

[1]



torchonlace

torchonlace
tor·chon
lace 
[táwr shòn làyss] noun

simple lace:
lace made from coarse linen or cotton, with a simple open pattern[1]



torchsong

torchsong
torch
song
noun

love
song:
a popular sentimental song about unrequited love
[From
the idea of the torch as a symbol of unrequited love]
—torch sing·er, noun[1]



torchwood

torchwood
torch·wood 
[táwrch wd] (plural torch·woods)
noun

1.  TREES resinous
Florida tree: a tree found in Florida and the West
Indies whose resinous wood was once used to make torches. Genus: Amyris

2.  INDUSTRY resinous
wood:
the resinous wood of the torchwood tree

[1]



torchy

torchy
torch·y
[táwrchee] (comparative torch·i·er,
superlative torch·i·est) adjective

typical of love songs:
typical or reminiscent of popular sentimental songs about unrequited love ( torch songs ) (informal)[1]



torchère

torchère
tor·chère
[tàwr sháir] (plural tor·chères)
noun

stand
for a candle: a tall decorated stand for holding a
candle or candelabrum
[Early 20th century. From
French, formed from torche (see torch
).][1]



tore

tore2
tore2 [tawr]
(plural tores) noun

ARCHITECTURE See torus  noun 2
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Latin torus “bulge.”][1]



tore

tore1
tore1

Past tense of
tear[1]



toreador

toreador
tor·e·a·dor 
[táwree ə dàwr] (plural tor·e·a·dors)
noun

bullfighter
on horseback: a bullfighter, especially one on
horseback
[Early 17th century. From
Spanish, formed from torear “to fight bulls,” from toro (see torero ).][1]



torero

torero
to·re·ro 
[tə rérrō] (plural to·re·ros) noun

bullfighter
on foot:
a bullfighter, especially one on foot
[Early 18th century. From
Spanish, formed from toro “bull,” from Latin taurus .][1]



toreutics

toreutics
to·reu·tics 
[tə rtiks] noun

kind
of metalworking: the art of making detailed reliefs in
metal using the techniques of embossing and engraving (takes a singular verb)
[Mid-19th
century. Via Greek toreutikos from, ultimately, toreus “boring
tool.”]
—to·reu·tic, adjective[1]



tori

tori
to·ri


Plural of
torus[1]



toric

toric
tor·ic 
[táwrik] adjective

relating to torus:
ring- or doughnut-shaped like a torus, or relating to tori[1]



toriclens

toriclens
tor·ic
lens
noun

lens remedying astigmatism:
an eyeglass lens used to correct the vision of somebody with astigmatism. It is
curved in such a way as to have a different focal length along each axis.[1]



torii

torii
to·ri·i 
[táwree ] (plural to·ri·i) noun

Shinto
temple gateway: a form of gateway to a Japanese Shinto
temple that has two posts and two crosspieces
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, literally “bird’s perch.”][1]



torment

torment
tor·ment 
transitive verb [tawr mént] (past
tor·ment·ed, past participle tor·ment·ed, present
participle tor·ment·ing, 3rd person present singular tor·ments)

1.  inflict
pain on somebody or something: to inflict torture,
pain, or anguish on somebody or something

2.  tease
somebody:
to tease a person or an animal persistently

3.  twist
something:
to severely distort, twist, or wrench something (archaic or literary)
noun
[táwr mènt] (plural tor·ments)

1.  torture:
severe mental anguish or physical pain

2.  cause
of anguish:
a source of severe mental anguish or physical pain

3.  cause
of annoyance: a source of annoyance or anxiety
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin tormentum “catapult, torment,” from torquere
“to twist.”]
—tor·ment·ed·ly
[tawr méntədlee], adverb

—tor·ment·ing·ly [tawr méntinglee], adverb[1]



tormenter

tormenter
tor·ment·er
(plural tor·ment·ers) noun

See
tormentor[1]



tormentil

tormentil
tor·men·til 
[táwrmən tìl] (plural tor·men·tils
or tor·men·til) noun

flowering
plant with astringent root: a downy plant of the rose
family that has yellow flowers and an astringent root used in medicine,
tanning, and dyeing. Latin name: Potentilla erecta
[14th century. Via French tormentille
from, ultimately, Latin tormentum (see torment
).][1]



tormentor

tormentor
tor·men·tor
[tawr méntər] (plural tor·ment·ors)
or tor·ment·er [tawr méntər] (plural
tor·ment·ers) noun

1.  cause
of torment:
somebody who or something that causes somebody mental anguish, physical pain,
annoyance, or anxiety

2.  THEATER curtain
masking stage wings: a curtain or screen at
either side of a theater stage that hides the wings from the audience

3.  CINEMA echo-reducing
device in filming: a panel of sound-absorbent
material used to eliminate echo on a movie set
[13th century. Via Anglo-Norman
tormentour and Old French tormenteor from, ultimately, Latin tormentum
(see torment ).][1]



torn

torn
torn


Past
participle of tear
adjective

undecided:
favoring or tending toward both options and therefore unable to choose between
them[1]



tornado

tornado
tor·na·do 
[tawr náydō] (plural tor·na·dos
or tor·na·does) noun

1.  column
of swirling wind: an extremely destructive funnel-shaped
rotating column of air that passes in a narrow path over land

2.  African
wind:
a short-lived but severe windstorm, especially one that occurs on the West
African coast

3.  frantic
person or state: a state of frenzied activity or intense
emotion, or somebody in such a state (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an alteration of Spanish tronada
“thunderstorm” from, ultimately, Latin tonare “to thunder.”]
—tor·nad·ic [tawr náydik, tawr
náddik], adjective[1]



tornillo

tornillo
torn·il·lo 
[tawr n y, tàwr
nlō] (plural torn·il·los) noun

See
screw bean
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from Spanish, “screw,” from, ultimately, Latin tornus
“lathe” (see turn ).][1]



toroid

toroid
to·roid 
[táwr òyd, tṓr
òyd] (plural to·roids) noun

GEOMETRY
See torus  noun 1[1]



Toronto




Back to definition

Toronto

[1]



Toronto

Toronto

To·ron·to 
[tə róntō]
capital
city of Ontario Province, Canada, located on the northwestern shore of Lake
Ontario. Population: 4,263,757 (1996)
—To·ron·to·ni·an [tə ròn tṓnee ən, tàwrən
tṓnee ən], noun[1]



torose

torose
to·rose 
[táw rss] or to·rous [táwr əss, tṓrəss]
adjective

cylindrical
and bulging: cylindrical and knotted or bulging
[Mid-18th
century. From Latin torosus “brawny,” from torus “bulge.”]
—to·ros·i·ty [taw róssətee], noun[1]



torpedoboat

torpedoboat
tor·pe·do
boat
noun

boat launching torpedoes:
a small light fast boat used to launch torpedoes[1]



torpedobomber

torpedobomber
tor·pe·do
bomb·er
noun

aircraft carrying torpedoes:
an aircraft that carries and launches torpedoes[1]



torpedotube

torpedotube
tor·pe·do
tube
noun

torpedo’s firing tube:
a tube from which torpedoes are fired from submarines or ships[1]



torpid

torpid
tor·pid 
[táwrpid] adjective

1.  sluggish:
lacking physical or mental energy

2.  BIOLOGY dormant:
in a dormant state, especially when hibernating

3.  MEDICINE numb:
used to describe a part of the body that has lost the ability to move or feel
[Early
17th century. From Latin torpidus, from torpere “to be stiff.”]
—tor·pid·i·ty
[tawr píddətee], noun

—tor·pid·ly [táwrpidlee], adverb[1]



torpor

torpor
tor·por 
[táwrpər] noun

1.  lack
of energy:
lack of mental or physical energy

2.  BIOLOGY dormancy:
dormancy, especially in hibernation

3.  MEDICINE numbness:
absence of the ability to move or feel
[13th
century. From Latin, formed from torpere “to be stiff.”]
—tor·por·if·ic [tàwrpə ríffik], adjective[1]



torque

torque2

torque2 [tawrk]
(plural torques) noun
metal
collar or armband: a metal collar or armband
worn by the ancient Gauls and Britons
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin torques (see torch ).][1]



torque

torque1
torque1 [tawrk]
noun

1.  PHYSICS rotating
force:
force that causes rotation, twisting, or turning, for example, the force
generated by an internal-combustion engine to turn a vehicle’s drive shaft

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ability
to overcome resistance: the measurement of the
ability of a rotating gear or shaft to overcome turning resistance
transitive
verb
(past torqued, past participle torqued, present
participle torquing, 3rd person present singular torques)

turn something up:
to turn something, for example, heat or air conditioning, up (slang) • Can
you torque up the heater? I’m freezing.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin torquere “to twist” (source of English torture and torment
).][1]



torqueconverter

torqueconverter
torque
con·vert·er
noun

type of hydraulic coupling:
a hydraulic coupling designed to change the mechanical advantage or torque
speed between an input and an output shaft[1]



Torquemada,Tomás de

Torquemada,Tomás de
Tor·que·ma·da
[tàwrkay maa, tàwrkə
mdə], Tomás de (1420–1498)

Spanish monk. As grand
inquisitor for Spain (1483–1498), he was notorious for his cruelty. He was
largely responsible for the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492).[1]



torques

torques
torques 
[tawrks] (plural torques) noun

neck
band:
a ring of color, hair, or feathers around the neck of an animal
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
torques “torque, collar” (see torch
).][1]



torquewrench

torquewrench
torque
wrench
noun

wrench with adjustable
torque: a wrench with a gauge
attached for regulating the amount of torque applied to a bolt[1]



torr

torr
torr 
[tawr] (plural torr) noun

unit
of pressure: a unit of pressure equal to about 133.3
pascals or one millimeter of mercury supported in a column
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Evangelista Torricelli .][1]



Torredel Greco

Torredel Greco
Tor·re
del Gre·co 
[tr ay del grékō]

coastal city near Naples,
southern Italy, at the base of Mount Vesuvius. Population: 100,688 (1992)[1]



torrefy

torrefy
tor·re·fy 
[táwrə f] (past tor·re·fied, past
participle tor·re·fied, present participle tor·re·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular tor·re·fies) transitive verb

heat
something to remove water: to subject something to
intense heat, especially an ore or a chemical, for the purpose of removing
excess water
[Early
17th century. Via French torréfier from, ultimately, Latin torrere
“to scorch.”]
—tor·re·fac·tion [tàwrə fákshən], noun[1]



Torremolinos

Torremolinos
Tor·re·mo·li·nos
[tr ay mə ln ōss]

major seaside resort in
Málaga Province, Andalusia Autonomous Region, southern Spain[1]



torrent

torrent
tor·rent 
[táwrənt] (plural tor·rents) noun

1.  rush
of liquid:
a fast and powerful rush of liquid, especially water

2.  tumultuous
outpouring:
a violent or tumultuous flow
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
torrens “hot, rushing” from, ultimately, torrere “to scorch.”][1]



torrential

torrential
tor·ren·tial 
[taw rénshəl, tə
rénshəl] adjective

1.  flowing
powerfully:
flowing or falling fast and in great quantities • torrential
rain

2.  intense:
intense or abundant (literary)
—tor·ren·tial·ly, adverb[1]



Torreon

Torreon
Tor·re·on 
[tó ray òn, tò
ray ón]

city in Coahuila State,
northern Mexico, on the Nazas River. Population: 439,436 (1990)[1]



Torricelli,Evangelista

Torricelli,Evangelista
Tor·ri·cel·li
[tàwri chéllee], Evangelista (1608–1647)

Italian mathematician and
physicist. He invented the barometer and defined atmospheric pressure. A unit
of pressure, the torr, is named for him.[1]



torrid

torrid
tor·rid 
[táwrid] adjective

1.  full
of passion:
full of passion, especially sexual passion

2.  scorching
hot:
used to describe weather that is hot and dry enough to scorch land

3.  scorched:
used to describe land that has been scorched by extremely hot and dry weather
[Late
16th century. Via French torride or directly from Latin torridus,
from torrere “to scorch.”]
—tor·rid·i·ty
[taw ríddətee], noun

—tor·rid·ly
[táwrədlee], adverb

—tor·rid·ness [táwrədnəss], noun[1]



TorridZone

TorridZone
Tor·rid
Zone 
noun

equatorial region:
the region of the Earth that lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn[1]



TorrijosHerrera, Omar

TorrijosHerrera, Omar
Tor·ri·jos
Her·re·ra
[taw rhawss er rérraa], Omar (1929–1981)

Panamanian general and
statesman. He headed a dictatorship (1968–1981) that promoted the interests of
less-privileged classes.[1]



torsade

torsade
tor·sade 
[tawr sd, tawr
sáyd] (plural tor·sades) noun

twisted
cord:
a decorative twist of beads, cord, or fabric
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, an alteration of Latin tortus “twisted” (see torsion ).][1]



torsi

torsi
tor·si


Plural of
torso[1]



torsibility

torsibility
tor·si·bil·i·ty 
[tàwrsə bíllətee] noun

ability
to be twisted: the ability to undergo or resist
twisting
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from torsion + -ibility
.][1]



torsion

torsion
tor·sion 
[táwrsh’n] noun

1.  twisting
of an object: the twisting of an object by applying
equal and opposite torques to its ends

2.  mechanical
stress:
the stress placed on an object that has been twisted

3.  twisting:
the twisting of something, or a twisted state (technical)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin tortus, the past participle
of torquere “to twist.”]
—tor·sion·al,
adjective

—tor·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



torsionbalance

torsionbalance
tor·sion
bal·ance
noun

measuring device:
an instrument that measures small electric or magnetic forces by the degree of
twist they produce in a filament[1]



torsionbar

torsionbar
tor·sion
bar
noun

metal spring:
a metal bar that acts as a spring when subjected to torsion, for example, in a
motor vehicle’s suspension system[1]



torsk

torsk
torsk 
[tawrsk] (plural torsks or
torsk) noun

U.K.
ZOOLOGY See cusk
[Early 18th century. Via
Norwegian from Old Norse þorskr .][1]



torso

torso
tor·so 
[táwrsō] (plural tor·sos or
tor·si [táwrsee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY upper
body:
the upper part of the human body, not including the head and arms

2.  SCULPTURE sculpture:
a sculpture of a torso, or a broken statue of a human figure, with the head,
arms, and legs missing

3.  something
with parts missing: something that has parts
missing, either because it has been mutilated or because it has not been
completed (literary)
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian, “trunk of a statue,” from Latin thyrsus (see thyrsus ).][1]



tort

tort
tort 
[tawrt] (plural torts) noun

civil
wrongdoing:
in civil law, a wrongful act for which damages can be sought by the injured
party.
Also
called
wrong
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin tortum from, ultimately, Latin torquere “to
twist.”][1]



torte

torte
torte 
[tawrt] (plural tortes) noun

rich
cake:
a very rich cake consisting of layers sandwiched together with a cream filling
[Mid-18th century. Via German
Torte from Italian torta “cake” from late Latin, a type of
bread.][1]



tortellini

tortellini
tor·tel·li·ni 
[tàwrtə lnee] plural noun

small
pasta rings: small filled pasta that is shaped into
rings, boiled, and served in a soup or sauce
[Mid-20th century. From
Italian, the plural of tortellino, literally “little cake,” from torta
“cake.”][1]



torticollis

torticollis
tor·ti·col·lis 
[tàwrtə kólliss] noun

twisting
of the neck: a twisting of the neck to one side,
resulting in the head being tilted. It can be temporary, caused by muscle
spasm, or a permanent result of a structural condition, for example, a short
neck muscle.
Also
called
wryneck
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, formed from Latin tortus “twisted” (see
torsion ) + collum “neck.”]
—tor·ti·col·lar [tàwrtə kóll@r], adjective[1]



tortilla

tortilla
tor·til·la 
[tawr tyə] (plural tor·til·las)
noun

flat
Mexican bread: a thin flat Mexican bread made with
either corn meal or wheat flour, cooked on a hot griddle and eaten folded, with
a filling of beans, cheese, or ground meat
[Late 17th century. From
Spanish, formed from torta “cake,” from late Latin, a type of bread.][1]



tortillachip

tortillachip
tor·til·la
chip
noun

corn chip:
a thin crunchy chip made of corn meal, often served with dips, for example,
salsa or guacamole[1]



tortious

tortious
tor·tious 
[táwrshəss] adjective

relating
to torts:
involving or constituting a tort in civil law
—tor·tious·ly, adverb[1]



tortoise

tortoise

tor·toise 
[táwrtəss] (plural tor·tois·es)
noun

1.  reptile
with shell:
a slow-moving land-dwelling reptile with a large dome-shaped shell into which
it can retract its head and limbs. Family: Testudinidae

2.  MILITARY HISTORY See testudo

3.  slow
mover:
somebody who moves very slowly
[15th century. Alteration of
obsolete tortuce from medieval Latin tortuca from late Latin tartaruchus
“of Tarturus” (see turtle ).][1]



tortoisebeetle

tortoisebeetle
tor·toise
bee·tle
noun

flat-bodied beetle:
a brightly colored beetle that has a flat rounded body and whose larvae eat
leaves. Subfamily: Cassidinae[1]



tortoiseshell

tortoiseshell
tor·toise·shell 
[táwrtəss shèl] or tor·toise shell
[táwrtəss shèl] noun (plural tor·toise·shells)

1.  ZOOLOGY outer
part of turtle shell: the hard mottled outer layer
of the shell of a hawksbill turtle, used to make combs, ornaments, and jewelry

2.  INDUSTRY synthetic
tortoiseshell: a synthetic substance made to resemble
tortoiseshell

3.  ZOOLOGY type
of cat:
a type of domestic cat with black, cream, and brownish markings

4.  INSECTS orange-brown
butterfly:
a butterfly that has jagged orange-brown wings with black markings. Family:
Nymphalidae

5.  ZOOLOGY See hawksbill
adjective
tor·toise·shell tor·toise-shell

COLORS mottled
yellow and brown: with mottled yellow and brown markings

[1]



tortoni

tortoni
tor·to·ni 
[tawr tṓnee] noun

rich
ice cream:
rich Italian ice cream often flavored with sherry or rum and chopped cherries
or almonds
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for an Italian café-owner of 18th century Paris.][1]



tortricid

tortricid
tor·tri·cid 
[táwrtrəssid] (plural tor·tri·cids)
noun

small
destructive moth: any of a family of small moths whose
larvae live in coiled leaves and are often destructive to plants. Family:
Tortricidae
[Late 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin tortrix, genus name (from Latin tortus
“twisted”; see torsion ) + -id .][1]



TortugaIsland

TortugaIsland
Tor·tu·ga
Is·land
[tawr tgə lənd]

island in northern Haiti, in
the West Indies. Population: 22,880 (1982) Area: 180 sq km/70 sq mi.[1]



tortuosity

tortuosity
tor·tu·os·i·ty 
[tàwrchoo óssətee] (plural tor·tu·os·i·ties)
noun

1.  twistedness:
the state of being twisted or crooked

2.  bend:
a twist or turn

[1]



tortuous

tortuous
tor·tu·ous 
[táwrchoo əss] adjective

1.  twisting
and winding: with many turns or bends

2.  intricate:
extremely complex or intricate

3.  devious:
devious or deceitful
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin tortuosus from, ultimately, torquere
“to twist.”]
—tor·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—tor·tu·ous·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  tortuous
  or torturous ?
  Even
  though both words come ultimately from a Latin word meaning “twist,” their
  meanings diverge in English. A mountain pass is tortuous
  (“twisting, winding”), and by figurative extension, a legal argument can be tortuous (“circuitous, devious”) as well. A
  severe illness is torturous (“agonizing,
  painful”), and by figurative extension, a torturous
  decision is one that is highly painful, even agonizing, to make.

[1]



torture

torture
tor·ture 
[táwrchər] noun

1.  inflicting
of pain:
the inflicting of severe physical pain on somebody, for example, as punishment
or to persuade somebody to confess or recant something

2.  methods
of inflicting pain: the methods used to inflict
physical pain on people

3.  anguish:
mental or physical anguish
transitive
verb
(past tor·tured, past participle tor·tured, present
participle tor·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular tor·tures)

1.  inflict
pain on somebody: to inflict extreme pain or physical
punishment on people

2.  cause
somebody anguish: to cause somebody mental or physical
anguish • This
headache is torturing me.

3.  distort
something:
to twist or distort something into an unnatural form
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin tortus “twisted” (see torsion ).]
—tor·tur·er,
noun

—tor·tur·ing·ly, adverb[1]



torturous

torturous
tor·tur·ous 
[táwrchərəss] adjective

1.  inflicting
pain:
inflicting, or designed to inflict, severe physical pain, for example, as
punishment

2.  causing
anguish:
causing great physical or mental anguish
[15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, from torture “torture,” from, ultimately,
Latin torquere “to twist.”]
—tor·tur·ous·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at tortuous.

[1]



torula

torula
tor·u·la 
[táwryələ, táwrələ]
(plural tor·u·lae [táwryə l, táwryə l, táwrə l]
or tor·u·las) noun

1.  tor·u·la
or tor·u·la yeast nutritious yeast:
an edible yeast that is cultivated for use as a medicine and food additive.
Latin name: Candida utilis

2.  fungus:
a yeast fungus that does not have sexual spores. Many of them grow on dead
vegetation and fermented sugars. Genus: Torula
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, formed from Latin torus “bulge.”][1]



torus

torus
to·rus 
[táwrəss] (plural to·ri [táw r]) noun

1.  GEOMETRY ring-shaped
surface:
a doughnut-shaped geometric surface generated by rotating a circle about a line
in the same plane as the circle but not intersecting it.
Also
called
toroid

2.  ARCHITECTURE molding:
a large convex molding, especially at the base of a classical column.
Also
called
tore

3.  ANATOMY ridged
body part:
a body part in the shape of a rounded ridge or bulge, for example, the bony
ridge below an eyebrow

4.  BOTANY flower
part:
the receptacle of a flower
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “bulge.”][1]



Tory

Tory
To·ry 
[táwree] (plural To·ries) noun

1.  American
supporter of Britain: a resident of the American
colonies who supported Britain during the American Revolution.
Also
called
Royalist

2.  British
Conservative: in Britain, a member of the Conservative
and Unionist Party

3.  Canadian
Conservative: in Canada, a member of the Progressive
Conservative Party

4.  English
royalist:
a member of an English political party, active from the late 17th century until
the 1830s, that supported the social order represented by the monarchy and the
Church of England

5.  To·ry
or to·ry supporter of conservative
principles:
somebody who holds politically conservative or reactionary views

6.  17C
Irish outlaw: in 17th century Ireland, any of the
Irish people who became outlaws harrying the English settlers who had displaced
and dispossessed them
[Mid-17th
century. Via Irish tóraidhe “highwayman,” from Old Irish tóir
“chase.”]
—To·ry,
adjective

—To·ry·ism,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  English Tory originally denoted an Irish
  guerrilla, one of a group of Irishmen who in the 1640s were thrown off their
  property by the British and took to a life of harrying and plundering the
  British occupiers. In the 1670s it was applied as a term of abuse to Irish
  Roman Catholic royalists, and then more generally to supporters of the Roman
  Catholic James II, and after 1689 it came to be used for the members of the
  British political party that had at first opposed the removal of James and
  his replacement with the Protestants William and Mary.

[1]



TosaMitsunobu

TosaMitsunobu
To·sa
Mit·su·no·bu [tsaa
mìtsoo nṓboo] (1434–1525)

Japanese artist. Founder of a
school of painting, he is known for his portrait of Emperor En-yu ( 1492 ).[1]



Toscanini,Arturo

Toscanini,Arturo
Tos·ca·ni·ni
[tòskə nnee], Arturo (1867–1957)

Italian-born conductor. He
was conductor at La Scala opera house, Milan, and the Metropolitan Opera, New
York, and also conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937–1957).[1]



toss

toss
toss 
[toss] verb (past tossed,
past participle tossed, present participle toss·ing,
3rd person present singular toss·es)

1.  transitive
verb
lightly
throw something: to throw something lightly, especially
with the palm of the hand upward • tossed
the letter on the table

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb throw
or be thrown up and down: to be thrown, or throw
something, repeatedly up and down or to and fro • tossed
by the waves

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb throw
coin:
to throw a coin upward, usually spinning it with the thumb on the way, the side
it falls on being a way of deciding between two options

4.  transitive
verb
mix
something:
to mix something, especially a salad with its dressing, by lifting and turning
its parts rather than by stirring

5.  transitive
verb
EQUESTRIAN throw
rider:
to throw the rider of a horse or other animal off its back

6.  transitive
verb
throw
somebody or something upward: to hurl somebody or
something upward with apparent ease

7.  transitive
verb
jerk
head upward: to jerk the head upward, for example, in
a gesture of anger or impatience

8.  intransitive
verb
move
restlessly:
to move about restlessly, especially in sleep
noun
(plural toss·es)

1.  throwing:
an act of throwing somebody or something

2.  head
jerk:
an abrupt jerk of the head

3.  deciding
throw of coin: a spinning of a coin in the air as a
method of deciding between two options
[Early
16th century. Origin unknown.]
toss
your cookies

to
vomit (slang)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at throw

[1]



tossoff

tossoff
toss
off
transitive verb

1.  do
something quickly: to do something quickly and
easily

2.  toss
off
or toss down drink something quickly:
to drink something quickly, often in one gulp

[1]



tosspot

tosspot
toss·pot 
[tóss pòt] (plural toss·pots) noun

drunkard:
a drunken person (archaic or literary)[1]



tossup

tossup
toss·up 
[tóss ùp] (plural toss·ups) noun

1.  deciding
throw of a coin: a throw of a coin into the air that
decides, by which side it falls on, between two options

2.  even
chance:
an even risk or chance

[1]



tostada

tostada
tos·ta·da 
[tō stdə] (plural tos·ta·das)
or tos·ta·do [tō stdō] (plural
tos·ta·dos) noun

crisp
tortilla:
a crisply fried Mexican-style tortilla, usually served with several meat and
vegetable toppings
[Mid-20th century. From
Spanish, formed from the past participle of tostar “to toast.”][1]



tot

tot
tot
[tot] (plural tots) noun

1.  little
child:
a small child (informal)

2.  small
amount:
a small amount of something, especially liquor
[Early 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



total

total
to·tal 
[tṓt’l] noun (plural to·tals)

sum: the
sum of several amounts added or considered together
adjective

1.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize how good, bad, or
complete something is • a
total success

2.  overall:
with all elements added or considered together • the
total price
transitive
verb
(past to·taled, past participle to·taled, present
participle to·tal·ing, 3rd person present singular to·tals)

1.  add
things together: to add several amounts together to
arrive at a total

2.  amount
to total:
to amount to a total when added or considered together • The
numbers totaled in the hundreds.

3.  kill
somebody or destroy something: to kill, destroy,
wreck, or demolish somebody or something (slang)
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin totalis, from Latin totus “entire.”][1]



totaleclipse

totaleclipse
to·tal
e·clipse
noun

full eclipse:
an eclipse in which the entire surface of a celestial body, for example, the
Sun or the Moon, is obscured[1]



totalheat

totalheat
to·tal
heat
noun

PHYSICS
See enthalpy[1]



totalinternal reflection

totalinternal reflection
to·tal
in·ter·nal re·flec·tion noun

reflection of a light ray:
the complete reflection of a light ray at the boundary of the medium in which
it is traveling, when the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle.
Also called
total reflection[1]



totalitarian

totalitarian
to·tal·i·tar·i·an 
[tō tàllə táiree ən] adjective

centralized
and dictatorial: relating to or operating a centralized
government system in which a single party without opposition rules over
political, economic, social, and cultural life
noun
(plural to·tal·i·tar·i·ans)

supporter
of a totalitarian system: somebody who advocates or
operates a totalitarian system
[Early
20th century. Formed from totality on the
model of authoritarian .]
—to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism,
noun[1]



totality

totality
to·tal·i·ty 
[tō tállətee] (plural to·tal·i·ties)
noun

1.  completeness:
the state of being complete or total

2.  total
amount:
the sum or total amount of something

3.  ASTRONOMY fullness
of eclipse:
the stage of an eclipse at which light is completely obscured

[1]



totalizator

totalizator
to·tal·i·za·tor 
[tṓt’lə zàytər] (plural to·tal·i·za·tors)
noun

betting
machine:
a machine that records and calculates totals, especially one that records bets,
odds, and totals, and calculates winnings in the pari-mutuel betting system.
Also
called
totalizer
[Late 19th century. Formed
from totalize + -ator,
modeled on French totalisateur .][1]



totalize

totalize
to·tal·ize 
[tṓt’l z] (past to·tal·ized, past
participle to·tal·ized, present participle to·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular to·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
as a total:
to add several amounts to make a total
—to·tal·i·za·tion [tt’li záysh’n], noun[1]



totalizer

totalizer
to·tal·iz·er 
[tṓt’l zər] (plural to·tal·iz·ers)
noun

See
totalizator[1]



totally

totally
to·tal·ly 
[tṓt’lee] adverb

1.  completely:
in a complete or utter way

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize how good, bad, or
complete something is (informal) • I
totally hate this!

[1]



totalrecall

totalrecall
to·tal
re·call
noun

accurate memory:
the ability to remember accurately in every detail[1]



totalreflection

totalreflection
to·tal
re·flec·tion noun

See
total internal reflection[1]



totaquine

totaquine
to·ta·quine 
[tṓtə kwn] noun

quinine
mixture:
a mixture of quinine and other alkaloids from cinchona bark, used to treat
malaria
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin totaquina, from Latin totus “whole” + Spanish quina
“cinchona bark,” because all the essential alkaloids are contained in the
bark.][1]



tote

tote3
tote3 [tōt]
(past tot·ed, past participle tot·ed, present
participle tot·ing, 3rd person present singular totes)
transitive verb

add
together:
to add things up (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of total .][1]



tote

tote1
tote1 [tōt]
transitive verb (past tot·ed, past participle tot·ed,
present participle tot·ing, 3rd person present singular totes)
(informal)

1.  carry
something:
to carry or haul something, especially something heavy

2.  have
something on your person: to carry something,
especially a gun, on your person
noun
(plural totes)

heavy load: a
heavy load that is hauled or carried
[Late
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps originally a dialect form of Gullah tot
“to carry,” probably from a West African language.]
—tot·er,
noun





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Tote in the sense “to carry” is a general
  currency term throughout the Southern states. Probably of West African
  origin, the form extends across the South Midland region as well, including
  western reflexes, or similar forms, in the Rocky Mountain states.

[1]



tote

tote2
tote2 [tōt]
noun

(informal)
See pari-mutuel
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of totalizator .][1]



totebag

totebag
tote
bag
noun

open bag with handles:
a soft open bag with handles, often made of canvas, leather, plastic, or straw[1]



toteboard

toteboard
tote
board
noun

display board:
a large electronically operated board displaying statistics, for example,
betting odds or voting results[1]



totem

totem
to·tem 
[tṓtəm] (plural to·tems) noun

1.  important
tribal object: an object, animal, plant, or other
natural phenomenon revered as a symbol of a tribe and often used in rituals
among some tribal or other traditional groups of people

2.  carving:
a carving or other representation of a totem

3.  symbolic
thing:
something regarded as a symbol, especially something treated with the kind of
respect normally reserved for religious icons
[Mid-18th
century. From Ojibwa nindoodem “my totem.”]
—to·tem·ic [tō témmik], adjective[1]



totemism

totemism
to·tem·ism 
[tṓtə mìzzəm] noun

1.  use
of totems:
the use of totems as symbols of kinship

2.  social
organization: the organizing of societies into groups
whose members share a common totem
—to·tem·ist,
noun

—to·tem·is·tic [ttə místik], adjective[1]



totempole

totempole
to·tem
pole
noun

1.  carved
pole:
among some Native North American peoples, a tall wooden pole carved with totems
that symbolize family and historical relationships

2.  hierarchy:
a hierarchy, for example, in a company or organization (informal)

[1]



tother

tother
toth·er
[túər] or t’oth·er [túər] adjective pronoun

the
other:
the other or that other (regional)
[14th century. Contraction of
the other .][1]



totipalmate

totipalmate

to·ti·pal·mate 
[tti pál màyt] adjective
with
four toes webbed: used to describe birds that have all
four toes webbed, for example, pelicans and gannets
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin totus “whole” + palmate
.]
—to·ti·pal·ma·tion [tti pal máysh’n], noun[1]



totipotent

totipotent
to·tip·o·tent 
[tō típpətənt] adjective

capable
of biological generation: used to describe a cell, for
example, a fertilized ovum, that is capable of generating new tissue, organs,
or individuals
[Early
20th century. Coined from Latin totus “whole” + potent
.]
—to·tip·o·ten·cy, noun[1]



totlot

totlot
tot
lot
(plural tot lots) noun

young children’s playground:
a playground for young children (informal)[1]



totsiens

totsiens
tot·siens
[tót sns] interjection

South
Africa
goodbye:
used as a friendly farewell greeting (informal)
[Mid-20th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “till seeing.”][1]



totter

totter
tot·ter 
[tóttər] intransitive verb (past
tot·tered, past participle tot·tered, present
participle tot·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular tot·ters)

1.  walk
unsteadily:
to move or walk unsteadily

2.  wobble:
to sway or wobble as if about to fall

3.  be
unstable:
to be unstable or on the point of collapse • an
economic system tottering on the brink of collapse
noun

wobbling gait:
a wavering or wobbling gait
[13th
century. Origin uncertain; perhaps from Scandinavian.]
—tot·ter·er,
noun

—tot·ter·ing·ly,
adverb

—tot·ter·y, adjective[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








toucan

toucan


tou·can 
[t kàn] (plural tou·cans or
tou·can) noun
tropical
bird with large beak: a fruit-eating bird with
bright plumage and a very large curved beak. It is native to the tropics of
Central and South America. Family: Ramphastidae
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Portuguese tucano, from, ultimately, Tupi tucan, of
uncertain origin: probably an imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



touch

touch
touch 
[tuch] verb (past touched,
past participle touched, present participle touch·ing,
3rd person present singular touch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
the body in contact with something: to
put a part of the body, especially the fingertips, in contact with something so
as to feel it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
put in contact: to be in, or bring something into,
physical contact with an object • so
that the ends are just touching

3.  transitive
verb
press
something lightly: to apply the slightest
pressure to something • You
only have to touch the brake.

4.  transitive
verb
interfere
with something: to interfere with or disturb something
by handling it • told the kids not to
touch anything on my desk

5.  transitive
verb
have
an effect on somebody or something: to
have an effect or influence on somebody or something • events
that touched all our lives

6.  transitive
verb
affect
somebody emotionally: to affect somebody
emotionally, usually arousing gratitude, affection, pity, or compassion • Your
concern for my welfare touches me greatly.

7.  transitive
verb
consume
something:
to consume something, especially food or drink, or otherwise make use of
something • You’ve
hardly touched your meal.

8.  transitive
verb
have
dealings with something: to have dealings or become
involved with something • Don’t
touch that issue; it’s very controversial.

9.  transitive
verb
match
somebody or something: to come close to somebody or
something in level of excellence • Others
may have more technique, but nobody can touch her style.

10. transitive
verb
approach
a level:
to approach or reach a level • profits
touching 2 billion

11. transitive
verb
approach
somebody for money: to ask somebody for a loan
or gift of money (slang)
noun
(plural touch·es)

1.  feeling
sense:
the sense by which the texture, shape, and other qualities of objects are felt
through contact with parts of the body, especially the fingertips • the
sense of touch

2.  felt
qualities:
the quality or combination of qualities experienced through the sensation of
touch

3.  contact
made:
a coming into contact with a part of the body • felt
the touch of her hand on my face

4.  light
stroke:
a light pushing or pressing stroke

5.  small
amount:
a small but noticeable amount • a
touch of malice in her voice

6.  distinctive
style:
a distinctive style or general facility in doing something • a
sure touch

7.  detail:
a detail that adds to or completes something

8.  attack
of illness:
a mild attack of an illness or disease • a
touch of bronchitis

9.  communication:
the fact of getting into communication, or the state of being in communication
• I
completely lost touch with my brother. • Keep
in touch.

10. lender
of money:
somebody considered in terms of his or her willingness to lend money (slang)
• He’s
always been a soft touch.

11. request
for money:
an act of asking for money or a sum of money given (slang)

12. SPORTS area
out of play: in some team sports, the area beyond the
touchlines in which the ball is out of play

13. FENCING fencing
score:
in competitive fencing, a scoring hit delivered to a specified part of an
opponent’s body
[13th
century. Via Old French to(u)chier from assumed Vulgar Latin toccare
“to strike,” originally “to make a sound by striking” (the probable source of
English toccata ), perhaps of
imitative origin.]
—touch·a·bil·i·ty
[tùchə bíllətee], noun

—touch·a·ble
[túchəb’l], adjective

—touch·a·ble·ness
[túchəb’lnəss], noun

—touch·er
[túchər], noun
be
touch and go

to be highly uncertain or
precarious[1]



touch-and-go

touch-and-go
touch-and-go 
adjective

risky:
highly uncertain or unpredictable (not hyphenated when used after a verb)
• a
touch-and-go situation[1]



touchback

touchback
touch·back 
[túch bàk] (plural touch·backs)
noun

defensive play:
a play in football in which the defense recovers and downs a ball that has been
kicked or passed into its end zone[1]



touchdown

touchdown
touch·down 
[túch dòwn] (plural touch·downs)
noun

1.  FOOTBALL scoring
play:
in football, a scoring of six points achieved by being in possession of the
ball behind an opponent’s goal line

2.  AEROSPACE landing:
a landing made by an aircraft or spacecraft, or the precise moment when it
lands

[1]



touchdown

touchdown
touch
down
intransitive verb

land:
to land in an aircraft or spacecraft[1]



touched

touched
touched 
[tucht] adjective

1.  affected
emotionally: affected emotionally, usually with
gratitude, affection, pity, or compassion

2.  modified
by something: slightly marked or modified by something
(literary) • blond hair touched with
gray

[1]



touchfootball

touchfootball
touch
foot·ball
noun

informal version of football:
an informal noncompetitive version of football in which touching replaces
tackling[1]



touchhole

touchhole
touch·hole 
[túch hl] (plural touch·holes)
noun

opening for a flame:
the opening in the breech of an early cannon or gun where a flame or smoldering
material was applied to set off the gunpowder[1]



touching

touching
touch·ing 
[túching] adjective

causing
emotions:
giving rise to feelings of sympathy, tenderness, or tearfulness
preposition

about:
concerning or relating to something (archaic or literary)
—touch·ing·ly,
adverb

—touch·ing·ness, noun[1]



touchline

touchline
touch·line 
[túch ln] (plural touch·lines)
noun

side boundary of a playing
field: either of the lines that
mark the side boundaries of a playing area, especially in soccer[1]



touchmark

touchmark
touch·mark
[túch mrk] (plural touch·marks)
noun

maker’s mark on pewter:
a mark stamped on something made of pewter that identifies the maker[1]



touch-me-not

touch-me-not
touch-me-not 
(plural touch-me-nots) noun

1.  See
jewelweed

2.  See
sensitive plant  noun 1
[Late 16th century.
Translated from Latin noli me tangere .][1]



touchoff

touchoff
touch
off
transitive verb

1.  make
something explode: to make something explode,
especially by touching it with a flame or smoldering match

2.  initiate
something:
to make something begin, especially something that is difficult to control • touched
off a bitter disagreement between them

[1]



touchon

touchon
touch
on
or touch upon transitive verb

1.  mention
something briefly: to write or talk about
something briefly during the course of a discussion • The
report only touches on the financial implications.

2.  verge
on something: to come close to a particular quality,
state, or condition • a
sympathetic attitude touching on pity

[1]



touchpad

touchpad
touch
pad
(plural touch pads) noun

input device operated by
touch: an electronic device, for
example, an input device in a computer system or a control panel on a microwave
oven, on which somebody can choose options by touching the display[1]



touchscreen

touchscreen
touch
screen 
(plural touch screens) noun

computer screen operated by
touch: a computer screen that
displays options that a user can choose by touching it with a finger[1]



touchstone

touchstone
touch·stone 
[túch stn] (plural touch·stones)
noun

1.  excellent
example:
a standard by which something is judged

2.  METALLURGY stone
used to test gold: a hard black stone formerly
used to test the purity of gold and silver according to the color of the streak
left when the metal was rubbed against it
[Translation of Old French touchepierre][1]



touchsystem

touchsystem
touch
sys·tem
(plural touch sys·tems) noun

typing method:
a method of typing in which the typist finds the keys with his or her fingers
without looking at the keyboard[1]



touch-tone

touch-tone
touch-tone
or touch·tone [túch tn] adjective

having tone-producing keys:
used to describe a type of telephone with keys that produce tones when pressed,
each of which is decoded as a number at the telephone exchange[1]



touch-type

touch-type
touch-type 
intransitive verb

type
without looking at the keyboard: to type without having
to look at the keyboard
—touch-typ·ist, noun[1]



touchup

touchup
touch·up
[túch ùp] (plural touch·ups) noun

1.  improvement:
an improvement to something such as makeup or paintwork

2.  alteration:
an alteration, especially one made to cover up or repair a flaw

[1]



touchup

touchup
touch
up
transitive verb

1.  improve
something:
to make slight improvements to something, for example, with paint

2.  falsify
something:
to make changes to something, especially a photograph, so that it is no longer
an accurate representation (disapproving)

[1]



touchwood

touchwood
touch·wood 
[túch wd] noun

tinder:
dry decayed wood that can be used as tinder[1]



touchy

touchy
touch·y 
[túchee] (comparative touch·i·er,
superlative touch·i·est) adjective

1.  easily
upset:
liable to become, or make somebody, angry or upset • a
touchy subject

2.  tricky:
needing care or tact to prevent an undesirable outcome

3.  flammable:
easily catching fire

4.  sensitive
to touch:
very sensitive to being touched
—touch·i·ly,
adverb

—touch·i·ness, noun[1]



touchy-feely

touchy-feely
touch·y-feel·y
[tùchee flee] adjective (informal)

1.  demonstrative:
physically and emotionally demonstrative, for example, in hugging other people
or crying openly, often in a way that is considered excessive

2.  encouraging
demonstrativeness: encouraging
demonstrativeness, especially in losing inhibitions about touching other people
and the free expression of emotions

[1]



touché

touché
tou·ché 
[too sháy] interjection

1.  FENCING acknowledgment
of a scoring hit: a word used to acknowledge that an
opponent has made a scoring hit

2.  acknowledgment
of a telling remark: a word used to acknowledge
that somebody has made an especially witty, penetrating, or cogent remark,
usually in retaliation
[Early 20th century. From
French touché, past participle of toucher “to touch,” from Old
French touchier (see touch ).][1]



tough

tough
tough 
[tuf] adjective (comparative tough·er,
superlative tough·est)

1.  durable:
able to withstand much use, strain, or wear without breaking, tearing, or other
damage • boots
made of tough leather

2.  FOOD hard
to chew or cut: not easily chewed or cut • This
steak is pretty tough.

3.  very
strong:
physically or mentally strong and possessing great endurance • Is
he tough enough to make the climb?

4.  threatening:
characterized by antisocial behavior, crime, and social deprivation • a
tough neighborhood

5.  resolute:
having or showing firm resolve • She’s
a tough person to negotiate with.

6.  difficult:
difficult to do or deal with, or needing great effort to do • That’s
a tough question.

7.  severe:
involving or inflicting severe punishment or strict rules • the
police policy of being tough on drink-driving

8.  hard
to endure:
unfortunate or hard to bear (informal) • a
tough break

9.  great:
perceived as being the best or most wonderful (dated slang) • an
album with some tough sounds
noun
(plural toughs)

thug: an
aggressive or antisocial person
adverb

aggressively: in an
aggressive way that makes the person appear to be strong, forceful, and
unafraid (informal) • act tough
interjection

bad luck!: used
to comment that something is unfortunate but cannot be helped, and often that
the speaker does not really care that this is so
[Old
English tōh, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—tough·ly,
adverb
tough
it out

to
be strong and hold out during a time of difficulty (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hard

[1]



toughen

toughen
tough·en 
[túff’n] (past tough·ened, past
participle tough·ened, present participle tough·en·ing,
3rd person present singular tough·ens) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  make
or become tougher: to become, or make
something, less easy to cut or chew or less liable to wear or damage

2.  make
or become stronger: to become, or make somebody,
more resolute, hardier, or physically or emotionally stronger

3.  make
or become more severe: to become, or make somebody
or something, stricter or more severe
—tough·en·er, noun[1]



toughie

toughie
tough·ie 
[túffee] (plural tough·ies) noun
(informal)

1.  something
difficult:
something that is difficult to deal with

2.  tough
person:
a tough person, especially a child, regarded with some affection or amusement
because he or she is rather self-assertive and resilient

[1]



toughlove

toughlove
tough
love
noun

being caring but strict:
a caring but strict attitude adopted toward a friend or loved one with a
problem, as distinct from an attitude of indulgence[1]



tough-minded

tough-minded
tough-mind·ed 
adjective

realistic:
able to face hardship and misfortunes in a realistic, determined, and
unsentimental way
—tough-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—tough-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



toughness

toughness
tough·ness
[túfnəss] noun

1.  state
of being tough: the fact or quality of being tough

2.  METALLURGY resistance
of a metal to stress: the resistance of a metal to
breaking under repeated twisting and bending forces, measured in kilojoules

[1]



Toulon

Toulon
Tou·lon 
[too lóN]

city, port, and naval base in
southeastern France, on the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 170,167 (1990)[1]



Toulouse

Toulouse
Tou·louse 
[too lz]

capital city of Haute-Garonne
Department, Languedoc-Roussillon Region, southern France. Population: 365,933
(1990)[1]



Toulouse-Lautrec,Henri de

Toulouse-Lautrec,Henri de

Tou·louse-Lau·trec
[too lz lō trék], Henri de (1864–1901)
French
artist. He is noted especially for his portraits, paintings of Paris nightlife,
and posters advertising Parisian artists.
Full name
de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monta, Henri Marie Raymond[1]



toupee

toupee
tou·pee 
[too páy] (plural tou·pees) noun

1.  wig:
a wig or partial wig worn to cover a bald area

2.  tuft
on a wig:
a prominent lock or tuft on a wig (archaic)
[Early 18th century.
Alteration of French toupet “tuft of hair,” from, ultimately, a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “topknot.”][1]



tour

tour
tour 
[toor] noun (plural tours)

1.  LEISURE pleasure
trip:
a journey visiting several places, usually taken for pleasure, for example, on
vacation

2.  ARTS performing
trip:
a long series of performances in different places, for example, by a rock band
or a theater company

3.  SPORTS playing
trip:
a series of games or tournaments played by the same team in different places,
often overseas

4.  brief
trip to see something: a short trip, especially for
the purpose of viewing or inspecting different items

5.  period
of duty:
a period of duty, especially in a particular place or for a specific length of
time.
Also
called
tour of duty
intransitive
and transitive verb (past toured, past
participle toured, present participle tour·ing, 3rd
person present singular tours)

take part in a tour:
to take part in a tour, for some purpose or of a specified place
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin tornus “lathe”; the underlying meaning is “circular
movement.”][1]



touraco

touraco
tou·ra·co 
[trə k] (plural tou·ra·cos) or
tu·ra·co [trə k] (plural tu·ra·cos)
noun

brightly
colored African bird: an African bird resembling
the cuckoo that has brightly colored feathers and a long tail. Touracos are
found in dense forest. They are weak flyers and hop around branches. Family:
Musophagidae
[Mid-18th century. Via French
touraco from a West African language .][1]



tourde force

tourde force
tour
de force 
[tr də fáwrss] (plural tours de
force [tr də fáwrss]) noun

skillful
feat:
something done with supreme skill or brilliance
[Early 19th century. From
French, “feat of strength.”][1]



tourer

tourer
tour·er
[trər] (plural tour·ers) noun

See
touring car[1]



Tourettesyndrome

Tourettesyndrome
Tou·rette
syn·drome
[t rét sìn drōm] or Tou·rette’s
syn·drome [t rét sìn drōm] noun

psychological
or brain disorder: a condition in which
somebody experiences multiple tics and twitches, and utters involuntary vocal
grunts and obscene speech. Full form Gilles
de la Tourette syndrome
[Late 19th century. Named for
Gilles de la Tourette (1857–1904), the French neurologist who identified the
condition.][1]



touringcar

touringcar
tour·ing
car
(plural tour·ing cars) noun

convertible car:
a convertible car, popular in the 1920s, designed for long-distance leisure
driving.
Also called
tourer[1]



touringcompany

touringcompany
tour·ing
com·pa·ny
noun

company performing in
different places: a theater company that
takes part in performing tours rather than performing solely in one venue[1]



tourism

tourism
tour·ism 
[tr ìzzəm] noun

1.  LEISURE travel
for pleasure: the visiting of places away from home
for pleasure

2.  BUSINESS travel
business:
the business of organizing travel and services for people traveling for
pleasure

[1]



tourist

tourist
tour·ist 
[trist] (plural tour·ists) noun

somebody
who travels for pleasure: somebody who visits places
away from home for pleasure
—tour·is·tic
[toor ístik], adjective

—tour·ist·y [tristee], adjective[1]



touristclass

touristclass
tour·ist
class
or tour·ist noun

cheapest method of travel:
the cheapest class of accommodation on an aircraft or ship[1]



touristtrap

touristtrap
tour·ist
trap
(plural tour·ist traps) noun

expensive place catering for
tourists: a place that is popular with
tourists but where, as a result, the prices of goods and services are higher
than average[1]



tourmaline

tourmaline
tour·ma·line 
[trməlin, trmə
ln] (plural tour·ma·lines) noun

glassy
mineral:
a hard crystalline borosilicate mineral with a range of compositions, used in
electrical and optical devices and, in green, pink, blue, and black varieties,
as semiprecious gemstones
[Mid-18th
century. From, ultimately, Sinhalese tōramalli “cornelian.”]
—tour·ma·lin·ic [trmə línnik], adjective[1]



Tournai

Tournai
Tour·nai
[toor náy]

city in Hainault Province,
southwestern Belgium. Population: 67,939 (1996)[1]



tournament

tournament
tour·na·ment 
[trnəmənt, túrnəmənt]
(plural tour·na·ments) noun
Also
called
tourney

1.  SPORTS series
of games:
a sports event made up of a series of games, rounds, or contests

2.  HISTORY mock
fighting:
a sporting contest popular in the Middle Ages in which knights took part in
jousting or combat, generally with blunted weapons
[12th century. From Old
French torneiement, literally “act of jousting,” from torneier
(see tourney ). The sense “series of games”
came into use in the mid-18th century.][1]



tournedos

tournedos
tour·ne·dos 
[trnə d] (plural tour·ne·dos)
noun

cut
of steak:
a small round cut of fillet steak
[Late 19th century. From
French, from tourner “to turn” + dos “back.”][1]



tourney

tourney
tour·ney 
[túrnee] noun (plural tour·neys)

See
tournament
intransitive
verb
(past tour·neyed, past participle tour·neyed, present
participle tour·ney·ing, 3rd person present singular tour·neys)

compete
in a tournament: to take part in a tournament
[13th
century. Via Old French torneier “to joust, tilt,” from, ultimately,
Latin tornare “to turn.”]
—tour·ney·er, noun[1]



tourniquet

tourniquet
tour·ni·quet 
[túrnikət] (plural tour·ni·quets)
noun

device
to stop bleeding: a tight encircling band applied around
an arm or leg in an emergency to stop severe arterial bleeding that cannot be
controlled in any other way
[Late 17th century. From
French, of uncertain origin: possibly from Old French tournicle “coat of
mail,” literally “small tunic,” ultimately from Latin tunica “tunic”;
influenced by tourner “to turn.”][1]



tourof duty

tourof duty
tour
of du·ty
(plural tours of du·ty) noun

See
tour  noun 5[1]



Tours

Tours
Tours
[toor, toorz]

capital city of
Indre-et-Loire Department, Centre Region, west central France. Population:
133,403 (1990)[1]



tousle

tousle
tou·sle 
[tówz’l] transitive verb (past
tou·sled, past participle tou·sled, present participle
tou·sling, 3rd person present singular tou·sles)

tangle
hair:
to make hair or fur tangled or ruffled
noun
(plural tou·sles)

tangled
mass:
a tangled mass of something, especially hair or fur
[15th
century. Literally “to pull repeatedly,” formed from touse “to pull,
handle roughly,” ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English tease .]
—tousled, adjective[1]



ToussaintL’Ouverture, François Dominique

ToussaintL’Ouverture, François Dominique
Tous·saint
L’Ou·ver·ture [too sáN
loover tür], François Dominique (1743?–1803)

Haitian
soldier and statesman. Born into slavery, he was active in the movement that
led to its abolition in Haiti (1791). The effective ruler of Haiti from 1797,
he was captured by the French in 1802.
Born
Toussaint, François Dominique[1]



tout

tout
tout 
[towt] verb (past tout·ed,
past participle tout·ed, present participle tout·ing,
3rd person present singular touts)

1.  intransitive
verb
attract
customers:
to try to attract customers or support, especially in an aggressive or
persistent way • street traders touting
for business

2.  transitive
verb
offer
or advertise something: to claim to have something
available or on hand, or offer something for sale

3.  transitive
verb
praise
somebody or something: to praise or recommend
somebody or something enthusiastically (usually passive) • was
touted as the next champion

4.  intransitive
verb
spy
on racehorses: to spy on racehorses in training to gain
information useful to people who bet on horseraces

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
information about racehorses: to sell information about
racehorses to potential gamblers
noun
(plural touts)

1.  somebody
who sells information about racehorses:
somebody who spies on racehorses in training to obtain information and then
sells it to people who bet on horseraces

2.  aggressive
seller:
somebody who tries to attract customers or sell things aggressively
[14th
century. Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to poke out,
project.” The original English meaning was “to peek,” which became “to spy on”
and, later, “to look for business.”]
—tout·er, noun[1]



toutensemble

toutensemble
tout
en·sem·ble
[tt aan smb’l] (plural tout
en·sem·bles) noun

total
effect:
the total appearance or effect of something
[Early 18th century. From
French, “all together.”][1]



tovarish

tovarish
to·va·rish
[tə vrich, tə
vrish] (plural to·va·rish·es) or to·va·rich
[tə vrich, tə
vrish] (plural to·va·rich·es) or to·va·risch
[tə vrich, tə
vrish] (plural to·va·risch·es) noun

comrade:
a friend or comrade, often used as a term of address, especially in the former
Soviet Union
[Early 20th century. From
Russian tovarishch, of uncertain origin: possibly from a Tatar word.][1]



tow

tow2
tow2 [tō]
noun

fibers:
fibers of flax, hemp, or jute, or of a synthetic material such as rayon
[Old English tow-,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



tow

tow1
tow1 [tō]
transitive verb (past towed, past participle towed,
present participle tow·ing, 3rd person present singular tows)

pull something:
to pull something such as a barge or a broken-down car along by a rope or chain
attached to it
noun
(plural tows)

1.  act
of pulling something along: the act of pulling something
along by a rope or chain attached to it

2.  state
of being pulled along: the state of being towed by
a rope or chain

3.  rope:
a rope or chain used for towing something

4.  something
that pulls:
something that tows something else
[Old
English togian . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
lead,” which is also the ancestor of English education
and team .]
—tow·a·ble,
adjective

—tow·er,
noun
have
or take somebody in tow

1.  to
follow or accompany somebody

2.  to
act as a protector or guide for somebody

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



towage

towage
tow·age 
[tṓ ij] noun

1.  act
of towing or being towed: the act or process of towing
somebody or something, or the state of being towed

2.  charge
for towing:
a charge made for towing something

[1]



toward

toward
to·ward 
[tawrd, tə wáwrd]
or to·wards [tawrdz, tə wáwrdz] preposition

1.  in
a particular direction: used to indicate that some
person or thing is moving or facing in the direction of another person or thing
• They
headed off toward town.

2.  shortly
before:
shortly before a particular time • toward
midnight

3.  with
specific audience intended: with a particular target
group in mind • remarks slanted toward
those sitting in the front row

4.  regarding:
concerning or with regard to • his
attitude toward her

5.  contributing
to:
as a contribution to or means of achieving something • a
grant toward the cost of refurbishment
[Old
English tōweardes ( -es, adverbial ending )]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at toward.

[1]



tow-awayzone

tow-awayzone
tow-a·way
zone 
(plural tow-a·way zones) noun

area of restricted parking:
an area where parking is restricted or not allowed and from which parked
vehicles are likely to be towed away[1]



towbar

towbar
tow·bar
[tṓ br] (plural tow·bars) noun

metal bar for towing:
a rigid metal bar or frame attached to the back of a vehicle and used for
towing other vehicles[1]



towboat

towboat
tow·boat 
[tṓ bt] (plural tow·boats) noun

1.  See
tugboat

2.  barge-pushing
boat:
a powerful boat with a broad bow, designed for pushing barges on rivers or
canals

[1]



tow-colored

tow-colored
tow-col·ored
adjective

pale yellow:
having a pale yellow color like hemp or flax[1]



towel

towel
tow·el 
[tówəl] noun (plural tow·els)

1.  absorbent
cloth:
a usually rectangular piece of absorbent cloth or paper, used to dry the body

2.  dishtowel:
a towel used in the kitchen to dry dishes
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tow·eled
or tow·elled, past participle tow·eled or tow·elled,
present participle tow·el·ing or tow·el·ling, 3rd
person present singular tow·els)

dry somebody with towel:
to use a towel to dry somebody or something
[13th
century. Via Old French toaille, from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “to wash.”]
throw
in the towel

to give up doing something
that is proving difficult, or give in to somebody (informal)[1]



towelette

towelette
tow·el·ette 
[tòwə lét] (plural tow·el·ettes)
noun

cloth for cleaning face:
a small moistened piece of paper or cloth used for cleaning the hands and face[1]



toweling

toweling
tow·el·ing
[tówəling] or tow·el·ling [tówəling] noun

absorbent fabric:
a soft absorbent, usually looped cotton fabric, used to make towels and
bathrobes[1]



tower

tower2
tow·er2  [tṓwər]
(plural tow·ers) noun

something used for towing:
somebody or something, for example, a vehicle, that tows something by a rope or
chain. See tow[1]



tower

tower1
tow·er1  [tówər]
noun (plural tow·ers)

1.  ARCHITECTURE tall
building:
a tall structure, sometimes the upper part or a tall part of a building or
structure and sometimes a separate building

2.  MILITARY fortress:
a building designed to withstand attack

3.  HOUSEHOLD CD
shelf:
a tall wooden, plastic, or metal case in which to store CDs or videos
intransitive
verb
(past tow·ered, past participle tow·ered, present
participle tow·er·ing, 3rd person present singular tow·ers)

1.  be
tall:
to be very high or tall, or much higher or taller than somebody or something
else

2.  be
superior:
to be considerably superior to somebody or something
[12th
century. Via Latin turris from Greek .]
a
tower of strength

somebody who is reliable and
supportive (informal)[1]



towering

towering
tow·er·ing 
[tówəring] adjective

1.  high
or tall:
rising very high or standing very tall

2.  outstanding:
being of the highest quality or importance

3.  intense:
characterized by extreme or intense emotion or pain • a
towering rage
—tow·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



towhead

towhead
tow·head 
[tṓ hèd] (plural tow·heads) noun

1.  HAIRDRESSING somebody
with blond hair: somebody with fair or tousled hair

2.  HAIRDRESSING head
of white-blond hair: a head that is covered with
light blond hair

3.  GEOGRAPHY low
island:
a low alluvial island in a river, especially one with a stand of trees
[From
tow 2]
—tow·head·ed, adjective[1]



towhee

towhee
tow·hee 
[tṓ h, tō h]
(plural tow·hees) noun

N
American sparrow: a large long-tailed North American
sparrow, typically a ground feeder. Genera: Pipilo Chlorura
[Mid-18th century. An
imitation of the call of the bird.][1]



towline

towline
tow·line 
[tṓ ln] (plural tow·lines) noun

See
towrope[1]



town

town
town 
[town] (plural towns) noun

1.  large
area of buildings: a densely populated area
with many buildings, larger than a village and smaller than a city

2.  urban
area:
a large urban area, either a town, a city, or a borough

3.  POLITICS unit
of local government: in certain parts of the
United States, a unit of local government that is smaller than a county or city

4.  local
town:
the nearest large town or city, or the town or city in which somebody lives • moving
into town

5.  center
of settled area: the center of a town or city

6.  population
of settled area: the people who live in a town • The
whole town’s talking about it.

7.  nonacademic
population:
the permanent residents of a town that has a university, as opposed to the
staff and students of the university • town
and gown

8.  ZOOLOGY prairie
dog burrows: a group of prairie dog burrows
[Old
English tūn “yard, buildings within an enclosure.” The term came to mean
“cluster of dwellings” and, by the 12th century, its main present meaning was
in use.]
—town·ish,
adjective
go
to town (on somebody or something)

to
do something with great enthusiasm or thoroughness (informal)

on
the town

spending
time enjoying the entertainment available in a town or city, especially if a
lot of money is spent (informal)

paint
the town red

to
go out and celebrate, especially by spending a lot of money for entertainment (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at city

[1]



town-and-gown

town-and-gown
town-and-gown
adjective

of students and local
residents: relating to a town that has
a large population of students in higher education[1]



townclerk

townclerk
town
clerk
(plural town clerks) noun

record keeper:
a public official responsible for such things as keeping the records of a town
and issuing licenses[1]



towncouncil

towncouncil
town
coun·cil
(plural town coun·cils) noun

people who govern a town:
the people elected or appointed to govern a town[1]



towncrier

towncrier
town
cri·er
(plural town cri·ers) noun

1.  gossip:
somebody who makes public information about other people’s lives (informal)

2.  somebody
who makes public announcements: somebody employed by a
town, especially formerly, to make public announcements in the streets.
Also
called
crier

[1]



townhall

townhall
town
hall
(plural town halls) noun

local administration offices:
a building that houses the offices of the local administration and often has a
public hall that can be used for meetings[1]



townhouse

townhouse
town
house
noun

1.  house
in town:
a house in a town or city, especially one that belongs to somebody who also has
a house in the country

2.  ARCHITECTURE See row house

3.  U.K.
ARCHITECTURE row
house:
a row house in a town or city, especially one in a fashionable area

4.  Australia,
New Zealand
ARCHITECTURE modern
town dwelling: in New Zealand, a modern, usually
two-story town dwelling of superior quality, in a block of two, three, or four
and with limited garden space

[1]



townie

townie
town·ie 
[tównee] (plural town·ies) or
town·y [tównee] (plural town·ies)
noun

1.  town
dweller:
somebody who lives permanently in a town, as opposed to somebody who lives in
the country (informal)

2.  nonacademic
resident:
a nonacademic town resident as opposed to a student or member of staff at a
university in the town

[1]



townmanager

townmanager
town
man·ag·er
(plural town man·ag·ers) noun

head of town administration:
an official in charge of the administrative activities of a town[1]



townmeeting

townmeeting
town
meet·ing
(plural town meet·ings) noun

1.  meeting
of inhabitants: a public meeting involving all of the
inhabitants of a town

2.  New
England
meeting
of voters:
a public meeting involving all of the voters of a town, with the authority to
make legislative decisions

3.  POLITICS TV televised gathering:
a television program centering on an issue of national interest, in which
people from a particular area ask questions of debaters or speakers • a
televised national town meeting on the role of the military in global
peacekeeping

[1]



townplanning

townplanning
town
plan·ning
noun

U.K.
See urban planning[1]



townscape

townscape
town·scape 
[tówn skàyp] (plural town·scapes)
noun

1.  visible
area of town: the part of a town within the sight of
somebody looking at it

2.  picture
of town:
a painting or photograph of an urban scene

[1]



townsfolk

townsfolk
towns·folk 
[tównz fk] plural noun

See
townspeople[1]



township

township
town·ship 
[tówn shìp] (plural town·ships)
noun

1.  POLITICS subdivision
of a county: a subdivision of a county, often serving
as a unit of local government.
Also
called
town

2.  POLITICS area
governed by town meeting: in some parts of the United
States, an area governed by a town meeting

3.  MEASUREMENTS 36
square miles: an area of surveyed public land equal to
36 sections or 36 square miles

4.  South
Africa
HISTORY urban
settlement for black people: an urban settlement planned
for black people only, usually implying inferior facilities and services
[Old English The meaning
“subdivision of a county” is found in the late 17th century][1]



townsman

townsman
towns·man 
[tównzmən] (plural towns·men [tównzmən]) noun

1.  town
dweller:
a man who lives in a town

2.  man
living in same town: a man who lives in the same
town as somebody else

[1]



townspeople

townspeople
towns·peo·ple 
[tównz pp’l] plural noun

inhabitants of town:
the people who live in a town or who have lived in a town and are used to the
ways of town life.
Also called
townsfolk[1]



Townsville

Townsville
Towns·ville 
[tównzvil]

city on the eastern coast of
Queensland, Australia. It is a commercial and industrial center. Population:
101,398 (1996)[1]



townswoman

townswoman
towns·wom·an 
[tównz wmmən] (plural towns·wom·en
[tównz wìmmən]) noun

1.  town
dweller:
a woman who lives in a town

2.  woman
living in same town: a woman who lives in the
same town as somebody else

[1]



towny

towny
town·y 
noun

See
townie[1]



towpath

towpath
tow·path 
[tṓ pàth] (plural tow·paths [tṓ pàz, tṓ pàths])
noun

path beside a canal:
a path beside a canal or river for people or animals to walk along, originally
as they pulled a barge or boat[1]



towrope

towrope
tow·rope
[tṓ rp] (plural tow·ropes) or
tow·line [tṓ rp] noun

rope for towing:
a rope used to tow something, for example, a boat or a broken-down car[1]



towtruck

towtruck
tow
truck
(plural tow trucks) noun

See
wrecker  noun 1[1]



tox.

tox.
tox.

Abbreviation of
toxicology[1]



tox-

tox-
tox-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
toxi-[1]



toxalbumin

toxalbumin
tox·al·bu·min 
[toks álbyəmin] (plural tox·al·bu·mins)
noun

poisonous substance:
a toxic albumin protein found in some plants such as toadstools and in bacteria
and snake venom[1]



toxaphene

toxaphene
tox·a·phene 
[tóksə fn] noun

insecticide:
a waxy amber-colored poisonous compound that smells of pine and is used as an
insecticide. C10H10Cl8
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from toxi- + a shortening of chlorinated
camphene .][1]



toxemia

toxemia
tox·e·mi·a 
noun

poisoning
by bacterial toxins: a condition produced by the
presence of bacterial toxins in the blood, usually with tissue or organ damage,
fever, and severe intestinal upset
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from tox- + Greek haima
“blood” + -ia .]
—tox·e·mic, adjective[1]



toxi-

toxi-
toxi-
prefix

poison,
poisonous • toxigenic
[From toxic][1]



toxic

toxic
tox·ic 
[tóksik] adjective

1.  involving
something poisonous: relating to or containing a
poison or toxin

2.  deadly:
causing serious harm or death
noun
(plural tox·ics)

poisonous substance:
a toxic substance
[Mid-17th
century. Via medieval Latin toxicus “poisoned” from, ultimately, Greek toxikos
“of the bow” ( Greek toxikon pharmakon meant “poison for smearing
arrows”).]
—tox·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



toxicant

toxicant
tox·i·cant 
[tóksikənt] (plural tox·i·cants)
noun

toxic substance:
a toxic substance, especially one used as a pesticide[1]



toxicity

toxicity
tox·ic·i·ty 
[tok síssətee] (plural tox·ic·i·ties)
noun

1.  degree
of poisonousness: the degree to which something is
poisonous

2.  capability
to poison somebody: the state of being poisonous
to somebody or something

[1]



toxico-

toxico-
toxico-
prefix

poison
• toxicogenic
[From Latin toxicum
(see toxic )][1]



toxicogenic

toxicogenic
tox·i·co·gen·ic 
[tòksikō jénnik] adjective

See
toxigenic[1]



toxicology

toxicology
tox·i·col·o·gy 
[tàwksi kólləjee] noun

science
of poisons:
the scientific study of poisons, especially their effects on the body and their
antidotes
—tox·i·co·log·ic
[tòksikə lójjik], adjective

—tox·i·co·log·i·cal·ly
[tòksikə lójjəkəlee], adverb

—tox·o·col·o·gist [tòksi kólləjist], noun[1]



toxicosis

toxicosis
tox·i·co·sis 
[tòksi kṓssiss] (plural tox·i·co·ses
[tòksi kṓ sz]) noun

harmful effects:
the harmful effects of a poison, including any disease caused by toxins[1]



toxicshock syndrome

toxicshock syndrome
tox·ic
shock syn·drome noun

toxin-caused circulatory
failure: acute, potentially fatal
circulatory failure, commonly associated with the use of vaginal tampons, which
can create conditions promoting the growth of a toxin-producing staphylococcal
bacterium[1]



toxigenic

toxigenic
tox·i·gen·ic 
[tòksi jénnik] adjective

1.  poison-producing:
producing poisonous substances

2.  produced
by toxin:
caused or produced by a toxin
—tox·i·ge·nic·i·ty [tòksijə níssətee], noun[1]



toxin

toxin
tox·in 
[tóksin] (plural tox·ins) noun

1.  poison
from a living creature: a poison produced by a
living organism, especially bacteria, capable of causing disease and also of
stimulating the production within the body of antibodies to counter their
effects

2.  any
substance said to accumulate in the body that is considered to be harmful or
poisonous to the system • drinking
plenty of water to eliminate toxins
[Late 19th century. Coined
from toxic + -in
.][1]



toxin-antitoxin

toxin-antitoxin
tox·in-an·ti·tox·in 
(plural tox·in-an·ti·tox·ins) noun

toxin mixed with antitoxin:
a mixture of a toxin and its antitoxin in which the toxin is in slight excess,
formerly used as a vaccine, for example, for diphtheria[1]



toxocariasis

toxocariasis
tox·o·car·i·a·sis 
[tòksi kə r əssiss] noun

infection
caught from dogs: an infestation of the larvae of a kind
of roundworm in human beings, from worm eggs picked up from contaminated soil
or domestic pets
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tox- + Greek kara “head” + -iasis .][1]



toxoid

toxoid
tox·oid 
[tók sòyd] (plural tox·oids) noun

toxin
with reduced toxicity: a preparation of a toxin
produced by infectious agents, largely rendered harmless by chemical treatment
but still capable of stimulating antibodies and used as a vaccine
[Early 20th century. Coined
from shortening of toxin + -oid .][1]



toxophilite

toxophilite
tox·oph·i·lite 
[tòk sóffə lt] (plural tox·oph·i·lites)
noun

archer:
an archer or archery enthusiast (literary or humorous)
[Late
18th century. Formed from Toxophilus, “lover of the bow,” which was
coined by Roger Ascham (1545) (from toxo- + Greek philos “friend”).]
—tox·oph·i·ly, noun[1]



toxoplasma

toxoplasma
tox·o·plas·ma 
[tòksə plázzəmə] (plural tox·o·plas·mas)
noun

parasitic
organism:
a microscopic protozoan organism that lives as a parasite in the organs of
vertebrates, especially birds and mammals, and can cause disease. Genus: Toxoplasma
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, coined from toxo-, a variant of toxi- + plasma
.]
—tox·o·plas·mic, adjective[1]



toxoplasmosis

toxoplasmosis
tox·o·plas·mo·sis 
[tòksō plaz mṓssiss] (plural tox·o·plas·mo·ses
[tòksō plàz mṓ sz]) noun

infection:
a disease of mammals caused by a toxoplasma transmitted to humans via
undercooked meat or through contact with infectious animals, especially cats[1]



toy

toy
toy 
[toy] noun (plural toys)

1.  thing
to play with: something meant to be played with,
especially by children

2.  replica:
a replica of a real object, meant to be played with or used as an ornament

3.  miniature
breed:
an animal, especially a dog, that is a miniature version of another animal • a
toy poodle

4.  something
unimportant: something of little value or importance

5.  somebody
whose emotions are played with: somebody whose
feelings and emotions are treated as unimportant (informal)

6.  Southern
U.S.
shooter
marble:
a marble used as a shooter
adjective

easily dismissed:
used pejoratively to belittle somebody or something or make somebody or
something deemed irrelevant or of inferior quality appear insignificant (insult)
[14th
century. Origin unknown. Its original meaning was “amorous dalliance,” and the
sense “plaything” came into use in late 16th century.]
—toy·er, noun[1]



toyboy

toyboy
toy
boy
(plural toy boys) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term for a young man who is the lover of somebody who is older (slang
insult)[1]



toyi-toyi

toyi-toyi
to·yi-to·yi
[tóy toy] (plural to·yi-to·yis)
noun

South
Africa
militant
dance:
a militant dance performed by a circular group of protesters, with high steps,
accompanied by chanting of slogans and singing
[Late 20th century. From an
African language, perhaps Xhosa .][1]



Toynbee,Arnold

Toynbee,Arnold
Toyn·bee
[tóyn b], Arnold (1889–1975)

British
historian. His masterwork, the 12-volume Study of History ( 1934–1961 ),
treated history as a succession of civilizations rather than of nations.
Full name
Toynbee, Arnold Joseph[1]



toyon

toyon
toy·on 
[tóy òn] (plural toy·ons) noun

Californian
evergreen shrub: an evergreen Californian shrub with
white flowers and red berrylike fruit. Latin name: Heteromeles arbutifolia
[Mid-19th century. From
Mexican Spanish tollón .][1]



ToyotomiHideyoshi

ToyotomiHideyoshi
To·yo·to·mi
Hi·dey·o·shi [tyō tṓmee
hìdde yṓshee] (1537–1598)

Japanese politician. He
united Japan in 1590 and coordinated two unsuccessful invasions of Korea (1592
and 1597).[1]



toywith

toywith
toy
with
transitive verb

1.  play
with something: to play or fiddle with something,
especially because of a lack of real interest in it or preoccupation with
something else

2.  think
about something: to consider doing something

3.  treat
somebody or something cruelly: to behave in a cruelly
insincere or offhand way toward somebody or something

4.  treat
somebody insincerely: to treat somebody in an
insincere or flirtatious way, merely for amusement

[1]



tp

tp
tp
or Tp

1.  (slang)
Abbreviation of toilet paper

2.  Abbreviation
of
township

3.  Abbreviation
of
troop

[1]



t.p.

t.p.
t.p.

PUBLISHING
Abbreviation of title page[1]



TPA

TPA
TPA

Abbreviation of
tissue plasminogen activator[1]



tpk

tpk
tpk
or Tpk

Abbreviation of
turnpike[1]



TPN

TPN
TPN

Abbreviation of
triphosphopyridine nucleotide[1]



Tpr

Tpr
Tpr

Abbreviation of
Trooper[1]



TQM

TQM
TQM

BUSINESS
Abbreviation of total quality management[1]



TR

TR
TR

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Abbreviation of transmit-receive[1]



tr.

tr.
tr.

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of transitive

2.  LANGUAGE BUSINESS Abbreviation of translator

3.  PRINTING Abbreviation of transpose

4.  PRINTING Abbreviation of transposition

5.  FINANCE Abbreviation of treasurer

6.  MUSIC Abbreviation of trill

7.  Abbreviation
of
troop

8.  FINANCE Abbreviation of trust

9.  FINANCE Abbreviation of trustee

[1]



trabeated

trabeated
tra·be·at·ed 
[tráybee àytəd] or tra·be·ate
[tráybee àyt, tráybee
ət] adjective

ARCHITECTURE having
horizontal beams: built using horizontal beams rather than
arches
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from the Latin stem trab- “beam.”]
—tra·be·a·tion [tràybee áysh’n], noun[1]



trabecula

trabecula
tra·bec·u·la 
[trə békyələ] (plural tra·bec·u·lae
[trə békyə l] or tra·bec·u·las)
noun

1.  ANATOMY rod-shaped
support in an organ: a rod-shaped body part that
forms an internal support of an organ and divides it into separate chambers

2.  ANATOMY bar of
bony tissue: any of the thin bars of bony tissue in
spongy bone that form a meshwork with interconnecting spaces that contain bone
marrow

3.  BOTANY rod-shaped
cell:
a rod-shaped cell or structure that bridges a cavity, for example, between cells
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, literally “small beam,” from the stem trab-
“beam.”]
—tra·bec·u·lar,
adjective

—tra·bec·u·late, adjective[1]



trace

trace2
trace2 [trayss]
(plural trac·es) noun

1.  EQUESTRIAN horse’s
pulling straps: either of the two straps or chains
connected to a horse’s harness by means of which it pulls something such as a
cart (often used in the plural)

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING bar
transferring motion: a hinged bar that enables
motion to be transferred from one part of a machine to another
[14th
century. From Old French trais, plural of trait “strap for
harnessing,” from Latin tractus “drawing” (see tractor
).]
kick
over the traces

to
reject restrictions and controls and do something unconventional (informal)





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word tractus, from which trace
  is derived, passed into Old French as trait “pulling, draft,” hence
  “harness strap” (source of English trait
  ). Its plural trais was borrowed into English in the 14th century as trace “harness-strap.” It also formed the basis
  of a Vulgar Latin verb that evolved into Old French tracier, from
  which English in the 14th century got the verb trace
  . A noun trace was also derived from tracier,
  and this too was acquired by English as trace,
  in the 13th century. At first it denoted a “path” or “track”; the modern
  sense “visible sign” did not develop until the 17th century.

[1]



trace

trace1
trace1 [trayss]
noun (plural trac·es)

1.  remaining
sign:
a sign that remains to show the former presence of a person or thing no longer
there

2.  tiny
quantity:
a tiny amount or the slightest amount

3.  CHEMISTRY just
detectable amount: an amount of something that
is detectable but too small to be quantified

4.  footprint:
a footprint or physical sign of the passage of a person or animal

5.  path:
a path or track left by people or animals regularly passing

6.  line
marking something: a line made by a recording
instrument, for example, one drawn by a seismograph or one formed on the screen
of a cathode ray tube, or the record made in this way

7.  drawing:
a drawing, especially one made using tracing paper

8.  attempt
to find another: an attempt to find or follow somebody or
something

9.  PSYCHOLOGY See engram

10. GEOMETRY intersection:
the point of intersection of a line or plane with the surface of a coordinate
plane

11. MATHEMATICS sum
of diagonal entries: the sum of the diagonal
entries of a square matrix

12. METEOROLOGY amount
of precipitation: an amount of precipitation that is too
small to be recorded by instruments, or the record of such an amount
verb
(past traced, past participle traced, present
participle trac·ing, 3rd person present singular trac·es)

1.  transitive
verb
find
somebody or something: to find out where somebody
or something is or who or what somebody or something was

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb follow
or be followed: to follow or show a course or series of
developments, or be able to be followed back in time or to a source

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb copy
something:
to copy writing, a design, or drawing by putting translucent paper on top of it
and drawing the visible outlines on this paper

4.  transitive
verb
draw
something carefully: to draw or write something
with great care

5.  transitive
verb
outline
something:
to give an outline or brief description of something

6.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE decorate
something:
to decorate something with tracery

7.  intransitive
verb
search
something:
to search through something
[13th
century. Via Old French tracier “to make one’s way” from, ultimately,
Latin trahere “to pull.”]
—trace·a·bil·i·ty
[tràyssə bíllətee], noun

—trace·a·ble,
adjective

—trace·a·ble·ness,
noun

—trace·a·bly,
adverb

—trace·less,
adjective

—trace·less·ly,
adverb





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  See
  Origin note at trace 2 .

[1]



traceelement

traceelement
trace
el·e·ment
(plural trace el·e·men·ts) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY element
present in tiny amount: a chemical element present
in minute but detectable amounts, much less than one percent, in something such
as a metal or ore

2.  BIOLOGY element
essential for health: an element such as zinc,
iodine, or manganese that is required in minute amounts for normal growth and
development and the functioning of vital enzyme systems.
Also
called
essential element

3.  minuscule
amount:
a very tiny amount • only a trace element of
truth to that statement

[1]



tracefossil

tracefossil
trace
fos·sil
(plural trace fos·sils) noun

fossil trace of something:
a feature in sedimentary rocks that resulted from the activity of an animal,
for example, a worm cast or footprint[1]



tracer

tracer
trac·er 
[tráyssər] (plural trac·ers) noun

1.  See
tracer bullet

2.  ammunition
acting as tracers: ammunition that has been
treated to act as tracers • a gun
loaded with tracer

3.  MEDICINE See tracer element

4.  investigation
or investigator: an investigation into the whereabouts of
something missing, for example, an item of mail or a cargo shipment, or
somebody who carries out such an investigation

5.  somebody
or something that makes tracings: somebody or something
that makes tracings

6.  a
device that gives out a signal that can be tracked and followed when attached
to a vehicle or person

[1]



tracerbullet

tracerbullet
trac·er
bul·let
(plural trac·er bul·lets) or trac·er noun

bullet making visible trail:
a bullet that has been treated with chemicals to make it leave a glowing or
smoky trail as it flies[1]



tracerelement

tracerelement
trac·er
el·e·ment
(plural trac·er el·e·men·ts) or trac·er noun

MEDICINE
radioactive isotope:
a radioactive element used in experiments so that its movements can be
monitored[1]



tracery

tracery
trac·er·y 
[tráyssəree] (plural trac·er·ies)
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE window
ornamentation: decorative ribs in windows, especially
medieval church windows, and screens

2.  DRAWING interlaced
pattern:
a decorative pattern of interlaced lines, especially one that resembles the
form or patterns found in church windows
—trac·er·ied, adjective[1]



trachea

trachea
tra·che·a 
[tráykee ə] (plural tra·che·ae
[tráykee ] or tra·che·as) noun

1.  ANATOMY windpipe:
the tube in air-breathing vertebrates that conducts air from the throat to the
bronchi, strengthened by incomplete rings of cartilage.
Also
called
windpipe

2.  ZOOLOGY breathing
tube:
a tube in insects and related air-breathing animals through which air is drawn
into the body by the pumping action of the abdominal muscles

3.  BOTANY tube
of plant cells: a tubular part of water-conducting plant
tissue that provides mechanical support and transport of water and nutrients.
Also
called
vessel noun 5
[14th
century. From medieval Latin, ultimately from Greek (artēria) trakheia
“rough (artery).” From its rings of cartilage.]
—tra·che·al,
adjective

—tra·che·ate [tráykee ət, tráykee
àyt], adjective[1]



tracheid

tracheid
tra·che·id 
[tráykee id] (plural tra·che·ids)
noun

BOTANY tubular
plant cell:
a cell in the trachea of conifers and other gymnosperm plants, with bands of
lignin thickening the cell walls and adding structural support
[Late
19th century. From German Tracheïde, literally “something belonging to
the trachea.”]
—tra·che·i·dal [tray k id’l, tray
kd’l], adjective[1]



tracheitis

tracheitis
tra·che·i·tis 
[tràykee tiss] noun

inflammation of trachea:
inflammation of the trachea[1]



tracheo-

tracheo-
tracheo-
prefix

trachea • tracheostomy[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tracheobronchial

tracheobronchial
tra·che·o·bron·chi·al 
[tràykee ō bróngkee əl] adjective

in the trachea and bronchi:
relating to or in both the trachea and the bronchi[1]



tracheoesophageal

tracheoesophageal
tra·che·o·e·soph·a·ge·al 
[tràykee ō i sóffə j əl] adjective

in the trachea and esophagus:
relating to or in both the trachea and the esophagus[1]



tracheole

tracheole
tra·che·ole 
[tráykee l] (plural tra·che·oles)
noun

part
of the trachea: any of the fine channels that branch off
from an insect’s trachea and carry oxygen to its tissues
[Early 20th century.
Literally “small trachea.”][1]



tracheophyte

tracheophyte
tra·che·o·phyte 
[tráykee ō ft] (plural tra·che·o·phytes)
noun

plant
with a vascular system: a plant that has a system of
vascular tissues for conducting water and nutrients through it
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from trachea- + Greek phuton “plant.”][1]



tracheoscopy

tracheoscopy
tra·che·os·co·py 
[tràykee óskəpee] (plural tra·che·os·co·pies)
noun

examination
of the trachea: the examination of the inside of the
trachea, for example, using a laryngoscope
—tra·che·o·scop·ic [tràykee ə skóppik], adjective[1]



tracheostomy

tracheostomy
tra·che·os·to·my 
[tràykee óstəmee] (plural tra·che·os·to·mies)
noun

1.  hole
in the trachea: a hole cut in the trachea, for example,
to ensure the airway is unblocked and to suck out secretions

2.  cutting
into the trachea: an operation to cut a hole in the
trachea

[1]



tracheotomy

tracheotomy
tra·che·ot·o·my 
[tràykee óttəmee] (plural tra·che·ot·o·mies)
noun

cut through the trachea:
the making of an incision through the neck into the trachea to assist breathing
when the upper airways are blocked[1]



trachoma

trachoma
tra·cho·ma 
[trə kṓmə] noun

eye
disease:
a contagious bacterial eye disease in which scar tissue forms inside the
eyelid, eventually causing it to curve inward and the eyelashes to scrape the
eye, often leading to infection
[Late
17th century. From Greek trakhōma “roughness.”]
—tra·cho·ma·tous, adjective[1]



trachyte

trachyte
tra·chyte 
[trá kt, tráy
kt] (plural tra·chytes) noun

volcanic
rock:
fine-grained volcanic rock, characterized by the presence of alkaline feldspar
minerals
[Early
19th century. Formed from Greek trakhus “rough” + -ite .]
—tra·chy·toid [trákə tòyd, tráykee
tòyd], adjective[1]



trachytic

trachytic
tra·chyt·ic 
[trə kíttik] adjective

having parallel crystals:
used to describe igneous rocks in which the crystals are arranged in parallel
and show the flow of the molten lava from which they were formed[1]



tracing

tracing
trac·ing 
[tráyssing] (plural trac·ings)
noun

1.  traced
copy:
a copy of something made by tracing it onto a sheet of translucent paper laid
on top of it

2.  instrument
record:
a graphic record made by an instrument such as a seismograph

[1]



tracingpaper

tracingpaper
trac·ing
pa·per
noun

paper that can be seen
through: a type of paper through
which it is possible to see what is underneath, and on which it is possible to
draw a copy of something underneath[1]



track

track
track 
[trak] noun (plural tracks)

1.  mark
left:
a mark left by a moving person, animal, or thing, for example, a footprint, an
animal’s paw print, or the mark of a wheel

2.  path:
a path or road, especially one made by the continual passing of people or
animals or one specially created for some purpose

3.  RAIL rail
structure:
a rail or pair of parallel rails on which a vehicle, especially a train, runs,
along with the supporting structures such as crossties

4.  course
of travel:
the path taken by somebody or something while traveling

5.  line
of action or thought: a line of thought or
investigation, or course of action • realized
our research was on the wrong track

6.  SPORTS race course:
a course laid out for racing

7.  SPORTS sports
taking place on sports track: a collective term for all
sports that take place on a sports track

8.  SPORTS See track and field

9.  RECORDING separate
recording of music: a separate piece of music or
song on a disc, tape, or record

10. RECORDING path
for recording: a separate section of a magnetic tape
where the input of a single channel is recorded

11. RECORDING recorded
input:
a recording on separate tracks of a magnetic tape that are combined to give a
final version, for example, of a piece of recorded music or a film

12. RECORDING See soundtrack  noun 1

13. COMPUTING section
of computer disk: a path on the surface of a storage
medium such as a diskette or CD-ROM on which information is recorded and from
which recorded information is read. The path is a series of concentric rings on
floppy disks and hard files and a spiral on video disks and CD-ROMs.

14. CINEMA See tracking shot

15. AUTOMOTIVE treads
of a tank or bulldozer: a continuous loop of rubber
or metal plates driven by wheels, giving great traction over soft or rough
ground, used especially on bulldozers and heavy military vehicles such as tanks

16. EDUCATION course
of study:
a course of study that is tailored to the relative abilities or needs of
students

17. BUSINESS career
path:
the course or projected course of a career

18. INDUSTRY moving
assembly line: a moving belt carrying things along a
factory assembly line

19. HOUSEHOLD supporting
rail:
a usually grooved rail along which something moves, for example, a lighting
fixture or the supporting hooks of a curtain

20. PHYSICS path
of a particle: the path taken by a particle of ionizing
radiation in a cloud chamber, bubble chamber, or photographic emulsion

21. ENGINEERING distance
between wheels: the distance between a pair of wheels,
for example, the front wheels of a motor vehicle
plural
noun
tracks

needle marks: marks
or scars on the body of a drug user caused by frequent injections (slang)
verb
(past tracked, past participle tracked, present
participle track·ing, 3rd person present singular tracks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb follow
a trail:
to follow a trail made by somebody or something, or to try to find somebody or
something by following a trail left behind

2.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING follow
the flight path: to follow the flight path of a vehicle
such as a spacecraft using electronic equipment or radar

3.  transitive
verb
follow
progress:
to follow the progress or development of something

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb follow
a path:
to follow a path through a place

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb CINEMA follow a moving object:
to film a moving person or object with a mobile camera

6.  intransitive
verb
ENGINEERING align:
to be in alignment or the correct distance apart, especially wheels on a motor
vehicle

7.  intransitive
verb
RECORDING follow
the groove on a record: to follow the groove on a
phonograph record

8.  intransitive
verb
travel:
to travel, especially on a long or laborious journey (informal)

9.  transitive
verb
bring
and leave dirt: to carry something, especially mud, on
the shoes or feet and leave some of it on a floor

10. transitive
verb
supply
something with tracks: to supply something,
especially a railroad line, with tracks

11. transitive
verb
EDUCATION assign
somebody to a track: to assign a student to an
educational track
[15th
century. From French trac “footprint, mark,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from Middle Dutch trek “pulling” (source of English trek ).]
—track·a·bil·i·ty
[tràkə bíllətee], noun

—track·a·ble,
adjective
cover
your tracks

remove
all signs of having been somewhere or done something (informal)

from
the wrong side of the tracks

from
the less affluent and socially advantaged part of a town or area (informal)

in
your tracks

1.  suddenly
and immediately, just where somebody or something is or in the middle of what
somebody or something is doing (informal)

2.  as
somebody or something is going along (informal)

keep
track (of)

to
follow, pay attention to, or keep a check on the position or progress of

lose
track (of)

to
fail to follow or pay attention, or fail to keep an adequate check on the
position or progress of

make
tracks

to
leave (informal)

off
the beaten track

away
from main roads and busy populated areas, and perhaps difficult to find or gain
access to as a result (informal) • The
cottage is lovely but it’s off the beaten track.

on
track

on
the correct or desired path or schedule

[1]



trackage

trackage
track·age 
[trákij] noun

1.  railroad
tracks:
railroad tracks collectively

2.  right
to use tracks: the right of one railroad company to use
tracks belonging to another company

3.  charge
for using tracks: a fee charged by one railroad company to
another for use of its tracks

[1]



trackand field

trackand field
track
and field
noun

athletic
sports:
athletic sports carried out on a running track and an adjacent field, for
example, hurdling or javelin throwing.
U.K.
term
athletics
Also
called
track
—track-and-field, adjective[1]



trackball

trackball
track·ball 
[trák bàwl] (plural track·balls)
noun

ball used instead of computer
mouse: a freely rotating ball moved
by the fingers to control a cursor on a computer screen[1]



trackdown

trackdown
track
down
transitive verb

find somebody or something by
searching: to find a person, animal, or
object by searching or following a trail[1]



trackedvehicle

trackedvehicle
tracked
ve·hi·cle
(plural tracked ve·hi·cles) noun

vehicle on tracks:
a vehicle such as a military tank or a bulldozer that is propelled by tracks
instead of wheels[1]



tracker

tracker
track·er
[trákər] (plural track·ers) noun

somebody who follows a trail:
somebody who follows another person’s or an animal’s trail, especially somebody
who is particularly skilled at doing this in order to guide others, for
example, police, soldiers, or hunters[1]



trackevent

trackevent
track
e·vent
(plural track events) noun

competition on a running
track: a sports competition that
takes place on a running track[1]



tracking

tracking
track·ing 
[tráking] noun

1.  following
of a trail:
the act or process of following the trail of a person or animal

2.  VIDEO finding
best picture: the finding by a video player of the
best quality picture

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING leaking
of current:
the leaking of current between two insulated points, for example, caused by
damp or dirt

4.  EDUCATION grouping
of students: the assigning of students to particular
courses that will suit their abilities or needs

[1]



trackingpoll

trackingpoll
track·ing
poll
(plural track·ing polls) noun

repeated poll:
an opinion poll in which the same people are asked questions periodically to
give an indication of changes in opinion[1]



trackingshot

trackingshot
track·ing
shot
(plural track·ing shots) noun

camera shot following
movement: a camera shot filmed from a
moving dolly, following the movement of somebody or something.
Also called
track[1]



trackingstation

trackingstation
track·ing
sta·tion
(plural track·ing sta·tions) noun

site for following a flight:
a place from which the movement of something such as a launched missile or a
space vehicle can be followed using radar or radio signals[1]



trackless

trackless
track·less 
[trákləss] adjective

1.  lacking
paths:
so isolated that there are no trails or paths

2.  leaving
no trail:
leaving no track or trail

3.  RAIL running
without rails: not needing rails on which to run
—track·less·ly,
adverb

—track·less·ness, noun[1]



tracklight

tracklight
track
light
(plural track lights) noun

movable
light on a track: an electric light that can be moved and
repositioned anywhere along the length of an electrified track mounted on a
wall or ceiling
—track light·ing, noun[1]



trackman

trackman
track·man 
[trákmən] (plural track·men [trákmən]) noun

1.  person
who maintains railroad track: somebody whose job is to lay
and maintain rails.
U.K.
term
platelayer

2.  SPORTS track
athlete:
a man who competes in track events

[1]



trackmeet

trackmeet
track
meet
(plural track meets) noun

athletic competition:
an athletic competition in which teams from several places participate in track
events[1]



trackrecord

trackrecord
track
rec·ord
(plural track rec·ords) noun

1.  past
performance: a record of the past performance of a
person, organization, or thing (informal)

2.  SPORTS sports
arena record: a record for a particular sports arena,
as opposed to a national or international record

[1]



trackshoe

trackshoe
track
shoe
(plural track shoes) noun

running shoe:
either of a pair of lightweight spiked running shoes[1]



trackside

trackside
track·side 
[trák sd] noun

area beside a track:
the area immediately beside a running track or racetrack[1]



tracksuit

tracksuit
track·suit 
[trák st] (plural track·suits)
noun

loose top and pants:
a loose-fitting long-sleeved top and matching pants in knitted nylon or cotton,
worn by athletes over their sports clothes and by other people as casual wear[1]



trackwalker

trackwalker
track·walk·er 
[trák wàwkər] (plural track·walk·ers)
noun

inspector of track:
somebody employed to inspect railroad track[1]



trackwoman

trackwoman
track·wom·an
[trák wmmən] (plural track·wom·en
[trák wìmmin]) noun

track athlete:
a woman who competes in track events[1]



tract

tract3
tract3 [trakt]
(plural tracts) noun

pamphlet:
a pamphlet that sets out a position or an analysis, especially one dealing with
a political or religious issue
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
tractatus, ultimately from tractare “to handle,” literally “to
draw repeatedly,” from trahere (see tract 1 ).][1]



tract

tract2
tract2 [trakt]
(plural tracts) noun

Roman
Catholic anthem: an anthem sung in some Roman Catholic
masses
[14th century. From medieval
Latin tractus, from Latin (see tract 1 ).][1]



tract

tract1
tract1 [trakt]
(plural tracts) noun

1.  area
of land or water: an unmeasured expanse of land or water,
or a measured area, especially of land

2.  ANATOMY group
of organs:
a system of organs or body parts that work together to provide for the passage
of something such as food or bodily waste products

3.  ANATOMY bundle
of nerves:
a group of nerve fibers that forms a pathway from one part of the brain or
spinal cord to another

4.  length
of time:
a long period of time (archaic)
[15th century. From Latin tractus,
literally “a drawing out” (which was formed from trahere “to pull”),
hence “duration.”][1]



tractable

tractable
trac·ta·ble 
[tráktəb’l] adjective

1.  docile:
being very easy to control or persuade

2.  malleable:
being very easy to bend or work with
[15th
century. From Latin tractabilis, from tractare (see tract 3 ).]
—trac·ta·bil·i·ty
[tràktə bíllətee], noun

—trac·ta·bly [tráktəblee], adverb[1]



Tractarianism

Tractarianism
Trac·tar·i·an·ism 
[trak térree ən ìzzəm] noun

CHRISTIANITY See Oxford Movement
[Mid-19th
century. So called because of the tracts distributed.]
—Trac·tar·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



tractate

tractate
trac·tate 
[trák tàyt] (plural trac·tates)
noun

treatise:
a short essay on a particular subject (formal)
[15th century. From Latin tractatus
(see tract 3 ).][1]



tracthouse

tracthouse
tract
house
noun

one
of many similar houses: one of many similar houses
built on a tract of land
—tract hous·ing, noun[1]



tractile

tractile
trac·tile 
[trákt’l] adjective

able
to be stretched: able to be stretched into another shape
without breaking
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin tract-, past participle stem of trahere
(see tract 1 ).]
—trac·til·i·ty [trak tíllətee], noun[1]



traction

traction
trac·tion 
[trákshən] noun

1.  MEDICINE application
of weights:
application of a pulling force for surgical purposes, for example, to reduce a
fracture, maintain bone alignment, relieve pain, or prevent spinal injury

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING friction
allowing movement: the adhesive friction
between a moving object and the surface on which it is moving, for example,
between a tire and the ground, without which the object cannot move

3.  ENGINEERING pulling:
the act or process of pulling something, especially by means of a motor, or the
fact or state of being pulled along

4.  AUTOMOTIVE way
to move vehicles: a means of moving vehicles

5.  way
to achieve progress: a means by which, or the
degree to which, progress can be made • could
not get any traction in trying to push through the legislation
[Early
17th century. From either French traction or medieval Latin traction-,
formed from Latin tract-, past participle stem of trahere (see tract 1 ).]
—trac·tion·al, adjective[1]



tractor

tractor
trac·tor 
[tráktər] (plural trac·tors) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE farm
vehicle:
a motor vehicle used for pulling heavy loads, especially on farms, where its
typically large deep-treaded rear wheels enable it to move in fields

2.  TRANSPORT front
part of a heavy truck: a large vehicle, the front
section of a truck used to haul heavy loads, with a driving cab, engine, and
coupling for trailers

3.  AIR aircraft
with the propeller in front: an aircraft that has its
propeller in front of the engine, exerting a pull through the air rather than a
pushing force

4.  AIR propeller:
a propeller at the front of an aircraft engine

5.  PRINTING See tractor feed
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin tract-, past participle stem of trahere
“to draw” (see tract 1 ).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word trahere, from which tractor
  is derived, is also the source of English abstract,
  attract, contract, detract,
  distract, extract, retract,
  retreat, subtract, trace,
  train, trait,
  treat, treatise,
  and treaty.

[1]



tractorfeed

tractorfeed
trac·tor
feed
(plural trac·tor feeds) or tractor noun

paper feed:
a mechanism for feeding paper into a printer, using toothed wheels to mesh with
the perforations in continuous paper[1]



tractor-trailer

tractor-trailer
trac·tor-trail·er 
(plural trac·tor-trail·ers) noun

truck for heavy loads:
a truck for pulling heavy loads, consisting of a tractor attached to a trailer
or semitrailer.
Also called
semi[1]



Tracy,Spencer

Tracy,Spencer
Tra·cy 
[tráyssee], Spencer (1900–1967)

U.S. actor. He won Academy
Awards for his movies Captains Courageous ( 1937 ) and Boy’s Town
( 1938 ).[1]



trad.

trad.
trad.
[trad]

Abbreviation
of
traditional
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



trade

trade
trade 
[trayd] noun (plural trades)

1.  area
of business or industry: a particular area of
business or industry • the
book trade

2.  occupation:
somebody’s particular occupation, especially one that involves a skill • learn
a trade

3.  people
in business: the people who work in a particular area
of business or industry • You’ll
never convince the trade that this tax is fair.

4.  buying
and selling: the activity of buying and selling, or
sometimes bartering, goods • a
suspension of trade between the two countries

5.  work
in commerce: work in commerce as opposed to a
profession • graduates
going into trade

6.  customers:
customers or business generated by customers • losing
trade to their competitors

7.  commercial
customers:
customers in business and industry, as opposed to the general public, who
purchase products related to their business or industry • This
counter is for the trade only.

8.  exchange:
an exchange of somebody or something for another • If
neither of you likes your room, why don’t you do a trade?

9.  METEOROLOGY trade
wind:
a trade wind • the
southern trades

10. business
publication: a publication meant for people in a
particular line of business • advertising
in all the trades

11. deal:
a deal or transaction
verb
(past trad·ed, past participle trad·ed, present
participle trad·ing, 3rd person present singular trades)

1.  intransitive
verb
buy
and sell goods: to take part in buying and selling goods
for trade

2.  transitive
verb
exchange
something:
to give and receive something alternately with somebody else • trading
punches

3.  transitive
verb
deal
in something: to buy and sell a particular commodity

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
an exchange: to make an exchange, or exchange
somebody or something for another • Each
had something the other wanted and they were happy to trade.

5.  intransitive
verb
shop
or buy regularly from business: to shop or buy
something regularly at a particular place of business
[14th
century. From Middle Low German, “track,” which became used to denote “regular
path (of business) pursued by someone” and hence, in the 16th century, “buying
and selling.”]
—trad·a·ble,
adjective

—trade·less, adjective[1]



tradeacceptance

tradeacceptance
trade
ac·cep·tance (plural trade ac·cep·tanc·es)
noun

bill of exchange:
a bill of exchange for the amount of a purchase drawn by the seller on the
buyer, signed by the buyer and often specifying the place and date of payment[1]



tradeagreement

tradeagreement
trade
a·gree·ment
(plural trade a·gree·ments) noun

trade-regulating treaty:
a treaty between two or more countries to regulate trade between them[1]



tradeassociation

tradeassociation
trade
as·so·ci·a·tion (plural trade as·so·ci·a·tions)
noun

business representative
organization: an organization formed
to represent the collective interests of a number of businesses in the same
trade[1]



tradebook

tradebook
trade
book
(plural trade books) or trade e·di·tion (plural
trade e·di·tions) noun

edition for the general
public: a standard edition of a
book, meant for sale to the general public, as opposed to a deluxe or book-club
edition[1]



tradecycle

tradecycle
trade
cy·cle
(plural trade cy·cles) noun

U.K.
See business cycle[1]



tradedeficit

tradedeficit
trade
def·i·cit
(plural trade def·i·cits) noun

difference between imports
and exports: the difference,
measured in monetary value, between a nation’s imports and its exports when the
exports exceed the imports.
Also called
trade gap
U.K. term
trade gap[1]



tradediscount

tradediscount
trade
dis·count
(plural trade dis·counts) noun

money off for a fellow
businessperson: a reduction in the
standard price of something, offered by one business to another, for example,
by a manufacturer to a retailer, especially within the same trade[1]



tradedoption

tradedoption
trad·ed
op·tion
(plural trad·ed op·tions) noun

marketable stock option:
a stock option that is marketable[1]



tradedown

tradedown
trade
down
intransitive verb

buy something cheaper:
to sell something large or expensive and buy something smaller or less
expensive[1]



tradeedition

tradeedition
trade
e·di·tion
(plural trade e·di·tions) noun

See
trade book[1]



trade-in

trade-in
trade-in 
(plural trade-ins) noun

1.  item
used in partial payment: a used item such as a car
that is used as partial payment for something new

2.  act
of trading something in: a transaction in which an
old or used item serves as partial payment for something new

[1]



tradein

tradein
trade
in
transitive verb

pay with something old:
to give an old or used item, especially a car, in part payment for a new one[1]



tradejournal

tradejournal
trade
jour·nal
(plural trade jour·nals) noun

publication for a particular
trade: a periodical devoted to news
and features relating to a particular trade or profession[1]



tradelanguage

tradelanguage
trade
lan·guage
(plural trade lan·guag·es) noun

language used for trade:
a language used between native speakers of different languages to allow them to
communicate so that they can trade with each other.
See also
lingua franca
See also
pidgin[1]



trade-last

trade-last
trade-last 
(plural trade-lasts) noun

exchanged compliment:
an exchange in which somebody repeats an overheard compliment to the
complimented person if that person will first offer an overheard compliment
about the other (informal)[1]



trademark

trademark
trade·mark 
[tráyd mrk] noun (plural trade·marks)

1.  company
symbol:
a name or symbol used to show that a product is made by a particular company
and legally registered so that no other manufacturer can use it.
Also
called
registered trademark

2.  distinctive
characteristic: a distinctive characteristic associated
with a particular person • Quick
exits are her trademark.
transitive
verb
(past trade·marked, past participle trade·marked, present
participle trade·mark·ing, 3rd person present singular trade·marks)

1.  register
something as a trademark: to register a name or symbol
as a trademark

2.  label
product with a trademark: to place a trademark on a
product

[1]



tradename

tradename
trade
name
(plural trade names) noun

1.  product
name:
a name given by a manufacturer to a product or service

2.  name
used in a trade: a name for something that is usually
only known to or used by people working in a particular trade

3.  company
name:
a name under which a company or business operates

[1]



tradeoff

tradeoff
trade·off
[tráyd òf] or trade-off [tráyd òf] (plural trade·offs) noun

exchange involving
compromise: a situation in which
somebody is prepared to compromise by giving up all or part of one thing in
exchange for another • a
tradeoff between quality and price[1]



tradeon

tradeon
trade
on
transitive verb

exploit something:
to take advantage of a personal quality or situation, often unfairly or
excessively[1]



tradepaperback

tradepaperback
trade
pa·per·back
(plural trade pa·per·backs) noun

quality paperback:
a paperback edition of a book that is superior in production quality to a
mass-market paperback edition and is similar to a hardback in size[1]



trader

trader
trad·er 
[tráydər] (plural trad·ers) noun

1.  somebody
trading in goods: somebody who buys and sells retail goods

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE somebody
trading in stocks: somebody who deals in stocks
and shares, especially a person who tries to profit by making frequent deals,
each netting a small profit

3.  SHIPPING ship:
a merchant ship

[1]



tradereference

tradereference
trade
ref·er·ence
(plural trade ref·er·enc·es) noun

information about somebody’s
credit standing: a person or company
that furnishes a report concerning somebody’s credit standing in response to an
inquiry by somebody else in the same trade, especially a supplier[1]



traderoute

traderoute
trade
route
(plural trade routes) noun

route used by traders:
a route used by merchant ships or trading vehicles[1]



tradescantia

tradescantia
trad·es·can·tia 
[tràddə skánshə, tràddə
skánshee ə] (plural trad·es·can·tias or trad·es·can·tia)
noun

plant
with decorative leaves: a plant grown for its
striped leaves and blue, white, or pink flowers. Genus: Tradescantia
See
also
spiderwort
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, named for John Tradescant or his son.][1]



tradeschool

tradeschool
trade
school
(plural trade schools) noun

school teaching trades:
a school that gives instruction in a particular trade or that offers vocational
courses in general[1]



tradesecret

tradesecret
trade
se·cret
(plural trade se·crets) noun

1.  company’s
secret:
a secret formula or technique that is used to make a product, known only to the
company that manufactures it

2.  secret:
any secret (informal) • Which
shampoo do you use –or is it a trade secret?

[1]



tradesman

tradesman
trades·man 
[tráydzmən] (plural trades·men
[tráydzmən]) noun

1.  skilled
worker:
a man who works in a skilled trade, especially a job related to the
construction industry such as plumbing and carpentry

2.  storekeeper:
a man involved in trade, especially a storekeeper (dated)

[1]



tradespeople

tradespeople
trades·peo·ple 
[tráydz pp’l] plural noun

people involved in trade:
people employed in trade, especially storekeepers (dated)[1]



tradesunion

tradesunion
trades
un·ion
noun

See
labor union[1]



tradeswoman

tradeswoman
trades·wom·an
[tráydz wmmən] (plural trades·wom·en
[tráydz wìmmin]) noun

skilled worker:
a woman who works in a skilled trade, especially a job related to the
construction industry such as plumbing and carpentry.
Also called
craftswoman[1]



tradeunion

tradeunion
trade
un·ion
(plural trade un·ions) noun

See
labor union
—trade
un·ion·ism, noun

—trade un·ion·ist, noun[1]



tradeup

tradeup
trade
up
intransitive verb

buy something more costly:
to sell something small or inexpensive and buy something larger and more
expensive[1]



tradewind

tradewind
trade
wind 
(plural trade winds) noun

prevailing
tropical wind: a prevailing tropical wind blowing
toward the equator from the northeast in the northern hemisphere or from the
southeast in the southern hemisphere. The trade winds are major components of
the global weather system.
[From blow trade “to
blow in a constant direction,” which was based on obsolete trade
“course”][1]



tradingcard

tradingcard
trad·ing
card 
(plural trad·ing cards) noun

card for collecting:
a card with a picture or information on it that is one of a set designed to be
collected. Trading cards often feature pictures of popular sports figures.[1]



tradingpost

tradingpost
trad·ing
post
(plural trad·ing posts) noun

1.  store
in remote area: especially formerly, a store in a remote
area, where local products can be bartered for supplies

2.  STOCK EXCHANGE location
in stock exchange: a location where a
particular security is traded on the floor of a stock exchange

[1]



tradingstamp

tradingstamp
trad·ing
stamp
(plural trad·ing stamps) noun

stamp for money spent:
a stamp that can be exchanged for goods, given by a store to customers each
time they spend a certain amount of money[1]



tradition

tradition
tra·di·tion 
[trə dísh’n] (plural tra·di·tions)
noun

1.  custom
or belief:
a long-established custom or belief, often one that has been handed down from
generation to generation

2.  body
of customs:
a body of long-established customs and beliefs viewed as a set of precedents

3.  handing
down of customs: the handing down of customs, practices,
and beliefs that are valued by a particular culture

4.  CHRISTIANITY accepted
unwritten Christian doctrines: the body of Christian
doctrines that are accepted as the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles
without written evidence

5.  ISLAM teachings
supplementing Koran: the body of Islamic beliefs
and customs that are not written in the Koran, for example, the words of
Muhammad

6.  LAW transfer
of ownership: especially in Roman and Scots law, the
formal transfer of ownership of movable property
[14th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin tradere “to hand over,
betray” (source also of English traitor
), from trans- “across, over” + dare “to give.”]
—tra·di·tion·less,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at habit

[1]



traditional

traditional
tra·di·tion·al 
[trə díshən’l, trə
díshnəl] adjective

1.  of
tradition:
based on or relating to tradition

2.  MUSIC in
older jazz style: used to describe older styles of jazz,
usually played by small ensembles featuring clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and
rhythm sections. Traditional jazz flourished in New Orleans, Chicago, and
Kansas City in the early 20th century.
—tra·di·tion·al·i·ty
[trə dìsh’n állətee], noun

—tra·di·tion·al·ize
[trə díshən’l z, trə
díshnə l z], transitive verb

—tra·di·tion·al·ly [trə díshən’lee, trə
díshnəlee], adverb[1]



traditionalism

traditionalism
tra·di·tion·al·ism 
[trə díshən’l ìzzəm, trə díshnə lìzzəm] noun

1.  respect
for tradition: deep respect for tradition, especially
cultural or religious practices

2.  RELIGION belief
in transmission of divine revelation: the
idea that all knowledge comes from divine revelation and is passed on by
tradition
—tra·di·tion·al·ist,
noun

—tra·di·tion·al·is·tic
[trə dìshən’l ístik, trə dìshnə lístik], adjective[1]



traditor

traditor
trad·i·tor 
[trádditər] (plural trad·i·to·res
[tràddi táwreez]) noun

early
Christian traitor: an early Christian who
betrayed other Christians during the Roman persecutions
[14th century. From Latin
(See traitor ).][1]



traduce

traduce
tra·duce 
[trə dss] (past tra·duced, past
participle tra·duced, present participle tra·duc·ing, 3rd
person present singular tra·duc·es) transitive verb

disparage
somebody:
to say very critical or disparaging things about somebody
[Late
16th century. From Latin traducere “to convert, transfer,” also “to
scorn, disgrace,” from trans- “across, over” + ducere “to lead.”]
—tra·duce·ment,
noun

—tra·duc·er,
noun

—tra·duc·i·ble, adjective[1]



traducianism

traducianism
tra·du·cian·ism 
[trə dsh’n ìzzəm] noun

belief
that soul is inherited: the belief that a child
inherits a soul as well as its bodily characteristics from its parents
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from late Latin traducianus “believer in traducianism,”
from Latin tradux “inheritance, transmission,” from traducere
(see traduce ).]
—tra·du·cian,
noun, adjective

—tra·du·cian·ist,
noun, adjective

—tra·du·cian·is·tic [trə dsh’n ístik], adjective[1]



traffic

traffic
traf·fic 
[tráffik] noun

1.  TRANSPORT movement
of vehicles: the movement of vehicles along the roads
in a particular area

2.  TRANSPORT sea
or air transport: the movement of ships, trains, or
aircraft between two places, or the volume of passengers or goods transported
by sea, rail, or air

3.  COMMERCE business
of transportation: the business of transporting
goods or people

4.  CRIMINOLOGY trade:
illegal trade in goods such as drugs or weapons

5.  COMMUNICATION flow
of communications: the volume or flow of
messages carried by a communications system in a particular period

6.  negotiations:
dealings or negotiations between people
verb
(past traf·ficked, past participle traf·ficked, present
participle traf·fick·ing, 3rd person present singular traf·fics)

1.  intransitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY trade
illegally:
to engage in illegal trading

2.  intransitive
verb
have
dealings:
to have dealings with somebody or something

3.  transitive
verb
trade
something:
to trade or exchange anything • We
spent the afternoon trafficking gossip.
[Early 16th century. Via
obsolete French trafique from Old Italian traffico, from trafficare
“to carry on trade,” of uncertain origin.][1]



trafficcircle

trafficcircle
traf·fic
cir·cle
(plural traf·fic cir·cles) noun

road junction with central
island: a road junction consisting
of a circular island around which traffic can flow continuously.
Also called
rotary
U.K. term
roundabout[1]



trafficcone

trafficcone
traf·fic
cone
(plural traf·fic cones) noun

cone-shaped marker on road:
a marker in the shape of a cone, usually made of orange plastic, used to
separate lines of traffic during road repairs or to prevent vehicles from
entering an area.
Also called
pylon[1]



trafficcop

trafficcop
traf·fic
cop
(plural traf·fic cops) noun

police officer directing
traffic: a police officer who directs
the flow of traffic, especially at an intersection (informal)[1]



trafficcourt

trafficcourt
traf·fic
court
(plural traf·fic courts) noun

court for traffic violations:
a court that deals with people who have committed traffic violations[1]



trafficengineering

trafficengineering
traf·fic
en·gi·neer·ing noun

planning for traffic:
the design and planning of roads and walkways, considering such factors as
pedestrian and vehicular capacity and means for controlling traffic[1]



trafficisland

trafficisland
traf·fic
is·land
(plural traf·fic is·lands) noun

pedestrian area in middle of
road: a raised area in the center
of a street to separate lanes of traffic and allow pedestrians to wait safely
until they can cross[1]



trafficjam

trafficjam
traf·fic
jam
(plural traf·fic jams) noun

vehicles at standstill:
a line of traffic that cannot move or moves very slowly or spasmodically
because of overcrowding or an obstruction[1]



trafficlight

trafficlight
traf·fic
light
(plural traf·fic lights) noun

signal controlling traffic:
a signal that uses red, green, and amber lights to control traffic, especially
at an intersection.
Also called
traffic signal
Also called
stoplight[1]



trafficpattern

trafficpattern
traf·fic
pat·tern
(plural traf·fic pat·terns) noun

limited routes for aircraft:
the pattern of routes to which an aircraft is restricted when approaching or
circling an airport[1]



trafficsignal

trafficsignal
traf·fic
sig·nal
(plural traf·fic sig·nals) noun

See
traffic light[1]



trafficwarden

trafficwarden
traf·fic
war·den
(plural traf·fic war·dens) noun

U.K.
official who enforces parking
regulations: a uniformed public
official who enforces parking restrictions on the highway and may also direct
traffic[1]



tragacanth

tragacanth
trag·a·canth 
[trájjə kànth, trággə
kànth] (plural trag·a·canths) noun

1.  natural
gum:
a gum used in the manufacture of pills and adhesives, in textile printing, and
as a stabilizer and thickener in sauces

2.  plant
yielding tragacanth: a plant from which
tragacanth gum is obtained, especially a spiny Asian plant with white, yellow,
or purple flowers. Genus: Astragalus
[Late 16th century. Via
French tragacanthe from, ultimately, Greek tragakantha, literally
“goat’s thorn,” from tragos “goat” + akantha “thorn” (see acanthus ).][1]



tragedian

tragedian
tra·ge·di·an 
[trə jdee ən] (plural tra·ge·di·ans)
noun

1.  actor
in tragedies: an actor who plays tragic roles

2.  somebody
who writes tragedies: a playwright who specializes
in tragedies

[1]



tragedienne

tragedienne
tra·ge·di·enne 
[trə jdee én] (plural tra·ge·di·ennes)
noun

woman
actor in tragedies: a woman actor who performs
tragic roles (dated)
[Mid-19th century. From
French, formed from tragédie (see tragedy
).][1]



tragedy

tragedy
trag·e·dy 
[trájjədee] (plural trag·e·dies)
noun

1.  very
sad event:
an event in life that evokes feelings of sorrow or grief

2.  disastrous
event:
a disastrous circumstance or event such as serious illness, financial ruin, or
fatality

3.  THEATER LITERATURE tragic play:
a serious play with a tragic theme, often involving a heroic struggle and the
downfall of the main character

4.  LITERATURE tragic
piece of literature: a literary work that deals
with a tragic theme

5.  THEATER LITERATURE tragedies as a genre:
the genre of plays or other literary works that deals with tragic themes
[14th century. Via French tragédie
from, ultimately, Greek tragōidia, literally “goat’s song,” from tragos
“goat” + aeidein “to sing” (source of English ode ).][1]



tragi

tragi
tra·gi 
[tray g, tray
j]

Plural of
tragus[1]



tragic

tragic
trag·ic 
[trájjik] or trag·i·cal [trájjik’l] adjective

1.  deeply
sad:
provoking deep sadness, distress, or grief

2.  THEATER LITERATURE of tragedy:
relating to tragedies as a dramatic genre
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek tragikos “of tragedy,” from tragos
“goat” (see tragedy ).]
—trag·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



tragicflaw

tragicflaw
trag·ic
flaw
(plural trag·ic flaws) noun

flaw in hero:
a character flaw that causes the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy[1]



tragicirony

tragicirony
trag·ic
i·ro·ny
noun

revelation of tragedy to
audience alone: the revealing to an
audience of a tragic event or consequence that remains unknown to the character
concerned. It is a kind of dramatic irony.[1]



tragicomedy

tragicomedy
trag·i·com·e·dy 
[tràjji kómmədee] (plural trag·i·com·e·dies)
noun

1.  THEATER LITERATURE work combining tragedy and
comedy:
a play or other literary work that combines elements of tragedy and comedy

2.  THEATER LITERATURE tragicomic plays as a genre:
tragicomic plays or literary works considered as a genre

3.  event
mixing tragedy and comedy: an event or situation that
has both tragic and comical aspects
[Late
16th century. Via French tragicomédie from late Latin tragicomoedia,
a shortening of tragicocomoedia, from tragicus “tragic” (see tragic ) + comoedia “comedy” (see comedy ).]
—trag·i·com·ic,
adjective

—trag·i·com·i·cal,
adjective

—trag·i·com·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



tragopan

tragopan

trag·o·pan 
[trággə pàn] (plural trag·o·pans)
noun
pheasant:
a brightly colored pheasant native to Asia. The male has a bright blue bare
throat and fleshy appendages on its head that look like horns. Latin name: Tragopan
temminckii
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek, type of hornbill, from tragos “goat” + pan
“Pan,” the horned god of flocks and fields.][1]



tragus

tragus
tra·gus 
[tráygəss] (plural tra·gi [tráy g, tráy j])
noun

1.  part
of outer ear: the pointed flap of cartilage that lies
above the earlobe and partly covers the entrance to the ear passage

2.  hair
inside ear passage: a hair growing just inside
the opening of the ear passage
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek tragos “goat,” also “hairy
part of the ear.”]
—tra·gal, adjective[1]



trail

trail
trail 
[trayl] verb (past trailed,
past participle trailed, present participle trail·ing,
3rd person present singular trails)

1.  transitive
verb
follow
somebody secretly: to follow a person or animal
either by staying close but out of sight or by looking for signs of movement
left behind, for example, footprints or scent

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS fall behind in athletic
competition: to be losing in a race, match, or
competition

3.  intransitive
verb
lag:
to walk slowly, usually from tiredness or boredom

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb drag
something or be dragged: to be pulled or dragged
along, or pull or drag something along

5.  intransitive
verb
drape:
to hang, grow, or float loosely • Her
curly hair trailed along her shoulders and down her back.

6.  transitive
verb
tow
something:
to tow something such as a trailer behind a vehicle

7.  transitive
verb
CERAMICS decorate
something by drizzling liquid clay: to
decorate ceramics with liquid clay ( slip )
that is drizzled or sprayed on

8.  transitive
verb
carry
weapon in low position: to carry a weapon
horizontally or with the butt near to the ground

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
track:
to make a track through a place
noun
(plural trails)

1.  route
through countryside: a route through the
countryside that links paths and points of interest • a
nature trail

2.  marks
where somebody or something moved: a sequence of marks
left by somebody or something moving along a surface

3.  HUNTING scent
followed:
a scent or track that is followed in a hunt

4.  path:
a path or track, especially one that has been beaten through a wild area

5.  ARMS bottom
of gun carriage: the part of a gun carriage that rests on
the ground
[14th
century. Via Old French trailler “to tow” from, ultimately, Latin tragula
“dragnet, sledge,” which was probably formed from trahere “to pull.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at follow

[1]



trailaway

trailaway
trail
away
or trail off intransitive verb

grow fainter:
to become quieter or fainter in sound and gradually fade away[1]



trailbike

trailbike
trail
bike
(plural trail bikes) noun

motorcycle for off-road use:
a lightweight motorcycle for use on rough terrain[1]



trailblazer

trailblazer
trail·blaz·er 
[tráyl blàyzər] (plural trail·blaz·ers)
or trailbreaker [tráyl blàyzər]
(plural trailbreakers) noun

1.  pioneer:
a pioneer or innovator in a particular field

2.  creator
of route:
somebody who makes a new path through a wilderness
—trail·blaz·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



trailer

trailer
trail·er 
[tráylər] noun (plural trail·ers)

1.  towed
vehicle:
a vehicle that is towed by another vehicle, for example, a small open cart or a
platform used for transporting a boat

2.  part
of truck:
a large van that is pulled by a truck, used especially for hauling freight

3.  mobile
home:
a mobile home.
U.K.
term
caravan  noun 4

4.  CINEMA TV advertisement for movie:
an advertisement for a movie consisting of extracts from it, shown on
television or in a movie theater

5.  PHOTOGRAPHY end
of reel of film: a blank piece of film at the end of a
reel

6.  somebody
or something that trails: somebody who or something
that trails, especially somebody who lags behind others

7.  BOTANY plant:
a trailing plant
verb
(past trail·ered, past participle trail·ered, present
participle trail·er·ing, 3rd person present singular trail·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
TRANSPORT move
something by trailer: to transport something using
a trailer

2.  intransitive
verb
live
in trailer:
to live or travel in a trailer

3.  intransitive
verb
go
in trailer:
to be capable of being transported by trailer

[1]



trailerpark

trailerpark
trail·er
park
(plural trail·er parks) noun

place to set down house
trailer: a site where people can park
and live in mobile homes[1]



trailhead

trailhead
trail·head 
[tráyl hèd] (plural trail·heads)
noun

start of trail:
the start of a trail for walkers, sometimes with an information kiosk[1]



trailingarbutus

trailingarbutus
trail·ing
ar·bu·tus 
noun

trailing shrub:
a trailing evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and clusters of fragrant
pink-and-white flowers. It is native to eastern North America. Latin name: Epigaea
repens
Also called
mayflower
Also called
arbutus[1]



trailingedge

trailingedge
trail·ing
edge
(plural trail·ing edg·es) noun

1.  rear
edge of wing: the rear edge of a wing, airfoil, or
propeller blade

2.  PHYSICS part
of pulsed signal: the part of a pulsed signal during which
its amplitude decreases

[1]



trailmix

trailmix
trail
mix
noun

hikers’
snack:
a snack containing nuts, dried fruit, and seeds
[From its use by walkers][1]



trailrope

trailrope
trail
rope
(plural trail ropes) noun

1.  AEROSPACE balloon
anchor:
a rope that hangs from a balloon or airship and is used for mooring or as a
brake

2.  ARMS rope
to gun carriage: a long rope attached to the trail of a
gun carriage

[1]



trailside

trailside
trail·side 
[tráyl sd] adjective

next to trail:
situated beside or relating to the area beside a trail[1]



train

train
train 
[trayn] noun (plural trains)

1.  RAIL linked
railroad cars: a number of railroad cars pulled by a
locomotive (often used before a noun)

2.  CLOTHES trailing
part of gown: a long part at the back of a gown or
robe that trails on the ground

3.  long
moving line: a long moving line of people or animals

4.  MILITARY army
followers:
the people and military vehicles supporting or supplying an army unit

5.  sequence
of events:
a series or sequence of events, actions, or things • interrupting
her train of thought.

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING mechanical
series:
a series of connected wheels or other mechanical parts

7.  line
of gunpowder: a line of gunpowder or other combustible
material

8.  entourage:
a retinue or group of followers

9.  something
dragged behind: something that is pulled or dragged
along or that follows something else
verb
(past trained, past participle trained, present
participle train·ing, 3rd person present singular trains)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb learn
or teach skills: to learn or teach somebody the skills
necessary to do a particular job, especially through practical experience

2.  transitive
verb
domesticate
animal:
to teach an animal to behave in ways acceptable to people, especially by
repetition or practice

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS prepare for sporting
competition: to prepare or prepare somebody for a
sporting competition, usually with a planned program of appropriate physical
exercises

4.  transitive
verb
GARDENING make
plant grow as wanted: to make a plant, bush, or
tree grow in a particular way, for example, by pruning or tying it

5.  transitive
verb
HAIRDRESSING shape
hair to encourage particular growth: to
comb or otherwise arrange hair to encourage it to grow in a particular
direction

6.  transitive
verb
aim
something:
to aim something such as a weapon or a camera at somebody or something

7.  transitive
verb
produce
improvement: to improve something, especially the
mind, with discipline

8.  intransitive
verb
RAIL travel
by train:
to make a journey by train (informal)
[Mid-15th
century. From Old French traïn “something that drags or trails behind,”
from traïner “to draw, pull,” of uncertain origin: perhaps via assumed
Vulgar Latin traginare from Latin trahere “to pull, draw.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



trainband

trainband
train·band 
[tráyn bànd] (plural train·bands)
noun

militia:
a company of trained civilian militia operating in England and North America
from the 16th to the 18th centuries
[Mid-17th century.
Contraction of trained band .][1]



trainbearer

trainbearer
train·bear·er 
[tráyn bàirər] (plural train·bear·ers)
noun

attendant holding train:
an attendant who holds up the train of somebody walking in a procession or
other ceremony[1]



trainee

trainee
train·ee 
[tray n] (plural train·ees) noun

somebody
undergoing training: somebody who is being
trained to do a job (often used after or before a noun) • a
hairdresser trainee

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at beginner

[1]



trainer

trainer
train·er 
[tráynər] (plural train·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who trains animals or people: somebody who trains animals
or people, especially racehorses or athletes

2.  training
apparatus:
an apparatus or device used in training, especially a simulation cockpit in
which pilots train

3.  U.K.
See sneaker

[1]



training

training
train·ing 
[tráyning] noun

1.  acquiring
of skill:
the process of teaching or learning a skill or job (often used before a noun)
• a
training program

2.  improving
of fitness:
the process of improving physical fitness by exercise and diet

[1]



trainingschool

trainingschool
train·ing
school
(plural train·ing schools) noun

1.  vocational
school:
a vocational or technical school

2.  correctional
facility for juveniles: a residential correctional
facility where juvenile offenders are taught a trade

[1]



trainingtable

trainingtable
train·ing
ta·ble
(plural train·ing ta·bles) noun

table for athletes:
a table in a dining hall, for example, in a college dormitory, at which
athletes in training eat special meals that are part of their regimen[1]



trainingwheels

trainingwheels
train·ing
wheels
plural noun

1.  extra
wheels to balance bicycle: a pair of small wheels
fitted to the back wheel of a bicycle to help balance it while somebody is
learning to ride.
U.K.
term
stabilizers

2.  help
for beginners: things provided to help beginners use
something (informal) • The PC
comes with training wheels for new users.

[1]



trainload

trainload
train·load 
[tráyn ld] (plural train·loads)
noun

carrying capacity of train:
the number of people or the amount of cargo that a train can carry • a
trainload of tourists[1]



trainman

trainman
train·man 
[tráynmən] (plural train·men [tráynmən]) noun

worker on railroad train:
a man who is a member of a train crew, especially a brakeman, who works to
assist the conductor[1]



trainoil

trainoil
train
oil
noun

oil
from marine animal: oil from the blubber of a
whale or other marine animal. It is used, for example, in the manufacture of
soap and margarine, as a lubricant, and to dress leather.
[Train from Low German trān
or Middle Dutch traen “train oil”][1]



traipse

traipse
traipse 
[trayps] (past traipsed, past
participle traipsed, present participle traips·ing, 3rd
person present singular traips·es, plural traips·es) intransitive
verb

wander
without purpose: to walk around casually or without a
specific destination • Don’t
come traipsing in here late again.
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old French trapasser “to pass over, beyond”
(source of English trespass ).][1]



trait

trait
trait 
[trayt] (plural traits) noun

1.  individual
characteristic: a particular characteristic or quality
that distinguishes somebody

2.  GENETICS inherited
characteristic: a quality or characteristic that is
genetically determined

3.  indication:
a hint or trace of something (literary)
[Late 16th century. Via
French, literally “act of pulling or drawing,” hence “line drawn, feature,”
from Latin tractus .][1]



traitor

traitor
trai·tor 
[tráytər] (plural trai·tors) noun

betrayer:
somebody who behaves in a disloyal or treacherous manner
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin traditor “betrayer,” from tradere (see tradition ).][1]



traitorous

traitorous
trai·tor·ous 
[tráytərəss] adjective

1.  treacherous:
behaving in a disloyal or treacherous way

2.  treasonable:
constituting treason
—trai·tor·ous·ly,
adverb

—trai·tor·ous·ness, noun[1]



traject

traject
tra·ject 
[trə jékt] (past tra·ject·ed, past
participle tra·ject·ed, present participle tra·ject·ing,
3rd person present singular tra·jects) transitive verb

convey
something:
to transmit or convey something, especially something abstract such as a
quality (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin traject-, the past participle stem of trajicere
“to throw across, pass through,” from trans- “across, over” + jacere
“to throw” (source of English jet and
adjacent ).]
—tra·jec·tion, noun[1]



trajectory

trajectory
tra·jec·to·ry 
[trə jéktəree] (plural tra·jec·to·ries)
noun

1.  AEROSPACE path
of flying object: the path a projectile makes through
space under the action of given forces such as thrust, wind, and gravity

2.  GEOMETRY curve
intersecting at constant angle: a curve or surface
that intersects all of a family of curves or surfaces at a constant angle
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin trajectorius “relating to throwing across,” from Latin traject-
(see traject ).][1]



tram

tram3
tram3 [tram]
noun

silk
thread:
heavy silk thread used for the horizontal weave in velvet or silk
[Late 17th century. Via
French trame from Latin trama “woof of a web.”][1]



tram

tram2
tram2 [tram]
(past trammed, past participle trammed, present
participle tram·ming, 3rd person present singular trams,
plural trams) transitive verb

adjust
mechanical parts accurately: to adjust or align
mechanical parts accurately
[Late 19th century. From tram-staff
“straight edge used by millwrights to adjust the millstone spindle,” from tram
“instrument for drawing ellipses,” shortening of trammel
.][1]



tram

tram1
tram1 [tram]
(plural trams) noun

1.  U.K.
TRANSPORT See streetcar

2.  cable
car:
a cable car

3.  MINING vehicle
in coal mine: a small vehicle on rails used to carry
coal and other materials in a coal mine
[Early 16th century.
Originally a Scottish dialect word meaning “(shaft of) wheelbarrow,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps from Middle Flemish tram “beam.”][1]



trammel

trammel
tram·mel 
[trámm’l] noun (plural tram·mels)

limitation to freedom:
something that limits a person’s freedom
transitive
verb
(past tram·meled, past participle tram·meled, present
participle tram·mel·ing, 3rd person present singular tram·mels)

ensnare something:
to catch or entangle somebody or something
noun
(plural tram·mels)

1.  ZOOLOGY fishing
net:
a fishing net consisting of a fine net between two layers of coarse mesh

2.  shackle:
a shackle used to teach a horse to amble

3.  drawing
instrument:
an instrument used to draw ellipses

4.  HOUSEHOLD fireplace
hook:
a hook in a fireplace on which a kettle or pot can be hung and raised or
lowered
transitive
verb
(past tram·meled, past participle tram·meled, present
participle tram·mel·ing, 3rd person present singular tram·mels)

1.  confine
somebody:
to restrain somebody or something

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING See
tram 2 verb
[14th century. Via Old French
tramail from late Latin tremaculum, from Latin tres
“three” + macula “mesh.”][1]



tramontana

tramontana
tra·mon·ta·na
[tr mawn tnə] (plural tra·mon·ta·nas)
noun

wind
from mountains: a cold dry wind that blows down from
mountains, especially a north wind that blows into Italy from the Alps.
Also
called
tramontane
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian, “north wind,” from, ultimately, Latin transmontanus “beyond the
mountains,” which was coined from trans- “trans-” + mont-, the
stem of mons (see mountain ).][1]



tramontane

tramontane
tra·mon·tane 
[trə món tàyn, trámmən
tàyn] adjective

1.  beyond
mountains:
living or situated on the far side of the mountains, especially the Alps as
seen from Italy

2.  foreign:
foreign and uncivilized, originally from an Italian point of view
noun
(plural tra·mon·tanes)

1.  METEOROLOGY See tramontana

2.  foreigner:
somebody who lives or comes from beyond the mountains, especially from beyond
the Alps as seen from Italy.
Also
called
transmontane
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian tramontano from Latin transmontanus (see transmontane .][1]



tramp

tramp
tramp 
[tramp] noun (plural tramps)

1.  vagrant:
somebody who has no home and travels on foot, often begging for a living

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman who is considered sexually
promiscuous or who works as a prostitute (slang insult)

3.  sound
of feet:
the sound of heavy footsteps or horses’ hooves

4.  U.K.
long
journey on foot: a long journey on foot, for example, as
part of a walking tour

5.  heavy
step:
a heavy step or tread

6.  NAUTICAL See tramp steamer

7.  metal
plate on boot: a metal plate that protects the sole of
a boot when the wearer is digging

8.  GARDENING part
of spade for foot: the part of a spade on which
the digger’s foot presses
verb
(past tramped, past participle tramped, present
participle tramp·ing, 3rd person present singular tramps)

1.  intransitive
verb
tread
heavily:
to tread heavily or noisily

2.  intransitive
verb
walk:
to walk, especially a long way

3.  transitive
verb
cover
distance on foot: to traverse an area, especially wearily,
or cover a distance in a steady weary way

4.  transitive
verb
crush
something underfoot: to crush something by
treading on it

5.  intransitive
verb
live
as vagrant:
to live or wander aimlessly as a vagrant

6.  intransitive
verb
New Zealand hike in bush:
to go hiking in the country for recreation
[14th
century. From Middle Low German trampen “to stamp.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English trap . The noun is first recorded in the
mid-17th century.]
—tramp·er,
noun

—tramp·ing,
noun

—tramp·ish, adjective[1]



trample

trample
tram·ple 
[trámpəl] (past tram·pled, past
participle tram·pled, present participle tram·pling, 3rd
person present singular tram·ples) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  tread
on something: to tread heavily, or to tread heavily on
something or somebody so as to cause damage or injury

2.  treat
somebody arrogantly: to behave in an insulting
contemptuous way or to treat somebody in a hurtful insulting way
[14th
century. Formed from tramp .]
—tram·pler, noun[1]



trampoline

trampoline
tram·po·line 
[trámpə ln] noun

stretched
canvas for gymnastics: a strong sheet, usually of
canvas, that is stretched tightly on a horizontal frame to which it is
connected by springs. It is used for jumping and tumbling.
[Late
18th century. From Italian trampolino “springboard,” from trampoli
“stilts.”]
—tram·po·line,
intransitive verb

—tram·po·lin·er,
noun

—tram·po·lin·ist, noun[1]



trampsteamer

trampsteamer
tramp
steam·er
(plural tramp steam·ers) noun

cargo ship without regular
route: a merchant ship that carries
cargo but does not follow a fixed route.
Also called
tramp
Also called
ocean tramp[1]



tramroad

tramroad
tram·road
[trám rd] (plural tram·roads)
noun

small railroad:
a small railroad used for moving freight, especially in a quarry.
Also called
tramway[1]



tramway

tramway
tram·way 
[trám wày] (plural tram·ways) noun

1.  cables
for cable car: a cable or the cables for a cable car

2.  U.K.
streetcar
line:
a streetcar line

3.  See
tramroad

[1]



trance

trance
trance 
[trans] noun (plural tranc·es)

1.  dazed
state:
a state in which somebody is dazed or stunned or in some other way unaware of
the environment and unable to respond to stimuli

2.  hypnotic
state:
a hypnotic or cataleptic state

3.  rapturous
state:
a state of rapture or exaltation in which somebody loses consciousness

4.  spiritual
medium’s state: the state of apparent
semi-unconsciousness that a spiritual medium enters into, allegedly in an
attempt to communicate with the dead

5.  MUSIC hypnotic
electronic dance music: a type of electronic dance
music with a repetitive hypnotic beat. It is a kind of technopop.
transitive
verb
(past tranced, past participle tranced, present
participle tranc·ing, 3rd person present singular tranc·es)

entrance somebody:
to put somebody in a trance (literary)
[14th century. From Old
French transe, from transir “to be numb with fear,” originally
“to die,” from Latin transire (see transient
).][1]



trancechanneling

trancechanneling
trance
chan·nel·ing noun

See
channeling[1]



tranche

tranche
tranche 
[traansh] (plural tranches) noun

portion:
a portion or section, often a division of something in financial terms, for
example, a single repayment of a loan or an individual class of securities
[Mid-20th century. From
French, literally “slice,” from Old French trenchier “to cut” (source of
English trench ).][1]



tranquil

tranquil
tran·quil 
[trángkwəl, tránkwəl]
adjective

1.  free
from commotion: free of any disturbance or commotion • a
tranquil morning

2.  composed:
free from or showing no signs of anxiety or agitation
[Mid-15th
century. Via French tranquille from Latin tranquillus, which may
have been formed from the same base as quies “quiet” (source of English coy and quiet
).]
—tran·quil·ly,
adverb

—tran·quil·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



tranquility

tranquility
tran·quil·i·ty 
noun

See
tranquillity[1]



tranquilize

tranquilize
tran·quil·ize
[trángkwə lz, tránkwə
lz] (past tran·quil·ized, past participle tran·quil·ized,
present participle tran·quil·iz·ing, 3rd person present
singular tran·quil·iz·es) or tran·quil·lize [trángkwə lz, tránkwə
lz] verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody calm: to induce calmness in a person or an
animal, usually with medication

2.  intransitive
verb
become
calm:
to become calm or calmer

3.  intransitive
verb
have
calming effect: to have a calming effect
—tran·quil·i·za·tion [tràngkwəli záysh’n, tránkwəli
záysh’n], noun[1]



tranquilizer

tranquilizer
tran·quil·iz·er 
[trángkwə lzər, tránkwə
lzər] (plural tran·quil·iz·ers) noun

1.  calming
drug:
a medication that reduces anxiety and tension. Major tranquilizers are used to
treat such psychoses as schizophrenia, while minor tranquilizers such as
diazepam treat anxiety and other lesser conditions.

2.  something
making person or animal calm: anything that renders a
person or animal calm

[1]



tranquillity

tranquillity
tran·quil·li·ty
[trang kwíllətee, tran
kwíllətee] or tran·quil·i·ty [trang
kwíllətee, tran kwíllətee] noun

peaceful
state:
a state of peace and calm
[14th century. Via Old French
tranquillité from Latin tranquillitas “quietness,” from,
ultimately, quies “quiet” (source of English coy
and quiet ).][1]



tranquillize

tranquillize
tran·quil·lize 
transitive verb

See
tranquilize[1]



trans-

trans-
trans-
prefix

1.  across,
on the other side of, beyond • transcontinental
• transfinite

2.  through
• transdermal

3.  indicating
change, transfer, or conversion • transliterate
[From Latin trans
“across, over, through”][1]



trans.

trans.
trans.

1.  Abbreviation
of
transaction

2.  Abbreviation
of
transferred

3.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of transitive

4.  Abbreviation
of
translated

5.  Abbreviation
of
translation

6.  Abbreviation
of
transportation

7.  Abbreviation
of
transpose

8.  Abbreviation
of
transverse

[1]



transact

transact
trans·act 
[tran zákt, tran
sákt] (past trans·act·ed, past participle trans·act·ed,
present participle trans·act·ing, 3rd person present singular
trans·acts) intransitive and transitive verb

conduct:
to conduct or carry out something such as business
[Late
16th century. Back-formation from transaction
.]
—trans·ac·tor, noun[1]



transactinide

transactinide
trans·ac·tin·ide 
[tran záktə nd, tran
sáktə nd] (plural trans·ac·tin·ides) noun

chemical
element:
an element with an atomic number greater than 103 (often used before a noun)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from trans- + actinide
by Dr Glenn T. Seaborg, modeled on transuranium, which he discovered.][1]



transaction

transaction
trans·ac·tion 
[tran zákshən, tran
sákshən] noun (plural trans·ac·tions)

1.  BUSINESS business:
a business deal that is being negotiated or has been settled

2.  interaction:
a communication or activity between two or more people that influences and
affects all of them (formal)

3.  BUSINESS act of
negotiating: the act of negotiating something or
carrying out a business deal

4.  COMPUTING addition
to database: an action that adds, removes, or changes
data in a database or other computer program
plural
noun
trans·ac·tions

proceedings: the
published records of a learned society
[Mid-15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin transigere “to drive
through, accomplish,” from agere “to drive, do” (see agent ).]
—trans·ac·tion·al,
adjective

—trans·ac·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



transactionalanalysis

transactionalanalysis
trans·ac·tion·al
a·nal·y·sis
noun

form of psychotherapy:
a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the interactions within and between
individuals and classifies these interactions as “adult,” “parent,” or “child”[1]



transactionalimmunity

transactionalimmunity
trans·ac·tion·al
im·mu·ni·ty
noun

immunity from prosecution for
witness: immunity from prosecution
granted to a witness in any offense to which his or her testimony relates[1]



transactivation

transactivation
trans·ac·ti·va·tion
[tran zàkti váysh’n, tran sàkti váysh’n] noun

one virus’s activation of
another: the process whereby an
infecting virus activates another virus’s genes that are already integrated
into the chromosome of the host bacterium, inducing the host cell to replicate
the initial virus[1]



transalpine

transalpine
trans·al·pine 
[tran zál pn, tran
sál pn] adjective

1.  beyond
the Alps:
relating to or found in the area beyond the Alps, especially as seen from Italy

2.  crossing
Alps:
relating to or engaged in crossing the Alps
noun
(plural trans·al·pines)

somebody from beyond the Alps:
somebody who comes from or lives beyond the Alps, especially as seen from Italy
[Late 16th century. From
Latin transalpinus, from alpes “the Alps.”][1]



transaminase

transaminase
trans·am·i·nase 
[tran zámmi nàyss, tran
zámmi nàyz, tran sámmi nàyss] (plural
trans·am·i·nas·es) noun

enzyme active in forming
amino acid: an enzyme that catalyzes the
transfer of an amino group in the process of transamination[1]



transamination

transamination
trans·am·i·na·tion 
[tran zàmmi náysh’n, tran sàmmi náysh’n] noun

formation of amino acid:
a process in the metabolism of amino acids and in the synthesis of proteins in
the body in which one amino acid is formed from another[1]



transatlantic

transatlantic
trans·at·lan·tic 
[trànzət lántik, trànsət
lántik] adjective

1.  crossing
Atlantic:
relating to or engaged in crossing the Atlantic

2.  beyond
the Atlantic: situated on or coming from the other
side of the Atlantic

[1]



transaxle

transaxle
trans·ax·le 
[tran záksəl, tran
sáksəl] (plural trans·ax·les) noun

combined
axle and gear: a combined front axle and transmission
in a motor vehicle with front-wheel drive
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from transmission + axle
.][1]



transborder

transborder
trans·bor·der
[tranz báwrdər, trans
báwrdər] adjective

crossing borders:
crossing national borders, especially electronically[1]



transboundary

transboundary
trans·bound·a·ry
[tranz bówndree, trans
bówndree] adjective

crossing frontiers:
crossing or existing across national boundaries[1]



Transcaucasia

Transcaucasia
Trans·cau·ca·sia 
[trànss kaw káyə, trànss
kaw káyzee ə]

region
in southeastern Europe, south of the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black and
Caspian seas, forming the southern part of Caucasia. It consists of the
republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
—Trans·cau·ca·sian, adjective[1]



transceiver

transceiver
trans·ceiv·er 
[trans svər, tran
svər] (plural trans·ceiv·ers) noun

1.  RADIO combined
radio transmitter and receiver: a radio transmitter
and receiver combined in a single, often portable unit

2.  COMPUTING data
transmitter and receiver: a device that can receive
and transmit data, for example, a modem
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
transmitter and receiver
.][1]



transcend

transcend
tran·scend 
[tran sénd] (past tran·scend·ed,
past participle tran·scend·ed, present participle tran·scend·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·scends) transitive verb

1.  go
beyond limit: to go beyond a limit or range, for
example, of thought or belief

2.  surpass
something:
to go beyond something in quality or achievement

3.  be
independent of world: to exist above and apart
from the material world
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin transcendere “to climb over, beyond,” from scandere
“to climb, mount.”][1]



transcendence

transcendence
tran·scen·dence
[tran séndəns] or tran·scen·den·cy
[tran séndənsee] noun

1.  independence
from world:
existence above and apart from the material world

2.  greater
status:
the quality or state of exceeding or surpassing something

[1]



transcendent

transcendent
tran·scen·dent 
[tran séndənt] adjective

1.  better:
superior in quality or achievement

2.  PHILOSOPHY beyond
limits of experience: in Kant’s philosophical
system, exceeding the limits of experience and therefore unknowable except
hypothetically

3.  PHILOSOPHY beyond
categories:
above or outside all known categories

4.  RELIGION independent
of the world: existing outside the material universe
and so not limited by it
noun
(plural tran·scen·dents)

something or somebody transcendent:
something that or somebody who is or appears to be transcendent
—tran·scen·dent·ly,
adverb

—tran·scen·dent·ness, noun[1]



transcendental

transcendental
tran·scen·den·tal 
[tràn sen dént’l] adjective

1.  See
transcendent  adjective 1

2.  PHILOSOPHY not
experienced but knowable: independent of human
experience of phenomena but within the range of knowledge

3.  RELIGION mystical:
relating to mystical or supernatural experience and therefore beyond the
material world

4.  MATHEMATICS not
algebraic:
used to describe a number or function that is not algebraic and is not the root
of an algebraic equation
noun
(plural tran·scen·den·tals)

MATHEMATICS number
impossible to express as integer: a number that cannot
be expressed as an integer, for example, a nonrepeating decimal such as pi
[Early
17th century. From late Latin transcendentalis “transcending the bounds
of all categories,” from transcendere (see transcend
).]
—tran·scen·den·tal·i·ty
[tràn sen den tállətee], noun

—tran·scen·den·tal·ly
[tràn sen dént’lee], adverb[1]



transcendentalism

transcendentalism
tran·scen·den·tal·ism 
[tràn sen dént’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  PHILOSOPHY philosophy
emphasizing reasoning: a system of philosophy,
especially that of Kant, that regards the processes of reasoning as the key to
knowledge of reality

2.  PHILOSOPHY philosophy
emphasizing divine: a system of philosophy,
especially that associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and other New England
writers, that emphasizes intuition or the divine

3.  transcendental
thought:
transcendental thought or language

4.  transcendental
nature:
the state or quality of being transcendental
—tran·scen·den·tal·ist,
noun, adjective[1]



transcendentalmeditation

transcendentalmeditation
tran·scen·den·tal
med·i·ta·tion noun

meditation on mantra:
a form of meditation in which a mantra is repeated silently. It is based on
Hindu traditions.[1]



transcontinental

transcontinental
trans·con·ti·nen·tal 
[tràns kontə nént’l] adjective

1.  across
continent:
extending across a continent

2.  beyond
continent:
situated on or coming from the other side of a continent
noun
(plural trans·con·ti·nen·tals)

TRANSPORT train
crossing continent: a train or railroad that
crosses a continent
—trans·con·ti·nen·tal·ly,
adverb[1]



transcribe

transcribe
tran·scribe 
[tran skrb] (past tran·scribed,
past participle tran·scribed, present participle tran·scrib·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·scribes) transitive verb

1.  copy
something:
to write out an exact copy of something

2.  expand
something in writing: to write something out in
full from notes or shorthand

3.  PHONETICS write
sounds phonetically: to write speech sounds
phonetically

4.  translate
something:
to translate or transliterate something

5.  MUSIC rearrange
music:
to arrange a piece of music for a different instrument, voice, or combination

6.  BROADCASTING record
something for later broadcasting: to record something so
that it can be broadcast at a later time

7.  BROADCASTING broadcast
something transcribed: to broadcast something that
has been transcribed earlier

8.  COMPUTING transfer
something to other storage format: to transfer
information from one way of storing it on computer to another, or from a
computer to an external storage device

9.  GENETICS convert
code for transmission to RNA: to convert the genetic code
carried by DNA into an equivalent form carried by a molecule of messenger RNA

10. GENETICS convert
genetic code into DNA molecule: to convert the genetic
code carried by the RNA of a retrovirus into a molecule of DNA
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin transcribere “to copy, convey,” literally “to write
across,” from scribere “to write.”]
—tran·scrib·a·ble,
adjective

—tran·scrib·er, noun[1]



transcript

transcript
tran·script 
[trán skrìpt] (plural tran·scripts)
noun

1.  written
record:
a written record of something, for example, a copy of the script of a broadcast
program or a record of court proceedings

2.  student’s
academic history: an official document showing the
educational work of a student in a school or college

3.  copy:
any copy or record

4.  GENETICS RNA
with transcribed code: a molecule of messenger RNA
that carries coded genetic information converted from the genetic code held by
the DNA during the process of transcription in living cells

5.  GENETICS DNA
carrying coded retrovirus: the DNA that carries the
coded information of a retrovirus, converted from the genetic code held by the
virus’s RNA during transcription following the infection of a living cell
[Mid-15th century. From Latin
transcriptum, from the past participle of transcribere (see transcribe ).][1]



transcriptase

transcriptase
tran·scrip·tase 
[tran skríp tàyss, tran
skríp tàyz] noun

enzyme used in transcription:
an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of messenger RNA from a DNA template
during transcription[1]



transcription

transcription
tran·scrip·tion 
[tran skrípshən] (plural tran·scrip·tions)
noun

1.  transcribing:
the act or process of transcribing something

2.  transcript:
something that has been transcribed

3.  PHONETICS phonetic
representation: a phonetic representation of speech
using special symbols

4.  GENETICS transfer
of genetic code: the first step in carrying out genetic
instructions in living cells, in which the genetic code is transferred from DNA
to molecules of messenger RNA, which subsequently direct protein manufacture

5.  GENETICS transfer
of genetic information: the first step in the
replication of a retrovirus following its infection of a living cell, in which
its genetic code is transferred from RNA to a molecule of RNA

[1]



transcriptional

transcriptional
tran·scrip·tion·al
[tran skrípshən’l, tran
skrípshnəl] adjective

of
transcription: relating to transcripts, or to the
transcribing of things
—tran·scrip·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



transcriptive

transcriptive
tran·scrip·tive
[tran skríptiv] adjective

for
transcription: used for transcribing or in the form of
a transcript
—tran·scrip·tive·ly, adverb[1]



transcultural

transcultural
trans·cul·tur·al
[trans kúlchərəl] adjective

across cultures:
extending across cultures or involving more than one culture[1]



transculturation

transculturation
trans·cul·tu·ra·tion 
[tràns kúlchə ráysh’n] noun

adoption of elements from
other cultures: the change in a culture
brought about by the diffusion within it of elements from other cultures[1]



transcurrent

transcurrent
trans·cur·rent 
[trans kúr ənt] adjective

going
across:
running across something, especially perpendicular to an expected direction or
flow
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, from the present participle stem of transcurrere “to run across,
traverse,” from currere “to run” (see current
).][1]



transcutaneous

transcutaneous
trans·cu·ta·ne·ous 
[tràns kyoo táynee əss] adjective

See
transdermal[1]



transcutaneouselectrical nerve stimulation

transcutaneouselectrical nerve stimulation
trans·cu·ta·ne·ous
e·lec·tri·cal nerve stim·u·la·tion noun

MEDICINE
Full form of TENS[1]



transdermal

transdermal
trans·der·mal 
[tranz dúrm’l, trans
dúrm’l] adjective

put through skin:
used to describe something, especially a drug, that is introduced into the body
through the skin[1]



transdermalpatch

transdermalpatch
trans·der·mal
patch
(plural trans·der·mal patch·es) noun

patch releasing medication:
a patch applied to the skin as a way of releasing a preset dose of medication
into the body in a controlled manner[1]



transduce

transduce
trans·duce 
[tranz dss, trans
dss] (past trans·duced, past participle trans·duced,
present participle trans·duc·ing, 3rd person present singular
trans·duc·es) transitive verb

1.  PHYSICS convert
into different energy: to change one type of energy
into another type

2.  GENETICS transfer
genetic material: to effect the transfer of genetic
material from one bacterium to another using a bacteriophage
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from transducer .][1]



transducer

transducer
trans·duc·er 
[tranz dssər, trans
dssər] (plural trans·duc·ers) noun

1.  PHYSICS device
that converts energy: a device that transforms one
type of energy into another, for example, a microphone, a photoelectric cell,
or an automobile horn

2.  BIOLOGY biological
converter of energy: a biological entity that
converts energy in one form to another, for example, the rods and cones of the
eye or the hair cells of the ear
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin transducere “to lead across, transfer” (see traduce ).][1]



transduction

transduction
trans·duc·tion 
[tranz dúksh’n, trans
dúkshən] noun

1.  GENETICS transfer
of genetic material: the transfer of genetic
material from one bacterium to another using a bacteriophage

2.  PHYSIOLOGY transportation
of stimuli to nervous system: the conversion of stimuli
detected in receptor cells to electrical impulses that are then transported by
the nervous system, as occurs when the ear converts sound waves into nerve
impulses
—trans·duc·tion·al, adjective[1]



transect

transect
tran·sect 
[tran sékt] transitive verb (past
tran·sect·ed, past participle tran·sect·ed, present
participle tran·sect·ing, 3rd person present singular tran·sects)

cut
across something: to divide something by running or
cutting across it
noun
(plural tran·sects)

ECOLOGY line
for ecological measurements: a strip of ground along
which ecological measurements, for example, the number of organisms, are made
at regular intervals
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from trans- + intersect .]
—tran·sec·tion [tran séksh’n], noun[1]



transept

transept
tran·sept 
[trán sèpt] (plural tran·septs)
noun

1.  wings
of church:
a portion of a cross-shaped church that runs at right angles to the long
central part ( nave )

2.  arm
of transept: either of the two arms of a transept
[Mid-16th
century. From modern Latin transeptum, literally “across enclosure,”
from Latin saeptum “enclosure, wall, fence.”]
—tran·sep·tal [tran sépt’l], adjective[1]



transeunt

transeunt
tran·se·unt 
[tránsee ənt] or tran·sient [tránshənt, tránzhənt,
tránzee ənt] adjective

producing external effects:
that produces effects outside the mind[1]



transf.

transf.
transf.

Abbreviation of
transferred[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








trans-fattyacid

trans-fattyacid
trans-fat·ty
ac·id
[trànss fàtti ássid] (plural trans-fat·ty
ac·ids) or trans-fat [tránss fàt]
(plural trans-fats) noun

unsaturated fat formed from
hydrogenation: a potentially harmful
unsaturated fat produced when a liquid vegetable oil is solidified by the
process of hydrogenation, especially in the manufacture of low-fat spreads.
Trans-fatty acids are viewed as a health risk because they raise cholesterol
levels.[1]



transfect

transfect
trans·fect
[trans fékt] (past trans·fect·ed,
past participle trans·fect·ed, present participle trans·fect·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·fects) transitive verb

introduce
DNA molecules in cell: to infect a cell with viral
nucleic acid or DNA from a source other than the cell itself
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from transfection .][1]



transfection

transfection
trans·fec·tion 
[trans fékshən] (plural trans·fec·tions)
noun

transfer
of viral genetic material: the infection of a cell with
viral genetic material leading to the subsequent production of the virus in the
cell
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from trans- + infection
.][1]



transfer

transfer
trans·fer 
verb [trans fúr, tráns fùr] (past trans·ferred, past
participle trans·ferred, present participle trans·fer·ring,
3rd person present singular trans·fers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BUSINESS start working elsewhere:
to employ somebody, or to begin employment, at a different job or in a
different place while working for the same company • transfer
to Chicago

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
from one place to another: to move from one place to
another, or cause somebody or something to do so

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
from one person to another: to pass from one person,
group, or organization to another, or cause something to be passed from one
person, group, or organization to another

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb TRANSPORT change vehicles:
to change from one vehicle or method of transportation to another, or cause
somebody to do this

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb EDUCATION change schools or subjects:
to move from one school or university to another, or change from one course to
another

6.  transitive
verb
LAW give
ownership of: to pass ownership rights in something to
somebody else • transfer a deed

7.  transitive
verb
put
image on another surface: to copy a design or image
from a piece of paper onto a different material
noun
[tráns fùr] (plural trans·fers)

1.  change
of place:
the conveying of somebody or something from one place, for example, one
department of an organization, to another

2.  TRANSPORT ticket
allowing passenger to transfer: a ticket that allows a
passenger to change from one vehicle to another on a journey, or the place
where this is done

3.  somebody
transferred: somebody who is transferred, for
example, a student

4.  LAW conveyance:
the passing of rights or property from one person to another, or a document
that conveys rights or property between persons

5.  design
applied to surface: an image on a piece of film
or paper that is specially designed to be lifted off by heat or pressure and
applied permanently to the surface of a material

6.  FINANCE recording
of sale:
the recording of a change of ownership of shares or bonds in the books of the
issuer
[14th century. From Latin transferre
“to carry across,” from ferre “to carry” (see fertile
).][1]



transferable

transferable
trans·fer·a·ble
[trans fúr əb’l] or trans·fer·ra·ble
[trans fúr əb’l] adjective

suitable
for transferring: able to be transferred, especially to
somebody else’s ownership
—trans·fer·a·bil·i·ty
[trans fùr ə bíllətee, trànsfərə bíllətee], noun[1]



transferal

transferal
transferal 
[trans fúr əl] (plural transferals)
noun

See
transference  noun 1[1]



transferase

transferase
trans·fer·ase 
[tránsfə ràyss, tránsfə
ràyz] (plural trans·fer·as·es) noun

catalyzing enzyme:
any enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a chemical group from one molecule to
another[1]



transfercharacteristic

transfercharacteristic
trans·fer
char·ac·ter·is·tic (plural trans·fer
char·ac·ter·is·tics) noun

representation of input and
output: a graphical illustration of
the relationship between the input and output of an electronic system[1]



transferee

transferee
trans·fer·ee 
[transfə r] (plural trans·fer·ees)
noun

1.  somebody
transferred: somebody who has been transferred, for
example, to a new department or organization

2.  LAW somebody
to whom something is transferred: somebody to whom a
right or property is transferred by law

[1]



transference

transference
trans·fer·ence 
[trans fúr əns] noun

1.  act
of transferring: the transferring of something from one
place or person to another.
Also
called
transferal

2.  process
of being transferred: the change from one person
or place to another that happens when something is transferred

3.  PSYCHOLOGY redirection
of feeling:
the process in psychoanalysis or other psychotherapy whereby somebody
unconsciously redirects feelings, fears, or emotions onto a new object, often
the analyst or therapist
—trans·fer·en·tial [transfə rénshəl], adjective[1]



transferfactor

transferfactor
trans·fer
fac·tor
(plural trans·fer fac·tors) noun

polypeptide transferring
immunity: a polypeptide that is
produced by white blood cells and can transfer immunity from one cell to
another or from one person to another[1]



transferor

transferor
trans·fer·or 
[tránsfə ràwr] (plural trans·fer·ors
[trans fúr ər]) or trans·fer·rer
[tránsfərər] (plural trans·fer·rers)
noun

conveyor:
somebody who transfers a title, right, or property to another person[1]



transferpayment

transferpayment
trans·fer
pay·ment
(plural trans·fer pay·ments) noun

income from public sources:
an item of personal income that comes from the state or a financial institution
and is not included in calculating the national income[1]



transferrable

transferrable
trans·fer·ra·ble
adjective

See
transferable[1]



transferral

transferral
trans·fer·ral
noun

See
transferal[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








transferrer

transferrer
trans·fer·rer
noun

See
transferor[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








transferrin

transferrin
trans·fer·rin 
[trans férrin] (plural trans·fer·rins)
noun

protein
carrying iron: a protein in blood serum that binds to
iron and transports it to the bone marrow where it is used in the production of
red blood cells.
Also
called
siderophilin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from trans- + Latin ferrum “iron” + -in .][1]



transferRNA

transferRNA
trans·fer
RNA
noun

RNA attaching amino acids to
proteins: a type of RNA that attaches
amino acids to a ribosome to allow protein to be produced in living cells.
Also called
soluble RNA[1]



Transfiguration

Transfiguration
Trans·fig·u·ra·tion
[trans fìggyə ráysh’n] noun

1.  radiant
appearance of Jesus Christ: the radiant appearance of
Jesus Christ on a mountaintop before three of his disciples, as recorded in the
Bible

2.  festival
of the Transfiguration: the Christian festival that
commemorates the Transfiguration, held on August 6 or, in the Eastern Orthodox
Church, on August 19

[1]



transfiguration

transfiguration
trans·fig·u·ra·tion 
[trans fìggyə ráysh’n] (plural trans·fig·u·ra·tions)
noun

1.  change
in appearance: a dramatic change in appearance,
especially one that glorifies or exalts somebody

2.  transfigured
state:
the transfiguring of somebody or something, or the changed state that results

[1]



transfigure

transfigure
trans·fig·ure 
[trans fíggyər] (past trans·fig·ured,
past participle trans·fig·ured, present participle trans·fig·ur·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·fig·ures) transitive verb

change
appearance of somebody: to transform the appearance
of somebody or something, revealing great beauty, spirituality, or magnificence
[14th
century. From Latin transfigurare “to change the shape of,” literally
“to (put) across the shape,” from figura “shape” (see figure ).]
—trans·fig·ure·ment, noun[1]



transfinite

transfinite
trans·fi·nite 
[trans f nt] adjective

beyond
infinity:
used to describe a mathematical entity such as a number, group, or quantity
that extends beyond infinity
[Early 20th century. From
German transfinit, from Latin trans- “across, over” + finitus
“finite, limited.”][1]



transfinitenumber

transfinitenumber
trans·fi·nite
num·ber
(plural trans·fi·nite num·bers) noun

number more than infinity:
a system of cardinal and ordinal numbers, used in the comparison of infinite
sets, to which several types of infinity can be assigned concurrently[1]



transfix

transfix
trans·fix 
[trans fíks] (past trans·fixed,
past participle trans·fixed, present participle trans·fix·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·fix·es) transitive verb

1.  make
somebody immobile with shock: to shock or terrify somebody
so much as to induce a momentary inability to move

2.  pierce
through somebody: to pierce somebody or something through
with a weapon or other sharp object

3.  MEDICINE cut
completely through limb: to cut through a part of the
body completely, for example, when amputating a limb
[Late
16th century. Directly or via Old French transfixer from Latin transfix-,
the past participle stem of transfigere “to pierce, run through,”
literally “to fix through,” from figere (see fix
).]
—trans·fix·ion [trans fíkshən], noun[1]



transform

transform1
trans·form1  (past trans·formed,
past participle trans·formed, present participle trans·form·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·forms) verb [trans fáwrm]

1.  transitive
verb
change
something dramatically: to change people or things
completely, especially improving their appearance or usefulness

2.  intransitive
verb
undergo
total change: to change completely for the better

3.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS convert
something to different energy: to convert one form of
energy to another

4.  transitive
verb
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING change
electrical current by transformer: to increase or
decrease current or voltage by means of a transformer

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS change
mathematical expression by operator: to
change the form of a mathematical expression in keeping with a mathematical
rule, especially by the substitution of variables or the change of coordinates

6.  transitive
verb
LINGUISTICS change
construction by linguistic transformation: to apply
transformational rules to a linguistic construction
[14th
century. Directly or via French transformer from Latin transformare,
literally “to form across,” from formare (see form
).]
—trans·form·a·ble,
adjective

—trans·form·a·tive,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



transform

transform2
trans·form2  [tráns
fàwrm] (plural trans·forms) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS See transformation  noun 7

2.  MATHEMATICS result
of mathematical transformation: a process or rule by
which one mathematical entity such as a line or expression can be derived from
another

[1]



transformation

transformation
trans·for·ma·tion 
[trànsfər máysh’n] (plural trans·for·ma·tions)
noun

1.  complete
change:
a complete change, usually into something with an improved appearance or
usefulness

2.  transforming:
the act or process of transforming somebody or something

3.  MATHEMATICS substitution
of variables: the mathematical conversion of an
expression, equation, or function into another equivalent entity, for example,
by the substitution of one set of variables with another

4.  BIOLOGY cell
modification: the conversion of a normal cell into a
malignant cell brought about by the action of a carcinogen or virus

5.  MATHEMATICS change
in position of axis: a change in the position or
direction of the axes of a mathematical coordinate system without changing
their relative angles

6.  PHYSICS change
in atomic nucleus: the change of one type of
atom to another, resulting from a nuclear reaction

7.  LINGUISTICS change
of grammatical structure: in transformational grammar,
the process of converting one linguistic construction or structure to another,
following the rules that convert deep structure to surface structure

8.  LINGUISTICS stage
in transformational process: in transformational grammar,
a construction or structure generated by using the rules that convert deep
structure into surface structure.
Also
called
transform

9.  THEATER sudden
set change:
a sudden changing of a stage set that takes place in sight of the audience

10. GENETICS genetic
change:
a permanent change in the genetic makeup of a cell when it acquires foreign DNA

[1]



transformationalgrammar

transformationalgrammar
trans·for·ma·tion·al
gram·mar 
(plural trans·for·ma·tion·al gram·mars) noun

grammar with transformational
rules: a kind of grammar that is
based on the theory that language has a deep structure and that there are rules
that transform the deep structure into the surface structure. It uses
transformational rules to describe a language.[1]



transformationalrule

transformationalrule
trans·for·ma·tion·al
rule
(plural trans·for·ma·tion·al rules) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS rule
changing underlying grammatical structure: in
transformational grammar, a rule that generates one stage from another in the
conversion of deep structure into surface structure

2.  LOGIC rule
for deriving theorems: in logic, a rule for
deriving theorems from axioms

[1]



transformer

transformer
trans·form·er 
[trans fáwrmər] (plural trans·form·ers)
noun

1.  ELECTRICITY device
for changing electrical energy: a device that
transfers electrical energy from one alternating circuit to another with a
change in voltage, current, phase, or impedance

2.  somebody
or something that transforms: somebody who or something
that effects a transformation

[1]



transfuse

transfuse
trans·fuse 
[trans fyz] (past trans·fused,
past participle trans·fused, present participle trans·fus·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·fus·es) transitive verb

1.  MEDICINE give
blood to somebody: to administer blood obtained
from one person into the bloodstream of another person

2.  MEDICINE put
fluid into somebody’s bloodstream: to administer a fluid
such as saline or plasma into somebody’s bloodstream

3.  transfer
something by pouring: to pour something from one
container into another (formal or technical)

4.  spread
throughout something: to spread throughout
something and affect every part of it
[Early
15th century. From Latin transfus-, the past participle stem of transfundere
“to decant, transfer,” literally “to pour across (into another vessel),” from fundere
(see fuse ).]
—trans·fus·a·ble,
adjective

—trans·fus·er,
noun

—trans·fu·sive, adjective[1]



transfusion

transfusion
trans·fu·sion 
[trans fyzh’n] (plural trans·fu·sions)
noun

1.  MEDICINE giving
of blood:
the transfer of whole blood, blood components, or bone marrow from a healthy
donor into the bloodstream of somebody who has lost blood or who has a blood
disorder

2.  transfusing:
the act or process of transfusing something

[1]



transgenic

transgenic
trans·gen·ic 
[tranz jénnik, trans
jénnik] adjective GENETICS

1.  with
genes from different species: used to describe an animal
or plant that contains genes from a different species, transferred using
genetic engineering techniques. Using such techniques can, for example, induce
disease resistance in plants and modify animals so that their organs can be used
in human transplants.

2.  involving
transfer of genetic material: used to describe the
technique of transferring genetic material from one organism into the DNA of
another
—trans·gen·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



transgress

transgress
trans·gress 
[tranz gréss] (past trans·gressed,
past participle trans·gressed, present participle trans·gress·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·gress·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
do
wrong:
to commit a crime or do wrong by disobeying a law, command, or moral code • He
transgressed against the organization’s code of conduct.

2.  transitive
verb
break
law:
to break a law, rule, or moral code • transgress
the law

3.  transitive
verb
overstep
proper limit: to go beyond a limit, usually in a
blameworthy way • She’d transgressed the
bounds of civil behavior.
[15th
century. Directly or via French transgresser from Latin transgress-,
the past participle stem of transgredi “to step across, go over,” from gradi
“to step, go.”]
—trans·gres·sive,
adjective

—trans·gres·sive·ly,
adverb

—trans·gres·sor, noun[1]



transgression

transgression
trans·gres·sion 
[tranz grésh’n] (plural trans·gres·sions)
noun

1.  action
violating law or code: a crime or any act that
violates a law, command, or moral code

2.  commission
of wrongs:
the committing of acts that violate a law, command, or moral code

3.  overstepping
a limit:
an act or the process of overstepping a limit

[1]



transgressivefiction

transgressivefiction
trans·gres·sive
fic·tion
noun

literature of the taboo:
a literary genre traceable to such writers as the Marquis de Sade and William
Burroughs, characterized by graphic exploration of taboo topics. It is based on
the belief that knowledge is to be found at the very edge of human experience.[1]



tranship

tranship
tran·ship 
intransitive and transitive verb

See
transship[1]



transhumance

transhumance
trans·hu·mance 
[trans hyməns] noun

seasonal
change of grazing lands: the practice of moving
livestock between different grazing lands according to season, especially up to
mountain pastures in summer and back down into the valleys in winter
[Early
20th century. From French, from transhumer, literally “to go across
ground,” ultimately from Latin humus “ground.”]
—trans·hu·mant, adjective[1]



transient

transient
tran·sient 
[tránshənt, tránzhənt,
tránzee ənt] adjective

1.  short
in duration: lasting for only a short time and
quickly coming to an end, disappearing, or changing • a
transient emotion • transient
sunlight on an otherwise cloudy day

2.  not
permanently settled in place: staying in a place for only
a short period of time • transient
workers

3.  PHILOSOPHY See transeunt
noun
(plural tran·sients)

1.  somebody
staying briefly: somebody who stays in a place for only a
short time, for example, a migrant laborer or hotel guest

2.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING brief
disturbance in electrical circuit: an oscillation or
brief disturbance in a system, for example, a sudden pulse of current or
voltage in an electrical circuit
[Late
16th century. Alteration of Latin transiens (stem transeunt- ),
the present participle of transire “to pass away, go across,” from ire
“to go.”]
—tran·sience,
noun

—tran·sien·cy,
noun

—tran·sient·ly, adverb[1]



transilluminate

transilluminate
trans·il·lu·mi·nate
[trànzi lmə nàyt] (past trans·il·lu·mi·nat·ed,
past participle trans·il·lu·mi·nat·ed, present participle trans·il·lu·mi·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·il·lu·mi·nates) transitive
verb

shine
light through organ: to shine a bright light
through a body organ or cavity to detect disease or other abnormality
—trans·il·lu·mi·na·tion
[tranzi lmə náysh’n], noun

—trans·il·lu·mi·na·tor
[trànzə lmə nàytər], noun[1]



transistor

transistor
tran·sis·tor 
[tran zístər] (plural tran·sis·tors)
noun

1.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING solid-state
electronic device: a small low-powered
solid-state electronic device consisting of a semiconductor and at least three
electrodes, used as an amplifier and rectifier and frequently incorporated into
integrated circuit chips

2.  radio:
a transistor radio
[Mid-20th century. Blend of transfer and resistor
(from its transference of electrical current across a resistor).][1]



transistorize

transistorize
tran·sis·tor·ize 
[tran zístə rz] (past tran·sis·tor·ized,
past participle tran·sis·tor·ized, present participle tran·sis·tor·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·sis·tor·iz·es) transitive
verb

equip something with
transistors: to equip a device or
circuit with transistors[1]



transistorradio

transistorradio
tran·sis·tor
ra·di·o
(plural tran·sis·tor ra·di·os) noun

small portable radio:
a small portable radio using transistors in its circuits[1]



transit

transit
tran·sit 
[tránzit] noun (plural tran·sits)

1.  act
of travel across something: the act of traveling or
being transported through or across an area, over a distance, or from one place
to another • a
transit permit

2.  TRANSPORT public
transportation: the transportation of passengers by
means of a local public transportation system • traveled
by rapid transit

3.  public
transport system: a local public transportation system • city
transit

4.  ASTRONOMY planet’s
crossing of Sun: the movement of Venus or Mercury across
the face of the Sun, or of a moon or its shadow across the face of a planet, as
seen from Earth

5.  ASTRONOMY passage
of star across meridian: the apparent movement of a
star or planet across the meridian from which it is being observed, caused by
the Earth’s rotation

6.  ZODIAC planet’s
crossing of zodiac: the passing of a planet
across a particular point on the zodiac

7.  transition:
a transition or passing, for example, from life to a supposed spiritual
existence after death

8.  CIVIL ENGINEERING surveying
instrument:
a surveying instrument surmounted by a telescope that can be rotated completely
around its horizontal axis, used for measuring vertical and horizontal angles.
Also
called
range finder
verb
(past tran·sit·ed, past participle tran·sit·ed, present
participle tran·sit·ing, 3rd person present singular tran·sits)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
through:
to pass through or over something • They
transited the area on foot.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ASTRONOMY make a transit:
to make a transit across the face of the Sun or a planet, or across a meridian

3.  transitive
verb
CIVIL ENGINEERING reverse
direction of surveying telescope: to rotate the
telescope of a surveying instrument horizontally through 180 degrees, thus
reversing its direction
[15th
century. From Latin transitus “passage,” from transire “to go
across,” from ire “to go.”]
—tran·sit·a·ble,
adjective
in
transit

in the process of traveling
or being transported from one place to another[1]



transitcircle

transitcircle
tran·sit
cir·cle
noun

telescope for measuring when
star overhead: an astronomical
telescope that moves in a north-south plane enabling it to be used to determine
the exact time a star, planet, or other celestial object passes most nearly
overhead[1]



transitinstrument

transitinstrument
tran·sit
in·stru·ment (plural tran·sit in·stru·ments)
noun

telescope aligned on a
meridian: a telescopic instrument that
can move only in the plane of a meridian, used to determine the exact time a
star, planet, or other celestial object crosses that meridian[1]



transition

transition
tran·si·tion 
[tran zísh’n] noun (plural tran·si·tions)

1.  process
of change:
a process or period in which something undergoes a change and passes from one
state, stage, form, or activity to another

2.  MUSIC musical
passage:
a passage connecting two sections of a musical composition

3.  MUSIC change
of key:
a progression from one key to another in a piece of music

4.  GRAMMAR linking
word or phrase: a word, phrase, or passage that links
one subject or idea to another in speech or writing

5.  PHYSICS CHEMISTRY change between phases:
a change between phases such as solid to liquid or liquid to gas

6.  ARCHITECTURE style
between Romanesque and Gothic: a style of
architecture in many buildings dating from the 12th century in western Europe,
in which elements of the Romanesque and Gothic styles are combined

7.  NUCLEAR PHYSICS change
in an atomic nucleus: a change in the energy level
or state of an atomic nucleus in which a single quantum of electromagnetic
radiation is either lost or gained
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tran·si·tioned,
past participle tran·si·tioned, present participle tran·si·tion·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·si·tions)

cause to change:
to undergo a change of status or condition, or to cause somebody or something
to undergo a change (informal) “We must transition Social Security from
a pay-as-you-go fund to a true pension fund.” Speech by H. Ross Perot Asbury
Park Press 1996
[15th century. From the Latin
stem transition-, from transire (see transit
).][1]



transitional

transitional
tran·si·tion·al
[tran zíshən’l, tran
zíshnəl] adjective

1.  during
transition:
marked by or during a transition from one state or condition to another • The
détente was a transitional period in international relations.

2.  ARCHITECTURE characteristic
of transition: characteristic of a period of
architectural transition, combining elements of the earlier and later forms or
styles between which something is progressing • a
transitional style
—tran·si·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



transitionary

transitionary
transitionary
adjective

(literary) See transitional[1]



transitionelement

transitionelement
tran·si·tion
el·e·ment
or tran·si·tion met·al noun

metallic element:
any of the metallic elements that have an incomplete penultimate electron
shell, variable valences, and typically form colored compounds. Copper,
chromium, and gold are transition element s.[1]



transitionpoint

transitionpoint
tran·si·tion
point
noun

See
transition temperature[1]



transitive

transitive
tran·si·tive 
[tránzitiv] adjective

1.  GRAMMAR requiring
direct object: needing or usually taking a direct
object • a
transitive verb

2.  LOGIC MATHEMATICS involving same relation
between terms: used to describe a given relation such
that if it exists between “a” and “b” and between “b” and “c” then it also
exists between “a” and “c.” Typical transitive relationships include “is
greater than,” “is equal to,” and “is similar to.”
—tran·si·tive·ly,
adverb

—tran·si·tive·ness,
noun

—tran·si·tiv·i·ty [trànzi tívvətee], noun[1]



transitlounge

transitlounge
tran·sit
lounge
noun

waiting room at airport:
a waiting room at an international airport used mainly by passengers
transferring from one flight to another without presenting themselves to
customs or immigration officials[1]



transitory

transitory
tran·si·to·ry 
[tránzə tàwree] adjective

not
permanent or lasting: not permanent or lasting,
but existing only for a short time • a
transitory infatuation
—tran·si·to·ri·ly
[trànzə táwrilee], adverb

—tran·si·to·ri·ness [tránzə tàwreenəss], noun[1]



transitpassenger

transitpassenger
tran·sit
pas·sen·ger
(plural tran·sit pas·sen·gers) noun

passenger between flights:
a passenger at an airport who is there simply to change flights[1]



Transkei

Transkei
Trans·kei 
[tránss k]

former homeland in South
Africa, now part of Eastern Cape Province[1]



transl.

transl.
transl.

1.  Abbreviation
of
translator

2.  Abbreviation
of
translation

3.  Abbreviation
of
translated

[1]



translate

translate
trans·late 
[trans láyt, tranz
láyt] (past trans·lat·ed, past participle trans·lat·ed,
present participle trans·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular
trans·lates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
words into different language: to give an equivalent
in another language for a particular word or phrase, or reproduce a written or
spoken text in a different language while retaining the original meaning • Can
you translate that phrase?

2.  intransitive
verb
be
capable of being translated: to be capable of being
translated, or have an equivalent in another language • The
idiom doesn’t translate well.

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING convert
code:
to convert data to a different form following an algorithm • translate
the program into machine code

4.  transitive
verb
say
something in understandable terms: to say or explain
something in terms that are easier to understand • Which
means translated “We don’t know what happened to your car.”

5.  transitive
verb
interpret
meaning:
to explain the meaning of something not expressed in words, for example, an
action, gesture, or look • I
translated his silence as approval.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
form of something: to change something, or be
changed, from one form or effect into another “Microchips controlled by
software now translate the flick of a pilot’s wrist into the movement of a wing
flap” Evan I. Schwartz Trust Me, I’m Your Software Discover Magazine May 1996

7.  transitive
verb
move
somebody or something: to move or carry somebody or
something from one place to another, usually involving a complete change of
condition or scene • She was translated from
her small country home to a high-rise city apartment

8.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY transfer
clergy:
to transfer a member of the clergy to another office, especially to transfer a
bishop to another see

9.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY move
saint’s remains: to move the remains or relics of a saint
from one place to another

10. transitive
verb
RELIGION convey
somebody to heaven: to convey somebody to
heaven, especially in a way that is believed not to involve death

11. transitive
verb
GENETICS decipher
genetic instructions for making protein: to
decipher the genetic message carried by a molecule of messenger RNA and
assemble the amino acids of a protein chain according to the instructions

12. transitive
verb
PHYSICS move
body sideways in straight line: to move a body
sideways through space in a direct straight line without rotation
[14th
century. From Latin translatus (source of English elation ), used as the past participle of transferre
“to carry across,” from ferre “to carry” (source of English transfer ).]
—trans·lat·a·bil·i·ty
[trans làytə bíllətee, tranz làytə bíllətee], noun

—trans·lat·a·ble [trans láytəb’l, tranz
láytəb’l], adjective[1]



translation

translation
trans·la·tion 
[trans láysh’n, tranz
láysh’n] (plural trans·la·tions) noun

1.  version
in another language: a word, phrase, or version
in another language that has a meaning equivalent to that of the original

2.  expressing
of something in a different language: the
rendering of something written or spoken in one language in words of a
different language • She read the novel in
translation.

3.  change
or transference: a change in form or state, or
transference to a different place, office, or sphere

4.  GENETICS process
determining amino acid sequence: the process by which
information in messenger RNA directs the sequence of amino acids assembled by a
ribosome during protein synthesis

5.  PHYSICS motion
in straight line: the movement of a body in a straight
line so that every point on the body follows a parallel path and no rotation
takes place
—trans·la·tion·al, adjective[1]



translator

translator
trans·la·tor 
[trans láytər, tranz
láytər] (plural trans·la·tor) noun

1.  somebody
who translates: somebody or something that translates,
in writing or speech, from one language into another

2.  RADIO transmitter
that alters signal frequency: a radio transmitter that
receives a signal on one frequency and retransmits it on another

3.  COMPUTING converting
computer program: a computer program that converts other
programs from one computer language into another
—trans·la·to·ri·al [trànslə táwree əl, trànzlə
táwree əl], adjective[1]



transliterate

transliterate
trans·lit·er·ate 
[trans líttə ràyt, tranz
líttə ràyt] (past trans·lit·er·at·ed, past participle
trans·lit·er·at·ed, present participle trans·lit·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·lit·er·ates) transitive verb

transcribe
something into another alphabet: to represent a letter
or word written in one alphabet using the corresponding letter or letters of
another, so that the sound of the letter or word remains approximately the same
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from trans- + Latin litera
(see letter ) + -ate
.]
—trans·lit·er·a·tion
[trans lìttə ráysh’n, tranz lìttə ráysh’n], noun

—trans·lit·er·a·tor [trans líttə ràytər, tranz
líttə ràytər], noun[1]



translocate

translocate
trans·lo·cate 
[trans lō káyt, tranz
lō káyt] (past trans·lo·cat·ed, past participle trans·lo·cat·ed,
present participle trans·lo·cat·ing, 3rd person present
singular trans·lo·cates) transitive verb

move to another place:
to move somebody or something from one place or position to another[1]



translocation

translocation
trans·lo·ca·tion 
[trans lō káysh’n, tranz
lō káysh’n] noun

1.  movement
from one place to another: movement, or the act of
moving something or somebody, from one place or position to another

2.  BOTANY movement
of food in plants: the movement of soluble
materials within a plant. Common examples are the movement of food materials
from the leaves to storage organs, and the movement of dissolved minerals
upward from the roots.

3.  GENETICS transfer
of part of chromosome: the transfer of part of a
chromosome to a new position on the same or on a different chromosome with
resultant rearrangement of the genes

[1]



translucent

translucent
trans·lu·cent 
[trans ls’nt, tranz
ls’nt] adjective

1.  letting
light through diffusely: allowing light to pass
through, but only diffusely, so that objects on the other side cannot be
clearly distinguished • a
translucent membrane

2.  glowing:
having a glowing appearance, as if light were coming through • translucent
skin
[15th
century. From Latin translucent-, the present participle stem of translucere
“to shine through,” from lucere “to shine” (see lucid
).]
—trans·lu·cence,
noun

—trans·lu·cen·cy,
noun

—trans·lu·cent·ly, adverb[1]



translunar

translunar
trans·lu·nar 
[trans lnər, tranz
lnər] or trans·lu·nar·y [trans
lnəree, tranz lnəree] adjective

beyond the Moon:
situated or coming from beyond the Moon or its orbit around the Earth[1]



transmarine

transmarine
trans·ma·rine 
[trànzmə rn] adjective

1.  crossing
the sea:
involving crossing a sea or ocean

2.  from
across the sea: situated or coming from across a sea or
ocean
[Late 16th century. From
Latin transmarinus, from marinus “relating to the sea” (see marine ).][1]



transmigrant

transmigrant
trans·mi·grant 
[tranz mgrənt] noun (plural trans·mi·grants)

somebody
passing through: somebody passing through a country on
the way to another country in which he or she intends to settle
adjective

being
in transit:
passing through a country or place on the way to somewhere else, or through a
transitional stage in a process of development
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
transmigrant-, the present participle stem of transmigrare “to
transmigrate,” from migrare (see migrate
).][1]



transmigrate

transmigrate
trans·mi·grate 
[tranz m gràyt] (past trans·mi·grat·ed,
past participle trans·mi·grat·ed, present participle trans·mi·grat·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·mi·grates) intransitive verb

1.  move
from one place to another: to move from one place or
country to another

2.  INDIAN RELIGION pass
to another body: in some religions, to pass into another
body at or after death (refers to the soul)
[15th
century. From Latin transmigrat-, the past participle stem of transmigrare,
from migrare “to migrate” (see migrate
).]
—trans·mi·gra·tion
[trànz mī gráysh’n], noun

—trans·mi·gra·tion·al
[trànz mī gráyshən’l, trànz mī gráyshnəl], adjective

—trans·mi·gra·tive
[tranz mgrətiv], adjective

—trans·mi·gra·tor
[tranz m gràytər], noun

—trans·mi·gra·to·ry [tranz mgrə tàwree], adjective[1]



transmissiblespongiform encephalopathy

transmissiblespongiform encephalopathy
trans·mis·si·ble
spong·i·form en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy [tranz mìssəb’l spawnji fawrm ensəfə láwpəthee] noun

Full form of
TSE[1]



transmission

transmission
trans·mis·sion 
[tranz mísh’n] (plural trans·mis·sions)
noun

1.  act
of transmitting: the act or process of transmitting
something, especially radio signals, radio or television broadcasts, data, or a
disease

2.  something
transmitted: something transmitted, for example, a
radio or signal

3.  BROADCASTING radio
or TV broadcast: a radio or television broadcast

4.  AUTOMOTIVE mechanism
transferring power to wheels: the mechanical system,
including gears and shafts, by which power is transmitted from the engine of a
motor vehicle to the drive wheels

5.  AUTOMOTIVE set
of gears:
a set of gears and the protective casing that covers this in a vehicle or
engine.
Also
called
gearbox
U.K.
term
gearbox

6.  PHYSICS ability
to let radiation through: the ability of a material to
let incoming radiation pass completely through it
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from the Latin stem transmission-,
from missio “a letting go, release” (see mission
).]
—trans·mis·si·bil·i·ty
[tranz mìssə bíllətee], noun

—trans·mis·si·ble
[tranz míssib’l], adjective

—trans·mis·sive
[tranz míssiv], adjective

—trans·mis·sive·ly,
adverb

—trans·mis·sive·ness, noun[1]



transmissionline

transmissionline
trans·mis·sion
line
noun

electrical transmission
cable: a conductor such as a
coaxial cable that carries electricity or other electromagnetic waves, usually
over long distances[1]



transmit

transmit
trans·mit 
[tranz mít] (past trans·mit·ted,
past participle trans·mit·ted, present participle trans·mit·ting,
3rd person present singular trans·mits) verb

1.  transitive
verb
send
something:
to send something, pass something on, or cause something to spread, from one
person, thing, or place to another • The
disease is transmitted by droplet infection.

2.  transitive
verb
communicate
information: to communicate a message, information,
or news • Data
was quickly transmitted.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb TELECOMMUNICATIONS RADIO
send
a signal:
to send a signal by radio waves, satellite, or wire

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING broadcast a program:
to broadcast a radio or television program

5.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS make
radiation pass through something: to make heat, sound,
light, or other radiation pass or spread through space or a medium

6.  transitive
verb
PHYSICS allow
radiation through: to allow heat, sound, or
light or other radiation to pass through

7.  transitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING transfer
power:
to transfer power, force, or movement from one part of a mechanism to another
[14th
century. From Latin transmittere, literally “to send across,” from mittere
“to send.”]
—trans·mit·ta·ble,
adjective

—trans·mit·tal, noun[1]



transmittance

transmittance
trans·mit·tance 
[tranz mítt’ns] noun

1.  act
of transmitting something: the act or process of
transmitting something

2.  PHYSICS ability
to let radiation through: the ability of a material to
let incoming radiation pass completely through it, measured as the ratio of
incident radiation to transmitted radiation

[1]



transmitter

transmitter
trans·mit·ter 
[tranz míttər] (plural trans·mit·ters)
noun

1.  agent
or means of transmission: somebody or something that
transmits something

2.  BROADCASTING part
of broadcasting equipment: a piece of broadcasting
equipment that generates a radio-frequency wave, modulates it so that it
carries a meaningful signal, and sends it out from an antenna

3.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS telephone
part:
the part of a telephone that converts sound waves to electrical impulses

[1]



transmogrify

transmogrify
trans·mog·ri·fy 
[tranz máwgrə f] (past trans·mog·ri·fied,
past participle trans·mog·ri·fied, present participle trans·mog·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·mog·ri·fies) transitive verb

change
form grotesquely: to change the appearance or form of
something, especially in a grotesque or bizarre way
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps an alteration of transmigrate
modeled on verbs ending in -fy .]
—trans·mog·ri·fi·ca·tion
[tranz màwgrəfi káysh’n], noun[1]



transmontane

transmontane
trans·mon·tane 
[tranz máwn tayn] adjective noun

See
tramontane  adjective 1
See tramontane  adjective 2
See tramontane  noun 2[1]



transmundane

transmundane
trans·mun·dane 
[tranz mún dàyn] adjective

not of this world:
not belonging to this material world and its concerns, or extending beyond them
(literary)[1]



transmutation

transmutation
trans·mu·ta·tion 
[trànzmyoo táysh’n] (plural trans·mu·ta·tions)
noun

1.  change:
a change, or the process of changing, from one form, substance, nature, or
state to another

2.  PHYSICS change
of one element into another: the transformation of the
atom of one chemical element into the atom of another by disintegration or
nuclear bombardment

3.  HISTORY conversion
to gold:
the supposed conversion of base metals into gold or silver by alchemy
—trans·mu·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



transmute

transmute
trans·mute 
[tranz myt] (past trans·mut·ed,
past participle trans·mut·ed, present participle trans·mut·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·mutes) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  change:
to change something, or be changed, from one form, nature, substance, or state
to another

2.  PHYSICS change
from one element to another: to change one element into
another through disintegration or nuclear bombardment, or undergo a change of
this kind

3.  HISTORY convert
base metal to gold: to convert a base metal into
gold or silver by alchemy, or be converted in this way
[14th
century. From Latin transmutare, literally “to change thoroughly,” from mutare
“to change.” Perhaps also partly a back-formation from transmutation
.]
—trans·mut·a·bil·i·ty
[tranz mytə bíllətee], noun

—trans·mut·a·ble
[tranz mytəb’l], adjective

—trans·mut·a·bly
[tranz mytəblee], adverb

—trans·mut·a·tive
[tranz mytər], adjective

—trans·mut·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



transnational

transnational
trans·na·tion·al 
[tranz náshən’l, tranz
náshnəl] adjective

not
confined to single nation: not confined to a single
nation or state, but including, extending over, or operating within several of
them
noun

transnational entity:
a company or organization that does business or owns corporations in more than
one nation[1]



transoceanic

transoceanic
trans·o·ce·an·ic 
[tranz shee ánnik] adjective

1.  crossing
an ocean:
involving crossing an ocean

2.  from
across an ocean: situated or coming from across an ocean

[1]



transom

transom
tran·som 
[tránsəm] (plural tran·soms) noun

1.  BUILDING structural
beam above a window: a horizontal beam or stone
above a window that supports the structure above

2.  BUILDING crosspiece
above door:
a crosspiece over a door or between the top of a door and a window above

3.  BUILDING window
above door:
a small rectangular window over a door.
U.K.
term
fanlight

4.  BUILDING crossbar
that divides window: a crossbar of wood or stone
that divides a window horizontally

5.  NAUTICAL beam
for strengthening stern: any of several transverse
beams for strengthening the stern of a ship

6.  NAUTICAL planking
at ship’s stern: the planking forming a flat surface
across the stern of a ship

7.  horizontal
beam of cross or gallows: the horizontal beam of a
cross or gallows
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Latin transtrum “crossbeam” (source
of English trestle ), from trans
“across.”][1]



transonic

transonic
tran·son·ic 
[tran sónnik] adjective

approaching
speed of sound: relating to speeds close to the speed of
sound or conditions encountered when traveling at those speeds
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from trans- + sonic
on the model of supersonic and ultrasonic .][1]



transonicbarrier

transonicbarrier
tran·son·ic
bar·ri·er
noun

sound barrier:
the sound barrier (technical)[1]



transp.

transp.
transp.

1.  Abbreviation
of
transport

2.  Abbreviation
of
transportation

[1]



transpacific

transpacific
trans·pa·cif·ic 
[trànspə síffik] adjective

1.  crossing
the Pacific: involving crossing the Pacific Ocean

2.  from
across the Pacific: situated or coming from
across the Pacific Ocean

[1]



transpadane

transpadane
trans·pa·dane 
[tránspə dàyn, trans
páy dàyn] adjective

north
of Po River: from or on the north side of the Po
River in northern Italy
[Early 17th century. From
Latin transpadanus, from padanus “of the Padus (River Po).”][1]



transparency

transparency
trans·par·en·cy 
[trans pérrənsee] (plural trans·par·en·cies)
noun

1.  state
of being transparent: the quality or state of
being transparent

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY see-through
photograph or picture: a positive photographic
image on a transparent material, especially film or a slide, that can be viewed
when light is shone through it. Transparencies are generally viewed using a
projector, a light table, or a handheld viewer.
[Late 16th century. From medieval
Latin transparentia, from the stem transparent- (see transparent ).][1]



transparent

transparent
trans·par·ent 
[trans pérrənt] adjective

1.  easily
seen through: allowing light to pass through with
little or no interruption or distortion so that objects on the other side can
be clearly seen • transparent plastic

2.  fine
enough to see through: thin or fine enough in
texture to see through • transparent
fabric

3.  obvious
and easy to recognize: clearly recognizable as what
it, he, or she really is • a
transparent motive

4.  frank:
completely open and frank about things • was
grateful for the transparent honesty of the reply

5.  PHYSICS letting
radiation through: allowing electromagnetic
radiation of specified wavelengths to pass through
[15th
century. Directly or via French from medieval Latin transparent-, the
present participle stem of transparere “to shine through,” from Latin parere
“to appear.”]
—trans·par·ent·ly,
adverb

—trans·par·ent·ness, noun[1]



transparentcontext

transparentcontext
trans·par·ent
con·text
noun

expression unchanged by
substituting equivalent term: in logic,
an expression in which the truth-value is not changed when any term is replaced
by another with the same reference[1]



transpicuous

transpicuous
tran·spic·u·ous 
[tran spíkyoo əss] adjective

easily
understood:
easily understood or seen through (literary)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from modern Latin transpicuus, from Latin transpicere
“to look through,” from specere “to look.”]
—tran·spic·u·ous·ly, adverb[1]



transpierce

transpierce
trans·pierce
[trans prs] (past trans·pierced,
past participle trans·pierced, present participle trans·pierc·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·pierc·es) transitive verb

pierce something:
to pierce through something (literary)[1]



transpire

transpire
tran·spire 
[trans pr] (past tran·spired,
past participle tran·spired, present participle tran·spir·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·spires) verb

1.  transitive
verb
come
to light:
to become known or be disclosed • It
later transpired that they had been furious at what had happened

2.  intransitive
verb
happen:
to take place • What transpired after
they left remains a secret.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSIOLOGY give off vapor through skin:
to give off water vapor through the pores of the skin.
See
also
sweat

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY lose water vapor:
to lose water vapor from a plant’s surface, especially through minute surface
pores ( stomata )
[15th
century. Directly or via French transpirer from medieval Latin transpirare,
literally “to breathe through,” from Latin spirare “to breathe.”]
—tran·spir·a·ble,
adjective

—tran·spi·ra·tion
[trànspi ráysh’n], noun

—tran·spi·ra·to·ry
[trans prə tàwree], adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Tell
  me what transpired at the meeting .
  This
  use of transpire to mean “to happen” is
  sometimes objected to, although it has been in common use for several
  centuries and conveys something of the sense inherent in its other
  (uncontroversial) meaning “to become known, come to light”: • It
  transpired that the President had known about the plan all along.

[1]



transplant

transplant
trans·plant 
verb [transs plánt] (past trans·plant·ed,
past participle trans·plant·ed, present participle trans·plant·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·plants)

1.  transitive
verb
GARDENING relocate
plant:
to remove a plant from the place where it is growing and replant it somewhere
else

2.  transitive
verb
move
somebody to another place: to move somebody or
something to another place or position

3.  transitive
verb
SURGERY transfer
body organ:
to transfer an organ or tissue from one body to another, or from one place in
somebody’s body to another

4.  intransitive
verb
be
capable of being moved: to be capable of being
transplanted • Poppies
do not transplant well.
noun
[tránss plànt] (plural trans·plants)

1.  SURGERY surgical
procedure:
a surgical operation or procedure to transplant an organ or tissue

2.  SURGERY transplanted
organ or tissue: an organ or tissue that has been
transplanted

3.  GARDENING transplanted
plant:
a plant that has been transplanted

4.  resident
from elsewhere: somebody who has moved from one place
and become a permanent resident in another
[15th
century. Directly or via French transplanter from late Latin transplantare,
literally “to plant across,” from Latin plantare “to plant” (see plant ).]
—trans·plant·a·ble
[trans plántəb’l], adjective

—trans·plan·ta·tion
[trans plàn táysh’n], noun

—trans·plant·er [trans plántər], noun[1]



transpolar

transpolar
trans·po·lar 
[trans pṓlər] adjective

crossing pole:
crossing or extending across either of the polar regions[1]



transponder

transponder
tran·spond·er 
[trans póndər] (plural tran·spond·ers)
or tran·spon·dor [trans póndər]
(plural tran·spon·dors) noun

1.  RADIO radio
or radar transceiver: a radio or radar transceiver
that automatically transmits a signal of its own when it receives a
predetermined signal from elsewhere, used especially for locating and
identifying objects

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS satellite
receiver and transmitter: a receiving and transmitting
device in a communication or broadcast satellite that relays the signals it
receives back to Earth
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from transmit + respond
+ -er .][1]



transpontine

transpontine
trans·pon·tine 
[trans pón tn] adjective

on
other side of bridge: on or from the other side of
a bridge (formal)
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin pont-, the stem of pons “bridge” (see pons ).][1]



transport

transport
trans·port 
transitive verb [trans páwrt] (past
trans·port·ed, past participle trans·port·ed, present
participle trans·port·ing, 3rd person present singular trans·ports)

1.  TRANSPORT carry
somebody or something: to carry people or goods
from one place to another, usually in a vehicle

2.  make
somebody imagine being elsewhere: to take somebody on a
mental or imaginative journey to another place or time • The
sounds of the game transported him back to his youth.

3.  affect
somebody with strong emotion: to put somebody in a state
of intense or uncontrollable emotion, especially joy • She
was transported with joy.

4.  HISTORY send
somebody to penal colony: to exile somebody to a penal
colony
noun
[tráns pàwrt] (plural trans·ports)

1.  TRANSPORT conveyance
of somebody or something: the act or business of
carrying people or goods from one place to another, especially in vehicles

2.  U.K.
TRANSPORT See transportation

3.  MILITARY a
craft carrying people or freight: a ship or aircraft for
carrying passengers, especially military personnel, or freight

4.  experience
or display of intense emotion: an experience or
display of intense and uncontrollable emotion, especially joy (often used in
the plural) • in transports of
delight

5.  HISTORY somebody
sent to penal colony: somebody exiled to a penal
colony
[14th
century. Directly or via French transporter from Latin transportare
“to carry across,” from portare “to carry.”]
—trans·port·a·bil·i·ty
[trans pàwrtə bíllətee], noun

—trans·port·a·ble
[trans páwrtəb’l], adjective

—trans·por·tive, adjective[1]



transportation

transportation
trans·por·ta·tion 
[trànspər táysh’n] noun

1.  conveyance
of somebody or something: the act or business of
carrying people or goods from one place to another, especially in vehicles.
U.K.
term
transport

2.  means
of traveling: a means of traveling, or of carrying
people or goods, from one place to another

3.  charge:
the fare paid or charge made for traveling in a bus, train, or other public
vehicle

4.  HISTORY penal
exile:
exile to a penal colony

[1]



transportcafé

transportcafé
trans·port
café
noun

U.K.
See truck stop[1]



transporter

transporter
trans·port·er
[trans páwrtər] noun

1.  somebody
or something that transports: somebody or something that
transports something

2.  AUTOMOTIVE large
vehicle:
a large vehicle used to carry heavy loads, often other vehicles

[1]



transporterbridge

transporterbridge
trans·port·er
bridge
noun

bridge with moving platform:
a bridge consisting of a high overarching framework from which a moving
platform is suspended on cables. The platform goes back and forth carrying
vehicles across a body of water.[1]



transpose

transpose
trans·pose 
[trans pṓz] verb (past trans·posed,
past participle trans·posed, present participle trans·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular trans·pos·es)

1.  transitive
verb
reverse
order:
to make two things change places or reverse their normal order, for example, to
reverse the order of two letters in a word

2.  transitive
verb
move
something to different position: to move something to a
different position, especially in a sequence • transposed
that section to the end of the essay

3.  transitive
verb
change
setting of something: to take something such as a
story, incident, or play out of its usual setting or time and relocate it in
another • transposing
the action from Shakespeare’s time to the present

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC change music to a different
key:
to rewrite or play a musical composition in a key or at a pitch other than the
one in which it was originally written or in which it is usually performed

5.  transitive
verb
MATHEMATICS move
term in equation: to transfer a term from one side of an
equation to the other, reversing its sign
noun
(plural trans·pos·es)

MATHEMATICS type
of matrix:
a matrix created by interchanging the rows and columns of a previously given matrix
[14th
century. From French transposer, an alteration (by association with poser
“to place”) of Latin transponere, literally “to place across,” from ponere
“to place” (see position ).]
—trans·pos·a·bil·i·ty
[trans pzə bíllətee], noun

—trans·pos·a·ble
[trans pṓzəb’l], adjective

—trans·pos·al,
noun

—trans·pos·er,
noun

—transpositive, adjective[1]



transposinginstrument

transposinginstrument
trans·pos·ing
in·stru·ment [trans
pzing ínstrəmənt] noun

musical instrument:
a musical instrument such as a horn or clarinet that plays in a key other than
C major, and whose part must therefore be written transposed to be in tune with
other instruments[1]



transposition

transposition
trans·po·si·tion 
[trànspə zísh’n] (plural trans·po·si·tions)
noun

1.  reversal
of order:
a reversal or alteration of the positions or order in which things stand

2.  recasting:
a placing of something in a different setting, or its recasting in a different
language, style, or medium

3.  MUSIC putting
in different key: a rewriting or playing of a piece of
music in a key or at a pitch other than the original or usual one

4.  MATHEMATICS transfer
of term in equation: a transfer of a term from
one side of an equation to another, reversing the sign

5.  GENETICS DNA
transfer:
a transfer of a DNA segment to a new position on the same or another chromosome
—trans·po·si·tion·al, adjective[1]



transposon

transposon
trans·po·son 
[trans pṓ zòn] (plural trans·po·sons)
noun

DNA
segment:
a segment of DNA that can move to a new position on the same or another
chromosome, often modifying the action of neighboring genes
[Late 20th century. Formed
from transposition + -on .][1]



transputer

transputer
trans·put·er
[trans pytər] (plural trans·put·ers)
noun

microchip with microprocessor
capability: a powerful microchip with
the functions of a microprocessor, having its own memory and the ability to
carry out parallel processing[1]



transsexual

transsexual
trans·sex·u·al 
[trans sékshoo əl] (plural trans·sex·u·als)
noun

1.  somebody
whose sex is surgically changed: somebody who has
undergone surgical and hormonal treatment to change his or her anatomical sex

2.  somebody
who identifies with opposite sex: somebody who
identifies himself or herself as and wants to become a member of the opposite
sex
—trans·sex·u·al,
adjective

—trans·sex·u·al·ism, noun[1]



transship

transship
trans·ship 
[trans shíp] (past trans·shipped,
past participle trans·shipped, present participle trans·ship·ping,
3rd person present singular trans·ships) or tran·ship
[trans shíp] (past tran·shipped,
past participle tran·shipped, present participle tran·ship·ping,
3rd person present singular tran·ships) intransitive and
transitive verb

transfer
goods:
to transfer goods, or be transferred, from one means of transportation to
another
—trans·ship·ment, noun[1]



transubstantiate

transubstantiate
tran·sub·stan·ti·ate 
[trànsəb stánshee àyt] (past tran·sub·stan·ti·at·ed,
past participle tran·sub·stan·ti·at·ed, present participle
tran·sub·stan·ti·at·ing, 3rd person present singular tran·sub·stan·ti·ates)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY change
substance:
in the belief of some Christian churches, to undergo a change in substance,
from bread and wine to the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Communion

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
substance:
to change, or change something, from one substance into another (formal)
[15th
century. From medieval Latin transubstantiat-, the past participle stem
of transubstantiare, literally “to change the substance of thoroughly,”
from Latin substantia (see substance
).]
—tran·sub·stan·tial,
adjective

—tran·sub·stan·ti·al·ly,
adverb[1]



transubstantiation

transubstantiation
tran·sub·stan·ti·a·tion 
[trànsəb stanshee áysh’n] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Christian
doctrine:
the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrine that the bread and wine of
Communion, become in substance but not appearance, the body and blood of Jesus
Christ at consecration.
See
also
consubstantiation

2.  change
of substance: a process whereby one substance changes
into another (formal)

[1]



transudate

transudate
tran·su·date 
[tránsə dàyt, tran
s dàyt] (plural tran·su·dates) noun

fluid passing through pores:
a fluid that passes through the pores or interstices of a membrane[1]



transude

transude
tran·sude 
[tran sd] (past tran·sud·ed, past
participle tran·sud·ed, present participle tran·sud·ing,
3rd person present singular tran·sudes) intransitive verb

pass
through pores: to pass through pores, interstices, or a
membrane, as a fluid such as sweat does
[Early
17th century. Via French transsuder, literally “to sweat through” from,
ultimately, Latin sudare “to sweat.”]
—tran·su·da·tion
[trànsə dáysh’n], noun

—tran·su·da·to·ry [tran sdə tàwree], adjective[1]



transuranic

transuranic
trans·u·ran·ic 
[trànzyə ránnik] or trans·u·ra·ni·an
[trànzyə ráynee ən] or trans·u·ra·ni·um
[trànzyə ráynee əm] adjective

with an atomic number over
92: having a higher atomic
number than uranium[1]



Transvaal

Transvaal
Trans·vaal 
[tránz vl]

former province of South
Africa, situated in the northeastern part of the country[1]



transvalue

transvalue
trans·val·ue 
[tranz vál y, trans
vál y] (past trans·val·ued, past participle trans·val·ued,
present participle trans·val·u·ing, 3rd person present
singular trans·val·ues) transitive verb

evaluate
something using a new standard: to reevaluate
something using a different standard, especially one that differs from
conventional or accepted standards and results in a very different assessment
of the worth of something
—trans·val·u·a·tion
[tranz vàl yoo áysh’n], noun

—trans·val·u·er [tranz vál yoo ər], noun[1]



transversal

transversal
trans·ver·sal 
[tranz vúrsəl] noun (plural trans·ver·sals)

line
intersecting other lines: a line that intersects two
or more other lines.
Also
called
traverse
adjective

See
transverse  adjective 1
See transverse  adjective 2
—trans·ver·sal·ly, adverb[1]



transverse

transverse
trans·verse 
[tranz vúrs] adjective

1.  crosswise:
lying or going crosswise or at right angles to something

2.  GEOMETRY passing
through the foci of a hyperbola: passing through a
hyperbola’s foci
noun
(plural trans·verses)

crosswise thing:
something lying or extending crosswise
[14th
century. From Latin transversus, the past participle of transvertere
“to turn across,” from vertere “to turn.”]
—trans·verse·ly,
adverb

—trans·verse·ness, noun[1]



transversecolon

transversecolon
trans·verse
co·lon
noun

part of the colon lying
crosswise: the part of the colon that
passes from right to left across the upper abdominal cavity just beneath the
liver and stomach[1]



transverseflute

transverseflute
trans·verse
flute
noun

flute with mouth hole on
side: a flute with the mouth hole
on top of the barrel near one end, so that the player blows across the hole
while holding the flute in a sideways position. The modern flute used to be
known as the transverse flute in order to distinguish it from an end-blown flute
such as a recorder.[1]



transverseprocess

transverseprocess
trans·verse
proc·ess
noun

ANATOMY
projection on a vertebra:
either of the two bony projections on the sides of a vertebra[1]



transversewave

transversewave
trans·verse
wave
noun

PHYSICS
wave causing crosswise disturbance of a
medium: a wave that makes the medium
through which it travels vibrate in a direction at right angles to the
direction of its travel[1]



transvestite

transvestite
trans·ves·tite 
[tranz vés tt] (plural trans·ves·tites)
noun

somebody
who dresses like the opposite sex: somebody who
habitually or frequently adopts the dress and often the behavior of the
opposite sex.
Also
called
cross-dresser
[Early
20th century. From German Transvestit, literally “cross-dresser,” from
Latin vestire “to clothe, dress” (see vest
).]
—trans·ves·tism
[tranz vés tìzzəm], noun

—trans·ves·ti·tism [tranz vésti tìzzəm], noun[1]



Transylvania

Transylvania
Tran·syl·va·nia 
[trànssil váyn yə]

historic
region in eastern Europe that now forms the central and northwestern parts of
Romania. Area: 62,000 sq km/24,000 sq mi.
—Tran·syl·va·ni·an, adjective[1]



TransylvanianAlps

TransylvanianAlps
Tran·syl·va·ni·an
Alps
[trànssil váyn yən alps]

mountain range in the
Carpathian Mountains, running east to west through south central Romania[1]



trap

trap3
trap3 [trap]
noun (plural traps)

trappings:
trappings
transitive
verb
(past trapped, past participle trapped, present
participle trap·ping, 3rd person present singular traps)

provide
something with trappings: to provide somebody or
something with trappings or adornments • they
were all trapped out in the gaudiest of clothes
[14th century. Alteration of
French drap “cloth” (source of English drape
), from late Latin drappus, of uncertain origin: perhaps from a Celtic
source.][1]



trap

trap2
trap2 [trap]
noun

(plural
traps) MINERALS See traprock
[Late 18th century. From
Swedish trapp, from trappa “stair” (from the rock’s common
appearance).][1]



trap

trap1
trap1 [trap]
noun (plural traps)

1.  something
designed to catch animals: a device designed to catch
an animal and kill it or prevent it escaping, for example, a concealed pit or a
mechanical device that springs shut

2.  plan
to trick somebody: an ambush, scheme, or trick
intended to catch somebody unawares and put the person at a disadvantage or in
somebody else’s power

3.  confining
situation:
a situation from which it is difficult to escape and in which somebody feels
confined, restricted, or in another person’s power • wanted
to avoid the trap of being typecast in the same roles

4.  CONSTRUCTION section
of drainpipe blocking gas: a curved section of a
drainpipe that holds a quantity of water to act as a barrier to prevent sewer
gas from rising up the pipe

5.  CONSTRUCTION device
preventing the passage of gas: any device designed to
prevent gas, vapor, or other substances passing through or escaping from
something

6.  See
trap door

7.  mouth:
the mouth (informal) • If the
cops ask questions, keep your trap shut.

8.  SPORTS device
used in trapshooting: a device that throws clay
pigeons into the air for trapshooting

9.  GOLF golf
bunker:
a hazard, especially a bunker, on a golf course

10. SPORTS starting
stall for a greyhound: one of the set of stalls
from which greyhounds are released at the start of a race

11. TRANSPORT carriage:
a light horse-drawn carriage with two wheels
plural
noun
traps

1.  MOTOR SPORTS length
of racetrack where vehicles are timed: a
measured stretch of track over which electronic timers register the speeds of
racing vehicles, especially in drag racing

2.  MUSIC percussion
instrument:
a set of percussion instruments, especially the drum set used in a dance
orchestra or jazz band (informal)
verb
(past trapped, past participle trapped, present
participle trap·ping, 3rd person present singular traps)

1.  transitive
verb
catch
something in trap: to catch an animal in a trap
so that it is killed or unable to escape

2.  intransitive
verb
HUNTING set
traps for animals: to set traps for animals or
make a living by catching animals in trap s

3.  transitive
verb
hold
something in a tight grip: to catch or hold something
in a tight grip or narrow space so that it cannot be moved or is painfully
squeezed • I
trapped my finger in the door.

4.  transitive
verb
place
somebody in a confining situation: to put somebody in a
situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape • They
were trapped inside the burning building. • felt
trapped in a dead-end job

5.  transitive
verb
take
somebody by surprise: to put somebody at a
disadvantage by means of an ambush, surprise, clever plan, or trick • She
was trapped into admitting the truth.

6.  transitive
verb
SOCCER control
a ball:
to bring a moving ball quickly under control using a part of the body

7.  transitive
verb
CRIMINOLOGY catch
an offender: to identify or catch an offender by
means of a speed trap or a security device

8.  transitive
verb
prevent
air from escaping: to prevent air, gas, heat,
or a fluid from escaping

9.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION equip
something with a trap: to put a trap into a
drainpipe
[Old English træppe
(in coltetræppe, a plant name) and treppe “trap, snare,” from a
prehistoric Germanic base. The etymological sense is perhaps “something that is
trodden on.”][1]



Trapani

Trapani
Tra·pa·ni 
[traa pnee]

seaport and capital city of
Trapani Province, northwestern Sicily. Population: 69,497 (1996)[1]



trapdoor

trapdoor
trap
door
(plural trap doors) noun

movable panel in a floor or
ceiling: a hatch covering a
horizontal or sloping opening in a floor, ceiling, or roof.
Also called
trap[1]



trapdoorspider

trapdoorspider
trap·door
spi·der
noun

spider that lives in a
burrow: a spider found in warm
regions that constructs a tubular silk-lined burrow with a hinged lid like a
trap door. Family: Ctenizidae[1]



trapeze

trapeze
tra·peze 
[trə pz] (plural tra·pezes) noun

bar
between suspended ropes: a horizontal bar attached to
the ends of two ropes hanging parallel to each other, used for gymnastics or
for acrobatics, especially in a circus
[Mid-19th century. Via French
trapèze from late Latin trapezium (see trapezium
), from the quadrilateral shape formed by the trapeze’s crossbar and ropes and
the roof.][1]



trapezia

trapezia
tra·pe·zi·a


Plural of
trapezium[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








trapeziform

trapeziform
tra·pe·zi·form 
[trə pzi fàwrm] adjective

with a trapezium shape:
shaped like a trapezium[1]



trapezii

trapezii
tra·pe·zi·i

Plural of
trapezius[1]



trapezium

trapezium
tra·pe·zi·um 
[trə pzee əm] (plural tra·pe·zi·ums
or tra·pe·zi·a [trə pzee ə]) noun

1.  GEOMETRY quadrilateral
with no parallel sides: a quadrilateral that has no
parallel sides.
U.K.
term
trapezoid

2.  U.K.
GEOMETRY See trapezoid  noun 1

3.  ANATOMY wrist
bone:
a small bone in the wrist at the base of the thumb
[Late
16th century. Via late Latin (source of English trapeze
) from Greek trapezion, literally “small table,” from trapeza
“table,” literally “with four feet,” from peza “foot.”]
—tra·pe·zi·al, adjective[1]



trapezius

trapezius
tra·pe·zi·us 
[trə pzee əss] (plural tra·pe·zi·us·es
or tra·pe·zi·i [trə pzee ]) noun

back
muscle:
either of the two large flat triangular muscles that run from the back of the
neck and cover each shoulder. They help to move the shoulder blades and draw
the head backward.
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin, from late Latin trapezium (see trapezium
), from the pair together forming a trapezium.][1]



trapezohedron

trapezohedron
tra·pe·zo·he·dron 
[trə p zō h drən] (plural tra·pe·zo·he·drons
or tra·pe·zo·he·dra [trə p zō hdrə])
noun

crystal
form:
a form of crystal with faces that are all trapezoids in shape
[Early
19th century. Coined from trapezium + -hedron on the model of, for example, tetrahedron .]
—tra·pe·zo·he·dral, adjective[1]



trapezoid

trapezoid

trap·e·zoid 
[tráppə zòyd] (plural trap·e·zoids)
noun

1.  GEOMETRY quadrilateral
with two parallel sides: a quadrilateral that has two
parallel sides.
U.K.
term
trapezium  noun 1

2.  U.K.
GEOMETRY See trapezium  noun 1

3.  ANATOMY wrist
bone:
a small bone in the wrist near the metatarsal bone that connects with the index
finger
—tra·pe·zoid·al, adjective[1]



trapper

trapper
trap·per 
[tráppər] (plural trap·pers) noun

somebody who traps animals:
somebody who makes a living by trapping animals for their fur or hides[1]



trappings

trappings
trap·pings
[tráppingz] plural noun

1.  accessories
and outward signs: the dress, accessories,
insignia, and other outward signs associated with an office, position, or
status • the
trappings of power

2.  EQUESTRIAN ornamental
harness for a horse: an ornamental or ceremonial
rig for a horse, including a decorated harness, saddle, and cloth covering

[1]



Trappist

Trappist
Trap·pist 
[tráppist] (plural Trap·pists)
noun

member
of a silent Cistercian order: a member of the main
reformed branch of the Cistercian order of Christian monks, established in 1664
at La Trappe monastery in Normandy and noted for its vow of silence
[Early 19th century. From
French trappiste, from La Trappe, name of the monastery in Normandy,
France.][1]



traprock

traprock
trap·rock
[tráp ròk] (plural trap·rocks)
noun

igneous rock:
a dark, fine-grained igneous rock such as basalt, used in road construction.
Also called
trap[1]



trapshooting

trapshooting
trap·shoot·ing 
[tráp shting] noun

shooting
at clay pigeons: the sport of shooting at clay pigeons
thrown by a trap
—trap·shoot,
noun

—trap·shoot·er, noun[1]



trapunto

trapunto
tra·pun·to 
[trə pn tō] noun

type
of quilting: quilting in which only the design, which
is outlined with parallel lines of stitches, is padded to give it a raised look
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, past participle of trapungere “to embroider” (literally “to
prick across”), from Latin pungere “to prick” (see pungent ).][1]



trash

trash
trash 
[trash] noun

1.  discarded
material:
discarded, unwanted, or worthless material or objects

2.  nonsense:
something spoken or written that is viewed as meaningless or absurd • You’re
talking trash!

3.  poor
quality literature or art: literature or art considered
worthless or offensive • How
can you read such trash?

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s social position or
morals

5.  AGRICULTURE trimmings
from plants: twigs, branches, or leaves that have
fallen or been trimmed from trees and plants

6.  INDUSTRY sugar
cane refuse: the dry refuse of sugar cane after it
has been crushed for the juice, often used as fuel
transitive
verb
(past trashed, past participle trashed, present
participle trash·ing, 3rd person present singular trash·es)

1.  destroy
something:
to destroy, severely damage, or vandalize something deliberately (informal)
• wondered
whether rock stars still trashed their hotel rooms “The
storm trashed bridges in Honduras and Central America.” U.S. News & World
Report December 1998

2.  discard
something:
to throw away or discard something (informal)

3.  criticize
somebody savagely: to criticize something or
somebody savagely, or condemn something or somebody as worthless (informal)

4.  AGRICULTURE remove
twigs and branches: to remove twigs, branches,
or leaves from plants

5.  INDUSTRY strip
leaves from sugar cane: to strip the outer leaves
from sugar cane
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source (compare
Norwegian dialect trask “rubbish” and Old Norse tros “fallen
leaves and twigs, rubbish”).]
talk
trash

to try to intimidate
somebody, especially a rival or an opponent in a sporting contest, by being
boastful or insulting (slang)[1]



trashcan

trashcan
trash
can
noun

garbage can:
a garbage can (informal)[1]



trashfish

trashfish
trash
fish
noun

1.  See
rough fish  noun

2.  fish
not eaten by humans: a fish that is not
marketable as human food but is used in animal feeds, fertilizers, and paints

3.  fish
able to be eaten by humans: a fish such as skate or
monkfish formerly thought of as unfit for human consumption but now valued for
its quality

[1]



trashman

trashman
trash·man
[trásh màn] (plural trash·men
[trásh mèn]) noun

garbage man:
a garbage man (informal)[1]



trashmover

trashmover
trash·mov·er
(plural trash·mov·ers) noun

heavy
storm:
a storm whose violent winds or heavy rains spread debris about (regional)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is common in folk speech across the rural South with other descriptive terms
  such as chunk floater, frog strangle, gully washer, lighter(d)-knot
  floater, pourdown, and toad strangler.

[1]



trashy

trashy
trash·y 
[tráshee] (comparative trash·i·er,
superlative trash·i·est) adjective

cheap:
cheap or of very little worth or merit • a
trashy novel
—trash·i·ly,
adverb

—trash·i·ness, noun[1]



Trasimeno,Lake

Trasimeno,Lake
Tra·si·me·no,
Lake
[tràzzə mnō]

lake in central Italy, and
the largest lake in the Italian peninsula. Area: 128 sq km/49 sq mi.[1]



trattoria

trattoria
trat·to·ri·a 
[trtə r ə] (plural trat·to·ri·as
or trat·to·ri·e [trtə r ]) noun

restaurant:
an Italian restaurant, especially one that is simple in style
[Early 19th century. From
Italian, from trattore “restaurateur,” from, ultimately, Latin tractare
“to drag, manage,” from trahere “to pull” (source of English tractor ).][1]



trauma

trauma
trau·ma 
[trówmə, tráwmə]
(plural trau·mas or trau·ma·ta [trówmətə, tráwmətə])
noun

1.  PSYCHOLOGY emotional
shock:
an extremely distressing experience that causes severe emotional shock and may
have long-lasting psychological effects

2.  MEDICINE bodily
injury:
a physical injury or wound to the body
[Late 17th century. From
Greek, “wound.”][1]



traumatic

traumatic
trau·mat·ic
[trow máttik, traw
máttik] adjective

1.  extremely
distressing: extremely distressing, frightening, or
shocking, and sometimes having long-term psychological effects

2.  PSYCHOLOGY relating
to trauma:
relating to or caused by psychological trauma

3.  MEDICINE relating
to injuries: relating to wounds or injuries
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin traumaticus from Greek traumatikos, from traumat-,
the stem of trauma “wound.”]
—trau·mat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



traumatism

traumatism
trau·ma·tism 
[trówmə tìzzəm, tráwmə
tìzzəm] (plural trau·ma·tisms) noun

state
resulting from trauma: the condition resulting from
a physical injury or wound or from an emotional shock
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek traumat- (see traumatic
).][1]



traumatize

traumatize
trau·ma·tize 
[trówmə tz, tráwmə
tz] (past trau·ma·tized, past participle trau·ma·tized,
present participle trau·ma·tiz·ing, 3rd person present
singular trau·ma·tiz·es) transitive verb

1.  PSYCHOLOGY cause
somebody emotional shock: to cause somebody to
experience severe emotional shock or distress, often resulting in long-lasting
psychological damage

2.  MEDICINE injure
somebody or something: to cause physical injury to
somebody or something
[Early
20th century. Formed from Greek traumat- (see traumatic
).]
—trau·ma·ti·za·tion [tròwməti záysh’n, tràwməti
záysh’n], noun[1]



traumatology

traumatology
trau·ma·tol·o·gy 
[tròwmə tólləjee, tràwmə
tólləjee] noun

medicine
dealing with injuries: the branch of medicine that
deals with serious injuries and wounds and their long-term consequences
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek traumat- (see traumatic
+ -logy ).]
—trau·ma·tol·o·gist, noun[1]



travail

travail
tra·vail 
[trə váyl, trá
vàyl] noun (plural tra·vails)

1.  hard
work:
work, especially work that involves hard physical effort over a long period

2.  childbirth:
labor pains (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past tra·vailed, past participle tra·vailed, present
participle tra·vail·ing, 3rd person present singular tra·vails)

1.  work
long and hard: to work long and hard (literary)

2.  be
in labor:
to be in labor (archaic) (refers to a woman)
[13th century. From French,
“pain,” and its source travailler “to toil,” ultimately from assumed
Vulgar Latin tripalium “instrument of torture,” from Latin tripalis
“having three stakes,” from palus “stake.”][1]



trave

trave
trave 
[trayv] (plural traves) noun

1.  BUILDING See crossbeam

2.  BUILDING something
formed by crossbeams: a section of a building, for
example, in a ceiling, formed by crossbeams

3.  EQUESTRIAN frame
for a difficult horse: a frame to restrain a
difficult horse while it is being shod
[14th century. Via Old
French, “beam,” from Latin trab-, the stem of trabs (source of
English architrave and trabeated ).][1]



travel

travel
trav·el 
[trávv’l] verb (past trav·eled,
past participle trav·eled, present participle trav·el·ing,
3rd person present singular trav·els)

1.  intransitive
verb
go
on a journey: to go on a journey to a particular
place, usually using some form of transportation

2.  intransitive
verb
go
from place to place: to go from place to place or
visit various places and countries for business or pleasure • We
hope to travel more when we retire.

3.  transitive
verb
journey
through an area: to go on journeys through, around, or
within a particular area • They
liked to travel the countryside stopping at places of interest.

4.  transitive
verb
cover
a particular distance: to go or cover a particular
distance • travel
10 kilometers

5.  intransitive
verb
go
at a particular speed: to move at a particular
speed or in a particular way • The
train was traveling at 90 mph when it had to stop.

6.  intransitive
verb
move
fast:
to move swiftly (informal) • With
the new engine this car can really travel.

7.  intransitive
verb
COMMUNICATION go
to different places to do business: to go
from place to place as a salesperson or as part of a business • After
five years traveling, she wanted an office job.

8.  intransitive
verb
tolerate
being transported: to retain its quality or
freshness while being transported • Snakes
do not travel well.

9.  intransitive
verb
be
transmitted: to be transmitted or communicated • News
traveled fast.

10. intransitive
verb
scan:
to scan an object or scene in the process of observing or filming it

11. intransitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING move
in a fixed path: to move in a fixed path while operating
(refers to a machine part)

12. intransitive
verb
associate
with a specific group: to associate with a
particular person or group • They’ve
been traveling with a new crowd.

13. intransitive
verb
BASKETBALL take
an illegal number of steps: to take more steps while
holding the ball than the rules of basketball allow
noun
(plural tra·vels)

1.  activity
of traveling: the activity of going on journeys, often
using a particular form of transportation, or visiting different places • air
travel

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING total
distance a mechanical part moves: the total distance
that a mechanical part such as a piston inside a cylinder moves

3.  traffic:
the amount of traffic at a given place along a route
plural
noun
trav·els

1.  series
of journeys: a series of journeys undertaken by a
particular person or group • She’s
off on her travels again.

2.  LITERATURE account
of somebody’s journeys: an account of the journeys
undertaken by a particular person or group
adjective

for travelers:
designed for use by travelers, especially by being lightweight and smaller than
usual • a
travel kettle
[14th century. Variant of travail (the underlying notion perhaps being
“wearisome journey”).][1]



travelagency

travelagency
trav·el
a·gen·cy
noun

business
arranging travel: a business that arranges transportation,
accommodations, and tours for travelers.
Also
called
travel bureau
—trav·el a·gent, noun[1]



travelbureau

travelbureau
trav·el
bu·reau
noun

See
travel agency[1]



traveled

traveled
trav·eled
[trávv’ld] adjective

1.  experienced
in travel:
having been on many journeys, or being experienced as a traveler

2.  much
used:
used by many travelers • Keep
to the traveled roads.

[1]



traveler

traveler
trav·e·ler 
[trávv’lər] (plural trav·el·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
on a journey: somebody who is on a journey to a
particular place or who uses a particular form of transportation

2.  somebody
who has traveled: somebody who has traveled or travels
extensively • an
experienced traveler

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING moving
part:
a part of a mechanism that is designed to move in a fixed path

4.  NAUTICAL ring
on a rope:
a metal ring that moves freely on a rope, spar, or rod

5.  NAUTICAL rope:
a rope, spar, or rod on which a metal ring moves

[1]



traveler’scheck

traveler’scheck
trav·e·ler’s
check 
(plural trav·e·ler’s checks) noun

internationally accepted
check: an internationally accepted
check for a sum in a particular currency that can be exchanged elsewhere for
local currency or for goods and is usually guaranteed against loss or theft[1]



traveler’sjoy

traveler’sjoy
trav·e·ler’s
joy
noun

European climbing plant with
white flowers: a European climbing
plant of the buttercup family that has white flowers and feathery fruits. Latin
name: Clematis vitalba[1]



traveler’stale

traveler’stale
trav·e·ler’s
tale
(plural trav·e·ler’s ta·les) noun

fantastic story:
a fantastic, unlikely, or obviously untrue account of something, as given by a
traveler to people who do not travel[1]



travelingsalesman

travelingsalesman
trav·el·ing
sales·man 
[trávv’ling] noun

salesperson who calls on
customers: a salesperson whose work
consists of traveling around calling on potential customers within a territory[1]



travelingsaleswoman

travelingsaleswoman
traveling
saleswoman
noun

saleswoman who calls on
customers: a woman salesperson whose
work consists of traveling around calling on potential customers within a
territory[1]



travelingwave

travelingwave
trav·el·ing
wave
(plural trav·el·ing waves) noun

PHYSICS
wave carrying energy away from its
source: a wave that continuously
carries energy away from its source[1]



traveller

traveller
trav·el·ler 
noun

U.K. =
traveler[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








travelogue

travelogue
trav·e·logue 
[trávvə lòg] (plural trav·e·logues)
or trav·e·log [trávvə lòg] (plural
trav·el·ogs) noun

film or lecture on travel:
a film, videotape, or piece of writing, or a lecture accompanied by pictures,
video or film, about travel, especially to interesting or remote places, or
about somebody’s travels in particular[1]



travelsickness

travelsickness
trav·el
sick·ness
noun

See
motion sickness
—trav·el-sick, adjective[1]



traverse

traverse
tra·verse 
verb [trə vúrss] (past tra·versed,
past participle tra·versed, present participle tra·vers·ing,
3rd person present singular tra·vers·es)

1.  transitive
verb
move
across an area: to travel or move across, over, or
through an area or a place • traverse
the countryside

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
back and forth: to move backward and forward across
something • volunteers
traversed the field looking for clues

3.  transitive
verb
reach
across something: to extend or reach across something • traverse
the river

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb MOUNTAINEERING move at an angle:
to move at an angle across a rock face while ascending or descending it

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb SKIING follow a zigzag course:
to ski in diagonal runs following a zigzag course down a slope

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb swivel
a gun:
to swivel something, especially a gun, from side to side on a pivot

7.  intransitive
verb
FENCING slide
a blade toward an opponent’s hilt: to slide the blade of
a sword toward an opponent’s hilt while at the same time applying pressure to
his or her blade

8.  transitive
verb
thwart
somebody:
to thwart somebody or something (literary)

9.  transitive
verb
LAW deny
allegations: to deny the opposing party’s allegations
as set out in the pleading in a lawsuit, formally and, usually, in their
entirety

10. transitive
verb
LAW join
issue:
to join issue with somebody on an indictment
noun
[trá vərss, trə
vúrss] (plural tra·vers·es)

1.  journey:
a movement or journey across, over, or through something

2.  route:
a route or way across or over something

3.  MOUNTAINEERING movement
across a rock face: a horizontal or oblique
movement across a rock face in climbing

4.  SKIING diagonal
run:
a diagonal zigzag skiing run down a ski slope

5.  BUILDING crossbeam:
something that is fixed across a gap or lies crosswise such as a structural
member of a building

6.  BUILDING gallery:
a gallery or loft that crosses from side to side inside a building

7.  BUILDING barrier
within a building: a railing, curtain, screen,
or partition forming a barrier

8.  MILITARY barrier
across a trench: a defensive barrier of earth across a
trench

9.  obstruction:
something that thwarts or obstructs (literary)

10. GEOMETRY See transversal  noun

11. NAUTICAL zigzag
course:
the zigzag course of a sailing vessel in contrary winds

12. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING lateral
movement:
the horizontal movement of a machine part such as a lathe or grinding tool as
it moves across the work piece

13. LAW denial
of allegations: a formal denial of the opposing party’s
allegations as set out in their pleading in a lawsuit

14. CIVIL ENGINEERING type
of survey:
a survey made using a series of intersecting straight lines of known length
whose angles of intersection are measured for recording on a map or in a table
of data
adjective
[trá vərss, trə
vúrss]

crosswise: lying
across something
[14th
century. Via French traverser from late Latin tra(ns)versare,
from Latin transversus, the past participle of transvertere “to
turn across,” from vertere “to turn” (see vertical
).]
—tra·vers·a·ble,
adjective

—tra·vers·al,
noun

—tra·vers·er, noun[1]



traverserod

traverserod
tra·verse
rod 
(plural tra·verse rods) noun

rod for draperies:
a rod with a mechanism that allows attached curtains or draperies to be opened
and closed with a pull cord[1]



Travers,Mount

Travers,Mount
Trav·ers,
Mount
[trávvərz]

mountain in the north of the
South Island, New Zealand, situated in the northern part of the Southern Alps.
Height: 2,338 m/7,671 ft.[1]



travertine

travertine
trav·er·tine 
[trávvər tn] or trav·er·tin [trávvər tn] noun

limestone
used as facing: a hard semicrystalline white or
light-colored limestone precipitated in hot springs and caves and used as a
facing material in building
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian travertino from, ultimately, Latin (lapis) tiburtinus
“(stone) of Tibur (Tivoli, a town in Italy).”][1]



travesty

travesty
trav·es·ty 
[trávvəstee] noun (plural trav·es·ties)

1.  false
representation: a distorted or debased version of
something • It
was a kangaroo court, a travesty of justice

2.  ARTS grotesque
imitation:
a literary or artistic work, usually meant as a parody, that ridicules
something serious by imitating it in a grotesque or distorted manner
transitive
verb
(past trav·es·tied, past participle trav·es·tied, present
participle trav·es·ty·ing, 3rd person present singular trav·es·ties)

make a travesty of something:
to imitate or mock something in a grotesque or distorted manner
[Mid-17th century. From
French travesti, “dressed in disguise,” from travestir, “to
disguise, ridicule,” and Italian travestire, from Latin tra-,
“trans-,” + vestire, “to clothe.”][1]



Travis,William Barret

Travis,William Barret
Trav·is
[trávviss], William Barret (1809–1836)

U.S. soldier. He commanded
Texan forces against Santa Anna’s Mexican army at the Alamo and was killed when
it was taken (1836).[1]



travois

travois
tra·vois 
[trə vóy, trávvoy]
(plural tra·vois [trə vóyz, trávvoyz] or tra·vois·es) noun

animal-pulled
sled:
a sled made of two poles connected by a frame and pulled by an animal, used in
the past by Native North Americans of the Great Plains
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from travail, from Latin trabs, “beam.”][1]



Travolta,John

Travolta,John
Tra·vol·ta
[trə vṓltə], John (1954– )

U.S. actor. His movies
include Saturday Night Fever ( 1977 ), Grease ( 1978 ), and Pulp
Fiction ( 1994 ).[1]



trawl

trawl
trawl 
[trawl] noun (plural trawls)

1.  fishing
net:
a large net that is dragged along the sea bottom behind a commercial fishing
boat.
Also
called
trawl net

2.  suspended
fishing line: a long fishing line suspended between
buoys that has several shorter lines with baited hooks attached.
Also
called
trawl line
intransitive
and transitive verb (past trawled,
past participle trawled, present participle trawl·ing,
3rd person present singular trawls)

fish with a trawl:
to use or put out a trawl or setline to catch fish
[Mid-16th century. From
Middle Dutch traghelen, “to drag,” from traghel, “trawl net,”
from Latin tragula, from trahere, “to pull” (source of English tractor ).][1]



trawler

trawler
trawl·er 
[tráwlər] (plural trawl·ers) noun

1.  fishing
boat:
a boat that is used in trawling for fish

2.  somebody
who trawls:
somebody who fishes by trawling

[1]



trawlerman

trawlerman
trawl·er·man
[tráwlərmən] (plural trawl·er·men)
noun

somebody who works on a
trawler: a fisherman who works on a
trawler[1]



trawlline

trawlline
trawl
line
(plural trawl lines) noun

See
trawl  noun 2[1]



trawlnet

trawlnet

trawl net
(plural trawl nets) noun
See
trawl  noun 1[1]



tray

tray
tray 
[tray] (plural trays) noun

1.  flat
carrier for small objects: a flat piece of plastic,
wood, or metal with a raised edge, used for carrying or displaying light
objects

2.  tray
and things it carries: a tray and the objects on it
• dropped
a tray of dishes

3.  container
in which to organize things: a shallow container,
sometimes part of a desk drawer or cabinet, in which to keep items such as
stationery or jewelry
[Old English trīg .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English tree and trough
.][1]



traytable

traytable
tray
ta·ble
(plural tray ta·bles) noun

1.  small
foldaway table in aircraft: a small table that folds
down from the back of the seat in front of you in a plane or train

2.  tray
with legs:
a tray with folding legs, used especially for eating meals in bed

[1]



treacherous

treacherous
treach·er·ous 
[tréchərəss] adjective

1.  traitorous:
betraying or ready to betray somebody’s trust, confidence, or faith

2.  perilous:
involving hidden dangers or hazards • treacherous
seas
[14th
century. From Old French trecheros “deceitfulness,” from trechier
(see treachery ).]
—treach·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—treach·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



treachery

treachery
treach·er·y 
[tréchəree] (plural treach·er·ies)
noun

1.  betrayal:
betrayal or deceit

2.  act
of betrayal: an act or instance of betrayal or deceit
[12th century. From Old
French trecherie, from trechier, trichier (see trick ).][1]



treacle

treacle
trea·cle 
[trk’l] (plural trea·cles) noun

1.  something
cloying:
something cloying or excessively sentimental

2.  former
antidote to poison: a preparation used in the
past as an antidote to poison

3.  U.K.
See molasses
[14th
century. Via Old French triacle and Latin theriaca from Greek thēriakē
(antidotos), “(antidote to) poisonous animals,” from thērion, “wild
or poisonous animal,” from thēr, “wild.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Treacle retained its original
  meaning of “antidote” when it came into English, but it later gradually
  broadened out into “medicine,” and the practice of disguising the unpleasant
  taste of medicine with sugar syrup led in the 17th century to its application
  to “syrup.”

[1]



treacly

treacly
trea·cly 
[trklee] adjective

mawkish:
cloying or excessively sentimental
—trea·cli·ness, noun[1]



tread

tread
tread 
[tred] verb (past trod
[trod] or tread·ed, past
participle trod·den [tródd’n] or
trod, present participle tread·ing, 3rd person present
singular treads)

1.  intransitive
verb
trample
something:
to step or put a foot on something, especially so as to crush or damage it

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
or step on something: to take a step or steps, or
walk or step on, across, or along something

3.  transitive
verb
form
a path:
to form something such as a path by trampling or walking

4.  transitive
verb
dance
steps:
to perform the steps of a dance (dated)

5.  intransitive
verb
act
in stated way: to proceed or behave in a particular way
• tread
carefully

6.  intransitive
verb
crush:
to repress or treat somebody or something harshly
noun
(plural treads)

1.  way
of treading: a way or sound of walking or stepping • heard
the heavy tread of marching feet

2.  act
of treading: an act of walking or of trampling
something

3.  horizontal
part of a step: the horizontal part of a step in a
staircase

4.  width
of a step:
the width of the horizontal part of a step, measured from front to back

5.  AUTOMOTIVE outer
surface of a tire: the part of the surface of a
tire or wheel that comes in contact with a road or rail

6.  depth
of grooves on a tire surface: the depth of grooves on the
surface of a tire

7.  CLOTHES part
of shoe that touches the ground: the part of the sole
of a shoe that touches the ground
[Old
English tredan, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English trade and trot]
—tread·er, noun[1]



treadle

treadle
tread·le 
[trédd’l] noun (plural tread·les)

foot-operated
pedal:
a lever pushed repeatedly by the foot to provide drive for a machine such as a
sewing machine or potter’s wheel
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tread·led,
past participle tread·led, present participle tread·ling,
3rd person present singular tread·les)

power
machine with a treadle: to operate a treadle, or
operate a machine by using a treadle
[Old
English tredel, from tredan (see tread
). The modern meaning, “foot lever,” evolved from “step, stair.”]
—tread·ler, noun[1]



treadmill

treadmill
tread·mill 
[tréd mìl] (plural tread·mills)
noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING cylinder
providing power: a continuous belt or series of steps
kept moving by people or animals walking on it that is used to provide power to
a machine, for example, to grind grain or raise water from a well

2.  FITNESS exercise
machine:
a machine with an endless belt on which somebody can walk, jog, or run, used
for exercise and stress testing

3.  never-ending
routine:
a monotonous and seemingly endless task, job, or routine

[1]



treas.

treas.
treas.

1.  Abbreviation
of
treasurer

2.  Abbreviation
of
treasury

[1]



treason

treason

trea·son 
[trz’n] (plural trea·sons) noun

1.  betrayal
of country:
violation of the allegiance owed by a person to his or her own country, for
example, by aiding an enemy.
See
also
high treason

2.  treachery:
betrayal or disloyalty

3.  act
of betrayal: an act of betrayal or disloyalty
[12th century. Via
Anglo-Norman treisoun, “treacherous handing over, betrayal,” from the
Latin stem tradition-, from tradere, “to hand over” (source of
English traitor, betrayal, and tradition
).][1]



treasonable

treasonable
trea·son·a·ble 
[trz’nəb’l] or trea·son·ous [trz’nəss] adjective

relating
to treason:
involving, being, or punishable as treason
—trea·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—trea·son·a·bly, adverb[1]



treasure

treasure
treas·ure 
[tréər] noun (plural treas·ures)

1.  jewels
and precious objects as wealth: wealth, especially in
the form of jewels and precious objects, often accumulated or hoarded

2.  something
valuable:
something of great value or worth

3.  somebody
highly valued: somebody who is highly valued or loved • an
actor considered as one of our national treasures
transitive
verb
(past treas·ured, past participle treas·ured, present
participle treas·ur·ing, 3rd person present singular treas·ures)

1.  regard
somebody or something as valuable: to prize somebody or
something as being of great value or worth • treasured
the memory of that day

2.  accumulate
and store something valuable: to accumulate and store
something regarded as valuable
[12th
century. Via French trésor from Latin thesaurus, from Greek thēsauros,
“treasure.”]
—treas·ur·a·ble,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Treasure
  Island, a novel by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson ( 1883 ). This
  classic romance recounts young Jim Hawkins’ adventures with a treacherous
  band of pirates searching for lost treasure on a distant island. The book’s
  most memorable character is one-legged pirate Long John Silver, who carries a
  pet parrot given to shrieking “Pieces of eight!” .

[1]



treasurehouse

treasurehouse
treas·ure
house
(plural treas·ure hous·es) noun

1.  store
of valuable things: a place or collection in
which many valuable things are located

2.  treasury:
a building in which treasure is kept

[1]



treasurehunt

treasurehunt
treas·ure
hunt
(plural treas·ure hunts) noun

game to find a prize:
a game in which competitors attempt to follow a series of clues that lead to a
hidden prize[1]



treasurer

treasurer
trea·sur·er 
[tréərər] (plural trea·sur·ers)
noun

financial
officer:
a manager of the finances of a government, organization, or corporation,
usually the chief financial officer
—treas·ur·er·ship, noun[1]



treasure-trove

treasure-trove
treas·ure-trove 
(plural treas·ure-troves) noun

1.  discovered
unclaimed wealth: silver or gold coins or bullion found
buried in the earth and for which there is no known owner

2.  something
found of value: something discovered that is valuable or
the source of something valuable • The
new store is a treasure-trove of antiques.
[Mid-16th century. Trove from
Anglo-Norman tresor trove, from Old French tresor “treasure” + trove,
the past participle of trover “to find.”][1]



Treasury

Treasury
Treas·ur·y
(plural Treas·ur·ies) noun

1.  government
finance department: in many countries, the
government department in charge of collecting and managing public revenue

2.  government
security:
a security issued by the U.S. Treasury

[1]



treasury

treasury
treas·ur·y 
[tréəree] (plural treas·ur·ies)
noun

1.  BUSINESS store
of money:
the funds or revenues of a government, organization, or corporation, or the
place in which they are deposited and disbursed

2.  place
for things of value: a place in which treasure or
other valuable items are stored and preserved

3.  collection
of valuable things: a source or collection of
valuable things, for example, literary or artistic works
[13th century. Via Old French
tresorie from trésor (see treasure
).][1]



Treasurybill

Treasurybill
Trea·sur·y
bill
(plural Trea·sur·y bills) noun

U.S. government obligation:
a short-term obligation issued by the U.S. government, sold at a discount from
its face value and redeemed at its face value upon maturity.
Also called
T-bill[1]



Treasurybond

Treasurybond
Treas·ur·y
bond
(plural treas·ur·y bonds) noun

long-term bond:
an interest-bearing debt security issued by the U.S. government, with an
initial life of between ten and thirty years[1]



Treasurynote

Treasurynote
Treas·ur·y
note
(plural treas·ur·y notes) noun

medium-term obligation:
an intermediate-term, interest-paying debt instrument issued by the U.S.
government, with an initial life of between one and ten years[1]



treat

treat
treat 
[treet] verb (past treat·ed,
past participle treat·ed, present participle treat·ing,
3rd person present singular treats)

1.  transitive
verb
regard
somebody in a particular way: to behave toward or think of
somebody or something in a particular way • They
treated us practically like family.

2.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE undertake
to cure somebody: to give medical aid to somebody or apply
medical techniques to a disease or symptom in order to provide a cure

3.  transitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY subject
something to process or agent: to subject something
to a physical, chemical, or biological process or agent such as a chemical
reaction or the application of a coating

4.  transitive
verb
pay
for somebody else: to pay for somebody else’s
food, drink, entertainment, or gifts • I’ll
treat you to lunch at the hotel.

5.  transitive
verb
provide
somebody with something pleasurable: to
give somebody or yourself something enjoyable • They
treated their mother to breakfast in bed.

6.  transitive
verb
deal
with something in a particular way: to
present or handle a subject, especially in art or literature, in a particular
way • treat
a delicate subject with great sensitivity

7.  intransitive
verb
discuss
a topic:
to discuss or deal with a topic in writing or speech • a
play that treats of greed and revenge

8.  intransitive
verb
negotiate
terms:
to negotiate, especially in order to reach a settlement (formal) • refusing
to treat with the enemy
noun
(plural treats)

1.  entertainment
paid for by somebody else: something such as food,
entertainment, or a gift that is given to somebody and paid for by somebody
else

2.  act
of paying for somebody else: an act of paying for
something such as food, entertainment, or a gift, for somebody else

3.  something
enjoyable:
something enjoyable, especially when a surprise • It’s
a treat to see a smile on his face again.
[13th
century. Via Old French traitier, “to bargain with, negotiate,” from
Latin tractare, “to handle,” literally “to drag about,” from trahere,
“to pull” (source of English contract
).]
—treat·a·ble,
adjective

—treat·er, noun[1]



treatise

treatise
trea·tise 
[trtiss] (plural trea·tis·es)
noun

detailed
written account of a subject: a formal written work that
deals with a subject systematically and usually extensively
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman tretiz from Old French traitier (see treat ).][1]



treatment

treatment
treat·ment 
[trtmənt] (plural treat·ments)
noun

1.  MEDICINE provision
of medical care: the application of medical care to cure
disease, heal injuries, or ease symptoms

2.  MEDICINE medical
care:
a particular remedy, procedure, or technique for curing or alleviating a
disease, injury, or condition • a new
treatment for asthma

3.  way
of handling somebody or something: the particular way in
which somebody or something is dealt with or handled • had
pretty rough treatment

4.  ARTS presentation
of a subject: the way of presenting or handling a
subject, especially in art or literature

5.  CINEMA schematic
version of a movie: a schematic version of a
movie script, generally without dialogue and individual shots, indicating how
the story is to be dealt with in a screenplay

6.  TECHNOLOGY treating
something with agent: an act of subjecting
something to a physical, chemical, or biological process or agent

7.  usual
actions taken: the usual way of dealing with somebody
or something in a particular situation (informal) • As
guests of the government we got the full VIP treatment.

[1]



treaty

treaty
trea·ty 
[trtee] (plural trea·ties) noun

1.  POLITICS agreement
between states: a formal contract or agreement
negotiated between countries or other political entities

2.  pact:
an agreement or contract between two or more parties
[14th century. Via Old French
traité, “assembly, agreement, treaty,” from Latin tractatus, from
tractare (see treat ).][1]



treatyIndian

treatyIndian
trea·ty
In·di·an
(plural trea·ty In·di·ans) noun

Canada
See Status Indian[1]



treatyport

treatyport
trea·ty
port
(plural trea·ty ports) noun

port open for trade by
treaty: in the past, a port where
foreign trade was allowed by a treaty, especially in China, Japan, and Korea[1]



treble

treble
treb·le 
[trébb’l] adjective

1.  triple:
three times as many or much

2.  MUSIC of or
for the highest musical range: relating to or
intended for a soprano voice or a high-pitched instrument

3.  high-pitched:
high-pitched or shrill
noun
(plural treb·les)

1.  MUSIC high-pitched
instrument or voice: a treble voice, singer,
instrument, or part

2.  high-pitched
sound:
a high-pitched or shrill sound

3.  RECORDING audio
frequency range: the higher audio frequencies
electronically reproduced by a radio, recording, or sound system

4.  RECORDING control
for high-frequency audio response: a control for
increasing or decreasing the high-frequency response on a radio or audio
amplifier

5.  something
tripled:
something three times as many or as much
intransitive
and transitive verb (past treb·led,
past participle treb·led, present participle treb·ling,
3rd person present singular treb·les)

triple something:
to become or make something become three times as many or as much • output
has trebled over the past year
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin triplus, “triple.” In the sense
“high-pitched,” from early contrapuntal music, in which the highest voice part
was the third part (after tenor and alto).]
—treb·le·ness,
noun

—treb·ly, adverb[1]



trebleclef

trebleclef
treb·le
clef
(plural treb·le clefs) noun

G clef:
a clef that puts G above middle C on the second line of the staff, used for
soprano and alto voices, high-pitched instruments, and the right hand of
keyboard instruments[1]



Treblinka

Treblinka
Tre·blin·ka
[tre blínkə]

site of two Nazi
concentration camps in eastern Poland, situated near Malkinia, about 97 km/60
mi northeast of Warsaw[1]



trebuchet

trebuchet

treb·u·chet 
[trèbbyə shét] (plural treb·u·chets)
or treb·uc·ket [trèbbyə két] (plural
tre·buck·ets) noun
medieval
siege engine: a medieval siege engine with a sling
attached to a wooden arm for hurling large stones
[14th century. From French trébuchet,
from trébucher, “to overturn,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately
from Latin trans- “across” + Old French buc “trunk (of the
body),” from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



trecento

trecento
tre·cen·to 
[tray chéntō] noun

14th
century:
the 14th century, used especially in referring to Italian art and literature
[Mid-19th
century. From Italian, shortening of mil trecento “one thousand three
hundred.”]
—tre·cen·tist, noun[1]



tree

tree
tree 
[tree] noun (plural trees)

1.  PLANTS large
perennial woody plant: a woody perennial plant that
grows to a height of several feet and typically has a single erect main stem
with side branches

2.  PLANTS plant
resembling a tree: a large shrub or nonwoody
plant that resembles a tree, for example, a palm tree or tree fern

3.  something
branched like a tree: something that has branches
or pegs on which to hang things • a hat
tree

4.  CONSTRUCTION wooden
support:
a wooden beam, bar, or post that supports or is part of a structure

5.  diagram
of a hierarchical structure: a diagram of a hierarchical
structure that shows the relationships between components as branches.
Also
called
tree diagram

6.  COMPUTING hierarchical
data structure: a hierarchical data structure in which
each element contains data and may be linked by branches to two or more other
elements. Every element has only a single predecessor, except for the first,
which is called the root and has no predecessor.

7.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY crystalline
growth:
a branching growth of crystals, particularly of a metal

8.  gallows:
a gallows (archaic)

9.  CHRISTIANITY cross
Jesus Christ died on: in Christianity, the cross
on which Jesus Christ was crucified (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past treed, past participle treed, present
participle tree·ing, 3rd person present singular trees)

1.  force
up a tree:
to chase or force an animal or person to climb a tree

2.  put
in a difficult situation: to force somebody into a
position of difficulty or disadvantage (informal)

3.  stretch
on a shoetree: to stretch or shape a shoe or a boot on
a shoetree
[Old
English trēo(w) . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “oak
tree,” which is also the ancestor of English druid, tray, and trough
.]
—tree·less,
adjective

—tree·less·ness,
noun
be
barking up the wrong tree

to
be mistaken, especially as regards the best way to achieve something

out
of your tree

behaving
irrationally (slang)

up
a tree

in a position of difficulty
or disadvantage (informal)[1]



treediagram

treediagram
tree
di·a·gram
noun

See
tree  noun 5[1]



treefarm

treefarm
tree
farm
(plural tree farms) noun

commercial forest area:
an area where trees are grown commercially for their wood products[1]



treefern

treefern
tree
fern
(plural tree ferns) noun

large tropical fern:
a tropical fern that grows to the height of a tree and has a crown of fronds.
Family: Cyatheaceae Marattiaceae[1]



treefrog

treefrog
tree
frog
(plural tree frogs) noun

small tree-climbing frog:
a small frog, found mainly in America, Asia, and Australia, that has long
digits with adhesive disks that allow it to climb trees. Family: Hylidae
Also called
tree toad[1]



treehopper

treehopper
tree·hop·per 
[tr hòppər] (plural tree·hop·pers)
noun

small sap-sucking insect:
a small tree-dwelling insect that feeds on the sap of trees. Many species have
grotesque projections on their backs. Family: Membracidae[1]



treehouse

treehouse
tree
house
(plural tree hous·es) noun

platform or house in a tree:
a platform, often with a roof and walls, built among the branches of a tree,
especially for children to play in[1]



treeline

treeline
tree
line
(plural tree lines) noun

1.  See
timberline

2.  forest
edge:
the edge of a wood or forest

[1]



treen

treen
tre·en 
[treen] noun

wooden
utensils:
tableware and other household utensils made of wood
adjective

wooden:
made of wood (archaic)
[Old English trēowen,
“made of wood,” from tree . “Wooden
tableware” dates from the early 20th century.][1]



treenail

treenail
tree·nail
[tr nàyl, trénn’l,
trúnn’l] (plural tree·nails) or
tre·nail [tr nàyl, trénn’l, trúnn’l]
(plural tre·nails) or trun·nel [trúnn’l] (plural trun·nels) noun

wooden peg used in
shipbuilding: a large cylindrical peg
made of dry wood that expands to give a tight fit when it is wet and is used to
fasten timbers together, for example, in ships[1]



tree-of-heaven

tree-of-heaven
tree-of-heav·en 
(plural trees-of-heav·en) noun

fast-growing Chinese tree:
a deciduous tree, originally Chinese but now cultivated elsewhere, that grows
rapidly and has foul-smelling flowers. Latin name: Ailanthus altissima Ailanthus
glandulosa[1]



treeof knowledge

treeof knowledge
tree
of knowl·edge noun

tree in the Garden of Eden:
in the Bible, the tree that grew in the Garden of Eden and produced the fruit
that was forbidden to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:9, 3)[1]



treeof life

treeof life
tree
of life
noun

tree conferring eternal life:
in the Bible, the tree that grew in the Garden of Eden and produced a fruit
that gave eternal life to somebody who ate it (Genesis 3:22–24)[1]



treering

treering
tree
ring
(plural tree rings) noun

BOTANY
See growth ring[1]



treeshrew

treeshrew
tree
shrew
(plural tree shrews) noun

small tree-dwelling mammal:
a small mammal resembling a squirrel with a long snout that lives in the
forests of Southeast Asia and eats insects. Family: Tupaiidae[1]



treesparrow

treesparrow
tree
spar·row
(plural tree spar·rows) noun

1.  large
N American sparrow: a large North American
sparrow with a chestnut cap and a gray breast with a single dark chest spot.
Latin name: Spizella arborea

2.  small
Eurasian sparrow: a small sparrow of Europe and Asia that
differs from the house sparrow in having a black spot near its ear and a
chestnut crown. It does not normally nest in towns. Latin name: Passer
montanus

[1]



treespiking

treespiking
tree
spik·ing
noun

driving
nails into trees: the act of hammering long nails into
trees as a form of environmental protest, making it dangerous to cut down the
trees using a chainsaw
[Late 20th century][1]



treesurgeon

treesurgeon
tree
sur·geon
(plural tree sur·geons) noun

somebody
who treats diseased trees: somebody trained in pruning
trees or treating diseased or damaged trees, for example, by cutting off
branches or filling cavities
—tree sur·ger·y, noun[1]



treetoad

treetoad
tree
toad
(plural tree toads) noun

See
tree frog[1]



treetomato

treetomato
tree
to·ma·to
noun

U.K.
See tamarillo[1]



treetop

treetop
tree·top 
[tr tòp] (plural tree·tops) noun

top of tree:
the highest branches of a tree[1]



tref

tref
tref 
[trayf] adjective

not
kosher:
not kosher and hence forbidden to Jews under dietary laws.
See
also
kosher
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew ĕrēpāh “flesh from an animal that has been torn,” from ārap
“to tear, rend.”][1]



trefoil

trefoil

tre·foil 
[tr fòyl, tré
fòyl] (plural tre·foils) noun

1.  PLANTS plant
with three-lobed leaves: a plant of the pea family
that has three-lobed leaves, especially clover

2.  BOTANY three-lobed
leaf or part: a leaf or other plant part with three
lobes

3.  three-lobed
shape or object: an object or design with three lobes or
connected parts, such as an emblem used in heraldry

4.  ARCHITECTURE ornament
in the shape of a clover leaf: an architectural
ornament or form resembling a clover leaf
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman trifoil from Latin trifolium, literally “with three
leaves,” from folium “leaf” (source of English foil ).][1]



trehala

trehala
tre·ha·la 
[tri hlə] noun

sugary
substance:
an edible sugary substance that comes from the pupal case of an Asian beetle
[Mid-19th century. Via
Turkish tigale from Persian tīġāl .][1]



trehalase

trehalase
tre·ha·lase 
[tri h làyss, tri
h làyz] noun

enzyme
helping in sugar breakdown: an enzyme found in yeast and
molds that catalyzes the breakdown of the sugar trehalose
[Late 19th century. Coined
from trehala + -ase .][1]



trehalose

trehalose
tre·ha·lose 
[tri h lss, tri
h lz] noun

sugar
stored in fungi: a sugar found in yeast, some fungi,
bacteria, and the blood of many insects. C12H22O11
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from trehala + -ose .][1]



treillage

treillage
treil·lage 
[tray zh, tráylij]
(plural treil·lag·es) noun

trellis:
a trellis or latticework
[Late 17th century. From
French, from treille, from Latin trichila “bower, arbor.”][1]



trek

trek
trek 
[trek] intransitive verb (past
trekked, past participle trekked, present participle
trek·king, 3rd person present singular treks)

1.  make
a long difficult journey: to make a long difficult
journey, especially on foot and often over rough or mountainous terrain

2.  go
slowly or laboriously: to go somewhere slowly or
with difficulty • I had to trek across
town to the other bookstore

3.  South
Africa
go
by ox wagon: to travel in a wagon pulled by an ox
noun
(plural treks)

1.  long
difficult journey: a long difficult journey,
especially on foot and often over rough or mountainous terrain

2.  South
Africa
ox
wagon journey: a journey or migration by ox wagon
[Mid-19th
century. Via Afrikaans from Dutch, “to draw, pull, travel.” The modern meaning
“to travel cross-country by foot” evolved from “to travel by ox wagon.”]
—trek·ker,
noun





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Star
  Trek, a television series created in 1966 by U.S. writer and producer Gene
  Roddenberry (1921-1991). The adventures of the Starship Enterprise, a
  23rd-century spacecraft on a mission “to boldly go where no man has gone
  before,” initially ran for 79 episodes. The popularity of the series later
  gave rise to numerous movie spinoffs, the follow-up television series Star
  Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek:
  Deep Space Nine, and a worldwide network of dedicated fans known as
  Trekkies.

[1]



Trekkie

Trekkie
Trek·kie
[trékee] (plural Trek·kies) noun

fan of “Star Trek”:
a fan of the science-fiction television series “Star Trek” (informal)[1]



trellis

trellis
trel·lis 
[trélliss] noun (plural trel·lis·es)

1.  lattice
for supporting a plant: a lattice of wood, metal, or
plastic used to support plants, usually fixed to a wall

2.  latticework
structure:
a structure made of latticework, especially an arch
transitive
verb
(past trel·lised, past participle trel·lised, present
participle trel·lis·ing, 3rd person present singular trel·lis·es)

1.  train
a plant on a lattice: to support or train a plant
such as a vine on a trellis

2.  make
something into a trellis: to interweave pieces of
wood, metal, or plastic to make a trellis
[14th century. Via Old French
trelis from Latin trilix, literally “three threads,” from licium
“thread of a warp.”][1]



trelliswork

trelliswork
trel·lis·work 
[trélliss wùrk] noun

open framework:
latticework, usually for supporting plants[1]



trematode

trematode
trem·a·tode 
[trémmə td] (plural trem·a·todes)
noun

parasitic
flatworm:
a flatworm that lives as a parasite in the liver, gut, lungs, or blood vessels
of vertebrates, attaching itself by suckers or hooks and sometimes causing
serious disease. Class: Trematoda
Also
called
fluke
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin Trematoda from Greek trēmatōdēs “perforated” (because many
worms of this class have perforated skins), from trēma “hole, orifice.”][1]



tremble

tremble
trem·ble 
[trémb’l] intransitive verb (past
trem·bled, past participle trem·bled, present
participle trem·bling, 3rd person present singular trem·bles)

1.  shake
slightly but uncontrollably: to shake with slight
movements, continuously and uncontrollably, for example, from fear, cold or
anger

2.  vibrate:
to shake or vibrate as a result of an external force • We
felt the house tremble as the train passed.

3.  be
afraid:
to be afraid or anxious about something
noun
(plural trem·bles)

quivering: a
shaking, vibration, or quivering
[14th
century. Via Old French trembler from medieval Latin tremulare
“to shake,” from tremulus “shaking,” from tremere “to shake”
(source of English tremulous ).]
—trem·bling,
adjective

—trem·bling·ly,
adverb

—trem·bly, adjective[1]



trembles

trembles
trem·bles
[trémb’lz] noun

poisoning in livestock:
poisoning in sheep and cattle that have fed on white snakeroot or rayless
goldenrod. Affected animals tremble and become weak. (takes a singular verb)[1]



tremendous

tremendous
tre·men·dous 
[trə méndəss] adjective

1.  very
great:
extremely large, powerful, or great • There
was a tremendous clap of thunder.

2.  very
good:
extremely good, successful, or impressive • a
tremendous improvement

3.  frightening:
causing fear or horror (archaic)
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin tremendus “fearful,” literally “to be
trembled at,” from tremere (see tremble
).]
—tre·men·dous·ly,
adverb

—tre·men·dous·ness, noun[1]



tremolite

tremolite
trem·o·lite 
[trémmə lt] (plural trem·o·lites)
noun

mineral
used as a substitute for asbestos: a white, gray, or pale
green mineral silicate of calcium and magnesium with traces of iron, found in
metamorphic rocks and used as a substitute for asbestos
[Late 18th century. Named for
Tremola, a valley in Switzerland where it was discovered.][1]



tremolo

tremolo
trem·o·lo 
[trémmə l] (plural trem·o·los)
noun

1.  tremulous
sound in music: the rapid repetition of a tone or the
rapid alternation between two tones in singing or playing a musical instrument,
which produces a quavering effect

2.  device
for producing a tremolo: a device in an organ for
producing tremolo
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Latin tremulus (see tremble
).][1]



tremor

tremor
trem·or 
[trémmər] (plural trem·ors) noun

1.  SEISMOLOGY minor
earthquake:
a quivering or vibration caused by slippage of the Earth’s crust at a fault,
especially before or after a major earthquake

2.  MEDICINE trembling:
a slight shaking or trembling movement

3.  shudder:
a quiver or shudder, for example, from fear, illness, or nervousness

4.  sudden
sensation:
a sudden and usually brief feeling of excitement, nervousness, or anticipation

5.  wavering
sound or light: a fluctuation in a sound or light
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French tremour from Latin tremor
“trembling, terror,” from tremere “to shake.”]
—trem·or·ous, adjective[1]



tremulant

tremulant
trem·u·lant 
[trémmyələnt] (plural trem·u·lants)
adjective

tremulous:
shaking or trembling
[15th century. Coined from tremulous + -ant
.][1]



tremulous

tremulous
trem·u·lous 
[trémmyələss] adjective

1.  trembling:
shaking, trembling, or quavering, for example, from fear or nervousness • in
a tremulous voice

2.  fearful:
showing fear or nervousness about something
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin tremulus, from tremere (see tremble ).]
—trem·u·lous·ly,
adverb

—trem·u·lous·ness, noun[1]



trenail

trenail
tre·nail 
noun

See
treenail[1]



trench

trench
trench 
[trench] noun (plural trench·es)

1.  ditch
with steep sides: a long deep hole dug in the ground,
usually with steep or vertical sides

2.  MILITARY protection
against enemy fire: a long excavation, often
with the excavated earth banked up in front, used as a defense against enemy
fire • warfare
conducted in the trenches

3.  OCEANOGRAPHY valley
on the ocean floor: a long narrow valley on an
ocean or sea floor
verb
(past trenched, past participle trenched, present
participle trench·ing, 3rd person present singular trench·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb dig a
trench in something: to dig a long deep hole in
or through something

2.  transitive
verb
MILITARY fortify
something with trenches: to fortify a position with
trenches as a defense against enemy fire

3.  transitive
verb
put
something in a trench: to place something such as a
pipe in a trench
[14th century. From Old
French trenche “ditch, cutting, slice,” from trenchier “to cut,”
from Latin truncare “to cut (off),” from truncus “tree trunk.”][1]



trenchant

trenchant
trench·ant 
[trénchənt] adjective

1.  incisive:
direct, incisive, and deliberately hurtful • trenchant
criticism

2.  energetic:
effective and relevant in the pursuit or achievement of a goal • trenchant
opinions
[14th
century. From Old French, “cutting,” formed from trenchier (see trench ).]
—trench·an·cy,
noun

—trench·ant·ly, adverb[1]



trenchcoat

trenchcoat
trench
coat
(plural trench coats) noun

raincoat:
a belted double-breasted raincoat, originally modeled on a military coat of
World War I[1]



trencher

trencher1
trench·er1 [trénchər]
(plural trench·ers) noun

wooden
platter:
in the past, a wooden platter used to serve or cut food (archaic)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman trenchour from Old French trenchoir, from trenchier
(see trench ).][1]



trencher

trencher2
trench·er2 [trénchər]
(plural trench·ers) noun

trench digger:
somebody or something that digs trenches, especially a machine that cuts a
furrow or ditch in which to lay cables or pipes[1]



trencherman

trencherman
trench·er·man 
[trénchərmən] (plural trench·er·men)
noun

hearty eater:
somebody who eats heartily and enjoys food[1]



trenchfever

trenchfever
trench
fe·ver
noun

contagious disease caused by
a bacterium: a contagious illness
whose symptoms include fever, headaches, and muscle aches, common among
soldiers fighting in trenches in World War I and caused by the bacterium Rochalimaea
quintana[1]



trenchfoot

trenchfoot
trench
foot
noun

painful foot condition:
a painful condition of the feet caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to
cold and wet. It results in loss of sensation, tissue damage, and sometimes
gangrene.[1]



trenchmortar

trenchmortar
trench
mor·tar
(plural trench mor·tars) noun

mortar used in trench
warfare: a small cannon capable of
firing shells at high trajectories over short distances, often used in trench
warfare[1]



trenchmouth

trenchmouth
trench
mouth
noun

MEDICINE
See Vincent’s angina[1]



trenchwarfare

trenchwarfare
trench
war·fare
noun

1.  MILITARY warfare
between entrenched armies: a form of warfare in which
armies conduct attacks on each other from opposing positions in fortified
trenches

2.  long-standing
disagreement: long-standing and bitter conflict in
which opposing parties continually attack each other

[1]



trend

trend
trend 
[trend] noun (plural trends)

1.  tendency:
a general tendency, movement, or direction • a
report documenting recent such trends

2.  prevailing
style:
a current fashion or mode • the
latest trends in designer kitchens
intransitive
verb
(past trend·ed, past participle trend·ed, present
participle trend·ing, 3rd person present singular trends)

tend or move: to
show a tendency or movement toward something or in a particular direction • public
opinion trending toward reunification
[Late 16th century. From Old
English trendan “to revolve” (hence “to turn,” “to turn in a particular
direction”), from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “roundness.”][1]



trendoid

trendoid
trend·oid
[trénd òyd] noun (plural trend·oids)

slavish
follower of fashions: somebody who follows the
latest trends or fashions slavishly (informal)
adjective

following
fashion slavishly: following trends or fashions
slavishly (informal)
[Late 20th century. Coined
from trendy + -oid
.][1]



trendsetter

trendsetter
trend·set·ter 
[trénd sèttər] (plural trend·set·ters)
noun

somebody
or something starting a trend: somebody or something
that starts or popularizes a new trend or fashion
—trend·set·ting, adjective[1]



trendy

trendy
trend·y 
[tréndee] adjective (comparative
trend·i·er, superlative trend·i·est) (informal)

1.  currently
fashionable: relating to or exemplifying the latest
fashion • a
trendy restaurant

2.  reflecting
the latest fad: deliberately reflecting or adopting
fashionable, often faddish, ideas or tastes
noun
(plural trend·ies)

somebody following current fashion:
somebody who follows the latest trends or fashions, often slavishly (informal)
—trend·i·ly,
adverb

—trend·i·ness, noun[1]



trenteet quarante

trenteet quarante
trente
et qua·rante  [trNt ay
ka rNt] noun

GAMBLING See rouge et noir
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “thirty-and-forty”; because thirty and forty are respectively
winning and losing numbers.][1]



Trenton

Trenton
Tren·ton 
[trént’n]

capital city of New Jersey,
in the west central part of the state, 45 km/28 mi northeast of Philadelphia.
Population: 88,675 (1990)[1]



trepan

trepan2
tre·pan2 [trə
pán] or tra·pan [trə pán]
transitive verb (past tre·panned, past participle tre·panned,
present participle tre·pan·ning, 3rd person present singular
tre·pans) (past tra·panned, past participle tra·panned,
present participle tra·pan·ning, 3rd person present singular
tra·pans)

lure
somebody or something: to trap or ensnare somebody
or something (archaic)
noun
(plural tre·pans) (plural tra·pans)

somebody
or something that lures others: somebody or something
that entraps or ensnares others (archaic)
[Mid-17th century. Probably a
variant of trap .][1]



trepan

trepan1
tre·pan1 [trə
pán] noun (plural tre·pans)

1.  SURGERY early
type of trephine: an early cylindrical surgical instrument
( trephine ) used especially to cut a hole
in the skull

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING tool
for cutting disk or cylinder: a machine tool used to
remove a circular disk from a metal sheet or a shallow cylindrical core from a
metal ingot or block. The hole is made by removing a concentric ring of
material as opposed to disintegrating the material originally within the hole, as
with drilling and boring.

3.  MINING rock-boring
tool:
a tool for boring holes in rock
transitive
verb
(past tre·panned, past participle tre·panned, present
participle tre·pan·ning, 3rd person present singular tre·pans)

1.  SURGERY See trephine

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING cut
something out using a trepan: to cut a disk or cylindrical
core from something using a trepan

3.  MINING bore
hole in rock with trepan: to bore a hole in rock using
a trepan
[14th
century. Via medieval Latin trepanum “rotary saw,” from Greek trupanon
“borer,” from trupan “to pierce,” from trupē “hole.”]
—trep·a·na·tion,
noun

—tre·pan·ner, noun[1]



trepang

trepang
tre·pang 
[trə páng] (plural tre·pangs) noun

large
tropical sea cucumber: a large sea cucumber that
lives in the southern Pacific and Indian oceans. It is eaten in soups,
especially in China and Indonesia. Genera: Holothuria Actinopyga
Also
called
bêche-de-mer
[Late 18th century. From
Malay teripang .][1]



trephine

trephine
tre·phine 
[trə fn, tr
fn] noun (plural tre·phines)

surgical
instrument:
a cylindrical sharp or sawtooth-edged surgical instrument used especially to
cut a hole in the skull. It is also used in corneal grafting to remove an
opaque disk from a cornea so that it can be replaced with a clear disk.
transitive
verb
(past tre·phined, past participle tre·phined, present
participle tre·phin·ing, 3rd person present singular tre·phines)

remove
a circle of bone or tissue: to remove a circular section
from a bone, especially the skull, or from corneal tissue with a trephine
[Early
17th century. From Latin tres fines “three ends,” partly modeled on trepan .]
—treph·i·na·tion [trèffi náysh’n], noun[1]



trepidation

trepidation
trep·i·da·tion 
[trèppi dáysh’n] noun

1.  apprehension:
fear or uneasiness about the future or a future event

2.  trembling:
an involuntary trembling (archaic)
[15th century. From the Latin
stem trepidation-, from trepidare “to startle, be agitated.”][1]



treponema

treponema
trep·o·ne·ma 
[trèppə nmə] (plural trep·o·ne·ma·ta
[trèppə nmətə] or trep·o·ne·mas)
or trep·o·neme [tréppə nm] (plural
trep·o·nemes) noun

disease-causing
bacterium:
a spirochete bacterium that lives as a parasite in warm-blooded animals. One
species causes syphilis in humans. Genus: Treponema
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, from Greek trepein “to turn,” + nēma
“thread.”]
—trep·o·ne·mal, adjective[1]



trespass

trespass
tres·pass 
[tréspəss, tréss
pàss] intransitive verb (past tres·passed, past
participle tres·passed, present participle tres·pass·ing,
3rd person present singular tres·pass·es)

1.  LAW enter
somebody else’s land unlawfully: to go onto somebody
else’s land or enter somebody else’s property without permission

2.  LAW cause
injury:
to cause injury to the person, property, or rights of another

3.  encroach
on somebody: to intrude on somebody’s privacy or time

4.  break
a moral or social law: to commit a sin or break a
social law (archaic)
noun
(plural tres·pass·es)

1.  unlawful
entry onto somebody else’s land: the act or an instance
of going onto somebody else’s land or entering somebody else’s property without
permission

2.  encroachment:
an intrusion into somebody’s privacy or time

3.  sin:
a sin or act of wrongdoing (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French trespas “transgression,” from trespasser
“to pass beyond or across,” from medieval Latin transpassare .]
—tres·pass·er, noun[1]



tress

tress
tress 
[tress] noun (plural tress·es)

1.  lock
of hair:
a lock of long hair, especially a woman’s hair

2.  braid
of woman’s hair: a braid of hair, especially a woman’s
hair (archaic)
plural
noun
tress·es

hair:
somebody’s hair, especially a woman’s long hair
[13th century. From Old
French tresse, of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from Greek trikhia
“rope,” from thrix “hair.”][1]



trestle

trestle
tres·tle 
[tréss’l] (plural tres·tles) noun

1.  supporting
framework:
a supporting framework consisting of a horizontal beam held up by a pair of
splayed legs at each end

2.  CONSTRUCTION tower
for supporting a bridge: any of a series of timber,
steel, or reinforced concrete towers that supports a bridge

3.  CONSTRUCTION bridge
supported by towers: a bridge consisting of
multiple short spans supported by braced towers
[14th century. From Old
French trestel, literally “small beam,” from Latin transtrum
“beam, crossbar.”][1]



trestletable

trestletable
tres·tle
ta·ble
(plural tres·tle ta·bles) noun

table with trestles for legs:
a table whose top is supported on trestles[1]



trestletree

trestletree
tres·tle·tree 
[tréss’l tr] (plural tres·tle·trees)
noun

support for a mast’s
horizontal crosspiece: either of
two horizontal beams fixed to the masthead to support the crosstrees[1]



trestlework

trestlework
tres·tle·work 
[tréss’l wùrk] noun

series of trestles:
a system of supporting trestles, for example, one that supports a bridge[1]



tretinoin

tretinoin
tret·i·noin 
[trétti nòyn] noun

drug
used to treat acne: a drug related chemically to
vitamin A and applied to the skin to treat acne and other skin disorders.
Also
called
retinoic acid
[Late 20th century. Coined
from trans- + retinoic (acid) (coined
from retino- + -ic ) + -in .][1]



trevally

trevally
tre·val·ly 
[trə vállee] (plural tre·val·lies)
noun

edible
Australian fish: an Australian marine food fish with a
slender body and sharply forked tail. Family: Carangidae
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of cavally (see cavalla ).][1]



Trevino,Lee

Trevino,Lee
Tre·vi·no
[trə vnō], Lee (1939– )

U.S.
golfer. He won 27 Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) titles, including six
major tournaments.
Full name
Trevino, Lee Buck[1]



Treviso

Treviso
Tre·vi·so 
[tre vssō]

capital city of Treviso
Province, Veneto Region, northeastern Italy. Population: 84,100 (1990)[1]



trews

trews
trews 
[trooz] plural noun

close-fitting
plaid pants: close-fitting pants, usually made of
plaid cloth, worn by some Scottish army regiments
[Mid-16th century. From Irish
triús or Gaelic triubhas “close-fitting shorts” (also the sources
of English trousers ).][1]



trey

trey
trey 
[tray] (plural treys) noun

card
with three spots: a card, or the face of a die or domino,
with three pips
[14th century. Via Old French
trei(s) from Latin tres “three.”][1]



T.R.H.

T.R.H.
T.R.H.

Abbreviation of
thyrotropin-releasing hormone[1]



tri-

tri-
tri-
prefix

three,
third • trilateral
[From Latin and Greek .
Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “three,” which is also the ancestor
of English three .][1]



triable

triable
tri·a·ble 
[tr əb’l] adjective

1.  LAW subject
to court trial: subject to or fit for trial in a court
of law

2.  capable
of being tested: able to be tested or tried
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman, from try + -able .]
—tri·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



triacid

triacid
tri·ac·id 
[trī ássid] adjective

1.  reacting
with 3 hydrogen atoms: used to describe a base
capable of reacting with three hydrogen atoms per molecule, so that one
molecule of the base can react with three molecules of a monobasic acid

2.  containing
3 replaceable hydrogen atoms: used to describe an acid or
a salt that contains three replaceable hydrogen atoms
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tri- + acid
.][1]



triad

triad
tri·ad 
[tr àd, tr əd]
(plural tri·ads) noun

1.  set
of 3:
a group of three people or things

2.  MUSIC musical
chord:
a musical chord consisting of three notes, especially a chord made up of a
tonic, a third, and a fifth

3.  CHEMISTRY atom
with valence of 3: an atom or chemical group
with a valence of three

4.  MILITARY U.S.
strategic missile force: a U.S. strategic missile
force made up of bombers, land-based ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched
ballistic missiles

5.  LITERATURE Welsh
literary form: a form of composition in ancient Welsh
literature in which subjects or statements are arranged in groups of three
[Mid-16th
century. Via French triade or the late Latin stem triad- from
Greek triados “of three.”]
—tri·ad·ic [trī áddik], adjective[1]



triage

triage
tri·age 
[tree zh, tr
zh] noun

prioritization
of patients for medical treatment: the process of
prioritizing sick or injured people for treatment according to the seriousness
of the condition or injury
[Early 18th century. From
French, from trier (see try ).][1]



trial

trial
tri·al 
[tr əl, trīl]
noun (plural tri·als)

1.  LAW formal
legal process: a formal examination of the facts and
law in a civil or criminal action before a court of law in order to determine
an issue

2.  LAW use of
a court trial: the use of a court trial to determine an
issue or somebody’s guilt or innocence • standing
trial for fraud

3.  test:
a test or experiment to determine the quality, safety, performance, usefulness,
or public acceptance of something • a drug
currently undergoing clinical trials

4.  painful
experience:
an instance of trouble or hardship, especially one that tests somebody’s
ability to endure

5.  somebody
or something troublesome: somebody or something that
causes trouble or annoyance to somebody • He’s
such a trial!

6.  effort:
an earnest attempt to do something (formal) • a
trial to circle the globe in a hot-air balloon

7.  SPORTS preliminary
competition: a sports competition or preliminary test
to select candidates for a later competition
adjective

1.  experimental:
done as a test or experiment • a
trial separation

2.  LAW of a
court trial: relating to or used in a court trial • a
trial judge
[Mid-15th
century. Via Anglo-Norman, or medieval Latin triallum, from Old French trier
(see try ).]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Trial, a novel ( 1925 ) by Austrian writer Franz Kafka. It is the story of
  Josef K, a young bank clerk who is abruptly arrested for an unspecified
  misdemeanor. After a long, unsuccessful attempt to discover the nature of his
  crime, Josef is executed. This enigmatic work is seen as a disturbing
  allegory of the human condition.

[1]



trialand error

trialand error
tri·al
and er·ror
noun

trying of different
alternatives: a method of finding a
satisfactory solution or means of doing something by experimenting with
alternatives and eliminating failures[1]



trialbalance

trialbalance
tri·al
bal·ance
(plural tri·al bal·anc·es) noun

statement in book-keeping:
a statement used to check that the debits and credits in a double-entry
bookkeeping ledger are equal[1]



trialballoon

trialballoon
tri·al
bal·loon
(plural tri·al bal·loons) noun

proposal for testing opinion:
a tentative suggestion, proposal, or plan put forward to test opinion or
reaction.
Also called
ballon d’essai[1]



trialby fire

trialby fire
tri·al
by fire
noun

testing experience:
a thorough test of somebody’s abilities or character under pressure[1]



trialcourt

trialcourt
tri·al
court
(plural tri·al courts) noun

first court:
a court in which a case is first decided, as opposed to a court of appeals[1]



triallawyer

triallawyer
tri·al
law·yer
noun

lawyer in a trial court:
a lawyer who practices in a trial court as opposed to a court of appeals[1]



trialogue

trialogue
tri·a·logue 
[tr ə lòg] (plural tri·a·logues)
or tri·a·log [tr ə lòg] noun

three-way
discussion:
discussion involving three people or groups
[Mid-16th century. Blend of tri- and dialogue
.][1]



trialrun

trialrun
tri·al
run
(plural tri·al runs) noun

test of something new:
a test of something new or untried, especially to assess its performance[1]



triamcinolone

triamcinolone
tri·am·cin·o·lone 
[tr am sínnə ln] noun

drug
used to treat inflammation: a synthetic drug ( corticosteroid ) used to treat inflammation of the
mouth, gums, skin, and joints. C21H27FO6
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tri- + amyl + cinene + prednisolone
.][1]



triangle

triangle



tri·an·gle 
[tr àng g’l] (plural tri·an·gles)
noun

1.  3-sided
plane polygon: a plane figure that has three sides and
three angles. The triangle is a fundamental figure of plane geometry, since it
is the polygon with the fewest sides and any other polygon can be subdivided
into triangles.

2.  object
with 3 sides: something shaped like a triangle

3.  drafting
instrument for ruling lines: any thin, flat, three-sided
instrument used as a drawing and drafting guide to rule straight lines at
specific angles or for determining the angle of ruled lines. Typically the
instruments have angles of 90°, 45°, 60°, and 30°.
U.K.
term
set square

4.  MUSIC percussion
instrument:
a metal bar bent into the shape of a triangle with one angle open, used as a
percussion instrument

5.  3-person
relationship: an emotional relationship involving
three people.
See
also
eternal triangle
[14th century. Via Old French
or directly from Latin triangulum, from triangulus
“three-cornered” (source of English angle
).][1]



triangular

triangular
tri·an·gu·lar 
[trī áng gyələr] adjective

1.  of
a triangle:
relating to or in the shape of a triangle

2.  with
a triangular base: having a base in the shape
of a triangle

3.  having
3 elements:
consisting of or involving three parts or people
[14th
century. From late Latin triangularis, from triangulum (see triangle ).]
—tri·an·gu·lar·i·ty
[trī àng gyə lérrətee], noun

—tri·an·gu·lar·ly [trī áng gyələrlee], adverb[1]



triangulate

triangulate
tri·an·gu·late 
transitive verb [trī áng gyə làyt] (past
tri·an·gu·lat·ed, past participle tri·an·gu·lat·ed, present
participle tri·an·gu·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular tri·an·gu·lates)

1.  measure
something using trigonometric relationships: to
measure something using the trigonometric relationships between pairs of the
sides and angles of triangles

2.  survey
or map something by triangulation: to survey or map an
area by the process of triangulation

3.  split
something into triangles: to divide a surface into
triangles

4.  make
something triangular: to make something into the
shape of a triangle
adjective
[trī áng gyələt, trī
áng gyə làyt]

made up of triangles:
shaped like a triangle or made up of triangles
[15th
century. Formed from Latin triangulum (see triangle
). The adjective came via medieval Latin triangulatus .]
—tri·an·gu·late·ly, adverb[1]



triangulation

triangulation
tri·an·gu·la·tion 
[trī àng gyə láysh’n] (plural tri·an·gu·la·tions)
noun

1.  NAVIGATION method
for determining location trigonometrically: a
navigation technique that uses the trigonometric properties of triangles to
determine a location or course by means of compass bearings from two points a
known distance apart. Space-age global positioning systems enable people to
triangulate their location relative to the known positions of Earth-orbiting
satellites.

2.  dividing
of an area into triangles for surveying: the
division of a large area into adjacent triangles for survey purposes using
trigonometric relationships to calculate the dimensions of an area bounded by
each triangle. One side ( baseline ) and the
angles to the third point of each adjacent triangle are measured, enabling the
lengths of the other sides to be calculated.

3.  NAVIGATION system
of triangles used in triangulation: the
system of triangles laid out in triangulation
[Early 19th century. Coined
from the verb triangulate and -ation .][1]



Triangulum

Triangulum
Tri·an·gu·lum 
[trī áng gyələm] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a small constellation in the
northern hemisphere near Aries and Perseus[1]



TriangulumAustrale

TriangulumAustrale
Tri·an·gu·lum
Aus·tra·le 
[trī àng gyələm aw stráylee] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a small constellation in the
southern hemisphere near the Southern Cross[1]



triarchy

triarchy
tri·ar·chy 
[tr rkee] (plural tri·ar·chies)
noun

1.  rule
by 3 leaders: a system in which a country is ruled by
three leaders

2.  country
with 3 rulers: a country ruled by three leaders
[Early 17th century. Either
from Greek triarkhia “triumvirate,” or coined from tri- + -arch .][1]



Triassic

Triassic
Tri·as·sic 
[trī ássik] noun

geologic
period:
the period of geologic time when reptiles flourished and dinosaurs, modern
corals, and coniferous forests first appeared, 245 to 208 million years ago
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from German Trias, from Latin, “three, triad,” from
Greek, + -ic . From there being three subdivisions to this period.]
—Tri·as·sic, adjective[1]



triathlete

triathlete
tri·ath·lete 
[trī áth lt] (plural tri·ath·letes)
noun

triathlon competitor:
somebody who competes in a triathlon[1]



triathlon

triathlon
tri·ath·lon 
[trī áthlən, trī
áth lòn] (plural tri·ath·lons) noun

athletic
contest with 3 events: an athletic contest in which
the contestants take part in three events, usually swimming, cycling, and
running
[Late 20th century. Coined
from tri- + Greek athlon “contest”
(source of English athletics ).
Modeled on such words as decathlon .][1]



triatomic

triatomic
tri·a·tom·ic 
[tr ə tómmik] adjective

containing
3 atoms:
containing three atoms in each molecule
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from tri- + atomic .]
—tri·a·tom·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



triaxial

triaxial
tri·ax·i·al 
[trī áksee əl] adjective

MATHEMATICS having
3 axes:
having or involving three axes
[Late
19th century. Coined from tri- + axial .]
—tri·ax·i·al·i·ty [trī àksee állətee], noun[1]



triazine

triazine
tri·a·zine 
[tr ə zn, trī
á zn] (plural tri·a·zines) noun

compound
with a 6-membered ring: any of three organic
compounds with a six-membered ring containing three carbon atoms and three
nitrogen atoms. C3H3N3
[Late 19th century][1]



triazole

triazole
tri·a·zole 
[tr ə zl, trī
á zl] (plural tri·a·zoles) noun

1.  compound
with a 5-membered ring: any organic compound with a
five-membered ring containing two carbon atoms and three nitrogen atoms. C2H3N3

2.  chemical
derived from triazole: any chemical derivative of
triazole, several of which are used in photcopying systems
[Late 19th century][1]



tribade

tribade
trib·ade 
[tríbbəd] (plural trib·ades) noun

lesbian:
a lesbian, especially one who takes part in tribadism
[Early 17th century. Via
French or Latin from Greek tribas, from tribein “to rub.”][1]



tribadism

tribadism
trib·a·dism 
[tríbbə dìzzəm] noun

lesbian
practice:
a lesbian practice in which one partner rubs her genitals against the other’s
[Early 19th century. Formed
from tribade .][1]



tribalism

tribalism
trib·al·ism 
[trb’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  tribal
life:
the customs, beliefs, and social organization of a tribe

2.  allegiance
to a group:
loyalty to a tribe or social group
[Late
19th century. Coined from tribal + -ism (see
tribe ).]
—trib·al·ist,
noun, adjective

—trib·al·is·tic [trb’l ístik], adjective[1]



tribasic

tribasic
tri·ba·sic 
[trī báyssik] adjective

1.  reacting
with 3 hydroxyl ions: used to describe an acid
that contains three replaceable hydrogen atoms and is capable of reacting with
three hydroxyl ions per molecule

2.  containing
3 univalent metal atoms: used to describe a compound
that contains three univalent metal atoms or groups in each molecule
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tri- + basic
.][1]



tribe

tribe
tribe 
[trīb] (plural tribes) noun

1.  social
division of people: a society or division of a
society whose members have ancestry, customs, beliefs, and leadership in common

2.  family:
a large family (informal)

3.  group
with something in common: a group of people who have
something in common such as an occupation, social background, or political
viewpoint (disapproving) • rebelled
against the whole tribe of earnest policy works

4.  BIOLOGY taxonomic
division:
a division in the scientific classification of animals and plants, between a
subfamily and a genus

5.  HISTORY ancient
Roman social group: any of the three groups,
Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans, into which ancient Roman society was divided
[13th
century. Via Old French tribu from Latin tribus “one of three
ethnic divisions of the Roman people,” from tri- “three” (source of
English tribune and contribution ).]
—trib·al,
adjective

—trib·al·ly, adverb[1]



tribesman

tribesman
tribes·man 
[trbzmən] (plural tribes·men
[trbzmən]) noun

man tribe member:
a man who is a member of a tribe[1]



tribespeople

tribespeople
tribes·peo·ple 
[trbz pp’l] plural noun

tribe members:
people who belong to a tribe[1]



tribeswoman

tribeswoman
tribes·wom·an 
[trbz wmmən] (plural tribes·wom·en
[trbz wìmmin]) noun

woman tribe member:
a woman who belongs to a tribe[1]



tribo-

tribo-
tribo-
prefix

friction
• triboelectricity
[From Greek tribos
“rubbing,” from tribein “to rub” (source also of English diatribe][1]



triboelectricity

triboelectricity
tri·bo·e·lec·tric·i·ty 
[trbō i lek tríssətee, trbō  lek tríssətee, trìbbō
i lék tríssətee] noun

static
electricity: an electric charge generated by
friction, for example, by rubbing materials together
—tri·bo·e·lec·tric [trbō i léktrik, trìbbō
i léktrik], adjective[1]



tribology

tribology
tri·bol·o·gy 
[trī bólləjee, tri
bólləjee] noun

study
of interacting moving surfaces: the science and
technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion, including the study of
friction, lubrication, and wear
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from tribo- + -logy .]
—tri·bo·log·i·cal
[trbə lójjik’l, trìbbə
lójjik’l], adjective

—tri·bol·o·gist [trī bólləjist, tri
bólləjist], noun[1]



triboluminescence

triboluminescence
tri·bo·lu·mi·nes·cence
[trbō loomi néss’nss, trìbbō loomi néss’nss] noun

luminescence
from friction: luminescence caused by friction
[Late
19th century. Coined from tribo- + luminescence .]
—tri·bo·lu·mi·nes·cent,
adjective[1]



tribrach

tribrach
tri·brach 
[tr bràk] (plural tri·brachs)
noun

metrical
foot:
a metrical foot made up of three short syllables
[Late
16th century. Via Latin tribrachys from Greek tribrakhus, from tri-
“three” + brakhus “short.”]
—tri·brach·ic [trī brákik], adjective[1]



tribromoethanol

tribromoethanol
tri·bro·mo·eth·a·nol 
[tr brōmō éthə nàwl] noun

compound
used as an anesthetic: a white crystalline organic
compound used as a general anesthetic. CBr3CH2OH
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tri- + bromo- + ethanol .][1]



tribulation

tribulation
trib·u·la·tion 
[trìbbyə láysh’n] (plural trib·u·la·tions)
noun

1.  hardship:
great difficulty, affliction, or distress

2.  cause
of suffering: something such as an ordeal that causes
difficulty, affliction, or distress • the
trials and tribulations of the struggling author
[13th century. Via Old French
tribulation from, ultimately, Latin tribulare “to afflict,
press,” from tribulum “threshing tool” (board with sharp points), from terere
“to rub” (source of English attrition
).][1]



tribunal

tribunal
tri·bu·nal 
[trī byn’l, tri
byn’l] (plural tri·bu·nals) noun

1.  law
court:
a court of justice

2.  judging
body:
a body that is appointed to make a judgment or inquiry • an
industrial tribunal

3.  raised
seat:
a bench or seat on a platform where a judge or magistrate sits
[15th century. Directly and
via Old French from Latin tribunal “platform for magistrates,” from tribunus
(see tribune 1 ).][1]



tribunate

tribunate
trib·u·nate 
[tríbbyə nàyt, tri
bynət] (plural trib·u·nates) noun

office
or rank of Roman tribune: the office, rank, or
authority of a tribune in ancient Rome
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
tribunatus, from tribunus (see tribune 1 ).][1]



tribune

tribune1
trib·une1 [trí
byn, tri byn] (plural trib·unes)
noun

1.  HISTORY representative
elected by the Roman common people: a
representative of the common people in the ancient Roman republic, elected
annually

2.  defender
of public rights: a person or institution that defends the
rights of the people
[14th
century. Via Old French tribun from Latin tribunus “magistrate,”
literally “head of a tribe,” from tribus (see tribe
).]
—trib·u·nar·y
[tríbbyəneree], adjective

—trib·une·ship [trí byoon ship, tri
byn ship], noun[1]



tribune

tribune2
trib·une2 [trí
byn, tri byn] (plural trib·unes)
noun

1.  platform:
a raised platform for a speaker

2.  ARCHITECTURE bishop’s
throne or site of it: a bishop’s throne, or an
apse of a Christian basilica containing the throne

3.  ARCHITECTURE church
gallery:
a gallery in a Christian church
[Mid-18th century. From
French and Italian tribuna “raised platform,” alteration of Latin tribunal,
from tribunus (see tribune 1 ).][1]



tributary

tributary
trib·u·tar·y 
[tríbbyə tèrree] noun (plural trib·u·tar·ies)

1.  stream
feeding a larger body of water: a stream, river, or
glacier that joins a larger stream, river, or glacier, or a lake

2.  HISTORY payer
of tribute:
a person or nation that pays a monetary tribute to another
adjective

1.  flowing
into a larger body of water: joining a larger stream,
river, or glacier, or a lake

2.  HISTORY paid
as tribute:
paid or owed as a tribute

3.  paying
tribute:
paying tribute in praise, money, or goods
[14th century. From Latin tributarius
“liable to tax or tribute,” from tributum (see tribute
).][1]



tribute

tribute
trib·ute 
[tríbbyoot] (plural trib·utes)
noun

1.  expression
of gratitude or praise: something said or given to
show gratitude, praise, or admiration

2.  evidence
of good:
something that is indicative of a value, benefit, or good quality in somebody
or something • His
success is a tribute to his determination.

3.  HISTORY payment
by one ruler to another: a payment made by one ruler
or state to another as a sign of submission

4.  extorted
money:
payment exacted or extorted for protection

5.  HISTORY payment
to a feudal lord: in medieval society, a payment made by a
vassal to a lord, or an obligation for such payment
[14th century. Via Old French
tribut, or directly from Latin tributum, from tribuere “to
give out among the tribes,” from tribus (see tribe
).][1]



tricarboxylicacid cycle

tricarboxylicacid cycle
tri·car·box·yl·ic
ac·id cy·cle [tr kaarbok
sìllik ássid sīk’l] noun

See
Krebs cycle[1]



trice

trice1
trice1  [trīss]
noun

moment:
a very short period of time
[15th century. From trice 2 . The
meaning evolved from “resulting from a single pull or tug,” via “taking a short
time.”][1]



trice

trice2
trice2  [trīss]
(past triced, past participle triced, present
participle tric·ing, 3rd person present singular tric·es)
transitive verb

pull
up or secure something: to haul up or fasten
something, especially with a rope
[14th century. From middle
Dutch trīsen “to pull,” from trîse “pulley.”][1]



tricentenary

tricentenary
tri·cen·ten·a·ry
[tr sen ténnəree, tr
sént’n èrree] adjective noun

See
tercentenary[1]



tricentennial

tricentennial
tri·cen·ten·ni·al 
adjective noun

See
tercentenary[1]



triceps

triceps
tri·ceps 
[tr sèpss] (plural tri·ceps·es
or tri·ceps) noun

muscle
attached at 3 points: a muscle that has three
points of anchorage, especially the large muscle running along the back of the
upper arm that straightens the elbow
[Late 16th century. From
Latin triceps “three-headed,” from caput “head.”][1]



triceratops

triceratops

tri·cer·a·tops 
[trī sérrə tòpss] (plural tri·cer·a·tops
or tri·cer·a·tops·es) noun
three-horned
dinosaur:
a plant-eating dinosaur of the Cretaceous Period, somewhat similar in
appearance to a rhinoceros, with a bony crest on the back of its neck and three
horns. Genus: Triceratops
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Greek trikeratos “three-horned” + ōps
“face.”][1]



trich-

trich-
trich-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
tricho-[1]



trichiasis

trichiasis
tri·chi·a·sis 
[tri k əssiss] noun

inward
growth of hair: the inward growth of hair around a body
opening, especially inward growth of the eyelashes, causing irritation of the
eyeball
[Mid-17th century. Via late
Latin from, ultimately, Greek trikhian “to be hairy.”][1]



trichina

trichina
tri·chi·na 
[tri knə] (plural tri·chi·nae
[tri knee] or tri·chi·nas) noun

parasitic
worm:
a small slender nematode worm that infests the intestines of meat-eating
mammals, and whose larvae form cysts in skeletal muscle. Infection may derive
from undercooked meat. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, and fever. Latin
name: Trichinella spiralis
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek trikhinos “hairy,”
from thrix “hair.”]
—trich·i·nal,
adjective

—trich·i·nous, adjective[1]



trichinize

trichinize
trich·i·nize 
[tríkə nz] (past trich·i·nized,
past participle trich·i·nized, present participle trich·i·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular trich·i·niz·es) transitive verb

infest
with trichinae: to infest a person, an animal, or meat
with trichinae (often passive)
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from trichina + -ize .]
—trich·i·nized,
adjective

—trich·i·ni·za·tion [trìkəni záysh’n], noun[1]



Trichinopoly

Trichinopoly
Trich·i·no·po·ly
[trìnchin óppəlee]

Former name for
Tiruchchirappalli[1]



trichinosis

trichinosis
trich·i·no·sis 
[trìkə nṓssiss] noun

disease caused by a parasitic
worm: a disease caused by
infestation with trichinae and marked by fever, muscle pain, and diarrhea,
often resulting from eating undercooked pork infected with the larvae[1]



trichite

trichite
trich·ite 
[trí kt] (plural trich·ites) noun

crystal
in volcanic rock: a dark needle-shaped crystal found in
volcanic rock
—tri·chit·ic [tri kíttik], adjective[1]



trichlorethylene

trichlorethylene
tri·chlor·eth·yl·ene 
noun

See
trichloroethylene[1]



trichlorfon

trichlorfon
tri·chlor·fon 
[tr kláwr fòn] or tri·chlor·phon
[tr kláwr fòn] noun

insecticide:
an organophosphorus insecticide used typically in agricultural sheep dips and
in household ant killer. C4H8Cl3O4P
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tri- + chloro-
+ -fon, a shortening of phosphonate .][1]



trichloride

trichloride
tri·chlo·ride 
[tr kláw rd] or tri·chlo·rid
[tr kláwrid] noun

molecule with chlorine:
any compound with three chloride atoms per molecule[1]



trichloroaceticacid

trichloroaceticacid
tri·chlo·ro·a·ce·tic
ac·id 
[trī klawrō ə stik ássid] noun

corrosive
toxic acid:
a corrosive toxic acid used in weed control and as an astringent and
antiseptic. C2Cl3HO2
[Late 19th century][1]



trichloroethane

trichloroethane
tri·chlo·ro·e·thane
[tr klawrō  thàyn] noun

volatile
liquid:
a volatile colorless nonflammable liquid used in industry as a solvent,
especially for cleaning electrical equipment. C2H3Cl3
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tri- + chloro-
+ ethane .][1]



trichloroethylene

trichloroethylene
tri·chlo·ro·eth·yl·ene 
[tr klawrō éth’l n] or tri·chlor·eth·yl·ene
[tr klawr éth’l n] noun

volatile liquid:
a volatile colorless nonflammable liquid used as a solvent and degreaser, and
as an anesthetic. C2HCl3[1]



trichlorophenoxyaceticacid

trichlorophenoxyaceticacid
tri·chlo·ro·phen·ox·y·a·ce·tic
ac·id
[trī klawrō fee noksee ə stik ássid] noun

See
2,4,5-T
[Early 19th century. Coined
from tri- + chloro-
+ pheno- + oxy-
+ acetic .][1]



trichlorphon

trichlorphon
tri·chlor·phon
noun

CHEMISTRY
See trichlorfon[1]



tricho-

tricho-
tricho-
prefix

hair,
filament, thread • trichoid
[From Greek trikh-,
the stem of thrix “hair” (source of English tress
and trichina )][1]



trichocyst

trichocyst
trich·o·cyst 
[tríkə sìst] (plural trich·o·cysts)
noun

stinging
filament of a protozoan: a stinging or grasping organ
resembling a thread that protrudes from minute cavities on the surface of some
protozoans, especially ciliates, ejected from minute cavities
—trich·o·cys·tic [trìkə sístik], adjective[1]



trichogyne

trichogyne
trich·o·gyne 
[tríkə jn, tríkə
gn] (plural trich·o·gynes) noun

receptor
for fertilization in fungi: a projection resembling a
hair on the female sex organ of some fungi, lichens, and algae that attracts
and receives the male sex cell prior to fertilization
—tri·cho·gyn·i·al
[trìkə jnee əl, trìkə
gnnee əl], adjective

—tri·cho·gyn·ic [trìkə jnik, trìkə
gnnik], adjective[1]



trichoid

trichoid
trich·oid 
[trí kòyd] adjective

resembling hair:
resembling hair or a hair[1]



trichology

trichology
tri·chol·o·gy
[tri kólləjee] noun

study
of hair:
the study and treatment of hair and its diseases
—tri·cho·log·i·cal
[trìkə lójjik’l], adjective

—tri·chol·o·gist [tri kólləjist], noun[1]



trichome

trichome
trich·ome 
[trí km, tr
km] (plural trich·omes) noun

1.  plant
outgrowth:
an outgrowth of a plant’s outer cell layer ( epidermis
). Trichomes have various shapes and functions, and include root hairs.

2.  slender
chain of cells: a filamentous chain of bacterial or
cyanobacterial cells
[Late
19th century. Formed from Greek trikhōma “growth of hair,” from,
ultimately, thrix “hair.”]
—tri·chom·ic [tri kómmik, trī kómmik],
adjective[1]



trichomonad

trichomonad
trich·o·mo·nad 
[trìkə mó nàd] (plural trich·o·mo·nads)
noun

parasitic
protozoan:
a flagellated protozoan that lives as a parasite in the digestive and
reproductive tracts of humans and animals. Genus: Trichomonas
—trich·o·mo·nad·al
[trìkə mónnəd’l], adjective

—trich·o·mon·al [trìkə mónn’l, tri kómmən’l],
adjective[1]



trichomoniasis

trichomoniasis
trich·o·mo·ni·a·sis 
[trìkəmə n əssiss] noun

1.  MEDICINE sexually
transmitted disease: a sexually transmitted
infection, especially of the vagina, marked by persistent discharge and intense
itching. It is caused by a protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis .

2.  VETERINARY MEDICINE infection
of animals:
an infection of animals caused by parasitic protozoans ( trichomonads ). In cattle, this condition can lead
to spontaneous abortion or sterility.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from trichomonad + -iasis
.][1]



trichopteran

trichopteran
tri·chop·ter·an 
[trī kptərən] (plural tri·chop·ter·ans)
noun

See
caddis fly
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Trichoptera, order name, from Greek trikho- (see tricho- ) + ptera, plural of pteron
“wing.”][1]



trichotomy

trichotomy
tri·chot·o·my 
[tr kóttəmee] (plural tri·chot·o·mies)
noun

1.  division
into 3 sections: the division of something into three
categories, classes, elements, or parts (formal)

2.  tripartite
division of human nature: the division of human nature
into body, soul, and spirit
[Early
17th century. From modern Latin trichotomia, from Greek trikha
“in three parts” + -tomy .]
—trich·o·tom·ic
[trìkə tómmik], adjective

—tri·chot·o·mous
[trī kóttəməss], adjective

—tri·chot·o·mous·ly [trī kóttəməsslee], adverb[1]



trichroism

trichroism
tri·chro·ism 
[tr krō ìzzəm] noun

displaying
of 3 colors: the property possessed by some crystals
of showing three different colors when viewed along each of their three axes
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek trikhroos, literally “three-colored.”]
—tri·chro·ic [tr krṓ ik], adjective[1]



trichromat

trichromat
tri·chro·mat 
[tr krō màt] (plural tri·chro·mats)
noun

somebody
with normal color vision: somebody who has normal
color vision and is able to perceive red, green, and blue
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from trichromatic .][1]



trichromatic

trichromatic
tri·chro·mat·ic 
[tr krō máttik] or tri·chrome
[tr krm] or tri·chro·mic [trī krṓmik] adjective

1.  3-color:
relating to, involving, or using three colors

2.  combining
primary colors: involving the combination of the three
primary colors to produce the other colors

3.  relating
to normal color vision: relating to normal color
vision, which is able to perceive red, green, and blue
—tri·chro·ma·tism [trī krṓmə tìzzəm], noun[1]



trichuriasis

trichuriasis
trich·u·ri·a·sis 
[trìkyə r əssiss] noun

parasitic
infestation: intestinal infection with nematodes of
the genus Trichuris . It usually produces no symptoms, but may cause
diarrhea and bleeding in severely infected children.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Trichuris, genus name, from trich-
+ Greek oura “tail.”][1]



trick

trick
trick 
[trik] noun (plural tricks)

1.  cunning
deception:
a cunning action or plan that is intended to cheat or deceive

2.  prank:
a prank, joke, or mischievous action or plan • played
a trick on his sister

3.  special
skill:
a special, effective, or ingenious knack, skill, or technique • taught
me the tricks of the trade

4.  skillful
act designed to amuse: a skillful act or feat,
designed to amuse or entertain • taught
the dog to do tricks

5.  act
of magic:
an act of magic or illusion, especially one involving sleight of hand, designed
to puzzle or entertain • a
conjuring trick

6.  deceptive
effect of light: an illusion, especially one caused by
the light

7.  peculiar
habit:
a peculiar characteristic, habit, mannerism, or way of behaving • He
has this trick of scratching his ear when he’s being evasive.

8.  unforeseen
event:
a strange event or development that was not anticipated or that seems unfair or
sad • a
cruel trick of fate

9.  childish
act:
a childish, disgraceful, or unacceptable action (informal) • Up
to your usual tricks, are you?

10. CARD GAMES cards
from each player in a round: the cards played by all the
players participating in one round of a card game and won by an individual
player

11. period
of duty:
a period of duty, for example, at the helm of a ship

12. prostitute’s
customer:
somebody who hires a prostitute (slang)

13. sex
with somebody for money: an individual engagement
between a prostitute and a client (slang)

14. prison
term:
a period of imprisonment (slang)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tricked,
past participle tricked, present participle trick·ing,
3rd person present singular tricks)

cheat: to
cheat or deceive somebody • Hundreds
of readers were tricked into sending them money.
adjective

1.  of
tricks:
involving or intended to be used for tricks or trickery • trick
photography

2.  performing
tricks:
skilled at doing tricks

3.  made
as an imitation for a joke: made as an imitation of
something so that it can be used to play a joke on somebody

4.  MEDICINE occasionally
symptomatic: displaying symptoms of injury from time
to time (informal) • a
trick ankle
[15th
century. From Old North French trique, of uncertain origin: probably
from, ultimately, Latin tricae “complications, trifles.”]
—trick·er,
noun

—trick·less,
adjective
do
or turn the trick

to
be effective and do what is needed (informal)

never
or not miss a trick

to
notice everything that is happening, or any opportunity that is advantageous (informal)

show
somebody a trick or two

to demonstrate more skill
than somebody who is watching[1]



trickery

trickery
trick·er·y 
[tríkəree] (plural trick·er·ies)
noun

use of tricks:
a trick, or the use of tricks, especially in order to cheat or deceive[1]



trickle

trickle
trick·le 
[trík’l] verb (past trick·led,
past participle trick·led, present participle trick·ling,
3rd person present singular trick·les)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb flow
slowly in a thin stream: to flow or cause something
to flow in a thin stream or in drops • sweat
trickled down his face

2.  intransitive
verb
move
slowly or gradually: to move, come, or go slowly
or gradually • The
crowd trickled slowly away and the park emptied.
noun
(plural trick·les)

1.  thin
slow flow:
a thin slow flow, movement, or stream • a
trickle of blood

2.  act
of flowing in thin stream: an act of flowing or of
causing a liquid to flow in a thin stream
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of the sound.][1]



tricklecharger

tricklecharger
trick·le
charg·er
noun

small
low-current battery charger: a small low-current device
used to recharge batteries slowly and maintain them in a fully charged state
—trick·le charge, noun[1]



trickle-downtheory

trickle-downtheory
trick·le-down
the·o·ry
noun

theory that benefits spread
downward: the economic theory that
financial and other benefits received by big businesses gradually spread to
benefit the rest of society[1]



trickor treat

trickor treat
trick
or treat
noun

children’s
Halloween custom: a Halloween custom in which children
call at neighbors’ houses and threaten to play a trick unless they are given a
treat such as candy
interjection

greeting when
trick-or-treating: used as a
greeting by children when they call on a house in order to ask for candy on
Halloween[1]



trick-or-treat

trick-or-treat
trick-or-treat 
(past trick-or-treat·ed, past participle trick-or-treat·ed,
present participle trick-or-treat·ing, 3rd person present
singular trick-or-treats) intransitive verb

ask for candy on Halloween:
to go to neighbors’ houses and ask for candy on Halloween[1]



trickout

trickout
trick
out
or trick up transitive verb

decorate
somebody or something: to decorate or dress
somebody or something up, especially in a fancy or garish way (literary)
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from the underlying sense of “deception” in the verb,
easily extended to denote “adornment.” Perhaps influenced by the obsolete
French s’estriquer “to deck oneself, adorn.”][1]



trickster

trickster
trick·ster 
[tríkstər] (plural trick·sters)
noun

somebody who plays tricks:
somebody who deceives, swindles, or plays tricks[1]



tricksy

tricksy
trick·sy 
[tríksee] adjective

1.  mischievous:
mischievous, playful, or inclined to play tricks

2.  not
straightforward: intricate, complicated, or over
elaborate

3.  deceitful:
employing craft, cunning, or deceit (archaic)

4.  dapper:
sprucely or smartly dressed (archaic)
—trick·si·ness, noun[1]



tricky

tricky
trick·y 
[tríkee] (comparative trick·i·er,
superlative trick·i·est) adjective

1.  problematic:
difficult to do or deal with and requiring skill, caution, or tact • a
tricky maneuver • a
tricky situation

2.  crafty
or sly:
likely to cheat or outwit somebody
—trick·i·ly,
adverb

—trick·i·ness, noun[1]



triclad

triclad
tri·clad
[tr klàd] noun

flatworm:
a flatworm with an intestine that is divided into three sections. Order:
Tricladida
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of modern Latin Tricladida, from Greek tri- “three” + klados
“branch.”][1]



triclinic

triclinic
tri·clin·ic 
[trī klínnik] adjective

with
3 unequal axes: used to describe a crystal that has
three unequal axes, none of which is perpendicular to another
[Mid-19th century. From -clinic .][1]



triclinium

triclinium
tri·clin·i·um 
[trī klínnee əm] (plural tri·clin·i·a
[trī klínnee ə]) noun

1.  couch:
a couch arranged around three sides of a table and used by ancient Romans to
recline on at meals

2.  Roman
dining room: an ancient Roman dining room, especially
one containing a triclinium
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek triklinion, from triklinos “room with three couches,”
from klinē “couch.”][1]



tricolor

tricolor
tri·col·or 
[tr kùllər] noun (plural tri·col·ors)

1.  3-colored
flag:
a flag with three colors

2.  tri·col·or
or Tri·col·or French national flag:
the French national flag, consisting of three equal vertical bands of blue,
white, and red

3.  ZOOLOGY 3-colored
dog:
a black, tan, and white dog
adjective
tri·col·or tri·col·ored

1.  3-colored:
with, involving, or using three colors

2.  ZOOLOGY pinto:
having a coat of black, tan, and white

[1]



tricorn

tricorn
tri·corn
[tr kàwrn] or tri·corne [tr kàwrn] noun (plural tri·corns)
(plural tri·cornes)

1.  CLOTHES cocked
hat:
a hat with its brim turned up on three sides that was worn by men in the 18th
century

2.  MYTHOLOGY mythical
animal:
an imaginary animal with three horns
adjective

3-horned:
having three horns or corners
[Mid-18th century. Via French
tricorne or directly from Latin tricornis “three-horned,” which
was formed from cornu “horn.”][1]



tricornered

tricornered
tri·cor·nered 
[tr kàwrnərd] adjective

3-cornered:
having three corners[1]



tricot

tricot
tri·cot 
[tr kō] noun

1.  close-knit
fabric:
a plain close-knit fabric of natural or artificial fiber, used particularly for
underwear

2.  ribbed
dress fabric: a soft ribbed dress fabric made of wool
or a wool and cotton mix
[Late 18th century. From
French tricoter “to knit,” of Germanic origin.][1]



tricotine

tricotine
tric·o·tine 
[trìkə tn, trkə
tn] noun

twilled
fabric:
a strong woolen fabric woven with a double twill
[Early 20th century][1]



tricuspid

tricuspid
tri·cus·pid 
[tr kúspid] adjective tri·cus·pid
tri·cus·pi·dal tri·cus·pi·date

1.  3-pointed:
having three cusps or points

2.  of
a tricuspid valve or tooth: relating to a tricuspid
valve or tooth
noun
(plural tri·cus·pids)

part with three cusps:
something such as a tooth, valve, or leaf that has three cusps

[1]



tricuspidvalve

tricuspidvalve
tri·cus·pid
valve
noun

heart valve:
a heart valve consisting of three flaps that prevents blood from flowing back
into the right atrium when the right ventricle contracts.
Also called
right atrioventricular valve[1]



tricycle

tricycle

tri·cy·cle 
[trssik’l] noun (plural tri·cy·cles)
pedal-driven
3-wheeled vehicle: a pedal-driven vehicle with
two wheels at the back and one at the front, ridden now especially by young
children
intransitive
verb
(past tri·cy·cled, past participle tri·cy·cled, present
participle tri·cy·cling, 3rd person present singular tri·cy·cles)
ride
a tricycle:
to ride a tricycle
—tri·cy·clist, noun[1]



tricyclic

tricyclic
tri·cy·clic 
[trī sklik] adjective

CHEMISTRY with
3 rings:
having a molecular structure containing three rings
noun
(plural tri·cy·clics)

PHARMACOLOGY
antidepressant drug:
a tricyclic drug used to treat depression[1]



tridactyl

tridactyl
tri·dac·tyl 
[trī dákt’l] or tri·dac·ty·lous
[trī dáktələss] adjective

ZOOLOGY
with three digits on each limb:
having three claws, fingers, or toes on each limb[1]



trident

trident
tri·dent 
[trd’nt] noun (plural tri·dents)

1.  3-pronged
spear:
an instrument, spear, or weapon with three prongs

2.  MYTHOLOGY 3-pronged
spear of Poseidon or Neptune: in classical mythology, the
three-pronged spear carried by the Greek sea god, Poseidon, or his Roman
equivalent, Neptune
adjective
tri·dent tri·den·tal tri·den·tate

3-pronged:
having three prongs, points, or teeth
[15th century. From Latin trident-,
the stem of tridens, from dens “tooth.”][1]



Trident

Trident
Tri·dent
(plural Tri·dents) noun

ballistic missile:
a U.S.-manufactured ballistic missile system fired from nuclear submarines and
in service with the U.S. Navy and the British Royal Navy[1]



Tridentine

Tridentine
Tri·den·tine 
[trī dén tn, trī
dén tn] adjective

of
the Council of Trent: relating to the Council of
Trent or its decrees, in which the traditional doctrines of Roman Catholicism
were reasserted and the Counter Reformation was begun
noun
(plural Tri·den·tines)

traditionalist
Roman Catholic: a Roman Catholic who adheres to
doctrines laid down by the Council of Trent, especially in opposition to the
reforms of the Second Vatican Council
[Mid-16th century. Via
medieval Latin Tridentinus from, ultimately, Latin Tridentum
“Trent.”][1]



tridimensional

tridimensional
tri·di·men·sion·al 
[tr di ménshən’l, tr
dī ménshən’l] adjective

SCIENCE 3-dimensional:
having three dimensions
—tri·di·men·sion·al·i·ty
[tr di ménshə nállətee, tr dī ménshə nállətee], noun

—tri·di·men·sion·al·ly
[tr di ménshən’lee], adverb[1]



tried

tried
tried 
[trīd]

Past tense of try Past participle of try
adjective
(often used in combination)

1.  proved
to be good:
proved through experience or testing to be good, effective, or reliable • a
tried and tested formula for successful game shows

2.  harried:
subjected to considerable strain, stress, or worry • the
sorely tried teacher of a class of noisy students

[1]



triedand true

triedand true
tried
and true
adjective

proved to be good:
proved through experience or extensive testing to be good, effective, or
reliable • a
tried and true method of instruction[1]



triene

triene
tri·ene
[tr n] (plural tri·enes) noun

chemical compound with 3
double bonds: any chemical compound
that has three double bonds[1]



triennial

triennial
tri·en·ni·al 
[trī énnee əl] adjective

1.  happening
every 3 years: taking place once every three years

2.  lasting
3 years:
lasting for a period of three years
noun
(plural tri·en·ni·als)

1.  third
anniversary: a third anniversary of an event

2.  triennial:
an event that takes place every three years

3.  3-year
period:
a period of three years
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin triennis, from triennium (see triennium ).]
—tri·en·ni·al·ly, adverb[1]



triennium

triennium
tri·en·ni·um 
[trī énnee əm] (plural tri·en·ni·ums
or tri·en·ni·a [trī énnee ə]) noun

3-year
period:
a period of three years
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, formed from annus “year.”][1]



trier

trier
tri·er 
[tr ər] (plural tri·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who tries:
somebody or something that tries, for example, a tester of new things

2.  TECHNOLOGY tool
for testing materials: a tool or implement designed
and used for testing materials, particularly food products, during manufacture

[1]



Trier

Trier
Trier 
[treer]

city in Rhineland-Palatinate
State, southwestern Germany, in the center of a wine-growing region.
Population: 98,900 (1992)[1]



trierarch

trierarch
tri·er·arch 
[tr ə rrk] (plural tri·er·archs)
noun

1.  trireme
captain:
the captain of a trireme in ancient Greece

2.  outfitter
of a trireme: in ancient Greece, a citizen
commissioned to outfit a trireme for the use of a city-state
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin trierarchus
or directly from Greek triērarkhos, literally “trireme commander.”][1]



trierarchy

trierarchy
tri·er·ar·chy 
[tr ə rrkee] (plural tri·er·ar·chies)
noun

1.  system
for supporting the ancient Greek navy: in
ancient Greece, the system that required citizens to subsidize triremes

2.  office
of trierarch: the authority, office, or position of a
trierarch

3.  trierarchs:
trierarchs as a group
[Mid-19th century. From Greek
triērarkhia, from triērarkhos (see trierarch
).][1]



Trieste

Trieste
Tri·este 
[tree ést]

seaport and capital city of
Friuli-Venezia Region, northeastern Italy. Population: 228,398 (1992)[1]



Trieste,Gulf of

Trieste,Gulf of
Tri·este,
Gulf of
[tree ést]

inlet of the northern
Adriatic Sea, bordered by Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia[1]



trifecta

trifecta
tri·fec·ta 
[trī féktə] (plural tri·fec·tas)
noun

U.S.
Australia
bet
on the first 3 in a race: a bet, especially on a
horserace, that involves selecting the competitors that will come in the first
three places in the correct order.
Also
called
triple
[Late 20 century. Blend of tri- + perfecta
.][1]



trifid

trifid
tri·fid 
[tr fìd] adjective

BIOLOGY divided
into 3 parts: used to describe a tail or organ that is
deeply divided into three parts
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin trifidus
“having three clefts” from, ultimately, findere “to split.”][1]



trifle

trifle
tri·fle 
[trf’l] noun (plural tri·fles)

1.  something
trivial:
something that has little or no importance, significance, or value • dismissed
the complaint as a mere trifle

2.  small
quantity:
a small amount of something • What
he’d earned seemed a trifle beside his mountain of debts.

3.  COOKING cold
dessert:
a cold dessert typically consisting of sponge cake soaked in sherry or fruit
juice, spread with jam, jelly, or fruit, and topped with custard or whipped
cream or sometimes both

4.  METALLURGY medium-hard
pewter:
pewter of medium hardness
plural
noun
tri·fles

HOUSEHOLD pewter
utensils:
objects or utensils made of trifle
[13th
century. From Old French trufle, a variant of truffe,
“deception,” of unknown origin.]
—tri·fler,
noun
a
trifle

slightly or somewhat (formal
or humorous)[1]



triflewith

triflewith
trifle
with
transitive verb

treat somebody or something
thoughtlessly: to treat or take
advantage of somebody or something thoughtlessly or without due respect or
consideration • had
trifled with her affections[1]



trifling

trifling
tri·fling 
[trfling] adjective

1.  insignificant:
insignificant, trivial, or of little value

2.  frivolous:
concerned with matters of little importance “He is not a trifling, silly young
man” Jane Austen Emma 1816
—tri·fling·ly, adverb[1]



trifocal

trifocal
tri·fo·cal 
[trī fṓk’l] adjective

with
three focal points: used to describe a lens that
has three different sections, each with a different focal point
plural
noun
tri·fo·cals

eyeglasses with trifocal
lenses: eyeglasses with trifocal
lenses whose three sections correct separately for near, medium, and distant
vision[1]



trifold

trifold
tri·fold
[tr fld] adjective

triple:
consisting of three parts[1]



trifoliate

trifoliate
tri·fo·li·ate 
[trī fṓlee ət] or tri·fo·li·at·ed
[trī fṓlee àytəd] adjective

1.  tri·fo·li·ate
or tri·fo·li·at·ed or tri·fo·li·o·ate BOTANY with 3
leaflets:
used to describe a compound leaf consisting of three leaflets that arise from
the same point, for example, a clover leaf

2.  with
or shaped like 3-part leaves: with leaves composed of
three leaflets or shaped like such a leaf

[1]



triforium

triforium

tri·fo·ri·um 
[trī fáwree əm] (plural tri·fo·ri·a
[trī fáwree ə]) noun
arcaded
passage in a church nave: an arcaded story in a church
between the nave arches and the clerestory
[13th
century. From Anglo-Latin, of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of
trifolium .]
—tri·fo·ri·al, adjective[1]



triform

triform
tri·form
[tr fàwrm] or tri·formed [tr fàwrm] adjective

with a triple form:
having or consisting of three different forms or parts[1]



trifurcate

trifurcate
tri·fur·cate 
adjective [trī fúrkət, trī fúr kàyt, trfərkət,
trfər kàyt] tri·fur·cate tri·fur·cat·ed

three-branched:
divided into three branches or forks
intransitive
verb
[trī fúr kàyt, trfər
kàyt] (past tri·fur·cat·ed, past participle tri·fur·cat·ed,
present participle tri·fur·cat·ing, 3rd person present
singular tri·fur·cates)

divide
into three:
to divide into three branches or forks
[Early
18th century. From Latin trifurcus, from furca “fork.”]
—tri·fur·ca·tion [tr fur káysh’n, trfər
káysh’n], noun[1]



trig

trig1
trig1 [trig]
noun

trigonometry:
trigonometry, especially as a school subject (informal)
[Mid-19th century.
Shortening.][1]



trig

trig2
trig2 [trig]
noun (plural trigs)

chock: a
brake or supporting block used to stop something from rolling (regional)
transitive
verb
(past trigged, past participle trigged, present
participle trig·ging, 3rd person present singular trigs)
(regional)

1.  hold
something in position with block: to stop something from
moving with a block or wedge

2.  prop
or support something: to prop or support
something, for example, with a wedge
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse tryggja “to secure.”][1]



trig.

trig.
trig.

1.  Abbreviation
of
trigonometric

2.  Abbreviation
of
trigonometry

[1]



trigeminal

trigeminal
tri·gem·i·nal 
[trī jémmin’l] (plural trigem·i·nals)
adjective

of
the trigeminal nerve: relating to or involving the
trigeminal nerve
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin trigeminus, literally “three twins,” from Latin geminus
“twin.”][1]



trigeminalnerve

trigeminalnerve
tri·gem·i·nal
nerve
(plural tri·gem·i·nal nerves) or tri·gem·i·nal (plural
trigem·i·nals) noun

cranial nerve:
either of the fifth pair of cranial nerves that provide the jaw, face, and
nasal cavity with motor and sensory functions[1]



trigeminalneuralgia

trigeminalneuralgia
tri·gem·i·nal
neu·ral·gia
noun

severe pain in the face:
a condition involving recurring sudden sharp pain in the face along the
branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Also called
tic douloureux
Also called
tic[1]



trigger

trigger
trig·ger 
[tríggər] noun (plural trig·gers)

1.  ARMS small
lever that fires a gun: a small lever that is
pressed with a finger to fire a gun

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING lever
that operates a mechanism: a small lever or device that
is pressed or squeezed to operate a mechanism, for example, by releasing a
spring

3.  stimulus
for something: a stimulus that sets off an action,
process, or series of events

4.  ENGINEERING signal
for starting an operation: an automatic or manual pulse
or signal for an operation to start
transitive
verb
(past trig·gered, past participle trig·gered, present
participle trig·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular trig·gers)

1.  make
something happen: to set something off, bring something
about, or make something happen • memories
triggered by the sight of old photos

2.  ARMS fire a
weapon by pulling a trigger: to fire a weapon or initiate
an explosion by operating a trigger

3.  ENGINEERING set
something in motion: to initiate electrical or
mechanical activity that will then allow a device to function for a time under
its own control
[Early 17th century. From
Dutch trekker, formed from trekken “to pull.”][1]



triggerfinger

triggerfinger
trig·ger
fin·ger
noun

1.  forefinger:
the finger used to pull the trigger on a gun, usually the right-hand forefinger

2.  MEDICINE bent-finger
disorder:
a disorder, caused by inflammation of the fibrous sheath around a tendon, in
which one or more fingers are locked in a bent position and click if forcibly
straightened

[1]



triggerfish

triggerfish
trig·ger·fish 
[tríggər fìsh] (plural trig·ger·fish
or trig·ger·fish·es) noun

tropical fish with a dorsal
fin spine: a tropical marine fish found
on coral reefs with a thin body and a dorsal fin spine that locks in an erect
position as a protection against predators. Family: Balistidae[1]



trigger-happy

trigger-happy
trig·ger-hap·py 
adjective (informal)

1.  overeager
to shoot:
likely or overeager to shoot a firearm without considering the consequences

2.  rash:
liable to act in a rash or violent way without considering the consequences

[1]



triggerman

triggerman
trig·ger·man 
[tríggər màn] (plural trig·ger·men
[tríggər mèn]) noun (informal)

1.  gunman:
somebody who shoots somebody else, usually as part of a gang committing a crime

2.  bodyguard:
a bodyguard, especially one working for a gangster
[Mid-20th century. Coined
during the height of Prohibition in the United States, an era of violent
criminal activity, especially shootings.][1]



triglyceride

triglyceride
tri·glyc·er·ide 
[trī glíssə rd] (plural tri·clyc·er·ides)
noun

natural fat in tissue:
a chemical compound ( ester ) formed from a
molecule of the alcohol glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids.
Triglycerides constitute many of the fats and oils of animal and vegetable
tissues and, like cholesterol, may have an adverse effect on human health in
excessive amounts.[1]



triglyph

triglyph
tri·glyph 
[tr glìf] (plural tri·glyphs)
noun

block
in a Doric frieze: in classical architecture, a
block carved with three vertical groves that separates the square panels ( metopes ) in a Doric frieze
[Mid-16th
century. Via Latin from Greek trigluphos, from tri- “three” + glup
“carving.”]
—tri·glyph·ic [trī glíffik], adjective[1]



trigon.

trigon.
trigon.

1.  Abbreviation
of
trigonometric

2.  Abbreviation
of
trigonometry

[1]



trigon

trigon
tri·gon 
[tr gòn] (plural tri·gons) noun

1.  MUSIC ancient
triangular harp or lyre: a triangular harp or lyre of
ancient Greece and Rome

2.  ZODIAC See triplicity  noun 3
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin trigonum
from Greek trigōnon “triangle,” from, ultimately, gōnia “angle.”][1]



trigonal

trigonal
trig·o·nal 
[tríggən’l] adjective

1.  triangular:
in the shape of a triangle

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY with
threefold symmetry: used to describe a crystal
that has threefold symmetry
[Late
16th century]
—trig·o·nal·ly, adverb[1]



trigonometricfunction

trigonometricfunction
trig·o·no·met·ric
func·tion
noun

function of an angle:
any of a group of functions of an angle or arc expressed as a ratio of the two
sides of a right triangle containing the angle. The trigonometric functions are
sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant.
Also called
circular function[1]



trigonometry

trigonometry
trig·o·nom·e·try 
[trìggə nómmətree] noun

branch
of mathematics: a branch of mathematics dealing with
properties of trigonometric functions and their applications, for example, in
surveying
—trig·o·no·met·ric
[trìggənə méttrik], adjective

—trig·o·no·met·ri·cal
[trìggənə méttrik’l], adjective

—trig·o·no·met·ri·cal·ly
[trìggənə méttrikəlee], adverb[1]



trigonous

trigonous
trig·o·nous 
[tríggənəss] adjective

BOTANY
triangular in cross section:
used to describe a stem or other plant part that is triangular in cross section[1]



trigram

trigram

tri·gram 
[tr gràm] (plural tri·grams) noun

1.  group
of 3 letters: a group of any three alphabet letters

2.  design
of 3 lines:
one of the eight combinations of three solid or broken lines that are joined in
pairs to form the hexagrams of the I Ching, the Chinese system of divination
—tri·gram·mat·ic
[tr grə máttik], adjective

—tri·gram·mat·i·cal·ly
[tr grə máttikəlee], adverb[1]



trigraph

trigraph
tri·graph 
[tr gràf] (plural tri·graphs)
noun

group
of 3 successive letters: a group of three successive
letters, especially one representing a single sound such as “igh” in “might.”
Also
called
triphthong
—tri·graph·ic
[trī gráffik], adjective

—tri·graph·i·cal·ly [trī gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



trihedral

trihedral
tri·he·dral 
[trī hdrəl] adjective

3-faced:
having three plane faces
noun
(plural tri·he·drals)

See
trihedron[1]



trihedron

trihedron
tri·he·dron 
[trī hdrən] (plural tri·he·drons
or tri·he·dra [trī hdrə]) or
tri·he·dral [trī hdrəl] (plural
tri·he·drals) noun

GEOMETRY
geometric figure:
a figure formed by the intersection of three planes.
Also called
trihedral[1]



trihedron

trihedron
tri·he·dron 
[trī hdrən] (plural tri·he·drons
or tri·he·dra [trī hdrə]) or
tri·he·dral [trī hdrəl] (plural
tri·he·drals) noun

GEOMETRY
geometric figure:
a figure formed by the intersection of three planes.
Also called
trihedral[1]



triiodothyronine

triiodothyronine
tri·i·o·do·thy·ro·nine 
[tr ī ōdō thrə nn] noun

thyroid
hormone:
an iodine-containing amino acid with activity similar to thyroxine but more
potent, used to treat hypothyroidism. C15H12I3NO4
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tri- + iodo-
+ thyronine .][1]



trijet

trijet
tri·jet
[tr jèt] (plural tri·jets) noun

airplane with 3 jet engines:
an airplane propelled by three jet engines[1]



trike

trike
trike 
[trīk] (plural trikes) noun

tricycle:
a child’s tricycle (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Shortening and alteration of tricycle .][1]



trilateral

trilateral
tri·lat·er·al 
[tr láttərəl, tr
láttrəl] adjective

1.  3-sided:
used to describe a geometric figure that has three sides

2.  tripartite:
involving three countries or parties
noun
(plural tri·lat·er·als)

3-sided figure:
a geometric figure with three sides
—tri·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



trilateralism

trilateralism
tri·lat·er·al·ism 
[tr láttərə lìzzəm, tr láttrə lìzzəm] noun

3-sided
relations:
three-sided relations or discussions between nations, areas, or groups
—tri·lat·er·al·ist, noun[1]



trilinear

trilinear
tri·lin·e·ar 
[trī línnee ər] adjective

of 3 lines:
consisting of, contained by, or involving three lines[1]



trilingual

trilingual
tri·lin·gual 
[trī líng gwəl] adjective

1.  knowing
3 languages: able to speak or use three languages,
especially fluently

2.  in
3 languages: relating to or expressed in three
languages.
See
also
bilingual
See
also
monolingual
noun
(plural trilin·guals)

trilingual person:
somebody who speaks three languages well or to an equal extent
—tri·lin·gual·ism,
noun

—tri·lin·gual·ly, adverb[1]



triliteral

triliteral
tri·lit·er·al 
[trī líttərəl] adjective

1.  3-lettered:
consisting of three alphabetical letters

2.  with
3 consonants: consisting of three consonants
noun
(plural tri·lit·er·als)

triliteral word or root:
a root or word consisting of three alphabetical letters or consonants. Roots in
Semitic languages are triliterals.

[1]



trilithon

trilithon
tri·lith·on 
[trī lí thòn, trli
thòn] (plural tri·lith·ons) or tri·lith [tr lith] (plural tri·liths) noun

ancient
stone structure: a prehistoric structure consisting of
two large vertical stones supporting a horizontal stone laid on top of them
[Mid-18th
century. Via Greek, from, ultimately, lithos “stone.”]
—tri·lith·ic [trī líthik], adjective[1]



trill

trill

trill 
[tril] noun (plural trills)

1.  warbling
sound:
a high-pitched warbling sound, especially one made by a bird

2.  MUSIC melodic
ornament:
a musical ornament consisting of rapid alternation between two adjacent notes.
The interval between the notes of a trill can vary but is usually a semitone or
major second.

3.  PHONETICS sound
made by vibrating vocal organs: a sound or consonant
made by two vocal organs vibrating rapidly against each other, for example, the
tip of the tongue vibrating against the ridge behind the front teeth
intransitive and transitive verb
(past trilled, past participle trilled, present
participle trilling, 3rd person present singular trills)

utter something with a trill:
to play, sing, pronounce, or utter something with a trill or sound resembling a
trill
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian trillare, of uncertain origin: perhaps an imitation of the
sound.][1]



trillion

trillion
tril·lion 
[tríllyən] (plural tril·lion or
tril·lions) noun

1.  1
followed by 12 zeros: the number equal to 10 12, written as 1 followed by 12
zeros

2.  U.K.
1
followed by 18 zeros: the number equal to 10 18, written as 1 followed by 18
zeros (dated)

3.  large
number of something: an exceptionally large but
unspecified number or amount of something (informal) (often used in
the plural) • had trillions of fans
wanting to meet her
[Late
17th century. From French, modeled on million .]
—tril·lion,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at billion.

[1]



trillionth

trillionth
tril·lionth 
[tríllyənth] (plural tril·lionths)
noun

one
of a trillion parts of something: one of a trillion
equal parts of something
—tril·lionth, adjective,
adverb[1]



trillium

trillium
tril·li·um 
[tríllyəm] (plural tril·li·ums)
noun

plant
with 3 petals: a North American or Asian plant with a
cluster of three leaves at the top of the stem and a single large white, pink,
or purple three-petaled flower.
Also
called
wake robin
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, of uncertain origin: probably an alteration of Swedish trilling
“triplet,” referring to the triplets of leaves and petals in the plant.][1]



trilobate

trilobate
tri·lo·bate 
[trī lṓ bàyt] or tri·lo·bat·ed
[trī lṓ bàytəd] or tri·lobed [tr lbd] adjective

BOTANY
3-lobed:
used to describe a leaf that has three lobes[1]



trilobite

trilobite
tri·lo·bite 
[trlə bt] (plural tri·lo·bites)
noun

extinct
arthropod:
an extinct Paleozoic marine arthropod with a flat oval body and a dorsal
exoskeleton divided into three vertical sections. Class: Trilobita
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin Trilobites from, ultimately, Greek lobos
“lobe.”]
—tri·lo·bit·ic [trlə bíttik], adjective[1]



trilocular

trilocular
tri·loc·u·lar 
[trī lókyələr] adjective

of
3 chambers:
having or consisting of three cavities, cells, or chambers
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from tri- + Latin loculus “a little
place,” from locus “place.”][1]



trilogy

trilogy
tril·o·gy 
[trílləjee] (plural tril·o·gies)
noun

1.  set
of 3 related works: a group or series of three
related works, especially of literature or music

2.  set
of three:
a set of three related things
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
trilogia, from logos “word” (see -logy
).][1]



trim

trim
trim 
[trim] verb (past trimmed,
past participle trimmed, present participle trim·ming,
3rd person present singular trims)

1.  transitive
verb
make
something tidy by cutting: to make something neat and
tidy by clipping, cutting, or pruning

2.  transitive
verb
cut
something to the required size: to reduce something by
cutting it to the required shape or size • The
editor said I needed to trim the manuscript down to 40,000 words.

3.  transitive
verb
remove
excess by cutting: to reduce or remove something,
especially something excess, by cutting • We
had to trim the budget.

4.  transitive
verb
decorate
something:
to decorate or embellish something • He
trimmed the hat with fur.

5.  transitive
verb
CINEMA edit a
film:
to cut pieces from a film during editing

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb SAILING change the arrangement of
sails:
to change the position or arrangement of the sails so that a ship is ready to
set sail

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb SHIPPING change the distribution of
cargo:
to improve, alter, or maintain a vessel’s balance by changing the way the
ballast or cargo is distributed

8.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL be
balanced in the water: to be or become
well-balanced in the water (refers to a vessel)

9.  transitive
verb
AIR make
adjustments to improve aircraft stability: to
improve the stability of an aircraft, especially by adjustment of the controls
during flight

10. intransitive
and transitive verb alter
an opinion to suit circumstances: to alter opinions or
behavior to suit the circumstances of a particular time as an expedient means
of gaining an advantage

11. intransitive
verb
adopt
a neutral position: to adopt a neutral position
between two parties that are in dispute

12. transitive
verb
beat
somebody thoroughly: to beat or overwhelm
somebody completely (informal) • got
trimmed regularly at tennis by her partner

13. transitive
verb
scold
somebody:
to reprimand or scold somebody (informal)

14. transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to inflict a heavy defeat on somebody or something (informal)

15. transitive
verb
cheat
somebody:
to cheat or deceive somebody (informal)
adjective
(comparative trim·mer, superlative trim·mest)

1.  fit:
fit, healthy, slim, or in good physical condition • had
a trim figure

2.  neat
and tidy:
neat and tidy, compact, or in good order

3.  ready
for use:
fitted out or made ready for use
noun
(plural trims)

1.  act
of cutting:
the cutting of something in order to make it neater or tidier • gave
the hedge a trim

2.  HAIRDRESSING haircut:
a haircut that tidies rather than changes a hairstyle

3.  something
used as decoration: something used for
decoration such as contrasting material attached to a piece of clothing

4.  AUTOMOBILES decorative
parts of a vehicle: the accessories and decorative
parts added to the interior or exterior of a vehicle

5.  CONSTRUCTION decorative
additions to a building: the nonstructural decorative
additions to a building, especially moldings around doorways, windows, and
walls

6.  COMMERCE window
dressing:
the goods, props, and other items placed in a store window

7.  something
trimmed off: a piece of something removed by trimming

8.  CINEMA film
cut during editing: a piece of film eliminated
from a shot during editing

9.  AIR adjustment
of an aircraft for stability: adjustment of the controls
of an aircraft to give stability

10. AIR flight
position:
the position of an aircraft in flight relative to the horizon

11. NAUTICAL appearance
of a vessel: the way a vessel appears when it is
fitted out and prepared for sailing

12. NAUTICAL relation
between a sail and a direction: the relation between
the plane of a sail and the direction in which the vessel is pointing

13. NAUTICAL position
of a vessel: the position of a ship or boat,
especially with reference to the horizontal and to the difference between the
depth in water at the front and back of the vessel

14. NAUTICAL buoyancy:
the relative buoyancy of a submarine
[Old
English trymman “to strengthen.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to be solid” that is also the ancestor of English tree .]
—trim,
adverb

—trim·ly,
adverb

—trim·ness, noun[1]



trimaran

trimaran
tri·ma·ran 
[trmə ràn] (plural tri·ma·rans)
noun

sailboat
with three hulls: a sailboat with three hulls arranged
side by side
[Mid-20th century. Blend of tri- and catamaran
.][1]



trimer

trimer
tri·mer 
[trmər] (plural tri·mers) noun

polymer
with 3 molecules: a polymer formed by combining three
identical molecules
[Mid-20th
century. Coined from tri- + -mer .]
—tri·mer·ic [trī mérrik], adjective[1]



trimerous

trimerous
trim·er·ous 
[trímmərəss] adjective

1.  with
3 parts:
having or consisting of three similar parts or segments

2.  BOTANY with
parts in threes: used to describe a flower with parts
arranged in groups of three
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Greek trimerēs, from meros “part.”][1]



trimester

trimester
tri·mes·ter 
[trī méstər] (plural tri·mes·ters)
noun

1.  period
of 3 months: a period of three months, especially one
of the three three-month periods into which human pregnancy is divided for
medical purposes

2.  EDUCATION 1
of 3 college terms: one of the three terms into
which the academic year is divided by some U.S. colleges, schools, and
universities
[Early
19th century. Via French trimestre from Latin trimestris “of
three months,” from mensis “month.”]
—tri·mes·tral
[trī méstrəl], adjective

—tri·mes·tri·al [trī méstree əl], adjective[1]



trimeter

trimeter
trim·e·ter 
[trímmətər] (plural trim·e·ters)
noun

poetic
line with 3 feet: a line of verse made up of three
metrical feet
[Mid-16th century][1]



trimethadione

trimethadione
tri·meth·a·di·one 
[tr methə d n] noun

epilepsy
drug:
a bitter white crystalline compound with an odor similar to camphor, used as an
anticonvulsant in the treatment of epilepsy. C6H9NO3
[Contraction of tri- + methyl +
di- + -one][1]



trimethroprim

trimethroprim
tri·meth·ro·prim
[trī méthə prìm] noun

antibacterial
drug:
a synthetic drug used as an antibacterial and in the treatment of malaria
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of tri- + methyl + oxy- +
pyrimidine .][1]



trimetric

trimetric
tri·met·ric
[trī méttrik] or tri·met·ri·cal
[trī méttrik’l] adjective

1.  POETRY in
trimeters:
consisting of one or more trimeters

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY See
orthorhombic

[1]



trimetrogon

trimetrogon
tri·met·ro·gon 
[trī méttrə gòn] noun

technique
in aerial photography: a technique in which three
aerial photographs are taken at the same time, one vertical and two at oblique
angles, in order to obtain more topographical detail
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tri- + Metrogon, the name of a
commercial lens.][1]



trimmer

trimmer
trim·mer 
[trímmər] (plural trim·mers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that trims: somebody or something that
trims such as a machine for trimming hedges, lawns, or timber

2.  somebody
altering an opinion according to circumstances:
somebody whose opinions or behavior change to suit the circumstances of a
particular time in order to gain an advantage (disapproving)

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING variable
capacitor:
a small variable capacitor used, usually in parallel with a larger capacitor,
to adjust the overall capacitance of the combination

4.  CONSTRUCTION crosswise
joist:
a joist or beam that is set crosswise and has the ends of the joists running
lengthwise fitted into it

5.  SHIPPING somebody
who stows cargo: somebody who stows the cargo on a ship
to ensure good stability

[1]



trimming

trimming
trim·ming 
[trímming] noun (plural trim·mings)

1.  something
attached as decoration: a piece of material used as
a decoration on clothing or furnishings, for example, a strip of lace, fur, or
braid along the edge of a piece of clothing

2.  act
of something that trims: the act of somebody or
something that trims

3.  beating:
a vigorous beating or thrashing (informal)
plural
noun
trim·mings

1.  COOKING food
accompanying a main dish: the items of food
traditionally served as accompaniments to a main dish

2.  extras:
things added to something as accessories or extras

3.  pieces
cut off during trimming: the parts or pieces cut off
when something is trimmed

[1]



trimolecular

trimolecular
tri·mo·lec·u·lar 
[trmə lékyələr] adjective

of 3 molecules:
relating to or consisting of three molecules[1]



trimonthly

trimonthly
tri·month·ly 
[trī múnthlee] adjective

done
every 3 months: occurring or done every three months
—tri·month·ly, adverb[1]



trimorph

trimorph
tri·morph 
[tr màwrf] (plural tri·morphs)
noun

1.  multiform
mineral:
a substance, especially a mineral, that occurs in three distinct crystalline
forms

2.  form
of trimorph: one of the crystalline forms in which a
trimorph exists

[1]



trimorphism

trimorphism
tri·mor·phism
[tr mawr fìzzəm] noun

1.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY condition
of having 3 crystal forms: the property of existing in
three different crystalline forms

2.  BIOLOGY adoption
of 3 forms:
the adoption of three successive forms during a life cycle, for example, the
forms of larva, pupa, and adult in some insects
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek trimorphos, from morphē “form.”]
—tri·mor·phic
[trī máwrfik], adjective

—tri·mor·phous
[trī máwrfəss], adjective

—tri·mor·phi·cal·ly [trī máwrfikəlee], adverb[1]



trimotor

trimotor
tri·mo·tor
[tr mtər] (plural tri·mo·tors)
noun

aircraft with 3 engines:
a vehicle, typically an airplane, with three engines[1]



Trimurti

Trimurti
Tri·mur·ti 
[tri mrtee] noun

Hindu
trinity of gods: the Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva, the creator, preserver, and destroyer respectively, who represent the
three forms of the supreme being
[Mid-19th century. From
Sanskrit, formed from m&ulineunder;rti “form.”][1]



trinal

trinal
tri·nal 
[trn’l] adjective

triple:
consisting of three parts[1]



trinary

trinary
tri·na·ry 
[trnəree] adjective

1.  triple:
consisting of three parts

2.  by
threes:
progressing in threes

[1]



Trincomalee

Trincomalee
Trin·co·ma·lee
[trìnkōmə l]

town and port in northeastern
Sri Lanka. Population: 52,000 (1986)[1]



trine

trine
trine 
[trīn] adjective

1.  triple:
consisting of three parts

2.  ZODIAC 120°
apart as seen from Earth: used in astrology to
describe two planets or celestial bodies separated by an angle of 120° as seen
from the Earth
noun
(plural trines)

1.  group
of 3:
a group of three, or something consisting of three parts

2.  ZODIAC aspect
of 120° between two planets: in astrology, an aspect of
120° between two planets or celestial bodies as seen from the Earth.
Also
called
trigon
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin trinus, the singular of trini “in threes.”][1]



Trinidad

Trinidad
Trin·i·dad 
[trínni dàd]

island
in the West Indies, a constituent part of Trinidad and Tobago. Population:
1,184,106 (1990) Area: 4,828 sq km/1,864 sq mi.
—Trin·i·dad·i·an [trìni dádee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Trinidadand Tobago




Back to definition

Trinidadand Tobago

[1]



Trinidadand Tobago

Trinidadand Tobago



Trin·i·dad and To·ba·go 
[trìnni dàd ənd tə báy gō]
republic comprising the two southernmost
of the Caribbean Islands, situated off the northeastern coast of Venezuela.
Language: English. Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar. Capital:
Port-of-Spain. Population: 1,130,337 (1997) Area: 5,128 sq km/1,980 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Trinidad and Tobago[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Trinitarian

Trinitarian
Trin·i·tar·i·an 
[trìnni térree ən] (plural Trin·i·tar·i·ans)
noun

believer
in the Christian Trinity: somebody who believes in the
Christian doctrine of the Trinity
—Trin·i·tar·i·an,
adjective

—Trin·i·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



trinitrobenzene

trinitrobenzene
tri·ni·tro·ben·zene 
[tr nītrō bén zn] noun

explosive compound:
an explosive yellow crystalline compound. C6H3(N3O2)3[1]



trinitrotoluene

trinitrotoluene
tri·ni·tro·tol·u·ene 
[tr ntrō tólyoo n] or tri·ni·tro·tol·u·ol
[tr ntrō tólyoo òl] noun

Full form of
TNT[1]



trinity

trinity
trin·i·ty 
[trínnitee] (plural trin·i·ties)
noun

1.  three:
a group of three.
Also
called
triunity

2.  threeness:
the condition of existing as three persons or things
[13th century. Via Old French
trinité, from Latin trinitas, from trinus “threefold” (see
trine ).][1]



Trinity

Trinity
Trin·i·ty
noun CHRISTIANITY

1.  Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit: the union of the three
persons of the Christian God, the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, in a single Godhead.
Also
called
Holy Trinity

2.  See
Trinity Sunday

[1]



TrinitySunday

TrinitySunday
Trin·i·ty
Sun·day
or Trin·i·ty noun

Sunday after Pentecost:
the Sunday eight weeks after Easter when Christians celebrate the doctrine of
the Trinity. It marks an important division in the Christian liturgical
calendar.[1]



trinket

trinket
trin·ket 
[tríngkit] (plural trin·kets) noun

1.  small
item of little value: a small article of little
value such as an ornament or piece of jewelry

2.  something
trivial:
something trivial or unimportant
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



trinomial

trinomial
tri·no·mi·al 
[trī nṓmee əl] adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS having
3 mathematical expressions: consisting of three
mathematical terms or expressions

2.  BIOLOGY having
3 names:
relating to or consisting of three taxonomic names, denoting the genus,
species, and subspecies or variety of an organism
noun
(plural tri·no·mi·als)

MATHEMATICS polynomial
with 3 terms: a polynomial made up of three terms
linked by plus or minus signs
[Late
17th century. A blend of tri- and binomial .]
—tri·no·mi·al·ly, adverb[1]



trinucleotide

trinucleotide
tri·nu·cle·o·tide 
[tr nklee ə td] (plural tri·nu·cle·o·tides)
noun

chemical compound:
a chemical compound consisting of three linked mononucleotides[1]



trio

trio
tri·o 
[tr ] (plural tri·os) noun

1.  group
of 3:
a group or set of three

2.  MUSIC group
of 3 musicians: a group of three musicians who perform
together

3.  MUSIC music
for 3 musicians: a piece of music composed for a group of
three musicians

4.  MUSIC middle
section of a musical piece: the middle section of a
minuet, march, or other piece of music, composed in a contrasting style and
originally written for three instruments

5.  CARD GAMES set
of 3 cards:
a set of three equal-ranking cards, for example, in piquet
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, formed from tri- on the model of duo “duet.”][1]



triode

triode
tri·ode 
[tr d] (plural tri·odes) noun

electron tube:
an electron tube that has an anode, a cathode, and a grid that controls
electron flow between the two[1]



triol

triol
tri·ol 
[tr àwl] (plural tri·ols) noun

chemical compound:
a chemical compound that has three hydroxyl groups[1]



triolet

triolet
tri·o·let 
[tr ələt, tr ələt,
tr ə láy] (plural tri·o·lets)
noun

poem:
a poem consisting of eight lines with a rhyme scheme of abaaabab in which the
first, fourth, and seventh lines are the same, as are the second and eighth
lines
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “small trio.”][1]



triose

triose
tri·ose 
[tr ss] (plural tri·os·es) noun

sugar with 3 carbon atoms:
a simple sugar containing three carbon atoms[1]



trioxide

trioxide
tri·ox·ide 
[trī ók sd] (plural tri·ox·ides)
noun

oxide with 3 oxygen atoms:
an oxide containing three oxygen atoms per molecule[1]



trip

trip
trip 
[trip] noun (plural trips)

1.  journey:
a journey of relatively short duration, especially to a place and back again,
usually for a specific purpose such as a vacation or business meeting

2.  fall
caused by catching the foot: a fall or stumble caused by
catching the foot on something

3.  action
that causes a fall: an action that causes
somebody to fall or stumble

4.  light
step:
a light or nimble skip, step, or tread

5.  error:
a blunder, error, or mistake

6.  TECHNOLOGY something
acting as a switch: a catch or switch that
activates a mechanism

7.  DRUGS drug-induced
hallucination: the experience produced by taking a
hallucinogenic drug (slang)

8.  stimulating
experience:
an intense, emotional, or stimulating experience (slang) • a
nostalgia trip

9.  intense
interest:
an obsessive and often short-lived interest in something (slang)

10. unusual
or amusing thing: something such as an experience, event,
or person that somebody enjoys or takes pleasure in (slang) • living
abroad may not be your trip
verb
(past tripped, past participle tripped, present
participle trip·ping, 3rd person present singular trips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stumble
or cause somebody to stumble: to stumble or fall as a
result of catching the foot on something, or to cause somebody to stumble or
fall by making the person’s foot catch on something • I
tripped and fell.

2.  transitive
verb
catch
somebody in a mistake: to detect or catch somebody
in a mistake

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
mistake:
to make or cause somebody to make a mistake

4.  intransitive
verb
move
with rapid light steps: to move, run, walk, or dance
with rapid light steps • went
tripping off down the road

5.  transitive
verb
TECHNOLOGY cause
a device to operate: to operate or to cause a
device or system to operate

6.  intransitive
verb
DRUGS experience
drug effects: to experience the effects of a
hallucinogenic drug (slang)

7.  intransitive
verb
go
on a journey: to go on a journey, tour, or excursion

8.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL free
an anchor:
to free an anchor from the sea bed so that it hangs loose on the end of its
rope or chain

9.  transitive
verb
SAILING tip
up a yard:
to tilt or tip up a yard or mast so that it can be lowered

10. transitive
verb
SAILING raise
an upper mast: to raise one of the upper masts of a
sailing ship to remove the bar ( fid ) that
supports it so that it can be lowered
[14th
century. From Old French tripper, of Germanic origin.]
—trip·ping·ly, adverb[1]



tripalmitin

tripalmitin
tri·pal·mi·tin 
[trī pálmitin] noun

See
palmitin[1]



tripartite

tripartite
tri·par·tite 
[trī pr tt] adjective

1.  involving
3 parties:
involving, made between, or ratified by three parties, groups, or nations • a
tripartite agreement

2.  in
3 parts:
divided into or made up of three parts

3.  BOTANY with 3
lobes:
used to describe a leaf that has three deeply divided lobes
[15th
century]
—tri·par·tite·ly, adverb[1]



tripartition

tripartition
tri·par·ti·tion 
[tr paar tísh’n] (plural tri·par·ti·tions)
noun

3-way division or sharing:
a division of something into three parts or among three parties[1]



tripe

tripe
tripe 
[trīp] noun

1.  stomach
lining of a cow or sheep: the stomach lining of a
ruminant such as a cow or sheep, used as food

2.  nonsense:
something absurd, untrue, or worthless (informal)
[14th century. From Old
French, of unknown origin.][1]



triphammer

triphammer
trip
ham·mer
[tríp hàmmər] (unmarked inflection trip
ham·mers) or trip·ham·mer [tríp
hàmmər] (plural tripham·mers) noun

power hammer:
a power hammer with a massive head raised by a cam[1]



triphenylmethane

triphenylmethane
tri·phen·yl·meth·ane 
[trī fn’l méth àyn, trī fènn’l méth àyn] noun

hydrocarbon used in dyes:
a colorless crystalline hydrocarbon used in the preparation of dyes. CH(C6H5)3[1]



triphibian

triphibian
tri·phib·i·an 
[trī fíbbee ən] noun (plural tri·phib·i·ans)

1.  TRANSPORT all-purpose
craft:
a craft that can operate on water, on land, and in the air

2.  SPORTS triathlete:
a competitor in a triathlon
adjective

See triphibious
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
tri- and amphibian
.][1]



triphibious

triphibious
tri·phib·i·ous 
[trī fíbbee əss] or tri·phib·i·an
[trī fíbbee əss] adjective

involving
water, land, and air: operating or occurring in
the water, on the land, and in the air
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
tri- and amphibious
.][1]



triphosphate

triphosphate
tri·phos·phate 
[trī fóss fàyt] noun

salt with 3 phosphate groups:
a salt or ester with three phosphate groups[1]



triphosphopyridinenucleotide

triphosphopyridinenucleotide
tri·phos·pho·py·ri·dine
nu·cle·o·tide  [trī fòsfō
pìrrə deen nklee ə td] noun

See
NADP[1]



triphthong

triphthong
triph·thong 
[tríf thòng, tríp
thòng] (plural triph·thongs) noun

1.  vowel
sound with 3 elements: a vowel sound that combines
three elements in one syllable.
See
also
diphthong

2.  See
trigraph
[Mid-16th
century. Via French triphtongue from, ultimately, medieval Greek triphthongos,
from Greek phthongos “sound.”]
—triph·thon·gal [trìf thóng g’l, trìp
thóng g’l], adjective[1]



tripinnate

tripinnate
tri·pin·nate 
[trī pínnət] adjective

having
divided leaves: used to describe a leaf in which the
main stalk bears opposite pairs of leaflets that themselves have a similar
arrangement of secondary leaflets that are also similarly subdivided
—tri·pin·nate·ly, adverb[1]



tripl.

tripl.
tripl.

Abbreviation of
triplicate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








triplane

triplane
tri·plane 
[tr plàyn] (plural tri·planes)
noun

airplane with 3 wings:
an airplane with three main wings positioned above one another[1]



triple

triple
tri·ple 
[trípp’l] adjective

1.  having
3 parts:
consisting of three parts, members, or units

2.  3
times as much: three times as great, as much, or as
many

3.  done
3 times:
done or occurring three times

4.  POETRY with 3
similar syllables: having three similar or
corresponding syllables in a verse

5.  MUSIC with 3
beats:
having three musical beats in a measure
verb
(past tri·pled, past participle tri·pled, present
participle tri·pling, 3rd person present singular tri·ples)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make 3
times as much: to become or cause something to become
three times as great, as much, or as many

2.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL make
a hit in baseball: to make a hit in baseball
that allows the batter to reach third base

3.  transitive
verb
BASEBALL send
a base runner home with a hit: to advance a runner in
baseball by hitting a triple
noun
(plural tri·ples)

1.  something
3 times greater: a number or amount that is three times
greater than another or than usual

2.  BEVERAGES treble
measure:
a measure, usually of an alcoholic beverage, containing three times the amount
of a single measure

3.  set
of 3:
a group, series, or set of three things

4.  BASEBALL hit
with three bases: a hit in baseball that allows a batter
to reach third base.
Also
called
three-base hit

5.  HORSERACING See trifecta
[14th century. Via French or
directly from Latin triplus, from Greek triplous .][1]



triplebond

triplebond
tri·ple
bond
noun

chemical bond with 3 covalent
bonds: a chemical bond having three
covalent bonds between two atoms[1]



TripleCrown

TripleCrown
Tri·ple
Crown 
noun

1.  HORSERACING victory
in 3 major horseraces: in horseracing, victory in
the Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes in the same season

2.  BASEBALL batting,
home-run, and RBI titles: the accomplishment of
leading a baseball league in batting average, runs batted in, and home runs in
a single season

[1]



triple-decker

triple-decker
tri·ple-deck·er 
(plural tri·ple-deck·ers) noun

something with 3 levels:
something such as a building or sandwich with three levels or layers[1]



triple-header

triple-header
tri·ple-head·er
(plural tri·ple-head·ers) noun

3 games in a row:
a program of sports contests, for example, in baseball, in which three games
follow one after the other[1]



triplejump

triplejump
tri·ple
jump
(plural tri·ple jumps) noun

contest involving 3 jumps:
an event requiring an athlete to perform a short run and three consecutive
jumps, landing first on one foot, then the opposite foot, and finally both
feet, in continuous motion.
Also called
hop, step, and jump[1]



triplemeasure

triplemeasure
tri·ple
meas·ure
noun

See
triple time[1]



triple-nerved

triple-nerved
tri·ple-nerved
adjective

with 3 veins on a leaf:
used to describe a leaf that has three main veins[1]



tripleplay

tripleplay
tri·ple
play
(plural tri·ple plays) noun

baseball play:
a play in baseball in which three outs are made[1]



triplepoint

triplepoint
tri·ple
point
(plural tri·ple points) noun

CHEMISTRY
conditions under which 3 phases coexist:
the temperature and pressure at which the solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of
a substance exist in equilibrium[1]



triplerhyme

triplerhyme
tri·ple
rhyme
(plural tri·ple rhymes) noun

3-syllable rhyme:
a rhyme in which three syllables rhyme with another three, for example,
“snobbery” and “robbery”[1]



triplesec

triplesec
tri·ple
sec
noun

sweet orange-flavored
liqueur: a sweet colorless liqueur
that is orange-flavored[1]



triplet

triplet
trip·let 
[trípplət] (plural trip·lets) noun

1.  group
of 3:
three things that are connected or related to each other in some way

2.  one
of 3 offspring: one of three children or animals that
are delivered by the same mother during one birth

3.  GENETICS See codon

4.  PHYSICS group
of 3 elementary particles: a group of three elementary
particles with similar characteristics that differ only in their charge

5.  CHEMISTRY chemical
unit with 2 unpaired electrons: an atom, molecule, or
radical with two unpaired electrons

6.  MUSIC group
of 3 notes:
a group of three notes played in the time usually taken by two notes of the
same value

7.  POETRY verse
of 3 lines:
a poetic stanza of three lines, usually with a single rhyme and sometimes
sharing the same metrical pattern
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from triple, on the model of doublet
.][1]



tripletail

tripletail
tri·ple·tail 
[trípp’l tàyl] (plural tri·ple·tails)
noun

marine
fish with fins resembling a tail: a large bony marine
fish found mainly in tropical waters whose long dorsal, anal, and caudal fins
together resemble a three-lobed tail. Latin name: Lobotes surinamensis
[Early 19th century][1]



tripletime

tripletime
tri·ple
time
noun

musical time signature of 3
beats: a musical meter or time
signature with three beats to the bar • a
waltz in triple time.
Also called
triple measure[1]



triple-tongue

triple-tongue
tri·ple-tongue
intransitive and transitive verb

produce a rapid series of
notes: to produce a rapid series of
articulated notes in a wind instrument such as a trumpet by repeating
articulated syllables with the tongue.
See also
single-tongue
See also
double-tongue[1]



triplewitching hour

triplewitching hour
tri·ple
witch·ing hour noun

time when options and futures
mature: a time when stock options,
stock index futures, and options on such futures all mature at once. Triple
witching hours occur quarterly and are usually marked by highly volatile
trading.[1]



triplex

triplex
tri·plex 
[trí plèks, tr
plèks] (plural tri·plex·es) noun

building
containing 3 apartments: a building divided into
three apartments on three separate floors, or a single apartment that occupies
three floors
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “threefold.”][1]



triplicate

triplicate
trip·li·cate 
adjective [trípplikət]

threefold:
triple or tripled
noun
[trípplikət] (plural trip·li·cates)

with 3 identical parts:
something that has three identical parts to it or that exists in three
identical copies
verb
[tríppli kàyt] (past trip·li·cat·ed,
past participle trip·li·cat·ed, present participle trip·li·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular trip·li·cates)

1.  transitive
verb
make
3 copies of something: to make three identical
copies of something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb multiply
something by 3: to multiply, or cause something to be
multiplied, by three
[15th
century. From Latin triplicat-, the past participle stem of triplicare
“to triple,” from triplex (see triplex
).]
—trip·li·ca·tion [trìppli káysh’n], noun[1]



triplicity

triplicity
tri·plic·i·ty 
[tri plíssətee, trī
plíssətee] (plural tri·plic·i·ties) noun

1.  existence
of 3 identical copies: the condition of existing in
three identical copies

2.  group
of 3:
a group or combination of three

3.  ZODIAC zodiacal
division:
one of the four groups that the zodiac is traditionally divided into, each
separated from the other by 120º and consisting of three astrological signs.
Also
called
trigon
[14th century. From late
Latin triplicitas, from Latin triplex (see triplex ). Originally only in the meaning “group
of three star signs.”][1]



triploblastic

triploblastic
trip·lo·blas·tic 
[trìpplō blástik] adjective

with
3 primary layers: used to describe a multicellular animal
that has three primary germ layers ( ectoderm
endoderm mesoderm
) during embryonic development. This is typical of all multicellular animals
except coelenterates.
See
also
diploblastic
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek triploos “threefold” + -blastic (see -blast
).][1]



triploid

triploid
trip·loid 
[trí plòyd] adjective

with
3 of each chromosome: possessing three
representatives of each chromosome
noun
(plural trip·loids)

triploid
cell or organism: a triploid cell, nucleus, or organism
—trip·loi·dy, noun[1]



triply

triply
trip·ly
[trípplee] adverb

in a triple way:
threefold or in a triple number, measure, or degree[1]



tripod

tripod
tri·pod 
[tr pòd] (plural tri·pods) noun

1.  3-legged
support:
a frame or stand with three legs that are usually collapsible, used for
supporting something such as a camera, compass, theodolite, or other piece of
equipment

2.  3-legged
household object: a piece of furniture such as a pot,
cauldron, stool, or table with three legs
[Early
17th century. From Latin tripod-, the stem of tripus, from Greek tripous,
literally “three-footed,” from pous “foot.”]
—trip·o·dal [tríppəd’l, tr pòdd’l],
adjective[1]



tripoli

tripoli
trip·o·li 
[tríppəlee] noun

light
porous sedimentary rock: a light porous siliceous
sedimentary rock containing schist or shells of diatoms and used in powdered
form for polishing
[Early 17th century. From
French ; named for Tripoli, either the city in Lebanon or that in Libya.][1]



Tripoli

Tripoli
Trip·o·li 
[tríppəlee]

1.  capital
city of Libya, situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the northwestern part of
the country. Population: 1,500,000 (1994)

2.  city
in northwestern Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 500,000 (1985)

[1]



Tripolitania

Tripolitania
Trip·o·li·ta·ni·a 
[tri pòlli táynee ə, trī pəlli táynee ə]

ancient
region surrounding Tripoli in northwestern Libya. Founded as a Phoenician
colony in the 7th century BC, it
was captured by the Turks in the 16th century, and occupied by Italy between
1912 and 1941.
—Trip·lo·ta·ni·an, noun,
adjective[1]



tripos

tripos
tri·pos 
[tr pòss] (plural tri·pos·es)
noun

U.K.
final
B.A. examination at Cambridge University: a
final honors examination for the B.A. degree at Cambridge University in England
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Latin tripus (see tripod
). From the stool occupied by the speaker at commencement, and later his
humorous speech, on the reverse of which was printed the honors list.][1]



tripper

tripper
trip·per 
[tríppər] (plural trip·pers) noun

1.  U.K.
somebody
on a trip:
somebody who is on a journey or outing, especially one taken for pleasure (informal)

2.  DRUGS somebody
taking LSD:
somebody who takes, or is taking, a hallucinogenic drug such as LSD (slang)

[1]



trippet

trippet
trip·pet 
[tríppət] (plural trip·pets) noun

mechanism
that strikes or is struck: a mechanism that strikes
another part at regular intervals or is struck by it
[15th century. Formed from trip .][1]



trippingly

trippingly
trip·ping·ly 
[tríppinglee] adverb

in nimble or lively manner:
in a manner that is nimble, lively, or fluent[1]



trippy

trippy
trip·py
[tríppee] (comparative trip·pi·er,
superlative trip·pi·est) adjective

psychedelic:
accompanied by or producing distorted visual or sound effects similar to those
associated with psychedelic drugs, especially LSD (slang)[1]



tripswitch

tripswitch
trip
switch
(plural trip switch·es) noun

electric switch for breaking
a circuit quickly: an electric
switch designed to interrupt a circuit, or the power to a machine, quickly[1]



triptane

triptane
trip·tane 
[tríp tàyn] noun

chemical
used in aviation fuel: a colorless liquid alkane
used for its antiknock properties in aviation fuel. C7H17
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of trimethylbutane .][1]



triptych

triptych
trip·tych 
[tríptik] (plural trip·tychs) noun

1.  work
of art in 3 pieces: a painting or carving
consisting of three panels, often made as an altarpiece hinged together so that
when the smaller outer panels are folded the middle part is entirely covered

2.  3
connected writing tablets: in ancient times, a set of
three writing tablets hinged or tied together
[Mid-18th century. From Greek
triptukhos “threefold,” from ptux “fold.”][1]



tripwire

tripwire
trip·wire 
[tríp wr] (plural trip·wires)
noun

1.  wire
that activates equipment: a wire that is attached to a
trap, mine, weapon, alarm, camera, or other device in such a way that it will
set the device off if disturbed

2.  hidden
wire for tripping people: a concealed length of wire
or rope stretched across a piece of land at ground level in such a way that an
enemy or intruder will likely trip over it

3.  something
that triggers greater action: something that activates
something greater such as a small military operation that could activate the
use of a larger force

[1]



triquetralbone

triquetralbone
tri·que·tral
bone
[trī kwtrəl bṓn, trī
kwèttrəl bṓn] (plural tri·que·tral bones) or tri·que·tral
[trī kwtrəl bṓn, trī
kwèttrəl bṓn] (plural tri·que·trals) noun

bone
in wrist:
a pyramid-shaped bone in the wrist that connects with the inner bone of the
forearm ( ulna ) on the side of the little
finger
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin triquetrus “three-cornered.”][1]



triquetrous

triquetrous
tri·que·trous 
[trī kwtrəss, trī
kwéttrəss] adjective

3-sided:
triangular, especially in a cross section of something
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin triquetrus “three-cornered.”][1]



triradiate

triradiate
tri·ra·di·ate
[trī ráydee ət] adjective

with
3 projections: having three rays or radiating branches
—tri·ra·di·ate·ly, adverb[1]



Triratna

Triratna
Tri·rat·na
[tree rátnə, tree
rútnə] noun

3
components of Buddhism: the three principal
components of Buddhism, namely the Buddha or teacher, the teaching, and the
priesthood
[From Sanskrit, “three
jewels,” formed from ratna “jewel”][1]



trireme

trireme
tri·reme 
[tr rm] (plural tri·remes) noun

ancient
galley:
a galley, originally used by the ancient Greeks as a warship and later adopted
by the Romans, that had three rows of oars on each side, arranged one above the
other
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French trirème from Latin triremis, literally “having
three banks of oars,” from remus “oar.”][1]



trisaccharide

trisaccharide
tri·sac·cha·ride 
[trī sákə rd] noun

sugar with 3 linked
monosaccharide units: a sugar
that has three linked monosaccharide units[1]



trisect

trisect
tri·sect 
[tr sèkt, trī
sékt] (past tri·sect·ed, past participle tri·sect·ed,
present participle tri·sect·ing, 3rd person present singular
tri·sects) transitive verb

divide
something into 3 parts: to divide something into
three parts, especially equal parts
—tri·sec·tion
[tr sèkshən, trī
sékshən], noun

—tri·sec·tor [tr sèktər, trī séktər],
noun[1]



trisepalous

trisepalous
tri·sep·al·ous 
[trī séppələss] adjective

having 3 sepals:
used to describe the outer whorl ( calyx )
of a flower with three sepals[1]



trishaw

trishaw
tri·shaw
[tr shàw] (plural tri·shaws) noun

See
rickshaw[1]



triskaidekaphobia

triskaidekaphobia
tris·kai·dek·a·pho·bi·a 
[trìs kī dékə fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of number 13: an irrational or obsessive fear of the
number 13
[Early
20th century. Coined from Greek triskaideka “thirteen” + -phobia .]
—tris·kai·dek·a·phobe
[trìs kī dékə fb], noun

—tris·kai·dek·a·pho·bic
[trìs kī dekə fṓbik], adjective[1]



triskelion

triskelion

tri·skel·i·on 
[trī skéllee ən, tri
skéllee ən] (plural tri·skel·i·a [trī
skéllee ə, tri skéllee ə]) or tri·skele
[tr skl, trí
skl] (plural tri·skeles) noun
symbol
with 3 radiating parts: a symbol in the form of
three bent or curved lines or limbs radiating from a common center. It is
sometimes a representation of three human limbs.
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek triskelēs “three-legged,” from skelos “leg.”][1]



trismus

trismus
tris·mus 
[trízməss] noun

spasm
of jaw:
a sustained spasm of the jaw muscles, characteristic of the early stages of
tetanus.
Also
called
lockjaw
[Late
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek trismos “grinding.”]
—tris·mic, adjective[1]



trisoctahedron

trisoctahedron
tris·oc·ta·he·dron 
[tri sòktə hdrən] (plural tris·oc·ta·he·drons
or tris·oc·ta·he·dra [tri sòktə hdrə])
noun

solid
with 24 identical faces: a solid with 24 identical
triangular faces, each triplet of which rests on a face of an underlying
octahedron
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek tris “thrice” + octahedron
.]
—tris·oc·ta·he·dral, adjective[1]



trisodium

trisodium
tri·so·di·um 
[trī sṓdee əm] adjective

with 3 sodium atoms:
containing three sodium atoms in a molecule[1]



trisomy

trisomy
tri·so·my 
[tr smee, trī
sṓmee] noun

condition
of having 3 chromosomes: the genetic condition of
having one or more sets of three chromosomes instead of the usual two
chromosomes. Trisomy is usually followed by the number of the affected
chromosome pair. For example, Down syndrome is trisomy 21.
—tri·so·mic [trī sómmik], adjective[1]



Tristanand Iseult

Tristanand Iseult
Tris·tan
and Iseult
[trìstən ənd i slt, trì stan ənd i slt] or Tris·tram and Isolde [trìstrəm ənd i sṓldə, trìstrəm
ənd i zṓldə] noun

medieval lovers:
a pair of lovers in medieval legend. Tristan was a knight who fell in love with
Iseult, his uncle’s bride, after drinking a love potion.[1]



Tristanda Cunha

Tristanda Cunha
Tris·tan
da Cunha 
[trìstən də knə]

group of volcanic islands in
the South Atlantic Ocean, part of the British dependency of St. Helena.
Population: 313 (1988) Area: 202 sq km/78 sq mi.[1]



tristate

tristate
tri·state
[tr stàyt] adjective

GEOGRAPHY
of 3 adjoining states:
relating to three adjacent states of the United States or the adjoining parts
of them[1]



triste

triste
triste 
[treest] adjective

sad
and melancholy: with a sad, melancholy, or mournful
quality (literary)
[15th century. Via French
from Latin tristis “sad.”][1]



tristearin

tristearin
tri·ste·a·rin 
[trī st ərin, trī
strin] noun

See
stearin[1]



tristich

tristich
tris·tich 
[trístik] (plural tris·tich·s)
noun

3-line
poetic unit: a poem, stanza, refrain, or other
division of poetry that consists of three lines
[Early
19th century. Modeled on distich .]
—tris·tich·ic [tri stíkik, trī stíkik],
adjective[1]



tristichous

tristichous
tris·tich·ous
[trístikəss] adjective

with
3 rows of leaves: used to describe an arrangement of
leaves in which successive leaves arise one-third of the way around the stem
from the previous leaf, thus forming three rows up the stem
[Mid-19th century][1]



tristimulusvalues

tristimulusvalues
tri·stim·u·lus
val·ues
[trī stímmyələss vàl yooz] plural noun

3 values of combined color:
the three values representing the amounts of red, green, and blue light that in
combination match a particular color[1]



Tristram

Tristram
Tris·tram 
noun

See
Tristan and Iseult[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








trisulfide

trisulfide
tri·sul·fide 
[trī súl fd] (plural tri·sul·fides)
noun

sulfide with 3 molecules:
a sulfide that has 3 sulfur molecules per atom[1]



trisyllable

trisyllable
tri·syl·la·ble 
[trī sílləb’l] (plural tri·syl·la·bles)
noun

3-syllable
word:
a word of three syllables, for example, “enormous”
—tri·syl·lab·ic
[trssi lábbik], adjective

—tri·syl·lab·i·cal·ly
[trssi lábbikəlee], adverb[1]



tritanopia

tritanopia
tri·tan·o·pi·a 
[trt’n ṓpee ə] noun

inability
to distinguish blue and green: a rare condition in
which perception of blue and green becomes confused. It is due to the absence
of blue-sensitive pigment in the cone cells of the retina.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Greek tritos “third” + anōpia “blindness.” From not seeing a
third of the color spectrum.][1]



trite

trite
trite 
[trīt] adjective

overused:
overused and consequently lacking in interest or originality
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin tritus, the past participle of terere “to
wear out” (source of English attrition
and contrite ).]
—trite·ly,
adverb

—trite·ness, noun[1]



tritheism

tritheism
tri·the·ism 
[trthee ìzzəm] noun

belief
in 3 gods:
belief in three gods, especially the belief or doctrine that the Christian
Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit consists of three distinct divinities
—tri·the·ist,
noun

—tri·the·is·tic [tr thee ístik], adjective[1]



tritiate

tritiate
tri·ti·ate
[trítee àyt, tríshee
àyt] (past tri·ti·at·ed, past participle tri·ti·at·ed,
present participle tri·ti·at·ing, 3rd person present singular
tri·ti·ates) transitive verb

replace
normal hydrogen with tritium: to replace normal hydrogen
atoms, or chemically combine something, with tritium
—tri·ti·a·tion [trìttee áysh’n, trìshee
áysh’n], noun[1]



triticale

triticale
trit·i·ca·le 
[trìttə káylee] noun

wheat-rye
hybrid:
a high-protein high-yielding cereal plant that is a hybrid of wheat and rye
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
the modern Latin genus names Triticum “wheat” and Secale “rye.”][1]



tritium

tritium
trit·i·um 
[tríttee əm] noun

radioactive
isotope of hydrogen: a radioactive isotope of
hydrogen occurring naturally in trace amounts and having atomic mass 3 and a
half-life of 12.3 years. Although rare in nature it can be produced
artificially and is used in tracers and hydrogen bombs. Symbol T
[Mid-20th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek tritos “third.” So named from its atomic weight of 3.][1]



Triton

Triton2
Tri·ton2  noun

moon
of Neptune:
the largest moon of the planet Neptune, about 2,700 km/1,680 mi in diameter,
and revolving in a direction counter to that of the planet
[From its dependence on the
planet Neptune, in allusion to the demigod Triton’s dependence on the sea god
Neptune][1]



Triton

Triton1
Tri·ton1  [trt’n]
(plural Tri·tons) noun

sea
god:
a god of the sea in Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite,
represented as having the tail of a fish and the upper body of a man
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
from Greek Tritōn .][1]



triton

triton2
tri·ton2 [tr
tòn] (plural tri·tons) noun

nucleus
of a tritium atom: the nucleus of a tritium
atom, consisting of one proton and two neutrons
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from tritium .][1]



triton

triton1

tri·ton1 [trt’n]
(plural tri·tons) noun
marine
mollusk with a spiral shell: a large tropical marine
gastropod mollusk with a heavy multicolored spiral shell. Family: Cymatiidae
[Late 18th century. Via the
modern Latin genus name Triton, from Latin Triton (see Triton ). From representations of the sea god
holding a conch shell.][1]



tritone

tritone
tri·tone 
[tr tn] noun

dissonant musical interval:
a dissonant musical interval composed of three whole tones[1]



triturate

triturate
trit·u·rate 
transitive verb [tríchə ràyt] (past
trit·u·rat·ed, past participle trit·u·rat·ed, present
participle trit·u·rat·ing, 3rd person present singular trit·u·rates)

make
something into powder: to grind or rub a substance
into a fine powder
noun
[tríchərət] (plural trit·u·rates)

finely
ground powder: a finely ground powder, especially a
drug
[Mid-18th
century. From late Latin triturat-, the past participle stem of triturare
“to thresh,” from, ultimately, Latin terere “to rub.”]
—trit·u·ra·ble,
adjective

—trit·u·ra·tor, noun[1]



trituration

trituration
trit·u·ra·tion 
[trìchə ráysh’n] (plural trit·u·ra·tions)
noun

1.  process
of grinding something into powder: the process of
grinding or rubbing a substance into a fine powder

2.  being
a fine powder: the condition of having been ground or
rubbed into a fine powder

3.  PHARMACOLOGY powdered
drug mixture: a mixture of powdered drugs prepared
pharmaceutically, especially one containing lactose

4.  DENTISTRY mixing
of amalgam:
the mixing of an amalgam, usually of silver and mercury, for use in filling
cavities in teeth

[1]



triumph

triumph
tri·umph 
[tr əmf] noun (plural tri·umphs)

1.  success:
an act or occasion of winning, being victorious, or overcoming something

2.  joy
about success: the happiness, pride, or feeling of
elation that comes from winning, being victorious, or overcoming something

3.  outstanding
success:
something that is notable for its exceptional quality or for being a great
achievement • The
reviews hailed the company’s new production of Hamlet as a triumph.

4.  Roman
victory parade: in ancient Rome, a procession through
the streets of Rome to the Capitoline Hill to mark a general’s victory over a
foreign army

5.  celebratory
spectacle:
a public display or parade, especially one held as a festival or celebration (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past tri·umphed, past participle tri·umphed, present
participle tri·umph·ing, 3rd person present singular tri·umphs)

1.  win
or achieve success: to be successful, especially
against an adversary or in combating the odds against success

2.  become
exulted:
to experience the happiness, pride, or feeling of elation that comes from
winning, being victorious, or overcoming something
[14th century. Via Old French
triumphe from Latin triumphus, of uncertain origin: probably via
Etruscan from Greek thriambos “hymn to Dionysus.”][1]



triumphal

triumphal
tri·um·phal 
[trī úmfəl] adjective

commemorating
victory:
celebrating or commemorating a victory • a
triumphal procession
—tri·umph·al·ism,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  triumphal
  or triumphant ?
  Triumphal is a neutral word that
  classifies something as being connected with a success or victory, usually of
  a military kind: • There is a triumphal
  arch in the center of the city. • The
  band will play a triumphal march. Triumphant is a more judgmental word describing
  the feelings that follow a success: • The
  winning team returned home triumphant. • She
  told us of her win with a triumphant look on her face.

[1]



triumphalarch

triumphalarch
tri·um·phal
arch
(plural tri·um·phal arch·es) noun

commemorative structure:
a monument, usually in the form of an ornamental free-standing arch spanning a
street, built to commemorate something, especially an outstanding military
victory[1]



triumphant

triumphant
tri·um·phant 
[trī úmfənt] adjective

1.  full
of pride at victory: displaying or feeling great
pride in having achieved a victory

2.  very
impressive:
outstandingly successful • made a
triumphant reappearance in the role he made famous

3.  triumphal:
triumphal (archaic)
[15th
century]
—tri·um·phant·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at triumphal.

[1]



triumvir

triumvir
tri·um·vir 
[trī úmvər] (plural tri·um·virs
or tri·um·vi·ri [trī úmvə r])
noun

1.  member
of a triumvirate: one of the three people who made up a
triumvirate, especially in ancient Rome

2.  somebody
sharing power with 2 others: somebody who has an equal
share in a position of authority with two other people (formal)
[Late
16th century. From Latin, a back-formation from triumviri “board of
three men,” from trium virum “of three men.”]
—tri·um·vi·ral, adjective[1]



triumvirate

triumvirate
tri·um·vi·rate 
[trī úmvərət, trī
úmvə ràyt] (plural tri·um·vi·rates) noun

1.  Roman
committee of three rulers: a group of three men who
together were responsible for public administration or civil authority in the
government system of ancient Rome

2.  three
sharing authority: a group of three people who
jointly share some responsibility, authority, or power.
Also
called
troika

3.  position
of sharing power: the position of being one of three who
exercise power or authority

4.  term
of office of shared power: the duration of the term of
office for somebody who shares power or authority with two others

5.  rule
by a group of three: government or rule by a
group of three
[Late 16th century. From
Latin triumviratus, from triumviri (see triumvir
).][1]



triune

triune
tri·une 
[tr yn] or Tri·une [tr yn] adjective

three
in one:
consisting of or being three in one, for example, in the Christian Trinity
noun
(plural tri·unes) (plural Tri·unes)

group
of three:
a group consisting of three members, especially the Christian Trinity
[Early 17th century. Coined
from tri- + Latin unus “one.”][1]



triunity

triunity
tri·u·ni·ty 
[trī ynətee] (plural tri·u·ni·ties)
noun

See
trinity[1]



trivalent

trivalent
tri·va·lent 
[trī váylənt] or ter·va·lent [tur váylənt] adjective

1.  with
valence of 3: having a chemical valence of three

2.  with
3 valences:
with three chemical valences

3.  formed
by 3 chromosomes: formed by three homologous chromosomes
that lie close together or appear to join during the first division of meiosis
—tri·va·len·cy, noun[1]



Trivandrum

Trivandrum
Tri·van·drum 
[tri vándrəm]

port and capital city of
Kerala State, southern India. Population: 523,723 (1991)[1]



trivet

trivet
triv·et 
[trívvit] (plural triv·ets) noun

1.  3-legged
stand:
a stand or support, usually metal with three legs, for hot pans and dishes

2.  3-legged
support for pan: a device, usually metal with three legs,
that fits over the grate of a fire to support a pan or kettle
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of the Latin triped-, the stem of tripes
“three-footed,” from pes “foot.”][1]



trivia

trivia1
triv·i·a1 [trívvee
ə] plural noun

unimportant
things:
a collection of insignificant or obscure items, details, or information (takes
a singular or plural verb)
[Early 20th century.
Latinized back-formation from trivial .][1]



trivia

trivia2
triv·i·a2

Plural of
trivium[1]



trivial

trivial
triv·i·al 
[trívvee əl] adjective

1.  having
little value: lacking in seriousness, importance,
significance, or value

2.  commonplace:
lacking any qualities that are unique or interesting

3.  concerned
with trivia: relating to or concerned with trivia

4.  MATHEMATICS with
zero values: used to describe the simplest possible
case mathematically, especially with all mathematical variables equal to zero
[15th
century. From Latin trivialis “relating to the trivium division of
subjects,” hence “commonplace” (because the trivium was considered to
incorporate the less important subjects), from trivium (see trivium ).]
—triv·i·al·ly,
adverb

—triv·i·al·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Medieval
  teachers and scholars recognized seven liberal arts: the lower three,
  grammar, logic, and rhetoric, were known as the trivium, and the upper
  four, arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and music, were known as the quadrivium . The notion of “less important
  subjects” led in the 16th century to the use of the derived adjective trivial for “commonplace, of little importance.”

[1]



triviality

triviality
triv·i·al·i·ty 
[trìvvee állətee] (plural triv·i·al·i·ties)
or triv·i·al·ism [trívvee ə lìzzəm]
(plural triv·i·alisms) noun

1.  unimportance:
the condition or quality of having little importance or seriousness

2.  something
unimportant: something that is considered to lack
importance or seriousness

[1]



trivialize

trivialize
triv·i·al·ize 
[trívvee ə lz] (past triv·i·al·ized,
past participle triv·i·al·ized, present participle triv·i·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular triv·i·al·iz·es) transitive verb

reduce
the importance or value of something: to
treat something as, or make it appear, less important, significant, or valuable
than it really is
—triv·i·al·i·za·tion [trìvvee əli záysh’n], noun[1]



trivialname

trivialname
triv·i·al
name
(plural triv·i·al names) noun

1.  CHEMISTRY popular
name for a substance: a common or popular name for
a substance that does not describe its exact chemical composition

2.  BIOLOGY See specific epithet

[1]



TrivialPursuit

TrivialPursuit
Triv·ial
Pur·suit
Trademark

a trademark for a board game
that tests the players’ knowledge of trivia[1]



trivium

trivium
triv·i·um 
[trívvee əm] (plural triv·i·a
[trívvee ə]) noun

less
important liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, and
logic, three of the seven liberal arts that formed the basis of medieval
university study, traditionally considered to be less important than the other
four.
See
also
quadrivium
[Early 19th century. From
medieval Latin, a variant sense of Latin trivium “place where three
roads cross” (see trivial .][1]



triweekly

triweekly
tri·week·ly 
[trī wklee] adjective

1.  appearing
or done every 3 weeks: occurring, published, or
performed once every three weeks

2.  appearing
or done 3 times weekly: occurring, published, or
performed three times each week
adverb

1.  every
3 weeks:
once every three weeks

2.  3
times a week: three times each week
noun
(plural tri·week·lies)

1.  3-weekly
publication: a publication that comes out every three
weeks

2.  publication
3 times a week: a publication that comes out three times
each week

[1]



-trix

-trix
-trix
suffix

1.  a
woman who performs a particular function • administratrix

2.  a
geometric element that performs a particular function • directrix
[From Latin, the feminine
form of -tor][1]



t-RNA

t-RNA
t-RNA

Abbreviation of
transfer RNA[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TRO

TRO
TRO

Abbreviation of
temporary restraining order[1]



TrobriandIslands

TrobriandIslands
Tro·bri·and
Is·lands 
[tr bree ànd lənds, tr bree nd lənds]

island group of Papua New
Guinea in the Solomon Sea, east of New Guinea. Area: 440 sq km/170 sq mi.[1]



trocar

trocar
tro·car 
[trṓ kr] (plural tro·cars) noun

fluid-extracting
instrument:
a sharply pointed steel rod sheathed with a tight-fitting cylindrical tube ( cannula ), used together to drain or extract fluid
from a body cavity. The whole instrument is inserted then the trocar is
removed, leaving the cannula in place.
[Early 18th century. From
French trocart, from carre “side of an instrument,” from, ultimately,
Latin quadrum “square.”][1]



trochaic

trochaic
tro·cha·ic 
[trō káy ik] adjective

of trochees:
relating to, belonging to, or consisting of trochees
noun
(plural tro·cha·ics)

1.  See
trochee

2.  poem
written in trochees: a poem, or part of a poem,
written in trochees
—tro·cha·ic·al·ly, adverb[1]



trochal

trochal
tro·chal 
[trṓk’l] adjective

ZOOLOGY wheel-shaped:
shaped like a wheel
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek trokhos “wheel” (see trochoid
).][1]



trochanter

trochanter
tro·chan·ter 
[trō kántər] (plural tro·chan·ters)
noun

1.  part
of femur:
one of two rough knobs on the upper thigh bone ( femur
), where the muscles between the thigh and pelvis are attached in humans and
other vertebrates

2.  part
of an insect’s leg: the second segment from the
base of an insect’s leg
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Greek trokhantēr “ball on which the hip bone turns in its
socket,” from trekhein “to run.”][1]



troche

troche
tro·che 
[trṓkee] (plural tro·ches) noun

lozenge:
a medicinal lozenge
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of earlier trochisk, from, ultimately, Greek trokhiskos
“small wheel,” from trokhos “wheel” (see trochoid
).][1]



trochee

trochee
tro·chee 
[trṓkee] (plural tro·chees) noun

2-syllable
metric foot: a metrical foot that consists of one
stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, for example, the word
“human.”
See
also
iamb
Also
called
trochaic
[Late 16th century. Via Latin
trochaeus from Greek trokhaios “running,” from, ultimately, trekhein
“to run.” From the rhythmic pattern that resembles a gallop.][1]



trochlea

trochlea
troch·le·a 
[tróklee ə] (plural troch·le·as)
noun

anatomical
part resembling pulley: an anatomical part or
structure with a grooved surface that resembles a pulley, especially the
surface of a bone over which a tendon passes
[Late 17th century. Via Latin
from Greek trokhileia “pulley.”][1]



trochlear

trochlear
troch·le·ar 
[tróklee ər] adjective

of
a trochlea:
relating to, situated near, or resembling a trochlea or trochlear nerve
[Late 17th century][1]



trochlearnerve

trochlearnerve
troch·le·ar
nerve
(plural troch·le·ar nerves) noun

fourth cranial nerve:
either of the fourth pair of cranial nerves serving the muscle that is used to
rotate the eyeball outward and downward[1]



trochoid

trochoid
tro·choid 
[trṓ kòyd] noun (plural tro·choids)

GEOMETRY curve
formed by point on radius: a curve formed by a point on
the radius of a circle, or on the extended radius, as the circle rolls along a
straight line
adjective
tro·choid tro·choi·dal

1.  MATHEMATICS rotating
about central axis: rotating, showing rotation,
or able to rotate about a central axis

2.  ANATOMY resembling
pivot:
resembling or functioning in the body like a pivot or pulley
[Early
18th century. From Greek trokhoeidēs “wheel-like,” from trokhos
“wheel,” from trekhein “to run.”]
—tro·choi·dal·ly [trō kóyd’lee], adverb[1]



trochophore

trochophore
troch·o·phore 
[trókə fàwr] (plural troch·o·phores)
or troch·o·sphere [trókə sfr]
(plural troch·o·spheres) noun

larval
form of invertebrates: a free-swimming ciliated
larval form of certain invertebrates such as mollusks and rotifers
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek trokhos “wheel” + -phore
.][1]



trod

trod
trod


Past tense of
tread Past participle of tread[1]



trodden

trodden
trod·den


Past participle of
tread[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








trode

trode
trode

(archaic) Past
tense of tread[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








troffer

troffer
trof·fer 
[tróffər] (plural trof·fers) noun

fluorescent
light support and reflector: an inverted recess in a
ceiling that acts as a support and reflector for a fluorescent light
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
trough and coffer
.][1]



troglodyte

troglodyte
trog·lo·dyte 
[trógglə dt] (plural trog·lo·dytes)
noun

1.  cave
dweller:
somebody living in a cave, especially somebody belonging to a prehistoric,
cave-dwelling community

2.  somebody
living in seclusion: somebody who lives alone and
has little to do with other people, especially somebody considered to be
antisocial or unconventional
[Late
15th century. Via Latin Troglodyta from, ultimately, Greek Trōglodutai,
literally “ones who enter a hole,” an alteration of Trōgodutai, an
Ethiopian people.]
—trog·lo·dyt·ic [trògglə díttik], adjective[1]



trogon

trogon
tro·gon 
[trṓ gòn] (plural tro·gons) noun

brightly
colored tropical bird: a tropical or subtropical
tree-dwelling bird with a short hooked bill, long tail, and brightly colored
plumage. Family: Trogonidae
See
also
quetzal
[Late 18th century. Via
modern Latin from, ultimately, Greek trōgein “to gnaw.”][1]



troika

troika
troi·ka 
[tróykə] (plural troi·kas) noun

1.  TRANSPORT horse-drawn
Russian vehicle: a carriage of Russian origin drawn by
three horses harnessed abreast of each other

2.  TRANSPORT 3
horses harnessed together: a team of three horses
harnessed abreast of each other

3.  See
triumvirate  noun 2
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian, formed from troe “group of three.”][1]



troilite

troilite
tro·i·lite
[tróy lt] (plural tro·i·lites)
noun

mineral
found in meteorites: a variety of iron sulfide
that is found in some meteorites
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Domenico Troili, the 18th-century Italian who described a meteorite
containing this mineral.][1]



Troilus

Troilus
Troi·lus 
[tróyləss] noun

Trojan prince:
in Greek mythology, the son of the Trojan king Priam. He was killed during the
Trojan War by the Greek warrior Achilles. In medieval legend he is depicted as
the betrayed lover of Cressida.[1]



Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivières
Trois-Ri·vières
[twr rv yáir]

city on the St. Lawrence
River between Quebec City and Montreal, in southern Quebec Province, Canada.
Population: 48,419 (1996)[1]



Trojan

Trojan
Tro·jan 
[trṓjən] (plural Tro·jans) noun

1.  PEOPLES citizen
of ancient Troy: somebody who was born in or was a
citizen of ancient Troy

2.  dedicated
worker:
somebody who does something with great dedication, determination, stamina, or
courage
—Tro·jan, adjective[1]



Trojanhorse

Trojanhorse
Tro·jan
horse
(plural Tro·jan hors·es) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY hollow
horse concealing Greeks: in Greek legends, a hollow
wooden horse that hid Greek soldiers, left at the gates of Troy. The Trojans
were convinced it was a gift to Athena and dragged it inside.

2.  concealed
stratagem:
somebody or something that is meant to disrupt, undermine, subvert, or destroy
an enemy or rival, especially somebody or something that operates while
concealed within an organization

3.  COMPUTING destructive
computer program: a computer program that appears to be
useful but that actually does damage.
See
also
virus

[1]



troll

troll1
troll1 [trōl]
verb (past trolled, past participle trolled,
present participle troll·ing, 3rd person present singular trolls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING drag baited line through
water:
to drag a baited line through water, often from the back of a boat moving
slowly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING troll in one area:
to troll a particular area

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb ANGLING troll for particular fish:
to try to catch a particular kind of fish by trolling

4.  intransitive
verb
amble
about:
to walk casually about

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb wander
around searching for somebody: to wander around a
particular area or place, especially in search of a sexual partner (slang)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC sing loudly or
enthusiastically: to sing or be sung loudly and with
vigor, especially in a round, refrain, or chorus (archaic)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb roll
or cause something to roll: to roll or rotate, or cause
something to roll or rotate
noun
(plural trolls)

1.  lure
used in fishing: a lure or bait used for trolling

2.  ANGLING activity
of dragging baited fishing line: the act or process of
fishing by trolling
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old French troller “to wander,”
probably of Germanic origin.]
—troll·er, noun[1]



troll

troll2
troll2 [trōl]
(plural trolls) noun

mythological
Scandinavian being: a supernatural being in
Scandinavian legends depicted as either a dwarf or giant and living in caves or
under bridges
[Early 17th century. Via
Swedish or Norwegian from Old Norse, “demon.”][1]



trolley

trolley
trol·ley
[tróllee] noun (plural trol·leys)

1.  See
trolley car

2.  ELECTRICITY device
collecting power from an overhead wire: a
device such as a wheel or pulley carried at the end of a pole that collects
current from an overhead electric wire in order to power a vehicle

3.  Canada
U.K.
FOOD wheeled
table:
a small wheeled table used for serving or moving food and drinks

4.  TRANSPORT wagon
on rails for moving things: a small open cart that runs
on rails and carries materials, especially goods in a factory or coal or other
minerals in a mine or quarry

5.  Canada
U.K.
wheeled
cart pushed by hand: a wheeled cart that is
pushed by hand, and used for transporting things, especially luggage at an
airport or railroad station or goods in a supermarket

6.  TRANSPORT See trolley bus

7.  TRANSPORT suspended
truck:
a small cart or basket suspended from an overhead rail and used, especially in
factories and mines, for transporting loads

8.  U.K.
MEDICINE See gurney
intransitive
and transitive verb (past trol·leyed,
past participle trol·leyed, present participle trol·ley·ing,
3rd person present singular trol·leys)

move by trolley:
to travel by or transport something using a wheeled cart on a track or a
vehicle powered by electrical current from overhead wires
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from troll 1, in the
sense of “to roll.”][1]



trolleybus

trolleybus
trol·ley
bus
(plural trol·ley bus·es) or trol·ley noun

electric bus powered by
overhead wires: an electric bus that
takes its power from overhead wires by means of a trolley pole[1]



trolleycar

trolleycar
trol·ley
car
(plural trol·ley cars) or trol·ley noun

streetcar:
a streetcar[1]



trollop

trollop
trol·lop 
[trólləp] (plural trol·lops) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a woman who is a prostitute or who is reputed to
be sexually immoral (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a girl’s or a woman’s appearance or
her indifference to household chores (insult)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from troll 1 .]
—trol·lop·y, adjective[1]



Trollope,Anthony

Trollope,Anthony
Trol·lope
[trólləp], Anthony (1815–1882)

British
novelist. He is best known for two sequences of novels, the Barsetshire novels
(1855–1867), which have a clerical setting, and the political Palliser novels
(1865–1880).

—Trol·lop·i·an [trə lóppee ən], adjective[1]



trombiculiasis

trombiculiasis
trom·bic·u·li·a·sis 
[trom bìkyə l əssiss] or trom·bi·di·a·sis
[tròmbə d əssiss] noun

mite
infestation: infestation with mite larvae ( chiggers ) that often causes severe rickettsial
disease or viral disease
[Early 20th century. Coined
from modern Latin Trombicula (a genus of mites) + -iasis .][1]



trombone

trombone


trom·bone 
[trom bṓn, trəm
bṓn, tróm bn] (plural trom·bones)
noun

1.  brass
musical instrument: a brass wind instrument of
varying size with valves resembling those of a trumpet or a U-shaped slide that
is moved to produce different pitches

2.  trombone
player:
somebody who plays the trombone in an orchestra or brass band
[Early 18th century. Directly
or via French from Italian, literally “big trumpet,” from tromba
“trumpet,” of Germanic origin.][1]



trommel

trommel
trom·mel 
[trómm’l] (plural trom·mels) noun

sieve
for ore:
a rotating sieve for sizing or screening crushed rock or ore
[Late 19th century. From
German Trommel, “drum.”][1]



tromp

tromp
tromp 
[tromp] (past tromped, past
participle tromped, present participle tromp·ing, 3rd
person present singular tromps) verb

1.  transitive
verb
See tramp  verb 4

2.  transitive
verb
defeat
or beat somebody: to defeat somebody completely or beat
somebody physically

3.  intransitive
verb
walk
heavily:
to tramp or walk with a heavy tread

4.  intransitive
verb
stamp
on something: to stamp or apply heavy pressure with
the feet
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of tramp .][1]



trompe

trompe
trompe 
[tromp] (plural trompes) noun

air-supplying
device in a forge: a device formerly used for
supplying air in a forge by means of a thin column of falling water
[From French, “trumpet”][1]



trompel’oeil

trompel’oeil

trompe
l’oeil 
[tràwmp lóy] (plural trompe
l’oeils [tràwmp lóy]) noun

1.  3-D
painting technique: a technique used in
realistic paintings to trick the eye, especially through the use of perspective
to create an illusion of three-dimensionality

2.  artistic
work that tricks the eye: a painting or other artistic
object that uses trompe l’oeil
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “deceives the eye.”][1]



Tromsø

Tromsø
Trom·sø
[trómssō]

town and fishing port in
northern Norway, located on the offshore island of Tromsøy. Population: 51,218
(1990)[1]



-tron

-tron
-tron
suffix

1.  a
device for manipulating atoms or subatomic particles, accelerator • cyclotron

2.  a
vacuum tube • klystron

[1]



trona

trona
tro·na 
[trṓnə] noun

grayish-white
or yellowish mineral: a grayish-white or yellowish
mineral consisting of a hydrated sodium carbonate found in salt deposits
[Late 18th century. From
Swedish, of uncertain origin: probably from a dialect variant of Arabic narūn
(see natron ).][1]



Trondheim

Trondheim
Trond·heim 
[trón hàym]

city and port in central
Norway. It is situated on Trondheim Fjord, which opens onto the Norwegian Sea.
Population: 140,718 (1993)[1]



Troon

Troon
Troon
[troon]

coastal resort on the Firth
of Clyde, southwestern Scotland, known for its golf course. Population: 15,231
(1991)[1]



troop

troop
troop 
[troop] noun (plural troops)

1.  big
group:
a large group of similar people, animals, or things

2.  MILITARY military
unit:
a unit of soldiers that forms a subdivision of a cavalry or armored cavalry
squadron (often used before a noun) • troop
movements in the area

3.  SCOUTING Scouting
unit:
a unit of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts under an adult leader and usually
subdivided into several patrols.
See
also
company

4.  ZOOLOGY collective
name for some animals: a collective name for some
animals, especially monkeys and kangaroos
plural
noun
troops

1.  MILITARY military
group:
a body of soldiers • Order was restored by
flooding the area with troops.

2.  large
number of people or things: a large number of people or
things
intransitive
verb
(past trooped, past participle trooped, present
participle troop·ing, 3rd person present singular troops)

1.  go
as a large orderly group: to move or gather together
as a large orderly group

2.  go
as if marching: to walk somewhere in a deliberate or
heavy-footed way, as if marching • After
breakfast the family trooped off to church.

3.  consort
with somebody: to associate with somebody (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From
French troupe, of uncertain origin: probably from Germanic.][1]



trooper

trooper
troop·er 
[trpər] (plural troop·ers) noun

1.  member
of a cavalry unit: a member of a cavalry unit

2.  cavalry
horse:
a cavalry horse

3.  mounted
police officer: a member of a mounted police unit

4.  state
trooper:
a state trooper

[1]



troopship

troopship
troop·ship 
[trp shìp] (plural troop·ships)
noun

ship for transporting
military personnel: a ship,
sometimes one originally in the merchant navy, used for transporting military
personnel[1]



troostite

troostite
troost·ite 
[tr stt] noun

form
of willemite: a grayish or reddish form of the mineral
willemite in which zinc is partly replaced by manganese
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the U.S. geologist Gerard Troost (1776–1850), who discovered it.][1]



trop.

trop.
trop.

1.  Abbreviation
of
tropical

2.  Abbreviation
of
tropic

[1]



trop-

trop-
trop-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
tropo-[1]



trope

trope
trope 
[trōp] (plural tropes) noun

1.  LANGUAGE figure
of speech:
a word, phrase, expression, or image that is used in a figurative way, usually
for rhetorical effect

2.  CHRISTIANITY medieval
religious text: in the medieval Christian church, a
phrase or text interpolated into the service of the Mass
[Mid-16th century. Via Latin tropus
from Greek tropos “turn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to turn” which is also the ancestor of English contrive
.][1]



troph-

troph-
troph-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
tropho-[1]



trophallaxis

trophallaxis
troph·al·lax·is 
[tròffə láksiss] (plural troph·al·lax·es
[tròffə lák sz]) noun

food
exchange between organisms: an exchange of food between
organisms, especially the liquid secretions exchanged by social insects such as
the adults or larvae of termites and ants
[Early
20th century. Coined from troph- + Greek allaxis
“exchange.”]
—troph·al·lac·tic, adjective[1]



trophic

trophic
troph·ic 
[tróffik] adjective

relating
to nutrition: relating to the nutritive value of food
[Late
19th century]
—troph·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



-trophic

-trophic
-trophic
suffix

1.  needing
or pertaining to a particular kind of food or nutrition • autotrophic

2.  See
-tropic
[Formed from Greek trophē
(see tropho- )][1]



trophiclevel

trophiclevel
troph·ic
lev·el
(plural troph·ic lev·els) noun

stage in the food chain:
a stage in a food chain that reflects the number of times energy has been
transferred through feeding, for example, when plants are eaten by animals that
are in turn eaten by predators. Plants and plant-eating animals occupy the
first two levels, followed by carnivores, usually to a maximum of six levels.[1]



tropho-

tropho-
tropho-
prefix

nutrition,
feeding • trophoblast
[From Greek trophē
“food, nutrition,” from trephein “to nourish”][1]



trophoblast

trophoblast
tro·pho·blast 
[tróffə blàst] (plural tro·pho·blasts)
noun

embryo’s
outer layer: a thin outer layer ( ectoderm ) that encloses the embryo of mammals,
attaches the fertilized ovum to the wall of the womb, and absorbs nutrients
—tro·pho·blas·tic [tròffə blástik], adjective[1]



trophoderm

trophoderm
tro·pho·derm 
[tróffə dùrm] (plural tro·pho·derms)
noun

trophoblast and underlying
layer: a trophoblast and its
underlying layer ( mesoderm )[1]



trophozoite

trophozoite
tro·pho·zo·ite 
[tròffə zṓ t] (plural tro·pho·zo·ites)
noun

active form of a protozoan:
the active or feeding form of a protozoan, especially a parasite, as opposed to
the resting or reproductive form[1]



trophy

trophy
tro·phy 
[trṓfee] noun (plural tro·phies)

1.  token
of victory:
a cup, shield, plaque, medal, or other award given in acknowledgment of a
victory, success, or some other achievement, especially in a sporting contest

2.  hunting
or war souvenir: a memento that symbolizes victory or
success, for example, the head of an animal killed during a hunting expedition
or something taken from an enemy killed in battle

3.  memento
of success:
something that symbolizes a personal victory or achievement

4.  HISTORY Greek
or Roman victory memorial: in ancient Greece or Rome, a
victory memorial in a public place or near a battlefield, originally a display
of enemy weapons

5.  HISTORY Greek
or Roman battle commemoration: a representation of a
Greek or Roman battle trophy, for example, on a commemorative medal, plaque, or
monument

6.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
carving of weapons: a decorative casting or
carving showing weapons or armor on a square or circular base
adjective

enhancing somebody’s status:
used to describe a romantic or sexual partner apparently chosen by somebody to
impress others and enhance his or her status (disapproving) • a
trophy wife
[Early 16th century. Via
French trophée from Latin tropaeum “monument to victory” from
Greek tropaion from, ultimately, tropē “a turning.”][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








-trophy

-trophy
-trophy
suffix

1.  nutrition,
food • dystrophy

2.  growth
• hypertrophy
[From Greek -trophia,
from trophē (see tropho- )][1]



tropic

tropic1
trop·ic1  [tróppik]
noun (plural trop·ics)

1.  line
of latitude: a line of latitude on the Earth’s globe
either 23º 26′ north of the equator tropic of Cancer or 23º 26′ south tropic of
Capricorn

2.  ASTRONOMY circle
on the celestial sphere: either of two circles on the
celestial sphere that have the same latitudes and mark the limits of the
apparent north-and-south movement of the Sun. The tropics lie in the same
planes as the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
plural
noun
trop·ics Trop·ics

area between the tropics:
the area between or near the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn
adjective

tropical:
tropical
[Early
16th century. Via Old French tropique from Latin tropicus from,
ultimately, Greek tropē “a turning,” from the ancient belief that the
sun “turned back” at the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Tropic
  of Cancer, a novel (1934) by Henry Miller. It is an autobiographical account
  of a struggling American writer’s sojourn in 1930s Paris. Its focus on the
  protagonist’s erotic encounters gained it notoriety and led to it being
  banned in both the United States and Britain until the 1960s, but its
  openness was an inspiration for many contemporary writers.

[1]



tropic

tropic2
tro·pic2  [trṓ
pik] adjective

BIOLOGY
of tropism:
relating to or showing tropism[1]



-tropic

-tropic
-tropic
suffix

1.  turning,
changing, or reacting in a particular way • dexiotropic

2.  attracted
to, having an affinity for, or moving toward a particular thing • neurotropic

3.  acting
on something in a particular way • vagotropic
[Formed from Greek tropē
“turning” (see tropic )][1]



tropical

tropical
trop·i·cal 
[tróppik’l] adjective

1.  typical
of the tropics: relating to or characteristic of the
tropics

2.  hot
and sultry:
very hot and often combined with a high degree of humidity
—trop·i·cal·i·ty
[tròppi kállətee], noun

—trop·i·cal·ly [tróppikəlee], adverb[1]



tropicalcyclone

tropicalcyclone
trop·i·cal
cy·clone
(plural trop·i·cal cy·clones) noun

cyclone over tropical oceans:
a cyclone that develops over tropical oceans and has winds up to hurricane
force[1]



tropicalfish

tropicalfish
trop·i·cal
fish
noun

warm-water aquarium fish:
a fish, usually small, that is native to warm waters and is frequently kept in
aquariums because of its often brightly colored appearance[1]



tropicalize

tropicalize
trop·i·cal·ize
[tróppikə lz] (past trop·i·cal·ized,
past participle trop·i·cal·ized, present participle trop·i·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular trop·i·cal·iz·es) transitive verb

make
or adapt something for tropics: to make or adapt
something so that it becomes tropical in character or appearance or can be used
under tropical conditions
—trop·i·cal·i·za·tion
[tròppikəli záysh’n], noun[1]



tropicalstorm

tropicalstorm
trop·i·cal
storm
(plural trop·i·cal storms) noun

severe offshore storm
developing in the tropics: a severe
storm that develops offshore over tropical seas with less than hurricane force
winds but with the ability to develop into a hurricane[1]



tropicalyear

tropicalyear
trop·i·cal
year
(plural trop·i·cal years) noun

See
solar year
[From calculating the time
from solstice to solstice][1]



tropicbird

tropicbird
trop·ic·bird 
[tróppik bùrd] (plural trop·ic·birds)
noun

tropical aquatic bird:
a tropical aquatic web-footed bird, found in the tropics and related to the
pelicans, that has long slender tail feathers, small legs, and white plumage
with black markings. Family: Phaethontidae[1]



tropicof Cancer

tropicof Cancer
trop·ic
of Can·cer
noun

northern
line of latitude near the equator: a line of latitude
that is about 23.5 ° north of the equator
[From the constellation that
its celestial projection intersects][1]



tropicof Capricorn

tropicof Capricorn
trop·ic
of Cap·ri·corn noun

southern
line of latitude near the equator: a line of latitude
that is about 23.5° south of the equator
[From the constellation that
its celestial projection intersects][1]



tropine

tropine
tro·pine 
[trṓ pn, trṓpin]
or tro·pin [trṓpin] noun

alkaloid
formed from atropine: a colorless crystalline
alkaloid formed by heating atropine with barium hydroxide. C8H15NO
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of atropine .][1]



tropism

tropism
tro·pism 
[trṓ pìzzəm] noun

BIOLOGY movement
in response to stimulus: the involuntary response of
an organism or one of its parts toward or away from a stimulus such as heat or
light
[Late
19th century. From -tropism .]
—tro·pis·tic
[trō pístik], adjective

—tro·pis·ti·cal·ly [trō pístikəlee], adverb[1]



tropo-

tropo-
tropo-
prefix

1.  turning,
change • tropopause

2.  tropism
• tropotactic
[From Greek tropē][1]



tropology

tropology
tro·pol·o·gy 
[trō pólləjee] (plural tro·pol·o·gies)
noun

1.  use
of figurative language: the use of figurative
language in speaking or writing

2.  treatise
on figurative language: a piece of discursive
writing on the use of figurative language

3.  CHRISTIANITY method
of interpreting the Bible: a method of interpreting the
moral teaching of the Bible through its use of figurative language
[Early
16th century. From trope .]
—tro·po·log·ic
[tròppə lójjik], adjective

—tro·po·log·i·cal·ly [tròppə lójjikəlee], adverb[1]



tropomyosin

tropomyosin
tro·po·my·o·sin 
[trpə m əssin, tròppə
m əssin] noun

muscle protein:
a protein in muscle that acts with troponin to regulate the interaction of
actin and myosin in muscle contraction[1]



troponin

troponin
tro·po·nin 
[trṓpənin, tróppənin]
noun

muscle
protein:
a muscle protein that binds with calcium ions to bring about muscular
contraction and acts with tropomyosin to control the interaction of actin and
myosin
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from tropomyosin + -in,
with arbitrary insertion of n .][1]



tropopause

tropopause
tro·po·pause 
[trṓpə pàwz, tróppə
pàwz] noun

boundary
between the troposphere and stratosphere: the
transitional region of the atmosphere between the troposphere and stratosphere,
16 km/10 mi above the equator and 9 km/6 mi above polar regions
[Early 20th century. A blend
of troposphere and pause
.][1]



tropophyte

tropophyte
tro·po·phyte 
[trṓpə ft, tróppə
ft] (plural tro·po·phytes) noun

plant
adapted for varying seasons: a plant that is adapted to
living through seasonal changes in heat, cold, dryness, or moisture, for
example, by shedding leaves during a dry season
—tro·po·phyt·ic [trpə fíttik, tròppə
fíttik], adjective[1]



troposphere

troposphere
tro·po·sphere 
[trṓpə sfr, tróppə
sfr] noun

lowest
layer of the atmosphere: the lowest and most dense
layer of the atmosphere, extending 10 to 20 km/6 to 12 mi, in which temperature
decreases with rising altitude and most weather occurs
—tro·po·spher·ic [trppə sfrik, trppə
sférrik, tròppə sfrik], adjective[1]



tropotaxis

tropotaxis
tro·po·tax·is 
[trppə táksiss, tròppə
táksiss] noun

organic
movement to or away from something: the
movement of an organism toward or away from a stimulus as a result of comparing
sensory input received from paired receptors on both sides of the body
—tro·po·tac·tic
[trppə táktik, tròppə
táktik], adjective

—tro·po·tac·ti·cal·ly
[trppə táktikəlee], adverb[1]



-tropous

-tropous
-tropous
suffix

turning
or growing in a particular way • anatropous
• orthotropous
[Formed from Greek tropos
“turning, changing,” from trepein “to turn”][1]



troppo

troppo
trop·po
[tróppō] adverb

too
much:
excessively or too much (used in musical directions)
See
also
non troppo
[From Italian, “too much”][1]



-tropy

-tropy
-tropy
suffix

the
condition of taking a particular molecular form • allotropy
[From Greek -tropia,
from tropos (see -tropous )][1]



trot

trot
trot 
[trot] verb (past trot·ted,
past participle trot·ted, present participle trot·ting,
3rd person present singular trots)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb RIDING move at pace slower than
cantering:
to move or cause a four-legged animal such as a horse to move at a rate that is
faster than walking but slower than cantering, and in which diagonal pairs of
feet are off the ground alternately.
See
also
pace

2.  intransitive
verb
move
at a jogging pace: to move at a jogging pace
that is faster than walking but not as fast as running • The
team trotted onto the field.
noun
(plural trots)

1.  pace
faster than a walk: the forward movement of a
four-legged animal, especially a horse, in which it trots

2.  RIDING trotting
pace:
a ride on a horse in which it trots

3.  jogging
pace:
a jogging pace that is faster than a walk but slower than a run

4.  HORSERACING trotters’
race:
a race for horses who run in harness

5.  ANGLING See trotline

6.  (informal)
See pony  noun 6
plural
noun
trots (informal)

1.  MEDICINE diarrhea:
a prolonged bout of diarrhea

2.  Australia,
New Zealand
HORSERACING trotter
races:
races for trotters in harness
[13th
century. Via Old French troter from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of English tread
.]
on
the trot

1.  U.K.See
in a row

2.  U.K.
Canada busy, especially doing something that involves walking about a
lot

[1]



troth

troth
troth 
[troth] (plural troths) noun

1.  solemn
vow:
a solemn pledge, especially the promise to remain faithful exchanged by a bride
and groom or an engaged couple (formal)

2.  betrothal:
a betrothal (archaic)
[13th century. Variant of truth .][1]



trotline

trotline
trot·line 
[trót ln] (plural trot·lines)
noun

long
fishing line: a long fishing line with shorter baited
lines attached, used in streams or near the shore.
Also
called
trot
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from trot .][1]



trotout

trotout
trot
out
transitive verb

come up with something
repeatedly: to bring something out or
display something repeatedly, especially in the expectation of gaining
admiration or approval (informal) • He
trots out the same old excuses every time he’s late.[1]



Trotskyism

Trotskyism
Trots·ky·ism 
[trótskee ìzzəm] noun

version
of socialism: an interpretation of socialism advanced
by Leon Trotsky, asserting that fully developed Marxist principles and
practices would culminate in a world revolution by the proletariat.
See
also
Leninism
See
also
Stalinism
—Trots·ky·ist,
noun, adjective

—Trots·ky·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



Trotsky,Leon

Trotsky,Leon

Trot·sky
[trótskee], Leon (1879–1940)
Russian
revolutionary leader. With Lenin he played a major part in the Bolshevik
Revolution of 1917 in Russia. He is credited with creating and directing the
Red Army, but failed to take power on Lenin’s death and was murdered in exile
by one of Stalin’s agents.
Born
Bronstein, Lev Davidovich[1]



trotter

trotter
trot·ter 
[tróttər] (plural trot·ters) noun

1.  FOOD pig or
sheep foot:
the foot of an animal, especially that of a pig or sheep, when used as food

2.  HORSERACING trotting
person or animal: somebody who or something that trots,
especially a horse that has been specially trained to trot in harness.
See
also
pacer

[1]



trottingrace

trottingrace
trot·ting
race
(plural trot·ting rac·es) noun

Australia, New Zealand
harness race:
a harness race[1]



troubadour

troubadour
trou·ba·dour 
[trbə dàwr, trbə
dr] (plural trou·ba·dours) noun

1.  medieval
poet or singer: a writer or singer of lyric verses about
courtly love, especially in parts of Europe during the 11th to the 13th
centuries

2.  love
poet or singer: a writer or singer of love poems or
songs

3.  singer:
somebody who sings while strolling around an area such as a restaurant
[Early 18th century. Via
French from Old Provençal trobador, from trobar “to compose,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps from, ultimately, Latin tropus (see trope ).][1]



trouble

trouble
trou·ble 
[trúbb’l] noun (plural trou·bles)

1.  condition
of distress: a condition of distress, anxiety, or
danger • When
the bills started to come in they realized they were in serious trouble.

2.  somebody
or something upsetting: a source or cause of worry,
distress, or concern • This
car has been nothing but trouble.

3.  source
of difficulty: something that is extremely difficult or
presents a problem • Sorry I’m late –I had
trouble getting the car to start.

4.  real
or apparent weakness: an actual or perceived
failing or drawback • Your
trouble is that you give up too easily.

5.  MEDICINE medical
problems:
an illness or physical condition involving a particular body part that is not
functioning as it should • off
work with back trouble

6.  effort:
the effort or exertion involved in doing something • I
hope you like your CD –I went to a lot of trouble to find it.

7.  disorder
or unrest:
disorder or unruly behavior in a public place

8.  malfunctioning:
a condition in which something mechanical or electronic is not functioning or
operating as it should • My car
has engine trouble.
verb
(past trou·bled, past participle trou·bled, present
participle trou·bling, 3rd person present singular trou·bles)

1.  transitive
verb
worry
or upset somebody: to cause worry, distress, or
concern to somebody or something • I’m
troubled by the fact that she hasn’t been in touch.

2.  transitive
verb
physically
affect somebody: to cause pain or discomfort to somebody
or something • My
arthritis troubles me from time to time.

3.  transitive
verb
impose
on somebody: to put somebody to the inconvenience of
doing something • Could I trouble you to
open the window?

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb to
make an effort: to make an effort to do something or
take pains in doing it • He
hadn’t troubled to check the figures.

5.  transitive
verb
make
water rough: to agitate or disturb something,
especially the surface of water (often passive)
[13th
century. Via Old French troubler from, ultimately, late Latin turbidare,
from Latin turbidus “confused, muddy” (source of English turbid ).]
—trou·bler,
noun

—trou·bling,
adjective

—trou·bling·ly,
adverb
in
trouble

1.  discovered
in wrongdoing and liable to be punished

2.  pregnant
and unmarried (dated informal) (used euphemistically)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at bother

[1]



troubled

troubled
trou·bled
[trúbb’ld] adjective

1.  anxious
or upset:
experiencing worry or distress

2.  marked
by problems: characterized by difficulties or
adversity • The
bill has had a troubled passage through the Senate.

3.  lacking
inner calm:
experiencing or prone to emotional conflict or psychological difficulties

[1]



troublemaker

troublemaker
trou·ble·mak·er 
[trúbb’l màykər] (plural trou·ble·mak·ers)
noun

somebody constantly causing
problems: somebody who deliberately
and frequently tries to make difficulties[1]



troubleshoot

troubleshoot
trou·ble·shoot 
[trúbb’l sht] (past trou·ble·shot
[trúbb’l shòt], past participle trou·ble·shot
[trúbb’l shòt], present participle trou·ble·shoot·ing,
3rd person present singular trou·ble·shoots) intransitive and
transitive verb

solve
problems proactively: to act or operate as
somebody who finds and eliminates problems
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from troubleshooter .][1]



troubleshooter

troubleshooter
trou·ble·shoot·er
[trúbb’l shtər] (plural trou·ble·shoot·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who finds and solves problems: somebody who has the
task of finding problems, difficulties, or faults and then eliminating them

2.  mediator:
somebody who is called upon to settle political, industrial, or diplomatic
disagreements

[1]



troubleshooting

troubleshooting
trou·ble·shoot·ing
[trúbb’l shting] noun

1.  finding
and eliminating of problems: the act or process of
identifying and eliminating problems, difficulties, or faults, especially in
electronic or computer equipment

2.  mediation:
the act or process of mediating in political, industrial, or diplomatic
disagreements

3.  occupation
of finding and solving problems: the occupation of
finding and eliminating problems, for example, in an organization

[1]



troublesome

troublesome
trou·ble·some 
[trúbb’lsəm] adjective

1.  difficult
to do or work out: causing difficulties or
taking a great deal of time • Fixing
the bug in the program proved more troublesome than I thought.

2.  worrying
or irritating: producing annoyance, discomfort, or
anxiety, especially in a recurrent way • a
troublesome knee injury
—trou·ble·some·ly,
adverb

—trou·ble·some·ness, noun[1]



troublespot

troublespot
trou·ble
spot
(plural trou·ble spots) noun

1.  site
of trouble:
a place where trouble occurs, especially a place that is notorious for
disruption to civil order or a lack of political control

2.  place
where a fault occurs: a location where a fault,
flaw, or problem occurs

[1]



Troubles,The

Troubles,The
Trou·bles,
The
[the trúbb’lz] plural noun

civil war in Northern
Ireland: the political and civil
unrest in Northern Ireland during the period from 1919 to 1923 and after 1969[1]



troublous

troublous
trou·blous 
[trúbbləss] adjective

1.  very
difficult:
fraught with difficulty or many problems (archaic or literary)

2.  uneasy:
full of uneasiness or anxiety (archaic or literary)

3.  troublesome:
troublesome (archaic)
[15th
century]
—trou·blous·ly,
adverb

—trou·blous·ness, noun[1]



trough

trough
trough 
[trawf] (plural troughs) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE container
for animal food or water: a long low narrow open
container that holds feed or water for animals

2.  INDUSTRY industrial
container:
a long, low, narrow, open container used in industry, for example, in washing,
kneading, or mixing substances

3.  channel
for liquid:
a narrow channel, gully, or gutter in which liquid passes, especially one under
the eaves of a roof for catching rainwater

4.  METEOROLOGY area
of low pressure: an elongated area of low atmospheric
pressure that may be associated with a front.
See
also
ridge

5.  sunken
area:
a long hollow area in the surface of the ground or the sea bed, or between
waves

6.  low
point:
any low or negative point, especially a temporary one

7.  ECONOMICS lowest
point of an economic cycle: the lowest point or period
of an economic cycle.
See
also
peak

8.  PHYSICS low
part of a wave or signal: the low or negative half of
the amplitude in the cycle of a periodic wave or alternating signal
[Old English trog .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “wood, tree,” which is also the
ancestor of English tree .][1]



trounce

trounce
trounce 
[trownss] (past trounced, past
participle trounced, present participle trounc·ing, 3rd
person present singular trounc·es) transitive verb

1.  beat
somebody or something decisively: to defeat an opponent
or team convincingly

2.  beat
up somebody or something: to beat somebody or
something severely (dated)
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



troupe

troupe
troupe 
[troop] noun (plural troupes)

group
of traveling performers: a group of actors, circus
people, or other entertainers, especially one that travels around
intransitive
verb
(past trouped, past participle trouped, present
participle troup·ing, 3rd person present singular troupes)

travel
or perform with a troupe: to travel as or perform in a
troupe of actors or entertainers
[Early 19th century. From
French (see troop ).][1]



trouper

trouper
troup·er 
[trpər] (plural troup·ers) noun

1.  member
of a troupe: somebody who is a member of a group of
traveling entertainers

2.  somebody
reliable and dedicated: somebody who is
conscientious, dependable, and selfless

3.  veteran
theatrical performer: somebody who has been
involved in the theater for many years, especially an actor or entertainer

[1]



troupial

troupial
trou·pi·al 
[trpee əl] noun

1.  large
S American oriole: a large oriole of South
America with bright black-and-orange plumage. Latin name: Icterus icterus

2.  gregarious
bird:
a member of a family of gregarious birds in the Americas that includes the
bobolinks, blackbirds, and orioles. Family: Icteridae
[Early 19th century. From
French troupiale, an alteration (influenced by troupe “flock”) of
American Spanish turpial, of Caribbean origin.][1]



trouser

trouser
trou·ser 
[trówzər] adjective

associated
with trousers: belonging to, concerning, suitable for,
or part of trousers • a
trouser pocket
noun

trousers:
a pair of trousers, especially one suitable for a smart or formal occasion
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from trousers .]
—trou·sered, adjective[1]



trousers

trousers
trou·sers
[trówzərz] or trow·sers [trówzərz] plural noun

long
pants:
a garment for the lower body that covers the area from the waist to the ankles
and has separate tube-shaped sections for each leg
[Early 17th century. From,
ultimately, Gaelic triubhas, of uncertain origin.][1]



trousersuit

trousersuit
trou·ser
suit
(plural trou·ser suits) noun

U.K.
See pantsuit[1]



trousseau

trousseau
trous·seau 
[tr s, troo sṓ]
(plural trous·seaus or trous·seaux [tr sz, troo sṓz])
noun

bridal
clothes and linen: a bride’s clothes and linen,
especially items such as nightgowns, underwear, blankets, and sheets, that she
has collected during the period of her engagement
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “little bundle,” from, ultimately, trousser “to truss”
(source of English truss ).][1]



trout

trout

trout 
[trowt] (plural trouts or
trout) noun ZOOLOGY

1.  freshwater
fish similar to a salmon: a freshwater fish that is
typically smaller than the related salmon and has a speckled body, small
scales, and soft fins. Genus: Salmo

2.  game
fish of the salmon family: a game fish of the salmon
family such as the sea trout. Genus: Salvelinus

3.  fish
unrelated to the trout: a fish similar to but
unrelated to, the trout such as the troutperch
[Pre-12th century. From late
Latin tructa, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Greek trōktēs, a
type of sea fish, from trōgein “to nibble.”][1]



troutlily

troutlily
trout
lil·y
noun

See
dogtooth violet
[Probably from its speckled
leaves][1]



troutperch

troutperch
trout·perch 
[trówt pùrch] (plural trout·perch)
noun

small N American freshwater
fish: a small North American
freshwater fish that has a spotted body, an adipose fin, and rough scales.
Family: Percopsidae[1]



trouvaille

trouvaille
trou·vaille
[troo v] noun

something
interesting, amusing, or beneficial discovered by chance • The
anecdote was one of her many literary trouvailles.
[From French, “a find”][1]



trouvère

trouvère
trou·vère
[troo váir] (plural trou·vères)
noun

medieval
French poet-musician: a poet-musician of northern
France during the 12th and 13th centuries who wrote poems and songs of courtly
love, as well as narrative and satirical works
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Old French trovere from, ultimately, trover “to
compose” (see trover ).][1]



trove

trove
trove 
[trōv] noun

1.  collection
of valuables: a collection of discovered valuable
items

2.  valuable
discovery:
a discovery of great importance or monetary value
[Late 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



trover

trover
tro·ver 
[trṓvər] (plural tro·vers) noun

action
to recover goods: a common law action to recover goods
that have been wrongly appropriated by somebody else (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French, “to find,” of uncertain origin.][1]



trow

trow
trow 
[trō] (past trowed, past
participle trowed, present participle trow·ing, 3rd
person present singular trows) intransitive and transitive verb

think
or suppose something: to think, believe, or
suppose that something is the case (archaic)
[Old English trēowian
. From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English true, betroth,
and truce .][1]



trowel

trowel

trow·el 
[trów əl] noun (plural trowels)

1.  flat-bladed
hand tool:
a small hand tool with a short handle and a flat, usually pointed, blade used
for spreading, shaping, and smoothing plaster, cement, or mortar

2.  GARDENING gardener’s
short-handled tool: a hand tool with a short
handle and a curved tapering blade, used for making holes to put plants and
seedlings in and for other light digging work
transitive verb
(past trow·eled or trow·elled, past participle
trow·eled or trow·elled, present participle trow·el·ing
or trow·el·ling, 3rd person present singular trow·els)

work material with a trowel:
to dig, spread, or level something such as earth or mortar using a trowel
[14th
century. Via Old French troele from late Latin truella “dipper,”
from Latin trua “ladle.”]
—trow·el·er,
noun
lay it on with a trowel

to exaggerate, especially in
order to flatter somebody (informal)[1]



troy

troy
troy 
[troy] adjective

in
troy weight: measured in or using the troy weight
system
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Troyes, a city in France with a fair at which
this weight was used.][1]



Troy

Troy
Troy 
[troy]

1.  city
in eastern New York, east of the Massachusetts border and northeast of Albany.
Population: 52,518 (1996)

2.  city
of ancient Greece on the Aegean sea coast, in present-day Turkey. Site of the
ten-year Trojan War described in the epic poems of Homer, the city, also called
Ilium, was thought to be purely legendary until ruins were discovered by the
archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. It is now believed to have been
founded during the Bronze Age in 3000 BC
.

[1]



Troyes

Troyes
Troyes 
[trwaa]

capital of Aube Department,
in Champagne, northeastern France. Population: 60,755 (1990)[1]



troyweight

troyweight
troy
weight
noun

system of weights:
a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones, based on a 12-ounce
pound, a 20-pennyweight ounce, and a 24-grain pennyweight[1]



trp.

trp.
trp.

Abbreviation of
troop[1]



trs.

trs.
trs.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of transpose[1]



truancy

truancy
tru·an·cy 
[tr ənsee] (plural tru·an·cies)
noun

1.  absenteeism:
absence from school without permission

2.  occasion
of being absent: a single occasion on which a student is
absent from school without permission

[1]



truant

truant
tru·ant 
[tr ənt] noun (plural tru·ants)

1.  somebody
absent from school: somebody who is absent
without permission or good reason, especially from school

2.  shirker:
somebody who avoids work or shirks responsibilities (dated)
adjective

1.  absent:
absent without permission

2.  lazy:
preferring to idle away time rather than attend to work or responsibilities (dated)
intransitive
verb
(past tru·ant·ed, past participle tru·ant·ed, present
participle tru·ant·ing, 3rd person present singular tru·ants)

1.  be
absent:
to be absent without permission, especially from school

2.  be
lazy:
to idle away time, especially in preference to attending to work or
responsibilities (dated)
[14th century. From Old
French, “beggar, vagabond,” of Celtic origin.][1]



truce

truce
truce 
[trooss] (plural truc·es) noun

1.  MILITARY agreed
break in fighting: a cessation of military
hostilities that both sides agree to hold to, usually for a fixed period • Both
sides called a truce.

2.  MILITARY agreement
to stop fighting: an agreement to suspend military
hostilities

3.  agreed
break in arguing: an agreed break in any kind of dispute
or feud, or the agreement to stop arguing
[14th century. Variant of
earlier trewes, the plural of trewe “treaty, pledge,” from Old
English trēow .][1]



TrucialStates

TrucialStates
Tru·cial
States
[trshəl stáyts]

Former name for
United Arab Emirates until 1971[1]



truck

truck1
truck1 [truk]
noun (plural trucks)

1.  large
goods vehicle: a large vehicle for transporting goods
by road

2.  cart
pushed by hand: any kind of cart or barrow with two or
more wheels that is pushed by hand and is used for moving heavy objects

3.  U.K.
RAIL railroad
car for freight: an open railroad car that carries
freight

4.  RAIL train’s
wheel unit:
a swiveling frame that the wheels and springs are mounted on at either end of a
railroad car

5.  SAILING rope
guide on a ship’s mast: a guide for a ship’s ropes,
in the form of a disk with holes, fitted horizontally to the top of the mast

6.  skateboard
wheel unit:
either of a pair of swiveling wheel units on a skateboard
verb
(past trucked, past participle trucked, present
participle truck·ing, 3rd person present singular trucks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
by truck:
to transport, or transport something, by truck

2.  intransitive
verb
drive
a truck:
to drive a truck, especially as a job (informal)

3.  intransitive
verb
stroll:
to walk or move along at an easy, relaxed pace (slang)
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: shortening of truckle 2, or via Latin trochus
“iron hoop” from Greek trokhos “wheel.”]
keep
on trucking

to carry on with work or life
in a cheerful and relaxed way, in spite of problems (informal)[1]



truck

truck2
truck2 [truk]
noun

1.  dealings:
dealings or involvement (informal) • We’ll
have no truck with that kind of behavior.

2.  AGRICULTURE market
produce:
vegetables and fruit grown for market

3.  COMMERCE goods:
traded goods of any kind

4.  COMMERCE trade:
the buying, selling, or bartering of goods

5.  stuff:
miscellaneous items (informal) “Now I wanted thirty dollars’ worth of
artist truck, for I was always sketching in the woods.” Robert Louis Stevenson
The Wrecker 1896

6.  payment
in kind:
payment in goods rather than with money
intransitive
and transitive verb (past trucked,
past participle trucked, present participle truck·ing,
3rd person present singular trucks)

1.  exchange
something:
to exchange or barter something, or take part in the business of bartering

2.  be
involved with somebody: to have dealings with
somebody, especially secret or dishonest dealings
[12th century. From Old
French dialect troquer “to barter,” of unknown origin.][1]



truckage

truckage
truck·age 
[trúkij] noun

1.  transportation
by truck:
the carrying of freight by truck

2.  charge
for truck transportation: a charge made for
transporting goods by truck

[1]



trucker

trucker1
truck·er1  [trúkər]
(plural truck·ers) noun

1.  truck
driver:
somebody who drives a truck, especially somebody whose job is transporting
goods by truck

2.  transportation
manager:
somebody who owns or manages a truck transportation company

[1]



trucker

trucker2
truck·er2  [trúkər]
(plural truck·ers) noun

1.  See
truck farmer

2.  barterer:
somebody who barters

[1]



truckfarm

truckfarm
truck
farm
(plural truck farms) noun

farm
growing produce: a farm producing vegetables for sale
commercially
—truck farm·ing, noun[1]



truckfarmer

truckfarmer
truck
farm·er
(plural truck farm·ers) noun

farmer who grows produce:
a farmer who produces fruit and vegetables for commercial sale.
Also called
trucker[1]



trucking

trucking
truck·ing
[trúking] noun

transportation by truck:
the carrying of freight on roads in trucks[1]



truckle

truckle1
truck·le1  [trúk’l]
(past truck·led, past participle truck·led, present
participle truck·ling, 3rd person present singular truck·les)
intransitive verb

be
submissive:
to behave in a weak or servile way
[Early
17th century. Shortening of truckle bed,
from the use of such beds by servants.]
—truck·ler, noun[1]



truckle

truckle2
truck·le2  [trúk’l]
(plural truck·les) noun

1.  caster:
a small wheel on which something runs

2.  FOOD small
cheese:
a small cylindrical cheese
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman trocle from, ultimately, Greek trokhileia “system of
pulleys,” from trokhos “wheel.”][1]



trucklebed

trucklebed
truck·le
bed
(plural truck·le beds) noun

See
trundle bed[1]



truckload

truckload
truck·load 
[trúk ld] (plural truck·loads)
noun

quantity carried by truck:
the quantity carried by a truck, or a quantity large enough to fill a truck[1]



truckstop

truckstop
truck
stop
(plural truck stops) noun

service station for trucks:
a roadside station that sells fuel for trucks and has a restaurant for truck
drivers[1]



truculence

truculence
truc·u·lence 
[trúkyələnss] or truc·u·len·cy
[trúkyələnsee] noun

1.  aggressive
defiance:
aggressive or sullen uncooperativeness

2.  ferocity:
extreme anger or aggression

[1]



truculent

truculent
truc·u·lent 
[trúkyələnt] adjective

1.  aggressively
defiant:
aggressively or sullenly refusing to accept something or do what is asked

2.  fierce:
displaying great anger or aggression
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin truculentus, from trux “fierce.”]
—truc·u·lent·ly, adverb[1]



Trudeau,Garry B.

Trudeau,Garry B.
Tru·deau
[troo dṓ], Garry B. (1948– )

U.S. cartoonist. His
long-running political comic strip Doonesbury, first syndicated in 1970
and awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1974, frequently provoked controversy with its
sharp satire.[1]



Trudeau,Pierre

Trudeau,Pierre

Tru·deau
[troo dṓ], Pierre (1919– )
Canadian
statesman. He was Liberal prime minister of Canada (1968–1979 and 1980–1984).
Full name
Trudeau, Pierre Elliott[1]



trudge

trudge
trudge 
[truj] intransitive and transitive verb
(past trudged, past participle trudged, present
participle trudg·ing, 3rd person present singular trudg·es)

walk
wearily:
to walk, or walk a particular path or distance, with slow heavy weary steps
noun

long
walk:
a long and exhausting walk
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—trudg·er, noun[1]



true

true
true 
[troo] adjective (comparative tru·er,
superlative tru·est)

1.  real
or correct:
conforming with reality or fact

2.  genuine:
genuine, not pretended, insincere, or artificial

3.  personally
faithful:
showing loyalty to another person • a true
friend

4.  committed:
faithful to a cause, purpose, or religious belief • a
true believer

5.  conforming
to a standard or measure: conforming to a standard,
measure, or pattern • a true
fit

6.  rightful:
conforming to the way things should be by right • returned
to the true owners

7.  GEOGRAPHY in
relation to earth’s poles: measured in relation to
geographic points on the earth’s surface, rather than to points of magnetic
attraction • true
north

8.  conforming
to inclusion criteria: meeting the criteria for
inclusion in a particular category, in contrast to being given the same name
because of superficial resemblance to members of that category • A
shooting star is not a true star.

9.  PHYSICS not
relative:
not relative as a value and corrected for all error factors, for example, the
difference between true time and mean time

10. MUSIC in
tune:
perfectly in tune • The orchestra
maintained true pitch throughout.
adverb

1.  so
as to correspond with reality: in a way that
corresponds with reality or fact • His explanations
just didn’t ring true.

2.  accurately:
so as to arrive at the precise position aimed for • The
arrow flew straight and true.

3.  honestly:
in a frank and open way that seeks to hide nothing • Tell
me true.

4.  certainly:
used to admit the validity or accuracy of a statement, often in a discussion or
when considering the advantages and disadvantages of something • True,
it does rain a lot here.

5.  AGRICULTURE without
loss of ancestral features: without variation from the ancestral
form, or producing offspring with the same hereditary characteristics • breed
true
transitive
verb
(past trued, past participle trued, present
participle tru·ing or true·ing, 3rd person present
singular trues)

adjust position of something:
to adjust something to make it straight or level or put it in any other
required position
noun

1.  alignment:
a correct position, especially a position in relation to the horizontal or
vertical

2.  reality:
the absolute truth
[Old
English trēowe “trustworthy.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to be solid,” which is also the source of English tree and durable
.]
—true·ness,
noun
come
true

to happen as hoped or
expected[1]



truebill

truebill
true
bill
(plural true bills) noun

approval for trial to take
place: a legal document requesting
a criminal trial ( bill of indictment ),
formally endorsed by a grand jury and certifying that somebody can be brought
to trial[1]



true-blue

true-blue
true-blue 
adjective

completely
loyal:
completely loyal or faithful • a
true-blue pal
[Because blue is often taken
to represent constancy, perhaps originating in the fact that it is the normal
color of the sky][1]



trueborn

trueborn
true·born 
[tr bàwrn] adjective

by birth:
having one’s true social position or nationality beyond doubt, because it was
established at birth • a
trueborn French aristocrat[1]



truebug

truebug
true
bug
(plural true bugs) noun

ZOOLOGY
See bug  noun 1[1]



true-falsetest

true-falsetest
true-false
test 
(plural true-false tests) noun

test using true or false
only: a test in which statements
are given that must be marked as either true or false[1]



true-life

true-life
true-life 
adjective

presenting realistic events:
presenting matters, especially human relationships, as they are or have been in
reality • a
true-life adventure story[1]



truelove

truelove
true·love 
[tr lùv] (plural true·loves) noun

loved person:
somebody who is deeply loved by another[1]



truelovers’ knot

truelovers’ knot
true
lov·ers’ knot (plural true lov·ers’ knots)
or true·love knot (plural true·love knots) noun

complicated knot:
a complicated bow-knot that is difficult to untie, symbolizing lovers’
faithfulness[1]



truepenny

truepenny
true·pen·ny 
[tr pènnee] (plural true·pen·nies)
noun

trustworthy
person:
an honest, loyal, or trustworthy person (dated)
[From the name given to a
coin of genuine metal][1]



truerib

truerib
true
rib
(plural true ribs) noun

rib attached to breastbone:
a rib that is attached to the breastbone ( sternum
) by cartilage. The seven uppermost ribs in the human body are true ribs.[1]



trueseal

trueseal
true
seal
(plural true seals) noun

ZOOLOGY
See earless seal[1]



Truffaut,François

Truffaut,François

Truf·faut
[troofṓ], François (1932–1984)
French movie director and critic. His
first movie, the semiautobiographical The 400 Blows ( 1959 ), was one of
the first movies of the French New Wave movement. Other movies include Shoot
the Piano Player ( 1960 ) and Jules et Jim ( 1961 ).[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








truffle

truffle
truf·fle 
[trúff’l] (plural truf·fles) noun

1.  fleshy
fungus eaten as delicacy: an underground fungus whose
fleshy edible fruiting body is highly valued as a delicacy. Pigs and dogs are
often used to sniff out truffles. Genus: Tuber

2.  chocolate
candy:
a rich ball-shaped chocolate with a center of soft chocolate
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of French trufe, via Provençal trufa from, ultimately,
Latin tuber (see tuber ).][1]



trug

trug
trug
[trug] (plural trugs) noun

U.K.
shallow
wooden basket: a shallow rectangular basket made from
curved strips of wood, used especially for carrying garden produce
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a dialectal variant of trough
.][1]



truism

truism
tru·ism 
[tr ìzzəm] (plural tru·isms) noun

obvious
statement:
a statement that is so obviously true and so often repeated that people find it
trite or meaningless
—tru·is·tic [troo ístik], adjective[1]



Trujillo,Rafael Leonidas

Trujillo,Rafael Leonidas
Tru·ji·llo 
[troo kh yō, trooh
yō], Rafael Leonidas (1891–1961)

Dominican
soldier and national leader. Elected president in 1930, he remained the army
generalissimo and dictator of the Dominican Republic until his assassination by
the army.
Full name
Trujillo Molina, Rafael Leonidas[1]



trull

trull
trull 
[trul] (plural trulls) noun

prostitute:
a prostitute (archaic)
[Early 16th century. From
Middle High German trulle .][1]



truly

truly
tru·ly 
[trlee] adverb

1.  sincerely:
honestly, without affectation or pretense • feel
truly sorry

2.  used
for emphasis: used to emphasize the extent or degree
of something • a
truly remarkable achievement

3.  completely:
to the fullest extent or in the fullest degree • Only
she can truly appreciate how happy I feel.

4.  used
to sign a letter: used alone or with “yours” as a way to
sign a letter
yours
truly

used to refer to yourself (humorous)
• Doubtless
they’re expecting yours truly to pick them up from the airport.[1]



Truman,Bess

Truman,Bess
Tru·man
[trmən], Bess (1885–1982)

U.S.
first lady. She married Harry S. Truman, a childhood sweetheart, in 1919, and
during his presidency (1945–1953) was one of his most trusted advisers.
Born
Wallace, Elizabeth Virginia[1]



Truman,Harry S.

Truman,Harry S.

Tru·man
[trmən], Harry S. (1884–1972)
U.S. statesman and 33rd president of the
United States. A Democrat, he became president on the death of F. D. Roosevelt
(1945), serving until 1953. He actively opposed Communism overseas, notably in
Korea (1950–1953).[1]



Trumbull,John

Trumbull,John
Trum·bull 
[trúmbəl], John (1750–1831)

U.S. lawyer and poet. One of
the “Connecticut Wits,” he is known for the comic epic “M’Fingal” (
1776–1782 ), satirizing British Loyalists during the Revolution.[1]



Trumbull,Jonathan

Trumbull,Jonathan
Trum·bull 
[trúmbəl], Jonathan (1710–1785)

American political leader. He
served as Connecticut’s colonial governor (1769–1784) and was a leader in the
Revolution.[1]



trumeau

trumeau
tru·meau 
[troo mṓ] (plural tru·meaux [troo mṓz]) noun

separating
pillar or wall: a pillar or a section of wall that
separates two doors or two sections of a door
[Late 19th century. From
French, literally “calf of the leg.”][1]



trump

trump1
trump1 [trump]
noun (plural trumps)

1.  CARD GAMES card
from highest suit: in card games, a card from a
suit declared to be higher in value than any other suit, or the suit itself.
Also
called
trump card

2.  key
resource:
a highly valuable resource or advantage, especially one held in reserve for
future use.
Also
called
trump card

3.  fine
person:
an admirable or reliable person (informal)
transitive
verb
(past trumped, past participle trumped, present
participle trump·ing, 3rd person present singular trumps)

1.  CARD GAMES defeat
somebody by playing a trump: in card games, to beat an
opponent or an opponent’s card by playing a trump

2.  outdo
somebody:
to defeat or outdo a competitor by bringing a valuable resource or advantage
into play
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of triumph .][1]



trump

trump2
trump2 [trump]
noun

trumpet
or its sound: a trumpet, or the sound of a trumpet (literary)
[13th century. From Old
French trompe (see trumpet ).][1]



trumpcard

trumpcard
trump
card
(plural trump cards) noun

See
trump 1 noun 1
See trump 1 noun 2
play
your trump card

to make use of a highly
valuable resource or advantage that has been held in reserve[1]



trumped-up

trumped-up
trumped-up
adjective

made-up:
false and deliberately invented, usually in order to incriminate somebody
wrongly • trumped-up
charges
[Trumped formed from trump 1 in the
obsolete sense “to fabricate, invent,” the underlying idea being “to deceive”][1]



trumpery

trumpery
trump·er·y 
[trúmpəree] (plural trump·er·ies)
noun (archaic or literary)

1.  worthless
thing:
something worthless or useless, often something showy that seems appealing at
first glance

2.  nonsense:
empty or ridiculous talk

3.  deception:
the deceiving of somebody, or schemes conceived for the purpose of deceiving
[15th century. From French tromperie
“trickery,” from tromper “to deceive,” of unknown origin.][1]



trumpet

trumpet


trum·pet 
[trúmpət] noun (plural trum·pets)

1.  MUSIC brass
instrument:
a brass musical instrument, either straight or coiled, with three valves and a
flared bell. It has a brilliant tone and a middle to high register.

2.  something
shaped like a trumpet: something shaped like the
flared bell of a trumpet

3.  sound
like trumpet ’s: a loud high sound made by a trumpet, or
a similarly strident sound such as the call of an elephant

4.  ear
trumpet:
an ear trumpet

5.  MUSIC organ
stop:
a solo organ stop that imitates the sound of a trumpet
verb (past
trum·pet·ed, past participle trum·pet·ed, present
participle trum·pet·ing, 3rd person present singular trum·pets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb announce
something:
to announce something loudly, proudly, or with great ceremony

2.  transitive
verb
speak
proudly of somebody or something: to speak of somebody
or something with ostentatious admiration or pride

3.  intransitive
verb
make
elephant’s call: to make an elephant’s characteristically
high-pitched, penetrating call

4.  transitive
verb
express
by trumpeting: to convey something with a trumpeting
call • The
elephant trumpeted a warning.
[14th century. From Old
French trompette, literally “small horn,” from trompe “horn,” of
prehistoric Germanic origin; probably ultimately an imitation of the sound of a
horn.][1]



trumpetcreeper

trumpetcreeper
trum·pet
creep·er
(plural trum·pet creep·ers) or trum·pet vine (plural
trum·pet vines) noun

plant with trumpet-shaped
flowers: a woody deciduous North
American vine with compound leaves and large red trumpet-shaped flowers. Latin
name: Campsis radicans[1]



trumpeter

trumpeter
trum·pet·er 
[trúmpətər] (plural trum·pet·ers)
noun

1.  MUSIC trumpet
player:
a musician who plays the trumpet

2.  BIRDS tropical
bird with a loud call: a medium-sized South
American bird that rarely flies and has long legs, a short stout bill, dark
glossy plumage, and a loud call. Family: Psophidae

3.  BIRDS pigeon:
a domestic pigeon that has a long ruff, heavily feathered feet, and a loud call

[1]



trumpeterswan

trumpeterswan
trum·pet·er
swan
(plural trum·pet·er swans) noun

swan with distinctive call:
a large white swan with a black bill and a loud call, found in western Canada
and Alaska. Latin name: Cygnus buccinator[1]



trumpetfish

trumpetfish
trum·pet·fish
[trúmpət fìsh] (plural trum·pet·fish·es
or trum·pet·fish) noun

fish with tubular snout:
a name given to various tropical reef fish with long bodies and tubular snouts.
Family: Aulostomidae[1]



trumpetflower

trumpetflower
trum·pet
flow·er
(plural trum·pet flow·ers) noun

1.  plant
with trumpet-shaped flowers: a plant with trumpet-shaped
flowers, for example, the trumpet creeper

2.  flower:
the flower of a trumpet flower

[1]



trumpethoneysuckle

trumpethoneysuckle
trum·pet
hon·ey·suck·le (plural trum·pet
hon·ey·suck·les) noun

N American honeysuckle:
a North American variety of honeysuckle plant with scarlet or orange
trumpet-shaped flowers. Latin name: Lonicera sempervirens[1]



trumpetvine

trumpetvine
trum·pet
vine
(plural trum·pet vines) noun

See
trumpet creeper[1]



trumps

trumps
trumps
[trumps] plural noun

highest-value suit:
in card games, the suit that is chosen at the outset to be the highest in value
(takes a singular or plural verb) • Diamonds
are trumps.[1]



trumpup

trumpup
trump
up
transitive verb

invent incriminating
evidence: to invent false accusations
or false evidence in order to incriminate somebody wrongly[1]



truncate

truncate
trun·cate 
[trúng kàyt] transitive verb (past
trun·ca·ted, past participle trun·ca·ted, present
participle trun·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular trun·cates)

1.  shorten
something by removing part: to shorten something by
cutting off or removing a part

2.  MATHEMATICS shorten
decimal number: to restrict the precision of a decimal
number by limiting the digits to the right of the decimal point without
rounding
adjective

1.  See
truncated  adjective 1

2.  BOTANY not
pointed:
used to describe a leaf that has a blunt end, giving the impression that a part
has been cut off
[15th
century. From Latin truncare “to cut short, mutilate,” from truncus
(see trunk ).]
—trun·cate·ly,
adverb

—trun·ca·tion [trung káysh’n], noun[1]



truncated

truncated
trun·ca·ted 
[trúng kàytəd] adjective

1.  with
end removed: shortened by having a part cut off or
removed

2.  GEOMETRY with
end replaced by plane: used to describe a geometric
figure that has the apex or an end removed and replaced with a plane section,
often parallel to the base

3.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY having
incomplete corners: used to describe a crystal
lacking the fully formed corners or faces that would be present in a simple
form of the crystal

4.  POETRY with
one syllable fewer: used to describe a line of
poetry that has one syllable fewer in one of its feet than in others in the
line

[1]



truncheon

truncheon
trun·cheon 
[trúnchən] noun (plural trun·cheons)

1.  ARMS police
officer’s club: a short heavy stick carried by a police
officer

2.  symbolic
stick:
a baton carried as a symbol of rank or authority

3.  ARMS spear’s
shaft:
the shaft of a spear

4.  ARMS club:
any short heavy stick used as a weapon of attack (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past trun·cheoned, past participle trun·cheoned, present
participle trun·cheon·ing, 3rd person present singular trun·cheons)

hit somebody with a truncheon:
to hit somebody or something with a truncheon
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French tronchon from, ultimately, Latin truncus (see trunk ).][1]



trundle

trundle
trun·dle 
[trúnd’l] verb (past trun·dled,
past participle trun·dled, present participle trun·dling,
3rd person present singular trun·dles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
heavily on wheels: to move, or move something,
slowly and heavily, especially on wheels or rollers

2.  transitive
verb
rotate
something:
to turn something around and around repeatedly (archaic)
noun
(plural trun·dles)

1.  wheel:
a small wheel or roller by which something is moved along

2.  rolling
movement:
a slow heavy movement, especially a rolling movement

3.  cart
with wheels: a trolley or cart with small wheels

4.  HOUSEHOLD See trundle bed
[Mid-16th century. Variant of
trendle “wheel,” from Old English trendel “circle.”][1]



trundlebed

trundlebed
trun·dle
bed
(plural trun·dle beds) or trundle (plural trundles)
noun

bed stored beneath another:
a low bed on casters that can be stowed away under another bed.
Also called
truckle bed
Also called
trundle[1]



trundler

trundler
trun·dler
[trúndlər] (plural trun·dlers)
noun New Zealand

1.  golf
cart:
a cart for pulling a golf bag along by hand

2.  trolley:
a shopping trolley

3.  pushchair:
a child’s pushchair

[1]



trunk

trunk
trunk 
[trungk] noun (plural trunks)

1.  TREES tree’s
main stem:
the main stem of a tree, excluding branches and roots

2.  AUTOMOBILES automobile’s
storage compartment: an enclosed storage
compartment in an automobile, usually at the rear.
U.K.
term
boot

3.  large
traveling case: a large strong traveling case or box
with a hinged lid that is bigger, more rigid, and less portable than a suitcase

4.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY upper body:
the main part of the body of a human being or an animal, excluding the head,
neck, and limbs

5.  ZOOLOGY elephant’s
nose:
the long muscular proboscis of an elephant, used for grasping, feeding, and
drinking

6.  main
part:
the main part of something that has branches or subsidiary parts leading off
it, for example, a transportation network or an electrical or communications
network

7.  ANATOMY stem
of blood vessel: the main stem of a blood vessel or
nerve, with branches leading off it

8.  NAUTICAL part
of cabin above deck: the part of a boat’s cabin
that sits above the deck

9.  BUILDING duct:
any kind of duct in a building, for example, a ventilation duct or a duct
carrying electrical wires

10. ARCHITECTURE part
of column:
the shaft of an architectural column, excluding the base and the capital
plural
noun
trunks

CLOTHES men’s
swimwear:
men’s shorts worn for sports, especially swimming
[15th century. Via French tronc
“tree trunk, alms box” from Latin truncus, literally “something cut off”
(source of English truncate and trench ).][1]



trunkfish

trunkfish
trunk·fish 
[trúngk fìsh] (plural trunk·fish·es
or trunk·fish) noun

bony tropical fish:
a brightly colored tropical fish that has a body covered in bony plates.
Family: Ostraciidae
Also called
boxfish[1]



trunkhose

trunkhose
trunk
hose
noun

short puffy breeches:
short puffed-out breeches worn by men in the late 16th and early 17th
centuries. They extended from the waist to the upper or mid thigh.[1]



trunking

trunking
trunk·ing
[trúngking] noun

cable casing:
casing used to anchor, conceal, and protect cables and small pipes[1]



trunnion

trunnion
trun·nion 
[trúnnyən] (plural trun·nions)
noun

pivot:
either of a pair of pivots, especially the cylindrical knobs on the side of a
cannon’s barrel that allow it to pivot on the gun carriage
[Early
17th century. From French trognon “fruit core, tree stump,” of uncertain
origin.]
—trun·nioned, adjective[1]



Truro

Truro
Tru·ro 
[trrō]

town on Cobequid Bay in
central Nova Scotia, Canada. Population: 11,938 (1996)[1]



truss

truss
truss 
[truss] transitive verb (past trussed,
past participle trussed, present participle truss·ing,
3rd person present singular truss·es)

1.  bind
something:
to tie something or somebody tightly

2.  COOKING tie
something for cooking: to prepare meat for roasting
by tying it into a neat shape. Birds such as chickens and turkeys are trussed
to keep wings and legs close to the body.

3.  CIVIL ENGINEERING support
something with load-bearing members: to
support or strengthen a roof, bridge, or other elevated structure with a
network of beams and bars

4.  MEDICINE support
a hernia:
to support a hernia with a specially designed device
noun
(plural truss·es)

1.  MEDICINE support
for a hernia: a device designed to apply pressure to a
hernia to stop it from enlarging or protruding

2.  BOTANY fruit
cluster:
a cluster of flowers or fruit on a single branching stem, for example, on a
tomato plant

3.  SAILING mast
fitting:
a metal fitting used to attach a ship’s beam ( yard
) to a mast

4.  bundle:
a bundle, especially a bundle of hay of varying weight
[12th
century. From Old French trousse, from trousser “to truss,” of
uncertain origin: perhaps via assumed Vulgar Latin torsare from,
ultimately, Latin torquere “to twist” (see torque 1 ).]
—truss·er, noun[1]



trussbridge

trussbridge
truss
bridge
(plural truss bridges) noun

bridge with triangular
supports: a bridge whose supporting
structure consists of a network of beams in a series of triangular sections[1]



trussing

trussing
truss·ing
[trússing] noun

supporting framework:
a framework of beams arranged in triangular sections and supporting a roof,
bridge, or other structure, or the beams themselves[1]



trust

trust
trust 
[trust] noun (plural trusts)

1.  reliance:
confidence in and reliance on good qualities, especially fairness, truth,
honor, or ability

2.  care:
responsibility for taking good care of somebody or something • We
put our children in the trust of a good daycare center.

3.  position
of obligation: the position of somebody who is expected
by others to behave responsibly or honorably • breached
the public trust

4.  something
in which confidence is placed: somebody who or
something that people place confidence or faith in (archaic or literary)

5.  hope
for the future: hopeful reliance on what will happen in
the future

6.  responsibility
that somebody has: something entrusted to
somebody to be responsible for • accepted
his responsibilities as a sacred trust

7.  LAW holding
of another’s property: the legal holding and
managing of money or property belonging to somebody else, for example, that of
a minor

8.  LAW arrangement
to manage another’s property: a legal arrangement by which
one person ( trustee ) holds and manages
money or property belonging to somebody else

9.  COMMERCE credit:
credit given to somebody on purchases made • let
me have it on trust

10. COMMERCE cartel:
a combination of corporations with the purpose of reducing competition and
controlling prices
verb
(past trust·ed, past participle trust·ed, present
participle trust·ing, 3rd person present singular trusts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rely
on something: to place confidence in somebody’s good
qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor, or ability

2.  transitive
verb
confidently
allow somebody to have something: to allow somebody to
do or use something in confidence that the person will behave responsibly or
properly • I
trust you to do the right thing.

3.  transitive
verb
place
something in somebody’s care: to place somebody or
something in the care of another person • You
could certainly trust him with such an important job.

4.  transitive
verb
suppose:
to hope or suppose something • I
trust you had a good vacation.

5.  transitive
verb
Caribbean give credit to somebody:
to give somebody credit on a purchase • wouldn’t
even trust me a carton of milk
[12th
century. From Old Norse traust “confidence” and treysta “to
trust.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to be solid,” which is
also the ancestor of English true, tryst, and tree
.]
—trust·a·bil·i·ty
[trùstə bíllətee], noun

—trust·a·ble
[trústəb’l], adjective

—trust·er, noun[1]



trustbuster

trustbuster
trust·bust·er 
[trúst bùstər] (plural trust·bust·ers)
noun

official
who breaks up cartels: a government official who
carries out investigations into commercial cartels and works to break them up
—trust·bust·ing, noun[1]



trustcompany

trustcompany
trust
com·pa·ny
noun

company operating trusts for
others: a bank or other commercial
organization that sets up and operates trusts for private individuals and
businesses[1]



trustee

trustee
trus·tee 
[tru st] noun (plural trus·tees)

1.  LAW manager
of another’s property: somebody who is given the
legal authority to manage money or property on behalf of somebody else

2.  FINANCE finance
manager:
a member of a group of people responsible for managing the financial affairs of
an institution or organization

3.  POLITICS country
supervising trust territory: a country responsible for
administering a trust territory
intransitive
and transitive verb (past trus·teed,
past participle trus·teed, present participle trus·tee·ing,
3rd person present singular trus·tees)

entrust something to a trustee:
to entrust something to a trustee, or act as a trustee

[1]



trusteeship

trusteeship
trus·tee·ship 
[tru st shìp] (plural trus·tee·ships)
noun

1.  LAW FINANCE trustee’s position:
the status or responsibilities of a trustee, or the period of time for which a
trustee holds office

2.  POLITICS government
under United Nations’ terms: the administration of a
country that is not self-governing by a foreign country under terms laid down
by the United Nations

[1]



trustful

trustful
trust·ful 
[trústfəl] adjective

See
trusting
—trust·ful·ly,
adverb

—trust·ful·ness, noun[1]



trustfund

trustfund
trust
fund
(plural trust funds) noun

fund managed on behalf of
another: an investment fund managed
on behalf of somebody, particularly a minor, by one or more people given legal
authority to do so[1]



trusting

trusting
trust·ing
[trústing] or trustful [trústfəl] adjective

tending
to trust:
willing or tending to trust people
—trust·ing·ly,
adverb

—trust·ing·ness, noun[1]



trustless

trustless
trust·less
[trústləss] adjective (archaic or
literary)

1.  untrustworthy:
not worthy of being trusted

2.  suspicious:
tending not to trust others
—trust·less·ly,
adverb

—trust·less·ness, noun[1]



trustterritory

trustterritory
trust
ter·ri·to·ry noun

country without
self-government: a country that does not
have its own government but is run by a foreign country under terms laid down
by the United Nations[1]



trustworthy

trustworthy
trust·wor·thy 
[trúst wùree] adjective

reliable:
deserving trust, or able to be trusted
—trust·wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—trust·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



trusty

trusty
trust·y 
[trústee] adjective (comparative
trust·i·er, superlative trust·i·est)

reliable: able
to be relied on
noun
(plural trust·ies)

1.  trusted
person:
somebody who is trusted by others

2.  trusted
prisoner:
a prisoner regarded by the prison authorities as trustworthy and given special
privileges
—trust·i·ly,
adverb

—trust·i·ness, noun[1]



truth

truth
truth 
[trooth] (plural truths [trooz, trooths])
noun

1.  true
quality:
correspondence to fact or reality

2.  something
factual:
something that corresponds to fact or reality • spoke
the truth

3.  true
statement:
a statement that corresponds to fact or reality

4.  obvious
fact:
something that is so clearly true that it hardly needs to be stated

5.  something
generally believed: a statement that is
generally believed to be true • a
religious truth

6.  honesty:
honesty, sincerity, or integrity

7.  descriptive
accuracy:
accuracy in description or portrayal • a
criticism that had an element of truth in it

8.  conformity:
adherence to a standard or law

9.  loyalty:
faithfulness to a person or a cause (dated)

10. U.K.
accuracy:
accuracy of alignment, setting, position, or shape (dated)
[Old English trēowth
“faithfulness” (source also of troth )][1]



Truth

Truth
Truth
noun

God:
in Christian Science, the word used to refer to God[1]



truth-condition

truth-condition
truth-con·di·tion
(plural truth-con·di·tions) noun

condition that a proposition
relies on: the condition that must
apply if a given philosophical proposition is to be true[1]



truthdrug

truthdrug
truth
drug
(plural truth drugs) noun

See
truth serum[1]



truthful

truthful
truth·ful 
[trthfəl] adjective

1.  honest:
telling the truth, or tending to tell the truth

2.  accurate:
corresponding to fact or reality
—truth·ful·ness, noun[1]



truthfully

truthfully
truth·ful·ly
[trthfəlee] adverb

1.  so
as to express truth: in a way that corresponds to
fact or reality or that expresses the truth

2.  emphasizing
truth:
used to reinforce the truth of what has just been said or is about to be said • Truthfully,
I did not know she was there.

[1]



truthserum

truthserum
truth
se·rum
(plural truth se·rums) noun

drug inducing truth-telling:
a drug supposed to make the person taking it tell the truth, for example, by
reducing inhibitions or causing hypnosis.
Also called
truth drug[1]



truthset

truthset
truth
set
(plural truth sets) noun

set of values making
statement true: a set of all the values
that make a given mathematical or logic statement true when substituted in the
statement[1]



Truth,Sojourner

Truth,Sojourner

Truth 
[trooth], Sojourner (1797?–1883)
U.S.
abolitionist. Freed from enslavement, she campaigned for the rights of African
Americans and women.
Born
Van Wagener, Isabella[1]



truthtable

truthtable
truth
ta·ble
(plural truth ta·bles) noun

1.  LOGIC table
used in logic: a table used to work out the truth or
falsity of a compound statement in logic

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING table
used in transistor technology: in electronics and
computing, a table used to indicate the value of the output signal from a logic
circuit or device for every possible input

[1]



truth-value

truth-value
truth-val·ue 
(plural truth-val·ues) noun

truth or falsity in logic:
in logic, the truth or falsity of a proposition or of a compound statement
consisting of two or more propositions[1]



try

try
try 
[trī] verb (past tried,
past participle tried, present participle try·ing, 3rd
person present singular tries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
an effort:
to make an effort or an attempt to do or achieve something

2.  transitive
verb
test
something for purpose of assessment: to
test, sample, or experiment with something in order to assess its usefulness,
worth, or quality • You get to try the
software out at home.

3.  transitive
verb
strain
or vex somebody: to subject somebody or something to
great strain • The
long wait tried her patience.

4.  transitive
verb
LAW subject
somebody to legal trial: to carry out the trial in
court of somebody accused of a crime or offense

5.  transitive
verb
LAW conduct
a case in court: to conduct a legal case in court • asked
when the case would be tried

6.  transitive
verb
FOOD See render  verb 8
noun
(plural tries)

1.  effort:
an attempt made to do or achieve something

2.  RUGBY score
in Rugby:
a score achieved by touching the ball on the ground behind the line of the
opponent’s posts goal line . In Rugby Union, five points are scored, while the
score is three points in Rugby League.
[13th
century. Via Old French trier “to sift out” from assumed Vulgar Latin triare,
of unknown origin.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  try
  and
  or try to ?
  The
  two expressions are often interchangeable ( • We’ll
  try and come or • We’ll
  try to come ), although try and is somewhat more
  informal. In the past tense and in negative and continuous constructions,
  however, try to is needed: • They
  tried to deliver the package on Friday. • We
  are not trying to be funny. • Are
  you trying to tell me something?

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  try, attempt, endeavor,
  strive
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  make an effort to do something try;
  to make an effort to do or achieve something; attempt;
  used in a similar way to “try,” but often used to suggest that the task is
  difficult and so the chances of success are not high; endeavor; a fairly formal word meaning to
  try to do or achieve something that involves great exertion or effort; strive; like “endeavour,” but often with the
  implication of persistence

[1]



trying

trying
try·ing 
[tr ing] adjective

stressful:
placing great strain on somebody’s patience, composure, or good nature, and
often physically exhausting as a result
—try·ing·ly, adverb[1]



tryon

tryon
try
on
transitive verb

put on clothing to test fit:
to put on an item of clothing to test its fit or suitability[1]



tryout

tryout
try·out 
[tr òwt] (plural try·outs) noun

1.  test
of suitability: a trial to test somebody’s suitability,
especially to play on a sports team or play a specific role as an actor

2.  performance
before official opening: a performance of a play
staged prior to its official opening • changes
made to the script following the out-of-town tryout

[1]



tryout

tryout
try
out
intransitive verb

be tested for suitability:
to undergo a competitive test of suitability, especially for a place on a
sports team or for a part as an actor • plans
to try out for the play[1]



trypanblue

trypanblue
try·pan
blue
[tríppən bl, trí
pàn bl] noun

dye
used to test cells: a blue dye used to
distinguish live cells from dead cells. Only dead cells turn blue in the
presence of trypan blue.
[Shortening of trypanosome][1]



trypanosome

trypanosome
try·pan·o·some 
[tri pánnə sm, tríppənə
sm] (plural try·pan·o·somes) noun

microscopic
parasitic organism: a simple microscopic
organism ( protozoan ) that lives as a
parasite in the blood of certain vertebrates, including human beings. It is
transmitted by insect bites and causes serious diseases. Genus: Trypanosoma
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin, genus name, from Greek trupanon “borer”
+ sōma “body.”]
—try·pan·o·so·mal [tri pànnə sṓm’l, trìppənə
sṓm’l], adjective[1]



trypanosomiasis

trypanosomiasis
try·pan·o·so·mi·a·sis 
[tri pànnə sō m əssiss, trìppənə sō m əssiss] noun

disease caused by
blood-dwelling organism: a disorder
caused by infestation with a microscopic organism that lives as a parasite in
the blood, especially sleeping sickness[1]



trypsin

trypsin
tryp·sin 
[trípsin] noun

enzyme
in pancreas: an enzyme in pancreatic juice that acts
as a catalyst for breaking proteins down into peptides
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: probably formed from Greek tripsis
“rubbing,” because it was first obtained by rubbing a pancreas with glycerin.]
—tryp·tic, adjective[1]



trypsinogen

trypsinogen
tryp·sin·o·gen 
[trìp sínnəjən] noun

precursor of trypsin:
the inactive substance secreted in the juices of the pancreas and converted
into trypsin[1]



tryptamine

tryptamine
tryp·ta·mine 
[tríptə mn] noun

chemical
compound:
a crystalline amine found in plant and animal tissue, formed synthetically or
by the decomposition of the amino acid tryptophan. C10H12N2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from tryptophan + -amine
.][1]



tryptophan

tryptophan
tryp·to·phan 
[tríptə fàn] noun

amino
acid:
an essential amino acid found in proteins such as casein and fibrin. C11H12O2N2
[Late 19th century. Coined
from tryptic “of trypsin” + -phane .][1]



trysail

trysail
try·sail 
[trss’l, tr
sàyl] (plural try·sails) noun

sail
for stormy weather: a strong sail used in stormy
weather that is either square or triangular and is set to run parallel to the
length of the ship ( fore-and-aft )
[Mid-18th century. From a-try
“hove to.”][1]



trysquare

trysquare
try
square
(plural try squares) noun

woodworking tool:
a woodworking tool used to test and mark out right angles, consisting of a
rectangular handle with a thin flat rectangular metal blade fitted
perpendicular to it[1]



tryst

tryst
tryst 
[trist] noun (plural trysts)

1.  arrangement
to meet:
an arrangement to meet, especially one made privately or secretly by lovers

2.  secret
meeting:
a secret meeting, or place of meeting, especially between lovers
intransitive
verb
(past tryst·ed, past participle tryst·ed, present
participle tryst·ing, 3rd person present singular trysts)

meet or arrange to meet:
to arrange a meeting with somebody or keep an arrangement to meet, especially
secretly with a lover
[14th
century. From Old French triste “place to lie in wait,” of prehistoric
Germanic origin.]
—tryst·er, noun[1]



T.S.

T.S.
T.S.
or t.s.

Abbreviation of
tensile strength[1]



tsaddik

tsaddik
tsad·dik
noun

See
tzaddik[1]



tsar

tsar
tsar 
[zaar, tsaar]
(plural tsars) or tzar [zaar,
tsaar] (plural tzars) or
czar [zaar, tsaar]
(plural czars) noun

Russian
emperor:
an emperor of Russia, before 1917
[Mid-16th
century. Via Russian tsar’, Old Slavic tsĕsar, and Gothic kaisar
from, ultimately, Latin Caesar “ Caesar
.”]
—tsar·dom, noun[1]



tsarevitch

tsarevitch
tsare·vitch
[zrə vìch, tsrə
vìch] (plural tsare·vitches) or czare·vitch
[zrə vìch, tsrə
vìch] (plural czare·vitches) noun

Russian
emperor’s son: a son of a Russian emperor, especially
the eldest son
[Early 18th century. From
Russian tsarevich, from tsar’ (see tsar
).][1]



tsarevna

tsarevna
tsar·ev·na
[zaa révnə, tsaa
révnə] (plural tsar·ev·nas) or czar·ev·na [zaa révnə, tsaa révnə]
(plural czar·ev·nas) noun

1.  tsarevitch’s
wife:
the wife of a tsarevitch

2.  tsar’s
daughter:
the daughter of a tsar
[Late 19th century. From
Russian tsarevna, from tsar’ (see tsar
).][1]



tsarina

tsarina
tsa·rina
[zaa rnə, tsaa
rnə] (plural tsari·nas [zaa
rítsə, tsaa rítsə]) or tsaritsa
[zaa rnə, tsaa
rnə] (plural tsaritsas) or cza·rina [zaa rnə, tsaa rnə]
(plural czari·nas) or cza·rit·za [zaa rnə, tsaa rnə]
(plural cza·rit·zas) noun

1.  Russian
empress:
an empress of Russia, before 1917

2.  tsar’s
wife or widow: the wife or widow of a tsar
[Early 18th century. From
Italian or Spanish zarina, feminine of zar, from Russian tsar’
(see tsar ).][1]



tsarism

tsarism
tsar·ism
[z rìzzəm] noun

1.  rule
by tsar:
government by an emperor who has absolute power

2.  dictatorship:
absolute rule of any kind, especially the cruel abuse of absolute power by a
despot
—tsar·ist, adjective,
noun[1]



tsaritsa

tsaritsa
tsar·it·sa
noun

HISTORY See tsarina
[Late 17th century. From
Russian.][1]



tsatske

tsatske
tsats·ke 
[tstskə, chchkə]
noun

See
chachka[1]



TsavoNational Park

TsavoNational Park
Tsa·vo
Na·tion·al Park [s vō nashən’l
prk]

national park and game
reserve in Kenya, established in 1948. Area: 20,700 sq km/8,000 sq mi.[1]



TSE

TSE
TSE
noun

disease transmitted across
species: a disease that affects the
nervous system and can be transmitted from one species to another. Full form
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy[1]



tsetsefly

tsetsefly
tset·se
fly
[tsétsee fl, sétsee
fl] or tzet·ze fly [tsétsee
fl, sétsee fl] noun

fly
transmitting sleeping sickness: a two-winged biting
fly found in central Africa that feeds on the blood of humans and animals and
is responsible for transmitting several diseases, including sleeping sickness.
Genus: Glossina
[Mid-19th century. Via
Afrikaans from Setswana .][1]



T.Sgt.

T.Sgt.
T.Sgt.

Abbreviation of
Technical Sergeant[1]



TSH

TSH
TSH

Abbreviation of
thyroid-stimulating hormone[1]



T-shirt

T-shirt
T-shirt
(plural T-shirts) or tee-shirt (plural tee-shirts)
noun

1.  collarless
short-sleeved shirt: a collarless buttonless,
often short-sleeved, knit shirt, usually made of cotton and worn for leisure
and sports. T-shirts are often printed with designs and slogans.

2.  undershirt:
a man’s short-sleeved undershirt
[Early 20th century. From its
T-shape when spread out.][1]



Tshombe,Moise

Tshombe,Moise
Tshom·be
[cháwmbay], Moise (1919–1969)

Congolese
statesman. He was president of the secessionist state of Katanga (1960–1963)
and prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1964–1965).
Full name
Tshombe, Moise Kapenda[1]



tshwala

tshwala
tshwa·la
[chwlə] noun

South
Africa
beer:
thick home-brewed beer made from sorghum millet, corn, or other grain that is a
traditional drink in South Africa
[From Zulu utshwala][1]



tsimmes

tsimmes
tsim·mes
noun

See
tzimmes[1]



Tsimshian

Tsimshian
Tsim·shi·an 
[chímshee ən, tsímshee
ən] (plural Tsim·shi·an or Tsim·shi·ans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied coastal lands in southeastern Alaska
and British Columbia, and whose members mainly continue to live in the same
area

2.  LANGUAGE Tsimshian
language:
the language of the Tsimshian and other Native North American peoples. It is
spoken by about 1,500 people.
[Mid-19th
century. From Tsimshian čamsián, literally “inside the Skeena River.”]
—Tsim·shi·an, adjective[1]



tsk

tsk

tsk
interjection
sound
expressing disappointment: a word used in writing to
represent a sucking or clicking sound that people make to express
disappointment, disgust, or sympathy
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tsked, past
participle tsked, present participle tsk·ing, 3rd
person present singular tsks)
say
“ tsk ”:
to scold somebody or express disappointment, sympathy, or disgust by making a
sucking or clicking sound
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Tsonga

Tsonga
Tson·ga
[tsáwng gə] (plural Tson·ga or
Tson·gas) noun
Also
called
Shangaan

1.  PEOPLES member
of southern African people: a member of a people who
live in southern Africa, mainly in Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Tsonga
language:
the language of the Tsonga people. It belongs to the Bantu group of Benue-Congo
languages. Tsonga is spoken by about 4 million people.
[Early
20th century. Of Bantu origin.]
—Tson·ga, adjective[1]



tsotsi

tsotsi
tsot·si
[tsótsee] (plural tsot·sis) noun

South
Africa
member
of criminal gang: a young black man who belongs to a gang
involved in criminal activities of various kinds, especially one that operates
in townships (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Nguni -tsotsa “to dress in exaggerated
clothing,” from the type of clothing such members wear.][1]



tsp.

tsp.
tsp.

Abbreviation of
teaspoon[1]



T-square

T-square
T-square 
(plural T-squares) or T square (plural T
squares) noun

drawing-board instrument:
a drawing-board ruler consisting of a rectangular handle with a straight-sided
wooden or plastic blade attached perpendicular to it, to form a T shape. The
handle sits against the board’s edge.[1]



TSS

TSS
TSS

Abbreviation of
toxic shock syndrome[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tsunami

tsunami
tsu·na·mi 
[tsoo nmee, soo
nmee] (plural tsu·na·mis) noun

large
ocean wave:
a large destructive ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or some other
movement of the earth’s surface
[Late
19th century. From Japanese, literally “harbor wave.”]
—tsu·na·mic [tsoo nmik, soo nmik,
tsoo námmik], adjective[1]



tsuris

tsuris
tsu·ris
[tsriss, tsúr
iss, sriss, súr
iss] or tzu·ris [tsriss,
tsúr iss, sriss,
súr iss] noun

trouble:
problems or difficulties (informal)
[Early 20th century. Via
Yiddish tsores “troubles” from, ultimately, Hebrew ṣārāh
“trouble.”][1]



Tsushima

Tsushima
Tsu·shi·ma 
[tsoo shmə, ts
shee m]

island group in the Korea
Strait, southwestern Japan. Population: 48,875 (1985) Area: 702 sq km/271 sq
mi.[1]



tsutsugamushidisease

tsutsugamushidisease
tsut·su·ga·mu·shi
dis·ease 
[tstsəgə mshi di zz, stsəgə mshi di zz] noun

See
scrub typhus
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese, literally “disease tick.”][1]



Tswana

Tswana
Tswa·na 
[tswnə, swnə]
(plural Tswa·na or Tswa·nas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of southern African people: a member of a people living
in southern Africa, mainly in Botswana, where they form the largest ethnic
group

2.  LANGUAGE Tswana
language:
the language of the Tswana people belonging to the Sotho group of Benue-Congo
languages
[Mid-20th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



TT

TT
TT

1.  Abbreviation
of
teetotal

2.  BANKING Abbreviation of
telegraphic transfer

3.  Abbreviation
of
teletypewriter

4.  Abbreviation
of
transit time

5.  Abbreviation
of
trust territory

6.  Abbreviation
of
tuberculin-tested

[1]



t-test

t-test
t-test
noun

statistical test for small
sample: a test of whether a sample
of observations comes from a larger sample with a normal distribution of
statistical properties.
Also called
Student’s t-test[1]



TTL

TTL1
TTL1 noun

electronic logic circuit
construction method: a method of
constructing electronic logic circuits. Full form transistor transistor
logic[1]



TTL

TTL2
TTL2

Abbreviation of
through-the-lens[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TTY

TTY
TTY

Abbreviation of
teletypewriter[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TTYTT

TTYTT
TTYTT

(used in e-mail messages)Abbreviation
of to tell you the truth[1]



T.U.

T.U.
T.U.

1.  Abbreviation
of
trade union

2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS Abbreviation
of transmission unit

[1]



Tu.

Tu.
Tu.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Tuesday[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tuan

tuan
tuan
[twaan] noun

Malayan
way of addressing man: in Malay-speaking countries,
a respectful form of address for a man
[Early 18th century. From
Malay .][1]



Tuareg

Tuareg
Tua·reg 
[tw règ] (plural Tua·reg or
Tua·regs) noun

1.  PEOPLES African
people:
a member of a nomadic people who live in northwestern Africa, mainly in the
Sahara and Sahel regions

2.  LANGUAGE Tuareg
language:
the Berber language of the Tuareg people. It belongs to the Afro-Asiatic family
of languages.
[Early 19th century. From
Berber .][1]



tuatara

tuatara
tu·a·ta·ra 
[t ə trə] (plural tu·a·ta·ras)
noun

New
Zealand reptile: a large spiny greenish-gray reptile that
looks like an iguana but does not belong to the iguana family. It is found only
on islands off New Zealand. Latin name: Sphenodon punctatum
Also
called
sphenodon
[Late 19th century. From
Maori, literally “with spines on its back.”][1]



tub

tub
tub 
[tub] noun (plural tubs)

1.  low
open container: a low open, often round, container of
any size that is used for purposes such as storage and washing

2.  round
container for liquids: a small, often round,
plastic or cardboard container for liquid, semi-liquid, or soft substances such
as ice cream or margarine

3.  amount
held by tub: the contents of a tub

4.  bathtub:
a bathtub

5.  bath:
an instance of bathing in a bathtub (informal) • You’ll
feel better after a tub and a hot meal.

6.  NAUTICAL poor
quality boat: a slow unreliable boat (informal)

7.  MINING mine
vehicle:
an open-top vehicle on rails used to transport coal and other excavated
minerals in a mine
verb
(past tubbed, past participle tubbed, present
participle tub·bing, 3rd person present singular tubs)

1.  transitive
verb
store
something in tub: to store or package something in a tub

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb bathe:
to wash, or wash something or yourself, in a bathtub (informal)
[14th century. From Middle
Low German or Middle Dutch .][1]



tuba

tuba


tu·ba 
[tbə] (plural tu·bas) noun
brass
instrument:
a low-pitched brass musical instrument held vertically with the bell pointing
upward and the mouthpiece set horizontally. It has three to five valves.
[Mid-19th century. Via French
or Italian from Latin, “large war trumpet.”][1]



tubal

tubal
tu·bal 
[tb’l] adjective

1.  of
tubes:
relating to or in the form of a tube or tubes

2.  ANATOMY of
fallopian tube: relating to or developing in a fallopian
tube

[1]



tuballigation

tuballigation
tu·bal
li·ga·tion
noun

tying of fallopian tubes:
a sterilization technique in which a woman’s fallopian tubes are tied to
prevent ova entering the uterus. It is usually performed using endoscopic
surgery.[1]



tubate

tubate
tu·bate 
[t bàyt] adjective

tubular:
tubular in shape[1]



tubby

tubby
tub·by 
[túbbee] (comparative tub·bi·er,
superlative tub·bi·est) adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term describing somebody regarded as being overweight (informal
insult)

2.  tub-shaped:
like a tub in shape

3.  MUSIC lacking
resonance:
used to describe a violin or other string instrument that lacks resonance
—tub·bi·ness, noun[1]



tube

tube
tube 
[toob] noun (plural tubes)

1.  cylinder
for transporting or storing liquids: any
long hollow cylinder used to transport or store liquids

2.  ANATOMY cylindrical
body organ:
any hollow cylindrical organ that transports liquids or gases around the body

3.  collapsible
container with cap: a collapsible, generally
cylindrical container sealed at one end and closed with a cap at the other. It
is used for packaging semi-liquid substances such as toothpaste.

4.  RAIL underground
railway:
the underground railway system in London (informal)

5.  U.K.
RAIL underground
train:
a train on an underground railway system

6.  inner
tube:
an inner tube of a pneumatic tire

7.  TV cathode
ray tube in TV: a cathode ray tube used to reproduce
television images.
Also
called
picture tube
Also
called
television tube

8.  TV See boob tube 2 noun

9.  BOTANY channel
in plant:
any narrow enclosed channel in a plant, for example, the organ in a germinating
pollen grain that conveys the male gametes to the ovule

10. BOTANY flower
part:
a roughly cylindrical fusion of the petals of a flower such as a daffodil

11. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING vacuum
tube:
a vacuum tube (informal)

12. MUSIC body
of wind instrument: the hollow cylinder that
forms the main body of a wind instrument, through which the player’s breath
passes

13. part
of a wave:
the tunnel formed when a large rolling wave prepares to break
transitive
verb
(past tubed, past participle tubed, present participle
tub·ing, 3rd person present singular tubes)

1.  fit
something with tube: to supply or fit something
with a tube

2.  enclose
something in tube: to put something in a tube
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin tubus, of uncertain origin.][1]



tubectomy

tubectomy
tu·bec·to·my 
[too béktəmee] (plural tu·bec·to·mies)
noun

removal of fallopian tube:
the surgical removal of a fallopian tube (informal)[1]



tubefoot

tubefoot
tube
foot
noun

protruding body part in
marine invertebrates: an
outgrowth of the body wall of marine invertebrates of the sea urchin family ( echinoderms ), used for feeding, moving around, or
performing other functions depending on the species[1]



tubelesstire

tubelesstire
tube·less
tire 
[tbləss tr] noun

pneumatic tire without inner
tube: a pneumatic tire that does
not require an inner tube because the casing and wheel rim form an airtight
seal[1]



tube-mouthedfish

tube-mouthedfish
tube-mouthed
fish
noun

fish with tubular snout:
any fish with a long tubular snout such as the shrimpfish or cornetfish. Order:
Solenichthys[1]



tubenose

tubenose
tube·nose 
[tb nz] adjective

having
horny tube on bill: used to describe seabirds
with horny tubes that extend their nostrils onto their bills. The albatross is
an example of a tubenose bird. Order: Procellariiformes
noun
(plural tube·nos·es)

small Pacific fish:
a small marine fish found in the eastern Pacific that is related to the
stickleback and has its ribs fused to lateral bony plates. Latin name: Aulorhynchus
flavidum[1]



tubepan

tubepan
tube
pan
(plural tube pans) noun

baking pan:
a round cooking pan with a hollow cylinder or cone in the middle, used for
baking or molding foods in a ring shape[1]



tuber

tuber
tu·ber 
[tbər] (plural tu·bers) noun

1.  BOTANY fleshy
underground plant part: a fleshy swollen part of a
root, for example, a dahlia root, or of an underground stem, for example, a
potato, that stores food over winter and produces new growth in spring. A stem
tuber has buds, popularly called eyes, unlike a root tuber.

2.  ANATOMY small
bulge on body: a small raised area or swelling on the
body
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “swelling” (source of English truffle
). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to swell” that is also the
ancestor of thumb and tumor .][1]



tubercle

tubercle
tu·ber·cle 
[tbərk’l] (plural tu·ber·cles)
noun

1.  BOTANY ZOOLOGY nodule:
a small raised area on a plant or animal part

2.  MEDICINE small
lesion:
a small rounded swelling on the skin or on a mucous membrane, caused by a
disease, especially a nodule in the lungs that is the characteristic symptom of
tuberculosis
[Late 16th century. From
Latin tuberculum, literally “small swelling,” from tuber (see tuber ).][1]



tuberclebacillus

tuberclebacillus
tu·ber·cle
ba·cil·lus
noun

rod-shaped bacterium:
a rod-shaped bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Latin name: Mycobacterium
tuberculosis[1]



tubercular

tubercular
tu·ber·cu·lar 
[tə búrkyələr, too
búrkyələr] or tu·ber·cu·lous [tə
búrkyələss, too búrkyələss] adjective

1.  of
tuberculosis: relating to, characteristic of, or
affected by tuberculosis

2.  caused
by tubercle bacillus: caused by the tubercle
bacillus • tubercular
meningitis

3.  nodule-shaped:
taking the form of a small rounded swelling or nodule
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).][1]



tuberculate

tuberculate
tu·ber·cu·late 
[tə búrkyələt, too
búrkyələt] adjective

covered
with nodules: covered with small rounded swellings or
nodules ( tubercles )
[Late
18th century. Formed from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).]
—tu·ber·cu·late·ly,
adverb

—tu·ber·cu·la·tion [tə bùrkyə láysh’n, too
bùrkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



tuberculin

tuberculin
tu·ber·cu·lin 
[tə búrkyəlin, too
búrkyəlin] noun

liquid
obtained from bacterium: a sterile liquid obtained
from cultures of the tubercle bacillus and used in a scratch test to establish
whether somebody has or has had tuberculosis
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).][1]



tuberculin-tested

tuberculin-tested
tu·ber·cu·lin-test·ed
adjective

tested for tuberculosis:
used to describe a dairy herd that has been certified as not having
tuberculosis, or to describe milk from such a herd (dated)[1]



tuberculoid

tuberculoid
tu·ber·cu·loid 
[tə búrkyə lòyd, too
búrkyə lòyd] adjective

resembling
tuberculosis: producing symptoms that resemble those
produced by tuberculosis • tuberculoid
leprosy
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).][1]



tuberculosis

tuberculosis
tu·ber·cu·lo·sis 
[tə bùrkyə lṓssiss, too
bùrkyə lṓssiss] noun

tubercle-forming
disease:
an infectious disease that causes small rounded swellings ( tubercles ) to form
on mucous membranes, especially a disease pulmonary tuberculosis that affects
the lungs
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).][1]



tuberculous

tuberculous
tu·ber·cu·lous 
adjective

See
tubercular
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle
).][1]



tuberose

tuberose2
tu·ber·ose2 [tbə
rss] adjective

See
tuberous[1]



tuberose

tuberose1
tu·be·rose1 [t
brz, tbə rz] (plural tu·be·ros·es)
noun

Mexican
flowering plant: a perennial Mexican plant with
blade-shaped leaves and spikes of fragrant white flowers. It is a kind of
agave. Latin name: Polianthes tuberosa
[Mid-17th century. From
modern Latin tuberosa, species name, from Latin tuberosus, from tuber
(see tuber ).][1]



tuberosity

tuberosity
tu·ber·os·i·ty 
[tbə róssətee] (plural tu·ber·os·i·ties)
noun

protuberance:
a rounded protuberance, especially at a point on a bone where muscles or
ligaments are attached[1]



tuberous

tuberous
tu·ber·ous 
[tbərəss] or tu·ber·ose [tbərəss] adjective

1.  of
tubers:
relating to tubers or in the form of tubers

2.  having
warts:
producing or covered with knobby growths
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
tuberosus (see tuberose 1 ).][1]



tubesteak

tubesteak
tube
steak
(plural tube steaks) noun

hot dog:
a hot dog (slang)[1]



tubetop

tubetop
tube
top
(plural tube tops) noun

women’s top:
a short strapless stretchy top for women.
U.K. term
boob tube[1]



tubeworm

tubeworm
tube
worm
(plural tube worms) noun

worm that builds tube-shaped
shelter: a worm that builds itself a
tube-shaped shelter that sticks out of the soil[1]



tubifex

tubifex
tu·bi·fex 
[tbə fèks] noun

small
freshwater worm: a thin reddish freshwater worm that
builds a tube-shaped shelter in the sand of riverbeds. Such worms are often
used as food for aquarium fish. Genus: Tubifex
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin tubus “tube” + -fex
“maker.”][1]



tubing

tubing
tub·ing 
[tbing] noun

1.  system
of tubes:
a system or series of tubes

2.  material
used for tubes: the hollow, cylindrical material that
tubes are made of

3.  See
piping

[1]



Tubman,Harriet

Tubman,Harriet

Tub·man
[túbmən], Harriet (1830–1913)
U.S. abolitionist. Escaping from slavery
(1849), she helped other enslaved laborers escape to freedom along the
clandestine route known as the Underground Railroad.[1]



tubocurarine

tubocurarine
tu·bo·cu·ra·rine 
[tbō k rrin, tbō
k r rn] noun

1.  active
constituent of curare: a toxic substance that is an
alkaloid and the active constituent of curare, used as a muscle relaxant

2.  hydrochloride
salt of tubocurarine: the hydrochloride salt of
tubocurarine
[Late 19th century. Coined
from tube (from the fact that it is shipped
in bamboo tubes) + curare + -ine .][1]



tuboplasty

tuboplasty
tu·bo·plas·ty 
[tbō plàstee] (plural tu·bo·plas·ties)
noun

repair of fallopian tubes:
the surgical repair of one or both fallopian tubes, especially when these have
been cut and tied for contraceptive reasons[1]



tub-thump

tub-thump
tub-thump 
(past tub-thumped, past participle tub-thumped, present
participle tub-thump·ing, 3rd person present singular tub-thumps)
intransitive verb

speak
out vigorously: to speak out in favor of somebody or
something in a passionate or aggressive way (informal)
—tub-thump·er,
noun

—tub-thump·ing, adjective[1]



tubular

tubular
tu·bu·lar 
[tbyələr] or tu·bu·late [tbyələt] or tu·bu·lous [tbyələss] adjective

1.  tube-shaped:
shaped like a tube

2.  having
tubes:
having a tube or tubes
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin tubulus (see tubule ).][1]



tubularbells

tubularbells
tu·bu·lar
bells
plural noun

metal tubes as musical
instrument: a set of tuned metal tubes,
usually arranged in a scale and hung from a frame, that are struck with a
mallet[1]



tubulate

tubulate
tu·bu·late 
adjective

See
tubular
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
tubulatus, from tubulus (see tubule
).][1]



tubule

tubule
tu·bule 
[t byl] (plural tu·bules) noun

small
tubular part: a very small tubular part in a plant or
animal organism
[Late 17th century. From
Latin tubulus, literally “small tube,” from tubus (see tube ).][1]



tubulin

tubulin
tu·bu·lin 
[tbyəlin] noun

globular cell protein:
a globular protein found in cells, the molecules of which assemble into
microscopic filamentous tubes ( microtubules ) that help maintain cell shape
and participate in cell movement[1]



tubulous

tubulous
tu·bu·lous 
adjective

See
tubular[1]



Tucana

Tucana
Tu·ca·na 
[too káynə, too
knə] noun

constellation of southern
hemisphere: a small faint constellation
in the polar region of the southern hemisphere, near the constellations of
Eridanus and Hydrus and containing much of the Small Magellanic Cloud[1]



tuchun

tuchun
tu·chun 
[too chn, doo
jn] (plural tu·chuns) noun

Chinese
military leader: formerly, the military leader of a
Chinese province
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese dūjūn, from dū “to govern” + jūn “military.”][1]



tuck

tuck3
tuck3 [tuk]
noun

energy:
strength or vigor (archaic)
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from tuck 1 .][1]



tuck

tuck2
tuck2 [tuk]
(plural tucks) noun

musical
sound:
a beating of a drum or a blast on a trumpet as a flourish
[15th century. Via Old North
French toquer “to strike” from assumed Vulgar Latin toccare (see touch ).][1]



tuck

tuck4
tuck4 [tuk]
(plural tucks) noun

rapier:
a rapier (archaic)
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via a dialect form of Old French estoc, of
prehistoric Germanic origin.][1]



tuck

tuck1
tuck1 [tuk]
verb (past tucked, past participle tucked, present
participle tuck·ing, 3rd person present singular tucks)

1.  transitive
verb
fold
something into position: to push, fold, or bend
something such as a flap of material into a particular place or position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb draw
something together: to pull or draw something
together, or be pulled or drawn together

3.  transitive
verb
SEWING sew fold
into fabric: to sew a fold into fabric, for example,
to reduce its length or for decoration

4.  transitive
verb
SURGERY tighten
skin with surgery: to perform a surgical
operation to remove loose or wrinkled skin, usually for cosmetic reasons
noun
(plural tucks)

1.  tucked
part:
any part that is tucked safely or neatly into position

2.  SEWING pleat:
a fold sewn into a piece of fabric, for example, to reduce its length or for
decoration

3.  SURGERY surgical
removal of loose skin: a surgical operation to remove
loose or wrinkled skin, especially one performed for cosmetic reasons

4.  SPORTS body
position:
a compact body position with the knees drawn up to the chest, the hands around
the shins, and the chin held on the chest. It is adopted in various sports such
as diving and gymnastics.

5.  part
of ship’s stern: the part of a ship’s hull where the side
planks or plates join the spar or spars forming the stern
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch tucken “to draw up.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the source of English tug .][1]



tuckahoe

tuckahoe
tuck·a·hoe 
[túkə h] (plural tuck·a·hoes)
noun

1.  plant
with edible root: any of various North American plants
with arrow-shaped leaves and edible rootstocks. They are species of arum and
were traditionally used as food by Native North Americans.

2.  edible
fungus:
the large edible food storage body of a fungus that grows underground on the
roots of trees. It is found in the southern United States. Latin name: Poria
cocos
[Early 17th century. From
Virginia Algonquian tockawhoughe .][1]



tuckaway

tuckaway
tuck
away
transitive verb

1.  put
something somewhere safe or concealed: to
put something in a safe or secluded place

2.  eat
something in large quantities: to eat large
quantities of food heartily or hungrily (informal)

[1]



tucker

tucker1
tuck·er1 [túkər]
(plural tuck·ers) noun

1.  Australia,
New Zealand
food:
food (informal) (often used before a noun)

2.  SEWING sewing-machine
attachment:
an attachment for a sewing machine, used to sew tucks

3.  CLOTHES detachable
part of dress: a detachable lace or linen cover for the
neck and chest, formerly worn by women under a low-cut dress
[13th century. Formed from tuck 1 .][1]



tucker

tucker2
tuck·er2 [túkər]
(past tuck·ered, past participle tuck·ered, present
participle tuck·er·ing, 3rd person present singular tuck·ers)
transitive verb

make
tired:
to tire a person or animal out completely (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from tuck 1 .][1]



tucket

tucket
tuck·et 
[túkit] (plural tuck·ets) noun

trumpet
fanfare:
a fanfare played on a trumpet (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from tuck 2 .][1]



tuckin

tuckin
tuck
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody comfortable in bed: to make somebody, especially
a child, comfortable in bed by tucking the bedclothes snugly around the body

2.  tuck
in
or tuck in·to intransitive and transitive verb eat
hungrily:
to eat, or eat something, hungrily (informal)

[1]



tuck-point

tuck-point
tuck-point 
(past tuck-point·ed, past participle tuck-point·ed,
present participle tuck-point·ing, 3rd person present singular
tuck-points) transitive verb

seal joints between bricks or
stones: to finish a wall by sealing
the facing joints between the bricks or stones ( pointing
) with a thin line of putty or very fine lime-based mortar[1]



tucotuco

tucotuco
tu·co·tu·co
[tkō tkō] (plural tu·co·tu·cos)
noun

burrowing
rodent:
a South American rodent that closely resembles the North American gopher. It
uses its sharp claws to dig complex systems of burrows in sandy soils. Latin
name: Ctenomys talarum
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the animal’s call.][1]



Tucson

Tucson
Tuc·son 
[t son]

city in southern Arizona, on
the Santa Cruz River. Population: 449,002 (1996)[1]



Tucuman

Tucuman
Tu·cu·man
[tkoo maan, tkoo
máan]

province in northern
Argentina. Its capital is San Miguel de Tucuman. Population: 1,142,105 (1991)
Area: 22,524 sq km/8,694 sq mi.[1]



-tude

-tude
-tude
suffix

state,
condition, or quality • decrepitude
[Via French from Latin -tudo][1]



Tudor

Tudor
Tu·dor 
[tdər] adjective

1.  HISTORY of
English royal family or reign: belonging or relating
to the English royal family that ruled between 1485 and 1603, or to this period
of English history. The period is spanned by the reigns of Kings Henry VII,
Henry VIII, and Edward VI, and Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I.

2.  ARCHITECTURE relating
to Tudor architectural style: relating to or being a style
of architecture popular throughout the Tudor period. Its buildings typically
have a timber framework, visible from the outside, filled in with plaster or
brick.
noun
(plural Tu·dors)

HISTORY member
of Tudor family: a member of the Tudor royal family
[Mid-18th century. Named
after the Welsh squire Owen Tudor (d.1461), the father of Henry VII.][1]



Tue.

Tue.
Tue.
or Tues.

CALENDAR
Abbreviation of Tuesday[1]



Tuesday

Tuesday
Tues·day 
[tz dày, tzdee]
(plural Tues·days) noun

CALENDAR 2nd
day of week: the second day of the week, coming after
Monday and before Wednesday
[Old English Tīwesdæg
“Tiu’s day,” from Tīw, the Germanic god of war (a translation of Latin Martis
dies “Mars’ day”)][1]



Tuesdays

Tuesdays
Tues·days
[tz dàyz, tzdeez]
adverb

CALENDAR
every Tuesday:
every Tuesday[1]



tufa

tufa
tu·fa 
[tfə] noun

spongy-looking
rock:
porous rock that has a spongy appearance and is often used as a medium in which
to grow alpine plants. It is a calcium carbonate deposit that is found
naturally in areas near salty springs.
[Late
18th century. Via obsolete Italian from Late Latin tofus “porous rock,”
of unknown origin.]
—tu·fa·ceous [too fáyshəss], adjective[1]



tuff

tuff
tuff 
[tuf] noun

volcanic
rock:
rock made up of very small volcanic fragments compacted together
[Mid-16th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin tofus (source of English tufa ).]
—tuff·a·ceous [tu fáyshəss], adjective[1]



tuffet

tuffet
tuf·fet 
[túffət] (plural tuf·fets) noun

1.  grassy
mound:
a small mound or clump of grass

2.  seat:
a low seat or stool
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of tuft .][1]



tuft

tuft
tuft 
[tuft] noun (plural tufts)

1.  bunch
of fibers or grass: a small bunch of hair,
grass, feathers, or fibers held or growing together at the base

2.  clump
of plants:
a small clump of plants or trees

3.  bunch
of threads drawn through upholstery: a
group of threads drawn through fabric and tied to secure it to material beneath
verb
(past tuft·ed, past participle tuft·ed, present
participle tuft·ing, 3rd person present singular tufts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb form
into tufts:
to grow in tufts, or form something into tufts

2.  transitive
verb
SEWING sew
tufts in something: to sew tufts in fabric,
either for decoration or to secure one surface to another
[14th
century. Alteration of Old French toffe, of uncertain origin: possibly
from late Latin tufa “helmet crest,” or from Germanic.]
—tuft·ed,
adjective

—tuft·y, adjective[1]



tuftedduck

tuftedduck
tuft·ed
duck 
(plural tuft·ed ducks) noun

duck with dangling crest:
a common diving duck found in Europe and Asia. Males are black with white
flanks and bellies and have feathery crests dangling over the back of the neck.
Latin name: Aythya fuligula[1]



tuftedtitmouse

tuftedtitmouse
tuft·ed
tit·mouse
noun

N American songbird:
a common small crested songbird found in eastern North America. It is gray with
a white breast. Latin name: Parus bicolor[1]



TuFu

TuFu
Tu
Fu
[d f] (710?–770)

Chinese poet. He is often
considered to be the greatest of all Chinese poets.[1]



tug

tug
tug 
[tug] verb (past tugged,
past participle tugged, present participle tug·ging,
3rd person present singular tugs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pull
at or move something: to pull at or haul something
with a sharp forceful movement

2.  transitive
verb
SHIPPING tow
ship:
to tow a ship with a tugboat

3.  intransitive
verb
make
laborious effort: to work hard or struggle to do something
noun
(plural tugs)

1.  strong
pull:
a quick sharp or forceful pull • gave
it a tug

2.  struggle
or contest:
a struggle or strenuous contest between opposing forces or individuals

3.  SHIPPING See tugboat

4.  TRANSPORT vehicle
that pulls another: any type of vehicle, whether
land, sea, air, or space, that is used to pull another

5.  chain
or strap for hauling: a chain, rope, or strap that
is used for hauling or pulling something
[13th
century. Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to pull” that is also
the ancestor of English tie and tow .]
—tug·ger,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



tugboat

tugboat
tug·boat 
[túg bt] (plural tug·boats) noun

boat used for towing ships:
a small powerful boat used to tow ships and barges.
Also called
tug
Also called
towboat
U.K. term
tug[1]



Tugela

Tugela
Tu·ge·la
[too gáylə]

river in eastern South
Africa, flowing into the Indian Ocean. Length: 502 km/312 mi.[1]



TugelaFalls

TugelaFalls
Tu·ge·la
Falls 
[too gáylə fawlz]

series of waterfalls on the
Tugela River, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Height: 948 m/3,110 ft.[1]



tughrik

tughrik
tu·ghrik
noun

See
tugrik[1]



tugof war

tugof war
tug
of war
(plural tugs of war) noun

1.  SPORTS contest
of strength: an athletic contest in which two teams
pull at opposite ends of a rope, the winner being the one who drags the other
across a specified line

2.  struggle:
any struggle between two evenly matched people, parties, or influences

[1]



tugrik

tugrik
tu·grik 
[tgrik] (plural tu·grik or
tu·griks) or tu·ghrik [tgrik]
(plural tu·ghrik or tu·ghriks) noun

1.  unit
of Mongolian currency: the main unit of currency in
Mongolia, worth 100 mongo

2.  coin
worth one tugrik: a coin worth one tugrik
[Mid-20th century. From
Mongolian dughurik, literally “round thing.”][1]



Tugwell,Rexford

Tugwell,Rexford
Tug·well
[túgwəl], Rexford (1891–1979)

U.S.
economist and political scientist. He joined Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Brain
Trust” (1932), headed the Resettlement Commission (1935–1936), and was governor
of Puerto Rico (1941–1946).
Full name
Tugwell, Rexford Guy[1]



tui

tui
tu·i 
[t ee] (plural tu·is) noun

common
New Zealand bird: a common New Zealand bird that has
iridescent dark blue-green plumage, white tufts at the throat, and white spots
on the wings. It feeds on nectar, insects, and fruit. Latin name: Prosthemadera
novaeseelandiae
Also
called
parson bird
[Mid-19th century. From Maori
.][1]



tularemia

tularemia
tu·la·re·mi·a 
[tlə rmee ə] noun

disease
of rodents spread by insects: an acute infectious disease
of rabbits and rodents caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis
that can be spread to other animals and humans by insect bites, animal contact,
or water. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, headaches, muscular pain, and
weight loss.
Also
called
rabbit fever
[Early
20th century. Coined from Francisella tularensis, species name of the
causative bacterium (named for Tulare County, California) + -emia .]
—tu·la·re·mic, adjective[1]



tule

tule
tu·le 
[tlee] noun (plural tu·les
or tu·le)

bulrush
of southwestern N America: either of two bulrushes
found in marshes and flooded land in California and adjacent areas of
southwestern North America. Latin name: Scirpus californicus Scirpus acutus
plural
noun
tu·les

swampy
land in N California: land in Northern California
that is swampy or marshy
[Mid-19th century. Via
American Spanish from Nahuatl tullin .][1]



tulip

tulip

tu·lip 
[tlip] (plural tu·lips) noun

1.  plant
with cup-shaped flowers: a plant that has
lance-shaped leaves and a large, usually single, variously colored flower
shaped like a bell or cup. Growing from bulbs, they are originally native to
western Asia. Genus: Tulipa

2.  tulip
flower or bulb: the flower or bulb of a tulip plant
[Late 16th century. Via
French tulipe from Turkish tülbend (see turban
); from the shape of the expanded flower.][1]



tuliptree

tuliptree
tu·lip
tree
(plural tu·lip trees) noun

tree with tulip-shaped
flowers: a tall deciduous North
American tree of the magnolia family that has large tulip-shaped
greenish-yellow flowers, and soft light wood. The tulip tree is the state tree
of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Latin name: Liriodendron tulipifera

Also called
poplar
Also called
yellow poplar[1]



tulipwood

tulipwood
tu·lip·wood 
[tlip wd] noun

wood of tulip tree:
the light soft wood of the tulip tree, or the striped wood of similar trees,
used in making woodenware or in cabinetmaking.
Also called
yellow poplar[1]



tulle

tulle
tulle 
[tool] (plural tulles) noun

netted
fabric:
a thin netted, often stiffened, silk, nylon, or rayon fabric, used to trim hats
and on ballet costumes and evening dresses and for veils
[Early 19th century. Named
for the French city Tulle where it was originally made.][1]



tullibee

tullibee
tul·li·bee 
[túllə b] (plural tul·li·bees
or tul·li·bee) noun

ZOOLOGY Canadian
cisco:
a cisco that lives in the Great Lakes in Canada
[Late 18th century. Via
Canadian French toulibi from Ojibwa too-nie-bie .][1]



Tulsa

Tulsa
Tul·sa 
[túlssə]

city in northeastern
Oklahoma, on the Arkansas River, northeast of Oklahoma City. Population:
367,302 (1990)[1]



tumble

tumble
tum·ble 
[túmb’l] verb (past tum·bled,
past participle tum·bled, present participle tum·bling,
3rd person present singular tum·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fall
or make fall over: to fall suddenly and
awkwardly, especially rolling over and over, or cause something to fall in this
way

2.  intransitive
verb
roll
around:
to roll around, especially in play

3.  intransitive
verb
move
hastily:
to move heedlessly or hastily • The
puppies tumbled from the room.

4.  intransitive
verb
GYMNASTICS leap
or roll:
to perform athletic or gymnastic leaps, rolls, or somersaults

5.  intransitive
verb
drop
steeply:
to fall quickly and by a significant amount • Prices
have tumbled on the stock market.

6.  intransitive
verb
cascade
over something: to flow, fall, or spill out over
something

7.  intransitive
verb
realize
something:
to realize the full significance of something, or see through a deceit (informal)
• She
finally tumbled to it.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb topple
from power:
to experience, or cause somebody to experience, a defeat or fall from power

9.  intransitive
verb
come
across by chance: to come across or stumble on something
accidentally

10. transitive
verb
rotate
in tumbler:
to roll or spin something in a drum or tumbler
noun
(plural tum·bles)

1.  bad
fall:
an awkward or sudden fall • He had
a nasty tumble.

2.  disorderly
heap:
a disorderly or disorganized heap or arrangement

3.  GYMNASTICS athletic
movement:
an athletic or gymnastic leap, roll, or somersault
[13th century. From obsolete
Low German tummelen .][1]



tumblebug

tumblebug
tum·ble·bug 
[túmb’l bùg] (plural tum·ble·bugs)
noun

dung beetle:
a dung beetle of the scarab family that forms animal dung into balls, into
which the female lays her eggs. The dung provides food for the larvae. Family:
Scarabaeidae[1]



tumbledown

tumbledown
tum·ble·down 
[túmb’l dòwn] adjective

dilapidated:
ruined or dilapidated and falling down[1]



tumble-dry

tumble-dry
tum·ble-dry 
(past tum·ble-dried, past participle tum·ble-dried,
present participle tum·ble-dry·ing, 3rd person present
singular tum·ble-dries) transitive verb

dry
in clothes dryer: to dry wet laundry in the heated
rotating drum of a clothes dryer
—tum·ble-dry·er, noun[1]



tumblehome

tumblehome
tum·ble·home 
[túmb’l hm] noun

curvature of ship’s sides:
the inward upward slope of a ship’s topsides[1]



tumbler

tumbler
tum·bler 
[túmblər] (plural tum·blers) noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD drinking
glass:
a drinking glass with a thick flat bottom and no stem or handle

2.  HOUSEHOLD round-bottomed
glass:
a drinking glass, used in the past, that had a rounded or pointed bottom and so
could not be put down until it was empty

3.  amount
in tumbler:
the amount of liquid that a tumbler holds

4.  GYMNASTICS acrobat:
somebody who performs athletic or gymnastic leaps, rolls, and somersaults

5.  part
of lock:
the part of a lock that must be engaged by a key in order to move the bolt

6.  See
tumbling barrel

7.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING machine
part:
a part of a machine that moves or engages a gear

8.  ARMS part
of gunlock:
a lever in a gunlock that forces the hammer forward when a trigger is pressed

9.  rocking
toy:
a toy that is weighted so that it rocks when touched

10. BIRDS pigeon
that does somersaults in flight: a domestic pigeon that
can perform backward somersaults in flight

[1]



tumbleweed

tumbleweed
tum·ble·weed 
[túmb’l wd] (plural tum·ble·weeds
or tum·ble·weed) noun

windblown plant:
any densely branched plant such as the Russian thistle that grows in arid
regions and in late summer withers and breaks from its roots to be blown about
by the wind[1]



tumbling

tumbling
tum·bling 
[túmbling] noun

performance of rolls and
somersaults: the art, practice, or
act of performing leaps, rolls, and somersaults[1]



tumblingbarrel

tumblingbarrel
tum·bling
bar·rel
(plural tum·bling bar·rels) or tum·bling box (plural
tum·bling box·es) noun

rotating drum:
a rotating drum for mixing, polishing, drying, or reducing something inside.
Also called
rumble
Also called
tumbler
U.K. term
tumbler[1]



tumbrel

tumbrel
tum·brel 
[túmbrəl] (plural tum·brels) or
tum·bril [túmbrəl] (plural tum·brils)
noun

1.  HISTORY cart
carrying prisoners to be guillotined: a
cart used during the French Revolution to carry condemned prisoners to be
executed by guillotine

2.  AGRICULTURE farm
cart:
a tiltable farm cart used to carry manure

3.  ARMY military
cart:
a covered cart formerly used to carry ammunition and equipment for the
artillery
[14th century. From Old
French tumberel, from tomber “to fall.”][1]



tumefacient

tumefacient
tu·me·fa·cient 
[tmə fáysh’nt] adjective

causing
swelling:
causing or tending to cause swelling
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, the present participle stem of tumefacere (see tumefy ).][1]



tumefaction

tumefaction
tu·me·fac·tion 
[tmə fákshən] (plural tu·me·fac·tions)
noun

1.  swelling
of tissue:
the swelling of tissue as a result of a buildup of fluid within it

2.  swollen
part:
a swollen part or area
[15th century. From French tuméfaction,
from Latin tumefacere (see tumefy ).][1]



tumefy

tumefy
tu·me·fy 
[tmə f] (past tu·me·fied, past
participle tu·me·fied, present participle tu·me·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular tu·me·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

swell
up:
to swell, or cause tissue to swell
[Late 16th century. Via
French tuméfier from Latin tumefacere “to make swollen,” from tumere
(see tumor ) + facere “to make.”][1]



tumescent

tumescent
tu·mes·cent 
[too méss’nt] adjective

swelling:
swollen or showing signs of swelling, usually as a result of a buildup of blood
or water within body tissues
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin, the present participle stem of tumescere “to become
swollen,” from tumere (see tumor ).]
—tu·mes·cence, noun[1]



tumid

tumid
tu·mid 
[tmid] adjective

1.  MEDICINE swollen:
used to describe a body part or organ that is swollen

2.  bulging:
bulging or sticking out

3.  pompous
in style:
having language or a style that is bombastic or inflated
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin tumidus, from tumere (see tumor ).]
—tu·mid·i·ty
[too míddətee], noun

—tu·mid·ness, noun[1]



tummler

tummler
tumm·ler 
[túmmlər] (plural tumm·lers) noun

man
entertainer: a man employed as a comedian and host to
encourage audience participation, especially one hired to amuse guests at
resorts in the Catskill Mountains, north of New York City
[Mid-20th century. From
American Yiddish, formed from Yiddish tumlen “to bustle.”][1]



tummy

tummy
tum·my 
[túmmee] (plural tum·mies) noun

stomach:
somebody’s stomach (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Babytalk
alteration of stomach .][1]



tummybutton

tummybutton
tum·my
but·ton
noun

U.K.
navel:
the human navel (informal)[1]



tummytuck

tummytuck
tum·my
tuck
(plural tum·my tucks) noun

operation to remove stomach
fat: a cosmetic surgical
operation to remove excess fat, skin, and tissue from the abdomen (informal)[1]



tumor

tumor
tu·mor 
[tmər] (plural tu·mors) noun

1.  abnormal
mass of tissue: an abnormal uncontrolled growth or mass
of body cells, which may be malignant or benign and has no physiological
function

2.  swollen
part:
any abnormal swelling in or on the body
[15th
century. From Latin, formed from tumere “to swell.”]
—tu·mor·al, adjective[1]



tumorigenic

tumorigenic
tu·mor·i·gen·ic 
[tmərə jénnik] adjective

causing
tumors:
used to describe a drug or other agent that may initiate or promote the growth
of tumors
—tu·mor·i·gen·e·sis,
noun

—tu·mor·i·ge·nic·i·ty
[tmərə jə níssətee], noun[1]



tumornecrosis factor

tumornecrosis factor
tu·mor
ne·cro·sis fac·tor noun

tumor-destroying protein:
a protein that can cause the destruction of tumors. The gene encoding this
factor has been used in gene therapy trials for cancer.[1]



tump

tump2
tump2 [tump]
(past tumped, past participle tumped, present
participle tump·ing, 3rd person present singular tumps)
intransitive and transitive verb

Southern
U.S.
overturn:
to knock something over or tip over, especially accidentally
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of thump .][1]



tump

tump1
tump1 [tump]
(plural tumps) noun

U.K.
small
hill:
a small mound, hill, or clump, especially of vegetation (regional)
[Late 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tumpline

tumpline
tump·line 
[túmp ln] (plural tump·lines)
noun

strap
for backpack: a band or strap strung across the
forehead or chest to support a backpack
[Late 18th century. Tump
from Algonquian mattump .][1]



tumular

tumular
tu·mu·lar 
[tmyələr] adjective

like a mound:
resembling or in the form of a mound or tumulus[1]



tumuli

tumuli
tu·mu·li

Plural of
tumulus[1]



tumulose

tumulose
tu·mu·lose 
[tmyə lss] or tu·mu·lous [tmyələss] adjective

1.  having
mounds:
having many mounds or small hills

2.  like
a mound:
forming or resembling a mound
—tu·mu·los·i·ty [tmyə lóssətee], noun[1]



tumult

tumult
tu·mult 
[t mùlt] noun

1.  noisy
commotion:
a violent or noisy commotion

2.  emotional
upheaval:
a psychological or emotional upheaval or agitation
[14th century. Directly or
via French tumulte from Latin tumultus “commotion,” from tumere
(see tumor ).][1]



tumultuary

tumultuary
tu·mul·tu·ar·y 
[too múlchoo èrree] adjective

characterized by tumult:
marked by tumult or turbulence[1]



tumultuous

tumultuous
tu·mul·tu·ous 
[too múlchoo əss, tə
múlchoo əss] adjective

1.  noisy
and unrestrained: noisy and unrestrained in a way that
shows excitement or great happiness

2.  confused
and agitated: involving great excitement, confusion,
and emotional agitation
—tu·mul·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—tu·mul·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



tumulus

tumulus
tu·mu·lus 
[tmyələss] (plural tu·mu·li [tmyə l]) noun

ARCHAEOLOGY See barrow 2 noun
[15th century. From Latin,
“mound,” formed from tumere (see tumor
).][1]



tun

tun
tun 
[tun] (plural tuns) noun

1.  cask:
a large cask for beer or wine

2.  measure
of volume:
a measure of liquid volume, especially one for wine equal to 955 liters252
gallons
[Pre-12th century. From
medieval Latin tunna (see tunnel ).][1]



Tun.

Tun.
Tun.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Tunisia

2.  Abbreviation
of
Tunisian

[1]



tuna

tuna2

tu·na2 [tnə]
(plural tu·nas) noun

1.  PLANTS prickly
pear cactus: a tropical prickly pear cactus that has
colored flowers and sweet edible fruit. Latin name: Opuntia tuna

2.  FOOD tuna
cactus fruit: the edible fruit of the tuna cactus
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish from Taino .][1]



tuna

tuna1

tu·na1 [tnə]
(plural tu·na or tu·nas) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY large
edible fish: a large fast-swimming, widely
distributed marine fish with a tapering body, large forked tail, and pointed
head, found in warm and temperate waters. Genus: Thunnus
Also
called
tunny

2.  FOOD tuna
flesh:
the firm meaty flesh of the tuna, used for food.
Also
called
tuna fish
[Late 19th century. From
American Spanish, of uncertain origin: probably via Spanish atún and
Arabic at-tún from Latin thunnus (see tunny
).][1]



tunable

tunable
tun·a·ble
[tnəb’l] or tune·a·ble [tnəb’l] adjective

able to be tuned:
capable of being tuned[1]



tunafish

tunafish
tu·na
fish
noun

See
tuna 1 noun
2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tundra

tundra
tun·dra 
[túndrə] noun

Arctic
plain:
the level or nearly level treeless plain between the ice cap and the timber
line of North America and Eurasia that has permanently frozen subsoil
[Late 16th century. Via
Russian from Lappish tundar .][1]



tune

tune
tune 
[toon] noun (plural tunes)
MUSIC

1.  simple
melody:
a series of musical notes that make a simple melody

2.  song:
a melodious song or short piece of music
transitive
verb
(past tuned, past participle tuned, present
participle tun·ing, 3rd person present singular tunes)

1.  MUSIC adjust
instrument for pitch: to adjust an instrument so
that a note is at the required pitch

2.  ENGINEERING adjust
engine:
to adjust an engine or machine to make it run better

3.  BROADCASTING adjust
station or channel: to adjust a radio or
television set to a particular station or channel (usually passive)

4.  adapt
to something: to bring yourself, somebody, or
something into harmony or accord with something else

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING adjust
electronic instrument: to adjust an electronic
device or instrument to the required frequency

6.  MUSIC sing
something:
to sing something (archaic)
[14th
century. Alteration of tone .]
call
the tune

to
be in charge

change
your tune

to
change your attitude or opinion

in
tune

1.  MUSIC played or sung at the
appropriate pitch

2.  in
accord or agreement with somebody or something

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
adjusted to the correct frequency

out
of tune

1.  MUSIC played or sung at the wrong
pitch

2.  out
of harmony or in disagreement with somebody or something

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING not
adjusted to the correct frequency

to
the tune of something

to
the stated exact or approximate amount

[1]



tuneable

tuneable
tune·a·ble 
adjective

See
tunable[1]



tuneful

tuneful
tune·ful 
[tn fl] adjective

melodious:
having a pleasant melody
—tune·ful·ly,
adverb

—tune·ful·ness, noun[1]



tunein

tunein
tune
in
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BROADCASTING adjust reception of
broadcast:
to adjust a radio or television to receive a signal, program, or channel

2.  intransitive
verb
pay
attention:
to be attentive or receptive to somebody or something

[1]



tuneless

tuneless
tune·less 
[tnləss] adjective

lacking
tune:
unmusical, lacking a tune, or not producing a tune
—tune·less·ly,
adverb

—tune·less·ness, noun[1]



tuneout

tuneout
tune
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
BROADCASTING rid
reception of interference: to adjust a radio or
television set to eliminate the reception of something undesired such as
interference

2.  intransitive
verb
ignore
something:
to ignore or be unreceptive to somebody or something “The country was tuning
out all things when suddenly there was focus on scandal.” U.S. News & World
Report December 1998

[1]



tuner

tuner
tun·er 
[tnər] (plural tun·ers) noun

1.  MUSIC somebody
who tunes instruments: somebody who tunes musical
instruments, especially pianos

2.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING device
that receives signals: a device, for example, in a
radio or television set containing one or more resonant circuits, used for
selecting a desired signal from a mixture of signals

[1]



tunesmith

tunesmith
tune·smith 
[tn smìth] (plural tune·smiths)
noun

pop composer:
a composer of popular songs or music (informal)[1]



tune-up

tune-up
tune-up 
(plural tune-ups) noun

1.  ENGINEERING adjustments
to engine:
a set of adjustments to an engine to make it run better

2.  warm-up:
a preliminary trial or warm-up, for example, a minor sporting event held before
a major one

[1]



tuneup

tuneup
tune
up
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  MUSIC adjust
to correct pitch: to adjust one or more musical
instruments to an accurate or common pitch

2.  prepare
for something: to test and improve something as a
preparation, for example, for a competition or meeting

[1]



tungoil

tungoil
tung
oil 
[túng òyl] noun

oil
used in varnishes and paints: a quick-drying yellow oil
extracted from the seeds of the tung tree, used in paints and varnishes to
speed up drying, and also as a waterproofing agent.
Also
called
Chinese wood oil
[Tung from Chinese tóng,
the name of the tree][1]



tung-oiltree

tung-oiltree
tung-oil
tree 
(plural tung-oil trees) noun

See
tung tree[1]



tungstate

tungstate
tung·state 
[túng stàyt] noun

salt of tungstic acid:
a salt or ester of tungstic acid. Many tungstates are found in the ores from
which tungsten is extracted.[1]



tungsten

tungsten

tung·sten 
[túngstən] noun
metallic
element:
a hard lustrous gray metallic chemical element with a very high melting point
that is used in various high-temperature alloys, lamp filaments, and high-speed
cutting tools. Symbol W
[Late 18th century. From
Swedish, literally “heavy stone.” Coined by its discoverer, the Swedish chemist
Karl Wilhelm Scheele.][1]



tungstencarbide

tungstencarbide
tung·sten
car·bide
noun

strong abrasive powder:
a fine, very hard, gray crystalline powder made by heating tungsten and carbon
together, used in making dies, drill bits, cutting and abrasion tools, and
wear-resistant machine parts[1]



tungstenlamp

tungstenlamp
tung·sten
lamp
(plural tung·sten lamps) noun

lamp with tungsten filament:
an incandescent electric lamp with a filament made of tungsten[1]



tungstensteel

tungstensteel
tung·sten
steel
noun

hard steel:
a hard heat-resistant steel containing between 1 percent and 20 percent
tungsten, used in tools and high-temperature engineering equipment[1]



tungstic

tungstic
tung·stic 
[túngstik] adjective

containing tungsten in
highest oxidation state: relating to
or containing tungsten in its highest oxidation state.
See also
tungstous[1]



tungsticacid

tungsticacid
tung·stic
ac·id
noun

acid containing tungsten:
a yellow powder that is a weak acid, used in making textiles and plastics. H2WO4[1]



tungstite

tungstite
tung·stite 
[túng stt] noun

oxide of tungsten:
a rare yellow-green oxide of tungsten that is found associated with ores of
tungsten such as wolframite. WO3[1]



tungstous

tungstous
tung·stous
[túngstəss] adjective

containing tungsten in lowest
oxidation state: relating to or
containing tungsten in its low oxidation state.
See also
tungstic[1]



tungtree

tungtree
tung
tree
(plural tung trees) noun

tree
yielding tung oil: a tree of eastern Asia whose
large round fruit contain hard seeds that yield tung oil. Genus: Aleurites

Also
called
tung-oil tree
[See tung
oil][1]



Tungus

Tungus
Tun·gus 
[tng gz, tùng
gz] (plural Tun·gus or Tun·gus·es) noun

PEOPLES See Evenki
[Early 17th century. From
Yakut .][1]



Tungusic

Tungusic
Tun·gus·ic 
[tng gzik] noun

LANGUAGE branch
of Altaic languages: a group of languages spoken
in northern parts of the People’s Republic of China and eastern parts of
Asiatic Russia. It forms a branch of the Altaic family of languages. Tungusic
languages are spoken by about 50,000 people.
Also
called
Manchu-Tungus
—Tun·gus·ic, adjective[1]



tunic

tunic
tu·nic 
[tnik] (plural tu·nics) noun

1.  CLOTHES loose
garment:
a loose wide-necked garment that extends to the hip or knee and is usually worn
with a belt or gathered at the waist

2.  CLOTHES shirtlike
garment worn in past: a shirtlike knee-length
garment worn by men in ancient Rome, or a similar garment worn during the
Middle Ages

3.  U.K.
CLOTHES MILITARY police or military jacket:
a close-fitting high-collared jacket worn as part of a police or military
uniform

4.  CLOTHES sports
dress:
a short belted dress worn when playing sports

5.  ANATOMY enveloping
membrane:
a covering or membrane that envelops an organ or part

6.  ZOOLOGY fibrous
membrane:
a layer of tissue that covers or lines a body part or organ, especially tubular
parts such as the blood vessels.
Also
called
tunica

7.  BOTANY papery
covering on bulb: a dry, often brown and papery covering
around a bulb or corm such as of an onion

8.  RELIGION See tunicle
[Pre-12th century. Directly
or via French tunique from Latin tunica .][1]



tunica

tunica
tu·ni·ca 
[tnikə] (plural tu·ni·cae [tni k, tni s])
noun

See
tunic  noun 6
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, “tunic.”][1]



tunicate

tunicate
tu·ni·cate 
[tnikət, tni
kàyt] noun (plural tu·ni·cates)

MARINE BIOLOGY marine
animal:
a sac-shaped marine chordate animal such as a sea squirt or ascidian that has a
tough leathery or rubbery outer coat. Subphylum: Urochordata
Also
called
urochord
adjective

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY relating
to tunicates: relating to or classified as a tunicate

2.  tu·ni·cate
or tu·ni·cat·ed BOTANY
with
dry papery covering: used to describe a bulb or
corm that has a dry, often brown and papery, covering

3.  tu·ni·cate
or tu·ni·cat·ed ANATOMY
with
covering of tissue: used to describe an organ or
body part that is covered or lined with a layer of tissue
[Mid-18th century. Via Latin tunicatus
“covered with a tunic,” from, ultimately, tunica (see tunic ).][1]



tunicle

tunicle
tu·ni·cle 
[tnik’l] (plural tu·ni·cles) noun

vestment
worn during Mass: in Christian worship, a short vestment
worn over the alb by a subdeacon at a Mass, or under the dalmatic by a bishop
or cardinal at other ceremonies.
Also
called
tunic
[14th century. Directly or
via Old French from Latin tunicula, literally “small tunic,” from tunica
(see tunic ).][1]



tuning

tuning
tun·ing
[tning] noun

1.  set
of pitches:
the standard range of pitches to which a musical instrument is tuned

2.  musical
intonation:
the degree to which musical instruments or the voices of a choir are adjusted
to a standard norm

[1]



tuningfork

tuningfork

tun·ing fork 
(plural tun·ing forks) noun
metal fork used in tuning:
an instrument consisting of a stem and two prongs that produces a constant
pitch when struck, used to tune musical instruments and in acoustics[1]



Tunis

Tunis
Tu·nis 
[tyniss]

capital city of Tunisia,
situated on a shallow lake near the Gulf of Tunis. Population: 674,100 (1994)[1]



Tunis,Gulf of

Tunis,Gulf of
Tu·nis,
Gulf of
[tyniss]

arm of the Mediterranean Sea
in northeastern Tunisia[1]



Tunisia

Tunisia



Tu·ni·si·a 
[tyoo neezhə]
republic
in North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Libya, and Algeria.
Language: Arabic. Currency: Tunisian dinar. Capital: Tunis. Population:
9,245,284 (1997) Area: 164,418 sq km/63,482 sq mi. Official name
Republic of Tunisia
—Tu·ni·si·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Tunisia




Back to definition

Tunisia

[1]



tunnel

tunnel
tun·nel 
[túnn’l] noun (plural tun·nels)

1.  TRANSPORT passageway
under obstruction: a long passage that allows
pedestrians or vehicles to proceed under or through an obstruction such as a
river, mountain, or congested area

2.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
underground passage: an underground passage or
system of passages dug by a burrowing animal

3.  MINING part
of mine:
a corridor or working area in a mine

4.  passage:
any passage, channel, or route through or under something
verb
(past tun·eled, past participle tun·eled, present
participle tun·el·ing, 3rd person present singular tun·nels)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
tunnel:
to make, burrow, or excavate a tunnel under or through something

2.  transitive
verb
make
something like tunnel: to produce or dig something
that resembles or is shaped like a tunnel
[15th
century. Via Old French tonel, literally “small barrel,” from,
ultimately, medieval Latin tunna “cask” (source of English ton ), of uncertain origin: probably from
Gaulish .]
—tun·nel·er, noun[1]



tunneldisease

tunneldisease
tun·nel
dis·ease
noun

See
ancylostomiasis
[Tunnel because it is caused
by tunnel worms][1]



tunneleffect

tunneleffect
tun·nel
ef·fect
noun

effect in quantum mechanics:
a quantum mechanical effect in which elementary particles can pass through an
energy barrier such as a thin layer even if they do not have enough energy to
do so.
Also called
tunneling[1]



tunneling

tunneling
tun·nel·ing
[túnn’ling] noun

See
tunnel effect[1]



tunnelvault

tunnelvault
tun·nel
vault
(plural tun·nel vaults) noun

See
barrel vault[1]



tunnelvision

tunnelvision
tun·nel
vi·sion
noun

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY restricted
field of vision: a condition in which peripheral vision
is lost or severely limited, so that only objects directly in line with the
eyes can be seen

2.  close-minded
thinking:
a very limited viewpoint or conception of things

[1]



Tunney,Gene

Tunney,Gene
Tun·ney
[túnnee], Gene (1898–1978)

U.S.
boxer. He was the world heavyweight boxing champion (1926–1928).
Real name
Tunney, James Joseph[1]



tunny

tunny
tun·ny 
[túnnee] (plural tun·ny or
tun·nies) noun

See
tuna 1 noun 1
[Mid-16th century. Via French
thon and Latin thunnus from Greek thunnos .][1]



tup

tup
tup 
[tup] transitive verb (past tupped,
past participle tupped, present participle tup·ping,
3rd person present singular tups)

U.K. AGRICULTURE mate
with a ewe:
to copulate with a ewe
noun
(plural tups)

1.  Scotland,
Northern England AGRICULTURE
ram:
a male sheep used for breeding

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING head
of hammer:
the head of a power hammer or a mechanism resembling a hammer
[14th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



tupek

tupek
tu·pek
[tpik] (plural tu·peks) or
tu·pik [tpik] (plural tu·piks)
noun

Inuit
tent:
a tent made of animal skins, used in the summer by the Inuit in the Arctic
[Mid-19th century. From Inuit
tupiq .][1]



tupelo

tupelo
tu·pe·lo 
[tpə l] (plural tu·pe·los) noun

1.  tree
with soft pale wood: a North American or Asian
deciduous tree that grows in swamps and on river banks and has soft pale wood.
Genus: Nyssa

2.  tupelo
wood:
the soft pale wood of the tupelo
[Mid-18th century. From Creek
ito opilwa, literally “swamp tree.”][1]



Tupi

Tupi
Tu·pi 
[t p] (plural Tu·pi or
Tu·pis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native S American people: a member of a group of
Native South American peoples who live in the Amazon valley

2.  LANGUAGE Tupi
language:
the language of the Tupi people. It belongs to the Tupi-Guarani language
family. Tupi was once an important lingua franca in Brazil but is now only
spoken by a few thousand people in the Amazon valley.
[Mid-19th
century. From Tupi, literally “comrade.”]
—Tu·pi, adjective[1]



tupik

tupik
tu·pik
noun

See
tupek[1]



tuppence

tuppence
tup·pence 
noun

U.K.
See twopence[1]



tuppenny

tuppenny
tup·pen·ny 
adjective

U.K.
See twopenny[1]



Tupper,Charles

Tupper,Charles
Tup·per
[túppər], Sir Charles (1821–1915)

Canadian statesman. A
longtime Conservative government official, he was one of the prime movers of
Canadian federation, and negotiated Nova Scotia’s entry into the Dominion of
Canada (1867). He was prime minister of Canada for ten weeks in 1896.[1]



tupuna

tupuna
tu·pu·na
(plural tu·pu·na) or ti·pu·na (plural ti·pu·na)
noun

New
Zealand
ancestor:
an ancestor or grandparent
[From Maori][1]



tuque

tuque
tuque 
[took] (plural tuques) or
toque [tōk] (plural toques)
noun

Canada
woolen
cap:
a cylindrical stocking cap of double-thickness wool or synthetic yarn, worn in
winter
[Late 19th century. Via
Canadian French from French toque (see toque
).][1]



tuquoque

tuquoque
tu
quo·que 
[too kwṓkwee, too
kwṓ kwày] interjection

used
to accuse accuser: used when accused of an
offense to accuse the accuser of the same offense
[Late 17th century. From
Latin, literally “you too.”][1]



Tur.

Tur.
Tur.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Turkey

2.  Abbreviation
of
Turkish

[1]



Turanian

Turanian
Tu·ra·ni·an 
[t ráynee ən, tə
ráynee ən] noun (plural Tu·ra·ni·ans)

1.  PEOPLES Ural-Altaic
speaker:
a member of any of the peoples who speak a Ural-Altaic language

2.  LANGUAGE old
language grouping: a formerly accepted grouping
of Asian languages roughly corresponding to the modern Altaic family with the
addition of others (dated)
adjective

PEOPLES relating
to ancient Turkistan: relating to ancient
Turkistan, or its people or culture
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Persian Turān “Turkistan.”][1]



turban

turban

tur·ban 
[túrbən] (plural tur·bans) noun

1.  headdress:
a man’s headdress that consists of a long piece of fabric wrapped around the
head or around a small cap, completely covering the hair, worn especially by
Sikhs and Muslims

2.  woman’s
hat:
a woman’s hat that is similar in shape to a man’s turban
[Mid-16th
century. Via obsolete French turbant, Italian turbante, and
Turkish tülbend from Persian dulband (source also of English tulip ).]
—tur·baned, adjective[1]



turbary

turbary
tur·ba·ry 
[túrbəree] noun

land
where peat is cut: an area of land where turf
or peat may be cut or dug
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman turberie from, ultimately, French tourbe “turf,” of
Germanic origin.][1]



turbellarian

turbellarian
tur·bel·lar·i·an 
[tùrbə lérree ən] (plural tur·bel·lar·i·ans)
noun

aquatic
flatworm:
a free-living flatworm such as a planarian that inhabits wet soil, freshwater,
and marine environments. Turbellarians glide over stones and weeds by means of
cilia on their undersurface and swim by undulating their bodies. Class:
Turbellaria
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin Turbellaria, class name, from Latin turbella,
literally “small commotion.” From the little eddies created by its movement.]
—tur·bel·lar·i·an, adjective[1]



turbid

turbid
tur·bid 
[túrbid] adjective

1.  muddy:
opaque and muddy as when particles and sediment are stirred up

2.  foggy:
dense and cloudy or dark

3.  confused:
confused and muddled • turbid
thought processes
[Early
17th century. From Latin turbidus “troubled,” from turba
“disorder.”]
—tur·bid·i·ty
[tur bíddətee], noun

—tur·bid·ly
[túrbidlee], adverb

—tur·bid·ness
[túrbidnəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  turbid
  or turgid ?
  The
  two words are unrelated in form but curiously both describe water in their
  literal meanings (either “opaque and cloudy” in the case of turbid or “swollen and overflowing” in the case
  of turgid ), and both describe literary
  styles in their figurative meanings. Turgid
  is the more common and means “pompous, bombastic” (as in • turgid
  prose
  ), whereas turbid means “confused,
  muddled.”

[1]



turbidimeter

turbidimeter
tur·bi·dim·e·ter 
[tùrbi dímmətər] (plural tur·bi·dim·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring turbidity: an instrument that
determines the amount of material in suspension in a liquid or gas by measuring
the decrease in light transmittance through the fluid
—tur·bi·di·met·ric
[tùrbidi méttrik], adjective

—tur·bi·di·met·ri·cal·ly
[tùrbidi méttrikəlee], adverb

—tur·bi·dim·e·try [tùrbi dímmətree], noun[1]



turbidite

turbidite
tur·bi·dite 
[túrbi dt] noun

sedimentary deposit:
a sedimentary deposit laid down by a turbidity current, for example, on the
ocean floor at the bottom of the continental shelf[1]



turbiditycurrent

turbiditycurrent
tur·bid·i·ty
cur·rent
(plural tur·bid·i·ty cur·rents) noun

rapid current:
a rapidly moving current containing dispersed sediments, sometimes started off
by seismic shocks or slumping. The current arises from density differences
created by the presence of the dispersed sediments.[1]



turbinate

turbinate
tur·bi·nate 
[túrbinət, túrbi
nàyt] or tur·bi·nal [túrbin’l]
adjective

1.  ANATOMY of
bone in nasal passage: used to describe any of the
three scroll-shaped bones found on the walls of the nasal passages of mammals

2.  spiral
in shape:
having a shape like a spiral or scroll

3.  ZOOLOGY shaped
like inverted cone: used to describe a shell
that spirals and is shaped like an inverted cone
noun
(plural turbinates) (plural tur·bi·nals)

1.  ANATOMY turbinate
bone:
a turbinate bone in the nasal passage of mammals.
Also
called
nasal concha

2.  ZOOLOGY mollusk
shell:
a turbinate mollusk shell
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin turbinatus, from the Latin stem turbin- (see turbine ).]
—tur·bi·na·tion [tùrbi náysh’n], noun[1]



turbine

turbine
tur·bine 
[túr bn, túrbin]
(plural tur·bines) noun

machine
powered by rotating blades: a machine in which a moving
fluid such as steam acts upon the blades of a rotor to produce rotational
motion that can be transformed to electrical or mechanical power. Electrical
power is frequently produced from steam turbines.
[Mid-19th century. From French,
formed from the Latin stem turbin- “spiral, spinning-top.”][1]



turbit

turbit
tur·bit 
[túrbit] (plural tur·bits) noun

pigeon:
a domestic pigeon of a breed with a ruffed neck and breast
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps formed from Latin turbo (see turbo
), from its shape.][1]



turbo-

turbo-
turbo-
prefix

1.  using
the principle of a turbine, or driven by a turbine • turbocharger

2.  turbojet
• turboprop
[From turbine][1]



turbo

turbo
tur·bo
[túr b] (plural tur·bos) noun

mollusk
with spiral shell: a gastropod mollusk that has
a whorled spiral shell. Genus: Turbo
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “spiral, spinning-top.”][1]



turbocharger

turbocharger
tur·bo·charg·er 
[túr bō chrjər] (plural tur·bo·charg·ers)
noun

supercharger
using gas:
a specialized turbine driven by the exhaust gases of an engine that supplies
air under pressure to the engine for combustion.
Also
called
turbosupercharger
[Mid-20th
century. Contraction of turbosupercharger .]
—tur·bo·charged, adjective[1]



turbofan

turbofan
tur·bo·fan 
[túr bō fàn] (plural tur·bo·fans)
noun

1.  jet
engine augmented by fans: a jet engine in which fans
driven by a turbine force air into the exhaust gases, thereby increasing the
propelling thrust of the engine

2.  aircraft
with turbofan engines: a jet aircraft that has
turbofan engines

[1]



turbojet

turbojet
tur·bo·jet 
[túr bō jèt] (plural tur·bo·jets)
noun

1.  jet
aircraft with engines using turbine: an
aircraft powered by jet engine with a gas turbine that uses exhaust gases to
provide the propulsive thrust

2.  jet
engine using turbine: a jet engine with a gas
turbine that uses exhaust gases to provide the propulsive thrust for an
aircraft

[1]



turboprop

turboprop
tur·bo·prop 
[túr bō pròp] (plural tur·bo·props)
noun
Also
called
propjet

1.  aircraft
using turbine to drive propeller: an aircraft whose
propellers are driven by a gas turbine

2.  turbojet
engine with propeller: a turbojet engine that
powers a propeller

[1]



turbosupercharger

turbosupercharger
tur·bo·su·per·charg·er 
[tùr bō spər chrjər] (plural tur·bo·su·per·charg·ers)
noun

See
turbocharger[1]



turbot

turbot
tur·bot 
[túrbət] (plural tur·bot or
tur·bots) noun

1.  European
flatfish:
a European flatfish that is almost circular with bony tubercles on its body and
both eyes on the left side. It is a prized food fish. Latin name: Scophthalmus
maximus

2.  flatfish:
a flatfish in the same family as the European turbot, for example, the spotted
turbot of the Pacific. Family: Pleuronectidae
[13th century. Via Old French
from Old Swedish törnbut, literally “thorn-flatfish,” from the spines on
its back.][1]



turbulence

turbulence
tur·bu·lence 
[túrbyələns] or tur·bu·len·cy
[túrbyələnsee] noun

1.  unrest:
a state of confusion characterized by unpredictability and uncontrolled change

2.  METEOROLOGY instability
in atmosphere: an instability in the atmosphere that
disrupts the flow of the wind, causing gusty, unpredictable air currents

3.  PHYSICS eddies:
eddies or secondary motion within a moving fluid

[1]



turbulent

turbulent
tur·bu·lent 
[túrbyələnt] adjective

1.  moving
violently:
full of violent motion and agitation • turbulent
rapids

2.  chaotic
and restless: marked by disturbances, changes, and
unrest • a
turbulent year in politics

3.  METEOROLOGY atmospherically
unstable:
atmospherically unstable, with variations in wind speed and direction
[15th
century. From Latin turbulentus, from turba “disorder.”]
—tur·bu·lent·ly, adverb[1]



turbulentflow

turbulentflow
tur·bu·lent
flow
noun

form of fluid flow:
a form of fluid flow in which particles of the fluid move with irregular local
velocities and pressures[1]



Turcoman

Turcoman
Tur·co·man 
noun adjective

PEOPLES
See Turkmen[1]



turd

turd
turd 
[turd] (plural turds) noun
(taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a piece of excrement or dung

2.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term used to refer to somebody who is seen as contemptible
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English tear (verb). The underlying idea is of
something which is separated from the body.][1]



tureen

tureen
tu·reen 
[tə rn, t rn]
noun

serving
bowl:
a wide deep bowl with a lid that is used especially to serve soups, stews, and
casseroles
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of terrine (perhaps partly through some
association with Turin ).][1]



turf

turf
turf 
[turf] noun (plural turfs
or turves [turvz])

1.  dense
layer of grass: a dense thick even cover of grass and
roots in the top layer of soil

2.  artificial
grass:
artificial grass, used, for example, on a playing field

3.  GARDENING piece
of soil with grass: a piece of soil with grass
growing in it

4.  peat
for fuel:
peat, especially when sold for fuel

5.  HORSERACING horseracing:
horseracing as a sport or industry

6.  HORSERACING horseracing
track:
a track where horses are raced

7.  area
of expertise: an area in which somebody has authority
or expertise (informal)

8.  territory:
a territory or geographic area (informal)

9.  gang
territory:
an area or territory that a gang claims as exclusively its own (informal)
transitive
verb
(past turfed, past participle turfed, present
participle turf·ing, 3rd person present singular turfs)

1.  cover
with turf:
to cover an area with pieces of turf

2.  force
somebody out: to force somebody or something to leave
a position or location (slang)

3.  to
kill:
to kill somebody (slang)
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced German Torf
“peat.”]
—turf·y, adjective[1]



Turgenev,Ivan

Turgenev,Ivan
Tur·ge·nev
[toor gáynyəf], Ivan (1818–1883)

Russian
writer. His best known works include the novel Fathers and Sons (1862)
and the play A Month in the Country (1855).
Full name
Turgenev, Ivan Sergeyevich[1]



turgescent

turgescent
tur·ges·cent 
[tur jéss’nt] adjective

1.  MEDICINE swollen:
swollen or becoming swollen, usually as a result of an accumulation of blood or
other fluids

2.  pompous:
acting pompously, or feeling very self-important
[Early
18th century. From Latin, the present participle stem of turgescere “to
begin to swell,” from turgere (see turgid
).]
—tur·ges·cence,
noun

—tur·ges·cen·cy, noun[1]



turgid

turgid
tur·gid 
[túrjid] adjective

1.  pompous
and overcomplicated: pompous, boring, and
overcomplicated • a turgid speech

2.  MEDICINE swollen:
swollen or distended by a buildup of fluid
[Early
17th century. From Latin turgidus, from turgere “to swell.”]
—tur·gid·i·ty
[tur jíddətee], noun

—tur·gid·ly
[túrjidlee], adverb

—tur·gid·ness
[túrjidnəss], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at turbid.

[1]



turgor

turgor
tur·gor 
[túrgər] noun

rigidity
of living cells: the normal rigid state of plant cells,
caused by outward pressure of the water content of each cell on its membrane.
The rigidity of plants relies on the turgor of the cells, a decrease in which
leads to wilting.
[Late 19th century. From late
Latin, formed from turgere (see turgid
).][1]



Turin

Turin
Tu·rin 
[toor rín]

capital city of Turin
Province, Piedmont Region, northwestern Italy. Population: 952,736 (1992)[1]



Turing,Alan

Turing,Alan
Tur·ing
[tyring], Alan (1912–1954)

British
mathematician. He was a major figure in the theoretical development of the
computer. During World War II (1939–1945) he worked as a British government
cryptographer, and helped to break the German Enigma machine’s code.
Full name
Turing, Alan Mathison[1]



Turingmachine

Turingmachine
Tur·ing
ma·chine
noun

mathematical
model in computer theory: a mathematical model of a
device that can modify its instructions and read from, write on, or erase a
potentially infinite tape. It was instrumental in the evolution of computer
theory.
[Named for its inventor, Alan
Turing][1]



Turk.

Turk.
Turk.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Turkey

2.  Abbreviation
of
Turkish

[1]



Turk

Turk
Turk 
[turk] (plural Turks) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Turkey: somebody who was born or raised in
Turkey, or who has Turkish citizenship

2.  PEOPLES member
of Turkish ethnic group: a member of the dominant,
Turkish-speaking ethnic group in Turkey, or, in former times, in the Ottoman
Empire

3.  LANGUAGE Turkic
speaker:
a member of a people speaking a Turkic language

4.  RELIGION offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a Muslim (archaic offensive)

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a cruel or tyrannical person (archaic
offensive)
[14th century. Via French Turc
and medieval Latin Turcus from, ultimately, Turkish Türk .][1]



Turkana,Lake

Turkana,Lake
Tur·ka·na,
Lake
[tur knə]

lake in northwestern Kenya,
extending into Ethiopia at its northern end. Area: 7,100 sq km/2,700 sq mi. Former
name Rudolf, Lake[1]



Turkey




Back to definition

Turkey

[1]



Turkey

Turkey



Tur·key 
[túrkee]
republic in southeastern Europe and
southwestern Asia, bordered by Bulgaria, Greece, the Black Sea, Georgia,
Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea.
Language: Turkish. Currency: Turkish lira. Capital: Ankara. Population: 63,528,225
(1997) Area: 779,452 sq km/300,948 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Turkey[1]



turkey

turkey
tur·key 
[túrkee] (plural tur·keys) noun

1.  BIRDS large
N American bird: a large North American bird with a bare
wattled head and neck and brownish feathers that is widely domesticated and
raised as poultry. Latin name: Meleagris gallopavo

2.  FOOD turkey
meat:
the meat of the turkey used for food

3.  BIRDS large
Central American bird: a large bird of Central and
northern South America, similar to the North American turkey. Latin name: Agriocharis
ocellata

4.  failure:
something that fails or flops, especially a bad play or movie (slang)

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody regarded as unintelligent,
incompetent, or socially inept (slang offensive)

6.  SPORTS three
consecutive bowling strikes: three strikes in a row in
the sport of bowling (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. From its resemblance to the guinea fowl, which was named for Turkey because it was imported through Turkish
territory.]
talk
turkey

to talk honestly and bluntly[1]



turkeybuzzard

turkeybuzzard
tur·key
buz·zard
(plural tur·key buz·zards) noun

See
turkey vulture[1]



turkeycock

turkeycock
tur·key
cock
(plural tur·key cocks) noun

1.  BIRDS male
turkey:
a male turkey, especially when fully grown

2.  arrogant
individual:
somebody who is arrogant or conceited (insult)

[1]



Turkeyred

Turkeyred
Tur·key
red
adjective

bright
red:
of the vibrant bright red color produced using alizarin as a dye
[Late
18th century. From the color used in cotton fabrics made in the Ottoman
Empire.]
—Tur·key red, noun[1]



turkeyshoot

turkeyshoot
tur·key
shoot
(plural tur·key shoots) noun

1.  RIFLE SHOOTING rifle
firing contest: a shooting contest in which rifles are
fired at moving targets

2.  something
very easy:
something easily accomplished (slang)

[1]



turkeytrot

turkeytrot
tur·key
trot
noun

ragtime dance:
a round dance to ragtime music in which dancers walk springily and make
birdlike movements with their shoulders and upper body[1]



turkeyvulture

turkeyvulture
tur·key
vul·ture
(plural tur·key vul·tures) noun

vulture with bare red head:
a blackish-brown vulture of the Americas that has a bare wrinkled red head and
neck and feeds on carrion. Latin name: Cathartes aura
Also called
turkey buzzard[1]



Turkic

Turkic
Turk·ic 
[túrkik] noun

LANGUAGE group
of Altaic languages: a group of languages spoken
in western and central Asia, constituting a subfamily of the Altaic family of
languages. As well as Turkish, it includes Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar,
Uighur, and Uzbek.
—Turk·ic, adjective[1]



Turkish

Turkish
Turk·ish 
[túrkish] adjective

1.  of
Turkey:
relating to Turkey, or its people, or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Turkish:
relating to the Turkish language
noun

LANGUAGE official
language of Turkey: the official language of
Turkey, also spoken in Cyprus and several European countries. It belongs to the
Turkic branch of Altaic languages. Turkish is spoken by about 50 million
people. Before 1928, when the Roman alphabet was adopted, it was written in Arabic
script.
—Turk·ish·ness, noun[1]



Turkishbath

Turkishbath
Turk·ish
bath
(plural Turk·ish baths) noun

1.  steam
bath:
a bath in which the bather sweats freely in hot air or steam, followed by a
shower and often a massage

2.  establishment
offering Turkish bath: a commercial establishment
where somebody can have a Turkish bath

3.  hot
place:
a place that is very hot

[1]



Turkishcoffee

Turkishcoffee
Turk·ish
cof·fee
(plural Turk·ish cof·fees) noun

strong coffee with grounds:
a strong coffee, usually sweetened, made by simmering finely ground coffee and
serving the liquid with the grounds[1]



Turkishdelight

Turkishdelight
Turk·ish
de·light
noun

jellylike candy:
a candy made with flavored gelatin, cut into cubes and dusted with powdered
sugar[1]



Turkishtobacco

Turkishtobacco
Turk·ish
to·bac·co
noun

tobacco:
an aromatic dark tobacco grown in southeastern Europe and Turkey[1]



Turkishtowel

Turkishtowel
Turk·ish
tow·el
(plural Turk·ish tow·els) noun

heavy cotton towel:
a large coarse-fibered cotton towel[1]



Turkism

Turkism
Turk·ism 
[túr kìzzəm] (plural Turk·ism)
noun

Turkish or Turkic culture:
the culture and traditions of the Turks, or an example of these[1]



Turkistan

Turkistan
Turk·i·stan
[túrki stàn] or Turk·e·stan [túrki stàn]

a mountainous region of
central Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea to the Gobi Desert. It is
divided into three sections, Russian or Western Turkistan, which includes
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, Chinese or Eastern Turkistan, made up
of the Xinjiang Uygor Autonomous Region of China, and Afghan Turkistan,
consisting of the northeastern part of Afghanistan.[1]



Turkmen

Turkmen
Turk·men 
[túrkmən] (plural Turk·men or
Turk·mens) or Tur·ko·man [túrkəmən]
(plural Tur·ko·mans) or Tur·co·man [túrkəmən] (plural Tur·co·mans) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Central Asian people: a member of an originally
nomadic Turkic-speaking people who now live mainly in Turkmenistan and
Afghanistan

2.  LANGUAGE Turkmen
language:
the language spoken by the Turkmen people and the official language of
Turkmenistan, belonging to the Turkic group of Altaic languages. Turkmen is
spoken by about 4 million people.
[Early
20th century. Via Persian turkmān from Turkish türkmen . The form
Turkoman dates from the early 17th century, and a rare Turkman from the 15th
century.]
—Turk·men, adjective[1]



Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan



Turk·men·i·stan 
[tùrk menni stán, tùrk
menni stn]
republic in the southwestern portion of
Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the
Caspian Sea. Language: Turkmen. Currency: manat. Capital: Ashgabat. Population:
4,229,249 (1997) Area: 488,100 sq km/188,500. Official name Republic of
Turkmenistan[1]



Turkmenistan




Back to definition

Turkmenistan

[1]



Turkoman

Turkoman
Tur·ko·man
noun adjective

PEOPLES
LANGUAGE See Turkmen[1]



Turksand Caicos Islands

Turksand Caicos Islands
Turks
and Cai·cos Is·lands  [tùrks
ənd kàykoss lənds, tùrks ənd kykōss lənds]

British dependency consisting
of two island groups in the West Indies, southeast of the Bahamas. Capital:
Cockburn Town. Population: 14,302 (1996) Area: 430 sq km/166 sq mi.[1]



Turk’s-caplily

Turk’s-caplily
Turk’s-cap
lil·y 
[tùrks kàp líllee] noun

lily with petals bent
backward: either of two lilies that
have bright nodding flowers with petals that bend sharply backward. Latin name:
Lilium martagon Lilium superbum[1]



Turk’s-head

Turk’s-head

Turk’s-head 
[túrks hèd] (plural Turk’s-heads)
noun
knot:
a knot shaped like a turban, made by weaving a smaller rope around a larger
rope or spar[1]



turmeric

turmeric
tur·mer·ic 
[túrmərik] (plural tur·mer·ics)
noun

1.  bright
yellow spice: a yellow spice made from the dried
rhizomes of an Asian plant and used as a condiment and as a yellow dye

2.  plant
with yellow flowers and rhizomes: a tropical Asian plant
of the ginger family with yellow flowers and rhizomes that are dried to produce
turmeric. Latin name: Curcuma longa
[Mid-16th century. From
French terre-mérite, literally “worthy earth” (perhaps an alteration of
Arabic kurkum “saffron”).][1]



turmericpaper

turmericpaper
tur·mer·ic
pa·per 
noun

paper used to test acidity:
a paper impregnated with turmeric that turns brown in the presence of alkalis
and red-brown in the presence of boric acid[1]



turmoil

turmoil
tur·moil 
[túr mòyl] (plural tur·moils) noun

1.  confused
disturbance: a state of great confusion, commotion,
or disturbance

2.  event
causing confusion: a disruptive event that
causes confusion, commotion, or disturbance • a
leader untroubled by the nation’s turmoils
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



turn

turn
turn 
[turn] verb (past turned,
past participle turned, present participle turn·ing,
3rd person present singular turns)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
to face different direction: to move to face in a
particular direction or toward a particular location, or move something so that
it does this • She
turned to see what was happening. • turning
his eyes skyward

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
around an axis: to move around an axis or point in a
particular direction, or move something in this way • Turn
the handle to the left.

3.  transitive
verb
use
control to operate something: to control something such as
a machine or an appliance or some aspect of its performance by moving a knob,
switch, or slider to a particular setting • Turn
the heat to high.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
in new direction: to go in a different direction when
moving or traveling, or make a vehicle change direction • Turn
left at the crossroads.

5.  transitive
verb
go
around something: to change direction and go round
something • to
turn a corner

6.  intransitive
verb
follow
different course: to change direction and follow a
different course • The path turns uphill.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
page over:
to move a page so that the other side, or another page, can be read or looked
at • He
turned the pages slowly.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb change:
to change or be transformed, or change or transform somebody or something, into
somebody or something different

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
color:
to change color, or cause something to change color

10. intransitive
and transitive verb alter
focus of something: to direct the focus of
something toward something else, or be focused on something • Her
thoughts turned to the past.

11. intransitive
verb
start
doing something different: to start doing something new
or different, especially as a way of solving a problem or improving a situation

12. intransitive
verb
appeal:
to seek or appeal for help from somebody • He
turned to his mother for advice.

13. intransitive
verb
change
in weather:
to change to become a different temperature or type of weather • It’s
turned cold again.

14. intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody feel slightly sick: to be sufficiently
unpleasant or upsetting to make somebody feel nauseated, or respond with feelings
of nausea

15. transitive
verb
GYMNASTICS perform
cartwheel:
to rotate the body to perform a physical action such as a cartwheel or
somersault

16. transitive
verb
MEDICINE twist
ankle:
to injure the ankle or wrist by twisting or spraining it • She
turned her ankle getting off the bus.

17. transitive
verb
search
something extensively: to search a place extremely
thoroughly • They
turned the house upside down looking for the ticket.

18. transitive
verb
pass
time or age: to pass a particular age, time, or speed
• She’s
just turned sixty.

19. intransitive
verb
become
sour:
to become sour (refers to milk) • The
milk has turned.

20. transitive
verb
put
into condition or place: to cause or allow somebody
or something to be in a particular condition or place • The
sight turned my blood cold. • He
opened the gate and turned the horses loose.

21. intransitive
verb
OCEANOGRAPHY start
to ebb or flow: to reach high tide and ebb, or reach low
tide and start to rise • The
tide has turned.

22. transitive
verb
WOODWORK METALLURGY shape something on lathe:
to shape or cut something on a lathe

23. transitive
verb
form
something into round shape: to shape clay or a pot into
a rounded form with the hands or with tools

24. transitive
verb
BUSINESS earn
money:
to earn or achieve a monetary gain • The
business should turn a profit in this financial year.

25. intransitive
and transitive verb change
somebody’s allegiance: to cause a change in
somebody’s allegiance, or undergo a change of allegiance • a
diplomat who turned spy

26. intransitive
verb
convert:
to convert to a religion

27. transitive
verb
say
or write something well: to give a distinctive or
pleasing form to something said or written

28. transitive
verb
GARDENING AGRICULTURE dig up lower levels of
soil:
to dig soil so as to bring lower layers up to the surface

29. transitive
verb
MILITARY pass
around enemy: to pass around an enemy in order to
attack from the flank or rear

30. transitive
verb
blunt
a weapon:
to blunt the edge of a weapon (archaic)
noun
(plural turns)

1.  chance
or right to do something: a time when somebody gets an
opportunity to do something or somebody is asked to do something, especially
when this is rotated among other people • It’s
your turn to clean up.

2.  change
of direction: a change of direction in something such
as a road or the plot of a book • Slow
down for the turn in the road ahead.

3.  junction:
a fork or corner at which a road or path divides.
U.K.
term
turning

4.  movement
of rotation: a full or partial rotation • Give
the screw a few more turns.

5.  winding:
a winding of something such as wire around something else

6.  particular
inclination: a particular inclination or tendency • She
has an academic turn of mind.

7.  sudden
scare:
a sudden shock or scare • It
gave me quite a turn.

8.  spell
of illness:
a short period of feeling unwell or faint • She
had a nasty turn but she’s OK now.

9.  short
outing:
a short walk, excursion, or dance (dated) • They
took a turn around the park.

10. end
of time period: the point at which one period of time
ends and another begins

11. good
or bad deed: a deed that helps or harms another
person • a
good turn

12. MUSIC melodic
embellishment: a melodic embellishment that is played
around a given note, using one note above and one note below the principal note

13. THEATER individual
theatrical performance: a short theatrical solo
performance, for example, in a cabaret

14. STOCK EXCHANGE stock
market transaction: a stock market transaction
that includes both a sale and a purchase

15. MILITARY advance
passing around enemy: a military advance that
passes around an enemy in order to attack from the flank or rear

16. Southern
U.S.
quantity
of grain:
the quantity of grain transported to a mill in one delivery

17. Southern
U.S.
quantity
of firewood: the amount of firewood carried into a
house at one time
[Pre-12th
century. Via Latin tornare “to turn on a lathe” from, ultimately, Greek tornos
“lathe.”]
—turn·able,
adjective
at
every turn

everywhere,
or at every significant moment

be
on the turn

1.  to
be on the point of going sour

2.  to
be on the point of changing

3.  to
be at high or low tide and just about to ebb or return

by
turns

one
after the other, alternately

in
turn

in
a regular order, one after the other

to
a turn

perfectly
• meat
cooked to a turn





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE








  Turn as in turn of corn (the amount
  of grain carried to the mill at one time) and turn of wood (the amount
  of firewood carried into the house) is a Southern term that once competed
  with grist of corn in the North and jag of corn in Pennsylvania
  and the North Midland region. In the Eastern States, Northern and Midland armful
  of wood contrasts with Southern turn of wood.

[1]



turnabout

turnabout
turn·a·bout 
[túrnə bòwt] (plural turn·a·bouts)
noun
Also
called
turnaround

1.  act
of turning completely around: the act of turning to face
in the opposite direction

2.  total
change in outlook or behavior: a shift from one
situation, opinion, policy, or attitude to another that is the complete
opposite

[1]



turnagainst

turnagainst
turn
against
intransitive and transitive verb

no longer support or like
somebody: to stop approving of
something or being friendly toward somebody and show definite disapproval or
unfriendliness instead, or make somebody change attitude in this way[1]



turnaround

turnaround
turn
around
transitive verb

1.  complete
all necessary procedures: to carry out all the
necessary procedures between receiving an order or task and shipping the order
or completing the task • How
long will it take you to turn this work around?

2.  prepare
vehicle between trips: to prepare an aircraft for
its next flight or a ship for its next sailing

3.  improve
something significantly: to cause a significant
improvement in something, especially in the profits made by a company or
organization • moves
to turn the debt around

[1]



turnaround

turnaround
turn·a·round 
[túrnə ròwnd] (plural turn·a·rounds)
noun

1.  BUSINESS time
taken to do entire job: the time it takes to carry
out all the necessary procedures between receiving an order or task and the
shipment of the order or completion of the task

2.  TRANSPORT preparation
of vehicle between trips: the process of unloading and
reloading, refueling, and checking an aircraft, ship, or vehicle between
journeys

3.  TRANSPORT time
spent on vehicle’s turnaround: the time taken on the
process of unloading and reloading, refueling, and checking an aircraft, ship,
or vehicle between journeys

4.  big
improvement: a dramatic improvement in a bad or
unsatisfactory situation

5.  TRANSPORT place
for turning automobile around: a circular or curved
driveway or section of road where vehicles can turn around

6.  See
turnabout  noun 1
See turnabout  noun 2

[1]



turnaway

turnaway
turn
away
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
to face somewhere else: to change position so as to
face away from somebody or something, or move somebody or something so as to
face in another direction

2.  transitive
verb
refuse
admission to somebody: to send somebody away,
refusing to see, entertain, or accommodate him or her

3.  transitive
verb
refuse
to accept something: to refuse to listen to
somebody or to what somebody wants to say or offer

4.  intransitive
verb
reject:
to reject something as unworthy or undesirable • to
turn away from a life of sin

[1]



turnback

turnback
turn
back
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb reverse:
to reverse or cause something to reverse or go back

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
going forward and return: to stop and return in the
direction you have come from, or stop people or vehicles and make them return
in the direction they have come from

3.  transitive
verb
fold
something back: to fold something over and down • turned
back the top sheet on the bed

[1]



turnbuckle

turnbuckle
turn·buck·le 
[túrn bùk’l] (plural turn·buck·les)
noun

tension-adjusting device:
a device to tighten or loosen rope or wire, consisting of a sleeve through
which the rope or wire is threaded and held so that the tension can be adjusted[1]



turncoat

turncoat
turn·coat 
[túrn kt] (plural turn·coats)
noun

traitor:
somebody who abandons or betrays a group or cause and joins the opposing side[1]



turndown

turndown
turn
down
transitive verb

1.  reject
something:
to reject or refuse something such as an offer or application

2.  reduce
volume or intensity: to make something less
powerful, bright, loud, or hot, especially by moving a knob, switch, or slider

3.  fold
something downward: to fold something or the top
part of something toward the bottom, so that a double layer is formed

[1]



turndown

turndown
turn·down 
[túrn dòwn] noun (plural turn·downs)

1.  rejection:
a rejection of something such as an offer or application

2.  See
downturn
adjective

folded down:
folded down or over from the top

[1]



turned-on

turned-on
turned-on 
adjective (slang)

1.  sexually
excited:
sexually aroused or excited

2.  hip:
aware of or involved in the most modern trends in culture and fashion

3.  high
on drugs:
under the influence of a drug such as cannabis or LSD, or familiar with its
effects as a result of having taken it

[1]



turner

turner
turn·er
[túrnər] (plural tur·ners) noun

1.  somebody
or something that turns: somebody or something that
turns or that is used for turning something else, for example, a device for
turning food while it is cooking • a
pancake turner

2.  lathe
operator:
somebody whose job involves operating a lathe

[1]



Turner,J.M.W.

Turner,J.M.W.


Tur·ner 
[túrnər], J.M.W. (1775–1851)
English
painter and watercolorist. His powerful landscape and seascape paintings used
color to explore the effects of light, and influenced the French
impressionists. His works include Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps
( 1812 ) and Rain, Steam, and Speed ( 1844 ).
Full name
Turner, Joseph Mallord William[1]



Turner,John Napier

Turner,John Napier
Tur·ner 
[túrnər], John Napier (1929– )

Canadian statesman. He was a
Liberal member of the Canadian parliament (1962–1975), and as leader of the
Liberal Party (1984–1990) was prime minister of Canada for 11 weeks in 1984.[1]



Turner,Lana

Turner,Lana
Tur·ner 
[túrnər], Lana (1920–1995)

U.S.
actor. She is known for her roles in such Hollywood movies as The Postman
Always Rings Twice ( 1946 ) and The Bad and the Beautiful ( 1952 ).
Real name
Turner, Julia Jean Mildred Frances[1]



Turner,Nat

Turner,Nat
Tur·ner 
[túrnər], Nat (1800–1831)

U.S. leader of enslaved
people. He led a brief rebellion (1831) of enslaved African Americans that
ended in bloodshed. He fled, but after six weeks was captured and hanged.[1]



Turner,Ted

Turner,Ted
Tur·ner 
[túrnər], Ted (1938– )

U.S.
business executive and philanthropist. He built Turner Broadcasting System into
an international media empire.
Full name
Turner III, Robert Edward[1]



turnery

turnery
turn·er·y 
[túrnəree] (plural turn·er·ies)
noun

1.  work
on lathe:
the technique, art, or skill of forming and contouring using a lathe.
Also
called
turning

2.  workshop:
a room or building where lathes are used

[1]



Turner’ssyndrome

Turner’ssyndrome
Tur·ner’s
syn·drome 
noun

genetic
disease affecting women: an inherited disorder
affecting women, caused by an absence or abnormality of one of the two X
chromosomes and resulting in an underdeveloped womb, vagina, and breasts, and
infertility. It may also cause short stature, webbed neck skin, and irregularly
shaped ears.
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Henry Hubert Turner (1892–1970), the U.S. physician who described the
syndrome.][1]



turnin

turnin
turn
in
verb

1.  transitive
verb
return
something after use: to hand something over or
give something back to its owner or to whoever is responsible for it • turn
in your key at the desk before leaving

2.  transitive
verb
submit
something:
to hand in or send in something such as work assigned in school

3.  transitive
verb
take
somebody to the police: to hand over somebody or
something to the police or other authorities

4.  intransitive
verb
go
to bed:
to go to bed at the end of the day (informal)

5.  transitive
verb
produce
result:
to achieve a particular outcome • turned
in a creditable performance

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb fold
inward:
to arrange something so that it bends or points inward, or be arranged in this
way

[1]



turning

turning
turn·ing 
[túrning] (plural turn·ings) noun

1.  U.K.
See turn  noun 3

2.  deviation:
a deviation from a straight or planned course

3.  See
turnery  noun 1

4.  SEWING fabric
that forms hem: the amount of fabric that will be turned
back to form a hem at the edge of a piece of sewing

[1]



turningcircle

turningcircle
turn·ing
cir·cle
noun

U.K.
See turning radius[1]



turningpoint

turningpoint
turn·ing
point
(plural turn·ing points) noun

1.  important
moment of change: a particular time or incident that marks
the beginning of a completely new, and usually better, stage in somebody’s life
or in the development of something

2.  MATHEMATICS point
on curve:
a minimum or maximum point on a plane curve

[1]



turningradius

turningradius
turn·ing
ra·di·us
noun

smallest circle vehicle can
turn in: the smallest circle in which
a vehicle can complete a 360-degree turn.
U.K. term
turning circle[1]



turnip

turnip

tur·nip 
[túrnip] (plural tur·nips) noun

1.  plant
with edible root: a plant belonging to the cabbage family,
widely cultivated for its large white edible root. Latin name: Brassica rapa

2.  root
vegetable:
the white rounded fleshy root of the turnip that is eaten as a vegetable
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from tur- (of unknown origin) + Old English np “turnip” (from
Latin napus ).][1]



turnipmoth

turnipmoth
tur·nip
moth
(plural tur·nip moths) noun

moth with destructive
caterpillar: a brownish moth of
Europe, Asia, and Africa whose caterpillar feeds on the stem base and roots of
turnips, carrots, and similar plants. Latin name: Agrotis segetum[1]



turnkey

turnkey
turn·key 
[túrn k] adjective

ready
to use:
complete and ready to use upon delivery or installation • a
turnkey operation
noun
(plural turn·keys)

keeper of keys:
a keeper of keys, especially in a jail (archaic)[1]



turnoff

turnoff
turn·off 
(plural turn·offs) noun

1.  something
disgusting or off-putting: somebody or something that
causes a complete loss of interest, enthusiasm, or sexual arousal (informal)

2.  road
junction:
a junction formed by two roads, especially a larger and smaller one

3.  road
branching off main road: a road that branches off a
main road

[1]



turnoff

turnoff
turn
off
verb

1.  transitive
verb
operate
switch to stop something: to make a machine or
appliance stop working, or something stop flowing, by operating a control

2.  transitive
verb
set
to off position: to move a device such as a button, knob,
or lever so that a machine stops working or something stops flowing

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb diminish
enthusiasm:
to diminish or destroy somebody’s interest, enthusiasm, or sexual arousal, or
lose interest or become unresponsive (informal)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb go in
a new direction: to split off from a road or path and
head a different way, or take a road or path that goes in a new direction

[1]



turn-on

turn-on
turn-on 
(plural turn-ons) noun

somebody or something causing
sexual arousal: somebody or something
that causes sexual arousal (informal)[1]



turnon

turnon
turn
on
verb

1.  transitive
verb
operate
switch to start something: to make a machine or
appliance operate, or make something start flowing, by operating a control

2.  transitive
verb
set
something to on position: to move a device such as a
button, knob, or lever so that a machine starts working or something starts
flowing

3.  transitive
verb
behave
in calculated way: to display a particular
behavior or emotion in a way that people find calculated, irritating, or insincere
• He’ll
really turn on the charm if he thinks he’s losing the sale.

4.  transitive
verb
react
aggressively to somebody: to react aggressively or
violently to somebody

5.  transitive
verb
make
somebody excited: to interest somebody greatly or fill somebody
with pleasure, energy, or excitement (informal)

6.  transitive
verb
arouse
somebody:
to make somebody feel sexually excited (informal)

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRUGS take illegal drugs:
to take drugs, especially a hallucinogenic drug, or cause somebody to take a
hallucinogen or similar drug (informal)

[1]



turnout

turnout
turn·out 
[túrn òwt] (plural turn·outs) noun

1.  attendance:
the number of people who attend or take part in a particular event • expecting
a huge turnout for the homecoming game

2.  POLITICS number
of voters:
the number or proportion of voters who register their vote in an election

3.  TRANSPORT widened
part of street: a section where a narrow roadway is
broader, allowing vehicles to pass each other, pull over, or park

4.  BUSINESS amount
of work produced: the total quantity or amount produced,
for example, by a particular company or manufacturing process

5.  CLOTHES outfit:
the clothes or equipment somebody is wearing • a
smart turnout

6.  BALLET outward
rotation of dancer’s legs: the outward rotating
movement from the hip sockets of a classical ballet dancer’s legs

[1]



turnout

turnout
turn
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
switch
light off:
to make an electric light go out by operating its power switch

2.  intransitive
verb
come
to event:
to assemble in a particular place, especially for a special event or public
occasion • Hardly
anybody turned out for the reunion.

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody leave: to force somebody to leave a room,
building, or residence

4.  intransitive
verb
happen
in particular way: to happen in a particular
way, often in a way that was not expected

5.  intransitive
verb
end
up:
to have a particular result • The
birthday party turned out OK, despite our fears.

6.  transitive
verb
make
something:
to create or produce something, especially in a consistent way or by mass
production • a
factory that turns out tennis rackets

7.  transitive
verb
dress
somebody up: to clothe yourself or somebody else in a
particular way

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb MILITARY signal group to assemble:
to call an organized group of people, usually soldiers, to assemble for duty or
for a military parade

9.  transitive
verb
empty
contents:
to take out the contents of a pocket or bag, usually to check or reorganize
what is there

10. intransitive
and transitive verb fold
outward:
to be arranged so as to bend or point outward, or arrange something in this way

11. intransitive
verb
get
up:
to get out of bed (informal)

[1]



turnover

turnover
turn
over
verb

1.  transitive
verb
turn
something the other way up: to alter the position of the
body or of an object, bringing the underside uppermost, or move so that the
underside is uppermost

2.  transitive
verb
think
about something: to give something slow and careful
thought, considering different aspects or possibilities

3.  transitive
verb
give
something to somebody else: to hand something over to
the police or other authorities, especially when required to do so

4.  transitive
verb
delegate
something:
to give the responsibility for something to somebody else • turned
over some duties to her assistant

5.  transitive
verb
put
somebody under somebody’s responsibility: to
transfer the responsibility for somebody to another person or authority • The
principal turned him over to his parents.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb AUTOMOTIVE start:
to start an engine or motor, or be started • couldn’t
get it to turn over

7.  transitive
verb
FINANCE have
sales of:
to have sales or other business transactions totaling a specified amount • The
firm turns over several million a month.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMMERCE sell and restock goods:
to sell and restock all items for sale • The
produce usually turns over in 10 days time.

[1]



turnover

turnover
turn·o·ver 
[túrn vər] noun (plural turn·o·vers)

1.  COOKING filled
pastry:
a filled pastry, made by folding a square or circle of pastry in half over a
filling to form a semicircle or triangle

2.  FINANCE amount
of business: the amount of business transacted over a
given period of time, especially when expressed as gross revenue

3.  HUMAN RESOURCES change
in employees: the number of employees in an
organization who leave and are replaced over a given period • job
dissatisfaction that results in high turnover

4.  SPORTS loss
of possession: in basketball and football, a loss of
possession of the ball resulting from error or violation of rules
adjective

able to be folded over:
designed to be turned or folded over

[1]



turnpike

turnpike
turn·pike 
[túrn pk] (plural turn·pikes)
noun

1.  TRANSPORT toll
road:
a toll expressway or highway, usually a major long-distance one.
Also
called
pike

2.  HISTORY road
barrier:
a gate formerly used to bar the way onto a section of road or a bridge until a
toll had been paid

3.  HISTORY road
with turnpike: in former times, a road that travelers
were only allowed to use after paying a toll at the turnpike
[14th century. From turn + pike 4 .][1]



turnsole

turnsole
turn·sole 
[túrn sl] (plural turn·soles)
noun

1.  PLANTS Mediterranean
plant yielding purple dye: a Mediterranean annual plant
that yields a purple dye. Latin name: Chrozophora tinctoria

2.  INDUSTRY purple
dye:
the purple dye obtained from the turnsole plant
[14th century. Via Old French
tournesole from Old Italian tornasole, from tornare “to
turn” + sol “sun.”][1]



turnstile

turnstile
turn·stile 
[túrn stl] (plural turn·stiles)
noun

revolving barrier:
a mechanical barrier designed to let people pass through a narrow opening one
at a time between bars that revolve around a central post.
Also called
stile[1]



turnstone

turnstone
turn·stone 
[túrn stn] (plural turn·stones)
noun

wading
bird:
a wading bird with mottled black or tortoiseshell markings that breeds along
Arctic coasts and migrates southward for the winter. Genus: Arenaria
[Late 17th century. From the
way the bird turns over stones to expose the small creatures it feeds on.][1]



turntable

turntable
turn·ta·ble 
[túrn tàyb’l] (plural turn·ta·bles)
noun

1.  revolving
platform on phonograph: the flat round revolving
plate on which the record rests on a phonograph

2.  phonograph
deck:
a phonograph deck, especially without the amplifier and speakers, and as
distinct from a separate tape player, compact disk player, or tuner

3.  TRANSPORT rotating
platform:
a rotating platform for turning around a vehicle such as a railroad locomotive,
so that it is facing another direction

[1]



turnto

turnto
turn
to
intransitive verb

get working:
to set to work, especially vigorously[1]



turnup

turnup
turn·up 
noun (plural turn·ups)

1.  U.K.
CLOTHES fold
at bottom of trouser leg: a fold of material that is
turned up at the bottom of a trouser leg

2.  something
turning up:
something that turns up or appears unexpectedly

3.  See
upturn  noun
adjective

for turning up:
designed to be folded or turned up

[1]



turnup

turnup
turn
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
increase
something:
to make something louder, brighter, hotter, or more powerful, especially by
operating its control

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb unfold
upward:
to unfold something so that it stands up instead of lying in a flat double
layer, or be capable of unfolding in this way

3.  transitive
verb
SEWING shorten
garment:
to fold and sew the bottom edge of a garment or piece of fabric, so as to
shorten it

4.  intransitive
verb
be
found:
to reappear or be rediscovered after being lost or in an unknown place, often
in a surprising or unexpected way • It’ll
turn up sooner or later.

5.  transitive
verb
find
something by searching: to uncover something that
was hidden or previously unknown by investigating, hunting, or digging • He
didn’t expect to turn up such an interesting story.

6.  intransitive
verb
arrive:
to come or appear somewhere, especially in a casual or unplanned way • She
just turned up yesterday morning.

7.  intransitive
verb
happen:
to take place luckily or unexpectedly to settle matters or put things right • They
manage to get along somehow … something always seems to turn up.

[1]



turpentine

turpentine
tur·pen·tine 
[túrpən tn] noun

1.  substance
from pine trees: a viscous substance obtained from
coniferous trees and used to manufacture turpentine.
Also
called
gum turpentine

2.  sticky
substance from terebinth tree: a brownish-yellow
sticky mixture of essential oil and resin that comes from the terebinth tree

3.  oil
used as solvent: a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling
essential oil used as a paint solvent and in medicine.
Also
called
spirits of turpentine
transitive
verb
(past tur·pen·tined, past participle tur·pen·tined,
present participle tur·pen·tin·ing, 3rd person present
singular tur·pen·tines)

1.  treat
something with turpentine: to treat or thin something
with turpentine

2.  extract
turpentine from: to extract turpentine from trees
[14th century. Via Old French
terbentine “terebinth resin” from, ultimately, Greek terebinthos
“terebinth tree.”][1]



turpentinetree

turpentinetree
tur·pen·tine
tree
(plural tur·pen·tine trees) noun

tree yielding turpentine:
a tree such as the terebinth that yields turpentine[1]



turpitude

turpitude
tur·pi·tude 
[túrpə td] noun

immorality:
extreme immorality or wickedness (formal or literary)
[15th century. Directly or
via French from Latin turpitudo, from turpis “repulsive,” of
unknown origin.][1]



turps

turps
turps 
[turps] noun (informal)

1.  turpentine:
turpentine

2.  Australia
BEVERAGES alcohol:
beer or other alcoholic drink
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



turquoise

turquoise
tur·quoise 
[túr kwòyz, túr
kòyz] noun (plural tur·quoises)

1.  semiprecious
stone:
a greenish-blue mineral form of aluminum and copper phosphate that occurs in
igneous rocks and is used as a gemstone

2.  greenish-blue
color:
a bright greenish-blue color
adjective

greenish-blue:
of a greenish-blue color
[15th century. From Old
French (pierre) turqueise “Turkish (stone)”; so called because the stone
was first found in Turkestan.][1]



turret

turret
tur·ret 
[túrrət] (plural tur·rets) noun

1.  INDUSTRY dome
containing gun: a rotating armored structure on a ship
or tank, or a dome projecting from the fuselage of an aircraft, containing one
or more guns and a gun crew

2.  small
tower:
a small rounded tower that projects from a wall or corner of a large building
such as a castle

3.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING part
of lathe:
a device on a lathe, used for holding a range of tools
[14th century. From Old
French tourete, literally “small tower,” from tour (see tower ).][1]



turreted

turreted
tur·ret·ed 
[túrrətəd] adjective

1.  having
turrets:
constructed or designed to include turrets

2.  ZOOLOGY with
spiral shape: shaped like a long pointed spiral

[1]



turretlathe

turretlathe
tur·ret
lathe
(plural tur·ret lathes) noun

lathe for long work pieces:
a lathe for long work pieces, using a large number of tools carried on the
revolving tool holder or turret.
U.K. term
capstan lathe[1]



turtle

turtle2
tur·tle2 [túrt’l]
(plural tur·tles) noun

turtledove:
a turtledove (archaic)
[Old English turtla .
From Latin turtur, an imitation of the bird’s voice.][1]



turtleback

turtleback
tur·tle·back 
[túrt’l bàk] (plural tur·tle·backs)
noun

arched cover for ship’s deck:
an arched cover for protecting the deck of a ship in heavy seas[1]



turtledove

turtledove
tur·tle·dove 
[túrt’l dùv] (plural tur·tle·doves)
noun

1.  dove
with purring coo: a slender dove with black-and-chestnut
upper parts, a pink breast, and a black-and-white neck, noted for its purring
call. It breeds in northern Europe and winters in Africa. Latin name: Streptopelia
turtur

2.  dear
person:
a tender, faithful, and affectionate person or an affectionate address for
somebody the speaker is very fond of (archaic or literary)

3.  See
mourning dove
[13th century. Formed from turtle 2 .][1]



turtlehead

turtlehead
tur·tle·head 
[túrt’l hèd] (plural tur·tle·heads
or tur·tle·head) noun

North
American plant: a perennial plant of eastern North
America that bears clusters of white, purplish, greenish, or yellowish flowers
and is found near running water. Genus: Chelone
Also
called
snakehead
[Mid-19th century. From the
shape of the plant’s flowers.][1]



turtleneck

turtleneck
tur·tle·neck 
[túrt’l nèk] (plural tur·tle·necks)
noun
U.K.
term
polo neck

1.  high
turned-over collar: a tight-fitting collar on a
garment such as a sweater, reaching high up the neck and then folded down

2.  sweater
with turtleneck: a sweater or other garment that has a
turtleneck

[1]



turves

turves
turves


Plural of
turf[1]



Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa
Tus·ca·loo·sa 
[tuskə lssə]

city in western Alabama on
the Black Warrior River, southwest of Birmingham. Population: 82,379 (1996)[1]



Tuscan

Tuscan
Tus·can 
[túskən] adjective

1.  of
Tuscany:
relating to the Italian region of Tuscany, or its people or culture

2.  ARCHITECTURE of
style of architecture: relating to a classical
order of architecture characterized by plain bases and capitals and unfluted
columns
noun
(plural Tus·cans)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Tuscany: somebody who was born or lives in the
Italian region of Tuscany

2.  LANGUAGE standard
Italian:
the standard and literary form of Italian, principally based on the dialect of
Florence
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin Tuscus “Etruscan.”][1]



Tuscany

Tuscany
Tus·ca·ny 
[túskənee]

region in northern Italy, a
centre of culture during the Renaissance period. Capital: Florence. Population:
3,526,031 (1995) Area: 22,993 sq km/8,878 sq mi.[1]



Tuscarora

Tuscarora
Tus·ca·ro·ra 
[tùskə ráwrə] (plural Tus·ca·ro·ra
or Tus·ca·ro·ras) noun

PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally occupied lands in North Carolina, and whose
members now live mainly in New York State and Ontario. In 1722 the Tuscarora
joined the Iroquois Confederacy, which then became known as the Six Nations.
[Mid-17th century. From
Iroquois, literally “hemp gatherer.”][1]



tusche

tusche
tu·sche 
[tshə] (plural tu·sches) noun

thick
black liquid: a thick black liquid that is used as a
drawing medium in lithography and as a resist in silk-screen printing and
etching
[Late 19th century. From
German, a back-formation from tuschen “to draw in ink,” via French toucher
from Old French touchier (see touch
).][1]



tush

tush2
tush2 [tush]
interjection

expression
of mild scorn: an expression of mild disapproval or
disdain (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of a spontaneous exclamation.][1]



tush

tush1
tush1 [tsh]
(plural tush·es) noun

buttocks:
somebody’s buttocks (slang)
Also
called
tushy
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of Yiddish tokhes (see tokhes ).][1]



tushery

tushery
tush·er·y
[túshəree] noun

old-fashioned
style of writing: an affected style of writing full of
artificial and archaic-sounding expressions, such as “Tush!” (literary)
[Late 19th century. Coined
from tush 2 by Robert
Louis Stevenson .][1]



tushy

tushy
tush·y
[túshee] (plural tush·ies) or
tush·ie [túshee] (plural tush·ies)
noun

(slang) See tush[1]



tusk

tusk
tusk 
[tusk] noun (plural tusks)

1.  ZOOLOGY enlarged
tooth:
an enlarged pointed front tooth that projects from the mouth in animals such as
the elephant, walrus, and wild boar and is often used for fighting

2.  JOINERY tenon
joint:
in joinery, a form of tenon that has a short projecting part to make it
stronger
intransitive
and transitive verb (past tusked, past
participle tusked, present participle tusk·ing, 3rd
person present singular tusks)

jab tusk into somebody or something:
to use a tusk or tusks to attack, dig at, or stab somebody or something
[Old
English tūsc, tux . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“tooth” that is also the ancestor of English tooth
and dental .]
—tusked, adjective[1]



Tuskegee

Tuskegee
Tus·ke·gee 
[tùskə j]

city in eastern Alabama, east
of Montgomery and west of Phenix City. Population: 11,504 (1996)[1]



tusker

tusker
tusk·er 
[túskər] (plural tusk·ers) noun

animal with tusks:
a wild boar, elephant, or other animal with large tusks (informal)[1]



tuskshell

tuskshell
tusk
shell
(plural tusk shells) noun

See
tooth shell[1]



tussah

tussah
tus·sah 
[tússə] (plural tus·sahs or
tus·sah) noun

1.  silkworm:
the silkworm of an Asian moth, from which a coarse silk is obtained. Latin
name: Antheraea paphia
Also
called
tussore
U.K.
term
tussore

2.  silk
thread:
the silk thread produced by the tussah silkworm

3.  silk
fabric:
the silk fabric woven from tussah. It is a coarse brownish or yellowish fabric
with an attractive uneven surface.
[Late 16th century. Via Hindi
tasar from Sanskrit tasaram “shuttle,” from the shape of the
worm’s cocoon.][1]



Tussaud,Madame

Tussaud,Madame
Tus·saud
[tü sṓ, too sṓ],
Madame (1760–1850)

Swiss
wax-modeler. She made death masks in Paris of victims of the French Revolution,
which she exhibited in Great Britain, and founded Madame Tussaud’s Exhibition
in London (1835).
Born
Grosholtz, Marie[1]



tussis

tussis
tus·sis 
[tússiss] noun

cough:
a cough or coughing (technical)
[From
Latin]
—tus·sal,
adjective

—tus·sive, adjective[1]



tussle

tussle
tus·sle 
[túss’l] intransitive verb (past
tus·sled, past participle tus·sled, present participle
tus·sling, 3rd person present singular tus·sles)

have
vigorous fight: to have a vigorous physical or verbal
struggle with somebody
noun
(plural tus·sles)

vigorous
fight:
a vigorous physical or verbal struggle
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably formed from a northern English dialect word meaning “to
pull about.”][1]



tussock

tussock
tus·sock 
[tússək] (plural tus·socks) noun

tuft
of grass:
a small thick clump of growing vegetation, usually coarse grass or sedge
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain.]
—tus·sock·y, adjective[1]



tussockgrass

tussockgrass
tus·sock
grass
(plural tus·sock grass·es) noun

clumpy grass:
any of various grasses that grow in clumps[1]



tussockmoth

tussockmoth
tus·sock
moth 
(plural tus·sock moths) noun

moth from hairy caterpillar:
a moth whose caterpillars are covered in tufts of brightly colored hairs. They
often cause skin irritation if handled, and some are pests of crops and shade
trees. Family: Lymantriidae[1]



tussore

tussore
tus·sore 
[tú sàwr] (plural tus·sores or
tus·sore) noun

See
tussah
[Early 17th century. From
Hindi tasar (see tussah ).][1]



tut

tut
tut 
or tut-tut interjection

expression
of irritation or disapproval: a clicking sound made with
the tongue, or a spoken imitation of this sound, used as an expression of
annoyance or disapproval, sometimes ironically
intransitive
verb
(past tut·ted, past participle tut·ted, present
participle tut·ting, 3rd person present singular tuts)
(past tut-tut·ted, past participle tut-tut·ted, present
participle tut-tut·ting, 3rd person present singular tut-tuts)

express
disapproval: to make a clicking sound with the tongue
to express annoyance or dissatisfaction, or to express these feelings in some
other way
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of a spontaneous exclamation.][1]



Tutankhamen

Tutankhamen

Tu·tan·kha·men 
[tt’n kmən] or Tu·tan·kha·mun
[tt’n kaa mn] (1343 BC–1325 BC)
Egyptian pharaoh. His sumptuously
decorated tomb was discovered virtually intact in 1922.[1]



tutee

tutee
tu·tee 
[too t] (plural tu·tees) noun

tutor’s
student:
the student of a particular tutor, or somebody being tutored
[Early 20th century. Formed
from tutor + -ee
.][1]



tutelage

tutelage
tu·te·lage 
[tt’lij] noun

1.  teaching:
instruction and guidance provided by somebody such as a tutor • Under
her tutelage, he became a first-rate marksman.

2.  supervision
by a tutor:
the condition of being supervised or protected by a tutor or guardian • continued
my studies under private tutelage

3.  being
a tutor:
the condition of being a tutor or guardian
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin tutela “guardianship,” from tut-, the past participle
stem of tueri “to watch over” (source of English tutor ).][1]



tutelary

tutelary
tu·te·lar·y 
[tt’l èrree] or tu·te·lar [tt’lər] adjective (formal or literary)

1.  acting
as protector: acting in the role of a protector or
guardian • tutelary
saints

2.  of
guardian:
relating to or belonging to a guardian
noun
(plural tu·te·lar·ies) (plural tu·te·lars)

guarding presence:
a tutelary being or person, especially a saint or deity (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin tutelarius, from tutela (see tutelage
).][1]



tutor

tutor
tu·tor 
[ttər] noun (plural tu·tors)

1.  teacher:
a teacher who instructs an individual student, or a small group of students,
especially one teaching students in need of remedial work

2.  British
university teacher: in British universities, an
academic who is responsible for teaching and advising an allocated group of
students

3.  low-ranking
U.S. university teacher: in some U.S. universities, a
teacher ranking below an instructor
verb
(past tu·tored, past participle tu·tored, present
participle tu·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular tu·tors)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb act as
tutor:
to act as a tutor to somebody or in a particular discipline

2.  intransitive
verb
receive
private lessons: to study under a tutor
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman from Latin tutor “guardian,” from tut-,
the past participle stem of tueri “to watch over.”]
—tu·tor·age,
noun

—tu·tor·ship,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at teach

[1]



tutorial

tutorial
tu·to·ri·al 
[too táwree əl] noun (plural tu·to·ri·als)

1.  lesson
from book:
a chapter of a book or manual, or a section of a computer program, designed to
provide instruction or training using exercises and assignments

2.  lesson
with tutor:
a teaching session spent individually or in a small group under the direction
of a tutor
adjective

relating to tutor:
relating to or belonging to a tutor, or to the role and responsibilities of a
tutor

[1]



Tutsi

Tutsi
Tut·si 
[ttsee] (plural Tut·si or
Tut·sis) noun

PEOPLES member
of central African people: a member of a people living
in Rwanda and Burundi, where they are one of the minority ethnic groups.
See
also
Hutu
[Mid-20th century. Of Bantu
origin.][1]



tutti

tutti
tut·ti 
[ttee] noun

part
of composition for all musicians: the part of a concerto
or other orchestral composition in which all the musicians play, as opposed to
a solo section
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Latin totus (see total
).][1]



tutti-frutti

tutti-frutti
tut·ti-frut·ti 
[ttee frtee] (plural tut·ti-frut·tis)
noun

ice
cream containing mixed fruit: an ice cream, dessert, or
type of candy containing a variety of chopped, usually dried or candied, fruit
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “all fruits.”][1]



tut-tut

tut-tut
tut-tut 
interjection intransitive verb

See
tut[1]



tutu

tutu
tu·tu 
[t t] (plural tu·tus) noun

ballet
dancer’s skirt: a ballet dancer’s skirt that is very
short and made of layers of stiffened net so that it stands out from the body
[Early 20th century. From
French, a baby-talk alteration of cucu, from cul “buttocks,” from
Latin culus (source of English culottes
and recoil ).][1]



Tutu,Desmond

Tutu,Desmond

Tu·tu 
[ttoo], Desmond (1931– )
South
African clergyman and political activist. A leader of the anti-apartheid
movement, he became bishop of Johannesburg in 1984, and was archbishop of Cape
Town (1986–1996). In 1995 he was appointed chair of the Truth and
Reconciliation Committee set up to investigate political and human rights
crimes of the apartheid era.
Full name
Tutu, Desmond Mpilo[1]



Tuvalu

Tuvalu


Tu·va·lu 
[too vloo, tvə
l]
small
country consisting of coral islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Fiji and
Samoa, each about 1,050 km/650 mi away, are the islands’ nearest neighbors.
Language: English. Language: Tuvaluan. Currency: Australian dollar. Capital:
Fongafale. Population: 10,297 (1997) Area: 26 sq km/10 sq mi. Former name
Ellice Islands
—Tu·val·uan [too vloo ən, tvə l ən],
noun, adjective[1]



tux

tux
tux 
[tuks] (plural tux·es) noun

tuxedo:
a tuxedo (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



tuxedo

tuxedo
tux·e·do 
[tuk sdō] (plural tux·e·dos or
tux·e·does) noun

1.  man’s
formal jacket: an elegantly styled, usually black
jacket worn by men to formal social occasions, especially as part of an outfit
for evening wear.
Also
called
dinner jacket
U.K.
term
dinner jacket

2.  men’s
formal clothing: a formal set of clothing for a man
including a tuxedo jacket and matching trousers, usually with a band of silk
down each leg, dress shirt, bow tie, and cummerbund
[Late 19th century. Named for
the town of Tuxedo Park, New York, where the garment was first worn at a
country club.][1]



tuyère

tuyère
tu·yère
[too yáir, twee
yáir] (plural tu·yères) or twy·er [twīr] (plural twy·ers) noun

air
nozzle in furnace: an opening in the refractory
lining and shell of a furnace through which air is forced to promote combustion
[Late 18th century. From
French, formed from tuyau “pipe,” of uncertain origin: probably from
Germanic.][1]



TV

TV2
TV2 

(informal) Abbreviation
of transvestite[1]



TV

TV1
TV1  noun

television:
television or a television set (informal)[1]



TVA

TVA
TVA

Abbreviation of
Tennessee Valley Authority[1]



TVdinner

TVdinner
TV
din·ner
noun

pre-cooked meal:
a pre-cooked frozen or chilled meal that can be reheated in the oven or
microwave and eaten straight from the tray or dish usually while watching TV[1]



Tver

Tver
Tver
[tvair]

city at the confluence of the
Volga and Tvertsa rivers in western Russia. Population: 454,000 (1990) Former
name Kalinin 1933–1990[1]



TVmovie

TVmovie
TV
mov·ie
(plural TV mov·ies) noun

movie made for TV:
a movie that is made to be shown on television and is not usually released in
theaters[1]



TVP

TVP
TVP
noun

soya food product:
a high-protein product made from processed soybeans that are formed into chunks
or ground and flavored to taste like meat. Full form textured vegetable protein[1]



T-W

T-W
T-W

Abbreviation of
three-wheeler (motorcycle)[1]



twa

twa
twa 
[twaa] noun

Scotland
two:
two
[Scots dialect variant of two][1]



twaddle

twaddle
twad·dle 
[twd’l] noun

nonsense:
nonsensical or pretentious speech or writing (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past twad·dled, past participle twad·dled, present
participle twad·dling, 3rd person present singular twad·dles)

talk
twaddle:
to speak or write twaddle (dated informal)
[Late
18th century. Origin uncertain.]
—twad·dler [twdlər], noun[1]



twain

twain
twain 
[twayn] plural noun

two:
two (archaic or literary) “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never
the twain shall meet.” Rudyard Kipling The Ballad of East and West
[Old English twēgen][1]



Twain,Mark

Twain,Mark

Twain 
[twayn], Mark (1835–1910)
U.S.
writer. He wrote humorous travel books and the classic stories The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer ( 1876 ) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
( 1884 ).
Pseudonym of
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne[1]



twang

twang

twang 
[twang] noun (plural twangs)

1.  sound
of tight string vibrating: the sharp resonating noise
made when something such as a tight string on an instrument is plucked or
released

2.  LANGUAGE sound
in certain accents: a nasal quality of voice
associated with various accents • a
Texas twang
intransitive and transitive verb
(past twanged, past participle twanged, present
participle twang·ing, 3rd person present singular twangs)

1.  vibrate
with a twang: to make a twang or cause something to
make a twang

2.  MUSIC strum
something carelessly: to play a stringed
instrument, or a tune on a stringed instrument, in a rough amateur style

3.  LANGUAGE speak
with a twang: to speak or say something with a twang
[Mid-16th
century. An imitation of the sound.]
—twang·y, adjective[1]



twat

twat
twat 
[twot] (plural twats) noun
(taboo offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to a woman’s vagina or genital area

2.  U.K.
offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to somebody regarded as unintelligent,
worthless, or detestable
[Mid-17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



twayblade

twayblade
tway·blade 
[twáy blàyd] (plural tway·blades)
noun

two-leaved
orchid:
an orchid that has only two leaves, arranged opposite each other, at the base.
Genera: Listera Liparis Ophrys
[Late 16th century. Formed
from an obsolete variant of twain + blade .][1]



tweak

tweak
tweak 
[tweek] transitive verb (past tweaked,
past participle tweaked, present participle tweak·ing,
3rd person present singular tweaks)

1.  twist
something quickly: to take hold of something
between the finger and thumb and twist it sharply

2.  adjust
something slightly: to make a slight adjustment
or change in something, especially in order to improve it or fix it (informal)
• tweaked
the engine to refine its performance
noun
(plural tweaks)

1.  sharp
pinch:
a sharp pinch or twist

2.  slight
adjustment:
a slight adjustment or change in something, especially in order to improve it
or fix it
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of obsolete twick,
from Old English twiccian .]
—tweak·y, adjective[1]



twee

twee
twee 
[twee] adjective

U.K.
too
sweet or nice: dainty or pretty in an overdone and
affected way
[Early
20th century. Baby-talk alteration of sweet
.]
—twee·ly,
adverb

—twee·ness, noun[1]



tweed

tweed
tweed 
[tweed] noun (plural tweeds)

woolen
cloth:
a fairly rough, thick woolen fabric used for warm clothing and often made with
several different shades of wool to give it a distinctive flecked appearance
plural
noun
tweeds

clothes
made of tweed: a tweed suit, an outfit, or clothes made
of tweed
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of tweel, a Scottish variant of twill, under the influence of the name of the
river Tweed .]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Early
  accounts date the coinage of tweed to
  1831, and ascribe it to the London cloth merchant James Locke (although Locke
  himself in his book Tweed and Don ( 1860 ) does not make any such
  claim). The term was in general use by 1850, and it was registered as a
  trademark.

[1]



Tweed

Tweed
Tweed 
[tweed]

river of southern Scotland
and northeastern England, flowing into the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Its
lower course runs along the Scottish-English border. Length: 160 km/97 mi.[1]



Tweed,William Marcy

Tweed,William Marcy

Tweed 
[tweed], William Marcy (1823–1878)
U.S.
politician. His Tammany Society took control of New York City’s politics and
finances in the 1850s and 1860s.
Nickname
Boss Tweed[1]



tweedy

tweedy
tweed·y 
[twdee] (comparative tweed·i·er,
superlative tweed·i·est) adjective

1.  TEXTILES of
tweed:
made of tweed or resembling tweed in appearance or texture

2.  wearing
tweed:
habitually dressed in tweed

3.  casual
and informal: having an appearance or manner that is
casual and somewhat disordered, often associated with academics or people who
are fond of the outdoors
—tweed·i·ness, noun[1]



tweet

tweet

tweet 
[tweet] noun (plural tweets)
sound
made by bird: a light high-pitched note, especially
one sung by a small bird
intransitive
verb
(past tweet·ed, past participle tweet·ed, present
participle tweet·ing, 3rd person present singular tweets)
make
sound of small bird: to make the light
high-pitched sound of a small bird
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



tweeter

tweeter
tweet·er 
[twtər] (plural tweet·ers) noun

high-frequency speaker:
a loudspeaker used to reproduce high-frequency sounds, for example, in a hi-fi
system.
See also
woofer[1]



tweeze

tweeze
tweeze 
[tweez] (past tweezed, past
participle tweezed, present participle tweez·ing, 3rd
person present singular tweez·es) transitive verb

use
tweezers on something: to pull out or manipulate
something using tweezers
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from tweezers .][1]



tweezers

tweezers
tweez·ers 
[twzərz] or tweezer [twzər] plural noun

small
plucking or holding instrument: a metal tool
consisting of two narrow slightly curved arms joined at one end, typically used
for extracting or holding small objects
[Mid-17th century. Alteration
of obsolete tweeze “tweezer case,” from French étuis, plural of étui
(see étui ).][1]



twelfth

twelfth
twelfth 
[twelfth] (plural twelfths) noun

one
of 12 parts of something: one of twelve equal parts of
something
[Old
English twelfta . Ultimately from the prehistoric Germanic base of
English twelve .]
—twelfth, adjective,
adverb[1]



TwelfthDay

TwelfthDay
Twelfth
Day 
noun

See
Epiphany[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








TwelfthNight

TwelfthNight
Twelfth
Night
noun

CALENDAR
January 5:
January 5, the day before Epiphany in the Christian calendar, or the evening of
that day. It was formerly a time of special celebration at the end of the
Christmas season.[1]



twelve

twelve
twelve 
[twelv] (plural twelves) noun

1.  number
12:
the number 12

2.  something
with value of 12: something in a numbered series with a
value of twelve

3.  group
of twelve:
a group of twelve objects or people
[Old
English twelf . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning
literally “two left,” that is “two left beyond ten.”]
—twelve, adjective,
pronoun[1]



TwelveApostles

TwelveApostles
Twelve
A·pos·tles
or the Twelve noun

Jesus Christ’s followers:
eleven of the twelve followers originally chosen by Jesus Christ, according to
the Bible, together with Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas[1]



twelve-milelimit

twelve-milelimit
twelve-mile
lim·it
noun

offshore boundary:
an offshore boundary 12 miles from a country’s coast, claimed by some countries
as marking the territorial limit of their jurisdiction in order to safeguard
fishing rights and limit the approach of foreign vessels.
See also
three-mile limit[1]



twelvemo

twelvemo
twelve·mo 
[twélv m] (plural twelve·mos)
noun

See
duodecimo
[Early 18th century. Spelling
of the abbreviation 12mo .][1]



twelvemonth

twelvemonth
twelve·month 
[twélv mùnth] noun

year:
a year (archaic)
[Old English twelf monaþ][1]



twelvepennynail

twelvepennynail
twelve·pen·ny
nail 
[twélv pènni nàyl] (plural twelve·pen·ny
nails) noun

type
of nail:
a nail that is 8.25 cm3 1/4 in. long
[From the original cost of
the nails per hundred][1]



twelve-stepprogram

twelve-stepprogram
twelve-step
pro·gram
(plural twelve-step pro·grams) noun

addiction recovery program:
a program for recovery from addiction, based on the methods of Alcoholics
Anonymous and involving gradual self-improvement techniques[1]



TwelveTables

TwelveTables
Twelve
Ta·bles
noun

code of Roman law:
the earliest code of Roman law on civil, criminal, and religious matters,
dating back to 451–450 BC[1]



twelve-tone

twelve-tone
twelve-tone 
adjective

MUSIC
using serial music techniques:
relating to or using compositional techniques based on strict sequences of
notes selected from the 12 notes of the chromatic scale[1]



twelve-tonerow

twelve-tonerow
twelve-tone
row
noun

MUSIC
See tone row[1]



twentieth

twentieth
twen·ti·eth 
[twéntee əth] (plural twen·ti·eths)
noun

one
of 20 parts of something: one of twenty equal parts of
something
[Old
English twentigoþa]
—twentieth, adjective,
adverb[1]



twenty

twenty
twen·ty 
[twéntee] noun (plural twen·ties)

1.  number
20:
the number 20

2.  group
of 20:
a group of twenty objects or people

3.  MONEY $20
bill:
a bill worth twenty dollars
plural
noun
twenties

1.  numbers
20 to 29:
the numbers 20 to 29, particularly as a range of temperature • in
the low twenties

2.  years
1920 to 1929: the years 1920 to 1929 • in
the late twenties

3.  period
from age 20 to 29: the period of somebody’s
life from the age of 20 to 29 • when I
was in my twenties
[Old
English twēntig, ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic compound meaning
literally “twice ten”]
—twen·ti·eth, adjective,
pronoun[1]



twenty-first

twenty-first
twen·ty-first
noun

21st birthday:
somebody’s 21st birthday[1]



twenty-one

twenty-one
twen·ty-one 
noun

See
blackjack[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








twentyquestions

twentyquestions
twen·ty
ques·tions
noun

guessing game:
a game in which one player imagines an object and others try to guess what it
is by asking questions that can be answered only with “yes” or “no”[1]



twenty-twenty

twenty-twenty
twen·ty-twen·ty
or 20/20 adjective

relating
to normal vision: used to describe normal vision or
eyesight
[From the figures denoting
normal eyesight at a distance of 20 feet][1]



twerp

twerp
twerp 
[twurp] (plural twerps) or
twirp [twurp] (plural twirps)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is seen as silly or
insignificant (slang insult)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Twi

Twi
Twi 
[twee] (plural Twi or Twis)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Ghanaian people: a member of a people who
live in southern Ghana

2.  LANGUAGE Twi
language:
the language of the Twi people, belonging to the Kwa group of Niger-Congo
languages, and now generally recognized as a dialect of Akan
[Late
19th century. From Kwa .]
—Twi, adjective[1]



twibill

twibill
twi·bill 
[tw bìl, twb’l]
(plural twi·bills) noun

double-edged
weapon:
a double-edged battle-ax, formerly used as a weapon
[Old English twibil .
Formed from twi- “two” (ultimately) + bill “bladed weapon.”][1]



twice

twice
twice 
[twīss] adverb

1.  two
times:
on two occasions, or in two instances

2.  double:
double in amount or degree
[Old English twige .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English twilight, twine,
bis, and di-
.][1]



twice-laid

twice-laid
twice-laid 
adjective

made of recycled rope:
used to describe ropes or cables that are made from previously used rope[1]



twice-told

twice-told
twice-told 
adjective

well-known:
familiar or hackneyed through frequent repetition “Life is as tedious as a
twice-told tale” William Shakespeare King John 1623[1]



twiddle

twiddle
twid·dle 
[twídd’l] intransitive and transitive
verb (past twid·dled, past participle twid·dled,
present participle twid·dling, 3rd person present singular
twid·dles)

1.  turn
something back and forth: to turn something around or
back and forth repeatedly • twiddling
the dial on the radio to get better reception

2.  twist
or turn something absent-mindedly: to keep twisting
something or turning it around in a bored or absent-minded way • sitting
at a desk twiddling his pencil and staring out of the window
noun
(plural twid·dles)

twisting action:
a to-and-fro turning or twisting action
[Mid-16th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a blend of twist
and fiddle .]
—twid·dler,
noun

—twid·dly, adjective[1]



twig

twig1
twig1 [twig]
(plural twigs) noun

1.  small
branch:
a small branch or shoot, especially one from a tree or shrub

2.  structure
resembling a branch: a structure that resembles a
branch, for example, a minute offshoot of a nerve or blood vessel
[Old English twigge,
literally “forked branch.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



twig

twig2
twig2 [twig]
(past twigged, past participle twigged, present
participle twig·ging, 3rd person present singular twigs)
intransitive and transitive verb

U.K.
realize:
to understand or realize something (informal) • finally
twigged what was going on
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Irish Gaelic tuigim “I understand.”][1]



twiggy

twiggy
twig·gy 
[twíggee] (comparative twig·gi·er,
superlative twig·gi·est) adjective

1.  thin:
very thin or fragile • twiggy
legs

2.  covered
in twigs:
covered in twigs rather than branches or leaves • a
twiggy shrub

[1]



twilight

twilight
twi·light 
[tw lt] noun

1.  time
after sunset: the time of day just after sunset or
before dawn, when the Sun is below the horizon

2.  half-light:
the faint diffuse light that occurs at twilight. It is caused by the light from
the Sun being refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere.

3.  final
period:
the time when something is declining or approaching its end, especially in a
gentle or peaceful way • the
twilight of the empire
[15th century. Formed from twi-
“two, half” (from Old English ; ultimately) + light
.][1]



Twilightof the Gods

Twilightof the Gods
Twi·light
of the Gods
noun

See
Götterdämmerung See Ragnarök
[Translation of German Götterdämmerung][1]



twilightzone

twilightzone
twi·light
zone
noun

1.  uncertain
state:
an ambiguous or unsettled state or condition, especially between two opposing
conditions

2.  OCEANOGRAPHY lowest
part of the sea with light: the lowest layer of the sea
that natural light can reach





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Twilight Zone, a television series ( 1959-1965 ) created by U.S. writer Rod
  Serling. These dramatized fictional tales were the first adult television
  programs to present paranormal events in a serious and believable way. Staple
  topics included time travel, accidental journeys, premonitions, and
  encounters with the dead and with aliens. The series inspired a movie Twilight
  Zone –The Movie ( 1983 ), and was revived sporadically from 1985-1987,
  and run in syndication 1987-1988. The expression twilight zone has
  long had the meaning “the lowest layer of the sea’s photic zone.” The show,
  however, popularized another preexisting meaning, “an ambiguous area, or gray
  area, between two opposing conditions, such as life and death, good and evil,
  or real and unreal.”

[1]



twilit

twilit
twi·lit
[tw lìt] adjective

lit
by twilight: lit by twilight or a similar kind of
half-light, especially when this creates a feeling of mystery
[Mid-19th century. Past
participle of twilight, used as a verb.][1]



twill

twill
twill 
[twil] noun (plural twills)

1.  strong
fabric:
a strong woven material with diagonal ridges or ribs across its surface

2.  textile
weave:
the weave used to produce twill
transitive
verb
(past twilled, past participle twilled, present participle
twill·ing, 3rd person present singular twills)

weave twill: to
weave fabric with diagonal ridges or ribs across its surface
[14th century. From a
northern English dialect variant of Old English twilic, literally
“having two threads.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



twin

twin
twin 
[twin] noun (plural twins)

1.  either
of two offspring born together: either of two people
or animals born to the same mother at the same time. Fraternal twins arise from
different egg cells and are equivalent to ordinary siblings, while identical
twins are derived from the same egg cell and are genetically identical. (often
used before a noun) • twin
boys

2.  one
of two similar things: somebody or something
similar or identical to another, or unusually closely associated with another

3.  CHEMISTRY compound
crystal:
a compound crystal consisting of two mirror-image crystals that share a common
plane
verb
(past twinned, past participle twinned, present
participle twin·ning, 3rd person present singular twins)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pair
people or things: to group people or things in pairs, or
to link them very closely

2.  intransitive
verb
have
twins:
to give birth to twins
[Old English twinn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “two by two” that is also the
ancestor of English binary .][1]



twinbed

twinbed
twin
bed
(plural twin beds) noun

matching single bed:
either of a pair of matching single beds[1]



twinberry

twinberry
twin·ber·ry 
[twín bèrree] (plural twin·ber·ries)
noun

1.  See
partridgeberry

2.  N
American shrub with purple flowers: a
North American shrub of the honeysuckle family with purple flowers. Latin name:
Lonicera involucrata

[1]



twinbill

twinbill
twin
bill
(plural twin bills) noun

1.  SPORTS See double-header

2.  CINEMA See double feature

[1]



TwinCities

TwinCities
Twin
Cit·ies
plural noun

Minneapolis and St. Paul:
the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.[1]



twine

twine
twine 
[twīn] noun (plural twines)

1.  string:
string or cord made from threads or strands that have been twisted together

2.  something
made by twisting: something that is formed by twisting or
coiling separate strands together

3.  twisting
action:
a twisting or weaving action
verb
(past twined, past participle twined, present
participle twin·ing, 3rd person present singular twines)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb twist
around something: to grow, wind, or twist around or
together, or make something grow, wind, or twist around something else • the
ivy twining around the old oak tree

2.  intransitive
verb
have
winding course: to take or follow a winding route • From
the cabin door a path twines through the woods.

3.  transitive
verb
weave
something:
to make something by weaving or twisting separate strands together
[Old
English twīn “double thread.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of English twice
and twist .]
—twin·er, noun[1]



TwinFalls

TwinFalls
Twin
Falls 
[twín fawlz]

city in southern Idaho, on
the southern bank of the Snake River, northeast of Boise. Population: 31,989
(1996)[1]



twinflower

twinflower
twin·flow·er 
[twín flòwr] (plural twin·flow·ers)
noun

N American honeysuckle:
a creeping semi-woody North American plant of the honeysuckle family with
opposite oval leaves and pairs of pinkish-white bell-shaped flowers. Latin
name: Linnaea borealis[1]



twinge

twinge
twinge 
[twinj] noun (plural twing·es)

1.  brief
pain:
a sudden brief stab of pain

2.  brief
uncomfortable emotion: a brief uncomfortable pang
of an emotion such as guilt or fear
intransitive
and transitive verb (past twinged,
past participle twinged, present participle twinge·ing
or twing·ing, 3rd person present singular twing·es)

feel a twinge:
to feel a twinge, or make somebody feel a twinge, either physical or emotional
[Old English twengan
“to pinch.” Ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.][1]



twinightdouble-header

twinightdouble-header
twi·night
dou·ble-head·er [tw nt
dúbb’l hèddər] (plural twi·night dou·ble-head·ers) noun

two
baseball games: two consecutive baseball games between
the same teams, the first beginning in late afternoon and the last ending after
dark
[Blend of twilight and night][1]



twinkle

twinkle
twin·kle 
[twíngk’l] intransitive verb (past
twin·kled, past participle twin·kled, present
participle twin·kling, 3rd person present singular twin·kles)

1.  shine
with flicker: to give out or reflect a bright but
unsteady light, especially from a small or distant source

2.  shine
with amusement: to be bright because of a feeling such
as amusement, delight, or mischief (refers to people’s eyes)
noun

1.  flickering
shine:
a bright unsteady light, especially one that is small or seen from a distance

2.  brightness
in somebody’s eyes: a brightness in somebody’s
eyes, caused by a feeling such as amusement, delight, or mischief

3.  See
twinkling
[Old
English twinclian, literally “to keep blinking,” from twincan “to
blink,” ultimately from prehistoric Germanic]
—twin·kler,
noun

—twink·ly, adjective[1]



twinkling

twinkling
twin·kling 
[twíngkling] noun

moment:
an instant of time.
Also
called
twinkle
adjective

flickering:
giving out or reflecting light brightly but unsteadily, especially from a small
or distant source
in
the twinkling of an eye

very quickly or very soon[1]



twin-lensreflex

twin-lensreflex
twin-lens
re·flex
(plural twin-lens re·flex·es) noun

camera with two lenses:
a camera that has two forward-facing lenses, one for focusing through and one
for taking pictures[1]



twinned

twinned
twinned 
[twind] adjective

1.  existing
as matching pair: linked together as or like a couple

2.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY symmetrical:
used to describe a compound crystal consisting of two mirror-image crystals
that share a common plane

[1]



Twins

Twins
Twins 
[twinz] noun

Gemini:
the constellation or zodiac sign Gemini[1]



twin-screw

twin-screw
twin-screw 
adjective

fitted with two propellers:
used to describe a ship that has two propellers[1]



twinset

twinset
twin
set
(plural twin sets) noun

pullover and cardigan:
a woman’s matching short-sleeved pullover and cardigan designed to be worn
together[1]



twin-size

twin-size
twin-size 
or twin-sized adjective

of single-bed size:
made to the size of a standard single bed, usually 99 x 190 cm39 x 75 in[1]



twirl

twirl
twirl 
[twurl] verb (past twirled,
past participle twirled, present participle twirl·ing,
3rd person present singular twirls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spin
around quickly: to turn lightly and rapidly around in a
circle, or spin something so that it turns rapidly around and around • twirled
his partner around the dance floor

2.  transitive
verb
turn
something around: to fiddle with something by turning or
spinning it between the fingers

3.  intransitive
verb
turn
and face other way: to turn around suddenly to
face somebody or face the other way • She
twirled around, her eyes blazing.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb pitch
a baseball:
in baseball, to pitch the ball
noun
(plural twirls)

1.  quick
spinning movement: a quick turning or spinning
movement, for example, when somebody is dancing or modeling clothes

2.  spiral:
a twisting or spiral shape, pattern, or line, especially something used for
decoration
[Late
16th century. Origin uncertain: probably influenced by whirl .]
—twir·ly,
adjective

—twirl·er, noun[1]



twirp

twirp
twirp 
(plural twirps) noun

See
twerp[1]



twist

twist
twist 
[twist] verb (past twist·ed,
past participle twist·ed, present participle twist·ing,
3rd person present singular twists)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
ends turn in opposite directions: to make one part or
end of something turn in the opposite direction from the other, or to turn in
this way • I
twisted my handkerchief into a knot.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb distort
something:
to distort the shape or position of something, or become distorted • His
face was twisted in a grimace of disgust.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb wind
something:
to wind something, make something wind, or wind things together • twisted
the strands of fiber into a rope

4.  transitive
verb
injure
part of body: to injure part of the body by turning or
moving it out of position • I’ve
twisted my ankle.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb rotate
something:
to rotate, or turn something so that it rotates • The
lid just twists and comes off.

6.  transitive
verb
distort
meaning:
to distort the meaning of something • keeps
twisting what I’m saying to make it sound as if I agree

7.  intransitive
verb
constantly
change direction: to change direction constantly instead
of continuing in a direct or straight line

8.  intransitive
verb
squirm:
to squirm or wriggle • a
child twisting restlessly in her chair

9.  intransitive
verb
dance:
to dance the twist
noun
(plural twists)

1.  twisting
movement:
the action or movement performed when somebody twists something • a
twist of the screw

2.  something
shaped by being twisted: something that has been
shaped, split, or gathered together by being twisted • a
twist of paper

3.  unexpected
development: an unexpected development in a narrative
or a sequence of events • The
story had a strange twist.

4.  bend:
a bend in something such as a road or river • a
road full of twists and turns

5.  DANCE 1960s
dance:
a popular 1960s dance that involved twisting the hips

6.  BEVERAGES slice
of lemon:
a thin slice of lemon, lime, or some other peel that is cut and twisted and
added to a drink

7.  FOOD bread
or roll:
a roll or loaf of bread made by twisting pieces of dough

8.  painful
wrench:
a painful wrench or pull in a wrist, ankle, or some other body part

9.  length
of yarn or thread: a length of yarn or thread
whose strands have been twisted together

10. PHYSICS force:
a force that causes stress or strain by twisting

11. SPORTS spin
given to ball: spin imparted to a hit, thrown, or
pitched ball

12. SPORTS rotation
of the body: a complete turn of the body around a
vertical axis, for example, in gymnastics or diving

13. distortion:
a contortion or distortion in the shape of something

14. quirk
of character: an eccentricity or strange personal
characteristic

15. cigar
or tobacco:
a cigar made from three cigars twisted together, or chewing tobacco twisted
into a roll
[Mid-16th
century. From Old English, “something split in two, twisted yarn.” Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English twine and twice
.]
—twist·a·bil·i·ty
[twìstə bíllətee], noun

—twist·a·ble
[twístəb’l], adjective

—twistingly
[twístinglee], adverb

—twisty
[twístee], adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Oliver
  Twist, a novel ( 1837-1839 ) by the English writer Charles Dickens. It tells
  the tale of an abandoned child who runs away from his workhouse home to
  London, where he falls in with a band of criminals led by Fagin and his young
  assistant, a streetwise pickpocket called the Artful Dodger. The novel
  inspired a musical, Oliver! ( 1960 ) and several movies, most notably
  David Lean’s 1948 adaptation.

[1]



twistdrill

twistdrill
twist
drill
(plural twist drills) noun

grooved drill bit:
a drill bit with one or more helical grooves along its axis to expel cuttings
or swarf[1]



twisted

twisted
twist·ed
[twístəd] adjective

corrupt:
morally unacceptable • What
kind of twisted mind could think up a thing like that?[1]



twister

twister
twist·er 
[twístər] (plural twist·ers) noun

1.  tornado:
a tornado, cyclone, or whirlwind (informal)

2.  somebody
or something that twists: a person or device that
twists

3.  SPORTS ball
with twist:
a ball that has been thrown or hit with a twist

[1]



twistgrip

twistgrip
twist
grip
(plural twist grips) noun

handlebar control:
a control mounted in one of the handlebar grips of a motorcycle or bicycle,
allowing the rider to change gear or accelerate by twisting the grip[1]



twist-tie

twist-tie
twist-tie
(plural twist-ties) noun

wire fastener:
a piece of wire sealed in a paper or plastic strip, used as a fastener,
especially for a plastic bag[1]



twit

twit
twit 
[twit] (past twit·ted, past
participle twit·ted, present participle twit·ting, 3rd
person present singular twits, plural twits) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who is seen as unthinking or silly (slang
insult)
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of Old English ætwītan “to find fault,” from æt-
at + wītan “to reproach,” ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word.]
—twit·ter, noun[1]



twitch

twitch
twitch 
[twich] verb (past twitched,
past participle twitched, present participle twitch·ing,
3rd person present singular twitch·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
jerk
slightly:
to move with a slight jerk, either once or repeatedly • His
eyebrow twitches when he’s nervous.

2.  transitive
verb
pull
something lightly and quickly: to give something a
sudden light tug or jerk

3.  intransitive
verb
hurt
sharply:
to hurt with a sharp or sudden pain
noun
(plural twitch·es)

1.  jerky
movement:
a very quick jerky movement

2.  PHYSIOLOGY muscle
contraction: a brief, rapid contraction of a muscle.
See
also
tic

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE horse
restraint:
a restraint used on a horse during a veterinary procedure, consisting of a cord
loop that can be pulled tight around the animal’s upper lip
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from Low German .][1]



twitchgrass

twitchgrass
twitch
grass
(plural twitch grass·es) noun

See
couch grass
[Alteration of quitch
(grass)][1]



twitchy

twitchy
twitch·y 
[twíchee] (comparative twitch·i·er,
superlative twitch·i·est) adjective

1.  nervous:
nervous and jittery

2.  twitching:
twitching frequently

[1]



twitter

twitter

twit·ter 
[twíttər] verb (past twit·tered,
past participle twit·tered, present participle twit·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular twit·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
chirp:
to sing in a succession of light high-pitched chirping sounds (refers to
birds)

2.  intransitive
verb
chatter:
to chatter or giggle in an overexcited or nervous way

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
small high voice: to sing or say something in a light
shaky high-pitched voice

4.  intransitive
verb
tremble:
to quiver or move about nervously and quickly
noun (plural
twit·ters)

1.  repetitive
high-pitched song: a continuous light string of
high sounds made by a small bird or other small animal

2.  excitement:
a state of great agitation or excitement • all
of a twitter
[14th
century. Originally an imitation of birds chirping.]
—twit·ter·er,
noun

—twit·ter·y, adjective[1]



twizzle

twizzle
twiz·zle 
[twízz’l] transitive verb (past
twiz·zled, past participle twiz·zled, present
participle twiz·zling, 3rd person present singular twiz·zles)

twirl
something:
to twirl or twist something vigorously
noun

twirling
movement:
a vigorous twirl or twist
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of twist
or twirl .][1]



two

two
two 
[too] (plural twos) noun

1.  number
2:
the number 2

2.  something
with value of 2: something in a numbered series, for
example, a playing card, with a value of 2 • the
two of clubs

3.  group
of two:
a group of two objects or people • arrived
in twos and threes
[Old
English twā . Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “two” that is
also the ancestor of English dual, dyad, and binary
.]
—two,
adjective, pronoun
it
takes two to tango

used
to indicate that both of the people involved in an awkward or unpleasant
situation, not just one, are responsible or to blame

put
two and two together

to
work something out from the available evidence

that
makes two of us

used to indicate agreement
with something expressed, or acknowledgment of something shared[1]



two-bagger

two-bagger
two-bag·ger 
(plural two-bag·gers) noun

BASEBALL
two-base hit:
a two-base hit (slang)[1]



two-basehit

two-basehit
two-base
hit 
(plural two-base hits) noun

BASEBALL
hit getting batter to second base:
a hit that enables a batter to reach second base.
Also called
double[1]



two-bit

two-bit
two-bit 
adjective

1.  cheap:
of very low quality or importance (informal)

2.  25-cent:
costing or worth 25 cents (archaic)

[1]



two-by-four

two-by-four
two-by-four 
(plural two-by-fours) or 2 x 4 (plural 2
x 4s) noun

1.  timber:
wood in lengths that are 10 cm wide and 5 cm thick/4 in. wide and 2 in. thick.
It is the standard material for buildings of wood-frame construction.

2.  length
of wood:
a length of two-by-four

[1]



twocents worth

twocents worth
two
cents worth
noun

opinion:
an opinion, when expressed assertively as one of many • just
had to add her two cents worth[1]



two-cycle

two-cycle
two-cy·cle
adjective

having two piston movements
per cycle: used to describe an
internal-combustion engine in which the piston makes two movements, usually one
upward and one downward, in each power cycle.
U.K. term
two-stroke[1]



two-dimensional

two-dimensional
two-di·men·sion·al 
adjective

1.  MATHEMATICS having
two dimensions: used to describe a figure that has
length and width but no depth, for example a geometric figure on a single plane

2.  ARTS done
on a flat surface: used to describe works of
art such as paintings and drawings that exist on a flat surface, as opposed to
art forms such as sculpture that also have depth

3.  having
no depth of character: lacking the emotional or
psychological depth that creates the impression of realism • a
two-dimensional character
—two-di·men·sion·al·i·ty,
noun

—two-di·men·sion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



two-edged

two-edged
two-edged 
adjective

1.  cutting
two ways:
having two sharp edges for cutting in opposite directions

2.  working
two ways:
having two effects, one positive and one negative, especially two possible and
opposite interpretations or meanings

[1]



two-faced

two-faced
two-faced 
adjective

1.  hypocritical:
insincere in dealings with people, especially by being outwardly friendly but
secretly disloyal

2.  having
two faces:
having two faces or surfaces
—two-fac·ed·ly,
adverb

—two-fac·ed·ness, noun[1]



twofer

twofer
two·fer 
[tfər] (plural two·fers) noun

discount
entitlement: an offer of two items for the price of
one, or a coupon giving entitlement to such a discount (informal)
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of two for (one) .][1]



two-fisted

two-fisted
two-fist·ed 
adjective

vigorous:
characterized by energy, enthusiasm, assertiveness, or aggression[1]



twofold

twofold
two·fold
[t fld] adjective

1.  having
two elements: consisting of two parts or elements

2.  double:
twice as much or as many
adverb

doubly: by
the same amount over again

[1]



two-fourtime

two-fourtime
two-four
time
noun

musical rhythm:
a rhythm with two quarter-note beats to the measure[1]



two-handed

two-handed
two-hand·ed 
adjective

1.  using
two hands:
using, or requiring the use of, two hands

2.  designed
for two:
designed for two people, especially for two players or operators

3.  ambidextrous:
able to use either the left or right hand with equal skill
—two-hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—two-hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



two-hander

two-hander
two-hand·er
(plural two-hand·ers) noun

1.  tennis
stroke:
a shot in tennis, usually a backhand, made with two hands gripping the handle
of the racket

2.  somebody
who hits two-handers: somebody who uses a
two-handed backhand in tennis

[1]



two-master

two-master
two-mast·er 
(plural two-mast·ers) noun

ship with two masts:
a sailing ship with two masts[1]



two-namepaper

two-namepaper
two-name
pa·per
(plural two-name pa·pers) noun

financial document:
a commercial debt whose two signatories are jointly and individually
responsible for it[1]



two-pack

two-pack
two-pack
(plural two-packs) noun

set of two sold as one:
a set of two identical products packaged together and sold as one[1]



twopence

twopence
two·pence
[túppəns] (plural two·penc·es)
or tup·pence [túppəns] (plural
tup·penc·es) noun

U.K.
sum of two pence:
the value of two pence, especially two pennies in the predecimal British
monetary system[1]



twopenny

twopenny
two·pen·ny 
[túppənee, t
pènnee] or tup·pen·ny [túppənee]
adjective

1.  two-cent:
costing or worth two cents

2.  cheap:
cheap and of the poorest quality

3.  being
one inch long: used to describe a nail that is one inch
long

[1]



two-phase

two-phase
two-phase 
adjective

with two alternating
voltages: used to describe an
electrical system in which there are two alternating voltages of the same
frequency, with a phase difference of 90º between them[1]



two-piece

two-piece
two-piece 
adjective

being
in two parts: consisting of two parts or pieces,
especially pieces of clothing
noun
(plural two-piec·es)

CLOTHES
suit in two parts:
a suit consisting of two garments such as a bikini[1]



two-ply

two-ply
two-ply 
adjective

having two thicknesses:
consisting of two layers or strands[1]



two-potscreamer

two-potscreamer
two-pot
scream·er
(plural two-pot scream·ers) noun

Australia
somebody
quickly intoxicated: somebody who becomes drunk
very easily (informal)
[Late 20th century. Pot in
the Australian sense of “glass of beer,” from the idea of having an extreme
reaction to a small amount of alcohol.][1]



two-seater

two-seater
two-seat·er 
(plural two-seat·ers) noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE vehicle
with two seats: a vehicle with seats for two people,
especially a sports car

2.  FURNITURE seat
for two:
a seat for two people, especially a couch

[1]



two-shot

two-shot
two-shot
(plural two-shots) noun

shot with two people:
a movie or television shot in which two people more or less fill the screen[1]



two-sided

two-sided
two-sid·ed
adjective

1.  having
two surfaces: having two sides or surfaces

2.  using
two sides:
using both sides of a page

3.  having
two contesting sides: consisting of two contesting
sides, for example, two groups opposing each other, or two equally valid
opinions

[1]



twosome

twosome
two·some 
[tssəm] (plural two·somes) noun

1.  pair:
a pair of people, especially two golfers paired to play together, a couple on a
date together, or a team consisting of two players

2.  GOLF See single  noun 5

[1]



two-spot

two-spot
two-spot 
(plural two-spots) noun

1.  game
piece:
a game piece such as a playing card or a domino with two marks on it

2.  MONEY two-dollar
bill:
a two-dollar bill (informal)

[1]



two-step

two-step
two-step 
noun (plural two-steps)

1.  DANCE ballroom
dance:
a ballroom dance in two-four time with sliding steps

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
a piece of music written for the two-step
intransitive
verb
(past two-stepped, past participle two-stepped, present
participle two-step·ping, 3rd person present singular two-steps)

DANCE dance
two-step:
to dance the two-step

[1]



two-stroke

two-stroke
two-stroke
adjective

U.K.
See two-cycle[1]



two-suiter

two-suiter
two-suit·er
(plural two-suit·ers) noun

1.  suitcase:
a suitcase designed to hold two suits and their accessories

2.  bridge
hand:
a hand at bridge with two suits of five or more cards

[1]



two-tailedpasha

two-tailedpasha
two-tailed
pa·sha
(plural two-tailed pa·shas) noun

European butterfly:
a southern European butterfly that has brownish wings with an orange border.
Latin name: Charaxes jasius[1]



two-tier

two-tier
two-tier
adjective

having two levels:
having two levels, especially two levels of administration or two standards of
treatment or privilege[1]



two-time

two-time
two-time 
(past two-timed, past participle two-timed, present
participle two-tim·ing, 3rd person present singular two-times)
transitive verb (informal)

1.  be
unfaithful to somebody: to be unfaithful to a
romantic partner or sexual

2.  double-cross
somebody:
to deceive or betray a partner in an undertaking
—two-tim·er,
noun

—two-tim·ing, adjective[1]



two-toedsloth

two-toedsloth
two-toed
sloth 
(plural two-toed sloths) noun

sloth with two digits on
forefoot: a mainly nocturnal Central
and South American sloth with two digits on either forefoot. Latin name: Choloepus
didactylus
Also called
unau[1]



two-tone

two-tone
two-tone 
adjective

having two colors:
consisting of two colors or two shades of the same color • two-tone
shoes[1]



two-up

two-up
two-up
noun

Australia
coin-tossing game:
an Australian gambling game in which bets are placed on how two tossed coins
will land[1]



two-way

two-way
two-way 
adjective

1.  moving
in both directions: moving in opposite
directions or allowing for movement in opposite directions

2.  SPORTS involving
two contestants: involving two people or teams • a
two-way race

3.  RADIO able
to transmit and receive: able both to transmit and
receive radio signals • two-way
radio

4.  reciprocal:
requiring cooperation between two people or groups

5.  BRIDGE ambiguous
as bid:
used to describe a bid at bridge that may have different meanings, to be
clarified by later bids

[1]



two-waymirror

two-waymirror
two-way
mir·ror
(plural two-way mir·rors) noun

U.K.
See one-way mirror[1]



two-wheeler

two-wheeler
two-wheel·er 
(plural two-wheel·ers) noun

two-wheeled vehicle:
a vehicle with two wheels, especially a bicycle[1]



twp.

twp.
twp.


Abbreviation of
township[1]



TWX

TWX
TWX

Abbreviation of
teletypewriter exchange[1]



TX

TX
TX

Abbreviation of
Texas[1]



Tycho

Tycho
Ty·cho
[t kō] noun

Moon crater:
a crater on the south of the Moon that is the center of the Moon’s most
extensive ray system. It is 84 km/52 mi in diameter, 4500 m/14,750 ft high, and
is surrounded by terraced walls.[1]



tycoon

tycoon
ty·coon 
[tī kn] (plural ty·coons) noun

1.  somebody
powerful:
somebody who has amassed great wealth and power, especially in business

2.  shogun:
a shogun (archaic)
[Mid-19th century. From
Japanese taikun “great lord, shogun,” from Chinese dà “great” + jūn
“prince.”][1]



tyiyn

tyiyn
ty·iyn
[teè yeén] (plural ty·iyn or
ty·iyns) noun

1.  subunit
of Kyrgyz currency: a subunit of currency in
Kyrgyzstan, 100 of which are worth one som

2.  coin
worth one tyiyn: a coin worth one tyiyn

[1]



tyke

tyke
tyke
[tīk] (plural tykes) or
tike [tīk] noun

1.  naughty
child:
a little child, especially one who is naughty or mischievous

2.  mongrel:
a dog of mixed breed
[14th century. From Old Norse
tík “bitch.”][1]



tylectomy

tylectomy
ty·lec·to·my 
[tī léktəmee] (plural ty·lec·to·mies)
noun

See
lumpectomy
[Late 20th century. Coined
from Greek tulos “lump” + -ectomy .][1]



Tylenol

Tylenol
Ty·le·nol 
[tlə nàwl] Trademark

a trademark for the
painkiller acetaminophen[1]



Tyler,Anne

Tyler,Anne
Ty·ler
[tlər], Anne (1941– )

U.S. writer. Her novels
include Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant ( 1982 ) and The Accidental
Tourist ( 1985 ).[1]



Tyler,John

Tyler,John

Ty·ler
[tlər], John (1790–1862)
U.S. statesman and 10th president of the
United States. He was William Henry Harrison’s vice president, and set a
controversial historical precedent by assuming the presidency after Harrison’s
death. As president (1841–1845), his greatest achievement was the annexation of
Texas (1844).[1]



Tyler,Wat

Tyler,Wat
Ty·ler
[tlər], Wat

English revolutionary leader.
The leader of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, he secured concessions from Richard
II but was killed during negotiations.[1]



tymbal

tymbal
tym·bal 
noun

See
timbal[1]



tympan

tympan
tym·pan 
[tímpən] (plural tym·pans) noun

1.  PRINTING part
of printing press: a padding device that fits
between the impression cylinder of a printing press and the paper to be printed
so as to ensure a uniform image

2.  ARCHITECTURE See tympanum  noun 1

3.  ACOUSTICS vibrating
membrane:
a membrane or diaphragm that vibrates to produce or transmit sound, for
example, as the skin on a drum or the diaphragm in a telephone receiver.
Also
called
tympanum
[Pre-12th century. From Latin
tympanum “drum” (see tympanum ).][1]



tympani

tympani
tym·pa·ni


See
timpani[1]



tympanic

tympanic
tym·pan·ic 
[tim pánnik] adjective

of a tympanum:
relating to a tympanum[1]



tympanicbone

tympanicbone
tym·pan·ic
bone
(plural tym·pan·ic bones) noun

skull bone:
the part of the temporal bone that supports and partly surrounds the auditory
canal[1]



tympanicmembrane

tympanicmembrane
tym·pan·ic
mem·brane
(plural tym·pan·ic mem·branes) noun

eardrum:
the eardrum (technical)[1]



tympanites

tympanites
tym·pa·ni·tes 
[tìmpə nteez] noun

abdominal
distension:
swelling of the abdominal wall caused by gas trapped in the intestines or
peritoneal cavity.
Also
called
tympany
[14th
century. Via late Latin from Greek tumpanitēs, from tumpanon
“drum” (see tympanum ).]
—tym·pa·nit·ic [tìmpə níttik], adjective[1]



tympanitis

tympanitis
tym·pa·ni·tis 
[tìmpə ntiss] noun

ear
ailment:
inflammation of the eardrum
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from tympanum .][1]



tympanoplasty

tympanoplasty
tym·pa·no·plas·ty 
[tímpənə plàstee] (plural tym·pa·no·plas·ties)
noun

eardrum
surgery:
the surgical repair or reconstruction of the eardrum, usually in order to close
a perforation
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from tympanum .][1]



tympanum

tympanum
tym·pa·num 
[tímpənəm] (plural tym·pa·nums
or tym·pa·na [tímpənə]) noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE recessed
space:
a recess, especially the recessed space between the top of a door or window and
the arch above it, or between the cornices forming a classical triangular gable
( pediment ).
Also
called
tympan

2.  ANATOMY ear
part:
the eardrum or the cavity of the middle ear (technical)

3.  INSECTS insect
organ:
a vibrating membrane in some insects that serves as a hearing organ

4.  See
tympan  noun 3
[Early 16th century. Via
Latin from Greek tumpanon “drum.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
denoting “something struck” that is also the ancestor of English type .][1]



tympany

tympany
tym·pa·ny 
[tímpənee] noun

See
tympanites
[Early 16th century. From
Greek tumpanias, from tumpanon (see tympanum
).][1]



Tyndalleffect

Tyndalleffect
Tyn·dall
ef·fect
[tínd’l i fèkt] noun

scattering
of light:
the scattering of light by minute particles in its path, such as dust in the
air
[Early 20th century. Named
for John Tyndall (1820–1893), a British physicist who described the
phenomenon.][1]



tyndallimetry

tyndallimetry
tyn·dal·lim·e·try
[tìnd’l ímməttree] noun

particle
measurement: the measurement of the concentration of
particles suspended in a liquid by gauging the amount of light scattered by
them
[Formed from Tyndall effect][1]



typ.

typ.
typ.

1.  Abbreviation
of
typographer

2.  Abbreviation
of
typographical

3.  Abbreviation
of
typography

[1]



typal

typal
typ·al 
[tp’l] adjective

of type:
relating to a type or types[1]



type

type
type 
[tīp] noun (plural types)

1.  kind
or sort:
a category of things or people whose members share some qualities

2.  person
or thing:
somebody or something regarded as belonging to a group or category by virtue of
having the main qualities associated with it • the
kerosene type of burner

3.  kind
of person:
a person regarded as having the stated characteristics or temperament (informal)
• a
gathering of bookish types

4.  somebody
who appeals: somebody with the qualities that appeal
to somebody else • He’s really not my
type.

5.  template:
something used as a pattern or template for making other things of the same
kind

6.  PRINTING printing
block:
a small metal block with, on one of its sides, a raised figure that is the
mirror image of a number or letter, used with others for printing

7.  PRINTING set of
printing blocks: printing blocks collectively

8.  PRINTING printed
letters:
printed words, letters, or symbols on a page

9.  BIOLOGY representative
genus or species: a genus or species of plant or animal
whose characteristics best represent the next higher category of taxonomic
classification

10. BIOLOGY representative
organism:
a plant or animal that represents its genus by having the main qualities that
define it

11. LINGUISTICS linguistic
unit:
a letter, word, or other linguistic unit regarded as representing all units
that are forms of it, as distinct from an individual form ( token )

12. PHILOSOPHY general
expression:
an expression regarded not as a physical object but as an abstract pattern that
individual expressions can conform to

13. CHRISTIANITY sign
of something to come: an event, figure, or sign
taken as foreshadowing something in the future
verb
(past typed, past participle typed, present
participle typ·ing, 3rd person present singular types)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb key
words on keyboard: to key words using a
computer keyboard, word processor, or typewriter

2.  transitive
verb
classify
something:
to classify something, especially blood, according to its type

3.  transitive
verb
typecast
somebody:
to characterize somebody as being a person who plays a particular kind of role

4.  transitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY foreshadow
something:
to foreshadow a future event or fact
[15th
century. Via Latin from Greek tupos “blow, impression.” Ultimately from
an Indo-European base meaning “to strike.” The sense “form, kind” evolved from
“impression made by striking.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at kind.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  type, kind, sort,
  category, class, species,
  genre
  CORE
  MEANING: a
  group having a common quality or qualities type;
  a group of people or things with strongly marked and readily defined
  similarities; kind; a general word
  for a group of people or things that has been loosely defined according to
  their similarities; sort; a general
  word used in the same way as “kind”; category;
  a deliberately defined group, usually used to help sort or classify a larger
  group; class; used in the same way
  as “category”; species; used in the
  classification of living things to describe a specific group of animals,
  plants, insects, or other organisms; genre;
  a formal word for a particular type of painting, writing, dance, or other art
  form

[1]



typeA

typeA
type
A
(plural type As) noun

competitive personality:
a type of person who is anxious and hard-working, who has a strong drive to
succeed, who overworks, and finds it hard to delegate or share tasks with
colleagues[1]



typeB

typeB
type
B
(plural type Bs) noun

relaxed personality:
a personality type inclined toward patience and friendliness[1]



typebar

typebar
type·bar
[tp br] (plural type·bars) noun

typewriter lever:
a lever operated by a typewriter key. Each lever has one or more printing
blocks on the end that print characters on the paper.[1]



typecase

typecase
type·case
[tp kàyss] (plural type·cas·es)
noun

box for printer’s type:
a tray or box for storing printer’s type[1]



typecast

typecast
type·cast 
[tp kàst] (past type·cast, past
participle type·cast, present participle type·cast·ing,
3rd person present singular type·casts) transitive verb

1.  cast
somebody repeatedly in similar roles: to
give an actor a series of parts of the same type, to the extent that the
performer becomes associated with that kind of role and is overlooked for
others

2.  cast
actor suitably: to give an actor a part that suits his
or her physical or emotional type
—type·cast·er, noun[1]



typeface

typeface
type·face 
[tp fàyss] (plural type·fac·es)
noun

1.  style
of printed characters: a particular style of
printed character such as Helvetica or bold.
Also
called
type style

2.  printing
block surface: the side of a printing block that has
the shape of the printed character on it

[1]



typefounder

typefounder
type
foun·der
(plural type foun·ders) noun

maker
of printing type: a manufacturer of metal printing type
—type foun·dry, noun[1]



typegenus

typegenus
type
ge·nus
noun

typical genus:
the genus of a family or other higher taxonomic category that is most typical
of it and usually bears the same name[1]



type-high

type-high
type-high 
adjective

of standard height:
as high as the standard height of a block of printer’s type, 23.3 mm0.9186 in[1]



typeI error

typeI error
type
I er·ror
(plural type I er·rors) noun

rejection of valid null
hypothesis: in statistics, the error of
rejection of a null hypothesis when it is true[1]



typeII error

typeII error
type
II er·ror
(plural type II er·rors) noun

acceptance of false null
hypothesis: in statistics, the failure
to reject a false null hypothesis[1]



typelocality

typelocality
type
lo·cal·i·ty
noun

place that rock is named
after: a place where a rock
formation or other geological feature was first found and described, and after
which it is named[1]



typemetal

typemetal
type
met·al
noun

metal used for printing type:
the alloy from which printing type is made, consisting mostly of lead,
antimony, and tin[1]



typescript

typescript
type·script 
[tp skrìpt] (plural type·scripts)
noun

typed
document:
a typewritten document or other text
[Late 19th century. Formed
from type + manuscript
.][1]



typeset

typeset
type·set 
[tp sèt] (past type·set, past
participle type·set, present participle type·set·ting,
3rd person present singular type·sets) transitive verb

prepare text for printing:
to prepare text for printing, either by the use of computers or by arranging
blocks of type manually[1]



typesetter

typesetter
type·set·ter
[tp sèttər] (plural type·set·ters)
noun

1.  printer:
somebody who prepares text for printing

2.  typesetting
machine:
a mechanical or electronic device that prepares text for printing

[1]



type-site

type-site
type-site 
(plural type-sites) noun

typical archaeological site:
an archaeological site that is thought to typify a culture and that gives the
culture its name[1]



typespecies

typespecies
type
spe·cies
noun

typical species:
a species of plant or animal that is most typical of its genus and bears the
same name or a related name[1]



typespecimen

typespecimen
type
spec·i·men
(plural type spec·i·mens) noun

archetypal organism:
an individual plant or animal that serves as the basis for the description of
its species. Its name is usually taken as the name of the species.
Also called
holotype[1]



typewrite

typewrite
type·write 
[tp rt] (past type·wrote [tp rt], past participle type·writ·ten
[tp rìtt’n], present participle type·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular type·writes) intransitive and
transitive verb

to
type:
to type (dated)
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from typewriter .][1]



typewriter

typewriter
type·writ·er 
[tp rtər] (plural type·writ·ers)
noun

1.  writing
machine:
an electrical or mechanical device for printing words on individual sheets of
paper

2.  typeface:
a printing typeface that looks like characters produced by a typewriter

[1]



typewriting

typewriting
type·writ·ing 
[tp rting] noun

1.  use
of a typewriter: the process or skill of writing on a
typewriter

2.  output
of typewriter: the output of text produced on a
typewriter

[1]



typhlitis

typhlitis
typh·li·tis 
[ti fltiss] noun

intestinal
inflammation: inflammation of the entrance to the
large intestine ( cecum )
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Greek tuphlon “cecum,” from tuphlos
“sightless.”]
—typh·lit·ic [ti flíttik], adjective[1]



typhlology

typhlology
typh·lol·o·gy 
[ti flólləjee] noun

study
of sightlessness: the scientific study of sightlessness
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek tuphlos “blind.”][1]



Typhoeus

Typhoeus
Ty·pho·eus
[tī f əss] noun

mythological
monster:
in Greek mythology, a monster with a hundred dragon heads who fought with Zeus
and was thrown down into the ground under Mount Etna
—Ty·phoe·an, adjective[1]



typhoid

typhoid
ty·phoid 
[t fòyd] noun

infectious
disease of digestive system: a serious and sometimes
fatal bacterial infection of the digestive system, caused by ingesting food or
water contaminated with the bacillus Salmonella typhi. It causes fever,
severe abdominal pain, and sometimes intestinal bleeding.
Also
called
typhoid fever
adjective

of
typhoid or typhus: relating to typhoid or
typhus
—ty·phoi·dal [tī fóyd’l], adjective[1]



typhoidfever

typhoidfever
ty·phoid
fe·ver
noun

See
typhoid[1]



TyphoidMary

TyphoidMary
Ty·phoid
Mar·y 
[t fòyd mèrree] (plural Ty·phoid
Mar·ys) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who spreads a disease or is held to
be responsible for spreading it (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who spreads something undesirable
such as pessimism or bad news, and is generally avoided (informal)
[Early 20th century. Nickname
of Mary Mallon (died 1938), an Irish-born cook in the U.S. who was found
to be a typhoid carrier.][1]



typhoon

typhoon
ty·phoon 
[tī fn] (plural ty·phoons) noun

tropical
storm:
a violent tropical storm in the western Pacific and Indian oceans.
See
also
hurricane
[Late
16th century. Partly from Chinese (Cantonese) toi fung, literally “big
wind,” and partly via Portuguese tufão, Urdu ūfān, and Arabic
from Greek tuphōn .]
—ty·phon·ic [tī fónnik], adjective[1]



typhus

typhus
ty·phus 
[tfəss] or ty·phus fe·ver [tfəss] noun

infectious
fever:
an infectious disease that causes fever, severe headaches, a rash, and often
delirium. It is spread by ticks and fleas carried by rodents.
[Late
18th century. From Greek tuphos “smoke, stupor,” from tuphein “to
smoke.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of
English fume, dizzy, and deaf
.]
—ty·phous, adjective[1]



typical

typical
typ·i·cal 
[típpik’l] adjective

1.  representative:
having all or most of the characteristics shared by others of a type and
therefore suitable as an example of the type

2.  conforming
to expectation: conforming to what is expected

3.  usual:
like what is usual

4.  BIOLOGY resembling
others in taxonomic group: used to describe an
organism, species, or genus that has most of the characteristics that identify
the larger taxonomic group to which it belongs
[Early
17th century. Via French from, ultimately, Greek tupikos, from tupos
(see type ).]
—typ·i·cal·i·ty
[tìppi kállətee], noun

—typ·i·cal·ness, noun[1]



typically

typically
typ·i·cal·ly
[típpikəlee] adverb

1.  in
the usual way: with all or many of the usual or
expected characteristics

2.  in
most cases:
in most cases or on most occasions

3.  predictably:
as is to be expected • not
her typically cheerful self today

[1]



typify

typify
typ·i·fy 
[típpə f] (past typ·i·fied, past
participle typ·i·fied, present participle typ·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular typ·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  be
typical of something: to have all or most of the
characteristics of others of a type and therefore be a suitable example of the
type

2.  epitomize
something:
to be a typical representation of something
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin typus (see type
).]
—typ·i·fi·ca·tion
[tìppəfi káysh’n], noun

—typ·i·fi·er [típpə fr], noun[1]



typist

typist
typ·ist 
[tpist] (plural typ·ists) noun

typewriter or keyboard
operator: somebody who uses a
typewriter, especially somebody whose job is producing documents using a
typewriter or word processor[1]



typo.

typo.
typo.
or typog.

1.  Abbreviation
of
typographer

2.  Abbreviation
of
typographical

3.  Abbreviation
of
typography

[1]



typo

typo
ty·po 
[tpō] (plural ty·pos) noun

error
in typing or printing: a typographical error (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



typographer

typographer
ty·pog·ra·pher 
[tī póggrəfər] (plural ty·pog·ra·phers)
noun

somebody who prepares text
for printing: a person or business
engaged in preparing text for printing[1]



typographical

typographical
ty·po·graph·i·cal
[tpə gráffik’l] or ty·po·graph·ic
[tpə gráffik] adjective

1.  of
text preparation: relating to the activity of preparing
texts for printing

2.  of
printed characters: relating to the appearance
of printed characters on the page

[1]



typographicalerror

typographicalerror
ty·po·graph·i·cal
er·ror
(plural ty·po·graph·i·cal er·rors) noun

printing error:
a printing error such as a misspelled word, that results from striking the
wrong key or keys on a keyboard[1]



typography

typography
ty·pog·ra·phy 
[tī póggrəfee] noun

1.  preparation
of texts:
the activity or business of preparing texts for printing

2.  look
of printed matter: the appearance of printed
characters on the page
[Early 17th century. Via
French from modern Latin typographia, from Greek tupos (see type ) + -graphia (see -graphy ).][1]



typology

typology
ty·pol·o·gy 
[tī pólləjee] noun

1.  classification
of types:
the study or systematic classification of types

2.  LINGUISTICS language
study:
the study of syntactic and morphological similarities in languages without
regard to their history

3.  CHRISTIANITY study
of religious texts: the study of religious texts
for the purpose of identifying episodes in them that appear to prophesy later
events
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Greek typos (see type
) + -logy .]
—ty·po·log·ic
[tpə lójjik], adjective

—ty·po·log·i·cal
[tpə lójjik’l], adjective

—ty·po·log·i·cal·ly
[tpə lójjikəlee], adverb

—ty·pol·o·gist [tī pólləjist], noun[1]



typw.

typw.
typw.

1.  Abbreviation
of
typewriter

2.  Abbreviation
of
typewritten

[1]



tyramine

tyramine
ty·ra·mine 
[trə mn] noun

phenolic
amine:
an amine found in cheese, rotting meat, and mistletoe that results from the
breakdown of the amino acid tyrosine, and has the effect of simulating
sympathetic nervous system action. C8H11NO
[Early 20th century. Blend of
tyrosine and amine
.][1]



tyrannical

tyrannical
ty·ran·ni·cal 
[ti ránnik’l] or ty·ran·nic [ti ránnik] adjective

1.  POLITICS ruling
unjustly:
ruling with absolute power over a population cruelly kept submissive and
fearful

2.  authoritarian:
cruelly or irrationally insisting on complete obedience and giving harsh
punishment to those who disobey
[Mid-16th
century. Via French tyrannique from, ultimately, Greek turannikos,
from turannos (see tyrant ).]
—ty·ran·ni·cal·ly,
adverb

—ty·ran·ni·cal·ness, noun[1]



tyrannicide

tyrannicide
ty·ran·ni·cide
[ti ránni sd] (plural ty·ran·ni·cides)
noun

1.  assassination
of tyrant:
the killing of a tyrant

2.  assassin
of tyrant:
the killer of a tyrant
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin tyrannicidium “tyrant-killing” and Latin tyrannicida
“tyrant-killer,” both from tyrannus (see tyrant
) + caedere “to kill” (see -cide ).]
—ty·ran·ni·cid·al [ti rànni sd’l], adjective[1]



tyrannize

tyrannize
tyr·an·nize 
[tírrə nz] (past tyr·an·nized,
past participle tyr·an·nized, present participle tyr·an·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular tyr·an·niz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  POLITICS govern
cruelly:
to govern with extreme cruelty and harshness

2.  treat
harshly:
to treat somebody in a cruelly unfair way
[15th
century. Via French tyranniser from Old French tyrant (see tyrant ).]
—tyr·an·niz·er, noun[1]



tyrannosaur

tyrannosaur

ty·ran·no·saur 
[ti ránnə sàwr] (plural ty·ran·no·saurs)
or ty·ran·no·saur·us [ti rànnə sáwrəss]
(plural ty·ran·no·saur·us·es) or ty·ran·no·saur·us rex
[ti rànnə sáwrəss] (plural tyran·nosaurus
rexes) noun
large
dinosaur:
a large fierce flesh-eating dinosaur that walked on powerful hind legs and had
small forelegs. It lived during the Cretaceous Period and was one of the
largest carnivores.
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Tyrannosaurus, genus name, from Greek turannos (see tyrant ) + sauros (see -saur ).][1]



tyrannous

tyrannous
tyr·an·nous 
[tírrənəss] adjective

1.  POLITICS ruling
cruelly:
ruling cruelly and with absolute power

2.  treating
others cruelly: cruelly demanding complete obedience and
punishing disobedience severely

[1]



tyranny

tyranny
tyr·an·ny 
[tírrənee] (plural tyr·an·nies)
noun

1.  cruel
use of power: cruelty and injustice in the exercising
of power or authority over others

2.  POLITICS oppressive
government:
oppressive government by one or more people who exercise absolute power cruelly
and unjustly

3.  POLITICS state
ruled by tyrant: a country or state under the power of an
oppressive ruler

4.  cruel
act:
an act of cruelty committed by somebody with great power
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Greek turannos (see tyrant
).][1]



tyrant

tyrant
ty·rant 
[trənt] (plural ty·rants) noun

1.  POLITICS absolute
ruler:
an absolute ruler who exercises power cruelly and unjustly

2.  authoritarian
person:
somebody who exercises authority unjustly and oppressively

3.  something
that oppresses: something that oppresses harshly or
cruelly

4.  HISTORY ancient
Greek ruler: in ancient Greece, a ruler who took
control of a state without legal sanction and governed with absolute power
[13th century. Via Old French
and Latin from Greek turannos, of uncertain origin; perhaps from
Phrygian or Lydian .][1]



tyrantflycatcher

tyrantflycatcher
ty·rant
fly·catch·er (plural ty·rant fly·catch·ers)
noun

BIRDS See flycatcher  noun 2
[Translation of modern Latin Tyrannidae,
family name][1]



tyre

tyre
tyre 
[tr] noun

U.K. =
tire[1]



Tyrian

Tyrian
Tyr·i·an
[tírree ən] (plural Tyr·i·ans)
adjective

of
Tyre:
relating to the ancient Mediterranean port of Tyre, or its people or culture
[Early 16th century. Coined
from Latin Tyrius, from Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city, + -an .][1]



Tyrianpurple

Tyrianpurple
Tyr·i·an
pur·ple 
noun

1.  deep
purple dye:
a deep purple dye extracted from mollusks

2.  COLORS rich
purple color: a deep rich purple color tinged with
crimson
adjective

COLORS rich
purple:
of a deep rich purple color tinged with crimson
[Named for the city of Tyre, where the dye was made][1]



tyro

tyro
ty·ro
[trō] (plural ty·ros) or
ti·ro [trō] (plural ti·ros)
noun

beginner:
somebody who is beginning to learn something
[Early
17th century. Via medieval Latin, “squire,” from Latin tiro “young
soldier, recruit,” of unknown origin.]
—ty·ron·ic
[tī rónnik], adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at beginner

[1]



tyrocidine

tyrocidine
ty·ro·ci·dine 
[trə sd’n, trə
s dn] or ty·ro·ci·din [trə
sd’n] noun

polypeptide:
an antibiotic polypeptide extracted from a soil bacillus that is the main
constituent of the antibiotic drug tyrothricin
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of tyrothricin + gramicidin + -ine
.][1]



Tyrol

Tyrol
Ty·rol
[tə rṓl, tī rṓl]

province
in western Austria, lying within the Alps. Capital: Innsbruck. Population:
660,000 (1996) Area: 12,648 sq km/4,883 sq mi.
—Ty·ro·le·an,
noun, adjective

—Tyr·o·lese, noun,
adjective[1]



Tyrolienne

Tyrolienne
Ty·ro·li·enne
[ti rlee én] (plural Ty·ro·li·ennes)
noun

1.  DANCE folk
dance:
a lively folk dance that originated in the Tyrol

2.  MUSIC dance
music:
a piece of music composed for a Tyrolienne, typically with yodeling
[Late 19th century. From
French tyrolienne, feminine of tyrolien “Tyrolean.”][1]



tyrosinase

tyrosinase
ty·ros·i·nase 
[tī róssə nàyss, tī
róssə nàyz] noun

enzyme
important in melanin production: a copper-containing
enzyme that is important in the production of the skin pigment melanin. The
absence of the enzyme results in albinism.
[Late 19th century. Formed
from tyrosine .][1]



tyrosine

tyrosine
ty·ro·sine 
[trə sn] noun

amino
acid:
an amino acid that is the precursor of epinephrine, thyroxine, and other
hormones and of melanin. C9H11NO3
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Greek turos “cheese” (source of English butter
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to swell” that is also the
ancestor of tumor and tuber .][1]



tyrothricin

tyrothricin
ty·ro·thri·cin 
[trə thrss’n] noun

antibiotic:
an antibiotic drug made from tyrocidine and gramicidin that is effective
against gram-positive bacteria in local infections
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Tyrothric-, the stem of Tyrothrix, former genus
name of a gram-positive bacterium, from Greek turos “cheese” + thrix
“hair.”][1]



TyrrhenianSea

TyrrhenianSea
Tyr·rhe·ni·an
Sea 
[ti rnee ən s]

arm of the Mediterranean Sea,
partially enclosed by the Italian Peninsula and the islands of Corsica,
Sardinia, and Sicily. Area: 155,000 sq km/60,000 sq mi.[1]



Tyson,Mike

Tyson,Mike
Ty·son
[tss’n], Mike (1966– )

U.S.
boxer. He is the youngest heavyweight fighter to win a world title (1986).
Real name
Tyson, Michael Gerald[1]



tzaddik

tzaddik
tzad·dik 
[tsdik] (plural tzad·di·kim [tsdi kim]) or tsad·dik [tsdik] (plural tsad·di·kim) or
zad·dik [tsdik] (plural zad·di·kim)
noun

1.  righteous
man:
in Judaism, a righteous man

2.  See
rebbe
[Late 19th century. From
Hebrew ṣaddīq “righteous.”][1]



tzar

tzar
tzar 
[zaar, tsaar]
noun

See
tsar[1]



tzetzefly

tzetzefly
tzet·ze
fly 
noun

See
tsetse fly[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








tzigane

tzigane
tzi·gane 
[tsee gn, see
gn] (plural tzi·ganes) noun

PEOPLES member
of Romany people: a member of a Romany people, especially
one from Hungary
[Mid-18th
century. Via French from Hungarian czigany .]
—tzi·gane, adjective[1]



tzimmes

tzimmes
tzim·mes 
[tsímməss] (plural tzim·mes) or
tsim·mes [tsímməss] (plural tsim·mes)
noun

1.  casserole:
a stew of meat, vegetables, and dried fruits, baked in a casserole

2.  confusion:
a confused, muddled, or agitated state (slang)
[Late 19th century. From
Yiddish tsimes, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Middle High German ze
“to, as” + imbiz “light meal.”][1]



tzitzith

tzitzith
tzi·tzith
[tsítsiss] or tzi·tzit [tsítsiss] or tzi·tzes [tsítsiss] or tsi·tses [tsítsiss] noun

fringes
on prayer shawl: the fringes on the corners of a Jewish
prayer shawl ( tallis ) to remind Jews of
God’s commandments (Num. 15:38) .
[Late 17th century. From
Hebrew ṣīṣt .][1]



tzuris

tzuris
tzu·ris
noun

See
tsuris[1]



tête-bêche

tête-bêche
tête-bêche
[tàyt bésh] adjective

with
one upside down: used to describe a pair of stamps, one
of which is printed right side up and the other upside-down
[From French, literally
“(sleeping) head to foot”][1]



tête-à-tête

tête-à-tête
tête-à-tête
[tàytə táyt] noun (plural tête-à-têtes)

1.  intimate
conversation for two: a private conversation
between two people

2.  type
of sofa:
a two-seater sofa shaped like an S, allowing those seated to face each other
adverb

intimately: in
private with only two people present
[From French, literally
“head-to-head”][1]



Tírna n-Óg

Tírna n-Óg
Tír
na n-Óg
[tr na nòg] noun

land
of eternal youth: in Irish legend, a land of eternal youth
[Late 19th century. From
Irish tír na n-óg “land of the young.”][1]



Tübingen

Tübingen
Tü·bing·en
[tbingən]

city in Baden-Württemberg
State, southwestern Germany. Population: 82,900 (1992)[1]



U

U2
U2 

1.  Symbol
for
potential difference

2.  CHEMICAL ELEMENTS Symbol
for uranium

3.  Symbol
for
kosher certification

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for internal energy

[1]



U

U1
U1  [yoo]
pronoun

you:
a written form of “you” (informal)
[Because the letter U and you
are pronounced the same][1]



u

u

u 
[yoo] (plural u’s) or U
[yoo] (plural U’s or Us)
noun

1.  21st
letter of English alphabet: the 21st letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  PHONETICS speech
sound corresponding to letter “U”: any of the speech
sounds that correspond to the letter “U”

3.  letter
“U” written: a written representation of the letter
“U”

4.        shape
like “U”: the shape of the letter “U”[1]



U

U3
U3 

1.  U
or U. Abbreviation of university

2.  EDUCATION Abbreviation of
unsatisfactory

3.  U
or U. Abbreviation of united

4.  (informal)
Abbreviation of you

[1]



U

U4
U4  [yoo]
noun

title
of respect:
a title of respect for a man used in Myanmar (Burma), equivalent to “Mr”
[Mid-20th century. From
Burmese .][1]



u.

u.
u.
or U.

1.  Abbreviation
of
upper

2.  Abbreviation
of
unit

3.  Abbreviation
of
uncle

[1]



U.A.E.

U.A.E.
U.A.E.

Abbreviation of
United Arab Emirates[1]



uakari

uakari
ua·ka·ri 
[waa kree] (plural ua·ka·ri) noun

short-tailed
monkey:
a South American short-tailed monkey that lives high in the forest canopy,
seldom coming down onto the ground. Genus: Cacajao
[Mid-19th century. From Tupi
.][1]



UAM

UAM
UAM
(plural UAMs)

Abbreviation of
underwater-to-air missile[1]



UART

UART
UART

COMPUTING
Abbreviation of universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter[1]



UAW

UAW
UAW
or U.A.W.

Abbreviation of
United Automobile Workers[1]



Ubangi

Ubangi
U·ban·gi 
[yoo báng gee]

river in central Africa. The
chief tributary of the Congo River, it is formed by the confluence of the Bomu
and Uele rivers. Length: 1,062 km/660 mi.[1]



Ubangi-Shari

Ubangi-Shari
U·ban·gi-Sha·ri
[yoo bàng gi shree]

Former name for
Central African Republic[1]



ubiety

ubiety
u·bi·e·ty 
[yoo b ətee] noun

location:
the condition of existing in a particular place (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin ubietas, from ubi “where” (source of English ubiquitous .][1]



ubiquinone

ubiquinone
u·bi·qui·none 
[ybi kwi nṓn, ybi
kí nn] noun

plant
chemical:
a derivative of the compound quinone that acts as an electron carrier in
reactions that occur in mitochondria during cellular respiration.
Also
called
coenzyme Q
[Mid-20th century. Blend of ubiquitous and quinone
.][1]



ubiquitarianism

ubiquitarianism
u·biq·ui·tar·i·an·ism 
[yoo bìkwi táiree ə nìzzəm] noun

omnipresence
of Jesus Christ: the Christian belief, held particularly
by the Lutheran Church, that Jesus Christ is present in all places and at all
times, not just in the Eucharist
—u·biq·ui·tar·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



ubiquitous

ubiquitous
u·biq·ui·tous 
[yoo bíkwitəss] adjective

existing
everywhere:
present everywhere at once, or seeming to be
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from modern Latin ubiquitas “presence everywhere,” from
Latin ubique “everywhere,” from ubi “where.”]
—u·biq·ui·tous·ly,
adverb

—u·biq·ui·tous·ness,
noun

—u·biq·ui·ty, noun[1]



U-boat

U-boat
U-boat 
(plural U-boats) noun

German
submarine:
a German submarine, especially one used during World Wars I and II
[Early 20th century. Partial
translation of German U-Boot, a shortening of Unterseeboot,
literally “undersea boat.”][1]



U-bolt

U-bolt
U-bolt 
(plural U-bolts) noun

U-shaped bolt:
a U-shaped bolt, threaded at the two ends[1]



ubuntu

ubuntu
u·bun·tu
[ bn too] noun

South
Africa
kindness:
humanity, compassion, and goodness, regarded as fundamental to the way Africans
approach life
[Late 20th century. From
Xhosa .][1]



u.c.

u.c.
u.c.

Abbreviation of
upper case[1]



Ucayali

Ucayali
U·ca·ya·li 
[ kaa ylee]

river in eastern Peru, formed
by the confluence of the Apurímac and Urubamba rivers. It is one of the
headwaters of the Amazon River. Length: 1,900 km/1,200 mi.[1]



UCC

UCC
UCC

Abbreviation of
Uniform Commercial Code[1]



UCLA

UCLA
UCLA

Abbreviation of
University of California at Los Angeles[1]



UCMJ

UCMJ
UCMJ

Abbreviation of
Uniform Code of Military Justice[1]



Udaipur

Udaipur
U·dai·pur 
[yoo dpoor, y
dīpoor]

city and administrative
headquarters of Udaipur District, Rajasthan State, northwestern India.
Population: 309,000 (1991)[1]



udder

udder
ud·der 
[úddər] (plural ud·ders) noun

mammary
of cow, sheep, or goat: a bag-shaped structure
containing two or more milk-secreting glands, each with its own teat, found in
mammals such as cows, sheep, and goats
[Old English ūder .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “udder,” which is also the
ancestor of English exuberant .][1]



Udmurt

Udmurt
Ud·murt
[d moort] (plural Ud·murts) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of central Russian people: a member of a people who
live mainly in Udmurtia in central Russia

2.  LANGUAGE Udmurt
language:
the language spoken by the Udmurt people. It belongs to the Finno-Ugric family
of languages and is spoken by about 500,000 people.
Also
called
Votyak noun 2

[1]



Udmurtia

Udmurtia
Ud·mur·ti·a
[d mrtee ə]

republic in eastern European
Russia between Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Area: 42,100 sq km/16,300 sq mi.[1]



udo

udo
u·do 
[ d] (plural u·dos) noun

Asian
vegetable:
a perennial Asian plant of the ginseng family whose tender shoots are cooked
and eaten as a vegetable. Latin name: Aralia cordata
[Late 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Ufa

Ufa
U·fa 
[oo f]

industrial city in
southeastern European Russia, situated at the confluence of the Ufa and Belaya
rivers, on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains. Population: 1,097,200
(1992)[1]



Uffizi

Uffizi
Uf·fi·zi
[yoo fítsee] noun

art
museum in Florence, Italy: a museum in Florence that
contains one of the world’s finest collections of Italian paintings. It is
located in 16th-century buildings first used to house the Medici family’s art
collection, the nucleus of the museum’s present holdings.
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “offices,” because it was built to house the administrative
center of the Florentine State, by order of Cosimo I Medici
.][1]



UFO

UFO
UFO 
(plural UFOs) noun

unidentified
flying object: a flying object that cannot be
identified and is thought by some to be an alien spacecraft
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from unidentified flying object .][1]



ufology

ufology
u·fol·o·gy 
[yoo fólləjee] noun

study of UFOs:
the study of UFOs, especially the investigation of recorded sightings of them[1]



Uganda

Uganda



U·gan·da 
[yoo gándə]
republic
in East Africa. It gained independence from Britain in 1962. Language: English.
Currency: Uganda shilling. Capital: Kampala. Population: 19,136,000 (1996)
Area: 236,036 sq km/91,134 sq mi. Official name Republic of Uganda
—U·gan·dan, noun,
adjective[1]



Uganda




Back to definition

Uganda

[1]



Ugaritic

Ugaritic
U·ga·rit·ic 
[gə ríttik] noun

LANGUAGE extinct
Semitic language: an ancient and extinct Semitic language
once spoken in the region that is now northern Syria. It is closely related to
Hebrew and Phoenician.
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from Ugarit, the name of an ancient city in northern
Syria.]
—U·ga·rit·ic, adjective[1]



ugh

ugh
ugh 
[ug, kh,
u] interjection

grunting
exclamation expressing disgust: used as the written
form of a grunting exclamation of disgust, strain, or horror
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of an involuntary utterance.][1]



ughboot

ughboot
ugh
boot
Trademark

Australia
a trademark for a sheepskin boot with a fleecy lining[1]



Ugli

Ugli
Ug·li 
[úgglee] Trademark

a trademark for a juicy West
Indian citrus fruit that is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine[1]



uglify

uglify
ug·li·fy 
[úggli f] (past ug·li·fied, past
participle ug·li·fied, present participle ug·li·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ug·li·fies) transitive verb

make
unattractive: to make somebody or something physically
unappealing
—ug·li·fi·ca·tion
[ùgglifi káysh’n], noun

—ug·li·fi·er [úggli fr], noun[1]



ugliness

ugliness
ug·li·ness
[úggleenəss] noun

unattractiveness:
the quality of being unattractive to look at[1]



ugly

ugly
ug·ly 
[úgglee] (comparative ug·li·er,
superlative ug·li·est) adjective

1.  unattractive:
lacking appealing physical features, especially facial ones

2.  angry:
characterized by anger or hostility • an
ugly mood

3.  potentially
violent:
threatening or involving violence • Things
were turning ugly.

4.  unpleasant:
generally unpleasant • a dull
ugly afternoon

5.  Southern
U.S.
ill-mannered:
discourteous or rude
[13th
century. From Old Norse uggligr “frightful,” from uggr “fear,” of
unknown origin.]
—ug·li·ly,
adverb

—ug·li·ness, noun[1]



uglyAmerican

uglyAmerican
ug·ly
A·mer·i·can
(plural ug·ly A·mer·i·cans) noun

stereotyped U.S citizen:
a person from the United States, especially one traveling abroad, who is
regarded as conforming to a stereotype that gives U.S. citizens a bad
reputation[1]



uglyduckling

uglyduckling
ug·ly
duck·ling
(plural ug·ly duck·lings) noun

1.  unattractive
person or thing: somebody or something regarded as
physically unappealing in comparison to others

2.  undervalued
person or thing: somebody or something whose true beauty
or value is yet to be revealed or appreciated
[From The Ugly Duckling,
a children’s story by Hans Christian Andersen in which a cygnet raised by a
duck is considered ugly until it grows into a beautiful swan][1]



Ugrian

Ugrian
U·gri·an 
[gree ən, ygree
ən] (plural U·gri·ans) noun

PEOPLES member
of Hungarian or Siberian people: a member of a group of
peoples, including the Magyars and Voguls, who live in Hungary and parts of
Siberia
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Russian Ugry “Hungarians,” of Turkic origin.]
—U·gri·an, adjective[1]



Ugric

Ugric
U·gric 
[grik, ygrik]
noun

LANGUAGE branch
of Finno-Ugric language group: one of the two
branches of the Finno-Ugric family of languages. It includes the Hungarian
language.
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Russian Ugry “Hungarians” (see Ugrian ).]
—U·gric, adjective[1]



uh

uh
uh 
[u] interjection

grunting
exclamation expressing surprise: used as the written
form of a grunting exclamation made to express surprise or request something to
be said again
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of an inarticulate sound.][1]



UHF

UHF
UHF
noun

frequency range:
any or all radio frequencies between 300 and 3000 megahertz, typically used for
television transmission. Full form ultrahigh
frequency[1]



uh-huh

uh-huh
uh-huh 
interjection

grunting
exclamation expressing agreement: used as the written
form of a grunting exclamation made to express agreement or to answer
affirmatively
[An imitation of an
inarticulate sound][1]



uh-oh

uh-oh
uh-oh
interjection

grunting
exclamation expressing apprehension: used
as the written form of a grunting exclamation made to express apprehension
[An imitation of an
articulate sound][1]



UHT

UHT
UHT
adjective

with long shelf-life:
sterilized and having a long shelf-life as a result of being heated to a very
high temperature. Full form ultra heat
treated[1]



uh-uh

uh-uh
uh-uh 
interjection

grunting
exclamation expressing disagreement: used
as the written form of a grunting exclamation made to express disagreement or
to answer in the negative
[An imitation of an
inarticulate sound][1]



uhuru

uhuru
u·hu·ru
[oo h r] noun

freedom
or independence: freedom or national independence,
especially for the people of East Africa
[Mid-20th century. From
Kiswahili .][1]



UI

UI
UI

1.  Abbreviation
of
unemployment insurance

2.  COMPUTING Abbreviation of
user interface

[1]



U-ie

U-ie
U-ie
(plural U-ies) noun

Australia,
U.K. U-turn:
a U-turn (informal)
[Late 20th century.
Shortening and alteration of U-turn .][1]



Uigur

Uigur
Ui·gur
[w gr] (plural Ui·gur or
Ui·gurs) or Ui·ghur [w gr]
(plural Ui·ghurs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Chinese people: a member of a people who
live in parts of western China, mainly in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in
the far northwest, where they are the dominant ethnic group

2.  LANGUAGE language
of Uigurs:
the language spoken by the Uigurs people, belonging to the Turkic branch of the
Altaic family of languages. Uigur is spoken by about 7 million people.
[Mid-18th
century. From Eastern Turkic .]
—Ui·gu·ri·an
[wee gree ən], adjective

—Ui·gu·ric [wee grik], adjective[1]



uilleannpipes

uilleannpipes
uil·leann
pipes 
[íllən pps] plural noun

Irish
bagpipes:
a type of Irish bagpipes played by squeezing the bellows under the arm
[Early 20th century. From
Irish píob uilleann “elbow pipe,” from uille “elbow,” from Old
Irish uilind .][1]



uintaite

uintaite
u·in·ta·ite 
[yoo íntə t] noun

bitumen:
a bitumen mined in the Uinta mountains in Utah, used in manufacturing[1]



U.K.

U.K.
U.K.
or U.K.

Abbreviation of
United Kingdom[1]



ukase

ukase
u·kase 
[yoo káyss, y
kàyss] (plural u·kas·es) noun

1.  tsar’s
order:
in prerevolutionary Russia, an order from the tsar that had the force of law

2.  ruling:
any order or ruling, especially one handed down by a self-styled expert or guru
[Early 18th century. From
Russian ukaz “edict,” from ukazat’ “to show.”][1]



uke

uke
uke 
[yook] (plural ukes) noun

ukulele:
a ukulele (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



ukelele

ukelele
u·ke·le·le
noun

See
ukulele[1]



ukiyo-e

ukiyo-e
u·ki·yo-e
[kee ō áy] or u·ki·yo-ye [kee ō yáy] noun

Japanese
movement in art: a movement in Japanese painting in which
scenes and objects from ordinary life were depicted. It flourished from the
17th to 19th centuries.
[Late 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “transitory-world picture.”][1]



Ukraine




Back to definition

Ukraine

[1]



Ukraine

Ukraine



U·kraine 
[yoo kráyn]
republic in eastern Europe, southwest of
Russia, with a coastline on the Black Sea. Language: Ukrainian. Currency:
hryvna. Capital: Kiev. Population: 51,639,000 (1995) Area: 603,700 sq
km/233,090 sq mi.[1]



Ukrainian

Ukrainian
U·krain·i·an 
[yoo kráynee ən] (plural U·krain·i·ans)
noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Ukraine: somebody who was born or raised in the
Ukraine, or who has Ukrainian citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Ukraine: the official language of the
Ukraine, also spoken by some people in Poland and the Czech Republic. It
belongs to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European family of languages.
Ukrainian is spoken by aboout 45 million people.
—U·krain·i·an, adjective[1]



ukulele

ukulele

u·ku·le·le 
[ykə láylee] (plural u·ku·le·les)
or u·ke·le·le [ykə láylee] (plural
u·ke·le·les) noun
stringed
instrument:
an instrument like a small guitar with four strings, associated especially with
Hawaiian music
[Late 19th century. From
Hawaiian ’ukulele, literally “jumping flea,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps from the Hawaiian nickname of Edward Purvis, a British army officer who
popularized the instrument.][1]



UL

UL
UL

(on electrical appliances)Abbreviation
of Underwriter’s Laboratories[1]



Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar
U·laan·baa·tar


See
Ulan Bator[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ulama

ulama
u·la·ma 
[lə m] or u·le·ma [lə m] plural noun

body
of Islamic scholars: a body of Islamic scholars
who have jurisdiction over legal and social matters for the people of Islam
[Late 17th century. Via
Turkish ’ulemā from Arabic `ulamā` “learned men.”][1]



UlanBator

UlanBator
U·lan
Ba·tor
[ laan b tàwr] or U·laan·baa·tar
[ laan b tàwr]

capital city of the Republic
of Mongolia, situated in the north central part of the country, on the Tuul
River. Population: 600,900 (1992)[1]



Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude
U·lan-U·de 
[ laan oo dáy]

port city in southern
Siberian Russia, located at the confluence of the Uda and Selenge rivers.
Population: 366,000 (1992)[1]



Ulbricht,Walter

Ulbricht,Walter
Ul·bricht
[l brikht], Walter (1893–1973)

German statesman. He was the
co-founder and secretary of the Socialist Unity Party (1950–1971) and president
of the German Democratic Republic (1960–1973).[1]



ulcer

ulcer
ul·cer 
[úlsər] (plural ul·cers) noun

1.  internal
sore:
a slow-healing sore on the surface of a mucous membrane, especially the
membrane lining the stomach or other part of the digestive tract

2.  external
sore:
a suppurating sore on the skin that does not heal and results in the
destruction of tissue

3.  bad
influence:
a corrupting or debilitating influence
[14th century. From Latin ulcer-,
the stem of ulcus “a sore.”][1]



ulcerate

ulcerate
ul·cer·ate 
[úlsə ràyt] (past ul·cer·at·ed,
past participle ul·cer·at·ed, present participle ul·cer·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ul·cer·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

develop
ulcer:
to cause or undergo the formation of an ulcer or ulcers
—ul·cer·a·tive, adjective[1]



ulceration

ulceration
ul·cer·a·tion 
[ùlsə ráysh’n] (plural ul·cer·a·tions)
noun

1.  forming
of ulcer:
the formation of an ulcer

2.  ulcer:
an ulcer or collection of ulcers

[1]



ulcerativecolitis

ulcerativecolitis
ul·cer·a·tive
co·li·tis
noun

ulcers in the bowel:
inflammation of the walls of the bowel accompanied by the formation of ulcers.
The condition can result in permanent bowel damage.[1]



ulcerativegingivitis

ulcerativegingivitis
ul·cer·a·tive
gin·gi·vi·tis noun

ulcers on gums:
painful inflammation of the gums accompanied by the formation of ulcers. The
condition is associated with bacterial infection and malnutrition.[1]



ulcerous

ulcerous
ul·cer·ous 
[úlsərəss] adjective

relating to ulcers:
affected with, causing, consisting of, or resembling ulcers[1]



-ule

-ule
-ule
suffix

small
one, miniature • lobule
[Via French from Latin -ulus][1]



ulema

ulema
u·le·ma 
plural noun

See
ulama[1]



-ulent

-ulent
-ulent
suffix

having
a great deal of something • flocculent
[From Latin -ulentus][1]



ullage

ullage
ul·lage 
[úllij] noun (formal)

1.  vacant
container space: the amount or volume by which a
container, especially one for liquids, is short of being full

2.  lost
liquid:
the amount of liquid lost from a container through evaporation or leakage
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman ulliage from Old French ouillier “to fill a barrel
to the bunghole,” from oeil “eye, bunghole,” from Latin oculus
“eye.”][1]



Ullswater

Ullswater
Ulls·wa·ter
[úlz wawtər]

the second largest lake in
England, in the Lake District, northwestern England. Area: 8 sq km/3 sq mi.[1]



ulmaceous

ulmaceous
ul·ma·ceous 
[ul máyshəss] adjective

relating
to elm family: belonging or relating to the family of
temperate and tropical deciduous trees that includes the elms
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from modern Latin Ulmaceae, family name, from Latin ulmus “elm.”][1]



ulna

ulna

ul·na 
[úlnə] (plural ul·nae [úlnee] or ul·nas) noun

1.  bone
of human forearm: the longer of the two bones in the human
forearm, situated on the inner side

2.  bone
of lower forelimb of animal: a bone in the lower forelimb
of vertebrate animals, roughly corresponding to the human ulna
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin, “elbow, forearm.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English elbow
.]
—ul·nar, adjective[1]



ulnarnerve

ulnarnerve
ul·nar
nerve
(plural ul·nar nerves) noun

nerve in forearm:
a major nerve of the arm that runs down the inner side of the upper arm and is
situated just under the skin at the elbow[1]



ulotrichous

ulotrichous
u·lot·ri·chous 
[yoo lóttrikəss] adjective

with
tightly-curled hair: with hair that is naturally
tightly curled, especially belonging to a group of people with this kind of
hair
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Greek oulos “crisp, curly” + trikh-, the stem of thrix
“hair.”][1]



Ulster

Ulster
Ul·ster 
[úlstər]

an informal name for Northern
Ireland[1]



ulster

ulster
ul·ster 
[úlstər] (plural ul·sters) noun

man’s
overcoat:
a man’s long heavy double-breasted overcoat
[Mid-19th century. Named for Ulster, where the original fabric (Irish frieze)
for the coats was manufactured.][1]



ult.

ult.
ult.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ultimate

2.  Abbreviation
of
ultimo

[1]



ulterior

ulterior
ul·te·ri·or 
[ul tree ər] adjective

1.  underlying:
existing in addition to or being other than what is apparent or assumed

2.  lying
outside:
lying beyond or outside a point or area

3.  happening
in the future: happening or expected in the future
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, “further,” formed from assumed ulter “beyond.”]
—ul·te·ri·or·ly, adverb[1]



ulteriormotive

ulteriormotive
ul·te·ri·or
mo·tive
(plural ul·te·ri·or mo·tives) noun

underlying motive:
a second and underlying motive, usually a selfish or dishonorable one[1]



ultima

ultima
ul·ti·ma 
[últimə] (plural ul·ti·mas) noun

last
syllable:
the final syllable of a word
[Early 20th century. From
Latin, a form of ultimus (see ultimate
).][1]



ultimata

ultimata
ul·ti·ma·ta


Plural of
ultimatum[1]



ultimate

ultimate
ul·ti·mate 
[últimət] adjective

1.  greatest:
greatest, most nearly perfect, or highest in quality (informal) • the
ultimate home entertainment system

2.  final:
coming or expected as the very last • our
ultimate destination

3.  fundamental:
existing as an underlying reality, when all other things are disregarded • the
ultimate truth

4.  farthest
away:
outermost or most remote
noun

greatest thing:
the greatest or most nearly perfect thing (informal) • seats
that were the ultimate in passenger comfort
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin ultimatus, past participle of ultimare
“to be at an end,” from Latin ultimus “last, final,” from assumed ulter
“beyond.”]
—ul·ti·ma·cy,
noun

—ul·ti·mate·ness, noun[1]



ultimately

ultimately
ul·ti·mate·ly 
[últimətlee] adverb

1.  eventually:
in the end, as the culmination of a process or event

2.  fundamentally:
most importantly, when all things are considered

[1]



ultimaThule

ultimaThule
ul·ti·ma
Thu·le 
[ùltimə thlee] (plural ul·ti·ma
Thu·les) noun (literary)

1.  remote
place:
a distant or very remote place

2.  final
goal:
an ultimate or distant goal
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, “farthest Thule,” the northernmost part of the inhabited world.][1]



ultimatum

ultimatum
ul·ti·ma·tum 
[ùlti máytəm] (plural ul·ti·ma·tums
or ul·ti·ma·ta [ùlti máytə]) noun

final
demand:
a demand accompanied by a threat to inflict some penalty if the demand is not
met
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, formed from Latin ultimatus (see ultimate
).][1]



ultimo

ultimo
ul·ti·mo 
[últimō] adjective

of
last month:
used, especially in the past, in formal correspondence to refer to the previous
month (formal) • your
letter of the 20th ultimo
[Late 16th century. From
Latin ultimo (mense) “in the last (month),” from ultimus (see ultimate ).][1]



ultimogeniture

ultimogeniture
ul·ti·mo·gen·i·ture
[ùltimō jéni chr, ùltimō
jénichər] noun

inheritance
by youngest: the principle of inheritance or
succession by the youngest son
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin ultimus “last,” on the model of primogeniture .][1]



ultra-

ultra-
ultra-
prefix

1.  more
than normal, excessively, completely • ultrasophisticated

2.  outside
the range of • ultrasound
[From Latin ultra,
“beyond.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “beyond,” which is also
the ancestor of English alter, other, alias,
and else .][1]



ultra

ultra
ul·tra 
[últrə] adjective

1.  extreme:
going beyond all else

2.  holding
extremist views: holding extremist views, especially in
religious or political matters

3.  excellent:
excellent or superior (slang)
noun
(plural ul·tras)

extremist:
somebody with extremist views, especially in religious or political matters
[Late 19th century. Via
French from Latin, “beyond” (see ultra- ).][1]



ultrabasic

ultrabasic
ul·tra·ba·sic 
[ùltrə báyssik] adjective

with
high iron content: used to describe igneous
rock that is high in iron and magnesium and contains no free quartz.
See
also
ultramafic
noun
(plural ul·tra·ba·sics)

ultrabasic rock:
a rock of ultrabasic composition.
See also
ultramafic[1]



ultracentrifuge

ultracentrifuge
ul·tra·cen·tri·fuge 
[ùltrə séntri fyj] noun (plural
ul·tra·cen·tri·fuges)

fast
centrifuge:
a centrifuge for separating microscopic or submicroscopic particles by using a
force many times greater than gravity
transitive
verb
(past ul·tra·cen·tri·fuged, past participle ul·tra·cen·tri·fuged,
present participle ul·tra·cen·tri·fug·ing, 3rd person present
singular ul·tra·cen·tri·fuges)

spin
fast:
to subject something to the action of an ultracentrifuge
—ul·tra·cen·trif·u·gal
[ùltrə sen tríffyəgəl], adjective

—ul·tra·cen·trif·u·gal·ly
[ùltrə sen tríffyəgəlee], adverb

—ul·tra·cen·trif·u·ga·tion
[ùltrə sentrifyə gaysh’n], noun[1]



ultraconservative

ultraconservative
ul·tra·con·ser·va·tive 
[ùltrəkən súrvətiv] adjective

extremely
conservative: extremely conservative in religious or
political views
noun
(plural ul·tra·con·ser·va·tives)

somebody ultraconservative:
somebody who holds ultraconservative views[1]



ultrafiche

ultrafiche
ul·tra·fiche 
[últrə fsh] (plural ul·tra·fich·es)
noun

1.  small
microfiche:
a sheet of microfilm of similar size to a microfiche but with a much greater
number of much smaller microcopied documents on it

2.  viewing
device:
a device for viewing ultrafiches that has much greater magnification than a
microfiche

[1]



ultrafilter

ultrafilter
ul·tra·fil·ter
[ùltrə fíltər] (plural ul·tra·fil·ters)
noun

filter
for very small particles: a filter for separating
extremely small particles from a solution or colloid
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from ultrafiltration .][1]



ultrafiltrate

ultrafiltrate
ul·tra·fil·trate
[ùltrə fíl tràyt] (plural ul·tra·fil·trates)
noun

material remaining after
ultrafiltration: the material that is
not filtered out and remains in the liquid phase after ultrafiltration[1]



ultrafiltration

ultrafiltration
ul·tra·fil·tra·tion 
[ùltrəfil tráysh’n] noun

filtering of very small
particles: a filtration process that
uses a porous membrane to isolate and remove particles such as bacteria and
viruses. The process is used for water purification and in the pharmaceutical
industry.[1]



ultraheat treated

ultraheat treated
ul·tra
heat treat·ed adjective

Full form of
UHT[1]



ultrahighfrequency

ultrahighfrequency
ul·tra·high
fre·quen·cy
noun

Full form of
UHF[1]



ultraism

ultraism
ul·tra·ism 
[últrə ìzzəm] (plural ul·tra·isms)
noun

extremism:
religious or political extremism
—ul·tra·ist,
noun

—ul·tra·is·tic [ùltrə ístik], adjective[1]



ultramafic

ultramafic
ul·tra·maf·ic 
[ùltrə máffik] adjective

with
high ferromagnesium content: used to describe a dark
igneous rock, over 90 percent of whose content consists of ferromagnesian
minerals, including olivine and pyroxenes.
See
also
ultrabasic
noun
(plural ul·tra·maf·ics)

ultramafic rock:
a rock of ultramafic composition.
See also
ultrabasic[1]



ultramarine

ultramarine
ul·tra·ma·rine 
[ùltrəmə rn] noun

1.  blue
pigment:
a deep blue pigment or dye, especially one made from the blue mineral lapis
lazuli

2.  COLORS deep
blue color:
a brilliant deep blue color
adjective

1.  COLORS of a
deep blue:
of a brilliant deep blue color

2.  beyond
the sea:
coming from or lying beyond the sea (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin ultramarinus, literally “beyond the sea.”][1]



ultramicrometer

ultramicrometer
ul·tra·mi·crom·e·ter 
[ùltrə mī krómmətər] (plural ul·tra·mi·crom·e·ters)
noun

micrometer for very minute
measurements: a measuring device
designed to measure spaces and thicknesses more minute than those measurable
using a standard micrometer[1]



ultramicroscope

ultramicroscope
ul·tra·mi·cro·scope 
[ùltrə mkrə skp] (plural ul·tra·mi·cro·scopes)
noun

microscope for viewing
submicroscopic objects: a
microscope that uses scattered light to make submicroscopic objects visible[1]



ultramicroscopic

ultramicroscopic
ul·tra·mi·cro·scop·ic 
[ùltrə mkrə skóppik] adjective

1.  See
submicroscopic

2.  using
an ultramicroscope: involving the use of an
ultramicroscope

[1]



ultramodern

ultramodern
ul·tra·mod·ern 
[ùltrə móddərn] adjective

extremely
modern:
more modern than anything comparable, especially in using the very latest
designs or making use of the most advanced technology
—ul·tra·mod·ern·ism,
noun

—ul·tra·mod·ern·ist, noun[1]



ultramontane

ultramontane
ul·tra·mon·tane 
[ùltrə món tàyn, ùltrə
mon táyn] adjective

1.  beyond
mountains:
coming from or lying beyond mountains, especially beyond the Alps as viewed
from ancient Rome

2.  CHRISTIANITY supporting
the pope:
supporting the power and authority of the pope within the Roman Catholic Church
noun
(plural ul·tra·mon·tanes)

1.  dweller
beyond mountains: somebody who lives beyond mountains,
especially beyond the Alps as viewed from ancient Rome

2.  CHRISTIANITY papal
supporter:
somebody who supports the power and authority of the pope in the Roman Catholic
Church
[Late 16th century. From
medieval Latin ultramontanus “beyond the mountains.”][1]



ultramontanism

ultramontanism
ul·tra·mon·ta·nism
[ùltrə mónt’n ìzzəm] noun

policy of supporting papal
authority: in the Roman Catholic
Church, the policy of investing all power and authority in the pope[1]



ultramundane

ultramundane
ul·tra·mun·dane 
[ùltrə mun dáyn] adjective (literary)

1.  extraterrestrial:
coming from or lying beyond the Earth or its solar system

2.  spiritual:
belonging or relating to heaven or to the realm of the spirit, and not to the
physical world
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
ultramundanus, literally “beyond the world,” from ultra “beyond”
+ mundus “world.”][1]



ultranationalism

ultranationalism
ul·tra·na·tion·al·ism 
[ùltrə náshən’l ìzzəm, ùltrə náshnə lìzzəm] noun

extreme
nationalism: nationalism that is so extreme as to be
detrimental to international interests or cooperation
—ul·tra·na·tion·al·ist,
noun

—ul·tra·na·tion·al·is·tic
[ùltrə nashən’l ístik, ùltrə nashnə lístik], adjective[1]



ultrared

ultrared
ul·tra·red
[ùltrə réd] noun adjective

infrared:
infrared (dated)[1]



ultrareligious

ultrareligious
ul·tra·re·lig·ious
[ùltrəri líjjəss] adjective

extremely religious:
showing great devotion to religious rites and rituals[1]



ultrashort

ultrashort
ul·tra·short 
[ùltrə sháwrt] adjective

1.  RADIO shorter
than 10 m:
used to describe wavelengths that are shorter than 10 m

2.  extremely
short:
extremely short in length or duration

[1]



ultrasonic

ultrasonic
ul·tra·son·ic 
[ùltrə sónnik] adjective

high
in frequency: used to describe sound waves that have
frequencies above the upper limit of the normal range of human hearing, which
is about 20 kilohertz
—ul·tra·son·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



ultrasonics

ultrasonics
ul·tra·son·ics 
[ùltrə sónniks] noun

science of high-frequency
sound: the study of sound waves
that have frequencies above the upper limit of the normal range of human
hearing, which is about 20 kilohertz (takes a singular verb)[1]



ultrasonictesting

ultrasonictesting
ul·tra·son·ic
test·ing
noun

testing using ultrasound:
the scanning of surfaces with high-frequency sound waves in order to gauge
their integrity and check for defects or to measure the thickness of materials[1]



ultrasonicwelding

ultrasonicwelding
ul·tra·son·ic
weld·ing
noun

bonding using ultrasound:
the bonding of two components by bombarding them with ultrasonic waves to cause
vibrations between them[1]



ultrasonogram

ultrasonogram
ul·tra·son·o·gram 
[ùltrə sṓnə gràm] (plural ul·tra·son·o·grams)
noun

diagnostic picture:
a picture made with ultrasound for the purpose of medical examination or
diagnosis[1]



ultrasound

ultrasound
ul·tra·sound 
[últrə sòwnd] (plural ul·tra·sounds)
noun

1.  ACOUSTICS high-frequency
sound:
sound of a frequency above the upper limit of the normal range of human
hearing, which is about 20 kilohertz

2.  MEDICINE sound-wave
technology for medical examinations: an
imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves reflecting off internal
body parts to create images, especially of the fetus in the womb, for medical
examination. Ultrasound vibrations can also be used to treat deep tissue disorders
in physiotherapy, and can break up kidney stones.

[1]



ultrastructure

ultrastructure
ul·tra·struc·ture 
[últrə strùkchər] noun

detailed
structure:
the minute structure of an organic substance or object that becomes evident
only under electron microscopy
—ul·tra·struc·tur·al, adjective[1]



Ultrasuede

Ultrasuede
Ul·tra·suede
[ùltrə swáyd] Trademark

a trademark for a synthetic
fabric that resembles suede[1]



ultraviolet

ultraviolet
ul·tra·vi·o·let 
[ùltrə v ələt] adjective

relating to invisible light:
relating to or producing electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths from about 5
to about 400 nanometers, beyond the violet end of the visible light spectrum
noun
(plural ul·tra·vi·o·lets)

1.  ultraviolet
lamp:
a lamp or bulb that emits ultraviolet radiation

2.  ultraviolet
radiation:
radiation with ultraviolet wavelengths. Radiation of this kind is a component
of sunlight and is the light that makes exposed skin become darker.

[1]



ultravires

ultravires
ul·tra
vi·res
[ùltrə vriz] adjective adverb

beyond
legal capacity: beyond the legal capacity of a person,
company, or other legal entity
[From Latin, “beyond the
powers”][1]



ultravirus

ultravirus
ul·tra·vi·rus 
[últrə vrəss] (plural ul·tra·vi·rus·es)
noun

very
small virus: a virus small enough to pass through an
ultrafilter
—ul·tra·vi·ral [ùltrə vrəl], adjective[1]



ulu

ulu
u·lu
[oo l] adjective

Malaysia,
Singapore undeveloped:
not economically or technologically advanced (informal)[1]



ululate

ululate
ul·u·late 
[úllyə làyt, ylyə]
(past ul·u·lat·ed, past participle ul·u·lat·ed, present
participle ul·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular ul·u·lates)
intransitive verb

howl:
to howl or wail, in grief or in jubilation (literary)
[Early
17th century. From Latin ululare, ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—ul·u·la·tion [ùllyə láysh’n, ylyə
láysh’n], noun[1]



Uluru

Uluru
Ul·u·ru
[lə r]

the largest individual rock
mass in the world, located in the south of the Northern Territory, Australia.
Height: 335 m/1,100 ft. Former name Ayers
Rock[1]



Ulyssean

Ulyssean
U·lys·se·an
[yoo líssee ən] adjective

1.  relating
to Ulysses:
relating to the mythological character Ulysses, called Odysseus by the Greeks

2.  like
Ulysses or his story: like Ulysses, especially in
being courageous or cunning, or like the life story of Ulysses, especially in
involving a long journey full of adventure

[1]



Ulysses

Ulysses
U·lys·ses 
[yoo lísseez] noun

Roman
name for Odysseus: the name used by the Romans
for the Greek hero Odysseus
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



um

um
um
[um] interjection

representing
hesitation in speech: a word used in writing to
represent the kind of grunting sound that people make when they hesitate in
speaking
[Early 17th century. An
imitation of an inarticulate sound.][1]



Umayyad

Umayyad
U·may·yad 
[oo m àd] or Om·mi·ad [oo m àd] or O·may·yad [oo m àd] noun

Islamic
dynasty:
the family that dominated the politics and commercial economy of Mecca and
later established a dynasty as rulers ( caliphs
) of Islam
[Mid-18th
century. From Umayya, the name of a cousin of Muhammad’s grandfather.]
—U·may·yad,
adjective

—Om·mi·ad,
adjective

—O·ma·yad, adjective[1]



umbel

umbel
um·bel 
[úmb’l] noun

umbrella-shaped
cluster of flowers: an umbrella-shaped flower
head in which the individual flowers are borne on short stems arising from the
top of a main stem. It is typical of plants such as parsley, carrot, dill, and
fennel.
[Late
16th century. Directly or via Old French umbelle, from Latin umbella
“parasol,” from umbra “shade.”]
—um·bel·lar
[um béllər], adjective

—um·bel·late
[úmbə làyt, um
béllət], adjective

—um·bel·lat·ed [úmbə làytəd], adjective[1]



umbelliferous

umbelliferous
um·bel·lif·er·ous 
[ùmbə líffərəss, ùmbə
líffrəss] adjective

with
umbels:
with flower heads shaped like an opened umbrella
[Mid-17th century. Coined
from Latin umbella “parasol” (see umbel
) + -ferous .][1]



umbellule

umbellule
um·bel·lule 
[úmb’l yl, um
bél yl] noun

flower
forming umbel: a small umbel that is part of, and has a
similar arrangement to, a larger umbel
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin umbellula “little umbel,” from Latin umbella (see umbel ).][1]



umber

umber
um·ber 
[úmbər] noun

1.  soil
used for pigments and dyes: a kind of soil that contains
oxides of iron and manganese and is used to make pigments and dyes. It is dark
yellowish-brown in its natural state raw umber, and dark reddish-brown when
roasted ( burnt umber ).

2.  pigment:
pigment or dye made from umber

3.  ZOOLOGY See umber moth
adjective

COLORS of
brown produced by umber pigment: of any of the shades
of brown that are produced by umber pigment
transitive
verb
(past um·bered, past participle um·bered, present
participle um·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular um·bers)

paint something with umber:
to paint or dye something with umber, or generally to color something dark
brown
[Mid-16th century. Via French
terre d’ombre or Italian terra di ombre, from Latin umbra
“shadow.”][1]



umbermoth

umbermoth
um·ber
moth
noun

dark brown moth:
a dark brown moth whose markings make it difficult to pick out when it is
resting on tree bark. Family: Geometridae
Also called
umber[1]



UmbertoI

UmbertoI
Um·ber·to
I 
[oom bértō], King of Italy (1844–1900)

Reigning from 1878, he sought
to consolidate Italy as a unified country.[1]



UmbertoII

UmbertoII
Um·ber·to
II
[oom bértō], King of Italy (1904–1983)

He abdicated in 1946, a month
after becoming king, when Italy became a republic as a result of a referendum.[1]



umbilical

umbilical
um·bil·i·cal 
[um bíllik’l] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of the
umbilical cord: relating to or situated in the umbilical
cord, the navel, or the area of the abdomen that surrounds the navel

2.  resembling
a navel:
resembling a navel ( umbilicus ) in
appearance

3.  providing
a lifeline:
providing a link to something essential, for example, supplies or services in
wartime, or connecting an astronaut to a spacecraft while outside of it
noun

See umbilical cord
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin umbilicus (see umbilicus
).][1]



umbilicalcord

umbilicalcord
um·bil·i·cal
cord
noun

1.  tube
connecting fetus to placenta: the flexible, often spirally
twisted tube that connects the abdomen of a fetus to the mother’s placenta in
the womb, and through which nutrients are delivered and waste expelled. It
contains two arteries, which carry oxygen-depleted blood to the placenta, and
one vein, which returns oxygen-rich blood to the fetus.
Also
called
umbilical

2.  cable
or pipe providing essential link: a cable, tube, or pipe
attaching somebody or something to an essential supply, for example, the tube
that connects a deep-sea diver to an oxygen supply on a ship

[1]



umbilicate

umbilicate
um·bil·i·cate 
[um bíllikət, um
bílli kàyt] or um·bil·i·cat·ed [um
bílli kàytəd] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY BOTANY with something like a navel:
with a mark, depression, or perforation that resembles a navel

2.  BIOLOGY navel-shaped:
shaped like a navel
[Late
17th century. Formed from umbilicus .]
—um·bil·i·ca·tion [um bìlli káysh’n], noun[1]



umbilicus

umbilicus
um·bil·i·cus 
[um bíllikəss] (plural um·bil·i·ci
[um bílli s] or um·bil·i·cus·es)
noun

1.  ANATOMY navel:
a navel (technical)

2.  BIOLOGY hollow
resembling a navel: a dip or hollow, for
example, the hollow at each end of the shaft of a feather, that resembles a
navel
[Late 17th century. From
Latin. Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “navel,” which is also the
ancestor of English navel and nave .][1]



umbo

umbo
um·bo 
[úmbō] (plural um·bo·nes [um bṓneez] or um·bos) noun

1.  BIOLOGY bump
on plant or animal part: a small protuberance on a
plant or animal part, for example, the hump on the caps of some mushrooms, or
the bump just above the hinge of a bivalve shell

2.  ANATOMY small
hollow in the eardrum: a small hollow in the center
of the outer surface of the eardrum, at the point where the malleus joins it on
the inside

3.  ARMS knob
on shield:
a knob at the center of a round shield, especially a Saxon shield
[Early
18th century. From Latin, “shield boss,” related to umbilicus “navel”
(see umbilicus .]
—um·bo·nal,
adjective

—um·bo·nate [úmbə nàyt, úmbənət],
adjective[1]



umbra

umbra
um·bra 
[úmbrə] (plural um·bras or
um·brae [úmbree]) noun

1.  PHYSICS complete
shadow:
an area of complete shadow caused by light from all points of a source being
prevented from reaching the area, usually by an opaque object

2.  ASTRONOMY darkest
part of Moon’s shadow: the darkest portion of the
shadow cast by a celestial body during an eclipse, especially that cast on the
Earth during a solar eclipse

3.  ASTRONOMY dark
part of sunspot: the inner, darker area of a sunspot
[Late
16th century. From Latin, “shadow.”]
—um·bral, adjective[1]



umbrage

umbrage
um·brage 
[úmbrij] noun

1.  offense:
resentment or annoyance arising from some offense • took
umbrage

2.  giver
of shade:
something that gives shade, for example, a tree (literary)

3.  vague
shape:
a vague or shadowy shape, or simply an outline (archaic)
[15th
century. Via Old French, from, ultimately, Latin umbra “shadow.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word umbra, from which umbrage
  is derived, is also the source of English adumbrate,
  penumbra, somber, sombrero,
  and umbrella.

[1]



umbrageous

umbrageous
um·bra·geous 
[um bráyjəss] adjective

1.  shady:
providing shade and coolness (literary)

2.  irritable:
easily offended or likely to become irritated
—um·bra·geous·ly,
adverb

—um·bra·geous·ness, noun[1]



umbrella

umbrella
um·brel·la 
[um bréllə] noun

1.  collapsible
canopy that protects from rain: a round collapsible
canopy of plastic or waterproof material on a frame at the top of a handle,
held in the hand to protect somebody from rain or sun

2.  object
like an umbrella: an object that looks like an open
umbrella, or that collapses like an umbrella, for example, the folding paper
decoration sometimes served in cocktails

3.  ZOOLOGY jellyfish’s
body:
the rounded body of a jellyfish

4.  MILITARY aircraft
flying overhead for protection: a group of aircraft
patrolling the sky above a place where troops are carrying out operations, to
give them protection

5.  MILITARY shield
of gunfire:
gunfire used to suppress enemy fire and thus shield friendly forces making a
movement or attack

6.  MILITARY parachute:
a parachute (slang)

7.  support
or authority: something that gives support,
protection, or authority • under
the umbrella of the United Nations
adjective

1.  unifying
member organizations: acting to coordinate or
protect a number of member organizations or bodies

2.  including
several things: including or containing a number of
things • an
umbrella term for a variety of plants
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian ombrella from late Latin umbrella, an alteration of Latin
umbella “parasol”(see umbel ) under
the influence of umbra “shadow.”][1]



umbrellabird

umbrellabird

um·brel·la bird
noun
bird with an umbrella-shaped crest:
a bird of Central and South America with a large feathered crest that resembles
an umbrella. Genus: Cephalopterus[1]



umbrellaplant

umbrellaplant
um·brel·la
plant
noun

1.  plant
with leaves like umbrella spokes: a plant of the sedge
family, native to Africa, that has thin leaves radiating from the top of long
stems. It is widely grown as a houseplant. Latin name: Cyperus alternifolius

2.  Midwestern
U.S.
May
apple:
a May apple

[1]



umbrellastand

umbrellastand
um·brel·la
stand
noun

stand or rack for umbrellas:
an upright stand or rack for holding walking sticks and folded umbrellas[1]



umbrellatree

umbrellatree
um·brel·la
tree
noun

1.  magnolia
tree of U.S.: a magnolia tree that grows in the
southeastern United States and has large leaves clustered around the ends of
the branches. Latin name: Magnolia fraseri Magnolia tripetala

2.  Australian
tree with umbrella-shaped leaves: a small to
medium-sized Australian tree with clusters of red flowers that grow on long
spikes and long shiny leaves that grow in umbrella-shaped clusters around thick
stalks. Latin name: Schefflera actinophylla

[1]



Umbria

Umbria
Um·bri·a 
[úmbree ə]

agricultural region in
central Italy, west of the Apennines. Population: 822,972 (1991) Area: 8,456 sq
km/3,265 sq mi.[1]



Umbrian

Umbrian
Um·bri·an 
[úmbree ən] noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Umbria: somebody who was born or raised in the
Italian region of Umbria

2.  LANGUAGE language
of ancient Umbria: an extinct language spoken
in ancient southern Italy. It belongs to the Italic branch of Indo-European
languages.
—Um·bri·an, adjective[1]



Umbriel

Umbriel
Um·bri·el 
[úmbree əl] noun

satellite
of Uranus:
one of the five major moons circling the planet Uranus
[Named for a sprite in the
poem “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope][1]



umiak

umiak
u·mi·ak 
[mee àk] noun

large
open Inuit boat: a large Inuit boat made of animal skins
stretched across a wooden frame, larger and more open than a kayak and
traditionally paddled by women
[Mid-18th century. From Inuit
(Eskimo) umiaq .][1]



umlaut

umlaut
um·laut 
[m lòwt] noun

1.  change
in a vowel sound: in Germanic languages, a change in the
way a vowel is pronounced, caused by the influence of another vowel in a
syllable immediately after it.
Also
called
vowel mutation

2.  two
dots above a vowel: the mark (¨) that is placed
above a vowel in Germanic languages to show that it is pronounced differently
from the way the vowel is usually pronounced
verb
(past um·laut·ed, past participle um·laut·ed, present
participle um·laut·ing, 3rd person present singular um·lauts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
a vowel sound: to change a sound, or make a vowel
change its sound, because of other vowel sounds next to it

2.  transitive
verb
mark
a vowel with two dots: to write or print a vowel
with an umlaut above it
[Mid-19th century. From
German, from um- “around, change” + Laut “sound.”][1]



umma

umma
um·ma
[mə] or um·mah [mə] noun

community
of the faithful within Islam: within Islam, the community
of the faithful that transcended long established tribal boundaries to create a
degree of political unity
[Late 19th century. From
Arabic, “people, community.”][1]



umpire

umpire
um·pire 
[úm pr] noun

1.  SPORTS official
enforcing a sport’s rules: an official who supervises
play and enforces the rules of the game in some sports such as baseball

2.  somebody
settling a dispute: somebody called in to settle
a dispute
intransitive
and transitive verb (past um·pired,
past participle um·pired, present participle um·pir·ing,
3rd person present singular um·pires)

1.  SPORTS act as
an umpire in sport: to supervise play in a game
or sport and enforce the rules

2.  settle
a dispute:
to give a ruling on a dispute as an impartial arbitrator
[Late 16th century. By false
division from earlier noumper, from Old French nonper, from non
“not” + per “pair,” literally “not one of a pair.”][1]



umpteen

umpteen
ump·teen 
[úmp tn, úm tn]
adjective

very
many:
a large but unspecified number of (informal)
[Early
20th century. Formed from umpty, a humorous formation after cardinal
numbers; modeled on thirteen, fourteen, etc.]
—ump·teenth, adjective[1]



Umtata

Umtata
Um·ta·ta 
[um ttə]

town in Eastern Cape
Province, South Africa. Population: 67,000 (1995)[1]



UMWA

UMWA
UMWA

Abbreviation of
United Mine Workers of America[1]



UN

UN
UN
or U.N.

Abbreviation of
United Nations[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








un

un
un
[ən, ’n] or
’un [ən, ’n]
pronoun

one:
a spelling of the pronoun “one” designed to reflect the way it is sometimes
pronounced in informal speech (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Representing a pronunciation of one .][1]



un-

un-1
un-1 prefix

1.  not
• unavoidable

2.  opposite
of, lack of • unrest
[Old
English]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  un-
  or non- :
  Many
  adjectives formed with un- have special (usually unfavorable)
  meanings, for example unprofessional and unscientific . In
  these cases neutral equivalents that mean simply “not …” are formed by means
  of non-, for example nonprofessional, nonscientific.

[1]



un-

un-2
un-2 prefix

1.  to
do the opposite of, reverse • unclose

2.  to
deprive of, remove something from • unfrock

3.  to
release from • unchain

4.  completely
• unloose
[Old English on-, an
alteration of ond- and- “against,” under the influence of un- 1 “un-”][1]



unabashed

unabashed
un·a·bashed 
[ùnnə básht] adjective

not ashamed:
not ashamed or embarrassed by something[1]



unabated

unabated
un·a·bat·ed 
[ùnnə báytəd] adjective

just
as forceful: still as forceful or intense as before
—un·a·bat·ed·ly, adverb[1]



unable

unable
un·a·ble 
[un áyb’l] adjective

not able:
not able to do something[1]



unaccommodated

unaccommodated
un·ac·com·mo·dat·ed 
[ùnnə kómmə dàytəd] adjective (formal)

1.  not
adapted:
not adapted to or for something • unaccommodated
to the dryness of the desert

2.  without
accommodations or provisions: lacking accommodations,
equipment, or supplies

[1]



unaccompanied

unaccompanied
un·ac·com·pa·nied 
[ùnnə kúmpəneed] adjective adverb

1.  alone:
alone, especially when a companion would be expected

2.  MUSIC without
other instruments or voices: playing or singing alone,
without any other instruments or voices

[1]



unaccomplished

unaccomplished
un·ac·com·plished 
[ùnnə kúmplisht] adjective

1.  not
completed:
not carried out or completed

2.  lacking
social or intellectual skills: lacking talents or
abilities, especially those abilities educated people may be expected to have

[1]



unaccountable

unaccountable
un·ac·count·a·ble 
[ùnnə kówntəb’l] adjective

1.  inexplicable:
impossible to explain or give a reason for

2.  not
answerable:
not answerable or responsible to anyone
—un·ac·count·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnə kòwntə bíllətee], noun[1]



unaccountably

unaccountably
un·ac·count·a·bly
[ùnnə kówntəblee] adverb

for unknown reasons:
for some unknown and usually puzzling reason[1]



unaccounted-for

unaccounted-for
un·ac·count·ed-for 
adjective

1.  missing:
missing or absent, for unknown reasons

2.  unexplained:
not explained or understood

[1]



unaccredited

unaccredited
un·ac·cred·it·ed 
[ùnnə krédditəd] adjective

1.  with
no source given: with the source or origin not given

2.  not
officially approved: not officially declared to
be of the required standard, or with no official status

[1]



unaccustomed

unaccustomed
un·ac·cus·tomed 
[ùnnə kústəmd] adjective

1.  not
accustomed:
not used or accustomed to something

2.  unfamiliar:
not usual or known before
—un·ac·cus·tomed·ness,
noun[1]



unacorda

unacorda
u·na
cor·da 
[nə káwrdə] adjective adverb

with
the soft pedal down: in piano music, using only
one string per pitch. This is achieved by depressing the soft pedal, causing
the hammers to strike only one string and thus reducing the volume and changing
the quality of the tone.
[From Italian, literally “one
string”][1]



unadulterated

unadulterated
un·a·dul·ter·at·ed 
[ùnnə dúltə ràytəd] adjective

1.  pure:
not mixed or diluted with something else

2.  absolute:
free from any element that would spoil or detract from it
—un·a·dul·ter·at·ed·ly,
adverb[1]



unadvised

unadvised
un·ad·vised 
[ùnnəd vzd] adjective

1.  without
careful consideration: done without being carefully
considered

2.  without
asking advice: without asking the advice of others
—un·ad·vis·ed·ly
[ùnnəd vzədlee], adverb

—un·ad·vis·ed·ness, noun[1]



unaffected

unaffected
un·af·fect·ed 
[ùnnə féktəd] adjective

1.  not
affected by something: not influenced or affected
by something

2.  genuine:
sincere and genuine, with no intention to mislead or deceive
—un·af·fect·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·af·fect·ed·ness, noun[1]



Unalaska

Unalaska
Un·a·las·ka
[ùnnə láskə]

island in southwestern
Alaska, between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is the most important
and second largest of the Aleutian Islands. Area: 1,287 sq km/800 sq mi.[1]



unalienable

unalienable
un·al·ien·a·ble 
[ùn áylee ənəb’l] adjective

inalienable:
not alienable[1]



unalloyed

unalloyed
un·al·loyed 
[ùnnə lóyd] adjective

1.  METALLURGY in
a pure state: containing no impurities, and not mixed
or alloyed with other metals

2.  absolute:
not mixed with anything else, especially anything that would dilute it or any
other feeling that would diminish it • unalloyed
pleasure

[1]



un-American

un-American
un-A·mer·i·can 
adjective

1.  not
American:
at odds with the customs, traditions, or ways of the people of the United
States • It’s
practically un-American not to like apple pie.

2.  not
loyal to United States: unpatriotic or disloyal to
the United States

[1]



unaneled

unaneled
un·a·neled 
[ùnnə nld] adjective

without
the last rites: in the Roman Catholic Church, not having
received the last rites given to people who are dying or very ill (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from un- + aneled, past participle of
obsolete anele “to anoint,” literally “to put oil on,” from Old English ele
“oil,” from Latin oleum .][1]



unanimous

unanimous
u·nan·i·mous 
[yoo nánnəməss] adjective

1.  agreed
on by everyone: shared as a view by all of the people
concerned, with nobody disagreeing

2.  in
complete agreement: with all members in
agreement with each other • Board
members were unanimous in their rejection of the proposed merger.
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin unanimus, from unus “one” + animus
“mind.”]
—u·na·nim·i·ty
[ynə nímmətee], noun

—u·nan·i·mous·ly [yoo nánnəməsslee], adverb[1]



unanswerable

unanswerable
un·an·swer·a·ble 
[un ánsərəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to resolve:
impossible to answer or solve

2.  impossible
to contradict: so clearly true that nobody could
contradict or deny it
—un·an·swer·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·an·swer·a·bly, adverb[1]



unanticipated

unanticipated
un·an·tic·i·pat·ed 
[ùnnan tíssi pàytəd] adjective

1.  unforeseen:
not foreseen or prepared for in advance

2.  unexpected:
not expected or scheduled in advance

[1]



unappealable

unappealable
un·ap·peal·a·ble 
[ùnnə pləb’l] adjective

impossible
to appeal against: used to describe a case or
judgment that is not open to appeal
—un·ap·peal·a·bly, adverb[1]



unappealing

unappealing
un·ap·peal·ing 
[ùnnə pling] adjective

not
attractive:
not attractive or likely to be enjoyable
—un·ap·peal·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unapproachable

unapproachable
un·ap·proach·a·ble 
[ùnnə prṓchəb’l] adjective

1.  too
unfriendly to approach or contact: characterized by a
formal, unfriendly, or hostile manner that discourages communication

2.  inaccessible:
difficult to get to

3.  unrivaled:
so excellent that nothing or nobody else is nearly as good
—un·ap·proach·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnə prṓchəb’lnəss], noun

—un·ap·proach·a·ble·ness
[ùnnə prōchə bíllətee], noun

—un·ap·proach·a·bly [ùnnə prṓchəblee], adverb[1]



unappropriated

unappropriated
un·ap·pro·pri·at·ed 
[ùnnə prṓpree àytəd] adjective

1.  not
yet marked for a purpose: not yet set aside for a
specific purpose and therefore still available or free

2.  with
ownership or control not decided: not yet brought under
the ownership or control of a particular person or organization

[1]



unapt

unapt
un·apt 
[un ápt] adjective

1.  not
appropriate: lacking the qualities suitable or
appropriate to a particular context

2.  not
likely to do something: not likely or liable to do
something (formal) • unapt
to cause any problems
—un·apt·ly,
adverb

—un·apt·ness, noun[1]



unarguable

unarguable
un·ar·gu·a·ble 
[un árgyoo əb’l] adjective

undeniably true or correct:
so clearly true or correct that nobody can argue with it or deny it[1]



unarm

unarm
un·arm 
[un rm] (past un·armed, past
participle un·armed, present participle un·arm·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·arms) transitive verb

disarm:
to take arms away from a country, armed force, or person[1]



unarmed

unarmed
un·armed 
[un rmd] adjective

1.  ARMS without
weapons:
not carrying or using weapons

2.  BIOLOGY with
no obvious means of self-defense: with no horns, claws,
shells, thorns, prickles, or other means of self-protection

3.  MILITARY unable
to fire:
used to describe a missile or projectile whose fuse or firing mechanism has
been disabled

[1]



unary

unary
u·nar·y 
[ynəree] adjective

relating
to one item: used to describe a mathematical
operation that is applied to only one member of a set at a time, for example,
squaring a number
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin unus “one.”][1]



unashamed

unashamed
un·a·shamed 
[ùnnə sháymd] adjective

1.  not
ashamed or apologetic: not ashamed or embarrassed,
and not feeling the need to apologize to others

2.  unrestrained:
not limited, restrained, or avoided out of a feeling of shame or embarrassment
—un·a·sham·ed·ly
[ùnnə sháymədlee], adverb

—un·a·sham·ed·ness, noun[1]



unasked

unasked
un·asked 
[un áskt] adjective

1.  not
asked:
not having been asked

2.  not
invited:
coming to a gathering without an invitation

3.  not
asked for:
providing something, for example, assistance, that has not been asked for

[1]



unassailable

unassailable
un·as·sail·a·ble 
[ùnnə sáyləb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to challenge: so sound or well established that it
cannot be challenged or overtaken • an
unassailable lead

2.  impossible
to attack:
so strong or impregnable that it cannot be successfully attacked
—un·as·sail·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnə saylə bíllətee], noun

—un·as·sail·a·bly [ùnnə sáyləblee], adverb[1]



unassuming

unassuming
un·as·sum·ing 
[ùnnə sming] adjective

modest:
acting in a way that does not assume superiority
—un·as·sum·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·as·sum·ing·ness, noun[1]



unattached

unattached
un·at·tached 
[ùnnə tácht] adjective

1.  without
a spouse or partner: not married and not in a
long-term romantic or sexual relationship

2.  not
joined:
not joined or attached, especially to other or larger organizations or bodies

3.  LAW not seized
for security: used to describe property that is not
taken away from its owner for security under the orders of a court of law

[1]



unattended

unattended
un·at·tend·ed 
[ùnnə téndəd] adjective

1.  with
no one there: with no one present to listen, watch, or
participate

2.  not
cared for:
not taken care of or seen to

3.  not
escorted:
not accompanied or escorted (formal)

4.  not
heeded:
not listened to or heeded (formal)

5.  not
having something as consequence: not accompanied by
something, or not having something as a result or consequence (formal)

[1]



unau

unau
u·nau
[y nòw, y nàw]
(plural u·naus or u·nau) noun

See
two-toed sloth
[Late 18th century. Via
French from Tupi unáu .][1]



unavailing

unavailing
un·a·vail·ing 
[ùnnə váyling] adjective

useless:
done but failing to achieve the desired result
—un·a·vail·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unavoidable

unavoidable
un·a·void·a·ble 
[ùnnə vóydəb’l] adjective

impossible
to avoid:
that cannot be avoided
—un·a·void·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnə vòydə bíllətee], noun

—un·a·void·a·bly [ùnnə vóydəblee], adverb[1]



unaware

unaware
un·a·ware 
[ùnnə wáir] adjective

1.  not
aware:
not conscious or aware of something

2.  not
knowledgeable: lacking important information or
analysis • a
politically unaware generation
adverb

See unawares
—un·a·ware·ly,
adverb

—un·a·ware·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  unaware
  or unawares ?
  Unaware is normally used as an
  adjective, • They
  were unaware of the danger, whereas unawares is an adverb, used especially in the
  idiom to catch (or take) somebody unawares, but also in other ways: • They
  crept up on us unawares.

[1]



unawares

unawares
un·a·wares 
[ùnnə wáirz] adverb

1.  unexpectedly:
without any warning or anticipation • His
question caught me unawares.

2.  without
intending to: without planning or intending to do
something • He
took the wrong coat, unawares.
[Mid-16th
century. Coined from unaware + -s, an
adverbial ending originally meaning “of.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at unaware.

[1]



unb.

unb.
unb.

PUBLISHING
Abbreviation of unbound[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unbacked

unbacked
un·backed 
[un bákt] adjective

1.  not
supported or backed: with no support or backing,
especially financial backing

2.  FURNITURE without
a back:
used to describe a chair that has been made without a back

3.  RIDING never
ridden:
used to describe a horse that has never been ridden • an
unbacked mare

4.  GAMBLING not
bet on:
used to describe a horse that has had no bets placed on its performance

[1]



unbalance

unbalance
un·bal·ance 
[un bálləns] transitive verb (past
un·bal·anced, past participle un·bal·anced, present
participle un·bal·anc·ing, 3rd person present singular un·bal·anc·es)

1.  knock
something off balance: to make something lose its
balance or equilibrium

2.  make
somebody psychologically unstable: to make somebody
psychologically or emotionally unstable
noun

state of instability:
the state of being unstable and out of balance
—un·bal·ance·a·ble, adjective[1]



unbalanced

unbalanced
un·bal·anced 
[un bállənst] adjective

1.  without
equilibrium: lacking the proper distribution of
weight or forces that would provide balance

2.  psychologically
unstable:
unable to make sound judgments

3.  one-sided:
done or provided from only one perspective • unbalanced
reporting

4.  ACCOUNTING with
unequal debits and credits: in which the totaled debits
and credits are not equal

[1]



unbar

unbar
un·bar 
[un br] (past un·barred, past
participle un·barred, present participle un·bar·ring, 3rd
person present singular un·bars) transitive verb

1.  unlock
a door:
to unlock or open a door or gate

2.  remove
bars:
to remove the bars or obstructions from something

[1]



unbated

unbated
un·bat·ed 
[un báytəd] adjective

with
its point uncovered: lacking a protective button
or guard on its point (archaic) • an
unbated sword
[Late 16th century. Formed
from un- + bated, the past participle
of bate “to abate, blunt,” a shortening of abate
.][1]



unbd.

unbd.
unbd.

PUBLISHING
Abbreviation of unbound[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unbearable

unbearable
un·bear·a·ble 
[un báirəb’l] adjective

impossible
to tolerate: difficult, unpleasant, or impossible to
bear or tolerate
—un·bear·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·bear·a·bly, adverb[1]



unbeatable

unbeatable
un·beat·a·ble 
[un btəb’l] adjective

too
good to surpass: too good or favorable to be beaten or
surpassed
—un·beat·a·bly, adverb[1]



unbeaten

unbeaten
un·beat·en 
[un bt’n] adjective

1.  undefeated:
never having been defeated or outdone

2.  COOKING not
whipped or pounded: not subjected to pounding,
whipping, or beating as part of the preparation for cooking or eating

3.  TRANSPORT not
traveled:
not made smooth from pedestrian or vehicular traffic

[1]



unbecoming

unbecoming
un·be·com·ing 
[un bi kúmming] adjective

1.  CLOTHES not
flattering:
unsuitable or unattractive on the wearer

2.  not
right or proper: not suitable, especially as not
conforming with accepted attitudes or behavior
—un·be·com·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·be·com·ing·ness, noun[1]



unbeknown

unbeknown
un·be·known 
[ùnbi nṓn] or un·be·knownst [ùnbi nṓnst] adjective

1.  without
somebody knowing: happening without a particular person
knowing about it

2.  not
known to somebody: not known or familiar to
somebody
adverb
un·be·knownst

without being seen:
without being noticed or seen by anybody • slipped
away unbeknownst
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from un- + beknown, the past
participle of obsolete beknow, literally “to know thoroughly,” from know .][1]



unbelief

unbelief
un·be·lief 
[ùnbi lf] noun

lack of belief:
lack of religious or political belief[1]



unbelievable

unbelievable
un·be·liev·a·ble 
[ùnbi lvəb’l] adjective

1.  implausible:
too unrealistic or improbable to be believed

2.  extraordinary:
used to emphasize that something is very great, or very good, bad, or
impressive • reacted
with unbelievable agility
—un·be·liev·a·bly, adverb[1]



unbeliever

unbeliever
un·be·liev·er 
[ùnbi lvər] noun

somebody who does not share
beliefs: somebody who does not
believe in a particular religious faith or subscribe to conventional beliefs[1]



unbelieving

unbelieving
un·be·liev·ing 
[ùnbi lving] adjective

1.  skeptical:
lacking belief or expressing disbelief about something

2.  without
beliefs:
with no religious faith or doctrinal beliefs
—un·be·liev·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unbelt

unbelt
un·belt
[un bélt] (past un·belt·ed, past
participle un·belt·ed, present participle un·belt·ing,
3rd person present singular un·belts) transitive verb

1.  undo
garment’s belt: to unfasten the belt on a garment

2.  remove
somebody or something from belt: to remove somebody or
something from a supporting or restraining belt

[1]



unbend

unbend
un·bend 
[un bénd] (past un·bent [un bént], past participle un·bent, present
participle un·bend·ing, 3rd person present singular un·bends)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become relaxed: to become, or make somebody
become, more informal, relaxed, or friendly

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become straight: to become, or make something
become, straight after being bent, twisted, or flexed

3.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL unfasten
sail or rope: to free a sail, rope, or mooring line
that was fastened
—un·bend·a·ble, adjective[1]



unbending

unbending
un·bend·ing 
[un bénding] adjective

1.  resolute:
not willing to change opinions, beliefs, or attitudes

2.  strictly
observed:
strictly applied or observed

3.  aloof:
formal or unfriendly in manner or behavior
—un·bend·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unbent

unbent2
un·bent2 

Past tense of
unbend Past participle of unbend[1]



unbent

unbent1
un·bent1  [un
bént] adjective

1.  not
forced into submission: not forced into submitting
or giving in

2.  straight:
not bent or twisted

[1]



unbiased

unbiased
un·bi·ased
[un b əst] or un·bi·assed [un b əst] adjective

1.  not
biased:
fair and impartial rather than biased or prejudiced

2.  STATISTICS with
zero bias:
with an expected value that is equal to the parameter being estimated
—un·bi·ased·ly,
adverb

—un·bi·ased·ness, noun[1]



unbiblical

unbiblical
un·bib·li·cal
[un bíblik’l] adjective

opposed to teachings in the
Bible: opposed or in contrast to
the teachings of the Bible, or not present or approved in biblical teaching[1]



unbidden

unbidden
un·bid·den 
[un bídd’n] adjective adverb (literary)

1.  spontaneous:
not wished for or willed

2.  unsolicited:
not asked for or invited
[Old English unbeden,
formed from beden, the past participle of biddan “to ask for,” an
earlier form of bid][1]



unbind

unbind
un·bind 
[un bnd] (past un·bound [un bównd], past participle un·bound,
present participle un·bind·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·binds) transitive verb (literary)

1.  free
somebody from restrictions: to free somebody from
something restraining or restricting, for example, a duty or obligation

2.  untie:
to untie a person or animal

[1]



unbleached

unbleached
un·bleached 
[un blcht] adjective

not bleached:
not treated with a bleach or whitener[1]



unblessed

unblessed
un·blessed
[un blést] adjective

1.  without
a blessing:
not given a blessing

2.  unfortunate:
unfortunate or wretched (literary)

3.  regarded
as evil:
in particular religions, regarded as behaving in unrighteous ways (literary)
—un·bless·ed·ness [un bléssədnəss], noun[1]



unblinking

unblinking
un·blink·ing 
[un blíngking] adjective

1.  without
hesitation:
showing no emotion, reluctance, or hesitation

2.  without
blinking:
failing or unable to close and open the eyes in quick succession
—un·blink·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unblushing

unblushing
un·blush·ing 
[un blúshing] adjective

not
ashamed:
feeling or showing no shame or embarrassment
—un·blush·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·blush·ing·ness, noun[1]



unbolt

unbolt
un·bolt 
[un bṓlt] (past un·bolt·ed, past
participle un·bolt·ed, present participle un·bolt·ing,
3rd person present singular un·bolts) transitive verb

release bolts on door:
to pull back the bolt or bolts on a door or gate, so that it can be opened[1]



unbolted

unbolted
un·bolt·ed
[un bṓltəd] adjective

1.  not
fastened with bolts: not fitted with bolts, or
with bolts not fastened

2.  unsifted:
used to describe flour or grain that has not had the coarse particles sifted
from the fine ones

[1]



unborn

unborn
un·born 
[un báwrn] adjective

1.  not
born yet:
not yet born, but usually already conceived and gestating • behavior
that could benefit the unborn child

2.  not
thought of yet: not thought of or begun yet (literary)

[1]



unbosom

unbosom
un·bos·om 
[un bzzəm] (past un·bos·omed,
past participle un·bos·omed, present participle un·bos·om·ing,
3rd person present singular un·bos·oms) verb (literary)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
something previously hidden: to express something
previously suppressed or hidden

2.  reflexive
verb
say
what is on your mind: to reveal the thoughts,
feelings, or secrets you have been keeping inside yourself

[1]



unbound

unbound2
un·bound2 

Past tense of
unbind Past participle of unbind[1]



unbound

unbound1
un·bound1  adjective

1.  without
a cover:
not fastened inside a permanent cover

2.  unrestricted:
having had restraints or fetters removed

3.  SCIENCE not in
chemical combination: free from chemical or
physical combination

4.  LINGUISTICS constituting
a word:
used to describe a morpheme that can form a word on its own without any added
elements

[1]



unbounded

unbounded
un·bound·ed 
[un bówndəd] adjective

1.  not
restrained:
not controlled or restrained in any way

2.  without
restrictions: not subject to limits, boundaries, or
restrictions
—un·bound·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·bound·ed·ness, noun[1]



unbowed

unbowed
un·bowed 
[un bówd] adjective

1.  undefeated:
having refused to submit or admit defeat

2.  not
bent:
remaining in an erect position, not bent or bowed

[1]



unbrace

unbrace
un·brace 
[un bráyss] (past un·braced, past
participle un·braced, present participle un·brac·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·brac·es) transitive verb

relax or ease something:
to make something less tense or strained (literary)[1]



unbred

unbred
un·bred 
[un bréd] adjective

1.  not
trained:
not given training or instruction (literary)

2.  not
well bred:
lacking refinement or breeding (literary)

3.  AGRICULTURE not
yet mated:
not yet mated with another animal

[1]



unbridle

unbridle
un·bri·dle 
[un brd’l] (past un·bri·dled,
past participle un·bri·dled, present participle un·bri·dling,
3rd person present singular un·bri·dles) transitive verb

1.  free
something from restraints: to take away the limits,
controls, or restraints that apply to something

2.  EQUESTRIAN remove
bridle:
to take the bridle from a horse

[1]



unbridled

unbridled
un·bri·dled 
[un brd’ld] adjective

1.  openly
expressed:
freely and openly expressed

2.  EQUESTRIAN without
bridle:
not fitted with a bridle
—un·bri·dled·ly,
adverb

—un·bri·dled·ness, noun[1]



unbroken

unbroken
un·bro·ken 
[un brṓkən] adjective

1.  without
gaps or pauses: with no gaps or pauses

2.  not
fragmented:
remaining intact or in one piece

3.  ongoing:
continued without interruption

4.  undefeated:
not beaten or subdued

5.  untamed:
not yet having submitted to human control • an
unbroken horse

6.  not
violated:
having remained viable or in force
—un·bro·ken·ly,
adverb

—un·bro·ken·ness, noun[1]



unbundle

unbundle
un·bun·dle
[un búnd’l] (past un·bun·dled,
past participle un·bun·dled, present participle un·bun·dling,
3rd person present singular un·bun·dles) transitive verb

sell related products
separately: to sell or charge for
related products and services separately, rather than as a unit[1]



unburden

unburden
un·bur·den 
[un búrd’n] (past un·bur·dened,
past participle un·bur·dened, present participle un·bur·den·ing,
3rd person present singular un·bur·dens) verb

1.  reflexive
verb
get
something off your mind: to relieve yourself of
something that has been worrying you by telling somebody about it (formal)

2.  transitive
verb
remove
person’s or animal’s load: to take off a load that a
person or animal has been carrying (literary)

[1]



unbutton

unbutton
un·but·ton 
[un bútt’n] (past un·but·toned,
past participle un·but·toned, present participle un·but·ton·ing,
3rd person present singular un·but·tons) verb

1.  transitive
verb
undo
clothes with buttons: to undo a garment by
unfastening the buttons

2.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to relax and become more talkative (informal)

[1]



uncaged

uncaged
un·caged 
[un káyjd] adjective

1.  released
from a cage: no longer restrained in a cage

2.  not
limited to a cage: allowed to fly or roam
freely

[1]



uncalled-for

uncalled-for
un·called-for 
[un káwld fàwr] adjective

unjustified:
beyond what is necessary or expected, especially in being unjustifiably unkind
or impolite[1]



uncanny

uncanny
un·can·ny 
[un kánnee] (comparative un·can·ni·er,
superlative un·can·ni·est) adjective

1.  eerie:
too strange or unlikely to seem merely natural or human

2.  keen:
unexpectedly accurate or precise • an
uncanny resemblance to the president
—un·can·ni·ly,
adverb

—un·can·ni·ness, noun[1]



uncap

uncap
un·cap 
[un káp] (past un·capped, past
participle un·capped, present participle un·cap·ping, 3rd
person present singular un·caps) transitive verb

make something unlimited:
to remove an upper limit or restriction from something[1]



uncared-for

uncared-for
un·cared-for 
[ùn káird fàwr] adjective

neglected:
neglected and allowed to deteriorate[1]



Uncas

Uncas
Un·cas 
[úngkəss] (1588?–1683?)

Native North American leader.
He was a chief of the Mohegan (Mohican) people and sided with the British
against other Native North American peoples.[1]



unceasing

unceasing
un·ceas·ing 
[un sssing] adjective

never
stopping:
continuing without stopping, pausing, or diminishing
—un·ceas·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·ceas·ing·ness, noun[1]



unceremonious

unceremonious
un·cer·e·mo·ni·ous 
[un sèrrə mṓnee əss] adjective

1.  abrupt:
sudden and rude, with no concern for politeness or good manners

2.  informal:
done without formality or ceremony
—un·cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ly,
adverb

—un·cer·e·mo·ni·ous·ness,
noun[1]



uncertain

uncertain
un·cer·tain 
[un súrt’n] adjective

1.  without
knowledge:
lacking clear knowledge or a definite opinion

2.  not
known or settled: not yet known, or remaining undecided

3.  changeable:
likely to change, and therefore not reliable or stable

4.  lacking
self-assurance: lacking self-assurance or confidence
—un·cer·tain·ly,
adverb

—un·cer·tain·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



uncertainty

uncertainty
un·cer·tain·ty 
[un súrt’ntee] (plural un·cer·tain·ties)
noun

1.  fact
of being uncertain: the quality or state of
being uncertain

2.  unpredictable
thing:
something that nobody can predict or guarantee (often plural)

[1]



uncertaintyprinciple

uncertaintyprinciple
un·cer·tain·ty
prin·ci·ple
noun

principle in quantum
mechanics: a principle in quantum
mechanics holding that it is impossible to determine both the position and
momentum of a particle at the same time.
Also called
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Also called
indeterminacy principle[1]



unchain

unchain
un·chain 
[un cháyn] (past participle un·chained,
present participle un·chain·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·chains) transitive verb

1.  remove
chains from somebody: to take off the chain or
chains holding a person or animal

2.  free
something or somebody from restraints: to
take away the limits, controls, or restraints that apply to something or
somebody

[1]



uncharged

uncharged
un·charged 
[un chrjd] adjective

lacking electric charge:
with no electric charge[1]



uncharitable

uncharitable
un·char·i·ta·ble 
[un chérrətəb’l] adjective

not
kind:
lacking in kindness or mercy
—un·char·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



unchartered

unchartered
un·char·tered
[un chrtərd] adjective

not official:
not officially authorized or permitted[1]



unchecked

unchecked
un·checked 
[un chékt] adjective

1.  not
curbed:
not limited or controlled, especially when restraint or control is required

2.  not
tested:
remaining unverified or untested, especially for problems or imperfections

[1]



unchristian

unchristian
un·chris·tian 
[un kríschən] adjective

1.  uncharitable:
unkind or selfish, and therefore against Christian principles and teachings

2.  RELIGION non-Christian:
not belonging to the Christian church

[1]



unchurch

unchurch
un·church 
[un chúrch] (past un·churched,
past participle un·churched, present participle un·church·ing,
3rd person present singular un·church·es) transitive verb

1.  excommunicate:
to expel somebody from a church

2.  declare
to be no longer a church: to remove the status of
being a church from a building

[1]



uncial

uncial
un·cial 
[únshəl] noun

1.  style
of letter used in manuscripts: a letter of the kind
used in Greek and Latin manuscripts written between the third and ninth
centuries that resembles a modern capital letter but is more rounded

2.  manuscript
in uncials:
a manuscript written in uncials
adjective

written in uncials:
relating to or written in uncials
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin unciales (litterae), literally “inch-high
(letters),” from uncia “twelfth part, inch.”]
—un·cial·ly, adverb[1]



unciform

unciform
un·ci·form 
[únsi fàwrm] adjective

BIOLOGY hook-shaped:
shaped like a hook
noun

ANATOMY bone
in the wrist: a small hook-shaped bone in the wrist,
at the base of the third and little fingers
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin uncus “hook.”][1]



uncinariasis

uncinariasis
un·ci·nar·i·a·sis 
[ùnsinə r əssiss] noun

hookworm
infestation: infestation of the intestines with
hookworms
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Uncinaria, name of a genus of hookworms, from Latin uncus
“hook.”][1]



uncinate

uncinate
un·ci·nate 
[únsinət, únsi
nàyt] adjective

with
a hooked end: shaped like a hook at the end
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
uncinatus, from uncus “hook.”][1]



uncinus

uncinus
un·ci·nus 
[un snəss] (plural un·ci·ni [un s n]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY hooked
part of an animal’s body: a small hooked body part,
for example, the hook-shaped tooth of a gastropod or a chitinous hook on the
body of an annelid

2.  METEOROLOGY cirrus
cloud:
a cirrus cloud that is curled in a hook shape at one of its elongated ends
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, from uncus “hook.”][1]



uncircumcised

uncircumcised
un·cir·cum·cised 
[un súrkəm szd] adjective

not
circumcised: not having had the prepuce of the penis
or clitoris removed
—un·cir·cum·ci·sion [un sùrkəm sízh’n], noun[1]



uncivil

uncivil
un·civ·il 
[un sívv’l] adjective

1.  rude:
behaving in a way that is seen as hostile or indifferent

2.  uncivilized:
lacking features thought to reflect a civilized society or individual (archaic)
—un·ci·vil·i·ty
[ùnsi víllətee], noun

—un·civ·il·ly
[un sívv’l lee], adverb

—un·civ·il·ness [un sívv’lnəss], noun[1]



uncivilized

uncivilized
un·civ·i·lized 
[un sívv’l zd] adjective

1.  not
culturally advanced: existing in a condition or
behaving in ways that are thought to be socially or culturally primitive

2.  remote:
far from civilized or settled areas
—un·civ·i·liz·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·civ·i·liz·ed·ness
[un sívv’l zədnəss], noun[1]



unclad

unclad
un·clad 
[un klád] adjective

naked:
not wearing any clothes[1]



unclasp

unclasp
un·clasp 
[un klásp] (past un·clasped, past
participle un·clasped, present participle un·clasp·ing,
3rd person present singular un·clasps) transitive verb

1.  separate
hands:
to separate hands previously held together

2.  undo
the clasp on something: to unfasten the clasp
holding something closed

[1]



unclassified

unclassified
un·clas·si·fied 
[un klássə fd] adjective

1.  not
arranged systematically: not arranged or grouped
systematically

2.  not
secret:
remaining open for examination by anyone who wishes access

[1]



Uncle

Uncle
Un·cle 
noun

parents’ man friend:
a name some children are encouraged to call a man friend of one or both of
their parents[1]



uncle

uncle
un·cle 
[úngk’l] noun

1.  parent’s
brother or brother-in-law: the brother of somebody’s
mother or father, or the husband of somebody’s aunt (capitalized before a
name)

2.  kindly
older man:
an older male person who gives support, protection, and advice

3.  pawnbroker:
a pawnbroker (dated slang)
[13th
century. Via Old French oncle from, ultimately, Latin avunculus
“maternal uncle.”]
cry
uncle

surrender or admit defeat (informal)[1]



unclean

unclean
un·clean 
[un kln] adjective

1.  dirty:
dirty or unsanitary

2.  unchaste:
sinful, especially involving or guilty of committing a sexual sin

3.  RELIGION religiously
or ritually impure: not pure according to
religious rules or rituals
[Old
English unclæne]
—un·clean·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at dirty

[1]



uncleanly

uncleanly
un·clean·ly 
adjective [un klénnlee]

(formal
or literary) See unclean
adverb
[un klnlee]

in
unclean way: in a way that is not clean
[Old
English unclænic, unclænice]
—un·clean·li·ness [un klénleenəss], noun[1]



unclear

unclear
un·clear 
[un klr] adjective

1.  not
obvious:
not obvious or easy to understand

2.  not
sure:
not sure or not free from doubt

[1]



unclench

unclench
un·clench
[ùn klénch] (past un·clenched,
past participle un·clenched, present participle un·clench·ing,
3rd person present singular un·clench·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

relax:
to release the muscles in a part of your body that were being held tightly, or
to relax from a tightened state[1]



UncleSam

UncleSam
Un·cle
Sam 
noun

1.  personification
of the United States: a personification of the
government of the United States, shown in a tall thin man with a white beard,
wearing red and white striped trousers, a blue tailcoat, and a stovepipe hat
with a band of stars

2.  United
States:
the United States or the American people
[19th century. Invented from U.S.,
abbreviation of United States .][1]



UncleTom

UncleTom
Un·cle
Tom 
noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term used to describe a black man who is thought to be too
solicitous of or subservient to Caucasians (offensive)
[Mid-19th
century. After a character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin
.]
—Uncle Tom·ism, noun[1]



unclog

unclog
un·clog 
[un klóg] (past un·clogged, past
participle un·clogged, present participle un·clog·ging,
3rd person present singular un·clogs) transitive verb

remove a blockage:
to remove a blockage from something such as a pipe[1]



unclose

unclose
un·close 
[un klṓz] (past un·closed, past
participle un·closed, present participle un·clos·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·clos·es) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  make
or be open:
to make or become open rather than closed

2.  disclose:
to reveal something, or to be revealed

[1]



unclosed

unclosed
un·closed
[un klṓzd] adjective

open:
not in a closed condition[1]



unclothe

unclothe
un·clothe
[un klṓ] (past un·clothed, past
participle un·clothed, present participle un·clothing,
3rd person present singular un·clothes) transitive verb

remove
somebody’s clothes: to remove the clothes or
covering from somebody or something
—un·clothed, adjective[1]



unco

unco
un·co 
[úng k] adverb

Scotland
very:
very or extremely
adjective
(comparative un·co·er, superlative un·co·est)

Scotland
unusual:
unusual or unfamiliar
[15th century. Variant of uncouth .][1]



uncoil

uncoil
un·coil 
[un kóyl] (past un·coiled, past
participle un·coiled, present participle un·coil·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·coils) intransitive and transitive
verb

release from being coiled:
to release something, or be released, from a coiled or wound position[1]



uncomfortable

uncomfortable
un·com·fort·a·ble 
[un kúmfərtəb’l, un
kúmftərb’l] adjective

1.  not
physically comfortable: feeling a lack of or not
providing physical comfort

2.  awkward
or uneasy:
feeling or making others feel awkward and ill-at-ease
—un·com·fort·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·com·fort·a·bly, adverb[1]



uncommercial

uncommercial
un·com·mer·cial 
[ùnkə múrsh’l] adjective

1.  not
concerned with commerce or business: not
involved in commerce, especially not operated or organized for profit

2.  against
business principles or practices: contrary to the way
things are usually done in commerce or business

3.  unprofitable:
unappealing to consumers and so not likely to turn a profit

[1]



uncommitted

uncommitted
un·com·mit·ted 
[ùnkə míttəd] adjective

1.  with
no sense of commitment: not dedicated to a
particular principle, cause, or organization

2.  not
pledged:
not pledged to a particular cause, purpose, or course of action • uncommitted
funds

[1]



uncommon

uncommon
un·com·mon 
[un kómmən] adjective

1.  rare:
appearing or happening infrequently

2.  very
great:
used to emphasize the great extent of something
—un·com·mon·ness, noun[1]



uncommonly

uncommonly
un·com·mon·ly
[un kómmənlee] adverb

1.  seldom:
not frequently

2.  unusually:
to a degree or extent that is unusual or rare

[1]



uncommunicative

uncommunicative
un·com·mu·ni·ca·tive 
[ùnkə mynə kàytiv, ùnkə
mynəkətiv] adjective

not
saying much: not willing to say much or tending not
to say much
—un·com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ly,
adverb

—un·com·mu·ni·ca·tive·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at silent

[1]



uncompromising

uncompromising
un·com·pro·mis·ing 
[un kómprə mzing] adjective

not
compromising or giving in: feeling or showing no
willingness to compromise or back down
—un·com·pro·mis·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·com·pro·mis·ing·ness,
noun[1]



unconcern

unconcern
un·con·cern 
[ùnkən súrn] noun

indifference:
lack of concern or interest, especially where concern would be expected or
thought appropriate[1]



unconcerned

unconcerned
un·con·cerned 
[ùnkən súrnd] adjective

1.  not
anxious:
not worried or anxious, especially when this seems unexpected or unnatural

2.  indifferent:
lacking concern or interest or unwilling to become involved in something
—un·con·cern·ed·ly
[ùnkən súrnədlee], adverb

—un·con·cern·ed·ness [ùnkən súrnədnəss], noun[1]



unconditional

unconditional
un·con·di·tion·al 
[ùnkən díshən’l, ùnkən
díshnəl] adjective

with
no conditions or limitations: complete or guaranteed, with
no conditions, limitations, or provisos attached • unconditional
love
—un·con·di·tion·al·i·ty
[ùnkən dìshə nállətee], noun

—un·con·di·tion·al·ly
[ùnkən díshən’lee, ùnkən
díshnəlee], adverb[1]



unconditioned

unconditioned
un·con·di·tioned 
[ùnkən dísh’nd] adjective

1.  without
conditions:
without any conditions or limits restricting or affecting it

2.  PSYCHOLOGY natural:
arising spontaneously and not as a result of learning or conditioning • an
unconditioned reflex
—un·con·di·tioned·ness,
noun[1]



unconditionedstimulus

unconditionedstimulus
un·con·di·tioned
stim·u·lus
noun

stimulus that evokes a
reflexive response: a stimulus
that evokes a reflexive response without prior conditioning or learning[1]



unconformable

unconformable
un·con·form·a·ble 
[ùnkən fáwrməb’l] adjective

1.  unwilling
to conform:
unwilling or unable to follow conventional social customs

2.  GEOLOGY showing
geologic unconformity: used to describe a layer of
rock that lies directly on a much older stratum, indicating a period of erosion
—un·con·form·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnkən fàwrmə bíllətee], noun

—un·con·form·a·bly [ùnkən fáwrməblee], adverb[1]



unconformity

unconformity
un·con·for·mi·ty 
[ùnkən fáwrmətee] (plural un·con·form·i·ties)
noun

1.  lack
of conformity: behavior or thinking that refuses to
follow conventional social prescriptions

2.  GEOLOGY break
in continuity in sedimentary rocks: a
break in the continuity of sedimentary rocks resulting from erosion or
cessation of deposition

3.  GEOLOGY surface
between mismatched strata: the contact surface between
two unconformable strata, often marked by angular discordance

[1]



unconnected

unconnected
un·con·nect·ed 
[ùnkə néktəd] adjective

not
connected:
not related or connected to something else or each other • The
two incidents are entirely unconnected.
—un·con·nect·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·con·nect·ed·ness, noun[1]



unconscionable

unconscionable
un·con·scion·a·ble 
[un kónshənəb’l] adjective

1.  morally
unacceptable: shocking and morally unacceptable

2.  unreasonable:
far beyond what is considered reasonable
—un·con·scion·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·con·scion·a·bly, adverb[1]



unconscious

unconscious
un·con·scious 
[un kónshəss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE experiencing
loss of senses: unable to see, hear, or otherwise sense
what is going on, usually temporarily and often as a result of an accident or
injury

2.  unaware:
not aware of something

3.  unintentional:
not intended, or not realized or recognized • unconscious
irony
noun

PSYCHOLOGY mind’s
hidden part: the part of the mind containing
memories, thoughts, feelings, and ideas that the person is not generally aware
of but that manifest themselves in dreams and dissociated acts
—un·con·scious·ly,
adverb

—un·con·scious·ness, noun[1]



unconsidered

unconsidered
un·con·sid·ered 
[ùnkən síddərd] adjective

hasty:
done without being adequately thought about beforehand[1]



unconstitutional

unconstitutional
un·con·sti·tu·tion·al 
[un kònstə tshən’l, un kònstə tshnəl] adjective

contrary
to a constitution: not allowed by or against
the principles set down in a constitution, especially a nation’s written
constitution
—un·con·sti·tu·tion·al·i·ty
[un konstə tsh’n állətee], noun

—un·con·sti·tu·tion·al·ly
[un konstə tshən’lee, un konstə tshnəlee], adverb[1]



uncontrollable

uncontrollable
un·con·trol·la·ble 
[ùnkən trṓləb’l] adjective

1.  too
strong to suppress: too strongly felt to be
suppressed

2.  too
unruly to control: too unruly or wild to
discipline or control
—un·con·trol·la·bil·i·ty
[ùnkən trōlə bíllətee], noun

—un·con·trol·la·bly [ùnkən trṓləblee], adverb[1]



unconventional

unconventional
un·con·ven·tion·al 
[ùnkən vénshən’l] adjective

different
from the norm: different from what is regarded as
normal or standard
—un·con·ven·tion·al·i·ty
[ùnkən vènshə nállətee], noun

—un·con·ven·tion·al·ly
[ùnkən vénshən’lee], adverb[1]



uncool

uncool
un·cool 
[un kl] adjective

1.  undesirable:
unfashionable, undesirable, or unacceptable, especially in the opinion of young
people (slang)

2.  unrelaxed:
not suitably relaxed, casual, or self-assured, especially in the opinion of
young people (informal)

[1]



uncoordinated

uncoordinated
un·co·or·di·nat·ed 
[un k áwrd’n àytəd] adjective

1.  clumsy
in movement or action: awkward when moving or doing
something, as if different parts of the body were not acting in harmony

2.  not
organized:
with no organization or proper cooperation between individuals or groups

[1]



uncork

uncork
un·cork 
[un káwrk] (past un·corked, past
participle un·corked, present participle un·cork·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·corks) transitive verb

1.  remove
the cork from: to open a bottle of something,
especially wine, by taking out its cork

2.  unleash:
to release something that has been restrained or repressed such as a strong
emotion

[1]



uncountable

uncountable
un·count·a·ble 
[un kówntəb’l] adjective

1.  not
able to be counted: too various or great in
number to be counted

2.  GRAMMAR not
referring to an individual: used to describe a noun that
does not refer to a single object

[1]



uncounted

uncounted
un·count·ed 
[un kówntəd] adjective

1.  innumerable:
too numerous to be counted

2.  not
counted:
not, or not yet, subjected to a count

[1]



uncouple

uncouple
un·cou·ple 
[un kúpp’l] (past un·cou·pled,
past participle un·cou·pled, present participle un·cou·pling,
3rd person present singular un·cou·ples) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb unfasten:
to separate two things or one thing from another by undoing a fastening that
connects them

2.  transitive
verb
release
from restraint: to let loose something that has been
restrained

[1]



uncouth

uncouth
un·couth 
[un kth] adjective

1.  ill-mannered:
behaving in an ill-mannered or unrefined way

2.  awkward:
clumsy and ungraceful
[Old
English uncūþ “unknown,” from cūþ “known,” past participle of cunnan
“to know,” an earlier form of can]
—un·couth·ly,
adverb

—un·couth·ness, noun[1]



uncovenanted

uncovenanted
un·cov·e·nant·ed 
[un kúvvənəntəd] adjective

not covered by covenant:
not bound, sanctioned, or guaranteed by a covenant[1]



uncover

uncover
un·cov·er 
[un kúvvər] (past un·cov·ered,
past participle un·cov·ered, present participle un·cov·er·ing,
3rd person present singular un·cov·ers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
the cover off: to remove a covering from something

2.  transitive
verb
expose:
to find, find out about, or reveal something secret or previously hidden • uncover
the truth about somebody

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
off your hat: to take off a hat or other head covering
(dated)

[1]



uncovered

uncovered
un·cov·ered 
[un kúvvərd] adjective

1.  with
no covering: without any covering or protection

2.  INSURANCE not
insured:
not protected by insurance or guaranteed by some security

3.  with
the head bare: with a hat or other head covering
removed, usually as a sign of respect (dated)

[1]



uncritical

uncritical
un·crit·i·cal 
[un kríttik’l] adjective

undiscriminating:
accepting or approving something without analyzing or questioning it or
discriminating between good and bad
—un·crit·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



uncross

uncross
un·cross 
[un kráwss, un
kross] (past un·crossed, past participle un·crossed,
present participle un·cross·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·cross·es) transitive verb

change from a crossed
position: to straighten out from a
crossed position • She
sat crossing and uncrossing her arms impatiently.[1]



uncrowned

uncrowned
un·crowned 
[un krównd] adjective

1.  with
power but no title: possessing power, status, or
wide respect but without an official title or recognition

2.  royal
but not yet crowned: with royal rank but not yet
crowned

[1]



unction

unction
unc·tion 
[úngkshən] (plural unc·tions) noun

1.  anointing
with oil:
the rubbing or sprinkling of oil on somebody as part of a religious ceremony or
medical treatment

2.  substance
used in a rite or treatment: an oil, ointment, or salve
used in religious rites or medical treatment

3.  real
or pretended earnestness: real or pretended
earnestness or fervor, especially with regard to spiritual matters and
especially when expressed in suitably solemn language

4.  flattering
efforts to charm: excessively ingratiating efforts to
charm or convince somebody

5.  something
soothing:
something that soothes or comforts somebody
[14th century. From Latin unction-,
from unguere “to smear, anoint” (source of English ointment and anoint
).][1]



unctuous

unctuous
unc·tu·ous 
[úngkchoo əss] adjective

1.  excessively
ingratiating: attempting to charm or convince somebody
in an unpleasantly suave, smug, or smooth way

2.  oily,
fatty, or greasy: resembling or containing oil, fat, or
grease

3.  soft
and rich:
soft and rich in texture and easily workable, especially through containing a
high proportion of organic material
[14th
century. From medieval Latin unctuosus, from Latin unctus
“anointing,” from unguere (see unction
).]
—unc·tu·os·i·ty
[ùngkchoo óssətee], noun

—unc·tu·ous·ly
[úngkchoo əsslee], adverb

—unc·tu·ous·ness [úngkchoo əssnəss], noun[1]



uncurl

uncurl
un·curl 
[un kúrl] (past un·curled, past
participle un·curled, present participle un·curl·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·curls) intransitive and transitive
verb

straighten:
to straighten something that was previously wound in a curl, coil, or spiral,
or to become unwound or straight[1]



uncus

uncus
un·cus 
[úngkəss] (plural un·ci [ún s]) noun

ANATOMY hook-shaped
part:
a body part shaped like a hook
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Latin, “hook.”][1]



uncut

uncut
un·cut 
[un kút] adjective

1.  not
cut:
with no part removed or divided by cutting

2.  complete:
not abridged, shortened, or censored

3.  not
faceted:
used to describe a gemstone in its original shape, before facets have been cut

4.  PUBLISHING with
unseparated pages: with the edges of the pages
not yet trimmed to separate them

5.  DRUGS not
adulterated: in a pure and unadulterated form (informal)

[1]



undamped

undamped
un·damped 
[un dámpt] adjective

1.  not
diminished:
not subdued or discouraged

2.  PHYSICS able
to oscillate: used to describe a scientific instrument
or system that is allowed to oscillate unchecked

[1]



undaunted

undaunted
un·daunt·ed 
[un dáwntəd] adjective

not
frightened:
not afraid or deterred by the prospect of defeat, loss, or failure
—un·daunt·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·daunt·ed·ness, noun[1]



undead

undead
un·dead
[un déd] plural noun

the
still animate dead: in fiction, especially
vampire stories, people or other beings who are technically dead but still
exist, move, and interact with the living in a physical form
—un·dead, adjective[1]



undebatable

undebatable
un·de·bat·a·ble 
[ùndi báytəb’l] adjective

indisputable:
not open to debate or dispute
—un·de·bat·a·bly, adverb[1]



undecagon

undecagon
un·dec·a·gon
[un dékə gòn] (plural un·dec·a·gons)
noun

11-sided
plane figure: a plane figure with eleven sides and
eleven angles
[Early 18th century. Formed
from Latin undecim “eleven” + -gon,
on the model of decagon .][1]



undeceive

undeceive
un·de·ceive 
[ùndi sv] (past un·de·ceived,
past participle un·de·ceived, present participle un·de·ceiv·ing,
3rd person present singular un·de·ceives) transitive verb

free
from deception: to tell the truth to somebody who has
been misled (often passive)
—un·de·ceiv·er, noun[1]



undecided

undecided
un·de·cid·ed 
[ùndi sdəd] adjective

1.  not
having decided: not yet having made a choice or decision

2.  not
finalized:
not yet settled or resolved
noun
(plural un·de·cid·eds)

somebody without mind made up:
somebody who has not yet made a decision or choice about something • She
was counted among the undecideds.
—un·de·cid·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·de·cid·ed·ness, noun[1]



undefined

undefined
un·de·fined
[ùndi fnd] adjective

1.  without
fixed limits: for which no definite limits have been
decided

2.  not
explained:
not given a definition, meaning, or value

[1]



undelete

undelete
un·de·lete
[ùndi léet] (past un·de·let·ed,
past participle un·de·let·ed, present participle un·de·let·ing,
3rd person present singular un·de·letes) transitive verb

COMPUT
cancel a deletion:
to reinstate text or a file that has been deleted on a computer[1]



undemocratic

undemocratic
un·dem·o·crat·ic
[un dèmmə kráttik] adjective

not
democratic:
not in accordance with or not practicing democracy
—un·dem·o·crat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



undemonstrative

undemonstrative
un·de·mon·stra·tive 
[ùndi mónstrətiv] adjective

reserved:
tending not to show emotions openly
—un·de·mon·stra·tive·ly,
adverb

—un·de·mon·stra·tive·ness,
noun[1]



undeniable

undeniable
un·de·ni·a·ble 
[ùndi n əb’l] adjective

1.  beyond
question:
unquestionably true or real and beyond dispute

2.  unable
to be refused: not able to be refused because of its
importance or impact

3.  indisputably
worthy:
with worth, merit, or quality that cannot be doubted • a
person of undeniable character
—un·de·ni·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·de·ni·a·bly, adverb[1]



under

under
un·der 
[úndər] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to express the concept of being beneath or below
something, for example, in location, size, age, or price • (preposition)
Johnny had the book hidden under his tunic. • (preposition)
The machine is under a foot high and will fit on to any work surface.
• (preposition)
The toy should not be given to children under three years old.
• (preposition)
It’s the best meal you can get for under $5. • (adverb)
For one week only, kids five and under eat free.

1.
preposition below:
directly below or underneath the base of something • They
were sheltering under a huge umbrella.

2.
preposition beneath:
beneath a layer of something • He had
two sweaters on under his jacket.

3.
preposition less than:
fewer in number than or less than something, for example, in age, quantity,
size, or price • By the age of sixteen
she was still under five feet tall.

4.
preposition subordinate to:
lower in rank or status than somebody • I
was under him in the company hierarchy.

5.
preposition subject to:
subject to the control or authority of somebody or something • under
existing legislation • working
under a new boss

6.
preposition during the rule of:
during the rule of a person or government • The
crime rate had in fact gone down under the new mayor.

7.
preposition in view of:
in view of something or while something, especially conditions or
circumstances, prevails • Serious
work is impossible under these conditions.

8.
preposition undergoing a process:
used to indicate that somebody or something is going through a particular
process or experience • The
proposals have come under attack.

9.
preposition using the name of:
using a particular name, especially an assumed name • traveling
under a false name

10.
preposition classified within:
classified as or in something • You
should find it in the filing cabinet under “Miscellaneous.”

11.
preposition planted with:
planted with a particular crop • That
field will be under rye next year.

12.
preposition powered by:
powered or driven by something • under
sail

13.
preposition in a sign of the zodiac:
during a period in which the sun is in a particular position in the zodiac • I
was born under Saggitarius.

14.
adverb below a surface or point:
at or to a point or place at a lower level, especially one below a surface • lifted
the wire and crawled under

15.
adverb fewer or less:
fewer or less than a previously given figure • Employers
with 50 employees or under are exempt.

16.
adverb adjective subservient:
in or into a position of submissiveness or subservience (informal) • policies
designed to keep the masses under

17.
adverb adjective unconscious:
in or into a state of unconsciousness or hypnosis (informal) • could
feel myself going under
[Old English under .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English inferior and inferno
.][1]



underachieve

underachieve
un·der·a·chieve 
[ùndərə chv] (past un·der·a·chieved,
past participle un·der·a·chieved, present participle un·der·a·chiev·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·a·chieves) intransitive
verb

fail
to do as expected: to fail to fulfill your
potential or somebody’s expectations
—un·der·a·chieve·ment,
noun[1]



underachiever

underachiever
un·der·a·chiev·er
[ùndər ə chvər] (plural un·der·a·chiev·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
who underperforms academically: somebody who does less
well in academic work than might have been expected, given the evidence of the
person’s intelligence and aptitude

2.  underperformer:
somebody or something that performs below expectations

[1]



underact

underact
un·der·act 
[ùndər ákt] (past un·der·act·ed,
past participle un·der·act·ed, present participle un·der·act·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·acts) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb act a
role poorly: to fail to play a role with enough power
or conviction

2.  transitive
verb
play
down effectively: to play a role in an understated way
deliberately, for dramatic effect

[1]



underage

underage
un·der·age
[ùndər áyj] adjective

1.  below
age:
below the legal or required age for something

2.  done
by people under the legal age: carried on by people
who are below the age at which something is legally permitted

[1]



underarm

underarm
un·der·arm 
[úndər rm] adjective

1.  below
the arm:
below the arm or for use under the arm, especially the armpit

2.  from
wrist to armpit: relating to the area along the underside
of the arm from armpit to wrist

3.  U.K.
SPORTS See underhand
adverb

U.K. SPORTS See underhand
noun
(plural un·der·arms)

area just below the arm:
the area below the arm on the body or on a garment, especially the armpit

[1]



underbelly

underbelly
un·der·bel·ly 
[úndər bèllee] (plural un·der·bel·lies)
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY lowest
part of an animal’s belly: the underside of an animal,
normally the part of the belly that is closest to the ground

2.  weak
point:
a weak or vulnerable part of something • the
soft underbelly of the regime

3.  seamy
part of something: a sordid area or aspect of
something, especially one regarded as outside the experience of the average
person

4.  lower
surface:
the underside of an object, especially an aircraft

[1]



underbid

underbid
un·der·bid 
[ùndər bíd] verb (past un·der·bid,
past participle un·der·bid, present participle un·der·bid·ding,
3rd person present singular un·der·bids)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
less:
to offer a lower price than somebody else in competitive bidding

2.  intransitive
verb
make
too low a bid: to make a very low bid or too low a bid
to obtain something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb CARD GAMES bid less than the value of
your cards:
to bid less than the full value of a hand in cards
noun
(plural un·der·bids)

very low bid: a bid
that is lower than somebody else’s, or too low to obtain something
—un·der·bid·der, noun[1]



underbite

underbite
un·der·bite
[úndər bt] (plural un·der·bites)
noun

DENTISTRY condition
of overlapping incisors: a dental condition in which
the lower incisor teeth overlap the upper.
See
also
overbite
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on overbite .][1]



underbody

underbody
un·der·bod·y 
[úndər bòddee] (plural un·der·bod·ies)
noun

lower surface of something:
the underside of the body of a motor vehicle or of an animal[1]



underboss

underboss
un·der·boss 
[úndər bòss] (unmarked inflection un·der·boss·es)
noun

minor
boss of a criminal group: a lesser or deputy boss in a
criminal organization, especially the Mafia
[Mid-20th century][1]



underbred

underbred
un·der·bred 
[ùndər bréd] adjective

1.  not
purebred:
not bred from pure stock

2.  not
well-bred:
not raised well or well-mannered
—un·der·breed·ing [ùndər brding], noun[1]



underbrush

underbrush
un·der·brush 
[úndər brùsh] noun

See
undergrowth  noun 1[1]



undercapitalize

undercapitalize
un·der·cap·i·tal·ize 
[ùndər káppit’l z] (past un·der·cap·i·tal·ized,
past participle un·der·cap·i·tal·ized, present participle un·der·cap·i·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·cap·i·tal·iz·es) intransitive
and transitive verb

not
supply enough capital for: to fail to supply an
organization, especially a business, with enough capital to operate efficiently
(often passive)
—un·der·cap·i·tal·i·za·tion
[ùndər kàppit’li záysh’n], noun[1]



undercarriage

undercarriage
un·der·car·riage 
[úndər kèrrij] (plural un·der·car·riag·es)
noun

1.  wheel
structure for an aircraft: the framework of struts and
wheels on which an aircraft runs when it moves on the ground

2.  supporting
structure underneath a vehicle: the supporting
framework underneath a vehicle, to which wheels, tracks, or other means of
locomotion are attached

[1]



undercharge

undercharge
un·der·charge 
verb [ùndər chrj] (past un·der·charged,
past participle un·der·charged, present participle un·der·charg·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·charg·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb not
charge somebody enough: to charge somebody too low a
price for something

2.  transitive
verb
ARMS insert
too weak a charge in: to put an inadequate charge
in a firearm
noun
[úndər chrj] (plural un·der·charg·es)

excessively low price:
a price charged that is too low

[1]



underclass

underclass
un·der·class 
[úndər klàss] (plural un·der·class·es)
noun

lowest social class:
a social class consisting of people so underprivileged that they are seen as
being excluded from mainstream society[1]



underclassman

underclassman
un·der·class·man 
[úndər klàssmən] noun (plural un·der·class·men
[úndər klàssmən]) noun (plural
un·der·class·men [úndər klàssmən])

freshman or sophomore:
somebody in either of the first two years of high school or college[1]



underclay

underclay
un·der·clay
[úndər klày] (plural un·der·clays)
noun

clay under a coal seam:
a layer of fine-grained sedimentary clay found beneath a coal seam, containing
the fossilized roots of the plants that became the coal[1]



underclothes

underclothes
un·der·clothes 
[úndər klz, úndər
klz] plural noun

See
underwear[1]



underclothing

underclothing
un·der·cloth·ing 
[úndər kling] noun

See
underwear[1]



undercoat

undercoat
un·der·coat 
[úndər kt] noun (plural un·der·coats)

1.  coat
beneath the final paint coat: a coat of paint or emulsion
applied to a surface before a top coat is applied

2.  paint
to be covered: paint or emulsion designed to be used as
an undercoat

3.  ZOOLOGY short
hairs under an animal’s coat: a dense layer of short
hairs, fur, or wool beneath the longer growth of an animal’s outer coat.
Also
called
undergrowth

4.  AUTOMOBILES See undercoating
transitive
verb
(past un·der·coat·ed, past participle un·der·coat·ed,
present participle un·der·coat·ing, 3rd person present
singular un·der·coats)

1.  paint
with an undercoat: to apply an undercoat to a
surface

2.  AUTOMOBILES apply
a protective coating to a vehicle’s underside: to
apply a waterproof coating on the underside of a motor vehicle in order to
prevent rust and corrosion.
U.K.
term
underseal

[1]



undercoating

undercoating
un·der·coat·ing
[úndər kting] (plural un·der·coat·ings)
noun

waterproof coating for the
underside of a vehicle: a coating
of a waterproof material applied to the underside of a motor vehicle as
protection against rust and corrosion.
Also called
undercoat
U.K. term
underseal[1]



undercool

undercool
un·der·cool 
[ùndər kl] (past un·der·cooled,
past participle un·der·cooled, present participle un·der·cool·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·cools) transitive verb

CHEMISTRY
See supercool[1]



undercover

undercover
un·der·cov·er 
[ùndər kúvvər] adjective

secretly
gathering information: engaged in or involving the
secret gathering of information, especially by somebody who disguises himself
or herself as a member of the group whose activities are being investigated • an
undercover police officer
—un·der·cov·er, adverb[1]



undercroft

undercroft
un·der·croft 
[úndər kròft] (plural un·der·crofts)
noun

underground chamber:
an underground room, especially the crypt of a church[1]



undercurrent

undercurrent
un·der·cur·rent 
[úndər kùrrənt] (plural un·der·cur·rents)
noun

1.  underlying
current:
a current in a body of water or air that flows beneath another current or the
surface

2.  hidden
feeling or force: a feeling, opinion, force, or tendency
that is felt to be present in somebody, but that is not openly shown or
expressed and often differs markedly from the person’s outward reaction • an
undercurrent of resentment

[1]



undercut

undercut
un·der·cut 
verb [ùndər kút] (past un·der·cut,
past participle un·der·cut, present participle un·der·cut·ting,
3rd person present singular un·der·cuts)

1.  transitive
verb
BUSINESS charge
a lower amount than: to charge less for something
than somebody else

2.  transitive
verb
reduce
something’s force: to undermine something or
detract from its force (often passive)

3.  transitive
verb
cut
the lower part of: to cut away or cut into the
lower part of something, especially so as to leave a portion overhanging

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS hit a ball with backspin:
to hit a ball with a downward oblique stroke, for example, in golf or tennis,
so that it has backspin
noun
[úndər kùt] (plural un·der·cuts)

1.  cut
made in a lower part: a cut made below another or
into the lower part of something

2.  something
cut away:
a piece of material that has been cut away from the lower part of something

3.  FORESTRY notch
in a tree trunk: a notch cut in a tree that is being
felled that helps it make a clean break and directs its fall

4.  SPORTS stroke
with backspin: a stroke that gives backspin to a ball

[1]



underdaks

underdaks
un·der·daks
[úndər dàks] plural noun

Australia
underpants:
underpants, especially men’s underpants (informal)
[Late 20th century. Daks from
a proprietary name for a make of men’s clothes, especially of pants.][1]



underdeveloped

underdeveloped
un·der·de·vel·oped 
[ùndər di vélləpt] adjective

1.  not
fully grown: not grown to a full or normal extent

2.  ECONOMICS without
means for economic growth: lacking the technology and
capital to make efficient use of available resources

3.  PHOTOGRAPHY not
developed enough: used to describe a photograph, negative,
or film that was inadequately developed during processing, usually through
being taken out of the developer too soon, and that lacks contrast as a result
—un·der·de·vel·op·ment,
noun[1]



underdog

underdog
un·der·dog 
[úndər dòg] (plural un·der·dogs)
noun

1.  expected
loser:
somebody who is expected to lose a fight or contest

2.  somebody
at a disadvantage: somebody who tends to be
unsuccessful in life

[1]



underdone

underdone
un·der·done 
[ùndər dún] adjective

1.  inadequately
cooked:
not cooked as thoroughly as intended or required

2.  U.K.
rare:
cooked only lightly or partially to achieve a desired flavor or texture

[1]



underdress

underdress
un·der·dress 
intransitive verb [ùndər dréss] (past
un·der·dressed, past participle un·der·dressed, present
participle un·der·dress·ing, 3rd person present singular un·der·dress·es)

dress
inadequately for an occasion: to dress less fully or
formally than an occasion or circumstance demands, for example, in cold weather
or for a social event (often passive)
See
also
dress down
noun
[úndər drèss] (plural un·der·dress·es)

garment worn beneath others:
a garment or set of garments worn beneath others, especially if designed to be
seen when worn[1]



underemphasize

underemphasize
un·der·em·pha·size 
[ùndər émfə sz] (past un·der·em·pha·sized,
past participle un·der·em·pha·sized, present participle un·der·em·pha·siz·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·em·pha·siz·es) transitive
verb

fail
to emphasize: to fail to give something the emphasis
or importance it deserves
—un·der·em·pha·sis [ùndər émfəssiss], noun[1]



underemployed

underemployed
un·der·em·ployed 
[ùndər im plóyd] adjective

1.  not
used fully:
not being used to full capacity in a job

2.  not
working full-time: working part-time but
preferring full-time employment
—un·der·em·ploy·ment, noun[1]



underestimate

underestimate
un·der·es·ti·mate 
[ùndər ésti màyt] verb (past un·der·es·ti·mat·ed,
past participle un·der·es·ti·mat·ed, present participle un·der·es·ti·mat·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·es·ti·mates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
too low an estimate: to make an estimate of
something that is too low • We
underestimated the time it would take.

2.  transitive
verb
misjudge
the worth of: to judge people or things as being
inferior to their real value or ability • Don’t
underestimate her –she’s tougher than she looks.
noun
(plural un·der·es·ti·mates)

too low an estimate:
an estimate that is too low, or a judgment that is too unfavorable to somebody
or something
—un·der·es·ti·ma·tion
[ùndər esti máysh’n], noun[1]



underexpose

underexpose
un·der·ex·pose 
[ùndər ik spṓz] (past un·der·ex·posed,
past participle un·der·ex·posed, present participle un·der·ex·pos·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·ex·pos·es) transitive verb

1.  PHOTOGRAPHY expose
film inadequately: to expose film to light for
too short a time or to inadequate light

2.  publicize
inadequately: to fail to give somebody or something
enough publicity
—un·der·ex·po·sure [ùndər ik spṓzhər], noun[1]



underfeed

underfeed
un·der·feed 
[ùndər fd, úndər
fd] (past participle un·der·fed [ùndər
féd], present participle un·der·feed·ing, 3rd person
present singular un·der·feeds) transitive verb

1.  feed
inadequately: to fail to give a person or animal
enough to eat

2.  fuel
from underneath: to fuel something, for example, an
engine or a furnace, from underneath

[1]



underfinanced

underfinanced
un·der·fi·nanced
[ùndər f nànst, ùndər
fi nánst] adjective

without sufficient financing:
not provided with sufficient capital or funds to be able to run efficiently[1]



underfloor

underfloor
un·der·floor
[ùndər fláwr] adjective

below the floor:
locating beneath the flooring of a room or building • underfloor
heating[1]



underflow

underflow
un·der·flow 
[úndər fl] noun

computer’s inability to
handle small data: the
inability of a location in computer memory to handle data of an excessively
small magnitude, or an instance of this.
See also
overflow[1]



underfoot

underfoot
un·der·foot 
[ùndər ft] adverb

1.  beneath
the feet:
under the feet of a person or animal, on the ground, or between the feet and
the ground • It
was muddy underfoot.

2.  in
the way:
creating an obstacle or obstruction

3.  with
arrogant disregard or destructive intent: in a
way that shows an arrogant or callous disregard or an intention to destroy • trampled
underfoot the feelings of everyone who worked for them

[1]



underfund

underfund
un·der·fund 
[ùndər fúnd] transitive verb

not give enough funds to:
to fail to provide adequate funding for something such as a project or program
(often passive) • It
was an ambitious plan, hopelessly underfunded from the start.[1]



underfunding

underfunding
un·der·fund·ing
[ùndər fúnding] noun

lack of funds:
failure to make enough funds available for something • The
programme eventually foundered after years of underfunding.[1]



underfur

underfur
un·der·fur 
[úndər fùr] noun

inner layer of fur:
a soft layer of short fur beneath the outer, coarser fur of some animals such
as the beaver.
Also called
undergrowth[1]



undergarment

undergarment
un·der·gar·ment 
[úndər grmənt] (plural un·der·gar·ments)
noun

garment worn beneath others:
a piece of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, especially next to the skin,
and not normally seen in public[1]



undergird

undergird
un·der·gird 
[ùndər gúrd] (past un·der·gird·ed
or un·der·girt [ùndər gúrt], past
participle un·der·gird·ed or un·der·girt, present
participle un·der·gird·ing, 3rd person present singular un·der·girds)
transitive verb

1.  support
from below:
to support or secure something from below, for example, with ropes passed
underneath

2.  support:
to provide something with support or reinforcement of any kind

[1]



underglaze

underglaze
un·der·glaze 
[úndər glàyz] adjective

applied
prior to glazing: used to describe decoration or pigment
applied to a piece of pottery before the glaze is put on • an
underglaze pigment
noun
(plural un·der·glaz·es)

something applied before glazing:
something, especially a decoration or pigment, that is applied to a piece of
pottery before the glaze is put on[1]



undergo

undergo
un·der·go 
[ùndər gṓ] (past un·der·went [ùndər wént], past participle un·der·gone
[ùndər gón], present participle un·der·go·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·goes) transitive verb

go through an experience:
to experience or endure something, or have something happen to you • You’ll
be obliged to undergo a thorough medical examination.
• The
city underwent a period of great change.[1]



undergrad

undergrad
un·der·grad 
[úndər gràd] (plural un·der·grads)
noun

undergraduate:
an undergraduate (informal) • undergrad
humor
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



undergraduate

undergraduate
un·der·grad·u·ate 
[ùndər grájjoo ət] (plural un·der·grad·u·ates)
noun

student studying for a first
degree: a student at university or
college who has not yet received a degree (often used before a noun) • undergraduate
courses[1]



underground

underground
un·der·ground 
adjective [úndər gròwnd]

1.  beneath
the Earth’s surface: located, happening, or
operating beneath the surface of the Earth

2.  covert:
concealed and done in secret

3.  contrary
to the prevailing culture: separate from a prevailing
social or artistic environment, and often exercising a subversive influence • The
story had been circulating in the underground press for years.
noun
[úndər gròwnd]

1.  resistance
movement:
a secret movement that aims to overthrow a government or fight against an
occupying enemy

2.  movement
contrary to the prevailing culture: a
movement or group that is separate from the prevailing social or artistic
environment and often exerts a subversive influence

3.  U.K.
See subway
adverb
[ùndər grównd]

1.  below
ground:
below the surface of the ground

2.  secretly:
in secret or in hiding

[1]



UndergroundRailroad

UndergroundRailroad
Un·der·ground
Rail·road 
noun

organization helping enslaved
laborers: a secret organization that
helped enslaved laborers flee from the southern United States to Canada or
other places of safety prior to the abolition of slavery[1]



undergroundrailroad

undergroundrailroad
un·der·ground
rail·road
(plural un·der·ground rail·roads) noun

clandestine route into or
around a country: a secret network or
route by which a fugitive can be smuggled into or out of a country or moved
around safely inside it[1]



undergrown

undergrown
un·der·grown 
[úndər grn] adjective

1.  not
fully grown: not grown to the expected size

2.  with
undergrowth: having or covered with undergrowth

[1]



undergrowth

undergrowth
un·der·growth 
[úndər grwth] noun

1.  vegetation
under trees: shrubs, small trees, or other vegetation
growing beneath the trees in a forest.
Also
called
underbrush
Also
called
underwood

2.  stunted
growth:
growth that is less than expected

3.  ZOOLOGY See undercoat See underfur

[1]



underhand

underhand
un·der·hand 
adjective [ùndər hánd]

1.  secret
and dishonest: done secretively and dishonestly or with
the intention to deceive or cheat somebody

2.  SPORTS with
the arm below the shoulder: with the arm kept below
shoulder height and usually close to the body when performing an action such as
throwing, serving, or pitching a ball.
U.K.
term
underarm
adverb

1.  secretly
and dishonestly: in a secretive and dishonest way

2.  below
the shoulder: with the arm kept below shoulder height.

U.K.
term
underarm
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly from a sleight of hand in gambling as in Old French par
sous main, literally “by under hand.”][1]



underhanded

underhanded
un·der·hand·ed
[ùndər hándəd] adjective adverb

See
underhand  adjective 1
See underhand  adverb 1
—un·der·hand·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·der·hand·ed·ness, noun[1]



underhung

underhung
un·der·hung 
[ùndər húng] adjective

1.  MEDICINE jutting
beyond the upper jaw: used to describe a lower jaw
that projects beyond the upper jaw

2.  CONSTRUCTION running
on a rail underneath: running on a rail or track
situated underneath • underhung
sliding doors

[1]



underinsure

underinsure
un·der·in·sure 
[ùndərin shr] (past un·der·in·sured,
past participle un·der·in·sured, present participle un·der·in·sur·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·in·sures) transitive verb

insure for less than the true
value: to take out insufficient
insurance to cover the value of the article that is being insured[1]



underlain

underlain
un·der·lain


Past participle of
underlie[1]



underlay

underlay1
un·der·lay1 transitive verb [ùndər láy] (past participle un·der·laid
[ùndər láyd], present participle un·der·lay·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·lays)

provide with something underneath:
to lay something underneath something else (often passive)
noun
[úndər lày] (plural un·der·lays)

1.  layer
beneath carpet: a layer of cushioning and insulating
material put down on a floor before a carpet is laid

2.  support
for something: something laid beneath something else as
a base, support, or foundation
[Old
English underleegan]
—un·der·laid,
adjective

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  underlay
  or underlie ?
  Unlike
  the root words lay and lie, both verbs are transitive (i.e.
  take an object). The more common word is underlie,
  and this has a wider range of meanings including the nonphysical meaning “to
  form the basis of”: • This
  trend underlies all the social changes of recent times
  . The primary meaning of underlay is “to
  cover the bottommost part of” ( • We
  underlaid the carpet with felt ) and in this
  meaning it also acts as a noun (with the stress on the first syllable).

[1]



underlay

underlay2
un·der·lay2 

Past tense of
underlie[1]



underlet

underlet
un·der·let 
[ùndər lét] (past un·der·let, past
participle un·der·let, present participle un·der·let·ting,
3rd person present singular un·der·lets) verb

1.  transitive
verb
let
cheaply:
to let a property for less than its full value

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb See sublet

[1]



underlie

underlie
un·der·lie 
[ùndər l] (past un·der·lay [ùndər láy], past participle un·der·lain
[ùndər láyn], present participle un·der·ly·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·lies) transitive verb

1.  lie
beneath:
to lie or be put under something else

2.  be
the foundation of something: to be the basis or cause of
something • the
assumptions that underlie this argument

3.  FINANCE have
financial priority over: to take priority over other
financial rights or securities • This
claim underlies yours.
[Old
English underliegan]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at underlay 1 .

[1]



underline

underline
un·der·line 
transitive verb [ùndər ln, úndər ln] (past un·der·lined, past
participle un·der·lined, present participle un·der·lin·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·lines)

1.  put
line below:
to draw or type a line under something

2.  emphasize:
to give emphasis or extra force to something
noun
[úndər ln] (plural un·der·lines)

1.  line
beneath something: a line drawn or typed under
something

2.  PRINTING caption
under an illustration: a caption placed below an
illustration

[1]



underlinen

underlinen
un·der·lin·en
[úndər lìnnən] noun

underwear:
underwear, especially when made of linen (archaic)[1]



underling

underling
un·der·ling 
[úndərling] (plural un·der·lings)
noun

subordinate person:
a servant or subordinate of somebody else, especially one regarded as of little
worth or importance[1]



underlip

underlip
un·der·lip
[úndər lìp] (unmarked inflection un·der·lips)
noun

bottom lip:
the lower lip of a person or animal[1]



underlying

underlying
un·der·ly·ing 
[úndər l ing] adjective

1.  lying
underneath:
positioned beneath something else • the
underlying rock strata

2.  hidden
and significant: present and important but not
immediately obvious • the
underlying reasons for his odd behavior

3.  essential:
basic or fundamental to something • at
odds with the underlying ideology of the party

4.  FINANCE financially
most important: used to describe financial obligations
or assets that take priority over others

[1]



undermine

undermine
un·der·mine 
[ùndər mn, úndər
mn] (past un·der·mined, past participle un·der·mined,
present participle un·der·min·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·der·mines) transitive verb

1.  erode:
to weaken something by removing or wearing away material from its base or from
beneath it • The
chalk cliffs are being gradually undermined by the waves.

2.  weaken
gradually:
to diminish or weaken something gradually • Successive
failures at job interviews began to undermine my confidence.

3.  weaken
insidiously: to demoralize somebody or something by
covert and malicious action

[1]



undermost

undermost
un·der·most 
[úndər mst] adjective

lowest
of all:
lowest or last in position, status, or level
adverb

in the lowest place:
in the lowest or last place[1]



underneath

underneath
un·der·neath 
[ùndər nth] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is below or beneath another thing,
and may be covered by it • (adverb)
Underneath, on the floor, was what appeared to be a heap of black clothes.
• (preposition)
I left the key underneath the doormat.

1.
preposition adverb underlying something:
underlying something that is shown on the surface or openly expressed • (preposition)
Underneath her confident exterior she was a very shy person.
• (adverb)
There must be deeper problems underneath.

2.
adverb adjective on the lower part of
something:
on the bottom of something or the part that faces toward the ground • (adverb)
brown with white feathers underneath • (adjective)
The underneath part is hard to reach.

3.
noun the
lower part of something: the bottom part of something
or the part that faces toward the ground
[Old English underneoþan,
from under + neoþan “beneath” (source
of English beneath )][1]



undernourish

undernourish
un·der·nour·ish 
[ùndər núr ish] (past un·der·nour·ished,
past participle un·der·nour·ished, present participle un·der·nour·ish·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·nour·ish·es) transitive
verb

not
feed enough: to fail to supply somebody with enough
food or other resources to provide for proper development (often passive)
—un·der·nour·ish·ment,
noun[1]



underpants

underpants
un·der·pants 
[úndər pànts] plural noun

briefs used as underwear:
briefs or shorts worn as underclothes (takes a plural verb)[1]



underpass

underpass
un·der·pass 
[úndər pàss] (plural un·der·pass·es)
noun

1.  road
under another road: a part of a road that
crosses under another road or a railroad

2.  tunnel
under a road: a tunnel for pedestrians beneath a road
or railroad

[1]



underpay

underpay
un·der·pay 
[ùndər páy] (past un·der·paid
[ùndər páyd], past participle un·der·paid,
present participle un·der·pay·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·der·pays) transitive verb

not
pay enough:
to pay somebody less than he or she deserves or than is usual, or to fail to
pay the full amount of something
—un·der·pay·ment, noun[1]



underperform

underperform
un·der·per·form 
[ùndər pər fáwrm] (past un·der·per·formed,
past participle un·der·per·formed, present participle un·der·per·form·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·per·forms) intransitive
verb

not
do as well:
to do less well than expected or than something or somebody else • underperforming
investments
—un·der·per·form·ance,
noun

—un·der·per·form·er, noun[1]



underpin

underpin
un·der·pin 
[ùndər pín] (past un·der·pinned,
past participle un·der·pinned, present participle un·der·pin·ning,
3rd person present singular un·der·pins) transitive verb

1.  CONSTRUCTION support
from below:
to support a weakened wall or structure by propping it up from below

2.  act
as support for: to act as a support or foundation for
something (often passive) • the
hard facts that underpin these assumptions

[1]



underpinning

underpinning
un·der·pin·ning 
[ùndər pínning] (plural un·der·pin·nings)
noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION supporting
structure:
a structure built to support a weakened wall or building

2.  foundation
for something: something that supports or acts as a
foundation for something (usually plural)

[1]



underplay

underplay
un·der·play 
[ùndər pláy] (past un·der·played,
past participle un·der·played, present participle un·der·play·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·plays) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARTS act a role subtly:
to act a role in a deliberately restrained or subtle way

2.  transitive
verb
do
subtly:
to present or deal with something in a deliberately restrained or subtle way

3.  intransitive
verb
CARD GAMES play
a lower card: to play a lower card while holding a higher
one

[1]



underplot

underplot
un·der·plot 
[úndər plòt] (plural un·der·plots)
noun

subplot:
a secondary plot in a play, novel, or other work of fiction[1]



underprice

underprice
un·der·price 
[ùndər prss] (past un·der·priced,
past participle un·der·priced, present participle un·der·pric·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·pric·es) transitive verb

1.  sell
cheaply:
to put a price on something for sale that is less than its actual value

2.  sell
cheaper than a competitor: to sell something for a
lower price than somebody else

[1]



underprivileged

underprivileged
un·der·priv·i·leged 
[ùndər prívvəlijd] adjective

denied
social privileges and rights: deprived of many of the
rights and privileges enjoyed by most people in society, usually as a result of
poverty (used euphemistically)
noun

underprivileged people:
underprivileged people considered as a social group (used euphemistically)[1]



underproof

underproof
un·der·proof 
[ùndər prf] adjective

not of full alcoholic
strength: used to describe an
alcoholic drink that contains less alcohol than is standard or than is legally
required[1]



underprop

underprop
un·der·prop 
[ùndər próp] (past un·der·propped,
past participle un·der·propped, present participle un·der·prop·ping,
3rd person present singular un·der·props) transitive verb

support
from below:
to prop something up from underneath
—un·der·prop·per, noun[1]



underquote

underquote
un·der·quote 
[ùndər kwṓt] (past un·der·quot·ed,
past participle un·der·quot·ed, present participle un·der·quot·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·quotes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
below its actual value: to offer something for sale
at a lower price than the market value

2.  transitive
verb
quote
a lower price than: to quote a price for
something that is lower than that quoted by somebody else

[1]



underrate

underrate
un·der·rate 
[ùndər ráyt] (past un·der·rat·ed,
past participle un·der·rat·ed, present participle un·der·rat·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·rates) transitive verb

give too low an assessment
of: to judge the value, degree,
or worth of somebody or something to be less than it really is • a
greatly underrated writer[1]



underreport

underreport
un·der·re·port 
[ùndər ri páwrt] (past un·der·re·port·ed,
past participle un·der·re·port·ed, present participle un·der·re·port·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·re·ports) transitive verb

underestimate the number of
something: to declare or report a
number or amount to be smaller than is actually the case[1]



underrepresent

underrepresent
un·der·rep·re·sent 
[ùndər rèppri zént] (past un·der·rep·re·sent·ed,
past participle un·der·rep·re·sent·ed, present participle un·der·rep·re·sent·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·rep·re·sents) transitive
verb

1.  represent
inadequately: to contain a disproportionately small
number of representatives of a particular population group or a particular type
of thing (often passive) • addressing
the problem of women being underrepresented in government.

2.  present
something as less: to present something as
smaller, less widespread, or less important than it actually is
—un·der·rep·re·sen·ta·tion
[ùndər reppri zen táysh’n, ùndər repprizən táysh’n], noun[1]



underrun

underrun
un·der·run 
[ùndər rún] verb (past un·der·ran
[ùndər rán], past participle un·der·run,
present participle un·der·run·ning, 3rd person present
singular un·der·runs)

1.  transitive
verb
move
under:
to run, pass, or go under something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL pass something over a boat
for inspection: to pass something such as a net or cable
over the deck of a boat, hauling it in on one side and putting it back into the
water on the other, so that it can be inspected or repaired
noun
(plural un·der·runs)

1.  FINANCE lower-than-estimated
cost:
a cost or expense that is less than anticipated

2.  INDUSTRY lower-than-required
production run: a production run of a manufactured or
printed item that is less than the quantity ordered

[1]



undersaturated

undersaturated
un·der·sat·u·rat·ed
[ùndər sáchə ràytəd] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY low in
silica:
used to describe igneous rock that contains low levels of combined silica and
no free silica

2.  CHEMISTRY See unsaturated

[1]



underscore

underscore
un·der·score 
transitive verb [ùndər skáwr] (past
un·der·scored, past participle un·der·scored, present
participle un·der·scor·ing, 3rd person present singular un·der·scores)

1.  draw
a line under: to draw a line underneath something

2.  emphasize:
to give emphasis or extra force to something
noun
[úndər skàwr] (plural un·der·scores)

1.  line
under something: a line drawn underneath something

2.  background
music:
a piece of background music accompanying action or dialogue in a movie

[1]



undersea

undersea
un·der·sea 
[ùndər s] adjective

relating
to the area below the sea: existing, carried out, or
designed for use below the surface of the sea
adverb
un·der·sea un·der·seas

to the area below the sea:
in or into the area below the surface of the sea[1]



underseal

underseal
un·der·seal
noun [úndər sl] (plural un·der·seals)

U.K.
See undercoating
transitive
verb
[ùndər sl] (past un·der·sealed,
past participle un·der·sealed, present participle un·der·seal·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·seals)

U.K.
See undercoat[1]



undersecretary

undersecretary
un·der·sec·re·tar·y 
[ùndər sékrə tèrree] (plural un·der·sec·re·tar·ies)
noun

1.  assistant
secretary:
somebody who is immediately subordinate to a principal secretary in a
government or bureaucratic organization

2.  U.K.
subordinate
of a secretary of state: a government minister who is
subordinate to the secretary of state for a government department
—un·der·sec·re·tar·i·at
[ùndər sekrə térree ət], noun

—un·der·sec·re·tar·y·ship,
noun[1]



undersell

undersell
un·der·sell 
[ùndər sél] (past un·der·sold
[ùndər sṓld], past participle un·der·sold,
present participle un·der·sell·ing, 3rd person present
singular un·der·sells) transitive verb

1.  sell
below its proper value: to sell something at a price
below its full or usual value

2.  sell
more cheaply than: to sell something more
cheaply than a competitor

3.  advertise
with too little enthusiasm: to present the merits of
something or somebody with too little enthusiasm or conviction or in too
restrained or understated a way
—un·der·sell·er, noun[1]



underset

underset
un·der·set 
noun [úndər sèt] (plural un·der·sets)

ocean
undercurrent: an ocean undercurrent that runs in a
direction contrary to the direction of the surface waves
transitive
verb
[ùndər sét] (past un·der·set, past
participle un·der·set, present participle un·der·set·ting,
3rd person present singular un·der·sets)

provide a prop for:
to support something from below[1]



undersexed

undersexed
un·der·sexed 
[ùndər sékst] adjective

not very interested in sex:
having less sex drive or less interest in sex than some other people[1]



undershirt

undershirt
un·der·shirt 
[úndər shùrt] (plural un·der·shirts)
noun

undergarment for the upper
body: a collarless undergarment
for the upper body, usually with short sleeves or no sleeves.
U.K. term
vest[1]



undershoot

undershoot
un·der·shoot 
[ùndər sht] (past un·der·shot
[ùndər shót], past participle un·der·shot,
present participle un·der·shoot·ing, 3rd person present
singular un·der·shoots) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  AIR land
too short:
to land an aircraft short of a landing area • The
pilot undershot the runway.

2.  fire
short:
to shoot something, for example, an arrow, so that it lands short of the target

[1]



undershorts

undershorts
un·der·shorts 
[úndər shàwrts] plural noun

shorts worn as underpants:
shorts or briefs worn as underclothes by men and boys (informal) (takes
a plural verb)[1]



undershot

undershot
un·der·shot 
[úndər shòt] adjective

1.  See
underhung  adjective 1

2.  driven
by water passing beneath: used to describe a device,
especially a waterwheel, that is driven by water flowing beneath it

[1]



undershrub

undershrub
un·der·shrub 
[úndər shrùb] (plural un·der·shrubs)
noun

See
subshrub[1]



underside

underside
un·der·side 
[úndər sd] (plural un·der·sides)
noun

1.  lower
side:
the lower side or bottom of something

2.  undesirable
side:
an aspect of something that is undesirable or unpleasant and usually hidden

[1]



undersigned

undersigned
un·der·signed 
[ùndər snd] noun (plural un·der·signed)

person
signing below: the person who has signed a document
below
adjective

supplying signatures:
with their signatures appearing below[1]



undersized

undersized
un·der·sized 
[ùndər szd] or un·der·size [ùndər sz] adjective

smaller than usual:
smaller than the prevailing or preferred size[1]



underskirt

underskirt
un·der·skirt 
[úndər skùrt] (plural un·der·skirts)
noun

skirt worn beneath another
one: a skirt worn under another
skirt[1]



underslung

underslung
un·der·slung 
[ùndər slúng] adjective

suspended from an upper
support: suspended or supported from
above, like a motor vehicle chassis that is suspended from the axles[1]



undersoil

undersoil
un·der·soil 
[úndər sòyl] (plural un·der·soils)
noun

See
subsoil[1]



undersold

undersold
undersold


Past tense of
undersell Past participle of undersell[1]



underspend

underspend
un·der·spend
[ùndər spénd] (past participle un·der·spent
[ùndər spént], present participle un·der·spend·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·spends) intransitive verb

spend
less than usual: to spend less money than is required or
expected
—un·der·spend, noun[1]



understaff

understaff
un·der·staff 
[ùndər stáf] (past un·der·staffed,
past participle un·der·staffed, present participle un·der·staff·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·staffs) transitive verb

staff inadequately:
to provide a workplace or an organization with inadequate or insufficient staff[1]



understand

understand
un·der·stand 
[ùndər stánd] (past participle un·der·stood
[ùndər std], present participle un·der·stand·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·stands) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb grasp
the meaning of something: to know or be able to
explain to yourself the nature of somebody or something, or the meaning or
cause of something • I can’t understand what
all the fuss is about.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb come
to know something: to realize or become aware
of something • Only
then did she understand the urgency of the situation.

3.  transitive
verb
be
able to handle: to know and be able to use something
such as a foreign language • She
thoroughly understood the workings of the system.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb know
and sympathize: to recognize somebody’s character or
somebody’s situation, especially in a sympathetic, tolerant, or empathetic way
• It’s
such a relief to find someone who understands.

5.  transitive
verb
take
as meant:
to interpret something in a particular way, or to infer or deduce a particular
meaning from something • I
understood it as a peacemaking gesture. • Am
I to understand from this that you are refusing our offer?

6.  transitive
verb
take
as settled:
to believe something to be agreed, settled, or firmly communicated • The
bank was given to understand that you would repay the loan in six months.

7.  transitive
verb
know
by learning or hearing: to gather or assume
something on the basis of having heard or been told it • They’re
not due back, so I understand, until next Tuesday.
[Old English understandan,
from under + standan, an earlier form
of stand . The underlying idea is “to be
close to.”][1]



understandable

understandable
un·der·stand·a·ble
[ùndər stándəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be understood: having a meaning or nature that can be
understood • Try
to make it understandable to a nonspecialist.

2.  reasonable:
able to be accepted as normal, reasonable, or forgivable • Under
the circumstances it was a perfectly understandable reaction.
—un·der·stand·a·bil·i·ty
[ùndər stàndə bíllətee], noun

—un·der·stand·a·bly [ùndər stándəblee], adverb[1]



understanding

understanding
un·der·stand·ing 
[ùndər stánding] noun (plural un·der·stand·ings)

1.  ability
to grasp a meaning: the ability to perceive and
explain the meaning or the nature of somebody or something • Surely
even someone with a very limited understanding could see the logic in that.

2.  interpretation
of something: somebody’s interpretation of something,
or a belief or opinion based on an interpretation of or inference from
something • It
was my understanding that the costs would be shared equally.

3.  mutual
comprehension: an agreement, often an unofficial or
unspoken one • I’m
sure we can come to an understanding about this.

4.  knowledge
of another’s nature: a sympathetic, empathetic,
or tolerant recognition of somebody else’s nature or situation • I
thought you of all people would show a little understanding.
adjective

1.  sympathetically
aware:
sympathetic, empathetic, or tolerant in recognizing somebody’s or something’s
character and situation • fortunate
in having understanding parents

2.  able
to know something: able to comprehend the sense
or meaning of something (archaic)
—un·der·stand·ing·ly, adverb[1]



understate

understate
un·der·state 
[ùndər stáyt] (past un·der·stat·ed,
past participle un·der·stat·ed, present participle un·der·stat·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·states) transitive verb

1.  express
with restraint: to express something in a deliberately
less dramatic, emphatic, or emotional way than it seems to warrant, often in
order to increase its actual effect or for the sake of irony

2.  state
something as below its true amount: to
describe something as being smaller in quantity or number than it really is • The
official account understates the true costs of the delay.

[1]



understated

understated
un·der·stat·ed 
[ùndər stáytəd] adjective

subtly
restrained:
achieving its effect through restraint, subtlety, and good taste • understated
elegance
—un·der·stat·ed·ness, noun[1]



understatement

understatement
un·der·state·ment 
[ùndər stáytmənt, úndər
stàytmənt] (plural un·der·state·ments) noun

1.  (plural
understatements) restrained or muted
statement:
a statement, or a way of expressing yourself, that is deliberately less
forceful or dramatic than the subject would seem to justify or require

2.  incomplete
statement:
a statement that underrepresents or underreports something

[1]



understeer

understeer
un·der·steer 
intransitive verb [ùndər str] (past
un·der·steered, past participle un·der·steered, present
participle un·der·steer·ing, 3rd person present singular un·der·steers)

turn
too wide:
to turn less sharply than the turning of a steering wheel would lead the driver
to expect
noun
[úndər str] (plural un·der·steers)

tendency to turn too wide:
a motor vehicle’s tendency to turn less sharply than expected[1]



understood

understood2
understood2  adjective

taken into account:
agreed, assumed, or implied, especially without being openly or officially
expressed[1]



understood

understood1
un·der·stood1  [ùndər
std]

Past tense of
understand Past participle of understand[1]



understory

understory
un·der·sto·ry
[úndər stàwree] (plural un·der·sto·ries)
noun

lower vegetation in a forest:
a layer of small trees and shrubs below the level of the taller trees in a
forest[1]



understrapper

understrapper
un·der·strap·per
[úndər stràppər] (plural un·der·strap·pers)
noun

subordinate:
an underling or subordinate
[Early 18th century. Formed
from strapper in the sense of “person who straps or harnesses horses.”][1]



understrength

understrength
un·der·strength
[ùndər stréngth] adjective

insufficiently strong:
having inadequate strength, especially less than usual or desirable number of
personnel[1]



understudy

understudy
un·der·stud·y 
[úndər stùddee] noun (plural un·der·stud·ies)

1.  substitute
actor:
an actor who learns the role of another actor so as to be able to act as a
replacement if necessary

2.  trained
substitute:
somebody who is trained to do the work of somebody else so as to be able to act
as a replacement if necessary
intransitive
and transitive verb (past un·der·stud·ied,
past participle un·der·stud·ied, present participle un·der·stud·y·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·stud·ies)

be a substitute actor:
to learn the role of another actor so as to be able to replace him or her if
necessary

[1]



undersubscribed

undersubscribed
un·der·sub·scribed
[ùndər səb skrbd] adjective

not sufficiently subscribed:
with fewer than the expected number of people subscribing or showing an
interest, often not enough people to make something viable • We
couldn’t offer the course as it was undersubscribed.[1]



undertake

undertake
un·der·take 
[ùndər táyk] (past un·der·took
[ùndər tk], past participle un·der·tak·en
[ùndər táykən], present participle un·der·tak·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·takes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make a
pledge to do something: to make a commitment to do
something • Jo
undertook to find out the cost of flights.

2.  transitive
verb
set
about doing: to begin to do something or to set out
on something • They
were prepared to undertake the work at the formerly agreed price.

[1]



undertaker

undertaker
un·der·tak·er 
(plural un·der·tak·ers) noun

1.
[úndər taykər] See funeral director

2.
[úndər tàykər] somebody
who sets about something: somebody who attempts or
agrees to attempt a task

[1]



undertaking

undertaking
un·der·tak·ing 
[ùndər táyking] (plural un·der·tak·ings)
noun

1.  task:
a task or project • It was a colossal
undertaking.

2.  pledge
to do something: a promise or agreement to do something

3.  funeral
business:
the business of preparing the dead for burial or cremation and arranging
funerals

[1]



under-the-counter

under-the-counter
un·der-the-count·er 
adjective

sold illegally:
sold or obtained clandestinely or illegally (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



under-the-table

under-the-table
un·der-the-ta·ble 
adjective

done secretly:
done or organized clandestinely and often illegally (not hyphenated after a
verb)[1]



underthings

underthings
un·der·things 
[úndər thìngz] plural noun

women’s underwear:
underwear, especially women’s underwear[1]



underthrust

underthrust
un·der·thrust
[úndər thrùst] (plural un·der·thrusts)
noun

GEOLOGY
fault with a lower layer driven
underneath: a reverse fault in which a
lower layer of rock is driven underneath a higher, relatively passive layer[1]



undertint

undertint
un·der·tint 
[úndər tìnt] (plural un·der·tints)
noun

subdued tint:
a slight or subtle tint[1]



undertone

undertone
un·der·tone 
[úndər tn] (plural un·der·tones)
noun

1.  low
tone:
a quiet, subdued, or background tone, especially of the voice • He
spoke in an undertone.

2.  underlying
quality or element: something that is suggested
or implied rather than stated openly • undertones
of menace

3.  COLORS muted
color:
a pale, subdued, or unobtrusive color

[1]



undertow

undertow
un·der·tow 
[úndər t] noun

1.  seaward
pull of water: the seaward pull of water away from a
shore after a wave has broken

2.  opposing
undercurrent: an underlying tendency or force that
runs in the opposite direction to the apparent one • An
undertow of dissatisfaction made it difficult to carry everyone with us.

[1]



undertrick

undertrick
un·der·trick 
[úndər trìk] (plural un·der·tricks)
noun

CARD
GAMES bridge
trick short of contract: in bridge,
a trick short of the number declared by a player[1]



undertrump

undertrump
un·der·trump 
[ùndər trúmp, úndər
trùmp] (past un·der·trumped, past participle un·der·trumped,
present participle un·der·trump·ing, 3rd person present
singular un·der·trumps) intransitive verb

play a lower trump:
in cards, to play a trump that is lower than a trump that has already been
played in a hand[1]



undervalue

undervalue
un·der·val·ue 
[ùndər vállyoo] (past un·der·val·ued,
past participle un·der·val·ued, present participle un·der·val·u·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·val·ues) transitive verb

1.  apply
too low a value to: to judge the value of
something or somebody as being lower than it really is • buy
up stock that is undervalued

2.  hold
in low esteem: to hold too low an opinion of something
or somebody
—un·der·val·u·a·tion [ùndər vallyoo áysh’n], noun[1]



underwater

underwater
un·der·wa·ter 
adjective [ùndər wáwtər, ùndər wóttər]

1.  below
the water surface: existing, carried out, or
designed for use below the surface of water

2.  under
a ship’s waterline: below the waterline in a
ship
adverb

below the water surface:
in or to a place below the surface of a body of water
noun
[úndər wàwtər, úndər
wòttər]

water underneath the surface:
the water beneath the surface of a river, lake, or sea

[1]



underway

underway
un·der
way
[ùndər wáy] or un·der·way [ùndər wáy] adjective

1.  proceeding:
in motion or progress • not
long before the project was underway

2.  un·der·way
or un·der weigh NAUTICAL
done
while moving: carried out while a ship is in motion,
not in port or at anchor

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  under
  way
  or underway ?
  Although
  the form underway is often seen, and has long been in use, under way is still widely preferred. The only
  exception to this is the rare adjectival use that precedes the noun: • The
  submarine received underway servicing.

[1]



underwear

underwear
un·der·wear 
[úndər wàir] noun

clothes worn underneath:
clothes worn beneath outer clothes, usually next to the skin and not normally
seen in public.
Also called
underclothes
Also called
underclothing[1]



underweight

underweight
un·der·weight 
[ùndər wáyt, úndər
wàyt] adjective

not heavy enough:
weighing less than is normal or required[1]



underwent

underwent
un·der·went


Past tense of
undergo[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








underwhelm

underwhelm
un·der·whelm 
[ùndər wélm, ùndər
hwélm] (past un·der·whelmed, past participle un·der·whelmed,
present participle un·der·whelm·ing, 3rd person present
singular un·der·whelms) transitive verb

fail
to impress:
to fail notably to impress or excite somebody (humorous)
[Mid-20th
century. Modeled on overwhelm .]
—un·der·whelm·ing, adjective[1]



underwing

underwing
un·der·wing 
[úndər wìng] (plural un·der·wings)
noun

1.  INSECTS hind
wing of an insect: a hind wing of an insect
such as a beetle, especially when covered by a forewing while the insect is not
in flight

2.  ZOOLOGY moth
with bright wings: a moth that has brightly
colored hind wings that become visible only in flight. Genus: Catocala

3.  BIRDS lower
side of a bird’s wing: the underside of a bird’s
wing

[1]



underwire

underwire
un·der·wire
[úndər wr] (plural un·der·wires)
noun

wire
in bra:
a wire sewn into the lining under each cup of a brassiere to provide support
—un·der·wired, adjective[1]



underwood

underwood
un·der·wood 
[úndər wd] noun

See
undergrowth  noun 1[1]



underworld

underworld
un·der·world 
[úndər wùrld] noun

1.  criminal
society:
the part of society that lives by crime (often used before a noun) • an
underworld shooting

2.  MYTHOLOGY abode
of the dead: in classical mythology, the place
beneath the earth where the souls of the dead go

[1]



underwrite

underwrite
un·der·write 
[ùndər rt, úndər
rt] (past un·der·wrote [ùndər
rṓt, úndər rt], past participle
un·der·writ·ten [ùndər rítt’n, úndər rìtt’n], present participle un·der·writ·ing,
3rd person present singular un·der·writes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb INSURANCE issue insurance:
to insure somebody or something by accepting liability for specified losses, or
to be in the business of doing this

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb STOCK EXCHANGE agree to buy unsold
securities:
to guarantee the sale of an issue of securities at a fixed price

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb subsidize
something:
to agree to provide funds for something and to cover any losses • The
tour was underwritten by an electronics company.

4.  transitive
verb
lend
support to:
to give support to somebody or something, especially by signing a document

5.  transitive
verb
write
beneath other writing: to write something, or add a
signature, underneath other written matter
[15th century. Modeled on
Latin subscribere “to write underneath, sign.”][1]



underwriter

underwriter
un·der·writ·er 
[úndər rtər] (plural un·der·writ·ers)
noun

1.  INSURANCE insurer
covering liabilities: a person, firm, or
organization that issues insurance and accepts liability for specified risks

2.  INSURANCE somebody
assessing risks on insurance: somebody employed by an
insurance company to assess risks and fix premiums

3.  STOCK EXCHANGE guarantor
of a securities issue: a person or organization
that agrees to buy at a fixed price any unsold part of an issue of securities

[1]



undescended

undescended
un·de·scend·ed
[ùndi séndəd] adjective

not descended into the
scrotum: used to describe a testicle
that has remained in the inguinal canal and has not descended into the scrotum[1]



undeserved

undeserved
un·de·served 
[ùndi zúrvd] adjective

not
deserved:
unfairly awarded or endured, or not merited on the basis of the facts
—un·de·serv·ed·ly [ùndi zúrvədlee], adverb[1]



undesigning

undesigning
un·de·sign·ing 
[ùndi zning] adjective

frank:
not trying to deceive or manipulate[1]



undesirable

undesirable
un·de·sir·a·ble 
[ùndi zrəb’l] adjective

not
wanted:
not wanted, liked, or approved of
noun
(plural un·de·sir·a·bles)

somebody
undesirable: somebody or something regarded as
undesirable
—un·de·sir·a·bil·i·ty
[ùndi zīrə bíllətee], noun

—un·de·sir·a·bly [ùndi zrəblee], adverb[1]



undetermined

undetermined
un·de·ter·mined 
[ùndi túrmind] adjective

1.  not
settled:
not resolved, decided, or fixed

2.  not
known:
unknown or undiscovered

[1]



undeviating

undeviating
un·de·vi·at·ing
[un dvee àyting] adjective

not
faltering:
remaining loyal or constant
—un·de·vi·at·ing·ly, adverb[1]



undid

undid
un·did


Past tense of
undo[1]



undies

undies
un·dies 
[úndeez] plural noun

underclothes:
underclothes, especially women’s underclothes (informal)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from a shortening of underclothes, probably
on the model of frillies “frilled underwear.”][1]



undine

undine
un·dine 
[un dn, ún dn]
(plural un·dines) noun

female
water spirit: a female spirit that lives in water,
especially one that could become human by bearing the child of a human male
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin undina (coined by Paracelsus ), from Latin unda
“wave” (see undulate ).][1]



undiplomatic

undiplomatic
un·dip·lo·mat·ic 
[un dìpplə máttik] adjective

tactless:
lacking in tact and diplomacy
—un·dip·lo·mat·i·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



undirected

undirected
un·di·rect·ed 
[ùndi réktəd] adjective

1.  purposeless:
without a purpose or object

2.  without
address:
not marked with an address in the proper way

[1]



undisguised

undisguised
un·dis·guised
[ùndiss gzd] adjective

expressed:
expressed fully and openly
—un·dis·guis·ed·ly [ùndiss gzədlee], adverb[1]



undisposed

undisposed
un·dis·posed 
[ùndiss pṓzd] adjective

1.  not
dealt with:
not resolved or dealt with

2.  not
favorably inclined: not prepared or inclined to
do something

[1]



undissociated

undissociated
un·dis·so·ci·at·ed
[ùndi sṓshee àytəd] adjective

CHEMISTRY
not broken down into simpler molecules:
used to describe a molecule that has not been broken down into simpler
molecules, atoms, or ions[1]



undistinguished

undistinguished
un·dis·tin·guished 
[ùndi stíngwisht] adjective

1.  mediocre:
not very good or ever rising above the ordinary • an
undistinguished career

2.  commonplace:
not at all striking or likely to stand out from others • undistinguished
appearance

3.  not
made separate: not differentiated from others

4.  not
attracting notice: not noticeable or noticed

[1]



undistributed

undistributed
un·dis·trib·ut·ed
[ùndi stríbbyətəd] adjective

1.  BUSINESS not
paid to shareholders: not paid out as a dividend
to stockholders, but invested back into the business • undistributed
profits

2.  LOGIC not
referring to entire class: used to describe a term that
does not refer to all members of the class it designates. The term “dogs” is
undistributed in the statement “Some dogs are unfriendly.”

[1]



undo

undo
un·do 
[un d] (past un·did [un díd], past participle un·done [un dún], present participle un·do·ing,
3rd person present singular un·does [un
dúz]) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb unfasten:
to open, unfasten, untie, or unwrap something • I
can’t undo this button.

2.  transitive
verb
nullify:
to cancel or reverse the effect of an action • What’s
done can’t be undone.

3.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING reverse
an action:
to cancel the effect of the last command or action done on a computer,
restoring the material being worked on to its previous condition

4.  transitive
verb
ruin
somebody:
to bring somebody or something to ruin or disaster

[1]



undock

undock
un·dock 
[un dók] (past un·docked, past
participle un·docked, present participle un·dock·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·docks) intransitive verb

SPACE
TECHNOLOGY detach
in space: to become detached from each
other, a space station, or another spacecraft, in space[1]



undoing

undoing
un·do·ing 
noun

1.  act
of bringing to ruin: the ruin, downfall, or
destruction of somebody or something, or something that causes this • Pride
was our undoing.

2.  act
of unfastening: the opening, unfastening, untying, or
unwrapping of something

3.  act
of nullifying something’s effect: the canceling or
reversing of the effect of an action

[1]



undone

undone
un·done 
adjective

1.  uncompleted:
not yet done or completed

2.  unfastened:
not tied or fastened

3.  brought
to ruin:
ruined, destroyed, or brought to the brink of collapse

[1]



undoubted

undoubted
un·doubt·ed 
[un dówtəd] adjective

obvious:
not subject to doubt or dispute[1]



undoubtedly

undoubtedly
un·doubt·ed·ly
[un dówtədlee] adverb

beyond dispute:
without any doubt or question[1]



undraw

undraw
un·draw 
[un dráw] (past un·drew [un dr], past participle un·drawn [un dráwn], present participle un·draw·ing,
3rd person present singular un·draws) transitive verb

draw open or aside:
to draw back or open something such as a curtain[1]



undreamed-of

undreamed-of
un·dreamed-of
or un·dreamt-of adjective

incapable of being imagined:
impossible to imagine in advance, usually through being so wonderful and so
unlikely[1]



undress

undress
un·dress 
[un dréss] verb (past un·dressed,
past participle un·dressed, present participle un·dress·ing,
3rd person present singular un·dress·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
clothes off: to remove the clothes from somebody’s
body

2.  transitive
verb
take
dressing off: to remove a dressing from a wound

3.  transitive
verb
remove
ornamentation: to strip something of its decoration
noun

1.  condition
of having no clothes on: a condition of nakedness or
of being scantily clothed

2.  informal
clothing:
informal attire or an everyday uniform.
See
also
dress
adjective

informal: not
full or formal in dress, or for which informal clothing can be worn • an
undress uniform

[1]



undressed

undressed
un·dressed 
[un drést] adjective

1.  without
clothes:
naked or scantily clothed

2.  untreated:
not processed or treated in some way • undressed
leather

3.  not
ready for table: not fully prepared for cooking or eating

4.  without
dressing:
not covered with a dressing or sauce

5.  informally
dressed:
appropriately but not formally dressed for an event or occasion

6.  without
a bandage:
without a dressing or bandage • an
undressed wound

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naked

[1]



undue

undue
un·due 
[un d] adjective

1.  excessive
or very inappropriate: going beyond the limits of
what is proper, normal, justified, or permitted • using
undue force to disperse the crowd

2.  not
payable now: not owed or payable at present

[1]



undulant

undulant
un·du·lant 
[únjələnt] adjective

like
waves:
resembling waves in motion or form (literary)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from undulate .][1]



undulantfever

undulantfever
un·du·lant
fe·ver
noun

See
brucellosis[1]



undulate

undulate
un·du·late 
verb [únjə làyt, úndyə làyt] (past un·du·lat·ed, past
participle un·du·lat·ed, present participle un·du·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular un·du·lates)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
sinuously like waves: to move, or cause something
to move, in waves or in a movement resembling waves

2.  intransitive
verb
go
up and down gracefully: to rise and fall gracefully
in volume or pitch
adjective
[únjələt, únjə
làyt] un·du·late un·du·lat·ed

wavy in appearance:
with a wavy appearance, edge, or markings
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin undulatus “wavy,” from unda “wave.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English water .]
—un·du·la·to·ry
[únjələ tàwree, úndyələ
tàwree], adjective





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word unda, from which undulate
  is derived, is also the source of English abound,
  inundate, redundant, sound,
  and surround.

[1]



undulation

undulation
un·du·la·tion 
[ùnjə láysh’n, ùndyə
láysh’n] (plural un·du·la·tions) noun

1.  wavy
movement:
a sinuous or wavy motion

2.  curve:
a curving form or outline, especially one in a series such as a wave

[1]



unduly

unduly
un·du·ly 
[un dlee] adverb

excessively:
to a very great extent, or to an excessive, improper, or unjustifiable degree • We
were not unduly concerned.[1]



undutiful

undutiful
un·du·ti·ful 
[un dtif’l] adjective

1.  lacking
sense of obligation: lacking a sense of moral or
legal obligation

2.  unwilling
to fulfill obligations: unwilling to fulfill moral
or legal obligations
—un·du·ti·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·du·ti·ful·ness, noun[1]



undying

undying
un·dy·ing 
[un d ing] adjective

without end:
continuing forever[1]



unearned

unearned
un·earned 
[un úrnd] adjective

1.  not
gained by work: not acquired by labor or service • unearned
income

2.  undeserved:
not deserved • unearned
criticism

[1]



unearnedincrement

unearnedincrement
un·earned
in·cre·ment
noun

increase in property value:
an increase in property value resulting from factors other than labor or
improvements made by the owner[1]



unearnedrun

unearnedrun
un·earned
run
noun

run team did not deserve:
in baseball, a run that in the opinion of the official scorer would not have
happened had it not been for errors or passed balls made by the defensive team[1]



unearth

unearth
un·earth 
[un úrth] (past un·earthed, past
participle un·earthed, present participle un·earth·ing,
3rd person present singular un·earths) transitive verb

1.  dig
something up: to bring something up out of the ground

2.  disclose
something:
to discover or disclose something, especially after an investigation

3.  find
something lost: to find something that has been lost or
hidden

[1]



unearthly

unearthly
un·earth·ly 
[un úrthlee] adjective

1.  not
from this world: not being or seeming to be from this
world

2.  eerie:
looking or sounding so strange as to be frightening

3.  completely
unreasonable: completely inappropriate or unreasonable
• She
woke me up at some unearthly hour to tell me the news.

4.  perfect:
embodying perfection
—un·earth·li·ness, noun[1]



uneasy

uneasy
un·eas·y 
[un zee] (comparative un·eas·i·er,
superlative un·eas·i·est) adjective

1.  anxious:
anxious or afraid

2.  uncertain:
not certain enough to let people relax completely • an
uneasy truce

3.  ill
at ease:
awkward or lacking confidence

4.  restless:
not allowing somebody to rest properly • Only
towards dawn did he fall into an uneasy sleep.
—un·ease,
noun

—un·eas·i·ly,
adverb

—un·eas·i·ness, noun[1]



uneconomic

uneconomic
un·ec·o·nom·ic
[un èkə nómmik, un
kə nómmik] adjective

1.  not
making profit: not making or not likely to make a
profit

2.  un·ec·o·nom·ic
or un·ec·o·nom·i·cal not efficient:
not efficient or worth the expense

[1]



unedited

unedited
un·ed·it·ed 
[un édditəd] adjective

1.  not
corrected:
not corrected or revised

2.  not
adapted:
not adapted to a particular audience, purpose, or medium

[1]



uneducated

uneducated
un·ed·u·cat·ed 
[un éjjə kàytəd] adjective

not educated:
lacking the learning that is usually acquired in schools[1]



unelectable

unelectable
un·e·lect·a·ble 
[ùn i léktəb’l] adjective

certain to be defeated:
certain to be defeated as a candidate for public office, for example, because
of extreme positions on controversial issues[1]



unemotional

unemotional
un·e·mo·tion·al 
[ùnni mṓshən’l, ùnni
mṓshnəl] adjective

1.  showing
no feeling:
showing little or no feeling

2.  reasoned
and objective: involving reason or intellect rather
than feelings
—un·e·mo·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



unemployable

unemployable
un·em·ploy·a·ble 
[ùnnim plóyəb’l] adjective

unfit for job:
lacking the skills, education, or ability to get a job[1]



unemployed

unemployed
un·em·ployed 
[ùnnim plóyd] adjective

1.  jobless:
not in paid employment

2.  not
in use:
not being used
plural
noun

jobless people:
people who are out of work

[1]



unemployment

unemployment
un·em·ploy·ment
[ùnnim plóymənt] noun

1.  joblessness:
the condition of having no job

2.  number
of unemployed: the number of people who are unemployed
in an area, often given as a percentage of the total labor force

3.  See
unemployment compensation

[1]



unemploymentcompensation

unemploymentcompensation
un·em·ploy·ment
com·pen·sa·tion or un·em·ploy·ment noun

payment to unemployed person:
regular payments made to somebody who is out of work from a government
insurance fund contributed to by employers[1]



unending

unending
un·end·ing
[un énding] adjective

continuing forever:
continuing or seeming to continue forever[1]



un-English

un-English
un-En·glish
[un ínglish] adjective

1.  not
like the English: not characteristic of the English

2.  not
standard English usage: not considered standard
English usage

[1]



unequal

unequal
un·e·qual 
[un kwəl] adjective

1.  not
measurably the same: not measurably the same, for
example, in size or number

2.  not
of same social position: not of the same status,
rank, or position in society

3.  not
evenly matched: not evenly matched in competition

4.  variable:
uneven or variable in quality or character

5.  asymmetrical:
not evenly balanced

6.  unable
to do something: having less than the required ability to
do something • unequal
to the task

7.  unfair:
not fair or just (archaic)
noun

somebody not equal to another:
somebody or something not equal to another
—un·e·qual·ly, adverb[1]



unequaled

unequaled
un·e·qualed
[un kwəld] or un·e·qualled [un kwəld] adjective

unparalleled:
without equal or parallel among things of its kind[1]



unequivocal

unequivocal
un·e·quiv·o·cal 
[ùnni kwívvik’l] adjective

unambiguous:
allowing for no doubt or misinterpretation
—un·e·quiv·o·cal·ly, adverb[1]



unerring

unerring
un·err·ing 
[un érring] adjective

1.  accurate:
striking the mark or target without fail

2.  without
mistakes:
free of any mistakes
—un·err·ing·ly, adverb[1]



UNESCO

UNESCO
UNESCO 
[y nés kō] or Unesco [y nés kō]

Abbreviation of
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization[1]



unessential

unessential
un·es·sen·tial 
[ùnni sénshəl] adjective

dispensable:
not absolutely needed
noun

something unnecessary:
something that is not necessary or important[1]



uneven

uneven
un·e·ven 
[un vən] adjective

1.  not
level:
without a level or smooth surface

2.  varying:
varying and inconsistent, for example, in quality, thoroughness, or duration

3.  not
parallel:
not straight or parallel

4.  not
fairly matched: not fairly matched in competition

5.  odd:
not divisible by two

6.  not
the same size: unequal in number or measurement to
another

7.  unfair:
not just (archaic)
[Old
English unefen]
—un·e·ven·ly,
adverb

—un·e·ven·ness, noun[1]



uneventful

uneventful
un·e·vent·ful 
[ùnni véntfəl] adjective

with
nothing remarkable happening: not marked by any unusual or
important occurrence
—un·e·vent·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·e·vent·ful·ness, noun[1]



unexampled

unexampled
un·ex·am·pled 
[ùnnig zámp’ld] adjective

with no precedent:
without a similar case or occurrence[1]



unexceptionable

unexceptionable
un·ex·cep·tion·a·ble 
[ùnnik sépshənəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being criticized: good enough to provide no
reason for criticism or objection
—un·ex·cep·tion·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnik sepshənə bíllətee], noun

—un·ex·cep·tion·a·ble·ness
[ùnnik sépshənəb’lnəss], noun

—un·ex·cep·tion·a·bly
[ùnnik sépshənəblee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at unexceptional.

[1]



unexceptional

unexceptional
un·ex·cep·tion·al 
[ùnnik sépshən’l] adjective

1.  not
special:
not special or unusual

2.  with
no exceptions: allowing no exception
—un·ex·cep·tion·al·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  unexceptional
  or unexceptionable ?
  The
  distinction in meaning corresponds to that between the positive forms exceptional
  and exceptionable . Something is described as unexceptional
  when it is ordinary or commonplace, and perhaps a little dull: • Her
  performance got a good review, but I thought it was unexceptional
  . Unexceptionable comes close to this in
  meaning, but its strict meaning is “not open to criticism” and therefore
  “satisfactory, acceptable”: • Their
  behavior has been unexceptionable so far.

[1]



unexcited

unexcited
un·ex·cit·ed
[ùnnik stəd] adjective

1.  not
aroused:
not emotionally aroused

2.  PHYSICS at
lowest energy level: used to describe particles
that remain at the lowest energy level

[1]



unexpected

unexpected
un·ex·pect·ed 
[ùnnik spéktəd] adjective

surprising:
coming as a surprise
—un·ex·pect·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·ex·pect·ed·ness, noun[1]



unexperienced

unexperienced
un·ex·pe·ri·enced
[ùnnik spree ənst] adjective

1.  not
undergone before: not having been known or undergone
before

2.  inexperienced:
lacking experience

[1]



unexpressed

unexpressed
un·ex·pressed
[ùnnik sprést] adjective

1.  not
made known:
not spoken or made known

2.  understood
without saying anything: understood without anything
being said

3.  GENETICS with
no effect on organism: used to describe a gene that
does not have an observable effect on the organism that carries it

[1]



unfailing

unfailing
un·fail·ing 
[un fáyling] adjective

1.  limitless:
never used up or exhausted

2.  always
reliable:
able to be relied on at all times

3.  always
accurate:
totally accurate and reliable
—un·fail·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·fail·ing·ness, noun[1]



unfair

unfair
un·fair 
[un fáir] adjective

1.  not
just:
not equal or just

2.  unethical
in business: not ethical in business dealings
—un·fair·ly,
adverb

—un·fair·ness, noun[1]



unfaithful

unfaithful
un·faith·ful 
[un fáythfəl] adjective

1.  untrue
to commitments: untrue to commitments, duties, beliefs,
or ideals

2.  adulterous:
engaging in sexual relations with somebody other than one to whom monogamy has
been pledged

3.  not
like original: not true to the original

4.  with
no religious faith: not having religious faith (archaic)
—un·faith·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·faith·ful·ness, noun[1]



unfaltering

unfaltering
un·fal·ter·ing
[un fáwltəring] adjective

remaining
strong and steady: strong, steady, and not
becoming weaker
—un·fal·ter·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unfamiliar

unfamiliar
un·fa·mil·iar 
[ùn fə míllyər] adjective

1.  not
previously known: not previously known or recognized

2.  not
acquainted:
with no previous knowledge or experience • unfamiliar
with the software.
—un·fa·mil·iar·i·ty
[ùn fə mil yérrətee], noun

—un·fa·mil·iar·ly [ùn fə míllyərlee], adverb[1]



unfashionable

unfashionable
un·fash·ion·a·ble 
[un fásh’nəb’l] adjective

1.  not
popular now: not in the current style

2.  unfavored
socially:
not socially approved of • an
unfashionable suburb
—un·fash·ion·a·bly, adverb[1]



unfasten

unfasten
un·fas·ten 
[un fáss’n] (past un·fas·tened,
past participle un·fas·tened, present participle un·fas·ten·ing,
3rd person present singular un·fas·tens) transitive verb

separate parts of something:
undo something that holds things together, e.g., the buttons of a garment[1]



unfathomable

unfathomable
un·fath·om·a·ble 
[un fáəməb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to measure:
too deep to be measured

2.  impossible
to understand: so mysterious or complicated that
understanding is impossible
—un·fath·om·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·fath·om·a·bly, adverb[1]



unfavorable

unfavorable
un·fa·vor·a·ble 
[un fáyvərəb’l] adjective

1.  disapproving:
expressing disapproval or opposition

2.  not
good:
unlikely to be beneficial
—un·fa·vor·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·fa·vor·a·bly, adverb[1]



unfeeling

unfeeling
un·feel·ing 
[un fling] adjective

1.  not
sympathetic: without caring or sympathy for somebody
else’s feelings

2.  numb:
unable to experience physical sensation
[Old
English unfēlend]
—un·feel·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·feel·ing·ness, noun[1]



unfetter

unfetter
un·fet·ter 
[un féttər] (past un·fet·tered,
past participle un·fet·tered, present participle un·fet·ter·ing,
3rd person present singular un·fet·ters) transitive verb

1.  release
somebody or something: to release somebody or
something from fetters

2.  free
somebody from constraints: to allow somebody to act
without restraint

[1]



unfettered

unfettered
un·fet·tered
[un féttərd] adjective

not restricted:
not subject to limits or restrictions[1]



unfinished

unfinished
un·fin·ished 
[un fínnisht] adjective

1.  not
completed:
not completed satisfactorily

2.  not
finally treated: not finally processed or treated with
dye, varnish, paint, or bleach

3.  TEXTILES with
slight nap:
woven with a slight nap

[1]



unfit

unfit
un·fit 
[un fít] (past un·fit·ted, past
participle un·fit·ted, present participle un·fit·ting,
3rd person present singular un·fits) adjective

1.  unsuitable:
unsuitable for a specific purpose

2.  unqualified:
lacking the necessary skills or qualifications to perform a specific task
adequately

3.  not
healthy:
not physically or mentally healthy
—un·fit·ly,
adverb

—un·fit·ness,
noun

—un·fit·ting·ly, adverb[1]



unfitted

unfitted
un·fit·ted
[un fíttəd] adjective

1.  not
suited:
not suited or adapted for a specific purpose

2.  not
fitted:
used to describe furniture that is not fitted

[1]



unfitting

unfitting
un·fit·ting
[un fítting] adjective

unsuitable:
not suitable or appropriate for somebody or something[1]



unfix

unfix
un·fix 
[un fíks] (past un·fixed, past
participle un·fixed, present participle un·fix·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·fix·es) transitive verb

1.  detach
something:
to loosen or detach something

2.  make
something unstable: to upset the certainty or
stability of something

[1]



unflagging

unflagging
un·flag·ging 
[un flágging] adjective

remaining
strong:
remaining strong and unchanging
—un·flag·ging·ly, adverb[1]



unflappable

unflappable
un·flap·pa·ble 
[un fláppəb’l] adjective

composed:
able to maintain composure under all circumstances
—un·flap·pa·bil·i·ty
[un flàppə bíllətee], noun

—un·flap·pa·bly [un fláppəblee], adverb[1]



unfledged

unfledged
un·fledged 
[un fléjd] adjective

1.  BIRDS not
having feathers for flying: not having developed the
feathers required for flight

2.  inexperienced:
young and inexperienced

[1]



unflinching

unflinching
un·flinch·ing 
[un flínching] adjective

unhesitating:
strong and unhesitating
—un·flinch·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unfocused

unfocused
un·fo·cused
[un fṓkəst] or un·fo·cussed [un fṓkəst] adjective

1.  not
adjusted:
not adjusted for a clear image

2.  with
no clear purpose: lacking a clear purpose or objective

[1]



unfold

unfold
un·fold 
[un fṓld] (past un·fold·ed, past
participle un·fold·ed, present participle un·fold·ing,
3rd person present singular un·folds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
out:
to open something and spread it out, or to open and spread out

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
something understood: to make something clear and
understood by gradual exposure, or to become clear in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
develop:
to develop or expand over time • His
talent unfolded as he grew older.
[Old English unfealdan][1]



unforeseen

unforeseen
un·fore·seen 
[ùnfər sn, ùn
fawr sn] adjective

unanticipated:
not expected beforehand[1]



unforgettable

unforgettable
un·for·get·ta·ble 
[ùnfər géttəb’l] adjective

never
to be forgotten: remarkable in a way that cannot be
forgotten
—un·for·get·ta·bly, adverb[1]



unforgivable

unforgivable
un·for·giv·a·ble
[ùnfər gívvəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being forgiven: so bad that it can never be
forgiven
—un·for·giv·a·bly, adverb[1]



unforgiving

unforgiving
un·for·giv·ing 
[ùnfər gívving] adjective

1.  unwilling
to forgive:
unwilling or unable to forgive

2.  providing
no margin for mistakes: providing little or no
margin for mistakes or weakness
—un·for·giv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unformed

unformed
un·formed 
[un fáwrmd] adjective

1.  with
no real shape: without coherent shape or structure • the
unformed restless desire in her mind

2.  undeveloped:
not yet fully developed

3.  not
created:
not yet created

[1]



unfortunate

unfortunate
un·for·tu·nate 
[un fáwrchənət] adjective

1.  unlucky:
never experiencing good luck

2.  with
bad luck:
accompanied by or bringing bad luck

3.  inappropriate:
not appropriate to a given situation • The
unfortunate comment was an example of his lack of social polish.
noun

poor person:
somebody who is pitied by others for having bad luck or inadequate resources
—un·for·tu·nate·ness, noun[1]



unfortunately

unfortunately
un·for·tu·nate·ly
[un fáwrchənətlee] adverb

1.  used
to express regret: used when somebody wishes
something were not true • I
didn’t get there before he left, unfortunately.

2.  inappropriately:
in a way that is inappropriate to a given situation • an
unfortunately worded critique

[1]



unfounded

unfounded
un·found·ed 
[un fówndəd] adjective

1.  not
supported by evidence: not supported by evidence or
facts

2.  not
established: not yet established

[1]



unfreeze

unfreeze
un·freeze
[un frz] (past un·froze [un frṓz], past participle un·froz·en
[un frṓz’n], present participle un·freez·ing,
3rd person present singular un·freez·es) transitive verb

remove controls on wages or
prices: to remove controls or
restrictions fixing wages, hiring, prices, or rents[1]



unfrequented

unfrequented
un·fre·quent·ed 
[un frkwəntəd, ùnfree
kwéntəd] adjective

not often visited:
not often visited, especially by tourists or travelers[1]



unfriendly

unfriendly
un·friend·ly 
[un fréndlee] adjective

1.  hostile:
behaving in an obviously cold or hostile way

2.  unfavorable:
not beneficial or advantageous
—un·friend·li·ness, noun[1]



unfrock

unfrock
un·frock 
[un frók] (past un·frocked, past
participle un·frocked, present participle un·frock·ing,
3rd person present singular un·frocks) transitive verb

1.  RELIGION remove
ordained person from office: to remove an ordained person
from office and duties as a punishment for doing something considered immoral
or heretical

2.  take
away somebody’s right: to take away somebody’s
right to practice a profession

3.  remove
somebody from position: to remove somebody from an
honorary or privileged position

[1]



unfruitful

unfruitful
un·fruit·ful 
[un frtfəl] adjective

1.  not
fertile:
not bearing fruit or offspring (literary)

2.  unsuccessful:
not having a successful outcome
—un·fruit·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·fruit·ful·ness, noun[1]



unfurl

unfurl
un·furl 
[un fúrl] (past un·furled, past
participle un·furled, present participle un·furl·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·furls) intransitive and transitive
verb

unroll:
to unroll or spread out something, or to become extended in this way[1]



ungainly

ungainly
un·gain·ly 
[un gáynlee] adjective

1.  lacking
grace:
lacking grace while moving

2.  awkward:
awkward to handle

3.  gangly:
having an awkward long-limbed appearance
adverb

clumsily: in a
clumsy or graceless way (archaic)
[Early 17th century. Formed
from obsolete gain “straight, convenient,” from Old Norse gegn .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “against,” which is also
the ancestor of English against and again .][1]



Ungava

Ungava
Un·gava
[ng gvə]

region in northeastern
Canada, situated east of Hudson Bay and north of the Eastmain River[1]



UngavaBay

UngavaBay
Un·ga·va
Bay 
[ng gàyvə báy, ng
gvə báy]

bay in northeastern Quebec,
Canada, opening into Hudson Strait[1]



ungenerous

ungenerous
un·gen·er·ous 
[un jénnərəss] adjective

1.  stingy:
slow to give, forgive, or share things

2.  mean-spirited:
mean-spirited and ignoble
—un·gen·er·ous·ly, adverb[1]



unglued

unglued
un·glued 
[un gld] adjective

1.  separated:
having become separated or detached

2.  upset
or angry:
emotionally upset and lacking composure (informal)

[1]



ungodly

ungodly
un·god·ly 
[un góddlee] adjective

1.  RELIGION not
revering God: not devoted to or obeying God

2.  wicked:
behaving in a way thought to violate moral strictures

3.  unreasonable:
not meeting standards for reasonableness (informal) • woke
me up at some ungodly hour
—un·god·li·ness, noun[1]



ungovernable

ungovernable
un·gov·ern·a·ble 
[un gúvvərnəb’l] adjective

incapable
of being controlled: incapable of being governed
or restrained
—un·gov·ern·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·gov·ern·a·bly, adverb[1]



ungracious

ungracious
un·gra·cious 
[un gráyshəss] adjective

1.  ill-mannered:
inconsistent with good manners

2.  not
pleasant:
extremely unpleasant or difficult

3.  evil:
behaving in a way perceived as immoral or inappropriate (archaic)
[13th
century. The original underlying meaning was “lacking the grace of God.”]
—un·gra·cious·ly,
adverb

—un·gra·cious·ness, noun[1]



ungrateful

ungrateful
un·grate·ful 
[un gráytfəl] adjective

1.  not
appreciative: not thankful or appreciative

2.  unrewarding:
unpleasant or unrewarding
—un·grate·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·grate·ful·ness, noun[1]



ungrudging

ungrudging
un·grudg·ing
[un grújjing] adjective

unreserved:
without reluctance or reservation
—un·grudg·ing·ly, adverb[1]



ungual

ungual
un·gual 
[úng gwəl] adjective

1.  ANATOMY of
fingernails or toenails: relating to or affecting the
fingernails or toenails

2.  ZOOLOGY of
nail, claw, or hoof: relating to, occurring in,
or supporting a nail, claw, or hoof
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin unguis “nail, claw” (see unguis
).][1]



unguarded

unguarded
un·guard·ed 
[un grdəd] adjective

1.  with
no protection: lacking a guard or protection

2.  natural:
free from pretense or guile

3.  not
wary:
showing a lack of thought or care
—un·guard·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·guard·ed·ness, noun[1]



unguent

unguent
un·guent 
[úng gwənt] (plural un·guents)
noun

healing
ointment:
a healing or soothing ointment
[15th century. From Latin unguentum,
from unguere “to anoint” (source of English ointment,
anoint, and unctuous ).][1]



unguis

unguis
un·guis 
[úng gwiss] (plural un·gues [úng gwz]) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY nail,
claw, or hoof: a nail, claw, hook, or hoof on a digit
or foot of an animal

2.  BOTANY claw-shaped
base of petal: the claw-shaped base of some petals
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “nail, claw” (source of English ungulate
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English nail and onyx
.][1]



ungulate

ungulate
un·gu·late 
[úng gyələt, úng
gyə làyt] adjective

1.  with
hoofs:
having hoofs

2.  shaped
like hoof:
resembling a hoof in shape or function
noun
(plural un·gu·lates)

hoofed mammal:
a mammal with hoofs, for example, the horse, rhinoceros, hog, giraffe, deer, or
camel
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin ungulatus, from Latin ungula “hoof, claw,” literally
“small claw,” from unguis “nail” (see unguis
).][1]



unguligrade

unguligrade
un·gu·li·grade 
[úng gyəli gràyd] adjective

walking
on hoofs:
used to describe a mammal that walks on hoofs
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from Latin ungula “hoof” (see ungulate
) + grade .][1]



unhair

unhair
un·hair
[un háir] (past un·haired, past
participle un·haired, present participle un·hair·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·hairs) transitive verb

remove hair from something:
to remove hair from something, especially a hide (archaic)[1]



unhallowed

unhallowed
un·hal·lowed 
[un hállōd] adjective

1.  not
consecrated: not consecrated or blessed

2.  irreverent:
lacking religious reverence

3.  immoral:
not conforming to the standards of a religion
[Old English unhālgod][1]



unhand

unhand
un·hand 
[un hánd] (past un·hand·ed, past
participle un·hand·ed, present participle un·hand·ing,
3rd person present singular un·hands) transitive verb

let somebody go:
to let somebody go by releasing a grasp[1]



unhandy

unhandy
un·hand·y 
[un hándee] (comparative un·hand·i·er,
superlative un·hand·i·est) adjective

1.  not
skilled with hands: not skilled at working with
the hands or with tools

2.  inconveniently
located:
in an inconvenient location

3.  difficult
to use:
not easy to use or handle

[1]



unhappily

unhappily
un·hap·pi·ly
[un háppilee] adverb

1.  in
unhappy way: in an way that expresses or is
characterized by unhappiness

2.  unfortunately:
used to express a wish that something were not true (dated)

[1]



unhappy

unhappy
un·hap·py 
[un háppee] (comparative un·hap·pi·er,
superlative un·hap·pi·est) adjective

1.  sad:
not cheerful or joyful

2.  unfortunate:
not bringing good luck

3.  inappropriate:
done without proper thought or inappropriate in a specific context

4.  displeased:
not pleased or satisfied with somebody or something

5.  unfavorable:
not advantageous (archaic)
—un·hap·pi·ness, noun[1]



unharness

unharness
un·har·ness 
[un hrnəss] (past un·har·nessed,
past participle un·har·nessed, present participle un·har·ness·ing,
3rd person present singular un·har·ness·es) transitive verb

1.  remove
harness from horse: to remove the harness from a
horse

2.  release
energy or passions: to release energy or
passions from restraints

3.  remove
armor:
to remove the armor from somebody (archaic)

[1]



UNHCR

UNHCR
UNHCR

Abbreviation of
United Nations High Commission for Refugees[1]



unhealthy

unhealthy
un·health·y 
[un hélthee] (comparative un·health·i·er,
superlative un·health·i·est) adjective

1.  sick:
affected by ill health

2.  bad
for health:
not good for the health

3.  symptomatic
of ill health: showing the symptoms of or resulting
from ill health

4.  harming
character:
harmful to the character

5.  corrupt:
morally corrupt or unwholesome • an
unhealthy interest in lurid crimes

6.  risky:
taking unnecessary risks (informal)
—un·health·i·ly,
adverb

—un·health·i·ness, noun[1]



unheard

unheard
un·heard 
[un húrd] adjective

1.  not
heard:
not perceived by the ear

2.  not
given a hearing: not listened to or given a hearing

3.  unknown:
unknown or obscure (archaic)

[1]



unheard-of

unheard-of
un·heard-of 
adjective

1.  unknown:
not previously known

2.  unprecedented:
never having happened before

3.  offensive:
extremely offensive or rude

[1]



unhesitating

unhesitating
un·hes·i·tat·ing 
[un hézzi tàyting] adjective

1.  prompt:
without pause or indecision

2.  unchanging:
without change or deviation
—un·hes·i·tat·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unhinge

unhinge
un·hinge 
[un hínj] (past un·hinged, past
participle un·hinged, present participle un·hing·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·hing·es) transitive verb

1.  remove
something from hinges: to remove something from its
hinges

2.  remove
hinges:
to remove the hinges of something

3.  dislocate
something:
to dislodge or detach something

4.  disrupt:
to throw something into confusion

5.  make
psychologically unstable: to cause somebody to become
emotionally or mentally unstable

[1]



unhip

unhip
un·hip 
[un híp] adjective

not fashionable:
not in keeping with popular fashions or ideas (dated informal)[1]



unhitch

unhitch
un·hitch 
[un hích] (past un·hitched, past
participle un·hitched, present participle un·hitch·ing,
3rd person present singular un·hitch·es) transitive verb

1.  unfasten
something:
to unfasten something that is tied up

2.  divorce:
to divorce (informal) (usually passive)

[1]



unholy

unholy
un·ho·ly 
[un hṓlee] (comparative un·ho·li·er,
superlative un·ho·li·est) adjective

1.  not
blessed:
not blessed or consecrated by a church ritual

2.  defying
religious precepts: deliberately defiant of
specific religious precepts

3.  outrageous:
extremely annoying or disturbing • This
place is an unholy mess!
[Old
English unhālig]
—un·ho·li·ness, noun[1]



unhook

unhook
un·hook 
[un hk] (past un·hooked, past
participle un·hooked, present participle un·hook·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·hooks) verb

1.  transitive
verb
remove
something from hook: to remove something from a
hook

2.  transitive
verb
undo
hooks of something: to unfasten the hooks of
something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb detach:
to separate somebody from a contract (informal)

[1]



unhoped-for

unhoped-for
un·hoped-for 
adjective

unexpected:
not expected or anticipated • an
unhoped-for victory
[14th century][1]



unhorse

unhorse
un·horse 
[un háwrs] (past un·horsed, past
participle un·horsed, present participle un·hors·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·hors·es) transitive verb

1.  knock
somebody from horse: to knock or throw somebody
from a horse

2.  bring
somebody down from office: to bring somebody down from
a high office or position

[1]



unhurried

unhurried
un·hur·ried
[un húrreed] adjective

relaxed:
done in a relaxed and deliberate way
—un·hur·ried·ly, adverb[1]



uni-

uni-
uni-
prefix

one,
single • unicellular
[From Latin, formed from unus
“one.” Ultimately from the Indo-European word for “one,” which is also the
ancestor of English one, alone, and inch
.][1]



Uniat

Uniat
U·ni·at 
[ynee àt, ynee
ət] or Uniate [ynee àt,
ynee ət] noun

member
of Eastern Christian Church: a member of any of the
Eastern Christian Churches that recognize papal supremacy but keep their own
liturgy, language, and canon law
adjective

of
Uniat Churches: relating to the Uniat Churches
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian uniyat and Polish uniat, from unia “union” (of the
Roman Catholic and Greek Churches), ultimately from Latin unio (see union ).][1]



uniaxial

uniaxial
u·ni·ax·i·al 
[ynee áksee əl] adjective

1.  CRYSTALLOGRAPHY with
single refraction in one direction: used
to describe a crystal or mineral that has one direction, parallel to the
principal axis, along which single refraction occurs

2.  BOTANY with
an unbranched main stem: used to describe a plant
with an unbranched main stem
—u·ni·ax·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



unicameral

unicameral
u·ni·cam·er·al 
[yni kámmərəl] adjective

with
one legislative chamber: having only one legislative
chamber
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin camera “chamber” (see camera ).]
—uni·cam·er·al·ism,
noun

—uni·cam·er·al·ist,
noun

—u·ni·cam·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



UNICEF

UNICEF
UNICEF 
[yni sèf] or Unicef [yni sèf] noun

Abbreviation of
United Nations Children’s Fund[1]



unicellular

unicellular
u·ni·cel·lu·lar 
[yni séllyələr] adjective

single-celled:
consisting of a single cell
—uni·cel·lu·lar·i·ty [yni sellyə láirətee], noun[1]



unicolor

unicolor
u·ni·col·or 
[yni kúllər] adjective

of one color:
composed of or containing only one color[1]



unicorn

unicorn

u·ni·corn 
[yni kàwrn] noun

1.  mythical
one-horned horse: a mythical animal usually depicted as a
white horse with a single straight spiraled horn growing from its forehead

2.  BIBLE biblical
horned animal: a horned animal mentioned in the Bible,
now believed to be a rhinoceros or aurochs
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin unicornis, literally “one-horned,” from cornu “horn”
(see corn ). Translation of Greek monokerōs
.][1]



unicostate

unicostate
u·ni·cos·tate 
[yni kó stàyt] adjective

BOTANY
with one main rib:
used to describe a leaf with one main rib[1]



unicycle

unicycle
u·ni·cy·cle 
[yni sk’l] noun

single-wheeled
vehicle:
a vehicle having a single wheel with a seat mounted on a frame above it. It is
steered and kept upright by balance and propelled by pedals.
Also
called
monocycle
[Mid-19th
century. Modeled on bicycle .]
—u·ni·cy·clist, noun[1]



unidentified

unidentified
un·i·den·ti·fied
[ùn ī dénti fd] adjective

1.  unable
to be named: unable to be recognized or given a name

2.  wanting
to remain anonymous: wishing not to be associated
with or held responsible for something

[1]



unidentified

unidentified
un·i·den·ti·fied
[ùn ī dénti fd] adjective

1.  unable
to be named: unable to be recognized or given a name

2.  wanting
to remain anonymous: wishing not to be associated
with or held responsible for something

[1]



unidirectional

unidirectional
u·ni·di·rec·tion·al 
[yni di rékshən’l, yni
dī rékshən’l] adjective

in one direction:
thinking, moving, or operating in only one direction[1]



UNIDO

UNIDO
UNIDO
[yni d] or Unido [yni d] noun

Abbreviation of
United Nations Industrial Development Organization[1]



unifactorial

unifactorial
u·ni·fac·to·ri·al 
[yni fak táwree əl] adjective

involving or controlled by
one gene: used to describe an
inherited characteristic dependent on a single gene[1]



unification

unification
u·ni·fi·ca·tion 
[ynifi káysh’n] noun

1.  act
of uniting:
the act or process of uniting or joining together

2.  result
of uniting:
a result of uniting or joining

[1]



UnificationChurch

UnificationChurch
U·ni·fi·ca·tion
Church
noun

religious denomination:
a religious denomination founded in 1954 by the South Korean industrialist Sun
Myung Moon[1]



unifiedfield theory

unifiedfield theory
u·ni·fied
field the·o·ry  noun

theory of interrelationship
between forces: a single theory capable
of defining the nature of the interrelationships among nuclear,
electromagnetic, and gravitational forces[1]



unifoliate

unifoliate
u·ni·fo·li·ate 
[yni fṓlee ət] adjective

having one leaf:
with a single leaf or leaf-shaped part[1]



Uniform

Uniform
U·ni·form
noun

COMMUNICATION
code word for letter “U”:
a code word for the letter “U,” used in international radio communications[1]



uniform

uniform
u·ni·form 
[yni fàwrm] noun

1.  distinctive
clothes:
a distinctive set of clothes worn to identify somebody’s occupation,
affiliation, or status

2.  complete
outfit:
a single outfit of identifying clothes

3.  particular
identifying look: a particular style or other feature that
identifies somebody as a member of a certain group
adjective

1.  unchanging:
always the same in quality, degree, character, or manner

2.  consistent:
conforming to one standard or rule

3.  like
another:
being the same as another or others

4.  unvarying
in design:
unvarying in color, texture, or design
transitive
verb
(past u·ni·formed, past participle u·ni·formed, present
participle u·ni·form·ing, 3rd person present singular u·ni·forms)

1.  provide
people with uniforms: to provide people or a group
with uniforms

2.  make
something the same: to make something
homogeneous, unvarying, or consistent
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin uniformis, literally “having
one form,” from forma “shape” (source of English form and formal
).]
—uniformed
[yni fáwrmətee], adjective

—u·ni·for·mi·ty
[yni fàwrmlee], noun

—u·ni·form·ly, adverb[1]



uniformitarianism

uniformitarianism
u·ni·for·mi·tar·i·an·ism 
[yni fawrmi táiree ə nìzzəm] noun

theory
of geologic processes: the theory that the same
geologic processes occurred in the past as occur today, and that geologic
formations and structures can be interpreted by observing present-day actions
—u·ni·for·mi·tar·i·an,
adjective, noun[1]



UniformResource Locator

UniformResource Locator
U·ni·form
Re·source Lo·ca·tor noun

Full form of
URL[1]



unify

unify
u·ni·fy 
[yni f] (past u·ni·fied, past
participle u·ni·fied, present participle u·ni·fy·ing, 3rd
person present singular u·ni·fies) transitive verb

make
things into one: to bring people or things together to
form a single unit or entity
[Early
16th century. Via French unifier from Latin unificare, literally
“to make one.”]
—u·ni·fi·a·ble,
adjective

—u·ni·fied,
adjective

—u·ni·fi·er,
noun

—u·ni·fy·ing, adjective[1]



unijugate

unijugate
u·nij·u·gate
[yoo níjjə gàyt, yni
j gàyt] adjective

with
only two leaflets: used to describe a compound
leaf with a single pair of leaflets
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from jugum .][1]



unilateral

unilateral
u·ni·lat·er·al 
[ynə láttərəl] adjective

1.  decided
by one party: decided or acted on by only one involved
party or nation irrespective of what the others do

2.  accounting
for one side only: taking into account only one
side of a subject

3.  binding
only one party: binding or at the insistence of only one
party to a contract, obligation, or agreement

4.  MEDICINE affecting
only one side: affecting or involving only one side of
the body, only one of a pair of organs, or only one side of an organ

5.  BOTANY with
parts on only one side: having parts that are
arranged on only one side of a stem or other axis

6.  with
one side:
having only one side

7.  through
one parent only: tracing lineage through one parent only
—u·ni·lat·er·al·ly, adverb[1]



unilateralism

unilateralism
u·ni·lat·er·al·ism 
[ynə láttərə lìzzəm] noun

independent
foreign policy: the implementation of a foreign policy
with little or no regard for the views of allies
—u·ni·lat·er·al·ist, noun[1]



unilineal

unilineal
u·ni·lin·e·al
[yni línnee əl] adjective

See
unilateral  adjective 7[1]



unilinear

unilinear
u·ni·lin·e·ar 
[yni línnee ər] adjective

developing through stages:
developing or evolving progressively through defined stages from primitive to
advanced and excluding any variation on this course[1]



unilingual

unilingual
u·ni·lin·gual 
[yni líng gwəl] adjective

knowing only one language:
using or knowing only one language[1]



uniliteral

uniliteral
u·ni·lit·er·al
[yni líttərəl] adjective

having one letter:
having only a single letter[1]



unilocular

unilocular
u·ni·loc·u·lar 
[yni lókyələr] adjective

with one cell or cavity:
with a single loculus, cell, or cavity[1]



unimaginable

unimaginable
un·i·mag·i·na·ble
[ùnni májjənəb’l] adjective

beyond
imagination: beyond anything that could be imagined
or described
—un·i·mag·i·na·bly, adverb[1]



unimaginative

unimaginative
un·i·mag·i·na·tive
[ùnni májjənətiv] adjective

1.  unable
to think of new ideas: unable to think of new or
interesting ideas, plans, or situations

2.  boring
and without new ideas: boring and ordinary, without
any new ideas

[1]



UnimakIsland

UnimakIsland
U·ni·mak
Is·land 
[ynə mak lənd]

the largest of the Aleutian
Islands, between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean, southwestern Alaska[1]



unimpaired

unimpaired
un·im·paired
[ùnnim páird] adjective

not damaged:
not damaged by something unpleasant, dangerous, or different that happens[1]



unimpassioned

unimpassioned
un·im·pas·sioned 
[ùnnim pásh’nd] adjective

not appealing to emotions:
unlikely to appeal to the emotions[1]



unimpeachable

unimpeachable
un·im·peach·a·ble 
[ùnnim pchəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to discredit: impossible to discredit or challenge

2.  faultless:
so good that it is beyond reproach
—un·im·peach·a·bly, adverb[1]



unimportant

unimportant
un·im·por·tant 
[ùnnim páwrt’nt] adjective

of
no significance: of little or no significance
—un·im·por·tance, noun[1]



unimproved

unimproved
un·im·proved 
[ùnnim prvd] adjective

1.  not
made better: not made better from an original
condition

2.  without
improvements: not modified in a way that would
increase value, for example, by the addition of buildings, landscaping, or
services • an
unimproved lot

3.  not
getting healthier: not showing improvement in
health

4.  not
put to good use: not used to advantage

[1]



unincorporated

unincorporated
un·in·cor·po·rat·ed
[ùnnin káwrpə ràytəd] adjective

1.  not
organized as entity: not organized into a
corporation or municipality • an
unincorporated township

2.  not
included:
not included or a part of something

[1]



uninformative

uninformative
un·in·form·a·tive 
[ùnnin fáwrmətiv] adjective

not
giving information: not providing adequate
information
—un·in·form·a·tive·ly,
adverb[1]



uninformed

uninformed
un·in·formed 
[ùnnin fáwrmd] adjective

not knowing about something:
lacking facts or knowledge of a particular situation or subject[1]



uninhabitable

uninhabitable
un·in·hab·it·a·ble 
[ùnnin hábbitəb’l] adjective

not
fit to be lived in: unfit as a habitation,
especially for human beings
—un·in·hab·it·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnin habbitə bíllətee], noun[1]



uninhabited

uninhabited
un·in·hab·it·ed 
[ùnnin hábbitəd] adjective

with no one living there:
without human habitation[1]



uninhibited

uninhibited
un·in·hib·it·ed 
[ùnnin híbbitəd] adjective

1.  unrestrained:
expressing feelings or views without restraint

2.  unconstrained:
not subject to social or other constraints
—un·in·hib·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·in·hib·it·ed·ness,
noun[1]



uninitiate

uninitiate
un·in·i·ti·ate 
[ùnni níshee ət] adjective

inexperienced:
without experience[1]



uninitiated

uninitiated
un·in·i·ti·at·ed 
[ùnni níshee àytəd] adjective

without
knowledge of subject: having no knowledge or
experience of a particular subject
plural
noun

people unknowledgeable in
subject: people who have no knowledge
or experience of a particular subject (takes a plural verb)[1]



uninspired

uninspired
un·in·spired 
[ùnnin sprd] adjective

lacking originality:
lacking originality or distinction[1]



uninspiring

uninspiring
un·in·spir·ing
adjective

not inspiring:
not arousing interest or excitement[1]



uninstall

uninstall
un·in·stall
[ùnnin stáwl] (past un·in·stalled,
past participle un·in·stalled, present participle un·in·stall·ing,
3rd person present singular un·in·stalls) transitive verb

remove software from
computer: to remove software from a
computer[1]



uninstructed

uninstructed
un·in·struct·ed 
[ùnnin strúktəd] adjective

1.  not
educated:
not educated or informed

2.  not
told what to do: not informed how to proceed or vote

[1]



uninsurable

uninsurable
un·in·sur·a·ble 
[ùnnin shrəb’l] adjective

too
risky for insurance: considered too great a risk
to cover by insurance
—un·in·sur·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnin shoorə bíllətee], noun[1]



uninsured

uninsured
un·in·sured 
[ùnnin shrd] adjective

not
covered by insurance: not covered against some
hazard by insurance
plural
noun

somebody not insured:
a person or group not covered by insurance (takes a plural verb)[1]



unintelligent

unintelligent
un·in·tel·li·gent 
[ùnnin téllijənt] adjective

1.  lacking
intelligence: lacking or showing a lack of
intelligence

2.  not
having ability to think: not having a mind or the
ability to think and reason
—un·in·tel·li·gent·ly,
adverb[1]



unintelligible

unintelligible
un·in·tel·li·gi·ble 
[ùnnin téllijəb’l] adjective

impossible
to understand: difficult or impossible to understand
—un·in·tel·li·gi·bil·i·ty
[ùnnin tellijə bíllətee], noun

—un·in·tel·li·gi·bly [ùnnin téllijəblee], adverb[1]



unintended

unintended
un·in·tend·ed 
[ùnnin téndəd] adjective

unplanned:
neither planned nor wanted[1]



unintentional

unintentional
un·in·ten·tion·al 
[ùnnin ténshən’l] adjective

not
on purpose:
not on purpose or by plan
—un·in·ten·tion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



uninterest

uninterest
un·in·ter·est 
[un íntrəst, un
íntərəst, un ín trèst] noun

lack of interest:
a lack of interest or concern[1]



uninterested

uninterested
un·in·ter·est·ed 
[un íntrəstəd, un
íntərəstəd, un ín trèstəd] adjective

not
interested:
lacking interest or concern
[Mid-17th
century. The earliest meaning was “impartial, disinterested.”]
—un·in·ter·est·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·in·ter·est·ed·ness,
noun[1]



uninteresting

uninteresting
un·in·ter·est·ing 
[un íntrəsting, un
íntərəsting, un ín trèsting] adjective

not
interesting: without interesting qualities
—un·in·ter·est·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boring

[1]



uninterrupted

uninterrupted
un·in·ter·rupt·ed
[ùnnintə rúptəd] adjective

1.  with
no break:
without interruption or break

2.  without
obstructions: free from obstructions • an
uninterrupted view
—un·in·ter·rupt·ed·ly,
adverb[1]



uninucleate

uninucleate
u·ni·nu·cle·ate 
[yni nklee ət] adjective

with single nucleus:
having a single nucleus[1]



uninvited

uninvited
un·in·vit·ed 
[ùnnin vtəd] adjective

not invited:
not invited or welcome[1]



uninviting

uninviting
un·in·vit·ing 
[ùnnin vting] adjective

not
appealing:
not appealing or pleasant
—un·in·vit·ing·ly, adverb[1]



uninvolved

uninvolved
un·in·volved 
[ùnnin vólvd] adjective

not taking part:
not participating in something[1]



Union

Union
Un·ion
noun

1.  northern
side in Civil War: the side of the northern
states in the Civil War, or its armed forces

2.  United
States of America: the United States of America

3.  union
of Britain and Northern Ireland: the union of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland since 1920

[1]



union

union
un·ion 
[ynyən] noun

1.  act
of joining together: the act of joining together
people or things to form a whole

2.  result
of bringing people together: a result of bringing or
joining together people or things

3.  See
labor union

4.  agreement:
agreement or unity of interests or opinions

5.  un·ion
or Un·ion EDUCATION organization
providing recreational facilities: an organization that
provides recreational facilities for students at a college or university

6.  un·ion
or Un·ion EDUCATION building
for recreation: a building that houses recreational
facilities for students at a college or university

7.  marriage:
the state of being married

8.  sex:
sexual intercourse

9.  political
alliance:
an alliance formed by the joining of people or organizations for a common
political purpose

10. emblem
of union:
an emblem of union used on a flag (archaic)

11. CONSTRUCTION coupling:
a coupling for parts such as pipes and pipe fittings

12. MATHEMATICS small
set of elements: the smallest set that consists of all
the elements of any or all of two or more given sets and no other elements. An
element is counted only once even if it occurs in more than one of the given
sets.

13. TEXTILES fabric
of different yarns: a fabric made of two or more
different yarns, for example, cotton and linen
[15th century. Directly or
via French from the Latin stem union-, “oneness,” from unus
“one.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “one,” the ancestor of
English one, any, inch,
and ounce .][1]



unioncard

unioncard
un·ion
card
noun

labor union membership card:
a card signifying membership in a labor union[1]



unioncatalog

unioncatalog
un·ion
cat·a·log
noun

listing of library materials:
a library catalog combining the materials in more than one library or in
branches of the same library[1]



UnionCity

UnionCity
Un·ion
Cit·y
[ynyən síttee]

1.  residential
and industrial city in western California, on Alameda Creek, near San Francisco
Bay. Population: 53,762 (1990)

2.  city
in northeastern New Jersey, on the Hudson River, adjoining Jersey City and opposite
New York City. Population: 58,012 (1990)

[1]



Unionflag

Unionflag
Un·ion
flag
noun

See
Union Jack[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unionism

unionism
un·ion·ism 
[ynyə nìzzəm] noun

1.  principles
of unions:
the principles or policies of labor unions

2.  advocacy
of unions:
the advocacy of forming and joining labor unions
—un·ion·ist, noun[1]



Unionism

Unionism
Un·ion·ism 
noun

loyalty
to federal union: loyalty to the federal union during the
Civil War
—Un·ion·ist, noun[1]



unionize

unionize
un·ion·ize 
[ynyə nz] (past un·ion·ized,
past participle un·ion·ized, present participle un·ion·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular un·ion·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

organize
workers or join union: to organize workers into a
labor union, or to join a labor union
—un·ion·i·za·tion
[ynyəni záysh’n], noun

—un·ion·iz·er, noun[1]



UnionJack

UnionJack
Un·ion
Jack
or Union flag noun

flag
of United Kingdom: the flag of the United
Kingdom, which united by superposition the flags of England, Scotland, and
Ireland
[Union because it represents
the United Kingdom + jack 1 in
the sense “ship’s flag”][1]



unionlabel

unionlabel
un·ion
la·bel
noun

label on product:
a label identifying a product as having been made or produced by members of a
labor union[1]



unionscale

unionscale
union
scale
noun

See
scale 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unionshop

unionshop
un·ion
shop
noun

place of work employing union
members: a place of employment where
a contract between the employer and a labor union requires employees to be or
become members of the union within a specified time.
Also called
closed shop
See also
open shop[1]



unionsuit

unionsuit
un·ion
suit
noun

one-piece undergarment:
a one-piece undergarment covering the entire body, arms, and legs, now
considered old-fashioned[1]



uniparous

uniparous
u·nip·a·rous 
[yoo níppərəss] adjective

1.  having
one child:
having given birth to only one child

2.  producing
one offspring per birth: producing a single offspring
at each birth

[1]



unipersonal

unipersonal
u·ni·per·son·al 
[yni púrsən’l] adjective

1.  existing
as one person: existing or manifested in the form of
only one person

2.  GRAMMAR used
in one person: existing as an inflected form in only
one person, especially the third person singular

[1]



uniplanar

uniplanar
u·ni·pla·nar 
[yni pláynər] adjective

in single plane:
occurring or located in a single plane[1]



unipod

unipod
u·ni·pod 
[yni pòd] noun

one-legged
stand:
a one-legged stand, for example, for a camera
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
tripod .][1]



unipolar

unipolar
u·ni·po·lar 
[yni pṓlər] adjective

1.  PHYSICS having
single pole: operating by means of, having, or
produced by a single electric or magnetic pole

2.  BIOLOGY branching
out at only one end: used to describe a neuron
that branches out at only one end

3.  PHYSICS with
one polarity: used to describe a transistor that has
carriers with only one polarity
—u·ni·po·lar·i·ty [yni pō lérrətee], noun[1]



unipotent

unipotent
u·ni·po·tent 
[yoo níppət’nt] adjective

developing into only one
type: capable of developing into
only one type of cell or tissue[1]



unique

unique
u·nique 
[yoo nk] adjective

1.  only
one:
being the only one of its kind

2.  better
than others: superior to all others

3.  unusual:
different from others in a way that makes something worthy of note • a
unique marketing opportunity

4.  limited
to somebody or something: limited to a specific place,
situation, group, person, or thing • concerns
that are unique to resettled refugees
[Early
17th century. Via French from Latin unicus, from unus “one” (see union ).]
—u·nique·ly,
adverb

—u·nique·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Meaning
  trap:
  The
  use of unique in its weakened sense
  “remarkable, outstanding” is common in marketing and advertising ( • Don’t
  miss this unique offer ), and these uses have
  somewhat discredited what is arguably a routine development in meaning. Many
  dictionaries and usage guides argue that unique
  is an absolute concept, thereby rejecting the use of qualifying words such as
  very and rather, but in many cases this stricture seems a
  pedantic objection to what is a linguistic rather than a philosophical
  convention.

[1]



uniqueselling proposition

uniqueselling proposition
u·nique
sell·ing prop·o·si·tion noun

Full form of
USP[1]



uniramous

uniramous
u·ni·ra·mous
[yni ráyməss] adjective

unbranched:
used to describe an appendage without multiple branches
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Latin ramus “branch.”][1]



uniseptate

uniseptate
u·ni·sep·tate 
[yni sép tàyt] adjective

with
one separating membrane: with a single separating
wall or membrane
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from septum .][1]



uniserial

uniserial
u·ni·ser·i·al 
[yni sree əl] or u·ni·se·ri·ate
[yni sree àyt, yni
sree ət] adjective

arranged in series:
arranged in or consisting of a single row or series[1]



unisex

unisex
u·ni·sex 
[yni sèks] adjective

1.  suitable
for either sex: designed or suitable for people of
either sex • unisex
fashions

2.  BIOLOGY not
distinctly male or female: not distinctly of either the
male or the female sex

[1]



unisexual

unisexual
u·ni·sex·u·al 
[yni sékshoo əl] adjective

1.  related
to one sex:
related to or limited to one sex

2.  with
male or female reproductive organs:
having either only male or only female reproductive organs
—u·ni·sex·u·al·i·ty
[yni sèkshoo állətee], noun

—u·ni·sex·u·al·ly [yni sékshoo əlee], adverb[1]



unison

unison
u·ni·son 
[yniss’n, yniz’n]
noun

1.  notes
at same pitch: two or more notes sharing the same pitch

2.  performance
of parts:
the performance of two or more parts at the same pitch or an octave apart
[Late
16th century. Via Old French from, ultimately, late Latin unisonus,
literally “having the same sound,” from sonus “sound” (see sound ).]
in
unison

1.  in
perfect agreement or harmony

2.  at
the same time as somebody or something else

[1]



unit

unit
u·nit 
[ynit] noun

1.  one
person, thing, or group: a single person, thing, or
group, usually regarded as a whole part of something larger

2.  discrete
part:
any of the individuals or discrete parts or elements into which something can
be divided, especially for analysis

3.  group
with specific function: a group of people with a
specific function who are part of a larger organization • the
cancer research unit

4.  group
of military personnel: a group of military
personnel with a particular function organized as a subdivision of a larger
body

5.  component
or assembly of components: a component or assembly of
components that performs a specific function • a
kitchen unit

6.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand residence:
one of a number of similar residences within a building or development

7.  EDUCATION part
of academic course: a part of an academic course
that focuses on a particular theme

8.  EDUCATION measure
of academic instruction: a measure of academic
instruction, usually based on the number of hours of classroom and laboratory
work

9.  MEASUREMENTS measurement:
a standard measurement, for example, an inch, degree, calorie, volt, or hour,
whose multiples are used in determining quantity

10. MEDICINE drug
amount:
an amount of an enzyme, hormone, drug, or other agent that produces a given
effect, often as specified by an internationally agreed standard

11. MATHEMATICS natural
number:
the lowest positive natural number

12. MATHEMATICS number
less than ten: the first digit to the left of the
decimal point in decimal notation, representing a whole number less than ten.
Broadly, the first place in a place-value number system, representing a whole
number less than the base radix multiplied by the base raised to the zero
power.

13. LOGIC MATHEMATICS set with single number:
a set having a single number
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin unus “one” (see union ),
on the model of digit .][1]



unitard

unitard
u·ni·tard 
[yni trd] noun

one-piece
garment:
a one-piece stretchable garment with or without sleeves that covers the body
from the neck to the feet
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from uni- and leotard
.][1]



Unitarian

Unitarian
U·ni·tar·i·an 
noun

1.  RELIGION member
of Unitarian Universalist church: somebody who believes
in or practices the precepts of Unitarian Universalism

2.  RELIGION monotheist
who is not Christian: somebody who believes in one
god but who does not follow the precepts of a Christian church

3.  CHRISTIANITY nonbeliever
in Trinity:
a Christian who does not believe in the Trinity
—Unitarian, adjective[1]



unitarian

unitarian
u·ni·tar·i·an
[y ni táiree ən] noun

1.  supporter
of unity:
a supporter of unity or a unitary system

2.  RELIGION somebody
believing God is one: somebody who believes that
God is one being
—u·ni·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



UnitarianUniversalism

UnitarianUniversalism
Unitarian
Universalism noun

Christian
doctrine:
a religious doctrine that rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the
divinity of Jesus Christ, and formal dogma but stresses reason and individual
conscience in belief and practice
—Unitarian Universalist,
adjective[1]



unitary

unitary
u·ni·tar·y 
[yni tèrree] adjective

1.  relating
to unit:
relating to or consisting of a unit

2.  characterized
by unity:
based on or characterized by unity

3.  existing
as unit:
undivided and existing as a unit

4.  of
centralized government: of or based on a system of
government in which authority is centralized
—u·ni·tar·i·ly, adverb[1]



unitcell

unitcell
u·nit
cell
noun

structural unit of crystal:
the smallest structural unit of a crystal that has all its symmetry and by
repetition in three dimensions makes up its full lattice[1]



unitcost

unitcost
u·nit
cost
noun

cost of producing one item:
the cost of producing a single item[1]



unite

unite
u·nite 
[yoo nt] (past u·nit·ed, past
participle u·nit·ed, present participle u·nit·ing, 3rd
person present singular u·nites) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb bring
things together: to bring things together or to come
together to form or act as a unit

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb unify
people:
to unify people or to become unified by a common interest or concern

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb marry:
to join a couple in marriage

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb adhere:
to adhere or cause things to adhere

5.  transitive
verb
combine
qualities:
to combine qualities or traits
[15th
century. From Latin unit-, the past participle stem of unire,
literally “to make one,” from unus “one” (see union
).]
—u·nit·er, noun[1]



united

united
u·nit·ed 
[yoo ntəd] adjective

1.  combined
into one:
combined into or made one

2.  by
or from union: formed by or resulting from the union of
two or more persons or things

3.  in
harmony:
in agreement or harmony
—u·nit·ed·ness, noun[1]



United

United
U·nit·ed 
adjective

Canada
belonging to United Church of Canada:
belonging to the United Church of Canada[1]



UnitedArab Emirates




Back to definition

UnitedArab Emirates

[1]



UnitedArab Emirates

UnitedArab Emirates



U·nit·ed Ar·ab E·mir·ates 
[y ntid árrəb èmmərəts]
federation of seven independent states
located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. Language: Arabic.
Currency: dirham. Capital: Abu Dhabi. Population: 2,500,000 (1996) Area: 77,700
sq km/30,000 sq mi. Former name Trucial
States[1]



UnitedArab Republic

UnitedArab Republic
U·ni·ted
Ar·ab Re·pub·lic

former independent union
between Egypt and Syria, founded in 1958. It was disbanded when Syria left the
union in 1961, although Egypt retained the name until 1971.[1]



UnitedChurch of Canada

UnitedChurch of Canada
U·nit·ed
Church of Can·a·da noun

Canada
Protestant church:
a large Protestant Christian church formed in 1926 by the amalgamation of most
Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist congregations in Canada[1]



UnitedChurch of Christ

UnitedChurch of Christ
U·nit·ed
Church of Christ noun

Protestant denomination:
a Protestant denomination in the United States that was formed in 1957 by the
merging of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Church[1]



UnitedKingdom

UnitedKingdom



U·nit·ed King·dom

constitutional monarchy in northwestern
Europe, occupying the British Isles with the exception of most of the island of
Ireland. It comprises the historic kingdoms of England and Scotland, the
principality of Wales, and the province of Northern Ireland. Language: English.
Currency: pound sterling. Capital: London. Population: 58,784,000 (1996) Area:
241,752 sq km/93,341 sq mi. Official name United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland[1]



UnitedKingdom




Back to definition

UnitedKingdom

[1]



UnitedNations

UnitedNations
U·nit·ed
Na·tions
noun

1.  organization
of nations:
an organization of nations that was formed in 1945 to promote peace, security,
and international cooperation

2.  HISTORY alliance
of nations:
an alliance of nations that pledged in January 1942 to defeat the Axis powers
in World War II

[1]



UnitedStates

UnitedStates



U·nit·ed States

POLITICS
federal republic in the continent of North America, consisting of 50 states.
Language: English. Currency: dollar. Capital: Washington, D.C. Population:
270,311,758 (1998) Area: 9,629,047 sq km/3,717,796 sq mi. Official name
United States of America[1]



UnitedStates




Back to definition

UnitedStates

[1]



unitive

unitive
u·ni·tive 
[ynitiv] adjective

1.  able
to unite:
having the ability to unite or promoting unity

2.  characterized
by union:
characterized by union or unity
[Early 16th century. From
late Latin unitivus, from Latin unit- (see unite ).][1]



unitof account

unitof account
u·nit
of ac·count
noun

U.K.
See money of account[1]



unitoperation

unitoperation
u·nit
op·er·a·tion noun

operation in chemical process
industries: an operation, for example,
mixing, filtration, chemical reaction, or distillation, that is common to the
chemical process industries. The study of unit operations is the basis of
chemical engineering.[1]



unitprice

unitprice
u·nit
price
noun

price per item or measure:
the price of goods per item or measure, for example, per pound or dozen[1]



unitrule

unitrule
u·nit
rule
noun

rule governing state’s vote:
the rule that a state’s entire vote for nomination to office must go to the
candidate preferred by the majority of its delegation to the political party’s
national convention[1]



unittrust

unittrust
u·nit
trust
noun

U.K.
See mutual fund[1]



unity

unity
u·ni·ty 
[ynitee] (plural u·ni·ties) noun

1.  being
one:
the state of being one

2.  combining
into one:
the combining or joining of separate things or entities to form one

3.  something
whole:
something whole or complete formed by combining or joining separate things or
entities

4.  harmony:
harmony of opinion, interest, or feeling

5.  singleness
among individuals: singleness or constancy
among individuals or groups

6.  ARTS arranging
of artistic elements aesthetically: the
arranging of separate elements in a literary or artistic work to create an
overall aesthetic impression

7.  ARTS aesthetic
impression:
the overall aesthetic impression produced by the arrangement of elements in an
artistic or literary work

8.  THEATER principle
of dramatic structure: any one of the three
principles of dramatic structure derived from Aristotle’s Poetics. These
state that the action of a play should be limited to one plot unity of action,
one day unity of time, and one location unity of place .

9.  MATHEMATICS number
one:
a number by which a given element of a mathematical system can be multiplied
with the result being equal to the value of the given element

10. MATHEMATICS See identity element
[13th century. Via Old French
unite from Latin unitas, literally “oneness,” from unus
“one” (see union ).][1]



univ.

univ.
univ.

Abbreviation of
university[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








univalent

univalent
u·ni·va·lent 
[yni váylənt] adjective

1.  See
monovalent

2.  remaining
unpaired during cell division: used to describe a
chromosome that remains unpaired during the cell division ( meiosis ) that precedes sex cell formation
—u·ni·va·len·cy, noun[1]



univalve

univalve
u·ni·valve 
[yni vàlv] adjective

1.  with
single-piece shell: having a shell that is a
single piece or valve • an
univalve gastropod

2.  made
of single piece: used to describe a shell that is made of
a single piece
noun

mollusk: a
mollusk or shell that is univalve

[1]



universal

universal
u·ni·ver·sal 
[ynə vúrs’l] adjective

1.  affecting
the world:
affecting, relating to, or including the whole world or everyone in the world

2.  relating
to universe: relating to the universe or everything

3.  affecting
those in particular group: affecting, relating to, or
including everyone in a particular group or situation

4.  used
by everyone: used or understood by everyone

5.  applicable
to all:
applicable to all situations or purposes • a
universal solution

6.  present
everywhere:
present or prevalent everywhere

7.  knowledgeable:
knowledgeable about or encompassing extensive skills, interests, activities, or
subjects

8.  adaptable
to different sizes: adaptable to many uses or
sizes

9.  LOGIC affirming
or denying every member: relating to a proposition
that is true or false of every member of a class or group
noun

1.  common
characteristic: a characteristic or behavior pattern
common to everyone or all the people in a particular group or situation

2.  LOGIC true
or false proposition for all: a proposition that is true
or false for all members of a class or group

3.  PHILOSOPHY general
term or concept: a general term or concept or that which
it denotes

4.  PHILOSOPHY unchanging
metaphysical entity: a metaphysical entity that remains
unchanged in character through a series of changing relations

5.  PHILOSOPHY Platonic
idea or Aristotelian form: a Platonic idea or
Aristotelian form

6.  LINGUISTICS grammatical
characteristic common to all languages: an
actual or possible characteristic common to the grammatical description of all
human languages
—u·ni·ver·sal·i·ty
[ynə vur sállətee], noun

—u·ni·ver·sal·ly
[ynə vúrsəlee], adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at widespread

[1]



universalbeam

universalbeam
uni·ver·sal
beam
noun

strong steel beam:
a strong steel beam suitable as a support, used either vertically or
horizontally[1]



universalclass

universalclass
uni·ver·sal
class
noun

See
universal set[1]



universalcoupling

universalcoupling
uni·ver·sal
cou·pling
noun

See
universal joint[1]



universaldonor

universaldonor
uni·ver·sal
do·nor
noun

somebody with group O blood:
somebody with group O blood who can potentially donate blood to anyone,
regardless of the recipient’s blood group.
See also
universal recipient[1]



universalgrammar

universalgrammar
uni·ver·sal
gram·mar
noun

rules applicable to all human
languages: the set of actual or
possible rules that form the grammatical description of all human languages[1]



universalism

universalism
u·ni·ver·sal·ism 
[ynə vúrs’l ìzzəm] noun

1.  comprehensive
range:
a comprehensive range of knowledge, interests, or activities

2.  universal
feature:
a universal characteristic or feature
—u·ni·ver·sal·ist,
noun

—u·ni·ver·sal·is·tic [ynə vursə lístik], adjective[1]



Universalism

Universalism
U·ni·ver·sal·ism 
noun

Christian
doctrine:
the doctrine of salvation for all souls
—U·ni·ver·sal·ist, noun[1]



universalizability

universalizability
u·ni·ver·sal·iz·a·bil·i·ty
[ynə vurs’l īzə bíllətee] noun

1.  universal
application of moral judgment: the thesis that any
moral judgment must apply equally to all relevantly identical situations

2.  Kantian
principle of morality: the Kantian principle that
any course of action that cannot be universally adopted must be morally
impermissible

[1]



universalize

universalize
u·ni·ver·sal·ize 
[ynə vúrs’l z] (past u·ni·ver·sal·ized,
past participle u·ni·ver·sal·ized, present participle u·ni·ver·sal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular u·ni·ver·sal·iz·es) transitive
verb

1.  make
widespread:
to make something universal in use or distribution, often within a certain
field

2.  make
general:
to generalize a theory, proposition, or idea so that it applies to all people,
instances, or situations
—u·ni·ver·sal·i·za·tion
[ynə vurs’li záysh’n], noun[1]



universaljoint

universaljoint

u·ni·ver·sal joint
(plural u·ni·ver·sal joints) or u·ni·ver·sal coup·ling
noun
coupling device:
a coupling device between two rotating shafts in line with each other that
permits rotation in three planes. It is commonly used in vehicle construction.[1]



universalmotor

universalmotor
u·ni·ver·sal
mo·tor
(plural u·ni·ver·sal mo·tors) noun

electric motor:
an electric motor that runs with a relatively constant output speed on either
alternating or direct current[1]



UniversalProduct Code

UniversalProduct Code
U·ni·ver·sal
Prod·uct Code  (plural U·ni·ver·sal Prod·uct
Codes) noun

bar code:
a bar code containing a unique 12-digit number that identifies a commercial
product[1]



universalquantifier

universalquantifier
u·ni·ver·sal
quan·ti·fi·er (plural u·ni·ver·sal
quan·ti·fi·ers) noun

logical operator
corresponding to word “all”: a word such
as “all” and “every” in English and the logical operator or constant that
performs the same function in symbolic, mathematical, or predicate logic[1]



universalrecipient

universalrecipient
u·ni·ver·sal
re·cip·i·ent (plural u·ni·ver·sal
re·cip·i·ents) noun

somebody able to receive ABO
blood: somebody who belongs to the
AB blood group and, as a result, can receive transfusions of blood of any ABO
group.
See also
universal donor[1]



universalset

universalset
u·ni·ver·sal
set
(plural u·ni·ver·sal sets) or u·ni·ver·sal class noun

mathematical set containing
all relevant elements: a
mathematical set that contains all of the possible elements and all of the
subsets relevant to the solution of a particular problem[1]



universaltime

universaltime
u·ni·ver·sal
time
noun

1.  See
Greenwich Mean Time

2.  u·ni·ver·sal
time
or u·ni·ver·sal time co·ord·in·a·ted internationally
accepted standard for time: an internationally accepted
standard for calculating time based on International Atomic Time

[1]



universe

universe
u·ni·verse 
[ynəvərs] noun

1.  all
matter and energy in space: the totality of all matter
and energy that exists in the vastness of space, whether known to human beings
or not

2.  the
earth and humanity: the earth along with the
human race and the totality of human experience

3.  sphere
of person or thing: a sphere of activity or
field that is centered on and includes everything associated with a person,
place, or thing

4.  See
universe of discourse

5.  See
population  noun 5
[14th century. Directly or
via French from Latin universum “the whole world,” from universus
“whole,” literally “turned into one,” from versus, past participle of vertere
“to turn” (source of English versatile
).][1]



universeof discourse

universeof discourse
u·ni·verse
of dis·course noun

all objects under
consideration: in logic, all of a set
of objects implied by a specific discussion.
Also called
universe[1]



university

university
u·ni·ver·si·ty 
[ynə vúrsətee] (plural u·ni·ver·si·ties)
noun

1.  undergraduate
and postgraduate educational institution: an
educational institution for higher learning that typically includes an
undergraduate college and graduate schools in various disciplines, as well as
medical and law schools and sometimes other professional schools

2.  buildings
housing a university: the buildings, other
facilities, and grounds of a university

3.  students
and faculty: the students, teachers, and
administrative and other staff of a university
[14th century. Via French université
from Latin universitas “the whole, society, guild,” from universus
(see universe ).][1]



univocal

univocal
u·niv·o·cal 
[yoo nívvək’l] adjective

unambiguous:
having only one meaning
noun
(plural u·niv·o·cals)

univocal
word:
a word or term with only one meaning
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Late Latin univocus, literally “having one voice,”
from vox “voice” (see voice ).]
—u·niv·o·cal·ly, adverb[1]



UNIX

UNIX
UNIX 
[yniks] or Unix [yniks] Trademark

a trademark for a widely used
computer operating system, developed in 1969 at AT&T Bell Laboratories,
that can support multitasking in a multiuser environment[1]



unjoint

unjoint
un·joint 
[un jóynt] (past un·joint·ed, past
participle un·joint·ed, present participle un·joint·ing,
3rd person present singular un·joints) transitive verb

remove or dislocate at joint:
to cut off or dislocate something at a joint[1]



unjust

unjust
un·just 
[un júst] adjective

1.  not
just or fair: contrary to what is right, just, or
fair, or lacking fairness or justice

2.  faithless:
unfaithful or dishonest (archaic)
—un·just·ly,
adverb

—un·just·ness, noun[1]



unjustifiable

unjustifiable
un·jus·ti·fi·a·ble 
[un jústə fī əb’l, ùn
justə f əb’l] adjective

impossible
to justfy:
incapable of being shown to be, or defended as being, fair, reasonable, or
correct
—un·jus·ti·fi·a·bly, adverb[1]



unjustified

unjustified
un·jus·ti·fied
[un jústə fd] adjective

1.  having
no acceptable justification: shown to have no good or
just reason or explanation

2.  PRINTING not
having a straight vertical margin: not arranged evenly in
such a way that the ends of the lines on a page form a straight vertical line
parallel to the margin

[1]



unkempt

unkempt
un·kempt 
[un kémpt] adjective

1.  needing
grooming:
tangled, matted, or messy, and needing combing or grooming

2.  untidy
and neglected: untidy or disorderly as a result of
neglect or a lack of care

3.  unpolished:
lacking in polish or elegance
[14th century. Formed from kempt,
past participle of kemb “to comb,” from Old English cemban, from
a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English comb .][1]



unkennel

unkennel
un·ken·nel 
[un kénn’l] (past un·ken·neled,
past participle un·ken·neled, present participle un·ken·nel·ing,
3rd person present singular un·ken·nels) transitive verb

1.  let
out of kennel: to let a dog out of a kennel

2.  force
out of lair: to make an animal leave its den or lair

3.  make
known:
to reveal or uncover something secret or hidden

[1]



unkind

unkind
un·kind 
[un knd] (comparative un·kind·er,
superlative un·kind·est) adjective

1.  lacking
kindness:
lacking or resulting from a lack of kindness, sympathy, or consideration

2.  harsh:
severe, harsh, or inclement
—un·kind·ness,
noun

—un·kind·ly, adjective[1]



unkindly

unkindly
un·kind·ly 
[un kndlee] adverb

cruelly:
in an unkind manner or without showing kindness
adjective

not
kindly:
lacking in kindliness
—un·kind·li·ness, noun[1]



unkink

unkink
un·kink 
[un kíngk] (past un·kinked, past
participle un·kinked, present participle un·kink·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·kinks) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
kinks out of: to remove a kink or kinks from
something, or to have a kink or kinks removed

2.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to become loose or relaxed

[1]



unknit

unknit
un·knit 
[un nít] (past un·knit or
un·knit·ted, past participle un·knit or un·knit·ted,
present participle un·knit·ting, 3rd person present singular
un·knits) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  undo
or become undone: to unravel something or become unraveled

2.  relax
contracted eyebrows: to allow the eyebrows to
move back to a natural position after being drawn together, or to be moved
apart in this way

[1]



unknowable

unknowable
un·know·a·ble 
[un nṓ əb’l] adjective

not
knowable:
impossible to know, often because of lying outside human experience or being
inaccessible to human understanding
noun
(plural un·know·a·bles)

something
not knowable: something that cannot be known
—un·know·a·bil·i·ty
[un n ə bíllətee], noun

—un·know·a·ble·ness
[un nṓ əb’lnəss], noun

—un·know·a·bly [un nṓ əblee], adverb[1]



unknowing

unknowing
un·know·ing 
[un nṓ ing] adjective

1.  unaware:
unwitting or lacking awareness

2.  unintentional:
not intended
—un·know·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unknown

unknown
un·known 
[un nṓn] adjective

1.  not
known:
not forming part of somebody’s knowledge or of knowledge in general

2.  not
identified:
undetermined or undiscovered

3.  not
widely known: not known to, or recognized by, many
people
noun
(plural un·knowns)

1.  somebody
or something not known: somebody or something that
is not part of somebody’s knowledge or of knowledge in general

2.  somebody
or something not widely known: somebody or something
that is not known or recognized by many people

3.  MATHEMATICS variable
to be determined: a variable in an equation whose values
are solutions of the equation

[1]



UnknownSoldier

UnknownSoldier
Un·known
Sol·dier 
noun

soldier representing
unidentified war dead: an
unidentified soldier killed in battle and selected for burial with national
honors to represent all those who died fighting for their country but could not
be identified[1]



unlabored

unlabored
un·la·bored 
[un láybərd] adjective

1.  done
without effort: done or produced without toil, effort,
or difficulty

2.  natural
and unstudied: exhibiting a naturalness and ease of
accomplishment

3.  uncultivated:
not subject to tilling or cultivation

[1]



unlaboured

unlaboured
un·la·boured
[un láybərd] adjective

U.K. =
unlabored[1]



unlace

unlace
un·lace 
[un láyss] (past un·laced, past
participle un·laced, present participle un·lac·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·lac·es) transitive verb

1.  undo
laces of:
to loosen or untie the laces of a shoe, piece of clothing, or other item

2.  undress
somebody by undoing laces: to loosen or untie laced
shoes or clothing on somebody

[1]



unlade

unlade
un·lade 
[un láyd] (past un·lad·ed, past
participle un·lad·ed or un·lad·en [un láyd’n], present participle un·lad·ing,
3rd person present singular un·lades) transitive verb

1.  empty
ship or vehicle: to empty a ship or vehicle by removing
its cargo or load

2.  remove
cargo:
to remove a cargo or load from a ship or vehicle

[1]



unlash

unlash
un·lash 
[un lásh] (past un·lashed, past
participle un·lashed, present participle un·lash·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·lash·es) transitive verb

undo the lashing of:
to loosen or untie the ropes or other lashing holding or restraining something[1]



unlatch

unlatch
un·latch 
[un lách] (past un·latched, past
participle un·latched, present participle un·latch·ing,
3rd person present singular un·latch·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

unfasten or become
unfastened: to unfasten or open by
lifting or releasing a latch, or become unfastened or open in this way[1]



unlawful

unlawful
un·law·ful 
[un láwf’l] adjective

1.  illegal:
not permitted by the law

2.  immoral
or unethical: contrary to religious precepts, ethical
standards, or the conventions of society

3.  born
out of wedlock: born to parents who are not legally
married (archaic)
—un·law·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·law·ful·ness, noun[1]



unlawfulassembly

unlawfulassembly
un·law·ful
as·sem·bly
noun

illegal public gathering:
an assembly of people that is not sanctioned by law and is therefore illegal[1]



unlay

unlay
un·lay 
[un láy] (past un·laid, past
participle un·laid [un láyd], present
participle un·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular un·lays)
intransitive and transitive verb

untwist
rope strands: to separate the strands of a rope by
untwisting them, or become separated in this way
[Early 18th century. From lay 1 .][1]



unlead

unlead
un·lead 
[un léd] (past un·lead·ed, past
participle un·lead·ed, present participle un·lead·ing,
3rd person present singular un·leads) transitive verb

remove
leads from:
to take out the leading or leads separating lines of type
[Late 16th century. Formed
from lead .][1]



unleaded

unleaded
un·lead·ed 
[un léddəd] adjective

1.  free
of tetraethyl lead: not containing tetraethyl
lead as an antiknock additive and consequently less harmful to the environment
• unleaded
gas

2.  PRINTING not
separated by leads: not separated by spaces
created by inserting leads between the lines of type
noun
(plural un·lead·eds)

unleaded gasoline:
gasoline that does not contain tetraethyl lead as an antiknock additive

[1]



unlearn

unlearn
un·learn 
[un lúrn] (past un·learned or
un·learnt, past participle un·learned or un·learnt,
present participle un·learn·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·learns) transitive verb

1.  rid
mind of:
to rid the mind of the knowledge or memory of something

2.  end
practice of: to break the habit of something or end
the practice of something

[1]



unlearned

unlearned
un·learn·ed 
[un lúrnəd] adjective

1.  lacking
education:
not having received an education or schooling

2.  displaying
lack of education: showing or resulting from a
lack of education

3.  unskilled
or unfamiliar: lacking a knowledge of, skills in, or
familiarity with, a specified field

4.  un·learn·ed
or un·learnt natural or unstudied:
possessed or known without having been practiced, studied, or taught
[15th
century. Formed from learn .]
—un·learn·ed·ly, adverb[1]



unleash

unleash
un·leash 
[un lsh] (past un·leashed, past
participle un·leashed, present participle un·leash·ing,
3rd person present singular un·leash·es) transitive verb

1.  free
from leash:
to set a person or animal free from a leash or other form of restraint or
confinement

2.  allow
something to have full effect: to allow something,
especially something previously held in check, to have its full effect

[1]



unleavened

unleavened
un·leav·ened 
[un lévvənd] adjective

made without raising agent:
made without yeast or other raising agent[1]



unless

unless
un·less 
[un léss] conjunction

except
that:
except under the circumstances that • I
won’t go unless the weather improves.
[15th century. Formed from on
lesse than “on a lower condition, except,” of unknown origin.][1]



unlettered

unlettered
un·let·tered 
[un léttərd] adjective

1.  not
well-educated: lacking a good education or the
knowledge and understanding that such an education can provide

2.  illiterate:
unable to read and write

3.  not
having any lettering: not containing or inscribed
with any lettering
[14th century][1]



unlicensed

unlicensed
un·li·censed 
[un lss’nst] adjective

1.  having
no license:
lacking a required official license

2.  unsanctioned:
done without authorization or permission

3.  without
ethical inhibitions: lacking ethical or religious
constraints

[1]



unlicked

unlicked
un·licked 
[un líkt] adjective

1.  not
licked:
not licked, for example, so as to moisten, clean, or dry

2.  not
fully formed: not completely or properly formed or
shaped (archaic)
[Late 16th century. Formed
from lick .][1]



unlike

unlike
un·like 
[un lk] preposition

1.  dissimilar:
having qualities and characteristics dissimilar to or different from somebody
or something • They
were completely unlike each other in appearance.

2.  indicates
contrast:
used to indicate a contrast between two things, people, or situations • Unlike
my opponent’s plan, these reforms will neither impose new costs nor require tax
increases.

3.  not
typical of:
used to indicate that somebody’s words or actions are not typical or
characteristic of him or her • It was
so unlike her to speak like that.
[Old
English]
—un·like·ness, noun[1]



unlikelihood

unlikelihood
un·like·li·hood 
[un lklee hd] (plural un·like·li·hoods)
noun

1.  improbability:
the extent to which something is not likely to happen or to be true

2.  something
unlikely:
an unlikely event, situation, or hypothesis

[1]



unlikely

unlikely
un·like·ly 
[un lklee] (comparative un·like·li·er,
superlative un·like·li·est) adjective

1.  improbable:
not likely to occur

2.  not
believable:
not likely to be true or be believed

3.  incongruous:
not suitable or appropriate

4.  probably
not successful: not likely to meet with success
—un·like·li·ness,
noun

—un·like·li·hood, noun[1]



unlimber

unlimber2
un·lim·ber2  [un
límbər] (past un·lim·bered, past participle un·lim·bered,
present participle un·lim·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·lim·bers) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  get
something ready for action: to prepare something for
action or use

2.  remove
and set up cannon: to remove a piece of field
artillery from its gun carriage and prepare it for use
[Early 19th century.
Literally “to withdraw the limber (from a gun before bringing it into use).”][1]



unlimber

unlimber1
un·lim·ber1  [un
límbər] adjective

not
flexible:
lacking in flexibility or suppleness
intransitive
and transitive verb (past un·lim·bered,
past participle un·lim·bered, present participle un·lim·ber·ing,
3rd person present singular un·lim·bers)

make or become limber:
to make something, or become, flexible or supple[1]



unlimited

unlimited
un·lim·it·ed 
[un límmitəd] adjective

1.  not
restricted:
without limits, restrictions, or controls

2.  infinite:
lacking or appearing to lack a boundary or end

3.  complete
or total:
not subject to qualification or exception
—un·lim·it·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·lim·it·ed·ness, noun[1]



unlink

unlink
un·link 
[un língk] (past participle un·linked,
present participle un·link·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·links) intransitive and transitive verb

1.  unfasten
or become unfastened: to undo one or more links of
something, or to become undone at one or more links

2.  separate
or disconnect: to separate or disconnect, or to become
separated or disconnected

[1]



unlisted

unlisted
un·list·ed 
[un lístəd] adjective

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand not
publicly available: not included in a telephone
directory available to the public

2.  not
on list:
not included on a list

3.  not
listed on stock exchange: not registered on a stock
exchange and consequently not available for trading on that exchange

[1]



unlive

unlive
un·live 
[un lív] (past un·lived, past
participle un·lived, present participle un·liv·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·lives) transitive verb

undo results of going through
something: to reverse or undo the
effects of an experience, action, or period of life[1]



unload

unload
un·load 
[un lṓd] (past un·load·ed, past
participle un·load·ed, present participle un·load·ing,
3rd person present singular un·loads) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  remove
cargo or load from carrier: to take off or remove a
cargo or load from a ship, truck, or pack animal

2.  discharge:
to discharge passengers or cargo

3.  remove
charge from gun: to remove a charge or cartridge from a
gun

4.  share
troubles:
to find an outlet for worries or negative feelings by sharing them with
somebody else

5.  sell
something unwanted: to get rid of something,
especially by selling a large quantity of it

6.  transfer
something unwanted: to pass work,
responsibility, or a problem on to somebody else

7.  take
film out of camera: to remove a roll of film
from a camera

8.  hit
something forcefully: to hit something with great
force or power

[1]



unlock

unlock
un·lock 
[un lók] (past un·locked, past
participle un·locked, present participle un·lock·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·locks) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb open
or become open after locking: to open a lock or something
locked, or to become open after being locked

2.  transitive
verb
give
access to something: to provide access to
something previously unavailable

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb release
emotion:
to release or unleash a pent-up feeling or emotion, or to be released or
unleashed

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb reveal
or be revealed: to expose or explain something, or to be
exposed or explained

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb loosen:
to unclench something, or to be unclenched

[1]



unlooked-for

unlooked-for
un·looked-for 
[un lkt fàwr] adjective

unexpected:
not hoped for or expected[1]



unloose

unloose
un·loose 
[un lss] (past un·loosed, past
participle un·loosed, present participle un·loos·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·loos·es) or un·loos·en [un lss’n] (past un·loos·ened, past
participle un·loos·ened, present participle un·loos·en·ing,
3rd person present singular un·loos·ens) transitive verb

1.  unfasten:
to untie or undo something, especially a knot

2.  set
free by untying: to set a person or animal free by
untying restraints

3.  release
from restraint or confinement: to restore freedom to
somebody held under restraint or in confinement

4.  make
looser:
to relax the tightness of something

5.  make
something less intense: to reduce the intensity of
something

[1]



unlovely

unlovely
un·love·ly 
[un lúvvlee] (comparative un·love·li·er,
superlative un·love·li·est) adjective

1.  not
beautiful:
not beautiful or pleasing to look at

2.  not
pleasurable: not producing pleasure or delight
—un·love·li·ness, noun[1]



unluckily

unluckily
un·luck·i·ly
[un lúkilee] adverb

1.  unfortunately:
in an unfortunate manner

2.  in
an unlucky way: in a way characterized by bad luck
[Mid-16th century][1]



unlucky

unlucky
un·luck·y 
[un lúkee] (comparative un·luck·i·er,
superlative un·luck·i·est) adjective

1.  having
bad luck:
not experiencing good luck or good fortune

2.  full
of misfortune or failure: full of bad luck,
misfortune, or failure

3.  bringing
misfortune:
causing or heralding misfortune

4.  disappointing:
producing disappointment or regret
—un·luck·i·ness, noun[1]



unmade

unmade
un·made


Past
tense of
unmake Past participle of unmake
adjective

not made neat and tidy:
not restored to a neat and tidy state after being slept in • an
unmade bed[1]



unmake

unmake
un·make 
[un máyk] (past un·made, past
participle un·made [un máyd], present
participle un·mak·ing, 3rd person present singular un·makes)
transitive verb

1.  undo:
to undo the effects of something

2.  change
completely:
to make a fundamental change or changes in something

3.  remove
from power:
to remove somebody from office or a position of authority

[1]



unman

unman
un·man 
[un mán] (past un·manned, past
participle un·manned, present participle un·man·ning, 3rd
person present singular un·mans) transitive verb

1.  strip
of courage:
to cause somebody to lose a quality or qualities traditionally attributed to
men, especially courage

2.  emasculate:
to deprive a man or boy of the ability to have intercourse or father children

[1]



unmanageable

unmanageable
un·man·age·a·ble 
[un mánnəjəb’l] adjective

difficult
to control:
impossible or difficult to deal with
—un·man·age·a·bil·i·ty
[un mànnəjə bíllətee], noun

—un·man·age·a·bly, adverb[1]



unmanly

unmanly
un·man·ly 
[un mánlee] (comparative un·man·li·er,
superlative un·man·li·est) adjective

1.  weak
and cowardly: not strong and brave in the way that a
man is traditionally supposed to be

2.  unsuitable
for a man:
not appropriate for or typical of a man, according to traditional perceptions
of masculinity
—un·man·li·ness, noun[1]



unmanned

unmanned
un·manned 
[un mánd] adjective

having
no personnel: not having any personnel, especially not
having a pilot or crew
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from man .][1]



unmannered

unmannered
un·man·nered 
[un mánnərd] adjective

1.  not
having good manners: lacking or displaying a lack
of good manners

2.  without
affectation: having an easy, unaffected manner
—un·man·nered·ly, adverb[1]



unmannerly

unmannerly
un·man·ner·ly 
[un mánnərlee] adjective

lacking
good manners: lacking or displaying a lack of good
manners
adverb

rudely:
in a rude or discourteous manner
—un·man·ner·li·ness, noun[1]



unmarked

unmarked
un·marked 
[un mrkt] adjective

1.  without
mark:
not bearing any mark

2.  lacking
identifying markings: lacking identifying letters,
numbers, or symbols • an
unmarked police car

3.  lacking
distinguishing quality: having no particular
distinguishing quality or character

4.  unseen:
not seen or spotted

[1]



unmarried

unmarried
un·mar·ried 
[un mérreed] adjective

not married:
not joined to another person by marriage[1]



unmask

unmask
un·mask 
[un másk] (past un·masked, past
participle un·masked, present participle un·mask·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·masks) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
mask off:
to remove a mask from somebody or somebody’s face

2.  transitive
verb
expose
true nature of: to expose the true nature or identity of
somebody or something

3.  intransitive
verb
let
true nature become known: to allow somebody’s or
something’s true nature or identity to become known

[1]



unmatched

unmatched
un·matched 
[un mácht] adjective

1.  not
matching:
not matching, especially not belonging to a matching pair

2.  not
equaled:
having no equal or rival

[1]



unmeaning

unmeaning
un·mean·ing 
[un mning] adjective

1.  meaningless:
lacking meaning or significance

2.  unintentional:
not intended or deliberate

3.  unintelligent:
devoid of intelligence
—un·mean·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unmeant

unmeant
un·meant 
adjective

not meant:
not intended[1]



unmeasured

unmeasured
un·meas·ured
[un mézhərd] adjective

1.  not
determined by measuring: not found out by measurement

2.  not
restrained:
unrestrained, incautious, or ill-considered

3.  MUSIC not
divided into bars: not marked with bar lines
and therefore with no set rhythm

[1]



unmechanical

unmechanical
un·me·chan·i·cal 
[ùnmə kánnik’l] adjective

unskilled
with tools and machinery: lacking the ability or skill
to work with tools and machinery
—un·me·chan·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



unmeet

unmeet
un·meet 
[un mt] adjective

unseemly:
not proper, suitable, or becoming (archaic or literary)
[Old English unmæte,
from meet][1]



unmentionable

unmentionable
un·men·tion·a·ble 
[un ménshənəb’l] adjective

not
to be mentioned: not to be mentioned or discussed,
especially in polite conversation
noun
(plural un·men·tion·a·bles)

thing
not to be mentioned: something that should not be
mentioned or discussed, especially in polite conversation
plural
noun
un·men·tion·a·bles

underwear:
undergarments (dated or humorous)
—un·men·tion·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·men·tion·a·bly, adverb[1]



unmerciful

unmerciful
un·mer·ci·ful 
[un múrsif’l] adjective

1.  not
merciful:
displaying no mercy or characterized by a lack of mercy

2.  excessive:
going beyond what is reasonable
—un·mer·ci·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·mer·ci·ful·ness, noun[1]



unmet

unmet
un·met 
adjective

not satisfied:
not satisfactorily fulfilled[1]



unmindful

unmindful
un·mind·ful 
[un mndfəl] adjective

not
properly aware or careful: not aware, attentive,
careful, or heedful of somebody or something
—un·mind·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·mind·ful·ness, noun[1]



unmistakable

unmistakable
un·mis·tak·a·ble 
[ùnmi stáykəb’l] adjective

impossible
to mistake:
easily recognized or understood
—un·mis·tak·a·bly, adverb[1]



unmitigated

unmitigated
un·mit·i·gat·ed 
[un mítti gàytəd] adjective

1.  not
lessened:
not lessened or eased in any way

2.  complete
and utter:
absolute and unqualified
—un·mit·i·gat·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·mit·i·gat·ed·ness,
noun[1]



unmixed

unmixed
un·mixed 
[un míkst] adjective

pure and unadulterated:
not mixed, especially not diminished by the presence or occurrence of something
else[1]



unmold

unmold
un·mold 
[un mṓld] (past un·molded, past
participle un·molded, present participle un·mold·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·molds) transitive verb

take out of mold:
to remove something from a mold[1]



unmolested

unmolested
un·mo·lest·ed 
[ùnmə léstəd] adjective

not
interfered with: not bothered, interfered with, or
stopped
adverb

without interference:
without being bothered, interfered with, or stopped[1]



unmoor

unmoor
un·moor 
[un mr] (past un·moored, past
participle un·moored, present participle un·moor·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·moors) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb free
or be freed from moorings: to free a ship or boat from
its moorings, or to be freed from moorings

2.  transitive
verb
leave
moored by only one anchor: to leave a ship or boat
moored by only one of its anchors

[1]



unmoral

unmoral
un·mor·al 
[un máwrəl] adjective

1.  amoral:
lacking or displaying a lack of a moral sense

2.  nonmoral:
not subject to morality or ethics
—un·mo·ral·i·ty
[ùnmə rállətee], noun

—unmorally [ùnmə rállee], adverb[1]



unmotivated

unmotivated
un·mo·ti·vat·ed 
[un mṓtə vàytəd] adjective

1.  lacking
motivation to do something: not stimulated by interest
or desire to do something

2.  lacking
motive:
not resulting from an understandable reason or motive

[1]



unmoved

unmoved
un·moved 
[un mvd] adjective

not
affected emotionally: having or showing no
emotional reaction to something

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at impassive

[1]



unmoving

unmoving
un·mov·ing 
[un mving] adjective

1.  stationary:
not in motion

2.  emotionally
unaffecting: not causing an emotional reaction

[1]



unmuffle

unmuffle
un·muf·fle 
[un múff’l] (past un·muf·fled,
past participle un·muf·fled, present participle un·muf·fling,
3rd person present singular un·muf·fles) transitive verb

take muffle from something:
to remove a muffle or something that muffles from something[1]



unmusical

unmusical
un·mu·si·cal 
[un myzik’l] adjective

1.  unmelodic:
lacking melodic qualities and consequently unpleasant to hear

2.  having
no ear for music: having no ability for, or no interest
in, music
—un·mu·si·cal·ly,
adverb

—un·mu·si·cal·ness,
noun

—un·mu·si·cal·i·ty [un myzi kállətee], noun[1]



unmuzzle

unmuzzle
un·muz·zle 
[un múzz’l] (past un·muz·zled,
past participle un·muz·zled, present participle un·muz·zling,
3rd person present singular un·muz·zles) transitive verb

1.  free
dog from muzzle: to remove a muzzle from an animal,
especially a dog

2.  restore
freedom of speech to: to restore to a person or
organization the right to say, publish, or broadcast something

[1]



unmyelinated

unmyelinated
un·my·e·lin·at·ed 
[un m əli nàytəd] adjective

lacking
myelin sheath: used to describe a nerve fiber that
lacks a myelin sheath. Such fibers transmit nerve impulses more slowly than
myelinated ones, and are found mainly in worms, insects, and other invertebrate
animals.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from myelin .][1]



unnameable

unnameable
un·name·a·ble
[un náyməb’l] or un·nam·a·ble
[un náyməb’l] adjective

impossible to name:
incapable of being named, especially too terrible to name[1]



unnamed

unnamed
un·named
[un náymd] adjective

1.  not
mentioned by name: having a name but not
specified by it

2.  having
no name:
not yet assigned a name

[1]



unnatural

unnatural
un·nat·u·ral 
[un náchərəl] adjective

1.  contrary
to laws of nature: contrary to the physical
laws of nature

2.  not
conforming to the average: behaving in ways that
contradict conventional assumptions about what constitutes normal or acceptable
human behavior

3.  contrary
to expected behavior: contrary to a particular
habit, custom, or practice

4.  artificial:
affected, artificial, contrived, or strained
—un·nat·u·ral·ly,
adverb

—un·nat·u·ral·ness, noun[1]



unnecessary

unnecessary
un·nec·es·sar·y 
[un néssə sèrree] adjective

1.  not
necessary:
not essential, needed, or required

2.  gratuitous:
gratuitous, unjustified, and hurtful
—un·nec·es·sar·i·ly, adverb[1]



unnerve

unnerve
un·nerve 
[un núrv] (past un·nerved, past
participle un·nerved, present participle un·nerv·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·nerves) transitive verb

1.  cause
somebody to lose nerve: to deprive somebody of
courage, resolve, or self-confidence

2.  make
somebody nervous: cause somebody to feel nervous
—un·nerv·ing,
adjective

—un·nerv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unnoticeable

unnoticeable
un·no·tice·a·ble 
[un nṓtissəb’l] adjective

hard
to observe:
not easily noticed or observed
—un·no·tice·a·bly, adverb[1]



unnoticed

unnoticed
un·no·ticed
[un nṓtist] adverb

without
being observed: without being seen or spotted by anybody
adjective

unobserved:
not seen or spotted by anybody
[Early 18th century][1]



unnumbered

unnumbered
un·num·bered 
[un númbərd] adjective

1.  not
countable:
too many to be counted

2.  lacking
identifying number: not assigned or having an
identifying number

[1]



UNO

UNO
UNO
or U.N.O.

Abbreviation of
United Nations Organization[1]



unobtrusive

unobtrusive
un·ob·tru·sive 
[ùnnəb trssiv] adjective

inconspicuous:
not conspicuous, blatant, or assertive
—un·ob·tru·sive·ly,
adverb

—un·ob·tru·sive·ness, noun[1]



unoccupied

unoccupied
un·oc·cu·pied 
[un ókyə pd] adjective

1.  not
in use:
not being used by anybody

2.  not
doing anything: not doing anything or anything important

3.  not
inhabited:
not lived in by anybody

4.  not
under foreign military rule: not under the control or
military rule of a foreign country

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at vacant

[1]



unofficial

unofficial
un·of·fi·cial 
[ùnnə físh’l] adjective

1.  unauthorized:
not authorized or sanctioned by the proper official or other authority

2.  not
acting officially: not acting or employed in an
official capacity or position

3.  not
done or made officially: not done or made by somebody
acting in an official capacity
—un·of·fi·cial·ly, adverb[1]



unopposed

unopposed
un·op·posed 
[ùnnə pṓzd] adjective adverb

1.  meeting
with no opposition: not fought, objected to, or
resisted

2.  having
no opponent: unchallenged by an official opponent in
an election or competition

[1]



unorganized

unorganized
un·or·gan·ized 
[un áwrgə nzd] adjective

1.  not
done in organized way: not arranged or done in an
orderly or systematic way

2.  not
acting in organized way: not acting, thinking, or
working in an orderly or systematic manner

3.  not
unionized:
not organized in a labor union or unions

4.  not
living:
lacking the characteristics of a living organism

[1]



unoriginal

unoriginal
un·o·rig·i·nal 
[ùnnə ríjjən’l] adjective

derivative:
lacking in originality or creativity[1]



unorthodox

unorthodox
un·or·tho·dox 
[un áwrthə dòks] adjective

1.  unconventional:
not following, or resulting from a failure to follow, conventional or
traditional beliefs or practices

2.  not
religiously orthodox: not practicing or conforming
to the accepted traditional form of a particular religion
—un·or·tho·dox·ly,
adverb

—un·or·tho·dox·y, noun[1]



unp.

unp.
unp.

Abbreviation of
unpaged[1]



unpack

unpack
un·pack 
[un pák] (past un·packed, past
participle un·packed, present participle un·pack·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·packs) verb

1.  transitive
verb
take
contents from something: to take the contents out of
something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
out packed things: to remove something that has
been packed from its container or packaging

3.  transitive
verb
take
pack off:
to take a pack or other burden from a person or animal that has been carrying
it

4.  transitive
verb
reveal
what is hidden in: to reveal what is hidden,
buried, or encoded within something

[1]



unpaged

unpaged
un·paged 
[un páyjd] or un·pag·i·nat·ed
[un pájjə nàytəd] adjective

having no page numbers:
not marked with page numbers[1]



unpaid

unpaid
un·paid 
[un páyd] adjective

1.  not
yet settled: awaiting payment or settlement

2.  not
having yet received payment: not yet in receipt of
payment for work done

3.  working
for no pay:
working without wages or a salary

4.  not
paying money: not paying wages or a salary

[1]



unpaired

unpaired
un·paired
[un páird] adjective

1.  not
belonging to pair: not being one of a pair

2.  CHEMISTRY consisting
of no pairs: characterized by a lack of pairs

[1]



unpalatable

unpalatable
un·pal·at·a·ble 
[un pállətəb’l] adjective

1.  not
tasting good: having an unpleasant taste

2.  hard
to accept:
not pleasant, agreeable, or acceptable
—un·pal·at·a·bil·i·ty
[un pàllətə bíllətee], noun

—un·pal·at·a·bly [un pállətəblee], adverb[1]



unparalleled

unparalleled
un·par·al·leled 
[un pérrə lèld] adjective

having no equal:
not equaled, matched, or paralleled in kind or quality[1]



unparliamentary

unparliamentary
un·par·lia·men·ta·ry 
[ùn paarlə méntəree] adjective

not acceptable in parliament:
not acceptable according to the practice of a parliament[1]



unpeg

unpeg
un·peg
[un pég] (past un·pegged, past
participle un·pegged, present participle un·peg·ging, 3rd
person present singular un·pegs) transitive verb

1.  take
peg from:
to take a peg or pegs from something

2.  release
by removing peg: to release something by removing a peg
or pegs

3.  stop
fixing prices or wages: to allow something,
especially prices or wages, to fluctuate freely by removing the restrictions
holding them at a fixed level

[1]



unpeople

unpeople
un·peo·ple 
[un pp’l] (past un·peo·pled, past
participle un·peo·pled, present participle un·peo·pling,
3rd person present singular un·peo·ples) transitive verb

See
depopulate[1]



unpeopled

unpeopled
un·peo·pled 
[un pp’ld] adjective

uninhabited:
containing no people or inhabitants[1]



unperson

unperson
un·per·son 
[ùn púrs’n] (plural un·per·sons)
noun

somebody whose existence is
unacknowledged: somebody whose
existence is not acknowledged officially, especially a public figure whose
existence is, for political or ideological reasons, unrecognized by a
totalitarian government and the news media it controls[1]



unperturbed

unperturbed
un·per·turbed 
[ùnpər túrbd] adjective

unworried:
not worried, concerned, or upset[1]



unpick

unpick
un·pick 
[un pík] (past un·picked, past
participle un·picked, present participle un·pick·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·picks) transitive verb

remove threads of:
to undo something by pulling out a thread or threads[1]



unpile

unpile
un·pile 
[un pl] (past un·piled, past
participle un·piled, present participle un·pil·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·piles) transitive verb

take from pile:
to take or separate something from a pile[1]



unpin

unpin
un·pin 
[un pín] (past un·pinned, past
participle un·pinned, present participle un·pin·ning, 3rd
person present singular un·pins) transitive verb

1.  take
pin from:
to take a pin or pins from something

2.  release
by removing pin: to release or unfasten something by
removing a pin or pins

[1]



unplaced

unplaced
un·placed
[un pláyst] adjective

not having particular
position: not assigned a particular
place or position[1]



unplanned

unplanned
un·planned 
[un plánd] adjective

1.  not
intended:
not happening according to a plan

2.  lacking
an overall plan: not following or structured according to
an overall plan or program

3.  done
spontaneously: accomplished without advance planning

[1]



unpleasant

unpleasant
un·pleas·ant 
[un plézz’nt] adjective

1.  not
pleasing:
not pleasing, enjoyable, or agreeable

2.  unfriendly:
unfriendly and nasty to somebody
—un·pleas·ant·ly, adverb[1]



unpleasantness

unpleasantness
un·pleas·ant·ness 
[un plézz’ntnəss] (plural un·pleas·ant·ness·es)
noun

1.  unpleasant
state or quality: the state or quality of being unpleasant

2.  unpleasant
experiences or events: experiences or events that
are not pleasing or enjoyable

3.  unfriendliness:
an unfriendly and nasty attitude or behavior

4.  unpleasant
situation:
a situation that is not pleasing or enjoyable

5.  disagreement:
an argument or disagreement

[1]



unpleasantry

unpleasantry
un·pleas·ant·ry 
[un plézz’ntree] (plural un·pleas·ant·ries)
noun

unpleasant
remark or action: an unfriendly and nasty remark or action
(often used in the plural)
[Mid-19th century][1]



unplug

unplug
un·plug 
[un plúg] (past un·plugged, past
participle un·plugged, present participle un·plug·ging,
3rd person present singular un·plugs) transitive verb

1.  take
stopper from: to remove a stopper, cork, or other plug
from something

2.  remove
blockage from: to remove a blockage, clog, or other
obstruction from something

3.  pull
out of electric socket: to pull an electric plug out
of a socket

4.  disconnect
electrical appliance: to disconnect an electrical
appliance by pulling its plug out of a socket

[1]



unplugged

unplugged
un·plugged
[un plúgd] adverb

without
amplified instruments: without the use of amplified
musical instruments, especially guitars
adjective

acoustic:
performed without the use of amplified musical instruments, especially guitars
[Late 20th century][1]



unplumbed

unplumbed
un·plumbed 
[un plúmd] adjective

1.  not
checked for verticality: not checked for verticality
with a plumb line

2.  not
measured for depth: not measured with a plumb
line to determine depth

3.  not
fully examined: not thoroughly understood or
investigated

[1]



unpolished

unpolished
un·pol·ished 
[un póllisht] adjective

1.  not
shiny from polishing: lacking a shiny surface
produced by polishing

2.  lacking
in refinement or sophistication: not brought to a high
level of refinement or sophistication

[1]



unpolled

unpolled
un·polled 
[un pṓld] adjective

1.  not
invited to participate in poll: not invited to
participate in a survey of public opinion

2.  not
voting:
not having cast a vote at an election

3.  not
on electoral roll: not included in a list of
electors

[1]



unpopular

unpopular
un·pop·u·lar 
[un póppyələr] adjective

not
liked:
not liked by, approved of, or acceptable to a person, a group of people, or the
general public
—un·pop·u·lar·i·ty
[ùn poppyə lérrətee], noun

—un·pop·u·lar·ly [un póppyələrlee], adverb[1]



unpracticed

unpracticed
un·prac·ticed 
[un práktist] adjective

1.  untrained
or inexperienced: lacking in training or experience

2.  not
done frequently: not done or not commonly done

3.  not
rehearsed:
not prepared and tried out beforehand

[1]



unprecedented

unprecedented
un·prec·e·dent·ed 
[un préssədəntəd] adjective

lacking precedent:
having no earlier parallel or equivalent[1]



unpredictable

unpredictable
un·pre·dict·a·ble 
[ùnprə díktəb’l] adjective

difficult
to predict:
not easily foreseen or predicted
—un·pre·dict·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnprə dìktə bíllətee], noun

—un·pre·dict·a·bly [ùnprə díktəblee], adverb[1]



unpremeditated

unpremeditated
un·pre·med·i·tat·ed 
[ùnprə méddi tàytəd] adjective

not
planned:
done without advance planning or thought
—un·pre·med·i·tat·ed·ly,
adverb[1]



unprepared

unprepared
un·pre·pared 
[ùnprə páird] adjective

1.  unready:
not ready for something or not expecting something to happen

2.  not
made ready:
not having been prepared as required or expected

3.  improvised:
done without any preparation
—un·pre·par·ed·ly
[ùnprə páirdlee, ùnprə
páirədlee], adverb

—un·pre·par·ed·ness [ùnprə páirdnəss, ùnprə
páirədnəss], noun[1]



unprepossessing

unprepossessing
un·pre·pos·sess·ing 
[ùnpripə zéssing] adjective

unappealing:
not producing a favorable impression
—un·pre·pos·sess·ing·ly,
adverb[1]



unpretending

unpretending
un·pre·tend·ing 
[ùnprə ténding] adjective

unpretentious:
not pretentious or affected[1]



unpretentious

unpretentious
un·pre·ten·tious 
[ùnprə ténshəss] adjective

natural
and modest:
not putting on a false or showy display of importance, wealth, or knowledge
—un·pre·ten·tious·ly,
adverb

—un·pre·ten·tious·ness,
noun[1]



unprincipled

unprincipled
un·prin·ci·pled 
[un prínsəp’ld] adjective

not
moral or ethical: lacking, or resulting from a lack of,
moral or ethical principles
—un·prin·ci·pled·ness,
noun[1]



unprintable

unprintable
un·print·a·ble 
[un príntəb’l] adjective

not fit for publication:
not fit for publication, usually because obscene, libelous, or otherwise
illegal or offensive[1]



unproductive

unproductive
un·pro·duc·tive 
[ùnprə dúktiv] adjective

1.  fruitless:
not producing useful results, decisions, or achievements

2.  producing
little:
not producing very much in terms of work or output
—un·pro·duc·tive·ly,
adverb

—un·pro·duc·tive·ness,
noun[1]



unprofessed

unprofessed
un·pro·fessed
[ùnprə fést] adjective

undeclared:
not freely or openly declared[1]



unprofessional

unprofessional
un·pro·fes·sion·al 
[ùnprə féshən’l, ùnprə
féshnəl] adjective

1.  contrary
to professional standards: being or behaving contrary
to the expected standards of a profession

2.  amateurish:
unworthy of a professional

3.  not
belonging to profession: not having membership in a
profession
—un·pro·fes·sion·al·ism,
noun

—un·pro·fes·sion·al·ly,
adverb[1]



unprofitable

unprofitable
un·prof·it·a·ble 
[un próffitəb’l] adjective

1.  making
no profit:
not producing a profit

2.  not
helpful or useful: not producing a desirable
result or having a useful purpose
—un·prof·it·a·bil·i·ty
[un pròffitə bíllətee], noun

—un·prof·it·a·ble·ness
[un próffitəb’lnəss], noun

—un·prof·it·a·bly [un próffitəblee], adverb[1]



UNPROFOR

UNPROFOR
UN·PRO·FOR

Abbreviation of
United Nations Protection Force[1]



unpromising

unpromising
un·prom·is·ing 
[un prómmissing] adjective

1.  unlikely
to succeed:
not likely to prove successful

2.  unfavorable:
not favorable
—un·prom·is·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unpronounceable

unpronounceable
un·pro·nounce·a·ble 
[ùnprə nównsəb’l] adjective

difficult to pronounce:
very difficult or impossible to pronounce[1]



unpronounced

unpronounced
un·pro·nounced
[ùnprə nównst] adjective

1.  not
very noticeable: not clear or easy to notice

2.  mute
or silent:
not sounded or pronounced

[1]



unpropitious

unpropitious
un·pro·pi·tious 
[ùnprə píshəss] adjective

not
favorable:
not seeming to promise success
—un·pro·pi·tious·ly, adverb[1]



unprovided

unprovided
un·pro·vid·ed 
[ùnprə vdəd] adjective

not
supplied:
not supplied or furnished with something
—un·pro·vid·ed·ly,
adverb
unprovided
for

not provided with money or
the means to live adequately[1]



unpublishable

unpublishable
un·pub·lish·a·ble 
[un púbblishəb’l] adjective

not fit or feasible to
publish: not fit or feasible to
publish, usually because of poor quality or expected poor sales[1]



unputdownable

unputdownable
un·put·down·a·ble 
[un pt dównəb’l] adjective

too
interesting to stop reading: so interesting,
entertaining, or exciting that the reader cannot stop reading (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Coined by
the U.S. writer Raymond Chandler .][1]



unqualified

unqualified
un·qual·i·fied 
[un kwóllə fd] adjective

1.  lacking
required qualifications: having no academic,
professional, or vocational qualifications

2.  given
without reservation: not limited or modified by
any condition or reservation

3.  total:
complete and absolute
—un·qual·i·fied·ly,
adverb

—un·qual·i·fied·ness, noun[1]



unquenchable

unquenchable
un·quench·a·ble 
[un kwénchəb’l] adjective

1.  insatiable:
impossible to satisfy

2.  inextinguishable:
impossible to extinguish

3.  undiminishing
or undying:
impossible to suppress, stifle, or destroy
—un·quench·a·bly, adverb[1]



unquestionable

unquestionable
un·ques·tion·a·ble 
[un kwéschənəb’l] adjective

1.  impossible
to doubt:
impossible to doubt, question, or dispute

2.  universally
recognized and acknowledged: acknowledged as not subject
to doubt or open to question
—un·ques·tion·a·bil·i·ty
[un kwèschənə bíllətee], noun

—un·ques·tion·a·ble·ness
[un kwéschənəb’lnəss], noun

—un·ques·tion·a·bly [un kwéschənəblee], adverb[1]



unquestioned

unquestioned
un·ques·tioned 
[un kwéschənd] adjective

1.  not
asked questions: not asked a question or questions

2.  undisputed:
not open to questioning, doubt, or dispute

[1]



unquestioning

unquestioning
un·ques·tion·ing 
[un kwéschəning] adjective

not
asking questions: not asking questions, expressing doubt,
or hesitating because of questions or doubts
—un·ques·tion·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unquiet

unquiet
un·qui·et 
[un kw ət] adjective

1.  noisy
or turbulent: full of noise or unrest

2.  anxious:
unsettled or restless, especially in thought or feeling
noun

1.  noise
or unrest:
a state of noisiness or unrest

2.  anxiety:
restlessness or uneasiness
—un·qui·et·ly,
adverb

—un·qui·et·ness, noun[1]



unquote

unquote
un·quote 
[un kwṓt] adverb

end quote:
used when speaking to indicate where the end of a quotation falls • He
said, quote, You’re fired, unquote.

See also
quote[1]



unquoted

unquoted
un·quot·ed
[un kwṓtəd] adjective

not
quoted on stock exchange: not listed or quoted on a
stock exchange
[Early 19th century][1]



unraised

unraised
un·raised 
[un ráyzd] adjective

1.  unleavened:
made without yeast and therefore fairly flat and firm in consistency

2.  not
lifted up:
not moved, lifted, or increased to a raised position or level

[1]



unravel

unravel
un·rav·el 
[un rávv’l] (past un·rav·eled,
past participle un·rav·eled, present participle un·rav·el·ing,
3rd person present singular un·rav·els) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undo
strands of something: to undo the knitted or woven
yarn, thread, or other strands of something, or to become undone by having the
strands come apart

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb disentangle
or become disentangled: to separate something out
from a tangle or other mass, or to become disentangled or separated out

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become understandable: to make clear or
understandable all the complex, baffling, or intricate elements or aspects of
something, or to become clear or understandable

4.  intransitive
verb
start
to fail:
to begin to fail or come to an end

[1]



unreachable

unreachable
un·reach·a·ble 
[un rchəb’l] adjective

1.  inaccessible:
impossible to travel to

2.  not
contactable: impossible to contact, especially by
telephone
—un·reach·a·bil·ity
[un rchə bíllətee], noun

—un·reach·a·bly [un rchəblee], adverb[1]



unread

unread
un·read 
[un réd] adjective

1.  not
read:
not read, especially by a usual or intended reader

2.  not
well read:
having read very little and consequently lacking knowledge acquired from
reading

3.  lacking
knowledge of subject: not acquainted with a
specific subject through reading

[1]



unreadable

unreadable
un·read·a·ble 
[un rdəb’l] adjective

1.  illegible:
consisting of letters, words, or symbols that are difficult to identify

2.  not
enjoyable to read: impossible to read because
boring, badly written, or intellectually difficult

3.  impossible
to interpret: impossible to interpret or make sense of
• his
unreadable face
—un·read·a·bil·i·ty
[un rdə bíllətee], noun

—un·read·a·ble·ness
[un rdəb’lnəss], noun

—un·read·a·bly [un rdəblee], adverb[1]



unready

unready
un·read·y 
[un réddee] adjective

1.  unavailable:
not available or prepared for use

2.  not
prepared to do something: not prepared or available to
do something or to act

3.  lacking
mental alertness or quickness: lacking or displaying
a lack of mental alertness or quickness
—un·read·i·ly
[un réddilee], adverb

—un·read·i·ness [un réddeenəss], noun[1]



unreal

unreal
un·re·al 
[un r əl] adjective

1.  not
existing:
having no substance, reality, or existence

2.  false:
not true or genuine

3.  imaginary:
imaginary or dreamlike

4.  excellent:
excellent or extremely good (informal)

5.  incredible:
difficult to believe (informal)
—un·re·al·ly, adverb[1]



unrealistic

unrealistic
un·re·al·is·tic 
[un r ə lístik] adjective

not
realistic:
not taking into account or based on the way the world actually is and how
events are likely to happen
—un·re·al·is·ti·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



unreality

unreality
un·re·al·i·ty 
[ùnree állətee] (plural un·re·al·i·ties)
noun

1.  unreal
quality:
an unreal or seemingly unreal state or quality

2.  unreal
thing:
something that is not real, genuine, or true, or lacks substance

3.  inability
to face reality: an inability to accept reality

[1]



unrealized

unrealized
un·re·al·ized 
[un r ə lzd] adjective

not achieved:
not achieved, brought to fruition, or made real[1]



unreason

unreason
un·rea·son 
[un rz’n] noun

irrationality:
lack of reason or rationality[1]



unreasonable

unreasonable
un·rea·son·a·ble 
[un rzənəb’l] adjective

1.  not
subject to reason: not acting with or subject
to reason

2.  excessive:
being or going beyond accepted or reasonable limits
—un·rea·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·rea·son·a·bly, adverb[1]



unreasoned

unreasoned
un·rea·soned 
[un rz’nd] adjective

not arising from reasoning:
not resulting from sound reasoning[1]



unreasoning

unreasoning
un·rea·son·ing 
[un rz’ning] adjective

not
having sound reasoning: lacking, or resulting from a
lack of, sound judgment or reasoning
—un·rea·son·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unreckonable

unreckonable
un·reck·on·a·ble 
[un rékənəb’l] adjective

incalculable:
impossible to calculate[1]



unreconstructed

unreconstructed
un·re·con·struct·ed 
[un rkən strúktəd] adjective

1.  clinging
to outdated beliefs: retaining beliefs, views, or
practices that are outdated or associated with a particular place or group

2.  not
rebuilt:
not rebuilt, restored, or recreated
[Mid-19th century. Originally
in the meaning of “not willing to accept the Reconstruction after the Civil
War.”][1]



unreel

unreel
un·reel 
[un rl] (past un·reeled, past
participle un·reeled, present participle un·reel·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·reels) intransitive and transitive
verb

unwind or become unwound:
to unwind something from a reel, or to become unwound from it[1]



unreeve

unreeve
un·reeve 
[un rv] (past un·reeved or
un·rove, past participle un·reeved or un·rove
[un rṓv], present participle un·reev·ing,
3rd person present singular un·reeves) intransitive and
transitive verb

pull out rope from block:
to pull out a rope or cable from a block or thimble on a ship, or be pulled out
from a block or thimble[1]



unrefined

unrefined
un·re·fined
[ùnri fnd] adjective

1.  not
processed:
not processed to remove impurities

2.  vulgar:
not in accord with socially approved tastes

[1]



unreflecting

unreflecting
un·re·flect·ing 
[ùnnri flékting] adjective

lacking
thought:
not engaging in or resulting from deep or serious thinking
—un·re·flect·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unreflective

unreflective
un·re·flec·tive 
[ùnnri fléktiv] adjective

not
given to reflection: not tending to think or
reflect, or not resulting from thinking or reflection
—un·re·flec·tive·ly, adverb[1]



unregenerate

unregenerate
un·re·gen·er·ate 
[ùnnri jénnərət] adjective

1.  not
reformed:
not reborn spiritually and not repentant

2.  violating
social or moral structures: behaving in a way regarded
as violating particular social or moral structures

3.  clinging
to outdated beliefs: retaining beliefs, views, or
practices that are outdated or associated with a particular place or group

4.  stubborn:
unyielding or stubborn
—un·re·gen·er·a·ble,
adjective

—un·re·gen·er·a·cy,
noun

—un·re·gen·er·ate·ly, adverb[1]



unrelenting

unrelenting
un·re·lent·ing 
[ùnnri lénting] adjective

1.  determined
and unyielding: unyielding or unswerving in
determination or resolve

2.  not
weakening or easing up: not weakening, easing up, or
otherwise diminishing in strength, speed, or effort
—un·re·lent·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unreliable

unreliable
un·re·li·a·ble 
[ùnnri l əb’l] adjective

not
trustworthy: not able to be relied on or trusted
—un·re·li·a·bil·i·ty
[ùnnri lī ə bíllətee], noun

—un·re·li·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·re·li·a·bly, adverb[1]



unremarked

unremarked
un·re·marked 
[ùnnri mrkt] adjective

unnoticed:
not noticed or observed[1]



unremitting

unremitting
un·re·mit·ting 
[ùnnri mítting] adjective

constant:
continuing, persisting, or recurring without diminishing or ceasing
—un·re·mit·ting·ly,
adverb

—un·re·mit·ting·ness, noun[1]



unrequited

unrequited
un·re·quit·ed 
[ùnnri kwtəd] adjective

1.  not
reciprocated: not felt in response, or not returned in
the same way or to the same degree

2.  unavenged:
not avenged
—un·re·quit·ed·ly, adverb[1]



unreserve

unreserve
un·re·serve 
[ùnnri zúrv] noun

lack of reserve:
a lack of reserve in showing and expressing feelings or opinions[1]



unreserved

unreserved
un·re·served 
[ùnnri zúrvd] adjective

1.  not
reserved for particular use: not set aside or retained
for a particular person or group of people to use

2.  given
without qualification: not limited or modified by
any condition or reservation

3.  frank
or open:
not cautious, restrained, or reticent
—un·re·serv·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·re·serv·ed·ness, noun[1]



unrest

unrest
un·rest 
[un rést] noun

1.  violent
social or political discontent: strong social or
political discontent or protest that disrupts the established order and is
often violent but falls short of true rebellion

2.  anxiousness:
a disturbed, unsettled, or uneasy mental or emotional state

[1]



unrestrained

unrestrained
un·re·strained 
[ùnnri stráynd] adjective

1.  not
controlled or restricted: not subject to control,
restriction, or restraint

2.  spontaneous:
natural and uninhibited
—un·re·strain·ed·ly
[ùnnri stráynədlee], adverb

—un·re·strain·ed·ness,
noun[1]



unrestraint

unrestraint
un·re·straint 
[ùnnri stráynt] noun

lack of restraint:
lack of restraint in actions or behavior[1]



unriddle

unriddle
un·rid·dle 
[un rídd’l] (past un·rid·dled,
past participle un·rid·dled, present participle un·rid·dling,
3rd person present singular un·rid·dles) transitive verb

solve:
to find a solution or explanation for something[1]



unrifled

unrifled
un·ri·fled 
[un rf’ld] adjective

having no grooves cut in
barrel: having no spiral grooves ( rifling ) cut on the inside of the barrel[1]



unrig

unrig
un·rig 
[un ríg] (past un·rigged, past
participle un·rigged, present participle un·rig·ging, 3rd
person present singular un·rigs) transitive verb

take down rigging from:
to remove the rigging from a ship[1]



unrighteous

unrighteous
un·right·eous 
[un rchəss] adjective

1.  sinful:
sinful, wicked, or evil

2.  unjust:
not just, fair, or right
—un·right·eous·ly,
adverb

—un·right·eous·ness, noun[1]



unrip

unrip
un·rip 
[un ríp] (past un·ripped, past
participle un·ripped, present participle un·rip·ping, 3rd
person present singular un·rips) transitive verb

1.  rip
open:
to open something by ripping

2.  disclose:
to reveal or divulge something (archaic)

[1]



unripe

unripe
un·ripe 
[un rp] (comparative un·rip·er,
superlative un·rip·est) adjective

1.  not
ripe:
not yet ripe or mature

2.  not
fully ready: not yet complete or fully developed

3.  premature:
occurring too soon or too early (archaic)
—un·ripe·ness, noun[1]



unrivaled

unrivaled
un·ri·valed
[un rv’ld] or un·ri·valled [un rv’ld] adjective

unequaled:
having no rival or equal[1]



unroll

unroll
un·roll 
[un rṓl] (past un·rolled, past
participle un·rolled, present participle un·roll·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·rolls) intransitive and transitive
verb

1.  unwind
or become unwound: to unwind, uncoil, or open
up something that is rolled up, or become unwound, uncoiled, or opened up

2.  disclose
or become disclosed: to disclose something
gradually and smoothly, or to become disclosed in this way

[1]



unround

unround
un·round 
[un równd] (past un·round·ed, past
participle un·round·ed, present participle un·round·ing,
3rd person present singular un·rounds) transitive verb

pronounce
with lips flat: to pronounce a sound with the lips kept
flat
—un·round, adjective[1]



unrove

unrove
un·rove


Past tense of
unreeve Past participle of unreeve[1]



UNRRA

UNRRA
UNRRA

Abbreviation of
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration[1]



unruffled

unruffled
un·ruf·fled 
[un rúff’ld] adjective

1.  calm
and poised:
calm and poised, especially in a crisis

2.  smooth:
having a smooth surface, especially one without ripples

3.  having
no ruffle:
lacking decorative ruffles or ruffling

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at calm

[1]



unruly

unruly
un·ru·ly 
[un rlee] (comparative un·ru·li·er,
superlative un·ru·li·est) adjective

difficult
to control:
difficult to control, manage, discipline, or govern
[15C.
Formed from archaic ruly “disciplined, observing rules,” from rule .]
—un·ru·li·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  unruly, intractable, recalcitrant, obstreperous, willful, wild,
  wayward
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  submitting to control unruly;
  boisterous and disruptive and showing a mild resistance to discipline. Often
  used to describe children; intractable;
  a formal word used for somebody who stubbornly refuses to be controlled or to
  submit to discipline; recalcitrant;
  a formal word for somebody who is obstinate and defiant in refusing to submit
  to discipline or control; obstreperous;
  noisy, difficult to control, and uncooperative; willful;
  used for somebody who is stubbornly disobedient or who seems determined to do
  as he or she pleases; wild; a
  fairly informal word used for somebody whose behavior shows a general lack of
  control or restraint. It can also be used to describe behavior or an event
  such as a party; wayward; used for
  somebody who demonstrates an obstinate and unpredictable tendency to do what
  he or she wants or thinks is best, instead of following instructions or doing
  what everyone else is doing

[1]



UNRWA

UNRWA
UNRWA

Abbreviation of
United Nations Relief and Works Agency[1]



uns.

uns.
uns.

Abbreviation of
unsymmetrical[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unsaddle

unsaddle
un·sad·dle 
[un sádd’l] (past un·sad·dled,
past participle un·sad·dled, present participle un·sad·dling,
3rd person present singular un·sad·dles) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb take
saddle from horse: to take a saddle from a
horse

2.  transitive
verb
unhorse
somebody:
to throw a rider from a saddle (refers to a horse)

[1]



unsafe

unsafe
un·safe 
[un sáyf] (comparative un·saf·er,
superlative un·saf·est) adjective

1.  dangerous:
causing or exposing somebody to danger

2.  being
in danger:
being in danger or at risk

[1]



unsaid

unsaid
un·said 
[un séd]

Past
tense of
unsay Past participle of unsay
adjective

not
mentioned:
not spoken of or discussed, although thought about
[Old English][1]



unsatisfactory

unsatisfactory
un·sat·is·fac·to·ry 
[un sàtiss fáktəree] adjective

not
satisfactory: not adequate, acceptable, or satisfying
—un·sat·is·fac·to·ri·ly,
adverb

—un·sat·is·fac·to·ri·ness,
noun[1]



unsaturate

unsaturate
un·sat·u·rate 
[un sáchə ràyt] (plural un·sat·u·rates)
noun

unsaturated compound:
an unsaturated chemical compound[1]



unsaturated

unsaturated
un·sat·u·rat·ed 
[un sáchə ràytəd] adjective

1.  able
to continue to dissolve: able to dissolve more of a
substance

2.  able
to form more carbon bonds: having or able to form
double and triple carbon bonds

[1]



unsavory

unsavory
un·sa·vor·y 
[un sáyvəree] adjective

1.  distasteful:
not pleasant or agreeable

2.  immoral:
morally unacceptable

3.  unappetizing:
tasting or smelling unappetizing
—un·sa·vor·i·ly,
adverb

—un·sa·vor·i·ness, noun[1]



unsay

unsay
un·say 
[un sáy] (past participle un·said
[un séd], present participle un·say·ing,
3rd person present singular un·says) transitive verb

take back something said:
to take back something said as if it has never been said[1]



unsayable

unsayable
un·say·a·ble 
[un sáy əb’l] adjective

difficult or impossible to
say: difficult or impossible to
say or speak about[1]



unscathed

unscathed
un·scathed 
[un skáyd] adjective

unhurt or undamaged:
not hurt, damaged, or harmed in any way[1]



unschooled

unschooled
un·schooled 
[un skld] adjective

1.  not
educated:
not educated or trained

2.  not
acquired by education: innate and not acquired by
education or training

[1]



unscramble

unscramble
un·scram·ble 
[un skrámb’l] (past un·scram·bled,
past participle un·scram·bled, present participle un·scram·bling,
3rd person present singular un·scram·bles) transitive verb

1.  restore
order to:
to restore order to something jumbled or confused

2.  make
understandable by reversing scrambling: to
make a message understandable by undoing the effects of scrambling, especially
electronic scrambling
—un·scram·bler, noun[1]



unscrew

unscrew
un·screw 
[un skr] (past un·screwed, past
participle un·screwed, present participle un·screw·ing,
3rd person present singular un·screws) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  remove
or loosen screws of: to remove or loosen a screw
or screws holding something in place, or to have a screw or screws removed or
loosened

2.  open
by removing threaded lid: to open something by turning
and removing a threaded lid or cap, or to be opened in this way

3.  turn
to remove or adjust: to remove or adjust
something by rotating, or to be removed or adjusted by rotating

[1]



unscripted

unscripted
un·script·ed 
[un skríptəd] adjective

1.  without
a script:
without a script that was written or agreed on in advance

2.  unplanned:
not planned or expected

[1]



unscrupulous

unscrupulous
un·scru·pu·lous 
[un skrpyələss] adjective

having
no scruples: not restrained by moral or ethical
principles
—un·scru·pu·lous·ly,
adverb

—un·scru·pu·lous·ness,
noun[1]



unseal

unseal
un·seal 
[un sl] (past un·sealed, past
participle un·sealed, present participle un·seal·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·seals) transitive verb

1.  break
or remove seal of: to break or remove the seal
of something, or to open something by breaking a seal or closure

2.  free
from restriction: to free something from constraint or
restriction
[Old
English]
—un·seal·a·ble, adjective[1]



unsealedroad

unsealedroad
un·sealed
road
(plural un·sealed roads) noun

Australia, New Zealand
dirt road:
a dirt road that has no tar or bitumen surface[1]



unseam

unseam
un·seam 
[un sm] (past un·seamed, past
participle un·seamed, present participle un·seam·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·seams) transitive verb

open seams of:
to unpick a seam or seams of something[1]



unsearchable

unsearchable
un·search·a·ble 
[un súrchəb’l] adjective

not
searchable:
not capable of being searched or investigated
—un·search·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·search·a·bly, adverb[1]



unseasonable

unseasonable
un·sea·son·a·ble 
[un sz’nəb’l] adjective

1.  unusual
for time of year: not usual or appropriate for the time of
year

2.  not
timely:
not occurring at the right time or at a good time
—un·sea·son·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·sea·son·a·bly, adverb[1]



unseasoned

unseasoned
un·sea·soned 
[un sz’nd] adjective

1.  not
dried out:
not dried, aged, or matured

2.  not
experienced: lacking the skills or knowledge that
experience provides

3.  prepared
without salt and pepper: lacking salt and pepper, or
other herbs or spices

[1]



unseat

unseat
un·seat 
[un st] (past un·seat·ed, past
participle un·seat·ed, present participle un·seat·ing,
3rd person present singular un·seats) transitive verb

1.  eject
from saddle: to eject somebody from a seat,
especially a saddle

2.  remove
from office: to remove somebody from office or a
position, especially by means of an election

[1]



unsecured

unsecured
un·se·cured
[ùnsə kyrd] adjective

1.  not
made secure: not fastened, held in place, or
otherwise made secure

2.  made
without security: not protected against financial loss

3.  unprotected
from bugging: not protected against electronic
eavesdropping

[1]



unseeded

unseeded
un·seed·ed
[un sdəd] adjective

SPORTS
not seeded in draw:
not assigned a position in a draw so that the best players or teams can, in
theory, avoid meeting until the later rounds[1]



unseemly

unseemly
un·seem·ly 
[un smlee] adjective

1.  not
in good taste: contrary to accepted standards of good
taste or appropriate behavior

2.  inconvenient:
occurring at an inconvenient time or place
adverb

in an unseemly manner:
in an improper or inappropriate manner
—un·seem·li·ness, noun[1]



unseen

unseen
un·seen 
[un sn] adjective

1.  not
seen:
not observed, noticed, watched, or seen

2.  done
without practice: done or comprehended without previous
study or practice

[1]



unselective

unselective
un·se·lec·tive 
[ùnsə léktiv] adjective

choosing or chosen at random:
choosing or chosen without regard for quality or value[1]



unselfconscious

unselfconscious
un·self·con·scious
[ùn self kónshəss] or un·self-con·scious
[ùn self kónshəss] adjective

not
self-conscious: not affected, pretentious, or
self-conscious
—un·self·con·scious·ly,
adverb

—un·self·con·scious·ness,
noun[1]



unselfish

unselfish
un·sel·fish 
[un sélfish] adjective

not
selfish:
putting the general good or the needs or interests of others first
—un·sel·fish·ly,
adverb

—un·sel·fish·ness, noun[1]



unsell

unsell
un·sell 
[un sél] (past un·sold, past
participle un·sold [un sṓld], present
participle un·sell·ing, 3rd person present singular un·sells)
transitive verb

convince somebody that
something is undesirable: to convince
somebody that something is false or worthless[1]



unset

unset
un·set 
[un sét] adjective

1.  not
hardened:
not hardened or firm

2.  not
ready:
not prepared or made ready

3.  not
mounted:
not mounted in a jewelry setting

[1]



unsettle

unsettle
un·set·tle 
[un sétt’l] (past un·set·tled,
past participle un·set·tled, present participle un·set·tling,
3rd person present singular un·set·tles) transitive verb

1.  disrupt:
to disrupt the orderly, fixed, or established state of something

2.  upset
somebody:
to make somebody ill at ease or insecure
—un·set·tle·ment, noun[1]



unsettled

unsettled
un·set·tled 
[un sétt’ld] adjective

1.  lacking
order or stability: characterized by a lack of
order or stability • an unsettled political
climate

2.  changeable:
changing frequently within a given period of time • unsettled
weather

3.  being
in motion:
not being in a state or position of rest • unsettled
sediment in the water

4.  not
decided:
not resolved, determined, or decided • an
unsettled issue

5.  uncertain:
not sure, or full of doubt • He was
unsettled about his future at the firm.

6.  uninhabited:
not inhabited or colonized • unsettled
territory

7.  unpaid:
not paid or fulfilled • an
unsettled debt

8.  moving
about:
not regular or fixed • an
unsettled lifestyle

9.  not
legally resolved: not resolved as required by law • an
unsettled lawsuit

[1]



unsettling

unsettling
un·set·tling
[un séttling] adjective

upsetting:
producing a feeling of unease or insecurity[1]



unsex

unsex
un·sex 
[un séks] (past un·sexed, past
participle un·sexed, present participle un·sex·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·sex·es) transitive verb

1.  make
less feminine or masculine: to strip away from somebody
the qualities stereotypically associated with his or her sex “Come, you spirits
/That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here” William Shakespeare Macbeth c.
1605

2.  castrate:
to deprive somebody of the ability to have sex
[Early 17th century. Coined
by William Shakespeare .][1]



UNSF

UNSF
UNSF

Abbreviation of
United Nations Special Fund for Economic Development[1]



unshackle

unshackle
un·shack·le 
[un shák’l] (past un·shack·led,
past participle un·shack·led, present participle un·shack·ling,
3rd person present singular un·shack·les) transitive verb

1.  free
from shackles: to release somebody from shackles

2.  free
from restrictions: to release somebody from
restrictions or constraints

[1]



unshakable

unshakable
un·shak·a·ble 
[un sháykəb’l] or un·shake·a·ble
[un sháykəb’l] adjective

firm
and certain: not subject to doubt or uncertainty
—un·shak·a·bly, adverb[1]



unshaped

unshaped
un·shaped 
[un sháypt] or un·shap·en [un sháypən] adjective

1.  not
yet given shape: not yet shaped, formed, or finished

2.  not
properly formed: imperfect in its final or finished form
or state

[1]



unsheathe

unsheathe
un·sheathe 
[un sh] (past un·sheathed, past
participle un·sheathed, present participle un·sheath·ing,
3rd person present singular un·sheathes) transitive verb

remove from sheath:
to remove a sword from a sheath[1]



unshell

unshell
un·shell 
[un shél] (past un·shelled, past
participle un·shelled, present participle un·shell·ing,
3rd person present singular un·shells) transitive verb

take out of shell:
to remove something from a shell[1]



unshift

unshift
un·shift 
[un shíft] (past un·shift·ed, past
participle un·shift·ed, present participle un·shift·ing,
3rd person present singular un·shifts) intransitive verb

release shift key:
to release the depressed shift key on the keyboard of a computer or typewriter[1]



unship

unship
un·ship 
[un shíp] (past un·shipped, past
participle un·shipped, present participle un·ship·ping,
3rd person present singular un·ships) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  SHIPPING unload
or be unloaded: to unload something from a ship, or to
be unloaded

2.  NAUTICAL move
or be removed from position: to move something, or to be
moved, out of its normal position on a ship

[1]



unshod

unshod
un·shod 
[un shód] adjective

without shoes:
not wearing shoes or horseshoes[1]



unshriven

unshriven
un·shriv·en
[un shrívv’n] adjective

not granted absolution:
not having confessed sins to a priest and been given absolution[1]



unsighted

unsighted
un·sight·ed 
[un stəd] adjective

not fitted with sight for
aiming: not fitted with a sight or
sights to help with aiming[1]



unsightly

unsightly
un·sight·ly 
[un stlee] adjective

unappealing:
not pleasant to look at
—un·sight·li·ness, noun[1]



unskilled

unskilled
un·skilled 
[un skíld] adjective

1.  lacking
skill:
lacking skill or the basic or proper skills

2.  lacking
education or technical training: lacking the skills
acquired through technical training or higher education

3.  not
requiring special skills: not requiring special
training, education, or skill

4.  done
without skill: done without skill, or displaying a lack
of the basic or proper skills

[1]



unskillful

unskillful
un·skill·ful 
[un skílfəl] adjective

not
skilled or skillful: lacking or done without
skill or expertise
—un·skill·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·skill·ful·ness, noun[1]



unslakable

unslakable
un·slak·a·ble
[un sláykəb’l] or un·slake·a·ble
[un sláykəb’l] adjective

impossible
to slake:
impossible to satisfy or quench
[Early 19th century. Formed
from slake .][1]



unslakedlime

unslakedlime
un·slaked
lime
noun

See
calcium hydroxide[1]



unsling

unsling
un·sling 
[un slíng] (past un·slung, past
participle un·slung [un slúng], present
participle un·sling·ing, 3rd person present singular un·slings)
transitive verb

1.  remove
something slung: to remove something that has been slung,
especially over the shoulder or shoulders

2.  take
out of sling: to take something out of a sling

3.  NAUTICAL remove
supporting ropes from: to remove the supporting
ropes or chains ( slings ) from something

[1]



unsnag

unsnag
un·snag 
[un snág] (past un·snagged, past
participle un·snagged, present participle un·snag·ging,
3rd person present singular un·snags) transitive verb

1.  free
something caught: to free something caught on an
obstruction

2.  make
something progress or develop freely: to
remove a difficulty or difficulties impeding the progress or development of
something

[1]



unsnap

unsnap
un·snap 
[un snáp] (past un·snapped, past
participle un·snapped, present participle un·snap·ping,
3rd person present singular un·snaps) transitive verb

release by unfastening snap:
to release or open something by unfastening a snap or snaps[1]



unsnarl

unsnarl
un·snarl 
[un snrl] (past un·snarled, past
participle un·snarled, present participle un·snarl·ing,
3rd person present singular un·snarls) transitive verb

free from snarl:
to free something from a snarl or snarls[1]



unsociable

unsociable
un·so·cia·ble 
[un sṓshəb’l] adjective

1.  preferring
own company: not liking or seeking the company of
other people

2.  not
encouraging social interaction: not favoring or
encouraging social interaction
—un·so·cia·bil·i·ty
[un sshə bíllətee], noun

—un·so·cia·ble·ness
[un sṓshəb’lnəss], noun

—un·so·cia·bly
[un sṓshəblee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  unsociable
  or unsocial ?
  See
  Usage note at sociable . Note that unsociable is less strong in force than antisocial,
  which denotes behavior or attitudes that are harmful to social order.

[1]



unsocial

unsocial
un·so·cial 
[un sṓsh’l] adjective

1.  preferring
own company: not liking or seeking the company of
other people

2.  of
unsocial person: characterized or caused by a dislike of
the company of other people

3.  antisocial:
annoying, inconsiderate, or indifferent to the needs of others
—un·so·cial·ly,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at unsociable.

[1]



unsold

unsold
un·sold 
adjective

not
sold:
not bought by anybody


Past tense of
unsell Past participle of unsell[1]



unsolicited

unsolicited
un·so·lic·it·ed 
[ùnsə líssitəd] adjective

not asked for:
given, sent, or received without being requested[1]



unsophisticated

unsophisticated
un·so·phis·ti·cat·ed 
[ùnsə fístə kàytəd] adjective

1.  not
worldly or sophisticated: naive, inexperienced, and
not wise in the ways of the world

2.  crude:
simple and lacking in refinements, especially those required to solve a
particular problem
—un·so·phis·ti·cat·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·so·phis·ti·cat·ed·ness,
noun

—un·so·phis·ti·ca·tion
[ùnsə fistə káysh’n], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at naive

[1]



unsought

unsought
un·sought 
[un sáwt] adjective

not sought:
not looked for or asked for[1]



unsound

unsound
un·sound 
[un sównd] adjective

1.  unhealthy:
not in a healthy physical or psychological state

2.  not
solid or firm: in a structurally poor or dangerous
state • unsound
foundations

3.  not
reliable:
not based on reliable facts, information, or reasoning • an
unsound conclusion

4.  financially
insecure:
not safe or secure financially • an
unsound investment

5.  disturbed
and not restful: characterized by periods of restlessness
• unsound
sleep
—un·sound·ly,
adverb

—un·sound·ness, noun[1]



unsparing

unsparing
un·spar·ing 
[un spáiring] adjective

1.  merciless:
harsh or without mercy

2.  generous:
not frugal or stingy with something
—un·spar·ing·ness,
noun

—un·spar·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unspeak

unspeak
un·speak 
[un spk] (past un·spoke [un spṓk], past participle un·spo·ken
[un spṓkən], present participle un·speak·ing,
3rd person present singular un·speaks) transitive verb

(archaic) See unsay[1]



unspeakable

unspeakable
un·speak·a·ble 
[un spkəb’l] adjective

1.  not
describable in words: incapable of being described
in words

2.  extremely
bad or awful: so bad or awful as to be impossible to
describe in words

3.  not
to be spoken of: not allowed to be spoken of, mentioned,
or talked about
—un·speak·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·speak·a·bly, adverb[1]



unspecialized

unspecialized
un·spe·cial·ized 
[un spésh’l zd] adjective

1.  without
special purpose: not having a special use or purpose

2.  having
no specialization: not concerned or involved
with just one specialized area of knowledge or skill

[1]



unsphere

unsphere
un·sphere 
[un sfr] (past un·sphered, past
participle un·sphered, present participle un·spher·ing,
3rd person present singular un·spheres) transitive verb

1.  remove
planet from sphere: to remove a planet or other
celestial body from its sphere in the sky

2.  remove
from sphere of activity: to remove somebody or
something from a particular sphere of activity (literary)

[1]



unspoiled

unspoiled
un·spoiled
[un spóyld] adjective

1.  unchanged
by development: not changed for the worse by modern
civilization, industry, or tourism

2.  not
damaged:
not damaged or physically harmed

3.  unflawed:
not lessened or diminished by flaws or imperfections

4.  not
ruined in character: not ruined in character as a
result of success, wealth, or overindulgence

[1]



unspoke

unspoke
un·spoke


Past tense of
unspeak[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unspoken

unspoken
un·spo·ken 
[un spṓkən] adjective

not
mentioned:
not uttered or talked about, although thought about


Past participle of
unspeak[1]



unsportsmanlike

unsportsmanlike
un·sports·man·like 
[un spáwrtsmən lk] adjective

not fair:
being or acting contrary to fair play or the rules and spirit of a sport or of
sport in general[1]



unspotted

unspotted
un·spot·ted 
[un spóttəd] adjective

1.  not
spotted or stained: not soiled with spots or
stains

2.  morally
unblemished: not marred by moral or ethical lapses or
failures

3.  unobserved:
not seen or observed
—un·spot·ted·ness, noun[1]



unsprung

unsprung
un·sprung
[un sprúng] adjective

having no springs:
having no springs or having the springs removed[1]



unstable

unstable
un·sta·ble 
[un stáyb’l] adjective

1.  not
fixed:
not firm, solid, or fixed • unstable
ground

2.  likely
to fall or collapse: likely to fall, collapse, or
sway • unstable
scaffolding

3.  lacking
emotional or psychological stability:
lacking, or resulting from a lack of, emotional control or psychological
stability • unstable
behavior

4.  changeable:
apt to change • unstable weather

5.  unsteady
in purpose or intent: unsteady or unsure in
purpose or intent • political support that
is unstable

6.  irregular
in movement or rhythm: having a movement or rhythm
that changes irregularly • an
unstable heartbeat

7.  CHEMISTRY apt
to decompose: able or likely to change chemical or
biological composition readily

8.  PHYSICS having
short half-life: having a brief existence or half-life

9.  PHYSICS subject
to spontaneous change: used to describe a particle
that is subject to spontaneous change, such as radioactive decay
—un·sta·ble·ness,
noun

—un·sta·bly, adverb[1]



unsteady

unsteady
un·stead·y 
[un stéddee] adjective

1.  not
fixed:
not firm, solid, or fixed

2.  tottering:
staggering or tottering in walking

3.  likely
to move:
likely to move or shift position • an
unsteady ladder

4.  changeable:
subject to large and frequent changes • unsteady
financial markets

5.  irregular
in rhythm:
irregular in movement, rhythm, or pitch • a
voice that is unsteady

6.  not
constant or reliable: not constant in purpose or
actions
transitive
verb
(past un·stead·ied, past participle un·stead·ied, present
participle un·stead·y·ing, 3rd person present singular un·stead·ies)

make unsteady:
to cause something to become unsteady
—un·stead·i·ly,
adverb

—un·stead·i·ness, noun[1]



unsteel

unsteel
un·steel 
[un stl] (past un·steeled, past
participle un·steeled, present participle un·steel·ing,
3rd person present singular un·steels) transitive verb

make less harsh or stubborn:
to soften or weaken a firm or hard emotion or attitude[1]



unstep

unstep
un·step 
[un stép] (past un·stepped, past
participle un·stepped, present participle un·step·ping,
3rd person present singular un·steps) transitive verb

NAUTICAL
take mast out of socket:
to take a mast out of its step or socket[1]



unstick

unstick
un·stick 
[un stík] (past un·stuck, past
participle un·stuck [un stúk], present
participle un·stick·ing, 3rd person present singular un·sticks,
plural un·sticks) transitive verb

make something stop sticking:
to cause something to stop sticking[1]



unstinting

unstinting
un·stint·ing 
[un stínting] adjective

generous:
given or giving generously
[14th
century. The word in its original sense of “unceasing” disappeared from the
language; it was revived in its modern sense in the mid-19th century.]
—un·stint·ingly, adverb[1]



unstop

unstop
un·stop 
[un stóp] (past un·stopped, past
participle un·stopped, present participle un·stop·ping,
3rd person present singular un·stops) transitive verb

1.  remove
stopper from: to remove a stopper from something

2.  unblock
something:
to remove a blockage from something

3.  MUSIC pull
out stops:
to pull out the stops of an organ

[1]



unstoppable

unstoppable
un·stop·pa·ble 
[un stóppəb’l] adjective

impossible
to stop:
not capable of being halted, or not easily halted
—un·stop·pa·bly, adverb[1]



unstopped

unstopped
un·stopped 
[un stópt] adjective

1.  not
blocked or stoppered: not blocked, closed, or
stoppered

2.  not
halted:
able to continue without being halted

3.  PHONETICS articulated
with vocal organs partly open: articulated without a
complete closure of the vocal organs

[1]



unstrained

unstrained
un·strained
[un stráynd] adjective

1.  not
put through strainer: not put through a strainer
to remove lumps

2.  free
from strain: not subjected to strain

[1]



unstrap

unstrap
un·strap 
[un stráp] (past un·strapped, past
participle un·strapped, present participle un·strap·ping,
3rd person present singular un·straps) transitive verb

remove by undoing straps:
to remove something by undoing a strap or straps[1]



unstratified

unstratified
un·strat·i·fied 
[un stráttə fd] adjective

1.  not
forming layers or strata: not arranged in or forming
layers or strata

2.  not
forming classes or ranks: not arranged in or forming
social classes, grades, or ranks

[1]



unstressed

unstressed
un·stressed 
[un strést] adjective

1.  LINGUISTICS not
accented:
not accented or emphasized in pronunciation

2.  not
under physical or mental pressure: not subjected to
physical, psychological, or emotional pressure

[1]



unstriated

unstriated
un·stri·at·ed 
[un str àytəd] adjective

not striated:
lacking transverse striations[1]



unstring

unstring
un·string 
[un stríng] (past un·strung, past
participle un·strung [un strúng],
present participle un·string·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·strings) transitive verb

1.  remove
or loosen strings of: to remove or loosen a string
or strings of something

2.  remove
from string: to remove something from a string or
wire

3.  upset
somebody:
to make somebody upset or nervous

[1]



unstructured

unstructured
un·struc·tured 
[un strúkchərd] adjective

1.  not
organized into hierarchy: not organized into a
hierarchy or similar system

2.  not
ordered or conventionally arranged: not
forced to conform to a particular order or arrangement, especially a
conventional one

3.  CLOTHES loose
and flowing: not tailored to fit tightly, but flowing
freely

[1]



unstrung

unstrung
un·strung


Past tense of unstring Past participle of unstring
adjective

1.  upset:
emotionally upset or nervous

2.  lacking
strings:
with a string or strings missing, removed, or loosened

3.  not
on string:
not threaded on a string or wire

[1]



unstuck

unstuck
un·stuck


Past
tense of
unstick Past participle of unstick
adjective

freed from being stuck:
freed from being stuck or adhering to something[1]



unstudied

unstudied
un·stud·ied 
[un stúddəd] adjective

1.  natural:
natural or casual in manner

2.  not
learned through studying: not acquired through
studying or training

3.  not
knowledgeable: lacking the knowledge and understanding
of a particular field that is acquired through studying or training

[1]



unsubstantial

unsubstantial
un·sub·stan·tial 
[ùnsəb stánshəl] adjective

1.  immaterial:
not having physical substance

2.  flimsy:
not strong or firm

3.  not
true or based on fact: having no basis in truth or
fact
—un·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty
[ùnsəb stanshee állətee], noun

—un·sub·stan·tial·ly [ùnsəb stánshəlee], adverb[1]



unsubstantiated

unsubstantiated
un·sub·stan·ti·at·ed
[ùnsəb stánshee àytəd] adjective

unverified:
not proven factually
[Late 18th century. Formed
from substantiated, the past participle of substantiate
.][1]



unsuccess

unsuccess
un·suc·cess 
[ùnsək séss] (plural un·suc·cess·es)
noun

failure:
a lack of success in achieving something[1]



unsuccessful

unsuccessful
un·suc·cess·ful 
[ùnsək sésfəl] adjective

1.  not
resulting in success: not resulting in success or
turning out favorably

2.  not
achieving success: not achieving an intended
aim or goal
—un·suc·cess·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·suc·cess·ful·ness,
noun[1]



unsuitable

unsuitable
un·suit·a·ble 
[un stəb’l] adjective

inappropriate:
not appropriate or becoming
—un·suit·a·bil·i·ty
[un stə bíllətee], noun

—un·suit·a·ble·ness
[un stəb’lnəss], noun

—un·suit·a·bly [un stəblee], adverb[1]



unsung

unsung
un·sung 
adjective

1.  not
praised or honored: not given the praise or
honor that is due

2.  not
sung:
not sung or not to be sung

[1]



unsupportable

unsupportable
un·sup·port·a·ble
[ùnsə páwrtəb’l] adjective

1.  indefensible:
impossible to defend or excuse

2.  intolerable:
impossible to tolerate or endure

3.  impossible
to support physically: impossible to support
physically in order to prevent collapse

[1]



unsure

unsure
un·sure
[un shr] adjective

1.  uncertain:
doubtful or uncertain about somebody or something

2.  not
confident:
lacking in confidence

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at doubtful

[1]



unsurprising

unsurprising
un·sur·pris·ing
[ùnsər przing] adjective

not
surprising:
not causing surprise, usually because not unexpected
—un·sur·pris·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unsuspected

unsuspected
un·sus·pect·ed 
[ùnsə spéktəd] adjective

1.  not
suspected:
not under suspicion of doing something

2.  unknown:
not known or believed to exist
—un·sus·pect·ed·ly, adverb[1]



unsuspecting

unsuspecting
un·sus·pect·ing 
[ùnsə spékting] adjective

not
suspecting:
not suspicious of somebody or something
—un·sus·pect·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unswathe

unswathe
un·swathe 
[un swáy] (past un·swathed, past
participle un·swathed, present participle un·swath·ing,
3rd person present singular un·swathes) transitive verb

remove bindings from:
to remove bindings or wrappings from somebody or something[1]



unswear

unswear
un·swear 
[un swáir] (past un·swore [unswáwr], past participle un·sworn [unswáwrn], present participle un·swear·ing,
3rd person present singular un·swears) intransitive and
transitive verb

take back oath:
to take back a sworn oath, especially by taking another oath (archaic)[1]



unswerving

unswerving
un·swerv·ing 
[un swúrving] adjective

1.  steady
and unchanging: firm and unchanging in intent or purpose

2.  not
turning to the side: not turning to the side or
otherwise altering the direction of movement
—un·swerv·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unswore

unswore
un·swore


Past tense of
unswear[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








unsworn

unsworn
un·sworn


Past participle of
unswear
adjective

1.  not
stated under oath: not stated under an oath to
tell the truth

2.  not
having taken oath: not having taken an oath to
tell the truth
[Early 16th century. Formed
from sworn, the past participle of swear
.][1]



unsymmetrical

unsymmetrical
un·sym·met·ri·cal 
[ùnsi méttrik’l] adjective

not
symmetrical: lacking symmetry
—un·sym·met·ri·cal·ly,
adverb[1]



untangle

untangle
un·tan·gle 
[un táng g’l] (past un·tan·gled,
past participle un·tan·gled, present participle un·tan·gling,
3rd person present singular un·tan·gles) transitive verb

1.  free
something from tangles: to undo the tangles in
something such as yarn or hair

2.  straighten
out something complex: to clarify or resolve
something that is intricate or puzzling

3.  free
somebody from bad situation: to remove somebody from a
difficult or complicated situation

[1]



untapped

untapped
un·tapped 
[un tápt] adjective

1.  potentially
usable:
not yet in use, but available • untapped
talents

2.  unopened:
not yet opened or tapped

[1]



untaught

untaught
un·taught 
adjective

1.  uneducated:
ignorant or not having had a formal education

2.  natural
or innate:
arising from innate or natural talent or ability rather than from instruction
[14th century][1]



unteach

unteach
un·teach 
[un tch] (past un·taught, past
participle un·taught [un táwt], present
participle un·teach·ing, 3rd person present singular un·teach·es)
transitive verb

1.  make
somebody forget something: to cause somebody to forget
something previously learned

2.  teach
the opposite of something: to reverse somebody’s
opinion or belief about something previously learned

[1]



untenable

untenable
un·ten·a·ble 
[un ténnəb’l] adjective

1.  not
defendable:
lacking the qualities, for example, sound reasoning or high ground, that make
defense possible • an untenable position

2.  uninhabitable:
so shabby, filthy, or poorly built as to be unfit for human occupation (archaic)
—un·ten·a·bil·i·ty
[un tènnə bíllətee], noun

—un·ten·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·ten·a·bly, adverb[1]



untether

untether
un·teth·er
[un téər] (past un·teth·ered,
past participle un·teth·ered, present participle un·teth·er·ing,
3rd person present singular un·teth·ers) transitive verb

1.  untie
something:
to free something from a restraining rope or other tie

2.  express
emotion fully: to give vent to something such as an
emotion after suppressing it

[1]



unthankful

unthankful
un·thank·ful 
[un thángkfəl] adjective

ungrateful:
without feelings of gratitude
—un·thank·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·thank·ful·ness, noun[1]



unthink

unthink
un·think 
[un thíngk] (past participle un·thought
[un tháwt], present participle un·think·ing,
3rd person present singular un·thinks) transitive verb

1.  stop
thinking about something: to stop thinking about
something

2.  reverse
opinion about: to change a view or opinion about
something

[1]



unthinkable

unthinkable
un·think·a·ble 
[un thíngkəb’l] adjective

1.  out
of the question: too strange or extreme even to be
considered

2.  inconceivable:
impossible even to conceive of

3.  unlikely
to happen:
highly unlikely to happen or succeed
[15th
century]
—un·think·a·bil·ity
[un thìngkə bíllətee], noun

—un·think·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·think·a·bly [un thíngkəblee], adverb[1]



unthinking

unthinking
un·think·ing 
[un thíngking] adjective

1.  inconsiderate:
not thoughtful or considerate of other people

2.  heedless:
without proper attention to the effects of what is said or done

3.  unaware:
unable or unwilling to think deeply about things
—un·think·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·think·ing·ness, noun[1]



unthought

unthought
un·thought


Past tense of
unthink Past participle of unthink[1]



unthread

unthread
un·thread 
[un thréd] (past un·thread·ed,
past participle un·thread·ed, present participle un·thread·ing,
3rd person present singular un·threads) transitive verb

1.  remove
thread from: to remove the thread or threads from
something

2.  disengage
from situation: to remove somebody or something with
difficulty from a demanding or complicated situation

[1]



unthrone

unthrone
un·throne 
[un thrṓn] (past un·throned, past
participle un·throned, present participle un·thron·ing,
3rd person present singular un·thrones) transitive verb

dethrone:
to dethrone somebody (archaic)[1]



untidy

untidy
un·ti·dy 
[un tdee] adjective (comparative
un·ti·di·er, superlative un·ti·di·est)

1.  not
neat:
not neat or tidy

2.  disordered:
not properly organized or ordered
transitive
verb
(past un·ti·died, past participle un·ti·died, present
participle un·ti·dy·ing, 3rd person present singular un·ti·dies)

mess something up:
to mess up something that was tidy
—un·ti·di·ly,
adverb

—un·ti·di·ness, noun[1]



untie

untie
un·tie 
[un t] (past un·tied, past
participle un·tied, present participle un·ty·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·ties) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undo
knot in something: to loosen or unfasten a knot
or similar fastening in something such as a string, ribbon, or rope, or to be
loosened or unfastened

2.  transitive
verb
free
something from restraint: to release or free somebody
or something that is tied up

3.  transitive
verb
resolve
difficulty:
to resolve a difficult or complicated situation
[Old English untīgan][1]



until

until
un·til 
[un tíl] conjunction preposition

1.  up
to a time:
up to a time or event but not afterward • (conjunction)
I lived with my grandparents until I was ten. • (preposition)
from the late 1980s until 1994

2.  before:
before a time or event (used with a negative) • (conjunction)
She agreed not to write about the case until a verdict was reached.
• (preposition)
He did not open his mail until Monday.
[12th
century. From assumed Old Norse und “till” + till
(the sense “till” thereby being duplicated).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at till.

[1]



untimely

untimely
un·time·ly 
[un tmlee] adjective

1.  occurring
at a bad time: happening or done at a bad or
inconvenient time • an untimely decision

2.  premature
time:
happening before the expected time • his
untimely death
adverb
(old)

1.  at
an inappropriate time: at a bad or inappropriate
time

2.  prematurely:
earlier than wanted or expected
—un·time·li·ness, noun[1]



untiring

untiring
un·tir·ing 
[un tring] adjective

1.  not
becoming tired: not growing weary or exhausted

2.  going
on:
continuing in spite of difficulty or frustration • her
untiring efforts
—un·tir·ing·ly, adverb[1]



untitled

untitled
un·ti·tled 
[un tt’ld] adjective

1.  unnamed:
not having a name or title

2.  not
belonging to nobility: possessing no aristocratic
title

3.  without
proper claim: having no legitimate right or claim

[1]



unto

unto
un·to 
[úntoo] preposition (archaic)

1.  to:
used to indicate that something is said, given, or done to somebody • the
elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah

2.  until:
used to indicate that something continues until a particular time • faithful
unto death
[13th century. Formed from until, with to
replacing till (the original, and still
dialectal, sense of which was “to”).][1]



untold

untold
un·told 
[un tṓld] adjective

1.  not
revealed:
not having been revealed or related

2.  indescribable
or uncountable: too great or numerous to be properly
described or counted
[Old English unteald .
Originally in the sense “uncounted, not enumerated.”][1]



untouchable

untouchable
un·touch·a·ble 
[un túchəb’l] adjective

1.  not
to be touched: not able or allowed to be touched

2.  out
of reach:
completely out of reach

3.  above
criticism:
too well known or important to be investigated or criticized

4.  disagreeable
to touch:
unpleasant or disagreeable to touch
noun
(plural un·touch·a·bles) un·touch·a·ble (plural un·touch·a·bles)
Un·touch·a·ble (plural Un·touch·a·bles)

INDIAN RELIGION offensive
term:
an offensive term for a member of the hereditary Hindu class that was formerly
segregated and regarded as ritually unclean by the four castes, and who
performed tasks that were considered polluting (offensive)
—un·touch·a·bil·i·ty
[un tùchə bíllətee], noun

—un·touch·a·bly [un túchəblee], adverb[1]



untouched

untouched
un·touched
[un túcht] adjective

1.  not
touched:
not touched or handled

2.  uneaten:
not eaten or consumed

3.  uninjured:
not injured, damaged, or harmed

4.  unaltered:
not changed or altered

5.  emotionally
unaffected:
emotionally unaffected by something

6.  not
mentioned:
omitted from mention or discussion
[14th century][1]



untoward

untoward
un·to·ward 
[un táwrd] adjective

1.  causing
misfortune:
causing misfortune or disadvantage • several
untoward events

2.  inappropriate:
not appropriate or fitting • untoward
rudeness

3.  unexpected:
beyond the ordinary or the expected • an untoward
piece of luck
[14th
century. Originally in the sense “stubborn, disinclined.”]
—un·to·ward·ly,
adverb

—un·to·ward·ness, noun[1]



untrammeled

untrammeled
un·tram·meled 
adjective

unrestrained:
not restricted or restrained[1]



untraveled

untraveled
un·trav·eled 
[un trávv’ld] adjective

1.  inexperienced:
not having wide knowledge or experience of the world

2.  not
often traveled on: never or rarely traveled
along

[1]



untried

untried
un·tried 
[un trd] adjective

1.  not
tested:
not tried, tested, or proved

2.  LAW not
tried in court: not tried in a court of law

[1]



untroubled

untroubled
un·trou·bled 
[un trúbb’ld] adjective

1.  not
anxious or disturbed: not bothered, uneasy, or
distracted by something

2.  calm:
tranquil and without disturbances • untroubled
sleep
—un·trou·bled·ness, noun[1]



untrue

untrue
un·true 
[un tr] adjective

1.  wrong
or false:
not in accordance with the facts or what is known

2.  not
precise:
not precise or accurate according to some standard or measure

3.  unfaithful:
not faithful or loyal to somebody
[Old
English untrēowe “unfaithful”]
—un·tru·ly, adverb[1]



untruth

untruth
un·truth 
[un trth] (plural un·truths) noun

1.  lie:
something that is presented as being true but is actually false • accused
of telling untruths

2.  falseness:
a lack of truth, especially as a result of lying
[Old
English untrēowþ “disloyalty”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lie

[1]



untruthful

untruthful
un·truth·ful 
[un trthfəl] adjective

1.  untrue:
not in accordance with the facts or what is known

2.  not
telling the truth: lying or failing to tell the
truth
—un·truth·ful·ly,
adverb

—un·truth·ful·ness, noun[1]



untutored

untutored
un·tu·tored 
[un ttərd] adjective

1.  untaught:
not formally educated or trained

2.  unsophisticated:
without any awareness of or interest in what is socially acceptable behavior

[1]



ununquadium

ununquadium
un·un·qua·di·um
[ùn un kwáydee əm] noun

heaviest chemical element
thought to exist: the heaviest chemical
element currently thought to exist. The first evidence for it was obtained in
1998 after bombarding plutonium atoms with calcium ions in a cyclotron. Symbol
Uuq[1]



unused

unused
un·used 
[un yzd, un
yst] adjective

1.  not
used:
never having been used • unused
matches

2.  not
in use:
not being put to use • unused
land

3.  unfamiliar:
not familiar with or accustomed to something • Our
dog is unused to city traffic.
[13th century][1]



unusual

unusual
un·u·su·al 
[un yzhoo əl] adjective

1.  rare:
not common or familiar

2.  remarkable:
remarkable or out of the ordinary
—un·u·su·al·ly,
adverb

—un·u·su·al·ness, noun[1]



unutterable

unutterable
un·ut·ter·a·ble 
[un úttərəb’l] adjective

1.  unable
to be expressed: impossible to express or describe
because of emotional intensity

2.  unpronounceable:
impossible to pronounce or say
—un·ut·ter·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·ut·ter·a·bly, adverb[1]



unvalued

unvalued
un·val·ued 
[un vállyood] adjective

1.  not
valued:
not regarded as valuable, especially when true value is being overlooked

2.  not
appraised:
not having had a value attached

3.  priceless:
so valuable as to have no price in monetary terms (archaic)

[1]



unvarnished

unvarnished
un·var·nished 
[un vrnisht] adjective

1.  not
varnished:
having no protective or decorative coat of varnish

2.  straightforward:
said or presented without any attempt to disguise the truth • the
unvarnished facts

[1]



unveil

unveil
un·veil 
[un váyl] (past un·veiled, past
participle un·veiled, present participle un·veil·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·veils) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
covering from: to take off a veil or other covering,
especially from somebody’s face or from a plaque, monument, or artwork during a
formal ceremony

2.  transitive
verb
expose
something secret: to reveal something that has been hidden
or kept secret

[1]



unveiling

unveiling
un·veil·ing
[un váyling] (plural un·veil·ings)
noun

1.  uncovering
ceremony:
the formal removal of a covering that has hidden a plaque, monument, or artwork

2.  revelation:
the revelation of something for the first time, especially something kept
secret

[1]



unvoice

unvoice
un·voice 
[un vóyss] (past un·voiced, past
participle un·voiced, present participle un·voic·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·voic·es) transitive verb

See
devoice[1]



unvoiced

unvoiced
un·voiced 
[un vóyst] adjective

1.  unspoken:
not spoken or explicitly stated

2.  PHONETICS spoken
without voicing: pronounced without vibration of the
vocal chords

[1]



unwarrantable

unwarrantable
un·war·rant·a·ble 
[un wáwrəntəb’l] adjective

unjustifiable:
unable to be justified or condoned
—un·war·rant·a·bly, adverb[1]



unwarranted

unwarranted
un·war·rant·ed 
[un wáwrəntəd] adjective

unjustified:
not justified or deserved[1]



unwary

unwary
un·war·y 
[un wáiree] adjective

not
wary:
failing to be alert and cautious
—un·war·i·ly,
adverb

—un·war·i·ness, noun[1]



unwashed

unwashed
un·washed 
[un wósht, un
wáwsht] adjective

1.  not
washed:
not having been washed

2.  offensive
term:
offensive term meaning belonging to the lower social classes (offensive)
[14th
century]
the
great unwashed

an offensive term used to
refer to the mass of ordinary people (offensive)[1]



unwatchable

unwatchable
un·watch·a·ble
[un wóchəb’l] adjective

unpleasant or unrewarding to
watch: too bad to be worth
watching, or too unpleasant and distressing to watch[1]



unwavering

unwavering
un·wa·ver·ing
[un wáyvəring] adjective

steady
and firm in purpose: firm in your view or purpose
and unable to be swayed or diverted from it
—un·wa·ver·ing·ly, adverb[1]



unwearied

unwearied
un·wea·ried 
[un wreed] adjective

1.  never
tiring:
performing a task or promoting a cause without ceasing

2.  not
tired:
not tired, for example, from working or playing
—un·wea·ried·ly, adverb[1]



unwell

unwell
un·well 
[un wél] adjective

ill:
not in good health[1]



unwept

unwept
un·wept 
adjective

1.  not
mourned:
not cried for or mourned as a loss (literary)

2.  suppressed:
held back and not allowed to moisten the eyes • unwept
tears

[1]



unwholesome

unwholesome
un·whole·some 
[un hṓlsəm] adjective

1.  unhealthy:
harmful to health • unwholesome eating
habits

2.  regarded
as harmful to morals: regarded as being harmful to
character or morals

3.  looking
unhealthy:
unhealthy in appearance • an unwholesome
pallor
—un·whole·some·ly,
adverb

—un·whole·some·ness, noun[1]



unwieldy

unwieldy
un·wield·y 
[un wldee] adjective

1.  not
easy to handle: hard to handle because of being large,
heavy, or awkward

2.  difficult
to manage:
too complex or extensive to be manageable
[14th
century. Originally in the sense “weak, lacking strength.”]
—un·wield·i·ly,
adverb

—un·wield·i·ness,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Spelling
  trap:
  This
  word is often incorrectly spelled and pronounced unwieldly, as if it
  were formed with the common adjective ending -ly.

[1]



unwilled

unwilled
un·willed 
[un wíld] adjective

involuntary:
involuntary rather than chosen or planned[1]



unwilling

unwilling
un·will·ing 
[un wílling] adjective

1.  not
willing:
not willing to do something • unwilling
to participate

2.  reluctant:
given reluctantly or grudgingly • unwilling
assistance
[Old
English unwillende]
—un·will·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·will·ing·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  unwilling, reluctant, disinclined, averse, hesitant,
  loath
  CORE
  MEANING: lacking
  the desire to do something unwilling;
  used to describe somebody who states firmly that he or she is not prepared to
  do something; reluctant; used to
  describe somebody who really does not want to do something, and will only do
  it if he or she has to; disinclined; used to suggest that somebody has
  a lack of enthusiasm for something rather than a strong objection to it; averse; a fairly formal word used to suggest
  that somebody has a mild dislike or distaste for something; hesitant; used to describe somebody who is
  not keen to do something because he or she is uncertain about it; loath; a fairly formal word used to suggest
  that somebody has strong objections to or reservations about doing something

[1]



unwind

unwind
un·wind 
[un wnd] (past un·wound [un wównd], past participle un·wound,
present participle un·wind·ing, 3rd person present singular
un·winds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb uncoil:
to undo something such as tape or cable by winding, or to come undone in this
way

2.  transitive
verb
untangle:
to remove or undo the tangles in something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb relax:
to relieve somebody of, or obtain relief from, tension or worry • It’s
sometimes hard to unwind at the end of a busy day.

[1]



unwisdom

unwisdom
un·wis·dom 
[un wízdəm] noun

lack
of wisdom:
lack of wisdom or thought
[Old English unwīsdōm][1]



unwise

unwise
un·wise 
[un wz] (comparative un·wis·er,
superlative un·wis·est) adjective

lacking
wisdom:
lacking wisdom, judgment, or good sense
[Old
English unwīs]
—un·wise·ly, adverb[1]



unwish

unwish
un·wish 
[un wísh] (past un·wished, past
participle un·wished, present participle un·wish·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·wish·es) transitive verb

1.  revoke
a wish:
to undo or take back a wish

2.  desire
something not be: to want something not to be or not to
happen

[1]



unwitting

unwitting
un·wit·ting 
[un wítting] adjective

1.  unknowing:
unaware of what is happening in a particular situation

2.  unintentional:
said or done unintentionally
[Old
English unwitende, from the present participle of witan “to
become aware of, learn,” related to English wit]
—un·wit·ting·ly, adverb[1]



unwonted

unwonted
un·wont·ed 
[un wáwntəd, un
wṓntəd, un wúntəd] adjective

1.  unusual:
not what is expected or usual (literary)

2.  unused
to:
not used to or in the habit of doing something (archaic)
—un·wont·ed·ly,
adverb

—un·wont·ed·ness, noun[1]



unworkable

unworkable
un·work·a·ble 
[un wúrkəb’l] adjective

1.  not
practical:
too complicated or ambitious to be accomplished or established

2.  INDUSTRY not
able to be worked: unable to be cut, shaped, or
otherwise fashioned

3.  AGRICULTURE impossible
to farm:
so hard or rocky that it is impossible to farm
—un·work·a·bil·i·ty
[un wùrkə bíllətee], noun

—un·work·a·ble·ness,
noun

—un·work·a·bly, adverb[1]



unworldly

unworldly
un·world·ly 
[un wúrldlee] adjective

1.  not
materialistic: not interested in money or material
goods

2.  inexperienced:
lacking experience of the world

3.  not
of this world: not concerned with or part of the
material world
—un·world·li·ness, noun[1]



unworn

unworn
un·worn 
adjective

1.  not
worn:
not previously or recently worn • an
unworn shirt

2.  like
new:
in good condition, rather than worn out or ruined • unworn
tires

3.  fresh:
original rather than trite or stale

[1]



unworthy

unworthy
un·wor·thy 
[un wúree] adjective

1.  undeserving:
not deserving a particular benefit, privilege, or compliment • They
proved themselves unworthy of our trust.

2.  beneath
somebody:
not typical of somebody’s usual standards of behavior • Such
conduct is unworthy of you.

3.  without
value:
lacking value or merit

4.  vile:
bad or unpleasant and wholly undeserved
[13th
century]
—un·wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—un·wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



unwound

unwound
un·wound


Past tense of
unwind Past participle of unwind[1]



unwrap

unwrap
un·wrap 
[un ráp] (past un·wrapped, past
participle un·wrapped, present participle un·wrap·ping,
3rd person present singular un·wraps) intransitive and
transitive verb

remove
wrapping from: to take off the wrapping from something,
or to have the wrapping removed
[14th century][1]



unwritten

unwritten
un·writ·ten 
[un rítt’n] adjective

1.  not
written down: remaining unprinted or not written down

2.  accepted
through tradition: generally accepted and
understood even though not formally recorded in writing • unwritten
laws

3.  blank:
not marked or covered with writing

[1]



unyielding

unyielding
un·yield·ing 
[un ylding] adjective

1.  stubborn:
not giving in to persuasion, pressure, or force

2.  inflexible:
hard or rigid rather than flexible
—un·yield·ing·ly,
adverb

—un·yield·ing·ness, noun[1]



unyoke

unyoke
un·yoke 
[un yṓk] (past un·yoked, past
participle un·yoked, present participle un·yok·ing, 3rd
person present singular un·yokes) transitive verb

1.  untie
something:
to release an animal such as a horse from a yoke

2.  disconnect
something:
to separate two or more connected things

3.  free:
to set somebody free (archaic or literary)
[Old English ungeocian][1]



unzip

unzip
un·zip 
[un zíp] (past un·zipped, past
participle un·zipped, present participle un·zip·ping, 3rd
person present singular un·zips) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undo
zipper of:
to open or unfasten something such as clothing or luggage by means of a zipper,
or to become open or unfastened by this means

2.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING decompress
file:
to decompress a computer file that has been compressed

[1]



up

up
up 
[up] adverb preposition

at a higher level:
in, at, or to a higher level or position • (adverb)
Put your hand up if you know the answer. • (preposition)
We climbed up the hill. • (adverb)
Prices are going up all the time. • (preposition)
I went up the ladder as far as the second-floor window.
preposition
adverb

along: along
• (preposition)
Go up the street until you come to a school. • (adverb)
You’ll find her house up at the top of the street
adverb

1.  indicating
completion:
used to indicate thoroughness or the completion of an action • I
tore up all the photographs.

2.  upright:
in or to an upright position from a lower or prone position • sitting
up in bed

3.  coming
out:
coming through or out of some medium • The
whales came up for air.

4.  out:
in a way that detaches or removes • Pulling
up weeds isn’t easy. • We
drew up water from the well.

5.  rising
above:
rising, or seeming to rise, above or over something • When
does the moon come up?

6.  into
consideration: so as to be discussed or mentioned • The
subject just didn’t come up.

7.  in
northerly position: toward or in a northerly
position relative to the speaker • Our
cousins live up in Alaska.

8.  to
a higher value: to or at a higher amount or price • The
interest rate is going up again.

9.  to
a greater intensity: with or to more intensity or
higher pitch or volume • His
voice goes up when he’s nervous. • Let’s
turn up the volume.

10. near:
so as to move toward or closer to the speaker • She
ran up to me and gave me a big hug. • They
came up to the door and knocked.

11. each:
with all participants equal • The
score is now 14 up.
adverb
noun (plural ups)

ahead: to
the better or ahead • (adverb)
Our team is up by two. • (noun)
Sales are on the up this month.
adjective

1.  increased:
more than before • Your grades are up this
semester.

2.  out
of bed:
awake and out of bed • She
was already up when I called.

3.  facing
upward:
having the face or top side upward

4.  raised
upward:
in a raised or lifted position • The
switch is in the up position.

5.  going
higher or north: located in or moving toward a higher or
northern direction • The train is waiting at
the up platform. • Take
the up escalator.

6.  cheerful:
happy and feeling good • We’ve
been so up since hearing the news.

7.  happening:
going on at a particular time (informal) • What’s
up with you these days?

8.  being
considered:
approaching a deadline for an action • The
contract is up for renewal.

9.  nominated
for something: in the running for an office or
professional achievement • I hear
she’s up for a promotion.

10. on
trial:
charged with an offense or called into a court of law • The
accused is up on murder charges.

11. over:
over or finished • Your time is up.

12. having
knowledge:
possessing up-to-date or accurate information • I’m
not up on the latest gossip.

13. functioning:
able to operate or function • Is the
computer up?

14. BASEBALL batting:
taking a turn at bat in baseball • Who’s
up first in this inning?
noun
(plural ups)

source of good feeling:
something that causes excitement or a feeling of euphoria (informal) • The
news was a real up for her.
verb
(past upped, past participle upped, present
participle up·ping, 3rd person present singular ups)

1.  transitive
verb
raise:
to raise or increase something • The
insurance company has upped our premiums again.

2.  transitive
verb
promote:
to promote or raise somebody or something to a higher level or position (usually
passive) • He
was upped to manager last week.

3.  intransitive
verb
act
suddenly:
to act suddenly or impulsively • She
just upped and left.
[Old
English up “upward” and uppe “on high.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English above, eaves,
and open .]
up
and around

or up
and aboutactive and on your feet again after an illness

be
up to somebody

to
be the duty, responsibility, or job of somebody

on
the up and up

in
an honest or legitimate way (informal)

up
against it

facing
difficulty or danger

ups
and downs

changes
of fortune or alternating spells of good and bad experiences

up
to

1.  occupied
with or involved in something, often in a way that arouses suspicion • I
knew what he was up to, but I couldn’t do anything about it.

2.  able
to undertake or endure • I
don’t think I’m up to the journey.

3.  as
many as, or as long as

up
to your ears or elbows or eyes in something

deeply
involved in or preoccupied with something

up
yours

an
offensive term used to show anger or resentment (offensive)

what’s
up

what’s
the matter?

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at back.

[1]



UP

UP
UP


Abbreviation of
underproof[1]



U.P.

U.P.
U.P.

Abbreviation of
Upper Peninsula[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








up.

up.
up.

Abbreviation of
upper[1]



up-and-coming

up-and-coming
up-and-com·ing 
adjective

becoming more successful:
successful or improving, and showing signs of continuing to do so[1]



up-and-down

up-and-down
up-and-down 
adjective (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

1.  going
up and down: moving alternately upward and downward

2.  variable:
uneven or readily changing

3.  vertical:
in a vertical position or direction • up-and-down
stripes

[1]



Upanishad

Upanishad
U·pan·i·shad 
[oo pni shd, oo
pánni shàd] (plural U·pan·i·shads) noun

Hindu
scripture:
any of the sacred texts written in Sanskrit that form the basis for Hindu
philosophy and doctrine. They date from 400 B.C.
and represent the last stage in the tradition of the Vedas, the most ancient of
Hindu scriptures.
[Early
19th century. From Sanskrit upaniṣad, literally “a sitting down near
(something),” from upa “near” + ni-ṣad “to sit down.”]
—U·pan·i·shad·ic [oo pni shdik, oo
pànni sháddik], adjective[1]



upas

upas
u·pas 
[ypəss] (plural u·pas·es or
u·pas) noun

1.  tropical
tree:
a tropical and subtropical tree found in Southeast Asia with white bark and
poisonous sap. Latin name: Antiaria toxicaria

2.  poison
from upas tree: a poison made from the sap of the upas
and used on arrows
[Late 18th century. From
Malay (pohun) upas “poison (tree).”][1]



upbeat

upbeat
up·beat 
[úp bt] noun (plural up·beats)

MUSIC unaccented
beat:
an unaccented beat in music, especially one that ends a bar
adjective

optimistic: full
of optimism or cheerfulness (informal)
noun
(plural up·beats)

1.  MUSIC gesture
of baton:
the upward movement of a conductor’s baton that indicates an upbeat

2.  improvement:
an increase in happiness, prosperity, or favorable activity

[1]



up-bow

up-bow
up-bow 
(plural up-bows) noun

movement toward base of bow:
the movement of the bow across the strings of an instrument in which the tip of
the bow moves away from the instrument[1]



upbraid

upbraid
up·braid 
[up bráyd] (past up·braid·ed, past
participle up·braid·ed, present participle up·braid·ing,
3rd person present singular up·braids) transitive verb

scold
somebody:
to correct or criticize somebody in a harsh manner
[Old
English upbrēdan, of uncertain origin: probably literally “to throw
something up (against someone as a fault),” formed from bregdan “to move
quickly, throw”]
—up·braid·er,
noun

—up·braid·ing·ly, adverb[1]



upbringing

upbringing
up·bring·ing 
[úp brìnging] noun

early
training:
the way somebody has been brought up, or trained and educated early in life
[15th century. Originally in
the sense of “building.”][1]



upbuild

upbuild
up·build 
[up bíld] (past up·built, past
participle up·built [up bílt], present
participle up·build·ing, 3rd person present singular up·builds)
transitive verb

build
up:
to build up, develop, or enlarge something
—up·build·er, noun[1]



UPC

UPC
UPC

Abbreviation of
Universal Product Code[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








upcast

upcast
up·cast 
adjective [úp kàst]

cast upward:
thrown, propelled, or looking upward
noun
[úp kàst] (plural up·casts)

1.  something
thrown up:
material that has been thrown up

2.  MINING ventilation
shaft:
a ventilation shaft in a mine that brings air up.
Also
called
uptake

[1]



upchuck

upchuck
up·chuck 
[úp chùk] (past up·chucked, past
participle up·chucked, present participle up·chuck·ing,
3rd person present singular up·chucks) intransitive and
transitive verb

vomit:
to vomit (slang)[1]



upcoming

upcoming
up·com·ing 
[úp kùmming] adjective

forthcoming:
about to happen or coming soon[1]



upcountry

upcountry
up·coun·try 
[úp kùntree] adjective

coming
from the interior: coming from, associated
with, or located in an inland region of a country
noun

inland
region:
an inland area of a country
adverb

toward the interior:
in, to, or toward the inland region of a country[1]



update

update
up·date 
transitive verb [up dáyt] (past
up·dat·ed, past participle up·dat·ed, present
participle up·dat·ing, 3rd person present singular up·dates)

provide
new information: to provide somebody or something with
the most recent information, or with more recent information than was
previously available • The
Web site is updated once a month.
noun
[úp dàyt] (plural up·dates)

latest
information: the latest available information or more
recent information
[Mid-20th century][1]



Updike,John

Updike,John

Up·dike
[úp dīk], John (1932– )
U.S.
writer. He is best known for his novel Rabbit, Run ( 1960 ), and its
sequels, two of which won Pulitzer Prizes.
Full name
Updike, John Hoyer[1]



updraft

updraft
up·draft 
[úp dràft] (plural up·drafts) noun

air moving upward:
a current of air that is moving upward[1]



upend

upend
up·end 
[up énd] (past up·end·ed, past
participle up·end·ed, present participle up·end·ing, 3rd
person present singular up·ends) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb set
something on end: to place, stand, or turn something
upward so that it is standing or resting on one end, or be turned over onto one
end

2.  transitive
verb
upset:
to upset, disconcert, or disturb somebody or something to a serious degree

[1]



up-front

up-front
up-front
or up·front or up front adjective (informal)

1.  straightforward:
honest, frank, or straightforward

2.  in
advance:
paid in advance
—up
front, adverb

—up-front·ness, noun[1]



upgrade

upgrade
up·grade 
verb [úp gràyd, up gráyd] (past up·grad·ed, past
participle up·grad·ed, present participle up·grad·ing,
3rd person present singular up·grades)

1.  transitive
verb
promote:
to promote somebody or increase the status of somebody’s job or position

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb improve
quality:
to improve the quality, standard, or performance of something, especially by
incorporating new advances • upgrade
a computer

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb trade
up:
to exchange something for another of better quality • upgrade
a seat on a flight

4.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE improve
livestock:
to improve the quality of livestock by breeding with superior animals to
introduce desirable traits into the offspring
noun
[úp gràyd] (plural up·grades)

1.  improvement
of something: an improvement in the quality or
performance of something, for example, computer hardware or software

2.  something
that improves: something that improves the performance
or quality of something else, or something that has better performance or
qualities

3.  upward
slope:
an upward slope or incline
adjective
[úp gràyd]

sloping upward:
going or sloping uphill
adverb
[úp gràyd]

uphill: up an
incline, slope, or hill

[1]



upgrowth

upgrowth
up·growth 
[úp grth] noun

growing upward:
the process of growing upward, or the result of such a process[1]



upheaval

upheaval
up·heav·al 
[up hv’l] (plural up·heav·als)
noun

1.  disturbance:
a strong or sudden change in political, social, or living conditions

2.  GEOLOGY upward
movement:
a sudden raising of part of the earth’s crust

[1]



upheave

upheave
up·heave 
[up hv] (past up·heaved or
up·hove [up hṓv], past participle
up·heaved, present participle up·heav·ing, 3rd person
present singular up·heaves) intransitive and transitive verb

raise or rise up:
to lift something forcefully from underneath, or rise or be thrust upward[1]



uphill

uphill
up·hill 
adverb [up híl]

1.  up
a slope:
up a slope or toward the top of a hill

2.  with
difficulty:
against great resistance or in spite of difficulty
adjective
[úp hìl]

1.  going
higher on a slope: going upward on a slope or
to higher ground

2.  on
higher ground: located farther up on a slope or on
higher ground

3.  difficult:
requiring a lot of effort • an
uphill struggle

[1]



uphold

uphold
up·hold 
[up hṓld] (past up·held [up héld], past participle up·held, present
participle up·hold·ing, 3rd person present singular up·holds)
transitive verb

1.  maintain
or support:
to maintain or defend something, especially laws or principles, in the face of
hostility

2.  give
somebody support: to provide somebody with moral support,
or inspire somebody with confidence
—up·hold·er, noun[1]



upholster

upholster
up·hol·ster 
[up hṓlstər, ə pṓlstər]
(past up·hol·stered, past participle up·hol·stered,
present participle up·hol·ster·ing, 3rd person present
singular up·hol·sters) transitive verb

equip
furniture:
to fit chairs, couches, and similar items of furniture with stuffing, springs,
and covering
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from upholstery .]
—up·hol·ster·er, noun[1]



upholstery

upholstery
up·hol·ster·y 
[up hṓlstəree, ə
pṓlstəree] noun

1.  materials
used for upholstering: the stuffing, cushions,
fabric, and other materials used to upholster chairs and couches • upholstery
fabric

2.  work
of upholstering: the craft, trade, or business of
upholstering furniture
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from obsolete upholster “upholsterer.”][1]



UPI

UPI
UPI

Abbreviation of
United Press International[1]



Upjohn,Richard

Upjohn,Richard
Up·john
[úp jon], Richard (1802–1878)

British-born
U.S. architect. He was a leader of the gothic revival style in the United
States.
Full name
Upjohn, Richard Morris[1]



upkeep

upkeep
up·keep 
[úp kp] noun

1.  maintenance:
the maintenance of somebody or something in proper condition or operation

2.  cost:
the financial cost of providing maintenance for somebody or something

[1]



upland

upland
up·land 
[úplənd, úp lànd]
noun (plural up·lands)

1.  high
land:
land that has a high elevation, or a region of such land

2.  inland
region:
a region that lies in the interior of a country
adjective

high or inland:
relating to, located in, or native to a region that is at a high elevation or
lies in the interior of a country

[1]



uplandcotton

uplandcotton
up·land
cot·ton
noun

1.  PLANTS cotton
plant:
a cotton plant that probably originated in Central America and is now grown
widely for the wooly fiber that surrounds its seeds. Latin name: Gossypium
hirsutum

2.  TEXTILES cotton
fiber or fabric: the wooly fiber of the upland cotton
plant, or fabric made from it

[1]



uplandsandpiper

uplandsandpiper
up·land
sand·pi·per
or up·land plov·er noun

N American bird:
a large sandpiper that lives in the fields and uplands of eastern North America
and has brownish streaked plumage and a short bill. Latin name: Bartramia
longicauda[1]



uplift

uplift
up·lift 
transitive verb [up líft] (past
up·lift·ed, past participle up·lift·ed, present
participle up·lift·ing, 3rd person present singular up·lifts)

1.  physically
lift something: to raise or lift somebody or something

2.  spiritually
lift somebody: to help somebody attain a higher
intellectual or spiritual level, or improve somebody’s living conditions

3.  New
Zealand,
South Africa, Scotland collect:
to pick up passengers or baggage
noun
[úp lìft] (plural up·lifts)

1.  something
improving:
something that elevates somebody morally or spiritually, or improves somebody’s
living conditions

2.  lifting
up:
the lifting up of something, or the result of doing so

3.  GEOLOGY upward
movement of earth’s crust: the slow upward movement of
large parts of stable areas of the earth’s crust
—up·lift·er
[up líftər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at raise

[1]



uplink

uplink
up·link 
[úp lìngk] (plural up·links) noun

transmitter:
a transmitter on the ground that sends radio or other signals to an aircraft or
communications satellite[1]



upload

upload
up·load 
[úp ld] (past up·load·ed, past
participle up·load·ed, present participle up·load·ing,
3rd person present singular up·loads) intransitive and
transitive verb

transfer data:
to transfer data or programs, usually from a peripheral computer to a central,
often remote computer[1]



upmanship

upmanship
up·man·ship 
[úpmən shìp] noun

one-upmanship:
one-upmanship (informal)
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



upmarket

upmarket
up·mar·ket 
adjective [úp mrkət]

expensive:
intended or designed for wealthy consumers
adverb
[úp mrkət, ùp
mrkət]

toward more expensive tastes:
toward a higher and more expensive standard that appeals to wealthy consumers • The
hotel seems to have gone upmarket.[1]



upmost

upmost
up·most 
[úp mst] adjective

See
uppermost[1]



upon

upon
up·on 
[ə pón] CORE
MEANING:
means the same as “on” but is more formal • He
stretched out his legs upon the sofa. • She
climbed upon her father’s knee. preposition

1.  on
surface:
on or onto the surface of something (formal) • The
great beast bounced to a halt upon the parapet.

2.  one
after another: used to indicate two occurrences of the
same noun, referring to a large number • They
claimed that the report contained “innuendo upon innuendo.”

3.  followed
by:
used to indicate that one event is followed immediately by another event • Upon
finding the relevant text, they stored it in their own electronic files.

4.  about
to happen:
used to indicate that an event is imminent • The
holidays are upon us again.
[12th century. From up + on ;
modeled on Old Norse upp á .][1]



upper

upper
up·per 
[úppər] adjective

1.  higher:
located above another part of something • the
upper deck
• a
muscle in the upper arm

2.  more
important:
higher in social position or importance • upper
management

3.  more
distant:
lying farther inland, upstream, or to the north • the
upper reaches of the river

4.  GEOLOGY later:
later in a named geologic formation, period, or system (technical)

5.  MATHEMATICS indicating
a mathematical limit: indicating a limit or bound
of a set of numbers equal to or greater than every member of the set
noun
(plural up·pers)

1.  the
one above:
the higher of two people or objects

2.  CLOTHES part
of shoe:
the part of a boot or shoe that covers the upper surface of the foot

3.  DRUGS stimulant:
a drug such as an amphetamine that has a stimulating effect (slang)

4.  good
experience:
an experience that is exciting or produces euphoria (slang)
plural
noun
up·pers

upper teeth: the
teeth of the upper jaw or of a top set of dentures (informal)
[13th century. Formed from up + -er 2, being
originally the comparative of up .][1]



upperatmosphere

upperatmosphere
up·per
at·mos·phere noun

part of Earth’s atmosphere:
the part of the Earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere, especially at heights
unreachable by balloon[1]



upperbound

upperbound
up·per
bound
noun

largest number in set:
a number that is greater than or equal to all the members of a set[1]



UpperCanada

UpperCanada
Up·per
Can·a·da


former British province in
Canada, corresponding to present-day southern Ontario[1]



UpperCarboniferous

UpperCarboniferous
Up·per
Car·bon·if·er·ous noun

GEOLOGY
See Pennsylvanian  noun 2[1]



uppercase

uppercase
up·per·case 
[ùppər káyss] noun

capital
letters:
capital letters used in writing, typing, typesetting, or printing • printed
in uppercase
adjective

in
capital letters: belonging to, written, or printed in
capital letters
transitive
verb
(past up·per·cased, past participle up·per·cased, present
participle up·per·cas·ing, 3rd person present singular up·per·cas·es)

capitalize
something:
to write, type, typeset, or print something in capital letters
[Mid-18th century. From
typesetters having kept capital letters in the upper of a pair of type cases.][1]



upperchamber

upperchamber
up·per
cham·ber
noun

See
upper house[1]



uppercircle

uppercircle
up·per
cir·cle
noun

seats at top of theater:
the gallery of seats at the top of a theater, above the dress circle[1]



upperclass

upperclass
up·per
class
noun

1.  highest
social class: the highest social class, or the people
in it

2.  EDUCATION high
grade level: the group of students who belong to the
junior or senior class of a high school, college, or university
—up·per-class, adjective[1]



upperclassman

upperclassman
up·per·class·man 
[ùppər klássmən] (plural up·per·class·men
[ùppər klássmən]) noun

student:
a student who belongs to the junior or senior class of a high school, college,
or university[1]



uppercrust

uppercrust
up·per
crust
noun

upper class:
the upper class (informal)[1]



uppercut

uppercut
up·per·cut 
[úppər kùt] noun (plural up·per·cuts)

blow:
a swinging upward blow in which the fist is aimed at an opponent’s chin
transitive
verb
(past up·per·cut, past participle up·per·cut, present
participle up·per·cut·ting, 3rd person present singular up·per·cuts)

strike somebody:
to hit or attempt to hit an opponent with an uppercut[1]



upperhand

upperhand
up·per
hand
noun

dominance:
the controlling position in a situation[1]



upperhouse

upperhouse
up·per
house
noun

smaller legislative branch:
in a political system, the house in a two-house legislature that is smaller and
less representative of the general population, for example, the U.S. Senate.
Also called
upper chamber[1]



uppermost

uppermost
up·per·most 
[úppər mst] adjective

highest:
highest in position, rank, or level
adverb

at the top:
in, at, or toward the highest point, position, or rank[1]



UpperPaleolithic

UpperPaleolithic
Up·per
Pa·le·o·lith·ic noun

late
Paleolithic era: the latest of the three periods of the
Paleolithic era, about 40,000 to 14,000 years ago, when modern human beings
first appeared
—Up·per Pa·le·o·lith·ic,
adjective[1]



UpperPeninsula

UpperPeninsula
Up·per
Pen·in·su·la

peninsula in northern
Michigan between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan[1]



upperrespiratory

upperrespiratory
up·per
res·pi·ra·to·ry adjective

of lungs and related
structures: relating to or affecting any
of the air passages or associated structures that connect the lungs with the
exterior, including the nasal passages, trachea, and bronchi[1]



UpperVolta

UpperVolta
Up·per
Vol·ta


Former name for
Burkina Faso[1]



upperworks

upperworks
up·per
works
plural noun

area above waterline:
the parts of a boat or ship above the waterline when it is fully loaded[1]



uppity

uppity
up·pi·ty 
[úppitee] adjective

presumptuous:
behaving in a way that other people consider presumptuous and more suited to
somebody belonging a higher social class or position (informal)
[Late
19th century. Formed fancifully from up .]
—up·pi·ty·ness, noun[1]



Uppsala

Uppsala
Upp·sa·la 
[up slə]

city in eastern central
Sweden, location of the country’s oldest university. Population: 184,507 (1996)[1]



upraise

upraise
up·raise 
[up ráyz] (past up·raised, past
participle up·raised, present participle up·rais·ing, 3rd
person present singular up·rais·es) transitive verb

lift something up:
to raise something or cause something to rise, for example, hands, prayers, or
voices (literary)[1]



uprear

uprear
up·rear 
[up rr] (past up·reared, past
participle up·reared, present participle up·rear·ing, 3rd
person present singular up·rears) intransitive and transitive
verb

raise
something or rise: to rise, or to cause
something to rise (archaic or literary)
[13th century][1]



upright

upright
up·right 
[úp rt] adjective

1.  erect:
standing vertically or straight upward

2.  righteous:
behaving in a moral or honorable manner
adverb

vertically:
straight upward rather than at an angle
noun
(plural up·rights)

1.  vertical
support:
something that stands upright, for example, a stake or post

2.  MUSIC See upright piano
—up·right·ly,
adverb

—up·right·ness, noun[1]



uprightpiano

uprightpiano
up·right
pi·an·o
(plural up·right pi·an·os) or up·right (plural
up·rights) noun

piano with rectangular case:
a piano with a rectangular upright case in which the strings are mounted
vertically, and a keyboard at right angles to the case[1]



uprise

uprise
up·rise 
intransitive verb [up rz] (past
up·rose [up rṓz], past participle
up·ris·en [up rízz’n], present
participle up·ris·ing, 3rd person present singular up·ris·es)

1.  rise
up:
to stand or get up (literary or archaic)

2.  move
upward:
to stand, go, or move in an upward direction (literary or archaic)

3.  appear:
to rise up or come into view from below a horizon
noun
[úp rz] (plural up·ris·es)

upward slope: an
upward slope or incline

[1]



uprising

uprising
up·ris·ing 
[úp rzing] (plural up·ris·ings)
noun

rebellion:
an act of rebellion or revolt against an authority[1]



upriver

upriver
up·riv·er 
[úp rìvvər] adverb adjective

upstream:
toward or closer to the source of a river[1]



uproar

uproar
up·roar 
[úp ràwr] (plural up·roars) noun

1.  noisy
disturbance: a loud or noisy disturbance

2.  argument:
a heated or intense controversy
[Early 16th century. By folk
etymology from Middle Low German uprōr or Dutch oproer, literally
“stirring up,” formed, respectively, from Middle Low German rōr
“stirring, motion” and Dutch roer . Originally “insurrection.”][1]



uproarious

uproarious
up·roar·i·ous 
[up ráwree əss] adjective

1.  tumultous:
characterized by noisy confusion

2.  hilarious:
extremely funny and causing people to laugh loudly

3.  very
loud:
loud and boisterous
—up·roar·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—up·roar·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



uproot

uproot
up·root 
[up rt] (past up·root·ed, past
participle up·root·ed, present participle up·root·ing,
3rd person present singular up·roots) transitive verb

1.  pull
plant from soil: to pull a plant and its roots from the
soil

2.  remove
or destroy:
to remove or destroy something completely

3.  displace:
to displace somebody or something from a home or habitual environment • I
don’t want to uproot the children and move to the other end of the country.
—up·root·ed·ness,
noun

—up·root·er, noun[1]



uprose

uprose
up·rose


Past tense of
uprise[1]



uprush

uprush
up·rush
[úp rùsh] (plural up·rush·es) noun

upward rush:
a sudden upward rush of something[1]



upsadaisy

upsadaisy
up·sa·dai·sy
interjection

See
upsy-daisy[1]



upscale

upscale
up·scale 
[úp skàyl] adjective adverb

See
upmarket[1]



upset

upset
up·set 
verb [up sét] (past up·set,
past participle up·set, present participle up·set·ting,
3rd person present singular up·sets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
something over: to turn or tip over, or knock or tip
something over accidentally, usually scattering its contents

2.  transitive
verb
disturb
order:
to disrupt the usual order or course of something

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody unhappy: to cause somebody emotional or mental
distress

4.  transitive
verb
nauseate:
to make somebody feel nauseous, or cause a disorder of the digestive system • Spicy
foods upset my stomach.

5.  transitive
verb
SPORTS defeat
unexpectedly: to defeat a competitor or a team
unexpectedly in a sports contest

6.  transitive
verb
METALLURGY thicken
rivet end:
to make a heated bolt, rivet, or bar shorter and thicker by hammering one end
noun
[úp sèt] (plural up·sets)

1.  dramatic
change:
an unexpected problem that disturbs people or causes them to change their plans

2.  unexpected
result:
an unexpected result, for example, in a sporting contest or an election

3.  emotional
or physical disturbance: a mild illness of the
stomach, or an unhappy experience

4.  METALLURGY tool:
a tool used to make a rivet, bar, or other piece of heated metal shorter and
thicker at one end

5.  METALLURGY rivet:
a rivet, bar, or other piece of metal that has been hammered and made shorter
and thicker at one end
adjective
[úp sèt]

1.  overturned:
overturned or spilled

2.  disturbed
or sad:
unhappy, disappointed, or emotionally distressed because of something that has
happened

3.  disordered:
thrown into disorder or confusion
—up·set·ter, noun[1]



upsetprice

upsetprice
up·set
price
(plural up·set pric·es) noun

U.S.,
Canada, Scotland lowest
sale price: the lowest sale price at
which something can be sold or auctioned.
See also
reserve price[1]



upsetting

upsetting
up·set·ting
[up sétting] adjective

distressing:
emotionally distressing or disturbing
—up·set·ting·ly, adverb[1]



upshift

upshift
up·shift 
[úp shìft] (past up·shift·ed, past
participle up·shift·ed, present participle up·shift·ing,
3rd person present singular up·shifts, plural up·shifts)
intransitive verb

shift up gear:
to shift a vehicle into a higher gear[1]



upshot

upshot
up·shot 
noun

result:
the end result or outcome of something
[Mid-16th century. Originally
in the sense “final shot (in archery).”][1]



upside

upside
up·side 
[úp sd] (plural up·sides) noun

1.  upper
side:
the upper side or part of something

2.  positive
side:
the most favorable or positive aspect of a particular situation or event

3.  FINANCE increase
in value:
an increase in business profits or stock prices

[1]



upsidedown

upsidedown
up·side
down
adverb

1.  in
an inverted way: turned so that the part that should be
higher is lower or the side that should be underneath is on top

2.  in
disorder:
in total confusion or great disorder • We
turned the house upside down looking for the keys.
—up·side-down, adjective[1]



upside-downcake

upside-downcake
up·side-down
cake
noun

cake with fruit:
a sponge cake baked with a layer of fruit at the bottom, then inverted before
it is served so that the caramelized fruit is on top[1]



upsilon

upsilon
up·si·lon 
[úpsi lòn, ypsi
lòn] (plural up·si·lons) noun

20th
letter of Greek alphabet: the 20th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “y” or “u”
[Mid-17th century. From Greek
u psilon “simple u” (named to distinguish it from the diphthong oi,
which in late Greek had the same pronunciation), from psilon, a form of psilos
“simple.”][1]



upspring

upspring
up·spring 
[up spríng] (past up·sprang [up spráng], past participle up·sprung
[up sprúng], present participle up·spring·ing,
3rd person present singular up·springs) intransitive verb

spring up:
to come suddenly into existence or become visible (archaic or literary)[1]



upstage

upstage
up·stage 
[up stáyj] transitive verb (past
up·staged, past participle up·staged, present
participle up·stag·ing, 3rd person present singular up·stag·es)

1.  outdo
somebody else: to divert, or attempt to divert,
attention away from somebody else

2.  THEATER turn
actor away from audience: to move toward the back of
the stage in order to force another actor to turn his or her back to the
audience

3.  treat
somebody disdainfully: to treat somebody in a
haughty or disdainful manner (informal)
adverb

THEATER toward
rear:
in, at, or toward the rear part of a stage
adjective

1.  THEATER located
at rear:
located in or relating to the rear part of a stage

2.  aloof:
distant from and disdainful of other people (informal)
noun

THEATER back
of stage:
the rear part of the stage
—up·stag·er, noun[1]



upstairs

upstairs
up·stairs 
adverb [up stáirz]

1.  up
the stairs:
to, toward, or on an upper level or floor

2.  mentally:
in the mind or brain (humorous) • not
a lot happening upstairs

3.  to
a higher job: to a higher level or job in an
organization or hierarchy (informal)
noun
[úp stàirz]

upper floor: an
upper floor or the part of a building above the first floor (often used
before a noun) • an upstairs bathroom
kick
somebody upstairs

to promote somebody to a rank
or position that is officially superior but in fact carries less power and
opportunity for influence (informal)[1]



upstanding

upstanding
up·stand·ing 
[up stánding, úp
stànding] adjective

1.  virtuous:
honest and socially responsible

2.  vertical:
in an erect position (archaic)
—up·stand·ing·ness, noun[1]



upstart

upstart
up·start 
noun [úp strt] (plural up·starts)

somebody
with newly acquired status: somebody who has suddenly
acquired wealth, power, or status but is thought not to deserve it
intransitive
verb
[up strt] (past up·start·ed, past
participle up·start·ed, present participle up·start·ing,
3rd person present singular up·starts)

rise suddenly:
to rise or jump up suddenly or unexpectedly (archaic)[1]



upstate

upstate
up·state 
[up stáyt, úp
stàyt] adjective

northern:
relating to or living in the northern part of a state
adverb

northward:
in, to, or toward the northern part of a state
noun

northern
part:
the northern area of a state
—up·stat·er [up stáytər, úp stàytər],
noun[1]



upstream

upstream
up·stream 
[up strm, úp
strm] adverb

1.  against
the current: in or toward the source of a river or
stream

2.  against
tradition:
contrary to popular opinion and customs (informal)

3.  BUSINESS in an
early stage: of, for, or in an early stage of an
industrial or commercial operation, for example, during exploration in the oil
industry

4.  GENETICS in
opposite direction to transcription: in a
direction along a strand of a DNA molecule counter to that in which transcription
takes place.
See
also
downstream
adjective

nearer the source:
located farther toward the source of a stream or river

[1]



upstroke

upstroke
up·stroke 
[úp strk] (plural up·strokes)
noun

1.  upward
stroke:
an upward or rising movement of a pen or brush, or the mark it makes

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING piston
movement:
the upward movement of a piston in a reciprocating engine

[1]



upsurge

upsurge
up·surge 
noun [úp sùrj] (plural up·surg·es)

increase:
a rapid increase in something
intransitive
verb
[up súrj] (past up·surged, past
participle up·surged, present participle up·surg·ing, 3rd
person present singular up·surg·es)

suddenly rise:
to rise or increase rapidly[1]



upsweep

upsweep
up·sweep 
[úp swp] noun (plural up·sweeps)

1.  upward
sweep:
an upward or curving line or motion

2.  HAIRDRESSING hairstyle:
a hairstyle in which the hair is swept upward from the neck
intransitive
and transitive verb (past up·swept
[úp swèpt], past participle up·swept,
present participle up·sweep·ing, 3rd person present singular
up·sweeps)

move upward: to
sweep, curve, or brush something upward

[1]



upswing

upswing
up·swing 
noun [úp swìng] (plural up·swings)

1.  increase
or improvement: an increase or improvement, for example,
in business profits

2.  upward
motion:
a motion or swing upward
intransitive
verb
[up swíng] (past up·swung [up swùng, up swung],
past participle up·swung, present participle up·swing·ing,
3rd person present singular up·swings)

swing upward: to
swing or move upward (archaic)

[1]



upsy-daisy

upsy-daisy
up·sy-dai·sy
[úpsee dàyzee] or up·sa·dai·sy
[úpsə dàyzee] interjection

up
you go:
a reassuring expression usually addressed to a child being lifted or who has
fallen or stumbled (babytalk)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of earlier up-a-daisy, from up + a-day,
expressing surprise, literally “(to) the day” (see lackadaisical
).][1]



uptake

uptake
up·take 
[úp tàyk] (plural up·takes) noun

1.  vent:
a passage such as a pipe or chimney, that draws up smoke or air

2.  BIOLOGY physical
absorption:
the process of physically absorbing something into a living organism
be
quick or slow on the uptake

to be quick or slow to
understand things or realize what is happening (informal)[1]



up-tempo

up-tempo
up-tem·po
noun

MUSIC fast
tempo:
a fast or lively musical tempo
adjective

exciting:
fast-paced and exciting[1]



upthrow

upthrow
up·throw 
[úp thr] (plural up·throws) noun

upward movement of rock:
the upward movement of one block of rock over another in a low-angle fault[1]



upthrust

upthrust
up·thrust 
[úp thrùst] noun (plural up·thrusts)

1.  upward
push:
an upward push or thrust

2.  GEOLOGY faulted
rock:
a block of rock that has moved upward in a low-angle fault
adjective

raised up:
raised or lifted up

[1]



uptick

uptick
up·tick 
[úp tìk] (plural up·ticks) noun

small increase:
a small increase in something, especially in stock or bond prices[1]



uptight

uptight
up·tight 
[up tt] adjective (informal)

1.  tense:
tense as a result of anger, fear, or annoyance in a way that is difficult to
control

2.  repressed:
unable or unwilling to show emotion
—up·tight·ness, noun[1]



uptime

uptime
up·time 
[úp tm] noun

operating time:
the time during which a computer or other machine is operating or ready for use[1]



up-to-date

up-to-date
up-to-date 
adjective (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

1.  with
latest knowledge: including or possessing knowledge of the
latest information

2.  current:
extending up to or reflecting the current time

3.  fashionable:
familiar with or knowledgeable about current fashions, styles, or ideas

[1]



up-to-the-minute

up-to-the-minute
up-to-the-min·ute 
adjective

most recent:
including or relating to the most recent events or things[1]



uptown

uptown
up·town 
[úp tòwn] noun

upper part of city:
the upper or northern area of a city
adverb

towards upper part of city:
to, toward, or in the upper part of a city
adjective
(informal)

1.  condescending:
pretentious or condescending in behavior or attitudes

2.  fashionable:
of the latest fashion or style
—up·town·er [úp tòwnər, up tównər],
noun[1]



uptrend

uptrend
up·trend 
[úp trènd] (plural up·trends) noun

improvement:
an upward improving trend, especially in business or an economy[1]



upturn

upturn
up·turn 
verb [úp tùrn, up túrn] (past up·turned, past
participle up·turned, present participle up·turn·ing, 3rd
person present singular up·turns)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
over:
to turn over or cause something to turn over, up, or upside down

2.  transitive
verb
turn
upward:
to turn something upward, for example, a face or gaze (usually passive)
noun
[úp tùrn] (plural up·turns)

improvement: an
improvement in the economy or in business conditions.
Also
called
turnup
[14th century. Originally in
the sense “to overthrow.”][1]



upward

upward
up·ward 
[úpwərd] adverb

1.  toward
a higher level: in, to, or toward a higher place, level,
or position • She’s
working her way upward through the company hierarchy.
• Keep
going upward and you’ll soon see the house.

2.  toward
interior or source: toward the interior of a
place, or toward an origin or source • The
hikers left the path and headed upward along the river.

3.  from
some lesser amount: toward a larger amount,
degree, or position • Sales
have gone steadily upward during the last quarter.
adjective

1.  going
toward:
going or directed toward a higher level or position • a
steep upward climb

2.  rising:
used to indicate that something is rising or becoming better • an
upward trend
—up·ward·ly,
adverb
upward
of

more than[1]



upwardlymobile

upwardlymobile
up·ward·ly
mo·bile
adjective

aspiring
to higher class: desiring and attempting to move to a
higher social class or to obtain greater social or financial status
plural
noun

ambitious people:
those who are becoming richer or more powerful and moving up from a lower class[1]



upwardmobility

upwardmobility
up·ward
mo·bil·i·ty
noun

social advancement:
the ability or opportunity to move to a higher social class and acquire greater
wealth, power, or status[1]



upwards

upwards
up·wards
[úpwərdz] adverb

U.K.
=
upward
upwards
of

or
upward ofmore than[1]



upwelling

upwelling
up·well·ing 
[up wélling] (plural up·well·ings)
noun

1.  emergence:
a rising up from or as if from lower depths

2.  OCEANOGRAPHY rising
of water to surface: a process in which cold
nutrient-rich water rises to the surface from the ocean depths

[1]



upwind

upwind
up·wind 
adverb [up wínd] adjective [úp wìnd]

1.  against
wind:
against or into the wind

2.  windward:
on the side toward which the wind is blowing

[1]



Ur

Ur
Ur
[ur]

ancient city of Mesopotamia,
in the southeastern part of present-day Iraq. It was a major city-state of the
Sumerian civilization by 2800 BC .[1]



ur-

ur-1
ur-1 prefix

(used before vowels)See
uro- 1[1]



ur-

ur-2
ur-2 prefix

(used before vowels)See
uro- 2[1]



uracil

uracil
u·ra·cil 
[yrəssil] noun

RNA
component:
a component of RNA that carries hereditary information in cells. Chemically, it
is a pyrimidine derivative. Symbol U
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps coined from urea + acetic + -il, variant of -ile .][1]



uraemia

uraemia
u·rae·mi·a 
noun

See
uremia[1]



uraeus

uraeus
u·rae·us 
[y r əss] (plural u·rae·us·es)
noun

serpent:
the sacred serpent found on the headdresses of Egyptian rulers and divinities,
representing sovereignty
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek ouraios “cobra,” of uncertain origin: perhaps an
alteration (modeled on ouraios “of the tail”) of an Egyptian word for
“cobra.”][1]



Ural

Ural
U·ral
[yrəl]

river of southern Russia and
northwestern Kazakhstan, rising in the southern Ural Mountains, and flowing
southward into the Caspian Sea. Length: 2,428 km/1,509 mi.[1]



Ural-Altaic

Ural-Altaic
U·ral-Al·ta·ic 
noun

LANGUAGE Uralic
and Altaic languages: a hypothetical language
group that was once proposed by scholars as containing the Uralic and Altaic
language families
—U·ral-Al·ta·ic, adjective[1]



Uralic

Uralic
U·ral·ic 
[y rállik] noun

LANGUAGE Eurasian
language family: a family of languages spoken in northern
and central Europe and western Siberia. There are two branches of the family,
Finno-Ugric and Samoyed.
—U·ral·ic, adjective[1]



uralite

uralite
u·ra·lite 
[yrə lt] noun

blue-green
mineral mixture: a fibrous blue-green mixture of
amphibole minerals, with no distinct composition. Uralite is produced by
hydrothermal or low-grade metamorphic alteration of pyroxenes.
[Mid-19th century. From
German Uralit, from Ural “Ural Mountains” (where it was first
found).][1]



UralMountains

UralMountains
U·ral
Moun·tains 
[yrəl mówntinz]

mountain system running from
northern Russia southward to the Kirgiz Steppe in Kazakhstan. It is the
traditional dividing line between Asia and Europe. Its highest point is Mount
Narodnaya, 1,894 m/6,214 ft . Length: 2,400 km/1,500 mi.[1]



uran-

uran-
uran-
prefix

uranium
• uranous
[From uranium][1]



Urania

Urania
U·ra·ni·a 
[y ráynee ə] noun

Greek Muse:
in Greek mythology, the Muse of astronomy.
See also
Muse[1]



uranic

uranic
u·ran·ic
[y ránnik, y
ráynik] adjective

containing
uranium:
derived from or containing uranium, especially in a higher valence state
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin uranus, from Greek ouranos “the heavens.”][1]



uraninite

uraninite
u·ra·ni·nite 
[y ráynə nt] noun

mineral
form of uranium oxide: a black mineral form of
uranium oxide that contains thorium, radium, and lead and is a major ore of
uranium
[Late 19th century. Coined
from German Uranin (from modern Latin uranium (see uranium ) + -ite
.][1]



uranite

uranite
u·ra·nite 
[yrə nt] (plural u·ra·nites)
noun

mineral
containing uranium: any mineral that contains
uranium
[Late
19th century. Coined from uranium + -ite 1 .]
—u·ra·nit·ic [yrə níttik], adjective[1]



uranium

uranium

u·ra·ni·um 
[y ráynee əm] noun
radioactive
chemical element: a heavy silvery-white radioactive
metallic chemical element that occurs in uraninite and pitchblende in three
isotopes, one of which is used as a fuel in nuclear reactors and weapons. Symbol
U
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, from Uranus, the name of the planet (discovered eight
years before the element was identified).][1]



uranium235

uranium235
u·ra·ni·um
235
[y ràynee əm too thurtee fv] noun

uranium isotope producing
nuclear energy: an isotope of uranium
that has a mass number of 235 and is used as a source of nuclear energy because
it readily undergoes fission when bombarded with neutrons[1]



uranium238

uranium238
u·ra·ni·um
238
[y ràynee əm too thurtee áyt] noun

stable isotope of uranium:
a stable isotope of uranium that has a mass number of 238 and is the most
abundant isotope[1]



uranium-leaddating

uranium-leaddating
u·ra·ni·um-lead
dat·ing
noun

determination of age of
mineral: the determination of the age
of a uranium-containing mineral by measuring the level of lead isotope produced
by the radioactive decay of uranium, which occurs at a known rate[1]



uranography

uranography
u·ra·nog·ra·phy 
[yrə nóggrəfee] noun

mapping
of the stars: the branch of astronomy that deals with
making maps of the constellations
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Greek ouranographia, literally “science of the
skies.”]
—u·ra·nog·ra·pher,
noun

—u·ra·no·graph·ic
[yrənə gráffik], adjective

—u·ra·nog·ra·phist [yrə nóggrəfist], noun[1]



uranous

uranous
u·ra·nous 
[yrənəss] adjective

derived from low-valence
uranium: derived from or containing
uranium, especially in a lower valence state[1]



Uranus

Uranus
U·ra·nus 
[yrənəss, y
ráynəss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Greek
god:
in Greek mythology, the ruler of the heavens, husband of Gaia, and father of
the Titans. He was dethroned by his son Cronus.

2.  ASTRONOMY 7th
planet from Sun: the seventh smallest planet in the solar
system and the seventh planet from the Sun. Uranus is blue-green in colour and
has 17 satellites, all of which are named for characters in the plays of
William Shakespeare.
[Via Latin from Greek Ouranos,
the name of the god][1]



uranyl

uranyl
u·ra·nyl 
[yrə nìl, y
ráyn’l] noun

compound containing uranium
and oxygen: a compound containing the
chemical group UO 2[1]



urase

urase
u·rase 
noun

See
urease[1]



urate

urate
u·rate 
[yr àyt] (plural u·rates) noun

salt
of uric acid: a salt of uric acid
—u·rat·ic [y ráttik], adjective[1]



urban

urban
ur·ban 
[úrbən] adjective

of
a city:
relating or belonging to a city
[Early 17th century. From
Latin urbanus, from urbs “city” (source of English suburb ).][1]



Urbana

Urbana
Ur·ban·a 
[ur bánnə, ur
bnə]

city in eastern Illinois,
west of Danville and directly east of Champaign. The University of Illinois is
located there. Population: 33,179 (1996)[1]



urbanblues

urbanblues
ur·ban
blues
noun

type of blues music:
blues music that has a stronger beat than country blues, often played with
electric instruments and featuring songs about life in the city (takes a
singular verb)[1]



Urbandale

Urbandale
Ur·ban·dale 
[úrbən dayl]

city in southern central
Iowa, on Walnut Creek. It is a northwestern suburb of Des Moines. Population:
26,902 (1996)[1]



urbane

urbane
ur·bane 
[ur báyn] (comparative ur·ban·er,
superlative ur·ban·est) adjective

sophisticated:
showing sophistication, refinement, or courtesy
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via Old French urbaine “urban,” from Latin urbanus
(see urban ). The modern meaning evolved
from “urban” because city life was associated with sophistication.]
—ur·bane·ly,
adverb

—ur·bane·ness, noun[1]



urbanguerrilla

urbanguerrilla
ur·ban
guer·ril·la
(plural ur·ban guer·ril·las) noun

terrorist living in city:
somebody who lives in a city and carries out violent acts there to further a
political cause[1]



urbanism

urbanism
ur·ban·ism 
[úrbə nìzzəm] noun

1.  city
life:
the typical way of life of people who live in a city or town

2.  study
of cities:
the study of life in cities and towns

[1]



urbanist

urbanist
ur·ban·ist 
[úrbənist] (plural ur·ban·ists)
noun

specialist
in city planning: somebody who specializes in city
planning and the study of cities
—ur·ban·is·tic
[ùrbə nístik], adjective

—ur·ban·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



urbanite

urbanite
ur·ban·ite 
[úrbə nt] (plural ur·ban·ites)
noun

city dweller:
somebody who lives in a city or town[1]



urbanity

urbanity
ur·ban·i·ty 
[ur bánnətee] noun (plural ur·ban·i·ties)

sophistication:
the quality of being sophisticated, refined, or courteous
plural
noun
ur·ban·i·ties

courtesy:
polite or courteous actions
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French urbanité from Latin urbanitas, from urbanus
(see urban ).][1]



urbanize

urbanize
ur·ban·ize 
[úrbə nz] (past ur·ban·ized, past
participle ur·ban·ized, present participle ur·ban·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ur·ban·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  make
area into town: to make an area of countryside or
villages into a town or part of one

2.  cause
country people to become urban: to cause people who
live in the countryside to migrate to a town or city

3.  make
somebody urban: to accustom somebody to living in a town
or city rather than in the country
—ur·ban·i·za·tion [ùrbəni záysh’n], noun[1]



urbanmyth

urbanmyth
ur·ban
myth
(plural ur·ban myths) noun

circulating untrue story:
a bizarre and untrue story that circulates in a society through being presented
to people as something that actually happened, usually to a friend or relative
of somebody the speaker knows[1]



urbanplanning

urbanplanning
ur·ban
plan·ning
noun

planning
of city’s development: the planning of the physical
and social development of a city through the design of its layout and the
provision of services and facilities.
Also
called
city planning
U.K.
term
town planning
—ur·ban plan·ner, noun[1]



urbanrenewal

urbanrenewal
ur·ban
re·new·al
noun

redevelopment of urban areas:
the redevelopment of urban areas that have become run down or impoverished, by
demolishing or renovating old buildings or building new ones[1]



urbansprawl

urbansprawl
ur·ban
sprawl
noun

expansion of urban area:
the expansion of an urban area into areas of countryside that surround it[1]



UrbanVIII

UrbanVIII
Ur·ban
VIII
[úrbən], Pope (1568–1644)

His
reign (1623–1644) was marked by diplomatic activity, reform of Church affairs,
and lavish artistic and architectural patronage.
Real name
Maffeo Barberini[1]



urbiet orbi

urbiet orbi
ur·bi
et or·bi 
[ùrbee et áwrbee] adverb

to
city and world: a phrase used in a papal blessing,
meaning “to the city of Rome and to the world”
[From Latin][1]



urceolate

urceolate
ur·ce·o·late 
[úrssee ə làyt, ur
s ələt] adjective

shaped
like an urn: shaped like an urn or pitcher, with a
swollen middle and narrowing top
[Mid-18th century. Formed
from Latin urceolus, literally “little pitcher,” from urceus
“pitcher.”][1]



urchin

urchin
ur·chin 
[úrchin] (plural ur·chins) noun

1.  mischievous
child:
a mischievous child, especially a young one who is unkempt in appearance

2.  sea
urchin:
a sea urchin

3.  ZOOLOGY hedgehog:
a hedgehog (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French herichon from, ultimately, Latin (h)ericius
“hedgehog,” from er .][1]



Urdu

Urdu
Ur·du 
[r d, úr d]
noun

LANGUAGE official
language of Pakistan: the official language of
Pakistan, spoken also in Bangladesh and in parts of India. It belongs to the
Indic group of Indo-European languages and is closely related to Hindi. Urdu is
spoken by about 40 million people.
[Late
18th century. Via Persian and Urdu (zabān i) urdū “(language of the)
camp,” from, ultimately, Turkish ordū “camp” (source of English horde ).]
—Ur·du, adjective[1]



-ure

-ure
-ure
suffix

1.  process
or condition, or something resulting from an action • licensure
• erasure

2.  office
or function, or a body performing a particular function • prefecture
• legislature
[Via Old French from Latin -ura][1]



urea

urea
u·re·a 
[y r ə] noun

constituent
of urine:
a nitrogenous compound found in the urine of mammals and produced through
protein decomposition. It is also produced synthetically and used in
fertilizer, feeds, and in resin manufacturing. CO(NH2)2 
Also
called
carbamide
[Early
19th century. From modern Latin, an alteration of French urée, from Old
French urine (see urine ).]
—u·re·al, adjective[1]



urea-formaldehyderesin

urea-formaldehyderesin
u·re·a-for·mal·de·hyde
res·in 
(plural u·re·a-for·mal·de·hyde res·ins) noun

resin made from urea and
formaldehyde: a resin made from urea
and formaldehyde, used in making electrical fittings and in cavity insulation[1]



urease

urease
u·re·ase 
[yree àyss, yree
àyz] or u·rase [y ràyss]
noun

enzyme:
an enzyme occurring in some bacteria and seeds, for example, soybeans, that
aids in the breakdown of urea to produce carbon dioxide and ammonia
[Late 19th century. Coined
from urea + -ase
.][1]



urediniospore

urediniospore
u·re·din·i·o·spore 
noun

See
uredospore
[Early 20th century. Coined
from uredinium + spore
.][1]



uredinium

uredinium
u·re·din·i·um 
[yrə dínnee əm] (plural u·re·din·i·a
[yrə dínnee ə]) or u·re·di·um
[y rdee əm] (plural u·re·di·a
[y rdee ə]) or u·re·do·sor·us
[yə rdə sáwrəss] (plural u·re·do·sor·i
[yə rdə sáw r]) noun

mass
of spores:
a reddish or black mass of spores produced on a plant by a rust fungus
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin uredin-, stem of uredo (see uredo
), + -ium .][1]



uredo

uredo
u·re·do 
[y r dō] (plural u·re·di·nes
[y rdə nz]) noun

See
urticaria
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, from urere “to burn.”][1]



uredosorus

uredosorus
u·re·do·sor·us 
noun

See
uredinium
[Early 20th century. Formed
from uredo .][1]



uredospore

uredospore
u·re·do·spore 
[yə rdə spàwr] (plural u·re·do·spores)
or u·re·din·i·o·spore [yrə dínnee ə
spàwr] (unmarked inflection u·re·din·i·o·spores) noun

fungi spore:
a reddish unicellular spore that develops in the uredinia of rust fungi[1]



ureide

ureide
u·re·ide 
[yree d, yree
id] (plural u·re·ides) noun

urea derivative:
an acyl derivative of urea[1]



uremia

uremia
u·re·mi·a 
[y rmee ə] or u·rae·mi·a [y rmee ə] noun

form
of blood poisoning: a form of blood poisoning
caused by the accumulation in the blood of products that are normally
eliminated in the urine.
Also
called
azotemia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, from Greek ouron “urine” (see urine
) + aima “blood.”][1]



ureotelic

ureotelic
u·re·o·tel·ic 
[yree ə téllik] adjective

producing
nitrogen-containing waste: producing
nitrogen-containing waste in the form of urea
[Early
20th century. Coined from urea + telic .]
—u·re·o·tel·ism, noun[1]



ureter

ureter
u·re·ter 
[y rtər, yrətər]
(plural u·re·ters) noun

urinary
duct:
either of a pair of ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder in
mammals or to the common cavity for wastes ( cloaca
) in lower vertebrate animals
[Late
16th century. Via modern Latin from Greek ourētēr, from ourein
“to urinate,” from ouron “urine” (see urine
).]
—u·re·ter·al
[y rtərəl], adjective

—u·re·ter·ic [yrə térrik], adjective[1]



urethane

urethane
u·re·thane 
[yrə thàyn] (plural u·re·thanes)
or u·re·than [yrə thàn] (plural
ure·thans) noun

1.  colorless
crystalline compound: a colorless odorless
crystalline compound, the ethyl ester of carbamic ester, used in solvents,
pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. C3H7NO3 
Also
called
ethyl carbamate

2.  ester
of carbamic acid: any ester of carbamic acid other than
the ethyl ester

3.  See
polyurethane
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from modern Latin urea + English ethane
.][1]



urethra

urethra
u·re·thra 
[y rthrə] (plural u·re·thras
or u·re·thrae [y r three]) noun

tube
for discharging urine: the tube in mammals that
carries urine from the bladder out of the body and in the male also carries
semen during ejaculation
[Mid-17th
century. Via late Latin from Greek ourēthra, from Greek ourein
“to urinate,” from ouron “urine” (see urine
).]
—u·re·thral, adjective[1]



urethritis

urethritis
u·re·thri·tis 
[yrə thrtiss] noun

inflammation
of urethra:
inflammation of the urethra, usually caused by infection
[Early
19th century. Coined from urethra + -itis .]
—u·re·thrit·ic [yrə thríttik], adjective[1]



urethroscope

urethroscope
u·re·thro·scope 
[y rthrə skp] (plural u·re·thro·scopes)
noun

instrument
for examining urethra: a medical instrument for
examining the inside of the urethra, consisting of a fine flexible tube fitted
with lenses and a light
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from urethra + -scope .]
—u·re·thro·scop·ic
[y rthrə skóppik], adjective

—u·re·thros·co·py [yri thróskəpee], noun[1]



uretic

uretic
u·ret·ic 
[y réttik] adjective

of
urine:
relating to, involving, or in urine
[Mid-19th century. Via late
Latin ureticus from Greek ourētikos from ourein “to
urinate,” from ouron “urine” (see urine
).][1]



Urey,Harold C.

Urey,Harold C.

U·rey
[yree], Harold C. (1893–1981)
U.S.
chemist. He won a Nobel Prize (1934) for his discovery of the isotope deuterium
( heavy hydrogen ).
Full name
Urey, Harold Clayton[1]



urge

urge
urge 
[urj] transitive verb (past urged,
past participle urged, present participle urg·ing, 3rd
person present singular urg·es)

1.  advise
somebody strongly: to advise somebody strongly
to do something • urged his firm to
reconsider

2.  advocate
something earnestly: to recommend or advise
something earnestly and with persistence • urging
restraint

3.  encourage
somebody or something: to encourage, drive, or
force somebody or something to do something • could
hear the crowd urging her on

4.  excite
somebody:
to excite or stimulate somebody (archaic literary)
noun
(plural urg·es)

strong need: a
strong need, wish, or impulse to do something • the
urge to travel
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin urgere “to push, press, compel.”]
—urg·er, noun[1]



urgency

urgency
ur·gen·cy 
[úrjənssee] (plural ur·gen·cies)
noun

1.  immediate
need for action: the fact or state of requiring immediate
action • a
matter of urgency

2.  immediate
attention:
immediate attention or speed

3.  earnestness:
a quality that conveys earnestness or the need for doing something quickly

4.  pressing
need:
a pressing and immediate need
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from French urgent (see urgent ).][1]



urgent

urgent
ur·gent 
[úrjənt] adjective

1.  requiring
immediate action: calling for immediate action or
attention

2.  showing
earnestness: showing earnestness or the desire for
something to be done quickly
[15th
century. Via French from the present participle stem of Latin urgere
(see urge ).]
—ur·gent·ly, adverb[1]



-urgy

-urgy
-urgy
suffix

technique
or art of working with something • metallurgy
[Via modern Latin -urgia
from, ultimately, Greek -ourgos “working,” from ergon “work” (see
erg )][1]



-uria

-uria
-uria
suffix

1.  the
condition of having a particular substance in the urine • aciduria

2.  the
condition of having a particular kind of urine • polyuria
[Via modern Latin from,
ultimately, Greek ouron “urine”][1]



Uriah

Uriah
U·ri·ah 
[y r ə] noun

husband of Bathsheba:
in the Bible, a Hittite officer purposely killed in battle to allow King David
to marry his wife, Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2–16)[1]



uric

uric
u·ric 
[yrik] adjective

involving
urine:
relating to, involving, or found in urine
[Late 18th century. Formed
from Old French urine “urine” (see urine
).][1]



uricacid

uricacid
u·ric
ac·id
noun

acid in urine:
a slightly soluble acid present in urine and blood, produced by the body’s
breakdown of waste nitrogenous substances. Crystals of uric acid accumulate in
the joints of people affected by gout. C5H4N4O3[1]



uridine

uridine
u·ri·dine 
[yrə dn] noun

substance
that helps metabolize carbohydrates: a
basic compound, pyrimidine nucleoside, that plays an important role in the
metabolism of carbohydrates and consists of ribose and uracil. C9H12N2O6
[Early 20th century. Coined
from uracil + -idine
.][1]



Urimand Thummim

Urimand Thummim
U·rim
and Thum·mim  [yrim ənd
thúmmim] plural noun

sacred
oracles worn by Jewish priest: oracles on the
breastplate of the high priest of ancient Israel
[Urim is an Anglicization of
Hebrew ’ūrīm ; Thummim is an Anglicization of Hebrew tummīm][1]



urin-

urin-
urin-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
urino-[1]



urinal

urinal
u·ri·nal 
[yrən’l] (plural u·ri·nals) noun

1.  receptacle
for men to urinate into: a receptacle that is
attached to a wall and plumbed in, used for men to urinate into

2.  place
with urinals: a room or building in which there are
urinals

3.  portable
container for urine: a container used to
transport urine
[13th century. Via French
from late Latin urinalis “urinary,” from Latin urina (see urine ).][1]



urinalysis

urinalysis
u·ri·nal·y·sis 
[yrə nálləssiss] (plural u·ri·nal·y·ses
[yrə nállə sz]) noun

chemical
analysis of urine: analysis of the physical,
chemical, and microbiological properties of urine, carried out to help diagnose
disease, monitor treatment, or detect the presence of a specific substance
[Late 19th century. Blend of urine and analysis
.][1]



urinary

urinary
u·ri·nar·y 
[yrə nèrree] adjective

involving
urine:
relating to, involving, or affecting urine or the organs that form and
discharge urine
[Late 16th century. Formed
from Latin urina (see urine ).][1]



urinarybladder

urinarybladder
u·ri·nar·y
blad·der
(plural u·ri·nar·y blad·ders) noun

sac for urine:
an expanding muscular sac in mammals and some other vertebrates in which urine
collects before it is discharged from the body through the urethra[1]



urinate

urinate
u·ri·nate 
[yrə nàyt] (past u·ri·nat·ed,
past participle u·ri·nat·ed, present participle u·ri·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular u·ri·nates) intransitive verb

expel
urine:
to discharge urine from the body
[Late
16th century. From the past participle stem of medieval Latin urinare,
from Latin urina (see urine ).]
—u·ri·na·tion
[yrə náysh’n], noun

—u·ri·na·tive
[yrə nàytiv], adjective

—u·ri·na·tor, noun[1]



urine

urine
u·rine 
[yrin] noun

waste
product of vertebrates: the yellowish liquid
containing waste products that is excreted by the kidneys and discharged
through the urethra. In birds and reptiles it is semisolid.
[14th century. Directly and
via Old French from Latin urina .][1]



uriniferous

uriniferous
u·ri·nif·er·ous 
[yrə níffərəss] adjective

carrying
urine:
used to describe a tube that carries urine, especially the tubules of the
kidneys
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from urine + -ferous
.][1]



urino-

urino-
urino-
prefix

urine,
urinary • urinometer
[From Latin urina (see
urine )][1]



urinogenital

urinogenital
u·ri·no·gen·i·tal 
adjective

See
urogenital[1]



urinometer

urinometer
u·ri·nom·e·ter 
[yrə nómmətər] (plural u·ri·nom·e·ters)
noun

instrument
measuring specific gravity of urine: a
hydrometer for measuring the specific gravity of urine
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from urino- + -meter
.][1]



urinous

urinous
u·ri·nous 
[yrənəss] or u·ri·nose [yrə nss] adjective

involving urine:
relating to, resembling, or containing urine[1]



URL

URL
URL 
noun

Internet address:
an address identifying the location of a file on the Internet, consisting of
the protocol, the computer on which the file is located, and the file’s
location on that computer. Full form Uniform
Resource Locator[1]



Urmia,Lake

Urmia,Lake
Ur·mi·a,
Lake
[úrmee ə]

large salt lake in
northwestern Iran, west of Tabriz. Area: 4,700 sq km/1,815 sq mi.[1]



urn

urn
urn 
[urn] (plural urns) noun

1.  ornamental
vase with pedestal: an ornamental vase that
usually has a foot or a pedestal

2.  vase
for somebody’s ashes: a sealed vase in which the
ashes of somebody who has died and been cremated are kept

3.  vessel
for hot drinks: a closed vessel in which a hot drink,
especially tea or coffee, is made in a large quantity and poured out through a
spigot

4.  spore-producing
part of moss capsule: the part of a moss capsule
where spores are produced
[14th
century. From Latin urna .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Ode
  on a Grecian Urn, a poem by English writer John Keats ( 1819 ). It describes
  the poet’s reaction to a Greek vase decorated with reliefs of joyful rural
  scenes. The urn becomes a symbol of the contrast between the permanence of
  art and the transience of human life, and inspires the poem’s famous
  proclamation “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”

[1]



uro-

uro-2
uro-2 prefix

tail
• uropod
[From Greek oura][1]



uro-

uro-1
uro-1 prefix

1.  urine,
urinary tract • uroscopy
• urolithiasis

2.  urea
• urease
[From Greek ouron
“urine”][1]



urochord

urochord
u·ro·chord 
[yrō kàwrd] (plural u·ro·chords)
noun

1.  skeletal
rod:
a flexible skeletal rod ( notochord ) that
supports the posterior part of the body in some marine animals, for example,
sea squirts

2.  u·ro·chord
or u·ro·chor·date See tunicate
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek oura “tail” + chord
.]
—u·ro·chor·dal
[yrə káwrd’l], adjective

—u·ro·chor·date, adjective[1]



urochrome

urochrome
u·ro·chrome 
[yrə krm] noun

yellow
pigment in urine: a yellow pigment that gives urine its
normal color
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from uro- + chrome
.][1]



urodele

urodele
u·ro·dele 
[yrə dl] (plural u·ro·deles)
noun

salamander:
an amphibian that has a tail throughout its adult life, a long body, and short
limbs, for example, the salamander or newt. Order: Caudata Urodela
[Mid-19th
century. Directly or formed via French urodēle from modern Latin Urodela,
the order name, from Greek oura “tail” + dēlos “visible.”]
—u·ro·dele, adjective[1]



urogenital

urogenital
u·ro·gen·i·tal 
[yrō jénnit’l] or u·ri·no·gen·i·tal
[yrə nō jénnit’l] adjective

of
urinary and reproductive organs: relating to or
involving the organs of the urinary tract and the reproductive organs when
considered together
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from uro- + genital
.][1]



urogenous

urogenous
u·rog·e·nous 
[y rójjənəss] adjective

from urine:
producing, obtained from, or formed in urine[1]



urogram

urogram
u·ro·gram 
[yrə gràm] (plural u·ro·grams)
noun

X-ray picture of urinary
tract: an X-ray picture of the
urinary tract or some part of it[1]



urography

urography
u·rog·ra·phy 
[y róggrəfee] noun

radiographic
imaging of urinary tract: X-ray photography of all or
part of the urinary tract. It is performed after a patient has been given an
opaque substance that highlights the various structures, in order to locate and
diagnose urinary disorders.
—u·ro·graph·ic [yrə gráffik], adjective[1]



urokinase

urokinase
u·ro·ki·nase 
[yrō k nàyss, yrō
kí nàyss] noun

enzyme
in blood and urine: an enzyme in blood and
urine, produced by the kidneys, that catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to
plasmin and is used medicinally to dissolve blood clots
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from uro- + kinase
.][1]



urol.

urol.
urol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
urological

2.  Abbreviation
of
urology

[1]



urolith

urolith
u·ro·lith 
[yrə lìth] (plural u·ro·liths)
noun

stony
growth in urinary tract: a stony mass ( calculus ) in the urinary tract
—u·ro·lith·ic [yrə líthik], adjective[1]



urolithiasis

urolithiasis
u·ro·lith·i·a·sis 
[yrəli th əssiss] noun

stones
in urinary tract: the formation or presence of stony
masses in the urinary tract, or the medical condition resulting from this
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from uro- + lithiasis
.][1]



urology

urology
u·rol·o·gy 
[y rólləjee] noun

medicine
of urinary tract: a branch of medicine that deals with the
study and treatment of disorders of the urinary tract in women and the
urogenital system in men
—ur·o·log·ic
[yrə lójjik], adjective

—u·rol·o·gist [y rólləjist], noun[1]



uropod

uropod
u·ro·pod 
[yrə pòd] (plural u·ro·pods) noun

crustacean
appendage:
either of a pair of flat appendages on the last abdominal segment of a
crustacean, for example, a lobster or shrimp
[Late
19th century. Coined from Greek oura “tail” + -pod
.]
—u·ro·po·dal [y róppəd’l], adjective[1]



uropygialgland

uropygialgland
u·ro·py·gi·al
gland 
[yoorə pìjjee əl glánd] (plural u·ro·py·gi·al
glands) noun

oil
gland in birds: a gland in the skin at the base of the
tail of most birds that secretes an oil used while preening to condition and
waterproof their feathers
[Uropygial formed from uropygium][1]



uropygium

uropygium
u·ro·py·gi·um 
[yrə píjjee əm] (plural u·ro·py·gi·ums)
noun

part
of bird’s body: the fleshy hindmost part of a bird’s
body from which the tail feathers grow
[Late
18th century. Via medieval Latin from Greek ouropugion .]
—u·ro·py·gi·al, adjective[1]



uroscopy

uroscopy
u·ros·co·py 
[y róskəpee] (plural u·ros·co·pies)
noun

medical
examination of urine: the medical examination of
urine in order to make a diagnosis
—u·ro·scop·ic
[yrə skóppik], adjective

—u·ros·cop·ist [y róskəpist], noun[1]



urostyle

urostyle
u·ro·style
[yrə stl] (plural u·ro·styles)
noun

part
of amphibian spine: a fused flexible structure
at the end of the spinal column of a toad, frog, or similar amphibian
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek oura “tail” + Greek stylos “pillar.”][1]



-urous

-urous
-urous
suffix

having
a particular kind of tail • anurous
[Formed from Greek oura
“tail”][1]



Urquhart,Thomas

Urquhart,Thomas
Ur·quhart
[rkərt, rkaart],
Sir Thomas (1611?–1660)

Scottish writer and soldier.
A fighter for the royalist cause in the English Civil War, he also wrote on a
wide range of subjects and translated Rabelais.[1]



UrsaMajor

UrsaMajor
Ur·sa
Ma·jor 
[ùrssə máyjər] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a conspicuous constellation
in the sky of the northern hemisphere, near the North Pole, that contains the
seven stars forming the Big Dipper.
Also called
Great Bear[1]



UrsaMinor

UrsaMinor
Ur·sa
Mi·nor
[ùrssə mnər] noun

constellation in northern
hemisphere: a small constellation in the
sky of the northern hemisphere that contains the North Star.
Also called
Little Bear
Also called
Little Dipper[1]



ursine

ursine
ur·sine 
[úr sn, úr sn]
adjective

1.  typical
of bears:
relating to or typical of bears, or belonging to the bear family

2.  having
characteristics of bears: having the characteristics
usually associated with bears
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
ursinus, from ursus “a bear.”][1]



Ursuline

Ursuline
Ur·su·line 
[úrssəlin, úrssə
ln, úrssə ln] (plural Ur·su·lines)
noun

member
of Catholic order of nuns: a member of a Roman Catholic
order of nuns founded by St. Angela Merici in Brescia, Italy, in the 16th
century and dedicated to teaching.
[Late
17th century. Formed from Ursula, the name of the patron saint of the order’s
founder.]
—Ur·su·line, adjective[1]



urticaceous

urticaceous
ur·ti·ca·ceous 
[ùrti káyshəss] adjective

belonging
to nettle family: used to describe a plant that belongs to
the nettle family
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin urtica “a nettle,” from urere “to burn.”][1]



urticant

urticant
ur·ti·cant 
[úrtikənt] adjective

stinging:
stinging or causing itching
noun
(plural ur·ti·cants)

agent
causing itching: something that stings or causes itching
[Late 19th century. From the
present participle stem of medieval Latin urticare (see urticate ).][1]



urticaria

urticaria
ur·ti·car·i·a 
[ùrti kérree ə] noun

skin
rash:
a skin rash, usually occurring as an allergic reaction, that is marked by
itching and small pale or red swellings and often lasts for a few days (technical)

Also
called
hives
Also
called
nettle rash
Also
called
uredo
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, from Latin urtica “a nettle.”]
—ur·ti·car·i·al,
adjective

—ur·ti·car·i·ous, adjective[1]



urticate

urticate
ur·ti·cate 
[úrti kàyt] intransitive verb (past
ur·ti·cat·ed, past participle ur·ti·cat·ed, present
participle ur·ti·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular ur·ti·cates)

have
or cause urticaria: to be affected by or cause
urticaria
adjective

causing
small swellings and itching: producing wheals and itching
[Mid-19th century. From the
past participle stem of medieval Latin urticare “to sting,” from Latin urtica
“a nettle.”][1]



urtication

urtication
ur·ti·ca·tion 
[ùrti káysh’n] noun

1.  development
of urticaria: the process by which somebody develops
the condition urticaria

2.  itchy
sensation:
an intensely itchy or burning sensation

[1]



Uru.

Uru.
Uru.
or Urug.

Abbreviation of
Uruguay[1]



Uruguay

Uruguay1



U·ru·guay1  [yrə
gw, yrə gwày]
republic
in southeastern South America, south of Brazil, bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Language: Spanish. Currency: Uruguayan peso. Capital: Montevideo. Population:
3,238,952 (1996) Area: 176,215 sq km/68,037 sq mi. Official name
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
—U·ru·guay·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Uruguay

Uruguay2
U·ru·guay2  [yrə
gw, yrə gwày]

river in southeastern South
America, rising in southern Brazil and entering the Atlantic Ocean through the
Río de la Plata. Length: 1,600 km/990 mi.[1]



Uruguay




Back to definition

Uruguay1

[1]



Urumqi

Urumqi
U·rum·qi
[ rmchee]

capital city of Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region, northwestern China. Population: 1,046,898 (1991)[1]



urus

urus
u·rus 
[yrəss] (plural u·rus·es) noun

See
aurochs
[Early 17th century. Via
Latin from Greek ouros .][1]



urushiol

urushiol
u·ru·shi·ol 
[ rshee àwl] noun

oily
irritant:
an oily poisonous irritant found in the resin and on the leaves and stems of
poison ivy, the lacquer tree, and some related plants
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Japanese urushi “lacquer” + English -ol
.][1]



us

us
us 
[uss] pronoun

1.  self
and other or others: a pronoun used to refer to
both yourself and another person or other people (used after a verb or
preposition) • He told us to go away.
• This
problem affects all of us.

2.  royal
us:
used by a king or queen, or the editor of a newspaper, to mean “me” (formal)
• It
gives us great pleasure to declare this building open.

3.  ourselves:
ourselves (informal) (regional) (used after a verb as the
indirect object) • We’d
better find us a place to sleep.
[Old English ūs, from,
ultimately, prehistoric German][1]



U/S

U/S
U/S

Abbreviation of
unserviceable[1]



u.s.

u.s.
u.s.

1.  Abbreviation
of
ubi supra

2.  Abbreviation
of
ut supra

[1]



U.S.

U.S.
U.S.
or US

1.  Abbreviation
of
Uncle Sam

2.
(used of lens apertures) Abbreviation of uniform system

3.  Abbreviation
of
United States

4.  Abbreviation
of
United States highway

[1]



USA

USA
USA
or U.S.A.

1.  Abbreviation
of
United States of America

2.  Abbreviation
of
United States Army

[1]



usable

usable
us·a·ble 
[yzəb’l] or use·a·ble [yzəb’l] adjective

fit
for use:
capable of being used
—us·a·bil·i·ty
[yzə bíllətee], noun

—us·a·ble·ness
[yzəb’lnəss], noun

—us·a·bly [yzəblee], adverb[1]



USAEUR

USAEUR
USAEUR

Abbreviation of
United States Army, Europe[1]



USAF

USAF
USAF
or U.S.A.F.

Abbreviation of
United States Air Force[1]



usage

usage
us·age 
[yssij, yzij]
(plural us·ag·es) noun

1.  act
or way of using something: the act of using something,
the way something is used, or how much something is used

2.  accepted
practice:
a customary and generally accepted practice or procedure

3.  way
language is actually used: the way in which words and
phrases are actually used in speech or writing

4.  example
of language use: an example of a particular use of
language

5.  treatment
of something: the handling or treatment of something
[13th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin usus (see use
).][1]



usance

usance
us·ance 
[yz’ns] (plural us·anc·es) noun

time
for payment of foreign bill: the customary length of time
allowed for payment of a bill of exchange in foreign commerce
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, assumed Vulgar Latin usare “to keep on using,” from
Latin uti (see use ).][1]



USAR

USAR
USAR

Abbreviation of
United States Army Reserve[1]



U.S.C.

U.S.C.
U.S.C.

LAW
Abbreviation of United States Code[1]



U.S.C.A.

U.S.C.A.
U.S.C.A.

LAW
Abbreviation of United States Code Annotated[1]



USCG

USCG
USCG
or U.S.C.G.

Abbreviation of
United States Coast Guard[1]



USDA

USDA
USDA

Abbreviation of
United States Department of Agriculture[1]



USDI

USDI
USDI

Abbreviation of
United States Department of the Interior[1]



use

use1
use1  verb [yooz] (past used, past participle
used, present participle us·ing, 3rd person present
singular us·es)

1.  transitive
verb
employ
something for some purpose: to employ something for some
purpose or to put something into action or service • use
a hammer

2.  transitive
verb
do
something habitually: to do something habitually • use
common sense

3.  transitive
verb
consume
something:
to expend or consume something, often until none is left • All
of the space on the disk has been used.

4.  transitive
verb
manipulate
or exploit somebody: to exploit or manipulate
somebody as a means to an end • the
type of person who uses others

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb consume
drugs or alcohol regularly: to consume something
regularly, especially drugs or alcohol

6.  transitive
verb
behave
toward somebody or something: to behave toward somebody or
something in a particular way • used
his employees poorly

7.  transitive
verb
benefit
from something: to benefit or get satisfaction from
something • I
could use a good night’s sleep.
noun
[yooss] (plural us·es)

1.  act
of using something: the act of using something
for a particular purpose • skilled
in the use of computers

2.  state
of being employed for something: the state or fact of
being employed for a particular purpose • no
longer in use

3.  way
of employing something: a way of employing something
• We
admired the artist’s use of color.

4.  habitual
or customary usage: something done habitually or
customarily (literary or archaic)

5.  right
to use something: the right to use something or the
benefit of using something

6.  ability
to use something: the power or ability to use something

7.  purpose:
the purpose of something • Put
your education to good use.

8.  usefulness:
the quality of being useful

9.  the
need to use something: the occasion or need to use
something

10. LAW benefit
of property: the benefit or profit of property held
by one person for another

11. LAW legal
enjoyment of property: the legal enjoyment of
property in its employment, occupation, or practice

12. RELIGION modified
local liturgy: a modified liturgical form or observance
practiced in a particular church or religious order
[13th
century. Via Old French user “to use,” from, ultimately, Latin usus,
the past participle of uti (source of English utensil ).]
have
no use for somebody or something

1.  to
have no need or purpose for somebody or something

2.  to
have no liking or respect for somebody or something (informal)

make
use of

to
use something, often in a particular way

what’s
the use?

used
to suggest that doing something is pointless (informal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at utilize.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  use, employ, make
  use of, utilize
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  put something to use use; a general
  and widely used word, appropriate in most contexts to talk about the function
  or purpose something serves; employ;
  a more formal word meaning to use something such as a tool or a resource in a
  particular way; make use of; to use
  what is readily available, especially in a sensible or economical way; utilize; a formal word meaning the same as use, often used to talk about using something
  particularly effectively and practically

[1]



use

use2
use2 [yooss]
intransitive verb

indicates habitual action:
used to say that somebody or something habitually or usually did something • We
used to eat out more often. • He
used not to be so grumpy. • Did
you use to make your own bread?[1]



useable

useable
use·a·ble 
adjective

See
usable[1]



used

used
used 
[yoozd] adjective

1.  previously
owned:
having been owned by somebody else

2.  expended:
having been put to a purpose or expended

[1]



usedto

usedto
used
to
adjective

accustomed:
accustomed to or familiar with something • We’re
not used to this weather.[1]



useful

useful
use·ful 
[ysfəl] adjective

1.  serving
a purpose:
capable of being put to use or serving some purpose

2.  having
value:
having value or benefit, or bringing some advantage
—use·ful·ly,
adverb

—use·ful·ness, noun[1]



useimmunity

useimmunity
use
im·mu·ni·ty
noun

immunity from prosecution for
witness: immunity from prosecution
granted to a witness in return for testimony that cannot be used in any manner
in any criminal prosecution against him or her[1]



useless

useless
use·less 
[yssləss] adjective

1.  unusable:
not able to be used

2.  unsuccessful:
unsuccessful, or unlikely to be worthwhile

3.  inept:
not able to do something properly (informal)
—use·less·ly,
adverb

—use·less·ness, noun[1]



Usenet

Usenet
Use·net
[yz nèt] noun

system for distributing
articles of news: a worldwide system that
uses the Internet and other networks to distribute articles of news or
information[1]



user

user
us·er 
[yzər] (plural us·ers) noun

1.  person
or thing that uses: a person or thing that uses
something • computer
users

2.  drug
taker:
somebody who takes illegal drugs (informal)

3.  LAW exercise
of right:
the exercise of a right to do or use something

[1]



user-friendly

user-friendly
us·er-friend·ly 
(comparative us·er-friend·li·er, superlative us·er-friend·li·est)
adjective

easy
to operate or understand: easy to operate, understand,
or deal with
—us·er-friend·li·ness,
noun[1]



usergroup

usergroup
us·er
group
(plural us·er groups) noun

computer users’ organization:
a group of people with common interests in some aspect of computer hardware or
software who share information among themselves and with the hardware
manufacturer or software developer[1]



userinterface

userinterface
us·er
in·ter·face
(plural us·er in·ter·fac·es) noun

point of user-computer
communication: the part of the design
of a computer or other device or program that accepts commands from and returns
information to the user[1]



USES

USES
USES

Abbreviation of
United States Employment Service[1]



useup

useup
use
up
transitive verb

expend something:
to expend or consume something, often until none is left[1]



USFS

USFS
USFS

Abbreviation of
United States Forest Service[1]



usher

usher
ush·er 
[úshər] noun (plural ush·ers)

1.  somebody
who seats people: somebody who escorts people to their
seats in a place such as a theater or church

2.  doorkeeper:
somebody who tends the door of a court, hall, or chamber

3.  officer
walking before somebody of rank: an officer who walks
in front of people of rank in a procession or who introduces strangers at
formal events
verb
(past ush·ered, past participle ush·ered, present
participle ush·er·ing, 3rd person present singular ush·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
escort
or seat somebody: to escort or conduct somebody to a place
or from a place

2.  intransitive
verb
act
as usher:
to act as an usher
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman usser from, ultimately, Latin ostarius
“door-keeper,” from ostium “door.”][1]



usherette

usherette
ush·er·ette 
[ùshə rét] (plural ush·er·ettes)
noun

woman who seats people:
a woman or girl who escorts people to their seats in a theater or church (dated)[1]



usherin

usherin
usher
in
transitive verb

herald or introduce
something: to introduce or lead up to
something[1]



USIA

USIA
USIA

Abbreviation of
United States Information Agency[1]



Usk

Usk
Usk
[usk]

river in southeastern Wales.
It rises in Brecon Beacons National Park and flows to the Severn Estuary at
Newport. Length: 97 km/60 mi.[1]



USM

USM
USM

Abbreviation of
underwater-to-surface missile[1]



U.S.M.

U.S.M.
U.S.M.

Abbreviation of
United States Mail[1]



USMC

USMC
USMC
or U.S.M.C.

Abbreviation of
United States Marine Corps[1]



USN

USN
USN
or U.S.N.

Abbreviation of
United States Navy[1]



USNA

USNA
USNA
or U.S.N.A.

Abbreviation of
United States Naval Academy[1]



usnea

usnea
us·ne·a 
[úsnee ə, úznee ə]
(plural us·ne·ae [úsnee , úznee ] or us·ne·as) noun

type
of lichen:
a common lichen with a hanging body in which the root, stem, and leaf are not
distinguished. Genus: Usnea
[Late 16th century. Via
modern and medieval Latin from Arabic and Persian ušna “moss, lichen.”][1]



USNR

USNR
USNR

Abbreviation of
United States Naval Reserve[1]



USO

USO
USO
or U.S.O.

Abbreviation of
United Services Organization[1]



U.S.P.

U.S.P.
U.S.P.

Abbreviation of
United States Pharmacopoeia[1]



USPHS

USPHS
USPHS

Abbreviation of
United States Public Health Service[1]



USPO

USPO
USPO
or U.S.P.O.

Abbreviation of
United States Post Office[1]



USPS

USPS
USPS
or U.S.P.S.

Abbreviation of
United States Postal Service[1]



usquebaugh

usquebaugh
us·que·baugh 
[úskwə bàw] (plural us·que·baughs)
noun

Scotland,
Ireland whisky:
Scotch or Irish whiskey (archaic or literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Gaelic uisge beatha, literally “water of life.”][1]



U.S.S.

U.S.S.
U.S.S.

1.  Abbreviation
of
United States Senate

2.  Abbreviation
of
United States Ship

[1]



U.S.S.R.

U.S.S.R.
U.S.S.R.
or USSR

Abbreviation of
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics[1]



Ustinov,Peter

Ustinov,Peter
U·sti·nov 
[ysti nof], Sir Peter (1921– )

British writer, director and
actor. A noted raconteur, he wrote or directed many plays and movies.[1]



usu.

usu.
usu.

Abbreviation of
usually[1]



usual

usual
u·su·al 
[yzhoo əl] adjective

normal or typical:
normal, customary, or typical of somebody or something
noun

1.  ordinary
way:
the ordinary, normal, or customary way of things

2.  what
somebody customarily has: what somebody customarily
has, especially a drink in a bar (informal)
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French usuel from late Latin usualis,
from Latin usus (see use ).]
—u·su·al·ly,
adverb

—u·su·al·ness,
noun
as
usual

in
a normal or customary way

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  usual, customary, habitual, routine,
  wonted
  CORE
  MEANING: often
  done, used, bought or consumed usual;
  a general word used to describe something that is very commonly done, used,
  bought, or consumed (and therefore predictable); customary;
  a more formal word meaning the same as usual; habitual; used to suggest that something has
  been done so often or repeatedly that the behavior or practice has become
  difficult to vary, change, or stop; routine;
  used to describe something that is done commonly or often, especially to
  suggest that it has become tedious or monotonous; wonted;
  a very formal or literary word used in the same way as usual or habitual

[1]



usufruct

usufruct
u·su·fruct 
[yzə frùkt, yssə
frùkt] noun

legal
right to use another’s property: the legal right to use
and enjoy the advantages or profits of another’s property
[Early 17th century. From
Latin usufructus, a variant of ususfructus, literally “use (and)
enjoyment,” from usus (see use ) + fructus
“enjoyment” (source also of English fruit
).][1]



usufructuary

usufructuary
u·su·fruc·tu·ar·y 
[yzə frúkchoo èrree, yssə frúkchoo èrree] (plural u·su·fruc·tu·ar·ies)
noun

somebody
with right of usufruct: somebody who is entitled by
usufruct to the use of another’s property
—u·su·fruc·tu·ar·y, adjective[1]



usurer

usurer
u·su·rer 
[yzhərər] (plural u·su·rers) noun

moneylender:
somebody who loans money to other people and charges them exorbitant or
unlawful interest on it
[13th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from, ultimately, late Latin usurarius, from Latin “that
pays interest,” from usura (see usury
).][1]



usurp

usurp
u·surp 
[yoo súrp, yoozúrp]
(past u·surped, past participle u·surped, present
participle u·surp·ing, 3rd person present singular u·surps)
intransitive and transitive verb

seize
something without right: use something without the
right to do so
[14th
century. Via Old French usurper from Latin usurpare “to seize for
use,” from, perhaps, usus “use” (see use
) + rapere “to seize” (source of English rape
).]
—u·sur·pa·tion
[yssər páysh’n, yzər
páysh’n], noun

—u·sur·pa·tive
[yoo súrpətiv, yoo
zúrpətiv], adjective

—u·surp·er,
noun

—u·surp·ing·ly, adverb[1]



usury

usury
u·su·ry 
[yzhəree] (plural u·su·ries) noun

1.  lending
at exorbitant interest: the lending of money at an
exorbitant rate of interest

2.  exorbitant
interest:
an exorbitant rate of interest
[14th
century. Via assumed Anglo-Norman usurie, from, ultimately, Latin usura
“use of money lent,” hence “interest,” from usus “use” (source also of
English use ).]
—u·su·ri·ous
[yoo ree əss], adjective

—u·su·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—u·su·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



USW

USW
USW

RADIO
Abbreviation of ultrashort wave[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








UT

UT
UT
or Ut.

1.  Abbreviation
of
universal time

2.  Abbreviation
of
Utah

[1]



ut

ut
ut 
[ut, oot]
(plural uts) noun

MUSIC note
C:
the note C, equivalent to “do” in the solmization system. It is the first note
of the hexachord system devised by Guido d’Arezzo.
[14th century. From Latin,
the syllable sung to this note in a hymn to Saint John the Baptist.][1]



Utah

Utah


U·tah 
[yt aa, yt aw]
state
in the western United States, bordered by Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona,
and Nevada. Capital: Salt Lake City. Population: 2,059,148 (1997) Area: 219,902
sq km/84,904 sq mi.
—U·ta·han [yt aan, yt awn],
noun, adjective[1]



Utah




Back to definition

Utah

[1]



Utamaro

Utamaro
U·ta·ma·ro
[taa mrō] (1753–1806)

Japanese
artist. He was noted for his delicate portraits of women in teahouses, shops,
and brothels.
Full name
Kitagawa Utamaro[1]



UTC

UTC
UTC

Abbreviation of
universal time coordinated[1]



utdict.

utdict.
ut
dict.
[ùt díkt]

(used
on prescriptions)Abbreviation of as directed
[Latin ut dictum][1]



ute

ute
ute 
[yoot] (plural utes) noun

Australia,
New Zealand
pickup
truck:
a pickup truck (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of utility .][1]



Ute

Ute
Ute 
[yt] (plural Ute or Utes)
noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who originally lived in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico

2.  LANGUAGE Ute
language:
the Uto-Aztecan language of the Ute people. About 2,500 people speak Ute.
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of Spanish Yuta, an Indian language.][1]



utensil

utensil
u·ten·sil 
[yoo ténss’l] (plural u·ten·sils)
noun

tool:
a tool or container, especially one used in a kitchen
[14th century. Via Old French
utensile from, ultimately, Latin utensilis “usable,” from uti
“to use” (source also of English use
).][1]



uteri

uteri
u·ter·i


Plural of
uterus[1]



uterine

uterine
u·ter·ine 
[ytərin, ytə
rn] adjective

1.  of
uterus:
relating to, in, or affecting the womb

2.  having
same mother: related by having the same mother but a
different father • a uterine brother
[15th century. From late
Latin uterinus, literally “from the same womb,” from Latin uterus
“womb” (see uterus ).][1]



uterus

uterus

u·ter·us 
[ytərəss] (plural u·ter·us·es
or u·ter·i [ytə r]) noun

1.  womb:
a hollow muscular organ in the pelvic cavity of female mammals, in which the
embryo is nourished and develops before birth (technical)

2.  organ
similar to mammalian womb: a structure in some animals
that is similar to the mammalian womb, in which eggs or young develop
[17th century. From Latin,
“belly, womb.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is possibly the
ancestor of Greek hustera (source of English hysteria
).][1]



Utica

Utica
U·ti·ca 
[ytikə]

city in eastern New York, on
the Mohawk River, east of Syracuse. Population: 61,368 (1996)[1]



util.

util.
util.

Abbreviation of
utility[1]



utilitarian

utilitarian
u·til·i·tar·i·an 
[yoo tìllə térree ən] adjective

1.  believing
value lies in usefulness: relating to, typical of, or
advocating the doctrine that value is measured in terms of usefulness

2.  practical:
designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty
noun
(plural u·til·i·tar·i·ans)

believer in utilitarianism:
somebody who believes in the doctrine of utilitarianism

[1]



utilitarianism

utilitarianism
u·til·i·tar·i·an·ism 
[yoo tìllə térree ə nìzzəm] noun

1.  ethical
doctrine:
the ethical doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should
be the criterion of the virtue of action

2.  utilitarian
quality:
the quality of being designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty

[1]



utility

utility
u·til·i·ty 
[yoo tíllətee] noun (plural u·til·i·ties)

1.  usefulness:
the quality or state of being useful for something

2.  something
useful:
something that serves a useful purpose

3.  See
public utility

4.  service
provided by public utility: a service such as
electricity, gas, or water that is provided by a public utility

5.  satisfaction
derived from consumption: the amount of satisfaction
or pleasure that somebody gains from consuming a commodity, product, or
service. In classical economics this was considered to be an absolute
measurement, but in modern economics it is considered to be a matter of
relative preference.

6.  u·til·i·ty
or u·til·i·ty truck (plural u·til·i·ty trucks) Australia
pick-up
truck:
a pick-up truck
adjective

1.  intended
for practical use: designed or intended for
practical use rather than for show or appearance

2.  THEATER able
to perform any small role: able to perform any small
role in a theater production

3.  SPORTS able
to play several positions: able to substitute for other
players in several different positions

4.  U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand designed for strength:
built or designed for performing tasks that require strength and versatility • a
utility truck

5.  AGRICULTURE raised
for farm use: grown or raised to be used on a farm • utility
livestock

6.  AGRICULTURE of
lowest grade: classified as the lowest grade of beef
by the U.S. Government
[14th century. Via French utilité
from, ultimately, Latin utilis “usable,” from uti “to use”
(source also of English use ).][1]



utilityprogram

utilityprogram
u·til·i·ty
pro·gram
(plural u·til·i·ty pro·grams) noun

computer program:
a computer program that carries out routine tasks and supports the operation of
the computer or another device, as compared to an application program[1]



utilityroom

utilityroom
u·til·i·ty
room
(plural u·til·i·ty rooms) noun

room with domestic
appliances: a room in a house where
there are large domestic appliances, for example, a washing machine or furnace,
and where many household tasks are done[1]



utilitytruck

utilitytruck
u·til·i·ty
truck
noun

Australia
See utility  noun 6[1]



utilityvehicle

utilityvehicle
u·til·i·ty
ve·hi·cle
(plural u·til·i·ty ve·hi·cles) noun

1.  sport-utility
vehicle:
a sport-utility vehicle

2.  New
Zealand
pickup
truck:
a pickup truck

[1]



utilize

utilize
u·til·ize 
[yt’l z] (past u·til·ized, past
participle u·til·ized, present participle u·til·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular u·til·iz·es) transitive verb

make
use of something: to make use of or find a practical use
for something
[Early
19th century. Via French utiliser from, ultimately, Latin utilis
(see utility ).]
—u·til·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—u·til·i·za·tion
[yt’li záysh’n], noun

—u·til·iz·er
[yt’l zər], noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  utilize
  or use ?
  Utilize
  means “to use in a practical or effective way” and so means something more
  specific than use, which is the more general word. Utilize is
  more common in technical contexts: • The
  device utilizes a special solderless plug-in connection
  . It can also refer to using things in unusual or unintended ways, as a more
  formal equivalent of “make use of” : • When
  the fan belt broke they had to utilize an old pair of tights
  . In business jargon and in other contexts utilize is often found when
  the meaning intended is simply “use,” and this should be avoided: • Successful
  applicants will be able to utilize their skills and experience in this field.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Synonyms at use

[1]



utipossidetis

utipossidetis
u·ti
pos·si·de·tis  [y tī
possi dtiss] noun

INTERNATIONAL LAW principle
of keeping war gains: the principle in
international law that land and property captured by belligerent parties in war
remain their property unless a treaty rules otherwise (formal)
[From late Latin, literally
“as you possess”][1]



utmost

utmost
ut·most 
[út mst] or ut·ter·most [úttər mst] adjective

1.  at
the extremity: at the most distant point or extremity

2.  of
the greatest degree: of the greatest degree,
number, or amount
noun

greatest degree or amount:
the greatest degree, number, or amount of something, especially the greatest
effort that somebody is capable of • I did
my utmost to persuade her.
[Old English ūt(e)mest,
from an earlier form of English out + an
earlier form of -most][1]



Uto-Aztecan

Uto-Aztecan
U·to-Az·tec·an 
[ytō az tékən] (plural U·to-Az·tec·ans)
noun

1.  LANGUAGE N and
Central American language family: a family of languages,
including Ute and Nahuatl, spoken in the western United States and in Mexico

2.  PEOPLES member
of an Uto-Aztecan people: a member of one of the
peoples who speak a language classified as Uto-Aztecan
[Uto
formed from Ute]
—U·to-Az·tec·an, adjective[1]



utopia

utopia
u·to·pi·a 
[yoo tṓpee ə] (plural u·to·pi·as)
or U·to·pi·a [yoo tṓpee ə] (plural
U·to·pi·as) noun

ideal
and perfect state: an ideal and perfect place
or state, where everyone lives in harmony and everything is for the best
[Mid-16th
century. From modern Latin, “imaginary island,” first used in Sir Thomas More’s
Utopia (1516), literally, “noplace,” formed from Greek ou “not” + topos
“place.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Utopia is the title of a
  philosophical treatise by English writer and statesman Sir Thomas More ( 1516
  ). It contrasts the moral decadence and disunity of contemporary Christian
  Europe with the tolerance and prosperity of More’s imaginary ideal state of
  Utopia, which is run on secular, communist principles. More coined the
  state’s name from the Greek words ou “not” and topos “place,”
  literally meaning “nonexistent place.” The term itself has spawned a number
  of derivatives, such as utopian, utopianism, and utopianist
  .

[1]



utopian

utopian
u·to·pi·an 
[yoo tṓpee ən] or U·to·pi·an [yoo tṓpee ən] adjective

1.  ideal:
belonging to or typical of an ideal perfect state or place

2.  admirable
but impracticable: admirable but impracticable
in real life

3.  impractically
idealistic:
tending to deal in admirable but impracticable ideas
noun
(plural u·to·pi·ans) (plural U·to·pi·ans)

proposer of utopian reforms:
somebody who proposes or advocates visionary but impractical social or
political reforms

[1]



utopianism

utopianism
u·to·pi·an·ism
[yoo tṓpee ə nìzzəm] or U·to·pi·an·ism
[yoo tṓpee ə nìzzəm] noun

1.  utopian
ideas or theories: the principles, views, or
aims of a utopian

2.  belief
in ideal society: the belief that an ideal society can be
achieved
—u·to·pi·an·ist, noun[1]



utopiansocialism

utopiansocialism
u·to·pi·an
so·cial·ism
noun

peaceful socialism:
a form of socialism based on the belief that a socialist society can be brought
about by peacefully persuading those in power to accept it[1]



Utrecht

Utrecht
U·trecht 
[y trèkt]

historic university city in
the central Netherlands. Population: 234,254 (1996)[1]



utricle

utricle
u·tri·cle
[ytrik’l] (plural u·tri·cles)
or u·tric·u·lus [yoo tríkyələss]
(plural u·tric·u·li [yoo tríkyə l])
noun

1.  ANATOMY part
of inner ear: the larger of two fluid-filled sacs in
the labyrinth of the inner ear and into which the semicircular canals open

2.  BOTANY bladder-shaped
fruit:
the bladder-shaped fruit of some plants
[Mid-18th
century. Directly or via French utricule from Latin utriculus,
literally “little leather bottle,” from uter “leather bottle.”]
—u·tric·u·lar,
adjective

—u·tric·u·late, adjective[1]



UttarPradesh

UttarPradesh
Ut·tar
Pra·desh
[ttər prə dáysh, ttər
prə désh]

the most populous state in
India, located in the northern part of the country, south of Nepal. Capital:
Lucknow. Population: 139,112,287 (1991) Area: 294,413 sq km/113,673 sq mi.[1]



utter

utter1
ut·ter1 [úttər]
(past ut·tered, past participle ut·tered, present
participle ut·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular ut·ters)
transitive verb

1.  say
something:
to say or pronounce something

2.  emit
something as vocal sound: to emit something as a sound
made by the voice

3.  publish
something:
to publish something, for example, in a book or newspaper (archaic) • You
would not dare to utter this nonsense in print.

4.  LAW to put
something into circulation: to put something into
circulation, especially counterfeit money or a forgery, under the pretense that
it is genuine (formal)
[14th
century. From Middle Dutch ūteren “to drive out, announce, speak,” from
Old Low German ūt “out.”]
—ut·ter·a·ble,
adjective

—ut·ter·er, noun[1]



utter

utter2
ut·ter2 [úttər]
(superlative ut·ter·est) adjective

absolute
or total:
at the most extreme point or of the highest degree
[Old English ūtera,
literally “further out,” from ūt, an earlier form of out][1]



utterance

utterance
ut·ter·ance
[úttərəns] (plural ut·ter·anc·es)
noun

1.  something
said:
something said or emitted as a vocal sound

2.  expression
of something: the expression of something, especially
in speech or vocal sound

3.  way
of speaking: a style, power, or way of speaking

4.  act
of saying:
the act of saying something
give
utterance

to express something,
especially in speech[1]



utterly

utterly
ut·ter·ly 
[úttərlee] adverb

completely:
in an extreme or complete way[1]



uttermost

uttermost
ut·ter·most 
adjective noun

See
utmost[1]



U-turn

U-turn
U-turn 
(plural U-turns) noun

1.  turn
made to face opposite direction: a turn in the shape of
a U made by a vehicle to reverse direction

2.  reversal
of actions or policy: a complete reversal in
opinion, actions, or policy

[1]



UV

UV
UV

Abbreviation of
ultraviolet[1]



uvarovite

uvarovite
u·va·rov·ite 
[oo vrə vt] noun

green
mineral and gemstone: a bright emerald green
mineral composed of calcium chromium silicate. It is a variety of garnet and is
used as a gemstone.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from the name of Count Sergei Semenovich Uvarov (1785–1855), a Russian
statesman.][1]



uvea

uvea
u·ve·a 
[yvee ə] (plural u·ve·as) noun

middle
coat of eyeball: the middle of the three layers of the
eyeball, made up of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris surrounding the lens.
It contains blood vessels and its pigmentation is responsible for eye color.
[Early
16th century. Via medieval Latin from Latin uva (see uvula ).]
—u·ve·al,
adjective

—u·ve·ous, adjective[1]



uveitis

uveitis
u·ve·i·tis 
[yvee tiss] noun

inflammation of uvea:
inflammation of the uvea of the eye[1]



UVIndex

UVIndex
UV
In·dex
noun

index indicating strength of
sun: a scale used to indicate the
intensity of the sun’s ultraviolet rays[1]



uvula

uvula
u·vu·la 
[yvyələ] (plural u·vu·las or
u·vu·lae [yvyə l]) noun

flap
in throat:
a small fleshy V-shaped extension of the soft palate that hangs above the
tongue at the entrance to the throat
[14th century. From late
Latin, literally “little grape,” from Latin uva “grape,” from its
shape.][1]



uvular

uvular
u·vu·lar 
[yvyələr] adjective

1.  involving
uvula:
relating to or involving the uvula

2.  pronounced
vibrating the uvula: pronounced with vibration of
the uvula
noun
(plural uvu·lars)

uvular sound: a
uvular consonant
—u·vu·lar·ly, adverb[1]



uvulitis

uvulitis
u·vu·li·tis 
[yvyə ltiss] noun

uvular inflammation:
inflammation of the uvula[1]



UW

UW
UW
(plural UWs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
underwriter

2.  Abbreviation
of
underwritten

[1]



ux.

ux.
ux.

Abbreviation
of
uxor
[From Latin][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








UXB

UXB
UXB

Abbreviation of
unexploded bomb[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








uxorial

uxorial
ux·o·ri·al 
[uk sáwree əl] adjective

of
a wife:
relating to, involving, or typical of a wife
[Early
19th century. Formed from Latin uxor “wife.”]
—ux·o·ri·al·ly, adverb[1]



uxoricide

uxoricide
ux·o·ri·cide 
[uk sáwrə sd] (plural ux·o·ri·cides)
noun

1.  murder
of wife:
murder of a wife by her husband

2.  man
who murders wife: a man who murders his wife
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from Latin uxor “wife” + English -cide .]
—ux·o·ri·ci·dal, adjective[1]



uxorious

uxorious
ux·o·ri·ous 
[uk sáwree əss] adjective

excessively
devoted to your wife: excessively devoted or
submissive to your wife
[Late
16th century. Formed from Latin uxoriosus, from uxor “wife.”]
—ux·o·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—ux·o·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



Uzbek

Uzbek
Uz·bek 
[z bèk, úz bèk]
(plural Uz·bek or Uz·beks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of people living in Uzbekistan: a member of a people
that live mainly in Uzbekistan, where they are the dominant ethnic group, and
in parts of neighboring regions. The Uzbek people are made up mainly of
descendents of Turkic-speaking nomads who settled in the region in the 15th
century and Farsi-speaking inhabitants of the area.

2.  LANGUAGE Uzbek
language:
a language spoken in Uzbekistan and central Asia, belonging to the Turkic
branch of Altaic languages. About 16 million people speak Uzbek.
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via Persian or Russian uzbek from Turkish and Uzbek özbek .][1]



Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan



Uz·beki·stan 
[z béki stàn, z
béki stn]
republic in Central Asia. It was part of
the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1991. Language: Uzbek. Currency: soum. Capital:
Tashkent. Population: 23,467,724 (1997) Area: 447,400 sq km/172,700 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Uzbekistan[1]



Uzbekistan




Back to definition

Uzbekistan

[1]



V

V1
V1 or v noun

Roman numeral for 5:
the Roman numeral for five[1]



v

v3
v3 (plural v’s) or
V (plural V’s or Vs)

1.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of vacuum

2.  Abbreviation
of
vagrant

3.  Abbreviation
of
vale

4.  MATHEMATICS Abbreviation of
vector

5.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of vein

6.  PHYSICS Abbreviation of
velocity component

7.  Abbreviation
of
velocity speed

8.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of ventilator

9.  ANATOMY BOTANY Abbreviation of ventral

10. GRAMMAR Abbreviation of verb

11. Abbreviation
of
verbal

12. Abbreviation
of
verse

13. Abbreviation
of
versed

14. Abbreviation
of
verso

15. Abbreviation
of
versus

16. Abbreviation
of
vertical

17. Abbreviation
of
via

18. CHEMISTRY Abbreviation of
vibrational quantum number

19. CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
vicarage

20. Abbreviation
of
victory

21. Abbreviation
of
vide

22. MUSIC Abbreviation of violin

23. MEDICINE Abbreviation of virus

24. METEOROLOGY Abbreviation of
(abnormally good) visibility

25. MEDICINE Abbreviation of vision

26. Abbreviation
of
vocative

27. Abbreviation
of
voice

28. GEOGRAPHY Abbreviation of
volcano

29. MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
voltage

30. Abbreviation
of
vowel

[1]



V

V2
V2

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for electric potential

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for electromotive force

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for luminous
efficiency

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for potential

5.  PHYSICS Symbol for potential
efficiency

6.  PHYSICS Symbol for potential energy

7.  Symbol
for
vanadium

[1]



V

V3
V3

1.  Abbreviation
of
valine

2.  Abbreviation
of
vanadium

3.  Abbreviation
of
variable region

4.  MONEY Abbreviation of vatu

5.  Abbreviation
of
Venerable

6.
(used in titles) Abbreviation of Very

7.  Abbreviation
of
version

8.  Abbreviation
of
vespers

9.  Abbreviation
of
vicar

10. Abbreviation
of
vice

11. Abbreviation
of
victory

12. Abbreviation
of
village

13. Abbreviation
of
Viscount

14. Abbreviation
of
Viscountess

15. Abbreviation
of
volt

16. Abbreviation
of
voltmeter

17. Abbreviation
of
Volunteer

18. Abbreviation
of
Volunteers

[1]



v

v1

v1 [vee]
(plural v’s) or V [vee]
(plural V’s or Vs) noun

1.  22nd
letter of the English alphabet: the 22nd letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to the letter “V”: the
speech sound that corresponds to the letter “V”

3.        letter
“V” written: a written
representation of the letter “V”[1]



v

v2
v2 (plural v’s) or
V (plural V’s or Vs)

1.  SCIENCE Symbol for image
distance

2.  PHYSICS Symbol for
instantaneous potential difference

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for
instantaneous voltage

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for specific
volume

[1]



V-1

V-1
V-1 
(plural V-1’s) noun

World
War II German bomb: a German robot bomb used in
World War II, mainly against England
[Abbreviation of German Vergeltungswaffe
eins, literally “reprisal weapon one”][1]



V-2

V-2
V-2 
(plural V-2’s) noun

World
War II German missile: a German liquid-fueled
ballistic missile used in the latter part of World War II, chiefly against
London
[Abbreviation of German Vergeltungswaffe
zwei, literally “reprisal weapon two”][1]



V6

V6
V6
(plural V6’s) noun

engine with 6 cylinders:
an internal-combustion engine with six cylinders arranged in a V shape[1]



V8

V8
V8
(plural V8’s) noun

engine with 8 cylinders:
an internal-combustion engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape[1]



va

va
va

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of verbal adjective

2.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of verb
active

3.  MUSIC Abbreviation of viola

[1]



Va.

Va.
Va.

Abbreviation of
Virginia[1]



V/A

V/A
V/A

Abbreviation of
voucher attached[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








VA

VA
VA

1.  ECONOMICS Abbreviation of
value-added

2.  Abbreviation
of
value analysis

3.  MEDICINE Abbreviation of
ventricular arrhythmia

4.  Abbreviation
of
Veterans’ Administration

5.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
Vicar Apostolic

6.  NAVY Abbreviation of Vice
Admiral

7.  MAIL Abbreviation of Virginia

8.  Abbreviation
of
visual acuity

9.  Abbreviation
of
visual aid

10. Abbreviation
of
Voice of America

11. MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
volt-ampere

12. MILITARY Abbreviation of
Volunteer Artillery

13. Abbreviation
of
Volunteers of America

[1]



Vaal

Vaal
Vaal 
[vaal]

river in northeastern South
Africa, a tributary of the Orange River. Length: 1,160 km/720 mi.[1]



Vaasa

Vaasa
Vaa·sa 
[vss aa]

capital city and port of
Vaasa Province, in western Finland. Population: 55,502 (1995)[1]



vac

vac
vac


1.  Abbreviation
of
vacancy

2.  Abbreviation
of
vacant

3.  Abbreviation
of
vacation

4.  Abbreviation
of
vacuum

5.  Abbreviation
of
vacuum cleaner

[1]



vacancy

vacancy
va·can·cy 
[váykənsee] (plural va·can·cies)
noun

1.  vacant
office or position: an office, position, or
tenancy that is unfilled or unoccupied

2.  mental
inactivity:
mental inactivity or lack of thought or intelligence

3.  vacant
state:
the state of being vacant

4.  leisure:
a period of leisure (archaic)

5.  PHYSICS empty
site in a crystal: an empty site, normally
containing an atom or ion, in a crystal
[Late 16th century. Formed
from vacant or from late Latin vacantia,
from the present participle stem of Latin vacare (see vacate ).][1]



vacant

vacant
va·cant 
[váykənt] adjective

1.  without
an occupant: having no occupant or contents • There
were several vacant seats on the bus. • a
vacant lot

2.  unoccupied
by an incumbent or official: not occupied by an
incumbent, official, or possessor

3.  lacking
expression:
showing no signs of thought, intelligence, or expression • a
vacant stare

4.  free
from activity: free from activity, business, or work • a
vacant afternoon
[13th
century. Via Old French from the present participle stem of Latin vacare
(see vacate ). It almost disappeared by 1400
but was reintroduced from Latin in the 16th century.]
—va·cant·ly,
adverb

—va·cant·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  vacant, unoccupied, empty, unfilled, void
  CORE
  MEANING: lacking
  contents or occupants vacant;
  describes a house or room that has no occupants, often temporarily; unoccupied; describes a building that has no
  one in it, especially when this has been the case for quite some time; empty; describes something such as a
  container that has no contents or something such as a room that has no
  occupants; unfilled; used to describe something such as a seat on an
  airplane or in a theater that has no one sitting in it because no one has
  bought a ticket for it; void; a
  formal or literary word that emphasizes that something is completely empty

[1]



vacate

vacate
va·cate 
[váy kàyt] (past va·cat·ed, past
participle va·cat·ed, present participle va·cat·ing, 3rd
person present singular va·cates) transitive verb

1.  empty
of occupants: to empty something of incumbents or
occupants

2.  give
up occupancy of: to relinquish the possession, or
occupancy of something • vacate
the premises

3.  resign
from:
to withdraw from or surrender possession of an office or post • vacate
a legislative seat

4.  LAW make
invalid:
to make something legally void
[Mid-17th
century. From the past participle stem of Latin vacare “to be empty”
(source also of English void ).]
—va·cat·a·ble, adjective[1]



vacation

vacation
va·ca·tion 
[vay káysh’n, və
káysh’n] noun (plural va·ca·tions)

1.  fixed
holiday period: a scheduled period during which the
activities of courts, schools, or other regular businesses are suspended

2.  break
from work:
a period of time devoted to rest, travel, or recreation

3.  act
or instance of vacating: an act or an instance or
vacating something
intransitive
verb
(past va·ca·tioned, past participle va·ca·tioned, present
participle va·ca·tion·ing, 3rd person present singular va·ca·tions)

take a vacation:
to take or spend a vacation
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, the past participle of Latin vacare (see vacate ).][1]



vacationer

vacationer
va·ca·tion·er
[vay káysh’nər, və
káysh’nər] (plural va·ca·tion·ers) or va·ca·tion·ist
[vay káysh’nist, və
káysh’nist] (unmarked inflection va·ca·tion·ists) noun

somebody taking a vacation:
a person who takes or is on a vacation.
U.K. term
holidaymaker[1]



vacationland

vacationland
va·ca·tion·land 
[vay káysh’n lànd, və
káysh’n lànd] (plural va·ca·tion·lands) noun

area
with attractions for vacationers: an area with many
attractions and facilities for vacationers
[Early 20th century][1]



vaccinal

vaccinal
vac·ci·nal 
[váksən’l, vak
sn’l] adjective

of vaccines:
relating to a vaccine or vaccination[1]



vaccinate

vaccinate
vac·ci·nate 
[váksə nàyt] (past vac·ci·nat·ed,
past participle vac·ci·nat·ed, present participle vac·ci·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular vac·ci·nates) transitive verb

immunize
somebody:
to inoculate a person or animal with a vaccine to produce immunity
—vac·ci·na·tor,
noun

—vac·ci·na·to·ry [váksənə tàwree], adjective[1]



vaccination

vaccination
vac·ci·na·tion 
[vàksə náysh’n] (plural vac·ci·na·tions)
noun

inoculation
with vaccine: inoculation with a vaccine to produce
immunity
[Early 19th century. Formed
from vaccine or from vaccinate .][1]



vaccine

vaccine
vac·cine 
[vak sn, vák
sn] (plural vac·cines) noun

1.  MEDICINE inoculation:
a preparation containing weakened or dead microbes of the kind that cause a
particular disease, administered to stimulate the immune system to produce
antibodies against that disease

2.  COMPUTING protective
software:
a program that protects a system against a computer virus
[Late
18th century. From Latin vaccinus “of a cow,” from vacca “cow,”
because it was originally applied to the cowpox virus and its use to prevent
smallpox.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  Vaccine was used by the British
  physician Edward Jenner at the end of the 18th century in the terms vaccine
  disease, meaning “cowpox,” and hence vaccine inoculation, meaning
  the technique he developed of preventing smallpox by injecting people with
  cowpox virus. There is no evidence of the use of vaccine
  as a noun to denote the inoculated material until the 1840s.

[1]



vaccinee

vaccinee
vac·ci·nee 
[vàksə n] (plural vac·ci·nees)
noun

vaccinated
person:
somebody who receives or has received a vaccination
[Late 19th century. Formed
from vaccinate .][1]



vaccinia

vaccinia
vac·cin·i·a 
[vak sínnee ə] noun

skin
eruption following inoculation: a skin eruption in
reaction to inoculation with the weakened cowpox virus that was once used to
vaccinate people against smallpox
[Early
19th century. Via modern Latin from Latin vaccinus (see vaccine ).]
—vac·cin·i·al, adjective[1]



vacherin

vacherin
va·cher·in
[vásh ràN, vash
ráN] noun

cow’s-milk
cheese:
a soft cow’s-milk cheese from France or Switzerland
[Mid-20th century. From
French .][1]



vacillant

vacillant
vac·il·lant 
[vássələnt] adjective

wavering
indecisively
[Early 16th century. From the
present participle stem of Latin vaccillare (see vacillate ).][1]



vacillate

vacillate
vac·il·late 
[vássə làyt] (past vac·il·lat·ed,
past participle vac·il·lat·ed, present participle vac·il·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular vac·il·lates) intransitive verb

1.  to
be indecisive or irresolute

2.  to
sway from side to side
[Late
16th century. From the past participle stem of Latin vaccillare “to
sway, totter.”]
—vac·il·la·tion
[vàssə láysh’n], noun

—vac·il·la·tor
[vássə làytər], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hesitate

[1]



vacua

vacua
vacua

Plural of
vacuum[1]



vacuity

vacuity
va·cu·i·ty 
[va ky itee] (plural va·cu·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  emptiness:
the condition, state, or quality of being empty of all contents

2.  empty
space:
an empty area or space

3.  meaningless
state or thing: a thing or condition that is inane or
devoid of any meaningful content • legislative
vacuity
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via French vacuité from, ultimately, Latin vacuus “empty”
(source of English vacuum ).][1]



vacuolarmembrane

vacuolarmembrane
vac·u·o·lar
mem·brane
[vakyoo lər mém bràyn, vàkyoo ələr mém bràyn] (plural vac·u·o·lar
mem·branes) noun

cell membrane:
a membrane containing fluid in the cytoplasm of a cell[1]



vacuolate

vacuolate
vac·u·o·late
[vákyoo ō làyt, vákyoo
ōlət] or vac·u·o·lat·ed [vákyoo
ō làytəd] adjective

having
vacuoles:
having small holes
—vac·u·o·la·tion
[vàkyoo ō láysh’n], noun

—vac·u·o·li·za·tion [vàkyoo ōli záysh’n], noun[1]



vacuole

vacuole
vac·u·ole 
[vákyoo l] (plural vac·u·oles)
noun

1.  cavity
in tissue:
a small cavity in tissue

2.  compartment
in the cytoplasm of cell: a membrane-bound compartment
containing fluid that is found in the cytoplasm of a cell
[Mid-19th
century. From French, literally “little empty (space),” from Latin vacuus
“empty” (source of English vacuum ) +
French -ole “little.”]
—vac·u·o·lar [vakyoo lər, vàkyoo ələr],
adjective[1]



vacuous

vacuous
vac·u·ous 
[vákyoo əss] adjective

1.  lacking
content:
having no content

2.  empty
of meaning:
lacking ideas or intelligence

3.  idle:
lacking serious occupation

4.  MATHEMATICS LOGIC null:
null
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin vacuus “empty” (see vacuum
).]
—vac·u·ous·ly,
adverb

—vac·u·ous·ness, noun[1]



vacuum

vacuum
vac·u·um 
[vákyoo əm, vákyəm]
noun (plural vac·u·ums or vac·u·a [vákyoo ə])

1.  PHYSICS space
empty of matter: a space completely empty of matter but
not achievable in practice on Earth

2.  PHYSICS space
with all the gas removed: a space from which all air
or gas has been extracted

3.  emptiness
caused by absence: an emptiness caused by
somebody or something’s absence or removal • Her
death left a vacuum in his life.

4.  isolation
from the outside world: isolation from external
influences • You
can’t live in a vacuum.

5.  See
vacuum cleaner
intransitive
and transitive verb (past vac·u·umed,
past participle vac·u·umed, present participle vac·u·um·ing,
3rd person present singular vac·u·ums)

clean something using a vacuum cleaner:
to clean an area or object using a vacuum cleaner
[Mid-16th century. From the
neuter of Latin vacuus “empty.”][1]



vacuumactivity

vacuumactivity
vac·u·um
ac·tiv·i·ty
noun

innate behavior:
innate behavior manifested in the absence of the usual stimulus[1]



vacuumbottle

vacuumbottle
vac·u·um
bot·tle
(plural vac·u·um bot·tles) noun

bottle with 2 walls enclosing
a vacuum: a bottle with two walls
enclosing a vacuum, used for keeping the contents at a constant temperature.
Also called
vacuum flask
U.K. term
vacuum flask[1]



vacuumcleaner

vacuumcleaner
vac·u·um
clean·er
noun

electrical cleaning
appliance: an electrical appliance that
cleans surfaces such as floors, upholstery, and window coverings by sucking
dirt and other material into a bag.
Also called
vacuum[1]



vacuumdistillation

vacuumdistillation
vac·u·um
dis·til·la·tion noun

distilling process:
a process of distilling liquid at low pressure so that it boils at a lower
boiling point[1]



vacuumdrying

vacuumdrying
vac·u·um
dry·ing
noun

method of removing liquid:
the removal of liquid from a solution or mixture at reduced air pressure so
that it dries at a lower temperature than it would at full pressure[1]



vacuumflask

vacuumflask
vac·u·um
flask
noun

See
vacuum bottle[1]



vacuumforming

vacuumforming
vac·u·um
form·ing
noun

molding process:
the process of shaping sheets of heated thermoplastic by placing them in a mold
and removing air by suction[1]



vacuumgauge

vacuumgauge
vac·u·um
gauge
noun

pressure-measuring device:
an instrument that measures pressures below atmospheric pressure[1]



vacuum-packed

vacuum-packed
vac·u·um-packed 
adjective

packed in an airtight
container: packed in an airtight
container or package under low pressure in order to prevent the contents from
spoiling or corroding[1]



vacuumpan

vacuumpan
vac·u·um
pan
(plural vac·u·um pans) noun

device that removes moisture:
a device with a vacuum pump that removes moisture quickly by boiling a
substance at a low temperature under reduced pressure[1]



vacuumpump

vacuumpump
vac·u·um
pump
noun

1.  device
for removing air: a device that creates a partial vacuum

2.  See
pulsometer

[1]



vacuumtube

vacuumtube

vac·u·um tube
noun
electron tube producing amplification:
an electron tube that is either evacuated or filled with low-pressure gas and
in which electrons are pulled from the cathode by an applied anode voltage. It
is used to produce effects such as amplification and oscillation.
U.K. term
valve[1]



vada

vada
va·da
(plural va·das) noun

South Asia
See wada[1]



vademecum

vademecum
va·de
me·cum 
[vàydee mkəm, vdee
mkəm] (plural va·de me·cums) noun

1.  useful
book:
a guidebook, handbook, or manual, especially one carried around or designed to
be carried around constantly and referred to often

2.  useful
object:
an object that a person carries constantly because it is useful
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “go with me.”][1]



V.Adm.

V.Adm.
V.Adm.
or VADM

Abbreviation of
Vice Admiral[1]



Vadodara

Vadodara
Va·do·da·ra
[vaa dṓdaaraa]

industrial city in Gujarat
State, western India. Population: 1,115,265 (1991)[1]



vadose

vadose
va·dose 
[váy dss] adjective

of
water above ground-water level: used to describe or
relating to water in the unsaturated zone of the Earth’s crust that is above
the level of ground water
[Late 19th century. From
Latin vadosus, from vadum “shallow piece of water.”][1]



vadosezone

vadosezone
va·dose
zone
(plural va·dose zones) noun

zone between the surface and
the water table: the unsaturated zone
between the ground surface and the water table through which ground water can
percolate[1]



Vaduz

Vaduz
Va·duz 
[fa dts]

town and capital of the
principality of Liechtenstein, central Europe. Population: 5,085 (1995)[1]



vag-

vag-
vag-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
vago-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vagabond

vagabond
vag·a·bond 
[vággə bònd] noun (plural vag·a·bonds)

1.  homeless
wanderer:
somebody who has no permanent place to live and wanders from place to place

2.  beggar:
somebody who survives by asking for food or money
adjective

of vagabonds:
relating to or characteristic of a vagabond
intransitive
verb
(past vag·a·bond·ed, past participle vag·a·bond·ed,
present participle vag·a·bond·ing, 3rd person present singular
vag·a·bonds)

be a vagabond:
to wander from place to place
[15th
century. Via French from Latin vagabundus, from vagari “to
wander” (source of English vagrant
).]
—vag·a·bond·age,
noun

—vag·a·bond·ism, noun[1]



vagal

vagal
va·gal 
[váyg’l] adjective

of
cranial nerves: relating to the tenth pair of cranial
nerves ( vagus nerves )
—va·gal·ly, adverb[1]



vagary

vagary
va·ga·ry 
[váygəree] (plural va·ga·ries)
noun

unpredictable
change:
an unpredictable or eccentric change, action, or idea • the
vagaries of the weather
[Late
16th century. From Latin vagari (see vagabond
).]
—va·gar·i·ous
[vay gérree əss, və
gérree əss], adjective

—va·gar·i·ous·ly, adverb[1]



vagi

vagi
va·gi


Plural of
vagus[1]



vagile

vagile
vag·ile 
[vájjəl] adjective

capable
of moving around: able to move around within a specific
environment
[Early
20th century. Formed from vagus .]
—va·gil·i·ty [və jíllətee], noun[1]



vagina

vagina
va·gi·na 
[və jnə] (plural va·gi·nas or
va·gi·nae [və j nee]) noun

1.  part
of the female reproductive tract: in female mammals, a
lubricated muscular tube connecting the cervix of the womb to the vulva. It
receives the penis during copulation and expands to expel the fetus during
birth.

2.  plant
or animal sheath: a plant or animal part that forms a
sheath, for example, that formed by a leaf around a stem
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “sheath, scabbard” (source of English vanilla ).]
—vag·i·nal
[vájjən’l], adjective

—vag·i·nal·ly [vájjənəlee], adverb[1]



vaginate

vaginate
vag·i·nate 
[vájjənət, vájjə
nàyt] or vag·i·nat·ed [vájjə
nàytəd] adjective

having a sheath:
having, forming, or resembling a sheath[1]



vaginectomy

vaginectomy
vag·i·nec·to·my 
[vàjjə néktəmee] (plural vag·i·nec·to·mies)
noun

1.  removal
of the vagina: the removal of all or part of the vagina
by surgery

2.  removal
of the testis membrane: the removal by surgery of
all or part of the smooth moist membrane that encloses the testis and
epididymis

[1]



vaginismus

vaginismus
vag·i·nis·mus 
[vàjjə nízməss] (plural vag·i·nis·mus·es)
noun

vaginal spasm:
a painful and often prolonged contraction of the vagina in response to the
vulva or vagina being touched. It may have a psychological cause, or be due to
physical factors such as injury, ulceration, or inflammation.[1]



vaginitis

vaginitis
vag·i·ni·tis 
[vàjjə ntiss] noun

vaginal inflammation:
inflammation of the vagina. caused by infection, an ill-fitting contraceptive
device, or hormonal deficiency. Its typical symptoms include irritation,
vaginal discharge, and painful urination.
Also called
colpitis[1]



vago-

vago-
vago-
prefix

vagus
• vagotomy
[From vagus][1]



vagotomy

vagotomy
va·got·o·my 
[və góttəmee] (plural va·got·o·mies)
noun

surgical cutting of cranial
nerves: the surgical cutting of the
tenth pair of cranial nerves ( vagus nerves
) or any of their branches, performed to control duodenal ulcers by decreasing
acid secretion of the stomach[1]



vagotonia

vagotonia
va·go·to·ni·a 
[vàygə tṓnee ə] noun

overactive
cranial nerves: a pathological condition in which
overactivity of the tenth pair of cranial nerves ( vagus
nerves ) affects bodily functions controlled by these nerves, such as
those in blood vessels and the gut. Symptoms may include sweating,
constipation, and slowed heartbeat.
[Early
20th century. Coined from vago- + Greek tonos
“stretching, tension” (source of English tone
).]
—va·go·ton·ic [vàygə tónnik], adjective[1]



vagotropic

vagotropic
va·go·tro·pic 
[vàygə tróppik] adjective

affecting cranial nerves:
used to describe a drug that has an effect on the tenth pair of cranial nerves
( vagus nerves )[1]



vagrancy

vagrancy
va·gran·cy 
[váygrənsee] (plural va·gran·cies)
noun

1.  homelessness:
the state of wandering and having no permanent place to live

2.  LAW vagrancy
as a legal offense: the legal offense of living
on the street without money or a place to live and, in some jurisdictions,
begging

3.  lapse
in thinking: a lapse in thinking

[1]



vagrant

vagrant
va·grant 
[váygrənt] noun (plural va·grants)

1.  homeless
wanderer:
somebody who wanders from one place to another and has no permanent place to
live

2.  wanderer:
somebody who never stays in one place for long

3.  LAW somebody
guilty of the offense of vagrancy: somebody guilty of the
legal offense of vagrancy

4.  BIRDS bird
off the normal migration route: a migratory bird or
insect that deviates from its normal migration route
adjective

1.  homeless:
wandering from one place to another and having no permanent place to live

2.  wandering:
never staying in one place for long

3.  wayward:
wayward or capricious in nature

4.  random:
acting or done in a random way

5.  BOTANY growing
in an uncontrolled way: used to describe plants that
grow in a lush uncontrolled way
[15th
century. From Anglo-Norman varagarant, of uncertain origin: ultimately,
perhaps from (influenced by French vaguer “to wander”) Old French walcrer
“to walk,” from Germanic.]
—va·grant·ly,
adverb

—va·grant·ness, noun[1]



vagrom

vagrom
va·grom 
[váygrəm] adjective

vagrant:
vagrant (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of vagrant . Coined by William
Shakespeare .][1]



vague

vague
vague 
[vayg] (comparative vagu·er, superlative
vagu·est) adjective

1.  not
explicit:
not clear in meaning or intention • a
vague proposal

2.  not
distinctly seen: not having a clear or perceptible form • a
vague form in the shadows

3.  unverified:
not properly validated or having no clear or identifiable source

4.  unclear
in thinking: unclear or incoherent in thinking or
expression

5.  not
clearly perceived in the mind: not clearly felt,
understood, or recalled • I have
a vague recollection of it.
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin vagus “wandering, inconstant”
(source of English vagus ).]
—vague·ly,
adverb

—vague·ness, noun[1]



vagus

vagus
va·gus 
[váygəss] (plural va·gi [váy g, váy j])
or va·gus nerve [váygəss] (plural
va·gus nerves) noun

cranial
nerve:
either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves that carry sensory and motor neurons
serving the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and various other organs
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
vagus (see vague ).][1]



VAH

VAH
VAH
(plural VAHs)

Abbreviation of
Veterans’ Administration Hospital[1]



vaidya

vaidya
vai·dya
[vdee ə] (plural vai·dyas) noun

South
Asia
traditional
Hindu physician: an Ayurvedic Hindu physician
[Mid-20th century. From
Hindi, from vaidy “export of Ayurvedic medicine.”][1]



vain

vain
vain 
[vayn] (comparative vain·er, superlative
vain·est) adjective

1.  excessively
proud:
excessively proud, especially of your appearance

2.  unsuccessful:
failing to have or unlikely to have the intended or desired result • a
vain attempt at persuading them

3.  empty
of substance: devoid of substance or meaning
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin vanus “empty, without substance”
(source of English evanescent and vanish ).]
—vain·ly,
adverb

—vain·ness,
noun
in
vain

fruitlessly,
pointlessly, or unsuccessfully • We
searched in vain for a solution.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  vain, empty, hollow,
  idle
  CORE
  MEANING: without
  value or worth vain; emphasizes
  that something such as a hope or ambition is unlikely to be fulfilled; empty; describes something such as a threat
  or a promise that seems to lack substance and is therefore unlikely to be
  carried through; hollow; a more
  literary word meaning “empty”; idle;
  emphasizes that something such as a threat lacks purpose or seems unlikely to
  be effective

[1]



vainglorious

vainglorious
vain·glo·ri·ous 
[vàyn gláwree əss] adjective

excessively
proud:
excessively proud or boastful (literary)
—vain·glo·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—vain·glo·ri·ous·ness,
noun[1]



vainglory

vainglory
vain·glo·ry 
[váyn glàwree] (plural vain·glo·ries)
noun (literary)

1.  excessive
pride:
excessive pride in or boastfulness about yourself, your achievements, or your
abilities

2.  vain
display:
an excessive display of something in order to draw attention to it
[12th century. Via Old French
from Latin vana gloria, literally “empty glory.”][1]



vair

vair
vair 
[vair] noun

1.  fur
trimming for robes: fur used as a trimming on
medieval robes

2.  HERALDRY fur
used on heraldic shields: a blue-and-white fur used on
heraldic shields.
See
also
ermine
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin varius “speckled, changeable” (source of English various ).][1]



Vaisakha

Vaisakha
Vais·a·kha
[vss kə] noun

2nd month of the Hindu
calendar: in the Hindu calendar, the
second month of the year, made up of 29 or 30 days and falling in approximately
April to May[1]



Vaishnava

Vaishnava
Vaish·na·va 
[vshnəvə] (plural Vaish·na·vas)
noun

Hindu
worshiper of Vishnu: a member of a group devoted
to the worship of the Hindu god Vishnu or one of his incarnations
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit vaiṣṇava, literally “relating to Vishnu.”]
—Vaish·na·vism, noun[1]



Vaisya

Vaisya
Vais·ya 
[vssyə, vshyə]
(plural Vais·yas) noun

1.  Hindu
merchant caste: the third of the four Hindu castes, the
members of which were merchants and farmers

2.  member
of the Hindu merchant caste: a member of the Vaisya caste
[Mid-17th century. From
Sanskrit vaiśya “farm laborer, tradesman.”][1]



vakil

vakil
va·kil
[və kl] (plural va·k·ils) or
va·keel [və kl] (plural va·keels)
or wa·kil [və kl] (plural
wa·kils) noun

South
Asia
lawyer:
a lawyer or legal representative in a court of law in the Indian subcontinent
[Early 17th century. Via
Persian and Urdu wakīl and Turkish vakīl from Arabic wakīl
.][1]



val.

val.
val.

1.  GEOLOGY Abbreviation of valley

2.  FINANCE Abbreviation of valuation

3.  COMMERCE Abbreviation of value

[1]



valance

valance

val·ance 
[válləns, váyləns]
(plural val·anc·es) noun

1.  cover
for a curtain rod: a short decorative piece of
drapery or wood hung across a window to cover the rod from which curtains hang

2.  fabric
cover for a bed base: a plain, pleated, or
gathered fabric cover that hangs from a shelf or is used to cover up the base
of a bed from mattress to floor
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Old French (a)valer
“go down.”]
—val·anced, adjective[1]



Valdez

Valdez
Val·dez 
[val dz]

city in southeastern Alaska,
on the shore of an inlet of Prince William Sound. Population: 4,309 (1996)[1]



Val-d’Or

Val-d’Or
Val-d’Or
[val dáwr]

city in southwestern Quebec,
Canada. It was a gold-rush town in the 1930s. Population: 32,648 (1996)[1]



vale

vale1
vale1 [vayl]
(plural vales) noun

valley:
a valley or dale, often one that has a stream running through it (literary)
(often used in place names)
[14th
century. Via French from Latin valles (see valley
).]
vale
of tears

the world considered as a place
full of sadness or unhappiness (literary)[1]



vale

vale2
vale2 [v
lày, váylee] interjection

farewell:
a Latin expression of farewell
noun
(plural vales)

saying
farewell:
an act of saying farewell or adieu
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “be well,” a form of valere “to be strong or well.”][1]



valediction

valediction
val·e·dic·tion 
[vàllə díkshən] (plural val·e·dic·tions)
noun (formal)

1.  saying
goodbye:
the act of saying goodbye or an instance of leave-taking

2.  farewell
speech:
a statement, speech, or letter of farewell
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin valedicere “to say goodbye,” on the model of benediction .][1]



valedictorian

valedictorian
val·e·dic·to·ri·an 
[vàllə dik táwree ən] (plural val·e·dic·to·ri·ans)
noun

best student:
the student who delivers the valedictory address at graduation[1]



valedictory

valedictory
val·e·dic·to·ry 
[vàllə díktəree] noun (plural val·e·dic·to·ries)

1.  farewell
speech:
a statement or speech of farewell (formal)

2.  See
valedictory address
adjective

saying goodbye:
performing the function of saying farewell (formal)

[1]



valedictoryaddress

valedictoryaddress
val·e·dic·to·ry
ad·dress
(plural val·e·dic·to·ry ad·dress·es) noun

graduation speech:
a speech delivered at graduation by the student with the best academic record.
Also called
valedictory[1]



valence

valence
va·lence 
[váyləns] (plural va·lenc·es) noun

1.  va·lence
or va·len·cy (plural va·len·cies) CHEMISTRY combining
power of atoms: the chemical combining power of atoms or
groups measured by the number of electrons the atom or group will receive, give
up, or share in forming a compound

2.  va·lence
or va·len·cy (plural va·len·cies) IMMUNOLOGY combining
antigenic determinants: the number of different
antigenic determinants with which a single antibody molecule can combine

3.  GRAMMAR combining
power of a verb: the ability of a verb to combine
grammatically with noun phrases in a given clause
[Late 19th century. Variant
of valency .][1]



valenceelectron

valenceelectron
va·lence
e·lec·tron
(unmarked inflection va·lence e·lec·trons) noun

electron in the outer shell
of an atom: an electron in an outer
shell of an atom that can be lost to or shared with another atom to form a
molecule[1]



valenceshell

valenceshell
va·lence
shell
(plural va·lence shells) noun

outer electron shell of an
atom: the outer electron shell of
an atom consisting of one or more electrons ( valence
electrons ) that are available to form bonds with other atoms to form
molecules[1]



Valencia

Valencia
Va·len·ci·a 
[və lénshee ə, və
lénssee ə]

1.  capital
city of Valencia Province and the autonomous region of Valencia, in eastern
Spain. The city was founded in Roman times. Population: 763,308 (1995)

2.  city
in northern Venezuela, on the Cabriales River. Population: 1,034,033 (1992)

[1]



Valenciennes

Valenciennes1
Va·len·ci·ennes1  [və
lènsee én, và laaN syén] noun

French
lace:
a fine lace made with bobbins that is usually floral in design and is now made
of cotton instead of the original linen
[Early 18th century. Named
for Valenciennes, where the lace was
originally produced.][1]



Valenciennes

Valenciennes2
Va·len·ci·ennes2  [vallènssee
én, va laaNss yen]

city in the
Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, northern France, and administrative center of the
Nord Department. Population: 39,276 (1990)[1]



valency

valency
va·len·cy 
noun

See
valence
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
valentia “power, competence,” from valere “to be powerful.”][1]



valencygrammar

valencygrammar
va·len·cy
gram·mar
noun

grammar of verb combinations
with nouns: a type of grammar where
verbs are considered in terms of their ability to combine with noun phrases[1]



-valent

-valent
-valent
suffix

having
a particular valence or valences • divalent
[Formed from valence][1]



valentine

valentine
val·en·tine 
[vállən tn] (plural val·en·tines)
noun

1.  Valentine’s
Day card:
a greeting card or gift sent, traditionally anonymously, to somebody on
Valentine’s Day as a token of love

2.  recipient
of a valentine: the person to whom somebody sends a card
or gift on Valentine’s Day as a token of love
[15th century. Named for St.
Valentine .][1]



Valentine’sDay

Valentine’sDay
Val·en·tine’s
Day
(plural Val·en·tine’s Days) noun

February 14:
February 14, the Christian feast day of St. Valentine and the traditional day
for sending a romantic card or gift, especially anonymously, to somebody you
love.[1]



Valentino,Rudolph

Valentino,Rudolph
Val·en·ti·no
[vàllən tnō], Rudolph (1895–1926)

Italian-born
U.S. actor. His passionate roles in silent movies made him a romantic screen
idol.
Real name
d’Antonguolla, Rodolpho Guglielmi di Valentina[1]



valerian

valerian

va·le·ri·an 
[və lree ən] (plural va·le·ri·ans
or va·le·ri·an) noun

1.  PLANTS Eurasian
plant with medicinal root: a plant of Europe and Asia
with small sweet-smelling white or pinkish flowers and a root that is used
medicinally. Genus: Valeriana
Also
called
allheal

2.  MEDICINE sedative
made from valerian: a sedative made from the
dried roots of valerian plants
[15th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin valeriana, named for Valeria, a Roman
province.][1]



valericacid

valericacid
va·ler·ic
ac·id 
[və lrik ássid, və
lèrrik ássid] noun

pungent
fatty acid:
a pungent colorless liquid used in flavorings and manufacturing. C5H10O2
[Valeric formed from valerian][1]



valet

valet
val·et 
noun [vállət, vá lày, va láy] (plural
val·ets)

1.  man
servant:
a male personal servant of a man, whose duties include looking after his
employer’s clothes and providing his meals.
Also
called
valet de chambre

2.  somebody
performing car parking service: somebody employed to
park the cars of people arriving at a hotel, restaurant, or airport and bring
the cars back for them on departure

3.  male
hotel or passenger ship employee: a man employee whose
duties include cleaning the clothes of hotel guests or passengers on ships
verb
[vállət] (past val·et·ed, past
participle val·et·ed, present participle val·et·ing, 3rd
person present singular val·ets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
as a valet:
to work as a valet or provide valet services to somebody

2.  transitive
verb
clean
a car:
to clean somebody’s car in return for payment
[15th century. Via French
from, ultimately, assumed medieval Latin vassus “servant to a knight”
(source of English vassal ).][1]



valeta

valeta
va·le·ta
noun

DANCE
See veleta[1]



valetde chambre

valetde chambre
val·et
de cham·bre 
[vàllay də shNbrə] (plural val·ets
de cham·bre) noun

See
valet  noun 1
[French, literally “valet of
the room”][1]



valetparking

valetparking
val·et
park·ing
noun

car parking service:
a service provided by some hotels, restaurants, and airports whereby an
employee parks people’s cars for them on arrival and brings the cars back for
them on departure[1]



valetudinarian

valetudinarian
val·e·tu·di·nar·i·an 
[vàllə tood’n érree ən] or val·e·tu·di·nar·y
[vàllə td’n èrree] noun (plural
val·e·tu·di·nar·i·ans) (plural val·e·tu·di·nar·ies)

1.  somebody
with poor health: somebody who has persistent ill health

2.  somebody
obsessed with health: somebody who is excessively
concerned with his or her own health
adjective

1.  of
a valetudinarian: relating to or being a valetudinarian

2.  of
poor health: relating to, characterized by, or
arising from poor health
—val·e·tu·di·nar·i·an·ism
[vàllə tood’n érree ə nìzzəm], noun[1]



valetudinary

valetudinary
val·e·tu·di·nar·y 
noun adjective

See
valetudinarian
[Late 16th century. From
Latin valetudinarius “in ill health,” from valetudo “state of
health,” from valere “to be well.”][1]



valgus

valgus
val·gus 
[válgəss] adjective

MEDICINE twisted
outward:
used to describe a deformity in which a body part such as the knee or foot is
bent or twisted outward away from the midline of the body.
See
also
varus
noun

MEDICINE state
of being twisted outward: the position or state in
which a bone or body part is bent or twisted outward away from the midline of
the body.
See
also
varus
[Early
19th century. From Latin, “knock-kneed.”]
—val·goid [vál gòyd], adjective[1]



Valhalla

Valhalla
Val·hal·la 
[val hállə, vaal
hlə] or Wal·hal·la [val hállə,
vaal hlə] or Wal·hall [val hállə, vaal hlə]
noun

hall
where slain Norse heroes live: in Norse mythology,
the great hall where the souls of heroes killed in battle spend eternity
[Late 17th century. Via
modern Latin from Old Norse valhall, literally “hall of the slain,” from
valr “those slain in battle” (source of English Valkyrie ).][1]



valiant

valiant
val·iant 
[vállyənt] adjective

1.  courageous:
brave and steadfast

2.  done
courageously: characterized by or performed with
bravery but often ending in failure • despite
a valiant attempt at rescue
noun
(plural val·iants)

somebody courageous:
a brave and steadfast person
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin valent-, the present participle stem
of valere “to be strong.”]
—val·iance,
noun

—val·ian·cy,
noun

—val·iant·ly,
adverb

—val·iant·ness, noun[1]



valid

valid
val·id 
[vállid] adjective

1.  justifiable:
having a solid foundation or justification • It’s
a perfectly valid argument.

2.  effective:
bringing about the results or ends intended

3.  LAW legally
binding:
having binding force in law

4.  LAW legally
acceptable:
acceptable under law

5.  unexpired:
usable or acceptable until a specified expiration date or under specified
conditions of use • a valid passport

6.  logical:
having premises from which the conclusion follows logically

7.  healthy:
having good health (archaic)
[Late
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin validus “strong,” from valere
“to be strong.”]
—va·lid·i·ty
[və líddətee], noun

—va·lid·ly
[vállidlee], adverb

—va·lid·ness
[vállidnəss], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  valid, cogent, convincing,
  reasonable, sound
  CORE
  MEANING: being
  worthy of acceptance or credence valid;
  describes something such as an argument or an excuse that is acceptable on
  the strength of the evidence it supplies; cogent;
  a fairly formal word describing an argument that is forceful and weighty; convincing; describes something such as an
  argument or an excuse that seems likely to overcome the doubts and win the
  support of those who hear it; reasonable;
  describes an argument or excuse that seems worthy of consideration but not
  necessarily ultimately convincing; sound;
  emphasizes that something such as an argument is based on truth and contains
  no errors or falsehoods

[1]



validate

validate
val·i·date 
[válli dàyt] (past val·i·dat·ed,
past participle val·i·dat·ed, present participle val·i·dat·ing,
3rd person present singular val·i·dates) transitive verb

1.  confirm
the truthfulness of: to confirm or establish the
truthfulness or soundness of something

2.  LAW make
legal:
to declare or render something legal or binding • validate
a passport

3.  register
something formally: to register something
formally and have its use officially sanctioned
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin validare “render legally valid,” from validus
(see valid ).]
—val·i·da·tion
[vàlli dáysh’n], noun

—val·i·da·to·ry [vállidə tàwree], adjective[1]



valine

valine
val·ine 
[vá ln, váy ln]
noun

essential
amino acid:
an amino acid essential to normal animal growth, produced from pyruvic acid or
during the hydrolysis of some proteins. C5H11NO2
[Early 20th century. Coined
from valeric acid + -ine
.][1]



valise

valise
va·lise 
[və lss] (plural va·lis·es) noun

small
suitcase:
a small piece of luggage
[Early 20th century. Via
French from Italian valigia, of unknown origin.][1]



Valium

Valium
Val·i·um 
[vállee əm] Trademark

a trademark for diazepam, a
tranquilizer[1]



Valkyrie

Valkyrie
Val·kyr·ie 
[val kree, válkəree]
(plural Val·kyr·ies) or Wal·kyr·ie [val kree, válkəree]
(plural Wal·kyr·ies) or Val·kyr [válkər] (plural Val·kyrs) noun

handmaid
escorting the dead to Valhalla: in Norse mythology,
one of the 12 handmaids of Odin who ride their horses over the field of battle
and escort the souls of slain heroes to Valhalla
[Mid-18th
century. From Old Norse Valkyrja, literally “chooser of the slain,” from
valr “those slain in battle.”]
—Val·kyr·i·an [val kree ən], adjective[1]



valla

valla
val·la

Plural of
vallum[1]



Valladolid

Valladolid
Val·la·do·lid 
[vàallə do líd]

capital city of Valladolid
Province, northern Spain. It was the capital of Spain before Madrid.
Population: 334,820 (1995)[1]



vallate

vallate
val·late 
[vá làyt] (past val·lat·ed, past
participle val·lat·ed, present participle val·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular val·lates) transitive verb

construct
defensive earthworks: to plan or build earthworks
for defense
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from vallation .][1]



vallation

vallation
val·la·tion 
[va láysh’n] (plural val·la·tions)
noun

1.  defensive
earthwork:
a defensive fortification or embankment made of earth

2.  construction
of defensive earthworks: the planning or building of
defensive fortifications or embankments made of earth
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin vallatio
from, ultimately, vallare “to protect,” from vallum “rampart”
(source of English wall and circumvallate ).][1]



vallecula

vallecula
val·lec·u·la 
[və lékyələ] (plural val·lec·u·lae
[və lékyə l]) noun

shallow
groove:
a shallow groove, depression, or furrow in an animal or plant body such as that
between the hemispheres of the cerebellum in the brain
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin vallicula, from valles (see valley ).]
—val·lec·u·lar,
adjective

—val·lec·u·late [və lékyələt, və lékyə
làyt], adjective[1]



Valled’Aosta

Valled’Aosta
Val·le
d’A·os·ta 
[vllay daa ṓstə]

region in northern Italy on
the border with France and Switzerland. It contains the Alpine peaks of the
Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Population: 117,208 (1991) Area: 3,262 sq km/1,260
sq mi.[1]



VallesMarineris

VallesMarineris
Val·les
Ma·ri·ner·is [và less
merri náiriss] noun

canyons on Mars:
a system of valleys and canyons in the equatorial region of Mars 4,000 km/2,500
mi long, up to 240km/150 mi wide, and 6.5 km/4 mi deep[1]



valley

valley
val·ley 
[vállee] (plural val·leys) noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY low-lying
area:
a long low area of land, often with a river or stream running through it, that
is surrounded by higher ground

2.  GEOGRAPHY low-lying
land around a river: a large area of low-lying
land around a river and its tributaries

3.  GEOGRAPHY valley
-shaped hollow: a long sunken area or groove shaped like
a valley

4.  BUILDING angle
between roof slopes: the angle formed where two
slopes of a roof intersect
[13th
century. Via Old French valee from, ultimately, Latin valles
“valley” (source of English vale ).]
—val·leyed, adjective[1]



valleyfever

valleyfever
val·ley
fe·ver
noun

See
coccidioidomycosis
[Named for the San Joaquin
Valley in California][1]



ValleyForge

ValleyForge
Val·ley
Forge
[vállee fàwrj]

historic site in
Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River, where George
Washington kept his winter quarters during the Revolution[1]



Valleyof the Kings

Valleyof the Kings
Val·ley
of the Kings

gorge on the western bank of
the Nile River, southern Egypt. It was the burial site of pharaohs of the New
Kingdom (1570–1070 BC ).[1]



VallisAlpes

VallisAlpes
Val·lis
Al·pes
[vàlliss ál pèz] noun

valley on the Moon:
a valley on the Moon northeast of Mare Imbrium, running approximately from west
to east and cutting across Montes Alpes[1]



vallum

vallum
val·lum 
[válləm] (plural val·lums or
val·la [vállə]) noun

ancient
Roman fortification: an ancient Roman
fortification or embankment, built for military defense
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, from vallus “palisade, stake.”][1]



Valois,Dame Ninette de

Valois,Dame Ninette de
Val·ois 
[válwaa], Dame Ninette de (1898– )

Irish-born
British dancer and choreographer. She was a cofounder in 1931 of the Royal
Ballet and Royal Ballet School in London.
Real name
Stannus, Edris[1]



valonia

valonia
va·lo·ni·a 
[və lṓnee ə] noun

acorn
cups:
the dried acorn cups and unripe acorns of a Eurasian oak, used in the tanning
industry and in the manufacture of inks and dyes
[Early 18th century. Via
Italian from, ultimately, Greek balanos “acorn.”][1]



valor

valor
val·or 
[vállər] noun

courage:
courage, especially that shown in war or battle
[Late 16th century. Via
Italian valore from Latin valor, from valere “to be
strong.”][1]



valorize

valorize
val·or·ize 
[vállə rz] (past val·or·ized,
past participle val·or·ized, present participle val·or·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular val·or·iz·es) transitive verb

fix
a commodity price: to set and maintain the
price of a commodity at an artificially high level through government action
[Early
20th century. Via Portuguese valorizar, from valor “value,” from
late Latin (see valor ).]
—val·or·i·za·tion [vàlləri záysh’n], noun[1]



valorous

valorous
val·or·ous 
[vállərəss] adjective

brave:
having or showing courage, especially in war or battle
—val·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—val·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



valour

valour
val·our 
[vállər] noun

U.K. =
valor[1]



Valparaiso

Valparaiso
Val·pa·rai·so 
[vàlpə ráyzō, válpə
rzō]

1.  city
and port in central Chile. It is the capital city of Valparaiso Region.
Population: 274,228 (1992)

2.  city
in northwestern Indiana, south of Lake Michigan and southwest of Michigan City.
Population: 25,804 (1996)

[1]



Valpolicella

Valpolicella
Val·po·li·cel·la
[vl pōlə chéllə] (plural Val·po·li·cel·las)
noun

light
red Italian wine: a light red Italian wine from the
northern province of Verona
[Early 20th century. Named
for the district of Valpolicella in northwestern Italy, where it is
made.][1]



valproate

valproate
val·pro·ate 
[val prṓ àyt] or val·pro·ic ac·id
[val pr ik ássid] noun

anticonvulsive
drug:
a drug used to help control epileptic convulsions
[Late 20th century. Coined
from valproic acid (from valeric acid
+ propyl ) + -ate
.][1]



Valsalvamaneuver

Valsalvamaneuver
Val·sal·va
ma·neu·ver 
[val sálvə mə nvər] noun MEDICINE

1.  forcing
of air into the middle ear: the action of attempting to
breathe out when the mouth is closed and the nostrils are held shut, thereby
forcing air into the middle ear via the eustachian tubes. It can be used to
test if the eustachian tubes are blocked and to counteract increased external
pressure on the eardrum.

2.  increasing
of pressure in the thoracic cavity: the
action of attempting to breathe out against a closed glottis, which increases
pressure in the thoracic cavity and hinders the return of venous blood to the
heart. When the breath is released the trapped blood flows rapidly through the
heart, causing a brief increase followed by a brief decrease in heart rate.
[Named for Antonio Maria Valsalva
(1666–1723), an Italian anatomist][1]



valse

valse
valse
[vaals] (plural vals·es) noun

waltz:
a waltz, especially one written by a French composer or given a French title
[Late 18th century. Via
French from German Walzer (see waltz
).][1]



valuable

valuable
val·u·a·ble 
[vállyoo əb’l] adjective

1.  worth
a great deal of money: having significant monetary
value

2.  useful:
having great importance or usefulness • a
valuable insight

3.  held
dear:
cherished or esteemed because of personal qualities

4.  rare:
highly prized because of being in short or limited supply

5.  able
to be valued: capable of being assigned a value
noun
(plural val·u·a·bles)

valuable item:
a possession, especially a piece of jewelry, that has significant monetary
value
—val·u·a·ble·ness,
noun

—val·u·a·bly, adverb[1]



valuableconsideration

valuableconsideration
val·u·a·ble
con·sid·er·a·tion noun

requirement for valid
contract: in English contract law,
something given or undertaken as part of an agreement between two parties that
has some objective value and so makes the agreement a valid contract. For
example, to form a valid contract for the sale of a car, valuable consideration
is the money paid to the person selling the car.[1]



valuate

valuate
val·u·ate 
[vállyoo àyt] (past val·u·at·ed,
past participle val·u·at·ed, present participle val·u·at·ing,
3rd person present singular val·u·ates) transitive verb

value:
to value something[1]



valuation

valuation
val·u·a·tion 
[vàllyoo áysh’n] (plural val·u·a·tions)
noun

1.  appraisal
of cost:
the act of determining the value or price of something, especially property

2.  price:
the price of something established by appraisal of its quality, condition, and
desirability, or of the cost of replacement

3.  estimate
of importance: an estimate of the importance or
usefulness of something
—val·u·a·tion·al,
adjective

—val·u·a·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



valuator

valuator
val·u·a·tor 
[vállyoo àytər] (plural val·u·a·tors)
noun

appraiser:
somebody who assesses the value of objects such as jewelry or works of art[1]



value

value
val·ue 
[vállyoo] noun (plural val·ues)

1.  monetary
worth:
an amount expressed in money or another medium of exchange that is thought to
be a fair exchange for something • goods
to the value of $500

2.  full
recovered worth: the adequate or satisfactory return on
or recompense for something • it’s
value for money

3.  worth
or importance: the worth, importance, or usefulness of
something to somebody • a ring
with great sentimental value

4.  LINGUISTICS meaning:
the exact meaning or significance of a word

5.  MATHEMATICS numerical
quantity:
a numerical quantity assigned to a mathematical symbol

6.  MUSIC length
of a note:
the length of time that a note or pause is held

7.  ARTS shade
of a color:
in painting and drawing, the lightness or darkness of a color

8.  PHONETICS sound
represented: the quality or tone of a speech sound
that a letter or written character represents, especially in a particular
context when in isolation it can represent more than one sound
plural
noun
val·ues

principles or standards:
the accepted principles or standards of an individual or a group
transitive
verb
(past val·ued, past participle val·ued, present
participle val·u·ing, 3rd person present singular val·ues)

1.  estimate
the value of something: to estimate or determine the
value of something • the painting was valued
at $5,000

2.  rate
something:
to rate something according to its perceived worth, importance, or usefulness

3.  regard
highly:
to regard somebody or something as important or useful • I
value her as a friend.
[14th century. From Old
French, from valoir “to be worth,” from Latin valere “to be
powerful.”][1]



valueadded

valueadded
val·ue
add·ed
noun

increase in product value:
the amount by which the value of a product increases as it proceeds through the
various stages of its manufacture and distribution[1]



value-added

value-added
val·ue-add·ed 
adjective

of increasing product value:
relating to the increasing value of a product as it proceeds through the
various stages of its manufacture and distribution[1]



value-addedtax

value-addedtax
val·ue-add·ed
tax
noun

Full form of
VAT[1]



valuedate

valuedate
val·ue
date
noun

date of a financial
transaction: in the calculation of
exchange rates, the date on which a transaction is judged to have occurred[1]



valuedpolicy

valuedpolicy
val·ued
pol·i·cy 
noun

type of insurance policy:
an insurance policy in which the amount payable for a valid claim is
established when the policy is issued and is independent of the value of a loss
subsequently incurred[1]



value-free

value-free
val·ue-free
adjective

free from value judgments:
not affected by or based on value judgments[1]



valuejudgment

valuejudgment
val·ue
judg·ment
noun

subjective judgment:
a judgment of the worth, appropriateness, or importance of somebody or
something made on the basis of personal beliefs, opinions, or prejudices rather
than facts[1]



valueless

valueless
val·ue·less 
[vállyooləss] adjective

worthless:
having no value
—val·ue·less·ness, noun[1]



valuesystem

valuesystem
val·ue
sys·tem
noun

set of values:
a set of personal principles and standards[1]



valuta

valuta
val·u·ta 
[və ltə] (plural val·u·tas) noun

exchange
value of currency: the value of one nation’s
currency in terms of its exchange rate with another currency
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “value.”][1]



valval

valval
val·val
[válvəl] or val·var [válvər] adjective

See
valvular[1]



valvate

valvate
val·vate 
[vál vàyt] adjective

1.  with
valves:
having valves or parts similar to valves

2.  BOTANY not
overlapping in bud: used to describe sepals or
petals that touch but do not overlap in the bud.
See
also
imbricate

3.  BOTANY taking
place by means of valves: used to describe the
splitting open of the seed capsules of the iris or lily that takes place by
means of valves
[Early 19th century. From
Latin valvatus “having folding doors,” from valva (see valve ).][1]



valve

valve
valve 
[valv] (plural valves) noun

1.  ENGINEERING device
that controls liquid flow: a device that controls the
movement of liquids or gases through piping or other passages by opening or
closing ports and channels

2.  MUSIC part
on a brass instrument: a device in some brass
instruments that diverts air down tubes of varying length, thereby altering the
pitch

3.  U.K.
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See vacuum tube

4.  ANATOMY closable
flap in an organ: a membranous structure in a hollow organ
or vessel such as the heart or a vein that prevents the return flow of fluid
passing through it by folding or closing

5.  BOTANY part
of a seed pod: any of the segments of the wall of a
seed pod or other fruit that splits apart to reveal the contents

6.  BOTANY anther
flap:
a flap that acts like a lid in some types of anthers

7.  BOTANY part
of the cell wall: either of the two parts of the
silica-impregnated cell wall of a type of alga ( diatom
) that fit together like the lid and base of a box

8.  ZOOLOGY separable
part of a shell: a hinged part of the shell of a
brachiopod or some mollusks

9.  ZOOLOGY single-unit
shell:
the single-unit shell of a snail and some other mollusks

10. door
leaf:
a leaf of a double or folding door (archaic)
[15th
century. From Latin valva “leaf of a folding door,” of uncertain
origin.]
—valve·less, adjective[1]



valvegear

valvegear
valve
gear
(plural valve gears) noun

valve control mechanism:
a mechanical device that controls the valves of a reciprocating engine[1]



valve-in-headengine

valve-in-headengine
valve-in-head
en·gine 
(plural valve-in-head en·gines) noun

internal-combustion engine:
an internal-combustion engine with its inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder
head, not in the engine block.
U.K. term
overhead-valve engine[1]



valvespring

valvespring
valve
spring
(plural valve springs) noun

1.  spring
holding a valve closed: a spiral spring that holds a
valve closed in the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine

2.  spring
that closes a valve: a spring that closes an
opened valve

[1]



valvula

valvula
val·vu·la 
[válvyələ] (plural val·vu·lae
[válvyə l]) noun

ANATOMY See valvule  noun 1
[Early 17th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin valva (see valve
).][1]



valvular

valvular
val·vu·lar 
[válvyələr] adjective

1.  relating
to valves:
relating to, having, or acting like a valve or set of valves

2.  affecting
valves:
involving or affecting a valve or set of valves

[1]



valvule

valvule
val·vule 
[vál vyl] (plural val·vules) noun

1.  ANATOMY small
valve:
a small valve or a part that functions or looks like one.
Also
called
valvula

2.  BOTANY See palea
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
valvula .][1]



valvulitis

valvulitis
val·vu·li·tis 
[vàlvyə ltiss] noun

inflammation of a valve in
the body: inflammation of a valve in
the body, especially one in the heart, often caused by rheumatic fever[1]



valvuloplasty

valvuloplasty
val·vu·lo·plast·y 
[válvyələ plàstee] (plural val·vu·lo·plas·ties)
noun

plastic
surgery on a valve: plastic surgery performed to
repair a valve in the body, especially one in the heart
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from valvule + -plasty
.][1]



Valéry,Paul

Valéry,Paul
Va·lé·ry
[vàlle r, vaa
lay r], Paul (1871–1945)

French
poet and critic. He was considered to be one of France’s greatest 20th-century
poets and his prolific early output was followed by a 20-year silence, during
which he worked mainly on mathematics and philosophical meditations. His later
work was heavily influenced by the symbolists.
Full name
Valéry, Paul Ambroise[1]



vambrace

vambrace
vam·brace 
[vám bràyss] (plural vam·brac·es)
noun

armor
for the forearm: a piece of armor worn over the forearm
as protection
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman vauntbras from Old French avantbras, from avant
“before” + bras “arm” (source of English brace
).][1]



vamoose

vamoose
va·moose 
[va mss, və
mss] (past va·moosed, past participle va·moosed,
present participle va·moos·ing, 3rd person present singular
va·moos·es) intransitive verb

go
away quickly: to leave in a hurried way (slang)
[Mid-19th
century. From Spanish vamos “let us go.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term vamoose is now widespread through the
  United States, spreading into general currency from Texas to California and
  further strengthened with the recent accelerated influx of Mexican-Americans
  across the country.

[1]



vamp

vamp2
vamp2 [vamp]
noun (plural vamps)

1.  CLOTHES upper
part of a shoe: the upper part of a shoe that covers the
front part of the foot

2.  something
patched up:
something repaired so as to appear new

3.  rehashing
of something: a reworking of something already used or
available, especially a book or article

4.  MUSIC improvised
musical introduction: an improvised musical
introduction or accompaniment that is repeated as necessary until the entry of
the solo line
verb
(past vamped, past participle vamped, present
participle vamp·ing, 3rd person present singular vamps)

1.  transitive
verb
CLOTHES put
a vamp on a shoe: to put a vamp on a shoe

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb MUSIC improvise a musical
introduction or accompaniment: to improvise a musical
introduction or accompaniment for a solo line
[14th
century. Shortening of Old French avantpié, from avant “before” +
pié “foot.”]
—vamp·er, noun[1]



vamp

vamp1
vamp1 [vamp]
noun (plural vamps)

seductive woman:
a woman who is believed to use her sexual attractiveness for the seduction and
manipulation of others
verb
(past vamped, past participle vamped, present
participle vamp·ing, 3rd person present singular vamps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb seduce
somebody:
to seduce and manipulate somebody by appearing to offer sexual intercourse

2.  intransitive
verb
act
like vamp:
to act like or play the role of a vamp
[Early
20th century. Shortening of vampire .]
—vamp·er,
noun

—vamp·ish,
adjective

—vamp·ish·ly,
adverb

—vamp·y, adjective[1]



vampire

vampire
vam·pire 
[vám pr] (plural vam·pires) noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY bloodsucking
evil spirit: in European folklore, a dead person
believed to rise each night from the grave and suck blood from the living for
sustenance

2.  somebody
predatory:
somebody who preys on other people for financial or emotional gain

3.  ZOOLOGY See vampire bat

4.  THEATER trap
door:
a trap door on the floor of a stage (technical)
[Mid-18th
century. Via French or German from Serbo-Croat vampir, of uncertain
origin: perhaps via Russian from Kazan Tatar ubyr “witch.”]
—vam·pir·ic
[vam prik], adjective

—vam·pir·i·cal
[vam prik’l], adjective

—vam·pir·ish [vám prish], adjective[1]



vampirebat

vampirebat
vam·pire
bat
noun

bloodsucking bat:
a bat found in tropical and subtropical Central and South America that bites
the skin of birds or other mammals and laps the blood. It takes relatively
little blood from its victims but can transmit serious diseases such as rabies.
Family: Desmodontidae
Also called
vampire[1]



vampirism

vampirism
vam·pir·ism 
[vám pī rìzzəm] noun

1.  belief
in vampires: the belief that corpses can leave their
graves at night and suck the blood of living people

2.  state
of being a vampire: the supposed state or
practices of a vampire

3.  financial
or emotional exploitation: the act of preying on other
people for financial or emotional gain

[1]



vampup

vampup
vamp
up
transitive verb

1.  repair:
to rework or renovate something

2.  fabricate:
to make something up or improvise something

[1]



van.

van.
van.

Abbreviation of
vanilla[1]



van

van1
van1 [van]
noun (plural vans)

1.  AUTOMOTIVE enclosed
motor vehicle: a motor vehicle that has rear or side
doors or sliding side panels and is used for transporting goods or people

2.  U.K.
RAIL railroad
car:
a closed railroad car for goods, or the section of the car for the conductor,
luggage, packages, or mail
verb
(past vanned, past participle vanned, present
participle van·ning, 3rd person present singular vans)
TRANSPORT

1.  transitive
verb
transport
by van:
to move something from one place to another by van

2.  intransitive
verb
travel
in a van:
to drive or travel in a van
[Early 19th century.
Shortening of caravan .][1]



van

van2
van2 [van]
(plural vans) noun

1.  AGRICULTURE winnowing
device:
a device used for winnowing grain (archaic)

2.  BIRDS wing:
a bird’s wing (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Originally a
dialect form of fan .][1]



van

van3
van3 [van]
(plural vans) noun

front:
the leading position
[Early 17th century.
Shortening of vanguard .][1]



Van

Van
Van
[van, vaan]

city in eastern Turkey, the
capital of Van Province. It lies on the eastern shore of Lake Van, about 80
km/50 mi west of the Turkish-Iranian border. Population: 153,111 (1990)[1]



vanadate

vanadate
van·a·date 
[vánnə dàyt] (plural van·a·dates)
noun

vanadium
salt or ester: a salt or ester of vanadium
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from vanadium .][1]



vanadic

vanadic
va·na·dic 
[və náydik, və
náddik] adjective

of
high-valence vanadium: consisting of or containing
high-valence vanadium.
See
also
vanadous
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from vanadium .][1]



vanadinite

vanadinite
va·na·di·nite 
[və náyd’n t, və
nádd’n t] noun

vanadium
ore:
a rare lead and vanadium mineral, brown, red, or yellow in color, that is found
with other lead minerals and is a source of vanadium. Pb5(VO4)2Cl
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from vanadium .][1]



vanadium

vanadium

va·na·di·um 
[və náydee əm] noun
silvery-white
metallic element: a poisonous silvery-white metallic
chemical element used in making tough steel alloys and as a catalyst. Symbol
V
[Mid-19th century. Via modern
Latin from Old Norse Vanadis, a Scandinavian goddess.][1]



vanadiumpentoxide

vanadiumpentoxide
va·na·di·um
pent·ox·ide 
noun

crystalline compound used in
glass-making: a yellow or red
crystalline compound used in glass-making and as a catalyst. V2O5[1]



vanadiumsteel

vanadiumsteel
va·na·di·um
steel
noun

low-alloy steel containing
vanadium: a low-alloy steel containing
the element vanadium for added strength[1]



vanadous

vanadous
va·na·dous
[və náydəss, vánnədəss]
adjective

of
low-valence vanadium: consisting of or containing
low-valence vanadium.
See
also
vanadic
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from vanadium .][1]



VanAllen belt

VanAllen belt
Van
Al·len belt 
(plural Van Al·len belts) or Van Al·len ra·di·a·tion
belt (plural Van Al·len ra·di·a·tion belts) noun

ring
of particles around the Earth: either of two belts
surrounding the Earth and containing charged particles held there by the
Earth’s magnetic field
[Mid-20th century. Named for
James Van Allen .][1]



VanAllen, James

VanAllen, James
Van
Al·len
[van állən], James (1914– )

U.S.
physicist. A pioneer in high altitude and space research, he discovered (1958)
two radiation belts that encircle the Earth.
Full name
Van Allen, James Alfred[1]



vanaspati

vanaspati
van·as·pa·ti 
[və náspətee] noun

hydrogenated
vegetable oil: a hydrogenated vegetable oil commonly
used in Indian cooking instead of butter
[Mid-20th century. From
Sanskrit vanas-pati, literally “lord of the plants.”][1]



VanBuren, Martin

VanBuren, Martin

Van
Bu·ren
[vanbyrən], Martin (1782–1862)
U.S.
statesman and 8th president of the United States. As president (1837–1841) he
supported the war against the Seminoles in Florida but opposed the annexation
of Texas.
Known as
Little Magician Known as Red Fox of Kinderhook[1]



Vance,Cyrus

Vance,Cyrus
Vance
[vanss], Cyrus (1917– )

U.S.
statesman. He resigned as Jimmy Carter’s secretary of state (1977–1980) after a
failed attempt to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran. He subsequently worked as an
international peace negotiator, notably in Bosnia (1992–1993).
Full name
Vance, Cyrus Roberts[1]



Vancouver




Back to definition

Vancouver

[1]



Vancouver

Vancouver

Van·cou·ver 
[van kvər]
city and port in southwestern British
Columbia, Canada, opposite Vancouver Island. Population: 514,008 (1996)[1]



Vancouver,George

Vancouver,George
Van·cou·ver 
[van kvər], George (1757–1798)

British naval officer and
explorer. He sailed with Captain James Cook and later was the first European to
circumnavigate Vancouver Island, during a surveying expedition.[1]



VancouverIsland

VancouverIsland
Van·cou·ver
Is·land
[van kvər lənd]

island off the southwestern
coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest island off western North
America. Area: 31,284 sq km/12,079 sq mi.[1]



Vancouver,Mount

Vancouver,Mount
Van·cou·ver,
Mount
[van kvər]

peak of St. Elias Range in
southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada. Height: 4,828 m/15,840 ft.[1]



vanda

vanda
van·da
[vándə] (plural van·das or
van·da) noun

E
Asian and Australian orchid: an orchid native to East
Asia and Australia with strap-shaped leaves and flowers that are typically
flattened with a spur on the lip. There are many cultivated varieties and
hybrids. Genus: Vanda
Also
called
vanda orchid
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Sanskrit vandā .][1]



vandal

vandal
van·dal
[vánd’l] (plural van·dals) noun

somebody
who damages property: somebody who maliciously and
deliberately defaces or destroys somebody else’s property
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin Vandalus, of Germanic origin (see Vandal ).]
—van·dal·ish, adjective[1]



Vandal

Vandal
Van·dal 
(plural Van·dals) noun

member
of Germanic people: a member of an ancient
Germanic people who originated in Jutland, now in Denmark. They swept through
Roman Europe during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD,
conquering Gaul, Spain, Rome, and parts of North Africa, before being defeated
at Carthage in 533.
[Old
English Wendlas (plural) “Vandals,” from prehistoric Germanic]
—Van·dal·ic
[van dállik], adjective

—Van·dal·ism [vánd’l ìzzəm], noun[1]



vandalism

vandalism
van·dal·ism 
[vánd’l ìzzəm] noun

destructive
action:
the malicious and deliberate defacement or destruction of somebody else’s
property
—van·dal·is·tic [vànd’l ístik], adjective[1]



vandalize

vandalize
van·dal·ize 
[vánd’l z] (past van·dal·ized,
past participle van·dal·ized, present participle van·dal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular van·dal·iz·es) transitive verb

destroy
property:
to deface, destroy, or otherwise damage private or public property maliciously
and deliberately
—van·dal·i·za·tion [vànd’li záysh’n], noun[1]



vandaorchid

vandaorchid
van·da
or·chid
noun

See
vanda[1]



vande Graaff generator

vande Graaff generator
van
de Graaff gen·er·a·tor  [ván
də graf jènnə raytər] (plural Van de Graaff gen·er·a·tors)
noun

electrostatic
machine for generating high voltages: an
electrostatic machine that produces electrical discharges at extremely high
voltages, used in particle accelerators and for testing electrical insulators.
The electric charge from a source of direct current accumulates on a high-speed
belt inside an insulated metal sphere filled with Freon TM or nitrogen gas under high
pressure.
[Named for R. J. van de
Graaff (1901–1967), U.S. physicist.][1]



Vandenberg,Arthur H.

Vandenberg,Arthur H.
Van·den·berg
[vándən bùrg], Arthur H. (1884–1951)

U.S.
statesman. A senator from 1928, he was influential in setting up the United
Nations (1945).
Full name
Vandenberg, Arthur Hendrick[1]



Vanderbilt,Cornelius

Vanderbilt,Cornelius
Van·der·bilt
[vándər bilt], Cornelius (1794–1877)

U.S.
industrialist. He made a fortune from his steamship company. In 1862 he began
investing in the railroads that he consolidated in 1872 as the New York
Central. He was reputed to be the richest man in the United States when he
died.
Known as
Commodore Vanderbilt[1]



vander Waals’ equation

vander Waals’ equation
van
der Waals’ e·qua·tion [vàn
dər wlz i kwàyzh’n, vàn dər wáwlz i
kwàyzh’n] noun

modified
equation of state: a modified equation of state
describing the physical behavior of gases that takes into account the volumes
of molecules and the interactions between them. It explains the difference in
behavior between a real gas and an ideal gas that obeys the gas laws.
[Named for Johannes van der
Waals (1837–1923), Dutch physicist][1]



vander Waals’ force

vander Waals’ force
van
der Waals’ force (plural van der Waals’ forc·es)
noun

weak
attractive force between particles: a
weak attractive force between atoms or molecules resulting from the positioning
of the electrons within the interacting particles
[See van
der Waals’ equation][1]



VanDiemen’s Land

VanDiemen’s Land
Van
Die·men’s Land  [van dmənz
lànd, vaan dmənz lànd]

Former name for
Tasmania[1]



VanDoren, Mark

VanDoren, Mark
Van
Dor·en
[vandáwrən], Mark (1894–1972)

U.S.
poet and critic. His Collected Poems 1928–1938 (1939) won a Pulitzer
Prize.
Full name
Van Doren, Mark Albert[1]



Vandyke

Vandyke
Van·dyke 
[van dk] (plural Van·dykes) noun

1.  See
Vandyke beard

2.  CLOTHES See Vandyke collar

3.  V-shape:
a V-shape forming part of a decorative border on material or clothing

4.  decorative
border:
a decorative border on material or clothing made up of V-shaped points
[Mid-18th
century. Named for Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599–1641), Flemish painter, in
reference to various characteristic features of his paintings.]
—van·dyked, adjective[1]



Vandykebeard

Vandykebeard
Van·dyke
beard
noun

pointed beard:
a short, neatly trimmed, pointed beard.
Also called
Vandyke[1]



Vandykebrown

Vandykebrown
Van·dyke
brown
adjective

dark
brown:
of a deep rich brown color (hyphenated before a noun)
noun

brown color or pigment:
a deep rich brown color or pigment[1]



Vandykecollar

Vandykecollar
Van·dyke
col·lar
noun

large indented white collar:
a large white collar of linen or lace that has a deeply indented edge.
Also called
Vandyke[1]



Vandykestitch

Vandykestitch
Van·dyke
stitch
noun

V-shaped cross stitch:
a V-shaped variation of cross stitch, used as a filling stitch to form a solid
decoration[1]



vane

vane
vane 
[vayn] (plural vanes) noun

1.  rotating
blade:
a flat blade mounted as part of a set in a circle so as to rotate under the
action of wind or liquid. Windmill sails and turbine blades are examples.

2.  METEOROLOGY weather
vane:
a weather vane

3.  ARMS stabilizer
on a missile: a stabilizing or guiding blade on a
missile

4.  BIRDS blade
of a feather: the flat part of a feather, consisting
of interlocking rows of barbs. Each feather has two vanes, one on each side.

5.  part
of a leveling rod: the moving part on a
leveling rod

6.  COMPASS compass
or quadrant sight: a sight on a compass or
quadrant
[15th
century. Originally a dialect form of fane
.]
—vaned, adjective[1]



VanFleet, James A.

VanFleet, James A.
Van
Fleet
[vanflt], James A. (1892–1992)

U.S.
soldier. A veteran of both World Wars, he was field commander (1951–1953) of
United Nations forces during the Korean War.
Full name
Van Fleet, James Alward[1]



vang

vang
vang 
[vang] (plural vangs) noun

guy
rope from a gaff to the deck: a guy rope forming part of a
pair that extend from a gaff to the deck
[Mid-18th century. Variant of
fang .][1]



vanGogh, Vincent

vanGogh, Vincent

van
Gogh
[vaan kháwkh, van
gṓ, vangáwkh], Vincent (1853–1890)
Dutch
painter. His highly expressive canvases are characterized by their bright
colors and vigorous brushstrokes.
Full name
van Gogh, Vincent Willem[1]



vanguard

vanguard
van·guard 
[ván grd] (plural van·guards)
noun

1.  leading
position or people: the leading position of a
movement, field, or cultural trend, or the people who are foremost in a
movement, field, or cultural trend

2.  MILITARY advance
troops:
the military divisions of an army or navy that lead the advance into battle
[15th
century. Shortening of French avant-garde, from avant “before” + garde
“guard.”]
—van·guard·ism,
noun

—van·guard·ist, noun[1]



vanilla

vanilla
va·nil·la 
[və níllə] noun (plural va·nil·las)

1.  PLANTS vine
with seed pods used as flavoring: a tropical American
vine of the orchid family cultivated for its seed pods, from which a popular
flavoring is produced. Genus: Vanilla

2.  PLANTS vanilla
pod:
the long, narrow, fleshy seed pod of the vanilla vine.
Also
called
vanilla bean

3.  COOKING vanilla
flavoring:
a flavoring extracted from the seed pods of the vanilla vine and used in
cooking
adjective

1.  COOKING flavored
with vanilla: flavored with vanilla, or having a
flavor of vanilla

2.  plain
or dull:
lacking outstanding or interesting characteristics • vanilla
software
[Mid-17th century. From
Spanish vainilla, literally “small sheath,” from vaina “sheath,”
from Latin vagina . From the shape of the vanilla seed pod.][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vanillabean

vanillabean
va·nil·la
bean
(plural va·nil·la beans) noun

See
vanilla  noun 2[1]



vanillaplant

vanillaplant
va·nil·la
plant
(plural va·nil·la plants) noun

plant grown for vanilla pods:
a plant used commercially as a source of vanilla pods. Latin name: Vanilla
planifolia[1]



vanillic

vanillic
va·nil·lic 
[və níllik] adjective

containing vanilla:
resembling, containing, or derived from vanilla or vanillin[1]



vanillin

vanillin
va·nil·lin 
[və níllin, vánnəlin]
noun

compound obtained from
vanilla: a white aldehyde obtained
from vanilla or prepared synthetically and used as a flavoring and in perfumes.
C8H8O3[1]



Vanir

Vanir
Va·nir 
[v nr] plural noun

peace-loving
Norse gods:
in Norse mythology, a race of peace-loving gods
[From Old Norse, of uncertain
origin: probably ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to desire,”
which is also the ancestor of English win
and venerate][1]



vanish

vanish
van·ish 
[vánnish] (past van·ished, past
participle van·ished, present participle van·ish·ing, 3rd
person present singular van·ish·es) intransitive verb

1.  disappear
suddenly:
to disappear suddenly or inexplicably • It
can’t just have vanished!

2.  stop
existing:
to cease to exist

3.  MATHEMATICS become
zero:
to assume or be given the value of zero (refers to a function or variable)
[14th
century. From the Old French stem esvaniss-, from esvanir, from
Latin evanescere “to die out, pass away,” from, ultimately, vanus
“empty” (see vain ).]
—van·ish·er,
noun

—van·ish·ing·ly,
adverb

—van·ish·ment, noun[1]



vanishingpoint

vanishingpoint
van·ish·ing
point 
[vánnishing pòynt] noun

1.  apparent
meeting point of parallel lines: a point in a drawing
or painting at which parallel lines seem to meet as represented in perspective

2.  point
where something disappears: a point at which something
disappears or ceases being

[1]



vanity

vanity
van·i·ty 
[vánnətee] (plural van·i·ties)
noun

1.  excessive
pride:
excessive pride, especially in your appearance • She
is entirely free of personal vanity.

2.  something
somebody is vain about: an instance or source of
excessive pride

3.  futility:
the state or fact of being futile, worthless, or empty of significance

4.  something
futile:
something that is considered futile, worthless, or empty of significance

5.  See
vanity case

6.  See
dressing table

7.  U.S.,
New Zealand cabinet holding a sink:
a cabinet that holds a sink and its plumbing, usually with drawers or shelves
under the sink for storage.
U.K.
term
vanity unit
[13th century. Via Old French
from Latin vanitas, from vanus “empty” (see vain ).][1]



vanitycase

vanitycase
van·i·ty
case
or van·i·ty noun

1.  small
cosmetics case: a small case or bag in which somebody
carries cosmetics

2.  ACCESSORIES compact:
a compact (dated)

[1]



VanityFair

VanityFair
Van·i·ty
Fair
or van·i·ty fair noun

place
of meaningless frivolities: a place, especially a very
large city or the world in general, considered to be frivolous and full of idle
worthless amusements (literary)
[Coined by John Bunyan in his Pilgrim’s Progress (1678)][1]



vanityplate

vanityplate
van·i·ty
plate
noun

special license plate:
a license plate for a motor vehicle for which the owner has paid extra to be
able to choose its numbers and letters[1]



vanitypublisher

vanitypublisher
van·i·ty
pub·lish·er
or van·i·ty press noun

company publishing at the
authors’ expense: a publishing house that
publishes an author’s work in return for payment from the author. Vanity
publishers do not typically market or distribute their publications.[1]



vanitypublishing

vanitypublishing
van·i·ty
pub·lish·ing noun

publishing at the authors’
expense: the business of publishing
books at the author’s expense[1]



vanitytable

vanitytable
van·i·ty
ta·ble
noun

See
dressing table[1]



vanitytelephone number

vanitytelephone number
van·i·ty
tel·e·phone num·ber (plural van·i·ty
tel·e·phone num·bers) noun

personally chosen telephone
number: a telephone number
consisting of numbers chosen by the customer, usually so as to spell some
mnemonic on the standard telephone dial[1]



vanityunit

vanityunit
van·i·ty
u·nit
noun

U.K.
See dressing table[1]



Van,Lake

Van,Lake
Van,
Lake
[van, vaan]

saltwater lake in eastern
Turkey, between the sources of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, at an altitude
of 1,720 m/5,643 ft. Area: 3,763 sq km//1,453 sq mi.[1]



vanload

vanload
van·load 
[ván ld] (plural van·loads) noun

amount carried by a van:
the amount of goods or passengers that a van can transport at one time[1]



VanLoon, Hendrick Willem

VanLoon, Hendrick Willem
Van
Loon
[van ln, vanlṓn],
Hendrick Willem (1882–1944)

Dutch-born U.S. historian. He
is known for his bestselling The Story of Mankind ( 1921 ) and other
works of popular history.[1]



vanpool

vanpool
van·pool 
[ván pl] noun (plural van·pools)

van-sharing
arrangement for commuters: an arrangement by which a
number of people travel together to and from work in a shared van
intransitive
verb
(past van·pooled, past participle van·pooled, present
participle van·pool·ing, 3rd person present singular van·pools)

commute
in a shared van: to convey somebody to and from work in a
shared van, or to be conveyed in this way
[Late 20th century. Van from van 1 .][1]



vanquish

vanquish
van·quish 
[vángkwish] (past van·quished,
past participle van·quished, present participle van·quish·ing,
3rd person present singular van·quish·es) transitive verb

1.  defeat
in battle:
to defeat an opponent or opposing army in a battle or fight

2.  defeat
in competition: to prove convincingly superior to
somebody in a contest, competition, or argument

3.  overcome
emotion:
to overcome, suppress, or subdue an emotion, feeling, or idea
[14th
century. Formed from Old French venquis, from veintre, from Latin
vincere “conquer” (source of English convince,
victory, and evict ).]
—van·quish·a·ble,
adjective

—van·quish·er,
noun

—van·quish·ment,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at defeat

[1]



VanRensselaer, Stephen

VanRensselaer, Stephen
Van
Rens·se·laer [vanrènssə
lr, vanrénssələr], Stephen
(1764–1839)

U.S. soldier and politician.
A major landowner in New York State, he commanded the New York militia during
the War of 1812 and also promoted educational and development projects.[1]



vantage

vantage
van·tage 
[vántij] (plural van·tages) noun

1.  advantageous
position:
a position that provides an advantage

2.  superiority
in a contest: superiority in a contest or competition

3.  See
vantage point
[14th
century. From Old French avantage (see advantage
).]
—van·tage·less, adjective[1]



vantagepoint

vantagepoint
van·tage
point
noun

1.  van·tage
point
or van·tage position giving a good view:
a position or location that provides a broad view or perspective of something.
Also
called
vantage

2.  personal
standpoint:
a personal point of view

[1]



Vanuatu

Vanuatu


Van·u·a·tu 
[vnnoo  too]
republic in the southwestern Pacific
Ocean, comprising approximately 80 islands. Language: English. Language:
French. Currency: vatu. Capital: Port-Vila. Population: 172,000 Area: 12,190 sq
km/4,707 sq mi. Official name Republic of Vanuatu Former name New Hebrides[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vanward

vanward
van·ward
[vánwərd] adjective

at
the front:
in or at the front or edge of something
adverb

moving toward the front:
moving toward the front or edge of something[1]



Vanzetti,Bartolomeo

Vanzetti,Bartolomeo
Van·zet·ti
[van zéttee], Bartolomeo (1888–1927)

Italian-born U.S. anarchist.
With Nicola Sacco, he was convicted of murder in 1921 and executed in 1927
despite a lengthy appeal and worldwide protests that the verdict was
politically motivated. The case continued to generate controversy, and modern
scholars believe that Vanzetti was probably innocent.[1]



vapid

vapid
vap·id 
[váppid] adjective

1.  dull:
lacking interest or liveliness

2.  insipid:
lacking strength, taste, or flavor
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin vapidus “insipid.”]
—va·pid·i·ty
[və píddətee], noun

—vap·id·ly
[váppidlee], adverb

—vap·id·ness [váppidnəss], noun[1]



vapor

vapor
va·por 
[váypər] noun (plural va·pors)

1.  PHYSICS gaseous
substance:
a gaseous substance at a temperature lower than that at which it can be
liquefied or solidified by an appropriate increase in pressure alone

2.  PHYSICS moisture
particles:
moisture or some other matter visible in the air as mist, clouds, fumes, or
smoke

3.  PHYSICS gaseous
state of a substance: the gaseous state of a
liquid or solid at a temperature below its boiling point

4.  CHEMISTRY vaporized
substance:
a substance prepared for military, industrial, or medical use in vaporized form

5.  ENGINEERING gas
and air mixture: a combination of air with a gaseous
substance such as that of air and gasoline in an internal-combustion engine

6.  something
unsubstantial and impermanent: something without
material existence or permanence (archaic)

7.  fanciful
idea:
a fanciful idea (archaic)
plural
noun
va·pors

low spirits: a
bout of low spirits or sadness (archaic)
verb
(past va·pored, past participle va·pored, present
participle va·por·ing, 3rd person present singular va·pors)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS evaporate:
to change or cause something to change into a vapor

2.  intransitive
verb
PHYSICS emit
vapor:
to give off or send up vapor

3.  intransitive
verb
brag:
to talk boastfully
[14th
century. Directly or via Old French from Latin vapor “steam, heat.”]
—va·por·a·bil·i·ty
[vàypərə bíllətee], noun

—va·por·a·ble
[váypərəb’l], adjective

—va·por·er,
noun

—va·por·y [váypəree], adjective[1]



vaporbarrier

vaporbarrier
va·por
bar·ri·er
noun

layer excluding moisture:
a protective layer of material used in building to keep out moisture[1]



vapordensity

vapordensity
va·por
den·si·ty
noun

gas density in relation to
hydrogen: the density of a gas or
vapor in relation to that of hydrogen[1]



vaporescence

vaporescence
va·por·es·cence 
[vàypə réssəns] noun

vapor
formation:
the formation or creation of vapor
—va·por·es·cent, adjective[1]



vaporetto

vaporetto
va·por·et·to 
[vàypə réttō] (plural va·por·et·ti
[vàypə réttee] or va·por·et·tos)
noun

Venetian
passenger motorboat: a motorboat for transporting
passengers along the canals in Venice, Italy
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, literally “small steamboat,” from vapore, from Latin vapor
(see vapor ).][1]



vaporific

vaporific
va·por·if·ic 
[vàypə ríffik] adjective

1.  producing
vapor:
producing, causing, or becoming vapor

2.  being
vapor:
being, containing, or resembling vapor

3.  volatile:
capable of changing easily from a liquid or solid state into vapor

[1]



vaporize

vaporize
va·por·ize 
[váypə rz] (past va·por·ized,
past participle va·por·ized, present participle va·por·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular va·por·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

1.  change
into vapor:
to change into or cause something to change into vapor

2.  vanish
or make vanish: to vanish or cause somebody or something
to vanish

3.  annihilate
or be annihilated: to destroy somebody or
something so completely that the person or object is turned into a gas or
vapor, or to be destroyed in this way
—va·por·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—va·por·i·za·tion [vàypəri záysh’n], noun[1]



vaporizer

vaporizer
va·por·iz·er 
[váypə rzər] noun

something that vaporizes:
something used to produce a vapor, especially a device used to vaporize a
medication so that it can be inhaled[1]



vaporlock

vaporlock
va·por
lock
noun

blockage caused by a gas
bubble: a bubble of vaporized
gasoline that blocks the normal flow of fuel in the line that supplies the
carburetor of an internal-combustion engine[1]



vaporous

vaporous
va·por·ous 
[váypərəss] adjective

1.  being
vapor:
being, containing, or resembling vapor

2.  producing
vapor:
producing, causing, or becoming vapor

3.  volatile:
capable of changing easily from a liquid or solid state into vapor

4.  unsubstantial:
lacking material existence or permanence

5.  fanciful:
of a fanciful, ridiculous, or implausible nature

6.  obscured
by vapor:
made hard to see because of being obscured by mist or vapor
—va·por·os·i·ty
[vàypə róssətee], noun

—va·por·ous·ly
[váypərəsslee], adverb

—va·por·ous·ness [váypərəssnəss], noun[1]



vaporpressure

vaporpressure
va·por
pres·sure
or va·por ten·sion noun

pressure exerted by vapor:
the pressure exerted by a vapor, particularly a vapor in contact with its
liquid form[1]



vaportrail

vaportrail
va·por
trail
noun

trail of vapor left by
aircraft: a visible trail of condensed
vapor left by an aircraft flying at high altitude.
Also called
condensation trail
Also called
contrail[1]



vaporware

vaporware
va·por·ware 
[váypər wàir] noun

nonexistent
software:
new software that has been announced or advertised but has not yet been, and
may never be, produced
[Late 20th century. Formed
from vapor, on the model of software .][1]



vapour

vapour
va·pour 
[váypər] noun intransitive and
transitive verb

U.K. =
vapor[1]



vaquero

vaquero
va·que·ro 
[vaa kérrō] (plural va·que·ros)
noun

Southwestern
U.S.
cowboy:
a cowboy
[Early
19th century. From Spanish, from vaca “cow.”]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Vaquero is primarily a Texas word,
  where it contrasts in social usage with two other terms, the Anglicized buckaroo
  and the Mexican-Spanish loan charro (“rude, tasteless farm laborer”).
  In Texas, vaquero applies mainly to a
  working cowboy, especially a bachelor, buckaroo to a married working
  cowboy, and charro to an ostentatiously dressed pretender, a dude.

[1]



VAR

VAR2
VAR2

1.  Abbreviation
of
visual aural range

2.  Abbreviation
of
volt-ampere reactive

[1]



var.

var.
var.

1.  Abbreviation
of
variable

2.  Abbreviation
of
variant

3.  Abbreviation
of
variation

[1]



VAR

VAR1
VAR1 [vaar]
noun

(plural VARs) computer
dealer who augments products: a retail
seller of computers who adds products to computers produced by manufacturers or
performs services such as product integration or customization before selling
the computers to customers. Abbreviation of value-added reseller[1]



var

var
var

Abbreviation of
volt-ampere reactive[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vara

vara
va·ra 
[vrə] (plural va·ras) noun

measure
of length:
a unit of length used in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America that can be from 80
cm32 in. to 108 cm43 in. in length
[Late 17th century. Via
Spanish, “rod, yardstick,” from Latin, “forked pole, trestle,” from varus
“bent.”][1]



varactor

varactor
va·rac·tor 
[və ráktər] (plural va·rac·tors)
noun

semiconductor
device:
a semiconductor diode with a capacitance that varies according to the voltage
applied to it, used to regulate the frequency of electronic circuits in
amplifiers
[Mid-20th century.
Contraction of variable + reactor .][1]



Varanasi

Varanasi
Va·ra·na·si 
[və rnəssee] or Vā·rā·na·si [və rnəssee]

city in Uttar Pradesh State,
northern India, on the Ganges River. It is an important place of pilgrimage for
Hindus. Population: 925,962 (1991) Former name Benares[1]



Varangian

Varangian
Va·ran·gi·an
[və ránjee ən] (plural Va·ran·gi·ans)
noun

Viking
settler in Russia: a member of any of the
Scandinavian peoples who invaded and settled in Russia between the 8th and the
11th centuries
[Late
18th century. Via medieval Latin Varangus and medieval Greek baraggos
from, ultimately, Old Norse Vringi, from vár “pledge.”]
—Va·ran·gi·an, adjective[1]



VarangianGuard

VarangianGuard
Va·ran·gi·an
Guard
noun

1.  Scandinavian
force guarding a Byzantine emperor: the
body of Scandinavian soldiers who were the Byzantine emperor’s bodyguard in the
10th and 11th centuries

2.  member
of the Varangian Guard: a Scandinavian soldier in
the Varangian Guard

[1]



varec

varec
var·ec 
[vérrək] (plural var·ecs) noun

kelp:
kelp
[Late 17th century. From
French .][1]



VargasLlosa, Mario

VargasLlosa, Mario
Var·gas
Llo·sa
[vrgəss yṓssə], Mario (1936– )

Peruvian
writer and critic. Many of his works deal with issues of social change and
political corruption.
Full name
Varga Llosa, Jorge Mario Pedro[1]



vari-

vari-
vari-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
vario-[1]



varia

varia
var·i·a 
[vérree ə] plural noun

miscellany:
a collection, especially one of diverse literary works
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, literally “various things.”][1]



variable

variable
var·i·a·ble 
[vérree əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to change:
able or liable to change, especially suddenly and unpredictably

2.  METEOROLOGY likely
to blow differently: used to describe a wind that
is likely to change direction or intensity

3.  inconsistent:
inconsistent or uneven in quality or performance • a
variable performance

4.  fickle:
inconstant and capricious in nature or character

5.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING with
resistance that varies: used to describe an
electrical device that has a resistance that varies

6.  BIOLOGY differing
from the species norm: used to describe a species
that tends to differ in some characteristic from a recognized or known type

7.  MATHEMATICS with
no fixed numerical value: not having a fixed numerical
value
noun
(plural var·i·a·bles)

1.  something
that can vary: something capable of changing or varying

2.  ENGINEERING fluctuating
design criterion: a parameter of an engineering design
criterion whose value may fluctuate over a wide range, for example, the dynamic
load on a bridge caused by traffic

3.  MATHEMATICS symbol
for an unspecified quantity: a symbol that represents an
unspecified or unknown quantity, such as “a,” “b,” or “x”

4.  MATHEMATICS range
of values:
a range of values, any one of which is a solution to an algebraic expression

5.  LOGIC logic
symbol:
a symbol, especially “x,” “y,” or “z,” that is used usually in connection with
quantifiers to represent individuals in a universe of discourse

6.  ASTRONOMY See variable star

7.  METEOROLOGY variable
wind:
a wind that is likely to change in direction or intensity
plural
noun
var·i·a·bles

METEOROLOGY region
of variable winds: a region where variable
winds are likely to be encountered
[14th
century. Via Old French from Latin variabilis, from variare (see vary ).]
—var·i·a·bil·i·ty
[vèrree ə bíllətee], noun

—var·i·a·ble·ness
[vérree əb’lnəss], noun

—var·i·a·bly [vérree əblee], adverb[1]



variablecost

variablecost
var·i·a·ble
cost
noun

cost determined by output:
a cost that varies directly in relation to output[1]



variable-geometry

variable-geometry
var·i·a·ble-ge·om·e·try
adjective

with movable hinged wings:
used to describe an aircraft with wings that are hinged so that in flight they
can move backward or forward. The wings are swept back to give low drag in
supersonic flight and are moved forward for takeoff and landing.[1]



variable-intervalschedule

variable-intervalschedule
var·i·a·ble-in·ter·val
sched·ule
(plural var·i·a·ble-in·ter·val sched·ules) noun

PSYCHOLOGY
rule for delivering reinforcements at
intervals: in operant conditioning, a
rule for delivering reinforcements after varying amounts of time, for example,
at intervals averaging one minute.
See also
variable-ratio schedule[1]



variable-ratemortgage

variable-ratemortgage
var·i·a·ble-rate
mort·gage 
noun

See
adjustable-rate mortgage[1]



variable-ratioschedule

variable-ratioschedule
var·i·a·ble-ra·tio
sched·ule
(plural var·i·a·ble-ra·tio sched·ules) noun

PSYCHOLOGY
rule for delivering reinforcement after
responses: in operant conditioning, a
rule for delivering reinforcement after a varying number of responses, for
example, after every 10 responses on average.
See also
variable-interval schedule[1]



variablestar

variablestar
var·i·a·ble
star
noun

star whose brightness
changes: a star whose brightness
changes at regular or irregular intervals.
Also called
variable[1]



variable-sweep

variable-sweep
var·i·a·ble-sweep
adjective

AEROSPACE
See variable-geometry[1]



variance

variance
var·i·ance 
[vérree əns] (plural var·i·anc·es)
noun

1.  change
in something: a change that occurs in something

2.  difference
between things: a difference between two or more things

3.  disagreement:
a difference of opinion or attitude • The project
failed because of variances of opinion about the next step.

4.  LAW discrepancy
in something: a discrepancy between two statements,
documents, or steps in a legal proceeding

5.  LAW legal
dispensation: a dispensation to ignore a rule or law

6.  ACCOUNTING difference
in cost:
a difference between actual costs and the usual costs of production

7.  STATISTICS square
of standard deviation: a statistical measure of the
spread or variation of a group of numbers in a sample, equal to the square of
the standard deviation. Other measures of the spread are the ratio of the
squared standard deviation to the sample size population variance, and the
ratio of the squared standard deviation to the sample size minus one sample
variance .
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin variantia, from variare (see vary
).][1]



variant

variant
var·i·ant 
[vérree ənt] adjective

1.  differing
slightly:
having or showing a difference from the norm • variant
pronunciations of common words

2.  changeable:
tending or likely to change
noun
(plural var·i·ants)

1.  slightly
different form: something that differs slightly from the
norm

2.  LINGUISTICS different
form or spelling of word: a different form or spelling
of a word or phrase from the standard one

3.  STATISTICS See random variable
[14th century. Via French,
from varier “to vary,” from Latin variare (see vary ).][1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








variate

variate
var·i·ate 
[vérree it, vérree
àyt] (plural var·i·ates) noun

See
random variable
[Late 19th century. From
Latin variatus, the past participle stem of variare (see vary ).][1]



variation

variation
var·i·a·tion 
[vèrree áysh’n] (plural var·i·a·tions)
noun

1.  act
of varying:
the act or a result of varying

2.  state
of differing: the state or fact of differing, for
example, from a former state or value, from others of the same type, or from a
standard

3.  degree
of difference: the degree to which something differs,
for example, from a former state or value, from others of the same type, or
from a standard • There is a variation of
several points in the test scores.

4.  something
differing slightly: something that differs
slightly from the norm

5.  MUSIC altered
version of a musical theme: an altered version of an
original musical theme or melody, such that the rhythm or harmony is varied or
melodic embellishment is added. Variations are often found in sets, where a
theme is followed by several variations.

6.  MUSIC repetition
of a musical theme: the repetition of a musical
theme with modifications of melody, rhythm, or harmony

7.  MATHEMATICS mathematical
function:
a mathematical function that relates the values of one variable to those of
other variables

8.  BIOLOGY biological
deviation:
a significant deviation from the normal biological form, function, or structure

9.  BIOLOGY living
organism that differs: a living organism that
differs from the normal form for its kind

10. BALLET solo
dance:
a dance performed by a single dancer

11. ASTRONOMY change
in orbit:
a change in or deviation from the average motion or orbit of a celestial body

12. ASTRONOMY term
in equation describing the Moon’s motion: a
term representing the gravitational attraction of the Sun on the Earth-Moon
system in the mathematical equation for the Moon’s motion

13. PHYSICS See magnetic declination

14. LINGUISTICS linguistic
change:
a change in conjugation, declension, inflection, or vowel form
[14th
century. Via French or directly from the Latin stem variation-,
ultimately from variare (see vary ).]
—var·i·a·tion·al,
adjective

—var·i·a·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



varic-

varic-
varic-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
varico-[1]



variceal

variceal
var·i·ce·al 
[vérri sl] adjective

relating
to varicose veins: relating to or caused by a
dilated blood vessel ( varix ) or blood
vessels
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from varico- on the model of such words as
corneal and laryngeal .][1]



varicella

varicella
var·i·cel·la 
[vèrri séllə] noun

chickenpox:
chickenpox (technical)
[Late
18th century. From modern Latin, literally “lesser smallpox,” from variola
(see variola ).]
—va·ri·cel·lar,
adjective

—var·i·cel·lous, adjective[1]



varicellate

varicellate
var·i·cel·late 
[vèrri séllət, vàrri
sé làyt] adjective

with
small ridges on the surface: used to describe a
gastropod’s shell that has small longitudinal ridges on its surface
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin varicella, literally “little pustule,” from medieval
Latin variola (see variola ), from
the ridged surface.][1]



varicella-zostervirus

varicella-zostervirus
var·i·cel·la-zos·ter
vi·rus 
[verri sèllə zóstər vrəss] noun

virus causing chickenpox and
shingles: a herpes virus that is
responsible for chickenpox and shingles[1]



varices

varices
var·i·ces


Plural of
varix[1]



varico-

varico-
varico-
prefix

varix,
varicose vein • varicotomy
[From Latin varic-,
the stem of varix][1]



varicocele

varicocele
var·i·co·cele 
[vérri kō sl] noun

swollen veins in the scrotum:
a swelling of the veins in the spermatic cord of the scrotum. It may cause only
slight discomfort but can affect fertility, so that surgical correction is
required.[1]



varicolored

varicolored
var·i·col·ored 
[vérri kùllərd] adjective

with many colors:
consisting of or having many colors[1]



varicoloured

varicoloured
var·i·col·oured
adjective

U.K. =
varicolored[1]



varicose

varicose
var·i·cose 
[vérri kss] or var·i·cosed [vérri kss] adjective

1.  swollen:
swollen, knotted, or distended to a greater extent than normal

2.  MEDICINE with
varicose veins: affected with or having varicose veins

3.  producing
swelling:
relating to or producing swelling

4.  ZOOLOGY ridged
like a gastropod shell: resembling a small
longitudinal ridge on the shell of some gastropods
[15th century. From Latin varicosus,
from varix “varix.”][1]



varicoses

varicoses
var·i·cos·es

Plural of
varicosis[1]



varicosevein

varicosevein
var·i·cose
vein
noun

swollen
vein:
a vein that has become abnormally swollen and knotted as a result of defective
valves
plural
noun
var·i·cose veins

condition with swollen veins:
a condition in which the surface veins, especially of the legs, become knotted
and swollen, as a result of defects in the valves of the affected veins. The
tendency to develop the condition may be inherited, while other causes include
injury, inflammation, or thrombosis.[1]



varicosis

varicosis
var·i·co·sis 
[vèrri kṓssiss] (plural var·i·co·ses
[vèrri kṓ sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE condition
with swollen veins: a condition in which a vein
or veins become swollen or knotted

2.  ZOOLOGY formation
of ridges on a gastropod shell: the formation of small
longitudinal ridges on the surface of a gastropod shell

[1]



varicosity

varicosity
var·i·cos·i·ty 
[vèrri kóssətee] (plural var·i·cos·i·ties)
noun

1.  swollen
state:
the state of being abnormally swollen or knotted ( varicose
)

2.  varicose
vein:
a varicose vein (technical)

3.  having
swollen veins: the condition of suffering from or
having abnormally swollen or enlarged veins

[1]



varicotomy

varicotomy
var·i·cot·o·my 
[vèrri kóttəmee] (plural var·i·cot·o·mies)
noun

incision into swollen vein:
a surgical incision into a swollen vein, usually performed to treat varicose
veins[1]



varied

varied
var·ied 
[vérreed] adjective

1.  diverse:
showing or characterized by many different forms or kinds

2.  changed:
having undergone change or alteration

3.  with
many colors: consisting of or having many colors
—var·ied·ly,
adverb

—var·ied·ness, noun[1]



variedthrush

variedthrush
var·ied
thrush
noun

N American bird:
a North American thrush that looks like the robin but has a black band on its
breast. Latin name: Ixoreus naevius[1]



variegate

variegate
var·i·e·gate 
[vérree ə gàyt, vérri
gàyt] (past var·i·e·gat·ed, past participle var·i·e·gat·ed,
present participle var·i·e·gat·ing, 3rd person present
singular var·i·e·gates) transitive verb

1.  change
look of something: to change the way something
looks, especially by adding different colors

2.  add
variety:
to add variety to something
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin variegare “to make varied,” from varius
“diverse” (source of English various
).]
—var·i·e·ga·tion
[vèrree ə gáysh’n, vérri
gáysh’n], noun

—var·i·e·ga·tor [vérree ə gàytər, vérri
gàytər], noun[1]



variegated

variegated
var·i·e·gat·ed 
[vérree ə gàytəd, vérri
gàytəd] adjective

1.  with
patches of different colors: marked with or containing
patches of different colors

2.  BOTANY with
patches of lighter color: marked with or containing
patches of lighter color

3.  diverse:
showing or characterized by many different forms or kinds

[1]



varietal

varietal
va·ri·e·tal 
[və r ət’l] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY typical
of biological variety: relating to, typical of, or
being a variety of something, especially a biological variety

2.  WINE made
from single grape variety: made entirely or principally
from a single variety of grape
noun
(plural va·ri·etals)

WINE wine
made from single grape variety: a wine that is made
entirely or principally from a single variety of grape, and is usually known by
the name of the grape variety
—va·ri·e·tal·ly, adverb[1]



variety

variety
va·ri·e·ty 
[və r ətee] (plural va·ri·e·ties)
noun

1.  quality
of being varied: the quality of being varied or
diversified • It’s
easy to get bored if there’s no variety in your work.

2.  particular
type:
a particular type or kind within a general group • a
new variety

3.  collection
of varied things: a collection of varied things, often
belonging to the same general group

4.  THEATER entertainment
made up of different acts: entertainment made up of a
number of different kinds of acts

5.  BOTANY subdivision
of species:
a rank used in classifying living things, especially plants, that is
subordinate to species but superior to form. Varieties of a species generally
have certain distinguishing characteristics, such as a particular flower color,
and may arise naturally or through deliberate plant breeding.
[Mid-16th century. Via Old
French from the Latin stem varietat-, from varius . See various .][1]



varietymeat

varietymeat
va·ri·e·ty
meat
(plural va·ri·e·ty meats) noun

1.  organ
meat:
any meat taken from a slaughtered animal other than flesh removed from the
skeleton, especially organ meat

2.  processed
meat:
any meat that is processed, for example, sausage

[1]



varietyshow

varietyshow
va·ri·e·ty
show
(plural va·ri·e·ty shows) noun

show with various acts:
a theatrical show made up of a number of short performances of different kinds,
such as singing, comic sketches, dancing, and magic acts.
Also called
vaudeville noun 2[1]



varietystore

varietystore
va·ri·e·ty
store
(plural va·ri·e·ty stores) noun

store selling inexpensive
items: a retail store that sells a
wide range of inexpensive items[1]



varifocal

varifocal
var·i·fo·cal
[vèrri fṓk’l] adjective

with
many focusing distances: used to describe composite
eyeglass lenses with varying focal length that allow different focusing
distances for near, far, and intermediate vision
plural
noun
var·i·fo·cals

varifocal eyeglasses:
eyeglasses with composite lenses for distant, intermediate, and near vision[1]



variform

variform
var·i·form 
[vérri fàwrm] adjective

existing
in different forms: existing in different shapes
or forms
[Mid-17th
century. Coined from various + -form .]
—var·i·form·ly, adverb[1]



vario-

vario-
vario-
prefix

variation,
variance, difference • variolite
[From Latin varius
“speckled, variegated”][1]



variola

variola
va·ri·o·la 
[vèrree ṓlə] noun

smallpox:
smallpox (technical)
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin, literally “pustule,” from Latin varius (see various ).][1]



variolate

variolate
var·i·o·late 
[vérree ə làyt] transitive verb (past
var·i·o·lat·ed, past participle var·i·o·lat·ed, present
participle var·i·o·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular var·i·o·lates)

inoculate
with smallpox virus: to inoculate somebody with
the smallpox virus (dated)
adjective

pitted
or scarred:
with a pitted or scarred appearance, like the skin of somebody who has had
smallpox
—var·i·o·la·tion [vèrree ə láysh’n] (plural var·i·o·la·tions),
noun[1]



variole

variole
var·i·ole 
[vérree l] (plural var·i·oles)
noun

round
mass in rock: any of the small rounded masses that
cause the pockmarked surface in the rock variolite
[Early 19th century. From
late Latin variola (see variola ).][1]



variolite

variolite
var·i·o·lite 
[vérree ə lt] noun

rock
with pitted surface: a rock that has a pockmarked
surface caused by rounded fibrous crystalline masses that are embedded in it
[Late
18th century. Coined from variola + -ite .]
—var·i·o·lit·ic [vèrree ə líttək], adjective[1]



varioloid

varioloid
var·i·o·loid 
[vérree ə lòyd] adjective

like
smallpox:
having the characteristics of smallpox
noun
(plural var·i·o·loids)

mild form of smallpox:
a mild form of smallpox that affects people who are partially immune because of
having been inoculated or having had smallpox already[1]



variolous

variolous
va·ri·o·lous 
[və r ələss] adjective

of smallpox:
relating to, like, or affected by smallpox[1]



variometer

variometer
var·i·om·e·ter 
[vèrree ómmətər] (plural var·i·om·e·ters)
noun

1.  PHYSICS magnetic
field instrument: an instrument used to measure magnetic
fields, especially variations in Earth’s magnetic field

2.  AIR rate-of-climb
indicator:
an instrument used to measure the rate of climb of an aircraft such as a glider

[1]



variorum

variorum
var·i·o·rum 
[vèrree áwrəm] adjective

1.  with
various annotations: with commentary or notes
written by various editors or scholars

2.  with
different versions of text: containing different
versions or readings of a text
noun
(plural var·i·o·rums)

variorum edition:
an edition of a text with commentary or notes written by various editors or
scholars, or with various different versions or readings
[Early 18th century. From
Latin editio cum notis variorum, “edition with notes of various (commentators)”;
variorum, genitive plural of varius (see various
).][1]



various

various
var·i·ous 
[vérree əss] det

assorted: many
different
adjective

1.  of
different kinds: of different kinds or categories

2.  individual:
individual or separate

3.  being
an assortment: being an assortment or variety

4.  changing:
changing rather than constant (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Formed from Latin varius, “variegated, diverse.”]
—var·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—var·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



varisized

varisized
var·i·sized 
[vérri szd] adjective

of different sizes:
being or consisting of different sizes[1]



varistor

varistor
var·is·tor 
[və rístər] (plural var·is·tors)
noun

variable
resistor:
a two-element semiconductor with nonlinear resistance in which the resistance
drops as the applied voltage increases. Varistors are often used as a safety
device to short circuit transient high voltages in electronic circuits.
[Mid-20th century. From variable + resistor
.][1]



varix

varix
var·ix 
[vérriks] (plural var·i·ces [vérri sz]) noun

1.  MEDICINE swollen
or knotted vein: an abnormally swollen or knotted vessel,
especially a vein

2.  ZOOLOGY ridge
on gastropod shell: a ridge along the length of
the shell of a gastropod mollusk
[14th century. From Latin,
literally “dilated vein, varicose vein.”][1]



varlet

varlet
var·let 
[vrlət] (plural var·lets) noun
(archaic)

1.  rascal:
a rogue or rascal

2.  servant:
a servant or attendant

3.  page:
a knight’s page
[15th century. From Old
French vaslet (see valet ).][1]



varmint

varmint
var·mint 
[vrmint] (plural var·mints) noun

troublesome
person or animal: a troublesome, unpleasant, or despicable
person or animal (regional)
[Mid-16th
century. Dialectal variant of vermin .]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Used
  of animals, the term recurs across the rural South, the Lower Southwest, and
  even into the Middle Rocky Mountain states.

[1]



Varna

Varna
Var·na 
[vrnə]

city, port, and tourist
center in eastern Bulgaria, on the Black Sea. Population: 301,421 (1996)[1]



varnish

varnish
var·nish 
[vrnish] noun (plural var·nish·es)

1.  INDUSTRY transparent
resin solution: a solution of a resin in oil or spirits,
applied to a surface to give it a protective gloss

2.  INDUSTRY smooth
coating of varnish: a coating of varnish,
applied to something to give it a protective gloss

3.  superficially
attractive manner or appearance: a superficially or
deceptively attractive manner or appearance
transitive
verb
(past var·nished, past participle var·nished, present
participle var·nish·ing, 3rd person present singular var·nish·es)

1.  INDUSTRY apply
varnish:
to coat something with varnish

2.  give
something smooth surface: to give something a smooth
and usually glossy surface

3.  make
something superficially attractive: to
make something superficially or deceptively attractive
[14th
century. Via Old French vernis from medieval Latin vernicium,
“sandarac,” from Greek Bereníkē, “Berenice,” a city in Cyrenaica, where
varnish was first used.]
—var·nish·er, noun[1]



varnishtree

varnishtree
var·nish
tree
(plural var·nish trees) noun

tree yielding varnish or
lacquer: a tree such as the lacquer
tree that when tapped yields a juice that may be used as a varnish or lacquer[1]



Varro,Marcus Terentius

Varro,Marcus Terentius
Var·ro
[várrō], Marcus Terentius (116 BC–27 BC)

Roman scholar. He was one of
the most learned Romans of his day, and the author of more than 70 known works
on a variety of subjects from farming to the Latin language. Little of his work
survives.[1]



varsity

varsity
var·si·ty 
[vrsətee] noun (plural var·si·ties)

1.  sports
team:
the principal team representing a university, college, or high school,
especially in sports competitions

2.  U.K.
university:
a university (dated)
adjective

involving a university:
belonging to or involving a university, for example, a sports competition or
team
[Mid-19th century. Dialectal
variant of “versity,” shortening of university
.][1]



varus

varus
var·us 
[vérrəss] adjective

abnormally
turned in:
used to describe an abnormality in which a body part such as the foot is turned
or displaced inward toward the midline of the body or limb
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “bent, crooked.”][1]



varve

varve
varve 
[vrv] (plural varves) noun

layer
of sediment: a layer or series of layers of sediment
deposited annually in a still body of water, for example, by a glacier. Varves
can be counted back to date a particular layer.
[Early 20th century. From
Swedish varv, “layer, turn.”][1]



vary

vary
var·y 
[vérree] (past var·ied, past
participle var·ied, present participle var·y·ing, 3rd
person present singular var·ies) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb undergo
or make something undergo change: to undergo or make
something undergo a change in appearance or characteristics

2.  intransitive
verb
be
different:
to be different

3.  transitive
verb
give
variety to something: to give variety or diversity
to something
[14th
century. Via Old French varier from Latin variare, derived from varius
(see various ).]
—var·y·ing,
adjective

—var·y·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at change

[1]



varyinghare

varyinghare
var·y·ing
hare 
(plural var·y·ing hares) noun

See
snowshoe hare[1]



vas

vas
vas 
[vass] (plural va·sa [vássə, váyssə, váyzə]) noun

vessel
in body:
a vessel or duct in the body of a human or animal
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin, literally “vessel.”]
—va·sal [váyss’l, váyz’l],
adjective[1]



vas-

vas-
vas-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
vaso-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vasa

vasa
va·sa


Plural of
vas[1]



vascular

vascular
vas·cu·lar 
[váskyələr] adjective

of
fluid-carrying vessels: relating to, involving,
typical of, or having fluid-carrying vessels, for example, blood vessels in
animals or the sap-carrying vessels in plants
[Mid-17th
century. From modern Latin vascularis, formed from vasculum .]
—vas·cu·lar·i·ty
[vàskyə lérrətee], noun

—vas·cu·lar·ly [váskyələrlee], adverb[1]



vascularbundle

vascularbundle
vas·cu·lar
bun·dle
(plural vas·cu·lar bun·dles) noun

strand of plant tissue:
any of the many strands of tissue that contain the xylem and phloem vessels,
responsible for conducting sap through the stems and branches of a plant. They
are most prominent in annual and young plants, and in perennial and woody
plants they become part of an inner cylinder of vascular tissue.
Also called
fibrovascular bundle[1]



vascularcylinder

vascularcylinder
vas·cu·lar
cyl·in·der
(plural vas·cu·lar cyl·in·ders) noun

See
stele[1]



vascularization

vascularization
vas·cu·lar·i·za·tion 
[vàskyələri záysh’n] noun

development of vessels:
the development of vessels, especially blood vessels, in an organism or tissue[1]



vasculartissue

vasculartissue
vas·cu·lar
tis·sue
(plural vas·cu·lar tis·sues) noun

sap-conducting plant tissue:
plant tissue that is specialized for conducting sap. It comprises phloem, which
conveys chiefly dissolved sugars, and xylem, which conveys water and dissolved
minerals.[1]



vasculature

vasculature
vas·cu·la·ture 
[váskyələ chr, váskyələchər]
(plural vas·cu·la·tures) noun

arrangement of blood vessels:
the arrangement of blood vessels in the body or in a particular organ or tissue[1]



vasculitis

vasculitis
vas·cu·li·tis 
[vàskyə ltiss] noun

inflammation of blood or
lymph vessel: inflammation of a blood
vessel or lymph vessel[1]



vasculum

vasculum
vas·cu·lum 
[váskyələm] (plural vas·cu·la
[váskyələ]) noun

box
for botanical specimens: a small box or case used by
botanists in the field for storing collected plants or other specimens
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, literally “little vessel,” from vas
.][1]



vasdeferens

vasdeferens
vas
def·er·ens 
[vàss déffərənz, vàss
déffə rènz] (plural va·sa def·er·en·ti·a [vàssə deffə rénshə, vàssə
deffə rénshee ə]) noun

sperm
duct:
either of a pair of ducts that carry sperm from the testes to the urethra
during ejaculation. Contraction of its thick muscular wall propels sperm
rapidly through the duct, which forms part of the spermatic cord.
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “carrying-away vessel.”][1]



vase

vase
vase 
[vayss, vayz,
vaaz] (plural vas·es) noun

container
for flowers: an open container, usually tall and
rounded, used for displaying cut flowers or as an ornament
[Mid-16th century. Via French
from Latin vas, “vessel.”][1]



vasectomize

vasectomize
va·sec·to·mize 
[və séktə mz] (past va·sec·to·mized,
past participle va·sec·to·mized, present participle va·sec·to·miz·ing,
3rd person present singular va·sec·to·miz·es) transitive verb

perform vasectomy:
to perform a vasectomy on somebody[1]



vasectomy

vasectomy
va·sec·to·my 
[və séktəmee] (plural va·sec·to·mies)
noun

surgical
cutting of sperm duct: a surgical operation in
which the vas deferens from each testis is cut and tied to prevent transfer of
sperm during ejaculation
[Late 19th century. Coined
from vas deferens + -ectomy
.][1]



Vaseline

Vaseline
Vas·e·line 
[vássə ln] Trademark

a trademark for medical
petroleum jelly and other products such as lip balm and hand lotion[1]



vaso-

vaso-
vaso-
prefix

1.  blood
vessels, vascular • vasodilation

2.  vas
deferens • vasectomy
[From Latin vas
“vessel”][1]



vasoactive

vasoactive
va·so·ac·tive 
[vàyzō áktiv] adjective

contracting
or dilating blood vessels: making blood vessels
contract or dilate
—va·so·ac·tiv·i·ty [vàyzō ak tívvətee], noun[1]



vasoconstriction

vasoconstriction
va·so·con·stric·tion 
[vàyzō kən stríkshən] noun

narrowing of blood vessels:
narrowing of the blood vessels with consequent reduction in blood flow or
increased blood pressure[1]



vasoconstrictor

vasoconstrictor
va·so·con·stric·tor 
[vàyzō kən stríktər] noun (plural
va·so·con·stric·tors)

agent
that narrows blood vessels: any agent such as a nerve or
hormone that narrows the blood vessels, which in turn increases resistance to
blood flow and raises blood pressure. Vasoconstrictors such as the hormone
epinephrine and various drugs are used medically to maintain or raise blood
pressure in circulatory disorders or during surgery, or to counteract shock.
adjective

narrowing
blood vessels: causing narrowing of the blood vessels
—vas·o·con·stric·tive,
adjective[1]



vasodilation

vasodilation
va·so·dil·a·tion 
[vàyzō dī láysh’n, vàyzō
di láysh’n] or va·so·dil·a·ta·tion [vàyzō dllə táysh’n, vàyzō
dìllə táysh’n] noun

widening of blood vessels:
widening of the blood vessels, especially the arteries, leading to increased
blood flow or reduced blood pressure[1]



vasodilator

vasodilator
va·so·di·la·tor 
[vàyzō dī láytər, vàyzō
di láytər] noun (plural va·so·di·la·tors)

agent
that widens blood vessels: an agent, such as a nerve or
hormone that widens the blood vessels, which in turn decreases resistance to
blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Drugs that act as vasodilators are used
medically to treat high blood pressure and various other circulatory disorders.
adjective

widening
blood vessels: causing widening of the blood vessels
—va·so·di·la·to·ry [vàyzō díllə tàwree], adjective[1]



vasoinhibitor

vasoinhibitor
va·so·in·hib·i·tor 
[vàyzō in híbbitər] (plural va·so·in·hib·i·tors)
noun

something
affecting nerves in blood vessels: something that
depresses or stops the activity of the nerves that control widening or
narrowing of the blood vessels
—va·so·in·hib·i·to·ry,
adjective[1]



vasomotor

vasomotor
va·so·mo·tor 
[vàyzə mṓtər] adjective

affecting diameter of blood
vessels: causing or influencing
changes in the diameter of blood vessels[1]



vasopressin

vasopressin
va·so·pres·sin 
[vàyzō préssin] noun

hormone
that raises blood pressure: a hormone produced by the
pituitary gland that causes narrowing of the arteries and raises blood
pressure. It also reduces the volume of urine excreted by the kidneys.
[Early 20th century.
Originally a trademark.][1]



vasopressor

vasopressor
va·so·pres·sor 
[vàyzō préssər] adjective

raising
blood pressure: causing or promoting the narrowing of
blood vessels, which in turn raises blood pressure
noun
(plural va·so·pres·sors)

something that raises blood
pressure: something that has the
effect of raising blood pressure[1]



vasospasm

vasospasm
va·so·spasm 
[váyzō spàzzəm] noun

spasm
of blood vessel: sustained contraction of the muscular
walls of the blood vessels with a resultant reduction in blood flow. In
Raynaud’s disease there is vasospasm of the arteries of the fingers, which
causes cold or numb fingers.
—va·so·spas·tic [vàyzō spástik], adjective[1]



vasovagal

vasovagal
va·so·va·gal 
[vàyzō váyg’l] adjective

involving
vagus nerve and blood vessels: relating to, or
involving the influence of the vagus nerve on circulation. Stimulation of the
vagus reduces heart rate and, consequently, the amount of blood being pumped by
the heart.
[Early 20th century. Coined
from vaso- + vagal
.][1]



vassal

vassal
vas·sal 
[váss’l] (plural vas·sals) noun

1.  dependent
landholder in feudal society: somebody who was obliged to
show loyalty and homage to a feudal lord in return for being allowed to occupy
land belonging to the lord and receiving his protection

2.  slave:
a bondsman or slave

3.  person
or nation dependent on another: a person, nation, or
group that is dependent on or subordinate to another
[14th
century. Via Old French from medieval Latin vassallus, from vassus,
“servant,” from the assumed Celtic stem wass-, “young man, squire.”]
—vas·sal, adjective[1]



vassalage

vassalage
vas·sal·age 
[váss’lij] noun

1.  condition
of being vassal: the dependent condition of being
somebody’s vassal

2.  dependent
condition:
any condition of being dependent on or subordinate to somebody or something
else (literary)

[1]



vast

vast
vast 
[vast] adjective (comparative vaster,
superlative vastest)

very
great in size or amount: very great in number, size,
amount, extent, or degree
noun

immense
space:
the immense expanse of space (literary)
[Late
16th century. From Latin vastus, “immense, empty.”]
—vast·ly,
adjective

—vast·ness,
noun

—vas·ti·tude,
noun

—vas·ti·ty [vástətee], noun[1]



vasty

vasty
vast·y 
[vástee] (comparative vast·i·er,
superlative vast·i·est) adjective

vast:
vast (archaic or literary)[1]



vat

vat
vat 
[vat] noun (plural vats)

1.  large
container for liquid: a large container used to
hold or store liquid

2.  preparation
of dye:
a preparation of weakly colored soluble dye ( vat
dye )
transitive
verb
(past vat·ted, past participle vat·ted, present
participle vat·ting, 3rd person present singular vats)

treat or put something in vat:
to treat, store, or put something in a vat
[12th century. Alteration of fat,
from Old English fæt “vessel.”][1]



VAT

VAT
VAT
or V.A.T noun

tax added to value of
product: a tax added to the estimated
value of a product or material at each stage of its manufacture or
distribution, in the end paid by the consumer. Full form value-added tax[1]



Vat.

Vat.
Vat.

Abbreviation of
Vatican[1]



vatdye

vatdye
vat
dye
noun

type
of dye:
any of a class of dyes that are made insoluble and fixed by oxidation after
being taken up by fibers
—vat-dyed, adjective[1]



vatic

vatic
vat·ic 
[váttik] adjective

prophetic:
relating to, involving, or typical of a prophet
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin vates, “prophet, seer.”][1]



Vatican

Vatican
Vat·i·can 
[váttikən] noun

1.  pope’s
residence:
the palace in the Vatican City that is used as the official residence of the
pope and the administrative center of the papacy

2.  pope’s
authority:
the authority and jurisdiction of the pope
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
(mons) Vaticanus, “Vatican (hill).”][1]



VaticanCity




Back to definition

VaticanCity

[1]



VaticanCity

VaticanCity



Vat·i·can Cit·y 
[váttikən sìttee]
the world’s smallest independent nation
and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Language: Italian. Language:
Latin. Currency: lira. Population: 850 (1996) Area: 44 hectares/110 acres. Official
name State of Vatican City[1]



Vaticanism

Vaticanism
Vat·i·can·ism 
[váttikə nìzzəm] noun

policies and authority of
pope: the policies and authority
of the pope, especially the idea of absolute papal authority[1]



vaticinate

vaticinate
va·tic·i·nate 
[və tíss’n àyt] (past va·tic·i·nat·ed,
past participle va·tic·i·nat·ed, present participle va·tic·i·nat·ing,
3rd person present singular va·tic·i·nates) intransitive and
transitive verb

prophesy:
to prophesy something
[Early
17th century. From Latin vaticinari, derived from vates,
“prophet, seer” + canere, “to sing.”]
—va·tic·i·nal
[və tíssin’l], adjective

—va·tic·i·na·tion
[və tìss’n áysh’n], noun

—va·tic·i·na·tor [və tìss’n áytər], noun[1]



vatu

vatu
va·tu 
[v t] (plural va·tu) noun

unit of Vanuatuan currency:
a unit of currency in Vanuatu[1]



Vauban,Sebastien le Prestre de

Vauban,Sebastien le Prestre de
Vau·ban
[vō bN], Sebastien le Prestre de
(1633–1707)

French marshal of France. He
was a specialist in siegecraft and fortifications during the reign of Louis
XIV. He directed the sieges of Mons (1691) and Namur (1692).[1]



vaudeville

vaudeville
vaude·ville 
[váwd vìl, váwdə
vìl] (plural vaude·villes) noun

1.  THEATER popular
entertainment: a type of entertainment popular in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries consisting of a variety of singing, dancing,
and comic acts.
U.K.
term
music hall

2.  vaudeville
show:
a vaudeville show.
Also
called
variety show

3.  comic
play with songs: a comic play with songs and dances

4.  MUSIC satirical
popular song: a satirical popular song of the type
performed in cabarets in the 19th and 20th centuries
[Mid-18th
century. From Old French vaudevire, a shortening of chanson du Vau de
Vire, “song of the Valley of Vire,” a region of Calvados, Normandy, noted
for satirical folksongs.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  In
  15th-century France there was a fashion for songs from the valley of the
  Vire, in the Calvados region of Normandy (particularly popular, apparently,
  were the satirical songs composed by a local fuller, Olivier Basselin). The
  geographic connection had been lost by the time English acquired the word,
  and the element -vire had been replaced with -ville “town.” The
  semantic transition from “popular song” to “light theatrical entertainment”
  is not recorded until the early 19th century.

[1]



vaudevillian

vaudevillian
vaude·vil·lian 
[vàwd víllee ən, vàwdə
víllee ən] noun (plural vaude·vil·lians)

vaudeville
composer or performer: somebody who performs in or
composes for vaudeville shows
adjective

typical of vaudeville:
typical of, suitable for, or used in vaudeville[1]



Vaudreuil,Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnal

Vaudreuil,Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnal
Vau·dreuil
[vō dr ee], Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil
de Cavagnal, marquis de (1698–1778)

French soldier and colonial
administrator. He was governor of New France (now Canada) from 1755 to 1760, when
he was forced to surrender to British forces during the French and Indian War.[1]



Vaughan,Sarah

Vaughan,Sarah

Vaughan 
[vawn], Sarah (1924–1990)
U.S.
jazz singer. Performing with Earl Hines, Billy Eckstine, Count Basie, and other
leading jazz musicians, she was a major international star known for her
complex harmonization and vocal improvisation.
Full name
Vaughan, Sarah Lois[1]



VaughanWilliams, Ralph

VaughanWilliams, Ralph
Vaughan
Wil·liams
[vawn wíllyəmz], Ralph (1872–1958)

British composer. He
developed a British national style of music from choral tradition and folk
song. His works include nine symphonies and many choral pieces.[1]



vault

vault2
vault2 [vawlt]
verb (past vault·ed, past participle vault·ed,
present participle vault·ing, 3rd person present singular vaults)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spring
over object: to leap or spring over something,
especially by pushing on it with the hands or using a pole

2.  intransitive
verb
move
with a bound: to move with a leap or bound

3.  intransitive
verb
rise
suddenly to prominence: to arrive somewhere or
achieve something suddenly • She
vaulted to fame with the publication of her first novel.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb DRESSAGE perform curvet:
to perform a curvet in dressage or to make a horse perform a curvet
noun
(plural vaults)

1.  act
of vaulting: an act of vaulting

2.  DRESSAGE See curvet
[Mid-16th
century. Via Old French volter, ultimately from assumed Vulgar Latin volvitare,
literally “to roll repeatedly,” from Latin volvere, “to roll.”]
—vault·er, noun[1]



vault

vault1

vault1 [vawlt]
noun (plural vaults)

1.  ARCHITECTURE arched
ceiling:
an arched structure of stone, brick, wood, or plaster that forms a ceiling or
roof

2.  ARCHITECTURE room
with arched ceiling: a room, especially an
underground room, with an arched ceiling

3.  BUILDING strengthened
room for valuables: a strengthened room or
compartment used for the safe storage of valuables, especially one in a bank

4.  burial
chamber:
a burial chamber, usually underground

5.  something
arching overhead: something that arches overhead,
especially the sky (literary)

6.  ANATOMY arched
part of body: a part of the body with an arched shape
verb (past
vault·ed, past participle vault·ed, present participle
vault·ing, 3rd person present singular vaults)

1.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE put
arched structure over something: to cover a building
with an arched ceiling or roof

2.  transitive
verb
ARCHITECTURE build
something as vault: to build something in the
shape of a vault

3.  intransitive
verb
form
vault:
to arch or curve like a vault
[14th century. From Old
French vaute, from assumed Vulgar Latin volvita, “turn, vault,”
from Latin voluta, feminine past participle of volvere, “to
turn.”][1]



vaulted

vaulted
vault·ed
[váwltəd] adjective

built with a vault:
built with one or more vaults[1]



vaulting

vaulting2
vault·ing2 [váwlting]
adjective

aspiring:
aspiring or confident, especially in an excessive way (literary) • vaulting
ambition[1]



vaulting

vaulting1
vault·ing1 [váwlting]
noun

ARCHITECTURE
construction of vaults:
the structural use of brick, stone, or reinforced concrete to form a ceiling or
roof over a space[1]



vaultinghorse

vaultinghorse
vault·ing
horse
noun

piece of gymnastic equipment:
a piece of gymnastic equipment with four legs and a solid leather-covered
oblong body, used for exercises and especially for vaulting over[1]



vaunt

vaunt
vaunt 
[vawnt] verb (past vaunt·ed,
past participle vaunt·ed, present participle vaunt·ing,
3rd person present singular vaunts)

1.  transitive
verb
be
boastful about something: to boast or act boastfully
about something such as achievements or possessions

2.  intransitive
verb
boast:
to boast or brag (literary)
noun
(plural vaunts)

a boast: a
boast, or display of boasting
[14th
century. Via Old French vanter from late Latin vanitare, “to be
vain,” from vanus, “empty,” (see vain
).]
—vaunt·er,
noun

—vaunt·ing·ly, adverb[1]



vaunt-courier

vaunt-courier
vaunt-cour·i·er 
noun

one
sent ahead:
a person or thing sent in advance of another (archaic or literary)
[Mid-16th century. From
French avant “before” + courier,
modeled on French avant-coureur .][1]



vaunted

vaunted
vaunt·ed
[váwntəd] adjective

boasted about:
boasted about or praised in an ostentatious way[1]



vav

vav
vav
[vaav] or waw [waw] noun

letter
of the Hebrew alphabet: the sixth letter in the
Hebrew alphabet, usually transliterated as “v” or “w”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew wāw, “hook.”][1]



vavasor

vavasor
vav·a·sor
[vávvə sàwr, vávvə
sr] (plural vav·a·sors) or vav·a·sour [vávvə sàwr, vávvə sr]
(plural vav·a·sours) noun

noble
vassal of greater lord: a feudal lord or knight who
has power over vassals but is himself a vassal of a more powerful lord
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin vavassor, of uncertain origin: perhaps a contraction
of vassus vassorum, “vassal of vassals.” See vassal
.][1]



vb.

vb.
vb.

1.  Abbreviation
of
verb

2.  Abbreviation
of
verbal

[1]



V.C.

V.C.
V.C.

1.  Abbreviation
of
vice-chairman

2.  Abbreviation
of
vice chancellor

3.  Abbreviation
of
vice consul

4.  Abbreviation
of
Victoria Cross

5.  V.C.
or VC Abbreviation of Vietcong

[1]



VCR

VCR
VCR 
noun

tape recorder using
videocassettes: a tape recorder that
can record and play videocassettes through a standard television receiver. It
can capture live television programs for later replay and also play back
prerecorded cassettes. Full form videocassette
recorder[1]



v.d.

v.d.
v.d.

1.  Abbreviation
of
vapor density

2.  Abbreviation
of
various dates

[1]



VD

VD
VD
or V.D.

Abbreviation of
venereal disease[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








V-Day

V-Day
V-Day 
noun

Victory Day:
Victory Day[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








VDR

VDR
VDR

1.  Abbreviation
of
videodisk recorder

2.  Abbreviation
of
videodisk recording

[1]



VDT

VDT
VDT


Abbreviation of
video display terminal[1]



veal

veal
veal 
[vl] noun

meat
from young calf: meat from a young calf, light in color
and texture with a delicate flavor
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin vitellus, a diminutive of vitulus, “calf.”][1]



vealcalf

vealcalf
veal
calf
noun

calf raised for veal:
a calf reared for veal[1]



vealer

vealer
veal·er
[vlər] (plural veal·ers) noun

Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, U.S. veal calf:
a veal calf[1]



Veblen,Thorstein

Veblen,Thorstein
Veb·len
[vébblən], Thorstein (1857–1929)

U.S.
economist. An unorthodox thinker, he criticized modern industrial society in
works such as The Theory of the Leisure Class ( 1899 ). He coined the
phrase “conspicuous consumption.”
Full name
Veblen, Thorstein Bunde[1]



vector

vector
vec·tor 
[véktər] noun (plural vec·tors)

1.  MATHEMATICS quantity
with direction and magnitude: a quantity, for example,
force or velocity, made up of components of both direction and magnitude

2.  MATHEMATICS element
of vector space: an element of a vector space

3.  AIR course
of aircraft: the course taken by an aircraft or a
missile

4.  MEDICINE VETERINARY MEDICINE disease-transmitting
organism:
an organism such as a mosquito or tick that transmits disease-causing
microorganisms from infected individuals to other persons, or from infected
animals to human beings

5.  GENETICS gene
transfer agent: an agent such as a plasmid or
bacteriophage that is used in genetic engineering to transfer a segment of
foreign DNA into a bacterium or other cell. The foreign DNA is spliced into the
vector’s DNA, which contains the genes necessary for switching on replication
and transcription of the foreign DNA in its new setting.

6.  COMPUTING computer
array:
in computing, an array of any length but only one dimension
transitive
verb
(past vec·tored, past participle vec·tored, present
participle vec·tor·ing, 3rd person present singular vec·tors)
AIR

1.  direct
aircraft by radio: to direct an aircraft in
flight, or its pilot, by radio, often from the ground

2.  change
thrust direction of aircraft engine: to
change the direction of the thrust of an aircraft engine as a means of steering
the aircraft
[Early
18th century. From Latin, literally “carrier,” from vectus, past
participle of vehere, “to carry.”]
—vec·to·ri·al
[vek táwree əl], adjective

—vec·to·ri·al·ly [vek táwree əlee], adverb[1]



vectorproduct

vectorproduct
vec·tor
prod·uct
noun

product of multiplying two
vectors: the result of multiplying
two vectors. It is perpendicular to the vectors and its magnitude equals the
product of their magnitudes multiplied by the sine of the included angle.
Also called
cross product[1]



vectorspace

vectorspace
vec·tor
space
noun

mathematical set:
a mathematical set of vectors associated with a field of scalars comprising a
commutative group under addition and in which multiplication of a vector and a
scalar is a vector[1]



vectorsum

vectorsum
vec·tor
sum
noun

result of adding two vectors:
the result of adding two vectors, obtained graphically as the directed diagonal
of the parallelogram whose sides are the given vectors[1]



Veda

Veda
Ve·da 
[váydə, vdə]
(plural Ve·das) noun

Hindu
sacred text: any or all of the collections of Aryan
hymns, originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the
6th century B.C.
[Mid-18th
century. From Sanskrit, literally “knowledge.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to see,” which is also the ancestor of English wise, vision,
and idea .]
—Ve·da·ic [vi dáy ik, vay dáy ik],
adjective[1]



Vedaism

Vedaism
Ve·da·ism
[váydə ìzzəm] noun

See
Vedism[1]



Vedanta

Vedanta
Ve·dan·ta 
[vi dntə] noun

school
of Hinduism: one of the six philosophical schools of
Hinduism
[Late
18th century. From Sanskrit, literally “Veda-end,” from Veda + anta, “end.”]
—Ve·dan·tic
[vi dántik], adjective

—Ve·dan·tism,
noun

—Ve·dan·tist, noun[1]



V-EDay

V-EDay
V-E
Day 
noun

day marking Allied victory in
Europe: May 8, 1945, designated by
the Allies to mark their victory in Europe in World War II after the German
surrender of the day before[1]



Vedda

Vedda
Ved·da
[véddə] (plural Ved·da or
Ved·das) or Ved·dah [véddə]
(plural Ved·dah or Ved·dahs) noun

PEOPLES member
of Sri Lankan aboriginal people: a member of a forest
people that is known to have lived in Sri Lanka since Stone Age times, and
whose members are now mainly integrated with the Sinhalese
[Late
17th century. From Sinhalese vaddā “hunter.”]
—Ved·doid, adjective[1]



vedette

vedette
ve·dette 
[və dét] (plural ve·dettes) noun

1.  ve·dette
or vi·dette (plural vi·dettes) forward
scout:
a mounted soldier posted forward of a larger force to serve as a scout

2.  ve·dette
or ve·dette boat (plural ve·dette boats) small
fast scouting vessel: a small fast boat posted
forward of a larger seaborne force to serve as a scout
[Late 17th century. Via
French from Italian vedetta, alteration (influenced by vedere,
“to see”) of veletta, from Spanish vela, “watch,” from Latin vigilare,
“to watch,” from vigil, “awake.” See vigil
.][1]



Vedic

Vedic
Ve·dic 
[váydik, vdik]
adjective

1.  INDIAN RELIGION in
the Vedas:
contained in or referring to the Vedas

2.  INDIAN RELIGION belonging
to culture that produced Vedas: belonging to the Hindu
culture that produced the Vedas

3.  LANGUAGE in
ancient Sanskrit: relating to the ancient form of Sanskrit
in which the Vedas are written
noun

LANGUAGE ancient
Sanskrit:
the ancient form of Sanskrit in which the Vedas are written

[1]



Vedism

Vedism
Ve·dism
[váy dìzzəm] noun

religion based on Vedas:
the Hindu religious theory and practice contained in, or based on, the Vedas.
Also called
Vedaism[1]



vee

vee
vee 
[vee] (plural vees) noun

letter
“V”:
the letter “V,” or something with a similar shape
[Late 19th century. From the
pronunciation of the letter’s name.][1]



vee-jay

vee-jay
vee-jay 
(plural vee-jays) noun

a video jockey:
a video jockey (informal)[1]



veep

veep
veep 
[veep] (plural veeps) noun

vice
president:
a vice president (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from VP .][1]



veer

veer1
veer1 [veer]
verb (past veered, past participle veered, present
participle veer·ing, 3rd person present singular veers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
direction suddenly: to change direction,
especially suddenly, or to make something do this

2.  intransitive
verb
change
from one opinion to another: to change from one opinion
or state of mind to another, especially when this is sudden or extreme

3.  intransitive
verb
METEOROLOGY shift
in clockwise direction: to shift in a clockwise
direction (refers to a wind)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb NAUTICAL sail away from wind:
to change course in a sailing vessel away from the wind, or to make a vessel do
this
noun
(plural veers)

change in direction:
a change in direction or course
[Late 16th century. From
French virer, “to turn,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from
Latin gyrare “to turn around,” influenced by Latin viriae
(plural) “bracelets.”][1]



veer

veer2
veer2 [veer]
(past veered, past participle veered, present
participle veer·ing, 3rd person present singular veers)
transitive verb

let
out or slacken cable: to let out a cable or chain
or to make it go slack
[15th century. From Middle
Dutch vieren, “to let out.”][1]



veery

veery
vee·ry 
[vree] (plural vee·ries) noun

North
American thrush: a thrush that lives in the woodland and
dense brush of the eastern United States, with tawny upper parts and a spotted
breast. Latin name: Catharus fuscescens
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an imitation of its call.][1]



veg

veg
veg 
[vej] intransitive verb

See
veg out[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Vega

Vega
Ve·ga 
[vgə, váygə]
noun

brightest star in
constellation Lyra: the
brightest star in the constellation Lyra, and one of the brightest in the
northern hemisphere[1]



Vega,Lope de

Vega,Lope de
Ve·ga 
[lpay də váygə], Lope de (1562–1635)

Spanish
playwright and poet. He is considered the founder of Spanish national drama.
More than 400 of his 2,000 plays survive.
Full name
Vega Carpio, Lope Félix de[1]



vegan

vegan
veg·an 
[vgən, véjjən]
(plural veg·ans) noun

person
who never eats animal products: somebody who does not
eat meat, dairy products, or eggs
[Mid-20th
century. Contraction of vegetarian .]
—veg·an,
adjective

—veg·an·ism, noun[1]



Vegemite

Vegemite
Veg·e·mite
[véjjə mt] Trademark

Australia, New Zealand
a trademark for a savory yeast extract that is eaten as a spread[1]



vegetable

vegetable
veg·e·ta·ble 
[véjjətəb’l] noun (plural veg·e·ta·bles)

1.  FOOD edible
plant:
any plant with edible parts, especially leafy or fleshy parts that are used
mainly for soups and salads and to accompany main courses

2.  PLANTS any
plant:
any member of the plant kingdom, as opposed to the animal or mineral kingdoms

3.  offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to somebody in whom normal functions are
severely reduced or absent, often due to injury to the brain (slang
offensive)

4.  inactive
person:
a term that deliberately insults somebody’s personality or level of activity (slang
insult)
adjective

consisting of vegetables:
consisting of, made from, using, or like vegetables
[14th century. Via Old French
from medieval Latin vegetabilis, “animating, able to grow,” from Latin vegetare
(see vegetate ).][1]



vegetableivory

vegetableivory
veg·e·ta·ble
i·vor·y
(plural veg·e·ta·ble i·vor·ies) noun

1.  hard
substance similar to ivory: a hard pale material like
ivory, used to make decorative items and accessories. It comes from the
endosperm of a South American palm nut ( ivory nut
).

2.  See
ivory nut

[1]



vegetablemarrow

vegetablemarrow
veg·e·ta·ble
mar·row
(plural veg·e·ta·ble mar·rows) noun

U.K.
PLANTS See marrow  noun 5[1]



vegetableoil

vegetableoil
veg·e·ta·ble
oil
noun

oil extracted from plants:
oil that has been extracted from a plant or the seeds of a plant, for example,
olive oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, and canola oil[1]



vegetableoyster

vegetableoyster
veg·e·ta·ble
oy·ster
noun

See
salsify[1]



vegetablewax

vegetablewax
veg·e·ta·ble
wax
noun

wax from plants:
a waxy material that forms part of the thin film covering the surfaces of most
plants and helps reduce their loss of water through evaporation. It is obtained
commercially from certain palms, such as the carnauba.[1]



vegetal

vegetal
veg·e·tal 
[véjjət’l] adjective

1.  typical
of vegetables: relating to, involving, or typical of
vegetables or other plants

2.  involving
growth, not sexual reproduction: used to describe
processes concerned with the maintenance or growth and development of an
organism, rather than sexual reproduction
[14th century. Via Old French
vegeter, “to grow,” from Latin vegetare (see vegetate ).][1]



vegetalpole

vegetalpole
veg·e·tal
pole
noun

one end of egg:
the end of an animal egg that contains the greatest concentration of yolk,
lying opposite to the animal pole[1]



vegetarian

vegetarian
veg·e·tar·i·an 
[vèjjə térree ən] noun (plural
veg·e·tar·i·ans)

somebody
not eating meat or fish: somebody who does not eat
meat or fish but instead eats vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and sometimes
eggs and dairy products
adjective

excluding
meat and fish: not eating or including meat and fish,
but sometimes eating or including dairy products and eggs
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from vegetable + -arian .]
—veg·e·tar·i·an·ism, noun[1]



vegetate

vegetate
veg·e·tate 
[véjjə tàyt] (past veg·e·tat·ed,
past participle veg·e·tat·ed, present participle veg·e·tat·ing,
3rd person present singular veg·e·tates) intransitive verb

1.  BOTANY grow
or sprout like plant: to grow or sprout like a
plant

2.  behave
in dull or inactive way: to live or behave in a dull,
inactive, or undemanding way

3.  MEDICINE produce
fleshy outgrowths: to grow or spread,
especially by producing fleshy outgrowths
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin vegetare “to grow,” from Latin vegere, “to quicken.”][1]



vegetation

vegetation
veg·e·ta·tion 
[vèjjə táysh’n] (plural veg·e·ta·tions)
noun

1.  plants
in general:
plants in general or the mass of plants growing in a particular place

2.  process
of vegetating: the process of vegetating

3.  MEDICINE abnormal
outgrowth:
an abnormal outgrowth from a body part such as on the membranes surrounding the
heart
—veg·e·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



vegetative

vegetative
veg·e·ta·tive 
[véjjə tàytiv] adjective

1.  concerned
with plants: relating to, involving, typical of, or
like vegetation, plants, or plant growth

2.  involving
growth, not sexual reproduction: relating to,
involving, or typical of processes in the maintenance or growth and development
of an organism, rather than sexual reproduction

3.  reproducing
from body cells of parent: used to describe a method of
reproduction, especially in plants, in which new individuals originate from the
body cells of the parent rather than from specialized sex cells. Organs of
vegetative reproduction in plants include bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes.

4.  dull
or inactive: dull, inactive, and undemanding in
lifestyle

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody in whom normal functions are reduced or
absent due to injury to the brain
—veg·e·ta·tive·ly,
adverb

—veg·e·ta·tive·ness, noun[1]



veggie

veggie
veg·gie
[véjjee] (plural veg·gies) or
veg·ie [véjjee] (plural veg·ies)
noun (informal)

1.  vegetable:
a vegetable

2.  vegetarian:
somebody who is a vegetarian
[Mid-20th
century. Shortening.]
—veg·gie, adjective[1]



veggieburger

veggieburger
veg·gie·bur·ger
[véjjee bùrgər] (plural veg·gie·bur·gers)
noun

burger made of vegetables:
a flat cake made from vegetables and legumes, fried or grilled, and often
served in the same way as a hamburger[1]



vegout

vegout
veg
out
or veg intransitive verb

be
idle:
to relax, be idle, or loaf, for example, while watching television (informal)
[Late 20th century. “Veg”
from vegetate .][1]



vehement

vehement
ve·he·ment 
[v əmənt] adjective

1.  with
conviction:
expressed with, or showing conviction or intense feeling

2.  done
forcefully:
done with vigor or force
[15th
century. Via Old French from the Latin stem vehement-, “forceful,
violent,” of unknown origin.]
—ve·he·mence,
noun

—ve·he·ment·ly, adverb[1]



vehicle

vehicle
ve·hi·cle 
[v ìk’l, v
hìk’l] (plural ve·hi·cles) noun

1.  TRANSPORT means
of land transport: a usually wheeled conveyance
used on land for carrying people or goods, most often by road or rail

2.  SPACE TECHNOLOGY structure
for transport in space: a powered structure, device,
or rocket used to transport a payload or another craft through space

3.  communication
medium:
a medium for communicating, expressing, or accomplishing something

4.  ARTS performance
for particular performer: a film, play, show, or other
performance designed or used to show off the talents of a particular performer

5.  PAINTING mixture
for paint pigment: a substance or mixture such
as linseed oil or an acrylic vinyl polymer in which a pigment is mixed for
painting

6.  PHARMACOLOGY substance
blended with drug: an inactive substance with
which a drug is blended to make it easier to apply, administer, or take
[Early 17th century. Via
French véhicule from Latin vehiculum, from vehere “to
carry.”][1]



vehicular

vehicular
ve·hic·u·lar 
[vi híkyələr] adjective

of
or for vehicles: relating to, involving, or for use by
vehicles, especially motor vehicles
[Early 17th century. From
late Latin vehicularis, from Latin vehiculum (see vehicle ).][1]



veil

veil
veil 
[váyl] noun (plural veils)

1.  CLOTHES face
covering worn by women: a length of fabric, usually
sheer, worn by women over the head and face as a concealment or for protection

2.  CLOTHES netting
attached to woman’s hat: a piece of netting or other
sheer fabric attached to a woman’s hat and covering the eyes. This was
especially popular as a millinery style in the 1950s.

3.  CHRISTIANITY nun’s
headdress:
a part of a nun’s headdress covering the sides and back of the head

4.  CHRISTIANITY nun’s
vows or life: the vows that a nun takes or the life
that she leads

5.  something
like curtain: something that acts like a curtain in
hiding, disguising, or obscuring something else, or separating one thing from
another

6.  BOTANY covering
membrane of young mushroom: a thin membrane that covers
the stalk and cap of an immature mushroom. It ruptures as the mushroom matures,
leaving remnants at the base of the stalk, and some tissue flecks at the crown
of the cap.
Also
called
velum

7.  ANATOMY See caul

8.  CHRISTIANITY See humeral veil
verb
(past veiled, past participle veiled, present
participle veil·ing, 3rd person present singular veils)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something with a veil: to cover something such as a
person’s face with a veil

2.  transitive
verb
hide
or disguise: to hide or disguise something, or
separate something from something else

3.  intransitive
verb
wear
a veil:
to put on or wear a veil
[12th
century. Via Old French veile from Latin vela, “covering,” the
plural of velum, “sail.”]
draw
a veil over something

to ignore something
deliberately or refrain from mentioning it, in order to be discreet[1]



veiled

veiled
veiled 
[váy’ld] adjective

1.  wearing
a veil:
covered with or wearing a veil

2.  disguised:
not open or direct but disguised or suggested
—veiled·ly [váylədlee], adverb[1]



veiling

veiling
veil·ing 
[váyling] (plural veil·ings) noun

1.  fabric
for veils:
fabric used for veils

2.  veil:
a veil

[1]



vein

vein
vein 
[vayn] noun (plural veins)

1.  ANATOMY vessel
carrying blood to heart: any of the blood vessels
that carry blood to the heart. All carry oxygen-depleted blood, except the
pulmonary vein, which carries oxygenated blood from the lungs.

2.  any
blood vessel: any of the vessels that carry blood
around the body (not used technically)

3.  BOTANY sap-conducting
leaf strand: a distinct strand in a leaf that
contains the sap-conducting vessels. It comprises one of several bundles of
vessels and associated tissues ( vascular bundles
), and forms part of a network, arranged in a characteristic pattern.
Also
called
nervure

4.  GEOLOGY layer
of mineral:
a layer of a mineral in rock, especially an ore or a metal

5.  particular
quality:
a particular recurrent quality or characteristic

6.  streak
of different color: a streak of different color
or material within a substance such as marble, wood, or cheese

7.  INSECTS supporting
structure in insect wing: any of a network of hollow
supporting structures in the wing of an insect that carry inside them blood
vessels, nerves, and air tubes supplying the wing. The pattern of veins is
characteristic for particular types of insect, and is useful in identifying and
classifying new species.

8.  GEOLOGY fissure
filled with material: a fissure, crack, or channel
in rock or ice that has been filled with a crystallized mixture of minerals

9.  disposition:
a disposition, tone, or mood
transitive
verb
(past veined, past participle veined, present
participle vein·ing, 3rd person present singular veins)

1.  form
veins in something: to form veins or things like
veins in something

2.  streak
something:
to streak or suffuse something of one color or material with another
[13th
century. Via Old French veine from Latin vena, “blood vessel,
vein of metal, mine.”]
—vein·al, adjective[1]



veined

veined
veined 
[vaynd] adjective

1.  having
veins:
with veins

2.  having
streaks:
with streaks that resemble veins in it

[1]



veining

veining
vein·ing 
[váyning] (plural vein·ings) noun

distribution of veins or
streaks: a distribution or pattern of
veins or streaks[1]



veinlet

veinlet
vein·let 
[váynlət] (plural vein·lets) noun

small vein:
a small vein[1]



veinstone

veinstone
vein·stone 
[váyn stn] (plural vein·stones)
noun

See
gangue[1]



vel.

vel.
vel.

1.  Abbreviation
of
vellum

2.  Abbreviation
of
velocity

[1]



Vela

Vela
Ve·la 
[vlə] noun

constellation
in southern hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the southern hemisphere lying across the Milky Way, located between
Centaurus and Puppis
[Mid-19th century. Latin,
literally “sails,” from the shape of the constellation (see veil ).][1]



vela

vela
ve·la


Plural of
velum[1]



velamen

velamen
ve·la·men 
[və láymən] (plural ve·la·mi·na
[və lámmənə]) noun

PLANTS spongy
coat of aerial plant roots: the spongy layer that covers
the aerial roots of some plants such as tree-dwelling orchids. It helps to
protect the plant and assists in absorbing moisture from the air.
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, literally “covering,” from velare, “to cover,” from velum,
“sail.”][1]



velar

velar
ve·lar 
[vlər] adjective

1.  PHONETICS with
tongue near soft palate: spoken with the back of the
tongue close to, or in contact with, the soft palate ( velum
)

2.  of
a velum:
relating to, involving, or typical of a velum
noun

PHONETICS velar
consonant:
a velar consonant
[Early 18th century. From
modern Latin velaris, from Latin velum “sail.”][1]



velarium

velarium
ve·lar·i·um
[və láiree əm] (plural ve·lar·i·a
[və láiree ə]) noun

awning
in amphitheater: a large awning used in an amphitheater,
for example, the one used at the Coliseum in Rome, to shade an audience
[Mid-19th century. From
Latin, “awning” or “curtain,” from velum “sail.”][1]



velarize

velarize
ve·lar·ize 
[vlə rz] (past ve·lar·ized, past
participle ve·lar·ized, present participle ve·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ve·lar·iz·es) transitive verb

pronounce
with tongue near soft palate: to pronounce a speech sound
by bringing the back of the tongue close to or against the soft palate ( velum )
—ve·lar·i·za·tion [vləri záysh’n], noun[1]



velate

velate
ve·late 
[vlət, v làyt]
adjective

covered
by velum:
with or covered by a velum
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from velum + -ate
.][1]



Velcro

Velcro
Vel·cro 
[vél kr] Trademark

a trademark for a fastener
consisting of two strips, one with a dense layer of hooks and the other of
loops, used especially on outerwear, athletic shoes, and luggage[1]



veld

veld
veld
[velt] or veldt [velt] noun

high
grassland:
a broad high grassland, especially in southern Africa
[Early 19th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch veld “field.”][1]



veldskoen

veldskoen
veldskoen
[vélt skn] (plural veldskoens)
noun

South
Africa
boot
made of hide: a shoe or boot made of rough hide
[Early 19th century. From
Afrikaans, by folk etymology (from veld “veld”) from earlier velskoen,
“skin shoe,” from vel “skin.”][1]



veleta

veleta
ve·le·ta
[və ltə] (plural ve·le·tas) or
va·le·ta [və ltə] (plural va·le·tas)
noun

ballroom dance:
a ballroom dance in triple time in which partners sometimes dance side by side
and sometimes do a quick waltz[1]



veliger

veliger
ve·li·ger 
[vləjər, vélləjər]
(plural ve·li·gers) noun

larva
of some mollusks: a larva of some mollusks, for example,
limpets and mussels, that has a protective shell and a ciliated flap-shaped
foot used for swimming and feeding
[Late 19th century. Formed
from velum + Latin gerere, “to carry, bear.”][1]



velleity

velleity
vel·le·i·ty 
[və l ətee, ve
l ətee] (plural vel·le·i·ties) noun

1.  the
weakest level of will: volition or desire at its
weakest level (literary)

2.  slight
wish:
a vague wish or desire
[Early 17th century. Via the
medieval Latin stem velleitat- from Latin velle, “to wish.”][1]



vellum

vellum
vel·lum 
[vélləm] (plural vel·lums) noun

1.  high
quality parchment of animal skin: high quality parchment
made from calfskin, kidskin, or lambskin

2.  manuscript
on vellum:
a manuscript written or printed on vellum

3.  paper
resembling vellum: an off-white heavy paper
resembling vellum
[15th
century. From French vélin, literally “of a calf,” from veel
“calf” (see veal ).]
—vel·lum, adjective[1]



veloce

veloce
ve·lo·ce 
[və lṓchee] adverb

with
speed:
to be played or performed rapidly (used as a musical direction)
[Early 19th century. Via
Italian from the Latin stem veloc- (see velocity
).][1]



velocimeter

velocimeter
ve·lo·cim·e·ter 
[vèllə símmətər, vlō
símmətər] (plural vel·o·cim·e·ters) noun

instrument measuring fluid or
sound speed: an instrument used to
measure the speed of a fluid or sound[1]



velocipede

velocipede
ve·loc·i·pede 
[və lóssə pd] (plural ve·loc·i·pedes)
noun

early
bicycle:
any of various early forms of bicycle or tricycle, including some that had
pedals attached to the front wheel or were propelled by pushing the feet along
the ground
[Early
19th century. From French vélocipède, “bicycle,” from the Latin stem veloc-,
“swift,” + the stem ped-, “foot.”]
—ve·loc·i·pe·dist, noun[1]



velocity

velocity
ve·loc·i·ty 
[və lóssətee] (plural ve·loc·i·ties)
noun

1.  speed:
the speed at which something moves, happens, or is done

2.  rate
of change in position: a measure of the rate of
change in position of something with respect to time, involving speed and
direction

3.
(not used technically) See speed  noun
2
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
velocitat-, from the stem veloc-, “quick, swift.”][1]



velocityof circulation

velocityof circulation
ve·loc·i·ty
of cir·cu·la·tion noun

rate of money circulation:
the rate at which money circulates throughout an economy during a particular
period, usually a year[1]



velodrome

velodrome
ve·lo·drome
[véllə drm] (plural ve·lo·dromes)
noun

stadium
for bicycle races: a stadium that has a banked
track for bicycle races
[Late 19th century. From
French, formed from velocipede + -drome .][1]



velour

velour
ve·lour 
[və lr] (plural ve·lours) or
ve·lours [və lr] (plural ve·lours)
noun

thick-piled
fabric like velvet: a fabric with a thick pile,
similar to velvet, often used in upholstery and clothing
[Early 18th century. Via Old
French velous, from Latin villosus, “shaggy,” from villus,
“shaggy hair, wool.”][1]



velouté

velouté
ve·lou·té 
[və l táy] noun

creamy
white sauce: a white sauce made from chicken, veal,
or fish stock that has been thickened with a butter and flour roux and cream.
Velouté sauce is often used on poultry or vegetables.
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “velvety,” from Old French vellute, from velous
(see velvet ).][1]



velum

velum
ve·lum 
[vləm] (plural ve·la [vlə]) noun

ANATOMY membranous
layer of tissue: a layer of tissue or other part that
covers something like a veil, such as the muscular soft palate in the roof of
the mouth
[Late 18th century. From
Latin, literally “sail, covering” (source of English veil ).][1]



velure

velure
ve·lure 
[və lr] (plural ve·lures) noun

velvet
or similar fabric: velvet, or a fabric with a
similar thick soft pile (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From Old
French velour, variant of velous (see velour
).][1]



velutinous

velutinous
ve·lu·ti·nous 
[və lt’nəss] adjective

covered
with short hairs: densely covered with short soft hairs
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin velutinus, “velvety,” from medieval Latin velutum
“velvet,” from assumed Vulgar Latin villutus . See velvet .][1]



velvet

velvet
vel·vet 
[vélvət] noun (plural vel·vets)

1.  TEXTILES fabric
with soft lustrous pile: a cotton, silk, or nylon
fabric with a dense soft usually lustrous pile and a plain underside

2.  something
like velvet: something that is smooth and soft like
velvet

3.  ZOOLOGY furry
covering on deer antlers: the furry layer that covers
the growing antlers of deer and is sloughed off when the antlers stop growing
and harden

4.  GAMBLING gambling
winnings:
winnings from gambling (slang)

5.  FINANCE unexpectedly
large gain or profit: a gain or profit that is
unexpectedly large (slang)
adjective

1.  TEXTILES made
of velvet:
made of or covered with velvet

2.  like
velvet:
like velvet, especially in being or looking soft, smooth, or lustrous
[14th century. From Old
French veluotte, from velu, literally “shaggy (cloth),” from
medieval Latin villutus, from Latin villus, “shaggy hair, wool.”][1]



velvetant

velvetant
vel·vet
ant
(plural vel·vet ants) noun

hairy wasp:
any one of various wasps with bodies covered in soft hair. The females are
generally wingless and have a potent sting. Family: Mutillidae[1]



velveteen

velveteen
vel·vet·een 
[vèlvə tn] (plural vel·vet·eens)
noun

fabric
resembling velvet: a brushed fabric with a soft
pile like velvet
[Late 18th century. Formed
from velvet + “-een,” a variant of -ine .][1]



velvetglove

velvetglove
vel·vet
glove
noun

gentle treatment disguising
strength: kind, careful, or gentle
treatment, especially when this disguises strength or determination[1]



velvetshank

velvetshank
vel·vet
shank
(plural vel·vet shanks) noun

edible mushroom:
an edible mushroom that grows in Europe and North Africa in clusters on
hardwood trees, has a yellow cap, and a velvety dark brown stalk. It has a mild
flavor and is sometimes cultivated. Latin name: Flammulina velutipes[1]



velvety

velvety
vel·vet·y 
[vélvətee] adjective

1.  feeling
like velvet: soft and smooth in a way that suggests
the feel of velvet

2.  smooth:
smooth and mellow
—vel·vet·i·ness, noun[1]



Velázquez,Diego

Velázquez,Diego
Ve·láz·quez
[be lth keth, ve
lss kayss, və lskez], Diego
(1599–1660)

Spanish
painter. Court painter to Philip IV, he is noted for his portraits, kitchen
scenes, and interior schemes. Las Meniñas ( 1656 ) is considered to be
his masterpiece.
Full name
Velázquez, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y[1]



ven-

ven-
ven-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
veno-[1]



Ven.

Ven.
Ven.

1.  CHRISTIANITY Abbreviation of
Venerable

2.  Abbreviation
of
Venezuela

[1]



vena

vena
ve·na 
[vnə] (plural ve·nae [vnee]) noun

vein:
a vein (technical)
[14th century. From Latin .][1]



venacava

venacava
ve·na
ca·va 
[vnə káyvə, vnə
kvə] (plural ve·nae ca·vae [vnee
káyvee, vnee kvee]) noun

vein
carrying blood to heart: one of two major veins that
carry circulating blood into the right atrium of the heart. One carries blood
returning from the upper body and head superior vena cava and the other brings
that from below the chest inferior vena cava .
[Late
16th century. From Latin, literally “hollow vein.”]
—ve·na-ca·val, adjective[1]



venal

venal
ve·nal 
[vn’l] adjective

1.  open
to bribery:
open to persuasion by corrupt means, especially bribery

2.  corrupt:
characterized by corruption

3.  able
to be bought: able to be bought, especially in an
illegal or unfair way
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin venalis, from venum “something for sale.”]
—ve·nal·i·ty
[vee nállətee], noun

—ve·nal·ly
[vn’lee], adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  venal
  or venial ?
  The
  two words are derived from entirely different Latin roots: venal comes from venum meaning “thing for
  sale” and venial from vena meaning
  “forgiveness.” Venial, meaning
  “forgivable,” is used in connection with minor faults or transgressions: • He
  was inclined to be thoughtless but that was a venial fault in one so young.
  In Roman Catholic theology, a venial sin is one that does not deprive
  the soul of divine grace, as opposed to a mortal sin, which does. Venal, meaning “liable to corruption,” describes
  people as well as processes and organizations: • The
  political system is so venal that bribery is commonplace.

[1]



venatic

venatic
ve·nat·ic 
[və náttik] or ve·nat·i·cal [və náttik’l] adjective

concerned
with hunting: involving, connected with, or taking
part in hunting (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin venaticus, from venari, “to hunt.”]
—ve·nat·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



venation

venation
ve·na·tion 
[vee náysh’n] (plural ve·na·tions)
noun

1.  pattern
of veins:
the pattern formed by the network of veins in an insect’s wing or in a leaf. It
is often useful in identifying or classifying specimens.

2.  network
of veins:
all the veins making up a network
—ve·na·tion·al, adjective[1]



vend

vend
vend 
[vend] (past vend·ed, past
participle vend·ed, present participle vend·ing, 3rd
person present singular vends) verb

1.  transitive
verb
sell
something from vending machine: to sell something from
a vending machine

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb sell
in street:
to sell something, especially in the street, or make a living doing this
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vendere, “to sell.”][1]



Venda

Venda1
Ven·da1  [véndə]
(plural Ven·da or Ven·das) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of southern African people: a member of a people who
live in southern Africa, mainly in northern parts of Transvaal in South Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Venda
language:
a language spoken mainly in Transvaal in South Africa. It belongs to the Bantu
group of Benue-Congo languages. About 750,000 people speak Venda.
[Early
20th century. From Bantu .]
—Ven·da, adjective[1]



Venda

Venda2
Ven·da2  [véndə]

former homeland in South
Africa. Abolished in 1994, it is now part of Northern Province.[1]



vendable

vendable
vend·a·ble 
adjective

See
vendible[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vendace

vendace
ven·dace 
[véndəss] (plural ven·dac·es or
ven·dace) noun

European
whitefish:
a whitefish of northwest Europe and Russia, found mainly in freshwater lakes,
with a streamlined body and leading lower jaw. It is dark greenish blue above
and silvery below. Genus: Coregonus
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old French vendoise, of Celtic origin.][1]



vendee

vendee
vend·ee 
[ven d] (plural vend·ees) noun

buyer:
somebody who buys something[1]



vender

vender
vend·er
noun

See
vendor[1]



vendetta

vendetta
ven·det·ta 
[ven déttə] (plural ven·det·tas)
noun

1.  blood
feud between families: a feud between families
started by the killing of a member of one family that is then avenged by a
killing of a member of the other family

2.  prolonged
feud:
a prolonged bitter feud or quarrel
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, from Latin vindicta, “vengeance.” See vindictive
.][1]



vendible

vendible
vend·i·ble
[véndəb’l] or vend·a·ble [véndəb’l] adjective

fit
to be sold:
suitable or fit to be sold
noun
(plural vend·i·bles) (plural vend·ables)

something
that can be sold: something that can be sold or is
available for sale
—vend·i·bil·i·ty
[vèndə bíllətee], noun

—vend·i·ble·ness [véndəb’lnəss], noun[1]



vendingmachine

vendingmachine
vend·ing
ma·chine 
(plural vend·ing ma·chines) noun

machine that dispenses
merchandise for money: a machine
from which people can buy such items as packaged food or drinks by inserting
money[1]



vendor

vendor
ven·dor 
[véndər] (plural ven·dors) or
vend·er [véndər] (plural vend·ers)
noun

1.  seller:
somebody who sells something

2.  vending
machine:
a vending machine

[1]



vendue

vendue
ven·due 
[ven d, vén d]
(plural ven·dues) noun

public
sale:
a public sale or auction
[Late 17th century. Via Dutch
vendu from French vendue, perfect participle of vendre,
“to sell, vend” (see vend ).][1]



Vendémiaire

Vendémiaire
Ven·dé·mi·aire
[vàN dem yáir] (plural Ven·dé·mi·aires)
noun

1st
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
first month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
September 23 to October 22 in the Gregorian calendar
[Late 18th century. From
French, from vendémi, from Latin vindemia, “vintage” (see vintage ).][1]



Vendôme,Louis Joseph

Vendôme,Louis Joseph
Ven·dôme
[vaaN dṓm], Louis Joseph, duc de (1654–1712)

French soldier. He commanded
forces in a number of battles during the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701–1714).[1]



veneer

veneer
ve·neer 
[və nr] noun (plural ve·neers)

1.  INDUSTRY thin
layer as surface: a thin layer of a material fixed to the
surface of another material that is of inferior quality or less attractive

2.  INDUSTRY layer
of plywood:
any of the layers of wood that are glued together to make plywood

3.  INDUSTRY BUILDING outer layer:
an outer layer fixed to something for decoration or protection, for example, a
facing of stone on a brick building

4.  deceptive
appearance:
an outward appearance that is meant to please or impress others but that is
false or only superficial
transitive
verb
(past ve·neered, past participle ve·neered, present
participle ve·neer·ing, 3rd person present singular ve·neers)

1.  INDUSTRY fix
veneer to something: to fix a veneer to a surface

2.  INDUSTRY WOODWORK glue layers to make plywood:
to glue layers of wood together to make plywood

3.  hide
something behind deceptively pleasant appearance: to
hide or disguise something behind a deceptively pleasant or impressive
appearance
[Early
18th century. Earlier “fineering, faneering,” from German Fournierung,
“inlay, veneer,” from French fournir (see furnish
).]
—ve·neer·er, noun[1]



venepuncture

venepuncture
ve·ne·punc·ture 
noun

MEDICINE
See venipuncture[1]



venerable

venerable
ven·er·a·ble 
[vénnərəb’l] adjective

1.  worthy
of respect:
worthy of respect as a result of great age, wisdom, remarkable achievements, or
similar qualities

2.  RELIGION revered:
revered for qualities such as great age or holiness

3.  ancient:
extremely old

4.  CHRISTIANITY used
as title before canonization: used by the Roman Catholic
Church to describe somebody who has died and attained the first of the three
degrees of canonization

5.  CHRISTIANITY used
as archdeacon’s title: used as a title to describe
an archdeacon in the Church of England
[15th
century. Directly or via French from Latin venerabilis, from venerari
(see venerate ).]
—ven·er·a·bil·i·ty
[vènnərə bíllətee], noun

—ven·er·a·bly [vénnərəblee], adverb[1]



venerate

venerate
ven·er·ate 
[vénnə ràyt] (past ven·er·at·ed,
past participle ven·er·at·ed, present participle ven·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ven·er·ates) transitive verb

1.  respect
somebody:
to regard somebody with profound respect

2.  honor
something or somebody: to honor something or
somebody as sacred or special
[Early
17th century. From Latin venerat-, past participle stem of venerari,
from vener-, stem of venus “love, desire” (source of English venereal ).]
—ven·er·a·tor, noun[1]



veneration

veneration
ven·er·a·tion 
[vènnə ráysh’n] noun

1.  feeling
of respect:
a feeling of great respect or reverence for somebody or something

2.  expressing
of respect:
the expression of respect or reverence for somebody or something in words or
actions

3.  being
respected:
the condition of being respected or revered
—ven·er·a·tion·al,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at regard

[1]



venereal

venereal
ve·ne·re·al 
[və nree əl] adjective

1.  passed
on through sex: used to describe an infection or disease
that is caught or transmitted through sexual intercourse

2.  associated
with sexually transmitted disease: associated with,
symptomatic of, or infected with a sexually transmitted disease

3.  genital:
affecting or originating in the genitals

4.  about
sex:
relating to sex acts or sexual desire (archaic or literary)
[15th century. Formed from
Latin venereus, from vener-, the stem of venus “love” (see
venerate ).][1]



venerealdisease

venerealdisease
ve·ne·re·al
dis·ease 
noun

sexually transmitted disease:
a disease that is caught or transmitted through sex acts, for example, syphilis
or gonorrhea (dated)[1]



venereology

venereology
ve·ne·re·ol·o·gy 
[və nree ólləjee] noun

study
of sexually transmitted diseases: the branch of medicine
involving the study and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
[Late
19th century. Coined from venereal + -logy .]
—ve·ne·re·o·log·i·cal
[və nree ə lójjik’l], adjective

—ve·ne·re·ol·o·gist [və nree ólləjist], noun[1]



venery

venery2
ven·er·y2 [vénnəree]
noun

GAME hunting
or game:
the sport or practice of hunting, or the animals hunted (archaic)
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin venari “to hunt” (source of English venison ).][1]



venery

venery1
ven·er·y1 [vénnəree]
noun

pursuit
of sexual pleasure: the pursuit of or indulgence
in sexual pleasure (archaic)
[15th century. From medieval
Latin veneria, from Latin vener-, the stem of venus “love,
desire” (see venerate ).][1]



venesection

venesection
ven·e·sec·tion 
[vènnə sékshən, vénnə
sèkshən] (plural ven·e·sec·tions) noun

See
phlebotomy
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin venae sectio, literally “cutting of a vein.”][1]



Veneti

Veneti
Ven·e·ti
[vénnə t] plural noun

ancient
Italian people: an ancient people that inhabited
northeastern Italy and neighboring areas from around the 10th century BC
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



Venetian

Venetian
Ve·ne·tian 
[və nsh’n] adjective

PEOPLES of
Venice:
relating to the Italian city of Venice, or its people or culture
noun

PEOPLES somebody
from Venice: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in the city of Venice, Italy
[15th century. From Old
French, from Latin Venetia “Venice.”][1]



Venetianblind

Venetianblind
Ve·ne·tian
blind
or ve·ne·tian blind noun

blind made of thin slats:
a window blind consisting of narrow horizontal slats whose angle can be
adjusted to let in more or less light[1]



Venetianglass

Venetianglass
Ve·ne·tian
glass
noun

fine glassware from Venice:
delicate glassware, often with colorful ornamentation, made in or around
Venice, especially at Murano[1]



venetianred

venetianred
venetian
red
noun

1.  red
pigment:
a dark red pigment made from a natural or synthetic iron oxide

2.  reddish-brown
color:
a strong reddish-brown color
adjective

reddish-brown:
of a strong reddish-brown color

[1]



Venetic

Venetic
Ve·net·ic
[və néttik] noun

extinct language of Italy:
a language once spoken in northwestern Italy by the Veneti people[1]



Venez.

Venez.
Venez.

Abbreviation of
Venezuela[1]



Venezuela




Back to definition

Venezuela

[1]



Venezuela

Venezuela



Ve·nez·ue·la 
[vènnə zwáylə]
republic
in northeastern South America, north of Brazil, on the Caribbean Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean. Language: Spanish. Currency: bolívar. Capital: Caracas.
Population: 22,311,000 (1996) Area: 912,050 sq km/352,144 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Venezuela
—Ven·e·zue·lan, noun,
adjective[1]



Venezuela,Gulf of

Venezuela,Gulf of
Ven·e·zue·la,
Gulf of

inlet of the Caribbean Sea,
northwestern Venezuela. It is connected to Lake Maracaibo to the south by a
narrow strait.[1]



venge

venge
venge 
[venj] (past venged, past
participle venged, present participle veng·ing, 3rd
person present singular veng·es) transitive verb

avenge:
to avenge somebody or something (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
vengier from Latin vendicare (see vindicate
).][1]



vengeance

vengeance
ven·geance 
[vénjəns] noun

revenge:
punishment that is inflicted in return for a wrong
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin vendicare “to avenge”
(see vindicate ).]
with
a vengeance

in an extreme or intense
manner[1]



vengeful

vengeful
venge·ful 
[vénjfəl] adjective

1.  wanting
revenge:
having or showing a strong desire for revenge

2.  avenging:
serving the purpose of revenge or resulting from somebody’s desire for revenge
—venge·ful·ly,
adverb

—venge·ful·ness, noun[1]



V-engine

V-engine
V-en·gine 
(plural V-en·gines) noun

internal-combustion engine:
an internal-combustion engine with cylinders arranged in two rows to form a
V-shaped angle[1]



veni-

veni-
veni-
prefix

See
veno-[1]



venial

venial
ve·ni·al 
[vnee əl, vnyəl]
adjective

forgivable:
easily forgiven or excused
[13th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin venia “forgiveness.”]
—ve·ni·al·i·ty
[vnee állətee], noun

—ve·ni·al·ly
[vnee əlee, vnyəlee],
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at venal.

[1]



venialsin

venialsin
ve·ni·al
sin
noun

minor sin:
in the Roman Catholic Church, a sin that does not deprive the soul of divine
grace, either because it was not serious or because it was committed without
intent or without understanding its seriousness.
See also
mortal sin[1]



Venice

Venice
Ven·ice 
[vénniss]

historic city and seaport in
northeastern Italy, built on islands in a lagoon on the coast of the Adriatic
Sea. Population: 298,915 (1995)[1]



venipuncture

venipuncture
ven·i·punc·ture
[vénni pùngkchər, vni
pùngkchər] (plural ven·i·punc·tures) or ve·ne·punc·ture
[vénni pùngkchər, vni
pùngkchər] (plural ve·ne·punc·tures) noun

medical puncturing of vein:
the puncturing of a vein for any medical purpose, for example, to take blood,
to feed somebody intravenously, or to administer a drug[1]



venire

venire
ve·ni·re 
[və nree, və
nree] (plural ve·ni·res) or ve·ni·re fa·ci·as
[və nree fáyshəss, və
nree fáyshəss] (plural ve·ni·re fa·ci·as·es) noun

writ
to summon jurors: a judicial writ ordering the summoning
of jurors
[Mid-17th century. From
medieval Latin venire facias “you should cause to come.”][1]



venireman

venireman
ve·ni·re·man 
[və nreemən, və
nreemən] (plural ve·ni·re·men) noun

somebody summoned as juror:
a citizen summoned for jury duty under a venire[1]



venison

venison
ven·i·son 
[vénniss’n, vénniz’n]
noun

1.  deer
meat:
the meat of a deer used as food, especially for stewing or roasting. Venison is
dark in color and rich in flavor.

2.  game
meat:
the meat of any animal hunted as game (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
from the Latin stem venation- “hunting,” from venari “to hunt”
(source of English venery 2 ).][1]



Venite

Venite
Ve·ni·te
[və ntee, və
ntee] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY 95th
Psalm as invitation to prayer: the 95th Psalm from
the Bible sung as an invitation to morning prayer

2.  MUSIC musical
setting of 95th Psalm: a musical setting of the
95th Psalm
[13th century. From Latin,
“come ye,” the first word of the psalm.][1]



Venndiagram

Venndiagram

Venn
di·a·gram 
[vén d ə gram] noun
representation
of mathematical sets: a mathematical diagram
representing sets as circles, with their relationships to each other expressed
through their overlapping positions, so that all possible relationships between
the sets are shown
[Early 20th century. Named
for the British logician John Venn (1834–1923).][1]



veno-

veno-
veno-
prefix

vein,
venous • venogram
[From Latin vena
“vein” (source of English vein )][1]



venogram

venogram
ve·no·gram 
[vnə gràm] (plural ve·no·grams)
noun

X-ray of vein:
an X-ray photograph of a vein or network of veins, taken after injecting a
substance that absorbs X-rays and so makes the veins visible[1]



venography

venography
ve·nog·ra·phy 
[vi nóggrəfee] noun

X-ray examination of veins:
the examination of somebody’s veins by taking an X-ray photograph ( venogram ) after injecting a substance that
absorbs X-rays[1]



venom

venom
ven·om 
[vénnəm] (plural ven·oms) noun

1.  BIOLOGY poisonous
fluid injected by animal: a poisonous fluid produced
by an animal and injected by a bite or sting in order to immobilize prey or
defend itself. Venoms are produced by a wide range of animals, including
snakes, scorpions, spiders, and fish.

2.  malice:
something that is full of malice, spite, or vicious hostility

3.  poison:
any kind of poison (archaic)
[13th century. Via Old French
venim from, ultimately, Latin venenum “poison.”][1]



venomous

venomous
ven·om·ous 
[vénnəməss] adjective

1.  BIOLOGY producing
venom:
producing venom and capable of inflicting a poisonous bite or sting

2.  malicious:
full of malice, spite, or extreme hostility

3.  poisonous:
full of or containing poison
—ven·om·ous·ly,
adverb

—ven·om·ous·ness, noun[1]



venose

venose
ve·nose 
[v nss] adjective

covered
with veins:
with veins, especially many branched veins for example, an insect’s wing or the
leaf of a plant
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
venosus, from vena “vein.”][1]



venosity

venosity
ve·nos·i·ty 
[vi nóssətee] noun

1.  excessive
amount of blood: an excessive amount of blood in the
veins, or in an organ or other body part

2.  high
number of veins: an unusually large number of veins in an
organ or other body part

3.  quality
of venous blood: the deoxygenated state of venous blood

4.  veined
condition:
the presence or possession of veins, especially many branched veins

[1]



venous

venous
ve·nous 
[vnəss] adjective

1.  of
veins:
relating to or involving the veins

2.  relating
to blood in veins: used to describe blood in
the veins, which is returning to the heart, as opposed to blood in the
arteries, which is leaving the heart

3.  with
veins:
containing or full of veins
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin vena “vein” (source of English vein ).]
—ve·nous·ly,
adverb

—ve·nous·ness, noun[1]



vent

vent1
vent1 [vent]
noun (plural vents)

1.  opening
for air:
a small opening that allows fresh air to enter or stale air, gas, smoke, or
steam to escape

2.  ZOOLOGY opening
in animal’s body: the external opening through which all
waste material and eggs pass in fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
primitive mammals

3.  way
of releasing strong feelings: a way of releasing or
expressing strong feelings, or a chance to do so • a
vent for his anger

4.  GEOLOGY opening
in Earth’s crust: an opening in the Earth’s crust from
which gases or volcanic material escape

5.  ARMS opening
in gun breech: a small opening in the breech of an old
muzzle-loading gun through which the charge is ignited
transitive
verb
(past vent·ed, past participle vent·ed, present
participle vent·ing, 3rd person present singular vents)

1.  release
emotions:
to release or forcefully express strong feelings or emotions

2.  let
out air:
to let out smoke, gases, steam, or stale air through a vent

3.  make
vent:
to provide a vent for something
[14th
century. Via Old French esventer “to let out air” from assumed Vulgar
Latin exventare, from Latin ventus “wind” (source of English ventilate ).]
—vent·less,
adjective
give
vent to something

to express a strong feeling
or emotion freely[1]



vent

vent2
vent2 [vent]
noun (plural vents)

SEWING vertical
slit in seam of jacket: a vertical slit at the
bottom of a seam in a jacket or other garment, that provides room for movement
transitive
verb
(past vent·ed, past participle vent·ed, present participle
vent·ing, 3rd person present singular vents)

SEWING add
vent to jacket: to put a vent in a jacket or other
garment
[15th
century. Alteration of earlier fent, via Old French fente “slit”
from, ultimately, Latin findere “to split” (source of English fission ).]
—vent·ed,
adjective

—vent·less, adjective[1]



ventage

ventage
vent·age 
[véntij] (plural vent·ages) noun

1.  MUSIC finger
hole in wind instrument: a finger hole in a recorder
or other wind instrument

2.  small
vent:
a small opening or vent
[Early 17th century. Formed
from vent 1 .][1]



ventail

ventail
ven·tail 
[vén tàyl] (plural ven·tails) noun

part
of medieval helmet: a movable covering for the
neck or lower face on a medieval helmet
[14th century. Via Old French
from, ultimately, Latin ventus “wind” (source of English vent 1 ).][1]



venter

venter
ven·ter 
[véntər] (plural ven·ters) noun

1.  ANATOMY ZOOLOGY belly of animal with
backbone:
the abdomen of a vertebrate

2.  ZOOLOGY body
part resembling abdomen: the part of the body in
invertebrates that corresponds to the abdomen in vertebrates

3.  ANATOMY soft
part of muscle: the soft fleshy area that forms the main
part of a muscle

4.  ANATOMY hollow
or cavity:
a hollow or cavity, for example, on a bone

5.  BOTANY female
plant part:
in plants such as mosses and ferns, the swollen lower part of the female sex
organ ( archegonium ) where the ovum
develops

6.  LAW womb:
in law, a woman’s womb. The term is used, for example, with reference to an
unborn child. (technical)
[Mid-16th century. Directly
or via law French and French ventre from Latin venter “belly.”][1]



ventifact

ventifact
ven·ti·fact 
[véntə fàkt] (plural ven·ti·facts)
noun

stone
shaped by sand: a rock, stone, or pebble that has been
shaped, cut, or polished by wind-blown sand
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin ventus “wind,” on the model of “artifact.”][1]



ventilate

ventilate
ven·ti·late 
[vént’l àyt] (past ven·ti·lat·ed,
past participle ven·ti·lat·ed, present participle ven·ti·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular ven·ti·lates) transitive verb

1.  provide
fresh air:
to provide a room or other enclosed space with fresh air or a current of air

2.  provide
vent:
to provide an enclosed space with a vent or other means of letting fresh air in
and stale air out

3.  expose
something to moving air: to expose something to moving
fresh air, for example, in order to dry, cool, or preserve it

4.  publicly
examine questions: to examine freely and
publicly or discuss grievances, opinions, or questions

5.  PHYSIOLOGY supply
oxygen to blood: to oxygenate or aerate the blood through
the blood vessels of the lungs
[15th century. From Latin ventilat-,
the past participle stem of ventilare “to fan,” from ventilus
“fan,” from ventus “wind.”][1]



ventilation

ventilation
ven·ti·la·tion
[vènt’l áysh’n] noun

1.  circulation
of air:
the movement or circulation of fresh air

2.  means
of supplying fresh air: the means of supplying fresh
air to an enclosed space, for example, an opening or equipment installed in a
building

3.  public
discussion:
the public discussion or examination of a particular issue

[1]



ventilator

ventilator
ven·ti·la·tor 
[vént’l àytər] (plural ven·ti·la·tors)
noun

1.  device
for circulating fresh air: a device that circulates
fresh air in an enclosed space

2.  MEDICINE machine
that helps somebody breathe: a machine that keeps air
moving in and out of the lungs of a patient who cannot breathe normally

[1]



ventilatory

ventilatory
ven·ti·la·to·ry 
[vént’lə tàwree] adjective

used for breathing:
relating to or used for breathing or for oxygenating the blood[1]



ventr-

ventr-
ventr-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
ventro-[1]



ventrad

ventrad
ven·trad 
[vén tràd] adverb

ventrally:
toward the ventral surface or side[1]



ventral

ventral
ven·tral 
[véntrəl] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY of
lower body at front: located on or affecting the
lower surface of an animal’s body, or the front of the human body

2.  ANATOMY of or
close to abdomen: relating to or situated in, on, or near
the abdomen

3.  BOTANY facing
axis:
used to describe the upper side of a leaf or other surface that faces toward
the stem
noun
(plural ven·trals)

ZOOLOGY See ventral fin
[Mid-18th
century. Formed from the Latin stem ventr- “belly, abdomen” (source of
English ventriloquism ).]
—ven·tral·ly, adverb[1]



ventralfin

ventralfin
ven·tral
fin
or ven·tral noun

fin on underside of fish:
a fin on the underside of a fish, especially a pelvic fin or anal fin.
See also
dorsal fin[1]



ventralroot

ventralroot
ven·tral
root
noun

root of spinal nerve:
the spinal nerve root emerging from the lower surface of the spinal cord in
animals and the front surface in humans, and that in mammals consists of motor
nerve fibers[1]



ventricle

ventricle
ven·tri·cle 
[véntrik’l] (plural ven·tri·cles)
noun

1.  PHYSIOLOGY heart
chamber:
either of the two lower chambers of the heart that receives blood from the
upper chambers ( atria ) and pumps it into
the arteries by contraction of its thick muscular walls

2.  PHYSIOLOGY brain
cavity:
any of the four interconnected cavities in the brain that are enlargements of
the central canal of the spinal cord and contain cerebrospinal fluid

3.  hollow
in body part: a small cavity or chamber in the body or
in an organ
[14th century. From Latin ventriculus,
literally “little belly” (see ventriculus
).][1]



ventricose

ventricose
ven·tri·cose 
[véntri kss] adjective

1.  MEDICINE swollen
on one side: used to describe a body part or plant
part that is swollen, distended, or protruding on one side

2.  corpulent:
carrying a lot of weight, especially around the midsection (formal)
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin ventricosus, from Latin venter “belly”
(source of English ventriloquism ).]
—ven·tri·cos·i·ty [vèntri kóssətee], noun[1]



ventricular

ventricular
ven·tric·u·lar 
[ven tríkyələr] adjective

relating to ventricle:
involving, affecting, or relating to a ventricle or a ventriculus[1]



ventricularfibrillation

ventricularfibrillation
ven·tric·u·lar
fib·ril·la·tion  noun

heartbeat irregularity:
an often fatal heartbeat irregularity in which the muscle fibers of the
ventricles work without coordination, resulting in loss of effective pumping
action of the heart[1]



ventriculus

ventriculus
ven·tric·u·lus 
[ven tríkyələss] (plural ven·tric·u·li
[ven tríkyə l]) noun

1.  INSECTS insect
gut:
the part of an insect’s gut where digestion takes place

2.  BIRDS gizzard
of bird:
the part of a bird’s stomach where digestion takes place
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “little belly,” from venter “belly” (source of English ventriloquism ).][1]



ventriloquism

ventriloquism
ven·tril·o·quism 
[ven tríllə kwìzzəm] or ven·tril·o·quy
[ven trílləkwee] noun

art
of producing voices: the art or skill of
producing vocal sounds that seem to come from something other than the speaker
[Late
18th century. Formed from ventriloquy, from modern Latin ventriloquium,
literally “speaking from the stomach,” from Latin venter “stomach” + loqui
“to speak” (source of English locution
).]
—ven·tri·lo·qui·al
[vèntri lṓkwee əl], adjective

—ven·tri·lo·qui·al·ly
[vèntri lṓkwee əlee], adverb

—ven·tril·o·quist
[ven trílləkwist] (plural ven·tril·o·quists),
noun

—ven·tril·o·quis·tic
[ven trìllə kwístik], adjective

—ven·tril·o·quis·ti·cal·ly
[ven trìllə kwístikəlee], adverb[1]



ventriloquize

ventriloquize
ven·tril·o·quize 
[ven tríllə kwz] (past ven·tril·o·quized,
past participle ven·tril·o·quized, present participle ven·tril·o·quiz·ing,
3rd person present singular ven·tril·o·quiz·es) intransitive
verb

produce voices:
to produce vocal sounds that seem to come from something other than the speaker[1]



ventriloquy

ventriloquy
ven·tril·o·quy 
noun

See
ventriloquism
[Late 16th century. See ventriloquism .][1]



ventro-

ventro-
ventro-
prefix

ventral,
having to do with the belly • ventromedial
[From Latin venter
“belly” (source of English ventral, ventricle, and ventriloquism
)][1]



ventrodorsal

ventrodorsal
ven·tro·dor·sal 
[vèn trō dáwrs’l] adjective

See
dorsoventral  adjective 2
—ven·tro·dor·sal·ly, adverb[1]



ventrolateral

ventrolateral
ven·tro·lat·er·al 
[vèn trō láttərəl] adjective

from
front or bottom to side: relating to or extending
between the ventral and lateral surfaces of something such as an animal or
organ
—ven·tro·lat·er·al·ly,
adverb[1]



ventromedial

ventromedial
ven·tro·me·di·al 
[vèn trō mdee əl] adjective

in
middle of front or bottom: located near or facing the
middle of a ventral surface on something such as an animal or organ
—ven·tro·me·di·al·ly, adverb[1]



venture

venture
ven·ture 
[vénchər] noun (plural ven·tures)

1.  risky
project:
a risky or daring undertaking that has no guarantee of success

2.  new
business enterprise: a business enterprise that
involves risk but could lead to profit

3.  money
risked:
the money or property risked in a business venture
verb
(past ven·tured, past participle ven·tured, present
participle ven·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular ven·tures)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
dangerous trip: to make a trip that is unpleasant or
dangerous • I
ventured out into the storm to close the barn doors.

2.  transitive
verb
risk
dangers:
to undertake the risks or dangers of a particular task or project

3.  transitive
verb
make
suggestion:
to offer or express something tentatively at the risk of being contradicted,
embarrassed, or ignored

4.  intransitive
verb
dare
to do something: to presume or dare to do something

5.  transitive
verb
FINANCE put
money at risk: to expose money or property to risk by
committing it to a particular project
[15th
century. Shortening of adventure .]
—ven·tur·er, noun[1]



venturecapital

venturecapital
ven·ture
cap·i·tal
noun

money
for high-risk investment: money used for investment in
projects that involve a high risk but offer the possibility of large profits.
Also
called
risk capital
—ven·ture cap·i·tal·ist,
noun[1]



venturesome

venturesome
ven·ture·some 
[vénchərsəm] adjective (formal)

1.  adventurous:
willing to take risks or have new experiences

2.  risky:
involving risk or danger
—ven·ture·some·ly,
adverb

—ven·ture·some·ness, noun[1]



venturi

venturi
ven·tu·ri 
[ven tree] (plural ven·tu·ris)
noun

1.  constriction
in tube:
a constriction in a tube designed to cause a pressure drop when a liquid or gas
flows through it

2.  carburetor
air inlet:
a restricted air inlet in a carburetor that produces a drop in pressure,
causing fuel vapor to be drawn out of the carburetor bowl
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Italian physicist Giovanni Battista Venturi (1746–1822), who
described the relationship between velocity and pressure in moving fluids.][1]



Venturi,Robert

Venturi,Robert
Ven·tu·ri 
[ven tree], Robert (1925– )

U.S.
architect. He led a reaction as both theorist and practitioner against
modernist architecture, and is regarded as the founder of postmodernism. He won
the Pritzker Prize in 1991. He worked in partnership with his wife, Denise
Scott Brown ( b. 1931).
Full name
Venturi, Robert Charles[1]



venturitube

venturitube
ven·tu·ri
tube
or Ven·tu·ri tube noun

tube for measuring fluid
flow: a tube containing a venturi,
that is placed in a fluid to measure its rate of flow. The measurement is based
on the pressure drop in the fluid as it travels from one end of the tube to the
other.[1]



venturous

venturous
ven·tur·ous 
[vénchərəss] adjective

See
venturesome  adjective 1
—ven·tur·ous·ly,
adverb

—ven·tur·ous·ness, noun[1]



Ventôse

Ventôse
Ven·tôse 
[vaN táwz] (plural Ven·tôses) noun

6th
month of French Revolutionary calendar: the
sixth month of the year in the French Revolutionary calendar, corresponding to
February 20 to March 21 in the Gregorian calendar
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “windy.”][1]



venue

venue
ven·ue 
[vén y] (plural ven·ues) noun

1.  scene:
a scene or setting in which something takes place

2.  place
where event is held: a place where an event such
as a sports competition or a concert is held, especially one where events are
often held

3.  LAW scene
of crime:
the place in which a crime takes place or a cause of action arises

4.  LAW place
of trial:
a county or other area from which a jury is selected and in which a trial is
held

5.  LAW statement:
a statement that a case is being brought to the proper court or authority
[Mid-16th century. From Old
French, past participle of venir “to come,” from Latin venire .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English come, basis,
and juggernaut .][1]



venule

venule
ven·ule 
[vén yl] (plural ven·ules) noun

1.  small
blood vessel: a small blood vessel, especially one
that transfers blood from the capillaries to the veins

2.  branching
vein:
a small branching vein in a leaf or an insect’s wing
[Mid-19th
century. From Latin venula, literally “small vein,” from vena
“vein” (source of English vein ).]
—ven·u·lar, adjective[1]



Venus

Venus

Ve·nus 
[vnəss] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
goddess of love: in Roman mythology, the goddess of love
and beauty. She was the mother of Aeneas and Cupid. Greek equivalent Aphrodite

2.  ASTRONOMY planet
2nd from the Sun: the fourth smallest planet in the solar
system and the second planet from the Sun. Seen from the Earth as a bright
morning or evening star, Venus has a high surface temperature and is covered by
clouds of carbon dioxide gas.
[Pre-12th century. From Latin,
from venus “love, desire.”][1]



Venusflytrap

Venusflytrap
Ve·nus
fly·trap
noun

See
Venus’s flytrap[1]



Venushair

Venushair
Ve·nus·hair
noun

See
Venus’s-hair[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Venusian

Venusian
Ve·nu·sian 
[və nsh’n, vi
nshee ən] adjective

of
planet Venus: relating or belonging to the planet
Venus
noun
(plural Ve·nu·sians)

inhabitant of Venus:
an inhabitant of the planet Venus, as portrayed in science fiction[1]



Venusshell

Venusshell
Ve·nus
shell
noun

marine mollusk:
a common marine mollusk that has a hinged shell with rounded ribbed patterning
on it. Family: Veneridae[1]



Venus’sflower basket

Venus’sflower basket
Ve·nus’s
flow·er bas·ket  noun

deep-sea sponge:
a deep-sea sponge of the western Pacific and Indian oceans with a skeleton of
glassy slender pointed structures ( spicules
) that intersect to form a geometrically patterned surface. Genus: Euplectella[1]



Venus’sflytrap

Venus’sflytrap

Ve·nus’s fly·trap
or Venus flytrap noun
insect-eating plant:
an insect-eating plant native to North and South Carolina that has leaves
ending in hinged lobes that spring shut, entrapping the insect. Latin name: Dionaea
muscipula[1]



Venus’sgirdle

Venus’sgirdle
Ve·nus’s
gir·dle
noun

belt-shaped sea animal:
a marine animal ( ctenophore ) that lives in
warm seas and has a long virtually transparent belt-shaped body with rows of
cilia along the top and bottom edges. Latin name: Cestum veneris[1]



Venus’s-hair

Venus’s-hair
Ve·nus’s-hair 
[vnəss háir] (plural Ve·nus’s-hairs)
or Ve·nus·hair [vnəss háir] (plural
Ve·nus·hairs) noun

ornamental fern:
a delicate fan-shaped fern that is native to wet limestone areas of the
southern United States and tropical America and is widely grown as an
ornamental plant. Latin name: Adiantium capillus-veneris[1]



Venus’s-looking-glass

Venus’s-looking-glass
Ve·nus’s-look·ing-glass 
(plural Ve·nus’s-look·ing-glass·es) noun

plant with violet-purple
flowers: an annual plant that has
hairy oval leaves and purple flowers. It grows on cultivated and bare land in
parts of Eurasia and North Africa. Latin name: Legousia hybrida[1]



ver.

ver.
ver.

1.  Abbreviation
of
verse

2.  Abbreviation
of
version

[1]



veracious

veracious
ve·ra·cious 
[və ráyshəss] adjective

1.  honest:
honest or truthful

2.  true:
true or accurate (formal or literary)
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin verac-, the stem of verax, from verus
“true” (source of English verify, verdict, and aver
.]
—ve·ra·cious·ly,
adverb

—ve·ra·cious·ness, noun[1]



veracity

veracity
ve·rac·i·ty 
[və rássətee] (plural ve·rac·i·ties)
noun

1.  truth:
the truth, accuracy, or precision of something • They
questioned the veracity of our claims.

2.  truthfulness:
the truthfulness or honesty of a person

3.  true
statement:
a truth or true statement
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from medieval Latin veracitas, from verax
“truthful” (see veracious ).][1]



Veracruz

Veracruz
Ve·ra·cruz 
[vèrrə krz]

city and port in eastern
Mexico, located on the Gulf of Mexico. Population: 328,607 (1990)[1]



veranda

veranda
ve·ran·da 
[və rándə] (plural ve·ran·das)
or ve·ran·dah [və rándə] (plural
ve·ran·dahs) noun

porch:
a porch, usually roofed and sometimes partly enclosed, that extends along an
outside wall of a building
[Early
18th century. Via Hindi varaṇḍā from Portuguese varanda “railing,
balcony,” of unknown origin.]
—ve·ran·daed,
adjective





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  To
  refer to a large porch, especially with a suggestion of luxury, veranda is most common in the Middle and South
  Atlantic States. In the Gulf states, piazza, especially in Lower
  Alabama, and gallery, which dominates the Lower Mississippi Valley out
  of New Orleans, recur much more frequently than does veranda.

[1]



verapamil

verapamil
ve·ra·pa·mil 
[və ráppəmil] (plural ve·ra·pa·mils)
noun

heart
drug:
a drug used to treat heart and circulatory disorders, including angina
pectoris, hypertension, and irregular heartbeat. It works by inhibiting the
movement of calcium ions across membranes, especially in muscle cells.
[Mid-20th century. From v(al)er(ic)
+ am(ino-) + (nitr)il(e) (with inserted “p”), its chemical name.][1]



veratridine

veratridine
ve·rat·ri·dine 
[və ráttrə dn, və
ráttrədin] noun

insecticide
poison:
a poisonous yellowish-white substance obtained from sabadilla seeds and used in
insecticides and formerly in medicine. C36H51NO11
[Early 20th century. Formed
from veratrum .][1]



veratrine

veratrine
ver·a·trine 
[vérrə trn, vérrətrin]
or ver·a·trin [vérrətrin] noun

poisonous
medicine:
a poisonous mixture of alkaloids including veratridine, formerly used in
medicine to relieve inflammation
[Early 19th century. Formed
from veratrum .][1]



verb

verb
verb 
[vurb] (plural verbs) noun

1.  word
indicating action or state: a word used to show that an
action is taking place, or to indicate the existence of a state or condition,
or the part of speech to which such a word belongs

2.  predicate
of sentence: the part of a clause or sentence that
includes the verb but excludes the subject of the verb
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin verbum “word.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to speak,” which is also the ancestor of English word
and irony .][1]



verbal

verbal
ver·bal 
[vúrb’l] adjective

1.  using
words rather than pictures: expressed in or using words
or language, especially as opposed to pictorial representation • a
verbal picture of the scene outside

2.  using
words rather than action: relating to or consisting of
words rather than physical action or confrontation • verbal
protest

3.  oral
rather than written: relating to or consisting of
spoken rather than written words • They
made a verbal agreement.

4.  using
words without meaning: using words without
conveying meaning or making any meaningful distinctions • a
purely verbal distinction rather than anything more fundamental

5.  involving
skill with words: involving skill in the use and
understanding of words and language • verbal
dexterity

6.  GRAMMAR relating
to verbs:
derived from or relating to a verb, or to verbs in general

7.  GRAMMAR forming
verbs:
used to form verbs

8.  verbatim:
corresponding word for word (archaic)
noun
(plural ver·bals)

GRAMMAR word
formed from verb: a word formed from a verb, especially
one used as a noun or an adjective, such as a gerund or participle.
Also
called
verbid
[15th
century. Via Old French from, ultimately, Latin verbum (see verb ).]
—ver·bal·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  verbal, spoken, oral
  CORE
  MEANING: expressed
  in words verbal; indicates that
  something such as an apology or request is expressed in words, usually spoken
  words, but sometimes in writing; spoken;
  indicates that communication is expressed by means of speech rather than
  writing; oral; a more formal word
  meaning the same as spoken

[1]



verbaladjective

verbaladjective
ver·bal
ad·jec·tive
noun

adjective derived from verb
participle: a verb participle ending in
-ing or -ed that is used as an adjective[1]



verbalism

verbalism
ver·bal·ism 
[vúrb’l ìzzəm] (plural ver·bal·isms)
noun

1.  verbal
expression:
something expressed in words

2.  long-winded
expression:
a wordy expression that has little meaning or relevance

3.  use
of too many words: the uncritical or
undisciplined use of words, especially without any attempt to analyze their
meaning or value

4.  way
something is expressed: the manner in which
something is expressed or communicated

[1]



verbalist

verbalist
ver·bal·ist 
[vúrb’list] (plural ver·bal·ists)
noun

1.  somebody
skilled with words: somebody who is skilled in
the use of words and language

2.  somebody
who concentrates on words: somebody who tends to
concentrate on words or language rather than on things such as facts, feelings,
or ideas
—ver·bal·is·tic [vùrb’l ístik], adjective[1]



verbalize

verbalize
ver·bal·ize 
[vúrb’l z] (past ver·bal·ized,
past participle ver·bal·ized, present participle ver·bal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·bal·iz·es) verb

1.  transitive
verb
express
something in words: to express feelings,
thoughts, or ideas in words

2.  transitive
verb
GRAMMAR make
word into verb: to make a word that is another part of
speech, for example, a noun or adjective, into a verb

3.  intransitive
verb
be
verbose:
to speak or write in a way that uses too many words
—ver·bal·i·za·tion
[vùrb’li záysh’n], noun

—ver·bal·iz·er [vúrb’l zər], noun[1]



verbalnoun

verbalnoun
ver·bal
noun
noun

noun from verb:
a form of a verb ending in “-ing” used as a noun, for example, “dancing” in “he
teaches dancing”[1]



verbatim

verbatim
ver·ba·tim 
[vər báytim] adjective

using
identical words: corresponding word for word with
something else
adverb

in
identical words: repeated, written down, or copied word
for word
[15th century. From medieval
Latin, from Latin verbum “word.”][1]



verbena

verbena
ver·be·na 
[vər bnə] (plural ver·be·nas)
noun

flowering
plant:
a common plant or shrub, native mainly to North and South America, that bears
clusters of small tubular five-lobed flowers and is widely grown for ornament.
Genus: Verbena
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to bend,” which is also the
ancestor of English warp, reverberate, and rhombus
.][1]



verbiage

verbiage
ver·bi·age 
[vúrbee ij] noun

1.  excess
of words:
an excess of words, especially in writing or speech with little or no meaning

2.  wording:
the style of language in which something is expressed • bureaucratic
verbiage explaining the regulations
[Early 18th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin verbum “word.”][1]



verbid

verbid
ver·bid 
[vúrbid] (plural ver·bids) noun

LINGUISTICS
See verbal  noun[1]



verbify

verbify
verb·i·fy 
[vúrbi f] (past verb·i·fied, past
participle verb·i·fied, present participle verb·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular verb·i·fies) transitive verb

(archaic
or formal) See verbalize  verb
2
—verb·i·fi·ca·tion [vùrbifi káysh’n], noun[1]



verbigerate

verbigerate
ver·big·er·ate 
[vər bíjjə ràyt] (past ver·big·er·at·ed,
past participle ver·big·er·at·ed, present participle ver·big·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·big·er·ates) intransitive verb

repeat
words again and again: to repeat the same words or
phrases obsessively as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder
[Late
19th century. From Latin verbigerat-, the past participle stem of verbigerare
“to chat,” from verbum “word” + gerare “to keep carrying on.”]
—ver·big·er·a·tion [vər bìjjə ráysh’n], noun[1]



verbose

verbose
ver·bose 
[vər bṓss] adjective

using
too many words: expressed in or using language that is
too long-winded or complicated
[Late
17th century. From Latin verbosus, from verbum “word.”]
—ver·bose·ly,
adverb

—ver·bose·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at wordy

[1]



verboten

verboten
ver·bo·ten 
[vər bṓt’n, fər
bṓt’n] adjective

not
allowed:
forbidden or prohibited
[Early 20th century. From
German .][1]



verbphrase

verbphrase
verb
phrase
noun

verb and objects:
a grammatical construction consisting of a verb and any direct and indirect
objects and modifiers linked to it, but not including the subject of the verb[1]



Vercheres,Marie-Madeleine Jarret de

Vercheres,Marie-Madeleine Jarret de
Ver·cheres
[vúrchərəss], Marie-Madeleine Jarret de
(1678–1747)

French-Canadian colonist. She
is known for defending her family’s fort against an attack by the Iroquois in
1692.[1]



verdant

verdant
ver·dant 
[vúrd’nt] adjective

1.  with
lush green growth: green with vegetation or
foliage

2.  COLORS green:
green in color

3.  naive:
lacking experience or sophistication (literary)
[Late
16th century. Via Old French verdeant, literally “becoming green,” from,
ultimately, Latin viridis “green” (source of English vireo ).]
—ver·dan·cy,
noun

—ver·dant·ly, adverb[1]



verdantique

verdantique
verd
an·tique
[vùrd an tk] (plural verd
an·tiques) or verde an·tique [vùrd
an tk] (plural verde an·tiques) noun

1.  green
veined marble: a dark-green mottled or veined variety
of serpentine marble that is used in decoration

2.  green
stone:
a green marble or stone that resembles verd antique

3.  See
verdigris  noun 1
[From obsolete French,
literally “antique green”][1]



Verde,Cape

Verde,Cape
Verde,
Cape
[vurd]

1.  peninsula
in western central Senegal. Its tip is the westernmost point of the African
mainland.

2.  See
Cape Verde

[1]



verdict

verdict
ver·dict 
[vúrdikt] (plural ver·dicts) noun

1.  LAW jury
decision:
the finding of a jury on the matter that has been submitted to it in a trial

2.  decision
or opinion about something: a judgment, opinion, or
conclusion that is expressed about something
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman verdit, literally “true speech,” from ver “true” + dit
“speech, saying.”][1]



Verdi,Giuseppe

Verdi,Giuseppe
Ver·di
[váirdee], Giuseppe (1813–1901)

Italian
composer. He was one of the greatest operatic composers of all time. His works
include Rigoletto ( 1851 ), La Traviata ( 1853 ), Aida (
1871 ), Otello ( 1887 ), and Falstaff ( 1893 ).
Full name
Verdi, Guiseppe Fortunino Francesco[1]



verdigris

verdigris
ver·di·gris 
[vúrdi grss, vúrdi
grìss, vúrdi gr] noun

1.  green
deposit on copper: a green or greenish-blue
deposit ( patina ) on copper, brass, and
bronze that is caused by atmospheric corrosion and consists of copper
carbonates.
Also
called
verd antique

2.  greenish
copper powder: a green or greenish-blue poisonous
powder that is used as a paint pigment and fungicide. It is formed by the
action of acetic acid on copper and consists of one or more basic copper
acetates.
[14th century. From Old
French vert de Grece, literally “green of Greece.”][1]



verdin

verdin
ver·din 
[vúrd’n] (plural ver·dins) noun

small
bird with yellow head: a small bird of the
southwestern United States and Mexico, with gray plumage, a white breast, and a
yellow head and throat. Latin name: Auriparus flaviceps
[Late 19th century. Via
French from, ultimately, Latin viridis “green.”][1]



verditer

verditer
ver·di·ter 
[vúrditər] (plural ver·di·ters)
noun

blue
or green pigment: a basic copper carbonate that is used as
a blue or green pigment. The blue variety contains azurite, the green variety
contains malachite.
[Early 16th century. From Old
French verd de terre, literally “green of the earth.”][1]



Verdun

Verdun
Ver·dun 
[vur dún]

town in northeastern France.
One of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War I was fought around the
town during 1916. Population: 23,427 (1990)[1]



verdure

verdure
ver·dure 
[vúrjər] noun

1.  vivid
green of plants: the green color associated with lush
vegetation

2.  vegetation:
extremely lush vegetation

3.  freshness:
a fresh, healthy, or flourishing condition
[14th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin viridis “green.”]
—ver·dured,
adjective

—ver·dure·less,
adjective

—ver·dur·ous,
adjective

—ver·dur·ous·ness, noun[1]



verecund

verecund
ve·re·cund 
[vérrə kùnd] adjective

bashful:
shy or modest (archaic)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
verecundus, from vereri “to respect” (source of English revere ).][1]



Vereeniging

Vereeniging
Vereenig·ing
[və rniking]

industrial city in Gauteng
Province, South Africa. Population: 71,255 (1991)[1]



verge

verge1
verge1 [vurj]
noun (plural verg·es)

1.  point
beyond which something happens: the point beyond which
something happens or begins • He was
on the verge of tears.

2.  boundary:
a line, belt, or strip that acts as a boundary or edge

3.  edge:
the edge, rim, or margin of something

4.  U.K.
TRANSPORT roadside
border:
a narrow border that runs alongside a road

5.  ARCHITECTURE roof
edge:
the edge of a sloping roof where it extends beyond the gable

6.  clock
spindle:
the spindle of a balance wheel in early clock and watch mechanisms

7.  HISTORY rod
held by tenant: a rod held by a feudal tenant when
swearing an oath of loyalty to his or her lord

8.  rod
as symbol of office: a rod or staff carried as a
symbol of authority or an emblem of office
intransitive
verb
(past verged, past participle verged, present
participle verg·ing, 3rd person present singular verg·es)

1.  approach
a state or quality: to approach or come close to
a particular quality, state, or condition • verging
on brilliance

2.  border
on an area:
to border on or be on the edge of a particular place or area
[14th century. Via French,
“rod” (symbolizing the office of Lord High Steward and the limits of his
jurisdiction), from Latin virga (source of English virgule ).][1]



verge

verge2
verge2 [vurj]
(past verged, past participle verged, present
participle verg·ing, 3rd person present singular verg·es)
intransitive verb

1.  move
in particular direction: to move or lean in a
particular direction or toward a certain condition

2.  change
gradually:
to change gradually from one thing to another (literary)

3.  sink
from view:
to descend toward the horizon (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vergere “to bend, incline” (source of English converge and diverge
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to turn,” which is also the
ancestor of English wrench and wrinkle .][1]



vergence

vergence
ver·gence
[vúrjəns] noun

eye
movement:
the inward or outward turning of both eyes when focusing on a near or distant
object
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from convergence and divergence .][1]



verger

verger
verg·er 
[vúrjər] (plural verg·ers) noun
U.K.

1.  church
official:
a church official who acts as a caretaker and attendant and looks after the
inside of a church, usually including the furnishings and the vestments

2.  official
who carries staff: a church official who
carries the staff of office ( verge ) in
front of somebody such as a bishop or dean during ceremonies and processions
[15th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Old French verge “rod of office” (see verge 1 ).][1]



Vergil

Vergil
Ver·gil


See
Virgil[1]



verglas

verglas
ver·glas 
[vair gl] noun

thin
ice:
a thin coating of ice found on rock or exposed ground
[Early 19th century. From
French, from verre “glass” + glas “ice.”][1]



veridical

veridical
ve·rid·i·cal 
[və ríddik’l] adjective (formal)

1.  truthful:
telling the truth

2.  real:
corresponding to facts or to reality, and therefore genuine or real
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin veridicus, literally “truth-speaking,” from verus
“true” + dicere “to say.”]
—ve·rid·i·cal·i·ty
[və rìddi kállətee], noun

—ve·rid·i·cal·ly [və ríddikəlee], adverb[1]



verification

verification
ver·i·fi·ca·tion 
[vèrrəfi káysh’n] (plural ver·i·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  establishment
of truth:
the establishment of the truth or correctness of something by investigation or
evidence

2.  evidence:
the evidence that proves something true or correct

3.  INTERNATIONAL LAW confirmation
of procedures: in international law, the process of
confirming that procedures laid down in an agreement such as a weapons
limitation treaty are being followed

4.  LAW affidavit:
in law, an affidavit swearing to the accuracy of a pleading

5.  LAW confirmatory
evidence:
evidence or testimony that confirms something
—ver·i·fi·ca·tive [vérrəfi kàytiv], adjective[1]



verificationism

verificationism
ver·i·fi·ca·tion·ism
[vèrrəfi káysh’n ìzzəm] noun

belief that meaningful
statements are provable: the view
that every meaningful proposition is capable of being shown to be true or false[1]



verificationprinciple

verificationprinciple
ver·i·fi·ca·tion
prin·ci·ple
noun

principle of establishing
meaning: the principle that a
proposition or sentence is meaningful only if it is possible to establish
whether it is true or false by experience or observation[1]



verify

verify
ver·i·fy 
[vérrə f] (past ver·i·fied, past
participle ver·i·fied, present participle ver·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  prove
something:
to prove that something is true

2.  check
whether something is true: to check whether or not
something is true by examination, investigation, or comparison

3.  LAW swear
something under oath: in law, to swear or affirm
under oath that something is true

4.  LAW attest
to truth by affidavit: in law, to support the truth
of a pleading by affidavit
[14th
century. Via French verifier from medieval Latin verificare,
literally “to make true,” from verus “true” (source of English very ) + facere “to make.”]
—ver·i·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[vèrrə fī ə bíllətee], noun

—ver·i·fi·a·ble
[vérrə f əb’l, vèrrə
f əb’l], adjective

—ver·i·fi·a·bly
[vérrə f əblee, vèrrə
f əblee], adverb

—ver·i·fi·er [vérrə fr], noun[1]



verily

verily
ver·i·ly 
[vérrəlee] adverb

truthfully:
in truth (archaic) • Verily,
he has admitted it.
[13th century. Formed from very, in the sense “true.”][1]



verisimilar

verisimilar
ver·i·sim·i·lar 
[vèrrə símmilər] adjective

seeming
true:
appearing to be true or real (literary)
[Late
17th century. Formed from Latin verisimilis, literally “like the truth,”
from verus “true” and similis “like.”]
—ver·i·sim·i·lar·ly, adverb[1]



verisimilitude

verisimilitude
ver·i·si·mil·i·tude 
[vèrrə si míllə td] (plural ver·i·si·mil·i·tudes)
noun (formal)

1.  appearance
of being true: the appearance of being true or real

2.  something
that only seems true: something that only appears
to be true or real, for example, a statement that is not supported by evidence
[Early
17th century. From Latin verisimilitudo, from verisimilis (see verisimilar ).]
—ver·i·si·mil·i·tu·di·nous
[vèrrə simmilə td’nəss], adjective[1]



verism

verism
ver·ism 
[vé rìzzəm] noun

strict
realism in art: strict realism or naturalism in art and
literature
[Late
19th century. Formed from Latin verus or Italian vero “true.”]
—ver·ist,
noun

—ve·ris·tic [və rístik], adjective[1]



verismo

verismo
ve·ris·mo 
[və ríz mō] noun

realism
in opera:
a late 19th-century movement in Italian opera that advocated the use of themes
drawn from real life and naturalistic portrayal of characters and events.
Puccini was one of the principal members of this movement.
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, “verism.”][1]



veritable

veritable
ver·i·ta·ble 
[vérrətəb’l] adjective

1.  absolute:
indicating that something being referred to figuratively is as good as true

2.  true:
true as a declaration or statement (archaic)
[15th
century. Via French from, ultimately, Latin veritas “truth” (see verity ).]
—ver·i·ta·ble·ness,
noun

—ver·i·ta·bly, adverb[1]



verity

verity
ver·i·ty 
[vérrətee] (plural ver·i·ties)
noun (formal)

1.  truth
or reality:
the quality of being true or real

2.  something
true:
something that is true, especially a statement or principle that is accepted as
a fact
[14th century. Via French
from Latin veritas, from verus “true” (source of English very, verify,
and verdict ).][1]



verjuice

verjuice
ver·juice 
[vúr jss] (plural ver·juices)
noun

1.  liquid
from sour fruit: an acid liquid made from crab apples or
other sour or unripe fruit, formerly used in cooking instead of vinegar

2.  unpleasantness:
sourness of temper, attitude, or expression
[14th century. From Old
French vertjus, from verd “green” + jus “juice.”][1]



Verlaine,Paul

Verlaine,Paul
Ver·laine
[ver láyn, ver
lén], Paul (1844–1896)

French
poet. He wrote Songs Without Words ( 1874 ) while in prison for shooting
his friend Arthur Rimbaud. His later symbolist verse influenced the development
of French poetry.
Full name
Verlaine, Paul Marie[1]



vermeil

vermeil
ver·meil 
[vúrm’l, vúr
màyl] noun

1.  gilded
metal:
gilded silver, bronze, or copper

2.  vermilion:
the color vermilion (literary)
[14th century. Via Old French
from late Latin vermiculus, kermes insect from which red dye was made,
literally “little worm,” from Latin vermis “worm” (see vermi- ).][1]



vermi-

vermi-
vermi-
prefix

worm
• vermivorous
[From Latin vermis
“worm” (source of English vermicelli
and vermin ). Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English worm .][1]



vermicelli

vermicelli
ver·mi·cel·li 
[vùrmə chéllee, vùrmə
séllee] noun

pasta:
a kind of pasta in long fine threads, often used in soups
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, literally “little worms,” from, ultimately, Latin vermis
“worm.”][1]



vermicide

vermicide
ver·mi·cide 
[vúrmi sd] (plural ver·mi·cides)
noun

1.  CHEMISTRY chemical
worm killer: a substance used to kill worms

2.  MEDICINE remedy
for parasitic worms: a chemical substance that
expels parasitic worms from the small intestines
—ver·mi·cid·al [vùrmi sd’l], adjective[1]



vermicomposter

vermicomposter
ver·mi·com·post·er
[vúrmi kòmpostər] (plural ver·mi·com·post·ers)
noun

container
used in vermiculture: a container in which
specially bred worms are used to convert organic matter into compost
[Late 20th century. Coined
from vermi- + composter
.][1]



vermicomposting

vermicomposting
vermicomposting
noun

See
vermiculture[1]



vermicular

vermicular
ver·mic·u·lar 
[vər míkyələr] adjective

1.  wavy:
in wavy lines like the movements, shape, or tracks of worms

2.  of
worms:
relating to worms
[Late
17th century. From medieval Latin vermicularis, from Latin vermiculis,
literally “little worm,” from vermis “worm.”]
—ver·mic·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



vermiculate

vermiculate
ver·mic·u·late 
transitive verb [vər míkyə làyt] (past
ver·mic·u·lat·ed, past participle ver·mic·u·lat·ed, present
participle ver·mic·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present singular ver·mic·u·lates)

decorate something with wavy lines:
to decorate something with wavy lines or patterns (formal)
adjective
[vər míkyələt, vər
míkyə làyt]

1.  with
wavy lines:
with wavy lines like the movements, shape, or tracks of a worm

2.  sinuous:
with many twists and turns (formal)

3.  looking
worm-eaten:
with a worm-eaten appearance (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vermiculat-, the past participle stem of vermiculari “to be
full of worms,” from vermiculus (see vermicular
).][1]



vermiculation

vermiculation
ver·mic·u·la·tion 
[vər mìkyə láysh’n] noun

1.  movement
in waves:
movement in waves, for example, the muscular contractions of the intestines ( peristalsis )

2.  wavy
decoration:
decorative wavy lines, patterns, or carvings

3.  worm
infestation: infestation by worms, or the resulting
worm-eaten condition

[1]



vermiculite

vermiculite
ver·mic·u·lite 
[vər míkyə lt] (plural ver·mic·u·lites)
noun

compound
used in growing plants: a hydrous silicate of
aluminum, magnesium, or iron, resulting from the alteration of the mineral
constituents of basic rocks. It is used for insulation, as a lubricant, and as
a medium for starting or growing plants.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin vermiculus “little worm” (see vermicular
), because of the way flakes of it expand and writhe in long shapes when
heated.][1]



vermiculture

vermiculture
ver·mi·cul·ture
[vúrmi kùlchər] noun

using
worms to make compost: the use of specially bred
worms to convert organic matter into compost.
Also
called
vermicomposting
[Late 20th century. Coined
from vermi- + culture
.][1]



vermiform

vermiform
ver·mi·form 
[vúrmi fàwrm] adjective

worm-shaped:
resembling a worm in shape[1]



vermiformappendix

vermiformappendix
ver·mi·form
ap·pen·dix
or ver·mi·form proc·ess noun

ANATOMY
See appendix  noun 1[1]



vermifuge

vermifuge
ver·mi·fuge 
[vúrmi fyj] (plural ver·mi·fug·es)
noun

medication
to get rid of worms: a drug or other substance
that causes worms or other parasites to be expelled from the intestines.
Also
called
helminthic
—ver·mif·u·gal [vər míffyəg’l, vùrmi
fyg’l], adjective[1]



vermilion

vermilion
ver·mil·ion 
[vər míllyən] or ver·mil·lion
[vər míllyən] noun

1.  red
pigment:
a bright red pigment made from mercuric sulfide or created artificially

2.  COLORS bright
red color:
a bright red color, sometimes tinged with orange
adjective

of a brilliant red:
of a bright red color
[13th century. From Old
French vermeillon, from vermeil (see vermeil
).][1]



vermin

vermin
ver·min 
[vúrmin] (plural ver·min) noun

1.  destructive
animals or insects: small animals or insects
that harm people, livestock, property, or crops and are difficult to control,
for example, rats, weasels, fleas, or cockroaches

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a person or group considered to be extremely unpleasant
or undesirable (slang insult)
[13th century. Via Old French
from assumed Vulgar Latin verminum “noxious life forms,” from Latin vermis
“worm.”][1]



vermination

vermination
ver·mi·na·tion 
[vùrmi náysh’n] noun

infestation with vermin:
the spreading of or infestation with vermin, especially parasites[1]



verminous

verminous
ver·min·ous 
[vúrminəss] adjective

1.  of
or with vermin: relating to or infested with vermin

2.  caused
by vermin or worms: caused by vermin or
parasitic worms

3.  disgusting:
extremely unpleasant or offensive
—ver·min·ous·ly,
adverb

—ver·min·ous·ness, noun[1]



vermis

vermis
ver·mis
[vúrmiss] noun

middle
part of brain: the middle lobe of the brain that
connects the two hemispheres of the cerebellum
[Late 19th century. From
Latin, “worm.”][1]



vermivorous

vermivorous
ver·miv·o·rous 
[vər mívvərəss] adjective

eating worms:
used to describe birds or other animals that feed on worms[1]



Vermont

Vermont


Ver·mont 
[vur mónt]
state
in the northeastern United States, bordered by Canada, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and New York State. Capital: Montpelier. Population: 588,978
(1997) Area: 24,903 sq km/9,615 sq mi.
—Ver·mon·ter, noun[1]



Vermont




Back to definition

Vermont

[1]



vermouth

vermouth
ver·mouth 
[vər mth] (plural ver·mouths)
noun

flavored
wine:
a wine flavored with aromatic herbs
[Early 19th century. Via
French from German Wermut “wormwood,” with which it was originally
flavored.][1]



vernacular

vernacular
ver·nac·u·lar 
[vər nákyələr] noun (plural ver·nac·u·lars)

1.  LANGUAGE ordinary
language:
the everyday language of the people in a particular country or region, as
opposed to official or formal language

2.  LANGUAGE spoken
language:
the common spoken language of a people as opposed to formal written or literary
language

3.  LANGUAGE language
of particular group: the distinctive vocabulary
or language of a particular profession, group, or class

4.  BIOLOGY common
name:
a common name of a plant, animal, or other organism as opposed to its
scientific name

5.  ARCHITECTURE ordinary
building style: the architecture of a particular place
or people, especially the architectural style that is used for ordinary houses
as opposed to large official or commercial buildings
adjective

1.  LANGUAGE using
ordinary language: belonging to, relating to,
or using the everyday language of the people in a particular country or region,
as opposed to official or formal language

2.  LANGUAGE in
ordinary spoken language: belonging to, relating to,
or using the common spoken language of a people as opposed to formal written or
literary language

3.  BIOLOGY relating
to common name: used to describe the common name of a
plant, animal, or other organism as opposed to its scientific name

4.  ARCHITECTURE built
in common style: built in the style of architecture used
for the ordinary houses of a particular place or people, as opposed to the
style used for large official or commercial buildings
[Early
17th century. Formed from Latin vernaculus “native,” from verna
“native-born slave,” of uncertain origin: possibly from Etruscan .]
—ver·nac·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



vernacularism

vernacularism
ver·nac·u·lar·ism 
[vər nákyələ rìzzəm] (plural ver·nac·u·lar·isms)
noun

1.  ordinary
word or phrase: a word or phrase from the everyday
language of the people in a particular country or region, as opposed to
official or formal language

2.  use
of ordinary language: the use of everyday
language, as opposed to official or formal language

[1]



vernacularize

vernacularize
ver·nac·u·lar·ize 
[vər nákyələ rz] (past ver·nac·u·lar·ized,
past participle ver·nac·u·lar·ized, present participle ver·nac·u·lar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·nac·u·lar·iz·es) transitive
verb

make something part of
ordinary language: to make a
word or phrase a part of ordinary everyday language[1]



vernal

vernal
ver·nal 
[vúrn’l] adjective

1.  in
the spring:
appearing or happening in the season of spring

2.  youthful:
having the freshness or energy associated with being young (literary)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
vernalis, from vernus “of the spring,” from ver “spring.”][1]



vernalequinox

vernalequinox
ver·nal
e·qui·nox
noun

1.  TIME beginning
of spring:
the time when the sun crosses the celestial equator and day and night are of
equal length, marking the beginning of spring. In the northern hemisphere this
is around March 21, in the southern hemisphere around September 23.

2.  ASTRONOMY intersection
of celestial equator and ecliptic: the point on the
celestial sphere where the path of the sun ( ecliptic
) crosses the celestial equator, in the constellation of Pisces

[1]



vernalize

vernalize
ver·nal·ize
[vúrn’l z] (past ver·nal·ized,
past participle ver·nal·ized, present participle ver·nal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·nal·iz·es) transitive verb

speed
seed development artificially: to expose plant seeds
or seedlings to artificially cold temperatures in order to promote development
and flowering. For example, seeds of winter cereals can be vernalized to mimic
the passing of winter and allow them to germinate and grow successfully when
sown in the spring.
—ver·nal·i·za·tion [vùrn’li záysh’n], noun[1]



vernation

vernation
ver·na·tion 
[vər náysh’n] noun

leaf
arrangement in bud: the way that young leaves
are arranged in a bud
[Late 18th century. From the
modern Latin stem vernation-, from Latin vernare “to grow in the
spring,” from vernus “of the spring” (see vernal
).][1]



Verne,Jules

Verne,Jules
Verne
[vurn], Jules (1828–1905)

French writer. His novels,
which include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ( 1870 ) and Around the
World in 80 Days ( 1873 ), were pioneering works of science fiction.[1]



vernicle

vernicle
ver·ni·cle
[vúrnək’l] (plural ver·ni·cles)
noun

CHRISTIANITY See veronica 2 noun 1
[14th century. From Old
French veronicle, variant of veronique (see veronica ).][1]



vernier

vernier
ver·ni·er 
[vúrnee ər] noun (plural ver·ni·ers)

1.  small
scale for precise readings: a small movable graduated
scale parallel to a larger graduated scale, used to obtain smaller or more
precise readings from the main scale

2.  device
for making fine adjustments: an auxiliary device used to
make fine adjustments to a precision instrument
adjective

with a vernier:
relating to or fitted with a vernier
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the French mathematician Pierre Vernier (1580–1637).][1]



vernierrocket

vernierrocket
ver·ni·er
rock·et 
noun

See
thruster  noun 1
[Mid-20th century. See vernier .][1]



vernissage

vernissage
ver·nis·sage 
[vùrni szh] (plural ver·nis·sages)
noun

private
showing:
a private showing or preview before the public opening of an art exhibition
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “varnishing,” because it was originally the day before a
public exhibition, when exhibitors varnished paintings after they were in
place.][1]



Vernon

Vernon
Ver·non 
[vúrnin]

city in southern British
Columbia, Canada. Population: 55,359 (1996)[1]



Verona

Verona
Ve·ro·na 
[və rṓnə]

capital
city of Verona Province, Veneto Region, northern Italy. Population: 254,145
(1995)
—Ver·o·nese [vèrrə nz, vèrrə nss],
noun, adjective[1]



veronica

veronica1
ve·ron·i·ca1 [və
rónnikə] (plural ve·ron·i·cas) noun

plant
with small blue flowers: a perennial or annual plant
or shrub of the figwort family, for example, the speedwell, that bears clusters
of small, typically blue flowers. Genus: Veronica
[Early 16th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, of uncertain origin: possibly an alteration of Greek berenikion
.][1]



veronica

veronica3
ve·ron·i·ca3 [və
rónnikə] (plural ve·ron·i·cas) noun

bullfighting
move:
a move in bullfighting in which the bullfighter stands in place and slowly
swings the cape away from the bull as it charges
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish verónica, named for Saint Veronica, from the gesture
involved in wiping Jesus Christ’s face.][1]



veronica

veronica2
ve·ron·i·ca2 [və
rónnikə] (plural ve·ron·i·cas) noun

1.  impression
of Jesus Christ’s face: the impression of Jesus
Christ’s face believed by some to have been miraculously left on the cloth with
which Saint Veronica wiped it on his way to his crucifixion.
Also
called
vernicle

2.  cloth
that wiped Jesus Christ’s face: the cloth with which
Saint Veronica is said to have wiped Jesus Christ’s face on his way to his
crucifixion

3.  cloth
with Jesus Christ’s face: a cloth bearing a
representation of Jesus Christ’s face, sometimes worn by pilgrims
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly an alteration (influenced by the name of Saint Veronica) of
medieval Latin vera iconica, literally “true image.”][1]



Verrazzano,Giovanni da

Verrazzano,Giovanni da

Ver·raz·za·no
[vèrrə znō, vèrrraa
tsnō] or Ver·ra·za·no [vèrrə
znō, vèrrraa tsnō], Giovanni da
(1480?–1527?)
Italian explorer. He explored the eastern
coast of North America and was the first European to sail into New York Bay.[1]



verruca

verruca
ver·ru·ca 
[və rkə] (plural ver·ru·cae [və rkee]) noun

1.  wart
on foot:
a wart that grows on the foot, usually on the sole.
Also
called
plantar wart

2.  growth
resembling a wart: a wart-shaped growth or
projection on a plant or the skin of an animal
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, “wart.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “bump,” which is
also the ancestor of English wart and
varicose .][1]



verrucose

verrucose
ver·ru·cose 
[vérrə kss] or ver·ru·cous [vérrəkəss] adjective

having
warts:
covered with warts or similar growths or projections
[Late
17th century. From Latin verrucosus, from verruca “wart” (see verruca ).]
—ver·ru·cos·i·ty [vèrrə kóssətee], noun[1]



vers

vers
vers

Abbreviation of
versed sine[1]



Versailles

Versailles
Ver·sailles 
[vər s] noun

French palace:
a large and elaborately decorated palace near Paris, France, built for Louis
XIV in the mid-17th century. It is now a museum. The Treaty of Versailles was
signed there in 1919, ending World War I.[1]



versant

versant
ver·sant 
[vúrs’nt] (plural ver·sants) noun

1.  mountain
slope:
the slope of a mountain or mountain range

2.  area
slope:
the slope of a particular region
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the present participle of verser “to turn over,” from Latin versare
(see versatile ).][1]



versatile

versatile
ver·sa·tile 
[vúrsət’l] adjective

1.  with
many uses:
able or meant to be used in many different ways

2.  moving
easily between tasks: able to move easily from one
subject, task, or skill to another

3.  changeable:
subject to rapid or unpredictable change

4.  ZOOLOGY free-moving:
used to describe a body part or joint that can turn or move freely in more than
one direction, for example, an insect’s antenna

5.  BOTANY attached
loosely:
used to describe an anther that is attached to the filament by a small area,
allowing it to move more freely
[Early
17th century. From Latin versatilis, from versat-, the past
participle stem of versare, literally “to keep turning or changing,”
from vertere (see verse 1 ).]
—ver·sa·tile·ly,
adverb

—ver·sa·til·i·ty [vùrsə tíllətee], noun[1]



versde société

versde société
vers
de so·cié·té  [vùr də
sōssyə táy] noun

light
witty verse: verse or poetry written in a light witty
sophisticated style
[From French, literally
“society verse”][1]



verse

verse2
verse2 [vurs]
(past versed, past participle versed, present
participle vers·ing, 3rd person present singular vers·es)
transitive verb

teach
somebody:
to instruct somebody in something (archaic or literary)
[Back-formation from versed][1]



verse

verse1
verse1 [vurs]
noun (plural vers·es)

1.  MUSIC POETRY group of song or poem lines:
a section of a poem or song consisting of a number of lines arranged together
to form a single unit

2.  JUDEO-CHRISTIAN numbered
division of Bible chapter: any of the numbered
subdivisions into which the chapters of the Bible are divided

3.  POETRY poetry:
poetry as opposed to prose

4.  POETRY body
of poetry:
a body of poetry, for example, by a single author or from a particular country
or period • an
anthology of 19th-century verse

5.  POETRY kind
of poetry:
a particular form of poetry

6.  POETRY bad
poetry:
poetry that is trivial in content or inferior in quality • It’s
not poetry at all, it’s just verse.

7.  POETRY short
poem:
a poem, especially a short one

8.  POETRY line
of a poem:
a single line of a poem, arranged rhythmically in metrical feet
transitive
verb
(past versed, past participle versed, present
participle vers·ing, 3rd person present singular vers·es)

versify prose content:
to turn something from prose into poetry (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. Directly and via Old French vers from Latin versus
“turning (of a plow), furrow, line,” from vertere “to turn”).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word vertere, from which verse
  is derived, is also the source of English adverse,
  advertise, controversy, conversation,
  convert, diverse, invert,
  obverse, pervert, prose,
  reverse, subvert, universe,
  versatile, version, versus,
  vertebra, vertical, and vertigo.

[1]



versed

versed
versed 
[vurst] adjective

skilled:
very knowledgeable about or skilled in something
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French versé from Latin versatus, the past participle of versari
“to occupy oneself with,” from versare “to keep turning” (see versatile ).][1]



versedcosine

versedcosine
versed
co·sine
noun

one
minus sine:
a trigonometric function equal to one minus the sine of the specified angle
[Modeled on versed sine][1]



versedsine

versedsine
versed
sine
noun

one
minus cosine: a trigonometric function equal to one
minus the cosine of the specified angle.
Also
called
versine
[Translation of modern Latin sinus
versus, literally “turned sine”][1]



verset

verset
ver·set
[vúrsət] (plural ver·sets) noun

brief
verse:
a short verse, especially one from a sacred book
[Early 17th century. From
French, literally “short verse,” from vers “line” (see verse 1 ).][1]



versicle

versicle
ver·si·cle 
[vúrsik’l] (plural ver·si·cles)
noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY short
sentence in liturgy: a short sentence spoken or
chanted by the minister during a liturgical service and responded to by the
congregation or choir

2.  POETRY verse:
a short verse (literary or archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin versiculus, literally “short verse,” from versus
“line” (see verse 1 ).]
—ver·sic·u·lar [vər síkyələr], adjective[1]



versicolor

versicolor
ver·si·col·or 
[vúrsi kùllər] or ver·si·col·ored
[vúrsi kùllərd] adjective

1.  multicolored:
having various colors

2.  of
changeable color: varying or changing in color
[Early 17th century. From
Latin versicolor, from versus, the past participle of vertere
“to turn, change” (see verse 1 ), + color
“color.”][1]



versification

versification
ver·si·fi·ca·tion
[vùrsifi káysh’n] (plural ver·si·fi·ca·tions)
noun

1.  art
of verse-writing: the art or practice of writing verse

2.  metrical
form:
the metrical form or structure of a poem

3.  turning
prose into verse: the conversion of prose into verse, or
the recounting of something in verse

4.  version
in poetry:
a poetic or metrical version of a prose work

[1]



versify

versify
ver·si·fy 
[vúrsi f] (past ver·si·fied, past
participle ver·si·fied, present participle ver·si·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular ver·si·fies) verb

1.  transitive
verb
change
prose into poetry: to turn prose into verse

2.  transitive
verb
tell
story in poetry: to recount something in verse

3.  intransitive
verb
write
poetry:
to compose verse
[14th
century. Via French from Latin versificare, literally “to make verses,”
from versus “line” (see verse 1 ).]
—ver·si·fi·er, noun[1]



versine

versine
ver·sine 
[vúr sn] (plural ver·sines) noun

MATHEMATICS
See versed sine[1]



version

version
ver·sion 
[vúrzh’n] (plural ver·sions) noun

1.  account
of something: an account of something, given from a
particular point of view

2.  particular
form of something: a particular form or variety
of something that is different from others or from the original

3.  adaptation
of something: an adaptation of something for another
medium, for example, a book made into a play or film

4.  translation
of something: a translation of something into another
language

5.  ver·sion
or Ver·sion Bible translation:
a particular translation of the Bible

6.  MEDICINE manipulation
of fetus:
the manipulation of a fetus to change its position in the womb, for example, so
it can be delivered safely

7.  MEDICINE tilted
condition of organ: a condition in which an
internal organ, especially the womb, is abnormally tilted or turned
[Late
16th century. Via French from the Latin stem version-, from vers-,
the past participle stem of vertere “to turn” (see verse 1 ).]
—ver·sion·al, adjective[1]



verslibre

verslibre
vers
li·bre 
[vùr lbrə] noun

See
free verse
[From French][1]



verso

verso
ver·so 
[vúr s] (plural ver·sos) noun

1.  PUBLISHING back
of printed page: the back of a page or other printed
sheet.
See
also
recto

2.  PUBLISHING left-hand
page:
any of the left-hand pages of a book, usually printed with an even page number.

See
also
recto

3.  COINS See reverse  noun 3
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
verso (folio) “(with the page) turned,” from versus, the past
participle of vertere “to turn” (see verse 1 ).][1]



verst

verst
verst 
[vurst] (plural versts) noun

Russian
measure of length: a Russian measure of length
equal to 1.07 km0.66 mi
[Mid-16th century. Via French
verste or German Werst from Russian versta “line.”][1]



versus

versus
ver·sus 
[vúrsəss] preposition

1.  against:
against, especially in a competition or court case • The
United States versus Canada

2.  alternative
to:
as opposed to or contrasted with • such
considerations as money versus job satisfaction
[15th century. From medieval
Latin, “against,” from the past participle of Latin vertere “to turn”
(see verse 1 ).][1]



vert

vert
vert 
[vurt] noun

1.  HERALDRY green
color:
in heraldry, the color green

2.  LAW right
to cut wood or vegetation: in former times, the right
to cut living wood or green vegetation in a forest

3.  HISTORY wood
or vegetation: in former times, living wood or green
vegetation in a forest
adjective

HERALDRY green:
in heraldry, green in color
[15th century. Via Old
French, literally “green,” from Latin viridis (source of English verdant and vireo
).][1]



vertebra

vertebra
ver·te·bra 
[vúrtəbrə] (plural ver·te·brae
[vúrtə brày, vúrtəbree]
or ver·te·bras) noun

bone
in spinal column: a bone of the spinal column, typically
consisting of a stout body, a bony arch enclosing a hole for the spinal cord,
and stubby projections that connect with adjacent bones. In humans the spinal
column contains 33 vertebrae, including the fused lower vertebrae that form the
sacrum and coccyx.
[Early
17th century. From Latin, formed from vertere “to turn” (see verse 1 ).]
—ver·te·bral,
adjective

—ver·te·bral·ly, adverb[1]



vertebralcanal

vertebralcanal
ver·te·bral
ca·nal
noun

See
spinal canal[1]



vertebralcolumn

vertebralcolumn
ver·te·bral
col·umn
noun

See
spinal column[1]



vertebrate

vertebrate
ver·te·brate 
[vúrtəbrət, vúrtə
bràyt] (plural ver·te·brates) noun

animal
with a backbone: an animal with a segmented spinal column
and a well-developed brain such as a mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, or fish
[Early
19th century. From Latin vertebratus “having joints,” from vertebra
(see vertebra ).]
—ver·te·brate, adjective[1]



vertebration

vertebration
ver·te·bra·tion 
[vùrtə bráysh’n] (plural ver·te·bra·tions)
noun

embryonic development of
vertebrae: the formation of or division
into vertebral segments, or segments resembling vertebrae, during the
development of an embryo[1]



vertex

vertex
ver·tex 
[vúr tèks] (plural ver·ti·ces
[vúrti sz] or ver·tex·es) noun

1.  apex:
the highest point of something

2.  ANATOMY top of
the head:
the highest point of a body part, especially the top or crown of the head

3.  GEOMETRY point
opposite the base: the point opposite the base
of a figure

4.  GEOMETRY point
where sides of angle meet: the point where two sides of
a plane figure or an angle intersect

5.  GEOMETRY point
where planes of solid meet: the point where three or
more planes of a solid figure intersect

6.  ASTRONOMY point
toward which stars move: a point on the celestial
sphere toward which or from which a group of stars appears to move
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “whirl, spiral of hair at the top of the head,” from vertere “to
turn” (see verse 1 ).][1]



vertical

vertical
ver·ti·cal 
[vúrtik’l] adjective

1.  at
right angle to horizon: at a right angle to the
horizon

2.  upright:
extending or standing in an upright position, or running straight up or down
something such as a piece of paper

3.  overhead:
at the vertex or directly overhead

4.  ECONOMICS involving
all stages of production: relating to or involving all
the consecutive stages in the production of goods, from design to sale

5.  ANATOMY at the
top of the head: at or relating to the highest point of a
body part, especially the top or crown of the head

6.  made
up of many levels: involving or made up of
successive or many levels • a
vertical management structure
noun
(plural ver·ti·cals)

1.  something
vertical:
a vertical structure, line, surface, or part

2.  vertical
position:
a position that is upright or at a right angle to the horizon
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from late Latin verticalis “overhead,”
from Latin vertex (see vertex ).]
—ver·ti·cal·i·ty
[vùrti kállətee], noun

—ver·ti·cal·ly [vúrtikəlee], adverb[1]



verticalangle

verticalangle
ver·ti·cal
an·gle
noun

angle formed by intersecting
lines: either of the pair of equal
angles formed on opposite sides of the point at which two lines intersect. The
sides of either of the pair of vertical angles are the extensions of those of
the other angle.[1]



verticalcircle

verticalcircle
ver·ti·cal
cir·cle
noun

great circle passing through
celestial zenith: a great circle on the
celestial sphere whose plane is perpendicular to the horizon and passes through
the zenith and the nadir[1]



verticalfile

verticalfile
ver·ti·cal
file
noun

collection
of information: a collection of miscellaneous resource
materials for example, in a library, stored separately from the main collection
[Because stored vertically,
in suspension files][1]



verticalmobility

verticalmobility
ver·ti·cal
mo·bil·i·ty
noun

movement in terms of class:
the movement of people or groups in society either upward or downward in terms
of class or status[1]



verticalstabilizer

verticalstabilizer
ver·ti·cal
sta·bi·liz·er noun

See
fin 1 noun
4[1]



verticalunion

verticalunion
ver·ti·cal
un·ion
noun

See
industrial union[1]



vertices

vertices
ver·ti·ces


Plural of
vertex[1]



verticil

verticil
ver·ti·cil 
[vúrtəssìl] noun

circular
arrangement: a circular arrangement of similar parts
around a central point
[Early 18th century. From
Latin verticillus “whorl of a spindle.”][1]



verticillaster

verticillaster
ver·ti·cil·las·ter 
[vùrtəssi lástər] noun

flower
cluster like whorl: a flower cluster that looks
like a whorl of flowers but actually consists of two crowded clusters ( cymes ) arising opposite each other, as in many
mints
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from Latin verticullus “whorl of a spindle” + -aster .]
—ver·ti·cil·las·trate
[vùrtəssi lá stràyt, vùrtəssi lástrət], adjective[1]



verticillate

verticillate
ver·ti·cil·late 
[vùrtə síllət, vùrtə
sí làyt] adjective

whorled:
arranged in whorls, or forming a whorl
—ver·ti·cil·late·ly,
adverb

—ver·ti·cil·la·tion [vùrtəssi láysh’n], noun[1]



vertiginous

vertiginous
ver·tig·i·nous 
[vur tíjjənəss] adjective

1.  dizzying:
causing dizziness, especially because of being very high or exposed • the
mountain’s vertiginous summit

2.  suffering
from vertigo: relating to or suffering from the
whirling or tilting sensation of vertigo

3.  rotary:
whirling or spinning on an axis

4.  fickle:
tending to change frequently or suddenly
—ver·tig·i·nous·ly,
adverb

—ver·tig·i·nous·ness, noun[1]



vertigo

vertigo
ver·ti·go 
[vúrti g] (plural ver·ti·goes
or ver·ti·gos or ver·tig·i·nes [vər tíjjə nz]) noun

1.  condition
marked by whirling sensations: a condition in which
somebody feels a sensation of whirling or tilting that causes a loss of
balance. It is most often caused by disease of the inner ear or of the parts of
the brain concerned with balance, or it may precede an epileptic episode.

2.  instance
of vertigo:
an instance or episode of vertigo
[15th
century. From Latin (stem vertigin- ), “whirling about, giddiness,” from
vertere “turn.”]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Vertigo, a movie by English
  director Alfred Hitchcock ( 1958 ). One of Hitchcock’s most highly regarded
  films, it is both a typically suspenseful thriller and a powerful study of
  obsession. When former policeman Scottie Fergusson is asked to shadow a
  friend’s wife, he first falls in love with her and then, after her suicide, becomes
  infatuated with a woman who appears to be her double.

[1]



vertu

vertu
ver·tu 
noun

See
virtu[1]



Vertumnus

Vertumnus
Ver·tum·nus
[vur túmnəss] noun

god of gardens:
the Roman god of gardens[1]



vervain

vervain
ver·vain 
[vúr vàyn] noun

plant
with small flowers: a herbaceous plant with
small blue, white, or purple flowers and square stems, especially one with
lilac flowers that grows wild in temperate regions. Genus: Verbena
[14th century. Via French verveine
from Latin verbena (see verbena ).][1]



verve

verve
verve 
[vurv] noun

1.  creative
enthusiasm:
enthusiasm, energy, or spirit, especially in the expression of artistic ideas

2.  vitality:
lively vigorous spirit
[Late 17th century. Via
French, “vigor, fanciful expression,” from Latin verba “whimsical
words,” literally “words,” plural of verbum “word” (source of English verb and verbal
).][1]



vervet

vervet
ver·vet 
[vúrvət] or ver·vet mon·key [vúrvət] noun

African
monkey:
an African monkey that lives in large groups in savannah woodlands and has a
long tail and black face, hands, and feet. Latin name: Cercopithecus
aethiops
[Late 19th century. From
French, of unknown origin.][1]



very

very
ver·y 
[vérree] CORE
MEANING:
an adverb that is used in front of adjectives and adverbs to emphasize their
meaning • That
is a very, very strong argument. • Let
me very briefly give you some examples.

1.
adverb gives emphasis:
used to give emphasis to adjectives or adverbs that can be graded • I
think buying a dog is something we want to be very careful about.
• Someone
had copied her style very accurately.

2.
adjective extreme:
indicates an extreme position or extreme point in time • They
moved to the very back of the set, smiling at the technicians.

3.
adjective right:
exactly the right or appropriate person or thing, or exactly the same person or
thing • Hello!
The very person I wanted to see! • He
died this very day in 1986.

4.
adjective emphasizes importance:
used before nouns to emphasize seriousness or importance • An
event like this can’t help but shake the boxing world to its very foundation.
[13th
century. Via Old French verrai from, ultimately, Latin verax
“truthful,” from verus “true” (source of English verdict, verisimilitude,
and verify ).]
very
much so

an
emphatic way of saying yes to something or indicating that it is true or
correct • “He
was a good man, brave and honest.”“Yes, very much so.”

very
well

indicates that somebody
agrees to do something or accepts what somebody has said[1]



veryhigh frequency

veryhigh frequency
ver·y
high fre·quen·cy noun

radio frequency band for
television and radio: the radio
frequency band between 30 and 300 megahertz, reserved for the transmission of
television and FM radio signals[1]



Verylight

Verylight
Ver·y
light
[vérree lt] noun

colored
flare:
a colored flare fired from a pistol, used as a signal
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. naval officer Edward W. Very (1847–1910).][1]



verylow frequency

verylow frequency
very
low fre·quen·cy noun

radio frequency band:
the radio frequency band between 3 and 30 kilohertz[1]



Verypistol

Verypistol
Ver·y
pis·tol 
[vérree pìst’l, vree
pìst’l] noun

flare
pistol:
a pistol used for firing colored flares
[Early 20th century. See Very light .][1]



VeryReverend

VeryReverend
Ver·y
Rev·er·end
noun

title of a religious
official: the title of religious
officials below the rank of bishop or abbot[1]



Vesey,Denmark

Vesey,Denmark
Ve·sey
[vzee], Denmark (1767?–1822)

U.S. freedman. Having
purchased his own freedom he planned an uprising to free all the enslaved
laborers in South Carolina (1822), but the plot was discovered and he was
hanged.[1]



vesica

vesica
ve·si·ca 
[və skə, və skə,
véssikə] (plural ve·si·cae [və skee, və sssee,
və skee, və
sssee]) noun

1.  ANATOMY bladder:
a bladder, especially the urinary bladder (technical)

2.  ARTS oval:
a pointed oval shape used in medieval art and sculpture, especially to enclose
a figure of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, “bladder, blister.”][1]



vesical

vesical
ves·i·cal
[véssik’l] adjective

occurring
in or relating to the bladder: occurring in or
relating to a bladder, especially the urinary bladder • vesical
veins
[Late 18th century][1]



vesicant

vesicant
ves·i·cant 
[véssikənt] or ves·i·ca·to·ry
[véssikə tàwree] noun (plural ves·i·ca·to·ries)

blistering
substance:
a substance that causes blisters, especially a substance such as mustard gas
used in chemical warfare
adjective

causing
blistering:
causing blisters to form
[Mid-17th century][1]



vesicate

vesicate
ves·i·cate 
[véssi kàyt] (past ves·i·cat·ed,
past participle ves·i·cat·ed, present participle ves·i·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular ves·i·cates) intransitive and
transitive verb

blister:
to cause or be affected by blisters
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from vesica .]
—ves·i·ca·tion [vèssi káysh’n], noun[1]



vesicle

vesicle
ves·i·cle 
[véssik’l] noun

1.  MEDICINE fluid-filled
cyst:
a small sac or hollow organ in the body, especially one containing fluid

2.  MEDICINE fluid-filled
blister:
a very small blister filled with clear fluid ( serum
)

3.  GEOLOGY spherical
cavity within a rock: a bubble-shaped cavity in an
igneous rock, formed by the expansion of gases trapped in lava and often later
filled with minerals deposited from percolating solutions

4.  BOTANY cavity
in an aquatic plant: a cavity filled with air in
a seaweed or aquatic plant
[Late 16th century. Directly
or via French vésicule from Latin vesicula “small vesica,” from vesica
“bladder, blister.”][1]



vesicular

vesicular
ve·sic·u·lar 
[və síkyələr] adjective

relating
to vesicles: resembling, having, or made up of
vesicles
—ve·sic·u·lar·ly, adverb[1]



vesiculate

vesiculate
ve·sic·u·late 
intransitive and transitive verb [və síkyə
làyt] (past ve·sic·u·lat·ed, past participle ve·sic·u·lat·ed,
present participle ve·sic·u·lat·ing, 3rd person present
singular ve·sic·u·lates)

form
or become a vesicle: to form blisters or vesicles
in something, or to become like a vesicle
adjective
[və síkyələt, və
síkyə làyt]

having
vesicles:
having or resembling blisters or vesicles
—ve·sic·u·la·tion [və sìkyə láysh’n], noun[1]



Vespasian

Vespasian
Ves·pa·sian 
[ve spáyzh’n] (AD 9–79)

Roman
emperor. His reign (69–79) saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the
construction of the Colosseum.
Born
Vespasianus, Titus Flavius Sabinus[1]



vesper

vesper
ves·per 
[véspər] noun

1.  ves·per
or ves·per bell bell rung in the evening:
a bell rung in the evening, for example, to summon worshipers to vespers

2.  evening:
evening (archaic or literary)
adjective

relating to vespers:
relating to the evening or vespers
[14th century. From Latin,
“evening, evening star.”][1]



Vesper

Vesper
Ves·per
noun

the planet Venus:
Venus when seen as a bright star in the evening sky[1]



vesperal

vesperal
ves·per·al 
[véspərəl] noun

1.  book
of prayers and hymns: a book that contains the
prayers and hymns used at vespers

2.  altar
cloth covering: a covering for an altar cloth

[1]



vespers

vespers
ves·pers
[véspərz] or Ves·pers [véspərz] noun

evening
worship:
an evening church service, particularly evensong (takes a singular or plural
verb)
plural
noun

sixth
canonical hour: the sixth of the seven canonical hours
or a service held on Sundays and holy days at this time, especially in the
Roman Catholic Church (takes a singular or plural verb)
[14th century. Via Old French
vespres (plural) from, ultimately, Latin vespera (singular)
“evening,” from vesper “evening star.”][1]



vespersparrow

vespersparrow
ves·per
spar·row
noun

sparrow of grasslands and
pastures: a North American sparrow
that is found in grasslands and pastures, has white outer feathers on a notched
tail, and is known for its evening song. Latin name: Pooecetes gramineus[1]



vespertilionid

vespertilionid
ves·per·til·i·o·nid 
[vèspər tíllee ənid] noun

common
bat:
a common, insect-eating, long-tailed bat. Family: Vespertilionidae
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin Vespertillionidae, family name, ultimately from Latin vespertilio
“bat,” from vesper “evening.”][1]



vespertine

vespertine
ves·per·tine 
[véspər tn] adjective

1.  BOTANY opening
in the evening: used to describe a flower that opens in
the evening

2.  ZOOLOGY active
in the evening: tending to be most active in the evening

3.  ASTRONOMY appearing
in the evening: appearing or setting in the evening
[Early 16th century][1]



vespiary

vespiary
ves·pi·ar·y 
[véspee èrree] (plural ves·pi·ar·ies)
noun

colony
of wasps or hornets: a nest or colony of social
wasps or hornets
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin vespa “wasp” on the model of apiary
.][1]



vespid

vespid
ves·pid 
[véspid] noun

insect
of the wasp and hornet family: an insect of the
family that includes wasps and hornets. Family: Vespidae
adjective

belonging
to the wasp and hornet family: belonging or related
to the family of insects that includes wasps and hornets
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Latin vespa “wasp.”][1]



vespine

vespine
ves·pine 
[vé spn] adjective

relating
to wasps:
relating to or resembling wasps
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from Latin vespa “wasp.”][1]



Vespucci,Amerigo

Vespucci,Amerigo

Ves·puc·ci
[ves pchee], Amerigo (1454–1512)
Italian explorer. He claimed to be the
first European to reach the mainland of the Americas (1497–1498). “America” is
named for him.[1]



vessel

vessel
ves·sel 
[véss’l] noun

1.  receptacle:
a hollow receptacle, especially one that is used as a container for liquids

2.  NAUTICAL large
watercraft:
a ship or large boat

3.  AIR airship:
a flying craft, especially an airship

4.  ANATOMY tubular
structure conducting body fluid: a duct that carries
fluid, especially blood or lymph, around the body

5.  BOTANY tube
conducting water in a plant: a tube that carries water
and dissolved minerals through a plant, forming part of the sap-conducting
tissue ( xylem ). Vessels consist of a
longitudinal series of fused cylindrical cells whose end walls have broken
down, and are found in most flowering plants and some ferns.
Also
called
trachea

6.  somebody
who embodies a quality: somebody seen as the
recipient or embodiment of a quality
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman from Latin vascellum “small dish or vase, ship,” from vas
“dish, vase” (source of English vase
).][1]



vest

vest
vest 
[vest] noun CLOTHES

1.  U.S.,
Canada, Australia sleeveless garment:
a man’s or woman’s sleeveless and collarless waist-length garment, usually with
buttons down the front, worn over a shirt and traditionally worn by men under a
suit jacket

2.  U.K.,
New Zealand See undershirt
verb
(past vest·ed, past participle vest·ed, present
participle vest·ing, 3rd person present singular vests)

1.  transitive
verb
confer
power on:
to bestow a power on somebody or something (usually passive) • The
governor was vested with certain powers.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb confer
rights on:
to settle or confer property, power, or rights on somebody, or to be a part of
somebody’s property, power, or rights • by
the authority vested in me

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb clothe
or put on clothes: to clothe somebody or to put
on clothes, especially vestments
[15th century. From Old
French vestu, past participle of vestir “to clothe,” from Latin vestire,
from vestis “clothing, garment” (source of English invest, travesty,
and vestry ).][1]



Vesta

Vesta
Ves·ta 
[véstə] noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Roman
goddess:
the Roman goddess of the hearth. Greek equivalent Hestia

2.  ASTRONOMY large
bright asteroid: the brightest and third largest of the
asteroids that orbit the Sun
[From Latin][1]



vestal

vestal
ves·tal 
[vést’l] adjective

1.  chaste:
chaste, or not having experienced sexual intercourse

2.  MYTHOLOGY of
Vesta:
relating to the Roman goddess Vesta
noun

1.  virgin:
a woman who is a virgin (literary)

2.  nun:
a nun (literary)

3.  See
vestal virgin
[15th century][1]



vestalvirgin

vestalvirgin
ves·tal
vir·gin
noun

celibate woman consecrated to
Vesta: a celibate woman who tended
the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta in ancient Rome. There were originally
four, and later six vestal virgins, who were vowed to 30 years of service.
Also called
vestal[1]



vested

vested
vest·ed 
[véstəd] adjective

1.  having
rights to something: having an unquestionable
right to the possession of property or a privilege

2.  clothed:
wearing clothes, especially religious vestments

3.  CLOTHES including
a vest:
coming with a vest as part of the whole • a
vested suit

[1]



vestedinterest

vestedinterest
vest·ed
in·ter·est
noun

1.  right
to possess something: a right to the present or
future possession of property

2.  special
interest:
a person’s particular concern in maintaining or promoting an issue or situation
for reasons of private gain

3.  individual
or group having a vested interest: an individual or group
with a vested interest in maintaining or promoting something (often plural)

[1]



vestiary

vestiary
ves·ti·ar·y 
[véstee èrree] noun (plural ves·ti·ar·ies)

dressing
room:
a dressing room or storeroom for clothes
adjective

of
clothes:
relating to clothes (formal)
[13th century. Via Old French
vestiarie from Latin vestiarium “clothes chest, wardrobe,” later
“vestry,” from, ultimately, vestis (see vest
).][1]



vestibular

vestibular
ves·tib·u·lar 
[ve stíbbyələr] adjective

of a vestibule:
relating to a vestibule[1]



vestibularnerve

vestibularnerve
ves·tib·u·lar
nerve
noun

nerve in the ear:
a branch of the acoustic nerve that carries nerve impulses from the
semicircular canals and other organs in the inner ear, conveying information
about posture and balance[1]



vestibule

vestibule
ves·ti·bule 
[vésti byl] noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE entrance
hall:
a small room or hall between an outer door and the main part of a building

2.  ANATOMY body
cavity:
a cavity or space in the body that serves as the entrance to another cavity or
canal, for example, the part of the mouth between the teeth and lips

3.  ANATOMY middle
cavity of the inner ear: the middle cavity of the
inner ear between the cochlea and the semicircular canals

4.  TRANSPORT enclosed
area at a rail car entrance: an enclosed area at the
entrance to a railroad car
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin vestibulum .][1]



vestibuleschool

vestibuleschool
ves·ti·bule
school
noun

school in a factory:
a school organized in a factory where workers can go to learn specific skills[1]



vestibulocochlearnerve

vestibulocochlearnerve
ves·ti·bu·lo·coch·le·ar
nerve
[ve stìbbyəlō kòklee ər núrv] noun

cranial
nerve:
either of the eighth pair of cranial nerves, critical to the sense of hearing
[Vestibulocochlear formed
from Latin vestibulum “entrance” + cochlear (see cochlea )][1]



vestige

vestige
ves·tige 
[véstij] noun

1.  trace
of something gone: a trace or sign of something
that is no longer present

2.  slightest
amount:
the slightest amount • There
wasn’t a vestige of truth in what she wrote.

3.  BIOLOGY rudimentary
body part:
an organ or part of the body that is now rudimentary and no longer functions,
but that was fully developed and useful in the past
[Early 17th century. Via
French from Latin vestigium “sole of the foot, footprint, trace.”][1]



vestigial

vestigial
ves·tig·i·al 
[ve stíjjee əl] adjective

1.  being
a trace:
remaining after nearly all the rest has disappeared or dwindled • a
vestigial stirring of passion

2.  BIOLOGY no
longer functional: having become degenerate or
functionless in the course of time • the
vestigial muscles of the ear
—ves·tig·i·al·ly, adverb[1]



vesting

vesting
vest·ing 
[vésting] noun

granting of pension rights to
an employee: the granting of certain
pension rights to an employee, usually after a specified period of employment,
with the pension given either when the job is terminated or at retirement[1]



vestment

vestment
vest·ment 
[véstmənt] noun

1.  robe:
a garment, especially a robe worn to show rank or office

2.  religious
robe:
a ceremonial robe worn by members of the clergy during a religious ceremony
[13th
century. Via Old French vestiment from Latin vestimentum, from vestire
(see vest ).]
—vest·men·tal
[vest mént’l], adjective

—vest·ment·ed [véstməntəd], adjective[1]



vest-pocket

vest-pocket
vest-pock·et 
adjective

very small:
small enough to fit into the pocket of a vest • a
vest-pocket edition[1]



vest-pocketpark

vest-pocketpark
vest-pock·et
park
noun

small urban park:
a small park in an urban area[1]



vest-pocketpark

vest-pocketpark
vest-pock·et
park
noun

small urban park:
a small park in an urban area[1]



vestry

vestry
ves·try 
[véstree] (plural ves·tries) noun

1.  room
for vestments: a room attached to a church, where
vestments or sacred objects are kept

2.  meeting
room:
a room in a church where meetings or classes are held

3.  meeting
of church members: in the Anglican church, a
meeting of church members or their representatives
[14th
century. From an Anglo-Norman form of Old French vestiarie (see vestiary ).]
—ves·tral, adjective[1]



vestryman

vestryman
ves·try·man 
[véstreemən] (plural ves·try·men
[véstreemən]) noun

vestry
member:
a member of a church vestry
[Early 17th century][1]



vesture

vesture
ves·ture 
[véschər] noun

clothing:
clothing, or something that covers like clothing (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past ves·tured, past participle ves·tured, present
participle ves·tur·ing, 3rd person present singular ves·tures)

clothe
somebody or something: to clothe or cover somebody
or something (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old French, from, ultimately, Latin vestire (see vest ).]
—ves·tur·al, adjective[1]



Vesuvian

Vesuvian
Ve·su·vi·an
adjective

1.  relating
to Vesuvius: relating to or like the volcano Vesuvius

2.  Ve·su·vi·an
or ve·su·vi·an volatile:
marked by volatile sudden outbursts

[1]



vesuvian

vesuvian
ve·su·vi·an 
[və svee ən] noun

match:
a slow-burning match used especially for lighting cigars (archaic)
[Late 17th century. Named for
Mount Vesuvius in Sicily.][1]



vesuvianite

vesuvianite
ve·su·vi·an·ite 
[və svee ə nt] noun

mineral
used as a gem: a green, brown, or yellow crystalline
mineral that is a complex silicate of calcium and aluminum with magnesium and
iron. It occurs in some marbles and is used as a gemstone.
Also
called
idocrase
[Late 19th century. Named for
Mount Vesuvius in Sicily.][1]



Vesuvius,Mount

Vesuvius,Mount
Ve·su·vi·us,
Mount
[və svee əss]

active volcano overlooking
the Bay of Naples, southern Italy. An eruption in AD 79 destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Height: 1,277 m/4,190 ft.[1]



vet

vet2
vet2 [vet]
(plural vets) noun

veteran
soldier:
somebody who has served in the armed forces, especially in a particular
conflict (informal) • Vietnam
vets
[Mid-19th century][1]



vet

vet1
vet1 [vet]
noun

veterinarian: a
veterinarian
verb
(past vet·ted, past participle vet·ted, present
participle vet·ting, 3rd person present singular vets)

1.  transitive
verb
check
up on somebody or something: to subject somebody or
something to a careful examination or scrutiny, especially when this involves
determining suitability for something

2.  transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE examine
an animal:
to examine or treat an animal

3.  intransitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE practice
veterinary medicine: to practice as a
veterinarian
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of veterinary or veterinarian
.][1]



vet.

vet.
vet.

1.  Abbreviation
of
veteran

2.  Abbreviation
of
veterinarian

3.  Abbreviation
of
veterinary

[1]



vetch

vetch

vetch 
[vech] (plural vetch·es) noun

1.  plant
with small flowers: a leguminous plant with
small flowers that is often used for silage or fodder. Genus: Vicia

2.  plant
like vetch:
a plant related to or similar to vetch, for example, the kidney vetch
[14th century. Via Old
Northern French veche from Latin vicia .][1]



vetchling

vetchling
vetch·ling 
[véchling] noun

flowering
plant:
a plant with yellow flowers that is related to vetch. Latin name: Lathyrus
pratensis
[Late 16th century. Formed
from vetch .][1]



veteran

veteran
vet·er·an 
[véttərən] noun

1.  somebody
with experience: somebody who has had considerable
experience of a particular activity

2.  MILITARY somebody
who has served in the armed forces:
somebody who has served in the armed forces

3.  MILITARY experienced
soldier:
somebody who has been a member of one of the armed forces for many years and
has seen a great deal of active service • a
veteran of three foreign wars
adjective
MILITARY

1.  experienced:
having a great deal of experience in a particular endeavor or skill, often
built up over the whole of the working life

2.  of
veterans:
relating to a veteran or veterans
[Early 16th century. Directly
or via French vétéran from Latin veteranus, from vetus
“old” (source of English inveterate
).][1]



VeteransDay

VeteransDay
Vet·er·ans
Day 
noun

holiday honoring veterans:
a legal holiday celebrated on 11 November to honor former members of the armed
forces. It began as a commemoration of the end of World War I and was
originally called Armistice Day.[1]



veterinarian

veterinarian
vet·er·i·nar·i·an 
[vèttərə náiree ən, vèttrə
náiree ən] noun

practitioner
of veterinary medicine: somebody trained and
qualified in the medical treatment of animals.
U.K.
term
veterinary surgeon
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
veterinarius (see veterinary ).][1]



veterinary

veterinary
vet·er·i·nar·y 
[véttərə nèrree, véttrə
nèrree] adjective

relating
to animal disease: relating to diseases of
animals and their treatment
[Late 18th century. From
Latin veterinarius, from veterinus, “concerning cattle (literally
at least one year old),” from veter-, stem of vetus “old.”][1]



veterinarymedicine

veterinarymedicine
vet·er·i·nar·y
med·i·cine
noun

medicine treating the health
of animals: the branch of medicine
dealing with the health of animals and the diagnosis and treatment of their
diseases and injuries[1]



vetiver

vetiver
vet·i·ver 
[véttəvər] noun

1.  tall
Indian grass: a tall grass that grows in India, the
leaves of which are used to make screens and fans. Latin name: Vetiveria
zizanioides
Also
called
khuskhus

2.  roots
of vetiver:
the roots of the vetiver, which produce an oil that is used to make perfume
[Mid-19th century. Via French
vétiver from Tamil veivēr, from vēr “root.”][1]



veto

veto
ve·to 
[vtō] noun (plural ve·toes)

1.  right
to reject legislation: the power of one branch of
government to reject the legislation of another

2.  exercise
of the right to reject measures: the exercise of the
power or right to reject something, especially a political measure

3.  prohibition:
an order prohibiting something
transitive
verb
(past ve·toed, past participle ve·toed, present
participle ve·to·ing, 3rd person present singular ve·toes)

1.  reject
a measure:
to reject something such as a measure or government bill by veto

2.  prohibit
something:
to refuse to consent to or approve something • My
teacher vetoed the idea.
[Early
17th century. From Latin, “I forbid,” a formula used in ancient Rome by the
Tribunes of the People when they opposed measures taken by either the Senate or
the magistrates.]
—ve·to·er, noun[1]



vex

vex
vex 
[veks] (past vexed, past
participle vexed, present participle vex·ing, 3rd
person present singular vex·es) transitive verb

1.  annoy
somebody:
to make somebody annoyed or upset

2.  agitate:
to cause somebody anxiety or distress

3.  confound:
to confuse or puzzle somebody
[15th
century. Via French vexer from Latin vexare “to shake, disturb.”]
—vex·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at annoy

[1]



vexation

vexation
vex·a·tion 
[vek sáysh’n] noun

1.  state
of being vexed: the state of being provoked to
irritability or anxiety

2.  act
of vexing:
the act of provoking somebody to irritability or anxiety

3.  something
that vexes:
something that provokes irritability or anxiety

[1]



vexatious

vexatious
vex·a·tious 
[vek sáyshəss] adjective

1.  causing
trouble:
provoking irritation or anxiety by causing trouble

2.  LAW brought
with the intention of annoying: put forward on
insufficient grounds and with the intention of causing annoyance to the
defendant
—vex·a·tious·ly,
adverb

—vex·a·tious·ness, noun[1]



vexed

vexed
vexed 
[vekst] adjective

1.  irritated:
provoked to irritability or anxiety

2.  debated:
being the subject of much debate
—vex·ed·ly
[véksədlee], adverb

—vex·ed·ness [véksədnəss], noun[1]



vexillology

vexillology
vex·il·lol·o·gy 
[vèksə lólləjee] noun

study
of flags:
the study of flags
—vex·il·lo·log·ic
[vèksələ lójjik], adjective

—vex·il·lo·log·i·cal
[vèksələ lójjik’l], adjective

—vex·il·lol·o·gist [vèksə lólləjist], noun[1]



vexillum

vexillum
vex·il·lum 
[vek sílləm] (plural vex·il·la
[vek síllə]) noun

military
standard:
in ancient Rome, a military standard or the troops serving under a separate
standard
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “flag, banner,” from vex-, a stem of vehere “to carry.”][1]



VF

VF
VF
or V.F.

1.  Abbreviation
of
visual field

2.  TV Abbreviation of video frequency

[1]



VFD

VFD
VFD

Abbreviation of
volunteer fire department[1]



VFR

VFR
VFR

AEROSPACE
Abbreviation of visual flight rules[1]



VFW

VFW
VFW
or V.F.W.

Abbreviation of
Veterans of Foreign Wars[1]



V.G.

V.G.
V.G.

Abbreviation of
Vicar General[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vg

vg
vg

Abbreviation of
very good[1]



VGA

VGA
VGA 
noun

video screen specification:
a widely used specification for video display controllers used in personal
computers. Abbreviation of video graphics array[1]



VHF

VHF
VHF
or vhf

TV
Abbreviation of very high frequency[1]



VHS

VHS
VHS
Trademark

a trademark for a system for
recording television programs in the home[1]



VI

VI
VI
or V.I.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Vancouver Island

2.  Abbreviation
of
Virgin Islands

[1]



v.i.

v.i.
v.i.
or vi

1.  GRAMMAR Abbreviation of verb
intransitive

2.  Abbreviation
of
vide infra

[1]



via

via
vi·a 
[v ə, v ə]
preposition

1.  through:
by way of or through • Can
you come home via the post office?

2.  by
means of:
using the means or agency of • removed
the obstruction via surgery
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, literally “by way of,” a form of via “way, road.”][1]



viable

viable
vi·a·ble 
[v əb’l] adjective

1.  practicable
or worthwhile: able to be done or worth doing • a
viable proposition

2.  BIOLOGY able
to grow:
able to germinate or develop normally

3.  MEDICINE able
to survive outside the womb: used to describe a fetus
that can survive outside the womb. This now generally applies to a fetus after
about 24 weeks of gestation.
[Early
19th century. Via French vie from Latin vita “life” (source of
English vitamin, vivid, and vital
).]
—vi·a·bil·i·ty
[v ə bíllətee], noun

—vi·a·bly [v əblee], adverb[1]



ViaDolorosa

ViaDolorosa
Vi·a
Do·lo·ro·sa 
[v ə dollə rṓssə, v
ə dōlə rṓssə] noun

1.  Jesus
Christ’s route to Calvary: the route taken by Jesus
Christ to Calvary to be crucified

2.  Vi·a
Do·lo·ro·sa
or vi·a do·lo·ro·sa difficult experience:
a difficult or distressing course or experience
[From Latin, literally
“sorrowful way”][1]



viaduct

viaduct

vi·a·duct 
[v ə dùkt] noun
bridge
over a valley: a bridge that consists of a series of
short masonry or concrete arched spans supported on towers. Viaducts usually
take a road or railroad over a wide valley.
[Early 19th century. Formed
from Latin via “way, road” on the model of aqueduct
.][1]



Viagra

Viagra
Vi·ag·ra
[vī ággrə] Trademark

a trademark for an
enzyme-inhibiting drug, sildenafil citrate, that is used to treat impotence in
men[1]



vial

vial
vi·al 
[v əl] noun

small
glass bottle: a small glass bottle, especially one for
medicines.
Also
called
phial
[14th century. Alteration of phial .][1]



viamedia

viamedia
vi·a
me·di·a 
[v ə mdee ə, v
ə méddee ə] noun

middle
course:
a middle course or choice between extreme possibilities (literary)
[From Latin][1]



viand

viand
vi·and 
[v ənd] noun (formal)

1.  article
of food:
an article of food

2.  provisions:
a store or collection of food, especially the food that makes up a meal or a
feast (often used in the plural)
[14th century. Via French viande
“food” (now “meat”) from, ultimately, Latin vivenda “things for living,”
from vivere “to live.”][1]



viaticum

viaticum
vi·at·i·cum 
[vī áttikəm, vee
áttikəm] (plural vi·at·i·ca [vī
áttikə] or vi·at·i·cums) noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY Holy
Communion given to somebody dying: Holy Communion given
to somebody who is dying or in danger of dying

2.  provisions
for a journey: provisions or money for a journey (literary)
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
“provision for a journey,” from via “way, road.”][1]



vibe

vibe
vibe 
[vīb] (plural vibes) noun

atmosphere
or feeling:
a particular kind of atmosphere, feeling, or ambience (slang) • The
new decor has a kind of 50s vibe to it.
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



vibes

vibes
vibes 
[vībz] plural noun (slang)

1.  something
sensed:
the atmosphere, feeling, or ambience that somebody senses from a person or
thing • I’m
picking up really negative vibes from this group.

2.  MUSIC vibraphone:
a vibraphone
[Mid-20th century. Shortening.][1]



vibist

vibist
vib·ist 
[vbist] noun

vibraphone player:
somebody who plays the vibraphone (slang)[1]



Viborg

Viborg
Vi·borg
[v bawrg]

capital city of Viborg
County, north central Jutland, Denmark. Population: 39,395 (1990)[1]



vibraharp

vibraharp
vi·bra·harp 
[vbrə hrp] noun

See
vibraphone
[Mid-20th century. On the
model of vibrapone .][1]



vibrant

vibrant
vi·brant 
[vbrənt] adjective

1.  pulsating
with energy: seeming to quiver or pulsate with energy
or activity

2.  resonant:
having a full rich sound that tends to continue for some time

3.  bright:
dazzling or radiantly bright • awash
in vibrant reds and oranges

4.  vibrating:
vibrating very rapidly
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin vibrant-, past participle stem of vibrare
(see vibrate ).]
—vi·bran·cy
[vbrənssee], noun

—vi·brant·ly, adverb[1]



vibraphone

vibraphone


vi·bra·phone 
[vbrə fn] noun
percussion
instrument with metal bars: a percussion instrument with
electrically driven resonators beneath a set of metal bars that are struck with
small mallets or sometimes played with a bow, causing vibration.
Also
called
vibraharp
[Early
20th century. Formed from the stem of vibrate
+ phone .]
—vi·bra·phon·ist, noun[1]



vibrate

vibrate
vi·brate 
[v bràyt] (past vi·brat·ed, past
participle vi·brat·ed, present participle vi·brat·ing,
3rd person present singular vi·brates) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
small movements rapidly: to shake or move back and
forth rapidly, or make something move in this way • The
traffic made the whole room vibrate.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHYSICS oscillate:
to oscillate or to make something oscillate with a continuing periodic change
relative to a fixed reference point

3.  intransitive
verb
resonate:
to make a full rich tone that tends to continue for some time

4.  intransitive
verb
thrill:
to experience a rush of emotion in response to something
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vibrat-, past participle stem of vibrare “to shake.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English whip and weave
.][1]



vibratile

vibratile
vi·bra·tile 
[vbrət’l] adjective

1.  vibrating:
showing rapid shaking back and forth movements

2.  capable
of vibrating: capable of vibrating, or operating by
means of vibration
[Early
19th century. Alteration of vibratory on the
model of pulsatile .]
—vi·bra·til·i·ty [vbrə tíllətee], noun[1]



vibration

vibration
vi·bra·tion 
[vī bráysh’n] noun

1.  instance
of vibrating: an instance of shaking or moving back
and forth very rapidly

2.  process
of vibrating: the process of moving or being moved
back and forth very rapidly

3.  PHYSICS repetitive
periodic oscillation: a continuing periodic
oscillation relative to a fixed reference point, or a single complete
oscillation

4.  atmosphere
of a place:
the atmosphere or aura given off by a place or situation (informal) (often
used in the plural)

5.  feelings
communicated subconsciously: feelings communicated from
one person to another (informal) (often used in the plural)
—vi·bra·tion·al, adjective[1]



vibrative

vibrative
vi·bra·tive 
adjective

See
vibratory[1]



vibrato

vibrato

vi·bra·to 
[vi brtō] (plural vi·bra·tos)
noun

1.  throbbing
effect in a musical instrument: a throbbing effect in
the playing of a stringed or wind instrument made by rapidly varying the pitch

2.  throbbing
effect in singing: a throbbing effect in
singing produced by rapidly varying the breath pressure or the pitch
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “vibrated.”][1]



vibrator

vibrator
vi·bra·tor 
[v bràytər] noun

1.  vibrating
device:
an electric device that vibrates, for example, one used to give a massage or as
a sexual aid

2.  something
that vibrates: something that vibrates or makes
something vibrate

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING device
converting direct to alternating current: an
electromechanical device, often used in bells and buzzers, that interrupts a
direct current to convert it into an alternating current

[1]



vibratory

vibratory
vi·bra·to·ry 
[vbrə tàwree] or vi·bra·tive
[vbrətiv] adjective

1.  vibrating:
shaking or moving back and forth very rapidly

2.  causing
vibration:
making something shake or move back and forth rapidly

[1]



vibrio

vibrio
vib·ri·o 
[víbbree ] (plural vib·ri·os or
vib·ri·on·es [víbbree neez]) noun

S-shaped
bacterium:
a bacterium shaped like a comma or like the letter S. Genus: Vibrio
[Mid-19th
century. Via modern Latin from Latin vibrare (see vibrate ).]
—vib·ri·oid [víbbree òyd], adjective[1]



vibriosis

vibriosis
vib·ri·o·sis 
[vìbbree ṓssiss] noun

infectious
disease of animals: an infectious disease,
especially of sheep, cattle, and goats, characterized by the death of a
developing fetus and caused by a vibrioid bacterium. Latin name: Vibrio
fetus
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from vibrio .][1]



vibrissa

vibrissa
vi·bris·sa 
[vī bríssə] (plural vi·bris·sae
[vī bríssee]) noun

1.  sensitive
hair on a mammal: a mammal’s hair or whisker, usually on
the face or limbs, that vibrates when touched, stimulating nervous tissue in
the animal’s skin

2.  BIRDS feather
near the beak: a feather that is like a bristle, near
the beak of an insect-eating bird
[Late
17th century. From Latin, formed from vibrare (see vibrate ).]
—vib·ris·sal, adjective[1]



vibronic

vibronic
vi·bron·ic 
[vī brónnik] adjective

relating
to electronic and vibrational energy:
relating to the electronic and vibrational energy states of elementary
particles and atoms
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from vibrational + electronic .][1]



vibrotron

vibrotron
vi·bro·tron
[vbrə tròn] noun

type of triode electron tube:
a triode electron tube in which the anode can be vibrated by an external force[1]



viburnum

viburnum

vi·bur·num 
[vī búrnəm] (plural vi·bur·nums)
noun
shrub
or tree with white flowers: a shrub or small tree with
flat or rounded clusters of white flowers sometimes tinged with pink. The
guelder rose, blackhaw, and nannyberry are all types of viburnum. Genus: Viburnum
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin, “wayfaring tree.”][1]



Vic.

Vic.
Vic.

Abbreviation of
Victoria[1]



vic.

vic.
vic.

1.  RELIGION Abbreviation of vicar

2.  Abbreviation
of
vicinity

[1]



vicar

vicar
vic·ar 
[víkər] noun

1.  Anglican
priest:
a priest in the Anglican Church who is in charge of a parish and receives a
salary but not the tithes

2.  member
of the Anglican clergy: a member of the Anglican
clergy who acts in place of a rector or bishop at Communion

3.  Roman
Catholic priest: a Roman Catholic priest who represents
or deputizes for a bishop

4.  Episcopal
Church cleric: a cleric in the Episcopal Church who is
in charge of a chapel

5.  substitute:
somebody who acts as a substitute for somebody else (archaic)
[14th
century. Via Anglo-Norman vicare from, ultimately, Latin vicarius
“substitute,” from the stem vic- “change, place” (source of English vicissitude ); because the vicar acted as a
substitute for the rector.]
—vic·ar·ly,
adjective

—vic·ar·ship, noun[1]



vicarage

vicarage
vic·ar·age 
[víkərij] noun

1.  vicar’s
residence:
the residence of a vicar

2.  vicar’s
position:
the office or duties of a vicar

[1]



vicarapostolic

vicarapostolic
vic·ar
ap·os·tol·ic (plural vic·ars ap·os·tol·ic)
noun

bishop without a diocese:
a titular bishop or missionary in the Roman Catholic Church[1]



vicarate

vicarate
vic·ar·ate 
noun

See
vicariate[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vicargeneral

vicargeneral
vic·ar
gen·er·al
(plural vic·ars gen·er·al) noun

1.  Roman
Catholic bishop’s assistant: a priest acting as an
assistant to a Roman Catholic bishop

2.  Anglican
Church bishop’s assistant: a lay official assisting an
Anglican bishop with administrative or judicial duties

[1]



vicarial

vicarial
vi·car·i·al 
[vī káiree əl, vi
káiree əl] adjective

1.  being
vicar:
being or acting as a vicar

2.  of
vicar:
relating to a vicar

3.  See
vicarious  adjective 3

[1]



vicariate

vicariate
vi·car·i·ate 
[vī káiree ət, vī
káiree àyt, vi káiree ət] or vic·ar·ate
[víkərət, víkə
ràyt] noun

1.  office
of vicar:
the office or authority of a vicar

2.  district
of a vicar:
the district that falls under the care of a vicar

[1]



vicarious

vicarious
vi·car·i·ous 
[vī káiree əss, vi
káiree əss] adjective

1.  experienced
through another by imagining: experienced through another
person rather than at first hand, by using sympathy or the power of the
imagination

2.  endured
for somebody else: done or endured by somebody
as a substitute for somebody else

3.  delegated:
delegated to somebody else or performing a function that has been delegated

4.  MEDICINE occurring
in an unexpected part of body: occurring in or
performed by an unexpected part of the body, for example, menstrual bleeding in
the breasts, nose, or sweat glands
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin vicarius (see vicar
).]
—vi·car·i·ous·ly,
adverb

—vi·car·i·ous·ness, noun[1]



Vicarof Christ

Vicarof Christ
Vic·ar
of Christ 
noun

pope:
the Roman Catholic pope[1]



vice

vice1
vice1 [vīss]
noun

1.  immoral
habit:
an immoral or wicked habit or characteristic

2.  depravity:
immoral conduct

3.  prostitution:
a form of immoral conduct, especially prostitution

4.  mild
defect in character: a mild failing or defect in
somebody’s behavior or character

5.  fault
in an animal: a fault or undesirable habit in a horse
or other domestic animal
[13th century. Via French
from Latin vitium (source of English vitiate
and vituperate ).][1]



vice

vice3
vice3 noun transitive
verb

U.K. =
vise[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vice

vice2
vi·ce2 [vssee,
vssə] preposition

in
place of:
in place of or instead of somebody or something
[Late 18th century. From
Latin vice “in place of,” from the stem vic- (see vicar ).][1]



viceadmiral

viceadmiral
vice
ad·mi·ral 
noun

navy
officer:
a naval officer ranking below admiral and above rear admiral
—vice-ad·mi·ral·ty, noun[1]



vicechairperson

vicechairperson
vice
chair·per·son noun

deputy chair:
somebody who takes the place of a chairperson in his or her absence[1]



vicechancellor

vicechancellor
vi·ce
chan·cel·lor  noun

1.  EDUC assistant
chancellor of a university: a deputy or assistant
chancellor in a university

2.  POLITICS deputy
chancellor:
a deputy for the chancellor of a country

3.  LAW judge:
a U.S. judge ranking below a chancellor, or an English judge who runs the
Chancery Division of the High Court
—vice-chan·cel·lor·ship,
noun[1]



viceconsul

viceconsul
vice
con·sul 
noun

consul’s
deputy:
an officer who acts as the deputy for the official representing a country’s
commercial interest in an overseas country
—vice-con·su·lar, adjective[1]



vicegerent

vicegerent
vice·ge·rent 
[vīss jrənt] noun

ruler’s
administrative deputy: a deputy appointed to act on
the authority of a ruler or magistrate, especially in administrative duties
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin, “deputy,” literally “one carrying on in place
of,” from Latin gerent-, present participle stem of gerere “to
carry on.”]
—vice·ge·ral,
adjective

—vice·ge·ren·cy, noun[1]



vicenary

vicenary
vic·e·nar·y 
[víss’n èrree] adjective

1.  relating
to 20:
being, based on, or relating to the number 20

2.  number
system based on 20: relating or belonging to a
number system that has 20 as its base
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vicenarius, from, ultimately, viginti “twenty.”][1]



vicennial

vicennial
vi·cen·ni·al 
[vī sénnee əl] adjective

occurring
every 20 years: lasting for or occurring every 20 years
[Mid-18th century. From Latin
vicennium “period of twenty years,” from vic-, stem of vicies
“twenty times.”][1]



Vicenza

Vicenza
Vi·cen·za 
[vi chénzə]

capital of Vicenza Province,
Veneto Region, northern Italy. Population: 107,786 (1995)[1]



vicepresident

vicepresident
vice
pres·i·dent
noun

president’s
deputy:
an official who ranks immediately below a president and who can take the
president’s place if necessary
—vice-pres·i·den·cy,
noun

—vice-pres·i·den·tial,
adjective[1]



viceregal

viceregal
vice·re·gal 
[vīss rg’l] adjective

of
viceroys:
relating to a viceroy
—vice·re·gal·ly, adverb[1]



viceregent

viceregent
vice·re·gent
[vīss rjənt] noun

regent’s
deputy:
a deputy for the regent of a country
—vice·re·gen·cy, noun[1]



vicereine

vicereine
vice·reine 
[vss ràyn] noun

woman
viceroy:
a viceroy who is a woman, or the wife of a viceroy
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “vice-queen.”][1]



viceroy

viceroy
vice·roy 
[vss ròy] noun

1.  POLITICS governor
representing a sovereign in a colony: a
governor who represents a sovereign in a province, colony, or country

2.  ZOOLOGY orange-and-black
butterfly:
a brightly colored orange-and-black butterfly of North America that resembles
the monarch butterfly. Latin name: Limenitis archippus
[Early
16th century. From French, literally “vice-king.”]
—vice·roy·ship, noun[1]



viceroyalty

viceroyalty
vice·roy·al·ty 
[vīss róy əltee, vss
ròy əltee] (plural vice·roy·al·ties) noun

1.  office
of viceroy:
the office, term of office, or authority of a viceroy

2.  district
governed by a viceroy: a district that is governed
by a viceroy

[1]



vicesquad

vicesquad
vi·ce
squad 
noun

police division:
a police division in charge of enforcing laws relating to prostitution,
gambling, and drugs[1]



viceversa

viceversa
vi·ce
ver·sa 
[vīss vúrssə, vssə
vúrssə] adverb

conversely:
the other way around
[From Latin, literally “the
position being reversed”][1]



Vichy

Vichy
Vi·chy 
[vshee]

city in central France, the
site of important mineral springs. It was the seat of a French government that
collaborated with the Germans during World War II. Population: 28,048 (1990)[1]



vichyssoise

vichyssoise
vi·chys·soise 
[vìshee swz, vshee
swz] noun

leek
soup:
a creamy soup made from leeks, potatoes, and onions, often served chilled
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of French crème vichyssoise glacée, literally “iced cream soup from
Vichy.”][1]



Vichywater

Vichywater
Vi·chy
wa·ter
[víshee wàwtər, víshee
wòttər] or Vi·chy [víshee wàwtər,
víshee wòttər] noun

sparkling mineral water from
Vichy: a natural sparkling mineral
water from Vichy, France, or a similar sparkling water[1]



vicinage

vicinage
vic·i·nage 
[víss’nij] noun

1.  neighborhood:
a neighborhood, or the people living in it (archaic)

2.  vicinity:
the area immediately surrounding a place
[14th century. Via Old French
vis(e)nage from, ultimately, Latin vicinus (see vicinity ).][1]



vicinal

vicinal
vic·i·nal 
[víssən’l] adjective

1.  neighboring:
adjacent or neighboring

2.  local:
relating to or restricted to a local area

3.  CHEMISTRY of
consecutive positions on a carbon chain:
relating to two or more adjacent positions on a carbon ring or chain
[Early 17th century. Directly
or via French from Latin vicinalis, from vicinus (see vicinity ).][1]



vicinity

vicinity
vi·cin·i·ty 
[və sínnətee] (plural vi·cin·i·ties)
noun

1.  surrounding
region:
a neighborhood, or the surrounding region of a place • Homes
in the vicinity of the fire were evacuated.

2.  proximity:
an area near something else

3.  approximation:
an approximate amount • something
in the vicinity of 1,000 miles
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
vicinitas, from vicinus “neighbor,” from vicus “village,
homestead.”][1]



vicious

vicious
vi·cious 
[víshəss] adjective

1.  ferocious:
showing fierce violence

2.  dangerous
and aggressive: dangerous because of being aggressive • a
vicious dog

3.  malicious:
intended to do harm

4.  wicked
and immoral: displaying or tending to immoral
behavior

5.  unsound:
incorrect or showing faulty logic
[14th
century. Formed from vice 1 .]
—vi·cious·ly,
adverb

—vi·cious·ness, noun[1]



viciouscircle

viciouscircle
vi·cious
cir·cle
noun

1.  situation
worsened by attempts to solve it: a situation in which
attempts to solve one problem lead to further problems that only make the
original position worse

2.  LOGIC reasoning
based on an unproven assumption: a form of reasoning
that bases a conclusion on a statement assumed to be true but not proven
independently

3.  MEDICINE linking
of two diseases: a situation in which two diseases or
conditions are linked so that each leads to or aggravates the other

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  vicious
  circle
  or vicious cycle ?
  Until
  quite recently the invariable choice was vicious
  circle . Perhaps influenced by such phrases as • the
  cycle of welfare dependency, however, the variant
  vicious cycle has been gaining ground, to the point that it is now seen
  almost as frequently as vicious circle, in
  virtually indistinguishable contexts.

[1]



vicissitude

vicissitude
vi·cis·si·tude 
[vi síssi td] noun

variability:
the fact of being variable (literary)
plural
noun
vi·cis·si·tudes

unexpected
changes:
unexpected changes, especially in a person’s fortunes
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin vicissitudo, from vicissim
“by turns,” from the stem vic- (see vicar
).]
—vi·cis·si·tu·di·nar·y
[vi sìssi td’n èrree], adjective

—vi·cis·si·tu·di·nous
[və sìssi td’nəss], adjective[1]



Vicksburg

Vicksburg
Vicks·burg 
[víks bùrg]

city in western Mississippi.
In 1863 during the Civil War the city was besieged for 47 days before falling
to Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant. Population: 20,908 (1990)[1]



vicomte

vicomte
vi·comte
[vee kóNt] noun

French
noble:
a French nobleman who is equal in rank to a British viscount
[Mid-19th century. From
French, from Old French vi(s)conte (see viscount
).][1]



vicomtesse

vicomtesse
vi·com·tesse
[vee koN téss] noun

French
noblewoman:
a French noblewoman who is equal in rank to a British viscountess
[Late 18th century. From
French, from vicomte .][1]



victim

victim
vic·tim 
[víktim] noun

1.  somebody
hurt or killed: somebody who is hurt or killed by
somebody or something

2.  somebody
or something harmed: somebody or something harmed
by an act or circumstance • a
victim of her own success

3.  somebody
duped:
somebody who is tricked or taken advantage of

4.  creature
used for sacrifice: a living creature used as a
sacrifice or in a religious rite

5.  helpless
person:
somebody who experiences misfortune and feels helpless to do anything about it
[15th
century. From Latin victima “animal offered as a sacrifice.” Later
meanings did not develop until the 17th century and 18th century.]
—vic·tim·hood,
noun
fall
victim to

to be affected, harmed, or
deceived by somebody or something[1]



victimize

victimize
vic·tim·ize 
[víktə mz] (past vic·tim·ized,
past participle vic·tim·ized, present participle vic·tim·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vic·tim·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  treat
unfairly:
to single somebody out unfairly for punishment or ill treatment

2.  make
into a victim: to cause somebody to become a victim
—vic·tim·i·za·tion
[vìktəmi záysh’n], noun

—vic·tim·iz·er [víktə mzər], noun[1]



victimlesscrime

victimlesscrime
vic·tim·less
crime 
[vìktəmləss krm] noun

crime without a victim:
an illegal act such as prostitution or drug use in which there is no obvious
injured party[1]



victor

victor
vic·tor 
[víktər] noun

1.  winner:
a winner in a contest or battle

2.  COMMUNICATION code
word for V:
a code word for the letter “V,” used in international radio communications
[14th century. Directly, or
via Anglo-Norman, from Latin, from vic-, past participle stem of vincere
“to conquer.”][1]



VictorEmmanuel III

VictorEmmanuel III
Vic·tor
Em·man·u·el III [vìktər i
mánnyoo əl], King of Italy (1869–1947)

Reigning from 1900, he
accepted fascist rule in Italy from 1922. After defeat in World War II he
abdicated (1946).[1]



Victoria

Victoria


Vic·to·ri·a 
[vik táwree ə]

1.  state
in southeastern Australia. Capital: Melbourne. Population: 4,561,000 (1996)
Area: 227,620 sq km/87,884 sq mi.

2.  capital
city of British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Population:
71,228 (1991)

3.        capital
city of the Republic of Seychelles, situated on the northeastern coast of Mahé
island. Population: 25,000 (1993)[1]



Victoria

Victoria

Vic·to·ri·a 
[vik táwree ə], Queen of the United Kingdom
(1819–1901)
She reigned longer than any other British
monarch (1837–1901), and was empress of India (1876–1901). As queen she
exhibited an alert and informed understanding of government affairs, and set a
national example of domestic harmony and morality in her marriage to Prince
Albert (1840–1861).[1]



Victoria




Back to definition

Victoria

[1]



victoria

victoria
vic·to·ri·a 
[vik táwree ə] noun

horse-drawn
carriage with a folding hood: a horse-drawn carriage with
four wheels and a folding hood, accommodating two passengers
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Queen Victoria .][1]



VictoriaCross

VictoriaCross
Vic·to·ri·a
Cross
noun

decoration given for bravery:
a decoration in the form of a bronze cross, given to members of British and
Commonwealth armed forces for conspicuous bravery. It was instituted by Queen
Victoria in 1856.[1]



VictoriaDay

VictoriaDay
Vic·to·ri·a
Day
noun

Canadian holiday:
a Canadian statutory holiday held on the Monday of or preceding 24 May to
commemorate the birthday of Queen Victoria[1]



VictoriaFalls

VictoriaFalls
Vic·to·ri·a
Falls
[vik tàwree ə fáwlz]

falls on the Zambezi River in
south central Africa, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Height: 108
m/355 ft.[1]



VictoriaIsland

VictoriaIsland
Vic·to·ri·a
Is·land
[vik táwree ə lənd]

the second largest island in
Canada, divided between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, located in the
Arctic Archipelago. Area: 217,290 sq km/83,896 sq mi.[1]



Victoria,Lake

Victoria,Lake
Vic·to·ri·a,
Lake
[vik táwree ə]

the largest lake in Africa,
shared between Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Area: 69,482 sq km/26,828 sq mi.[1]



VictoriaLand

VictoriaLand
Vic·to·ri·a
Land

region of Antarctica, west of
Ross Sea and east of Wilkes Land[1]



Victorian

Victorian
Vic·to·ri·an 
[vik táwree ən] adjective

1.  characteristic
of the time of Queen Victoria: relating to or
belonging to the reign of the British Queen Victoria

2.  conventional,
hypocritical, or prudish: showing attitudes commonly
associated with the Victorian era, especially prudery or conventionalism

3.  ARCHITECTURE architecturally
elaborate:
in the elaborate style of architecture popular in Victorian Britain

4.  from
Victoria:
relating to or from the state of Victoria in Australia, or the cities of
Victoria in Canada or the Seychelles
noun

1.  HISTORY somebody
living in Victoria’s reign: somebody who lived in the
reign of Queen Victoria

2.  somebody
from Victoria: somebody who lives in or comes from the
state of Victoria in Australia, or the cities of Victoria in Canada or the
Seychelles

3.  ARCHITECTURE Victorian
house:
a house in Victorian architectural style
—Vic·to·ri·an·ism, noun[1]



Victoriana

Victoriana
Vic·to·ri·a·na 
[vik tàwree ánnə, vik
tàwree nə] plural noun

objects from the time of
Victoria: collectible objects dating
from the time of Queen Victoria[1]



VictoriaNile

VictoriaNile
Vic·to·ri·a
Nile 
[vik táwree ə nl]

section of the upper Nile
River in Uganda, between lakes Victoria and Albert[1]



VictoriaPeak

VictoriaPeak
Vic·to·ri·a
Peak

mountain on Hong Kong Island,
overlooking Hong Kong Harbor. Height: 554 m/1,818 ft.[1]



victorious

victorious
vic·to·ri·ous 
[vik táwree əss] adjective

1.  having
won:
having won something such as a contest or a battle

2.  characterized
by victory:
typical of or showing a sense of victory
—vic·to·ri·ous·ly,
adverb

—vic·to·ri·ous·ness, noun[1]



victory

victory
vic·to·ry 
[víktəree] (plural vic·to·ries)
noun

1.  defeat
of opponent: defeat of an enemy or opponent

2.  success:
success attained over a difficult situation or opponent
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman victorie from Latin victoria, from victor
(see victor ).][1]



victual

victual
vict·ual 
[vítt’l] noun

provisions:
provisions of food (archaic or formal)
plural
noun
vict·uals

food: food
or other provisions (often used humorously)
verb
(past vict·ualed or vict·ualled, past participle
vict·ualed or vict·ualled, present participle vict·ual·ing,
3rd person present singular vict·uals) (archaic or formal)

1.  transitive
verb
feed
somebody or something: to give food to people or
animals

2.  intransitive
verb
assemble
provisions:
to collect a store of food
[14th century. Via Old French
vitaille from Latin victualia (which later influenced the
spelling of the English word), from victus “livelihood, food” from vivere
“to live.”][1]



victualer

victualer
vict·ual·er 
or vict·ual·ler (plural vict·ual·ers or vict·ual·lers)
noun

1.  supplier
of provisions: somebody who supplies food or other
provisions (archaic or formal)

2.  innkeeper:
an innkeeper, especially one licensed to sell spirits (archaic or formal)

3.  ship
carrying stores: a ship carrying food or other provisions

[1]



vicuña

vicuña
vi·cu·ña
[vī knyə, vī
knə, vi knyə] or vi·cu·na
[vī knyə, vī
knə, vi knyə] noun

1.  ZOOLOGY S
American mammal: a tawny-colored South American mammal
with a silky fleece. It is related to the llama and lives high in the Andes
mountains. Latin name: Vicugna vicugna

2.  CLOTHES cloth
made from vicuña wool: cloth made from the wool of
the vicuña, or an imitation of it
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua wikúña .][1]



vid

vid
vid
[vid] noun

video cassette:
a video cassette (informal)[1]



Vidal,Gore

Vidal,Gore

Vi·dal
[vi dl], Gore (1925– )
U.S.
writer. His novels, critical works, and essays are often sharply critical of
U.S. politics and culture. They include The City and the Pillar ( 1948 )
and the semifictional study Lincoln ( 1984 ).
Full name
Vidal, Eugene Luther Gore[1]



Vidaliaonion

Vidaliaonion
Vi·dal·ia
on·ion 
[vi dáylyə ùnnyən] noun

large
sweet onion: a large sweet onion that has a delicate
flavor and is grown in Georgia
[Named for the city of
Vidalia in Georgia, USA][1]



vide

vide
vi·de 
[vdee, v dày]
transitive verb

refer
to:
a word used to refer a reader to another place in a text, or tell a musician to
skip to a place further ahead in the score (formal)
[Mid-16th century. From
Latin, literally “see!”, a form of videre “to see.”][1]



videinfra

videinfra
vi·de
in·fra
transitive verb

see
below:
a term used to refer a reader to a place further on in a text
[From Latin, “see below”][1]



videlicet

videlicet
vi·del·i·cet 
[və déllə sèt] adverb

(formal)
Full form of viz.
[15th century. From Latin,
from vide, stem of videre “to see” + licet “it is
permissible.”][1]



video

video
vid·e·o 
[víddee ] noun (plural vid·e·os)

1.  visual
part of television: the visual part of a
television broadcast

2.  videocassette:
videotape, or a videocassette (informal) • now
available to rent or buy on video

3.  something
recorded onto videotape: something, especially a
movie that has been recorded onto video tape

4.  television:
television when considered as a broadcasting medium
adjective

1.  relating
to television: relating to television, especially the
reproduction or broadcasting of televised images

2.  relating
to video frequencies: relating to or using video
frequencies
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin videre “to see” on the model of audio
.][1]



videoarcade

videoarcade
vid·e·o
ar·cade
noun

place offering video games:
a place where people pay to play video games[1]



videocamera

videocamera
vid·e·o
cam·er·a
noun

camera using videotape:
a camera that records onto videotape[1]



videocassette

videocassette
vid·e·o·cas·sette 
[víddee ō kə sèt] (plural vid·e·o·cas·settes)
noun

cassette containing
videotape: a flat rectangular plastic
cassette containing two tape reels and a magnetic videotape.
Also called
videotape[1]



videocassetterecorder

videocassetterecorder
vid·e·o·cas·sette
re·cord·er
noun

Full form of
VCR[1]



videoconferencing

videoconferencing
video·con·fer·enc·ing
[víddee ō kònfərənsing] noun

holding
meeting via video: the holding of a meeting in
which participants are in different places, connected by audio and video links
[Late
20th century]
—video·con·fer·ence, noun[1]



videodisk

videodisk
vid·e·o·disk
[víddee ō dìsk] or vid·e·o·disc
[víddee ō dìsk] (plural vid·e·o·discs)
noun

See
optical disk[1]



videodisplay terminal

videodisplay terminal
vid·e·o
dis·play ter·mi·nal noun

U.S.,
Australia, New Zealand computer
input-output device containing cathode-ray tube:
a device used to display data from and enter data into a computer, consisting
of a visual display such as a cathode-ray tube and a keyboard, mouse, or
touch-screen.
Also called
video terminal[1]



videofrequency

videofrequency
vid·e·o
fre·quen·cy
noun

electromagnetic signal used
in television broadcasting: a frequency
in the range of signals used to carry the image and synchronizing pulses in a
television broadcasting system. Frequencies range from the very high to the
ultra high in the United States and are found in two ultra high bands in
Europe.[1]



videogame

videogame
vid·e·o
game
noun

electronic game controlled by
microprocessor: an electronic or
computerized game, usually controlled by a microprocessor, played by making
images move on a computer or television screen or, for hand-held games, on a
liquid-crystal display[1]



videography

videography
vid·e·og·ra·phy 
[vìddee óggrəfee] noun

art
of recording with video camera: the art or practice of
using a video camera to make films or programs
[Late
20th century. Formed from video + -graphy .]
—vid·e·og·ra·pher, noun[1]



videojockey

videojockey
vid·e·o
jock·ey
noun

television presenter of
videos: somebody who plays videos,
especially music videos, especially on television[1]



videophile

videophile
vid·e·o·phile 
[víddee ō fl] noun

somebody interested in video:
somebody who has an enthusiastic interest in watching or making video
recordings[1]



videophone

videophone
vid·e·o·phone 
[víddee ō fn] noun

device
simultaneously transmitting audio and video: a
communications device that can transmit and receive both video and audio
signals, allowing people having a telephone conversation to see as well as hear
each other
[Mid-20th century][1]



videorecorder

videorecorder
vid·e·o
re·cord·er
noun

See
VCR[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








videotape

videotape
vid·e·o·tape 
[víddee ō tàyp] noun

See
video cassette
transitive
verb
(past vid·e·o·taped, past participle vid·e·o·taped,
present participle vid·e·o·tap·ing, 3rd person present
singular vid·e·o·tapes)

record something on
videotape: to make a recording of
something on videotape[1]



videotaperecorder

videotaperecorder
vid·e·o·tape
re·cord·er
noun

machine recording and playing
videotape: a tape recorder that can
record and play back visual images and sound using magnetic tape[1]



videoterminal

videoterminal
vid·e·o
ter·mi·nal
noun

See
video display terminal[1]



videotext

videotext
vid·e·o·text
[víddee ō tèkst] noun

video
communications service: a communications service
linked to an adapted television receiver or video display terminal by telephone
or cable television lines to allow access to pages of information. Systems can
be one-way, allowing only for the display of selected information, or on-line
or interactive, allowing for two-way communication.
[Late 20th century][1]



videovérité

videovérité
vid·e·o
vér·i·té
noun

realism
in video filming: the use in video documentaries of the
realistic, unrehearsed portrayal of people and situations
[Vérité from French, “truth,”
on the model of cinéma vérité][1]



videsupra

videsupra
vi·de
su·pra
transitive verb

see
above:
a term used to refer a reader to an earlier place in a text
[From Latin, “see above”][1]



vidette

vidette
vi·dette 
noun

See
vedette  noun 1[1]



vidicon

vidicon
vid·i·con 
[víddi kòn] noun

television
camera tube: a light-sensitive television camera tube
in which an image is stored on a photoconductive plate as an electric charge
pattern that is scanned by an electron beam and transmitted. These tubes have
been replaced by more reliable solid-state television cameras using
semiconductor charge-coupled devices.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from video + iconoscope
.][1]



Vidor,King

Vidor,King
Vi·dor
[v dàwr], King (1894–1982)

U.S.
movie director. His movies spanned the period from the silent era to the
television age.
Full name
Vidor, King Wallis[1]



vie

vie
vie 
[vī] (past vied, past
participle vied, present participle vy·ing, 3rd
person present singular vies) intransitive verb

contend:
to strive for superiority or compete with somebody or something for something
[Mid-16th
century. Shortening of Middle English envien, from Old French envier
“to raise the bid (at cards), challenge,” from Latin invitare “to
entertain, feast” (source of English invite
).]
—vier, noun[1]



Vienna

Vienna
Vi·en·na 
[vee énnə]

capital
city of Austria, located in the east of the country, on the Danube River.
Population: 1,539,848 (1991)
—Vi·en·nese [v ə nz, v ə nss],
noun, adjective[1]



Viennacircle

Viennacircle
Vi·en·na
cir·cle
[vee ènnə súrk’l] noun

logical
positivists: the leading school of logical
positivists of the 1920s and 1930s
[Because the group was based
at Vienna University][1]



Viennasausage

Viennasausage
Vi·en·na
sau·sage
(plural Vi·en·na sau·sag·es) noun

small sausage:
a small, spicy sausage like a frankfurter, often served as a snack or hors
d’oeuvre[1]



Vientiane

Vientiane
Vien·tiane 
[vyen tyn]

capital city of Laos, in the
central part of the country, on the Mekong River. Population: 178,203 (1985)[1]



Viet.

Viet.
Viet.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Vietnam

2.  Abbreviation
of
Vietnamese

[1]



Vietcong

Vietcong
Viet·cong
[vee èt káwng, vyèt
káwng] (plural Viet·cong) or Viet Cong [vee èt káwng, vyèt
káwng] (plural Viet Cong) noun

1.  Communist
guerrilla in Vietnam: a member or supporter of the
Communist-led armed forces of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam
that fought to unite the country with North Vietnam between 1954 and 1976

2.  Vietnamese
guerrilla:
somebody, especially a guerrilla soldier, who belonged to or supported the
Vietcong during the Vietnam War
[Mid-20th century. From
Vietnamese Viêt-công, a shortening of Viêt-Nam Công Sam
“Vietnamese Communist.”][1]



Vietminh

Vietminh
Viet·minh
[vee èt mín, vyèt
mín] (plural Viet·minh) or Viet Minh [vee èt mín, vyèt mín]
(plural Viet Minh) noun

1.  Communist-dominated
Vietnamese nationalist movement: the Vietnamese armed
forces led by Ho Chi Minh that resisted and defeated first the Japanese and
then the French between 1941 and 1954. The Vietminh operated from a base in
southern China during World War II and employed guerrilla tactics similar to
the Maoists in China.

2.  Vietnamese
soldier fighting for independence: a member or supporter
of the Vietnamese armed forces led by Ho Chi Minh that resisted and defeated
first the Japanese and then the French between 1941 and 1954
[Mid-20th century. From Vietnamese
Viêt Minh, a shortening of Viêt-Nam Dôc-Lâp Dông-Minh “Vietnam
Independence Federation.”][1]



Vietnam




Back to definition

Vietnam

[1]



Vietnam

Vietnam



Viet·nam 
[vee èt nm]
country in Southeast Asia, on the South
China Sea, south of China and east of Cambodia and Laos. Language: Vietnamese.
Currency: new dong. Capital: Hanoi. Population: 75,123,880 (1997) Area: 331,690
sq km/128,066 sq mi. Official name Socialist Republic of Vietnam[1]



Vietnamese

Vietnamese
Viet·nam·ese 
[vee ètnə mz, vyètnə
mz, vee ètnə mss] adjective

PEOPLES of
Vietnam:
relating to Vietnam, or its people or culture
noun
(plural Viet·nam·ese)

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from Vietnam: somebody who was born or raised in
Vietnam, or who has Vietnamese citizenship

2.  LANGUAGE official
language of Vietnam: the official language of
Vietnam, belonging to the Austro-Asiatic language family. Vietnamese is spoken
by the majority of people living in Vietnam.

[1]



Vietnamesepotbellied pig

Vietnamesepotbellied pig
Vi·et·nam·ese
pot·bel·lied pig noun

small domesticated pig:
a small domesticated pig with a rounded shape and a dark skin with a lighter
band running around its middle. It is sometimes kept as a pet.[1]



VietnamWar

VietnamWar
Viet·nam
War
noun

conflict in Vietnam involving
U.S. forces: a conflict in which the
Communist forces of North Vietnam and guerrillas in South Vietnam fought
against the non-Communist forces of South Vietnam and the United States. It
began in 1954 and ended in 1975 in a Communist victory.[1]



view

view
view 
[vyoo] noun (plural views)

1.  act
of looking at something: an act of looking at or
inspecting something

2.  range
of vision:
the range or extent of somebody’s ability to see something

3.  scene:
a scene or an area that can be seen from a particular place, especially one
that is pleasing or impressive

4.  pictorial
representation: a painting, drawing, or photograph of a
particular scene or building

5.  perspective:
a particular position or angle from which somebody can look at something

6.  opinion:
somebody’s opinion on or interpretation of something such as politics or
religion

7.  survey:
a general survey of a particular subject
verb
(past viewed, past participle viewed, present
participle view·ing, 3rd person present singular views)

1.  transitive
verb
observe
something:
to see or look at something, especially with interest

2.  transitive
verb
inspect
something:
to make an inspection or examination of something

3.  transitive
verb
consider
something:
to think over or consider something, especially a range of things

4.  transitive
verb
think
of somebody or something: to regard or assess somebody
or something, especially in a particular way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb watch
television:
to watch television, or watch something on television
[15th
century. From Old French vëue, past participle of vëoir “to see,”
from Latin videre “to see” (source of English vision and voyeur
).]
—view·less,
adjective
in
view of something

because
of something, or bearing something in mind

on
view

put
somewhere so as to be seen

take
a dim view of somebody or something

to
disapprove of somebody or something

with
a view to something

with
the aim, intention, or hope of doing or achieving something





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  A
  Room with a View, a novel by English writer E.M. Forster ( 1908 ). It
  describes how a young Englishwoman’s visit to Italy and her encounter there
  with a young, unconventional expatriate encourages her to rebel against the
  emotionally stifling conventions of her upper-class background. It was made
  into a movie by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory in 1985.

[1]



viewable

viewable
view·a·ble
[vy əb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be seen:
able to be seen or inspected

2.  fit
to be watched: of a good enough standard, or in a good
enough condition, to be watched

[1]



viewer

viewer
view·er 
[vy ər] (plural view·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who watches: somebody who watches something such as
television, a movie, or an event

2.  optical
device:
any optical device for illuminating and magnifying a photographic transparency,
videotape, or motion picture film

3.  somebody
who makes a formal inspection: somebody appointed,
especially by a court, to inspect something such as property
—view·er·ship, noun[1]



viewfinder

viewfinder
view·find·er 
[vy fndər] (plural view·find·ers)
noun

device showing what appears
in picture: a device on a camera that
lets the user see what is being photographed[1]



viewhalloo

viewhalloo
view
hal·loo
[vy hə l] interjection

used
to show fox is sighted: used during a fox hunt as a
shout to signal that the fox has been seen breaking cover
noun
(plural view hal·loos)

hunter’s cry:
a shout of “ view halloo !”[1]



viewing

viewing
view·ing 
[vy ing] (plural view·ings) noun

1.  act
of watching: an act or the practice of watching,
seeing, or inspecting something

2.  TV
shows collectively: television programs as a
body or type

[1]



viewpoint

viewpoint
view·point 
[vy pòynt] (plural view·points)
noun

1.  point
of view:
a personal perspective from which somebody considers something

2.  viewing
location:
a place or position from which people can look at something

[1]



vig

vig
vig
[vig] noun

(slang) See vigorish  noun 1[1]



vigesimal

vigesimal
vi·ges·i·mal 
[vī jéssəm’l, vi
jéssəm’l] adjective

based
on 20:
based on or reckoned in units of the number twenty
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin vigesimus, variant of vicesimus “twentieth,” from viginti
“twenty.”][1]



vigia

vigia
vi·gi·a 
[vi j ə, vee h
ə] (plural vi·gi·as) noun

NAUTICAL unconfirmed
obstacle:
something marked on a chart as a hazard to navigation, although its existence,
position, and nature are unconfirmed
[Mid-19th century. From
Portuguese, “lookout,” ultimately from Latin vigilia (see vigil ).][1]



vigil

vigil
vig·il 
[víjjəl] noun (plural vig·ils)

1.  night
watch:
a period spent in doing something through the night, for example, watching,
guarding, or praying

2.  festival
eve:
the eve of some festivals and holy days, spent in prayer
plural
noun
vig·ils

religious services at night:
religious services or prayers at night, especially on the eve of a festival or
holy day
[13th century. Via Old French
vigile from medieval Latin vigilia, “eve of a holy day,” from
Latin, “watchfulness,” from vigil “awake, alert.”][1]



vigilance

vigilance
vig·i·lance 
[víjjələns] noun

watchfulness:
the condition of being watchful and alert, especially to danger[1]



vigilancecommittee

vigilancecommittee
vig·i·lance
com·mit·tee
noun

vigilante group:
a group of people who pursue and punish suspected or alleged criminals without
having the legal authority to do so[1]



vigilant

vigilant
vig·i·lant 
[víjjələnt] adjective

watchful:
watchful and alert, especially to danger or to something that is wrong
—vig·i·lant·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



vigilante

vigilante
vig·i·lan·te 
[vìjji lántee] (plural vig·i·lan·tes)
noun

1.  law-enforcing
citizen:
somebody who punishes lawbreakers personally and illegally rather than relying
on the legal authorities

2.  vigilance
committee member: a member of a vigilance committee
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, “watchman,” ultimately from Latin vigilant-, the present
participle of vigilare “to watch,” from vigil (see vigil ).][1]



vign

vign
vign
(plural vi·gns)

Abbreviation of
vignette[1]



vigneron

vigneron
vig·ne·ron 
[vnyə ráwn, vnyə
ráwN] (plural vig·ne·rons) noun

grower
of grapes for wine: somebody who grows grapes
for use in making wine
[15th century. From French,
from vigne (see vine ).][1]



vignette

vignette
vi·gnette 
[vin yét] noun (plural vi·gnettes)

1.  brief
scene:
a brief scene from a movie or play

2.  LITERATURE short
essay:
a short descriptive piece of literary writing

3.  ARTS unbordered
picture:
a painting, drawing, or photograph that has no border but is gradually faded
into its background at the edges

4.  PRINTING design
on a book page: a small decorative design printed at the
beginning or end of a book or chapter of a book, or in the margin of a page

5.  ARCHITECTURE architectural
ornamentation: a carved architectural decoration in the
form of tendrils and leaves
transitive
verb
(past vi·gnet·ted, past participle vi·gnet·ted, present
participle vi·gnet·ting, 3rd person present singular vi·gnettes)

1.  ARTS finish
picture off by softening edges: to finish a painting,
drawing, or photograph by gradually fading it into its background at the edges
rather than giving it a border

2.  LITERATURE describe
something briefly: to describe something in a
brief but elegant way
[Mid-18th
century. From French, literally “small vine” (from such decorations on the
margins of pages in early books), from vigne (see vine ).]
—vi·gnet·ter,
noun

—vi·gnet·tist, noun[1]



Vigo

Vigo
Vi·go 
[vgō]

city and port in the
autonomous region of Galicia, northwestern Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean.
Population: 290,582 (1995)[1]



vigor

vigor
vig·or 
[víggər] noun

1.  vitality:
great physical or mental strength and energy

2.  intensity:
intensity or forcefulness in the way something is done

3.  ability
to grow:
the ability of plants or animals to survive, grow, and thrive

4.  legal
validity:
legal validity or force
[14th century. Via Old French
vigour from Latin vigor “liveliness, energy,” from vigere
“to be lively.”][1]



vigorish

vigorish
vig·o·rish 
[víggərish] noun (slang)

1.  additional
payment:
any additional payment that somebody is forced to make, for example, a bribe or
interest paid to a usurer.
Also
called
vig

2.  betting
charge:
a sum of money that a bookmaker or gambling establishment charges a customer
for accepting a bet
[Early 20th century. Earlier
“viggresh,” of uncertain origin: perhaps via Yiddish from Russian vyigrysh
or Ukrainian vygrash “winnings, profit.”][1]



vigoroso

vigoroso
vig·o·ro·so 
[vìggə rṓssō] adverb

with
intensity and liveliness: to be played with intensity
and liveliness (used as a musical direction)
[Early
18th century. From Italian, literally “vigorous,” from medieval Latin vigorosus,
from Latin vigor (see vigor ).]
—vi·go·ro·so, adjective[1]



vigorous

vigorous
vig·or·ous 
[víggərəss] adjective

1.  very
healthy:
extremely strong and active, physically and mentally

2.  energetic:
displaying or using great energy
—vig·or·ous·ly,
adverb

—vig·or·ous·ness, noun[1]



vigour

vigour
vig·our 
noun

U.K. =
vigor[1]



Vijayawada

Vijayawada
Vi·ja·ya·wa·da 
[vj ī yə wdə]

town in Krishna District,
Andhra Pradesh State, southern India. Population: 701,351 (1991)[1]



Viking

Viking
Vi·king 
[vking] (plural Vi·kings) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of ancient Scandinavian people: a member of any of the
Scandinavian peoples who carried out seaborne raids and invasions of various
parts of northwestern Europe from the 8th to 11th centuries AD. They usually came by sea in
longships, raiding mainly coastal regions, and often settled in the areas they
invaded, as in Britain.

2.  Vi·king
or vi·king (plural vi·kings) seafarer:
any plundering seafarer or pirate

3.  space
probe to Mars: either of two identical, highly
instrumented, uncrewed U.S. space probes to Mars, launched in 1975. The probes’
orbiters photographed the surface of Mars and its satellites and mapped water
vapor and surface temperature variations while the landers transmitted color
pictures and meteorological and soil data.
[Early 19th century. From Old
Norse víkingr, either from vík “creek, inlet” (literally “person
coming from inlets of the sea”) or Old English wīc “camp” (from their
temporary encampments on raids).][1]



vil.

vil.
vil.

Abbreviation of
village[1]



vile

vile
vile 
[vl] (comparative vil·er, superlative
vil·est) adjective

1.  disgusting:
causing disgust or abhorrence

2.  wicked:
very evil or shameful

3.  very
unpleasant:
extremely unpleasant to experience

4.  worthless:
of little or no worth (archaic)

5.  degrading:
so despicable or undesirable as to be degrading
[13th
century. Via Old French from Latin vilis “of little value, cheap,
base.”]
—vile·ly,
adverb

—vile·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at mean

[1]



vilify

vilify
vil·i·fy 
[víllə f] (past vil·i·fied, past
participle vil·i·fied, present participle vil·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular vil·i·fies) transitive verb

malign
somebody:
to make malicious and abusive statements about somebody
[15th
century. From late Latin vilificare “to hold cheap,” from Latin vilis
“worthless.”]
—vil·i·fi·ca·tion
[vìlləfi káysh’n], noun

—vil·i·fi·er
[víllə fr], noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at malign

[1]



vilipend

vilipend
vil·i·pend 
[víllə pènd] (past vil·i·pend·ed,
past participle vil·i·pend·ed, present participle vil·i·pend·ing,
3rd person present singular vil·i·pends) transitive verb (literary)

1.  treat
somebody with contempt: to treat or view somebody
with contempt

2.  malign
somebody:
to make malicious or contemptuous statements about somebody
[15th century. Via Old French
vilipender from Latin vilipendere, literally “to consider base,”
from vilis “base, cheap.”][1]



vill

vill
vill
vill.

Abbreviation of
village[1]



villa

villa
vil·la 
[víllə] (plural vil·las) noun

1.  expensive
house:
a large, luxurious house in the country

2.  vacation
home:
a house rented for a vacation

3.  Roman
house:
a country house in ancient Rome or one of its colonies, with living quarters,
farm buildings, and a courtyard
[Early 17th century. Via
Italian from Latin, “country home, farm.”][1]



village

village
vil·lage 
[víllij] (plural vil·lag·es) noun

1.  rural
community:
a group of houses and other buildings in a rural area, smaller than a town but
larger than a hamlet

2.  inhabitants
of village:
all of the people who live in a village

3.  small
incorporated community: in some U.S. states, a
community that is smaller than a town but that is similarly incorporated

4.  temporary
community:
a place where people live temporarily as a community, for example, an apartment
complex for the use of athletes taking part in Olympic games

5.  animal
dwellings:
a group of bird or animal dwellings
[14th century. Via Old French
from Latin villaticum “farmstead,” from villa (see villa ).][1]



villager

villager
vil·lag·er 
[víllijər] (plural vil·lag·ers)
noun

village inhabitant:
somebody who lives in a village[1]



Villahermosa

Villahermosa
Vi·lla·her·mo·sa 
[v ə hair mṓssə]

city and capital of Tabasco
State, northeastern Mexico. Population: 261,231 (1990)[1]



villain

villain
vil·lain 
[víllən] (plural vil·lains) noun

1.  evil
character:
an evil character in a novel, movie, play, or other story, especially one who
is the main enemy of the hero

2.  contemptible
person:
any person regarded as evil or otherwise contemptible (old or humorous)

3.  See
villein
[14th century. Via Old French
vilein “feudal serf,” from late Latin villanus “farmhand,” from
Latin villa (see villa ).][1]



villainage

villainage
vil·lain·age 
noun

See
villeinage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








villainess

villainess
vil·lain·ess 
[víllənəss] (plural vil·lain·ess·es)
noun

1.  evil
woman character: an evil woman character in a novel,
movie, play, or other story, especially one who is the main enemy of the hero

2.  contemptible
woman:
any woman regarded as evil or otherwise contemptible (old or humorous)

[1]



villainous

villainous
vil·lain·ous 
[víllənəss] adjective

1.  wicked:
typical of an evil or contemptible person

2.  undesirable:
obnoxious or unpleasant
—vil·lain·ous·ly,
adverb

—vil·lain·ous·ness, noun[1]



villainy

villainy
vil·lain·y 
[víllənee] noun

1.  evil
conduct:
behavior typical of an evil or contemptible person

2.  state
of being evil: the state of being evil or contemptible

3.  (plural
vil·lain·ies) evil act:
an evil or immoral act

[1]



Villa-Lobos,Heitor

Villa-Lobos,Heitor
Vil·la-Lo·bos
[vlyaa lṓbsh, vlaa
lṓbōs], Heitor (1897–1959)

Brazilian composer. His
prolific output was much influenced by the popular music of Brazil and by
Native South American Music.[1]



villanelle

villanelle
vil·la·nelle 
[vìllə nél] (plural vil·la·nelles)
noun

French
poetic form: a 19-line poem, originally French, that
uses only two rhymes and consists of five three-line stanzas and a final
quatrain. The first and third lines of the first stanza are alternately
repeated as a refrain that closes the following stanzas, and joined as a final
couplet of the quatrain.
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian villanella “old rustic (Italian) song,” ultimately
from villano “peasant,” from medieval Latin villanus (see villain ).][1]



Villanovan

Villanovan
Vil·la·no·van
[vìllə nṓv’n] adjective

belonging
to Iron Age culture: belonging to an early Iron
Age culture that existed near Bologna, Italy, in which bronze was used and
also, in a primitive way, iron
noun

member
of Villanovan culture: a member of the Villanovan
culture
[Early 20th century. Named
after Villanova, a town in northeastern Italy near Bologna, where
archaeological finds were made.][1]



Villa,Pancho

Villa,Pancho
Vil·la 
[v yə], Pancho (1878–1923)

Mexican
revolutionary leader. He helped overthrow two Mexican dictators in 1911 and
1914. He was later assassinated.
Real name
Villa, Francisco Born Doroteo Arango[1]



VillaPark

VillaPark
Vil·la
Park
[vìllə prk]

village in northeastern
Illinois, west of Elmhurst. It is a western suburb of Chicago. Population:
22,563 (1996)[1]



villein

villein
vil·lein
[víllən] (plural vil·leins) or
vil·lain [víllən] (plural vil·lains)
noun

feudal
serf:
a feudal serf who had the status of a freeman except in relation to his lord,
to whom he owed dues and services in exchange for land
[14th century. Variant of villain .][1]



villeinage

villeinage
vil·lein·age 
[víllənij] or vil·lain·age [víllənij] noun

1.  status
of villein:
the status of being a villein in feudal society

2.  land
tenure of villein: the form of feudal tenure by
which a villein held land

[1]



villi

villi
vil·li


Plural of
villus[1]



villiform

villiform
vil·li·form 
[víllə fàwrm] adjective

like
a minute projection: in the form of or resembling
a minute projection ( villus )
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from villus .][1]



Villon,François

Villon,François
Vil·lon
[vee yóN], François (1431?–1463?)

French
poet. He wrote lyric poetry notable for its fresh interpretation of medieval
verse forms and its frank expression of feeling. He was repeatedly arrested for
criminal acts, and nothing is known of him after he was banished from Paris in
1463.
Real name
Montcorbier, François de Real name Loges, François des[1]



villose

villose
vil·lose 
adjective

See
villous
[Early 18th century. From
Latin villosus (see villous ).][1]



villosity

villosity
vil·los·i·ty 
[vi lóssətee] (plural vil·los·i·ties)
noun

1.  hairiness:
the condition of being covered in long shaggy hairs

2.  being
covered with minute projections: the condition of being
covered with minute projections

3.  coating
of fine projections: a surface or coating of very
fine projections resembling hairs

4.  part
resembling hair: a fine projection that resembles a hair

[1]



villous

villous
vil·lous 
[vílləss] or vil·lose [ví lss] adjective

1.  hairy:
covered with long shaggy hairs

2.  with
minute protuberances: relating to, resembling, or
covered with minute protuberances
[14th
century. From Latin villosus “shaggy,” from villus “shaggy
hair.”]
—vil·lous·ly, adverb[1]



villus

villus
vil·lus 
[vílləss] (plural vil·li [ví l]) noun

1.  minute
protuberance: any of many vascular protuberances
growing out from some mucous membranes, for example, from that of the small
intestine of some vertebrates or from the chorion that surrounds an embryo

2.  placental
growth:
a finger-shaped protuberance that contributes to the formation of the placenta
in mammals

3.  outgrowth
on plant:
a fine part resembling a hair, growing from the surface of a plant
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, literally “shaggy hair.”][1]



Vilnius

Vilnius
Vil·ni·us 
[vílnee əss]

capital city of Lithuania,
situated in the southeast of the country, near the border with Belarus.
Population: 580,100 (1997)[1]



vim

vim
vim 
[vim] noun

exuberance:
exuberant vitality and energy (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Latin, a form of vis “power, strength” (source
of English violent ).][1]



vin-

vin-
vin-
prefix

See
vini-[1]



VIN

VIN
VIN
[vin]

Abbreviation of
vehicle identification number[1]



vin

vin
vin

Abbreviation of
vinegar[1]



vina

vina

vi·na 
[v n] (plural vi·nas) noun
stringed
instrument:
a stringed instrument used in the Indian subcontinent, similar to the sitar. It
has a long fretted fingerboard with resonating gourds at both ends and is
played by plucking.
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit vīṇā .][1]



vinaceous

vinaceous
vi·na·ceous 
[vī náyshəss, vi
náyshəss] adjective

1.  like
wine:
of the nature of or containing wine

2.  reddish:
of the color of red wine
[Late 17th century. Formed
from Latin vinaceus, from vinum “wine.”][1]



vinaigrette

vinaigrette
vin·ai·grette 
[vìnnə grét] (plural vin·ai·grettes)
noun

1.  salad
dressing:
a salad dressing made with vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes other
seasonings

2.  small
container:
a small bottle or box with a perforated cap, used to hold aromatic substances
such as smelling salts or vinegar
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “little vinegar,” from vinaigre (see vinegar ).][1]



vinasse

vinasse
vi·nasse 
[vi náss, vī
náss] noun

fermentation
residue:
the residue left in a still after the distillation of an alcoholic beverage,
especially brandy. It is used as a fertilizer and is a source of potassium
salts.
[Via French from Provençal vinassa,
ultimately from Latin vinaceus (see vinaceous
)][1]



vinblastine

vinblastine
vin·blas·tine 
[vin blás tn] noun

drug
used to treat some cancers: an alkaloid drug extracted
from the Madagascar periwinkle, used in the treatment of some cancers. It works
by blocking cell division ( mitosis ) and is
highly toxic. C46H58N4O9
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Vinca, genus name (see vinca
), + leukoblast + -ine
.][1]



vinca

vinca
vin·ca 
[víngkə] (plural vin·cas) noun

See
periwinkle 2 noun
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from late Latin pervinca (see periwinkle ).][1]



Vincennes

Vincennes
Vin·cennes
[vin sénz]

city in southwestern Indiana,
on the Wabash River. Population: 19,312 (1996)[1]



Vincentde Paul, St.

Vincentde Paul, St.
Vin·cent
de Paul 
[vaN sàN də páwl, vìnsəntdə
páwl], St. (1581–1660)

French priest. He was the
founder of the Congregation of the Mission (1625), also called the Vincentians.[1]



Vincent’sangina

Vincent’sangina
Vin·cent’s
an·gi·na 
[vìnsənts an jnə] or Vin·cent’s
in·fec·tion [vìnsənts an jnə] noun

inflammation
of the mouth: a painful mouth inflammation with ulcers
and gum damage. Two organisms that are normally present cause the condition
only when somebody has a vitamin B deficiency or an immune deficiency.
Also
called
trench mouth
[Early 20th century. Named
for Jean Hyacinthe Vincent (1862–1950), French physician who discovered
the disease.][1]



vincible

vincible
vin·ci·ble 
[vínsəb’l] adjective

vulnerable:
able to be defeated or conquered (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin vincibilis, from vincere “to conquer.”]
—vin·ci·bil·i·ty
[vìnsə bíllətee], noun

—vin·ci·ble·ness [vínsəb’lnəss], noun[1]



vincristine

vincristine
vin·cris·tine 
[vin krís tn] noun

drug
used to treat leukemia: an alkaloid drug produced
from the Madagascar periwinkle, used to treat acute leukemia and lymphomas. It
works by blocking cell division ( mitosis )
and is highly toxic. C46H56N4O10
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from modern Latin Vinca, genus name (see vinca
), + Latin crista “crest” + -ine .][1]



vinculum

vinculum
vin·cu·lum 
[víngkyələm] (plural vin·cu·lums
or vin·cu·la [víngkyələ]) noun

1.  MATHEMATICS raised
line connecting mathematical terms: a
horizontal line above two or more members of a compound mathematical
expression, used like parentheses to show that the expression is to be treated
as a single term. Parentheses, brackets, and braces are used more frequently
for this purpose than is the vinculum.

2.  ANATOMY band
of tissue:
a band of tissue, especially a ligament
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, literally “fetter, bond,” from vincire “to tie, fasten.”][1]



vindaloo

vindaloo
vin·da·loo 
[vìndə l] (plural vin·da·loos)
noun

very
hot curry:
a very hot curry sauce made with coriander, red chili, ginger, and other
spices, or a dish cooked in this
[Late 19th century. From
Konkani vindalu, ultimately from Portuguese vinho de alho, a wine
and garlic sauce, literally “wine of garlic.”][1]



vindicable

vindicable
vin·di·ca·ble 
[víndikəb’l] adjective

justifiable:
able to be vindicated or justified
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin vindicabilis, from Latin vindicare
(see vindicate ).]
—vin·di·ca·bil·i·ty [vìndikə bíllətee], noun[1]



vindicate

vindicate
vin·di·cate 
[víndi kàyt] (past vin·di·cat·ed,
past participle vin·di·cat·ed, present participle vin·di·cat·ing,
3rd person present singular vin·di·cates) transitive verb

1.  show
somebody or something is blameless: to
clear somebody or something of blame, guilt, suspicion, or doubt

2.  justify
somebody or something: to show that somebody or
something is justified or correct

3.  uphold
something:
to defend or maintain something such as a cause or rights
[Mid-16th
century. From Latin vindicatus, perfect participle of vindicare
“to claim, set free, avenge,” from the stem vindic- “avenger.”]
—vin·di·ca·tor, noun[1]



vindication

vindication
vin·di·ca·tion 
[vìndi káysh’n] (plural vin·di·ca·tions)
noun

1.  being
vindicated:
the act of vindicating somebody or something, or the condition of being
vindicated

2.  reason
for vindicating somebody or something:
evidence or an argument used to vindicate somebody or something

[1]



vindicatory

vindicatory
vin·di·ca·to·ry 
[víndikə tàwree] adjective

supporting:
providing something such as facts or an argument that justifies a belief,
conclusion, or action[1]



vindictive

vindictive
vin·dic·tive 
[vin díktiv] adjective

1.  vengeful:
looking for revenge or done through a desire for revenge

2.  spiteful:
feeling, showing, or done through a desire to hurt somebody

3.  LAW meant
to punish:
used to describe damages awarded by a court that are set higher than the amount
necessary to compensate the victim, in order to punish the defendant
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin vindicta “revenge.”][1]



vine

vine
vine 
[vīn] noun (plural vines)

1.  climbing
plant:
a plant that supports itself by climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

2.  stem:
the weak flexible stem of a vine

3.  See
grapevine  noun 1

4.  grapevines
collectively: grapevines considered collectively
intransitive
verb
(past vined, past participle vined, present
participle vin·ing, 3rd person present singular vines)

grow like vine:
to form or grow like a vine
[13th
century. Via Old French vigne from Latin vinea “vine, vineyard,”
from vinum “wine” (source of English wine
and vinegar ).]
—vin·y, adjective[1]



vinedresser

vinedresser
vine·dress·er 
[vn drèssər] (plural vine·dress·ers)
noun

grapevine pruner:
somebody who tends and prunes grapevines[1]



vinegar

vinegar
vin·e·gar 
[vínnəgər] (plural vin·e·gars)
noun

1.  sour-tasting
liquid:
a sour-tasting liquid used to flavor and preserve foods. It is a dilute acetic
acid made by fermenting beer, wine, or cider.

2.  ill
temper:
sourness or ill-tempered behavior or speech

3.  vitality:
exuberant energy and enthusiasm
[13th
century. From Old French vyn egre “sour wine,” from Latin vinum acre
.]
—vin·e·gar·ish, adjective[1]



vinegareel

vinegareel
vin·e·gar
eel
or vin·e·gar worm noun

small worm:
a very small nematode worm that feeds on bacteria that cause fermentation,
especially in vinegar. Latin name: Anguillula aceti[1]



vinegary

vinegary
vin·e·gar·y 
[vínnəgəree] adjective

1.  sour-tasting:
with a sour taste or smell like vinegar

2.  irritable:
showing an unpleasant, irritable disposition
—vin·e·gar·i·ness, noun[1]



vinery

vinery
vin·er·y 
[vnəree] (plural vin·er·ies) noun

greenhouse for grapes:
an area or building, especially a greenhouse, in which grapevines are grown[1]



vineyard

vineyard
vine·yard 
[vínnyərd] (plural vine·yards)
noun

1.  place
where grapes are grown: a piece of land where
grapevines are grown

2.  sphere
of endeavor: any sphere of mental, physical, or
spiritual endeavor

[1]



vingt-et-un

vingt-et-un
vingt-et-un 
[vàN tay úN] noun

CARD GAMES blackjack:
the game of blackjack
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “twenty-one.”][1]



vini-

vini-
vini-
prefix

wine,
grapes • viniculture
[From Latin vinum][1]



viniculture

viniculture
vin·i·cul·ture 
noun

See
viticulture
—vin·i·cul·tur·al
[vìnni kúlchərəl], adjective

—vin·i·cul·tur·ist [vìnni kúlchərist], noun[1]



vinification

vinification
vin·i·fi·ca·tion
[vìnnəfi káysh’n] noun

winemaking process:
the process by which a liquid is fermented into wine (technical)[1]



vinify

vinify
vin·i·fy 
[vínnə f] (past vin·i·fied, past
participle vin·i·fied, present participle vin·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular vin·i·fies) transitive verb

make something into wine:
to ferment grape juice, or another liquid, into wine[1]



Vinland

Vinland
Vin·land 
[vínlənd]

part of North America, now
northern Newfoundland, first seen by the Norse voyager Bjarni Herjólfsson
during a voyage from Iceland to Greenland in about AD 986. The Icelandic explorer Leif Ericson explored the
Newfoundland and Labrador coasts several years later.[1]



vino

vino
vi·no 
[vnō] (plural vi·nos) noun

wine:
wine, especially cheap wine (informal)
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, “wine.”][1]



vinordinaire

vinordinaire
vin
or·di·naire 
[vàN áwrdee náir] (plural vins
or·di·naires [vàNz áwrdee náir]) noun

table
wine:
cheap table wine, especially from France
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “ordinary wine.”][1]



vinosity

vinosity
vi·nos·i·ty 
[vī nóssətee] noun

character of wine:
the distinctive and essential character of wine, including qualities such as
body, color, and taste[1]



vinous

vinous
vi·nous 
[vnəss] adjective

1.  of
wine:
relating to, typical of, or containing wine

2.  wine-drinking:
tending to drink a lot of wine, or caused by wine-drinking

3.  wine-colored:
of the color of red wine
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin vinum “wine.”]
—vi·nous·ly,
adverb

—vi·nous·ness, noun[1]



Vinson,Frederick M.

Vinson,Frederick M.
Vin·son
[vínssən], Frederick M. (1890–1953)

U.S.
jurist. He served as chief justice of the U.S. supreme court (1946–1953).
Full name
Vinson, Frederick Moore[1]



VinsonMassif

VinsonMassif
Vin·son
Mas·sif 
[vìnssən máss eef]

the highest mountain in
Antarctica, in the central Ellsworth Mountains. Height: 5,140 m/16,864 ft.[1]



vintage

vintage
vin·tage 
[víntij] noun (plural vin·tag·es)

1.  wine
production year: the year in which the grapes used in
making a particular wine were harvested

2.  wine
from a particular year: wine made from a particular
harvest of grapes

3.  grape
harvesting:
the harvesting of grapes for wine

4.  wine:
a wine, especially an excellent one

5.  period:
the period of time when something appeared or began, or when somebody was born
or flourished • Depression-vintage
furniture

6.  group
sharing characteristics: a group of people or things
that are similar or belong to the same period of time (informal)
adjective

1.  good
for wine:
produced from or characterized by a good harvest of grapes for wine-making, so
that the wine does not have to be improved by blending with wine from another
harvest

2.  of
the best:
representing what is best or most typical of somebody or something

3.  classic:
recognized as being of high quality and lasting appeal

4.  out
of date:
no longer fashionable or modern
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by viniter “vintner”) of vendage, from Old French vendange,
from Latin vindemia “grape-gathering,” from vinum “wine” + demere
“to take away.”][1]



vintagecar

vintagecar
vin·tage
car
noun

old car:
an old car, especially one built between 1919 and 1930[1]



vintager

vintager
vin·tag·er 
[víntijər] (plural vin·tag·ers)
noun

wine producer:
somebody who takes part in harvesting grapes and making wine[1]



vintageyear

vintageyear
vin·tage
year
(plural vin·tage years) noun

1.  year
of good wine: a year in which the wine that is made is
of excellent quality

2.  outstanding
year:
a year of extraordinary accomplishment or success

[1]



vintner

vintner
vint·ner 
[víntnər] (plural vint·ners) noun

1.  wine
merchant:
somebody who sells wine

2.  winemaker:
somebody who makes wine
[15th century. Via Old French
vinetier from medieval Latin vinetarius, from Latin vinetum
“vineyard,” from vinum “wine.”][1]



vinyl

vinyl
vi·nyl 
[vn’l] noun (plural vi·nyls)

1.  chemical
group:
a univalent unsaturated chemical group or radical that is formed when one
hydrogen atom is removed from ethylene. CH2CH (often used before a
noun)

2.  compound
used in plastics: a reactive compound that contains the
vinyl radical, usually in polymerized form, used in making plastics (often
used before a noun)

3.  plastic
material:
a plastic material, made from a vinyl polymer

4.  plastic
records:
phonograph records made of a vinyl polymer, as opposed to compact disks
adjective

made of vinyl:
made of or containing a vinyl polymer
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from vin- + -yl .]
—vi·nyl·ic [vī níllik], adjective[1]



vinylchloride

vinylchloride
vi·nyl
chlo·ride
noun

dangerous gas:
a colorless, carcinogenic, explosive, flammable gas used in organic synthesis,
particularly in making polyvinyl chloride, and in adhesives. CH2:CHCl[1]



vinylidene

vinylidene
vi·nyl·i·dene
[vī níllee dn] noun

chemical group:
a bivalent chemical group or radical, made when two hydrogen atoms are removed
from one carbon atom of ethylene. CH2:C[1]



vinylpolymer

vinylpolymer
vi·nyl
pol·y·mer
(plural vi·nyl pol·y·mers) or vi·nyl res·in (plural
vi·nyl res·ins) noun

thermoplastic material:
any odorless and tasteless thermoplastic material made by polymerizing
compounds containing vinyl groups. PVC is a typical example.[1]



viol

viol


vi·ol 
[v əl] (plural vi·ols) noun

1.  stringed
instrument:
a stringed instrument popular during the 16th and 17th centuries with a fretted
fingerboard, a flat-backed body, and six strings, played with a curved bow. It
is a member of a family of stringed instruments that preceded the violin
family.

2.  See
viola da gamba
[15th century. Via Old French
viole from Old Provençal viola, of uncertain origin: perhaps from
medieval Latin vitula (see viola 1 ).][1]



viola

viola2

vi·o·la2 [vī
ṓlə, vee ṓlə, v ələ] (plural vi·o·las) noun
flowering
plant:
a plant related to the violets and pansies, especially one with small white,
yellow, or purple flowers. Genus: Viola
[15th century. From Latin,
“violet” (source of English violet
).][1]



viola

viola1

vi·o·la1 [vee
ṓlə] (plural vi·o·las) noun

1.  stringed
instrument:
a stringed instrument slightly larger than a violin held under the chin and
played with a long slender bow. It is tuned an octave above the cello and is
the alto of the violin family.

2.  See
viola da gamba
[Late 18th century. Via
Italian from Old Provençal viola, from medieval Latin vitula
“stringed instrument” (source of English fiddle
).][1]



violable

violable
vi·o·la·ble 
[v ələb’l] adjective

able
to be violated: capable of being disregarded or treated
with disrespect
—vi·o·la·bil·i·ty
[v ələ bíllətee], noun

—vi·o·la·ble·ness,
noun

—vi·o·la·bly [v ələblee], adverb[1]



violaceous

violaceous
vi·o·la·ceous 
[v ə láyshəss] adjective

of
violets and pansies: relating to, belonging to,
or typical of the family of plants that includes violets and pansies
[Mid-17th century. Formed
from Latin violaceus “violet-colored,” from viola “violet.”][1]



violada braccio

violada braccio
vi·o·la
da brac·cio 
[vee lə də brchō] (plural vi·o·las
da brac·cio) noun

old
stringed instrument: an old stringed instrument
of the viol family, held against the shoulder when played
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, literally “viol for (the) arm.”][1]



violada gamba

violada gamba
vi·o·la
da gam·ba 
[vee lə də gmbə, vee
lə də gámbə] (plural vi·o·las da gam·ba) noun

old
stringed instrument: an old stringed bass
instrument of the viol family, with a range similar to a cello.
Also
called
bass viol
Also
called
gamba
Also
called
viol
Also
called
viola
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, literally “viol for (the) leg.”][1]



violad’amore

violad’amore
vi·o·la
d’a·mo·re 
[vee lə daa máw rày] (plural vi·o·las
d’a·mo·re) noun

old
fretless stringed instrument: a fretless stringed
instrument of the viol family with six or seven strings and a second set of
strings that are not played but are made to vibrate by the first set (
sympathetic strings )
[Late 17th century. From
Italian, literally “viol of love.”][1]



violate

violate
vi·o·late 
[v ə làyt] (past vi·o·lat·ed,
past participle vi·o·lat·ed, present participle vi·o·lat·ing,
3rd person present singular vi·o·lates) transitive verb

1.  disregard
something:
to act contrary to something such as a law, contract, or agreement, especially
in a way that produces significant effects

2.  rape
somebody:
to rape or sexually assault somebody

3.  disturb
something:
to disturb or interrupt something in a rude or violent way

4.  defile
something:
to treat something sacred with a lack of respect
[15th
century. From Latin violatus, perfect participle of violare “to
treat with violence, injure,” of uncertain origin.]
—vi·o·la·tive,
adjective

—vi·o·la·tor, noun[1]



violation

violation
vi·o·la·tion 
[v ə láysh’n] (plural vi·o·la·tions)
noun

1.  act
of violating: the act or an example of violating
somebody or something

2.  crime
or infringement of rule: a crime or infringement of a
law or rules, especially one less serious than a misdemeanor or a foul in
sports

[1]



violence

violence
vi·o·lence 
[v ələns] noun

1.  physical
force:
the use of physical force to injure somebody or damage something • threats
of violence

2.  illegal
force:
the illegal use of unjustified force, or the effect created by the threat of
this • robbery
with violence

3.  destructive
force:
extreme, destructive, or uncontrollable force, especially of natural events • the
violence of the storm

4.  fervor:
intensity of feeling or expression • the
violence of her response to our suggestion
do
violence to something

to violate, harm, or damage
something[1]



violent

violent
vi·o·lent 
[v ələnt] adjective

1.  using
physical force: using physical force to hurt somebody or
damage something • violent crime

2.  emotionally
intense:
showing emotional intensity or strong feeling • his
violent objections to the plan

3.  showing
destructive force: showing extreme,
destructive, or uncontrollable force • a
violent thunderstorm

4.  intense:
very intense or strong • a
violent headache

5.  caused
by force:
caused by force rather than natural causes • met
a violent death

6.  distorting:
distorting or misinterpreting the meaning of something • a
violent interpretation of the poem
[14th
century. From Latin violentus “forcible, vehement,” of uncertain
origin.]
—vi·o·lent·ly, adverb[1]



violentstorm

violentstorm
vi·o·lent
storm
noun

storm causing widespread
damage: a storm that causes
widespread damage with winds of force 11 on the Beaufort scale, reaching speeds
of 103–117 kph64–72 mph[1]



violet

violet

vi·o·let 
[v ələt] noun (plural vi·o·lets)

1.  flowering
plant:
a low-growing, perennial plant with irregular flowers that are usually but not
always a purplish blue. Genus: Viola

2.  plant
resembling a violet: any of several plants such
as the African violet that are like the violet but are not necessarily related
to it

3.  purplish-blue
color:
a deep purplish-blue color like that of a violet flower
adjective

purplish-blue:
of a deep purplish-blue color like a violet flower
[14th century. From Old
French violete, a diminutive of viole, from Latin viola
“violet.”][1]



violin

violin


vi·o·lin 
[v ə lín] (plural vi·o·lins) noun

1.  stringed
instrument played with bow: a wooden musical instrument
with four strings and an unfretted fingerboard, held under the player’s chin
and played with a bow. The violin has the highest range in the family of
stringed instruments to which it gives its name.

2.  violinist:
a musician who plays a violin, especially in an orchestra
[Late 16th century. From
Italian violino, a diminutive of viola (see viola 1 ).][1]



violinist

violinist
vi·o·lin·ist 
[v ə línnist] (plural vi·o·lin·ists)
noun

player of violin:
somebody who plays the violin[1]



violinsonata

violinsonata
vi·o·lin
so·na·ta
noun

sonata for violin and piano:
a sonata for solo violin, usually with piano accompaniment[1]



violist

violist2
vi·o·list2  [v
əlist] (plural vi·o·lists) noun

player of viol:
somebody who plays the viol[1]



violoncello

violoncello
vi·o·lon·cel·lo 
[v ələn chéllō, v
ələn chéllō] (plural vi·o·lon·cel·los) noun

cello:
a cello (formal)
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, a diminutive of violone (see violone
).][1]



violone

violone
vi·o·lo·ne 
[v ə lṓ này] (plural vi·o·lo·nes)
noun

double-bass
viol:
the double-bass viol, larger and with a deeper range than the viola da gamba
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “large viola,” from viola (see viola 1 ).][1]



viosterol

viosterol
vi·os·ter·ol 
[vī óstə ràwl] noun

See
vitamin D 2
[Early 20th century. Formed
from ultraviolet + ergosterol
.][1]



VIP

VIP
VIP


Abbreviation of
very important person[1]



vipassana

vipassana
vi·pas·sa·na
or Vi·pas·sa·na noun

Buddhist meditation:
Theravada Buddhist meditation that aims at concentrating the mind on the body.
Also called
insight meditation[1]



viper

viper

vi·per 
[vpər] (plural vi·pers) noun

1.  poisonous
snake:
a snake with hollow fangs that it uses to inject venom into its victim when it
bites. Vipers are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Family: Viperidae

2.  See
adder 2 noun

3.  poisonous
snake not of viper family: a poisonous snake such as
the horned viper belonging to a family other than the vipers proper

4.  pit
viper:
a pit viper

5.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is considered to be malicious,
treacherous, or ungrateful (offensive)
[Early 16th century. Via Old
French vipere from Latin vipera “snake,” a contraction of assumed
vivipera “live-bearing” (from the ancient belief that snakes bore live
young), from vivus “alive.”][1]



viperine

viperine
vi·per·ine 
adjective

See
viperous[1]



viperish

viperish
vi·per·ish 
[vpərish] adjective

1.  malicious:
malicious or spiteful

2.  See
viperous
—vi·per·ish·ly, adverb[1]



viperous

viperous
vi·per·ous 
[vpərəss] or vi·per·ine [vpə rn, vpərin]
adjective

like
a viper:
typical of or like a viper
—vi·per·ous·ly, adverb[1]



viper’sbugloss

viper’sbugloss
vi·per’s
bu·gloss 
noun

flowering weed:
a weed that is native to Europe and Asia and is naturalized in other areas. It
has spikes of blue tubular flowers and rough foliage. Latin name: Echium
vulgare
Also called
blueweed[1]



Vir

Vir
Vir

1.  Abbreviation
of
Virgil

2.  Abbreviation
of
Virgo

[1]



vir-

vir-
vir-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
viro-[1]



virago

virago
vi·ra·go 
[vi rg] (plural vi·ra·goes or
vi·ra·gos) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman’s temperament or behavior (insult
offensive)

2.  courageous
woman:
a woman who is strong and brave (archaic)
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin, from vir “man, husband” (source of English virile ).]
—vi·rag·i·nous [vi rájjənəss], adjective[1]



viral

viral
vi·ral 
[vrəl] adjective

caused
by virus:
relating to, typical of, or caused by a virus
—vi·ral·ly, adverb[1]



viralpneumonia

viralpneumonia
vi·ral
pneu·mo·nia
noun

pneumonia caused by virus:
an infection of the lungs caused by a virus[1]



Virchow,Rudolf

Virchow,Rudolf
Vir·chow
[frkō], Rudolf (1821–1902)

German
pathologist and anthropologist. His textbook on cellular pathology (1850) was
the foundation text of the field. He also published significant works in
anthropology and archaeology.
Full name
Virchow, Rudolf Carl[1]



virelay

virelay
vir·e·lay 
[vrə lày] (plural vire·lays) noun

French
verse form:
an old French verse form consisting of short lines arranged in stanzas with two
rhymes. The end rhyme is repeated as the first line of the next stanza.
[14th century. From French virelai,
an alteration (influenced by lai “lay, song”) of obsolete vireli,
of uncertain origin: perhaps a nonsense word used in the refrain of a song.][1]



viremia

viremia
vi·re·mi·a 
[vī rmee ə] noun

presence
of viruses in blood: the presence of viruses in
the bloodstream
[Mid-20th
century. From modern Latin, from virus +
-emia .]
—vi·re·mic, adjective[1]



vireo

vireo
vir·e·o 
[vree ] (plural vir·e·os) noun

bird
that eats insects: a small insect-eating
songbird that lives in the Americas and has grayish or greenish plumage. Genus:
Vireo
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from Latin, a bird (probably the greenfinch), from virere
“to be green.”][1]



vires

vires
vi·res

Plural of
vis[1]



virescence

virescence
vi·res·cence 
[vi réss’ns, vī
réss’ns] noun

greenness:
the state of being green or the process of becoming green, especially the
abnormal development of green coloration in plant parts that are not normally
green, as a result of disease[1]



virescent

virescent
vi·res·cent 
[vi réss’nt, vī
réss’nt] adjective

1.  greenish:
having or developing a green or greenish color

2.  abnormally
green:
used to describe plant parts that are not normally green but are turned green
by disease
[Early 19th century. From
Latin virescent-, present participle stem of virescere “to become
green.”][1]



virga

virga
vir·ga 
[vúrgə] (plural vir·ga) noun

wispy
precipitation: vertical trails of rain, snow, or ice
from the underside of a cloud that evaporate before reaching the ground
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, literally “rod, staff, twig.”][1]



virgate

virgate
vir·gate
[vúrgət, vúr
gàyt] adjective

long
and thin:
long and thin like a rod
[Early 19th century. From
Latin virgatus, from virga “rod, staff.”][1]



Virgil

Virgil

Vir·gil
[vúrjəl] or Ver·gil [vúrjəl] (70 BC–19
BC)
Roman
poet. Regarded as the finest Latin poet of his age, he wrote pastoral verse
before composing his great mythological epic Aeneid, which tells the
story of the seven-year wanderings of Aeneas after the fall of Troy.
Full
name
Publius Vergilius Maro
—Vir·gil·i·an [vur jíllee ən], adjective[1]



Virgin

Virgin
Vir·gin
[vúrjən] noun

1.  CHRISTIANITY See Virgin Mary

2.  ZODIAC See Virgo

[1]



virgin

virgin
vir·gin 
[vúrjin] noun (plural vir·gins)

1.  somebody
who has not had sex: somebody, especially a
woman, who has never had sexual intercourse

2.  RELIGION religious
woman committed to chastity: a woman who has taken a vow
of chastity for religious reasons

3.  ZOOLOGY female
animal:
a female animal that has never copulated

4.  INSECTS female
insect:
a female insect that produces fertile eggs without the help of a male
adjective

1.  of
a virgin:
relating to, typical of, or being a virgin

2.  pure:
in a pure, natural, or clean state

3.  ENVIRONMENT not
touched by humans: never having been explored
or exploited by humans

4.  first:
first or happening for the first time

5.  FOOD from
first pressing: used to describe vegetable oils that
come from the first pressing of fruit, leaves, or seeds without the use of heat

6.  METALLURGY produced
directly from ore: used to describe metals
produced directly from an ore, not from scrap metal

7.  MINERALS unalloyed:
found in a pure, unmixed state

8.  PHYSICS never
having collided: used to describe a neutron that has
never been in a collision and therefore retains the energy with which it
started
[12th century. Via Old French
virgine from Latin virgin-, the stem of virgo “maiden.”][1]



virginal

virginal2
vir·gin·al2 [vúrjin’l]
(plural vir·gin·als) noun

old
keyboard instrument: a smaller, often legless,
oblong version of the harpsichord, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries
[Early
16th century. Directly or via French from Latin virginalis (see virgin ), perhaps because the instrument was
played by young girls.]
—vir·gin·al·ist, noun[1]



virginal

virginal1
vir·gin·al1 [vúrjin’l]
adjective

1.  chaste:
relating to, typical of, or appropriate for somebody, especially a woman, who
has never had sexual intercourse

2.  living
chastely:
living in a state of virginity

3.  pure:
not corrupted or spoiled in any way

[1]



VirginBirth

VirginBirth
Vir·gin
Birth
noun

Christian doctrine of Jesus
Christ’s birth: the Christian doctrine
that Jesus Christ was born as the son of God rather than of a human father and
that his mother was a virgin[1]



Virginia




Back to definition

Virginia2

[1]



Virginia

Virginia2


Vir·gin·ia2  [vər
jínnyə]
state
of the eastern United States, bordered by Maryland, the Atlantic Ocean, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Capital: Richmond.
Population: 6,733,996 (1997) Area: 109,624 sq km/42,326 sq mi. Official name
Commonwealth of Virginia
—Vir·gin·ian [vər jínnyən], noun, adjective[1]



Virginia

Virginia1
Vir·gin·ia1  [vər
jínnyə] or vir·gin·ia [vər
jínnyə] noun

tobacco:
a type of tobacco originally grown in the state of Virginia[1]



VirginiaBeach

VirginiaBeach
Vir·gin·ia
Beach 
[vər jìnnyə bch]

the largest city in Virginia,
situated in the southeastern part of the state, on the Atlantic Ocean and
Chesapeake Bay, near the border with North Carolina. Population: 430,295 (1994)[1]



Virginiacowslip

Virginiacowslip
Vir·gin·ia
cow·slip
(plural Vir·gin·ia cow·slips) or Vir·gin·ia blue·bell
(plural Vir·gin·ia blue·bells) noun

N American flowering plant:
a plant that grows in eastern North America and has clusters of blue flowers.
Latin name: Mertensia virginica[1]



Virginiacreeper

Virginiacreeper

Vir·gin·ia creep·er
noun
N American woody vine:
a climbing plant with leaves made up of five leaflets and bluish-black berries.
Latin name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Also called
woodbine[1]



Virginiadeer

Virginiadeer
Vir·gin·ia
deer
noun

See
white-tailed deer[1]



Virginiafence

Virginiafence
Vir·gin·ia
fence
(plural Vir·gin·ia fenc·es) noun

See
worm fence[1]



Virginiaham

Virginiaham
Vir·gin·ia
ham
(plural Vir·gin·ia hams) noun

smoked ham:
a kind of lean, hickory-smoked ham with dark reddish meat[1]



Virginiarail

Virginiarail
Vir·gin·ia
rail
(plural Vir·gin·ia rails) noun

N American rail:
a small North American bird of the rail family with a long, slender bill. Latin
name: Rallus limicola[1]



Virginiareel

Virginiareel
Vir·gin·ia
reel
noun

country dance:
a U.S. country dance in which a caller instructs couples facing each other in
long lines to perform various steps.
Also called
reel[1]



VirginIslands, British

VirginIslands, British
Vir·gin
Is·lands, British [vùrjin ləndz]

dependent territory of the
United Kingdom consisting of 36 islands in the West Indies, east of Puerto
Rico. Capital: Road Town. Population: 13,195 (1996) Area: 153 sq km/59 sq mi.[1]



VirginIslands National Park

VirginIslands National Park
Vir·gin
Is·lands Na·tion·al Park [vùrjin
ləndz nàsh’nəl prk]

national park on the islands
of St. John and Hassel, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was established in 1956.
Area: 59.5 sq km/23 sq mi.[1]



VirginIslands of the United States

VirginIslands of the United States

Vir·gin Is·lands of the U·ni·ted States
unincorporated external territory of the
United States in the eastern Caribbean Sea, consisting of three main islands
and over 60 smaller islands and islets. Capital: Charlotte Amalie. Population:
97,120 (1996) Area: 349 sq km/135 sq mi.[1]



virginity

virginity
vir·gin·i·ty 
[vər jínnətee] noun

1.  virgin
state:
the state of being a virgin

2.  unspoiled
state:
the state of being untouched, unexplored, or unspoiled

[1]



virginium

virginium
vir·gin·i·um 
[vər jínnee əm] noun

old
name for francium: an old name for the element
francium (archaic)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Virginia 2 + -ium .][1]



VirginMary

VirginMary
Vir·gin
Mar·y
noun

mother of Jesus Christ:
in Christian tradition, the mother of Jesus Christ.
Also called
Virgin[1]



VirginQueen

VirginQueen
Vir·gin
Queen
noun

Elizabeth I:
a name used for Elizabeth I, Queen of England[1]



virginsoil

virginsoil
vir·gin
soil
noun

uncultivated soil:
soil that has not yet been used for cultivation[1]



virginwool

virginwool
vir·gin
wool
noun

unused wool:
wool that has not already been used to make something[1]



virgin’sbower

virgin’sbower
vir·gin’s
bow·er 
noun

N American clematis:
a clematis of eastern North America that has clusters of small white flowers.
Latin name: Clematis virginiana[1]



Virgo

Virgo

Vir·go 
[vúrgō] (plural Vir·gos) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY large
constellation: a constellation located on the celestial
equator between Leo and Libra that contains the binary star Spica. The Virgo
cluster, which lies near the North Galactic Pole about 16 billion light-years
from the Earth, contains about 3,000 galaxies.
Also
called
Virgin

2.  ZODIAC astrological
sign:
the sixth sign of the zodiac, represented by a virgin and lasting from
approximately August 23 to September 22. Virgo is classified as an earth sign
and its ruling planet is Mercury.
Also
called
Virgin

3.  Vir·go
or Vir·go·an somebody born under Virgo:
somebody whose birthday falls between August 23 and September 22

4.  (plural
Vir·gos) person born under Virgo:
a person born under the sign of Virgo.
Also
called
Virgoan
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin (see virgin ).]
—Vir·go, adjective[1]



virgointacta

virgointacta
vir·go
in·tac·ta
[vùrgō in táktə] noun

virgin
girl or woman: a girl or woman whose hymen remains
unbroken
[From Latin, literally
“intact virgin”][1]



virgulate

virgulate
vir·gu·late 
[vúrgyələt, vúrgyə
làyt] adjective

rod-shaped:
shaped like a rod
[Mid-19th century. From Latin
virgula, a diminutive of virga “rod, staff, twig.”][1]



virgule

virgule
vir·gule 
[vúr gyl] (plural vir·gules) noun

diagonal
symbol:
a diagonal mark used to separate alternatives, as in “and/or,” to stand for the
word per, as in “miles/hours,” and to show the line breaks in verse printed
continuously. For example, “The expense of spirit in a waste of shame/Is lust
in action.”
Also
called
solidus
U.K.
term
solidus  noun 1
[Mid-19th century. Via
French, “comma, little rod,” from Latin virgula, a diminutive of virga
“rod, staff.”][1]



viricide

viricide
vi·ri·cide 
[vrə sd] (plural vi·ri·cides)
or vi·ru·cide [vrə sd] (plural
vi·ru·cides) noun

drug
that kills virus: a drug or other agent that neutralizes
or destroys a virus or viruses
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from virus .]
—vi·ri·cid·al [vrə sd’l], adjective[1]



virid

virid
vir·id 
[vrid] adjective

bright
green:
bright green, or covered with green vegetation (literary)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin viridis “green,” a derivative of virere “to be green.”][1]



viridescent

viridescent
vir·i·des·cent 
[vri déss’nt] adjective

greenish:
developing or having a green or greenish color
[Mid-19th
century. From late Latin viridescent-, present participle stem of viridescere
“to become green,” from viridis (see virid
).]
—vir·i·des·cence, noun[1]



viridian

viridian
vi·rid·i·an 
[və ríddee ən] noun

1.  green
pigment:
a green pigment made of a form of chromic oxide

2.  bluish-green
color:
a bluish-green color
—vi·rid·i·an, adjective[1]



viridity

viridity
vi·rid·i·ty 
[və ríddətee] noun (literary)

1.  greenness:
the state of being green

2.  innocence:
the state of being inexperienced

[1]



virile

virile
vir·ile 
[vrəl, ví rl]
adjective

1.  masculine:
relating to or having the characteristics of an adult male

2.  potent:
able to carry out the male sexual function

3.  strong:
showing strength and forcefulness
[15th century. From Latin virilis,
from vir “man, husband” (source of English virtue
).][1]



virilism

virilism
vir·il·ism 
[vrə lìzzəm] noun

development of male physical
characteristics: the development of male
secondary sex characteristics culturally considered to be unusual in a woman,
for example, body hair or a deep voice[1]



virility

virility
vi·ril·i·ty 
[vi ríllətee] noun

masculinity:
the state of being male, having male characteristics, or male sexual potency[1]



virilocal

virilocal
vir·i·lo·cal
[vri lṓk’l] adjective

living
with husband’s family: used to describe a form of
marriage or the custom where, after the wedding, the bride moves to her new
husband’s family home
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Latin virilis “of a man” (see virile
) + local .][1]



virion

virion
vi·ri·on 
[vree òn, vree
òn] (plural vi·ri·ons) noun

infectious
virus:
the form taken by a virus when it is outside living cells and capable of
causing infection. It consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein
coat, sometimes covered by an outer envelope.
[Mid-20th century. From
French, formed from virien “viral” + -on
.][1]



viro-

viro-
viro-
prefix

virus,
viral • virology
[From virus][1]



viroid

viroid
vi·roid 
[v ròyd] (plural vi·roids) noun

infectious
agent:
an infectious RNA particle that is like a virus but smaller. It causes diseases
in plants.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from virus + -oid
.][1]



virology

virology
vi·rol·o·gy 
[vī rólləjee] noun

study
of viruses:
the scientific study of viruses and the diseases caused by them
[Mid-20th
century. Formed from virus .]
—vi·ro·log·ic
[vrə lójjik], adjective

—vi·ro·log·i·cal
[vrə lójjik’l], adjective

—vi·ro·log·i·cal·ly
[vrə lójjikəlee], adverb

—vi·rol·o·gist [vī rólləjist], noun[1]



virtu

virtu
vir·tu 
[vər t] or ver·tu [vər t] noun

love
of fine objects: a love of or taste for fine art objects
or curios
[Early 18th century. From
Italian, literally “virtue.”][1]



virtual

virtual
vir·tu·al 
[vúrchoo əl] adjective

1.  being
something in practice: being something in effect
even if not in reality or not conforming to the generally accepted definition
of the term

2.  PHYSICS hypothetical:
used to describe a particle whose existence is suggested to explain observed
phenomena but is not proven or directly observable

3.  COMPUTING generated
by computer: simulated by a computer for reasons of
economics, convenience, or performance

4.  COMPUTING relating
to data storage management technique: used
to describe a technique of moving data between storage areas or media to create
the impression that a computer has a storage capacity greater than it actually
has
[14th century. From medieval
Latin virtualis, from Latin virtus (see virtue
). The meaning of “so in effect” developed from “having power.”][1]



virtualassistant

virtualassistant
vir·tu·al
as·sis·tant
(plural vir·tu·al as·sis·tants) noun

long-distance assistant:
somebody who uses computer and phone connections to work from a distance as a
personal assistant to somebody else, instead of working in the same office or
building “There are many reasons why home-based business owners are hiring
virtual assistants.” Washington Post December 1998[1]



virtualcommunity

virtualcommunity
vir·tu·al
com·mu·ni·ty noun

people sharing cyberspace
connection: a group of people
communicating with each other via the Internet “…an interactive virtual
community where local residents can do anything from look for local work to
book seats at the local cinema.” BBC Web site April 1999[1]



virtualfocus

virtualfocus
vir·tu·al
fo·cus
noun

apparent origin of divergent
light rays: the point from which
divergent reflected or refracted light rays seem to originate[1]



virtualimage

virtualimage
vir·tu·al
im·age
noun

image from which light rays
diverge: an image from which
reflected or refracted light rays appear to diverge. It cannot be projected
onto a screen or photographic emulsion.[1]



virtuality

virtuality
vir·tu·al·i·ty
[vùrchoo állətee] noun

potential to exist:
the inherent ability or potential to come into existence[1]



virtually

virtually
vir·tu·al·ly 
[vúrchoo əlee] adverb

1.  practically:
in effect even if not in fact

2.  nearly:
almost but not quite

[1]



virtualmachine

virtualmachine
vir·tu·al
ma·chine
noun

program for sharing computer
resources: a program running on a
computer that creates a self-contained operating environment and presents the
appearance to the user of a different computer. A virtual machine simulates at
a minimum the instruction set of the computer it emulates.[1]



virtualmemory

virtualmemory
vir·tu·al
mem·o·ry 
or vir·tu·al stor·age noun

illusion of increased
computer memory capacity: a technique
for creating the illusion that a computer has more memory than it really has by
swapping blocks or pages of data between memory and external storage[1]



virtualreality

virtualreality
vir·tu·al
re·al·i·ty 
noun

1.  computer
simulation:
a technique by which a computer simulates a three-dimensional physical
environment using visual and auditory stimuli with and within which people can
interact to affect what happens in the simulation

2.  simulated
reality:
a computer-generated environment that simulates three-dimensional reality

[1]



VirtualReality Modeling Language

VirtualReality Modeling Language
Vir·tual
Re·al·i·ty Mod·el·ing Lan·guage noun

Full form of
VRML[1]



virtue

virtue
vir·tue 
[vúrchoo] noun (plural vir·tues)

1.  goodness:
the quality of being morally good or righteous • a
paragon of virtue

2.  good
quality:
a particular quality that is morally good • Patience
is a virtue.

3.  admirable
quality:
a particular quality that is good or admirable, but not necessarily in terms of
morality

4.  cardinal
or theological morality: any of the cardinal virtues,
such as justice or moderation, or of the theological virtues, such as hope or
charity

5.  chastity:
the moral quality of being chaste, especially in a woman

6.  worth:
the worth, advantage, or beneficial quality of something • knew
the virtue of thrift

7.  effective
force:
the power or efficacy that something contains to do something (archaic)
plural
noun
vir·tues

CHRISTIANITY order
of angels:
the fifth of the nine traditional orders in the hierarchy of angels
[12th
century. Via Old French vertu from the Latin stem virtut-
“manliness, excellence, worth,” from vir “man, husband.”]
—vir·tue·less,
adjective
by
virtue of

because
of, through the power of, or by the authority of something

make
a virtue of necessity

to do something with good
grace, when you are obligated to do it anyway[1]



virtuosa

virtuosa
vir·tu·o·sa 
[vùrchoo ṓssə, vùrchoo
ṓzə] (plural vir·tu·o·sas) noun

exceptional
woman performer: a woman musician who shows exceptional
ability, technique, or artistry
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, feminine of virtuoso (see virtuoso
).][1]



virtuosi

virtuosi
vir·tu·o·si


Plural of
virtuoso[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








virtuosity

virtuosity
vir·tu·os·i·ty 
[vùrchoo óssətee] noun

1.  outstanding
skill:
great skill or technique shown by somebody who excels at doing something,
especially performing music

2.  enjoyment
of art objects: interest in, or knowledge and
appreciation of, fine art objects

[1]



virtuoso

virtuoso
vir·tu·o·so 
[vùrchoo ṓssō] (plural vir·tu·o·sos
[vùrchoo ṓssee] or vir·tu·o·si)
noun

1.  exceptional
performer:
a musician who shows exceptional ability, technique, or artistry

2.  talented
person:
somebody who shows exceptional technique or ability in something

3.  connoisseur:
somebody who cultivates an interest in, or knowledge and appreciation of, fine
art objects
[Early
17th century. From Italian, literally “skillful, versed,” from late Latin virtuosus
“good,” from Latin virtus (see virtue
).]
—vir·tu·o·sic
[vùrchoo óssik], adjective

—vir·tu·o·si·cal·ly [vùrchoo óssikəlee], adverb[1]



virtuous

virtuous
vir·tu·ous 
[vúrchoo əss] adjective

1.  with
moral integrity: having or showing moral goodness or
righteousness

2.  chaste:
not having sexual intercourse with anyone except a partner in marriage,
especially a husband
—vir·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—vir·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



virucide

virucide
vi·ru·cide 
noun

See
viricide[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








virulence

virulence
vir·u·lence
[vryələnss, vrələnss]
or vir·u·len·cy [vryələnsee, vrələnsee] noun

1.  poisonousness:
the quality of being extremely poisonous, infectious, or damaging, or the
extent to which a disease or toxin possesses this quality

2.  bitterness:
the quality of being bitter, malicious, or hostile
[Early 17th century][1]



virulent

virulent
vir·u·lent 
[vryələnt, vrələnt]
adjective

1.  very
poisonous:
extremely poisonous, infectious, or damaging to organisms

2.  malicious:
showing great bitterness, malice, or hostility • virulent
criticism

3.  irritating:
extremely obnoxious or harsh
[14th
century. From Latin virulentus “poisonous,” from virus “poison,
venom” (source of English virus ).]
—vir·u·lent·ly, adverb[1]



viruliferous

viruliferous
vir·u·lif·er·ous 
[vryə líffərəss, vrə
líffərəss] adjective

bearing
a virus:
used to describe an organism that contains or carries a virus
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from virulent + -iferous .][1]



virus

virus
vi·rus 
[vrəss] (plural vi·rus·es) noun

1.  BIOCHEMISTRY submicroscopic
entity:
a minute particle that lives as a parasite in plants, animals, and bacteria and
consists of a nucleic acid core within a protein sheath. Viruses can only
replicate within living cells and are not considered to be independent living
organisms.

2.  MED viral
disease:
a disease caused by a virus

3.  COMPUTING contagious
computer program: a computer program that is part of
another and inserts copies of itself. A virus travels with the program that
contains it and may damage the integrity of stored data.
Also
called
computer virus
See
also
Trojan horse
See
also
worm

4.  something
that corrupts: anything that has a corrupting or
poisonous effect, especially on people’s minds
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, literally “poison, venom, medicinal liquid.”][1]



vis

vis1
vis1  [viss]
(plural vi·res [v rz]) noun

power:
force or power (literary)
[Early 17th century. From
Latin .][1]



vis

vis2
vis2 

1.  Abbreviation
of
viscosity

2.  vis
or VIS Abbreviation of visibility

3.  Abbreviation
of
visible

4.  Abbreviation
of
visual

[1]



Vis.

Vis.
Vis.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Viscount

2.  Abbreviation
of
Viscountess

[1]



visa

visa
vi·sa 
[vzə] noun (plural vi·sas)

1.  passport
insertion:
an official endorsement in a passport authorizing the bearer to enter or leave,
and travel in or through, a particular country or region

2.  authorization:
any mark of official authorization
transitive
verb
(past vi·saed, past participle vi·saed, present
participle vi·sa·ing, 3rd person present singular vi·sas)

1.  supply
document with visa: to insert a visa in a
passport or other document

2.  give
somebody a visa: to provide somebody with a visa
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Latin visa, “things seen,” the perfect participle of videre
“to see.”][1]



visage

visage
vis·age 
[vízzij] (plural vis·ag·es) noun

1.  face:
somebody’s face or facial expression (literary)

2.  appearance:
the appearance or look of something
[13th century. From Old
French, from vis “face, appearance,” from Latin visus, perfect
participle of videre “to see.”][1]



Visby

Visby
Vis·by 
[vízbee]

port on the western coast of
the island of Gotland, Sweden. It was an important member of the Hanseatic
League in the Middle Ages. Population: 57,110 (1990)[1]



visc-

visc-
visc-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
visco-[1]



visc

visc
visc

Abbreviation of
viscosity[1]



Visc.

Visc.
Visc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Viscount

2.  Abbreviation
of
Viscountess

[1]



viscacha

viscacha
vis·ca·cha 
[vi skchə] (plural vis·ca·chas)
or viz·ca·cha [vi skchə] (plural
viz·ca·chas) noun

S
American rodent: a burrowing, gregarious South American
rodent with black and white markings on its face, related to and resembling the
chinchilla. Latin name: Lagostomus maximus
[Early 17th century. Via
Spanish from Quechua (h)uiscacha .][1]



viscera

viscera
vis·cer·a 
[víssərə] plural noun

internal
organs:
the internal organs of the body, especially those of the abdomen such as the
intestines
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “internal organs, entrails,” of uncertain origin: perhaps originally “coil.”][1]



visceral

visceral
vis·cer·al 
[víssərəl] adjective

1.  instinctual:
proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking

2.  emotional:
characterized by or showing basic emotions

3.  ANATOMY of
internal organs: relating to or affecting one or more
internal organs of the body
[Late
18th century]
—vis·cer·al·ly, adverb[1]



visceromotor

visceromotor
vis·cer·o·mo·tor 
[vìssərō mṓtər] adjective

relating to bowel movements:
relating to the nervous control of gut movements, especially to disorders of
bowel movement[1]



viscid

viscid
vis·cid 
[víssid] adjective

1.  thick
and sticky:
thick and sticky in consistency

2.  BOTANY covered
with sticky substance: used to describe a leaf or
other plant part that is covered with a sticky substance
[Mid-17th
century. From late Latin viscidus, from Latin viscum (see viscous ).]
—vis·cid·i·ty
[vi síddətee], noun

—vis·cid·ness
[víssidnəss], noun

—vis·cid·ly [víssidlee], adverb[1]



visco-

visco-
visco-
prefix

viscosity
• viscoelastic
[From viscous][1]



viscoelastic

viscoelastic
vis·co·e·las·tic
[vìskō i lástik] adjective

viscous
and elastic: used to describe asphalt and many
polymers that exhibit both viscous and elastic properties when deformed
—vis·co·e·las·tic·i·ty
[vìskō ee las tíssətee], noun[1]



viscometer

viscometer
vis·com·e·ter 
[vi skómmətər] (plural vis·com·e·ters)
or vis·co·sim·e·ter [viskō símmətər]
(plural vis·co·sim·e·ters) noun

instrument
for measuring viscosity: an instrument used to
measure the viscosity of a substance
[Late
19th century. Coined from late Latin viscosus (see viscous ) + -meter
.]
—vis·co·met·ric
[vìskə méttrik], adjective

—vis·co·met·ri·cal
[vìskə méttrik’l], adjective

—vis·com·e·try [vi skómmətree], noun[1]



viscose

viscose
vis·cose 
[vís kss] noun

1.  cellulose
used in making rayon: a cellulose solution of
thick consistency used in making rayon

2.  rayon
made from viscose: a type of rayon with a soft
silky feel made from a viscose solution
[Late 19th century. Coined
from late Latin viscosus (see viscous
) + -ose .][1]



viscosimeter

viscosimeter
vis·co·sim·e·ter 
[vìskə símmətər] noun

See
viscometer[1]



viscosity

viscosity
vis·cos·i·ty 
[vis kóssətee] (plural vis·cos·i·ties)
noun

1.  thickness
and stickiness: a thick and sticky consistency or
quality

2.  PHYSICS property
of fluid that resists flowing: the property of a
fluid or semifluid that causes it to resist flowing

3.  PHYSICS measure
of substance’s resistance to motion: a
measure of the resistance of a substance to motion under an applied force

[1]



viscosityindex

viscosityindex
vis·cos·i·ty
in·dex
noun

scale to indicate viscosity
of oils: an arbitrary scale for
lubricating oils that is used to indicate how much the viscosity of the oil
varies according to its temperature[1]



viscount

viscount
vis·count 
[v kòwnt] (plural vis·counts)
noun

1.  British
nobleman:
a British nobleman below an earl and above a baron in rank

2.  count’s
son or younger brother: in European countries other
than the United Kingdom, especially France, somebody whose father or elder
brother is a count

3.  count’s
representative: in medieval Europe, somebody acting for
or representing a count
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman viscounte, ultimately from the medieval Latin
vicecomes, from late Latin vice- (see vice- ) + comes
“count” (see count ).]
—vis·count·cy,
noun

—vis·count·y, noun[1]



viscountess

viscountess
vis·count·ess 
[v kòwntəss] (plural vis·count·ess·es)
noun

1.  woman
with rank of viscount: a woman who holds a rank
equivalent to viscount

2.  viscount’s
wife or widow: a woman who is or was married to a
viscount

[1]



viscous

viscous
vis·cous 
[vískəss] adjective

1.  thick
and sticky:
thick and sticky, reluctant to flow, and difficult to stir

2.  PHYSICS having
relatively high viscosity: used to describe a fluid
that has a relatively high resistance to flow
[14th
century. From late Latin viscosus “sticky,” from Latin viscum
“mistletoe, birdlime made from mistletoe berries,” of uncertain origin.]
—vis·cous·ly,
adverb

—vis·cous·ness, noun[1]



Visct.

Visct.
Visct.

1.  Abbreviation
of
Viscount

2.  Abbreviation
of
Viscountess

[1]



viscus

viscus
vis·cus 
[vískəss] noun

Singular of
viscera[1]



vise

vise

vi·se
[vīss] noun (plural vi·ses)
tool
for keeping things immobile: a tool with two jaws that
close by a lever or screw that is used to hold an object immobile so that it
can be worked on
transitive
verb
(past vi·sed, past participle vised, present
participle vis·ing, 3rd person present singular vi·ses)
hold
in vise:
to hold something tightly in a vise
[13th
century. Via Old French vis “screw” from Latin vitis “vine.”
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “wind” that is also the ancestor
of English wire .]
—vise·like, adjective[1]



Vishakhapatnam

Vishakhapatnam
Vi·sha·kha·pat·nam
[vi shkə pútnəm]

city and port on the Bay of
Bengal, in Andhra Pradesh State, southeastern India. Population: 750,024 (1991)[1]



Vishnu

Vishnu

Vish·nu 
[vísh n] noun
Hindu
god:
a Hindu god called the Preserver, the second member of the triad that includes
Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer
[Mid-17th century. From
Sanskrit Viṣṇu .][1]



visibility

visibility
vis·i·bil·i·ty 
[vìzzə bíllətee] noun

1.  ability
to be seen:
the fact of being able to be seen

2.  distance
it is possible to see: the distance it is possible
to see under the prevailing atmospheric or weather conditions

3.  clear
view:
the ability to provide somebody, especially the driver of a vehicle, with a
good view of what is around him or her, or the view obtained from a particular
position

4.  public
prominence:
the degree to which somebody or something is easily noticed by and catches the
attention of the public or a particular group of people • the
comparatively low visibility of the board of directors

[1]



visible

visible
vis·i·ble 
[vízzəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be seen:
capable of being seen by, or perceptible to, the human eye • the
visible spectrum

2.  in
sight:
in somebody’s sight at a particular time • The
building became visible again as soon as she turned the corner.

3.  obvious:
easily noticeable • the very visible
results of the recent floods

4.  detectable:
capable of being discovered by means of the mental faculties • no
visible prospect of a solution to the problem

5.  often
seen publicly: frequently in the public eye • the
company’s very visible head of public relations

6.  designed
to keep something in view: designed to keep information
or an item in view or able to be readily brought to view • a
visible index
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin visibilis, from vis-, past
participle stem of videre “to see” (source of evident and survey
).]
—vis·i·ble·ness,
noun

—vis·i·bly, adverb[1]



visibleradiation

visibleradiation
vis·i·ble
ra·di·a·tion noun

radiation perceptible to
human eye: radiation such as sunlight
that falls within the range of wavelengths that can be detected by the human
eye[1]



visiblespeech

visiblespeech
vis·i·ble
speech
noun

1.  symbols
representing mouth position in speech: a set
of phonetic symbols intended to represent the position of the lips, tongue, and
other speech organs in creating sounds

2.  visual
record of speech: a visual representation of speech using
a spectrograph that disperses radiation into a spectrum and photographs it

[1]



Visigoth

Visigoth
Vis·i·goth 
[vízzi gòth] (plural Vis·i·goths)
noun

PEOPLES member
of 5C Gothic people: a member of an ancient
Germanic people who invaded and conquered parts of the Roman Empire during the
5th century AD. They destroyed
Rome in 410 and took over parts of Spain and southern France, where they
established a powerful kingdom that lasted until the beginning of the 8th
century.
Also
called
West Goth
See
also
Ostrogoth
[Mid-16th
century. From late Latin Visigothi “Visigoths,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps literally “West Goths” ).]
—Vis·i·goth·ic, adjective[1]



vision

vision
vi·sion 
[vízh’n] (plural vi·sions) noun

1.  eyesight:
the ability to see

2.  mental
picture:
an image or concept in the imagination • visions
of power and wealth

3.  something
seen in dream or trance: an image or series of images
seen in a dream or trance, often interpreted as having religious, revelatory,
or prophetic significance

4.  far-sightedness:
the ability to anticipate possible future events and developments

5.  television
picture:
the picture on a television screen

6.  somebody
or something beautiful: a beautiful or pleasing
sight
[13th
century. From, ultimately, the Latin stem vision-, from vis- (see
visible ).]
—vi·sion·al,
adjective

—vi·sion·al·ly, adverb[1]



visionary

visionary
vi·sion·ar·y 
[vízh’n èrree] adjective

1.  full
of foresight: characterized by unusually acute
foresight and imagination

2.  imaginary:
produced by, resulting from, or originating in the imagination

3.  incapable
of being realized: so idealistic or unrealistic
as to be unrealizable in practice

4.  given
to dreaminess: tending by nature to be dreamy or to
have impractical schemes and ideas

5.  relating
to mystical visions: relating to or seen in a
mystical vision

6.  having
visions:
given to seeing mystical visions
noun
(plural vi·sion·ar·ies)

1.  somebody
with much foresight: somebody of unusually acute
foresight and imagination

2.  somebody
who has visions: somebody who has mystical visions

3.  dreamer:
somebody who tends by nature to be dreamy or who is given to impractical
schemes and ideas
—vi·sion·ar·i·ness, noun[1]



visionquest

visionquest
vi·sion
quest
noun

Native N American boy’s rite
of passage: a personal spiritual search
undertaken by an adolescent Native North American boy in order to learn by
means of a trance or vision the identity of his guardian spirit[1]



visit

visit
vis·it 
[vízzit] verb (past vis·it·ed,
past participle vis·it·ed, present participle vis·it·ing,
3rd person present singular vis·its)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go to
see somebody: to go to see and spend time with
somebody, especially as an act of affection or friendship • Nobody
visited him in hospital.

2.  transitive
verb
stay
with somebody: to go to stay with somebody for a time
as a guest in his or her home • I’m
going to visit my family over the vacation.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go to
see place:
to go to see or stay at a place for a time, for example, as a tourist

4.  transitive
verb
go
to inspect place: to go to a place as an official
inspector

5.  intransitive
verb
chat
with somebody: to engage in amiable or casual
conversation with somebody

6.  transitive
verb
inflict
something on somebody: to inflict something
unpleasant such as punishment or vengeance on somebody (archaic) • visited
them with plagues
noun
(plural vis·its)

1.  social
call:
a trip to see somebody and a period of time spent in his or her company

2.  stay
in a place:
an extended temporary stay in a place, for example, as somebody’s guest or as a
tourist

3.  chat:
an amiable or casual conversation

4.  official
inspection:
an official call paid for the purpose of inspection

5.  LAW boarding
of ship:
the boarding of a ship on the high seas to carry out a search for contraband
[12th
century. Directly or via French from Latin visitare “to go to see,”
literally “to view repeatedly,” from visare “to view,” from vis-
(see visible ).]
—vis·it·a·ble, adjective[1]



visitant

visitant
vis·i·tant 
[vízzit’nt] noun (plural vis·i·tants)

1.  BIRDS See visitor  noun 2

2.  visitor:
a visitor (archaic)

3.  PARANORMAL visiting
spirit:
a being thought to visit from the spirit world
adjective

making visit:
paying a visit to somebody or something

[1]



Visitation

Visitation
Vis·i·ta·tion
(plural Vis·i·ta·tions) noun

1.  Virgin
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth: the visit made by the Virgin
Mary after the Annunciation to her cousin Elizabeth

2.  Christian
festival:
a Christian festival held on July 2 to celebrate the Visitation of the Virgin
Mary to Elizabeth
[15th century. Shortening of the
Visitation of Our Lady .][1]



visitation

visitation
vis·i·ta·tion 
[vìzzi táysh’n] (plural vis·i·ta·tions)
noun

1.  official
visit:
an official visit for inspection or examination

2.  LAW visit
with child granted to parent: the right of a divorced
parent to have access to a child for a specified period of time, or a period of
time with the child granted by this right

3.  social
visit:
a social visit to somebody’s home, especially if it is unwelcome or lasts too
long (humorous)

4.  RELIGION punishment
from God:
a punishment or, sometimes, a benefit received, especially one believed to be
sent by God

5.  PARANORMAL appearance
from spirit world: a supposed appearance made
by a supernatural being
—vis·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



visitingcard

visitingcard
vis·it·ing
card 
noun

U.K.
See calling card[1]



visitingfireman

visitingfireman
vis·it·ing
fire·man
noun

influential visitor:
an important visitor who is entertained lavishly and impressively[1]



visitinghours

visitinghours
vis·it·ing
hours
plural noun

time for visits to hospital
patients: the period of time during
which patients in a hospital may have visitors[1]



visitingnurse

visitingnurse
vis·it·ing
nurse
noun

nurse visiting sick people at
home: a nurse employed to provide
medical care to the sick in their homes[1]



visitingprofessor

visitingprofessor
vis·it·ing
pro·fes·sor
noun

guest academic:
a professor from one college or university who teaches at another for a
semester or academic year[1]



visitingteacher

visitingteacher
vis·it·ing
teach·er
noun

teacher educating children at
home: a teacher employed by a
public school system to teach children in their homes if they have medical
conditions that prevent them from attending school[1]



visitor

visitor
vis·i·tor 
[vízzitər] (plural vis·i·tors)
noun

1.  somebody
visiting:
somebody who visits a person or place

2.  BIRDS migratory
bird appearing temporarily: a migratory bird that
regularly spends a short time in a place.
Also
called
visitant

[1]



visitorcenter

visitorcenter
vis·i·tor
cen·ter
noun

information center for
tourists: a building offering
information and services to visitors in a city or at a historical or
archaeological site, a park, or a nature reserve[1]



visitorship

visitorship
vis·i·tor·ship
[vízzitər shìp] noun

number
of visitors: the total number of tourists visiting a
particular place
[Late 20th century. Coined
from visitor + -ship
.][1]



visitors’book

visitors’book
vis·i·tors’
book
noun

book for visitors’ names and
addresses: a book in which visitors,
for example, to a house, guesthouse, hotel, or art gallery, write their names,
their home addresses, and often their comments on the visit[1]



visive

visive
vi·sive 
[vssiv] adjective

of vision:
relating to vision (archaic)[1]



visna

visna
vis·na
[víssnə] noun

pneumonia
of sheep and goats: a chronic progressive
pneumonia of sheep and goats
[Mid-20th century. From Old
Norse “to wither.”][1]



visor

visor
vi·sor
[vzər] (plural vi·sors) or
vi·zor [vzər] (plural vi·zors)
noun

1.  transparent
front of helmet: a hinged front part of a helmet, made of
transparent or tinted plastic and designed to protect the face or eyes,
especially on helmets worn by motorcyclists or welders

2.  HISTORY front
of medieval helmet: a hinged metal front part of
a medieval helmet in a suit of armor designed to protect the face and having
slits for the eyes to see through

3.  eyeshade:
a shade for the eyes attached to a band worn around the head

4.  AUTOMOBILES flap
over a windshield for glare: a flap mounted above the
windshield inside an automobile used to shield the eyes from glare

5.  CLOTHES cap
brim:
the front brim of a cap
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman viser, from French vis (see visage ).]
—vi·sored, adjective[1]



VISTA

VISTA
VISTA
[vístə]

Abbreviation of
Volunteers in Service to America[1]



vista

vista
vis·ta 
[vístə] (plural vis·tas) noun

1.  scenic
view:
a scenic or panoramic view

2.  view
through narrow opening: a view seen through a long
narrow opening, for example, between rows of trees or buildings

3.  mental
picture:
a mental picture covering a wide range of objects or a long succession of
events in the past or future • open
up vistas of expansion into hitherto untapped markets
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, “view,” from the past participle of vedere “to see,” from Latin
videre (see visible ).][1]



Vistula

Vistula
Vis·tu·la 
[víschələ, víschlə]

the longest river of Poland,
flowing northward from the Carpathian Mountains in the southwest of the
country, through Cracow, Warsaw, and Torun, before emptying into the Baltic Sea
at the Gulf of Gdansk. Length: 1,090 km/675 mi.[1]



visual

visual
vi·su·al 
[vízhoo əl] adjective

1.  of
vision:
relating to vision or sight

2.  visible:
able or intended to be seen by the eyes, especially as opposed to being
registered by one of the other senses or by a machine • visual
humor

3.  optical:
of or relating to sight

4.  perceptible
by the mind’s eye: able to be perceived as a
picture in the mind rather than as an abstract idea • a
visual memory

5.  done
by sight only: done by sight only and without the use
of scientific instruments or equipment • visual
navigation
noun
(plural vi·su·als)

1.  See
visual aid

2.  piece
of illustrative material: a photograph, picture,
chart, or graph that displays information or promotional material in a way that
appeals to the eye
[15th
century. From late Latin visualis, from Latin visus “sight,” from
the past participle of videre (see visible
).]
—vi·su·al·ly,
adverb

—vi·su·al·ness, noun[1]



visualacuity

visualacuity
vi·su·al
a·cu·i·ty
noun

acuteness of vision:
acuteness of vision as determined by a comparison with the normal ability to
identify letters at a distance of 6 m/20 ft[1]



visualaid

visualaid
vi·su·al
aid
noun

visible instructional aid:
something such as a model, chart, or movie that is looked at as a complement to
a lesson or presentation.
Also called
visual[1]



visualarts

visualarts
vi·su·al
arts
plural noun

painting and sculpture:
arts such as painting or sculpture that are perceived by sight[1]



visualbinary

visualbinary
vi·su·al
bi·na·ry
noun

star seen as pair with
telescope: a star that can be seen to
be a double star either with the naked eye or when viewed through a telescope[1]



visualfield

visualfield
vi·su·al
field
noun

See
field of vision[1]



visualization

visualization
vi·su·al·i·za·tion
[vìzhoo əli záysh’n] (plural vi·su·al·i·za·tions)
noun

1.  creation
of mental picture: the creation of a clear
picture of something in the mind

2.  mental
picture:
a clear picture of something created in the mind

3.  PSYCHOLOGY creation
of positive mental picture: a technique whereby somebody
creates a vivid positive mental picture of something such as a desired outcome
to a problem, in order to promote a sense of well-being

4.  MEDICINE production
of image of internal organ: a technique used to produce
an image of an internal organ or other part of the body by using X-rays or
other means such as magnetic resonance imaging

[1]



visualize

visualize
vi·su·al·ize 
[vízhoo ə lz] (past vi·su·al·ized,
past participle vi·su·al·ized, present participle vi·su·al·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vi·su·al·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb imagine:
to form a visual image of something in the mind

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PSYCHOLOGY create positive mental
picture:
to create a vivid positive mental picture of something such as a desired
outcome to a problem, in order to promote a sense of well-being

3.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE make
image of internal organs: to produce an image of an
internal organ or other part of the body by using X-rays or other means such as
magnetic resonance imaging
—vi·su·al·iz·er, noun[1]



visuallyimpaired

visuallyimpaired
vi·su·al·ly
im·paired
adjective

having reduced vision:
having reduced vision, especially having eyesight so poor that it interferes
with the ability to perform day-to-day activities effectively[1]



visual-motorcoordination

visual-motorcoordination
vi·su·al-mo·tor
co·or·di·na·tion noun

coordination of visual and
motor systems: the coordination of the
body’s visual and motor systems, as shown, for example, in reaching for
something being looked at[1]



visualpurple

visualpurple
vi·su·al
pur·ple
noun

See
rhodopsin[1]



visuomotor

visuomotor
vi·su·o·mo·tor 
[vìzhoo ō mṓtər] adjective

relating to movement
involving visual cues: relating to
or involving motor processes that are linked to vision, for example, the
coordination of movements[1]



vis-à-vis

vis-à-vis
vis-à-vis 
[vzə v] preposition

1.  regarding:
in relation to

2.  opposite:
opposite to or face to face with
adverb

face to face: face
to face, or opposite each other
noun
(plural vis-à-vis)

1.  somebody
or something facing: somebody or something that
is face to face with another

2.  counterpart:
somebody who is the counterpart of somebody else

3.  horse-drawn
carriage:
a horse-drawn carriage in which people sit facing each other
[Mid-18th century. From
French, literally “face to face,” from Old French vis (see visage ).][1]



vita

vita
vi·ta 
[vtə] (plural vi·tae [vtee]) noun

1.  See
curriculum vitae

2.  short
biography or autobiography: a brief account of
somebody’s life
[Mid-20th century. From
Latin, “life.”][1]



vital

vital
vi·tal 
[vt’l] adjective

1.  crucial:
extremely important and necessary, or indispensable to the survival or
continuing effectiveness of something

2.  lively:
full of animation or vigor

3.  of
life:
relating to life

4.  needed
for life:
required for the continuation of life
[14th
century. From, ultimately, Latin vitalis, from vita “life.”]
—vi·tal·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at necessary

[1]



vitalcapacity

vitalcapacity
vi·tal
ca·pac·i·ty
noun

maximum possible exhalation
from lungs: a measure of the air that
can be exhaled from the lungs after maximum inhalation[1]



vitalism

vitalism
vi·tal·ism 
[vt’l ìzzəm] noun

belief
in vital principle: a doctrine that maintains
that life and the functions of a living organism depend on a nonmaterial force
or principle separate from physical and chemical processes.
See
also
dynamism
See
also
mechanism
—vi·tal·is·tic
[vt’l ístik], adjective

—vi·tal·is·ti·cal·ly [vt’l ístəkəlee], adverb[1]



vitality

vitality
vi·tal·i·ty 
[vī tállətee] noun

1.  liveliness:
abundant physical and mental energy usually combined with a wholehearted and
joyous approach to situations and activities

2.  durability:
the ability of something to live and grow or to continue in existence

3.  vital
principle:
the nonmaterial force that, according to vitalism, distinguishes the living
from the nonliving

[1]



vitalize

vitalize
vi·tal·ize 
[vt’l z] (past vi·tal·ized, past
participle vi·tal·ized, present participle vi·tal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vi·tal·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  give
somebody or something life: to cause somebody or
something to live

2.  energize
somebody or something: to make somebody or
something lively
—vi·tal·i·za·tion
[vt’li záysh’n], noun

—vi·tal·iz·er [vt’l zər], noun[1]



vitally

vitally
vi·tal·ly
[vt’lee] adverb

crucially:
extremely or indispensably
[Late 17th century][1]



vitalsigns

vitalsigns
vi·tal
signs
plural noun

signs of life:
the signs that indicate life, namely pulse, body temperature, breathing, and
blood pressure[1]



vitalstaining

vitalstaining
vi·tal
stain·ing
noun

coloring of live embryo
cells: the process of using a
substance that colors only live cells in order to study the fate of certain
cells in embryonic development[1]



vitalstatistics

vitalstatistics
vi·tal
sta·tis·tics plural noun

1.  statistics
about human life: statistics of human births, deaths,
marriages, and health

2.  body
measurements: the measurements of a woman’s bust,
waist, and hips (dated informal) (considered offensive by many people)

[1]



vitamin

vitamin
vi·ta·min 
[vtəmin] (plural vi·ta·mins) noun

1.  organic
substance essential to nutrition: any of various organic
substances essential in small quantities to the nutrition and normal metabolism
of most animals. Vitamins are found in minute quantities in food, in some cases
are produced by the body, and are also produced synthetically.

2.  vitamin
pill:
a vitamin in a pill or capsule form
[Early
20th century. From German Vitamine, from Latin vita “life” + amine . From the former belief that vitamins
contained amino acids.]
—vi·ta·min·ic [vtə mínnik], adjective[1]



vitaminA

vitaminA
vi·ta·min
A
noun

vitamin in vegetables and
dairy products: a fat-soluble vitamin
found in green and yellow vegetables and animal products such as egg yolk and
milk. Vitamin A is important to the health of the outer layer of cells in the
skin and organs. A deficiency leads to roughening of the skin and night blindness.

Also called
retinol
Also called
vitamin A 1[1]



vitaminA

vitaminA 2
vi·ta·min
A 2 noun

vitamin in fish liver:
a type of vitamin A obtained from fish liver[1]



vitaminB

vitaminB 12
vi·ta·min
B 12 noun

vitamin in dairy products and
fish: a complex water-soluble
vitamin obtained from liver, milk, eggs, fish, oysters, and clams that is
important to growth, normal blood formation, and neural function. A deficiency
of it causes pernicious anemia.
Also called
cobalamin
Also called
cyanocobalamin[1]



vitaminB

vitaminB 1
vi·ta·min
B 1 noun

See
thiamine[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vitaminB

vitaminB
vi·ta·min
B
noun

1.  See
vitamin B complex

2.  See
thiamine

[1]



vitaminB

vitaminB 6
vi·ta·min
B 6 noun

See
pyridoxine[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vitaminB

vitaminB 2
vi·ta·min
B 2 noun

See
riboflavin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vitaminB complex

vitaminB complex
vi·ta·min
B com·plex
noun

vitamins in yeast, eggs, and
liver: a group of water-soluble
vitamins found in yeast, seed germs, eggs, liver, and vegetables.
Also called
vitamin B[1]



vitaminC

vitaminC
vi·ta·min
C
noun

vitamin in fruits and
vegetables: a water-soluble vitamin
found in fruits and leafy vegetables or made synthetically and used as an
antioxidant. Lack of this vitamin causes scurvy.
Also called
ascorbic acid[1]



vitaminD

vitaminD 3
vi·ta·min
D 3 noun

vitamin D from fish:
a form of vitamin D that occurs in fish-liver oils and has a slightly different
molecular structure from vitamin D 2[1]



vitaminD

vitaminD 2
vi·ta·min
D 2 noun

dietary supplement:
a dietary supplement used in the treatment of rickets, prepared by the
ultraviolet irradiation of ergosterol. C28H43OH
Also called
calciferol
Also called
ergocalciferol
Also called
viosterol[1]



vitaminD

vitaminD
vi·ta·min
D
noun

vitamin important for bones:
any of several fat-soluble vitamins that occur in fish-liver oils and are often
added to milk. They are essential for the formation of bones and teeth. Lack of
vitamin D causes rickets.[1]



vitaminE

vitaminE
vi·ta·min
E
noun

vitamin in vegetable oils and
eggs: a pale yellow viscous fluid
occurring in vegetable oils, butter, eggs, and cereal grains that is important
for fertility in humans and as an antioxidant[1]



vitaminG

vitaminG
vi·ta·min
G
noun

See
riboflavin[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vitaminH

vitaminH
vi·ta·min
H
noun

See
biotin[1]



vitaminK

vitaminK
vi·ta·min
K
noun

vitamin important for blood
clotting: any of three fat-soluble
vitamins essential for the clotting of blood[1]



vitaminK

vitaminK 2
vi·ta·min
K 2 noun

vitamin from fish meal:
a form of vitamin K that is found in fish meal[1]



vitaminK

vitaminK 1
vi·ta·min
K 1 noun

vitamin K in oily form:
a yellowish oily liquid that is found in leafy vegetables, rice, bran, and pork
liver and is essential for the clotting of blood.
Also called
phylloquinone[1]



vitaminP

vitaminP
vi·ta·min
P
noun

See
bioflavonoid[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vitellarium

vitellarium
vi·tel·lar·i·um 
[vt’l áiree əm, vìtt’l
áiree əm] (plural vi·tel·lar·i·a [vt’l
áiree ə] or vi·tel·lar·i·ums) noun

part of invertebrate ovary:
the part of the ovary in some invertebrates that produces yolk-filled cells
providing nourishment to the developing eggs[1]



vitellin

vitellin
vi·tel·lin 
[vi téllin, vī
téllin] noun

protein in egg yolk:
a protein found in the yolk of eggs[1]



vitelline

vitelline
vi·tel·line 
[vi téllin, vī
téllin, vi té ln] adjective

1.  of
egg yolk:
relating to egg yolk

2.  yellow:
of a yellow color, like an egg yolk
[From medieval Latin vitellinus,
from Latin vitellus (see vitellus )][1]



vitellinemembrane

vitellinemembrane
vi·tel·line
mem·brane
noun

membrane around fertilized
egg: the membrane that encloses a
fertilized egg[1]



vitellus

vitellus
vi·tel·lus 
[vi télləss, vī
télləss] (plural vi·tel·lus·es or vi·tel·li
[vi té l]) noun

egg
yolk:
the yolk of an egg
[Early 18th century. From
Latin, “yolk of an egg,” of uncertain origin: probably literally “small calf,”
from vitulus “calf” (source of English veal
).][1]



vitiate

vitiate
vi·ti·ate 
[víshee àyt] (past vi·ti·at·ed,
past participle vi·ti·at·ed, present participle vi·ti·at·ing,
3rd person present singular vi·ti·ates) transitive verb

1.  make
something ineffective: to destroy or drastically
reduce the effectiveness of something, or make it invalid

2.  make
something defective: to cause something to become
defective

3.  debase
something:
to degrade something morally
[Mid-16th
century. From, ultimately, Latin vitiare, from vitium “fault”
(see vice 1 ).]
—vi·ti·a·ble,
adjective

—vi·ti·a·tion
[vìshee áysh’n], noun

—vi·ti·a·tor [víshee àytər], noun[1]



viticulture

viticulture
vit·i·cul·ture 
[vítti kùlchər, vti
kùlchər] or vin·i·cul·ture [vínni
kùlchər] noun

grapevine
growing:
the science or practice of growing grapevines, especially for wine making
[Late
19th century. Coined from Latin vitis (see vise
) + culture .]
—vit·i·cul·tur·al
[vìtti kúlchərəl], adjective

—vit·i·cul·tur·al·ly
[vìtti kúlchərəlee], adverb

—vit·i·cul·tur·ist [vìtti kúlchərist], noun[1]



vitiligo

vitiligo
vit·i·li·go 
[vìtt’l  g] noun

skin
disorder:
a skin disorder in which smooth whitish patches appear on the skin.
Also
called
leukoderma
[Late 16th century. From
Latin, “skin eruption.”][1]



Vitoria

Vitoria
Vi·to·ri·a 
[vi táwree ə]

capital city of the Basque
Country in northern Spain. Population: 204,961 (1991)[1]



vitr-

vitr-
vitr-
prefix

See
vitri-[1]



vitrain

vitrain
vit·rain 
[ví tràyn] (plural vit·rains) noun

glassy
band in bituminous coal: a narrow glassy band found
in bituminous coal
[Early 20th century. Coined
from vitreous + -ain on the model of fusain
“charcoal crayon.”][1]



vitrectomy

vitrectomy
vit·rec·to·my 
[vi tréktəmee] (plural vit·rec·to·mies)
noun

eye operation:
a surgical operation to remove some or all of the vitreous humor of the eye[1]



vitreous

vitreous
vit·re·ous 
[víttree əss] adjective

1.  similar
to glass:
having the characteristics or appearance of glass

2.  of
glass:
relating to, consisting of, or derived from glass

3.  of
vitreous humor: relating to the vitreous humor of the
eye
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin vitreus, from vitrum “glass,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps related to vitrum “woad,” from the bluish-green color of
glass.]
—vit·re·os·i·ty
[vìttree óssətee], noun

—vit·re·ous·ness [víttree əssnəss], noun[1]



vitreousbody

vitreousbody
vit·re·ous
bod·y
noun

transparent gel filling eye:
the transparent gel that fills the main cavity of the eyeball, between the lens
and the retina[1]



vitreousenamel

vitreousenamel
vit·re·ous
e·nam·el
noun

glassy coating for metals:
an opaque glassy coating applied to steel or other metals through firing[1]



vitreoushumor

vitreoushumor
vit·re·ous
hu·mor
noun

fluid in gel filling eye:
the fluid component of the gel ( vitreous body
) that fills the main cavity of the eye between the lens and retina[1]



vitreoussilica

vitreoussilica
vit·re·ous
sil·i·ca
noun

glass made from silica:
a type of glass made solely from silica[1]



vitrescent

vitrescent
vi·tres·cent 
[vi tréss’nt] adjective

convertible
into glass:
capable of being made into glass
[Mid-18th century. Coined
from Latin vitrum (see vitreous ) + -escent .][1]



vitri-

vitri-
vitri-
prefix

glass
• vitrify
[From Latin vitrum][1]



vitric

vitric
vit·ric 
[víttrik] adjective

similar
to glass:
having the characteristics or appearance of glass
[Early 20th century. Coined
from Latin vitrum (see vitreous ) +
-ic .][1]



vitrification

vitrification
vit·ri·fi·ca·tion 
[vìttrəfi káysh’n] noun

1.  conversion
into glass:
the process of converting materials to glass

2.  CERAMICS point
where fired pot loses porosity: the point at which a
pot loses its porosity during a firing

[1]



vitriform

vitriform
vit·ri·form 
[víttrə fàwrm] adjective

similar
to glass:
having the form or appearance of glass
[Late 18th century. Coined
from Latin vitrum (see vitreous ) + -form .][1]



vitrify

vitrify
vit·ri·fy 
[víttrə f] (past vit·ri·fied,
past participle vit·ri·fied, present participle vit·ri·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular vit·ri·fies) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
into glass:
to become changed into glass, or to change materials into glass
[Late
16th century. From French vitrifier or directly from Latin vitrum
(see vitreous ).]
—vit·ri·fi·a·bil·i·ty
[vìttrə fī ə bíllətee], noun

—vit·ri·fi·a·ble [víttrə f əb’l], adjective[1]



vitrine

vitrine
vi·trine 
[vi trn] (plural vi·trines) noun

glass
cabinet:
a cabinet or case with glass walls for displaying specimens or art objects
[Late 19th century. From
French, from vitre “glass,” from Latin vitrum (see vitreous ).][1]



vitriol

vitriol
vit·ri·ol 
[víttree àwl] (plural vit·ri·ols)
noun

1.  bitter
hatred:
extreme bitterness and hatred toward somebody or something, or an expression of
this feeling in speech or writing

2.  CHEMISTRY glassy
metallic sulfate: a glassy metallic sulfate such as copper
sulfate or iron sulfate

3.  CHEMISTRY sulfuric
acid:
sulfuric acid (archaic)
[14th century. From,
ultimately, medieval Latin vitriolum, from Latin vitrum “glass”
(see vitreous ). From its glassy
appearance.][1]



vitriolic

vitriolic
vit·ri·ol·ic 
[vìttree óllik] adjective

1.  expressing
bitter hatred: filled with or expressing violent and
bitter hatred toward somebody or something

2.  like
metallic sulfate: resembling a glassy metallic sulfate
—vit·ri·ol·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



vitta

vitta
vit·ta 
[víttə] (plural vit·tae [víttee]) noun

1.  BOTANY oil-containing
tube in plant: a tube or cavity containing oil in the
carpels of the family of plants that includes carrot, parsley, and celery

2.  ZOOLOGY colored
stripe on animal’s body: a stripe or band of color on
the body of an animal
[Late
17th century. From Latin, “headband,” originally “something that twists.”]
—vit·tate, adjective[1]



vittles

vittles
vit·tles
[vítt’l] plural noun

food:
food or other provisions (archaic or humorous)
[Variant of victual][1]



vituline

vituline
vi·tu·line 
[víchə ln, víchəlin]
adjective

like
calf or veal: relating to or resembling a calf or veal
[Mid-17th century. From Latin
vitulinus, from vitulus “calf” (source of English veal ).][1]



vituperate

vituperate
vi·tu·per·ate 
[vī tpə ràyt, vi
tpə ràyt] (past vi·tu·per·at·ed, past participle vi·tu·per·at·ed,
present participle vi·tu·per·at·ing, 3rd person present
singular vi·tu·per·ates) intransitive and transitive verb

be
harshly critical: to attack somebody in harshly abusive or
critical language
[Mid-16th
century. From, ultimately, Latin vituperare, from vitium (see vice 1 ) + parare (see prepare ).]
—vi·tu·per·a·tor,
noun

—vi·tu·per·a·to·ry, adjective[1]



vituperation

vituperation
vi·tu·per·a·tion 
[vī tpə ráysh’n, vi
tpə ráysh’n] (plural vi·tu·per·a·tions) noun

1.  outburst
of abuse:
an outburst of violently abusive or harshly critical language

2.  act
of vituperating: the use of violent abuse or extremely
harsh criticism
—vi·tu·per·a·tive [vī tpərətiv, vī tpə
ràytiv, vi tpərətiv], adjective[1]



Vitória

Vitória
Vi·tó·ri·a
[vi táwree ə]

city and port on an island in
Espírito Santo Bay, eastern Brazil. Population: 258,245 (1991)[1]



viva

viva2
vi·va2  [vvə,
vvə] (plural vi·vas) noun

U.K.
oral
examination: an examination, especially one taken as
part of a university or college degree, in which a student is asked and answers
questions in a spoken interview rather than on paper.
Also
called
viva voce
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of viva voce .][1]



viva

viva1
vi·va1  [vvə,
v v] interjection

long
live:
used to express support for somebody whose success or life is hoped will
continue • Viva
the president!
[Mid-17th century. From
Italian, “may he, she, or it live,” a present subjunctive form of vivere
“to live,” from Latin (see vivid ).][1]



vivace

vivace
vi·va·ce 
[vi v chày, vi
vchee] adverb

in
a lively way: in a lively and spirited manner (used
as a musical direction)
noun
(plural vi·vaces)

vivace
piece of music: a piece of music, or a section of a
piece, played vivace
[Late
17th century. From Italian, “lively,” from the Latin stem vivac- (see vivacious ).]
—vi·va·ce, adjective[1]



vivacious

vivacious
vi·va·cious 
[vi váyshəss] adjective

lively
and high-spirited: exhibiting or characterized
by liveliness and high-spiritedness
[Mid-17th
century. From the Latin stem vivac- “lively, long-lived,” from vivus
(see vivid ).]
—vi·va·cious·ly,
adverb

—vi·va·cious·ness, noun[1]



vivacity

vivacity
vi·vac·i·ty 
[vi vássətee] noun

liveliness:
liveliness and high-spiritedness[1]



Vivaldi,Antonio

Vivaldi,Antonio


Vi·val·di
[vi vldee, viváwldee],
Antonio (1678–1741)
Italian
composer. His music epitomizes the Italian baroque style, his concertos being
particularly influential on later composers.
Full name
Vivaldi, Antonio Lucio[1]



vivandière

vivandière
vi·van·dière
[v vN dyáir] (plural vi·van·dières)
noun

woman
supplying soldiers with provisions: in
former times, a woman who followed an army and sold food and drink to the
soldiers
[Late 16th century. From
French, feminine of vivandier, from, ultimately, late Latin vivenda
(see viand ).][1]



vivarium

vivarium
vi·var·i·um 
[vī vérree əm] (plural vi·var·i·a
[vī vérree ə] or vi·var·i·ums)
noun

place
for keeping and watching animals: a transparent
enclosure in which small animals are kept so that their behavior can be studied
[Early 17th century. From
Latin, “game preserve, fish pond,” from a form of vivarius “of living
things,” from vivus (see vivid ).][1]



vivavoce

vivavoce
vi·va
vo·ce 
[vvə vṓssee, vvə
vṓssee] (plural vi·va vo·ces) adverb

orally:
by word of mouth
[Mid-16th century. From
medieval Latin, literally “with the living voice.”][1]



vivaxmalaria

vivaxmalaria
vi·vax
ma·lar·i·a
[v vaks mə lérree ə] or vi·vax
[v vaks mə lérree ə] noun

type of malaria:
a form of malaria marked by convulsions that occur every 48 hours and that is
caused by the parasite Plasmodium vivax[1]



viverrid

viverrid
vi·ver·rid 
[vī vérrid, vi
vérrid] (plural vi·ver·rids) noun

civet
or mongoose: a civet, mongoose, or other similar
small carnivorous mammal with a long slender body. Family: Viverridae
[Early
20th century. From modern Latin Viverridae (plural), from the genus name
Viverra (singular), from Latin, “ferret.”]
—viverrid, adjective[1]



vivid

vivid
viv·id 
[vívvid] adjective

1.  very
bright:
strikingly bright or intense in color

2.  extremely
clear and fresh: characterized by striking clarity,
distinctness, or truth to life when perceived either by the eye or the mind • a
vivid image

3.  graphic:
producing strong and distinct mental images

4.  inventive:
active and inventive • a
vivid imagination

5.  lively:
characterized by spirit and animation
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin vividus, from vivere “to live.”]
—viv·id·ly,
adverb

—viv·id·ness, noun[1]



vivify

vivify
viv·i·fy 
[vívvə f] (past viv·i·fied, past
participle viv·i·fied, present participle viv·i·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular viv·i·fies) transitive verb

1.  give
life to somebody or something: to cause somebody or
something to come to life

2.  give
liveliness to: to give liveliness or vividness to
something
[14th
century. Via French vivifier from late Latin vivificare,
literally “to make alive,” from Latin vivus (see vivid ).]
—viv·i·fi·ca·tion
[vìvvəfi káysh’n], noun

—viv·i·fi·er [vívvə fr], noun[1]



viviparous

viviparous
vi·vip·a·rous 
[vi víppərəss] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY bearing
live young:
bearing live young rather than eggs

2.  BOTANY producing
plantlets:
used to describe a plant, for example, the spider plant, that produces
plantlets or bulbils from the flower stem

3.  BOTANY producing
seedlings on plant: used to describe a plant,
for example, a mangrove, with seeds that germinate and develop into seedlings
before being shed from the parent plant
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from Latin viviparus, literally “bringing forth alive,”
from vivus (see vivid ).]
—vi·vip·a·rous·ly,
adverb

—vi·vip·a·rous·ness, noun[1]



vivisect

vivisect
viv·i·sect 
[vívvi sèkt] (past viv·i·sect·ed,
past participle viv·i·sect·ed, present participle viv·i·sect·ing,
3rd person present singular viv·i·sects) intransitive and
transitive verb

operate
on a live animal: to perform operations on living animals
that involve cutting into their bodies in order to gain knowledge of
pathological or physiological processes
[Mid-19th
century. Back-formation from vivisection .]
—viv·e·sec·tive,
adjective

—viv·i·sec·tor, noun[1]



vivisection

vivisection
viv·i·sec·tion 
[vìvvi sékshən] noun

operating
on live animals: the practice of operating on living
animals in order to gain knowledge of pathological or physiological processes
[Early
18th century. From Latin vivus (see vivid
) + section on the model of dissection .]
—viv·i·sec·tion·al,
adjective

—viv·i·sec·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—viv·i·sec·tion·ist, noun[1]



vivisectorium

vivisectorium
viv·i·sec·to·ri·um
[vìvvi sek táwree əm] (plural viv·i·sec·to·ri·ums
or viv·i·sec·to·ri·a [vìvvi sek
táwree ə]) noun

place
where vivisection is performed: an establishment where
vivisection is practiced
[Late 20th century. Coined
from vivisection + Latin -orium,
neuter of -orius “-ory,” on the model of emporium
.][1]



vivo

vivo
vi·vo
[v v] adverb

in
lively way:
in a lively and energetic manner (used as a musical direction)
[Mid-18th century. Via
Italian from Latin vivus “alive.”][1]



vixen

vixen
vix·en 
[víksən] (plural vix·ens) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY female
fox:
a female fox

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman regarded as vindictive and
bad-tempered (insult)
[15th
century. Dialect variant of earlier fixen, from Old English fyxe,
feminine of fox (see fox ).]
—vix·en·ish,
adjective

—vix·en·ish·ly,
adverb

—vix·en·ish·ness,
noun

—vix·en·ly, adjective,
adverb[1]



viz.

viz.
viz.
[viz] adverb

namely:
namely. Abbreviation of vide licet
[From Latin videlicet,
literally “it is permitted to see” (because it is used to introduce lists),
from vide-, the stem of videre “to see” + licet “it is
permitted”][1]



vizard

vizard
viz·ard
[vízzərd] (plural viz·ards) noun

mask:
a mask or or other form of disguise for the face (archaic)
[Mid-16th
century. Variant of visor by folk etymology
from words ending in -ard .]
—viz·ard·ed, adjective[1]



vizcacha

vizcacha
viz·ca·cha 
noun

See
viscacha[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








vizier

vizier
vi·zier 
[vi zr] (plural vi·ziers) noun

Muslim
government officer: a high-ranking government
officer in various Islamic countries and especially in the former Ottoman
empire
[Mid-16th
century. Via French or Spanish visir from Turkish vezir, from
Arabic wazīr “vizier,” earlier “helper, assistant.”]
—vi·zier·ate
[vi zrət, vi zí
ràyt], noun

—vi·zier·i·al
[vi zree əl], adjective

—vi·zier·ship [vi zr shìp], noun[1]



vizor

vizor
vi·zor 
noun

See
visor[1]



vizsla

vizsla
vizs·la 
[vílə, ví l]
(plural vizs·las) noun

Hungarian
hunting dog: a medium-sized hunting dog of a
Hungarian breed with a short, smooth, reddish coat
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps named for Vizsla, town in Hungary, from the breed’s
Hungarian origin.][1]



VJ

VJ
VJ

Abbreviation of
video jockey[1]



V-Jday

V-Jday
V-J
day 
noun

day of Japanese surrender:
August 15, 1945, the day of the Japanese surrender in World War II[1]



vl

vl
vl

Abbreviation
of
a variant reading
[From Latin varia lectio][1]



VL

VL
VL

Abbreviation of
Vulgar Latin[1]



VLA

VLA
VLA
noun

a system of radio telescopes
at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, New Mexico. Abbreviation of
Very Large Array[1]



Vlach

Vlach
Vlach
[vlaak, vlak]
(plural Vlachs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Balkan people: a member of a people of southeastern
Europe who in the 13th century established the principalities of Wallachia and
later Moldavia. These later merged to become Romania. Vlachs now live mainly in
the mountainous regions of the Balkans, for example in northern Greece, the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or Albania.

2.  LANGUAGE Romance
dialect:
any of the languages of the Romance family that are spoken in southeastern
Europe, particularly those of the traditionally nomadic Vlachs of northern
Greece and Albania
[Mid-19th
century. From Bulgarian and Serbo-Croat, from, ultimately, a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “foreign.”]
—Vlach, adjective[1]



Vladimir

Vladimir
Vla·di·mir 
[vláddə mr, vlə
dy meer]

city and capital of Vladimir
Oblast in western Russia. Population: 353,000 (1990)[1]



Vladivostok

Vladivostok
Vla·di·vos·tok 
[vlàddəvə stók]

city and major port in
southeastern Russia, on Golden Horn Bay, an inlet of the Sea of Japan (East
Sea). It is the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Population:
648,000 (1991)[1]



VLCC

VLCC
VLCC

INDUSTRY
Abbreviation of very large crude carrier[1]



vlei

vlei
vlei
[flay, vlay]
(plural vleis) noun

South
Africa
area
of low-lying ground: a stretch of low-lying
ground that is either permanently marshy or is flooded in the rainy season to
form a shallow lake
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch wallei “valley.”][1]



VLF

VLF
VLF
or vlf

RADIO
Abbreviation of very low frequency[1]



V-neck

V-neck
V-neck 
(plural V necks) noun

1.  v-shaped
neckline:
a neckline shaped like a letter “V”

2.  garment
with v-shaped neckline: a garment, especially a
sweater or T-shirt, with a v-shaped neckline
—V-necked, adjective[1]



VO

VO
VO

1.  Abbreviation
of
verbal order

2.
(used on labels for bottles of brandy, whiskey, or port) Abbreviation
of very old

3.  Abbreviation
of
voice-over

[1]



vo.

vo.
vo.

Abbreviation of
verso[1]



VOA

VOA
VOA

Abbreviation of
Voice of America[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








VOC

VOC
VOC

Abbreviation of
volatile organic compound[1]



voc.

voc.
voc.

1.  Abbreviation
of
vocational

2.  Abbreviation
of
vocative

[1]



vocab

vocab
vo·cab
[vṓ kàb] noun

vocabulary:
vocabulary (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Shortening.][1]



vocable

vocable
vo·ca·ble 
[vṓkəb’l] noun (plural vo·ca·bles)

word
as merely sounds or letters: a single word considered
only as a grouping of sounds or letters, not in terms of its meaning (dated
formal)
adjective

capable
of being spoken: capable of being pronounced or spoken (formal)
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin vocabulum “name,” from vocare
“to call, name” (source of English vouch,
advocate, and provoke ).]
—vo·ca·bly, adverb[1]



vocabular

vocabular
vo·cab·u·lar
[vō kábbyələr, və
kábbyələr] adjective

of
words:
relating to words
[Early 17th century. Formed
from Latin vocabulum (see vocable ).][1]



vocabulary

vocabulary
vo·cab·u·lar·y 
[vō kábbyə lèrree, və
kábbyə lèrree] (plural vo·cab·u·lar·ies) noun

1.  LANGUAGE words
known:
all the words used by or known to a particular person or group, or contained in
a language as a whole

2.  LANGUAGE list
of words:
an alphabetical list of words and phrases supplied with definitions or
translations

3.  ARTS range
of expressive techniques: a repertoire of expressive
forms or techniques used by an artist or in a particular art form
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin vocabularium, literally “of words,” from
Latin vocabulum (see vocable ).]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at language

[1]



vocal

vocal
vo·cal 
[vṓk’l] adjective

1.  spoken:
uttered with the voice

2.  of
the voice:
relating to the voice

3.  having
voice:
having a voice or using a voice to produce speech or sound

4.  outspoken:
using frank, forthright, or insistent speech

5.  MUSIC of or
for singing: composed or arranged for singing, or
relating to the art or techniques of singing

6.  noisy
with voices: full of the sound of voices

7.  PHONETICS See vocalic
noun
(plural vo·cals) MUSIC

1.  sung
part:
the sung part of a piece of pop music or jazz

2.  pop
or jazz song: a song in the pop or jazz style
[14th
century. From Latin vocalis, from the stem of vox “voice” (source
of English voice, vowel, and equivocal
).]
—vo·cal·i·ty
[vō kállətee], noun

—vo·cal·ly
[vṓk’lee], adverb

—vo·cal·ness [vṓk’lnəss], noun[1]



vocalcords

vocalcords
vo·cal
cords
plural noun

throat membranes that produce
sounds: a pair of fibrous sheets of
tissue that span the cavity of the voice box ( larynx
) and produce sounds by vibrating. Muscles tighten the cords, narrowing the gap
between them, and as air is expelled from the lungs they vibrate.[1]



vocalfolds

vocalfolds
vo·cal
folds
plural noun

folds in wall of voice box:
a pair of folds in the wall of the voice box ( larynx
) situated just above the vocal cords. They are not involved in producing
sound.[1]



vocalic

vocalic
vo·cal·ic 
[vō kállik] or vo·cal [vō kállik] adjective PHONETICS

1.  relating
to vowels:
relating to or containing vowels

2.  acting
as vowel:
used or acting as a vowel
—vo·cal·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



vocalise

vocalise
vo·cal·ise
[vṓk’l ees] (plural vo·cal·is·es)
noun

1.  singing
exercise:
a voice training exercise in which a singer sings using only vowel sounds,
especially one single vowel sound

2.  vocal
composition using only vowel sounds: a
passage or composition for performance in which a singer sings only vowel
sounds, especially one single vowel sound
[Late 19th century. From
French, from vocaliser “to vocalize.”][1]



vocalism

vocalism
vo·cal·ism 
[vṓk’l ìzzəm] (plural vo·cal·isms)
noun

1.  use
of voice:
the use of the voice in producing speech, singing, or other sounds

2.  MUSIC art of
singing:
the art or technique of singing

3.  PHONETICS vowels
of a language: the range of vowels used in a specific
language

4.  PHONETICS vowel:
a vowel sound

[1]



vocalist

vocalist
vo·cal·ist 
[vṓk’list] (plural vo·cal·ists)
noun

singer:
a singer, especially of pop music or jazz
—vo·cal·is·tic, adjective[1]



vocalize

vocalize
vo·cal·ize 
[vṓk’l z] (past vo·cal·ized, past
participle vo·cal·ized, present participle vo·cal·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vo·cal·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb express:
to use the voice to express something

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb PHONETICS transform into a vowel:
to transform a consonant into a vowel sound in speaking, or to be transformed
into a vowel

3.  transitive
verb
PHONETICS See voice  verb 3

4.  transitive
verb
See vowelize

5.  intransitive
verb
MUSIC sing
without words: to sing without words, using only one or
more vowel sounds, especially as a vocal exercise to warm up the voice
—vo·cal·i·za·tion
[vk’li záysh’n], noun

—vo·cal·iz·er [vṓk’l zər], noun[1]



vocalscore

vocalscore
vo·cal
score
noun

musical score with just voice
parts: the score of a vocal work,
especially an opera, that gives the vocal parts in full with the orchestral
parts transcribed for piano[1]



vocaltic

vocaltic
vo·cal
tic
noun

involuntary noise or shout:
a sudden noise or shout produced involuntarily, especially as a symptom of
Tourette’s syndrome or a similar neurological condition[1]



vocat.

vocat.
vocat.

Abbreviation of
vocative[1]



vocation

vocation
vo·ca·tion 
[vō káysh’n] (plural vo·ca·tions)
noun

1.  somebody’s
job:
somebody’s work, job, or profession, especially a type of work demanding
special commitment

2.  urge
to follow a particular career: a strong feeling of
being destined or called to undertake a particular type of work, especially a
sense of being chosen by God for religious work or a religious life
[15th
century. From, ultimately, the Latin stem vocation-, from vocat-, the
past participle stem of vocare (see vocable
).]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word vocare, from which vocation
  is derived, is also the source of English advocate,
  convoke, evoke, invoke, provoke, revoke,
  vocabulary, vocative, and vouch.

[1]



vocational

vocational
vo·ca·tion·al 
[vō káyshən’l, vō
káyshnəl] adjective

1.  relating
to job or career skills: relating to education
designed to provide the necessary skills for a particular job or career

2.  of
somebody’s vocation: relating to somebody’s
vocation
—vo·ca·tion·al·ly, adverb[1]



vocationalguidance

vocationalguidance
vo·ca·tion·al
guid·ance
noun

career advice:
guidance in the form of interviews and tests to see which job or career would
best suit somebody’s individual abilities and personality[1]



vocationalschool

vocationalschool
vo·ca·tion·al
school
noun

school teaching trade:
a secondary school at which students are trained in a trade or skill to be
pursued as a career[1]



vocative

vocative
voc·a·tive 
[vókətiv] adjective

indicating somebody or something
addressed:
used to describe a grammatical case or a form of a word that indicates that
somebody or something is being directly addressed by the speaker. In Julius
Caesar’s dying words “et tu, Brute,” “Brute” is the vocative form of the name
“Brutus.”
noun
(plural voc·a·tives)

1.  vocative
case:
the vocative case (informal)

2.  word
in the vocative: a word or form in the vocative case
[15th
century. From, ultimately, Latin vocativus, from the stem vocat-
(see vocation ).]
—voc·a·tive·ly, adverb[1]



voc-ed

voc-ed
voc-ed

Abbreviation of
vocational education[1]



vociferate

vociferate
vo·cif·er·ate 
[vō síffə ràyt] (past vo·cif·er·at·ed,
past participle vo·cif·er·at·ed, present participle vo·cif·er·at·ing,
3rd person present singular vo·cif·er·ates) intransitive and
transitive verb

shout
out:
to shout something out loudly
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin vociferari, literally “to carry
voice,” from the stem voc- (see vocal
) + ferre (see -fer).]
—vo·cif·er·a·tion
[vō sìffə ráysh’n], noun

—vo·cif·er·a·tor
[vō síffə ràytər], noun

—vo·cif·er·ant [vō síffərənt], adjective[1]



vociferous

vociferous
vo·cif·er·ous 
[vō síffərəss] adjective

1.  shouting
noisily:
shouting in a noisy and determined way

2.  full
of noisy shouting: characterized by noisy and
determined shouting
[Early
17th century. Coined from Latin vociferari (see vociferate
) + -ous .]
—vo·cif·er·ous·ly,
adverb

—vo·cif·er·ous·ness, noun[1]



vocoder

vocoder
vo·cod·er 
[vṓ kdər] (plural vo·cod·ers)
noun

speech
synthesizer: an electronic device or computer program
that converts speech into digital form and resynthesizes it at a later time or
after transmission as artificial speech. Originally developed to encode speech
signals for more efficient electronic transmission, vocoder s are now used in
audio response units and voice recognition systems.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from voice + code
+ -er .][1]



vodka

vodka
vod·ka 
[vódkə] (plural vod·kas) noun

colorless
distilled liquor: a colorless distilled liquor originally
from Russia that is made from a grain such as rye or wheat or from potatoes
[Early 19th century. From
Russian, literally “small water,” from voda “water.” From the belief
that vodka is as essential to life as water.][1]



vodoun

vodoun
vo·doun 
[vō dn] or vo·dun [vō dn] noun

See
voodoo  noun 1
[Late 19th century. From Fon vodũ
(see voodoo ).][1]



voetsak

voetsak
voet·sak
[ft sàk] interjection

South
Africa
go
away:
used to tell somebody to go away or to express disbelief (slang)
[Mid-19th century. From
Afrikaans voertsek, from Dutch voort zeg ik “be off, I say.”][1]



voetstoots

voetstoots
voet·stoots
[ft stts] adverb

South
Africa
as
is:
with the seller having no responsibility for any defects in the item sold or
for any other problems arising from the sale
[Late
20th century. From Afrikaans .]
—voet·stoots, adjective[1]



vogue

vogue1
vogue1  [vōg]
noun (plural vogues)

1.  prevailing
fashion:
the prevailing fashion at a particular time

2.  popularity:
the state of being widely popular and fashionable at a particular time • in
vogue
adjective

fashionable:
currently popular or fashionable
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “rowing,” hence “smooth, fashionable course,” from voguer
“to row,” of uncertain origin: probably from assumed Old Low German wogon
“to float.”][1]



vogue

vogue2
vogue2  [vōg]
(past vogued, past participle vogued, present
participle vogu·ing or vogue·ing, 3rd person
present singular vogues) intransitive verb

DANCE dance
using fashion model poses: to dance to music imitating
the poses struck by fashion models
[Late
20th century. Named for Vogue, a fashion magazine.]
—vogu·ing, noun[1]



voguish

voguish
vogu·ish 
[vṓgish] adjective

1.  stylish:
elegantly fashionable and stylish in appearance

2.  briefly
popular:
enjoying brief or sudden popularity
—vogu·ish·ly,
adverb

—vogu·ish·ness, noun[1]



Vogul

Vogul
Vo·gul 
[vṓ gl] (plural Vo·gul or
Vo·guls) noun

PEOPLES member
of Asiatic Russian people: a member of a people from
the regions around the western tributaries of the Ob River and the central and
northern Ural mountains in Russia
[Late 18th century. From
Russian vogul .][1]



voice

voice
voice 
[voyss] noun (plural voic·es)

1.  sound
made using vocal organs: the sound produced by using
the vocal organs, especially the sound used in speech

2.  MUSIC sound
of singing:
the musical sound produced in singing

3.  ability
to use voice: the ability to produce vocal sounds for
speaking or singing • have a
good voice

4.  sound
like human voice: a sound similar to a human voice • listen
to the voice of the wind

5.  right
to state opinion: a right to express an opinion • sections
of society that feel they have no voice

6.  expressed
opinion:
an expressed opinion or desire • hear
the voice of the people

7.  representative
expression:
a medium of communication or expression for somebody or something • the
voice of reason

8.  MUSIC singer:
a singer taking a part in a musical composition

9.  MUSIC singing
part:
a sung part in a musical composition

10. PHONETICS vibration
of vocal cords in speaking: the passing of air across
the vocal cords so as to create audible vibrations

11. GRAMMAR form
of verbs:
the form of a verb that indicates the relation of the subject to the verb. In
the active voice, the subject performs the action, as in “I hit him,” while in
the passive voice the subject suffers the effect of the action, as in “he was
hit.”
transitive
verb
(past voiced, past participle voiced, present
participle voic·ing, 3rd person present singular voic·es)

1.  speak
something:
to express a sentiment or opinion verbally • voice
an opinion

2.  MUSIC regulate
the tone of an organ: to regulate the tone of an
organ pipe in order to produce the desired sound

3.  PHONETICS pronounce
something using the vocal cords: to pronounce a
consonant or vowel by passing air across the vocal cords so as to create
audible vibrations
[13th
century. Via Old French vois from Latin vox (see vocal ).]
be
in (good) voice

to
be singing well or speaking well

with
one voice

simultaneously or unanimously[1]



voicebox

voicebox
voice
box
noun

See
larynx[1]



voiced

voiced
voiced 
[voyst] adjective

PHONETICS pronounced
with vibration of vocal cords: used to describe a
consonant or vowel pronounced by passing air across the vocal cords to create
audible vibrations, as for the “s” sound in the word “his”
—voic·ed·ness [vóyssədnəss], noun[1]



voiceful

voiceful
voice·ful 
[vóysfəl] adjective

having
strong voice: having a loud or ringing voice (literary)
—voice·ful·ness, noun[1]



voiceless

voiceless
voice·less 
[vóyssləss] adjective

1.  saying
nothing:
maintaining a silence

2.  having
no say:
having no vote or influence

3.  having
no voice:
not endowed with a voice

4.  PHONETICS pronounced
without vibration of vocal cords: used to describe a
consonant or vowel pronounced without passing air across the vocal cords and
creating audible vibrations, as in the “s” sound in the word “hiss”
—voice·less·ly,
adverb

—voice·less·ness, noun[1]



voicemail

voicemail
voice
mail 
noun

telephone messages stored on
computer: an electronic communications
system that stores digitized recordings of telephone messages for later
playback (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



voiceover

voiceover
voiceo·ver
(plural voiceo·vers) noun

voice of unseen commentator:
the voice of, or the words spoken by, an unseen narrator, commentator, or
character in a motion picture or television program[1]



voiceprint

voiceprint
voiceprint
[voyss print] (plural voiceprints)
noun

representation
of voice in graph form: a representation in graph
form of the frequencies that make up somebody’s voice. Each person’s voiceprint
is unique, and can be used to identify an individual.
[Mid-20th century. From voice + fingerprint
.][1]



voicer

voicer
voic·er 
[vóyssər] (plural voic·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who voices:
somebody who voices something such as an opinion or objection

2.  somebody
who regulates tone of organ: somebody whose job is to
regulate the tone of an organ pipe in order to produce the desired sound

[1]



voicerecognition

voicerecognition
voice
rec·og·ni·tion noun

1.  See
speech recognition

2.  determining
speaker by computer: a computer function that
enables the machine to recognize a particular voice or voices speaking into a
microphone attached to it. Like password verification, it is a means for
determining the identity of somebody trying to use a computer and controlling access
to it.

[1]



voicevote

voicevote
voice
vote
noun

vote by voice:
a vote taken in a parliament or other legislative body in which voters cry out
“aye” or “no,” or “yea” and “nay,” with the louder cry winning the vote[1]



void

void
void 
[voyd] adjective

1.  LAW not
legally valid: having no legal force • declared
the will null and void

2.  pointless:
ineffective or useless

3.  devoid:
totally lacking in something (formal) • a
personality void of all compassion

4.  not
containing anything: having no contents

5.  vacant:
having no incumbent, occupant, or holder

6.  CARD GAMES having
no cards in a suit: lacking any cards in a
particular suit
noun
(plural voids)

1.  vacuum:
an empty space, especially a large empty space

2.  privation:
a state of loss or privation, or a feeling of loneliness and emptiness

3.  gap:
a gap or opening

4.  CARD GAMES lack
of cards in a suit: a complete lack of cards in
a particular suit • a void in spades
verb
(past void·ed, past participle void·ed, present
participle void·ing, 3rd person present singular voids)

1.  transitive
verb
LAW make
something legally invalid: to deprive something of
legal force

2.  transitive
verb
empty
contents of something: to empty out the contents of
something or empty something of its contents

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb empty
bowels or bladder: to empty the bowels or
bladder
[13th
century. From Old French voide “empty,” ultimately from assumed Vulgar
Latin vocitus, alteration of Latin vocivus .]
—void·er,
noun

—void·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at vacant

[1]



voidable

voidable
void·a·ble 
[vóydəb’l] adjective

able
to be legally voided: capable of being deprived of
legal force
—void·a·ble·ness, noun[1]



voidance

voidance
void·ance 
[vóyd’ns] noun

1.  LAW invalidation
of contract: the act of depriving a contract of legal
force

2.  act
of emptying: the act of voiding or emptying something

3.  vacancy:
the situation of having no incumbent or occupant, for example, no bishop in a
diocese

[1]



voiddeck

voiddeck
void
deck
(plural void decks) noun

ground floor of apartment
block: in Malaysia and Singapore,
the empty ground floor of an apartment block, used for social events by people
living in the block[1]



voided

voided
void·ed 
[vóydəd] adjective

having missing or blank
center: in heraldry, having the
center and a narrow surrounding area removed or left empty[1]



Voight,Jon

Voight,Jon
Voight
[voyt], Jon (1938– )

U.S. movie actor. He won an
Academy Award for best actor for Coming Home ( 1977 ).[1]



voile

voile
voile 
[voyl] noun

lightweight
fabric:
a crisp lightweight translucent fabric made from cotton, synthetic fibers, or
wool
[Late 19th century. From
French, “veil,” from Latin vela, plural of velum (see veil ).][1]



voilà

voilà
voi·là 
[vwaa l] interjection

there
you are:
used to bring somebody’s attention to something, especially in order to elicit
appreciation or approval
[Mid-18th century. From
French, from voi, imperative of voir “to see” + là
“there.”][1]



voirdire

voirdire
voir
dire 
[vwaar dr] noun

competency
examination of witness or juror: the preliminary
examination of a witness or juror to determine his or her competency to give or
hear evidence
[Late 17th century. From Law
French, from Old French voir “truth” + dire “to speak.”][1]



voixcéleste

voixcéleste
voix
cé·leste 
[vw say lést] (plural voix
cé·lestes [vw say lést]) noun

type
of organ stop: an organ stop that gives a light
wavering otherworldly quality to the notes played
[Late 19th century. From
French, from voix “voice” + céleste “heavenly.” From the belief
that the tone produced resembled heavenly voices.][1]



vol.

vol.
vol.

1.  Abbreviation
of
volcano

2.  Abbreviation
of
volume

3.  Abbreviation
of
volunteer

[1]



Volans

Volans
Vo·lans 
[vṓ lànz] noun

constellation in southern
hemisphere: a small constellation in the
sky of the southern hemisphere between Carina and Hydrus, east of the Large
Magellanic Cloud[1]



volant

volant
vo·lant 
[vṓlənt] adjective

1.  HERALDRY having
wings spread: in heraldry, having the wings outspread
as in flight

2.  able
to fly:
flying or having the power of flight

3.  nimble:
moving quickly, lightly, and easily (literary)
[Early 16th century. From
French, present participle of voler “to fly,” from Latin volare
(see volatile ).][1]



Volapük

Volapük
Vo·la·pük 
[vṓlə pk, vóllə
pk] noun

artificial
language:
a language based on English and German, invented by Johann Martin Schleyer in
1880
[Late 19th century. From vol,
alteration of world, + pük “speech,”
alteration of speak .][1]



volar

volar
vo·lar 
[vṓlər] adjective

of
palm or sole: relating to the palm of the hand or the
sole of the foot
[Early 19th century. Formed
from vola “hollow of the hand or foot,” from Latin, “sole, palm.”][1]



volatile

volatile
vol·a·tile 
[vóllət’l] adjective

1.  changing
suddenly:
characterized by or prone to sudden change

2.  unstable
and potentially dangerous: apt to become suddenly
violent or dangerous

3.  unpredictable
or fickle:
changeable in mood, temper, or desire

4.  CHEMISTRY prone
to evaporation: changing into a vapor at a relatively
low temperature

5.  short-lived:
continuing for only a short time

6.  COMPUTING losing
data when power is off: used to describe a computer
memory that does not store data when the power is turned off. Random access
memory RAM is volatile, while read-only memory ROM is not.
noun
(plural vol·a·tiles)

CHEMISTRY volatile
substance:
a substance that changes into a vapor at a relatively low temperature
[Late
16th century. From, ultimately, Latin volatilis, from volat-,
past participle stem of volare “to fly.”]
—vol·a·tile·ness,
noun

—vol·a·til·i·ty [vòllə tíllətee], noun[1]



volatileorganic compound

volatileorganic compound
vol·a·tile
or·gan·ic com·pound noun

air pollutant:
an organic compound, for example, ethylene, propylene, benzene, or styrene,
that changes into a vapor at a relatively low temperature and contributes to
air pollution and ozone formation[1]



volatilize

volatilize
vol·a·til·ize 
[vóllət’l z] (past vol·a·til·ized,
past participle vol·a·til·ized, present participle vol·a·til·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vol·a·til·iz·es) intransitive and
transitive verb

change
into vapor:
to change into a vapor or to cause a solid or liquid to be changed into a vapor
—vol·a·til·iz·a·ble,
adjective

—vol·a·til·i·za·tion
[vòllət’li záysh’n], noun

—vol·a·til·iz·er [vóllət’l zər], noun[1]



vol-au-vent

vol-au-vent
vol-au-vent 
[vàwlə vN] (plural vol-au-vents)
noun

pastry
shell with meat and sauce: a small light pastry shell
filled with meat, fish, game, or fowl in a sauce and baked
[From French, literally
“flight in the wind,” probably from the lightness of the pastry][1]



volcanic

volcanic
vol·can·ic 
[vol kánnik] adjective

1.  of
volcanoes:
relating to or originating from a volcano

2.  GEOLOGY consisting
of volcanoes: made up of or coming from volcanoes

3.  sudden
and violent: characterized by sudden violent
outbursts
—vol·can·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



volcanicarc

volcanicarc
vol·can·ic
arc
noun

See
island arc[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








volcanicbomb

volcanicbomb
vol·can·ic
bomb
noun

lump of ejected lava:
a lump of lava ejected from a volcano that has acquired a characteristic form
as a result of its solidification while traveling through the air[1]



volcaniccone

volcaniccone
vol·can·ic
cone
noun

cone around a crater:
a cone-shaped mass of material that has built up around the crater of a volcano[1]



volcanicdust

volcanicdust
vol·can·ic
dust
noun

volcanic ash suspended in
air: fine particles of ash that
are suspended in the atmosphere after a volcanic eruption[1]



volcanicglass

volcanicglass
vol·can·ic
glass
noun

natural glass:
natural glass formed when molten lava from a volcano cools too quickly to
crystallize.
Also called
glass[1]



volcanicity

volcanicity
vol·can·ic·i·ty
[vòlkə níssətee] or vul·can·ic·i·ty
[vùlkə níssətee] noun

tendency
to erupt:
the tendency or likelihood of a volcano or group of volcanoes to erupt
[Mid-19th century. From
French volcanicité, from volcan (see volcano
).][1]



volcanicplug

volcanicplug
vol·can·ic
plug
(plural vol·can·ic plugs) or vol·can·ic neck (plural
vol·can·ic necks) noun

lava cylinder at vent of
volcano: a massive cylindrical
formation of solidified lava that once blocked the vent of a volcano, now
exposed after erosion of softer surrounding material.
Also called
plug[1]



volcanism

volcanism
vol·ca·nism 
[vólkə nìzzəm] or vul·ca·nism
[vúlkə nìzzəm] noun

volcanic activity:
the processes involved in the formation of volcanoes, and in the transfer of
magma and volatile material from the interior of the earth to its surface[1]



volcanize

volcanize
vol·ca·nize 
[vólkə nz] (past vol·ca·nized,
past participle vol·ca·nized, present participle vol·ca·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular vol·ca·niz·es) transitive verb

change
something by volcanic activity: to cause something to
change as a result of volcanic activity
—vol·ca·ni·za·tion [vòlkəni záysh’n], noun[1]



volcano

volcano
vol·ca·no 
[vol káy nō] (plural vol·ca·noes
or vol·ca·nos) noun

1.  opening
in Earth’s crust: a naturally occurring opening in the
surface of the Earth through which molten, gaseous, and solid material is
ejected

2.  mountain:
a mountain created by the deposition and accumulation of materials ejected from
a vent in a central crater
[Early
17th century. Via Italian from Latin Volcanus, Vulcanus Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.]
—vol·ca·ni·an,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Under
  the Volcano, a novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry ( 1947 ). Set in Mexico
  on the annual Day of the Dead, it describes the last hours of British consul
  Geoffrey Firman, who, depressed by the failure of his marriage and the onset
  of war, slowly drinks himself to death. A harrowing psychological study, it
  can also be read as an allegory of the disintegration of Western values.

[1]



volcanology

volcanology
vol·ca·nol·o·gy 
[vòlkə nólləjee] or vul·ca·nol·o·gy
[vùlkə nólləjee] noun

study
of volcanoes: the scientific study of volcanoes,
including their formation, signs of an eruption, and other aspects of volcanic
activity
—vol·ca·no·log·ic
[vòlkənə lójjik], adjective

—vol·ca·no·log·i·cal
[vòlkənə lójjik’l], adjective

—vol·ca·nol·o·gist [vòlkə nólləjist], noun[1]



vole

vole1
vole1 [vōl]
(plural voles or vole) noun

small
rodent:
a small rodent found mostly in North America and Eurasia, similar to mice and
rats but with a shorter tail and legs and a stocky body. Genus: Microtus
[Early 19th century.
Originally “vole mouse,” from Norwegian voll mus “field mouse.”][1]



vole

vole2
vole2 [vōl]
(plural voles) noun

taking
of all card tricks: a taking of all the tricks
in a single hand in a card game such as bridge
[Late 17th century. From
French, probably from voler “to fly,” from Latin volare (source
of English volatile and volley ).][1]



Volga

Volga
Vol·ga 
[vólgə, váwlgə]

the longest river in Europe,
in western Russia. It rises northwest of Moscow and flows southeast and south
and empties into the Caspian Sea. Length: 3,531 km/2,194 mi.[1]



Volgograd

Volgograd
Vol·go·grad 
[vólgə gràd, vṓlgə
gràd]

industrial and port city in
southwestern Russia on the Volga River. It is an important rail junction and
inland port. In World War II the city was subjected to a long siege by German
forces that proved to be one of the turning points of the war. Population:
1,006,100 (1992) Former name Stalingrad
1925–1961[1]



volitant

volitant
vol·i·tant 
[vóllət’nt] adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY able
to fly:
flying or capable of flight

2.  moving
quickly:
moving about rapidly or constantly
[Early 17th century. From
Latin volitare “to keep on flying,” from volare “to fly.”][1]



volitation

volitation
volitation
[vòllə táysh’n] noun

flying:
the act of flying or the ability to fly (formal)
[Mid-17th
century. From medieval Latin volitation-, the stem of volitatio,
from volitare, literally “to keep on flying,” from volare “to
fly.”]
—vol·i·ta·tion·al, adjective[1]



volition

volition
vo·li·tion 
[və lísh’n] noun

1.  choosing:
the act of exercising the will

2.  ability
to choose:
the ability to make conscious choices or decisions

3.  choice
made:
the result of exercising the will

4.  PHILOSOPHY act
of will:
an act of will distinguished from the intended physical movement it causes
[Early
17th century. Directly or via French from Latin volitio, from vol-
(see voluntary ).]
—vo·li·tion·al,
adjective

—vo·li·tion·al·ly,
adverb

—vo·li·tion·ar·y, adjective[1]



volitive

volitive
vol·i·tive 
[vóllətiv] adjective

1.  of
the will:
relating to or beginning in the will

2.  GRAMMAR See desiderative
[15th century. From medieval
Latin volitivus, from the Latin stem volition- (see volition ).][1]



volk

volk
volk
[fawlk, fōk]
noun

South
Africa
people
or nation:
a people or nation, especially the nation of Afrikaners
[Late 19th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, “nation, people.”][1]



Volkslied

Volkslied
Volks·lied
[fáwlks ld, fṓks
ld] (plural Volks·lie·der [fáwlks
ldər]) noun

German
folk song:
a traditional German folk song
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “people’s song.”][1]



volley

volley
vol·ley 
[vóllee] noun (plural vol·leys)

1.  SPORTS swing
at a ball:
a swing, kick, or hit at a ball, for example, in tennis or soccer, before it
touches the ground or court

2.  ARMS firing
of weapons:
a simultaneous discharge of several weapons, especially firearms

3.  ARMS missiles
fired:
a discharge of missiles or other projectiles fired simultaneously

4.  simultaneous
expression of something: a simultaneous rapid
expression of something, for example, curses or protests

5.  MINING rock
blasting:
a simultaneous explosion of several blastings of rock
verb
(past vol·leyed, past participle vol·leyed, present
participle vol·ley·ing, 3rd person present singular vol·leys)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb SPORTS strike a ball before it
lands:
to hit or kick a ball before it reaches the ground, for example, in tennis or
soccer

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb ARMS fire simultaneously:
to fire weapons simultaneously

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb say rapidly:
to say something forcefully or loudly and rapidly, or to be spoken forcefully
and rapidly

4.  intransitive
verb
move
rapidly:
to move or rush rapidly or loudly
[Late
16th century. Via French volée from, ultimately, Latin volare “to
fly.”]
—vol·ley·er, noun[1]



volleyball

volleyball
vol·ley·ball 
[vóllee bàwl] (plural vol·ley·balls)
noun

1.  team
sport:
a sport played on a rectangular court, in which two teams can each use up to
three hits to pass a large ball over a high net

2.  large
inflated ball: a large, usually white inflated ball
used to play volleyball
—vol·ley·ball·er, noun[1]



volost

volost
vo·lost 
[vṓ lòst] (plural vo·losts) noun

1.  rural
soviet:
a rural elected council in the former Soviet Union

2.  former
peasant community in Russia: in tsarist Russia, a peasant
community made up of several villages
[Late 19th century. From Russian
.][1]



volplane

volplane
vol·plane 
[vól plàyn] intransitive verb (past
vol·planed, past participle vol·planed, present
participle vol·plan·ing, 3rd person present singular vol·planes)
AIR

1.  glide
to the ground: to glide toward the ground in an
airplane with the engine turned off

2.  move
by gliding:
to travel or move by gliding
noun
(plural vol·planes)

AIR act of
gliding:
a glide toward the ground in an aircraft with the engine turned off
[Early 20th century. From
French vol plané, literally “planed flight.”][1]



vols.

vols.
vols.

Abbreviation of
volumes[1]



Volsci

Volsci
Vol·sci 
[váwlskee, vól
s, vólshee] plural noun

ancient Italian people:
an ancient people who occupied lands in Latium, a region of central Italy.
Their territory was progressively taken over by the Romans during the 5th and
4th centuries BC .[1]



volt

volt1
volt1 [vōlt]
(plural volts) noun

unit
of electric potential difference: the unit of
electromotive force and electric potential difference equal to the difference
between two points in a circuit carrying one ampere of current and dissipating
one watt of power. Symbol V
[Late 19th century. Named for
Alessandro Volta .][1]



volt

volt2
volt2 [vōlt]
(plural volts) or volte [vōlt]
(plural voltes) noun

1.  DRESSAGE circular
motion by horse: a circular movement executed by a horse
in dressage

2.  FENCING sudden
move:
a sudden leap made in fencing to elude an opponent’s thrust
[Late 16th century. Via
French volte from Italian volta (see volta
).][1]



Volta

Volta
Vol·ta 
[vóltə, vṓltə]

river in Ghana, formed by the
confluence of the Black Volta and White Volta rivers in the central part of the
country. Length: 1,500 km/930 mi.[1]



volta

volta
vol·ta
[vṓltə, vóltə]
(plural vol·te [vṓl tày]) noun

1.  DANCE Italian
dance:
a very fast dance popular in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries

2.  MUSIC volta
music:
a piece of music written for the volta or in the triple-time rhythm of the
dance

3.  MUSIC one
playing of a musical passage: a single playing of a
passage of music that may then be repeated
[Late 16th century. From
Italian, “a turn,” from volgere “to turn,” from Latin volvere “to
roll” (source of English volume ).][1]



Volta,Alessandro

Volta,Alessandro
Vol·ta 
[vṓltə], Alessandro, Count (1745–1827)

Italian physicist. He
developed the first electric battery (1800).[1]



voltage

voltage
volt·age 
[vṓltij] (plural volt·ag·es) noun

electric potential:
electric potential expressed in volts[1]



voltagedivider

voltagedivider
volt·age
di·vid·er
(plural volt·age di·vid·ers) noun

device providing fractional
voltage: a series of resistors or a
single resistor used to provide various voltages that are fractions of the
source voltage[1]



voltaic

voltaic
vol·ta·ic
[vol táy ik, vōl
táy ik] adjective

producing
electric current: relating to or denoting direct electric
current produced by chemical action
[Early19th century. Formed
from the name of Alessandro Volta (see volt 1 ).][1]



Voltaic

Voltaic
Vol·ta·ic
[vol táy ik] adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Burkina-Faso: relating to Burkina-Faso, formerly
called Upper Volta, or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of Gur
languages:
relating to the Gur group of languages, spoken chiefly in Burkina-Faso and
Ghana
[Mid-20th century. From the
name of the River Volta .][1]



voltaicbattery

voltaicbattery
vol·ta·ic
bat·ter·y
noun

electric battery:
an electric battery made up of one or more primary cells[1]



voltaiccell

voltaiccell
vol·ta·ic
cell
(plural vol·ta·ic cells) noun

See
primary cell[1]



voltaiccouple

voltaiccouple
vol·ta·ic
cou·ple
(plural vol·ta·ic cou·ples) noun

metallic coupling that
produces voltage: two different metals
immersed in an electrolyte that produce a potential difference due to chemical
action[1]



voltaicpile

voltaicpile
vol·ta·ic
pile
(plural vol·ta·ic piles) noun

device producing electric
current: a stack of dissimilar metal
disks separated by a porous material soaked in electrolyte that acts as a
battery.
Also called
pile[1]



Voltaire

Voltaire

Vol·taire 
[vōl táir] (1694–1778)
French
writer and philosopher. A leading figure in the Enlightenment, he produced a
range of literary works embodying his radical spirit and religious ideas. They
include Philosophical Letters ( 1734 ), Candide ( 1759 ), and the
Dictionnaire Philosophique ( 1764 ).
Real name
Arouet, François Marie[1]



voltaism

voltaism
vol·ta·ism 
[vóltə ìzzəm, vṓltə
ìzzəm] noun

See
galvanism  noun 1[1]



volte

volte
volte 
noun

See
volt 2[1]



volte-face

volte-face
volte-face 
[vawlt fss, vàwltə
fss] (plural volte-fac·es) noun

1.  about-face:
a sudden reversal in opinion or policy

2.  position
change:
a change in position so as to be facing the opposite direction
[Early 19th century. Via
French from Italian voltafaccia, literally “a turn of the face.”][1]



voltmeter

voltmeter
volt·me·ter 
[vṓlt mtər] (plural volt·me·ters)
noun

instrument that measures
voltage: an instrument calibrated in
volts that measures the electromotive force or potential difference between two
points in a circuit[1]



voluble

voluble
vol·u·ble 
[vóllyəb’l] adjective

1.  talking
a great deal: talking or spoken easily and at length

2.  BOTANY twining:
twining or twisting
[14th
century. Directly or via French from Latin volubilis, from, ultimately, volvere
“to roll.”]
—vol·u·bil·i·ty
[vòllyə bíllətee], noun

—vol·u·ble·ness
[vóllyəb’lnəss], noun

—vol·u·bly [vóllyəblee], adverb[1]



volume

volume
vol·ume 
[vóllyəm, vól
ym] noun (plural vol·umes)

1.  ACOUSTICS loudness:
the loudness of a sound

2.  PHYSICS space
inside an object: the size of a three-dimensional space
enclosed within or occupied by an object. Volume is measured in cubic units. Symbol
V

3.  ACOUSTICS sound
control:
the knob or button on a radio, television, or audio player that controls
loudness

4.  amount:
the total amount of something

5.  thickness:
the thick quality or appearance of somebody’s hair • Apply
to roots for added volume.

6.  PUBLISHING book:
a bound collection of printed or written pages

7.  PUBLISHING book
of a set:
a single book that belongs to a set of books

8.  PUBLISHING consecutive
magazine issues: a set of issues of a periodical spanning
one calendar year

9.  HISTORY scroll:
a roll of parchment or papyrus
adjective

involving large quantities:
using or involving large amounts or quantities • The
factory is offering volume discounts on carpet sales.
[14th
century. Via Old French volum from Latin volumen “roll, scroll,
book,” from volvere “to roll.” The sense “loudness” evolved from
“certain size of book” via “size,” hence “size of sound.”]
speak
volumes

to be highly expressive or
significant[1]



volumed

volumed
vol·umed 
[vóllyəmd, vól
ymd] adjective

1.  PUBLISHING in
a set of books: published in a series or set of a
specified number of books (usually used in combination) • three-volumed
set

2.  in
a round mass: forming or rolling in a rounded mass (literary)

[1]



volumeter

volumeter
vol·u·me·ter 
[və lmətər, vollyə
mtər] (plural vol·u·me·ters) noun

instrument for measuring
volume: an instrument used to
measure the volume of a solid, liquid, or gas[1]



volumetric

volumetric
vol·u·met·ric 
[vòllyə méttrik] adjective

using
volume measurement: of, relating to, or using
measurement by volume
—vol·u·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb[1]



volumetricanalysis

volumetricanalysis
vol·u·met·ric
a·nal·y·sis
noun CHEMISTRY

1.  chemical
analysis of liquids: an analysis of liquids using
measured volumes of standard chemical reagents

2.  analysis
of gas:
an analysis of gas by volume

[1]



voluminous

voluminous
vo·lu·mi·nous 
[və lmənəss] adjective

1.  large:
having great size, capacity, or fullness

2.  extremely
long:
very lengthy and taking up many pages or books • a
voluminous report

3.  prolific:
producing a large amount of creative work • a
voluminous novelist

4.  winding:
winding or coiling (archaic)
[Early
17th century. Directly or via late Latin voluminosus “with many coils,”
from Latin volumen (see volume ).]
—vo·lu·mi·nos·i·ty
[və lmə nóssətee], noun

—vo·lu·mi·nous·ly
[və lmənəslee], adverb

—vo·lu·mi·nous·ness [və lmənəssnəss], noun[1]



voluntarism

voluntarism
vol·un·ta·rism 
noun

1.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION reliance
on voluntary contributions: the use of or dependence on
voluntary contributions rather than government funds to keep an institution
such as a school or church in existence.
Also
called
voluntaryism

2.  PHILOSOPHY philosophical
theory:
the theory that regards the will rather than the intellect as the essential
principle of the individual or cosmos
—vol·un·ta·rist,
noun

—vol·un·ta·ris·tic [vòlləntə rístik], adjective[1]



voluntary

voluntary
vol·un·tar·y 
[vóllən tèrree] adjective

1.  of
free will:
arising, acting, or resulting from somebody’s own choice or decision rather
than because of external pressure or force

2.  without
pay:
performing, working, or done without financial reward

3.  using
volunteers:
composed of, functioning, or requiring volunteers

4.  having
will:
having the capacity required to make conscious choices or decisions

5.  LAW without
legal obligation: not involving legal obligation,
coercion, or persuasion

6.  LAW done
on purpose:
performed or carried out with intention rather than by accident

7.  LAW given
without payment in return: done or given freely with no
promise of money or other recompense
noun
(plural vol·un·tar·ies)

1.  MUSIC short
composition: a short musical composition, often
played on a solo instrument, that introduces a longer work

2.  MUSIC church
music:
a piece of music or improvisation for the organ, played before, during, or at
the end of a church service

3.  volunteer:
a volunteer, particularly somebody who joins the army (archaic)
[14th
century. From Latin voluntarius, from voluntas “will, choice,” from
vol-, stem of velle “to wish.”]
—vol·un·tar·i·ly
[vóllən tèrəlee], adverb

—vol·un·tar·i·ness, noun[1]



voluntaryism

voluntaryism
vol·un·tar·y·ism 
[vóllən terree ìzzəm] noun

See
voluntarism  noun 1
—vol·un·tar·y·ist, noun[1]



voluntarymuscle

voluntarymuscle
vol·un·tar·y
mus·cle
(plural vol·un·tar·y mus·cles) noun

controlled muscle:
a muscle, usually made up of striated fibers, that is consciously controlled by
the individual.
Also called
striated muscle[1]



volunteer

volunteer
vol·un·teer 
[vòllən tr] noun (plural vol·un·teers)

1.  somebody
who works for free: somebody who works without
being paid

2.  somebody
who does something voluntarily: somebody who does
something, especially something undesirable, without being forced to do it

3.  MILITARY voluntary
recruit to armed forces: somebody who has offered to
serve in one of the armed services rather than being required to join by law

4.  BOTANY cultivated
plant growing naturally: a cultivated plant,
especially a crop plant, that grows without having been intentionally sown or
planted

5.  LAW somebody
acting without legal obligation: somebody who performs
an act or participates in a transaction without being legally bound to do so
and without expecting to be paid

6.  LAW somebody
given property: somebody who receives property without
having to pay for it or give anything in return
verb
(past vol·un·teered, past participle vol·un·teered,
present participle vol·un·teer·ing, 3rd person present
singular vol·un·teers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb offer
free help:
to do charitable or helpful work without receiving pay for it • volunteers
his time

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb do
something by choice: to perform or offer to
perform work of your own free will • volunteered
to work the night shift

3.  transitive
verb
tell
something without being asked: to tell somebody
something or give information without being asked • to
volunteer information

4.  transitive
verb
offer
somebody else’s help: to suggest somebody else as
a helper • volunteered
her secretary for a few days

5.  intransitive
verb
MILITARY offer
to do military service: to offer to serve in one of
the armed services without being required to join by law
[Late
16th century. Via French volontaire from Latin voluntarius (see voluntary ).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  Volunteer is used of a second or
  unplanted crop, often one that develops from seed left the year before,
  throughout the Mid-Atlantic rural South. It can be a noun ( harvest the
  volunteers ), adjective ( volunteer tomatoes ), or adverb ( came
  up volunteer ).

[1]



volunteerarmy

volunteerarmy
vol·un·teer
ar·my
noun

nonconscripted army:
an army that relies on recruiting people who enlist voluntarily rather than
conscripting recruits by law[1]



volunteerism

volunteerism
vol·un·teer·ism 
[vòllən tr ìzzəm] noun

using volunteer help:
the practice of using volunteer workers in community service organizations and
programs[1]



Volunteersof America

Volunteersof America
Vol·un·teers
of A·mer·i·ca noun

religious relief
organization: a religious
organization founded in 1896 by Ballington Booth that is committed to social
reform and relieving need[1]



volunteervacation

volunteervacation
vol·un·teer
va·ca·tion
(plural vol·un·teer va·ca·tions) noun

vacation spent doing
volunteer work: a vacation during which
somebody does volunteer work such as cleaning up the environment or housing
construction and repair[1]



voluptuary

voluptuary
vo·lup·tu·ar·y 
[və lúpchoo èrree] (plural vo·lup·tu·ar·ies)
noun

sensualist:
somebody whose life is devoted to enjoying luxury and the pleasures of the
senses
[Early 17th century. From
Latin voluptuarius, from voluptas “pleasure.”][1]



voluptuous

voluptuous
vo·lup·tu·ous 
[və lúpchoo əss] adjective

1.  sensual:
sensual in appearance

2.  sensual:
providing sensual pleasure

3.  indulgent:
inclined or devoted to a luxurious sensual life
[14th
century. Directly or via French voluptueux from Latin voluptuosus,
from voluptas “pleasure.”]
—vo·lup·tu·ous·ly,
adverb

—vo·lup·tu·ous·ness, noun[1]



volute

volute
vo·lute 
[və lt] noun (plural vo·lutes)

1.  spiral
shape:
a spiral form or structure, for example, the whorl in the shell of a snail

2.  ARCHITECTURE decorative
scroll:
a carved spiral decoration, usually on an Ionic capital

3.  MARINE BIOLOGY tropical
mollusk:
a gastropod mollusk that lives in tropical waters and has a spiral shell with
colorful markings. Family: Volutidae
adjective

spiraling:
moving in or following a spiral path
[Mid-16th
century. Directly or via French from Latin voluta, feminine past
participle of volvere “to roll.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Latin word volvere, from which volute
  is derived, is also the source of English convolution,
  convolvulus, devolution, evolution,
  involve, revolt, revolution,
  revolve, vault, voluble,
  and volume.

[1]



volutin

volutin
vol·u·tin 
[vóllyətin, və
lt’n] noun

easily
stained substance: an easily stained substance
found in the cytoplasm of some bacterial and fungal cells that serves to store
phosphates for the energy needs of the cell
[Early 20th century. From
modern Latin Spirillum volutans, “rolling spirillum,” the species of
bacterium in which it was first found, from Latin volutare “to keep
rolling around,” from volvere (see volute
).][1]



volution

volution
vo·lu·tion 
[və lsh’n] (plural vo·lu·tions)
noun

1.  spiral:
a shape that coils, twists, or turns around a center

2.  ZOOLOGY whorl:
any of the spiral segments of a gastropod’s shell
[15th century. From late
Latin volutio, from Latin volvere “to roll.”][1]



volva

volva
vol·va 
[vólvə] (plural vol·vas) noun

fungal
structure:
a cup-shaped structure that encircles the base of the stalk of some mushrooms
[Mid-18th
century. From modern Latin, from Latin volvere “to roll.”]
—vol·vate [vólvət, vól vàyt],
adjective[1]



volvox

volvox
vol·vox 
[vól vòks] (plural vol·vox·es)
noun

freshwater
algae:
freshwater green algae that form communities made up of hollow multicellular
spheres. Genus: Volvox
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, from Latin volvere “to roll.”][1]



volvulus

volvulus
vol·vu·lus 
[vólvyələss] (plural vol·vu·li
[vólvyə l]) noun

intestinal
obstruction: an abnormal twisting of the digestive
tract that leads to partial or complete obstruction and a reduction in blood
supply. Gangrene is a possible consequence.
[Late 17th century. From
medieval Latin, from Latin volvere “to roll.”][1]



vomer

vomer
vo·mer 
[vṓmər] (plural vo·mers) noun

nasal
bone:
a thin plate of bone that forms part of the septum dividing the nasal passages
inside the nose
[Early
18th century. From Latin, literally “ploughshare”; so called because of its
shape.]
—vo·mer·ine [vṓmə rn], adjective[1]



vomit

vomit
vom·it 
[vómmit] intransitive and transitive verb
(past vom·it·ed, past participle vom·it·ed, present
participle vom·it·ing, 3rd person present singular vom·its)

1.  throw
up stomach contents: to expel the contents of the
stomach through the mouth as a result of a series of involuntary spasms of the
stomach muscles

2.  gush
forth:
to send something out in a forceful stream, or to be ejected forcefully • to
vomit curses
noun

1.  expelled
stomach contents: the stomach contents expelled through
the mouth. Technical name vomitus

2.  act
of vomiting: the act of expelling the stomach
contents through the mouth
[15th
century. Directly or via Anglo-French from Latin vomitus, past
participle of vomere “to eject or vomit.”]
—vom·it·er, noun[1]



vomitory

vomitory
vom·i·to·ry 
[vómmi tàwree] adjective vomitory
vomitive

MEDICINE causing
vomiting:
causing the vomiting of stomach contents (dated)
noun
(plural vom·i·to·ries)

1.  opening:
an opening through which matter is ejected

2.  ARCHITECTURE HISTORY ancient
Roman passageway: a passageway, usually in an amphitheater
or stadium, connecting a tier of seats with an outside entrance
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vomitorius, from vomitus (see vomit
).][1]



vomiturition

vomiturition
vom·i·tu·ri·tion 
[vòmmichə rísh’n] noun

retching
but not vomiting: failure to bring up the contents of the
stomach in spite of forceful attempts to do so (dated)
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from vomit and micturition
“urination,” from micturate .][1]



vomitus

vomitus
vom·i·tus 
[vómmitəss] (plural vom·i·tus·es)
noun

vomit:
vomited contents of the stomach (technical)
[Early 20th century. From
Latin (see vomit ).][1]



VonBraun, Wernher

VonBraun, Wernher

Von Braun
[fən brówn, von
brówn], Wernher (1912–1977)
German engineer. He developed the V2
rocket for Germany during World War II. He later worked in the United States on
developing the launch vehicle used in the Moon landing program.[1]



VoNguyen Giap

VoNguyen Giap
Vo
Ngu·yen Giap [v nyen
yáp, v nyen záp, v ngyenyáp] (1912– )

Vietnamese military leader.
In Vietnam, he led communist fighters against the Japanese (1945), the French
(1954), and the United States (1964–1973).[1]



Vonnegut,Kurt

Vonnegut,Kurt
Von·ne·gut
[vónni gət], Kurt (1922– )

U.S.
writer. He is known for his satirical novels, including Slaughterhouse Five
( 1969 ).
Full name
Vonnegut, Jr., Kurt[1]



voodoo

voodoo
voo·doo 
[v d] noun (plural voo·doos)

1.  Caribbean
religion:
a religion practiced throughout Caribbean countries, especially Haiti, that is
a combination of Roman Catholic rituals and the animistic beliefs of Dahomean
enslaved laborers, involving magic and communication with ancestors.
Also
called
vodoun

2.  practitioner
of voodoo:
somebody who practices voodoo.
Also
called
hoodoo

3.  something
magic:
a charm, spell, or fetish regarded by those who practice voodoo as having
magical powers

4.  something
without basis: a belief, theory, or method that lacks
sufficient evidence or proof
transitive
verb
(past voo·dooed, past participle voo·dooed, present
participle voo·doo·ing, 3rd person present singular voo·doos)

cast a spell on somebody:
to cast a voodoo spell on somebody
[Early 19th century. Via
Louisiana French voudou from Fon vodü “fetish.”][1]



voodooism

voodooism
voo·doo·ism 
[v doo ìzzəm] noun

1.  voodoo
as religion: the practices and beliefs of voodoo

2.  magic:
an attempt to control or affect the world by using magic or sorcery
—voo·doo·ist,
noun

—voo·doo·is·tic [v doo ístik], adjective[1]



voop

voop
voop
[voop] noun (plural voops)

Caribbean
wild
swing at cricket ball: in cricket, a wild
uncontrolled swing at the ball by a batsman
intransitive
verb
(past vooped, past participle vooped, present
participle voop·ing, 3rd person present singular voops)

Caribbean
make wild swing at ball:
in cricket, to make a wild uncontrolled swing at the ball when batting[1]



voorkamer

voorkamer
voorkamer
[fáwr kmər] (plural voorkamers)
noun

South
Africa
front
room:
the front room of a house, especially of a Cape Dutch house or farmhouse
[Late 18th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, literally “front room.”][1]



Voortrekker

Voortrekker
Voortrekker
[fáwr trèkər] (plural Voortrekkers)
noun

South
Africa
Afrikaner
pioneer:
a member of a band of Afrikaner pioneers who, in the early 19th century, left
the British-ruled Cape for the eastern Cape and the interior of South Africa
[Late 19th century. Via
Afrikaans from Dutch, literally “before-trekker.”][1]



VOR

VOR
VOR

Abbreviation of
very-high-frequency omnidirectional radio range[1]



voracious

voracious
vo·ra·cious 
[vaw ráyshəss, və
ráyshəss] adjective

1.  very
hungry:
desiring or consuming food in great quantities • a
voracious appetite

2.  especially
eager:
unusually eager or enthusiastic about an activity • a
voracious reader
[Mid-17th
century. From the Latin stem vorac-, from vorare “to devour.”]
—vo·ra·cious·ly,
adverb

—vo·ra·cious·ness,
noun

—vo·rac·i·ty [vaw rássətee, və rássətee],
noun[1]



Vorlage

Vorlage
Vor·la·ge
[fáwr lgə] (plural Vor·la·ges)
or vor·la·ge [fáwr lgə] (plural
vor·la·ges) noun

skiing
position:
a skiing position in which a skier leans forward from the ankle but keeps his
or her heels on the skis
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “forward position.”][1]



Voronezh

Voronezh
Vo·ro·nezh 
[və ráwnish]

city and capital of Voronezh
Oblast in western Russia. Population: 895,000 (1990)[1]



-vorous

-vorous
-vorous
suffix

eating,
having a particular kind of food • herbivorous
[Formed from Latin -vorus,
from vorare “to swallow” (source of English devour
)][1]



Vorster,John

Vorster,John
Vor·ster
[fáwrstər], John (1915–1983)

South
African statesman. He was prime minister (1966–1978) and president (1978–1979)
of South Africa. His career ended after he was implicated in a financial
scandal.
Real name
Vorster, Balthazar Johannes[1]



vortex

vortex
vor·tex 
[váwr tèks] (plural vor·tex·es
or vor·ti·ces [váwrtə sz]) noun

1.  whirling
mass:
a whirling mass of something, especially water or air, that draws everything
near it toward its center

2.  something
overwhelming: a situation or feeling that seems to
swamp or engulf everything else
[Mid-17th century. From
Latin, a variant of vertex (see vertex
).][1]



vortical

vortical
vor·ti·cal 
[váwrtik’l] adjective

whirling:
relating to or moving in a vortex
[Mid-17th
century. From Latin vortic-, stem of vortex (see vortex ).]
—vor·ti·cal·ly, adverb[1]



vorticella

vorticella
vor·ti·cel·la 
[vàwrti séllə] (plural vor·ti·cel·lae
[vàwrti séllee] or vor·ti·cel·las)
noun

underwater
protozoan:
an underwater protozoan with a bell-shaped body. It is usually attached to
something such as a plant by a slender stalk. Genus: Vorticella
[Late 18th century. From
modern Latin, literally “little vortex,” from Latin vortic- (see vortical ).][1]



vorticism

vorticism
vor·ti·cism 
[váwrti sìzzəm] noun

British
artistic movement: a short-lived early
20th-century British movement in art and literature that was both abstract and
concerned about the future and the machine age
[Early
20th century. Formed from Latin vortic- (see vortical
). So called from Ezra Pound’s idea of an image as a whirling center “from
which ideas are constantly rushing.”]
—vor·ti·cist, noun[1]



vorticity

vorticity
vor·tic·i·ty 
[vawr tíssətee] noun

vortical
motion:
the state of a fluid moving in a vortex
[Late 19th century. From
Latin vortic- (see vortical ).][1]



vorticose

vorticose
vor·ti·cose 
[váwrti kss] adjective

See
vortical  adjective[1]



vortiginous

vortiginous
vor·tig·i·nous 
[vawr tíjjənəss] adjective

vortical:
vortical (formal)
[Late 17th century. From
Latin vortigin-, stem of vortigo, variant of vertigo (see vertigo ).][1]



Vosges

Vosges
Vosges 
[vō]

mountain range in
northeastern France that extends 190 km/120 mi from south to north, parallel to
the Rhine River. The highest summits in the southern portion rise to about
1,424 m/4,672 ft above sea level, and the northern peaks average about 910
m/3,000 ft .[1]



Vostok

Vostok
Vos·tok 
[vó stòk] (plural Vos·toks) noun

Soviet
spacecraft:
any of seven numbered spacecraft launched by the former Soviet Union, beginning
in April 1961
[Mid-20th century. From
Russian .][1]



votary

votary
vo·ta·ry 
[vṓtəree] (plural vo·ta·ries) or
vo·ta·rist [vṓtərist] (plural vo·ta·rists)
noun

1.  monk
or nun:
somebody who has taken a vow to dedicate his or her life to religious worship
or service

2.  devotee:
somebody who has devoted himself or herself to something such as a religion or
cause
[Mid-16th century. From Latin
vot-, past participle stem of vovere “to vow.”][1]



vote

vote
vote 
[vōt] noun (plural votes)

1.  formal
choice for or against something: a formal indication of
somebody’s choice or opinion, especially in an election or referendum

2.  act
of choosing: the act of making a choice or stating a
preference to determine the outcome of something

3.  ballots
cast:
the total number of ballots cast by eligible voters • They
got 83 percent of the vote.

4.  suffrage:
the right to express opinions and preferences by casting a ballot • Women
struggled for many years to get the vote.

5.  means
of expressing a vote: the ticket, ballot, or other
method by which somebody expresses a vote

6.  result
of balloting: the outcome of an election or referendum
• Yesterday’s
vote indicates that people are tired of being lied to.

7.  opinion
expressed:
the preference of a group of people as indicated by a ballot • Politicians
can no longer ignore the youth vote.

8.  potential
voters:
all the people eligible to cast their ballots in an election or for a
referendum • Volunteers
worked day and night to get out the vote.
verb
(past vot·ed, past participle vot·ed, present
participle vot·ing, 3rd person present singular votes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb indicate
formal preference: to express an opinion or
preference in an election or for a referendum • How
did you vote in the last election?

2.  transitive
verb
vote
for or against somebody: to decide the outcome of an
election by voting for or against somebody • It’s
difficult to vote an incumbent out of office.

3.  transitive
verb
vote
to make something available: to create something or make
something available by casting a vote • The
city council refused to vote additional funds for the new building.

4.  transitive
verb
vote
for somebody to win: to vote for a candidate to
win a competition or title • He was
voted “Waiter of the Year.”

5.  transitive
verb
show
opinion on something: to agree on how successful
or enjoyable something is (informal) • The
meal was voted a great success.

6.  transitive
verb
suggest
something:
to make a suggestion • I vote
that we eat out.

7.  transitive
verb
use
as a guide:
to use something such as the conscience to determine how to vote • Citizens
often vote their pocketbooks, not their conscience.
[13th
century. From Latin votum “a vow,” from vovere “to vow,” later
“to desire” (source of English vow ).
The underlying sense is of expressing a desire.]
—vot·a·ble,
adjective

—vot·er, noun[1]



votedown

votedown
vote
down
transitive verb

defeat somebody or something
in vote: to defeat a proposal or
candidate in a vote[1]



votegetter

votegetter
vote
get·ter
(plural vote get·ters) noun

successful candidate:
somebody who can attract large numbers of voters[1]



voteless

voteless
vote·less 
[vṓtləss] adjective

having no vote:
without the right to choose or express a political opinion[1]



votingbooth

votingbooth
vot·ing
booth
(plural vot·ing booths) noun

booth for casting vote:
a booth where a voter casts a vote in an election.
U.K. term
polling booth[1]



votive

votive
vo·tive 
[vṓtiv] adjective

1.  symbolizing
wish:
showing or symbolizing a wish or desire • a
votive prayer

2.  fulfilling
a vow:
given, done, or offered in fulfillment of an oath or vow • a
votive offering
[Late
16th century. From Latin votivus, from votum (see vote ).]
—vo·tive·ly,
adverb

—vo·tive·ness, noun[1]



Votyak

Votyak
Vot·yak
[vṓtee àk] (plural Vot·yak or
Vot·yaks) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Finnish people in Russia: a member of a Finnish people
living in eastern central European Russia, especially in the Udmurt Autonomous
Region

2.  LANGUAGE See Udmurt
[Mid-19th
century. From Russian .]
—Vot·yak, adjective[1]



vou.

vou.
vou.

Abbreviation of
voucher[1]



vouch

vouch
vouch 
[vowch] (past vouched, past
participle vouched, present participle vouch·ing, 3rd
person present singular vouch·es) verb

1.  intransitive
verb
provide
supporting evidence: to provide supporting
evidence for the quality of somebody or something

2.  transitive
verb
cite
authority:
to cite somebody such as an authority in support of something (archaic)

3.  transitive
verb
declare
something:
to assert or declare something (archaic)
[14th century. Via French voucher
“to summon” from, ultimately, Latin vocare “to call.” The meaning
developed from “to summon someone as a witness or an authority.”][1]



vouchee

vouchee
vouch·ee
[vow ch] (plural vouch·ees) noun

somebody guaranteed:
somebody for whom another person vouches[1]



voucher

voucher
vouch·er 
[vówchər] (plural vouch·ers) noun

1.  substitute
for money when buying something: a card, token, or
other document that can be exchanged for goods and services in place of money

2.  documentary
evidence:
a document that provides supporting evidence for a claim, for example, a
receipt proving that a purchase was made

3.  guarantor:
somebody or something that guarantees or provides proof of something

[1]



vouchsafe

vouchsafe
vouch·safe 
[vòwch sáyf, vówch
sàyf] (past vouch·safed, past participle vouch·safed,
present participle vouch·saf·ing, 3rd person present singular
vouch·safes) transitive verb

1.  condescend
to give something: to undertake or deign to
grant or give something, especially a reply

2.  promise
something:
to promise, agree, or allow something (formal)
[14th century (originally as
two words)][1]



voussoir

voussoir
vous·soir 
[voo swr] (plural vous·soirs)
noun

wedge-shaped
stone:
a wedge-shaped brick or stone used to form the curved parts of an arch or vault
[14th century. Via French
from, ultimately, Latin volvere “to roll.”][1]



Vouvray

Vouvray
Vou·vray 
[voo vráy] (plural Vou·vrays) noun

white
wine:
a dry white wine produced in the Loire Valley of France
[Late 19th century. Named for
the village of Vouvray in Inde-de-Loire, France.][1]



vow

vow
vow
[vow] noun (plural vows)

solemn pledge:
a solemn promise to perform a certain act, carry out an activity, or behave in
a given way
plural
noun
vows

religious promise:
a solemn promise to join a religious order and live in accordance with its
rules
verb
(past vowed, past participle vowed, present
participle vow·ing, 3rd person present singular vows)

1.  transitive
verb
pledge
something:
to promise something solemnly and seriously

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb dedicate
somebody:
to promise somebody to a pledge, task, or to somebody such as a deity

3.  transitive
verb
assert
something:
to assert or declare something
[13th
century. Via Old French vou from Latin votum (see vote ).]
—vow·er, noun[1]



vowel

vowel
vow·el 
[vów əl] (plural vow·els) noun

speech
sound:
a speech sound produced by the passage of air through the vocal tract, with
relatively little obstruction, or the corresponding letter of the alphabet
[14th century. Via Old French
vouel from, ultimately, Latin vocalis (see vocal ).][1]



vowelgradation

vowelgradation
vow·el
gra·da·tion
noun

See
ablaut[1]



vowelize

vowelize
vow·el·ize 
[vów ə lz] (past vow·el·ized,
past participle vow·el·ized, present participle vow·el·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vow·el·iz·es) transitive verb

mark
text with vowel points: to mark the vowel points in
a Hebrew or Arabic text
—vow·el·i·za·tion [vòw əli záysh’n], noun[1]



vowelmutation

vowelmutation
vow·el
mu·ta·tion
(plural vow·el mu·ta·tions) noun

See
umlaut[1]



vowelpoint

vowelpoint
vow·el
point
(plural vow·el points) noun

diacritic:
a diacritical mark placed above or below a consonant to show a preceding or
following vowel, used especially in languages such as Arabic and Hebrew that
lack symbols for vowel sounds.
Also called
point[1]



voxangelica

voxangelica
vox
an·gel·i·ca
[vòks an jéllikə] noun

organ
stop:
a quiet organ stop, usually with vibrato, that enriches the tone of other quiet
stops
[From Latin, literally
“angelic voice”][1]



voxhumana

voxhumana
vox
hu·ma·na 
[vòks hyoo mnə, vòks
hyoo máynə] noun

organ
reed stop:
an organ reed stop that produces a tone resembling the human voice
[From Latin, literally “human
voice”][1]



voxpopuli

voxpopuli
vox
pop·u·li 
[vòks póppyə l] noun

popular
opinion:
popular public opinion • Let’s
see if we can detect the vox populi.
[From Latin, literally “voice
of the people”][1]



voyage

voyage
voy·age 
[vóy ij] noun (plural voy·ag·es)

1.  long
trip:
a journey by sea or air, especially one to a distant place

2.  AEROSPACE space
journey:
a journey into space

3.  journey
events:
the events of an exploratory trip regarded as a story (literary)

4.  narrative:
a story of an exploratory trip
intransitive
and transitive verb (past voy·aged,
past participle voy·aged, present participle voy·ag·ing,
3rd person present singular voy·ag·es)

travel: to
make a long journey to, through, or over a place
[13th
century. Via Old French voiage from, ultimately, Latin viaticus
“of a road or journey,” from via “road.”]
—voy·ag·er, noun[1]



Voyager

Voyager
Voy·ag·er
[vóy ijər] (plural Voy·ag·ers)
noun

spacecraft for distant
exploration: the name of two U.S.
spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, designed for exploring the outer planets
of the solar system without a crew and launched in 1977[1]



voyageur

voyageur
voy·a·geur 
[vòyə júr, vwyə
zhúr] (plural voy·a·geurs) noun

Canada
fur
transporter: a boatman, woodsman, trapper, or
explorer hired by fur companies to carry furs and supplies from one remote
station to another, especially in Canada and the northwestern United States
[Late 18th century. From
French, literally “voyager.”][1]



VoyageursNational Park

VoyageursNational Park
Voy·a·geurs
Na·tion·al Park [vòy ə júrz
nàsh’nəl prk]

national park in northern
Minnesota, established in 1975. Area: 88,236 hectares/218,035 acres.[1]



voyeur

voyeur
voy·eur 
[voy yúr, vw
yúr] (plural voy·eurs) noun

1.  somebody
who watches for sexual pleasure: somebody who is
sexually excited by looking, especially secretly, at other people’s naked
bodies or the sexual acts in which they participate

2.  persistent
observer of misery or scandal: somebody who is
fascinated with, or persistently observes, distressing, sordid, or scandalous
topics or events
[Early
20th century. From French, literally “one who sees,” from voir “to see,”
from Latin videre .]
—voy·eur·ism,
noun

—voy·eur·is·tic
[vòy yə rístik], adjective

—voy·eur·is·ti·cal·ly
[vòy yə rístikəlee], adverb[1]



Voysey,Charles

Voysey,Charles
Voy·sey
[vóyzee], Charles (1857–1941)

British
architect and designer. A member of the Arts and Crafts movement, he designed
furniture, wallpapers, textiles, tiles, and country houses.
Full name
Voysey, Charles Francis Annesley[1]



VP

VP
VP
or V.P.

1.  Abbreviation
of
verb phrase

2.  Abbreviation
of
Vice President

[1]



VR

VR
VR


1.  Abbreviation
of
variant reading

2.  Abbreviation
of
virtual reality

3.  Abbreviation
of
Volunteer Reserve

[1]



vr

vr
vr


Abbreviation of
verb reflexive[1]



vraisemblance

vraisemblance
vrai·sem·blance 
[vrày saaN blNs] noun

appearance
of truth:
the quality of seeming to be true or likely
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “true appearance.”][1]



VRM

VRM
VRM

Abbreviation of
variable-rate mortgage[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








VRML

VRML
VRML 
noun

computer-graphics programming
language: a computer-graphics
programming language used to create images of three-dimensional scenes. Abbreviation
of Virtual Reality Modeling Language[1]



vroom

vroom

vroom 
[vroom] noun (plural vrooms)
loud
engine noise: the loud noise of an engine when it is
being revved up or is running at high speed (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past vroomed, past participle vroomed, present
participle vroom·ing, 3rd person present singular vrooms)
move
noisily:
to move noisily at high speed
interjection
used
to imitate noisy engine: used to imitate an engine
running at high speed
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



vs.

vs.
vs.
or v.

Abbreviation of
versus[1]



v.s.

v.s.
v.s.

Abbreviation of
vide supra[1]



V-shaped

V-shaped
V-shaped
adjective

shaped like “V”:
having the shape of a “V”[1]



Vsign

Vsign
V
sign
(plural V signs) noun V-sign

victory sign:
a hand sign that indicates victory, approval, or solidarity, made by holding up
the index and middle fingers so that they form a “V” with the palm facing
outward[1]



VSO

VSO
VSO
adjective

label for old brandy or port:
used to indicate that brandy or port is between 12 and 17 years old. Abbreviation
of very superior old[1]



VSOP

VSOP
VSOP
[v sòp] adjective

label for older brandy or
port: used to indicate that brandy
or port is between 20 and 25 years old. Abbreviation of very special old
pale Abbreviation of very superior old pale[1]



vss.

vss.
vss.

1.  Abbreviation
of
verses

2.  Abbreviation
of
versions

[1]



V/STOL

V/STOL
V/STOL
[v stawl]

Abbreviation of
vertical and short takeoff and landing[1]



vt

vt
vt

Abbreviation of
verb transitive[1]



Vt.

Vt.
Vt.

Abbreviation of
Vermont[1]



VT

VT
VT

1.  Abbreviation
of
vacuum tube

2.  Abbreviation
of
variable time

3.  Abbreviation
of
Vermont

[1]



VTOL

VTOL
VTOL
[v tàwl] (plural VTOLs) noun

1.  aircraft
vertical takeoff system: a system used by some
aircraft that enables them to take off and land vertically. Abbreviation of
vertical takeoff and landing

2.  aircraft
capable of vertical takeoff: an aircraft capable of
vertical takeoff and landing

[1]



VTR

VTR
VTR
(plural VTRs) noun

Abbreviation of
video-tape recorder[1]



vug

vug
vug 
[vug, vg]
(plural vugs) noun

rock
cavity:
a small hole in a rock or vein that often contains a mineral lining that
differs from that of the surrounding matrix
[Early
19th century. From Cornish vooga .]
—vug·gy, adjective[1]



Vuillard,Édouard

Vuillard,Édouard
Vuil·lard
[vwee yr], Édouard (1868–1940)

French
painter. He designed theater sets and textiles in addition to the intricately
patterned paintings of domestic interiors for which he is best known.
Full name
Vuillard, Jean Édouard[1]



Vul.

Vul.
Vul.

Abbreviation of
Vulgate[1]



Vulcan

Vulcan
Vul·can 
[vúlkən] noun

Roman
god of fire: in Roman mythology, the god of fire. Greek
equivalent Hephaestus
—Vul·ca·ni·an [vul káynee ən], adjective[1]



vulcanian

vulcanian
vul·ca·ni·an 
[vul káynee ən] adjective

1.  GEOLOGY relating
to volcanic eruption: relating to or caused by a
type of explosive volcanic eruption resulting when the pressure of gases
trapped in viscous magma is sufficient to blow off overlying solidified
material

2.  of
metalworking: relating to or consisting of
metalworking or metal craft

[1]



vulcanicity

vulcanicity
vul·can·ic·i·ty
noun

See
volcanicity
[Late 18th century. From
French vulcanicité, variant of volcanicité (see volcanicity ).][1]



vulcanism

vulcanism
vul·ca·nism 
noun

See
volcanism[1]



vulcanite

vulcanite
vul·ca·nite 
[vúlkə nt] noun

hard
rubber:
a hard rubber produced by vulcanizing natural rubber with large amounts of
sulfur.
Also
called
ebonite
[Mid-19th century. Named for Vulcan .][1]



vulcanize

vulcanize
vul·ca·nize 
[vúlkə nz] (past vul·ca·nized,
past participle vul·ca·nized, present participle vul·ca·niz·ing,
3rd person present singular vul·ca·niz·es) transitive verb

harden
something with chemicals: to strengthen a material
such as rubber by combining it with sulfur and other additives and then
applying heat and pressure
—vul·ca·niz·a·ble,
adjective

—vul·ca·niz·er, noun[1]



vulcanology

vulcanology
vul·ca·nol·o·gy 
noun

See
volcanology[1]



Vulg.

Vulg.
Vulg.

Abbreviation of
vulgate[1]



vulg.

vulg.
vulg.

1.  Abbreviation
of
vulgar

2.  Abbreviation
of
vulgarly

[1]



vulgar

vulgar
vul·gar 
[vúlgər] adjective

1.  crude
and indecent: crude or obscene, particularly about sex
or bodily functions

2.  tastelessly
ostentatious: showing a lack of taste or reasonable
moderation

3.  lacking
refinement:
lacking in courtesy and manners

4.  LANGUAGE of
ordinary people’s language: relating to a form of a
language spoken by ordinary people

5.  of
ordinary people: characteristic of or associated with the
majority of ordinary people (archaic)
plural
noun

ordinary people:
ordinary people regarded or spoken of as a group • She
believes that fine food and wine are beyond the taste of the vulgar.
[14th
century. From Latin vulgaris, from vulgus “the common people.”]
—vul·gar·ly, adverb[1]



vulgarfraction

vulgarfraction
vul·gar
frac·tion
(plural vul·gar frac·tions) noun

See
simple fraction[1]



vulgarian

vulgarian
vul·gar·i·an 
[vul gérree ən] (plural vul·gar·i·ans)
noun

boor:
somebody who is wealthy but tasteless or overly ostentatious[1]



vulgarism

vulgarism
vul·gar·ism 
[vúlgə rìzzəm] (plural vul·gar·isms)
noun

1.  crude
term:
a crude or indecent word or phrase

2.  term
in ordinary people’s language: a word or phrase from
the language spoken by ordinary people, as contrasted with a more formal or
refined usage

3.  See
vulgarity

[1]



vulgarity

vulgarity
vul·gar·i·ty 
[vul gérrətee] (plural vul·gar·i·ties)
noun
Also
called
vulgarism

1.  being
vulgar:
a vulgar state or way of behaving

2.  something
crude or indecent: a crude or tasteless joke,
remark, or act

[1]



vulgarize

vulgarize
vul·gar·ize 
[vúlgə rz] (past vul·gar·ized,
past participle vul·gar·ized, present participle vul·gar·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular vul·gar·iz·es) transitive verb

1.  debase
something:
to make something less refined or reduce the quality of something

2.  make
something accessible: to present or treat
something in a way that makes it accessible to ordinary people
—vul·gar·i·za·tion
[vùlgəri záysh’n], noun

—vul·gar·iz·er [vúlgə rzər], noun[1]



VulgarLatin

VulgarLatin
Vul·gar
Lat·in 
noun

LANGUAGE
spoken Latin:
the form of Latin that was the common spoken language of the western Roman
Empire[1]



vulgate

vulgate
vul·gate
[vúl gàyt, vúlgət]
(plural vul·gates) noun

1.  LINGUISTICS ordinary
speech:
the everyday informal use of a language

2.  LITERATURE accepted
version:
a text generally accepted among experts as being the best or most accurate
version
[Early 16th century. From
Latin vulgatus, past participle of vulgare “to make public or
common,” from vulgus (see vulgar ).][1]



Vulgate

Vulgate
Vul·gate
noun

Latin
version of Bible: a Latin version of the Bible produced by
Saint Jerome in the 4th century
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vulgata editio “edition made public, edition for ordinary people,”
from vulgatus (see vulgate ).][1]



vulnerable

vulnerable
vul·ner·a·ble 
[vúlnərəb’l] adjective

1.  without
adequate protection: open to emotional or
physical danger or harm

2.  MILITARY open
to attack:
exposed to an attack or possible damage

3.  extremely
susceptible: easily persuadable or liable to give in
to temptation

4.  physically
or psychologically weak: unable to resist illness,
debility, or failure

5.  BRIDGE liable
to increased stakes: liable to higher penalties
as well as bonuses, having won one game of a rubber
[Early
17th century. From late Latin vulnerabilis, from vulnerare “to
wound,” from vulnus “wound, injury.”]
—vul·ner·a·bil·i·ty
[vùlnərə bíllətee], noun

—vul·ner·a·ble·ness
[vúlnərəb’lnəss], noun

—vul·ner·a·bly [vúlnərəblee], adverb[1]



vulnerary

vulnerary
vul·ner·ar·y 
[vúlnə rèrree] adjective

MEDICINE healing:
capable of or used for healing wounds (archaic)
noun
(plural vul·ner·ar·ies)

PHARMACOLOGY healing
agent:
a drug or other agent used in treating and healing wounds (archaic)
[Late 16th century. From
Latin vulnerarius, from vulnus “wound, injury.”][1]



Vulpecula

Vulpecula
Vul·pec·u·la 
[vul pékyələ] noun

constellation
in northern hemisphere: a constellation in the sky
of the northern hemisphere between Cygnus and Sagitta
[From Latin, diminutive of vulpes
“fox”][1]



vulpine

vulpine
vul·pine 
[vúl pn] adjective

1.  typical
of a fox:
typical of or resembling a fox

2.  having
a trait attributed to foxes: having or displaying a trait
such as cunning that is commonly associated with foxes
[Early 17th century. From
Latin vulpes “fox.”][1]



vulture

vulture
vul·ture 
[vúlchər] (plural vul·tures) noun

1.  bird
of prey:
a large bird of prey found in Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas. It has dark
plumage and broad wings and feeds on carrion. Family: Accipitridae Cathartidae

2.  predator:
somebody who waits or looks eagerly for opportunities to take advantage of
somebody else, especially somebody weak or helpless
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman vultur or Old French voltour from, ultimately, Latin
vultur .][1]



vulturine

vulturine
vul·tur·ine 
[vúlchə rn] adjective

1.  typical
of vulture:
typical of or resembling a vulture

2.  vul·tur·ine
or vul·tur·ous greedy:
having a trait commonly associated with vultures, for example, opportunism or
greed

[1]



vulva

vulva
vul·va 
[vúlvə] (plural vul·vae [vúlvee] or vul·vas) noun

female
genitals:
the external female genitals. These include two pairs of fleshy folds, the
labia majora and labia minora, that surround the opening of the vagina, and the
clitoris.
[14th
century. From Latin, variant of volva “womb,” from volvere “to
roll.”]
—vul·val,
adjective

—vul·var,
adjective

—vul·vi·form [vúlvə fàwrm], adjective[1]



vulvectomy

vulvectomy
vul·vec·to·my 
[vul véktəmee] (plural vul·vec·to·mies)
noun

removal of the vulva:
the surgical removal of all or part of a woman’s external genitals[1]



vulvitis

vulvitis
vul·vi·tis 
[vul vtiss] noun

vulvar inflammation:
painful swelling and redness of the vulva[1]



vulvovaginitis

vulvovaginitis
vul·vo·vag·i·ni·tis 
[vùl vō vajjə ntiss] noun

vulvar and vaginal
inflammation: painful swelling and
redness of the vulva and vagina[1]



vum

vum
vum 
[vum] interjection

New
England
used
in surprise: used to express surprise or puzzlement (dated)
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of vow .][1]



v.v.

v.v.
v.v.

Abbreviation of
vice versa[1]



vv.

vv.
vv.

1.  Abbreviation
of
verses

2.  MUSIC Abbreviation of
(first and second) violins

3.  Abbreviation
of
volumes

[1]



VW

VW
VW

Abbreviation of
very worshipful[1]



VX

VX
VX
noun

nerve gas:
an oily, liquid, highly lethal, nerve gas[1]



vy.

vy.
vy.

Abbreviation of
very[1]



vying

vying
vy·ing


Present participle of
vie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Vänern,Lake

Vänern,Lake
Vä·nern,
Lake
[vénnərn, váynərn]

the largest lake in Sweden,
situated in the southwest of the country. Area: 5,584 sq km/2,156 sq mi.[1]



Vízcaino,Sebastían

Vízcaino,Sebastían
Víz·cai·no
[bith knō, bissknō],
Sebastían (1550?–1615)

Spanish explorer. He was the
first European to systematically explore the Pacific coast of the United
States.[1]



w

w

w
[dúbb’l y] (plural w’s) or
W [dúbb’l y] (plural W’s
or Ws) noun

1.  23rd
letter of English alphabet: the 23rd letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “W”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “W”

3.  letter
“W” written: a written representation of the letter
“W”

4.        something
shaped like “W”: something that has the
shape of the letter “W”[1]



W

W2
W2

1.  Abbreviation
of
West

2.
(used of clothing sizes) Abbreviation of women’s

[1]



W

W1
W1

1.  Symbol
for
tungsten

2.  ELECTRICITY Symbol for watt

3.  PHYSICS Symbol for weight

4.  PHYSICS Symbol for work

[1]



w.

w.
w.

1.  MEASUREMENTS Abbreviation of
width

2.  TIME Abbreviation of week

3.  Abbreviation
of
wife

4.  Abbreviation
of
with

[1]



w/

w/
w/

Abbreviation of
with[1]



W.

W.
W.

1.  Abbreviation
of
West

2.  Abbreviation
of
Western

3.  CALENDAR Abbreviation of Wednesday

4.  Abbreviation
of
Warden

5.  Abbreviation
of
Wales

6.  Abbreviation
of
Welsh

[1]



W3

W3
W3

Abbreviation of
World Wide Web[1]



WA

WA
WA

1.  Abbreviation
of
Washington (State)

2.  Abbreviation
of
Western Australia

3.  INSURANCE Abbreviation of
with average

[1]



Waal

Waal
Waal
[vaal]

the largest and southernmost
of the three branches of the Rhine River in the Netherlands. Length: 84 km/52
mi.[1]



Wabash

Wabash
Wa·bash 
[wáw bash, w
bash]

river in northern central
United States. It rises in Ohio, and forms the Indiana-Illinois border, before
flowing into the Ohio River. Length: 815 km/512 mi.[1]



wabbit

wabbit
wab·bit
[wábbit] adjective

Scotland
exhausted:
weary or exhausted
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wabble

wabble
wab·ble 
noun intransitive and transitive verb

See
wobble  noun See wobble  verb 1[1]



WAC

WAC
WAC
[wak]

Abbreviation
of
Women’s Army Corps
noun
(plural WACs)

WAC member:
a member of the Women’s Army Corps[1]



wack

wack
wack 
[wak] (plural wacks) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is regarded as unconventional
or unpredictable (slang insult)
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from wacky .][1]



wacko

wacko
wack·o 
[wákō] (plural wack·os or
wack·oes) or whack·o [hwákō]
(plural whack·os or whack·oes) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody or something regarded as unconventional,
unpredictable, or unusual (slang insult)
[Late 20th century. From wacky .][1]



wacky

wacky
wack·y 
[wákee] (comparative wack·i·er,
superlative wack·i·est) or whack·y [wákee, hwákee]
(comparative whack·i·er, superlative whack·i·est) adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe somebody regarded as unconventional or
unpredictable (slang insult)

2.  silly:
entertainingly silly (informal)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from the phrase out of whack “out of
order” (see whack ).]
—wack·i·ly,
adverb

—wack·i·ness, noun[1]



Waco

Waco
Wa·co 
[wáykō]

city on the Brazos River in
central Texas. In 1993, 84 people were killed when federal agents stormed the
compound of a religious group just outside the city. Population: 105,892 (1994)[1]



wad

wad
wad 
[wod] noun (plural wads)

1.  soft
material:
a small rounded mass of soft material, usually used to pack or stuff something
• The
vase was carefully packed in wads of cotton.

2.  bundle:
a roll or small bundle of paper money • a
wad of notes

3.  compressed
material:
a rounded compressed lump of something soft, especially tobacco or gum for
chewing

4.  many:
a large quantity of something (informal) • She
has a wad of friends.

5.  FINANCE a lot
of money:
a large amount of money (informal)

6.  ARMS powder
plug:
a plug of material such as paper or cloth used to hold the powder charge in a
muzzle-loading gun or cannon

7.  ARMS disk
in shotgun cartridge: a disk made of felt or
paper, used to hold the powder or shot in a shotgun cartridge

8.  MINERALS mineral
mixture in boggy ground: a fine-grained mixture of
hydrated barium manganese oxide and other hydrated oxide minerals precipitated
from water and poorly drained boggy ground
verb
(past wad·ded, past participle wad·ded, present
participle wad·ding, 3rd person present singular wads)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb compress:
to form or compress something into a small mass • He
wadded up the speeding ticket and threw it away.

2.  transitive
verb
put
wadding into something: to stuff or plug something
with wadding • She
wadded her ears so she wouldn’t hear the noise.

3.  transitive
verb
ARMS keep
charge in place: to hold a charge of powder or shot in
place

4.  transitive
verb
ARMS insert
wadding into gun: to insert a piece of wadding into a gun
[Mid-16th
century. Origin unknown.]
—wad·der,
noun
shoot
your wad

to use all your resources in
achieving something and be unable to achieve anything more[1]



wada

wada
wa·da
[vdə] (plural wa·das) or
va·da [vdə] (plural va·das)
noun

South
Asia
lentil
ball:
a fried lentil ball eaten as a popular snack, particularly in South India
[From Hindi vaā][1]



waddie

waddie
wad·die 
(plural wad·dies) noun

See
waddy[1]



wadding

wadding
wad·ding 
[wódding] noun

1.  soft
protective material: soft material used to
protect something, especially in packaging

2.  ARMS gun
wads:
material used to hold powder or shot in a gun or cartridge

3.  U.K.
TEXTILES See batting 2 noun

[1]



waddle

waddle
wad·dle 
[wódd’l] intransitive verb (past
wad·dled, past participle wad·dled, present participle
wad·dling, 3rd person present singular wad·dles)

walk
with side-to-side gait: to walk with short steps,
causing the body to tilt slightly from one side to the other
noun
(plural wad·dles)

ducklike
gait:
a way of walking, taking short steps with the body tilting slightly from one
side to the other with each step
[Late
16th century. From wade .]
—wad·dler,
noun

—wad·dly, adjective[1]



waddy

waddy
wad·dy
[wóddee] (plural wad·dies) or
wad·die [wóddee] (plural wad·dies)
noun (regional)

1.  cowboy:
a cowboy

2.  rustler:
a cattle thief
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wade

wade
wade 
[wayd] verb (past wad·ed,
past participle wad·ed, present participle wad·ing,
3rd person present singular wades)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb walk
in water:
to walk against the pressure of water or mud

2.  intransitive
verb
go
through something with difficulty: to read through
something with difficulty, especially because it is very long or boring
noun
(plural wades)

walk taken in shallow water:
an act or instance of walking in shallow water
[Old
English wadan . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to go”
that is also the ancestor of English invade
and vamoose .]
—wad·a·ble, adjective[1]



wadein

wadein
wade
in
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  interrupt:
to interrupt somebody forcefully or with determination

2.  intervene:
to intervene in a situation in an attempt to help or restore order

[1]



wader

wader
wad·er 
[wáydər] noun (plural wad·ers)

1.  somebody
who wades:
somebody who or something that wades through water

2.  See
wading bird
plural
noun
wad·ers

waterproof boots or pants:
waterproof boots or combined boots and pants that reach to the hips or chest,
worn as protection while fishing

[1]



Wade,Virginia

Wade,Virginia
Wade 
[wayd], Virginia (1945– )

British
tennis player. She won the U.S. Open (1968), Italian Open (1971), French Open
(1972), Australian Open (1972), and Wimbledon (1977).
Full name
Wade, Sarah Virginia[1]



wadi

wadi
wa·di 
[wdee] (plural wa·dis or
wa·dies) or wa·dy [wdee]
(plural wa·dies) noun

1.  mainly
dry water course: a steep-sided water course in arid
regions of North Africa and southern Asia through which water flows only after
heavy rainfalls

2.  oasis:
an oasis, especially in North Africa
[Early 17th century. From
Arabic wādī “valley, river bed.”][1]



wadingbird

wadingbird
wad·ing
bird 
(plural wad·ing birds) noun

long-legged bird:
a long-legged bird such as a crane, heron, or stork that stands in water and
hunts for its food that includes fish, frogs, invertebrates, carrion, and
algae.
Also called
wader[1]



wadingpool

wadingpool
wad·ing
pool
(plural wad·ing pools) noun

shallow pool:
a shallow pool, sometimes near a larger pool, provided for small children’s
water play[1]



wadmal

wadmal
wad·mal 
[wódməl] noun

coarse
wool:
a dense coarse woolen fabric once made in Orkney and Shetland and used for
outer garments
[14th century. From Old Norse
vaðmál “cloth measure.”][1]



WadMedani

WadMedani
Wad
Me·da·ni
[wd mi dnee]

capital city of El Gezira
Province, central Sudan. Population: 218,714 (1993)[1]



WAF

WAF
WAF
[waf] (plural WAFs) or Waf
[waf] (plural Wafs) noun

woman
in Air Force: formerly, a member of the women’s
section of the Air Force
[Acronym, formed from Women
in the Air Force][1]



Wafd

Wafd
Wafd
[waaft] noun

early 20C Egyptian
nationalist party: an Egyptian
nationalist party that emerged after an Egyptian delegation was refused a
hearing at the Versailles Treaty negotiations following World War I.
Negotiations eventually led to limited Egyptian independence beginning in 1922.[1]



wafer

wafer
wa·fer 
[wáyfər] noun (plural wa·fers)

1.  thin
crisp cookie: a thin, crisp, and sometimes sweetened
cookie, usually in a rectangular, fan, or cone shape, often eaten with ice
cream

2.  CHRISTIANITY bread
in Christian communion service: a very thin disk of
unleavened bread used to represent the body of Jesus Christ in the Christian
Communion

3.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING See
chip  noun 4

4.  adhesive
material:
a small thin disk of adhesive material, used to seal letters and formal
documents

5.  PHARMACOLOGY medicine
casing:
a piece of rice paper or dried flour paste formerly used to encase a powdered
medicine (archaic)
transitive
verb
(past wa·fered, past participle wa·fered, present
participle wa·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular wa·fers)

1.  fasten
with wafer:
to fasten something such as a letter or formal document with a wafer

2.  PHARMACOLOGY encase
medicine:
to encase a powdered medicine in rice paper or dried flour paste (archaic)
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman wafre, variant of French gaufre, from Middle Low
German wāfel, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English waffle 1 .][1]



wafer-thin

wafer-thin
wa·fer-thin
adjective

extremely thin:
extremely thin or narrow[1]



waffle

waffle1
waf·fle1 [wóff’l]
(plural waf·fles) noun

thick
light crisp pancake: a thick light pancake, crisp
on the outside, that is baked in a waffle iron to give a pattern of
indentations on both sides
[Mid-18th century. From Dutch
wafel (see wafer ).][1]



waffle

waffle2
waf·fle2 [wóff’l]
intransitive verb (past waf·fled, past participle waf·fled,
present participle waf·fling, 3rd person present singular waf·fles)

be
indecisive:
to be unable to make a decision (informal)
noun

verbiage
that waffles: speech or writing that is indecisive and
vague (informal)
[Late
17th century. From waff “to yelp or bark,” an imitation of the sound;
literally “to keep on waffing.”]
—waf·fly, adjective[1]



waffleiron

waffleiron
waf·fle
iron
(plural waf·fle i·rons) noun

appliance for baking waffles:
an appliance used to bake waffles that has hinged indented plates that press a
grid design into both sides of the waffle as it cooks[1]



waft

waft
waft 
[woft] intransitive and transitive verb
(past waft·ed, past participle waft·ed, present
participle waft·ing, 3rd person present singular wafts)

float gently: to
float gently through the air, or move something gently through the air
noun
(plural wafts)

1.  something
carried through air: something such as a scent
carried on the air or by a breeze

2.  waving
motion:
a gentle waving or fluttering motion

3.  light
breeze:
a brief gentle gust of air

4.  NAUTICAL signaling
flag:
a hoisted flag formerly used for signaling at sea (archaic)

5.  NAUTICAL signal
using flags: a signal formerly sent at sea using
flags (archaic)
Also
called
waif
[Early 16th century.
Back-formation from wafter “an armed ship used to guard a convoy,” from
Dutch wachter, from wachten “to guard.” The meaning developed via
“to sail.”][1]



wag

wag2
wag2 [wag]
(past wagged, past participle wagged, present
participle wag·ging, 3rd person present singular wags,
plural wags) noun

somebody
witty:
a humorous or witty individual (informal)
[Mid-16th
century. Originally used as an affectionate term for a mischievous boy. Origin
uncertain: probably a shortening of waghalter “somebody who swings in a
noose,” that is, somebody likely to be hanged.]
—wag·ger·y,
noun

—wag·gish,
adjective

—wag·gish·ly,
adverb

—wag·gish·ness, noun[1]



wag

wag1
wag1 [wag]
verb (past wagged, past participle wagged, present
participle wag·ging, 3rd person present singular wags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
something rapidly to and fro: to move part of the body to
and fro, or move to and fro • The
dog wagged its tail.

2.  intransitive
verb
gossip:
to gossip about somebody or other people, especially disapprovingly • tongues
are wagging
noun
(plural wags)

motion going to and fro:
a motion that goes to and fro
[Old English . From or
related to wagian “to move backward and forward.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word.][1]



wage

wage
wage 
[wayj] noun (plural wag·es)

payment
for work:
a sum of money paid to a worker in exchange for services, especially for work
performed on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis, or by the piece (often used
in the plural)
transitive
verb
(past waged, past participle waged, present
participle wag·ing, 3rd person present singular wag·es)

engage
in fight:
to engage in war or in a serious fight to achieve an end • wage
war
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman or Old Norman French . Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “pledge” (the original sense in English), which is also
the ancestor of English gage and wed .]
—wage·less,
adjective

—wage·less·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  wage, salary, pay, fee,
  remuneration, emolument, honorarium, stipend
  CORE
  MEANING: money
  given for work done wage; a fixed
  regular payment made on a weekly or daily basis, especially to manual
  workers; salary; a fixed regular payment, often made on a monthly or
  biweekly basis, especially when made to white-collar or professional workers.
  It is usually expressed in terms of the amount earned per year; pay; an informal general word for “wage” or
  “salary”; fee; the payment made to
  a professional person by a client; remuneration;
  a more formal word for “pay,” that may also include fringe benefits; emolument; a formal word for any profit made
  from a job or office; honorarium; a
  formal word for money given in exchange for services for which there is
  normally no charge; stipend; a
  regular payment or allowance

[1]



wagedifferential

wagedifferential
wage
dif·fer·en·tial (plural wage dif·fer·en·tials)
noun

difference in pay:
any difference in wages between workers with different skills working in the
same industry or workers with similar skills working in different industries or
regions[1]



wageearner

wageearner
wage
earn·er
(plural wage earn·ers) noun

1.  household
supporter:
somebody in a family or household who is earning a wage or salary

2.  person
paid wages:
somebody who works by the hour, day, or week for wages contrasted with somebody
who is paid a fixed salary regardless of the hours worked

[1]



wageincentive

wageincentive
wage
in·cen·tive
(plural wage in·cen·tives) noun

additional money for
productivity: additional money paid
to a worker in order to improve that person’s productivity[1]



wager

wager
wa·ger 
[wáyjər] noun (plural wa·gers)

1.  GAMBLING bet on
outcome:
an agreement between two people that whoever loses a bet on an uncertain
outcome will pay the other a particular amount or some other form of
compensation

2.  GAMBLING amount
bet:
a sum of money, property, or other compensation to be paid to the person who
wins a bet

3.  HISTORY pledge:
a pledge to engage in combat, especially in order to establish guilt or
innocence by single combat
transitive
verb
(past wa·gered, past participle wa·gered, present
participle wa·ger·ing, 3rd person present singular wa·gers)

GAMBLING bet
money:
to risk or bet money or property on the outcome of a game, event, or uncertain
situation
[14th
century. From Anglo-Norman wageure, from wagier “to pledge,” from
wage (see wage ).]
—wa·ger·er (plural
wa·ger·ers), noun[1]



wages

wages
wag·es
[wáyjəz] noun

just reward:
a just reward or recompense for something (literary) (takes a
singular verb) • the
wages of sin[1]



wagescale

wagescale
wage
scale
(plural wage scales) noun

scale of wages paid:
a scale of the different wages paid to employees who are performing different
jobs within a single company or industry[1]



wageslave

wageslave
wage
slave
(plural wage slaves) noun

employee:
somebody who relies on earning money in order to live (informal)[1]



waggle

waggle
wag·gle 
[wágg’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past wag·gled, past participle wag·gled, present
participle wag·gling, 3rd person present singular wag·gles)

move
back and forth: to move rapidly back and forth, or make
something move rapidly back and forth
noun
(plural wag·gles)

wobbling
motion:
a quick shaking or wobbling motion
[Late
16th century. From wag 1, literally “to keep on
wagging.”]
—wag·gly, adjective[1]



Wagnerian

Wagnerian
Wag·ner·i·an 
[vaag nree ən] adjective

1.  MUSIC relating
to Richard Wagner: resembling or relating to
the dramatic musical compositions of Richard Wagner

2.  MUSIC powerful:
having a voice powerful enough to perform in one of Wagner’s musical
compositions, with their heavy orchestration

3.  Junoesque:
used to describe a woman with an imposing statuesque figure or a domineering
manner
noun
(plural Wag·ner·i·ans) Wagnerian Wagnerite

MUSIC Richard
Wagner follower: somebody who believes in and follows the
musical theories of Richard Wagner, or who loves his music

[1]



Wagner,Richard

Wagner,Richard

Wag·ner
[vgnər], Richard (1813–1883)
German composer. He developed both the
form and content of opera, notably in his opera cycle The Ring of the
Nibelungs ( 1852–1874 ), and was a major influence on orchestral composers
of the late romantic period.[1]



Wagner,Robert F.

Wagner,Robert F.
Wag·ner
[wágnər], Robert F. (1877–1953)

German-born
U.S. statesman. He took the lead in passing progressive legislation while
representing New York in the U.S. Senate (1927–1949).
Full name
Wagner, Robert Ferdinand[1]



wagon

wagon
wag·on 
[wággən] (plural wag·ons) noun

1.  wheeled
vehicle:
a rectangular vehicle that is used to carry heavy loads and is pulled by an
animal or tractor or is motor-powered

2.  delivery
vehicle:
a light automotive vehicle used to sell or deliver something

3.  police
patrol wagon: a van or truck used by the police to
transport suspects or criminals

4.  child’s
four-wheeled cart: a low four-wheeled cart with
a long handle a child can use to pull the cart or to control the direction of
the front wheels

5.  serving
cart:
a four-wheeled rectangular cart used to display or serve food or drink

6.  U.K.
freight
car:
a railroad car for goods, particularly an open one
[15th
century. From Dutch wagen . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word
that is also the ancestor of English wain
.]
—wag·on·er,
noun
be
off the wagon

to
resume drinking alcoholic beverages after a period of abstinence

be
on the wagon

to abstain from drinking any
alcoholic beverage[1]



wagonette

wagonette
wag·on·ette
[wàggə nét] (plural wag·on·ettes)
noun

horse-drawn vehicle:
a light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle with two lengthwise seats facing each
other behind a crosswise driver’s seat[1]



wagon-lit

wagon-lit
wag·on-lit 
[v goN l] (plural wag·on-lits
or wag·ons-lits [v goN l]) noun

1.  sleeping
car:
a sleeping car on a European railroad

2.  compartment:
an individual compartment in a railroad sleeping car
[From French, formed from wagon
“railroad coach” + lit “bed”][1]



wagonload

wagonload
wag·on·load 
[wággən ld] (plural wag·on·loads)
noun

load size:
the amount that a wagon does or can hold[1]



wagontrain

wagontrain
wag·on
train
(plural wag·on trains) noun

line of wagons:
a line of two or more animal-drawn wagons traveling cross-country and carrying
people, food supplies, or goods[1]



wagonvault

wagonvault
wag·on
vault
(plural wag·on vaults) noun

ARCHITECTURE
See barrel vault[1]



Wagram

Wagram
Wa·gram 
[vg rm]

village in northeastern
Austria. It was the site of the Battle of Wagram in which Napoleon defeated the
Austrians in July 1809.[1]



wagtail

wagtail
wag·tail 
[wág tàyl] (plural wag·tails) noun

songbird:
a songbird, found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a long tail that bobs up
and down when it walks and especially when it lands. Family: Motacillidae[1]



Wagthe Dog syndrome

Wagthe Dog syndrome
Wag
the Dog syn·drome noun

warfare
started to deemphasize scandal: a situation in which a
U.S. president uses military attacks on other nations as a diversionary tactic
to deflect intense public and media scrutiny from a personal scandal (slang)
“Was the bombing of Iraq really a result of Wag the Dog syndrome?” Vanity Fair
March 1999
[Late
20th century. Wag the Dog from a movie.]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Wag
  the Dog, a movie by Tribeca Productions and screenplay by Hilary Henkin and
  David Mamet ( 1997 ). Based on a novel by Larry Beinhart titled American
  Hero, the movie depicts a fictional U.S. president’s advisors starting a
  phony war in order to deflect media attention from a scandal. The movie’s
  premiere in early 1998 coincided with a grand jury investigation of U.S.
  President Bill Clinton, a sex scandal involving him and a former White House
  intern, and an impeachment trial (which later ended in acquittal). During
  this period the President responded to military aggression and terrorist acts
  affecting the United States by launching cruise missiles against Iraq, Sudan,
  and Afghanistan. The U.S. media and the pop culture soon drew a figurative
  connection between the movie and the Presidential scandal, leading to such
  expressions as “Is it Wag the Dog?”, “Was it a Wag the Dog scenario?”, and
  the phrase Wag the Dog syndrome.

[1]



Wahhabi

Wahhabi
Wah·ha·bi 
[wə hbee, waa
hbee] (plural Wah·ha·bis) or Wa·ha·bi [wə hbee, waa hbee]
(plural Wa·ha·bis) noun

member
of Islamic group: a member of a very conservative Islamic
group that rejects any innovation that occurred after the 3rd century of Islam.
It flourishes primarily in Arabia.
[Early
19th century. From Arabic wahhābī, named for Muhammad ibn bd-al- Wahhāb
( 1703–1792 ), who founded the sect.]
—Wah·ha·bism, noun[1]



wahine

wahine
wa·hi·ne 
[waa hnee, waa
h này] (plural wa·hi·nes) noun

1.  Hawaii,
New Zealand Hawaiian or Maori woman:
a Hawaiian or Maori woman or wife

2.  Hawaii
woman
surfer:
a young woman surfer (informal)
[Late 18th century. From
Hawaiian or Maori .][1]



wahoo

wahoo1

wa·hoo1 [waa
h, w h] (plural wa·hoos)
noun
shrub
with red seeds: a deciduous shrub or small tree of
eastern North America, with dark purple flowers that open to expose the seed’s
scarlet arils. Latin name: Euonymus atropurpureus
[Mid-19th century. From
Dakota wa hu, literally “arrow-wood.”][1]



wahoo

wahoo2
wa·hoo2 [waa
h, w h] (plural wa·hoos)
noun

elm
tree:
a small elm tree of the southeastern United States, with hairy reddish fruits
and twigs with corky projections resembling wings. Latin name: Ulmus alata
[Late 18th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wahoo

wahoo3
wa·hoo3 [waa
h, w h] (plural wa·hoos)
noun

tropical
fish of mackerel family: a large fast-swimming fish
of the mackerel family that lives in tropical seas worldwide and weighs up to
120 pounds. Latin name: Acanthocybium solanderi
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wahoo

wahoo4
wa·hoo4 [waa
h] interjection

yippee:
used to express happy excitement
noun
(plural wa·hoos)

shout of happiness:
a rowdy cry of excitement (regional)[1]



wah-wah

wah-wah

wah-wah
[w w] (plural wah-wahs) or
wa-wa [w w] (plural wa-was)
noun

1.  wavering
sound of wind instrument: the wavering sound made by
alternately covering and uncovering the bell of a trumpet or trombone

2.  electronic
sound:
a sound similar to the wah-wah of a trumpet or trombone created electronically
for guitars, keyboards, and other electronic instruments

3.  electronic
device:
an electronic device attached to a musical instrument for producing a wavering
wah-wah sound
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



wah-wahpedal

wah-wahpedal
wah-wah
ped·al
(plural wah-wah ped·als) noun

foot pedal for instrument:
a foot pedal attached to an electronic musical instrument such as an electric
guitar, used to create a wavering sound[1]



waif

waif
waif
[wayf] (plural waifs) noun

1.  abandoned
child:
a homeless or friendless person, especially an abandoned child

2.  stray
animal:
a stray animal whose owner is unknown

3.  thin
young person: somebody, usually a young person, with a
thin fragile appearance who looks needy

4.  unclaimed
item:
any item found whose owner is unknown (literary)

5.  NAUTICAL See waft  noun 5
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman weyf, earlier gwayf “lost property,” from
Scandinavian. The sense of “abandoned child” evolved from “unclaimed property”
through “lost thing” and “lost child.”][1]



Waikato

Waikato
Wai·ka·to 
[wīktō]

the longest river in New
Zealand. It rises in Lake Taupo in the center of the North Island and empties
into the Tasman Sea south of Waiuku. Length: 434 km/270 mi.[1]



Waikiki

Waikiki
Wai·ki·ki 
[w kee k, w
kee k]

beach resort northeast of
Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaii[1]



wail

wail

wail 
[wayl] verb (past wailed,
past participle wailed, present participle wail·ing,
3rd person present singular wails)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
mournful cry: to express pain, grief, or misery in a
long mournful high-pitched cry or in words uttered in a mournful way • He
could only wail when he heard the news.

2.  intransitive
verb
make
long high-pitched noise: to make a long loud
high-pitched sound • The sirens wailed.

3.  transitive
verb
lament:
to express grief over somebody or something (archaic)
noun (plural
wails)

1.  long
high-pitched sound: a long loud high-pitched
sound or cry

2.  protest:
a loud plaintive expression of protest, resentment, or disappointment
[13th
century. From an Old Norse word that was formed from vei, “woe.”]
—wail·ful,
adjective

—wail·ful·ly, adverb[1]



WailingWall

WailingWall
Wail·ing
Wall 
noun

See
Western Wall[1]



wain

wain
wain 
[wayn] (plural wains) noun

wagon:
a farm wagon or cart (archaic or literary)
[Old English wæ(g)n,
of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



wainscot

wainscot
wain·scot 
[wáynskət, wáyn
skòt] noun (plural wain·scots)

1.  wooden
panels lining room: a lining for the walls of a
room, especially one made of wood paneling.
Also
called
wainscoting

2.  lower
part of wall of room: the lower part of the wall
of a room, especially when it is paneled in wood or finished differently from
the upper part

3.  oak
paneling:
a fine grade of oak used as wall paneling
transitive
verb
(past wain·scot·ed, past participle wain·scot·ed, present
participle wain·scot·ing, 3rd person present singular wain·scots)

cover wall with paneling:
to cover a wall, especially with wood paneling
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch waghenscote or Middle Low German wagenschot, literally
“wagon-boarding.”][1]



wainscoting

wainscoting
wain·scot·ing
[wáynskəting, wáyn
skòtting] (plural wain·scot·ings) or wain·scot·ting
[wáynskəting, wáyn
skòtting] (plural wain·scot·tings) noun

1.  See
wainscot  noun 1

2.  wood
for covering wall: the material, especially
wood, used to cover a wall

[1]



wainwright

wainwright
wain·wright 
[wáyn rt] (plural wain·wrights)
noun

wagon maker:
somebody who makes and repairs wagons[1]



Wairarapa,Lake

Wairarapa,Lake
Wai·ra·ra·pa,
Lake
[w raa rpə]

lake in the southern part of
the North Island, New Zealand. Area: 80 sq km/50 sq mi.[1]



Wairau

Wairau
Wai·rau
[wr ow]

river in the northern part of
the South Island, New Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps and empties into
the Cook Strait near Blenheim. Length: 169 km/105 mi.[1]



waist

waist
waist 
[wayst] (plural waists) noun

1.  ANATOMY body
area between ribs and hips: the part of the human trunk
between the rib cage and the hips, usually narrower than the rest of the trunk

2.  CLOTHES part
of clothing: the part of a garment that fits around
the waist of the body

3.  narrow
part:
the narrow middle part of something, such as the middle of a violin

4.  SHIPPING middle
of deck:
the middle part of a ship or a ship’s deck between the raised sections at the
bow and stern

5.  AIR middle
of airplane: the middle section of an aircraft’s
fuselage

6.  INSECTS middle
of insect:
the narrow part of an insect’s body between the thorax and the abdomen
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from an Old English word meaning “girth to
which somebody has grown,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to grow”
(ancestor of English wax ).]
—waist·less, adjective[1]



waistband

waistband
waist·band 
[wáyst bànd] (plural waist·bands)
noun

band holding garment on
waist: a band of fabric in a piece
of clothing, for example, at the top of a skirt or pair of pants, that circles
the waist[1]



waistcloth

waistcloth
waist·cloth 
[wáyst klòth, wáyst
klàwth] (plural waist·cloths) noun

loincloth:
a loincloth (archaic)[1]



waistcoat

waistcoat
waist·coat 
[wáyst kt] (plural waist·coats)
noun

1.  U.K.,
Australia, New Zealand sleeveless upper garment worn
over shirt:
a man’s or woman’s sleeveless and collarless waist-length garment, usually with
buttons down the front, worn over a shirt and traditionally worn by men under a
suit jacket

2.  HISTORY garment
worn under doublet: a man’s sleeveless garment
reaching to the hips or knees, worn under a doublet in the 16th century
—waist·coat·ed, adjective[1]



waisted

waisted
waist·ed
[wáystəd] adjective

with a waist:
made with a waist or a part that resembles a waist[1]



waistline

waistline
waist·line 
[wáyst ln] (plural waist·lines)
noun

1.  measurement
of waist:
the measurement around the narrowest part of the waist

2.  CLOTHES meeting
of bodice and waist: the level, usually near the
waist, where the bodice and skirt of a dress meet • a
low waistline

[1]



wait

wait
wait 
[wayt] verb (past wait·ed,
past participle wait·ed, present participle wait·ing,
3rd person present singular waits)

1.  intransitive
verb
do
nothing expecting something to happen: to
stay in one place or do nothing for a period of time until something happens or
in the expectation or hope that something will happen • I’ll
wait for you here until noon.

2.  intransitive
verb
stop
so somebody can catch up: to stop or slow down in
order to allow somebody else to catch up • Wait
for me!

3.  intransitive
verb
be
hoping for something: to be hoping for something
or on the lookout for something • He is
waiting for a job opportunity.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
delayed or ignored for now: to be postponed or put off
until later • Fame
would just have to wait.

5.  intransitive
verb
be
ready or available: to be ready or available for
somebody to take or use • Your
mail is waiting for you.

6.  transitive
verb
delay
something:
to delay something, especially a meal, because somebody is expected to arrive
soon • We
waited dinner for you.

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb be a
waiter:
to work as a waiter • She
waits tables at the hotel.
noun
(plural waits)

time spent waiting:
a period of time spent while expecting something to happen • The
wait seemed to go on forever.
plural
noun
waits

MUSIC band
of musicians: a band of musicians who play and sing
Christmas carols in the streets (archaic)
[12th
century. Via Old Northern French waitier, “to spy, prepare to ambush,”
from Frankish .]
lie
in wait for

be waiting to catch or attack
somebody or something[1]



Waitaki

Waitaki
Wai·ta·ki
[wī tákee]

river in the southeastern
part of the South Island, New Zealand. It rises in Lake Benmore and empties
into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Waitaki. Length: 209 km/130 mi.[1]



Waitangi

Waitangi
Wai·tang·i
[wī tngee]

historic site in the northern
part of the North Island, New Zealand. A treaty between the Maori people and
the British government was signed there in February 1840.[1]



WaitemataHarbour

WaitemataHarbour
Wai·te·ma·ta
Har·bour
[wtə màtə hrbər]

arm of the Pacific Ocean on
the northeastern coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Auckland is situated
on part of it.[1]



Waite,Morrison Remick

Waite,Morrison Remick
Waite
[wayt], Morrison Remick (1816–1888)

U.S. jurist. He served as
chief justice of the United States (1874–1888).[1]



waiter

waiter
wait·er 
[wáytər] (plural wait·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who serves at tables: somebody employed to bring
food and drink to people, usually in a restaurant

2.  tray:
a tray for carrying dishes or serving food
[14th century. Via
Anglo-Norman, “attendant, watchman,” from Old Northern French, or directly
formed from wait .][1]



waitinggame

waitinggame
wait·ing
game
noun

delay used for advantage:
a tactic whereby somebody delays taking any action or making a move in a
contest or negotiation, hoping that his or her position will improve with the
passage of time[1]



waitinglist

waitinglist
wait·ing
list
noun

list of people:
a list of people waiting for something that is not immediately available, for
example a table in a restaurant, a place in a school, or an out-of-stock
product[1]



waitingroom

waitingroom
wait·ing
room
noun

room for waiting:
a room in which people may wait, for example, for a doctor’s appointment[1]



WaitomoCaves

WaitomoCaves
Wai·to·mo
Caves
[wī tmō káyvz]

limestone cave system in the
western part of the North Island, New Zealand, noted for its large colonies of
glowworms[1]



waiton

waiton
wait
on
transitive verb

1.  serve
somebody by bringing requested items: to go
and get the things that somebody asks for, usually continuously for a period of
time • It’s
nice to be waited on for a change.

2.  serve
somebody at table: to bring food and drink to
people sitting at a table, usually in a restaurant

3.  serve
retail customer: to attend to a customer’s purchasing
needs

4.  wait
for somebody: to wait for somebody or something (informal)

5.  visit
somebody:
to pay a formal visit to somebody (archaic)

[1]



waitout

waitout
wait
out
transitive verb

wait for something to end:
to stay in one place or do nothing until something ends • We
decided to wait out the storm.[1]



waitperson

waitperson
wait·per·son 
[wáyt pùrss’n] (plural waitpeople
[wáyt pp’l] or wait·per·sons)
noun

somebody who serves at
tables: a man or woman employed to
serve at tables, usually in a restaurant[1]



waitress

waitress
wait·ress 
[wáytrəss] (plural wait·ress·es)
noun

woman who brings food to
tables: a woman who serves food or
drink at tables, usually in a restaurant[1]



waitron

waitron
wait·ron 
[wáytrən] (plural wait·rons) noun

waitperson:
somebody who serves at tables (slang)
[Late 20th century. Blend of waiter or waitress
and automaton, suggesting mechanical,
repetitive work.][1]



waitstaff

waitstaff
wait·staff
[wáyt stàf] noun

people serving in restaurant:
the group of waitpersons in a café or restaurant[1]



waitstate

waitstate
wait
state
(plural wait states) noun

time that CPU sits idle:
a period of time during which a central processing unit in a computer sits idle
while a slower computer component such as a memory or a bus performs its
function[1]



waitup

waitup
wait
up
intransitive verb

delay
bedtime:
to delay going to bed to await an event or somebody’s arrival • I’ll
be home late; don’t wait up.
interjection

wait:
used to tell somebody to stop while somebody else catches up (informal)[1]



waitupon

waitupon
wait
upon
transitive verb

See
wait on  verb 1
See wait on  verb 2
See wait on  verb 3
See wait on  verb 5[1]



waive

waive
waive 
[wayv] (past waived, past
participle waived, present participle waiv·ing, 3rd
person present singular waives) transitive verb

1.  surrender
claim:
to give something up voluntarily, especially a right or claim • She
waived her right to remain silent.

2.  not
enforce something: to refrain from enforcing or
applying something in a particular instance • They
decided to waive the restrictions.

3.  temporarily
delay something: to put off something for a time

4.  SPORTS make
player available to other team: to remove a
professional ball player from a team’s roster, thereby making the player
available to other teams
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman weyver, “to make a waif of, abandon,” from weyf (see
waif ).][1]



waiver

waiver
waiv·er 
(plural waiv·ers) noun

1.  relinquishment
of right:
a voluntary giving up of a right or claim

2.  document
containing waiver: a document or formal
statement relinquishing a right or claim, or an action indicating an intention
to waive something

3.  SPORTS act of
giving up claim on player: the act of a sports team in
giving up the right to claim a professional ball player who has been removed
from another team’s roster

[1]



wakame

wakame
wa·ka·me 
[waa kmee] (plural wa·ka·mes or
wa·ka·me) noun

brown
seaweed used in cooking: a brown seaweed native to
the coasts of Japan, China, and Korea, often dried and used in Japanese and
Chinese cooking. Latin name: Undaria pinnatifida
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



wakanda

wakanda
wa·kan·da 
[waa kndə] noun

Sioux supreme being:
in the religion of the Sioux, the great supernatural power that lies behind the
whole of the natural world[1]



Wakashan

Wakashan
Wa·kash·an 
[waa kásh’n, wkə
shàn] noun

Native
N American language family: a family of languages spoken
by Native North American peoples in British Columbia and Washington State.
About 3,000 people speak one of the Wakashan languages.
[Late
19th century. From Nootka waukash, “good.” Said to have been applied to
these peoples by Captain Cook .]
—Wa·kash·an, adjective[1]



Wakatipu

Wakatipu
Wa·ka·ti·pu
[wkə típpoo]

lake in the southwestern part
of the South Island, New Zealand. The town of Queenstown is located on its
northern shore. Area: 293 sq km/113 sq mi.[1]



Wakayama

Wakayama
Wa·ka·ya·ma 
[wkə ymə]

seaport and capital city of
Wakayama Prefecture, southwest of Osaka, Japan. Population: 396,553 (1990)[1]



wake

wake2
wake2 [wayk]
noun

1.  NAUTICAL track
in water:
the track left in water by a vessel or any other body moving through it

2.  disturbed
air behind vehicle: the stream of turbulence in
the air left by an aircraft or land vehicle passing through it

3.  position
behind somebody: a position or the area behind somebody
or something that is moving ahead fast • left
the rest of the field trailing in her wake

4.  aftereffects:
the aftermath or aftereffects of a dramatic event or powerful thing • The
bomb left destruction in its wake.
[15th century. Via Middle Low
German from Old Norse vok “hole in ice (made by a boat).”][1]



wake

wake1
wake1 [wayk]
verb (past woke [wōk] or
waked, past participle wok·en [wṓkən]
or waked, present participle wak·ing, 3rd person
present singular wakes)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
somebody’s or your own sleep: to come back, or bring
somebody back, to a conscious state after sleeping • I
woke suddenly at dawn.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb end
inactivity:
to become alert and active, or make somebody alert and active, after being
inactive, in a daydream, or preoccupied

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody realize something: to make somebody aware of
something • Their
pleas woke us to the situation.

4.  intransitive
verb
watch
over corpse: to hold a vigil over the body of
somebody who has died

5.  intransitive
verb
stay
awake:
to be or to remain awake “Fled is that music —Do I wake or sleep?” John Keats
Ode to a Nightingale 1819

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb keep
watch:
to keep watch over somebody or something (archaic)
noun
(plural wakes)

1.  watch
kept over corpse: a watch or vigil held over a corpse
before burial or cremation

2.  festive
gathering around funeral: a social gathering held
after a funeral or, in Ireland, often after the death but before the funeral.
Traditionally people drink and talk about the dead person, and there is a happy
jovial atmosphere.

3.  U.K.
CHRISTIANITY British
church festival: in Great Britain, the festival for the
patron saint of a parish church or one held to commemorate its dedication (regional)
[Old
English wacan, “to become awake.” Ultimately from the same Indo-European
word meaning “be active or lively” as English vigilance,
wait, vigor,
and watch .]
—wak·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at awake.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Finnegan’s
  Wake, a novel by Irish author James Joyce ( 1939 ). Joyce’s last novel
  recounts a single night in the life of a Dublin barkeeper, Humphrey Chimpden
  Earwicker, and his family. An extraordinary multilayered work consisting
  chiefly of extended interior monologues, it is crammed with multilingual
  puns, poetry, and literary and historical allusions that emphasize the universal
  and cyclical nature of human experience.

[1]



wakeboarding

wakeboarding
wake·board·ing
noun

sport
of jumping a boat’s wake: a water sport in which
somebody riding a single board is pulled behind a motor boat and performs jumps
while crisscrossing the wake of the boat
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on skateboarding .][1]



Wakefield

Wakefield
Wake·field 
[wáyk fld]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, southeast of Lake Quannapowitt, east of Woburn, and north of
Boston. Population: 24,756 (1996)[1]



wakeful

wakeful
wake·ful 
[wáykfəl] adjective

1.  not
sleeping:
unable to sleep

2.  sleepless:
passed without sleep • a
wakeful night

3.  alert:
awake, especially while watching or guarding something • promised
to remain wakeful
—wake·ful·ly,
adverb

—wake·ful·ness, noun[1]



WakeIsland

WakeIsland
Wake
Is·land 
[wáyk lənd]

group of three islets
comprising a coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. It was occupied by the
U.S. in 1898 and held by the Japanese in World War II between 1941 and 1945.
Population: 126 (1997) Area: 8 sq km/3 sq mi.[1]



wakeless

wakeless
wake·less 
[wáykləss] adjective

with uninterrupted sleep:
uninterrupted by waking, or spent in uninterrupted sleep[1]



waken

waken
wak·en 
[wáykən] (past wak·ened, past
participle wak·ened, present participle wak·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular wak·ens) intransitive and transitive verb

wake:
to become, or make somebody, conscious after sleeping, active after being
inactive, or aware after being unaware (formal)
—wak·en·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at awake.

[1]



wake-robin

wake-robin
wake-rob·in 
[wáyk ròbbin] (plural wake-rob·ins
or wake-rob·in) noun

1.  See
trillium

2.  See
cuckoopint

3.  arum
plant:
a member of a group of early-blooming North American arums, for example, the
arrow arum

[1]



wakeup

wakeup
wake
up
intransitive and transitive verb

See
wake 1 verb 1
See wake 1 verb 2
See wake 1 verb 3
wake
up and smell the coffee

used to tell somebody that he
or she is wrong about a particular situation and that it is time to acknowledge
the reality (informal)[1]



wake-upcall

wake-upcall
wake-up
call
(plural wake-up calls) noun

1.  call
to awaken guest: a telephone call or a personal visit
made to awaken somebody, especially a telephone call from or arranged by hotel
staff made at an agreed-upon time to awaken a guest

2.  frightening
experience:
a frightening experience that is interpreted as a sign that a major change is
needed in the way somebody lives or conducts business

[1]



wakil

wakil
wa·kil

See
vakil[1]



Waksman,Selman A.

Waksman,Selman A.
Waks·man
[wáksmən], Selman A. (1888–1973)

Russian-born
U.S. microbiologist. He was the pioneer researcher of streptomycin, and was the
first person to use the term “antibiotics.” He was awarded a Nobel Prize in
physiology and medicine (1952).
Full name
Waksman, Selman Abraham[1]



Walachia

Walachia
Wa·la·chi·a 
[wə láykee ə]

former
region in southeastern Europe, in present-day southern Romania. Founded as a
principality toward the end of the 13th century, it was ruled by Turkey from
1387 until it joined Moldavia to form Romania in 1861.
—Wa·la·chi·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Walcott,Derek

Walcott,Derek
Wal·cott
[wáwlkət], Derek (1930– )

St. Lucian writer. His
Caribbean-based novels and plays are characterized by a vivid use of language.
He won a Nobel Prize in literature (1992).[1]



WaldemarI

WaldemarI
Wal·de·mar
I
[vldə mr], King of Denmark (1131–1182)

Having
gained sole control of the Danish throne (1157–1182), he established a dynastic
rule in Denmark.
Known as
Waldemar the Great[1]



WaldemarII

WaldemarII
Wal·de·mar
II
[vldə mr], King of Denmark (1170–1241)

He
was the son of Waldemar I. As king (1202–1241), he extended Danish territory
and instituted legal and administrative reforms.
Known as
Waldemar the Conqueror[1]



Waldenses

Waldenses
Wal·den·ses 
[wol dén sz] plural noun

small
Christian group: the members of a small Christian
denomination, originating in southern France, that broke with the Roman
Catholic Church in the 12th century and experienced much persecution. In the
16th century the Waldenses joined the Reformation and adopted Calvinist doctrines.
[Mid-16th
century. From medieval Latin, from Waldensis, a variant of Peter Valdes
(d. 1205), who founded the movement.]
—Wal·den·sian [wol dénssee ən], adjective[1]



Wald,George

Wald,George
Wald
[wawld], George (1906–1997)

U.S. biologist. He shared a
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (1967) for his work on vision. He was an
outspoken opponent of the arms race and the Vietnam War.[1]



Waldheim,Kurt

Waldheim,Kurt
Wald·heim
[wáwld hm, vlthm],
Kurt (1918– )

Austrian statesman. He was
secretary general of the United Nations (1972–1981) and president of Austria
(1986–1991). During his presidency it was alleged he had been complicit in Nazi
war crimes.[1]



Wald,Lillian D.

Wald,Lillian D.
Wald
[wawld], Lillian D. (1867–1940)

U.S. nurse and social worker.
She founded the Henry Street Settlement for social work (1893) in New York City
and promoted the need for public health services.[1]



Waldorfsalad

Waldorfsalad
Wal·dorf
sal·ad 
[wáwl dawrf sàlləd] noun

salad
with apples, celery, and walnuts: a salad made of diced
raw apples, celery, and walnuts with a mayonnaise dressing
[Early 20th century. Named
for the Waldorf -Astoria Hotel in New York, where this salad was first
served.][1]



wale

wale
wale 
[wayl] noun (plural wales)

1.  skin
welt:
a raised mark on the skin made by a blow, particularly with a whip

2.  TEXTILES ridge
on fabric:
a ridge on the surface of a woven fabric such as corduroy

3.  TEXTILES weave
of fabric:
the weave or texture of a fabric with ribs

4.  KNITTING vertical
row of knitting: a vertical row of stitches in knitting

5.  NAUTICAL wood
forming sides of ship: any of the strong horizontal
planks forming the sides of a wooden ship
transitive
verb
(past waled, past participle waled, present
participle wal·ing, 3rd person present singular wales)

1.  raise
welt on skin: to raise a red swollen mark on the skin
by striking a blow, particularly with a whip

2.  TEXTILES weave
ridged fabric: to weave fabric with ridges
[Old English walu,
“ridge,” from prehistoric Germanic][1]



Wales




Back to definition

Wales

[1]



Wales

Wales


Wales 
[waylz]
principality in Great Britain, part of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Once a separate
kingdom, it was united with England in 1536. It voted in 1997 to have its own
assembly, giving it a degree of self-government. Capital: Cardiff. Population:
2,921,000 (1996) Area: 20,766 sq km/8,018 sq mi.[1]



Walhalla

Walhalla
Wal·hal·la 
noun

See
Valhalla[1]



walk

walk
walk 
[wawk] verb (past walked,
past participle walked, present participle walk·ing,
3rd person present singular walks)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
on foot:
to move or travel on legs and feet, alternately putting one foot a comfortable
distance in front of, or sometimes behind, the other and usually proceeding at
a moderate pace. When walking, as opposed to running, one of the feet is always
in contact with the ground, the one being put down as or before the other is
lifted. • a
toddler just learning to walk

2.  transitive
verb
travel
through place on foot: to travel along or through
something on foot • walking the coastal
path

3.  transitive
verb
take
animal for exercise by walking: to lead or exercise an
animal, usually a dog on a leash • walked
the dog

4.  transitive
verb
walk
with somebody to something: to accompany somebody on
foot as far as a particular place such as a home or car • walking
a friend home

5.  transitive
verb
cause
somebody to walk: to help or force somebody to walk by
holding and pushing from behind • We
kept walking him till he was able to stand on his own.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
large object by rocking: to move, or move something,
in a way that suggests walking, for example, by pivoting a large heavy object
alternately on its corners and swinging the other side forward • The
bureau’s too heavy to lift; we’ll have to walk it into the bedroom.

7.  transitive
verb
measure
something by walking: to measure or inspect
something by walking over or along it, especially the boundaries of an area or
piece of property • walk the west property
line

8.  intransitive
verb
be
stolen:
to disappear or be stolen (informal) • The
petty cash seems to have walked.

9.  intransitive
verb
go
on strike:
to go out on strike (slang) • threatened
to walk

10. intransitive
verb
leave
in protest:
to quit a job, event, or meeting to express disagreement (slang) • You
better apologize, or I’m walking!

11. intransitive
verb
be
freed from jail or acquitted: to be released from prison
or found innocent of a crime (slang) • I
couldn’t believe they walked after what they did!

12. intransitive
verb
BASEBALL go
to first base: to proceed to first base on four balls

13. transitive
verb
BASEBALL allow
batter on first: to allow a batter to go to first base on
four balls

14. intransitive
verb
BASKETBALL take
steps illegally: to take more than two steps in
basketball without dribbling while holding the ball
noun
(plural walks)

1.  journey
on foot:
a journey made on foot, especially for pleasure or exercise • a
walk in the woods

2.  distance
or time of foot journey: the distance traveled or the
time it takes to go somewhere on foot • a
four-mile walk • a
ten-minute walk from home

3.  EQUESTRIAN horse’s
slower gait: a relatively slow-paced way of moving
for a horse or other four-legged animal, in which two feet are always on the
ground • The
mare started at a walk, then broke into a trot.

4.  way
of walking:
somebody’s characteristic way of walking • She’s
got a graceful walk.

5.  place
for pedestrians: a place designed or set aside for the
use of people on foot

6.  route
for people walking: a route or path for
travelers on foot • The miners’ trail is an
easy scenic walk.

7.  SPORT track
race:
a track race in which the competitors walk a specified distance

8.  area
for animals: an enclosed area for exercising or
pasturing domestic animals such as horses

9.  rows
of trees:
a plantation of widely spaced trees or shrubs

10. space
between rows: the space between rows of widely spaced
trees or shrubs

11. BASEBALL act of
reaching first base: in baseball, the act of
reaching first base on four balls

12. BASKETBALL illegal
holding instead of dribbling: in basketball, an illegal
taking of steps while holding the ball

13. something
very easy:
something that is very easy to do (informal)
[Old
English wealcan “to roll, toss” and wealcian “to roll up,” from a
prehistoric Germanic word (ancestor of English gauche
). The meaning developed via “move about,” “go on a journey.”]
—walk·a·ble,
adjective
walk
all over somebody

to
ignore somebody’s rights or feelings

walk
tall

to feel and display
self-confidence and pride in your achievements[1]



walkabout

walkabout
walk·a·bout 
[wáwkə bòwt] (plural walk·a·bouts)
noun

1.  Australia
journey
through bush: an extended journey through a remote
area made by an Australian Aboriginal wishing to experience or return to a
traditional way of life and to traditional beliefs

2.  walk:
a walking trip (informal)
go
walkabout

1.  Australia
go for an extended journey on foot in remote country, traditionally alone and
living off the land (informal)

2.  Australia
leave your normal surroundings (informal)

[1]



walkaway

walkaway
walk
away
intransitive verb

1.  abandon
problem:
to refrain from becoming, or refuse to become, involved in a situation or
problem

2.  have
minor injuries: to survive an accident uninjured or with
few and minor injuries and be able to walk from the scene

3.  defeat
somebody:
to defeat or outdo another person or team easily

4.  win
something:
to win or achieve something • She
walked away with the first prize.

[1]



walkaway

walkaway
walk·a·way 
[wáwkə wày] (plural walk·a·ways)
noun

1.  something
easily won:
an easily won contest or victory (slang) • The
election was a walkaway.

2.  something
easily done: something that can be easily done or
accomplished (informal)

[1]



walker

walker
walk·er 
[wáwkər] (plural walk·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who walks:
somebody who walks, especially regularly for exercise or in competition

2.  support
for baby:
a lightweight framework on wheels that surrounds a baby, used to help a baby
learn to walk.
U.K.
term
baby walker

3.  walking
support:
a lightweight waist-high framework, usually with four legs and rubber feet,
used to help somebody who cannot walk without support

4.  CLOTHES walking
shoe:
a shoe designed for walking

[1]



Walker,Alice

Walker,Alice

Wal·ker 
[wáwkər], Alice (1944– )
U.S.
writer. Her novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Color Purple
( 1982 ), are concerned largely with the experience of African American women.
Full name
Walker, Alice Malsenior[1]



Walker,John George

Walker,John George
Wal·ker 
[wáwkər], John George (1952– )

New Zealand athlete. He won
the 1,500 meters at the 1976 Olympic Games and was the first person to run a
mile in less than 3 minutes 50 seconds (1975).[1]



walkie-talkie

walkie-talkie
walk·ie-talk·ie 
[wàwki táwkee] (plural walk·ie-talk·ies
[wàwki táwkee]) or walk·y-talk·y
[wàwki táwkee] (plural walk·y-talk·ies)
noun

hand-held
transmitter and receiver: a hand-held battery-operated
radio transmitter and receiver often used by emergency personnel to communicate
with one another
[Mid-20th century. A playful
variant of walk and talk
.][1]



walk-in

walk-in
walk-in 
[wáwk ìn] adjective

1.  large
enough to enter: large and spacious enough to enter

2.  located
on street:
having direct access from the street • a
walk-in apartment
noun
(plural walk-ins)

1.  cold
storage room: a cold storage room or a refrigerator or
freezer large enough to enter

2.  easy
victory:
an easily won victory

3.  customer
without appointment: somebody who requires a
service and enters a place of business, for example, a barber shop or doctor’s
office, without an appointment (informal)

4.  INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS defector:
somebody who walks into a foreign embassy or consulate wanting to leave his or
her country

[1]



walking

walking
walk·ing 
[wáwking] adjective

1.  able
to walk:
capable of walking

2.  for
walking:
used or designed for the purpose of walking • walking
shoes

3.  of
walking:
that involves traveling on foot • a
walking tour
a
walking dictionary or encyclopedia

somebody who is very
knowledgeable[1]



walkingbass

walkingbass
walk·ing
bass 
[wáwking bàyss] noun

bass accompaniment:
a bass accompaniment, usually consisting of small steps or intervals up and
down the scale in 4/4 time[1]



walkingcatfish

walkingcatfish
walk·ing
cat·fish
noun

fish that can breathe on
land: a freshwater catfish native
to tropical Asia with special organs that enable it to breathe on land for
short periods while it moves to another body of water. Latin name: Clarius batrachus[1]



walkingdelegate

walkingdelegate
walk·ing
del·e·gate
noun

labor-union representative:
a labor-union representative appointed to visit local unions and their
employers to insure compliance with contracts and sometimes to represent the
local union in negotiations[1]



walkingfern

walkingfern
walk·ing
fern
noun

fern with rooting fronds:
a fern of eastern North America whose long arching fronds take root at the tip,
sprouting new plants. Latin name: Camptosorus rhizophyllus
Also called
walking leaf[1]



walkinghorse

walkinghorse
walk·ing
horse
noun

See
Tennessee walking horse[1]



walkingleaf

walkingleaf
walk·ing
leaf
noun

1.  See
walking fern

2.  See
leaf insect

[1]



walkingpapers

walkingpapers
walk·ing
pa·pers
plural noun

formal notice of discharge:
official notification that somebody has been fired from a job or dismissed from
military service (informal)[1]



walkingstick

walkingstick
walk·ing
stick
noun

1.  stick
that helps walking: a cane or stick used to
assist in walking

2.  INSECTS insect
resembling twig: any of various long brown or green
phasmid insects that resemble twigs, especially a North American species that
feeds on leaves. Latin name: Diapheromera femorata
Also
called
stick insect

[1]



walkingwounded

walkingwounded
walk·ing
wound·ed
plural noun

casualties
who can walk: casualties of war, terrorism, or
disaster who are able to walk despite their injuries
noun

people who have been hurt:
people who continue to be affected by great emotional pain experienced during
their lives[1]



Walkman

Walkman
Walk·man 
[wáwkmən] Trademark

a trademark for a small
portable cassette player with earphones[1]



walkoff

walkoff
walk
off
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
leave
abruptly:
to leave a place abruptly • She
walked off without a word.

2.  transitive
verb
cure
something by walking: to get rid of something such
as an injury or feeling of sickness by walking

[1]



walkoff with

walkoff with
walk
off with
transitive verb

1.  steal
something:
to steal something • walked off with all the
jewels

2.  win
easily:
to win something effortlessly

[1]



walkof life

walkof life
walk
of life
(plural walks of life) noun

occupation or social class:
somebody’s occupation or social or economic class • people
from all walks of life[1]



walk-on

walk-on
walk-on 
(plural walk-ons) noun

1.  small
part in play or movie: a small part, usually a
nonspeaking one, in a stage or movie production

2.  somebody
with brief part: somebody who has a small part, usually a
nonspeaking one, in a stage or movie production

[1]



walkout

walkout
walk
out
intransitive verb

1.  leave
without explanation: to leave, especially in
anger or protest, without explanation

2.  go
on strike:
to go out on strike

3.  leave
somebody permanently: to leave a spouse, partner,
or family permanently

[1]



walkout

walkout
walk·out 
[wáwk òwt] (plural walk·outs) noun

1.  employee
strike:
an organized strike by employees in which workers walk out of the building or
off the premises

2.  act
of leaving as protest: a departure in protest or
anger about something

[1]



walkout on

walkout on
walk
out on
transitive verb

leave somebody:
to leave or abandon somebody (informal) • My
wife walked out on me last summer.[1]



walkover

walkover
walk
over
transitive verb

defeat somebody easily:
to win or defeat an opponent easily (informal) • That
horse will walk over the rest.[1]



walkover

walkover
walk·o·ver 
[wáwk vər] (plural walk·o·vers)
noun

1.  easy
victory:
an easy victory or one that is obtained without a contest, for example, because
the opposing side did not show (informal)

2.  race
with one horse: a horserace in which only one horse is
entered

[1]



walkthrough

walkthrough
walk
through
transitive verb

1.  ARTS rehearse
or perform a play sketchily: to rehearse something in a
simple, unelaborate way, mainly practicing basic moves and positions, or
perform something in a perfunctory, uncommitted way, as if still in rehearsal

2.  TV rehearse
without cameras: to rehearse a television program without
cameras

[1]



walk-through

walk-through
walk-through 
(plural walk-throughs) noun

rehearsal:
an early play rehearsal without props or costumes, or a television rehearsal
without cameras, usually to practice basic moves and positions[1]



walk-up

walk-up
walk-up
(plural walk-ups) noun

1.  building
without elevator: a building of several stories without an
elevator (informal)

2.  apartment
reached by stairs: an apartment in a building
without an elevator

[1]



walkway

walkway
walk·way 
[wáwk wày] (plural walk·ways) noun

specially built path for
walkers: a specially constructed path
for pedestrians[1]



Walkyrie

Walkyrie
Wal·kyr·ie 
noun

See
Valkyrie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








walky-talky

walky-talky
walk·y-talk·y 
noun

See
walkie-talkie[1]



wall

wall
wall 
[wawl] noun (plural walls)

1.  flat
side of building or room: a vertical structure forming
an inside partition or an outside surface of a building

2.  standing
structure that surrounds or blocks: a
narrow upright structure, usually built of stone, wood, plaster, or brick, that
acts as a boundary or keeps something in or out

3.  something
impenetrable: something similar to a wall in
appearance or impenetrability • met
with a wall of reporters

4.  something
that prevents communication: an obstacle to understanding
or communication between people

5.  ANATOMY body
membrane or lining: a membrane or lining
enclosing or bounding an organ, blood vessel, or cavity of the body • the
uterine wall

6.  MOUNTAINEERING rock
face:
a vertical or nearly vertical rock face • a
sheer wall of granite

7.  BUILDING defensive
structure:
a structure of earth or stone built for defensive purposes

8.  CIVIL ENGINEERING barrier
to flooding: a structure built as a barrier to
flooding

9.  SOCCER line
of defensive players: in soccer, a line of
defensive players who must stand at least ten yards from a free kick and who
try to block a shot on goal

10. BIOLOGY rigid
covering for cells: a rigid covering over the
outer membranes of plant cells and of some prokaryotic animal cells
plural
noun
walls

barriers to intimacy:
protective behavior used by somebody to keep others from getting too close
transitive
verb
(past walled, past participle walled, present
participle wall·ing, 3rd person present singular walls)

1.  surround
something with walls: to fortify or surround
something or somebody with a wall • They
walled in the back yard.

2.  separate
something with walls: to put up a wall to separate
one area from another

3.  close
something with wall: to close an opening with a
wall • wall
up the passage

4.  trap
or bury behind walls: to seal somebody or
something in a space with a wall
[Pre-12th
century. From Latin vallum, “rampart,” from vallus, “stake”
(source also of English interval ).]
—walled,
adjective
be
climbing the wall or walls

to
be extremely bored or frustrated (informal)

drive
somebody up the wall

to
annoy or irritate somebody extremely (informal)

go
to the wall

to be destroyed or ruined,
especially financially[1]



walla

walla
wal·la 
(plural wal·las) noun

See
wallah[1]



wallaby

wallaby

wal·la·by 
[wləbee] (plural wal·la·bies)
noun
Australian
marsupial like small kangaroo: any of various
marsupials of Australia and New Guinea that resemble small kangaroos. Family:
Macropodidae
[Early 19th century. From
Dharuk walabi and waliba .][1]



Wallace,Edgar

Wallace,Edgar
Wal·lace
[wólləss], Edgar (1875–1932)

British
writer. He wrote more than 170 popular crime novels and thrillers, beginning
with The Four Just Men ( 1905 ).
Full name
Wallace, Richard Horatio Edgar[1]



Wallace,Henry A.

Wallace,Henry A.

Wal·lace
[wólliss], Henry A. (1888–1965)
U.S.
agriculturalist and statesman. With his father, Henry Cantwell Wallace, he
developed the first successful hybrid seed maize. He became vice president
during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s third term (1941–1945), and ran for president as
a progressive in 1948.
Full name
Wallace, Henry Agard[1]



Wallace,Lew

Wallace,Lew
Wal·lace
[wólliss], Lew (1827–1905)

U.S.
writer and statesman. A veteran of the Mexican War and the Civil War, he was
governor of New Mexico (1878–1881) and minister to Turkey (1881–1885). He wrote
Ben Hur ( 1880 ).
Full name
Wallace, Lewis[1]



Wallace,William

Wallace,William
Wal·lace
[wólliss], Sir William (1272?–1305)

Scottish patriot. He led a
rebellion against the English (1297), but was defeated by Edward I (1298). He
was later captured and executed.[1]



Wallace’sline

Wallace’sline
Wal·lace’s
line
[wólləssəz ln] noun

boundary
between types of wildlife: a hypothetical boundary in
the southwestern Pacific separating the Oriental and Australian biogeographic
regions and their distinctive types of wildlife. The line runs between Bali and
Lombok in the Indonesian island chain and north through the Makassar Strait,
passing south of the Philippines.
[Mid-19th century. Named for
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), the English naturalist who defined
this boundary.][1]



wallah

wallah
wal·lah 
[wóllə] (plural wal·lahs) or
wal·la [wóllə] (plural wal·las)
noun

somebody
responsible for something: somebody in charge of a
particular thing or associated with a particular service or occupation (dated
informal) • a legal wallah
[Late 18th century. Via Hindi
-vālā, “(somebody) responsible for something or some duty,” from
Sanskrit pālaka, “keeper.”][1]



wallaroo

wallaroo
wal·la·roo 
[wòllə r] (plural wal·la·roos
or wal·la·roo) noun

large
kangaroo:
either of two species of large and sturdy kangaroo found throughout rocky
upland areas of mainland Australia. Latin name: Macropus robustus Macropus
bernardus
[Early 19th century. From
Dharuk walāru .][1]



wallbars

wallbars
wall
bars
plural noun

exercise bars on wall:
a series of horizontal bars attached to a wall and used for exercises[1]



wallboard

wallboard
wall·board 
[wáwl bàwrd] (plural wall·boards)
noun

See
plasterboard[1]



wallcreeper

wallcreeper
wall
creep·er
noun

songbird of mountains:
a songbird of rocky mountainous regions of Europe and Asia that has a long
slender beak and black wings with scarlet markings. It is related to the
nuthatch. Latin name: Tichodroma muraria[1]



Waller,Fats

Waller,Fats
Wal·ler
[wóllər], Fats (1904–1943)

U.S.
singer, pianist, and composer. He wrote and performed many jazz classics such
as “Ain’t Misbehavin” ( 1929 ).
Real name
Waller, Thomas Wright[1]



wallet

wallet
wal·let 
[wóllət] (plural wal·lets) noun

1.  pocket-sized
folded case for money: a small flat folding case
usually made of leather or plastic that holds paper money and credit cards and
is usually carried in a pocket or purse

2.  COMPUTING software
for online purchases: a software program that is
used to carry out transactions for online purchases made on the Internet

3.  folder:
a folder for holding items such as papers, photographs, or maps
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably via an Anglo-Norman word for “traveling pack,” from a
Germanic word for “roll.”][1]



walleye

walleye
wall·eye 
[wáwl ] (plural walleye or
wall·eyes) noun

1.  ZOOLOGY freshwater
fish of N America: a large predatory freshwater
fish of northeastern North America that has large eyes and is related to the
perch. Latin name: Stizostedion vitreum
Also
called
walleyed pike
Also
called
pikeperch

2.  OPHTHALMOLOGY eye
that appears white: an eye with a white or
streaked iris, giving the appearance of a pale ring around the pupil

3.  OPHTHALMOLOGY white
in cornea:
an eye with an opaque white cornea, or the condition that causes this opacity

4.  OPHTHALMOLOGY outward
turning eyes: a form of squint ( strabismus ) in which one or both eyes turn
outward
[Early 16th century.
Back-formation from walleyed .][1]



walleyed

walleyed
wall·eyed 
[wáwl d] adjective

1.  OPHTHALMOLOGY having
walleye:
having any of the medical conditions known as walleye

2.  with
bulging eyes: having bulging or staring eyes
[14th century. From a
Scandinavian word meaning “speckle-eyed.”][1]



walleyedpike

walleyedpike
wall·eyed
pike
noun

ZOOLOGY
See walleye  noun 1[1]



walleyedpollack

walleyedpollack
wall·eyed
pol·lack
noun

food fish of cod family:
an important northern Pacific food fish of the cod family that resembles the
pollack. Latin name: Theragra chalcogramma[1]



wallflower

wallflower
wall·flow·er 
[wáwl flòwr] noun

1.  PLANTS spring-flowering
garden plant: a common garden plant with rather woody
erect stems and fragrant yellow, orange, or brownish flowers clustered at the
top of the stem, that blooms in early spring. Genera: Cheiranthus Erysimum

2.  PLANTS plant
with fragrant colorful flowers: a plant originally
from southern Europe with fragrant colorful flowers, often found growing on
walls, rocks, and cliffs. Latin name: Cheiranthus cheiri

3.  somebody
unnoticed at social event: a shy or retiring person who
remains unnoticed at social events, especially a woman without a dance partner
(informal)

[1]



wallhanging

wallhanging
wall
hang·ing
noun

wall decoration:
a tapestry or other large flat object hung on a wall as a decoration[1]



Wallisand Futuna Islands

Wallisand Futuna Islands
Wal·lis
and Fu·tuna Is·lands  [wòlliss
ənd foo tóonə ləndz]

island group situated in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Fiji. It is an overseas territory of
France. Capital: Mata Utu. Population: 13,705 (1988) Area: 200 sq km/77 sq mi.[1]



walllizard

walllizard
wall
liz·ard
noun

common lizard found on walls:
a lizard that can be found on walls and rocks. Family: Lacertidae[1]



wallmustard

wallmustard
wall
mus·tard
noun

See
wall rocket[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wallof sound

wallof sound
wall
of sound
noun

recorded sound on pop
records: a type of recorded sound on
pop records achieved by overdubbing or layering many different instruments
around a pop tune[1]



Walloon

Walloon
Wal·loon 
[wo ln, wə ln]
(plural Wal·loons) noun

1.  PEOPLES French-speaking
Belgian:
a member of a French-speaking people living in southern Belgium, mainly in the
autonomous region of Wallonia, and in neighboring parts of France.
See
also
Fleming

2.  LANGUAGE Belgian
dialect of French: the dialect of French spoken
in southern Belgium and nearby areas of France
[Mid-16th
century. Via French Wallon from the medieval Latin stem wallo(n)-,
“foreigner,” ultimately from the same prehistoric Germanic word as English Welsh .]
—Wal·loon, adjective[1]



wallop

wallop
wal·lop 
[wólləp] transitive verb (past
wal·loped, past participle wal·loped, present
participle wal·lop·ing, 3rd person present singular wal·lops)
(informal)

1.  hit
somebody very hard: to strike something or
somebody with great force • She
can really wallop the ball.

2.  beat
somebody:
to give somebody a sound physical beating

3.  defeat
somebody decisively: to defeat a person or team
decisively
noun
(plural wal·lops) (informal)

1.  hard
hit:
a powerful blow

2.  ability
to hit hard: the ability to strike a powerful blow • He’s
got a wallop that could make him heavyweight champion.

3.  ability
to impress:
the ability to create a powerful impression on others
[14th century. From Old
French waloper, variant of galoper, “to gallop” (source of
English gallop ), literally “to run
well,” from the prehistoric Germanic ancestors of English well and leap
.][1]



walloping

walloping
wal·lop·ing 
[wólləping] noun (plural wal·lop·ings)
(informal)

1.  beating:
a sound physical beating

2.  decisive
defeat:
a decisive defeat or victory
adjective

big: very
large or impressive (informal) • The
angler came back with a walloping catch.
adverb

very: to an
extreme degree (informal) • a
walloping big lie

[1]



wallow

wallow
wal·low 
[wóllō] intransitive verb (past
wal·lowed, past participle wal·lowed, present
participle wal·low·ing, 3rd person present singular wal·lows)

1.  roll
in something: to lie down and roll around in something
• hogs
wallowing in mud

2.  heavily
indulge in something: to immerse yourself in
something, for example, an emotion or material wealth, in a self-indulgent way

3.  have
huge amount of something: to be amply or overly
supplied with something • We
suddenly found ourselves wallowing in kittens.

4.  walk
with difficulty: to move clumsily, as if in mud
noun
(plural wal·lows)

1.  act
of wallowing: an instance of wallowing in something
such as mud, emotion, or material luxury

2.  ZOOLOGY place
where animals roll: a muddy, wet, or dusty place
which animals use to roll around in

3.  ZOOLOGY depression
formed by animal: a sunken area in the ground made by a
rolling animal

4.  condition
of depravity: a state of degradation or low behavior
[Old
English wealwian, “to roll.” Ultimately from the same Indo-European
ancestor as English revolve, waltz, helix,
and wallet .]
—wal·low·er, noun[1]



wallpaper

wallpaper
wall·pa·per 
[wáwl pàypər] noun (plural wall·pa·pers)

1.  paper
to decorate walls: paper, usually printed with
a pattern, that is pasted on walls and sometimes ceilings

2.  COMPUTING background
pattern for screen: the background pattern for a
computer screen, composed of graphics
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wall·pa·pered,
past participle wall·pa·pered, present participle wall·pa·per·ing,
3rd person present singular wall·pa·pers)

put up wallpaper:
to cover a surface with wallpaper

[1]



wallplug

wallplug
wall
plug
noun

electrical outlet or socket:
a receptacle in the wall connected to an electric circuit, into which
appliances can be plugged[1]



wallrock

wallrock
wall
rock
noun

rock adjacent to mineral
deposit: the rock that surrounds a
vein, mineral deposit, or fault[1]



wallrocket

wallrocket
wall
rock·et
noun

yellow-flowered plant growing
on walls: either of two cruciferous
plants bearing yellow flowers that are native to Europe and grow on walls and
waste ground. Latin name: Diplotaxis muralis Diplotaxis tenuifolia

Also called
stinkweed
Also called
wall mustard[1]



wallrue

wallrue
wall
rue
noun

delicate fan-shaped fern:
a small delicate fern that grows in fan-shaped clusters on walls or in rocky
crevices. Latin name: Asplenium ruta-muraria[1]



WallStreet

WallStreet
Wall
Street 
noun

1.  New
York street of Stock Exchange: the street in
Manhattan, New York City, where the New York Stock Exchange and many major
financial institutions of the United States are located

2.  U.S.
financial market: the U.S. financial market, especially as
represented by the publicly traded companies comprising the stock markets

[1]



wall-to-wall

wall-to-wall
wall-to-wall 
adjective

1.  from
one wall to another: completely covering a floor
or floors • wall-to-wall
carpeting

2.  crowded
with something: completely filling, covering, or
pervading something, or occurring nonstop (informal) • fed
up with wall-to-wall pop music
noun
(plural wall-to-walls)

fitted carpet:
a carpet that completely covers a floor

[1]



wally

wally
wal·ly
[wóllee] (plural wal·lies) noun

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence or common
sense (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from the name Wally, from Walter .][1]



walnut

walnut

wal·nut 
[wáwl nùt, wáwlnət]
noun (plural wal·nuts)

1.  TREES tree
valued for nuts and wood: a large deciduous tree with
fragrant compound leaves and drooping catkins, grown worldwide for its shade,
wood, and nuts. Genus: Juglans

2.  FOOD nut of
walnut tree: the edible nut of a walnut tree, which
has a deeply wrinkled surface and is enclosed in a hard shell and a thick
leathery husk

3.  INDUSTRY walnut
wood:
the wood of a walnut tree used in cabinetry, for paneling, and veneer (often
used before a noun)

4.  COLORS light-brown
color:
a light yellowish-brown color like that of the wood of the walnut tree
adjective

COLORS of
light-brown color: of a light yellowish-brown
color
[14th
century. From Old English wealhnutu, literally “foreign nut,” from wealh,
“foreign, Welsh, Celtic.”]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  prehistoric Germanic peoples regarded the walnut
  as the “foreign nut” because it did not originally grow in northern Europe
  but was introduced from Gaul and Italy, the lands of the Celts and the Romans
  (the Germans’ own native nut was the hazel).

[1]



Walpole

Walpole
Wal·pole 
[wáwlpōl, wólpōl]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, west of Stoughton and southwest of Boston. Population: 22,251
(1996)[1]



Walpole,Robert

Walpole,Robert
Wal·pole 
[wáwl pl], Sir Robert, 1st Earl of Orford
(1676–1745)

British statesman. He became
a Whig member of Parliament in 1701. From 1721 to 1742 he wielded considerable
political power as chief minister to George I and George II. Although he
himself repudiated the title, which did not become official until much later,
he is regarded as Britain’s first prime minister.[1]



Walpurgisnight

Walpurgisnight
Wal·pur·gis
night
[vaal prgiss nt] (plural Wal·pur·gis
nights [vaal prgiss nt]) or Wal·pur·gis
Night [vaal prgiss nt] (plural Wal·pur·gis
Nights) noun

1.  witches’
festival:
the eve of May Day, believed in German folklore to be the witches’ feast night
on the Brocken in the Harz mountains

2.  wild
or scary event: a wild celebration or a nightmarish
situation
[Early 19th century.
Translation of German Walpurgisnacht, named for Walpurga, an 8th
century Anglo-Saxon saint, venerated by Christians on this date (the night
before her remains were buried at Eichstätt in Germany).][1]



walrus

walrus
wal·rus 
[wáwlrəss] (plural wal·rus or
wal·rus·es) noun

tusked
Arctic sea mammal: a large Arctic sea mammal
related to seals and sea lions, with tough wrinkled skin, large tusks, and
bristly whiskers. Latin name: Odobenus rosmarus
[Early 18th century. From
Dutch walrus, walros, literally “whale-horse,” from walvis(ch),
“whale.”][1]



walrusmustache

walrusmustache
wal·rus
mus·tache
(plural wal·rus mus·taches) noun

mustache resembling walrus
whiskers: a thick drooping mustache
resembling a walrus’s whiskers[1]



Walter,Bruno

Walter,Bruno
Wal·ter
[vltər, wáwltər],
Bruno (1876–1972)

German-born
U.S. conductor. As chief conductor of several orchestras of international
renown, he was best known for his interpretations of the music of Mozart,
Bruckner, and Mahler.
Real name
Schlesinger, Bruno Walter[1]



WalterMitty

WalterMitty
Wal·ter
Mit·ty 
[wàwltər míttee] (plural Wal·ter
Mit·ties) noun

daydreamer:
an ordinary person who daydreams about great personal adventure and success
[Mid-20th
century. Named for the hero of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” a 1939 short
story by James Thurber, about such a daydreamer.]
—Wal·ter Mit·ty·ish, adjective[1]



Walters,Barbara

Walters,Barbara
Wal·ters
[wáwltərz], Barbara (1931– )

U.S. television journalist.
As a reporter and host of television news magazines and celebrity interview
shows, she established a reputation for eliciting candid answers to difficult
questions from public figures.[1]



Waltham

Waltham
Wal·tham 
[wáwlthəm, wólthəm]

city in eastern
Massachusetts, southwest of Arlington. Founded in 1636, it is a western suburb
of Boston. Population: 57,214 (1996)[1]



Walton,Ernest T. S.

Walton,Ernest T. S.
Wal·ton
[wáwltən], Ernest T. S. (1903–1995)

Irish
physicist. He helped develop a particle accelerator, which led to the first
artificial nuclear reaction. He shared a Nobel Prize in physics (1951).
Full name
Walton, Ernest Thomas Sinton[1]



Walton,Izaak

Walton,Izaak
Wal·ton
[wáwlt’n], Izaak (1593–1683)

English writer. He is
remembered for his contemplation on fishing and the charms of pastoral life, The
Compleat Angler ( 1653 ).[1]



Walton,William

Walton,William
Wal·ton
[wáwlt’n], Sir William (1902–1983)

British
composer. He wrote orchestral works, an opera, and movie scores including the
music for Laurence Olivier’s adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
Full name
Walton, Sir William Turner[1]



waltz

waltz
waltz 
[wawlts] noun (plural waltz·es)

1.  DANCE dance
for couples in triple time: a ballroom dance in triple
time in which the couple turn continuously while moving around the dance floor

2.  MUSIC music
for waltz:
a piece of music for a waltz, in triple time

3.  something
easy:
something that can be accomplished effortlessly (informal)
verb
(past waltzed, past participle waltzed, present
participle waltz·ing, 3rd person present singular waltz·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb DANCE dance waltz:
to dance or lead somebody in a waltz

2.  intransitive
verb
move
in relaxed manner: to move in a relaxed and
confident manner (informal) • She
just waltzed right in and demanded more money.

3.  intransitive
verb
go
through something easily: to accomplish something
effortlessly
[Late 18th century. From
German Walzer, from walzen, “to waltz, roll, revolve.” Ultimately
from the same Indo-European ancestor as English wallow
and revolve .][1]



WaltzingMatilda

WaltzingMatilda
Waltz·ing
Ma·til·da
[wàwltsing mə tíldə] noun

popular
Australian folksong: a traditional Australian
song that tells the story of a vagrant worker ( swagman
) who commits suicide at a water hole to avoid being arrested for
sheep-stealing (informal)
[Because of the dancing
motion of a pack carried on somebody’s shoulder; Matilda “personal pack,
bundle,” from the name][1]



waltzMatilda

waltzMatilda
waltz
Matilda
verb

Australia
wander seeking work:
to wander around looking for work carrying one’s belongings in a pack (dated
slang)[1]



WalvisBay

WalvisBay
Wal·vis
Bay 
[wàwlviss báy]

town and port in western
Namibia, on the Atlantic coast. It was a former enclave of South Africa until
1994. Population: 16,652 (1985)[1]



Wampanoag

Wampanoag
Wam·pa·no·ag 
[wòmpə nṓ àg] (plural Wam·pa·no·ag
or Wam·pa·no·ags) noun

member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people who once occupied lands in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
[Late
17th century. From Narragansett, literally “easterners.”]
—Wam·pa·no·ag, adjective[1]



wampum

wampum
wam·pum 
[wómpəm] or wam·pum·peag [wómpəm pg] noun

1.  decorative
beads used as money: small polished beads made
from shells, threaded on string, used by some Native North Americans as
decoration, for ceremonial purposes, or formerly for money

2.  money:
money (dated slang)
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of wampumpeag, from Algonquian, literally “white strings,” from wap,
“white” + umpe, “string.”][1]



WAN

WAN
WAN 
[wan]

Abbreviation of
wide area network[1]



wan

wan
wan 
[won] adjective (comparative wan·ner,
superlative wan·nest)

1.  pale:
unhealthily pale, especially from illness or grief

2.  indicative
of low spirits: suggesting ill health or unhappiness • He
gave me a wan look.

3.  faint:
lacking brightness • a wan star
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wanned, past
participle wanned, present participle wan·ning, 3rd
person present singular wans)

make or become pale or ill:
to make something pale, or become pale or unhealthy (literary)
[Old
English wann, “dark, dusky, gray,” of unknown origin]
—wan·ly,
adverb

—wan·ness, noun[1]



Wanamaker,John

Wanamaker,John
Wan·a·ma·ker
[wónnə màykər], John (1838–1922)

U.S. merchant. He began a
clothing business in Philadelphia (1861), which expanded to become one of the
leading department store chains in the United States.[1]



wand

wand
wand 
[wond] (plural wands) noun

1.  rod
with magical powers: a thin rod believed to
possess magical powers, used by supposed magicians, wizards, and supernatural
beings

2.  staff
showing authority: a thin staff carried as a
symbol of office

3.  HOUSEHOLD vacuum
cleaner part: an attachment between the hose and
cleaning tool of a vacuum cleaner that resembles a pipe

4.  COMPUTING bar-code
scanner:
a hand-held optical scanning device used to read and enter bar-code information
into a computer

5.  MUSIC baton:
a conductor’s baton

6.  BOTANY slender
plant shoot: a slender bendable shoot of a shrub or
tree (archaic)
[12th century. Via Old Norse vondr,
“straight flexible stick,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “turn”
(ancestor of English wander and went ).][1]



wander

wander
wan·der 
[wóndər] verb (past wan·dered,
past participle wan·dered, present participle wan·der·ing,
3rd person present singular wan·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb travel
without a destination: to move from place to place,
either without a purpose or without a known destination • They
wander the countryside looking for work.

2.  intransitive
verb
leave
a fixed path: to stray from a particular course • Don’t
wander far from the path.

3.  intransitive
verb
daydream:
to lose the ability to concentrate on or listen to a particular thing • My
mind was wandering.

4.  intransitive
verb
take
a curving path: to follow a winding course • The
river wandered through the meadows.

5.  intransitive
verb
stroll
somewhere:
to go somewhere at a leisurely pace

6.  intransitive
verb
fail
to think or speak clearly: to lose the ability to
think, speak, or write in an organized and coherent way
noun
(plural wan·ders)

aimless stroll:
an aimless or leisurely moving from place to place
[Old
English wandrian, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “turn,” which
also produced English wand]
—wan·der·er,
noun

—wan·der·ing,
adjective

—wan·der·ing·ly, adverb[1]



wanderingalbatross

wanderingalbatross
wan·der·ing
al·ba·tross 
noun

albatross that lives in
flight: a large albatross of
southern seas with a white body and black wings and tail that spends most of
its life in flight at sea. Latin name: Diomedea exulans[1]



wanderingJew

wanderingJew

wan·der·ing Jew
(plural wan·der·ing Jews) noun
trailing plant with colorful foliage:
any of three tropical American trailing plants widely grown as houseplants for
their variegated foliage and white or rose-red flowers. Latin name: Tradescantia
fluminensis Tradescantia albiflora Zebrina pendula[1]



WanderingJew

WanderingJew
Wan·der·ing
Jew 
noun

legendary character wandering
the earth: in medieval legend, a Jewish
man, sometimes named as Ahasuerus, condemned to remain alive wandering the
earth until Judgment Day for having mocked Jesus Christ on the day of the
Crucifixion[1]



wanderlust

wanderlust
wan·der·lust 
[wóndər lùst] noun

desire
for traveling: a strong desire to travel
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “desire to travel.”][1]



wane

wane
wane 
[wayn] intransitive verb (past
waned, past participle waned, present participle wan·ing,
3rd person present singular wanes)

1.  show
less lighted area: to show a decreasing
illuminated surface between a full Moon and new Moon (refers to the moon or
a planet)

2.  get
smaller or less: to decrease gradually in intensity or
power • His
interest was waning.

3.  finish:
to draw to a close • Winter is waning at
last.
noun
(plural wanes)

1.  decrease
in intensity: a gradual lessening of power or
intensity

2.  time
during moon’s wane: the period during which the
Moon’s visible illuminated surface is decreasing in size

3.  period
of lessening: a period of gradual decrease

4.  end
of period:
the conclusion of a time or season • the
wane of summer

5.  WOODWORK irregularity
on plank’s edge: a defective edge left on a rough-sawn
plank
[Old
English wanian, “to lessen,” from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning
“lacking”]
be
on the wane

to decrease or pass out of
fashion[1]



Wanganui

Wanganui
Wang·a·nu·i
[wòngə n ee]

river in the southwestern
part of the North Island, New Zealand. It rises on Mount Tongariro and flows
southward through the city of Wanganui to the Cook Strait. Length: 290 km/180
mi.[1]



wangle

wangle
wan·gle 
[wáng g’l] transitive verb (past
wan·gled, past participle wan·gled, present participle
wan·gling, 3rd person present singular wan·gles)

1.  get
something deviously: to get something using
indirect and sometimes deceitful methods (informal) • I’m
trying to wangle some time off work.

2.  falsify
accounts:
to manipulate accounts or records, usually deceitfully
noun
(plural wan·gles)

dishonest method:
a devious means of accomplishing something
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a variant of waggle
. The meaning “to get something deviously” evolved from printer’s slang, “to
manipulate type to achieve a desired appearance.”]
—wang·ler, noun[1]



wanigan

wanigan
wan·i·gan 
[wónnigən] (plural wan·i·gans)
noun

1.  Northeastern
U.S.,
Northwestern U.S. boat or chest of lumber
supplies:
a boat or chest equipped with supplies for a lumber camp

2.  Northeastern
U.S.,
Northwestern U.S. camp supplies:
supplies for a camp or cabin

3.  living
quarters on runners: a cabin on runners towed
behind a trailer used as living quarters in Alaska for a work crew (regional)

4.  trailer
house addition: an addition built on a trailer house in
Alaska for extra space (regional)
[Mid-19th century. From
Montagnais atawangan, from atawan, “to buy or sell.”][1]



Wankelengine

Wankelengine
Wan·kel
en·gine 
[wángk’l ènjin] (plural Wan·kel
en·gines) noun

internal-combustion
engine without pistons: an internal-combustion
engine in which an approximately triangular rotor inside an elliptical
combustion chamber replaces the pistons of a conventional engine, thus reducing
the number of moving parts
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Felix Wankel (1902–1988), the German engineer who invented it.][1]



wanna

wanna
wan·na
[wónnə] transitive verb

want
to:
want to (nonstandard) • I
wanna go!
[Late 19th century.
Alteration of want to .][1]



wannabe

wannabe
wan·na·be 
[wónnəbee] (plural wan·na·bes)
noun

somebody
emulating somebody else: somebody who is trying to be
like another person or to belong to a particular group (informal
disapproving)
[Late 20th century.
Alteration of want to be .][1]



want

want
want 
[wont] transitive verb (past want·ed,
past participle want·ed, present participle want·ing,
3rd person present singular wants)

1.  desire
something:
to feel a need or desire for something • We
want a new car.

2.  wish
something done: to desire to do something or that
something be done • I don’t want you being
late.
• He
wants his steak well done.

3.  miss
something:
to feel the lack of something • After
a week on the road, I want my own bed.

4.  wish
somebody’s presence: to wish to see or speak to
somebody • He’s
wanted on the phone. • Someone
wants you at the door.

5.  seek
somebody as crime suspect: to seek somebody in
connection with a crime (usually passive) • wanted
for two felonies

6.  need
something:
to have a need for something (informal) • What
that kid wants is some discipline! • The
closets want cleaning.

7.  desire
somebody sexually: to feel sexual desire for
somebody (informal)
noun
(plural wants)

1.  need:
something that somebody desires or needs (usually used in the plural) • All
your wants can be easily supplied.

2.  lack
of something: an absence or shortage of something • There’s
been no want of snow for the skiers this winter.

3.  poverty:
the state of being poor • Freedom
from want is a fundamental human right.
[12th
century. Via Old Norse vanta, “to be lacking,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word meaning “lacking” (ancestor of English wane and wanton
).]
—want·er,
noun
for
want of

through
the lack of something • No one
should be left behind for want of opportunity.

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  want, desire, wish,
  long, yearn, covet,
  crave
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  seek to have, do, or achieve something want;
  a fairly informal and general word meaning to seek to have, do, or achieve
  something; desire; a more formal
  and often stronger alternative to “want.” It can be used specifically to talk
  about sexual attraction; wish; a
  more formal alternative to “want,” often suggesting that the thing wanted
  will be very difficult or impossible to attain; long;
  emphasizes that somebody wants something very much; yearn; to want something very much,
  especially when it seems unlikely that it can ever be obtained; covet; often used for wanting something that
  belongs to another person. It can also be used to indicate that somebody
  wants something very much; crave;
  to desire something very much, especially when this desire is physical

[1]



wantad

wantad
want
ad
(plural want ads) noun

classified ad:
a classified advertisement in a newspaper or magazine (informal)[1]



wantfor

wantfor
want
for
transitive verb

need something:
to experience the lack of something • The
family wants for nothing.[1]



wantin

wantin
want
in
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  want
to be included: to wish to be included in something,
especially to want to invest in a business deal • Do
you want in?

2.  want
to enter:
to wish to go inside a place • See if
the cat wants in.

[1]



wanting

wanting
want·ing 
[wónting] adjective

unsatisfactory:
not meeting expectations or requirements • found
wanting in the area of security[1]



wanton

wanton
wan·ton 
[wóntən] adjective

1.  sexually
indiscriminate: without restraint or inhibition,
especially in sexual behavior

2.  random:
without reason or provocation • wanton
violence and destruction

3.  desiring
to do harm:
done out of a desire to cause harm

4.  excessive:
unrestrained, heedless of reasonable limits, or characterized by greed and
extravagance • wanton
indulgence

5.  unruly:
lacking discipline

6.  lush:
growing luxuriantly (archaic)

7.  playful:
engaged in play that is carefree (archaic)
noun
(plural wan·tons)

1.  somebody
without sexual restraint: somebody who is lascivious
or sexually uninhibited

2.  somebody
playful:
a playful person (archaic)

3.  somebody
growing unruly: an undisciplined person (archaic)
intransitive
verb
(past wan·toned, past participle wan·toned, present
participle wan·ton·ing, 3rd person present singular wan·tons)

be wanton: to
behave in a wanton manner (archaic)
[14th
century. From Old English wan-, “un-” + togen, “disciplined,”
from tēon, “to train, discipline, pull.”]
—wan·ton·ly,
adverb

—wan·ton·ness, noun[1]



wantout

wantout
want
out
intransitive verb (informal)

1.  wish
not to take part: to wish to be excluded from or to leave
something, especially a business deal • We
want out before we get into trouble.

2.  desire
to get outside: to wish to go outside a building • The
dog wants out.

[1]



wapiti

wapiti
wap·i·ti 
[wóppitee] (plural wap·i·tis or
wap·i·ti) noun

large
deer with large antlers: a large North American deer,
found especially in the mountainous west, that has tall branched antlers and
lives in herds. Latin name: Cervus elaphus
Also
called
elk
[Early 19th century. From
Shawnee wapiti, literally “white rump.”][1]



Wappinger

Wappinger
Wap·pin·ger 
[wóppinjər] (plural Wap·pin·ger
or Wap·pin·gers) noun

member of Native N American
people: a member of a Native North
American people who formerly occupied lands along the Hudson River in New York
State, and whose members dispersed following wars with Dutch settlers in the
17th century[1]



war.

war.
war.

Abbreviation of
warrant[1]



war

war
war 
[wawr] noun (plural wars)

1.  armed
fighting between groups: an armed conflict between
countries or groups that involves killing and destruction • The
two countries are at war.

2.  period
during war:
a period of armed conflict • during
the Vietnam War

3.  methods
of warfare:
the techniques or the study of the techniques of armed conflict

4.  conflict:
any serious struggle, argument, or conflict between people • The
candidates are at war.

5.  serious
effort to end something: an effort to eradicate
something harmful • a war against drugs
intransitive
verb
(past warred, past participle warred, present
participle war·ring, 3rd person present singular wars)

1.  make
war:
to engage in an armed conflict with somebody

2.  be
in a struggle: to be involved in a serious disagreement
with somebody or a struggle to combat or eradicate something
[12th
century. Via Old Northern French werre, from Old French guerre,
ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “strife, confusion.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at fight









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  War
  and Peace, a novel by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy ( 1865-1869 ). This
  monumental work is set in Russia during and after the Napoleonic Wars
  (1805–1814). Though it focuses on five fictional families, the story
  incorporates historical accounts and philosophical essays to create an
  extraordinarily comprehensive portrait of Russian society that touches on
  almost every aspect of human experience from love and happiness to grief and
  war.

[1]



warbaby

warbaby
war
ba·by
noun

baby born during war:
a baby born or conceived during a war[1]



WarBetween the States

WarBetween the States
War
Be·tween the States  noun

See
Civil War  noun 1[1]



warble

warble1

war·ble1 [wáwrb’l]
intransitive and transitive verb (past war·bled, past
participle war·bled, present participle war·bling, 3rd
person present singular war·bles)

1.  sing
notes with trills: to sing a song or note with
trills or other vocal modulations • a
songbird warbling outside my window

2.  sing
something:
to sing, or express something in song • warble
a tune
noun (plural
war·bles)

1.  modulated
singing:
singing with trills or other vocal modulations

2.  modulated
sound:
a sound with trills or quavers
[14th century. Via Old
Northern French werbler, “to sing with trills,” from a Frankish word for
“whirl, trill.”][1]



warble

warble2
war·ble2 [wáwrb’l]
(plural war·bles) noun

1.  VETERINARY MEDICINE swelling
in horses and cattle: a swelling under the skin
that forms usually on the back in horses and cattle, caused by the warble fly
maggot

2.  INSECTS warble
fly or its larvae: the warble fly, or the
maggot of the warble fly

3.  VETERINARY MEDICINE lump
on horse’s back from saddle: a hard tumorous lump of
tissue on the back of a riding horse caused by the rubbing of the saddle
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Scandinavian .][1]



warblefly

warblefly
war·ble
fly
noun

large fly:
a large hairy fly, the larvae of which form painful swellings under the skin of
cattle and horses. Family: Oestridae[1]



warbler

warbler
war·bler 
[wáwrblər] (plural war·blers) noun

1.  BIRDS small
singing bird: a small American songbird that eats
insects and is often brightly colored. Family: Parulidae

2.  BIRDS thrush
relative:
a songbird of Europe and Asia that is related to the thrush. Family: Sylviidae

3.  somebody
who warbles: somebody who warbles or sings

[1]



warblingvireo

warblingvireo
war·bling
vir·e·o 
noun

gray singing bird:
a small gray North American bird with a distinctive warbling song. Latin name: Virio
gilvus[1]



warbonnet

warbonnet
war
bon·net
noun

Native N American headdress:
a ceremonial headdress decorated with feathers, worn by some Native North
American warriors[1]



warbride

warbride
war
bride
noun

wartime wife:
a woman who meets and marries a serviceman during wartime, especially one from
another country[1]



warchest

warchest
war
chest
noun

funds set aside for campaign:
funds collected to pay for a war or a campaign of any sort[1]



warclouds

warclouds
war
clouds
plural noun

herald of war:
signs of impending war[1]



warcorrespondent

warcorrespondent
war
cor·re·spon·dent noun

journalist near a war:
a journalist reporting from a war[1]



warcrime

warcrime

war
crime
noun
crime
during a war: a crime committed during wartime that is
in violation of international agreements concerning the conventions of war, for
example, the mistreatment of prisoners or genocide (often used in the plural)
—war crim·i·nal, noun[1]



warcry

warcry
war
cry
noun

See
battle cry  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








ward

ward
ward 
[wawrd] noun (plural wards)

1.  POLITICS city
division:
an administrative or electoral division of an area such as a city, town, or
county

2.  MEDICINE room
in hospital: a room in a hospital, especially one for
several patients being given similar treatment

3.  prison
division:
a division in a prison

4.  LAW somebody
under official care: somebody, especially a child
or young person, who is under the care of a guardian or a court

5.  BUILDING area
in castle:
an open area within the walls of a castle

6.  LAW custody:
a state of official custody or protection

7.  defense
movement:
a movement or stance used as a means of protection, for example, in fencing

8.  RELIGION Latter-day
Saints’ administrative division: in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, an administrative division presided over by a
bishop and two counselors

9.  lock
or key feature: a ridge or groove in a key or a lock
that makes one fit the other
transitive
verb
(past ward·ed, past participle ward·ed, present
participle ward·ing, 3rd person present singular wards)

guard: to
guard or protect somebody or something (archaic)
[Old English weard,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to be on guard,” which is also the
ancestor of English guard, aware, and wary][1]



-ward

-ward
-ward
suffix

1.  in
a particular direction, or toward a particular place • earthward

2.  lying
or occurring in a particular direction • rightward
• windward
[Old English -weard .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to turn,” which is also the
ancestor of English avert .][1]



Ward,Aaron Montgomery

Ward,Aaron Montgomery
Ward 
[wawrd], Aaron Montgomery (1843–1913)

U.S. merchant. He pioneered
mail-order merchandising (1872) with a catalog offering low-cost goods to
people in rural areas.[1]



wardance

wardance
war
dance
noun

dance before or after battle:
a dance performed as a ceremony before a battle or to celebrate victory, for
example, by Native North Americans[1]



Ward,Artemus

Ward,Artemus
Ward 
[wawrd], Artemus (1834–1867)

U.S.
humorist. In the persona of an uneducated traveling showman, he wrote newspaper
pieces and lectures combining humor, satire, and basic common sense.
Pseudonym of
Browne, Charles Farrar[1]



warded

warded
ward·ed 
[wáwrdəd] adjective

with grooves or ridges:
used to describe locks or keys that have grooves or ridges[1]



warden

warden
war·den 
[wáwrd’n] (plural war·dens) noun

1.  principal
prison officer: the principal officer in charge of a
prison.
U.K.
term
governor

2.  official
concerned with regulations: an official, for example, an
air-raid warden, who makes sure that regulations are enforced

3.  U.K.
somebody
in charge of institution: somebody who is in charge of
an institution such as a college or school

4.  CHRISTIANITY See churchwarden  noun 1

5.  FORESTRY See ranger  noun 1
[12th
century. From Anglo-Norman wardein, from a prehistoric Germanic word
meaning “to be on guard” (see ward ).]
—war·den·ship, noun[1]



warder

warder
ward·er
[wáwrdər] (plural ward·ers) noun

U.K.
prison
officer:
a prison officer
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman wardere, from Old Northern French warder “to guard,”
variant of French garder (see guard
).][1]



wardheeler

wardheeler
ward
heel·er
noun

political lackey:
somebody who carries out minor tasks for a powerful local or city politician (informal)

Also called
heeler[1]



wardoff

wardoff
ward
off
transitive verb

1.  repel:
to parry or repel a blow or attack

2.  avert
something bad: to keep away or avert something bad

[1]



wardrobe

wardrobe
ward·robe 
[wáwrd rb] (plural ward·robes)
noun

1.  CLOTHES place
for clothes: a large closet or freestanding cupboard
with a rail or shelves for clothes and shoes

2.  CLOTHES clothes
collection:
all the clothes that belong to a particular person

3.  CLOTHES clothes
for a purpose: a collection of clothes for a particular
season or purpose

4.  THEATER theater
costumes:
the costumes used by a theatrical company

5.  THEATER place
for costumes: a place in a theater where costumes are
kept

6.  royal
department:
the department in a royal or noble household in charge of robes and jewels
[14th century. From Old
Northern French warderobe, variant of French garderobe, from
French garder “to guard” + robe “robe.”][1]



wardrobemistress

wardrobemistress
ward·robe
mis·tress
noun

somebody in charge of
costumes: a woman in charge of the
costumes in a theater or on a movie set[1]



wardrobetrunk

wardrobetrunk
ward·robe
trunk
noun

large clothes trunk:
a large upright trunk with a rail on which clothes can be hung[1]



wardroom

wardroom
ward·room 
[wáwrd rm, wáwrd
rm] (plural ward·rooms) noun

1.  ship’s
officers’ room: a room on a warship used by all the
officers except the captain

2.  warship’s
officers:
the officers on a ship who can use the wardroom

[1]



-wards

-wards
-wards
suffix

See
-ward[1]



wardship

wardship
ward·ship 
[wáwrd shìp] noun

1.  guardianship:
the state of being in the care of a guardian appointed by parents or a court

2.  being
a ward:
the state of being a ward

[1]



ware

ware1
ware1 [wair]
noun

1.  similar
things:
similar things, or things that are made of the same material (usually used
in combination)

2.  ceramics:
ceramic articles of a particular kind or made by a particular manufacturer • delftware
plural
noun
wares

1.  things
for sale:
articles offered for sale

2.  marketable
skills:
skills or talents offered as a service or a commodity
[Old English waru, of
uncertain origin: probably from the same word as ward,
with the underlying idea “something taken care of”][1]



ware

ware2
ware2 [wair]
intransitive and transitive verb (past wared, past
participle waring, 3rd person present singular wares)

beware:
to beware (archaic)
adjective

wary:
wary or prudent (archaic)
[Old English warian,
from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to be on guard” (see ward )][1]



Wareham

Wareham
Ware·ham 
[wáirəm]

town in southeastern
Massachusetts, on an inlet of Buzzards Bay, south of Plymouth and northeast of
New Bedford. Population: 19,545 (1996)[1]



warehouse

warehouse
ware·house 
[wáir hòwss] noun (plural ware·hous·es
[wàir hówses])

1.  storage
building:
a large building in which goods, raw materials, or commodities are stored

2.  big
store:
a large store, especially one where goods are sold wholesale
transitive
verb
(past participle ware·housed, present participle ware·hous·ing,
3rd person present singular ware·hous·es [wáir hòwzəz])

1.  store
in a warehouse: to store materials, goods, or
commodities in a warehouse

2.  abandon
in an institution: to leave somebody in an
institution that does not provide adequate care or treatment (informal)
—ware·hous·er [wáir hòwzər], noun[1]



warehouseman

warehouseman
ware·house·man
[wáir hòwssmən] (plural ware·house·men
[wáir hòwssmən]) noun

warehouse worker or owner:
somebody who works in or owns a warehouse[1]



warehousing

warehousing
ware·hous·ing
[wáir hòwzing] noun

stockpiling of a security:
the accumulation of a particular security in the hope that demand will push the
price up as the result of the reduced supply on the open market[1]



wareroom

wareroom
ware·room 
[wáir rm, wáir
rm] (plural ware·rooms) noun

room for goods:
a room where goods are kept or displayed for sale[1]



warfare

warfare
war·fare 
[wáwr fàir] noun

1.  waging
of war:
the act or fact of engaging in a war

2.  conflict:
conflict or struggle • economic
warfare

[1]



warfarin

warfarin
war·fa·rin 
[wáwrfərin] noun

colorless
crystalline rat poison and anticoagulant: a
colorless crystalline compound that is used as a rat poison and, usually in the
form of its sodium salt, medicinally as an anticoagulant. C19H16O4
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from the initial letters of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the
ending of Coumarin .][1]



war-game

war-game
war-game 
(past war-gamed, past participle war-gamed, present
participle war-gam·ing, 3rd person present singular war-games)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
be
in war game: to take part in a war game

2.  transitive
verb
test
military strategy: to try out a military
operation or strategy using simulation
—war-gam·er, noun[1]



wargame

wargame
war
game
noun

1.  MILITARY military
exercise:
a military exercise that simulates battle conditions

2.  playing
at war:
a game in which models of soldiers, battlefields, and equipment are used to
refight historical battles

[1]



warhead

warhead
war·head 
[wáwr hèd] (plural war·heads) noun

destructive material carried
by a missile: the part of a bomb,
ballistic or guided missile, rocket, or torpedo that contains the biological,
chemical, explosive, incendiary, or nuclear material intended to damage the
enemy[1]



Warhol,Andy

Warhol,Andy

War·hol
[wáwr hawl, wáwrhōl],
Andy (1928–1987)
U.S.
artist. His stylized multiple depictions of mass-produced objects and
celebrities made him a leader of the pop art movement. He also produced a
series of movies that reproduced the banalities of life.
Born
Wahola, Andrew[1]



warhorse

warhorse
war·horse 
[wáwr hàwrs] (plural war·hors·es)
noun

1.  MILITARY horse
in battle:
a horse ridden in battle

2.  survivor
of a conflict: somebody who has taken part in and
survived many conflicts (informal)

3.  ARTS standard
work:
a play or a piece of music that is familiar and hackneyed because of too
frequent performance (informal)

[1]



warison

warison
war·i·son
[wáirəss’n] (plural war·i·sons)
noun

bugle
attack signal: a note played on a bugle as a sign for
soldiers to attack
[13th century. From Old
French, variant of garison “provision” (see garrison
).][1]



warlike

warlike
war·like 
[wáwr lk] adjective

1.  hostile:
hostile and inclined to fight

2.  relating
to war:
relating to war or warfare

3.  martial:
martial or military

[1]



warlock

warlock
war·lock 
[wáwr lòk] (plural war·locks) noun

sorcerer:
a male sorcerer or wizard
[Old English wærloga
“oath-breaker,” from wær “oath, pledge” + -loga “liar”][1]



warlord

warlord
war·lord 
[wáwr làwrd] (plural war·lords)
noun

military
leader:
a military leader, especially a powerful one, operating outside the control of
government
—war·lord·ism, noun[1]



warm

warm
warm 
[wawrm] adjective (comparative
warm·er, superlative warm·est)

1.  quite
hot:
moderately or comfortably hot

2.  providing
warmth:
providing warmth or protection against cold

3.  with
too much heat: having or feeling an undesirable amount
of heat, from exertion or ambient temperature

4.  friendly:
showing or feeling kindness and friendliness • a
warm person.

5.  passionate:
showing passion or liveliness

6.  enthusiastic
or ardent:
showing or feeling great enthusiasm

7.  quick
to anger:
excitable or easily angered

8.  COLORS suggesting
warmth:
with a color that suggests warmth, especially yellow or red

9.  PHYSIOLOGY heated
by metabolism: giving off the heat that arises normally
in warm-blooded creatures

10. HUNTING fresh:
used to describe a scent in hunting that is fresh and strong

11. close:
close to the hidden object in a game or to guessing a secret (informal)
• You’re
getting warm.

12. uncomfortable:
uncomfortable because of danger (informal)
verb
(past warmed, past participle warmed, present
participle warm·ing, 3rd person present singular warms)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
warm:
to increase the temperature of something to a desirable or comfortable level,
or become warm

2.  transitive
verb
make
somebody happy: to make somebody or something cheerful
or happy • warmed
by the presence of all their children

3.  intransitive
verb
become
enthusiastic: to become enthusiastic about something • warmed
to the idea of buying a new car

4.  intransitive
verb
become
friendly:
to become fond of somebody • She
warmed to him.
noun
(plural warms) (informal)

1.  warm
place:
a warm environment

2.  getting
warm:
an act of making something warm or becoming warm
[Old
English wearm . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English furnace, fornication, and thermometer
.]
—warm·ness, noun[1]



warmachine

warmachine
war
ma·chine
noun

military resources:
the combined military resources with which a country can fight a war[1]



warm-blooded

warm-blooded
warm-blood·ed 
adjective

1.  ZOOLOGY with
constant body temperature: maintaining a nearly
constant body temperature, usually higher than, and independent of, the
environment

2.  passionate:
passionate, impetuous, and enthusiastic
—warm-blood·ed·ness, noun[1]



warmboot

warmboot
warm·boot
[wáwrm bt] (past warm·boot·ed,
past participle warm·boot·ed, present participle warm·boot·ing,
3rd person present singular warm·boots) transitive verb

restart computer:
to restart a computer without switching it off, for example, by pressing the
control, alt, and delete keys together.
See also
coldboot[1]



warmdown

warmdown
warm
down
intransitive verb

get back to normal:
to get back to a normal level of activity after strenuous physical exertion in
a way that avoids cramping, usually by gentle exercising (informal)[1]



warmed-over

warmed-over
warmed-o·ver 
adjective

1.  reheated:
reheated, having been cooked before • warmed-over
rice and beans

2.  unoriginal:
not fresh or original • a
warmed-over version of their original proposal

[1]



warmer

warmer
warm·er
[wáwrmər] (plural warm·ers) noun

warmth-giving thing:
something that makes or keeps something warm[1]



warmfront

warmfront
warm
front
noun

leading edge of warm air
mass: the gently sloping advancing
edge of a warm air mass that displaces colder air, bringing a temperature
increase and heavy rain where the front makes contact with the ground[1]



warm-hearted

warm-hearted
warm-heart·ed 
adjective

with
kind nature: having or showing a kind and sympathetic
nature
—warm-heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—warm-heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



warmingpan

warmingpan
warm·ing
pan 
noun

pan for warming a bed:
a long-handled metal pan that in the past was filled with hot coals and placed
in a bed to warm it[1]



warmly

warmly
warm·ly
[wáwrmlee] adverb

1.  enthusiastically:
with enthusiasm, fondness, or passion

2.  with
warm clothes: in a way that will keep somebody warm • dressed
warmly

[1]



warmonger

warmonger
war·mon·ger 
[wáwr mùng gər, wáwr
mòng gər] (plural war·mon·gers) noun

somebody
eager for war: somebody who is eager for war or tries
to start a war
—war·mon·ger·ing, noun[1]



warmouth

warmouth
war·mouth 
[wáwr mòwth] (plural war·mouths
[wáwr mòwz, wáwr
mòwths]) or war·mouth bass [wáwr
mòwth] (plural war·mouth bass) noun

freshwater
fish:
an olive-colored freshwater sunfish with a large mouth, found in the eastern
and midwestern United States. Latin name: Lepomis gulosus
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



warmover

warmover
warm
over
transitive verb

1.  reheat:
to reheat food

2.  suggest
something not new: to suggest something again,
without having greatly altered it

[1]



warmsector

warmsector
warm
sec·tor
noun

wedge of warm air:
a wedge of warm air within the low-pressure region between the cold front and
warm front of a storm[1]



warmth

warmth
warmth 
[wawrmth] noun

1.  warm
state:
the feeling, quality, or state of being warm

2.  affection:
affection and kindness

3.  amount
of heat:
a moderate amount of heat present in something

4.  excitement:
strong emotion, especially anger or zeal

5.  effect
of color:
the effect gained from using colors such as red and yellow

[1]



warmup

warmup
warm
up
[wáwrm ùp] verb

1.  intransitive
verb
prepare
for exercise: to prepare for physical exercise by
stretching or practicing

2.  intransitive
verb
prepare
for something: to prepare for something that is going
to happen

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
warm:
to become, or make something become, warm or warmer

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb get to
operating temperature: to run something such as an
engine to bring it to a temperature at which it works efficiently, or reach
this condition

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
animated:
to become, or make somebody, enthusiastic, animated, or eager

[1]



warm-up

warm-up
warm-up
[wáwrm ùp] (plural warm-ups) or
warm·up [wáwrm ùp] (plural warm·ups)
noun

1.  exercise
before event: an exercise, or period spent exercising,
before a contest or event

2.  CLOTHES clothes
for warming up: an outfit, for example, a tracksuit,
worn while warming up (often used in the plural)

[1]



warn

warn
warn 
[wawrn] (past warned, past
participle warned, present participle warn·ing, 3rd
person present singular warns) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb tell
of risk:
to tell somebody about something that might cause injury or harm

2.  transitive
verb
tell
somebody in advance: to tell somebody about
something in advance

3.  transitive
verb
scold
somebody:
to admonish somebody

4.  transitive
verb
keep
somebody from doing something: to tell somebody to
desist from doing something or going somewhere • warned
us off driving over the pass in the storm
[Old
English war(e)nian, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to be
cautious”]
—warn·er, noun[1]



warning

warning
warn·ing 
[wáwrning] noun (plural warn·ings)

1.  sign
of something bad coming: a threat or a sign that
something bad is going to happen

2.  advice
to be careful: advice to be careful or to stop doing
something • If
you’re late again, you’ll get a written warning.

3.  notice:
a notice (archaic)
adjective

meant to warn:
intended to warn somebody
—warn·ing·ly, adverb[1]



warningcoloration

warningcoloration
warn·ing
col·or·a·tion noun

animal markings:
markings on an animal warning predators that it is poisonous or dangerous. Many
insects and amphibians have warning coloration .[1]



warningshot

warningshot
warn·ing
shot
noun

shot to warn:
a shot fired deliberately off target as a warning to somebody to stop doing
something[1]



warof nerves

warof nerves
war
of nerves
noun

psychological conflict:
a conflict in which psychological tactics are used against an opponent[1]



warp

warp
warp 
[wawrp] verb (past warped,
past participle warped, present participle warp·ing,
3rd person present singular warps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
twisted:
to become or make something twisted out of shape

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
for worse:
to change something so that it no longer follows its usual course, or become
distorted or strange

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb SHIPPING move ship by pulling on
ropes:
to move a ship by pulling on ropes fastened to a dock or fixed buoy, or move in
this way

4.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES arrange
threads:
to arrange threads to form the warp in a loom
noun
(plural warps)

1.  distortion:
a twist or distortion in something, for example, in wood that curls when dried

2.  perversion:
a deviation or perversion of mind or character

3.  TEXTILES threads
running lengthwise: the threads that run
lengthwise on a loom or in a piece of fabric.
See
also
weft  noun 1

4.  NAUTICAL rope
for towing:
a rope used to warp a vessel
[Old
English weorpan, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to throw,” of
uncertain origin: probably ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
turn”]
—warp·age,
noun

—warp·er, noun[1]



warpaint

warpaint
war
paint
noun

1.  paint
for decorating warriors: paint used to decorate the
body before a battle, for example, that formerly used by some Native North
American peoples

2.  makeup:
face makeup (informal)

[1]



warpand woof

warpand woof
warp
and woof
noun

foundation:
the foundation or base of something[1]



warparty

warparty
war
par·ty
noun

1.  group
of fighters: a group of people, especially Native
North Americans in the past, engaged in fighting or attacking an enemy

2.  party
favoring war: a political party that supports or wants
war

[1]



warpath

warpath
war·path 
[wáwr pàth] noun

path
leading to war: in the past, a route taken by Native
North Americans on the way to war
on
the warpath

angry and in the mood for a
confrontation (informal)[1]



warplane

warplane
war·plane 
[wáwr plàyn] (plural war·planes)
noun

combat aircraft:
an aircraft used in war[1]



warrant

warrant
war·rant 
[wáwrənt] noun (plural war·rants)

1.  authorization:
something that authorizes somebody to do something

2.  written
authorization: a written authorization or certifying
document

3.  LAW document
authorizing police to do something: a
document that gives police particular rights or powers, for example, the right
to search or arrest somebody

4.  FINANCE option
to buy stock: a document authorizing a stockholder to
buy shares from a company at a later date and at a given price

5.  MILITARY warrant
officer’s certificate: a warrant officer’s
certificate of appointment
transitive
verb
(past war·rant·ed, past participle war·rant·ed, present
participle war·rant·ing, 3rd person present singular war·rants)

1.  serve
as a reason: to serve as a justifiable reason to do,
believe, or think something

2.  guarantee:
to guarantee something such as the truth or dependability of something or
somebody

3.  authorize:
to give authority to somebody

4.  LAW guarantee
title:
to guarantee the title to property

5.  state
confidently: to state something with the confidence
that it is true or will happen (archaic)
[12th
century. From Old Northern French warant, variant of Old French guarant
(source of English guarantee ), from,
ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to be on guard” (see ward ).]
—war·rant·er, noun[1]



warrantable

warrantable
war·rant·a·ble
[wáwrəntəb’l] adjective

justifiable:
able to be justified or permitted
—war·rant·a·bil·i·ty
[wàwrəntəbíllətee], noun

—war·rant·a·bly [wáwrəntəblee], adverb[1]



warrantee

warrantee
war·ran·tee 
[wàwrən t] (plural war·ran·tees)
noun

somebody given warrant or
warranty: somebody to whom a warrant
is given or a warranty is made[1]



warrantofficer

warrantofficer
war·rant
of·fi·cer
noun

armed forces officer rank:
an officer in the armed services ranking between a commissioned and a
noncommissioned officer[1]



warrantor

warrantor
war·ran·tor 
[wáwrəntər, wáwrən
tàwr] (plural war·ran·tors) noun

somebody giving a warrant:
somebody who gives a warranty to somebody[1]



warranty

warranty
war·ran·ty 
[wáwrəntee] (plural war·ran·ties)
noun

1.  COMMERCE guarantee:
a guarantee on purchased goods that they are of the quality represented and
will be replaced or repaired if found defective

2.  LAW insured
person’s undertaking: a condition in an insurance
contract in which the insured person guarantees that something is the case

3.  LAW guarantee
of title:
a covenant guaranteeing the security of the title to property being sold

4.  justification:
a justification or authorization for an action

[1]



warrantydeed

warrantydeed
war·ran·ty
deed
(plural war·ran·ty deeds) noun

property guarantee:
a deed that binds a seller of property to defend the security of the title
against any claims that may arise against the buyer[1]



warren

warren
war·ren 
[wáwrən] (plural war·rens) noun

1.  rabbit
habitat:
a group of connected burrows where rabbits live and breed

2.  rabbit
colony:
a colony of rabbits

3.  crowded
building or area: an area or building that is crowded or
has a complicated layout

4.  area
for game animals: a piece of ground where game animals are
kept and bred
[14th century. From
Anglo-Norman warenne “enclosed area for breeding game,” of uncertain
origin: perhaps, ultimately, from assumed Gaulish warenna “fenced-off
area,” from assumed warros “post.”][1]



Warren,Earl

Warren,Earl

War·ren 
[wáwrən], Earl (1891–1974)
U.S. Supreme Court judge. He was governor
of California (1943–1953). As Supreme Court chief justice (1953–1969) he
presided over a liberal court that desegregated public schools and articulated
the rights of criminal suspects.[1]



warrener

warrener
war·ren·er 
[wáwrənər] (plural war·ren·ers)
noun

warren keeper:
a gamekeeper or keeper of a rabbit warren[1]



Warren,Joseph

Warren,Joseph
War·ren 
[wáwrən], Joseph (1741–1775)

U.S. patriot. A noted leader
among the anti-British protesters in pre-Revolutionary Boston, he died in the
Battle of Bunker Hill.[1]



WarrenReport

WarrenReport
War·ren
Re·port
noun

report on JFK assassination:
the 1964 report of the Commission, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, that
officially investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.[1]



Warren,Robert Penn

Warren,Robert Penn
War·ren 
[wáwrən], Robert Penn (1905–1989)

U.S. author and poet. He is
best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning political novel All the King’s Men
( 1946 ).[1]



warrior

warrior
war·ri·or 
[wáwree ər] (plural war·ri·ors)
noun

fighter:
somebody who fights or is experienced in warfare
[13th century. From Old
Northern French werreior, ultimately from werre “war” (see war ).][1]



Warrnambool

Warrnambool
Warr·nam·bool
[wáwrnəm bl]

city in southwestern
Victoria, Australia. It is a commercial and industrial center. Population:
26,052 (1996)[1]



WarrumbungleRange

WarrumbungleRange
War·rum·bun·gle
Range
[wòrrəm bung g’l ráynj]

range of volcanic peaks in
northern New South Wales, Australia. HP: 1,228 m./4,028 ft.[1]



Warsaw




Back to definition

Warsaw

[1]



Warsaw

Warsaw

War·saw 
[wáwr sàw]
capital city of Poland, located in the
center of the country, on the Vistula River. Population: 1,638,300 (1995)[1]



warsaw

warsaw
war·saw 
[wáwr sàw] (plural war·saws) noun

sea
bass:
a large sea bass found off the southeastern coast of the United States. Latin
name: Epinephelus nigritus
[Mid-20th century. From
American Spanish guasa .][1]



warship

warship
war·ship 
[wáwr shìp] (plural war·ships)
noun

ship for war:
an armored ship that is equipped with weapons and is used in war[1]



warstory

warstory
war
sto·ry
noun

tale of conflict:
a narrative of personal experience involving conflict or hardship • frightening
the interns with emergency-room war stories[1]



wart

wart
wart 
[wawrt] (plural warts) noun

1.  MEDICINE small
lump on skin: a small benign rough lump that grows
usually on the hands, feet, or genitals, caused by a virus.
See
also
verruca

2.  BOTANY growth
on plant:
any abnormal growth that looks like a wart and is found on a plant
[Old
English wearte . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “raised
spot.”]
—wart·ed,
adjective

—wart·y,
adjective
warts
and all

including any flaws, faults,
or disadvantages (hyphenated when used before a noun)[1]



warthog

warthog
wart
hog
(plural wart hogs) noun

wild hog:
a wild hog that lives in Africa south of the Sahara. It has tusks, a coarse
mane, and wartlike growths on its face. Latin name: Phacochoerus aethiopicus[1]



wartime

wartime
war·time 
[wáwr tm] noun

time of war:
a period during which a war is being fought[1]



war-torn

war-torn
war-torn
adjective

disrupted by war:
disrupted by war, especially war between different groups from one country[1]



warwhoop

warwhoop
war
whoop
noun

shout during attack:
a yell made when attacking, used in the past by Native North American warriors[1]



Warwick

Warwick
War·wick 
[wáwr wik]

town in eastern Rhode Island
on Narragansett Bay, at the mouth of the Providence River. Population: 84,514
(1996)[1]



wary

wary
war·y 
[wáiree] (comparative war·i·er,
superlative war·i·est) adjective

1.  cautious:
cautious and watchful • wary
of hidden rocks in the water

2.  showing
caution:
showing caution or watchfulness • a wary
approach
[15th
century. Formed from ware 2 .]
—war·i·ly,
adverb

—war·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cautious

[1]



was

was
was 
[(stressed) woz, wuz,
(unstressed) wəz]

(used
with I, he, she, it, and singular nouns)Past tense of be
[Old English wæs, a
form of wesan “to be.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to
stay, dwell,” which is also the ancestor of English wassail
.][1]



wasabi

wasabi
wa·sa·bi 
[wssəbee] (plural wasabis) noun

1.  Japanese
condiment:
a green powder or paste from the root of an herb, used as a condiment in
Japanese cooking. It has a strong sharp taste similar to horseradish or
mustard.

2.  (plural
wasabis or wasabi) herb
cultivated for its root: an Asian herb whose root is
ground to make wasabi powder or paste. Latin name: Eutrema wasabi
[Early 20th century. From
Japanese .][1]



Wash.

Wash.
Wash.

Abbreviation of
Washington[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wash

wash
wash 
[wosh] verb (past washed,
past participle washed, present participle wash·ing,
3rd person present singular wash·es)

1.  transitive
verb
clean
something:
to clean something with water, usually with added soap or detergent

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
something by washing: to remove something with
water and usually with soap, or be removed in this way • couldn’t
get the stain to wash out

3.  reflexive
verb
clean
yourself:
to clean yourself, especially your hands or face, with soap and water

4.  intransitive
verb
be
washable:
to be capable of being washed without fading or being damaged (refers to
garments or fabrics) • curtains
that wash well

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb lick
to clean:
to clean something by licking • The
cat washed her kittens.

6.  intransitive
verb
wash
clothes:
to clean clothes in soap and water or in a washing machine • spent
the morning washing

7.  transitive
verb
moisten:
to wet or moisten something (literary) • lashes
washed with tears

8.  transitive
verb
flow
over something: to flow over the surface of something • washed
by the tides

9.  transitive
verb
erode
something with water: to erode something by the
action of water

10. transitive
verb
move
something on water: to carry something along or
away on water, or as if on water

11. transitive
verb
purify:
to remove something corrupting • the
power to wash away sins

12. transitive
verb
MINING separate
something by washing: to separate something such
as precious stones or valuable minerals by sifting ore or gravel through water

13. transitive
verb
apply
thin coating to something: to brush a thin coating or
layer over something

14. intransitive
verb
be
convincing:
to be convincing or believable (informal) • That
story won’t wash.

15. transitive
verb
CHEMISTRY put
gas through liquid: to pass a gas or vapor
through a liquid to remove contaminants
noun
(plural wash·es)

1.  act
of washing:
the act or process of washing something or somebody

2.  quantity
of clothes:
a quantity of clothes that have been or are to be washed

3.  INDUSTRY thin
liquid coating: a thin or weak liquid, especially one
used to rinse or coat something

4.  skin
treatment:
a lotion, antiseptic, or cosmetic that is applied to the skin

5.  flow
of water:
the flow of water against a surface, or the sound made by this

6.  Southwestern
U.S.
dry
stream bed:
the dry bed of a stream that flows only after heavy rains, often found at the
bottom of a canyon

7.  PAINTING layer
of color:
a thin layer of color applied with a brush

8.  PAINTING painting
technique:
the technique of using washes in painting

9.  PAINTING See wash drawing

10. surge
of disturbed water or air: the surge of disturbed water,
air, or other fluid caused by something such as an oar, propeller, or jet
engine moving through the fluid

11. AGRICULTURE removal
of soil:
removal of soil by the action of flowing water

12. GEOLOGY sediment:
alluvial material carried and left by the movement of water. When washed down
the side of a mountain, the sediment forms fans and cone-shaped deposits.

13. GEOGRAPHY land
periodically covered by water: land that is
periodically covered by a sea or river, for example, by a tide

14. MINING ore:
material such as gravel from which precious stones and valuable minerals can be
extracted by washing

15. U.K.
See swill  noun 1

16. BEVERAGES fermented
malt:
the liquor from fermented malt before it is distilled

17. even
outcome:
a situation in which the losses and gains are balanced (informal) • We
sold a lot at the crafts fair, but our expenses were so high that in the end it
was a wash.
[Old English wæscan,
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English water][1]



washable

washable
wash·a·ble 
[wóshəb’l] adjective

capable
of being washed: capable of being washed without being
damaged
—wash·a·bil·i·ty [wòshə bíllətee], noun[1]



wash-and-wear

wash-and-wear
wash-and-wear 
adjective

easily washed:
easily washed and dried and needing little or no ironing[1]



washbasin

washbasin
wash·ba·sin 
[wósh bàyss’n] (plural wash·ba·sins)
noun

basin for washing hands:
a bowl or basin for washing the face and hands or small articles.
Also called
washbowl[1]



washboard

washboard
wash·board 
[wósh bàwrd] noun (plural wash·boards)

1.  ridged
board:
a board with a corrugated surface on which clothes being washed can be rubbed
to help get them clean

2.  MUSIC musical
instrument:
a board similar to a washboard used as a musical instrument to produce a
scratching sound

3.  TRANSPORT rough
road:
a road or section of road with bumpy ridges

4.  BUILDING See baseboard  noun 2

5.  NAUTICAL protective
feature on a boat: a thin plank on the gunwale
of a boat to stop water from splashing over the side
adjective

muscular: used
to describe a man’s stomach that has well-defined muscles

[1]



washbowl

washbowl
wash·bowl 
[wósh bl] (plural wash·bowls)
noun

See
washbasin[1]



washcloth

washcloth
wash·cloth 
[wósh klàwth] (plural wash·cloths)
noun

cloth for washing body:
a small piece of absorbent fabric, usually terry cloth, for washing the face or
body.
U.K. term
facecloth[1]



washday

washday
wash·day 
[wósh dày] (plural wash·days) noun

day for washing clothes:
a day when clothes are washed, usually the same day each week[1]



washdown

washdown
wash
down
transitive verb

1.  wash
something completely: to wash something thoroughly
and completely • had to wash down the
kitchen walls afterward

2.  drink
after drinking or eating something: to
follow something drunk or eaten with another drink • washed
down the cake with a glass of milk

[1]



washdrawing

washdrawing
wash
draw·ing
noun

drawing with wash:
a drawing made in ink to which a wash of color is applied, or a painting made
using washes.
Also called
wash verb 8[1]



washed-out

washed-out
washed-out 
or washed out adjective

1.  faded:
faded or without color

2.  exhausted:
exhausted or lacking vitality and strength

[1]



washed-up

washed-up
washed-up 
or washed up adjective

finished:
no longer likely to continue or succeed (informal)[1]



washer

washer
wash·er 
[wóshər] (plural wash·ers) noun

1.  small
ring:
a small disk or ring used to keep a screw or bolt secure or prevent leakage at
a joint

2.  HOUSEHOLD washing
appliance:
an appliance used for washing, especially a washing machine

3.  somebody
who washes:
somebody who washes something

4.  Australia
washcloth:
a washcloth (informal)

[1]



washer-up

washer-up
wash·er-up
(plural wash·ers-up) noun

U.K.
somebody paid to wash dishes:
somebody who is employed to wash dishes (informal)[1]



washerwoman

washerwoman
wash·er·wom·an 
[wóshər wmmən] (plural wash·er·wom·en
[wóshər wìmmin]) or wash·wom·an
[wósh wmmən] (plural wash·wom·en
[wósh wìmmin]) noun

somebody paid to wash
clothes: a woman who is employed to
wash clothes (dated)[1]



washhouse

washhouse
wash
house
noun

building for washing:
a building where laundry or other washing is done[1]



washing

washing
wash·ing 
[wóshing] (plural wash·ings) noun

1.  clothes
for washing: clothes to be washed, being washed, or
just washed

2.  doing
laundry:
the act or process of washing clothes

3.  INDUSTRY thin
coat:
a thin coat of something • a
washing of silver

4.  liquid
used for washing: the liquid that has been used to wash
something (often used in the plural)

[1]



washingmachine

washingmachine
wash·ing
ma·chine
noun

machine for washing clothes:
a machine for washing clothes, usually an electric one[1]



washingsoda

washingsoda
wash·ing
so·da
noun

sodium carbonate used for
cleaning: a crystalline form of sodium
carbonate used for washing and cleaning.
Also called
sal soda
Also called
sodium carbonate[1]



Washington

Washington


Wash·ing·ton 
[wóshingtən]
state
of the northwestern United States, bordered by British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon,
and the Pacific Ocean. Capital: Olympia. Population: 5,610,362 (1997) Area:
182,949 sq km/70,637 sq mi.
—Wash·ing·to·ni·an [wòshing tṓnee ən], noun, adjective[1]



Washington




Back to definition

Washington

[1]



Washington,Booker T.

Washington,Booker T.

Wash·ing·ton 
[wóshingtən], Booker T. (1856–1915)
U.S.
educator. As the first president of Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute (1881–1915),
he urged African Americans to attempt to uplift themselves through educational
attainments.
Real name
Taliaferro, Booker[1]



Washington,D.C.




Back to definition

Washington,D.C.

[1]



Washington,D.C.

Washington,D.C.

Washington, D.C.
capital city of the United States. The
city of Washington has the same boundaries as the District of Columbia, a
federal territory established in 1790 as the site of the new nation’s permanent
capital. Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, it is
bordered by Maryland and Virginia. Population: 543,000 (1996)[1]



Washington,George

Washington,George

Wash·ing·ton 
[wóshingtən], George (1732–1799)
U.S. statesman and 1st president of the
United States. Commander in chief of the American forces during the Revolution
(1775–1783), and president of the second Constitutional Convention, he was the
first president of the newly independent United States (1789–1797).[1]



Washington’sbirthday

Washington’sbirthday
Wash·ing·ton’s
birth·day
noun

February 22:
February 22, the birthday of George Washington. It is observed as an official
holiday in the United States on Presidents’ Day, the third Monday in February.[1]



washing-upliquid

washing-upliquid
wash·ing-up
liq·uid
(plural wash·ing-up liq·uids) noun

U.K.
See dishwashing liquid[1]



washout

washout
wash
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
clean
inside of something: to clean something by
washing the inside

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
by washing:
to come out or get something out by washing

3.  transitive
verb
cancel:
to cancel something because of rain

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
away on water: to carry away something, or be carried
away, on water • washed out to sea

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb wear
away:
to wear something away, or be worn away, by water

6.  transitive
verb
exhaust
somebody:
to make somebody exhausted (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
end
something:
to bring something to an end (informal) “Baltimore washed out the
Indians’ six-game win streak with an 8–3 win.” Major League Baseball News ESPN
Sports Zone 1997

[1]



washout

washout
wash·out 
[wósh òwt] (plural wash·outs) noun

1.  failure:
a complete failure or fiasco (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s competence or
achievements (informal insult)

3.  GEOLOGY erosion
caused by running water: erosion caused by running
water, for example, during a flash flood

4.  GEOLOGY channel
washed out:
a hole or channel made by floodwater

[1]



washover

washover
wash
over
transitive verb

1.  flow
over:
to cover something in a flowing or overflowing manner, as a liquid does

2.  fill
somebody with emotion: to well up in somebody (refers
to feelings) • A wave of homesickness
washed over him.

[1]



washroom

washroom
wash·room 
[wósh rm, wósh
rm] (plural wash·rooms) noun

1.  public
washing facility: a room, especially in a public place,
with toilet and washing facilities

2.  public
toilet:
a euphemism for a public toilet

[1]



washsale

washsale
wash
sale
(plural wash sales) noun

1.  illegal
stock trading: near-simultaneous buying and selling of
a particular stock to give the impression that the stock is being actively
traded. The practice is illegal.

2.  rapid
sale of stock: the repurchase of stock sold within 30
days of the time it was sold. Capital losses on such a sale are not tax
deductible.

[1]



washstand

washstand
wash·stand 
[wósh stànd] (plural wash·stands)
noun

stand for basin:
a stand on which a basin and jug can be placed for washing the face and hands[1]



washtub

washtub
wash·tub 
[wósh tùb] (plural wash·tubs) noun

container for washing
clothes: a large container in which
clothes can be washed[1]



washup

washup
wash
up
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
wash
face and hands: to wash your face and hands

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb arrive
by water:
to deposit something on the shore, or land on the shore from tidal or wave
action • Look
what the tide washed up!

3.  transitive
verb
eliminate
by washing:
to get rid of something by washing • wash
up that spilled coffee

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb U.K. wash
dishes:
to wash the dishes after a meal

[1]



wash-up

wash-up
wash-up
(plural wash-ups) noun

Australia
outcome:
the outcome of a process or series of events[1]



washwoman

washwoman
wash·wom·an 
[wósh wmmən] (plural wash·wom·en
[wósh wìmmən]) noun

See
washerwoman[1]



washy

washy
wash·y 
[wóshee] (comparative wash·i·er,
superlative wash·i·est) adjective

1.  weak:
watery or weak

2.  pale:
faint or faded

3.  not
forceful:
without intensity or vitality
—wash·i·ly,
adverb

—wash·i·ness, noun[1]



wasn’t

wasn’t
was·n’t 
[wúzz’nt, wózz’nt]
contraction

was not:
was not[1]



Wasp

Wasp
Wasp 
[wosp] (plural Wasps) or
WASP [wosp] (plural WASPs)
noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a Caucasian, who has a Protestant
Anglo-Saxon background, and is viewed as belonging to the dominant and most
powerful level of society (informal insult)
[Mid-20th
century. Acronym formed from White Anglo-Saxon Protestant .]
—Wasp·ish,
adjective

—Wasp·ish·ness,
noun

—Wasp·y, adjective[1]



wasp

wasp
wasp 
[wosp] (plural wasps) noun

INSECTS striped
black-and-yellow stinging insect: a slender
black-and-yellow striped social stinging insect that typically has
well-developed wings, biting mouthparts, and a narrow stalk connecting the
abdomen and thorax. Family: Vespidae Sphecidae
[Old English wæsp .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to weave,” which is also the
ancestor of English web and weave . The name probably refers to the fact
that wasps build nests.][1]



waspish

waspish
wasp·ish 
[wóspish] or wasp·y [wóspee] (comparative wasp·i·er [wóspee], superlative wasp·i·est) adjective

1.  of
wasps:
like a wasp, or relating to wasps

2.  easily
irritated:
easily irritated or annoyed

3.  spiteful:
showing spite
—wasp·ish·ly,
adverb

—wasp·ish·ness, noun[1]



waspmoth

waspmoth
wasp
moth
(plural wasp moths) noun

See
clearwing[1]



waspwaist

waspwaist
wasp
waist
noun

slender
waist:
a very slender waist, or one that is corseted to make it appear slender
—wasp waist·ed, adjective[1]



waspy

waspy
wasp·y 
[wóspee] adjective

See
waspish[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wassail

wassail
was·sail 
[wóss’l, wó sàyl]
noun (plural was·sails) (archaic)

1.  festive
salutation:
a salutation or drinking toast made during festivities

2.  festive
occasion:
a festive occasion at which people drink a great deal

3.  BEVERAGES alcoholic
drink:
an alcoholic drink, usually mulled wine or ale, drunk on a festive occasion

4.  MUSIC drinking
or Christmas song: a drinking song or a song
sung at Christmas
verb
(past was·sailed, past participle was·sailed, present
participle was·sail·ing, 3rd person present singular was·sails)

1.  intransitive
verb
drink
in celebration: to celebrate by drinking (archaic)

2.  intransitive
verb
U.K. sing
Christmas songs: to go from house to house at Christmas,
singing carols and greeting people (archaic) (regional)

3.  transitive
verb
toast
somebody:
to drink to somebody’s health (archaic)
[12th
century. From Old Norse ves heill, literally “be healthy,” heill
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English hale and health
.]
—was·sail·er, noun[1]



Wassermanntest

Wassermanntest
Was·ser·mann
test
[wssərmən tèst] (plural Was·ser·mann
tests [wssərmən ree àkshən]) or Was·ser·mann
re·ac·tion [wssərmən tèst] (plural
Was·ser·mann re·ac·tions) noun

test
for syphilis: a test for syphilis infection, based on
determining the presence in a blood sample of antibodies to the syphilis
bacterium
[Named for the German
bacteriologist August Paul Wassermann (1866–1925)][1]



wast

wast
wast 
[(stressed) wost, (unstressed)
wəst]

(archaic) 2nd
person past singular of be[1]



wastage

wastage
wast·age 
[wáystij] noun

1.  amount
wasted:
an amount that is lost or wasted

2.  loss:
loss caused when something is used, is worn, decays, or leaks

3.  U.K.
reduction
in numbers:
the reduction in numbers of people working in a place because of deaths and
resignations, rather than from layoffs

[1]



waste

waste
waste 
[wayst] verb (past wast·ed,
past participle wast·ed, present participle wast·ing,
3rd person present singular wastes)

1.  transitive
verb
use
something carelessly: to use something or use
something up carelessly, extravagantly, or without effect

2.  transitive
verb
fail
to use something: to fail to make use of something such as
an opportunity

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb get
weak or ill: to become weak, ill, or very thin, or
make somebody become weak, ill, or very thin

4.  transitive
verb
exhaust
somebody:
to make somebody exhausted

5.  transitive
verb
destroy
something:
to ravage or devastate something

6.  transitive
verb
kill
somebody:
to kill or murder somebody (slang)

7.  transitive
verb
speak
pointlessly about something: to express ideas or
arguments that are not appreciated or have no effect • Don’t
waste your arguments on her; she’s already made up her mind!
noun
(plural wastes)

1.  act
of wasting:
a failure to use something wisely, properly, fully, or to good effect

2.  unwanted
material:
unwanted or unusable by-products • chemical
waste

3.  PHYSIOLOGY food
remainder:
the undigested remainder of food expelled from the body as excrement

4.  wild
area:
an uncultivated, desolate, or wild area (often used in the plural)

5.  destroyed
area:
a place or region that has been destroyed or ruined

6.  garbage:
garbage or trash • household waste

7.  ENGINEERING used
or contaminated water: used or contaminated water
from domestic, industrial, or mining applications

8.  MINING rock
associated with a mineral: enclosing rock mined with a
mineral, or ore with insufficient mineral content to justify further processing
plural
noun
wastes

wild area: an
uncultivated, desolate, or wild area or region • the
frozen wastes of the tundra
adjective

1.  not
needed:
superfluous, useless, or not needed

2.  unproductive:
unproductive, uninhabited, or uncultivated • waste
ground

3.  PHYSIOLOGY rejected
from body:
expelled from the body as unwanted and indigestible • waste
matter

4.  for
waste:
used to carry off or store waste
[12th
century. Via Old Northern French from, ultimately, Latin vastus “empty”
(source of English devastate and vast ).]
—wast·a·ble,
adjective
lay
something (to) waste

to destroy or devastate
something[1]



wastebasket

wastebasket
waste·bas·ket 
[wáyst bàskət] (plural waste·bas·kets)
noun

container for waste:
a small container into which people can throw trash, especially paper.
Also called
wastepaper basket[1]



wasted

wasted
wast·ed 
[wáystəd] adjective

1.  not
used:
not used or exploited

2.  useless:
useless because it achieves nothing

3.  withered:
shrunken or ravaged

4.  exhausted:
exhausted from exertion (slang)

5.  intoxicated:
under the influence of drink or drugs (slang)

[1]



wastedisposal

wastedisposal
waste
dis·pos·al
(plural waste dis·pos·als) or waste dis·pos·al u·nit
(plural waste dis·pos·al u·nits) noun

U.K.
See garbage disposal[1]



wasteful

wasteful
waste·ful 
[wáystfəl] adjective

1.  extravagant:
using resources unwisely

2.  causing
waste:
causing waste or devastation
—waste·ful·ly,
adverb

—waste·ful·ness, noun[1]



wasteheat recovery

wasteheat recovery
waste
heat re·cov·er·y noun

reclaiming of heat:
the reclaiming of heat that would otherwise be unused, from such sources as
furnaces, kilns, or engines, for use in another process, for example,
preheating air or water[1]



wasteland

wasteland
waste·land 
[wáyst lànd] (plural waste·lands)
noun

1.  desolate
land:
an area of land that is desolate or barren and not used

2.  barren
place or time: an environment that is thought to be
spiritually or intellectually barren • the
wasteland of daytime TV





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Waste Land, a poem by U.S.-born British poet T. S. Eliot ( 1922 ). One of the
  20th century’s major poetic works, it portrays the disintegration of western
  values, the soullessness of modern society, and humankind’s desperate search
  for salvation. It consists of five seemingly disconnected sections made up of
  fragmented verses written in a variety of styles but linked by imagery,
  symbols, and diverse literary and historical references.

[1]



wastelot

wastelot
waste·lot
[wáyst lòt] (plural waste·lots)
noun

Canada
urban wasteland:
an area of wasteland in a city[1]



wastemanagement

wastemanagement
waste
man·age·ment noun

dealing with waste:
activities that deal with waste before and after it is produced, including its
minimization, transfer, storing, separating, recovering, recycling, and final
disposal[1]



wastepaper

wastepaper
waste·pa·per 
[wáyst pàypər] noun

paper not needed:
paper that is not needed and has been thrown away[1]



wastepaperbasket

wastepaperbasket
waste·pa·per
bas·ket
noun

See
wastebasket[1]



wastepipe

wastepipe
waste
pipe
noun

pipe carrying waste:
a pipe that carries excess or used fluids from a container such as a sink or
bathtub[1]



wasteproduct

wasteproduct
waste
prod·uct
noun

unwanted by-product:
a useless or unwanted by-product of a process[1]



waster

waster
wast·er 
[wáystər] (plural wast·ers) noun

1.  one
who wastes:
somebody who wastes something

2.  something
that wastes: something that destroys or wastes
something

3.  ruined
article:
an article that has been spoiled during manufacture, especially a ceramic piece

[1]



wastewater

wastewater
waste·wa·ter 
[wáyst wōwttər] noun

used water:
water that has been used[1]



wasting

wasting
wast·ing 
[wáysting] adjective

sapping
vitality:
taking away strength and energy
—wast·ing·ly, adverb[1]



wastingasset

wastingasset
wast·ing
as·set
noun

unrenewable asset:
an asset, especially a natural resource such as a mine, that cannot be renewed
and that loses its value over time[1]



wastrel

wastrel
wast·rel 
[wáystrəl] (plural wast·rels) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody for being wasteful or
spendthrift

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody for being lazy
[Late 16th century. Formed
from waste + -rel an ending
indicating “little” or derogatory sense.][1]



wat

wat
wat
[wot] (plural wats) noun

Asian
Buddhist institution: a Buddhist monastery or
temple in Thailand, Cambodia, or Laos
[Mid-19th century. Via Thai
from Sanskrit vāa “enclosure.”][1]



watap

watap
wa·tap 
[wa tp] noun

thread
made by Native N Americans: a stringy thread formerly
made by some Native North Americans from conifers. It was used for sewing and
weaving.
[Mid-18th century. Via North
American French from Ojibwa .][1]



watch

watch
watch 
[woch] noun (plural watch·es)

1.  personal
clock:
a small clock worn on the wrist or carried in a pocket

2.  time
spent observing: a period of time spent observing
something closely

3.  NAUTICAL duty
on ship:
a fixed period of a day spent on duty on board a ship

4.  NAUTICAL crew
on duty:
the members of a ship’s crew who are on duty at a particular time

5.  TIME division
of night:
one of the periods of time into which the night was divided in the past

6.  guard’s
duty:
the period during which a guard is on duty

7.  person’s
duty:
a period when a particular person is in charge of something

8.  METEOROLOGY weather
alert:
an official notice from meteorological authorities that weather of a particular
kind is likely to develop in an area • a
tornado watch

9.  people
watching:
a person or group that guards or observes something, especially at night • posted
a watch around the house, day and night
verb
(past watched, past participle watched, present
participle watch·ing, 3rd person present singular watch·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb look
carefully:
to look at something carefully or closely

2.  intransitive
verb
be
alert:
to be vigilant or alert

3.  intransitive
verb
keep
lookout:
to keep a lookout for something that might appear or happen

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb guard
something:
to guard or keep something or somebody under observation

5.  intransitive
verb
keep
vigil:
to stay awake and keep a vigil
[Assumed
Old English wæccan “to keep watch, be awake,” from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English wake]
be
on the watch for somebody or something

to
look out for somebody or something

watch
it

to be careful[1]



watchable

watchable
watch·a·ble
[wóchəb’l] adjective

1.  observable:
apparent or capable of being observed

2.  enjoyable:
interesting and enjoyable to watch • a very
watchable detective series
—watch·a·bil·i·ty [wòchə bíllətee], noun[1]



watchband

watchband
watch·band 
[wóch bànd] noun

U.S.,
Canada, Australia wristwatch
strap: a strap for a wristwatch[1]



watchcap

watchcap
watch
cap
noun

sailor’s woolen cap:
a dark-blue close-fitting knitted woolen cap worn in cold weather, especially
by sailors in the Navy[1]



watchcase

watchcase
watch·case 
[wóch kàyss] noun

watch’s protective casing:
the protective casing for a watch mechanism[1]



watchdog

watchdog
watch·dog 
[wóch dōwg] noun

1.  DOMESTIC dog
for guarding: a dog used for guarding property or
people

2.  PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION guard
against undesirable practices: a person or
organization guarding against illegal practices, unacceptable standards, or
inefficiency • a
government watchdog
intransitive
and transitive verb (past watch·dogged,
past participle watch·dogged, present participle watch·dog·ging,
3rd person present singular watch·dogs)

be a watchdog:
to act as a watchdog on something

[1]



watcher

watcher
watch·er 
[wóchər] noun

1.  somebody
who watches or looks: a person who watches or
observes somebody or something or who looks for somebody or something’s
appearance or occurrence

2.  somebody
who guards:
somebody who acts as a guard or guardian

3.  somebody
keeping vigil: somebody who keeps a vigil, especially
at the bed of an ill person

[1]



watcheye

watcheye
watch·eye 
[wóch ] noun

See
walleye  noun 3
See walleye  noun 4
See walleye  noun 1[1]



watchfire

watchfire
watch
fire
noun

fire burning at night:
a fire kept burning at night either as a signal or for the comfort of somebody
keeping watch[1]



watchful

watchful
watch·ful 
[wóchfəl] adjective

1.  observing
closely:
carefully observant or alert • watchful
for signs of recovery

2.  awake:
not asleep (archaic)
—watch·ful·ly,
adverb

—watch·ful·ness, noun[1]



watchglass

watchglass
watch
glass
noun

1.  See
crystal  noun 8

2.  SCIENCE shallow
dish:
a shallow round glass dish used to evaporate liquids or to cover something

[1]



watchmaker

watchmaker
watch·mak·er 
[wóch màykər] noun

somebody who makes watches:
somebody who makes or repairs watches[1]



watchman

watchman
watch·man 
[wóchmən] (plural watch·men [wóchmən]) noun

guard:
somebody employed to patrol or guard buildings or an area[1]



watchnight

watchnight
watch
night
noun

1.  December
31:
the night of December 31, celebrated in some Protestant churches with a special
nighttime service that takes in the midnight transition from the old year to
the new

2.  December
24:
the night of December 24, celebrated in some Protestant churches with a special
night time service to welcome Jesus Christ to the world, and the arrival of
Christmas, at midnight

[1]



watchout

watchout
watch
out
intransitive verb

1.  be
careful:
to be careful, alert, or wary

2.  look:
to look and wait for something or somebody

[1]



watchover

watchover
watch
over
transitive verb

look after somebody or
something: to look after, supervise, or
guard somebody or something[1]



watchpocket

watchpocket
watch
pock·et
noun

pocket for a watch:
a small pocket for a watch in a vest or pants[1]



watchstrap

watchstrap
watch·strap
[wóch stràp] noun

U.K.,
New Zealand wristwatch
strap: a strap for a wristwatch.
See also
watchband[1]



watchtower

watchtower
watch·tow·er 
[wóch tòwər] noun

tower for guards:
a high tower in which sentries keep watch for the approach of an enemy[1]



watchword

watchword
watch·word 
[wóch wùrd] noun

1.  slogan:
a word or slogan that encapsulates a mode of action, a set of beliefs, or
membership of a group

2.  password:
a word or phrase that somebody has to say to prove a right to be in a
particular place

[1]



water

water
wa·ter 
[wáwtər] noun

1.  liquid
of rain and rivers: the clear liquid, essential
for all plant and animal life, that occurs as rain, snow, and ice, and forms
rivers, lakes, and seas. Pure water is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.
Naturally occurring water picks up color and taste from substances in its environment.
H2O

2.  GEOGRAPHY area
of water:
an area or body of water, for example, a river, stream, lake, or sea

3.  surface
of water:
the surface of a body of water • swim
under water

4.  PHILOSOPHY element:
in ancient and medieval philosophy, one of the four elements

5.  TRANSPORT transport
over water:
a means of transport over or through water, especially a boat • can
only get there by water

6.  UTILITIES water
supply:
a supply of water to a house, town, or region

7.  solution
of substance in water: a solution of a particular
chemical or substance in water • lavender
water

8.  PHYSIOLOGY body
fluid:
any watery fluid present in or secreted by the body, for example, urine, sweat,
saliva, or tears

9.  PHYSIOLOGY fluid
surrounding fetus: the amniotic fluid that
surrounds the fetus in the womb (often used in the plural)

10. TEXTILES wavy
pattern:
a lustrous wavy pattern on the surface of some fabrics such as silk

11. brightness:
the quality of brightness of a gem.
See
also
first water
plural
noun
wa·ters

1.  particular
area of sea: a particular region of sea, for example,
that belonging to a specific nation • territorial
waters

2.  water
containing minerals: naturally occurring water
containing minerals, for example, that found at a spa and used for health reasons
verb
(past wa·tered, past participle wa·tered, present
participle wa·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular wa·ters)

1.  transitive
verb
sprinkle
or soak something with water: to sprinkle, wet, or soak
something with water

2.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE irrigate
land:
to take water to crops or fields

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
or get water: to give drinking water to an animal, or
get or take water as an animal does

4.  intransitive
verb
fill
with tears when irritated: to fill with tears,
especially because of irritation (refers to eyes)

5.  intransitive
verb
produce
saliva:
to produce saliva, particularly in pleasant anticipation of food (refers to
the mouth)

6.  intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL take
on water supply: to take on a supply of water

7.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES give
wavy sheen:
to give a lustrous wavy pattern to material, especially silk
[Old
English wæter . Ultimately from the Indo-European word meaning “water”
that is also the ancestor of English hydro-,
whiskey, and vodka .]
—wa·ter·er,
noun
be
dead in the water

to
have no chance of success or survival

be
water under the bridge

to
be something that is in the past and that cannot be altered

hold
water

to
be well-founded, or stand up under scrutiny

in
deep water

in
severe difficulties

in
hot water

in
trouble or in a difficult or embarrassing situation

pour
or throw cold water on or onto or over something

to
discourage a plan or idea by showing a lack of interest in it or rejecting it
as impractical

tread
water

1.  to
keep afloat without moving forward, by moving the legs and arms

2.  to
make no progress but manage to keep a situation the same for a period of time

water
off a duck’s back

something
said that has absolutely no effect on the attitude or behavior of the person to
whom it is said





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Water
  Music, an orchestral suite by German-born British composer George Frederic
  Handel ( 1717 ). It consists of three separate suites for strings and wind
  instruments. The exact circumstances of its composition are not known, but it
  was first performed to accompany a royal barge trip along the Thames River
  from Whitehall to Chelsea on July 17, 1717.

[1]



waterarum

waterarum
wa·ter
ar·um
noun

water plant:
an aquatic plant native to cool northern temperate regions and cultivated for
its glossy heart-shaped leaves and large white funnel-shaped cone surrounding
the flower spike. Latin name: Calla palustris[1]



waterash

waterash
wa·ter
ash
noun

TREES
See stinking ash[1]



waterbag

waterbag
wa·ter
bag
noun

1.  bag
for carrying water: a bag made of leather,
canvas, or similar material used for carrying water

2.  ANATOMY fluid-filled
sac surrounding fetus: the thin protective sac ( amnion ) around the growing fetus, and the watery
fluid ( amniotic fluid ) it contains that is
expelled just before or during childbirth

[1]



waterballet

waterballet
wa·ter
bal·let
noun

dance in water:
the performance of dance movements in water[1]



waterbear

waterbear
wa·ter
bear
noun

See
tardigrade[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WaterBearer

WaterBearer
Wa·ter
Bear·er 
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Aquarius
Also called
Water Carrier[1]



waterbed

waterbed
wa·ter
bed
noun

bed with water-filled
mattress: a bed with a special
mattress filled with water[1]



waterbeetle

waterbeetle
wa·ter
bee·tle
noun

beetle living in water:
a member of a group of beetles that live mainly in water. Some have broad hind
legs for swimming; others crawl over aquatic vegetation. Family: Hydrophilidae[1]



waterbird

waterbird
wa·ter
bird
noun

bird living near water:
a bird that lives mainly near, and wades in or swims on, water, especially
fresh water[1]



waterbiscuit

waterbiscuit
wa·ter
bis·cuit
noun

thin plain cracker:
a thin plain cracker made from flour and water, often served with cheese[1]



waterblister

waterblister
wa·ter
blis·ter
noun

blister containing fluid:
a blister that contains clear watery fluid without blood or pus[1]



waterbloom

waterbloom
wa·ter
bloom
noun

algae on water surface:
a growth of algae on a body of water such as a lake[1]



waterboatman

waterboatman
wa·ter
boat·man
(plural wa·ter boat·men) noun

1.  pond
bug:
any of various bugs that live mainly at the bottom of ponds and have oarlike
flattened hind legs that they use for swimming. Most water boatmen are good
fliers. Family: Corixidae

2.  See
backswimmer

[1]



waterborne

waterborne
wa·ter·borne 
[wáwtər bàwrn] adjective

1.  TRANSPORT carried
by water:
traveling on or transported by water • a
waterborne vessel

2.  MED transmitted
by water:
transmitted or transported by water, as certain infectious agents are

[1]



waterboy

waterboy
wa·ter
boy
noun

somebody supplying drinking
water: somebody who keeps a group
of people, for example, athletes, supplied with drinking water[1]



waterbrash

waterbrash
wa·ter
brash
noun

stomach juices in the mouth:
the sudden filling of the mouth with acidic juices from the stomach, usually
accompanied by heartburn and often resulting from indigestion. It is common in
pregnancy but may also be an indication of a disorder of the digestive tract.[1]



waterbuck

waterbuck
wa·ter·buck 
[wáwtər bùk] (plural wa·ter·bucks
or wa·ter·buck) noun

African antelope:
a large antelope of southern Africa with a shaggy dark-gray or reddish coat,
found in grassland and woodland near open water. Latin name: Kobus ellipsiprymnus[1]



waterbuffalo

waterbuffalo
wa·ter
buf·fa·lo
noun

large Asian buffalo:
a large buffalo native to swamplands of Southeast Asia but widely domesticated,
with a gray-black coat and long backward-curving horns. Domestic breeds are
more docile, have shorter horns, and are used as draft animals and for milk.
Latin name: Bubalus bubalis[1]



waterbug

waterbug

wa·ter bug
noun
aquatic insect:
an aquatic insect, for example, the water boatman or water strider[1]



waterbus

waterbus
wa·ter·bus 
[wáwtər bùss] noun

passenger-carrying boat:
a boat carrying passengers in a regular service across a river or lake[1]



waterbutt

waterbutt
wa·ter
butt
noun

U.K.
See rain barrel[1]



watercaltrop

watercaltrop
wa·ter
cal·trop 
noun

See
water chestnut[1]



watercannon

watercannon
wa·ter
can·non
noun

water-jet apparatus for
controlling crowds: an
apparatus usually mounted on a truck that produces a jet of high-pressure water
and is used to disperse crowds[1]



WaterCarrier

WaterCarrier
Wa·ter
Car·ri·er
noun

ASTRONOMY
See Aquarius
Also called
Water Bearer[1]



waterchestnut

waterchestnut
wa·ter
chest·nut
noun

1.  PLANTS aquatic
plant:
an annual aquatic plant that forms rosettes of diamond-shaped floating leaves,
has feathery submerged leaves, and bears hard spiny dark-gray fruit containing
edible seeds. It is native to Europe and Asia. Latin name: Trapa natans
Also
called
caltrop
Also
called
water caltrop

2.  PLANTS Chinese
plant with an edible stem: a Chinese sedge that
produces edible stems ( corms ). Latin name: Eleocharis tuberosa

3.  FOOD crunchy
nutlike corm in Asian cooking: the round white
crunchy stem ( corm ) of the Chinese water
chestnut plant. Water chestnuts are common in Asian cooking, and are used in
food manufacture to add crunchiness to processed foods.

[1]



waterchinquapin

waterchinquapin
wa·ter
chin·qua·pin noun

plant similar to water lily:
an American aquatic plant that resembles a water lily and has fragrant
cup-shaped pale-yellow flowers. Latin name: Nelumbo lutea[1]



waterclock

waterclock
wa·ter
clock
noun

See
clepsydra[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








watercloset

watercloset
wa·ter
clos·et
noun

1.  small
room containing toilet: a small room with a toilet
and, often, a sink

2.  toilet:
a flush toilet (archaic)

[1]



waterclover

waterclover
wa·ter
clo·ver
noun

See
pepperwort[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








watercolor

watercolor
wa·ter·col·or 
[wáwtər kùllər] noun

1.  painting:
a painting created with pigments mixed with water rather than oil

2.  pigment
mixed with water: painting pigments, or a pigment, mixed
with water rather than oil (often used in the plural)

3.  method
of painting: the method of painting with pigments
mixed with water rather than oil
—wa·ter·col·or·ist, noun[1]



water-cool

water-cool
wa·ter-cool 
(past wa·ter-cooled, past participle wa·ter-cooled,
present participle wa·ter-cool·ing, 3rd person present
singular wa·ter-cools) transitive verb

cool something with water:
to cool an engine or machine by means of water, typically by circulating water
in a water jacket or by pipes[1]



watercooler

watercooler
wa·ter
cool·er
noun

drinking-water dispenser:
a device that dispenses cooled drinking water[1]



watercourse

watercourse
wa·ter·course 
[wáwtər kàwrss] noun

1.  channel
for flowing water: a river or stream channel,
or an artificial channel, through which water flows

2.  stream:
the water of a river or stream that flows along a watercourse

[1]



watercraft

watercraft
wa·ter·craft 
[wáwtər kràft] noun

1.  boat
or ship:
a vessel used for traveling on water (formal)

2.  skill
in water-related activities: skill in swimming, handling
boats, or other water-related activities

[1]



watercress

watercress
wa·ter·cress 
[wáwtər krèss] noun

edible plant:
a perennial aquatic plant of Europe and Asia that is widely cultivated for its
peppery-flavored leaves and stems, used in salads. Latin name: Nasturtium
officinale[1]



watercure

watercure
wa·ter
cure
noun

hydrotherapy or hydropathy:
a session of treatment by hydrotherapy or hydropathy (dated)[1]



watercycle

watercycle

wa·ter cy·cle
noun
natural circulation of water on Earth:
the constant circulation of water between atmosphere, land, and sea by
evaporation, precipitation, and percolation through soils and rocks[1]



waterdog

waterdog
wa·ter
dog
noun

1.  ZOOLOGY dog at
home in water: a dog that likes water, especially one
trained to hunt or retrieve game in water

2.  somebody
who likes the water: somebody who likes being in,
on, or near water, for example, a sailor or swimmer (informal)

[1]



waterdown

waterdown
water
down
transitive verb

1.  dilute:
to weaken or dilute something by adding water to it

2.  reduce
difficulty or offensiveness of something: to
moderate or attenuate something in order to make it less difficult, offensive,
or controversial • The producers want to
water down her original script.
—wa·tered-down, adjective[1]



waterfall

waterfall
wa·ter·fall 
[wáwtər fàwl] noun

river water falling over
steep place: a vertical stream of
water that occurs where a river or stream falls over the edge of a steep place[1]



waterfern

waterfern
wa·ter
fern
noun

See
mosquito fern[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








waterfilter

waterfilter
wa·ter
fil·ter
noun

device for purifying water:
an appliance or fitting for removing unwanted matter from water, especially
bacteria or harmful chemicals from drinking water[1]



waterfinder

waterfinder
wa·ter·find·er 
[wáwtər fndər] noun

See
dowser[1]



waterflea

waterflea
wa·ter
flea
noun

crustacean that swims with
jerky movements: a tiny crustacean that
swims with rapid jerky movements, using its large forked antennae. Suborder:
Cladocera[1]



waterfowl

waterfowl
wa·ter·fowl 
[wáwtər fòwl] noun (plural wa·ter·fowl
or wa·ter·fowls)

aquatic
bird:
any of various birds that swim on water
plural
noun

swimming game birds:
swimming game birds such as ducks, considered collectively[1]



waterfront

waterfront
wa·ter·front 
[wáwtər frùnt] noun

1.  part
of town alongside water: the part of a town that lies
alongside a body of water

2.  shore:
land beside an area of water

[1]



watergap

watergap
wa·ter
gap
noun

valley through which stream
flows: a deep valley through a
mountain ridge, in which water flows[1]



watergas

watergas
wa·ter
gas
noun

synthetic gas fuel:
a toxic mixture of carbon monoxide and methane generated by the passage of
steam through an incandescent bed of coal. It is used for industrial heating,
as an illuminant, and as a gas-engine fuel.[1]



watergate

watergate
wa·ter
gate
noun

1.  See
floodgate

2.  gate
into area of water: a gate that gives access to
an area of water

[1]



Watergate

Watergate
Wa·ter·gate 
[wáwtər gàyt] noun

1.  HISTORY 1972
U.S. political scandal: a political scandal stemming
from a break-in by Republican operatives at the 1972 U.S. Democratic National
Committee headquarters, which were in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.
The scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon and the conviction and
imprisonment of a number of his closest aides.

2.  public
scandal:
a public scandal involving politicians or officials abusing power, especially
if a cover-up is also attempted

[1]



watergauge

watergauge
wa·ter
gauge
noun

water-level indicator:
a device that indicates the quantity or level of water in a tank, boiler feed,
reservoir, or stream[1]



waterglass

waterglass
wa·ter
glass
noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD drinking
glass:
a drinking glass, especially for water

2.  CHEMISTRY thick
chemical solution: an extremely viscous
solution of sodium silicate used as a waterproof coating, a cement, a
fireproofing agent, and for preserving eggs

3.  glass
gauge:
a water gauge consisting of a glass tube

4.  device
for examining underwater objects: an instrument such as
an open box or tube with a glass bottom, used for looking at objects under the
water’s surface

[1]



watergun

watergun
wa·ter
gun
noun

squirt gun:
a toy gun that squirts water[1]



waterhammer

waterhammer
wa·ter
ham·mer
noun

noise of fluid in pipe:
a hammering or stuttering sound in a pipeline that sometimes accompanies a
sudden and significant change in the flow rate of the fluid through the
pipeline[1]



waterhemlock

waterhemlock
wa·ter
hem·lock
noun

poisonous plant:
any of various poisonous, highly scented plants found in marshy areas of the
northern hemisphere that have compound leaves and dense flat-topped clusters of
small white flowers. All parts of the plants, especially the tuberous roots,
contain a toxic chemical. Genus: Cicuta[1]



waterhen

waterhen
wa·ter
hen
noun

bird living near water:
a bird that lives near water, for example, a rail or a coot. Family: Rallidae[1]



waterhole

waterhole
wa·ter
hole
noun

water-filled hollow where
animals drink: a natural hollow in the
ground containing water, especially one where animals drink.
Also called
watering hole
Also called
watering place[1]



waterhyacinth

waterhyacinth

wa·ter hy·a·cinth
noun
aquatic plant with blue flowers:
a perennial aquatic plant, native to the subtropical Americas but also found
elsewhere that has glossy rounded leaves with bulbous stalks, and lilac-blue
flowers. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, it has become a troublesome weed
of waterways in many subtropical regions, including Australia, Africa, and
Southeast Asia. Latin name: Eichhornia crassipes[1]



waterice

waterice
wa·ter
ice
noun

ice dessert:
a frozen dessert of sweet-flavored ice[1]



wateringcan

wateringcan
wa·ter·ing
can 
(plural wa·ter·ing cans) noun

container for watering
plants: a container with a handle
and a spout, often with a perforated nozzle, used to water plants.
Also called
watering pot[1]



wateringhole

wateringhole
wa·ter·ing
hole
noun

1.  bar
serving drinks: a place such as a bar where people meet
socially to drink (informal)
Also
called
watering place

2.  See
water hole

[1]



wateringplace

wateringplace
wa·ter·ing
place
noun

1.  See
water hole

2.  See
watering hole  noun 1

3.  health
resort:
a place where people go to drink or bathe in the local water for health reasons

[1]



wateringpot

wateringpot
wa·ter·ing
pot
(plural wa·ter·ing pots) noun

See
watering can[1]



waterish

waterish
wa·ter·ish 
[wáwtərish] adjective

watery:
somewhat watery[1]



waterjump

waterjump
wa·ter
jump
noun

jump over water obstacle:
a place in a race where the runners or horses have to jump over an obstacle
that includes a stream, ditch, or pool[1]



waterleaf

waterleaf
wa·ter·leaf 
[wáwtər lf] noun

N American plant with
bell-shaped flowers: any of
various woodland plants of western North America with deeply toothed leaves and
bell-shaped flowers. Genus: Hydrophyllum[1]



waterless

waterless
wa·ter·less 
[wáwtərləss] adjective

1.  without
water:
lacking water

2.  not
needing water: not needing water in the making or use
of something

[1]



waterlevel

waterlevel
wa·ter
lev·el
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY height
of water surface: the level of the surface of a body of
water

2.  SHIPPING See water line  noun 1

3.  GEOLOGY See water table  noun 1

[1]



waterlily

waterlily

wa·ter
lil·y
noun
aquatic
plant with floating leaves: a perennial aquatic plant
with roundish leaves that float on the water and showy cup-shaped often
fragrant flowers. Family: Nymphaeaceae
Also
called
pond lily





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Water
  Lilies, the title of a number of paintings by French artist Claude Monet (
  1899-1925 ). In his later years, Monet retired to his house at Giverny near
  Paris, where he painted numerous studies of the water lilies in his garden
  pond. While tending toward abstraction, many of these works, for example, the
  enormous panels now in the Orangerie in Paris, succeed brilliantly in
  capturing the evanescent quality of natural phenomena.

[1]



waterline

waterline
wa·ter
line
noun

1.  SHIPPING line
on hull:
a line on a ship’s hull indicating the level to which the ship can sink into
the water under various conditions.
Also
called
water level

2.  line
of edge of water: the line to which a body of water rises
or reaches.
Also
called
watermark noun 2

[1]



waterlogged

waterlogged
wa·ter·logged 
[wáwtər làwgd] adjective

1.  soaked
with water:
saturated with water • a
waterlogged field

2.  NAUTICAL hard
to steer because of water: filled with water and
therefore hard to steer
—wa·ter·log, transitive
verb[1]



Waterloo

Waterloo2
Wa·ter·loo2  [wáwtər
l, wáwtər l] (plural Wa·ter·loos)
or wa·ter·loo [wáwtər l, wáwtər l] (plural wa·ter·loos) noun

defeat:
a crushing or decisive defeat
meet
your Waterloo

to be decisively defeated or
overcome[1]



Waterloo

Waterloo1
Wa·ter·loo1  [wátər
l, wàtər l]

1.  town
in central Belgium, about 16 km/10 mi south of Brussels. It was the site of the
Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, where Napoleon was decisively defeated by
British and Prussian forces. Population: 27,860 (1991)

2.  city
in northeastern Iowa, northwest of Cedar Rapids and southeast of Cedar Falls.
Population: 65,022 (1996)

[1]



watermain

watermain
wa·ter
main
noun

main pipe bringing water:
a large underground pipe supplying water[1]



waterman

waterman
wa·ter·man 
[wáwtərmən] (plural wa·ter·men
[wáwtərmən]) noun

boating person:
somebody who works on or rents out boats[1]



watermark

watermark
wa·ter·mark 
[wáwtər mrk] noun

1.  PAPER hidden
mark in paper: a design or mark in paper that can be
seen when the paper is held up to the light, or the metal tool used to make
such a design

2.  SHIPPING See water line  noun 2

3.  line
left by water: a line showing where the edge or surface
of water has been
transitive
verb
(past wa·ter·marked, past participle wa·ter·marked,
present participle wa·ter·mark·ing, 3rd person present
singular wa·ter·marks)

PAPER put
watermark or pattern in paper: to put a watermark
into paper while it is being made, or impress a particular pattern as a
watermark

[1]



watermeasurer

watermeasurer
wa·ter
meas·ur·er
noun

INSECTS
See marsh treader[1]



watermelon

watermelon

wa·ter·mel·on 
[wáwtər mèllən] noun

1.  FOOD large
fruit with sweet juicy flesh: a large oval or round fruit
with a hard green skin and sweet and very juicy pink, red, or yellow flesh
usually with many black seeds

2.        PLANTS African
plant producing watermelon fruit: an
annual climbing plant native to Africa but widely cultivated that has deeply
lobed hairy leaves, yellow flowers, and bears the watermelon fruit. Latin name:
Citrullus lanatus[1]



watermeter

watermeter
wa·ter
me·ter
noun

device for recording amount
of water: a device that records the
amount of water that passes through a pipe, usually for billing purposes[1]



watermilfoil

watermilfoil
wa·ter
mil·foil
noun

aquatic plant with submerged
leaves: any of various perennial
aquatic plants that have submerged leaves made up of many feathery segments and
bear slender spikes of tiny flowers above the water surface. Genus: Myriophyllum

Also called
milfoil[1]



watermill

watermill
wa·ter
mill
noun

mill with water-powered
machinery: a mill that has machinery
powered by moving water[1]



watermint

watermint
wa·ter
mint
noun

plant of swampy areas:
a perennial plant of swampy areas with toothed hairy leaves, a hairy stem, and
whorls of lilac-pink flowers. It emits a strong scent when crushed. Latin name:
Mentha aquatica[1]



watermoccasin

watermoccasin
wa·ter
moc·ca·sin
noun

1.  poisonous
N American snake: a venomous semiaquatic snake belonging
to the pit viper family and inhabiting wetlands of the southern United States
that has an olive to brownish back and indistinct black bars. It feeds on water
birds, fish, and other reptiles, and shows the white insides of its mouth when
threatened. Latin name: Agkistrodon piscivorus
Also
called
cottonmouth
Also
called
moccasin

2.  harmless
water snake: a snake that resembles a venomous water
moccasin but is harmless. Genus: Nerodia

[1]



watermold

watermold
wa·ter
mold
noun

fungus inhabiting water:
any of various fungi that inhabit fresh or brackish water and feed mainly on
dead organic material but are sometimes parasitic on fish, plants, and other
living organisms. Order: Saprolegniales[1]



waternymph

waternymph
wa·ter
nymph
noun

nymph living in water:
in folklore and classical mythology, a nymph that lives in water[1]



wateroak

wateroak
wa·ter
oak
noun

American oak of wet soil:
an oak of the southern United States that favors wet locations. Latin name: Quercus
nigra[1]



waterof crystallization

waterof crystallization
wa·ter
of crys·tal·li·za·tion noun

water in a crystal:
molecules of water incorporated in a crystalline substance and responsible for
its properties and structure[1]



waterof hydration

waterof hydration
wa·ter
of hy·dra·tion noun

chemically combined water:
molecules of water chemically incorporated in a substance but removable without
affecting the essential composition of the substance[1]



wateron the brain

wateron the brain
wa·ter
on the brain noun

MEDICINE
See hydrocephalus[1]



wateron the knee

wateron the knee
wa·ter
on the knee
noun

fluid around knee:
the accumulation of watery fluid in or around the knee indicating disease or
injury of the knee joint[1]



wateropossum

wateropossum
wa·ter
o·pos·sum
noun

See
yapok[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








waterouzel

waterouzel
wa·ter
ou·zel
noun

BIRDS
See dipper  noun 2[1]



waterparting

waterparting
wa·ter
part·ing
noun

GEOGRAPHY
See divide  noun 2[1]



waterpenny

waterpenny
wa·ter
pen·ny
noun

circular beetle larva found
in streams: any of various circular
beetle larvae that cling like tiny suction cups to rocks in swift streams.
Family: Psephenidae[1]



waterpennywort

waterpennywort
wa·ter
pen·ny·wort
noun

creeping plant in or near
water: a creeping plant that grows
in water or moist places. Genus: Hydrocotyle[1]



waterpepper

waterpepper
wa·ter
pep·per
noun

plant with peppery taste:
an annual plant widely distributed in damp places that has lance-shaped leaves,
a hot peppery taste, and slender spikes of inconspicuous pink or greenish
flowers. Latin name: Polygonum hydropiper[1]



waterpipe

waterpipe
wa·ter
pipe
noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION pipe
for conveying water: a pipe for transporting
water from one place to another

2.  DRUGS water-filled
smoking pipe: a pipe for smoking something, especially
marijuana, that is filled with water in order to cool the smoke by drawing it
through the water

[1]



waterpistol

waterpistol
wa·ter
pis·tol
noun

squirt gun:
a toy gun that squirts water[1]



waterplantain

waterplantain
wa·ter
plan·tain
noun

aquatic plant with oval
leaves: a perennial plant found in
water or wet places, with a rosette of pointed oval leaves and branching heads
of pinkish or white flowers. Genus: Alisma[1]



waterpolo

waterpolo
wa·ter
po·lo
noun

goal-scoring swimming game:
a game played in a swimming pool by two teams of seven players whose object is
to score by sending a large ball into the opposing team’s goal[1]



waterpower

waterpower
wa·ter
pow·er
noun

1.  power
generated by force of water: power, usually generated
from an elevated water supply, that is converted to electricity through the use
of hydraulic turbines

2.  fall
of water that generates power: the descent of a
watercourse capable of providing water power

[1]



waterproof

waterproof
wa·ter·proof 
[wáwtər prf] adjective

impervious to water:
treated or constructed so as to be impenetrable or unaffected by water
noun

1.  U.K.
item
of waterproof clothing: an item of waterproof
clothing, such as a plastic cape

2.  TEXTILES textile
impervious to water: a textile that has been made
or treated so as to be impenetrable or unaffected by water
transitive
verb
(past wa·ter·proofed, past participle wa·ter·proofed,
present participle wa·ter·proof·ing, 3rd person present
singular wa·ter·proofs)

make something waterproof:
to make something such as a house or an item of clothing impenetrable by water

[1]



waterpurslane

waterpurslane
wa·ter
purs·lane
noun

creeping plant:
a creeping annual plant growing in moist places with fleshy rounded leaves and
small purplish flowers at the leaf base. Latin name: Lythrum portula[1]



waterrail

waterrail
wa·ter
rail
noun

European and Asian marsh
bird: a Eurasian bird of marshes
and other wet places with a long red bill, gray underparts with black-striped
flanks, and mottled brown back and wings. Latin name: Rallus aquaticus[1]



waterrat

waterrat
wa·ter
rat
noun

1.  See
muskrat

2.  rat
with feet adapted for swimming: any of various large
amphibious rats, native to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines, that
have broad paddle-shaped hind feet for swimming. Subfamily: Hydromyinae

3.  waterfront
thug:
a criminal, loafer, or hooligan who often frequents waterfront areas (slang)

[1]



water-repellent

water-repellent
wa·ter-re·pel·lent 
or wa·ter-re·sis·tant adjective

preventing water absorption:
treated or constructed so as to prevent water being absorbed into it or passing
through it[1]



waterright

waterright
wa·ter
right
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE right
to use a water source: the right to use a water
source, especially for irrigation (often plural)

2.  NAUTICAL right
to sail somewhere: the right to sail on
particular rivers, lakes, or seas

[1]



watersapphire

watersapphire
wa·ter
sap·phire
noun

blue gem:
a blue form of the mineral cordierite, found in river gravel and used as a
gemstone[1]



waterscape

waterscape
wa·ter·scape 
[wáwtər skàyp] noun

view of area of water:
a view or picture of an expanse of water[1]



waterscavenger beetle

waterscavenger beetle
wa·ter
scav·en·ger bee·tle noun

pond beetle:
any of various smooth dark aquatic beetles that are found worldwide in marshes
and ponds and eat algae and decaying organic matter. Family: Hydrophilidae[1]



waterscorpion

waterscorpion
wa·ter
scor·pi·on
noun

carnivorous aquatic bug:
an aquatic insect that lies submerged in water breathing through a long tubular
siphon, and that catches prey by using the front pair of legs. Family: Nepidae[1]



waterseal

waterseal
wa·ter
seal
noun

water that seals a pipe:
water that lies in a waste pipe and forms a seal that prevents the escape of
unpleasant smells[1]



Waters,Ethel

Waters,Ethel
Wa·ters
[wáwtərz], Ethel (1900–1977)

U.S. singer and actor. A
noted blues singer, she was one of the most prominent African American
performers of stage and screen in the 1930s and 1940s.[1]



watershed

watershed
wa·ter·shed 
[wáwtər shèd] noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY See divide  noun 2

2.  GEOGRAPHY region
draining into river or ocean: the land area that drains
into a particular lake, river, or ocean

3.  turning
point:
an important period, time, event, or factor that marks a change or division
[Early 19th century.
Anglicization of German Wasserscheide, literally “water divide.”][1]



watershield

watershield
wa·ter
shield
noun

1.  aquatic
plant with purple flowers: a widely distributed
perennial aquatic plant with purple flowers and floating leaves that are purple
underneath and covered in a layer of clear jelly. Latin name: Brasenia
schreberi

2.  aquatic
plant with distinctive leaves: any of various aquatic
plants with roundish floating leaves or finely divided needle-shaped submerged
leaves. Genus: Cabomba
[Because the leaves are
shaped like shields][1]



water-sick

water-sick
wa·ter-sick 
adjective

irrigated too much:
used to describe land that has been made unproductive by excessive irrigation[1]



waterside

waterside
wa·ter·side 
[wáwtər sd] noun

land
by water:
land alongside an area of water
adjective

living or working beside
water: living or working beside an
area of water[1]



watersign

watersign
wa·ter
sign
noun

Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio:
any one of the three signs of the zodiac, Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio, that are
associated with emotional sensitivity[1]



waterski

waterski
wa·ter
ski
noun

ski for skiing on water:
a type of ski designed for skiing over water[1]



water-ski

water-ski
wa·ter-ski 
(past wa·ter-skied, past participle wa·ter-skied, present
participle wa·ter-ski·ing, 3rd person present singular wa·ter-skis)
intransitive verb

ski
on water:
to ski over water while being towed by a boat
—wa·ter-ski·er,
noun

—wa·ter-ski·ing, noun[1]



Waters,Muddy

Waters,Muddy
Wa·ters
[wáwtərz], Muddy (1915–1983)

U.S.
musician. He was a country blues singer who originated the Chicago blues style
in the 1950s, and was a leading figure in the revival of folk-blues music in
the 1960s.
Real name
Morganfield, McKinley[1]



watersnake

watersnake
wa·ter
snake
noun

1.  snake
living in water: a snake that lives in or near water

2.  nonpoisonous
marsh snake: a nonvenomous snake found in North
America, Europe, and Asia especially Southeast Asia, that lives in marshes and
other wet places. Genus: Natrix

[1]



watersoftener

watersoftener
wa·ter
soft·en·er
noun

1.  apparatus
for removing hardness from water: a device that removes
or reduces hardness in water, usually by means of ion-exchange resins

2.  chemical
for reducing hardness of water: a substance used to
reduce hardness of water, for example, by precipitating out the minerals
causing the hardness

[1]



water-soluble

water-soluble
wa·ter-sol·u·ble 
adjective

dissolvable in water:
capable of being dissolved completely by water[1]



waterspaniel

waterspaniel
wa·ter
span·iel
noun

dog with water-resistant
coat: any of several breeds of dog
that have thick curly water-resistant coats, and that were developed for
retrieving from water[1]



watersports

watersports
wa·ter
sports
plural noun

sports
associated with water: sports carried out on or in
water
noun

U.K.
taboo offensive term:
a euphemism used to describe sexual activity in which urine or the act of
urination provides gratification (taboo offensive)[1]



waterspout

waterspout
wa·ter·spout 
[wáwtər spòwt] noun

1.  METEOROLOGY tornado
over water:
a funnel-shaped tornado, sometimes hundreds of feet wide, extending from the
surface of the sea or a lake to the cloud base and caused by violent
circulation of air

2.  BUILDING spout
from roof gutter: a hole or spout through which water
flows, for example, from the gutter of a building.
Also
called
spout

[1]



watersprite

watersprite
wa·ter
sprite
noun

sprite living in water:
in folklore and classical mythology, a sprite that lives in water[1]



waterstarwort

waterstarwort
wa·ter
star·wort
noun

aquatic plant with rounded
leaves: an aquatic plant that can
form rosettes of rounded floating leaves at the base of which develop tiny male
or female flowers. The underwater leaves are less rounded and the form of the
plant can vary markedly, depending on its location. Genus: Callitriche
Also called
starwort[1]



waterstick insect

waterstick insect
wa·ter
stick in·sect noun

carnivorous aquatic bug:
an aquatic bug with a long slender body and a long siphon used for breathing
underwater that catches prey by using its front legs. Although winged, it has
poorly developed flight muscles and cannot fly. Latin name: Ranatra linearis[1]



waterstrider

waterstrider
wa·ter
strid·er
noun

insect that walks on water:
an aquatic insect that walks on water with long legs and feeds on dead insects.
Family: Gerridae
Also called
skater
U.K. term
pond-skater[1]



watersupply

watersupply
wa·ter
sup·ply
noun

1.  water
distributed to place: the water distributed to a
town, community, or region

2.  water
source or delivery system: the source or delivery
system supplying water to an area, for example, reservoirs, pipes, or
purification plants

[1]



watersystem

watersystem
wa·ter
sys·tem
noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY river
and tributaries: a river with all its tributaries

2.  UTILITIES system
for delivering water: a system for delivering
water to a group of users or a town or region

[1]



watertable

watertable
wa·ter
ta·ble
noun

1.  GEOLOGY groundwater
level:
the upper surface of groundwater, below which pores in the rocks are filled
with water.
Also
called
water level

2.  ARCHITECTURE band
diverting rainwater: a molding or band that
projects from a wall and is intended to divert rainwater

[1]



watertaxi

watertaxi
wa·ter
tax·i
noun

boat used as taxi:
a motorboat used to ferry passengers between destinations separated by water
for a fare[1]



waterthrush

waterthrush
wa·ter
thrush
noun

N American songbird:
either of two small North American songbirds of the wood warbler family that
have markings similar to the thrush and live near streams, ponds, and swampy
ground. Genus: Seiurus[1]



watertight

watertight
wa·ter·tight 
[wáwtər tt] adjective

1.  keeping
water in or out: not allowing water to pass in, out, or
through

2.  standing
up to scrutiny: without loopholes or flaws • a
watertight argument
—wa·ter·tight·ness, noun[1]



Waterton-GlacierInternational Peace Park

Waterton-GlacierInternational Peace Park
Wa·ter·ton-Gla·cier
In·ter·na·tion·al Peace Park [wàwtərtən
glàysər ìntər nàsh’nəl pss prk]

national park established in
1932 by linking the U.S. Glacier National Park with the Canadian Waterton Lakes
National Park. Area: 526 sq km/203 sq mi.[1]



watertorture

watertorture
wa·ter
tor·ture
noun

torture involving water:
a form of torture in which water is used, especially one in which water is
dripped steadily onto somebody’s forehead[1]



watertower

watertower
wa·ter
tow·er
noun

1.  water
storage tower: a tower for water storage where the
prevailing water pressure is not sufficient for either firefighting or general
distribution

2.  firefighting
apparatus for raising water: a firefighting apparatus for
lifting hoses to high levels

[1]



Watertown

Watertown
Wa·ter·town 
[wáwtər town]

1.  city
in eastern Massachusetts, on the Charles River. Founded in 1630, it is a
western suburb of Boston. Population: 32,490 (1996)

2.  city
in northern New York, on the Black River, northeast of Syracuse. Population:
28,700 (1996)

3.  city
in eastern South Dakota, on the Big Sioux River, north of Sioux Falls.
Population: 19,619 (1996)

[1]



waterturkey

waterturkey
wa·ter
turk·ey
noun

See
anhinga[1]



watervapor

watervapor
wa·ter
va·por
noun

water in form of gas:
water in the form of a vapor but usually below boiling point[1]



water-vascularsystem

water-vascularsystem
wa·ter-vas·cu·lar
sys·tem 
noun

starfish structure:
a system of water-filled vessels connecting the tube feet of echinoderms such
as starfish[1]



Waterville

Waterville
Wa·ter·ville 
[wáwtər vìl]

city in southwestern Maine,
on the western bank of the Kennebec River, southwest of Bangor and northeast of
Augusta. It is home to Colby College. Population: 17,173 (1990)[1]



waterway

waterway
wa·ter·way 
[wáwtər wày] noun

1.  GEOGRAPHY river
or canal:
a navigable channel such as a river or canal used by boats or ships

2.  SHIPPING drain
on deck:
a drain for water at the edge of the deck of a boat

[1]



waterweed

waterweed
wa·ter·weed 
[wáwtər wd] noun

hardy water plant:
any of various plants such as pondweed that grow profusely in ponds, rivers,
and other areas of fresh water.
U.K. term
pondweed[1]



waterwheel

waterwheel
wa·ter
wheel
noun

1.  water-driven
wheel powering machinery: a simple wheel driven by
water flowing or falling onto vanes or into buckets on the edges of the wheel,
used to power machinery

2.  wheel
for lifting water: a wheel with buckets fixed
to its rim, used for lifting water

[1]



waterwings

waterwings
wa·ter
wings
plural noun

inflatable arm supports for
swimmer: a pair of air-filled
supports that fit closely around the upper arms of a swimmer, especially a
child learning to swim[1]



waterwitch

waterwitch
wa·ter
witch
noun

See
dowser[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








waterworks

waterworks
wa·ter·works 
[wáwtər wùrks] noun (plural wa·ter·works)

1.  system
for supplying water: the entire system of
treating, storing, supplying, and managing the distribution networks of pumps
and pipes that provide water to a community or region (takes a singular or
plural verb)

2.  component
of water system: a single component of a waterworks
system such as a pumping station

3.  display
of moving water: a display of water that has been made to
move artificially such as a fountain
plural
noun

tears: a
display of crying (informal)

[1]



waterworn

waterworn
wa·ter·worn
[wáwtər wàwrn] adjective

smoothed by water:
smoothed or eroded by the action of water[1]



watery

watery
wa·ter·y 
[wáwtəree] adjective

1.  relating
to or containing water: relating to, containing,
soaked with, or like water

2.  having
excessive water: containing too much water • watery
coffee

3.  filled
with tears:
filled with tears, from either emotion or physical irritation • watery
eyes

4.  lacking
force:
lacking the usual full force and appearing thin or weak • A
watery sun hung in the autumn sky.

5.  weak:
lacking strength or sincerity • a
watery smile

6.  full
of fluid:
discharging, secreting, or filled with a watery fluid • watery
blister
—wa·ter·i·ness, noun[1]



WATS

WATS
WATS
[wawts]

Abbreviation of
Wide-Area Telecommunications Service[1]



Watson,Chris

Watson,Chris
Wat·son
[wóts’ən], Chris (1867–1941)

Chilean-born
Australian statesman. The leader of the Labor Party, he was prime minister of
Australia in 1904.
Full name
Watson, John Christian[1]



Watson-Crickmodel

Watson-Crickmodel
Wat·son-Crick
mod·el 
[wòts’n krík mòdd’l] noun

DNA
model:
the three-dimensional double-helix model of the DNA molecule proposed by James
Watson and Francis Crick in 1953
[Mid-20th century. Named for
J. D. Watson and F. H. C. Crick, a
British biochemist (born 1916).][1]



Watson,James D.

Watson,James D.

Wat·son
[wóts’ən], James D. (1928– )
U.S.
biochemist. His work with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins in exploring the
structure of the DNA molecule won them a shared Nobel Prize in physiology or
medicine (1962).
Full name
Watson, James Dewey[1]



watt

watt
watt 
[wot] noun

unit
of electrical power: the international ( SI ) unit of power equal to the power produced by
a current of one ampere acting across a potential difference of one volt. Symbol
W
[Late 19th century. Named for
James Watt .][1]



wattage

wattage
watt·age 
[wóttij] noun

electric power:
electrical power measured in watts[1]



watt-hour

watt-hour
watt-hour 
noun

unit of electrical energy:
a unit of electrical energy equal to that of one watt operating for one hour[1]



Watt,James

Watt,James

Watt 
[wot], James (1736–1819)
British inventor. He improved the steam
engine and, in partnership with Matthew Boulton, developed a pumping engine and
rotative engine. The metric unit of power is named for him.[1]



wattle

wattle
wat·tle 
[wótt’l] noun

1.  BUILDING stakes
interwoven with branches: stakes or poles interwoven
with branches and twigs, used for walls, fences, and roofs

2.  INDUSTRY material
for wattle:
material such as branches or stakes used to make wattle

3.  ZOOLOGY skin
hanging from animal’s throat: a loose, often highly
colored fold of bare skin hanging from the throat or cheek of birds and
lizards. It is used in courtship and other displays.

4.  TREES Australian
acacia tree: any of various Australian trees and
shrubs that put out leaves with many leaflets, bear heads of tiny flowers, and
produce useful timber. Now used mainly as shade and ornamental trees, wattles
were originally used to make fences, while the bark was used for tanning.
Genus: Acacia
transitive
verb
(past wat·tled, past participle wat·tled, present
participle wat·tling, 3rd person present singular wat·tles)
BUILDING

1.  make
from wattle: to construct something from wattle

2.  weave
branches into wattle: to weave branches or twigs
into wattle
[Old
English watul, of uncertain origin]
—wat·tled, adjective[1]



wattleand daub

wattleand daub
wat·tle
and daub
noun

clay-covered wattle:
building material consisting of wattle covered with mud or clay, often
containing lime, dung, or straw[1]



wattlebird

wattlebird
wat·tle·bird 
[wótt’l bùrd] noun

Australian bird with cheek
wattles: a slender-bodied gray-brown
or olive-brown Australian bird with a long bill, a brush-tipped tongue for
lapping nectar, and wattles on the cheeks. Genus: Anthochaera[1]



wattmeter

wattmeter
watt·me·ter 
[wótt meetər] noun

instrument measuring
electrical power: an instrument designed
to measure the magnitude of the power in an electric circuit. It may be scaled
in watts, kilowatts, or megawatts.[1]



Waugh,Evelyn

Waugh,Evelyn

Waugh
[waw], Evelyn (1903–1966)
British
novelist. His early novels satirizing high society gave way to the more serious
later work such as Brideshead Revisited ( 1945 ) that reflected his
preoccupation with Roman Catholicism.
Full name
Waugh, Evelyn Arthur St. John[1]



Waukegan

Waukegan
Wau·ke·gan 
[waw kgən, wáwkəgən]

city in northeastern
Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan, north of North Chicago. Population:
74,166 (1996)[1]



Wave

Wave
Wave
noun

former Navy woman:
a member of the WAVES[1]



wave

wave1
wave1  [wayv]
(past waved, past participle waved, present
participle wav·ing, 3rd person present singular waves)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
hand repeatedly as signal: to move the hand or arm from
side to side or up and down as a greeting, farewell, or signal

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
something repeatedly in air: to move or cause something
such as a flag to move from side to side or up and down • The
flag waved in the wind.

3.  transitive
verb
direct
somebody or something by waving: to direct somebody or
something by waving a hand, arm, or object • The
police waved the traffic around the procession.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
into or be in undulations: to make something into or be
in the form of swells, ridges, or swirls • a
field of grain waving in the wind

5.  intransitive
verb
move
in waves:
to move in a series of swells (refers to water)

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb HAIRDRESSING be or make slightly
curled:
to be slightly or gently curled, or make hair slightly curled

7.  transitive
verb
TEXTILES give
material a rippled pattern: to create a rippled pattern
in a fabric such as silk
[Old English wafian .
From a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to move back and forth,” which is
also the ancestor of English waver
and wobble .][1]



wave

wave2
wave2  [wayv]
noun

1.  moving
ripple on liquid or ocean: any of a series of ripples
moving across the surface of a liquid, especially a large raised ridge of water
moving across the surface of the sea

2.  act
of waving the hand: an instance of moving the
hand or arm as a signal or greeting

3.  line
curving in alternating directions: a line, shape,
surface, or pattern that curves in one direction and then another, especially
one with repeated curves

4.  undulating
motion:
a movement on a surface or edge that is similar to a wave • The
wind made waves across the field of grain.

5.  sudden
repetition of events: a sudden occurrence of
repeated activity • a crime wave

6.  overwhelming
feeling:
a sudden overwhelming feeling • a wave
of sorrow

7.  incoming
group:
an advancing or incoming group of people • a
wave of immigrants

8.  HAIRDRESSING loose
curve in hair: a soft, usually large, curve or ripple
in the hair where the lie of the hair changes direction, either naturally or
after setting

9.  PHYSICS oscillation
of energy:
an oscillation that travels through a medium by transferring energy from one
particle or point to another without causing any permanent displacement of the
medium • sound
waves

10. TEXTILES rippled
pattern:
a rippled pattern in material such as silk

11. SPORTS continuous
rippling movement by sports crowd: the rippling effect
produced by rows of spectators at a sporting event standing up, raising their
arms, and then sitting down again.
U.K.
term
Mexican wave
plural
noun
waves

sea: the
waves of the ocean, or the ocean itself
[15th
century. Alteration of obsolete waw under the influence of the verb wave 1 .]
make
waves

to cause a disturbance or
trouble, for example, by suggesting or introducing changes or making criticisms[1]



waveaside

waveaside
wave
aside
transitive verb

dismiss as trivial:
to dismiss something or somebody as trivial or inconsequential[1]



waveband

waveband
wave·band 
[wáyv bànd] noun

band of radio frequencies:
a range of radio frequencies within which transmissions occur[1]



wavedown

wavedown
wave
down
transitive verb

stop vehicle by waving:
to stop a vehicle by waving to the driver to halt[1]



waveequation

waveequation
wave
e·qua·tion
noun

equation defining wave
motion: an equation, usually a
partial differential equation, that defines the propagation of a wave through a
medium. The form of the equation is determined by the medium, the method by
which the wave is transmitted, and the circumstance of its propagation.[1]



waveform

waveform

wave·form 
[wáyv fàwrm] noun
shape of wave:
the profile or shape of a wave, especially the graphic representation of one of
its characteristics, for example, frequency or amplitude, relative to time[1]



wavefront

wavefront
wave·front
[wáyv frùnt] noun

points in same phase of wave:
a line or surface that joins points of the same phase in a wave traveling
through a medium[1]



wavefunction

wavefunction
wave
func·tion
noun

equation indicating wave
variation: an equation that shows how a
wave’s amplitude varies in space and time[1]



waveguide

waveguide
wave·guide
[wáyv gd] noun

microwave transmission line:
a transmission line consisting of a hollow metal conductor used as a path to
convey microwave energy along its length. It is used in radar systems to convey
transmitted microwave energy from the transmitter to the antenna and received
energy from the antenna back to the receiver.[1]



wavelength

wavelength
wave·length 
[wáyv lèngth] noun

1.  PHYSICS length
of wave cycle: the distance between two points on
adjacent waves that have the same phase, for example, the distance between two
consecutive peaks or troughs. Symbol &lambda;

2.  BROADCASTING broadcasting
wavelength:
the wavelength of the fundamental radio wave used by a broadcasting station
be
on the same wavelength

to have the same opinions,
attitudes, or tastes[1]



wavelet

wavelet
wave·let 
[wáyvlit] noun

small wave:
a small wave, for example, a ripple[1]



wavellite

wavellite
wa·vel·lite 
[wáyvə lt] noun

mineral
form of hydrated aluminum phosphate: a
soft light gray, yellow, or brown mineral form of hydrated aluminum phosphate,
usually in the form of clusters of radiating crystals in slates and shales
[Early 19th century. Named
for William Wavell (d. 1829), the English physician who discovered the
substance.][1]



wavemechanics

wavemechanics
wave
me·chan·ics
noun

form of quantum theory:
a form of quantum theory in which happenings on the atomic scale are explained
in terms of interactions between systems of waves, represented by wave
functions (takes a singular verb)[1]



wavemeter

wavemeter
wave·me·ter
[wáyv mtər] noun

wavelength measurer:
an instrument for measuring wavelengths[1]



wavenumber

wavenumber
wave
num·ber
noun

waves per unit distance:
the number of waves in a given unit distance. Wave number is the reciprocal of
wavelength. Symbol σ[1]



wave-particleduality

wave-particleduality
wave-par·ti·cle
du·al·i·ty 
noun

behavior as waves or
particles: a fundamental concept of
quantum theory holding that energy sometimes behaves like particles and
sometimes behaves like waves, so that descriptions of energy as one or the
other are inadequate[1]



wavepool

wavepool
wave
pool
(plural wave pools) noun

pool with generated waves:
a public swimming pool equipped with a device to produce waves[1]



waver

waver
wa·ver 
[wáyvər] intransitive verb (past
wa·vered, past participle wa·vered, present participle
wa·ver·ing, 3rd person present singular wa·vers)

1.  fluctuate
between possibilities: to go back and forth between
possibilities, or be indecisive in making a choice

2.  begin
to change opinion: to become unsure or begin to
change from a previous opinion

3.  move
in different directions: to move one way and then
another in an irregular pattern

4.  fluctuate,
especially in tone: to vary or fluctuate, as,
for example, the voice does from emotion

5.  flicker:
to go on and off, especially due to burning unsteadily (refers to a light or
a flame)
noun

act of wavering:
an instance or act of wavering
[14th
century. From Old Norse vafra .]
—wa·ver·er,
noun

—wa·ver·ing·ly,
adverb

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at hesitate

[1]



WAVES

WAVES
WAVES
[wayvz] noun

NAVY
women’s naval reserve:
the women’s branch of the U.S. Naval Reserve that was organized in World War
II. It no longer exists as a separate entity. Full form Women Accepted
for Volunteer Emergency Service[1]



wavetheory

wavetheory
wave
the·o·ry
noun

theory of light’s behavior:
the theory that the behavior of light or any other electromagnetic radiation
can be explained by assuming that it travels in waves.
See also
corpuscular theory[1]



wavetrain

wavetrain
wave
train
noun

wave series:
a series of similar waves produced at equal intervals and traveling in the same
direction[1]



wavey

wavey
wav·ey
[wáyvee] (plural wav·eys) noun

Canada
goose:
a snow goose or other wild goose[1]



wavy

wavy
wav·y 
[wáyvee] (comparative wav·i·er,
superlative wav·i·est) adjective

1.  repeatedly
curving:
forming a series of smooth curves that go in one direction and then another

2.  HAIRDRESSING having
soft curves: having loose open waves • wavy
hair

3.  containing
waves:
full of waves or having a surface covered by waves

4.  moving
like a wave: moving with an up-and-down or
side-to-side motion

5.  wavering:
wavering or changeable
—wav·i·ly,
adverb

—wav·i·ness, noun[1]



waw

waw
waw 
noun

See
vav
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
vav .][1]



wa-wa

wa-wa
wa-wa 
noun

See
wah-wah[1]



wawa

wawa
wa·wa
[w waa] (plural wa·was) noun

Canada
See wavey
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
wavey .][1]



wa-wapedal

wa-wapedal
wa-wa
ped·al
(plural wa-wa ped·als) noun

See
wah-wah pedal[1]



wax

wax1
wax1 [waks]
noun

1.  INDUSTRY naturally-occurring
greasy substance: any of various hard or soft and moldable
substances of animal, plant, or mineral origin that feel slightly greasy or
oily to the touch

2.  DOMESTIC preparation
for polishing: a preparation containing wax used to
polish floors, cars, and other surfaces

3.  INDUSTRY See beeswax

4.  PHYSIOLOGY See earwax

5.  MEDICINE See bone wax

6.  INDUSTRY resinous
mixture used in shoemaking: a resinous mixture rubbed
onto thread used in shoemaking

7.  something
easily molded: somebody who or something that is
readily molded, shaped, or manipulated

8.  RECORDING record:
a phonograph record (dated informal)
transitive
verb
(past waxed, past participle waxed or wax·en
(archaic) [wáksən], present
participle wax·ing, 3rd person present singular wax·es)

1.  polish
something with wax: to coat or polish something
such as a floor or car with wax

2.  COSMETICS remove
hair with wax: to remove unwanted hair from the skin
using heated wax that is left to dry and then removed
[Old
English wæx from prehistoric Germanic]
—wax·er, noun[1]



wax

wax2
wax2 [waks]
(past waxed, past participle waxed, present
participle wax·ing, 3rd person present singular wax·es)
intransitive verb

1.  ASTRONOMY appear
larger each night: to show a gradually
increasing illuminated surface, as does the Moon between its new and full
phases (refers to the Moon or a planet)

2.  increase:
to increase in size, power, or intensity (literary)

3.  become
something stated: to get into a particular emotional or
behavioral state (literary) • waxed
philosophical
[Old English weaxan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to increase,” which is also the
ancestor of English augment and eke
.][1]



waxbean

waxbean
wax
bean
noun

yellow string bean:
a variety of string bean that is yellow[1]



waxbill

waxbill
wax·bill 
[wáks bìl] noun

small African finch:
small brightly colored African finch with a red conical bill. Waxbills feed on
seeds and insects and build roofed nests of grass. Family: Estrildidae[1]



waxcap

waxcap
wax
cap
noun

mushroom with waxy gills:
a mushroom with a cap that has waxy gills. Family: Hygrophoraceae[1]



waxedpaper

waxedpaper
waxed
pa·per 
noun

See
wax paper
U.K. term
greaseproof paper[1]



waxen

waxen2
wax·en2 

(archaic) Past
participle of wax[1]



waxinsect

waxinsect
wax
in·sect
noun

scale insect:
any of various scale insects that secrete a wax. Superfamily: Coccoidea[1]



waxlight

waxlight
wax
light
noun

wax candle:
a candle or taper made of wax[1]



waxmoth

waxmoth
wax
moth
noun

small brown moth:
a small brownish moth whose larvae develop inside beehives, feeding on the wax
of the honeycombs and often damaging the honey and the honey bee larvae. Latin
name: Galleria mellonella
Also called
honeycomb moth[1]



waxmuseum

waxmuseum
wax
mu·se·um
noun

museum of wax dummies:
a museum containing wax models of famous people.
Also called
waxworks[1]



waxmyrtle

waxmyrtle
wax
myr·tle
noun

See
bayberry  noun 1[1]



waxpalm

waxpalm
wax
palm
noun

See
carnauba  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








waxpaper

waxpaper
wax
pa·per
noun

grease-resistant paper:
paper that does not allow oil or grease to soak into it or pass through it and
is used especially in cooking, preparing, or wrapping food.
U.K. term
greaseproof paper[1]



waxplant

waxplant
wax
plant
noun

evergreen plant with waxy
flowers: an Asian and Australian
evergreen climbing plant or shrub that is related to milkweed and bears waxy
white flowers. Genus: Hoya
Also called
hoya
Also called
porcelain flower
Also called
wax vine[1]



waxtree

waxtree
wax
tree
noun

Asian tree:
a Southeast Asian tree that was formerly cultivated especially in Japan for its
fruits, used as a source of candle wax, and for its resin, used for lacquer.
Latin name: Rhus succedanea[1]



waxvine

waxvine
wax
vine
noun

See
wax plant[1]



waxwing

waxwing


wax·wing 
[wáks wìng] noun
bird with waxy tips on feathers:
a bird of northern regions that is marked by a crest, buff-brown plumage, and
waxy-looking red tips on the upper flight feathers. Genus: Bombycilla[1]



waxwork

waxwork
wax·work 
[wáks wùrk] noun

1.  wax
model:
a realistic model, usually of a famous person, made from wax

2.  wax
object:
an object made of wax, especially an ornament

3.  art
of using wax for modeling: the art of using wax as a
modeling or expressive medium

[1]



waxy

waxy
wax·y 
[wáksee] (comparative wax·i·er,
superlative wax·i·est) adjective

1.  like
wax:
resembling wax in appearance, color, texture, or pliability

2.  covered
with wax:
covered with, having a lot of, or made of wax

3.  MEDICINE having
hard deposits like wax: containing deposits of a
hard substance resembling wax ( amyloid )
resulting from tissue degeneration
—wax·i·ness, noun[1]



way

way
way 
[way] noun

1.  manner
or method:
a means, manner, or method of doing or achieving something • You
do it your way, I’ll do it mine.

2.  example:
a feature, aspect, or example of something • In
some ways, my sisters are very similar.

3.  condition:
the state or condition of somebody or something, especially with regard to
health or finances • He was in a bad way
after the accident.

4.  preference:
something somebody wants to happen or to do • You
can’t always get your own way.

5.  characteristic
aspect of behavior: a usual, characteristic, or
distinctive activity or style of behavior • How
do you put up with those irritating ways of theirs?

6.  tradition
or custom:
the customary style or practices of somebody’s life • the
way of the Sufi

7.  typical
happening:
the usual occurrence or pattern of events • Isn’t
it usually the way that all the cabs are taken when you’re late?

8.  path:
a path or physical means of getting from one place to another • The
way out is through here.

9.  door
or opening:
a door or opening leading or providing access to or from somewhere • Come
in the front way.

10. journey
or route:
a particular journey or the route followed or to be followed • on
my way to the office

11. progress
through life: progress or a path through life and its
experiences or difficulties

12. direction:
a direction such as left, right, up, or down

13. manner
of placing:
the manner in which something is placed, packed, or arranged, or the direction
it faces

14. space
for action:
path, room, territory, or space allowing movement, progress, or action • Excuse
me, you’re in my way.

15. area:
an area or district, for example, around somebody’s home (informal) • out
our way

16. distance:
a distance away in space or time • Graduation
is still a long way off.

17. amount:
the extent or amount to which somebody does something • He’s
fallen for her in a big way.

18. way
or Way street:
a street (often used in place names)

19. subpart:
each of a particular number of parts into which something divides or is split • They’re
going to split the prize four ways.

20. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING guide
or support:
a surface used to guide or provide support to moving parts of a machine tool
such as a lathe (often used in the plural)

21. SHIPPING movement
through water: movement or speed of a ship through
water • The
vessel now had some way on.
adverb

1.  very
much:
to a considerable extent or at a considerable distance (informal) • That’s
way out of our price range.

2.  very:
to a great extent (slang)
[Old
English weg . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to go,”
which is also the ancestor of English wagon
and vehicle .]
be
under way

to
be in progress

by
the way

used
to introduce something that is not strictly part of the subject at hand

by
way of something

as
a means of or for the purpose of something

every
which way

1.  in
all directions

2.  in
every way possible (informal)

give
way

to
collapse or break under pressure

go
out of your way to do something

to
do more than is usual or necessary

have
a way with somebody or something

to
be good at dealing with somebody or something

have
it both ways

to
have the benefits of opposing situations or actions

in
a way

from
a certain point of view

make
way (for somebody or something)

to
move aside to make room for somebody or something

make
your way

1.  to
go somewhere, especially when getting there requires overcoming some obstacle,
for example, finding the route or some transport

2.  to
become successful

no
way

used
as an emphatic negative

way
to go

used
to congratulate somebody on something that he or she has done (informal)

[1]



waybill

waybill
way·bill 
[wáy bìl] (plural way·bills) noun

shipping document:
a document that gives information about goods being shipped or carried[1]



wayfarer

wayfarer
way·far·er 
[wáy fàirər] (plural way·far·ers)
noun

traveler:
a traveler, especially somebody who makes a journey on foot (literary)
—way·far·ing, noun,
adjective[1]



wayfaringtree

wayfaringtree
way·far·ing
tree
(plural way·far·ing trees) noun

European
and W Asian shrub: a shrub that is found in
Europe and western Asia and has white flowers and red berries that turn black.
Latin name: Viburnum lantana
[Probably because it can provide
the traveler with shade][1]



Wayland

Wayland
Way·land
[wáylənd] or Way·land Smith [wáylənd] or Way·land the Smith [wáylənd] noun

legendary
smith:
in northern European folklore, a magical smith who was the king of the elves.
Also
called
Wieland
Also
called
Volund
[From Old Norse Völundr
. First mentioned in the 13th century Poetic Edda .][1]



waylay

waylay
way·lay 
[wáy lày] (past way·laid [wáy làyd], past participle way·laid,
present participle way·lay·ing, 3rd person present singular
way·lays) transitive verb

1.  lie
in wait for somebody: to lie in wait for somebody,
especially as part of an attack or ambush

2.  stop
somebody:
to stop or accost somebody, for example, in order to talk
—way·lay·er, noun[1]



wayleave

wayleave
way·leave
[wáy lv] (plural way·leaves) noun

right of way:
the right of way over somebody else’s property, for which payment is usually
made[1]



Wayne,Anthony

Wayne,Anthony
Wayne
[wayn], Anthony (1745–1796)

American
soldier. As a general in the Revolution (1775–1783), he led a brilliant victory
at Stony Point (1779) and contributed to the British defeat at Yorktown (1781).
Known as
Mad Anthony[1]



Wayne,John

Wayne,John
Wayne
[wayn], John (1907–1979)

U.S.
actor. He starred as the rugged hero in numerous westerns, including the
Academy Award-winning True Grit ( 1969 ).
Real name
Morrison, Marion Michael Known as the Duke[1]



Wayof the Cross

Wayof the Cross
Way
of the Cross noun

pictures of road to Calvary:
a series of pictures representing Jesus Christ’s progress on the road to
Calvary[1]



way-out

way-out
way-out 
adjective

1.  unusual
or peculiar: unusual, peculiar, or unconventional (informal)

2.  wonderful:
excellent or exciting (dated informal)

[1]



waypoint

waypoint
way·point 
[wáy pòynt] (plural way·points)
noun

significant point on journey:
a point on a journey or route where a traveler can stop or change course[1]



ways

ways
ways 
[wayz] noun

1.  distance:
a distance traveled or to be traveled (informal) (takes a singular
verb) • The
next gas station is quite a ways from here.

2.  SHIPPING launch
tracks for ship: the tracks a ship slides down to be
launched (takes a singular or plural verb)

[1]



-ways

-ways
-ways
suffix

in
a particular direction or position • edgeways
[Old English weges, a
form of weg “way,” literally “of (such a) way”][1]



Waysand Means

Waysand Means
Ways
and Means
plural noun

government finance committee:
a legislative committee in charge of methods of raising money for government[1]



waysand means

waysand means
ways
and means
plural noun

1.  methods
of getting or accomplishing something:
methods of accomplishing or achieving something, especially finding a way of
paying for something

2.  methods
of raising money for government: methods, for example,
legislation, used by a government to raise money

[1]



wayside

wayside
way·side 
[wáy sd] noun

side
of road:
the side of a road or path
adjective

situated
at side of road: situated at the side of a road or path
fall
by the wayside

to
fail to continue or complete something • Several
students fell by the wayside after the first few weeks.

go
by the wayside

to be abandoned because of
other commitments or interests[1]



waystation

waystation
way
sta·tion
(plural way sta·tions) noun

1.  small
railroad station: a station between the major stations on
a railroad

2.  stopping
place on route: a point or stopping place on a route

[1]



wayward

wayward
way·ward 
[wáywərd] adjective

1.  willful:
characterized by willfulness or disobedience

2.  erratic
or unpredictable: behaving in an erratic, apparently
perverse, or unpredictable manner
[14th
century. Alteration of earlier awayward .]
—way·ward·ly,
adverb

—way·ward·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



wayworn

wayworn
way·worn 
[wáy wàwrn] adjective

tired from traveling:
worn out or weary from traveling[1]



wayzgoose

wayzgoose
wayz·goose
[wáyz gss] (plural wayz·gooses)
noun

U.K.
annual
outing for printing house employees:
formerly, an annual outing for people working at a printing house
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of earlier waygoose, of unknown origin.][1]



wazoo

wazoo
wa·zoo 
[wə z] (plural wa·zoos) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to the anus or buttocks (slang offensive)
[Origin
uncertain; perhaps an alteration of kazoo]
up
the wazoo

used to indicate an abundance
of something (sometimes considered offensive)[1]



Wałęsa,Lech

Wałęsa,Lech
Wa·łę·sa
[waa lénssə, vaa
wénssə], Lech (1943– )

Polish trade unionist and
statesman. At the head of Solidarity after 1980, he led Poland’s independent
labor movement and was instrumental in ending Communist rule there. He won the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. He was the president of Poland from 1990 to 1995.[1]



Wb

Wb
Wb

Symbol for
weber[1]



w.b.

w.b.
w.b.

1.  Abbreviation
of
water ballast

2.  w.b.
or W.B. Abbreviation of waybill

3.  Abbreviation
of
westbound

[1]



WBA

WBA
WBA

Abbreviation of
World Boxing Association[1]



WBC

WBC
WBC

1.  (plural
WBCs) BIOLOGY Abbreviation
of white blood cell

2.  BOXING Abbreviation of World
Boxing Council

[1]



WbN

WbN
WbN

Abbreviation of
west by north[1]



Wboson

Wboson
W
bo·son
(plural W bo·sons) noun

PHYSICS
See W particle[1]



WbS

WbS
WbS

Abbreviation of
west by south[1]



w.c.

w.c.
w.c.

Abbreviation of
without charge[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








W.C.

W.C.
W.C.

(plural W.C.s) Abbreviation
of water closet[1]



WCC

WCC
WCC
or W.C.C.

Abbreviation of
World Council of Churches[1]



WCTU

WCTU
WCTU
or W.C.T.U.

Abbreviation of
Women’s Christian Temperance Union[1]



WD

WD
WD
or W.D.

Abbreviation of
War Department[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wd.

wd.
wd.

1.  Abbreviation
of
word

2.  HEALTH Abbreviation of ward

3.  Abbreviation
of
wood

[1]



WDM

WDM
WDM
or wdm

Abbreviation of
wavelength division multiplex[1]



wdth.

wdth.
wdth.

Abbreviation of
width[1]



we

we
we 
[wee] pronoun

1.  refers
to speaker and others: refers to the speaker or
writer and at least one other person (first person plural personal pronoun,
used as the subject of a verb) • We are
going on vacation. • We
grown-ups should protect our children’s rights. • We
all want our children to have a better future.

2.  refers
to people in general: refers to all people or to
people in general • We are getting closer
to the election.

3.  used
instead of “I”: used by a writer or speaker to include
the listener or speaker in what is being said, used especially to talk about
how a book or talk is organized • We
will now consider the causes of World War I.

4.  used
instead of “you”: used sarcastically or condescendingly by
a speaker • How
are we today? Are we getting better?
[Old English wē .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word of the same meaning that is also the
ancestor of German wir and, in a variant form, English us .][1]



weak

weak
weak 
[week] (comparative weak·er, superlative
weak·est) adjective

1.  not
strong or fit: not physically or mentally strong

2.  easily
defeated:
easily overcome or defeated

3.  lacking
strength of character: not having strength of
character

4.  not
intense:
not powerful or intense • weak
winter sunshine

5.  lacking
skills or abilities: not having particular skills
or abilities

6.  watery
or tasteless: watery or lacking flavor • weak
tea

7.  not
working to full capacity: not working as well as
normal

8.  unconvincing:
not persuasive or convincing • a weak
argument

9.  not
strong politically: not politically strong or
powerful

10. POETRY unstressed:
used to describe a syllable or word that is not stressed or accented

11. POETRY having
accent on normally unstressed syllable: used
to describe verse that has the accent on a syllable that is normally unstressed

12. GRAMMAR characterized
by regular inflectional endings: used to describe a
verb whose forms are characterized by regular inflectional endings, not by
vowel changes

13. FINANCE characterized
by falling prices: falling in price, or
characterized by falling prices • a weak
market

14. PHOTOGRAPHY lacking
in contrast: not having much contrast between tones
[13th
century. From Old Norse veikr “pliant.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German weich and Dutch week
“soft.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  weak, feeble, frail,
  infirm, debilitated, enervated, decrepit
  CORE
  MEANING: lacking
  physical strength or energy weak;
  lacking strength or energy, either temporarily, or as part of the person’s
  constitution; feeble; describes
  somebody who is very weak, either temporarily or as part of his or her
  constitution; frail; used to
  suggest physical delicacy or weakness, either as part of somebody’s physical
  constitution or as a result of illness or advancing years; infirm; lacking strength as a result of
  advanced years or illness, especially when it seems unlikely that this
  condition will improve; debilitated;
  made weak by something such as illness or physical exertion, especially when
  this condition is likely to be temporary; enervated; made weak and
  tired by something such as extreme heat or physical exertion; decrepit; a formal or literary word used to
  describe somebody who has been made very weak by advancing years. It is
  sometimes used humorously

[1]



weaken

weaken
weak·en 
[wkən] (past weak·ened, past
participle weak·ened, present participle weak·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular weak·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

make
or become weak: to make somebody or something weak or
weaker, or become weak or weaker
—weak·en·er, noun[1]



weakersex

weakersex
weak·er
sex
noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term used by men to refer to women as a group (dated
offensive)[1]



weakfish

weakfish
weak·fish 
[wk fìsh] (plural weak·fish or
weak·fish·es) noun

See
sea trout  noun 1
[Late 18th century. From
obsolete Dutch weekvisch, literally “soft fish,” from week “soft”
+ visch “fish.”][1]



weakforce

weakforce
weak
force
[wk fáwrs] noun

See
weak interaction[1]



weakinteraction

weakinteraction
weak
in·ter·ac·tion noun

fundamental interaction
involved with radioactive decay: the
fundamental interaction between elementary particles that is mediated by the W
and Z particles. It is involved in radioactive decay, which occurs by electron
production, and particle decay. One of the four fundamental interactions, it is
only effective at distances of less than 10 –15 meters and
is a trillion times weaker than the strong interaction.[1]



weak-kneed

weak-kneed
weak-kneed 
adjective

easily
persuaded:
easily persuaded or intimidated
—weak-kneed·ly,
adverb

—weak-kneed·ness, noun[1]



weakling

weakling
weak·ling 
[wkling] (plural weak·lings) noun

somebody weak:
somebody who lacks physical strength or strength of character[1]



weakly

weakly
weak·ly 
[wklee] adjective (comparative
weak·li·er, superlative weak·li·est)

sickly:
sickly or delicate
adverb

without
strength or force: with little strength or
force • She
nodded weakly.
—weak·li·ness, noun[1]



weak-minded

weak-minded
weak-mind·ed 
adjective

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody considered to be of low
intelligence (offensive)

2.  easily
persuaded:
easily persuaded or convinced (disapproving)
—weak-mind·ed·ly,
adverb

—weak-mind·ed·ness, noun[1]



weakness

weakness
weak·ness 
[wkniss] (plural weak·nesses)
noun

1.  lack
of strength or determination: lack of strength, power, or
determination

2.  weak
point:
a weak point or flaw in something • Unfortunately,
the escape plan had a serious weakness.

3.  character
flaw:
a failing or defect in somebody’s character

4.  fondness:
a strong liking for something • a
weakness for chocolate

5.  object
of desire:
an irresistible object of desire • My
weakness is action movies.

[1]



weaksister

weaksister
weak
sis·ter
[wk sístər] (plural weak sis·ters)
noun (offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a weak or unreliable member or component of a group

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody timid or cowardly

[1]



weak-willed

weak-willed
weak-willed
adjective

lacking strong will:
not having a strong will[1]



weal

weal2
weal2 [weel]
noun

1.  state
of well-being: a general state of well-being,
prosperity, and happiness (literary)

2.  prosperity:
fortune or prosperity (archaic)

3.  body
politic:
the state or the body politic (archaic)
[Old English wela .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to wish,” which is also the
ancestor of English will and well .][1]



weal

weal1
weal1 [weel]
(plural weals) noun

See
wheal[1]



weald

weald
weald 
[weeld] (plural wealds) noun

U.K.
area
of countryside: open or wooded country (archaic)
[Old English . Variant of wald
(see wold ).][1]



wealth

wealth
wealth 
[welth] noun

1.  large
amount of money: a large amount of money or possessions

2.  state
of having much money: the state of having plenty
of money or possessions • came
from a background of great wealth

3.  abundance
of something: an abundance or great quantity of
something • quoted
a wealth of statistics to prove the point

4.  ECONOMICS value
of assets:
the value of assets owned by an individual or a community • need
to determine the family’s wealth

5.  well-being:
well-being or prosperity (archaic)
[13th
century. Formed from weal 2 .]





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Wealth of Nations, a philosophical treatise
  by Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith ( 1776 ). One of the
  earliest and most comprehensive analyses of economic systems, it began as a
  study of the relationship between human nature and social evolution. Smith’s
  assertion that the natural outcome of this evolution is an economy based on
  open markets and driven by competition inspired many modern-day laissez-faire
  capitalist philosophies.

[1]



wealthy

wealthy
wealth·y 
[wélthee] (comparative wealth·i·er,
superlative wealth·i·est) adjective

1.  rich:
having a large amount of money or possessions

2.  characterized
by abundance: enjoying an abundance or great quantity
of something
—wealth·i·ly,
adverb

—wealth·i·ness, noun[1]



wean

wean
wean 
[ween] (past weaned, past
participle weaned, present participle wean·ing, 3rd
person present singular weans) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb give
food other than mother’s milk: to start feeding a
baby or young animal food other than its mother’s milk

2.  transitive
verb
stop
somebody from having something: to cause somebody to
go without something that has become a habit or that is much liked

3.  transitive
verb
accustom
somebody to something from childhood: to
accustom somebody to something from an early age • children
weaned on computer games and videos
[Old
English wenian “to accustom.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
base that is also the ancestor of German gewöhnen “to accustom” and
English wont “accustomed.”]
—wean·ed·ness [wnidniss, wndniss],
noun[1]



weaner

weaner
wean·er
[wnər] (plural wean·ers) noun

1.  weaned
animal:
a young animal that has recently been weaned, especially a hog

2.  means
of weaning an animal: somebody who weans animals,
or something used in weaning animals

[1]



weanling

weanling
wean·ling 
[wnling] noun (plural wean·lings)

recently
weaned child or animal: a child or young animal that
has just been weaned
adjective

just weaned:
newly weaned • a
weanling lamb[1]



weapon

weapon
weap·on 
[wéppən] noun (plural weap·ons)

1.  device
designed to injure or kill: a device designed to inflict
injury or death on an opponent

2.  something
used to gain advantage: something used as a way of
getting an advantage in a situation • A teacher’s
best weapon can be humor.

3.  ZOOLOGY animal’s
protective part: an animal part, for example, claws, used
for defense or attack
transitive
verb
(past weap·oned, past participle weap·oned, present
participle weap·on·ing, 3rd person present singular weap·ons)

arm somebody: to
provide somebody with weapons
[Old
English wpen . Ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.]
—weap·oned,
adjective

—weap·on·less, adjective[1]



weaponeer

weaponeer
weap·on·eer 
[wèppə nr] (plural weap·on·eers)
noun

1.  somebody
who helps detonate nuclear weapon: somebody who prepares
a nuclear weapon for detonation

2.  designer
of nuclear weapons: somebody who designs nuclear
weapons

[1]



weaponry

weaponry
weap·on·ry 
[wéppənree] noun

1.  weapons:
all the weapons possessed by an individual, group, or nation

2.  production
of weapons:
techniques for producing weapons

[1]



weaponssystem

weaponssystem
weap·ons
sys·tem 
(plural weap·ons sys·tems or weap·on sys·tems) noun

weapon with two or more
components: a weapon consisting of two
or more major components, for example, a missile and its ground-based radar
guidance[1]



wear

wear2
wear2  [wair]
(past wore [wawr], past
participle worn [wawrn], present
participle wear·ing, 3rd person present singular wears)
intransitive and transitive verb

bring
a ship about: to bring a ship about by turning the
stern to windward, or come about in this way
[Early 17th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wear

wear1
wear1  [wair]
verb (past wore [wawr],
past participle worn [wawrn], present
participle wear·ing, 3rd person present singular wears)

1.  transitive
verb
use
to cover or adorn body: to have something on all or
part of the body as clothing, jewelry, protection, or for another purpose, for
example, to aid sight or hearing, either temporarily or habitually

2.  transitive
verb
Malaysia, Singapore put on:
to put on a piece of clothing

3.  transitive
verb
display
on face:
to display, show, or present an expression or physical manifestation of an
emotion on the face • wear a
smile

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb damage
by using or rubbing: to damage or alter something
by using or rubbing it, or be damaged or altered in this way

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb produce
by using or rubbing: to produce something,
especially a hole, through continued use, pressure, or friction, or be produced
in this way • had
worn a hole in his sweater

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb rub
off:
to rub something off or away, or be rubbed off or away

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb tire
out:
to tire somebody out, or become exhausted

8.  intransitive
verb
last
in same condition: to last in the same, especially
good, condition with much use • That
fabric doesn’t look as if it would wear well.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb pass
slowly:
to pass time slowly, or be passed slowly • We
wore the evening away worrying about him.

10. transitive
verb
SHIPPING fly
flag:
to fly a particular flag or colors as a ship’s identification
noun

1.  act
of wearing:
the act of wearing something, or the condition of being worn

2.  damage
from being used: damage or deterioration from something
being used

3.  ability
to last:
the ability to last without deteriorating

4.  CLOTHES clothing
of particular kind: clothing, especially
clothing of a particular kind (often used in combination) • beachwear
[Old
English werian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is
also the ancestor of Icelandic varinn “clad.”]
—wear·er,
noun
the
worse for wear

1.  in
a poor condition because of much use

2.  looking
unwell, especially because of being tired

wear
thin

1.  to
weaken or fail • My patience is wearing
thin.

2.  to
become unacceptable or implausible because of excessive use • That
excuse is beginning to wear a little thin.

[1]



wearable

wearable
wear·a·ble 
[wáirəb’l] adjective

suitable
for wear:
suitable and in a condition to be worn
noun
(plural wear·a·bles)

wearable
item of clothing: an item of clothing that can be worn
—wear·a·bil·i·ty [wàirə bíllətee], noun[1]



wearand tear

wearand tear
wear
and tear 
[wàir ənd táir] noun

damage caused by usage:
damage caused by using something over a period of time[1]



weardown

weardown
wear
down
intransitive and transitive verb

overcome gradually:
to overcome or weaken somebody or something by a gradual process, or be
overcome or weakened in this way[1]



weariful

weariful
wea·ri·ful 
[wrif’l] adjective

1.  tedious
and annoying: tedious and causing annoyance or fatigue

2.  tired:
tired and weary
—wea·ri·ful·ly,
adverb

—wea·ri·ful·ness, noun[1]



weariless

weariless
wea·ri·less 
[wriliss] adjective

tireless:
not feeling or showing tiredness
—wea·ri·less·ly, adverb[1]



wearing

wearing
wear·ing
[wáiring] adjective

1.  tiring:
tiring or tedious • found the long journey
very wearing

2.  made
to be worn:
made or designed to be worn • wearing
apparel
—wear·ing·ly, adverb[1]



wearisome

wearisome
wea·ri·some 
[wrisəm] adjective

tiring:
physically or mentally tiring and tedious • a
wearisome task
—wea·ri·some·ly,
adverb

—wea·ri·some·ness, noun[1]



wearoff

wearoff
wear
off
intransitive verb

lose effectiveness gradually:
to lose effectiveness or strength gradually • Let
me know when the anesthetic wears off.[1]



wearout

wearout
wear
out
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
something heavily: to use something heavily or
for a long time until it is no longer useful, or to become useless through long
use

2.  transitive
verb
exhaust:
to tire somebody out

[1]



wearproof

wearproof
wear·proof
[wáir proof] adjective

able to take normal wear:
able to withstand normal wear or use[1]



weary

weary
wea·ry 
[wree] adjective (comparative
wea·ri·er, superlative wea·ri·est)

1.  tired:
tired, especially in having run out of strength, patience, or endurance

2.  tiring:
tiring or exhausting

3.  showing
tiredness:
showing or characterized by tiredness
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wea·ried,
past participle wea·ried, present participle wea·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular wea·ries)

become or make tired or impatient:
to become or cause somebody to become tired or impatient
[Old
English wērig . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that also
produced Old English wōrian “to wander.”]
—wea·ri·ly,
adverb

—wea·ri·ness,
noun

—wea·ry·ing,
adjective

—wea·ry·ing·ly, adverb[1]



weasand

weasand
wea·sand 
[wzənd] (plural wea·sands) noun

throat:
the throat, especially the windpipe or the gullet (archaic)
[Old English wāsend .
Ultimately from prehistoric West Germanic.][1]



weasel

weasel
wea·sel 
[wz’l] noun (plural wea·sels
or wea·sel)

1.  ZOOLOGY small
mammal with long body: a small carnivorous mammal
with a long body and tail, short legs, and brown fur that in northern species
may turn white in winter. Genus: Mustela

2.  somebody
sly:
somebody who is regarded as sly or underhanded (insult)

3.  TRANSPORT vehicle
used on sand or snow: a vehicle designed for use
on sand, snow, or ice
intransitive
verb
(past wea·seled or wea·selled, past participle
wea·seled or wea·selled, present participle wea·sel·ing
or wea·sel·ling, 3rd person present singular wea·sels)

be evasive: to be
evasive or try to mislead others
[Old
English wesule . Ultimately from prehistoric Germanic.]
—wea·sel·ly, adjective[1]



weaselout

weaselout
weasel
out
intransitive verb

get out of a commitment:
to try to get out of an obligation or commitment, especially in a cowardly way
(informal)[1]



weaselwords

weaselwords
wea·sel
words
plural noun

misleading
language:
deliberately misleading or ambiguous language (informal)
—wea·sel-word·ed, adjective[1]



weather

weather
weath·er 
[wéər] noun METEOROLOGY

1.  state
of the atmosphere: the state of the atmosphere
with regard to temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, wind, and other
meteorological conditions

2.  bad
weather:
adverse weather such as a storm, or the effects of this • protection
from the weather
adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY used
in weather forecasting: used in or relating to
weather forecasting

2.  NAUTICAL windward:
toward the wind
verb
(past weath·ered, past participle weath·ered, present
participle weath·er·ing, 3rd person present singular weath·ers)

1.  transitive
verb
come
safely through a crisis: to come safely through a
crisis or difficult time

2.  intransitive
verb
endure
the effects of the weather: to endure the damaging
effects of the weather

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb expose
something to the weather: to expose something to the
weather, or be exposed to it

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
because of exposure to weather: to change color or
become worn because of prolonged exposure to the weather, or cause such a
change

5.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL sail
windward of something: to sail on the windward side
of something

6.  transitive
verb
CONSTRUCTION slant
something to keep off rain: to give a slope to something
such as a roof to keep off rain
[Old
English weder . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to blow,”
which is also the ancestor of English wind
and vent .]
—weath·er·a·bil·i·ty
[wèərə bíllətee], noun

—weath·er·er
[wéərər], noun
be
or feel under the weather

to
be or feel slightly unwell

make
heavy weather of something

to make a task that is quite
easy to do seem more difficult than it is[1]



weatherballoon

weatherballoon
weath·er
bal·loon
(plural weath·er bal·loons) noun

balloon carrying
meteorological instruments: a balloon
used to carry meteorological instruments[1]



weather-beaten

weather-beaten
weath·er-beat·en 
adjective

worn by exposure to the
weather: damaged, worn, or marked by
exposure to the weather • a
weather-beaten face[1]



weatherboard

weatherboard
weath·er·board 
[wéər bàwrd] (plural weath·er·boards)
noun

1.  CONSTRUCTION See clapboard

2.  NAUTICAL windward
side:
the windward side of a ship

3.  Australia,
New Zealand
ARCHITECTURE See weatherboard house

[1]



weatherboardhouse

weatherboardhouse
weath·er·board
house
noun

Australia, New Zealand
clapboard house:
a house clad with clapboards.
Also called
weatherboard[1]



weatherboarding

weatherboarding
weath·er·board·ing 
[wéər bàwrding] noun

clapboards:
clapboards collectively.
Also called
siding[1]



weather-bound

weather-bound
weath·er-bound 
[wéər bòwnd] adjective

delayed by bad weather:
delayed or kept from functioning by bad weather • a
weather-bound plane[1]



weathercast

weathercast
weath·er·cast 
[wéər kàst] (plural weath·er·casts)
noun

See
weather forecast
[Mid-19th
century. Contraction of weather forecast .]
—weath·er·cast·er, noun[1]



weathercock

weathercock
weath·er·cock 
[wéər kàwk] noun (plural weath·er·cocks)

1.  weather
vane:
a weather vane shaped like a rooster

2.  somebody
fickle:
somebody who changes opinion or allegiance frequently
intransitive
verb
(past weath·er·cocked, past participle weath·er·cocked,
present participle weath·er·cock·ing, 3rd person present
singular weath·er·cocks)

AIR turn
in the direction of the wind: to tend to turn in the
direction of the wind (refers to aircraft)

[1]



weatherdeck

weatherdeck
weath·er
deck
(plural weath·er decks) noun

open deck:
an open deck on a ship[1]



weathered

weathered
weath·ered 
[wéərd] adjective

1.  worn
by exposure to weather: worn, damaged, or seasoned
by exposure to the weather

2.  given
a weathered appearance: given an artificial
appearance of having been exposed to weather

3.  GEOLOGY eroded
by weather:
used to describe rocks that have been eroded or changed by the action of the
weather

4.  CONSTRUCTION with
a sloping surface: having a sloping surface so
that rain can run off • a
weathered roof

[1]



weathereye

weathereye
weath·er
eye
noun

1.  alertness
to change:
alertness or watchfulness, especially an alertness to change (informal)

2.  eye
trained to watch the weather: the eye of somebody trained
to watch for changes in the weather
keep
a weather eye open

or
keep a weather eye on or keep a weather eye outto be alert
and watchful for any change or development in something[1]



weatherforecast

weatherforecast
weath·er
fore·cast
(plural weath·er fore·casts) noun

broadcast
about weather: a radio or television broadcast
announcing weather conditions.
Also
called
weathercast
—weath·er fore·cast·er,
noun[1]



weatherglass

weatherglass
weath·er·glass 
[wéər glàss] (plural weath·er·glass·es)
noun

instrument showing changes in
atmospheric conditions: an
instrument such as a barometer used to indicate changes in atmospheric
conditions[1]



weathering

weathering
weath·er·ing 
[wéəring] noun GEOLOGY

1.  effect
of the weather: the effect of prolonged exposure to the
weather on, for example, a building

2.  effect
of weather on rocks: the disintegration and
decomposition of rocks and minerals by natural processes such as the action of
frost or percolating groundwater. Weathering makes rock susceptible to erosion.

[1]



weatherize

weatherize
weath·er·ize 
[wéə rz] (past weath·er·ized,
past participle weath·er·ized, present participle weath·er·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular weath·er·iz·es) transitive verb

protect against cold weather:
to take action to protect something such as a building against cold weather[1]



weatherly

weatherly
weath·er·ly 
[wéərlee] adjective

able to sail close to the
wind: capable of sailing close to
the wind[1]



weatherman

weatherman
weath·er·man
[wéər màn] (plural weath·er·men
[wéər mèn]) noun

man weather forecaster:
a man who works as a weather forecaster (dated)[1]



weathermap

weathermap
weath·er
map
(plural weath·er maps) noun

map showing meteorological
conditions: a map or chart showing the
meteorological conditions over a large area[1]



weatherperson

weatherperson
weath·er·per·son
[wèər púrss’n] (plural weath·er·per·sons)
noun

weather forecaster:
somebody who works as a weather forecaster[1]



weatherproof

weatherproof
weath·er·proof 
[wéər prf] adjective

able
to withstand bad weather: able to withstand exposure
to rain or bad weather
transitive
verb
(past weath·er·proofed, past participle weath·er·proofed,
present participle weath·er·proof·ing, 3rd person present
singular weath·er·proofs)

make
weatherproof: to make something able to withstand
exposure to rain or bad weather
—weath·er·proof·ness, noun[1]



weathersatellite

weathersatellite
weath·er
sat·el·lite
(plural weath·er sat·el·lites) noun

satellite used in weather
forecasting: a satellite that
records cloud distribution and temperature to help in predicting weather
patterns[1]



weathership

weathership
weath·er
ship
(plural weath·er ships) noun

ship collecting
meteorological data: a ship that
collects meteorological information[1]



weatherstation

weatherstation
weath·er
sta·tion
(plural weath·er sta·tions) noun

meteorological observation
post: an observation post where
meteorological conditions are observed and recorded[1]



weatherstrip

weatherstrip
weath·er·strip
[wéər strìp] (past weath·er·stripped,
past participle weath·er·stripped, present participle weath·er·strip·ping,
3rd person present singular weath·er·strips) transitive verb

put weather stripping on
something: to put weather stripping
around a door or window[1]



weatherstrip

weatherstrip
weath·er
strip
(plural weath·er strips) noun

U.K.
See weather stripping[1]



weatherstripping

weatherstripping
weath·er
strip·ping 
noun

protective material around a
door: a thin piece of material
fitted around a door or window to stop wind, rain, and cold from coming
through.
U.K. term
weather strip[1]



weathervane

weathervane
weath·er
vane
(plural weath·er vanes) noun

device showing the direction
of the wind: a device, usually
mounted on a roof, that turns to point in the direction the wind is blowing[1]



weatherwindow

weatherwindow
weath·er
win·dow
(plural weath·er win·dows) noun

time of favorable weather for
something: a period of time in which
weather conditions are suitable for a particular activity[1]



weather-wise

weather-wise
weath·er-wise 
adjective

1.  METEOROLOGY good
at predicting the weather: good at predicting what the
weather will be

2.  good
at predicting public opinion: good at predicting what
public opinion will be

[1]



weatherworn

weatherworn
weath·er·worn 
[wéər wàwrn] adjective

worn by exposure to weather:
worn or damaged by exposure to the weather[1]



weave

weave1
weave1  [weev]
verb (past wove [wōv] or
weaved, past participle wo·ven [wṓvən]
or weaved, present participle weav·ing, 3rd
person present singular weaves)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
cloth:
to make cloth by interlacing threads vertically and horizontally, especially on
a loom

2.  transitive
verb
make
something by interlacing strands: to make something by
interlacing strands or strips of any material

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb spin a
web:
to spin something such as a spider’s web

4.  transitive
verb
construct
a story:
to construct something such as a story by combining separate elements

5.  transitive
verb
introduce
elements into something larger: to introduce separate
elements into something larger • weaving
new elements into the plot
noun
(plural weaves)

way in which something is woven:
the way in which something is woven and the pattern formed by it • a
fabric with an open weave
[Old English wefan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of German
weven .][1]



weave

weave2
weave2  [weev]
(past weaved, past participle weaved, present
participle weav·ing, 3rd person present singular weaves)
intransitive verb

move
from side to side: to move forward on a zigzag
course
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse veifa . Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to move quickly” that is also the ancestor of
English whip and vibrate .][1]



weaver

weaver
weav·er 
[wvər] (plural weav·ers) noun

somebody who weaves:
somebody who weaves, especially as a livelihood[1]



weaverbird

weaverbird
weav·er·bird 
[wvər bùrd] (plural weav·er·birds)
or weaver [wvər] (plural
weavers) or weaver finch [wvər]
(plural weaver finches) noun

gregarious finch of Africa
and Asia: a gregarious finch of Africa
and Asia, known for its communal woven nest. Family: Ploceidae[1]



Web

Web
Web
[web] noun

World Wide Web:
the World Wide Web (informal)[1]



web

web
web 
[web] noun (plural webs)

1.  ZOOLOGY spider’s
construction: a delicate structure of threads woven by
a spider or other arachnid to catch prey

2.  complex
network:
a complex structure, network, or design • a
web of interconnecting wires • a
web of deceit

3.  ZOOLOGY membrane
between animal toes: a membrane of skin joining
the digits of an animal’s foot, especially the foot of a bird or amphibian

4.  CRAFT woven
fabric:
a piece of fabric created by weaving

5.  TECHNOLOGY thin
metal plate: a thin plate or strip of metal such as
the blade of a saw

6.  BIRDS barbs
on the shaft of a feather: the barbs on either side of
the shaft of a feather

7.  ARCHITECTURE ribbed
surface in a vault: a ribbed surface within a
vaulted structure

8.  PRINTING printing
paper:
a roll of paper that is used on a rotary printing press
intransitive
verb
(past webbed, past participle webbed, present
participle web·bing, 3rd person present singular webs)

form a web: to
form or produce a web
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to weave” that is also the ancestor of
English weave and weft .][1]



webbed

webbed
webbed 
[webd] adjective

joined
by a skin membrane: joined by a membrane or
membranes of skin • webbed feet
[Mid-17th century][1]



webbing

webbing
web·bing 
[wébbing] noun

1.  TEXTILES strong
coarse fabric: strong coarse fabric used in belts and
harnesses and for supporting upholstery

2.  ZOOLOGY skin
of the foot: the membrane of skin joining the digits
of an animal’s foot, especially the foot of a bird or amphibian

3.  something
forming a web: something that forms a web

[1]



Webbrowser

Webbrowser
Web
brows·er
(plural Web brows·ers) or web brows·er noun

Web program:
a program used for displaying and viewing pages on the World Wide Web[1]



Webcam

Webcam
Web·cam
[wéb kàm] (plural Web·cams) or
web·cam [wéb kàm] (plural  web·cams)
noun

video
camera linked to the Internet: a video camera
recording pictures that are broadcast live on the Internet
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + camera
.][1]



Webcast

Webcast
Web·cast
[wéb kàst] (plural Web·casts) or
web·cast [wéb kàst] (plural web·casts)
noun

broadcasts
on the Web:
a broadcast made on the World Wide Web “…they spent $5 million promoting the
live Webcast of their Spring Fashion Show …” The New York Times April 1999
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + broadcast
.][1]



Webcasting

Webcasting
Web·cast·ing
[wéb kàsting] or web·cast·ing
[wéb kàsting] noun

broadcasting
on Web:
the use of the World Wide Web as a medium to broadcast information
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + broadcasting
.][1]



Webcrawler

Webcrawler
Web
crawl·er
(plural web crawl·ers) or web crawl·er noun

search program:
a program used to search through pages on the World Wide Web in order to locate
documents containing a particular set of words, a phrase, or a topic[1]



weber

weber
web·er 
[wébbər, váybər]
(plural web·ers) noun

unit
of magnetic flux: the SI unit of magnetic flux, equal to 1
joule per ampere or 1 volt-second. Symbol Wb
[Late 19th century. Named for
Wilhelm Eduard Weber (1804–1891), a German physicist known for his work
on magnetism.][1]



Weber,Carl Maria von

Weber,Carl Maria von
We·ber 
[váybər], Carl Maria von (1786–1826)

German composer. His
orchestral works and operas are important in the growth of early romanticism.[1]



Weber,Max

Weber,Max

Web·er 
[wébbər], Max (1881–1961)
Russian-born U.S. artist. His vivid
pictures combine cubist, expressionist, and fauvist styles.[1]



webfoot

webfoot
web·foot 
[wéb ft] (plural web·feet [wéb ft]) noun ZOOLOGY

1.  foot
with toes joined by webbing: a foot that has the toes
joined by a membrane of skin

2.  animal
with webbed feet: an animal with webbed feet
—web-foot·ed, adjective[1]



Webhead

Webhead
Web·head
[wéb hèd] (plural Web·heads) or
web·head [wéb hèd] (plural web·heads)
noun

devoted
user of the Web: a frequent user of the World Wide Web (slang)
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + head
.][1]



Webisode

Webisode
Web·i·sode
[wébbi sd] (plural Web·i·sode)
or web·i·sode [wébbi sd] (plural
web·i·sode) noun

episode
or preview on the Web: an episode, preview, or
promotion of a movie, television program, or music video on a World Wide Web
site (slang)
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + episode
.][1]



Webliography

Webliography
Web·li·og·ra·phy
[wèbblee óggrəfee] (plural Web·li·og·ra·phy)
or web·li·og·ra·phy [wèbblee óggrəfee]
(plural web·li·og·ra·phy) noun

a
list of particular documents available on the Web
[Late 20th century. Blend of World Wide Web + bibliography
.][1]



Webmaster

Webmaster
Web·mas·ter 
[wéb mastər] (plural Web·mas·ters)
or web·mas·ter [wéb mastər] (plural
web·mas·ters) noun

creator or maintainer of Web
site: somebody who creates,
organizes, or updates the information content of a World Wide Web site[1]



webmember

webmember
web
mem·ber
(plural web mem·bers) noun

part of lattice girder:
a brace that links the top and bottom flanges of a lattice girder or truss[1]



weboffset

weboffset
web
off·set
noun

offset printing on web press:
offset printing carried out on a web press[1]



Webpage

Webpage
Web
page
(plural Web pag·es) or web page noun

location on the World Wide
Web: a computer file, encoded in
hypertext markup language HTML and containing text, graphics files, and sound
files, that is accessible through the World Wide Web. Every Web page has a
unique Uniform Resource Locator URL, or address.[1]



webpress

webpress
web
press
(plural web press·es) noun

press
that prints from a paper roll: a printing press that
is fed paper from a large roll
[Late 19C. See web .][1]



Webring

Webring
Web
ring
(plural Web rings) or web ring (plural web
rings) noun

series of interlinked Web
sites: a series of interlinked
World Wide Web sites that are visited in sequential order, eventually returning
to the original site[1]



Webserver

Webserver
Web
serv·er 
(plural Web serv·ers) or web serv·er noun

program providing Web pages:
a program such as a Web browser that serves up Web pages when requested by a
client[1]



Website

Website
Web
site 
[wéb st] (plural Web sites) or
web·site [wéb st] (unmarked
inflection web·sites) noun

a group of related Web pages.
Approximately 85 percent of all Web sites are in English.
Also called
site[1]



webspinner

webspinner
web
spin·ner
(plural web spin·ners) noun

insect that builds web:
an insect that spins a web, especially one with glands that produce a kind of
silk used to construct a web. Order: Embioptera[1]



Webster

Webster
Web·ster 
[wébstər]

town in southern
Massachusetts, north of the Connecticut border and south of Worcester.
Population: 16,089 (1996)[1]



webster

webster
web·ster 
[wébstər] (plural web·sters) noun

weaver:
a weaver (archaic)
[Old English webbestre][1]



Webster,John

Webster,John
Web·ster 
[wébstər], John (1580?–1623?)

English playwright. His plays
The White Devil ( 1612 ) and The Duchess of Malfi ( 1614? ) are
outstanding examples of the revenge tragedies of their time.[1]



Webster,Noah

Webster,Noah

Web·ster 
[wébstər], Noah (1758–1843)
U.S. lexicographer. He is known for
institutionalizing the differences between American and English grammar,
pronunciation, and spelling in his American Dictionary of the English
Language (1828).[1]



web-toed

web-toed
web-toed 
adjective

with a skin membrane joining
the toes: having a membrane of skin
tissue between the toes[1]



webworm

webworm
web·worm 
[wéb wùrm] (plural web·worms or
web·worm) noun

caterpillar:
a caterpillar, especially a tiger moth caterpillar, that spins a web in which
it feeds or rests[1]



WechslerAdult Intelligence Scale-Revised

WechslerAdult Intelligence Scale-Revised
Wechs·ler
A·dult In·tel·li·gence Scale-Re·vised [wèkslər ád ult in téllijənss skàyl rivzd] noun

IQ
test for adults: an individually administered IQ test for
adults developed by the psychologist David Wechsler. It incorporates subtests
of both verbal and performance abilities.
[Late 20th century][1]



WechslerIntelligence Scale for Children

WechslerIntelligence Scale for Children
Wech·sler
In·tel·li·gence Scale for Chil·dren noun

IQ
test for children: an individually administered
IQ test for children, developed by the psychologist David Wechsler and
measuring a wide variety of abilities
[Mid-20th century][1]



wed

wed
wed 
[wed] (past wed·ded or wed,
past participle wed·ded or wed, present
participle wed·ding, 3rd person present singular weds)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
marry:
to marry somebody (formal or literary)

2.  intransitive
verb
get
married:
to become married to somebody

3.  transitive
verb
join
a couple in marriage: to join two people in
marriage

4.  transitive
verb
unite
things:
to bring two things together or regard them as linked • The
two concepts had become wedded in his mind.
[Old English weddian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “pledge” that is also the
ancestor of English engage and wager .][1]



Wed.

Wed.
Wed.

Abbreviation of
Wednesday[1]



wedded

wedded
wed·ded 
[wéddəd] adjective

1.  married:
united in marriage

2.  of
marriage:
relating to marriage • wedded
bliss

3.  committed
to something: strongly attached or committed to
something • wedded
to the idea of reform
[Old English][1]



WeddellSea

WeddellSea
Wed·dell
Sea 
[wédd’l s, wə
dél s]

arm of the South Atlantic
Ocean, south of Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands[1]



wedder

wedder
wed·der
[wéddər] noun

See
wether[1]



wedding

wedding
wed·ding 
[wédding] (plural wed·dings) noun

1.  marriage
ceremony:
a marriage ceremony, or the act of marrying (often used before a noun) • a
wedding veil

2.  wedding
anniversary: the anniversary of a marriage (used
in combination) • a
silver wedding

3.  uniting
of two things: the bringing together of two things • the
wedding of form and function
[Old English weddung][1]



weddingband

weddingband
wed·ding
band
(plural wed·ding bands) noun

See
wedding ring[1]



weddingcake

weddingcake
wed·ding
cake
(plural wed·ding cakes) noun

cake served at a wedding:
a cake decorated with icing, usually white, and arranged in tiers, served at a
wedding reception[1]



wedding-cake

wedding-cake
wed·ding-cake 
adjective

involving extremely ornate
architecture: characterized by an
extremely ornate style of architecture[1]



weddingdress

weddingdress
wed·ding
dress
(plural wed·ding dress·es) noun

dress worn by a bride:
a dress worn by a bride at her wedding[1]



weddingmarch

weddingmarch
wed·ding
march
(plural wed·ding march·es) noun

piece of music played at a
wedding: a piece of music in march
time played during a marriage ceremony, usually when the bride enters[1]



weddingring

weddingring
wed·ding
ring
(plural wed·ding rings) noun

ring signifying married
state: a ring, usually a gold band,
worn on the third finger of the left hand by somebody who is married.
Also called
wedding band[1]



wedge

wedge
wedge 
[wej] noun (plural wedg·es)

1.  tapering
block:
a solid block that is thick at one end and thin at the other, used to secure or
separate two objects

2.  wedge
-shaped object: an object that has a wedge shape • a
wedge of cake

3.  something
that acts as a wedge: something that acts as a
wedge, for example, by causing division • drove
a wedge between the two families

4.  CLOTHES See wedge heel

5.  GOLF golf
club:
a golf club with a markedly slanted head, used to hit the ball along a high
arcing trajectory

6.  stroke
in cuneiform writing: a wedge -shaped stroke used
in cuneiform writing
verb
(past wedged, past participle wedged, present
participle wedg·ing, 3rd person present singular wedg·es)

1.  transitive
verb
force
apart with a wedge: to force something apart or
open with a wedge

2.  transitive
verb
secure
with a wedge: to secure or tighten something with a
wedge

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb squeeze:
to squeeze or pack something into a small space, or to be squeezed or packed in
this way • Hundreds
of people were wedged into the room.
[Old
English wecg . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base, which
probably came from an Indo-European word meaning “plowshare, wedge” that is
also the probable ancestor of English vomer
.]
—wedg·y, adjective[1]



wedgeheel

wedgeheel
wedge
heel
(plural wedge heels) noun

1.  shoe
heel:
a shoe heel shaped like a wedge, forming a solid extension of the sole so that
there is no gap under the instep.
Also
called
wedge

2.  shoe:
a shoe with a wedge heel.
Also
called
wedge
Also
called
wedgie

[1]



wedgie

wedgie
wedg·ie 
[wéjjee] (plural wedg·ies) noun

See
wedge heel[1]



Wedgwoodblue

Wedgwoodblue
Wedg·wood
blue
adjective

pale
gray blue:
pale gray blue in color
[Early
20th century. Named for Josiah Wedgwood .]
—Wedg·wood blue, noun[1]



Wedgwood,Josiah

Wedgwood,Josiah
Wedg·wood 
[wéj wd], Josiah (1730–1795)

British potter. He developed
a distinctive pottery inspired by ancient Greek ware, and established a highly
successful pottery business.[1]



wedgy

wedgy
wedg·y
[wéjjee] (plural wedg·ies) noun

discomfort caused by briefs:
an uncomfortable intrusion of clothing, usually briefs, up into the crack
between the buttocks (informal) • his
new underpants gave him a wedgy[1]



wedlock

wedlock
wed·lock 
[wéd lòk] noun

married
state:
the state of being married
[12th
century. By folk etymology from earlier wedlac, literally “action of
pledging,” from wed “pledge,” by association with lock .]
born
out of wedlock

or
conceived out of wedlockborn to or or conceived by parents who
are not married (dated)[1]



Wednesday

Wednesday
Wednes·day 
[wénz dày, wénzdee]
(plural Wednes·days) noun

3rd
day of the week: the third day of the week, coming after
Tuesday and before Thursday
[Old English wōdnesdæg,
literally “Odin’s day,” from Woden “Odin” (chief deity of the Germanic
peoples) + dæg “day,” a translation of Latin Mercurii dies
“Mercury’s day”][1]



Wednesdays

Wednesdays
Wednes·days
[wénz dàyz, wénzdeez]
adverb

every Wednesday:
every Wednesday • Wednesdays
I leave a little early.[1]



wee

wee
wee 
[wee] adjective

tiny:
very small
noun

Scotland
short
time:
a brief period of time • bide a
wee
[Old English wēg
“weight.” The modern meaning evolved via its use in phrases such as little wee
“small weight.”][1]



weed

weed1
weed1 [weed]
noun (plural weeds)

1.  unwanted
plant:
a plant, especially a wild plant, growing where it is not wanted

2.  unwanted
plants:
weeds in general (often used before a noun) • weed
control

3.  plant
growing in water: a plant that grows in water, especially
seaweed

4.  marijuana:
marijuana for smoking as a drug (slang)

5.  tobacco:
tobacco or cigarettes (slang)

6.  inferior
animal:
an inferior animal, especially a horse that cannot be bred
verb
(past weed·ed, past participle weed·ed, present
participle weed·ing, 3rd person present singular weeds)

1.  transitive
verb
remove
weeds from the ground: to clear an area of weeds • to
weed the garden

2.  intransitive
verb
pull
up weeds:
to pull up and remove weeds • spent several
hours weeding
[Old
English wēod . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic plant name.]
—weed·er, noun[1]



weed

weed2
weed2 [weed]
noun (plural weeds)

something worn as a sign of mourning:
something worn as a sign of mourning, especially a black band around a sleeve
or hat
plural
noun
weeds

1.  widow’s
clothes:
the black clothes once traditionally worn by widows (archaic or literary)

2.  clothes:
clothes in general (archaic)
[Old English wd .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “garment.”][1]



weedkiller

weedkiller
weed·kill·er
[wd kìllər] (plural weed·kill·ers)
noun

chemical used to destroy
weeds: a chemical that kills plants
by attacking the root, leaf, or vascular system[1]



weedout

weedout
weed
out
transitive verb

separate out undesirable
elements: to separate out or remove
somebody or something undesirable or unwanted • a
test to weed out unsuitable candidates[1]



weedy

weedy
weed·y 
[wdee] (comparative weed·i·er,
superlative weed·i·est) adjective

1.  full
of weeds:
filled with or containing many weeds • a
weedy patch of ground

2.  BOTANY like a
weed:
resembling or having the characteristics of a weed • weedy
plants

3.  thin:
strikingly thin and weak-looking (insult)
—weed·i·ly,
adverb

—weed·i·ness, noun[1]



weehours

weehours
wee
hours
plural noun

See
wee small hours[1]



week

week
week 
[week] noun (plural weeks)

1.  7-day
period:
a period of seven consecutive days

2.  calendar
week:
a period of seven days beginning from a particular day, usually Sunday • the
middle of the week

3.  working
week:
the days of the week on which somebody works, or the time that is spent working
• goes
to bed early during the week

4.  special
week:
a week containing a particular holiday, or dedicated to a particular cause • Easter
week
adverb

U.K. one
week after a particular day: one week after or before a
particular day • arranged to meet on
Thursday week
[Old English wice .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “series, succession,” which
is also the ancestor of German Woche .][1]



weekday

weekday
week·day 
[wk dày] (plural week·days) noun

day
other than Saturday or Sunday: a day of the week
other than Saturday or Sunday • only
open on weekdays
[Old English wicdæg][1]



weekend

weekend
week·end 
[wk ènd] noun (plural week·ends)

from
Friday evening to Sunday evening: the end of the week,
from Friday evening, or sometimes Saturday morning, until Sunday evening
intransitive
verb
(past week·end·ed, past participle week·end·ed, present
participle week·end·ing, 3rd person present singular week·ends)

spend the weekend somewhere:
to spend a weekend or weekends in a particular place[1]



weekendbag

weekendbag
week·end
bag
(plural week·end bags) noun

bag or small suitcase:
a bag or small suitcase used to carry clothes and other items needed for a
short trip or vacation.
Also called
weekender[1]



weekender

weekender
week·end·er 
[wk èndər] (plural week·end·ers)
noun

1.  somebody
spending a weekend somewhere: somebody spending a weekend
somewhere, especially on a regular basis

2.  See
weekend bag

3.  Australia
vacation
home:
a vacation house (informal)

[1]



weekends

weekends
week·ends
[wk èndz] adverb

on a weekend:
on or during the weekend (informal)[1]



weeklong

weeklong
week·long 
[wk làwng] adjective

lasting a week:
lasting for a whole week[1]



weekly

weekly
week·ly 
[wklee] adjective

1.  happening
once a week: happening, produced, or done once a week
or every week

2.  calculated
by the week: worked out by the week • weekly
pay
adverb

1.  once
a week:
once each week • does the shopping
weekly

2.  every
week:
every single week

3.  by
the week:
by the week • gets
paid weekly
noun
(plural week·lies)

something published once a week:
a newspaper or magazine published once a week

[1]



weeknight

weeknight
week·night 
[wk nt] (plural week·nights)
noun

evening of a weekday:
the evening or night of a weekday • I’m
not letting you go out on a weeknight.[1]



Weems,Parson

Weems,Parson
Weems
[weemz], Parson (1759–1825)

U.S.
clergyman and writer. His fictionalized biography of George Washington ( 1800 )
was a bestseller for decades.
Full name
Weems, Mason Locke[1]



ween

ween
ween 
[ween] (past weened, past
participle weened, present participle ween·ing, 3rd
person present singular weens) transitive verb

suppose
something:
to think, believe, or suppose something (archaic)
[Old English wēnan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to desire” that is also the
ancestor of English wish and venereal .][1]



weenie

weenie
ween·ie 
[wnee] (plural ween·ies) noun

1.  (informal)
See wiener

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody regarded as weak or insignificant (slang
insult)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a penis (slang offensive)

[1]



weensy

weensy
ween·sy
adjective

(informal) See weeny[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








weeny

weeny
wee·ny 
[wnee] (comparative wee·ni·er,
superlative wee·ni·est) or ween·sy [weénzee] (comparative ween·si·er, superlative
ween·si·est) adjective

tiny:
very small (informal)
[Late 18th century. Formed
from wee on the model of tiny .][1]



weeny-bopper

weeny-bopper
wee·ny-bop·per
[wnee bòpər] (plural wee·ny-bop·pers)
noun

young pop fan:
a child, especially a young girl, who is fond of pop music and the latest
fashions (informal)
See also
teenybopper[1]



weep

weep
weep 
[weep] verb (past wept,
past participle wept [wept], present
participle weep·ing, 3rd person present singular weeps)

1.  intransitive
verb
cry:
to shed tears • They walked behind the
coffin, weeping silently.

2.  transitive
verb
express
something while crying tears: to express something while
crying or by crying tears

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb mourn
somebody:
to lament or cry tears for somebody or something (literary)

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb leak
fluid:
to leak, drip, or ooze drops of liquid • The
eye was inflamed and weeping
noun

spell of crying:
a period of time spent crying
[Old English wēpan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word of uncertain origin: perhaps an
imitation of the sound of weeping.][1]



weeper

weeper
weep·er 
[wpər] noun

1.  somebody
who weeps:
somebody who weeps, especially somebody hired to weep at a funeral

2.  something
worn as a sign of mourning: something that is worn as a
sign of mourning such as a black armband or a veil

3.  BUILDING hole
for water to escape: a hole in a wall or
foundation that allows accumulated water to escape

4.  CINEMA LITERATURE (informal) See weepie
plural
noun
weep·ers

sideburns: long
sideburns (informal)

[1]



weepie

weepie
weep·ie 
[wpee] (plural weep·ies [wpee]) or weep·er [wpər] (plural weep·ers) noun

sentimental movie, play, or
book: a movie, play, or book that
tends to move people to tears, especially one that is blatantly sentimental in
tone (informal)[1]



weeping

weeping
weep·ing 
[wping] adjective

1.  BOTANY with
drooping branches: having slender drooping
branches • a
weeping birch

2.  crying:
shedding tears

3.  leaking
fluid:
leaking, dripping, or oozing drops of liquid
[Old
English wepende]
—weep·ing·ly, adverb[1]



weepingfig

weepingfig
weep·ing
fig
(plural weep·ing figs) noun

small tree of the mulberry
family: a small tree of the mulberry
family that has glossy leaves and is often grown as a houseplant. Latin name: Ficus
benjamina[1]



weepingwillow

weepingwillow

weep·ing wil·low
(plural weep·ing wil·lows) noun
willow tree with drooping branches:
an ornamental willow tree, originally from China with long drooping branches
and narrow leaves. Latin name: Salix babylonica[1]



weepy

weepy
weep·y 
[wpee] (comparative weep·i·er,
superlative weep·i·est) adjective

1.  tearful:
inclined to weep (informal)

2.  moving
people to tears: tending to make people cry
—weep·i·ly,
adverb

—weep·i·ness, noun[1]



weesmall hours

weesmall hours
wee
small hours
plural noun

hours just after midnight:
the early hours of the morning, especially those just after midnight.
Also called
wee hours[1]



weever

weever
wee·ver 
[wvər] (plural wee·vers) or
wee·ver·fish [wvər fìsh] (plural
wee·ver·fish·es or wee·ver·fish) noun

small
marine fish: a small marine fish with a single long
spine on each gill cover and several on its back. Family: Trachinidae
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Old North French wivre (see wyvern ).][1]



weevil

weevil

wee·vil 
[wv’l] (plural wee·vils) noun

1.  destructive
beetle with a snout: a beetle with a long head
that forms a snout or rostrum. Many are pests, destroying plants and grain.
Family: Curculionidae
Also
called
snout beetle

2.  pea
or bean pest: a beetle whose larvae live in the seeds
of peas and beans. Family: Bruchidae Lariidae

3.  beetle
like a weevil: any beetle similar to a weevil including
many that are pests. Family: Rhynchophora
[Old
English wifel “beetle.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to move quickly” that is also the ancestor of English weave 2 and whip .]
—wee·vi·ly, adjective[1]



wee-wee

wee-wee
wee-wee
noun (plural wee-wees) (informal babytalk)

1.  act
of urinating: an act or instance of urinating

2.  urine:
urine (offensive in some contexts)
intransitive
verb
(past wee-weed, past participle wee-weed, present
participle wee-wee·ing, 3rd person present singular wee-wees)

urinate: to
urinate (babytalk) (offensive in some contexts)
[Repetition of wee][1]



weft

weft

weft 
[weft] (plural wefts) noun

1.  horizontal
threads:
the horizontal threads of a woven fabric or a tapestry.
See
also
warp  noun 3

2.  yarn
for the weft: yarn used for the weft

3.  something
woven:
an article or piece of woven fabric
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to weave” that is also the ancestor of
English weave and web .][1]



Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht
Wehr·macht 
[váir mkt, váir
mkht] noun

German
army:
the German armed forces, especially the army between 1935 and 1945
[Mid-20th century. From
German, literally “defense force.”][1]



weigela

weigela
wei·ge·la 
[wī jlə, wī glə,
wjələ, wgələ]
(plural wei·ge·las) noun

Asian
shrub with bell-shaped flowers: a shrub native to Asia
with bell-shaped pink, white, or red flowers. Genus: Weigela
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin Weigela, the name of the genus, named for Christian E. Weigel
(1748–1831), German physician.][1]



weigh

weigh1
weigh1 [way]
(past weighed, past participle weighed, present
participle weigh·ing, 3rd person present singular weighs)
verb

1.  transitive
verb
find
the weight of something: to find out the weight of
somebody or something • He
weighed himself regularly.

2.  intransitive
verb
be
a particular weight: to be of a particular weight

3.  transitive
verb
measure
by weight:
to measure or distribute something by weight • weighed
out two pounds of onions

4.  transitive
verb
evaluate:
to consider or evaluate something, especially so as to be able to come to a
decision or choice • had to weigh all
possible options

5.  intransitive
verb
have
importance:
to have importance or be influential

6.  transitive
verb
guess
the weight of: to hold something in the hand in order
to assess its weight

7.  intransitive
verb
be
burdensome:
to be burdensome, oppressive, or worrying to somebody • The
problem weighed heavily on my mind.

8.  intransitive
and transitive verb SHIPPING raise anchor:
to raise the anchor of a vessel
[Old
English wegan “to weigh, carry.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to carry” that is also the ancestor of English wagon .]
—weigh·a·ble,
adjective

—weigh·er, noun[1]



weigh

weigh2
weigh2 [way][Late
18th century. By folk etymology from way by
association with weigh 1 in weigh anchor .]
under
weigh

while a ship is in motion,
not in port or at anchor[1]



weighdown

weighdown
weigh
down
transitive verb

1.  oppress
somebody:
to be oppressive or burdensome to somebody • weighed
down by grief • weighed
down with extra paperwork

2.  press
something down: to press somebody or something down by
exerting weight • trees weighed down with
fruit

[1]



weigh-in

weigh-in
weigh-in
(plural weigh-ins) noun

weighing of a competitor:
the weighing of a competitor before or after a race or contest[1]



weighin

weighin
weigh
in
intransitive verb

1.  SPORTS be
weighed for a race or contest: to be weighed before
or after a race or contest such as a boxing match or horserace

2.  have
baggage weighed: to have baggage weighed before a flight

3.  contribute
a comment:
to contribute or produce something such as an argument or comment, especially
in an assertive way (informal)

[1]



weight

weight
weight 
[wayt] noun (plural weights)

1.  heaviness:
the heaviness of somebody or something • Just
feel the weight of it!

2.  measure
of somebody’s heaviness: the specific amount that a
person or animal weighs • I had
lost 10 pounds in weight.

3.  system
for measuring heaviness: a system of standard
measures of weight

4.  PHYSICS force
caused by gravity: the vertical force
experienced by a mass because of gravity. Symbol W

5.  MEASUREMENTS unit
of weight:
a unit used as a measure of weight

6.  heavy
object:
a heavy object used to hold something down

7.  mental
burden:
a mental or moral burden or load

8.  heavy
load:
a heavy load to carry • had to
put him down since he was a heavy weight

9.  importance:
importance or significance • a
motion that did not carry much weight with the judge

10. greater
part:
the preponderance or greater part of something

11. PRINTING heaviness
of typeface: the heaviness or thickness of a typeface

12. GYM object
used in weightlifting: a heavy object used in
weightlifting or for exercise (often used in the plural)

13. TEXTILES thickness
of cloth:
the heaviness or thickness of cloth (often used in combination)
transitive
verb
(past weight·ed, past participle weight·ed, present
participle weight·ing, 3rd person present singular weights)

1.  add
weight to:
to add weight or weights to something

2.  oppress
or burden:
to oppress or burden somebody, for example, with problems or cares • The
responsibility weighed on him.

3.  bias:
to slant something in somebody’s favor or assign additional importance to
something such as a test or part of one • The
choice of candidate was heavily weighted in her favor.

4.  TEXTILES increase
density of fabric: to treat fabric so as to
increase its density

5.  SPORTS assign
a horse a handicap weight: to assign a handicap weight
to a horse
[Old
English wiht . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of English weigh .]
—weight·er,
noun
be
worth its or your weight in gold

to
be extremely valuable

to
gain or lose weight

to
become heavier or lighter in body weight

pull
your weight

to
do your fair share of work or take your fair share of responsibility

throw
your weight around

to be domineering[1]



weighted

weighted
weight·ed 
[wáytəd] adjective

adjusted statistically:
adjusted by the addition of a statistical value[1]



weightless

weightless
weight·less 
[wáytləss] adjective

weighing
nothing:
having no weight, especially by virtue of being in an atmosphere in which there
is no gravitational pull
—weight·less·ly,
adverb

—weight·less·ness, noun[1]



weightlifter

weightlifter
weight·lift·er
[wáyt lìftər] (plural weight·lift·ers)
noun

somebody lifting weights as a
sport: somebody who lifts heavy
weights as a sport[1]



weightlifting

weightlifting
weight·lift·ing 
[wáyt lìfting] noun

sport of lifting heavy
weights: the sport of lifting heavy
weights, either for exercise or in competition[1]



weighttraining

weighttraining
weight
train·ing
noun

training using weights:
physical training using weights to strengthen the muscles[1]



Weightwatchers

Weightwatchers
Weight·watch·ers
[wáyt wòwchərz] Trademark

a trademark for an
organization that helps people who want to lose weight[1]



weighty

weighty
weight·y 
[wáytee] (comparative weight·i·er,
superlative weight·i·est) adjective

1.  heavy:
weighing a great deal

2.  important:
of an important or serious nature • discussing
weighty matters

3.  influential:
able to exert influence

4.  oppressive:
oppressive or burdensome • a
weighty responsibility
—weight·i·ly,
adverb

—weight·i·ness, noun[1]



Weill,Kurt

Weill,Kurt
Weill
[vīl, wīl],
Kurt (1900–1950)

German-born
U.S. composer. His work, including The Threepenny Opera ( 1928 ) which
he wrote with Bertolt Brecht, was banned by the Nazis. After settling in the
United States (1935) he wrote successful Broadway musicals.
Full name
Weill, Kurt Julian[1]



Weil,Simone

Weil,Simone
Weil
[vayl], Simone (1909–1943)

French philosopher and
mystic. Her major writings, reflecting her Christian mysticism, were published
posthumously and include Waiting for God ( 1950 ).[1]



Weil’sdisease

Weil’sdisease
Weil’s
dis·ease 
[vlz də zeez, wlz
də zeez] noun

bacterial
infection from animals: a severe form of
leptospirosis, usually resulting from contact with the urine of infected
animals such as rats. Symptoms include jaundice, anemia, hemorrhaging, fever,
and meningitis.
[Late 19th century. Named for
H. Adolf Weil (1848–1916), the German physician who described the
disease.][1]



Weimar

Weimar
Wei·mar 
[w mr]

city in Thuringia State, east
central Germany, southwest of Leipzig. It was a major cultural center in the
18th and 19th centuries. Population: 61,583 (1990)[1]



Weimaraner

Weimaraner
Wei·mar·an·er 
[wmə rnər] (plural Wei·mar·an·ers)
noun

large
hunting dog: a large hunting dog of a breed with a
short-haired silver-gray coat, originally bred in Germany
[Mid-20th century. Named for Weimar, where the dog was first bred.][1]



WeimarRepublic

WeimarRepublic
Wei·mar
Re·pub·lic
[w maar ri púbblik] noun

German government between the
World Wars: the government of Germany
between 1919 and 1933, so named because the National Assembly met in Weimar in
1919 to establish a new republic and draw up a constitution[1]



weir

weir
weir 
[weer] (plural weirs) noun

1.  dam:
a dam built across a river to regulate the flow of water, divert it, or change
its level

2.  ANGLING barricade
for fish:
a fence placed in a stream to catch fish
[Old English wer .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to cover” that is also the
ancestor of English garage and warn .][1]



weird

weird
weird 
[weerd] (comparative weird·er,
superlative weirdest) adjective

1.  odd:
strange or unusual

2.  supernatural:
belonging to or suggesting the supernatural

3.  of
fate:
relating to or influenced by fate (archaic)
[Old
English wyrd “fate.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
turn” that is also the ancestor of English verse,
the underlying idea being “that which comes about.”]
—weird·ly,
adverb

—weird·ness, noun[1]



weirdie

weirdie
weird·ie
[wrdee] (plural weird·ies [wrdee]) or weird·y [wrdee] (plural weird·ies) noun

somebody who behaves oddly:
somebody who behaves in a way regarded as strange or unconventional (informal)[1]



weirdo

weirdo
weird·o 
[wrdō] (plural weird·os) noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to somebody who behaves in a way regarded as
strange or unconventional, especially somebody whose sexual tastes or habits
are regarded as unusual (informal)

2.  potentially
dangerous person: somebody who is prone to dangerous
behavior because of a psychiatric disorder (slang offensive)

[1]



weirdsisters

weirdsisters
weird
sis·ters
or Weird Sisters plural noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY Fates:
the Fates

2.  MYTHOLOGY See the Norns

3.  THEATER witches
in Macbeth:
the three witches in Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth
[Weird in the meaning of
“having the power to control fates”][1]



Weir,Peter

Weir,Peter
Weir
[weer], Peter (1944– )

Australian
movie director. After achieving international success with the Australian-made Picnic
at Hanging Rock ( 1975 ), he established himself as a leading Hollywood
director.
Full name
Weir, Peter Lindsay[1]



Weirton

Weirton
Weir·ton 
[wrtən]

city in the northern
panhandle of northern West Virginia, on the Ohio River, north of Wheeling.
Population: 21,813 (1996)[1]



weisenheimer

weisenheimer
weis·en·hei·mer 
noun

(informal) See wisenheimer[1]



Weismannism

Weismannism
Weis·mann·ism 
[wsmə nìzzəm] noun

inheritance
exclusively through sex cells: the principle that the
inherited characteristics of any organism are determined solely by material (
germ plasm ) contained in the male and female sex cells from which the organism
develops. This theory excludes any role for the body cells in inheritance and
rules out the inheritance of characteristics acquired during an organism’s
lifetime. It remains a fundamental tenet of modern genetics.
[Late 19th century. Named for
August F. L. Weismann (1834–1914), the German biologist who propounded
this principle.][1]



Weizmann,Chaim

Weizmann,Chaim
Weiz·mann
[vts mn, wtsmən],
Chaim (1874–1952)

Russian-born
Israeli chemist and statesman. He helped to secure the Balfour Declaration
(1917), which committed Britain to Zionism, and served as the first president
of modern Israel (1948–1952).
Full name
Weizmann, Chaim Azriel[1]



weka

weka
we·ka 
[wkə, wáykə]
(plural we·kas) noun

flightless
New Zealand bird: a flightless fast-running bird with
mainly brown and black plumage, found in the scrubland and forest margins of
New Zealand. Latin name: Gallirallus australis
[Mid-19th century. From
Maori, an imitation of the sound of the bird’s call.][1]



welch

welch
welch 
intransitive verb

See
welsh[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








welcome

welcome
wel·come 
[wélkəm] adjective

1.  received
gladly:
received or entertained glady and generously • a
welcome gift

2.  eagerly
and delightedly accepted: accepted or anticipated with
delight and eagerness, often because it answers a need • It
was a welcome break after two solid weeks of writing.

3.  freely
invited or permitted: freely and willingly invited
or permitted • You’re
welcome to stay for dinner.

4.  with
nothing expected in return: with no obligation incurred
by a courtesy, favor, gift, or something else given • You’re
very welcome, it was no trouble.
noun
(plural wel·comes)

1.  acknowledgment
of somebody’s arrival: a greeting or reception
given to somebody upon arrival or being met • a
warm welcome to their guests

2.  reaction
to something: a particular response or reaction to
something • Local
authorities have extended a cautious welcome to the new proposals.
transitive
verb
(past wel·comed, past participle wel·comed, present
participle wel·com·ing, 3rd person present singular wel·comes)

1.  receive
in a particular way: to greet, receive, or
entertain somebody in a particular way

2.  accept
in a particular way: to accept or receive
something in a particular way • We
welcome any feedback from our customers.
interjection

used to greet somebody:
used to express a friendly or courteous greeting to somebody who has just
arrived or is a stranger
[Old
English wilcuma, originally a noun meaning “welcome guest” (influenced
by well 2 and either Old Norse velkominn
or Old French bien venu ), from willa (see will 2 ) + cuma “comer”]
—wel·come·ly,
adverb

—wel·come·ness,
noun

—wel·com·er,
noun
be
welcome to something

used
to indicate that the speaker is happy for somebody to have something (often
used ironically)

wear
out or outstay or overstay your welcome

to stay longer than is polite
or accept somebody’s hospitality for too long[1]



welcomemat

welcomemat
wel·come
mat
(plural wel·come mats) noun

doormat
that bears a greeting: a doormat, especially one
with the word “welcome” on it
put
out or roll out the welcome mat for somebody

to make somebody feel very
welcome (informal)[1]



welcomepage

welcomepage
wel·come
page
(plural wel·come pag·es) noun

ONLINE
See home page[1]



WelcomeWagon

WelcomeWagon
Wel·come
Wag·on
Trademark

a trademark for an
organization whose members welcome newcomers to a neighborhood, distribute
small gifts, give information about the community, and offer samples of locally
available merchandise[1]



weld

weld2
weld2 [weld]
(plural welds) noun

1.  BOTANY See dyer’s rocket

2.  yellow
dye:
a yellow dye extracted from the dyer’s rocket plant, widely used from ancient
times until the modern era to color wool and other fabrics
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from obsolete Low German walde, wolde ; or perhaps from assumed
Old English w(e)ald][1]



weld

weld1
weld1 [weld]
verb (past weld·ed, past participle weld·ed,
present participle weld·ing, 3rd person present singular welds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fuse
material by heating: to join together pieces or
parts of some material by heating, hammering, or using other pressure, or to be
joined in this way • to weld two pieces of
iron together

2.  transitive
verb
repair
or construct something by fusing: to repair or construct
something by heating its pieces or parts so that they fuse together • to
weld a metal sculpture

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb associate
or become associated: to join or become joined in
a union or a close association
noun
(plural welds)

1.  fusion
of parts:
the union or fusion of parts or pieces

2.  joint
formed by fusion: a joint where pieces or parts have been
fused together
[Late
16th century. Alteration of well 1 (verb) in the obsolete
meaning of “to liquefy by heating”; influenced by its past participle welled
.]
—weld·a·bil·i·ty
[wèldə bíllətee], noun

—weld·a·ble [wéldəb’l], adjective[1]



welder

welder
weld·er
[wéldər] (plural weld·ers) noun

1.  (plural
welders) somebody who welds something:
somebody who welds, especially somebody who earns a living by welding metal

2.  something
that welds:
a device, machine, or other apparatus that is used to make metal welds

[1]



weldment

weldment
weld·ment 
[wéldmənt] (plural weld·ments)
noun

assembly of welded pieces:
something that has been assembled by welding its parts or pieces together[1]



welfare

welfare
wel·fare 
[wél fàir] noun

1.  physical,
social, and financial well-being: the physical, social,
and financial conditions under which somebody may live satisfactorily

2.  aid
to people in need: financial aid and other
benefits for people who are unemployed, below a specified income level, or
otherwise requiring assistance, especially when provided by a government agency
or program

3.  See
welfare work
adjective

1.  aiding
people in need: concerning or designed to aid people who
are poor, unemployed, or in need of assistance in some other way • a
welfare agency

2.  receiving
government aid owing to need: receiving government
financial aid or benefits because of income level, unemployment, or other conditions
that create a need for assistance • welfare
clients
[14th century. Contraction of
well fare “fare well.”][1]



welfarestate

welfarestate
wel·fare
state
(plural wel·fare states) noun

1.  government
responsibility for social welfare: a political system in
which a government assumes the primary responsibility for assuring the basic
health and financial wellbeing of all its citizens through programs and direct
assistance

2.  nation
fully assuming citizens’ welfare: a nation whose government
assumes primary responsibility for the social welfare of its citizens

[1]



welfarework

welfarework
wel·fare
work
or wel·fare noun

efforts
to help the needy: the organized efforts of an
organization, community, or agency to improve the living conditions and
economic status of its socially disadvantaged members, residents, or citizens
—wel·fare work·er, noun[1]



welfarism

welfarism
wel·far·ism 
[wél fài rìzzəm] noun

policies
and practices characterizing the welfare state: the
policies, practices, and beliefs that characterize the welfare state (disapproving)
[Mid-20th
century]
—wel·far·ist, noun[1]



welfarism

welfarism
wel·far·ism 
[wél fài rìzzəm] noun

policies
and practices characterizing the welfare state: the
policies, practices, and beliefs that characterize the welfare state (disapproving)
[Mid-20th
century]
—wel·far·ist, noun[1]



welkin

welkin
wel·kin 
[wélkin] noun

sky:
the sky, heaven, or the upper air (archaic or literary)
[Old English weolcen, wolc(e)n
“cloud, firmament.” From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of Dutch wolk and German Wolke “cloud.”][1]



Welkom

Welkom
Wel·kom
[wélkəm, vélkəm]

town in Free State, central
South Africa. It is the center of a gold-mining region. Population: 185,500
(1985)[1]



well

well2
well2 [wel]
(comparative bet·ter [béttər],
superlative best [best]) CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word indicating that something is satisfactory or is performed in
a satisfactory way • She did very well on
her test.

1.
adverb pleasingly or desirably:
in an efficient, satisfying, or otherwise desirable way (often used in
combination) • I thought the party
went very well.

2.
adverb ethically or properly:
in an ethical, proper, or courteous way • He
always treated the children very well.

3.
adverb skillfully or expertly:
with proficiency, skill, or expertise (often used in combination) • She
plays tennis really well.

4.
adverb justly and appropriately:
with justice and good reason • I
could not very well refuse her request.

5.
adverb comfortably: in
ease and comfort (often used in combination) • I
just want to be rich enough to live well.

6.
adverb advantageously:
in a way that promotes somebody’s advantage and well-being (often used in
combination) • She married well –her
husband is a wealthy pig-farmer.

7.
adverb conducive to good health:
in a way that promotes health and physical well-being (often used in
combination) • Both mother and baby
are doing well.

8.
adverb considerably: to a
considerable extent, distance, or degree (often used in combination) • I
was well prepared for the exams.

9.
adverb fully and thoroughly:
in a complete and thorough way (often used in combination) • Stir
the mixture well, then turn it out onto a baking sheet.

10.
adverb with certainty:
with no doubt whatever about something • As
you well know, I will not tolerate any laziness

11.
adverb familiarly and intimately:
in a familiar and intimate way • I knew
them well when they were students.

12.
adverb good-naturedly:
taking something in a tolerant or good-humored way • I
teased him but he took it well.

13.
adjective in good health:
mentally and physically healthy • I’m
feeling much better.

14.
adjective proper or appropriate:
suitable, proper, or appropriate in the circumstances • It
is as well that you apologized to her.

15.
adjective highly satisfactory:
in a good, pleasing, or satisfying condition • Is
everything well with you?

16.
interjection used to express emotion:
used to express surprise, agreement, indignation, disapproval, or some other
emotion • Well!
You’ve finally come back!

17.
interjection used to introduce or resume
something:
used to introduce a comment or statement, or to resume a conversation • Well,
it looks as if we’ll be waiting a while.
[Old
English wel(l) . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
wish,” which is also the ancestor of Latin velle (source of English benevolent and voluntary
) and English wealth .]
as
well

in
addition to something • The
members were mostly young couples, but there were several grandparents as well.

as
well as

to
an equal degree or extent • Banking,
as well as other businesses, will take the demographics into consideration.

be
as well to do something

to
be advisable or sensible to do something • It
would be as well to look at a variety of mutual funds before investing your
savings.

be
well out of something

to
be fortunate in having escaped from a difficult or unhappy situation • You’re
well out of it –they weren’t treating you very well in that job.

that’s
or it’s just as well

used
to indicate that something is fortunate • It’s
just as well that she’s going to be a little late, because we’re not quite
ready.

well
and good

indicating qualified approval
• If he
wants to come with us, well and good, but he’ll have to pay his share.[1]



well

well1
well1 [wel]
noun (plural wells)

1.  hole
made to draw up fluids: a hole or shaft that is dug
or drilled into the ground in order to obtain water, brine, petroleum, or
natural gas • an
oil well

2.  spring
of water:
a place where water comes out of the ground as a natural source • get
their water from a well

3.  source
of something: a source of a freely and abundantly
available supply of something • a well
of information

4.  container
for liquid:
a container or sunken area for holding ink or another liquid • a
well on a cutting board

5.  vertical
passage in a building: a vertical space within or
enclosed by a building, often used as a passageway for stairs or elevators or
for air and light

6.  enclosure
for a ship’s pumps: an enclosed area in the hold
of a ship in which the pumps are located

7.  shipboard
container for fish: a compartment in a fishing
boat in which freshly caught fish are held

8.  enclosing
compartment: a compartment that encloses or is used
to store something temporarily such as the retracted wheels of an aircraft in
flight
verb
(past welled, past participle welled, present
participle well·ing, 3rd person present singular wells)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb rise
or bring to the surface: to rise or flow to the
surface from inside the earth or the body, or to cause something to do this • Tears
welled up in his eyes. • The
fountain welled a stream of clear water into the basin below.

2.  intransitive
verb
grow
stronger:
to surge from within or grow stronger so as to threaten to burst forth • Fear
welled up inside me.

3.  intransitive
verb
become
filled with liquid: to become filled with a pool
of water, tears, or another liquid • My
eyes welled with tears.
[Old English wella
“spring of water” and wellan “to boil.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “to turn,” which also produced English walk,
wallet, waltz,
and welter .][1]



well-adjusted

well-adjusted
well-ad·just·ed 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  altered
accordingly: successfully adapted to prevailing
conditions

2.  emotionally
stable:
content with your own self and life and therefore emotionally and
psychologically stable

[1]



well-advised

well-advised
well-ad·vised
adjective

acting prudently:
acting with good sense (not hyphenated after a verb) • You
would be well advised to leave before the storm hits.[1]



WellandCanal

WellandCanal
Wel·land
Ca·nal
[wèllənd kə nál] or Wel·land Ship
Ca·nal [wèllənd kə nál]

canal system in Ontario,
Canada, linking Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It is part of the St. Lawrence
Seaway, and bypasses the Niagara Falls. Length: 44 km/28 mi.[1]



well-appointed

well-appointed
well-ap·point·ed 
adjective

fully furnished or equipped:
equipped, furnished, or arranged with whatever is necessary or desired (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



wellaway

wellaway
well·a·way 
[wéllə wày] (plural well·a·ways
[wéllə dày]) interjection

alas:
used as a cry of sorrow, distress, or regret (archaic)
[Old English wei lā wei,
an alteration (influenced by well 2 and Old
Norse vei “woe”) of wā lā wā, literally “woe lo woe”][1]



well-balanced

well-balanced
well-bal·anced 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  organized
with the parts in proportion: organized, conducted, or
constructed so that all the parts are appropriately and sensibly proportioned
or coordinated

2.  sensible
and rational: psychologically or emotionally stable

[1]



well-behaved

well-behaved
well-be·haved
adjective

behaving properly:
behaving, operating, or occurring properly and as expected (not hyphenated
after a verb)[1]



well-being

well-being
well-be·ing 
noun

good health or fortune:
a good, healthy, or comfortable state[1]



well-beloved

well-beloved
well-be·lov·ed
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  dearly
loved:
truly and dearly loved

2.  respected:
highly respected or honored
noun
(plural well-be·lov·ed)

dearly loved person:
somebody who is truly and dearly loved

[1]



wellborn

wellborn
well·born 
[wèl báwrn, wél
bàwrn] adjective

belonging
to a respected family: born into an aristocratic,
highly respected, or wealthy family
noun

people
from esteemed families: people who were born in
aristocratic, highly respected, or wealthy families (takes a plural verb)
[Old English welboren][1]



well-bred

well-bred
well-bred 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  with
good manners: possessing or displaying good manners or
other marks of a good upbringing

2.  ZOOLOGY with a
desirable pedigree: born as an animal from a
good breed or of good stock

[1]



well-built

well-built
well-built
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  physically
big and strong: having a sturdy and strong physique

2.  properly
constructed: of strong or sound construction

[1]



well-chosen

well-chosen
well-cho·sen
adjective

carefully selected:
selected carefully so as to be suitable or appropriate (not hyphenated after
a verb)[1]



well-connected

well-connected
well-con·nect·ed
adjective

with influential relatives or
friends: having relatives, friends,
or acquaintances in important or influential positions who can provide help
when necessary (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-defined

well-defined
well-de·fined 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  stated
precisely and clearly: stated or described with
clarity and without ambiguity

2.  with
a distinct outline or form: having a clearly observable
outline or form

[1]



well-disposed

well-disposed
well-dis·posed 
adjective

sympathetic and likely to be
helpful: feeling or inclined to be
approving, friendly, kindly, or sympathetic and potentially helpful (not
hyphenated after a verb) • She
seemed well disposed toward us.[1]



well-done

well-done
well-done 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  performed
correctly and well: carried out or performed
correctly, properly, or skillfully

2.  cooked
through:
cooked right through to the center

[1]



well-earned

well-earned
well-earned
adjective

deserving reward:
fully deserved, especially as a result of hard work or effort (not
hyphenated after a verb) • sat
down for a well-earned rest[1]



well-endowed

well-endowed
well-en·dowed
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having a large penis or large breasts (informal)

2.  affluent:
provided with substantial property, a sizable income, or a good source of
income

3.  naturally
excellent:
talented or capable as a result of a natural gift

[1]



Wellesley

Wellesley
Welles·ley 
[wélzlee]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, southwest of Boston. It is home to Wellesley College.
Population: 26,809 (1996)[1]



Wellesley,Arthur

Wellesley,Arthur
Welles·ley 
[wélzlee], Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington
(1769–1852)

British general and
statesman. He led the British forces that helped defeat Napoleon at the Battle
of Waterloo (1815) and was prime minister (1828–1830).[1]



Welles,Orson

Welles,Orson
Welles
[welz], Orson (1915–1985)

U.S.
actor and director. Although Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) garnered enormous
critical respect, Hollywood’s mistrust of his maverick talents prevented him
from producing more than a handful of movies.
Full name
Welles, George Orson[1]



well-favored

well-favored
well-fa·vored 
adjective

handsome or pretty:
good-looking (dated or formal) (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-fed

well-fed
well-fed 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  with
a good diet: having a diet that provides proper
nourishment

2.  overweight:
overweight, especially as a result of having eaten a great deal of good or rich
food

[1]



well-fixed

well-fixed
well-fixed 
adjective

prosperous or wealthy:
provided with a sizable income or substantial property (informal) (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-formed

well-formed
well-formed
adjective

grammatically
and syntactically correct: fully conforming to the
rules of grammar and syntax in a language (not hyphenated after a verb)
—well-formed·ness, noun[1]



well-found

well-found
well-found 
adjective

fully furnished with
requirements: properly and fully
fitted out or equipped (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-founded

well-founded
well-found·ed 
adjective

supported by good reasons:
based on sound reasons, information, or evidence or on undisputable facts (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-groomed

well-groomed
well-groomed 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  taking
care with your appearance: clean, neat, and
well-dressed

2.  carefully
tended:
carefully cleaned, brushed, or tended

[1]



well-grounded

well-grounded
well-ground·ed 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  familiar
with essential knowledge: encompassing or thoroughly
familiar with the essential details or knowledge of a subject

2.  See
well-founded

[1]



wellhead

wellhead
well·head 
[wél hèd] (plural well·heads) noun

1.  source
of a spring or stream: the place where a spring
emerges from the earth or a stream begins

2.  source
of something: a principal or primary source of
something

3.  structure
on top of a well: a structure or enclosure at the upper
end of a water, oil, or natural-gas well, for example, one containing pipes and
pumping equipment
[14th century][1]



well-heeled

well-heeled
well-heeled 
adjective

wealthy:
having a large income or substantial property (informal) (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-hung

well-hung
well-hung
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning having a large penis or a large penis and testicles (slang
offensive)

2.  hanging
as desired or required: suspended or attached so as
to hang in a way that is desired or required

3.  hung
for the proper time: hung up long enough to
mature and be good to eat • He
liked his venison well hung.

[1]



well-informed

well-informed
well-in·formed
adjective

with detailed knowledge:
having a broad and detailed knowledge of something, especially of the world and
current events or of a particular subject (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



Wellington

Wellington
Wel·ling·ton
[wéllingtən]

capital city of New Zealand,
built around a deep harbor at the southern end of the North Island. Population:
335,051 (1996)[1]



wellingtonboot

wellingtonboot
wel·ling·ton
boot
(plural wel·ling·ton boots) or wel·ling·ton noun
U.K.

1.  loose
rubber boot for wet conditions: a loose waterproof
rubber boot extending to the knee or just below it and worn in wet weather or
muddy conditions

2.  boot
cut lower at the back: a leather boot that reaches
to the top of or above the knee in the front but is cut lower in the back
[Early 19th century. Named
for Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of
Wellington .][1]



well-intentioned

well-intentioned
well-in·ten·tioned 
adjective

intended or trying to help:
intended to be helpful or useful in some way but producing a negative effect or
result (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-kept

well-kept
well-kept
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  carefully
looked after: carefully maintained or looked after

2.  carefully
preserved and confidential: not revealed to anyone or to
only a few people

[1]



well-knit

well-knit
well-knit 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  bound
by close ties: bound or joined together by close
relationships or ties

2.  firmly
constructed: constructed or produced in such a way
that the parts are firmly joined together or are integrated well

3.  compact
in physique: with a compact and strong physique

[1]



well-known

well-known
well-known 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  widely
known:
known to many people

2.  fully
understood:
fully known or understood

[1]



well-mannered

well-mannered
well-man·nered 
adjective

polite and courteous:
behaving with politeness and courtesy (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-meaning

well-meaning
well-mean·ing 
adjective

trying to help, often
ineffectually: trying to be helpful or
useful in some way, but often producing a negative effect or result (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-meant

well-meant
well-meant 
adjective

well-meaning:
arising from a desire to be helpful or useful, but often producing a negative
effect (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



wellness

wellness
well·ness 
[wélnəss] noun

mental and physical
soundness: physical well-being,
especially when maintained or achieved through good diet and regular exercise[1]



well-nigh

well-nigh
well-nigh 
adverb

very nearly:
nearly or almost • well-nigh
impossible[1]



well-off

well-off
well-off 
adjective

1.  fairly
wealthy:
having a good income or enough money to live comfortably (not hyphenated
after a verb)

2.  favorably
placed:
in a good or favorable situation or circumstances • It’s
not a good idea to change jobs, you’re better off where you are.

3.  with
plenty:
having a good supply of something • well
off for fuel right now

[1]



well-oiled

well-oiled
well-oiled
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  functioning
smoothly:
functioning, operating, or carried out efficiently

2.  drunk:
having drunk too much alcohol (informal)

[1]



well-ordered

well-ordered
well-or·dered
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  properly
organized:
arranged or organized so that things are in the proper place or run smoothly

2.  MATHEMATICS with
first numerical element: having the property that
every subset with members has an element that precedes all other elements in
that subset

[1]



well-padded

well-padded
well-pad·ded
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  overweight:
having a greater body weight than is desirable or advisable (informal)

2.  having
money:
having money or access to a ready source of it

[1]



well-preserved

well-preserved
well-pre·served
adjective

in good condition despite
age: in good condition or
maintaining a good appearance or good health in spite of advanced age (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-read

well-read
well-read 
adjective

knowing much from reading:
knowing much about many things or a particular field from having read widely
and thoroughly (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-rounded

well-rounded
well-round·ed 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  with
experience in many areas: having abilities,
experience, or achievements in a wide and balanced variety of fields

2.  comprehensive
and varied:
encompassing or including a wide, desirable, and balanced variety of subjects
or activities

3.  shapely:
having a rounded or otherwise pleasingly shaped body

[1]



Wells

Wells
Wells
[welz]

city in Somerset,
southwestern England. It is known for its medieval cathedral. Population:
10,000 (1993)[1]



well-set

well-set
well-set
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  with
a powerful physique: strong and solid in physique

2.  firmly
set:
solidly established or fixed

[1]



Wells,H. G.

Wells,H. G.

Wells
[welz], H. G. (1866–1946)
British
writer. A prolific writer of history and science books, he is remembered for
his science fiction novels, including The Time Machine ( 1895 ) and The
Shape of Things to Come ( 1933 ).
Full name
Wells, Herbert George[1]



well-spoken

well-spoken
well-spo·ken 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  refined:
speaking clearly, articulately, and in a refined accent

2.  expressed
appropriately: selected or expressed appropriately

[1]



wellspring

wellspring
well·spring 
[wél sprìng] (plural well·springs)
noun

1.  spring
or stream source: a source of a spring or stream

2.  plentiful
source of something: a plentiful source or supply
of something • a
wellspring of artistic talent
[Old English welspryng,
wylspring][1]



well-stacked

well-stacked
well-stacked
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning having large breasts (slang offensive)[1]



well-taken

well-taken
well-tak·en
adjective

amply justified:
based on sound reasons, information, or evidence or on indisputable facts (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-tempered

well-tempered
well-tem·pered
adjective

playable in any key:
tuned so as to permit playing in any key (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-thought-of

well-thought-of
well-thought-of 
adjective

highly regarded:
regarded with respect or esteem or enjoying a good reputation (not
hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-thought-out

well-thought-out
well-thought-out
adjective

carefully planned:
carefully and skillfully planned (not hyphenated after a verb)[1]



well-timed

well-timed
well-timed 
adjective

done at the right moment:
done or occurring at an appropriate or opportune moment (not hyphenated
after a verb)[1]



well-to-do

well-to-do
well-to-do 
adjective

fairly wealthy:
having a good income or enough money to live comfortably[1]



well-turned

well-turned
well-turned 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  gracefully
or attractively shaped: having a graceful or
attractive shape • a well-turned ankle

2.  skillfully
stated:
skillfully expressed or worded • a
well-turned phrase

3.  manufactured
with a graceful shape: turned on a lathe or formed
so as to have a pleasing, graceful shape

[1]



well-wisher

well-wisher
well-wish·er 
(plural well-wish·ers) noun

somebody
expressing good wishes: somebody who expresses good
wishes for another’s success or who shows good will toward somebody or
something
—well-wish·ing, adjective,
noun[1]



well-worn

well-worn
well-worn 
adjective (not hyphenated after a verb)

1.  showing
wear:
showing signs of wear as a result of much use

2.  overused:
trite or hackneyed as result of being used too often in speech or writing

3.  carried
becomingly:
becomingly worn or borne, especially with grace, style, or dignity • well-worn
celebrity

[1]



wels

wels
wels
[velss] (plural wels) noun

large
European catfish: a large Central and Eastern European
freshwater catfish. Latin name: Silurus glanis
[Late 19th century. From
German .][1]



Welsbachburner

Welsbachburner
Wels·bach
burn·er
[wélz bàk bùrnər, wélz
bk bùrnər] Trademark

a trademark for a gas burner
consisting of a Bunsen burner equipped with a gauze mantle impregnated with
cerium oxide and thorium oxide that emits a greenish light when ignited[1]



Welsh

Welsh
Welsh 
[welsh] plural noun

PEOPLES people
of Wales:
the people of Wales
noun

LANGUAGE Celtic
language:
a language spoken in Wales belonging to the Celtic group of Indo-European
languages. About 500,000 people speak Welsh.
adjective

1.  PEOPLES of
Wales:
relating to Wales or its people or culture

2.  LANGUAGE of
Welsh:
relating to the Welsh language
[Old English Wēlisc, Wlisc,
from W(e)alh “Briton, Celt, Welshman” (literally “foreigner”), via a
prehistoric Germanic word meaning “foreign” (ancestor of English walnut ) from Latin Volcae “Celtic
people of southern Gaul”][1]



welsh

welsh
welsh 
[welsh] (past welshed, past
participle welshed, present participle welsh·ing, 3rd
person present singular welsh·es [welsh])
or welch [welsh] (past welched,
past participle welched, present participle welch·ing,
3rd person present singular welch·es) intransitive verb

1.  fail
to repay a debt: to fail to pay money owed as a debt or
lost in a wager (informal)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to fail to fulfill or honor an obligation entered
into or incurred (informal offensive)
[Mid-19th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Welsh
.]
—welsh·er, noun[1]



Welshcob

Welshcob
Welsh
cob
(plural Welsh cobs) noun

compact powerful horse:
a horse with a strong neck, powerful shoulders, and compact body, used as a
saddle and harness horse. It is descended from the Welsh mountain pony.[1]



Welshcorgi

Welshcorgi
Welsh
cor·gi
(plural Welsh cor·gis) noun

See
corgi
[Welsh from the fact that it
originated in Wales][1]



WelshEnglish

WelshEnglish
Welsh
Eng·lish
noun

English
as spoken in Wales: the variety of English
spoken in Wales





     WORD KEY: WORLD ENGLISH









  Welsh English is the English language as
  used in Wales where it is the majority language, coexisting with Welsh, the
  surviving Celtic language with the largest number of speakers but a minority
  language in its homeland. It can be categorized in three overlapping ways. The
  first is influenced by Welsh, mainly in the northern counties (often referred
  to as “Welsh Wales”). The second is related to dialects in neighboring
  counties of England. The third is influenced by school and the media. The
  Welsh are often said to have a “singsong” accent, perhaps because of their
  use of a rising-and-falling tone at the end of sentences (rather than a
  simple fall), and because of their full vowels and stress on usually weak
  syllables such as the “den” in garden . Welsh English is generally
  nonrhotic (i.e., “r” is not pronounced in words such as art, door,
  and worker ). Two sounds from Welsh are common, especially in names:
  the “ll” of Llangollen, pronounced as /hl/, and the “ch” in bach
  (dear), pronounced as /kh/. Native speakers of English in South Wales, like
  most dialect speakers in England, generally do not pronounce an initial “h”
  (as in hat and home ), whereas residents of North Wales do
  because it occurs in Welsh. A general influence from Welsh is notable in such
  usages as “Comin back soon she is” for “She’s coming back soon” and there
  in exclamations such as “There’s kind he is!” for “How kind he is!” The
  catchall question tag isn’t it? has long been common, as in “They’ll
  be here soon, isn’t it?” (as opposed to standard aren’t they? ). Some
  words of Welsh origin are bugaboo, corgi, crag, flannel,
  flummery, and penguin.

[1]



Welshharp

Welshharp
Welsh
harp
(plural Welsh harps) noun

harp with 3 rows of strings:
a harp with three rows of strings that allow the production of a chromatic
scale[1]



Welshman

Welshman
Welsh·man 
[wélshmən] (plural Welsh·men [wélshmən]) noun

PEOPLES man
from Wales:
a man who was born or raised in Wales, or who has Welsh ancestry
[Old English][1]



Welshmountain pony

Welshmountain pony
Welsh
moun·tain po·ny noun

small-eared compact pony:
a pony of a breed native to the Welsh hills that has tiny pointed ears and a
compact body. It is popular for harness work and as a child’s pony.[1]



Welshpony

Welshpony
Welsh
po·ny
noun

pony for jumping and riding:
a pony descended from crosses between Welsh cobs and Welsh mountain ponies,
slightly larger than the latter. It is used for jumping and riding.[1]



Welshpoppy

Welshpoppy
Welsh
pop·py
noun

yellow-flowered poppy:
a poppy of western Europe that forms branching tufts of deeply divided compound
leaves and has yellow flowers borne singly on long slender stems. Latin name: Meconopsis
cambrica[1]



Welshrarebit

Welshrarebit
Welsh
rare·bit 
[wèlsh ráirbit] (plural Welsh
rare·bits) or Welsh rab·bit [wèlsh
rábbit] (plural Welsh rab·bits) noun

grilled
cheese on toast: a dish made of hard cheese melted with
seasoning, mustard, and a little beer or milk, then spread on toast and grilled
until bubbling and golden.
Also
called
rarebit
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of Welsh rabbit, perhaps from a popular association of Wales with
cheese, or in the former meaning “inferior”; rabbit perhaps because cheese was
commonly substituted for meat.][1]



Welshspringer spaniel

Welshspringer spaniel
Welsh
spring·er span·iel (plural Welsh
spring·er span·iels) noun

spaniel
with a white and reddish coat: a spaniel of a breed
with a thick silky coat that is chiefly white with large reddish patches. It is
very similar to but smaller than the English springer spaniel.
[Welsh from the fact that it
originated in Wales][1]



Welshterrier

Welshterrier

Welsh
ter·ri·er
(plural Welsh ter·ri·ers) noun
wire-haired
terrier:
a wire-haired terrier of a breed originally developed for hunting. It resembles
an Airedale and has a long thick, typically black-and-tan coat.
[Welsh from the fact that it
originated in Wales][1]



Welshwoman

Welshwoman
Welsh·wom·an 
[wélsh wmmən] (plural Welsh·wom·en
[wélsh wìmmin]) noun

woman
from Wales:
a woman who was born or raised in Wales, or who has Welsh ancestry
[15th century][1]



welt

welt
welt 
[welt] noun (plural welts)

1.  ridge
on the skin: a raised ridge or bump on the skin
caused by a lash from a whip, a scratch, or a similar blow

2.  lash
from a whip causing a ridge: a lash from a whip or a
similar blow that causes a raised ridge or bump on the skin

3.  CLOTHES strip
sewn into a shoe: a strip of leather or other material
that is sewn into a shoe or boot between the upper and the sole in order to
strengthen the seam

4.  SEWING reinforcement
for a seam:
a folded strip of cloth, sometimes wrapped around a cord, that is sewn into a
seam in a garment or pillow as a reinforcement or decoration
transitive
verb
(past welt·ed, past participle welt·ed, present
participle welt·ing, 3rd person present singular welts)

1.  beat
somebody severely: to beat or hit somebody
severely, especially with a whip or switch

2.  raise
small ridges on the skin: to cause raised ridges or
bumps on the skin as a result of a lash from a whip or switch

3.  stitch
something reinforcing or decorative: to
stitch or supply something with a strip of material as a reinforcement or
decoration
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from assumed Old English wealt, wælt, of
unknown origin.][1]



Weltanschauung

Weltanschauung
Welt·an·schau·ung 
[vélt aan shòw ng] (plural Welt·an·schau·ung·en
[vélt aan shòw ngən]) noun

general
view of the world or society: a comprehensive and usually
personal conception or view of humanity, the world, or life
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “world view,” from Welt “world” + Anschauung
“view.”][1]



welter

welter
wel·ter 
[wéltər] noun (plural wel·ters)

1.  confused
mass:
a confused or jumbled mass of something

2.  confused
condition:
a state of confusion or chaos or a disorderly or chaotic situation

3.  surging
motion of water: a surging, rolling, or heaving motion
made by the sea or waves

4.  SPORTS welterweight:
a welterweight (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past wel·tered, past participle wel·tered, present
participle wel·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular wel·ters)

1.  wallow
in something: to wallow or roll around in something

2.  lie
drenched with liquid: to lie soaked or bathed in
water, blood, or some other liquid

3.  be
completely immersed in something: to be completely or
deeply involved, absorbed, or entangled in something

4.  surge
or roll in water: to surge, roll, or heave in the sea or
waves
[14th century. From Middle
Dutch or Middle Low German welteren “to roll.”][1]



welterweight

welterweight
wel·ter·weight 
[wéltər wàyt] (plural wel·ter·weights)
noun

boxer
between lightweight and middleweight: a
sports contestant ranked by body weight between a lightweight and a
middleweight, especially a professional boxer weighing between 61 kg/135 lb and
66.5 kg/147 lb
[Early 19th century. Welter-
came from welter “heavyweight rider or boxer,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps formed from the verb welt .][1]



Weltschmerz

Weltschmerz
Welt·schmerz 
[vélt shmùrts] or welt·schmerz
[vélt shmùrts] noun

all-encompassing
sadness about life: sadness felt at the
imperfect state of the world, especially at the behavior of human beings
[Late 19th century. From
German, from Welt “world” + Schmerz “pain.”][1]



Welty,Eudora

Welty,Eudora

Wel·ty
[wéltee], Eudora (1909– )
U.S. writer. Her novels, set in her
native Mississippi, include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Optimist’s
Daughter ( 1969 ).[1]



wen

wen2
wen2 [wen]
(plural wens) noun

See
wynn[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wen

wen1
wen1 [wen]
(plural wens) noun

skin
cyst:
a cyst containing material secreted by a sebaceous gland of the skin, usually
on the scalp or genitals. It may grow to an appreciable size and become
infected.
[Old English wen(n) .
Origin uncertain.][1]



WenceslasIV

WenceslasIV
Wen·ces·las
IV
[wénsəss làwss, wénsəsslss],
King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor (1361–1419)

Anarchy and unrest marked his
reign as Holy Roman Emperor (1378–1400) and he was deposed in 1400, though he
remained King of Bohemia until his death.[1]



Wenceslaus,St.

Wenceslaus,St.
Wen·ces·laus 
[wénsəss làwss], St., Duke of Bohemia
(907?–929)

The
patron saint of Czechoslovakia, he encouraged Bohemia’s conversion to
Christianity. He was murdered by his pagan brother.
Known as
Good King Wenceslaus[1]



wench

wench
wench 
[wench] noun (plural wench·es)

1.  servant
girl:
a girl or young woman who works at a paid job, usually as a servant or on a
farm (archaic)

2.  country
girl:
a girl or young woman who lives in a rural area (archaic)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a prostitute or a woman who is regarded as sexually
promiscuous (offensive)

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to a young woman (offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past wenched, past participle wenched, present
participle wench·ing, 3rd person present singular wench·es)

have sex with prostitutes:
to engage in sex with prostitutes or with women considered to be promiscuous (archaic
or offensive)
[13th
century. Shortening of obsolete wenchel “child, enslaved laborer,
prostitute,” from Old English wencel “child,” of uncertain origin:
perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to falter.”]
—wench·er, noun[1]



wend

wend
wend 
[wend] (past wend·ed, past
participle wend·ed, present participle wend·ing, 3rd
person present singular wends) intransitive and transitive verb

travel
along a route: to proceed along a course or route • The
boat wended its way through the reefs.
[Old English wendan
“to turn, proceed,” from a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to turn,” which
is also the ancestor of English wand
and wander][1]



Wend

Wend
Wend 
[wend] (plural Wends) noun

Slav
from northeastern Germany: a member of a Slavic people
that occupied large parts of northeastern Germany in medieval times. A group
descended from the Wends survive today and are known as Sorbs.
[Late 18th century. From
German Wende . The related Old English word was Winedas “Wends.”
Both of unknown origin.][1]



wendigo

wendigo
wen·di·go 
[wéndi gō] (plural wen·di·gos or
wen·di·goes) or win·di·go [wíndi
gō] (plural win·di·gos or win·di·goes) noun

Canada
demon
among Native N American peoples: a demonic creature who
according to Cree and Algonquian folklore eats people or possesses them and
turns them into cannibals
[Early 18th century. From
Ojibwa wintiko .][1]



Wendish

Wendish
Wend·ish 
[wéndish] noun

LANGUAGE Slavic
language:
a language spoken in some districts of eastern Germany belonging to the Slavic
group of Indo-European languages. About 100,000 people speak Wendish.
Also
called
Sorbian
—Wend·ish, adjective[1]



Wendyhouse

Wendyhouse
Wen·dy
house
[wéndee hòwss] noun

U.K.
See playhouse
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the house built around the character Wendy in the play Peter Pan
(1904) by J. M. Barrie .][1]



wenge

wenge
wen·ge
[wéng gày] noun

dark
brown African wood: the dark brown wood of an
African tree, often used as a veneer for furniture. Latin name: Millettia
laurentii
[Mid-20th century][1]



Wensleydale

Wensleydale
Wens·ley·dale
[wénzlee dàyl] (plural Wens·ley·dales)
noun

1.  English
hard cheese: a white crumbly English hard cheese with
a slightly tangy flavor

2.  sheep
with mottled legs: one of a breed of sheep,
native to northern England, that has a blue-gray head and ears and dark mottled
legs and is raised for its long fleece
[Late 19th century. Named for
Wensleydale, a valley in North Yorkshire, England, where the sheep
originated and where the cheese is chiefly made.][1]



went

went
went


Past tense of
go[1]



wentletrap

wentletrap
wen·tle·trap 
[wént’l tràp] (plural wen·tle·traps)
noun

ribbed-shell
mollusk:
a marine gastropod mollusk with a spiral prominently ribbed shell that is
typically white but is sometimes tinged with brown. Family: Epitoniidae
[Mid-18th century. From Dutch
wenteltrap, literally “winding stair,” from the appearance of the
shells.][1]



wept

wept
wept


Past tense of
weep Past participle of weep[1]



were

were
were 
[(stressed) wur, (unstressed) wər]

Past
tense of
be
[Old English wron
(plural past indicative), wren (plural past subjunctive), and wre
(2nd person singular past indicative and singular past subjunctive), forms of wesan
“to be” (see was )][1]



weregild

weregild
were·gild 
noun

See
wergild[1]



weren’t

weren’t
were·n’t 
[wurnt] contraction

were not:
were not[1]



werewolf

werewolf
were·wolf 
[wáir wlf, wúr
wlf] (plural were·wolves [wáir
wlvz, wúr wlvz]) or wer·wolf
[wáir wlf, wúr
wlf] (plural wer·wolves) noun

somebody
alleged to become a wolf: somebody who is believed to
have been transformed into a wolf, or who is believed to be able to change into
a wolf and then back into a human being
[Old English werewulf,
from were- “man” + wulf “wolf.” Ultimately from an Indo-European
word meaning “man,” which is also the ancestor of English virile and world
.][1]



wergild

wergild
wer·gild 
[wúr gìld] or were·gild [wúr gìld] or wer·geld [wúr gèld] noun

monetary
compensation for somebody slain: in Anglo-Saxon and
Germanic law, the amount of compensation paid to the relatives of somebody
slain, calculated on the basis of the person’s rank in society
[Old English wergeld,
from wer “man” (see werewolf ) + gield
“payment,” an earlier form of yield (noun)][1]



wernerite

wernerite
wer·ner·ite 
[wúrnə rt] noun

MINERALS See scapolite
[Early 19th century. Named in
honor of Abraham Gottlob Werner (1750–1817), a German mineralogist.][1]



Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome

Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome
Wer·nick·e-Kor·sa·koff
syn·drome 
[vàirnikee káwrssə kòf sìndrōm, váirnikə káwrssə kòf sìndrōm] noun

brain
damage in alcoholics: a form of brain damage
occurring in long-term alcoholics that results from severe nutritional
deficiencies. Former name Korsakoff’s
psychosis
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Karl Wernicke (1848–1905), German neurologist, and Sergei Sergeevich Korsakov
(1854–1900), Russian psychiatrist, who independently described it.][1]



wert

wert
wert


(archaic) Past
tense of be[1]



Wertheimer,Max

Wertheimer,Max
Wert·heim·er
[váirt hmər], Max (1880–1943)

Czech-born U.S. psychologist.
He taught at the New School for Social Research (1933–1943) and was one of the
founders of Gestalt theory.[1]



werwolf

werwolf
wer·wolf 
noun

See
werewolf[1]



Weser

Weser
We·ser 
[váyzər]

river in northwestern
Germany. Formed by the confluence of the Werr and Fulda rivers, it flows
northwestward through Lower Saxony and empties into the North Sea near
Bremerhaven. Length: 400 km/300 mi.[1]



weskit

weskit
wes·kit 
[wéskit] (plural wes·kits) noun

waistcoat:
a waistcoat (regional)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of waistcoat .][1]



Wesleyan

Wesleyan
Wes·ley·an 
[wésslee ən, wézlee
ən] adjective

based
on Wesley’s teaching: based on, consisting of, or
resembling the teachings, practices, and beliefs of the Christian preacher John
Wesley and his brother Charles, or of Methodism.
See
also
Methodist
noun
(plural Wes·ley·ans)

follower
of Wesley:
a follower of the Christian preacher John Wesley and his brother Charles, or a
believer in their teachings or those of Methodism
—Wes·ley·an·ism, noun[1]



Wesley,John

Wesley,John

Wes·ley
[wésslee, wézlee],
John (1703–1791)
British religious leader. He founded
Methodism in 1739, and thereafter preached tirelessly to huge crowds and
published hymns and other religious works for mass distribution.[1]



West

West
West
or west noun

1.  Europe
and the Americas: the countries of Europe and North and
South America.
See
also
western hemisphere

2.  countries
with Greco-Roman and Christian traditions: those
countries of the world, especially in Europe and North and South America, whose
culture and society are most influenced by traditions rooted in Greek and Roman
culture and in Christianity

3.  non-Communist
countries in the Cold War: the non-Communist countries
of Europe and North and South America during the Cold War

4.  western
United States: the part of the United States west of
the Mississippi River or west of the Allegheny Mountains during early phases of
the country’s history

[1]



west

west
west 
[west] noun

1.  direction
in which the Sun sets: the direction that lies
directly ahead of somebody facing the setting Sun or that is located toward the
left-hand side of a conventional map of the world

2.  compass
point opposite east: the compass point that lies
directly opposite east

3.  west
or West area in the west:
the part of an area, region, or country that is situated in or toward the west

4.  west
or West position equivalent to west:
the position equivalent to west in any diagram consisting of four points at
90-degree intervals
adjective

1.  in
the west:
situated in, facing, or coming from the west of a place, region, or country

2.  blowing
from west:
blowing from the west • a west
wind
adverb

toward the west:
in or toward the west
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “evening, night,” which
also produced Greek hesperos “evening” (source of English Hesperian ) and Latin vesper (source of
English vespers ).]
go
west

to die, disappear, or be
destroyed (informal)[1]



WestBank

WestBank
West
Bank


territory in the Middle East
on the western bank of the Jordan River, bordered by Israel and Jordan. Once
part of Palestine, it was annexed by Jordan in 1950 and occupied by Israel in
1967. As a result of peace agreements between 1993 and 1997 some of it was
transferred to Palestinian National Authority administration, with further
negotiations underway. Population: 1,600,000 (1996) Area: 5,860 sq km/2,263 sq
mi.[1]



WestBengal

WestBengal
West
Ben·gal
[wèst ben gáwl]

state in northeastern India.
Capital: Calcutta. Population: 73,600,000 (1994) Area: 87,853 sq km/33,920 sq
mi.[1]



West,Benjamin

West,Benjamin
West 
[west], Benjamin (1738–1820)

U.S. artist. His historical
and portrait paintings include The Death of General Wolfe ( 1770 ).[1]



WestBerlin

WestBerlin
West
Ber·lin


western
part of the city of Berlin. It was officially part of West Germany between 1945
and 1990, when the rest of the city was designated East German territory.
—West Ber·lin·er, noun[1]



westbound

westbound
west·bound 
[wést bòwnd] adjective

going west:
leading, going, or traveling toward the west[1]



westby north

westby north
west
by north
noun

compass
point between W and WNW: the direction or compass
point midway between west and west-northwest
—west by north, adjective,
adverb[1]



westby south

westby south
west
by south
noun

compass
point between W and WSW: the direction or compass
point midway between west and west-southwest
—west by south, adjective,
adverb[1]



WestCoast

WestCoast
West
Coast

1.  region
comprising the coastal areas of California, Oregon, and Washington on the
Pacific coast of the United States

2.  region
comprising the western area of British Columbia between the mountains and the
sea, including coastal areas, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Queen
Charlotte Islands

[1]



West,Dame Rebecca

West,Dame Rebecca
West 
[west], Dame Rebecca (1892–1983)

British
writer. She wrote noted studies of the Nuremberg war crimes trials and novels
including The Thinking Reed ( 1936 ).
Pseudonym of
Andrews, Cicily Isabel Born Fairfield, Cicily Isabel[1]



WestDes Moines

WestDes Moines
West
Des Moines 
[wèst də móyn, wèst
də móynz]

city in south central Iowa.
It is a western suburb of Des Moines. Population: 40,380 (1996)[1]



wester

wester
west·er 
[wéstər] noun (plural west·ers)

west
wind:
a wind blowing from the west, especially one blowing ahead of or with a storm
intransitive
verb
(past west·ered, past participle west·ered, present
participle west·er·ing, 3rd person present singular west·ers)

move
west:
to move or appear to move across the sky to the west (refers to the Sun,
Moon, or other celestial bodies)
[Late 16th century][1]



westerly

westerly
west·er·ly 
[wéstərlee] adjective

1.  in
the west:
situated in or toward the west

2.  METEOROLOGY coming
from the west: blowing from the west
noun
(plural west·er·lies)

wind from the west:
a wind blowing from the west
adverb

1.  from
the west:
coming from the west

2.  toward
the west:
moving toward the west
[15th
century]
—west·er·li·ness, noun[1]



Westerly

Westerly
Wes·ter·ly 
[wéstərlee]

town in southwestern Rhode
Island, on the Connecticut border, southwest of South Kingstown. Population:
22,773 (1996)[1]



Western

Western
West·ern
or west·ern adjective

1.  influenced
by Greco-Roman and Christian traditions: found
in or typical of countries, especially in Europe and North and South America,
whose culture and society are greatly influenced by traditions rooted in Greek
and Roman culture and in Christianity

2.  of
non-Communist countries in the Cold War: found
in or belonging to the non-Communist countries of Europe and North and South
America during the Cold War

3.  typical
of the American West: found in or relating to the
part of the United States west of the Mississippi River or west of the
Allegheny Mountains during early phases of the country’s history

4.  found
in Europe and Americas: located in or relating to
Europe and North and South America

5.  Catholic
and Protestant: based on, consisting of, or resembling
the teachings, practices, and beliefs of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism,
as opposed to those of the Eastern churches
noun
(plural West·erns) (plural west·erns)

movie or book on the American West:
a movie, radio or television program, novel, or story set in the western part
of the United States, usually during the second half of the 19th century
—West·ern·ness, noun[1]



western

western
west·ern 
[wéstərn] (plural west·erns) adjective

1.  in
the west:
situated in the west of a region or country

2.  facing
west:
situated in or facing the west • The
house has a western aspect.

3.  west·ern
or West·ern of the west:
native to the west of a region or country

4.  coming
from the west: blowing from the west • a
western wind

5.  west
of the prime meridian: lying west of the prime
meridian
[Old
English westerne, from west + a
suffix denoting direction]
—west·ern·ness, noun[1]



WesternAustralia

WesternAustralia


West·ern Aus·tra·lia 
[wèstərn awstráylyə]
state occupying the western part of
Australia. Founded as a British colony in 1829, it is the largest state in
Australia. Capital: Perth. Population: 1,766,000 (1996) Area: 2,525,500 sq km/975,100
sq mi.[1]



WesternAustralia




Back to definition

WesternAustralia

[1]



Westernblot

Westernblot
West·ern
blot
or West·ern blot·ting noun

protein
separation technique: a technique in which a
mixture of proteins is separated in a gel by electrophoresis, then absorbed by
a nylon membrane blotted onto its surface to identify its constituents
[Modeled on Southern blot][1]



WesternCanada

WesternCanada
West·ern
Can·a·da

region comprising the
Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia[1]



WesternCape

WesternCape
West·ern
Cape

province in southwestern
South Africa, formerly part of Cape Province. Capital: Cape Town. Population:
4,055,000 (1996) Area: 129,386 sq km/49,943 sq mi.[1]



WesternChurch

WesternChurch
West·ern
Church
noun

Christian Church of the West:
the Christian Church as found in or influenced by that of Europe, especially
the Roman Catholic Church[1]



westerner

westerner
west·ern·er
[wéstərnər] (plural west·ern·ers)
or West·ern·er [wéstərnər] (plural
West·ern·ers) noun

1.  somebody
from the west: somebody who lives in or comes from the
western part of a country or region

2.  somebody
from Western Canada: somebody who lives in or
comes from Western Canada

[1]



WesternEuropean Time

WesternEuropean Time
West·ern
Eu·ro·pe·an Time noun

standard time in U.K.:
the standard time in the time zone centered on 0° longitude ( the prime meridian ), which includes the United
Kingdom. It is the same time as Universal Coordinated Time.[1]



WesternEuropean Union

WesternEuropean Union
West·ern
Eur·o·pe·an Un·ion noun

political association of
European countries: an
association of European countries, inaugurated in 1955, whose main function is
to coordinate defense, economic, and social policy[1]



WesternFront

WesternFront
West·ern
Front
noun

World War I battle line:
the battle line between the French and British armies and the German armies in
western Europe during World War I. It extended from Belgium to the Swiss
border.[1]



WesternGhats

WesternGhats
West·ern
Ghats 
[wèstərn gts, wèstərn
gáwts]

mountain range in southern
India, forming the western edge of the Deccan plateau. The highest peak is Doda
Betta, 2,637 m/8,652 ft .[1]



westernhemisphere

westernhemisphere
west·ern
hem·i·sphere noun

western half of the Earth:
the half of the Earth that is to the west of the prime meridian, including
North and South America and portions of western Europe and Africa[1]



westernhemlock

westernhemlock
west·ern
hem·lock
(plural west·ern hem·locks) noun

western N American conifer:
a coniferous tree that is native to western North America but widely grown as
an ornamental for its attractive drooping foliage, and for lumber. Latin name: Tsuga
heterophylla[1]



westernhoney mesquite

westernhoney mesquite
west·ern
hon·ey mes·quite (plural west·ern hon·ey
mes·quites) noun

sweet mesquite:
a mesquite that grows in the southwestern United States and Mexico and has pods
with a high sugar content. Latin name: Prosopis glandulosa[1]



westernism

westernism
west·ern·ism
[wéstər nìzzəm] (plural west·ern·isms
[wéstər nìzzəm]) or West·ern·ism
[wéstər nìzzəm] (plural West·ern·isms)
noun

1.  American
or European custom: a custom or practice
characteristic of the countries of Europe and North and South America

2.  term
used in the west: a word or idiom chiefly used in the
western part of a country or region, especially the western United States

[1]



westernize

westernize
west·ern·ize 
[wéstər nz] (past west·ern·ized,
past participle west·ern·ized, present participle west·ern·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular west·ern·iz·es) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb adopt
Western customs: to adopt or cause a person, country, or
culture to adopt the customs, practices, or beliefs of the people of Europe or
North and South America

2.  transitive
verb
change
something to resemble Western practice: to
change a law, custom, practice, or belief so that it resembles or is replaced
by its European or North American counterpart
—west·ern·i·za·tion [wèstərnə záysh’n], noun[1]



westernlarch

westernlarch
west·ern
larch
(plural west·ern larch·es) noun

N American conifer:
a tall coniferous tree, native to western North America, that has
purplish-gray, deeply fissured bark. Latin name: Larix occidentalis[1]



westernmost

westernmost
west·ern·most 
[wéstərn mst] adjective

farthest west:
situated farthest west[1]



westernomelet

westernomelet
west·ern
om·e·let
(plural west·ern om·e·lets) noun

ham, green pepper, and onion
omelet: an omelet made with diced
ham, green pepper, and onion[1]



westernred cedar

westernred cedar
west·ern
red ce·dar
(plural west·ern red ce·dars) noun

1.  conifer
of western N America: a coniferous tree native to
the Pacific coast of North America but widely grown for lumber. It has a narrow
conical crown with an erect tip. Latin name: Thuja plicata See
red cedar

2.  western
red cedar wood: the wood of the western red cedar tree

[1]



westernroll

westernroll
west·ern
roll
(plural west·ern rolls) noun

high jump with a half-turn:
a high jump in which the body is half-turned over the bar[1]



westernsaddle

westernsaddle
west·ern
sad·dle
(plural west·ern sad·dles) or West·ern sad·dle (plural
West·ern sad·dles) noun

See
stock saddle[1]



WesternSahara




Back to definition

WesternSahara

[1]



WesternSahara

WesternSahara

West·ern Sa·ha·ra

region in northwestern Africa formerly
ruled by Spain. It was partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in 1976 and
fully occupied by Morocco in 1979. While currently under United Nations
mediation, the territory is disputed between Morocco and internal independence
movements. Area: 267,000 sq km/103,000 sq mi. Former name Spanish Sahara[1]



WesternSamoa

WesternSamoa
West·ern
Sa·mo·a


Former name for
Samoa until 1997[1]



westernsandwich

westernsandwich
west·ern
sand·wich
(plural west·ern sand·wich·es) noun

sandwich containing an
omelet: a sandwich whose filling is
an omelet made with diced ham, green pepper, and onion[1]



WesternStandard Time

WesternStandard Time
West·ern
Stan·dard Time noun

time zone of Western
Australia: a time zone lying west of
the 120th meridian and including the whole of Western Australia. It is seven to
nine hours ahead of GMT.[1]



westernswing

westernswing
west·ern
swing
noun

country and western music
incorporating elements of swing: a
type of country and western music played on guitars, steel guitars, fiddles,
and other instruments that incorporates elements of swing music[1]



westerntanager

westerntanager
west·ern
tan·a·ger
(plural west·ern tan·a·gers) noun

forest songbird of Americas:
a medium-sized forest songbird similar to an oriole of western North America,
Mexico, and Central America. Males are yellow with black wings and a red head.
Latin name: Piranga ludoviciana[1]



WesternWall

WesternWall
West·ern
Wall
noun

wall in Jerusalem for Jewish
mourning: a wall in Jerusalem believed
to be part of the Second Temple, destroyed in AD
70 by the Romans. It is used by some Jewish people as a place for prayer and
lamentation.
Also called
Wailing Wall[1]



Westford

Westford
West·ford
[wéstfərd]

town in northeastern
Massachusetts, southwest of Chelmsford and northwest of Bedford. Population:
18,642 (1996)[1]



WestGermanic

WestGermanic
West
Ger·man·ic
noun

subgroup within the Germanic
languages: a subgroup within the
Germanic languages that consists of English, German, Yiddish, Dutch, Flemish,
Afrikaans, and Frisian[1]



WestGermany

WestGermany
West
Ger·ma·ny


republic
of western Europe from 1945 to 1990, formed from the territories of Germany
occupied by the U.S., British, and French forces at the end of World War II. In
1990 it was reunited with East Germany. Area: 248,577 sq km/95,976 sq mi. Official
name Federal Republic of Germany
—West Ger·man, noun,
adjective[1]



WestGoth

WestGoth
West
Goth
(plural West Goths) noun

PEOPLES
See Visigoth[1]



WestHighland terrier

WestHighland terrier
West
High·land ter·ri·er (plural West
High·land ter·ri·ers) or West High·land white ter·ri·er (plural
West High·land white ter·ri·ers) noun

small
white-coated terrier: a small terrier of a hardy
long-haired breed with a pure white coat, originally bred for hunting small
mammals but now kept as a pet.
Also
called
Westie
[From its having originated
in the West Highlands of Scotland][1]



WestIndian

WestIndian
West
In·di·an
(plural West In·di·ans) noun

somebody
from the W Indies: somebody who was born or
raised in the West Indies, who has citizenship of one of the islands of the
West Indies, or whose ancestors lived in or came from the West Indies
—West In·di·an, adjective[1]



WestIndian cedar

WestIndian cedar
West
In·di·an ce·dar (plural West In·di·an ce·dars)
noun

See
cigar box cedar[1]



WestIndian ebony

WestIndian ebony
West
In·di·an eb·on·y noun

See
cocuswood[1]



WestIndies

WestIndies
West
In·dies 
[wèst ín dz]

chain of islands that
separate the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. They consist of three main
island groups, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas, that
extend from the southeastern tip of Florida to the coast of Venezuela.[1]



westing

westing
west·ing 
[wésting] (plural west·ings) noun

1.  distance
west:
the distance due west between two points on a course heading in a westward
direction

2.  travel
westward:
travel or progress in a westward direction

[1]



Westinghouse,George

Westinghouse,George
West·ing·house
[wésting hòwss], George (1846–1914)

U.S. engineer and
industrialist. He invented the air brake (1869), which revolutionized the
railroad industry, and founded the Westinghouse Electric Company (1886).[1]



Westm.

Westm.
Westm.

Abbreviation of
Westminster[1]



West,Mae

West,Mae
West 
[west], Mae (1892–1980)

U.S. actor and comedian. She
was known for her irreverent wit and disdain for conventional morals. Her
movies include She Done Him Wrong ( 1933 ), I’m No Angel ( 1933
), and Klondike Annie ( 1936 ).[1]



WestMemphis

WestMemphis
West
Mem·phis


city in eastern Arkansas near
the Mississippi River, a western suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. Population:
26,894 (1996)[1]



Westminster

Westminster
West·min·ster 
[wést mīnstər]

city in north central
Maryland on the northern branch of the Monocacy River, northwest of Baltimore.
Population: 15,073 (1996)[1]



WestminsterAbbey

WestminsterAbbey

West·min·ster Ab·bey
noun
London church used for British
coronations: a large Gothic church
in London, England, originally a Benedictine abbey, in which British monarchs
are traditionally crowned[1]



Westmont

Westmont
West·mont 
[wést mònt]

town in northeastern
Illinois, southwest of La Grange. It is a western suburb of Chicago.
Population: 22,366 (1996)[1]



West,Nathanael

West,Nathanael
West 
[west], Nathanael (1903–1940)

U.S.
writer. The four novels he wrote before his early death, which include The
Day of the Locust ( 1939 ), satirize contemporary society.
Real name
Weinstein, Nathan Wallenstein[1]



west-northwest

west-northwest
west-north·west 
noun

compass
point between W and NW: the direction or compass
point midway between west and northwest
adjective
adverb

in
the west-northwest: in, from, facing, or toward
the west-northwest
—west-north·west·er·ly,
adjective, adverb[1]



Weston,Edward

Weston,Edward
Wes·ton
[wést’n], Edward (1886–1958)

U.S. photographer. His sharp,
semiabstract photographs often magnify details of natural objects.[1]



Westonstandard cell

Westonstandard cell
Wes·ton
stan·dard cell (plural Wes·ton stan·dard
cells) noun

voltage
source used for calibration: a portable, highly accurate,
voltage source used as a standard for calibration purposes
[Early 20th century. Named
for Edward Weston (1850–1936), English-born electrical engineer.][1]



WestPakistan

WestPakistan
West
Pak·i·stan


western area of Pakistan from
1947 to 1971, when the nation was geographically divided. West Pakistan
comprised the provinces of Baluchistan, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab,
and Sind, and it became the state of Pakistan in 1971 after East Pakistan
seceded to become independent Bangladesh.[1]



Westphalia

Westphalia
West·pha·lia 
[west fáylyə, west
fáylee ə]

former province in
northeastern Germany, in the present-day state of North-Rhine Westphalia. The
Peace of Westphalia, signed at Münster and Osnabrück in 1648, marked the end of
the Thirty Years’ War.[1]



Westphalian

Westphalian
West·pha·lian 
[west fáylyən, west
fáylee ən] (plural West·pha·lians) noun

somebody
from Westphalia: somebody who lives in or was born or
raised in Westphalia
[Early
17th century]
—West·pha·lian, adjective[1]



Westphalianham

Westphalianham
West·pha·lian
ham
(plural West·pha·lian hams) noun

thinly sliced, cured German
ham: German ham that is cured and
eaten raw, very thinly sliced[1]



WestPoint

WestPoint
West
Point
noun

U.S. military academy:
the site of the United States Military Academy, on the Hudson River in New York
State, or the Academy itself[1]



Westport

Westport
West·port 
[wést pàwrt]

town on the northwestern
coast of the South Island, New Zealand. It is the commercial center of a
coal-mining region. Population: 4,236 (1996)[1]



WestSaxon

WestSaxon
West
Sax·on
(plural West Sax·ons) noun

1.  LANGUAGE Wessex
dialect of Old English: the dialect of Old English
in use in Wessex during Anglo-Saxon times and the main literary dialect of the
language.
See
also
Anglian
See
also
Kentish

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from Anglo-Saxon Wessex: somebody who was born in or
lived in Wessex during Anglo-Saxon times
—West Sax·on, adjective[1]



west-southwest

west-southwest
west-south·west 
noun

compass
point between W and SW: the direction or compass
point midway between west and southwest
adjective
adverb

in
the west-southwest: in, from, facing, or toward
the west-southwest
—west-south·west·er·ly,
adjective, adverb[1]



West,Thomas

West,Thomas
West 
[west], Thomas, 3rd Baron De La Warr


See
De La Warr[1]



WestVirginia

WestVirginia


West
Vir·gin·ia

state
of the eastern United States bordered by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia, and Kentucky. Capital: Charleston. Population: 1,815,787 (1997) Area:
62,761 sq km/24,232 sq mi.
—West Vir·gin·ian, noun,
adjective[1]



WestVirginia




Back to definition

WestVirginia

[1]



westward

westward
west·ward 
[wéstwərd] adjective

in
the west:
toward or in the west
adverb

toward
the west:
in a westerly direction
noun

point
in the west: a direction toward or a point in the
west
[Old
English westweard]
—west·ward·ly,
adverb, adjective

—west·wards,
adverb

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  westward
  or westwards ?
  Westward is the only form available
  for the adjective: • in a
  westward direction. In American English it is
  also more common than westwards for the adverb: • The
  ship was moving slowly westward.

[1]



WestWarwick

WestWarwick
West
War·wick


town in Rhode Island,
southwest of Providence and west of Warwick. Population: 29,120 (1996)[1]



Westwood,Vivienne

Westwood,Vivienne
West·wood
[wést wd], Vivienne (1941– )

British fashion designer. She
was a pioneer of punk fashion in the late 1970s and is known for her
unconventional costumes.[1]



wet

wet
wet 
[wet] adjective (comparative wet·ter,
superlative wet·test)

1.  soaked
with water:
covered, soaked, or dampened with water or some other liquid

2.  not
yet dry:
not completely dry

3.  not
yet set:
not yet firm or solidified • wet
cement

4.  rainy,
showery, misty, or foggy: characterized by rain,
showers, mist, or fog • Come
in out of the wet.

5.  with
rainy weather: subject to frequent heavy rain, showers,
mist, or fog • a
wet climate

6.  using
or done with liquid: using or done in water or
another liquid

7.  allowing
liquor sales: allowing the legal manufacture, storage,
transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages (informal) • a
wet town

8.  favoring
liquor sales: favoring the legal manufacture, storage,
transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages (informal) • a
wet representative

9.  U.K.
unassertive:
regarded as weak and lacking resolution or decisiveness (insult)
noun
(plural wet)

1.  liquid
or moisture: water or another liquid, or moisture
from it

2.  rainy
or damp weather: rainy, showery, misty, or foggy weather
• Come
in out of the wet.

3.  Australia
northern
Australian wet season: the wet season in northern
Australia that lasts from December to March

4.  supporter
of legal liquor sales: somebody who supports the
legal manufacture, storage, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages (informal)

5.  U.K.
unassertive
person:
somebody who is regarded as weak and lacking in resolution or decisiveness (insult)

6.  U.K.
liberal
Conservative: a Conservative politician whose policies
some other Conservatives consider not to be sufficiently pure or doctrinaire (informal)
verb
(past wet or wet·ted, past participle wet
or wet·ted, present participle wet·ting, 3rd
person present singular wets)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
or become wet: to become or cause something to become
damp or soaked with water or some other liquid

2.  transitive
verb
make
wet by urinating: to cause something to be damp or soaked
with urine
[Old
English wt, wta (noun), wt (adjective), and wtan
(verb). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “water, wet,” which is
also the ancestor of English hydro-, undulate, vodka,
and winter .]
—wet·ly,
adverb

—wet·ness,
noun

—wet·ter,
noun
all
wet

completely
mistaken or wrong

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  wet, damp, moist,
  dank, humid, sodden,
  soaked, soaking,
  sopping
  CORE
  MEANING: not
  dry wet; a general word used to
  cover everything from paint that is not yet quite dry to something that is
  completely covered in water; damp;
  slightly wet, especially undesirably so; moist;
  slightly wet, especially desirably so; dank;
  describes a place that is unpleasantly damp and cold and that usually also
  has a bad smell; humid; describes
  air that has a high water content, often also suggesting accompanying heat; sodden; extremely wet; soaked; an
  informal word meaning extremely wet; soaking;
  an informal word meaning extremely and undesirably wet; sopping; an informal word emphasizing that
  something is extremely and undesirably wet

[1]



wetback

wetback
wet·back 
[wét bàk] (plural wet·backs) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to a Mexican person recently arrived in the
United States, especially somebody who has entered the country illegally to
work as a laborer (taboo insult)
[Early 20th century. From
Mexican immigrants having waded or swum across the Rio Grande river to enter
the United States.][1]



wetbar

wetbar
wet
bar
(plural wet bars) noun

small bar with a sink:
a small bar equipped with a sink in a house or hotel room, used for mixing
alcoholic drinks[1]



wetblanket

wetblanket
wet
blan·ket
(plural wet blan·kets) noun

killjoy:
somebody who spoils or reduces other people’s enthusiasm or enjoyment (informal)
[From the use of wet blankets
to smother small fires][1]



wet-bulbthermometer

wet-bulbthermometer
wet-bulb
ther·mom·e·ter (plural wet-bulb
ther·mom·e·ters) noun

thermometer recording the
evaporation temperature of water: a
thermometer that records the temperature at which pure water must be evaporated
to saturate a given volume of air[1]



wetcell

wetcell
wet
cell
(plural wet cells) noun

primary cell with a liquid
electrolyte: a primary cell that
contains a free-flowing electrolyte.
See also
dry cell[1]



wetdream

wetdream
wet
dream
(plural wet dreams) noun

1.  erotic
dream resulting in ejaculation: a dream that has
sexual content and leads to the ejaculation of semen (offensive in some
contexts)

2.  pleasant
fantasy:
an overly optimistic and highly unrealistic idea or image

[1]



wetfish

wetfish
wet
fish
noun

U.K.
fresh fish:
fresh fish for sale, as distinguished from frozen or cooked fish[1]



wetfly

wetfly
wet
fly
noun

fishing lure resembling a
fly: a fishing lure resembling a
fly that slips beneath the surface of the water after it is cast.
See also
dry fly[1]



wether

wether
weth·er 
[wéər] (plural weth·ers) noun

castrated
sheep or goat: a male sheep or goat that has been
castrated before becoming sexually mature.
Also
called
wedder
[Old English weþer,
from prehistoric Germanic][1]



wetland

wetland
wet·land 
[wét lànd] (plural wet·lands) noun

swampy land:
a marsh, swamp, or other area of land where the soil near the surface is
saturated or covered with water, especially one that forms a habitat for
wildlife (often used in the plural)[1]



wetlook

wetlook
wet
look
noun

1.  glossy
finish on material: a glossy finish on a
material that gives an appearance of wetness

2.  glossy
sheen on the hair: a glossy sheen given to the
hair by the use of a special hair gel that gives an appearance of wetness
—wet-look, adjective[1]



wet-nurse

wet-nurse
wet-nurse 
(past wet-nursed, past participle wet-nursed, present
participle wet-nurs·ing, 3rd person present singular wet-nurs·es)
transitive verb

1.  breast-feed
another’s baby: to breast-feed and take care of another
woman’s baby

2.  give
somebody excessive care: to bestow excessive care or
attention on somebody (informal disapproving)

[1]



wetnurse

wetnurse
wet
nurse
(plural wet nurs·es) noun

woman who breast-feeds
another’s baby: a woman who
breast-feeds and takes care of another woman’s baby.
Also called
nurse[1]



wetpack

wetpack
wet
pack
(plural wet packs) noun

dampened therapeutic wrapping
for the body: a piece or pieces of
material dampened with hot or cold water and wrapped around a patient’s body
for therapeutic purposes[1]



wetsuit

wetsuit
wet
suit
(plural wet suits) noun

diver’s suit:
a tight-fitting garment worn by a diver, made of foam neoprene rubber or a
similar material. It traps a thin insulating layer of water near the skin.[1]



wettable

wettable
wet·ta·ble
[wéttəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be made wet: capable of being made wet

2.  allowing
liquid to spread across surface: able to make a liquid
spread easily across the surface of a solid by reducing surface tension
—wet·ta·bil·i·ty [wèttə bíllətee], noun[1]



wettingagent

wettingagent
wet·ting
a·gent 
(plural wet·ting a·gents) noun

agent used for spreading
liquid: a chemical agent that makes
the surface of a substance less repellent to a liquid and allows the liquid to
spread across it more easily[1]



Weymouth

Weymouth
Wey·mouth 
[wáyməth]

town in eastern
Massachusetts, south of Boston. Population: 54,013 (1990)[1]



we’d

we’d
we’d 
[weed] contraction

1.  we
had

2.  we
would

[1]



we’ll

we’ll
we’ll 
[weel, wil]
contraction

1.  we
will

2.  we
shall

[1]



we’re

we’re
we’re 
[weer] contraction

we are:
we are[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wf

wf
wf
or w.f.

PRINTING
Abbreviation of wrong font[1]



wff

wff
wff

LOGIC
Abbreviation of well-formed formula[1]



WFTU

WFTU
WFTU

Abbreviation of
World Federation of Trade Unions[1]



w.g.

w.g.
w.g.
or WG

1.  Abbreviation
of
water gauge

2.  Abbreviation
of
wire gauge

[1]



wh.

wh.
wh.

Abbreviation of
white[1]



WH

WH
WH

Abbreviation of
watt-hour[1]



whack

whack
whack 
[wak, hwak]
intransitive and transitive verb (past whacked, past
participle whacked, present participle whack·ing, 3rd
person present singular whacks)

1.  hit
with a loud sharp blow: to hit somebody or something
with a swift sharp blow that produces a loud noise

2.  cut
or chop something: to cut or chop something
with a swift sharp blow
noun
(plural whacks)

1.  sharp
blow:
a swift sharp blow

2.  sound
of a sharp blow: the sound made by a swift sharp blow

3.  attempt
at something: an attempt at doing something (informal)
• That
looks like fun –can I take a whack at it?

4.  share
of something: a share or portion of something,
especially one deserved or due (informal)
[Early
18th century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound, but perhaps
an alteration of thwack .]
—whack·er,
noun
at
one or a (single) whack

quickly
and on a single occasion (informal)

out
of whack

not working properly,
especially because of being out of order or alignment (informal)[1]



whacked

whacked
whacked
[wakt, hwakt]
adjective

1.  U.K.,
Canada extremely tired:
very tired or exhausted (informal)

2.  under
the influence of drugs: relaxed, excited, or
euphoric as a result of taking drugs, especially marijuana (slang)

[1]



whacked-out

whacked-out
whacked-out
adjective

1.  (informal)
See whacked

2.  (slang)
See stoned

[1]



whacking

whacking
whack·ing 
[wáking, hwáking]
adjective

U.K.
huge:
very large or impressive (informal)
adverb

U.K.,
Canada extremely:
to an extreme degree (informal)[1]



whacko

whacko
whack·o 
noun adjective

See
wacko[1]



whackoff

whackoff
whack
off
intransitive and transitive verb

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to masturbate (taboo offensive) (refers to
men)

2.  forcibly
sever something: to remove or separate something suddenly
and forcefully

[1]



whacky

whacky
whack·y 
adjective

See
wacky[1]



whakapapa

whakapapa
whak·a·pa·pa
[fkə pùppə] (plural whak·a·pa·pa)
noun

New Zealand
genealogy:
in Maori culture, the genealogy of an individual or family[1]



Whakatane

Whakatane
Wha·ka·ta·ne
[fkə t này]

coastal town in the
northeastern part of the North Island, New Zealand. It is a commercial center
for an agricultural and timber region. Population: 17,493 (1996)[1]



whale

whale2
whale2 [wayl,
hwayl] (past whaled, past
participle whaled, present participle whal·ing, 3rd
person present singular whales) verb

1.  transitive
verb
thrash
somebody:
to beat somebody severely as a punishment

2.  transitive
verb
hit
something forcefully: to hit or strike somebody or
something with great force

3.  intransitive
verb
be
highly critical: to be critical of somebody or something
in a severe way • whaling away at her
detractors

4.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody convincingly: to defeat somebody soundly
or completely
[Late 18th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of wale .][1]



whale

whale1


whale1 [wayl,
hwayl] noun (plural whales)

1.  big
marine mammal: a large marine mammal that breathes
through a blowhole on the top of its head and has front flippers, no hind
limbs, and a flat horizontal tail. Its body is insulated by a thick layer of
fatty blubber beneath the skin, and many species live in social groups,
communicating by sound. Order: Cetacea

2.  impressive
example of something: an impressive, very large,
or very enjoyable example of something (informal)
intransitive verb
(past whaled, past participle whaled, present
participle whal·ing, 3rd person present singular whales)

hunt whales: to
hunt for and kill whales
[Old English hwæl .
Related to German Wal .][1]



whaleback

whaleback
whale·back 
[wáyl bàk, hwáyl
bàk] (plural whale·backs) noun

1.  large
and rounded object: something large and rounded
like the back of a whale, for example, an ocean wave or a small hill

2.  NAUTICAL ship
with a rounded deck: a cargo vessel with a
rounded bow and arched upper deck designed to allow the water from waves
breaking on it to run off more easily

[1]



whaleboat

whaleboat
whale·boat 
[wáyl bt, hwáyl
bt] (plural whale·boats) noun

long narrow boat:
a long, narrow, easily maneuvered boat with a pointed bow and stern, originally
rowed in pursuit of whales but now often powered and used as a lifeboat.
Also called
whaler[1]



whalebone

whalebone
whale·bone 
[wáyl bn, hwáyl
bn] (plural whale·bones) noun

1.  See
baleen

2.  piece
of material from whales: a piece or strip of a hard
elastic material found in some whales, formerly used in making corset stays and
whips
[13th century. Originally in
the sense “ivory from an animal confused with a whale such as a walrus.”][1]



whalebonewhale

whalebonewhale
whale·bone
whale
(plural whale·bone whales) noun

See
baleen whale[1]



whalecatcher

whalecatcher
whale
catch·er
(plural whale catch·ers) noun

boat for hunting whales:
a boat with a harpoon launcher mounted in its bow, used for pursuing and
catching whales[1]



whalefish

whalefish
whale·fish
[wáyl fìsh, hwáyl
fìsh] (plural whale·fish or whale·fish·es) noun

small deep-sea fish:
a small and rare deep-sea fish that has orange or red markings on a black body,
a large mouth, and extremely weak eyes. Family: Cetomimidae[1]



whalehead

whalehead
whale·head
[wáyl hèd, hwáyl
hèd] (plural whale·heads) noun

See
shoebill[1]



WhaleIsland

WhaleIsland
Whale
Is·land

uninhabited volcanic island
in the Bay of Plenty off the northeastern coast of the North Island, New
Zealand. Area: 4 sq km/2 sq mi.[1]



whaleoil

whaleoil
whale
oil
noun

oil extracted from whale
blubber: a yellowish oil manufactured
by rendering the blubber of whales, formerly used as a lamp fuel and in making
soap and candles[1]



whaler

whaler
whal·er 
[wáylər, hwáylər]
(plural whal·ers) noun

1.  somebody
engaged in whaling industry: somebody who hunts or
harpoons whales or who processes killed whales

2.  ship
for hunting or processing whales: a ship used for
hunting whales or processing killed whales

3.  See
whaleboat

[1]



whaleshark

whaleshark
whale
shark
noun

large shark with spotted
body: the largest of all sharks,
found in warm oceanic waters worldwide, with a white-spotted dark body up to 15
m/50 ft in length. It feeds near the surface on small fish and invertebrates
and is not aggressive. Latin name: Rhincodon typus[1]



whaling

whaling
whal·ing 
[wáyling, hwáyling]
noun

whale hunting and processing:
the activity or industry of hunting and processing whales[1]



wham

wham
wham 
[wam, hwam]
noun (plural whams) (informal)

1.  forceful
blow:
a solid forceful blow or impact

2.  sound
of forceful blow: the loud noise produced by a solid
forceful blow
intransitive
and transitive verb (past whammed,
past participle whammed, present participle wham·ming,
3rd person present singular whams)

hit something with loud noise:
to hit or crash into somebody or something with a loud noise (informal)
• The
car whammed into the brick wall.
interjection

used to indicate the sound of blow:
used to imitate the sound of a forceful blow or impact (informal)
adverb

suddenly and forcefully:
with a startling or jarring suddenness (informal) • I
ran wham right into my ex-husband.
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whammo

whammo
wham·mo 
[wámmō, hwámmō]
adverb

(informal) See wham[1]



whammy

whammy
wham·my 
[wámmee, hwámmee]
(plural wham·mies) noun (informal)

1.  jinx:
a jinx or hex

2.  severe
setback:
something with unpleasant or damaging consequences
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



whang

whang1
whang1 [wang,
hwang] noun (plural whangs)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for a penis (slang offensive)

2.  thong:
a thong, especially a thong made from leather

3.  untanned
animal hide: untanned hide from cattle or other
animals
transitive
verb
(past whanged, past participle whanged, present
participle whang·ing, 3rd person present singular whangs)

1.  hit
somebody severely: to beat, whip, or thrash
somebody

2.  hit
something with force: to hit or kick something
with enough force to dislodge it (informal)
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of thwang, a variant of thong
.][1]



whang

whang2
whang2 [wang,
hwang] noun (plural whangs)

1.  resounding
blow:
a blow that resounds when it hits something

2.  sound
of resounding blow: the sound produced by a
heavy blow when it hits something
intransitive
and transitive verb (past whanged,
past participle whanged, present participle whang·ing,
3rd person present singular whangs)

hit with resounding sound:
to hit something and produce a loud resounding sound
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



Whangarei

Whangarei
Whang·a·rei 
[fngə ráy]

coastal town in the northern
part of the North Island, New Zealand. It is a commercial and tourist center.
Population: 45,892 (1996)[1]



whangee

whangee
whang·ee 
[wang g, hwang
g] (plural whang·ees) noun

1.  PLANTS Chinese
bamboo plant: a bamboo plant, native to China, whose
stems are used to make canes and walking sticks. Genus: Phyllostachys

2.  bamboo
walking stick: a walking stick or cane made from a
piece of whangee bamboo
[Late 18th century. From
Chinese (Beijing) huang “bamboo sprouts too old for eating, bamboo.”][1]



whap

whap
whap
noun transitive verb

See
whop[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wharf

wharf
wharf 
[wawrf, hwawrf]
noun (plural wharves [wawrvz,
hwawrvz] or wharfs)

1.  landing
place for ships: a structure built alongside or out into
the water as a landing place for boats and ships, sometimes with a protective
covering or enclosure

2.  shore:
a riverbank or seashore (archaic)
verb
(past wharfed, past participle wharfed, present
participle wharf·ing, 3rd person present singular wharfs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb moor a
boat at a wharf: to moor a vessel at a wharf, or to be
moored there

2.  transitive
verb
unload
or store cargo on a wharf: to unload cargo onto or
store it on a wharf

3.  transitive
verb
equip
a place with a wharf: to provide a place with a
wharf or wharves
[Old English hwearf
“embankment, wharf,” via a prehistoric Germanic word (source also of German Werft
“shipyard”) from a base meaning “to turn,” which also produced English warp][1]



wharfage

wharfage
wharf·age 
[wáwrfij, hwáwrfij]
noun

1.  use
of a wharf:
the use of a wharf or wharves

2.  fee
to use a wharf: a fee that is paid for the use of a
wharf or wharves

3.  wharves:
wharves collectively, especially the wharves in a particular location
[15th century][1]



wharfie

wharfie
wharf·ie
[wáwrfee, hwáwrfee]
(plural wharf·ies) noun

Australia
stevedore:
a worker at a dock or wharf (informal)[1]



wharfinger

wharfinger
wharf·in·ger 
[wárfinjər, hwárfinjər]
(plural wharf·in·gers) noun

wharf
owner or manager: somebody who owns or supervises the
running of a wharf or group of wharves
[Mid-16th century. Alteration
of obsolete wharfager (perhaps on the model of harbinger, messenger, or
passenger ), from wharfage .][1]



Wharton,Edith

Wharton,Edith

Whar·ton
[wáwrt’n, hwáwrt’n],
Edith (1862–1937)
U.S.
writer. She wrote on everything from interior decorating to the art of writing
but is best known for her novels, particularly the Pulitzer Prize-winning The
Age of Innocence ( 1920 ).
Born
Jones, Edith Newbold[1]



wharve

wharve
wharve
[wawrv, hwawrv]
(plural wharves) noun

pulley
or flywheel: a wheel or similar part on a spindle,
used as a pulley on a spinning machine or as a flywheel on a spinning wheel
[Old English hweorfa,
from hweorfan “to turn.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
that is also the ancestor of English whirl
.][1]



wharves

wharves
wharves


Plural of
wharf[1]



what

what
what 
[wot, hwot]
CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used in direct and indirect questions to request further
information, for example, about the identity or nature of somebody, or about
the purpose of something • (adjective)
What time do you make it? • (adjective)
I’m not sure what kind of sauce goes best with this dish.
• (pronoun)
What are they doing? • (pronoun)
Do you know what she does for a living?

1.
adjective pronoun that which:
the person or persons that, or the thing or things that • (adjective)
We spent what money we did have. • (pronoun)
picking their way through what remained of the house

2.
adjective emphasizing a reaction:
used in exclamations to emphasize a reaction or opinion • What
fantastic news! • What
a miserable day it’s been.

3.
adverb how: in
what respect or to what degree • What
does it matter now that they’ve gone?

4.
adverb at a guess: used
to indicate a guess or approximation of an amount or value • It
must be, what, ten years since we first met.

5.
interjection exclamation:
used as an exclamation when expressing an emotion such as surprise, anger, or
disappointment • The plane will be
delayed by two hours. –What?
[Old
English hwæt . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced
Latin quot “how many” (source of English quote
) and English how .]
give
somebody what for

to
scold or punish somebody severely (informal)

what
about …

1.  used
to suggest that somebody or something be taken into consideration • What
about all the money we’ve already paid then?

2.  used
to suggest that somebody might like to do something • What
about going on a fishing trip?

what
for

asking
the reason for or the purpose of something

what
have you

other
things similar to those just mentioned

what
if

1.  used
to make a suggestion about a possible course of action

2.  used
to ask what might or would happen in a given situation

what
of it?

used
to suggest that something is not important

what’s
what

the
true facts or actual situation (informal)

what
with

used
to introduce the reason or reasons for something • I
didn’t get there until ten, what with all the traffic and setting out late.

[1]



whatall

whatall
what
all
pronoun

(informal) See whatnot[1]



whatchamacallit

whatchamacallit
what·cha·ma·call·it 
[wòchəmə káwlit, hwòchəmə
káwlit] (plural what·cha·ma·call·its or what·cha·ma·call·um
[wòchəmə káwləm]) noun

something
whose name is not known: something whose name is
forgotten or is not known
[Early 20th century. From a
pronunciation of what you may call it .][1]



whatever

whatever
what·ev·er 
[wot évvər, hwot
évvər] CORE
MEANING:
a grammatical word used to refer to everything of a particular type, without
limitation • (pronoun)
Feel free to say whatever you like. • (adjective)
He lost whatever interest he may have had in it.

1.
pronoun adjective no matter what:
being the case in all circumstances • (pronoun)
She always seems to succeed, whatever she does. • (adjective)
Whatever problem you come up with they’ll deal with.

2.
pronoun emphatic “what”:
an emphatic form of “what” used to express an emotion such as surprise or
perplexity • Whatever
is the matter now?

3.
adverb of any kind: used
for emphasis • I
can see no reason whatever why you shouldn’t go.

4.
adverb expressing mild disagreement:
used to indicate that the speaker disagrees with what has just been said but is
not prepared to argue (informal) • OK,
if that’s what you think, whatever.
[14th
century]
or
whatever

used to refer generally to
something else of the same kind • any
tool such as a hoe, fork, or spade, or whatever[1]



what-if

what-if
what-if
(plural what-ifs) noun

possible future problem:
a problem, difficulty, or obstacle that could arise in the future and needs to
be considered or anticipated now (informal)[1]



whatness

whatness
what·ness
[wótnəss, hwótnəss]
noun

PHILOSOPHY See quiddity
[Early 17th century.
Translation of medieval Latin quidditas (source of English quiddity ), from Latin quid “what.”][1]



whatnot

whatnot
what·not 
[wót nòt, hwót
nòt] (plural what·nots) noun

1.  somebody
the same or similar: something of the same or a
similar kind

2.  FURNITURE set
of shelves:
a set of light shelves for displaying small ornamental items

3.  something
unimportant: something nondescript, trivial, or
unimportant
[Late 16th century. From what
not? Originally in the sense “everything.”][1]



whatshername

whatshername
whats·her·name
[wótsər nàym, hwótsər
nàym] pronoun

woman whose name is unknown:
a woman or girl whose name you have forgotten or do not know (informal)[1]



whatshisname

whatshisname
whats·his·name
[wótsiz nàym, hwótsiz
nàym] pronoun

man whose name is unknown:
a man or boy whose name has been forgotten or is not known (informal)[1]



whatsis

whatsis
what·sis
noun

(informal)
See whatsit
[Contraction and alteration
of what-is-it][1]



whatsit

whatsit
whats·it
[wótsit, hwótsit]
(plural whats·its) or whats·is [wótsiss, hwótsiss]
noun

thing
whose name is not known: something whose name you
have forgotten or do not know (informal)
[Contraction of what-is-it][1]



whatsitsname

whatsitsname
whats·its·name
[wótsits nàym, hwótsits
nàym] pronoun

something whose name is not
known: something whose name you
have forgotten or do not know (informal)[1]



whatsoever

whatsoever
what·so·ev·er 
[wòtsō évvər, hwòtsō
évvər] adverb

at
all:
used to emphasize a negative statement, after words such as “none,” “no one,”
and “anyone” • Did
you have any doubts? –None whatsoever.
pronoun
adjective

whatever:
whatever (archaic)
[13th century][1]



what’s

what’s
what’s
[wots, hwots]
contraction

1.  what
is

2.  what
has

3.  what
does

[1]



wheal

wheal
wheal 
[weel, hweel]
(plural wheals) noun
Also
called
weal
U.K.
term
weal

1.  red
mark:
a raised reddened area on the skin caused by a blow, scratch, or pressure

2.  MEDICINE itchy
swelling on skin: a temporary raised area on the skin,
often red and itchy, caused, for example, by a nettle or insect sting or by
exposure to an allergen
[Early 19th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of wale by
association with obsolete wheal “pustule, pimple” (from assumed Old
English hwele ).][1]



wheat

wheat

wheat 
[weet, hweet]
noun (plural wheats)

1.  grass
with edible grain: an annual grass, native to
southwestern Asia and the Mediterranean, some types of which are widely
cultivated in temperate regions for their edible grains. The numerous varieties
of cultivated wheat are based on three main species: bread wheat, durum or hard
wheat, and emmer. Genus: Triticum

2.  grain
harvested from the wheat plant: the grain harvested
from the wheat plant, which is ground into flour and used to make bread, pasta,
and other foods

3.  pale
yellow color: a pale yellow or light yellow color
adjective

pale yellow: pale
or light yellow in color
[Old English hwte,
literally “that which is white.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning
“white,” which also produced English white
; from the “white” flour produced from the grain.][1]



wheatbread

wheatbread
wheat
bread
(plural wheat breads) noun

bread made from white and
whole-wheat flour: a bread
that is made from a blend of white flour and whole-wheat flour[1]



wheatear

wheatear
wheat·ear 
[wt r, hwt r]
(plural wheat·ears) noun

thrush
with a white rump: a small thrush found in
North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, typically having a white rump and black
face. Genus: Oenanthe
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from wheatears, probably (by folk etymology from wheat + ear )
from assumed whiteeres, literally “(bird with a) white rump”.][1]



wheaten

wheaten
wheat·en 
[wt’n, hwt’n]
adjective

1.  FOOD made
from wheat:
made from or with wheat or milled wheat flour

2.  COLORS pale
yellow:
pale or light yellow in color
noun

COLORS pale
yellow color: a pale yellow or light yellow color
[Old English hwten][1]



wheatenterrier

wheatenterrier
wheat·en
ter·ri·er
(plural wheat·en ter·ri·ers) noun

terrier with a wheat-colored
coat: a terrier of a medium-sized
breed that has a soft, wavy, wheat-colored coat and a docked tail.
Also called
soft-coated wheaten terrier[1]



wheatgerm

wheatgerm
wheat
germ
noun

vitamin-rich wheat product:
the embryonic center of the wheat grain, rich in B vitamins, that is sold
milled finely and sometimes toasted for sprinkling over cereals or used in
cooking[1]



wheatgrass

wheatgrass
wheat·grass
[hwt gràss] noun

form of health drink:
wheat grains sprouted to a height of around 17 cm7 in., cut, and pulped to
produce a highly nutritious juice that is drunk in very small quantities[1]



Wheatley,Phillis

Wheatley,Phillis
Wheat·ley
[wtlee, hwtlee],
Phillis (1753?–1784)

African-born U.S. poet. Sold
into slavery to the Wheatley family as a child, she started writing poetry at
an early age and gained recognition in the United States and Britain for her neoclassical
verse. She is regarded as the first important African American poet.[1]



Wheaton

Wheaton
Whea·ton
[wtən, hwtən]

city in northeastern
Illinois, southwest of Addison. It is a western suburb of Chicago and home to
Wheaton College. Population: 54,173 (1996)[1]



wheatrust

wheatrust
wheat
rust
noun

1.  fungal
disease of wheat: a disease of wheat caused by various
fungi and marked by blackish, brownish, or yellowish streaks on the leaves and
stems

2.  fungus
causing wheat disease: a fungus that causes rust in
wheat

[1]



Wheatstonebridge

Wheatstonebridge
Wheat·stone
bridge 
[wt stn brìj, hwt
stn brìj] (plural Wheat·stone bridg·es) noun

device
for measuring unknown electrical resistance: a
device consisting of an electrical circuit, three known resistances, and a
galvanometer that is used for measuring an unknown resistance
[Late 19th century. Named for
its inventor, Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802–1875), an English physicist.][1]



wheatworm

wheatworm
wheat·worm 
[wt wùrm, hwt
wùrm] (plural wheat·worms or wheat·worm) noun

small parasite of wheat:
a small nematode worm that lives as a parasite on and is destructive to wheat.
Latin name: Anguina tritici[1]



whee

whee
whee 
[wee, hwee]
interjection

used
to express delight or excitement: used to express
exhilarating or unrestrained joy, pleasure, or excitement
[Early 20th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



wheedle

wheedle
whee·dle 
[wd’l, hwd’l]
(past whee·dled, past participle whee·dled, present
participle whee·dling, 3rd person present singular whee·dles)
verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb coax
somebody:
to coax or try to persuade somebody to do something using flattery, guile, or
other indirect means

2.  transitive
verb
obtain
something by wheedling: to obtain something from
somebody by coaxing, flattery, guile, or other indirect means of persuasion
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from German wedeln “to fawn, cringe,
wag the tail,” from Wedel “tail, fan,” or from Old English wædlian
“to beg.”]
—whee·dler,
noun

—whee·dling·ly, adverb[1]



wheel

wheel

wheel 
[weel, hweel]
noun (plural wheels)

1.  rotating
round part:
a ring or disk that revolves or is turned by a central shaft or pin, sometimes
having a central hub with radiating spokes attached to a circular rim (often
used in combination) • a
wagon wheel

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING round
machine part that turns another: a rotating circular
part of a mechanism, often with projections on the outer edge, used to turn
another part

3.  steering
wheel:
a steering wheel (informal)

4.  spinning
wheel:
a spinning wheel (informal)

5.  caster:
a small rotating or swiveling circular part fitted to the base of something
such as a piece of furniture or luggage to make it easier to move

6.  potter’s
wheel:
a potter’s wheel (informal)

7.  medieval
torture device: a medieval instrument of torture in the
form of a large wheel to which the victim was tied. The outstretched arms and
legs of the victim were usually broken with a metal bar.

8.  rotating
firework:
a flat round or coiled firework that spins as it burns (often used in
combination)

9.  wheel
of fortune:
an imaginary wheel said to be spun by fate

10. GAMBLING round
frame spun in gambling: a circular device that is
spun in games of chance such as roulette in order to determine who wins in a
random way

11. something
resembling a wheel: something that resembles a
wheel in shape, form, or function

12. turn:
a turn or revolution

13. movement
in a circle: a turning, spinning, pivoting, or
circular movement

14. MILITARY military
formation:
a military formation in which the inner unit remains in one place, as a pivot,
while the outer units change direction and make an arc around it. It is used in
marching performances by a troop of soldiers and displays by a fleet of ships.

15. MILITARY round
military cap: a round cap with a visor, worn by
members of the armed forces (slang)

16. POETRY set of
rhyming lines: a group of rhyming lines that end a
stanza of verse. They are usually shorter than the other lines and often occur
in a group of four.

17. bicycle:
a bicycle (informal)
plural noun wheels

1.  car:
a car, especially for personal use (slang)

2.  driving
force or workings: the system or influences
controlling the way something functions or operates • the
wheels of government
verb (past
wheeled, past participle wheeled, present participle
wheel·ing, 3rd person present singular wheels)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
on wheels:
to push something that has wheels or to roll along • wheeled
her bicycle up the steep hill

2.  transitive
verb
transport
somebody in a wheeled object: to move or carry somebody or
something in a conveyance with wheels such as a cart or wheelchair • wheeled
the patient out of the room

3.  transitive
verb
provide
something with wheels: to fit something with a
wheel or wheels

4.  intransitive
verb
turn
quickly:
to move quickly in a circle

5.  intransitive
verb
make
a circular movement: to do something with a
circular or curving movement • Her
arms wheeled frantically in the air as she tried to signal for help.

6.  intransitive
verb
move
smoothly:
to move smoothly and easily • He
wheeled through the gathering, making all his appointed stops.
[Old
English hwēol . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to go
around,” which is also the ancestor of English cycle
and encyclopedia .]
—wheel·less,
adjective
wheel and deal

to use complex and skillful,
sometimes slightly dishonest, negotiating techniques in order to secure
something[1]



wheeland axle

wheeland axle
wheel
and ax·le
noun

simple machine for lifting
weights: a simple machine, often used
to raise or lower loads, typically consisting of a cylindrical drum and wheel
mounted on the same axle with ropes wound around each. Depending on the
relative diameters of the drum and wheel, various levels of mechanical advantage
are achieved.[1]



wheelaround

wheelaround
wheel
around
intransitive verb

1.  turn
around quickly: to turn around quickly or suddenly

2.  change
a formerly firm opinion: to reverse or radically
change an opinion, position, or belief

[1]



wheelbarrow

wheelbarrow
wheel·bar·row 
[wl bèrrō, hwl
bèrrō] noun (plural wheel·bar·rows)

container
with a wheel and handles: a small cart used to
transport things, usually in the form of an open container with a single wheel
at the front and two handles at the back
transitive
verb
(past wheel·bar·rowed, past participle wheel·bar·rowed,
present participle wheel·bar·row·ing, 3rd person present
singular wheel·bar·rows)

move something in a
wheelbarrow: to move or transport
something in a wheelbarrow[1]



wheelbase

wheelbase
wheel·base 
[wl bàyss, hwl
bàyss] (plural wheel·bases) noun

distance between the front
and rear axles: the distance between
the front axle and the rear axle of a motor vehicle, usually measured in
inches. It determines how sharply the vehicle can turn in a given direction.[1]



wheelbug

wheelbug
wheel
bug
noun

large insect:
a large and powerful insect belonging to the assassin bug family that preys on
other insects and has an outgrowth on its back resembling a gear. Latin name: Arilus
cristatus[1]



wheelchair

wheelchair

wheel·chair
[wl chàir, hwl
chàir] (plural wheel·chairs) noun
chair on wheels:
a chair with two small wheels at the front and two large wheels at the sides,
used as a way of moving around by somebody who cannot walk. Wheelchairs may be
propelled by turning the large wheels, by somebody pushing from behind, or by a
small motor.[1]



wheelchairhousing

wheelchairhousing
wheel·chair
hous·ing
noun

homes for wheelchair users:
houses and apartments designed or adapted for people who use wheelchairs to
enable them to move around easily[1]



wheelclamp

wheelclamp
wheel
clamp
noun

U.K.
See Denver boot[1]



wheeled

wheeled
wheeled 
adjective

with wheels:
equipped with wheels or a particular number of wheels (often used in
combination) • a
three wheeled vehicle[1]



wheeler

wheeler
wheel·er 
[wlər, hwlər]
(plural wheel·ers) noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE wheeled
vehicle:
a vehicle that has a particular number of wheels (used in combination) • an
eighteen-wheeler

2.  somebody
who wheels:
somebody or something that wheels or pushes something with wheels

3.  wheelmaker
or repairer: somebody who makes or repairs wheels,
especially the wheels of carriages or wagons used in former times

[1]



wheeler-dealer

wheeler-dealer
wheel·er-deal·er 
(plural wheel·er-deal·ers) noun

skilled but possibly
dishonest operator: somebody
who uses complex and skillful and perhaps slightly dishonest negotiating
techniques to obtain what he or she wants, especially in business or politics (informal)[1]



wheelhorse

wheelhorse
wheel
horse
noun

steady and reliable worker:
a steady, diligent, and reliable worker, especially in a political organization[1]



wheelhouse

wheelhouse
wheel·house 
[wl hòwss, hwl
hòwss] (plural wheel·houses [wl
hòwzəz, hwl hòwzəz]) noun

NAUTICAL
See pilothouse[1]



wheelie

wheelie
wheel·ie 
[wlee, hwlee]
(plural wheel·ies) noun

bike rider’s stunt on one
wheel: a maneuver performed on a
moving or stationary bicycle or motorcycle in which the rider raises the front
wheel off the ground and balances on the back wheel[1]



wheelin

wheelin
wheel
in
intransitive verb

enter quickly:
to approach or enter a place quickly and confidently (informal)[1]



Wheeling

Wheeling
Wheel·ing 
[wling, hwling]

city in northern West
Virginia, on the Ohio border, south of Weirton. Population: 33,311 (1996)[1]



wheellock

wheellock
wheel
lock
noun

gunlock used in obsolete
guns: in some old firearms, a
firing mechanism in which a steel spring-wound wheel strikes sparks from a
piece of iron pyrites[1]



wheelman

wheelman
wheel·man 
[wlmən, hwlmən]
(plural wheel·men [wlzmən, hwlzmən]) or wheels·man [hwlzmən] (plural wheels·men) noun

1.  driver
of vehicle:
somebody who drives a car or other motor vehicle, especially for a criminal
activity

2.  bicycle
or motorcycle rider: somebody who rides a
motorcycle or bicycle

3.  NAUTICAL See helmsman
[Mid-19th century][1]



wheelof fortune

wheelof fortune
wheel
of for·tune
or Wheel of For·tune noun

wheel spun by fate:
a revolving wheel said to determine random changes in the course of somebody’s
life, used as a symbol of the inconstancy of fortune[1]



wheelout

wheelout
wheel
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
bring
somebody or something forward: to present somebody or
use something readily or repeatedly

2.  intransitive
verb
leave
quickly:
to leave a place quickly (informal)

[1]



wheelsman

wheelsman
wheels·man 
noun

NAUTICAL
See helmsman[1]



wheel-thrown

wheel-thrown
wheel-thrown
adjective

made on a potter’s wheel:
made by being turned on a potter’s wheel[1]



wheelwork

wheelwork
wheel·work 
[wl wùrk, hwl
wùrk] noun

arrangement of wheels in a
machine: an arrangement of
interlocking wheels or gears within a machine or other device, for example, the
gear train in a mechanical timepiece[1]



wheelwright

wheelwright
wheel·wright 
[wl rt, hwl
rt] (plural wheel·wrights) noun

maker or repairer of wheels:
somebody who makes or repairs wheels, especially the wheels of carriages and
wagons[1]



wheesh

wheesh
wheesh
[weesh, hweesh]
or wheesht [weesht, hweesht] interjection

Scotland
call
for silence: used to command a person or a group to
be silent (informal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wheeshed,
past participle wheeshed, present participle wheesh·ing,
3rd person present singular wheeshes) (past wheeshted,
past participle wheeshted, present participle wheesht·ing,
3rd person present singular wheeshts)

Scotland
be
silent:
to silence somebody or something, or become or remain silent
noun

Scotland
silence:
the state or condition of making no noise (informal)
[Imitative of the sound of
hushing somebody][1]



wheeze

wheeze

wheeze 
[weez, hweez]
verb (past wheezed, past participle wheezed,
present participle wheez·ing, 3rd person present singular wheez·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
breathe
with a hoarse whistling sound: to breathe with an
audible whistling sound and with difficulty, usually because of a respiratory
disorder such as asthma

2.  transitive
verb
say
something with a noisy whistling sound: to
say or express something while breathing noisily and with difficulty

3.  intransitive
verb
make
a whistling or puffing sound: to make a noisy whistling or
puffing sound that resembles wheezing • The
old locomotive wheezed and puffed up the steep slope.
noun (plural
wheez·es)

1.  noisy
breathing sound: noisy and difficult breathing, or the
hoarse whistling sound of this

2.  often
repeated joke: a hackneyed story, joke, or saying (informal)
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa “to hiss.”
Ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—wheez·er,
noun

—wheez·i·ly,
adverb

—wheez·i·ness,
noun

—wheez·y, adjective[1]



whelk

whelk1

whelk1 [welk,
hwelk] (plural whelk or
whelks) noun
marine
mollusk:
a predatory marine gastropod mollusk with a conical spiraling shell. Some kinds
of whelk are edible. Family: Buccinidae
[Old English weoloc,
altered perhaps by association with whelk 2][1]



whelk

whelk2
whelk2 [welk,
hwelk] (plural whelks) noun

inflamed
swelling:
a raised spot or mark on the skin such as a pimple, boil, or wheal
[Old
English hwylca “pustule, tumor”]
—whelk·y, adjective[1]



whelm

whelm
whelm 
[welm, hwelm]
(past whelmed, past participle whelmed, present
participle whelm·ing, 3rd person present singular whelms)
transitive verb (literary)

1.  cover
with water:
to engulf or submerge something in water

2.  overwhelm:
to overpower or overburden somebody or something
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of Old English āhwylfan “to cover
over, submerge,” influenced by helmian “to cover.”][1]



whelp

whelp
whelp 
[welp, hwelp]
noun (plural whelps)

1.  young
animal:
a young animal, especially the young of carnivorous mammals such as wolves,
lions, bears, and dogs

2.  rude
young man:
a boy or young man regarded as showing inappropriate boldness or lack of
deference (insult)

3.  child:
a child or young person

4.  NAUTICAL ridge
on capstan or windlass: a projection on the barrel
of a capstan or windlass

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING tooth
on a wheel:
a tooth on a sprocket wheel
intransitive
and transitive verb (past whelped,
past participle whelped, present participle whelp·ing,
3rd person present singular whelps)

bear young: to
give birth to young (refers to animals, especially carnivores)
[Old English hwelp, of
prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



when

when
when
[wen, hwen]
(plural whens) CORE MEANING:
an adverb used to ask at what time or at what point things happen • When
can we expect you? • When
should you use your rearview mirror?

1.
conjunction while:
at or during the time that • When I
was a child, I lived in the country.

2.
conjunction as soon as:
as soon as somebody does something or something happens • Call
me when you get home.

3.
conjunction at some point:
at some point during an activity, event, or circumstance • We
got him when he was still a pup.

4.
conjunction each time:
each time something happens • When
it thunders the whole house shakes.

5.
conjunction if:
considering the fact that • Why
walk when you can ride?

6.
conjunction although:
in spite of the fact that • They
think I’m really easygoing, when in fact I’m not.

7.
adverb at or during which time:
used to indicate a time at or during which something happens • He
remembered a time when he could run a mile without any difficulty.

8.
noun unspecified
time period: used to refer to the time that something
happened or will happen (often used in the plural) • We’re
having trouble determining the whens and hows of the thing.
[Old
English hwonne, hwænne . Ultimately from an Indo-European base
that is also the ancestor of Latin quando (source of English quandary ).]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at if.

[1]



whenas

whenas
when·as 
[wen áz, hwen áz]
conjunction (archaic)

1.  whenever:
at such time as

2.  while:
at or during the time that

3.  although:
in spite of the fact that

[1]



whence

whence
whence 
[wenss, hwenss]
adverb

from
where:
from what place or source (formal) • Can
we know whence comes this good luck?
pronoun

which
place:
the place or thing previously referred to (formal) • that
envy whence comes hate
conjunction

as
a result:
from which cause or origin (formal) • You
have treated her badly, whence her anger.
[13th
century. From earlier whennes, literally “of or from when.”]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  whence
  or from whence ?
  Both
  uses now sound old-fashioned or literary in tone, but from whence, as an
  attempt to bring it up to date, fits rather better in the structures of
  modern English. In everyday English, however, the word can normally be
  avoided altogether: • They
  did not know from whence they came can
  easily be recast as • They
  did not know where they came from.

[1]



whencesoever

whencesoever
whence·so·ev·er 
[hwènssō évvər, wènsō
évvər] adverb conjunction

from whatever origin:
from whatever cause, origin, or source (archaic) • accept
the gifts whencesoever they come[1]



whenever

whenever
when·ev·er 
[wen évvər, hwen
évvər] conjunction

1.  at
any time:
at whatever time • Whenever you need me
I’ll be there.

2.  each
and every time: at every time or occurrence • Whenever
you’re around, the dog growls.
adverb
when·ev·er when ev·er

when: used
as an intensive form of “when” (informal) • When
ever will you learn?

[1]



whene’er

whene’er
when·e’er
[wen áir, hwen
áir] adverb conjunction

whenever:
whenever (literary)[1]



whensoever

whensoever
when·so·ev·er 
[w`ènssō évvər, hwènssō
évvər] adverb conjunction

whenever:
used as an intensive form of “whenever”[1]



whenua

whenua
whe·nu·a
[fénnoo ə] noun

New
Zealand
land:
land
[From Maori][1]



where

where
where 
[wair, hwair]
(plural wheres) CORE MEANING:
an adverb used to ask a question about the place somebody or something is in,
at, coming from, or going to • Where
are my keys? • Where
are you going? • Guess
where I’ve been. –Where?

1.
adverb in or to a place:
used to indicate the place in which something is located or happens • I
want to live where it’s warm. • Nobody
really knew where she had gone. • They
went to the beach, where they spent the afternoon.

2.
adverb what purpose: used
to ask questions about the purpose or goal of something • Where
will all your hard work get you?

3.
adverb in any situation:
in any situation in which • Where
there’s life, there’s hope. • They’re
at a stage where they can now talk about their problems.

4.
noun unknown
place:
used to refer to an unspecified place or event (usually used in the plural)
• Let
us know the wheres and whens of your itinerary.
[Old English hwær, hwar
. Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the ancestor of English who, when,
and why .][1]



whereabouts

whereabouts
where·a·bouts 
[wáir ə bòwts, hwáir
ə bòwts] adverb

in
what place:
in, at, or near what location • Do you
know whereabouts the hotel is? • I’ve
forgotten whereabouts I parked the car.
noun

location of somebody or
something: the approximate place where
somebody or something is • Could
you give us any information regarding the whereabouts of your brother?[1]



whereafter

whereafter
where·af·ter
[wair áftər, hwair
áftər] adverb

after which:
after which time or event (formal) • She
left, whereafter he also departed.[1]



whereas

whereas
where·as 
[wair áz, hwair
áz] (plural where·as·es) conjunction

1.  while
in contrast: while on the other hand • She
was saving money, whereas you were living in the fast lane.

2.  because:
for the reason that (formal) • Whereas
you’ve proven your worth, you’re welcome to join the team.

3.  connecting
series:
used to introduce each clause in a series (formal)

[1]



whereat

whereat
where·at 
[wair át, hwair
át] adverb

to
or at which place: toward or at which place (archaic)
conjunction

because of which:
because or as a consequence of which (archaic)[1]



whereby

whereby
where·by 
[wair b, hwair
b] adverb

by means of which:
by means of or through which • the
invention whereby he made his millions[1]



wherefore

wherefore
where·fore 
[wáir fàwr, hwáir
fàwr] noun (plural where·fores)

reason: a
reason or purpose for something • I
don’t want to know the whys or the wherefores of your decision.
adverb
(archaic)

1.  therefore:
for the foregoing reason

2.  for
what reason: for what reason or purpose

[1]



wherefrom

wherefrom
where·from 
[wair fróm, hwair
fróm] adverb

from what place:
from what place or origin (archaic) • Do
we know wherefrom this stranger comes?[1]



wherein

wherein
where·in 
[wair ín, hwair
ín] adverb (archaic)

1.  how:
in what particular way or respect • Wherein
did I misspeak myself?

2.  where:
in which particular place • the
country wherein they dwelled

3.  during
which:
during the time which • the
years wherein we were ignorant and happy

[1]



whereinto

whereinto
where·in·to 
[wair íntoo, hwair
íntoo] adverb

into which:
into which place or thing (archaic)[1]



whereof

whereof
where·of 
[wair óv, hwair
óv] adverb

of what thing or person:
of or about what thing or person (formal or archaic) • Do
you know whereof you speak?[1]



whereon

whereon
where·on 
[wair ón, hwair
ón] adverb

where:
on which thing or place (archaic or formal) • the
couch whereon she lay[1]



wheresoever

wheresoever
where·so·ev·er 
[wàirssō évvər, hwàirssō
évvər] adverb conjunction

wherever:
used as an emphatic form of “wherever” (archaic)[1]



whereto

whereto
where·to 
[wair t, hwair
t] or where·un·to [wair úntoo,
hwair úntoo] adverb

to which:
where or to which (archaic formal) • the
place whereto you’ve brought me[1]



whereupon

whereupon
where·up·on 
[wáirə pòn, hwàirə
pòn] conjunction

at
which point: at which time or as a result of (formal)
• The
rain began to come down hard, whereupon we ran for the house.
adverb

on which:
on or upon which (archaic or formal) • the
pillow whereupon she laid her head[1]



wherever

wherever
wher·ev·er 
[wair évvər, hwair
évvər] adverb

1.  to
any place:
in, at, or to any place • I’ll
go wherever you go.

2.  no
matter where: at or in an indefinite place • I’ll
sleep on the couch, the floor, wherever.

3.  at
an unknown place: to, in, or at an unknown or unidentified
place or position

4.  wher·ev·er
or where ev·er where indeed:
used as an emphatic form of where • Wherever
have my glasses gone?
conjunction

every time or place that:
on every occasion or in every place that • Take
exercise wherever possible. • I
crossed the fields wherever there was a gate.

[1]



wherewith

wherewith
where·with 
[wair wí, hwair
wí] adverb

with which:
with or by means of which (archaic) • the
tool wherewith the deed was done[1]



wherewithal

wherewithal
where·with·al 
[wáirwi òl, hwáirwi
òl, hwáirwi thòl] noun

necessary means:
the money or resources required for a purpose[1]



where’er

where’er
where’er
[wair áir, hwair
áir] adverb

wherever:
wherever (literary)[1]



wherry

wherry
wher·ry 
[wérree, hwérree]
(plural wher·ries) noun

1.  light
rowboat:
a small light rowboat used in inland waters

2.  English
commercial barge: a small barge, once used for commercial
purposes in parts of England, now used largely for pleasure cruises
[15th
century. Origin unknown.]
—wher·ry·man, noun[1]



whet

whet
whet 
[wet, hwet]
transitive verb (past whet·ted, past participle whet·ted,
present participle whet·ting, 3rd person present singular whets)

1.  stimulate
something:
to make a feeling, sense, or desire more keen or intense • The
thought of easy money whetted my enthusiasm for the undertaking.

2.  sharpen
a tool or weapon: to sharpen the cutting edge or blade of
a tool or weapon, usually by rubbing it on a stone
noun
(plural whets)

1.  sharpening
or intensifying: an act of sharpening, intensifying, or
stimulating something

2.  sharpening
block:
something that sharpens a cutting edge

3.  something
that whets the senses: something that stimulates a
feeling, sense, or desire, especially a small amount that makes somebody want
more (informal)
[Old
English hwettan “to sharpen.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic
word meaning “sharp.”]
—whet·ter, noun[1]



whether

whether
wheth·er 
[wéər, hwéər]
conjunction

1.  introduces
alternatives: used to indicate alternatives in an
indirect question or a clause following a verb that expresses or implies doubt
or the possibility of choice • We
should try to meet them whether it’s raining or not.

2.  introduces
an indirect question: used to introduce an
indirect question • I wonder whether it’s
worth the effort.

3.  either:
used to introduce doubt regarding two equal possibilities • She
said she’d get here whether by car or by train.
[Old
English hwæþer, hweþer . Ultimately from an Indo-European word
that is also the ancestor of English where
and other .]
whether
or no

whatever the circumstances
might be[1]



whetstone

whetstone
whet·stone 
[wét stn, hwét
stn] (plural whet·stones) noun

stone
for sharpening a tool or weapon: a stone used to
sharpen the cutting edge or blade of a tool or weapon by rubbing
[Old English hwetstān][1]



whew

whew
whew 
[fyoo, hyoo]
interjection

whistling
exclamation: used to express great relief, surprise,
or discomfort
[15th century. An imitation
of the sound.][1]



whey

whey
whey 
[way, hway]
noun

watery
part of curdled milk: the watery liquid that
separates from the solid part of milk when it turns sour or when enzymes are
added in cheesemaking
[Old
English hwæg, hweg, of prehistoric Germanic origin]
—whey·ey, adjective[1]



wheyface

wheyface
whey·face 
[wáy fàyss, hwáy
fàyss] (plural whey·fac·es) noun

1.  pale
face:
a very pale face (informal)

2.  somebody
with very pale face: somebody whose face is
regarded as too pale (insult)
—whey·faced, adjective[1]



whf.

whf.
whf.

Abbreviation of
wharf[1]



which

which
which 
[wich, hwich]
CORE
MEANING:
used to ask for something to be identified from a known larger group or range
of possibilities • (adjective) Which part
of it don’t you understand? • (pronoun)
Which would you like? • (pronoun)
Which of the colors do you prefer? • (pronoun)
At which stage do we start to cut our losses?

1.
pronoun introduces a relative clause:
used to introduce a clause that provides additional information about something
previously mentioned • The
cabin, which we bought last spring, sits high on the dunes.
• A
success for which she is to be congratulated.

2.
pronoun that: used
to introduce a relative clause that provides necessary information about its
antecedent • Please
return the money which I loaned to you.

3.
pronoun refers back to a phrase or sentence:
used to refer back to an entire verb phrase or sentence • Swimming
after eating, which I’ve told you not to do, can be very dangerous.

4.
adjective pronoun one from known set:
one of a range of things or possibilities specified or implied by the immediate
context • (adjective)
I can’t decide which activity would be the most fun.
• (pronoun)
He decided which to buy and paid the money.

5.
adjective pronoun indicates choice:
used to indicate one or any number of things • (adjective)
Use which method best suits you. • (pronoun)
Take which you prefer.
[Old
English hwilc, literally “of what form, like what.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English like and such
.]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at that.

[1]



whichever

whichever
which·ev·er 
[wich évvər, hwich
évvər] adjective pronoun

no matter which:
used to refer to any one or any number of items in a class • (adjective)
Whichever job you take, starting out will be hard.
• (pronoun)
I’ll buy whichever you think best.[1]



whichsoever

whichsoever
which·so·ev·er 
[wìchsō évvər, hwìchsō
évvər] pronoun adjective

whichever:
whichever (archaic)[1]



whicker

whicker
whick·er 
[wíkər, hwíkər]
(past whick·ered, past participle whick·ered, present
participle whick·er·ing, 3rd person present singular whick·ers)
intransitive verb

whinny:
to neigh softly
[Mid-17th
century. An imitiation of the sound.]
—whick·er, noun[1]



whidah

whidah
whid·ah 
noun

BIRDS
See whydah[1]



whiff

whiff
whiff 
[wif, hwif]
noun (plural whiffs)

1.  slight
or brief odor: a faint smell of something, pleasant or
unpleasant, often perceived briefly • a
whiff of disinfectant

2.  trace
of something: a slight sign or trace of something • a
whiff of corruption

3.  gentle
gust or puff: a short light gust, puff, or breath of
wind

4.  sniff
of something: a sniff, smell, or brief inhalation of
something • took
one whiff of the concoction and started coughing

5.  U.K.
NAUTICAL small
skiff:
a narrow skiff for one rower

6.  BASEBALL strikeout:
an instance of swinging at and missing the third strike in a turn at bat

7.  GOLF complete
miss:
a swing that completely misses the golf ball
verb
(past whiffed, past participle whiffed, present
participle whiff·ing, 3rd person present singular whiffs)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb waft
or puff:
to come or send something in short light gusts or puffs • The
smoke whiffed and curled around the room.

2.  transitive
verb
sniff
something:
to sniff, smell, or inhale something • The
hyena whiffed the night air for predators.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb BASEBALL strike out:
to strike out a batter or to strike out • That
pitcher whiffed all the batters this inning.

4.  intransitive
verb
GOLF fail
to hit a ball: to swing at and miss a ball completely
[Late
16th century. Thought to suggest a light puff of wind that carries a smell.]
—whiff·er, noun[1]



whiffle

whiffle
whif·fle 
[wíff’l, hwíff’l]
(past whif·fled, past participle whif·fled, present
participle whif·fling, 3rd person present singular whif·fles)
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
behave
erratically: to be indecisive or unpredictable in
thought or action

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb blow
gently:
to blow or move in short light variable gusts or puffs, or to blow or move
something in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
whistle:
to whistle softly
[Late 17th century. Formed
from whiff .][1]



whiffler

whiffler
whif·fler 
[wíflər, hwíflər]
(plural whif·flers) noun

indecisive person:
somebody who vacillates or is evasive[1]



whiffletree

whiffletree
whif·fle·tree 
[wíff’l tr, hwíff’l
tr] (plural whif·fle·trees) noun

Northeastern
U.S.
crossbar
for an animal’s harness traces: a horizontal crossbar
used to attach the harness traces of a draft animal that is then attached to a
vehicle or device.
Also
called
whippletree
Also
called
singletree
U.K.
term
swingletree
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
whippletree .][1]



Whig

Whig
Whig 
[wig, hwig]
(plural Whigs) noun

1.  member
of 19C U.S. political party: a member of a 19th-century
U.S. political party that favored loose interpretation of the Constitution and
opposed the Democratic Party

2.  supporter
of the Revolution against British control:
somebody who supported the American side against the British in the American
Revolution

3.  U.K.
member
of a former British political party: a
member of a reforming English political party that supported the aristocracy
and later the business community, finally becoming the core of the Liberal
Party

4.  U.K.
conservative
in the British Liberal Party: a conservative member of the
Liberal Party in the United Kingdom

5.  U.K.
supporter
of free enterprise: somebody who opposes
government regulation of commerce and the economy

6.  Scotland
Scottish
Presbyterian: a 17th-century Presbyterian in Scotland
[Mid-17th
century. Shortening of obsolete Scots dialect whiggamaire, literally
“horse driver.”]
—Whig·ger·y,
noun

—Whig·gish,
adjective

—Whig·gism,
noun

—Whig·gish·ly,
adverb

—Whig·gish·ness,
noun





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  Scots word Whig seems originally to have
  been used as a contemptuous term for a country dweller, but by the middle of
  the 17th century it was being applied to Presbyterian supporters in Scotland.
  It was later adopted as a name for those who opposed the succession of the Roman
  Catholic King James II of England, and by 1689 it had established itself as
  the title of one of the two main British political parties, opposed to the
  Tories.

[1]



while

while
while 
[wīl, hwīl]
conjunction

1.  at
or during same time: at or during the same time
that • We
can talk while I fix supper.

2.  even
though:
in spite of the fact that • While
I admire your tenacity, I cannot support your aims.

3.  but
in contrast: and on the contrary • An
older car would be cheaper to buy while a newer one might be more reliable.
noun

period of time:
a period of time or some interval • It’s
been a while since I saw her.
[Old
English hwīl “period of time.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “rest, period of rest,” which is also the ancestor of English tranquil and quiet
.]
once
in a while

very
occasionally

worth
(somebody’s) while

1.  deserving
somebody’s time, money, or support

2.  rewarding
in terms of money or advantage

[1]



whileaway

whileaway
while
away
transitive verb

pass time idly:
to pass time in an idle, leisurely, and usually pleasant way[1]



whiles

whiles
whiles 
[wīlz, hwīlz]
conjunction

while:
while (archaic)[1]



whilom

whilom
whi·lom 
[hwləm] adverb

formerly:
at or during some past time (archaic)
adjective

former:
having been at an earlier time (archaic)
[Old English hwīlom, a
form of whīl (see while )][1]



whim

whim
whim 
[wim, hwim]
(plural whims) noun

1.  passing
impulse:
a sudden thought, idea, or desire, especially one based on impulse rather than
reason or necessity

2.  MINING horse-drawn
winch:
a winch used to lift ore or water from a mine, drawn by a horse
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a shortening of whimsy or
whim-wham . The main modern meaning evolved
from “pun” via “quaint idea.”][1]



whimbrel

whimbrel
whim·brel 
[wímbrəl, hwímbrəl]
(plural whim·brel or whim·brels) noun

bird
with a downward curving bill: a large shore bird that has
a long downward curving bill and breeds in the Arctic. It is related to but
smaller than the curlew. Latin name: Numenius phaeopus
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: formed from obsolete dialect whimp “to whimper” (with reference
to the bird’s cry), or from whimper .][1]



whimper

whimper
whim·per 
[wímpər, hwímpər]
verb (past whim·pered, past participle whim·pered,
present participle whim·per·ing, 3rd person present singular
whim·pers)

1.  intransitive
verb
sob
softly:
to make repeated weak plaintive crying or whining sounds of pain, distress, or
fear

2.  intransitive
verb
complain
peevishly:
to complain in a weak, whining, or irritated manner

3.  transitive
verb
say
something plaintively: to say something in a
plaintive or whining voice
noun
(plural whim·pers)

1.  whine:
a weak plaintive cry or whine

2.  complaint:
a feeble or peevish complaint
[Early
16th century. Formed from earlier whimp “to whimper,” of imitative
origin.]
—whim·per·ing·ly, adverb[1]



whimsical

whimsical
whim·si·cal 
[wímzik’l, hwímzik’l]
adjective

1.  fanciful:
imaginative and impulsive

2.  amusing:
slightly odd, old-fashioned, or playful, especially in an endearing way • He
gave me that whimsical smile of his.

3.  erratic
or unpredictable: behaving in such a way as to be
impossible to predict • She
distrusted his whimsical nature.
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from whimsy .]
—whim·si·cal·i·ty
[wìmzi kállətee, hwìmzi
kállətee], noun

—whim·si·cal·ly,
adverb

—whim·si·cal·ness, noun[1]



whimsy

whimsy
whim·sy 
[wímzee, hwímzee]
(plural whim·sies) or whim·sey [wímzee, hwímzee]
(plural whim·seys, comparative whim·si·er, superlative
whim·si·est) noun

1.  endearing
quaintness or oddity: the quality of being quaint,
odd, or playfully humorous, especially in an endearing way • There’s
a touch of whimsy about the old cottage.

2.  impulsive
notion:
an idea that has no immediately obvious reason to exist • We
can’t always be catering to their whimsies.
[Early 17th century. Origin
uncertain: probably based on whim-wham,
perhaps modeled on words like dropsy .][1]



whim-wham

whim-wham
whim-wham
(plural whim-whams) noun

strange
object:
a quaint, odd, or fanciful object such as an ornament, toy, or device (archaic)
• some
whim-wham he bought somewhere
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
thought to suggest something frivolous][1]



whin

whin2
whin2 [win,
hwin] (plural whins) noun

See
whinstone[1]



whin

whin1
whin1  [win,
hwin] (plural whin or whins)
noun

See
gorse
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian word related to Old Danish hvinegræs,
literally “rough grass.”][1]



whinchat

whinchat
whin·chat 
[wín chàt, hwín
chàt] (plural whin·chat or whin·chats) noun

Eurasian
songbird:
a small songbird of the thrush family, native to Asia and Europe, that has
mottled brown and white plumage and a streaky reddish brown breast. It is found
in meadows. Latin name: Saxicola rubetra
[Late 17th century. From whin 2 + chat “warbler.”][1]



whine

whine
whine 
[wīn, hwīn]
verb (past whined, past participle whined, present
participle whin·ing, 3rd person present singular whines)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a high sorrowful sound: to cry, moan, or plead with
a long, plaintive, high-pitched sound

2.  intransitive
verb
grumble
peevishly:
to complain or protest about something, often in an annoyingly plaintive voice

3.  transitive
verb
utter
something in a whining voice: to say something in a
plaintive high-pitched voice

4.  intransitive
verb
make
a high-pitched sound: to make a continuous
high-pitched sound • The wind whined and
moaned through the trees.
noun
(plural whines)

1.  high-pitched
cry:
a long, plaintive, high-pitched cry

2.  peevish
complaint:
a complaint or protest, especially one made repeatedly in a whining voice

3.  continuous
high-pitched sound: a long or continuous
high-pitched sound • The whine of the jet
engines woke me up.
[Old
English hwīnan “(of an arrow) to whistle through the air.” Ultimately of
imitative origin.]
—whin·er,
noun

—whin·ing·ly,
adverb

—whin·y,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at complain

[1]



whinge

whinge
whinge 
[winj, hwinj]
(past whinged, past participle whinged, present
participle whinge·ing, 3rd person present singular whing·es,
plural whing·es) intransitive verb

U.K.,
Australia grumble peevishly:
to complain annoyingly or continuously about something perceived as relatively
unimportant (informal)
[Old
English hwinsian “to whine.” Ultimately an imitation of the sound of a
whining dog.]
—whing·er, noun[1]



whingeingPom

whingeingPom
whinge·ing
Pom
[wìnjing póm, hwìnjing
póm] (plural whinge·ing Poms) noun

Australia
English person:
an English person, especially one perceived as constantly complaining,
particularly about life in Australia (insult)[1]



whinny

whinny

whin·ny 
[wínnee, hwínnee]
verb (past whin·nied, past participle whin·nied,
present participle whin·ny·ing, 3rd person present singular
whin·nies)

1.  intransitive
verb
neigh:
to neigh softly

2.  intransitive
verb
make
a neighing sound: to make a neighing sound, especially
when laughing

3.  transitive
verb
utter
with a neighing sound: to say or express something
with a neighing sound
noun (plural
whin·nies)

neighing sound:
a soft neigh or neighing sound
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whinstone

whinstone
whin·stone 
[wín stn, hwín
stn] noun

hard
fine-grained rock: a hard, dark, fine-grained
rock such as basalt or chert.
Also
called
whin
[Early 16th century. From whin 2 + stone .][1]



whip

whip
whip 
[wip, hwip]
verb (past whipped, past participle whipped,
present participle whip·ping, 3rd person present singular whips)

1.  transitive
verb
lash
somebody or something: to strike a person or animal
repeatedly with a flexible rod, length of rope, thin strip of leather attached
to a handle, or something similar, especially as a punishment

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike
against something sharply: to strike something or
somebody very hard, sharply, or repeatedly • The
icy rain whipped our faces.

3.  transitive
verb
criticize
somebody severely: to criticize or reproach
somebody very strongly or severely

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
rapidly:
to move very quickly, forcefully, or suddenly, or to make something move in
this way • She
whipped around guiltily as I came in.

5.  transitive
verb
move
something with rapid action: to move, remove, or produce
something very quickly, suddenly, or forcefully

6.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to defeat, overcome, or outdo somebody (informal)

7.  transitive
verb
COOKING beat
liquid until stiff: to make a food substance
such as batter or whipping cream stiff and creamy by adding air to it with
short quick movements using a fork, whisk, or electric beater

8.  transitive
verb
bind
the end of a rope: to wind thread, cord, or
twine around the end of a rope or cable to keep it from fraying or raveling

9.  transitive
verb
NAUTICAL lift
something by a rope and pulley: to lift something by
means of a device consisting of a rope passed through a single pulley

10. transitive
verb
SEWING sew
something in whipstitch: to sew the edge of a piece
of fabric using whipstitch
noun
(plural whips)

1.  instrument
for inflicting pain: a flexible rod, a length of
rope, or a thin strip of leather attached to a handle, used to strike people or
animals

2.  lashing
stroke or blow: a stroke or blow with a whip or
something similar • a whip across the face

3.  something
resembling a whip: something that resembles a
whip in form, motion, or flexibility

4.  somebody
who uses a whip: somebody who is experienced or skilled
in the use of a whip, for example, the driver of a horse-drawn carriage

5.  POLITICS somebody
in charge of party discipline: an elected
representative in a legislative body such as Congress or the U.K. Parliament
who has special responsibility for ensuring discipline and attendance among his
or her party’s representatives

6.  POLITICS call
for party solidarity: a call issued to a party’s
elected legislators to ensure they attend for an important vote and vote the
party line

7.  FOOD sweet
dish:
a light creamy dessert made from whipped cream with added sweetening and
flavoring

8.  NAUTICAL hoisting
apparatus:
a device that consists of a rope, a pulley, and a snatch block, used to raise
heavy cargo

9.  MUSIC flexible
percussion instrument: a percussion instrument with
two flexible strips of wood attached in the shape of a V that make a loud
clapping sound when they are waved in the air

10. HUNTING See whipper-in

11. windmill
vane:
a sail or arm of a windmill

12. fairground
amusement:
a ride at an amusement park with small cars that travel with sudden rapid
jerking movements around a track

13. WRESTLING wrestling
throw:
in wrestling, a throw in which an opponent is seized by an outstretched arm and
thrown to the floor

14. long
flexible branch: a long, slender, flexible branch of some
trees such as some willows • furniture
made of willow whips
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch wippen
“to swing,” from, ultimately, a prehistoric Germanic base meaning “to move
quickly” (ancestor also of English wipe
).]
crack
the whip

a children’s game in which
they join hands in a line and pull each other around sharply[1]



whipcord

whipcord
whip·cord 
[wíp kàwrd, hwíp
kàwrd] noun

1.  strong
fabric:
a strong cotton or woolen fabric woven with diagonal ribs

2.  cord
used to make a whip: a tough twisted cord used
for the flexible part of a whip

[1]



whipgraft

whipgraft
whip
graft
noun

plant grafting method:
a way of grafting two plants by inserting the cut end of a scion into a similar
cut in a rootstock and tying them securely together until they join[1]



whiphand

whiphand
whip
hand
noun

1.  most
powerful position: the most powerful or
advantageous position in a particular situation • She
has the whip hand.

2.  hand
holding a whip: a hand that holds a whip, especially one
used to drive horses

[1]



whipin

whipin
whip
in
transitive verb

POLITICS
make party members conform:
to keep the members of a political party in line with the party’s aims[1]



whiplash

whiplash
whip·lash 
[wíp làsh, hwíp
làsh] (plural whip·lash·es) noun

1.  flexible
part of a whip: the flexible part of a whip

2.  MEDICINE injury
to the neck: an injury to the muscles, ligaments,
vertebrae, or nerves of the neck caused when the head is suddenly thrown
forward and then sharply back

3.  lashing
stroke or blow: a stroke or blow from a whip, or
something that resembles this in motion, speed, or force

[1]



whipper-in

whipper-in
whip·per-in 
[wìppər ín, hwìppər
ín] (plural whip·pers-in) noun

POLITICS
See whip  noun 5[1]



whippersnapper

whippersnapper
whip·per·snap·per 
[wíppər snàppər, hwíppər
snàppər] (plural whip·per·snap·pers) noun

somebody
insignificant and outspoken: somebody who is impudent and
unimportant, especially a young person (dated)
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from whip + snapper, modeled on earlier snipper-snapper
“somebody who cracks whips.”][1]



whippersnipper

whippersnipper
whip·per
snip·per
[wíppər snìppər, hwippər
snìppər] noun

Australia
machine that trims lawns:
a machine for trimming the edges of lawns[1]



whippet

whippet
whip·pet 
[wíppət, hwíppət]
(plural whip·pets) noun

fast
slender dog bred for racing: a fast slender short-haired
dog of a breed that resembles but is smaller than a greyhound. They are bred in
the British Isles for racing.
[Mid-16th century. Formed
from whip in the sense “to move quickly.”][1]



whipping

whipping
whip·ping 
[wípping, hwípping]
(plural whip·pings) noun

1.  punishment:
a beating, spanking, or flogging with a whip or something similar

2.  cord
binding:
thread, cord, or twine wound around the end of a rope or cable to keep it from
fraying or raveling

3.  SPORTS defeat:
a convincing defeat (informal) • They
really gave us a whipping in that last game.

[1]



whippingboy

whippingboy
whip·ping
boy
noun

somebody
blamed for others’ faults: somebody who takes the blame
or punishment for the mistakes or wrongdoings of more important people
[Originally, this referred to
a boy raised and educated with a prince. If the prince misbehaved, the whipping
boy would be punished in his place (typically by whipping).][1]



whippingcream

whippingcream
whip·ping
cream
noun

cream that stiffens when
whipped: a heavy cream containing a
high proportion of butterfat, which causes it to stiffen when whipped[1]



whippletree

whippletree
whip·ple·tree 
[wípp’l tr, hwípp’l
tr] (plural whip·ple·trees) noun

See
whiffletree
[Mid-18th century. Whipple
formed from whip . The underlying idea is of
a springy, flexible wooden pole.][1]



Whipple,William

Whipple,William
Whip·ple
[wípp’l, hwípp’l],
William (1730–1785)

American patriot.
Representing New Hampshire, he signed the Declaration of Independence (1776)
and fought in the Revolution (1775–1783).[1]



whippoorwill

whippoorwill


whip·poor·will 
[wíppər wìl, hwíppər
wìl] (plural whip·poor·wills) noun
common N American songbird:
a common North American nocturnal bird of the nightjar family, with spotted
dark plumage and a distinctive song from which its name is derived. Latin name:
Caprimulgus vociferus[1]



whipray

whipray
whip·ray
[wíp rày, hwíp
rày] (plural whip·rays) noun

type of ray:
a marine fish of the ray family that has a flat body, long whip-shaped tail,
and venomous spines[1]



whipsaw

whipsaw
whip·saw 
[wíp sàw, hwíp
sàw] noun (plural whip·saws)

narrow crosscut saw:
a narrow crosscut saw for use by two people
transitive
verb
(past whip·sawed, past participle whip·sawed or
whip·sawn [hwíp sàwn], present
participle whip·saw·ing, 3rd person present singular whip·saws)

1.  cut
with whipsaw: to saw something with a whipsaw

2.  GAMBLING win
two bets at once: to win two bets simultaneously from one
person

3.  defeat
in two ways simultaneously: to defeat somebody or win in
two ways at the same time

[1]



whipscorpion

whipscorpion
whip
scor·pi·on
noun

invertebrate related to
scorpions: a terrestrial invertebrate
related to the scorpion but having a whip-shaped appendage at the end of its
abdomen. Order: Uropygi[1]



whipsnake

whipsnake
whip
snake
noun

fast-moving nonpoisonous
snake: a fast-moving nonpoisonous
snake that pursues its prey, found in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Genus: Coluber[1]



whipstall

whipstall
whip·stall 
[wíp stàwl, hwíp
stàwl] (plural whip·stalls) noun

small aircraft maneuver:
a maneuver in a small aircraft in which it goes into a vertical climb, pauses
briefly, then drops toward the earth nose first[1]



whipstitch

whipstitch
whip·stitch 
[wíp stich, hwíp
stìch] noun (plural whip·stitch·es)

oversewing
stitch:
a small stitch that passes over the edge of a piece of fabric, used to finish
the edge or baste two pieces of fabric together
transitive
verb
(past whip·stitched, past participle whip·stitched,
present participle whip·stitch·ing, 3rd person present
singular whip·stitch·es)

sew in whipstitch:
to sew the edge of a piece of fabric using a whipstitch[1]



whipstock

whipstock
whip·stock
[wíp stòk, hwíp
stòk] (plural whip·stocks) noun

whip handle:
the handle of a whip[1]



whiptail

whiptail
whip·tail 
[wíp tàyl, hwíp
tàyl] (plural whip·tails) noun

kind of lizard:
a lizard with a long thin tail found in South America and Mexico. Genus: Cnemidophorus[1]



whipthrough

whipthrough
whip
through
transitive verb

do something quickly:
to do something very quickly (informal)[1]



whipup

whipup
whip
up
transitive verb

1.  excite
something or somebody: to arouse or provoke a
strong feeling or reaction in a group of people

2.  make
something rise up: to stir or disturb something
with force so that it rises or flies up

3.  prepare
something rapidly: to make something quickly,
especially an impromptu meal (informal)

[1]



whipworm

whipworm
whip·worm 
[wíp wùrm, hwíp
wùrm] (plural whip·worms) noun

intestinal parasite:
a nematode worm found in human intestines. Its presence usually produces no
symptoms but a severe infection with this parasite can cause diarrhea. Latin
name: Trichuris trichiura[1]



whir

whir

whir 
[wur, hwur]
or whirr [wur, hwur] intransitive and transitive verb (past
whirred, past participle whirred, present participle
whir·ring, 3rd person present singular whirs) (past
whirred, past participle whirred, present participle
whir·ring, 3rd person present singular whirrs)
make
a whirling or vibrating sound: to make a continuous
soft buzzing or humming sound, usually by vibrating or turning very quickly, or
to cause something to make such a sound
noun
(plural whirs) (plural whirrs)
whirling
or vibrating sound: a continuous soft buzzing or
humming sound like that of something vibrating or turning very quickly
[14th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from a Scandinavian source.][1]



whirl

whirl
whirl
[wurl, hwurl]
verb (past whirled, past participle whirled,
present participle whirling, 3rd person present singular whirls)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb turn
or spin rapidly: to turn or spin very quickly, or to make
something revolve in this way

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
while turning quickly: to move along while turning
or spinning very quickly, or to make something move along in this way • The
dancers whirled around the floor.

3.  intransitive
verb
feel
dizzy or confused: to seem to spin with
dizziness, confusion, or excitement • So
much information at one time made my head whirl.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
very fast:
to move very quickly or make something move very quickly on a straight or
curved course • Cars whirled past on
the highway.
noun
(plural whirls)

1.  spinning
motion:
a rapid turning or spinning movement • gave
the prayer wheel a whirl

2.  something
that whirls: something that moves or is moved with a
rapid circular or spiral motion • Whirls
of dust filled the air.

3.  sensation
of spinning: a spinning sensation caused, for
example, by confusion, excitement, or dizziness • So
much good luck had my head in a whirl.

4.  things
happening in quick succession: the bustling activity
of an endless series of events or engagements • the
whirl and bustle of a large city

5.  brief
trip or ride: a short trip, ride, or dance (informal)
• Let’s
go for a whirl in my new car.
[13th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Old Norse hvirfla . Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to turn around.”]
—whirl·er,
noun

—whirl·y,
adjective
give
it or something a whirl

to have a try at something (informal)[1]



whirlabout

whirlabout
whirl·a·bout
[wúrl ə bòwt, hwúrl
ə bòwt] (plural whirl·a·bouts) noun

a spin:
a turn, spin, or revolution[1]



whirligig

whirligig
whirl·i·gig 
[wúrli gìg, hwúrli
gìg] (plural whirl·i·gigs) noun

1.  spinning
toy:
any toy that spins or turns very quickly

2.  merry-go-round:
a merry-go-round or carousel

3.  something
that whirls: something that revolves rapidly or
changes continuously • Her
life’s a whirligig since she took over the business.

4.  INSECTS See whirligig beetle
[15th century. From whirling
or whirly (see whirl ) + gig “spinning top.”][1]



whirligigbeetle

whirligigbeetle
whirl·i·gig
bee·tle
noun

aquatic insect:
an aquatic insect with a smooth, oval, flattened body, usually seen spinning
around on the surface of calm freshwater in groups. Family: Gyrinidae
Also called
whirligig[1]



whirlingdervish

whirlingdervish
whirl·ing
der·vish
[wùrling dúrvish, hwùrling
dúrvish] noun

somebody working very
quickly: somebody who busily does
many things in quick succession • Once
we sent out the invitations, he became a whirling dervish, cleaning, shopping, and
cooking.
See also
dervish[1]



whirlpool

whirlpool
whirl·pool 
[wúrl pl, hwúrl
pl] (plural whirl·pools) noun

1.  spiraling
current of water: a spiraling current of water in a stream
or river

2.  something
resembling a whirlpool: something that has or seems
to have the action, motion, or power of a whirlpool • a
whirlpool of despair

3.  pool
or tub with water jets: a bathtub or pool with
underwater jets that keep the water constantly moving or swirling.
U.K.
term
whirlpool bath

[1]



whirlwind

whirlwind
whirl·wind 
[wúrl wìnd, hwúrl
wìnd] (plural whirl·winds) noun

1.  METEOROLOGY spinning
column of air: a column of air rotating rapidly around
a core of low pressure

2.  something
happening or changing swiftly: something that happens
very quickly, or a rapid succession of events (often used before a noun)
• a
whirlwind romance • a
whirlwind visit

3.  something
very destructive: something having a terrible destructive
force • swept
up in the whirlwind of war
[14th century. From Old Norse
hvirfilwindr .][1]



whirlybird

whirlybird
whirl·y·bird 
[wúrlee bùrd, hwúrlee
bùrd] (plural whirl·y·birds) noun

helicopter:
a helicopter (informal)[1]



whirr

whirr
whirr 
intransitive and transitive verb noun

See
whir[1]



whish

whish
whish
[wish, hwish]
verb (past whished, past participle whished,
present participle whish·ing, 3rd person present singular whish·es)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
or move with a rushing sound: to make the soft smooth
rushing sound of something moving quickly through the air, or to move with such
a sound • Water
whished along the boat as we rowed upstream.

2.  transitive
verb
move
something quickly with rushing sound: to
cause something to make or move with a whishing sound • the
dog whished its tail
noun

whishing sound or movement:
a soft whistling or rushing sound, or a movement that makes such a sound • the
whish of the windshield wipers
adverb

with a whishing sound:
moving or falling with a whishing sound • Whish,
the branch came down.
[Early 16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whisk

whisk

whisk 
[wisk, hwisk]
noun (plural whisks)

1.  COOKING utensil
for whipping something: a kitchen tool, usually with
curved or coiled wires attached to a handle, used with short quick movements to
aerate a soft or liquid substance and make it thick and frothy

2.  brushing
movement:
a quick light brushing or sweeping movement • He
wiped the table with a whisk of his hand.

3.  something
used to sweep things away: a small brush or similar
implement made of a bundle of twigs, straw, or grass, used to sweep or stir
things
verb (past
whisked, past participle whisked, present participle
whisk·ing, 3rd person present singular whisks)

1.  transitive
verb
make
thick and smooth: to make a soft or liquid substance thick
and smooth by beating it with a fork, whisk, or other device to create air
bubbles in the mixture

2.  transitive
verb
brush
away lightly: to remove something with a quick light
sweeping movement • He whisked the crumbs
from the table.

3.  transitive
verb
place
with a sweeping motion: to move or place something
somewhere with a quick light sweeping motion

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
quickly:
to move or take somebody or something somewhere very quickly or suddenly • They
whisked her off to the hospital.
[14th century. Of
Scandinavian origin.][1]



whiskbroom

whiskbroom
whisk·broom 
[wísk brm, hwísk
brm] (plural whisk·brooms) noun

small broom for cleaning
something: a small short-handled broom
with stiff bristles, used to clean small areas[1]



whisker

whisker
whisk·er 
[wískər, hwískər]
noun (plural whisk·ers)

1.  hair
near animal’s mouth: a long stiff hair growing
near the mouth of some mammals, for example, cats, mice, and rabbits

2.  hair
on somebody’s face: a short stiff hair growing
on somebody’s face, especially on the cheeks, chin, or upper lip

3.  small
margin:
a very small amount or margin • We
came within a whisker of losing everything.

4.  whisk·er
or whisk·er boom (plural whisk·er booms) NAUTICAL light
pole:
a light pole used for extending the corners of a sail

5.  CHEMISTRY thin
crystal:
a strong thin hair-shaped crystal of a metal or mineral, used to strengthen
composite material
plural
noun
whisk·ers

somebody’s facial hair:
a short growth of hair growing on somebody’s cheeks, chin, or upper lip
[15th
century. Formed from whisk . Originally used
for “something that whisks or sweeps,” the main modern meaning evolved because
of the supposed resemblance to a small brush.]
—whisk·ered,
adjective

—whisk·er·y, adjective[1]



whiskey

whiskey
whis·key 
[wískee, hwískee]
(plural whis·keys) or whis·ky [wískee, hwískee]
(plural whis·kies) noun

1.  alcoholic
spirit:
an alcoholic beverage made from a fermented grain, such as corn, rye, or
barley, that is sometimes aged or blended

2.  drink
of whiskey:
a drink or measure of whiskey
[Early 18th century. From
Scottish Gaelic usquebea, usque beatha, literally “water of
life,” from usque “water” and beth&ulineunder; “life.”][1]



Whiskey

Whiskey
Whiskey
noun

code word for letter “W”:
a code word for the letter “W,” used in international radio communications[1]



whiskeyjack

whiskeyjack
whis·key
jack
noun

See
gray jay
[From earlier whiskey john,
by folk etymology from Cree wiskatjan][1]



whiskeysour

whiskeysour
whis·key
sour
noun

type of cocktail:
a mixed drink containing whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar[1]



whisky

whisky
whis·ky 
noun

See
whiskey

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  whiskey
  or whisky ?
  Whisky is the spelling used for
  the Scottish drink and in British English generally; whiskey
  is used for the drink produced in Ireland and in American English generally.

[1]



whisper

whisper
whis·per 
[wíspər, hwíspər]
verb (past whis·pered, past participle whis·pered,
present participle whis·per·ing, 3rd person present singular
whis·pers)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb breathe
words voicelessly: to speak or say something
very softly, without using the vocal cords

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb speak
or suggest something secretly: to speak or say
something in a confidential or furtive manner, often to spread gossip, reveal a
secret, or conspire with somebody • Whisper
so that no one else hears.

3.  intransitive
verb
rustle
softly:
to make a soft rustling sound
noun
(plural whis·pers)

1.  very
low voice:
a soft speaking sound that uses the breath but not the vocal cords • She
spoke in a whisper.

2.  something
said in soft voice: something said in a whisper

3.  rustling
sound:
a soft rustling sound

4.  faint
hint:
a hint or trace of something • a
whisper of perfume

5.  rumor:
a rumor expressed confidentially or furtively • Ignore
the whispers of the crowd.
[Old
English hwisprian . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base,
imitative of a hissing sound, which is also the ancestor of English whistle .]
—whis·per·er, noun[1]



whisperingcampaign

whisperingcampaign
whis·per·ing
cam·paign
[wíspəring kam pàyn, hwíspəring kam pàyn] noun

intentional defamation by
word of mouth: the spreading of
scandalous rumors in order to damage or destroy the reputation of a person or
group[1]



whisperinggallery

whisperinggallery
whis·per·ing
gal·ler·y
noun

space beneath dome or vault:
a space or gallery beneath a dome or vault in which whispers can be heard
clearly in other parts of the building[1]



whist

whist
whist 
[wist, hwist]
noun

card
game:
a card game in which two pairs of people try to take a majority of the tricks
and the trump suit is determined by the last card dealt. Whist is a forerunner
of bridge.
[Mid-17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant of whisk
(because your cards are “whisked” away after your turn), or perhaps from whist
in the sense “be quiet!” (because silence was expected during play).][1]



whistle

whistle

whis·tle 
[wíss’l, hwíss’l]
verb (past whis·tled, past participle whis·tled,
present participle whis·tling, 3rd person present singular
whis·tles)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a shrill sound through pursed lips: to
make a shrill or musical sound by forcing the breath through a small gap
between the lips or the teeth

2.  intransitive
verb
produce
a shrill sound: to produce a shrill sound or signal by
forcing steam or air through a narrow opening (refers to trains, kettles,
etc.) • heard
the train whistle as it came around the bend

3.  intransitive
verb
move
with a shrill sound: to move at great speed
through the air, making a shrill sound • bullets
whistling by overhead

4.  intransitive
verb
produce
sound when wind rushes by: to make a sound, especially
a high-pitched one, when moving through a narrow opening • wind
whistling through the rafters

5.  transitive
verb
make
a musical sound by whistling: to produce music or give a
signal by whistling • whistling
a tune

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb issue
a call or order by whistling: to express a summons or
order to a person or animal by whistling

7.  intransitive
verb
emit
a shrill characteristic call: to make a characteristically
shrill sound, using the mouth or throat or by other means (refers to birds
or animals)
noun (plural
whis·tles)

1.  device
producing a shrill sound: a device or instrument that
produces a shrill or musical sound when air or breath is forced through it

2.  whistling
sound:
a sound or signal made by a person, animal, or object whistling • He
let out a low whistle.

3.  act
of whistling: an act of whistling
[Old
English hwistlian, from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “to whistle,
hiss” that is also the ancestor of English whisper
and whine]
—whis·tling,
adjective
blow the whistle (on somebody or
something)

to
report somebody for doing something wrong or illegal, especially within an
organization

wet your whistle

to
have a drink, especially of alcohol (dated informal)

whistle in the dark

to attempt to or pretend to
keep up your courage when afraid[1]



whistle-blower

whistle-blower
whis·tle-blow·er
noun

informant:
somebody who exposes wrongdoing, especially within an organization
[From
the idea of a police officer sounding the alarm when witnessing a crime]
—whis·tle-blow·ing, noun[1]



whistlefor

whistlefor
whistle
for
transitive verb

expect something in vain:
to expect something that is not going to happen or be given (dated informal)[1]



whistlepig

whistlepig
whis·tle
pig
(plural whis·tle pigs) noun

woodchuck:
a woodchuck (regional)
[From the chirping sound it
makes when threatened][1]



whistler

whistler
whis·tler 
[wísslər, hwísslər]
(plural whis·tlers) noun

1.  whistling
person or object: somebody or something that whistles

2.  RADIO radio
disturbance: an interference signal in a radio
receiver, resembling a whistling sound of decreasing pitch and caused by
lightning or other electromagnetic disturbance

3.  BIRDS whistling
Australian flycatcher: an often brightly colored
Australian flycatcher with a particularly melodious whistling call. Genus: Pachycephala

4.  ZOOLOGY See hoary marmot

5.  VETERINARY MEDICINE horse
with a respiratory problem: a horse with a breathing
defect that causes it to make a whistling noise when it breathes in
[Old English hwistlere][1]



Whistler,James Abbott McNeill

Whistler,James Abbott McNeill

Whist·ler 
[wísslər, hwísslər],
James Abbott McNeill (1834–1903)
U.S. artist. Influenced by both European
and Japanese art, he was renowned for his etchings, subtle landscapes, and
portraits such as the one popularly known as Whistler’s Mother (1871).[1]



whistlestop

whistlestop
whis·tle
stop
(plural whis·tle stops) noun

1.  small
railroad station: a town or railroad station where trains
stop only when signaled to do so

2.  small
town:
a small town or community (slang)

3.  short
stop:
a short stop to make a brief public appearance, especially one made by a
political candidate during an election campaign, traditionally from a train’s
observation car

[1]



whistle-stop

whistle-stop
whis·tle-stop 
adjective

having frequent stops:
conducted very rapidly with frequent brief stops or visits, especially in order
to make public appearances or deliver election speeches • a
whistle-stop tour of the state
intransitive
verb
(past whis·tle-stopped, past participle whis·tle-stopped,
present participle whis·tle-stop·ping, 3rd person present
singular whis·tle-stops)

1.  tour
small towns: to make a rapid tour that features many
stops in small towns

2.  make
a brief stop: to make a short stop in a place as part
of a rapid tour, especially as a political candidate

[1]



whistlingduck

whistlingduck
whis·tling
duck
noun

long-legged
duck:
a long-legged upright duck found in tropical waters. Genus: Dendrocygna
[From the whistling calls
made by most of the ducks][1]



whit

whit
whit 
[wit, hwit]
noun

smallest
amount:
used with verbs in the negative to refer to the smallest imaginable degree or
amount (dated informal) • I
don’t care a whit whether they succeed or fail.
[15th century. Alteration of wight 1 .][1]



white

white
white 
[wīt, hwīt]
adjective (comparative whit·er, superlative whit·est)

1.  snow-colored:
having the color of fresh snow or milk, which results from the reflection of
nearly all light from all visible wavelengths

2.  lacking
color:
lacking any color or hue

3.  white
or White Caucasian:
belonging to a people with naturally pale skin

4.  white
or White of Caucasian people:
of, for, or relating to a pale-skinned people • a
white problem

5.  comparatively
light:
light in color in comparison with others of the same kind • white
cabbage

6.  WINE made
from white grapes: made from pale-skinned
grapes

7.  lacking
pigment:
used to describe hair that has lost most or all of its pigment, usually as a
result of aging

8.  having
a very pale complexion: unusually pale in the face,
for example, from fright or shock

9.  ZOOLOGY having
white parts or colorings: used with the names of
plants or animals to indicate the presence of light or white parts or colorings
• white
bass

10. FOOD TECHNOLOGY without bran or germ:
used to describe wheat flour that has had the bran and germ removed

11. COOKING made
from white flour: made using white flour

12. BEVERAGES served
with milk:
served with milk added

13. unmarked
by writing:
not written on or printed on

14. pure:
unblemished, especially in character

15. wearing
white:
dressed in white or characterized by the wearing of white • a
white wedding

16. white
or White HISTORY POLITICS politically
conservative: conservative in political outlook.
See
also
red

17. incandescent:
heated to such a high degree that the substance turns white in color

18. having
snow:
accompanied or characterized by the presence of snow • a
white Christmas

19. MUSIC lacking
tonal warmth: relating to a pure musical tone that
lacks warmth, color, and resonance
noun
(plural whites)

1.  COLORS color
of snow:
the color of fresh snow or milk

2.  PAINTING white
paint:
a paint or dye that is or is near to the color of fresh snow

3.  white
object:
a white object, substance, or fabric, or the part of something that is white,
for example, an unprinted area on a page

4.  white
clothing:
clothing that is white (usually used in the plural)

5.  white
or White Caucasian person:
a member of a people with pale skin

6.  FOOD part
of egg:
the transparent liquid that surrounds the yolk of an egg and turns white when
the egg is cooked

7.  ANATOMY part
of eye:
the part of the eyeball surrounding the iris

8.  ARCHERY part
of target:
the white outermost ring of an archery target or a shot that lands in it

9.  BOARD GAMES game
piece or player: a white or light-colored piece or set of
pieces in a game such as in chess or checkers, or the player using them

10. INSECTS butterfly:
a butterfly that is predominantly white in color. Family: Pieridae
verb
(past whit·ed, past participle whit·ed, present
participle whit·ing, 3rd person present singular whites)

1.  transitive
verb
leave
blank spaces in: to make or leave blank spaces in something,
especially something printed

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb whiten:
to become or cause something to become white (archaic)
[Old
English hwīt . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to shine,”
which is also the ancestor of English wheat
and Whitsunday .]
—white·ness,
noun

—whit·ish, adjective[1]



whiteadmiral

whiteadmiral
white
ad·mi·ral
noun

1.  brown
butterfly with white marks: a butterfly of Europe and
Asia that has brown wings with white marks. Latin name: Limenitis camilla

2.  bluish
butterfly with white band: a North American butterfly
that has bluish-black wings with a large white band on them. Latin name: Limenitis
arthemis

[1]



whitealkali

whitealkali
white
al·ka·li
noun

whitish deposit:
a whitish deposit of mineral salts that is sometimes seen on the surface of
very alkaline soils[1]



whiteant

whiteant
white
ant
noun

See
termite[1]



whiteash

whiteash
white
ash
noun

1.  N
American ash tree: a North American ash tree
that has leaves with a paler silvery underside. Latin name: Fraxinus
americana

2.  wood
of the white ash tree: the wood of the white ash
tree, used especially for making oars
[From the pale color of the
undersides of its leaves][1]



whitebait

whitebait
white·bait 
[wt bàyt, hwt
bàyt] (plural white·bait) noun

young
fish:
any small young fish fried and eaten whole, especially a young herring
[Mid-18th century. White
from the silvery color of most of the fish.][1]



whitebarkpine

whitebarkpine
white·bark
pine 
[wt brk pn, hwt
brk pn] noun

N
American pine: a pine tree with small purplish cones
that is native to the Pacific Northwest. Latin name: Pinus albicaulis
[Whitebark from its
whitish-gray bark][1]



whitebass

whitebass
white
bass 
noun

freshwater fish of the bass
family: an edible silvery freshwater
fish of the bass family, native to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi valley.
Latin name: Morone chrysops[1]



whitebeam

whitebeam
white·beam
[wt bm, hwt
bm] (plural white·beams) noun

type
of rowan tree: a deciduous tree native to Europe and
Asia related to the rowan and the service trees that has leaves with pale and
hairy undersides. Latin name: Sorbus aria
[Early 18th century. From the
white undersides of its leaves.][1]



whitebear

whitebear
white
bear
noun

See
polar bear[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








whitebelt

whitebelt
white
belt
noun MARTIAL ARTS

1.  beginner’s
belt:
the belt worn by a beginner in a martial art such as karate or judo

2.  beginner
at martial art: a martial arts novice

[1]



whitebirch

whitebirch
white
birch
noun

birch tree:
a birch tree with whitish or grayish bark such as the European silver birch or
the North American paper birch. Genus: Betula[1]



whiteblood cell

whiteblood cell
white
blood cell
noun

infection-fighting cell:
a common large blood cell that has no pigmentation. It helps protect the body
against infection in the immune response, and also plays a role in inflammation
and allergic reactions.
Also called
white cell
Also called
white corpuscle Technical name leukocyte[1]



whiteboard

whiteboard
white·board
[wt bàwrd, hwt
bàwrd] (plural white·boards) noun

writing
board for presentations: a board for writing on,
similar to a chalkboard or blackboard but with a white plastic surface that is
written on with erasable marker pens, used in teaching and in giving
presentations
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from white, on the model of blackboard .][1]



whitebook

whitebook
white
book
noun

government report:
in some countries, an official government report published in a white binding[1]



whitebread

whitebread
white
bread
noun

bread made from white flour:
bread made from flour that has had the bran and wheat germ removed[1]



white-bread

white-bread
white-bread
adjective (informal)

1.  Caucasian
and middle-class: relating to or belonging to middle-class
North American Caucasians

2.  bland:
bland, conventional, and unimaginative
[From the idea that white
bread symbolizes something overrefined, soulless, and unexciting][1]



whitebryony

whitebryony
white
bry·o·ny
noun

climbing
plant:
a climbing plant with lobed leaves and reddish-black berries, belonging to the
gourd family and native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Genus: Bryonia
[From its greenish-white
flowers][1]



White,Byron

White,Byron

White 
[wīt, hwīt],
Byron (1917– )
U.S.
Supreme Court justice. He served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1962 to 1993.
Full name
White, Byron Raymond[1]



whitecap

whitecap
white·cap 
[wt kàp, hwt
kàp] (plural white·caps) noun

wave crest:
the white crest of a breaking wave[1]



whitecedar

whitecedar
white
ce·dar
noun

1.  N
American conifer: either of two coniferous trees of
eastern North America with leaves resembling scales and light-colored durable
wood. Latin name: Chamaecyparis thyoides Thuja occidentalis

2.  wood
of white cedar trees: the wood from either white
cedar, the one used in boatbuilding and the other for telephone poles
[From the light color of
their wood][1]



whitecell

whitecell
white
cell
noun

See
white blood cell[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








whitechip

whitechip
white
chip
noun

1.  GAMBLING betting
token:
a betting chip with the lowest possible value

2.  something
worthless:
a thing of little value

[1]



whitechocolate

whitechocolate
white
choc·o·late
noun

chocolate without cocoa:
a cream-colored confection containing the same ingredients as chocolate but
lacking cocoa powder[1]



whiteChristmas

whiteChristmas
white
Christ·mas
noun

Christmas with snow:
a Christmas when there is snow, especially a Christmas day[1]



whitecloud

whitecloud
white
cloud
or white cloud moun·tain fish noun

aquarium
fish:
a small brightly colored Asian freshwater fish that belongs to the minnow
family and is a popular aquarium fish. Latin name: Tanichthys albonubes
[Mid-20th century. Named for White
Cloud, the English name of a mountain northeast of Guangzhou (Canton),
China, where the fish was discovered.][1]



whiteclover

whiteclover
white
clo·ver
noun

low-growing plant:
a perennial Eurasian plant naturalized in North America, grown with grass as
pasture for livestock. It has small white flowers that attract honey bees.
Latin name: Trifolium repens
Also called
Dutch clover[1]



whitecoal

whitecoal
white
coal
noun

hydroelectric power:
flowing water considered as a source of hydroelectric power[1]



whitecoat

whitecoat
white·coat
[wt kt, hwt
kt] (plural white·coats) noun

Canada
baby seal:
a young harp seal, before its fine white coat has turned brown. Latin name: Phoca
groenlandica[1]



white-collarcrime

white-collarcrime
white-col·lar
crime
noun

crime by nonmanual workers:
crime committed in the workplace by white-collar workers, for example,
embezzlement and fraudulent accounting practices[1]



whitecorpuscle

whitecorpuscle
white
cor·pus·cle
noun

See
white blood cell[1]



whitecrab

whitecrab
white
crab
noun

See
ghost crab[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








whitecrappie

whitecrappie
white
crap·pie
noun

silvery N American fish:
an edible silvery North American fish of the sunfish family that is found in
muddy waters. Latin name: Pomoxis annularis[1]



white-crownedsparrow

white-crownedsparrow
white-crowned
spar·row 
noun

N American sparrow:
a sparrow with black-and-white bands on its head, found in western and northern
North America. Latin name: Zonotrichia leucophrys[1]



whitecurrant

whitecurrant
white
cur·rant
noun

1.  shrub
producing edible white berries: a shrub of the same
family as black and red currants that produces small edible white berries.
Latin name: Ribes sativum

2.  berry
of white currant shrub: the edible white fruit of
the white currant shrub, usually eaten raw instead of being used for jellies

[1]



whitedsepulcher

whitedsepulcher
whit·ed
sep·ul·cher
[wtəd sépp’lkər, hwtəd
sépp’lkər] noun

hypocrite:
a hypocrite, especially somebody who is falsely righteous or pious
[From the Bible (Matthew
23:27), which compares such people to whitewashed tombs, appearing “… beautiful
outward, but … within full of dead men’s bones …”][1]



whitedwarf

whitedwarf
white
dwarf
noun

small
star:
a small, dim, extremely dense star that has collapsed on itself and is in the
final stages of its evolution
[From its color][1]



White,E. B.

White,E. B.

White 
[wīt, hwīt],
E. B. (1899–1985)
U.S.
writer. The author of popular essays, children’s fiction, and light verse, he
is best known for the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web ( 1952 ).
Full name
White, Elwyn Brooks[1]



White,Edward Douglass

White,Edward Douglass

White 
[wīt, hwīt],
Edward Douglass (1845–1921)
U.S. Supreme Court justice. He was an
associate justice (1894–1910) and chief justice (1910–1921) of the U.S. Supreme
Court.[1]



whiteelephant

whiteelephant
white
el·e·phant
noun

1.  something
costly to maintain: an expensive and often rare
or valuable possession whose upkeep is a considerable financial burden

2.  possession
of questionable value: something with a
questionable or at least very limited value

3.  conspicuous
failed venture: a much publicized or keenly anticipated
venture that proves to be a spectacular flop

4.  discarded
object:
an unwanted object of possible use to somebody else (dated) (hyphenated
before a noun)

5.  albino
elephant:
a rare albino Indian elephant regarded as sacred in India and in neighboring
parts of Southeast Asia
[Said to derive from the
practice of the King of Siam of giving a white elephant to troublesome courtiers,
who would be ruined by the cost of keeping the animal][1]



white-eye

white-eye
white-eye 
(plural white-eyes) noun

tropical songbird:
a small green or greenish-brown songbird with a ring of white feathers around
the eye that is found in tropical and subtropical regions. Family: Zosteropidae[1]



whiteface

whiteface
white·face 
[wt fàyss, hwt
fàyss] noun

white makeup:
white makeup for the face, used, for example, by clowns[1]



white-faced

white-faced
white-faced 
adjective

1.  having
an unusually pale face: having a face that has
turned pale through fear, anger, or some other strong emotion

2.  ZOOLOGY having
white markings: having white markings on the face,
especially when this distinguishes one species from other similar species

[1]



Whitefield,George

Whitefield,George
White·field
[wít fld, wtfld,
hwít fld, hwtfld],
George (1714–1770)

British-born U.S. evangelist.
As leader of the Calvinist Methodists, he ignited the Great Awakening religious
revival of the late 1730s.[1]



whitefish

whitefish
white·fish 
[wt fìsh, hwt
fìsh] (plural white·fish·es or white·fish) noun

freshwater fish:
any edible North American freshwater fish with large scales, a small mouth, and
pale flesh, or its flesh used as food. Family: Coregonidae[1]



whitefish

whitefish
white
fish
noun

U.K.
edible marine fish:
any or all edible marine fish with whitish flesh, including cod, hake, and
whiting, as distinct from flat fish such as plaice and oily fish such as
mackerel[1]



whiteflag

whiteflag
white
flag
noun

sign of truce or surrender:
a white cloth or improvised flag waved as an international sign of truce or
surrender[1]



whiteflight

whiteflight
white
flight
noun

departure of Caucasian
people: the movement of Caucasian
people that sometimes occurs from neighborhoods where members of other groups
are settling, especially because of racism[1]



whitefly

whitefly
white·fly 
[wt fl, hwt
fl] (plural white·flies or white·fly) noun

garden pest:
a minute insect with a white waxy coating on the body. Many species suck the
sap from garden and house plants. Family: Aleyrodidae[1]



white-footedmouse

white-footedmouse
white-foot·ed
mouse 
noun

wild mouse:
a mouse with small white feet and undersides, native to North and Central
America. Latin name: Peromyscus leucopus
See also
deer mouse[1]



whitefox

whitefox
white
fox
noun

Arctic fox:
the Arctic fox in its white winter coat. Its coat is dark gray in summer.[1]



whitefriar

whitefriar
white
fri·ar
or White Fri·ar noun

Carmelite
monk:
a member of the Carmelite order of monks
[From the white habits of the
monks][1]



whitegasoline

whitegasoline
white
gas·o·line
noun

unleaded
gasoline:
gasoline that contains no tetraethyl lead, used especially as a fuel in stoves
in the early 20th century
[From the fact that it lacks
the yellow color of regular gasoline][1]



whitegold

whitegold
white
gold
noun

gold alloy:
a silvery-looking gold alloy that contains gold mixed with palladium, nickel,
or sometimes zinc and is typically used in jewelry[1]



whitegoods

whitegoods
white
goods
plural noun

1.  household
appliances:
large household appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers,
typically finished with white enamel

2.  household
linen:
household goods made of fabric, for example, bedlinens, towels, and tablecloths

[1]



white-haired

white-haired
white-haired
adjective

with white hair:
having hair that has become white with advanced age[1]



Whitehall

Whitehall
White·hall 
[wt hàwl, hwt
hàwl] noun

1.  central
London street: a street in central London, England,
between Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament, containing the main
offices of the British civil service

2.  British
government:
a collective term for the administration and civil service departments of the
British government, many of which are located in Whitehall

3.  Trinidadian
prime minister’s residence: the official residence of
the prime minister of Trinidad

[1]



whitehead

whitehead
white·head 
[wt hèd, hwt
hèd] (plural white·heads) noun

pimple:
a small pimple with a whitish top formed when a sebaceous gland becomes
blocked. Technical name milium
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
blackhead .][1]



Whitehead,Alfred North

Whitehead,Alfred North
White·head 
[wt hed], Alfred North (1861–1947)

British mathematician and
philosopher. He wrote Principia Mathematica ( 1910–1913 ) with Bertrand
Russell.[1]



white-headed

white-headed
white-head·ed 
adjective

1.  with
white markings: having white markings on the feathers,
hair, or fur of the head, especially when this distinguishes one species from
other similar species

2.  favored
and luckier: favored over others and considered
blessed by luck

[1]



whiteheat

whiteheat
white
heat
noun

1.  very
high temperature: an extremely high degree of heat
characterized by the emission of white light

2.  intense
excitement:
a state of intense excitement or activity

[1]



whitehole

whitehole
white
hole
noun

hypothetical
region in space: a hypothetical region in space from
which stars, light, and other forms of energy explosively emerge
[Modeled on black hole][1]



Whitehorse

Whitehorse
White·horse 
[wt hōwrss, hwt
hōwrss]

capital city of the Yukon
Territory, Canada, located on the Yukon River, just off the Alaska Highway.
Population: 21,808 (1996)[1]



white-hot

white-hot
white-hot 
adjective

1.  extremely
hot:
so hot that white light is emitted

2.  extremely
excited:
characterized by intense excitement or activity

[1]



WhiteHouse

WhiteHouse
White
House
noun

1.  official
residence of U.S. president: the large white mansion in
Washington, D.C. that is the official residence of the president of the United
States. It was built between 1792 and 1800 in the classical Palladian style.
Also
called
Executive Mansion

2.  executive
branch of the U.S. government: the executive branch
of the U.S. government

3.  Russian
parliament building: the Russian parliament
building in central Moscow

[1]



whitehunter

whitehunter
white
hunt·er
noun

Caucasian big game hunter:
a Caucasian man hunting big game professionally or working as a safari guide,
especially in Africa in former times[1]



whiteknight

whiteknight
white
knight
noun

1.  rescuing
hero:
somebody who rescues a person or situation from disaster

2.  FINANCE financial
savior:
a person or organization that rescues a business company, especially from an
undesirable takeover

[1]



white-knuckle

white-knuckle
white-knuck·le 
or white-knuck·led adjective

causing
great fear:
causing or characterized by fear, apprehension, nervousness, or uncertainty
[From the appearance of
nervously clenched fists][1]



white-knuckleride

white-knuckleride
white-knuck·le
ride
noun

1.  terrifying
time or experience: a situation, experience, or
encounter that causes fear, anxiety, or uncertainty

2.  fast
fairground ride: a frightening or exhilarating fairground
ride, especially a rollercoaster

[1]



whitelady

whitelady
white
la·dy
noun

gin cocktail:
a cocktail made with gin, Cointreau TM, and lemon
juice[1]



whitelead

whitelead
white
lead 
noun

1.  poisonous
lead compound: lead carbonate in the form of a
poisonous heavy white powder, used as a pigment in paints and in putty. 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2

2.  putty:
putty made from white lead suspended in boiled linseed oil

[1]



whiteleather

whiteleather
white
leath·er
noun

leather with a white finish:
soft leather treated with salt and alum for a white finish[1]



whitelie

whitelie
white
lie
noun

harmless
lie:
a lie perceived or intended not to harm, but told in order to avoid distress or
embarrassment

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at lie

[1]



whitelight

whitelight
white
light
noun

light containing all
wavelengths: light such as sunlight
that contains all the wavelengths from red to violet at approximately equal
intensity[1]



whitelightning

whitelightning
white
light·ning
noun

illegally
distilled alcohol: strong, illegally distilled
alcohol, usually whiskey (regional)
[White because it is
usually colorless][1]



whiteline

whiteline
white
line
noun

road marking:
a white line along the middle or edge of a road, used to mark the edge of a
road or to separate lanes of traffic, especially ones moving in opposite
directions[1]



whitelist

whitelist
white
list
noun

approved
list:
a list of people, organizations, or items deemed acceptable.
See
also
blacklist
[Modeled
on blacklist]
—white-list·ed, adjective[1]



white-livered

white-livered
white-liv·ered 
adjective

(literary) See lily-livered[1]



whitely

whitely
white·ly
[wtlee, hwtlee]
adverb

pale-facedly:
showing a face pale with anger, fear, or shock[1]



whitemagic

whitemagic
white
mag·ic
noun

supposed
good magic:
supposed magic practiced for good purposes or as an antidote to evil
[Modeled on black magic][1]



Whiteman,Paul

Whiteman,Paul
White·man
[hwtmən], Paul (1890–1967)

U.S. bandleader. He was an
exponent of “sweet jazz,” and became celebrated for commissioning Rhapsody
in Blue ( 1924 ) from George Gershwin.[1]



whiteman’s burden

whiteman’s burden
white
man’s bur·den  noun

alleged civilizing mandate:
the supposed responsibility of Europeans and their descendants to impose their
allegedly advanced civilization on the non-Caucasian original inhabitants of
the territories they colonized (often considered offensive)[1]



whitemarlin

whitemarlin
white
mar·lin
noun

Atlantic fish:
a large marine fish with a light-colored belly, found in the western Atlantic.
It is one of the smaller species of marlin. Latin name: Tetrapturus albidus[1]



whitematter

whitematter
white
mat·ter
noun

nerve tissue:
the whitish nerve tissue of the brain and spinal cord, consisting mostly of
myelinated nerve fibers.
See also
gray matter[1]



whitemeat

whitemeat
white
meat
noun

light-colored meat:
a light-colored meat, especially chicken, turkey, or pork, that is usually
lower in fat than red meat, more tender, more delicate in flavor, and requires
a shorter cooking time[1]



whitemetal

whitemetal
white
met·al
noun

light-colored alloy:
a light-colored alloy, especially one with a high tin or lead content such as
pewter or babbitt[1]



whitemica

whitemica
white
mi·ca
noun

See
muscovite[1]



WhiteMountain

WhiteMountain
White
Moun·tain

peak in the Sierra Nevada,
east central California. Height: 4,345 m/14,246 ft.[1]



WhiteMountains

WhiteMountains
White
Moun·tains

mountain range in northern
New Hampshire and southwestern Maine, part of the Appalachian Mountains. The
highest peak is Mount Washington, 1,917 m/6,288 ft .[1]



whitemulberry

whitemulberry
white
mul·ber·ry
noun

1.  Chinese
tree:
a mulberry tree of Chinese origin with edible whitish berries. Its leaves are
used as food for silkworms. Latin name: Morus alba

2.  fruit
of white mulberry tree: the edible berry of the
white mulberry tree

[1]



whitemustard

whitemustard
white
mus·tard
noun

Eurasian mustard plant:
a Eurasian mustard plant with yellow flowers. Its seeds are used to make
mustard and mustard oil. Latin name: Brassica hirta[1]



whiten

whiten
whit·en 
[wt’n, hwt’n]
(past whit·ened, past participle whit·ened, present
participle whit·en·ing, 3rd person present singular whit·ens)
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become white:
to become or cause something to become white or lighter in color[1]



whitener

whitener
whit·en·er
[wt’nər, hwt’nər]
(plural whit·en·ers) noun

1.  white
coloring substance: any substance used to color
something white or enhance its whiteness, for example, a dye for sports shoes
or bleach

2.  milk
substitute:
a substance added to tea or coffee as a substitute for milk, usually in powder
form and lower in calories or with a longer shelf life than milk

[1]



WhiteNile

WhiteNile
White
Nile


the section of the Nile river
from near the Sudan-Uganda border to its junction with the Blue Nile at
Khartoum. Length: 805 km/500 mi.[1]



whitenoise

whitenoise

white
noise 
noun
noise
of mixed frequency: low-volume electrical or
radio noise of equal intensity over a wide range of frequencies
[By analogy with white light,
which contains light from the whole range of visible frequencies][1]



whiteoak

whiteoak
white
oak
noun

1.  oak
with pale wood: a variety of oak tree with evenly lobed,
hairless leaves and pale-colored wood. It is native to eastern North America.
Latin name: Quercus alba

2.  See
roble  noun 1

3.  wood
of white oak tree: the wood of the white oak
tree (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



whiteout

whiteout
white·out 
[wt òwt, hwt
òwt] (plural white·outs) noun

1.  loss
of visibility: an atmospheric condition in which low
clouds merge with a snow-covered landscape, greatly restricting visibility, and
only darker objects are discernible

2.  blizzard:
a blizzard that is so severe it reduces visibility to virtually zero
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
blackout .][1]



whiteout

whiteout
white
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
cover
mistake with white correction fluid: to
cover a mistake in written, printed, or typed material using white correction
fluid

2.  intransitive
verb
lose
visibility:
to lose visibility in daylight because of snow or fog

[1]



whitepages

whitepages
white
pag·es
plural noun

section in a telephone book:
the part of a telephone book that alphabetically lists names of individuals and
businesses, gives their street addresses and telephone numbers, is printed on
white paper, and has little or no advertising[1]



whitepaper

whitepaper
white
pa·per
noun

1.  official
government report: in many countries, an
official report setting out government policy on a particular issue to be voted
on by the country’s legislature.
See
also
green paper

2.  authoritative
report:
an official, authoritative, or heavily researched report on a topic, for
example, a report produced by a group of journalists
[From the fact that such
reports are customarily printed as white pamphlets][1]



White,Patrick

White,Patrick
White 
[wīt, hwīt],
Patrick (1912–1990)

British-born
Australian writer. His works, mainly set in Australia, include plays, poems,
short stories, and novels. He won a Nobel Prize in literature in 1973.
Full name
White, Patrick Victor Martindale[1]



whitepepper

whitepepper
white
pep·per
noun

pepper made from husked
peppercorns: light-colored pepper
made from peppercorns that have had their dark husk removed[1]



whiteperch

whiteperch
white
perch
noun

Atlantic and freshwater fish:
a silver-colored edible fish that is a variety of sea bass. It is found in the
western Atlantic and in freshwater streams of eastern North America. Latin
name: Morone americana[1]



whitepine

whitepine
white
pine
noun

1.  N
American pine: a fast-growing pine tree native to
eastern North America that is grown for its soft durable wood. Latin name: Pinus
strobus

2.  wood
of white pine tree: the wood of the white pine
tree (hyphenated when used before a noun)

3.  similar
pine tree:
any of a number of other pines resembling the white pine, particularly in
having five-needle clusters
[White from its
light-colored wood][1]



WhitePlains

WhitePlains
White
Plains
[wt pláynz, hwt
pláynz]

city in southeastern New
York, northeast of Yonkers. It is a northern suburb of New York City.
Population: 48,653 (1996)[1]



whitepoplar

whitepoplar
white
pop·lar
noun

1.  poplar
with white wooly leaves: a Eurasian poplar tree with
white wooly leaves. Latin name: Populus alba
Also
called
abele

2.  wood
of white poplar tree: the straight-grained wood of
the white poplar tree (hyphenated when used before a noun)

[1]



whitepotato

whitepotato
white
po·ta·to
noun

potato with whitish flesh:
the edible tuber of a potato with whitish flesh, or the plant that it grows on[1]



whiterat

whiterat
white
rat
noun

laboratory animal:
an albino variety of the brown rat, used widely in scientific research. Latin
name: Rattus norvegicus[1]



whiterice

whiterice
white
rice
noun

white-grained rice:
rice that has had both the outer husk and the bran layer removed.
See also
brown rice[1]



whiteroom

whiteroom
white
room
noun

See
clean room[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WhiteRussian

WhiteRussian
White
Rus·sian
(plural White Rus·sians) noun

1.  vodka
cocktail:
a cocktail made from vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream

2.  See
Belarusian

[1]



whites

whites
whites
[wīts, hwīts]
plural noun

1.  white
laundry:
white or light-colored laundry, usually washed separately from colored laundry
items

2.  sports
clothes:
white or off-white clothing of a particular kind, especially as worn by
sportspeople such as tennis players

3.  white
dress military uniform: the white dress uniform of a
military service such as that of the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard

4.  MEDICINE leukorrhea:
leukorrhea (informal)

5.  white-colored
products:
products such as flour, sugar, or salt that are white in color

[1]



whitesale

whitesale
white
sale
noun

linen sale:
a sale of household linen[1]



whitesapphire

whitesapphire
white
sap·phire
noun

clear gemstone:
a colorless variety of the mineral corundum, used as a gemstone[1]



whitesauce

whitesauce
white
sauce
noun

milk-based sauce:
a pale milk sauce, thickened with butter and flour or cornstarch and variously
seasoned or flavored[1]



WhiteSea

WhiteSea
White
Sea

arm of the Barents Sea,
forming an indentation in the coast of northwestern Russia and partly enclosed
on the north by the Kola Peninsula. Area: 794,500 sq km/36,700 sq mi.[1]



whiteshark

whiteshark
white
shark
noun

See
great white shark[1]



whiteslave

whiteslave
white
slave
noun

Caucasian
woman sold into prostitution: a Caucasian girl or woman
sold into prostitution against her will
—white
slav·er, noun

—white slav·er·y, noun[1]



whitesmith

whitesmith
white·smith 
[wt smìth, hwt
smìth] (plural white·smiths) noun

1.  worker
with metal:
somebody who makes or repairs objects made of metal, especially tin and other
white metals

2.  metal
polisher:
somebody whose job is smoothing and polishing metal articles that have been
forged
[14th century. Modeled on blacksmith .][1]



whitesnakeroot

whitesnakeroot
white
snake·root
noun

poisonous plant with
heart-shaped leaves: a poisonous
plant native to eastern North America with heart-shaped leaves and clusters of
small white flowers. Latin name: Eupatorium rugosum[1]



whitespace

whitespace
white
space
noun

empty area of page:
an area of a page or other printed surface where no text or pictures appear[1]



whitespruce

whitespruce
white
spruce
noun

1.  N
American spruce: a North American spruce tree with short
blue-green needles and nondrooping branches. Latin name: Picea glauca

2.  wood
of white spruce tree: the soft wood of the white
spruce tree
[White from its
silvery-brown bark][1]



whitesquall

whitesquall
white
squall
noun

localized tropical sea storm:
a violent tropical or subtropical storm that stirs up the surface of the sea
into whitecaps, but is limited to a very localized area, often with no storm
clouds present[1]



White,Stanford

White,Stanford
White 
[wīt, hwīt],
Stanford (1853–1906)

U.S. architect. A specialist
in adapting older styles, especially Italian Renaissance, he designed Madison
Square Garden ( 1889 ) and the Washington Arch in Washington Square Park ( 1895
), both in New York. His murder by millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw, with whose
wife he was having an affair, was a social cause célèbre.[1]



whitestork

whitestork
white
stork
noun

stork with black-and-white
plumage: a Eurasian stork with
black-and-white plumage, reddish feet, and a reddish bill. Latin name: Ciconia
ciconia[1]



whitesturgeon

whitesturgeon
white
stur·geon
noun

largest
U.S. freshwater fish: a sturgeon of the North
American Pacific coast that is fished commercially and for sport. It is the
largest freshwater fish in the United States. Latin name: Acipenser
transmontanus
[White from its
grayish-white color][1]



whitesupremacy

whitesupremacy
white
su·prem·a·cy noun

racial
view:
the view that Caucasian people are supposedly genetically and culturally
superior to all other people or races and should therefore rule over them
—white su·prem·a·cist,
noun[1]



white-taileddeer

white-taileddeer
white-tailed
deer 
[wt tōyl, hwt
tàyl] or white·tail [wt tōyl,
hwt tàyl] noun

N American deer:
a North American deer with a grayish or reddish-brown coat and a tail that is
white on the underside. Latin name: Odocoileus virginianus
Also called
Virginia deer[1]



whitethroat

whitethroat
white·throat 
[wt thrt, hwt
thrt] (plural white·throats) noun

1.  See
white-throated sparrow

2.  small
songbird with white throat: a small songbird with a
white throat, native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Genus: Sylvia

[1]



white-throatedsparrow

white-throatedsparrow
white-throat·ed
spar·row 
noun

N American sparrow:
a North American sparrow with a prominent white throat and black-and-white
bands on its head. Latin name: Zonotrichia albicollis
Also called
whitethroat[1]



whitetie

whitetie
white
tie
noun

1.  white
bow tie:
a white bow tie worn as part of a man’s formal evening dress.
See
also
black tie

2.  man’s
evening clothes: a man’s full formal evening clothes,
consisting of a black suit with a tailcoat and a white bow tie

[1]



white-tie

white-tie
white-tie
adjective

very formal:
requiring evening dress for women and full formal evening clothes for men, with
tailcoats and white bow ties.
See also
black-tie[1]



whitetrash

whitetrash
white
trash
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer to a Caucasian person or group of Caucasian
people considered as possessing the stereotypical characteristics of a member
or members of a lower-income group in society (slang offensive)[1]



whitevitriol

whitevitriol
white
vit·ri·ol
noun

See
zinc sulfate[1]



whitewall

whitewall
white·wall
[wt wōwl, hwt
wàwl] (plural white·walls) or white·wall tire
[wt wōwl, hwt
wàwl] (plural white·wall tires) noun

white-banded car tire:
a vehicle tire with a band of white on the outside sidewall[1]



whitewalnut

whitewalnut
white
wal·nut
noun

See
butternut
[White from the fact
that its wood is lighter in color than that of the black walnut][1]



whitewash

whitewash
white·wash 
[wt wòsh, hwt
wòsh] noun (plural white·wash·es)

1.  white
painting solution: lime suspended in water,
often with glue or sizing, and used like paint for whitening walls

2.  cover-up:
a coordinated attempt to hide unpleasant facts, especially in a political
context (informal)

3.  thorough
defeat:
a resounding defeat, especially one in which the losing player or team does not
score at all (informal)
verb
(past white·washed, past participle white·washed, present
participle white·wash·ing, 3rd person present singular white·wash·es)

1.  transitive
verb
paint
something with whitewash: to paint something, usually
a wall, with whitewash

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb hide
truth about: to conceal the unpleasant facts about
something

3.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody decisively: to defeat an opposing player
or team resoundingly, especially by preventing the player or team from scoring
at all
—white·wash·er,
noun

—white·wash·ing, noun[1]



whitewater

whitewater
white
wa·ter
noun

1.  fast-flowing
water:
fast-flowing water with a foamy, choppy surface (hyphenated when used before
a noun)

2.  shallow
water:
lighter-colored sea water visible in shallow areas

[1]



whitewedding

whitewedding
white
wed·ding
noun

Christian church wedding:
a wedding that takes place in a Christian church, with the bride wearing a
traditional white dress[1]



whitewhale

whitewhale
white
whale
noun

small fish-eating whale:
a small white fish-eating whale with a bulbous head that lives mainly in Arctic
waters. Latin name: Delphinapterus leucas
Also called
beluga[1]



White,William Allen

White,William Allen
White 
[wīt, hwīt],
William Allen (1868–1944)

U.S.
writer and newspaper editor. The small-town paper he owned and edited, the Emporia
Gazette, became known across the United States and enjoyed great political
influence.
Known as
the Sage of Emporia[1]



white-wingeddove

white-wingeddove
white-winged
dove 
noun

American dove:
a dove with white patches on its wings, native to the southern United States
and Mexico. Latin name: Zenaida asiatica[1]



white-wingedscoter

white-wingedscoter
white-winged
sco·ter
noun

N American duck:
a North American sea duck that is mostly black with a white patch on each wing.
Latin name: Melanitta fusca[1]



whitewitch

whitewitch
white
witch
noun

witch
practicing white magic: a witch whose supposed magic
is designed to do good or to counter evil magic
[White because such a
witch practices white magic][1]



whitewood

whitewood
white·wood 
[wt wd, wht
wd] (plural white·woods) noun

1.  tree
with light wood: a deciduous tree such as the tulip tree,
the cottonwood, or the basswood, with pale-colored wood

2.  wood
of whitewood tree: the wood of a whitewood tree

[1]



whitey

whitey
whit·ey
[wtee, hwtee]
(plural whit·eys) or whit·y [wtee, hwtee]
(plural whit·ies) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer contemptuously to a white person (slang
offensive)[1]



whither

whither
whith·er 
[wər, hwíər]
adverb

1.  to
what place:
to what place (archaic or literary)

2.  into
what state:
to what state, condition, outcome, or degree (literary or humorous)
[Old English hwider,
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English who, when,
and where (see who )][1]



whithersoever

whithersoever
whith·er·so·ev·er 
[wìər sō évvər, hwìər
sō évvər] adverb

to whatever place:
to whatever place, or to any place whatever (archaic)[1]



whitherward

whitherward
whith·er·ward
[wíərwərd, hwíərwərd]
or whith·er·wards [wíərwərdz,
hwíərwərdz] adverb

to what place:
to what place or in what direction (archaic)[1]



whiting

whiting1
whit·ing1 [wting,
hwting] (plural whit·ing) noun

1.  European
fish:
a small edible European sea fish related to the cod, with a silvery underside
and white flesh. It is an important commercial food fish throughout Europe.
Latin name: Merlangus merlangus

2.  Pacific
and Atlantic fish: a commercially important
Pacific and Atlantic fish such as the American silver hake or corbina similar
to the European whiting. Genera: Merluccius Menticirrhus
[15th century. From Dutch wijting,
from wijt “white.”][1]



whiting

whiting2
whit·ing2 [wting,
hwting] noun

chalk
powder:
pure powdered chalk used as an ingredient in various commercial preparations
such as putty and whitewash
[15th century. Formed from white .][1]



whitlow

whitlow
whit·low 
[wítlō, hwítlō]
(plural whit·lows) noun

infection
on toe or finger: a pus-filled infection on the skin at
the side of a fingernail or toenail.
Also
called
felon
[14th century. Alteration of
earlier whitflawe, from white (of
uncertain origin: possibly from Middle Dutch vijt “abscess”) + flaw .][1]



Whitman,Walt

Whitman,Walt

Whit·man
[wít mən, hwítmən],
Walt (1819–1892)
U.S.
poet and essayist. He is known for his free verse, best exemplified in the
stylistically revolutionary collection Leaves of Grass ( 1855–1889 ).
Real name
Whitman, Walter[1]



Whitmonday

Whitmonday
Whit·mon·day
noun

Monday
holiday following Whitsunday: the Monday after Whitsunday,
an official holiday in England, Ireland and Wales
[Modeled on Whitsunday][1]



Whitney,Eli

Whitney,Eli
Whit·ney
[wítnee, hwítnee],
Eli (1765–1825)

U.S. inventor. His cotton
gin, a machine for separating the seeds from the fiber of the cotton plant,
revolutionized the cotton industry.[1]



Whitney,Mount

Whitney,Mount
Whit·ney,
Mount
[wítnee, hwítnee]

mountain in eastern
California, a peak of the Sierra Nevada. Height: 4,418 m/14,494 ft.[1]



Whitsun

Whitsun
Whit·sun 
[wíts’n, hwíts’n]
(plural Whit·suns) adjective

of
Whitsuntide: relating to or happening on Whitsuntide
or Whitsunday
[13th century. Back-formation
from Whitsunday, understood as “Whitsun
day.”][1]



Whitsunday

Whitsunday
Whit·sun·day 
[wít sùndee, wít
sùn day, hwít sùndee, hwít sùn day, hwít sùn
day] noun

See
Pentecost
[Old English hwīta
sunnandæg “white Sunday,” because of the white robes the priests wear on
this day][1]



Whitsuntide

Whitsuntide
Whit·sun·tide 
[wíts’n td, hwíts’n
td] (plural Whit·sun·tides) noun

days
around Whitsunday: the days around and
including Whitsunday
[13th century. From Whitsun + tide
in the obsolete sense of “period of time.”][1]



Whittaker,Charles Evans

Whittaker,Charles Evans
Whit·ta·ker
[wíttəkər, hwíttəkər],
Charles Evans (1901–1973)

U.S. Supreme Court justice.
He served as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court (1957–1962).[1]



Whittier,John Greenleaf

Whittier,John Greenleaf

Whit·tier 
[wíttee ər, hwíttee
ər], John Greenleaf (1807–1892)
U.S. poet and abolitionist. His strong
Quaker beliefs, which underlie his poetry, prompted him to oppose slavery.[1]



whittle

whittle
whit·tle 
[wítt’l, hwítt’l]
(past whit·tled, past participle whit·tled, present
participle whit·tling, 3rd person present singular whit·tles)
intransitive and transitive verb

carve
with small cuts: to carve something out of wood, usually
something small enough to hold in the hand, by cutting away small pieces of
wood
[Mid-16th
century. From whyttel “knife,” a variant of thwitel, literally
“tool for paring,” ultimately from Old English þwītan “to pare, cut.”]
—whit·tler,
noun

—whit·tling, noun[1]



whittleaway

whittleaway
whittle
away
transitive verb

use something up gradually:
to deplete something by using or spending a little of it at a time[1]



whittledown

whittledown
whittle
down
transitive verb

reduce something gradually:
to reduce or diminish something gradually by taking away a little of it at a
time[1]



whittlings

whittlings
whit·tlings
[wíttlingz, hwíttlingz]
plural noun

wood chips:
pieces of wood that have been whittled off a larger piece and discarded[1]



whity

whity
whit·y
(plural whit·ies) noun

See
whitey[1]



whiz

whiz
whiz
[wiz, hwiz]
or whizz [wiz, hwiz] verb (past whizzed, past
participle whizzed, present participle whiz·zing, 3rd
person present singular whiz·zes)

1.  intransitive
verb
hum:
to make a humming, hissing, or buzzing noise

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
with a humming noise: to move swiftly with a
humming, hissing, or buzzing noise, or to cause something to move in this way • bullets
whizzing past

3.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move or travel somewhere rapidly • whiz
down to the store

4.  transitive
verb
throw
something:
to throw something, especially with a spin, or cause something to move and
rotate (informal) • He
whizzed the ball right past the catcher.

5.  intransitive
verb
offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to urinate (slang offensive)
noun
(plural whiz·zes)

1.  humming
sound:
a humming, hissing, or buzzing sound

2.  whiz
or whizz (plural whiz·zes) or wiz (plural
wiz·zes) expert:
somebody who is very skilled in a particular field (informal) • a
computer whiz

3.  fast
movement:
a fast movement, often accompanied by a humming, hissing, or buzzing sound

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to an act of urinating (slang offensive)
[Mid-16th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whiz-bang

whiz-bang
whiz-bang 
or whizz-bang noun (plural whiz-bangs) (plural
whizz-bangs) (informal)

1.  somebody
or something excellent: somebody or something that
is outstandingly successful or effective, loud, or fast

2.  ARMS artillery
shell:
a lightweight artillery shell used in World War I
adjective

excellent, fast, or loud:
outstandingly successful or effective, loud, or fast (informal) • a
whiz-bang presentation

[1]



whizkid

whizkid
whiz
kid
or whizz kid or wiz kid noun

somebody
young and talented: a young and exceptionally
talented and successful person in a given field (informal)
[Possibly an alteration of
Quiz Kid, a contestant on an early radio quiz program][1]



who

who
who 
[hoo] pronoun

1.  introduces
a question:
used to introduce a question asking about the name or identity of a person or
people • Who’s
that at the door? • Who
did you see there?

2.  introduces
a relative clause: used to introduce a relative
clause giving information about a person or people • meals
for people who are too busy to cook
[Old
English hwā . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “who, what”
that is also the ancestor of English what,
how, quote,
and quantity .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at whom.

[1]



WHO

WHO
WHO

Abbreviation of
World Health Organization[1]



whoa

whoa
whoa 
[wō, hwō]
interjection

stop:
used to order an animal, or humorously, a person, to stop
[Mid-19th century. Variant of
ho .][1]



whodunit

whodunit
who·dun·it 
[hoo dúnnit] (plural who·dun·its)
or who·dun·nit [hoo dúnnit] (plural
who·dun·nits) noun

mystery:
a novel, movie, or play centering on the solving of a crime, usually a murder
[Mid-20th century. Alteration
of “who done it?”.][1]



whoever

whoever
who·ev·er 
[hoo évvər] pronoun

1.  introduces
an emphatic question: used to introduce an
emphatic question indicating surprise or disbelief • Whoever
would do such a thing?

2.  any
person who:
used to indicate a person or people whose identity is not known • Whoever
takes over from her will have difficult decisions to make.
conjunction

no matter who:
used to indicate a person or people whose identity is not important • You
can bring whoever you like to the party.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  whoever
  or whomever ?
  Whoever is a relative pronoun used
  in statements or commands: • Whoever
  made this has done a good job. • Ask
  whoever you like. The objective case whomever, though strictly correct in the last
  example, is falling out of use just as whom
  is, and whoever is generally considered
  acceptable.

[1]



whole

whole
whole
[hōl] adjective

1.  entire:
complete, including all parts or aspects, with nothing left out

2.  undivided:
not divided into parts or not regarded as consisting of separate elements

3.  relating
to duration or extent: relating to or representing
the full duration or extent of something • stayed
up the whole night

4.  unbroken:
not damaged or broken • not a
single item of furniture left whole

5.  unimpaired:
not wounded, impaired, or incapacitated • no
longer a whole man

6.  healed
or healthy:
healed or restored to health physically or psychologically • made
him whole again

7.  having
common parents: having both parents in common with your
siblings • a
whole sister

8.  not
fractional:
containing no fractions or decimals
adverb

1.  as
a single piece: in a single piece rather than in several
pieces • Many
snakes swallow their food whole.

2.  completely:
completely and in every way (informal) • a
whole different approach
noun
(plural wholes)

1.  something
complete:
something that is complete and has no parts missing

2.  single
entity or unit: something regarded as a single and
complete unit or entity, as opposed to a set of components
[Old
English hāl (source of English hale
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “sound, propitious.”]
as
a whole

as
a single and complete entity

a
whole lot

very
much or a great deal (informal)

on
the whole

1.  as
a rule or in general

2.  taking
all relevant factors into account





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  prehistoric Germanic precursor of whole is
  also the source of English hail, hallow, heal,
  health, and holy.

[1]



wholecloth

wholecloth
whole
cloth
noun

all
lies:
complete fiction or fabrication • an
explanation made out of whole cloth
[From the sense “untrimmed
cloth as it comes directly from the manufacturer.” The underlying meaning is
“cut from new material, in any shape you please.”][1]



wholefood

wholefood
whole·food
[hṓl fd] (plural whole·foods)
noun

U.K.
unprocessed food:
food that has undergone very little processing and has been grown or produced
without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers[1]



wholegale

wholegale
whole
gale
noun

violent wind:
a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, traveling at 87 to 102 km/55 to 63 mi
per hour and capable of causing considerable structural damage[1]



wholehearted

wholehearted
whole·heart·ed 
[hl hrtəd] adjective

enthusiastic:
characterized by enthusiasm, passion, or commitment
—whole·heart·ed·ly,
adverb

—whole·heart·ed·ness, noun[1]



wholehog

wholehog
whole
hog
adverb

completely:
in every way or to the fullest extent (informal)
[Origin uncertain: perhaps
from hog in the archaic sense “shilling,”
thus “to spend the whole shilling all at once”][1]



wholemeal

wholemeal
whole·meal
[hṓl ml] adjective

U.K.
See whole-wheat
[Early 17th century][1]



wholemilk

wholemilk
whole
milk
noun

milk with full fat content:
cow’s milk from which no fat has been removed[1]



wholenote

wholenote
whole
note
noun

long
note:
the longest musical note in common use, equal in length to four quarter notes
or two half notes. It is written as an open note-head with no stem or tail.
U.K.
term
semibreve
[Whole from the fact
that it lasts for one full measure][1]



wholenumber

wholenumber
whole
num·ber
noun

number without fractions:
a positive or negative number, including zero, that does not contain a fraction
or decimal[1]



wholesale

wholesale
whole·sale 
[hṓl sàyl] noun

trade in quantity:
the business of buying and selling goods in quantity at discounted prices,
usually direct from manufacturers or distributors, in order to sell them on to
the consumer
adjective

1.  of
trade in quantity: relating to the buying and
selling of goods in quantity at discounted prices

2.  done
on large scale: done on a large scale and
indiscriminately
adverb

1.  in
bulk:
on a large scale and at a discounted price

2.  indiscriminately:
as a whole, without exercising any judgment or taking individual cases into
account
verb
(past whole·saled, past participle whole·saled, present
participle whole·sal·ing, 3rd person present singular whole·sales)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb buy or
sell goods wholesale: to buy or sell goods in
large quantities at a discounted price, especially selling to retailers,
instead of direct to the consumer, or to be bought or sold in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
to
be sold wholesale: to participate in selling
things wholesale, or to be sold in such a way
[15th
century. From the phrase “by whole sale,” that is, sold in a single lot for
redistribution at retail.]
—whole·sal·er, noun[1]



wholesome

wholesome
whole·some 
[hṓlssəm] adjective

1.  health-giving:
beneficial to physical health, usually by virtue of being fresh and naturally
produced

2.  morally
beneficial:
leading to or promoting improved moral well-being

3.  sensible:
based on openness, honesty, and common sense

4.  healthy
and fit:
having a fit, healthy appearance that suggests clean living
[Assumed
Old English hālsum]
—whole·some·ly,
adverb

—whole·some·ness, noun[1]



wholestep

wholestep
whole
step
noun

musical interval:
a musical interval consisting of two half steps, such as exists between the
notes D and E or A and B.
U.K. term
whole tone[1]



whole-wheat

whole-wheat
whole-wheat
adjective

1.  not
having had bran removed: not having had the bran and
wheatgerm taken out.
U.K.
term
wholemeal

2.  made
with whole-wheat flour: made using whole-wheat flour

[1]



wholly

wholly
whol·ly 
[hṓlee, hṓl lee]
adverb

1.  completely
and entirely: totally and in every way or to the
fullest extent

2.  solely
and exclusively: solely and to the exclusion of all other
things

[1]



whom

whom
whom 
[hoom] pronoun (formal)

1.  introduces
a question:
used to introduce a question asking about the name or identity of a person or
people • Whom
did you expect to see?

2.  introduces
a relative clause: used to introduce a relative
clause giving information about a person or people • Birch
and her colleagues studied 162 infants, none of whom were born prematurely.
[Old
English hwm, from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor
of English who]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  who
  or whom ?
  Although
  whom is the correct form when it is the
  object of a verb or preposition, it has fallen into disuse in many contexts,
  and constructions with who are taking its
  place. A sentence of the type • Do
  you remember whom you saw? would be expressed as • Do
  you remember who you saw?, and • The
  man to whom I was talking as • The
  man I was talking to (often with ellipsis of
  the relative pronoun, as in the last example). Note that whom is incorrectly used in sentences of the
  type • The
  woman whom we thought was dead is still alive,
  since the relative pronoun is the subject of was (not is ) and
  not the object of thought.

[1]



whomever

whomever
whom·ev·er 
[hoom évvər] pronoun

formal
word for whoever: a formal word for “whoever” when used as
the object of a verb or preposition (formal)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at whoever.

[1]



whomp

whomp
whomp
[womp, hwomp]
verb (past whomped, past participle whomped,
present participle whomp·ing, 3rd person present singular whomps)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb strike:
to hit somebody or something with great force, especially noisily

2.  transitive
verb
defeat
somebody:
to subject somebody to a crushing defeat (informal)
noun
(plural whomps)

blow or noise of a blow:
a heavy blow or the loud deep sound it makes
[Early 20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whompup

whompup
whomp
up
transitive verb

incite or arouse:
to arouse, incite, or stir up interest or enthusiasm (archaic)[1]



whomsoever

whomsoever
whom·so·ev·er 
[hm sō évvər] pronoun

emphatic form of whomever:
an emphatic form of whomever (formal)[1]



whoop

whoop
whoop 
[hoop, whoop]
verb (past whooped, past participle whooped,
present participle whoop·ing, 3rd person present singular whoops)

1.  intransitive
verb
cry
out:
to make a loud howling cry of excitement or joy

2.  transitive
verb
exclaim
something:
to exclaim something loudly and with great excitement

3.  transitive
verb
urge
or drive somebody forward: to urge somebody on, chase
after somebody, or drive a person or animal forward with a whooping call

4.  intransitive
verb
MED wheeze:
to breathe in with the sharp wheezing sound associated with whooping cough
noun
(plural whoops)

1.  loud
cry:
a loud howling cry of excitement or joy

2.  battle
cry:
a cry uttered before a battle or hunt, by a warrior, soldier, or hunter

3.  call
made by bird or animal: a loud call or hoot, for
example, from a bird or animal

4.  MED wheezing
sound:
a sharply wheezing inhalation associated with whooping cough
[14th
century. Ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
whoop
it up

1.  to
have fun or celebrate in an extravagant or noisy way (informal)

2.  to
express and try to arouse enthusiasm for somebody or something (informal)

[1]



whoop-de-do

whoop-de-do
whoop-de-do
[hp di d, hwp
di d] or whoop-de-doo [hp di
d, hwp di d] noun (informal)

1.  party:
a large-scale party or celebration that is lively or noisy

2.  publicity:
noisy activity meant to attract attention • the
whoop-de-do surrounding the movie’s release

3.  fuss:
a noisy public commotion or outcry
interjection

expressing excitement:
used to express excitement (informal) (often used ironically)
[Mid-20th century. Expressive
alteration of whoop, perhaps under the
influence of to-do .][1]



whoopee

whoopee
whoop·ee 
[wppee, wppee,
hwppee, hwpee]
interjection

cry
of exultation: used to express great and sudden
excitement (informal) (often used ironically)
[Mid-19th
century. Alteration of whoop .]
make
whoopee

1.  to
celebrate noisily and exuberantly (dated informal)

2.  to
engage in sexual activity (dated informal)

[1]



whoopeecushion

whoopeecushion
whoop·ee
cush·ion
noun

inflatable joke cushion:
a practical joker’s toy in the form of an inflatable cushion with a small
opening, designed to make a noise resembling flatulence when somebody sits on
it[1]



whooper

whooper
whoop·er 
[hpər, hwpər]
(plural whoop·ers) noun

1.  See
whooping crane

2.  See
whooper swan

[1]



whooperswan

whooperswan
whoop·er
swan
noun

swan with whooping cry:
a large white Eurasian swan with a yellow and black bill, straight neck, and
loud whooping cry in flight. Latin name: Cygnus cygnus
Also called
whooper[1]



whoopingcough

whoopingcough
whoop·ing
cough 
[hping kòf, hwping
kòf] noun

infectious coughing disease:
an infectious bacterial disease that causes violent coughing spasms followed by
sharp, shrill inhalation. It affects children in particular. Latin name: Bordetella
pertussis Technical name pertussis[1]



whoopingcrane

whoopingcrane


whoop·ing crane
noun
N American crane:
a large white North American crane with black wing tips that makes a loud
whooping cry in flight and is now an endangered species. Latin name: Grus
americana
Also called
whooper[1]



whoops

whoops
whoops 
[hoops, hwoops]
or woops [hoops, hwoops] interjection

indicates
mistake:
used to express surprise, concern, or embarrassment at making a mistake or
having a slight accident
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: possibly a variant of oops .][1]



whoosh

whoosh

whoosh 
[woosh, hwoosh]
noun (plural whoosh·es)

1.  noise
of rushing air or water: the sound made by rushing
air or water

2.  swift
motion or rush: a swift motion, spurt, or rush
intransitive verb
(past whooshed, past participle whooshed, present
participle whoosh·ing, 3rd person present singular whoosh·es)

1.  make
rushing sound: to make the sound of rushing air or
rushing water

2.  move
fast:
to move rapidly, with a whooshing sound • whooshed
into the room
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whop

whop
whop 
[wop, hwop]
or whap [wop, hwop] transitive verb (past whopped,
past participle whopped, present participle whop·ping,
3rd person present singular whops) (past whapped, past
participle whapped, present participle whap·ping, 3rd
person present singular whaps) (informal)

1.  hit
somebody or something: to strike somebody or
something forcefully

2.  defeat
somebody decisively: to subject an opponent to a
crushing defeat
noun
(plural whops) (plural whaps)

blow or noise of blow:
a heavy blow or the loud dull sound it makes
[14th century. Variant of wap
“to strike, slap,” also “a blow,” of unknown origin.][1]



whopper

whopper
whop·per 
[wóppər, hwóppər]
(plural whop·pers) noun (informal)

1.  something
big:
something that is much bigger than others of its kind

2.  big
lie:
a blatant and outrageous lie
[Late 18th century. Formed
from whopping .][1]



whopping

whopping
whop·ping 
[wópping, hwópping]
adjective

big:
very big or great (informal)
adverb

very:
extremely (informal)
[Early 18th century. Formed
from whop .][1]



whore

whore
whore 
[hawr] noun (plural whores)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a prostitute (offensive)

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody regarded as being sexually
indiscriminate (taboo insult offensive)

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is regarded as willingly
setting aside principles or personal integrity in order to obtain something,
usually for selfish motives (insult offensive)
intransitive
verb
(past whored, past participle whored, present
participle whor·ing, 3rd person present singular whores)
(offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to work as a prostitute

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning to be a regular customer of prostitutes
[Old English hōre .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to desire” that is also the
ancestor of English cherish, caress, and Kama Sutra .][1]



whoreafter

whoreafter
whore
after
transitive verb

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning to pursue something desperately, making whatever
sacrifices of principles or personal integrity are necessary (offensive)[1]



whoredom

whoredom
whore·dom 
[háwrdəm] noun

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to the state, status, or job of a prostitute (literary
offensive)

2.  BIBLE idolatry:
the worship of idols (literary)
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: either formed from whore, or from
Old Norse hórdómr .][1]



whorehouse

whorehouse
whore·house 
[háwr hòwss] (plural whore·hous·es
[háwr hòwzəz]) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer to a brothel or other place of prostitution (informal
offensive)[1]



whoremonger

whoremonger
whore·mon·ger 
[háwr mùnggər, háwr
mònggər] (plural whore·mon·gers) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a sexually indiscriminate man, especially
one who frequents prostitutes (archaic insult offensive)
—whore·mon·ger·y, noun[1]



whoreson

whoreson
whore·son 
[háwrss’n] noun (plural whore·sons)
(archaic insult offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a boy or man whose paternity is unknown or
has not been established

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to a man regarded as dishonest, treacherous, or
otherwise disreputable
adjective

offensive term:
an offensive term meaning contemptible or loathsome (archaic offensive)
[14th century. Translation of
Anglo-Norman fiz a putain .][1]



Whorfhypothesis

Whorfhypothesis
Whorf
hy·poth·e·sis noun

See
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis[1]



whorish

whorish
whor·ish 
[háwrish] adjective (offensive)

1.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to traits of character or behavior
stereotypically ascribed to prostitutes

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term meaning relating to prostitutes or prostitution
—whor·ish·ly,
adverb

—whor·ish·ness, noun[1]



whorl

whorl
whorl 
[wawrl, wurl,
hwawrl, hwurl]
(plural whorls) noun

1.  something
spiral-shaped: something in the shape of a spiral,
coil, or curl

2.  ANATOMY CRIMINOLOGY pattern on finger or in
fingerprint: a series of concentric circular or
elliptical ridges in the pattern of lines on the gripping surface of a finger
or thumb, or this shape seen in a fingerprint

3.  BOTANY circle
of plant parts: a circular arrangement of three or more
leaves, petals, or other plant parts arising at the same level on a stem or
other axis, like spokes on a wheel

4.  ZOOLOGY spiral
in shell:
any of the turns or coils of a mollusk’s shell
[15th century. Alteration of whirl under the influence of wharve
“spindle-whorl” (from the same prehistoric Germanic base as whirl ).][1]



whorled

whorled
whorled 
[wawrld, wurld,
hwawrld, hwurld]
adjective

shaped like whorl:
in the shape of a whorl or having a pattern of whorls[1]



whortleberry

whortleberry
whor·tle·ber·ry 
[wúrt’l bèrree, hwúrt’l
bèrree] (plural whor·tle·ber·ries) noun

1.  plant
with edible berries: a low-growing European plant
of the heather family, found in heathland and mountainous areas. It has
greenish-pink flowers and tiny sweet blue-black edible fruit. Latin name: Vaccinium
myrtillus

2.  plant
related to the whortleberry: any of several plants related
to the whortleberry that have edible berries, for example, the blueberry

3.  FOOD berry
of whortleberry plant: the edible blue-black fruit
of any whortleberry plant
[Late 16th century. Dialect
variant of hurtleberry .][1]



whose

whose
whose 
[hooz] pronoun adjective

belonging
to who or which: a grammatical word used to talk or ask
about the person or thing something belongs to • Whose
are these boots? • “It
wasn’t my idea.” –“Well, whose was it then?” • a
theatre whose doors will always be open to such a talented performer
• Whose
car shall we use? • He
wanted to know whose the scarf was.
[Old
English hwæs, the genitive of the pronouns hwa (masculine) “who”
(see who ) and hwæt (neuter) “what”
(see what ). Influenced in Middle English by
who and whom .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  whose
  or who’s ?
  Whose means “of whom” or “of
  which” and denotes possession or association: • These
  are the children whose father we saw yesterday. • There
  was a church whose steeple had been struck by lightning.
  (Some people dislike the use of whose to
  mean “of which,” but it is a well established use and the alternatives are
  usually awkward.) Who’s is a contraction
  of who is or who has : • She’s
  the one who’s coming to dinner next week. • Who’s
  got my pen?

[1]



whosoever

whosoever
who·so·ev·er 
[hssō évvər] pronoun adjective

whoever:
whoever (literary or archaic)
[12th century][1]



who’d

who’d
who’d 
[hood] contraction

1.  who
had

2.  who
would
[Mid-17th century][1]



who’ll

who’ll
who’ll 
[hool] contraction

1.  who
shall

2.  who
will

[1]



who’s

who’s
who’s 
[hooz] contraction

1.  who
is

2.  who
has

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at whose.

[1]



Who’sWho

Who’sWho
Who’s
Who 
Trademark

a trademark for a reference
work giving brief biographical sketches for notable people in Great Britain[1]



WH-question

WH-question
WH-ques·tion
(plural WH-ques·tions) noun

question starting with word
beginning wh-: a question
that starts with who, what, where, when, why,
or how . It cannot be answered by “yes” or “no.”[1]



whs.

whs.
whs.

Abbreviation of
warehouse[1]



whsle.

whsle.
whsle.

Abbreviation of
wholesale[1]



whump

whump
whump 
[wump, hwump]
noun (plural whumps)

muffled
sound:
the sound of a dull thump or muffled explosion
intransitive
and transitive verb (past whumped,
past participle whumped, present participle whump·ing,
3rd person present singular whumps)

thump:
to make the sound of a dull thump or muffled explosion, or to hit somebody or
something with such a sound
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



whup

whup
whup 
[wup, wp,
hwup, hwp]
(past whupped, past participle whupped, present
participle whup·ping, 3rd person present singular whups)
transitive verb

1.  defeat
somebody:
to subject an opponent to a crushing defeat (informal)

2.  Southern
U.S.
whip
somebody:
to beat somebody with a whip
[Late 19th century. Dialect
variant of whip ; from Scots dialect .][1]



why

why
why 
[wī, hwī]
CORE
MEANING:
an adverb used to ask or talk about the reason, purpose, or cause of something
• Why
didn’t you call? • I
wish you’d tell me why you’re so unhappy. • He
could not say why he’d done it. • It
seems clear to me why.

1.
adverb because of: for
or on account of which • There’s
no reason why you shouldn’t go.

2.
interjection exclamation:
an exclamation used to express surprise, shock, or indignation • Why,
John, how could you!
[Old
English hw, the instrumental case form of hwæt “what” (see what )]
why
not

used to express agreement
with a suggestion or proposed course of action • “Would
you like another coffee?” –“Why not?”[1]



Whyalla

Whyalla
Why·al·la
[wī állə]

city and port on the Spencer
Gulf in South Australia. It is a center of iron and steel production.
Population: 23,382 (1996)[1]



whydah

whydah
whyd·ah 
[wíddə, hwíddə]
(plural whyd·ah or whyd·ahs) or whid·ah
[wíddə, hwíddə]
(plural whid·ah or whid·ahs) noun

African
bird:
an African weaverbird the male of which has long black tail feathers during the
breeding season. Genus: Vidua
Also
called
widowbird
[Late 18th century. Named for
Ouidah, a West African town where the bird is found. Perhaps influenced
by widow, because of the black coloration of
the males.][1]



whysand wherefores

whysand wherefores
whys
and where·fores noun

reasons for something:
all the reasons and explanations for something • Without
going into all the whys and wherefores, let’s just say the wedding’s off.[1]



WI

WI
WI

Abbreviation of
Wisconsin[1]



W.I.

W.I.
W.I.

1.  Abbreviation
of
West Indian

2.  Abbreviation
of
West Indies

[1]



WIA

WIA
WIA
(plural WIAs) noun

Abbreviation of
wounded in action[1]



Wicca

Wicca
Wic·ca 
[wíkə] noun

witchcraft:
religious practice involving nature-worship and witchcraft
[Mid-20th century. A
deliberate revival of Old English wicca (see witch
).][1]



Wiccan

Wiccan
Wic·can 
[wíkən] (plural Wic·cans) noun

somebody
practicing Wicca: somebody who practices Wicca
—Wic·can, adjective[1]



Wichita

Wichita2
Wich·i·ta2  [wíchi
tàw]

city in south central Kansas,
on the Arkansas River, southwest of Emporia. Population: 320,395 (1996)[1]



Wichita

Wichita1
Wich·i·ta1  [wíchi
tàw] (plural Wich·i·ta or Wich·i·tas) noun

PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally lived in lands that are now in Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Texas. Its members now live mainly in Oklahoma.
[Mid-19th century. From Caddo
.][1]



wick

wick
wick 
[wik] noun (plural wicks)

1.  material
holding fuel that burns: a string or piece of fabric
that uses capillary action to draw the fuel to the flame in a candle, oil lamp,
or cigarette lighter

2.  MEDICINE material
that draws up liquid: any piece of material that
draws liquid up by capillary action, for example, a strip of gauze put into a
wound to drain it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wicked, past
participle wicked, present participle wick·ing, 3rd
person present singular wicks)

move liquid by capillary action:
to take in or transfer liquid by capillary action, or to be taken in or
transferred in this way • synthetic
materials that wick moisture away from the skin
[Old English wēoc .
The word has relatives in Dutch and German, but is of unknown origin.][1]



wicked

wicked
wick·ed 
[wíkid] adjective (comparative
wick·ed·er, superlative wick·ed·est)

1.  very
bad:
very wrong or very bad

2.  mischievous:
liking to tease people playfully or cause them slight trouble, but without
upsetting them seriously • a
wicked sense of humor

3.  mean:
liking to say very unpleasant things to people • She
has a really wicked tongue sometimes!

4.  very
good:
very impressive or very skillful (slang) • He
plays a wicked game of tennis.

5.  dangerous:
capable of causing harm to somebody • a knife
with a wicked blade

6.  distressing:
causing discomfort, distress, or disappointment (informal) • I’ve
got a wicked headache.

7.  disgusting:
tasting or smelling disgusting and repulsive
plural
noun

bad people:
people who do very bad things
[13th
century]
—wick·ed·ly,
adverb

—wick·ed·ness, noun[1]



wicker

wicker
wick·er 
[wíkər] (plural wick·ers) noun

1.  See
wickerwork  noun 1

2.  twig,
cane, or reed: any one of the twigs, canes, or reeds
woven together to make such things as baskets or chairs

3.  something
made of wicker: something such as a basket made of
twigs, canes, or reeds
[14th century. From
Scandinavian . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to bend” that is
also the ancestor of English weak and
vicar .][1]



wickerwork

wickerwork
wick·er·work 
[wíkər wùrk] noun

1.  woven
twigs, canes, or reeds: thin twigs, canes, or reeds
woven together to make objects such as baskets and chairs.
Also
called
wicker

2.  things
made of wicker: objects such as baskets and chairs made
by weaving together thin twigs, canes, or reeds

[1]



wicket

wicket
wick·et 
[wíkit] (plural wick·ets) noun

1.  small
door or gate: a small door or gate, especially one
close to or forming part of a larger one.
Also
called
wicket door
Also
called
wicket gate

2.  small
opening for communication: a small opening or window in
a wall or door through which people can communicate. Wickets are often fitted
with glass, a grating, or a sliding panel.

3.  ENGINEERING gate
controlling water flow: a gate used to control the
flow of water at a lock or water wheel

4.  SPORTS croquet
hoop:
any of the hoops through which the ball is hit in croquet

5.  CRICKET upright
sticks defended by cricket batsman: in
cricket, either of two sets of three upright sticks stumps on which are
balanced two shorter sticks bails and in front of which the batsman or
batswoman stands

6.  CRICKET part
of cricket pitch: the part of a cricket pitch between the
two sets of stumps, which are placed 20 m22 yd apart

7.  CRICKET turn
of batting:
in cricket, a batsman’s or batswoman’s turn of batting, or that of a pair of
batsmen or batswomen

8.  CRICKET ending
of turn of batting: in cricket, the ending of
somebody’s turn of batting, for example, by knocking down the stumps or
catching the ball
[13th century. Via Old
Northern French wiket, from prehistoric German. Ultimately from an
Indo-European word meaning “to bend” (see wicker
).][1]



wicketkeeper

wicketkeeper
wick·et·keep·er
[wíkit kpər] (plural wick·et·keep·ers)
noun

player behind wicket:
in cricket, the player positioned behind the wicket to catch the ball or knock
the bails off the stumps[1]



wicking

wicking
wick·ing
[wíking] noun

INDUSTRY
material for wicks:
material used to make wicks[1]



wickiup

wickiup
wick·i·up 
[wíkee ùp] (plural wick·i·ups)
or wik·i·up [wíkee ùp] (plural
wik·i·ups) noun

Native
N American hut: a hut made by Native North Americans of
the southwestern United States by covering a framework of arched poles with
mats of bark, grass, or branches
[Mid-19th century. From Fox wikiapi
. Ultimately from the same prehistoric Algonquian base as wigwam .][1]



WicklowMountains

WicklowMountains
Wick·low
Moun·tains
[wìklō mównt’nz]

mountain range in Wicklow
County, on the eastern coast of the Republic of Ireland. The highest point is
Lugnaquill, 926 m/3,039 ft .[1]



wicky

wicky
wick·y
[wíkee] (plural wick·ies) noun

See
sheep laurel[1]



wicopy

wicopy
wic·o·py 
[wíkəpee] (plural wic·o·pies) noun

See
leatherwood
[Late 18th century. From
Algonquian .][1]



widdershins

widdershins
wid·der·shins 
[wíddər shìnz] adverb

Scotland
See withershins[1]



wide

wide
wide 
[wīd] adjective (comparative wid·er,
superlative wid·est)

1.  with
sides or edges far apart: having a relatively large
distance or space between one side or edge and the other

2.  being
a specified distance apart: having a specified distance
between one side or edge and the other • three
inches wide

3.  opened
to great extent: opened to a great extent or as far as
possible • staring
at him with wide eyes

4.  with
many types or choices: including many varieties,
offering many choices, or having a large range • a
wide selection of cheeses

5.  involving
many people: from, involving, or given to many people
• wide
support for the plan

6.  large
in scope:
with a large scope • a very wide gap between
living standards here and in developing countries

7.  not
hitting target: going some distance away from the
intended, expected, or correct place

8.  going
beyond details: looking beyond the particular issue
involved toward the more general aspects of something rather than the details • We
need to look at the wider implications of these proposals.

9.  fitting
loosely:
not fitting tightly round the body

10. BASEBALL See outside  5

11. PHONETICS See lax  adjective 4
adverb
(comparative wid·er, superlative wid·est)

1.  to
great extent: to a great extent or as much as possible
• Stand
with your legs wide apart.

2.  over
large area:
over an extensive area • scattered
far and wide

3.  to
side of target: to one side of the intended target • A
few shots were fired but they all went wide.
[Old
English wīd . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “apart” that
is also the ancestor of English with
.]
—wide·ness,
noun

—wid·ish, adjective[1]



-wide

-wide
-wide
suffix

effective
throughout a particular place • statewide
• storewide
[From wide][1]



wide-angle

wide-angle
wide-an·gle 
adjective PHOTOGRAPHY

1.  giving
wide angle of view: used to describe a camera
lens that gives an unusually wide field of view by making things appear smaller
or further away than they really are

2.  using
wide-angle lens: relating to or using a camera lens with
an unusually wide field of view • a
wide-angle shot

[1]



wide-areanetwork

wide-areanetwork
wide-ar·e·a
net·work
(plural wide-ar·e·a net·works) noun

network of computers:
a network of computers and peripheral devices linked by cable over a broad
geographic area[1]



wide-awake

wide-awake
wide-a·wake 
adjective

1.  fully
awake:
completely awake and alert (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

2.  alert:
very aware of surroundings and watching for advantageous possibilities (informal)
• a
wide-awake young go-getter
noun
(plural wide-a·wakes) wide-a·wake wide-a·wake hat

CLOTHES felt
hat:
a soft felt hat with a wide brim and a low crown
—wide-a·wake·ness, noun[1]



wide-bodied

wide-bodied
wide-bod·ied 
or wide-bod·y adjective

AIR
with wide fuselage:
with a fuselage wide enough to have three sets of passenger seats in a row,
separated by two aisles running the length of the airplane[1]



wide-eyed

wide-eyed
wide-eyed 
adjective

1.  with
eyes wide open: with eyes that are wide open, for
example, in amazement or fear

2.  easily
fooled:
lacking experience, wisdom, or common sense and therefore easily fooled by
other people

[1]



widely

widely
wide·ly
[wdlee] adverb

1.  with
space between: with a relatively large distance between
• Plant
them fairly widely apart.

2.  making
something spread or open wide: in such a way as to
make something open or spread as much as possible or to a great extent • smiling
a little too widely

3.  over
large area:
over an extensive area • She is
very widely travelled.

4.  over
large range: so as to cover an extensive range • The
conversation ranged widely, from politics to bee-keeping.

5.  by
many people: by a large number of people • It
is not widely known that he was once an acrobat.

6.  greatly:
to a great degree • widely different
examples of this phenomenon

[1]



wide-mouthed

wide-mouthed
wide-mouthed
[wd mówd, wd
mówtht] adjective

1.  with
wide mouth:
with a mouth that is notably wider than average

2.  with
mouth open wide: with the mouth open wide, for example,
in surprise

[1]



widen

widen
wid·en 
[wd’n] (past wid·ened, past
participle wid·ened, present participle wid·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular wid·ens) intransitive and transitive verb

make
or become wider: to become wider or to make something
wider
—wid·en·er, noun[1]



wide-open

wide-open
wide-o·pen 
adjective (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

1.  open
to great extent: open to a great extent, or as much as
possible • The
door was wide open.

2.  unpredictable:
not as yet decided or even predictable in outcome • The
match is still wide open.

3.  vulnerable
to attack:
unprotected and therefore able to be attacked easily

4.  without
laws or law enforcement: with few laws regulating
such things as prostitution, gambling, or the sale of alcohol, or not
stringently enforcing the laws that do exist (informal)

[1]



wide-ranging

wide-ranging
wide-rang·ing 
adjective

1.  dealing
with different things: dealing with a great variety
of matters

2.  affecting
many people or things: affecting a large number of
people or things • a decision that has
wide-ranging implications

[1]



widereceiver

widereceiver
wide
re·ceiv·er
(plural wide re·ceiv·ers) noun

football player who catches
long passes: in football, a player
who positions himself to the side of the offensive formation, and whose role is
to catch long passes from the quarterback[1]



wide-screen

wide-screen
wide-screen
adjective

1.  CINEMA very
wide:
used to describe a type of film projection in which the image is substantially
wider than it is tall

2.  very
large:
used to describe a television whose screen is notably larger than average

[1]



widespread

widespread
wide·spread 
[wd sprèd] adjective

1.  common:
existing or happening in many places, or affecting many people

2.  spread
far apart:
spread or extending far apart • with
arms widespread

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  widespread, prevalent, rife, epidemic,
  universal
  CORE
  MEANING: occurring
  over a wide area widespread; a
  general word that describes both concrete and abstract things that occur over
  a wide area; prevalent; a more
  formal word than widespread, often used to
  suggest that something occurring over a wide area is also dominant in that
  area. It can be used to describe both concrete and abstract things; rife; describes something undesirable that
  occurs frequently or in great numbers over a wide area, especially when it
  appears to be uncontrollable; epidemic;
  indicates the widespread occurrence of something, especially disease, in an
  area at a particular time; universal;
  describes something that occurs worldwide. It is also used to mean extremely
  widespread

[1]



widgeon

widgeon
wid·geon 
[wíjjən] (plural wid·geons or
wid·geon) or wi·geon [wíjjən]
(plural wi·geons or wi·geon) noun

1.  duck
of Europe and Asia: a freshwater duck of Europe
and Asia that has a white patch on each wing. Latin name: Anas penelope

2.  N
American duck: a North American duck the male of which
has a white crown. Latin name: Anas americana
Also
called
baldpate
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately an imitation of the bird’s call.][1]



widget

widget
wid·get 
[wíjjit] (plural wid·gets) noun

1.  unnamed
device:
any little device or mechanism, especially one whose name is unknown or
forgotten (humorous)

2.  object:
a hypothetical manufactured object, considered to represent the typical product
of a manufacturer
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of gadget
.][1]



widow

widow
wid·ow 
[wíddō] noun (plural wid·ows)

1.  woman
whose husband has died: a woman whose husband has
died, especially when she has not remarried

2.  woman
left behind: a woman whose partner regularly goes
away from her to take part in a particular activity (only used in
combination) • a golf widow.

See
also
grass widow

3.  PRINTING short
final line of paragraph: a short line at the end of a
paragraph, especially when occurring as the top line of a page or column of
text. The text is usually altered so that this is removed.
See
also
orphan

4.  CARD GAMES extra
hand of cards: an extra hand of cards dealt out in some
card games
transitive
verb
(past wid·owed, past participle wid·owed, present
participle wid·ow·ing, 3rd person present singular wid·ows)

make somebody widow or widower:
to cause somebody to become a widow or widower (usually passive) • She
was widowed a year ago.
[Old
English widuwe . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
separate” that is also the ancestor of English divide
.]
—wid·ow·hood, noun[1]



widowbird

widowbird
wid·ow·bird
[wíddō bùrd] (plural wid·ow·birds
or wid·ow·bird) noun

See
whydah
[Late 18th century][1]



widower

widower
wid·ow·er 
[wíddō ər] (plural wid·ow·ers)
noun

man
whose wife has died: a man whose wife has died,
especially when he has not remarried
—wid·ow·er·hood, noun[1]



widowmaker

widowmaker
wid·ow·mak·er
[wíddō màykər] (plural wid·ow·mak·ers)
noun

something very dangerous:
something that is so dangerous that it might kill anyone who uses it or tries
it[1]



widowwoman

widowwoman
wid·ow
wom·an
noun

widow:
a widow (archaic)[1]



widow’scruse

widow’scruse
wid·ow’s
cruse
noun

unending
source:
a source that provides an unending supply of something
[From the miracle of the
widow’s cruse of oil that supplies Elijah during a famine in the Bible
(I Kings 17:8–16)][1]



widow’smite

widow’smite
wid·ow’s
mite 
noun

small
contribution: a contribution that, although small, is
generous because it comes from somebody who has very little to give
[From the poor widow’s
contribution of two copper coins to the treasury in the Bible (Mark
12:42)][1]



widow’speak

widow’speak
wid·ow’s
peak
(plural wid·ow’s peaks) noun

V-shaped
hairline:
a V-shaped line across the top of a person’s forehead behind which the hair
grows.
Also
called
peak
[From the superstition that
this feature portends early widowhood][1]



widow’swalk

widow’swalk
wid·ow’s
walk
noun

rooftop
walkway:
a walkway with a rail around it on the rooftop of a house, especially one that
was used in the past to keep watch for incoming ships
[Said to be so named because,
while pacing along it, anxious wives commonly looked in vain for signs of their
husbands returning from sea][1]



widow’sweeds

widow’sweeds
wid·ow’s
weeds
plural noun

black clothes of widow:
the black clothes once traditionally worn by widows (archaic or literary)[1]



width

width
width 
[width, witth]
(plural widths) noun

1.  distance
across:
the distance from one side or edge of something to the other

2.  state
of being wide: the fact of being wide or how wide
something is

3.  SEWING material
of full width: a piece of material of its full width

[1]



widthwise

widthwise
width·wise 
[wídth wz, wítth
wz] or width·ways [wídth wàyz,
wítth wàyz] adverb

across
the width:
from one side or edge to the other
[Late 19th century (
widthways : late 18th century)][1]



wield

wield
wield 
[weeld] (past wield·ed, past
participle wield·ed, present participle wield·ing, 3rd
person present singular wields) transitive verb

1.  have
and exercise something: to have and be able to use
something, especially power or authority • the
immense economic power wielded by large companies

2.  use
weapon or tool: to hold and use a weapon or tool
[Old
English wielden “to rule,” a variant of wealden . Ultimately from
an Indo-European base meaning “to be strong” that is also the ancestor of English
valiant and valid .]
—wield·a·ble,
adjective

—wield·er, noun[1]



wiener

wiener
wie·ner 
[wnər] (plural wie·ners) noun

See
frankfurter
[Late 19th century.
Shortening of wienerwurst .][1]



Wiener,Norbert

Wiener,Norbert

Wie·ner 
[wnər], Norbert (1894–1964)
U.S. mathematician. His work on the
mathematics and theories underlying communication and electronic machines
founded the science of cybernetics.[1]



Wienerschnitzel

Wienerschnitzel
Wie·ner
schnit·zel 
[vnər shnìts’l] noun

fried slice of veal:
a thin slice of veal coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried[1]



wienerwurst

wienerwurst
wie·ner·wurst 
[wnər wùrst, wnər
wrst] (plural wie·ner·wursts) noun

See
frankfurter
[Late 19th century. From
German, from Wiener “of Vienna” + Wurst “sausage.”][1]



wienie

wienie
wie·nie
[wnee] (plural wie·nies) noun

frankfurter:
a frankfurter (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of wiener .][1]



Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden
Wies·ba·den 
[vss bd’n, vz
bd’n]

industrial city and spa
resort in west central Germany. It is the capital city of Hesse State.
Population: 266,400 (1995)[1]



Wiesel,Elie

Wiesel,Elie

Wie·sel
[vs’l], Elie (1928– )
Romanian-born
U.S. writer. He survived the Holocaust, and after settling in the United States
in 1956, devoted himself to writing and speaking about it. He won a Nobel Peace
Prize in 1986.
Full name
Wiesel, Eliezer[1]



wife

wife
wife 
[wīf] (plural wives [wīvz]) noun

1.  man’s
spouse:
the woman to whom a particular man is married

2.  U.K.
married
woman:
a woman, especially a married one (archaic)

3.  U.K.
mature
woman:
a woman, especially a mature woman (regional)
[Old
English wīf “woman, wife,” of unknown origin, but with related forms in
other Germanic languages]
—wife·hood, noun[1]



wifely

wifely
wife·ly 
[wflee] (comparative wife·li·er,
superlative wife·li·est) adjective

of
wife:
showing the attitudes or behavior stereotypically expected of a wife
[Old
English wīflic]
—wife·li·ness, noun[1]



wig

wig1
wig1  [wig]
(past wigged, past participle wigged, present
participle wig·ging, 3rd person present singular wigs,
plural wigs) noun

1.  false
hair:
a covering of hair or something resembling hair worn on the head for adornment,
ceremony, or to cover baldness

2.  toupee:
a toupee (informal)
[Late
17th century. Shortening of periwig .]
—wigged, adjective[1]



wig

wig2
wig2 [wig]
(past wigged, past participle wigged, present
participle wig·ging, 3rd person present singular wigs)
transitive verb

U.K.
scold
somebody:
to speak sternly to somebody who has done something wrong (dated informal)
[Early 19th century. From wig 1 .][1]



wigan

wigan
wig·an 
[wíggən] (plural wig·ans) noun

stiff
fabric:
a tough fabric used for stiffening clothes
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the town in Lancashire, England, where the material was first made.][1]



wigeon

wigeon
wi·geon 
noun

See
widgeon[1]



wigged-out

wigged-out
wigged-out
adjective

in extreme emotional state:
experiencing an extreme emotional or psychological state such as nervousness or
anxiety (slang) • wigged-out
from staying up all night[1]



wiggle

wiggle
wig·gle 
[wígg’l] intransitive and transitive verb
(past wig·gled, past participle wig·gled, present
participle wig·gling, 3rd person present singular wig·gles)

make small back and forth movements:
to move side to side in small quick movements, or to make something move in
this way
noun
(plural wig·gles)

1.  instance
of wiggling: a small quick side to side movement

2.  wavy
line:
a line with irregular curves in it
[13th century. From Low
German or Dutch wiggelen, from a prehistoric Germanic base.][1]



wiggler

wiggler
wig·gler 
[wígglər] (plural wig·glers) noun

1.  somebody
or something that wiggles: somebody or something that
moves side to side in small quick movements

2.  INSECTS mosquito
larva:
the larva or pupa of a mosquito.
Also
called
wriggler
[Mid-19th century][1]



wiggly

wiggly
wig·gly
[wígglee] (comparative wig·gli·er,
superlative wig·gli·est) adjective

1.  making
wiggling movements: moving side to side with
small quick movements, or able to be moved in this way (informal)

2.  wavy:
with many irregular curves • a
wiggly line

[1]



wiggy

wiggy
wig·gy
[wíggee] (comparative wig·gi·er,
superlative wig·gi·est) adjective (slang)

1.  unconventional:
tending to behave in an unconventional or unpredictable way

2.  uninhibited:
behaving in an extremely excited and uninhibited way
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from wig 2 in the
sense “to lose control of your emotions.”][1]



wight

wight1
wight1 [wīt]
(plural wights) noun

living
being:
a living being, especially a human being (archaic)
[Old English wiht
(source of English nought and whit ), from a prehistoric Germanic word of
unknown origin][1]



wight

wight2
wight2 [wīt]
adjective

brave:
brave and strong (archaic)
[13th century. From Old Norse
vígt, a form of vígr “skilled in arms.”][1]



wiglet

wiglet
wig·let
[wígglət] (plural wig·lets) noun

small wig:
a small hairpiece for a woman, worn as an addition to a hairstyle rather than
covering the head[1]



wigmaker

wigmaker
wig·mak·er
[wíg màykər] (plural wig·mak·ers)
noun

maker of wigs:
somebody who makes wigs for a living[1]



Wigner,Eugene Paul

Wigner,Eugene Paul
Wig·ner
[wígnər], Eugene Paul (1902–1995)

Hungarian-born U.S.
physicist. He shared a Nobel Prize (1963) for his research in nuclear physics.[1]



wigout

wigout
wig
out
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become anxious:
to become enthusiastic or anxious about something, or to make somebody
enthusiastic or anxious (slang) • He
wigged out from the stress of his new job.[1]



wigwag

wigwag
wig·wag 
[wíg wàg] intransitive and transitive
verb (past wig·wagged, past participle wig·wagged,
present participle wig·wag·ging, 3rd person present singular
wig·wags)

1.  move
from side to side: to wave or swing from side
to side in an arc around a fixed point, or to make something such as a flag
move in this way

2.  NAUTICAL signal
by waving something: to send a message by waving
something such as an arm or a flag
noun
(plural wig·wags) NAUTICAL

1.  process
of wigwagging: the method of communicating by waving an
arm or a flag

2.  message
sent by wigwagging: a message communicated by
the moving of arms or flags
[Late
16th century. Reduplication of wag .]
—wig·wag·ger, noun[1]



wigwam

wigwam
wig·wam 
[wíg wòm] (plural wig·wams) noun

1.  Native
N American hut: a Native North American hut made by
covering a conical or dome-shaped framework of poles with woven rush mats or
sheets of bark. Wigwams were used by the Algonquian-speaking Native North
Americans of the northeastern United States.

2.  child’s
toy:
a light tent in the shape of a wigwam for a child to play in
[Early 17th century. From
Abenaki wikewam . Ultimately from the same prehistoric Algonquian base
as wickiup .][1]



wikiup

wikiup
wik·i·up 
(plural wik·i·ups) noun

See
wickiup[1]



wikiwiki

wikiwiki
wik·i·wik·i
[wíkee wìkee] adverb

Hawaii
quickly:
quickly[1]



Wilberforce,William

Wilberforce,William
Wil·ber·force
[wílbər fàwrss], William (1759–1833)

British politician and
political reformer. His campaign to end the slave trade resulted in its
abolition in the West Indies in 1807, and in the Slave Abolition Act of 1833.[1]



wilco

wilco
wil·co 
[wíl k] interjection

term
in radio communication: used to indicate that you
understand what has just been said in a radio message and will do what is
necessary
[Mid-20th century. Blend and
shortening of will comply .][1]



Wilcoxontest

Wilcoxontest
Wil·cox·on
test
[wíl kòks’n tèst] (plural Wil·cox·on
tests) noun

statistical
test of data groups: a statistical test of the
equality of similar or matched groups of data to determine whether they differ
significantly from one another, without any assumptions about the underlying
distribution patterns.
Also
called
signed-ranks test
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Frank Wilcoxon (1892–1965), the Irish statistician who developed the
test.][1]



wild

wild
wild 
[wīld] adjective (comparative wild·er,
superlative wild·est)

1.  not
tame or domesticated: not kept as a pet or used
for display, work, or experimentation, but living freely in a natural habitat

2.  not
cultivated:
growing in a natural state rather than being cultivated in fields, parks, or
gardens • picking
wild strawberries

3.  produced
by wild animals: produced by animals living freely rather
than by domesticated animals • wild
honey

4.  rough,
desolate, and barren: not inhabited or able to be
inhabited by humans because of being barren, remote, or desolate

5.  enthusiastic
or eager:
feeling enthusiastic or eager or showing enthusiasm or eagerness • I’m
not wild about the idea.

6.  offensive
term:
an offensive term used to describe a people or its culture or customs as being
supposedly culturally inferior

7.  overwhelmed
by emotion:
overwhelmed by or showing a strong emotion such as anger, grief, or desire • wild
with grief.

8.  stormy:
rough and stormy, with a strong wind

9.  unruly:
lively and showing a disregard for rules • The
kids next door are really wild.

10. unrestrained:
marked by a lack of restraint or prudence, especially in things considered to
be vices • a
really wild party

11. messy:
not neat or well-groomed • His
hair was wild.

12. not
carefully thought out: not based on rational
thought, evidence, or probability • I just
made a wild guess.

13. SPORTS poorly
aimed:
not carefully aimed • throwing
wild punches

14. unconventional:
unconventional, exciting, and slightly irrational (informal) • a
wild idea

15. excellent:
excellent (dated slang) • Hey,
man, that’s really wild!

16. CARD GAMES with
value assigned by player: used to describe a playing
card that has any value that the player using it wishes to give it • Jokers
are wild.
adverb

1.  in
uncultivated way: in a natural state rather than being
cultivated in fields, parks, or gardens • flowers
that grow wild in the fields

2.  in
uncontrolled way: in an uncontrolled, unpredictable, or
unplanned way • She just lets her kids
run wild.

3.  Ireland
extremely:
to an extreme degree (informal) • That
was wild stupid.
noun

undomesticated state:
the natural, free state of an undomesticated animal • Most
people have never actually seen a panda in the wild.
noun
plural noun wild wilds

uninhabited area:
an area that is completely uninhabited or only very sparsely populated because
it is remote or rugged • They
live somewhere out in the wilds.
[Old
English wilde . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “wild,
woods” that is also the ancestor of English wold
and vole .]
—wild·ish,
adjective

—wild·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



wildbergamot

wildbergamot
wild
ber·ga·mot
noun

North American mint:
a North American mint that has fragrant leaves and a round cluster of purple
flowers. Latin name: Monarda fistulosa[1]



wildboar

wildboar
wild
boar
noun

wild pig:
a wild pig of Europe and Asia that has a coat ranging from pale gray to black,
dense bristles, a thin body, and small tusks. Latin name: Sus scrofa[1]



wildbrier

wildbrier
wild
bri·er
noun

See
wild rose[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wildcard

wildcard
wild
card
noun

1.  somebody
or something unpredictable: somebody or something that
is important to a plan or course of action, but whose behavior cannot be
predicted (informal)

2.  SPORTS extra
player or team in competition: an extra player or
team selected to take part in a competition although not technically qualified
to do so

3.  CARD GAMES card
of no fixed value: in card games, a card that
can have whatever value its player assigns it

4.  COMPUTING computer
symbol representing any character: a symbol, usually *,
that can be used to represent any character that may appear in the same
position in a computer search argument

[1]



wildcarrot

wildcarrot
wild
car·rot
noun

See
Queen Anne’s lace[1]



wildcat

wildcat
wild·cat 
[wld kàt] noun (plural wild·cats
or wild·cat)

1.  wild
European or Asian cat: a cat of Europe, Asia, and
Africa that resembles the domestic tabby but is heavier and has a bushy tail.
It is regarded as the ancestor of the domestic cat. Latin name: Felis
sylvestris

2.  medium-sized
wild feline: any of several medium-sized wild felines
such as the bobcat, caracal, lynx, and ocelot

3.  quick-tempered
person:
somebody who tends to get angry quickly

4.  INDUSTRY UTILITIES speculative oil or gas well:
an exploratory or speculative well drilled in an area not yet known to be
productive of oil or gas

5.  COMMERCE financially
unsound business: a financially unsound business
adjective

not financially safe:
practicing unethical or financially risky business methods, or characteristic
of such methods • wildcat stocks
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wild·cat·ted,
past participle wild·cat·ted, present participle wild·cat·ting,
3rd person present singular wild·cats)

INDUSTRY UTILITIES drill exploratory well:
to drill an exploratory well or take samples in an area not yet known to have
any reserves of what is being sought, especially oil or gas
—wild·cat·ting, noun,
adjective[1]



wildcatstrike

wildcatstrike
wild·cat
strike
noun

sudden unofficial strike:
a sudden strike not authorized by the labor union that the strikers belong to[1]



wildcatter

wildcatter
wild·cat·ter 
[wld kàttər] (plural wild·cat·ters)
noun

1.  INDUSTRY UTILITIES prospector:
somebody who prospects for oil in areas not yet known to be productive (informal)

2.  COMMERCE unethical
businessperson: somebody who develops or promotes risky
or fraudulent business ventures

3.  wildcat
strike participant: somebody who participates in
a sudden strike not authorized by the labor union he or she belongs to

[1]



wildcelery

wildcelery
wild
cel·er·y
noun

See
tape grass[1]



wildcherry

wildcherry
wild
cher·ry
noun

See
gean[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wilddog

wilddog
wild
dog
noun

dingo or similar animal:
any wild member of the dog family, especially the dingo, the African hunting
dog, or the dhole[1]



wildebeest

wildebeest
wil·de·beest 
[wíldə bst] (plural wil·de·beests
or wil·de·beest) noun

See
gnu
[Early 19th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “wild beast.”][1]



Wilde,Oscar

Wilde,Oscar

Wilde
[wīld], Oscar (1854–1900)
Irish
writer. His works include the plays Lady Windermere’s Fan ( 1892 ) and The
Importance of Being Earnest ( 1895 ) and the novel The Picture of Dorian
Gray ( 1891 ). His flamboyance and legendary wit made him a leading figure
in society, but he was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to two years’ hard
labor in 1895.
Full name
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills[1]



wilder

wilder
wil·der 
[wíldər] (past wil·dered, past
participle wil·dered, present participle wil·der·ing, 3rd
person present singular wil·ders) intransitive and transitive
verb (archaic)

1.  go
or lead astray: to go astray or lead somebody or
something astray

2.  bewilder:
to become confused by a number of complex options, or to confuse somebody in
this way
[Early
17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a back formation from wilderness .]
—wil·der·ment, noun[1]



Wilder,Billy

Wilder,Billy
Wil·der 
[wldər], Billy (1906– )

Austrian-born
U.S. movie director. At home in a wide variety of movie genres, he made several
Hollywood classics, including Sunset Boulevard ( 1950 ) and Some Like
It Hot ( 1959 ).
Real name
Wilder, Samuel[1]



wilderness

wilderness
wil·der·ness 
[wíldərnəss] (plural wil·der·ness·es)
noun

1.  natural
uncultivated land: a mostly uninhabited area of
land such as a forest or mountainous region in its natural uncultivated state,
sometimes deliberately preserved like this

2.  barren
area:
an area that is empty or barren • in the
vast wilderness of outer space

3.  deliberately
uncultivated land in garden: a piece of land, for
example, in a garden, that is deliberately not cultivated but is left to grow
wild

4.  uncomfortable
situation:
a place, situation, or multitude of people or things that makes somebody feel
confused, overwhelmed, or desolate • the
wilderness of the big city
[Old
English wilddēornes, formed from wilddēor “wild beast,” from wilde
“wild” + dēor “animal” (see deer )]
be
(a voice) crying in the wilderness

to be giving advice or
suggestions that are very unlikely to be followed[1]



wildernessarea

wildernessarea
wil·der·ness
ar·e·a
noun

undisturbed area:
a protected area set aside for preservation in as natural a state as possible,
with restrictions on most human activity, except for nonmotorized forms of
outdoor recreation • backpacking
in the wilderness areas[1]



Wilder,Thornton

Wilder,Thornton

Wil·der
[wldər], Thornton (1897–1975)
U.S.
writer. His Pulitzer Prize-winning works include the novel The Bridge of San
Luis Rey ( 1927 ) and the play Our Town ( 1938 ).
Full name
Wilder, Thornton Niven[1]



wild-eyed

wild-eyed
wild-eyed 
adjective

1.  with
eyes wide with emotion: with eyes that are wide and
glaring because of fear, anger, or a psychological disorder

2.  extreme:
marked by or advocating ideas that are so extreme and far-fetched as to be
completely impracticable

[1]



wildfire

wildfire
wild·fire 
[wld fr] (plural wild·fires)
noun

1.  rapidly
spreading fire: a fierce fire that spreads rapidly,
especially in an area of wilderness

2.  See
will-o’-the-wisp

3.  lightning
without thunder: lightning that occurs without audible
thunder

4.  HISTORY MILITARY inflammable material as
weapon:
any of various inflammable materials used in warfare in the past, for example,
against enemy ships
[Old
English]
like
wildfire

very rapidly[1]



wildflower

wildflower
wild·flow·er
[wld flòwr] (plural wild·flow·ers)
noun

uncultivated flower:
a flowering plant growing in a natural, uncultivated state, or the flower of
such a plant[1]



wildfowl

wildfowl
wild·fowl 
[wld fòwl] (plural wild·fowl)
noun

bird
hunted for sport: a bird that is hunted for food or sport,
for example, a duck, goose, pheasant, or quail
[Old
English]
—wild·fowl·er,
noun

—wild·fowl·ing, noun[1]



wildgeranium

wildgeranium
wild
ge·ra·ni·um
noun

N American geranium:
a North American geranium with deeply divided leaves and rosy purple flowers.
Latin name: Geranium maculatum
Also called
spotted cranesbill[1]



wildginger

wildginger

wild gin·ger
noun
herb with aromatic root:
a North American herb that has two heart-shaped leaves, a single reddish-brown
flower, and an aromatic root. Latin name: Asarum canadense
Also called
heartleaf[1]



wild-goosechase

wild-goosechase
wild-goose
chase 
(plural wild-goose chas·es) noun

pointless
search:
a futile search for something that there is no chance of finding, especially
because it does not exist
[Originally the expression
referred to following somebody or something along an irregular course, as wild
geese follow one another in their patterned flight][1]



wildhyacinth

wildhyacinth
wild
hy·a·cinth
noun

See
bluebell  noun 1[1]



wildindigo

wildindigo
wild
in·di·go
noun

plant with yellow flowers:
a North American plant of the legume family that has three-lobed leaves and
bright yellow flowers. Genus: Baptisia[1]



wilding

wilding
wild·ing 
[wlding] noun (plural wild·ings)

Also
called
wildling

1.  wild
plant or tree: a plant that grows wild or one that has
escaped from cultivation, especially a wild crab-apple tree

2.  fruit:
the fruit of a plant that grows wild or that has escaped from cultivation,
especially a wild crab apple

3.  wild
animal:
a wild animal
adjective

uncultivated:
uncultivated or undomesticated

[1]



wildlife

wildlife
wild·life 
[wld lf] noun

wild animals and birds:
wild animals, birds, and other living things, sometimes including vegetation,
living in a natural undomesticated state[1]



wildlifepark

wildlifepark
wildlife
park
(plural wildlife parks) noun

See
safari park[1]



wildliferefuge

wildliferefuge
wild·life
ref·uge
noun

protected area for animals:
a protected area set aside to preserve habitats for particular types of wild
animals, especially migratory waterfowl, and in which people are allowed to
view wildlife in a natural setting[1]



wildling

wildling
wild·ling 
[wldling] (plural wild·lings)
noun

See
wilding[1]



wildly

wildly
wild·ly
[wldlee] adverb

1.  with
enthusiasm:
in a very enthusiastic way • cheering
wildly

2.  without
careful thought: not considering something carefully

3.  very:
to a great extent (informal) • not
wildly enthusiastic about the idea

4.  in
way that shows fear: in an uncontrolled way that
betrays fear or anxiety, and often with eyes that are wide and staring • looking
wildly in all directions

5.  strongly:
in a fierce and rough way • The
wind blew wildly through the trees.

[1]



wildman

wildman
wild
man
noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer to a man regarded as supposedly being
culturally inferior (archaic offensive)[1]



wildmustard

wildmustard
wild
mus·tard
noun

See
charlock[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wildoat

wildoat
wild
oat
noun

annual
grass:
a weedy annual grass of temperate regions that resembles cultivated oats. Latin
name: Avena fatua
sow
your wild oats

to behave in an uncontrolled
way, especially sexually, while young[1]



wildolive

wildolive
wild
ol·ive
noun

tree resembling olive tree:
a tree that resembles the olive tree and bears fruit that resemble olives[1]



wildpink

wildpink
wild
pink
noun

U.S. plant with pink flowers:
a perennial plant of the eastern United States that has pink or whitish
flowers. Latin name: Silene caroliniana[1]



wildpitch

wildpitch
wild
pitch
noun

pitch unable to be caught:
a baseball pitch that a catcher could not have caught and that results in a
runner advancing to the next base.
See also
passed ball[1]



wildrice

wildrice
wild
rice
noun

1.  tall
N American grass: a tall perennial aquatic grass of North
America that yields an edible grain. Latin name: Zizania aquatica

2.  FOOD grain
of wild rice: the dark grain of the wild rice plant,
used as food.
Also
called
Indian rice

[1]



wildrose

wildrose
wild
rose
noun

rose growing wild:
any wild-growing rose such as the dog rose and sweetbrier.
Also called
wild brier[1]



wildrubber

wildrubber
wild
rub·ber
noun

rubber from uncultivated
rubber trees: rubber obtained from
uncultivated rubber trees[1]



wildrye

wildrye
wild
rye
noun

perennial grass:
a perennial grass of temperate regions that has flat leaves, paired ears, and
somewhat resembles cultivated rye. Genus: Elymus[1]



wildsilk

wildsilk
wild
silk
noun

1.  silk
from wild silkworms: silk fiber obtained from
wild silkworms

2.  TEXTILES fabric
made of wild silk: fabric woven from the silk
of wild silkworms, or an imitation of this made with short silk fibers

[1]



wildtype

wildtype
wild
type
noun

naturally occurring organism:
the form of an organism, strain, or gene that results from natural breeding, as
opposed to mutant forms or those resulting from selective breeding[1]



WildWest show

WildWest show
Wild
West show
(plural Wild West shows) noun

performance of cowboy skills:
a form of entertainment involving the demonstration of skills associated with
the Wild West, for example, shooting, riding, and roping cattle, especially
performed by people dressed as cowboys[1]



wildwood

wildwood
wild·wood 
[wld wd] noun

uncultivated
woodland:
natural uncultivated woodland
[Old English][1]



wile

wile
wile 
[wīl] noun (plural wiles)

trick:
a trick or cunning ruse
plural
noun
wiles

trickery
meant to persuade: trickery intended to
persuade somebody to do something, especially in the form of insincere charm or
flattery
transitive
verb
(past wiled, past participle wiled, present
participle wil·ing, 3rd person present singular wiles)

persuade
somebody by wiles: to trick or entice somebody
into doing or not doing something
[12th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from or related to Old Norse vél “artifice.”][1]



wileaway

wileaway
wile
away
intransitive verb

See
while away[1]



wilful

wilful
wil·ful 
adjective

See
willful

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven
Wil·helms·ha·ven 
[vìl helmz hvən, vìl
helms hfən]

city and port in northwestern
Germany. It was formerly an important naval base. Population: 89,900 (1989)[1]



Wilkes,Charles

Wilkes,Charles
Wilkes
[wilks], Charles (1798–1877)

U.S. naval officer and
explorer. He charted the coastlines of northwestern North America, the
Antarctic, and numerous South Pacific islands (1838–1842). In the Civil War, he
was court-martialed for violating neutral ships in pursuit of Confederate
ships.[1]



Wilkins,Roy

Wilkins,Roy

Wil·kins
[wílkinz], Roy (1901–1981)
U.S. civil rights leader. He headed the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (1955–1977).[1]



will

will2
will2 [wil]
noun (plural wills)

1.  part
of mind that makes decisions: the part of the mind with
which somebody consciously decides things

2.  power
to decide:
the power to make decisions • This
lawnmower seems to have a will of its own!

3.  process
of making decisions: the use of the mind to make
decisions about things

4.  determination:
the determination to do something • She
has lots of ability but she lacks the will to succeed.

5.  desire
or inclination: a desire or inclination to do something

6.  attitude
toward somebody else: the attitude or feelings
somebody has toward somebody or something

7.  something
desired by somebody to happen: what a person or
group, especially one in authority, wants to happen (formal) • It
was her will that he should never be told the truth.

8.  LAW statement
determining distribution of deceased’s property: a
statement of what somebody wants to happen to his or her property after he or
she dies, or a legal document containing this statement.
See
also
living will
transitive
verb
(past willed, past participle willed, present
participle will·ing, 3rd person present singular wills)

1.  try
to cause something by thoughts: to make or try to make
something happen or somebody do something by the power of the mind • He
willed himself to stay awake. • Her
parents were watching her run, willing her on.

2.  LAW leave
somebody something in will: to give something officially
to somebody by declaring it in a will

3.  want
or decide something: to want something to happen
or to decide that something will happen (archaic or formal) • It
shall be as God wills.
[Old
English willa (noun), wyllan (verb), and willian (verb
from the base of the noun). Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
will, wish.”]
—will·er,
noun
at
will

when
somebody wishes (formal) • They
are free to come and go at will.

with
the best will in the world

used to indicate that
somebody cannot do something however much he or she wishes or tries to do it • With
the best will in the world we won’t be able to supervise her all the time.[1]



will

will1
will1  [wil]
CORE
MEANING:
a modal verb used to indicate future time • Delegates
from all over Europe will attend the forum. • Will
you ever be able to forgive him? • Your
suit will be ready for collection tomorrow. intransitive
verb

1.  polite
questions:
used in questions to make polite invitations or offers • Will
you sit down please? • Will
you have more coffee?

2.  requests:
used in questions to make requests • Will
you take the washing out for me please? • Phone
the garage, will you?

3.  commands:
used when ordering somebody to do something • You
will do exactly as I say. • Students
will not start writing until told to do so.

4.  customary
behavior:
used to indicate the way that something usually happens or the way that
somebody usually does something • The
wetter the road conditions, the harder it will be for a vehicle to stop.
• When
they’re out together they will shop till they drop!

5.  willingness:
used to indicate that somebody is willing to do something • I
will mail your letters for you. • I
will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

6.  ability:
used to indicate the ability or capacity of something • That
wardrobe will not fit in your bedroom. • The
truck will carry loads of up to 10 tons.

7.  expectation:
used to express surmise or likelihood • That
will be them at the door now. • He
will have left the country by now.

8.  inclination:
used to indicate the inevitability of something happening or being true • She
will stay up till all hours in front of the TV.
[Old
English wyllan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base that is also the
ancestor of German wollen and Latin velle .]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at shall.

[1]



willable

willable
will·able
[wílləb’l] adjective

able
to be determined by willpower: able to be done or
decided by the force of willpower
[15th century. Formed from will 2 .][1]



Willamette

Willamette
Wil·lam·ette 
[wə lámmit]

river in western Oregon that
flows north into the Columbia River near Portland. Length: 497 km/309 mi.[1]



Willard,Frances

Willard,Frances
Wil·lard
[wíllərd], Frances (1839–1898)

U.S.
reformer and educator. She headed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union
(1879–1898) and the National Council of Women (1890–1898).
Full name
Willard, Frances Elizabeth Caroline[1]



Willard,Jess

Willard,Jess
Wil·lard
[wíllərd], Jess (1881–1968)

U.S. boxer. He beat Jack
Johnson for the heavyweight world title (1915), which he held until he was
defeated by Jack Dempsey (1919).[1]



willemite

willemite
wil·lem·ite 
[wíllə mt] (plural wil·lem·ites)
noun

fluorescent
mineral:
a colorless brown, green, or red mineral form of zinc sulfate that occurs with
some zinc ores and fluoresces in ultraviolet light
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the king of the Netherlands, Willem I (1772–1843).][1]



willet

willet
wil·let 
[wíllit] (plural wil·lets) noun

large
N American shore bird: a large gray North American
shore bird that has a long straight moderately stout bill, long legs, and a
distinctive black-and-white wing pattern. Latin name: Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound made by the bird.][1]



willful

willful
will·ful
[wílfəl] or wil·ful [wílfəl] adjective

1.  deliberate:
done deliberately, especially with the intention of harming somebody or in
spite of knowing that it will harm somebody

2.  stubborn:
always determined to act on a desire, regardless of the opinions or advice of
others (disapproving)
—will·ful·ly,
adverb

—will·ful·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at unruly

[1]



William

William
Wil·liam
[wíllyəm], Prince of the United Kingdom
(1982– )

The first child of Prince
Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is second in line to the British
throne.[1]



WilliamI

WilliamI

Wil·liam
I
[wíllyəm], King of England (1028?–1087)
A
Norman, he invaded England and defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings
(1066), subsequently imposing a new ruling aristocracy on England. The Domesday
Book was compiled during his reign.
Known as
William the Conqueror[1]



WilliamII

WilliamII
Wil·liam
II
[wíllyəm], King of England (1056?–1100)

The
son and successor of William I, he seized territory in Normandy and Scotland.
He was killed, probably accidentally, while hunting in the New Forest.
Known as
William Rufus[1]



WilliamIII

WilliamIII
Wil·liam
III
[wíllyəm], King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland (1650–1702)

Dutch-born
English monarch. He was the grandson of Charles I and the husband of James II’s
daughter Mary. He and Mary replaced James II on the English throne after the
Revolution of 1689.
Known as
William of Orange[1]



WilliamIV

WilliamIV
Wil·liam
IV
[wíllyəm], King of the United Kingdom
(1765–1837)

He
succeeded his brother George IV on the throne after a 50-year naval career, and
during his reign (1830–1837) was the last monarch to exercise the royal
prerogative.
Known as
the Sailor King[1]



Williamsburg

Williamsburg
Wil·liams·burg 
[wíllyəmz bùrg]

city in southeastern
Virginia. The central part of the city has been restored along colonial lines
and is an important tourist center. Population: 11,530 (1990)[1]



Williams,Hank

Williams,Hank
Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], Hank (1923–1953)

U.S.
musician. He developed a wide audience for country music through his recordings
and performances on radio and at the Grand Ole Opry. His songs include “Your
Cheatin’ Heart.”
Real name
Williams, Hiram[1]



Williams,Robin

Williams,Robin
Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], Robin (1952– )

U.S. comedian and actor.
Originally known for his standup comedy, he went on to perform both comic and
serious roles in many Hollywood movies.[1]



Williams,Roger

Williams,Roger
Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], Roger (1603–1683)

American colonial clergyman.
A Puritan who held unorthodox views on the toleration of other faiths, he left
Massachusetts to establish a colony (1636) in what would become Rhode Island.[1]



Williams,Ted

Williams,Ted

Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], Ted (1918– )
U.S.
baseball player. A Boston Red Sox outfielder (1939–1960), he was one of the
game’s greatest hitters, batting .406 in 1941 and compiling a lifetime average
of .344.
Full name
Williams, Theodore Samuel[1]



Williams,Tennessee

Williams,Tennessee

Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], Tennessee (1911–1983)
U.S.
playwright. His plays are largely set in the American South, and he won
Pulitzer Prizes for A Streetcar Named Desire ( 1947 ) and Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof ( 1955 ).
Real name
Williams, Thomas Lanier[1]



Williams,William

Williams,William
Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], William (1731–1811)

American patriot.
Representing Connecticut, he signed the Declaration of Independence (1776), and
raised funds and equipment for the Continental Army.[1]



Williams,William Carlos

Williams,William Carlos

Wil·liams
[wíllyəmz], William Carlos (1883–1963)
U.S. writer. While practicing as a doctor
(1910–1951) he produced poetry and novels concerned with everyday American
life, including the epic poem Paterson ( 1946–1958 ).[1]



willie

willie
wil·lie
(plural wil·lies) noun

See
willy[1]



willies

willies
wil·lies 
[wílliz] plural noun

anxious
feeling:
an uncomfortable, anxious, or fearful feeling (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



willing

willing
will·ing 
[wílling] adjective

1.  ready
to do something voluntarily: ready to do something
without being forced

2.  helpful:
cooperative and enthusiastic

3.  offered
voluntarily: offered or given by somebody readily and
enthusiastically
[Old
English]
—will·ing·ly,
adverb

—will·ing·ness, noun[1]



Willis,Bruce

Willis,Bruce
Wil·lis
[wílləss], Bruce (1955– )

U.S.
actor. Specializing in tough-guy roles, he made his name in Hollywood movies
such as the Die Hard trilogy (1988–1995).
Real name
Willison, Walter[1]



williwaw

williwaw
wil·li·waw 
[wílli wàw] (plural wil·li·waws)
noun

1.  gust
of wind:
a sudden gust of wind

2.  cold
wind blowing seaward: a violent gust of cold wind
blowing down from a mountainous region to the coast and out to sea, especially
in the Straits of Magellan and in Alaska

3.  turmoil:
a state of confusion or turmoil
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



willow

willow
wil·low 
[wíllō] (plural wil·lows) noun

1.  TREES tree
with long flexible branches: a tree or shrub with long
flexible branches, narrow leaves, and catkins containing small flowers without
petals. Some species are valued for their wood, twigs, and tanbark. Genus: Salix

2.  INDUSTRY willow
wood:
the wood of the willow tree

3.  INDUSTRY machine
for cleaning fibrous materials: a machine with a
revolving spiked cylinder inside a box that is also fitted with spikes, used to
clean or loosen fibrous materials such as cotton, wool, or rags
[Old
English welig . Perhaps ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to turn” that is the ancestor of English well
and helix .]
—wil·low·ish,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Wind in the Willows, a children’s story by the British writer Kenneth Grahame
  ( 1908 ). Originally written as a bedtime story for Grahame’s son, it
  recounts the mishaps that befall four animals –Mole, Water Rat, Toad, and
  Badger –when they venture outside their natural habitats. Much loved by
  children, the tales are also enjoyed by adults as entertaining allegories of
  human behavior.

[1]



willowgrouse

willowgrouse
wil·low
grouse
noun

U.K.
See willow ptarmigan[1]



willowherb

willowherb
wil·low
herb
noun

See
fireweed[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








willowoak

willowoak
wil·low
oak
noun

N American oak:
an oak of North America that has narrow leaves and hard wood. Latin name: Quercus
phellos[1]



willowpattern

willowpattern
wil·low
pat·tern
noun

blue Chinese-style pottery
decoration: a pattern used to decorate
china, usually blue on a white background, featuring a Chinese landscape with a
willow tree, pagoda-style buildings, a bridge, and two swallows[1]



willowptarmigan

willowptarmigan
wil·low
ptar·mi·gan
noun

plump ground bird:
a plump ground bird of the grouse family found in northern North America,
Europe, and Asia that turns from mottled brown to white in the winter. Latin
name: Lagopus lagopus
U.K. term
willow grouse[1]



willowtit

willowtit
wil·low
tit
noun

forest bird:
a black-capped member of the tit family found in forest and scrub in northern
Europe and Asia. Latin name: Parus montanus[1]



willowware

willowware
wil·low·ware 
[wíllō wàir] noun

willow pattern china:
china decorated with the willow pattern[1]



willowy

willowy
wil·low·y 
[wíllō ee] (comparative wil·low·i·er,
superlative wil·low·i·est) adjective

1.  graceful:
used to describe somebody who is slim, graceful, and elegant, partly because of
being tall

2.  flexible:
able to be bent easily, and springing back into place

3.  covered
by willows:
covered or shaded by willow trees

[1]



will-o’-the-wisp

will-o’-the-wisp
will-o’-the-wisp 
[wìllə ə wísp] (plural will-o’-the-wisps)
noun

1.  light
from burning marsh gas: a phosphorescent light
sometimes seen at night over marshy ground, caused by the spontaneous
combustion of gases given off by rotting organic matter.
Also
called
friar’s lantern
Also
called
ignis fatuus
Also
called
jack-o’-lantern
Also
called
wildfire

2.  somebody
or something elusive: somebody or something that
is misleading or elusive, for example, a false hope
[From
Will, a shortening of the forename William, + of + the + wisp]
—will-o’-the-wisp·ish,
adjective[1]



willpower

willpower
will·pow·er 
[wíl pòwr] noun

determination and
self-discipline: a combination of
determination and self-discipline that enables somebody to do something despite
the difficulties involved[1]



Wills,Helen

Wills,Helen
Wills
[wilz], Helen (1906–1998)

U.S.
tennis player. She won the U.S. women’s singles title seven times between 1923
and 1931, and was eight times Wimbledon singles champion.
Known as
Moody, Helen Wills Born Wills, Helen Newington[1]



willy

willy
wil·ly
[wíllee] (plural wil·lies) or
wil·lie [wíllee] (plural wil·lies)
noun

U.K.
offensive
term:
an offensive term for a penis (informal offensive)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from a shortening of the proper name William .][1]



willy-nilly

willy-nilly
wil·ly-nil·ly 
[wìlli níllee] adverb

1.  not
controllably: whether or not somebody wants it to
happen • He
won’t be rushed willy-nilly into a quick decision.

2.  haphazardly:
in a disorganized or unplanned way • Totally
confused by now, I handed out the invitations willy-nilly.
adjective

1.  happening
without choice: happening or existing without plan or
choice

2.  haphazard:
lacking direction or organization
[Early 17th century. From the
phrase “will I, nill I”“whether I wish it or do not wish it.”][1]



willy-willy

willy-willy
willy-willy
noun

Australia
dust
storm:
a dust storm or whirlwind
[Late 19th century. From
Aboriginal Australian .][1]



Wilmette

Wilmette
Wil·mette 
[wil mét]

village in northeastern
Illinois on the shore of Lake Michigan, north of Evanston. It is a northern
suburb of Chicago. Population: 26,036 (1996)[1]



Wilmington

Wilmington
Wil·ming·ton 
[wílmingtən]

city in northern Delaware.
Situated on the Delaware River, it is the largest city in the state.
Population: 71,529 (1990)[1]



Wilson,Alexander

Wilson,Alexander
Wil·son 
[wílss’n], Alexander (1766–1813)

British-born U.S.
ornithologist. He conducted the first major studies of North American birds,
and wrote and illustrated American Ornithology ( 1808–1813 ).[1]



Wilson,Edmund

Wilson,Edmund
Wil·son 
[wílss’n], Edmund (1895–1972)

U.S. literary critic. One of
the leading essayists of his generation, he wrote critical studies across a
broad spectrum of literature and social thought, including a volume on the
Civil War, Patriotic Gore ( 1962 ).[1]



Wilson,Harold

Wilson,Harold
Wil·son 
[wílss’n], Harold, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx
(1916–1995)

British statesman. He served
two terms as Labour prime minister (1964–1970, 1974–1976). He sought to bolster
Britain’s economy and introduced the first antiracist legislation.[1]



Wilson,James

Wilson,James
Wil·son 
[wílss’n], James (1742–1798)

British-born U.S. jurist. He
signed the Declaration of Independence (1776), and served on the U.S. Supreme
Court (1789–1798).[1]



Wilson,Mount

Wilson,Mount
Wil·son,
Mount
[wílss’n]

mountain in southern
California, home to Mount Wilson Observatory, an astronomical observatory.
Height: 1,740 m/5,710 ft.[1]



Wilson,Woodrow

Wilson,Woodrow

Wil·son 
[wílss’n], Woodrow (1856–1924)
U.S.
statesman and 28th president of the United States. A Democratic president
(1913–1921), he brought the United States into World War I in 1917 and
negotiated the peace treaty in 1918, making the League of Nations a part of the
treaty. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.
Full
name
Wilson, Thomas Woodrow
—Wil·so·ni·an, adjective[1]



Wilson’sdisease

Wilson’sdisease
Wil·son’s
dis·ease 
[wílss’nz di zz] noun

hereditary
disease:
a rare hereditary disease resulting from an inability to metabolize copper and
marked by cirrhosis of the liver, damage to other organs, and psychiatric
disorder
[Early 20th century. Named
for S. A. Kinnier Wilson (1878–1937), English neurologist.][1]



Wilson’spetrel

Wilson’spetrel
Wil·son’s
pet·rel
(plural Wil·son’s pet·rels or Wil·son’s pet·rel) noun

See
Wilson’s storm petrel[1]



Wilson’sphalarope

Wilson’sphalarope
Wil·son’s
phal·a·rope
(plural Wil·son’s phal·a·ropes) noun

small
N American shorebird: a small swimming shorebird
with a long thin bill, similar to the sandpiper, found in western North
American wetlands. Latin name: Phalaropus tricolor
[Early 19th century. Named
for Alexander Wilson .][1]



Wilson’sPromontory

Wilson’sPromontory
Wil·son’s
Prom·on·to·ry

peninsula in southeastern
Victoria, Australia. It is the most southerly point on the Australian mainland.[1]



Wilson’sstorm petrel

Wilson’sstorm petrel
Wil·son’s
storm pet·rel or Wil·son’s pet·rel noun

seabird:
a small dark seabird of southern oceans that breeds in Antarctica but sometimes
wanders to the northern Atlantic. Latin name: Oceanites oceanicus[1]



wilt

wilt2
wilt2 [wilt]
intransitive and transitive verb

(archaic) 2nd
person present singular of will[1]



wilt

wilt1
wilt1 [wilt]
verb (past wilt·ed, past participle wilt·ed,
present participle wilt·ing, 3rd person present singular wilts)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb BOTANY droop or shrivel:
to droop or shrivel, or make a plant droop or shrivel through lack of water,
too much heat, or disease

2.  intransitive
verb
become
weak:
to become weak and tired, for example, because of heat

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb lose
confidence:
to lose confidence, composure, or enthusiasm, or to make somebody do this
noun

1.  BOTANY drooping
or shriveling: the drooping of plants or shriveling of
leaves because of a lack of water, too much heat, or disease

2.  BOTANY plant
disease:
a plant disease caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses that make plants droop
and leaves shrivel

3.  act
of wilting:
an instance of wilting or the condition of having wilted
[Late 17th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a dialect variant of obsolete welk, probably of Low Dutch
origin.][1]



Wilton

Wilton
Wil·ton 
[wílt’n] (plural Wil·tons) noun

carpet
with thick pile: carpet with a thick velvety pile
[Late 18th century. Named for
a town in the British county of Wiltshire, known for its carpet industry.][1]



wily

wily
wi·ly 
[wlee] (comparative wi·li·er,
superlative wi·li·est) adjective

crafty:
skilled at using clever tricks to deceive people
—wil·i·ly,
adverb

—wil·i·ness, noun[1]



wimble

wimble
wim·ble 
[wímb’l] noun (plural wim·bles)

boring
tool:
a hand-held tool used for boring holes
transitive
verb
(past wim·bled, past participle wim·bled, present
participle wim·bling, 3rd person present singular wim·bles)

make
hole with wimble: to bore a hole with a wimble
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman, probably from Middle Dutch wimmel “augur.”][1]



WIMP

WIMP1
WIMP1 [wimp]
(plural WIMPs) noun

computer user interface
system: a graphical user interface
for computers designed to make them more user-friendly that includes windows,
icons, mice, and pull-down menus. Full form windows, icons, mice, and
pull-down menus[1]



wimp

wimp
wimp 
[wimp] (plural wimps) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is regarded as weak, timid,
unassertive, or ineffectual (insult offensive)
[Early
20th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps a shortening of whimper .]
—wimp·ish,
adjective

—wimp·y, adjective[1]



WIMP

WIMP2
WIMP2 [wimp]
(plural WIMPs) noun

subatomic particle:
a hypothetical nonbaryonic subatomic particle that has been proposed as a
possible form of dark matter. Full form weakly interacting massive
particle[1]



wimple

wimple

wim·ple 
[wímp’l] noun (plural wim·ples)

1.  CLOTHES HISTORY woman’s head covering:
a cloth covering for a woman’s head and neck. The wimple was common in medieval
Europe and it is still worn by some orders of nuns.

2.  fold
in cloth:
a fold or pleat in a piece of cloth
verb (past
wim·pled, past participle wim·pled, present participle
wim·pling, 3rd person present singular wim·ples)

1.  intransitive
verb
ripple:
to form small undulating waves

2.  transitive
verb
CLOTHES dress
somebody in wimple: to put a wimple on somebody
(archaic)
[Old English wimpel .
Perhaps from the Indo-European base meaning “to turn” that is the ancestor of
English wipe and vibrate .][1]



wimpout

wimpout
wimp
out
intransitive verb

not do something:
to fail to do or finish doing something because of fear or a weakness of
character (slang)[1]



win

win
win 
[win] verb (past won [wun], past participle won, present
participle win·ning, 3rd person present singular wins)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb achieve
victory:
to beat any or every opponent or enemy in a competition or fight

2.  transitive
verb
get
something for defeating others: to get something as a
prize by beating other competitors using skill, effort, or luck • proud
of the cups he had won for swimming

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody succeed in getting something: to be
the reason why somebody is first in something or receives something as a prize
• That
photo is sure to win you a prize.

4.  transitive
verb
gain
something:
to gain something such as respect or friendship, for example, because of
something done or said or an ability shown, or to make somebody do this • His
attitude won him few friends in the company.

5.  transitive
verb
get
something:
to obtain something by hard work (literary) • winning
his livelihood by the sweat of his brow

6.  transitive
verb
reach
place with effort: to arrive somewhere by great
effort or with difficulty (literary)

7.  transitive
verb
capture
something using force: to capture something such as
a city using force (formal)

8.  transitive
verb
gain
support:
to persuade somebody to do something or agree to something, or to gain
somebody’s sympathy or support

9.  transitive
verb
earn
the love of somebody: to persuade somebody to love
or marry you

10. transitive
verb
MINING get
something by mining: to mine coal, oil, or ore
from a source

11. transitive
verb
MINING prepare
lode for mining: to discover a source of coal, oil, or
ore and prepare it for mining

12. transitive
verb
MINING extract
something from ore: to extract a metal or
mineral from its ore
noun
(plural wins)

1.  victory:
success in a competition, game or bet • The
team has had six wins in a row.

2.  amount
of money won: the amount of money won, for example, in
a bet

3.  SPORTS first
place:
the position of first place in a race.
See
also
place, show
[Old
English winnan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
desire” that is also the ancestor of English wish
and Venus .]
—win·less,
adjective

—win·na·ble,
adjective
(you)
win some, (you) lose some

used to indicate
philosophically or humorously that in life everyone has some successes and some
failures[1]



wince

wince
wince 
[winss] intransitive verb (past
winced, past participle winced, present participle winc·ing,
3rd person present singular winc·es)

1.  move
body back slightly: to make an involuntary
movement away from something because of pain or fear

2.  make
pained expression: to make an expression of
pain with the face because of seeing or thinking of something unpleasant or
embarrassing
noun
(plural winc·es)

1.  expression
of pain:
a facial expression to pain

2.  slight
movement away: a slight movement away from something
because of pain or fear

3.  expression
of displeasure or embarrassment: a facial reaction to
seeing or thinking of something unpleasant or embarrassing
[13th
century. From Anglo-Norman, a variant of Old French guencir “to turn
aside,” from Germanic.]
—winc·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at recoil

[1]



winch

winch
winch 
[winch] noun (plural winch·es)

1.  lifting
machine:
a machine for lifting loads by means of a rope or chain that is wound around a
cylinder turned by an engine or by hand

2.  crank
or handle:
the handle used to turn a machine
transitive
verb
(past winched, past participle winched, present
participle winch·ing, 3rd person present singular winch·es)

move something with winch:
to lift or pull something by means of a winch
[Old
English wince . Ultimately from the prehistoric Germanic base that is
the ancestor of English wink .]
—winch·er, noun[1]



Winchester

Winchester
Win·ches·ter 
[wínchestər]

city in Hampshire, southern
England. It was the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. Population:
34,700 (1994)[1]



Winchesterrifle

Winchesterrifle
Win·ches·ter
ri·fle
Trademark

a trademark for a rifle first
produced in the late 19th century that can fire several shots before it has to
be reloaded[1]



winchman

winchman
winch·man
[wínchmən] (plural winch·men [wínchmən]) noun

winch operator:
somebody who operates a winch[1]



wind

wind1
wind1 [wind]
noun (plural winds)

1.  METEOROLOGY moving
air:
air moving across the surface of the planet or through the atmosphere at a
speed fast enough to be noticed

2.  air
moved artificially: air that is being made to
move by a device such as a fan

3.  power
to breathe:
the power to breathe, especially when making an effort such as running

4.  breath:
the breath of normal breathing and talking

5.  information
hinting at something: news that brings information
of something intended to be secret • If
wind of this gets out, we’ve had it.

6.  MUSIC musical
instruments: the group of musical instruments that
require a flow of air to produce a sound. These include both woodwind and brass
instruments. • the
wind section of the orchestra

7.  social
or economic force: a force or movement bringing
something such as change or destruction (formal) “The wind of change is
blowing through the continent.” Harold Macmillan speech to South African parliament
Feb 3, 1960

8.  HUNTING air
carrying a scent: the air on which a scent, for example,
that of a hunter, is carried

9.  PHYSIOLOGY stomach
gas:
gas that builds up in the stomach and intestines while food is being digested

10. ASTRONOMY flow
of particles into space: a flow of particles ejected
into space from the surface of the Sun or a star

11. idle
talk:
talk that is empty and meaningless

12. vanity:
boastful vanity

13. direction
of wind:
the direction from which the wind blows (literary)
plural
noun
winds

MUSIC players
of wind instruments: the musicians in an
ensemble, especially an orchestra, who play wind instruments
verb
(past wind·ed, past participle wind·ed, present
participle wind·ing, 3rd person present singular winds)

1.  transitive
verb
make
somebody short of breath: to make somebody unable to
breathe in enough air, for example, because of too much exertion or by a blow
to the abdomen

2.  transitive
verb
let
horse rest:
to allow a horse to rest after exertion

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb HUNTING smell somebody or something:
to get a scent of somebody or something in the air

4.  transitive
verb
HUNTING pursue
animal by scent: to pursue an animal in a hunt by
following its scent

5.  transitive
verb
expose
something to wind: to expose something to the
wind, for example, in order to dry it
[Old
English . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to blow” that is also
the ancestor of English weather and vent .]
be
in the wind

to
be about to happen or be likely to happen

get
wind of something

to
hear indirectly about something

get
your second wind

to
recover your natural breathing pattern, and your usual energy levels, after a
period of breathlessness and great effort

piss
in the wind

to
do something of little or no consequence that is likely to have little or no
effect (slang offensive)

sail
close to the wind

to
come very close to breaking the law or a rule

see
which way or how the wind blows

to
wait and find out the nature of a situation before making a decision

swing
or twist in the wind

to
be left in a difficult or unpleasant situation without any help or support from
other people (informal)

take
the wind out of somebody’s sails

to
make somebody feel deflated, silly, or embarrassed, or put somebody at a
disadvantage





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Gone
  With the Wind, a movie (1939) by U.S. director Victor Fleming and producer
  David O. Selznick. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s popular novel ( 1936 ), this
  idealized portrait of the antebellum American South focuses on the relationship
  between dashing rake Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and resourceful, prewar
  plantation belle and postwar “Iron Magnolia” Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh).

[1]



wind

wind3
wind3 [wīnd,
wind] (past wind·ed or wound,
past participle wind·ed or wound [wownd], present participle wind·ing,
3rd person present singular winds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb blow
something:
to blow a horn or bugle to create a sound

2.  transitive
verb
make
signal by blowing: to make a signal by blowing
a horn
[14th century. From wind 1 .
Originally in the meaning of “to follow by scent.”][1]



wind

wind2
wind2 [wīnd]
verb (past wound [wownd],
past participle wound, present participle wind·ing,
3rd person present singular winds)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb go
along path with bends: to move along a course with
many bends and twists in it, or to make a route with many bends and twists in
it • The
river winds lazily through the valley. • The
procession wound its way slowly up the hill.

2.  intransitive
verb
follow
spiral path: to go in a spiral path • smoke
winding slowly up into the air

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go or
put around:
to go around something in a coil or coils, or to wrap something around
something else in a coil or coils • winding
the thread onto the bobbin

4.  transitive
verb
wrap
something with coils: to cover or decorate
something by wrapping something else around it in coils • She
wound the injured arm with a scarf.

5.  transitive
verb
move
something up or down: to move or lift something by
turning a handle or pressing a button • I
wound the car window down.

6.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
something backward or forward: to move something such
as film forward or backward by turning a handle or pressing a button, or to be
moved in this way • Let’s wind the tape
back and see that part again.

7.  transitive
verb
make
something revolve: to turn something such as a
crank with a circular motion

8.  transitive
verb
make
a clockwork mechanism work: to turn a key or handle in a
clock or clockwork device in order to make the mechanism operate, usually by
means of a spring that tightens on being wound

9.  transitive
verb
introduce
something slyly: to introduce something into something
else in a sly way
noun
(plural winds)

1.  curve
or bend:
a bend or twist in something such as a river or a path

2.  act
of winding something: the act of winding something
such as a clock or motor, or a single turn in this process
[Old English windan .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English wander and wend .][1]



windage

windage
wind·age 
[wíndij] (plural wind·ag·es) noun

1.  deflection
caused by wind: the amount of deflection the wind will
produce in a projectile

2.  allowance
made for wind deflection: the amount needed to adjust
the aim of a projectile to counter wind deflection

3.  difference
between bore and projectile: the amount by which the bore
of a gun is larger than the bullet or shell it fires, so that gases can escape

4.  SAILING part
of ship above water: the part of a ship’s body
that is above the water and consequently causes wind resistance

5.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING friction
between air and moving parts: the friction between air and
the moving parts of a machine, which tends to slow the machine. For example, in
an electric generator, the windage is the friction between the rotating
element, the rotor, and the surrounding air.

[1]



windbag

windbag
wind·bag 
[wínd bàg] (plural wind·bags) noun

1.  boring
talker:
somebody who talks a great deal but has very little of interest or value to say
(informal)

2.  MUSIC bag in
musical instrument: the bag in a set of bagpipes
into which air is forced by the player’s lungs or a set of bellows and from
which it flows to produce sound

[1]



wind-bell

wind-bell
wind-bell 
noun (plural wind-bells)

bell
rung by wind: a light bell that rings when the wind
moves it
plural
noun
wind-bells

wind chimes:
a set of wind chimes[1]



windblast

windblast
wind·blast 
[wínd blàst] noun

harm caused by air friction:
the harmful effect of air friction on a pilot who has ejected from an aircraft
traveling at high speed[1]



windblown

windblown
wind·blown 
[wínd bln] adjective

1.  blown
by the wind: blown about by the wind • They
came back from their walk looking a bit windblown.

2.  growing
in shape caused by wind: growing in a shape caused by
the action of the prevailing winds

3.  New
Zealand
blown
down:
blown down by the wind

[1]



wind-borne

wind-borne
wind-borne 
adjective

carried by wind:
carried or dispersed by the wind[1]



windbound

windbound
wind·bound
[wínd bòwnd] adjective

stranded by poor wind:
unable to sail because the wind is blowing in the wrong direction[1]



windbreak

windbreak
wind·break 
[wínd bràyk] (plural wind·breaks)
noun

something lessening force of
the wind: something such as a wall or
hedge that breaks the force of the prevailing wind[1]



Windbreaker

Windbreaker
Wind·break·er
[wínd bràykər] Trademark

a trademark for a jacket of
nylon or other wind-resistant fabric, usually gathered at the waist and wrist,
and sometimes with a hood[1]



wind-broken

wind-broken
wind-bro·ken 
adjective

not breathing properly:
used to describe a horse that has impaired breathing, for example, because of
heaves[1]



windburn

windburn
wind·burn 
[wínd bùrn] noun

skin
inflammation: redness and inflammation of the skin
caused by exposure to harsh wind
—wind·burned, adjective[1]



WindCave National Park

WindCave National Park
Wind
Cave Na·tion·al Park [wìnd
kàyv nàsh’nəl prk]

national park in the Black
Hills of southwestern South Dakota, established in 1903. It is noted for its
limestone caverns. Area: 114 sq km/44 sq mi.[1]



windcheater

windcheater
wind·cheat·er
[wínd chtər] (plural wind·cheat·ers)
noun

U.K.
windproof jacket:
a warm windproof outer jacket with tight-fitting neck, cuffs, and waistband,
and sometimes with a hood[1]



windchest

windchest
wind
chest
(plural wind chests) noun

MUSIC
compartment in organ:
a compartment in an organ that stores wind from the bellows under pressure
before it goes to the pipes[1]



windchillfactor

windchillfactor
wind·chill
fac·tor
[wìnd chill fáktər] (plural wind·chill
fac·tors) or windchill [wìnd
chill fáktər] noun

effect of temperature and
wind: a temperature in calm
conditions that has the equivalent effect on exposed skin as the combination of
a given temperature and wind speed[1]



windchime

windchime

wind chime
(plural wind chimes) noun
decoration that makes sound:
a musical decoration consisting of objects such as beads or metal tubes
suspended on strings so that they will make a pleasant noise when moved by the
wind[1]



windcone

windcone
wind
cone 
(plural wind cones) noun

See
windsock[1]



winddown

winddown
wind
down
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
go
more slowly: to operate more and more slowly and then
stop because the spring by which a mechanism works is losing or has lost its
tension

2.  intransitive
verb
relax:
to relax after a period of feeling stressed or tense

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb steadily
reduce work: to reduce gradually the amount of work
done before stopping completely

[1]



winded

winded
wind·ed 
[wíndəd] adjective

out of breath:
unable to breathe easily because of exertion or a blow to the abdomen[1]



winder

winder
win·der
[wndər] (plural wind·ers) noun

1.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING something
that winds up: a key, knob, or other device that is
used to wind up a spring-powered mechanism such as a clock

2.  somebody
or something that winds something: a person or device
that winds thread or textiles around a spool, cone, or tube

3.  object
for winding something around: a spool or bobbin around
which something such as thread is wound

4.  BUILDING step
in spiral staircase: a step in a spiral staircase
or at the turn of a staircase that is narrower at the inside of the curve

[1]



windfall

windfall
wind·fall 
[wínd fàwl] noun

1.  money
obtained unexpectedly: something good that is
received unexpectedly, especially a sum of money

2.  something
blown down by wind: something that the wind has
blown down, especially a piece of ripe fruit blown off a tree

[1]



windfarm

windfarm
wind
farm
noun

area with wind turbines:
an area of land with a large number of electricity-generating windmills or wind
turbines[1]



windflaw

windflaw
wind·flaw 
[wínd flàw] noun

See
flaw 1 noun 1
[Early 20th century. Formed
from wind + flaw
.][1]



windflower

windflower
wind·flow·er 
[wínd flòwr] noun

anemone plant:
an anemone plant such as the wood anemone[1]



windgall

windgall
wind·gall
[wínd gàwl] noun

swelling on horse’s leg:
a fluid-filled swelling around the fetlock joint of a horse, usually not
associated with loss of function or lameness.
Also called
windpuff[1]



windgap

windgap
wind
gap 
noun

shallow mountain pass:
a shallow pass or gap in a mountain ridge, often originally a water gap[1]



windgauge

windgauge
wind
gauge
noun

1.  METEOROLOGY See anemometer

2.  ARMS gun-sight
attachment showing allowance for wind: an
attachment to the sight on a musket or rifle showing how much the aim should be
adjusted to allow for the effect of the wind on the bullet

[1]



windharp

windharp
wind
harp 
noun

See
aeolian harp[1]



Windhoek

Windhoek
Wind·hoek 
[wínd hk, wínt
hk, vínt hk]

capital city of Namibia,
located in the center of the country. Population: 125,000 (1990)[1]



windigo

windigo
win·di·go
noun

See
wendigo
[Early 18th century. From
Ojibwa wintiko .][1]



winding

winding
wind·ing 
[wnding] adjective

1.  twisting
and curving: made up of many consecutive curves or
twists

2.  spiraling:
arranged or moving in a spiral
noun

1.  something
wound:
something wound or coiled around an object, or a single turn of it

2.  act
of coiling:
the act or process of coiling something

3.  curving
course:
the bending or curving course that something follows

4.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING wire
coil carrying electricity: a wire coil designed to have
an electric current passing through it, forming part of numerous electrical
devices such as electric motors and transformers
[Old
English windung]
—wind·ing·ly, adverb[1]



windingdrum

windingdrum
wind·ing
drum
noun

revolving drum operating
hoist: a revolving drum with a wire
rope coiled around it that acts as the lifting mechanism of a hoist or winch[1]



windingsheet

windingsheet
winding
sheet
or winding-sheet noun

burial sheet:
a sheet that a corpse is wrapped in before it is buried[1]



windinstrument

windinstrument
wind
in·stru·ment  noun

musical instrument:
a musical instrument such as a trumpet or flute played by causing the air in
the instrument to vibrate by blowing into or across the air tube[1]



windjammer

windjammer
wind·jam·mer 
[wínd jàmmər] noun

large
sailing ship: a large sailing ship, especially a large
and fast merchant ship
[Late 19th century. So called
because of its huge sail area.][1]



windlass

windlass
wind·lass 
[wíndləss] noun

revolving
lifting device: a device that uses a rope or cable wound
around a revolving drum to pull and lift things, especially the mechanism on a
ship to raise and lower the anchor
transitive
verb
(past participle wind·lassed, present participle wind·lass·ing,
3rd person present singular wind·lass·es)

lift
something with windlass: to raise or pull something
using a windlass
[14th century. Alteration of
Old Norse vindáss, from vinda “to wind” + áss “pole.”][1]



windlestraw

windlestraw
win·dle·straw 
[wínd’l stràw] noun U.K.

1.  dry
grass stalk: a thin dry stalk of grass (regional)

2.  weak-willed
person:
somebody who is regarded as lacking in strength of character (archaic or
literary) (regional)
[Old English windelstrēaw,
from windan “to wind” + strēaw “straw”][1]



windmachine

windmachine
wind
ma·chine
noun

1.  THEATER theatrical
device simulating wind: a device used backstage in a
theater to simulate the sound of wind blowing, or a large fan that simulates
windy weather on a movie set

2.  AGRICULTURE machine
producing strong current of air: a machine that creates
a strong current of air, for example, a device that produces warm air to
protect crops from frost

[1]



windmill

windmill

wind·mill 
[wínd mìl] noun

1.  building
with revolving blades: a building with a set of
wind-driven revolving sails or blades attached to the site of its roof that
drive a grinding machine inside

2.  revolving
blades or grinding mechanism: the set of revolving sails
or blades on a windmill, or the grinding mechanism inside the building

3.  device
harnessing wind power: a building or device fitted
with a set of revolving blades designed to harness the power of the wind, for
example, to pump water or generate electricity
verb (past
wind·milled, past participle wind·milled, present
participle wind·mil·ling, 3rd person present singular wind·mills)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb spin
like windmill: to spin or turn like the sails of a
windmill, or to be spun or turned in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
rotate
unpowered:
to rotate solely by wind force and with no engine power
tilt at windmills

to struggle against imagined
enemies or opponents[1]



window

window
win·dow 
[wíndō] noun

1.  glass-covered
opening in building: an opening in a wall of a
building, usually with an inner frame of wood or metal with glass fitted in it,
to let in light or, when opened, air

2.  glass-covered
opening letting light in: any glass-covered opening
designed to let in light or, when opened, air, for example, in a vehicle

3.  See
windowpane

4.  display
in store window: the area immediately behind a large
window in the wall of a store, where merchandise is put on display

5.  opening
where something is dispensed: an opening above a counter
where somebody provides information, goods, or services to customers

6.  opening
similar to window: an opening that makes it
possible to see something behind or underneath, for example, the opening on
some envelopes

7.  period
of available time: a period of free time in a
schedule available for use, or a limited time during which conditions are right
for something to take place

8.  opportunity
to experience something: an opportunity to see or
experience something

9.  COMPUTING section
on computer screen: any of the rectangular
frames into which a computer display can be divided and in which images output
by application programs can be displayed, moved around the screen, or resized

10. PHYSICS part
of electromagnetic spectrum: the range of the
electromagnetic spectrum that a given medium will allow to pass through it

11. AIR FORCE See chaff 1
[Pre-12th
century. From Old Norse vindauga, from vindr “wind” + auga
“eye.”]
be
or go out the window

to be lost for good (informal)[1]



windowbox

windowbox
win·dow
box
noun

1.  GARDENING planter
on window ledge: a soil-filled box on a window ledge with
plants growing in it, or a box made to be used in this way

2.  space
in sash window’s frame: either of the spaces in the
sides of the frame of a sash window that conceal the weights, ropes, and
pulleys that raise and lower the window’s separate sections

[1]



windowdressing

windowdressing
win·dow
dress·ing
noun

1.  display
in store windows: a display of merchandise for sale in a
store window

2.  deceptively
appealing presentation: deceptively appealing
presentation of something, intended to conceal flaws

[1]



windowenvelope

windowenvelope
win·dow
en·ve·lope
(plural win·dow en·ve·lopes) noun

envelope with see-through
panel for address: an envelope
with a transparent panel at the front that makes it possible to see the address
to which the letter is being sent on the letter inside[1]



windowpane

windowpane
win·dow·pane 
[wíndō pàyn] noun

sheet of glass in window:
a sheet of glass that forms part of a window.
Also called
window[1]



windowseat

windowseat
win·dow
seat
noun

1.  ARCHITECTURE indoor
seat under window: an indoor seat attached to a
wall under a window, especially a window that is set into a recess

2.  TRANSPORT seat
by window:
a seat by a window in a plane, train, or bus

[1]



windowshade

windowshade
win·dow
shade
noun

shade for window:
a shade for a window, for example, a flexible fabric shade on a roller[1]



window-shop

window-shop
win·dow-shop 
(past win·dow-shopped, past participle win·dow-shopped,
present participle win·dow-shop·ping, 3rd person present
singular win·dow-shops) intransitive verb

look
without buying: to look at goods displayed in store
windows without a serious intention of buying anything
—win·dow-shop·per, noun[1]



windowsill

windowsill
win·dow·sill 
[wíndō sìl] noun

shelf on bottom edge of
window: the shelf on the bottom edge
of a window, either a projecting part of the window frame or the bottom of the
wall recess that the window fits into[1]



windpipe

windpipe
wind·pipe 
[wínd pp] noun

See
trachea[1]



wind-pollinated

wind-pollinated
wind-pol·li·nat·ed
adjective

pollinated with pollen blown
by wind: pollinated by pollen that is
carried to the plant by the wind[1]



windpower

windpower
wind
pow·er
noun

wind as source of energy:
the force of the wind harnessed by windmills and wind turbines that convert it
into electricity, or the electricity produced in this way[1]



windproof

windproof
wind·proof
[wínd prf] adjective

resisting wind:
resisting the force of the wind[1]



windpuff

windpuff
wind·puff
[wínd pùff] noun

See
windgall[1]



windrose

windrose
wind
rose 
noun

diagram showing behavior of
wind: a circular diagram
indicating the range of wind speeds and directions for a particular place over
a given time period[1]



windrow

windrow
wind·row 
[wínd r] noun

1.  row
of drying hay: a long thin pile of cut hay or grain
designed to catch the wind and dry quickly

2.  pile
blown together by wind: a long thin pile of things,
especially leaves or snow, heaped up by the wind
transitive
verb
(past wind·rowed, past participle wind·rowed, present
participle wind·row·ing, 3rd person present singular wind·rows)

gather hay into windrows:
to gather cut grass, hay, or other crop material into windrows for a drying
—wind·row·er, noun[1]



windsail

windsail
wind·sail
[wínd sàyl, nautical wíndss’l, wínss’l]
noun

1.  SAILING ventilation
tube:
a tube or funnel of sailcloth rigged over a companionway or hatch to catch
breezes and provide ventilation for a ship

2.  windmill
sail:
a sail on a windmill

[1]



windscale

windscale
wind
scale
[wínd skayl] noun

scale for measuring wind
force: a scale for measuring the
strength of a wind, for example, the Beaufort Scale[1]



windscreen

windscreen
wind·screen 
[wínd skrn] noun

1.  screen
protecting something from wind: a screen used to
protect somebody or something from the wind, for example, by sunbathers on a
beach or gardeners protecting plants

2.  U.K.
See windshield

[1]



windshake

windshake
wind
shake
noun

crack between tree’s growth
rings: a crack between the growth
rings of a tree, thought to be caused when the tree bends violently in the wind[1]



windshear

windshear
wind
shear 
noun

amount that wind speed
varies: the amount by which the
speed of the wind varies at different altitudes, often causing difficulties for
aircraft[1]



windshield

windshield
wind·shield 
[wínd shld] noun

1.  motor
vehicle’s front window: the pane of glass or plastic
that forms the front window of a motor vehicle.
U.K.
term
windscreen

2.  U.K.
See windscreen

[1]



windshieldwiper

windshieldwiper
wind·shield
wip·er
(plural wind·shield wip·ers) noun

device for clearing
windshield: a motorized device
consisting of a rubber blade on a metal arm that is attached just below a
vehicle’s windshield, used for wiping rain and snow off the windshield.
Also called
wiper
U.K. term
windscreen wiper[1]



windsock

windsock
wind·sock 
[wínd sòk] noun

fabric tube showing wind
direction: a fabric tube or cone
attached at one end to the top of a pole, so that it blows like a flag to show
which way the wind is blowing.
Also called
wind cone[1]



Windsor

Windsor
Wind·sor 
[wínzər]

1.  the
southernmost city in Canada, situated directly southeast of Detroit, Michigan,
in the province of Ontario. Population: 278,685 (1996)

2.  town
in southern England, on the Thames River. Windsor Castle, located in the town,
has been a royal residence for over 900 years. Population: 27,400 (1995)

3.  town
in southeastern New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1810, it is one of
Australia’s oldest settlements. Population: 21,317 (1996)

[1]



Windsorchair

Windsorchair
Wind·sor
chair
noun

wooden
chair with spindled back: a wooden chair that
traditionally has a back formed of spindles, a saddle-shaped seat, and splayed
legs
[Mid-18th century. Named for
the town of Windsor in southern England, where
it originated.][1]



Windsor,Duke of

Windsor,Duke of
Wind·sor,
Duke of

Edward VIII’s title after his
abdication: the title granted to Edward
VIII after his abdication from the British throne in 1936 and subsequent
marriage to Wallis Simpson in June 1937.
See also
Edward VIII[1]



Windsorknot

Windsorknot
Wind·sor
knot
noun

triangular
necktie knot: a large triangular knot in a man’s
necktie, made by putting an extra turn on each side of the loop that lies
beneath the knot
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably named for the Duke of Windsor .][1]



Windsortie

Windsortie
Wind·sor
tie
noun

broad necktie:
a broad necktie loosely knotted with a double bow[1]



windstorm

windstorm
wind·storm 
[wínd stàwrm] noun

storm with wind but no rain:
a storm consisting of very strong winds and little or no rain or other
precipitation[1]



windsucking

windsucking
wind·suck·ing 
[wínd sùking] noun

horse’s
habit of gulping in air: the habit some horses have
of biting the edge of a stall or fence while gulping air or sucking in air by
making certain head and neck movements
—wind·suck·er, noun[1]



windsurf

windsurf
wind·surf 
[wínd sùrf] (past wind·surfed,
past participle wind·surfed, present participle wind·surf·ing,
3rd person present singular wind·surfs) intransitive verb

ride
sailboard:
to ride and steer a sailboard fitted with a movable sail
—wind·surf·er, noun[1]



windsurfing

windsurfing
wind·surf·ing 
[wínd sùrfing] noun

sport of riding a sailboard:
the sport of riding and steering a sailboard.
Also called
boardsailing
Also called
sailboarding[1]



windswept

windswept
wind·swept 
[wínd swèpt] adjective

1.  exposed
to wind:
exposed to the wind and usually very windy

2.  disheveled:
disheveled in appearance as a result of exposure to the wind

[1]



windtee

windtee
wind
tee 
noun

T-shaped weather vane:
a T-shaped weather vane at an airfield that shows which way the wind is blowing[1]



windtunnel

windtunnel
wind
tun·nel 
noun

tunnel for testing
aerodynamic properties: a
tunnel-shaped chamber through which air can be passed at a known speed in order
to test the aerodynamic properties of an object such as an aircraft or
automobile placed inside it[1]



windup

windup
wind
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
finish
activity:
to conclude something or to bring an activity to an end

2.  intransitive
verb
end
up:
to come to be in a particular place or situation as a result of, or at the end
of, a series of earlier events (informal)

3.  transitive
verb
make
somebody tense: to make somebody nervous or irritated,
usually deliberately (informal) (often passive)

4.  intransitive
verb
BASEBALL prepare
to pitch:
to make a windup in preparation for pitching the ball in baseball

[1]



windup

windup
wind·up
[wnd ùp] adjective

operated by turning handle:
made to work by turning a handle or key that winds an internal spring
noun
(plural wind·ups)

1.  ending
of something: the bringing to a close of something
such as a meeting, discussion, or electoral campaign

2.  BASEBALL pitcher’s
preparation to throw: a pitcher’s preparation to
pitch in baseball including pulling the arm back just before releasing the ball

[1]



windward

windward
wind·ward 
[wíndwərd] adjective

facing
the wind:
facing the wind, or on the side of something, especially a boat, that is facing
the wind
adverb

into
the wind:
toward where the wind is coming from
noun

side facing wind:
the side facing the wind, or the direction that the wind is blowing from[1]



WindwardIslands

WindwardIslands
Wind·ward
Is·lands 
[wíndwərd ləndz]

group of islands in the
eastern Caribbean Sea, at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. It includes
Martinique and the independent island states of Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada,
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Area: 3,657 sq km/1,412 sq mi.[1]



windway

windway
wind·way
[wínd wày] noun

passage for air:
an opening or passage allowing air through, for example, a ventilation shaft in
a mine[1]



windy

windy
wind·y 
[wíndee] (comparative wind·i·er,
superlative wind·i·est) adjective

1.  with
wind blowing: with strong winds blowing

2.  where
winds blow:
where strong winds tend to blow • a high
and windy hill

3.  full
of empty words: full of long and important-sounding
though largely meaningless words designed to impress people (informal)

4.  flatulent:
suffering from flatulence (informal)
[Old
English windig]
—wind·i·ly,
adverb

—wind·i·ness, noun[1]



wine

wine
wine 
[wīn] noun

1.  alcohol
fermented from grapes: an alcoholic drink made by
fermenting the juice of grapes

2.  alcohol
fermented from other fruit: an alcoholic drink made by
fermenting the juice of fruit other than grapes, or the juice of other plants

3.  something
stimulating or intoxicating: something that has a
stimulating or intoxicating effect resembling that of wine (literary)

4.  COLORS dark
purplish-red color: a dark purplish-red color,
like that of red wine
adjective

COLORS dark
purplish-red: of a dark purplish-red color, like that
of red wine
[Old
English wīn, from Latin vinum (source of English vine and vinegar
). Ultimately from a pre-Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of Greek oinos
(source of oenophile ).]
wine
and dine

to enjoy, be treated, or
treat somebody to an expensive meal out[1]



winebar

winebar
wine
bar
noun

U.K.
bar specializing in wine:
a bar that specializes in serving wine, although beer and liquor may also be
served[1]



winecellar

winecellar
wine
cel·lar
noun

1.  cellar
for storing wine: a cellar where wine is stored, or any
dark cool room used for storing wine

2.  wine
supply:
a stock of wine

[1]



winecooler

winecooler
wine
cool·er
noun

1.  HOUSEHOLD container
for keeping wine cool: a container filled with ice
or a refrigerant and used to keep one or more bottles of wine cool

2.  BEVERAGES bottled
wine cocktail: a mixture of wine and fruit juice,
sometimes with carbonated water, sold in bottles

[1]



wineglass

wineglass
wine·glass 
[wn glàss] noun

glass with stem:
a glass suitable for drinking wine, with a bowl mounted on a stem and usually a
rounded base[1]



winegrower

winegrower
wine
grow·er
noun

somebody growing grapes for
wine: somebody who grows grapes
for making wine, especially the owner or manager of a vineyard who also
oversees the winemaking[1]



winepalm

winepalm
wine
palm
noun

tree with sap used for wine:
a palm tree whose fermented sap is used to make palm wine[1]



winepress

winepress
wine·press 
[wn prèss] noun

apparatus used for making
wine: a piece of winemaking
equipment that squeezes the juice from grapes[1]



winery

winery
win·er·y 
[wnəree] (plural win·er·ies) noun

place for making wine:
a place where wine is made[1]



wineskin

wineskin
wine·skin 
[wn skìn] noun

wine container made from
animal skin: a container for wine
made from the skin of a sheep or goat sewn into a bag[1]



winetasting

winetasting
wine·tast·ing 
[wn tàysting] noun

1.  sampling
of wine:
the sampling of a variety of wines, either as a preliminary to buying wine or
as instruction in the appreciation of wine

2.  gathering
to sample wines: a gathering to sample, learn about, and
enjoy drinking a variety of wines

[1]



Winfrey,Oprah

Winfrey,Oprah
Win·frey
[wínfree], Oprah (1954– )

U.S.
talk show host and actor. Hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1986, she
pioneered television programs in which people publicly discuss their intimate
problems.
Full name
Winfrey, Oprah Gail[1]



wing

wing
wing 
[wing] noun

1.  BIRDS bird’s
limb for flying: either of a bird’s feather-covered limbs
that are typically used for flying

2.  ZOOLOGY insect’s
or bat’s limb for flying: any of the large
membrane-covered limbs on an insect or a bat that it uses for flying. Many
insects have two pairs of wings.

3.  AIR flat
surface projecting from aircraft’s side:
either of the large flat surfaces sticking out from the sides of an aircraft’s
body that provide the aircraft’s main source of lift. Although most modern
aircraft have only one pair of wings, it was not unusual for earlier aircraft
to have two pairs set one above the other.

4.  flat
projecting part: either of a pair of flat parts that
stick out from the main body of something, for example, the outgrowths of a
wind-dispersed seedcase or the ends of an old-fashioned collar

5.  flight:
a means or manner of flying

6.  ARCHITECTURE part
of building projecting from middle: one
of the parts of a building that project from the main part

7.  SPORTS longer
side of sports field: either of the longer sides
of the field of play in some sports, at right angles to the sides where the
goals are

8.  SPORTS offensive
player on side of field: an offensive player who
plays down one side of the field in some team sports such as soccer and field
hockey, or the position the person plays.
Also
called
winger

9.  POLITICS subdivision
of political group: a faction within a political
party or movement, especially either of two broad factions, one more
conservative, the other more liberal

10. subsidiary
group:
a group attached and subordinate to a parent organization

11. AIR FORCE air
force unit:
an air force unit that is larger than a group but smaller than a division

12. MILITARY part
of military formation: the left or right part of a
large military formation such as a field army or a fleet

13. THEATER scenery
piece at side of stage: a piece of scenery at the
side of the stage

14. U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE See fender
plural
noun
wings

1.  THEATER side
of theater stage: the areas of a theater to the sides of
the stage, unseen by the audience

2.  AIR qualified
pilot’s badge: a badge with a design in the shape of
wings, worn by a trained and qualified pilot
verb
(past winged, past participle winged, present
participle wing·ing, 3rd person present singular wings)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
swiftly:
to move or travel somewhere swiftly, or send something with great speed

2.  transitive
verb
wound
bird by hitting wing: to wound a bird
superficially by hitting it on its wing

3.  transitive
verb
wound
somebody, or damage something, superficially: to
wound somebody superficially, especially in the arm or leg, or cause only
superficial damage to something
[12th
century. Of Scandinavian origin. Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to blow” that is also the ancestor of English wind,
weather, ventilate,
and nirvana .]
be
(waiting) in the wings

to
be ready and prepared to do something, or available for use when needed

take
somebody under your wing

to
look after or protect somebody

with
wings

to
be taken away rather than consumed on the premises (informal) • one
cappuccino with wings

wing
it

to improvise (informal)[1]



wingand wing

wingand wing
wing
and wing
adverb

NAUTICAL
with spread sails:
with sails extended on each side[1]



wingback

wingback
wing·back 
[wíng bàk] noun

offensive back in football:
an offensive back in football who lines up outside an end, or the position
taken by this player[1]



wingbar

wingbar
wing
bar
noun

band on bird’s wing:
a short white band on the wing of a bird, visible when the wing is folded[1]



wingcase

wingcase
wing
case
noun

INSECTS
See elytron[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wingchair

wingchair
wing
chair
noun

armchair with side panels:
an armchair with a high back and large side panels[1]



wingcollar

wingcollar
wing
col·lar
noun

stiff upturned collar with
points projecting: a high
stiff collar on a man’s shirt, worn with the points at the upper corner turned
down over the tie as part of formal dress[1]



wingcommander

wingcommander
wing
com·mand·er
noun

middle-ranking air force
officer: an officer of middle rank in
some air forces, or the rank itself[1]



wingcovert

wingcovert
wing
cov·ert
noun

feather on bird’s wing:
a small feather on a bird’s wing, covering the base of the wing quills[1]



wingding

wingding
wing·ding 
[wíng dìng] (plural wing·dings)
noun

1.  noisy
party:
a party or celebration, especially a noisy and boisterous one (dated)

2.  violent
outburst:
a wild or violent outburst such as a fit of anger (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin unknown.][1]



winged

winged
winged 
[wingd] adjective

1.  capable
of flight:
able to fly because having wings

2.  moving
swiftly:
moving swiftly in a manner resembling flying (literary)

[1]



wingedbean

wingedbean
winged
bean
noun

See
asparagus pea[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








winger

winger
wing·er
[wíngər] noun

SPORTS
See wing  noun 8[1]



wing-footed

wing-footed
wing-foot·ed 
adjective

moving swiftly:
moving swiftly in a manner resembling flying (archaic or literary)[1]



wingless

wingless
wing·less 
[wíngləss] adjective

without
wings:
without wings or having only very small wings that are not used for flying.
Certain parasitic flies and other primitive insects such as springtails and
bristletails are described as wingless.
—wing·less·ness, noun[1]



wingman

wingman
wing·man 
[wíng màn] (plural wing·men [wíng mèn]) noun

AIR
pilot flying behind leader:
a pilot who flies in a position behind, and to the side of, the leader of a
flying formation[1]



wingnut

wingnut
wing
nut
noun

nut tightened by hand:
a nut that has flat projections on its sides for the fingers to grip.
Also called
butterfly nut
Also called
thumb nut[1]



wingover

wingover
wing·o·ver 
[wíng vər] noun

climbing turn to reverse
aircraft: a flying maneuver to turn an
aircraft in which the pilot puts the aircraft into a steep banking climb to a
near stall and then allows the nose to fall[1]



wingspan

wingspan
wing·span 
[wíng spàn] or wing·spread [wíng sprèd] noun

distance between wing tips:
the distance from tip to tip of an aircraft’s wings, or of the outstretched
wings of a bird or insect.
Also called
span[1]



wingtip

wingtip
wing·tip
[wíng tìp] or wing tip [wíng tìp] noun

1.  CLOTHES shoe
with decorative perforations: a shoe with a decorative
pattern of tiny holes in the leather across the toe and along the sides.
Also
called
brogue
U.K.
term
brogue

2.  AIR ZOOLOGY point of wing furthest from
body:
the tip of the wing of a bird, insect, or aircraft that is the point furthest
away from the center of its body

[1]



wink

wink
wink 
[wingk] verb (past winked,
past participle winked, present participle wink·ing,
3rd person present singular winks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb gesture
by closing one eye briefly: to close one eye briefly,
usually either as a friendly greeting or to show that something just done or
said is a joke or a secret

2.  intransitive
verb
shine
intermittently: to shine intermittently or faintly
noun

1.  brief
closing of one eye: a brief closing of one eye
as a greeting or signal

2.  twinkling
light:
a twinkling or faintly flashing light

3.  short
time:
the briefest period of time

4.  short
nap:
a brief nap or very short period of being asleep (informal)
[Old English wincian
“to close one’s eyes”][1]



winkat

winkat
wink
at
transitive verb

avoid noticing something:
to pretend not to notice an offense or wrongdoing (informal)[1]



winker

winker
wink·er 
[wíngkər] noun

1.  somebody
who winks:
somebody or something that winks

2.  eye
or part of eye: an eye, or a part of the eye such as an
eyelid or eyelash (informal)
plural
noun
winkers

blinkers: a
racehorse’s blinkers

[1]



winkle

winkle
win·kle
[wíngk’l] (past win·kled, past
participle win·kled, present participle win·kling, 3rd
person present singular win·kles) noun

edible
shellfish of coastal waters: a small edible mollusk with
a spirally coiled shell that lives in coastal waters. Genus: Littorina
Also
called
periwinkle
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of periwinkle 1 .][1]



Winnebago

Winnebago2
Win·ne·ba·go2  Trademark

a trademark for a large motor
vehicle with cooking and sleeping facilities[1]



Winnebago

Winnebago1
Win·ne·ba·go1  [wìnnə
báygō] (plural Win·ne·ba·go or Win·ne·ba·gos
or Win·ne·ba·goes) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
N American:
a member of a Native North American people who formerly inhabited areas around
Wisconsin and Illinois, and whose members now live principally in Wisconsin and
Nebraska

2.  LANGUAGE Winnebago
language:
the Siouan language spoken by the Winnebago people
[Mid-18th century. From
Algonquian wi:nepye:ko:ha, literally “person of the dirty water.”][1]



Winnebago,Lake

Winnebago,Lake
Win·ne·ba·go,
Lake
[wìnnə báy gō]

the largest lake in
Wisconsin, in the eastern part of the state. It forms part of the course of the
Fox River. Area: 557 sq km/215 sq mi.[1]



winner

winner
win·ner 
[wínnər] noun

1.  somebody
or something winning competition: somebody or something
that wins a competition or contest

2.  somebody
or something successful: a very successful or popular
person or thing, or one that seems likely to become successful or popular

[1]



winner’scircle

winner’scircle
win·ner’s
cir·cle 
noun

enclosure for unsaddling
winning horses: an enclosure at a
racetrack where the winning horses are unsaddled and prizes awarded to owners,
trainers, and jockeys[1]



Winnetka

Winnetka
Win·net·ka
[wi nétkə]

village in northeastern
Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan, north of Wilmette. It is a northern
suburb of Chicago. Population: 11,940 (1996)[1]



winning

winning
win·ning 
[wínning] adjective

1.  victorious:
victorious or bringing victory

2.  charming:
very charming, to the extent that people are won over
plural
noun
win·nings

money won: money
or other valuables that are won, especially from gambling
—win·ning·ly,
adverb

—win·ning·ness, noun[1]



winningest

winningest
win·ning·est 
[wínningəst] adjective

winning most:
winning the highest number of victories or prizes, or the most prize money (informal)[1]



winninggallery

winninggallery
win·ning
gal·ler·y
noun

opening in court tennis
court: an opening in a side wall of
a court tennis court into which the ball is hit from the other side of the net
in order to win a point[1]



Winnipeg

Winnipeg
Win·ni·peg 
[wínni pèg]

capital city of Manitoba,
Canada, located in the southern part of the province. Population: 666,700
(1996)[1]



Winnipegcouch

Winnipegcouch
Win·ni·peg
couch
noun

Canada
backless
couch converting into bed: a couch with no back or arms
that opens out to form a double bed
[Mid-20th century. Named for Winnipeg .][1]



Winnipeg,Lake

Winnipeg,Lake
Win·ni·peg,
Lake
[wínni pèg]

freshwater lake in central
Manitoba, Canada. Its greatest depth is 18m/60 ft . Area: 24,390 sq km/9,417 sq
mi.[1]



Winnipegosis,Lake

Winnipegosis,Lake
Win·ni·pe·go·sis,
Lake
[wìnnipi gṓssiss]

lake in western Manitoba,
southern Canada, that drains into Lake Manitoba. Area: 5,447 sq km/2,103 sq mi.[1]



Winnipesaukee,Lake

Winnipesaukee,Lake
Win·ni·pe·sau·kee,
Lake
[wìnnəpi sáwkee]

lake in central New
Hampshire, near the southern extremity of the White Mountains. It contains more
than 300 islands and is surrounded by wooded hills. Area: 186 sq km/72 sq mi.[1]



winnow

winnow
win·now 
[wínnō] verb (past win·nowed,
past participle win·nowed, present participle win·now·ing,
3rd person present singular win·nows)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb AGRICULTURE use air to remove
chaff:
to separate grain from its husks ( chaff )
by tossing it in the air or blowing air through it

2.  transitive
verb
examine
something to remove bad parts: to examine something
in order to remove the bad, unusable, or undesirable parts
noun

process of winnowing:
the process of separating grain from chaff, or a device used to do this
[Old
English windwian, from wind “wind”]
—win·now·er, noun[1]



wino

wino
win·o 
[w nō] (plural win·os) noun

offensive term:
an offensive term used to refer to somebody who is addicted to alcohol,
especially wine, and is usually homeless (informal insult offensive)[1]



winout

winout
win
out
intransitive verb

win struggle:
to be successful or dominant after a struggle[1]



winover

winover
win
over
transitive verb

persuade somebody to agree:
to persuade somebody to agree with you, support you, or give you permission[1]



winsome

winsome
win·some 
[wínssəm] adjective

charming:
charming, especially because of a naive, innocent quality
[Old
English wynsum “pleasant,” formed from wynn “joy.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “to desire” that is also the ancestor of
English win, wish, and venerate
.]
—win·some·ly,
adverb

—win·some·ness, noun[1]



winter

winter
win·ter 
[wíntər] noun

1.  year’s
coldest season: the coldest season of the year, which
comes between autumn and spring and runs in the northern hemisphere from around
November or December to February or March and in the southern hemisphere from
June to August

2.  closing
period or period of inactivity: the closing part or
period of something, or a period of decline or inactivity

3.  a
year:
one of a number of years, especially a great number (literary)
verb
(past win·tered, past participle win·tered, present
participle win·ter·ing, 3rd person present singular win·ters)

1.  intransitive
verb
spend
winter somewhere: to spend the winter in a particular
place, especially away from home

2.  transitive
verb
keep
something somewhere in winter: to keep something,
especially farm animals, in a particular place during the winter
[Old English . Ultimately
from an Indo-European base meaning “wet” that is also the ancestor of English water, hydro-,
inundate, and vodka .][1]



winteraconite

winteraconite
win·ter
ac·o·nite
noun

Eurasian winter plant with
yellow flower: a low-growing plant of
the buttercup family that is native to Europe and Asia and has a single yellow
flower that blooms in winter or early spring. Latin name: Eranthis hyemalis[1]



winterberry

winterberry
win·ter·ber·ry 
[wíntər bèrree] (plural win·ter·ber·ries
or win·ter·ber·ry) noun

common N American shrub:
a North American shrub of the holly family that has bright red berries and
deciduous leaves that turn black in autumn. Latin name: Ilex verticillata

Also called
black alder[1]



winterbourne

winterbourne
win·ter·bourne
[wíntər bàwrn] noun

stream
flowing only in winter: a stream that flows only or
mostly in winter, after heavy rains
[Old English winterburna][1]



wintercherry

wintercherry
win·ter
cher·ry
noun

1.  plant
with berries in papery cases: a Eurasian plant of the
nightshade family that has red berries enclosed in papery orange cases
resembling Chinese lanterns. Latin name: Physalis alkekengi
U.K.
term
Chinese lantern

2.  berry
of winter cherry plant: the fruit of the winter
cherry

[1]



wintercress

wintercress
win·ter·cress
[wíntər krèss] noun

yellow-flowered mustard
plant: a yellow-flowered plant of
the mustard family, formerly used as a winter salad. Genus: Barbarea[1]



winterfeed

winterfeed
win·ter·feed
[wíntər fd] (past win·ter·fed,
past participle win·ter·fed [wíntər
fèd], present participle win·ter·feed·ing, 3rd person
present singular win·ter·feeds) transitive verb

feed livestock in winter:
to feed livestock in winter, for example, on hay or silage, when there is
little or no grazing[1]



winterflounder

winterflounder
win·ter
floun·der
noun

N American flounder caught in
winter: a reddish-brown flounder
that lives in the northwestern Atlantic and is a popular food fish in winter.
Latin name: Pseudopleuronectes americanus[1]



wintergarden

wintergarden
win·ter
gar·den
noun

1.  garden
containing evergreen plants: a garden planted with
evergreen plants, to give growth even in winter

2.  greenhouse
containing winter plants: a greenhouse or conservatory
that contains winter plants

[1]



wintergreen

wintergreen

win·ter·green 
[wíntər grn] (plural win·ter·greens
or win·ter·green) noun

1.  low-growing
evergreen flowering plant: a low-growing evergreen
flowering plant with small leaves. Latin name: Gaultheria procumbens
Also
called
teaberry

2.  See
oil of wintergreen
[Mid-16th century.
Translation of Dutch wintergroen .][1]



winterize

winterize
win·ter·ize 
[wíntə rz] (past win·ter·ized,
past participle win·ter·ized, present participle win·ter·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular win·ter·iz·es) or winter·ise
[wíntə rz] transitive verb

prepare
something to withstand winter conditions: to
prepare something, especially a house or an automobile, to withstand cold
winter conditions
—win·ter·i·za·tion [wìntərə záysh’n], noun[1]



winterkill

winterkill
win·ter·kill 
[wíntər kìl] intransitive and transitive
verb (past win·ter·killed, past participle win·ter·killed,
present participle win·ter·kill·ing, 3rd person present
singular win·ter·kills)

kill
plant by exposure to winter: to die, or cause a plant to
die, from lack of adequate protection from winter weather conditions
noun

exposure to lethal winter
weather: exposure to harsh winter
weather that kills unprotected plants[1]



wintermelon

wintermelon
win·ter
mel·on
noun

melon that keeps well:
a variety of fragrant melon similar to the honeydew and cantaloupe that keeps
well when stored and has unusually smooth skin. Latin name: Cucumis melo
inodorus[1]



WinterOlympics

WinterOlympics
Win·ter
O·lym·pics
or Win·ter O·lym·pic Games plural noun

international contest in
winter sports: an international
gathering of athletes competing in a variety of winter sports, held every four
years[1]



winterpurslane

winterpurslane
win·ter
purs·lane
noun

N American plant used in
salad: a North American annual
flowering plant whose fleshy leaves are sometimes used in salad. Latin name: Montia
perfoliata[1]



wintersports

wintersports
win·ter
sports
plural noun

sports held on snow and ice:
sports such as skiing and ice skating performed on snow and ice[1]



wintersquash

wintersquash
win·ter
squash
noun

hard-skinned squash:
a slow-maturing squash that grows on long trailing vines, has a tough skin, and
stores well.
See also
summer squash[1]



wintertide

wintertide
win·ter·tide
[wíntər td] noun

wintertime:
wintertime (archaic or literary)[1]



wintertime

wintertime
win·ter·time 
[wíntər tm] noun

winter season:
the season of winter[1]



winterweight

winterweight
win·ter·weight
[wíntər wàyt] adjective

protecting somebody from
winter cold: made of thick heavy
fabric and designed to protect somebody or something from cold weather[1]



winterwheat

winterwheat
win·ter
wheat
noun

wheat sown in autumn for
spring: a variety of wheat planted
in autumn, left in the ground over winter, and harvested the following spring
or early summer[1]



winterwren

winterwren
win·ter
wren
noun

common wren:
the common wren, a very small brownish bird with a short tail and a powerful
warbling call. Latin name: Troglodytes troglodytes[1]



Winthrop,John

Winthrop,John
Win·throp 
[wínthrəp], John (1588–1649)

English-born American
colonial governor. For most of the years between 1629 and 1649, he presided
over the Massachusetts Bay Colony, exerting a decisive influence in shaping it
as a Puritan commonwealth.[1]



Winthrop,John

Winthrop,John
Win·throp 
[wínthrəp], John (1606–1676)

English-born American
colonial governor. The son of John Winthrop, he followed his father to
Massachusetts and was commissioned to settle Saybrook Colony, Connecticut. He
was governor of Connecticut (1657–1676).[1]



wintry

wintry
win·try 
[wíntree] (comparative win·tri·er,
superlative win·tri·est) or win·ter·y [wíntəree] (comparative win·teri·er, superlative
win·teri·est) adjective

1.  relating
to winter:
relating to or typical of winter, especially in being cold

2.  bleak:
cheerless or unfriendly • She
gave him a wintry smile.
—win·tri·ly,
adverb

—win·tri·ness, noun[1]



win-win

win-win
win-win
adjective

beneficial to all:
used to describe a situation in which all parties benefit in some way • a
win-win scenario[1]



winy

winy
win·y
[wnee] (comparative win·i·er,
superlative win·i·est) adjective

like wine:
like wine in taste or appearance[1]



winze

winze
winze 
[winz] noun

steep
shaft in mines: a steeply inclined or vertical shaft
between levels in a mine
[Mid-18th century. Alteration
of obsolete winds, of uncertain origin: probably formed from wind 2 .][1]



wipe

wipe
wipe 
[wīp] verb (past wiped,
past participle wiped, present participle wip·ing, 3rd
person present singular wipes)

1.  transitive
verb
rub
something with light strokes: to rub something with long
light strokes with a soft material, or rub something lightly on a soft material
• wiped
their hands on the towel

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb remove
or be removed by rubbing: to remove something such as
dirt with long light rubbing strokes, usually with a soft material, or be
removed in this way • The
mark wiped off easily.

3.  transitive
verb
remove
recording from tape: to remove recorded material
from an audio- or videotape

4.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove something or get rid of it as if by wiping • wiped
from my memory

5.  transitive
verb
apply
something with light rubbing: to apply something,
especially a liquid or cream, by rubbing it on lightly, for example, with a
cloth or the hand
noun

1.  light
rubbing stroke: one or more long light rubbing strokes

2.  disposable
cleaning cloth: a soft disposable cloth or tissue soaked
with a cleansing liquid, used for cleaning something such as the skin “Remember
trash bags, wipes, and napkins. It’s no fun sitting next to banana peel for
five hours.” Washington Post July 1998

3.  CINEMA TV one picture pushing other off
screen:
an effect in which one picture on the screen appears to be pushed off the side
of the screen by another, often used to move from scene to scene
[Old English wīpian .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to move back and forth,” which
is also the ancestor of English whip
and vibrate .][1]



wipedout

wipedout
wiped
out
adjective (slang)

1.  very
tired:
thoroughly exhausted

2.  intoxicated:
intoxicated by drugs or alcohol

[1]



wipeout

wipeout
wipe
out
verb

1.  transitive
verb
destroy
something in large numbers: to destroy large numbers of
things or kill large numbers of people, especially suddenly and violently (informal)

2.  transitive
verb
murder
somebody:
to murder or assassinate somebody (slang)

3.  intransitive
verb
SPORTS fall
from surfboard: to fall from a surfboard, either because
of losing control or because of being knocked off by a wave, or fall or crash
in some other sport (informal)

[1]



wipeout

wipeout
wipe·out 
[wp owt] noun (informal)

1.  SPORTS fall
in surfing:
a fall from a surfboard, or a fall or crash in other sports, for example,
skiing and cycling

2.  failure
or defeat:
a total failure or a crushing defeat

3.  RADIO receiving
of radio signal masking others: the receiving of a
radio signal that is so strong it makes receiving other signals impossible

[1]



wiper

wiper
wip·er 
[wpər] noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE See windshield wiper

2.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING cam
projecting from shaft: a cam that projects from a
rotating shaft and is designed to move, dislodge, or lift another component

3.  ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING electrical
device moving conducting arm: an electrical device in
which a conducting arm may be rotated or moved over a row of contacts, for
example, a rheostat

[1]



WIPO

WIPO
WIPO
[wpō] or Wipo [wpō]

Abbreviation of
World Intellectual Property Organization[1]



wire

wire
wire 
[wīr] noun

1.  strand
of metal:
metal in the form of thin flexible strands, or a single strand of it

2.  ELECTRICITY metal
strand carrying electric current: a strand of metal,
usually copper, that is encased in plastic or another insulating material and
is used to carry an electric current

3.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS cable
providing telecommunications link: a cable that provides
a telecommunications link

4.  mesh
structure:
a mesh made of strands of metal, or a structure such as a fence made of the
mesh

5.  HORSERACING racetrack
finish line: the finish line on a racetrack

6.  any
end or finish: the end of anything, or the time when
something ends (informal) • writing
in their blue books right down to the wire

7.  electronic
listening device: a small electronic listening device
concealed in somebody’s clothes (slang)

8.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS telegram
or telegraph: a telegram or the telegraph system
transitive
verb
(past wired, past participle wired, present
participle wir·ing, 3rd person present singular wires)

1.  fasten
something with wire: to use wire to fasten or
secure something

2.  connect
electrical equipment: to connect a piece of
electrical equipment to a power source or to another piece of equipment

3.  provide
a place with necessary equipment: to provide a place
with the equipment, especially electrical or electronic equipment, needed to
give it a particular facility or capability

4.  fit
somebody with a listening device: to fit somebody or a
place with a concealed electronic listening device (slang)

5.  send
a telegram:
to send a telegram to somebody, or send something to somebody by means of a
telegram
[Old
English wīr “metal thread.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to twist,” which is also the ancestor of English withy and garland
.]
go
to the wire

to
risk your reputation, job, or life in order to help somebody (informal)

have
or get your wires crossed

have a misunderstanding[1]



wirebrush

wirebrush
wire
brush
noun

brush with wires for
bristles: a brush with short stiff
wires instead of bristles[1]



wirecloth

wirecloth
wire
cloth
noun

mesh of fine wires:
a flexible mesh of soft fine wires woven closely together, used to make
strainers and some types of screening[1]



wired

wired
wired 
[wīrd] adjective

1.  supported
by wire:
supported or strengthened by wire

2.  COMPUTING equipped
for Internet: having computer equipment that allows
use of the Internet (informal) “Ireland has seen Dublin go wired.”
Newsweek November 1998

3.  fitted
with listening devices: fitted with one or more
concealed electronic listening devices (slang)

4.  nervous:
full of nervous energy, especially because under the influence of drugs (slang)

[1]



wiredraw

wiredraw
wire·draw 
[wr dràw] (past wire·drew [wr dr], past participle wire·drawn
[wr dràwn], present participle wire·draw·ing,
3rd person present singular wire·draws) transitive verb

1.  METALLURGY make
wire finer:
to reduce the diameter of a wire by pulling it through successively smaller
dies

2.  spin
something out: to spin something out to great lengths,
overrefining it and treating it with excessive subtlety
[Late 16th century.
Back-formation from earlier wiredrawer “somebody skilled in drawing
metal into threads.”][1]



wireentanglement

wireentanglement
wire
en·tan·gle·ment noun

barbed-wire barrier:
a barrier of barbed wire used to keep enemy troops back[1]



wirefox terrier

wirefox terrier

wire fox ter·ri·er
noun
fox terrier:
a fox terrier with a wirehaired coat.
Also called
wirehair
Also called
wirehaired terrier[1]



wirefree

wirefree
wire·free
[w’_ir frèe] adjective

without electrical wires:
used to describe telephone systems that do not use electrical wires in order to
operate “Today, more than 1.7 million people subscribe to our wirefree
services.” Marketing Week December 1998[1]



wiregauge

wiregauge
wire
gauge
noun

1.  gauge
measuring wire thickness: a gauge used to measure the
thickness of wire or sheet metal

2.  system
of measuring wire: a standard system of sizes
for measuring wire

[1]



wiregauze

wiregauze
wire
gauze
noun

fine mesh of thin wires:
a fine mesh of thin wires woven closely together[1]



wireglass

wireglass
wire
glass
noun

glass with wire
reinforcement: glass reinforced with a
sheet of wire mesh embedded in it[1]



wiregrass

wiregrass
wire
grass
noun

grass with tough roots:
a coarse grass with tough wiry roots[1]



wirehair

wirehair
wire·hair 
[wr hàir] noun

See
wire fox terrier[1]



wirehaired

wirehaired
wire·haired 
[wr hàird] adjective

having rough coat:
having a coat of coarse stiff hair[1]



wireless

wireless
wire·less 
[wrləss] noun

radio:
a radio or a radio set (dated)
adjective

without wires:
lacking wires[1]



wirelesstelegraphy

wirelesstelegraphy
wire·less
te·leg·ra·phy noun

telegram system using radio
signals: a system that sends
telegrams using radio signals, as opposed to a system connected by wires[1]



wireman

wireman
wire·man 
[wr man] (plural wire·men [wr men]) noun

1.  installer
of cables:
somebody who installs or repairs electrical or telecommunications cables

2.  electronic
listening devices expert: an expert at installing and
operating electronic listening devices (slang)

[1]



wirenetting

wirenetting
wire
net·ting
noun

wire mesh:
mesh made of medium to thick wire that is stronger, less flexible, and has
larger spaces than wire gauze[1]



wirer

wirer
wir·er 
[wrər] noun

hunter using snares:
somebody who uses snares to catch animals (informal)[1]



wirerecorder

wirerecorder
wire
re·cord·er
noun

early magnetic recorder:
an early type of magnetic recorder that used stainless steel wire instead of
magnetic tape to record sound[1]



wirerope

wirerope
wire
rope
noun

rope of wire:
strong thick rope made of twisted strands of wire[1]



wireservice

wireservice
wire
ser·vice
noun

news agency:
a news agency that sends out syndicated news items to various media by means of
wire or satellite[1]



wiretap

wiretap
wire·tap 
[wr tàp] intransitive and transitive
verb (past wire·tapped, past participle wire·tapped,
present participle wire·tap·ping, 3rd person present singular
wire·taps)

tap
a telephone line: to make a wire connection to a telephone
line in order to listen in secret to somebody’s conversations
noun

secret
connection to a telephone line: a connection made to a
telephone line in order to listen secretly to somebody’s conversations.
Also
called
bug
—wire·tap·per, noun[1]



wirewheel

wirewheel
wire
wheel
noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE vehicle
wheel with wire spokes: a motor vehicle wheel that
has wire spokes connecting the hub to the rim

2.  INDUSTRY wire
polishing disk on power tool: a disk of coarse wires
designed to be attached to a power tool and used for rubbing down metal

[1]



wirework

wirework
wire·work 
[wr wùrk] noun

1.  layout
of wires:
an arrangement or system of wires

2.  something
made of wire: something made by shaping or weaving
wire

3.  ARTS tightrope
acrobatics:
acrobatics performed on a tightrope

[1]



wireworks

wireworks
wire·works
[wr wùrks] (plural wire·works)
noun

factory making wire or wire
articles: a factory where wire is
made, or where wire articles are made[1]



wireworm

wireworm
wire·worm 
[wr wùrm] noun

larva of beetle:
the long thin hard-bodied larva of various kinds of beetle that feeds on plant
roots and is a serious agricultural pest[1]



wiring

wiring
wir·ing 
[wring] noun

electrical wires:
a network of electrical wires[1]



wiry

wiry
wir·y 
[wree] (comparative wir·i·er,
superlative wir·i·est) adjective

1.  slim
but strong:
slim but muscular and strong

2.  coarse:
stiff and coarse like wire

3.  produced
by vibrating wires: produced by or sounding as
though produced by vibrating wires
—wir·i·ly,
adverb

—wir·i·ness, noun[1]



wis

wis
wis
[wiss] (past wissed or wist
[wist], past participle wissed
or wist [wist], present
participle wiss·ing, 3rd person present singular wiss·es)
intransitive and transitive verb

know:
to know, think, or suppose something (archaic)
[Old English wissian][1]



Wis.

Wis.
Wis.

Abbreviation of
Wisconsin[1]



Wisconsin




Back to definition

Wisconsin

[1]



Wisconsin

Wisconsin


Wis·con·sin 
[wi zkónssin]
state
of the northern central United States, bordered by Lake Superior, Michigan,
Lake Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Capital: Madison. Population:
4,891,769 (1990) Area: 169,644 sq km/65,500 sq mi.
—Wis·con·sin·ite, noun[1]



Wisd.

Wisd.
Wisd.

Abbreviation of
Wisdom of Solomon[1]



wisdom

wisdom
wis·dom 
[wízdəm] noun

1.  good
sense:
the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions and judgments,
or the good sense shown by the decisions and judgments made

2.  accumulated
learning:
accumulated knowledge of life or in a particular sphere of activity that has
been gained through experience

3.  opinion
widely held: an opinion that almost everyone seems to
share or express

4.  sayings:
ancient teachings or sayings
[Old English wīsdōm,
formed from wīs (see wise )][1]



Wisdomliterature

Wisdomliterature
Wis·dom
lit·er·a·ture noun

religious literary form:
a speculative or didactic form of religious writing, exemplified in the Bible
by the books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Apocryphal books the
Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus.
Also called
Wisdom writings[1]



Wisdomof Jesus, the Son of Sirach

Wisdomof Jesus, the Son of Sirach
Wis·dom
of Je·sus, the Son of Sir·ach  [wìzdəm
əv jzəss sùn əv s rk] noun

BIBLE
See Ecclesiasticus[1]



Wisdomof Solomon

Wisdomof Solomon
Wis·dom
of Sol·o·mon noun

Apocryphal book of Bible:
an Apochryphal book of the Bible expounding Jewish doctrines in the terminology
of Greek philosophy. It was probably written in the 1st century BC .[1]



wisdomtooth

wisdomtooth
wis·dom
tooth
noun

one
of four backmost teeth: one of the four teeth at the
back of each side of the upper and lower jaw of human beings. They are the last
teeth to come in.
[Translation of Latin dens
sapientiae ; so called because the wisdom teeth usually appear in young
adulthood][1]



Wisdomwritings

Wisdomwritings
Wis·dom
writ·ings
noun

See
Wisdom literature[1]



wise

wise1
wise1 [wīz]
(comparative wis·er, superlative wis·est) adjective

1.  knowing
much from experience: able to make sensible
decisions and judgments on the basis of knowledge and experience

2.  sensible:
showing good sense or good judgment

3.  learned:
knowledgeable about many subjects

4.  shrewd:
capable of achieving some purpose or goal by cunning

5.  disrespectful:
behaving in a way that is perceived as disrespectful or impudent (informal)
• Don’t
get wise with me!

6.  skilled
in occult practices: skilled in magic or fortune
telling (archaic)
[Old
English wīs . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to see,
know,” which is also the ancestor of English wit,
vision, and idea .]
—wise·ly,
adverb
be
or get wise (to something)

to
be or become aware of something, usually something dishonest or secret (informal)

put
somebody wise (to something)

to let somebody know about
something, or give somebody information about something (informal)[1]



wise

wise2
wise2 [wīz]
noun

manner:
a way or manner (archaic)
[Old English wīse .
From a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “shape, form,” literally “something
seen.”][1]



-wise

-wise
-wise
suffix

in
a particular manner or direction • crabwise
• coastwise
[Old English -wīsan,
formed from wīse “manner” (see wise 2 )][1]



wiseacre

wiseacre
wise·a·cre 
[wz àykər] noun

1.  annoyingly
authoritative or self-assured person:
somebody who speaks with an authority or self-assurance that people find
irritating, especially somebody who is not genuinely knowledgeable (dated
informal)

2.  insolent
sarcastic person: somebody who is insolent and given to
making wisecracks (informal)
[Late 16th century.
Alteration of Middle Dutch wijsseggher “soothsayer.”][1]



wisecrack

wisecrack
wise·crack 
[wz kràk] noun

flippant
remark:
a flippant or sarcastic remark (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past wise·cracked, past participle wise·cracked, present
participle wise·crack·ing, 3rd person present singular wise·cracks)

make
wisecracks:
to make flippant or sarcastic remarks (informal)
—wise·crack·er, noun[1]



wiseguy

wiseguy
wise
guy
noun

insolent person:
somebody inclined to make impudent or sarcastic remarks (informal)[1]



Wise,Isaac Mayer

Wise,Isaac Mayer
Wise 
[wīz], Isaac Mayer (1819–1900)

Bohemian-born U.S. rabbi. A
leader in establishing Reform Judaism in the United States, he formed the
Central Conference of American Rabbis (1889).[1]



wiseman

wiseman
wise
man
noun

1.  learned
man:
a scholar or a very learned man

2.  ancient
practitioner of occult arts: a man who, in ancient times,
practiced any of the occult arts such as magic or astrology (archaic)

3.  special
adviser:
a man chosen as a special senior adviser to a government or other authority (informal)

4.  BIBLE one of
Magi:
one of the three Magi who came to pay homage to the infant Jesus Christ

[1]



wisenheimer

wisenheimer
wis·en·heim·er 
[wz’n hmər] or weis·en·heim·er
[wz’n hmər] (plural weis·en·hei·mers)
noun

insolent
flippant person: somebody inclined to make impudent or
sarcastic remarks (informal)
[Early 20th century. Formed
from wise 1, on the
model of surnames such as Oppenheimer and Guggenheimer .][1]



wisent

wisent
wi·sent 
[v zènt, vz’nt]
noun

European
bison:
the bison that is native to Europe. Its head is smaller and higher than that of
the North American bison. Latin name: Bison bonasus
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from, ultimately, Old High German wisunt . Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English bison .][1]



Wise,Stephen Samuel

Wise,Stephen Samuel
Wise 
[wīz], Stephen Samuel (1874–1949)

Hungarian-born U.S. Zionist.
Outspoken on behalf of labor and other liberal causes, he was one of the
founders of the Federation of American Zionists (1893).[1]



wiseup

wiseup
wise
up
intransitive and transitive verb

make or become informed:
to become, or make somebody, aware or informed (informal)[1]



wisewoman

wisewoman
wise·wom·an
[wz wmən] (plural wise·wom·en
[wz wìmmin]) noun

woman skilled in healing
arts: a woman who is skilled in
the art of using herbs to heal people and ease the pains of childbirth[1]



wish

wish
wish 
[wish] verb (past wished,
past participle wished, present participle wish·ing,
3rd person present singular wish·es)

1.  transitive
verb
desire
something:
to have a strong desire for something

2.  transitive
verb
demand
something:
to want or demand something • I wish
you to leave him alone.

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb express
desire:
to express or feel a desire that something is true or will come to pass • They
wished me a safe journey. • We
only wish for peace.

4.  transitive
verb
want
something to be otherwise: to desire somebody or
something to be in a particular state • We
all wish it were different.

5.  transitive
verb
greet
somebody:
to greet somebody in a particular way • She
wished me good afternoon as I left.
noun

1.  yearning:
a desire or strong yearning for something • I
certainly had no wish to speak to him.

2.  expression
of desire:
an expression of a desire or longing for something

3.  something
wished:
something that is desired

4.  hope:
a hope for somebody’s welfare or health (usually plural) • Give
him our best wishes.

5.  polite
request:
a polite request (formal) (often plural)
[Old
English wscan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
desire,” which is also the ancestor of English win
and venerate .]
—wish·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



wishbone

wishbone
wish·bone 
[wísh bn] noun

V-shaped bone in bird:
the V-shaped bone, actually two fused collarbones, found between the breasts of
a chicken or other bird. Traditionally two people pull the bones apart and the
person left holding the larger piece has a wish granted. Technical name furcula[1]



wishboneboom

wishboneboom
wish·bone
boom
noun

sailboard boom:
the boom on a sailboard that a windsurfer holds on to. It has two curving arms,
one on either side of the sail, joined at the ends.[1]



wishbone-T

wishbone-T
wishbone-T
noun

variant of T-formation:
in football, a variant of the T-formation in which the halfbacks line up
further from the line of scrimmage than the fullback[1]



wishful

wishful
wish·ful 
[wíshfəl] adjective

wanting
something:
wishing for something, or expressing a wish or longing
—wish·ful·ly,
adverb

—wish·ful·ness, noun[1]



wishfulfillment

wishfulfillment
wish
ful·fill·ment noun

realization of unconscious
desires: in psychoanalytic theory,
the process by which unconscious desires are realized in the imagination,
mainly through dreams and fantasies[1]



wishfulthinking

wishfulthinking
wish·ful
think·ing
noun

belief that wishes correspond
with reality: the unrealistic belief
that something that is wished for is actually true or will be realized[1]



wishlist

wishlist
wish
list
noun

list of things desired:
an often informal list of things somebody would like to have or would like to
happen[1]



wishon

wishon
wish
on
transitive verb

want something to happen to
somebody: to wish that something,
usually something unpleasant, would happen to somebody • I
wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.[1]



wish-wash

wish-wash
wish-wash 
noun (archaic)

1.  weak
drink:
an unpleasantly weak or tasteless drink

2.  dull
talk or writing: uninteresting and uninspiring talk or
writing
[Late 18th century. Doubling
of wash, in the sense “thin, weak.”][1]



wishy-washy

wishy-washy
wish·y-wash·y 
[wìshee wáwshee] adjective (informal)

1.  incapable
of making firm decisions: changeable or fluctuating in
character, especially unable to make firm decisions or develop clear opinions

2.  lacking
strength or color: weak, lacking taste, or
unattractively pale
[Late
17th century. Doubling of washy “thin, watery,” from wash .]
—wish·y-wash·i·ly,
adverb

—wish·y-wash·i·ness, noun[1]



wisp

wisp
wisp 
[wisp] noun

1.  something
resembling thread: something that is thin and
delicate like thread, especially a lock of hair, a piece of straw, or a streak
of smoke

2.  somebody
slender and delicate: somebody or something that
is slender and delicate • a wisp
of a child

3.  something
insubstantial: something that is vague and fleeting • a
wisp of a memory

4.  bundle:
a bundle of something, especially a bundle of hay or straw
verb
(past wisped, past participle wisped, present
participle wisp·ing, 3rd person present singular wisps)

1.  transitive
verb
bundle
straw or hay: to make a handful of straw or hay into a
bundle

2.  intransitive
verb
move
like wisp:
to float like something delicate or faint
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
—wisp·i·ly,
adverb

—wisp·i·ness,
noun

—wisp·y, adjective[1]



wist

wist
wist 
(archaic)

1.  Past
participle of wis Past
tense of wis

2.  Past
participle of wit Past
tense of wit

[1]



wisteria

wisteria

wis·ter·i·a 
[wi stree ə] (plural wis·ter·i·as
or wis·ter·i·a) noun
deciduous
climbing flowering shrub: a deciduous climbing shrub
native to North America and Asia, with blue, pink, or white flowers that hang
down in clusters. Genus: Wisteria
[Early 19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from the name of the U.S. anatomist Caspar Wistar
(1761–1818).][1]



Wister,Owen

Wister,Owen
Wis·ter
[wístər], Owen (1860–1938)

U.S. writer. His novel about
cowboy life, The Virginian ( 1902 ), became the archetype for the
Western.[1]



wistful

wistful
wist·ful 
[wístfəl] adjective

pensive
and sad:
deep in sad thoughts, especially thoughts of something yearned for or lost, or
expressing this sad yearning
[Early
17th century. Formed from obsolete wistly “intently,” of uncertain
origin.]
—wist·ful·ly,
adverb

—wist·ful·ness, noun[1]



wit

wit2
wit2 [wit]
(past wist [wist], past
participle wist, present participle wit·ting, 3rd
person present singular wits or wot) intransitive
and transitive verb

know
something:
to know or become aware of something (archaic)
[Old
English witan ; ultimately related to wit 1]
to
wit

that is to say[1]



wit

wit1
wit1 [wit]
noun (plural wits)

1.  ingenious
humor:
apt, clever, and often humorous association of words or ideas, or a capacity
for this

2.  speech
or writing showing wit: speech or writing that shows
an apt, clever, and often humorous association of words

3.  witty
person:
somebody known for using wit

4.  intelligence:
mental acumen, intelligence, or reasoning power
plural
noun
wits

shrewdness:
mental acumen, shrewdness, or reasoning power
[Old
English wit “mind, understanding.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “to see, know,” which is also the ancestor of English wisdom, vision,
and idea .]
be
at your wits’ end

to
be in despair as to how to cope with something

live
by your wits

to use cunning and ingenuity
in order to survive[1]



witan

witan
wit·an 
[wí tn] noun

Anglo-Saxon
assembly:
an assembly of the king’s counselors in Anglo-Saxon England.
Also
called
witenagemot
[Early 19th century. Revival
of Old English, “counselors,” from wita “counselor,” literally “one who
knows”; ultimately related to wit 1 .][1]



Witbank

Witbank
Wit·bank
[wít bàngk]

town in Mpumalanga Province,
northeastern South Africa. Population: 83,400 (1998)[1]



witblits

witblits
wit·blits
[vít blìts] noun

South
Africa
illegally
distilled alcohol: illegally distilled
alcoholic liquor, usually made from grapes
[Mid-20th century. From
Afrikaans, literally “white lightning.”][1]



witch

witch
witch 
[wich] noun

1.  somebody
with magic powers: somebody, especially a
woman, who is supposed to have magical or wonder-working powers that are most
often used malevolently

2.  follower
of nature religion: a follower of Wicca, a
pre-Christian natural religion

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults a woman regarded as ugly, vicious,
or malicious (insult)

4.  seductive
woman:
an alluring or seductive woman (informal) (offensive in some contexts)
transitive
verb
(past witched, past participle witched, present
participle witch·ing, 3rd person present singular witch·es)

exercise witchcraft:
to cause or change something by witchcraft
[Old English wicce
“witch” and wicca “wizard,” both ultimately related to wake 1 and watch][1]



witchcraft

witchcraft
witch·craft 
[wích kràft] noun

1.  exercise
of magical powers: the art or exercise of
magical powers

2.  effect
of magical powers: the effect or influence of
magical powers

3.  seductive
charm:
alluring or seductive charm or influence (informal)

[1]



witchdoctor

witchdoctor
witch
doc·tor
noun

1.  tribal
healer or magician: in tribal societies,
somebody who practices healing, divining, or other magical powers

2.  hunter
of witches:
in some African cultures, somebody who detects or identifies supposed witches

[1]



witchelm

witchelm
witch
elm
noun

See
wych elm[1]



witchery

witchery
witch·er·y
[wíchəree] noun

1.  practice
of magic:
the practice of witchcraft or magic (dated or literary)

2.  bewitching
charm:
charm or influence that has a bewitching quality or effect

[1]



witches’brew

witches’brew
witch·es’
brew 
noun

1.  diabolical
mixture:
a malevolent or diabolical mixture of different things • an
article that was a witches’ brew of spite and innuendo

2.  potion:
a potion concocted by a witch or witches

[1]



witches’broom

witches’broom
witch·es’
broom 
noun

diseased growth on woody
plants: an abnormal tufted growth of
shoots on a tree or woody plant, usually caused by parasitic fungi. The fungi
usually responsible are of the genus Taphrina .[1]



witches’butter

witches’butter
witch·es’
but·ter
noun

See
jelly fungus[1]



witches’Sabbath

witches’Sabbath
witch·es’
Sab·bath
noun

assembly for devil-worship:
a midnight assembly for devil-worship or other rites.
Also called
Sabbath
Also called
sabbat[1]



witchgrass

witchgrass
witch
grass
noun

1.  grass
with creeping roots: a North American grass with
creeping roots. Latin name: Panicum capillare

2.  See
couch grass
[Origin uncertain: probably
an alteration of quitch grass][1]



witchhazel

witchhazel

witch
ha·zel
noun

1.  TREES shrub
with yellow flowers: a tree or shrub with
toothed, egg-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers. There are several species,
the best-known being Hamamelis virginiana of eastern North America,
which is related to the sweet gum and witch alder and blooms in late autumn.

2.  PHARMACOLOGY soothing
lotion:
a mixture of alcohol, water, and extract from the bark and dried leaves of the
witch hazel tree, used as an astringent and in the treatment of sprains and
bruises
[Alteration of earlier wych][1]



witch-hunt

witch-hunt
witch-hunt 
or witch hunt noun

1.  campaign
against dissenters: an intensive systematic
campaign directed against those who have done something wrong or who hold
different views

2.  HISTORY persecution
of witches:
a persecution of people believed to be witches
—witch-hunt·er, noun[1]



witching

witching
witch·ing 
[wíching] adjective

1.  suitable
for witchcraft: suitable for or resembling witchcraft (archaic)

2.  bewitching:
bewitching (literary)
noun

witchcraft:
witchcraft or sorcery (archaic)

[1]



witchinghour

witchinghour
witch·ing
hour
noun

midnight:
midnight, said to be the time when witches appear[1]



witchweed

witchweed
witch·weed
[wích wd] noun

parasitic plant:
a parasitic plant with small red flowers, native to South Africa and introduced
into the southern United States. Genus: Striga[1]



witenagemot

witenagemot
wit·e·na·ge·mot 
[wítt’nəgə mt] noun

See
witan
[Old English witena gemōt
“assembly of wise men,” from wita (see witan
) + gemōt “assembly” (source of English moot
)][1]



Wite-Out

Wite-Out
Wite-Out
[wt òwt] Trademark

a trademark for a white fluid
used to cover up mistakes in writing, typing, or printing[1]



with

with
with 
[wi, with]
preposition

1.  in
the company of: used to indicate that somebody is
accompanying or is in the company of another person or people, or that
something is accompanying something else • at
the amusement park with their children • Do
you still want me to go with you?

2.  used
together:
used together or at the same time • She
brought ice cream to go with dessert.

3.  involving:
involving that person or people • He
organized the meeting together with a professor from the university.

4.  against:
in opposition to • students competing with
each other for a limited number of spaces

5.  by
means of:
by the means of or using a particular object, substance, or system • After
18 months, all the rats treated with the altered virus were healthy.

6.  carrying:
carrying or having in one’s possession • He
came into the office with a box full of files.

7.  having:
having as a possession, attribute, or feature • The
movie is in French with English subtitles.

8.  because
of:
in a particular condition as a result of something • I
felt heartsick and faint with anxiety.

9.  on
or in:
used to indicate that something has a substance or things on or in it • brightly
painted walls covered with photographs of Italy

10. concerning:
used to indicate the person or thing that a state, quality, or action relates
to or affects • not happy with the
service provided

11. in
this way:
used to indicate the way something is done, or the degree to which it is done • sitting
with her head on his shoulder

12. accompanied
by:
used to indicate the feeling, gesture, sound, or facial expression that
accompanies or causes an action • walks
with a limp

13. in
the light of: in the light of or given the situation
mentioned • With
all the problems you have, the last thing you need is a lawsuit.

14. in
spite of:
in spite of the situation mentioned • With
all his charm and good breeding, he’s a man not to be trusted.

15. at
time of:
at the same time as • He
woke with the alarm and hurriedly dressed.

16. following
the direction of: in the same direction as • They
were to sail with the tide the next day.

17. according
to:
used to indicate that something happens or is true according to something else
• how
much the risk of death increases with age

18. after:
following on from • With a final wave
goodbye she turned the corner.
[Old
English wiþ “with, against.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “apart,” which is also the ancestor of English wide .]
be
with it

1.  to
be fashionable or up to date with fashion (informal)

2.  to
be able to understand what is going on in a situation (informal)

be
with somebody

1.  to
understand somebody

2.  to
approve of or support somebody • Are
you with us or not?

[1]



withal

withal
with·al 
[wi áwl] adverb (archaic)

1.  moreover:
along with the rest or in addition

2.  nevertheless:
in spite of that
preposition

with: with
(archaic)
[12th century. Formed from with + all .][1]



withdraw

withdraw
with·draw 
[wi dráw, with
dráw] (past with·drew [widr,
with dr], past participle with·drawn
[wi dráwn, with
dráwn], present participle with·draw·ing, 3rd person
present singular with·draws) verb

1.  transitive
verb
remove
something:
to remove or take back something that was previously provided or in place

2.  transitive
verb
retract
statement:
to deny the truth or validity of something that was previously stated

3.  intransitive
verb
retreat
from position: to retreat or retire from a position

4.  transitive
verb
take
money from account: to take money out of an
account
[Literally
“to pull away from”]
—with·draw·able,
adjective

—with·drawer, noun[1]



withdrawal

withdrawal
with·draw·al 
[wi dráw əl, with
dráw əl] noun

1.  taking
money from bank: the act of taking money from a bank
account, or the amount of money taken out

2.  period
of fighting addiction: a period during which
somebody addicted to a drug or other addictive substance stops taking it,
causing the person to experience painful or uncomfortable symptoms

3.  taking
something away: the act or condition of taking something
away or no longer taking part in something

4.  retreat
of army:
retreat or retirement of an army or other military force from an area in which
it was fighting

[1]



withdrawn

withdrawn
with·drawn 
[wi dráwn, with
dráwn] adjective

1.  introverted:
not friendly or sociable but quiet and thoughtful, especially to an unusual or
abnormal degree

2.  removed
from market: removed from circulation, competition,
or activity


Past participle of
withdraw
—with·drawn·ness, noun[1]



withdrew

withdrew
with·drew


Past tense of
withdraw[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








withe

withe
withe 
[with, wi,
wī] noun

1.  flexible
stem:
a strong flexible twig or stem used to bind something.
Also
called
withy

2.  flexible
tool handle: a shock-absorbing flexible handle for a
tool
transitive
verb
(past withed, past participle withed, present
participle with·ing, 3rd person present singular withes)

bind something with withes:
to bind something with withes
[Old English wiþþe .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to twist, bend,” which is also
the ancestor of English withy and wire .][1]



wither

wither
with·er 
[wíər] (past with·ered, past
participle with·ered, present participle with·er·ing, 3rd
person present singular with·ers) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb shrivel:
to shrivel or dry up as part of the process of dying, or make something,
especially a plant or part of a plant, shrivel in this way

2.  intransitive
verb
fade
away:
to fade or lose freshness or vitality

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb make
somebody lose confidence: to make somebody feel
embarrassed, foolish, or incapable of activity as the object of scorn or
contempt, or lose confidence in the face of somebody’s scorn
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably a variant of weather
in the sense “to expose to the elements.”]
—with·ered,
adjective

—with·er·er, noun[1]



withering

withering
with·er·ing 
[wíəring] adjective

meanly
scornful:
expressing scorn or contempt with the intention of causing somebody to feel
embarrassed or foolish “When he assumed this attitude in the courtroom, ears
were always pricked up, as it usually foretold a flood of withering sarcasm.”
Willa Cather The Troll Garden 1905
—with·er·ing·ly, adverb[1]



witherite

witherite
with·er·ite 
[wíə rt] noun

barium
ore:
a rare grayish-white barium carbonate mineral found in veins associated with
lead ore, used as a barium ore
[Late 18th century. Named for
the English scientist William Withering (1741–1799), who first described
the mineral.][1]



witherod

witherod
withe
rod
noun

viburnum with flexible
shoots: a viburnum that has tough
flexible shoots. Latin name: Viburnum cassinoides Viburnum nudum
Also called
teaberry[1]



withers

withers
with·ers 
[wíərz] plural noun

highest
part of horse’s back: the ridge between the
shoulder bones of a horse, sheep, ox, or similar four-legged animal, forming
the highest part of its back
[Early 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably ultimately from Old English wiþer “against.”][1]



withershins

withershins
with·er·shins 
[wíər shìnz] or wid·der·shins
[wíddər shìnz] adverb (literary)

1.  Scotland
in
the wrong direction: in the direction that is
contrary to the natural course

2.  U.K.
counterclockwise:
counterclockwise or in the direction that is contrary to the course of the sun
[Early 16th century.
Alteration of Middle Low German weddersinnes, from Middle High German widersinnes,
from wider “against, opposite” + sin “sense, direction.”][1]



Witherspoon,John

Witherspoon,John
With·er·spoon
[wíər spn], John (1723–1794)

British-born U.S. clergyman
and educator. As president of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton
University (1768–1794), he expanded the college. He signed the Declaration of
Independence (1776).[1]



withhold

withhold
with·hold 
[with hṓld, wi
hṓld] (past with·held [with
héld, wi héld], past participle
with·held, present participle with·hold·ing, 3rd person
present singular with·holds) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb hold
something back: to refuse to do or give something until
something else is done

2.  transitive
verb
deduct
tax:
to collect or deduct tax from a salary
[Literally
“to hold against or away”]
—with·hold·er, noun[1]



withholdingtax

withholdingtax
with·hold·ing
tax 
noun

tax liability withheld from
wages: part of an employee’s wage
or salary withheld and remitted to the government by an employer in payment of
taxes[1]



within

within
with·in 
[wi ín] preposition adverb

inside:
used to indicate that somebody or something is inside or enclosed by a place,
area, or object • (preposition) goods
manufactured within a country • (preposition)
A natural pool lay within a grove of young trees. • (adverb)
The door was locked from within.
preposition

not
beyond:
not beyond the scope, experience, range, time, or distance of • regulations
requiring that all accidents be reported within 48 hours
preposition
adverb

happening
inside:
happening inside an organization, system, or society • (preposition)
keeping companies within a given industry technologically competitive
• (adverb)
A lot of our Internet development activity is coming from within.
preposition

inside
limits of:
inside the limits or rules of • Try to
keep within your budget and avoid overspending.
preposition
adverb

inside
yourself:
inside the body or mind • (adverb)
Her new-found happiness was from within. • (preposition)
He needed to find the strength within him to carry on.
adverb

indoors:
indoors (literary)
[Old English wiþinnan
“on the inside,” from with + innan
“from within”][1]



withindoors

withindoors
with·in·doors 
[wi ìn dáwrz] adverb

indoors:
indoors (archaic)[1]



with-it

with-it
with-it 
adjective

fashionable and modern:
fashionable and modern in dress and behavior (dated informal)[1]



without

without
with·out 
[wi ówt] preposition

1.  not
having:
used to indicate that somebody or something does not have the thing mentioned • left
without proper tools to finish the job

2.  not
accompanied by: not with somebody, or not having the
involvement of somebody • We
can’t really make any decisions without him.

3.  not
happening:
used to indicate that something does not happen or occur • The
bill was passed without a dissenting voice.

4.  lacking:
lacking a feeling of • The
accused engaged in physical abuse without remorse or intent to change.
preposition
adverb

outside: on,
at, or to the outside of somewhere (regional or archaic) • (preposition)
Without the town the air was fresher. • (adverb)
She knocked and waited without.
preposition

beyond:
beyond (archaic)
conjunction

unless:
unless (nonstandard)
[Old
English wiþūtan “on the outside of,” from with
+ ūtan “from the outside”]
be
or do without

to manage in spite of not
having something considered necessary or desirable • a
form of power he could not buy or do without[1]



withoutdoors

withoutdoors
with·out·doors 
[wi òwt dáwrz] adverb

outdoors:
outdoors (archaic)[1]



withstand

withstand
with·stand 
[with stánd, wi
stánd] (past with·stood [with
std, wi std], past participle
with·stood, present participle with·stand·ing, 3rd
person present singular with·stands) intransitive and transitive
verb

be
resistant to something: to be strong enough to stand
up to somebody or remain unchanged by something such as extremes of heat or
pressure
[Literally
“to stand against”]
—with·stand·er, noun[1]



withy

withy
with·y 
[wíee] noun (plural with·ies)

1.  See
withe

2.  willow
tree:
a willow tree, especially an osier
adjective

tough and pliable:
tough and pliable, like withes (dated)
[Old English wīþig
“willow.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to twist, bend,” which
is also the ancestor of English withe
and wire .][1]



witless

witless
wit·less 
[wítləss] adjective

unintelligent:
lacking intelligence or common sense
—wit·less·ly,
adverb

—wit·less·ness, noun[1]



witling

witling
wit·ling 
[wíttling] noun

somebody attempting wit:
somebody who aspires to be witty (literary insult)[1]



witness

witness
wit·ness 
[wítnəss] noun

1.  somebody
who sees something: somebody who saw or heard
something that happened and gives evidence about it

2.  LAW signatory
of a document: somebody who signs a document to show
that it, or a signature on it, is genuine

3.  CHRISTIANITY somebody
who testifies to Christian beliefs:
somebody who publicly testifies to strong personal Christian beliefs

4.  CHRISTIANITY public
statement of Christian beliefs: a public statement of
strong personal Christian beliefs
verb
(past wit·nessed, past participle wit·nessed, present
participle wit·ness·ing, 3rd person present singular wit·ness·es)

1.  transitive
verb
LAW see
something happen: to see something happen, especially a
crime or an accident

2.  transitive
verb
LAW countersign
a document:
to affirm the authenticity of a document or a signature on a document by
signing it

3.  transitive
verb
experience
important events: to experience important events or
changes, or be the time in which they occur

4.  transitive
verb
be
sign of something: to be a sign or proof of
something that is happening

5.  intransitive
verb
CHRISTIANITY speak
publicly about religious beliefs: to talk in public
about strong personal Christian beliefs
[Old
English witnes, formed from wit (see wit 1 )]
—wit·ness·a·ble,
adjective

—wit·ness·er,
noun
bear
witness

or
bear witness to somethingto be evidence or prove that something is true
or that something happened[1]



witnessbox

witnessbox
wit·ness
box
noun

U.K.
See witness stand[1]



witnessstand

witnessstand
wit·ness
stand
noun

place where a witness gives
evidence: the enclosed place in a
courtroom where witnesses give evidence.
U.K. term
witness box[1]



Wittgenstein,Ludwig

Wittgenstein,Ludwig
Witt·gen·stein
[vítgən shtn, vítgən
stn], Ludwig (1889–1951)

Austrian-born
British philosopher. He is considered one of the most important thinkers of the
20th century. His Tractatus Logico-philosophicus ( 1921 ) and Philosophical
Investigations ( 1953 ) represent distinct phases in his work in analytic
and linguistic philosophy.
Full name
Wittgenstein, Ludwig Josef Johann[1]



witticism

witticism
wit·ti·cism 
[wítti sìzzəm] noun

witty
remark:
a witty or clever remark
[Late 17th century. Coined by
the poet John Dryden; a blend of witty and criticism .][1]



witting

witting
wit·ting 
[wítting] adjective

1.  deliberate:
done deliberately or intentionally

2.  responsible:
responsible and fully aware
—wit·ting·ly, adverb[1]



witty

witty
wit·ty 
[wíttee] (comparative wit·ti·er,
superlative wit·ti·est) adjective

1.  using
words cleverly: using words in an apt, clever, and
amusing way

2.  cleverly
done:
strikingly clever, stylish, or original in design or execution
—wit·ti·ly,
adverb

—wit·ti·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at funny

[1]



Witwatersrand

Witwatersrand
Wit·wa·ters·rand 
[wit wáwtərz rànd]

rocky ridge in northeastern
South Africa. Commonly known as the Rand, it is the most productive gold-mining
area in the world. Johannesburg is located near its center. Length: 100 km/60
mi.[1]



wive

wive
wive 
[wīv] (past wived, past
participle wived, present participle wiv·ing, 3rd
person present singular wives) verb (archaic)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb marry
woman:
to marry a woman

2.  transitive
verb
give
somebody wife: to supply somebody with a wife
[Old English wīfian,
formed from wīf (see wife )][1]



wivern

wivern
wi·vern 
noun

See
wyvern[1]



wives

wives
wives


Plural of
wife[1]



wiz

wiz2
wiz2  noun

(informal) See whiz  verb 3[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wiz

wiz1
wiz1  [wiz]
(plural wiz·zes) noun

wizard:
a wizard (informal)
[Shortening][1]



wizard

wizard
wiz·ard 
[wízzərd] noun

1.  male
witch:
a man who is supposed to have magical or wonder-working powers

2.  somebody
who is excellent at something: somebody who is
extremely clever at or knowledgeable about something (informal)
[15th
century. Variant of earlier wisard, from wise .]
—wiz·ard·ly,
adjective





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  The
  Wizard of Oz, a movie by U.S. producer David O. Selznick and director Victor
  Fleming ( 1939 ). This enchanting musical, based on a novel by L. Frank Baum
  ( 1900 ), tells the story of Dorothy, a young Kansas girl who dreams she is
  transported to the magical world of Oz, a utopian place without disease,
  poverty, or political discussion “except in the outlying districts.” Evading
  the Wicked Witch of the West, she sets off along the yellow brick road in
  search of the mysterious Wizard. The words Oz (a magical, unreal, even
  bizarre place or situation), Wicked Witch of the West (evil person)
  and munchkin (from the elflike Munchkins in the movie, now meaning
  also an elflike person, a young child, or a minor government official) have
  established a place in the English language.

[1]



wizardry

wizardry
wiz·ard·ry 
[wízzərdree] noun

1.  art
of wizards:
the art, activities, or accomplishments of a wizard

2.  skill:
extreme skill or accomplishment

[1]



wizen

wizen2
wiz·en2  [wízz’n]
adjective

withered:
withered or dried up
[Late 18th century.
Alteration of wizened .][1]



wizen

wizen1
wiz·en1  [wízz’n]
(past wiz·ened, past participle wiz·ened, present
participle wiz·en·ing, 3rd person present singular wiz·ens)
intransitive and transitive verb

wither:
to wither or dry up, or make something wither or dry up
[Old English wisnian][1]



wizened

wizened
wiz·ened 
[wízz’nd] adjective

dried up:
looking wrinkled, shriveled, or dried up[1]



wk

wk
wk

1.  (plural
wks) Abbreviation of week

2.  Abbreviation
of
work

3.  Abbreviation
of
weak

[1]



wkly

wkly
wkly

Abbreviation of
weekly[1]



WL

WL
WL

1.  WL
or w.l. INSURANCE Abbreviation
of water line

2.  ELECTRICITY Abbreviation of
wavelength

[1]



Wm.

Wm.
Wm.

Abbreviation of
William[1]



wmk.

wmk.
wmk.

Abbreviation of
watermark[1]



WMO

WMO
WMO

Abbreviation of
World Meteorological Organization[1]



WNW

WNW
WNW

Abbreviation of
west-northwest[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WO

WO
WO 
or W.O.

MILITARY
Abbreviation of warrant officer[1]



w/o

w/o
w/o

Abbreviation of
without[1]



woad

woad
woad 
[wōd] noun

1.  plant
that yields blue dye: a European plant that was
formerly cultivated for the blue dye extracted from its leaves. Latin name: Isatis
tinctoria

2.  blue
dye:
the blue dye obtained from the woad plant and used in ancient times as a body
paint
[Old English wād .
From a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin.][1]



woadwaxen

woadwaxen
woad·wax·en 
[wṓd wàks’n] (plural woad·wax·ens
or woad·wax·en) noun

See
dyer’s greenweed
[14th century. Alteration
(influenced by woad ) of woodwaxen, from Old English wuduweaxe,
from wudu “wood” + weaxan “to grow.”][1]



w.o.b.

w.o.b.
w.o.b.

INSURANCE
Abbreviation of washed overboard[1]



wobble

wobble
wob·ble 
[wóbb’l] or wab·ble [wóbb’l] verb (past wob·bled, past
participle wob·bled, present participle wob·bling, 3rd
person present singular wob·bles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
from side to side: to move or cause something
to move in a swaying, shaking, or trembling way

2.  intransitive
verb
quaver:
to vary uncertainly in pitch or volume

3.  intransitive
verb
be
unable to decide: to be unable or unwilling to reach a
decision
noun

wobbling effect:
a wobbling movement or sound
[Mid-17th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Low German wabbeln ; ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the ancestor of English wave and waver
.]
—wob·bler,
noun

—wob·bling·ly, adverb[1]



wobblersyndrome

wobblersyndrome
wob·bler
syn·drome
noun

condition in horses and dogs:
a condition in horses and dogs characterized by an unsteady gait and sometimes
falling, due to a misalignment of vertebrae in the neck, which impinges on the
spinal cord[1]



wobbly

wobbly
wob·bly 
[wóbblee] (comparative wob·bli·er,
superlative wob·bli·est) or wab·bly [wábblee] adjective

1.  unsteady:
moving unsteadily from side to side

2.  feeling
weak:
feeling weak and unable to keep balanced (informal)
—wob·bli·ness, noun[1]



Wobbly

Wobbly
Wob·bly
[wóbblee] (plural Wob·blies) noun

member
of the IWW:
a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Wodehouse,P. G.

Wodehouse,P. G.
Wode·house
[wd hòwss], P. G. (1881–1975)

British
writer. He wrote over 100 novels, many of which feature the fictional
characters Bertie Wooster and his “gentleman’s gentleman,” Jeeves. He became a
U.S. citizen in 1955.
Full name
Wodehouse, Sir Pelham Grenville[1]



Woden

Woden
Wo·den
[wṓd’n] noun

Anglo-Saxon god:
an Anglo-Saxon god, the equivalent of the Norse Odin[1]



wodge

wodge
wodge
[woj] noun

U.K.
large
lump:
a large lump or chunk of something (informal) • They
caught him stuffing wodges of banknotes into his pockets.
[Mid-19th century. Blend of wad and wedge
.][1]



woe

woe
woe 
[wō] noun

1.  unfortunate
happening:
a serious affliction or misfortune

2.  grief:
grief or distress resulting from a serious affliction or misfortune
interjection

expressing grief:
used to express grief or distress (archaic or literary)
[Old
English wā, from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor
of English wail ; ultimately from an
Indo-European exclamation]
woe
betide somebody

used
as a threat to indicate that somebody is going to regret something or be
punished in some way • Woe
betide him if he turns up late for work again.

woe
is me

used to indicate that the
speaker is in distress or feels unhappy or unfortunate (literary or humorous)[1]



woebegone

woebegone
woe·be·gone 
[wṓ bi gàwn] adjective

sorrowful:
feeling or looking distressed or sorrowful
[13th century. Formed from woe + begon “beset” (ultimately from Old
English gān ; see go ).][1]



woeful

woeful
woe·ful
[wṓfəl] adjective

1.  unhappy:
feeling or expressing great distress or sorrow

2.  causing
grief:
bringing or causing great distress or sorrow

3.  pathetically
bad:
pitifully or regrettably bad
—woe·ful·ly,
adverb

—woe·ful·ness, noun[1]



wok

wok
wok 
[wok] noun

Chinese
cooking pan: a large thin metal pan with a curved
base, used for stir-frying, steaming, and braising food, especially in Chinese
and other Far Eastern cookery
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) .][1]



woke

woke
woke


Past tense of
wake[1]



woken

woken
wok·en


Past participle of
wake[1]



wold

wold
wold
[wōld] noun

upland:
upland or rolling country, especially when treeless (literary)
[Old English wald, weald
“forest.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “wild,” which is also
the ancestor of English wild and wilderness .][1]



Wolf

Wolf
Wolf 
[wlf] noun

ASTRONOMY
See Lupus[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wolf

wolf

wolf 
[wlf] noun (plural wolves
[wlvz])

1.  carnivore
that hunts in packs: any one of several predatory
animals of North America and Eurasia that are related to the dog and hunt in
packs, especially the gray wolf. Genus: Canis

2.  animal
resembling wolf: an animal that resembles a wolf but is
not of the dog family, for example, the Tasmanian wolf

3.  fur
of wolf:
the fur of the wolf

4.  greedy
and cruel person: somebody who is greedy and cruel

5.  man
who pursues women: a sexually aggressive or
predatory man (informal)

6.  INSECTS destructive
larva:
the destructive larva of several moths and beetles that sometimes infests
granaries

7.  MUSIC discord:
an unpleasant discord produced on a string or keyboard instrument (often
used before a noun)
transitive verb
(past wolfed, past participle wolfed, present
participle wolf·ing, 3rd person present singular wolfs)

eat something quickly and greedily:
to eat food quickly and greedily or in gulps
[Old
English wulf . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English lupus, lycanthropy, and alyssum
.]
a wolf in sheep’s clothing

somebody
who looks harmless or pleasant but is in fact dangerous or unpleasant

cry wolf

to
give a false alarm or cry for help too many times, so that when help is really
needed, no one will give it

keep the wolf from the door

to
be enough to prevent hunger or starvation

throw somebody to the wolves

to abandon somebody to be
destroyed by enemies in order to save yourself[1]



wolfberry

wolfberry
wolf·ber·ry 
[wlf bèrree] (plural wolf·ber·ries)
noun

shrub with gray leaves:
a North American shrub that has gray leaves, pinkish flowers, and white
berries. Latin name: Symphoricarpos occidentalis[1]



wolfdog

wolfdog
wolf
dog
noun

1.  dog
to hunt wolves: a dog used to hunt wolves

2.  offspring
of wolf and dog: an offspring of a wolf and a dog

[1]



wolfeel

wolfeel
wolf
eel
noun

fish
like an eel: a large long fish with a pointed tail
found in Pacific coastal waters of North America. Latin name: Anarrhicthys
ocellatus
[So called because it is a
species of wolffish][1]



Wolfe,James

Wolfe,James
Wolfe
[wlf], James (1727–1759)

British general. The second
in command of British troops in North America, he is most famous for his
capture of Quebec (1759) from the French in the French and Indian War
(1756–1763). He was fatally wounded in the attack.[1]



wolfer

wolfer
wolf·er
noun

See
wolver[1]



Wolfe,Thomas

Wolfe,Thomas

Wolfe
[wlf], Thomas (1900–1938)
U.S.
writer. His novels, including Look Homeward, Angel ( 1929 ) and You
Can’t Go Home Again ( 1940 ), are heavily autobiographical.
Full name
Wolfe, Thomas Clayton[1]



Wolffianbody

Wolffianbody
Wolff·i·an
bod·y 
[wlfee ən bòddee] noun

ANATOMY ZOOLOGY See mesonephros
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German embryologist K. F. Wolff (1733–1794), who first described the
structure.][1]



wolffish

wolffish
wolf·fish
[wlf fìsh] (plural wolf·fish or
wolf·fish·es) noun

fish
with large teeth: a large northern Atlantic fish that has
large sharp teeth and no pelvic fins. Genus: Anarhichas
[Wolf from the fish’s
voracious appetite][1]



wolfhound

wolfhound
wolf·hound 
[wlf hòwnd] noun

large breed of dog:
a large dog of a breed that was originally bred to hunt wolves[1]



Wolf,Hugo

Wolf,Hugo
Wolf 
[vawlf], Hugo (1860–1903)

Austrian
composer. He is noted especially for several hundred songs exploring a wide
range of themes and moods.
Full name
Wolf, Hugo Philipp Jakob[1]



wolfish

wolfish
wolf·ish 
[wlfish] adjective

like
wolf:
resembling or characteristic of a wolf
—wolf·ish·ly, adverb[1]



wolfpack

wolfpack
wolf
pack
noun

1.  group
of wolves:
a group of wolves that hunt together

2.  MILITARY group
of submarines: a group of submarines engaged in hunting
and attacking enemy convoys during World War II

[1]



wolfram

wolfram
wolf·ram 
[wlfrəm] noun

tungsten:
tungsten (archaic)
[Mid-18th century. From
German, “wolframite,” from Wolf “wolf” + German dialect Rahm
“soot, dirt.”][1]



wolframite

wolframite
wolf·ram·ite 
[wlfrə mt] noun

tungsten
ore:
a brownish-black crystalline mineral consisting of a tungstate of iron and
manganese. It is the chief ore of tungsten.
[Mid-19th century. From
German (see wolfram ).][1]



wolfsbane

wolfsbane
wolfs·bane 
[wlfs bàyn] (plural wolfs·banes
or wolfs·bane) noun

poisonous
garden and medicinal plant: any of several wild or
cultivated poisonous plants with yellow or purplish-blue flowers, sometimes
used for medicinal purposes. Genus: Aconitum
[Mid-16th century.
Translation of Greek lukoktonon, literally “wolf-killer,” from the
poison found in the plants.][1]



Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg
Wolfs·burg 
[wlfs bùrg, váwlfs
brk]

industrial city in Lower
Saxony State, north central Germany. Population: 126,800 (1995)[1]



wolfspider

wolfspider
wolf
spi·der
noun

spider that hunts:
a ground spider that hunts its prey instead of using a web. Family: Lycosidae
Also called
hunting spider[1]



wolf-whistle

wolf-whistle
wolf-whis·tle
intransitive and transitive verb

whistle rudely:
to make a wolf whistle at somebody, especially a woman passer-by[1]



wolfwhistle

wolfwhistle
wolf
whis·tle
noun

rude behavior:
a whistle given to signal sexual interest in or admiration of somebody (considered
offensive by some people)[1]



wollastonite

wollastonite
wol·las·ton·ite 
[wlləstə nt] noun

white
crystalline mineral: a gray-white calcium
silicate mineral that occurs as fibrous masses in metamorphosed limestones
[Early 19th century. Named
for the English physicist William Hyde Wollaston (1766–1828).][1]



Wollongong

Wollongong
Wol·lon·gong 
[wlləng gòng]

coastal city in eastern New
South Wales, Australia. It is an industrial center and the site of a
university. Population: 219,761 (1996)[1]



Wollstonecraft,Mary

Wollstonecraft,Mary

Woll·stone·craft
[wstən kràft], Mary (1759–1797)
British feminist. Her Vindication of
the Rights of Woman ( 1792 ), advocating the equality of the sexes, is an
important early document of modern feminism.[1]



Wolof

Wolof

Wo·lof 
[wṓ lòf] (plural Wo·lof or
Wo·lofs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of W African people: a member of a people who
live in West Africa, mainly in Senegal, but also with sizable communities in
the Gambia and Mauritania

2.  LANGUAGE Niger-Congo
language:
a language spoken in Senegal and the Gambia, belonging to the Niger-Congo
language family. About two million people speak Wolof.
[Early
19th century. From Wolof .]
—Wo·lof, adjective[1]



Wolsey,Thomas

Wolsey,Thomas
Wol·sey
[wlzee], Thomas (1475–1530)

English
clergyman and statesman. As Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor (1515–1529), he
exercised great power both in England and abroad. He was impeached for failing
to secure Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
Known as
Wolsey, Cardinal[1]



wolver

wolver
wol·ver
[wlvər] or wol·fer [wlfər] noun

wolf hunter:
somebody who hunts wolves[1]



wolverine

wolverine

wol·ver·ine 
[wlvə rn] (plural wol·ver·ines
or wol·ver·ine) noun
northern
carnivore:
a strong dark-furred usually solitary carnivore of the weasel family, chiefly
found in northern Eurasian and North American forests. Latin name: Gulo gulo

Also
called
glutton
[Late 16th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from wolf .][1]



wolves

wolves
wolves


Plural of
wolf[1]



woman

woman
wom·an 
[wmmən] (plural wom·en [wímmin]) noun

1.  female
adult:
an adult female human being

2.  women
as group:
women collectively or in general

3.  femininity:
feminine qualities or feelings

4.  domestic
employee:
a woman who is a domestic employee

5.  wife
or girlfriend: a wife, female lover, or girlfriend (informal)
(offensive to some people)
[Old
English wimman, a variant of wīfman, from wīf “woman,
wife” + man “person”]
to
a woman

used
to indicate that every one of a group of women does or thinks something,
without any exceptions

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at girl
  See Usage note at person.









     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Little
  Women, a novel by Louisa May Alcott ( 1868–1869 ). An abidingly popular
  family saga set in 1860s New England, it recounts the emotional and
  intellectual development of four sisters –Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy –as they
  progress through adolescence to adulthood. It was followed by two sequels, Little
  Men ( 1871 ) and Jo’s Boys ( 1886 ).

[1]



womanfully

womanfully
wom·an·ful·ly 
[wmmənfəlee] adverb

as
woman of spirit: in a way that shows or is characteristic
of womanly spirit or energy
[Early 19th century. Modeled
on manfully .][1]



womanhood

womanhood
wom·an·hood 
[wmmən hd] noun

1.  condition
of being woman: the state or condition of being a woman

2.  women:
women in general, or as a group

[1]



womanish

womanish
wom·an·ish 
[wmmənish] adjective

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a man perceived to have qualities stereotypically
attributed to women, for example, weakness or fussiness (insult)
—wom·an·ish·ly,
adverb

—wom·an·ish·ness, noun[1]



womanist

womanist
wom·an·ist 
[wmmənist] adjective

respecting
and believing in women: having a respect for and a
belief in the abilities and talents of women
[Late 20th century. Modeled
on humanist .][1]



womanize

womanize
wom·an·ize 
[wmmə nz] (past wom·an·ized,
past participle wom·an·ized, present participle wom·an·iz·ing,
3rd person present singular wom·an·iz·es) intransitive verb

constantly
look for sex: to be constantly in search of casual sex
with women (disapproving) (refers to men)
—wom·an·iz·er, noun[1]



womankind

womankind
wom·an·kind 
[wmmən knd] or wom·en·kind [wímmin knd] noun

women:
women collectively or in general[1]



womanly

womanly
wom·an·ly 
[wmmənlee] adjective

characteristic
of mature women: having positive characteristics or
qualities, especially warmth, calmness, and competence, attributed to mature
women
—wom·an·li·ness, noun[1]



womanof the house

womanof the house
wom·an
of the house noun

primary woman in household:
a woman who is in charge of or who is the primary woman of a household[1]



womanof the world

womanof the world
wom·an
of the world (plural wom·en of the world)
noun

sophisticated woman:
a socially experienced and sophisticated woman[1]



womanpower

womanpower
wom·an·pow·er 
[wmmən pòwr] noun

1.  women
in workforce: women as part of the workforce in
society

2.  influence
of women:
the influence and impact of women in society
[Early 20th century. Modeled
on manpower .][1]



womansuffrage

womansuffrage
wom·an
suf·frage
noun

See
women’s suffrage[1]



woman-to-woman

woman-to-woman
wom·an-to-wom·an 
adjective

1.  between
women:
marked by directness and candor between women

2.  SPORTS player
pairing:
in sports such as women’s basketball, having each defensive player of one team
guard a corresponding offensive player of the other team
—wom·an-to-wom·an, adverb[1]



womb

womb
womb 
[woom] noun

1.  uterus
of woman:
the uterus, especially that of a human woman (not used technically)

2.  place
of origin:
a place where something is conceived and nurtured

3.  place
of security: a place that offers protection and
shelter, or a state of mind that provides comfort
[Old English wamb,
from a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin][1]



wombat

wombat

wom·bat 
[wóm bàt] (plural wom·bats) noun
small
Australian marsupial: any of several Australian
burrowing marsupials that are short, robust, covered in dense wiry hair, and
have a stumpy tail and wide blunt snout. Latin name: Vombatus ursinus Lasiorhinus
latifrons
[Late 18th century. From
Dharuk (an Australian Aboriginal language) wambaty .][1]



womblike

womblike
womb·like
[wm lk] adjective

reassuring and safe:
resembling a womb, especially in being reassuring, all-enclosing, and giving a
feeling of security[1]



women

women
wom·en


Plural of
woman[1]



womenfolk

womenfolk
wom·en·folk 
[wímmin fk] or wom·en·folks [wímmin fks] noun

women:
women collectively, or a particular group of women, especially those belonging
to the same family or society (dated)[1]



womenkind

womenkind
wom·en·kind 
noun

See
womankind[1]



womenswear

womenswear
wom·ens·wear
[wímminz wàir] noun

women’s clothing:
clothing and accessories for women[1]



women’slib

women’slib
wom·en’s
lib
noun

women’s
liberation:
women’s liberation (informal disapproving)
—wom·en’s lib·ber, noun[1]



women’sliberation

women’sliberation
wom·en’s
lib·er·a·tion noun

political movement to free
women: a political movement
intended to free women from oppression, or the act of a woman’s freeing herself[1]



women’smovement

women’smovement
wom·en’s
move·ment 
noun

movement to improve position
of women: a movement seeking to
promote and improve the position of women in society[1]



women’srefuge

women’srefuge
wom·en’s
ref·uge
noun

U.K.
See women’s shelter[1]



women’sroom

women’sroom
wom·en’s
room
noun

public toilet for women:
a public toilet for women and girls to use[1]



women’sshelter

women’sshelter
wom·en’s
shel·ter
noun

safe place for battered
women: a place where women and
children can stay after leaving home to escape domestic violence.
U.K. term
women’s refuge[1]



women’sstudies

women’sstudies
wom·en’s
stud·ies
plural noun

study of women in society:
a course of study examining the historical, economic, and cultural roles and
achievements of women (takes a singular or plural verb)[1]



women’ssuffrage

women’ssuffrage
wom·en’s
suf·frage
noun

right of women to vote:
the right of women to vote in elections.
Also called
female suffrage
Also called
woman suffrage[1]



womera

womera
wom·er·a 
noun

See
woomera[1]



won

won1
won1 [won]
(plural won) noun

1.  unit
of Korean currency: the main unit of currency in
North and South Korea, worth 100 chon

2.  bill
worth one won: a bill worth one won
[Mid-20th century. From
Korean wån .][1]



won

won2
won2

Past participle of
win Past tense of win[1]



wonder

wonder
won·der 
[wúndər] noun

1.  amazed
admiration:
amazed admiration or awe, especially at something very beautiful or new

2.  something
marvelous:
a miracle or other cause of intense admiration or awe
adjective

extraordinarily good:
exciting admiration or amazement by virtue of being outstandingly good,
effective, or unusual
verb
(past won·dered, past participle won·dered, present
participle won·der·ing, 3rd person present singular won·ders)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb speculate
about something: to speculate or be curious to know about
something

2.  intransitive
verb
be
amazed:
to be in a state of amazed admiration or awe
[Old
English wundor, from a prehistoric Germanic word of unknown origin]
—won·der·er,
noun
no
wonder

or
small wonder or little wonderused to indicate that
something is not surprising

work
wonders

or
perform wonders or do wondersto achieve remarkable results
or be very effective in solving a problem[1]



wonderdrug

wonderdrug
won·der
drug
(plural won·der drugs)

See
miracle drug[1]



wonderful

wonderful
won·der·ful 
[wúndərfəl] adjective

1.  outstanding:
of a quality that excites admiration or amazement

2.  exceedingly
pleasing:
suiting somebody perfectly
—won·der·ful·ly,
adverb

—won·der·ful·ness, noun[1]



wonderland

wonderland
won·der·land 
[wúndər lànd] noun

land
of wonderful things: a land where wonderful
things happen or exist





     WORD KEY: CULTURAL NOTE









  Alice’s
  Adventures in Wonderland, a children’s story by English writer Lewis Carroll
  ( 1865 ). This extraordinarily inventive and immensely popular tale was based
  on stories that the author made up to entertain his friends’ children. A girl
  called Alice dreams that she falls down a rabbit hole into a surreal world
  inhabited by eccentric characters including the Mad Hatter, the March Hare,
  and the King and Queen of Hearts. The expressions “Curiouser and curiouser!”
  and “Oh my fur and whiskers!” are direct quotations from this book. The
  oft-used expressions “grin like a Cheshire cat,”“wild as a March hare,” and
  “mad as a hatter” have associations with characters in the book.

[1]



wonderment

wonderment
won·der·ment 
[wúndərmənt] noun

1.  amazed
admiration:
amazed admiration or awe

2.  puzzlement:
puzzled surprise

[1]



Wonder,Stevie

Wonder,Stevie
Won·der 
[wúndər], Stevie (1950– )

U.S.
singer and songwriter. He released his first album at age 13, began an
international career, and won numerous Grammy awards for a succession of
recordings of Motown rhythm and blues. He often used synthesizers and advanced
technology, performing all the instrumental and vocal parts himself.
Real name
Judkins, Steveland[1]



wonderwork

wonderwork
won·der·work 
[wúndər wùrk] noun

amazing
action or achievement: something made or done that
arouses amazed admiration or awe
—won·der·work·er, noun[1]



wondrous

wondrous
won·drous 
[wúndrəss] adjective

exciting
wonder:
so good or admirable as to inspire wonder or awe (literary)
adverb

amazingly:
wondrously or extraordinarily (literary)
[15th
century. Alteration (influenced by marvelous
) of obsolete wonders, from wonder .]
—won·drous·ly,
adverb

—won·drous·ness, noun[1]



wonk

wonk
wonk 
[wongk] noun

somebody
regarded as boringly hardworking: somebody who is
regarded as boringly, narrowly, or obliviously preoccupied with something,
especially work (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



wonky

wonky
won·ky
[wóngkee] adjective (comparative
won·ki·er, superlative won·ki·est) adverb

U.K.
unreliable
in use:
not to be relied on to be steady or secure or to function correctly (informal)
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps ultimately from Old English wancol “unsteady.”][1]



wont

wont
wont 
[wawnt, wōnt]
adjective

accustomed
to something: accustomed or likely to do something (formal)
• He
is wont to be rather quick of temper when tired.
noun

somebody’s
custom:
a habit or custom followed by a particular person or group of people (formal)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wont or
wont·ed, past participle wont or wont·ed, present
participle wont·ing, 3rd person present singular wonts)

be
accustomed:
to have or give somebody the habit of doing something (archaic)
[12th
century. From the past participle of Old English wunian “to be
accustomed.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to desire,” which
is also the ancestor of English win
and wean .]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at habit

[1]



wonted

wonted
wont·ed 
[wáwntəd, wṓntəd]
adjective

usual:
usual or typical (formal)
—wont·ed·ly,
adverb

—wont·ed·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at usual

[1]



wonton

wonton
won
ton
[wòn tón] noun

1.  Chinese
dumpling:
in Chinese cooking, a small dumpling made from a square of noodle dough with a
little filling in the middle, boiled in soup or deep-fried

2.  won
ton
or won ton soup soup with dumplings:
Chinese soup with boiled small dumplings in it
[Mid-20th century. From
Chinese (Cantonese) wān t’ān .][1]



won’t

won’t
won’t 
[wōnt] contraction

will not:
will not[1]



woo

woo
woo 
[woo] (past wooed, past
participle wooed, present participle woo·ing, 3rd
person present singular woos) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb seek
woman’s love: to seek the affection or love of a woman
in order to marry her (dated or literary)

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb seek
something:
to try to please in order to gain something, especially acceptance, fame, or
approval

3.  transitive
verb
cause
something unpleasant: to bring about something
unpleasant as a result of action taken (formal) • wooing
their own destruction
[Old
English wōgian, of unknown origin]
—woo·ing·ly, adverb[1]



wood

wood

wood
[wd] noun

1.  substance
of trees:
a hard fibrous substance that chiefly composes shrubs and trees and is found
beneath their bark

2.  fuel
or building material: wood from trees, cut and
dried then used as a fuel or a building material or in other areas of craft and
manufacture

3.  See
woods  npl. 1

4.  GOLF golf
club:
a golf club with a head formerly made of wood, but now usually made of
stainless steel or titanium
adjective

1.  of
wood:
made of or used for wood

2.  among
trees:
located or living in a forested area
verb (past
wooded, past participle wooded, present participle wood·ing,
3rd person present singular woods)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
area with trees: to cover an area of land with trees

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb fuel
something with wood: to supply somebody or
something or be supplied with wood as fuel
[Old
English wudu]
be out of the woods

to
be out of danger or difficulty (informal)

knock on wood

used
to express a wish for good fortune in some particular respect to continue • It
never snows in May, but knock on wood.





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  ancestral meaning of wood is probably
  “collection of trees, forest.” The meanings “tree” (now obsolete) and
  “substance from which trees are made” are secondary developments. It has been
  suggested that the word wood may go back
  to an Indo-European source meaning “separate,” in which case it would
  originally have denoted a “separated” or “remote” piece of territory, near
  the outer edge or borders of known land. Since such remote, uninhabited areas
  were usually wooded, the word came to denote “forest.”

[1]



woodalcohol

woodalcohol
wood
al·co·hol
noun

See
methanol[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








woodanemone

woodanemone
wood
a·nem·o·ne
noun

pink- or white-flowered
anemone: any of several anemones in
North America and Europe with divided leaves and a single showy flower that can
be white to crimson. Latin name: Anemone quinquefolia Latin name: Anemone
nemorosa[1]



woodant

woodant
wood
ant
noun

ant that builds with wood
chips: a large reddish European ant
that builds huge domed colonies of wood chips. Latin name: Formica rufa[1]



woodbetony

woodbetony
wood
bet·o·ny
noun

plant with yellow or reddish
flowers: an eastern North American
lousewort that has yellow or reddish flowers. Latin name: Pedicularis
canadensis[1]



woodbine

woodbine
wood·bine 
[wd bn] (plural wood·bines or
wood·bine) noun

1.  climbing
plant with fragrant flowers: a honeysuckle of Eurasia and
North Africa that has fragrant yellow flowers. Latin name: Lonicera
periclymenum

2.  See
Virginia creeper
[Old English wudubinde,
from wudu “wood” + bindan “to bind”; so called because the plant
grows around trees][1]



woodblock

woodblock

wood·block 
[wd blòk] noun

1.  See
woodcut  noun 1

2.  MUSIC percussion
instrument:
a hollow block of wood used as a percussion instrument in an orchestra or band

3.        BUILDING floor
tile: a small flat piece of wood
laid in a pattern with others to make a floor surface[1]



woodborer

woodborer
wood·bor·er 
[wd bàwrər] noun

moth larva:
a medium sized moth with a stocky body that, as a large fleshy larva, bores
into wood, causing considerable damage. Family: Cossidae[1]



WoodBuffalo National Park

WoodBuffalo National Park
Wood
Buf·fa·lo Na·tion·al Park [wd
bùffəlō nàsh’nəl prk]

national park and preserve in
central Canada, on the Alberta-Northwest Territories border, established in
1922. Area: 44,802 sq km/17,298 sq mi.[1]



woodcarving

woodcarving
wood·carv·ing 
[wd krving] noun

1.  carving
wood:
the art of carving wood

2.  something
carved from wood: a decorative article carved from wood

[1]



woodchat

woodchat
wood·chat 
[wd chàt] (plural wood·chats or
wood·chat) or wood·chat shrike [wd
chàt] noun

songbird:
a European and North African songbird of the shrike family that has
black-and-white plumage and a reddish-brown crown. Latin name: Lanius senator[1]



woodchop

woodchop
wood·chop
[wd chòp] noun

wood-chopping competition:
a wood-chopping competition held at country fairs in Australia[1]



woodchopper

woodchopper
wood·chop·per 
[wd chòppər] noun

somebody who chops wood:
somebody who chops wood, especially somebody who chops down trees[1]



woodchuck

woodchuck
wood·chuck 
[wd chùk] (plural wood·chucks
or wood·chuck) noun

heavy-set
N American rodent: a heavy-set short-legged
marmot common to northern North America, with brownish fur streaked with gray.
Latin name: Marmota monax
Also
called
groundhog
[Late 17th century. By folk
etymology from an Algonquian word.][1]



woodcoal

woodcoal
wood
coal
noun

1.  See
lignite

2.  See
charcoal

[1]



woodcock

woodcock
wood·cock 
[wd kòk] (plural wood·cocks or
wood·cock) noun

game bird:
either of two small ground-dwelling birds related to the snipe, with short legs
and rounded wings, a stocky body, and a disproportionately long bill. Genus: Scolopax[1]



woodcraft

woodcraft
wood·craft 
[wd kràft] noun

1.  skill
in making things from wood: skill in carving or making
objects from wood

2.  skill
in things concerning woods: skill in traveling, living,
or working in the woods or forests
—wood·craft·er,
noun

—wood·crafts·man, noun[1]



woodcreeper

woodcreeper
wood·creep·er
[wd krpər] (plural wood·creep·ers
or wood·creep·er) noun

American bird that clings to
trees: a Central or South American
forest bird that clings to tree trunks with its short strong legs and probes
for insects with its bill. Family: Dendrocolaptidae[1]



woodcut

woodcut
wood·cut 
[wd kùt] noun

1.  block
of wood for making prints: a block of wood carved with
a picture or design and from which prints are made.
Also
called
woodblock
Also
called
woodprint

2.  print
made with woodcut: a print made by pressing a
woodcut into a coloring substance and then onto paper

[1]



woodcutter

woodcutter
wood·cut·ter 
[wd kùttər] noun

1.  OCCUPATIONS lumberjack:
somebody who chops down trees

2.  CRAFT somebody
who makes prints: somebody who makes woodcuts, and prints
from woodcuts

[1]



woodduck

woodduck
wood
duck
noun

colorful N American duck:
a crested North American duck that nests in tree cavities near water. The male
has black, chestnut, green, purple, and white plumage. Latin name: Aix
sponsa[1]



wooded

wooded
wood·ed 
[wddəd] adjective

covered with trees:
covered with or consisting of woodland or trees[1]



wooden

wooden
wood·en 
[wdd’n] adjective

1.  made
of wood:
made or consisting of wood

2.  ungainly:
lacking flexibility, relaxation, and grace

3.  inexpressive:
lacking animation, emotion, or responsiveness • a
wooden prose style

4.  dull
in sound:
making a dull unresonant sound • spoke
in a toneless, wooden voice
—wood·en·ly,
adverb

—wood·en·ness, noun[1]



woodengraving

woodengraving
wood
en·grav·ing
noun

1.  art
of engraving on wood: the art or process of
engraving a picture or design with a burin on a block of wood

2.  print
from engraving on wood: an engraving made with a
burin on a block of wood, or a print from one
—wood en·grav·er, noun[1]



woodenhead

woodenhead
wood·en·head 
[wdd’n hèd] noun

unintelligent
person:
somebody who is considered very unintelligent (informal insult)
—wood·en·head·ed,
adjective

—wood·en·head·ed·ly,
adverb

—wood·en·head·ed·ness,
noun[1]



WoodenHorse

WoodenHorse
Wood·en
Horse
noun

See
Trojan horse  noun 1[1]



woodenIndian

woodenIndian
wood·en
In·di·an
noun

wooden statue of Native
American: a carved wooden figure of a
Native American, formerly used as an advertisement outside tobacco shops[1]



woodenware

woodenware
wood·en·ware 
[wdd’n wàir] noun

utensils made of wood:
dishes or utensils made from wood[1]



woodfrog

woodfrog
wood
frog
noun

woodland frog:
an eastern North American frog that lives in woodlands and is light brown with
darker markings on the head. Latin name: Rana sylvatica[1]



woodgrain

woodgrain
wood·grain
[wd gràyn] noun

finish like natural grain of
wood: a material or finish that
imitates the natural grain of wood[1]



Wood,Grant

Wood,Grant

Wood 
[wd], Grant (1892–1942)
U.S. artist. His paintings of his native
Iowa are influenced by the formal early Dutch and Flemish style. His best known
work is American Gothic (1930).[1]



woodgrouse

woodgrouse
wood
grouse
noun

See
capercaillie[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








woodhoopoe

woodhoopoe
wood
hoo·poe
noun

African bird with curved
bill: a tropical African bird that
has dark glossy plumage, a long tail, and a slender curved bill. Genus: Phoeniculus[1]



Woodhull,Victoria

Woodhull,Victoria

Wood·hull
[wd hùl], Victoria (1838–1927)
U.S.
feminist. She was the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency (1872).
Born
Claflin, Victoria[1]



woodhyacinth

woodhyacinth
wood
hy·a·cinth
noun

See
bluebell[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








woodibis

woodibis
wood
i·bis
noun

1.  African
stork with yellow bill: an African stork with white
plumage, a bare red face, and a yellow bill. Latin name: Mycteria ibis

2.  See
wood stork

[1]



woodie

woodie
wood·ie 
noun

AUTOMOBILES
See woody  noun[1]



woodland

woodland
wood·land 
[wdlənd] noun

land
with trees:
land that is covered with trees, shrubs, or bushes
—wood·land·er, noun[1]



woodlark

woodlark
wood·lark 
[wd lrk] (plural wood·larks or
wood·lark) noun

songbird:
a small Eurasian lark noted for its song in flight. Latin name: Lullula
arborea[1]



Wood,Leonard

Wood,Leonard
Wood 
[wd], Leonard (1860–1927)

U.S. soldier. After achieving
fame as a commander in the Cuban campaign in the Spanish-American War (1898),
he became a strong advocate of “military preparedness” on the eve of World War
I.[1]



woodlot

woodlot
wood·lot
[wd lòt] noun

privately owned woodland:
a privately owned tract of woodland where trees are grown for fuel, posts,
timber, or pulpwood[1]



woodlouse

woodlouse
wood
louse 
[wd lòwss] noun

small land crustacean:
any of several small land-dwelling crustaceans that live in damp woody places
and are capable of rolling into a ball. Genera: Oniscus Porcellio

Also called
sow bug
Also called
pill bug[1]



woodman

woodman
wood·man 
noun

See
woodsman[1]



woodmouse

woodmouse
wood
mouse
noun

woodland mouse:
a small mouse that lives in woodlands in western and central Europe and North
Africa. Latin name: Adopdemus sylvaticus[1]



woodnote

woodnote
wood·note 
[wd nt] noun

natural musical note:
a natural musical note, call, or song, for example, that made by a wild bird (literary)[1]



woodnymph

woodnymph
wood
nymph
noun

1.  MYTHOLOGY woodland
nymph:
a nymph that lives in woodlands, for example, a dryad

2.  INSECTS butterfly:
any one of several brown butterflies, especially one with a broad yellow band
and black-and-white eyespots on each front wing. Family: Satyridae

3.  hummingbird:
a Central or South American hummingbird. Genus: Thalurania

[1]



woodopal

woodopal
wood
o·pal
noun

fossilized wood:
wood impregnated and fossilized by silica and displaying the preserved wood
grain[1]



woodowl

woodowl
wood
owl
noun

See
tawny owl[1]



woodpecker

woodpecker


wood·peck·er 
[wd pèkər] noun
woodland insect-eating bird:
a tree-climbing bird that has boldlypatterned plumage, a stiff tail, and a hard
bill for hammering against wood and extracting insects. Family: Picidae[1]



woodpigeon

woodpigeon
wood
pi·geon
noun

pigeon living in woods:
a pigeon that has a white patch on each side of the neck and lives in
woodlands. Latin name: Columba palumbus
Also called
ringdove[1]



woodpile

woodpile
wood·pile 
[wd pl] noun

stack of firewood:
a heap or stack of firewood[1]



woodpitch

woodpitch
wood
pitch
noun

sticky residue left from wood
tar: the sticky residue left
after wood tar has been distilled[1]



woodprint

woodprint
wood·print 
[wd prìnt] noun

See
woodcut  noun 1[1]



woodpulp

woodpulp
wood
pulp
noun

wood for papermaking:
wood that has been mechanically and chemically broken down for use in making
paper and paper products[1]



woodpussy

woodpussy
wood
puss·y
noun

skunk:
a skunk (humorous informal)
[Pussy “cat,” for polecat][1]



woodrabbit

woodrabbit
wood
rab·bit
noun

See
cottontail[1]



woodrat

woodrat
wood
rat
noun

See
pack rat[1]



Woodroffe,Mount

Woodroffe,Mount
Wood·roffe,
Mount
[wdrəf]

mountain in South Australia,
the highest peak in the state. Height: 1,439 m/4,721 ft.[1]



woodruff

woodruff
wood·ruff 
[wd rùf] (plural wood·ruffs or
wood·ruff) noun

sweet-smelling
plant:
any of several plants with sweet-scented flowers used in perfumery and for
flavoring wines and liqueurs. Genera: Asperula Galium
Also
called
sweet woodruff
[Old English wudurofe,
from wudu “wood” + rofe, of unknown meaning and origin][1]



Woodruffkey

Woodruffkey
Wood·ruff
key
[wd ruff k] noun

key
for shaft:
a self-aligning key that is semicircular in cross-section, designed to fit into
the recess of a shaft
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Woodruff Manufacturing Co. in Hartford, Connecticut, which developed
the key.][1]



woodrush

woodrush
wood·rush 
[wd rùsh] noun

flat-leaved plant:
a plant that grows in cold and temperate areas of the northern hemisphere and
has flat leaves fringed with hairs. Genus: Luzula[1]



woodrush

woodrush
wood·rush 
[wd rùsh] noun

flat-leaved plant:
a plant that grows in cold and temperate areas of the northern hemisphere and
has flat leaves fringed with hairs. Genus: Luzula[1]



woods

woods
woods
[wdz] plural noun

1.  forested
area:
a forested or wooded area or region.
Also
called
wood

2.  MUSIC woodwind:
the woodwind instruments of an orchestra

[1]



woodsage

woodsage
wood
sage
noun

aromatic European plant:
a downy aromatic European plant found in woods and heaths. Latin name: Teucrium
scordonia[1]



woodscrew

woodscrew
wood·screw
[wd skr] noun

screw used for wood:
a tapered metal screw that can be driven into wood by a screwdriver[1]



woodshed

woodshed
wood·shed 
[wd shèd] noun

room for storing wood:
an outbuilding or connected room in which firewood and tools are stored[1]



woodsia

woodsia
wood·si·a 
[wdzee ə] (plural wood·si·as or
wood·si·a) noun

fern
with wiry fronds: a small fern that has wiry fronds and is
found in northern often mountainous regions. Genus: Woodsia
[Mid-19th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, in honor of the English botanist Joseph Woods
(1776–1864).][1]



woodsman

woodsman
woods·man 
[wdzmən] (plural woods·men [wdzmən]) or wood·man [wdmən] (plural wood·men [wdmən]) noun

somebody skilled at living in
woods: somebody who is skilled at
living, working, or traveling in the woods[1]



woodsorrel

woodsorrel
wood
sor·rel
noun

plant
with creeping stem: an herb that has a creeping
stem, heart-shaped leaves, and white flowers with colored veins. Genus: Oxalis
[Translation of obsolete
French sorrel de boys, from the plant’s sour taste, resembling sorrel,
and the fact that it grows in woodland][1]



woodspirit

woodspirit
wood
spir·it
noun

See
methanol[1]



Woods,Tiger

Woods,Tiger
Woods
[wdz], Tiger (1975– )

U.S.
golfer. At 21, he became the youngest player ever to win the U.S. Masters
championship (1997).
Real name
Woods, Eldrick[1]



Woodstock

Woodstock
Wood·stock 
[wd stòk]

1.  town
in New York State. It is best known for a rock music festival in 1969, although
the site of the festival was moved beforehand to nearby Bethel. Population:
6,290 (1990)

2.  city
in southern Ontario, Canada, on the Thames River. Population: 30,075 (1991)

3.  town
in Oxfordshire, England. Blenheim Palace, home of the Dukes of Marlborough, is
located there. Population: 2,898 (1991)

[1]



woodstork

woodstork
wood
stork
noun

American stork found in
wooded marshes: a large stork with a
long heavy bill, bare head, white plumage, and black wing tips found in wooded
marshes in North, Central, and South America. Genus: Mycteria americana
Also called
wood ibis[1]



woodsugar

woodsugar
wood
sug·ar
noun

See
xylose[1]



woodswallow

woodswallow
wood·swal·low 
[wd swòllō] (plural wood·swal·lows)
noun

insect-eating
Australian bird: a medium-sized, long-winged Australian
bird that has a black-tipped bill and feeds on insects while on the wing.
Genus: Artamus
[Mid-19th century][1]



Woodsworth,James Shaver

Woodsworth,James Shaver
Woods·worth
[wdz wùrth], James Shaver (1874–1942)

Canadian clergyman. He led
the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and, as a gospel minister, advocated
democratic socialism.[1]



woodsy

woodsy
woods·y 
[wdzee] (comparative woods·i·er,
superlative woods·i·est) adjective

relating to woods:
relating to or reminiscent of the woods, especially in scent (informal)[1]



woodtar

woodtar
wood
tar
noun

tar from wood:
a black viscous tar produced as a byproduct in the destructive distillation of
wood, used as a protective coating for rope and timber[1]



woodthrush

woodthrush
wood
thrush
noun

woodland thrush:
a large thrush that lives in wooded areas of eastern North America and has a
reddish-brown head, a pale spotted breast, and a melodious call. Latin name: Hylocichla
mustelina[1]



woodtick

woodtick
wood
tick
noun

tick transmitting
fever-causing microorganism: a tick of
western North America that transmits the pathogenic microorganism that causes
Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Genus: Dermacentor[1]



woodvinegar

woodvinegar
wood
vin·e·gar
noun

See
pyroligneous acid[1]



woodwarbler

woodwarbler
wood
war·bler
noun

1.  brightly
colored American songbird: a small, insect-eating,
often brightly colored bird found throughout North and South America that has a
distinctive song. Family: Parulidae

2.  small
European woodland warbler: a small yellowish-green
European songbird that lives in woods. Latin name: Phylloscopus sibilatrix

[1]



Woodward,Robert B.

Woodward,Robert B.
Wood·ward
[wdwərd], Robert B. (1917–1979)

U.S.
chemist. He won a Nobel Prize (1965) for his work in chemical synthesis,
notably of quinine (1944), cholesterol (1951), and cortisone (1951).
Full name
Woodward, Robert Burns[1]



woodwaxen

woodwaxen
wood·wax·en 
[wd wàks’n] noun

See
dyer’s greenweed[1]



woodwind

woodwind
wood·wind 
[wd wìnd] noun (plural wood·winds)

1.  musical
instrument:
a wind instrument, originally made of wood, belonging to the family of
instruments that includes the flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon

2.  woodwinds
of orchestra: the woodwinds of an orchestra,
considered collectively (takes a singular verb)
adjective

relating to woodwind:
relating to or consisting of a woodwind
[Late 19th century][1]



woodwork

woodwork
wood·work 
[wd wùrk] noun

1.  U.K.
See woodworking  noun

2.  items
made from wood: items or components made from wood,
especially the interior parts of a building, for example, the frames of
windows, staircases, and doors
crawl
or come out of the woodwork

to appear suddenly and
unexpectedly in large numbers (slang) • It’s
amazing how many relatives crawl out of the woodwork when a rich man dies.[1]



woodworking

woodworking
wood·work·ing 
[wd wùrking] noun

manufacture
of wooden items: the skill or craft of making items or
parts out of wood.
U.K.
term
woodwork
adjective

relating to woodworking:
relating to woodworking or used in making things from wood[1]



woodworm

woodworm
wood·worm 
[wd wùrm] (plural wood·worms)
noun

1.  INSECTS wood-boring
larva:
a worm or insect larva that bores into and weakens wood, for example, in joists
or stairs inside a building

2.  damage
to wood by wood-boring insects: the damaged condition
of wood from its infestation by wood-boring insects, especially larvae

[1]



woody

woody
wood·y
[wddee] adjective (comparative
wood·i·er, superlative wood·i·est)

1.  having
many trees:
containing or covered with many trees

2.  relating
to woods:
relating to, typical of, or situated in the woods

3.  made
of wood:
made of or containing wood or a material resembling wood

4.  resembling
wood:
resembling wood in some way, for example, in appearance, texture, or smell
noun
(plural wood·ies) wood·y (plural wood·ies) wood·ie
(plural wood·ies)

AUTOMOBILES wood-paneled
car:
a wood-paneled station wagon (dated)

[1]



woodynightshade

woodynightshade
wood·y
night·shade
noun

U.K.
See bittersweet[1]



woof

woof1

woof1 [wf,
woof] noun (plural woofs)
sound
of barking dog: the sound made by a dog when it barks
interjection
representation
or imitation of barking: a representation or
imitation of the sound made by a barking dog
intransitive
verb
(past woofed, past participle woofed, present
participle woof·ing, 3rd person present singular woofs)
make
barking sound: to produce a woof
[Early 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



woof

woof2
woof2 [wf]
noun

TEXTILES woven
fabric:
a woven fabric or its texture
[Old English owef,
literally “to weave on,” from wefan “to weave.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English web and wave
.][1]



woofer

woofer
woof·er 
[wffər] (plural woof·ers) noun

loudspeaker
for low frequencies: a loudspeaker used to
reproduce low-frequency sounds.
See
also
tweeter
[Mid-20th century. As a
metaphor from woof 1 .][1]



wool

wool
wool 
[wl] noun (plural wools)

1.  TEXTILES yarn
used to make clothes: yarn spun from the short
curly hair of sheep or other mammals, used in knitting or weaving

2.  ZOOLOGY sheep’s
hair:
the short curly overlapping hair of sheep and some other mammals, for example,
the llama and the alpaca, used to make wool

3.  TEXTILES woollen
material:
material knitted or woven using wool

4.  INSECTS hair
of insect larva: the furry hair of some insect larvae,
for example, caterpillars (informal)

5.  BOTANY hairs
growing on plant: a mass of soft hairs that grows on some
plants
adjective

TEXTILES made
from wool:
knitted or woven using wool
[Old
English wull . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin lana (source of English lanolin
).]
pull
the wool over somebody’s eyes

to deceive or trick somebody[1]



woolclasser

woolclasser
wool
class·er
(plural wool class·ers) noun

Australia,
New Zealand
sheep
fleece grader: somebody who grades sheep fleeces
—wool class·ing, noun[1]



wooled

wooled
wool·ed
[wld] or wool·led [wld] adjective

having wool:
having wool, especially of a particular kind • a
fine-wooled breed of sheep[1]



woolen

woolen
wool·en
[wllən] or wool·len [wllən] adjective

1.  made
from wool:
knitted or woven using wool

2.  producing
wool or woolen items: relating to the production
of wool or items made from wool
noun
(plural wool·ens) (plural wool·lens)

woolen garment:
a garment made from wool, especially one with a fleecy surface

[1]



woolfat

woolfat
wool
fat
noun

See
lanolin[1]



Woolf,Virginia

Woolf,Virginia

Woolf
[wlf], Virginia (1882–1941)
British
novelist and critic. The psychological depth of her stream-of-consciousness
technique and the poetic language of novels such as To the Lighthouse (
1927 ) profoundly influenced the 20th-century English novel.
Born
Stephen, Virginia Adeline[1]



woolgathering

woolgathering
wool·gath·er·ing 
[wl gàəring] noun

daydreaming:
daydreaming or absent-mindedness
[Mid-16th
century. Originally used to mean “gathering the bits of wool torn from sheep by
bushes,” the underlying idea being “wasting time.”]
—wool·gath·er,
intransitive verb

—wool·gath·er·er, noun[1]



woolgrease

woolgrease
wool
grease
noun

fatty wax on sheep’s wool:
a fatty wax that coats the fibers of sheep’s wool and yields lanolin[1]



woolgrower

woolgrower
wool·grow·er 
[wl gr ər] (plural wool·grow·ers)
noun

somebody
who keeps sheep for wool: somebody who keeps sheep in
order to sell their wool
—wool·grow·ing, noun[1]



woolled

woolled
woolled
[wld] adjective

See
wooled[1]



woollen

woollen
wool·len 
[wllən] adjective noun

See
woolen[1]



Woolley,Mary Emma

Woolley,Mary Emma
Wool·ley
[wllee], Mary Emma (1863–1947)

U.S. educator. A leading
educator of women, she was president of Mount Holyoke College (1900–1937), and
was a leading advocate for women’s rights and world peace.[1]



woolly

woolly
wool·ly 
[wllee] or wool·y [wllee] adjective (comparative wool·li·er,
superlative wool·li·est) (comparative wool·i·er, superlative
wool·i·est)

1.  TEXTILES made
of wool:
knitted or woven using wool.
See
also
woolen

2.  INSECTS covered
with insect hair: used to describe an insect larva, for
example, a caterpillar, that is covered with furry hair resembling wool

3.  confused:
confused, vague, and lacking focus • woolly
thinking

4.  BOTANY covered
with plant hairs: used to describe a stem, leaf, or other
plant part that is covered with long, soft, white hairs

5.  uncivilized
and unruly:
rough and boisterous in a way that is reminiscent of the frontier days of the
American West (informal) • wild
and woolly
noun
(plural wool·lies) (plural wool·ies)

woolen garment:
a garment made from wool (informal)
—wool·li·ly,
adverb

—wool·li·ness, noun[1]



woollyaphid

woollyaphid
wool·ly
a·phid
noun

aphid with long filaments:
a tiny insect that secretes a waxy substance in long filaments that gives it a
woolly appearance. Family: Aphididae[1]



woollybear

woollybear
wool·ly
bear
noun

caterpillar with woolly coat:
the caterpillar of various moths, especially the tiger moth, that has a coat of
dense woolly hairs[1]



woolly-headed

woolly-headed
wool·ly-head·ed 
adjective

1.  having
thick curly hair: having thick curly hair that looks or
feels like wool

2.  confused:
confused, vague, and lacking focus

[1]



woollymammoth

woollymammoth
wool·ly
mam·moth
noun

shaggy-coated mammoth:
an extinct mammoth with a shaggy coat that lived in cold regions across North
America and Eurasia during the Ice Age. Genus: Mammuthus primigenius[1]



woolpack

woolpack
wool·pack
[wl pàk] (plural wool·packs) noun

1.  material
for wrapping bale of wool: the coarse material, usually
jute or canvas, used to wrap a bale of wool

2.  container
for bale of wool: a package in which a bale of raw wool is
transported

[1]



woolsack

woolsack
wool·sack 
[wl sàk] (plural wool·sacks) noun

sack for wool:
a sack for holding wool[1]



woolshed

woolshed
wool·shed
[wl shèd] (plural wool·sheds)
noun

Australia, New Zealand
sheep-shearing shed:
a building or group of buildings in which sheep are sheared and their wool is
prepared and packed for market[1]



woolskin

woolskin
wool·skin 
[wl skìn] (plural wool·skins)
noun

skin with wool attached:
the skin of a sheep with the wool still on it.
U.K. term
woolfell[1]



wool-sorter

wool-sorter
wool-sort·er
(plural wool-sort·ers) noun

somebody who grades wool:
somebody who sorts wool into different grades.
Also called
wool stapler[1]



wool-sorter’sdisease

wool-sorter’sdisease
wool-sort·er’s
dis·ease 
noun

anthrax caused by
contaminated wool: pulmonary
anthrax resulting from the inhalation of spores of an anthrax bacterium that
contaminates wool[1]



woolstapler

woolstapler
wool
sta·pler
noun

1.  See
wool-sorter

2.  wool
dealer:
somebody who deals in wool

[1]



Woolworth,Frank W.

Woolworth,Frank W.
Wool·worth
[wl wùrth], Frank W. (1852–1919)

U.S.
retailer. In 1879 he opened what was to prove the first of a chain of more than
1,000 five-and-ten-cent stores across the United States and Great Britain.
Full name
Woolworth, Frank Winfield[1]



wooly

wooly
wool·y 
adjective noun

See
woolly[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Woonsocket

Woonsocket
Woon·sock·et 
[woon sókit]

city in northeastern Rhode
Island, on the Massachusetts border, northwest of Providence. Population:
41,817 (1996)[1]



woops

woops
woops 
interjection

(informal) See whoops[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WoopWoop

WoopWoop
Woop
Woop
[wp wp] noun

Australia
remote
place:
a remote town or area that is regarded as lacking the facilities and
sophistication of the city (informal humorous)
[Early 20th century. Mock
Australian Aboriginal .][1]



woozy

woozy
wooz·y 
[wzee] (comparative wooz·i·er,
superlative wooz·i·est) adjective

1.  weak
and dizzy:
weak and unsteady or dizzy

2.  confused:
confused or unable to think clearly
[Late
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps coined from oozy
or boozy .]
—wooz·i·ly,
adverb

—wooz·i·ness, noun[1]



wop

wop
wop 
[wop] (plural wops) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to an Italian person (slang offensive)
[Early 20th century. Via
Italian dialect guappo “tough, bold” from Spanish guapo “dandy,”
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Middle French vape “insipid,” from
Latin vappa “wine gone flat.”][1]



wop-wops

wop-wops
wop-wops
[wóp wòps] noun

New Zealand
offensive term:
an offensive term referring to a rural or isolated region (insult)[1]



Worcester

Worcester
Worces·ter
[wstər]

1.  city
and administrative center of Worcestershire, west central England. Population:
91,100 (1995)

2.  city
in central Massachusetts, west of Boston. Population: 169,759 (1990)

[1]



Worcesterchina

Worcesterchina
Worces·ter
chi·na
or Worces·ter por·ce·lain or Worces·ter noun

English fine china:
fine china made in Worcester, England, since 1751, or the articles made from
this china[1]



Worcestershiresauce

Worcestershiresauce
Worces·ter·shire
sauce 
[wstər sheer sáwss] noun

pungent sauce:
a thin pungent table sauce flavored with soy, tamarind, and spices, originally
made in Worcestershire, England.
U.K. term
Worcester sauce[1]



Word

Word
Word
noun CHRISTIANITY

1.  divine
reason:
in Christian theology, the divine rational principle as epitomized by Jesus
Christ

2.  Word
or Word of God Christian holy scriptures:
in Christianity, the Bible or Scriptures, considered as revealing divine truth

[1]



word

word
word 
[wurd] noun (plural words)

1.  meaningful
unit of language sounds: a meaningful sound or
combination of sounds that is a unit of language or its representation in a
text

2.  brief
utterance:
a brief comment, announcement, discussion, or conversation • Could
I have a word with you in my office, please?

3.  information:
information or news about somebody or something • Is
there any word on your daughter?

4.  rumor:
rumor or gossip • The word is that she’s
leaving the company.

5.  promise:
a promise, assurance, or guarantee • I give
you my word.

6.  command:
a command, order, or authorization • He
gave the word to attack.

7.  password:
a password or verbal signal • Don’t
let anyone in unless they give the word.

8.  COMPUTING fixed
number of processed bits: a number of bits, for
example, 32, 48, or 64, processed as a single unit by a computer
plural
noun
words

1.  angry
talk:
angry or quarrelsome speech • had
words with him over the shoddy merchandise he sold us

2.  MUSIC text
of song:
the text or lyrics of a song, musical, or opera
transitive
verb
(past word·ed, past participle word·ed, present
participle word·ing, 3rd person present singular words)

phrase something:
to express something in words
[Old
English. Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of
Latin verbum (source of English verb
) and Greek rhētôr “public speaker” (source of English rhetoric .]
a
man of his word

or
a woman of her wordsomebody who keeps his or her promise

be
as good as your word

to
do as promised

be
the last word in something

to
be the best, greatest, most fashionable, or most up-to-date instance of
something

eat
your words

to
admit humbly that you were wrong or mistaken (informal)

in
a word

briefly
or very concisely expressed

my
word

used
to express surprise or astonishment (dated)

put
in or say a good word for somebody

to
speak well of or recommend somebody

put
words in somebody’s mouth

to say that somebody has said
something when in fact he or she did not say it[1]



wordage

wordage
word·age 
[wúrdij] (plural word·ages) noun

1.  number
of words:
the number of words in a text

2.  words
collectively: words considered as a group

3.  wordiness:
the use of too many words to express something

4.  wording
of something: the choice of words made by a writer or
speaker

[1]



wordassociation

wordassociation
word
as·so·ci·a·tion noun

responding to given word with
another: a method of assessing
somebody’s mental state or personality by asking the person to respond with the
first word that comes to mind when a given word is heard[1]



wordblindness

wordblindness
word
blind·ness
noun

See
alexia
—word-blind, adjective[1]



wordbook

wordbook
word·book 
[wúrd bk] (plural word·books)
noun

dictionary:
a dictionary, vocabulary, or lexicon[1]



wordbreak

wordbreak
word·break
[wúrd bràyk] (plural word·breaks)
noun

point where word can be
divided: the point in a word where it
can be divided if there is insufficient room at the end of a line for the
entire word[1]



wordclass

wordclass
word
class
(plural word clas·ses) noun

words with same form or
function: a category of words that
have the same form or function, for example, parts of speech[1]



wordcount

wordcount
word
count
(plural word counts) noun

calculation of total number
of words: the calculation of the
number of words in a piece of text, or the result of such a calculation[1]



worddeafness

worddeafness
word
deaf·ness
noun

incapacity
to understand spoken words: the loss of the capacity to
understand spoken words, especially when caused by a cerebral lesion
—word-deaf, adjective[1]



worded

worded
word·ed
[wúrdəd] adjective

expressed specifically:
expressed in words, especially in a particular way • a
carefully worded reply[1]



wordfinder

wordfinder
word
find·er
(plural word find·ers) noun

book to help find right word:
a book that lists words according to meaning or subject, designed to help users
find the word that best expresses the meaning they want to convey[1]



wordfor word

wordfor word
word
for word
adverb

1.  in
same words:
in exactly the same words as originally used

2.  literally:
by translating each word used in a spoken or written piece of foreign language
individually
adjective
word-for-word

1.  using
same words:
using exactly the same words as the original spoken or written text

2.  literal:
translating each word used in a spoken or written piece of foreign language
individually

[1]



wordgame

wordgame
word
game
(plural word games) noun

1.  game
to construct or find words: a game in which players have
to construct, find, or change the form of words

2.  crafty
language:
disingenuous language intended to mislead, misrepresent, conceal, or put a spin
onto a usually awkward situation or issue (slang) (often plural)
• Please
stop the word games and give me a truthful answer.

[1]



word-hoard

word-hoard
word-hoard 
(plural word-hoards) noun

somebody’s vocabulary:
the total number of words that somebody is able to use or understand[1]



wording

wording
word·ing 
[wúrding] noun

choice of words:
the choice of words made by a writer or speaker[1]



wordless

wordless
word·less 
[wúrdləss] adjective

1.  not
using words: communicating without the use of speech

2.  unable
to speak:
incapable of speech, especially temporarily
—word·less·ly,
adverb

—word·less·ness, noun[1]



wordmonger

wordmonger
word·mon·ger 
[wúrd mùng gər, wúrd
mòng gər] (plural word·mon·gers) noun

user of pretentious words:
somebody who uses words pretentiously or merely for effect (dated)[1]



Wordof God

Wordof God
Word
of God
noun

See
Word  noun 2[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wordof honor

wordof honor
word
of hon·or
noun

promise:
a solemn promise or undertaking to do something[1]



word-of-mouth

word-of-mouth
word-of-mouth
adjective

spoken:
made by using oral communication, not written • A
small business thrives on word-of-mouth recommendation.[1]



wordof mouth

wordof mouth
word
of mouth
noun

oral communication:
communication using the spoken word, as distinct from written communication[1]



word-perfect

word-perfect
word-per·fect
adjective

1.  U.K.
See letter-perfect

2.  absolutely
correct:
accurate in every detail

[1]



wordpicture

wordpicture
word
pic·ture
(plural word pic·tures) noun

striking description:
a vivid description of something in words[1]



wordplay

wordplay
word·play
[wúrd plày] noun

clever use of words:
the witty, subtle, or ingenious use of words, for example, in taking advantage
of their multiple meanings[1]



wordprocessing

wordprocessing
word
proc·ess·ing  noun

computer manipulation of
text: the creation, retrieval,
storage, and printing of text using a computer or other electronic equipment (hyphenated
when used before a noun)[1]



wordprocessor

wordprocessor
word
proc·es·sor
(plural word proc·es·sors) noun

1.  machine
for manipulating text: a piece of electronic
equipment that has a keyboard and video display unit and is used to create,
retrieve, store, and print text. It is usually not as advanced as a personal
computer.

2.  computer
program for manipulating text: a computer program
that is used to create, retrieve, store, and print text

3.  somebody
processing words: somebody who does word processing

[1]



wordsmith

wordsmith
word·smith 
[wúrd smìth] (plural word·smiths)
noun

somebody
working with words: somebody such as a
professional writer or journalist who uses words skillfully
—word·smith, intransitive
and transitive verb[1]



wordsquare

wordsquare
word
square
(plural word squares) noun

grid of words:
a puzzle consisting of a square grid to be constructed of words that read the
same vertically and horizontally[1]



wordstress

wordstress
word
stress
(plural word stress·es) noun

stress on syllables of word:
the placing of stress on the syllables of a word, or an instance of this[1]



Wordsworth,William

Wordsworth,William

Words·worth
[wúrdz wùrth], William (1770–1850)
British
poet. Lyrical Ballads ( 1798 ), written with Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
was the seminal work of English romantic poetry. His greatest work is the
autobiographical epic The Prelude ( 1850 ).

—Words·worth·i·an, adjective[1]



wordwrap

wordwrap
word
wrap
or word wrap·ping noun

COMPUTING
taking word over to next line:
a feature of word-processing programs in which a word that causes a preset line
length to be exceeded is moved automatically to the beginning of the next line[1]



wordy

wordy
word·y 
[wúrdee] (comparative word·i·er,
superlative word·i·est) adjective

1.  using
too many words: using an excessive number of words in
writing or speech

2.  relating
to words:
relating to or consisting of words
[Old
English wordig]
—word·i·ly,
adverb

—word·i·ness,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  wordy, verbose, long-winded,
  rambling, prolix, diffuse
  CORE
  MEANING: too
  long or not concisely expressed wordy;
  an informal word used to describe speech or writing that is too long,
  especially when it contains ideas or concepts that are not concisely
  expressed; verbose; a more formal
  word meaning the same as wordy; long-winded;
  used to describe speech or writing that is excessively long to the point of
  tedium; rambling; used to describe
  speech or writing that is excessively long and badly ordered, making it
  difficult to follow; prolix; a
  formal word meaning the same as long-winded; diffuse; a formal word meaning the same as rambling

[1]



wore

wore
wore


Past tense of
wear[1]



work

work
work 
[wurk] noun (plural works)

1.  paid
job:
paid employment at a job

2.  duties
of job:
the duties or activities that are part of a job or occupation • Much
of my work involves talking on the phone.

3.  somebody’s
place of employment: the place where somebody is
employed • spends
all her time at work

4.  time
spent at place of employment: the time that a person
spends carrying out his or her job • meet
you after work

5.  purposeful
effort:
the physical or mental effort directed at doing or making something • It
was a lot of work, but it was worth it.

6.  something
made or done: that which has been made or done as part
of a job or as a result of effort or activity requiring skill (often used in
combination) • Your work is
satisfactory.

7.  ARTS artistic
or intellectual creation: an artistic or intellectual
composition, for example, a book, treatise, painting, sculpture, film, or piece
of music (often used in the plural)

8.  PHYSICS means
for energy transfer: the transfer of energy,
measured as the product of the force applied to a body and the distance moved
by that body in the direction of the force. Symbol W

9.  something
manufactured: that which has been or is in the process
of being worked on or manufactured
verb
(past worked or wrought (archaic) [rawt], past participle worked or
wrought (archaic), present participle work·ing, 3rd
person present singular works)

1.  intransitive
verb
have
job:
to have a paid job

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb exert
or cause effort: to exert or make somebody exert physical
or mental effort in order to do, make, or accomplish something

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb function:
to function or operate or cause something to function or operate • The
television doesn’t work.

4.  intransitive
verb
be
successful:
to be effective or achieve a desired result • Our
relationship just isn’t working.

5.  intransitive
and transitive verb work
in specific place: to carry on an operation or
activity in a particular place or area • You’ll
be working the southern region.

6.  intransitive
verb
exert
influence:
to produce results or exert an influence

7.  intransitive
and transitive verb shape
something:
to shape, bend, form, or forge a material, or to be shaped, bent, formed, or
forged in a specified way

8.  transitive
verb
cultivate
land:
to cultivate land in order to grow crops on it

9.  transitive
verb
achieve
something:
to effect something or bring something about • Attention
to detail can work wonders.

10. intransitive
and transitive verb attain
specified condition: to attain or cause something
to attain a specified condition slowly or gradually • Sometimes
the screw just seems to work itself loose.

11. intransitive
and transitive verb move
slowly and with effort: to move or progress slowly
and with effort, or to cause something to move or progress in this way • He
worked his way through the crowd.

12. transitive
verb
solve
mathematical problem: to solve a mathematical
problem or puzzle

13. intransitive
and transitive verb exercise:
to move or exercise a muscle or part of the body

14. transitive
verb
provoke
emotional response in somebody: to arouse or stir up
emotions in somebody • The
crowd seemed to work itself into a frenzy.

15. transitive
verb
SEWING make
something in needlework: to make or decorate
something by hand in needlework or embroidery

16. intransitive
verb
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING move
loosely:
to move in a loose way that results in friction and wear (refers to
machinery)

17. transitive
verb
arrange
something:
to arrange or exploit something in order to gain an advantage (informal)
• He
managed to work it so that he got every other Friday off.

18. transitive
verb
charm
somebody:
to use charm and personal influence on somebody in order to attain popularity
or acclaim • The
politician really knew how to work a crowd.

19. intransitive
and transitive verb ferment:
to ferment or cause something to ferment

20. intransitive
verb
NAUTICAL strain
slightly in rough water: to give slightly in rough
water so that the joints move slightly and the fastenings become looser (refers
to ships)

21. intransitive
verb
SAILING sail
into wind:
to sail against the wind
[Old
English weorc . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of English energy, organ, and orgy
.]
at
work

1.  engaged
in employment

2.  in
operation

do
somebody’s dirty work

to
do something unpleasant, dishonest, or immoral on behalf of somebody else

have
your work cut out (for you)

to
be faced with a difficult task

make
short work of somebody or something

to
dispose of or deal with somebody or something very quickly

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at wrought.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  work, labor, toil,
  drudgery
  CORE
  MEANING: sustained
  effort required to do or produce something work;
  the physical and mental effort employed to do or achieve something. It can be
  used to talk about animals and machines as well as people; labor; strenuous work, usually physical; toil; tiring, often tedious, physical work; drudgery; work that is strenuous and not at
  all rewarding. Used especially of work that is sustained over a long period

[1]



workable

workable
work·a·ble 
[wúrkəb’l] adjective

1.  able
to be done:
able to be accomplished or carried out • The
plan is not workable.

2.  able
to be worked on: capable of being operated or handled • workable
steel
—work·a·bil·i·ty
[wùrkə bíllətee], noun

—work·a·ble·ness
[wúrkəb’lnəss], noun

—work·a·bly [w], adverb[1]



workaday

workaday
work·a·day 
[wúrkə dày] or work·day [wúrk dày] adjective

1.  routine
and commonplace: ordinary or part of the experience of
most people

2.  appropriate
for work:
suitable for work or for a working day
[Mid-16th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from work + day .][1]



workaholic

workaholic
work·a·hol·ic 
[wùrkə hóllik] (plural work·a·hol·ics)
noun

somebody
addicted to work: somebody who displays a compulsive need
to work hard and for very long hours
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from work + -aholic
.][1]



workback

workback
work
back
intransitive verb

Australia
stay on late at work:
to stay on late at work, with or without payment[1]



workbag

workbag
work·bag
[wúrk bàg] (plural work·bags) or
work·bas·ket [wúrk bàskit] (plural
work·bas·kets) noun

bag for materials and tools:
a bag for holding materials and tools for work, especially sewing or knitting[1]



workbench

workbench
work·bench 
[wúrk bènch] (plural work·bench·es)
noun

carpenter’s table:
a table or surface on which work is done, for example, by a carpenter or
mechanic[1]



workboat

workboat
work·boat 
[wúrk bt] (plural work·boats)
noun

boat used for work:
a boat that is used solely for work, for example, for fishing or transporting
cargo[1]



workbook

workbook
work·book 
[wúrk bk] (plural work·books)
noun

1.  student’s
exercise book: a book of exercises and questions for
students, usually with spaces for answers to be written in

2.  instruction
book:
a book of instructions on how to do or operate something

3.  record
of work:
a book in which a record is kept of work done or to be done

[1]



workcamp

workcamp
work
camp
(plural work camps) noun

1.  camp
for volunteer workers: a camp where volunteers,
especially young people or members of a religious organization, work on a
project of benefit to the community

2.  prison
camp:
a camp in which prisoners are forced to work

[1]



workday

workday
work·day 
[wúrk dày] noun (plural work·days)

U.K.
term
working day

1.  day
for working: a day on which people work, usually but
not always a weekday

2.  hours
spent working: the part of a day during which somebody
works
adjective

See workaday

[1]



worked

worked
worked
[wurkt] adjective

made
with craft and skill: produced, decorated, or
treated with craft and skill
[Late 16th century.
Originally “that has been worked on.”][1]



workedup

workedup
worked
up
adjective

emotional:
full of anger or other strong emotion (informal)[1]



worker

worker
work·er 
[wúrkər] (plural work·ers) noun

1.  person
or thing that works: a person, animal, or device
that is engaged in or used for a task of some kind

2.  employee:
somebody who is an employee, not an employer or manager

3.  INDUSTRY member
of working class: somebody who belongs to the working
class, especially a factory employee or manual laborer

4.  INSECTS insect
that works:
a member of a colony of social insects, especially sterile females, that carry
out all the work, for example, gathering food or feeding larvae

[1]



workerparticipation

workerparticipation
work·er
par·tic·i·pa·tion noun

involvement of employees in
decision making: the involvement of
ordinary employees in making decisions at all levels in a business[1]



worker-priest

worker-priest
work·er-priest 
(plural work·er-priests) noun

priest with secular job:
a Roman Catholic priest who also has a secular job[1]



workers’compensation

workers’compensation
work·ers’
com·pen·sa·tion  noun

1.  program
compensating injured workers: a form of insurance required
from employers that provides money as compensation for workers who are injured
at work or who contract an occupational disease

2.  payment
for injury at work: money paid as compensation
to a worker who is injured at work or contracts an occupational disease

[1]



workethic

workethic
work
eth·ic
(plural work eth·ics) noun

belief in the moral value of
work: a dedication to work, or
belief in the moral value of hard work • hasn’t
got much of a work ethic[1]



workfare

workfare
work·fare 
[wúrk fàir] noun

work
in return for welfare: a government program that
obliges unemployed people to do community work or attend training courses in
return for welfare payments
[Mid-20th century. Blend of work and welfare
.][1]



workfarm

workfarm
work
farm
(plural work farms) noun

farm worked by prisoners:
a farm on which short-term prisoners are confined and forced to work[1]



workflow

workflow
work·flow 
[wúrk fl] (plural work·flows)
noun

progress of work:
the progress or rate of progress of work done by a business, department, or
individual[1]



workforce

workforce
work
force
[wúrk fàwrs] (plural work forc·es)
or work·force [wúrk fàwrs] noun

1.  all
workers in company: all of the workers employed
in a company or industry

2.  all
people employed or employable: all of the people who
are employed or able to work, for example, in a country.
Also
called
labor force

[1]



workfunction

workfunction
work
func·tion
noun

minimum energy needed to
remove electron: the minimum energy
needed to remove an electron from within a solid to a point outside its surface
in a vacuum. Symbol Φ[1]



work-harden

work-harden
work-hard·en
transitive verb

increase strength of metal:
to increase the hardness or strength of a metal by subjecting it to
compression, tension, or another mechanical process[1]



workhorse

workhorse
work·horse 
[wúrk hàwrss] (plural work·horses)
noun

1.  hard-working
person:
somebody who works hard and diligently, often assuming extra duties (informal)

2.  reliable
tool or machine: something such as a machine that
performs well over long periods

3.  AGRICULTURE horse
used for heavy work: a horse used for heavy work
such as hauling, rather than for riding

[1]



workhouse

workhouse
work·house 
[wúrk hòwss] (plural work·hous·es
[wúrk hòwzəz]) noun

1.  former
institution for the poor: formerly, a publicly run
institution in Britain in which people living in poverty were given food and
accommodations in return for unpaid work

2.  prison
for minor offenders: a type of prison in which
prisoners guilty of minor violations work at manual labor

[1]



workin

workin
work
in
transitive verb

1.  add
something gradually: to add something gradually
while blending it with another substance

2.  arrange
to include something: to arrange a time or place
for something in a given situation • I’ll
see if I can work you in on Friday.

[1]



working

working
work·ing 
[wúrking] adjective

1.  functioning:
capable of being used or operated

2.  worn
at work:
suitable for use while at work

3.  having
paid job:
engaged in doing paid work

4.  spent
at work:
taken up with work • all his working life

5.  given
over to work: spent doing work at a time when work is
not normally done • a working lunch

6.  adequate:
good enough for a purpose, though not perfect or complete • a
working knowledge of Italian

7.  providing
basis:
usable as a basis for further work • a working
theory
noun
(plural work·ings)

1.  process
of shaping something: the shaping, bending,
forming, or forging of a material

2.  jerking
motion:
the convulsive, involuntary motion of a part of the body, caused by excitement
or tension (formal)
plural
noun

1.  work·ings
functioning
of something: the operation of something or the way in
which it operates

2.  workings
used
parts of mine: the parts of a mine or quarry in which
work is carried on

[1]



workingcapital

workingcapital
work·ing
cap·i·tal
noun

1.  money
available to company: the money that a business
has available for use

2.  current
assets minus liabilities: the amount of current assets
that remains after current liabilities are deducted

[1]



working-class

working-class
work·ing-class
adjective

relating to hourly employees:
relating to or belonging to the part of society made up of people who work for
hourly wages, not salaries, especially manual or industrial laborers • a
working-class neighborhood[1]



workingclass

workingclass
work·ing
class
noun

1.  hourly
workers:
the part of society made up of people who work for hourly wages, not salaries,
especially manual or industrial laborers

2.  Marxist
proletariat: in Marxist theory, the proletariat or
revolutionary class

[1]



workingday

workingday
work·ing
day
(plural work·ing days) noun

U.K.
See workday[1]



workingdog

workingdog
work·ing
dog
noun

dog that does work:
a dog that is kept in order to do work, for example, herding, guarding, or
guiding. Among breeds of working dogs are the collie, Doberman pinscher, German
shepherd, and husky.[1]



workingdrawing

workingdrawing
work·ing
draw·ing
noun

guide for manufacturer:
a detailed scale drawing of something, for use as a guide in building or
manufacturing[1]



workinggirl

workinggirl
work·ing
girl
noun

1.  young
woman with a paid job: a young woman who works for
a living (informal)

2.  woman
prostitute:
a woman who is a prostitute (slang)

[1]



workinghours

workinghours
work·ing
hours
plural noun

part of day when people work:
the part of the day during which most people normally work and shops and
offices are open[1]



workingman

workingman
work·ing·man 
[w] noun

man working for wages:
a man who works for wages, especially at manual labor[1]



workingmemory

workingmemory
work·ing
mem·o·ry
noun

present content of
consciousness: the contents of a
person’s consciousness at the present moment[1]



workingpaper

workingpaper
work·ing
pa·per
noun

document for discussion:
a document created as a basis for discussion rather than as an authoritative
text[1]



workingpapers

workingpapers
work·ing
pa·pers
plural noun

permit to work:
official documents showing that somebody, for example, an alien or a minor, is
legally permitted to work[1]



workingstorage

workingstorage
work·ing
stor·age
noun

temporary computer memory
storage: the amount of storage in a
computer’s memory that is assigned for data stored only while a program is
running[1]



workingsubstance

workingsubstance
work·ing
sub·stance
noun

fluid operating engine by
undergoing change: a
substance, especially a fluid, that undergoes changes in form or degree that
are used to operate something such as an engine[1]



workingtitle

workingtitle
work·ing
ti·tle
noun

provisional name for
something: the provisional title by
which a project, especially a movie or novel, is known while it is still being
worked on[1]



workingweek

workingweek
work·ing
week
noun

U.K.
See workweek[1]



workingwoman

workingwoman
work·ing·wom·an 
[wúrking wmmən] (plural work·ing·wom·en
[wúrking wìmmin]) noun

woman working for wages:
a woman who works for wages, especially in a manual job[1]



work-in-progress

work-in-progress
work-in-pro·gress
(plural works-in-pro·gress) noun

unfinished work available to
public: a piece of artistic work,
for example, a novel or musical composition, that has not yet been finished but
may be printed, exhibited, or performed[1]



workless

workless
work·less
[wúrkləss] adjective

unemployed:
having no job (dated)
—work·less·ness, noun[1]



workload

workload
work·load 
[wúrk ld] (plural work·loads)
noun

1.  amount
of work machine does: the amount of work that a
machine does or can do in a particular period

2.  amount
of work for somebody: the amount of work assigned
to a person or a group, and that is to be done in a particular period

[1]



workman

workman
work·man 
[wúrkmən] (plural work·men [wúrkmən]) noun

1.  man
judged on working ability: a man described or judged
according to his skill or diligence as a worker • a
tidy workman

2.  craftsman:
somebody who works as a craftsman or artisan
[Old English][1]



workmanlike

workmanlike
work·man·like 
[wúrkmən lk] or work·man·ly [wúrkmənlee] adjective

satisfactory but not
original: done in a way that is
thorough and satisfactory, without being imaginative or exciting[1]



workmanship

workmanship
work·man·ship 
[wúrkmən shìp] noun

1.  art
or skill of worker: the skill or craft of a
worker or artisan

2.  quality
of skill:
the level of skill used in making or doing something

3.  product
or result of worker’s skill: the product or result of the
skill of a worker or artisan

[1]



workmate

workmate
work·mate
[wúrk màyt] (plural work·mates)
noun

fellow worker:
somebody who works with or in the same place as another[1]



workof art

workof art
work
of art
(plural works of art) noun

1.  painting
or sculpture: a piece of fine art, for example, a
painting or sculpture

2.  something
made or done well: something made or done
exceptionally well • The second touchdown
was an absolute work of art.

[1]



workoff

workoff
work
off
transitive verb

1.  work
off
or work at pay debt by working:
to pay back a debt by doing work rather than by paying the money owed

2.  use
something up by working: to use up or get rid of
something by the effort of working

[1]



workon

workon
work
on
transitive verb

1.  affect
somebody or something: to influence or attempt to
influence somebody or something

2.  make
or fix something: to spend time making, improving, or
fixing something

3.  use
something as basis: to use something as a
starting point for further investigation or inquiry

[1]



workout

workout
work
out
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
exercise:
to train or take part in strenuous physical exercise as a way of keeping in
shape

2.  intransitive
verb
end
satisfactorily: to have a satisfactory or successful
result

3.  intransitive
verb
end
in particular way: to have a particular result

4.  transitive
verb
resolve
difficulty:
to resolve differences or find a way of dealing with a difficulty

5.  transitive
verb
think
something up: to devise something, especially a course
of action

6.  transitive
verb
solve
or calculate something: to solve a problem or find
an answer to a question by reasoning or calculation

7.  intransitive
verb
make
total:
to come to a particular amount • That
works out to $100.

8.  transitive
verb
comprehend
somebody or something: to understand somebody or
something fully

9.  transitive
verb
achieve
something by effort: to succeed in doing
something after working long and hard at it

10. transitive
verb
See work off  verb 1

11. transitive
verb
exhaust
mine by extraction: to extract all the valuable
material from a mine or deposit

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at deduce

[1]



workout

workout
work·out 
[wúrk òwt] (plural work·outs) noun

1.  strenuous
exercise session: a session of strenuous physical exercise
or the practicing of physical skills intended as a way of keeping in shape or
as practice for a game or athletic competition

2.  rigorous
test:
a tough practical test of the capability or performance of a person, animal, or
device
[Early 20th century][1]



workover

workover
work
over
transitive verb

1.  give
somebody a beating: to give somebody a severe
beating or subject somebody to severe physical punishment (informal)

2.  redo
something:
to do something again

3.  examine
something thoroughly: to work at or examine
something thoroughly and in detail

[1]



workpeople

workpeople
work·peo·ple 
[wúrk pp’l] plural noun

U.K.
hourly workers:
hourly workers, especially those with manual jobs[1]



workpiece

workpiece
work·piece
[wúrk pss] (plural work·piec·es)
noun

something manufactured:
something that has been, or is in the process of being, worked on or
manufactured[1]



workplace

workplace
work·place
[wúrk plàyss] (plural work·plac·es)
noun

place of employment:
the place where somebody works, for example, a factory or office[1]



workplane

workplane
work
plane
noun

mobile
desk:
a simple, wheeled desk that can be used in various work sites by several
employees using the same desk at different times in a flexible workplace
[Late 20th century][1]



workprint

workprint
work
print
noun

print of movie used for
editing: a print of a movie used in
various stages of editing and as a guide in cutting the original negative from
which the final commercial prints are made[1]



work-release

work-release
work-re·lease
noun

program for allowing
prisoners outside work: a system of
allowing prisoners to perform paid work outside prison while serving their
sentences[1]



workroom

workroom
work·room 
[wúrk rm, wúrk
rm] (plural work·rooms) noun

room for working:
a room in which work is done, especially one equipped for manual work[1]



works

works
works
[wurks] noun (plural works)

1.  place
for industrial production: a place where industrial
work, especially manufacturing, is done • an
engineering works

2.  everything:
all things that are available (informal) • A
hot dog with the works, please.

3.  syringe
for injecting narcotics: a syringe used to inject
narcotics (slang)

4.  bad
beating:
a severe beating or punishment (slang)
plural
noun

1.  collected
compositions: all of the compositions created by an
artist, writer, or musician • the complete
works of Shakespeare

2.  inner
mechanisms:
the interior moving parts of a mechanism • the
works of the clock are rusty

3.  acts:
deeds or actions
in
the works

being prepared or worked on[1]



worksheet

worksheet
work·sheet
[wúrk sht] (plural work·sheets)
noun

1.  sheet
of questions for students: a sheet of questions or
tasks for students on a recent lesson

2.  sheet
recording work: a sheet of paper used for keeping a
record of work done or scheduled

3.  sheet
for draft:
a sheet of paper used for making a rough draft or preliminary notes

[1]



workshop

workshop
work·shop 
[wúrk shòp] (plural work·shops)
noun

1.  place
where manual work is done: a place where manual work is
done, especially manufacturing or repairing

2.  group
working together: a group of people working on a creative
project, discussing a topic, or studying a subject • a
songwriting workshop

[1]



worksong

worksong
work
song
noun

song sung while working:
a song sung by people working, usually with a repetitive rhythm that guides the
rhythm of the work being done[1]



workspace

workspace
work·space 
[wúrk spàyss] (plural work·spac·es)
noun

place to work:
an area set aside for an individual worker or a business[1]



workstation

workstation
work·sta·tion 
[wúrk stàysh’n] (plural work·sta·tions)
noun

1.  working
area:
a small area in a workplace assigned to one worker, especially a desk with a
computer

2.  COMPUTING terminal
of network or mainframe: a computer terminal, usually
connected to a network in a business environment, that runs application
programs and serves as an access point to the network

3.  COMPUTING powerful
specialized computer: a powerful stand-alone
computer, often with a high-resolution display, used for computer-aided design
and other complex and specialized applications

[1]



workstoppage

workstoppage
work
stop·page
noun

cessation of work:
an occasion when a group of employees stop work, often as a protest or as a
bargaining tool[1]



work-study

work-study
work-stud·y 
adjective

combining work and study:
combining an academic program with paid employment in which students gain
practical experience in the workplace[1]



worksurface

worksurface
work
sur·face
noun

flat area for working:
a rigid flat area on which work is done, for example, a tabletop or kitchen
counter[1]



worktable

worktable
work·ta·ble 
[wúrk tàyb’l] (plural work·ta·bles)
noun

table on which to work:
a table at which work is done, for example, writing or drawing[1]



workthrough

workthrough
work
through
transitive verb

come to terms with something:
to deal with an emotional problem by thinking about it often until it is
understood or its impact is lessened[1]



worktop

worktop
work·top
[wúrk tòp] (plural work·tops) noun

working surface for food
preparation: a rigid flat surface on
which work is done, especially the top of a kitchen counter, used when
preparing food[1]



work-to-rule

work-to-rule
work-to-rule
noun

U.K.,
Canada work slowdown from
strict rule observance: a type of
labor protest in which workers make a point of adhering strictly to the rules
of the workplace so that work will slow down[1]



workto rule

workto rule
work
to rule
(past worked to rule, past participle worked to rule,
present participle work·ing to rule, 3rd person present
singular works to rule) intransitive verb

U.K.,
Canada delay work by strictly
observing rules: to take part in a labor
protest in which workers make a point of adhering strictly to the rules of the
workplace so that work will slow down[1]



workup

workup
work·up 
[wúrk ùp] (plural work·ups) noun

diagnostic examination:
a complete diagnostic medical examination[1]



workup

workup
work
up
verb

1.  transitive
verb
excite
emotions in somebody: to arouse or stir up
emotions in somebody

2.  transitive
verb
create
something:
to create something or cause it to grow • working
up a sweat

3.  transitive
verb
improve
something:
to develop, refine, or improve something

4.  intransitive
verb
become
more intense: to grow or develop in intensity

5.  transitive
verb
MEDICINE examine
a patient thoroughly: to subject a patient to a
thorough diagnostic examination

[1]



workup to

workup to
work
up to
transitive verb

gradually advance to
something: to gradually reach a
particular level by effort[1]



workwear

workwear
work·wear
[wúrk wàir] (plural work·wears)
noun

clothes for work:
clothes worn at work, especially at manual work[1]



workweek

workweek
work·week 
[wúrk wk] (plural work·weeks)
or work week [wúrk wk] (plural
work weeks) noun

time worked in week:
the amount of hours or days worked in a week.
U.K. term
working week[1]



world

world

world 
[wurld] noun (plural worlds)

1.  planet
Earth:
the planet Earth

2.  Earth
and everything on it: the Earth, including all of
its inhabitants and the things upon it

3.  human
race:
all of the human inhabitants of the Earth • Soon,
the world would know the truth.

4.  society:
human society • in the eyes of the
world

5.  part
of Earth:
a particular part of the Earth, considered in terms of time or space • the
western world

6.  area
of activity: a specified area of human activity and
the people involved in it • the
world of fashion

7.  universe:
all the galaxies that are known or thought to exist in space

8.  domain:
a sphere, realm, or domain • the
world of reptiles

9.  inhabited
body:
an astronomical body considered to be inhabited, for example, a planet

10. everything
in somebody’s life: all that relates to or makes
up the life of an individual • Her
entire world collapsed.

11. condition
of existence: a condition or state of existence • the
world of tomorrow

12. great
deal or amount: a very large amount, degree, or distance
• They’re
still worlds apart. • in
a world of hurt

13. secular
existence:
secular life and its ways • a man
of the world
adjective

1.  of
the entire world: relating to the entire world • the
world champions

2.  exerting
influence globally: exerting influence over the
whole of the world • a world figure

3.  affecting
whole world: involving or affecting the whole of the
Earth • a
world crisis
[Old
English woruld “human existence, age, Earth.” Ultimately from a
prehistoric Germanic compound meaning “age of man” that is also the ancestor of
English old and werewolf .]
be out of this world

to
be extraordinarily good in some way (informal)

for all the world

exactly
and in every detail

have the best of both worlds

to
have the advantage of the best features of two different situations

in the world

used
to express puzzlement, surprise, or dismay, or to give emphasis to a statement
• What
in the world have you done?

not for the world

no
matter what happens • Not
for the world would I think of doing such a thing.

think the world of somebody

to be extremely fond of
somebody[1]



world




Back to definition

world

[1]



WorldBank

WorldBank
World
Bank
noun

U.N. bank:
a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1944 that guarantees
loans to member nations for the purpose of reconstruction and development. Full
form International Bank for Reconstruction and Development[1]



world-beater

world-beater
world-beat·er 
noun

champion:
one that is the best in a particular field[1]



world-beating

world-beating
world-beat·ing
adjective

supreme:
surpassing all others in a particular field[1]



world-class

world-class
world-class 
adjective

ranked among best in the
world: ranked among the best or
most prominent in the world • a
world-class downhill racer • a
world-class liar[1]



WorldCouncil of Churches

WorldCouncil of Churches
World
Coun·cil of Church·es noun

international church
organization: an international
ecumenical organization founded in 1948 that links Protestant and Eastern
churches from around the world for the purpose of coordinated and cooperative
action in religious and secular areas[1]



WorldCourt

WorldCourt
World
Court
noun

See
International Court of Justice[1]



WorldCup

WorldCup
World
Cup
noun

international sports
tournament: a sports tournament,
especially in soccer, contested by the national teams of qualifying countries,
that has been held every four years on a different continent and in a different
country[1]



worldeconomy

worldeconomy
world
e·con·o·my
noun

global exchange of goods and
services: the economy of the world,
considered as an international exchange of goods and services[1]



WorldEnglish

WorldEnglish
World
Eng·lish
noun

English as used worldwide:
the English language in all its varieties as it is spoken and written over the
world[1]



WorldHealth Organization

WorldHealth Organization
World
Health Or·gan·i·za·tion noun

U.N. medical organization:
a specialized agency of the United Nations that helps countries to improve
their health services and coordinates international action against diseases[1]



WorldHeritage Site

WorldHeritage Site
World
Her·i·tage Site noun

globally significant site:
an area or structure designated by UNESCO as being of global significance and
conserved by a country that has signed a United Nations convention pledging its
protection[1]



worldlanguage

worldlanguage
world
lan·guage
noun

1.  language
used in many countries: a language that is used in
many countries, for example, English, Spanish, or Arabic

2.  international
artificial language: a language created for
international use, for example, Esperanto or Interlingua

[1]



worldleader

worldleader
world
lead·er
noun

1.  leader
of powerful country: a leader of a politically
and economically powerful country

2.  something
biggest or best in world: a company, organization, or
country that is the biggest or best in a particular field

[1]



worldline

worldline
world
line
(plural world lines) noun

path of particle in
space-time: the path of a particle in
time and space, which is straight if the particle moves in a uniform way[1]



worldling

worldling
world·ling 
[w] (plural world·lings [rldling]) noun

somebody materialistic:
somebody more interested in everyday material things than in spiritual matters[1]



worldly

worldly
world·ly 
[wúrldlee] adjective

1.  experienced
in life:
experienced in and knowledgeable about human society and its ways

2.  belonging
to physical world: relating to everyday
material existence

3.  materialistic:
much more interested in everyday materialistic concerns than in the spiritual
side of life

[1]



worldly-minded

worldly-minded
world·ly-mind·ed 
adjective

See
worldly  adjective 3
See worldly  adjective 1[1]



worldly-wise

worldly-wise
world·ly-wise 
adjective

See
worldly  adjective 1[1]



worldmusic

worldmusic
world
mu·sic
noun

music from nonwestern world:
popular music from or influenced by countries outside the western world and its
traditions[1]



worldpower

worldpower
world
pow·er
noun

internationally powerful
country: a country or alliance of
countries powerful enough to influence events on a global scale[1]



WorldSeries

WorldSeries
World
Se·ries
Trademark

a trademark for a series of
baseball games played between the winners of the American League and the
National League to decide the major league championship[1]



world-shaking

world-shaking
world-shak·ing 
adjective

See
earthshaking[1]



worldsoul

worldsoul
world
soul
noun

spirit of world:
a spirit believed to animate the world in the same way that the human soul
animates the body[1]



world-view

world-view
world-view
(plural world-views) or world·view (plural world·views)
noun

view of all life:
a comprehensive interpretation or image of the universe and humanity[1]



worldwar

worldwar
world
war
noun

war involving many countries:
a war involving a number of countries on each side, with fighting spread over
much of the world[1]



WorldWar I

WorldWar I
World
War I
noun

early 20C European conflict:
a war fought in Europe from 1914 to 1918, in which an alliance including Great
Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States defeated the alliance of
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
Also called
First World War the[1]



WorldWar II

WorldWar II
World
War II
noun

mid-20C international
conflict: a war fought in Europe,
Africa and Asia from 1939 to 1945, in which an alliance including Great
Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States defeated the alliance
of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Also called
Second World War the[1]



world-weary

world-weary
world-wea·ry 
adjective

bored
with life:
tired of or bored with life
—world-wear·i·ness, noun[1]



worldwide

worldwide
world·wide 
[wúrld wd] adjective

relating
to whole world: affecting or found throughout the entire
world
adverb

over whole earth:
all over the world[1]



WorldWide Web

WorldWide Web
World
Wide Web 
noun

Internet-connected files:
the very large set of linked documents and other files located on computers
connected through the Internet and used to access, manipulate, and download
data and programs[1]



world’sfair

world’sfair
world’s
fair 
noun

international exhibition:
an exhibition of commercial and cultural products from many different countries[1]



worm

worm
worm 
[wurm] noun (plural worms)

1.  ZOOLOGY long
cylindrical invertebrate: an invertebrate that has a
slender, soft, cylindrical or flat body and no apparent appendages, especially
an annelid, nematode, or flatworm (often used in combination)

2.  INSECTS insect
larva:
the larva of an insect, for example, a caterpillar, grub, or maggot

3.  animal
looking or moving like worm: an animal that looks or
moves like a worm, for example, the shipworm or the slowworm

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as contemptible,
especially somebody who behaves in a groveling way (insult offensive)

5.  something
that torments: something that torments, undermines, or
corrupts a person from within • a worm
of discontent

6.  MECHANICAL ENGINEERING threaded
shaft:
a shaft with a helical thread that is the part of a gear that meshes with a
toothed wheel

7.  spiral
condenser in still: a spiral pipe in a still in
which alcohol condenses

8.  COMPUT invasive
computer program: a computer program that invades
computers on a network, replicates itself to prevent deletion, and interferes
with the host computer’s operation
verb
(past wormed, past participle wormed, present
participle worm·ing, 3rd person present singular worms)

1.  transitive
verb
proceed
deviously:
to make progress deviously or obsequiously • How
is he going to worm his way out of trouble this time?

2.  transitive
verb
obtain
something deviously: to obtain something from
somebody by devious or underhand means • They
wormed his secret formula out of him.

3.  transitive
verb
VETERINARY MEDICINE MEDICINE treat
somebody for parasitic worms: to treat a person or animal
in order to prevent or remove an infestation of parasitic worms

4.  transitive
verb
wind
yarn around rope: to wind yarn around a rope so as to give
it a smooth surface

5.  intransitive
verb
move
like worm:
to move in a slow, slithering way

6.  intransitive
verb
search
for earthworms: to search for earthworms, especially for
use as fishing bait
[Old
English wurm . Ultimately from an Indo-European word that is also the
ancestor of Latin vermis (source of English vermin
), and English wrap, the underlying
idea being “twisting.”]
—worm·er,
noun

—worm·ish, adjective[1]



WORM

WORM
WORM 
[wurm] noun

storage medium for computer
data: a computer storage medium,
usually optical, in which data cannot be changed after it is stored but can be
read. Full form write once read many (times)[1]



wormcast

wormcast
worm·cast
[wúrm kàst] (plural worm·casts)
noun

debris excreted by worm:
a small spiral mound of earth or sand that has been excreted by a burrowing
earthworm or lugworm[1]



worm-eaten

worm-eaten
worm-eat·en 
adjective

1.  eaten
into by worms: weakened by worms burrowing into it

2.  decayed:
affected by decay or rot

3.  dilapidated:
old or worn-out

[1]



wormfence

wormfence

worm fence
(plural worm fenc·es) noun
zigzag fence:
a fence consisting of crossed poles that support interlocking rails in a zigzag
pattern.
Also called
snake fence
Also called
Virginia fence[1]



wormgear

wormgear

worm
gear
(plural worm gears) noun

1.  gear
with threaded shaft: a gear consisting of a shaft
with a helical thread that meshes a toothed wheel to transfer rotary motion
between two shafts at right angles to one another

2.        See
worm wheel[1]



wormgrass

wormgrass
worm
grass
noun

See
pinkroot  noun 1[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wormhole

wormhole
worm·hole 
[wúrm hl] (plural worm·holes)
noun

1.  hypothetical
passage between parts of universe: a hypothetical passage
in space-time connecting widely separated parts of the universe

2.  hole
made by worm: a hole made by a burrowing worm, for
example, in wood
—worm·holed, adjective[1]



wormlizard

wormlizard
worm
liz·ard
noun

See
amphisbaena  noun 1[1]



worms

worms
worms
[wurmz] noun

infestation
of pinworms or tapeworms: an infestation of parasites,
especially pinworms or tapeworms, affecting the intestines or other parts of a
person’s or animal’s body (takes a singular verb)
[Old English (see worm )][1]



Worms

Worms
Worms 
[wurmz, vawrmz]

historic city in
Rhineland-Palatinate State, southwestern Germany. Population: 78,415 (1993)[1]



wormseed

wormseed
worm·seed 
[wúrm sd] noun

plant used to treat worms:
a plant whose seeds or other parts are used as a treatment for infestation by
parasitic worms[1]



wormsnake

wormsnake
worm
snake
noun

small N American snake:
a small nonvenomous snake with vestigial eyes, found in the central and eastern
United States. Genus: Carphophis[1]



wormwheel

wormwheel
worm
wheel
noun

toothed wheel:
the toothed wheel that meshes with the threaded shaft in a worm gear.
Also called
worm gear[1]



wormwood

wormwood
worm·wood 
[wúrm wd] noun

1.  bitter-tasting
plant:
a plant that yields a bitter extract used to flavor absinthe and formerly as a
medicine for intestinal worms. Genus: Artemisia
Also
called
absinthe

2.  cause
of bitterness: something that causes somebody to feel
bitter (literary) • Her
ingratitude was wormwood to him.
[14th century. By folk
etymology from Old English wermod, by association with worm, because the plant was used as medicine for
intestinal worms.][1]



wormy

wormy
worm·y 
[wúrmee] (comparative worm·i·er,
superlative worm·i·est) adjective

1.  infested
by worms:
full of or eaten into by worms

2.  resembling
worm:
resembling or characteristic of a worm
—worm·i·ness, noun[1]



worm’s-eyeview

worm’s-eyeview
worm’s-eye
view 
noun

view from below:
a view of somebody or something from a lower or inferior position[1]



worn

worn
worn 
[wawrn]

Past participle of
wear
adjective

1.  showing
effects of wear: weakened or frayed by use

2.  showing
effects of fatigue: showing the effects of
fatigue, worry, illness, or age

3.  hackneyed:
used so much as to have lost meaning
[15th
century (see wear )]
—worn·ness, noun[1]



worn-out

worn-out
worn-out 
adjective (not hyphenated when used after a verb)

1.  damaged
or weakened by long use: so damaged or affected by
prolonged use as to be no longer usable

2.  exhausted:
very tired

3.  outdated:
no longer relevant, useful, or fashionable

[1]



worriment

worriment
wor·ri·ment 
[wúrimənt] noun

anxiousness or its source:
anxiety or something that causes anxiety (dated)[1]



worrisome

worrisome
wor·ri·some 
[wúrissəm] adjective

1.  causing
worry:
causing anxiety or distress

2.  tending
to worry:
having a tendency to worry
—wor·ri·some·ly, adverb[1]



worry

worry
wor·ry 
[wúree] verb (past wor·ried,
past participle wor·ried, present participle wor·ry·ing,
3rd person present singular wor·ries)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb be or
make anxious: to feel anxious or to cause another
person to feel anxious about something unpleasant that may have happened or may
happen

2.  transitive
verb
annoy
another:
to annoy another person by making insistent demands or complaints

3.  transitive
verb
try
to bite animal: to try to wound or kill an animal by
biting it • a
dog suspected of worrying sheep

4.  transitive
verb
See worry at

5.  intransitive
verb
proceed
despite problems: to proceed persistently despite problems
or obstacles • worried
the project along despite continued delays

6.  transitive
verb
touch
something repeatedly: to touch, move, or interfere
with something repeatedly • Stop
worrying that button or it’ll come off.
noun
(plural wor·ries)

1.  anxiousness:
a feeling of anxiety or concern

2.  cause
of anxiety:
something that causes anxiety or concern

3.  period
of anxiety:
a period spent feeling anxious or concerned
[Old
English wyrgan . Originally in the sense “to strangle.” Its modern
meaning developed perhaps via the idea of dogs or wolves harrassing their prey
by seizing it by the throat.]
—wor·ried,
adjective

—wor·ried·ly,
adverb

—wor·ried·ness,
noun

—wor·ri·er,
noun

—wor·ry·ing,
adjective

—wor·ry·ing·ly,
adverb
not
to worry

used
to tell somebody that something is not important and need not be a cause of
concern • Not
to worry. We’ll do better next time.

no
worries

Australia,
New Zealand
used to say that something is no trouble or is not worth mentioning (informal)

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  worry, unease, care, anxiety,
  angst, stress
  CORE
  MEANING: lack
  of peace of mind worry; describes a
  troubled state of mind resulting from concern about current or potential
  difficulties; unease; is a more formal word meaning the same as worry, often also suggesting discontent or
  dissatisfaction; care; is a more
  formal word meaning the same as worry; anxiety; describes nervous apprehension
  about a future event or a general fear of possible misfortune; angst; describes nonspecific chronic anxiety
  about the human condition or the state of the world; stress; describes the worry and nervous
  apprehension related to a particular situation or event, for example, a job
  or the process of relocation

[1]



worryat

worryat
worry
at
or wor·ry transitive verb

tear at something with teeth:
to shake or tear at something with the teeth[1]



worrybeads

worrybeads
wor·ry
beads
plural noun

beads to finger when tense:
a string of beads for fingering or playing with when feeling tense[1]



worryguts

worryguts
wor·ry·guts
[wúri gùts] (plural wor·ry·guts)
noun

U.K.
(informal) See worrywart[1]



worrywart

worrywart
wor·ry·wart 
[wúri wàwrt] (plural wor·ry·warts)
noun

somebody worrying
excessively: somebody who tends to
worry needlessly (informal)
U.K. term
worryguts[1]



worse

worse
worse 
[wurss]

Comparative of
bad Comparative of badly Comparative of ill
adjective

1.  less
good than something else: less good in quality or
effect than before or than somebody or something else • did
a worse job on the painting than the previous workers

2.  more
severe:
more severe than before or than something else of the same kind • The
patient’s fever is worse this morning.

3.  sicker:
more ill than before • The
patient is worse today.
adverb

to a worse degree:
to a degree worse than before
noun

something worse:
somebody or something that is worse than another • Of
the two of them, this one’s the worse.
[Old
English wyrsa . From a prehistoric Germanic word that is also the
ancestor of English war, the underlying
idea being of things thrown into confusion or deteriorating.]
be
none the worse for something

to experience no harm or ill
effects from something[1]



worsen

worsen
wors·en 
[wúrss’n] (past wors·ened, past
participle wors·ened, present participle wors·en·ing, 3rd
person present singular wors·ens) intransitive and transitive
verb

become or make worse:
to become or cause something to become worse[1]



worser

worser
wors·er 
[wúrssər]

(nonstandard)
Comparative of bad
[15th century][1]



Worship

Worship
Wor·ship
(plural Wor·ships) noun

U.K.,
Canada title of respect:
a title of respect for a mayor, magistrate, or other similar dignitary • His
Worship, the Mayor[1]



worship

worship
wor·ship 
[wúrship] verb (past wor·shiped
or wor·shipped, past participle wor·shiped or
wor·shipped, present participle wor·ship·ing or wor·ship·ping,
3rd person present singular wor·ships)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb RELIGION treat somebody or something
as deity:
to treat somebody or something as divine and show respect by engaging in acts
of prayer and devotion

2.  transitive
verb
love
somebody deeply: to love, admire, or respect somebody or
something greatly and perhaps excessively or unquestioningly

3.  intransitive
verb
RELIGION take
part in religious service: to take part in a religious
service
noun

1.  RELIGION religious
adoration:
the adoration, devotion, and respect given to a deity

2.  RELIGION religious
rites:
the rites or services through which people show their adoration, devotion, and
respect for a deity

3.  great
devotion:
great or excessive love, admiration, and respect felt for somebody or something
[Old
English weortscipe, literally “condition of worth,” from weorth
“worth” (source of English worth )]
—wor·ship·er, noun[1]



worshipful

worshipful
wor·ship·ful 
[wúrshipfəl] adjective

1.  showing
worship:
showing or expressing deep reverence and devotion

2.  wor·ship·ful
or Wor·ship·ful U.K. distinguished:
used as the honoring adjective in the titles of some dignitaries, for example,
mayors, and of the ancient guild companies of the City of London
—wor·ship·ful·ly,
adverb

—wor·ship·ful·ness, noun[1]



worst

worst
worst 
[wurst]

Superlative
of
bad Superlative of badly Superlative of ill
adjective

least
good:
least good, most unpleasant, or most unfavorable • your
worst enemy
adverb

least
well:
in the least good, most unpleasant, or most unfavorable way
noun

least
good thing:
the least good, least pleasant, or least favorable aspect or part of something,
or the worst thing that could happen or be done • fear
the worst
• The
worst was over.
transitive
verb
(past wor·sted, past participle wor·sted, present
participle worst·ing, 3rd person present singular worsts)

defeat
somebody:
to get the better of or defeat an opponent
[Old
English wyrsta . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
confuse,” which is also the ancestor of English wurst
.]
get
the worst of it

to
be defeated, or to get the least benefit from something

(in)
the worst way

very much, very badly, or
very intensely[1]



worstcase

worstcase
worst
case
noun

least favorable situation:
the least desirable, most disastrous situation or result that can be envisioned
(hyphenated when used before a noun) • the
worst-case scenario[1]



worsted

worsted
wor·sted 
[wúrstəd] (plural wor·steds) noun

1.  smooth
woolen cloth: smooth closely-woven woolen cloth
without a nap, made from tightly twisted yarn

2.  yarn
for worsted: the tightly twisted yarn, made from
long-fibered wool, from which worsted cloth is made
[13th century. Named for the
village of Worstead in Norfolk, England, where it was originally made.][1]



wort

wort2
wort2 [wurt,
wawrt] (plural worts) noun

BEVERAGES sugary
liquid used to make beer: a sugary liquid produced
from crushed malted grain and water, to which yeast and hops are added in the
brewing of beer
[Old English wyrt (see
wort 1 )][1]



wort

wort1
wort1 [wurt,
wawrt] (plural worts) noun

BOTANY medicinal
plant:
a medicinal plant. This word survives mainly in plant names, for example,
“liverwort” and “woundwort.” (usually used in combination)
[Old English wyrt .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “branch, root,” which is also the
ancestor of English root .][1]



worth

worth
worth
[wurth] noun

1.  value
in money:
the value of something, especially in terms of money

2.  amount
equaling given value: the amount of something that
can be bought for a particular sum of money or that will last for a particular
length of time • get your money’s worth

3.  moral
or social value: the goodness, usefulness, or importance
of something or somebody, irrespective of financial value or wealth • A
diploma from that place has little worth.

4.  wealth:
the wealth of a person, group, organization, or other entity • your
aunt’s net worth
adjective

1.  equal
in value to stated amount: equivalent in value to the
amount stated • How much is it worth?
• a
painting worth thousands

2.  important
enough to justify something: important, large, or good
enough to justify something • His
friendship is not worth having.
[Old
English weorþ . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to turn,”
which is also the ancestor of English verse 1 .]
for
all you are worth

as
fast, energetically, or enthusiastically as possible

for
what it’s worth

used to suggest that what you
say may not be true or of much value • Here’s
my opinion on the issue, for what it’s worth.[1]



worthless

worthless
worth·less 
[wúrthləss] adjective

1.  having
no value:
having no financial or other value or usefulness

2.  lacking
good, attractive, or admirable qualities: bad,
incompetent, or totally lacking good, attractive, or admirable qualities
—worth·less·ly,
adverb

—worth·less·ness, noun[1]



worthwhile

worthwhile
worth·while 
[wùrth wl, wúrth
wl, wùrth hwl] adjective

sufficiently
rewarding to take time for: rewarding or beneficial
enough to justify the time taken or the effort made
[Mid-17th century. Shortening
of “worth the while.”][1]



worthy

worthy
wor·thy 
[wúree] adjective (comparative
wor·thi·er, superlative wor·thi·est)

1.  deserving:
fully deserving something, usually as a suitable reward for merit or importance
• That
remark is not worthy of a reply.

2.  respectable:
morally upright, good, and deserving respect

3.  good
but dull:
having good qualities, good intentions, or the best of motives, but being
boring and pedestrian
noun
(plural wor·thies)

somebody good or moral:
somebody who is good or morally upright and therefore deserves respect (often
used ironically) • studied
the lives of the colonial governors and other 18th-century worthies
—wor·thi·ly,
adverb

—wor·thi·ness, noun[1]



wot

wot
wot


(archaic) 1st
person present singular of wit 3rd
person present singular of wit[1]



Wotan

Wotan
Wo·tan 
[vṓ tn] noun

king of Germanic gods:
in Germanic mythology, the supreme god and the god of war. He corresponds to
Odin in Norse mythology.[1]



would

would
would 
[wd] CORE
MEANING:
used to express the sense of “will” in reported speech or when referring to an
event that has not happened yet • Susan
didn’t think she would pass. • It
would be wrong to suggest otherwise. intransitive
verb

1.  used
with “if” clauses: used in stating what will,
or suggesting what might, happen under the circumstances described in the
conditional clause • You would know him if
you saw him. • My
mother would be annoyed if I were to come home late.

2.  polite
request:
used in making polite requests or offers • Would
you mind closing the window? • Would
you like more coffee?

3.  habitual
action:
used to indicate that a past action was habitual • Every
Sunday we would drive out to Coney Island.
would
that

used
to introduce a strong desire or wish, usually one that is not expected to be
fulfilled (formal) • Would
that we had never met.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at should.

[1]



would-be

would-be
would-be 
adjective

hoping
to do or be something: who hopes, or is trying, to
do or be something • a would-be poet
noun
(plural would-bes)

person aspiring to something:
a person who is hoping or trying to become something or achieve the status of
something (informal) • The
reception was attended by all the major candidates for office and other
would-bes.[1]



wouldn’t

wouldn’t
would·n’t 
[wd’nt] contraction

would not:
would not[1]



would’ve

would’ve
would·’ve
[wdəv] contraction

would have:
would have[1]



Woulfebottle

Woulfebottle
Woulfe
bot·tle 
[wlf bòtt’l] noun

vessel
with more than one neck: a vessel with more than one
neck, in which gases can be bubbled through liquids
[Named for the English
chemist Peter Woulfe (1727?–1803)][1]



wound

wound2
wound2 [wownd]

Past participle of
wind 2 Past
tense of wind 2[1]



wound

wound1
wound1 [woond]
noun (plural wounds)

1.  injury
to body:
an injury in which the skin, tissue, or an organ is broken by some external
force, for example, a blow or surgical incision, with damage to the underlying
tissue

2.  emotional
injury:
a lasting emotional or psychological injury • still
recovering from the wounds of a bitter divorce

3.  injury
to plant:
damage to plant tissue caused by an external agent such as wind or frost
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wound·ed,
past participle wounded, present participle wound·ing,
3rd person present singular wounds)

1.  injure:
to cause a wound in the body of somebody or something, especially using a
knife, gun, or other weapon • He was
wounded in the leg.

2.  cause
emotional wound: to cause somebody emotional or
psychological distress by saying or doing something • cutting
remarks intended to wound
[Old
English wund . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to beat,”
which is also the ancestor of English wen 1 .]
—wound·a·ble,
adjective

—wound·ed,
adjective

—wound·er,
noun

—wound·ing,
adjective

—wound·ing·ly,
adverb

—wound·less,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at harm

[1]



WoundedKnee

WoundedKnee
Wound·ed
Knee 
[wndəd n]

village in South Dakota. In
1890 it was the site of a massacre of Native North Americans in which between
150 and 370 Sioux people were killed, most of them unarmed.[1]



woundwort

woundwort
wound·wort 
[wnd wùrt, wnd
wàwrt] (plural wound·worts or wound·wort) noun

1.  healing
plant of mint family: betony or a related plant of
the mint family, formerly used to treat wounds. Genus: Stachys

2.  plant
for treating wounds: any plant formerly used to
treat wounds

[1]



wove

wove
wove


Past tense of
weave[1]



woven

woven
wo·ven


Past
participle of weave
adjective

created
by weaving:
made or manufactured by the process of weaving • woven
synthetic textiles
noun

something made by weaving:
a textile or other material that is created by weaving • a
factory making cotton and other wovens[1]



wovepaper

wovepaper
wove
pa·per
noun

paper with faint mesh
imprint: paper made using a roller
with a fine mesh that leaves a faint mesh imprint[1]



Wovoka

Wovoka
Wo·vo·ka 
[wə vṓkə] (1856?–1932)

U.S.
prophet. A member of the Paiute people, he developed the ritual of the Ghost
Dance. Many of his followers were killed by federal troops at Wounded Knee
(1890).
Known as
Wilson, Jack[1]



wow

wow1
wow1 [wow]
interjection

expressing
surprise:
used to express surprise, admiration, wonder, or pleasure (informal)
transitive
verb
(past wowed, past participle wowed, present
participle wow·ing, 3rd person present singular wows)

impress
somebody greatly: to impress or delight somebody greatly (informal)
• The
acrobats wowed the audience with their daring moves.
noun

great
success:
a great success or an object of great admiration (informal)
[Early 16th century. A
natural interjection.][1]



wow

wow2
wow2 [wow]
noun

RECORDING pitch
fluctuation in recorded sound: a distortion in
recorded sound in the form of slow fluctuations in the pitch of long notes,
caused by variations in the speed of the reproducing or recording equipment
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the acoustic effect.][1]



wowser

wowser
wow·ser
[wówzər] (plural wow·sers) noun
Australia, New Zealand (informal)

1.  puritanical
person:
somebody with a puritanical disposition who disapproves of activities such as
drinking and dancing

2.  killjoy:
somebody who disrupts or ruins the fun of others
[Late 19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from English dialect wow “to waul.”][1]



WP

WP
WP
(plural WPs)

1.  Abbreviation
of
weather permitting

2.  Abbreviation
of
word processing

3.  Abbreviation
of
word processor

4.  LAW Abbreviation of without prejudice

[1]



WPA

WPA
WPA

HISTORY
Abbreviation of Work Projects Administration[1]



Wparticle

Wparticle
W
par·ti·cle
noun

elementary particle:
an elementary particle with a relatively large mass and either positively or
negatively charged, believed to mediate weak interactions between other
particles in which the charges on the particles change.
Also called
W boson[1]



WPGA

WPGA
WPGA

Abbreviation of
Women’s Professional Golfers’ Association[1]



WPI

WPI
WPI

Abbreviation of
wholesale price index[1]



wpm

wpm
wpm
or w.p.m.

Abbreviation of
words per minute[1]



wpn.

wpn.
wpn.

Abbreviation of
weapon[1]



wrack

wrack1
wrack1 [rak]
(plural wracks) or rack [rak]
(plural racks) noun

1.  destruction:
the complete destruction of something • wrack
and ruin

2.  remnant
of something destroyed: a fragment or remnant of
something that has been destroyed (literary)
[Old English wræc
“misery”][1]



wrack

wrack2
wrack2 [rak]
noun (plural wracks)

1.  MARINE BIOLOGY marine
vegetation:
seaweed floating in the sea or growing on the shoreline

2.  MARINE BIOLOGY brown
seaweed:
any brown seaweed, for example, bladderwrack. Family: Fucaceae

3.  NAUTICAL wrecked
ship:
a wrecked ship, especially one driven onto the shore (archaic)

4.  wreckage:
wreckage or a piece of wreckage (archaic)
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wracked,
past participle wracked, present participle wrack·ing,
3rd person present singular wracks)

wreck or be wrecked:
to wreck something or be wrecked
[14th century. From Dutch wrak
“wreck.”][1]



wraith

wraith
wraith 
[rayth] (plural wraiths) noun
PARANORMAL

1.  ghost:
the ghost of a dead person, or any ghostly and insubstantial apparition

2.  apparition
of somebody soon to die: a vision of a person still
alive, said to appear as a premonition of that person’s death
[Early 16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



WrangelIsland

WrangelIsland
Wran·gel
Is·land 
[ráng g’l lənd]

island in the Arctic Ocean,
northeastern Russia, between the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea. Area:
4,660 sq km/1,800 sq mi.[1]



WrangellMountains

WrangellMountains
Wran·gell
Moun·tains
[ráng g’l mòwnt’nz]

mountain range in
southeastern Alaska, near the border with the Yukon Territory, Canada. The
highest peak is Mount Blackburn, 4,996 m/16,390 ft .[1]



Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve

Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve
Wran·gell-Saint
E·li·as Na·tion·al Park and Pre·serve [ràng g’l saynt i l əss nàsh’nəl prk]

the largest national park in
the United States, in southeastern Alaska, established in 1980. It is noted for
its high peaks, glaciers, and wildlife. Area: 33,716 sq km/13,017 sq mi.[1]



wrangle

wrangle
wran·gle 
[ráng g’l] verb (past wran·gled,
past participle wran·gled, present participle wran·gling,
3rd person present singular wran·gles)

1.  intransitive
verb
argue
noisily:
to argue noisily and persistently • wrangled
for hours over the wording of the agreement

2.  transitive
verb
get
something by persistent argument: to obtain something or
persuade somebody by arguing persistently (informal) • managed
to wrangle a commitment to peace out of the opposing side

3.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE herd
animals:
to herd horses or cattle
noun
(plural wran·gles)

long argument:
a lengthy or noisy and bad-tempered argument or dispute
[14th century. From a
prehistoric Germanic word which is related to the ancestor of English wring .][1]



wrangler

wrangler
wran·gler 
[ráng glər] (plural wran·glers)
noun

1.  AGRICULTURE somebody
who looks after horses: somebody who takes care of
saddle horses on a ranch

2.  somebody
involved in lengthy argument: somebody who argues noisily
and persistently or is involved in a lengthy argument
[Early 16th century][1]



wrap

wrap
wrap 
[rap] verb (past wraps,
past participle wrapped, present participle wrap·ping,
3rd person present singular wraps)

1.  transitive
verb
cover
something up: to cover something up by winding or
folding a pliable material such as cloth or paper around it • The
package was wrapped in plain brown paper.

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb coil
around something: to wind, fold, or clasp something,
oneself, or itself around somebody or something else • He
wrapped his arms around the pole and wouldn’t let go.

3.  transitive
verb
give
something aura: to surround something with a particular
type of atmosphere or quality such as secrecy or scandal • The
whole affair was wrapped in secrecy.

4.  transitive
verb
engross
somebody:
to occupy the mind and attention of somebody fully • wrapped
in thought

5.  intransitive
verb
CINEMA finish
filming:
to finish filming or videotaping something • We’re
scheduled to wrap at the end of the month.

6.  transitive
verb
envelop
something:
to envelop and obscure or conceal something • Fog
wrapped the harbor.

7.  transitive
verb
fold
something up: to fold or roll something up into a
compact bundle • linen napkins neatly
wrapped

8.  intransitive
verb
finish:
to come to an end “The government’s antitrust case … was supposed to wrap by
the end of the year.” Newsweek November 1998

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb COMPUTING take something over to next
line:
to take a word or piece of text over to the next line automatically on reaching
the margin, or to be taken over in this way
noun

1.  CLOTHES outer
garment:
an outer garment such as a shawl, cloak, or coat to be wrapped or folded around
the wearer

2.  (plural
wraps) INDUSTRY material
used to wrap something: material, or a piece of
material, used to wrap something

3.  CINEMA completion
of filming:
the completion of filming or videotaping something • All
right, everybody, that’s a wrap!

4.  FOOD filled
tortilla sandwich: a sandwich consisting of
fillings enclosed in a tortilla

5.  Australia
piece
of praise:
a praising comment or assessment of something (informal)
[14th
century. Origin unknown.]
keep
something under wraps

to keep something secret • Our
new product is being kept under wraps for the moment.[1]



wraparound

wraparound
wrap·a·round 
[ráppə ròwnd] adjective

1.  CLOTHES designed
for wrapping around body: designed to be worn wrapped
around the body and tied in position with one edge overlapping the other rather
than fastened with buttons or a zipper.
U.K.
term
wrapover

2.  curving
around sides: curving around the sides of whatever it
is attached to
noun
(plural wrap·a·rounds)

1.  CLOTHES wraparound
garment:
a wraparound skirt or other piece of clothing

2.  wraparound
cabinet:
a cabinet that is shaped to curve around the sides of something

3.  COMPUTING computer
function automatically starting new line: a
function of a computer program or visual display unit that makes text
automatically begin a new line as soon the last character space in the previous
line is filled

4.  PUBLISHING paper
strip around book’s dust jacket: a strip of paper
fastened around the dust jacket of a book, for example, to announce a price
reduction

5.  PRINTING plate
for attaching to press cylinder: a plate of flexible
material that can be attached to the cylinder of a rotary press

[1]



wrapover

wrapover
wrap·o·ver
[rápp vər] (plural wrap·o·vers)
noun

U.K.
See wraparound  adjective 1[1]



wrapped

wrapped
wrapped
[rapt] adjective

Australia
thrilled:
extremely pleased (informal)
[Mid-20th century. A blend of
wrapped (up in) and rapt .][1]



wrapper

wrapper
wrap·per 
[ráppər] (plural wrap·pers) noun

1.  material
wrapped around something: the paper, plastic, or other
material wrapped around something that is sold

2.  paper
around magazine or newspaper: a piece of paper wrapped
around a magazine or newspaper sent through the mail

3.  tobacco
leaf forming outside of cigar: a tobacco leaf wrapped
around a cigar to form its outer skin

4.  PUBLISHING See dust jacket

5.  CLOTHES loose
lounging garment: a garment such as a dressing gown that
wraps loosely around the body

6.  somebody
who wraps packages in store: an employee whose job is to
wrap up packages in a store or to wrap manufactured products in a factory

[1]



wrapping

wrapping
wrap·ping 
[rápping] (plural wrap·pings) noun

material used to wrap
something: the paper, plastic, or other
material used to wrap something[1]



wrapup

wrapup
wrap
up
transitive verb

1.  complete
something:
to complete something or bring it to an end (informal) • We’ll
wrap up the editing phase of the project next week.

2.  summarize
something:
to give a short final summary of something such as the news

3.  cover
something with material: to cover something
completely with material such as paper, plastic, or foil

4.  Australia
praise
somebody:
to sing somebody’s praises (informal)
be
wrapped up in somebody or something

to be completely absorbed by
or preoccupied with somebody or something • She
is completely wrapped up in her career.[1]



wrap-up

wrap-up
wrap-up 
(plural wrap-ups) noun

1.  short
final summary: a short summary at the end of something
such as a news bulletin

2.  Australia
piece
of praise:
a praising comment or assessment of something (informal)

[1]



wrasse

wrasse
wrasse 
[rass] (plural wrass·es or
wrasse) noun

fish
with protruding lips: a fish with protruding lips
and well developed canine teeth that lives in temperate and tropical seas
worldwide. Wrasses are found in various sizes and are often brightly colored.
Family: Labridae
[Late 17th century. From
Cornish wrah “old woman.”][1]



wrath

wrath
wrath 
[rath] noun

1.  great
anger:
fury often marked by a desire for vengeance

2.  RELIGION divine
retribution: God’s punishment for sin

3.  vengeance:
the vengeance, punishment, or destruction wreaked by somebody in anger (literary)
adjective

furious: full
of anger (archaic or literary)
[Old
English wrþþu . From wrāþ “angry” (see wroth
).]
—wrath·less,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at anger

[1]



wrathful

wrathful
wrath·ful 
[ráthfəl] adjective

extremely
angry:
extremely or violently angry, or expressing one’s anger
—wrath·ful·ly,
adverb

—wrath·ful·ness, noun[1]



Wray,Fay

Wray,Fay
Wray
[ray], Fay (1907– )

Canadian-born
U.S. actor. She starred in several movies of the early sound era, most notably King
Kong ( 1933 ).
Full name
Wray, Vina F.[1]



wreak

wreak
wreak 
[reek] (past wreaked, past
participle wreaked, present participle wreak·ing, 3rd
person present singular wreaks) transitive verb

1.  cause
havoc or destruction: to cause something violent
and destructive • a storm that wreaked
vast destruction

2.  inflict
revenge:
to inflict something violent, especially revenge or punishment, on somebody

3.  express
anger or hatred: to express anger, hatred, or another
violent emotion in action against somebody (literary)
[Old
English wrecan “to drive out”]
—wreak·er,
noun

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at wrought.

[1]



wreath

wreath
wreath 
[reeth] (plural wreaths [reeths, reez])
noun

1.  circular
arrangement of flowers: a circular arrangement of
flowers and greenery placed as a memorial on a grave, hung up as a decoration,
or put on somebody’s head as a sign of honor

2.  representation
of wreath:
a representation of a circular arrangement of flowers, vines, or other things,
for example, in a carving or on a coat of arms

3.  circular
shape:
a hollow circular shape formed by something such as smoke
[Old
English wriþa . From wrīþan (see writhe
).]
—wreath·less, adjective[1]



wreathe

wreathe
wreathe 
[ree] (past wreathed, past
participle wreathed, present participle wreath·ing, 3rd
person present singular wreathes) verb

1.  transitive
verb
put
wreath on or around something: to encircle, surround,
or cover something with a wreath or wreaths or a similar type of decoration

2.  transitive
verb
make
something into wreath by intertwining: to
make things into a wreath by twisting and intertwining them

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb writhe
or coil:
to move, or to cause something to move, in coils, curves, or spirals
[Mid-16th century. Partly
formed from wreath and partly a
back-formation from wrethen “twisted.”][1]



wreck

wreck
wreck 
[rek] transitive verb (past wrecked,
past participle wrecked, present participle wreck·ing,
3rd person present singular wrecks)

1.  destroy
or damage something: to destroy something
completely or damage it beyond repair

2.  destroy
ship:
to cause a ship to sink or run aground and be destroyed
noun
(plural wrecks)

1.  See
crash 1 noun 1

2.  something
badly damaged: something that is in very poor
condition, damaged, or dilapidated

3.  remains
of something destroyed: something that has been
totally destroyed, or its shattered remains

4.  NAUTICAL badly
damaged ship: a very badly damaged or sunken ship

5.  NAUTICAL destruction
of ship:
the sinking or destruction at sea of a ship from accidental causes

6.  cargo
from wrecked ship: cargo or other goods that
are washed ashore after a shipwreck

7.  destruction:
the ruin or destruction of something

8.  somebody
looking or feeling terrible: somebody who is physically
or emotionally exhausted or broken down
[13th century. From
Anglo-Norman wrec, of Scandinavian origin.][1]



wreckage

wreckage
wreck·age 
[rékij] noun

1.  remains
after destruction: the broken pieces left after
something has been extremely badly damaged or destroyed

2.  process
of wrecking: the wrecking, ruining, or destruction of
something (formal)

[1]



wrecked

wrecked
wrecked
[rekt] adjective

1.  exhausted:
very tired or exhausted (informal)

2.  intoxicated:
in an intoxicated or drugged state (slang)
[Early 18th century][1]



wrecker

wrecker
wreck·er 
[rékər] (plural wreck·ers) noun

1.  AUTOMOTIVE truck
for towing:
a truck with a hoisting mechanism used to tow away damaged cars or other
vehicles.
Also
called
tow truck
U.K.
term
breakdown lorry

2.  somebody
demolishing buildings or dismantling cars:
somebody whose job is to demolish buildings or dismantle old cars for salvage

3.  somebody
who wrecks:
somebody who destroys or spoils something, especially deliberately,
maliciously, or with pleasure • He’s a
wrecker of others’ dreams.

4.  somebody
luring ships to destruction: somebody who, in the past,
lured ships onto rocks in order to steal the cargo or other goods on board

[1]



wrecker’sball

wrecker’sball
wreck·er’s
ball
noun

See
wrecking ball[1]



wreckfish

wreckfish
wreck·fish 
[rék fìsh] (plural wreck·fish or
wreck·fish·es) noun

See
stone bass
[Late 19th century. So called
from its habit of following wreckage.][1]



wreckingball

wreckingball
wreck·ing
ball
noun

demolition device:
a heavy ball attached by a cable to a crane and swung to knock down parts of
buildings that are being demolished.
Also called
wrecker’s ball[1]



wreckingbar

wreckingbar
wreck·ing
bar 
noun

crowbar:
a short crowbar forked at one end and bent at the other to provide leverage[1]



wren

wren
wren 
[ren] (plural wrens) noun

small
brown songbird: a small songbird found in North and
South America and Eurasia with a long slender downturned bill, usually brown
feathers, and a short upright tail. Family: Troglodytidae
[Old English wrenna][1]



Wren

Wren
Wren 
[ren] (plural Wrens) noun

WRNS
member:
a member of the British Women’s Royal Naval Service
[Early 20th century.
Back-formation from the acronym formed from WRNS .][1]



wrench

wrench

wrench 
[rench] verb (past wrenched,
past participle wrenched, present participle wrench·ing,
3rd person present singular wrench·es)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pull
and twist something away: to pull something away
forcefully, often using a twisting movement • He
angrily wrenched the bag away from the cashier and left the store.

2.  transitive
verb
injure
something by twisting: to injure part of the body
by twisting it suddenly and forcibly

3.  intransitive
verb
move
with twisting movement: to move with a forceful
twisting movement

4.  transitive
verb
distress
somebody:
to make somebody feel very sad or distressed

5.  transitive
verb
skew
meaning or function: to distort something in
order to make it mean or appear to be something different
noun (plural
wrench·es)

1.  tool
used to grasp and turn: a hand or power tool with
fixed or movable jaws, used to seize, turn, or twist objects such as nuts and
bolts.
U.K.
term
spanner

2.  sprain
caused by twisting: a sprain caused by a sudden
forceful twisting movement of a part of the body

3.  forceful
twisting pull: a forceful twisting pull at something,
especially to free it

4.  surge
of emotion:
a sudden surge of emotion, for example, pity or empathy • the
wrench we felt when viewing film footage of the flood’s devastation

5.  sadness
and loss on parting: a difficult parting from a
person or place, or the feelings of sadness and loss that accompany such a
parting • Leaving
New York was a terrible wrench after having lived there for 30 years.
[Old English wrencan .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to turn” that is also the
ancestor of English converge .][1]



Wren,Christopher

Wren,Christopher

Wren
[ren], Sir Christopher (1632–1723)
English architect, scientist, and
mathematician. The founder of the English baroque style, he designed St. Paul’s
Cathedral, London (1675–1710) and 50 other English churches. He was also a noted
mathematician and inventor, and a founding member of the Royal Society.[1]



wrest

wrest
wrest 
[rest] transitive verb (past wrest·ed,
past participle wrest·ed, present participle wrest·ing,
3rd person present singular wrests)

1.  gain
control or power: to take something such as control or
power from somebody in the face of opposition or resistance

2.  pull
something away forcibly: to seize something with the
hands and take it away from somebody by using physical force

3.  get
something with effort: to get or extract something
with an effort or struggle

4.  alter
something’s meaning: to change or twist the
meaning of something
noun
(plural wrests)

forceful pull:
a sharp wrench or pull at something
[Old
English wrstan . From a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the
ancestor of English wrist .]
—wrest·er, noun[1]



wrestle

wrestle
wres·tle 
[réss’l] verb (past wres·tled,
past participle wres·tled, present participle wres·tling,
3rd person present singular wres·tles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fight
by gripping and pushing: to fight somebody using
special holds and moves in an attempt to force his or her shoulders onto a mat

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb have a
struggling fight: to fight with somebody by gripping and
pushing rather than hitting him or her

3.  intransitive
verb
have
difficulty:
to struggle to deal with something difficult or intractable • I
spent the evening wrestling with my accounts.

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb maneuver
something awkward: to struggle to lift or move
something • We
wrestled the trunk down the hall.
noun
(plural wres·tles)

1.  fight
between wrestlers: a wrestling match or a fight
in which people wrestle rather than hit each other

2.  a
struggle with something difficult: a struggle to deal
with something difficult or intractable
[Old
English . From wrstan (see wrest ).]
—wres·tler, noun[1]



wrestling

wrestling
wres·tling 
[réssling] noun

1.  sport
with two contestants fighting: a sport in which two
contestants fight by gripping each other using special holds, each trying to
force the other’s shoulders onto a mat

2.  action
of struggling with somebody: the action of having a
struggling fight with somebody
[Old English wrstlunge][1]



wretch

wretch
wretch 
[rech] (plural wretch·es) noun

1.  somebody
miserable:
somebody who is in trouble or distress and evokes pity in others

2.  annoying
person:
somebody who provokes mild irritation or annoyance (humorous)

3.  despicable
person:
somebody who provokes contempt or disapproval (formal)
[Old English wrecca .
Related to the source of English wreak
.][1]



wretched

wretched
wretch·ed 
[réchəd] adjective

1.  unhappy
or ill:
feeling very unhappy or ill

2.  appearing
miserable or deprived: in a state of great
hardship, deprivation, and hopelessness and arousing sympathy in others • living
in wretched conditions

3.  inadequate
or of low quality: seriously inadequate or of
very low quality

4.  irritating:
provoking irritation or anger • The
wretched car won’t start!
—wretch·ed·ly,
adverb

—wretch·ed·ness, noun[1]



wrier

wrier
wri·er


Comparative of
wry[1]



wriest

wriest
wri·est


Superlative of
wry[1]



wriggle

wriggle
wrig·gle 
[rígg’l] verb (past wrig·gled,
past participle wrig·gled, present participle wrig·gling,
3rd person present singular wrig·gles)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb twist
and turn:
to make quick small twisting and turning movements with the body, or to cause
the body to make these movements

2.  intransitive
verb
move
while twisting and turning: to move by making quick
twisting and turning movements • managed
to wriggle out of the sleeping bag
noun
(plural wrig·gles)

1.  twisting
or turning movement: a short twisting or turning
movement

2.  twisting
passage or course: a twisting passage or line
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Low German wriggelen,
from wriggen “to turn.”]
—wrig·gly, adjective[1]



wriggleout of

wriggleout of
wriggle
out of
transitive verb

avoid doing something:
to avoid doing something or suffering the consequences of something by making
excuses or using deception[1]



wriggler

wriggler
wrig·gler 
[rígglər] noun

See
wiggler[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Wright,Fanny

Wright,Fanny
Wright
[rīt], Fanny (1795–1852)

British-born
U.S. social reformer. Her interest in the abolition of slavery included the
founding of a controversial and short-lived settlement in Tennessee in the
1820s intended to demonstrate the practicability of emancipation.
Full name
Wright, Frances[1]



Wright,Frank Lloyd

Wright,Frank Lloyd

Wright
[rīt], Frank Lloyd (1869–1959)
U.S. architect. The clean lines of his
designs, his use of new materials, and his consideration of the environment
around his buildings made him one of the most influential modern architects.[1]



Wright,Richard

Wright,Richard

Wright
[rīt], Richard (1908–1960)
U.S.
writer. A campaigner against racism, he achieved considerable success with his
autobiographical novel, Black Boy ( 1945 ).
Full name
Wright, Richard Nathaniel[1]



Wright,Wilbur

Wright,Wilbur
Wright
[rīt], Wilbur (1867–1912)

U.S. inventor. With his
brother Orville Wright (1871–1948), he made the first successful flight
of a powered aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (1903).[1]



wring

wring
wring 
[ring] transitive verb (past wrung,
past participle wrung [rung], present
participle wring·ing, 3rd person present singular wrings)

1.  twist
and compress something: to twist and compress
something in order to force liquid out of it • Wring
the towel out and hang it up to dry.

2.  force
out liquid by twisting: to force liquid out of
something by twisting and compressing it

3.  extract
something with difficulty: to extract something from
somebody with great difficulty • finally
managed to wring an answer out of him

4.  twist
something forcibly and painfully: to twist something
forcefully, for example, an animal’s neck, usually causing pain or death

5.  cause
distress:
to cause somebody emotional pain and distress
noun
(plural wrings)

twist given to wet material:
a twist or squeeze given to wet material in order to force out water or other
liquid
[Old English wringen .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English wrong .][1]



wringer

wringer
wring·er 
[ríngər] (plural wring·ers) noun

machine
for drying wet clothes: a machine with two rollers
set close together that can be turned by a handle so that wet clothes fed
between them have the water forced out of them (dated)
U.K.
term
mangle
put
somebody through the wringer

to subject somebody to a very
difficult or stressful experience (informal)[1]



wringingwet

wringingwet
wring·ing
wet
adjective

wet:
extremely wet[1]



wrinkle

wrinkle
wrin·kle 
[ríngk’l] noun (plural wrin·kles)

1.  facial
line from aging: a line or crease between small folds of
skin that forms on the face as a result of aging or exposure to the sun

2.  small
fold in material: a small messy or unintentional fold in
cloth or paper

3.  problem:
something that causes trouble or inconvenience • We
need to iron out the wrinkles in the plan before implementing it.

4.  new
feature:
an ingenious trick, method of doing something, or feature of something (informal)
• We’ve
added a couple of new wrinkles to the policy.
intransitive
and transitive verb (past wrin·kled,
past participle wrin·kled, present participle wrin·kling,
3rd person present singular wrin·kles)

1.  make
or get small messy folds: to make small messy or
unintentional folds in something, or to come to have messy folds • This
fabric wrinkles easily.

2.  make
or get lines on skin: to develop lines or to cause
lines to develop in the skin as a result of aging or exposure to the sun

3.  contract
part of face: to tighten the muscles in part of the
face so that it contracts or creases
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: possible from, ultimately, Old English gewrinclian
“to wind.”]
—wrin·kled,
adjective

—wrin·kle·less, adjective[1]



wrinkly

wrinkly
wrin·kly
[ríngklee] (comparative wrin·kli·er,
superlative wrin·kli·est) adjective

having wrinkles:
covered with wrinkles[1]



wrist

wrist
wrist 
[rist] noun (plural wrists)

1.  ANATOMY joint
at base of hand: the lower end of the forearm or the
joint between the forearm and the hand together with the tissue surrounding it

2.  CLOTHES part
of garment over wrist: the part of a sleeve or
glove that covers the wrist
transitive
verb

SPORTS hit
with twisting stroke: to hit a ball with a lot of
wrist movement to make the ball spin
[Old English . Ultimately
from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of English wrest .][1]



wristband

wristband
wrist·band 
[ríst bànd] (plural wrist·bands)
noun

1.  absorbent
band worn around wrist: an absorbent band of
material worn around the wrist to keep sweat from running onto the hand

2.  watch
strap:
the strap of a wristwatch

3.  identification
band worn around wrist: an identification band worn
around the wrist, for example, when in the hospital

4.  CLOTHES part
of something covering wrist: a band of material that fits
over the wrist, for example, at the end of a long sleeve or on a glove

[1]



wrist-drop

wrist-drop
wrist-drop
noun

inability to move extensor
arm muscles: inability to move the
muscles that raise the wrist and move the fingers, caused by damage to or
compression of the radial nerve[1]



wristlet

wristlet
wrist·let 
[rístlət] (plural wrist·lets) noun

band worn around wrist:
a close-fitting band of material worn around the wrist, especially a decorative
one that is attached to the top of a glove or the end of a sleeve[1]



wristlock

wristlock
wrist·lock 
[ríst lòk] (plural wrist·locks)
noun

wrestling hold that twists
wrist: a hold in wrestling in which
the wrist is held and twisted, rendering an opponent helpless[1]



wristpin

wristpin
wrist
pin
noun

pin attaching connecting rod:
a pin in a piston of an internal-combustion engine attaching to the little end
of a connecting rod.
U.K. term
gudgeon pin[1]



wristwatch

wristwatch
wrist·watch 
[ríst wòch] (plural wrist·watch·es)
noun

watch worn on wrist:
a watch on a band that is worn around the wrist[1]



wristy

wristy
wrist·y
[rístee] (comparative wrist·i·er,
superlative wrist·i·est) adjective

using wrist movement:
using a lot of wrist movement when hitting a ball[1]



writ

writ2
writ2

(archaic) Past
tense of write Past participle of
write[1]



writ

writ1
writ1 [rit]
(plural writs) noun

1.  LAW written
court order: a written court order demanding that the
addressee do or stop doing whatever is specified in the order

2.  written
text:
a piece of written text (archaic)
[Old English “something
written.” Formed from wrītan “to write.”][1]



write

write
write 
[rīt] (past wrote [rōt] or writ (archaic), past
participle writ·ten [rítt’n] or
writ (archaic), present participle writ·ing, 3rd
person present singular writes) verb

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb put
words on paper: to put words, letters, numbers, or
musical notation on a surface using a pen, pencil, or similar instrument

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb create
book, poem, or music: to create or compose
something for others to read or listen to, for example, a letter or note, an
article, a poem, or a piece of music

3.  transitive
verb
spell
something:
to spell a word or words • two
words that are written the same but mean different things

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb compose
and send letter: to compose and send a letter to somebody
• I
wrote her a long letter.

5.  intransitive
verb
compose
material for publication: to create books, poems, or
newspaper articles for publication, often as part of a job

6.  transitive
verb
fill
in form:
to fill in the details on a form such as a check, prescription, or other
document and, usually, sign it • I had
to write 20 checks this morning.

7.  transitive
verb
tell
something in words: to say something in a
letter, book, or article • He
wrote that he would be home on Tuesday.

8.  intransitive
verb
work
as writing tool: to function as a writing instrument • There’s
something wrong with this pen: it won’t write.

9.  intransitive
and transitive verb use
cursive script: to employ a cursive script when setting
down words

10. transitive
verb
display
something:
to reveal or exhibit something clearly • She
had glee written all over her face.

11. transitive
verb
INSURANCE See underwrite  verb 1

12. transitive
verb
predetermine
something:
to ordain or prophesy what will happen in the future (usually passive) • It
is written: your future is preordained.

13. transitive
verb
COMPUTING store
computer data: to transfer data to a storage medium
such as a magnetic or optical disk or tape

14. transitive
verb
COMPUTING display
something on screen: to display text or images on
a computer monitor
[Old
English wrītan “to score, draw, write.” Ultimately from a prehistoric
Germanic base meaning “to tear,” of unknown origin.]





     WORD KEY: WORD ORIGINS









  The
  notion underlying write is of “cutting” or
  “scratching” (it is related to German reissen “to tear”). The earliest
  form of writing involved cutting marks on hard materials such as stone and
  wood and the same word was carried over when the technique of writing moved
  on to pen and ink.

[1]



writeaway

writeaway
write
away
transitive verb

send written order for goods:
to send off an order for goods of some kind to a distant supplier • wrote
away for new upholstery materials[1]



writedown

writedown
write
down
transitive verb

1.  record
something in words: to record something in
writing, usually so that the information is not lost or forgotten • I
wrote down her address.

2.  oversimplify
something for unsophisticated audience: to
write in simplified language for the benefit of an audience considered to be
unsophisticated, inexperienced, or unintelligent

3.  write
disparagingly about somebody: to write slightingly or
disparagingly about somebody

4.  reduce
the entered value of something: to reduce the price or
value of something, especially the value of an asset as entered in the accounts
of a business

[1]



write-down

write-down
write-down 
(plural write-downs) noun

reduction in entered value:
a reduction in the value of an asset as entered in the books of a business[1]



writein

writein
write
in
verb

1.  intransitive
verb
write
to an organization: to send a letter to an
organization

2.  transitive
verb
POLITICS add
name to ballot: to add somebody’s name to a ballot in an
election in order to vote for that person

3.  transitive
verb
write
details in form: to write additional words into a text or
document • wrote
in all the personal health data required

[1]



write-in

write-in
write-in 
(plural write-ins) noun POLITICS

1.  vote
adding candidate to ballot: a vote cast in an election
by adding somebody’s name to the ballot

2.  candidate
added to ballot: a candidate added to a ballot by a voter

[1]



write-off

write-off
write-off 
(plural write-offs) noun

1.  ACCOUNTING reduction
in value:
a reduction in the estimated value of an asset

2.  ACCOUNTING something
reduced in value: an asset that has had its estimated
value reduced

3.  ACCOUNTING amount
of reduction in value: the monetary amount by which
something such as a corporate asset has been reduced in value • The
corporation took a $5 million write-off in the second quarter.

4.  U.K.
AUTOMOTIVE vehicle
damaged beyond repair: something, especially a
vehicle, that is so badly damaged that it is not economical to repair it

[1]



writeoff

writeoff
write
off
transitive verb

1.  decide
somebody or something is worthless: to
dismiss somebody or something as worthless or unsuccessful and not worth
continued attention or performance (informal)

2.  U.K.
damage
vehicle too badly to repair: to damage a vehicle so badly
that it is not economical to repair it

3.  ACCOUNTING reduce
value of something: to reduce the estimated
value of an asset for accounting purposes

4.  ACCOUNTING remove
bad debt or valueless asset: to remove a debt considered
irrecoverable or an asset with no value from the accounts of a business

[1]



writeout

writeout
write
out
transitive verb

1.  write
something in complete form: to write something in its
complete form • write out your name

2.  say
something in writing: to express something in
written form

3.  BROADCASTING remove
a character from a series: to remove a regular
character from a radio or television series • He’s
been written out of the show.

[1]



write-protected

write-protected
write-pro·tect·ed
adjective

not alterable:
used to describe computer storage space that cannot be altered or erased[1]



writer

writer
writ·er 
[rtər] (plural writ·ers) noun

1.  somebody
who writes as profession: somebody who writes books or
articles as a profession

2.  person
who wrote document: the person who wrote a
particular text or document

3.  somebody
who can write: somebody who is able to write, who
writes well, or who enjoys writing

4.  scribe:
a scribe (archaic)
[Old English wrītere][1]



writer’sblock

writer’sblock
writ·er’s
block 
noun

situation when writer cannot
write: an inability on the part of
a writer to start a new piece of writing or continue an existing one[1]



writer’scramp

writer’scramp
writ·er’s
cramp
noun

muscular spasm:
a muscular spasm that results from a prolonged period of writing and affects
the muscles of the forearm, hand, and fingers, causing temporary cramping and
pain[1]



writeup

writeup
write
up
transitive verb

1.  write
something from earlier notes: to write a report or account
of something from notes made earlier

2.  write
review of something: to write a review of
something such as a new play or book

3.  update
journal or diary: to bring something such as a journal or
log up to date by writing additional entries

4.  report
somebody for unlawful act: to report somebody in
writing for violating a law or rule • wrote
the motorist up for illegal parking

5.  ACCOUNTING overvalue
assets:
to overvalue corporate assets

[1]



write-up

write-up
write-up 
(plural write-ups) noun

1.  PUBLISHING review
of material: a written account of material,
especially a published review of a new play, book, or movie

2.  ACCOUNTING overvaluation
of assets:
a deliberate overvaluation of company assets

[1]



writhe

writhe
writhe 
[rī] verb (past writhed,
past participle writhed, present participle writh·ing,
3rd person present singular writhes)

1.  intransitive
verb
twist
or squirm:
to make violent twisting and rolling movements with the body, especially as a
result of severe pain • writhing
in agony

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb move
in twisting way: to move in a twisting, squirming way, or
to cause the body to move in this way

3.  intransitive
verb
experience
strong emotion: to feel a particular emotion, especially
embarrassment or shame, very strongly, and experience internal stress as a
result of it
noun
(plural writhes)

writhing movement:
a twisting or squirming movement
[Old
English wrīþan . Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is
also the ancestor of English wrest
and wreath .]
—writh·er, noun[1]



writing

writing
writ·ing 
[rting] noun

1.  words
written down: words or other symbols, for example,
hieroglyphics, written down as a means of communication

2.  written
material:
written material, especially considered as the product of a writer’s skill

3.  activity
of creating books: the activity of creating
written works, especially as a job

4.  style
of letters in writing: the letters and words formed
on a page by somebody using a pen or pencil, or the style in which somebody
writes • I
can’t read your writing.
Also
called
handwriting
plural
noun
writ·ings

all author’s written output:
all the publications and written work of a writer • Churchill’s
writings on the war.

[1]



writingdesk

writingdesk
writ·ing
desk
noun

1.  desk
for writing: a desk with a surface for writing on and
compartments for holding paper, envelopes, and other writing materials

2.  portable
case with writing surface: a portable case used for
carrying writing materials that often has a hard surface for writing

[1]



writingpaper

writingpaper
writ·ing
pa·per
noun

paper for writing on:
paper of a quality good enough to write on with ink[1]



Writings

Writings
Writ·ings
[rítingz] plural noun

See
Hagiographa[1]



writof election

writof election
writ
of e·lec·tion (plural writs of e·lec·tion)
noun

order to hold election:
an order to hold an election, particularly a special election to fill a
vacancy, issued by a governor or other controlling authority[1]



writof error

writof error
writ
of er·ror
(plural writs of er·ror) noun

order for appellate review:
a writ that directs and empowers an appellate court to review, and if necessary
correct, a prior proceeding or ruling of a lower court[1]



writof prohibition

writof prohibition
writ
of pro·hi·bi·tion (plural writs of
pro·hi·bi·tion) noun

writ ordering cease and
desist: a writ made by a higher
court to a lower court ordering the lower court to stop proceeding in a matter
outside its jurisdiction[1]



written

written
writ·ten


Past participle of
write[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WrittenLaw

WrittenLaw
Writ·ten
Law
noun

JUDAISM
See Torah  noun 2[1]



WrittenLaw

WrittenLaw
Writ·ten
Law
noun

JUDAISM
See Torah  noun 2[1]



WRNS

WRNS
WRNS
or W.R.N.S.

Abbreviation of
Women’s Royal Naval Service[1]



wrnt.

wrnt.
wrnt.

Abbreviation of
warrant[1]



Wroclaw

Wroclaw
Wroc·law 
[vráwt slf]

city and port in southwestern
Poland, on the Oder River. Population: 644,000 (1992)[1]



wrong

wrong
wrong 
[rawng] adjective (comparative
wrong·er, superlative wrong·est)

1.  incorrect:
not correct or accurate • That’s
the wrong answer.

2.  mistaken:
holding an incorrect opinion about a person, thing, or matter • I
thought it would be fun, but I was wrong.

3.  not
meant:
not the intended or desired one • It was
sent to the wrong address.

4.  not
in normal state: not in the normal satisfactory state • What’s
wrong with you today?

5.  not
conforming to accepted standards: not in accordance with
law, morality, or with people’s sense of fairness, justice, and what is
acceptable behavior • It’s
wrong to steal.

6.  unsuitable:
unsuitable, or showing poor judgment on the part of the person who chooses,
does, or says it • It’s the wrong time of
year to be planting seeds.

7.  not
working:
not functioning correctly • There’s
something wrong with the washing machine.

8.  reversed
or inverted: opposite to the normal, proper, or
intended side, way or direction • This
picture is the wrong way up.
adverb

1.  incorrectly:
incorrectly or in a way that leads to failure or a different result from the
one intended • You’ve
spelled that wrong.

2.  in
wrong direction: in a direction that is different from or
opposite to the right or intended direction
noun
(plural wrongs)

1.  action
not considered moral: an action or situation that
does not conform to ideas of morality or justice

2.  unacceptable
behavior:
behavior that is morally or socially unacceptable • Children
have to be taught the difference between right and wrong.

3.  LAW See tort

4.  LAW infringement
of somebody’s legal rights: an infringement, abridgment,
or violation of another party’s rights under the law
transitive
verb
(past wronged, past participle wronged, present
participle wrong·ing, 3rd person present singular wrongs)

1.  treat
somebody unjustly: to judge or treat somebody
unjustly • He
felt he had been wronged.

2.  discredit
somebody:
to discredit somebody by saying malicious but untrue things about him or her

3.  bring
dishonor on a woman: to seduce a woman and
thereby bring about her dishonor (archaic)
[Old
English wrange “wrongful act.” The adjective wrang probably
existed in Old English, but is not found before the 12th century. The adjective
and probably the noun are of Scandinavian origin.]
—wrong·er,
noun

—wrong·ly,
adverb

—wrong·ness,
noun
be
in the wrong

1.  to
be to blame for something

2.  to
be mistaken

get
something wrong

to
make a mistake in an answer or calculation

get
something wrong

or get
somebody wrongto misunderstand something or somebody

go
wrong

1.  to
go badly or not according to plan

2.  to
make a mistake

3.  to
fail to conform to ideas of morality or justice

go
wrong with

to
develop a malfunction or error • Something’s
gone wrong with the television.

[1]



wrongdoing

wrongdoing
wrong·do·ing
[ráwng d ing] (plural wrong·do·ings)
noun

behavior
considered wrong: behavior or an action that fails to
conform to standards of law or morality
—wrong·do·er, noun[1]



wrong-foot

wrong-foot
wrong-foot
(past wrong-foot·ed, past participle wrong-foot·ed,
present participle wrong-footing, 3rd person present singular
wrong-foots) transitive verb

catch opponent off balance:
to cause an opponent to anticipate wrongly the direction in which a move is
going to be made or a ball hit or kicked[1]



wrongful

wrongful
wrong·ful 
[ráwngfəl] adjective

1.  unlawful:
not done according to the law • brought
a suit alleging wrongful arrest

2.  unjust:
not just or fair
—wrong·ful·ly,
adverb

—wrong·ful·ness, noun[1]



wrongfuldeath action

wrongfuldeath action
wrong·ful
death ac·tion noun

LAW
action to remedy death:
an action provided by statute or constitution to recover or obtain remedy from
a party that is judged to have contributed to or caused the death of another
person[1]



wrong-headed

wrong-headed
wrong-head·ed 
adjective

1.  irrational:
completely contrary to reason or good sense

2.  obstinately
unreasonable: obstinately sticking to a false belief,
opinion, or course of action
—wrong-head·ed·ly,
adverb

—wrong-head·ed·ness, noun[1]



wrongnumber

wrongnumber
wrong
num·ber
(plural wrong num·bers) noun

incorrectly dialed phone
number: an incorrectly dialed
telephone number that connects the caller with the wrong person[1]



wrote

wrote
wrote


Past tense of
write[1]



wroth

wroth
wroth 
[roth] adjective

wrathful:
extremely angry (archaic or literary)
[Old English wrāþ .
Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base that is also the ancestor of
English wreath and wrath .][1]



wrought

wrought
wrought


(archaic)
Past tense of work Past participle
of work
adjective

1.  made
carefully or decoratively: made in a skillful or
decorative way (often used in combination) • a
delicately wrought ebony screen

2.  relating
to decorative metalwork: used to describe decorative
metalwork shaped by hammering and welding

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Correct
  and incorrect contexts:
  As
  the term wrought iron suggests, wrought
  is a past tense not of wreak but of work . Confusion is perhaps
  inevitable, because wreak means “inflict, vent, cause,” and work,
  too, can mean “cause,” among many other things. Furthermore, work has
  the additional, and far more common, past tense worked . Wrought is seen in only a few, rather specialized
  situations such as ones relating to metalwork, and the set phrase • What
  hath God wrought (used by Samuel Morse in
  the first successful test of the telegraph). Wrought havoc, however,
  is not correct; it should be wreaked havoc.

[1]



wroughtiron

wroughtiron
wrought
i·ron
noun

refined
form of iron: a highly refined form of iron that is
easy to shape but is strong and fairly resistant to rust, widely used for
decorative metalwork. Wrought iron contains only 1 to 3 per cent of silicate
slag distributed in fibers within the iron, thus making it very malleable.
—wrought-i·ron, adjective[1]



wrought-up

wrought-up
wrought-up
or wrought up adjective

in nervous state:
tensely nervous, agitated, or excited[1]



wrung

wrung
wrung


Past tense of
wring Past participle of wring[1]



wry

wry
wry 
[rī] (comparative wri·er or
wry·er, superlative wri·est or wry·est) adjective

1.  amusing
and ironic:
combining, or expressing a mixture of, mild amusement and irony • a
wry remark

2.  characterized
by ironic acceptance: characterized by or showing
a slightly ironic acceptance of something not particularly pleasant or
desirable • a
wry grin

3.  twisted:
out of shape or twisted to one side
[Old
English wrīgian “to turn.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to turn” that is also the ancestor of English invert
.]
—wry·ly,
adverb

—wry·ness, noun[1]



wrybill

wrybill
wry·bill 
[r bìl] (plural wry·bills) noun

New Zealand bird with bent
bill: a New Zealand shore bird of
the plover family whose bill is bent to one side so that it can search for food
beneath pebbles. Latin name: Anarhyncus fontalis[1]



wryneck

wryneck

wry·neck 
[r nèk] (plural wry·necks) noun

1.  bird
of woodpecker family: a European and Asian bird of
the woodpecker family with mottled brown plumage and a short sharp bill. The
wryneck eats insects and lives in holes but does not drill into trees. Latin
name: Jynx torquilla Jynx ruficollis

2.        MEDICINE See torticollis[1]



WS

WS
WS

Abbreviation of
Western Samoa[1]



WSW

WSW
WSW

Abbreviation of
west-southwest[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








wt.

wt.
wt.

Abbreviation of
weight[1]



WTA

WTA
WTA
noun

Abbreviation of
Women’s Tennis Association[1]



WTO

WTO
WTO

Abbreviation of
World Trade Organization[1]



Wu

Wu
Wu
[woo] noun

LANGUAGE group
of Chinese dialects: a group of Chinese dialects
belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family of the Chinese group. It is
spoken mainly in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China and is the
colloquial language of Shanghai. About 90 million people speak Wu.
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese wú .][1]



Wuhan

Wuhan
Wu·han 
[w háan]

capital city of Hubei
Province, central China. Population: 3,860,000 (1993)[1]



wulfenite

wulfenite
wul·fen·ite 
[wlfə nt] noun

orange,
yellow, or brown mineral: an orange, yellow, or brown
mineral consisting of lead molybdate, used as a source of molybdenum
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the Austrian scientist F. X. von Wulfen (1728–1805).][1]



wunderkind

wunderkind
wun·der·kind 
[vndər kìnd, wúndər
kìnd] (plural wun·der·kind·er [vnderkìndər,
wúndər kìndər] or wun·der·kinds)
noun

1.  young
successful person: somebody who is extremely
successful at a young age

2.  child
prodigy:
a child who is unusually talented at something
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “wonder child.”][1]



Wuppertal

Wuppertal
Wup·per·tal 
[vppər taal]

city in North
Rhine-Westphalia State, northwestern Germany. It is situated about 32 km/20 mi
east of Düsseldorf. Population: 382,400 (1995)[1]



wurst

wurst
wurst 
[wurst, woorst]
(plural wursts) noun

1.  sausage:
sausage of any kind

2.  U.K.
German
sausage:
a type of sausage made in Germany and Austria, especially a large sausage
intended to be sliced and eaten cold
[Mid-19th century. From
German Wurst “sausage.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to confuse” that is also the ancestor of English worst
.][1]



wushu

wushu
wu·shu 
[w sh] or wu shu [w sh] noun

Chinese
martial arts: Chinese martial arts considered
collectively
[Late 20th century. From
Chinese wŭ shù, literally “military technique.”][1]



wuss

wuss
wuss 
[wuss] (plural wusses) noun

offensive
term:
a term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as weak or ineffectual (slang
insult)
[Late
20th C. Origin unknown.]
—wuss·y, adjective[1]



WV

WV
WV

1.  Abbreviation
of
West Virginia

2.  Abbreviation
of
(Windward Islands) St. Vincent

[1]



WWF

WWF
WWF

1.  Abbreviation
of
World Wide Fund for Nature

2.  Abbreviation
of
World Wrestling Federation

[1]



WWI

WWI
WWI

Abbreviation of
World War One[1]



WWII

WWII
WWII

Abbreviation of
World War Two[1]



WWW

WWW
WWW

Abbreviation of
World Wide Web[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








WY

WY
WY
or Wy

Abbreviation of
Wyoming[1]



Wyandot

Wyandot
Wy·an·dot 
[w ən dòt] (plural Wy·an·dot or
Wy·an·dots) or Wy·an·dotte [w
ən dòt] (plural Wy·an·dotte or Wy·an·dottes)
noun

PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that originally occupied lands in Ohio and parts of neighboring
states, and whose members now live mainly in Oklahoma
[Mid-18th century. Via French
Ouendat from Huron Wendat .][1]



Wyandotte

Wyandotte
Wy·an·dotte 
[w ən dòt] (plural Wy·an·dottes)
noun

chicken:
a medium-sized North American domestic chicken
[Late 19th century. Variant
of Wyandot .][1]



Wyatt,Thomas

Wyatt,Thomas
Wy·att
[w ət], Sir Thomas (1503–1542)

English courtier and poet.
His service at Henry VIII’s court included diplomatic missions. His poems,
published in 1557, introduced Italian verse forms into England.[1]



wychelm

wychelm
wych
elm 
[wích èlm] or witch elm [wích èlm] noun

elm
tree:
an elm with a rounded crown, long pointed leaves, and clusters of winged green
fruit. Latin name: Ulmus glabra
[Old English wice .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to bend, be pliant,” which is
also the ancestor of English wicker, vetch, weak,
and vicar .][1]



Wycherley,William

Wycherley,William
Wych·er·ley
[wíchər lee], William (1640?–1716)

English playwright. His
comedies include The Country Wife ( 1675 ) and The Plain Dealer (
1677 ).[1]



Wycliffe,John

Wycliffe,John
Wy·cliffe
[wíklif] or Wy·clif [wíklif] or Wi·cliff [wíklif], John (1330?–1384)

English
philosopher and religious reformer. He supervised the first English translation
of the Bible, published posthumously in 1388. He rejected the doctrine of
transubstantiation and denounced abuses in the Roman Catholic Church,
anticipating the Protestant Reformation.

—Wyc·liff·ite, noun,
adjective[1]



wye

wye
wye 
[wī] (plural wyes) noun

1.  letter
“y”:
the letter “y”

2.  something
with shape of letter “Y”: something that has a shape
resembling the letter “Y”
[Mid-19th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a variant pronunciation of ui, from the letters “V” plus
“I,” analyzed as components of the letter “Y.”][1]



Wyeth,Andrew

Wyeth,Andrew
Wy·eth
[w əth], Andrew (1917– )

U.S.
artist. The son of N. C. Wyeth, he typically depicted rural scenes with a
strong emotional charge in paintings such as Christina’s World ( 1948 ).
Full name
Wyeth, Andrew Newell[1]



Wyeth,N. C.

Wyeth,N. C.
Wy·eth
[w əth], N. C. (1882–1945)

U.S.
artist. A leading illustrator and muralist, he produced illustrations for many
children’s classics, notably Treasure Island (1924).
Full name
Wyeth, Newell Convers[1]



Wyler,William

Wyler,William
Wy·ler
[wlər], William (1902–1981)

German-born U.S. movie
director. His Academy Award-winning movies include Mrs. Miniver ( 1942 )
and Ben-Hur ( 1959 ).[1]



Wylie,Elinor

Wylie,Elinor
Wy·lie
[wlee], Elinor (1885–1928)

U.S.
writer. She achieved success with both poetry and fiction, especially The
Orphan Angel ( 1926 ), a fantasy on the life of the poet Shelley.
Full name
Wylie, Elinor Morton[1]



wynd

wynd
wynd
[wīnd] (plural wynds) noun

Scotland
narrow
street:
a narrow lane in a town
[15th century. Origin
uncertain: Probably formed from wind 2 .][1]



wynn

wynn
wynn 
[win] (plural wynns) or
wyn [win] (plural wynns)
noun

Old
English rune: a runic letter used in Old English.
Also
called
wen
[Old English wyn,
literally “joy.” Runes were named using words beginning with their sound.][1]



Wyo.

Wyo.
Wyo.

Abbreviation of
Wyoming[1]



Wyoming

Wyoming


Wy·o·ming 
[wī ṓming]
state
of the northwestern United States, bordered by Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Capital: Cheyenne. Population: 528,964 (1997) Area:
253,350 sq km/97,819 sq mi.
—Wy·o·min·gite, noun[1]



Wyoming




Back to definition

Wyoming

[1]



WYSIWYG

WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG 
[wízzi wìg] adjective

printing
out as shown on screen: used to describe any
technology that enables the user to see an image of text and graphics on a
computer display exactly as it will appear when printed. Full form what you see is what you get
[Late 20th century. Acronym.][1]



Wythe,George

Wythe,George
Wythe
[with], George (1726–1806)

American patriot and jurist.
Representing Virginia, he signed the Declaration of Independence (1776). His
greatest influence came through his work training lawyers at the College of
William and Mary (1779–1790).[1]



wyvern

wyvern
wy·vern 
[wvərn] (plural wy·verns) or
wivern [wvərn] (plural wiverns)
noun

creature
in heraldry: in heraldry, a mythical creature
depicted as having two legs, a dragon’s head, wings, and a long tail
[Late 16th C. Via Old French wivre
from Latin vipera (see viper ).][1]



Würzburg

Würzburg
Würz·burg
[vúrts burg, vürts
berk]

city in northeastern Bavaria
State, southern Germany. Population: 127,700 (1995)[1]



X

X1
X1 [eks]
or x [eks] noun

Roman numeral for 10:
the Roman numeral for ten[1]



X

X2
X2

PHYSICS
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Symbol
for reactance[1]



x

x3
x3

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BUSINESS Abbreviation of extension[1]



x

x2
x2

1.
(used when giving the dimensions of sth) Symbol for by

2.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for
multiplied by

3.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for an
algebraic variable

4.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for a
Cartesian coordinate along the x-axis

5.  BRIDGE Symbol for any card
that is not an honor

6.  COMMERCE FINANCE Symbol for ex

[1]



x

x1

x1 [eks]
or X [eks] noun (plural
x’s) (plural X’s or Xs)

1.  24th
letter of English alphabet: the twenty-fourth letter of
the modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “X”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “X”

3.  letter
“X” written: a written representation of the letter
“X”

4.  “X”-shaped
symbolic mark: an “X”-shaped mark used in place of a
signature by somebody who cannot write, to indicate a vote, to show that
something is incorrect, or to represent a kiss

5.  symbol
used to represent an unknown: a letter “X” or an
“X”-shaped mark used to represent an unknown quantity, an unnamed person, or
any unknown or unspecified factor or thing
transitive verb
(past x-ed or x’ed, past participle x-ed
or x’ed, present participle x-ing or x’ing,
3rd person present singular x-es or x’es) (past
X-ed or X’ed, past participle X-ed or
X’ed, present participle X-ing or X’ing, 3rd
person present singular X-es or X’s)

mark or sign with “X”:
to mark or sign something with an “X”[1]



Xanadu

Xanadu
Xan·a·du 
[zánnə d] (plural Xan·a·dus) noun

beautiful
place:
an idyllically beautiful place
[Mid-20th century. From
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan (1816), in which it is the
name of a residence of Kubla Khan (1216–1294). An alteration of Shang-tu
.][1]



xanth-

xanth-
xanth-
prefix

See
xantho-[1]



xanthangum

xanthangum
xan·than
gum 
[zánthən gùm] (plural xan·than
gums) noun

natural
gum:
a natural gum with a high molecular weight that is produced by the fermentation
of glucose and is used in the food industry as a stabilizer
[Mid-20th century. “Xanthan”
formed from modern Latin Xanthomonas, a bacterium, coined from xantho- + monad
.][1]



xanthate

xanthate
xan·thate 
[zán thàyt] (plural xan·thates)
noun

compound
of xanthic acid: a chemical compound that is a salt or
ester of xanthic acid. Xanthates are used in the chemical extraction of metals
such as copper and gold and in the manufacture of rayon.
[Mid-19th century. Formed
from xanthic acid .][1]



xanthene

xanthene
xan·thene 
[zán thn] noun

yellow
crystalline compound: a yellow crystalline
compound used as a fungicide. Its structure forms the basis of a range of
organic dyes such as fluoroscein. CH2(C6H4)2O
[Late 19th century][1]



xanthicacid

xanthicacid
xan·thic
ac·id 
[zànthik ássid] noun

unstable organic acid:
an unstable organic sulfur-containing acid. ROC(S)SH where R is an organic
group[1]



xanthine

xanthine
xan·thine 
[zán thn, zánthin]
(plural xan·thines) noun

1.  crystalline
compound:
a yellow-white crystalline compound found in blood and urine and in some
plants. It is the precursor of uric acid. C5H4N4O2

2.  xanthine
derivative:
a derivative of xanthine such as caffeine, theophylline, or theobromine
[Mid-19th century][1]



xantho-

xantho-
xantho-
prefix

1.  yellow
• xanthopterin

2.  xanthic
acid • xanthate
[From Greek xanthos
“yellow”][1]



xanthoma

xanthoma
xan·tho·ma 
[zan thṓmə] (plural xan·tho·mas
or xan·tho·ma·ta [zan thṓmətə])
noun

lipid-filled
skin lesion: a yellow lipid-filled lesion on the
skin, especially on the eyelids, that indicates a disorder of fat metabolism
—xan·thom·a·tous [zan thómmətəss], adjective[1]



xanthomatosis

xanthomatosis
xan·tho·ma·to·sis 
[zànthəmə tṓssiss] noun

skin condition:
the presence of multiple xanthomas on the skin[1]



xanthone

xanthone
xan·thone 
[zán thn] noun

crystalline compound:
a colorless crystalline compound that is the basis of certain dyes. C13H8O2[1]



xanthophyll

xanthophyll
xan·tho·phyll 
[zànthə fìl] (plural xan·tho·phylls)
noun

yellow
plant pigment: a yellow oxygen-containing pigment found
with chlorophyll in the tissue of plants. Some xanthophylls are responsible for
the colors of autumn leaves.
—xan·tho·phyl·lic [zànthə fíllik], adjective[1]



Xanthus

Xanthus
Xan·thus
[zánthəss]

ancient
capital city of Lycia in southern Asia Minor, in present-day southwestern
Turkey. Destroyed by the Persians in 546 BC
and the Romans in 42 BC, the
remains of the city and numerous artworks were discovered by Sir Charles
Fellows in 1838.
—Xan·th·i·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Xavier,St. Francis

Xavier,St. Francis
Xa·vi·er
[záyvee ər, ig
záyvee ər], St. Francis (1506–1552)

Spanish
missionary. He helped St. Ignatius of Loyola to found the Jesuits, and
established missions in India, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Known as
the Apostle of the Indies[1]



x-axis

x-axis
x-ax·is 
noun

1.  axis
in three-dimensional coordinate system: an
axis in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, conventionally the
horizontal one

2.  axis
in two-dimensional coordinate system: the
horizontal axis in a two-dimensional coordinate system

[1]



XC

XC
XC
or X-C

SPORTS
Abbreviation of cross-country[1]



X-certificate

X-certificate
X-cer·tif·i·cate
adjective

U.K.
See X-rated[1]



X-chromosome

X-chromosome
X-chro·mo·some 
or X chromosome noun

sex chromosome:
a chromosome present in both sexes that plays a role in determining the sex of
an individual. Female mammals carry two X chromosomes and males carry one.
See also
Y chromosome[1]



x-coordinate

x-coordinate
x-co·or·di·nate
(plural x-co·or·di·nates) noun

position of point in space:
the position of a point in space with reference to the x-axis in the Cartesian
coordinate system, defined in conjunction with the y- and z-coordinates[1]



XD

XD
XD
or x-div.

STOCK
EXCHANGE Abbreviation of ex dividend[1]



Xe

Xe
Xe

Symbol for
xenon[1]



xebec

xebec
xe·bec 
[z bèk] (plural xe·becs) or
ze·bec [z bèk] (plural ze·becs)
noun

small
three-masted ship: a small Mediterranean ship
with three masts rigged with both square and triangular sails
[Mid-18th century. Via French
chebec from, ultimately, Arabic šabbāk .][1]



xen-

xen-
xen-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
xeno-[1]



xenia

xenia
xe·ni·a 
[znee ə, znyə]
noun

genetic
effect of pollen: the effect of genes carried by pollen on
the food storage tissue ( endosperm ) of the
pollinated seed
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin from Greek, formed from xenos (see xeno-
).][1]



xeno-

xeno-
xeno-
prefix

foreign,
strange, different • xenophile
• xenolith
[Via modern Latin from Greek xenos
“stranger, foreigner”][1]



xenobiotic

xenobiotic
xen·o·bi·ot·ic 
[zènnə bī óttik, znə
bī óttik] adjective

foreign
to body:
used to describe a chemical compound, for example, a drug or pesticide, that is
foreign to the body of a living organism
noun
(plural xen·o·bi·ot·ics)

foreign compound:
a xenobiotic chemical compound[1]



xenocryst

xenocryst
xen·o·cryst 
[zénnə krìst, znə
krìst] (plural xen·o·crysts) noun

crystal
foreign to rock: a crystal in an igneous rock introduced
from an external source and not crystallized from the magma
[Late 19th century. Formed
from an abbreviation of xeno- + crystal .][1]



xenodiagnosis

xenodiagnosis
xen·o·di·ag·no·sis 
[zènnō dī əg nṓssiss, znō dī əg nṓssiss] (plural xen·o·di·ag·nos·es
[zènnō dī əg nṓ sz, znō dī əg nṓ sz]) noun

diagnosis
of disease using insect: the diagnosis of a parasitic
infection by allowing a noninfected disease-carrying organism, for example, a
mosquito, to feed on an infected person’s blood and then examining the organism
for infection
—xen·o·di·ag·nos·tic [zènnō dī əg nóstik, znō
dī əg nóstik], adjective[1]



xenogeneic

xenogeneic
xen·o·ge·ne·ic 
[zènnəjə n ik, zènnəjə
náy ik, znəjə n ik, znəjə náy ik] adjective

derived
from another species: coming from or derived from
a different species
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
syngeneic .][1]



xenogenesis

xenogenesis
xen·o·gen·e·sis 
[zènnə jénnəssiss, znə
jénnəssiss] noun BIOLOGY

1.  production
of offspring different from parents: the
supposed production of offspring completely different from either parent

2.  alternation
of generations: the existence in the life cycle of an
organism of two or more alternating forms or reproductive modes, for example,
sexual and asexual cycles
—xen·o·ge·net·ic [zènnə jə néttik, znə
jə néttik], adjective[1]



xenograft

xenograft
xen·o·graft 
[zénnə gràft, znə
gràft] (plural xen·o·grafts) noun

See
heterograft[1]



xenolith

xenolith
xen·o·lith 
[zénnə lìth, znə
lìth] (plural xen·o·liths) noun

foreign
rock fragment: a fragment of rock that is different in
origin from the igneous rock in which it occurs
—xen·o·lith·ic [zènnə líthik, znə
líthik], adjective[1]



xenon

xenon

xe·non 
[z nòn] noun
colorless
odorless gaseous element: a heavy colorless odorless
gaseous chemical element that is relatively inert, found in minute quantities
in air, and used in electronic tubes and specialized lamps. Symbol Xe
[Late 19th century. From
Greek xenon, the neuter of xenos (see xeno-
).][1]



Xenophanes

Xenophanes
Xe·noph·a·nes 
[zə nóffə nz] (lived late 6th-early 5th
centuries BC)

Greek philosopher and poet.
He ridiculed the polytheistic beliefs of earlier Greek poets and is thought to
have founded the Eleatic school of philosophy.[1]



xenophile

xenophile
xen·o·phile 
[zénnə fl, znə
fl] (plural xen·o·philes) noun

somebody
who likes foreigners: somebody who likes foreign
people, their customs and culture, or foreign things
—xen·o·phil·i·a
[zènnə fíllee ə, znə
fíllee ə], noun

—xe·noph·i·lous [ze nóffələss, zə nóffələss],
adjective[1]



xenophobe

xenophobe
xen·o·phobe 
[zénnə fb, znə
fb] (plural xen·o·phobes) noun

somebody who fears
foreigners: somebody who fears or
dislikes foreign people, their customs and culture, or foreign things[1]



xenophobia

xenophobia
xen·o·pho·bi·a 
[zènnə fṓbee ə, znə
fṓbee ə] noun

fear
of foreigners: an intense fear or dislike of foreign
people, their customs and culture, or foreign things
—xen·o·pho·bic [zènnə fṓbik, znə fṓbik],
adjective[1]



Xenophon

Xenophon
Xen·o·phon 
[zénnəf’n, zénnə
fon] (430? BC–355? BC)

Greek historian and soldier.
A disciple of Socrates, he participated in the attack on Persia by Cyrus the
Younger (401 BC ) and led the
10,000-strong Greek force to safety on the Black Sea, an episode he described
in his Anabasis.[1]



xenopus

xenopus
xe·no·pus
[zénnəpəss] noun

African
frog:
an aquatic frog found in pools and streams in southern Africa. Genus: Xenopus
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin, name of the genus, from Greek xeno- (see xeno- ) + pous “foot.”][1]



xenotransplantation

xenotransplantation
xen·o·trans·plan·ta·tion
[zènnō tràns plan táysh’n, znō tráns plan táysh’n] noun

transplantation
between different species: the process of transplanting
organs from one species to another, especially from animals to humans
[Late 20th century. Coined
from xeno- + transplantation .][1]



xer-

xer-
xer- 
prefix

(used before vowels)See
xero-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








xeric

xeric
xer·ic 
[zérrik, zírrik]
adjective

relating
to dry habitat: relating to or living in a dry habitat
—xer·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



Xeriscape

Xeriscape
Xe·ri·scape 
[zérri skàyp] Trademark

a trademark for a method of
water conservation by landscaping, used in areas with an arid climate[1]



xero-

xero-
xero-
prefix

dry,
dryness • xerothermic
[From Greek xēros][1]



xeroderma

xeroderma
xer·o·der·ma 
[zrō dúrmə] or xe·ro·der·mi·a
[zrō dúrmee ə] noun

dry
hard scaly skin: a mild form of the hereditary disorder
ichthyosis, marked by discolored dry hard scaly skin
—xe·ro·der·mat·ic
[zrō dur máttik], adjective

—xe·ro·der·ma·tous [zrō dúrmətəss], adjective[1]



xerodermapigmentosum

xerodermapigmentosum
xer·o·der·ma
pig·men·to·sum  [zrō dúrmə
pìgmən tṓssəm] noun

hereditary skin condition:
a rare and often fatal hereditary condition beginning in infancy in which the
skin and eyes are damaged by sunlight. It results in freckles, discolored
patches, and skin cancers.[1]



xerography

xerography
xe·rog·ra·phy 
[zi róggrəfee] noun

photocopying
method:
a method of photocopying in which the image is formed by attracting a resinous
powder to an electrostatically charged plate, then transferred to paper and
fixed by heating
—xe·rog·ra·pher,
noun

—xer·o·graph·ic
[zrə gráffik], adjective

—xer·o·graph·i·cal·ly
[zrə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



xeromorphic

xeromorphic
xe·ro·mor·phic 
[zrə máwrfik] adjective

adapted
to dry conditions: used to describe plants or
plant parts that are adapted for survival in dry conditions, for example, spiny
leaves that reduce surface area and therefore water loss
[Early 20th century.
Ultimately from Greek xēros “dry.”][1]



xerophilous

xerophilous
xe·roph·i·lous 
[zi róffələss] adjective

thriving
in a dry habitat: thriving in or adapted for a hot dry
habitat
—xe·ro·phile
[zrə fl], noun

—xe·roph·i·ly [zi róffəlee], noun[1]



xerophthalmia

xerophthalmia
xer·oph·thal·mi·a 
[zrəf thálmee ə] noun

eye
disease causing dryness of eyeball: an
eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency, marked by dryness and ulceration of
the conjunctiva and cornea. If untreated, it may cause blindness.
—xer·oph·thal·mic, adjective[1]



xerophyte

xerophyte
xer·o·phyte 
[zrə ft] (plural xer·o·phytes)
noun

desert
plant:
a plant that is adapted for a dry habitat, for example, a cactus
—xer·o·phyt·ic
[zrə fíttik], adjective

—xer·o·phyt·i·cal·ly
[zrə fíttikəlee], adverb

—xe·ro·phyt·ism [zrə f tìzzəm], noun[1]



xeroradiography

xeroradiography
xe·ro·ra·di·og·ra·phy
[zrə ràydee óggrəfee] noun

high-definition
X-ray photography: a type of high-definition
X-ray photography in which the image is first made on a specially coated metal
plate then transferred to paper. It is often used in screening for breast
cancer.
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Greek xēro- “dry,” from xēros + radiography .][1]



xerosis

xerosis
xe·ro·sis 
[zi rṓssiss] noun

abnormal
dryness of the eyes: abnormal dryness of the skin
and mucous membranes of the eye, caused by thickening of the membranes
—xe·rot·ic [zi róttik], adjective[1]



xerostomia

xerostomia
xe·ros·to·mi·a 
[zrə stṓmee ə] noun

abnormal dryness of the
mouth: an abnormal lack of saliva
in the mouth, caused by disease, poisoning, or some drugs[1]



xerothermic

xerothermic
xe·ro·ther·mic 
[zrə thúrmik] adjective

hot and dry:
very hot and having little rainfall • a
xerothermic climate[1]



Xerox

Xerox
Xer·ox 
[z ròks] Trademark

a trademark for a
photocopying process[1]



XerxesI

XerxesI
Xer·xes
I 
[zúrk sz], King of Persia (519? BC–465 BC)

As
king (486–465 BC ), he led a huge
army into Greece (480 BC ),
defeating the Greeks at Thermopylae and burning Athens, but his fleet was
defeated at Salamis. He was assassinated by his palace guard.
Known as
Xerxes the Great[1]



x-height

x-height
x-height 
(plural x-heights) noun

height of lowercase x:
the height of the lowercase letter x in a particular typeface, used as a
measure of the height of the main body of all lowercase letters in that
typeface[1]



Xhosa

Xhosa
Xho·sa
[kṓssə, kṓzə]
(plural Xho·sa or Xho·sas) or Xo·sa [kṓssə, kṓzə] noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a S African people: a member of a Bantu people
of South Africa

2.  LANGUAGE Xhosa
language:
the language of the Xhosa people, belonging to the Bantu group of the
Benue-Congo family of languages. Xhosa is spoken by about 7 million people and
is closely related to Zulu.
[Early 19th century. From
Nguni .][1]



xi

xi
xi 
[zī, ksī]
(plural xis) noun

14th letter of the Greek
alphabet: the 14th letter of the Greek
alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “x”[1]



Xiamen

Xiamen
Xia·men 
[shy mén]

city and seaport on Xiamen
Island in Fujian Province, southeastern China. It lies in the Taiwan Strait,
west of Taiwan. Population: 470,000 (1993)[1]



Xiangtan

Xiangtan
Xiang·tan 
[shyàang tn]

city in southern China, in
Hunan Province. It is an inland port and industrial center on the Xiang River.
Population: 411,000 (1988)[1]



XiJiang

XiJiang
Xi
Jiang 
[sh jyng]

river in southern China that
rises in Yunnan Province and flows east to the South China Sea. Length: 2,100
km/1,300 mi.[1]



Xining

Xining
Xi·ning 
[sh níng]

capital city of Qinghai
Province, in central China, northeast of Lanzhou. Population: 551,776 (1990)[1]



XinjiangUygur

XinjiangUygur
Xin·jiang
Uy·gur 
[shìn jyng wgər]

autonomous region in
northwestern China. With one sixth of China’s land, it is the country’s largest
region. Capital: Urumqi. Population: 15,550,000 (1991) Area: 1,600,000 sq
km/618,000 sq mi.[1]



xiphisternum

xiphisternum
xiph·i·ster·num 
[zìffi stúrnəm] (plural xiph·i·ster·na
[zìffi stúrnə]) noun

lowest segment of the
breastbone: the third and lowest segment
of the breastbone ( sternum ) in humans. It
consists of a flat plate of cartilage that gradually changes into bone during
life.
Also called
xiphoid process
Also called
xiphoid[1]



xiphoid

xiphoid
xiph·oid 
[zí fòyd] adjective

1.  sword-shaped:
shaped like a sword

2.  of
the xiphisternum: relating to the xiphisternum
noun
(plural xiph·oids) xiph·oid xiph·oid proc·ess

See xiphisternum

[1]



Xi’an

Xi’an
Xi’an 
[shyaan]

capital city of Shaanxi
Province in eastern China. One of China’s oldest cities, it is home to some
major archaeological sites, including one found to contain a vast army of
life-sized soldiers made of terra cotta. Population: 2,790,000 (1992)[1]



XL

XL
XL

(used of clothing sizes)Abbreviation
of extra large[1]



Xmas

Xmas
X·mas 
[krísməss, éksməss]
(plural X·mas·es) noun

Christmas:
Christmas (informal)
[Mid-16th century. X
represents the Greek letter chi, an abbreviation of Greek Khristos
“Christ.”][1]



Xn.

Xn.
Xn.

Abbreviation of
Christian[1]



Xnty.

Xnty.
Xnty.

Abbreviation of
Christianity[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








xoanon

xoanon
xo·a·non 
[zṓ ə nòn] (plural xo·a·na [zṓ ənə]) noun

wooden
image of a god: an image of a god that has been carved
out of wood
[Early 18th century. From
Greek “carved statue.”][1]



Xochimilco

Xochimilco
Xo·chi·mil·co
[kòchi mílkō]

city in south central Mexico.
It is a suburb of Mexico City, and is famous for its precolonial canals and
floating gardens. Population: 271,020 (1990)[1]



Xout

Xout
X
out
transitive verb

cross out:
to cross something out[1]



X-radiation

X-radiation
X-ra·di·a·tion
noun

1.  exposure
to X-rays:
exposure to X-rays or medical treatment by means of X-rays

2.  X-ray
radiation:
radiation in the form of X-rays

[1]



X-rated

X-rated
X-rat·ed 
adjective

1.  sexually
explicit:
containing explicit sex scenes or descriptions of sex (informal)

2.  not
viewable by young people: used in the past to describe
a movie not allowed to be viewed by people under the age of 17, usually because
of its sexual or violent content.
U.K.
term
X-certificate
[Late 20th century. From “X”
rating given to such material.][1]



X-ray

X-ray
X-ray
or X ray or x-ray or x ray noun
(plural X-rays)

1.  electromagnetic
radiation:
a high-energy electromagnetic radiation. It has a wavelength between 0.01 and
10 nanometers, which is between gamma rays and ultraviolet light, and can
penetrate solids and ionize gas.

2.  photographic
image using X-rays: an image produced on
photographic film by X-rays passing through objects or parts of the body, often
used in medicine and science as a diagnostic tool. Dense parts such as bones
absorb the X-rays and so appear as lighter regions on the developed film.

3.  COMMUNICATION code
word for the letter “X”: a code word for the letter
“X,” used in international radio communications
transitive
verb
(past X-rayed, past participle X-rayed, present
participle X-ray·ing, 3rd person present singular X-rays)

1.  photograph
something using X-rays: to expose something, for
example, a part of the body, to X-rays in order to obtain a photographic image
of it

2.  examine
patient using X-rays: to examine or treat somebody
using X-rays
[Late 19th century.
Translation of German X-Strahl, the name given by Röntgen, who
discovered the rays, x signifying “unknown.”][1]



X-rayastronomy

X-rayastronomy
X-ray
as·tron·o·my noun

astronomy using X-ray
emissions: the branch of astronomy in
which the properties of celestial bodies are determined using the X-rays they
emit. Because the Earth’s atmosphere is opaque to X-rays, observations are made
using rockets or satellites.[1]



X-raycrystallography

X-raycrystallography
X-ray
crys·tal·log·ra·phy noun

study of crystals using
X-rays: the study of crystal
structures using the diffraction patterns produced by scattered X-rays[1]



X-raydiffraction

X-raydiffraction
X-ray
dif·frac·tion noun

scattering of X-rays by
crystal: the diffraction of X-rays
produced by the atoms within a crystal, used to determine information about the
crystal’s structure[1]



X-raystar

X-raystar
X-ray
star
or X-ray source noun

star that emits X-rays:
a celestial object that emits X-rays in addition to other types of radiation[1]



X-raytherapy

X-raytherapy
X-ray
ther·a·py
noun

treatment using X-rays:
the medical application of X-rays in treating illnesses such as cancer[1]



X-raytube

X-raytube
X-ray
tube
noun

vacuum tube producing X-rays:
a vacuum tube in which a stream of high-energy electrons is made to strike a
metal target to produce X-rays[1]



XS

XS
XS

(used of clothing sizes)Abbreviation
of extra small[1]



Xt.

Xt.
Xt.

Abbreviation of
Christ[1]



Xtian.

Xtian.
Xtian.

Abbreviation of
Christian[1]



Xty.

Xty.
Xty.

Abbreviation of
Christianity[1]



xu

xu
xu
[soo] (plural xu) noun

1.  sub-unit
of Vietnamese currency: a sub-unit of currency in
Vietnam, 100 of which are worth a dong

2.  coin
worth xu:
coin worth one xu
[Mid-20th century. Via
Vietnamese from French sou (see sou
).][1]



xyl-

xyl-
xyl-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
xylo-[1]



xylan

xylan
xy·lan 
[z làn, zlən]
noun

yellow gummy plant substance:
a yellow gummy polysaccharide ( pentosan )
found in plant cell walls and woody tissue such as straw husks that yields
xylose when subjected to hydrolysis[1]



xylem

xylem
xy·lem 
[zləm] noun

type
of plant tissue: plant tissue that carries water and
dissolved minerals from the roots through the stem and leaves. It also helps to
support the plant and is the main constituent of wood.
[Late 19th century. From
German, formed from Greek xulon “wood.”][1]



xylene

xylene
xy·lene 
[z ln] noun

colorless solvent:
any of three isomeric hydrocarbons that are flammable volatile colorless
liquids obtained from petroleum or natural gas and are used as solvents and in
making aviation fuel, resins, and dyes. C8H10 
Also called
xylol[1]



xylidine

xylidine
xy·li·dine 
[zlə dn, zíllə
dn, zləd’n, zílləd’n] (plural xy·li·dines) noun

toxic amine used in dyes:
any of six toxic amines derived from xylene and used in dyes and in organic
synthesis. C8H11N[1]



xylo-

xylo-
xylo-
prefix

1.  wood
• xylograph

2.  xylene
• xylidine
[From Greek xulon
“wood”][1]



xylogenous

xylogenous
xy·log·e·nous 
[zī lójjənəss] adjective

living
on wood:
adapted to or living in or on wood
[Coined from Greek xulo-
“wood,” from xulon + -genous][1]



xylograph

xylograph
xy·lo·graph 
[zlə gràf] noun (plural xy·lo·graphs)

1.  wood
engraving:
an engraving made on wood

2.  print
from xylograph: a print made from an engraving made on
wood
transitive
verb
(past xy·lo·graphed, past participle xy·lo·graphed,
present participle xy·lo·graph·ing, 3rd person present
singular xy·lo·graphs)

make a xylograph:
to take a print from an engraving made on wood
—xy·log·ra·pher
[zī lóggrəfər], noun

—xy·lo·graph·ic
[zlə gráffik], adjective

—xy·lo·graph·i·cal
[zlə gráffik’l], adjective

—xy·lo·graph·i·cal·ly
[zlə gráffikəlee], adverb[1]



xylography

xylography
xy·log·ra·phy 
[zī lóggrəfee] noun

wood engraving and printing:
the art of engraving on and printing from wooden blocks[1]



xyloid

xyloid
xy·loid 
[z lòyd] adjective

relating to wood:
relating to or resembling wood[1]



xylol

xylol
xy·lol 
[z lòl, z ll]
noun

See
xylene
[Mid-19th century. Coined
from xylo- + -ol
.][1]



xylophagous

xylophagous
xy·loph·a·gous 
[zī lóffəgəss] adjective

wood-eating:
feeding on or living in wood
—xy·lo·phage [zlə fàyj], noun[1]



xylophone

xylophone



xy·lo·phone 
[zlə fn] (plural xy·lo·phones)
noun
percussion
instrument:
a musical instrument consisting of a row of wooden bars of different lengths
that are laid out like a keyboard and produce a tone when struck with a mallet
—xy·lo·phon·ist [zlə fnist], noun[1]



xylose

xylose
xy·lose 
[z lōss] noun

wood sugar:
a white crystalline combustible sugar obtained from xylan and used in diabetic
foods and in dyeing and tanning. C5H10O5 
Also called
wood sugar[1]



xystus

xystus
xys·tus 
[zístəss] (plural xys·tus·es) or
xyst [zist] (plural xysts)
noun

1.  ancient
Greek covered exercise area: in ancient Greece, a long
walkway with a roof supported by pillars, used for athletics

2.  ancient
Roman path:
in ancient Rome, a covered or open path in a garden, lined with trees or
pillars
[Mid-17th century. Via Latin
from Greek xustos “covered colonnade,” literally “smooth” (from its
polished floor), from xuein “to scrape.”][1]



-y

-y1
-y1 or -ey suffix

1.  consisting
of or characterized by • muddy

2.  somewhat,
like • chilly
• wintry

3.  tending
toward • sleepy
[Old English -ig][1]



-y

-y2
-y2 suffix

1.  condition,
state, or quality • infamy

2.  an
activity • chandlery

3.  the
place where an activity is carried on, or the result or product of an activity
• colliery
• laundry

4.  body
or group • soldiery
[Via Old French -ie
from Latin -ia][1]



y.

y.
y.

Abbreviation of
year[1]



Y

Y2
Y2

1.  Abbreviation
of
yen

2.  Abbreviation
of
yuan

3.  (informal)
Abbreviation of YMCA

4.  (informal)
Abbreviation of YWCA

5.  (informal)
Abbreviation of YMHA

6.  (informal)
Abbreviation of YWHA

[1]



-y

-y3
-y3 suffix

See
-ie[1]



y

y1

y1 [wī]
(plural y’s) or Y [wī]
(plural Y’s or Ys) noun

1.  25th
letter of English alphabet: the 25th letter of the
modern English alphabet

2.  speech
sound corresponding to letter “Y”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “Y”

3.  letter
“Y” written: a written representation of the letter
“Y”

4.        something
shaped like Y: a Y-shaped object or
group of objects[1]



y

y2
y2

NAVY
Abbreviation of yeoman[1]



Y

Y1
Y1

1.  ELECTRICITY Symbol for admittance

2.  Symbol
for
an unknown factor

3.  Symbol
for
yotta-

4.  Symbol
for
yttrium

[1]



y

y3
y3 (plural y’s)

1.  Symbol
for
y-axis

2.  Symbol
for
a coordinate along the y-axis

3.  Symbol
for
an algebraic variable

4.  Symbol
for
yocto-

[1]



Y2K

Y2K
Y2K

1.  Y2K-compliant
software.
Abbreviation of year 2000

2.  Abbreviation
of
millennium bug

[1]



YA

YA
YA

Abbreviation of
young adult[1]



yabber

yabber
yab·ber
[yábbər] intransitive and transitive verb
(past yab·bered, past participle yab·bered, present
participle yab·ber·ing, 3rd person present singular yab·bers)

Australian
talk
very fast:
to talk a lot or say something rapidly, often so that it is incomprehensible (informal)
noun

Australian
rapid speech:
rapid speech that is often incomprehensible (informal)[1]



yacht

yacht
yacht 
[yot] noun (plural yachts)

1.  sailboat:
a sailboat, often one that has living quarters and is used for cruising or
racing. Most sailing yachts have a motor as an alternative or extra means of
power.

2.  motorboat
for cruising: a large motorboat used for cruising
intransitive
verb
(past yacht·ed, past participle yacht·ed, present
participle yacht·ing, 3rd person present singular yachts)

sail in yacht:
to sail in a yacht for leisure or sport
[Mid-16th
century. From obsolete Dutch jaghte, a shortening of jaghtschip
“chasing ship.”]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at boat

[1]



yachtie

yachtie
yacht·ie
[yòttee] (plural yacht·ies) noun

yachting enthusiast:
somebody who owns a yacht or enjoys sailing, cruising, or racing in yachts (informal)[1]



yachting

yachting
yacht·ing 
[yótting] noun

sailing in yacht:
the sport or pastime of sailing a yacht[1]



yachtsman

yachtsman
yachts·man 
[yótsmən] (plural yachts·men [yótsmən]) noun

yacht
owner or sailor: somebody who owns or sails a yacht
—yachts·man·ship [yótsmən shìp], noun[1]



yachtswoman

yachtswoman
yachts·wom·an 
[yóts wmmən] (plural yachts·wom·en
[yóts wìmmin]) noun

woman yacht owner or sailor:
a woman who owns or sails a yacht[1]



yack

yack
yack 
intransitive verb noun

(informal) See yak 2[1]



yackety-yak

yackety-yak
yack·e·ty-yak 
[yàkkətee yák] intransitive verb (past
yack·e·ty-yakked, past participle yack·e·ty-yakked, present
participle yack·e·ty-yak·king, 3rd person present singular yack·e·ty-yaks)
noun (plural yack·e·ty-yaks)

(informal)
See yak 2
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



yaddayadda yadda

yaddayadda yadda
yad·da
yad·da yad·da [yàddə yàddə
yáddə] noun

vacuous
chatter:
boring, trite, superficial, unending talk (slang) • just
a lot of yadda yadda yadda on the talk shows tonight
interjection

used
as filler or indicator: used in speaking as a filler
for unstated material or to indicate boredom or distaste for things others are
saying or have just said (slang) • We
chewed it over forever … yadda yadda yadda, you know, nothing important
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



Yadkin

Yadkin
Yad·kin
[yád kin]

river in central North
Carolina. It joins the Uharie River to form the Pee Dee River, flows through
South Carolina, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Length: 325 km/202 mi.[1]



YAG

YAG
YAG 
[yag] noun

synthetic
gemstone:
a mineral made synthetically from yttrium, aluminum, and garnet. It is used in
infrared lasers and as a gemstone.
[Mid-20th century. Acronym
formed from yttrium, aluminum and garnet .][1]



yagi

yagi
ya·gi 
[ygee, yággee]
(plural ya·gis) noun

directional
antenna:
a directional radio or television antenna consisting of several elements
arranged in line
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Hidetsugu Yagi (1886–1976), Japanese electrical engineer.][1]



yahoo

yahoo2
ya·hoo2  [y
h, yaa h] interjection

expressing
enthusiasm:
used to express enthusiasm, approval, or celebration (informal) • Yahoo!
Let’s go!
noun
(plural ya·hoos)

enthusiastic cry:
a cry of yahoo (informal)[1]



yahoo

yahoo1
ya·hoo1  [y
h, yaa h] (plural ya·hoos)
noun

coarse
uncouth person: an offensively crude or brutish person (insult)
[Early
18th century. Named for the Yahoos in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s
Travels (1726).]
—ya·hoo·ism, noun[1]



Yahrzeit

Yahrzeit
Yahr·zeit 
[yr tst] (plural Yahr·zeits)
noun

anniversary
of somebody’s death: in Judaism, the anniversary
of somebody’s death, celebrated by near relatives with the lighting of a
memorial candle and the saying of the Kaddish
[Mid-19th century. From
Yiddish yortsayt, literally “year’s time.”][1]



Yahweh

Yahweh
Yah·weh 
[y wày] or Yah·veh [y vày] or Jah·veh [y vày] or Jah·weh [y vày] noun

Hebrew
name of God: a name of God, expanded from the four
letters, YHWH ( Tetragrammaton ), that form
the proper name of God in Hebrew
[Late 19th century. From Hebrew
.][1]



Yahwism

Yahwism
Yah·wism
[y wìzzəm] or Yah·vism [y vìzzəm] noun

use of “Yahweh” as God’s
name: the use of “Yahweh” to
represent the name of God or to worship God[1]



Yahwist

Yahwist
Yah·wist 
[ywist] or Yah·vist [yvist] noun

Bible writer using
Tetragrammaton: the unknown writer of
the parts of the Old Testament of the Bible in which a set of four letters ( Tetragrammaton ) is used to refer to God.
Also called
Jehovist[1]



Yahwistic

Yahwistic
Yah·wis·tic
[yaa wístik] or Yah·vis·tic [yaa vístik] adjective

of Yahweh, Yahwism, or
Yahwist: relating to Yahweh, Yahwism,
or the Yahwist[1]



yak

yak2
yak2 [yak]
or yack [yak] intransitive
verb (past yakked, past participle yakked, present
participle yak·king, 3rd person present singular yaks)
(past yacked, past participle yacked, present
participle yack·ing, 3rd person present singular yacks)

chatter
continuously: to talk continuously, usually about
unimportant matters (informal)
noun
(plural yaks) (plural yacks)

continuous
chatter:
continuous talking, usually about unimportant matters, or an instance of this (informal)

Also
called
yackety-yak
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



yak

yak1
yak1 [yak]
(plural yaks or yak) noun

large
long-haired ox: a large long-haired ox of the Tibetan
highlands that has long curved horns and is found both wild and domesticated.
Latin name: Bos grunniens
[Late 18th century. From
Tibetan gyag .][1]



Yakama

Yakama
Ya·ka·ma
[yákəmə] (plural Ya·ka·ma or
Ya·ka·mas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of south-central Washington

2.  LANGUAGE Yakama
language:
the Penutian language spoken by the Yakama. It is spoken by about 3,000 people.
[Mid-19th century. From
Sahaptin .][1]



yakitori

yakitori
ya·ki·to·ri 
[yk táwree] noun

grilled
chicken kebabs: a dish of Japanese origin consisting of
small pieces of grilled chicken that are basted on skewers with a sauce of soy,
stock, sugar, and mirin
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, literally “grilling fowl.”][1]



yakka

yakka
yak·ka
[yákə] or yak·ker [yákər] or yack·er [yákər] noun

Australia,
New Zealand
work:
work (informal)
[Late 19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Yakut

Yakut
Ya·kut 
[yaa kt, yə kt]
(plural Ya·kut or Ya·kuts) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Siberian ethnic group: a member of an ethnic group
that lives in northeastern Siberia, mainly in the Russian republic of Sakha

2.  LANGUAGE Yakut
language:
the language of the Yakut people, belonging to the Turkic branch of the Altaic
family of languages. Yakut is spoken by about 300,000 people.
[Mid-18th
century. Via Russian from Yakut .]
—Ya·kut, adjective[1]



Yakutsk

Yakutsk
Ya·kutsk 
[yə ktsk]

capital city of the
autonomous region of Sakha, northeastern Russia. Population: 197,600 (1992)[1]



yakuza

yakuza
ya·ku·za 
[y koo z, yaa
kzə] (plural ya·ku·za) noun

1.  Japanese
crime syndicate: a Japanese criminal organization
involved in illegal activities such as drug-dealing, extortion, and
prostitution

2.  yakuza
member:
a member the yakuza
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese “gambler,” formed from ya “eight” + ku “nine” + -za
“three,” the worst hand in a card game.][1]



Yale,Elihu

Yale,Elihu
Yale
[yayl], Elihu (1649–1721)

U.S. merchant and
philanthropist. He grew wealthy as an East India Company agent in India
(1670–1699), and made large gifts to the Collegiate School in Connecticut,
which was named Yale College in his honor (1718).[1]



Yalelock

Yalelock
Yale
lock
Trademark

a trademark for a type of
padlock operated with a key[1]



Yallourn

Yallourn
Yal·lourn
[yál awrn]

town in southern Victoria,
Australia. It is a major coal-mining center. Population: 15,512 (1996)[1]



Yalta

Yalta

Yal·ta 
[yáltə, yóltə]
town and resort in Crimea Region,
southern Ukraine. Situated on the Black Sea, it was the site of a conference in
1945 between Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill that
determined the areas of Germany that each of the great powers would administer
after World War II. Population: 89,000 (1991)[1]



Yalu

Yalu
Ya·lu
[y l]

river in East Asia, forming
most of the boundary between North Korea and China. Length: 790 km/490 mi.[1]



yam

yam

yam 
[yam] (plural yams) noun

1.  See
sweet potato  noun 2

2.  root
vegetable:
a vegetable that resembles a large white floury potato and is the root of a
tropical vine

3.  tropical
vine:
a tropical vine that produces yams. Genus: Dioscorea
[Late
16th century. Via Portuguese inhame or Spanish iñame, of West
African origin (related to Fulani nyami “to eat”).]





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  In
  the sense “sweet potato,” yam was formerly largely restricted to the
  South, where its use was universal. Now, through commercial usage, the term
  recurs virtually everywhere in the United States.

[1]



yamen

yamen
ya·men 
[ymən] (plural ya·mens) noun

residence
of imperial Chinese official: in the Chinese Empire, the
home or office of a mandarin or other public official
[Early 19th century. From
Chinese yámen, from yá “office” + mén “gate.”][1]



yammer

yammer
yam·mer 
[yámmər] intransitive verb (past
yam·mered, past participle yam·mered, present
participle yam·mer·ing, 3rd person present singular yam·mers)
(informal)

1.  talk
loudly and at length: to talk, chat, or chatter
noisily and continuously

2.  whine:
to whine or complain persistently about something

3.  howl
or wail:
to make repeated howling sounds of pain or distress
noun
(plural yam·mers) (informal)

1.  noisy
chattering:
noisy continuous talk, chat, or chattering

2.  complaint:
a whining sound or persistent complaint
[15th
century. Origin uncertain: probably from Middle Dutch jammeren “to
mourn.”]
—yam·mer·er, noun[1]



Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro
Ya·mous·sou·kro 
[yàmm skrō]

capital city of Côte
d’Ivoire, in the central part of the country. Population: 100,000 (1988)[1]



yancha

yancha
yan·cha
[yánchə] noun

Hong Kong
going to a teahouse:
the social practice of going to a teahouse (dated)[1]



yang

yang
yang 
[yang] or Yang [yang] noun

masculine
element:
the principle of light, heat, motivation and masculinity in Chinese philosophy
that is the counterpart of yin. The dual, opposite, and complementary
principles of yin and yang are thought to exist in varying proportions in all
things.
See
also
yin
[Late 17th century. From
Chinese yáng “sun, positive.”][1]



Yangon

Yangon
Yan·gon 
[yang gón]

capital city of Myanmar, in
the south of the country. Population: 2,513,023 (1983) Former name Rangoon until 1989[1]



Yangtze

Yangtze
Yang·tze
[yáng see, yáng
ts_`e] or Yang·zi [yáng see,
yáng ts_`e]

the longest river in China.
It rises in the Kunlun Mountains, and flows southward and then eastward to
enter the East China Sea directly north of Shanghai. Length: 5,470 km/3,400 mi.[1]



Yank

Yank
Yank 
[yangk] (plural Yanks) noun

PEOPLES Yankee:
a Yankee (informal) (offensive in some contexts)
[Late18th century. Shortening
of Yankee .][1]



yank

yank
yank 
[yangk] verb (past yanked,
past participle yanked, present participle yank·ing,
3rd person present singular yanks)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb pull
sharply:
to pull or jerk somebody or something suddenly and sharply

2.  transitive
verb
remove
somebody or something swiftly: to remove somebody or
something suddenly and quickly
noun
(plural yanks)

sharp pull: a
sudden sharp pull or jerk
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at pull

[1]



Yankee

Yankee
Yan·kee 
[yángkee] (plural Yan·kees) noun

1.  PEOPLES somebody
from United States: somebody who is from the
United States (offensive in some contexts)

2.  PEOPLES somebody
from a northern state: somebody born or living in a
northern state of the United States, especially a soldier fighting on the side
of the Union during the Civil War (offensive in some contexts)

3.  PEOPLES somebody
from New England: somebody who was born or raised in one
of the states of New England (offensive in some contexts)

4.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “Y”: a code word for the letter
“Y,” used in international radio communications
[Mid-18th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from Dutch Janke “Johnny.”]
—Yan·kee·dom, noun[1]



YankeeDoodle

YankeeDoodle
Yan·kee
Doo·dle
(plural Yan·kee Doo·dles) noun

1.  popular
American song: a song first popular during the American
Revolutionary War

2.  PEOPLES Yankee:
a Yankee (informal) (offensive in some contexts)
[In the meaning of “Yankee,”
from the idea that the song is typically national][1]



Yankeeism

Yankeeism
Yan·kee·ism 
[yángkee ìzzəm] (plural Yan·kee·isms)
noun

something characteristic of
Yankees: an expression or other
characteristic of Yankees[1]



Yankton

Yankton
Yank·ton 
[yángktən]

city in southeastern South
Dakota, southwest of Sioux Falls and northwest of Sioux City, Iowa. Population:
13,884 (1996)[1]



yanqui

yanqui
yan·qui
[yngkee] (plural yan·quis) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term used by some members of Spanish-speaking American communities
to refer disparagingly to an English-speaking U.S. citizen
[Early 20th century. Spanish
phonetic spelling of Yankee .][1]



Yan’an

Yan’an
Yan’an
[yàn án]

town in northern Shaanxi
Province, northeastern China. The terminus of the Long March, Yan’an was used
by communist forces as a base between 1936 and 1949. Population: 113,277 (1990)[1]



Yaoundé

Yaoundé
Ya·oun·dé
[yaa nd ay]

capital city of Cameroon, in
the southwestern part of the country. Population: 800,000 (1992)[1]



Yap

Yap
Yap 
[yap]

group of islands, islets, and
atolls in the western Pacific Ocean. Part of the Caroline Islands, the group
comprises one of the states of Micronesia. Population: 10,886 (1991) Area: 119
sq km/46 sq mi.[1]



yap

yap
yap 
[yap] intransitive verb (past yapped,
past participle yapped, present participle yap·ping,
3rd person present singular yaps)

1.  chatter
annoyingly:
to talk continuously about trivial things, often in a loud or high-pitched
voice (informal)

2.  make
high barking sound: to make a short loud
high-pitched barking noise
noun
(plural yaps)

1.  mouth:
somebody’s mouth (slang)

2.  short
high-pitched bark: a short, loud, high-pitched
bark

3.  trivial
conversation: a trivial or meaningless conversation (informal)

4.  offensive
term:
an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as vulgar and
unintelligent (slang insult)
[Early
19th century. An imitation of a dog’s bark.]
—yap·per,
noun

—yap·py, adjective[1]



yapok

yapok
ya·pok 
[yə pók] (plural ya·poks or
ya·pok) noun

amphibious
American opossum: an amphibious nocturnal opossum of
tropical Central and South America that has dense fur, webbed hind feet, a long
tail, and feeds on aquatic organisms such as shrimp. Latin name: Chironectes
minimus
Also
called
water opossum
[Early 19th century. Named for
the river Oyapok, which forms the border between northern Brazil and
French Guiana.][1]



yapon

yapon
ya·pon 
noun

See
yaupon[1]



Yaqui

Yaqui
Ya·qui 
[ykee] (plural Ya·qui or
Ya·quis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico

2.  LANGUAGE Yaqui
language:
the Uto-Aztecan language of the Yaqui people. Yaqui is spoken by about 20,000
people.
[Early
19th century. Via Spanish from Yaqui Hiaki .]
—Ya·qui, adjective[1]



yarborough

yarborough
yar·bor·ough 
[yrbərō, yrbərə]
(plural yar·bor·oughs) or Yar·bor·ough [yrbərō, yrbərə]
(plural Yar·bor·oughs) noun

bridge
or whist hand: a hand in bridge or whist consisting of
13 cards each of which has a value lower than ten
[Late 19th century. Named for
Charles Anderson Worsley (1809–1897), Second Earl of Yarborough, who
allegedly bet 1000 to 1 against the occurrence of such a hand.][1]



yard

yard1
yard1 [yaard]
(plural yards) noun

1.  imperial
unit of length: a unit of length equal to 0.9144 m3 ft

2.  See
yardstick  noun 2

3.  spar
supporting sail: a long spar that supports the head of a
square sail, lugsail, or lateen

4.  one
hundred dollars: one hundred dollars (slang)
[Old
English gerd “rod”]
the
whole nine yards

the totality or full extent
of something (informal)[1]



yard

yard2
yard2 [yaard]
noun (plural yards)

1.  land
around a house: the area of land immediately surrounding
a house, often covered with grass or landscaping.
U.K.
term
garden

2.  enclosed
paved piece of land: an area of ground that is
usually paved and enclosed, and is next to or surrounded by a building or
buildings

3.  area
used for business or activity: an area of ground,
sometimes with associated buildings, used for a particular purpose (often
used in combination) • a
lumber yard

4.  railroad
storage area: an area of railroad tracks used for
storing cars or locomotives and for making up trains

5.  livestock
enclosure:
an enclosed area of land for livestock

6.  winter
grazing area: an area of land where deer, moose, or
other animals graze in winter
transitive
verb
(past yard·ed, past participle yard·ed, present
participle yard·ing, 3rd person present singular yards)

keep livestock in a yard:
to put or keep livestock in a yard
[Old English geard
“enclosure, garden”][1]



yardage

yardage2
yard·age2 [yrdij]
(plural yard·ages) noun

1.  use
of a livestock yard: use of a livestock yard for
storing animals before transporting them

2.  fee
charged for using a yard: a fee charged for storing
livestock in a yard

[1]



yardage

yardage1
yard·age1 [yrdij]
noun

measurement in yards:
measurement in yards, or an amount measured in yards[1]



yardarm

yardarm
yard·arm 
[yrd rm] (plural yard·arms) noun

end of a yard:
an end of the yard used to support a sail[1]



yardbird

yardbird
yard·bird
[yrd bùrd] (plural yard·birds)
noun

1.  soldier
assigned menial duties: a soldier who is assigned
menial tasks or is confined to a limited area, usually as a punishment (informal)

2.  convict:
a convict or prisoner (dated informal)

3.  inept
recruit:
an untrained and inept military recruit (dated informal)
[Mid-19th century. Modeled on
jailbird .][1]



yardbroom

yardbroom
yard
broom
(plural yard brooms) noun

Southern
U.S.
broom
for use outdoors: a push broom that will stand up to
outdoor use





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term yard broom is mainly Southern. The
  Coastal Southern term is stick broom ; the Northern and Western term
  is corn broom.

[1]



yardgoods

yardgoods
yard
goods
plural noun

See
piece goods[1]



yardgrass

yardgrass
yard
grass
noun

coarse weed grass:
a coarse annual grass with ground-hugging leaves and grouped spikes that grows
widely as a weed. Latin name: Eleusine indica
Also called
goosegrass[1]



Yardie

Yardie
Yard·ie
[yrdee] (plural Yard·ies) noun

member of a Jamaican criminal
group: a member of a criminal
syndicate that originated in Jamaica[1]



yard-longbean

yard-longbean
yard-long
bean 
(plural yard-long beans) noun

long thin edible legume:
the long thin edible pod of the cowpea of southern Asia, which reaches up to a
yard in length. Latin name: Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis
Also called
asparagus bean[1]



yardman

yardman
yard·man 
[yrdmən] (plural yard·men [yrd mən]) noun

1.  somebody
employed in a yard: somebody who works in a
yard, especially a railroad yard or a lumberyard

2.  gardener:
somebody hired to care for a lawn or yard

[1]



yardmaster

yardmaster
yard·mas·ter 
[yrd màstər] (plural yard·mas·ters)
noun

somebody in charge of a yard:
somebody in charge of a railroad yard[1]



yardof ale

yardof ale
yard
of ale
(plural yards of ale) noun

1.  yard-long
glass:
a long narrow drinking glass, sometimes shaped like a horn, approximately one
yard long and holding two to three pints of beer

2.  contents
of a yard of ale: the contents of a yard of ale

[1]



yardsale

yardsale
yard
sale
(plural yard sales) noun

sale of belongings:
a sale at which personal possessions and household items are sold, usually held
in the yard of somebody’s house[1]



yardstick

yardstick
yard·stick 
[yrd stìk] (plural yard·sticks)
noun

1.  yard-long
measuring stick: a measuring stick one yard long, usually
marked in feet and inches.
Also
called
yard 1

2.  standard
of comparison: a standard used to judge the quality,
value, or success of something

[1]



yardwork

yardwork
yard
work
noun

looking after a yard:
tending a yard as a profession, chore, or hobby.
U.K. term
gardening[1]



yare

yare
yare 
[yair] adjective

1.  easy
to handle:
used to describe a ship that is easy to handle and responsive

2.  ready:
ready or prepared (archaic)

3.  quick:
quick or lively (archaic)
adverb

quickly:
quickly or nimbly (archaic)
[Old
English gearo “ready”]
—yare·ly, adverb[1]



yarmulke

yarmulke

yar·mul·ke 
[yrməlkə, yməlkə]
(plural yar·mul·kes) or yar·mel·ke [yrməlkə, yməlkə]
(plural yar·mel·kes) or yar·mul·ka [yrməlkə, yməlkə]
(plural yar·mul·kas) or yar·mul·kah [yrməlkə, yməlkə]
(plural yar·mul·kahs) noun
Jewish
skullcap:
a small round cap worn by Jewish men and boys. Orthodox Jews wear the yarmulke
at all times, while Conservative Jews wear it for prayer or on ceremonial
occasions only.
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from Polish jarmułka, of uncertain origin: probably from,
ultimately, Turkish yağmur “rain.”][1]



yarn

yarn
yarn 
[yaarn] noun (plural yarns)

1.  thread:
a continuous twisted strand of wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers, usually used
for knitting or weaving

2.  strand
of glass or metal: a continuous strand of a
material such as glass or metal

3.  long
story:
a long or involved tale, especially one that relates exciting or incredible
events (informal)
intransitive
verb
(past yarned, past participle yarned, present
participle yarn·ing, 3rd person present singular yarns)

tell a yarn: to
relate a long tale full of incredible events (informal)
[Old English gearn .
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “entrail” that is also the
ancestor of English hernia and cord .][1]



yarn-dyed

yarn-dyed
yarn-dyed
adjective

dyed before knitting:
dyed in the form of yarn before being woven or knitted[1]



Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl
Ya·ro·slavl 
[yro slvəl]

city and capital of Yaroslavl
Oblast, central European Russia. It is situated on the Volga River. Population:
636,000 (1990)[1]



Yarra

Yarra
Yar·ra
[yárrə]

river in southern Victoria,
Australia. Length: 250 km/155 mi.[1]



yarrow

yarrow

yar·row 
[yá r] (plural yar·rows or
yar·row) noun
plant
with clusters of small flowers: a European and Asian
composite plant with leaves resembling ferns and broad flat clusters of flower
heads. Latin name: Achillea millefolium
Also
called
milfoil
[Old English gearwe][1]



yashmak

yashmak
yash·mak 
[yaash mk, yásh
màk] (plural yash·maks) or yash·mac [yaash mk, yásh màk]
(plural yash·macs) noun

Muslim
veil:
a veil worn by some Muslim women in public
[Mid-19th century. From
Turkish yaşmak .][1]



yataghan

yataghan
yat·a·ghan 
[yáttə gàn, yáttəgən]
(plural yat·a·ghans) or yat·a·gan [yáttə gàn, yáttəgən]
(plural yata·gans) or at·a·ghan [áttə gàn, áttəgən]
(plural at·a·ghans) noun

Turkish
sword:
a Turkish sword with no handle guard and a single-edged blade that curves
inward then outward
[Early 19th century. From
Turkish yatağan .][1]



yatra

yatra
ya·tra
[yáttrə] (plural ya·tras) noun

Hindu
pilgrimage:
a holy pilgrimage for Hindus
[Early 19th century. From
Sanskrit yātrā, which was formed from yā “to undertake a trip.”][1]



yaup

yaup
yaup 
intransitive verb noun

See
yawp[1]



yaupon

yaupon
yau·pon 
[yáw pòn] (plural yau·pons or
yau·pon) or ya·pon [yáw pòn]
(plural ya·pons or ya·pon) noun

evergreen
holly plant: an evergreen holly of the southeastern
United States that has red fruit and smooth bitter leaves that are made into a
tea for their emetic and purgative properties. Latin name: Ilex vomitoria
[Early 18th century. From
Catawba yápa, literally “tree leaf.”][1]



yautia

yautia
yau·ti·a 
[yow t ə] (plural yau·ti·as or
yau·ti·a) noun

1.  plant
yielding edible tubers: a West Indian plant of the
arum family cultivated for its edible tuber. Genus: Xanthosoma

2.  edible
tuber:
the brown starchy tuber of the yautia plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable
[Early 20th century. Via
Spanish from Taino .][1]



yaw

yaw
yaw 
[yaw] intransitive and transitive verb
(past yawed, past participle yawed, present
participle yaw·ing, 3rd person present singular yaws)

1.  turn
around a vertical axis: to turn around the vertical
axis, or to make an aircraft turn in this way.
See
also
pitch
See
also
roll

2.  go
or put off course: to deviate from a straight
course, or to make a boat or ship do this

3.  zigzag:
to move unsteadily on a zigzag course, or to make somebody or something advance
in this way
noun

deviation from course:
the deviation of a ship from a straight course
[Mid-16th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



yawl

yawl
yawl 
[yawl] (plural yawls) noun

1.  sailing
vessel:
a sailing vessel rigged fore-and-aft with a large mainmast and a smaller
mizzenmast toward the stern

2.  ship’s
rowing boat: a small boat kept on a ship, rowed by
four or six people
[Mid-17th century. From Dutch
jol, of unknown origin.][1]



yawn

yawn
yawn 
[yawn] verb (past yawned,
past participle yawned, present participle yawn·ing,
3rd person present singular yawns)

1.  intransitive
verb
open
mouth wide:
to open the mouth wide and take a long deep breath, usually involuntarily,
because of tiredness or boredom

2.  transitive
verb
say
something while yawning: to say something while
yawning, or in a tired or bored voice

3.  intransitive
verb
be
wide open:
to open wide or be wide open, especially in a threatening or alarming manner
noun
(plural yawns)

1.  act
of yawning:
an involuntary response to tiredness or boredom in which the mouth is opened
wide and a long deep breath is taken

2.  somebody
or something boring: a boring person, thing, or
event (informal)
Also
called
yawner
[Old
English ginian]
—yawn·ing,
adjective

—yawn·ing·ly, adverb[1]



yawner

yawner
yawn·er
[yáwnər] (plural yawn·ers) noun

1.  (informal)
See yawn  noun 2

2.  somebody
yawning:
somebody who yawns

[1]



yawp

yawp
yawp 
[yawp] or yaup [yawp] intransitive verb (past yawped,
past participle yawped, present participle yawp·ing,
3rd person present singular yawps) (past yauped, past
participle yauped, present participle yaup·ing, 3rd
person present singular yaups) (informal)

1.  talk
coarsely:
to talk or complain loudly, coarsely, and sometimes meaninglessly

2.  utter
a yelp:
to utter a sharp loud yelp
noun
(plural yawps) (plural yaups) (informal)

1.  yelp:
a sharp, loud yelp

2.  coarse
talk:
loud, coarse, and sometimes meaningless talk
[14th
century. Origin uncertain: perhaps related to yelp
.]
—yawp·er, noun[1]



yaws

yaws
yaws 
[yawz] noun

tropical
disease:
an infectious tropical disease marked initially by red skin eruptions and later
by joint pains. It mainly affects children and is caused by the bacterium Treponema
pertenue . (takes a singular or plural verb)
Also
called
frambesia
[Late 17th century. From
Carib yaya .][1]



y-axis

y-axis
y-ax·is 
noun

1.  vertical
axis:
the vertical axis in a two-dimensional coordinate system such as a graph

2.  axis
in three-dimensional coordinate system: one
of the axes in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system,
conventionally the vertical one

[1]



Yb

Yb
Yb

Symbol for
ytterbium[1]



YB

YB
YB

Abbreviation of
yearbook[1]



Ychromosome

Ychromosome
Y
chro·mo·some or Y-chro·mo·some noun

male sex chromosome:
the sex chromosome that determines the male sex in humans and other mammals.
The body cells of males each possess one Y chromosome paired with one X
chromosome.
See also
X chromosome[1]



yclept

yclept
y·clept 
[i klépt] adjective

called:
called by the name of (archaic or humorous)
[Old English geclipod,
past participle of geclipian “to call”][1]



yd.

yd.
yd.
(plural yds.)

MEASUREMENTS
Abbreviation of yard[1]



yea

yea
yea 
[yay] adverb noun (plural
yeas)

yes:
yes (archaic)
adverb

indeed:
indeed (archaic) “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil” Psalm 23, King James Bible
[Old English gēa
“yes”][1]



yeah

yeah
yeah 
[ye ə, yaa]
interjection

yes:
yes (informal)
[Early 20th century. Variant
of yea .][1]



yean

yean
yean 
[yeen] (past yeaned, past
participle yeaned, present participle yean·ing, 3rd
person present singular yeans) intransitive and transitive verb

give
birth to young: to give birth to a young sheep or goat (archaic)
[14th century. From an
assumed Old English geēanian “to give birth to young.”][1]



yeanling

yeanling
yean·ling 
[ynling] (plural yean·lings) noun

lamb or kid:
a young sheep or goat (archaic)[1]



year

year
year 
[yeer] noun (plural years)

1.  twelve-month
period from January 1: a period of 365 days (or 366
in a leap year), measured from 1 January to 31 December

2.  twelve-month
period from any date: a period of 365 or 366 days,
measured exactly or approximately from any date • The
company’s financial year ends on 31 July.

3.  solar
year:
the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun, approximately 365.25 days

4.  time
of planet’s orbit around Sun: the time taken for a planet
to orbit once around the Sun

5.  period
of particular activity: the time occupied by a
particular activity within a twelve-month period • academic
year

6.  age
band in school or college: a group of students, usually
of approximately the same age, who start school or college at the same time and
study together in one or more classes
plural
noun
years

1.  long
time:
a very long time (informal) • It’s
years since I last saw him. • We
haven’t been back for years.

2.  age:
age, especially advanced age • a man
of his years

3.  time
in general:
time in the past, present, or future • in
years to come

4.  particular
period of time: a particular period of time, usually in
the past • her
early years
[Old English gēar][1]



yearbook

yearbook
year·book 
[yr bk] (plural year·books) noun

1.  book
commemorating a school year: a book compiled by members
of a graduating class of a high school or college, commemorating their school
year and usually including photographs of the students

2.  annual
record of events: a book published annually containing
details of events in the previous year, usually within a particular
organization or field of interest.
Also
called
annual

[1]



year-end

year-end
year-end
noun (plural year-ends)

end
of a year:
the end of a financial year or calendar year
adjective

done at the year-end:
occurring or done at the end of a financial year or calendar year[1]



yearling

yearling
year·ling 
[yrling] (plural year·lings) noun

1.  young
animal:
an animal, for example, a calf or deer, between one and two years of age

2.  year-old
racehorse:
a racehorse that is one year old, as reckoned from January 1 in the year after
it was born

[1]



yearlong

yearlong
year·long 
[yr láwng, yr
làwng] adjective

lasting a whole year:
lasting for a year or continuing throughout a year[1]



yearly

yearly
yearly 
[yrlee] adjective

1.  annual:
happening, done, appearing, or published once a year or every year

2.  relating
to one year: relating to or lasting for a period of
twelve months
adverb

1.  once
a year:
once every year

2.  per
year:
during each year
noun
(plural year·lies)

annual event or issue:
something that happens or appears once a year, especially an annual publication
[Old English gēarlīc][1]



yearn

yearn
yearn 
[yurn] (past yearned, past
participle yearned, present participle yearn·ing, 3rd
person present singular yearns) intransitive verb

1.  long
for:
to want somebody or something very much, often with a feeling of sadness
because of the difficulty or impossibility of fulfilling the desire

2.  feel
affection:
to feel affection, tenderness, or compassion
[Old
English giernan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
want” which is also the ancestor of English greedy
and charisma .]
—yearn·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at want

[1]



yearning

yearning
yearn·ing 
[yúrning] (plural yearn·ings) noun

longing
for something: a very strong desire, often tinged with
sadness
[Old
English gierninge]
—yearn·ing·ly, adverb[1]



yearof grace

yearof grace
year
of grace
(plural years of grace) or year of our Lord (plural
years of our Lord) noun

year of the Christian era:
a particular year of the Christian era[1]



year-round

year-round
year-round 
adjective

lasting
throughout the year: existing, continuing, or
operating throughout the year
adverb

throughout
the year:
throughout the year
—year-round·er, noun[1]



yea-sayer

yea-sayer
yea-say·er 
(plural yea-say·ers) noun

1.  somebody
optimistic:
somebody who is always confident and optimistic

2.  somebody
agreeing submissively: somebody who always agrees
submissively with a superior

[1]



yeast

yeast
yeast 
[yeest] noun (plural yeasts)

1.  preparation
for baking:
a commercial preparation used in brewing, baking, and as a source of vitamins
and protein

2.  small
single-celled fungus: a small single-celled fungus
that ferments sugars and other carbohydrates, and reproduces by budding. It is
the source of yeast . Genus: Saccharomyces

3.  froth:
the yellowish froth that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid such as
beer, contains yeast cells and carbon dioxide, and promotes fermentation

4.  foam:
any foam or froth, for example, on sea waves

5.  cause
of ferment or activity: somebody or something that
causes ferment, activity, or unrest
intransitive
verb
(past yeast·ed, past participle yeast·ed, present
participle yeast·ing, 3rd person present singular yeasts)

ferment: to
ferment, froth, or foam
[Old English gist][1]



yeastextract

yeastextract
yeast
ex·tract
noun

sticky brown food:
a thick sticky brown food obtained from yeast and eaten as a spread or used in
cooking[1]



yeastinfection

yeastinfection
yeast
in·fec·tion
noun

irritation caused by fungus:
an overgrowth of a fungus in the vagina, intestines, skin, or mouth, causing
irritation and swelling. Technical name candidiasis[1]



yeasty

yeasty
yeast·y 
[ystee] (comparative yeast·i·er,
superlative yeast·i·est) adjective

1.  relating
to yeast:
relating to, containing, tasting, or smelling of yeast

2.  causing
fermentation: fermenting, or causing fermentation

3.  frothy:
full of foam

4.  restless:
marked by or causing agitation or restlessness

5.  energetic:
full of vitality, productivity, or creativity

6.  frivolous:
light and frivolous
—yeast·i·ly,
adverb

—yeast·i·ness, noun[1]



Yeats,William Butler

Yeats,William Butler

Yeats
[yayts], William Butler (1865–1939)
Irish poet and dramatist. A leader of the
Irish Renaissance, he is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the 20th
century. His poetry incorporates a complex personal mythology. He wrote plays
for Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, which he cofounded. He won the Nobel Prize in
literature (1923).[1]



yech

yech
yech 
[yek, yekh]
or yecch [yek, yekh] interjection

expression
of disgust:
used to express disgust (informal)
[Mid-20th century. A natural
exclamation.][1]



yegg

yegg
yegg 
[yeg] (plural yeggs) noun

burglar:
a burglar, especially a safecracker (slang)
[Early 20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg
Ye·ka·ter·in·burg
[yə káttərin bùrg]

industrial city in central
Russia, on the Iset River, on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains.
Population: 1,280,000 (1995)[1]



Yell

Yell
Yell 
[yel]

the second largest of the
Shetland Islands of Scotland. Population: 1,075 (1991) Area: 210 sq km/81 sq
mi.[1]



yell

yell
yell 
[yel] intransitive and transitive verb
(past yelled, past participle yelled, present
participle yell·ing, 3rd person present singular yells)

shout loudly: to
shout or scream something, or to speak in a very loud voice
noun
(plural yells)

1.  loud
cry:
a loud shout, scream, or cry

2.  cheer
of support:
a rhythmic word or phrase chanted together by people to give support or
encouragement
[Old
English giellan . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
call” which is also the ancestor of English nightingale
.]
—yell·er, noun[1]



yellow

yellow
yel·low 
[yéllō] adjective

1.  of
the color of butter: having or being near the
color of butter or ripe lemons

2.  offensive
term:
an offensive term referring to people from or born in Asia (offensive)

3.  cowardly:
cowardly or afraid (informal insult)

4.  sensationalist:
using scandalous or sensational material, often greatly exaggerating or
distorting the truth.
See
also
yellow journalism
noun
(plural yel·lows)

1.  yellow
color:
a color such as that of butter or ripe lemons that lies between orange and
green on the visible spectrum and is one of the three primary colors of
pigment. Yellow is also one of the three primary colors used in printing and
photographic processing.

2.  yellow
pigment:
a yellow pigment or dye

3.  yellow
fabric:
yellow clothing or fabric • dressed
in yellow

4.  yellow
object:
a yellow object or substance

5.  egg
yolk:
the yolk of an egg
plural
noun
yel·lows

plant disease:
a plant disease marked by a yellowing of foliage that may be caused by a
mineral deficiency, virus, or some other infectious agent
intransitive
and transitive verb (past yel·lowed,
past participle yel·lowed, present participle yel·low·ing,
3rd person present singular yel·lows)

become yellow:
to become or make something yellow or yellowish, especially as a result of age
[Old
English geolu . Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to shine”
which is also the ancestor of English gleam
and gold .]
—yel·low·ish,
adjective

—yel·low·ish·ness,
noun

—yel·low·ly,
adverb

—yel·low·ness,
noun

—yel·low·y,
adjective

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at cowardly

[1]



yellow-bellied

yellow-bellied
yel·low-bel·lied 
adjective

1.  cowardly:
cowardly or afraid (informal insult)

2.  yellow
underneath:
with a yellow underside

[1]



yellow-belliedsapsucker

yellow-belliedsapsucker
yel·low-bel·lied
sap·suck·er 
noun

small N American woodpecker:
a small North American woodpecker that feeds on sap and insects. The male has a
yellowish belly and bright red crown and throat. Latin name: Sphyrapicus
varius[1]



yellowbelly

yellowbelly
yel·low·bel·ly
[yéllō bèllee] noun

coward:
a cowardly person (informal insult)[1]



yellowbile

yellowbile
yel·low
bile
noun

(archaic) See choler[1]



yellowbirch

yellowbirch
yel·low
birch
noun

1.  tree
with yellowish bark: a North American birch with
yellowish peeling bark. Latin name: Betula alleghaniensis

2.  yellow
birch wood:
the hard, light-reddish-colored wood of the yellow birch, used in building and
furniture making

[1]



yellowbird

yellowbird
yel·low·bird 
[yéllō bùrd] (plural yel·low·birds)
noun

bird with yellow plumage:
a bird with yellow plumage, for example, the goldfinch or yellow warbler[1]



yellowbrain fungus

yellowbrain fungus
yel·low
brain fun·gus noun

type of jelly fungus:
a type of jelly fungus[1]



yellow-breastedchat

yellow-breastedchat
yel·low-breast·ed
chat 
noun

songbird with bright yellow
breast: a common North American
songbird with a bright yellow breast and white marks over the eyes. Latin name:
Icteria virens
Also called
chat[1]



yellowcake

yellowcake
yel·low·cake 
[yéllō kàyk] noun

oxide of uranium ore:
the concentrated semirefined oxide of uranium ore[1]



yellowcard

yellowcard
yel·low
card
noun

card used in cautioning
soccer player: in soccer, a card shown
by the referee to a player guilty of serious or persistent foul play as an
indication that the player has been cautioned.
See also
red card[1]



yellowcress

yellowcress
yel·low
cress
noun

cress with yellow flowers:
a cress with yellow flowers that is related to watercress, but is not limited
to growing at water margins[1]



yellow-dog

yellow-dog
yel·low-dog
adjective

cowardly:
so cowardly and mean as to be beneath contempt (insult)[1]



yellow-dogcontract

yellow-dogcontract
yel·low-dog
con·tract 
noun

contract forbidding union
membership: an employment contract in
which the employee agrees not to join a labor union. Such contracts are no
longer legal.[1]



yellowfever

yellowfever
yel·low
fe·ver
noun

fatal infectious disease:
an infectious, often fatal viral disease of warm climates, transmitted by
mosquitoes and marked by high fever, hemorrhaging, vomiting of blood, liver
damage, and jaundice[1]



yellowfintuna

yellowfintuna
yel·low·fin
tu·na 
[yèllō fìn tnə] or yel·low·fin
[yèllō fìn tnə] (plural yel·low·fins
or yel·low·fin) noun

small tuna with yellowish
fins: a small, widely distributed
tuna inhabiting warm seas. It has yellowish fins and is an important food fish.
Latin name: Thunnus albacares[1]



yellow-greenalga

yellow-greenalga
yel·low-green
al·ga 
(plural yel·low-green al·gas) noun

soil alga:
an alga that lives in soil and other moist environments and contains brown and
bright yellow pigments that mask the chlorophyll. Division: Chrysophyta[1]



yellowhammer

yellowhammer
yel·low·ham·mer 
[yéllō hàmmər] (plural yel·low·ham·mers)
noun

1.  European
songbird:
a stout-billed European songbird of the bunting family. The male has a bright
yellow head, neck, and breast. Latin name: Emberiza citrinella

2.  See
yellow-shafted flicker
[Mid-16th century. By folk
etymology from earlier yelambre, from yelwe “yellow” + -amber,
of uncertain origin: perhaps from Old English amore, a type of bird.][1]



yellowjack

yellowjack
yel·low
jack
noun

1.  yellow
fever:
yellow fever (archaic)

2.  yellowish
Atlantic food fish: a large yellowish food fish
that lives off the Atlantic coast of North, South, and Central America. Latin
name: Caranx bartholomaei

[1]



yellowjacket

yellowjacket
yel·low
jack·et
noun

wasp with yellow bands:
a social wasp with black-and-yellow bands on its body. It nests in the ground
or in the hollows of trees, and can sting repeatedly. Family: Vespidae[1]



yellowjersey

yellowjersey
yel·low
jer·sey
noun

race leader’s jersey:
in the Tour de France, the jersey awarded to the cyclist with the fastest
elapsed time at a completed stage of the race[1]



yellowjessamine

yellowjessamine
yel·low
jes·sa·mine
[yèllō jéssəmin] (plural yel·low
jes·sa·mines) or yel·low jas·mine [yèllō
jéssəmin] (plural yel·low jas·mines) noun

See
Carolina jasmine[1]



yellowjournalism

yellowjournalism
yel·low
jour·nal·ism noun

sensationalist
news reporting: a style of journalism that makes
unscrupulous use of scandalous, lurid, or sensationalized stories to attract
readers.
See
also
yellow press
[Late 19th century. A
reference to the yellow ink of the Yellow Kid cartoons appearing in the
sensationalistic New York World .][1]



Yellowknife

Yellowknife
Yel·low·knife 
[yéllō nīf]

capital city of the Northwest
Territories, Canada. It is situated on the northern shore of the Great Slave
Lake. Population: 15,179 (1991)[1]



yellowlegs

yellowlegs
yel·low·legs 
[yéllō lègz] (plural yel·low·legs)
noun

large American sandpiper:
either of two large American shore birds, the greater yellowlegs or the lesser
yellowlegs, of the sandpiper family that have bright yellow legs, mottled brown
plumage, and white underparts. Genus: Tringa[1]



yellowocher

yellowocher
yel·low
o·cher
noun

artist’s pigment:
a yellow-brown inorganic pigment that contains iron and is used in artist’s
colors[1]



YellowPages

YellowPages
Yel·low
Pag·es
Trademark

a trademark for a telephone
directory printed on yellow paper and containing names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of businesses and other organizations listed according to the
products or services offered[1]



yellowperch

yellowperch
yel·low
perch
noun

bony freshwater fish:
a bony North American freshwater fish that has a yellow body with greenish
brown vertical bars and orange fins, and is valued as a food and sport fish.
Latin name: Perca flavescens[1]



yellowperil

yellowperil
yel·low
per·il
or Yel·low Per·il noun

offensive term:
a highly offensive term referring to the perceived threat to Western nations
posed by the nations of eastern Asia, especially China (dated offensive)[1]



yellowpine

yellowpine
yel·low
pine
noun

1.  N
American pine: a North American pine tree, for example,
the longleaf pine, shortleaf pine, or the Ponderosa pine

2.  yellow
pine wood:
the strong yellowish wood of various kinds of pine tree, especially the North
American shortleaf and longleaf pines

[1]



yellowpoplar

yellowpoplar
yel·low
pop·lar
noun

1.  See
tulip tree

2.  See
tulipwood

[1]



yellowpress

yellowpress
yel·low
press
noun

sensationalist newspapers:
collectively, the newspapers that make unscrupulous use of scandalous, lurid,
or sensationalized stories to attract readers.
See also
yellow journalism[1]



yellowrain

yellowrain
yel·low
rain
noun

yellow precipitation:
a fungal toxin that occurs as a form of precipitation in Southeast Asia. It has
been attributed by different sections of the scientific community to residue
from chemical warfare or to the excrement of wild honeybees.[1]



yellowrattle

yellowrattle
yel·low
rat·tle
noun

yellow-flowered plant with
rattling seeds: a plant found in both
Europe and North America that has yellow flowers whose seeds rattle in their
pouches when they are shaken. Latin name: Rhinanthus minor[1]



YellowRiver

YellowRiver
Yel·low
Ri·ver
[yèllō rívèr]

See
Huang He[1]



YellowSea

YellowSea
Yel·low
Sea
[yèllō s]

arm of the Pacific Ocean
bordered on the west and north by China and on the east by the Korean
Peninsula. It merges with the East China Sea to the south. Chinese Hwang
Hai[1]



yellow-shaftedflicker

yellow-shaftedflicker
yel·low-shaft·ed
flick·er 
noun

large N American woodpecker:
a large woodpecker of eastern North America that has shafts of yellow on the
underside of its wings and tail and a red spot on its nape. Latin name: Colaptes
auratus
Also called
yellowhammer[1]



yellowspot

yellowspot
yel·low
spot
noun

OPHTHALMOLOGY
See macula[1]



Yellowstone

Yellowstone
Yel·low·stone 
[yéllō stn]

river in the western United
States, rising in northwestern Wyoming, and flowing into the Missouri River in
North Dakota. Length: 1,110 km/692 mi.[1]



YellowstoneNational Park

YellowstoneNational Park
Yel·low·stone
Na·tion·al Park [yèllōstōn
násh’nəl prk]

the world’s first national
park, established in 1872 in parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It is noted
for its geysers, hot springs, and the Yellowstone Falls. Area: 8,983 sq
km/3,468 sq mi.[1]



yellowstreak

yellowstreak
yel·low
streak
noun

tendency to cowardice:
a tendency to be cowardly (insult)[1]



yellowtail

yellowtail
yel·low·tail 
[yéllō tàyl] (plural yel·low·tail
or yel·low·tails) noun

1.  marine
fish with yellowish tail: a marine game fish with a
yellowish tail, found in the coastal waters of California and Mexico. Latin
name: Seriola lalandei

2.  Australian
bait fish:
a small greenish fish with silver underparts and a yellow tail and fins found
in southern Australian and New Zealand waters and commonly used as bait. Latin
name: Trachurus novaezelandiae

[1]



yellowthroat

yellowthroat
yel·low·throat 
[yéllō thrt] (plural yel·low·throats)
noun

small American warbler:
a small American warbler that nests in dense undergrowth and has a yellow
breast and throat, a black mask, and a brownish back. Latin name: Geothylpis
trichas[1]



yellow-throatedwarbler

yellow-throatedwarbler
yel·low-throat·ed
war·bler
noun

U.S. songbird with yellow
throat: a small songbird of the
warbler family that has a bright yellow throat and inhabits the eastern United
States. Latin name: Dendroica dominica[1]



yellowwarbler

yellowwarbler
yel·low
war·bler
noun

common N American warbler:
a common North American warbler that has bright yellow plumage with brown
streaks along its sides. Latin name: Dendroica petechia[1]



yellowwood

yellowwood
yel·low·wood 
[yéllō wd] (plural yel·low·woods
or yel·low·wood) noun

1.  U.S.
tree with yellow wood: a tree of the southern
United States that has yellow wood, yields a yellow dye, and bears drooping
clusters of showy white flowers. Latin name: Cladastris lutea

2.  wood
of yellowwood tree: the yellow-colored wood of
the yellowwood tree

[1]



yelp

yelp
yelp 
[yelp] verb (past yelped,
past participle yelped, present participle yelp·ing,
3rd person present singular yelps)

1.  intransitive
verb
bark
or cry sharply: to utter a short sharp high-pitched bark
or cry, usually of pain

2.  transitive
verb
utter
something with yelping sound: to say something in a sharp
high-pitched voice
noun
(plural yelps)

short bark or cry:
a short high-pitched bark or cry
[Old
English gelpan “to boast.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning
“to call” which is also the ancestor of English yell
.]
—yelp·er, noun[1]



Yeltsin,Boris

Yeltsin,Boris

Yel·tsin
[yéltsin], Boris (1931– )
Russian
statesman. He was the first democratically elected Russian president (1991),
and was instrumental in planning the country’s transition from communism to a
market economy.
Full name
Yeltsin, Boris Nikolayevich[1]



Yemen

Yemen



Ye·men 
[yémmən, yáymən]
country
on the Arabian peninsula, in southwestern Asia, on the Red Sea. The country was
created in 1990 by the unification of the Yemen Arab Republic, or North Yemen,
and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, or South Yemen. Language:
Arabic. Currency: Yemeni riyal. Capital: San’a. Population: 16,600,000 (1996)
Area: 536,869 sq km/207,285 sq mi. Official name Republic of Yemen
—Yem·e·ni, noun,
adjective[1]



Yemen




Back to definition

Yemen

[1]



yen

yen2
yen2 [yen]
noun

yearning:
a strong yearning for something
intransitive
verb
(past yenned, past participle yenned, present
participle yen·ning, 3rd person present singular yens)

have
yearning:
to have a strong yearning for something
[Early 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Chinese (Cantonese) yăn .][1]



yen

yen1
yen1 [yen]
(plural yen) noun

1.  unit
of Japanese currency: a unit of currency in Japan,
worth 100 sen

2.  bill
worth a yen: a bill worth a yen
[Late 19th century. Via
Japanese en from Chinese yuán, literally “round.”][1]



Yenisey

Yenisey
Ye·ni·sey
[yénnə sày]

river in central Siberian
Russia. It is formed in the Sayan Mountains in southern Siberia by the union of
the Greater Yenisey and the Little Yenisey, and flows northward into the Kara
Sea. Length: 4.090 km/2,540 mi.[1]



yenta

yenta
yen·ta 
[yéntə] (plural yen·tas) or
yen·te [yéntə] (plural yen·tes)
noun

busybody:
a person, often a woman, known as a meddler or a gossip (disapproving slang;
offensive in some contexts)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from Yiddish yente, from the feminine name Yente, from,
ultimately, Latin gentilis “of the same family.”][1]



yeo.

yeo.
yeo.

NAVY
Abbreviation of yeoman[1]



yeoman

yeoman
yeo·man 
[yṓmən] noun (plural yeo·men
[yṓmən])

1.  Navy
member with clerical duties: an enlisted member of the
U.S. Navy whose duties are mostly clerical

2.  loyal
worker:
a loyal, reliable, or diligent worker

3.  farmer
with small freeholding: a member of a former class
of English commoners who owned and cultivated their own land

4.  sheriff’s
assistant:
an assistant to a sheriff or other official in the past

5.  attendant
to nobility or royalty: a servant or minor official
employed in the past in a royal or noble household

6.  yeoman
of the guard: a yeoman of the guard
adjective

performed diligently:
characterized by loyalty, diligence, and reliability • performed
yeoman service in completing the task on time
[13th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps a contraction of earlier yongman “young man.”][1]



yeomanly

yeomanly
yeo·man·ly 
[yṓmənlee] adjective

1.  relating
to yeoman:
relating to or characteristic of a yeoman or yeomen

2.  staunch
and dependable: dependable, loyal, and brave (archaic
or literary)
adverb

bravely: in a
brave and loyal way

[1]



yeomanof the guard

yeomanof the guard
yeo·man
of the guard (plural yeo·men of the guard)
noun

member of British royal
guard: a member of a British royal
guard who perform ceremonial duties, especially as guards of the Tower of
London[1]



yeomanry

yeomanry
yeo·man·ry 
[yṓmənree] noun

1.  farmers
with small freeholdings: a former class of English
commoners who owned and cultivated their own land

2.  former
British cavalry force: a British cavalry force
organized as a home guard in 1761 that became part of the Territorial Army in
1907

[1]



yep

yep
yep 
[yep] adverb

yes:
yes (informal)
[Late19th century. Alteration
of yes, possibly on the model of nope
.][1]



YER

YER
YER

BANKING
Abbreviation of yearly effective rate[1]



yerba

yerba
yer·ba 
[yáirbə, yúrbə]
(plural yer·bas) or yer·ba ma·té [yáirbə, yúrbə] noun

See
maté
[Early 19th century. From
Spanish “herb.”][1]



Yerevan

Yerevan
Ye·re·van 
[yèrrə vn]

capital and largest city of
Armenia, on the Hrazdan River, in the west of the country. Population:
1,202,000 (1990)[1]



Yerkes,Robert Mearns

Yerkes,Robert Mearns
Yer·kes
[yúrkiz], Robert Mearns (1876–1956)

U.S. psychobiologist. He
developed intelligence tests and was an authority on experimental primate
psychology.[1]



Yerkish

Yerkish
Yerk·ish 
[yúrkish] noun

chimp
language:
an artificial language of visual symbols created for experimental communication
between chimpanzees and humans
[Late 20th century. Named in
honor of the U.S. primatologist Robert Meams Yerkes
(1876–1956).][1]



yersinia

yersinia
yer·sin·i·a 
[yur sínnee ə] noun

disease-causing
bacterium:
any of several gram-negative bacteria, many of which cause disease in humans
and animals. One of these bacteria is a common cause of gastric infections
while another causes bubonic plague. Genus: Yersinia
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, from the name of the Swiss-born French bacteriologist
A. E. J. Yersin (1863–1943).][1]



yersiniosis

yersiniosis
yer·sin·i·o·sis 
[yur snni ṓssəss] noun

intestinal
disease:
a condition, mainly found in children and young adults, caused by a bacterium
and characterized by intestinal pain and symptoms that resemble appendicitis
[Late 20th century. Formed
from yersinia, the bacterium that causes the
disease.][1]



yes

yes
yes 
[yess] adverb

1.  assent
indicator:
used especially in speech to indicate assent, agreement, or affirmation • “Do
you like ice cream?”“Yes, I do.” • 97
percent of respondents answered yes, a ringing endorsement of one of his
central beliefs.

2.  indicates
contradiction: used to indicate contradiction in
response to a negative proposition • “He
won’t believe you.”“Oh yes he will.”

3.  mark
of attention: used to indicate that somebody is ready
to give his or her attention to somebody who has asked for it • “Doctor?”“Yes?”

4.  acceptance:
used to accept an offer or a request • “Would
you like some tea?”“Yes, please.”
noun
(plural yes·es)

1.  yes
(plural yes·es or yes·ses) affirmative
response:
an affirmative response to a question • Was
that a yes or a no?

2.  affirmative
voter:
somebody who votes in the affirmative • The
yeses have 65 percent and the noes 35 percent, so the motion is carried.
[Old English gēse,
from gēa (see yea ) + sīe “may
it be (so),” a form of the verb to be][1]



yeshiva

yeshiva
ye·shi·va 
[yə shvə] (plural ye·shi·vas or
ye·shi·vot [yə sh vot, yə sh vōt] or ye·shi·voth) or
ye·shi·vah [yə shvə] (plural ye·shi·vahs
or ye·shi·vot or ye·shi·voth) noun

orthodox
Jewish seminary: a seminary for orthodox Jewish, usually
unmarried, men where they study the primary source of Jewish law, the Talmud
[Mid-19th century. From
Hebrew yĕšīāh, from yāša “to sit.”][1]



yesman

yesman
yes
man
or yes-man noun

somebody taking orders
unquestioningly: somebody who agrees
enthusiastically with the ideas and views of a superior without offering any
criticism[1]



yes/noquestion

yes/noquestion
yes/no
ques·tion
(plural yes/no ques·tions) noun

question type:
a question that can be answered with “yes” or “no” and that in English begins
with an actual or implied verb[1]



yessir

yessir
yes·sir
[yéssər] or yess·ir·ee [yéssər] interjection

used
to express agreement: used, often ironically or
humorously, to express submissive assent or obedience (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Representing a casual pronunciation of yes, sir .][1]



yester-

yester-
yester-
prefix

used
to refer to a time in the past denoted by the suffix • yestermorning
[Old English geostran][1]



yester

yester
yes·ter
[yéstər] adjective

relating
to yesterday: happening or belonging to yesterday (archaic)
(usually used in combination) • yesteryear
[Late 16th century.
Backformation for yesterday .][1]



yesterday

yesterday
yes·ter·day 
[yéstər day, yéstərdee]
noun (plural yes·ter·days)

1.  day
before today: the day before this one

2.  past:
a time in the past
adverb

1.  on
the previous day: on the day before today

2.  in
the past:
at a time in the past
[Old English geostran dæg][1]



yesterevening

yesterevening
yes·ter·eve·ning 
[yéstər vning] adverb

during
yesterday evening: yesterday in the evening (archaic
or literary)
noun
(plural yes·ter·eve·nings)

yesterday’s evening:
the evening of yesterday (archaic or literary)[1]



yestermorning

yestermorning
yes·ter·morn·ing 
[yéstər màwrning] adverb

during
yesterday morning: yesterday in the morning (archaic
or literary)
noun

yesterday’s morning:
the morning of yesterday (archaic or literary)[1]



yesternight

yesternight
yes·ter·night 
[yéstər nt] adverb

during
last night:
yesterday at night (archaic or literary)
noun

last
night:
the night of yesterday (archaic or literary)
[Old English gystran niht][1]



yesteryear

yesteryear
yes·ter·year 
[yéstər yr] noun

1.  the
past:
the not very recent past

2.  last
year:
the year before this one
[Late 19th century. Coined by
the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti to translate
French antan .][1]



yet

yet
yet 
[yet] adverb

1.  so
far:
so far, or up to now (often used with a negative or interrogative) • The
information has not yet been analyzed.

2.  now:
now, as opposed to later (often used with a negative) • I
can’t come over just yet.

3.  even:
even or still (often used with a comparative) • He
spurred her on to yet greater efforts.

4.  in
spite of everything: used to indicate that it is
still possible that something will happen despite everything • We’ll
solve this problem yet.

5.  up
to now:
used with superlatives to indicate that something is, for example, the best,
worst, or most impressive up to now (often used after a superlative) • This
study is the largest yet –a 14-year study of 87,000 nurses.

6.  for
longer:
used to indicate that something will go on happening for a specified time • It
would take hours yet for the space telescope photos to arrive on Earth and be
processed.

7.  never
up to now:
used to indicate that somebody has not done something up to now • She’s
been there several weeks and we have yet to hear from her.
conjunction

nevertheless:
however or nevertheless • They
can’t find the cause, yet the researchers agree that one must be found.
[Old
English gīet, of uncertain origin]
as
yet

up
to now or up to the time being spoken about (often used with a negative)

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Did
  she go yet?
  In
  the simple past tense yet is used in this
  way in informal English rather than the perfect tense: • Has
  she gone yet? In some meanings, yet and still are largely
  interchangeable: • This has still to be
  decided
  or • This
  has yet to be decided.

[1]



yeti

yeti
ye·ti 
[yéttee] (plural ye·tis) noun

mysterious
Himalayan animal: a mysterious hairy humanoid animal said
to live in the Himalayas.
Also
called
Abominable Snowman
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps from Tibetan yeh-teh “small manlike animal,” or an
alteration of Tibetan miti, from mi “person” + ti “kind of
animal.”][1]



Yevtushenko,Yevgeny Aleksandrovich

Yevtushenko,Yevgeny Aleksandrovich

Yev·tu·shen·ko
[yèvtə shéngkō], Yevgeny Aleksandrovich
(1933– )
Russian poet. His works such as Zima
Junction ( 1956 ) and Babi Yar ( 1961 ) were critical of the
post-Stalinist U.S.S.R., and were widely read in the Soviet Union and the West,
although officially condemned by Soviet authorities.[1]



yew

yew

yew 
[yoo] (plural yews) noun

1.  evergreen
tree:
an evergreen tree or shrub that has flat dark green needles and red cones that
resemble berries. Most parts of the tree are considered poisonous. Genus: Taxus

2.  yew
wood:
the fine-grained wood of the yew

3.  yew
bow:
an archer’s bow made from yew
[Old English īw][1]



Yezidi

Yezidi
Yez·i·di 
[yézzədee] (plural Yez·i·dis) noun

member
of Kurdish religious group: a member of a Kurdish
religious group, founded by an Islamic mystic in the 12th century but
incorporating many elements of Iranian myth and tradition. The group has been
declared as heretical by orthodox Muslims and has been the object of intense
persecution.
[Early
19th century. Origin unknown.]
—Yez·i·dism, noun[1]



Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil
Ygg·dra·sil 
[ígdrəss’l] or Yg·dra·sil [ígdrəss’l] noun

mythological
ash tree:
in Norse mythology, the great ash tree that overshadows the world, binding
together earth, heaven, and hell
[From Old Norse][1]



YHWH

YHWH
YHWH
or YHVH or JHVH or JHWH noun

God symbol:
the transliteration of the four letters ( Tetragrammaton
) representing the name of God in the Bible. This transliteration was only ever
pronounced by the high priest in the Temple.
See also
Adonai
See also
Yahweh[1]



Yi

Yi
Yi
[yee] noun

long-ruling Korean dynasty:
a Korean dynasty that ruled Korea from 1392, following a period of Mongol
invasions, until 1910, and that restored aristocratic dominance and Chinese
influence[1]



yid

yid
yid 
[yid] (plural yids) noun

offensive
term:
a highly offensive term referring to a Jewish person (taboo offensive)
[Late 19th century. Via
Yiddish from Middle High German jüde “Jew,” ultimately from Latin Judaeus
(see Jew ).][1]



Yiddish

Yiddish
Yid·dish 
[yíddish] noun

LANGUAGE Jewish
language based on German: a language written in Hebrew
script and spoken by Jewish people in many European countries, in Israel, and
in some parts of North and South America. Mainly derived from medieval German
dialect, it includes many elements from Hebrew, Aramaic, and other languages,
especially Slavonic languages.
[Late
19th century. From Yiddish yidish (daytsh), literally “Jewish (German),”
from Middle High German jüdisch diutsch, from jüde “Jewish
person,” ultimately from Latin Judaeus .]
—Yid·dish, adjective[1]



yield

yield
yield 
[yeeld] verb (past yield·ed,
past participle yield·ed, present participle yield·ing,
3rd person present singular yields)

1.  transitive
verb
AGRICULTURE produce
something:
to produce something naturally or as a result of cultivation • The
field yields a good crop.

2.  transitive
verb
give
something as result: to produce something as the
result of work, activity, or calculation • The
research has yielded some interesting results.

3.  transitive
verb
FINANCE give
profit:
to gain an amount as a return on an investment • bonds
that yield 9 per cent

4.  intransitive
verb
give
way:
to give way or give up further resistance • She
refused to yield despite our pleas.

5.  transitive
verb
give
something up to somebody: to give something up to
somebody else or concede it • He
eventually yielded control of the company to his daughter.

6.  intransitive
verb
give
way to pressure: to move or bend under pressure or with
the application of force • The
window was painted shut and wouldn’t yield.

7.  intransitive
verb
surrender:
to admit defeat and surrender

8.  intransitive
verb
be
replaced by something: to be replaced by something
else • Older
houses and gardens were gradually yielding to modern apartments.

9.  intransitive
verb
TRANSPORT let
another pass: to slow down or stop in order to let
another vehicle pass • yield
to traffic on the right
noun
(plural yields)

1.  AGRICULTURE amount
produced:
the amount of something, especially a crop, produced by cultivation or labor • Yields
per acre were slightly lower than last year.

2.  FINANCE return
on investment: a part of a return on investment coming
from the receipt of interest or dividends • The
yield on the account was disappointing.

3.  CHEMISTRY product
from a chemical reaction: the quantity of product
resulting from a chemical reaction or process, often expressed as a percentage
of the amount that is theoretically obtainable

4.  PHYSICS explosive
force:
the amount of energy released in a nuclear explosion expressed as the amount of
TNT that would have the same explosive force
[Old
English geldan “to pay.” Ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic base
meaning “to pay,” which is also the ancestor of English guild .]
—yield·a·bil·i·ty
[yldə bíllətee], noun

—yield·a·ble
[yldəb’l], adjective

—yield·er,
noun

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  yield, capitulate, submit, succumb,
  surrender
  CORE
  MEANING: to
  give way yield; to give way to
  something such as force, pressure, entreaty, or persuasion; capitulate; to cease to resist a superior
  force, especially one that seems invincible, sometimes without having offered
  much active opposition; submit; to
  accept somebody else’s authority or will, especially reluctantly or under
  pressure; succumb; to give in to
  something due to weakness or a failure to offer much active opposition; surrender; to give way to the power of
  another and stop offering resistance, usually after active opposition

[1]



yielding

yielding
yield·ing 
[ylding] adjective

1.  soft
and bending: inclined to give or bend under pressure

2.  compliant:
tending to obey others

3.  producing:
productive of a good or bad yield or crop
—yield·ing·ly,
adverb

—yield·ing·ness, noun[1]



yieldup

yieldup
yield
up
transitive verb

reveal something finally:
to reveal something formerly hidden or secret[1]



yikes

yikes
yikes
[yīks] interjection

used
in surprise: used when suddenly startled (informal)
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: perhaps an alteration of yoicks
.][1]



yin

yin

yin 
[yin] noun
feminine
principle:
the principle of darkness, negativity, and femininity in Chinese philosophy
that is the counterpart of yang. The dual, opposite, and complementary
principles of yin and yang are thought to exist in varying proportions in all
things.
See
also
yang
[Late 17th century. From
Chinese yīn “shade, feminine, moon.”][1]



Yinglish

Yinglish
Ying·lish 
[yínglish] noun

LANGUAGE Yiddish-English:
a type of English with a heavy overlay of Yiddish words and syntax, as spoken
by early Jewish immigrants to the United States
[Mid-20th
century. Blend of Yiddish and English .]
—Ying·lish, adjective[1]



yip

yip
yip 
[yip] intransitive verb (past yipped,
past participle yipped, present participle yip·ping,
3rd person present singular yips)

bark:
to give a high-pitched bark
noun
(plural yips)

shrill
bark:
a high-pitched bark
[15th century. Originally “to
cheep,” used of birds; ultimately an imitation of the sound.][1]



yipe

yipe
yipe 
[yīp] interjection

expressing
fear:
used to express fear or alarm (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



yipee

yipee
yip·ee
[yi p] or yip·pee [yi p] interjection

expressing
joy:
used to express joy and excitement (usually used by or to children)
[Early 20th century. A
natural exclamation.][1]



yippie

yippie
yip·pie
[yíppee] (plural yip·pies) noun

political
hippie:
a politically radical hippie during the late 1960s and early 1970s in the
United States
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from Y(outh) I(nternational) P(arty), on the model of hippie .][1]



yips

yips
yips
[yips] plural noun

nervousness:
nervousness that impairs the performance of a sportsman or sportswoman,
especially a golfer
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



Yizkor

Yizkor
Yiz·kor 
[yíz kawr] noun

Jewish
memorial prayer: a memorial prayer for deceased relatives
recited in synagogue on Festivals and Yom Kippur
[Mid-20th century. From
Hebrew yizkōr, literally “may He remember.”][1]



-yl

-yl
-yl
suffix

a
group of atoms forming a radical • carbonyl
[Via French -yle from
Greek hulē “wood, organic matter”][1]



ylang-ylang

ylang-ylang
y·lang-y·lang 
[ lng  lng] (plural y·lang-y·langs)
or i·lang-i·lang [ lng  lng]
(unmarked inflection i·lang-i·langs) noun

aromatic
tree:
a tropical tree native to Asia and North Australia with flowers that yield a
fragrant oil used in perfumery. Latin name: Cananga odorata
[Late 19th century. From
Tagalog ilang-ílang .][1]



ylem

ylem
y·lem 
[ləm] noun

primordial
matter:
hypothetical matter that, according to the big bang theory of the origin of the
universe, was the substance from which the chemical elements were formed.
See
also
big bang theory
[Mid-20th century. Via
medieval Latin hylem “universal matter” from, ultimately Greek hulē
“wood, matter.”][1]



Y-level

Y-level
Y-lev·el
(plural Y-lev·els) noun

surveying tool:
a rotatable level mounted on a Y-shaped frame, used in surveying[1]



YMCA

YMCA
YMCA
or Y.M.C.A.

Abbreviation
of
Young Men’s Christian Association
noun
(plural YMCAs) (plural Y.M.C.A.s)

YMCA center:
a building or other center where social, sports, or educational facilities are
provided by the YMCA for its members[1]



YMHA

YMHA
YMHA
(plural YMHAs) or Y.M.H.A. (plural Y.M.H.A.s)

Abbreviation of
Young Men’s Hebrew Association[1]



Ymir

Ymir
Y·mir
[ mr] noun

Scandinavian giant god:
the forefather of all the giants of Norse mythology. Ymir was killed by Odin
and his brothers, and the world was formed from his body, the heavens from his
skull, and the water from his blood.[1]



yo

yo
yo 
[yō] interjection

greeting:
used as a greeting or to get somebody’s attention
[15th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



yob

yob
yob 
[yob] (plural yobs) noun

U.K.
hooligan:
a young hooligan (informal)
Also
called
yobbo
[Mid-19th
century. Backward spelling of boy .]
—yob·ber·y,
noun

—yob·bish, adjective[1]



YOB

YOB
YOB

Abbreviation of
year of birth[1]



yobbo

yobbo
yob·bo 
[yóbbō] (plural yob·bos) noun

(informal)
See yob
[Early 20th century. Formed
from yob .][1]



yod

yod
yod
[yod] (plural yods) or yodh
[yod] (plural yodhs) noun

10th letter of Hebrew
alphabet: the tenth letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “y” or “j”[1]



yodel

yodel

yo·del 
[yṓd’l] or yo·dle [yṓd’l] intransitive verb (past yo·deled,
past participle yo·deled, present participle yo·del·ing,
3rd person present singular yo·dels) (past yo·dled,
past participle yo·dled, present participle yo·dling,
3rd person present singular yo·dles)
sing
high:
to sing, changing rapidly between a normal and falsetto voice. It is a feature
of Alpine folk music and of some U.S. country and western music.
noun
(plural yo·dels) (plural yo·dles)
yodeling
song:
a song or passage that features yodeling
[Early
19th century. From German jodeln, literally “to utter jo ”; ultimately an imitation of the sound.]
—yo·del·er, noun[1]



yodh

yodh
yodh 
noun

See
yod[1]



yodle

yodle
yo·dle
intransitive verb noun

See
yodel[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








yoga

yoga
yo·ga 
[yṓgə] noun

1.  Hindu
discipline:
any of a group of related Hindu disciplines that promote the unity of the
individual with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals

2.  system
of exercise: a system or set of breathing exercises
and postures derived from or based on Hindu yoga
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit yogaḥ, literally “union.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word
meaning “to join,” which is also the ancestor of English yoke, join,
and zygo- .][1]



yogh

yogh
yogh 
[yōg] (plural yoghs) noun

letter
of Middle English: a letter ʒ used in Middle
English, usually represented in modern English as “gh” or “y”
[13th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



yoghurt

yoghurt
yo·ghurt 
noun

See
yogurt[1]



yogi

yogi
yo·gi 
[yṓgee] (plural yo·gis) or
yo·gin [yṓgən] (plural yo·gins)
noun

1.  yoga
practitioner: somebody who practices yoga

2.  student
of guru:
somebody who studies under a guru or other spiritual teacher of Indian religion
[Early 17th century. From
Sanskrit yogī, from yogaḥ “yoga.”][1]



yogurt

yogurt
yo·gurt
[yṓgərt] (plural yo·gurts) or
yo·ghurt [yṓgərt] (plural yo·ghurts)
or yo·ghourt [yṓgərt] (plural
yo·ghourts) noun

fermented
milk product: milk fermented by bacteria to give a
tangy or slightly sour flavor and a lightly set or thick and creamy
consistency. It is sometimes sweetened and flavored, usually with fruit.
[Early 17th century. From
Turkish yoǧurt .][1]



Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta
Yog·ya·kar·ta 
[yòggyə krtə, jàwk
yaa krtə]

city in southwestern
Indonesia, on the island of Java. Population: 412,059 (1990)[1]



yo-heave-ho

yo-heave-ho
yo-heave-ho
interjection

sailor’s chant:
used formerly by sailors as a rhythmic accompaniment to hauling work[1]



YohoNational Park

YohoNational Park
Yo·ho
Na·tion·al Park [yhō násh’nəl
prk]

national park in the Rocky
Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Area: 1,313 sq km/507 sq
mi.[1]



yoicks

yoicks
yoicks 
[yoyks] interjection

used
in foxhunting: used to encourage hounds in a foxhunt
[Mid-18th century. Origin
uncertain.][1]



yoke

yoke

yoke 
[yōk] noun (plural yokes)

1.  animal
harness:
a wooden frame for harnessing two draft animals

2.  frame
for carrying loads: a frame designed to fit
across somebody’s shoulders with balanced loads suspended at either end

3.  restrictive
burden:
something that is oppressive and restrictive

4.  CLOTHES fitted
part of a garment: the fitted part of a
garment, usually around the shoulders or waist, from which an unfitted part is
suspended

5.  bond:
a bond or tie that keeps people together • the
yoke of marriage

6.  HISTORY crossed
spears:
an archway made of crossed spears under which defeated enemies of the ancient
Romans were forced to march

7.  joined
animals:
two animals joined by a yoke

8.  NAUTICAL rudder
crossbar:
a crossbar fitted to the top of a rudder and connected to the front of a boat
by ropes or cables for steering

9.  ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING cathode
ray device:
a device fitted to the neck of a cathode ray tube to control the scanning
motion of the electron beam

10. RECORDING equipment
for multi-track recording: equipment for recording or
reproducing sounds or music on more than one track simultaneously, by joining
together two or more magnetic recording heads

11. AIR aircraft
part:
the handle of the steering mechanism for an airplane’s ailerons
transitive verb
(past yoked, past participle yoked, present
participle yok·ing, 3rd person present singular yokes)

1.  fit
animals with a yoke: to put a yoke on two draft
animals

2.  connect
an animal to a vehicle: to connect a draft animal to
a plow or vehicle

3.  link
things together: to join or link two things forcibly or
surprisingly • Ranchers
were yoked together with farmers on the issue.
[Old English geoc .
Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to join,” which is also the
ancestor of English join, zygo-, and yoga
.][1]



yokefellow

yokefellow
yoke·fel·low
[yṓk fèllō] (plural yoke·fel·lows)
noun

companion:
a mate, associate, or companion (archaic)[1]



yokel

yokel
yo·kel 
[yṓk’l] (plural yo·kels) noun

offensive
term:
an offensive term for a country dweller, regarded as lacking sophistication,
education, or other qualities thought typical of city dwellers (insult
offensive)
[Early
19th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from a dialect word meaning “green
woodpecker, yellowhammer.”]
—yo·kel·ish, adjective[1]



yolk

yolk
yolk 
[yōk] (plural yolks) noun

1.  yellow
of egg:
the round yellow portion of a bird’s or reptile’s egg, containing protein and
fats that provide nourishment for the developing young. Yolks are virtually
absent from the eggs of mammals, whose embryos absorb nutrients from the
mother.

2.  oily
substance in wool: a greasy substance from the
skin of sheep that collects in wool
[Old
English geol(o)ca, from geolu (see yellow
)]
—yolk·y, adjective[1]



yolksac

yolksac
yolk
sac
(plural yolk sacs) noun

membrane surrounding embryo:
a thin membrane surrounding the embryo in birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals.
In birds, fish, and reptiles, it encloses the yolk.[1]



yolkstalk

yolkstalk
yolk
stalk
(plural yolk stalks) noun

link between yolk sac and
embryo: a narrow tube or duct
attaching the yolk sac to an embryo and allowing the passage of yolk to the
embryo’s elementary digestive tract[1]



YomKippur

YomKippur
Yom
Kip·pur 
[yawm kíppər] noun

Jewish
holy day:
the holiest day of the Jewish year, falling on the tenth day of Tshiri, in
September or October, on which Jewish people fast and say prayers of penitence.

Also
called
Day of Atonement
[From Hebrew Yōm Kippūr
“day of atonement”][1]



yomtov

yomtov
yom
tov 
[yáwm tàwv] (plural ya·mim to·vim
[yaa mm taw vm]) noun

Jewish
holy day:
a Jewish term for a religious festival
[Directly and via Yiddish yontef
from Hebrew yōm ō, literally “good day”][1]



yon

yon
yon 
[yon] adverb

yonder:
yonder, over there (regional)
adjective

that
or those:
that or those over there (regional)
[Partly a shortening of yonder, and partly from Old English geon
“that one”][1]



yond

yond
yond 
[yond] adverb

there:
yonder, over there (archaic or literary)
[Old English geond, geondan
(source of English beyond ).
Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “that one,” which is also the
ancestor of yon .][1]



yonder

yonder
yon·der 
[yóndər] adverb

over
there:
over there (regional)
adjective

that:
that over there (regional)
[14th century. Formed from yond .][1]



yoni

yoni
yo·ni 
[yṓnee] (plural yo·nis) noun

female
principle in Hinduism: in Hinduism, a
representation of the female genitals regarded as a manifestation of the
feminine principle
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit yoniḥ “womb,” of unknown origin.][1]



Yonkers

Yonkers
Yon·kers 
[yóngkərz]

city in southeastern New
York, on the Hudson River. It is a northern suburb of New York City.
Population: 190,316 (1996)[1]



yoo-hoo

yoo-hoo
yoo-hoo 
[y h] interjection

hello:
used to get somebody’s attention, especially when the speaker is at a distance
intransitive
and transitive verb (past yoo-hooed,
past participle yoo-hooed, present participle yoo-hoo·ing,
3rd person present singular yoo-hoos)

say
yoo-hoo:
to say or shout “ yoo-hoo ” to attract somebody’s attention
[Early 20th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



yore

yore
yore 
[yawr] noun

bygone
days:
time long past (literary)
[Old English geāra, of
uncertain origin: perhaps a variant of gēara, literally “of years,” from
gēar (see year )][1]



York

York
York 
[yawrk]

city in Yorkshire, northern
England. Originally a Celtic settlement, under the Romans it became an
important regional center. Population: 105,500 (1991)[1]



YorkePeninsula

YorkePeninsula
Yorke
Pen·in·su·la  [yàwrk pə
nínssylə]

peninsula in South Australia,
situated between the Gulf of St. Vincent and the Spencer Gulf.[1]



yorkie

yorkie
york·ie
[yáwrkee] (plural york·ies) or
York·ie [yáwrkee] (plural York·ies)
noun

Yorkshire
Terrier:
a Yorkshire Terrier (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening.][1]



Yorkist

Yorkist
York·ist
[yáwrkəst] noun (plural York·ists)

York
supporter:
somebody who was loyal to or connected with the House of York that ruled
England from 1461 to 1485
adjective

of York:
supporting or connected with the House of York[1]



Yorkrite

Yorkrite
York
rite
(plural York rites) noun

masonic
ritual:
a masonic ceremony that confers different degrees at different levels of the
membership
[Late 19th century. Named for
the city of York in England.][1]



Yorkshire

Yorkshire
York·shire
[yáwrkshər]

former county in northern
England, at one time the largest in the country. Traditionally divided into the
East, West, and North Ridings, it has been an important region since Roman
times.[1]



YorkshireDales

YorkshireDales
York·shire
Dales

area of wild moorlands
divided by fertile valleys in the mid-Pennines, northern England[1]



Yorkshirepudding

Yorkshirepudding
York·shire
pud·ding
(plural York·shire pud·dings) noun

roast
accompaniment: a flour-based batter that is
traditionally cooked in the drippings of roast meat. It was originally served
with gravy before roast meat with the intention of satisfying appetites so that
a small amount of meat would go a long way.
[Mid-18th century. Named for Yorkshire .][1]



Yorkshireterrier

Yorkshireterrier
York·shire
ter·ri·er
(plural York·shire ter·ri·ers) noun

small
dog:
a very small long-haired terrier with a long silky brown and gray coat
[Late 19th century. Named for
Yorkshire, where the breed was developed.][1]



Yorkton

Yorkton
York·ton 
[yáwrktən]

town in Saskatchewan, Canada,
northeast of Regina. Population: 17,713 (1996)[1]



Yoruba

Yoruba
Yo·ru·ba 
[yáwrəbə] (plural Yo·ru·ba or
Yo·ru·bas) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of West African people: a member of a West African
people living mostly in Nigeria

2.  LANGUAGE Yoruba
language:
a language spoken in southwestern Nigeria, Benin and Togo. It belongs to the
Niger-Congo language family and is spoken by about 20 million people.

3.  region
of city-states in Nigeria: a region of city-states that
developed in northern Nigeria around AD
1200, notable for the population’s animistic religion and their artistic work,
in particular wood and bronze pieces
[Mid-19th
century. From Yoruba .]
—Yoruba,
adjective

—Yo·ru·ban, adjective[1]



YosemiteFalls

YosemiteFalls
Yo·se·mi·te
Falls
[yō sèmmətee fawlz]

falls in the Yosemite
National Park, California. Consisting of the Upper Yosemite Falls and the Lower
Yosemite Falls, it is one of the highest falls in the world, with a total drop
of 739 m/2,245 ft .[1]



YosemiteNational Park

YosemiteNational Park
Yo·sem·i·te
Na·tion·al Park

national park in central
California in the Sierra Nevada, established in 1890. It is noted for its giant
sequoia trees and falls. Area: 3,079 sq km/1,189 sq mi.[1]



you

you
you 
[(stressed) yoo, (unstressed) yə] pronoun

1.  person
being addressed: refers to the person or people being
addressed or written to • I’m
fine –how about you?

2.  person
or people unspecified: refers to an unspecified
person or people in general • You
have to see it to believe it. • You
mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

3.  those
being referred to: used to refer to the person
you are talking to, as well as other people of the same type or class (used
before a plural) • Isn’t
it time you kids were in bed?

4.  personality
of person addressed: refers to the personality of
the person addressed or something’s suitability to express it (informal)
• Don’t
buy that suit, it’s not really you!

5.  yourself:
yourself (informal) • You’ll
have to get you a job.
[Old
English īow, from gē (see ye )]

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  See
  Usage note at yourself.

[1]



you-all

you-all
you-all 
[yawl] or y’all [yawl] pronoun

Southern
U.S.
you
in plural:
used to address more than one person (informal)





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  This
  is Southern usage. Unlike Northern youse, which is limited to
  nonstandard usage, the Southern form you-all
  recurs among all social groups, virtually never used in the singular except
  in bad imitations by people of other regions.

[1]



young

young
young 
[yung] adjective (comparative younger,
superlative young·est)

1.  not
very old:
having lived or been in existence a relatively short time

2.  of
youth:
relating to somebody’s youth

3.  youthful:
looking or behaving like a young or younger person

4.  for
young people: designed for or appropriate to young
people

5.  recently
begun:
recently begun or in an early stage

6.  GEOLOGY not
significantly eroded: in a relatively early stage
of landscape formation and therefore steep and largely uneroded
plural
noun

1.  offspring:
offspring, especially when still completely dependent on parents

2.  young
people:
young people in general
[Old
English geong . Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “youth,
vigor,” which is also the ancestor of English youth
and juvenile .]
—young·ish,
adjective

—young·ness, noun[1]



youngberry

youngberry
young·ber·ry 
[yúng bèrree] (plural young·ber·ries)
noun

1.  hybrid
bramble:
a trailing bramble, native to the southwestern United States, that is a hybrid
of the blackberry and dewberry, with large, sweet, dark purple fruit

2.  fruit
of youngberry: the edible berry of the youngberry
[Early 20th century. Named
for the U.S. horticulturist B. M. Young, who developed the shrub.][1]



youngblood

youngblood
young
blood
noun

fresh ideas or people:
fresh, new, and vigorous ideas or people[1]



Young,Brigham

Young,Brigham

Young 
[yung], Brigham (1801–1877)
U.S. religious leader. He succeeded
Joseph Smith as the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(1844–1877). He organized the church members’ migration from Illinois to Utah (1845–1846),
where he founded Salt Lake City.[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Young,Cy

Young,Cy
Young 
[yung], Cy (1867–1955)

U.S.
baseball player. He was the first player in major league history to pitch a
perfect game (1904), and an annual award for the best major league pitcher was
established in his honor.
Real name
Young, Denton True[1]



youngling

youngling
young·ling 
[yúngling] (plural young·lings)
noun

young
person or animal: a young person or a young animal
[Old English geongling][1]



youngoffender

youngoffender
young
of·fend·er
(plural young of·fend·ers) noun

U.K.
See youthful offender[1]



youngster

youngster
young·ster 
[yúngstər] (plural young·sters)
noun

1.  child:
a child or young person

2.  young
horse:
a young horse

3.  second-year
naval cadet: a second-year student in the U.S. Naval
Academy

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  See
  Synonyms at youth

[1]



YoungTurk

YoungTurk
Young
Turk
(plural Young Turks) noun

1.  Turkish
nationalist revolutionary: a member of a liberal
pro-democratic Turkish nationalist movement in the early 20th century that
brought about a short-lived revolution in 1908

2.  upstart:
a young person, especially one of a group, who attempts to wrest control of an
organization from an older, established, more conservative group

[1]



Young,Whitney M., Jr.

Young,Whitney M., Jr.

Young 
[yung], Whitney M., Jr. (1921–1971)
U.S.
civil rights leader and social worker. He directed the National Urban League
(1961–1971) and advised President Lyndon B. Johnson on antipoverty programs.
Full name
Young, Jr., Whitney Moore[1]



young’un

young’un
young’un 
[yúngən] (plural young’uns) noun

child:
an infant or child (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Contraction of young one .][1]



younker

younker
youn·ker 
[yúngkər] (plural youn·kers) noun
(archaic)

1.  young
male:
a young man

2.  child:
a child
[Early 16th century. From
Middle Dutch jonckher, from jonc “young” + hēre “lord.”][1]



your

your
your 
[(stressed) yawr, yoor, (unstressed) yər]
adjective

1.  belonging
to person spoken to: refers to something that
belongs to or relates to an addressee • What’s
your phone number?

2.  belonging
or relating to somebody: refers to something that
belongs or relates to an unspecified person or people in general • The
house is on your left as you come down the street.

3.  indicates
topic:
refers to somebody or something as an example or topic (informal)
[Old English ēower, from
gē (see ye )][1]



Yourcenar,Marguerite

Yourcenar,Marguerite
Your·ce·nar
[yrsə nr], Marguerite (1903–1987)

Belgian-born
French and U.S. writer. Many of her works, including Memoirs of Hadrian
( 1951 ), follow historical themes.
Pseudonym of
Crayencour, Marguerite de[1]



yours

yours
yours 
[yawrz, yoorz]
pronoun

1.  indicates
belonging:
refers to something that belongs or relates to the person or people being
addressed • This
idea of yours is very interesting.

2.
or  part
of signature: used at the end of letters before
somebody signs his or her name • Yours,
M. J. Smith
[14th
century. Formed from your .]
Yours
sincerely

or
Yours faithfully or Yours trulyused at the end of a letter
before somebody signs his or her name • Yours
sincerely, Pat Jones[1]



yourself

yourself
your·self 
[yawr sélf, yoor
sélf, yər sélf] (plural your·selves
[yər sélvz]) pronoun

1.  somebody
being addressed: refers to the person or people being
addressed or written to • Be
careful not to hurt yourself.

2.  making
reference to somebody spoken to: refers emphatically or
politely to the person or people being addressed or written to • “Consider,”
he replied, “how you yourself really feel about such things.”

3.  your
normal self: your normal or usual self • You
are not yourself tonight.

  WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE


  Grammar:
  The
  primary uses of yourself are as a reflexive pronoun ( • Don’t
  hurt yourself ) and as a reinforcing pronoun ( • Can
  you do it yourself? ). It should not be used
  as an alternative for you in sentences of the type • That’s
  up to you (not: That’s up to yourself).

[1]



yourstruly

yourstruly
yours
tru·ly
pronoun

me or myself:
me, myself, or I • Of
course, everyone’s going to be there except yours truly.[1]



youse

youse
youse
[yooz] or yous [yooz] pronoun

you
in plural:
used to address more than one person (nonstandard) (regional)
[Late 19th century. Formed
from you .][1]



youth

youth
youth 
[yooth] noun (plural youths)

1.  time
when somebody is young: the period of human life
between childhood and maturity

2.  being
young:
the state of being young

3.  young
person:
a young person, especially a boy or young man

4.  early
stage:
an early stage of something

5.  GEOLOGY erosion
stage:
the first stage in landscape formation in which fast-flowing streams travel
down steep mountain valleys
plural
noun

young people: young
people in general
[Old
English geoguþ, from a prehistoric Germanic word]

WORD KEY: USAGE NOTE

  youth, child, kid,
  teenager, youngster
  CORE
  MEANING: somebody
  who is young youth; a man or boy
  who is in his teens or early twenties; child;
  a young person between birth and the onset of puberty; kid; an informal word for a child or young
  person; teenager; somebody between
  the ages of thirteen and nineteen; youngster;
  somebody who is young, or, in humorous usage, somebody younger than others
  mentioned or present

[1]



youthanize

youthanize
youth·an·ize
[ythə nz] transitive verb

COMMERCE
make appealing to youth market:
to design or alter something such as a clothing line so that it will appeal to
youth culture or to youthful buyers (informal)[1]



YouthCourt

YouthCourt
Youth
Court
(plural Youth Courts) noun

Canadian court for offenders
under 18: a provincial court in Canada
with jurisdiction over all cases involving offenders under the age of 18[1]



youthful

youthful
youth·ful 
[ythf’l] adjective

1.  like
youth:
typical of or possessing youth

2.  vigorous:
vigorous and energetic

3.  not
fully developed: in early development and not yet mature

4.  GEOLOGY mildly
eroded:
steep, rugged, relatively uneroded

5.  GEOGRAPHY near
source:
used to describe a fast-flowing stream close to its source
—youth·ful·ly,
adverb

—youth·ful·ness, noun[1]



youthfuloffender

youthfuloffender
youth·ful
of·fend·er
(plural youth·ful of·fend·ers) noun

young criminal:
somebody under 18 who has committed a criminal act.
U.K. term
young offender[1]



youthhostel

youthhostel
youth
hos·tel
(plural youth hos·tels) noun

inexpensive lodging for young
people: any of an international
group of establishments offering cheap lodging for travelers, especially young
travelers[1]



you-uns

you-uns
you-uns 
pronoun

Southern
U.S.
you
in plural:
used to address more than one person (nonstandard)
[Early 19th century. Formed
from you + ones
.][1]



you’d

you’d
you’d 
[yood] contraction

1.  you
had:
you had

2.  you
would:
you would
[Early 17th century.
Contraction.][1]



you’ll

you’ll
you’ll 
[yool] contraction

1.  you
will:
you will

2.  you
shall:
you shall
[Late 16th century.
Contraction.][1]



you’re

you’re
you’re 
[(stressed) yoor, yawr, (unstressed) yər]
contraction

you
are:
you are
[Late 16th century.
Contraction.][1]



you’ve

you’ve
you’ve 
[yoov] contraction

you
have:
you have
[Late 17th century.
Contraction.][1]



yow

yow
yow 
[yow] interjection

used
in alarm or surprise: used to express pain,
surprise, or alarm (informal)
[Mid-19th century. An
imitation of the sound of an involuntary cry.][1]



yowl

yowl
yowl 
[yowl] intransitive verb (past
yowled, past participle yowled, present participle yowl·ing,
3rd person present singular yowls)

utter
a howl:
to cry out mournfully or as an expression of pain
noun
(plural yowls)

sad
cry:
a long mournful wail
[12th
century. Origin uncertain: probably an imitation of the sound.]
—yowl·er, noun[1]



yo-yo

yo-yo
yo-yo 
[yṓ yō] noun (plural yo-yos)

1.  toy
with string wound on spool: a toy consisting of a long
string wound onto a spool that is dropped and raised repeatedly using the force
of gravity and momentum to unwind and rewind the string

2.  fluctuating
thing:
something that repeatedly goes up and down or fluctuates between one extreme
and another

3.  offensive
term:
an offensive term for somebody regarded as silly or unintelligent (slang
insult)
intransitive
verb
(past yo-yoed, past participle yo-yoed, present
participle yo-yo·ing, 3rd person present singular yo-yos)

fluctuate: to
fluctuate between two extremes or directions
[Early 20th century. Earlier
a trademark, of uncertain origin: probably the name of a Philippine toy, from a
language of the Philippines.][1]



yo-yodieting

yo-yodieting
yo-yo
diet·ing
noun

losing and regaining of
weight: a situation in which
somebody repeatedly loses weight through dieting and then regains the weight
that he or she has lost[1]



yr.

yr.
yr.

1.  Abbreviation
of
year

2.  Abbreviation
of
younger

3.  Abbreviation
of
your

[1]



Yrs.

Yrs.
Yrs.

(used at end of letter)Abbreviation
of Yours[1]



Y.T.

Y.T.
Y.T.

Abbreviation of
Yukon Territory[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








YTD

YTD
YTD

Abbreviation of
year to date[1]



ytterbia

ytterbia
yt·ter·bi·a 
[i túrbee ə] noun

See
ytterbium oxide
[Late 19th century. Named
after Ytterby (see ytterbium ).][1]



ytterbium

ytterbium

yt·ter·bi·um 
[i túrbee əm] noun
rare
metallic element: a soft silvery metal belonging to the
lanthanide group of rare earth elements, used to strengthen steel, in laser
devices, and in portable X-ray units. Symbol Yb
[Late
19th century. Formed from earlier ytterbite, a mineral containing the
element, which was named for Ytterby, a Swedish quarry where it was
found.]
—yt·ter·bic, adjective[1]



ytterbiumoxide

ytterbiumoxide
yt·ter·bi·um
ox·ide
noun

mineral compound:
a colorless oxide of ytterbium used in certain alloys and ceramics. Yb2O3 
Also called
ytterbia[1]



yttria

yttria
yt·tri·a 
[íttree ə] noun

See
yttrium oxide
[Early 19th century. Named
for Ytterby, a Swedish quarry, because a mineral (gadolinite) was found
there from which the compound was obtained.][1]



yttriferous

yttriferous
yt·trif·er·ous 
[i tríffərəss] adjective

containing yttrium:
yielding or containing yttrium[1]



yttrium

yttrium

yt·tri·um 
[íttree əm] noun
rare
metallic element: a silvery gray metallic element
occurring in many uranium and rare-earth ores, used in superconducting alloys
and in permanent magnets. Symbol Y
[Early
19th century. Formed from yttria .]
—yt·tric, adjective[1]



yttriummetal

yttriummetal
yt·tri·um
met·al
(plural yt·tri·um met·als) noun

metal in yttrium group:
a metal in the group that includes yttrium and related rare earth elements such
as holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium[1]



yttriumoxide

yttriumoxide
yt·tri·um
ox·ide
noun

yellowish powder used in
industry: a yellowish powder with
several industrial applications, notably in glass, ceramics, lasers, and
microwave components. Y2O3 
Also called
yttria[1]



yuan

yuan
yu·an 
[yoo n] (plural yu·an) noun

1.  unit
of Chinese currency: the main unit of currency in
China, worth 10 jiao

2.  bill
worth one yuan: a bill worth one yuan
[Early 20th century. From
Chinese yuán, literally “round” (source of English yen 1 ).][1]



Yucatec

Yucatec
Yuc·a·tec 
[ykə tèk] (plural Yuc·a·tec or
Yuc·a·tecs) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of Mayan people in Yucatán: a member of a Mayan people
of the Yucatán Peninsula

2.  LANGUAGE Yucatec
language:
a Mayan language of southern Mexico, spoken by about half a million people
[Mid-19th
century. From Spanish yucateco, from Yucatán “Yucatan.”]
—Yu·ca·tec, adjective[1]



Yucatán

Yucatán
Yu·ca·tán
[ykə tán, ykə
tn]

peninsula in Central America
consisting of three Mexican states, Belize, and part of northern Guatemala.
Area: 181,300 sq km/70,000 sq mi.[1]



yucca

yucca

yuc·ca 
[yúkə] (plural yuc·cas) noun
flowering
plant:
an evergreen plant native to the southwestern United States and Mexico but
widely grown for its sharp lance-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers
that grow in vertical spikes. Genus: Yucca
[Mid-16th century. Via
Spanish yuca from Taino .][1]



yuccamoth

yuccamoth
yuc·ca
moth
(plural yuc·ca moths) noun

N American moth:
a small white North American moth that pollinates the yucca plant and lays its
eggs in the ovaries of the yucca’s flowers. Latin name: Tegeticula alba[1]



yuck

yuck
yuck 
[yuk] or yuk [yuk] interjection

used
in disgust:
used to express disgust or revulsion (informal)
[Mid-20th century. An
imitation of the sound of vomiting.][1]



yucky

yucky
yuck·y 
[yúkee] (comparative yuck·i·er,
superlative yuck·i·est) or yuk·ky [yúkee] (comparative yuk·ki·er, superlative
yuk·ki·est) adjective

unpleasant:
disgusting or unpleasant (informal)
—yuck·i·ness, noun[1]



Yug.

Yug.
Yug.

Abbreviation of
Yugoslavia[1]



yuga

yuga
yu·ga
[ygə] (plural yu·gas) noun

complete
era:
in Hinduism, any one of the four stages in each cycle of history, each worse
than the one before
[Late 18th century. From
Sanskrit yugam “yoke, era.”][1]



Yugo.

Yugo.
Yugo.

Abbreviation of
Yugoslavia[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia



Yu·go·sla·via
[ygō slvee ə]
republic
in the Balkans, southeastern Europe, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, two
of the six republics that made up the former Federal People’s Republic of
Yugoslavia. Language: Serbo-Croat. Currency: Yugoslav new dinar. Capital:
Belgrade. Population: 10,574,000 (1996) Area: 102,173 sq km/39,449 sq mi. Official
name Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
—Yu·go·slav [ygō slv], noun, adjective[1]



Yugoslavia




Back to definition

Yugoslavia

[1]



yuk

yuk2
yuk2 [yuk]
noun (plural yuks)

laugh:
a laugh or chortle (slang)
intransitive
verb
(past yukked, past participle yukked, present
participle yuk·king, 3rd person present singular yuks)

laugh:
to produce a laugh (slang)
[Mid-20th century. Origin uncertain:
perhaps an imitation of the sound of laughing.][1]



yuk

yuk1
yuk1 interjection

See
yuck[1]



yukky

yukky
yuk·ky
adjective

See
yucky[1]



Yukon

Yukon
Yu·kon 
[yk on]

river in North America,
flowing through Canada and Alaska and into the Bering Sea. Length: 3,185
km/1,979 mi.[1]



YukonTerritory




Back to definition

YukonTerritory

[1]



YukonTerritory

YukonTerritory


Yu·kon Ter·ri·to·ry

territory in northwestern Canada. It was
the site of the Klondike gold rush between 1896 and 1899. Capital: Whitehorse.
Population: 30,766 (1996) Area: 483,450 sq km/186,660 sq mi.[1]



YukonTime

YukonTime
Yu·kon
Time
noun

N American time zone:
the time observed in the Yukon Territory and in a section of more or less
equivalent longitude extending southward from there, being nine hours behind
Universal Coordinated Time[1]



yulan

yulan
yu·lan 
[y laan, y lan]
(plural yu·lans) noun

Chinese
magnolia:
a deciduous spreading tree or shrub of the magnolia family, native to China,
that has masses of fragrant white cup-shaped flowers that appear in spring
before the leaves. Latin name: Magnolia denudata
[Early 19th century. From
Chinese yùlán, literally “jade orchid.”][1]



Yule

Yule
Yule 
[yool] or yule [yool] noun

Christmas:
Christmas day or the Christmas season (archaic literary)
[Old English gēol
“mid-winter festival, Christmas,” of prehistoric Germanic origin][1]



yulelog

yulelog
yule
log 
(plural yule logs) noun

log burned on Christmas eve:
a large log traditionally placed on the hearth fire on Christmas eve[1]



Yuletide

Yuletide
Yule·tide 
[yl td] (plural Yule·tides) noun

Christmastime:
the Christmas season[1]



Yuma

Yuma2
Yu·ma2  [ymə]

city in the southwestern
corner of Arizona, on the Arizona-California border, southwest of Phoenix.
Population: 60,519 (1996)[1]



Yuma

Yuma1
Yu·ma1  [ymə]
noun

PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people of southwestern Arizona and neighboring areas
[Early
19th century. From Pima yum .]
—Yu·ma, adjective[1]



Yuman

Yuman
Yu·man 
[ymən] noun

LANGUAGE Native
Central American language group: a family of languages
spoken in the southwestern U.S. and in northern Mexico. Yuman languages are
spoken by about 4,000 people.
[Late
19th century. Formed from Yuma .]
—Yu·man, adjective[1]



yummy

yummy
yum·my 
[yúmmee] (comparative yum·mi·er,
superlative yum·mi·est) adjective

delicious:
very appealing to taste or smell
[Late
19th century. Formed from yum, an imitation of the sound of smacking the
lips.]
—yum·mi·ness, noun[1]



Yunnan

Yunnan
Yun·nan 
[yoo nán]

province in southern China,
on the southwestern border of the country. Capital: Kunming. Population:
39,390,000 (1994) Area: 390,000 sq km/150,600 sq mi.[1]



yup

yup
yup
[yup] adverb

yes:
yes (informal)
[Early 20th century.
Representing a casual pronunciation of yes
.][1]



Yupik

Yupik
Yu·pik
[y pik] (plural Yu·pik or
Yu·piks) noun

1.  PEOPLES Inuit
people:
an Inuit people of Western Alaska and parts of coastal Siberia

2.  LANGUAGE Yupik
language group: the group of languages spoken by the
Yupik people
[Mid-20th
century. From Alaskan Yupik Yup’ik, literally “real person.”]
—Yu·pik, adjective[1]



yuppie

yuppie
yup·pie 
[yúppee] (plural yup·pies) noun

young
professional: a young educated city-dwelling
professional, especially when regarded as materialistic
[Late 20th century. Coined
from y(oung) u(rban) p(rofessional), on the model of hippie and yippie
.][1]



yuppieflu

yuppieflu
yup·pie
flu
or yup·pie disease noun

chronic fatigue syndrome:
chronic fatigue syndrome (informal)[1]



yuppify

yuppify
yup·pi·fy 
[yúppə fī] (past yup·pi·fied, past
participle yup·pi·fied, present participle yup·pi·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular yup·pi·fies) transitive verb

populate
with yuppies: to cause an area to be increasingly
populated by young educated city-dwelling professionals or to modify something
with the values ascribed to yuppies
—yup·pi·fi·ca·tion [yùppəfə káysh’n], noun[1]



Yurok

Yurok
Yu·rok 
[yr ok] (plural Yu·rok or
Yu·roks) noun

PEOPLES member
of Native N American people: a member of a Native North
American people that live in California, mainly along the northwestern coast
and in the lower Klamath River valley
[Mid-19th
century. From Karok yúruk “downstream.”]
—Yu·rok, adjective[1]



yurt

yurt

yurt 
[yurt] (plural yurts) noun
Asian
tent:
a collapsible circular tent of skins stretched over a pole frame, used by
Central Asian nomadic peoples
[Late 18th century. Via
Russian yurta from, ultimately, Turkic jurt .][1]



YWCA

YWCA
YWCA
or Y.W.C.A.

Abbreviation
of
Young Women’s Christian Association
noun

YWCA center:
a building or other center where social, sports, or educational facilities are
provided by the YWCA for its members[1]



YWHA

YWHA
YWHA
or Y.W.H.A.

Abbreviation of
Young Women’s Hebrew Association[1]



YünShoup’ing

YünShoup’ing
Yün
Shou·p’ing
[yn shō píng] (1633–1690)

Chinese artist. He is known
for his landscapes and flower paintings.[1]



y’all

y’all
y’all 
contraction

Southern U.S.
(informal) See you-all[1]



Z

Z2
Z2 or z.

1.  PHYSICS Symbol for impedance

2.  CHEMISTRY Symbol for atomic number

3.  Symbol
for
zetta-

[1]



z

z1

z1 [zee]
or Z [zee] noun (plural
z’s) (plural Z’s or Zs)

1.  26th
letter of English alphabet: the 26th and final letter of
the modern English alphabet

2.  sound
corresponding to letter “Z”: the speech sound that
corresponds to the letter “Z”

3.  letter
“Z” written: a written representation of the letter
“Z”

4.  something
Z-shaped:
something shaped like a “Z”
plural noun z’s

sleep:
sleep, from the traditional transcription of the sound of snoring (informal)[1]



z

z2
z2

1.  MONEY Symbol for zaïre

2.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for a
Cartesian coordinate along the z-axis

3.  MATHEMATICS Symbol for an
algebraic variable

4.  Symbol
for
zepto-

[1]



Z

Z1
Z1 or z.

GEOGRAPHY
Abbreviation of zone[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Zaanstad

Zaanstad
Zaan·stad
[zaan shtát]

city in North Holland
Province, western Netherlands. Population: 133,817 (1996)[1]



zabaglione

zabaglione
za·ba·gli·o·ne 
[zb’l yṓnee] (plural za·ba·gli·o·nes)
noun

Italian
dessert:
a dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine beaten over hot water
until pale and foamy. It is served hot with sponge finger biscuits.
[Late 19th century. From
Italian, variant of zabaione, of uncertain origin.][1]



Zacynthus

Zacynthus
Za·cyn·thus
[zə sínthəss, zə
kínthəss]

the most southerly of the
Ionian Islands, in southwestern Greece. Population: 30,014 Area: 401 sq km/155
sq mi.[1]



zaddik

zaddik
zad·dik 
noun

See
tzaddik[1]



zaffer

zaffer
zaf·fer 
[záffər] or zaf·fre [záffər] noun

blue
pigment:
an impure form of cobalt oxide that is added to glass and ceramics to make them
blue
[Mid-17th century. Directly
or via Italian zaffera from French safre, of uncertain origin.][1]



zaftig

zaftig
zaf·tig 
[zf tig] or zof·tig [zf tig] adjective

full-figured:
with a full-figured body
[Mid-20th century. Via
Yiddish from Middle High German saftec “juicy,” from saft
“juice.”][1]



zag

zag
zag 
[zag] noun (plural zags)

opposite
direction to zig: a direction or segment of a course
running opposite to a zig
intransitive
verb
(past zagged, past participle zagged, present
participle zag·ging, 3rd person present singular zags)

turn
abruptly:
to change direction quickly
[Late 18th century. From zigzag .][1]



Zagreb

Zagreb
Za·greb 
[z greb]

capital city of Croatia,
situated in the north of the country, approximately 25 km/15 mi from the border
with Slovenia. Population: 726,770 (1991)[1]



ZagrosMountains

ZagrosMountains
Zag·ros
Moun·tains 
[zàg ross mównt’nz]

mountain range in
southwestern Iran, extending from the borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan in the
north to the Persian Gulf in the south. The highest peak is Zard Kuh, 4,548
m/14,921 ft . Length: 1,600 km/1,000 mi.[1]



Zaharias,Babe Didrikson

Zaharias,Babe Didrikson
Za·har·i·as
[zə háiriee əss, zəhárrieeəss],
Babe Didrikson (1913–1956)

U.S.
athlete. She excelled in basketball, swimming, track and field, and golf.
Born
Didrikson, Mildred[1]



zaibatsu

zaibatsu
zai·bat·su 
[z bat s] (plural zai·bat·su)
noun

large
Japanese industrial combine: a large industrial combine
created in Japan in the 1890s, usually by a single family, as part of the
process of industrialization
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, from zai “wealth” + batsu “clique.”][1]



zaikai

zaikai
zai·kai 
[zī k] noun

Japanese
business:
the business and financial community of Japan
[Mid-20th century. From
Japanese, from zai “wealth” + kai “world.”][1]



Zaire

Zaire
Za·ire 
[z r, zaa r]

1.  Former
name for
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1971–1997

2.  Former
name for
Congo, River

[1]



Zairean

Zairean
Za·ir·e·an
[zaa rree ən] adjective

PEOPLES
relating to Zaire:
relating to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, or its people or
culture[1]



zakat

zakat
za·kat 
[zə kt] noun

Islamic
tax for charity: a tax that goes to charity, obligatory
for all Muslims, set traditionally at 2.5 per cent of somebody’s annual income
and capital
[Early 19th century. Via
Persian and Urdu zakā(t) or Turkish zekât from Arabic zakā(t)
“almsgiving.”][1]



zakuski

zakuski
za·kus·ki 
[zə kskə] or za·kus·ka [zə kskaa] plural noun

Russian
mixed hors d’oeuvres: a variety of blinis and
breads with savory toppings, especially caviar and other accompanying tidbits,
served in Russia with vodka. Traditionally, it is an alternative to the first
course of a meal but sometimes it provides a pre-theater supper, followed by
the main meal after the show.
[Late 19th century. From
Russian, plural of zakuska “hors d’oeuvre.”][1]



Zambezi

Zambezi
Zam·be·zi 
[zam bzee]

river in southern Africa,
flowing through Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, and into
the Indian Ocean. Length: 3,540 km/2,200 mi.[1]



Zambia

Zambia



Zam·bi·a 
[zámbee ə]
republic
in south central Africa. It became independent from the United Kingdom in 1964.
Language: English. Currency: kwacha. Capital: Lusaka. Population: 9,715,000
(1996) Area: 752,614 sq km/290,586 sq mi. Official name Republic of
Zambia
—Zam·bi·an (plural
Zam·bi·ans), noun, adjective[1]



Zambia




Back to definition

Zambia

[1]



Zamboni

Zamboni
Zam·bo·ni
[zam bṓnee] Trademark

a trademark for a machine
that resurfaces the ice on hockey and skating rinks[1]



zamia

zamia
za·mi·a 
[záymee ə] (plural za·mi·as) noun

tropical
tree:
a small tropical tree ( cycad ) that looks
like a palm tree, with a short thick trunk, spiky leaves, and upright woody
cones that contain seeds. It is a modern representative of a group of trees
that is largely extinct. Genus: Zamia
[Early 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, ultimately from a misreading of Latin azaniae
“pine cones.”][1]



zamindar

zamindar
zam·in·dar 
[zámmən dr, zə
mn dr] (plural zam·in·dars) or zem·in·dar
[zámmən dr, zə
mn dr] (plural zem·in·dars) or ja·min·dar
[zámmən dr, zə
mn dr] (plural ja·min·dars) noun

1.  tax
collector in Mogul India: a collector of property
taxes in Mogul India

2.  taxpayer
in British colonial India: a landlord in British
colonial India liable for tax on his holdings

3.  landowner
in India or Pakistan: somebody who has
traditionally owned land in India or Pakistan
[Late 17th century. Via Urdu
from Persian zamīndār, from zamīn “land” + dār “holder.”][1]



zamindari

zamindari
zam·in·dar·i 
[zàmmən dree, zə
mn dree] (plural zam·in·dar·is) or zem·in·dar·y
[zàmmən dree, zə
mn dree] (plural zem·in·dar·ies) or jam·in·dar·i
[zàmmən dree, zə
mn dree] (plural jam·in·dar·is) noun

land
ownership:
the system of traditional land ownership in India or Pakistan, or the area of
land owned
[Mid-18th century. Via Urdu
from Persian zamīndārī, from zamīndār (see zamindar ).][1]



zanana

zanana
za·na·na 
[zə nnə] noun

1.  women’s
quarters in trains: in southern Asia, an area
reserved for women in some trains and waiting rooms in railroad stations

2.  See
zenana
[Mid-18th century. From
Persian and Urdu zanānah, from zan “woman.” Ultimately from the
Indo-European word for “woman” that is also the ancestor of English queen, gyno-,
and banshee .][1]



zander

zander
zan·der 
[zándər] (plural zan·der or
zan·ders) noun

freshwater
perch:
a central European freshwater fish in the perch family, harvested for food.
Latin name: Stizostedion lucioperca
[Mid-19th century. Via German
from Low German sandāt, of unknown origin.][1]



zandoli

zandoli
zan·do·li
[zán dlee] (plural zan·do·lis)
noun

Caribbean
lizard:
a largish brown and green lizard that lives in holes[1]



zany

zany
za·ny 
[záynee] adjective (comparative
za·ni·er, superlative za·ni·est)

amusingly unconventional:
entertainingly strange or amusingly unusual
noun
(plural za·nies)

1.  clown:
a fool, buffoon, or clown

2.  THEATER stock
character:
a stock character in Renaissance comedies who mimicked other characters
[Late
16th century. Via French zani from, ultimately, Italian dialect Zanni,
a variant of Gianni, pet form of Giovanni, the character in the
commedia dell’arte who tried to mimic the clown.]
—za·ni·ly,
adverb

—za·ni·ness,
noun

—za·nism, noun[1]



Zanzibar

Zanzibar
Zan·zi·bar 
[zánzi baar]

island of Tanzania, in the
Indian Ocean, approximately 35 km/22 mi off the eastern coast of Africa.
Population: 375,539 (1988) Area: 1,650 sq km/637 sq mi.[1]



zap

zap
zap 
[zap] verb (past zapped,
past participle zapped, present participle zap·ping,
3rd person present singular zaps) (informal)

1.  transitive
verb
destroy
somebody or something: to kill or finish somebody
or something off with sudden force

2.  intransitive
and transitive verb change
TV channels using remote control: to change channels on
a television set using a remote control device, especially to change channels
rapidly

3.  intransitive
verb
move
quickly:
to move about or accomplish something very rapidly

4.  transitive
verb
cook
something in microwave: to cook something in a
microwave oven • I’ll just zap this for
a minute and then we can eat.

5.  transitive
verb
Malaysia, Singapore photocopy:
to photocopy something
noun
(plural zaps) (informal)

1.  energy:
energy and excitement

2.  time
in microwave: a short period of time in a microwave
oven
interjection

expression of forceful action:
used especially in comic books to indicate sudden and violent force (informal)
[Early 20th century. An imitation
of the sound of a lightning strike or electric sparks.][1]



Zapata,Emiliano

Zapata,Emiliano

Za·pa·ta
[saa ptaa, zəptə],
Emiliano (1879–1919)
Mexican revolutionary. He took part in a
number of uprisings, and redistributed land among the Native Central Americans
in southern Mexico.[1]



Zapatamustache

Zapatamustache
Za·pa·ta
mus·tache
(plural Za·pa·ta mus·taches) noun

long
thick mustache: a thick mustache that curves down around
the edges of the mouth
[Mid-20th century. Named for
Emiliano Zapata, who wore such a mustache.][1]



zapateado

zapateado
za·pa·te·a·do 
[zàppətee dō] (plural za·pa·te·a·dos)
or za·pa·te·o [zàppə táy ō] (plural
za·pa·te·os) noun

Spanish
dance:
a Spanish or Latin American dance involving rhythmic tapping of the feet
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish, from zapatear “to tap with the shoe,” from zapato
“shoe.”][1]



Zapopan

Zapopan
Za·po·pan 
[zpō pan]

city in southwestern Mexico
near Guadalajara. Population: 668,323 (1990)[1]



Zaporizhzhya

Zaporizhzhya
Za·po·riz·hzh·ya
[zə pa rózhyə]

city in southeastern Ukraine.
It is situated about 217 km/135 mi west of Donetsk. Population: 897,000 (1993)[1]



Zapotec

Zapotec
Za·po·tec 
[zàpə ték] (plural Za·po·tec or
Za·po·tecs) noun

1.  PEOPLES Native
Central American people: a Native Central American
people who before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century had developed
one of the most advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica. Today, most Zapotec live
in the highlands of Oaxaca, Mexico.

2.  LANGUAGE Oto-Manguean
language:
a language belonging to the Oto-Manguean family that is spoken in Oaxaca,
Mexico. About 500,000 people speak Zapotec and it is one of the most
widely-spoken Native American languages.
[Late
18th century. Via Spanish zapoteco from, ultimately, Nahuatl tzapotecatl,
literally “person from the place of the sapotilla.”]
—Za·po·tec·an, adjective[1]



zapper

zapper
zap·per 
[záppər] (plural zap·pers) noun
(informal)

1.  remote
control:
a remote control for a television or other home entertainment device

2.  insect-killing
device:
a device that attracts and electrocutes insects

[1]



zappy

zappy
zap·py 
[záppee] (comparative zap·pi·er,
superlative zap·pi·est) adjective

lively:
lively and forcefully impressive (informal)[1]



Zaragoza

Zaragoza
Za·ra·go·za 
[zàrrə gṓzə, tha
ra gṓth a]

capital of Zaragoza Province
in the autonomous region of Aragon, northeastern Spain. Population: 607,900
(1995)[1]



Zarathustra

Zarathustra
Zar·a·thu·stra 
[zèrrə thstrə]

See
Zoroaster[1]



zaratite

zaratite
za·ra·tite 
[zérrə tt] noun

nickel
mineral:
an amorphous green mineral consisting of hydrated nickel carbonate
[Mid-19th century. From
Spanish zaratita, from the surname Zarate .][1]



zareba

zareba
za·re·ba 
[zə rbə] (plural za·re·bas) noun

stockade
made of bushes: an outdoor enclosure, especially one
made of thorn bushes and used as protection around a campsite or village in
various parts of North Africa
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic zarība “cattle pen.”][1]



zarf

zarf
zarf 
[zaarf] (plural zarfs) noun

cup
holder:
a metal frame for holding a cup, used in the Middle East
[Mid-19th century. From
Arabic ẓarf “vessel.”][1]



zari

zari
za·ri
[z ree] or ja·ri [z ree] noun

South
Asia
gold
brocade:
gold brocade used to decorate clothes
[Mid-20th century. Via Urdu
from Persian zarī, from zar “gold.”][1]



Zaria

Zaria
Za·ri·a 
[zree ə]

city in Kaduna State, north
central Nigeria. Population: 345,200 (1992)[1]



zarzuela

zarzuela
zar·zue·la 
[zaar zwáylə] (plural zar·zue·las)
noun

Spanish
comic operetta: a type of Spanish musical theater,
usually comic, combining dialogue, music, and dance
[Late 19th century. From
Spanish, of uncertain origin.][1]



zax

zax
zax 
[zaks] (plural zax·es) noun

slate-cutting
tool:
a tool similar to a hatchet used for cutting and shaping slate
[Mid-17th century. Variant of
sax, from Old English seax “knife.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European base meaning “to cut,” that is also the ancestor of English saw, sickle,
and section .][1]



z-axis

z-axis
z-ax·is 
noun

third axis:
one of the axes of the Cartesian coordinate system that provides a reference in
three-dimensional space[1]



zayin

zayin
za·yin 
[z yin] (plural za·yins) noun

seventh
letter of Hebrew alphabet: the seventh letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, represented in the English alphabet as “Z”
[Early 19th century. From
Hebrew, literally “weapon.”][1]



zazen

zazen
za·zen 
[z zen] noun

Zen
meditation:
a form of meditation in Zen, practiced sitting in a prescribed position
[Early 18th century. From
Japanese, “sitting zen.”][1]



zaïre

zaïre
za·ïre
[zaa r] (plural za·ïre or
za·ïres) noun

1.  unit
of Congolese currency: the main unit of currency in
the Democratic Republic of Congo, worth 100 makuta.
Also
called
new zaire

2.  bill
worth one zaïre: a bill worth one zaïre
[Mid-20th century. Named
after Zaire, local name of the Congo River.][1]



ZBB

ZBB
ZBB

Abbreviation of
zero-based budgeting[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Zboson

Zboson
Z
bo·son
(plural Z bo·sons) noun

See
Z particle[1]



Zchart

Zchart
Z
chart
(plural Z charts) noun

data chart:
a chart used in business and industry to illustrate production data[1]



z-coordinate

z-coordinate
z-co·or·di·nate
(plural z-co·or·di·nates) noun

z-axis value:
one of three numbers that provide a reference to a position in
three-dimensional space, conventionally the vertical one[1]



zeal

zeal
zeal 
[zeel] noun

enthusiasm:
energetic and unflagging enthusiasm, especially for a cause or idea
[14th century. Via late Latin
zelus from Greek zēlos “eager rivalry” (source also of English jealous ).][1]



Zealand

Zealand
Zea·land 
[zlənd]

See
Sjaelland[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








zealot

zealot
zeal·ot 
[zéllət] (plural zeal·ots) noun

zealous
follower:
somebody who shows excessive enthusiasm for a cause, particularly a religious
cause
[Mid-16th
century. Via late Latin from Greek zēlotēs, from zēloun “to be
jealous,” from zēlos (see zeal ).]
—zeal·ot·ry, noun[1]



Zealot

Zealot
Zeal·ot 
[zéllət] (plural Zeal·ots) noun

Jewish rebel against ancient
Romans: a member of a group of
Jewish rebels who attempted the military overthrow of Roman rule in Palestine
in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD[1]



zealous

zealous
zeal·ous 
[zélləss] adjective

full
of zeal:
actively and unreservedly enthusiastic
[Early
16th century. From medieval Latin zelosus, from zelus (see zeal ).]
—zeal·ous·ly,
adverb

—zeal·ous·ness, noun[1]



zeatin

zeatin
ze·a·tin 
[z ətin] noun

plant
hormone:
a naturally occurring growth promoter found in many plants, first isolated from
kernels of the maize plant
[Mid-20th century. Coined
from modern Latin Zea, genus name of the corn plant (see zein ) + -in .][1]



zebec

zebec
ze·bec
noun

See
xebec[1]



Zebedee

Zebedee
Ze·be·dee 
[zébbə d] noun

father of James and John:
in the Bible, a fisherman, and the father of the apostles, James and John
(Matthew 4:21)[1]



zebra

zebra


ze·bra 
[zbrə] (plural ze·bras) noun

1.  striped
animal resembling horse: an animal resembling a horse
that is native to Africa, has a black-and-white or brown-and-white striped
hide, and is found in small family groups that sometimes make up larger herds.
Genus: Equus

2.  See
zebra butterfly
[Early
17th century. From Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, originally “wild ass,” of
uncertain origin.]
—ze·bra·ic
[zə bráy ik], adjective

—ze·brine
[z brn, zbrən],
adjective

—ze·broid, adjective[1]



zebrabutterfly

zebrabutterfly
ze·bra
but·ter·fly
noun

striped butterfly:
a butterfly of the southern United States with a black body marked with
distinctive yellow stripes. Latin name: Heliconius chairtonius[1]



zebradanio

zebradanio
ze·bra
da·ni·o 
noun

See
zebra fish[1]



zebrafinch

zebrafinch
ze·bra
finch
(plural ze·bra finch·es) noun

Australian finch:
an Australian finch found throughout inland areas that has a reddish-orange
bill, gray head and back, and a black-and-white striped tail. Zebra finches are
popular cage birds and now exist in a variety of colors not found in the wild.
Latin name: Poephila guttata[1]



zebrafish

zebrafish
ze·bra
fish
noun

striped fish:
a small freshwater fish native to India and popular in aquariums, with a blue
body and longitudinal silvery or gold stripes. Latin name: Brachydanio rerio

Also called
zebra danio[1]



zebramussel

zebramussel
ze·bra
mus·sel
(plural ze·bra mus·sels) noun

freshwater mussel:
a European and Asian freshwater mussel regarded as a nuisance in the Great
Lakes and surrounding waterways where it was accidentally introduced. Latin
name: Dreissena polymorpha[1]



zebraplant

zebraplant
ze·bra
plant
(plural ze·bra plants) noun

stripey-leaved plant:
a tropical South American evergreen plant with green and purple striped leaves.
Latin name: Calathea zebrina[1]



zebrawood

zebrawood
ze·bra·wood 
[zbrə wd] (plural ze·bra·woods)
noun

1.  hardwood
tree with striped wood: a tropical hardwood tree
producing wood in distinct dark and light colored bands, used to make
decorative furniture. Latin name: Connarus guianensis

2.  tree
with striped wood: any tropical tree producing
wood in two distinct color bands

3.  striped
wood:
wood from a zebrawood tree

[1]



zebu

zebu
ze·bu 
[z boo] (plural ze·bu or
ze·bus) noun

Asian
ox:
a domesticated ox of Asia and India with a humped back, curving horns, floppy
ears, and a large dewlap. Latin name: Bos indicus
Also
called
Brahman
[Late 18th century. From
French zébu, of unknown origin.][1]



zecchino

zecchino
zec·chi·no 
[ze knō] (plural zec·chi·ni [ze knee] or zec·chi·nos) noun

See
sequin
[Early 17th century. From
Italian (see sequin ).][1]



Zechariah

Zechariah
Zech·a·ri·ah 
[zèkə r ə] noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
in the Bible, a Hebrew priest and prophet of the 6th century BC . He was the husband of Elizabeth,
and father of John the Baptist.

2.  book
in Bible:
a book in the Bible containing the prophecies of Zechariah, including his
visions of the rebuilding of the Temple in a restored Jerusalem

[1]



zed

zed
zed 
[zed] (plural zeds) noun

See
zee
[15th century. Via French zède
and Latin zeta from Greek zēta .][1]



Zedekiah

Zedekiah
Zed·e·ki·ah 
[zèddə k ə] noun

king of Judah:
in the Bible, the last king of Judah (597 BC
–586 BC ). After rebelling against
Nebuchadnezzar, he was imprisoned in Babylon, where he died in captivity (2
Kings 24–25) (2 Chronicles 36) .[1]



zedoary

zedoary
zed·o·ar·y 
[zéddō èree] (plural zed·o·ar·ies)
noun

1.  aromatic
plant:
an Indian plant with yellow flowers and starchy aromatic rhizomes that when
dried are used as a condiment, in cosmetics, in perfume, and medicinally as a
stimulant. Latin name: Curcuma zedoaria

2.  zedoary
powder:
an aromatic powder obtained from crushing dried zedoary roots
[15th century. Via medieval
Latin zedoarium from Persian zadwār .][1]



zedonk

zedonk
ze·donk 
[zə dóngk] (plural ze·donks) noun

hybrid
equine animal: the offspring of a male zebra and a
female donkey
[Late 20th century. Coined
from zebra + donkey
.][1]



zee

zee
zee 
[zee] (plural zees) noun

letter
“Z”:
a written representation of the sound of the letter “Z.”
U.K.
term
zed
[Late 17th century.
Alteration of Latin zeta, under the influence of b, p, etc.][1]



Zeebrugge

Zeebrugge
Zee·brug·ge
[z brgə]

port in northwestern Belgium,
in northwestern Flanders Province[1]



Zeeland

Zeeland
Zee·land
[zlənd]

province in the southwestern
Netherlands. Population: 367,400 (1996) Area: 1,800 sq km/695 sq mi.[1]



Zeemaneffect

Zeemaneffect
Zee·man
ef·fect
[záy maan i fekt] noun

splitting
of spectrum lines: the splitting of single
lines in a spectrum into two, three, or more polarized lines when the source of
the spectrum is placed in a magnetic field
[Late 19th century. Named for
the Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman (1865–1943), who described the
phenomenon.][1]



Zeffirelli,Franco

Zeffirelli,Franco
Zef·fi·rel·li
[zèffə réllee], Franco (1923– )

Italian movie, stage, and
opera director. His movies include versions of Shakespeare and adaptations of
operas.[1]



zein

zein
ze·in 
[z in] noun

protein
powder:
a powder of proteins obtained from corn, with various applications in industry
and manufacturing
[Early 19th century. Coined
from modern Latin Zea, genus name of the corn plant, via Latin zea
“emmer” from Greek zeia, a kind of wheat.][1]



Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist
Zeit·geist 
[zt gst, tst
gst] or zeit·geist [zt gst,
tst gst] noun

ideas
and spirit of time: the ideas prevalent in a
period and place, particularly as expressed in literature, philosophy, and
religion
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “spirit of the time.”][1]



zelkova

zelkova
zel·ko·va 
[zélkəvə] (plural zel·ko·vas) noun

Asian
tree:
an Asian tree especially cultivated for its resistance to Dutch elm disease.
Genus: Zelkova
[Late 19th century. Via
modern Latin, genus name, from, ultimately, a Caucasian source.][1]



zemindar

zemindar
zem·in·dar 
noun

See
zamindar[1]



zemindary

zemindary
zem·in·dar·y 
noun

See
zamindari[1]



zemstvo

zemstvo
zem·stvo 
[zém stvō] (plural zem·stvos) noun

Russian
local assembly: an elected provincial legislature that
existed in Russia between 1864 and 1917
[Mid-19th century. From
Russian, from obsolete zem “land.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base
meaning “earth,” which is also the ancestor of English chthonic, humble,
and bridegroom .][1]



Zen

Zen
Zen 
[zen] or Zen Bud·dhism [zen] noun

form
of Buddhism: a major school of Buddhism originating
in 12th century China that emphasizes enlightenment through meditation and
insight
[Early 18th century. Via
Japanese zen and Chinese chán from, ultimately, Sanskrit dhyānam
“meditation,” literally “watching.”][1]



zenana

zenana
ze·na·na 
or za·na·na noun

women’s
quarters:
in southern Asia, the part of the house reserved for women and girls in a
Muslim household
[Mid-18th century. From
Persian and Urdu zanānah, from zan “woman.” Ultimately from an
Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English queen, gyno-,
and banshee .][1]



ZenBuddhism

ZenBuddhism
Zen
Bud·dhism
noun

See
Zen[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Zend

Zend
Zend 
[zend] noun

1.  See
Zend-Avesta

2.  LANGUAGE See Avesta

[1]



Zend-Avesta

Zend-Avesta
Zend-A·ves·ta 
[zènd ə véstə] noun

Zoroastrian
canon:
the canonical writings of Zoroastrianism, preserved in the Pahlavi language.
Also
called
Zend
[Mid-17th century. Via French
from Persian zand-awastā, literally “Avesta with interpretation,” from
Middle Persian zend “interpretation” + Awastā (see Avesta ).][1]



zenerdiode

zenerdiode
ze·ner
di·ode
[znər dī ōd] (plural ze·ner
di·odes) noun

semiconductor
with constant voltage: a type of semiconductor used
as a voltage regulator because of its ability to maintain a constant voltage
during fluctuating current conditions
[Mid-20th century. Named for
the U.S. physicist Clarence M. Zener (1905–1993), whose research led to
the device.][1]



Zenger,John Peter

Zenger,John Peter
Zeng·er
[zéng ər, zénggər],
John Peter (1697–1746)

German-born U.S. newspaper
publisher. His acquittal on a charge of sedition libel was a milestone in press
freedom.[1]



zenith

zenith
ze·nith 
[znith] (plural ze·niths) noun

1.  ASTRONOMY point
straight up: the point of the celestial sphere that
is directly over the observer and 90 degrees from all points on that person’s
horizon

2.  highest
point:
the high point or climax of something
[14th
century. Via Old French and medieval Latin from, ultimately, Arabic samt
(ar-ra’s) “path (over the head)” (source also of English azimuth ).]
—ze·nith·al, adjective[1]



zenithalprojection

zenithalprojection
ze·nith·al
pro·jec·tion (plural ze·nith·al
pro·jec·tions) noun

way of showing a world map:
a type of map projection of the Earth onto a plane tangential to a point on the
surface of the Earth such as the North Pole or the Equator[1]



Zenoof Elea

Zenoof Elea
Ze·no
of E·le·a 
[znō əv lee ə] (lived 5th century BC)

Greek mathematician and
philosopher. The paradoxes for which his philosophy is known were designed to
discredit the information conveyed by the senses. Aristotle regarded him as the
inventor of dialectical reasoning.[1]



zeolite

zeolite
ze·o·lite 
[z əlt] noun

silicate
mineral:
one of a large group of amorphous hydrated aluminum silicate minerals that may
also contain sodium, calcium, barium, and potassium, occurring in cavities in
weathered igneous rocks and hydrothermal veins. The ion exchange properties of
zeolites have application in water purification.
[Late
18th century. Coined from Greek zein “to boil” (source of English eczema ).]
—ze·o·lit·ic [z ə líttik], adjective[1]



Zephaniah

Zephaniah
Ze·pha·ni·ah 
[zèffə n ə] noun

1.  Hebrew
prophet:
in the Bible, a minor Hebrew prophet of the 7th century BC

2.  book
in the Bible: a book in the Bible, traditionally
attributed to Zephaniah. It urges repentance by the people of Judah, and
predicts a day of judgment.

[1]



zephyr

zephyr
zeph·yr 
[zéffər] (plural zeph·yrs) noun

1.  mild
wind:
a light warming breeze

2.  TEXTILES delicate
fabric:
a delicate usually woolen fabric or garment
[Pre-12th century. Via Latin
from Greek zephuros “west wind.”][1]



zephyrlily

zephyrlily
zeph·yr
lil·y
noun

tropical
flower:
a tropical American plant with clump-forming bulbs, narrow leaves, and single
funnel-shaped colorful flowers. Genus: Zephyranthes
Also
called
rain lily
[From the fact that the plant
is native to warm regions][1]



Zephyrus

Zephyrus
Zeph·y·rus 
[zéffərəss] noun

Greek god of the west wind:
in Greek mythology, the god who personified the west wind and was always mild
and gentle in character.
See also
Boreas[1]



zeppelin

zeppelin

zep·pe·lin
[zéppələn] (plural zep·pe·lins)
noun
cylindrical
airship:
a rigid cylindrical airship consisting of a covered frame and a suspended
compartment for engines and passengers
[Early 20th century. Named
for Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838–1917), who constructed the first
such airship.][1]



Zermatt

Zermatt
Zer·matt 
[zúr màt, tsur
mát]

town and ski resort in Valais
Canton, southwestern Switzerland. Population: 4,200 (1989)[1]



zero

zero
ze·ro 
[zrō] noun (plural ze·ros
or ze·roes)

1.  symbol
0:
the numerical symbol 0, representing the absence of any quantity or magnitude

2.  number
with the value of 0: the number that, when added
to another number, results in that number, for example, 0 + 4 = 4

3.  starting
point for values on gauge: the starting or center point
for values on a counter, scale, or gauge • Set
the counter to zero.

4.  low
temperature: the temperature indicated by 0 on a
thermometer scale, especially that corresponding to the freezing point of water
on the Celsius scale • It got
down to zero last night.

5.  low
point:
the lowest possible point or degree • Her
spirits are at zero.

6.  nothing:
nothing or nil • They beat us five to
zero.

7.  failure:
somebody who is regarded as a complete failure (insult)

8.  LINGUISTICS abstract
realization of a morpheme: a variant form of a morpheme
( allomorph ) that is purely abstract and
does not exist in any physical phonetic form. An example of a zero allomorph in
English is the plural marker of “sheep.” Compare “two cats,” “two dogs,” and
“two sheep.”

9.  ARMS setting
on a gun sight: a setting on a gun sight indicating the
center of a target
transitive
verb
(past ze·roed, past participle ze·roed, present
participle ze·ro·ing, 3rd person present singular ze·roes)

set to zero: to
set an instrument, gauge, counter, or similar measuring device to zero
adjective

1.  completely
without something: utterly lacking a particular
thing (informal)

2.  METEOROLOGY with
limited visibility: used to describe a level of
visibility limited to 15 m/50 ft vertically or 50 m/165 ft horizontally
[Early 17th century. Via
French and Italian from, ultimately, Arabic ṣifr “emptiness” (source of
English cipher ).][1]



zero-base

zero-base
ze·ro-base 
or ze·ro-based adjective

costing items from scratch:
relating to a budget or budgeting that considers each item on its merits
without reference to previous practice or expenditure[1]



zero-coupon

zero-coupon
ze·ro-cou·pon 
adjective

FINANCE
not paying interest on a security:
not paying interest but sold at a discount and redeemable at maturity • a
zero-coupon bond[1]



zero-defect

zero-defect
ze·ro-de·fect 
adjective

perfect:
with no defects or flaws[1]



zerogravity

zerogravity
ze·ro
grav·i·ty
noun

PHYSICS
condition of seeming weightlessness:
a condition of apparent weightlessness resulting from the centrifugal force on
an object counterbalancing the gravitational force attracting it[1]



zerogrowth

zerogrowth
ze·ro
growth
noun

no increase in growth or
development: no increase in the
growth or development of something, especially when an increase might have been
expected and where any increase is measured as a percentage • predictions
of zero growth in the economy[1]



zerohour

zerohour
ze·ro
hour
noun

1.  MILITARY scheduled
start of a military operation: the time set for the
start of a military operation

2.  time
when something important will occur: the
time or date when something important is due to happen

[1]



zeroin

zeroin
zero
in
intransitive verb

1.  MILITARY locate
a target and aim at it: to find the precise position
of a target and move toward it or aim a weapon at it, threateningly or
inexorably

2.  identify
something and concentrate on it: to identify something
precisely and concentrate all efforts on dealing with it • The
report zeroed in on the weaknesses inherent in the management structure.
[From the technique of
setting a gun sight exactly on a target by canceling out the effects of elevation
and wind deflection][1]



zerooption

zerooption
ze·ro
op·tion
noun

offer to limit nuclear
weapons: an offer to limit the number
of short-range nuclear missiles or remove them altogether if an opposing side
agrees to do the same[1]



zeropopulation growth

zeropopulation growth
ze·ro
pop·u·la·tion growth noun

balance between birth and
death rates: a situation in which
the number of new births is no greater than the number of people dying, so that
the overall population size remains the same[1]



zero-sum

zero-sum
ze·ro-sum
adjective

with gain offset by loss:
relating to a situation in which a gain by one side or person requires any
other side or person involved in it to sustain a corresponding loss[1]



zeroth

zeroth
ze·roth
[zí rth] adjective

zero:
preceding number one in a series
[Late 19th century. Coined
from zero + -th .][1]



zerotolerance

zerotolerance
ze·ro
tol·er·ance
noun

strict application of rules:
the absence of any leniency or exception in the enforcement of a law, rule, or
regulation, especially a law against antisocial behavior[1]



zero-zero

zero-zero
ze·ro-ze·ro
adjective

AIR making
it impossible to see anything: used to describe
flying conditions in which cloud is so thick and low that the pilot can see
nothing ahead and nothing above or below the aircraft
[Shortening of zero
ceiling, zero visibility][1]



zest

zest
zest 
[zest] noun

1.  hearty
enjoyment:
lively enjoyment and enthusiasm • zest
for life

2.  exciting
element adding to enjoyment: an exciting or interesting
quality that makes something particularly enjoyable

3.  COOKING citrus
peel used as flavoring: the thin outer rind of the
peel of a citrus fruit that is cut, scraped, or grated to yield a sharp fruity
flavoring for foods and drinks

4.  piquant
flavor:
a pleasantly sharp flavor
transitive
verb
(past zest·ed, past participle zest·ed, present
participle zest·ing, 3rd person present singular zests)

1.  COOKING grate
the skin of citrus fruit: to cut, grate, or scrape the
rind of a citrus fruit in order to flavor foods and drinks

2.  make
something more stimulating and enjoyable: to
make an experience more enjoyable by adding excitement or interest to it
[15th
century. Originally in the meaning of “orange or lemon peel,” from French, of
unknown origin.]
—zest·y, adjective[1]



zester

zester
zest·er
[zéstər] noun

utensil for scraping zest off
fruit: a small utensil with a row
of tiny sharpened holes or edges at its tip for cutting strips of zest from
oranges, lemons, or other citrus fruits[1]



zestful

zestful
zest·ful
[zéstfəl] adjective

filled
with hearty enjoyment: full of or showing lively
enjoyment and enthusiasm
—zest·ful·ly,
adverb

—zest·ful·ness, noun[1]



zeta

zeta
ze·ta 
[záytə, ztə]
noun

sixth
letter of Greek alphabet: the sixth letter of the
Greek alphabet, written in the English alphabet as Z
[Early 18th century. From
Greek zēta, of Phoenician origin.][1]



Zethus

Zethus
Ze·thus
[zthəss] noun

son of Zeus and Antiope:
in Greek mythology, a son of Zeus and Antiope and the twin of Amphion. The
brothers became joint kings of Thebes.[1]



zeugma

zeugma
zeug·ma 
[zgmə] (plural zeug·mas) noun

figure
of speech:
a figure of speech in which an adjective or verb is used with two nouns but is
appropriate to only one of them or has a different sense with each. The
sentence “During the race he broke the record and a leg” is a zeugma.
[Late
16th century. Via Latin from Greek, literally “joining.”]
—zeug·mat·ic
[zoog máttik], adjective

—zeug·mat·i·cal·ly [zoog máttiklee], adverb[1]



Zeus

Zeus
Zeus 
[zooss] noun

ruler of the Greek gods:
in Greek mythology, the god of the sky, ruler of the Olympian gods, and
spiritual father of gods and mortals. Roman equivalent Jupiter[1]



Zhangjiakou

Zhangjiakou
Zhang·jia·kou 
[jng jy kṓ]

city in northeastern China in
Hebei Province, situated at one of the gates of the Great Wall of China.
Population: 529,136 (1990)[1]



ZhangZhidong

ZhangZhidong
Zhang
Zhi·dong
[jng jdáwng] (1837–1909)

Chinese reformer and
statesman. A modernizer in the Qing administration, he reformed the Chinese
educational system.[1]



ZhaoMengfu

ZhaoMengfu
Zhao
Meng·fu
[jòw məng f] (1254–1322)

Chinese artist. He is known
for his realistic animal pictures and for his expressive landscapes and studies
of bamboo.[1]



Zhejiang

Zhejiang
Zhe·jiang 
[jè jáng]

province in China on the East
China Sea. Capital: Hangzhou. Population: 42,940,000 (1994) Area: 100,000 sq
km/38,600 sq mi.[1]



Zhengheexpeditions

Zhengheexpeditions
Zhen·ghe
ex·pe·di·tions [júng hə
ekspə dìsh’nz] plural noun

attempt
to create a Chinese trading empire: a
series of seven overseas trade expeditions under the Ming emperor Yonglo
between 1405 and 1423 that were the last Chinese attempt to create a worldwide
trading empire
[Named for Zhenghe,
the court eunuch who led the expeditions][1]



Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou
Zheng·zhou 
[jùng jṓ]

capital city of Henan
Province, located on the Yellow River between Taiyuan and Wuhan, in eastern
China. Population: 1,710,000 (1991)[1]



zho

zho
zho
noun

ZOOLOGY
See dzo[1]



Zhou

Zhou
Zhou 
[jō] noun

ancient
Chinese dynasty: a Chinese dynasty that ruled from the
12th to the 3rd centuries BC,
during which China was divided into feudal states and the religions of
Confucianism and Taoism arose
[Late 18th century. From
Chinese zhòu .][1]



zibeline

zibeline
zib·e·line 
[zíbbə ln, zíbbə
ln] or zib·el·line [zíbbə ln,
zíbbə ln] noun

soft
woolen fabric: a thick soft fabric with a long nap,
made of wool, especially mohair or alpaca, or of the hair of another animal
such as a camel
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Italian zibellino “sable,” of Slavic origin.][1]



zibet

zibet
zib·et 
[zíbbit] noun

SE
Asian civet: a civet native to Southeast Asia. Latin
name: Viverra zibetha
[Late 16th century. Via
medieval Latin zibethum or Italian zibetto from Arabic zabād
“musky perfume obtained from civets” (source of English civet ).][1]



zidovudine

zidovudine
zi·do·vu·dine 
[zi dṓvyoo dn] noun

See
AZT
[Late 20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably an alteration of azidothymidine
.][1]



Ziegfeld,Florenz

Ziegfeld,Florenz
Zieg·feld
[zíg fèld], Florenz (1869–1932)

U.S. theater producer. He
launched the Ziegfeld Follies, an annual musical revue (1907), and produced
extravagant musicals in New York.[1]



zig

zig
zig 
[zig] noun

one
direction of a zigzag: a sharp line, direction,
movement, or course that forms part of a zigzag
intransitive
verb
(past zigged, past participle zigged, present
participle zig·ging, 3rd person present singular zigs)

form
part of a zigzag: to move in a sharp line, direction,
movement, or course that forms part of a zigzag
[Mid-20th century.
Back-formation from zigzag .][1]



ziggurat

ziggurat

zig·gu·rat 
[zíggə ràt] noun
ancient
Mesopotamian pyramid-shaped tower: an ancient
Mesopotamian pyramid-shaped tower with a square base, rising in stories of
ever-decreasing size, with a terrace at each story and a temple at the very
top. It is thought that the Tower of Babel referred to in the Bible was a tower
of this kind.
[Late 19th century. From
Assyrian ziqquratu “pinnacle.”][1]



zigzag

zigzag
zig·zag 
[zíg zàg] noun

1.  line
taking alternating turns: a line going at an angle
first one way, then sharply the opposite way, then back the first way, and so
on, like the outline of a saw’s teeth

2.  something
repeatedly switching directions sharply:
something that follows a sharply alternating line or course, for example, a
road with sharp bends alternating right and left
adverb

in sharply alternating directions:
along a sharply alternating line or course
verb
(past zig·zagged, past participle zig·zagged, present
participle zig·zag·ging, 3rd person present singular zig·zags)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb proceed
in a sharply alternating path: to follow a sharply
alternating line or course, moving rapidly • They
zigzagged across the field, dodging enemy bullets.

2.  transitive
verb
SEWING make a
sharply alternating pattern: to make a pattern of sharply
alternating lines or directions, for example, by sewing something with
herringbone stitches
[Early
18th century. Via French from German Zickzack, of uncertain origin:
perhaps formed from Zacke “tooth.”]
—zig·zag·ged·ness [zíg zàggədnəss], noun[1]



zigzagfence

zigzagfence
zig·zag
fence
(plural zig·zag fenc·es) noun

Northeastern
U.S.
split-rail
fence:
a fence made of split rails each resting on and set at angles to the next,
forming a zigzag





     WORD KEY: REGIONAL NOTE









  The
  term zig zag fence belongs to Upper New England. It occupies much the same
  territory as snake fence ; together, they contrast with the
  Pennsylvania and North Midland worm fence . In the South and the West,
  rail fence prevails, with scattered instances of the Eastern forms, as
  well as log fence, split-rail fence, and stake-and-rider
  fence.

[1]



zila

zila
zi·la
noun

See
zillah[1]



zilch

zilch
zilch 
[zilch] pronoun

nothing:
zero or nothing at all (informal) • They
take all the profits and we’re left with zilch.
[Mid-20th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



zill

zill
zill 
[zil] noun

belly
dancer’s finger cymbal: either one of a pair of tiny
cymbals that belly dancers hold in their fingers and play in time to their
dancing
[From Turkish zil
“cymbals”][1]



zillah

zillah
zil·lah
[zíllə] or zil·la [zíllə] or zi·la [zlə] noun

Indian
admistrative district during British rule: an
administrative district in India when the country was under British rule
[Early 19th century. Via
Persian and Urdu from Arabic ḍila’ “division.”][1]



zillion

zillion
zil·lion 
[zíllyən] adjective

huge
number or quantity: a number or quantity so huge
it cannot be counted or determined (informal) • I
had a zillion things to do.
pronoun

huge
number of people or things: a number of people or
quantity of things so huge it cannot be counted or determined (informal)
• Zillions
preferred the new model to the old one.
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
million and billion, with z representing the last in a series.][1]



zillionaire

zillionaire
zil·lion·aire 
[zìllyə náir, zíllyə
nàir] noun

somebody
very rich:
somebody who is extremely wealthy (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Modeled on
millionaire .][1]



Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe



Zim·bab·we 
[zim bbwee, zim
bb way]
republic
in southern Africa. Language: English. Currency: Zimbabwe dollar. Capital:
Harare. Population: 11,515,000 (1996) Area: 390,759 sq km/150,873 sq mi. Official
name Republic of Zimbabwe Former name Rhodesia
—Zim·bab·we·an, noun,
adjective[1]



Zimbabwe




Back to definition

Zimbabwe

[1]



zinc

zinc

zinc 
[zingk] noun
bluish
metallic element used as anti-corrosive: a
bluish-white metallic chemical element that is used in alloys such as brass and
German silver and as a protective corrosion-resistant coating for other metals,
especially steel and iron. Symbol Zn
transitive
verb
(past zinced or zincked, past participle zinced
or zincked, present participle zinc·ing or zinck·ing,
3rd person present singular zincs)
INDUSTRY coat
with zinc:
to cover a metal, especially iron or steel, with a protective
corrosion-resistant coating of zinc
[Mid-17th
century. From German Zink, of unknown origin.]
—zin·cic,
adjective

—zinck·y,
adjective

—zin·coid, adjective[1]



zincate

zincate
zinc·ate 
[zíng kàyt] noun

zinc hydroxide salt:
a salt derived from zinc hydroxide[1]



zincblende

zincblende
zinc
blende
noun

MINERALS
See sphalerite[1]



zincchloride

zincchloride
zinc
chlo·ride
noun

poisonous salt with
commercial uses: a poisonous soluble
salt used as a wood preservative, an antiseptic, and a catalyst in chemical
reactions. ZnCl2[1]



zinciferous

zinciferous
zin·cif·er·ous 
[zing kíffərəss] adjective

with or yielding zinc:
containing or yielding zinc, especially as an ore[1]



zincite

zincite
zinc·ite 
[zíng kt] noun

zinc-containing mineral:
a reddish-orange mineral form of zinc oxide[1]



zinckenite

zinckenite
zinck·en·ite 
noun

MINERALS
See zinkenite[1]



zincograph

zincograph
zinc·o·graph 
[zíngkə gràf] noun

1.  zinc
printing plate with an etched surface: a
printing plate made of zinc that has the design to be printed etched into its
surface

2.  print
taken from a zinc plate: a print taken from a
printing plate made of zinc that has the design to be printed etched into its
surface
[Late 19th century.
Back-formation from zincography .][1]



zincography

zincography
zinc·og·ra·phy 
[zing kóggrəfee] noun

manufacture
of zinc printing plates: the art or business of
making zinc printing plates with the designs to be printed etched into their
surfaces
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from modern Latin zincum “zinc” + -graphy .]
—zinc·og·ra·pher,
noun

—zinc·o·graph·ic [zìngkə gráffik], adjective[1]



zincointment

zincointment
zinc
oint·ment
noun

soothing ointment containing
zinc oxide: a soothing antiseptic
ointment containing zinc oxide in a base of petroleum jelly or lanolin, used to
treat skin conditions[1]



zincoxide

zincoxide
zinc
ox·ide
noun

versatile powder containing
zinc: an odorless water-insoluble
white powder that is used as an astringent in cosmetics, an antiseptic in
ointments, and a pigment in paints and inks. ZnO[1]



zincsulfate

zincsulfate
zinc
sul·fate
noun

crystals used in paints and
pharmaceuticals: a colorless crystalline
powder that is used as a pigment in paints and inks, as an emetic in
pharmaceuticals, and in wood preservatives and crop sprays. ZnSO4 
Also called
white vitriol[1]



zincsulfide

zincsulfide
zinc
sul·fide
noun

white powder for pigments or
phosphors: a crystalline white or
yellowish powder used as a pigment and as a phosphor on X-ray and television
screens. ZnS[1]



zincwhite

zincwhite
zinc
white
noun

white pigment:
zinc oxide used as a white pigment in paint[1]



Zinder

Zinder
Zin·der
[zíndər]

city in south central Niger.
Situated about 113 km/70 mi north of the border with Nigeria, it was Niger’s
capital until 1926. Population: 119,838 (1988)[1]



zine

zine
zine
[zeen] noun

periodical
for a specialist readership: a self-published paper,
Internet magazine, or other periodical, issued at irregular intervals with
limited means and usually appealing to a specialist readership (informal)
[Mid-20th century. Shortening
of magazine .][1]



zinfandel

zinfandel
zin·fan·del 
[zínfən dèl] or Zinfandel [zínfən dèl] noun

1.  PLANTS variety
of grape:
a variety of black grape used, especially in California, to make a light fruity
red or rosé wine

2.  WINE wine
made from zinfandel grape: a light-bodied fruity red or
rosé wine, or less commonly a hearty red wine, made from the zinfandel grape,
especially in California
[Mid-19th century. Origin
unknown.][1]



zing

zing
zing 
[zing] noun

1.  sharp
singing sound: a short high-pitched humming or buzzing
sound, for example, the sound of a bullet whizzing through the air

2.  lively
and exciting quality: a lively exciting aspect of
something that makes it particularly enjoyable (informal) • The
rhythm guitar gives the tune extra zing.
verb
(past zinged, past participle zinged, present
participle zing·ing, 3rd person present singular zings)
(informal)

1.  intransitive
verb
make
a humming noise: to make or move with a short
high-pitched humming or buzzing noise

2.  transitive
verb
attack
with words:
to criticize somebody sharply, especially in a swift and clever way
[Early
20th century. An imitation of the sound.]
—zing·y, adjective[1]



zinger

zinger
zing·er 
[zíngər] noun (informal)

1.  clever
remark skillfully delivered: a remark delivered with
great skill and speed, especially a sharp and perfectly timed witticism or
criticism

2.  shocking
and unexpected happening: a shocking and unexpected
turn of events such as an abrupt shift in the plot of a movie, play, or book

3.  somebody
or something energetic and surprising:
somebody who or something that is energetic and produces startling results
[Early 20th century. Formed
from zing .][1]



zinjanthropus

zinjanthropus
zin·jan·thro·pus 
[zin jánthrəpəss] (plural zin·jan·thro·pi
[zin jánthrə p] or zin·jan·thro·pus·es)
noun

East
African hominid fossil: a hominid fossil found in
1959 at Olduvai Gorge in East Africa. Originally classified as a distinct genus
and species, it is now recognized as an australopithecine.
[Mid-20th
century. From modern Latin, former genus name, from medieval Arabic Zinj
“East Africa” + Greek anthrōpos “person.”]
—zin·jan·thro·pine, adjective,
noun[1]



zinkenite

zinkenite
zink·en·ite 
[zíngkə nt] or zinck·en·ite [zíngkə nt] noun

mineral
containing lead and antimony: a dark gray mineral
consisting of antimony and a sulfide of lead
[Mid-19th century. Named for
the German mineralogist J. K. L. Zincken (1790–1862).][1]



zinnia

zinnia

zin·ni·a 
[zínnee ə] (plural zin·ni·as or
zin·ni·a) noun
popular
garden plant with a large flower: a plant of the daisy
family native to Mexico and adjacent areas that is widely grown as a garden
plant for its large colorful flower heads. It is the state flower of Indiana.
Genus: Zinnia
[Mid-18th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the German physician and botanist Johann
Gottfried Zinn (1727–1759).][1]



Zinsser,Hans

Zinsser,Hans
Zins·ser
[zínsər], Hans (1878–1940)

U.S. bacteriologist. A
pioneer of immunology, he worked on typhus, cholera, and other bacterial
diseases.[1]



Zion

Zion
Zi·on 
[zən] noun

1.  JUDAISM mountain
near Jerusalem: one of the hills of Jerusalem, in
Biblical times emblematic of the house or household of God and later by
extension the Jewish people and their religion

2.  CHRISTIANITY place
of Christian life and worship: in Christian belief,
the place where God lives and is worshiped on earth or in the kingdom of heaven
[Pre-12th century. Via late
Latin and Greek from Hebrew ṣīyôn .][1]



Zionism

Zionism
Zi·on·ism 
[z ə nìzzəm] noun

movement establishing and
developing a Jewish state: a worldwide
movement, originating in the 19th century, that sought to establish and develop
a Jewish nation in Palestine. Since 1948 its function has been to support the
state of Israel.[1]



Zionist

Zionist
Zi·on·ist
[z ənist] noun

1.  JUDAISM supporter
of a Jewish state: a supporter of 19th-century
Zionism, or a modern supporter of the state of Israel

2.  South
Africa
CHRISTIANITY Christian
with traditional African beliefs: a member of an
independent Christian church in South Africa that incorporates traditional
African beliefs and forms of worship
—Zi·on·ist,
adjective

—Zi·on·is·tic [z ə nístik], adjective[1]



ZionNational Park

ZionNational Park
Zi·on
Na·tion·al Park

park in southwestern Utah,
characterized by canyons, mesas, and cliffs. Its main feature is Zion Canyon.
Area: 593 sq km/229 sq mi.[1]



zip

zip

zip 
[zip] noun

1.  lively
and exciting quality: a lively exciting aspect of
something that makes it particularly enjoyable (informal)

2.  brief
hissing sound: a brief sibilant sound such as the sound
of a bullet whizzing through the air

3.  U.K.,
Canada See zipper

4.  zero:
nothing at all (informal)
Also
called
zippo

5.  See
zip code
verb (past
zipped, past participle zipped, present participle zip·ping,
3rd person present singular zips)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb fasten
with zipper: to fasten something, or to be fastened,
with a zipper

2.  intransitive
verb
make
or move with hissing sound: to make or move with a rapid
sibilant sound (informal)

3.  intransitive
and transitive verb go or
move very fast: to go somewhere or move something somewhere
very fast (informal)

4.  transitive
verb
COMPUTING compress
a file:
to compress a computer file for storage or transmission
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



ZIPcode

ZIPcode
ZIP
code
or zip code noun

set
of numbers identifying a postal district: a
sequence of five or nine digits forming part of all postal addresses that is
used to identify each postal district in the United States.
U.K.
term
postcode
Also
called
zip
[An acronym formed from Zone
Improvement Program][1]



zipfile

zipfile
zip
file
noun

compressed file:
a computer file with the extension .ZIP containing data that has been
compressed for storage or transmission.[1]



zipgun

zipgun
zip
gun
noun

homemade gun:
a homemade pistol, especially one that uses a spring or a rubber band as the
firing mechanism (slang)[1]



zipless

zipless
zip·less
[zíppləss] adjective

1.  with
no zipper:
not fitted with, or fastened using, a zipper

2.  passionate:
passionate and lasting only a short time
[Late 20th century. In the
sense of “passionate,” from the idea of clothes coming off suddenly, without
the awkward undoing of zippers.][1]



Ziploc

Ziploc
Zip·loc
[zíp lòk] Trademark

a trademark for a small
transparent plastic storage bag that is sealed by pressing together the
specially prepared edges of the opening[1]



zipper

zipper
zip·per 
[zíppər] noun

fastener
with interlocking teeth: a fastener for clothes,
bags, or garments consisting of two rows of interlocking metal or plastic teeth
with an attached sliding tab pulled to open or close the fastener.
U.K.
term
zip
[Early 20th century.
Originally a trademark.][1]



zippered

zippered
zip·pered 
[zíppərd] adjective

with a zipper:
fitted with or fastened using a zipper.
U.K. term
zip-up[1]



zippo

zippo
zip·po
[zíppō] noun

(informal) See zip  noun 4[1]



Zippo

Zippo
Zip·po
Trademark

a trademark for a sturdy
metal cigarette lighter[1]



zippy

zippy
zip·py 
[zíppee] (comparative zip·pi·er,
superlative zip·pi·est) adjective

energetic:
showing or having spirit or energy (informal)[1]



Zircaloy

Zircaloy
Zir·ca·loy
[zúrkə lòy] Trademark

a trademark for an alloy of
zirconium with tin, chromium, and nickel that is resistant to heat and
corrosion, making it a useful material in the nuclear power industry[1]



zircon

zircon
zir·con 
[zúr kòn] noun

hard
mineral containing zirconium: zirconium silicate, a very
hard crystalline mineral that is the main source of zirconium. In its colorless
varieties it is used as a substitute for diamonds in jewelry.
[Late 18th century. From
German Zirkon, via Arabic from, ultimately, Persian āzargūn “fire
color.”][1]



zirconia

zirconia
zir·co·ni·a 
[zur kṓnee ə] noun

See
zirconium oxide
[Late 18th century. Formed
from zircon .][1]



zirconium

zirconium

zir·co·ni·um 
[zur kṓnee əm] noun
grayish-white
metallic element: a grayish-white metallic chemical
element used as a coating for the fuel rods in nuclear reactors because of its
very high resistance to corrosion and its low absorption of neutrons. Symbol
Zr
—zir·con·ic [zur kónnik], adjective[1]



zirconiumoxide

zirconiumoxide
zir·co·ni·um
ox·ide
noun

powder used in making
heat-resistant materials: a heavy
water-insoluble white powder used as a pigment for paints, as an abrasive, and
in making heat-resistant materials and ceramics. ZrO2 
Also called
zirconia[1]



zit

zit
zit 
[zit] noun

skin
blemish:
a pimple on the skin (slang)
[Mid-20th
century. Origin unknown.]
—zit·ty, adjective[1]



zither

zither


zith·er 
[zíər, zíthər]
noun
flat
box-shaped string instrument: a musical instrument
consisting of a flat shallow sound box with up to forty-five metal strings
stretched across it that are plucked with the fingers or a pick
[Mid-19th
century. Via German from Latin cithara (see cithara
).]
—zith·er·ist, noun[1]



ziti

ziti
zi·ti 
[z t] noun

tube-shaped
pasta:
pasta in the form of medium-sized tubes, longer and thicker than macaroni
[Mid-19th century. From
Italian, plural of zito, literally “boy.”][1]



Zl

Zl
Zl

Abbreviation of
zloty[1]



Zline

Zline
Z
line
noun

narrow
line crossing muscle fibers: a narrow dark line across
striated muscle fibers that marks the boundaries between adjacent segments
[Z from the initial letter of
German Zwischenscheibe “intervening disk”][1]



zloty

zloty
zlo·ty 
[zlóttee] (plural zlo·ties or
zlo·ty) noun

1.  unit
of Polish currency: the main unit of currency in
Poland, worth 100 groszy

2.  coin
worth a zloty: a coin worth one zloty
[Early 20th century. From
Polish złoty, literally “golden,” from złoto “gold.” Ultimately
from an Indo-European word that is also the ancestor of English gold and guilder
.][1]



Zn

Zn
Zn

Symbol for
zinc[1]



zo

zo
zo
noun

See
dzo[1]



zo-

zo-
zo-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
zoo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








zoarium

zoarium
zo·ar·i·um 
[zō áiree əm] (plural zo·ar·i·ums
or zo·ar·i·a [zō áiree ə]) noun

collection
of organisms forming a compound organism: a
collection of distinct organisms that together form a compound organism
[Late 19th century. Formed
from Greek zōion “animal” (see -zoon
).][1]



zod.

zod.
zod.

Abbreviation of
zodiac[1]



zodiac

zodiac

zo·di·ac 
[zṓdee àk] noun

1.  ASTRONOMY part
of the sky containing the major constellations: a
narrow band in the sky in which the movements of the major planets, Sun, and
Moon take place, astrologically divided into twelve sections named for the
major constellations

2.  ZODIAC astrologer’s
chart:
a chart linking twelve constellations to twelve divisions of the year, used as
the astrologer’s main tool for analyzing character and predicting the future

3.  recurring
set:
a set of things or sequence of events that repeats itself cyclically (literary)
[14th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek zōidiakos kuklos, literally
“circle of animal figures,” from zōidion “small animal,” from zōion
“living being” (see -zoon ).]
—zo·di·a·cal [zō d ək’l], adjective[1]



zodiacalconstellation

zodiacalconstellation
zo·di·a·cal
con·stel·la·tion noun

constellation forming part of
the zodiac: any of the twelve
constellations that a sign of the zodiac is named for. The constellations are
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius,
Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.[1]



zodiacallight

zodiacallight
zo·di·a·cal
light
noun

faint light in the sky:
a faint glow in the sky, seen before sunrise to the east and after sunset to
the west and caused by small particles reflected in sunlight[1]



zoftig

zoftig
zof·tig 
adjective

(slang) See zaftig[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








Zohar

Zohar
Zo·har
[zṓ hr] noun

Jewish
mystical text commenting on the Torah: a
13th-century Jewish mystical text that is the primary text of cabalistic
writings
[Late 17th century. From
Hebrew zōhar, literally “light, splendor.”][1]



-zoic

-zoic
-zoic
suffix

1.  relating
to a particular geologic era • Mesozoic

2.  having
a particular kind of animal existence
[Formed from Greek zōē
“life.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to live,” which is also
the ancestor of English quick, vital, and biology
.][1]



zoisite

zoisite
zoi·site 
[zóy st] noun

gray
or green mineral: a gray or green hydrated calcium
aluminosilicate mineral found in metamorphic rocks
[Early 19th century. Named
for the Slovenian scholar Baron Sigismund Zois von Edelstein
(1747–1819), who discovered it.][1]



Zola,Émile

Zola,Émile

Zo·la
[zṓlə, zṓ l],
Émile (1840–1902)
French
novelist. The leading French novelist of the 19th century, he employed a
scientifically based technique of naturalism in his epic 20-novel cycle Les
Rougon-Macquart ( 1871–1893 ). He is also known for “J’Accuse” (1898), a
defense of Alfred Dreyfus.
Full name
Zola, Émile Édouard Charles Antoine[1]



Zollverein

Zollverein
Zoll·ver·ein
[tsáwlfə rn, záwlfə
rn] noun

1.  HISTORY 19C
German customs union: a customs union formed in
the 19th century by a number of German states to establish uniform import
tariffs from other countries and free trade among themselves

2.  customs
union:
any customs union formed to establish uniform import tariffs
[Mid-19th century. From
German, literally “tariff union.”][1]



zombie

zombie
zom·bie 
[zómbee] or zom·bi [zómbee] noun

1.  somebody
unresponsive or unthinking: somebody who lacks energy,
enthusiasm, or the ability to think independently (informal)

2.  dead
body given life by voodoo: in voodoo, a soulless dead
body brought back to life again

3.  voodoo
spirit reviving a dead body: in voodoo, a spirit that
brings a soulless dead body back to life again

4.  RELIGION snake
god of voodoo: a snake god of West Indian, Brazilian,
and West African voodoo religions

5.  BEVERAGES very
strong rum cocktail: a very strong alcoholic
cocktail made with various kinds of rum

6.  HISTORY army
conscript assigned for home defense: in
Canada, a conscripted soldier assigned to home defense during World War II (slang)
[Early
19th century. Via Caribbean Creole from Kimbundu n-zumbi “ghost,”
originally the name of a snake god.]
—zom·bi·ism, noun[1]



zombify

zombify
zom·bi·fy
[zómbi f] (past zom·bi·fied, past
participle zom·bi·fied, present participle zom·bi·fy·ing,
3rd person present singular zom·bi·fies) transitive verb

turn
somebody into a zombie: to convert somebody into a
zombie
—zom·bi·fi·ca·tion [zòmbifi káysh’n], noun[1]



zonal

zonal
zo·nal 
[zṓn’l] or zo·na·ry [zṓnəree] adjective

1.  relating
to zones:
relating to a zone or zones

2.  split
into zones:
divided up into zones
—zo·nal·ly, adverb[1]



zonalsoil

zonalsoil
zo·nal
soil
noun

soil produced by climate and
vegetation: soil whose nature is
established by the action of the climate and vegetation of the area in which it
is found[1]



zonapelludica

zonapelludica
zo·na
pel·lu·di·ca [znə pə
lssidə] noun

layer
enclosing egg cell: a thick transparent envelope
that surrounds a developing ovum, allowing only one sperm cell through to
fertilize the ovum
[From modern Latin, literally
“transparent band”][1]



zonary

zonary
zo·na·ry 
adjective

See
zonal[1]



zonate

zonate
zo·nate 
[zṓ nàyt] or zo·nat·ed [zṓ nàytəd] adjective

1.  arranged
in zones:
divided up into zones

2.  marked
by zones:
distinguished by zones, for example, of color or texture

[1]



zonation

zonation
zo·na·tion 
[zō náysh’n] noun

division into zones:
the division of something into separate zones[1]



zone

zone
zone 
[zōn] noun

1.  separate
area with a particular function: an area regarded as
separate or kept separate, especially one with a particular use or function • a
loading zone

2.  subsection
of a particular area: one of the smaller, usually
named or numbered sections that a particular area is divided into, for example,
those of a transportation network or an athletic field

3.  METEOROLOGY horizontal
climatic band around the Earth: one of five horizontal
bands across the Earth’s surface, separated by the Arctic Circle, the Tropic of
Cancer, the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle, that marks climates.
The zones are called the North Frigid Zone, the North Temperate Zone, the South
Frigid Zone, the South Temperate Zone, and the Torrid Zone.

4.  TIME time
zone:
a time zone

5.  ECOLOGY area
with distinct plants and animals: an area with
characteristic types of organisms determined largely by its environment, for
example, any of the belts of vegetation on a mountain

6.  GEOLOGY unit
of rock formation with fossils: a unit of a rock
formation characterized by its fossil content

7.  MATHEMATICS part
of a sphere: the portion of a sphere included between
two parallel planes meeting the sphere, one of which may be tangent to the
sphere or both of which may intersect it
intransitive
and transitive verb (past zoned, past
participle zoned, present participle zon·ing, 3rd
person present singular zones)

1.  split
into zones:
to divide up an area into zones

2.  designate
area for something: to declare officially that
an area is to be used for a particular purpose or to be developed in a
particular way (often passive) • The
canal areas have been zoned for leisure and recreation.
[15th
century. Via French and Latin from Greek zōnē “belt, girdle.”]
—zon·ing, noun[1]



zonedefense

zonedefense
zone
de·fense
noun

sports defensive system using
zones: a system of defense in
sports, especially in basketball and football, in which each defender is
responsible for guarding a portion of the playing area[1]



zonemelting

zonemelting
zone
melt·ing 
noun

See
zone refining[1]



zoneof saturation

zoneof saturation
zone
of sat·u·ra·tion noun

area of soil below the water
table: an area of soil or rock
below the level of the water table where all the voids are filled with water[1]



zonerefining

zonerefining
zone
re·fin·ing 
noun

metal purification technique:
a technique for greatly purifying metals in which a molten area is made to pass
along an otherwise solid bar so that impurities become concentrated at one end.

Also called
zone melting[1]



zonetime

zonetime
zone·time 
[zṓn tm] noun

NAVIGATION time
in a particular time zone: the standard time that
exists throughout a particular time zone
[Early 20th century][1]



zonk

zonk
zonk 
[zongk] (past zonked, past
participle zonked, present participle zonk·ing, 3rd
person present singular zonks) verb (slang)

1.  intransitive
and transitive verb stop
functioning: to lose consciousness or become
stupefied from exhaustion or an intake of alcohol or narcotic drugs, or to make
somebody do this

2.  transitive
verb
hit
somebody:
to hit somebody very hard
[Early 20th century. From zonk
“sound of a heavy blow,” an imitation of the sound.][1]



zonked

zonked
zonked
[zonkt] or zonked out [zonkt] adjective

not
conscious, alert, or energetic: unconscious,
stupefied, or sleeping, especially as a result of the effects of alcohol or a
drug (slang)
[Mid-20th century][1]



Zontian

Zontian
Zon·ti·an
[zóntee ən] noun

member
of a professional women’s society: a member of Zonta
International, founded in 1919 as a worldwide society for business and
professional women. Each chapter organizes or takes part in community events.
[Early 20th century. Formed
from Lakota zœta “trustworthy.”][1]



zonule

zonule
zon·ule 
[zṓn yl] noun

little
zone:
a small zone, band, or belt
—zon·u·lar [zṓnyələr], adjective[1]



zoo

zoo
zoo 
[zoo] (plural zoos) noun

1.  park
displaying live animals in enclosures: a
park where live wild animals from different parts of the world are kept in
cages or enclosures for people to come and see, and where they are bred and
studied by scientists

2.  chaotic
place:
a place characterized as being full of noisy obstreperous people creating
confusion and disorder (informal)
[Mid-19th century. Shortening
of zoological garden .][1]



zoo-

zoo-
zoo-
prefix

1.  animal,
animal kingdom • zootoxin

2.  motile
organism • zoospore
[From Greek zōion (see
-zoon )][1]



zooflagellate

zooflagellate
zo·o·flag·el·late 
[z ə flájjələt, z
ə flájjə làyt] noun

protozoan ingesting organic
matter: a colorless protozoan that
ingests organic matter, is often parasitic, and has one or more flagella[1]



zoogeography

zoogeography
zo·o·ge·og·ra·phy 
[z ə jee óggrəfee] noun

study
of the places where animals live: the scientific study
of the areas where different animals live and the causes and effects of such
distribution, especially distributions on a large or global scale
—zo·o·ge·og·ra·pher,
noun

—zo·o·ge·o·graph·ic [z ə jee ə gráffik], adjective[1]



zooglea

zooglea
zo·o·gle·a 
[z ə gl ə] (plural zo·o·gle·as
or zo·o·gle·ae [z ə gl ]) or
zo·o·gloe·a [z ə gl ə] (plural
zo·o·gloe·as or zo·o·gloe·ae) noun

microbe
colony in gelatinous matrix: a colony of microbes
embedded in a gelatinous matrix
[Late
19th century. From modern Latin zoogloea, from Greek zōion
“animal” + gloios “glutinous substance.”]
—zo·o·gle·al, adjective[1]



zoography

zoography
zo·og·ra·phy 
[zō óggrəfee] noun

science
of describing animals: a branch of zoology that
deals with describing animals and their habitats
—zo·og·ra·pher,
noun

—zo·o·graph·ic [z ə gráffik], adjective[1]



zooid

zooid
zo·oid 
[zṓ òyd] noun

member
of colony:
an individual invertebrate animal that reproduces nonsexually by budding or
splitting, especially one that lives in a colony in which each member is joined
to others by living material, for example, a coral
[Mid-19th
century. Coined from zoo- + -oid .]
—zo·oid·al, adjective[1]



zookeeper

zookeeper
zoo·keep·er 
[z kpər] noun

somebody taking care of zoo
animals: somebody whose job is taking
care of the animals in a zoo[1]



zool.

zool.
zool.

1.  Abbreviation
of
zoological

2.  Abbreviation
of
zoology

[1]



zoolatry

zoolatry
zo·ol·a·try 
[zō óllətree, zə
wól ətree] noun

1.  animal
worship:
in some ancient cultures, the worshiping of animals

2.  extreme
devotion to animals: excessive devotion to
animals, especially domestic pets (humorous)
—zo·ol·a·ter,
noun

—zo·ol·a·trous, adjective[1]



zoological

zoological
zo·o·log·i·cal 
[z ə lójjik’l] adjective

1.  of
scientific study of animals: relating to the scientific
study of animals

2.  about
animals:
relating to or about animals

[1]



zoologicalgarden

zoologicalgarden
zo·o·log·i·cal
gar·den
noun

zoo:
a zoo (formal)[1]



zoologist

zoologist
zo·ol·o·gist 
[zō ólləjist, zə
wóləjist] noun

scientist studying animals:
somebody who studies animals and animal behavior scientifically[1]



zoology

zoology
zo·ol·o·gy 
[zō ólləjee, zə
wóləjee] (plural zo·ol·o·gies) noun

1.  scientific
study of animals: the branch of biology that involves the
scientific study of animals and all aspects of animal life

2.  animals
living in region: the animal life of a particular region

3.  animal’s
or animal group’s characteristics: the physical and
biological characteristics of a particular animal or group of animals
[Mid-17th century. Via modern
Latin from Greek zōologia, literally “the study of life,” from zōion
“life form” (see -zoon ).][1]



zoom

zoom
zoom 
[zoom] verb (past zoomed,
past participle zoomed, present participle zoom·ing,
3rd person present singular zooms)

1.  intransitive
verb
move
speedily:
to move very fast, especially while emitting a loud low-pitched buzzing noise

2.  intransitive
verb
increase
suddenly:
to rise or increase suddenly and significantly

3.  intransitive
verb
make
loud buzzing noise: to emit a loud low-pitched
buzzing or humming noise

4.  intransitive
and transitive verb AIR carry out steep climb in
aircraft:
to make an aircraft climb rapidly at a very steep angle, or to be piloted in
this way
noun

1.  act
of very rapid movement: an act of moving or
performing an activity at great speed

2.  PHOTOGRAPHY See zoom lens

3.  loud
buzzing noise: a loud low-pitched buzzing noise,
especially one caused by rapid movement

4.  CINEMA shot
with zoom lens: a shot in which a zoom lens is used to
make the object in focus appear to move closer or farther away while the camera
itself stays still
[Late 19th century. An
imitation of the sound.][1]



zoometry

zoometry
zo·om·e·try 
[zō ómmətree] noun

study
of animals’ proportions: the branch of zoology that
deals with the sizes and proportions of animals
—zo·o·met·ric
[z ə méttrik], adjective

—zo·o·met·rist, noun[1]



zoomin

zoomin
zoom
in
intransitive verb

make appear bigger or closer:
to make an object appear bigger or closer, or to decrease the area in view, by
use of a zoom lens or a graphic imaging device[1]



zoomlens

zoomlens
zoom
lens
or zoom noun

lens assembly allowing
various focal lengths: a camera
lens assembly with adjustable focal lengths that make an object being
photographed or filmed appear closer or farther away than it really is[1]



zoomorphism

zoomorphism
zo·o·mor·phism 
[z ə máwr fìzzəm] noun

1.  attribution
of animal forms to gods: the representation of gods
as animals, or the attributing of animal characteristics to gods

2.  ARTS use of
animals in art: the use of animal figures in art and
design, or of animal symbols in literature
—zo·o·mor·phic, adjective[1]



zoomout

zoomout
zoom
out
intransitive verb

make appear smaller or
farther away: to make an object
appear smaller or further away, or to increase the area in view, by use of a
zoom lens or a graphic imaging device[1]



-zoon

-zoon
-zoon
suffix

animal,
zooid • epizoon
[Via modern Latin from Greek zōion
“living being, animal.” Ultimately from an Indo-European base meaning “to
live,” which is also the ancestor of English quick, vital, biology,
and whiskey .][1]



zoonosis

zoonosis
zo·on·o·sis 
[zō ónnəssiss] (plural zo·on·o·ses
[zō ónnə sz]) noun

disease
that animals pass to humans: a disease, for example,
rabies, anthrax, or ringworm that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to
humans
[Late
19th century. Coined from zoo- + Greek nosos
“disease.”]
—zo·on·o·tic [z ə nóttik], adjective[1]



zoophagous

zoophagous
zo·oph·a·gous 
[zō óffəgəss] adjective

eating animals:
feeding on animals[1]



zoophilia

zoophilia
zo·o·phil·ia 
[z ə fíllee ə] noun

desire for animals:
a sexual attraction to animals[1]



zoophilic

zoophilic
zo·o·phil·ic
adjective

See
zoophilous[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








zoophilism

zoophilism
zo·oph·i·lism 
[zō óffə lìzzəm] noun

devotion to animals:
a strong affinity for animals and a devotion to protecting or rescuing them
from human activities, for example, vivisection, that exploit or endanger them[1]



zoophilous

zoophilous
zo·oph·i·lous 
[zō óffələss] or zo·o·phil·ic
[z ə fíllik] adjective

1.  devoted
to animals:
very fond of animals

2.  BOTANY pollinated
by animals:
using the actions of animals other than insects in pollinating a plant

[1]



zoophobia

zoophobia
zo·o·pho·bi·a 
[z ə fṓbee ə] noun

great
fear of animals: an unusually intense fear of animals
—zo·o·phobe
[zṓ ə fb], noun

—zo·o·pho·bous [zō óffəbəss], adjective[1]



zoophyte

zoophyte
zo·o·phyte 
[zṓ ə ft] noun

animal
resembling plant: an invertebrate animal that looks like a
plant, for example, the sea anemone, coral, or sponge
[Early
17th century. Via modern Latin from Greek zōiophuton, literally
“animal-plant,” from zōion “animal” + phuton “plant.”]
—zo·o·phyt·ic [z ə fíttik], adjective[1]



zooplankton

zooplankton
zo·o·plank·ton 
[z ə plángktən] noun

plankton consisting of
microscopic animals: plankton
that is made up of microscopic animals, for example, protozoans.
See also
phytoplankton[1]



zooplasty

zooplasty
zo·o·plas·ty 
[zṓ ə plàstee] noun

transplantation
of animal organs into humans: the surgical transplantation
of an animal organ, for example, a pig’s heart, into a human body
—zo·o·plas·tic [z ə plástik], adjective[1]



zoosperm

zoosperm
zo·o·sperm 
[zṓ ə spùrm] noun

See
spermatozoon
—zo·o·sper·mat·ic [z ə spur máttik], adjective[1]



zoosporangium

zoosporangium
zo·o·spo·ran·gi·um 
[z əspə ránjee əm] (plural zo·o·spo·ran·gi·a
[z əspə ránjee ə]) noun

spore-producing
part of plant or fungus: an organ of a fungus or
plant that produces spores that can swim
—zo·o·spo·ran·gi·al, adjective[1]



zoospore

zoospore
zo·o·spore 
[zṓ ə spàwr] noun

spore
capable of independent motion: a spore of some algae
and fungi that is capable of independent movement
—zo·o·spo·ral
[z ə spáwrəl], adjective

—zo·o·spor·ic [z ə spáwrik], adjective[1]



zoosterol

zoosterol
zo·os·ter·ol 
[zō óstə ròl] noun

sterol produced by animal:
a sterol that is produced by an animal, for example, cholesterol[1]



zootomy

zootomy
zo·ot·o·my 
[zō óttəmee] noun

1.  study
of animal anatomy: the study of the anatomy of
animals, especially comparative anatomy

2.  animal
dissection:
the dissection of animals
[Mid-17th
century. Formed from zoo-, on the model of
“anatomy.”]
—zo·o·tom·ic
[z ə tómmik], adjective

—zo·o·tom·i·cal·ly
[z ə tómmikəlee], adverb

—zo·ot·o·mist, noun[1]



zootoxin

zootoxin
zo·o·tox·in 
[z ə tóksin] noun

animal
poison:
a poisonous substance produced by an animal, for example, snake venom
—zo·o·tox·ic, adjective[1]



zootsuit

zootsuit
zoot
suit 
[zt st] noun

suit
with tapering jacket and trousers: a man’s suit, popular
in the 1940s, that had a long jacket heavily padded at the shoulders and baggy
high-waisted trousers tapering to narrow bottoms. A long watch chain was also
sometimes worn looping across the trousers.
[Zoot
of uncertain origin: probably a rhyming formation from suit]
—zoot suit·er, noun[1]



zooTV

zooTV
zoo
TV
noun

emotive TV programs with live
audiences: a type of television program
that encourages emotional and often uncontrolled reactions from the
participants such as those featuring debates or personal disclosures in front
of live audiences (slang)[1]



zooty

zooty
zoot·y 
[ztee] adjective

ostentatious:
ostentatious in a showy or gaudy way (dated slang)[1]



zooxanthella

zooxanthella
zo·o·xan·thel·la 
[zəzən théllə] (plural zo·o·xan·thel·lae
[zəzən théllee]) noun

symbiotic
alga:
a microscopic yellow-green alga that lives symbiotically within the cells of
some marine invertebrates, especially corals
[Late 19th century. From
modern Latin, literally “small yellow animal,” from Greek zōion “animal”
+ xanthos “yellow.”][1]



zori

zori
zo·ri 
[záwree] (plural zo·ri or
zo·ris) noun

Japanese
sandal:
a simple Japanese sandal with a flat sole and a single thong, originally made
of straw but now also made of rubber or felt
[Early 19th century. From
Japanese, literally “straw sole.”][1]



zorilla

zorilla
zo·ril·la
[zə ríllə] or zor·ille [záwrril] or zor·il [záwrril] noun

African
weasel:
a carnivorous African mammal of the weasel family that looks like a skunk and
has long black-and-white fur. Latin name: Ictonyx striatus
[Late 18th century. Via
French and modern Latin from Spanish zorilla, literally “little fox,”
from zorro “fox.”][1]



Zoroaster

Zoroaster
Zo·ro·as·ter 
[záwrō àstər] (630? BC–550? BC)

Persian prophet. He founded
Zoroastrianism, a religion based on revelations he received from Ahura Mazda,
the “Lord Wisdom.”[1]



Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism
Zo·ro·as·tri·an·ism 
[zàwrō ástree ə nìzzəm] noun

ancient
Persian religion: an ancient religion founded by the
Persian prophet Zoroaster the principal belief of which is in a supreme deity
and in a cosmic contest between two spirits, one good and one evil. The sacred
writings of Zoroastrianism are collected in the Zend-Avesta.
—Zo·ro·as·tri·an, noun,
adjective[1]



zoster

zoster
zos·ter 
[zóstər] noun

1.  MED shingles:
shingles (technical)

2.  ARCHAEOLOGY ancient
Greek belt:
a belt worn by men, especially soldiers, in ancient Greece
[Early 18th century. Via
Latin from Greek zōstēr “girdle”; from the fact that the blisters often
appear in a band across the body.][1]



Zouave

Zouave
Zou·ave 
[zoo v, zwaav]
noun

1.  Algerian
infantryman in French army unit: a member of a former
French infantry unit composed of Algerian soldiers, noted for their colorful
uniforms and precision drill

2.  member
of unit imitating French Zouaves: a member of an army
unit imitating the uniform of the French Zouaves, especially those on the Union
side during the U.S. Civil War
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Kabyle Zouaoua, the name of a tribe in Algeria.][1]



zouk

zouk
zouk 
[zook] noun

Caribbean
dance music: a style of dance music originating in
Guadeloupe and Martinique played with guitars and synthesizers that combines a
strong fast disco beat and Caribbean rhythms
[Late 20th century. Via
French from Antillean Creole .][1]



zounds

zounds
zounds 
[zowndz] interjection

exclamation
of surprise or annoyance: a mild expression of
surprise or annoyance (archaic)
[Late 16th century.
Shortening of by God’s wounds!][1]



zowie

zowie
zow·ie
[zów ee] interjection

exclamation:
used to express surprise, admiration, or pleasure (dated informal)
[Early 20th century. Natural
exclamation.][1]



zoysia

zoysia
zoy·sia 
[zóyssee ə] noun

grass
plant used for lawns: a low-growing grass plant
often used for lawns in its native Asia and other regions. Genus: Zoysia
[Mid-20th century. From
modern Latin, genus name, named for the Austrian botanist Carl von Zoys
zu Laubach (1756–1800?).][1]



Zparticle

Zparticle
Z
par·ti·cle
noun

neutral elementary particle:
a short-lived electrically neutral elementary particle considered to mediate
the weak interaction between other elementary particles.
Also called
Z boson[1]



ZPG

ZPG
ZPG

Abbreviation of
zero population growth[1]



Zr

Zr
Zr

Symbol for
zirconium[1]



zucchetto

zucchetto
zuc·chet·to 
[zoo kéttō] (plural zuc·chet·tos)
noun

skullcap
worn by Roman Catholic clergy: a small round skullcap
worn by members of the Roman Catholic clergy that varies in color depending on
the rank of the person wearing it. The pope wears a white one, cardinals red,
bishops purple, and priests black.
[Mid-19th century. Alteration
of Italian zucchetta, literally “headlet,” from zucca “gourd,
head” (see zucchini ).][1]



zucchini

zucchini

zuc·chi·ni 
[zoo knee] (plural zuc·chi·ni
or zuc·chi·nis) noun Australia Canada U.S.

1.  PLANTS small
summer squash: a small variety of summer squash that is
shaped like a cucumber and has a smooth thin dark-green or yellow skin. It is
eaten as a vegetable. U.K. = courgette

2.  zucchini
plant:
the plant on which zucchini grow
[Early 20th century. From
Italian, plural of zucchino “zucchini,” literally “small gourd,” from zucca
“gourd,” from late Latin cucutia, a variant of Latin cucurbita
(source of English gourd ).][1]



zugzwang

zugzwang
zug·zwang 
[tsk tsvng] noun

disadvantageous
chess situation: a chess situation in which a player is
forced into making a disadvantageous move, especially one that involves the
loss of a piece
transitive
verb
(past zug·zwanged, past participle zug·zwanged, present
participle zug·zwang·ing, 3rd person present singular zug·zwangs)

force
into bad chess position: to force a chess opponent
into a disadvantageous situation, especially one that involves the loss of one
of the opponent’s pieces
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “being forced to move.”][1]



ZuiderZee

ZuiderZee
Zui·der
Zee 
[zīdər z, zàydər
z]

former inlet of the North
Sea, south of the West Friesian Islands and occupying a deep indentation in the
coast of the Netherlands. After completion of the Ijsselmeer Dam in 1932, parts
of it were drained, and the remainder now forms the Ijsselmeer.[1]



Zukerman,Pinchas

Zukerman,Pinchas
Zuk·er·man
[zkər mən, zkərmən],
Pinchas (1948– )

Israeli-born U.S. violinist.
His performance of both the classical repertoire and 20th-century works
established his reputation as the outstanding violinist of his generation.[1]



Zulu

Zulu
Zu·lu 
[z loo] (plural Zu·lu or
Zu·lus) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of South African people: a member of a people of
South Africa who live mainly in the northern part of the province of Natal,
where they were the dominant people during the 19th century. They fiercely
resisted Boer incursions into their lands and, under their chief, Cetewayo, fought
and won several battles against British forces before being comprehensively
defeated in 1879.

2.  LANGUAGE Benue-Congo
language:
a language spoken in eastern South Africa that belongs to the Bantu group of
Benue-Congo languages, closely related to Xhosa. Zulu is spoken by about 8
million people.

3.  COMMUNICATION code
word for letter “Z”: a code word for the letter
“Z,” used in international radio communications
[Early
19th century. From Zulu umzulu .]
—Zulu, adjective[1]



Zululand

Zululand
Zu·lu·land 
[zloo land]

historic region in South
Africa. Now incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal Province, it is the homeland of the
Zulu people.[1]



Zuni

Zuni
Zu·ni 
[znee] (plural Zu·ni or
Zu·nis) or Zu·ñi [znyee,
znee] (plural Zu·ñi or
Zu·ñis) noun

1.  PEOPLES member
of a Native N American people: a member of a Native
North American Pueblo people of western New Mexico

2.  LANGUAGE Zuni
language:
the language spoken by the Zuni people of New Mexico. It is a linguistically
isolated language with no identified relatives. Zuni is spoken by about 5,000
people.
[Mid-19th
century. From American Spanish, of Keresan origin.]
—Zu·ni, adjective[1]



Zurich

Zurich
Zu·rich
[zrik] or Zü·rich [zrik]

the largest city in
Switzerland and capital of Zurich Canton. Population: 353,361 (1994)[1]



Zurich,Lake of

Zurich,Lake of
Zu·rich,
Lake of
[zrik]

lake in northern Switzerland,
predominantly in Zurich Canton. Area: 88 sq km/34 sq mi.[1]



Zwickau

Zwickau
Zwick·au 
[zwík ow, tsvík
ow]

city in Saxony, eastern
Germany. Population: 103,900 (1995)[1]



zwieback

zwieback
zwie·back 
[sw bàk] noun

sliced
baked bread: a piece of bread, sliced and baked again
until crisp and dry
[Late 19th century. From
German, literally “twice-bake.”][1]



Zwinglian

Zwinglian
Zwing·li·an 
[zwínglee ən, swínglee
ən] adjective

relating
to Zwingli or his doctrine: relating to the life, works,
or beliefs of the Swiss Protestant theologian Ulrich Zwingli, who believed that
the Communion wafer and wine were only symbolic of Christ’s body and blood
noun

follower
of Zwingli:
a follower of the Swiss Protestant theologian Ulrich Zwingli or a believer in
his doctrines
—Zwing·li·an·ism, noun[1]



zwitterion

zwitterion
zwit·ter·i·on 
[zwíttə r ən, swíttə
r ən] noun

ion
with two poles: an ion that has both a negative and a
positive pole
[Early 20th century. From
German, literally “hybrid ion.”][1]



Zwolle

Zwolle
Zwol·le 
[zwóllə]

capital city of Overijssel
Province, in the north central Netherlands. Population: 100,835 (1996)[1]



Zworykin,Vladimir

Zworykin,Vladimir
Zwor·y·kin
[zwáwr i kin], Vladimir (1889–1982)

Russian-born
U.S. inventor. He was largely responsible for the development, during the 1920s
and 1930s, of the television camera and television tube.
Full name
Zworykin, Vladimir Kosma[1]



zydeco

zydeco
zy·de·co 
[zdə k] noun

Cajun
dance music: a style of dance music originating in
Louisiana that is usually played on accordion, guitar, and violin and combines
traditional French melodies with Caribbean and blues influences
[Mid-20th century. Origin
uncertain: probably from Louisiana creole Les haricots (sont pas salé),
literally “the beans (are not salted),” the name of a well-known dance tune.][1]



zyg-

zyg-
zyg-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
zygo-[1]









[1]Encarta®
World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing
Plc.








zygo-

zygo-
zygo-
prefix

1.  yoke,
pair • zygomorphic

2.  union,
reproduction • zygogenesis
[From Greek zugon
“yoke, pair.” Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to join,” which is
also the ancestor of English yoke, join, adjust,
and yoga .][1]



zygodactyl

zygodactyl
zy·go·dac·tyl 
[zgə dákt’l] adjective zy·go·dac·tyl
zy·go·dac·ty·lous

with
two pairs of toes: with toes arranged in pairs,
two facing forward and two backward, like those found on woodpeckers
noun

bird
with two pairs of toes: a bird that has two pairs of
toes, for example, the woodpecker
—zy·go·dac·tyl·ism, noun[1]



zygogenesis

zygogenesis
zy·go·gen·e·sis 
[zgō jénnəssiss] noun

reproduction
involving fusion: reproduction involving the fusion of
male and female nuclei
—zy·go·ge·net·ic [zgōjə néttik], adjective[1]



zygoma

zygoma
zy·go·ma 
[zī gṓmə] (plural zy·go·ma·ta
[zī gṓmətə] or zy·go·mas) noun

1.  cheekbone:
a cheekbone (technical)

2.  See
zygomatic arch

3.  See
zygomatic process
[Late
17th century. From Greek zugōma, literally “joining,” from zugoun
“to join.”]
—zy·go·mat·ic [zgə máttik], adjective[1]



zygomaticarch

zygomaticarch
zy·go·mat·ic
arch
noun

bone connecting cheekbone
with temple: a slender bar of bone
connecting the cheekbone with the temporal bone on the side of the skull.
Also called
zygoma[1]



zygomaticbone

zygomaticbone

zy·go·mat·ic bone
noun
cheekbone:
a cheekbone (technical)[1]



zygomaticprocess

zygomaticprocess
zy·go·mat·ic
proc·ess
noun

bony projection joined to
cheekbone: a bony projection that forms
part of the zygomatic arch and is joined to the cheekbone.
Also called
zygoma[1]



zygomorphic

zygomorphic
zy·go·mor·phic 
[zgə máwrfik] adjective

with
identical halves: producing identical halves only when
divided along a vertical axis
—zy·go·mor·phism,
noun

—zy·go·mor·phy [zgə màwrfee], noun[1]



zygosis

zygosis
zy·go·sis 
[zī gṓssiss] noun

BIOLOGY See conjugation  noun 6
[Late
19th century. From Greek zugōsis, from zugoun “to join.”]
—zy·gose [z gss], adjective[1]



zygosity

zygosity
zy·gos·i·ty 
[zī góssətee] noun

particular
characterization of zygote: a particular
characterization of a genetic trait, zygote, or embryo, for example, whether
twins have resulted from the division of one zygote or from two different
zygotes (often used in combination)
[Mid-20th century. Formed
from zygosis .][1]



zygospore

zygospore
zy·go·spore 
[zgə spàwr] noun

algal
or fungal spore: a thick-walled sexual spore formed from
the union of two gametes in some fungi and green algae
—zy·go·spor·ic [zgə spáwrik], adjective[1]



zygote

zygote
zy·gote 
[z gt] noun

fertilized
ovum:
an ovum that has been fertilized by a spermatozoon
[Late
19th century. From Greek zugōtos “joined,” from zugoun “to
join.”]
—zy·got·ic
[zī góttik], adjective

—zy·got·i·cal·ly [zī góttikəlee], adverb[1]



zygotene

zygotene
zy·go·tene 
[zgə tn] noun

stage
in cell division: a stage of the first meiotic cell
division in which homologous chromosomes are paired
[Early 20th century. From
French zygotène, from zygo- “zygo-” and -tène “ribbon”
(from Latin taenia ).][1]



-zygous

-zygous
-zygous
suffix

having
a particular kind of zygotic constitution • hemizygous
[Formed from Greek zugos
“yoked, paired,” which in turn was formed from zugon “yoke” (see zygo- )][1]



zym-

zym-
zym-
prefix

(used before vowels)See
zymo-[1]



zymase

zymase
zy·mase 
[z màyss, z
màyz] noun

enzyme
that makes sugars ferment: an enzyme or complex of
enzymes obtained from yeast that makes sugars ferment
[Late 19th century. Coined
from Greek zumē “leaven” (see zymo- )
+ -ase .][1]



zymo-

zymo-
zymo-
prefix

1.  fermentation
• zymology

2.  enzyme
• zymogen
[Via modern Latin from Greek zumē
“leaven” (source also of English enzyme
). Ultimately from an Indo-European word meaning “to mix,” which is also the
ancestor of English juice .][1]



zymogen

zymogen
zy·mo·gen 
[zməjən] noun

See
proenzyme[1]



zymogenesis

zymogenesis
zy·mo·gen·e·sis 
[zmə jénnəssiss] noun

change of zymogen into
enzyme: the transformation of a
zymogen into an enzyme[1]



zymogenic

zymogenic
zy·mo·gen·ic 
[zmə jénnik] or zy·mo·ge·net·ic
[zməjə néttik] or zy·mog·e·nous
[zī mójjənəss] adjective

1.  relating
to zymogens: relating to a zymogen

2.  causing
fermentation: causing or producing fermentation
[Late 19th century][1]



zymology

zymology
zy·mol·o·gy 
[zī mólləjee] noun

study
of fermentation: a branch of biochemistry that studies
fermentation, in particular the behavior of enzymes during it
—zy·mo·log·ic
[zmə lójjik], adjective

—zy·mol·o·gist, noun[1]



zymolysis

zymolysis
zy·mol·y·sis 
[zī mólləssiss] noun

process
of fermentation: the action of enzymes in the process of
fermentation (technical)
Also
called
zymosis
—zy·mo·lyt·ic [zmə líttik], adjective[1]



zymometer

zymometer
zy·mom·e·ter 
[zī mómmətər] noun

instrument for measuring
fermentation: an instrument that
measures how much or how efficiently fermentation has taken place, by measuring
the level of carbon dioxide produced.
Also called
zymoscope[1]



zymosis

zymosis
zy·mo·sis 
[zī mṓssiss] noun

See
zymolysis
[Early 18th century. From
Greek zumōsis “fermentation,” from zumoun “to leaven,” from zumē
(see zymo- ).][1]



zymotic

zymotic
zy·mot·ic 
[zī móttik] adjective

relating
to fermentation: relating to, producing, or produced by
fermentation
[Mid-19th
century. From Greek zumōtikos “causing fermentation,” from zumōsis
(see zymosis ).]
—zy·mot·i·cal·ly, adverb[1]



zymurgy

zymurgy
zy·mur·gy 
[z mùrjee] noun

chemistry
of fermentation in brewing: the scientific study of the
process of fermentation in brewing and distilling
[Mid-19th
century. Formed from zymo-, on the model of
“metallurgy.”]
—zy·mur·gic [zī múrjik], adjective[1]



zzz

zzz
zzz
[zz] (plural zzz’s) noun

representation of sleeping or
snoring: a representation of the
sound made by somebody sleeping or snoring, often used in cartoons (humorous)[1]



 Chrysostom,Saint John, Saint

 Chrysostom,Saint John, Saint
Chry·sos·tom,
Saint John
[jòn kríssəstəm], Saint (354?–407)

Syrian-born theologian. He
was called “chrysostomos” (golden-mouthed) because of his oratory. He became
patriarch of Constantinople (398–403) but was exiled because of his campaigns
against vice.[1]



àdeux

àdeux
à
deux 
[ d] adverb adjective

for
two:
involving only two people and therefore private
[Late 19th century. From
French .][1]



àgogo

àgogo
à
go·go
[ə gṓ gō] adjective (dated
informal)

1.  galore:
as much as anybody could want • caviar
à gogo

2.  in
a whirl of activity • The
club was completely à gogo by nine in the evening.
[Mid-20th century. From
French, “joyfully,” from en gogues “enjoying oneself” (see agog ) by repeating the go- .][1]



àla

àla
à
la
[ laa, állə]
or a la [ laa, állə] preposition

like:
in the style of somebody or something
[Late 16th century. From
French, shortening of à la mode de “in the fashion of.”][1]



àla carte

àla carte
à
la carte 
[ laa krt, allə
krt] or a la carte [ laa
krt, allə krt] adjective adverb

separately
priced:
with each dish on a menu priced separately
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “by the menu.”][1]



àla grecque

àla grecque
à
la grecque 
[ laa grék] or a la grecque [ laa grék] adjective

cooked
in olive oil sauce: cooked in a sauce made with
olive oil, lemon, usually wine, and herbs and served cold
[From French, “in the Greek
style”][1]



àla king

àla king
à
la king 
[ laa kíng] or a la king [ laa kíng] adjective

in cream sauce:
cooked in a cream sauce with peppers and mushrooms[1]



àla mode

àla mode
à
la mode 
[ laa mṓd] or a la mode [ laa mṓd] adjective

1.  with
ice cream:
served with ice cream

2.  fashionable:
in the latest fashion (dated)
[Late 16th century. From
French, literally “in the style.”][1]



écarté

écarté1
é·car·té1 [ày
kaar táy] noun

card
game:
a card game for two people played with 32 cards in which cards may be discarded
in exchange for others
[Early 19th century. From
French, literally “discarded.”][1]



écarté

écarté2
é·car·té2 [ày
kaar táy] noun

ballet
position:
a ballet position in which the arm and leg on one side of the body are extended
[Early 20th century. From
French, literally “spread out.”][1]



éclair

éclair
é·clair 
[ay kláir, áy
klàir] (plural é·clairs) noun

finger-shaped
cream cake:
a long thin cream puff filled with whipped cream or custard and topped with
chocolate frosting
[Mid-19th century. From
French, literally “lightning.”][1]



éclaircissement

éclaircissement
é·clair·cisse·ment 
[ay klàirseess mN] (plural é·clair·cisse·ments)
noun

enlightenment:
a clearing up of something puzzling (literary)
[Mid-17th century. From
French, literally “clearing up.”][1]



éclat

éclat
é·clat 
[ay kl, áy kl]
noun

1.  success:
brilliant success • The show came off with
éclat.

2.  display:
ostentatious display (literary)

3.  renown:
renown based on achievement (literary)
[Late 17th century. From
French, literally “splinter, fragment.”][1]



écorché

écorché
é·cor·ché 
[ày kawr sháy] (plural é·cor·chés)
noun

anatomical
model:
an anatomical model of part or all of the human body with the skin removed, to
allow study of the muscle structure
[Mid-19th century. From
French, the past participle of écorcher “to flay.”][1]



écu

écu
é·cu 
[ay ky] (plural é·cus [ay ky]) noun

old
French coin: any one of several former French silver
or gold coins
[Late 16th century. Via
French from Latin scutum “shield”; from the shield that was part of the
design of such coins.][1]



élan

élan
é·lan 
[ay ln, ay lN]
or e·lan [ay ln, ay lN] noun

vigor
and enthusiasm: vigor and enthusiasm, often combined
with self-confidence and style (literary)
[Mid-19th century. From
French élan, formed from élancer “to dart, throw,” ultimately
from lance “ lance .”][1]



élanvital

élanvital
é·lan
vi·tal 
[ay ln vee tl, ay
lN vee tl] noun

creative
life force:
according to the philosophy of Henri Bergson, a creative life force present in
all living things and responsible for evolution.
Also
called
life force
[From French][1]



éminencegrise

éminencegrise
é·mi·nence
grise 
[ày mi naaNs grz] (plural é·mi·nences
grises [ày mi naaNs grz]) noun

somebody
who is secretly powerful: somebody who exercises great
power or influence secretly or unofficially.
Also
called
gray eminence
[From French, literally “gray
eminence,” originally the nickname of Père Joseph, secretary to Cardinal
Richelieu, known as Éminence Rouge “Red Eminence”; their respective habits were
gray and red][1]



épée

épée
é·pée
[e páy] (plural é·pées) noun

1.  fencing
sword:
a fencing sword that has a narrow triangular blade with a blunted end and a
large handguard, heavier than a foil. It derives from the type of sword
formerly used in dueling.

2.  fencing
with épées:
the sport of fencing using épées
[Late
19th century. From French, literally “sword,” from Latin spatha “broad
double-edged sword” (see spathe ).]
—é·pée·ist (plural
é·pée·ists), noun[1]



étagère

étagère
é·ta·gère
[ày taa zháir] (plural é·ta·gères)
noun

free-standing
set of open shelves: a piece of furniture made up
of open shelves, used to hold small objects
[Mid-19th century. Via French
from Old French estagiere “scaffold,” from estage (see stage ).][1]



étude

étude
é·tude 
[áy td, ay td]
(plural é·tudes) or e·tude [áy td, ay td] (plural
e·tudes) noun

technical
exercise:
a short musical composition for a solo instrument intended to develop a point
of technique or to display the performer’s skill, but often played for its
artistic merit
[Mid-19th century. From
French, “study,” via Old French estudie (source of English study ) from Latin studium .][1]



étui

étui
é·tui 
[ay tw, e tw]
(plural é·tuis) noun

needle
case:
a small ornamental case for needles or other small items
[Early 17th century. From
French, from Old French estui “prison,” from estuier “to keep.”][1]



Öland

Öland
Ö·land
[ö laand]

island of Sweden, located in
the southwestern Baltic Sea. Population: 25,781 (1994) Area: 1,342 sq km/518 sq
mi.[1]



öre

öre
ö·re 
[úr ə] (plural ö·re) noun

1.  Swedish
currency unit: a subunit of currency in Sweden, worth
one hundredth of a krona

2.  coin
worth one krona: a coin worth one krona
[Early 18th century. From
Swedish, from Old Norse allrar, of uncertain origin: probably from Latin
aureus “golden.”][1]



Örebro

Örebro
Ör·e·bro
[örə br]

city and county seat of
Örebro Province, central Sweden, situated 160 km/100 mi west of Stockholm.
Population: 119,635 (1995)[1]



Öresund

Öresund
Ö·re·sund
[rə sùn, rə
snd] or Ø·re·send [rə sùn,
rə snd]

channel in northern Europe,
between the Kattigat Strait and the Baltic Sea. about Length: 105 km/65 mi.[1]



Özal,Turgut

Özal,Turgut
Ö·zal
[ō zl], Turgut (1927–1993)

Turkish statesman. Founder of
the Motherland Party, he was prime minister (1983–1989) and president
(1989–1993) of Turkey.[1]



øre

øre
øre 
[úrrə] noun

1.  Danish
or Norwegian currency unit: a subunit of currency in
Denmark or Norway, worth one hundredth of a krone

2.  coin
worth one krone: a coin worth one krone
[Early 18th century. From
Danish or Norwegian, from Old Norse aurar (see öre
).][1]



Übermensch

Übermensch
Ü·ber·mensch
[bər mènsh] (plural Ü·ber·mensch·en
[bər mènshən]) noun

superior
being:
a superior kind of human being, especially in Nietzschean philosophy or Nazi
ideology (literary)
[Late 19th century. From
German, a back-formation from übermenschlich “superhuman.”][1]



ŌeKenzaburō

ŌeKenzaburō

Ōe Ken·za·bu·rō
[ ay kènzə brō] (1935– )
Japanese writer. Perhaps the greatest
Japanese novelist since World War II, he won the Nobel Prize in literature in
1994.[1]



Ōsaka

Ōsaka
Ōsa·ka
[ō skə, saak]

city and port in Japan, on
southeastern Honshu Island. It is the capital of Osaka prefecture. Population:
2,481,000 (1994)[1]



’cause

’cause
’cause 
[kəz, kawz]
conjunction

because:
because (informal)
[15th century. Shortening.][1]



’cos

’cos
’cos
[kəz, kawz]
conjunction

because:
because (informal)
[Early 19th century.
Shortening and alteration of because .][1]



’d

’d
’d
[d, əd] contraction

1.  did:
did • Where’d
she get that hat?

2.  had:
had • We’d
already finished supper.

3.  should
or would:
should or would • I’d like to stop at the
store.

[1]



’em

’em
’em 
[əm] contraction

them:
them (informal)
[14th century. Originally a
variant of Old English hem “them”; now regarded as a shortening of them .][1]



’gainst

’gainst
’gainst
[gaynst] or gainst [gaynst] preposition

against:
against (literary)
[Late 16th century.
Shortening.][1]



’ll

’ll
’ll
[after a vowel l, after a
consonant ’l] contraction

1.  will:
will

2.  shall:
shall

[1]



’mid

’mid
’mid
[mid] or mid [mid] preposition

amid:
among a group
[15th century. Shortening of amid .][1]



’mongst

’mongst
’mongst
[mungst] preposition

amongst:
amongst (literary)
[Late 16th century. Variant
of amongst, a variant of among .][1]



’pon

’pon
’pon
[pon] preposition

upon:
upon (archaic or literary)
[Mid-16th century.
Shortening.][1]



’re

’re
’re
contraction

are:
are • They’re
planning to come.[1]



’tain’t

’tain’t
’tain’t
[taynt] contraction

it ain’t:
it ain’t (nonstandard)[1]



’til

’til
’til
[til] or til [til] or ’till [til] contraction

until:
until. See Usage note at till
[Mid-20th century.
Shortening.][1]



’tis

’tis
’tis 
[tiz] contraction

it is:
it is (archaic or literary)[1]



’tude

’tude
’tude 
[tood] noun

conscious
assertiveness: an arrogant or assertive manner or
stance assumed as a challenge or for effect (slang)
[Late 20th century. From attitude
.][1]



’twas

’twas
’twas 
[twuz, twəz]
contraction

it was:
it was (archaic or literary)[1]



’tween

’tween
’tween 
[tween] contraction

between:
between (archaic or literary)
[13th century. Shortening.][1]



’twere

’twere
’twere 
[twur] contraction

it
were:
it were (archaic or literary)
[Early 17th century.
Contraction.][1]



’twill

’twill
’twill
[twil] contraction

it
will:
it will (archaic or literary)
[Mid-17th century.
Contraction.][1]



’twixt

’twixt
’twixt
[twikst] preposition

betwixt:
betwixt (archaic)[1]



’twould

’twould
’twould
[twd] contraction

it would:
it would (archaic or literary)[1]



’ve

’ve
’ve
[v, əv] contraction

have[1]







[1]Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
